Randomness

There have been so many things going on lately. Big things like our new President. Little things like knitting gloves. Things in between like a birthday party for my favorite 4-year-old. I keep thinking I should have enough material for a long, deeply thought-out post, but the truth is that all of this stuff just seems to crowd each other out. One minute a party is asking for attention. The next it's the idea that double-pointed knitting needles are one of the greatest inventions of all time.

I'd claim ADD, throw up my hands and have an excuse for not getting anything done, but we all know that I can focus like a laser (almost typed Lazar) when I put my mind to it. I think what the main roadblock has been is that the BIG thing has occupied a lot of my thoughts in the last few weeks. What it might mean for the country, indeed, the world. How high hopes, including mine, are and how that is going to both help and hurt Mr. Obama. Because we are a nation inflicted with a form of ADD. Yes, we're going to support him. Yes, we're willing to wait. Yes, we know it'll be hard work and what can I do to help. And, wait a minute? Didn't he say he was going to fix the economy? No, I don't remember saying anything about being willing to sacrifice and be patient and helping out. So that worries me a bit. But this isn't a political blog.

All I can think of to say about knitting gloves is that it's near instant gratification, unlike sweaters and afghans. If the cat agrees to sit on the arm of my chair instead of my lap, I can knock out one a night. You'll see my running count on the side bar. She's not cooperating. But the rhythm of knitting is soothing, therapeutic even. And double-pointed needles are a wonder. The knitting just goes round and round, seamlessly.

Elizabeth is a wonder. Not that I'm biased at all. Cute, smart and funny. Mostly funny. She can be so serious one minute and a complete goof the next. And she's at the age where she's making up stories. They go from first person to third to second within one sentence. Her cast of characters gets unwieldy and she drops characters without warning. But they are exciting tales of giant girls with green skin who climb mountains with Ariel and Belle (pronounced Bell-le). Somehow we never seem to reach the end of the story. And I think that's a good thing.

Facebook never ceases to amaze. Just a little over a month on it and I've reconnected with people from former jobs, other social networks (I guess that's what you'd call the old AOL MST3K message boards) and from high school. And here's a question: How can I not remember a guy from my graduating class when there were only 125 kids in it? Weird.

So that's the update for this week, such as it is. I'll try to be more focused next week. We'll see how that works out for me.

August Looms

Actually, August jumps up and smacks me upside the head. I did pretty well on my July goals. To recap, they were:

Outline changes for first bit of Vesta.
Write at least 50 pages of Vesta.
Complete 3 CWC critiques.
Get to 150 pages of MMG rewrite.

I completed all but the last one. And I made it to 85 pages (from 49) on that so I'm not beating myself up too much over it.

See sidebar for goals this month. Do the critiques, of course. Two pages a day **Changed due to upping the page count I want and Ali-demon's challenge** on Vesta, which should alleviate the 2-week mad dash at the end of September. And finish the MMG rewrites. Finally. And for good. With what I did on it this past week, it's feeling doable. I'm ready to take it a little different direction. To make the cuts that need to be made and the changes that are warranted. It feels right. Things seem to be clicking into place. Or I could be totally off base.

But I don't think so. Not this time.

Friday Ramblings

It's a beautiful day here in Colorado. Sunny, mild, clear skies. Just the kind of weather the rest of the country thinks we don't have in the fall and winter. But we do have a lot of them. A perfect day for a walk, and people seem to be taking advantage of it. I plan to go hiking tomorrow and Sunday to refill the well as it were.

There's a regular daycare center at the end of the street and another one closer to the building for developmentally disabled adolescents and adults. There are also a lot of medical offices on our street. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but my office is sort of 'garden level'. My window is high in the wall, but just above the ground outside. It gives a unique perspective on the world outside when I'm sitting at my desk. I see lots of sky and treetops until someone walks past. Some of the adolescents and adults walked by this morning with a couple of the attendants. They all seemed to be having a great time, enjoying the warm day.

A little while ago a woman in a smock--looked like she works in one of the doctor's offices--walked by. She kept glancing in the window with a really sour expression on her face. Now maybe she's got the cold that's going around. Maybe she hates her job. Maybe she got some bad news or didn't like her lunch. Maybe she just didn't like the looks of me. I wanted to make faces at her, but resisted the urge. I do represent the company after all. But it was tempting. It's a gorgeous day. Enjoy it!

Now if the little kids walk by, the day will be complete. It's fun to watch because they hold hands in a long line so they're actually walking sideways. They always seem to be enjoying themselves too. Even when it's a dreary day.

I know Ali's challenge to get outside was last month, but I'm going to issue it for this weekend. Get out of the house. Enjoy the pretty weather. Clear the cobwebs. Watch some people walking and see if you can figure out their mood.