I was wrong.
I'm not complaining. I had a house full of family for the major portion of the day. After that, I was recovering from having a house full of family. I made meals. I actually cooked. And I'm sure the neighbors thought the house was on fire about seven o'clock tonight, but it wasn't.
And I can't complain about taking a nap with the newborn, now can I?
But the downsides are these:
My kitchen is a disaster.
My mind was far from the project at hand.
And I did not write the one short thing I needed to write today--a synopsis.
That's right, campers. Here it is, 3:30 in the morning, and I've wasted my evening watching yet another bad Ewan McGregor movie. Does he never make anything normal length? I mean, I think the movie started yesterday. And the worst part? I accidentally turned off the TV with only 15 minutes to go, AND I LEFT IT OFF! Why oh why could I not have accidentally turned it off three hours earlier?
(Okay, I guess I did have some complaining to do.)
I'm pathetic--and not because I didn't get any writing done. I'm pathetic for allowing other things to keep me from writing. It wasn't even a PERSON for hellsakes. It was a TV! It wasn't even FACEBOOK, where I could have been at least enjoying some interaction with friends.
Well, I'm not going to let the same thing happen tomorrow. I'm not going to turn on the bloody TV at all. And I'm going to block myself off the internet. The only nap I'm going to take will be in the dentist's chair, and hopefully, it will be brief. And my exercise will have to be hosing out the kitchen. (Pan frying steaks is messy business.)
So, I'm sorry for calling you all here today under false pretenses. There was nothing to report but my own lack of will. Next time you check in, there will be blood. (Love that line.) I mean, there will be an impressive word count. So help me.
And if I never said it before, thanks for coming.
So you ARE human. So good to know. I was beginning to think I'd been duped into following some kind of blog bot.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Hell's Writing Kitchen needs to give the lackeys in the kitchen a 2 or 3 day celebration period after the first draft of each project is completed where no new word count is required.
My problem is an inability to stop celebrating!
DeleteStill waiting to hear those goals, Big Guy.
I seem to remember your having said that in addition to your word count goals you also wanted to meet some "human time" goals, too... right? Having the family show up and spending the day with them [and then in the kitchen, resulting in Disaster Kitchen the next morning] -- that's the Human part. Embrace it all. Those are the moments that nurture your soul. And a well-nurtured soul turns out much better prose. [At least that's how I console myself when I miss my word count because I've spent the day with family]. I figure I missed way too much of my kids' growing up by being consumed with my work. I don't intend to let it happen with my grandkids -- because now I know for a fact how quickly that time goes!!!! Some days you exceed the word count goals, some days you exceed the Human Time goals. It'll all even out in the end. Sending you big hugs, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me about the human goals. Those are the ones I forget about ten minutes after I've made them. After Labor Day weekend, I will have met those goals for the rest of the year. They're going to be lucky if I sit up to the table on Thanksgiving, let alone cook something!
DeleteOh, so glad to hear you really are human. I was beginning to wonder how it was remotely possible to keep up with your schedule. I still haven't met my weekly goal, as posted at the beginning, but I want you to know that because of you and the "kitchen" I'm getting more words than has been my norm for a long, loooong, time. So kudos to you as a mentor and kudos to you as a woman in love with her family enough to grant them the special time they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that meeting a week-long goal is quite a rush for me. I hope to pull it off more often.
DeleteGlad you're having a good time in the kitchen!