Of Sleep and Time Crunches by Konnie Enos

 Today is the last day of this semester and I have two finals still to do, plus finish one last assignment.

I was working on said assignment when I realized I needed sleep. It was about midnight. Yes, that's pretty late to go to bed. However, for some unknown reason, I ended up awake a couple of hours later. Since I was up, I tried to finish my assignment.

This worked right up until Jerry told me our son wasn't getting up and therefore couldn't take him to his appointment. Fun.

I ended up driving him, which thankfully only entailed dropping him off. By the time I got home, I was dragging so I lay down to get some more sleep only to have my alarm go off because it's Wednesday morning.

I reset the alarm for an hour later and when it went off again I hit snooze. I wasn't even planning to get up until the dogs started barking and I realized they'd need to be fed plus Mabel needs her medicines. I got up to do that though I'm still asleep. 

I'd warned Bonnie that I might not be able to get to the post, due to homework and tests, but I hadn't heard from her so I have no clue if she has done a post or not. Nothing is scheduled yet, so now I'm attempting to type while fighting my eyes to stay open while I have one of those "you didn't get enough sleep" headaches. Yes, I get it. Three hours is not enough sleep.

Since I have to finish that assignment and do those finals today, I'm going to have to focus on getting more rest and getting those completed. Hopefully, next time I have to post I'll have time to write something.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

Twin Problems by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

Several times in the last few weeks I’ve had occasion to pull up a picture on my phone that my nephew took of his mother and sent to me. On most of those occasions it went something like this:

I show the person I’m talking to the picture.

Them: That’s a nice picture of you.

Me: No, it isn’t.

Them: That’s a really nice picture!

Me: Yeah. But it’s not of me.

Them: Oh.

The only exception to this scenario is one woman who scanned the picture then faced me and said, “That’s not you, is it?”

“Good eye. It isn’t me.”

She confessed she didn’t think it was me because of the different glasses, but still, not many people noticed any differences between that picture and me. Confronted with the two of us together is another issue.

Sometimes I wonder how her family can tell us apart, but not even her husband never had any problems telling us apart.

The first time he set eyes on me, I was sitting on his couch in his apartment holding his then-infant eldest daughter in my arms, and he still knew I wasn’t his wife at first glance!

Nice.

Though I admit later visits with Konnie didn’t go so well. I can’t remember if it was May or Melinda, but prior to my visiting Konnie had warned me that this little darling only ever wanted her momma and would rarely even go to her father.

However, the second I walked into their apartment, she instantly reached for me. I gladly took her into my arms and hugged her. She was all fine and dandy with me holding her until she realized I didn’t have mother nature’s milk supply for her and she screamed bloody murder!

Another time, some years later, I’d just gotten off the phone from talking to Konnie when a few minutes before when my phone rang again. I answered and a small child happily said, “Hi, Mommy.”

Excuse me?

Talk about a heart-stopping moment!

Eventually, I got the kid to hang up and I called Konnie back.

Turns out, a certain little tyke had thought his mother had her cell phone on her while she was in the bathroom, and he’d also thought the last number dialed on their landline was that cell phone.

How wrong he was!

Again, he doesn’t make that mistake anymore. Though all of her family consider it weird when they enter a room while Konnie is talking to me with her speaker on. One time I heard Konnie giggle for no seeming reason then one of her kids said, “Oh, that’s Aunt Bonnie.”

It seems they had temporarily been nonplussed at hearing their mother’s voice coming from her phone.

I guess it was something like the time years ago when I’d been busy in the bathroom when my phone rang. I hurried to get it knowing as I did that it was Konnie. The answering machine, which was downstairs picked up first, but I got on the line upstairs and told her I was there. We talked for a while but I never went to the kitchen to erase our conversation from the answering machine.

Honestly hadn’t had time with all I was doing that day.

Anyway, when Tom got home from work, he noticed there was a message and, while wondering why there was a message when I’d been home all day, he played it.

Him: You talked to yourself on the phone?

His confusion was evident on his face, because after all, how could I manage that!

That memory is still as funny as the day it happened, but honestly, listening to that tape, the only way I could tell who was talking was by what was being said.

We’re identical after all. And our blind counselor in high school couldn’t tell us apart because our voices are so identical. Let alone that our own father could rarely manage to tell us apart until we managed to land such polar opposite husbands!

That’s not Konnie if she’s standing next to the tall one!

Though I admit, Dad had no trouble knowing it was me when I was entering the kitchen at a time when a meal didn’t need to be cooked or dishes didn’t need to be done, because at least once it was him who announced to the rest of the family, “Bonnie’s baking!”

Causing a stampeded to the kitchen while I’m still pulling the flour out!

And it's not like Konnie can’t bake. I have no idea why he could make that distinction, because, like I said, most of the time, he couldn’t tell the difference at all.

Such is life as identical twins. Just remember this the next time you have such characters in your WIP.

Happy writing, everyone!

Of Obstacles and Stress by Konnie Enos

These past two weeks have been interesting.

First, our internet went down. Our investigation of the cause told us we were the only house affected. (It appeared that the wires connecting our house to the provider were down.)

Cue calling to get repairs done because three of us had homework assignments due. That and what hot spots we have in the household could not handle the load necessary for even one college student.

After two days of less than a desirable response from our internet company, they have become our FORMER internet company. We know have their biggest competitor. Better customer service, much lower price, and faster speeds. Should have switched sooner.

Now the issue is our former company is refusing to cancel our still not repaired or otherwise working internet service. So I guess I’m reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. (Making it difficult/impossible to cancel service is illegal.) And I still have to get them to cancel.

New problem. After all this, I discovered I was out of one of my medicines. I have a mail-order pharmacy and I was sure I had ordered the refill. So I called.

Yes, I had ordered it but someone had incorrectly marked my last bottle as a 90 day supply (the amount I normally get) but for some reason for several months, they could only legally send me a 30 day supply. The lady I spoke to could correct the issue and get me some pills sent out ASAP, but that would still be about a week.

She kindly suggested talking to my doctor about getting an emergency supply.

Now next problem. My daughter had already been trying to get an appointment but always got their answering service and still has had no response. We assumed they’d taken a week off or something and by this time it was Friday afternoon, July 2. I was pretty sure they weren’t going to be in the office for a few more days. I’d have to wait.

What medicine am I out of?

My high blood pressure medicine.

Nobody in my family wants me to stress out trying to get our former internet provider to cancel out service while I don’t have my blood pressure under control. I haven’t even reported them to the proper authorities yet.

Then with all this going on, my kids have all expressed concern about my husband’s health and how it appears to be affecting his driving ability. None of us are suggesting he stop driving. We are suggesting he have a complete physical to see if they can determine the cause of this very recent issue.

But Jerry, being Jerry means he now refuses to do any chauffeuring. Now since Melinda has a license, this shouldn’t be an issue, but, as noted above, she has been trying to get ahold of our doctor because she has all the symptoms of her thyroid being low, again. So she hasn’t been driving for a couple of weeks due to an extreme lack of energy. That and taking multiple naps a day.

Okay, two down for the count. That leaves me as the designated driver. This meant I got to ignore my homework for four hours last Thursday so I could take Tony to his appointment, at the DMV.

(I took some reading with me so I wasn’t ignoring my homework.)

The good part is he finally passed his driver’s test and I’m no longer the designated driver.

He is, however, not sure about the situation because I’ve already taken full advantage of the opportunity.

Saturday, our normal day for our weekly shopping trip, Melinda was, as usual, exhausted. Jerry was, now par for the course, refusing to drive anywhere. (I didn’t want him doing the shopping anyway.) And I had a homework assignment due that was, well, raising my blood pressure. In the end, I finally turned it in with an obvious error because no amount of trying to find the answer helped fix the issue. But of course, when the store was opened, I was still struggling with it.

On Monday, because we’d not gotten a few things on Saturday (some of it intentional because if we’d gotten the ice cream on Saturday it’d have been gone by Monday, and I wanted ice cream to celebrate my birthday) neither Melinda nor I were up to a store run, so we sent Tony again.

He has yet to be forced to take any of his non-driving siblings to an appointment but that’s more because they haven’t had any since he got his license. He can see that one coming and is not happy.

So that’s how my last couple of weeks have gone.

How’s your life going?

Smile. Make the day a better day.

 

Independence Day by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

In a few days, people all over this country will be lining the streets waiting for the parade. That’s all good, but the last few times I’ve attended a parade, I’ve witnessed way too many people sitting and chatting with their neighbors when the color guard is going past!

THE COLOR GUARD! As in the most precious symbol of our wonderful country and healthy young adults are sitting and visiting with their neighbors. Worse still they are not teaching their children to respect the flag.

This isn’t about who is president, or the color of our skins, this is about the land of the free! This is about The Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence and this about all the men who gave their lives for that independence, and the men and women who followed in their footsteps and stood up for this country with their very lives!

And this isn’t about who was born here, or even how or when our ancestors arrived here, because, let’s face it, unless you are 100% Native American, you have immigrants somewhere on your family tree.

Konnie and I have lots of immigrants on our family tree starting with the Mayflower and ending with our great-grandfather father who left Denmark by ship then crossed this country by any means possible eventually arriving in Salt Lake as part of a handcart company. We have ancestors who fought for independence, and relatives who were at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Our husbands were both serving in the Navy during the first Gulf War. In fact, I am related to five men who served in the military during that war.

And if I could stand up long enough for the color guard to pass, I would, because of my ancestors who came over on the Mayflower searching for their religious freedom, for my ancestors who fought for independence from England, and for every member of the military who gave their lives so I can live my life today the way I want to live it.

But I can’t stand that long, so I’ll sit up as straight and tall as I can with my right hand over my heart and keep it there until the color guard passes me. And if they play the national anthem – I’ll sing along!

Yeah, I won’t stand, but like I said I can’t.

For all those who can, and don’t, I’d like to ask why? Why don’t you honor your ancestors who gave up everything to be here? Why don’t you honor your ancestors who gave their lives for you to have the freedoms you have today?

If not for those ancestors, we wouldn’t even have the stars and stripes. If not for their sacrifice we wouldn’t have Francis Scott Key’s words, “Oh Say Can We See?”, and we couldn’t have Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America!” or Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA!”

And speaking of Berlin, don’t think for one second, he was “Born in the USA” because he wasn’t. He was born in Russia! His family escaped when the Czar was killing off Jews. His family came to America for the same reason the Puritans came to America, for religious freedom!

He was a naturalized citizen of this country, and he loved it. He wrote “God Bless America” because of his love for this country.

But then Greenwood and Key did the same thing. They expressed their feeling in their wonderful heartfelt songs just like Berlin, and frankly, I love all three songs. They’re great. They express their love for this country.

And saluting the color guard is showing our love for this country.

If you are not saluting it, why are you celebrating our freedom?

What is Independence Day to you?

Just fireworks, parades, and family picnics, and nothing else?

Has it no meaning to you?

I admit, as a kid I thought all the hoopla was for my birthday, but I was a kid. A naïve child. I’m not a child anymore, and I’ve had plenty of people over the years teach me the true meaning of this holiday.

I especially love learning the story behind the words in our national anthem. The most significant part is that men DIED to keep that flag flying. They gave their lives to hold up the flag of a country in its very infancy, and their descendants can’t salute that flag?

Frankly, I’m outraged and offended!

If you don’t love this country, don’t celebrate its birth! Don’t attend the parade or watch the fireworks. In fact, move to another country.

But if you stay, when the flag passes, stand, put your right hand over your heart, and salute it!

On a lighter note, happy birthday to Konnie, and me!

Happy writing everyone!

Of Reminders and Befuddled Brains by Konnie Enos

Yesterday, about 4:30 in the afternoon, just after I’d finished my eighth assignment, and decided I could take a break. One thing that needed to be done was checking my emails.

I went to check my main email account and found one telling me I had something on my schedule for the next day. I stared at it for several beats trying to figure out who sent it and what it was for. I wracked my brain for anything I had to do that someone could be reminding me of.

I mean I knew I had homework to do. I’d also just finished making sure I had my list of assignments to work on tomorrow including that two of them were due and needed to be my top priority.

I then remembered I’d signed up for a zoom meeting. Since my planner was open, I glanced at prepared to turn the page from the current date.

I have a Franklin planner with daily pages so part of each day’s planner pages includes an hourly schedule. There was only one thing in this part of my planner.

The zoom meeting.

Not only that but it ended at 4:30. Please note the time this was occurring above.

I missed it.

Heavy sigh. I’d been looking forward to it too.

So then what else do I have going?

I’m flummoxed.

I turn back to this concerning email to see if I can glean any clue as to what I have to attend from it.

I see the date of this event and that it’s to me but nothing else is sinking into my brain.

Then I finally perceived who was sending me this email.

Essentially me.

It was coming from my Google Calendar.

This just confuses me more. I haven’t added anything to my Google Calendar all year and the only reminder I could remember setting up was sent the day before. It’s a weekly reminder. So it couldn’t be that.

Still perplexed about what this is referring to I go to pick up my planner but stop before I do.

My due tomorrow assignments, which I’d just finished confirming I still had to do, are always due on Wednesday. So what reminders do I have on Google Calendar for Wednesday?

Oh. Post.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I mentally note that in the morning I’ll have to post on Facebook and Instagram that our weekly blog is up. Only then did I realize that the email does say it’s a reminder to post.

Duly noted. I can remember to do that.

Now that I’m not confused I manage to remember that I have not one, but two meetings scheduled for the next evening.

The first one has been added to my schedule since April. When I started school. It’s a zoom meeting for one of my online classes.

The other is another zoom meeting though this one is for Henderson Writer’s Group. Since our election last month, I’m now on the board, and I have to attend my first official board meeting.

I can’t forget either one of those either. They are both important.

Then I remember that the next day being Wednesday also means it's garbage day for us.

So my to-do list now includes, posting in the morning on Facebook and Instagram, attending my class and the board meeting, and reminding either Jerry or Royce to take the cans out tonight.

As I think this Melinda comes in and asks Jerry to take the cans out because Royce is already asleep. Jerry reminded. Check.

Though as early as it is and since he didn’t get right up and do it, I’ll probably have to remind him before he goes to bed.

Now quite content with having remembered everything that is on my schedule for the next day, I go to continue checking my email.

Oh no! Wednesday! Post! It’s my turn!

I don’t just have to post on Facebook and Instagram, I have to write the whole post!

Okay, back to wracking my brain. This time for an idea.

All I can say for today is I managed to finish eight assignments while missing a meeting I had scheduled. Nor did I do the tasks I have to do for Henderson Writer’s Group or my family’s finances. Making two more things to add to Wednesday’s to-do list.

At least I remembered with enough time to get something written, even if it means struggling with finding a topic and then finding the words to convey it in the short expanse of a blog post.

Here’s to less bewildering days and clearer minds.

Also Happy 245 years America!

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

Murphy's Law and Making Plans by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today. I’ve heard this a lot in my life and I finally figured out why it’s a good idea. You see, it isn’t about getting things done sooner, nor is it about being organized, it's about Murphy’s Law and the fact that we can’t predict the future!

I.E. it is about the best-laid plans, not only could something come up to waylay our plans, Murphy’s Law says something WILL do so.

Case in point, I could have written my post on Monday. I told myself, I would write it on Monday, but Monday is a long day, so first I was going to work on some crafts.

Yeah, you guessed it, I spent the whole day doing crafts.

Oh well, I could still write my post yesterday after work.

Yeah right.

I started working on it when my ankle started bothering me. Now I know what that irritation is, what causes it, and how to combat it. I’ve dealt with it for years now. The problem is how to deal with it is to lay down and put my feet above my heart. Can’t very well sit up and type in that position.

When I finally thought to mention something to poor Konnie about me being a bit behind, she freaked out because she was busy it and was already late.

I had to assure her I had started it, just hadn’t been able to finish it.

Such is life.

We can’t predict the future and despite my best-laid plans, I can’t predict when my edema is going to act up. For that matter, none of us can predict when a friend will drop by or call needing our help or just to visit, mothers can’t predict some emergency with one (or more) of her kids. We just don’t know what could, and probably will go wrong forcing a change in our plans when we least expect it and can’t afford it.

Though on the bright side, it does give me ideas about how I can torture my characters. Though that is what we are supposed to do. Never give your characters what they want the most! At least until the end of the story. Waylay, them. Force them in a different direction, even show them that isn’t what they really want.

Too bad I haven’t figured out that sort of stuff can happen in real life too or I wouldn’t be sitting here right now trying to write my post and not pay too close attention to the clock while still keeping in mind when my post is supposed to go up!

Yeah, life is unpredictable, but honestly, I should have factored in something like this happening since I haven’t been able to wear compression socks since that fateful day, I didn’t notice Patches near me and ended up slamming his tail in the car door.

Patches, being a cat, let me know my mistake by attacking my leg.

And me, being diabetic, well, I heal slowly. My leg became infected and while it is now on the mend, the infection dealt with, that area of my leg still chafes at just regular socks covering it.

At least now it isn’t sore and red and I don’t wince in pain when it merely brushes against something else.

Life goes on.

Though I admit I’m glad I no longer have to daily clean the area with alcohol wipes and apply a generous amount of triple antibiotic. Then again, I’m also glad I didn’t end up in the hospital, and the sores have healed. It could have been worse!

For one thing, my edema could be so bad that even with having my leg elevated all night it could still be swollen right now.

Which wouldn’t be good, because then I’d have trouble getting to work today.

Yeah, things could be a lot worse.

And at least I’m not so far behind that I’m not getting my post finished on time, unlike Konnie did last week

And she had thought she might not be able to get it done. I had told her if she couldn’t manage it by Sunday night to let me know, so I had time to write something. Guess what she forgot to do.

She didn’t even remember to contact me until the post should have already been up. Then again, she was very busy and still is, so it’s a good thing I could get something written this week.

Anyway, happy writing everyone!

Of Busy Schedules and Forgetting by Konnie Enos

 

I'm so sorry, but my schedule this week was so packed I did not have time to write my post before now. I also completely forgot to mention to Bonnie that I wasn't going to be able to get my post up. This resulted in neither of us writing a post and when we realized it both of us were running late to get out the door. This meant neither of us had time to post anything. 

Now that it is late in the day, I've finally cleared my schedule, for a few minutes so I thought I'd let our loyal readers know we have not forgotten about our regular blog post, life just got in the way.

To give you something cute to look at I've again used the picture of my son's puppy who sadly, and without warning, passed away this last week. He will be missed (well at least by those of us not annoyed by his puppy exuberance).

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.