Of Knees and Not Writing by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

I put my knee out last night. No big deal, I’ve done it before. The problem is that I also somehow skipped a day, and I didn’t realize I needed to write my post until it was way past my bedtime, and I was in so much pain I needed some pain meds just to get some sleep. I couldn’t think beyond that.

I’m still having trouble thinking, mostly because I didn’t get enough sleep.

I am falling back to sleep right now, so I’m going to end my post here.

Happy writing everyone.

Of Writing and Sleeping by Konnie Enos

Trying to come up with an idea for a blog post is a daunting task. Especially when you can’t come up with even one thought that could be extrapolated into sufficient coherent words to fill several pages.

As is usually the case, when I can’t come up with ideas, I start reading hoping to jar something loose. My efforts yesterday included reading some of my stories.

I started with a few of my WIPs that I never managed to complete at least one rough draft on. The longest one I read was only around thirty pages. The next longest was barely over ten. Another one was three or four scenes, while the shortest was only one scene.

And although most of my stories are romance, only one of the ones I read yesterday was. The others were either fantasy or sci-fi.

And none of them jarred anything loose but it wasn’t late yet. Thinking about getting my mind off of finding an idea for my blog, hoping that would help germinate an idea, I decided to look at my fantasy, which I’ve been editing lately.

All that served to do was to keep me editing just one more scene until about two in the morning. Then Jerry’s alarm woke me up only a few hours later. So now I’m tired and still not able to come up with an idea that will fill more than a page.

Since I hadn’t had enough sleep yet, after his alarm woke me, I went back to bed and ended up sleeping past my alarm. Meaning, I slept longer than I should have and now I don’t have enough time to formulate any other idea than rambling about why I’m now so tired.

And I can’t help but think that it tends to be a recurring theme with me that I don’t get anywhere near enough sleep the night before I’m supposed to write the blog post. And part of the reason that is, is because I stay up way too late, either writing something else or down the rabbit hole known as Facebook all while trying to generate an idea for the blog. Then I have to get up earlier than I usually do to actually write the blog, which of course, I usually don’t even start the night before.

Since this happens frequently when I have to get a post written, you would think it’s a regular occurrence, but really it isn’t. It doesn’t even happen every time I have to write for our blog.

It's far more likely that I’ll be well rested on Wednesday morning yet have no idea what to write about and just do a rambling stream of thought. Which happens far more frequently than I admit. Mostly because it works for me.

Then there are mornings like today when I can’t seem to think in full sentences and have to keep backtracking because I wasn’t making sense. And everybody knows the harder you try to pull out the words, the more elusive they are.

Right now, all I can come up with is that I have way too much planned to do today especially considering I’ve only had about four hours of sleep. On the plus side, I managed to do a rough edit on nearly half of my completed fantasy WIP. Unfortunately, most of what I did edit didn’t include fixing the POV issues, which means I have to go back over those chapters again.

I also think I should change the ending because the last couple of chapters feel too rushed. Too much like I’m trying to get in too much information into too short a space. Worse still, it feels that way because I am trying to get too much information into too short a space.

At this point, I have no more time to contemplate the problem because I have to get my post and then start preparing for my busy day. I imagine I’m going to be crashing from sheer exhaustion about the time the sun goes down today.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

Technology and Me by Bonnie Le Hamilton

 

Of late I have been thinking a lot about how much the world has changed since Konnie and I were in high school. Can you believe that we graduated 42 years ago?

And a whole lot has changed in this world in those 42 years. Back then personal computers were behemoths requiring a considerable amount of muscles to heft and carry. They also cost an arm and a leg. They were most decidedly not standard fare in every American home.

Of course, back then phones were for the most part attached to the wall. Some of the wealthy people had a phone attached to their cars. It was very much a luxury item. And cordless phones were a novelty, but the base was still attached to the wall. Though maybe it was around that time when they started having mobile phones, those required a large case to carry around, and there was an antenna that you had to extend to make or receive calls.

I sincerely doubt anyone back then would believe that computers could be small and light enough to carry wherever you go or that phones would fit in your pocket!

And those phones attached to the wall? Nowadays they call those landlines, and who has those anymore?

Off the top of my head, I can name one friend who still has a landline, and she and her husband are considerably older than Konnie and me.

Konnie doesn’t have a landline anymore. I certainly don’t. One phone bill is enough, and my cell phone does a whole lot more than a landline ever could do. I actually don’t bother with wall calendars anymore. My phone is always closer, so why bother?

I also don’t bother with those appointment reminder cards generally given out at doctor’s offices anymore. Within seconds of the receptionist typing in my next appointment on her computer, I have it noted in my calendar on my phone.

Need a “To do” list? My phone has that too.

It also has a calculator, address book, camera, and my e-mail, as well as all sorts of apps I’ve added to it.

With my phone, I can track my health, and record things like my blood pressure, blood glucose, and weight regularly, and it's on hand when I see the doctor!

I can do most of my banking and bill paying on my phone as well. I have apps for my bank and my credit cards. And those bills I don’t have apps for, I still have most of them on autopay. I have both my electric and heating bills on level pay and autopay, so it’s easier to budget. And I’ve gone paperless with most of them too.

I have a whopping two bills that are not paperless or autopay. I do have several that are not autopay, but they are still paperless. I have their mobile app, and they notify me by email.

I personally find autopay, paperless, and mobile apps very convenient.

I’m not so sure my husband would be able to handle it if he were still alive. He was totally against cell phones, and he hated using drive-throughs. In fact, he avoided using the ATM as well! And he insisted on hand delivering payments if it was local. He would mail the ones that had to be mailed, but he refused to go autopay. He honestly thought once it was started there was no way to stop them on our end and you’d end up overpaying.

He also thought having the utilities on autopay meant getting shocked by large withdrawals. That’s what level pay is for.

Man, when I switched, life became so much easier.

All my money is directly deposited and most of my bills are automatic, so I don’t have to remember to get them paid on time, and for the few that aren’t, I can pay most of them on a mobile app. So much easier. And the only time I need to go to the bank is when my sister-in-law gives me her share of my cell phone bill. So just once a month, and just once a month I hand deliver my car payment to the credit union.

Plus, I always use the drive-through if I can, one less time to climb in and out of my car, and no standing in line!

Except when the app doesn’t want to open. Which was one issue I was having two weeks ago. Now the issues I was having with that one app and the internet have been fixed. Getting in touch with my internet provider and the owners of that app was the hard part.

Boy was all that a pain!

And in the end I had to factory reset my modem and delete and then re-install that app.

Happy writing everyone!

Of Procrastination and Deadlines by Konnie Enos

Last night, after our lights were all out when I was as comfortable as possible and about ready to fall asleep, my husband asked me what I had to do today. As I was almost asleep, my first thought was nothing.

It’s usually nothing. At least nothing much. I’m introverted enough that I much prefer to stay in the comfort of my own home. I also prefer to stay in the comfort of my nightgowns mostly because it means I don’t have to wear a torture device better known as a bra.

While I’m sitting around at home, I don’t do very much beyond some chores.

Every day we sweep, vacuum, and occasionally mop all the floors. At least once a day we run the dishwasher and later we put away the clean dishes. Twice every day we provide medicine to two dogs and fill puzzle toys with food/treats to engage two of our dogs while also feeding all four of them and keeping them separate while doing so.

There is also bringing in the mail, taking out the garbage, and making sure the bins get to and from the curb once a week. Not to mention regularly going to the store for groceries, and we wash the towels at least once a week. There is also regularly scrubbing bathrooms and grooming dogs, which sometimes requires bathing dogs.

My point is that we do plenty every day around here, but I don’t do any of those chores. I have lots of reasons for this, but they all boil down to the fact that I’m a short overweight senior citizen with arthritis from my waist down. Every one of these chores requires standing, walking, bending, stretching, or just plain reaching things I can’t reach because of my height. So, my family does all these chores. (My daughter does most of them except when she forces her brother to help her or my husband helps.)

My chores consist of cleaning the things I can reach (tables, countertops) and cooking or at least assisting in cooking. I generally do the peeling and chopping. I also manage the finances and pay the bills. Most of which I can do sitting down.

So, when Jerry asked me what I was doing today my first thoughts were that I didn’t have any appointments nor were there any pressing bills to deal with. Beyond my regular cleaning and cooking chores, I had nothing on my schedule for today. My first response was to tell him, nothing.

Then it occurred to me that I did have something to do today.

It was at that moment that I realized my son had gathered and taken out the garbage, including taking the bins to the curb. It was Tuesday night, meaning today was Wednesday. I had something that I needed to do before 8 a.m.

Something that involved sitting, but also time and thought. All of which I wasn’t up to at 11 p.m. when I was already lying down and half asleep. It was also something that I’d completely spaced all day. I’d given it no thought and had no idea how to proceed.

My only conclusion was that I had to get up early this morning and hope that I was able to get enough sleep so that I’d be refreshed and ready for the task.

After three middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom, my alarm went off. I was not ready for the morning, let alone thought, but I still needed to get things done. I dragged myself out of bed and pulled out my laptop.

I also, very dutifully did not get on the internet or start browsing that rabbit hole known as Facebook. I opened up a blank Word document.

Then I did look at some news headlines because I still didn’t know what to write but I forced myself to get back to writing without delving into any stories and wasting time.

In case you haven’t figured it out, what I forgot about until late last night was that today was my day to post. I had to get up, come up with a topic, and write something that made sense at a time that is earlier than I normally get up.

I also don’t know why I felt it was such a huge deal that I forgot about it until that late. As a rule, I often forget about it until the last minute. Often not realizing it’s Wednesday, or my turn to post, until my alarm goes off Wednesday morning. It’s the only day I have an alarm set to wake me up. It’s also set so I’ll have time to write a post if it’s my turn, which I usually manage, barely in time.

Apparently, I’m good at procrastinating.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

Appologies by Konnie Enos

 Bonnie is having technical issues and is unable to get her blog post up or send it to me so I can get it up. Her tech issues include that she was unable to text, or email me to warn me about the issues in time for me to get something up. I assume she didn't call me because she was dealing with this in the middle of the night. 

Hopefully, she'll have her technical issues fixed before our next post needs to go up.

Enjoy the holiday (July 4th) and check back next week.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.

Of Stress and Major Catastrophes by Konnie Enos

When it rains, it pours. Lately, it seems like everything that can go wrong, will. In the last few years, we’ve had several furry family members, other family members, and even some friends die. We’ve had multiple appliances break down and need repairing or replacing. We’ve had car accidents resulting in needing a new car. We’ve also had expensive maintenance on our house.

And if that isn’t bad enough, at least Melinda and I are having health issues. Melinda’s fibromyalgia and my arthritis are making it difficult for us to keep up with our chores. The gentlemen in our household aren’t going to pick up the slack so some things just aren’t getting done as often as they should.

 It also doesn’t look like things are going to settle down anytime soon.

A few weeks ago, Jerry asked a mechanic how much it would cost for some regular maintenance on our car. I was hoping it would be just a lube, oil, and filter.

Nope.

The transmission and brakes are due for service. It’ll be over a thousand dollars. The only bright spot is that we have some leeway to save for it.

I’m to the point of thinking we have this under control when Jerry decides he has to take his dog to the vet. The issue? He thinks the dog has an ear infection. What does he come home with? Stuff to clean dogs’ ears. Something that we already have in the house and Melinda has told him that. Over a hundred dollars we didn’t have to have a vet tell him exactly what our resident vet tech already had. (Part of that was just the fee to see the vet. The other part was the bottle of medicine we did not need.)

But the most stressful day recently was last Thursday.

Sometime in the middle of the night, early last Thursday, Royce and I heard a loud crashing noise. I was too tired to investigate it (already asleep in bed). Royce wasn’t asleep and did look around but couldn’t figure out where it came from.

Then around ten or eleven in the morning, Jerry left the house to go somewhere and noticed water flowing out of our garage.

Clearly, there was a problem somewhere.

We stepped into the garage to find water everywhere and a gaping hole in the ceiling in the corner near our hot water heater. Water soaked most of the garage, including many of the boxes we had stored out there. The smell from all those musty boxes was so overpowering that all four of us had issues with our asthma.

With water still dripping from somewhere, the first step was to shut off our water supply. The second was to call the plumber. Jerry dealt with the first while I dealt with the second.

The first issue was without water we couldn’t flush. Well, okay we could flush once for each toilet. With everyone being adults, we were sensible enough to know that we didn’t have to flush every single time. (You know only flush if it is brown, or red.) I used both flushes within an hour.

The second issue was the heat. Being over a hundred degrees out meant family members, especially those with fur, or in my case, diabetes, would need plenty of water. Fortunately, I have a twenty-litter jug which I had recently filled. Also, the plumber came fairly quickly and was able to figure out where the water was coming from and get our water back on.

He also told us to call our homeowners insurance. But then so did my friend from church whom I’d contacted to see if we could get help with the clean-up, which was clearly going to be a major undertaking considering how full the garage was. And that was just considering everything stored there. I still do not know how much sheetrock or insulation or anything else will need replacing.

Anyway, within a few hours, we had two guys here. One was the plumber. One was a guy from a company that cleans up water damage like this. Not repairs, just clean it up so someone else can repair it. One of their jobs is to make sure any mold is dealt with.

This is a good thing. Melinda is highly allergic to mold and before the day was over she was having a major reaction bad enough to consider using her EpiPen. Thankfully, Benadryl worked.

And our insurance said they are sending out their investigator this morning to assess the damage. Though everyone, even the people we’ve talked to from our insurance, are assuming this is covered. Hopefully, because we certainly couldn’t repair all that damage on our own.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.