It was a Friday and I was bored. What was I thinking?
It was a Friday at lunchtime, when I thought, what the heck. I’d always wanted to do it. But it’s in November. When I work on elections. November. Thanksgiving when I have lots of guests every year and cook for days. November when I already had a vacation planned. Oh, and November, when I planned to continue along with, you know, my life.
November, when I start getting into my pre-Holiday “just get me through to February-s.”
November, when I’d already been in a writing funk since my dog Cooper died in August. Nothing I’d written worked since then except when I was ranting (and how difficult is that?)
So naturally, with no preparation, no ideas, and precious little time, I signed on to NaNoWriMo.
What was worse was that I announced it to everybody in my office (they’re all supportive of my writing). They were duly impressed and asked for advanced, autographed copies.
The answer to the question posed was/is: Yes. A big fat Y-E-S. I am a total idiot.
But I did learn from my experience. I think the thing that I learned most was:
Look before you leap You Nincompoop. (Google Image)
On the bright side, I have been able to write a bit again. And that was my true goal in signing up. I wanted to force myself to write again. And I have been able to. So I did meet that goal.
And as a wanna-be funny person, I learned a valuable lesson from a true funny person:
One if the best things about blogs/bloggers/blogging is the camaraderie. Because the more we all write blogs, the more we all read blogs and the more we all comment on each other’s blogs, the more fun we have. And of course, the more likely we are to meet fellow bloggers face to face in the unemployment line.
No, no, no. That’s not what I mean.
What I mean is that, we bloggers like to spread the wealth. Share the fun. Tell each other about other fun places to visit and enjoy. Other folks’ blogs. The more the merrier. (Hell, who wants to work at work anyway.)
Today I am honored to be pulled along in the wake of one of the funniest of all of my bloggin’ buddies, Peg O’Leg at her blog Peg-O-Leg’s Ramblings. Yup, today I’m posted over at Peg’s in her pretty darn new Wednesday feature called
“THIS One Should Have Been Freshly Pressed”!
Most of you know Peg as a gifted humor writer who can stand her ground among other brilliant Irish writers like James Joyce, Bram Stoker and Medbh McGuckian. Unlike Joyce, Peg is NEVER boring. Unlike Stoker, Peg never terrifies us. And unlike Medbh McGuckian, we all know who Peg IS. Plus we can spell her name, which is nice.
Now Peg created her “Should Have Been FP’d” feature after realizing that all of us bloggers, from time to time, hit the PUBLISH button thinking-hoping-wishing that the brilliant piece we’ve just posted will hit the Big Time. Reach the masses. Be Freshly Pressed. And then it misses. It doesn’t. It isn’t FP’d. Our hearts are broken when only two people end up reading that brilliant post, our STATS tank, and we need to drown our whines, in wine, ice cream and chocolate. Or, in Peg’s case, in anything Reese’s.
This has happened to you. It has happened to me. But Peg, with her big heart and blog feature eased my pain. So head on over to Peg’s to sample one of my favorite humor pieces and take in a big bunch of Peg’s. Please? I bribed her into including me in the feature by promising her brilliant stats. Don’t let me down!
The Ultimate Honor
Here’s the link in case you missed the other three links: http://pegoleg.com/. Not that I’m anxious, mind you. I just don’t have enough chocolate on hand to cope if you don’t head on over to Peg’s.
One of my first bloggin’ buddies, Georgette of Georgette Sullins’ Blog tagged me for a blogging game. My choice of morning activities was to respond or clean the house. Guess which I chose.
The Rules:
1. Post these rules. (CHECK)
2. Post a photo of yourself and eleven random facts about you. (CHECK-ish)
3. Answer the questions given to you in the tagger’s post. (CHECK)
4. Create eleven new questions and tag new people to answer them. (CHECK)
5. Go to their blog/twitter and let them know they have been tagged. (I’m goin’, I’m goin’)
Here’s me. Sort of.
Yes, I’m a hairy beast. Mine is more blondish red, but same idea (Google image)
Eleven facts you may not know about me.
No one has ever accused me of being neat.
I went to secretarial school.
People for whom I worked as a secretary in the 1970s are still trying to find stuff I filed.
My interest in politics started during the Vietnam War but really took off in my freshman year of college when a professor suggested I take his course then next semester. He thought I was brilliant, so I took his course for an easy “A.” It was a course on the Kennedys — the best history course I ever took.
I cannot work on one thing all day. My mind bounces around too much. I call it a “Superball”; others say it’s ADHD. You choose.
My husband John and I were introduced by my old boyfriend, Erik; they worked together. John and I often sat next to each other at firm functions and insulted each other mercilessly. Erik used to get really mad at me because “other people just don’t understand that you are joking.” John and I started dating 4-5 years after I broke up with the other guy. The “people that didn’t understand” were a bit surprised.
I was Daddy’s girl from the start. I’m guessing conception.
My brothers and sisters didn’t hate me because Daddy liked me best. They used me to get Dad to say “yes” to something they wanted. Worked for me.
I routinely skipped school in 4th grade.
I feel panicky whenever I have to drive across railroad tracks after living next to the NY-New Haven railroad line growing up.
When we got bored just hopping across the railroad tracks when a train was approaching, my brother and I used to pull down our pants and then hop across the tracks in front of approaching trains. Yup, every day is a gift.
Now, here are my answers to Georgette’s questions:
1. Did you have a cousin close in age to you?
Maureen, my mother’s sister Ruth’s daughter is 10 months older than me. Aunt Ruth was a widow and she and Maureen spent most Sundays at our house. Aunt Ruth was always placing Maureen and me back-to-back to see which was taller. Of course Maureen always “won.” It used to make me cry. I didn’t like Maureen much as a kid. We’re great friends now.
2. What was the first novel that transported you?
My sister Beth used to read my brother Fred and I the classics, right from the start, and I’ve always read voraciously. But the first time I remember really consciously being aware of the power of words to transport was when I read Great Expectations. I was then at the intersection between my own childhood and adolescence. Dickens, who was clearly an adult when he wrote it, was able to go back so clearly and understandingly into Pip’s childhood feelings that I was comforted that I’d always be able to go back to mine.
3. Is the work you do to pay the bills a passion or practical?
My career has been completely accidental. In my teens I dreamed of being an actress and a singer. My mother worked in an office and it seemed like the worst sort of drudgery imaginable. In my arrogance, I knew I was better than that. More interesting. More creative. Smarter. (See The Silver Lining – thankfully, I grew out of being such an ass. Mostly.)
But I had health problems – colitis they thought (it’s actually Crohn’s). I would always need health insurance and so my parents forced me, kicking and screaming, to secretarial school.
They were right. I HAVE always needed health insurance. But I managed to turn secretarial jobs into other (still office-bound) jobs that have been more rewarding and really interesting. I have been incredibly lucky.
My current job is wonderful. I get paid to write and to learn and to look at this wonderful view every day from my office window.
(Google image)
I have no complaints about taking the practical path.
4. Do you have a favorite country western song? If so, which is it?
5. If you could (or do) grow a garden would there be flowers or vegetables to fill it?
The only successful gardens I’ve ever had were vegetable ones. There is nothing like the taste of that first tomato.
6. What would you like to see in the US that you haven’t seen yet? Or abroad?
In the US, I’d like to see some more of the west, particularly the National Parks – the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone (Jellystone would be nice, too 😉 I’d love to meet Yogi and Boo-boo)
In Europe, I’d love to see Rome. But not when they’re trying to elect a Pope.
7. Have you ever caught a fish? If so, tell us about it.
One summer night when I was 7, our first summer living near the beach, my brother Fred grabbed me and we ran to the beach. There was a creek that ran with the tide, which was coming in. Fish were swimming upstream to spawn. The moon was full and shining off the silver scales of millions of fish. We went in the water and caught one with our hands, took it home and put it in the bathtub. We were going to keep it as a pet. He(?) surprisingly died and we buried him in our garden that year.
I’ve never seen anything like it. We never saw the fish migrate like that again — it was magical. I think of it every time I see moonlight on water.
8. What’s your favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner meal?
Dinner: Roast beef (medium rare) with gravy, egg noodles and green beans. I don’t eat too much beef any more so it is a rare and wonderful treat when I do.
9. Have you been surprised recently? What surprised you? When?
Blogging has surprised me constantly since I started doing it. I didn’t expect to make so many friends this way.
10. What is a state you have never traveled to, but you plan to visit someday?
Colorado. I’ve never been and I love mountains. It sounds like the perfect place. I’d also love to visit the Pacific Northwest.
11. Is there a 2012, 2013 movie you would recommend?
Lincoln and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Now I get to ask questions:
Were you closer to Mom or Dad (if you were spawned by aliens, please explain)
There are moments in history that everyone alive at that time remember (for me it was the Kennedy assassination). What was your first?
Favorite pet ever
Funniest quote
Best insult you ever delivered and why the recipient deserved it.
First memory
What do you dislike most about blogging?
Do your friends/family members read your blog?
How would you be using your time right now if you weren’t answering my stupid questions
Your dream job.
What you expect to be reincarnated as in your next life?
And now, my victims. Please feel free to ignore this or do it. It is your choice. I will not be hurt, I will not, in fact, stop stalking you. I chose folks I thought would continue speaking to me after naming them. If you’re not on it, you weren’t forgotten. But feel free to answer my questions. Feel free, in fact to make up your own.
This year, John and I are toning way down on gifts. Money is a bit tight, and we have a house full of the junk from Christmases past. We really don’t need any more.
So I’ve been trying to figure out something fun and different to give John this year. He’s so hard to buy for. He has plenty of clothes, electronics, crap. He’s asked for a few nice books, and I’ll be glad to get them. But I’ve been trying to figure out something different. Unusual. Unique. A gift he’ll never forget.
You’ll be happy to learn that while reading the news today, I found it. And it’s to die for.
I’m getting my husband a calendar. Well, not just any calendar. Nope. He’s getting:
Have you ever seen anything like it? I didn’t think so. Here’s a link to the rest of the 2012 lineup.
Surprisingly, there’s apparently quite a ruckus over in Poland about this calendar. Would you believe it, the Catholic Church is peeved. They think that it is disrespectful. The article I read said:
A church spokesman has said that human death should be treated with solemnity and not mixed up with sex.
You know, I’m beginning to think those bishops and cardinals just don’t get sex!
Still, we’re not Catholic, so we don’t have to worry. Beside’s I’m pretty sure John will love his calendar. He certainly won’t be able to guess what it is.
FiftyFourandAHalf 