Life in progress

Monthly Archives: December 2013


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EDDD 8 – ‘Tis the Season

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. The decorations are great, the coming together of family, the big dinner (which I have to cook, but I don’t even mind that), the joy and the caring community – *needle screeches across record* – wait, what was that? Caring community? HA!

I live in what I expect is the politest little city in the world – eleven months a year. But on that twelfth month, you’d better watch out!

If I lived in Whoville and the people from here could be called Whovillians for most of the year, come December they can only be considered Whovillains. The claws come out in the shops and they’re in such a hurry, they’ll run you down with their cars as soon as look at you. Gone is the interminable wait at a four way stop for everyone to say, “No, you go first.” Now it’s every man, woman and child for themselves.

It seems Christmas brings out the worst in people when they’re out in public – it makes  you wonder if those same people are as thoughtless at home as well, or if they’re just taking out their frustrations on people they don’t care about. Either way, it’s the most horrible time of the year to have to go out shopping!

‘Tis the season to be surly, fa la la la la, la la la la. Sing with me!

Deck your friend and plow your neighbour, fa la la la la, la la la la

 
Blog post of December 8th, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out!


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EDDD 7 – Superstitious Feelin’

Superstitions are fun, aren’t they?

There are the old standbys, like not walking under a ladder (which is really common sense if you think about it), or the black cat crossing your path being bad luck. For good luck we have the found penny, though it seems to me there are fewer good luck superstitions than bad ones.

If you think of any more, leave them in the comments.

Anyway. The real reason for this post is to talk about the superstitions that run in families. Many of us have them I think.

Mine include:

  • if your hand itches: rub it on wood and it’s sure to be good, rub it on your ass and it’s sure to pass. This refers to good luck. Hey, there’s one!
  • lilies signify death. Don’t give them.
  • never seat 13 at the table – I’ve never known quite what to do if I actually have 12 guests. Then again, I’ve never had a table big enough. 😛
  • if you drop a knife, don’t pick it up yourself or you’ll have a bad surprise. When someone else picks it up for you, don’t say thank you, or they’ll have a bad surprise. So if you come to my house and there’s a knife on the floor, you’ll know why. And don’t expect any appreciation if you pick it up.  😉

What are some of yours?

 
Blog post of December 7th, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out!


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EDDD 6 – Listen To Your Heart

“Listen to your heart.” What does it mean?

It’s a phrase we hear all the time. Songs have been sung, people pass it off as words of wisdom to the forlorn and the heartbroken. I found it in my horoscope today. The sentence before it stated that my emotions must not be ignored.

As advice, it sounds pretty. It lends to the imagination the idea that our hearts speak to us and can guide us on which way to go when we are unsure. But when we listen to our hearts, must we necessarily go in the direction we really want? Or does it mean that we should do what we know is right?

I wonder if cardiologists everywhere roll their eyes whenever they hear the phrase spoken aloud?

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump…

Blog post of December 6th, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out! It’s not too late to join in!


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EDDD 5: They Should Have a Word For That

There should be a word specifically for the feeling you get when you say something you shouldn’t have.

It happens to everyone, I’m sure. It’s the verbal vomit that comes out of your mouth in what we delicately label a faux pas.

It’s the facebook post that you realize was something that should have been kept a secret, or the mass email you thought you’d sent to only your best friend and closest confidant, just to discover your kids’ teacher is now aware that you have a yeast infection.

For things like this, the word “regret” doesn’t quite cut it. It’s that disconnect that separates good intention from devastating action.

Even the witty comment you think of half an hour after the fact, which is far less embarrassing but easily as annoying.

Communication impediment is too bulky. Linguistically challenged comes to mind… How about “linge”?

We could say, “Excuse me, I linged,” when we ask an acquaintance how her husband is, only to find out she just went through an ugly divorce. Or, “Damnit, I could have said ‘Duck!’ when the ball came flying through the air behind that guy, rather than ‘Watch out!’ making him turn and get it in the face instead. What a linge!”

Yeah, “linge.” It’s gonna be big.

Blog post of December 5th, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out! It’s not too late to join in!


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EDDD 4: Ye Olde Advent Calendar

I’ve had one of these every year since I was a child.

I used to be the only one in the house with one, now every year I buy four – one each for the kids,

oversat

and one for me.

I don’t know… Apart from the obvious miniscule sugar rush each morning, there’s something inherently comforting in hunting down the right number for the date, and then popping open the little door. And if you’re lucky, the chocolates didn’t all come unglued during shipping, and they’re not all sitting down at the bottom of the packaging.

So far, so good.

 

Blog post of December 4th, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out! It’s not too late to join in!


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On Printing a Manuscript

I’m so frustrated! All morning I put off printing off my manuscript (the older one, not my new NaNoWriMo project) which is 503 pages long. I’ve been going through WordPress themes, delivering newspapers, eating… generally doing everything I could to procrastinate. Finally, I said, ‘That’s it! I’m going to do it!’ (Yes, I talk to myself when I’m alone.)

So I went into the room where the printer is, and got started. Two hundred and fifty pages and I ran out of ink in an almost brand new cartridge. 250 pages! This thing is going to cost me $70 to print… and that’s just a draft!!

Who knew writing could be so bloody expensive?

So, my novelist buddies out there in WordPress land, and anyone else who prints vast amounts of text for whatever reason, do you take care of your own printing needs on your home printer? Or do you take it to a professional?

And either way, how do you afford to write?
Ugh.

Blog post of December 3rd, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out! It’s not too late to join in!

 


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New Theme

I’m just trying this out for now. If I decide I like it, I may pay the $30 so I can change the colours and the fonts.

Thoughts? Opinions? Is the darker background and the lighter text easy enough to read?

 

 

 


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Adventures on my Paper Route – Danger!

So I was walking across the main road that’s on my paper route when I passed over this for the first time:

danger

There I was, standing in the middle of the road, wondering why they would print the word “Danger” on a manhole cover. It’s in the middle of the road! Cars drive over it all the time! So I took this picture.

Luckily, I got out of the way before a car came.

Blog post of December 2nd, in honour of Every Damn Day December. Check it out! It’s not too late to join in!


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Every Damned Day December

In honour of my new friend, Dylan Dailey, I am going to attempt to write a blog post every day in December. It’s not going to be easy, what with Christmas coming and having the family to take care of, but what the heck. If I can make it through NaNoWriMo, why not EvDaDaDec?

Who else is with me?

You can find Dylan’s blog here : http://treatmentofvisions.com/

Let’s do this thing!