Life in progress

Tag Archives: I must be getting old


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JusJoJan 9/26 – Celebrate

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “celebrate,” is brought to us by Wendy. Check out her blog here!

It’s January—I may have mentioned that a time or two on my blog—which means it’s the month I celebrate my birthday.

And by celebrate, I mean I usually don’t.

Years ago, Alex would insist I buy myself a birthday cake so he could eat a sliver of it, but I don’t remember when the last time was.

My eldest son buys me dinner every year and has it delivered, then I sit at the kitchen table with a book and eat alone, like I do every other day of the year that’s not Christmas, New Year, Easter, or Thanksgiving.

It all seems a bit sad on the surface.

But do it enough years in a row, and it becomes tradition.

More of a tradition than a celebration.

I mean, seriously, who over the age of 21 wants to get older anyway, am I right?

This post really sounds like I’m whining, but I’m not.

#amhappy

This not really sad post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link in the comments. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Wendy for the prompt!


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JusJoJan 8/26 – Stumble

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “stumble,” is brought to us by Lou. Check out his blog here!

It used to be that I could walk on a treadmill and not hold onto the hand rails.

We’re talking many many years ago, though.

Now, if I let go, I wander from side to side.

I don’t stumble—I’ve never been seriously afraid I would … unless I wander off too far sideways and step off the track, of course.

And I don’t have to hold on tight. Just setting a finger down steadies me.

Which makes me wonder if it’s psychological.

Or maybe it’s just age.

Or maybe I need to get my ears checked.

This wandering post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Lou for the prompt!


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JusJoJan25 the 28th – Confusion

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and the prompt word, “confusion,” comes to us from Dan. Check out his blog here!

Now that I’m in my sixties, I expect to get confused occasionally. Or at least my younger self expected it.

And yeah, sometimes I do.

But when I sit down to analyze why, I realize that if I’m focused on something, I don’t get confused at all. It’s when I’m thinking too many things at once.

And yeah, maybe I used to be able to juggle a thousand things in my head and not forget why I walked into the kitchen, but in my defense, I think I’m juggling three thousand at the moment.

Take my writing for instance.

In the space of ten and a half months (November 1, 2023-September 18, 2024), I wrote three novels in a series—approximately 271,000 words total. Now I’m editing two of them at the same time.

Which makes sense because although they’re about different but related main characters, the second half of Book One takes place at the same time as the first half of Book Two.

It’s all about the details. If it’s snowing on January 12th in the first book, I have to make sure it’s snowing at the same consistency on January 12th in the second book.

If information comes to light on the common enemy in both books, I have to ensure everyone is on the same page, both literally and figuratively, twice.

You can see where that might be confusing at times.

Thank goodness I have a program like Plottr to help me keep track of the timelines.

Would I have been able to keep track of all that without a program back in my twenties? Maybe. But I didn’t have all the responsibilities I have now on top of juggling two books simultaneously.

A thousand things vs. three thousand.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

This enterprising post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Thanks again to Dan for the prompt!


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JusJoJan24 the 28th – Changes

This post is part of Just Jot it January, and today’s prompt was kindly provided by Fandango. Check out his blog here!

Ah, how I’ve changed.

I used to be happy to walk into places where people congregate.

Malls, planes, crowded city streets, concerts—squashed in a sea of screaming, singing people? Let’s go!

But now …

No thanks.

I wonder sometimes if I’d have changed in this way even if it hadn’t been for the pandemic.

I mean, we change as we get older. Right?

There was a time when I thought I’d be happy to live my life spending all my spare time riding a horse. Sure, I’d like to do it again, but I don’t miss it.

So yeah. Congregating online has become more my speed. I can do that and be a desk jockey at the same time.

This thought-inducing post is part of Just Jot it January! Want to join in? Just click here to get to the prompt and drop your link. It’s fun!

Many thanks again, Fandango, for the prompt!


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#SoCS – Turning the page

I think what I miss most when I’m reading an ebook is the act of physically turning the paper page. There’s a certain anticipation that comes with the extra second it takes, compared to swiping a screen to get to the next screen’s-worth of text.

Is it just me?

And then there’s the fact that a paper page isn’t backlit. Much more restful for the eyes. My eyes have been bugging me all day.

I told my son this morning that getting too much sleep sucks for me now that I’m not used to it. It’s like drinking too much–both sleeping and drinking are lovely at the time, but I inadvertently wake up with a headache. Mine has been kind of in the background all day (because I slept 8 hours, not because I was drinking), and it’s bugging my eyes.

Wouldn’t it be nice if when we typed, the words could show up on a paper page instead? Yeah, I know. That’s been invented and it’s called a typewriter, but what if those words on the page could go out instantaneously to the world like it does on the screen?

What if I could type a page of text and hit the return button and you could read it?

Without waiting for it to arrive in the mail.

Hmm.

Somebody invent that, would you?

 

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This daft post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2022/02/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-5-2022/


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#SoCS – The Word I Hate the Most

There are a few words that get on my nerves and leave a bad taste in my mouth. No, “bitter” is not one of them. But the one word I really hate? The one I absolutely detest?

It’s the one I can’t remember.

The one that gets stuck on the tip of my tongue and I just can’t spit out.

Like the one I couldn’t remember tonight. It’s the word(s) for the old stripey colored thing you used to get on the TV when there was an emergency or when the station went off for the night. You know. The thing. The … coloured thingy.

(Do you remember what it’s called? I’ll tell you at the end of the post. Because if I had to suffer, so will you. Haha.)

Stephen King said once, or maybe a million times, that writers should never use a thesaurus. I’m sure at the time he said it he never had a word he couldn’t remember, because that’s a good 99% of the only use I have for one.

I’m not looking for a better word. I’m looking for THE word.

You know, the one I’ve forgotten.

Like test pattern. 😉

 

2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley! https://www.quaintrevival.com/

This frustrating post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Find the prompt here and join in! https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-17-2021/


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#JusJoJan 12/20 – The Gravity

Hey there! We had a guest-prompter today, and I’d like to say thank you to her! Today’s prompt came to you courtesy of Zhenzhen with her word, “gravity.” Thank you, Zhenzhen! You can find her Just Jot it January post here. Go visit her and say hi, and follow her while you’re there!

I can’t believe it. I was so busy today, I forgot to post. I did manage to jot quite a few things out today, and the gravity of those things were such that they couldn’t be avoided.

And still I didn’t get as much accomplished as I’d hoped.

But I was totally gobsmacked when I realized I hadn’t written this post yet.

The fact that I’m really not saying much is testament to that fact: I’m writing off the top of my head.

Sans gravity. The words are just floating away …

 

This utterly apologetic post is brought to you by Just Jot it January! Click the following link and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2020/01/12/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-12th-2020/

Love quickens beneath the moonlight …

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