Today Is A New Week And It's Time to Write, Write, Write!

If you read my Wednesday post you'd know that school is over and so one of my main goals (research/writing papers) for this Round is crossed off the list!  Since I turned in that last final I have taken some time to just relax, finish grading for the classes I teach and enjoy some TV I've missed this semester. Since I was just lounging about, I didn't get much done in terms of my other goals.  I took a break from the WiP, and the only thing I really did writing wise was to start reading James Scott Bell's Plot and Structure.  As for working out, I only got in one short yoga workout, but I'm okay with that since this week, it is back to business on all fronts!

With one goal completed, I've decided to revamp my ROW80 goals for the remainder of the Round.  I've kept them pretty general still, since that seemed to work for the earlier part of the round.  All of these goals are focused around the idea of making these activities a habit; something I just DO. And it seems that if I have a goal where I can just check off whether I did it or not (and not get mired down in the details) on a particular day, I end up being more successful.  So here are my new goals:

Writing:  Write every day. Even if it is just 50 words on my WiP, I will write every day.  I check my email on the computer at least once a day, so knocking out some words every day shouldn't be too hard.  I am trying to build good habits this round, and this is where I'm starting.   

Reading: Read a minimum of one book every two weeks. I think this should be pretty easy since I love to read and have a ton in my TBR pile and on my Nook, but before I up it to one book a week I want to have a test run to see how things go. 

Blogging/Social Media:  Keep up with the Blog Me Maybe challenge for the month of May and then re-evaluate in June.  I don't fret if I don't get post for BMM every day (it's why I love the challenge!).  My latest post for this blogfest was Friday's post about Rick Springfield-yes that Rick Springfield! :)  

Be Active:  I want to hit this 5 days of the week. This is going to be really hard, but I am determined to do it.  When I was in the thick of homework and work, I could barely get in my 3 workouts a week and was not sleeping well at all.  But now, like with writing, I want to make working out a habit and since being active often helps me sleep better, it's a win-win!

I am off to start in on these goals with some yoga, then some reading.  Wishing all the mothers out there a Happy and relaxing Mother's Day! I'll be heading to my sister's house in a few hours to let her and my mother sit back while my father, niece, nephew and I try to put together a cook out. Hopefully I don't blow up the grill!  

I Get Excited...

Just thinking about last Friday night. 

Last weekend I went to a concert and as usual I had a blast.  But this is a concert I normally don't admit to going to, because when I do I get some eye rolls and snorts along with disparaging comments about him and/or the 80s.  I let it all slide off my back but usually it's just not worth bringing up. But, I'm feeling nostalgic and figured what the heck, I'd throw caution to the wind and just tell the world...or well, those of you who read this blog.

First, a little background...This is a concert I go to every year in either April or May.  My best friend from law school buys the tickets for my birthday (which is 18 days away! Woot!)  and I reciprocate with tickets to a concert she likes (also a 80's band which is even more embarrassing than my choice!).  We are lucky because we live only about an hour away from each other and there is a casino exactly half way between us that has some great shows.  And like I said, every year, this particular musician comes to town and tickets are only about 45 bucks, which is worth it since every year we go and we have a BLAST.   And I've realized it's not so much about him or the music, as it is just a fun time to hang out with my best friend and get a bit nostalgic for our youth.  I think this year was the 5th year we've done this and it did not disappoint.  Like seriously, I have loved this guy since I first heard one of his biggest hits. Mind you, I was only about 5 years old at the time but I memorized every line and sang it constantly. I even snuck into my sister's room and stole her 45 (ya know the old records--the small ones) so I could listen to it over and over and over and over again. I still have that record somewhere...So who is this guy you ask?

Rick Springfield.  

Yup, I said it. I *heart* Rick Springfield.  This year he actually came over to us and was on top of our table!  Like he was standing right there, only mere inches away, and all I could was stare because for a guy his age, he is still frickin hot!  And can I just say, I am clearly not the only one out there who still loves this guy.  Cause as usual the place was nearly sold out and people, namely women were going crazy.  I was not however going crazy. I remained calm.  For the most part.

So instead of showing you something funny for this week's Blog Me Maybe Friday prompt, I instead show you something FUN!  (Though it could be funny if you aren't a fan or find it incredibly funny since well, it is 80's goodness at its best! Or worst.  Ah, feathered hair and aquanet hair spray, half shirts and tight rolled jeans...how I do not miss you!)  Below are a few videos for your Friday viewing pleasure and and just try to get these songs out of your head once you've listened...I dare you! Mwahahahahaha!  The first two are songs straight out of an 80's playlist and the third video is one of his newer songs.  And seriously, even if you are laughing your ass off at the fact that I am singing the praises of Rick Springfield and decide to skip the first two, check out the last video. It's one of the singles from his 2008 album and is one of my faves.

And good lord...check out the horrible 80's style in the video below...What the hell were we thinking back then?! I mean...shoulder pads...seriously?!  Still, you can imagine that as a kid growing up in the 80's, I had posters of him all over my wall...along with a number of other 80s stars who shall remain nameless at this time. (Admitting I still go to Rick Springfield concert's is enough humiliation for one day!)

This is a live version of his 2008 single, "What's Victoria's Secret".  

Okay, so I made my confession about my love of an 80's heartthrob who is still, well a heartthrob in my eyes.  What about you? Is there a musician or group you listen to that you are embarrassed to admit liking? Or someone 's songs you only sing out loud or dance to when you're alone?  C'mon, sound off in the comments below--I won't judge! (Heck, I probably will like them too! Or at least add them to my playlist!)

No More Teachers, No More Books: A ROW80 Check In

I'M DONE!!  For the semester anyways. 
*Cheers and claps, throws glitter, and does cartwheels. Or tries to. I never was good at gymnastics....*

Can you tell I am super happy about this?! My papers are done, my last final  will be turned in tomorrow morning, and my brain can now have a bit of a vacation until the end of the month, when I start teaching summer classes.  But even then, I won't mind because I have NO.MORE.PAPERS to write! YAY!!! I can focus on my WiP and read the books that have been sitting in my TBR pile since forever and sleep in and not worry on Sundays about all the essays and readings I have to get done by the end of the week.  Oh I am just ecstatic over this.  ECSTATIC!

Okay, I'm calm now.  Or calmer.  And before I go dance about my living room to some music from the Cure, here where I stand at the mid-week check-in:

Writing:  I haven't gotten any of my 3 hours/week of writing in, but there is a whole lot left of this week and I plan on knocking this goal out of the way by Sunday.

Research/Papers:  This goal is done, done and done! Woot!  Time to re-evaluate my goals and kick the writing and exercising up a notch I think.  I will post my re-vamped goals on Sunday.

Exercise:  Now that my classes are over and I don't have to bury myself in research every night I plan on getting back on track with this goal.  I have time carved out to get in three workouts between now and Sunday and I am actually excited about it.  Who knew that even I would miss getting my yoga and daily stretching in?!

In addition to the above, I am trying to stay on track with Blog Me Maybe. I missed last Friday's post, and didn't get one out on Monday because I was preoccupied with studying for, and then taking, a final.  I did get a post in yesterday though about the Sunshine Award Em had bestowed upon me awhile back.  As I said previously, I probably won't hit a post every day for the month of May (and definitely not on Wednesdays since this is a ROW80 check in day), but I should be able to get two to three non update posts out per week.

Well, that's it for my update, and now I am off to work.  How is everyone else doing with your goals?  Time to re-evaluate or still on track?  Good luck!

A Little Bit of Sunshine On This Very Rainy Day

I received the Sunshine Award from the Em over at  Loves To Read, Wants to Write and have been waiting and waiting for school to wind down so I could post about it on my blog.  It has been such a crazy month that other than ROW80 updates and, starting last week, the Blog Me Maybe posts, I've been slacking in the blogging and social media departments.  All that will *hopefully* be changing once Thursday hits since that will be my first day of freedom from both taking classes and teaching them. *throws confetti in celebration* At least for the 19 days I will have before I start teaching two classes this summer!  

Anyways, the rules are pretty simple: Answer the following 10 questions and then pass the award on to those who make me smile and brighten my day. I think I am supposed to tag like 10 people, but I honestly don't know if I know 10 people who haven't done this already. And for course it's voluntary-just cause I tag you, don't feel obligated to post anything. This is just me throwing some sunshine-y goodness your way!!

1) Favourite colour? - Orange. I love orange anything.  Oranges; reeses pieces (the orange ones); the # 20 Home Depot car (NASCAR--though not as much as I used to since Tony Stewart doesn't drive it anymore); Syracuse University--not only where I went to law school, but they are the Syracuse Orange after all; I love the word itself too, or-ange.  Only orange thing I don't like is cooked carrots. I hate the taste and the smell, but the color is spot on!

2) Favourite animal? - There aren't many animals I don't like, though I do hate all things that are not mammals (bugs and bees, I am talking to you!).  I've always had dogs and/or cats growing up, and currently have a cat (an almost 2 year half Siamese terror named Dutchess).

3) Favourite number? - I'll give you my top three.  #30.  Henrik Lundqvist's number for the New York Rangers hockey team.  Love him-and also, the year I turned 30 was pretty awesome for me. And #22--that is Brian Boyle's number.  Also a NY Ranger. But my all time favorite number ever?  Number 11.  This is the legendary Mark Messier's number 11 and the number I wore in soccer (since I can't ice skate to save my life, I played soccer!).  Messier was a prolific New York Ranger and we wouldn't have had 1994 without him. Are you sensing a pattern here?

4) Favourite non-alcoholic drink? - Tea.  Especially Chai (but not the kind made with water..blech)  Sparkling water ranks up there too. I started drinking it when I gave up soda and it totally has beaten back the cravings for soda.  Soda is evil...it's like crack, at least for me. (And I have a post that is kinda about this coming up this week or next once I can polish it up a bit...)

5) Facebook or Twitter? Twitter.  I hate Facebook.  I have a FB account under my non-pen name but I rarely ever go on it. As a family court lawyer (or reformed lawyer?  I'm moving out of law and into teaching English full time) I see Facebook used too many times to hurt people: like ex spouses snarking/saying hateful things at each other in full view of their kids, friends, and relatives; and kids using it to bully each other in schools.  In theory it's great, but when people are douche bags, which is what I see all on an almost daily basis, it makes me want to have nothing to do with it.

6) My passion? Family and friends. And writing.  And hockey. :)  

7) Getting or giving presents? I love getting presents but I like to give too though the shopping part gives me heart burn. I dislike shopping when it involves having to go to a mall.  Amazon ftw!

8) Favourite pattern? I don't really have a favorite--whatever I see that catches my eye I guess!

9) Favourite day of the week? Saturday.  I love to just curl up with a book and read on Saturday and not feel compelled to do any work.  Saturday is a day I can sleep in and just relax. I wish everyday could be Saturday...

10) Favourite flower? Lily of the Valley.  I love them, and they also happen to be the flower for the month of May, I think, and May is the month I was born (May 29th to be exact!). We had them growing along our driveway growing up and I remember picking them for my mom; and the smell is just heavenly.

So there are my 10 answers, and now I pass on the Sunshine Award to some other well deserving folks.  If you already got the award and did the post, don't worry about posting again! Just know you all brighten my day! (And of course I send this award back to Em in spirit since she is one of those people!)

Alberta Ross

Sunhi Mistwalker

Helen Jackson

Stacy Green

They are pretty splendiferous people and talented writers/creative folks so definitely check them out if you get a chance! A bunch of awesome writers have already gotten the Sunshine award, like Lauren, Lena, Juliana, so I won't send them the award again, but seriously, if you haven't already, be sure to check them out too! 

I Can See The Light....

At the end of the tunnel that is!

I have three days until the semester is over. I think I am a little bit in shock because I seriously cannot believe it has gotten here so fast!  I also can't believe I've held it together as well as I have and give most of the credit to ROW80 and the goals I set.  Knowing that I was accountable to the challenge and myself kept me moving along, even when that evil demon of procrastination was whispering in my ear, urging me to do something other than my research and papers.  It was telling me that of course I had time to play video games; nudging me to pick up The Hunger Games or one of the other hundred books I have in my TBR pile.  It was taunting me; pressuring me to stray from the work I had to get done. But I simply glared at the demon, turned my back on it and kept moving forward, stepping closer and closer to the finish line and farther away from the distractions.  I couldn't have done this without all of my fellow ROW-ers who have cheered me on and kept me on track.  So thank you for helping me slay that demon and hopefully purge him from my life completely.  Life is so much easier and more fun, when I just do what needs to get done and don't wait until the last minute.

With my research/papers goal nearly complete, I will be re-evaluating and re-vamping my goals for the remainder of this round.  I know that I will probably add a reading goal, since I am way behind on my GoodReads challenge, and I will also increase my writing time each week just a tad.  But I will decide all that next Sunday and give my brain some time to just chill out after a hectic semester.  As for how I've done this week, here's my update:


Writing: My goal was to write 3 hours a week, I somehow got in 4.  I was only able to join in for about a half a sprint this past week, however, I was able to do some writing in the evenings and made some decisions regarding scene placement.  I've never been much of a planner but as of right now I have finished setting out all the scenes and have a good idea where and how this will end. I can't wait to devote more time to writing because I am loving where this WiP is headed.

Research/Papers:  All the research is done and I am 2/3 of the way finished with my last paper!! *fist pumps and dances around the living room* As you can probably tell, I am super excited about this.  I will still have one final Tuesday and one on Wednesday, but those will be the easy part, since it's been the papers that have been dogging me more than anything else.

Exercise: Don't ask.

So that's it for me. I am off to spend the rest of Sunday finishing up this paper so that tomorrow I can complete any revisions and send it off tomorrow night. I also teach my last class of the semester tomorrow so I will definitely be celebrating both events with a glass of wine, or two!  Good luck to everyone with their goals for the week and see you Wednesday!

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Thursday prompts for the Blog Me Maybe blogfest are:  May I tell you something about someone else.  So it might seem weird that I have a book review posted, but well this day of the blogfest is all about letting the light shine on someone (or something) else, and I think today, that light should be on Khaled Hosseini, the author of A Thousand Splendid Suns.  

First let me back up and explain something.  This post has been a long time coming.  I had picked this book for the March meeting of book club-yes, I said March.  Whoever the host is gets to pick the book, and let me tell you I had a hella time picking one out of the stack that I have.  I was literally on my floor going through them all when a friend of mine suggested it.  I jumped on it since it was a title I had been planning to read for some time but just had never gotten around to.  I was worried that the group wouldn't be to into it, since the prior few months the books that had been chosen were good, just not...how do I say this? They were more like a beach read in terms of content.  Easy, fun , but nothing too serious that really made you think.  And I'm not saying that is a bad thing--I read to escape too and love fun reads (you should see my TBR pile!) but sometimes something heavier is in order.  And this book is that, in a fantastic, eye opening sort of way. 

The book starts off in Afghanistan, around 1959, and the look given of the country is so different from the Afghanistan we hear of today.  Or at least the one that I always pictured.  The descriptions are rich and colorful, vibrant even, providing a view of the country which I had never, ever imagined.  Through the eyes of two women, the author paints a picture of a country, and people, that were fighting for its right to decide their own fate.  Eventually, the years of chaos and war allowed extremist groups to take over and we all  know what happened after that.  One of the many issues that has plagued the country and its people is the repeal the rights of women and those who did not adhere to the governments extreme political, social and religious views.  This book shows the progression of the loss of these rights, and the reader is given about 40 years worth of history of a country, seen through the eyes of some of the most vulnerable people in that society-women. The evolution of this fragile country through the eyes of these women and children whose lives were affected is often difficult and heartbreaking to read, but also truly inspiring.  The resilience and love of the female characters, for that which they held close and for their country was astonishing.  And what they would do for each other in order to just survive, what they sacrificed... it literally took my breath away at times.

Khaled Hosseini presents a beautiful portrait of women fighting for their lives -literally- and for love, among a country devastated by war from the 1960s onward.  Full of heartbreak and hope, this book, in my opinion, is a must read.  

Studying, Writing and Blogging, Oh My!

Doesn't have the same ring to it as the lions and tigers and bears, but...well, it's a good summation of my week so far!  It's been crazy and busy and my brain hurts, but so far it's all been worth it!  Here's my ROW80 update:

Writing:  The only writing I've been doing is with regard to my research paper. I am itching to get back to my WiP, but...classes are a priority for the next week.

Research/Writing:  Tuesday I banged out 12 pages (11 really, since the 12th is the work cited page) and about 3500 words, so I am half way there.  And I have a bunch more research to include, plus my conclusion so I will be hitting the 7K mark with no problems.  I took tomorrow off and will be spending the day finishing the draft so I can revise/edit during tutoring hours on Friday morning and complete any additional revisions over the weekend.  The revisions are always the easy part, and with it not being due until Tuesday, I should have no problem getting it completed well before then, even with the busy weekend coming up.  (More on that later this week!!)  The only other essay I have due is completed and ready to be sent off Friday morning.  I'd send it now, but we can't--has be to be handed in after Friday. Grrr...

Working Out:  Seriously, no way have I even been near this goal and I likely won't hit it again this week, much to my chagrin.  This will be the third week in a row of epic fail.  After May 9th, I will have to work out every day to make up for it! -.-

The first day of Blog Me Maybe is done, and you can see my first post here! The blogfest is pretty flexible in terms of the posting schedule (in other words, I don't have to post everyday), and since Wednesdays are ROW80 update days, I will probably not write a BMM post on Wednesdays.  We'll see how things go-who knows, maybe I will combine the two next week, but this week I'm just too swamped to consider that option!

As for the blogfest itself, sure it's only been one day but I am loving it!  I've run into some great bloggers and writers so far, and I have found a lot of things to blog about.  So much that I think I will end up having posts for well after May!  I know that sounds kinda crazy, but...I had a ton of draft posts that I just never put out there.  So I've been finishing the drafts, editing, starting new ones, and just having fun with it all.  My goals are that by the end of month I will have (1) gotten into the habit of blogging (especially about different topics other than writing); and (2) decided on a blogging schedule. Right now, I think I can safely say that will happen.  (Now if only the blogger schedule thingy would work, things would be even better! *shakes fist at blogger*)

The light is clearly at the end of the tunnel for me with the classes I've been taking and the one's I've been teaching.  I'm all caught up on grading and should be ready to plow through the students' final exams and research papers when they hand them in next week with no trouble at all.  At the beginning of this round I was seriously worried that I wouldn't be able to get everything done and that I'd end up a sobbing puddle of tears on the floor of my office.  Can I tell you how happy I am that I am NOT a sobbing puddle of tears?!  Seriously.Frickin.Happy.

I hope everyone is ROW-ing right along and I look forward to getting back into the daily sprints next week! See you Sunday!

Tag!!! I'm It! And the First Day of Blog Me Maybe

Today is the first day of the Blog Me Maybe blogfest for the month of May. (Note the button to your left!)  You'll be seeing a lot of this button on my blog posts this month as I take the leap and join in, all in an effort to get back into the habit of blogging about things that interest me, and hopefully those who stop on over to my blog as well.  Sara says it best when she says, "...really the point of this is to focus mostly on our own blogs and to write posts about things we're interested in that our followers will want to read about." (via Sara McClung)  I doubt I will hit a post everyday (still have a crazy schedule for the next 10 days before a two and half week break!), but I will at least have a guide in terms of general topic areas.  So I hope you enjoy the the Blog Me Maybe series and check out the rest of the participants via the linky at the Blog Me Maybe post.

First, I want to say that this post is way overdue.  See, I got tagged by Em and Lauren for the 7 Facts Tag but with everything going on, I haven't found a minute to post this.  But, with the blogfest starting, what better way to start it off than by letting everyone know a little bit about me, my writing and how it all came to be.  Well, some of it anyways.  So, here goes:

1. My family hasn't read anything I've written since the 8th grade.  It was then that a teacher told my mother there was something wrong with me because I wrote a story about a teenager who died and came back to earth as an angel (among other things). Not exactly an original idea or anything, but apparently this teacher was, well just an ass and decided to scare the hell out of my parents.  I mean seriously, it was a story!  I wonder what Stephen King's teachers thought of him...I mean, geesh! Anyways, after that,  I wrote in secret and kept all my stories hidden from that point on until I went to college.  In my freshman year, a published author had gone through our creative writing papers and then came to our class to speak.  He picked the best story out of the bunch to read to the class and it was mine. I cried for days because I felt like I had finally gotten some validation with my writing.

2.  Because of the above, no one in my family knows that I take writing seriously.  In fact, I don't think any of them have any idea that I still write.  And I won't offer up the information either.  I know that sounds kind of, well sad and pathetic, but it's not cause I am worried about they will think (I've moved well beyond worrying about what they think, thank goodness!).  I am just not ready to.

3.   In the late fall of 2010 I found an amazing community of writers and creators as I made my way through the world of gaming and virtual worlds.  Without having met them, I would not have ever had the courage to to even think of putting my stories out there for people to see.  They helped me, and continue to help me, come out of my shell a little bit more each day.

4.  When I was in middle school and high school, I wrote a series of short stories about a group of friends who were teenage 'detectives' that solved crimes of both the real and paranormal kind.  Think The Babysitters Club meets Nancy Drew meets Fear Street meets Ghostbusters.  I still have those stories, written in a combination of pencil and multi-colored pen ink, every other line skipped, on wide ruled loose leaf paper.  (Remember those pens with like, 5 different colors in them to choose from?!  That's the kind of I used for the stories.  I loved those things!)

5.  I constantly have music on when I am writing.  I can't write in silence.  As I go along, I keep note of the songs that have had a significant impact on my work.  I have a long playlist for my short story, Through the Rain.  And the newest WiP's playlist is getting rather long. One of these days I will do a couple blog posts about them to share the tunes with others.

6.  The WiP I started during NaNoWriMo (which I didn't finish, but that is another story) is on the back burner for now.  I had to put that one aside when I hit a bit of block in March.  There was a battle royale going on in my head about what Abby, the main character, would choose.  I finally made the decision in what I hope will be an interesting and plot twisty sort of way!

7.  The WiP I am currently working on has a main character, Charli, who is probably my most favorite ever.  This world is truly inspring and the story is just pouring out of me, which is one reason I am anxious to get classes over with!  I am thinking this will be novella length-ish, with possibly another story or two after the first one.  Don't know for sure, since I'm waiting to see where Charli, and her cohorts, take me.

And there it is, 7 Facts about me/my writing.  The second part of this meme is to tag 7 people but I think many people I know have already been tagged.  I've tried to tag people who I don't think have been tagged before, and so I have fallen short of the magic number 7,  I really hope a meteor doesn't fall out of the sky and crush me, or that I get bad luck forever, for not having 7! 0.0  jk jk!   If you've already done it, or don't want to, that's totally cool-you still rock in my estimation!  I just wanted everyone to know that the following writers and bloggers are awesome sauce, and to hop on over and check out their stuff!

Sunhi Mistwalker

Helen Jackson

Stacy Green

Ryan King

Alberta Ross

The Only Thing Holding Me Back...Is Me

I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I'm achy, moody, and as you can see, just a tad whiny.  And the freezing cold weather isn't helping.  Yesterday it was in the high 30s.  By the end of next week it's supposed to be in the 70s.  I wish the weather would make up it's darn mind!   It also doesn't help that I am starting to feel the pressure of the end of the semester along with some other things going on. I had what perhaps could be some good news on the hunt for a full time teaching position this week, but it would mean a major move, and a lot of change, if it works out.  But, like the title says, the only thing holding me back is me and frankly, I am sick of getting in my own way.  The end of the week finished on a less than fantastic note (completely unrelated to the job possibility) but as I look forward into this week, I just need to focus on the positive, glass half full, and all that. Progress is progress, even when it involves making tough choices.  Right?

One of the positives I am focusing on is the the Blog Me Maybe challenge that will be starting on Tuesday.  I mentioned this in my  Wednesday Check In and worked yesterday on my draft posts to get myself organized.  I managed to finish my draft posts, get a few more new ideas down, and will be working on another one this morning before I dive back into the world of academia for the day.  I have found a way to incorporate the Sunshine Award that Em gave me and the 7 Facts tag that Em and Lauren passed on to me into the blogfest too.  This is a total bonus since I really want to get those out and pass them on to some other writers and bloggers!

As for ROW80 and my goals, this week has been a mixed bag of results.

Writing:  Only got in about 2.0 hours but the time I got in was productive. I knew I had to work on scene arrangement (moving two, and adding two others) in the beginning of the WiP.  I was able to get that done which resulted in a decent word count as well.  I'm happy with where the story is, and where it's going, though the direction has changed slightly.  I had to make a few really tough choices about where these characters are headed which was tough.  I will talk more about this soon, but suffice it to say, this main character has me on an interesting ride.


Research:  My goal this round has been 6 hours a week on my research papers and I killed this one, finishing two of the 4 essays, getting 90% of the third one done, and finishing the research on the 4th one.  This week I will be trying to average about 3 hours a day to finish things up and study.  May 9th is going to be here before I know it.


Exercise: Epic Fail.  I worked out one measly day. So much for making up for last week's disaster!  I have got to get back on track here, I just don't know if I will be able to before next week  Between work, school and a busy weekend upcoming, time will be in short supply!

So to pull me out of my funk I'm going to listen to some upbeat rock music.  Sick Puppies oughta do the trick!  I love this song and considering the cross roads I find myself at, it's fitting.
 

Hope everyone's week went well and see you around the ROW!

ROW80: Wednesday Check In

Boring title, I know, but my brain hurts and I couldn't think of a more interesting title than that. :(

Despite the sore brain, I have to say that this round of ROW80 has really been keeping me in line and on top of my to-do list.  I don't know if it's the fact that this round I simplified my goals or what, but I have been seriously productive these last few weeks, and I have the challenge and all my fellow ROW-ers to thank for it!  I couldn't do it without you guys cheering me on!

Writing: Not a word down unfortunately.  My work/homework schedule hasn't allowed me to participate in any of the afternoon word sprints so I have been unable to really set aside any time to get any work on the WiP done.  I am hoping this changes by the end of next week as I slowly get more and more items ticked off the to-do list for school.  *keeps fingers crossed*

Research/Writing Papers:  As I re-read my last post I realized I had said I only had two papers to do. In looking over my syllabus (or is it syllabi for plural?), I found out I miscounted. I have two long papers (one 10+ pages and another 16+) and two shorter essays.  So four total, though arguably the shorter essays are cake.  With that said, as of today, I have one down and three to go.  Well really, since each of those three are at various stages of development, less than that. I am finishing the revisions on the 10-pager as we speak and hope to have this done by tomorrow night.  This will be 4 whole days ahead of schedule-I could almost pass out from shock since I am never done that far in advance! For the second paper, I am done, but can't submit it until May 5th.  And the last paper (16+ pages) due May 9th is slowly coming together. Starting this weekend I will begin the outlining and drafting phase.  Basically, what all that means is that I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, finally!!!

Working Out:  I've found time to work in one workout.  Just two more workouts to squeeze in and I will have accomplished this task.  I've been sleeping a lot better too.  I think the working out and forcing myself to go to bed at a reasonable time has helped with that.

With everything going on I didn't get around to checking out many ROW-er's Sunday updates, but I am hoping to check around the ROW tonight and tomorrow to see how everyone has been doing.


On an unrelated note, I have decided that, for the month of May, to push me back into blogging regularly (since my draft folder is overflowing!), I will attempt the Blog Me Maybe...well, challenge I guess.  Though I don't know if that is the right word, since it's not really a challenge as much as a way to build up the habit of blogging.  Okay, now I'm just getting repetitive.  Click the link above and read the information there--Sara explains it much better than I do!!  But here is the blurb that caught my eye and had me raising my hand to join:

"The purpose: To get back in the habit of blogging by following a weekly schedule for the month of May. (Or if you already post regularly, to have an easy schedule to follow without having to struggle with deciding what to blog about.) (And if posting every day sounds like too much, or if you miss a few days, or only do a couple posts a week, who cares, yanno?)" (Sara McClung via Blog Me Maybe)

There is a posting schedule on the site as well which should give me some fun topics to write about, but what I love most is it's flexibility.  Anything that has built into it the 'it's okay to miss a day or two without feeling like a total loser and failure' clause makes me automatically want to join in. It's the reason I love ROW80 and have stuck with it since last summer. ROW80 gets that we have lives and sometimes we don't meet all our goals, but that we are all here to cheer each other on and help us get through the rough patches.  So I need a similar push with my non-update blog posts and this should do the trick, I hope!

Hope everyone's accomplishments this round are piling up and good luck the rest of the week!

ROW80 Check In: Moving At A Million Miles An Hour

At least, that's how fast it feels like I've been moving.  Or maybe it's time moving fast and I'm standing still? All I know for sure is that this past week has been a whirlwind of work and homework and I am so glad it's over.  I don't think I actually had 5 minutes to just stop and think until Friday night and when I got those 5 minutes, I pretty much vegged out and stared at the television.  The upside of the craziness is that I slept great, though honestly I think I was so beyond tired that a train could have parked itself outside my window and I wouldn't have noticed. Here's how I did this week:

Writing:  I really didn't think I'd get in any writing at all this week, but somehow managed to get in 3 hours.  Talk about a total unexpected surprise.  Once things settle down I need to go through my WiP and see where I need to add some scenes.  I have the basic ideas/events/relationships down, but I know I have to fill in some gaps for things to be more organized.

Research/Writing Papers:  I am just about done with the first of three papers that I have to write for my classes.  This first one is a critical summary on The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles  I plan on doing another revision (or two) today, and a final one on Monday before I submit it on Tuesday.  The second paper, also due Tuesday, is a shorter essay and is already handwritten so I just need to type that tonight or tomorrow afternoon.  This will leave me with one more paper to finish (due May 9th) before I can leave this semester behind. I will be so happy when I am done with these classes. It has been a long, difficult couple of semesters and my brain needs a break.

Working Out:  Nothing.  My goal was to get in three work outs per week. Didn't happen.  There just aren't enough hours in the day and this week something had to give.  I will definitely be trying to make up for my lack of exercise this week though.

I still have posts to get up for the Sunshine Award and the 7 Facts Tag(s) (they are half done!) but I just have been so focused on this paper that everything else has been put on hold.  After Tuesday my life will be getting back to some semblance of normal, kind of, and at that point I should be able to get back on track with blogging, exercising and maybe even a bit more writing! And even better, I will be two steps closer to having the summer to focus on my writing and reading all these books I have stacked up around me and on the million post it notes at my desk. Hope everyone is doing well and good luck this week!

ROW80 Check In: Is It Wednesday Already?!? Nooooooooo!!!!

I swear someone must have hit the fast forward button this week. I cannot believe Wednesday check in is already here!!  I just have a quick update as I am buried in the paper I am writing for one of my classes on John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman.  Great book and the research is interesting, but I seriously should have picked something easier for my critical summary.   Anyways, here's my progress so far:

Writing:  I am two thirds of the way to my goal for the week. I've participated in two afternoon word sprints, well parts of them--45 mins on Monday and 30 minutes Tuesday, and then did some additional writing Tuesday to get to the two hour mark. The rest of the week is going to be full trying to get this paper done so I don't know if I will be able to sneak in another hour, but I will definitely try.

Research/Writing Papers: *hangs head in shame* Just...I don't even have an excuse for being as behind as I am. I need to get this done by Sunday. It's not due until Tuesday, but I need it done by Sunday so the rest of my homework can get done in time. I did get about 2 pages (okay, really a page and a half, but it's almost 2!) written last night, so that's a start I guess. I need to just buckle down.  Like seriously, someone needs to tie me to my chair and not let me move until I finish this.  Who wants to tie the knots so I can't get out?

In all seriousness though, I am thinking of using Lauren's formula which she tweeted to me yesterday: 1 hour of work on my paper, half hour for play.  If I do this today, Thursday, and Saturday, I can get my workouts in (or laundry, or maybe even a little writing in) during that 1/2 hour of play, while also getting some pages knocked out for this paper.  This might be a better idea than having me tied to the chair.  I will give it a test drive today, and keep the rope handy just in case.

Working out:  Zero out of three so far, but I am hoping to get to this later in the week.  Things should be settling down with work starting tomorrow afternoon, so that will leave me more time to workout (and get my paper written, ugh!)

I have not lifted a hand to read a book at all this week, which is driving me crazy because I have so much I want to read.  I also haven't decided on my blog post for the week as so far nothing in my draft folder is really inspiring me.  Although these aren't official ROW80 goals, I would like to get something posted by Saturday, but this will depend on how diligent I am with this paper.

How is everyone's week going?  Meeting your goals still or needing to adjust?  Good luck this week and oh yeah, I almost forgot!  It's the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so gotta give some love to the best team (in my opinion) in all of the world.  Let's go New York Rangers--we need to bring the Cup home!

Simplicity Seems to be Working-Sunday ROW80 Update

It's 3am and I can't sleep. I hate not being able to fall asleep.  The only good thing is that it's a weekend. Let's hope this doesn't happen later this week when I have a crazy work schedule!  So since there isn't much else to do at this hour, I will post my update now, instead of during breakfast.

Overall I think the week has gone pretty well, though I am hoping next week is a little less hectic. Having three goals, and keeping things simple at the beginning of this round, seems to be working quite well.  I have taken my schedule and mapped out my days as best I can to keep myself on track for the upcoming week and I am hoping I can stick to it, as best I can.  Also, though I have been largely absent from twitter this week (except for the day I was able to join the word sprint-yay for word sprints!), I did get a blog post out about Mumford & Sons.   Words can't explain how amazing they are, but I tried to do the best I could without totally drooling over the keyboard.  Check it out if you're interested, and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the music!

As for my ROW80 goals, here is my progress thus far:

(1) Writing: I only was able to get in an hour this week, well a little over an hour really. But I knew this week would be difficult schedule wise so I am not going to beat myself up about it. I wrote 3 extra hours last week in anticipation of the craziness so am still ahead of the game.

(2) Research:  In progress. I did a bunch of this on Saturday and hopefully today can finish and start my outline. I also got the draft of a shorter essay I have to do completed which I will be finishing (and turning in) by Thursday--a full 5 days before it's due.  Truly a first for me!

(3) Working Out: The goal was three times and I got in four.  I am super excited I hit this goal, though my muscles are still getting used to the yoga and stretching exercises, and they are paying me back for it.  Should get easier as long as I keep it up!

Slowly but surely I am getting things done and at this point that is all I can do.  So as I keep on truckin' along, I will be heading around to see how fellow ROW-ers are doing.  Good luck this week and see you around the ROW!

If You've Never Heard Mumford & Sons...Read On. Seriously, You Know You Want To...

So I haven't mentioned any inspiring music of late, but honestly, at the part I am at in my WiP, well frankly it is rather dark so the music is...a bit of a downer. Don't get me wrong, I love it because it it is inspiring the main character to do all sorts of crazy stuff as she spirals, but I guess I am not ready to go through that playlist just yet and pick out just one or two songs to share.  Soon I will, but until then...

For this week, I decided to go back to a song that I've listened to regularly for about a year now. Some of you may have heard of Mumford & Sons, if not, I highly recommend giving them a listen. In my opinion (for whatever that is worth) they are making some of the best music I've heard in a long, long time.  Much of their music references literary ideas/themes/etc, including but not limited to Shakespeare, The Odyssey and Plato's Allegory of the Cave.  I mean, seriously, whoever can make those kind of references in today's musical culture, well I give major props to the band for doing so and making it all sound so damn lovey! (It also blew my students away that such a "cool band" would sing about "old stuff like that".)  The title of their album, and one of the songs, Sigh No More, also has a supposed literary reference to it, but I will let you guys figure that one out! :)   Anyways, here is the song that inspired this post:

 "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons

If you like "The Cave", try out Winter Winds and Little Lion Man (accoustic version)--two other amazing songs by these guys.  And for all you nerds like me, below is a portion of the song that they wrote for the 2011 film adaptation for Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. It gives me the shivers.

Seriously, I cannot explain just how much I adore these guys.  I could listen to them all day, and often do!  Hope you guys enjoy the tunes!

A Day Late for Wednesday's Check-In!

I had intended to post this update last night but by the time I got home from teaching more Hamlet to my unwilling students, I was beat.  In addition to trying to impart the wisdom of the Bard on my class, yesterday was also the first day at my new job as a writing tutor, which, by the way, I loved.  My tutoring hours have changed -again- but I am not too upset about that since it ends up being in my favor--now I will work Friday mornings instead Saturdays.  Yay for free weekends!  Needless to say, by the time I got home, my feet were killing me and I was as grumpy as a hungry zombie (and I was hungry too..so I was basically a grumpy, hungry zombie).  I just couldn't find the energy to post. But, since late is better than never, here is my ROW80 update:

Writing:  Not one scratch of writing on my WIP has been done. Not one.  This saddens me since I haven't been able to participate in the afternoon word sprints with #teamsprinty but my schedule has just been too hectic of late.  I have carved out some time Saturday morning to get a few hours in, so long as there is no apocalypse between now and then.  And hopefully I can get back to doing two or three sprints a week beginning next week, though they may be research sprints instead of writing (see below for more explanation about that!).

Research:  Still not making much headway here with the two papers that are due, the first of which is April 24th.  I'm starting to get a bit panicky about this, but I have a plan that will involve finishing the research tonight and outlining/drafting between tomorrow and Tuesday. This should get me on track for having it done by the 22nd.  I would really love to hand this one in early so I can focus on the second one which will be due May 9th. (that one has a little over half of the research done at least and I have a general outline for it!).  I just need to stick to the plan and keep moving forward!

Working out:  I started back with yoga on Monday and Tuesday.  When I woke up yesterday morning my muscles were seriously pissed off and demanding a day of rest.  I gave them that yesterday (from yoga) but ended up walking about a half mile to the college I am working at since there was NO parking anywhere to be found.  So I got some unplanned walking in, albeit I was lugging all my bags and papers I needed to grade.  Today my back is screaming at me for lugging all the crap around yesterday.  I think I might do some stretching today (i.e. a light work out) and tomorrow, and then take the weekend off.  For some reason I am more motivated to work out during the week than on the weekend anyways. But at least, after today, I will have met my goal of 3 workouts a week!

I haven't had a chance to check out other ROW-ers' progress this week, but I hope to do that sometime today/tonight. I am adding a short term goal to my list, and that is cleaning up my draft blog posts.  I am getting a bit behind with blogging (non-update posts), yet I have a ton of drafts almost finished.  So I need to go through, sort, and finish the ones I have so I can get back on track and not get too far behind.  Hope everyone's week is going well and see you Sunday!

ROW80--First Sunday Check-In for Round 2

The weeks seem to go by so fast...where does the time go?!  It's certainly has been a busy one and next week looks to be even busier, starting tomorrow with a 2 hr trip to (and from) the airport at 7am tomorrow to pick up my mother.  I also start a new job (part time) this week as a writing tutor at the college I am teaching classes at. It will last from now until the end of the semester in mid-May and my hours are going to be on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  I don't know what I was thinking, because my schedule is crammed full as it is, but I guess I just see this as one more way to get my foot in the door a little more than it already is, as well as more experience for the resume.  Anyways, enough about what will be my lack of a life for the next 6 weeks.  Here's my ROW80 progress:

(1) Write 3 hrs minimum a week: Done! Between a sprint and a half with #teamsprinty on twitter and a good chunk of time Saturday morning, I've written and edited for a total of 6 hrs.  I beat my goal by three hours, which is good since this week I'm unsure how much writing on the WiP I will be able to get in.

(2)  Research for 3 hours twice a week (for a total of 6): This hasn't happened. Well not the full 6 hours. I've hammered out some notes and such, but didn't get in as much researching as I wanted to. I did get my reading for my classes all caught up and after I post this I am off to finish the last assignment for the week.  It will be such a good feeling to be done with homework by noon.  Usually I am up until midnight on Sundays trying to get things done on time.

(3) Walk 3 times a week: I'm changing this to "exercise' three times a week, cause I want my yoga (which I am starting again next week) to count here too. I took one walk earlier in the week and being that dinner is going to be right down the street from me, I've decided I will be walking there and back.  So by the end of the day, I will have hit 2 out of 3 for this. Not too bad I guess!

Although I don't have a reading goal this round, I have made some progress on the book I've been trying to finish for what feels like forever. I've been having a hard time getting into which is why it's been such a challenge. But hopefully I will get through it soon so I can move on to something more my style.

Well, that's it for my progress thus far.  Hope everyone's week went well and good luck this upcoming! Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

Back in the ROW80 Groove-Wednesday Check-In

First check in is already here! Woot!!!  This week has been insane with work and homework but...I've got to say that so far, I am pretty happy with where I am goal wise.  I got more writing in that I expected and that always makes me a bit happier.  I've also got my schedule all neatly organized and am working my way through the pile of work on my desk which makes me squeal cause...well don't we all like a clean, neat desk free of files and work?  I know I do!  That evil pile tends to stare at me and give me the evil eye, so to banish the contents back inside the filing cabinet feels oh so good! Anyways, here is my progress so far:

Writing--my goal is to write three times a week for a minimum of 1 hour.  Tuesday I wrote for 2 hours total and made a nice dent in my WIP.

Research--I haven't tackled this goal quite yet--saving it for Friday and Saturday and maybe a little bit on Sunday. I did read two of the three chapters I have to for my Theories in Teaching Writing class which I am super excited about. Usually I am scrambling to get the reading done a few hours before the essay is due on Sunday.  Yay for not procrastinating!!

Walking--One down, two to go.  With the weather expected to be somewhat decent this weekend I think I will be able to meet this goal no problem.  *fingers crossed*

Now I am off to hopefully enjoy some of the last few hours of the #ROW80 party on twitter.  I've already been rockin out to some of my favorite 90's music with a few 80s classics thrown in!  Hope everyone's week is going well and see you Sunday!

Jumping In To ROW80, Round 2

The eleven days or so between the end of Round 1 for ROW80 and today, the start of Round 2, have been oddly quiet on my end. I had plans to work on some scenes in the WIP and get that out of the way, but...well I didn't.  Instead I used that time to re-evaluate and think about my goals and priorities both in the long term and short term.  This was necessary given what life has on tap for me the next 6 weeks or so.  Between my day job, papers due, finals on the way, book club and life in general, my plate will be fuller than I want it to be.  So with that in mind, I have decided that for this round simplicity is key.  Because of this, my goals will be substantially different than previous rounds. As I tick items off my to-do list and May 9th gets closer (which is the day my last paper and final for the semester are due!), I will hopefully have more time to devote to my WIPs but, until then, here are my goals:

(1)  Write a minimum of three times per week, for 1 hour. This is a small writing goal, and hopefully I can add more time to this as the round progresses.  But I know that I can't realistically promise myself more time than this without becoming frustrated and stomping around all snarly and grumpy.  My hope is that I can participate in the word sprints via twitter for some of this time since that really keeps me motivated and on-track when I do.

(2)  Research/work on drafts for the papers I have to write (for my classes) 2 days a week for a minimum of 3 hours on each of those days.  After May 9th this won't be an issue anymore, but I need to have this as a goal so that I can stay accountable with it. I have a bad habit of waiting til the last minute and then running around like a maniac trying to get things done. I am determined to NOT have that happen this time. With this schedule, I should be able to have both papers done in 3 weeks.  Hopefully....

(3)  Walk a minimum of three days a week.  I really love my walking time--I can just let my mind wander and not think of the work sitting on my desk or the laundry I have to do and whatnot.  If I can get in more than 3 days, I will, but at least a minimum will get my butt moving.  

I am not adding any social media or blogging goals at this time because I know that I will likely not meet whatever I might set for myself.  I will just keep up with what I've been doing best I can and adjust as my schedule allows.  I am also not adding a reading goal since, other than books I have to read for class, I doubt I will be getting much done. Though I really really really want to read book 1 of the Hunger Games and hope to find time to do that sooner rather than later!  

And with that, I am off to decide on a research question for paper number 1 which is on To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.  Here is hoping some inspiration hits me! Good luck to everyone this Round and see you at check-ins!

Monday Miscellany

*Note:  I am changing my Monday posts titles to 'Monday Miscellany' cause well, they tend to be just that--a group of different topics and things I've seen, heard, listened to, contemplated and gotten done over the prior week/weekend.  And since Blogger doesn't do categories, it will be easier to group the Monday posts together using labels! Besides, isn't miscellany just an awesome word? I love it!* 

What a weekend.  It was one of those where I was up at an early hour both days, trying to get a million things done.  Knowing that this week is going to be busy, my goal was to try and get myself ahead of the game by checking some things off my list and I think I was successful.   Well, moderately so anyways.  

Book Club is this Thursday, at my house.  So Saturday was spent cleaning and doing some prep work for the food. I'm a bit nervous about this little gathering since my house is, well, kinda old.  The other members of the club have these brand spanking new houses and mine is about 100 years old and has been been lived in by someone in my family for that entire time.  It has loads of history in it and I've grown up wanting to live here since I was 5. But, that being said, I'll be the first to admit it needs work in terms of being updated (which I am getting to--just having to do it room by room for budgetary purposes.)  The upside is that the downstairs is presentable in that it is painted, decorated in a style that is me, and ready for guests, kind of.  I want to kick myself for feeling self-conscious about it, but old habits do die hard I guess.  

And just in time for Book Club, I finished A Thousand Splendid Suns Saturday night.  I have started a review of it which I will posting soon, but I wanted to wait until after Thursday.  If you have not read this book yet (it came out in 2007), I highly recommend it.  It's been awhile since a book has hit me like this did.  It was so, so good.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any catching up on the DVR done.  I am seriously considering cancelling cable, at least for the summer. Now that the Walking Dead is over for the season I might, and just keep basic cable.  Though, honestly I don't know what that is anymore.  Last time I had basic cable it meant channels 1-13....I guess I will have to look into that before I make a decision!  I can't imagine not having cable and a DVR, but I could get some serious reading and writing done if I didn't have it as a distraction...hmmm, this will have to be pondered over the next week or two.

Last week I was on 'spring break' from the classes I've been taking, though that just meant I was home for a week. Sadly there was no beach involved.  Even though I know my assignments ahead of time and could have gotten ahead, I did zero homework.  I needed that mental break since it has been a rough first half of the semester.  But starting today, I need to get back to the books since I have a whole lot of reading and researching I need to get going on.  My hope is to spend 2 hours a day on it.  I might even use the word sprint time (which I usually write for) as homework sprints instead. That should keep me on schedule to not freak out when the end of April comes and all this work is due.    

And to wrap up the relative boring recap of my weekend, I will leave you with a song by Train.  Their new album comes out in April and seriously, I love these guys.  Ever since the songs "Meet Virginia" and "Drops of Jupiter" they have become a staple on my playlists. There are so many songs I could pick, but this new single is just so fun that I've been singing it around the house and in the car since I heard it last week.  Have a listen if you'd like!

"Drive By" by Train

  

Bidding Adieu to ROW80 Round 1--Final Check In

It's here! It's here! It's here! To paraphrase REM, it's the end of Round 1 as we know it!  Have goals been met? Or even smashed into oblivion with the awesome-ness of your progress? Or did you take a slower and steadier approach to get the year started?  Whatever the result, the end is here and it's time to look back and see what has been accomplished thus far.

For me, Round 1 has been a mixed bag of progress.  I wish I had made more progress than I have, but at the same time, I am grateful for the progress I did make.  I am trying to look at what I've done this round from a balanced and realistic perspective.  I don't want to get all emo-sad because I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to, but I also don't want to be overly congratulatory of myself either.  I know I have work to do in round 2, but for round 1, here are the results:

Writing:  I did okay here, writing 3-5 days a week, though my word counts weren't always that stellar. I am at the point in my WIP where I need to go back and add in several scenes in the beginning which I hadn't planned on, but that make sense after some of the recent changes that have occurred in the overall story.  My hope is to work on those scenes between now and the start of the next round.

Working out:  Eh...my habits here are better than they had been at the start of the round, but not where I want them to be.  With the string of nice weather we've been having I have definitely picked up the pace in this regard, but I still lack the willpower and motivation I need to have.  I just wish I could get to the point where working out becomes a habit and doesn't feel like actual work.  It would make things so much easier!

Blogging/commenting:  Much improved! Posting took a hit when I took a bit of a break in February, but I am getting back on track with this.  I had forgotten the reasons I started blogging in the first place and that was to (1) have fun and (2) get more comfortable writing to an audience since that was the biggest hurdle I faced (and still face) in my writing. My blog posts aren't earth shattering by any means, but they let me put a little bit more of myself out there.  Progress is progress, right?

Twitter:  This is still a work in progress, but the word sprints in the afternoon (when I can particpate) are a huge, huge help here.  Not only do I knock out a lot of words, but it gets me more comfortable in the twitter-verse.  And seriously, I love the motivation that the sprints provide and it's a great group of people to write with.  *throws glitter over all the word sprint peeps!*

I also had an unofficial goal to read more, and this has been happening. Between my classes and reading for fun, I've read 6 books (almost 7!) this year and have a bunch more to get through.

In looking over the results of this round I see much accomplished and much which can be improved upon.  I have already started tweaking my goals for next round to make them work a little better with my schedule which will be crazy between now and the middle of May.  I definitely need to make the goals more realistic for everything that I will have on my plate.  Two papers, two finals, plus lesson plans and grading for the classes I teach, on top of the day job, and well, life in general, will make for a very stressed out Kat if I take on too much!

So fellow ROW80-ers, how did everyone else do this round?  Did you check off lots of goals from your lists?  Are you planning on taking part in the second round?  Good luck and see you in eleven days!

Monday Mash-Up: Basketball and Music

Unlike the last two weeks, this past week I did a whole lot of nothing on the entertainment front so my Monday Mash-Up post is woefully empty.  The weather was just so nice, and since I didn't have to teach (yay for spring break!) I spent as much time as I could outside, enjoying the sun--something we don't always get a lot of where I live.  The television I did watch involved a whole lot of college basketball and in case anyone was wondering, my brackets are thoroughly and completely busted.  I am still hoping Syracuse wins since I have a lot of loyalty towards the schools I've attended. St. Bonaventure ended up getting knocked out of the first round, but...they made it there for the first time in 12 years and it was a really close game. We should have won in fact, but oh well, there is always next year!

Other than basketball, the only other show I watched was the season finale of The Walking Dead.  Can we say zombie-tastic?!  Holy wow, I was floored by what happened in the episode and am so excited for the next season.  Just wish I didn't have to wait so long cause...just...WOW!  Seriously people, if you haven't seen this show, it is so good!  I'm just going to keep hoping that the zombie apocalypse doesn't come in my lifetime.  Because seriously, a zombie herd has to be the scariest thing ever.  More frightening than bees--and I have a strong loathing and irrational fear of bees, so that is saying a lot!

Lastly, since I have so little to report in terms of entertainment, I thought I'd combine the Monday Mash-up with the song I was going to blog about later in the week.  I heard this towards the end of last week and something about the amazing weather we are having here and the rhythm of this song had me blasting it over the weekend.  The song also got me past a block I was experiencing in a particular scene I was writing.  I was having so much trouble I though about leaving the scene out completely, but then I just had this hole in my outline. I finally got through it, with the help of this song. Now, I can move on to the darker parts of the work, which for me always tend to be easier to write.

Andrew Allen "Loving You Tonight"

Happy spring (it hits officially on Tuesday!) and if you see a zombie...remember to aim for the head!  

Sunday ROW80 Check In

I almost forgot to post this update for ROW80.  I have had such a busy day with hosting a family dinner at my house.  I had to get up early and it was non stop cooking and cleaning but I had so much fun it was all worth it.   So as I get to watch the season finale of The Walking Dead (and yes, I have my pillow ready to hide from the blood and gore that is sure to be ever present in the episode), here is an update for what's been happening since Wednesday:

• I wrote 5 days this week and though my word count on those days wasn't always 1500, I made up for it on some of those days.  Overall for the week I knocked out 5175 words.  It wasn't the 7500 I wanted to hit, but it's better than nothing!  And also, a big big big THANK YOU with a bunch of glitter thrown in to all the ROW--ers who have kept me going during these sprints!  It has been so much fun, and it really is the best part of my day. It's nice to have people cheering for me, and to cheer for others, as we all work on our WIPs!
• Exercise--took at least a 30 minute walk (some days longer though no less than 30 mins) three days this week, and did a bunch of Just Dance 2 on the Wii this weekend with my niece.  I had a bunch of fun and exercised--that is the best kind of workout in my opinion!
• Blogging and twitter--still keeping up with both of these, though at the end of the week I wasn't around much twitter wise. Sometimes the day job just doesn't let me to be as present as I'd like to be, but I hope to at least be around during the word sprints.

Next week I am back to work so I won't be able to participate in the word sprints everyday, but I am hoping to get in at least three days.  The rest of this week my plan is to finish a few posts that I've had in my draft folder for a bit, as well as finish reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns".  This is the book that I chose for book club this month and since I am hosting I definitely have to read this one!  I knocked out over a hundred pages Thursday and am hoping to finish it by the middle of this week.

Hope everyone's week has good and Happy St. Patrick's Day! I know it's a day late but...well sending the luck of the Irish to y'all anyways!  See you Wednesday!

A Freakin' Awesome Song...and a ROW80 Update

As I mentioned in Saturday's post about Fitz and the Tantrums music is so important to me and I'm always finding new and interesting tracks to listen to while writing.  Well, while cooking dinner (carbonara with whole wheat spaghetti and grilled asparagus. So, so good!), I had VH1 on and the following song came on.  As the music started it barely registered with me until the chorus literally made my head turn. The video is...different.  It's very artistic-which isn't a bad thing, since it allows the focus to be on the music itself, but a friend of mine was like "wtf does that mean?"  My response was "who cares?! Did you not hear the song?!" and then I promptly hit repeat.  I can't stop listening to it, though I totally understand that it might not be everyone's cup of tea.  It's a bit quirky but in my opinion, quirky in a good way.

Gotye  "Somebody That I Used to Know"

And now for the Update--so far so good. Word count so far is:

Monday:  844
Tuesday: 1142

I plan on doing the word sprint at 2pm today.  I need to get some extra writing in this morning because I am way behind my '1500 words for 5 days a week goal' and really need to pick up the pace.  As for working out--blah.  This is just not going well.  It doesn't help that my allergies are kicking my butt at the moment. I did take a walk yesterday and am going to take another one this afternoon.  I need to take advantage of the rare, sunny weather we are getting in central New York.  Blogging, catching up on reading blogs and tweeting are all checked off my list and I am definitely happy about that.  I just need to keep it up.  I am having so much fun blogging about the music that is inspiring my writing and the different tracks I'm finding.  Same with writing what hopefully will become my weekly Monday Mash-Up.  I've done two weeks so far, and it's just been fun.  I feel like it's letting me put more and more of myself out there too, which actually makes tweeting a whole lot easier.  Who knew?!

Hope everyone's week is going well and see you Sunday!

Monday Mash-Up: A Little of This And A Little of That

This weekend was fantastic for several reasons. Not only do I have spring break at the college I am teaching at, but the midterm I had to take for one of my master's classes is over.  Thank god, because seriously, I was stressing like crazy over that thing.  So this weekend, I vegged a bit, did some reading and caught up on one of my favorite shows, and watched on my favorite movies.

Speed:  Can I say that I just love love love this movie.  I don't know why, because it certainly isn't an Oscar winner or anything, but seriously, I love Keanu Reeves in that movie.  And Sandra Bullock's hair is so cute!  It was funny too, because it came out in 1994, and so the cell phones they used are as big as bricks.  It had me totally cracking up.  I love this movie mainly for the fun of it, not it's artistic appeal.  It doesn't make me think too hard and I can just stare at Keanu Reeves for a couple hours.  Not a bad way to spend some time.

The Walking Dead: I hadn't seen the last three episodes and was itching to get caught up on my favorite zombie drama.  Yesterday I finally got the chance and can I just say..this show rocks.  I do find that I have to turn my head away or mute it when someone is being gorged on by zombies, but I can handle that. I watch it more to see just how this group of people tries to survive in the world while facing the zombie apocalypse more than anything else.   I won't give away any specific spoilers, but the fact that the creators of this show are not afraid to have fan favorite characters die is a testament (I think) to their commitment to the telling of the overall story.  Sure, a few of these were some of the most popular, but ya know it...it worked.  It wasn't for shock value, or just to have more bodies pile up.  The deaths made sense given how the story has progressed up to this point, so kudos to the writer for staying true to the story as opposed to the individual characters. It's an ensemble for a reason after all!  If you haven't caught this show, or have skipped because of the zombie aspect of it, trust me--it's not just about zombies.  And like I said, the mute button, or a pillow, works great if you are at all squeamish like me.

And lastly--it is that time of year again where so many of us become focused on college basketball and that amazing phenomena that is March Madness and I just want to say...

LET'S GO BONAS!  
LET'S GO ORANGE!

I am an alum of St. Bonaventure University (undergrad) and Syracuse (graduate school) so I am so happy to see that they both made it to the Dance.  Syracuse was a given since they were ranked #2 in the country most of the season...but Bonaventure?!  Who freakin' thought that was going to happen?!  They hadn't been asked to the Dance since 2000 but this year they kicked butt in the A-10 tournament becoming A-10 champs for the first time ever and getting an automatic bid.  Kudos to the underdogs and the place I spent some of the best years of my life.  Now we just gotta get past Florida in the first round, but even if we don't...least we made it!  

And with that sports related cheer of sorts, I will return to regularly scheduled programming, which means getting back to my as-yet to be titled work in progress.  I got a certain character who needs a slap to the back of the head...

ROW80 Sunday Check In

It's Sunday's check in and all in all I would say things have gone okay this week as I get back in the saddle!  I missed a day of writing (only got in 4) but I did catch up on the exercise front, which I really needed to do.  As for blogging, it's definitely becoming easier now that I post about topics other than writing. Don't get me wrong, I love writing and love to write and read about it, but sometimes a girl needs to change things up a bit to keep things fun, fresh and well interesting!  I've decided to do a Monday Mash-up kind of post about whatever shows, books, movies, blogs, YouTube videos etc. that I've seen the week prior that has peaked my interest and want to share.  I had fun writing Monday's post about Primeval and Stargate Universe so I want to keep that up. I also will try to do a semi-regular post about the current music that has me inspired, that I'm writing to, and/or music that I just like and want to share.  Saturday I blogged about one of my favorite songs by Fitz and the Tantrums.  I have a bunch more songs and albums waiting in the wings that I want to blog about too.  My decision to blog about music came about from a post I did on Tuesday, where I discussed turning to writing to relax and release some stress, and how doing that affected a scene in my WIP.  Music has a huge influence on my writing so I am really looking forward to doing more posts that are music and writing related!  I've also been reading a lot--for my classes and just for fun--so I have a bunch of books (and even a few poems!) to review too.  I will be starting to tackle that stack soon!

As for the goals I didn't quite make?  Well like I said, I missed a day of writing, and also...Twitter.  I still am more of a spectator than anything else. I watch and don't say much.  I know that deep down this is a self confidence issue and I just need to put myself out there and tweet, but yeah, I'm still not totally there yet.  This goal is continues to be a work in progress!

Hope everyone's week went well and good luck on your goals this week!

Whatcha Listening To?

I am obsessed with music. I always have it on--and I mean always. From the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go to bed, unless I am in a meeting for work, or teaching, I have it going, even if it's just on low in the background. I think it has to do with my grandmother's love for music-when I was a kid I used to spend a lot of time at her house and she and my grandpa always had music on.  The type of music they liked was what I used to call "oldies" but it was still music.  My dad was always listening to music too; or he was  singing; or both.  Although I didn't mind my grandparents when they listened to music (mainly cause I wasn't stupid enough to tell my grandparents to NOT listen. That would have gotten me grounded for sure).  But when it was my dad singing, that was a different story. I for some reason hated it.  Of course, it didn't help that he did it when my friends were around.  Talk about mortifying!  There was nothing worse than hearing your dad singing a Johnny Cash song while your having a sleepover and your trying to concentrate on boys, makeup, New Kids on the Block, all while watching scary movies and drinking kool-aid.

So back to the point of all this: I LOVE music and listen A LOT. I sing and dance to it while hanging around the house, even while vacuuming or doing the dishes; and if you pass me in the car, although I may have a hands free cell phone thingy in my ear, that likely isn't me on the phone.  No, it's probably  me singing like a fool.

Singing and listening to music lifts my spirits; it provides me with inspiration, especially when it is on short supply; and when I am stressed it helps me even out and just relax.   Given my stress levels of late, I have been finding a lot of new music and artists lately and wanted to share, and figured what better place than my blog!  I hope to do this semi-regularly as my taste in music tends to vary quite a bit (from 50 Cent to Micheal Buble and everything in between and beyond!) and hopefully someone will hear something new they like, or perhaps have a suggestion for something I should check out.

For now, here is the song that I've had on replay this week on my MP3 player.  This is Fitz and the Tantrums "Don't Gotta Work It Out".  They have been getting a pretty good rotation it seems on VH1, but if you've haven't heard of them, I would definitely suggest checking out the video below or via Zune, Spotify, ITunes or wherever it is you check out new musical talent.  Hope you enjoy and as always, feel free to leave a comment or suggestion to let me know what you're listening to, or think I should be!

ROW80 Check-In--Feel Free to Throw Things...

I totally deserve it.  

I feel like I should make some sort of confession for having disappeared for like...a month...I have no excuse other than I was wrapped up in that "oh my god I have too much to do, lemme just hide under the covers until it all goes away!" kind of feeling, and didn't know where to start. It's no big surprise that while hiding under the covers,  things didn't just "go away".  I finally had to crawl out and just start ticking things off my to-do list and get back on track.  So now that I've begun that process, I sheepishly drag myself back before you to try and finish out the end of this round as strong as I can.

So that being said, since Sunday, I have done two days of 1500 words.  I've blogged Monday (a fun one about some sci-fi shows I caught up on this past weekend. Yes I am a geek, and I wear it proud!) and Tuesday (focusing on writing while being all moody...and the effects it had on the character in my WIP).  I'm really proud of myself for just blogging about things that interested me at the time I was writing. I wasn't worried about what people would think, which I unfortunately worry about all too often.  I am working on that though.  Anyways, back to my update.  I haven't made the blog rounds yet but plan on doing towards the end of this week and well Twitter...yeah that's just a mess. I really am such an introvert when it comes to twitter. I will get more comfortable with it though...I just need to practice and just...do it!  As for working out...*just glares* Week isn't over...so, there's still time to buckle down on this one.  Hopefully the weather cooperates.  

Hope everyone is kicking butt in terms of their ROW80 goals better than I have been, and I look forward to seeing how everyone is progressing as I hop around blogs in the next few days! 

Just...Breathe...

Writing when I am in a ‘mood’ always makes me, the writer behind the keyboard, feel better. But what I have discovered is, that when I go back to look at what I wrote during times of heightened emotions, I often have taken my characters to dark places—emotionally and otherwise. As I re-read a scene I had written yesterday, it became quite clear that this was the case. Prior to writing this scene, my character was standing on top of cliff, looking down at the main street of the town she lived in. Her emotions were already swirled up from the action in the story that just preceded her walk, and there were dark storm clouds rolling towards her, to reflect her emotions. As I sat down to write, my mood was just as dark as those clouds.

Monday Mash-Up: Clearing Out Space on the DVR

So I am a television/movie junkie. Problem is I always end up liking obscure shows that get cancelled--or, don't find time to watch the shows I do record on the DVR and end up way behind.  Well, the last two weeks I have been trying to play catch up on a variety of shows saved on the DVR and in the Netflix queue in an attempt to fix this problem.  Last weekend, I caught up on Castle--which can I just say, I love Nathan Fillion.  If you haven't seen that show, or Firefly (and the movie, Serenity) stop reading right now and go watch them.  It's okay, I will wait til you're done....

Alright, so you're back.  Amazing right? Can you see why I love him?  Now, where was I, oh yeah...Castle.  So that was last weekend. This weekend I knew I would be stuck inside, trying to get homework and grading done and knew I would need something on in the background while I worked. You see, for me, there is nothing worse than sitting in silence while I try to do either of those things-the silence drives me crazy. So I found myself once again looking through my bloated Netflix instant queue and my DVR to see what I could find.