The perfect writing day

Today is the perfect writing day. It is rainy, semi-coolish (for Oklahoma anyway) and gray. I have tea, and tea cookies, and a sleeping tiny human (who may wake up at any moment). Productivity should arrive in spades shortly. Here's hoping. 

Today, the word I forgot was...

Scramble.

I got stuck in a cycle of 'struggle, startle, scamper' and very nearly didn't make it out. Someone was going to hurriedly get to their feet, and I could not for the life of me determine what the word was that I needed. I knew it started with 'S'. And it smacked me in the face while I was switching a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer. So. If you need me, I'll just be in the laundry room looking for what other words I can't seem to remember.

The dark and dismal middle

I am lost and wandering through the "dark and dismal middle" as Deborah Chester puts it in her fantastic book The Fantasy Fiction Formula. There is a piece of every book wherein the characters must get from the exciting beginning to the climax. And if you don't have a map, they could very well get lost on their way, leaving your reader wandering around without making any progress.

I am currently writing in the dark and dismal middle. And I feel like I'm the one who is lost and doing the wandering, even more so than my characters.

This book is hard. Its hard for numerous reasons, one of which is currently napping, and the others of which have more to do with the book itself. Its a high fantasy book, which requires that I know everything about a fictional place, including how a rather complex magic system works. Its filled with made up words and places and ideas. It is also a dual perspective, where the story lines start at opposite ends and then eventually meet, and I'm petrified that I won't do the meeting justice. Or the whole idea justice. Or that the whole idea might be a dud.

I am, indeed, in the dark and dismal middle. On my journey as a writer. I'm past the exciting part, the part where I figure out that I am capable of writing a book and am now to the waiting part. The part where I'm starting the next book. The part where I'm starting the next book even though I'm not convinced that this can ever be anything but a hobby... and shouldn't I be doing the dishes instead of just writing? Because writing is what I want to do and dishes are... not.

My plan to escape the dark and dismal middle has to do with pushing forward, writing more, and drinking a lot of tea out of my fancy new diffuser. I will keep you apprised.

Tiny Human Blog: The other blog

I've started writing a little more about tiny human things. They are not for the faint of heart (the tiny humans, or the blog topics).

If you want to check it out- its located here: http://oklahomama.blogspot.com/.

I'll probably write on both blogs occasionally, so if you're missing me it may behoove you to drop by over there and see what incredibly embarrassing story I'm sharing next!

The word I forgot today was...

This seems like a fun little exercise for the blog. When I forget a word, or misspell something horridly (looking at you, 'turnt') I will post about it. Thus shaming myself and providing you a peek into the window that is my currently semi-sleep deprived psyche. Today's word?

Withdraw.

The only word I could think of was 'retreat,' and I had to look up synonyms to figure out what I was trying to say. I will now withdraw and attempt to finish the chapter I'm writing before the tiny human awakes.

Oh, and here's a photo of the reason I think that 't' and 'ed' are the same.

Three Things

Thing 1:

I bought a tea diffuser. It looks like a manatee. It is actually called 'mana-tea' which tickles me every time I think about it. Never really been into tea all that much before, but went to a tea place over Christmas and decided it might be worth looking into. Now, a mere 7 months later, here I am taking action and whatnot. So far... I think I might need brewing lessons.

Thing 2:

Prime day happened this week, and I discovered a previously unknown fact about myself. Lightning deals are my Achilles' heel. For those of you not afflicted with this ailment, a lightning deal happens for a limited amount of time, and it is very competitive to snag the thing you want before they are gone. Smart, smart Amazon. On the upside, there were good deals on several baby things I had plans to purchase in the coming months. And on the downside... there were good deals on things that the tiny human does NOT need but now owns.

Thing 3:

Tiny human and I had an instance of accidental matching earlier this week. You'd think I'd have done it on purpose... but then you would remember that I'm the woman who forgot her shoes when going into town yesterday... and then realize I legitimately had no idea until the smartest pointed it out.

Today, I forgot to wear shoes

I don't wear shoes much. It was one of the things I liked the most about working from home, actually. In the summer I go barefoot, and in the winter I wear fuzzy boots, and in my book that makes life just about perfect. Since its July and I am hanging out at home with the tiny human most of the time, I don't wear shoes, except when we go out on errands or to play at Target because we're bored and it has pretty things. 

Today was an errand day. We had an appointment for the dog to get groomed at 8:00, which wouldn't be so bad except that the place we go is 45 minutes away (I know, you don't have to tell me. I do this to myself. What the heck kind of person drives 45 minutes to get their dog groomed? The kind with a neurotic shih tzu who has people issues.) I got us up, and dressed and fed and dressed again after a diaper blow out, and got the dog's crate in the car, and her leash and the baby carrier and the diaper bag and the bottle I was going to feed the baby after she woke up from (hopefully) napping in the car on the drive there. I even took out the trash, rinsed the can since the bag had leaked, and managed to grab a gatorade for the drive. I was killing it as a mama this morning. 

The drive itself was good. The baby didn't sleep, but she didn't cry, so that's always a win. The country station played good music and no commercials, and the dog didn't run in place in her crate like she does sometimes when she is bored in the car. We got to the groomer at 7:55, giving us just enough time to walk the dog a bit to help her go to the bathroom before we dropped her off. I turned the car off and fumbled around on the floorboards for my shoes, since I sometimes drive barefoot in the summer. 

But I hadn't brought any shoes. 

After gathering everything so meticulously... I had forgotten shoes. SHOES. Are you kidding me? I hadn't felt tired or compromised up until that moment... but maybe I'm a little more exhausted than I think I am. Shoes. I forgot my own shoes. 

Fortunately, my groomer is amazing and happened to come out just as we got there, and upon learning of my footwear predicament said she would take the puppy on her potty break before taking her in. I believe her exact words, once she was done laughing, were 'well, you're officially a mom now.' 

So there you have it. Proof of my motherhood. I have a puppy with a cute hair cut, an adorable kid, a lack of mental fortitude, and slightly sore feet. I'll take it.