What a Day...

It has been a long day.  A good day to say the least, but a long one.  I had every intention of working on SoNL tonight when I got home.  But, it just wasn't meant to be.

I have the ideas to improve and raise the current word count.  Quite a few good ones to be exact.  But, after spending nearly an hour and half over at work, I am just a bit too tired to focus.  All I can really see in my head instead of the story are the many things I had put back on the shelf and the clean up I tried to do.

Being a sales floor associate, even temporary, isn't easy on a good day.  The morning return buggy is usually heaping so it has to be worked down before attempting to move it.  Plus, there's freight to work when it comes in.  To add to the normal stuff, I'm the only health and beauty aid (HBA) associate during the day until they get more people hired.  There is another, but she and the department manager are almost connected at the hip and they work together on resetting the modulars (displays and shelves), take breaks and lunches together, so there's no real teamwork except between them.

Thankfully, I don't mind working on my own, but I can only handle so much at a time.  Add onto this, I can be called up to the front line (registers) and made to run a register until the lines go down, or it's time for break/lunch/go home.

I could have stayed even longer tonight.  As I was taking everything to the back to be placed in the bins, I was asked if I could help out.  They didn't blame me for politely refusing since I was, by then, an hour over and needed to run.  More money, but they have a few rules which prevent us from getting too much overtime.  As it stands now, my one hour wiggle room is gone for the week.  I can still gather more over time, but I'll have to be careful.

When I got home, I watched a movie, Ella Enchanted, and had a few good laughs while I paid attention to the plot itself and the characters.  I do love this movie.  It plays upon the fantasy clichés in such a way, they fit beautifully and work very well.  I do need to find the book that goes with this movie.

I hope everyone has enjoyed your day.  While our jobs may be hectic, they are still worth keeping.  (Most of the time.  ;) )

Icky Week #writemotivation check-in

It has been a bad week for me this week.  Started Monday with a sore throat and a mild case of laryngitis and fell from there..  This virus knocked me down, literally, for the majority of this week.  Just when I thought I could go back to work, it knocked me for another loop which required a doctor.

Because I’ve been out for more than three days, Wal-Mart demands I do the paperwork for a medical leave of absence.  What the hell?  Colds and minor cases of the flu can keep someone out for a week, minimum, and they know this.  But, only three days before needinga FMLA leave of absence form.  Someone, somewhere, has no concept of reality.

More than a week, okay, I can see it.  But more than three days?  No.  But, if I want to work, I have to do it.  *huge sigh*

But, yeah, that’s my week.  I’m filling out the paperwork tonight and running it to the clinic tomorrow for the doc to fill out.  Nausea will not keep me from working for long.  Especially with medication to help.

But, this makes my #writemotivation check-in easy to do.  I haven’t had the energy or the mental capacity to remotely consider writing or editing.  I can say I’ve had ideas for a story I don’t intend to publish except on certain sites.

I‘m in the set up scenes, introducing the characters who’ll be participating and showing their personalities before starting it off.  Let’s just say that this story is one which will make most people want to un-watch and unfriend me if they read it.  That is why I am only posting it in certain places because I know the audience very well.

But, I can say one thing for my goals this month.  I did finish reading Scene and Structure.  It gave a lot of good advice on how to bring scenes together through cause and effect.  This is definitely one book I need for my library.

That is a hint for Christmas/birthday gift.  *cute kitten eyes begging*

Last, but not least, before the worst of my illness hit, I managed to create a page on Facebook that will feature my current published book and the works in progress.

Fantastic Furry Realms  

It still needs a lot of work and for me to update more often, but this has been up for only a week… barely.  Some of you have seen it already.  The rest of you, come by and have a look.  Like it if you want and definitely comment.  I’m proud of just this little bit.

Do watch that page.  Slowly, as I get help and advice, the cover photo will change to help support my main book, Black Friday.

Mid-week and #writemotivation

This post is coming a bit late this week.  I know.  Bad kitty!  No catnip for you!  Ahem  Not so much as busy, just being tired and under the weather thanks to the heat and construction on my normal route to and from work.  It enough t make someone peeved and exhausted.

Not fun.

Work has been woefully slow.  So slow, I was actually able to spend the time required going over the end of month pulls on my section of the medicine shelves and finish it with about an hour to spare before going home.  That is slow because there are a lot of medications that need to have their expiration dates checked and to make sure the return-to-stock bottles are properly labeled.

As of yesterday, I am on a diet of sorts.  More like a better selection for my meals instead of the basic and cheap choices I usually have. Why you may ask?  I got the results of the blood work that they did last week.  Not the best, but better than I expected.  They checked cholesterol, A1-C (diabetes) and kidney problems.

First off, cholesterol is elevated.  Not by a lot, but enough I need to make changes now.  I have to cut down on the white rice, breads, pasta, and greasy foods.  This also includes potatoes, which I adore in all forms.  I have to add in more whole grains and green vegetables.  Naturally, fruit will be added.  I won’t have to cut out popcorn, just not have as much and with less butter.  Really, not huge changes, but it’ll still cost in the long run.  Dave needs to do the same.  On the 23rd, I’ll find out if I have to add another medication to my short list.

The A1-C levels showed me as being pre-diabetic.  This is no surprise to me and I have been working on this.  The recent changes will help out a lot with that, too.  At least I’m not fully diabetic.  We’ll see what the doc wants to do when I go in for my physical in two weeks.

Kidney function is perfectly normal.  They better be working fine.  I drink nothing but water at work.  I go through two 32oz cups of plain water each day.  Once in a while, I’ll have coffee, but only at the beginning of the shift.  Afternoons are water.

To help all of this, I have added a quarter mile walk to my daily routine.  I kind of needed to do it anyway.  Colin has to get to school somehow,  I walk with him down to the sidewalk then watch him until he’s crossed the street before walking to my car and going to work.  My bad knee isn’t liking this but the movement will help until it finally does break down fully.

Not too bad.

Now, for my goals this month.

1. Work on chapters 1 through 3 of Society of Night and Lies. Make them shine with more show and a bit less tell.

I’m finally bucking down and working on these.  Chapter 1 revisions was done last night.  There were some actual changes made in places to make the story seem more real.  I’m pleased with them, now they need to be refined and polished.  Chapter 2 will be tackled tonight.

2. If there’s time, write two more chapters to Black Friday 2.

No time to write any on this one.  Since it was one that didn’t have to be done, it won’t count against me… much.

3. Read. Doesn’t matter which author or genre, just read.

I haven’t been reading too much.  But, I knew it would be a slow reading month for me with school starting.  Next month should be better.

So… not the best but not bad, either.  Next month, I’ll be tackling these with more gusto!

How about you guys?  Having any success with your monthly goals?