The Challenge - Day 2 (Tornado Pics)

DAY 1 (yes, I started over):

Well, I didn't quite make 15 minutes writing today. Fortunately, I was prompted by my fellow writers to work on a chapter of my novel just so I could submit it for their review. Our critique group meets every other week just to keep us (me) on our toes and cranking out at least one chapter. It works unusually well. So I did a little editing on chapter 16 of Dragon Tears (children's middle grade fiction), then popped it off on a trip through cyberspace in an email. Now I really need to get working because I'm only partially finished with chapter 17 and I'll need to charge ahead with both creative and editorial juices surging through my veins. HA.

BONNIE! No more Friday morning doctor's appointments - I need you to help with my lack of self-discipline! Are we on for writing next week???

OK, back to the tornado. The power returned around 9 pm last evening, way ahead of schedule. You should have seen the Duke Energy people work. There were at least 10 heavy duty trucks working on the six power lines that had been ripped apart by trees and winds. And while the traffic became a tad snarled as they hauled the lines across the highway and hoisted them to the top of the power poles, it was tolerable.

They opened up Underpass, where a house was destroyed. I haven't been back to snap a picture of it yet as time hasn't permitted. When I played voyeur on Friday morning and had pulled over to the side of the road to take what pictures I could, a county sheriff (young AND cute) pulled along side and asked "What are you doing here?" "Taking pictures." Then I smiled remembering I'm an old chubby lady in glasses. "Best move on then." He waiting until I pulled away before he moved.

Dang.

I'm acting pretty glib about this because no one was really hurt. Only material things were damaged. (And none of mine were.)

Can you see the stairs that lead nowhere?

The Challenge - Day 1 (tornado pictures)

Day 1: It's 3:45 pm and I have not yet worked on my novel for my 15 minutes. Perhaps later I might, however, it's going to be a difficult challenge. You see, I'm distracted.

Why?

A tornado landed in my town last night - and people have been without power since around 10:15 pm. Duke Energy indicates it might not come back on until at least late tomorrow night.

Well, here are some pictures I thought you might find interesting. Double-click the picture to make them larger.





I'll post more pictures tomorrow.

Time for Air? No - A Time for a Challenge.

I tossed and turned so much last night both the bottom sheet AND the mattress cover were rustled off the corners and bundled together in the middle of the bed. At least the mattress itself felt pretty cool. I hate to say it, but it might almost be time to turn on the A/C, symbolizing the end of spring.

WOW! My youngest son, Jim, asked me to proof his English paper last night. I'm very impressed! He's quite the wordsmith. When did this happen? Jim's the guy in the red shirt and Tom's the blue, just like their college colors. And yes, that's a House Divided License plate for the front of my car.

I slept really well last night even though it was so hot, because my house was full again. :^)) It really is nice having them home - even though I won't see either of them much what with their visiting, and working out, and just plain being away.

A friend of mine spoke at an SCBWI conference in New England and offered them a challenge ----to write for 15 minutes every day for 21 days.

THE CHALLENGE Part Deux:

I'm going to change this challenge to one where I spend 15 minutes writing my own stories (not blogs and such) for 21 days.

Can I do it? It will be hard to get into the routine - to train myself to quickly focus on my subject matter and create or edit. Sometimes it takes me 15 minutes just to get back into the swing of the story. But I'm going to try.

15 minutes, how hard can it be?

Somehow, I think it will be very hard.

College Daze

My eldest son is coming home from UNC on Tuesday. I know this isn't a particularly flattering picture of Tom, but I'm expecting to get a lot of these looks this coming summer. This is his first extended time home -- after all the freedom he's enjoyed during the last school year. I guess I should get ready to be suddenly stupid.

His dad is out getting the truck ready by removing the teenage friendly muffler that gives instant headaches to any adult driver, and installing the original, quiet one. Then he'll remove all the seats from my van so we can head to Chapel Hill tomorrow morning and pack up Tom's room while he's taking his last final. He has to vacate the dorm the same day he takes a final? That doesn't seem fair to me. And thus we need to pack for him? I don't seem to recall my parents doing this for me. Or has age affected my memory?

Food Lion will love Tom coming home. Our food expenditures dwindled while he was away, but now they should triple with his hollow legs that never seem to fill.

And the quiet will be shattered with constant noise, confusion, and mess. Talk about mess! I don't think that boy ever picks up after himself. As a friend of mine told me just the other day, there's got to be some rules made for these college kids. Not difficult ones - just simple things like: Put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Throw out your own trash. Do your own laundry. Tell me when you're going out - and when we should expect you home. I think that will be the most difficult to follow. It was for me when I was his age.

Oh, but the house will also be filled with sounds of laughter, and music, and whispers, and thumps as the boys wrestle their welcome home into each other. And calls of "Mom, where's my ......." and the occasional yells at each other.

I hope the ceiling holds up. :^))


Is it ready for school to begin again?