Oh, poor little neglected blog. Kee has been dutifully plugging away on her writing, and I have just been scraping along on everything else. My paper is still in the planning/reading phase, not actually the writing phase yet, but I am making (very slow) progress. As John pointed out, I can't actually apply to take my exams/write my thesis until I get this behind me, so it is now a top priority. Except for this stupid class I'm teaching. It is getting hard to get excited about it since half the original students have dropped, and the technology craps on me. every. single. week. Bleah!

(Inspiring stuff, no?)

Well, it's been a SUPER busy weekend. In fact, it was so crazy that W made himself sick, literally. Too much football + too much friends + too much fun=too much fever. So I didn't get to work on much Sunday night and then he stayed home today and with juggling trying to work some at the office (thanks shortened work week due to Thanksgiving)and worrying that he was running another fever, I am just now sitting down to work on my writing.

And I forsee a small installment. I kinda just want to zip through this part because the next two parts are AWESOME, says me, but I know that my critics will not let me slide on sloppy work. So I guess I need to just get to it.

At least I am not trying to teach a bunch of people how to use power point.

Take 3 (flash fiction):
Frosty bided his time, waiting for the last item to complete his transformation, but was dismayed that it would take the form of an old top hat.

Let's see:

My teaching went a lot better yesterday than 2 weeks ago. *falls to knees weeping and thanking the 7 Dwarfs* Next week's class should be pretty fun--teaching them how to use PowerPoint--so there is not quite as much stress when I think about preparing for it.

My presentation today went ok, I guess. I didn't feel like I made a complete ass of myself, and my teacher didn't grimace or write a lot of notes while I spoke, so I consider that a success.

With all the prep for just those two things, I have hardly had a free minute for myself, so I am spending a little time this afternoon seeing to my babies (blog 1 and blog 2). *g*

Also, I am experimenting with a form of flash fiction, since I hardly have time to write anything, much less think up something story-length. Here is my first, and somewhat lame, stab at it:

The children thought the magic was in the old silk hat, but Frosty knew the act of completion was the magic. He was one hat away from resurrection and revenge.
(30 words)

Take 2:

Frosty bided his time, waiting for the last item to complete his transformation. Not a silk top hat!
(18 words)

I think I like the second one better. And now I am GOING TO READ FOR MY PAPER! (Yes, that is an event that must be expressed in all-caps.)

Kee, I'll probably tackle your Monday and Wednesday work both tomorrow. Carry on!

I am fixing to start writing for the day. I checked in here first to see if any interesting tidbits have been left by my interesting Nee. Alas, there is nothing but an old post. Granted, I probably should have left a post before now, but I am a busy woman.

Let's just hear how busy I am. It's 8:26. I know that at 11:30 I have a hair appointment (a re-shaping on a haircut that is only two weeks old because everyone, except my college buddy, says I look sooo young and said buddy said it made me look like a mom-and she made it sound like a four-letter word. Oh, and I am getting 'subtle' highlights, well, cause my hairdresser talked me into it and I want to). I will have to drive 15 minutes to get there, spend 20 minutes changing clothes (because I just threw on workout clothes-minus a bra-to take the kids to school) and putting on make-up because I have to go in to *work* after (because I can't get crap done around there cause they can't keep their computers and software in working order which sucks cause they are a 'paperless' office-which means they do everything electronically-well, if their software worked.)

SOOOO...I have, at the latest, until 10:55 to accomplish whatever it is I think I can get done this morning. Which might be all the writing I get done before 9 tonight when I will attempt to try some more if I don't fall asleep at the computer-which I did last night.

Okay knowing all of this, that my time-on my day off!-is limited-what have I done to get hard at work.

1. Take the boys to school-do it everyday-not really a procrastination.
2. Start a load of laundry. Needed to do it-R had an accident. But that means at some point I will have to stop and put it in the dryer and that means taking the stuff that is currently living there out and finding it, and the rest of the stuff on my laundry room counter, a home.
3. I have checked MSN homepage-cause something really important might have happened in the gossip world of movie stars that might effect me personally.
4. I have checked 3 of my regular blog sites to find if there is anything there that is more interesting than my life-not hard to do. But like I said, one was void of the interesting tidbit. One had a post I had already seen when I checked before-during-the time I fell asleep at the computer last night. One made me laugh, think, and to offer here my excellent, I am told, handyman skills and ability to take instructions to anyone out there who might need an extra set of hands and encouraging presence to complete, oh I don't know, some project of some kind that might be related to finally completing something that has been lurking in the remodeling-I-want-to-do-someday category (I've lived half-my life in that category so I know it well). You know I do have *two* days off a week. (Supposed to have anyway.)
5. I have made myself a cup of tea.
6. I have eaten my organic whole wheat flaxseed waffle.
7. I have written this post.
8. I still have no idea how to proceed with my next section and am afraid of screwing up the direction I am not really sure I am in anymore.

It is now 8:55.

So... after taking a week off, Kee has got right back in the writing fray with new/revised materials this week. She kept up with her goal of working on Monday and Wednesday, and she was even able to step outside her safety zone and ask for help. I must say, she is progressing nicely.

I have a lot to do, and am getting a lot done, but it is going to take a while to get the pile completely whacked. There hasn't really been time for creative writing, but I know it is still bubbling away in my brain, because ideas rise to the surface when my brain is not otherwise occupied, such as in the shower or walking to class. Maybe some day I'll have time to capture a few ideas on paper, but I'm not getting too antsy about it yet.

I'm not sure I want to teach again next semester. It takes so much time to prepare, and I will be writing my thesis and studying for my exams. But then again, it occurred to me that I have already done all the work, and if I can offer the same topic, the bulk of the preparation will already be done. I'll wait and see if I get asked back.

Here's my to-do list for this semester, not including for the class I am teaching:
write 1 paper (still overdue from last semester :-0)
give 2 presentations
do a write-up of 1 90-minute class
find an advisor for my thesis
start brain-storming exam topics

Ok, now I will stop before my brain explodes. I am trying to keep my paper list limited to the most pressing items, just to prevent myself from going mad. It may be unavoidable. ;-P

I never intended to be an absentee parent to this blog, so I guess I ought to start contributing my share to the work around here. (Don't feel bad, little writing blog, I've been neglecting my other blogs, too.)

I've mostly been working recently and trying to (and managing to!) keep up with my classes. I edited a 10-page paper--for money!--and have another 14 pages waiting for me. I would quit school in a heartbeat if I could find a full-time editing gig, but since that's probably not going to fall into my lap (despite the mini-jobs that keep popping up fortuitously), I guess I should just be satisfied with the occasional work in the field.

Teaching didn't go so well last week. I thought I was prepared, but everything just fell flat. That means I am working extra hard this weekend to get next week's tutoring and teaching set up.

I have managed to keep up with reading for my classes--it didn't hurt that one teacher was out sick last week--but I have some assignments due soon that I need to get to work on.

I was mentioning on my other blog the bad mood I've been in, and how Friday was the low-point. Oddly enough, Friday was also the day I had a new idea about my Godred story that I think is going to mean an improvement. I've had all the bits of the story floating around in my head, but I hadn't really gotten them nailed down in the right order. I think I finally have a handle on that with this new idea. I haven't written much on it, but words were put on paper, so I will take what I have and run with it.

Back to class-prep for next week.