Thursday, December 2, 2010

Online Personas

I've got a bone to pick!  Why do people feel the need to make snarky asinine comments then hide behind their computer screens?  Would they really say that to someones face?  Doubtful, because they'd get their asses kicked, or get a swift punch in the face.  So why do they feel that anonymity gives them the god-given right to say it online?

Sometimes humanity disappoints me.  For instance, today I read a really nice article about a friend of a friend who did a really great thing and what do I read in the comments below the article??  This: "Jeez this a long story about some yuppies geting free coffee.just send me the money, i drink at least 60 bucks worth of coffee evrey day ! "  Come on people!  Really?!  You have nothing better to do with your day then to louse up something so nice?  If you've got that much time the least you could do would be to spell things correctly, and use punctuation appropriately!

It shakes my faith in the world that we're living in that there are these kinds of cowardly jerks out there who can't just man up and keep their lips zipped, or their fingers away from the keyboard.

Along a similar vein, another act of anonymous aggression is driving.  You know who I'm talking about: that jerk who decides that he can't just wait in the long line of cars all turning the same direction; no, he decides to race ahead and cut someone off; causing the line to go slower, which causes more jerks to race ahead and cut someone off.  It's a vicious cycle, STOP THE MADNESS!!!  I liken it to this: would you do that at the post office?  Would you cut in line because you felt impatient?  Hell no, you wouldn't!  Someone would pull out a gun and blow your face clean off!  So chill, peeps!  Just because you're in the drivers seat, doesn't give you the right to line jump!

Gah!  People annoy me!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Back to the regularly scheduled tedium

I'm thankful that I was able to finish NaNoWriMo this year, and even more thankful that it got done with it before the 30th.

November is a notoriously difficult month for me mentally.  I usually have to use every ounce of  my strength to make it through this month without a mental breakdown.  I had some spare braincells this year, somehow.  Let me explain:

Item number one that comes up in November is spring registration.  That's enough said if you've been reading my blog for a while.  These buggers I work with can be so taxing on my mental health that I usually go home and fall straight into bed.  This month was different, for some reason the students were quieter.... it's almost eerie!

Item number two, of course, is NaNoWriMo.  I start off at full speed, but usually putter our about the time registration starts, but again, that was quiet, so I'm sure that contributed to my successful run at writing this year!

Item number three plagues most of us US writers: Thanksgiving.  The notorious food fest that renders you useless for an entire weekend.  Not so for me this year!  With Weight Watchers' tools under my belt I went in, ate smart and ended up losing 1.2 lbs over thanksgiving weekend.  I am SO proud of myself!  Along with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday which then kills my Friday for writing, because I get up at the crack of dawn and shop 'til I can't no more!  Then I go home and sleep.  (I was useless on Friday, I will admit).

Item number four is what gets me every year (for the past three anyway):  The 30th.  This one day kills my entire November and December.  It's the day, back in 2007, that my sister passed away.  Every year, right before Thanksgiving I start getting immensely depressed.  To the point where I can't move.  That on top of everything else going on in November makes me just quit, every year.  I start reliving my trip to Texas to say goodbye to my sister who I hadn't seen in nearly 10 years.  I still don't know if she knew who I was.  I remember how I should have been excited that week, and been celebrating for passing my Comprehensive Exam (the final step to receive my master's degree), but I had to cancel my party, which was planned on the 30th.  My degree is bitter-sweet now.  I never did get a chance to really celebrate or feel those feelings of elation when you accomplish something SO big.

I think that's what has made these past six months so great for me.  I have finally accomplished something BIG in my life.  I do so with my sister in my heart, guiding me, motivating me.  I ran the 5K for her and truly this novel is for her.  I had to make a choice this year: I couldn't let her death control my November any more, or my life for that matter, I had to move on, she would want that.

So please permit me a final note to my sister:  I miss you, Dawn.  I'm sad that so much time and distance passed between us.  I know that we can't change the past; what's done is done.  I know that you loved me, even if you didn't say so, or if you didn't call or write to tell me, Fred told me so when we came to say goodbye.  I appreciate that.  I really do.  I know that you're still watching out for me, and for all of us.  I have felt your presence this year, pushing me to become more, to strive harder, to fight for what I want.  Thank you, it was just the kick in the pants I needed. xo

And so, now I continue on this journey toward a new Kathy that I started nearly six months ago.  I will continue to eat right, I will start running again, I will crochet harder, I will finish my NaNovel.  Who knows what else will come out of my self-transformation.  I would never have guessed on this day last year that I would be sitting here writing such a victorious blog entry.  I'm excited to see what the next year will bring!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

NaNoWriMo Day 28 (Final update)

Word Count: 50,058

It is official:  I have WON NaNoWriMo '10!  I am a champion!  I somehow managed to juggle working full time, writing a novel and crocheting X-mas presents for an entire month.  I am ON FIRE, I can do ANYTHING!

Sorry for all the shouting but, Dang!  I'm excited!  Now my blog will return to is regularly scheduled nonsense.

Victory is mine!

NaNoWriMo Day 28

Word Count: 44,544

The end of NaNoWriMo '10 is drawing near.  I am so near a win!  I cannot believe this.  I have really picked up my game this year with my new lease on life.

What really motivated me this year (to lose weight, to train for a 5K, to finally win NaNoWriMo) was something someone told me in December last year: "You have no motivation, you never finish anything you start.  Every year you start NaNoWriMo and never finish; you always complain about being over weight, but you never do anything about it."

Those words hit home, they stung but they were true.  That's who I have always been.  It's a miracle I actually followed through with my master's degree, to be honest.  I even considered quitting on that!  But seriously, I constantly start things that I don't finish; it's a huge character flaw of mine.  I really do have trouble with motivation.  This new Kathy that got created in June is the person that I've always wanted to be.  I've never been happier with myself, and that's really all that matters.  I didn't start out on this journey to prove the person wrong who told me I have no motivation (though that's a sweet bonus), because they made me see that it was true.  I've really done all of this to show myself that I CAN.

Who needs New Year's Resolutions when you can create your own New Life Resolutions anytime you want!?

I'll see you all at the finish line!  (I'm hoping that'll be later today ;) )