A New Year with a New writing Plan

‘Idál (Justice), 1 Sharaf (Honor), 165 BE – Wednesday, December 31, 2008 about 9:48 AM Pacific Time



I planned to make this entry on January 1, 2009; however since that is not the New Year I celebrate. I normally do not make my goals to begin on that day. January 1 is when I start reevaluating all my goals in preparation for setting new goals on March 21. I am not going to change the way I set and reevaluate my goals now.



One of the goals, I need to reevaluate is my blog entries. The original goal required a daily blog entry. I have not did that, so I have to consider revising the goal or taking another approach to getting online. I do not want to change the goal from a daily entry to an every other day entry. Therefore, my only other option is to take another approach.



Between January 1 and March 20, I need to see what the obstacles to the daily entries are and find a way to work around them. My new writing plan includes the following items daily word count, daily blog entries, novels, shot stories, poems, submissions and research. Some of those I do not have to work on daily, but at least every other day.



I know I will encounter tests and difficulties, even after I finalize my new writing plan. I am not anticipating trouble, I am facing the fact the life intervenes in everything a writer does. Once I finalize my goals then the difficulties may become more intense because my perseverance and resolve are being tested. Life happens and a writer must anticipate that.

End of the year Bloggers Blues

Tuesday, December 30, 2008 and it is cold in Las Vegas. The air is crisp and feels like snow, but the sun is shining so we consider the weather good. I am in the process of review my 2008 goals, which is why I have blogger's blues.

I started out the year with the goal of blogging everyday. I have not blogged everyday; sometimes I did not even blog every other day. One of the problems was ideas, subjects and themes. I have taken care of that problem and picked themes for each day of the New Year. I my next goal is to attempt a fresh approach with each subject or theme.

I also found that it is difficult for me to compose an entry if I blog in the afternoon. Since I work from 9:00 AM to around 12:00 or 1:00 PM, I have a bit of a problem. As yet, I am not sure how to solve this. I compose my blog entries in the blog itself and do not copy and past to the blog. I do check my grammar and spelling by copying and pasting to a Word document from the blog. The only other problems I have encountered is time and distractions. I am eventually going to have to deal with those, but right now, I am more interested in solving the issue with composing a blog entry in the afternoon.

The Clouds Outside My window

Morning wisps of mist
ghost trails across the blue sky
chilled by winter's dawn.

Planning a Writer's Summer Vacation in Winter

I need a vacation, but it needs to be a writer's vacation. A place I can relax in the summer without distractions from writing. The only way to do that is to plan a vacation this winter. One of the places I would like to visit is Daytona Beach and a good place book that vacation is through daytona beach condo rentals.

Daytona Beach is not the only spot in the world I would like to visit. Therefore, I need to look for vacation rentals in other parts of the world. I want to visit many places this coming summer. Places I have never visited in my younger years.

I am a writer and I want to visit Africa, the South Pacific, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and the Mideast. Of course, once I have visited those places then I am will want to visit other countries. I want to write a short story and poem in each place I visit.

I have a Pass Port and I want to use it for something else beside a second form of identification. I want to see the world and, if my mother wants to go with me, I want to take her. I have always wanted to travel and see the world so I need to plan a vacation that will allow me to do that.

Writing Sunday Thoughts

This is the last Sunday in 2008 and this morning's paper listed the top ten news stories of the year. Since I did not take a paper or watch the T.V. news for most of 2008, I'm not going to comment on them yet. Now I am more interested in reviewing my goals and deciding which to keep and which to discard.

This is the beginning of a new week and the end of an old year. This is a time of reflection and evaluation. As a writer, I am evaluating my 6th decade list and my writing plan. I will start with the 6th decade list, which I began on my 60th birthday December 24, 2006. In 2007, my world fell apart when my mother went into the hospital and the list went out the window. In 2008, Mom and I were recovering from 2007.

There were events in 2008 that caused more stress, but most of the year was spent in recovery from 2007. From my vantage point, 2009 will begin better then 2008. How the year will progress is another story, but I don't have to worry about that now. I'm looking forward to 2009 and achieving some of the goals on my rewritten 6th decade list.

Sunday thought flow through my mind,
reviewing last week,
and reviewing the old year.

I Drove the Kia for the first time today

I don't know if I posted about getting a 2000 Kia on December 24. Anyway, I drove it for the first time today. On Friday, when I went to get the morning paper a tire was flat, I had the tire changed today and the spare put on. I then went either to have the tire fixed or to get a new one. I took it to Discount Tires.

The employees checked the tire thoroughly and found nothing wrong. They put in a new stem and put the tire back on the car. I then went to the gas station and bought $10.00 in gas, which was a little over 6 gallons. It's nice to get that much gas for $10.00, I'm happy about that.

Before I go to bed tonight, I'm going out and check the tire. I'm probably going to be doing this every night for the next week or so. Until I'm convinced that the tire is all right. I did find out today that the tires are about three years old. This means I'm going to have to get new ones sometime in 2009, but all worry about that after the first of the year.

I still have to register the car. I have to get a smog check, then go to the nearest DMV office, find a parking place and then wait in line. I am planning to spending an entire day at the DMV office. Perhaps if I plan to spend the day there it won't take as long as I think.

Setting Writing goals for 2009

As 2008 draws to an end I am reviewing my writing goals. I decided I set my word count goals for my blog entries too high. Therefore, I cut the word count down to about 200 words. I can write a 200-word entry with very few problems.

A word count goal should push a writer to go beyond his or her limits. However, lately the only thing it did was stress me out. The problem with stress is it causes blog block, which doesn't help the writing process because blog block leads to a full blown attack of writers' block. I know this from experience.

I set my blog entry word count to 227 words. I think this is a good compromise between what I know I can do and what I want to do. I still have problems coming up with subjects, themes and intriguing titles. I can come up with titles, but most of the ones I think of don't sound intriguing. All though, perhaps an intriguing title isn't as important as the content of an entry.

At this point, the ideas is not to becoming overly stressed and just relax with the writing. A little stress is all right and contributes to the writing process, but too much stress is devastating. There must be a comfortable medium between too much relaxation and too much stress especially when it comes to composing a blog entry. I am just going to have to fine the proper combination.

Researching my Birthday Poem

Despite the fact that the Internet is slow as a snail crossing a four-lane highway while attempting to avoid a convoy of semitrailer trucks, I am going to research events that occurred on December 24, 1946. Something else must have happened on that day, besides my birth in Blackwell, Oklahoma.

I realized today that I don't know a lot about the events which occurred 62 years ago. A person should know the events that occurred on the day of his or her nativity. The working title for my birthday poem is "On the Day of My Nativity".

The only thing I'm sure that happened on that day was my appearance in the world. I was born about eleven minutes before midnight. That may explain why I like winter constellations. My mother said that it was a snowless Christmas Eve.

It didn't snow
on the day of my nativity
sixty-two years ago.

That's a start, but I have no idea where I'm going from there. I'll do a little research and see what I come up with for this poem. I don't even know what form the poem is taking yet.

Writing the Blues

I think it must be the time of year. Maybe it's because my birthday is December 24, but I seem to be writing the blues. The day doesn't help because the sky is cloudy and the wind is blowing. There is a wind chill factor outside and it's chilly inside.

I'm writing the blues
inscribing joyless poems
on winter's cold wind.

I'm also having a bit of difficulties composing this entry. It's the time of year, the wind chill, not having a car. I could find all sorts of excuses about why I'm blue. I could find all sorts of excuses for not writing. I'm not going to do either because it just doesn't help to find excuses not to do something I enjoy.

I like writing. There are certain things about winter that I do like. True I'm not crazy about the cold. I could do without the wind chill factor. However, I do enjoy the winter constellations. Unfortunately, I can't see them very well living is Las Vegas. The only stars I can see are directly above and from the looks of the could cover I'll not see any stars tonight.

Now that sounds like a good title for a poem "I'll not see any stars tonight". I think I've written myself out of the blues, for a little bit any way. Perhaps that's what I need to do when I'm feeling blue. If I just start writing then I'll write myself out of the blues.

I've written myself
out of the blues tonight
autumn is now bright.

I Subscribed to the Weekend Edition of the RJ

I haven't subscribed to the newspaper in a long time. However, last Sunday a young man came to my door and I subscribed to the weekend edition of the Las Vegas Review Journal. The paper comes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. I received my first Sunday edition this morning.

It's nice to have a Sunday paper again. The Sunday paper has a T.V. Guide in it and lots of interesting stories. This morning I sit down with the Sunday comics and coffee. I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading the comics and sipping coffee. Today's comics had to do with Christmas, which is next Thursday. I even received a Christmas card from the carrier with the paper.

Now that I have a weekly T.V. Guide, I can plan my T.V. watching instead of just catching whatever is on when I decided to look at T.V. I like the news, Dr. Phil (not everyday), the Britcoms on Channel 10, nature shows and some Sitcoms. I can now decide which ones I want to watch before turning on the T.V. This will help plan the week's schedule.

I'm looking forward to watching T.V. this week. The Christmas week schedule is always interesting and educational. I remember watching T.V. during Christmas week with my Grandparents. My Grandmother always enjoyed all the December specials, but Christmas week was especially enjoyable because they had so many of the old Christmas shows on. In addition, most of the regular shows had special Christmas shows.

Writing about Snow in the Las Vegas valley

It snow in Las Vegas yesterday. Mom went to the dentist about 1:00 PM to have her lower plate adjusted. While we were waiting for the Paratransit bus to pick us up, it started to snow. The flakes melted at first, but then begin to accumulate. The snowflakes were huge white flakes. The type I remember from my childhood in Oklahoma.

It doesn't snow in the Las Vegas valley very often. When it does snow, the flakes don't normally accumulate on the ground or anyplace else. They normally melt and turn to slush and run off. However, yesterday the flakes accumulated on the ground, the cars and the roves of houses.

They canceled flights at McCarran Airport because the snow accumulated on the runway and McCarran has now equipment to clear the snow off the runways. Visibility was down to one or two blocks on the streets. I'm not sure what the visibility was at McCarran,, but it had to have something to do with caceling out going flights.

The snow didn't actually shut down Las Vegas, but it made getting around the city dangerous. There was talk about shutting down the schools for a snow day, which is rare in the city. I haven't heard yet whether that is going to happen or not.

I looked out my window and saw snow on the ground this morning. It's times like this that I wish I had a digital camera to take photos. Buying a digital camera is going to be one of my goals in 2009. I don't know how I've gotten along without one, but apparently bills and debts have gotten in the way of buying a digital camera. No more, the bills will always be there and they will get paid. However, I can no longer put off getting necessary equipment.

Hot Coffee on a Chilly Autumn Morning

On chilly autumn mornings
when temperatures drop
into the forties or fifties
I want a hot cup of joe
to warm me from the inside out.

On chilly autumn mornings
I make a fresh pot of coffee
and then make a cup of cafe mocha
by putting hot chocolate mix
in my cup and then pouring
in the hot coffee,
stirring all the time.

On chilly autumn mornings
hot cafe mocha hits the spot
and warms me up for the day.

I renewed my driver's license online

I renewed my driver's license online yesterday. I printed out the confirmation and then looked at the expiration date. My license expires on December 24, 2012, which is about three days after winter solstice.

I had to laugh. I laughed because December 21, 2012 is when the Mayan calendar ends and when a few people think the world will end. Personally, I think the ending date refers to the end of a cycle rather then the end of the world. All right, I am having fun with this date. I am using it when it comes to writing both stories and poems.

If you are not going to have fun with the calendar what good is it. Each day passes so quickly that it seems like only yesterday I got the teeth pulled in my upper jaw and dentures put in. Actually, it was last week this event occurred. Friday, December 19, I have another appointment with the dentist to see how my gums are healing.

Next week, December 24, I will be 62 years old. I am not going out on the 24th to celebrate my birthday. I will wait until after Christmas and then either have prime rib or go to a Mexican restaurant. I will decide next week which one, but time is passing quickly and 2012 will be here in the blink of an eye. Then we will find out definitely what will occur on December 21, 2012.

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Walking in the Wind

The wind is the hand of a giant pushing me back along the sidewalk, the hand of the wind giant attempts to push me back into traffic on Eastern Ave. My legs cannot move forward for two or three seconds because the wind holds them, attempt to push me backwards.

A plastic trashcan blows across Oakey Blvd. In the wind giant's hand, it is a football being tossed to teammates in the autumn gusts. Even cars driving along Oakey or Eastern have difficulty remaining in their lanes because of the wind. It blows sand from vacent lots across four lanes of traffic.

On two lane streets, it blows yellow, orange and green leaves into piles along the curbs. Leaves hide the tires of parked cars. One green leaf, newly blown from a tree, catches on my shoestring. However, I cannot bind down to remove it because the wind would blow me backwards and I'm not sure I could get up off the ground without help. I leave the leaf where it is caught and push my way towards home. Finally, I reach my front door and get in out of the wind.

That is a description of walking in the wind. Yesterday I went to the bank, when I left the house there was very little wind. After going to the bank, I went to Food 4 Less and bought some groceries. When I left the grocery store to go home, the wind speed picked up and the wind chill factor increased.

Writing at the end of an Interesting Week

It's been an interest week. On Tuesday, the dentist extracted my upper teeth and put in dentures. My gums are still healing and since there are stitches in my gums, I have to be careful about using anything to hold my plate down. This makes eating anything a challenge.

Since I don't celebrate Christmas you'd think that I wouldn't have problem with Christmas cookies and candy. Normally, someone gives me one or two small boxes of candy at Christmas. The candy is usually chocolate with or without nuts. This year I received more candy then usual, part of it is peanut brittle and chocolate covered pretzels.

The problems I encounter isn't with the chocolate candy or the chocolate covered pretzels. Those are easy to handle with a cup of hot coffee. The chocolate melts in my mouth when I drink the coffee and I can dunk the pretzels in he coffee, so eating them isn't a problem. The problem comes with the peanut brittle. I think I'm going to have to skip the peanut brittle this year and let Mom eat it. She has dentures, but she doesn't have the problem with her gums healing.

I have another appointment Friday afternoon with the dentist to see how my gums are healing. I'll know more then about what I can and can't eat. I'm not babying myself, I will attempt to eat anything I think I can handle, but it's becoming interesting to see what foods I can and can't handle at this time.

Peanut brittle is one of my favorite candies. Perhaps I'll just have to wait until after New Year's Day to eat it. Oh well, life is full of interesting events and difficult tests. This will pass, my gums will heal and I'll be able to eat peanut brittle again.

Winter Writing

I'm writing winter
in every poem of snow I pen.

Today the clouds covered the sky and hid the sun. It felt cold. I felt cold. I even put an a turtleneck sweat at work today. This type of weather in December brings back memories of Oklahoma and snow.

When I think of snow, I always think of Oklahoma. I remember snow from my childhood. I don't remember the first time I saw snow, but I know it must have been on a December day in Oklahoma. I always associate snow with December.

I know it didn't snow the day I was born. I was born about 11 minutes before midnight on a snowless December 24. I'm thankful I wasn't born 11 minutes later because I would have been a Christmas baby instead of a Christmas Eve baby.

Christmas Eve baby
waiting for the snow to fall
sees the twinkling stars.

I still have some time before my birthday to figure out what form of poem I'm celebrating it with this year. Maybe I'll write a poem about prime rib instead, I'd like a prime rib dinner for my birthday. I'd also like a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream. All thought, I would probably settle for a chocolate ice cream cake.

I have narrowed my focus

I have narrowed the focus of my writing goals from nineteen days to seven days. I am under a lot of stress and a narrower focus seems more achievable. I have no idea whether it is or not, but it seems that way in theory.

For the past two days I have spent half my day riding across town on the CAT bus. I have about a half-mile walk from the bus stop to my house and then there is the walking in between. Anyway my right knee is in more pain then usual; these cold nights the pain and stiffness settles into the knee.

I did talk to a doctor about the knee and all he said was "don't walk so much" a neat trick if I could do it. I am going to stop complaining now because I should be thankful for the pain. It does give me something to write about and, in addition, there is the thought "At my age if I don't wake up in pain then I'm dead."

I think I am going to start using the pain in one of the novels I am working on. Perhaps use it in a short story as well. I am a writer, so every experience of my life needs to go into my writing. Any way, as I said I am narrowing the focus of my goals to one week at a time. It may not produce less stress in my life, but at least it is a new approach and I think a new approach is what I need right now.

2008 is drawing to an end

2008 is almost over and 2009 is approaching. It's time to consider the changes that need making in the New Year. Many people make New Year's Resolutions to start out the New Year right. I don't make my resolutions until March 21 and I'm not going to change this year. However, I'm going to review 2008 and see if anything has changed in my life.

I suspect things are getting better. I'm working and bringing in a little more money. My bank account hasn't been overdrawn as bad this year as last year. My muse is becoming more active and giving me some great writing ideas. I've attempted to blog everyday, I haven't always been able to do it, but my blog posts have increased. I'm in a more positive mood most of the time, all though I still worry I'm worrying less.

My mother is doing better. She got a new set of dentures yesterday and so she is smiling again. The next thing to do is to make an appointment with her regular doctor. She also needs to see an eye doctor and get a hearing aid. I'm getting my upper teeth pulled next week and the dentist is putting a set of dentures in.

I'm writing more. I still need to get a car that works because riding the bus is getting to be a pain. I'm talking about the pain in my right knee when I have to walk to the bus stop. Mom's gotten two new sets of earrings this year and she would like more.

Writing my memoirs

I have decided to write my memoirs. On December 24, I will be 62 years old and I think I need to get started on the process. What brought this on, you ask. Last night my cat, Lion, died in my arms. I thought Lion was 10 years old, but Mom says he was closer to 12. Mom's probably right because I sometimes forget birthdays and dates (with the exception of my own).

His death got me to thinking about how short life is and how unexpected some of the events occurring in life. I miss Lion, he is the first pet I've had that died in my arms while I was petting him. I was present at his birth, I watched him grow up and I taught him to ride on my shoulder. I think I will start my memoirs out by writing about Lion.

I don't think one has to write memoirs in chronological order. I'll write chapters and each chapter will focus on some event in my life. Each chapter will focus on a life changing events or those that affect me in some way.