I have discovered Sudoku puzzles

I have found a new way to relax and pass time while waiting in line. I have discovered Sudoku puzzles and they are fun and challenging. I discovered them when I got a daily subscription to the Las Vegas Review Journal Sun newspaper. The Sudoku puzzles are in the Sun section of the newspaper.

I need something else to carry with me while waiting in line. I carry a reading book, my pen and paper journal and a sudoku puzzle book. I realized when waiting at a doctors office that I need more then just one distraction while waiting to see the doctor or the dentist. I find that if I don't have enough to do while waiting, I get impatient. Let's face it, it doesn't do a patient in a doctor's office any good getting impatient. Doctors don't need impatient patients.

I like the sudoku puzzles because the present a challenge that calms my stress. I know that sounds odd, but that's the way the puzzles work for me. Anyway, I now do Sudoku puzzles and that sounds like a title for a poem. In fact, blogging about how I solve sudoku puzzles would make a good blog entry.

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Life’s Little Mysteries

A writer's daily life is full of little mysteries that appear to have no solution. I have about three mysteries that I could use as the basis to a fantasy or science fiction story. I don't think these puzzles would make good novels or short stories, but they would make good flash fiction stories. These mysteries are

1. What happened to all my spoons? I still have several full sets of knives and forks, but only half-a-dozen mismatched spoons. The logical explanation, of course, we inadvertently threw away, but if that was the case then why do we still have the knives and forks to the sets.
2. What happened to all my socks? I have about a dozen mismatched pairs of socks, which I can't wear any place except at home. The logical explanations are lost in the washing machine, in the wrong dresser drawer or under a piece of furniture, but those explanations raise other questions.
3. Why can't I get all the laundry done in one day? My mother and myself are the only two people in this house, but we have to do laundry every day to stay even with the never ending pile. My grandmother did laundry for seven people once a week and we had enough cloths to last us all seven days, while changing cloths several times a day. However, if I let the laundry go a single day then it takes me a week to catch up.

These are only a few of the little mysteries I've noticed the past year or so. Maybe now that I'm 62 they just seem more puzzling. I don't know what the explanations to these mysteries are, I just know that I would like them solved. Therefore, I'm going to write a flash fiction story about each one. The stories may not solve the mystery, but at least I'm using the mysteries creatively and constructively.

Sunday Morning in Las Vegas

It's Sunday, March 29, I am sipping my first cup of coffee and listening to the dryer. I look out my living room window and see a cloud covered sky. My mother is still asleep, but I'm going to have to wake her up so she can take her medication and get her day started.

I don't like waking Mom up before the coffee is brewed and at least one load of cloths is drying. The only thing we have to do today is early vote. The primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, and I will be working the polls so I have to early vote. Mom goes along with me to early vote as well.

I like the idea of early voting, therefore, when it's available I early vote whether I'm working the polls or not. I haven't investigated to see if it increases voter turnout. I sure it does or the election department wouldn't give that option to people. Working the election polls is an interesting job because you meet many wonderful people.

One interesting advantage about working an election, whether it's a primary or general election, is seeing the look of joy on a young person's face when he or she comes in to vote for the first time. I don't think I've written a poem about working the polls maybe I need to do that this year. After all, the primary election is in April and April is National Poetry Month.

April is National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month and Robert Lee Brewer of Poetic Asides a Writer's Digest blog challenges all poets to write a poem each day in April. All you have to do is go to Poetic Asides on April 1 and accept the challenge.

Have fun and write a-poem-a-day in April. This is a good way to begin writing poems if you have never written on. If you are an experienced poet, then this is a good way to challenge your muse and practice your art. This year an ebook will be published containing 50 poems written in National Poetry Month.

Thankful Thursday March 26, 2009

1. Today I am thankful for the wind blowing though the stone pine trees in my front yard.
2. Today I am thankful for having a car that works and $20.00 of gas in the tank.
3. Today I am thankful for receiving my Social Security Check in my bank account yesterday.
4. Today I am thankful for Hobo Stew, which I can make by just opening cans,
5. Today I am thankful for writing.com.
6. Today I am thankful for my mother still being with me.
7. Today I am thankful for poetry.
8. Today I am thankful for bloger.com.
9. Today I am thankful that my ulcer is not acting up today.
10. Today I am thankful for coffee.

Earth Hour Approaches

Earth hour approaches and the lights in Las Vegas will go out. Earth hour occurs Saturday, March 28, 2009, between 8:30 and 9:30 PM. On that night, the lights on the Las Vegas Strip and the Fremont Street Experience will go out for one hour.

Earth hour is a global event intended to create awareness of energy conversation. Las Vegas is an international city, the vacation destination for tourist from all over the world. Las Vegas is renowned for its lights and glitter, so what better place to help raise awareness of energy conversation.

On Saturday, at 8:30 PM Pacific Time, county commissioners will shut off the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, which is located on Las Vegas Boulevard South. Then the light of the Strip will go out and the lights in Glitter Gulch (the Fremont Street Experience). In addition, the hotel-casinos will turn off their marquees and floodlights.

Earth hour is an event that everyone can participate in by turning off their home's exterior lights. Energy conversation is an important issue across the planet. What better way to make a statement for energy conversation then to participate in Earth Hour.

Afternoon Writing is Sometimes Difficult

Writing in the afternoon is difficult sometimes. This afternoon my muse seems to be asleep or perhaps resting up for tomorrow. On Tuesday, March 24, I'm going to have the rest of my teeth pulled and the other half of my new dentures put in.

Having teeth pulled takes a lot out of me, but it is necessary because without a complete set of dentures I can't eat properly. I suspect part of the problem with my ulcer is that I'm not chewing my food properly. As I said, at the beginning of this post afternoon writing is sometimes difficult.

I don't think I have blog block, it's just that the only thing I can focus on is the teeth. I'm looking forward to having a complete set of teeth again, even if the teeth are false. Maybe that would be a good theme for a poem with the title of False Teeth.

False teeth in my mouth
feel odd when they're first put in,
I can smile again.

Afternoon writing is difficult, but if I write I eventually come up with some sort of poem. That is a Haiku, which has seventeen syllables. True haiku normally doesn't have rhyming lines, but this is an afternoon poem. My afternoon poems are unusual, so the rhyme is acceptable for an unusual afternoon poem.

Writing about the weather in Las Vegas

To paraphrase an old saying, "Every body writes about the weather, but on one does anything about it." Today the weather in Las Vegas is windy and cloudy. I haven't checked the weather report that comes to my e-mail box yet today. However, I have looked out my living room window and the wind is blowing.

When I got up this morning, clouds covered the sky. Now there are patches of blue peeking through the charcoal gray clouds. There is a wind chill factor, but this is early spring so the air feels brisk when I go outside. I went out to get the paper this morning and have remained inside since. I think I will go out this afternoon again because I need gas before tomorrow. I also need to get my car washed; however, I'm not washing it today.

Wind whisper through city trees
blows clouds west
towards distant mountain peeks
a nice day for remaining indoors.

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Webhostingrating.com is the place to begin looking for a web host. The information contained on this site assists anyone looking for a web host. Go to webhostingrating.com and research the company you plan to host your website. Webhostingrating.com contains the necessary information for a novice or experienced designer to find a web host.

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I have a new book

I have a new book called 100 words every word lover should know From the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. This book contains 100 different words with the definitions, pronunciations, etymologies, and other important information. This is a book that every writer should have because of the information it gives about the words.

Some of the words in this book are snakebite, juxtaposition, and koan. All words that a writer and author can use in stories or poems. I am going to have fun reading this book and finding ways to use the words in my writing.

Each day is a new beginning

Each day is a new beginning.
Each day is a new chance to improve.
Each dawn brings tests and difficulties.
Each dawn brings blessings and gifts.
Each day a person lives is another chance to achieve and succeed.
Each individual must define success for him or herself.
Each day is a chance to say I love you to someone.
Each day is a chance to transform.
Each day can be better then yesterday.
Each individual must make today better then yesterday.
Each day an individual has a choice between happiness and sadness.
Each day a writer has a chance to write a new poem or story.
Each day a writer has a chance to get outside of his or her box.
Each day an individual has a chance to say thank you to someone.
Each day an individual has a chance to make a new beginning.

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As a blogger I have learned

As a blogger, I have learned to always double check any links I put in my posts. Simply because I think I put the link in properly doesn't mean that I did. There are several reason a link may not work. One of the main reason is misspelled words. Just because I know how to spell the word doesn't mean the word is spell identically to the way the URL is spelled. In addition, there is the problem of keys sticking, with my key board that is the main problem.

Therefore, not matter what I always check the link before I log out of my blog. After all, if I put a link in my posts I want my readers to follow it; so I always check the link. Most of the time the link is fine, but I am never sure unless I check. This includes codes that I copy, which already have the links included.

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Writing prompts make good story beginnings

I belong to a yahoo writing prompt group call Daily Writing Practice. Everyday, about midnight, I receive a writing prompt in my yahoo e-mail box. The idea is to use the prompt as a five-minute free write. Sometimes I use the prompt for a blog entry, and sometimes for a poem, and sometimes for a story start.

The prompt for March 16, is "Write about small injuries." Today I am using the prompt as a story start rather then a blog entry. I will write five minutes on the prompt and then work from there. I think I am going to have to get an egg timer or something similar, because I need something that "dings" to let me know when my five minutes are up. Right now, the only way for me to time my writing is the clock on my computer and looking at it distracts me from writing what I am thinking.

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Spring is for Poets

On Friday, March 20, at 11:44 Universal Time, the sun crosses the vernal equinox and spring begins. Spring is the season for poets and lovers, it is the time of new births. Spring is nature's New Year when flowers bloom, baby birds hatch and bees make honey.

Spring is a time for fresh starts and new adventures. Spring is the time when this writer celebrates a New Year. I make new goals, what many call resolutions, but resolutions are just goals one has not yet begun to achieve. I refer to my New Year's Resolutions as goals and this encourages me to pursue them.

If I had my way

Today's writing prompt from a yahoo writing prompt group is "If I had my way ..."

If I had may way ...
I would have a house far away
from the cold, the snow, and the desert.

A cottage in a climate
where a hot wind warmed
cold December days
and a cool ocean breeze chilled
hot August nights.

If I had my way
I would live in a hamlet
where everyone knew everybody else
and worried about the welfare of their neighbors
because they knew
that their neighbors safety
guaranteed their own security.

If I had my way
I would live in a multicultural neighborhood
where each person spoke
and waved to the neighbors
every morning when leaving for work
and every evening when coming home.

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Coffee Makes This Writer’s Day

There is nothing like composing a story, poem, or blog entry with a cup of hot coffee on the desk beside you. Actually, my little white cup containing my coffee is setting on a wooden stand setting beside my computer desk. I never place a cup of coffee or any other liquid on the same desk as my computer. This habit comes from working in a college computer lab in which cups containing liquids were not permitted by the computers.

My coffee habit is genetic and comes from both sides of my family. My father and grandfather drink coffee. My mother's father drank what he called "cowboy coffee", which he made in the morning and kept brewing all day.

I remember my father drinking coffee while I sit in his lap as he read the Sunday Morning comics to me. In fact, I pulled a hot cup off the table onto my father's and my lap. Dad and Mom took me to the hospital emergency room; after that Dad was very careful about drinking coffee while I sit on his lap. The incident did not stop me from wanting and acquiring the habit of drinking coffee later in life.

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This site visa credit card application gives consumers a side-by-side comparison of offers. In addition, this website give access to news articles concerning credit cards. These articles educate consumers about the various aspects of credit and credit card use. Credit Cards the Basics and How to Transfer Balances gives information on lowering interest rates.

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Write a “To Do List” and start a new habit

I have a bad habit of procrastinating, but I will do the stuff I put on my "To Do List". Therefore, I am going to put the new habit I am attempting to develop in "The List". If I put it on my "to do list" each day then I know that I am working on that specific attribute.

The last time I researched forming new habits, I found that it takes about two weeks or nineteen days to form a habit. I downloaded an EXCEL "To Do List' template yesterday. It is much simpler then the list I make each day. I am going to use the template rather then the one I print each day.

At 62, I need things as simple as possible because I have a tendency to complicate stuff. There are events and actions in my life that I like appearing complicated because they force me to think and attempt a different approach then normal. However, to do list should be simple and easy, even if the items and projects on them are complicated.

Rewriting is like a haircut

I finally got a haircut. I had my haircut short on Monday. I took my mother to the beauty parlor so she could get her hair washed and cut. So I got a haircut as well. I didn't have mine washed just cut.

Having my haircut got me to got me to thinking about rewriting. Rewriting is like having your haircut. In rewriting a story, you remove all the excess material that has nothing to do with the plot. A haircut is similar; you remove the hair that prevents you from looking good and feeling like new person.

The soda machine in my garage

I still have a nonworking soda machine in my garage. It's been in there two or three years now and is just taking up space. I haven't gotten rid of it because no one wants it. It's the type originally used in Seven Eleven stores. The reason I have the machine in my garage is because someone asked me "Can I store this here?" and I answered before thinking with a "Yes".

I'm not going to pay to have someone take it away, so it's going to remain where it is. Actually, I have gotten some use out of it. I've made several blog entries about it and I used it as an example in the recent writing.com fantasy newsletter. This just goes to prove that nothing is useless to a writer.

I've decided to continue to use the soda machine as inspiration. I'm going to include it in either a fantasy or science fiction story. I think I'll use it as the main character, which was the example I used in the newsletter. I guess I could call the story The Soda Machine in My Garage. I haven't decided on a title yet, but that sounds like a good working title.

Time to Spring Forward

It's time to spring forward. Daylight savings time begins at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 8. It's about 9:28 PM on Saturday, March 7, in Las Vegas and about 12:28 AM on Sunday, March 8, in New York.

There is still time for me to set the clock forward and go to bed before daylight savings time actually begins. I may or may not go to bed before 2:00 AM. I'm not sleepy and even if I ways sleepy, I wouldn't go right to sleep if I went to bed. I never go right to sleep when I go to bed even if I'm sleepy when I lay down. That being the case, I may as well sit up and write about daylight savings time.

I'm trying to remember when daylight savings time first begin, but I can't remember the specific year. I don't remember anything about it as a child, but that doesn't mean anything. Children don't worry about time because they think they have an eternity ahead of them. In school there is always a bell or something to indicate when the next class starts. At home, there are parents or grandparents who keep track of when to get up, got to school, and at night go to bed.

For a teenager, time is a little more important because one is expected to be responsible enough to keep track of it. Teenages are expected to know when to get up, go to school, come home and go to bed. I don't remember worrying about time or daylight savings time as a teenager.

After a certain age, a person begins to realize that time is precious and something that shouldn't be wasted. One also realizes that time is something that can't be put in a bank despite the saying "Time is money". Longer daylight hours makes the day seem longer unless one is using those daylight hours wisely.

I need to write a birthday poem for my mother

My mother's birthday is March 19 and she will be 88 years old or young, depending on one's point of view. I want to write a birthday poem for her, but I'm not sure what to include. So far, Mom has had a long and interesting life.

Things I want to include in the poem

1. Born on March 19, 1921
2. Birthplace on a farm outside Lamont, Oklahoma
3. Very small at birth and did not get weight until parents took her into Lamont a month or so after she was born
4. Worked in Las Vegas, Nevada, at what is now University Medical Center near the end of World War II
5. Worked as a waitress until she was 83 or 84
6. Gave birth to four children - 2 girls and 2 boys
7. Has eight grandchildren
8. Has five great grandchildren
9. Started writing poetry when she was 81 or 82

I'm not sure of the form, but I think I will use a poetry form for this poem. I find poetry forms work well when I'm not sure about everything I want in a poem or even the title.

Multitasking in Las Vegas Traffic

I'm fairly sure a person can't drive and write in a journal at the same time. True I've never tried it, but I suspect that it's dangerous at least. I've witnessed drivers attempting to multitask while driving in Las Vegas traffic and I'm convinced that most of what they were attempting to do while driving was distracting.

I've seen a lot of people talk on cell phones while driving. I'm sure this is distracting. I used to have a cell phone I carried in my purse, but it was in my purse and difficult to get to if it ring. Besides, that's why you have voice mail with a cell phone to pick the calls up you can't when you're doing something else.

A cell phone is like any other telephone, it's a connivance. Simply because a phone rings doesn't mean you have to answer it. That's why answering machines were invented. I seem to have gotten off track in this entry. I started out saying a person can't make a journal entry and drive at the same time. I think I should have qualified that with, you can't make an entry in a pen and paper journal or an on-line journal and drive.

A person can always compose their journal entry using a voice-activated tape recorder. Of course, the mere act of composing a journal entry is probably distracting and perhaps impossible. I would end up activating the recorder when I yelled out the window at another driver for not using turn signals when changing lanes.

The advantage of going to bed early

There is an old saying "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." I am no sure about the healthy, wealthy and wise part of the saying, but I do know that going to bed early causes one to get up early. Apparently, a human being can sleep only so many hours and if you go to bed early then you have to get up early because you have gotten all your sleep in for the day.

Getting up early lets you get more work done in a single day. I got up about 2:00 AM and already I have gotten a lot of work accomplished. I emptied all the cat litter pans, checked the bank accounts, and made two blog entries. I have not taken the trash to the garage, but that was because it was dark outside. I need to put new light bulbs in both the front door and garage light fixtures.

The problem with putting lights in is buying them. I have to go to the store and get a couple of long lasting light bulbs for the front porch and the garage. All right, if I made a grocery list when I go to the store I would have gotten the lights before they burned out, but I did not make a grocery list. I am a writer and I did not write a grocery list. My grandmother always made a list before she went to the store and she never forgot anything she went after.

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I need to make a blog entry, but I don’t know what to write

I need to make a blog entry, but I don’t know what to write. I'm not sure but I think I have blog block. All right, it's been a long day and I'm tired. Not only am I tired, but I have a stomach ulcer. Until recently, I didn't know what the problem was, so I talked to a friend and explained the symptoms and he said it was an ulcer. I talked to my doctor and she confirmed it.



I have figured out that foods don't set it off. Not eating breakfast causes it to act up, but my biggest problem is stress. Now I have to figure out what causes the stress and do something about it. I know what causes most of my stress. Part of the problem is financial, but that isn't all the problem. The financial issues I can do something about, I can contact the people we owe money and make payment arrangement.



The financial issues are only 25% of the problem. It's the other 75% that I'm not sure how to take care of. I'll figure it out though, I just have to calm down, take a deep breath and let go. I have found one thing that alleviates the ulcer and that is prayer. Another thing that alleviates it, is writing. Writing is therapeutic and it calms me. Therefore, I am going to have to make myself sit down and write when I get upset.



At least I solved the problem of what to write about in this blog entry. I wish all my problems were that easily solved. I'm not surprised that I have an ulcer, I'm a worrier and worriers have a tendency to have ulcers. I just have to learn to let go of the worry and put everything in God's hands. I also have to learn that breakfast is a meal I can't skip any more. Breakfast should be no problem for the next several weeks because I have a cupboard full of cereal. In addition, I have both canned and powdered milk so I don't have to worry about what to have for breakfast. If I get tired of cereal, then I can always eat apple sauce.