See London for yourself

Follow the clues and see if you can find Rufus the Corgi who is hiding somewhere in the map. This is your chance to win a five-night trip to London. Click on the video below and watch Rufus the Corgi as he travels through London.

Midweek Reflections on October and hot water

It is October 31, 2012, the end of a stressful month. The hot water tank stopped working last week and in order to get a new on installed, I have to bring some items up to code. The electrician still has not gotten back to me on the price, which is not a good sign. I called the company on Monday and talked to a customer service agent, she said they have to talk to the city inspector. She took my phone number and said they would call me.

Tomorrow is November 1, which is the day our checks hit the bank. We (Mom and I) now have some money to pay for part of the code upgrade. If the electrician does not call me today then I have to call them tomorrow. I am almost tempted to call another company, but they would have to contact the city inspector as well. It would just take longer to get the work done.

I want hot water. I am tired of heating water in the microwave when I want to wash dishes. I am tired of heating water in the microwave when Mom and I need to take a bath or wash our hair. I repeat I want hot water. Perhaps I am becoming a little impatient, but I think I have waited long enough. I am going to post this and then heat up some leftover coffee in the microwave.

Siemens - The next big step

What is the next big energy step waiting to happen? Could the next big energy step be wind power? Click on the video below to find out about Siemens and the next big energy step.

Monday Morning October 29, 2012

the bright morning star
peeks through the neighbor's oak tree
leaves changing color

The weather is cooler here in Las Vegas. The morning air is sometimes a bit chilly, so I wear a sweater when I go out to pick up the newspaper. For the past few weeks I have seen the morning star when I look into the sky. I always pause for a few minutes to look up at the dark predawn sky.

The sun rises later each morning. The days grow shorter as autumn moves toward winter. The morning chill deepens as the year moves toward November and December. It is late October and when I look up into the sky sometimes I see stars as well as planets. I am not sure what to call the stars, they sparkle and flicker because the starlight has to penetrate the atmosphere.

Haibun-Haiku: Oak leaves changing colors

oak leaves are changing
their green if fading each day
a chill in the air

I noticed that the leaves on the neighbors oak tree have begun to change color. The green on some of the leaves are fading to yellow, while others are beginning to turn orange. This morning, when I went out to get the newspaper there was a chill in the air. I did not stay out very long, but I did get a change to look up and see the morning star.

Miami Hurricanes, Maryland Terrapins, and Memphis Tigers

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This is a piad post for these tickets.

Day 2 without hot water

The home warranty company will replace the hot water heater; however, I have to take care of a few items to bring everything up to code. I do not know how much it is going to cost me yet because I have to find out how much an electrician will charge to put in a protective cover over the power cord and install a cutoff switch next to the water heater. An electrician is coming tomorrow afternoon to give me an estimate.


In the meantime, I am heating water in the microwave for Mom’s morning bath, my afternoon bath, and to wash the dishes. I am washing the clothes in cold water because I cannot deal with the stress of taking four or five baskets of dirty clothes to the laundromat. If I am lucky, I will have the hot water heater installed by the end of October or the first part of November. I am hoping and praying I will have it done by the end of this week. I know there has to be a story or poem in this somewhere; I just have to find it.

Ten days until Halloween

It is ten days until Halloween. I am getting myself in the mood by eating candy corn. Candy corn is one of my favorite holiday sweets. If I could buy it all year long, I would. Therefore, it is probably a good thing I can only purchase this candy in October.

I still have to figure out a costume for Mom to wear to the daycare center on October 31. The center is having a Halloween party, so all the customers need to wear costumes. Perhaps I will buy Mom a witches hat to wear. I have a couple of long black skirts that I think she can wear. At least, I hope she can wear one of them.

Mom has gained so much weight that none of her clothes fit her anymore. She still has some new clothes that still fit, but I do not know how long she will be able to wear them. Mom forgets that she ate and then she wants more to eat. The problem is she does not get much exercise and therefore gains weight.

I have ten days to figure out something for Mom to wear to the party. I also have to decide whether I am going to give away Halloween candy or turn off the outside lights until after 11:00 P.M. The problem, I have with Halloween candy is buying either too much or too little; if I buy too much then I have left over candy which I have to eat. Maybe I should turn the front lights off and go to bed early.

Visit Britain, the home of James Bond

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Watching videos online: Dust storm in Oklahoma

I have had my new computer connected for several weeks now, but today is the first time I have watched videos online. I watched videos of the dust storm in northern Oklahoma because I was born in Blackwell. Until today, I did not realize how nice it is to watch a video without waiting for the download to catch up with my computer's speed.

I sit mesmerized by the dust blowing across the highway. The visibility was less then 10 feet so there was a multicar pile-up. According to the news report several people were sent to area hospitals, but no one died. The highway patrol was diverting cars through Tonkawa and Blackwell. Watching news videos online is much better then watching them on television.

Tuesday's Timed Writing Exercise: Scatter Thoughts

It is Tuesday, so I set the oven time for fifteen minutes. My thoughts are scattered and I cannot decide on a blog entry. I know I have a great deal of writing to accomplish. I also have to clip coupons so that I can go to the store on Wednesday.

I am home alone. The security screen is locked. I still cannot think of anything to write about. I will continue this blog entry until the oven timer goes off. That would be a good idea for a poem, The Oven Timer would make a good title. Oven timers are good for other things beside baking. I do not need the timer for cooking because I use a microwave. The only thing I use the timer for is writing.

It helps me to write when I use the timer. I am attempting to break some bad writing habits and if I time my writing then I have to continue without going  back and editing. I seem to want to edit my material while I am writing instead of waiting until I am finished. It takes longer to write a story if I go back and edit every few lines or paragraphs. Using an oven timer also helps me come up with story ideas.

I think I may have sit the timer for five minutes too long this time. The next time I do a timed blog entry I will sit the timer for ten minutes instead of fifteen. If the entry is longer I can always write longer. Perhaps add a poem to the entry.

An oven timer
My thoughts become less scattered
Using a timer.

Haibun-Haiku: Looking for motivation

I took out the trash
I stood a while in the sun
Listened to birds

I lack motivation this morning. I tried doing the dishes, but that did not motivate me. I fixed breakfast and I took out the trash. While I was outside I stood in the sun and I listened to a bird sing. I noticed that the neighbors across the street are decorating their yard for Halloween. The have a pumpkin on the front porch that they light up at night and they have a mannequin hanging from the oak tree. I will have to watch and see if they add anything else to the yard decorations.

the sun is shining
casting shadows deep and dark
a breeze in the trees

It is a beautiful day in Las Vegas. I would like to go out in the sun again, but I have to keep an eye on Mom. I still have some trash and recyclables in the kitchen to take to the garage. I will take them out a little at a time, that way I get to stand in the sun and look around the neighborhood. When I am outside, I leave the door open so that I can hear Mom.

Saturday's Quote of the Day - A free write exercise

 Performance is your job, regardless of your position. - Daniel Rose  Quotes and sayings

 The performance of a writer is in words written each day. The idea is to write even when interruptions occur. When necessary, deal with the interruptions and then get back to writing. Decide on the amount of words to write each day and then write. All you have to do is place your fingers on the keys and begin writing.

When a writer sits down to write there are always distractions and interruptions. Today the distraction I am encountering is a partly cloudy sky. White clouds cover most of the beautiful blue sky and when I look out my living room window I want to stare into the white clouds that are covering the blue sky. I cannot stare at the clouds too long because they are so bright and so white. The clouds are exquisite and the sky is beautiful.

It is a nice Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. It is not too hot or too cold. There is a slight wind blowing through the trees. When I go outside I want to stand and look up at the sky. When I go out I want to stay out for a little while and feel the wind in my hair. When I go out I want to take a picnic basket full of food, spread a blanket on the ground, and have lunch. Then I want to write about my short break. It is a nice day to write.

Friday writing

It is Friday afternoon in Las Vegas. There are beautiful white and gray clouds covering most of the blue sky. The patches of blue peeking through the clouds remind me of a patchwork quilt. It is cool this afternoon and the humidity is noticeable. It is warmer then was this morning, but there is still a bit of a chill in the air.

I look out my window and watch the postman begin his rounds. I am not looking forward to the mail because most of the fliers are just wasted trees. When the mail comes, I will go through it and tear up any political fliers that arrive. The only good thing I see in those fliers is that the postal service receives money for delivering them.

Haibun-Haiku: Autumn rain in Las Vegas

thunder and lightning
the patter splat of raindrops
dark clouds hide the stars

It began raining last night somewhere around 8:00 or 8:30 PM. I watched the lightning illuminate the charcoal clouds. I listened to the thunder accompanying the splat patter of raindrops on falling onto the cement of my driveway. The sound of the rain and the thunder lulled me to sleep. I enjoy going to sleep with the sound of rain falling onto cement or hitting the metal roof of the enclosed patio. This morning the clouds are hiding the blue sky and the sun. In addition, there is a chill in the air from the autumn rain.

Midweek Reflections on my Landline

The telephone connected to the landline ring yesterday afternoon. Mom heard it and let me know the phone was ringing. I just smiled and let it ring because that phone is located in the breakfast room next to the coffee maker. I do not answer the phone to the landline unless I am in the breakfast room. I do not rush to answer the phone because I have voice mail and if it is important the person will leave a message.

Most of the time people leave messages whether the phone call is important or not. Lately most of the phone calls are unimportant, at least to me. Lately 99% of the calls coming in on the landline are political and prerecorded messages. Since I can pick up my voice mail online I very seldom use the landline.

The only reason I have the landline is in case of an emergency. I use my cell phone when I make call and most of the time I answer the cell phone, so the only reason for me to have a landline is for an emergency. The landline is part of the bundle and if I could get a cell phone as part of the bundle, I probably would drop the landline.

I can understand why Mom suggested I answer the phone last night. When she was growing up there was no voice mail, so if a person wanted to know who was calling then one answered the phone. It did not matter whether a person was busy or not one answered the phone, but now with voice mail it is not necessary to answer the phone right away.

The Second Monday in October

On October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus arrived in America, so every year on the second Monday in October those of us who live in the United States commemorate Columbus Day.  This is not the type of holiday that closes schools, banks, or stops postal deliveries. It is the type of holiday that you wish people a "Happy Columbus Day", if you remember that is is Columbus Day.

My memories of Columbus Day consist of history lesson I experienced in grade school. I remember learning that sometime in 1492 a sailor called Christopher Columbus discovered America. I remember some of the words to a song about Columbus. These are the words I remember, "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue" and that is all I remember about the song.

Since grade school I have learned more about what happen after Columbus arrived in America. I know that there is a monument to Christopher Columbus in Barcelona, Spain. I have learned that in some places Columbus Day is celebrated with special church services, parades, and other activities. I do not remember attending any of these events to commemorate Columbus Day. For me this is just another Monday and the only thing Columbus Day means is that I do not have to find a subject for a blog entry.

Haibun-Haiku: A nice fall afternoon in Las Vegas

an afternoon breeze
bright sunshine deep shadow
warm but not too hot

It is a nice autumn afternoon in Las Vegas. The sky is hazy, but not too cloudy. The sun shining on oak and pine trees cast deep dark shadows. It is warm, but not too hot or too cold. Inside the temperature has remained close to 79 degrees, so the air conditioner has came on only once. The trees have not begun to shed their leaves. It is a nice autumn afternoon and I am looking forward to turning off the air conditioning unit because it is not cold enough for the heat and it is not hot enough for the cool air.

I have decided on a title for my NaNoWriMo Novel

I finally decided on a working title for my NaNoWriMo novel. I prefer to use working titles until a story or poem is finished because sometimes I change my mind. I have updated my NaNoWriMo page to reflect the title, but I have not written a synopsis. I suppose I should to that before the end of October, so that I can post it on the novel page. I add some more updates to this in a few day.
 

Midweek Reflections on Planning a NaNoWriMo novel

I began planning my NaNoWriMo novel on Monday. Today I began writing the profile the protagonist today. Most of what I wrote was background, but it is a start. I will finish the profile tomorrow after I return from the grocery store.

I know I want to add more to the profile then what I have, but I am not sure what just yet. I need to give my protagonist some sort of limitation. I have given her a physical limitation, but I think I need to give her something else. She is approximately 65 years old. I thought I would try having a protagonist closer to my age this year.

You are invited to Great Britain

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