On a Rainy Friday in Las Vegas

It rained this morning
cold wet drops
falling from charcoal gray clouds
sent shivers up my spine.

The sun peeked out
for a short time
before the clouds completely
covered the sky
promising more rain.

I listen to a distant rumble
is it thunder I hear
or the echo of fighter jets
flying over
the air force base.

The lights blink
and I glance
at the red flashlight
sitting on my desk;
I wonder
if the batteries
are dead.

A Writer's Thankful Thursday: February 27: 2014

Today I am Thankful...

1.  ...that my alarm is sit for 4:00 am because I wake up before the sun and receive the blessing of seeing another sunrise.

2. ...for coffee because it is my muse in the morning.

3. ...that when Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 9, all my important clocks will reset themselves to the proper time.

4. ...that when Daylight Savings Time begins I have to manually reset only two clocks in the house, which are the clock on the stove and the microwave.

5. ...that I still have 313 minutes to use on my cellphone.

6. ...that I exceeded my daily word count goal for the past four days.

7. ...that I have enough quarters in my purse to wash and dry two loads of laundry this morning.

8. ...that I have 166, 651 Gift Points in my writing.com Gift Points account.

9. ...that I was able to find one ballpoint pen that still has ink in it.

10. ...that I was able to give away two boxes of pillowcases and other housewares to Big Brothers and Big Sisters on Wednesday.

March Holidays of Interest to This Writer

March Holidays 2014

Saturday, March 8 - International Women's Day
Sunday, March 9 - Daylight Savings Time begins
Thursday, March 13 - World Kidney Day
Thursday, March 20 - Spring begins in the northern hemisphere
Friday, March 21 - Naw-Ruz
Sunday, March 30 - National Doctors' Day

Those are all the March holidays that I am interested in right now. I have not checked the unusual or weird holidays that fall in March because that is a different post. I will write something for each of these days and post it either in this blog or in Poet 999 - A Butterfly Emerges from Her Cocoon.

MTS Internet Baby

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Monday Thoughts on My Word Count Goal

It's after 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time here in Las Vegas. I still have over 500 words to write before I accomplish my 2,000 word writing goal today. I took my pen and paper journal with me when I went to the doctor this morning. I started a poem, I wrote four lines and that's all I got done. Most of the time I spent in the waiting room was occupied with filling out paper work.

The paper work would be easier to fill out if they had computer terminals for the patients to use in the process. At least it would be easier for me, but I'm not sure how many of the other patients would like it. Most of the people in the waiting room were over 50 years old. I know that has nothing to do with being computer literate because I'm 67 years old and I know my way around a computer and the Internet.

After I got out of the doctor's office, I went to Smith's Food and Drug store to pick up a prescription I dropped off on Friday. Anyway, by the time I got the prescription and bought a few items I was getting tired. I noticed when I got home that I couldn't think because I was tired. After I fixed a couple of piece of fish, it was easier for me to think and to write.

I'll accomplish the word count goal before midnight tonight, but being tired did not help my writing. I have to make myself eat something of a morning before going to doctor's appointments (unless the doctor tells me not to because of tests).

A Look at the Writing Week Ahead

I am looking forward to a busy week of writing, household chores, and interacting with humanity. On Monday, February 24, I have an appointment with a specialist at 8:15 am, so I need to check my  tote bag to make sure I have everything I need to take. Among other things, I need to take my pen and paper journal with me in case I have a chance to write while waiting to see the doctor. I also need to pick up a prescription (unless I get a chance to pick it up this afternoon).

On Tuesday, February 25, I have a dental appointment in the afternoon. This is to determine if I need to have my dentures relined. I also suspect I may have other problems. I need to find out what those are and how remedy them. I will take my pen and paper journal with me to t his appointment as well.

On Wednesday, February 26, I have to have the boxes of stuff I'm giving away in front of my apartment by 7:00 am for the truck from Big Brothers and Big Sisters to pick up. Most of the stuff is housewares I brought with me that I don't need or have room to store.  Then on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday, I have to go to the laundromat. I'll take my pen and paper journal with me because I know I'll get a chance to write while I'm waiting for the clothes to wash and dry.

I have a busy week ahead, so I think I'll end this entry, say some prayers, get myself a cup of coffee, and fix myself something to eat. It's going to be a long day because I have so much to do before going to bed or, at least, what I call a bed.

Fragment Friday: Thoughts on writing poetry

Thought 1:

It's Friday,
I picked up my coffee cup
to take sip
and realized it was empty.

Thought 2:

As I walked back to the computer
carrying a hot cup of coffee,
it dawned on me
that I have several poems started
that aren't finished.

Thought 3:

 Hours kissing winter souvenirs
Hopes fingers
Snow downpour
...Where do I go from here?

Thought 4:

Summer rain reflects mountains
Twilight hidden catastrophes
...How do I finish this?

Thought 5:

Autumn singing changed houses
Solitary beauty
...Does this have haiku potential?

Thought 6:

Strange lilies insane music
Whispering superstitions
...Is this an exercise in procrastination?

Thought 7:

Roses dream invisible premonitions
The spoken word cannot convey the subtleties
Something is lost in the translation
The nuances of silence
...When did I begin this poem?

The Sounds of Great Britain

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A Writer's Thankful Thursday: Feburary 20, 2014

This morning I am thankful...

1.  ...that I found my dream journal, which I knew I brought with me, in one of the tote bags I brought. I was able to record the dream that woke me at 11:41 pm last night.

2.  ...for the alarm in my cell phone that woke me at 4:20 am this morning. The alarm is set for 4:00 am, but I chose the voiced wake up call which did not penetrate my brain for twenty minutes. I changed to "melodic bells", so that it plays longer. I will see how long it takes that melody to wake me up on Friday morning.

3.  ...that I was able to take my thyroid medication before 7:00 am this morning. This is one reason I set the alarm at 4:00 am.

4.  ...for the strong black coffee that helps me get started in the morning. Everyone on the planet should be able to have his or her favorite beverage the first thing every morning.

5.  ...that I found my copy of The Summons of The Lord of Hosts. I now have something spiritual and positive to read before I go to bed each day.

6.  ...for the beautiful and bright sunlight I see when I look out my window. Whenever I look out and see sunshine it makes me smile.

7.  ...that I found my Harley-Davidson cap so that I can wear it when I leave the house. I was wearing the cap last week when I went to the grocery store and a man smiled at me.

8.  ...for peanut butter because there is nothing that taste better (at least this week) then a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast.

9.  ...that I have the talent to write poetry and short stories. It is much easier (for me anyway) to put my thoughts in poetic or story form then into a daily journal.

10.  ...for the weird noises this apartment makes because they inspire my writing.

Not for the Faint of Heart: A poem about writing

"My stories run up and bite me on the leg - I respond by writing down everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs off."
Ray Bradbury

Writing
a day long journey
not for the fain of heart.

Somewhere
between morning dishes
and afternoon laundry
the muse attacks
distracts
whispering sweet plots
to my ears.

The story line
is too intriguing
to stop
for anything except
black coffee.

I sigh
knowing
I still have laundry
to lug to the laundromat,
but midnight
is not time to leave the apartment
unescorted by my muse;
who insists
that I remain
until the chapter is finished
and the protagonist
meets the antagonist
on the battle field.

After four days of whatever is going around I back on a writing schedule

The main reason I hate being ill it my inability to set in from of a computer for more the thirty minutes. Now this may not be a problem some writers, but with me it is a different story. This is why, I sit and type for thirty minute then I go lay down and sleep for three hours. If I have the dry heavy, the way I did Thursday evening and most of Friday, then it means the thirty minutes I could at the computer I am sitting on the bed wishing I had eaten something before I laid down; even though I and everyone else knows I could have kept any food down anyway.

Then there is the problem of being ill and unattached on Valentines Day. On Friday afternoon, I was feeling better (not 100% my self, but better), so I decided to go to the supermarket and purchase some much needed item which included ginger ale and low potassium chicken soup. I managed to get to my care with an attack of the dry heaves, unfortunately that is as far as I got. I sit in the car for five minutes waiting for them to pass. The attack passed and I was able to get to the grocery store and back home without incident.

I parked the car in front of my apartment and, with the help of some neighbor children, got the groceries into the house. I then drove my car to my parking place in back of the building, got into my apartment, and laid down for another three hour nap. On Saturday morning, I got up and fixed myself some chicken soup, but managed to eat only half a bowl before giving up the idea of eating and writing. I laid down for another long nap before getting ready for a fund raiser I had to attend that evening.

I attended the fund raiser, sit through the prayers and musical program without a problem, but I could not eat anything there. Someone was kind enough to fix me a plat to go, which I ate today. On the way home I god lost, now I know I have a lousy sense of direction; however, I can usually figure out how I get lost. Not this time, I turned on Fremont and somehow ended up farther down on East Charleston. I made a u-turn, drove back to Eastern and managed to get myself safely home.

I spent most of Sunday sleeping and catching up on work that had to be finished before 11:59 pm Eastern Time. Once everything was completed I went back to bed and did not wake up until 8:00 am this morning. At this moment I still do not know if I took my thyroid pill when I got up, I probably did, but I cannot remember taking it, which mean I'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning to take it.

Is it Too Much to Ask

Is it  too much to ask for a website to make it simple to change an address. I'm waiting on hold because my insurance provider's website doesn't make changing my address simple. It will let me do everything else except  change my address. As a results I'm sitting her waiting for a customer service agent to respond,s to that I can change my mailing address, you'd  think  that the company would want to know my new address so that  they can send me monthly updates and other important medical stuff.

I managed to change my address online at the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles online, but I can't change it online at my insurance providers website. The provider's website will allow me to edit other information, but not the address. My life would be so much less stressful if I could change the address online, you'd that a health insurance company would want to make the life of it's customers less stressful.

I'm just glad that my telephone is now by my computer so that I can work online while I'm waiting on hold. Sitting in this chair for twelve to thirty minutes while waiting for a customer service agent doesn't help the pain in my back; of course, the back pain is my own fault for lifting heavy boxes onto and off of the couch. I finally go through to customer service and changed my address. Since that's accomplished I'm going  to close this rant and see if I can figure out a way to use this experience in a short story or poem.

Midweek Reflections on Getting back into a routine

It's Wednesday, February 12, 2014, and I'm getting back into a routine. For several years before Mom died, I didn't have a regular routine of any kind because I was Mom's caregiver and her needs overshadowed my own. Then after Mom's death I didn't want to do much of anything except write, I even had to push myself to take a shower. Now that I'm out of the house, which Mom and I shared, I'm slowly getting back into a normal or semi-normal routine. My routine will be closer to normal once I finish organizing my apartment.

During the years I didn't have a regular routine, I notice that the lack of one appeared to affect my writing, my sleep, and my enjoyment of life. I remember when I was younger (before I became Mom's caregiver in 2007), I enjoyed taking a shower or a bath, but during my caregiver years doing either one was a chore and I had to push myself to  take a shower. At the time, I thought it was the fact that I had now choice because the only option I had at the time, but I've came to realize that wasn't true.

I also stopped doing surveys because I thought I didn't enjoy them when the problem was depression. I did several surveys this morning and enjoyed them. Now I have to establish a new routine of doing surveys and writing. I have to earn more money to supplement my meager retirement income and that means completing surveys. It also means submitting stories and poems to online magazines; at least, until I can earn enough  to send my stories and poem through snail mail.

I'm a Morning Writer

I'm a morning writer! That is I can write better in the morning then I can in the afternoon or evening, the problem is that mornings are when most of my doctors' appointments occur. This morning's appointment was at 9:45 am, so I got up at 6:00 and proceeded to do my morning routine. I ate breakfast before I left, anyway all that prevented me from writing this morning.

When I returned home from the appointment, I checked my mail and found two checks that I was expecting. I took them to the bank and deposited them at the ATM. I then came home and proceeded to pay part of the bill to my Internet provider (I still owe them some money, but that isn't due until February 22). This afternoon, UPS delivered the 12-piece cookware set I ordered last week. I haven't unpacked it yet because I had writing to do, which unpacking the cookware would have interrupted.

I'll unpack the cookware tomorrow between writing sessions. In fact, I may use that as a blog entry in another blog or perhaps write a story or poem about it. I still don't know where I'm going to store the items when I'm not cooking, but I'll figure something out . I ordered the set because I needed something to cook in besides an electric skillet. I don't have very much counter space and the skillet takes up a lot of room on the counter. Perhaps I'll set the cookware on the stove when I'm not using them.

Since I can't afford to go out and eat, I'll be doing a lot of cooking at home. I'll also be cooking from scratch again or at least as close to scratch as I can get. My budget is almost as cramped as my studio apartment, I'll miss going out  to eat, but that's life. Perhaps that would be a good start to a story or poem.

Where do Writing ideas come from?

My stories run up and bite me on the leg -I respond
by writing down everything that goes on during the bite.

When I finish, the idea lets go and runs off.

Ray Bradbury

  Sometime I wish my stories or poems would bit me on the leg because lately they've been hiding from me. On February 1, I started to write a poem about spiritual liberty, it took me seven days to finally come up with the first lines. Even then, the first two lines I wrote were from a poem I started several years ago. After I got the first rhyming couple down, then the other six lines came to me. After that, I changed the lines that didn't fit in the poem.

I have the idea for a story peeking out of the back of my mind, but every time I focus on it the idea runs away and hides. I'm not sure whether it will be a fantasy or science fiction story, the only thing I'm sure about is that it has something to do with the weird noises a house or apartment make when I'm the only one living there. I got the idea when I was living in the house before I moved to this apartment.

Perhaps it's a ghost story I'm attempting to write. The sounds could suggest a ghost rather then just the house or the apartment settling. Some of the noises I hear don't sound like a building settling on its foundations. Most of the noises I can explain as water running through the pipes or the neighbors, but a few of the other noises I'm not sure what's making them. That was the problem I encountered when I was living in the house.

I know the noise of a refrigerator running or an environmental unit kicking on, but some of the knocks and bangs stump me. Especially when they come from an empty room or the three-bedroom apartment to my east. It's empty, so noises shouldn't be coming from that direction; however, they do. Maybe the noises are ideas knocking at the door of my mind asking to come in.

Looking through the Writing Windowpane

"Good writing is like a windowpane." 

 George Orwell

On this weary day

I can't yawn my time away,

as I look out  my window glass

and watch the white clouds rushing past.

Because of my recent move there are many new subjects for my writing, so I will start with the description of my neighborhood. As I look out my front window (all right, the only window in this apartment faces north onto Sunrise Avenue), I see the apartment building across the street.

It has two stories and is painted brown and tan. In front of the building is a palm tree and a flag pole, with the Stars and Strips moving in a slight breeze. There are black postal boxes located in front of the courtyard, which is surrounded by a wall and locked gates. The window of the apartment, which appear to have three bedrooms, look out onto the street.

As I look at those apartments, I remember living in a two-story apartment building. At that the time we lived upstairs in apartment number 13, which cut down on the trick-and-treaters on Halloween. I remember climbing the stairs of that apartment carrying bags of groceries, which is something I could not do  today. I am lucky to get up the two steps to my studio with only my purse and keys. The thought of climbing a flight of stairs wears me out.

Learning to Dance: A Writer's Thoughts on Moving

True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,

as those who move easiest have learned to dance.

Alexander Pope

Apparently I am having a little trouble learning to dance. I found both of my grammar books when I was packing stuff to move, but now that I am in my new apartment I have "lost" them again. I know they are here somewhere because I saw them when I moved the first two loads of stuff in on Monday or Tuesday. However, now that I have gotten everything in I have lost them again.

I thought I took them out of the box and put them where I could see them. Since I brought the last load in yesterday, I have look and they are not where I  thought  I placed them. Therefore, they must be under something, but I cannot  figure out  what. I know I will eventually find them, the problem is that I need them now to check some of my steps while I am dancing across a page or a blog entry.

I know that I should have put them on the shelf of the computer desk, bud I did not do that. As  a results, I have to find the books again before I can place them on the shelf with my CDs. I should find the books either today or  tomorrow because I am not leaving the house until they are found. I realized long ago that sometimes dancing with words requires a periodic refresher course.

Turismo de Puerto Rico: Golf Courses and Cliffs

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Midweek Reflections on Writing and Moving

I've almost moved everything out of the house, so I can have the electricity and water turned off on Thursday. I'm going to the house today to finish getting everything out, but I have to unload something from the trunk of my car before I go over there. I didn't unload the wooden T.V. stands last night because I didn't think I needed them or could fit then in my studio apartment. I don't have a  table, so I need something to eat on and, since the stands fold up, I can find a place to put  them.

I didn't do any writing on Monday, which interfered with my routine. I'm getting back into writing while I'm unpacking. It's difficult for me to stand up for long periods of time, so I have to sit down when I take a break and writing gives me something to do during that time. If I didn't writ then I would just sit on the couch love seat and waste time.

Since I didn't write Monday, I didn't achieve the 2,000 word goal. I didn't achieve the goal on Tuesday either, but I did write. I suspect my entries are going to be longer then normal for  the next few days because I have a lot to say about moving and fitting everything into a studio apartment. It will take ingenuity and more downsizing to get everything I need to fit  into  this apartment, but since this is only temporary (six months to a year), I'll just have to find a way.

I'm Back Online

It's February 4, I'm back online writing. I spent Monday, February 3, not writing. There is no excuse for not making  an entry in my pen and paper journal, but I didn't write a single word on Monday. Today, I spent the morning getting the internet, telephone, and cable working. The tech came in and set it up properly, but after that Murphy took over, forcing me to be on and off the phone dealing with little issue.

Another thing I did today was recover from moving things into my apartment on Monday. Moving is a pain. Moving is tiring. I still have to go to the house tomorrow to see if I got everything and then go to t he water company to have them turn the water off there. I can call the power company and have them turn the power off, but I have to go to water company office.

All that means half a day (at least) of dealing with non-writing issues. It means more  pain. Then on Thursday morning I have to have a blood test. That isn't so bad, but I doubt that the doctor is going to like the outcome because I've spent the week not eating properly. I just hope that my potassium level is now because if it isn't then the doctor may send me to the emergency room, which means less time writing and getting the stuff in my apartment situated. Not to mention the possibility of spending some time in the hospital.

The only thing I can do is say prayers and make sure I have my pen and paper journal with me.  I'm not going to spend another offline day without writing about it,. I'm feeling better this evening, but I  think that's because I took a pain pill and rested from moving stuff into the apartment on Monday.

Writing When I am Cold

I'm cold today, which makes it difficult to write. I'm wearing two layers of sweaters and my shoulders are still cold. My hands aren't cold because I'm typing this entry, but sometimes at night I can't type because my hands are cold. When my hands get gold my joints ache, which makes it difficult to type or do anything.

I'm tired of being cold; however, if I don't keep the thermostat turned low the heat comes on and the power bill goes up. I can't afford the power bill in this house anymore and that's one reason I'll be glad to move. An apartment, especially a studio apartment will be easier  to keep warm and the power bill should be lower then it is in this house.

I know I still have a summer power bill to deal with, but I'll face that when the time comes. By then I ought to be able to get some help with the power bill. I know there is a program that helps senior citizens with their power bills. Now if I could just find a place  to help me with some of the other bills, it would be nice.

I'm moving to the apartment, so this may be the last post I make for a couple of days. I'll post again as soon as I get my internet connection setup and my computer plugged in. In the mean time, have a happy week.

Thoughts about writing and moving

I'm moving into my new apartment on Monday afternoon. I can't move into it on Monday morning because I have a mammogram, which I didn't think to change on Friday. I paid the security deposit on Friday afternoon and then came home so that I could call NV Energy and Cox Communications. I wanted the electricity and cable working when I moved in.

I doubt I get the computer connected to get online on Monday, so I may not post to this or any other website until Tuesday. I still have to pay the cable bill for last month, which I have to do this week. I don't know where the money is coming from because when I checked what I had coming out of the account this month I still needed about $60.00 more to cover everything.

The weird thing is that I'm not worried about it. I requested two checks today, which should be here in three to five weeks. Those checks will help next month, but not this month. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about food because I have senior commodities to pick up on Wednesday and Friday. There are other things I need to worry about, but not food.

I also don't have to worry about shampoo or bath soap because I have two unopened bars of Irish Spring and a new bottle of some type of shampoo. I'm going to have to get laundry soap and I'll need quarters for the laundromat, but I'll deal with those issues when they come up. At this point, the only thing I want to do is get into a smaller and (hopefully) warmer place.