Midweek Reflection on Wasting Time

I do surveys, but sometimes it feels as if I'm wasting my time. I feel this way when I do survey after survey without earning any points or cash in my account. At other times I do the survey, earn the points and then wonder if the time I took to do the survey was worth it for the amount of points or cash I earn. When this happens I get frustrated and then I get depressed. I have writing and editing to complete, but doing the surveys gets in the way because it takes so long to complete a survey for so little reward. 

There are other times when I do surveys and don't feel I'm wasting my time. At these times it doesn't seem to matter how long it takes or how little the reward. I'm not sure why this is, but it could have something to do with my financial situation. It could also be the time of the month especially when I know I have money coming out of my checking account and I'm not sure if I have money to cover it. Doing the surveys frustrates me in the first and last weeks of a month. 

I think the best thing to do is withdraw from some of the surveys groups, especially those that I can earn cash or points toward cash. Sometimes I find something I want to save my points toward other than cash, but not often. Cash I can have transferred to my PayPal account and then directly to my checking or savings account. Merchandise I have to make sure I'm home when it's delivered which is sometimes inconvenient. I think I'll make a list of the survey groups I want to stick with and then withdraw from the others. 

Surveys can be fun 

And sometimes they're frustrating 

Is it my mood or the time of month? 

Midweek Reflections on Summer Poetry

The writing.com newsletters arrived in my inbox this morning. The title of this week's edition of the poetry newsletter is "Summertime Celebrations with Poetry". In this newsletter the editor covered several different  poetry forms that can be used to write poems that celebrate events in a person's life. Covered in this newsletter were wedding or marriage poems that intended to be sung, which focus mainly on the bride and the groom. 

Also discussed in this newsletter was Joseph's Star and Music Poem. The Joseph's Star appears to be a good Father's Day poem, so I will discuss this poem on Sunday, June 12, which is Father's Day. I will write a poem about either my father or grandfather. Probably my grandfather because he is the father figure I grew up with. 

Midweek Reflections From Las Vegas on Brown Outs

It's not  even summer yet and we're experiencing triple digit temperatures in Las Vegas. We also experienced our first brown out today. It's always a shock when the electricity goes off for no apparent reason.  It didn't stay off very long, but it was long enough to cause my modem and other internet equipment to manually reboot. It cause my computer to shut off which is always upsetting. Fortunately, I  wasn't in the middle of writing a story  or poem. 

This incident reminds me that I need to save my work every five or six minutes. Each time I want to take a sip of coffee or water, I will save my work. That way if the electricity does goes off suddenly I won't lose a too many words. I hate it when the electricity goes off when I written over fifty words without saving them. When the power goes out it interrupts my train of thought which is a problem if the electricity stays off too long. 

I planned another entry for today's post, but the electricity went off. After it came back on I decided to write about the brown out. I suspect this is something I'm going to have to put up with all summer long. It's bad enough that the triple digit temperatures cause the  power bill to go over the moon, but the power outs cause the air conditioner and refrigerator to stop working. I don't deal well with triple digit temperatures when I don't have cool air and ice water. 

Midweek Reflections on Wind and Rain In Las Vegas

When will the wind blow
Today is calm and sunny
Without any clouds

Today's forecast is mostly sunny with temperatures in the low 80s. Tomorrow's forecast is mostly sunny with wind and temperatures in the high 70s. Friday's forecast is a few showers with wind and temperatures in the low 70s. A few showers usually means it might rain somewhere in the Las Vegas valley.

Will the rain return
Cooling the late spring air
Making it muggy

We had several nice rain showers here on Monday and Tuesday. Monday we received quite a bit of rain in my neighborhood. When I talked to my sister this morning, she said it rained so hare din Searchlight that should could not leave her house on her days off. I can understand that because several neighborhoods in Las Vegas experienced flash floods.

This afternoon winds
Will increase in Las Vegas
Will the wind bring rain

Midweek Writing Reflections: I Write When I Cannot Sleep

Half way through the week
and I can't sleep
past 2:00 AM.

I woke up at 1:15 AM because I heard something hit something outside and it made a loud booming noise. I got up, wandered through the house for a few minutes and then went back to bed. I laid there for about ten or fifteen minutes, but could not go back to sleep. I got up, turned on the computer and began to write. After making an entry in my writing.com blog, I took my morning thyroid tablet and then did some reviews.

When my alarm sounded, at 4:00 AM, I turned the coffee maker on. While the coffee was brewing I went back to the computer and finished reviewing the Editors Picks in this weeks spiritual newsletter. I just poured myself a cup of coffee so that I could make this entry. I guess I really do not need coffee to write because I write a good response to this morning's blog prompt, but coffee tastes so good while I'm writing. Taking a sip of coffee between sentences or paragraphs helps me think about what I want to say next.

Midweek Reflections: A Poem

On Wednesday
the week is half gone
and there are only two days
until the weekend.

On Wednesday
look at the accomplishments
of Sunday,
of Monday,
of T uesday
before planning the rest of the week.

On Wednesday
do something out of the ordinary,
 do something to increase your energy
for that down hill slide
that  takes you
past Thursday,
past Friday,
past Saturday
and into a new week.

It is Wednesday
and time for
Midweek Reflect ions.

Midweek Reflections: Surveys, Writing, Housework, and Living on a fixed income

I take surveys. I have several survey links saved to my Web Favorites so that I can access them any time of the day or night. I have the same problem with doing surveys and writing as I do with doing housework and writing. I have problem scheduling my time and my apartment shows it, so I have to start limiting the time I spend either taking surveys or writing.

I need to take the surveys and write in order to ear extra cash so that I can pay my bills. I live on a fixed income, which means paying bills is sometimes difficult. I don't have to worry about food, but there are other things I need beside food. Before the end of July I need to purchase some dish washing liquid, bar bath soap, and some personal items. I also have to get some new shoes because the pair I am wearing is almost worn out. I do have an old pair of shoes in the closet to try on. If I can wear those then I do not need to get shoes for a couple of months.

The surveys give me a little extra money, but not enough to pay all the bills and purchase the stuff that I need. In addition I think I will have to take my car into the shop to have a problem checked on it. I need a new car or at least a later model used car. I will call my mechanic up and arrange a time as soon as I can find the money to pay him. I am placing everything in God's hands because that is the only way to handle the situation.

Midweek Reflections on Writing and Washing Dishes

I wash dishes by hand and tt is difficult to write while I am doing dishes. I get some of my best idea when I am up to my elbow in hot soapy water. I have to write the idea down, but it is also difficult to write with wet hands. If I use pen and paper then I get those items wet and it smears the ink. I cannot use a keyboard when my hands are wet because I will ruin the keyboard not to mention the possibility of electrocution.

I get an idea washing dishes, I dry my hands, pick up the pen, and then go to write it down. The idea slips my mind between the time I dry my hands and go to write it down., I need a voice activated tap recorder or a similar machine to record the idea without taking my hands out of the dishwater.

The idea is there
moving between braincells
until I want to write it.

Lost my train of thought
and that derailed my muse:
Where did the idea go.

Midweek Reflections on Prayer, Writing and Coffee

I intone a morning prayer before I put the coffee on to brew or sit down to write. As I listen to the coffee brew, I turn my computer on and wait for it to wake up. Once my computer is awake, I pour myself a cup of coffee, take a sip, and then sit down to write.

Morning is inspiring.
Prayer is inspiring.
Coffee is inspiring.

I do not always write about prayer, meditation, coffee, or computers. Sometimes I write a funny story or a sad poem, but my creative efforts always follow prayer and coffee (in that order). Is this a ritual? Is this a way to wake up my muse? Is this a habit? The answer to all three questions are yes because I cannot write without beginning my day with gratitude or a prayer asking forgiveness.

I have a favorite coffee that is the color of black silk and strong enough to carry my memories back to my grandfather who brewed "Cowboy Coffee". Sometimes I have a favorite prayer, which covers some difficulty I am facing. Sometimes I open my prayer book to a random  page and read the first prayer I lay eyes on. Life is to short to go without prayer, coffee, or writing.

Midweek Reflections: Spring Fever and Writing

I feel restless. I want to write, but I don't know what subject I want to write about. My muse is restless and wandering across numerous subjects. I also want to do spring housecleaning, which is unusual because I don't like cleaning house. I don't like sweeping, but I want a new broom so I can sweep my apartment. I don't like mopping, but I want a new mop to mop the floor.

I have a spaghetti in the bathroom that I'm tempted to us and I despise spaghetti mops because they are difficult to use and they don't work as well as a sponge mop (which I also dislike). I'll try the spaghetti mop in the bathroom and see how it does on that floor. If all it does is move the dirt around, I will have to find a different mop to use in the rest of the apartment. Since I live in a studio apartment with ta tile floor, I should be able to use the spaghetti mop without it bothering my back too much.

I caught spring fever,
restless and dissatisfied
it's still cold outside

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.

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.

Midweek Reflections: Can a person get too tired to write?

I'm tired, weary, and worn out, but am I too tired to write? Can I get too  tired to write? I'm not sure. I know I can get  too tired  to  think; however, sometimes I don't need to think  to write. If I'm doing a free write, I don't have to think I just have to write.

A free write is used to come up with ideas or to discover my mind's, or rather my subconscious, hidden fears. To do this I don't need to think and usually I don't want to think because thinking interferes with the flow of this type of writing.

A free write is usually a first draft, so I don't have to worry about grammar or spelling (all though I like to spell the words as accurately as possible). I have to admit that  sometimes my spelling and grammar can be atrocious or creative depending on your point of view. The problem with creative spelling is that when I'm rereading the item, I wonder what word I intended.

This afternoon, I'm tired and my back hurts. I haven't accomplished as much around  the house or on my writing project as I'd like. I do have a trash bag of stuff to carry to the garage after the garbage trucked have picked up the trash. I also finished packing the cups,  cutlery, and dishes I want to take with me, but I have to finish the living room. I also need to check some of the stuff in  the dining room so that I don't forget anything when I'm ready to move.

Right now, I'd like to go to sleep and I don't have time to do that. If I sit or lay down on  the couch for a nap then I'll sleep too long and won't get anything else accomplished today. I can't lay down, so I think I'll go take a shower and that might wake me up. Since the house is chilly, and I don't intend to turn the heat up, I should wake up fairly quickly.

Midweek Reflections: Writing ideas

coffeemaker broke
stopped working in mid-cycle
no more fresh coffee

I wrote “Eulogy to My Coffeemaker” as an update to my Facebook status this morning, but I think I will expand on the poem or make it into a short story. Another idea for writing is “What do I believe: A statement of Faith”, I idea got when reading the writing.com spiritual newsletter this morning.

writing what I know
incorporated into
poems flash fiction

I wonder what else I can use for writing ides. I could write a rant about having to wash dishes by hand instead of putting them into a dishwasher. I know that washing them by hand is more eco-friendly and I know it is more enjoyable, especially in wintertime when the hot water warms your hands. However, I think that using a dishwasher if healthier because you can get the water hotter in a dishwasher. That could also be a good idea for an article.

Another good idea would be about taking a hot shower on a cold morning. I do not think it is as cold as I feel. I have not checked the temperature, but when I took some trash to the garage, it felt warmer then I thought. Maybe I will write a story or poem about the weather.

Midweek Reflections on Writing in the New Year

It's January 1 and the beginning of a new writing year. Last year, in 2013, I had difficulty accomplishing my word count consistently. Therefore, I kept the daily word count goal at 2,000 words per day for the first quarter of 2014.  If I am consistent in accomplishing that goal, I will raise it to 2,500 word per day on or around March 21.

So far this week, I have accomplished that goal for the previous three day. It's still a little early in the day to say whether or not I've accomplished the goal. It was not easy accomplishing it for the past three day, so I may not have an easy time of it today. However, I'm determined to do it.

Lately, I seem to have difficulty finding subjects to write about, but it's too early in the year to say if this is a chronic problem or just a passing hiccup. I should know that by the end of January or the middle of February. If I do have problems finding themes or subjects then I have to websites that I can check for subjects.

The first is writing.com where my portfolio is stored. The second is Soulpancake where I can find numerous ideas for essays, poems, or even short stories. I'm looking forward to looking at both those website more this year then every before. Please check those website and join or subscribe.

Midweek Reflections on Winter

I used to be autumn and winter's child
then arthritis pain
became my winter affliction
now I'm
spring and summer's child.

"Baby it's cold outside" is a good description of Las Vegas weather. I checked weather.com to find out the temperature and discovered that it is 50 degrees out, but feels like 48.  I'm tired of winter already and winter doesn't officially start until December 21 at 17.11 UTC. Right now, I don't know what time that would be in Las Vegas and I don't care.

I want to be warm again,
I want to walk in the summer sun
and worry about sunburn,
because I can put on enough sunscreen
to protect me from the UV rays,
but I can't put on enough clothes
to protect me from the cold.

Mornings are so cold that I can't focus on writing, so I struggle with it every morning. The only thing I can focus on is the cold, which doesn't help because then it seems colder. This morning, I started two poems and completed only one. Instead of review three items  on writing.com, I reviewed only one. I still have two more to go before I accomplish today's reviewing goal.

I'm not even going to discuss how many words I wrote this morning because I'm waiting for it to get warm enough for me to take a shower. That will cut down on my writing time and the word count I reach today. I may be up until midnight reaching my word count and I have to get up in the morning because I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow.

Midweek Reflections on the Scent of Smoke

the scent of smoke hangs
in this morning’s humid air
the forest still burn

The mountain is still burning. When I went out to pick up the paper this morning, I could smell the smoke in the valley. Now, I think I can smell aroma of burning trees, in the house. I do not know if that is my imagination or not.

the scent of wood smoke
irritates my nose and eyes
my throat becomes sore

The wind today is variegated; at least I think I want that word. Perhaps the proper word is variable. Sometimes the wind blows for several minutes in one direction and then changes direction or stops blowing completely. I can tell which way the wind is blowing by looking at the America flag flying in my neighbor’s front yard.

the scent of wood smoke
hanging heavy in the air
the mountain still burns

I was not planning to go to the store or anywhere else today. I am planning to take trash and recyclables to the garages. Going outside will irritate my sinuousness’s even more, but it cannot be helped. I have to do what I have to do.

the scent of smoke haunts
the mountains and the city
the wildfire still burns

Midweek Reflections on Printers

I swear that my printer has a mind of its own. It knows when I am desperate to print a page or need to print an attachment from my e-mail because it refuses to print and it sends messages such as “Printer cartridge stalled”. I turn the printer off and then back on. I remove and reinsert the print cartridge. I get the same message, so I turn the entire system off and back on again.

I attempt to print again. I get the message “Printer out of paper”, but there is paper in the printer. I take the paper out of the printer and put it back in. The printer attempts to print and I get the message “Printer cartridge stalled”. I go through the entire routine again and eventually the page prints.

I have managed to print a one-page Microsoft Word document. I still have to print the e-mail attachment, which I am not looking forward to doing. The e-mail attachment is more then one page and I am not sure my printer is willing to print more then a one-page document without jamming or the print cartridge stalling. I will take later this evening to print the e-mail attachment because I need to let the printer rest for a little while. I love modern technology when it works.

Midweek Reflections on Writing and Technology

Today's lesson concerns writing and technology, specifically my web browser. I logged into my computer so that I could make some blog entries. I need to make a short entry to go with a video, but when I checked the entries I composed yesterday I found that I could not view the videos. It turns out that I needed to update my browser.

I have suspect for a will that there was a problem; however, since the only time I got an error message was when I checked one of my e-mail accounts I ignored the issue. This morning I could not ignore it anymore because I could not view the videos either those posted on my blog or those on the website that gave me access to the videos. The browser and everything that goes along with it is updated and I can get on with writing and posting.

Midweek Reflections on Spring

beautiful blue sky
olive limbs wave in the breeze
no clouds hide the sun

It is a beautiful spring day in Las Vegas, yes, I know the first day of spring is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20, that does not change my opinion of today or the weather. A nightingale is singing, its sweet song echoing through the neighborhood. I think the bird is nesting in my next door neighbor's oak tree because it  sounds too close t o my house to be in  the olive tree across the street.

nightingales sing
the sun cast deep dark shadows
a pristine blue sky

Unfortunately, I am staying home today. I would like to go somewhere, but I have to save gas; therefore, I am remaining home. On such a beautiful day there is not use complaining, complaining only ruins the day. I cannot blame anyone except myself because I am forced to remain home when I would rather be in a park with a picnic lunch. Perhaps next week or maybe the April 1, I can go out to one of the parks and have a picnic.