Thursday, January 29, 2009

Snow, and other flurries

This week's score thus far: one child home sick Monday, snow day Wednesday, two hour delay AND other child home sick Thursday. We should have our act together by tomorrow. Just in time for Friday!

Hubby decided it would be fun to use his snowblower on the back deck. He claimed it was for the sake of the poor dog, but it was really just because he has a toy he doesn't get to use often enough. I suggested it might actually be Not Such A Good Idea, because if the dog had all that nice cleared space to use, she might decide she wouldn't go all the way out into the yard. I was pooh-poohed. And then this morning I had to go scrape frozen poo off the back deck. No justice.

Week two of volunteer tutoring this week. It seems to be going reasonably well. There are a couple of kids I'm not sure are really getting the material we're covering, which makes me feel bad. I'd really have been more comfortable with actual one-to-one tutoring, but I'll try to do the best I can with the situation.

I started a new novel yesterday. It was not Crowmaker-related. After much thought and analysis, I reached the conclusion that what Crowmaker really needs is to be either a longer book or a trilogy. What I already have draft for is the very last part of the longer story. And I had more pre-planning done for the Loki story than I'd have had starting from scratch with the new Crowmaker material. So uh... That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. You know, as much as I stick to anything.

I will admit that some of my current dilemma with Crowmaker is fear. I'm afraid I'm not quite yet the writer I need to be to handle that story. Which is not quite the same as just saying "I stink" and giving up. It's more a temporary retreat. I'm still missing some as-yet-unknown tool in my toolbox which is necessary to the completion of that story. I think I have the tools to finish other stories while I'm learning and looking for that missing tool. Therefore, I will march on with those other stories while alternately searching for what's lacking and hoping like hell I'm lucky enough to find it.

2 comments:

Sean said...

I tend to shovel the concrete flat in the back yard but then I also shovel a small area in the yard open so the dogs can go there. Usually they seem to stay right in that space.

Don't let the big project give you jitters. Maybe after finishing those other projects you mentioned the big one will just snap right in to place. I had that happen on a project or two in at work. :)

Anonymous said...

You'll get there ... just give it some time. I found you earlier this year when looking up people for our next high school reunion, and I've been looking at your entries not knowing if I should write something or not. Does that qualify as stalking? Please don't think of it as that 'cause I wasn't trying to. :) I've read some of your entries, and I've been moved to tears. Not everyone can do that to someone using their words, and this is just in your blog. You are incredibly talented, my friend. My email's the same so you should have it. I just don't want to post it here, but I'd love to reconnect with you. Joyce