Hi everyone! It's been a heckuva few days since Wednesday. I've been helping students and trying to catch up on some accounting work for a client. Sadly, I've not done much writing. But I'm still working on my planning, which is the only goal I think I put up for this round of ROW80.
One of the things I've been trying to get done is migrating Fiendish Serendipity from Blogger to Wordpress. I just can't figure out a way to do it.
Any input would be welcome!
I hope to have more to report on Wednesday.
Until then, happy creating...
Showing posts with label ROW80. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ROW80. Show all posts
Sunday, June 09, 2013
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
I Forgot the Fun!
Before I wander into the forest of my own blog, I take time to appreciate others who have gone before me. Today, that was the best thing I could have done.
After reading AmyBeth Inverness's offering, my eyes were caught by her "SyFy Question of the Day." Being a huge fan, I took another detour.
Wow! Now, keep in mind I did this at work. In a math class. With lots of students. Lots of suppressed chuckles and snorts coming from my desk. Lots of amazed glances coming from my students, who were just trying to get their work done in peace.
Oops. Sorry, all.
I'm posting a link here for everyone to enjoy. And, if you're at work, spread the love. If it's allowable, of course.
http://amybethinverness.com/2013/05/31/scifi-question-of-the-day-your-lightsaber-is-actually-a-sonic-screwdriver/
This reminds me that I'm free to have fun with my work. Indeed, for it to be successful, I've got to have fun with it.
A big shout-out to you, AmyBeth, for reminding me that this is a joy as well as a job.
See you all Sunday!
After reading AmyBeth Inverness's offering, my eyes were caught by her "SyFy Question of the Day." Being a huge fan, I took another detour.
Wow! Now, keep in mind I did this at work. In a math class. With lots of students. Lots of suppressed chuckles and snorts coming from my desk. Lots of amazed glances coming from my students, who were just trying to get their work done in peace.
Oops. Sorry, all.
I'm posting a link here for everyone to enjoy. And, if you're at work, spread the love. If it's allowable, of course.
http://amybethinverness.com/2013/05/31/scifi-question-of-the-day-your-lightsaber-is-actually-a-sonic-screwdriver/
This reminds me that I'm free to have fun with my work. Indeed, for it to be successful, I've got to have fun with it.
A big shout-out to you, AmyBeth, for reminding me that this is a joy as well as a job.
See you all Sunday!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
I Took Advice!
Normally, I'm as stubborn as a box of rocks. Advice? Not generally. And not only am I as stubborn as a box of rocks, I think my head's made of up rock, too. After all, I can pound it against a problem for it feels like forever, and not see any progress. Yet, I'll keep going at it.
Isn't the definition of stupid the act of doing the same thing, but expecting different results?
So...I decided to do something different. I listened to all the great advice that came to me after my Sunday Lament.
You know what? It worked. I walked away from my problem child WIP until yesterday afternoon. All of a sudden, while I was doing something else entirely, the problems were fixed in a cascade of information that just tumbled into my brain. It was amazing.
For anyone out there that's had a spinal adjustment, it felt just like all the vertebrae in my spine rippling into place. (That makes me giggle uncontrollably, but my osteopath says that's a normal reaction. Not crazy. Whew!)
So, I want to shout out a big "THANK YOU!" to everyone that helped me, especially Bear, because, like any good bear, he's always got warm and fuzzy hugs when you need them most and he gave good meditation advice. Irene and Elizabeth, I would have thought I was crazy, walking away from a problem until you two urged me to do it.
I feel like this was a real group effort.
We Did It!!!
Isn't the definition of stupid the act of doing the same thing, but expecting different results?
So...I decided to do something different. I listened to all the great advice that came to me after my Sunday Lament.
You know what? It worked. I walked away from my problem child WIP until yesterday afternoon. All of a sudden, while I was doing something else entirely, the problems were fixed in a cascade of information that just tumbled into my brain. It was amazing.
For anyone out there that's had a spinal adjustment, it felt just like all the vertebrae in my spine rippling into place. (That makes me giggle uncontrollably, but my osteopath says that's a normal reaction. Not crazy. Whew!)
So, I want to shout out a big "THANK YOU!" to everyone that helped me, especially Bear, because, like any good bear, he's always got warm and fuzzy hugs when you need them most and he gave good meditation advice. Irene and Elizabeth, I would have thought I was crazy, walking away from a problem until you two urged me to do it.
I feel like this was a real group effort.
We Did It!!!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Laugh Out Loud Funny!
My writing partner Olivia decided to gift me with an email attachment of Daffy Duck. What she DIDN'T know about was all the other cute bits attached to it.
Now, Daffy and I have never been more than polite acquaintences; I always got on better with Bugs and Marvin. But this...this you have to see for yourself...
Sorry I couldn't get that to align properly or get it up higher. I've never inserted a picture into a blog post before. But I thought this was absolutely gut-busting funny.
The most amusing part is that it really applies to a character of mine, although I haven't really brought that out in her. Time to make a few personality cuts and let the psycho dribble!
See everyone on Sunday!
Now, Daffy and I have never been more than polite acquaintences; I always got on better with Bugs and Marvin. But this...this you have to see for yourself...Sorry I couldn't get that to align properly or get it up higher. I've never inserted a picture into a blog post before. But I thought this was absolutely gut-busting funny.
The most amusing part is that it really applies to a character of mine, although I haven't really brought that out in her. Time to make a few personality cuts and let the psycho dribble!
See everyone on Sunday!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Flesh and Heat Don't Go Together
It's harder having an epiphany before you wake up. At least, before you wake up and have caffeine. I discovered this yesterday, the hard way.
Some background is necessary here. It's pretty evident that I like coffee. So does one of my roommates. We have a 12 cup coffee pot. It was an ancient beast, and it finally decided to die. I gave it a decent and heartfelt burial.
About 7 years ago I had yet to be hooked on that lovely little bean. My dad came down for my college graduation. He loves coffee too, so I rushed out to get a little 4 cup pot just for him. It was one of the things I took with me when I got divorced. Jon didn't drink coffee.
So, since the big one crapped out, I dragged the little one out for emergency purposes. Freshly ground beans - the fragrance of a good morning.
Yeah, right.
In my eagerness to pour this lovely little elixir of life, I pulled out the carafe at an angle. Now, it's a small pot, right? It doesn't weigh very much. Neither does the actual machine. Consequently, the whole damn thing started to move.
Naturally, I decided to hold it down to keep it steady. Not a good idea. Because I didn't grab the plastic with my fingertips. No, not me. Why would I do anything smart?
I grabbed the hot plate with my fingertips. Every single one on my left hand. Just before I had to go teach my first Saturday class this semester.
Ouch isn't the word. I sat for half an hour with my fingertips in a glass of ice. It's not the way I thought I'd wake up yesterday.
But just think what a great scene it will make for something!
Between fixing computers and my shift linkage breaking, I haven't done any writing for the past few days. But sitting here, watching Iron Man, I think I'm going to shake things up by blowing up something. Should be fun.
I'll let you know on Wednesday.
Happy writing, all!
Some background is necessary here. It's pretty evident that I like coffee. So does one of my roommates. We have a 12 cup coffee pot. It was an ancient beast, and it finally decided to die. I gave it a decent and heartfelt burial.
About 7 years ago I had yet to be hooked on that lovely little bean. My dad came down for my college graduation. He loves coffee too, so I rushed out to get a little 4 cup pot just for him. It was one of the things I took with me when I got divorced. Jon didn't drink coffee.
So, since the big one crapped out, I dragged the little one out for emergency purposes. Freshly ground beans - the fragrance of a good morning.
Yeah, right.
In my eagerness to pour this lovely little elixir of life, I pulled out the carafe at an angle. Now, it's a small pot, right? It doesn't weigh very much. Neither does the actual machine. Consequently, the whole damn thing started to move.
Naturally, I decided to hold it down to keep it steady. Not a good idea. Because I didn't grab the plastic with my fingertips. No, not me. Why would I do anything smart?
I grabbed the hot plate with my fingertips. Every single one on my left hand. Just before I had to go teach my first Saturday class this semester.
Ouch isn't the word. I sat for half an hour with my fingertips in a glass of ice. It's not the way I thought I'd wake up yesterday.
But just think what a great scene it will make for something!
Between fixing computers and my shift linkage breaking, I haven't done any writing for the past few days. But sitting here, watching Iron Man, I think I'm going to shake things up by blowing up something. Should be fun.
I'll let you know on Wednesday.
Happy writing, all!
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Cinco de Mayo
Yup, here it is the 5th of May, so I'm kicking it in with mariachi music in the background. It's also my very sweet ex-sister-in-law's birthday. Happy birthday, Tracey!
My computer's been redlining for the past couple of weeks, so I've been doing some backups and deletions over the past couple of days. I'm down to 41 gigs free, but that's still not enough room. In the process, though, I've found some book notes that I thought I'd lost, so I've spent the past few days incorporating them into Immortal Blood. It's been fun. The dialogue still strikes me as good after getting some distance. I also found a scene were a shapeshifting wolf tries to convince a mundane that she's real while explaining about "real" furry conventions.
It made me chuckle, and gave me some impetus for the next few days. I love having a direction.
Right now, though, my direction's heading out to the kitchen to make some pico de gallo for tonight.
Hasta Miercoles (I think that means Wednesday...) Regardless, everyone have a great time with the parties tonight!
My computer's been redlining for the past couple of weeks, so I've been doing some backups and deletions over the past couple of days. I'm down to 41 gigs free, but that's still not enough room. In the process, though, I've found some book notes that I thought I'd lost, so I've spent the past few days incorporating them into Immortal Blood. It's been fun. The dialogue still strikes me as good after getting some distance. I also found a scene were a shapeshifting wolf tries to convince a mundane that she's real while explaining about "real" furry conventions.
It made me chuckle, and gave me some impetus for the next few days. I love having a direction.
Right now, though, my direction's heading out to the kitchen to make some pico de gallo for tonight.
Hasta Miercoles (I think that means Wednesday...) Regardless, everyone have a great time with the parties tonight!
Sunday, April 07, 2013
An Interesting Week...Oops!
It really has been an "oops!" week. Final exams are coming up quicker than I thought - I hadn't really looked at my calendar for anything, and the date just wacked me upside the head. I've only got two more weeks with my students before finals, so I've been scrambling to make sure everything is ready for them, and they are ready for finals!
My words have suffered. At least, in quantity. I think I've only written about 1,000 words this week. My goals might be a bit lofty; readjusting might be in order. Not sure. Yet.
I also (during a momentary lapse of brain function) decided to take up the A-Z blogging challenge for the month of April. So far, it's turned out to be rather fun. And I've even gotten a few more followers! Yay!
So, it's been kind of a chaotic week. Hopefully everything will calm down by Wednesday and I'll have more production to report.
See y'all then!
My words have suffered. At least, in quantity. I think I've only written about 1,000 words this week. My goals might be a bit lofty; readjusting might be in order. Not sure. Yet.
I also (during a momentary lapse of brain function) decided to take up the A-Z blogging challenge for the month of April. So far, it's turned out to be rather fun. And I've even gotten a few more followers! Yay!
So, it's been kind of a chaotic week. Hopefully everything will calm down by Wednesday and I'll have more production to report.
See y'all then!
Monday, April 01, 2013
Round 2 Goals
My goals are simple again - even though I'm also doing Camp Nano this month, with a goal of 50,000 words.
Once April is over, I'm going to attempt to keep up my momentum by continuing the 1,667 words per day. That, and continue planning far enough in advance that I'll always have something to write.
It sounds simple, but I have to do everything on my terrabyte drive and take it with me everywhere I go. Scrivener is on that drive, as well as my projects, so I can work anywhere there is a computer. My laptop is on its way out, so I made everything portable to use the computers at work instead.
Hmm. Maybe it doesn't sound so simple after all.
Looking forward to jumping back into ROW80!
Once April is over, I'm going to attempt to keep up my momentum by continuing the 1,667 words per day. That, and continue planning far enough in advance that I'll always have something to write.
It sounds simple, but I have to do everything on my terrabyte drive and take it with me everywhere I go. Scrivener is on that drive, as well as my projects, so I can work anywhere there is a computer. My laptop is on its way out, so I made everything portable to use the computers at work instead.
Hmm. Maybe it doesn't sound so simple after all.
Looking forward to jumping back into ROW80!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
First Round Final Bits
I'm here at Starbucks, coffee by my hand, ready to rip into planning. I still want to have this entire book planned and organized before I start writing again on April 1st. (Hmm...doesn't sound like an auspicious day, does it?)
The first thing I'm going to do today, though, is look at Kristen Lamb's post on POV. I've been wavering on whether I should choose first or deep third, and hopefully she'll give me some insight. She's always brilliant - she's one of the people I actually keep a folder on.
Here's to productivity!
I hope everyone enjoys the holiday - and takes a well-deserved break.
The first thing I'm going to do today, though, is look at Kristen Lamb's post on POV. I've been wavering on whether I should choose first or deep third, and hopefully she'll give me some insight. She's always brilliant - she's one of the people I actually keep a folder on.
Here's to productivity!
I hope everyone enjoys the holiday - and takes a well-deserved break.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
I Beat the Spider!
I've been away for a while, both from my writing and from my computer. This week my eye is finally back to normal, so I've been able to get back to the keyboard.
Unfortunately, I didn't finish my goal - I wanted to have this entire book plotted out so I could find the problems, fix them in outline form, and then continue to write.
Didn't happen.
But, I'm not deterred. I've transferred my Scrivener program and files onto a portable terrabyte drive. It comes with me everywhere, so I can write as often as possible. Beginning tomorrow, it's going to work with me. I often have time between students when I can do my own thing, so every spare minute will be dedicated to this project.
I will accomplish this!
Happy creating!
Unfortunately, I didn't finish my goal - I wanted to have this entire book plotted out so I could find the problems, fix them in outline form, and then continue to write.
Didn't happen.
But, I'm not deterred. I've transferred my Scrivener program and files onto a portable terrabyte drive. It comes with me everywhere, so I can write as often as possible. Beginning tomorrow, it's going to work with me. I often have time between students when I can do my own thing, so every spare minute will be dedicated to this project.
I will accomplish this!
Happy creating!
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Issuing an Invitation
So, my writing partner Olivia and I just got an invitation to Camp Nano. For those who don't know, it's another opportunity to make yourself crazy for a month trying to deliver on what most would consider impossible goals. (We know better, don't we?)
She and I both write paranormal/paranormal suspense/paranormal romances. We're going to get a "cabin" during April for this craziness. We need two more people to share the lunacy with, because the cabins hold four people.
Any takers? We'll have virtual everything, from favorite snacks to favorite alcohol. The conversation will be good, the writing will be sparkling, and goals will be met and then exceeded.
Speaking of goals...
Regarding my ROW goals, I'm off my back, breathing, and back at Starbucks working. Of course, I left my TB drive at home, so everything I'm doing today is in Word, and I'll transfer it when I get home, which will be about 11 hours from now. I'm thinking I should be making a checklist before I pack my stuff.
Have a wonderfully productive week. See y'all on Sunday!
She and I both write paranormal/paranormal suspense/paranormal romances. We're going to get a "cabin" during April for this craziness. We need two more people to share the lunacy with, because the cabins hold four people.
Any takers? We'll have virtual everything, from favorite snacks to favorite alcohol. The conversation will be good, the writing will be sparkling, and goals will be met and then exceeded.
Speaking of goals...
Regarding my ROW goals, I'm off my back, breathing, and back at Starbucks working. Of course, I left my TB drive at home, so everything I'm doing today is in Word, and I'll transfer it when I get home, which will be about 11 hours from now. I'm thinking I should be making a checklist before I pack my stuff.
Have a wonderfully productive week. See y'all on Sunday!
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Starting Off Slowly
This challenge has started off like a deflated balloon. Yup, limp. Yesterday was Tuesday, and I was supposed to make it to the gym. Didn't happen. I had to wait for pest management to come for maintenance on my apartment. (Our complex was purchased recently, so some things have changed.) They didn't make it to my building. In the evening, I was supposed to tutor. My student rescheduled for today.
I've got gym plans for today, but it's iffy at best. I'm here waiting for the pest people, then I have to get ready for tutoring. Again. We'll see if it works today.
On the upside, I got an idea to try a short story. It's working title is "Breath and Fire" and it's about an artist pair, one an apprentice teenage girl and the other her dragon partner. I might end up adding that to my goals, but I'm not sure yet. I need to do a little planning first.
Does it sound interesting to anyone?
I haven't been shopping for anything except bread. I got sub rolls from Publix, which were made in the store. The bread that I purchased was made in the United States, but I'm not sure if it's anything close to being local. It was Arnold 100% Whole Wheat bread. I got that because it doesn't have any high fructose corn syrup in it.
I plan on spending time in the kitchen today, cooking grain salads and other things to take to work for lunch over the next couple of days.
See everyone on Sunday!
I've got gym plans for today, but it's iffy at best. I'm here waiting for the pest people, then I have to get ready for tutoring. Again. We'll see if it works today.
On the upside, I got an idea to try a short story. It's working title is "Breath and Fire" and it's about an artist pair, one an apprentice teenage girl and the other her dragon partner. I might end up adding that to my goals, but I'm not sure yet. I need to do a little planning first.
Does it sound interesting to anyone?
I haven't been shopping for anything except bread. I got sub rolls from Publix, which were made in the store. The bread that I purchased was made in the United States, but I'm not sure if it's anything close to being local. It was Arnold 100% Whole Wheat bread. I got that because it doesn't have any high fructose corn syrup in it.
I plan on spending time in the kitchen today, cooking grain salads and other things to take to work for lunch over the next couple of days.
See everyone on Sunday!
Monday, January 07, 2013
First Round of 2013
Welcome to Round 1! I'm so excited to be back. I'm at work, so I have to get my goals out really fast and get back to what I should be doing. Here we go...
Writing
Community/Economic
Exercise
Personal
Writing
- Continue planning and organizing "Immortal Blood" in Scrivener.
- Plot out scenes in detail, including transitions and/or final sentences.
- Finish 80 pages of new material.
Community/Economic
- Buy American, if at all possible. Congress doesn't seem to be able to get our country back to work, so I will do my best to help.
- Buy from local farmers, as much as I can, to keep the money in our local community.
Exercise
- I will go to the gym on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, because those are the days I have off, and so I'll have no excuse not to go.
Personal
- I will try to take some alone time for myself, to recharge my batteries.
- I'll try to write in my journal as a method of private meditation.
- Continue to eat healthier, as much from scratch as possible.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Gearing Up For 2013
Today's my birthday, and my roommates have given me the best gift possible - they're leaving me alone! I get to spend the entire day (except for the trip to the gym) planning for Round 1 of 2013!!
I haven't got a goal plan yet, but I know it's going to include some exercise, and trying to live in awareness of what I'm doing and what's going on. There are certain things I do on autopilot - like eat while I'm doing other things - so I often eat more than I want to or need to. Time to change that!
I hope everyone's had a wonderful, happy and safe holiday season.
See you soon!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Wandering in the Fog
I'm feeling a little vague right now, and my work is reflecting it. I think I've had something of a mental breakdown after Nano, probably to look for energy.
I haven't gotten a lot accomplished on Immortal Blood. The only progress I've made, in fact, is finding out the approximate age of Akhenaten when he died. A little known piece of information that would have a negative impact on my manuscript if I didn't know it. So, I guess that's good.
On the upside, I actually walked through the doors of the gym on Saturday. Wow, I'm more out of shape than I thought! Motivation or despair - I'm not sure yet. I'm hoping for the former. I also, on the way home from a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert yesterday, got an idea for a book of short stories/novellas that all link together, with a vaguely Christmas theme. Right now, in Scrivener, I'm calling it "Three Wishes."
My food goals are so-so. I didn't have fried chicken this past week, although I was craving it and it would have been REALLY convenient. The guys begged for pizza one night, so I ordered it. I got a veggie pizza for me with light cheese, and they got their sausage pizza. Papa John's has a special going on with a 5-sausage pizza. Blech. I tasted it, but it was way too...meaty...for me. I need my veg.
Holiday shopping? Not finished. But a good deal of it is in my Amazon cart, waiting to be shipped when I get paid on Thursday at midnight. How's that for cutting it close??
I hope you and your families have a wonderful, safe, and happy holiday!
I haven't gotten a lot accomplished on Immortal Blood. The only progress I've made, in fact, is finding out the approximate age of Akhenaten when he died. A little known piece of information that would have a negative impact on my manuscript if I didn't know it. So, I guess that's good.
On the upside, I actually walked through the doors of the gym on Saturday. Wow, I'm more out of shape than I thought! Motivation or despair - I'm not sure yet. I'm hoping for the former. I also, on the way home from a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert yesterday, got an idea for a book of short stories/novellas that all link together, with a vaguely Christmas theme. Right now, in Scrivener, I'm calling it "Three Wishes."
My food goals are so-so. I didn't have fried chicken this past week, although I was craving it and it would have been REALLY convenient. The guys begged for pizza one night, so I ordered it. I got a veggie pizza for me with light cheese, and they got their sausage pizza. Papa John's has a special going on with a 5-sausage pizza. Blech. I tasted it, but it was way too...meaty...for me. I need my veg.
Holiday shopping? Not finished. But a good deal of it is in my Amazon cart, waiting to be shipped when I get paid on Thursday at midnight. How's that for cutting it close??
I hope you and your families have a wonderful, safe, and happy holiday!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Wow, What a Week!!
Happy pre-Thanksgiving, everyone! I've been running around like a crazy person buying things for Thanksgiving, and writing like a crazier one. I cracked the Nano 50,000 word goal the day before yesterday, reaching 50,088. Not that I'm quitting for the month - oh, no! In fact, I've got a meeting with writing friends tonight. But I've got to get my Thanksgiving prep done first.
Goals:
I've made my 80 pages for this round, having done over 200 just for Nano.
Planning has suffered somewhat this month, as I've been focused on output alone. I've had a weird few scenes centered around a therapist office. My heroine had a breakthrough - and a meltdown. It made me tear up and leak a bit while I was writing it. (Since I was at work at the time, that might have been not so great. Luckily, my students know what I'm like and it doesn't faze them.) I got a couple of interesting motivations, from the werewolf guardian/secret assassin, so that's going to be fun to play with. Especially since one of her phone calls is overheard by the heroine's lover. Talk about it hitting the fan!
Exercise and junk food aversion fell by the wayside for the past week or so. My words were more important than anything, and my lack of kitchen participation showed it. Oh, well.
I've got to put a plug in here. Now, before I do, I have to say I'm in no way involved in this company and have not financial or personal interest in it whatsoever. My Nano output has been phenomenal this year. I've never done anything close to this in only 19 days. And I have to say that I don't think I could have done it without using Scrivener. I downloaded their Nano trial version, and it blew me away. It's now my go-to piece of writing software. I can't say enough about it. (Getting down from soapbox now.)
Off to go make some applesauce and some cranberry/orange compote.
Have a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving. (Isn't it wonderful - the leftovers mean we won't have to cook, and we will have time to write more! One more thing to put on the list of things to be thankful for.)
Goals:
I've made my 80 pages for this round, having done over 200 just for Nano.
Planning has suffered somewhat this month, as I've been focused on output alone. I've had a weird few scenes centered around a therapist office. My heroine had a breakthrough - and a meltdown. It made me tear up and leak a bit while I was writing it. (Since I was at work at the time, that might have been not so great. Luckily, my students know what I'm like and it doesn't faze them.) I got a couple of interesting motivations, from the werewolf guardian/secret assassin, so that's going to be fun to play with. Especially since one of her phone calls is overheard by the heroine's lover. Talk about it hitting the fan!
Exercise and junk food aversion fell by the wayside for the past week or so. My words were more important than anything, and my lack of kitchen participation showed it. Oh, well.
I've got to put a plug in here. Now, before I do, I have to say I'm in no way involved in this company and have not financial or personal interest in it whatsoever. My Nano output has been phenomenal this year. I've never done anything close to this in only 19 days. And I have to say that I don't think I could have done it without using Scrivener. I downloaded their Nano trial version, and it blew me away. It's now my go-to piece of writing software. I can't say enough about it. (Getting down from soapbox now.)
Off to go make some applesauce and some cranberry/orange compote.
Have a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving. (Isn't it wonderful - the leftovers mean we won't have to cook, and we will have time to write more! One more thing to put on the list of things to be thankful for.)
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Calculus and Cookies...
For all of us mathematically-inclined (or crazy) people out there, I was thinking about a new exercise today for my students. It was an exercise in junk food. Specifically -- cookies.
Now, everyone has a favorite cookie. It could be chocolate chip, Oreos, oatmeal, or those delightfully addictive mint cookies that the Girl Scouts tempt us with every year. (Mint cookies and I are very familiarly acquainted.)
What if each student, choosing their favorite cookie from a predetermined list, took the dimensions and tried to find out how many cookies could fit into a specific area. How much area was taken up by the cookies? How many cookies were used? And how much of the original area was left? Here's where the calculus bit comes in. Integrals are used to find the area under a curve. (We knew calculus had to show up eventually.)
Get the answer right for your type of cookie, and you get to eat said cookies.
How's that for incentive?
Personally, I can't try the cookie thing, because I'm still trying to lose weight. And it's going slowly, I'm afraid. So is the exercise. But some of my other goals are going well.
For instance, my planning is still going forward, as is my writing. My Nano word count is just over 20,000. I have no idea what my page count is, but I'm sure it's inching toward my 80 pages for this quarter.
Not so good on the fried chicken front. I bought some last night on my way home from work. Once I got there, I went to bed. I was utterly exhausted, and I let the guys figure out whatever they wanted for dinner.
I haven't ordered any pizza though, so that's still good.
Fighting the junk food craving is a day to day adventure. But I sure wish the cravings would go away.
See you on Sunday!
Now, everyone has a favorite cookie. It could be chocolate chip, Oreos, oatmeal, or those delightfully addictive mint cookies that the Girl Scouts tempt us with every year. (Mint cookies and I are very familiarly acquainted.)
What if each student, choosing their favorite cookie from a predetermined list, took the dimensions and tried to find out how many cookies could fit into a specific area. How much area was taken up by the cookies? How many cookies were used? And how much of the original area was left? Here's where the calculus bit comes in. Integrals are used to find the area under a curve. (We knew calculus had to show up eventually.)
Get the answer right for your type of cookie, and you get to eat said cookies.
How's that for incentive?
Personally, I can't try the cookie thing, because I'm still trying to lose weight. And it's going slowly, I'm afraid. So is the exercise. But some of my other goals are going well.
For instance, my planning is still going forward, as is my writing. My Nano word count is just over 20,000. I have no idea what my page count is, but I'm sure it's inching toward my 80 pages for this quarter.
Not so good on the fried chicken front. I bought some last night on my way home from work. Once I got there, I went to bed. I was utterly exhausted, and I let the guys figure out whatever they wanted for dinner.
I haven't ordered any pizza though, so that's still good.
Fighting the junk food craving is a day to day adventure. But I sure wish the cravings would go away.
See you on Sunday!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Doing It Uncaffeinated...!
Morning, all. It is morning, right? I'm not sure - it's still kinda dark outside here.
Yes, you read the name right. I haven't had coffee. Or Mountain Dew. Or tea. Or even dark chocolate. My eyes are still blurry. I apologize in advance if this comes out like stream-of-conscious drivel. That's how my brain's working (or not) this morning. Or I could just be gearing up for Nano.
Speaking of Nano...if anyone's doing it and they want to friend me, I'm over there as laramcgill.
Goals, you ask? Well...
1. Planning is going well. I dreamed I was part of a police team of some sort (in Wales, no less!) and got shot in the back. It grazed my lung, and I found out very quickly what it was like to bleed and try to breathe at the same time. Interesting from an academic standpoint. Not so good from a personal one.
2. Exercise. Not so good. I had plans to drag my roommate swimming yesterday, but that didn't happen because of other things that turned up unexpectedly. We'll see about today. Taking it one day at a time.
3. I haven't had any pizza or fried chicken since I last checked in. No, wait. There was a piece of leftover cold fried chicken in the fridge that I scarfed one morning for breakfast before work. In retrospect, that might have been the best thing I could have done - I didn't like it. And now I'm much more likely to pass it by in the grocery store. (I did yesterday - I wasn't even attracted by the usually-irresistible scent!)
4. Processed food. Doing great on that - things like boxed rice mixes and Hamburger Helper and soups and stuff just don't make it into my cart. I'm still buying things like stock though. I use too much of it to be able to make it on my own and still have enough. Not to mention that my freezer isn't big enough!
Have a great, productive day everyone! Now I just have to find a way to wake up so I can get crackin' too!
Yes, you read the name right. I haven't had coffee. Or Mountain Dew. Or tea. Or even dark chocolate. My eyes are still blurry. I apologize in advance if this comes out like stream-of-conscious drivel. That's how my brain's working (or not) this morning. Or I could just be gearing up for Nano.
Speaking of Nano...if anyone's doing it and they want to friend me, I'm over there as laramcgill.
Goals, you ask? Well...
1. Planning is going well. I dreamed I was part of a police team of some sort (in Wales, no less!) and got shot in the back. It grazed my lung, and I found out very quickly what it was like to bleed and try to breathe at the same time. Interesting from an academic standpoint. Not so good from a personal one.
2. Exercise. Not so good. I had plans to drag my roommate swimming yesterday, but that didn't happen because of other things that turned up unexpectedly. We'll see about today. Taking it one day at a time.
3. I haven't had any pizza or fried chicken since I last checked in. No, wait. There was a piece of leftover cold fried chicken in the fridge that I scarfed one morning for breakfast before work. In retrospect, that might have been the best thing I could have done - I didn't like it. And now I'm much more likely to pass it by in the grocery store. (I did yesterday - I wasn't even attracted by the usually-irresistible scent!)
4. Processed food. Doing great on that - things like boxed rice mixes and Hamburger Helper and soups and stuff just don't make it into my cart. I'm still buying things like stock though. I use too much of it to be able to make it on my own and still have enough. Not to mention that my freezer isn't big enough!
Have a great, productive day everyone! Now I just have to find a way to wake up so I can get crackin' too!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Goals and Scrivener
Morning, everyone! Here's the midweek rundown:
1. Exercise - I discovered that I procrastinate more than I should. (Actually, should anyone ever really procrastinate? I'm going to answer yes, because if I'd made it to work on time today, I might have been caught in the elevator fire we had in my building. Whew!) Ok, back to exercise. I'm finding that only walking during the commercials doesn't work for me. There's always something "more important" to do, like unload the dishwasher or throw another load of laundry in. So, it looks like it's going to have to be done all at once.
I also discovered that vanity was a better motivator for me than health. Huh. Who woulda thunk it?
2. I haven't done any "writing" yet - still doing a lot of planning. But I had this outrageous nightmare last night, which I'll probably try to get on the page today between rounds with students.
3. No fried chicken or pizza. Go me! And the fried chicken is on sale this week, too. I came home from work late on Monday, so we had Chinese instead. Veggies were better for me, and I had leftovers for lunch. I worked out great.
4. I'm doing well on the no processed food goal. It seems that less processed equals better flavor. Things are really looking up.
Could I get some feedback on something? I'm currently using WriteWay as my writing software, but I'm considering switching to Scrivener because it also does screenplays. How do all you Scrivener users like it? Why do you like it? Have you had any experience with WriteWay?
Thanks for all your feedback - I really appreciate it!
1. Exercise - I discovered that I procrastinate more than I should. (Actually, should anyone ever really procrastinate? I'm going to answer yes, because if I'd made it to work on time today, I might have been caught in the elevator fire we had in my building. Whew!) Ok, back to exercise. I'm finding that only walking during the commercials doesn't work for me. There's always something "more important" to do, like unload the dishwasher or throw another load of laundry in. So, it looks like it's going to have to be done all at once.
I also discovered that vanity was a better motivator for me than health. Huh. Who woulda thunk it?
2. I haven't done any "writing" yet - still doing a lot of planning. But I had this outrageous nightmare last night, which I'll probably try to get on the page today between rounds with students.
3. No fried chicken or pizza. Go me! And the fried chicken is on sale this week, too. I came home from work late on Monday, so we had Chinese instead. Veggies were better for me, and I had leftovers for lunch. I worked out great.
4. I'm doing well on the no processed food goal. It seems that less processed equals better flavor. Things are really looking up.
Could I get some feedback on something? I'm currently using WriteWay as my writing software, but I'm considering switching to Scrivener because it also does screenplays. How do all you Scrivener users like it? Why do you like it? Have you had any experience with WriteWay?
Thanks for all your feedback - I really appreciate it!
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Pressing On...
It's only the third day, so I don't have a lot going on.
My exercising isn't turning out so good. I hurt my back so I'm on hiatus with only gentle walking. Time isn't an issue right now, just being functional is okay for me.
My pages are going, but I'm not satisfied with the material. So dissatisfied that I can't even complete it. That means I'm walking away from that scene for a while. I'm working on a new one this morning as soon as I complete my check-in. I do have a question for all of you out there, though - I know you can have co-protagonists, but can you introduce both of them in the beginning of your story? For those who are familiar with the Story Engineering paradigm, before the First Plot Point? For the Hero's Journey, it would be before Crossing the Threshold. Thanks for all the input on that.
Woo hoo! I haven't had any fried chicken. Or pizza. According to my stomach, life is good so far. I did make some Capellini Alfredo with chicken breasts though. It was probably as bad as the fried chicken. My taste buds loved it, and I don't do it very often.
I'm sure I forgot something, but since I'm at work and my students are looking at me, I've got to run.
See you Sunday!
My exercising isn't turning out so good. I hurt my back so I'm on hiatus with only gentle walking. Time isn't an issue right now, just being functional is okay for me.
My pages are going, but I'm not satisfied with the material. So dissatisfied that I can't even complete it. That means I'm walking away from that scene for a while. I'm working on a new one this morning as soon as I complete my check-in. I do have a question for all of you out there, though - I know you can have co-protagonists, but can you introduce both of them in the beginning of your story? For those who are familiar with the Story Engineering paradigm, before the First Plot Point? For the Hero's Journey, it would be before Crossing the Threshold. Thanks for all the input on that.
Woo hoo! I haven't had any fried chicken. Or pizza. According to my stomach, life is good so far. I did make some Capellini Alfredo with chicken breasts though. It was probably as bad as the fried chicken. My taste buds loved it, and I don't do it very often.
I'm sure I forgot something, but since I'm at work and my students are looking at me, I've got to run.
See you Sunday!
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