This time it seems that my regular allergies have kicked in. I began to feel my infamous post-nasal drip begin to choke me last Friday, just as California was being hit with a nice winter storm which brought us a lot of much-needed rain. It was particularly stressing because my wife was having some elective work, which meant that I needed to be on my feet for her. I managed to get through the day, but barely. Saturday night I was hit with a fever. All weekend long I was heading for the tissue box and choking on you-know-what.
I was bummed out because I had hoped to make some headway with the edits on Dance on Fire: Flashpoint, the sequel to my novel. I had thought that by the end of that weekend I might be in great shape. Unfortunately, between going line by line and getting up seemingly every ten minutes, I really didn't get very far, and certainly nowhere near as far as I had hoped. At this writing, I am barely half way, and I have given myself a deadline of December 1st. We'll see what this cold thinks about my deadlines. It might be one thing if all that I had to do between now and then was my day job, celebrate Thanksgiving and complete editing. On top of that, however, I had this post as well as an article due for Kings River Life Magazine, a local on-line magazine that I write for.
[caption id="attachment_3885" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Garcia Men"]
[/caption]Now, having written all of this, a part of me is poking me in the shoulder. I really do not have to turn around to know who it is and what it is that he want to tell me. The PG version is probably something along the lines of "Stop Your Sobbing". I say that because I'm a big Pretenders fan and that was one of their early hits. Really, I think it's something like "stop your whining". Without going back over old territory, I have way too much to be thankful for. I've been married 20 years, which is one hell of a lot longer than many these days. My boys are great and healthy and talented, and well on their way. My wife and I are both working, and we have money to do things. And finally, I have been spending this past year writing. I haven't made any money doing it, as of yet, but I can see that it's coming.
I could complain about a few things, but it would be more of a shame-on-me-thing for doing it. You know what I mean? So the doctor gave me an antibiotic, which I will start taking tonight after I eat something. I took some Advil this afternoon and now my fever has broken, and perhaps more importantly, at least mentally, they gave me another allergy shot. I say that because I swear by those shots! I'm surprised that it did not quite make it a complete year, but whatever! I feel so much better already and it's only been a few hours.
One of the other things that was bumming me out was my potentially not being well enough for Black Friday. Hold your horses! That's not what I mean. I already have to get up that early for work; why would I want to get up that early on a day off...for shopping? The day after Thanksgiving is my day for decorating the house. It will take the entire day, and I will be rearranging two rooms along with a bunch of furniture, but at the end of the afternoon Christmas will have arrived. So, if I am too sick for that, I will really be bummed.
[caption id="attachment_3886" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Our living area"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_3887" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Our Dining Room (Read: my office. See trusty lap top?)"]
[/caption]As I said, I am feeling better already, so I'm optimistic it will be a good week after all, and that these two photos will look completely different in a few days time. Come back in December and I'll show you the "after" photos.
How about you? Will it be a good and thankful week for you and yours? I hope so. If your year has been less than spectacular, then I hope the holidays will be a magical time that restores your optimism for 2011.
Your new friend,
James
I'm so sorry you are feeling under the weather this week! My family decorates the house the day of and after Thanksgiving too, so we are half way done. Luckily, we don't have too many decorations as my hubby and I are still technically newly married. We don't have the stockpiles of decorations in our posession - YET! Oh yes, this is my favorite time of year so I'm sure in another few years, I'll make my husband sick with all the decorating!
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better and keep trugding through those edits! It'll be worth it in the end!
James,
ReplyDeleteDoesn't look like you need to rearrange your living area at all. Wanna come up to Sonoma County and give my house a whack? I have 5 big bllue railroad car storage bins to go through. We just put things in there after the fire, thinking we'd take the next year and go through things bit by bit. WRONG! Been in the new house 6 months, and still haven't tackled the bins. My kids say, "please don't make us do it some day when you guys pass on."
Yes, to being thankful. My husband and I have been married 40 years next June, and the kids, 2 married two with grandkids - this is a whole new fun phase, and when you get there, you'll know what I mean.
And the writing. Still passionate about it after my short 2 years doing so. Met so many wonderful friends along the way, people that inspire me and have been so helpful to my career. So nice to be able to email someone and ask advice, and make a new friend. We are not in this alone. Good writers become great writers because of the community they associate themselves with. No one can make it without it, IMHO.
Yes, lots to be thankful for. And a bright, shiny new year ahead of us. Let's hope for better health and better finances, and a great big dose of courage along with it.
I am thankful for meeting you, my friend.
Thanks, Anastasia. I am happy to report that, other than making everyone crazy around me with the constant clearing of the throat, I am "...Getting better all the time". Sorry, I spent way too much on Beatles on iTunes last week. :) Feeling better allowed me to switch those two rooms, fight the artificial tree and its lights which refused to work properly, as well as to do all of the necessary vaccuming. Perhaps my favorite part is the seasonal coffee mugs and dishware. Perhaps more importantly was the two deadlines which I managed to meet. This post was a bit early...not sure why, and I just e-mailed my magazine article to my editor for next week's post. *wipes forehead* Next, the last 100 pages of edits for "Dance on Fire: Flashpoint".
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement,
-Jimmy
Thank you so much, Sharon. My trusty iPhone buzzed me in the middle of my decorating with your kind comments, but I was unable to reply until now. Yes, so much to be thankful for. Even without the writing success that I've had, there is so much. Yet, I am terribly thankful that, no matter what the future may or may not hold with regard to writing, that I was able to attempt the dream and see it through...with no regrets.
ReplyDeleteI am so grateful to you, the other Wicked Writers, and all of the other wonderful people that I have had the pleasure of meeting these first twelve months of what I hope will be an amazing journey for us all.
Your friend,
-Jimmy
We'll be decorating tomorrow - on my daughter's tenth birthday and I for one am looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteI'm also looking forward to your before and after pics, Jimmy. Can't wait to see 'em! maybe I'll do the same thing and post them on my blog. Although, the tree and some other stuff are really the extent, we don't go too hog wild. But it does build every year.
I finally talked him in to a winter scene three years ago (you know, the type for a mantle?) and I love it. I didn't lay it out last year b/c of my health and some traveling we did, but I think we will this year.
Me, trend-setting? Who would have thought?
ReplyDeleteI just took the 'after" photos a few minutes ago, so I'll look forward to posting them during the next post. Now that the dining room table has been relocated to the west end of the great room, I can work in the early morning or late in the evening with all of the festive lights on. It's very comforting and tranquil. We have the outside lights to hang yet, as well as a huge snow globe for the front yard to whip out of the box, but I need to work on those edits first. If you're doing all of the decorating now, should I take that to mean that you are feeling pretty well these days? I hope so.
Thanks for the note,
-Jimmy