Plan.... What plan?

"To achieve great things, two things are
needed: a plan, and not quite enough time."
--Leonard Bernstein

Seeing how I only have one.... the latter, and not the plan, I am so tempted to settle for a not so great thing. But thank goodness for loop-holes. The said plan does not have to be a great plan... or even a good one at that.... right?

It only needs to be one... a plan. So here is me making a plan on the fly.... lol.

So I... and the hundred thou or so other wrimos out there start writing after midnight tomorrow.... that's really Monday for me as my good friend Fifee so *helpfully* pointed out... Apparently my weekends are predictably unpredictable... which is to say that she has no faith in my ability to work on weekends.

I'd like to contest this blatant attack on my character but as it is... Ali Kiba is coming to town... And while I have nothing to do with him getting here, my boys, who have everything to do with it, have me working on selling him out. How am I supposed to move twenty tickets between now and Saturday night... Please holla if you want some.

Ok.. back to the plan... I will be writing the novel on google docs. This is not only because I do not have Microsoft Office on my laptop.... because I have the Open Office equivalent which I hate using... but also due to the fact that that way I do not have to lag the laptop everywhere I go. All I'll be needing is access to the internet.

Yes.. I can just imagine getting bored at an after-party and approaching the dude hosting it....

Kei: Dude... can I use ur interwebs?
Dude: My what?
Kei: Your comp bro... I gotta get on the internet.
Dude: Dude you want porn? I gots some DVDs....
Kei: No is alright... I wanna work on my novel...
Dude: Ati wank on your navel? Dude, what have u been drinking...
Kei: No dude... its this writing competition bro... I have to work on my word count.
Dude: Ok dude... in the bedroom on the right.... (all the time wondering where one gets off counting words instead of booze or even better... boobs)


Not only that but google does have this cool feature that allows one to share docs over the internet with whomever one wants... thus allowing for online collaboration and stuff. While I can not let you help me write... as I think that would be tantamount to cheating... not that that has ever been a problem for me, I can, if you care to watch (literally) my work in progress, give you access to the said work. Just send me an email and I'll be glad to do so.

Just note, though... that I am not looking for critique... If you are so terribly good in writing, please go ahead and sign up for the nanowrimo yourself.... the 50k word count is enough stress for me... I could do without the criticism. Cheering on on the other hand is very welcome as well as any ideas you may wish to share which though in all likelihood will not be used, will be every bit appreciated.

So the plan in a nutshell.... send me your emails and lets all watch as this whole thing goes to hell in a hand-basket:)

Nano what? What nonsense....

So I have two days.... well, one and a half to be precise seeing as how today is almost done... before the start of that writing challenge that I signed up for.... for all the wrong reasons I may add. Actually, I take that back. I signed up because I recognized the contest from last year... and since I had signed up last year, I figured the reasons I had then were still as good this year. I am yet to recall what those reasons were... mostly for a lack of trying. I've been too busy trying to come up with a workable plot and trying not to think of the huge obstacles that are looming in the near future. I have not had much success in either. The plots have been many... almost always being generated by my plot generator during my regular plotting time... my morning shower. Due to too many of the previous nights having been late nights... and the consequential waking up late on the next mornings, my plotting times have been severely limited leading to stunted plot development and hence I have a lot of ugly half-plots lying around in my head.... If only I could gather them and form one albeit disjointed plot. Unfortunately, too many of them can hardly be recognized as plots. Couple that with the fact that the filing system in my brain needs a major overhaul.... and basically I am left with the sad realization that all I have for the contest is one long title and a bunch of naysayers that have taken residence in my head. Still, I have two.... no, one and a half days, to come up with a good story... forget good, a story, any story at this point will do.

Don't get me started on the obstacles.... I could be writing about those well into November, leaving me no time to focus on the contest.

Forget Obama...

I don't know about all y'all but come November 4th... Guess who I'll be voting for....

Change. And you can say that again.

I say its high time we got rid of this partisan politicking and went for a safe middle of the line candidate whose voting record in the Senate is beyond reproach. Who is yet to take a single dollar of public or lobbyist funding. Whose name does not automatically identify him to any particular race, sex or even religious group. And best of all... who is not afraid to blog and comment on your blogs.....

I hope y'all do right and vote for him.

Dying to live tomorrow; Living to die another day

That..... was the title of a post I started yesterday but only got as far as the title; which my muse took quite literally... and seriously... dying to live again today.

That, now, is the title of my novel.... well, will be. I, today, signed up for nanowrimo2008.... just like I did last year at around the same time. The idea behind it, if you be too lazy to click on the link, being to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days beginning Nov 1st. Now, if that doesn't sound like a fun challenge then I don't know what does.

Actually, sounding like it is as close as it comes to actually being fun. In reality, if you have ever tried to write under pressure, and if your muse is as lazy as mine is, then you know that this is actually quite a daunting challenge. I know from experience... well, maybe I shouldn't say that seeing as to how the last time I signed up for this thing I did not even get started. I actually forgot all about it and only remembered like on the 2nd day of December that I was supposed to have submitted an entry into some competition or the other.

Anyway, according to the 3rd of the three and a half tips the people at nonowrimo wanted me to have beforehand (and this is where y'all come in) I should let everybody I know (y'all qualify though I may not know some of you as well as I do others), know that I will be writing a novel in November. This, supposedly, will come in handy in week 2 when the only thing that will be keeping me from quitting is the fear of looking pathetic in front of all y'all. Apparently, the looming specter of personal humiliation is a very reliable muse.....

In all honesty, I will trade your unreliable muse for my drunken, depressed, down in the dumps one. Anytime....

So... please feel free to call or write and enquire as to how my novel is coming along.

Here is to the coming month of November.... may you all live to see the day I publish my first... Pls don't hold your breath

Hangin' with Cliff, out here in limbo

Sitting here in Limbo
Waiting for the tide to turn.
Yeah, now, sitting here in Limbo,
So many things I've got to learn.
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on.

Sitting here in Limbo
Waiting for the dice to roll.
Yeah, now, sitting here in Limbo,
Still got some time to search my soul.
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on.

I don't know where life will take me,
But I know where I have been.
I don't know what life will show me,
But I know what I have seen.
Tried my hand at love and friendship,
That is past and gone.
And now it's time to move along.

Sitting here in Limbo
Like a bird ain't got a song.
Yeah, I'm sitting here in Limbo
And I know it won't be long
'Til I make my getaway, now.
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on.

I don't know where life will take me,
But I know where I have been.
I don't know what life will show me,
But I know what I have seen.
Tried my hand at love and friendship,
That is past and gone.
And now it's time to move along.

Gonna lead me on now.
Meanwhile, they're putting up resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on.
Sitting in Limbo, Limbo, Limbo.
Sitting in Limbo, Limbo, Limbo.
Sitting in Limbo, Limbo, Limbo.
Meanwhile, they're putting up a resistance,
But I know that my faith will lead me on.
- Jimmy Cliff

Me... me... mee... meme me

Meme Schmeme

As copied from Beth's blog. She said there were no rules to it. I meant to change the words but lacked the mental energy to think of any. So here goes....


Accent: Yeah... I do have a sexy twang, if I may say so myself. I'm still working at rolling my mother tongue tongue around those r's. rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrret me reave this one arone. Next will be the ers.

Booze: I don't know who invented it but he must have been a genius; or she must have. I must say its been the best invention since sliced bread... or something like that.

Chore I Hate: Anything qualifying for a chore will bring out mixed emotions in me... and I'm not talking about joy n happiness. I am right now doing my laundry and I am hating it.

Dogs/Cats: I never quite understood how some cats go about calling each other 'dog'. "Sup dog"

Essential Electronics: Laptop; cellphone; laptop

Favorite Perfume/Cologne: Still looking to find it. I'll take suggestions.

Gold & Silver: Silver and Gold have I none.... Never had a thing for jewelry.

Hometown: Woosta - home away from home. Second largest city in Massachusetts yet it feels like a big small town; And I hate small towns.

Insomnia: Never heard of him...... or her; but trust me, I'm not losing any sleep over it.

Kids: Apparently none.... and I've checked. I even went as far as putting out classifieds in the local and un-local dailies. If you have reason to believe otherwise, please...

Living Arrangements: Temporally.... I mean, my landlord must know by now that I have no way of paying the six months worth of rent I owe him. It's only a matter of time.

Most Admired Trait: Wish I knew... I'd wear it more often. Come to think of it, I really don't know... I think all of mine are equally admired.... Or maybe I don't have none.

Neurotic Tendencies: Denial.

Overnight Hospital Stays: Once, when I was barely 3 yrs old. Don't remember much about it other than I got abused... yes, sexually. How else do I explain the nightmares with people in in lab coats... or the involuntary tightening of my sphincter muscles whenever I am in the vicinity of a hospital.

Phobia: None.... unless you want to insinuate that my fear of admitting that I am afraid is actually a phobia.

Quote: O.K. This was not a good idea..... You can quote me on that.

Religion: What can I say.... I've been searching for it in all the wrong places.

Siblings: One.... A brother, 8 yrs my junior.

Time I Usually Wake Up: Just before my alarm goes off... usually.

Unusual Talent: Evasion... It is only under special circumstances that this is considered a talent. I am right now hiding under those circumstances.

Vegetable I Refuse To Eat: None... A good testimony to my mother's gift of persuasion; or my aversion to pain.

Worst Habit: Procrastinating.... So badly so, I now even put off procrastination for another day.

X-Rays: What I wouldn't give for X-Ray Vision... I'll settle for the glasses.

Yummy Foods I Make: Well, are we talking me making them and they turning out to be yummy, or usually yummy foods that I do make? Sometimes... rarely I must admit, I do cook; even more rarely it actually turns out to be yummy.

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio.... I think.

Stuck in ambiguity

The clouds are hanging low... much lower than they usually do. It's not the lowest I've seen them... but it's mighty close. They are so low..... that they've obscured everything else; even the ever-recedeing horizon is not in sight. Dark... and heavy... Heavyset with gloom, filling the air with a sense of foreboding. The silver lining... if at all they have one... invisible, and while on occasion there are flashes of lightning, they serve more to blind than to illuminate.

************************

I do not care much for this place where I am. Nothing more would please me than to get the hell out of here; and yet I stay... but not by choice. A paralysis of the will has me immobilized. Perhaps, were you to look into my eyes... you might see the helplessness that has so overwhelmed me. I am pretty sure that not too deep inside them, the pain and the anguish I feel, are all too clearly reflected. The weariness engulfing me probably lines my face.... outlining in stark detail, the sense of utter defeat that I am right now feeling.