Outdoor Balance

The day did not begin well. Twenty minutes after I got up, I received a call from the Acme. Yes, they were calling me in. It was just 4 to 8, which meant I'd still get in most of what I wanted to do today. I wasn't crazy about the idea, but I said yes. I don't have a choice. I need to save up for my vacation and to have some money in reserve when I don't make any during the summer. (I never get decent hours between the Fourth of July and September. Everyone is either on vacation or busy with end or beginning of the school year events, and no one is around...or shopping. Which means I'm usually flat-out broke by October and November.)

I did yoga class earlier in the week than usual. I hate rushing, and I decided I'd rather get it done when I work at 4 than when I work at 1:30. The teacher was new. Cari was a replacement for the pregnant Vicki. She was nice enough, but she was also very fast, and her nasal voice wasn't very soothing. We concentrated on standing poses and knee openers. There was a lot I had trouble with. I wish I was more flexible.

For once, I did better at the Collingswood Library. There were three very tall stacks of DVDs that needed to be filed and shelved when I arrived. When I finally got those organized and put away, I turned around to find another stack! It was nice to actually be needed there for once. Plus, a lot of families were taking advantage of the decent weather to get the kiddies out of the house and to the library. I helped quite a few families find children's DVDs.

It was sunny, hazy, hot, and humid when I got out of the library. I decided, since it was hot anyway, why not eat outside? I bought a turkey hoagie, a bottle of water, and a pretzel from WaWa and rode out to Newton River Park. I settled down at a metal table about half-way to the playground and enjoyed my lunch and the view of the river.

There was a package waiting for me when I arrived home. My friend Lauren sent me the book Writing Fiction for Dummies from Barnes and Noble.com in the hope of helping me with my writing. I have a few problems with my writing for a career as of this second:

A. I can't seem to finish a story to save my life. I have at least two or three major Monkees fanfic I haven't gotten around to finishing because I lost interest. Same goes for fanfiction for Perfect Strangers and Remember WENN. I started a fantasy novel...and stopped after a chapter because I couldn't figure out how to continue and it all seemed too complicated. I started a novel on the Early Talkie movie era...and stopped after two chapters because I lost interest and couldn't figure out how to continue. I made an outline for a children's story...and lost interest. I get all these great ideas, but then I get interested in something else, and the last great idea gets put on the back burner...

B. I have no idea what to write, or what I can write. I mostly read children's action books and girls' classics, mysteries, action-thrillers, historic (non-romantic) fiction, and the occasional fantasy story. I can't seem to WRITE any of those except for maybe the kids' literature. I tried fantasy and mysteries with Lauren on the Bowery Boys and Monkees Dream World series stories, but we always seemed to trip over huge casts and plots that got too complicated for their own good.

C. I'm nervous as heck about the whole thing. The point isn't to be famous. I don't want to be famous. I don't like the spotlight. I just want to write, and maybe earn a little money from it. I just want to know one or two other people like it, too. I'm not terribly good with rejection, either.

I spent about an hour reading and resting. After I got up, I decided to keep myself awake by doing some actual moving. I'd put off spring cleaning for much too long. I finally gave the porch furniture (two plastic lawn chairs and a blue milk crate I use for a table) a good scrub. Since it was such a warm day, I scrubbed the indoor trash and recycling cans, too. I also gave my bike a quick scrub.

It usually takes me about a half-hour to do the outdoor cleaning. I don't really have much in the way of outdoor furniture to clean. Since I had some time left, I decided to go for a walk. I stopped at Doria's Deli for a Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi soda and had a chat with Mrs. Doria before I realized how late it was getting.

When I got in, I crocheted for a few minutes before packing up dinner, changing into my uniform, and heading to work. For once, they actually did need me. There were call-outs, and one of the teenage boys found a better job at Lowes and gave his two-week's notice a few days ago. We were busy and short of help all night, and I was tired and short-tempered. Several annoying customers didn't help. One older woman fussed at me to bag her bags light, after I was half-way through and her son said I could bag them heavy. Her son was the one bagging, not her. I didn't see HER making use of herself.

Coming home did not make me feel better. My internet's gone down twice for ten minutes in the past two hours, disrupting my time online. I did get the dishes done, but it's annoying. I think I might have some idea of why my Internet always goes down from mid-April to late May and from late August through mid-late October: that's when all of the college and high school students are at their peak usage. Mom gave me the idea when she told me about the constant internet disruptions they have in Erma during the summer because of the overflowing tourist traffic. I found myself wondering if my problem might be simple traffic overload.