Jaye's Musings

Well, here again for another New Year post of looking back at missed opportunities and lack of progress and making optimistic promises to myself (mainly) that will nonetheless fall by the wayside long before this new year is out.

Yes, that's the kind of mood I'm in.

( Last year's TLDR -- where I clearly had more to get off my chest than I thought )
My escape has been TV and being entertained with minimal effort from me. Recently, I've been rewatching "Once Upon a Time", which I haven't done since it first aired, and I've also enjoyed "The Boys" which is so messed up, it really appeals to me and I'm about halfway through "The Witcher" which I am loving. I tried "American Gods" as I liked (most) of the book and I like Ian McShane, but I just couldn't get into it, far too much style over substance for me.

So, with all that the thing I love doing -- writing -- has suffered tremendously. Even when I haven't been working or helping husband out with sorting his sister's estate or preparing for the Holidays myself, I've had very little to no brain power at all left for writing, either my standalone stuff or my collaborative writing...to which I have already apologized to my writing partner for. Indeed looking at my word counts for November and December, they are a very disappointing 3,800 and 1,200 respectively. I do admit I just completely gave up and didn't even bother for December.

Now for 2020, I hope to turn that around (although I haven't had much of a chance to get moving on that yet). My head is getting back into the mindset that it needs to be in, and I am in the processing of rereading some of our threads to just refresh my memory on things. So, beginning today, writing will be happening again! I'm also treating myself to a new laptop. My old one is almost 10 years old(!) and though it still works is slow and doesn't hold a charge. I do like my Chromebook, but it does have its limitations as well, one being that I don't care to save all my writing on Google Docs.

I also want to focus on doing more crafting. I have a couple of sewing projects I need to do and I really want to get better at crocheting -- I can do basic stitching but that's about it. And even knitting. My mum always tried to teach me when I was a kid, and I just couldn't get the hang of it, perhaps I can now. There is a fabric/yarn store near me that holds classes and perhaps one day they will have one on a day I'm not working! My health as well will be given more thought to, losing weight and getting some issues taken care of or at least managed.

Okay, so to summarize: More writing both RP and my own stuff, especially the everlasting novel! And to do more crafting stuffs

So for the good. I went and had a good work out this morning. 35 minute walk with a little bit of running mixed in (Go me!) and then weights. After coming back home for shower, I then went and saw Star Trek for a second time, by myself. It was the earliest showing, nice and quiet I thought to myself. There were maybe twenty people there, so why did one couple choose to sit right behind me, when their entire row was free? Not just that, but god knows what they were doing with their popcorn supersize bucket, bowling with it from the sound of it. Then there was the couple with their elderly parent(?) who settled in a couple of rows in front...fine. But then not more than ten minutes into the movie, they decide to move back two rows to mine and just a few seats down, and then the old biddy was asking for a running commentary throughout. It wasn't as if their original row was worse than mine, probably better. Well, at least no one's phone went off, so I should be thankful for small mercies.

And anyway, the main thing was that I enjoyed ST as much this time as I did the first time. Probably the best big screen movie I've seen since '300'. And I'm not even much of a Trekkie/Trekker.

So, I get home, and the TV doesn't work. WTF? It comes on for about 3 seconds and switches off again as if it's on the sleep timer...but it's not, and I can't disable that either. Oh well, telly is about 10 years old, and the picture quality has been getting noticeably worse, so I guess it's time for a new one. Great. At least it might give me a chance to catch up on my DVD watching.

And anyone getting notifs? I haven't had any since last night...so just wondering.

My high school, Northfields Upper School that at some point after I left became Northfields Technology College (but still a high school), is closing this August after 73 years.

It will reopen under a new admninistration, new funding, and a totally new name, All Saints Academy. WTF name is that? It's government funded, not parochial. They will also be tearing down some (if not all?) of the buildings...including one that dates back to the start of the school.

It is the passing of an era for me. While not my favourite place to be at the tine, I was fortunate enough to be there during the period that Northfields was undoubtedly the best high school in the district (out of 4). People in other zones fought to have their children go to there, including my own parents, and I was lucky enough to get a place. We had a nationally acclaimed school band (which I was not a part of). The period before and after I left, Northfields was the rough school (although I believe when it became a Technology College, it again improved), but those few years were a highlight in its history.

It is indeed a sad moment.

Busy getting the house tidy as we're having friends over for dinner later.

Yesterday the hubby and I drove down to Laguna Seca raceway to watch some motor racing (yay for military...got in for free!). It was really fun...not to hot thanks to the onshore breeze, and we did one of the listed "Things to do before you die" things....sit at the Corkscrew (probably the most thrilling 2 corners in motor racing...a sudden turn and steep downhill which corkscrews around). Anyhow, we're wandering around the paddock, and I see one driver that kind of looked familar, but not enough that I could say that's so-and-so. Later as I'm looking through the program I see his face again...it was actor Patrick Dempsey. I don't watch "Grey's Anatomy" and have really only just seen pictures of him about, so I'm not a fan...but still cool. Don't know if/where he finished in the race, as I hadn't taken note of his number at that point...except he didn't win or place.

Speaking of cool (rather or not)....weather WTF with being 100F AGAIN today here? It's frelling May!

Sis-in-law went home today, and life can return for what passes for normal at least for a couple of weeks. That said, just to let folks know that I won't be fully back until Monday, when I can have a little peace and quiet around the house. So I won't really get around to hitting tags or replying to emails until then. I have been home this past week, but playing tour guide for most of it, with only very short periods to grab online.

Thanks to you all for being so patient with me, seeing as I haven't really been around for almost a month, and I've been missing you with the pups driving me crazy with enforced silence.