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Thoughts and Horrid Hormones November 9, 2006

Posted by Jen in : Journal, Novel, Writing Bits , 5 comments

It’s early. I decided that today would be the day I started getting up early to make headway on my novel. I managed last week to justify my lack of actual typing of words (to thus improve word count) by the fact that I’d actually Had Some Thoughts. Clearly these are not going to carry me through for very long. Perhaps I need to have more thoughts? How many ideas or thoughts does a person need to have every day, I wonder?

I mean, I obviously have lots of thoughts. But the number of thoughts far outweigh the amount of control I have over my brain. This equates to the the sad truth that most of my thoughts are either:

a - Complete Random Rubbish

b - Very Clever Thoughts but About the Wrong Things

You can see my dilemma.

And now, trying to chase my thoughts around the room and rearrange them into a pretty pattern, my tea has gone cold. And I can’t bloomin well write anything without tea, can I? It’s a very tricky business, this writing malarkey.

Oh and I think I may be hormonal. Am planning to adopt an ‘every silver lining has a cloud’ mentality today. Not a good day to have my yearly appraisal at work. Should there be a lack of posts hereafter, you can assume that I have been arrested for running amok and stapling my boss to my desk.

Now there’s a thought.

I Give Up November 5, 2006

Posted by Jen in : Writing Bits , add a comment

One of the traditions I’ve tried to hang onto over the years has been a ‘Sunday Family Evening’. Various themes have come and gone, including ‘Monarch of the Glen’ (”aw, me wee kilt”) and Steve Irwin, the crocodile guy.

As the boys got older, the veering away from Simpsons and Futurama in favour of natural history documentaries has, admittedly, become more tricky. I want them, just for an hour a week, to watch, you know, edumacational stuff. They humoured me tonight.

“Go on Mitzy,” they smiled beguilingly. “You pour another glass of wine and we’ll find a suitable animal programme we can all enjoy.”

Aw, I love my kids, I thought.

And what are we watching, you may be wondering? Intellect at its best…

Carry On Follow That Camel.

And I’m laughing. Even though Sid James isn’t in it.

Let this be a warning to you. Don’t have children. You will end up like me… seriously. I was ok once, really.

Pass the vino? Someone? Please????

Mechanical Misery and Other Woes November 2, 2006

Posted by Jen in : Journal , 2 comments

So. My poor old car has suffered yet another setback and has been ‘customised’ further. Not scraped, nor mangled, merely ‘customised’. I could tolerate the funny noises it made to herald my arrival in the village centre but, when the door flung itself open on the way to school this morning and stubbornly refused to shut, I really did feel a tad peeved.

Abandoning the journey and heading back home with Number 1 Son hanging grimly onto said door for dear life, I admitted defeat. Oh, the shame. Taking half the car side off with the help of a granite pillar perhaps wasn’t as trivial as I’d imagined.

“And the missing bumper?” asked the blokey mechanic, archly.

“Oh, should there be another bit there?” I replied innocently. Feigned gormlessness is clearly the way to go with Car Matters. Ok, so there had been ‘other incidents’. How churlish of him to bring up the subject.

It was, rather harshly I thought, suggested some time ago that there would only be one way I’d know if my car had been taken by joy riders and trashed: it would be parked better when I found it. Yes. Harsh, I know. I did tell you.

In other news… I caught Number 1 Son hastily scribbling down an unknown telephone number last night. Suspicious, I thought. As is always the way, I wish I hadn’t asked who the number might be for.

“Oh, it’s the number for the next series of Wife Swap. I thought we could trade you in for a couple of weeks.”

Oh good.

Woolly Pants November 1, 2006

Posted by Jen in : Journal , add a comment

I really love this crispy winter weather. It does have its drawbacks, of course. During the summer, I could pretend that I hadn’t put on weight at all - I had merely expanded in the heat.

The girlies in my new improved office today cranked up the heating to ‘totally tropical’ as the cold snap… erm… snapped. Happily, my desk is situated beneath a broken skylight thing which is permanently cranked open allowing an icy wind to blow. It’s cold and windy, just like being in the park. This obviously led to discussions on winter attire and the potential benefits and/or drawbacks of:

a) Knitted knickers: guaranteed to tickle your fancy but prone to sagginess in times of incontinence (or, indeed, incompetence)

b) Thermal Thongs: warm, streamlined but a bugger for making you sound as if you have a lisp when you ask for them in M&S

It’s tough being a grown up.