Still working on it...

This barn is driving me nuts!  I've got a couple of scattered ideas floating around for it, but nothing solid yet, and it's frustrating.  Of course, today was a crazy day, and I didn't do much writing.  I did, however, make meals to last most of the week, and I finished making a set of curtains, and I finished up all of the yarn that I had for my newest crochet project (it's going to be a warm-up sweater and matching legwarmers in green, aqua, and pink).  So now I've got to get back to some older projects... Charlotte's blanket needs to get finished!!  And my sweater-turned-pillow cover is also up for finishing.  

Ugh.  That paragraph sucked.  Clearly, I'm not in a coherent writing mindset tonight.  But I'm still percolating with that barn... I need my baby name books, I think.  Once the MC has a name, stories tend to flow better for me.  Guess I'll have to dig the books out!

What, no number?

Nope, today's post has not been sponsored by a number!  Bwahahaha!  Just when you thought you might have figured me out... I change!

Anyways.

I'm posting early tonight, and that's throwing me off a bit.  But I'm having people over, and that always screws with the bedtime blogging, because bedtime is VERY late most of those nights.  

I've been thinking about the picture that I've been given to write about (thanks, V!), and I've got some ideas... but most of them have turned into a Harlequin-style romance!  Although I suppose that's not a bad thing, necessarily.  In any case, while I'm not writing fiction today, I am pondering it, and you should expect to see something about this barn in the next week or so.  I'm carrying a notebook around with me, to catch any stray ideas!

Bikes and more

One is the loneliest number...

I've been thinking about motorcycles a lot lately.  Well, it's more that they've come up in conversation a lot lately (even got to hear about a doctor who keeps his in his kitchen the other day while in surgery!), and I've started to wonder about the differences in terms.

There's motorcycles, bikes, crotch-rockets and dozens of other terms for what I thought was all the same thing.  Wait!  Don't hit me!  I know there's some sort of difference, but it just never mattered to me before because I didn't know anyone who used any of these words on a regular basis!  It'd be like someone who didn't dance thinking that pointe shoes, character shoes, ballet slippers, jazz shoes, half-soles, jazz sneakers, or teaching shoes were all just 'dance shoes.'  I won't get all excited about that if you promise not to beat me for not knowing about motorcycle-y things!

In any case, I decided to go and do some research (because that's what I do when I don't know stuff)...

Wikipedia defines a motorcycle as "a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. "  Okay.  It also lists "bike" as a synonym for "motorcycle."  But go check out that article - there are three major types of motorcycle!  Cruisers, scooters, sportbikes, and mopeds are all types of street bike.  Off-road bikes include motocross and dirtbikes, and dual-purpose bikes have a combination of features.

But it turns out that you can also classify motorcycles based on the position of the rider - sport (leaning forward), standard (leaning slightly forward), or cruiser (slightly reclined).  Hey!  Cruisers!  Those are what they build a lot of on American Chopper, right?

I google "crotch rocket" (because that's what the doctor rides), and discovered that it refers to a type of sport bike.  I also discovered (looking at the pictures) that what I think of when someone says "motorcycle" is definitely NOT a crotch rocket.  I think they look a lot more safe, though, and if I were inclined to try a motorcycle, that's probably what I'd look at.  (Don't look at me like that, Mom!  I said IF!)

So there you go!  I went, I looked, I learned.  And now you've learned too!  (Unless you already knew.  In which case, you got a brief review session.)

Bellatrix breaks me

Today's blog is brought to you by the number 8.

I have had a long day.  Most days that I go to work are long days, so I shouldn't be surprised.

I may have to break one of my resolutions, and that's sad... I don't think there's any way that I'll be able to finish any of my current knitting/crochet projects in time to make the fishnets for Chicago.  :(  And on an even sadder note, I'm going to have to rip out the sweater that I'm working on, because I just don't have enough yarn to finish it.  That makes me very sad.  I love the yarn, but I got it on clearance about four years ago, and there just isn't any more of it around.  I've actually started about three different patterns with it, and I've run into the same problem every time.

Wait!  I just had a thought!  I love the yarn, I love the stitch, and so far, there's not any shaping done... I can make it into a pillow!  Sweet!  I don't have to rip it out!  And then I don't have that same damn yarn cluttering up my stash!  Whoopee!  Hotcha!  Jazzzzzzzz!

Can you tell I've been at a Chicago rehearsal?

Big ugly thing

Tonight's blog is brought to you by the number three.

I've got three big-ass bruises.  Okay, they're not all that big-ass.   But one is definitely butt-ugly right now.  This one is on the back of my right hand, at the base of my thumb.  I noticed it on Saturday, but I don't know how I got it.  It's currently about an inch long, and half an inch wide, with a dark burgundy outer rim, and some yellowish tinge to the center.  Ick.

The second bruise is on my right middle finger.  This one I got smacking my finger into one of the handrails at MTC while carrying a box on Monday night.  It's small, about a quarter-inch diameter, and pinkish-purple.

Bruise number three is just below my right wrist.  It appears to be the oldest of the three, as it hurts less, and has a funky brownish colour.  Again, I don't know what I did.

And that's the story for today.

Food?

Sweet pickled cheesecake covered in orange salsa.  That is all.

Actually, no, that's not all, but that's all I need to say on the subject tonight.

In other news, my dog has learned a new trick (mostly).  We've been working on 'touch' - she touches my hand with her nose.  She's doing it about 90% of the time now, as long as my hand is near face-level for her.  Next week, we're gonna move the hand higher and see how she does.  I'm so proud of my baby!

And in other news, an update on my resolutions:

- Blog every day.  Check! 146 days and counting!

- Finish at least two craft projects before I start on a new one.  Check!  I've finished three projects, so I started a new one... once I finish one more, I'm allowed to start another... which is good, since I need to get started on costume bits for Chicago.  I'm making my own fishnet thigh-highs ;)

- Lose 20 lb.  Check!  Down 6 so far!

- Get in better shape.  Check!  I've been exercising lately, and while I plan to stop doing aerobics for the next seven weeks, it's because I'm going to be dancing in a show, so it balances out.

- Read more.  Check!  I've read 12 books so far this year, which isn't bad, considering that I've been at the theatre almost nightly since, well, the year started.

Thunderstorms

I kind of like thunderstorms.  Mostly.  

What I don't like is when they repeatedly knock out my power.  Now I know we've been in drought conditions for, like, forever, but did we really have to make up for it all in one week?   Seriously, every day that it's rained this week, I've come home to find my clocks flashing and my tv's unprogrammed.  I fix it all, and then next day, same thing.  

*sigh*

At least my watch doesn't get plugged in.