Unstuck

I feel like I've been in a creative rut for months. Every project I start languishes half-done or barely begun. Most of the projects I dream up are never even started. I'm bursting with plans for things I want to accomplish, from finishing that baby blanket I started months ago to brushing up a few of my favorite arias to writing that novel I've been dreaming of (see previous post). And nothing gets done.

Friends, I vow to you, that is about to change. I'm not going to live a half-finished life, and I'm not going to look back in ten years and say, "What on Earth have I done for the last decade other than read blogs and watch TV?" That will not be me. I won't have it. And I won't let the obvious excuses (kids, work, general laziness) hold me back.

I make this resolution to you, Blogland. I will write that novel. I will sing. I will finish that baby blanket. And while I'm doing that, I will make time to go to the gym. It might take some organization and a stronger work ethic than I've ever in my entire life exhibited, but I will do it, so help me.

NaNoWriMo

I love the idea of National Novel Writing Month. I want to write a novel -- not just a novel, but the novel. The novel to end all novels. The Best Novel Ever. This has been a goal of mine since about 1986, and here I am, 20+ years later, with no novel.

So twice I've started the month of November all fired up and ready to write. I could blame my failures on a lot of things: my poor work ethic, my predisposition to distraction, my lack of interesting ideas, my overall inability to write a novel, whatever. But I choose to blame it on this: November. Who picked November as the best month for writing? It's jam-packed with holidays and holiday shopping, and it doesn't even have 31 days to its name (for maximum word-scribing time). The only worse choice would be December, or perhaps February.

So I reject November as National Novel Writing Month and say we take up a new month for that purpose. May would have been a good choice, but seeing as it's almost done, it doesn't do me much good NOW. I like the idea of July, seeing as it's coming up soon, but July is a good month for spending time outside, not cooped up in front of your computer screen agonizing over your deathless prose. The next best month: October. It's perfect. It meets my every criteria. It's a good indoor month, it has 31 days, and distractions caused by holidays are minimal.

So I hearby declare October Kelly's Novel Writing Month. Who's with me? Start planning your novel now!

Shoe Love

You all know I'm not the type to talk about fashion or shopping. Because, let's face it, I'm not qualified to do so. But I must show you my incredible new shoes, with which I am now totally in love. They are the most comfortable shoes ever made in the history of shoes. And so pretty!!

J-41 Aquarius, my new love

Cruising

I'm so excited about Dan's upcoming summer stint on board the Queen Mary 2! Dan landed himself a sweet gig as the second trumpeter for the luxury liner's summer season, so when he's not entertaining the passengers with his fine jazz stylings, he'll be enjoying the sights of England, France, Germany, and the Mediterranean. I can't even tell you in words how jealous I am. What do I have to do to get to spend the summer on a cruise ship?! Seriously.

Jazz fans, visit Dan's MySpace page and listen to his latest music tracks. That's some mighty fine playing, if you want my totally unbiased opinion.

Celebrity Endorsements: Don't think for yourself! Let Tom Hanks tell you who to vote for!

I think this is kind of awesome, because I'm fond of both Tom Hanks and Barack Obama.

Little Brother

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an advance reading copy of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. Despite a great deal of illness around here, I was totally sucked into this book, and I shamelessly neglected my sick children and overworked husband whenever possible to sneak in a few more pages. I managed to finish the book last night.

Little Brother gives us a blood-chilling peek into what life could be like after another major terrorist attack. In a near-future San Francisco, the Department of Homeland Security has run amok in its efforts to hunt down the bad guys. Countless innocents are caught up in the wide net cast by the DHS, and citizens are forced to choose between willingly giving up their civil right and liberties or fighting back and falling under DHS suspicion. Marcus (aka w1n5t0n aka m1k3y) is a 17-year-old techno-geek who fights back after spending several days being interrogated by the DHS for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In addition to gripping action, this book provides an eduction: You'll learn about techno-topics such as the paradox of the false positive and how cryptography works, and you'll pick up a little leet and learn about online gaming along the way. (I'm assuming that most of my usual readers aren't too familiar with these topics. Read the book anyway, because it's awesome and you'll pick up what you need to know along the way. And if you are already familiar with these topics, you'll love the book all the more, as I did.) You'll read about Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies, Jack Kerouac, and Allan Ginsberg. This book provides a great introduction to those topics for YA readers, and should be an enjoyable refresher course for us grown-ups.

If you know a tween/teenager who likes to read smart books, get this book. If you like to read smart books, get this book. (A warning for parents: I don't know how they classify "young adult" books these days, and was somewhat surprised that a book with such strong language, sexual content, and a downright terrifying plot gets that label. But I'm an old prude who's totally forgotten what it's like to be 13. And, if I think back, I recall that I was raiding my mom's stash of non-young-adult sci-fi and fantasy books when I was in second grade, so clearly I'm out of touch with my own youth.)

And in closing, let me say: Seriously. Read this book. It is important, enlightening, entertaining -- and let's hope it's not prophetic.

Blow by Blow

Here's how my day has gone.

Wake up at 4:50 am with Evie coughing up a storm and unable to go back to sleep, as has happened for the last three mornings.

Discover that the Internet connection is still down, even though it was "fixed" yesterday after being down all day.

Start making a shopping list for the baby shower that I'm hosting here tomorrow morning.

Decided that after three days of fever and coughing, and new complaints about painful ears, Evie needs to visit the doctor. Call office and, shock of shocks, get an appointment in just 45 minutes.

Rush around getting the girls ready to go.

Go, leaving Airan here to wait for the cable guy.

Arrive at the doctor's office. Evie is getting worse by the minute. After a thorough examination reveals no ear infection but instead possibly pneumonia, a barrage of tests is ordered.

Sophie jumps and prances and dances around the exam room, begging for attention.

After getting her finger pricked for a blood test, Evie pukes all over herself, me, and Hippo.

Sophie expresses jealousy when Evie gets a pulse oximeter test and she does not. Demands to be tested next. Is disappointed.

X-rays are ordered. Seeing as I can't so much take two almost-three-year-olds to the hospital by myself to get x-rays on one of them, I call Airan, who's stuck at home with the cable guy. A rendezvous is arranged, and the girls and I rush home.

While driving, call a baby-shower-going friend and engage her services to move the venue and inform all guests of the change in plans. (Thanks, Erika!)

The cable guy packs up his gear and leaves. We have Internet service! Hooray! Too bad we have to rush off to the hospital. We pull up, Airan jumps in the van with clean clothes for Evie in hand (all that puke, you know), and we head to the hospital.

Three out of four of us wait patiently in the radiology waiting room for Evie's turn to go in for x-rays. Sophie squirms, dances, yells, and demands a trip to see the hospital lobby's waterfall. She is obliged. The waiting room gets a lot quieter.

X-rays, round one. Evie is a trooper.

More waiting. Sophie and Airan return from their exploration of the hospital. Evie shares her new, hard-won stickers with Sophie. Those girls are so sweet. Evie nods off, and Sophie plays with crayons and runs a non-stop narrative, entertaining the whole room.

X-rays, round two. Evie takes it like a champ.

In the waiting room, Sophie sure is coughing a lot.

The verdict: Pneumonia is confirmed. No hospital stay is deemed necessary at this time, but an antibiotics onslaught is ordered.

Lunch at the hospital cafeteria. Those grilled-cheese sandwiches are like crack.

Off to the pharmacy/grocery store. For the second time since February, I try to fill an antibiotics prescription for Evie, only to discover that the pharmacy is all out. I need a new pharmacy.

Off to pharmacy #2. All prescriptions are secured.

Homeward bound.

Evie's medications are administered. Sophie still has quite a cough going on. Hmm.

Evie throws up again, on herself, me, Hippo, and the couch. Hippo is now in great need of a bath. (Let's face it -- we all are.)

Who'd have thought Evie could do this while battling pneumonia?

Seriously, I'm beginning to worry about Sophie's cough. Evie is holding steady, at least, and I have high hopes that the antibiotics are going to kick in fast. Cross your fingers.

The good news today: We were away from home for hours, and the newly diaperless twins didn't have a single accident, despite trials and tribulations. Huzzah!

Disapproval

So our president now has a 69% disapproval rating. Shocking, I know. Shocking that it took 7+ years of his inept, corrupt, disastrous leadership before 69% of Americans realized what a mess he's made. I'm just surprised that number isn't even higher.

Sederific

Many thanks to Brandi, Matt, and Sara for letting us partake in their awesome and overwhelming Passover celebration. Never before in all the many (many!) seders I've been to (what, three?) have the proceedings commenced and ended with the singing of "The Matzoh Show," sung to the tune of The Muppet Show theme. Those guys really know how to throw a party. Next year in Jerusalem!

Worst Person in the World?

Rob Sherman, enough already. Monique Davis apologized. Now it's your turn--for a real apology, not just a "Dr. King said it, so I can, too" tirade. If, as you claim, you were unaware that your word choice would be offensive (hard to believe, Mr. Sherman), then how hard is it for you to say, "Gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that would come across as racist. Let me extend my sincerest apology."

But no. Through your idiotic word choice and subsequent refusal to apologize, you have turned a much-needed discussion about religious tolerance into a racism controversy that just makes you look bad. Nice work, Mr. Sherman. Really nice.