I haz an ouchie
(Yes, I have to use the appropriate “an” in the title despite the meme reference and the use of “ouchie” as if it’s a real word. Go figure.)
So I broke myself. Well, not really my whole self, just part of me: my foot. My left foot. Wait, isn’t that a movie? Ah…digressing early in the blog post, I see! No matter; I shall press on.
So here’s what happened: I was on my way out the door–or rather, down the stairs–on Friday morning. Luckily the minty ninja (aka my seven-year-old) was behind me on the stairs so she escaped any sort of injury from my lack of gracefulness. Anyway, I was minding my own business and walking down the stairs (slowly!!). I really have no clue what happened next except that I was suddenly on my butt with my left foot underneath me.
The foot went numb immediately. That was right before it started hurting like hell.
It was sad.
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No, seriously. It was very sad.
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Um…yeah, that’s just disturbing…
Anyway, like the stubborn person I am, I thought, “No. I’m okay. I don’t have insurance. Surely it’s just sprained. If I just put some ice on it…”
Minty Ninja ran around helping me prepare her lunch, picking up the bags which had been dropped in the process of my fall–they’d unceremoniously been left right where they’d landed–and generally watching me with seven-year-old fear and concern. I mean, I’m Mommy. I’m freakin’ invincible. I’m supposed to take things like a man woman and always be fine.
In reality, I’m hobbling around the kitchen exclaiming “Oh God this hurts so bad!”
Anyway, I get her off to school and assure her that she doesn’t need to worry about me. “I’ll be fine,” I say. And she trusts me. Because really–even if I did break my foot–I clearly wasn’t dying (there were no tears, no blood).
As I began pulling out of the parking lot though, I found that I’d suddenly been overcome with this horrible rage. I wanted to yell at the kids who were yielding at the crosswalk to just get the hell out of the way. Other drivers clearly didn’t realize that they were on My Road and in My Way. I wanted to reach through the radio waves and strangle the DJ for being such and idiot…
And then the logical mind thought, “Maybe this isn’t the best way to go into the office. Maybe you should go to the ER.”
Which is what I did.
I called the other half of MW^2 to come meet me at said ER, and what did he do? Not only did he come to hold my hand, push my wheelchair around if needed, drive me home, and make me laugh the whole time, but he also brought me coffee. Glorious, wonderful coffee.
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Well, sure enough, I’d not only sprained the crap out of my ankle–I have pretty purple and yellow bruises now, thankyouverymuch!–but I’d broken two bones in my foot. Well, fractured is more like it. But STILL: They is broke.
So, I’m hobbling around the house, the office, and the world in general on a House-esque cane. (Note: if you pop prescription painkillers, hobble on a cane, and say things like “I don’t do happy,” people will start calling you House. Just a warning.)
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Heh.
Anyway, I’m trying to take it easy. For instance, I’m lunching in-office today and blogging to the world about my mishap. My foot is elevated and actually is the shape of a normal foot today, although “normal” feet don’t come in so many varying shades of black and blue…
The upside? Well, there’s really not one other than the fact that it could have been a TON worse. So, I’m going to count my blessings and keep on trucking! I should be good to go in about six weeks. Plan on more world-conquering then (or before…who are we kidding??).
*Also, I’m going to try and be a better blogger. I really need to update this more often. I’m going to find some blog prompts and ideas so we can interact more. Because I miss you, blog readers. Really I do.
Like this:
Busy, Busy, BUSY!
Yes, this is one of those this-is-what-I’m-doing-lately-and-I’m-going-to-pretend-you-care posts. I have a blog and I’m entitled to do this from time to time.
So I have been working as an editor, full-time, for a publishing company here in town (no, I’m not going to tell you which one) and although I love my job–I mean, come on! You give the writer a full-time gig with benefits and she’s going to be very happy–I find that I’m having to rearrange the time I use to write. I have to rethink my time management skills.
That being said, I’m reading a great book, Hit Lit: Cracking the Code of the Twentieth Century’s Biggest Bestsellers by James W. Hall, and I’m learning a ton! So much, in fact, that I’m holding off on pimping WAKE OF DARKNESS to publishers and I’m reconstructing parts of it, based upon the advice given by Hall.
It’s already an invaluable resource and I’m just into the first few chapters. Basically, this is me–as a writer–recommending it to you–you know, as a writer. It’s an easy read and is quite entertaining, actually.
So anyways, I’m working on WAKE based on the advice I’m gleaning from this book, and because WAKE is about vampire hunters (and agents are getting tired of the genre even though this one is TOTALLY different), I think I’m just going to publish it as an eBook, which is great thing for you readers, since I will certainly be running it on a free weekend sometime once it’s out.
TRANSMISSIONS FROM DATING LAND is still going strong and has done well so far, despite its limited audience–because really, not everyone is looking for a satirical date book.
Other projects in the works: I’m editing PRINCES, a great novella by my bf, otherwise known as MW2. We’re going to publish it as an eBook sometime soon.
Be sure to check out my tumblr account: http://brainybabe.tumblr.com/ which is just more of my silliness. I tend to jump on there during a lunch break or when I have just a couple of minutes to post something silly or quick. It’s fun.
I’m also thinking of constructing an anthology of short stories which will include some flash fiction from myself, perhaps a short story or two from MW2, and then an open call for some unpublished little ditties from some of my writer friends. That one would likely be a free eBook, with the intent to get the word out on some great writers out there who would otherwise not have a voice.
I’m also playing around with a new story, tentatively entitled SAIL. It’s a dieselpunk story with some interesting magical/superhero-type characters. I’m having fun twirling the characters around in my head and figuring out their back stories.
So in addition to all that, I’m apartment shopping and doing the working single mom thing; loving my bf more every day (yes, that was uber-mushy, get over it), enjoying life, and looking for the next awesome thing that will be coming along soon, whether it’s a new writing project, a project house, a fun trip, or whatever!
Like this:
More Character Development
Here’s another little scene with Jesse. He and Angel will apparently be hanging out together – they’re both slightly dark characters, but I think they’re going to be my favorites in SAIL (title subject to change).
Jesse’s reflection stared back at him through the tobacco colored grime. He pulled the hammer back on the revolver and aimed it at the duplication of his face. The eyes that stared back at him were flat; without emotion.
Angel sat at the table nearby, polishing something as she watched him with little more than passive interest. Her eyes shifted to me and then flashed back to Jesse half a second after he pulled the trigger. The hammer hit against the empty chamber as a hint of a smirk played at the reflection.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Angel looked back at the piece of brass in her hand. She held it up to the light, where it caught the sun. She glanced between me and Jesse, who stood a few feet away.
His eyes met mine in the mirror before he pulled the trigger at his reflection again. Again, the hammer hit the empty chamber with a click. He didn’t flinch.
“Seriously, man, what are you doing?” I asked again.
“If you can shoot yourself,” he said, rolling through another empty chamber, “you can shoot anyone.” He pulled the trigger again, hitting the fourth empty chamber. Still, he didn’t flinch.
I exchanged a look with Angel and then looked at Jesse again.
“If you can’t shoot yourself,” he continued, pulling the hammer back again, ready to pull the trigger of the six-shooter for the fifth time, “then…”
The hammer pulled back and made purchase with the one loaded round, firing the revolver. The spark of gunpowder was quickly followed by the recoil of the gun – of course I was probably the only one to see it. The bullet left the barrel at the exact moment that Angel dropped what she was holding in her hand. The piece of brass hit the table and was on its ricochet off the tabletop when Jesse’s bullet shattered the glass, sending shards, large and small, hurtling through the air.
He didn’t flinch as the shards rained down around him.
Standing tall and straight as an oak, he said: “Then, you have no business pointing one of these at anyone else.”
Like this:
A Poem
your tower on the horizon,
lit
and our worlds – spinning,
spinning, spinning, spinning,
spinning around
and up and down
and behind and above
and below,
spinning on and on
and before and beyond
always spinning
until we collide
and combust
and split in two,
just to form
something new
on the horizon it sits
in the dusty morn
and the gathering gloom
like a beacon
your tower on the horizon,
lit
above it all,
but still on the ground
and the metaphors keep spilling
and running
and turning
and changing
and evolving
and staying the same
always the same
in the still evening
and in the bright sun
the shadows dance
below your tower
and no one knows
but us
how the worlds keep spinning,
spinning, spinning, spinning,
spinning around and around
and up and away
and down and inside
behind and above
on and on
before
beyond
and we’re the only ones who know
who’s going to let go
and it won’t be you
and it shan’t be me
but the spinning -
it clears the room
it clears the horizon,
from the gathering gloom
and the stars dance
as the worlds collide
as we burst into flames
immortal…
