Wednesday Whine: This n That

After several weeks of holiday cheer, I’m ready to cut back a little. Anyone willing to settle for a light beer this Wednesday evening?

My husband frowns when I drink light beer. He says it’s a sissy beer, that it’s basically water and yellow food coloring. The man’s a purist! Well, given my druthers, I’d much rather have a glass of wine, but perhaps it’s time to watch the calories – even if it’s just for this Wednesday.

So, here we are, the first Wednesday into the new year. How are those resolutions holding up?

Many people have given up making them and I can understand why. Watching resolutions fall by the wayside after a few weeks gets tiresome. Especially those that are perennial favorites: losing those extra pounds that stubbornly refuse to budge; working out every day, come hell or high water; tracking your word count; committing to reading a certain number of books. Ahem! Just to name a few…

As weeks go by, resolutions become less motivating and more guilt inducing.

Still, there is something about a new year that is invigorating. We think that this is the year things will be different. We human beings are such optimists!

If you’re the resolving type, let me know how yours are going. I’m holding to most of mine – so far!

Last year I made a resolution to track word count. That lasted about three months. A lot of my writing undergoes significant revision. When I was writing a lot of five-hundred word stories, my first drafts always ended up two- to four-hundred words above the word count. Then I had to figure out what to excise while still keeping intact the heart of the story. I agonized over the amount of time spent on revisions, and whether or even how to account for them on my spreadsheet. I was spending time writing and revising stories and projects… how do you track that?

I came up with an arbitrary formula, used it for a while, but never felt good about it. It was making me crazy! So I jettisoned the formula. I also jettisoned tracking word count. In the end, I figure if I’m posting on my blog and writing almost daily, that’s good enough. After all, I’m a writer – not an accountant!

So that was a failed resolution for 2014, and one that didn’t make the list for 2015.

As for the extra pounds, let’s not talk too much about that. Let’s just say that the pesky ‘eat less / exercise more’ resolution continues to be ‘an oldie but a goodie,’ as they say in the music industry.

One resolution I did keep was to read forty books in 2014. Actually, I read more than forty. In addition to completing my Goodreads’ challenge, I also read manuscripts from two fellow bloggers who are authors. I was honored both authors asked me to read their work, and I’m looking forward to seeing the manuscripts in published form.

The Goodreads’ challenge was such fun that I’ve upped the number of books I’ll read in 2015. If any of you are on Goodreads, please look me for me. I’d love to be friends with you! I’m always interested in what others are reading. And authors, I’m especially interested in what you’re reading and writing – so, don’t be a stranger.

As for New Year’s Eve, we had a quiet dinner at a restaurant. Then we came home to the sound of fireworks, and general chaos as our dachshunds went crazy at the sounds made by revelers. They loved it – it offered them an excuse to run about the house in a barking frenzy.

This past Saturday night, Ravens fans had the pleasure of watching their team defeat the fearsome Pittsburgh Steelers. Nothing is more fun than watching a match-up between these two teams, and the rivalry between Baltimore and Pittsburgh is one of the best in the country. I must admit, I didn’t think my boys in purple were going to defeat the Steelers, a team that seemed to have a lot of momentum.

But miracles happen! The Ravens played very well. And, now it’s on to New England! Please indulge a former Baltimore native this one time as she enthusiastically shouts: GO RAVENS!

On Tuesday, we experienced our first all-day snow event for 2015. The temperatures were below freezing and the snow was wet and heavy. Even so, we only received about three inches of the stuff. Just enough to make driving hazardous, especially in the morning. Winter – I am so not a fan. Give me sandy beaches and sunshine – how did I end up in Pennsylvania?

About the only members of my household who actually enjoy winter are my dogs. They love snow. What could be more fun than rolling around in it, and then tracking it inside the house? This sort of behavior from animals who hate going outside when it’s raining puzzles me. Why is snow so different?

It will take more than one light beer for me to figure that one out. Instead, perhaps I better get to work on those extra pounds I mentioned earlier. I hope I can still find the treadmill. It’s sitting somewhere in the basement… buried under cartons of old books – not to mention cobwebs.