April 4th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Greeting on a rainy day, but hey, at least it’s Friday right?

Sorry I was MIA yesterday, but after only fifteen minutes or so on the internet, my computer rebooted itself. After that, I couldn’t get back. First it was saying it couldn’t connect to the proxy server, which I have confirmed we do not have, then my husband got it switched back to LAN, but it still wouldn’t connect, and he had to leave for work. So there I was, stuck all day with no internet access. (Well, not really all day, because I worked from 11:30 – 4:30, so I didn’t need it then.) Hubby got it fixed last night, but I was too tired to deal with the computer by then.

Since I was unable to post my blog yesterday, I have included it at the bottom of this short post. I will not be posting a new writing challenge, since you haven’t had time to respond to yesterday’s challenge yet.

So lickety split, here are my updates: Dani’s still sick but getting better, love working for RV, have to get to the store at some point today to pick up supplies for the Progressive Dinner (I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow), have to straighten up the house because we are having company two days in a row.

Okay, this post is way too long, since it’s two days’ worth, so I should wrap it up. I hope you have a glorious day, and happy writing.

Hi, it’s Christina -

Happy Thursday! Is it just me, or is this week flying by?

Today marks day four of Dani being home from school. It appears she has contracted that norovirus which is plaguing the schools right now. A huge percentage of kids are out sick. So many, in fact, it warranted an instant alert message. The notice was very specific in telling us our children needed to be symptom free, for two days, before they would be allowed back into the school. This does however put me in a bit of a quandary. Usually, a week’s absence from school would require a doctor’s note, but honestly, I don’t feel, with this ailment, the doctor can do anything. It simply needs to run its course. Hopefully the powers that be realize this, and won’t hold the lack of a doctor’s note against her.

I feel so bad for Dani. She’s feeling absolutely miserable. I also feel guilty, because she needs comforting hugs from me, which I readily give; but when I’m done, I immediately go and wash my hands. The last thing I need right now is to get sick, and I certainly do not need to bring any bug over to RV! She has enough to contend with without being sick on top of it.

Okay, I’m not exactly sure when this will actually get posted because I’m having connectivity issues this morning. I keep getting an error message saying my proxy server is down. To the best of my knowledge, I don’t have a “proxy server”. I’m going to have my husband take a look when he wakes up.

In the interim, I will use the time wisely, and work on Faerie Tale Queen. I hope y’all have a great day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

You’re stuck in an elevator…

Oh S#$T! Lights! Aren’t there supposed to be emergency lights? Emergency lights always come on when this happens on TV. Maybe it takes a few seconds. Oh God. Take a breath. Please start, please start, please start. S#$T!  S#$T!  S#$T! Damn TV, guess those are camera lights, not emergency generator lights.

People are starting to talk. Okay, who’s on the elevator with me. Crap, I was too busy checking my phone to notice. Close your eyes and think. What are you closing your eyes for? It’s pitch black in here. Knock it off and focus. Okay, okay, okay, I remember seeing Mabel. Mothers Always Bring Extra Love. OMG, will you focus? OK, Mabel, Mr. Harris’ secretary, but she’s tiny. Who else? Two starched suits from twelve, don’t know their names, but I’ve seen them around. They could be useful. There were two more. Think, think, think. Jim from Marketing. He’s pretty buff. Oh no! That creepy guy from the Print Pool is in here too. He was in the back corner. Let’s hope he stays there.

Alarm! Every elevator has an alarm. Where is it? Where is it? Need to stop my hands from shaking. Just don’t hit the wrong button genius. S#$T! that was loud. Loud is good, right? Should I hit it again?

OMG, it’s getting hard to breathe. What if we run out of oxygen before they can rescue us? Don’t be an ass, that won’t happen. Just breathe, slow measured breaths. Panic won’t solve anything. There, that’s better, in and out, nice and slow.

Could you tell, getting trapped in an elevator is one of my phobias?

Your Next Challenge is (random quote, chosen from a random page, from a random book on my shelf – closed my eyes, reached in, grabbed one, opened to a page, pointed, and opened my eyes – then found the closest dialogue):

Write your own story around the following – “Get out of your wet things and into those. Don’t worry, you’ll be decently covered.” (KayHooper, Enemy Mine)

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

April 2nd Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Even though yesterday was lovely, thanks to all of you making it so, today has started off with frustration. Last night I kept receiving pop-up saying my Google Chrome needed to be updated. I tried to shoo off the pop-ups, because I was tired and really not in the mood to deal with an install, but then I couldn’t post any comments, nor could I search for anything. So, I relented.

What a mistake that was! This morning I couldn’t get on email, a zillion more pop-up appeared, my computer was running as slow as molasses, all my screens had changed, and there were all these new icons and search engine buttons everywhere. I was NOT a happy camper.

I am happy to say, eleven uninstalls and computer reboots later, I am up and running again, and imagine this, Google Chrome is running just fine now that I UNINSTALLED their latest update. One of the programs was stupid enough to ask why I was uninstalling it from my computer. Let’s just say my reply contained the words “pissed”, “BS”, “unethical”, and “punishment”, and we’ll leave it at that. I wasted two hours when I could have been writing. To say I was annoyed would have been a gross understatement, and I let my poison pen fly, unchecked.

I’m getting worked up again just thinking about it, and that is defeating my purpose in writing the blog. I wanted the blog to calm me down enough to be able to get at least an hour’s worth of writing done on Faerie Tale Queen, before I had to get ready for work. I think I’m going to have to hold off on FTQ until I come home from work.

Work yesterday went well. I brought RV to a doctor’s appointment, helped her get dinner ready, did some light cleaning for her, and even helped her (and her daughter) pull off an April Fool’s prank on her husband. Hopefully he wasn’t too annoyed when he found his TV remote hermetically sealed in plastic wrap, and the batteries sitting next to it. Guess I’ll find out if I still have a job when I get there today. J

Okay, I should go. I hope y’all have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

Oh No! Not again…

Oh for the love of Mike! I can’t believe this is happening again. How is it I always seem to manage at least two catastrophes at the same time? Not one, but two flat tires; keys get locked in the car while it’s running, and then the car runs out of gas; late for an appointment, heel of my shoe breaks and it starts to pour. It’s always something. Not to sound cliché, but I’d swear, if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.

I should have known better than to try and pull off a surprise party. I should have known some sort of calamity would have befallen the day, but, even in my wildest imagination, I could not have predicted what had happened.

Things were going smoothly. I should have taken that as a warning, but I was too excited. We had just placed all the food on the tables, every last guest had arrived, and the guest of honor was due to arrive in fifteen minutes. I was able to take a breath, and spend a few minutes chatting with friends before I was “on duty” again. It was so nice… while it lasted.

Suddenly, I hear a shriek from one of the guests, and then a scene began to unfold which would have made Alfred Hitchcock shiver. The food table was being plundered by crows. The first two or three that landed were shooed away by guests, but then more came, and more. Soon there were hundreds of squawking beasts everywhere, and they were no longer limiting themselves to the food table. They were on the lawn, on the chairs, dive bombing guests. People were running, screaming, and ducking for cover. In the commotion, candles were knocked over, and the festive decorations were now ablaze.

I put my hands over my eyes, drag them up to my scalp, and give my hair a good tug in frustration. As I turn my back to the mayhem, I spot the guest of honor, standing at the edge of the lawn, mouth agape; and all I can think is, Oh no! Not again…

Your Next Challenge is:

You’re stuck in an elevator…

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.