July 9th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! It is going to be another hot and sunny day in Central, New Jersey, but it will only reach the high eighties today, instead of the nineties like the past few days.

Lys didn’t want me to say anything before, but now that it’s pretty much common knowledge around here, I think I can. She will not be returning to Champlain College in the fall. Vermont in the winter is just not her thing, and I can’t say I blame her. That, paired with not feeling challenged by her classes, made the decision to leave fairly easy.

For months now, we have been trying to get all of Lys’ paperwork transferred from Champlain to High Point University in North Carolina, and have had nothing but delays. It’s rather ironic, don’t you think, that they managed to delay things just long enough where she can no longer get her registration deposit and her housing deposit back? Conveniently, they will be keeping a thousand dollars, and if they keep dragging their feet, she is going to miss the deadline to get into High Point.

What, do they think if she missed the deadline, she’ll be forced to return to their school? News flash, it ain’t happening. I’d rather have her take a semester off then return to a school with less than honorable practices. I’m so frustrated at this point, partly because of what they are doing, but also because I was gullible enough to drink their Kool aide. Like my daughter, I had been so impressed by the school, only to find it was an illusion.

After a few hours of writing, then dealing with the college, I went to work. Thankfully it was a real easy day. RV knows Tuesdays are my crazy day, so we usually limit them to one appointment and no running around. I finished up early and was able to take a nap before I had to leave for my writing group.

We had a good group last night. Tamara, who is part of the critique group, showed up thinking it was critique night. She got her Tuesdays mixed up, but we convinced her to stay, since she was there anyway. There were two new girls, Calley & Jacquelyn, who are only in town for a few weeks. They are interning at Princeton University, and decided to spend their night off with us. The “regulars” were there, so it was good to see them, but then a member, who has been m.i.a. for several months, showed up. It was so nice to see Sue again, I only wish we had had more time to catch up.

When I left my writing group last night, and began my drive home, it started to monsoon. The wipers were on full tilt, and I was dodging debris as I inched along at an earthshattering ten miles per hour. The bolts of lightning piercing the night sky were impressive, frightening, but impressive. I was seriously concerned if I would make it home before a tree branch crashed through my car.

I was kicking myself for taking my usual back road route as opposed to going the slightly longer, but less tree filled, highway route. As soon as I crossed the border between Princeton and Montgomery, the rain subsided considerably. Then, when I crossed the border between Montgomery and my town, the roads were bone dry. Okay, I thought, I got ahead of the storm. Now I won’t get drenched getting from the car to the house, my only worry is not getting hit by lightning.

It was all good. I pulled in the driveway. I parked my car on the lawn instead of at the top of the driveway where it would have been under a tree – Princeton looked like a war zone, there were downed trees and branches everywhere, and the storm was headed our way. I gathered my things, and got into the house incident free.

I bring the dog out to be emptied this morning, expecting to see a holy mess, and all is as it should be. I doubt it even rained here last night, so now I’m thinking, dang, I should have watered the garden. It always amazes me when I’m on the edge of the storm line. Princeton is only twelve miles away. They got a deluge; we got nothing. 

Guess I need to water this morning, before the sun gets too high, which means I have to go out now.

I hope you have a great day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

“You can’t marry him/her!”

(The love of your life is about to marry someone else.)

Nicholas ~

I am writing you because, even after all these years, I still cannot find the courage to reveal to you, face to face, my true feelings. However, desperate times call for desperate measures; and the possibility of you marrying Margie is about as desperate as it gets, so I needed to start somewhere.

We have been the best of friends for over a decade now. We laugh together, cry together, and are the first person each other calls, when something important, or not so important, happens in our lives. Our families know and love each other.

We love each other, and have expressed it many times, but what I think you fail to see is that, not only do I love you, but I am in love with you. There, I said it. In plain English, so there can be no room for misinterpretation.

I couldn’t let you propose without knowing how I truly felt. If you feel the same, I’ll be on the park bench, at seven o’clock, on Saturday morning. You know which one.

~ Diana

Yeah, a prompt right up my alley. I even had time to go back and fix a booboo before my ten minutes were up.

Your Next Challenge is (from my writing group):

Use the following three: Parrot, Cerulean, Defenestrate (feel free to look it up, most of us didn’t know what it meant either)

You have ten 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.

August 12th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Happy Monday! We got a really late start yesterday, but we had several hours at the beach anyway. Yesterday was the lowest percentage of rain forecasted for this whole week, so we thought we should take advantage. Granted, the storms around here usually happen at night, but we didn’t want to take any chances. Sure enough, the storms did roll in, and they were wicked. Here’s a photo my youngest daughter took with her cell phone:

 

 

 

Surprisingly, I slept in late today. I was shocked to see it was after eight when I got up, but then again, I didn’t get to sleep until two this morning. I guess my sleep cycle is still a little messed up from Saturday.

 

Anyway, I’m sure most of my gang will be up shortly, and I really have to get more done on that editing project, so let’s get right to the challenges.

 

Have a wonderful day and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

So breathtakingly beautiful, so picturesque, I cannot believe this is the view I get to wake up to in the morning. I have always dreamed of coming here, even made it a goal as a twenty-fifth anniversary trip, but in the back of my mind, I didn’t really think I’d ever be able to afford it. Yet, here I am. Three glorious weeks lie ahead of me so I can take in the sites, frolic in the ocean and laze on the beach. Yes, there will be several days I need to work, but I don’t care, this is worth it.

I toss open the louver doors to the balcony off my bedroom and take my morning coffee with me so I can sit and just enjoy. There is an old man leading a laden burro up the path beneath where I sit. He waves to me and I wave back. In the courtyard of the house across the street, two women are chatting and laughing as they hang their clothes on the line. I wish I could understand what they were saying. Perhaps by the end of my trip I will be able to catch some of it.

 

I still hold out hope that someday I will be able to say this is a true story.

Your Next Challenge is:

 

Write a story using the following three words: Lobster, Plastic, Noise

 

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.