Summertime

Things I love about summer:

-The golden sunsets where the light stretches for miles over the fields.
-Fields and woods lit up with light as if it was a tropical wilderness.
-The corn two times as tall as me.
-Going on long walks with my nephews and niece and talking about the world, family, science, cars, and puppies.
-The smell of the grill lighting up when dinner is prepared.
-Running through the grass playing with the dog.
-The sound of the family laughing when we all hang out.
-The sweet smell of freshly mowed yards and the sound of distant mowers in the evening.
-Making every excuse possible just to stay up a little bit longer.
-The feeling of being content and happy with life, family, and everything else even though there are still troubles.
-Spending it with the best family ever :)

5 Off

I've been taking time off from writing lately because I sort of lost my inspiration to create a wonderful piece of work. I just wasn't able to get my usual emotion and spirit into my novels and, after years of writing, I knew it was best to take some time off and step away from the stories. Taking time off pretty much consists of reading through old stories, editing chapters, and reliving the excitement and contentment that writing once offered me.

I was reading through book 5 when I came across a part that was so emotional difficult that I actually teared up. Perhaps it was because I had been writing for ten years of the same characters and had to reread the part where one of my favorites passed away. Perhaps, it was just because somehow the chapter was just really well done and tapped into the inner emotions of people. Whatever the reason, I love that part in the book and it rekindled my desire to write and write again.

Unfortunately, work has been incredibly busy and life has been a fun roller-coaster so this week I didn't have time to write. When I finally sat down tonight with a few extra minutes, I was far too tired to write a chapter that demanded excitement and thrills. On the bright side, I was reading through my first book and found a calming, beautiful part that really struck my soul and broke through the recent struggles of life.

“The forest is full of so much life that we barely know what to do with it. We have only learned so much. There’s more than I can ever find out there. It’s a world apart from ours. Each night I sit at a campfire and live with the wilderness around me I feel like I’m reminded of how small I am. It’s like I’m reminded of what there is out there and what I can’t control or see. It’s scary and, yet, it’s calming.”

I'm not sure why this part affects me so much but I think it appeals to the fear I have of the unknown and, yet, the beauty it also offers.

Oh, Facebook

Sometimes, I really wonder what those app designers are thinking. I guess I should be more concerned with the lack thereof though.

Today's cuisine was yet again seafood. On the menu were crab legs, big scallops, and spinach. It was pretty tasty but the crab would have been far better if I had sea salt. Unfortunately, I had to survive with table salt instead. This is the second time I've made scallops on my own. The first time they felt like rubber and tasted even worse. This time, I was careful to slowly cook them and season them. A ton of butter (What's a delicious meal without clogging arteries?), salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder made them magnificent! Oh, and since my brother-in-law just can't stand it when I dip my foods -hamburger into the mayo, hot dog into ketchup, ect- I went ahead and put the dressing ON the salad. :)

Oh, and it was all topped off with a glass of Hawaiian Punch as is now customary with expensive meals.

5 On, 5 Off

So is my philosophy in life. 10 minutes standing around in my store at work, 10 minutes sitting on the bench. Make your bed one day, the next let it lie in a disaster. Last night, I touched grass and leaves with my hands. It's a huge deal for a germaphobe. I can barely touch a door handle. Today, in order to make up for touching leaves, I had to check every chip and every bite of my sandwich to make sure there wasn't dirt on them. I swear there was dust in my cup of Hawaiian Punch. Seriously, perhaps one day I'll actually find something and be able to say it was all worth it.

Until then, I'll just keep checking my cups and food for killer dirt.

Things I've Accomplished in the last 48 Hours

Raked Garden
Mowed Yard
Swept Sidewalks and Porches
Moved Bed, Bookshelf, Table, Entertainment Stand
Arranged Room to Liking
Bought Decorations for Room
Worked Over 12 Hours
Chugged a Giant Bottle of Gatorade

I hate technology. I was so excited to get Windows 7 that I barely considered the negative aspects of it. So when I got home to a house that has horrible, free internet from the city, I was shocked to find some of my music didn't work and I had no Microsoft Word program to write on. For a writer, this was like poison to my veins.

I basically had to surf the web and find Microsoft Word on a connection that spent literally 5 minutes loading one page. I eventually had to cave in and buy Word 2007 for 60$. So much for saving money...Anyway, I began to download it on the connection only to find that it would take 24+ hours to complete it. I went to work upset about it, frustrated because our internet and cable were out, and struggling through menstrual cramps from hell. Needless to say, work was not fun.

When I got home, it was only going to get worse. My stupid program had downloaded 3% in 5 hours. So I packed up my bags, headed across campus, and sat in the computer lab mooching their internet access. Even then, my computer decided this was the time to tell me it had no space on its C drive. So I panicked and had to clear up space from all over my damn computer just to have enough room for my cursed program. The program downloaded but then I accidently deleted an application that makes iTunes work so I had to redownload that.

By now it was 11:30 and lab was closing in 30 minutes. My emotions that day had gone from okay to tired to exhausted to frustrated to angry to upset to frantic to depressed. I went home and deleted more rubbish and finally was able to download all of Word and iTunes. I thought my problems with computers was done.

Only to find when I loaded a document that over 10 pages was missing.

I HATE computers. Now the damn scroll ability on my stupid touchpad mouse won't even work. I need a drink. Or a new computer. Or a hammer to take to the computer. God help me.

Dinner for Champions

Because of how busy I have been the last month, I've barely had the time, or the desire, or cook up wonderful meals. For a few weeks, I've been craving Mahi Mahi but because I go to the grocery after I get off work at 9, the meat market is always closed. Today, I made a trip to the store for a new shaver and stopped by the meat market to find Mahi Mahi and giant shelled prawns! Needless to say, I bought them both and cooked them after work.


I had to de-shell the prawns and marinade the fish for a few minutes but it was a pretty quick trip after that. I let it all fry in a pan, slow-cooking for half an hour so I didn't suck the juices out from the fish. I love my fish a tad crunchy and 'smokey' flavored but without a grill, I had to achieve it through steak seasoning. Fish is pretty good smoked like a steak though! I topped it off with some baby spinach, buttermilk ranch dressing, two raspberries, and a hefty cup of Hawaiian Punch.

All in all, it was pretty delicious and 100% organic!