Random Stuff

/ Tracy Abell

I just watched a great blue heron wading in the run-off pond near my house.  That’s what I want to be in my next life.  (Um, a heron, not a run-off pond).

The Bolder Boulder photographers just sent the link for me to check out my race day photos.  Yikes.  The photo of me running in the stadium toward the finish line shows one very tired woman.  Zippy had five photos taken of him and I’m in three of them, running behind him like some oxygen-deprived stalker.

The official race results are now available and I discovered my time was nine seconds faster than I thought.  Woo Hoo!  But even more exciting, out of the 448 44-year-old women in the race, I had the 26th fastest time. (Technically I’m 27th but one of the women is listed as “Steve” which Zippy insists is a mistake.  I pointed out there was a female character named Ralph on “Green Acres” but he insists that fact is not germane to the discussion).  Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by my race position and it took the sting out of getting a much slower time than I’d hoped for.

I’m trying to sort out plot issues for my middle-grade WIP but started feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities.  I was writing ideas, many of which were “maybe X does this because such-and-such…”, and I started to feel panicked by not having anything to hold onto.  So I started a THINGS I KNOW list.  I’m writing one-liners about story details I know for sure, and it’s helping me figure out what else I know.  Now I don’t feel like I’m drowning! 

Wildebeest had his last day of 7th grade on Wednesday and Zebu finishes 5th grade today.  We’re all quite happy putting this school year behind us.  We plan to celebrate tonight with some dinner and bowling.

This morning I went to the nearby tech school and bought a bunch of perennials from the student greenhouse which means I need to get outside and figure out where to put them in my various flower beds.  I bought two forget-me-not plants because they remind me of Alaska.  Now if only I could get a moose to come hang out in my yard………

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

 

44 thoughts on “Random Stuff”

    • The heron came back for a while and so I gazed some more. I could see his reflection in the water so it was doubly cool. Do you ever see them near your house? A neighbor has a goldfish pond and sometimes the heron come and eat the fish from there.
      We will enjoy that celebration. Thanks!

      Like

  4. I love your THINGS I KNOW list idea. I really could have used that a month ago and plan to use it from here on out. Thanks!
    THINGS I KNOW:
    1. Tracy is smart.
    And congrats on the race! 😀

    Like

    • I’m glad you like that list idea. I like to write longhand but discovered the THINGS I KNOW works best on the computer because I can add lines, move them around, etc. which helps keep my thoughts flowing in the same direction.
      Thanks for the congrats and “smart” remark (HA).

      Like

  5. I love your THINGS I KNOW list idea. I really could have used that a month ago and plan to use it from here on out. Thanks!
    THINGS I KNOW:
    1. Tracy is smart.
    And congrats on the race! 😀

    Like

  6. I love your THINGS I KNOW list idea. I really could have used that a month ago and plan to use it from here on out. Thanks!

    THINGS I KNOW:

    1. Tracy is smart.

    And congrats on the race! 😀

    Like

  7. Doesn’t matter what you looked like, nor does it matter what position you were ranked. All that matters is that you set a goal — physical, emotional, symbolic — and you accomplished it! You crossed the finish line, huzzah and hurray!
    I love learning about the Things You Know. 🙂

    Like

    • You’re so wise, Melodye. The whole experience is forcing me to think about things from a different perspective but some lessons take me longer than others. Ahem.
      And yes, THINGS I KNOW is a great tool to help easily-crazed writers maintain their sanity (or at least a semblance of sanity).

      Like

  8. Doesn’t matter what you looked like, nor does it matter what position you were ranked. All that matters is that you set a goal — physical, emotional, symbolic — and you accomplished it! You crossed the finish line, huzzah and hurray!
    I love learning about the Things You Know. 🙂

    Like

  9. Doesn’t matter what you looked like, nor does it matter what position you were ranked. All that matters is that you set a goal — physical, emotional, symbolic — and you accomplished it! You crossed the finish line, huzzah and hurray!

    I love learning about the Things You Know. 🙂

    Like

  10. The heron came back for a while and so I gazed some more. I could see his reflection in the water so it was doubly cool. Do you ever see them near your house? A neighbor has a goldfish pond and sometimes the heron come and eat the fish from there.
    We will enjoy that celebration. Thanks!

    Like

  11. The heron came back for a while and so I gazed some more. I could see his reflection in the water so it was doubly cool. Do you ever see them near your house? A neighbor has a goldfish pond and sometimes the heron come and eat the fish from there.

    We will enjoy that celebration. Thanks!

    Like

  12. I’m glad you like that list idea. I like to write longhand but discovered the THINGS I KNOW works best on the computer because I can add lines, move them around, etc. which helps keep my thoughts flowing in the same direction.
    Thanks for the congrats and “smart” remark (HA).

    Like

  13. I’m glad you like that list idea. I like to write longhand but discovered the THINGS I KNOW works best on the computer because I can add lines, move them around, etc. which helps keep my thoughts flowing in the same direction.

    Thanks for the congrats and “smart” remark (HA).

    Like

  14. You’re so wise, Melodye. The whole experience is forcing me to think about things from a different perspective but some lessons take me longer than others. Ahem.
    And yes, THINGS I KNOW is a great tool to help easily-crazed writers maintain their sanity (or at least a semblance of sanity).

    Like

  15. You’re so wise, Melodye. The whole experience is forcing me to think about things from a different perspective but some lessons take me longer than others. Ahem.

    And yes, THINGS I KNOW is a great tool to help easily-crazed writers maintain their sanity (or at least a semblance of sanity).

    Like

  16. Oh, herons are so majestic! Son and I watched one catching a fish last week, and the way it slowly waded through the pond was very zen-like.
    And I think the photo of a tired woman at the end of the race is proof of an amazing feat! Yay Tracy! 🙂

    Like

    • You’re so right about their zen-like movement. Maybe that’s why I watched for so long – because it calmed and centered me, too.
      Hey, you might have something there about the photo! Thanks, Lorraine.

      Like

  17. Oh, herons are so majestic! Son and I watched one catching a fish last week, and the way it slowly waded through the pond was very zen-like.
    And I think the photo of a tired woman at the end of the race is proof of an amazing feat! Yay Tracy! 🙂

    Like

  18. Oh, herons are so majestic! Son and I watched one catching a fish last week, and the way it slowly waded through the pond was very zen-like.

    And I think the photo of a tired woman at the end of the race is proof of an amazing feat! Yay Tracy! 🙂

    Like

    • Thanks for your kind words, Sarah. You might surprise yourself in that situation, though. From what I gather from your posts, you’re a woman with incredible endurance.

      Like

  24. How beautiful!!
    Glad you ran the race, and are still feeling good!!
    Sounds like you’ve moved past the unknown and are making your way into the heart of the mg. YAY! Nothing scarier than nothing substantial to grasp on to.
    I love moose!! My three fave mammals: moose, mountain lion, wolf
    My husband thinks I’m nuts, I used to try and pet the moose in NH.
    Have fun bowling with the kiddos!

    Like

    • “Nothing scarier than nothing substantial to grasp on to.” You’re so right about that!
      You tried petting moose?! Moose trampled and killed people every year we were in Alaska so I had a very health respect for them and about wet myself when I happened upon them eating the raspberry canes in my back yard. I also love mountain lions and wolves. 🙂
      Thanks for the good wishes, Ally. Have a great weekend.

      Like

  25. How beautiful!!
    Glad you ran the race, and are still feeling good!!
    Sounds like you’ve moved past the unknown and are making your way into the heart of the mg. YAY! Nothing scarier than nothing substantial to grasp on to.
    I love moose!! My three fave mammals: moose, mountain lion, wolf
    My husband thinks I’m nuts, I used to try and pet the moose in NH.
    Have fun bowling with the kiddos!

    Like

  26. How beautiful!!

    Glad you ran the race, and are still feeling good!!

    Sounds like you’ve moved past the unknown and are making your way into the heart of the mg. YAY! Nothing scarier than nothing substantial to grasp on to.

    I love moose!! My three fave mammals: moose, mountain lion, wolf

    My husband thinks I’m nuts, I used to try and pet the moose in NH.

    Have fun bowling with the kiddos!

    Like

  28. You’re so right about their zen-like movement. Maybe that’s why I watched for so long – because it calmed and centered me, too.
    Hey, you might have something there about the photo! Thanks, Lorraine.

    Like

  29. You’re so right about their zen-like movement. Maybe that’s why I watched for so long – because it calmed and centered me, too.

    Hey, you might have something there about the photo! Thanks, Lorraine.

    Like

  31. Thanks for your kind words, Sarah. You might surprise yourself in that situation, though. From what I gather from your posts, you’re a woman with incredible endurance.

    Like

  32. “Nothing scarier than nothing substantial to grasp on to.” You’re so right about that!
    You tried petting moose?! Moose trampled and killed people every year we were in Alaska so I had a very health respect for them and about wet myself when I happened upon them eating the raspberry canes in my back yard. I also love mountain lions and wolves. 🙂
    Thanks for the good wishes, Ally. Have a great weekend.

    Like

  33. “Nothing scarier than nothing substantial to grasp on to.” You’re so right about that!

    You tried petting moose?! Moose trampled and killed people every year we were in Alaska so I had a very health respect for them and about wet myself when I happened upon them eating the raspberry canes in my back yard. I also love mountain lions and wolves. 🙂

    Thanks for the good wishes, Ally. Have a great weekend.

    Like

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