An 11 year old, LaDarius Wylie lunged and pushed his little 7-year old sister out of the way of an errant car while waiting at the bus stop. The car hit him instead. He died.
He always took care of his sister, his family later said.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Or his family.
I thought this story needed at least one more mention.
NaNoWriMo: 8,926/50,000
Day 256
Hey Kids,
It was the first snow that I’ve seen on the ground this season.
It wasn’t a lot but it was sticking and building up.
First Snow on the Ground
But then it stopped and the weather and the temperatures were just too warm to allow the accumulation to build. Winter, however, is at the door.
I know that it might sound normal to everyone else, but I’m amazed that by the simple tilt of the earth, or changing the angle with which the sun’s rays hit our neighborhood, the same place can be 100°or it can be 0°.
I think I might ponder this more than the normal Joe because I’m out in the weather every day on the motorcycle. The same roads I travel, I either sweat like crazy or I shiver like an aspen leaf when the wind blows.
We live in such a fragile state. If we were any closer to the sun, we’d be toast. Move us just a little bit away and we’re popsicles.
Our existence as humans is so sensitive to so little elevation variation. Our planet has crushing depths we cannot attain as well as mountain heights we cannot endure.
We cannot survive without our clothes and our coats. We have no fangs for hunting. No claws for fighting. We are not the physical apex animal, nor can we effectively swim or travel on foot.
For such an average, unarmed, and weak organism; we sure have done well for ourselves.
NaNoWriMo: 8,926/50,000
Day 255
Hey Kids,
Hit the gym this morning.
It felt good.
I asked my sweetie how come when it feels so good, do we resist and not go to the gym?
We have no answer.
Cold is now settling in. The ride to work had a number starting in the 30’s; 36 I believe. We might be down to freezing in the morning. Despite the frozen hands and danger of ice, I love riding no matter the temperature; unless there’s snow on the road.
Today parts of the valley had snow on the ground. Luckily it was the west side and not the east, where I live.
Heading back to the gym tomorrow. Late start to work so we’re going to get after it.
Great writing session this morning. It’s amazing how even I don’t know the details of the story until I write it. I remember now why first drafts are so much fun!
I think I rambled on enough for now, my eye lids are slamming shut. So glad I have the goal to write every day or else this blog post never would’ve been.
PSA: Set goals and stick to them.
NaNoWriMo: 6,600/50,000
Day 254
Hey Kids,
I whined a little last night about being poor. So it’s only fair to take account of those things in which I am rich:
I have 5 kids. And although our relationship is a little one-sided, I have five human beings I get to love unconditionally. No matter what, my heart feels for them. I think of them. I have 5 people for which to cheer through life. I love those kids and I always will.
I have a super wife. It’s unbelievable to have someone who is always on your side, always there to encourage me, and always there to lean on. If I had nothing else, she would be enough to feel as rich as the Prince of Brunei.
I have two motorcycles. Some people are saying, “So?? I have 5”. OK, that would be pretty awesome; one for each weekday. But I know it wasn’t very long ago I was saying, “Man, a bike would be so cool”.
I have this sense of confidence. Maybe that sounds arrogant, but that goes with confidence. I just know that I can pick up my game at any time, do anything that I have to do. I’m not afraid to bet on myself. Somehow, someway I’ll survive. I’ll make it.
I’m mechanically minded. I can figure stuff out. I was taught at an early stage of my working career to ask when something shows itself as a problem: what would I be afraid of if I was that thing? Believe it or not, that works in a lot of situations.
I’ve found a place in life where I get to do what I love: to write. I love writing and I’m not too bad at it. I’ve written for a national magazine, and now I write for myself. I’m so lucky to live in a time where being an independent writer is not only possible, it’s the favorable way to do it.
Speaking of writing, NaNoWriMo is going well. I’m a little ahead of schedule and going to try to steal whatever time I need to get my words down early in the month. I worry about Thanksgiving weekend. It’s fun to watch this story I’m writing come along. As of right now, there’s a good chance this will turn into a book that I might actually release.
I guess that’s enough “I love me” for now. I think it’s just good to remind myself how good I do have it and things are only as bad or good as you want to see them.
NaNoWriMo: 5,300/50,000
Day 253
Hey Kids,
Day two of NaNoWriMo is passing into tomorrow and I’m still on track. I finished Chapter two this evening and might go back to work a little longer after I finish this post.
Today was a challenging day for me. I realized once again how poor I am. I’m not dirt floor poor but it sucks when you realize the money is too short to cover all the bills. Now I have to ask, what bill collector gets the meanest, who charges the most on penalties, and more importantly, who can shut off what service.
But that’s life in the lower middle class these days.
It’s OK. I know things will get better. It’s why I keep working and earning. One day it’ll pay off.
I believe if you work hard, for you, whatever you do, for the sake of your benefit; it pays off. Maybe not always in being a millionaire but it makes you a better person.
I’m working at my computer and all around me others sleep. I don’t wrong them, but this is how I know I’m going in the right direction. I’m doing something worthwhile and that is why I’m still doing it. And one day I hope to do this fulltime.
Until then, I’ll keep plugging away at the day job, the blog, and my writing projects.
The only one that can quit and fail me now, is me. And I’m not going to let that happen.
NaNoWriMo: 3400/50,000
Day 252
Hey Kids,
NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month.
This event is held every November and the rules are simple.
Write 50,000 original words between November 1st and 30th.
It’s an average of a little less than 1700 words per day for 30 days.
If you submit 50,000 words before midnight on the 30th, you win. If you don’t, you don’t.
Or as I see it: if I don’t, I lose.
I participated in 2010, 2011, and 2013. All wins. I considered myself too busy last year. Maybe next year, I said. It wasn’t worth the risk of losing.
Again this year, I began to say the same thing. Way too busy. Too many irons in the fire. Two books in the process of editing. No way to get more writing done. I don’t want to not win.
It sounded familiar. I was losing without even trying. I’d rather not win by not writing enough than lose by default.
So I’m in. I started today and have about 1400 words written so far. I’ll get back to it tonight.
I have no intentions of losing. And at the end of this month, I’ll have the base of a new novel.
“If it needs to be done, do it.”
I’ll keep you up to date.
NaNoWriMo: 1455/50000
Day 251
Hey Kids,
In a weird twist of reason, it was determined that Pirates of the Caribbean would be a good Halloween movie to watch this evening. The first movie, The Curse of the Black Pearl, more specifically was the selection.
I planned on not watching the movie and to set off to do my own thing. I ended up watching the entire movie.
Somewhere around one third/ halfway mark, there’s a scene I really like.
Jack Sparrow tells William Turner that the only thing that matters in this world is what a man can do, and what a man can’t do.
He explains that he could, in response to Will threatening him with the sword, just leave him dangling by the boom, over the ocean, until he eventually falls into the sea. But he couldn’t dock the ship at their destination by himself. So he brings him back on board. Now he can dock the ship, provided that Will decides he can follow the directions of a pirate, or not. In other words, your decisions of what you can do can determine what you can’t afterwards. Choose your actions carefully.
On a similar line, Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t—you’re right.” A problem is not insurmountable nor does a dream die, until you quit.
I say if it needs to be done, do it. There’s no excuse for not rolling up your sleeves and doing whatever is needed from you.
None.
Day 250
Hey Kids,
To get home I pass through an affluent neighborhood of Salt Lake City.
Usually there aren’t very many people out, if any at all. It’s a nice quiet drive and so long as I watch my speed, I can pass in peace.
Today, things turned a little different.
I pulled off of campus from one of the few outlets and entered this neighborhood. The road takes a tight left and down a small hill. It’s a weird turn and it takes all of my attention to make the turn, watch for opposing traffic and remain upright. I did notice two little girls hanging out around the street sign to my left. Young girls, maybe 7 or 8, II kept them in my periphery, afraid they might dart out into the street. They didn’t.
As the bike set back up straight, I was able to take a better look at these two girls and noticed they were dressed as cats. Their faces bore whiskers drawn across their cheeks and black velvet ears showed obvious against their blond hair.
I looked a little too long apparently, as one of these cute little girls let out a hiss and the other made a clawing motion.
It made me laugh and the thought of those two girls, hissing and fussing at the big guy on the motorcycle and any other vehicle that passed by this afternoon, reminded me of a quote:
Stay gold Ponyboy. Stay gold.
I hope they never grow up.
Day 249
Hey Kids,
The measurement of Tablespoon is not the same as Teaspoon.
When making Sourdough Pancakes, it’s important to only add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda and not 1 ½ Tablespoons.
Just saying.
Day 248
Hey Kids,
Today saw the return of an old friend.
The temperature wasn’t too bad going into work; a mild upper 40’s. It was enough to make the fingertips chill and get a little tingly through the summer gloves.
Sometime between noon and quitting time, the clouds rolled in and blotted out the afternoon sun and with it, stole the afternoon heat that warms the ride home. In fact, it was colder going home than it was riding in.
These were cold clouds too. Antartica clouds. Although it’s technically too warm to snow, these clouds had the feel of snow to them. The cold bit through the jacket. My fingers cooled enough to merit turning on the grip heaters. Winter had sent its announcement that it’s not far off.
I’m not fearing the cold weather. I’m kind of looking forward to it.
Those are foolish words, I know. And the first morning in the single digits, I know I’ll be wishing I was somewhere with a Jimmy Buffet song playing in the background. But today, the cold felt refreshing. It felt like seeing an old friend that you haven’t seen for 6 months.
A friend that, although fun to see, will assuredly wear out the welcome before he leaves again in the spring.
Day 247
Mike M Jensen 