You might remember I told you all about my Plan? Get 85,000 words written by the end of June? Yeah. The first week went really well, with the tally running at 12,000 or so words (some of those needing serious deleting) and then everything ground to a halt. As in complete stop. Not so much writer's block as writer's fortress wall.
I couldn't even open the word document where my words lay in wait. I couldn't even blog.
If I say the last couple of weeks have been trying, this is an understatement.
Yes, I could have done things: writing exercises, physically exercised more, done art, done some poetry. Instead, I just had a bit of a funk. It's not like I've been depressed or unhappy. I just couldn't be creative.
The last couple of days haven't been a barrel of laughs. Not especially helped by Rummy being a bit of an asshole during the night, leading to me not getting much sleep and being very shouty and sweary with him.
It's partly not his fault. Since his last few encounters with the bastard lynx (may the fleas of a thousand camels infest him and give him heart worm), his confidence has been severely knocked to the point where he hasn't wanted to go outside, not even for a comfort break. Not helped that the bastard Lynx (may he ever get hangnails and meet hungry foxes at night) has been spraying our front door, making clear that our territory is his. I swear if I get my mitts on that bastard cat I will rub his ass down with chilli oil or worse. Given that he high-tails it every time he sees me, my chances are slim at best. More's the pity.
At 3 am, the hint of dawn in the air, Rummy decides that it's time to get up, make lots of noise and play. I eventually resolved the situation by hunting him down, catching him and tossing him into the morning. By then I was so wound up, sleep eluded me for hours after.
Last night, he decided he'd behave, but that didn't stop me waking up for a couple of hours in expectation of him being a dick.
Today, I've crawled out of my Pit of Doom to potter around the house. I've also had a bit of a chemistry experiment. Now I'm no longer required to appear normal, I thought I'd have a bit of an experiment with my hair colour. Last time, I went to my hair dresser and asked for a bright red. It was not a success. Given my hair is so incredibly dark and she decided to err on the side of caution, it came out more mahogany than red. This time, I figured I'd give it a shot myself. It's brighter than the professional job and way cheaper, but still highly unsatisfactory. It was a lot of effort and mess - the bathroom looked like I'd murdered a clown - and it's come out more like Bad Tranny Red, than bright red.
*phuh*
I'm now wondering whether I should abandon reds completely and explore other, wilder colours. Perhaps bright blue?
On a happier note, Boy finishes his second year today after his last exam and will be home tomorrow until September and the start of his final year.
I've missed his awesome self.
Bank Holiday Sunday
Dear Dave I woke up today with Philip Glass' Metamorphosis in my head. It's apt really as it was part of the music chosen for your...
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Dear Dave I woke up today with Philip Glass' Metamorphosis in my head. It's apt really as it was part of the music chosen for your... -
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Poor Rummy. It's a shame they don't have cat self defense classes to help build his confidence - although, with a lynx, it might be better to take sprinting lessons! I hope you get back to writing soon. I also had a wobble but seem to have bounced. Enjoy having your boy home :)
ReplyDeleteTo be clear, I call the bastard cat (may he develop urinary infections ever more) the Lynx, because of his size and colouring. He's a third again larger than Rummy (who is not a small cat by any means), domestic short hair cat.
DeleteAs time rumbles on I find that I get into a funk, and then when I'm ready, move on. It happens and there are other things that are more worthy creating a drama around. My funk wasn't anything more.
I hope your wobble wasn't more than that, but I'm so pleased that you've moved out of that space. Massive hugs.
Blue hair is the way forward! I'm sure it'll cure you of your procrastination and enable words to pour from your head to the 'pooter (or paper). It may even scare off the lynx for good?
ReplyDeleteHow do I know this? Because I had blue hair many moons ago, but I think it was a bit before it's time. That time could be now, though...?
I've found the colour of my dreams, now I just have to wait a few weeks before colouring. Totally excited now.
DeleteThat's disappointing that Rummy is being hassled by the other cat and can't enjoy himself outside. My suggestion is to keep him indoors to prevent fights and injury. Given his behavior, perhaps the other cat will not be long for the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteBlue sounds like a good choice!
He came with us for a walk when we put the bins out last night and seemed happy to be outside by himself until about 3 am.
DeleteI haven't seen the bastard cat (may he choke on his chicken bones) in the last few days. There's a female feral cat who lives under a woodpile at the bottom of the garden and now she's had kittens, I'm hoping there won't be any reason for him to come around any more. But he is so big, I can't see anything but an aggressive dog taking him on.
Why do I always have to think of "gin" when I read about your cat ? It's a tough cat's world.
ReplyDeleteI do not know whether it is possible to scare the lynx away - in earlier days shopkeepers sprayed a very light sulphur-solution in front of their shops to keep the dogs away. They can not stand the smell and so do not lift their legs. I have no clue whether this works for cats too.
Some times one simply can not face the own scribble, and nothing goes forwards or elsewhere. Deadlines help, and panic is a good motivator, especially when you write for money & the rent looms. Now and then I find reading other people's scribble helpful. Like what Mike Hammer wrote under the pseudonym Spillane. Playing and toying around helps me.
You must resolve that sleep-situation my dear, without proper night-sleep nothing works well. One gets irritated etc. easily. Good for wrinkles and grey hair only.
"Bad Tranny Red" ? Well ... Maybe the Hair Hall of Fame could help ? There is always the possibility of a headdress *dodges dye bottle* With your hair being really dark a light brown may be the colour in reach without doing damage to the structure ? You could go for a whitish streak on the side(s) with the help of good old peroxyd.
You think gin first, because that's his full name: Gin Rummy. He's named after a card game.
DeleteI haven't found chemicals at all useful when dealing with cats' spraying in the past. It was just expensive.
It turns out I have blackout blinds behind my curtains, so I'll be using them to break myself of the 4 am cycle. I don't mind waking up in the middle of the night. I do mind being woken up by a frustrated and bored cat.
As for the colour. With my hair so short, I'll soon grow out any oopsies. Light brown my darling is just so dull. I can't even abide the thought of it. Sorry. I'm not going for normal any more.
xxx
As I understand it, citrus-based scent is supposedly a cat repellant. Here's a homebrew version. I have not tried this myself.
Delete*hugs* i understand the funk, sweetpea. i hope Rummy figures out how to survive without ruining your sleep patterns, ok, anymore than he already has, but you know what i mean. re: hair color? i found out that i am, 1. too cheap to even add low lights to my hair and 2. too lazy to even maintain something as simple as low lights! it's enough for me to get to the salon every 6 weeks for a haircut! ;) i'm seriously thinking about just shaving it all off! xoxoxoxox (the MITM has taken to dumping his electronic writing drawer on the blog because i've been so remiss about blogging!)
ReplyDeleteHugs more than gratefully received and returned threefold!
Deletexxx
I am embracing my grey. Underneath all the dye...it might be white... I might get my dream of being a platinum blonde after all!!
ReplyDeleteSx