February 22, 2012

Gathering My Weapons: ROW80 Check In

The enemy creeps around my house, knowing we are ripe for the taking. I know better than to invite it in, and I've gathered all the weapons I can find. Garlic, crosses, and Holy water are for a different evil. One that is more easily defeated.

The evil I fight has no mercy and enjoys revisiting former victims. I've prayed for it to not return and visited specialists to get rid of it... yet Strep strikes again.

I knew I was feeling under the weather, but we'd been through our sicknesses. The whole family had Strep mere weeks ago. Antibiotics have flowed freely, toothbrushes were thrown away, things were disinfected... all to no avail.


I planned to be strong, push through--take some pill-based bravery. Then the phone call from school and subsequent doctor visit. Daughter #2 couldn't fiight it any longer. One down, Mama struggling, three more to go?

Yesterday was spent on taxes and organizing the business side of writing. I rocked it, although I wasn't smart enough to list it as a ROW80 goal. Finishing it cleared the way for writing today. I had some editing to finish first this morning, and again I rocked it.

Strep must have been laughing the whole time. By noon, I was staring into space feeling completely rundown. Then the call. Two and a half hours later (doctor plus CVS), we were back home.

Strep 1.5, Writing 0

Okay, not zero. I rewrote the same 300 words four times today trying to get it just right. I wanted it to sing, because it's a pivotal part of my WIP. It was whimpering along. Does rewriting 300 words four times count as 1,200 words? If so, I rocked writing, too!

I'm heading off to bed with what I hope will be a good book, so maybe all is not lost.

13 comments:

Fairview said...

you did good! I'm sick too. Must be going around. But i didnt manage to write at all.

Brenna said...

Hey there! I'm finally making the rounds and getting to other campaigners' blogs.

I'm sorry to hear you aren't feeling all that well - but it sounds like besides that, you are making some major progress! Good job. (And I totally would count that as 1200 words.) Really, keep up the great work!

Come At Me Bro said...

This is great!

Julie Glover said...

Loved that pic! Strep stinks. I hope it's short-lived and you're feeling 100% very soon.

I agree with Brenna. We'll call it 1200, especially if it now sings!

Tia Bach said...

Fairview, Sickness and Writing do not work (I could just relabel my picture!). Feel better!

Brenna, Nice to meet you. I need to make some more campaigner rounds myself. You are my motion to have 1,200 approved. ;-)

Thanks, Come At Me Bro.

Julie, I clearly have a distorted sense of humor and girls with varied toy tastes, so I'm glad you appreciated it. And you are my 2nd. 1,200 approved. ;-)

Unknown said...

Ugh. This has certainly been a rough year for fighting off germs, particularly strep and stomach bugs. I think we spent most of January and the first part of February getting over one thing or another. I hope that, by now, you all are on the mend!

Tia Bach said...

Melissa, It really has. I keep wondering if letting my house go has added to the germs. *wink* But it's the luck of the draw. I'm hoping we kick it this time.

So excited for you about Spirit Keeper and Love Bites. I need you to give a seminar on how you pump out books! My first novel took me 10 years, so I hope I haven't conditioned myself to take that long.

Morgan Dragonwillow said...

Luckily we haven't had Strep this year but we have had more colds than ever before. All of us will get well then bam we are all sick again.

Don't be too hard on yourself, it looks like you are doing great on your goals! Here is to tomorrow being a better day!

Peace,
Morgan

Brittney Van Sandt said...

Bummer about strep. But, silver lining, now you have a pretty epic photo of you as a Little Bo Peep and Strep as some sort of Darth Vader character.. And that doesn't happen more then once! Unlike strep...Feel better!!

Unknown said...

Thanks, Tia! In all honesty, it's taken me nearly four years from concept to publication of The Spirit Keeper. I had originally queried it to agents. The full was requested multiple times, though obviously I had no offers. I put it back on the shelf and thought I was done with it for good until a friend of mine said she *really* wanted me to self-publish. So I went through seemingly endless stages of revision until I finally ended up with this version. Normally, it takes me about a year to write a book - concept to publication - and I try to have two ideas going at once.

Tia Bach said...

Morgan, With three kids and two schools (elementary and middle), the germs flow freely so it's bound to happen. ;-)

Brittney, Glad you appreciated my photography and strange sense of humor. ;-)

Melissa, There's so much work behind the scenes, so true. I need a book a year commitment to myself. Thanks for sharing!

Nadja Notariani said...

It's been a rough year with illness in my house...we were lucky enough to get two stomach flu invasions. Wrestling brings the germs...oy! Get well and stay well!

Tia Bach said...

Nadja, Ugh, stomach flu. I'd take anything over that. Hope we are all done for the season!