Friday, September 3, 2010

Things I Learned This Year



Washing your hair with one arm in a cast is next to impossible.

Having a husband who's willing to use his longer fingers to scratch that spot inside said cast that your child-like fingers just can't reach? Priceless.

Sparrows can brighten any day.

Getting back into running is painful, even if you were a trackster in high school.

Don't wear light-colored shorts to the gym if you sweat around your butt a lot. It will, in fact, look like you peed yourself.

Silverfish are the nastiest bugs on Earth.

Sometimes the difference between a black thumb and a green thumb is decent sunlight.

By mid-August, your entire garden will look like a desert.

Walking to the post office is actually kinda fun.

No matter how hard you try, that cute fluffy orange cat is not going to come.

Don't eat grey meat.

If you get an odd sunburn in April, you will have an odd tan all year.

Good flip-flops are worth the money.

Typing a novel with one hand is extremely difficult.

Physical therapy is not glamorous.

The only way I can stop biting my fingernails is if one hand is casted away from my body at a ninety-degree angle.

Grey's Anatomy can still make me cry.

Some new television is worth watching.

Starting a blog was the best decision I've made for myself since I married Evan.

Writing "The End" on your first novel, after 15+ years of never finishing anything, is a feeling yet to be unmatched--even by writing it on the second novel.

Some kittens are very strange. Their hobbies include licking eyes, licking eyebrows, licking sweat off my body--generally licking anything on me that sits still long enough.

This licking is actually kind of soothing.




What did you learn this year? 

31 comments:

Liza said...

One handed does not sound fun. Hmmm, what did I learn this year? Too much for a mere comment sections...but one thing I learned that I can set writing goals and accomplish them.

Christine Danek said...

I love the comment about the gym shorts. Very true.
My cat has weird licking habits. She loves licking skin lotion and deodorant. Yeah, she's weird like that.
I'm with you on blogging. It is one of the best things that has happened to me.
I learned to keep learning.
Also--Some days I feel like I can do this and other days I can't. I have worked hard in pushing through the days I can't. I'm getting there.
Have a great weekend.

Stina said...

My worst fear is breaking my arm (or clavicle) and having to type with only one hand. I ended up in a cast for a sprain ankle one summer. And for a runner, that's torture. Yep, I've just found my biggest fears. Move over snakes, rats, and spiders. ;)

Anonymous said...

Grey meat!? O.O

(That begs an answer to the question of why you ate it in the first place.)

Sarah Ahiers said...

aww these are great! I should try and make a list like this...that's assuming i learned anything this year...

Erica Mitchell said...

I'm scratching my head a little on how you learned just this year not to eat grey meat :P And no, PT is in no way glamorous, I had to do it for three months which accumulates to...way to many months in PT. LOL the shorts, so true.
Have a great weekend!

Matthew MacNish said...

Wow that's lots of stuff to learn, some awesome, some crazy, some dangerous! Thanks for sharing Summer, and gardens in GA Augusts? You'd have to be pretty rich to afford all that water.

Today's guest blogger is Emilia Plater!

Old Kitty said...

Oh my goodness and the year's not even over yet!! LOL!!

I'm so glad your hand is ok now. I so agree about the sparrows!! Cats are weird but totally lovely!!!

I laughed out so loud about the shorts in the gym thing!! LOL!!!!
We live and learn indeed!

Take care
x

Zoe C. Courtman said...

I learned that there are some writers out there that are just like me :D Even down to the getting back to running (started a new three-mile route after a summer off. Ouch.), the odd sunburn, and the fact that my cat just won't come to me on my schedule. It's all about taking his sweet time. And I hate silverfish (but that revulsion's trumped by arachnids *shudders*). Going to DragonCon this weekend?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I learned bloggers are really cool people.
I already knew cats won't come when called. Ever. Unless food in involved.

Susan Kaye Quinn said...

LOL for the cat licking! Mine does that too. Also the nail biting (me, not the kittehs).

I popped over from the BBQ and found a fellow SF lover! Awesome.

Congrats on finishing your book. It is the best feeling in the world, isn't it? :)

JB said...

Looks like an enlightening year for you! I learned I am a writer who still has a lot to learn! Here's to another year in the bonus round. Enjoy!! Janelle

K M Kelly said...

Calling by from Karen's BBQ - have you seen the relish?

Liz said...

Here for the BBQ!

This year I learned how to tell clients that my boss is out at a meeting and I have no idea when he's going to be back when he is, in fact, sitting 5 feet from me :)

Christine Fonseca said...

Hmmm....licking? I learned that I need to ride the middle!!!

Julie Musil said...

I'm here from Karen G's blog party!

What I learned this year...that yes, I received lots of rejections, but it's ok because I'm in the game!

Laura Kaye said...

I especially loved the "typing The End" and odd April suntan lessons! Just great! Visiting from the BBQ and following!

http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com

Colette Martin said...

Dropping by from Karen's. Yes, writing the end... now if only I could get there.

Crystal Cook said...

I love this Summer :):):) The gym shorts lol! some things just have to be learned the hard way don't they?

I think I might "borrow" your idea for my blog :)

Lola Sharp said...

I too learned that kittens like to lick. And I also agree about the blogging thing. It gave me you ♡ and other wonderful writing friends.

Sorry I've been so busy lately...but I made a point to NOT attend any of the parties we were invited to this weekend, so that I can catch up. You'll be hearing from me this weekend.

Love,
Lola

Angie said...

Love that list! Sorry about your arm. That's too bad. I'm visiting from Karen's BBQ. Happy to find your blog!

Nicole Zoltack said...

Ugh... I'm so far away from typing "the end" it's not even funny. In fact, should be writing right now instead of blog hopping. Whoops!

Hannah said...

I love all of the things you learned. Hmmm, I would have to think about all of the things I've learned.

I do love the blogging but mostly all the awesome people I've met.

Just thinking about my Sam makes me smile.

Supernatural is one of my top five favorite shows.

Writing is not hard to do when you know you just do it. :)

Unknown said...

I've been mingling at Karen's barbeque and just wanted to stop in and say hello. Loved the comments about running. And the shorts...Oh soooo true.(:

Guinevere said...

This post made me laugh! I've spent some time myself in casts and it was terrible... ugh. Your kitty sounds hilarious. :)

Nicole said...

You better not have eaten all those spring rolls ;p And cat kisses along with dog kisses make me itchy, not that it stops me getting them *grin*

http://damselinadirtydress.blogspot.com

Brenda Drake said...

Great list! *scratches head because 1)I'm wondering what I learned so far this year or 2)Anytime someone mentions itch or bugs I scratch--totally mental* Love your name it just sounds so warm. Cheers! :D

Kath said...

Just dropping by from Karen's BBQ to say Hi! and what a fab list - nodding in agreement about April suntans, how hard it is to get back into sport...
and how blogging (helped along by Twitter) has opened up a new world, that is as much home to me as the ones I create when I sit down to write.

Kait Ballenger said...

Hi! Stopping by from the blog BBQ to say hello. I'm your newest follower =D

-Kaitlyn
http://nocturnalreadings.blogspot.com

Joan Crawford said...

I have something to say about licking cats, and it is this:

I once knew a woman who had a cat, Pistol Pete, who would crawl up on her lap and face her. She would then encourage Pistol Pete to lick her earlobes while she would coo in pleasure.

Reread that last part.

I was 8. I'm still not over it and I'm still not right. There is a line and even little kittens know where it is - they have to be taught that weirdness.

He became my cat later on. He tried that freaky sh*t with me once and I told him "You're safe here, Peter. You don't have to do that anymore; I love you anyway."

We had an understanding. We never spoke of it again.

And in this way, we began healing.

Catherine Stine said...

Follow your intuition
Don't be insecure
Be tenacious
Nurture your friendships
Take calculated risks! Like I did when I rode a jet ski for the first time--yee-haw!!!
Write, write, write!!!