The Scribble Pad
The mental meanderings of a slightly loose screw.
DECEMBER 08
Wednesday December 31 - Sayonara, '08.
Sitting here, with 4 1/2 hours to go before midnight, listening to firecrackers people are already letting off. Thinking about the year, and what it's been for me.
Not going to bang on again about the personal stuff, you know already how that's been. But professionally, it's time to look ahead. Work harder. Work smarter. Earn more. I've lived off the fat of the land this year. i.e. off my savings, but next year will be the true test. Can I earn enough to feed myself?
Almost like a sign, my royalty statements turned up. Well, they sort of turned up last week, I'm sure, and languished in the mailbox long enough to get mildewed. Then I brought them in and left them sweating on the kitchen counter for another 3 days. They usually don't do much more than deflate my ego, so why bother?
Then today I decide to just open the damn envelope, have a cursory look and file them away...and a royalty cheque fell out.
This, my friends, hasn't happened in years. Quite literally.
A sign from above that there might be a viable living in my future? Tune in next year, and see.
Sunday December 28 - Things to be grateful for
Okay, so I admit that I haven't exactly been Blogger of the Year. Maybe it's because I realise that if I did put all my thoughts down on "paper", they'd consist mainly of whining, moaning, bitching, and berating the Heavens for an unfortunate 2008.
But I'm wise enough to know that I have much to be thankful for, so in the spirit of looking forward to a year that I believe will be better than the one that was, and in acknowledging that, despite the many heartaches it has brought, it was still good to me, here's my list of things I'm grateful for - I'll add to it as the spirit moves me.
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My kids are alive, well, and healthy.
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I'm still breathing.
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I'm still writing.
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I survived an entire year without a salary, and didn't have to parn any of my stuff or sell my blood, eggs or firstborn.
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I'm a darn good writer.
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I got a Wii Fit for Christmas, and it's da bomb
Wednesday December 17 - I'm sold on the Dragon
Those of you who have been even remotely interested in the mundane meanderings of my tearfully boring life know that for the past three months or so I've been relying more and more on my voice activated software, Dragon.
It's pretty much done what it was supposed to do, i.e. take some pressure off my hand which sometimes no longer feels as if it belongs to me, and I was fairly satisfied with it.
So when I heard that Dragon 10 was on the market, I was skeptical. I'd become used to Dragon 9's frailties and foibles, and didn't mind screaming at it when I had to. But, ever the computer geek, Rawle talked me into it. So here I am, 100 bucks poorer, but sold, sold, sold! on my brand-new, wonderful, wonderful, Dragon. It's easier to use, has a much higher recognition rate, and I don't have to fake a Yankee accent when it fails to recognize my commands.
If it was a guy, and marry it! *Blows kiss.*
Monday December 15 - Where'd it go?
Wait! Where's 2008 go? Is it really almost done? Was I sleeping? Why didn't someone wake me up?
