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When a Writer Isn't Working

Here's what this week looked like for a professional writer who hasn't been doing much writing lately. Be forewarned: You may fall asleep. That's okay. I may already have.

Sunday
The husband and I bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Although several friends had recommended it, I did not put it on our list of choices because of the cost.  At the store, we got curious and looked at it. Then all of a sudden Jesus appeared. "Can I help you?" he asked politely. (Really, the sales guy's name was Jesus. Not Hay-soos, but Gee-sus.)

Very long story short, with Jesus' confidence about the machine and the store's return policy, we decided to invest in the machine.

Monday
I vacuumed part of the house. Result: Three containers full of dust.

The mama made a mistake on her absentee ballot, so I took her down to the courthouse for a replacement. As we headed up the stairs, she said, "I feel so ashamed for making a mistake." In all her 50 years of voting, this was her first boo-boo on a ballot ever.  I did my best to reassure her that it happens a lot to everyone. Of course, she didn't believe me. When the mama was signing a replacement form, I asked the election lady if it is common for people to ask for replacement ballots because of mistakes. The mama was relieved when the lady said, "All the time."

Tuesday
I vacuumed the rest of the house. Result: Three more containers full of dust. I can't believe I'm telling the world how dirty the house was! And, how awful of a hobbyist of a housekeeper I am. The vacuum cleaner was worth buying. So far.

Between rooms, I drove the mama to the courthouse so she could drop off her absentee ballot. As we were walking back down the stairs, she said, "I can handle these stairs. We should come here some time so I can practice. Would they get mad?" I wonder if they would. The steps were the right height for the mama to climb up and down with minimal help. I could see it gave her instant gratification of accomplishment.


Wednesday
The husband and I did a few errands around town, including a stop at a farm to buy fresh eggs. While there we checked out its Halloween corn maze. We've done the maze in previous years. This year, we admired it from up high.

Have you ever watched and heard wind as it moved through a field of corn? It's amazingly wondrous. Check it out yourself. That other sound you hear on the video is the American flag flapping in the wind above where we were standing.


If you want to hear the sound of the husband's beard flapping in the wind, click here.

Thursday
On a whim, the husband and I decided to go to the movies. The senior discount rate saved us a whole 50 cents for a matinee. How I love senior discounts.

Our choice was Red, which stars Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Morgan Freedman, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise Parker, and Richard Dreyfuss. Willis, Malkovich, Freedman, and Mirrin play retired CIA agents. Red is code for Retired and Extremely Dangerous. Willis' character is the Red one. He seeks out the other retired agents to help him and his girlfriend-to-be (played by Parker) figure out who is trying to kill them.

The movie was even better than I expected. Very enjoyable. Definitely a lot of tongue-in-cheek gun play and explosions. Some scenes made me think of a comic book coming to life. After the movie, I learned that Red is based on a graphic novel. So there you go. I'd see Red again, just to watch Malkovich be loony and Mirren stand elegantly strong as she machine-gunned the bad guys.

Here's a clip of Red for you.



Friday

That's today. All I can say is I'm hooking up at Follow Friday 40 and Over!  Come with me to check out what other participants are blogging about today.

Comments

  1. I'm glad you liked Red too!

    I'm scared of what a Dyson might pull up in my house. Even if Jesus himself gave me the green light, I'm not sure I'd be willing to try.

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  2. I lost my housekeeper in May. I haven't dusted since. I'm having terrible allergy headaches. However, I feel certain these things are not related. Glad to know you keep house like me!

    I have two novels under rewrites, and I didn't even open them this week. Nice to know what other writers do when they're not writing -- for me it was stomach flu, not so much fun.

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  3. Well you and husband had a neat week. And an ephany to buy a Dyson. Wish my house were as clean of dust as yours. Was that from carpets or "everywhere dust?"
    Thanks for the movie review. Looks like a fun theme for old folksies.
    And yes, that corn blowing sound brought back memories since I grew up in the corn belt. I didn't know corn was grown in Ca. I thought they grew grapes for wine and movie producers. Ha
    Have a wickedly wonderful week end. Or something like that,

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've got an award for you at my blog!

    http://sarahreadstoomuch.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. LMAO! This should have been a featured blog on Wordpress! The Dyson experience was a real eye opener wasn't it? I want one, but can't justify buying one because of the price. When it comes down a little I'll invest in one. I can't imagine how much it'll suck up in this place!

    I want to see "RED" too.

    Living between two cornfields, I know what you mean about the wind blowing through it.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and not giving it a "thumbs down". LOL!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love your rambles. I wish to follow along, and I invite you to follow my blog as well. Thanks.

    The Disconnected Writer
    http://thedisconnectedwriter.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tara, I ended up with two more containers than I expected. I blame the old vacuum cleaner that was duct taped together at the end.

    Pamela, I think I'll take vacuuming over stomach flu any day. Hope you're feeling much better.

    Manzi, our house is still full of dust. I just did the carpets. I still have the furniture and the nooks and crannies I ignored. I figured I needed to spring clean before winter sets in.

    Sarah, thank you! The other day, I was wishing I'd get an award for something. You must've picked up my vibes. :-)

    ryoko861, definitely an eye opener. The husband and I justified the purchase by looking it as a 5-year investment (5 yrs=warranty), and according to friends, theirs lasted more than 5 years. After seeing how much dust/dirt I picked up, it's well worth the purchase. Also helps to go with a store that allows you to bring it back whenever.

    JJ: Thank you. I always like to meet a fellow rambler. :-)

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  8. Oooo - thanks for the RED clip - I want to go see it more than ever, now! I like your blog - and bored rambles - you life is still fascinating even if you think it may seem boring. Think of the adventures as writing fuel!!

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  9. Nan, I hope you like RED. It pays to have no expectations. That's what made it so good for me to watch....Thanks for the kind words. You know how it goes. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Following you back today! Thanks for visiting For Such a Time as This

    ReplyDelete

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Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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