The Winter From Hell

Yeah, I know-winter and hell. One hot. One cold.

So sue me. Of course, being a struggling starving author you won't get much.

Anyway, this has, so far and from all future indications will continue to be, one of the worst winters I can recall.

For those of us in New England not only have we suffered through near subzero temperatures but snowfall that is, or soon will, break the record. As far as the rest of the country, I'm guessing you haven't fared much better.

In the complex where I live we had so much snow in the last two storms that both two lane roads were reduced to one lane each. This, of course, would make it difficult if not impossible for emergency vehicles to get in. Much less turn around. The people that manage the complex have had a dump truck and bucket loader working from sunup to sundown clearing the roads for the past four days.

For the past few years we've been lucky in regards to the snow but not the temperatures. Sure we got dumped on by the white stuff but not to the extent of this year, which also includes the post Christmas storm.

The cold we experienced in January this year equals the freezing we had in February last year. That doesn't bode well for this month. Does it?

But the cold and snow isn't the only thing that's made this 'the winter from hell'.

A few weeks ago my collie, Kebi, got sick. Not eating. Not drinking. Just lying around lethargic. Even getting him to go out was hard. So off to the vet. Turned out he had a stomach virus. He's getting back to his old self. When I say old, I mean old. I've had him in my life for about ten (10) years. Which is somewhere in the vicinity of seventy (70) human years.

Now when he goes out I can tell he's feeling more like himself. Seems he likes to lie down and roll around in the snow.

Of course having Sparkie, the cat, around hasn't hurt. At times it's helped. Which was why I'd gotten him in the first place. A playmate for Kebi.

Okay, so you're saying to yourself-Why is this the winter from hell for him? The snow and cold aside, his collie is getting better and has a playmate.

It's because of the other thing I live for-writing. Not the blog because that's a different writing. More on the creative side. I'm talking about the sequel to Target Identified. Target Acquired. I can't get and stay focused.

I've done one short story, part of which you read last week. Writing the story took twice as long as it should have. And there's a March deadline to get it in to the contest organizers. But at least it's finished. Now I have to get motivation to edit the story.

Then there is another contest I plan entering. Max word count-5,000. I've been looking at the first two sentences for the past week and half. Can't get past it. At least the deadline for this one is April. April=warmth. So I should finish in time.

Some people live to eat. I eat to live. Starbucks coffee-live for. But I live to write.

Now you see why this is the 'winter from hell'. At least for me.

How has your writing suffered this winter? Or has it been productive for you?

Inquiring minds, which are a terrible thing to waste, want to know.

Now on a different note, probably a Hi-C and not the juice either, here's the tour schedule for my dear friend Mary Martinez. At each stop, she'll be talking about unique and interesting topics for pubbed and unpubbed writers.

Blog tour Schedule

The tour will be set up like an interview, one blog, one question.

January 31, 2011- Kick off Day one:

Liz Lipperman – Mysteries and Margaritas http://www.mysteriesandmargaritasblogspot.com/

February 1, 2011 – Day Two:

Phyllis Campbell Blog http://phylliscampbell.blogspot.com/

February 2, 2011 – Day three:

Regan Taylor's World http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com/

February 3, 2011 – Day Four:

Amy Durham ~ writer and book-lover http://amy-durham.blogspot.com/

February 4, 2011 – Day Five:

Marie-Claude Bourque – Muse Tracks http://musetracks.wordpress.com/

February 7, 2011 – Day Six:

Lesli Muir Lytle – Writers Block Buster http://www.writersblockbuster.blogspot.com/

February 8, 2011 – Day Seven:

Nights of Passion Blog http://nightsofpassion.wordpress.com/

February 9, 2011 – Day Eight

Coffee, Books and a blog with Mary Martinez http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/

February 10, 2011 – Day Nine:

Lindsay Downs – Murders and Mysteries http://murdersandmysteries.wordpress.com/

February 11, 2011 – Day Ten:

Mary's Garden http://marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com/

Filed under: Chat Announcement, contest, Lindsay Downs, What inspires you?