This was it. My big three-day weekend. Three whole days free and clear of all responsibilities. Three days ripe for writing, writing, and more writing. Three days that had potential to inspire a blog full of motivation and insight…
Instead, I offer this:
**My Top Ten Favorite Distractions**
#10. Sleeping in. I routinely survive on 5 hours of sleep a night. Yet this weekend…I needed twice that. Go figure.
#9. Text Messaging. Yep, I’m a sucker for texting–with one recipient in particular. And, technically, it’s writing, right? Right?!?!?!?!
#8. Email. This is the downfall of mankind (or, at least, the mankind that should be working). People we never would have kept in touch with during snail mail days, are suddenly worthy of hours of our time.
#7. Facebook. Who knew reading status updates could be so riveting? One person’s biking 50 miles for a hot dog, another’s struggling with strep throat, still another is messaging a friend from college. This is gripping material, Ladies and Gentleman. Truly.
**Quick side note: Thanks to Facebook, my old college buddy, Mitch (a.k.a. the chick who thought nothing of my penchant for knocking books off my dorm room desk in favor of dancing to ACDC’s You Shook Me All Night Long) tracked me down over the weekend.
#6. Housesitter. That’s right. Housesitter. You know, the movie with Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin. I’ve seen it at least a hundred times. And it’s my procrastination-movie of choice. Followed closely by Overboard.
#5. Pilates. One must keep their stomach, butt, and thighs in shape, yes? And when one is done crunching, twisting and panting, they must take a shower… Is that so wrong?
#4. Lifetime. Okay, I admit it. Although I am virtually anti-TV, I’ve been known to flip on the set to see what drama is playing on this chick friendly station. Kidnapped babies, abusive boyfriends, murdering wives… Ahhhh. Good stuff.
#3. Milk Duds. Now, before you think this is a lame distraction, listen up. I live in one of those new urban development places. I can literally walk out my front door and reach an ice-cream shop, an outdoor theater, a mom & pop market, and an Irish pub in less than two-hundred paces. So, when I’m craving Milk Duds (purely as a source of energy, of course), I must go for a walk in order to have them. Benefit? I get exercise and I’m supporting the local economy (99 cents at a time). A two-fer, how can I resist?
#2. The movie/Milk Dud/pillow/blanket/couch Combo. Enough said.
#1. Reading. If I’m not writing, I might as well enjoy the work of someone who is.
*Hangs head in shame*
Please, tell me I’m not alone. Someone? Anyone?
Hugs,
~Laura
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Wow! You were productive! I had a four day weekend and didn’t get as much done.
I do have to say I completed a lot of numbers 1-2-and 8. But sleeping in? Nah. Not if I don’t need to be anywhere. And I replaced Pilates with walking, except yesterday which was just an all out lazy day.
I did do a lot of thinking about writing. About my desire. But I didn’t come up with any answers. Yet.
by Lynn
on September 2nd, 2008 at 6:20 am
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I’ll cop to reading, Facebook and e-mail, with occasional forays into MySpace.
I justify the Facebook and MySpace by claiming it’s marketing. And by “justify,” I mean “lamely attempt to rationalize.”
Other distractions include Mob Wars (a game on Facebook), WinSPMBT (a constantly updated modern combat strategy game where you can pit accurately modeled military forces of about thirty countries against one another-yesterday I had China fighting Greece) book blogs (such as this one) and of course a half dozen political blogs (my favorites are Hullabaloo, Balloon Juice and Sadly, No! Daily Kos just makes me tired.)
I’m too old to text, although I have been known to AIM. I’m coordinated enough to eat Milk Duds and write at the same time, although truth be told, I prefer Raisinets.
Now if you’ll excuse me, my stamina has regenerated, and I have to go place a mobster who’s been hassling me on the Mobwars hit list. Oh, and I also need to buy a Casino.
by JDRhoades
on September 2nd, 2008 at 6:40 am
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Laura, Laura, Laura…
Remember the goals?
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**Wow! You were productive! **
I thought so too, Lynn. Those all out lazy days will get you, won’t they?
JD, Who won? China or Greece?
Will, I’m just opting to ignore you.
by Laura
on September 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 am
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‘90210′ returns tonight, but Laura has to blog about Laura. What’s up with that?
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Did you have the hots for Kelley or Brenda, Theo? C’mon, fess up.
by Laura
on September 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 am
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I cannot be ignored. I will haunt your dreams until you accomplish your goals.
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You can be spammed, Will.
by Laura
on September 2nd, 2008 at 11:08 am
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Laura…I’m still waiting for the minutes from the Bob Evans meeting! Maybe start with that and it will get you going.  Miss you!
by Sharon Mayhew
on September 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 am
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Hey! I hope I’m not a number 8!!!
by Sharon Mayhew
on September 2nd, 2008 at 11:46 am
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Well, Laura, you know the Chinese. The Greeks had superior tanks, and they took the initial objectives, but then the Chinese started swarming in with their over-amped infantry units and shoulder launched antitank missiles started flying as thick as gnats. The poor Greeks got cut to pieces where they stood.
It wasn’t pretty, but then war never is. 
by JDRhoades
on September 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
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Next time you walk to the ice cream shop, have a caramel sundae for me! Yum.
(Notice I’m not saying anything about the P word???)
by heather
on September 2nd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
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Sharon, minutes…I know.
I’ve accomplished one of my things. I got the revisions done on the romance and overnighted it to my editor.
Now back at Berkley book #1.
Maybe you could write them? 
JD, those slippery Chinese. You be careful out there. It’s a tough world.
Heather, yeah, I know you didn’t *say* it…but I can hear it in your tone. And the guilt is overwhelming. If it helps, I’m working hard today!!!
by Laura
on September 2nd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
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Seeing as the hot dog was at Nathan’s at Coney Island, 50 miles doesn’t really seem enough.
(And it was two of them, with mustard and onions, and large fries.)
by Keith
on September 2nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm
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Onions? On a hot dog?
Really?
And yes, dear blog readers, this guy is a biking nut. He’s done century rides. Often. He’s the anti-bum.
by Laura
on September 2nd, 2008 at 7:06 pm
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Yeah, I dunno about onions. I didn’t order the dogs (or pay for them), so I just glorped the mustard on and ate.
So far the centuries have been pretty flat, so they almost don’t count. You know Twist Phelan rode all the way across the US, right?
by Keith
on September 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
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She rode across the US on a bicycle???? 
Oy.
by Laura
on September 2nd, 2008 at 7:17 pm
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Yes she did:
http://www.twistphelan.com/biography.cfm
by Keith
on September 2nd, 2008 at 7:18 pm
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Goals Laura!
Now I have something of a conversation starter when I meet Twist at Bouchercon.
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Tell her hello for me, and I’m glad there’s no official Bouchercon bike race. Because I’d just get my hopes up and then get my ass handed to me.
by Keith
on September 2nd, 2008 at 7:28 pm
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Okay, so I may have flaked over the weekend. But, for what it’s worth, I wrote 2,200 words today.
And Twist is awesome. Thought that before I heard about the cross country *cough* bike ride.
I’m feeling the guilt increasing.
by Laura
on September 2nd, 2008 at 7:29 pm
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Hey Keith, let’s enter the tandem division; flip you for who gets to be in front. But the only hot dogs I’ll eat are made of tofu. And Laura, 2200 words today? You rock.
by Twist
on September 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 pm
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LOL! Hey, Twist. Nice surprise seeing you show up here! I *thought* 2,200 words rocked. Until Keith showed up spouting your little hobbies.
:|
You are amazing. You really are! Hope to catch up with you again at some con in the future.
by Laura
on September 3rd, 2008 at 5:56 am
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Cool by me. If I ride stoker, we won’t get lost.
But you’re on your own with the tofu. And I insist on boba tea in the water bottles. (The taro balls will just barely get through the check valve on a Camelbak Podium, but it takes some work.)
by Keith
on September 3rd, 2008 at 10:17 am
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Ah, my dear friend Laura. Yes, dancing on the desks in the dorm are some of my fondest memories of college… I am more thankful for Facebook this week than I was last week!
PS - you see them as distractions, I see them as a great weekend…
I have to ask though…WHO are you reading when you are not writing?
by Mitch
on September 3rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm
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Hey Mitch.
The past year, I find myself reading more romance novels (which, prior to this past year, was NOT the norm). But when I realized my last novel wanted to be told as a love story rather than a murder mystery, I had to learn a few things. I started reading Harlequin’s American Romance line (the best fit for the kind of story I wanted to tell). Since then I’ve not only *written* the story but sold it as well (to this very same line–quite a feat as they’re a tough nut to crack). The fact that I’m continuing to seek the latest work from particular authors in this line tells me they’ve got something good going on.
As for fun mysteries to read…hang around here sometimes, and you’ll find a few authors you’ll be interested in trying (as many of the blog commenters as the bloggers themselves).
by Laura
on September 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
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