The Muffin | Cathy C. Hall Writes

I do not understand how it can be October already.

I mean, I understand how the days of the year work, divided into months, starting with January, then February, and so on and so on but wasn’t I just hanging out at the beach yesterday? And the week before that…wasn’t I singing for Easter? Just last month, I was thinking about what I’d like to accomplish this year around the old homestead. Now here it is October and when I took a look at that list I made (Seriously, it seemed like just last month), well…the less said about that, the better.

Okay, that’s not quite true. I had a whole lot to say about it over at The Muffin today in “The October Checklist (Or EEEKS! It’s Getting Scary Now!)”. Mostly, I shared my plan about how I deal with accomplishing a whole list of goals when there’s not much time left to do ’em.

Or technically, not accomplishing goals when time’s running out. See, I am all about prioritizing so basically, when I have a whole list of things to do, I toss anything that’s not absolutely necessary. That way, I get my taxes paid and I leave the torn wallpaper for another day. And now that I think about it, that torn wallpaper has been tossed off the list for about two years. But at least I have a house so it’s all good.

Or it will be good. ‘Cause I’m off to mail my taxes right now. I may accomplish something else today, but frankly, after the check’s in the mail, everything else is gravy. I was going to work on the kitchen wallpaper project but that ripped paper ain’t go anywhere. I, on the other hand, have a sunny day and a good scary book.

Priorities, people. Happy October!

Libs, ready for game day. (As you do if you live here.)

Youngest Junior Hall is hanging about here for a bit as he reorganizes his life goals (which mostly just means building up his bank account so he can move into his own place). And it’s not too terribly difficult sharing space again, but then he’ll forget and walk into the house when I’m watching some sporting event.

Me (yelling): HOW did you think that was a good idea, throwing a pass when Julio has seven guys guarding him?

John: Do you have to yell?

Me: Yes. How else is that coach gonna know what to do?

John: Oh, that’s right. I forgot you’re an expert on every sport.

Me: Well, maybe not an expert. But I know enough not to throw–WHY DID THEY DO THE EXACT SAME THING??? (This is where I turn off the TV and leave the room.)

John (groaning): What is wrong with you?

Me (yelling from the kitchen): There is nothing wrong with me. This is how I watch football.

And baseball, and maybe even a tense golf match (though I’ll admit that there’s not as much yelling whilst watching golf.) It’s just that I’m a little competitive; I like to win. And I feel that my yelling in the privacy of my own home–to name just one of my many winning strategies–helps my team on to victory.

I have winning strategies when it comes to writing, too. And I’ve shared a few over at The Muffin today in “How to Win Contests (Or At Least an Honorable Mention)”. There’s no yelling, just pretty good advice for any writer, no matter what competition you choose to enter.

(But just an FYI here, the Falcons did win last night so who’s wrong now, John Hall?)