It’s November 

If you write then you probably know that November is all about writing. NaNoWriMo has started. It’s a good thing I did prep work in early October because the last couple of weeks were crazy. There’s still quite a bit of crazy but I have started work on this book of mine. Of course I’m already “behind” but I’m not worried about it. I decided that I would write as much as I could and if I finish then great. If I don’t, the world won’t end. 

I have already had to adjust my outline. The chapter that I thought was one has turned out to be two and may be three before it’s over. I had to change it a little because one of my main characters pointed out that he would never ask that question at a crime scene. So we had to alter the course of events. And I will not tell you what question caused him to change his mind. 

I never considered how sentient these characters become in one’s head. Even after just a few chapters, these characters have very clear ideas about what they would or would not do. I guess the time I spent working on personality paid off.

So that’s where I am right now. Slowly working towards my end goal of a completed novel whether it’s November 30th or some point in December. I decided that victory was completing the story even if it’s not done in one month. Especially since I have a couple other small things I’d like to work on and responsiblities that I need to focus on, like school and the kiddos. I honestly don’t think I’ll finish by the end of the month but I’ll keep working towards the finish line and who knows. Maybe inspiration will strike and cause three thousand words to spill out in one day. 

Happy writing!



So, yes, my blog schedule is not going as well as planned. I have the failure to use my bullet journal as I should as part of the issue. I was doing better when I scheduled writing time and I’ve been forgetting to do that as of late. So that’s my fault. Then last week was a vacation week from school and I spent my days doing as little as possible except for cleaning my house. I managed to do some NaNo prep, which was important and watch some Netflix, which is always good way to waste time. And then we went back to school this week so my schedule has been all over the place. I will admit to not having had a run for two weeks up until yesterday. It was a bad waste of time.

Probably the biggest issue I’ve had, as of late, is that I’m trying to figure out how to manage ADHD. I’ll kind of outline what exactly that means and how we got here for you briefly. The last school year was tumultuous for my seven year old daughter and for the first time I had issues with a child not behaving at school. Her brother is a consummate rule follower and I expected that she would be much more flower child. I did not anticipate this. Towards the end of the last school year, it became apparent that whatever was going on, it was not just free spirited child behavior. Something was seriously amiss. I mean, when your child flat out refuses to do the reading, as her teacher asks, and stands her ground, you have a problem. I didn’t want her to end up suspended from school and we were fast approaching that point.

I spoke with the school counselor and she suggested we run a Vanderbilt Assessment. If you aren’t familiar, it rates a child’s behavior looking specifically for ADHD. In July, her pediatrician confirmed what the counselor and I suspected. In that time since then, I have spent a lot of time reading as much as I can about ADHD and looking at ways to manage it. Clearly medication factors into this but medication eventually wears off. Also, I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted her on medication all the time (and it turns out I probably do, but I digress). So far, I have learned a wealth of things about ADHD that I had never even heard about before. This disorder is so misunderstood it is shocking. So, as I unearth info, I will be posting about that on occasion. I figure if all my research can end up helping somebody else, it will be well worth it. I know it’s helping me.

So, I am going to schedule things into my journal so that I remember to write (and run!) and be ready to see lots more on a whole new topic. Love to you all!


NaNo Prep

So, I have referenced before that I’m going to try NaNoWriMo. It will be a huge undertaking for sure, since I have school. School obviously comes first. I am going to give it my best shot though and if I don’t quite make it, that’s ok. I can keep writing past the end of November. I have been prepping as much as I can do that hopefully, come November 1, all I have to do is write. So how am I getting ready for this undertaking?

First is character outlines. I’ve been working on making sure I know what I need to about each character and really thinking about their pasts. I have been known to just write without thinking about character backgrounds and it slows me down a lot. I end up having to go back and double check facts. I can write without backgrounds but it takes a lot longer.

Second is a complete story outline. I usually like to write what I feel and if I had lots of time to write, I might try to write like I usually do. Problem is that I don’t have as much time as I’d like, so I am trying to get a thorough outline. That way I know what each chapter needs to be. I can still write whatever chapter I feel like but at least I know what needs to happen in that chapter and I can always edit for flow later.

Third is my way to feel more confident when I write and that’s to watch you tube videos. There are lots of videos about writing and I watch what seems relevant and absorb as much as I can. Hopefully, I’ll remember enough to make use of it and it’ll make my writing better.

There’s my plan. I’m going to give this a good try and hope that I end up with a rough draft. Then I can edit and hopefully there will be a book some day. If you’re going to NaNo, I hope that you’re excited and getting ready!

Books, Geekiness

Harry Potter Tag

Jessica over at Ever The Crafter did a Harry Potter tag and while I realize I just did one, this one is way better. So I figured, what the heck. Also, I realize that I didn’t post this week. The weeks that I have off from school are so rare that sometimes I just do nothing for awhile and lost track of what I meant to do. I’m also working on a Halloween short story with a few other bloggers and of course NaNo prep. I will endeavor to do better, as always. So without further ado…

What house are you in? I am, apparently, a hat stall. I have always come out fairly even between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. As our queen, JKR, has said that the hat always takes choice into consideration, I consider myself a Hufflepuff.Hufflepuff

What is your patronus? The Pottermore site says a dapple grey mare, so a horse, essentially. Personally, I’ve always been very fond of raccoons, so I suspect that if I had real magic that’s what it would be.

What is your wand? Hazel wood, 10 1/2 inches, unbending with a unicorn hair core.  Hazel wood is very sensitive to the owner’s emotional state and hazel wood wands often refuse to work for other wizards. Unicorn hair tends to be the most consistent of all the cores and it is very loyal as well. So my wand is very attached to me, which makes sense because I’d be very attached to it.

What would your boggart be? I am honestly not sure. I’m scared of falling and, generally, the dark but I’m not sure either of those could be boggarts. Some kind of monster maybe?

What position would you play in Quidditch? Probably a seeker or maybe a keeper. I am smaller and can be fast. I’d probably be better as a keeper, since I can get very defensive when it comes to people I consider my team.

Would you be pure blood, half blood, or muggle born? I can’t see myself as pure blood unless it was a family like the Potters or the Weasleys. Actually, I could see myself as a Weasley…

Which of the deathly hallows would you choose? The cloak. I don’t even have to think about that. Who wouldn’t want an invisibility cloak?

Favorite book and least favorite book? Favorite is Prisoner of Azkaban and least favorite is Chamber of Secrets.

Favorite film? The Half Blood Prince, for the amazing abilities of Alan Rickman. Yes, I know, it doesn’t follow the book well. I don’t necessarily think it has to.

Least favorite film? Yes, Chamber of Secrets again.

Favorite character? To pick just one favorite… Sirius. I adore how that character is written. There are so many sides to him and you feel so many emotions towards him. I would feel angry with him and feel sad for him all at once.

Least favorite/most hated character? Well Umbridge is easily the most hated. That woman was the definition of nasty. I think she’s one of the most despicable characters in the story. A lot of other characters have flaws but they also have horrible things that happened to them that explain those flaws. We never really hear anything about Umbridge’s back story but I don’t think she had a tragic childhood like Snape so she’s just a… well… anyway.

Favorite teacher? Flitwick. We never hear much about Filius in the books (and even less in the films) but I was always intrigued by him.

Least favorite teacher? Ugh, Lockhart forever and always. I feel sure Dumbledore thought it would be hilarious to watch Lockhart screw everything up but he was such a pompous jerk.

Do you have any unpopular opinions? Besides thinking that the sixth movie was the best? I don’t think that Fudge was a horrible person. I know that a lot of people felt that Fudge was almost as bad as Umbridge and I agree that his behavior was not great but I also think that he had a lot of reasons for his behavior that explains why he did those things.


Ultimate book tag

Yes, I know, another tag. I want to do a well written post on my NaNoWriMo prep and it’s not finished, so you get another tag. You all know you love it. You do. Trust me. 

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car? No, thankfully. I’ve spent many trips reading. Also bus/train rides when I used public transit.

2. Which author’s writing style is totally unique to you and why? Well, I’m not sure what this is intended to mean. I find Neil Gaiman to have a very unique style although I don’t know that I could say why, exactly.

3. Harry Potter series or Twilight series? Give three points to defend your answer. Well, Harry Potter. I don’t feel as though I need to defend that answer though. I mean, come on…

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what’s in it (besides books)? Most of the time because of school. There actually aren’t a lot of books in the bag, honestly. Notebook, laptop, pens and highlighters.

5. Do you smell your books? Only when they’re brand new.

6. Books with or without little illustrations? I can go either way. Little images at the top of a chapter are fine. If we’re talking whole pages, eh. Not so much a fan.

7. What book did you love while reading but later discovered it wasn’t quality writing? I guess the serial type stuff I read in middle school like Sweet Valley High? I’ll be honest, I’ve read some crappy stuff but after the age of about 16, I could tell it was crappy. In many cases, I read it anyway. I still read fan fiction and let’s be honest, a lot of that is less than stellar work.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Not really? My fifth grade teacher used to give us bookmarks she crocheted called bookworms. I had quite a collection. I took my books very seriously.

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelves? The Princess Diarist.

10. What is the thickest book on your shelves? Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as an author? I do write. If I publish a book, that would be great. If not, then hey, that’s how life goes.

12. When did you get into reading? I’ve kind of always been into it. My mom tells me Sesame Street taught me to read at age 3. I’ve been reading ever since. I have read an awful lot of books in the interim…

13. What is your favorite classic book? Probably The Scarlet Letter.  

14. In school, was your best subject Language Arts/English? Not really. I was better in science.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had already read and hated, what would you do? Give it away, I suppose.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games? So, this question makes no sense. Those two series are nothing alike. I’ve read lots of series. What counts as lesser known?

17. What is a bad habit you always do while blogging? Forget to blog…

18. What is your favorite word? Breakfast. It’s also my favorite meal.

19. Are you a nerd, dork or a dweeb? Or all three? I am a geek. Of many things but still a geek.

20. Vampires or fairies? Why? Fairies, maybe? They’re interesting characters. Kind of vague question…

21. Shapeshifters or angels? Why? Angels have lots of potential for wierd story lines.

22. Spirits or werewolves? Why? Are we talking about Remus Lupin? He’s the best werewolf ever. Otherwise, spirits. Again, more interesting story options.

23. Zombies or Vampires? Why? Whoever wrote this must have been a Twilight fan. Vampire, in this case because I don’t like zombies.

24. Love triangle or forbidden love? Yup, they were a twilight fan. Forbidden love. I don’t like writing love triangles.

25. Full on romance or action with some love scenes mixed in? Action. You can’t do all romance all the time. Too boring.

Nursing School

Clinical Do’s and Don’t’s

I am a day late here but that’s ok. I was contemplating this post yesterday and then realized I had a bunch of things that needed to get done before my own clinical tomorrow. So, yeah. A little late. But here, none the less!

Also, yes, the title looks odd. I don’t know how else to write that though that doesn’t sound pretentious! So without further ado, my thoughts on clinical do’s and do not’s (see, that sounds kind of uppity…)

  1. Don’t say no to an experience. When someone asks if you want to put in an IV, a foley, watch this patient get their MRI, help clean the patient up… your answer should be yes. Even if you’ve done it before. Even if it sounds gross. Even if you don’t really want to. Get your butt in there and get experiences. That’s what clinical is for, after all. Also, it lets your instructor know that you’re willing to jump in and try things.
  2. Nothing is beneath you. Yes, you are there to learn to be a nurse but the patient still needs things. It doesn’t matter if those tasks are typically delegated to a CNA, you can and, more importantly, should do them. Keep in mind that nobody likes the nurse who never does anything dirty and tries to hand those things off to the CNA all the time. Also, karma. Just saying. Most importantly, you are there to take care of your patient. Those tasks, though they may be gross, are part of that job. If you don’t like it, get a different degree.
  3. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something. It is much better for you to tell your instructor that you don’t know what to do than to do something wrong and possibly cause harm. And you’re they’re to learn. Nobody expects you to know everything. Heck, even nurses that I see that have been working for years still learn things sometimes (less often than students but you get what I’m saying here).
  4. Check your meds. Seriously. Check them before you pull them. Check them as you pull them. Check them again before you go in the room. Check them as you scan them. It’s not just about you. Things get put into the wrong slot in the med cart. You accidentally grab the wrong thing. Mistakes happen. They’re a problem when you don’t check what you’re doing. You can’t check to much, I promise you.
  5. Ask questions. Again, learning. You don’t learn if you never ask questions.

Five simple steps to a happy clinical day. Well, if I’m honest, you can’t make a clinical day happy or sad but your experience will be more valuable if you put your heart into it.

Until next time lovely people.

Books, Geekiness, Writing

Ultimate Harry Potter Tag

I am a bit of a geek. If I’m honest, I’m totally a geek. Harry Potter is one of my loves, so for your amusement (and mine), here are some of my best and worsts from the world of Harry.
1. Favorite book: My favorite book is definitely Prisoner of Azkaban. It’s the first time that we don’t deal with Voldemort plus, we learn a lot about how Harry’s parents die. Plus we’re introduced to Lupin, who is an awesome character and Sirius, who is definitely a complex character.

2. Least favorite book: My least favorite book is probably Chamber of Secrets. I don’t like Lockhart as a character. He seems very flat to me. He’s not really nice and he works as a villain of sorts but he seems like an annoying side plot.

  1. Favorite movie: My favorite movie is The Half Blood Prince. I feel like that movie does a good job bringing us to the last two movies and the end of the story. I also love that the story focuses on Snape and Draco and how the two are intertwined. I also love that Ron and Hermione spend the whole movie questioning Harry (doubting him) and Harry ends up being right. And that Harry loves that book and later finds out that it was Snape’s.
  2. Least favorite movie: I’m going to say Deathly Hallows part 2 because it was the end.
  3. Favorite quote: “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” I think that this quote tells us so much about Sirius’ character and it really speaks to one of the themes of Rowling’s story. It’s all about the choices that we make. No person is truly all bad or all good.
  4. Favorite Weasley: Ginny because she is at least as strong of a female character as Hermione is but she is strong in different ways. Or rather she shows that strength differently. Ginny isn’t afraid to be who she is and she is able to stand up to her brothers.
  5. Favorite female character: Minerva McGonagall. She is the most amazing character and then her being played by Maggie Smith.
  6. Favorite villain: Delores Umbridge. That woman is at least as evil as Bellatrix but she is not seen that way initially. It’s not until at least part way through Order of the Phoenix that you truly realize how awful this woman really is.
  7. Favorite male character: Sirius Black. Sirius is such a multidimensional character. He has so many flaws but at the same time he means well. He’s the type of character that you could know in real life. For all of Sirius’ flaws he truly loves Harry as a son even though he has moments where he doesn’t seem to know if he’s looking at Harry or James.

10.Favorite professor: Flitwick because I’d love to take Charms.

  1. Would you rather A)wash Snape’s hair or B)spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself? Probably wash Snape’s hair because I don’t know that I could listen to Lockhart for any length of time without wanting to off myself.
  2. Would you rather duel A) an elated Bellatrix or B) an angry Molly? Uhm, is there really a difference here? Either one would be a formidable opponent. I guess an elated Bellatrix. She’s more likely to make mistakes.
  3. Would you rather travel to Hogwarts via A) Hogwarts Express or B) flying car? Hogwart’s Express, obviously. Who wouldn’t want to ride on that train and get sweets off the trolley?
  4. Would you rather A) kiss Voldemort or B) give Umbridge a bubble bath? Well, if you kissed Woldemort you’d probably be killed so I’ll take my chances with Umbridge and the bubble bath.
  5. Would you rather A) ride a Hippogriff or B) ride a firebolt? I think a broomstick would be fun to try, so the firebolt.
  6. Is there a character you felt differently about in the movies? No. I thought that was one of the things that was done really well on screen was the characters and the actors they chose and how they were portrayed. All excellent.
  7. Is there a movie you preferred to the book? I think that Chamber of Secrets is better on screen than it is as a book. Of course, it doesn’t follow the book too closely so that may be why.
  8. Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore? I preferred Richard Harris. It was very hard for me to see the switch after Harris died.
  9. Your top thing (person or event) that wasn’t in the movie that you wanted there the most? I can’t think of anything that wasn’t there that I really wanted to see.
  10. If you could remake any of the Harry Potter movies which would it be? Possibly Prisoner of Azkaban. I wish it was closer to the actual book.

21.Which house was your first gut feeling you’d be a part of? Ravenclaw. It was actually very close. I think I would be a hat stall…

  1. Which house were you actually sorted into on Pottermore? Hufflepuff (Puffs for life!)
  2. Which class would be your favorite? Charms. I love the idea of being able to modify everyday things. Transfiguration would probably be a close second.
  3. Which spell do you think would be the most useful to learn? Accio? Or possibly some of Molly’s cleaning spells.
  4. Which character do you think you’d instantly become friends with? Hermione or Luna.
  5. If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be? The cloak. I wouldn’t want the wand because to many other people want it and you’d be killed over it. The stone is just sad.
  6. Is there any aspect of the books you’d want to change? Nope. They are amazing exactly as they are.
  7. Favorite Marauder? James. I have a lot of curiosity about James as a child and how he changed as he grew up. He is clearly a person who had strong morals but I wonder what happened to him from the ages of 11 to 17 that completely changed how he behaved. I think that James was one of those people who was truly good at heart and may have made some bad choices. I also think that he regretted those choices later on.
  8. If you could bring one character back to life, which would it be? Fred Weasley. I think separating the twins is simply cruel.
  9. Hallows or Horcruxes? Hallows.