My alpha male

Men.
Sometimes you want to kill them, sometimes you want to marry them all over again. The best ones are the alpha males because when they show their soft side, it's soooo special.

My Hero asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told him I wanted to see Matthew McConaughey's new movie AT the movie theatre. We haven't been to a movie in -hmm - fifteen years.

On the way we stopped at Sam's and once inside I realized I'd forgotten the checkbook and asked him to run out to the car and get it. I proceeded to fill my list from the aisles closest to the front of the store, occasionally looking for him, but we were in a hurry to make the movie so I moved on. Halfway down the main aisle he walked up to me and said, "Next time at least have the decency to wait for me at the front. I've been standing up there looking for you." Now, if I was going to stand around and waste time I'd have gone to the car to get the check book myself.

But then, on the way to the movie, I turned on a song from our past when I used to sing Lion in the Winter, by Hoyt Axton and Linda Rondstadt. It was his song.

When they sang, "and when I first saw you, I first loved you, like the song that you sang and the fire in your eyes," I heard him say, "Now that's the gospel."

I was driving and looked over at him, "What?" I asked. But he couldn't speak and had tears in his eyes. Then he said, "Years ago. That's what happened."

Thirty-two years later and he still gets choked up over a sentimental song and how much he loves me.

I think I'll keep him.

Plans go awry

That's what happens when you plan and think in your arrogance - I have this all worked out, no problem, nothing will interfere.

Yesterday I told my critique partner, Leah, that I was going to do 10,000 words today to make up for the four days of interruptions, work, and other projects inconveniently showing up on my doorstep. My motto was - just do it. Roll up those sleeves.

I got up at 4:45am, turned on the computer as I headed to the kitchen to flip on the coffeepot. Washed my hair and watched a few minutes of news with My Hero. I got to work at 5:55. I closed my office door planning to write about 5,000 words at least before I had to run an errand.

My Hero came through the office door the third time about 6:20. I asked him if he wanted to run the errand with me which should only take about 45 minutes and I could get back to my plan. He agreed and at 8:30, said he would go fishing for about 45 minutes. I returned to what I was doing - editing. Editing what we'd worked on a during our workshop, editing what I did yesterday. This was not the plan. Decreasing word count. Sure, it's better, tighter but now it's 11:00 and my..er...hero hasn't returned and I have to leave.

Seven hours and only 200 net words.

I can hear everyone laughing.

There was a young guy in the service department of the car dealership where I used to work. I was having continual problems getting a supplier to change out my battery. Thoroughly frustrated, I looked at him and asked, "Isn't anything ever easy?"

This 21 year old looked at me with 85 year old eyes and said, "Should it be?"(eyes-crossed)

Okay, so I'll keep plugging and hope I wind up with a positive change in word count today at least. I know someone can relate.

** Hubby said well, 200 is better than nothing. -sigh- That was so sweet, and kind of unexpected.

Husbands as Heroes

What makes a hero? Is he only the guy you dream about or is there one living in your house, sleeping in your bed?

We write about him as a unique man of heroic action, a guy who could race in on his white charger and save the day. A guy who is the epitome of both sides of the male psyche, sometimes sweet but often difficult. And still, he's heroic.

In real life we might be caught thinking "Can't live with 'em...can't live.." I'm sure most of us wish our mates were more like the heroes we read and write about or that we simply had more in common. And poor guys - they're wishing the same thing!

But I have realized that many facets of my written heroes are reflections of my guy. He's a Sagittarius, known for his honor, enthusiasm, and romantic nature, although Linda Goodman describes the Sagittarius hero as the guy who arrives in time only to fall off his horse and land at the heroine's feet. Yep, that's him, too.

We celebrate thirty-two years of 'romantic bliss' in December, and he shines in the context of daily life.

When I'm away, I don't want to think about what the kitchen and bathroom look like. I shudder to think of it. All I know is that the day before I come home, he's busy making it presentable. When I return, I don't complain, when I find that the ruffle on the bed has been tucked in at the bottom, the embroidered towels are turned toward the wall, the dirt is literally swept under the rug, and the clothes have been left in the dryer too long.

One day while I'm fixing lunch, he hears one of our favorite songs on the radio and swoops me into a slow dance near the refrigerator. He helps me clean house, takes me fishing and saves me the best spots to catch fish. Calls me sweetheart. Sends me perfect greeting cards and much less frequent flowers.

A couple weeks ago, the night I entered my first writing contest, I asked him if he wanted to hear my entry. I was just thrilled that I'd fulfilled a goal. He said, "Yeah, hold on." He turned off the tv and closed his eyes 'to concentrate'. When I finished reading he said with an astonished look on his face, "That's really good. Really good. You'll win."

-sigh-
My Hero.

Writer's block

I think I had my first real experience with writer's block Thursday, Nov 1 - the first day of NaNoWriMo. It reminded me of PMS in that it affected my mental state and everything else I did.

Burned the catfish for lunch, my biscuits didn't rise, put the wrong ingredient in hubby's pork n beans, my mind just wouldn't cooperate. So, I worked on easy stuff, excel spreadsheets, binder inserts for a work related project, paid a few bills, got my blog up and running. It was creative in a different way.

I didn't recognize the problem until I got away from it. I simply couldn't put one word down in any form related to the project I'm supposed to be working on.

Hubby noticed just like he used to in the days of the 'dragon' that my mood was - shall we say- somewhat antagonistic. Even then I didn't realize what was going on within. He's a good barometer. So, I set it aside until yesterday which made a big difference. Between my blog entry and my writing project I wrote 2900 words. Yes!

It's like a 12 step program, one day at a time. Total for Nov: 2300

A New World

A lot is made these days of the bad things that happen on the internet and obvious criminal activities come to mind. In all areas of our lives - there's good and bad. But let's talk about some facets that have changed us for the better, forever, the far reaching opportunities of hooking up to the World Wide Web.

My husband, who is a very physical person, loves the outdoors, fishing, hunting, working in the yard, has been laid up this week due to a strained back with nothing to do but watch TV. He is completely, irrevocably and happily computer illiterate. And disinclined to change. He literally would not touch one to save his life, or mine.

Today, he said, almost wistfully after I'd been online a good while, "A person who knows how to use a computer can stay busy all the time." Like most people who know zip about computer technology he's unaware of the significance of that statement. I thought about it.

I began this morning by checking my online bank statement and transferring funds from one account to another in order to set up payments on credit cards. Then, I checked for refunds on my cell phone bill, posted a message to an online writing class that just completed, ordered a blouse, researched out of state hunting in Nebraska, found the best site to buy shrinkgrip (whatever that is) for his hunting stand and emailed customer service with his questions. Then I arranged for the return of a defective keyboard and ordered stamps from the postal service.

I purchased an ebook, tried to write forward in my current project, found synonyms from Thesaurus.com, and looked up a new recipe on Food Network for lunch. Well, lunch was another story. Then I downloaded pictures from my favorite Navy guy, emailed friends and family, and checked in with my supervisor from work.

But besides how the internet provides for work, research, budgeting, communication with family, and updating software there's a wondrous global advantage.

Last month, I left the bayou in central Louisiana to connect with Lesley, my new editing partner in Canada. An online writing group made us partners, and online chat allowed us to work as if we were neighbors. Thanks, Leah, for technical help, great critiques and for introducing me to your corner of the world.

I got a great partner, but with this global technology, I could have easily wound up with someone from Australia, England, South America or Dubai.

So where are you today and whose life in a distant land have you touched or been touched by?