Quick Update

I decided to venture over to my blogs while taking a break from writing. Some of the posts on this Sleepless Girl blog make me CRINGE! Did you notice too that I wrote "HAHA!" a lot??
Oh, and it's not just on this blog--- it's in my scrapbook journaling, on social media posts and comments. I wonder if I ever said it out loud in person too??

I'm not sure I will keep this blog updated. I should, as I could use all the writing practice I can get.

My writing has hit a slump the last few months. I've been dealing with some health and personal issues, which I'm assuming are the things that are most taking up space in my brain.

And if I thought August 2017 was bad, world wise and politically? Oh, how I wish I knew how bad it would be. It's like we're in this constant state of alarm with no break in between events.

As we near the 2020 election, and with so many Democratic candidates trying to win the party's nomination, I fear it is only going to get worse. I  fear that we will not be able to survive another term under the current presidency, and that we will face the consequences of this administration's policies for years to come--morally, financially, worldwide, environmentally and humanitarian wise.

Hope all is well on your end, reader.


Always,
Virginia Elizabeth

Reading Challenges and the Apocalypse

I joined the GoodReads reading challenge this year and really set the bar high. Silly old me thought she could read 150 books in 2017. Bahaha!! I can hear my husband and kids laughing. So far this year, I have only read 6 books. SIXXXX!!! I blame the current state of our nation and all the politics. It seems like I spend a lot of time reading newspaper articles that lead to other news stories that lead to other articles and so on and so on. By the time I am done reading all about the world has gone to shit and we will all probably die soon, it's time to go meems. (Meems = to sleep or sleep, it's a Mexican mom thing, haha!)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I failed at NaNoWriMo. Again.
And again, I blame politics. I mean, NaNo is in NOVEMBER!! In 2016, November sucked

I'm slowly getting back to writing and I've started reading a lot more this summer. It's a far stretch, but I'm hoping to be able to catch up and get as close to my reading challenge as possible. 
Also, I did change my goal to 75 because, REALITY. Hahaha!

Until Next Time,
V~

Writers Gonna Write

I'm not going to make excuses for not updating this blog. I have none. I get all these ideas for short stories or I think of something to say that would make a good blog post, but then life gets in the way and I LET IT. I'm not talking about the good parts in life, either---those parts fill my heart and soul with joy. I'm talking about the parts that suck the life out of you. I decided I am no longer going to let them take away from what I love to do, what I feel in my heart I was meant to do. I need to be selfish. I need to make writing my life. It is my only refuge from the mad world we live in, and my safe haven from all that goes on around me...

So, here I am. Day 3 of NaNoWriMo, and I am really trying to stick with it. I have definitely done waaaay more than I have in past years since creating my account on the NaNo site. I updated my author info, I have writing buddies, I have participated in the Facebook group, I'm reading the pep talks, and I am actually updating my word count. And it's super low, nowhere near the 5,000 word mark I should be at by the end of today. I'm okay with that. I'm writing. I'm here blogging. My novel has a name. Progress, right???

I don't think anyone reads my posts, but it feels good write it all out. Ha!
 
Until tomorrow, blogging world...I leave you with this meme that is SO my current situation.

 

Meme from FYeahWriterLeopard on Tumbler

Turning 40 and Other Horror Stories...

Well, it happened. I had my 40th birthday. I am over the hill. I'm 40 and fab now...right? Plus, I hear 40 is the new 30. Or is it the new 20?? Why can't 40 just be the new 40? And why is it good for women to NOT look their age? Yet, men look better as they age---sexy and gray, like Clooney. I know, I know--this subject has been exhausted to no end. Many an article, blog, story, maybe even books, have been written about the unfairness of the aging status for women vs that of men. And, I'm not trying to come up with some new reason nor am I bitter and thinking of embarking on some proud-to-be-and-look-my-age campaign. I was just here eating a brownie late at night, and having conversations in my head so I decided to write them down here on my blog instead. What the heck, since I started this, I might as well delve into it, no?
The thing is, I have no issue with my age or aging. I love having birthdays! I love that another year has passed and I have lived, and breathed, and loved it all out. I don't even dye my hair, there are grays galore atop my head and I don't care. Okay, I take that back---I don't care that I am going gray, BUT I do despise those crinkly grays. You know, the ones that spring up as if to say, "Hey, look! Look here! Old lady en route!" My husband is six years younger than me, and my baby boy will turn eighteen in 232 days, 5586 hours and 335,166 minutes and 20,110,000 seconds. But hey, they say age is just a number. Well, I always wondered...if age is just a number, then why do some numbers matter more than others. I get the big deal over turning 18 because with that comes a certain freedom of sorts, and more rights and privileges and responsibilities. I get the hoopla because you are legally allowed to drink, but what about the rest? Why 30,40, 50..? Why not 27, 37, 47? Or, 23, 36, and 48?
I have no more words of wisdom regarding this age thing. And, I really had no horror story to tell.  I said what I said and am now wrapping it up because I'm about to finish my brownie, and I don't want to have to eat another...two.

 Look closely at my hair right above my phone...see the crinkly grays???

 Just for funsies, this is me on my 40th birthday--spent at the beach. My favorite place to be...

NaNo WriMo & A Short Story

Have you heard of NaNo WriMo?? No, you say? Let me tell you a bit about it...

NaNo WriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It is a word count challenge for writers to pen 50,000 words in the month of November to help with completing their novel. The main rule is, WRITE. Write until you can't anymore! Another big rule---DON'T edit, just WRITE. Aaggh! The latter is sooooooo hard for me to do! I over edit. It's a problem I have always dealt with since I began writing. I over edit as I go, I just cannot help myself. I discovered NaNo WriMo last year, mid November when it was all well under way already. I didn't complete the challenge then, but I told myself it was because I had started so late so my failure was justified.

This year I prepped for NaNo WriMo extensively! I had all my word counts set up, posted numerous notes {on cute little papers I'd stamped with a typewriter and all}, and I had my current novel-in-progress ready to be completed.

Well....

NaNo WriMo ended yesterday, and I failed again. Yep. I only added a few thousand words to my existing 10,000 plus. In my defense, I did write. I just didn't write towards the goal of completing my novel. I did character development, researched background settings, etc. I also began on a few more ideas I had, and started on some scripts. I am considering entering a Scriptapalooza., a screenplay competition. Perhaps the stories I have to tell are better suited for movies or television, who knows?

Speaking of stories, here's a short story I wrote for a class a while back. Enjoy!!

She opened the door and tiptoed into the room, being careful not to make much noise. He stirred in his bed a bit, and she quickly ducked to the floor so he wouldn't catch a glimpse of her shadowy figure on the wall. The last thing she wanted right now was for him to wake up and start asking questions about where she'd been or why she was up at this hour. As she crouched on the ground, her thoughts turned to the wonderful evening she had just shared with Matt, the first love of her life.

Only he knew how to erase the stress of her days. His words melted her, and his kisses sent her heart into a frenzy. She could still feel the muscles of his strong arms as he held her while they danced. Oh, how they had danced and danced!

Their evening had begun with dinner at their favorite restaurant, a small steak joint a mile outside the city limits. Neither of them had an affinity for trying out trendy new restaurants, and the food served at Landon's Joint was simple, like her and Matt. They liked the juicy steaks and burgers that Landon served with the best sweet potato fries this side of the Rio Grande. Matt had asked that she wear a nice, flowing dress tonight. She was surprised by his request because he knew she was a t-shirt and jeans type of girl. But, she had lost about ten pounds since the last time he'd seen her in a dress so she obliged, hoping he would be pleasantly surprised at the dress she had chosen to wear. Still, she felt a bit uncomfortable and tried not to fidget while they ate dinner. As they left the restaurant, she couldn't help but wish their evening together could last longer. She missed Matt terribly when they were apart, and lately it seemed they rarely spent any time alone together. When they pulled into the dance studio, she looked at Matt confused. He had failed to mention they would be going anywhere after dinner. She was happy, but worried at the same time. What if HE wakes up? We're never out more than a few hours, she thought. As if reading her mind, Matt reassured her that everything would be okay. He said they would leave immediately if HE called. Feeling a bit more calm, she followed him in. It had been so long since she had danced! Now she knew why he had asked her to wear a dress. He had already made a big fuss about how great she looked when he picked her up, and now he couldn't stop telling her how beautiful she was. She felt like they were dancing on clouds, and when it was time to leave, Matt kissed her passionately while whispering that their evening was not over yet. They giggled like love-struck teenagers as they made their way to the car.

“Mommy? Why are you hiding under my bed,” asked sleepy-eyed Nicholas, interrupting her thoughts.

“Mommy was just checking for monsters, sweetheart,” Bekkah said with a smile as she got to her feet.  Just then, Matt peeked his head through the door.

“Daddy!! Guess what? Mommy saw a monster under my bed. Can I sleep with you?” Nicholas asked and began to get out of his bed.

“Sure, sport. We'll take care of those monsters in the morning, okay?” Matt said as he carried Nicholas out of the room and mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to Bekkah.

Alas, date night had come to an early end, and they would have to pick up where they left off some other evening.

©All original stories posted are the sole property of JustVirginia. Stories may be shared as long as they include a link back to this original post.

The Argument He Doesn't Know We Just Had

The other day I had a lengthy argument with Hubby. It was horrible. I said some crazy things, shook my head in disbelief repeatedly, and hmmfft and pffft A LOT. He, however, did not say a single word to me. He didn't argue AT ALL.  I know what you're thinking, "You go, girl! Way to win that argument. Leave that man speechless!". Such was not the case. Allow me to elaborate...

Now this is going to make me sound like a crazy person, but the reason he didn't argue was because he wasn't even involved. How, you ask? I had the argument in my head. Yep, he wasn't even in the same room with me when we were "arguing.".  It went like this: Hubby did/said something to piss me off and I stomped off to our bedroom. I started putting up some laundry and kept expecting him to follow me, ask what's wrong, say he was sorry, etc., etc. Only he never showed up, and that made me even more angry. I started saying pretty nasty things about how I'm his wife, dammit! Not his mother! If only he knew what it would be like to live without me. Who would get everything done? All he cared about was the DVR right now. Why didn't he put the curtain back the way I like it when he's done showering? And on and on I went about so many "issues" I had with him. After "getting it all out" I start to calm down and I start to apologize {still doing all this in my head, mind you} and admit that maybe I over reacted. And when all is said and done {in my head, of course}, I head back to the living room, sit next to Hubby and give him a kiss. Argument over. All the while, he's been oblivious to all the nasty things I just said to him.

Some of you ladies may know what I'm taking about. Right? Please say yes. Or else, I must be a little on the nutty side after all.

V~

I want to be a writer when I grow up...

Yep, I want to be a writer when I grow up. Let me re-phrase that, I want to be a FAMOUS writer when I grow up. Well, let me re-phrase THAT, I want to be a famous writer among the Romantic/Chick Lit author folk. No next-great-piece-of-American-Literature brewing here. I'd be soooo happy if Harlequin picked one of my stories. My apologies if you are now utterly disappointed.

As I prepare my first official "writer" post,  I wanted to blog about the purpose OF this blog. I have neglected my writing. It's all my fault. I have wasted hours on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, BLOGS, etc {once you add them up, of course, not ALL AT ONCE, silly!} when I could and SHOULD have been working on my novels. What can I say? Social media is a bit of a time suck for me. Yet here I am contributing TO social media in the hopes that you will waste your precious time {regularly, I hope} reading MY writing blog. Do not worry. I do not plan on sharing my entire novel with you, but I may post bits and pieces when I am in need of some feedback. My posts on here will not be too long either, as I plan to write mostly about my everyday life or things that boggle my mind. I guess what I am trying to say is, I just want to use this blog as a way to keep my brain on writing mode 24/7. 

I do not know how you came across my blog, but I am happy that you are here. I promise not be a bore, but I may not always be funny and witty so you have been warned. And truth be told, I may not always have much to say, but I will try to make what little words flow from my brain a bit interesting. I hope you will come back tomorrow for my very first post, "The Argument My Husband Doesn't Know We Just Had." It's a good one.

In the meantime, I want to share a funny exchange I had with with my five year-old, whom we will call Block Boy from here on out {he loves Legos!}:

Me:              Will you please grab a wipe and clean up that 'work of art' on your leg before we leave?

Block Boy:   Uh, it's not a work of art. It's just a drawing I did.

Me:              I know that. I was being sarcastic. 

Block Boy:  Sa-castic? Eeeeww!!! That sounds SO gross. Just disgusteding!