Day 15: Momentum

O momentum ... how easily I lose you. 

And momentum isn't the only thing I lose on a regular basis.

The following is an actual conversation between my husband and me:

Me: What habit do I have that you used to think was cute, but now it's just annoying?
Nate: Great. She doesn't hang me, she just hands me the noose.
Me: No really. I want to know. So long as it doesn't have anything to do with food.
Nate: Well ... I used to think it was cute that you lost stuff.

Right.

I lose everything.

Money. Debit Cards. Credit Cards. Keys. Travel Mugs. Cell Phones. Passports. Birth Certificates. Citizenship Cards. Glasses. Receipts. Library Books. Marriage Licenses. Well, only one of those!

Consider the following evidence:

I lost my car keys this summer. I never found them.
I lost my credit card too. I found it ... two weeks after I declared it lost or stolen.
I also lost a copy of The Lorax that we rented from Jumbo Video.
(I think I put it on the car roof and drove away. I'll probably find it in the spring.)

I now buy books from Chapters because it's cheaper than paying library fines for books I forgot to return. My last fine was over $50.

Ironically, I am now a librarian. 

I lost my husband's car keys while shopping for a new library book at Chapters.
Then my cell phone died (after I called my husband to tell him I was stranded at the mall).

Then I found the keys.

I would have called him back, but I couldn't ... because I lost the charger.
Needless to say, he wasn't impressed when he arrived home.

Sometimes I lose momentum because I lose things like pencils or computer cords.
Other times I lose momentum because I can't bring myself to finish something I know will never be perfect.

Whatever the reason, when I lose momentum on a project, I'm always tempted to call it quits. Tempted to hide it in a drawer and start again in a couple of months when the sting of failure isn't quite so fresh.

But not today.

While my internet voice has been silent, here are some baby steps I've taken:

• I created a design for the JoyFM logo contest that begins in February. It began as a one-day fling and morphed into a multi-day event. I was grateful for the input from friends and family - which dramatically improved the final product. I don't expect to win, but it was fun to think creatively again. It's also a great opportunity to display my artwork to the Fredericton community. Or at least it will be ... if I don't forget to submit it!

Original Design

Finished Product

• I registered for a creative writing workshop that's taking place at Smythe Street Cathedral tomorrow. It cost $30 including lunch. Woo hoo! Finally something within in my price range!

• I drafted a letter to Plugged In, proposing that I review movies for their site. To this end, I watched Ip Man on Netflix, took copious notes ... and am still working on the first paragraph of my sample review.

• I've continued to work on my picture book manuscript. You'd think it would be easy because it has so few words. Not so. I expect to finish just before my eightieth birthday. 

This is a picture of the last muffin. 

I found the camera just before Nathan ate it.

By Nathan, I really mean me.

I would post the recipe ...

but I lost it!

Mom: If you're reading this, don't worry. I'll find it again. I always do. 

Day 5: Muffins

Some mornings, my mom used to wake up early and bake pumpkin muffins that we could eat before school. They were almost too hot to touch, and each one greeted you with a symphony of steam and melted chocolate. It made any day special. Today I wanted to give my husband that fresh-from-the-oven, I-made-this-just-for-you feeling.

Ha. I am not my mother.

Muffin-making in the wee sma's takes a fair bit of planning. You have to know where the ingredients are. You need to have clean utensils like measuring spoons, mixing bowls, and muffin tins. A cleared, flat surface is desirable.

Ha. I am not my mother.

I did plan to ask my husband to take the dogs out for a pee in exchange for a muffin.
I did plan not to hit SNOOZE.
I did hit it only twice, but the second time I accidentally hit DISMISS instead of snooze and woke up 38 minutes after the alarm first went off.
I did know where the ingredients were ... last week.

I did plan to pack the dishwasher, but I forgot, and when I finally shuffled bleary-eyed into the kitchen my husband was eating cereal out of a cheese container and spreading peanut butter onto his sandwiches with the wrong end of a fork. Try finding measuring spoons in THAT.

When he was in the shower and I needed to wash the mixing bowl, I cried.
When he was still in the shower and I needed to wash the half-cup measure, I complained.
When he opened the dishwasher - effectively blocking all traffic to and from our tiny kitchen - I screeched, "YOU'RE PUSHING YOUR LUCK TODAY BUDDY!"

Screeched on the inside that is. On the outside it probably looked more like an panicky growl.

My husband left the house 29 minutes ago with a steaming hot muffin in a bowl. Stay tuned for the recipe.

And pictures of cold muffins because now I need to go to work.

Live, laugh, love ... and eat muffins!