J. H. Authors

One Woman. Three Names. Many Books.

Musings

The Oxygen Mask

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I have been missing from this blog for a while. It is not because I have nothing to say. Far from it. It is because I am having issues with my oxygen mask.

We all know the analogy. Emergency plane procedures say put your oxygen mask on first, and then help others afix theirs. I preach this to my friends with families. Take care of yourself. One challenge with being single and childless is that I don’t always think I need to worry about balance in my life. Sure, I’ll be on this committee. Of course I will read your play/story/manuscript. Happy to speak at this event. Run a race? Sign me up. All good, but then layer on work and trying (and failing) to write. Balance off.

I have been blogging (see here and here). And I have been thinking. But mostly I’ve been off balance. Of course this always happens at this point in the semester–treading until Thanksgiving. But still. Gotta work on my oxygen mask.

Picture

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I think I need to get a headshot of sorts–something more professional to post on the blog and on other blogs. For now, I changed it to the pith helmet photo. What do you think?

Kinda goes with the camel picture, doesn’t it?

Aging with Grace

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A friend posted a link to this great blog post called “100 Ways to Age with Grace, Elegance & Joie de Vivre”. I loved it. I plan on rereading it a few more times, and coming up with my own list.

There are some challenges of aging. Your skin starts to separate from your body. (Kids thinking about getting tattoos should take a good look at a middle aged body and realize that will happen to them. AKA, neck tattoos may prove to be a problem. But that’s another post). Your joints creak. Men your age date women twenty years younger.

But here’s the joy of it–you stop caring as much. About any of it. The realization that we are here for a very short time comes driving towards you. You can freeze in fear, or you can recognize the fear but still move forward. Somehow I am jumping on the second path, and the results are joyous.

I am going to work on a list of five new things to help me live with flair. I’ll post them later. Meanwhile, what do you think?

Prioritizing

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And so it begins. I work in academia, but year round. I spend the summer getting ready for the beginning of the school year. And yet. Nothing gets me ready. I am keeping a running list of what I didn’t get done. It’s a long list.

And that’s work. Personally I got things done, but not everything. I should have my query packet ready to rock. Not yet. Cancelled plans for the weekend, and going to try and get that part of my life on track.

And then’s there’s the physical me. Summer time early gym appointments and tri training aren’t easy, but they are doable. Now it is more challenging. No more tris, but a couple of “races” this fall. I am grateful for those goals, and for the long term contract I signed at the gym. Really grateful. Because I would let it slip otherwise.

And I’m considering taking French lessons.

So what this means is that I have to prioritize. I need to create space for my life in my life. Create space for blogging, and writing, and querying, and working. And running. And getting better at swimming. And even French. But there are seven days a week. Twenty four hours a day.

I’ll figure it out. And let you know how it goes.

Cranberry Sprint Tri–Race Report

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Well, I did it. Here’s the race report–warts and all.

On Saturday August 28 I did the Cranberry Sprint Triathlon. I started, and I finished. As this was my first tri, that was as far as my goals went, though I did want to try and come in under 2.5 hours. Still not sure of my time. (UPDATE, I finished in 2:16).

Like everything that pushes you past your comfort zone, I learned a great deal about myself during this process, and especially on Saturday. My biggest “a ha”? I feel like a fraud as an athlete. It has only been a little over a year since I decided to seriously try to push myself athletically. This summer I have been stregnth training, and tri training. I haven’t lost a pound, but I have lost inches and gained muscle. I have a ways to go, but I am on a path. All of that said, as I stood waiting to be in the last wave of the swim (!), doubts crept in. I have a lot more work to do on my mental game.

SWIM
The swim was ½ mile. And it sucked. I swam for a bit, sighted the buoy, saw how far it was and I started to hyperventilate. So I went to my back. Since I was in the last wave, there weren’t a lot of swimmers around. Towards the end, there were just three of us. I won’t lie—I almost quit, but I didn’t. There was a surfboard guy who stuck by me, and literally talked me through it. Made a huge difference. I was the last one out of the water. I was met by a weeping friend, who said “I’m so proud of you.” Can’t even say what that meant.

BIKE
On my way back to the transition area I decided to just finish the race. even though I was last. I didn’t have to wrestle with anyone else to get out, so I just focused, went through my routine and took the bike off the rack. A BostonFit friend found me, and reminded me to breathe use the bike to relax. Easier said than done, but I tried. I wore my camelback, thankfully (the bottle thing
while riding still isn’t happening). I didn’t refuel in transition, and that was a mistake. The ride wasn’t bad—it was a two loop course, and I didn’t see anyone on my second loop. I got more zen about being last.

RUN
I am always a slow runner, and I was tired, but I had come so far. Though when I saw the one mile marker I screamed—probably aloud. Damn that first mile sucks. The next two weren’t much better, but I did them, with two one minute walk breaks.

As I was running the rest of the course alone people were driving by, on their way home. Most of them opened their windows to cheer me on. Every cop, every volunteer, everyone just kept encouraging me. So even though I was the only person running that final bit, I felt good. And I saw my entire BostonFit posse cheering me on. And then my family, and my BFF David were waiting at the finish line.

Will I do it again. Yes. Next season. After I train my body and mind this winter.

Off the Grid

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Jungle Red Writers blogger Jan Brogan issued a challenge to writers–write a page (just one) in the morning before you get on the internet. A six week challenge, which could net 42 pages.

I signed up.

And failed.

Between the blogging, writing, training I am moving too fast. And am addicted to email. And the internet.

So going off the grid for a week. Will get some blog posts written, without the internet to get in my way. Will also get some editing done, and get the new novel restarted.

And maybe start a new habit.