Fighting a battle

I'm fighting a huge battle with my sleeping habits. I'm generally a morning person, waking up at 7 AM to get dressed and start working by 8. I go to bed almost the same time every night, just after The Daily Show is over. But these past two weeks have been hell because I can't seem to get out of bed at all. Sometimes, while I'm still mostly asleep, I'll get out of bed and turn the alarm clock off an hour before it ever rings.

Anyway, because of this, I feel extremely tired all day. No amount of caffeine can pick me up, and I end up not working as hard or as long on my writing as I need to. While it's true that it's easy to work on some of my projects even after this sleep problem, it's usually not projects for money. And that's the thing that's going to break me soon. I guess I just need to hurry up and move so that I can have more of a reason to wake up early - I'm not downloading the Today Show podcast on my laptop, so I have to watch the first hour in real time. It's probably the silliest thing you've ever heard, but I think this is exactly what I need to wake up on time again.

And I need to make a change, so I'm pretty sure that this is the last time I'll be whining on my blog. After all, it's supposed to be about my experience as a writer, not a whiner! So that means on my list of to-do's next week I will add those interview questions. Maybe in a couple weeks I'll be able to kick off my blogger/writer interviews... maybe. BIG maybe. So until, Monday, keep those fingers flying across the keyboards!

The most Hilarious Thing

I don't care if you have never seen the Today Show, this is just about the funniest video I have ever seen. During the Olympics, these guys do all kinds of antics, and Beijing is no different. You can see what I'm talking about here: Matt and Al's Rhythmic Routine. And tell me that doesn't make you laugh out loud!

News Overload

Not only have I been watching my regular news on television, but I have been overloading myself with my podcasts: Nightly News with Brian Williams, the Today Show, AC360, etc. And this is all because after almost two months of trying to get through podcasts still on my iPod, I finally finished. But of course I had to load another 2 months' worth of podcasts back on. It's a never-ending cycle, but I really do love it.

I babysat today. It was alright, but there are some potty training issues. They are the same ones that I had when I was my nephew's age, but there's really just no helping him, especially since this was the first time I babysat alone. And I still had to call in reinforcements for about half of the time. It was still fun hanging out with him for awhile though.

Work is really slow--I'm ahead of schedule for next week. I should be getting back on track soon though, then I'll be swimming in work again, just in enough time to pay all of my bills.

I can't wait for Swingtown to come on tonight. I love that show! I hope that there is a second season of it, because its really good television. Anyone else out there a fan?

New Article

Although I feel I've been slacking today, I did manage to find time to write a new how to article: How To Write and Article. Check it out if you are interested. And since it's all work and no play tomorrow (I have a pile of articles to write) I better go get my rest... or at least wind down the evening with my Today Show podcasts. G'night!

Today was a good day. I had plenty of work to keep me busy and I still got in 4 episodes of I Love Lucy, season 4. Oh! And my chocolate chip muffins are almost ready... excuse for a moment, won't you?


Oh... they look and smell so good! I can't wait to sink my teeth into one of them. Back to my babbling...

I even got to work on my novel (recently renamed 277 Miles) yesterday. I pushed out three chapters. I think I'll try and get at least one more out tonight, if I don't take on any more work. Though I might if it's available. Plus I need to clear my iPod... I think I have three or four movies left on it, plus a few episodes of the Today Show. Better get busy!

I went with a friend to see Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story last night. Let me just say first that I haven't been to a movie theater in almost three years, so that automatically gives the experience much more to me than it does to everyone else... but, the movie was amazing! Funniest things I've seen all year (all year? ha ha). Though my friend wasn't ready for the breif male nudity we both had a great time. The Apatow Group, apparently as it's known now, turns out great movies. I'll admit I probably haven't seen more than two of them, but the ones I did see deserve praise.

I downloaded two new podcasts last night. I think that brings my total podcast count up to nine podecsts, with 169 episodes unseen, and about 61 new ones downloading. I think I've gone a little podcast crazy. BUT, as I said before my "cable" company screwed me out of CNN, so a podcast is the only way I can watch AC 360. I also like to sleep in now so it is vital that I get the Today Show podcast. The Nightly News podcast I could do without just because I catch it on TV most nights, but sometimes the "cable" searches for its satellite signal and I can't get the station it's on.

But the new ones: VintageToons and Scrubs. Now I'm a little upset: Scrubs isn't downloading. There's a problem. But once I get it, I'll be happy. And you know how much I love to rant and rave about old cartoons being morally high and mighty while still retaining racist and ethnic stereotypes. Ah, the good old days.

I promise my blogs won't always be this boring. I'm just getting a slow start on 2008 and haven't prepared myself enough to blog daily, like I'm trying. And no--it's not a resolution to blog daily. It's a goal. There's a difference.

I'm really not happy with the new applications on Facebook. They would be great if they were actually reliable, but no. That's too easy. It didn't help that the 23-year-old Harvard educated creator of Facebook was on the Today Show the other day. There's a little too much ego there--to put it nicely.

Anyway... my favorite application is Last Songs Played. But it hadn't worked for more than a few hours since I added it. I thought that it would be a great way to let the one or two people that happen across my page to see what I'm listening to, but... first, I had to add them in myself. Now the songs automatically update because I signed up for things and downloaded more things that my computer really can't handle... but I did it. All for the love of music. Now I can't access the website, the program won't log on, and Facebook says it's working out the kinks. What a waste of free time... I could have been working on my script, which, by the way, is going. That's all I can say about it. 8038 with Friday's goal being 10k. I'll get there, but then what? The story is almost played out, so in the end, I don't think it'll be a full-length script. But it got me to write one, didn't it? Motivation is all I need.

I don't think that I should wake up at 7:15 every morning to turn on the Today Show and then continue to sleep in my nice, soft bed. Why? Because I have freaky dreams, that's why. This morning it was me and my brother in a run-down Chuck E. Cheese-type restaurant/gameroom. Although, there was a scrambler-type ride in the middle that we got on. That was cool. But then, there he was, Matt Lauer himself in clothes that someone like Rob Thomas would wear (I was thinking about my RT poster when I fell asleep last night) and Matt was tired so he laid down on the floor... creepy, I know. That's why I shoudl get up when I turn on the TV. I was supposed to get up that early to start meditation anyway, but since this is my vacation week (I'm going to write all summer like it's my job) I decided sleeping in until 9 is not so bad. Is it?