Sunday, August 5, 2012

Sunday Salon: Distractions R Us

 Good morning sleepyheads.  I've just checked off another rather unproductive week.  Well, actually let me clarify.  It was an unproductive BLOGGING week.  I did get a few things accomplished.


After five weeks of visiting, I ushered my husband's Polish nephew and the nephew's girlfriend to the airport on Tuesday morning.  It was wonderful to spend time with them, but their presence does alter the dynamics and agenda of our family.  I painted all of my daughter's bedroom furniture in what has proven to be an ongoing summer kid room renovation project.  We put more hours in at the Animal Shelter (the rats have been adopted - yay!).  Five-day-a-week football practice has started, which involves not only round-the-clock feeding and hydration of the boy child, but psychological counseling and motivating.  


I've also spent a chunk of my time on the fitness.  Andre, spin class, and running.  I've been doing quite a bit of reading on the subject of training for longer running events, and coming up with a weekly plan.  (My accountant personality emerges.)  Increasing my miles each week, with one long run a week, and some speed training as well.  I'm really excited and encouraged with my progress, and am glad I've got seven months to prepare for this thing and kick it to the curb!


And the Olympics!  Every night, I settle in and watch whatever is on.  Joe Body, Destiny Hooker, the Fab Five, Ryan Lochte (yeah!), Missy Franklin, and now the runners!  That look like body-builders!  It is quite addicting.  


But all of this distracts from the blog.  And honestly, I'm finding that I just don't care so much.  I get around to a few blogs each day, I write a review once in awhile, but it just isn't happening for me at the moment.  Maybe once the kids get back into school?  On a scale from 1 to 10, I'd rate my reading at about a 4.  I finished my Alison Bechdel graphic novel, and am about halfway through Marybeth Whalen's new book "The Guest Book".  It is a lovely, pleasant read!  And while painting the furniture, I've been meandering through the audio of "The Discovery of Witches".  At first it felt a little bit goofy, but it is growing on me.  I am finding myself more than a little attracted to a vampire who likes fine wine, horseback riding and yoga!  


When it comes to my audio lineup, I've noticed that I'm starting to accumulate them on my iPod like I accumulate books on the shelf.  There are no less than a dozen audios I want to listen to right at this very second, with five dozen or more beyond that, and it is driving me mad!  Audios used to be my fast track to getting a book read, but not anymore.


I've got a nice medium run facing me this morning, then some horse lessons for my daughter if it doesn't rain, then floating if it doesn't rain.  What I need to do is sit my butt down and write about three or four reviews.  We'll see how far I get with that.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!  


        

18 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Once you get out of the groove with the writing, it's hard to get back into it. Marybeth Whalen is coming here soon and I'd hoped to go but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. :( I'm the same way with audiobooks - they're starting to stack up.

Beth F said...

Hope your writing groove kicks back in.

Ana S. said...

I know exactly what you mean about not caring as much anymore. But I'm actually trying to look at it positively - I still care about blogging and especially about my blogging friends, but I don't feel that old sense of urgency to be everywhere and do everything anymore. I blog sporadically and don't comment anywhere near as regularly as I used to, and after all these years it seems that I've finally managed to stop feeling like this means I'm failing. On a selfish note I do hope you get your writing mojo back, but realistically I know it's probably better for us to approach blogging this way.

Unknown said...

Did you manage to keep the rats from your home? I remember there was a possibility that one might move in with you, but you were trying to prevent it, right?

Carrie K. said...

Sounds busy! I understand what you mean about blogging - August is always that way for me. Good for you on the fitness front! And I know what you mean about too many books, too. My problem is that there are some I would find time for on audio RIGHT NOW if my library just had them available in that format. Urgh.

JoAnn said...

What is it with blogging and summer?? So many of us in this predicament - I'm sure we'll find the groove again once fall starts...

Anonymous said...

I am so right there with you on the blogging/reading thing. I managed to finish a book today, though, so that's a plus. :) And I started The Taker - very interesting so far. But yeah, my reading is probably a 4 or 5, blogging even worse, and to be honest I can't bring myself to care. When I have time, great, if not, that's cool too. What I WOULD love to find more time for is fitness! You inspire me, but I need to see that inspiration to its logical conclusion and get my ass to the gym more frequently! :)

Dawn @ sheIsTooFondOfBooks said...

I understand what you mean about house guests -- lots of fun, but a return to 'normalcy' is nice, too.

Please tell me what you're doing for training - which of the dozens of plans are you following? I'm afraid I'll be the last Princess across the finish line ....

Alyce said...

The Olympics are definitely a fun distraction! I need to write some reviews too. I had a backlog of those I had written but not proofed/polished, now I've used those up and I'm going to have to sit down and have myself a little writing marathon. Thing is, I really have to be in the right frame of mind to do that, and with the kids home (and everything else going on) the distractions are abundant. Good luck with your reviews!

Unknown said...

I'm very distracted too. I've only managed to write one post this week and am not commenting much at all. I'm sure all will return to normal when the children go back to school, but at the moment I'm happy with what I'm doing in the non-blogging areas of my life.

raych said...

Woman, me too. (And, if one reads the comments, everyone else, too.) The shits, I do not give them. I blame the Summer Lazies. Or the Summer Too-Damn-Hots. Or the Summer Everyone Else Is In My Fucking Space.

One of those.

Julie P. said...

I'm still working on getting down there for the half marathon. Once that's locked in, I'll start training!

The Bumbles said...

I'm still in a Lochte coma - can't focus on anything other than those abs, that smile, those eyes...

Zibilee said...

I also have been feeling less than enthralled with the writing aspect, and it's making me feel creatively blocked. I love to read, and always will, and I love to visit; but lately feel that I just have a hard time sitting down to write, and when I do, it's a lot of time spent staring out the window, looking for the right words. It's been a trying summer for all of us, really, and I just wish that my writing would start to flow a little better. I just keep at it, trying to get it back under control. Good luck to you with the running, my friend. I know you can do it!

Ti said...

I have over 30 audio books on my iPod right now.

I thinking blogging in general has slowed way down this summer for everyone. I've not seen nearly as many posts in my reader and for that, I am grateful.

Melissa said...

We've loved watching the olympics too! The diving was Claire's favorite. Last night she was asking for swimming and jumping and I realized I should have recorded some for her!

And yeah, major blogging slump here too...but on the upside I actually have taken some time to read books lately!

Jenners said...

Wow … five weeks of a house guests is a LONG time. I applaud you for doing that. And I think you will rock this running thing … you already are. It cracks me up that you're such a Type A person about it though! : )

I was totally under the spell of the Olympics but then we left in the middle to go on our cruise (not that I'm complaining) and I kind of lost the thread of it. It was too overwhelming to watch it all when I got back.

I'm slowly getting back into blogging. I'm almost out of prewritten book reviews so school better start soon before my blog falls apart completely! : )

Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chick said...

Keep it up with the fitness, girlfriend! You are kickin' some major butt prepping for the half-marathon and I know you'll do great! I know what you mean about it all distracting you from the blog, though and I think it's okay for that to happen. Taking a break is always good, and it keeps us all level-set and sane!