A Red Letter Writing Day

Well, the day started out pretty crappy. Nothing big but just a number of little things right on top of each other and they piled up into something weighty.

But then, two things happened to make the day a lot better.

First, I got a call back (never thought I had a chance) from an editor at Hampton Brown, a subsidiary of National Geographic and he was given my name from one of my editors. He is interested in having me work on a project with them and asked for a resume!!! I sounded cool as a cucumber when I was talking to him, but let me tell ya, my heart was racing. This could be one fabulous connection for me work wise. I'd keep my fingers crossed but then I couldn't do any typing at all.

Secondly, I did an interview this evening with a person for an article I am writing. It is for a magazine I have written for seven years. She told me that she had followed my writing all this time and that one article I wrote about a new study on a new medication encouraged her to take it to her doctor. He prescribed the med and she is much better. She actually credited me with, in part, helping her to live longer. She said, "You will never know what an impact the words you write have on other people. You may be changing other's lives as well. "

Well, wow.

That was quite something. It truly made me feel like my writing does have a bigger purpose than just paying the bills and keeping me in books, Joseph in Volkswagens, Nicole in hiking gear and the boys in game systems.

So, the day has been pretty decent after all. I'm still behind, still overworked and still frantically trying to get ready to leave town tomorrow afternoon.

But you know what? I changed people's lives. That's pretty cool.

Making Up for Lost Time

Somehow, in the last couple of weeks, I lost track of actual time passing. Maybe it was the pain. Maybe it was the Vicodin. Maybe it was a combination. Nonetheless, whatever it was whacked my sense of time so badly that by the time the stent came out, the infection went away and I began feeling almost normal again, I was absolutely shocked and terrified at what I had due. Friday morning I went into a full blown Oh-mi-gawd-I-will-never-ever-survive-this panic mode. I started to make lists of how I would spend every single hour of the next five days. I cancelled an appointment. I cancelled going to a friend's house. I moved to my upstairs office so the lure of the movie screen in the living room wouldn't tempt me. I was DETERMINED.

Now, here it is Sunday afternoon and while I am surely NOT done, I am impressed at what I have accomplished.

I finished a 15,000 word book on racial profiling.
I wrote 12 long lesson plans for a high school American Literature course.

What do I still have to do, you ask? (Yes, I can hear you.)
One passage on dealing with peer pressure.
20 sentence completions and writing prompt items.
Revising a book on Apollo and another on Achilles.
Rewriting an entire manuscript on past prez Franklin Pierce.

When are they all due? Between Monday and Tuesday.

Will I get it all done?

Not likely. But it bet I get ALMOST all of it done. Because I am, as I mentioned before, DETERMINED.

Since I have surgery coming up again in August, I have to do all I can to get caught up NOW. Anybody know how to slow down time so I can work faster and get done before those deadlines start pounding on my door? I'd love to ignore them but since those that are pounding are also those that are paying me, I gotta play nice.

Stent-Free (sung to the tune of "Born Free")

. . "as free as the wind blows,
as free as the grass grows . . . "
Yes my dear friends, the stent is GONE. I gotta tell you, I was one nervous woman going in for that procedure. The urethra is definitely an OUT hole so I knew this wouldn't be pleasant. I tried to stay calm but my hands were shaking and I had tears in my eyes as I got up on the table.
Was it painful? Yes.
Was it as bad as I had imagined? No.
Thank goodness.
It wasn't fun. I had to do some deep breathing but WOW, does my body feel better without that FOOT LONG (yes, FOOT LONG) plastic device in it. Today I am sore on that side but I can pee without pain (and without having to catch it in a container either). Life is good.
So, phase 1 is done. Waiting for a call from the surgeon's office today about phase 2 (hyperparathyroidism). Endocrinologist called to say my urine calcium levels were more than double the normal amount so looks like we are on the right track.
In the meantime, I feel like I can think clearly for the first time since we got back from vacation. I looked at my writing schedule and had a mild panic attack because I have so much work due between now and Tuesday that I am not sure any human could get it all done. Sigh. Oh well, at least I can sit in a chair without wincing now.
So that's the news on this end.
Other stuff? Joseph has a "new toy" because he was given (yes, for free) another VW camper bus. He is busy replacing parts and cleaning and getting it fixed up so we can sell it soon. Of course, as he crawls back under the bus, getting grease everywhere, swearing because a part doesn't fit or he can't reach it and then swearing louder because more often than not it's the wrong part, I ask myself WHY he thinks this process is fun. . . but then I grin, hug him and just let him play. Ours is not to wonder why . . .

On Hold

It is a medical week for me, for a change (not).
I went to see my GP and she was thrilled with my lower blood pressure. She changed a few meds around. She discovered I have a severe bladder infection, hence the additional discomfort.
Today I went in for more blood work. They are retesting certain levels since I forgot to fast last time they drained me.
Tomorrow I do the 24 hour urine collection for another doctor. (Watch which jug in the fridge you grab, kiddos!)
Thursday I get the stent out (cue the Hallelujah chorus).
Friday I talk to the surgeon about the upcoming parathyroidism surgery.
Saturday I go in for my weekly hypnosis appointment.
Of course, in the meantime, I have a book to finish, two passages to write, an outline to write and lesson plans to start. Man . . . . all I really want is my couch, a blanket, a good book and a nap.
In other news . . . we got both the van and bus repaired and the two together was only $100--how amazing is that? We needed that break.
And the beat goes on . . .

Round 2

Well, now I am not stoned any longer but fragmented. When the stent comes out on Thursday, the rest of the fragments will pass through which I've been told my innumerable people is the worst pain on the planet . . . so I am hoping that (a) the painkillers are stronger than I think, (b) the stories are exaggerated or (c) the fragments have already gone through and I am clear to launch. Hmmmm. Let's hope, shall we?

So, the next step is parathyroid surgery which will most likely happen sometime in August. Unlike the lithotripsy, it is not an outpatient procedure. Looks like I will be in the hospital for 1 to 2 days this round. How much it will cost is scarier than the actual surgery. This is a lousy year work wise for me to be incurring these costs. My work load is frighteningly light money wise but heavy to accomplish when dealing with surgery and recovery.

I am hoping that when all of this is done, I will feel so fantastic that I will be able to put in long days and catch up. So far, I just feel like I have dealt with one thing after another so I am ready for the tide to turn, as they say. I have really missed my mom throughout all of this. I brought back one of her robes from Indiana and when I hung it up today, I could still smell her scent on it (the woman wore enough perfume for a lot of women!). Of course, it made me cry. I think I will take that robe to this hospital with me.

On the bright side, either the surgeries or the pills or something is working because FINALLY the weight is coming off. I have lost 16 pounds since I started now and since there was a three week vacation in the middle, that is pretty remarkable. I am hoping this trend continues for sure. I've lost 5 pounds just since getting back and that gives me a nice smile in the morning.

So, that's today's update. Stay tuned for the next riveting episode in the life of Tamra Orr, author, mother, wife, daughter, sister and all around wild woman.

Books, Books and More Books

I have always loved books. When I was young and living at home, I didn't ask for a car or clothes or parties . . I asked for more bookshelves. I haven't changed much. I still fill every available inch of my house with bookshelves and think little of moving whatever I need to move to fit in another one (who needs a stove anyway, right?). I read them, collect them, treasure them and of course, write them.

The ones I have written are becoming a problem. I get multiple copies of each title and when you've written 100 plus titles, that really mounts up! So I have been trying to think of a way to get rid of them in ways that don't make me wince (i.e. just giving them to Goodwill). I have tried selling them but that is quite a hassle. I will donate sets to places I respect (which usually leaves out most public schools and churches). I have given many as gifts. Our dentist, massage therapist and counselor all own some copies now. But how many people want a copy of "Inside the Department of Transportation" or "The Debate over the Federalist Papers"? I am sending a batch of the SAT prep books to the kids' teen camp for those who want a free copy. I am giving a set to one of my best friend's childcare center. Yes, I also takes copies to Powell's now and then and get some money for them which is cool. I always sent a copy of every book to my parents but now they have both died and I got back all of those copies.

Anyone have any suggestions of a good place for these books to go? I can GUARANTEE you they are well written. (grin)

I'm "Hip"

I decided last night I was "hip". (Thankfully this is not based on actual hip dimensions, otherwise, I am hip enough for the whole family.) Why, you ask? (See, I CAN hear you.) Because, when attending a play last night ("Les Miserables"--LOVE musicals), there was a power outage. To keep the audience (the air conditioning went out with the lights) under control, the cast members came out and sang. The first number was from "Rent". I knew all the words. This makes me MODERN. Most people over 40 would not have known the lyrics. The second number was "Eidelweiss" (from "Sound of Music") and I knew all the words to that one too. Most people UNDER 40 didn't know the lyrics. See, I am clearly multi-generational. I can fit in with musicals from all eras. My guess is this makes me more of a geek than hip, but I prefer hip. Sounds better.