WIPpet Wednesday and Cucumber Soda

Actually spent time with the hubs tonight. I took a little bit of time and made a picnic for David and I. We headed up to Spencercrest Nature Center for a dinner/picnic and some us time. It felt good! We both needed a moment or two to chill. Both of our weeks have been rather hectic and it was much needed. Armed with roast beef sandwiches, sweet pickles (David loved those), birthday cake Oreos, and cucumber soda. Yes, I said cucumber soda. It was surprisingly good.

 And then on the drive home saw some deer having their dinner.

What's coming up, well, improv show this Friday! And my birthday is on Sunday. Not quite sure what I am doing for it, but I'm sure it'll be a good weekend. This coming week is the Weird Al concert in Williamsport and then there's the Sterling Renaissance Faire on Saturday. My friend Sara is making Faerie costumes. Will post picture. August is turning into a busy month. I am almost at the end of my three month hiatus from theatre. In the fall I start stage managing a production of The Music Man. So, I will be a busy bee again. After this summer I have found a balance with many of my goals and it is only gets better.

This Week:

     *Reading: started Murder Comes Ashore (Julie Anne Lindsey), continuing through The Amber Spyglass (Phillip Pullman), and almost done with Smoke and Mirrors (Neil Gaiman). Neil's stories are always interesting and enchanting, even when they are a bit strange.

     *Editing: pretty proud of myself this week. I edited about 8 pages of The Real Road Trip, my NaNoWriMo from last year and a story about two friends on a Road Trip. I had been fighting with trying to get through a  first full edit/revision. I kept putting it aside and putting it aside. I finally decided that I needed to edit it. I thus picked the draft up and begin to read. I changed how I made my edits. My practice is not perfect, but I am making more progress.  I would read a section and jotted notes on the side, sometimes correcting some of the minor spelling and grammatical, or slashing whole sections. Also decided I am going to wait until I finish going through the script before typing the edits in. I feel this is making the revision reading move faster. Also, I revised and edited a flash fiction piece for #writestuff monthly challenge. You can read it Maybe its Time.

     *Writing: wrote on Sunday a ROW80 post, did a 15 minute writing blitz (about 414 words) on Tuesday, and writing today's ROW80 post. Been busy with other goals, but feeling better about my balance all the goals.

     *Blogging: see above. Posted the story Maybe its Time.

     *Social Media: visited 4 blogs daily and my sponsor duties since Sunday. One track!

This (upcoming) Week:

     *Reading: finish Smoke and Mirrors and Murder Comes Ashore.

     *Writing: write daily. At least 300 words.

     *Editing: at least 2 pages of The Real Road Trip.

     *Blogging: 1 new non-ROW80 post.

     *Submissions: 2 new submissions.

     *Social Media: visit 4 blogs daily and sponsor duties.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come see what fellow blogger and writers are up to at the Blog Hop.

It's also WIPpet Wednesday. Created by K.L. Schwengel, where the WIPpeteers share a bit from their current WIP. You take Today Date (7/29/2015) and use some math to relate back to the snippet. Today I give you 7 paragraphs for the 7th month from my new story Once Upon a Cloud.... With a little more banter between Cumi and Strat sitting down to lunch in Chicken Bliss.

Chicken Bliss was not very large of a business. An occupancy sign read Maximum of 25 persons within. It looked so much bigger on the outside. 

Stratus crossed back to the table with two tall plastic glasses of something, “Here. Drink up, Kid.” Cumi eyed him, he was still calling her a kid and she wasn’t a kid. Her face twisting into a frown as she took the glass.

“The name is Cumulus, Strat. Cumi for short, you should know that.” She took the glass, “What you get me anyway?” The moment had passed as she looked into the glass. Knowing she should ask before she drank anything down here. 

That was how Stratus often got into trouble, drinking before he knew what he was drinking, especially amongst the Terrans. Cumi eyed the kitchen staff suddenly feeling unsure, and then Stratus. There was no one else here and who else would know she was here, except Stratus and who of the Terrans would know to give her something bad. She was over re-acting. No one. Still she took the glass and sniffed the contents.

“It’s pop, Kid. Soda, cola, carbonated beverage. Relax! I got you a Coke.” Stratus said, smiling his goofy grin. Lifting his glass in the air, “A toast, to the …to the…:” shaking his head, “I don’t remember the words…ah ha, yes I do. To Life. Litcheim!”

“You are weird.”

“Thank you.” And he guzzled down his glass of Coke. “Another Marty!” he called over his shoulder.