Elizabeth Drakes's Site

Fantasy Romance

Not according to plan

Still Not Going Well

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This week was supposed to mark the end of our kitchen remodel.

MasterPlan

Only, it hasn’t yet begun. As a matter of fact, we’re still waiting for contractors to actually get back to us with quotes.

Several said they were going to come out and quote the job, but they never actually came. Others simply said they weren’t interested. The job was too small, they wanted us to buy the materials through them, etc.

Earlier this month, a tornado touched down about 35 minutes from where we live. Lots of work to rebuild.

Then there was the torrential rains that caused a lot of flooding damage. Lots of work to fix that as well.

I can’t back out of the project without taking a huge loss – to the tune of 25% of the cost of the materials I would have to return. So, I am stuck doing the project.

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On a brighter note, a few days ago three contractors actually came when they said they would to take a look and give us a quote.

I don’t have any quotes yet, but there is hope.

5 Things I Learned about Myself on Vacation

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I wouldn’t say learned, exactly, but perhaps was strongly reminded of in a less than subtle way.

5 Things I Learned about Myself on Vacation

 

  1. I Like Need Things Planned

This whole going with the flow thing is for people that are not me. I need to know what we’re doing and when. I want plans solidified. Train schedules plotted out. Museum hours accounted for. Not, this doesn’t apply to my writing, but it does everything else (which is why it still stymies me as to why I can’t be a plotter).

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  1. I Like (Need) Things to Be on Time

In my family, if you’re not five minutes (okay, fifteen) early, you’re late. Why yes, my ancestors are German, why do you ask? I try very hard to be on time and ready to go, which I accomplished all the time every time before we had children. Now, I feel like I have to tell everyone we need to leave thirty minutes sooner than we actually do just to have a chance at leaving on time.

And when we’re late anyway? Plans start to fall apart.

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What did people do before watches and cell phones?

 

  1. Crowds Make Me Edgy

I don’t like crowds. I’ve never liked crowds. Most of my life, I’ve been content to shop first thing in the morning to avoid crowds. Then, internet shopping became a thing, and I could shop whenever I liked without having to talk to a soul.

But every single thing that involves a family vacation also seems to avoid crows. Lots of them.

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  1. I Am Not Pleasant When Stressed

Who is, really? And no, breathing techniques don’t work.

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  1. Stress Causes Migraines

And these make me even more pleasant! What was the point of this vacation again?

 

4 Reasons Why Americans Don’t Take Vacation

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Yes, it’s true that Americans don’t take all of their vacation days.

It’s also true that Americans tend to get far fewer vacation days than our counterparts in the rest of the industrialized world.

 So, why aren’t we taking those days?

Here’s my four reasons for not wanting to take another week off of work anytime soon.

4  Reasons Why Americans Don’t Take Vacation

  1. You have to Plan Them

At least my vacations don’t plan themselves. Sad, really, but my reality. When you add in two children and no real history of taking family vacations when I was a child to draw from, trying to figure out where to go and what to do that will interest both children without making me want to claw out my own eyes is a feat.

Then there are all the logistics that go with them. If something goes wrong spending six hours in O’Hare with two cranky children might be its own circle of hell.

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2. Work Waits for No One

There’s not just the work of packing and planning, which is a pain in itself. I’m talking about getting everything ready at work. I’m a desk jockey for a living. That means no one is covering for me while I’m out. Or at least, not covering more than the very basics. So everything else must be done before I leave. This adds to the stress of going. I seriously do not know how my counterparts in our foreign offices are able to take off two or three consecutive weeks every year. Last time I got off two consecutive weeks was when I was in college.

3. You Have to Recover From Them

Laundry. Unpacking. Putting everything away. This is all some of the last things anyone wants to do when they come home from a family vacation. My family tends to be tired and grumpy. And some of us need our space and alone time that we haven’t gotten since the “vacation” started.

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 4. Are They Really Fun?

The jury is still out on this. I enjoyed vacations much more when my husband and I were younger. We didn’t need to plan so much, and we were able to go with the flow more. Not go with the flow, exactly, but go with it more. Kids don’t go with the flow. Ever. The amount of crying, yelling, fussing and general malaise makes me wonder why we did this. Why we spent the money and time on this.

Then I look back at the pictures of the kids smiling and laughing. No, Maybe I didn’t have fun, but they sure did. And they keep talking about the things we saw and did. So maybe that’s why. And maybe I’ll remember it being better later.

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How about you? Did you take family vacations as a kid? Did you or do you take them with your own kids? Any tips or advice for someone new to this?

10 Steps to My Home Improvement Plan

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As we start this project, I have a plan for my daughter’s room. Of course I do. I have a plan for all things except the books I write. Still haven’t figured that one out!

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So karma can laugh at it

My 10 Step Plan

  1. Paint Trim White

    While the trim is in reasonably good shape for being over forty years old, it is dated. We’re hoping a fresh coat of paint will help with that.

  2. Paint Room Light Purple

    We figure a nice soft purple will keep the room bright and open. Purple has been her favorite color for three years, and I have painted her room “recently”.

  3. Closet

    Take off the Doors – You lose the middle third of the closet as a door is always covering this. We’ll keep the doors in the basement, but we want to open it up so the whole thing is useable

    Organizing System – I am researching this now, but closet space in 1970s home is a premium. She has a standard six foot reach in closet. I want to use all the space. We have an inexpensive system in there now, but it doesn’t use the space well. I’d prefer a system where if we move we can take it with us. This is where the lion’s share of the budget is going.

    Curtains over Closet and Attach Hyrule symbols to the rods

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If that’s even possible.

4. Make an easy canopy

a. Put up curtain rods over bed and attach Hyrule symbols to the rod.

b. Drape inexpensive fabric over the rods

5. Wall sticker symbol of Hyrule on the wall over her bed but under the canopy

6. Hyrule pillow for her bed.

7. New Curtain rod for her window

a. Trade out the dark curtain for sheers

b. Attach hyrule symbols

c. Honeycomb fabric light blocking shade

8. Hyrule light switch plate

9. New vent cover

10. New Rug

Contemplating hiring an electrician to come put a ceiling light in the room. Currently, there is no overhead lighting at all

I had originally budgeted $500 for the whole project. Okay, stop laughing. Seriously. It’s really not funny!

I have since learned the closet system will probably cost more than that. I’ve thought long and hard about it, but a good closet system will last us forever, especially if it’s one we can take with us when/if we move. I’m reassessing the budget, especially if I also want to bring in an electrician.

Of course, the electrician could wait a few months. The clothes all over the floor? Those need to find a home in the closet!

What do you think? Anything you’d add? Anything I’m missing?

Black Friday 2016 – Not According to Plan

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It’s the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday. While many Americans are out starting their Christmas shopping, I’m not because I’m almost done.  All eight of my nieces and nephews are bought for and wrapped. My children are done, and we have them half wrapped. The family gift exchanges are purchased. We’ve bought the gifts for our extended family.

I have one gift left to get for my ninety-year-old grandmother. Yeah, she’s hard to shop for.

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Can’t even imagine the stress…

So, yes, I’m one of those people. I plan ahead. I like things to be organized and predictable. When you combine this  with my crazy work schedule from mid-November until the end of the year, I want my shopping done so I’m able to enjoy the holidays as much as I can. And, I like to have the best possible selection of gifts available so what I’ve planned to buy isn’t back-ordered.

I do, indeed, make an Excel spreadsheet of everyone I have to buy for what, I plan to get them, and whether it’s been purchased and wrapped yet. Making a list, checking it twice…

While Christmas shopping has followed my plans, the rest of the year hasn’t. From my daughter having some medical issues we’re still working through, to a more recent job loss and the potential loss of medical benefits, stress has been a constant companion.

My muse doesn’t much care for stress, and she takes a vacation to a tropical island at the first hint of trouble.

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If you look closely, you can see her in the water.

 

Of course, my response is pretty predictable. I keep looking for her, trying to get her to come and play, before the realization sinks in. She’s left me, and she’s not coming back.

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Muse?!?  Don’t leave me!

No, she’s not terribly reliable, especially when you need her. I guess I don’t blame her. When I’m that tired and anxious, I’m not much fun to be around.

But I’ve still been writing and reading. Maybe less of both than I should.Especially reading. I can be a critical reader, and have been trying to train my brain to do a better job of dissecting why a book is good or why it isn’t.

When I’m stressed, however, my ability to handle stupid characters drops to almost zero. If the characters are too stupid to breathe, I’m done with them. I don’t care if they get their happily-ever-after. I was 30% of the way through a book last week, and I just put it aside. I didn’t need to add to my stress or frustration with fictional characters.

Despite all of this, I’ve managed to finish two novels this year, and I’m working on revising them for publication. Then comes the really awful part of querying them, but that’s still a ways away.

My work isn’t as inspired as it would be if my muse would hang around more, but I am pushing through. I need to prove to myself that this endeavor is worth the time commitment, even when things aren’t going as planned.