Sunday, December 20, 2009

Choices

I have not prepared a post nor can I think of anything in particular to write about this week. My father is very ill, currently going on his 6th day in ICU. I've tried to write over the last few days, but the most frequently used key has been 'Delete.' Instead of making today a writing day, my sister, boyfriend and I drove to Sacramento to attend a cousin's annual Christmas party so we could spend time with assorted aunts, uncles and cousins, some of whom we haven't seen in years. We got lost trying to find Jon's house thanks to Google Maps complete disregard for reality when it comes to Sacramento roads. Left was right, whole streets were left off the directions, and it took an hour to travel what was essentially a mile. Google, you are SO on my list of who's naughty this year...

Ah well, it was worth it. It's too easy to take family for granted, friends too, for that matter, especially when one is perpetually on 'a writing deadline.' Not that I don't take my writing very seriously. I do. But next time I think about calling my dad, instead putting it off because I don't want to break the flow of a writing session ... well, I think I'll trust my muse to understand my choice of picking up the phone for a few minutes.

5 comments:

L. Diane Wolfe said...

The real people in our life matter more than anything else.

Sorry you're having a tough time with your father.

Dana Fredsti said...

Thanks, Diane. The funny thing is when I was lying in bed this morning (trapped by multiple felines determined to have a Mommy Mattress), I started thinking what I could have added to make this post more relevant to writing, like talking about characters and giving them tough choices... and how we feel when we're reading and going 'No, don't do that!' when they're about to make the wrong choice... Last night I couldn't even think about writing.

Morgan Mandel said...

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad, Dana. It makes the Holiday Season especially rough when everyone is in a good mood and instead you're worrying about what will happen next.

Take care of yourself.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

Dana Fredsti said...

Thanks, Morgan. I'm still managing to maintain optimism and a decent mood, but my brain is definitely scattered in terms of trying to focus on work or writing. I'm doing expense reports at work VERY slowly... :-)

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

I'm also sorry to hear about your father.

Mapquest can be very confusing at times. We have a Magellan which we love, but she makes mistakes too. I always print out directions from Mapquest or AAA Directions and between the two we manage to get where we're going.