Monday, April 7, 2014

Hook, line, and sinker

I have to hand it to the marketing people at Barnes and Noble. They got me. I made a rare trip into the book store (rare because I do not trust myself alone in a bookstore to be responsible and not max out my credit cards). I had gift cards burning a hole in my wallet. I purchased a couple NOOK books and a real book for Punky. When I got home, I discovered a "Prepublication Excerpt" in my bag. I tossed it in my purse for when I was stuck in a waiting room somewhere or something. 

So what happened when I finished the excerpt? I immediately logged onto bn.com and used up the last (sad!) of my gift card money to purchase the book. Congrats B&N, you got me with your clever marketing. Hook. Line. Sinker. 

But I don't feel too bad. I actually finished two professional development type books in a row! No novel (or twelve) in between. I am on a roll! At this rate, I just might complete my Goodreads challenge of 50 books this year...

Especially since I've decided to pick up where I left off in this:
Before I tackle killing off Dorothy. And of course, at some point I still need to read Wicked. If you need me, I'll be in Oz.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Ambition


Ambition

An earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.

To seek after earnestly; aspire to.

(Definitions provided by dictionary.com.)

What a powerful word. Sometimes I think I want to be ambitious. Sometimes I think I am. Sometimes I think I have too much.

My stack of 29 unread books (plus 7-8 in progress) grew to 30 as someone recently gifted me a book. Then I pulled out two books loaned to me a good three years ago. Are they good books? Most likely. Should I read them? Probably. Will I? If I am honest, probably not. So I took them off the shelf to return to the lender who likely has forgotten I have them. And almost put them back. The lender wanted me to read them! This person thought there was something of value between the pages. 

My ambition is to read. And write. I never seem to have enough time for either. I challenged myself to read 50 books this year. I have completed 15. I am 30% of the way to my goal. I also made a goal to read one professional development type book for every two novels I read. And another goal to finish all of the books currently in progress (except the daily devotional which I been reading off and on for about two years- even if I have read that day before, there is still good stuff in rereading it). 

And write more. Maybe actually write a chapter in the novella I have had outlined for a few years. Or blog more. Or journal more. Something. Anything. 

In theory, that seems reasonable. Then I look in my purse and see what my ambition had done.


Two devotionals. Two journals. One book. One "prepublication excerpt."

And this was to go to work! Where (unfortunately) I do not get paid to read (where can I find THAT job?!). (Side not: I do get paid to write- treatment plans and progres notes, but that's not FUN writing!)

Hmmm, maybe my ambition is a little too ambitious. And so the books will go back to the lender, unread, and not back to my shelf. 

Let's not even start on how I keep saying I'm going to get up a half hour earlier three mornings a week to do yoga....