A to Z Challenge #544

Is it March 31 already???
But it can't be.  That's just too gruesome!
This year my A to Z Challenge theme will be Random Variety--as in A Variety of Topics Not Necessarily Related.  One day may be a poem or song.  One day maybe a picture.  Maybe an essay or a flash fiction. 
I've had so many ideas and themes.  I may be political.  I may be religious.  I may be irreverent, serious,  and funny.  I'm sure I'll offend some along the way and hopefully inspire or encourage at least once or twice.  One night I sat down with a notebook and wrote out the alphabet letters and brainstormed. I loved how it was so weirdly eclectic.  I hope they're are as fun to read as they will be to post.
I know for some the challenge has already begun, but here in Southwest Louisiana we're still on Sunday night and I'm not late yet.  Just not as early as I'd like.  I'm glad for the challenge, though, as it makes me sit down and write.
Happy Reading.  I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say. 

How about everyone else?  Are you intimidated by a challenge, or is this the accountability you need to get you going?

Wow!  1717 blogs?  I'd better get busy! 

A Slow Start and Modifications

Slow and Steady Wins

Things don't go as planned, especially when you're trying to establish new habits. Obviously I didn't post yesterday, but for good reason.  I got my 500 words written. Wahoo!  It wasn't something old, but something new that kept being in my head.  I'm in the editing phase now.  Maybe it will be my Saturday post? 
Goals are always easy to think about when it's the weekend and your brain is all relaxed, right?  Then you realize it's Sunday evening and not only is something else competing for blog time, but you didn't wash clothes, do the dishes, vacuum, clean the bathroom, feed the fish.  The next thing you know it's already after midnight so you missed Sunday, and then alarm sounds and it's Monday again. 
It would be easy to just say "oh well, another thing I didn't do" and go to bed, putting off again my plans to be more disciplined in writing.
But, isn't it better to write on the day you didn't plan than to not write at all? 

As for articles, two have caught my eye to read:
Medical--Managing infants with bronchiolitis. The Clinical Advisor. 
     We are in RSV Season. Is there something I can be doing better?
Writing--Unkeeping a Journal.  The Writer's Guide to Creativity.
      Everyone says keep a journal.  But, an unkept journal?  Curious...

As I continue the week:  Wednesday will have reviews of both articles at WriterNP website.  Tomorrow evening visit two sites from friends who have been so kind to follow me.  I'm trying to get back into the social media loop.
Also signed up again this year for the A-Z challenge in April.  Now I have to come up with a topic!

More on Wednesday. 

Flu and Blogging

Therapist:  "...and writing a blog about everything that happens to you will honestly help you."
Dr. John Watson:  "Nothing happens to me."

I could say I was kidnapped by aliens who didn't have internet acess, but maybe the truth is more exciting.   As most know, this year's flu season has hit hard all over the country which results in being busier at work.  I have to admit that after seeing 40 -50 patients in the day, I'm not real excited to blog about things in the evening.  In fact, not real excited to do much of anything but lay on my couch and watch DVDs of my favorite shows. 
Maybe that's a good enough excuse but I've been missing my blog and visiting other people's as well.  It really does help.


Flu, RSV, and a perennial favorite:strep throat.  How can you fight it?

Good handwashing, good nutrition, cough in your elbow, and stay home when you're sick--yeah, yeah, easier said than done, I know.
Did I mention good handwashing? 

A month into 2013 already. Hope all who read this are having a happy and healthy new year.  

I have some challenges for myself for the week of February 3
  1.  post on Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday here or at the website
  2.  pick one story to finish and write 500 words.
  3.  read two magazine articles--one writing and one medical. 

Goals are supposed to be measureable and have a deadline, right?  I'll see on Saturday how I did.

“We are free to choose our actions, . . . but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.”
― Stephen R. Covey