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Warning - Some posts may cause choking, spitting of beverage and /or a severe giggle fit. This advice brought to you by regular reader Louisa.

Friday 30 April 2010

Rambling Update


Considering it's been three weeks since my last blog - you know, when I said I'd be blogging a bit more often *shifty* - and considering that I now have a few projects to work on and therefore have something to blog about, I thought I'd pop by and ramble a bit. Of course, I've had a few bevvies this afternoon (highly unusual for me, but there we are), so I'm nice and relaxed and am more amenable to typing. Another of course is that I should have blogged properly for the last three (er, four) months when I had virtually nothing to do, but (yet another) of course, I have chosen to blog when I have about a gazillion other things that I should be doing instead.

In any case....

I have finally started editing my novel from last November's NaNo madness - yay! I have decided that I want to be ready to send it to publishers (or, at least, a specific publisher) by the beginning of September. I originally planned to have it done by the end of July, but I am postponing (for a reason not yet to be divulged) for a wee while.

In other news, my lovely writer's group (http://www.the-burrow.org/) are keeping me busy (with spiffy things that are also not yet to be divulged) and this recent burst of activity is responsible for giving me back some of my Motivation Mojo. So far I have his lower body (which can be quite nice, if I'm honest), but I'm hopeful that I will soon have the use of his full working body (including his brain, which is the bit that feeds my ideas) sometime very soon.

Closely related to my 'other' news, I'm having a marvelous time reading and reviewing my fellow writers' stories from The Burrow. Well, I'm thoroughly enjoying the reading at any rate, but as my reviews tend to be cringe-worthy ('I liked that bit' is about as technical as I get),it's a bit of a mixed bag. I mean, I always feel that my review comments rarely (if at all) help, so I'm a bit squirmy about posting them. Still, I do my best, and that is all you can ask of anyone, right?

In other, other news, I'm now 3lbs shy of the three stone marker in my weight loss project. Okay, so losing weight is not really a project, but I am working at it, so as far as I'm concerned, it's a project. *nods firmly* I've dutifully ordered the Wii Dance game (to go with the Wii Sports) and will endeavor to get the console out for an hour every day in my bid to get to my target weight (as of now, I am 23lbs away from my goal).

In other, other, other news, I'm definitely feeling better lately, and having more good days than bad, so I'm hoping that May will be the month that I finally get back to what I love doing (er, I'm talking about writing, in case anyone wondered. Of course, there could be nobody reading this, so nobody would wonder, but.... what was I saying?). Ah yes, back to writing.

And editing.

And reviewing.

And blogging.

Well, as much as any procrastinator can, at any rate....

Friday 9 April 2010

Me, Myself & It.

After yesterday's silliness, today's blog is on a more sombre note, so if you've clicked on a link expecting to find something silly/random/insane etc, then you might want to hit the back button.

Today's blog title is, unsurprisingly, referring to me, your humble blogger. I'm naturally inclined to be depressed, though I try my best to be upbeat as much as I possibly can. The 'Me', 'Myself', and 'It' I'm referring to are actually the three versions of me that make up the complete Tara. I'm mostly in the 'It' zone at the moment, and I thought that defining my three personalities on today's blog might help me on my way towards being 'Me' again, which is the version of Tara I like best. If you're still reading, this would be the time to hit that back button before you get sucked into the black hole that is my murky mind.

Me

This is the best version of Tara, definitely. This is the version that wrote wacky blogs for two solid months and somehow managed to make people laugh. This is the me that made a bunch of wonderful friends online through writing (mostly mediocre) Harry Potter fan fiction. This is the me that has such a filthy mind that she snorts and giggles at the silliest of things and usually gets raised eyebrows in return. This is the me that makes typos and boken keboaz the funniest things in the world. This is the me who glomps everyone and wiggles her eyebrows suggestively at the merest hint of smut. This is the me that believes that she's not the fattest, ugliest, or least talented or boring woman on the planet. This is the me that believes that one day she will be recognised as an author by more than her closest friends. This is definitely the me that I want to be.

Myself

Onto slightly darker stuff now. This version of me thinks that everything she does is crap. This version of me looks in a mirror and sees nothing but fat staring back at her. This version of me has bags under her eyes so big that she could pack luggage for a family of four for a round the world cruise. This version of me lies awake most nights even though she is so exhausted she should be snoring her head off. This version of me doubts everything, from her writing to her looks. This version of me wants to crawl into a corner and hibernate for at least the next century. This version of me doesn't want to eat, sleep, talk.... well, doesn't want to do anything really. Apathy is not Tara's friend, no sirree.

Then again, as much as I hate it when 'Myself' comes for a visit, I would far rather feel lethargic than play host to 'It', who unfortunately seems to be appearing far more regularly than she used to, and usually follows a period of 'Myselfness'.

It

Now for anyone still reading, I applaud you. I also warn you that this is the part that gets darker than Anakin Skywalker's trusty helmet. When I titled today's blog, it might have been more technically accurate to call it 'Me, Myself & I', but make no mistake, it wasn't a typo that I thought to leave as it was and run with it. I purposely chose 'It' because an 'It' is exactly how I'd describe this third version of me. It's an 'It' because I don't recognise any part of this version as being part of Tara. This version of me is paranoid, obsessive, destructive, angry, defeated, bitchy, tearful (well, 'sobful' would be a better term but that's not a real word), edgy and nervous. This version of me constantly has a foot tapping or a finger twitching, and is usually found to be staring into space (when she's not sobbing like a baby, that is). This version of me doesn't know what the hell she's doing half of the time. This version of me is damaging, no question.

So What The Hell Is This All About?

If I pretend that these versions are somebody else I can be objective. Logically I know that when 'It' comes for a visit, that's all it will be - a visit. Granted, usually she outstays her welcome by a longshot, but she definitely goes away at some point. When 'Myself' is in residence it is much the same; she'll stay longer than That Person who leaves the party hours after its finished, but eventually you can get rid of her. Logically I know this. But when it comes to Me, Myself & It, logic doesn't mean diddly squat. Pretending that this three-way Tara is somebody else doesn't really help in the long term.

I'm pleased that I can break all this down - it means that my brain is not as screwed up as I think it is. It's good that I can identify what my problems are, even if I don't have a clue what to do about them. The problems are not the problem, believe it or not, it's finding a solution to them.

So in answer to my question (So what the hell is this all about?) - I don't really know. In fact, I don't really have a clue why I decided to ramble about Me, Myself & It today because I plainly don't have any answers to my questions. The idea was to have everything in black and white and try to make sense of it.

Ah well, I had good intentions at any rate....

Thursday 8 April 2010

Oh! Wot's occurring?


Oi oi! Tara yer! So I know itz bin like, months since I blogged like, but to be 'onest itz been a funny ol yer so far like, innit? Anyways, I fort I berra try and ger somefink posted like, ovverwize I'm never ever goin to get back on the blogwagon, like innit?

Not much 'as bin 'appenin in the last few months to be 'onest, but that don't mean I can't blog like, do it? I mean, nothing much was 'appening when I first started bloggin last yer, but I still did it, like, didn't I?

Of course, when I started this bloggy fing last October it sorta took a while to ger settled like, but I soon found me feet and by the end ov the first month I was well and truly gettin stuck in. I was really enjoyin meself like, you knoworrimean? Then November came and I was like, ohmigod! I'm bloggin AND NaNoin' this month - duckin 'ell! I 'onestly fort I was screwed - I mean, bluddy 'ell, I'm a duckin nightmare when it comes to writin stuff and stayin on track like, how the 'ell was I goin to keep up wiv bloggin evry day AND write 50,000 words at the same time???

Anyways, me being me, like, I cheated for one ov the weeks and did requests. I asked evryone to leave suggestions for blog topics and I promised to use the first suggestion ov the day for the next day's blog like, innit? It worked a treat, actually, and it was sorta cool becoz I didn't have to worry abou thinkin ov fings to blog about.

Anyways, that's when I first did me Taffing - during the requests week - and I 'ad such a larf doin Taff for you all that I fort I'd do my blog in Taff speak today, like, innit? To be 'onest, I luvs doin the Taffing fing on yer coz ... well.... I dunno why I likes it really, I just do. It's like, I dunno, strange really I suppose, but at the end ov the day I just fink it's lush to blog in Taff speak. Youknowzitmakezsense like, innit?

Of course, I'm like runnin true to form today coz this blog is not really a propa blog, itz just me ramblin as per normal, but hey, I'm not bovvered to be 'onest. I mean, a Taffy ramble is berra than a blank blog any day I say, wouldn't you agree? Then again, maybe I is just deludin meself. Eiver way, I'm not worried coz at the end ov the day, a blog's a blog, like, innit? Issallgood.

I suppose I decided to blog today becoz I is feelin on top ov the world at the moment. For peeps like me who struggles somefink chronic wiv their weight, you will understand why I is like duckin chuffed to beanz at the moment. I have bin trying to lose some major poundage lately like, innit. Anyways, I av now lost 34lbs - which is like, awesome in itself like, but itz not wot made me feel all fizzy. I was sorting threw me cloves earlier like, coz I was lookin for somefink to wear to a family chrissnin on the weekend. I was well ducked off coz the dress I wanted to wear like was too bluddy big. I mean, yeah, it was well wicked that it was too big becoz that means that my weight loss is coming off in inches aswellas poundage, but it meant that I had duck all to wear this Sunday. Wottta nightmare!!

Anyways, I finally found somefink to wear  (a little black skirt - in true Kairdiff Slag fashion - a nice red blouse, and knee high boots - bangin!), but I also realised that I ad to gerrid ov nearly all ov my jeans. Wicked! I've like, dropped TWO sizes! How duckin awesome is that! I is well chuffed like, innit?

Anyways, I'm gonna wrap it up about yer I fink. I mean, there wasn't really a solid subject today, but bin as it's me like, there's nofink new there like, innit? Itz bin quite funny typin this, so I 'ope it amuzes a few of you peeps when you reads it like. If not, then it don't marrer like, coz at the end ov the day, nobody's making you read anyfink you don't want to, so itzuptoyou to be 'onest annallat, innit? Youknowzitmakezsense.

Catch you later, clarts and clits!

(Oh - and much as I wish that the piccie I used was ov me, itz not. But although it aint me like, that IS wot my old jeans look like on me, so I fort it'd do the job nicely like, innit? Sorted.)