Buddy Update and Some Happy...
We need an update, I am thinking, on Buddy, the Silver Bengal we rescued from Madison, who is currently being fostered by Woodsman Hans. Still sweet, still fun, still hours of entertainment.
Still peeing. Not all the time, mind you, but enough. And Hans' kitty, Molly, does not like him. Buddy likes her, and everyone else he has met, just fine. (Hans thinks he needs a big dopey dog to play with.) But he needs a HOME. Hans can deal with he peeing, but Molly is very unhappy with the new cat.
We've decided to put Buddy on a drug that has been known to help with peeing. Not decided this lightly, I am very good at handling peeing issues, but it's not working. He may have been neutered too late. He has been front de-clawed.
We'll see if this helps him. It's worked for a lot of kitties.
Because Buddy is out of options. He could be an outdoor Kitty if someone can put him inside somewhere at night, but having no claws, he shouldn't be out all the time, and can't kill his own food, but he needs a home.
How's this for an ad:
"REALLY lovely, purebred F4 Silver Bengal 4 yr old male, very friendly, loves other animals and all people. Does pee on doors and couches sometimes, but hey...."
Takers? Thought not.
Guy is out of options. Hence, we are trying the drug.
Anyone who might want to take him on, I would certainly do pretty much anything to find him a home, and would help as much as possible. I'll keep you posted.
He really deserves a chance. A life. I know you are out there.
Here's a picture of my Boss, AFP and the lovely Hera, at the show last night! Just because I asked for one, and they sent it, and I am listening to my Boss on New Zealand Radio, and feeling happy about things.
I'll be updating you about St Pats Day and what's going on tomorrow. We are playing tonight and tomorrow. We are playing St Pats too. Again, an update on exactly what's happening when tomorrow.
Love and Buddy,
Lorraine
116 Comments:
Buddy's such a pretty cat. I wish I could help, but I'm too far away.(And not allowed to have pets here. Boo!) I hope things work out well for him on the meds.
Love the picture of your Boss and AFP.
Hard to read. Hope like hell the drug works...
Happy about your lovely Boss and his love :-)
Wishing even more than usual that I could be there tonight. Looking forward to the St. Patrick's webcast, anyway.
Hope the drugs work for Buddy. At least his peeing on things is down. He is a gorgeous boy.
And Boss looks happy to be with AFP again :-)
my god hera is gorgeous. not that boss and afp aren't, but i don't see pictures of hera as often. normally i see her furry overlords.
buddy is also stunning. such a wonderful silver color. i wish i could take a cat, but i live in a pet unfriendly building and boy and i work weird hours, so any pet would be lonely despite have a human present. fingers crossed that this drug helps.
If anyone can help Buddy it's you.
And I'm glad to hear encouraging things about Katie's cat - I hope the poor kitty continues to improve and gets to come home.
I'm in New York somewhere, all by myself. (Yay!) Teaching a dyeing class tomorrow, being antisocial tonight.
Longish drive, but only slightly damp. I learned something: when trying to merge (from the left!) in pea-soup fog where you and the oncoming traffic can barely see each other, the correct approach is to go really really fast and assume it all works out. At least according to the sportscar that came barrelling down the ramp and nearly hit me...
Exciting.
And then I had some issues getting to the hotel... Seems if you take the exit labeled "Middletown, 17 east" you do not end up places that are in Middletown on 17 east. You have to take the OTHER exit labeled 17 east, even though it doesn't say Middletown and that's where you are trying to go. At least the fog was long gone... other adventures too - I need a GPS.
I'm going to hang out in my cozy little hotel room and work, so probably won't be around the internets much. Hope you all have/had lovely Friday evenings.
Buddy is beautiful. Fingers crossed that the drug works for him, and he finds his forever home soon.
I love the pic of Hera & Boss & AFP - so much happiness & awesome in one place!
Phiala, that sounds interesting, in a Chinese curse kind of way. .. Take care
Traveling, so much fun...
Bathed. Found jewels. Donned Irish Poncho. Energy Drink. Check.
Everything about me Scream ROCK.
Off to my gig..See you late!
PS. Please find a home for my peeing kitty before I get back, ok?
Poor Buddy. I would take him, because I have a houseful of special needs animals and a cat who pees around is nothing compared to an epileptic cocker spaniel.
Alas, I'm in Dallas, and I'm not sure how well Buddy would function in a house with five cocker spaniels and two other cats. If he will do well and he can come to Texas I'm game. :)
Glad Boss is back with AFP and happy. Have a great show FL.
Carol Ann, we are not opposed to this plan.. Want to e-mail me? I really need a home with someone who understands him, and his needs.
He can't stay with Hans, and we need to find him somewhere he can live...
fabulouslorrainne at gmail dot com
Buddy sounds like the kind of boy who would LOVE to be surrounded by other animals. CarolAnn, if you take him, I will help with transportation costs. And maybe we could see him - I live in Colleyville.
CarolAnn - I hope this works out because you sound like the sort of person that glorious cat needs. He is so handsome.
How could Boss not look happy wrapped around such beautiful women? God, I would have loved to be at that show.
Have a great gig Q.
Hi everyone else. I'm having a slow moving Saturday here, and I think I might have inadvertently filled my lungs with Mr Sheen (do you all have Mr Sheen? Not Charlie or Martin)
awww Buddy!
i can't believe i am here in Minneapolis and not with you, Q.
but me's gotta work.
hope to get some sleep soon cause the hotel has sleepnumber beds, which i love!
have fun and i will check in soon.xoxox
I love this shot of them three, it's such a happy picture.
Poor Buddy. I am sure he can find his home. I hope the drug helps-
I am glad for Tangwyn news. It must be such a huge relief.
ticky
I sure do wish we were together too Kitty! Does suck for you to be so close and you working, and me working with gigs and us not together! Take care on the road my friend.
Great gig. St Pats has VERY started! Had a really fun time tonight. Lots of friends down tonight, love it when that happens, made some new ones too.
Yay for Buddy's doing better; here's hoping the medicine helps. Also, he sounds like a cool cat, liking everybody.
[subtext: ticky]
Having a rough week.
Z&z are great, and Z is getting a visit from a potential adopter tomorrow. She got spayed a week ago - and Ziggy is 7 weeks old.
Really rough week.
Ticky.
I hope you're okay Kimberley - and that next week is much better
I too hope the meds. work for Buddy. And that he finds his people soon.
I also hope Tangwyn comes home soon.
Boss, AFP, and Hera all look so happy in that picture. What fun.
Which reminds me, I'm dying to see what these "pirate platform boots with skulls" look like. Can we get pictures of those and the hair, please? *grin*
I'm glad last night rocked. I wish I was there.
Phiala, enjoy your trip!
I thought the reason they pee on stuff is because they desperately want to make the place their home. It's a shame Molly doesn't like him. My Louie is still occasionally undecided about the tabbies - 2.5 years since they arrived. It took over a year for him to stop hissing, grumbling and generally registering his deep resentment about the new arrivals. However, being a good boy he never ever peed or did anything other than try to whap the unfortunate babies whenever they came up to him to say hello.
Buddy would probably love a dog to play with, but I reckon he would even more like a place that he can be sure is his permanent home. Poor dear.
Keeping all appendages crossed that a forever home is found for Buddy really soon.
And, if WoodsmanHans wants to try one more trick to get Molly to like Buddy - I'd suggest using her favourite treat as a means to do this
For example - lets say Molly loves tuna or chicken
- only feed her those when Buddy is around (obviously give him some too) so that she associates having Buddy around with getting yummy stuff. A bit sneaky I know, but this is how I managed to break Louie (he is ruled by his tummy to be fair)
Let me know if you need help with transport to Texas (if that works out of course). I can't drive him all the way there. But I can get him part of the way and we can surely find others to chip in and drive.
I hope you have a great gig! I am going to Birds and Beers. See you Wed.
Tired today! Went to read and fell asleep for three hours. Who would have thought?
Off for some more rock. Chatter me some nice things to read on breaks, please???
Well, I'll try. Wish, too, I were in the northland, but had to take BFF and her family to the airport today so they could go to sun and sea. It rained, and is still cloudy and damp here. Hope THEY have fun.
But, saw my first robin yesterday. That means something. The snowdrift on my deck is on its 94th day. I'm counting to see how long before it is finally gone.
Wish my life were more exciting so I could chatter you better stuff. Maybe I'll start making things up....
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For the break from rock, here's some cat theatre (Louie dancing for food) Feeding time
Glad there was Rock last night, and I'm sure there is ROCK tonight. :)
Louie and Tonks sure are handsome boys, P. Grace. :)
Tangwyn is now home, along with new food, Clavamox, Methigel, and a powder to put on his food. Each to be administered twice a day. The Clavamox and Methigel are just for seven days, I'm not sure about the powder; I guess until I run out. He gets to go back to be checked out on the 26th. He and I are much happier now.
Kimberly,
If even belly dots of doom aren't helping, must be a rough week indeed. Hang in there...sending sunshine and resolution thoughts your way! You've provided us with some much adorableness, that the bad stuff surely must go soon.
And tick
Happy rockin' weekend, Lorraine!
Dabbler - thanks. Teenage boy consumed the week with teenage boyness. Belly dots help, but they sadly don't nullify 16 year olds - bleah!
In better news, he's spending the night somewhere else (the teenage boy, not Mr. Belly Dots) and I finally managed to offload some stuff from my computer so I can process pics and video again.
Ziggy and Zoraline rehearse for the Synchronized Cuting Event right after her surgery (deadly cute - I'm warning you)
Also, Ziggy cleans my face but good - surprise ending!
Finally, in completely wacky news - Ziggy is, apparently... Asparagus Kitten.
No. Really.
I still have to try him on broccoli, but, yeah ... Asparagus. Like, for real and everything *GIMME!*
Hope the rock is rocking.
That Ziggy just melts my heart.
Siri, just off of a Skype call with my brother in your neck of the woods. They say almost all their snow is gone but they are about to float away.
Oh fiends, so much to catch up on. Right now I must sleep though. 'Night.
Goodnight sweet Fiends, parting is such sweet... sleep. I will say goodnight pretty darn soon.
Hope various 16-year-olds get less teenagery soon. Ziggy is still the cutest thing. I predict increasing cuteness with a 99% chance of him and Mom finding great homes. Actually 100%. With a waiting list; so really more like 120%.
I think I'll get ready for beddie while waiting for R's pal Luke's brother Rusty to come get him. Also, I need to Spring Ahead. Crap.
Oh, the Financial Times says news from the Paris runways is lower heels on womens' shoes - down to 2". Possibly wearable. BUT, they have fur on them in various places. So, the designers give and the designers keep it weird.
Babbling. Sorry. GTG.
Strange evening. Packed pub, and a GREAT gig. One table got way too drunk tho, and two guys peed on eachother in the bathroom, then got into a fight with the manager.
One was two days underage and would not walk away and go to his room, and so, the cops took him away.
He was meant to go into the military tomorrow. OOPS!!!!!!!!
Still, a fine evening.
I'm glad the gig went well -but what an eventful evening.
Actually, I'm glad the drunken peeps didn't cause you trouble too.
So its not only male cats who spray? (with apologies to Fiends of said gender).
Glad the gig rocked!
I hope things work out for Buddy.
Wow. Sounds like an exciting night at Charlie's! People are weird.
Maddy's driving! She drove me around today! This is very exciting.Not even as scary as you might think it is.
62 here today, and SUN!
Life is good.
Curses!!! We are only 51. But, my front door is open. I'm huddled under a blanket, but dang it, I'm blowing the stink out!
Flooding isn't as bad as last summer, Aleta - of course, all the snow isn't gone yet, either! I can see my deck, though.
Sunshine is always good. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
Hi Siri - good to see you. Pretty pictures of spring flowers for you over on my blog!
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Dang. The weekend is almost over. But then again I have some new tea and some tasty madeleines to keep me going tomorrow.
Maddy driving...huh. Where *have* the last fifteen or so years gone, eh? :)
Kimberly--glad week got a bit better. Thank you as always for the cute overloads, er, uploads! Don't be too astonished at asparagus, Angus is an inveterate asparagus eater. We have to ration it to him, or, well, you can guess the resulting odors from his litter box. Not like humans, but....weird. NOT pleasant!
Glad to hear of Tangwyn's continued improvement.
Sorry to hear of dust-up in club; perhaps this was that young man's way of "changing his mind." :)
My ship out day in '98 was the day after St. Patrick's.....I'm pretty sure I did in fact fly off to Basic Training w/a bit of the ol' unhappy head.
Back to sleeping. And updating lab note books. And generally *being* on Spring Break. It is a lovely thing!
Thanks for sharing the photo of AFP, the Boss, and Hera. It was a great gig! A huge thank you to everyone who made it happen - especially a certain conqueror of NZ. :) (And yes, I did hit the merch table. I loooove merch. I would have bought more, but the funds ran out.)
I hope Buddy finds his forever home soon. He looks like such a lovely cat, albeit with a rather unfortunate habit.
And Maddy driving! See it's things like that that make me feel old. It also reminds me that I should refrain from telling friends' kids who I haven't seen for yonks, that I remember them with they were knee-high to a grasshopper.
I'm alive!
And, I'm almost not-sick, thanks to medicines.
Tomorrow I get to commence working with children, where I may get resick!
Good morning! Am I the only one up?
Home from a weekend of Shambhala training. Sitting on a cushion for 2 days is hard. Esp trying to keep a clear mind while sitting there.
Katie, sounds like the cat will be OK, after the meds and care. Breathe a sigh of relief.
Kimberly, sorry you had a rough week :-( Love the new videos. Zora being adopted? How did the visit go?
Kimberly, my monsters and I tried to exhaust the Ziggy 'n' Zora videos. Don't think we made it. But I finally saw the Broccoli Kitten ones! LOL
Ms. T, why refrain? Isn't it supposed to be fun to embarrass teens? OK, maybe not. Li Hua can weigh in on that. ;) I babysat for one family regularly for a while, when I was a teen, and then didn't see the "baby" until she was a teen. And all I could think about when I saw her was the time she threw up grape juice all over me. (I did refrain from mentioning it.)
Happy Monday. The puddles have a very satisfying CRUNCH to them this morning. Freezing temps, but might be sunshine. And tulip leaves poking up outta the garden patches!
Good heavens, Na, I just read that as "The poodles have a very satisfying CRUNCH to them this morning."
I've been hanging around abusive cats for too long, I think...
Glad the gig went so well, minus the peeing incident!
We had a great time at my sister's and ben had a blast skiing. Couldn't have asked for better conditions. It snowed friday overnight and we woke up to sun and powder saturday. Ben had the perfect learn-to-ski day. He took a lesson and then went on the lift and the beginner runs w/ his dad. I took pictures and stayed warm :)
Hubby is doing a motorcycle track class today and tomorrow so ben and i are hanging out in a hotel and figuring out what else to do. I'm all for being lazy. We had quite the event-packed weekend!
I'm home after a lovely but far too short weekend (where I left my netbook power cord - oops!). I'm at work drinking coffee and puttering around aimlessly. I have piles of deadlines but no brains...
Wow eventful weekends of gigging, peeing, skiiing and poodle crunching! Sounds fun! My weekend was tame in comparison. We took a rest from house hunting & had a relaxed couple of days. Cocktails on Saturday evening followed by a few games of pool - the boys got very disgruntled when the girls won :o)
Oh dear, Nat, no, we're not stomping on poodles! :O
But now, stomping on chickens... I wanted to post a link to the Knitters' "Wreckin' Ball" but sadly, YouTube no longer supports my browser. And I am tech-phobic enough to not want to try downloading new Firefox. Not totally certain my 'puter can take it. :P
Yay for good weekends been had! Healing thoughts to you Madeleine, too - meant to say that before.
Thank you, Na! I'm growing a little less sore each day.:)
I rather think Poodles with Crunch sounds like a band...
MB, did I add my get better wishes already? I can't remember.
Right, back to tea and Tuesday morning catch up.
I have not been on Twitter for days so I have missed lots of stuff and not noticed many blogs being posted.
I think Buddy is beautiful and hope he finds a good permanent home.
On the declawed thing...I actually had a cat that we rescued from the pound when I was a child, he had been front declawed and he was amazing! We had a second story deck and he would use his back claws and hug it with his front legs and climb the two stories up to get on it.
I spent the weekend at a learning conference, and they had an awesome panel on a project in New Orleans called The Neighborhood Story Project. The organization pays students to write about their neighborhoods, then they publish the books and sell them, giving the students royalties. (This is the boring Wendy description, because it would take pages to talk about what they REALLY do.)
You guys should check it out and consider buying books and/ or supporting the org. I'm planning on volunteering with them.
http://www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org
/end spiel
Twice now I have felt like *that* person who walks into a room and everyone stops talking. *meh*
But we weren't talking!
I was just mumbling insults over some papers and having a finger fight with my keyboard...
I think Fiends need no deadlines and piles of brains, not vice-versa.
Got to kick around the beach yesterday and this morning. I learned not to have an embarrassed teenager apply sunscreen to one's back. She worked around my x-straps and now I look like modern art. Horrible modern art.
Crunchy poodles, people! It's spring!
Wendy that looks like such a cool project! I will be spreading the word on that for sure!
Cecily, I feel like that all the time here! But the reality is that that is the nature of this kind of communication. Not tied to so called "real time." We are all always here and never really "here." It is an ebb and flow and it is lovely to see you here.
I think we all get that tumbleweed feeling sometimes. The perils of having conversations across continents and between so many busy people, I guess...
How has everyone's week been so far?
Hectic week for me so far, balancing last minute event organisation with combating phonecalls from disappointed groups that didn't get awarded grant funding.
I'm hobbling about like an old woman, having lower back problems fairly regularly at the moment. I can't find any comfortable positions! Am thinking of trying reflexology, it cured a friends' injured shoulder - anyone tried it?
Love your photos of spring crocuses Marjorie! How is your week?
Yay, St Patrick's Day!
When I was at primary school this would be our sports day. We got St Joseph's day off though, because we were taught by Brown Joes.
The work cafe created green lamingtons for the occasion, so of course I had to have on of those at morning tea.
And Cecily, I know exactly what you mean. I've been putting it down to the different time zones failing to mesh. (For example, it's 4 on a Wednesday afternoon here.)
Usually it's so chatty in here. I keep checking to make sure my mail is working! Ha!
I am fasting tomorrow for the first time in over a decade...I'm already hungry...hoping work will keep me distracted enough. :-)
Also in the category of random unsolicited information, I posted a link to a show on my facebook page with the request for tickets for an early birthday present. And one of my dear friends bought me a pair, so I will get to see Carol Burnett on April 3rd!!! I am so freaking excited.
My heart has been stolen by the students at the "worst" elementary school in the district I sub for. The third graders have been taking bathroom/ water breaks so they can bring me candy and pictures. Random students I've never met have shown up in my classroom to say hi and give me hugs. And, the special needs children in my classroom have had some problems, but I think they really like me, too. The last two days in the special needs classroom I've been working in have gone by like a dream.
Tomorrow I get to deal with the reality that I need to get the hospital I was born in to send me a copy of my birth certificate so I can apply for my driver's license, and I need to figure out how to get a copy of the title for my car so I can get a license plate. I also need to figure out how I'm going to continue to pay for college.
Saint Pat is upon us again and there's a Hyperspectral Workshop being held at work starting today.
You'd think they'd organize these type of things around Halloween rather, but nooo...
Looking forward to seeing all these ghosts floating about, still.
Happy St Patrick's Day, Fiends! It's a grey, dull morning here in Dublin but who cares when you can stay in your PJs drinking coffee 'til your hands shake too much to type?? Hope you all have a wonderful day xx
Hi Louisa! Happy St Patrick's DAy to you too!
And to all the Fiends, of course :-)
Enjoy your pyjamas!
I would like to go to a Hyperspectral Workshop (even tho, or perhaps because, I know what it's actually about).
I have not been chatty because I've been tired, and grouchy about the time change. I'm no longer out of town, but not caught up yet.
And also, I left my laptop power cable in Poughkeepsie, which completely eliminates the dog-cat-beer-laptop arrangement.
Funny enough, I haven't seen any one at the workshop. although there is a big sign saying "welcome cocktail". You'd think the place was packed. So possibly it is attended only by ghost scientists.
Shame about the cable. And the grump.
Leprechauns came and trashed the Kindergarten room! Amazing how well those kids clean up at school.
We've got Dublin weather, too, which actually I'm thinking is lovely - rain! Actual rain! First non-snow of the year.
Happy St Pat's all. I forget, is there any webcast happening?
That is so awesome Wendy!!!
My new laptop showed up this morning. It's PURPLE!!! I love my hubby so much.
Happy St Pat's all!
I hope there's a webcast {crossing fingers}, i'll be checking back to find out when I get back from my knitting course (so far I have 15cm of yellow & white stripy tea cosy to attribute to my new skill :o))
Hallo, peeps! Just sticking my head round the door to say Hi and Hope You All are Well. Been busy keeping the sky from falling. You know how it is.
Break a leg today, Q! Shall try to catch some of the webcast this evening.
Off for the gig! Hoping for webcast but not yet confirmed....Starts 3:00pm USA Central time!
Have a great gig!
( will keep fingers crossed for webcasting - are any fiends going who can live-tweet it for us, at least until the Guinness kicks in...)
Have a great gig!!!
I'm buried in laundry and unpacking from our trip.
Gorgeous day here today though. Sunny, warm. Finally it's spring!
Wendy, you might need to go to the county records office instead. The hospital copy wasn't official enough when I applied for a license in WI, years ago. You can probably find the office and forms you need online. Just search for "Office of Vital Statistics" for the county you were born in. They should have a way to request a certified copy of your birth certificate. The certified copy is official enough for passport applications too. Best of luck for your to- list. Especially that last item!
Hellie, welcome to knitting! Looking forward to seeing your tea cozy.
Last but not least, have a wonderful day of Rock, Lorraine!
One more option on the birth certificate thing is a website called http://www.vitalchek.com/
we got my husband's and my daughter's BC through them. Very efficient and depending on the state not expensive at all.
Thanks OSS! I'm enjoying it so far and excited about my first project - now have a pretty pink flower for the top of the cosy! Will bore you with pictures when I've finished. Next stop scarves, then I can take over the world ;o)
Hope much ROCK is had by all. I think I'll be heading off to bed soon, have to get to work at silly o clock for next couple of days.
Hmm. I take it there's no webcast. Aww. :(
Guess I will have to watch Glidercam. I wonder if they will sing.
*stares*
Happy St. Pats dear fiends. I am celebrating by coughing up a lung. Good night!
Aw, Aleta, that sucks. I hope a night of rest heals you completely.
Home. Long, long day. 9 hours of gig. Very sorry about the lack of a webcast, we will have to remedy that soon . It was just too crazed to add it in.
Magic got out yesterday, and didn't it back to his room till this morning. My house smells like cat pee.
Very tired.
Huho. Naughty explorer boy. Strange that Venus hasn't eaten him alive though...
Rest now and sweet fuzzy dreams.
No, apparently they just had a Festival of Pee, alas.
I am sleeping...
Sweet dreams. And No More Pee.
oh my how did he get out? at least they all survived,so that's somewhat positive, the pee sucks though. i hope nothing was ruined.
Hi Quiche ... I hope things have calmed down a bit since St Patrick's Day. William, for one, has been throwing up since one this morning. The house is rather a mess but my mother is a remarkable cleaner.
Poor Magic...and poor pee house. I guess pee is their weapon of choice.
Looking at an overcast day in NC with a high of 68F. Is it spring? Sure feels like it.
Tree guy is here to take down 24 trees - some big ones...at least I think he's here, heard a chain saw.
Jane - hope that is just the tree guy!
Lorraine, so yucky. :( I imagine the Venus and Magic going around; "This is mine!" "No, it's MINE." "MINE!" "Miiiiiiine!" So sorry. Good luck today.
I didn't have one drop of alcoholic drink for St Pat's yet seem to be developing quite a "hangover". Booooo. And the last two days of sun and shine have turned back into cold blowy snow. Boooooooo.
BTW, have you ever heard the Mean Kitty video on UTube? At first he claims the kitty is an Egyptian Mau, but in later videos he says he is a Bengal. Sure looks like one. Adorable.
Not a Festival of Pee! That's the worst sort. Overpriced, lousy entertainment, and just one unisex bathroom. Plus, everything smells. And you can't trust the "freshly-squeezed" lemonade.
/har dee har har
That was too bad about the webcast. I like seeing you guys play. But yeah, tough thing to organise. How'd it go?
Na, here come the vicarious-sunshine mind rays. Transmitting now.
This is a rant. It has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone here (truly!), and you should all just skip on to the next comment. I'm debating whether it would help or hurt to do a complete blog post, and I want to rant in the meantime.
You know what? I get it. I understand that if I want to be a fiction writer and get things published I have to write them, and revise them, and finish them. You all offer good advice, generally along the lines of "I know it's hard, but if you want to write you'll have to cut back on television and gaming," paired with "If it's important you will make time."
I get it. I haven't made the time, so I'm not a real writer. If I were, I'd be obsessed like you all. If writing fiction is not at the top of my list at all times and in all places then I'm not devoted enough, and not a real writer. I can always manage my time better.
But you know what else? I gave up tv and gaming years ago. I think I've been to two movies in the past year. I don't clean the house. I don't cook. I don't even walk the dog. (He gets walked, don't worry.) I cut way back on my main hobby.
I work full-time-plus at a demanding job. I single-handedly run a small business. I write non-fiction for the web, for magazines, for books. I exercise, and I eat, and I sleep. I write fiction when there is time and brainpower. I constantly look for things I can cut out, ways I can squeeze more productive minutes out of a day that stubbornly remains 24 hours long.
I am not a singular being, nor am I defined by one action. And apparently, I am not a writer.
i am a bit behind on everything because i'm technically on vacation.
i saw this and thought of fiends lady gaga cookies
Phiala, oh boy. :( Am going to email you presently. Who's telling you this? Nonsense.
I second Jess's "nonsense", and will add that you're absolutely "making the time." I call shenanigans on whoever is being so rude and derisive, and suggest a hefty dose of something physical to beat up on*, till you feel better. Baloney to them.
* I used to like bread dough, until I stopped eating wheat. DS swears by empty cardboard boxes and a hockey stick....
oh phiala, anyone who says you aren't a real writer needs to remove head from rear orifice and start sniffing some fresh air. how pompous. as long as you are happy, screw them. how can anyone who considers themselves a writer say anything like that to discourage others. that just smacks of jealousy of your talent and fabulously busy lifestyle. i would counter they aren't the real writers if all they can do is put down others instead of encourage.
Phiala, seems to me anyone thinking and saying you're not a real writer is saying that a "real writer" should have no other life, and that IMO is crap.
Just sayin'.
Jess is right. It's nonsense. You're a writer if you write. The whole 'if it's impotant you'll make time' strikes me as potentially very selfish, as for most of us, making time for the stuff we do want to do means not doing somthing else - and so often, the something elses are ALSO important, and often more urgent.
And who the he'll gets to START as a fulltime writer, anyway?
Y'all are awesome.
And just to clarify, almost none of this was directly to/at me. It's just such an all-pervasive attitude, in two parts.
1. You aren't a writer if you aren't completely obsessed and driven.
2. If writing is important you'll make time for it regardless of what your life is like.
I've given up on work-life balance; I'm just looking for work-work-work balance.
I wish we could go forward about twenty years and talk to some of those people who utterly forsake quality of life so that they can suffer and think of themselves as "true writers". I wonder if they would still feel it was worth it.
Ah, now I see more of the context of your tweet. I still think it's ridiculous to say "If it's important, you'll find time for it." That assumes there are only one or two things that are important in one's life. Your schedule would put me in a padded room. I'm already at the end of my rope with what I have on my plate (mixed metaphors much?). And you are amazingly accomplished at so many things. I haven't had the pleasure of reading your fiction yet, but I'd be willing to bet I'd admire it too. I don't know what else to say. But I hope you find the balance that works for you soon.
Phi...
add my voice to the chorus of "PSHAW!!" at high volume, aimed in the general direction of the flea-bitten, hag-ridden and CLEARLY blindered. Writers write, yes. But writers have to live, to have something worthwhile to write about.
(even Neil has a girlfriend, after all :))
I'm reminded of Virginia Woolf, here: A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction. Applies to any writer, really. I'm very fortunate to be one of those writers for whom money is not an issue. I can devote all my time to my work. But it's a very unusual situation to be in.
The vast majority of writers out there have to hold down jobs. Every writer I've ever known personally has worked at a university in some capacity, and all of them have complained how difficult their jobs make it to find time to write the things they wish to write. The sort of writing life which affords endless stretches of time to devote to art are generally the province of either the very well off, or fantasists who think that's how it ought to go if you're "serious". It doesn't work like that. I've had a good ten years to learn it the hard way. That's not how it goes.
Applauding Phiala and Jess for great posts!!!!
I am also in your boat, Phiala. I love to read and write, do write, have publishing goals for my stories, and also work a ton of hours. In the last 3 years I've racked up a nice number of...professional publications. None of the stuff that I "want" to do. But you have to keep the boat afloat and money does help with that...
You keep at it and I will too.
Here is my not-very-shameful confession - there are times when I could write and choose not to, because I choose another sanity-supporting activity instead (like sleep, exercise, cooking veggies, spending time with friends). For me, that's just what I have to do.
Agree, agree, agree! If a 'Real' writer is someone that devotes themselves to writing at the expense of the rest of their life, I'd be very surprised if they had anything interesting to write about anyway!
My lovely boyfriend has been writing a novel since I've known him (almost 5 years). He's always saying he wishes he could've got it done faster/ devote more time to it. And I'm always pointing out that it's such an achievement that he's doing it at all; how fast or how much time he is spending writing per week is irrelevant.
He has a full time job as an engineer, teaches or practises aikido at least 3 nights a week, plus has all those other things that life throws at everyone.
I'm reading the novel now and I'm so proud of him. His life experience shines through his words, I find myself reading between the lines and thinking "I know what/who that's really about". He's written something; he's a writer. Same goes for everyone having a go at creating art, it's 'real' because of the experience and individuality we can put into it.
I'm adding my voice to all the phhht, BS replies.
Hello Fiends! I may even get to spend some time on the computer today, with a working brain.
First, and attempt to catch up on emails and tweets.
Seconding/thirding/fourthing the support! If you write, you're a writer. You don't have to be Published to be an artist: you have to write! Conversely, just because you're published and obsessed doesn't mean you write well, doesn't guarantee you an audience.
And if you're not experiencing life, how can you write? You've got to put something in to get anything out, right?
Heh heh. Is this a group rant?
I have things to say but it is turning into a new post...Hang on..Cool talk.
New post is up...Thoughts a little scattered, but thought I needed my two cents in...
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