Your Productivity Sucks

One of the reasons my Busy People books sell is because people relate to them. Like everyone else, I’m busy; like everyone else, my productivity often sucks. So the reincarnation of this blog — which used to be on writing – is now Read the rest of this entry »

I’m reading Dr. Daniel Amen’s work on the brain. It’s pop neuroscience at its best. I’ve read enough about it to know that Amen’s suggestions are Read the rest of this entry »

Here comes NaNoWriMo again. Sigh. Perhaps I need to outline my personal rules for this year:  Dawn’s Personal NaNoWriMo rules:

• type nanwrimo with no caps. don’t like caps.
• avoid chocolate. End the month wearing the same saize pants.
• write an outline. I’m not freeform enough to work well without one.
• write 1600 words a day. I’ve tried nano a variety of ways and this seems to be the most successful.
• donate earlier. It’s a good cause; i won’t wait until the end to do it.
• pump iron. Nothing to do with writing, I just want to.

This afternoon Holly and I are making the long trek to Damascus, Oregon, to breed our virgin Silken Windhound, Cleo. Her paramour, Banner, is a handsome red lad who will be enjoying his first conjugal visit as well.
We witnessed the breeding of two silkens a few years ago when we drove studly Ash to meet his love, Delaney. The process was quite civilized. After a few hours of sniffing and relaxing, the owners gently guided the two hounds together, helping support them as they tired of their positions. (Dogs remain conjoined for up to 20 minutes. It’s a natural phenomenon necessary to the breeding process but very tiring and especially uncomfortable for the female.) After 15 minutes, the dogs bodies relaxed and they went their separate ways. The process was repeated the next morning and then we drove Ash home. Six months later, Ash’s lovely progeny, Cleo, came to live with us.
It has been two years since Cleo joined our family. In another few months, we’ll be shepherding her puppies into the world. I can’t wait.

I finally picked up a paddle and started my annual spring foray into the ocean. Kayaking the Puget Sound is always a treat but with the recent spate of warm days and bright evenings, it moves into the realm of the ecstatic. People dont realize that its much more than dragging a plank through water. A well crafted forward stroke is a picture of grace, authority, and timing. It involves every part of the body. The blade dips into the sea quietly. No slosh means no lost energy. As the waist rotates, it pushes the paddle along. The paddle-side foot presses against its foot rest to gain strength. The blade then slips easily out of the water at an angle, just past the hips. No resistance. And that’s just the forward stroke. I haven’t even begun to talk about boat control.