 | 10 Jul 09 |
It’s been a roller coaster week for me, and it’s going to be a roller coaster weekend, then I’m off to DC at the butt crack of dawn Monday morning. So that I can enjoy myself, I have been working like a fiend this week to get everything cleared from my desk. I finally put the family on alert Wednesday night. I told them I was at the bottom of my well, and if one more person asked me for one more thing or to even think about asking me to do something, I was going to take the leap into mindless insanity.
So the troops rallied and I literally have spent the last two days in my office being left completely alone, except for the cats. They never think anything applies to them. Last night preggo daughter swept and mopped the tile floor, my son, are you ready for this? My son, CLEANED the litter box WITHOUT BEING ASKED! Today my daughter ran errands for me, shopped for dinner, cooked dinner, and hubby cleaned the kitchen. Like I would! Everything is done down to the sink being scrubbed and rinsed. Go figure. My son did all of his laundry. Washed, dried, folded and put away. Not one sock was left downstairs. He even did two loads of towels! They picked up all of their shoes and put them away. I can’t tell you how good it makes feel to know that they listed to me and that they really care enough to seriously help me out.
So, the paperwork is never ending. My back feels like it’s permanently C shaped. Right now, it’s the wee hours of Friday morning and as exhausted as I am, I feel like I need to get out and walk. I think I am. I need to stretch my muscles. You know what? I am. I’m taking both dogs and going. I’ll be back in a half hour to finish this blog. Maybe I’ll have a story to tell.
Ok, so I walked for an hour, and what an hour it was! Even with a 135 pound Rottie on my left and a psycho Rhodesian Ridgeback on my right, it was a damn eerie walk! And here I am working on a paranormal series, and let me just tell you, it was dark, the trees were swaying under the waning moon and my imagination was going batshit crazy! I came up with a brilliant scene! Of course I wrote it down, rough as it is was, as soon as I got in. I can’t wait to flesh it out tomorrow!
I love to walk. It always gets my creative juices flowing. Especially when I have my iPod cranked up. But when I walk late at night, I don’t like not to hear. You never know, an ax murder can be running after you screaming his bloody head off and you would never know! And wouldn’t you know it, tonight I heard every scrape of every leaf as it skittered across the streets and driveways. Then there was a huge jackrabbit that jumped out in front of Chopper and I thought for sure he’d yank my arm out from the socket.
Now I’m wide awake and all wound up, but I need to take a shower and get to bed. I don’t have a question to ask. No wait, I do. Have you ever been walking late at night, alone, the wind is blowing, the leaves are rustling, there is almost a full moon and scared yourself to death?
Karin*
© 2009 Karin Tabke. All rights reserved.
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Isn’t it wonderful to find out that some of those life lessons you tried to instill in the kids actually took root! And kudos to hubby for doing things “right”. Sometimes I think they’re all reluctant to pitch in like that because as my son once said, “Do someone a favor and it becomes your JOB.”
Have a great trip. Really, really wish I could be there.
As for walking alone in spooky places — nope, not really. Haven’t been anywhere spooky in ages and ages. The closest would be those solitary vigils in the middle of the night on camping trips with entirely different motivation.
by Terry Odell July 10th, 2009 at 3:52 amYes, Terry, it is! And they are still leaving me alone this morning! I’ll miss you at National.
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:14 amUh, no, I don’t do the late night stuff, night is for sleeping, BUT I’d be all over getting up at three and walking. Weird, huh? It’s that half-full, half-empty cup scenario.
by Margaret A. Golla July 10th, 2009 at 5:35 amHave a great time in D.C.! I’m sad that I’m not going this year.
Margaret, I didn’t get to bed until 4:30 this morning! I tried for earlier but my son came in at 2, we chatted, I took my shower and just as I was getting in bed, I heard one of the neighborhood cats getting destroyed by something. I hurried outside in my robe to save it, and then–nothing. My son came out and decided to skateboard around to the creek to see if he could find anything. Nada.
I’m going to miss you in DC!
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:18 amWhat strange alien presence swooped down and cloned your family? Will you send it my way?!?
Don’t you just love the pinprickles tingling all the way to your fingers and toes when the adrenaline pumps? Shhh! What was that? You stand there, heart pumping, every sense on alert, straining to hear and see in the dark. Was that a voice whispering on the wind? Footsteps? Someone’s there, following! But why don’t the dogs notice…?!? And then a paper cup skitters and bouncing before the breeze and those uneven footsteps are identified, the voice soughing through the trees simply the lullaby of wind and leaves. I love the dark…
Oh, yeah. I love Ghost Hunters when they scare themselves, too. LOL! See you in DC, Karin. I really would love to by you that chilled martini if your schedule allows.
by Silver James July 10th, 2009 at 6:49 amSilver, last night even the dogs were kind of spooked! When they get spooky, I really get spooky! lol on Ghost Hunters and scaring themselves.
We will definitely have a drink or two in DC!
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:27 amJust don’t go for a 3:00 am walk in the butt-crack of DC. You’ll have more to worry about than leaves scuttling across the street. And that won’t be a jackrabbit jumping out to…Oh, wait…the butt-crack of DAWN to go to DC…never mind…
by Peri July 10th, 2009 at 7:08 amPeri, don’t worry, I won’t! But here’s the thing, the scene I came up with was in DC and my heroine coming to the rescue of a tourist who was where she wasn’t supposed to be and some thugs who were gonna…well, you know. Until my heroine arrives and saves the day. Boy does she have a mouth on her!
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:29 amKarin! Can’t walk alone in my neighborhood at night. Too many nightcrawlers and I ain’t talking about the kind you fish with. But I do know that feeling of scaring yourself to death. I was at home alone one day and glued to the computer upstairs. I heard a sound downstairs. I looked at my dogs and wondered why they weren’t barking. I figured my husband or daughter had come home. But then no one came upstairs or shouted “where are you?” That’s when I got creeped out. I went downstairs with my dogs on my heels and no one was there. I locked the doors when I was alone after that. And reminded myself not to scold my dogs for barking at strangers when we’re outside.
by Debra Webb July 10th, 2009 at 7:14 amDeb, my two shih tzus are like alarms. it bugs hubby when they bark in the middle of the night at the cats or something insignificant, but not me. they hear and sense things long before I do, and I like it like that
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:31 amKarin – As I always tell everyone please have a fun & safe trip.
My first convention will be RT in 2010. I just wish I knew someone that was going.
by HollyD July 10th, 2009 at 7:15 amHolly, I’ll be there next year!!!
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:32 amWow. I am going to try that. (If south Louisiana explodes, y’all will know what happened.)
It’s going to be a great week next week! Can’t wait to see ya.
by Toni McGee Causey July 10th, 2009 at 8:07 amToni, just say it reeeeeel nice and slooooow so they understand.
I can’t wait to see you either!!!
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:33 amKarin, you have a fab family! Isn’t it amazing how much they are actually capable of?
Now as for you–you need to rest! You’re going to get sick. And look at me acting like a mom, sigh. But still, I know you run yourself into the ground, and you are usually doing it for everyone else. Take care of yourself!
A middle of the night walk sounds lovely, but I don’t have dogs and I’m not going out there at the witching hour with just my attitude
by Jen Lyon July 10th, 2009 at 11:40 amThank you, mommy Jen! I’m going to take your advice in a few days!
I’m with you on the not walking at night. Even where I live, in a gated community with a roving guard, I am so not walking alone, in the dark, where there are…things watching me. I did kill a huge bug last night. It was one of those roach types, on a tree. I karate kicked it, and even said, “High, ya! Die muthahr fuckah!” I hate those kind of bugs. hate. ‘em. I felt pretty good after that. foot kind of hurts this morning tho’.
by Karin Tabke July 10th, 2009 at 11:46 amI walk with the puppy sometimes at night and it’s eerie and scary. I worry more about owls trying to snatch my little Sophie than the two legged types. But I always carry protection.
by andrea July 10th, 2009 at 2:02 pmI’m really good at scaring myself half to death. When I was young, before RWA and meeting writers, I thought I was the only person in the world with a vivid imagination. I would so think the ax murderer was behind me if I was walking in the dark with the IPod on.
I went to the movies alone when I was a young, single mom and walking past the park was just plain scary. The swings would be going by themselves, little squeaks with every movement, shadows would play mindgames with the slide and the monkeybars.
by Jill James July 10th, 2009 at 2:13 pmKarin, it’s great that your family listened to you! When I was a teen I walked alone at night sometimes. I don’t remember being scared. At that age, I felt invincible. I was young and energetic and fast, and I felt nothing was going to happen to me.
by Edie July 10th, 2009 at 7:35 pmWhen it is dark and late and I am tired ANYTHING will scare me witless. We live in the country and it is dark out here. I know there are bears (my son was attacked at night by one in our back yard a few years ago) and coyotes. An imagination is such a great thing, unfortunately, when I get spooked, it can come up with way too many scenarios. It has gotten ridiculous at times. I’ll let the dogs back in late at night and expect a velociraptor to pull the door from my hand. Have to stop watching Jurassic Park late at night. The dogs are useless. They are what got my son in trouble with the bear.
by Patricia Barraclough July 10th, 2009 at 10:25 pmOkay, I’m way late at reading blogs, I too had a crazy week. Summers are insane for me. But anyhoo, I love to walk at night or early morning, no one is around, that I can see. A suggestion, don’t walk with a i-pod. Can’t hear whats coming up behind you. I never plug in when I walk or ride for that reason. To many years as a cop…I know.
by Lee July 13th, 2009 at 7:58 am