One Year Closer To Death And More Taxes

Courtesy of SXC

Yesterday was my birthday. (Yes, it was lovely, thanks!) I turned the absolutely no1curr 27, which makes me happy because I quite like the number 27. (Plus I've been thinking I'm 27 for about six months now. Finally, I'm right!)

The reason I feel some great need to share this is NOT to get belated birthday wishes, but because I have a good feeling that this next year of my life will be pretty great. Considering some of the prizes I have to announce coming up soon (yes, soon!) I can't help but feel like some good things are going to happen!

Of course, I have a sinking feeling that certain terrible things may happen, but let's not think about that right now...

What I have been thinking about lately, however, is the image I had of my adult life as a child. What I mean is, when I was a child, I often imagined what my twenties would be like. Suffice to say, my twenties have not been anything like I imagined as a kid. Of course that's true for just about everybody, but for me in particular, it's been negatively different. For every decent thing that has happened these past seven years, three awful things have happened.

I don't say this for pity. In fact, I want the opposite, if I were to get anything. But it's weird to think of what I thought my twenties would be like and then actually experience most of them so far.

Out of the things I have accomplished so far, however, I am very proud for achieving my dream of being a full time writer and author. This is exactly what I've been wanting to do with my life. And now that I'm finally taking better control of my life, it can only get better! Or so I hope.

Naturally, though, I'm mostly glad I don't even care about my birthday anymore. Means if I have any crappy ones in the future, I won't care!

Obligatory Birthday Post

Source: Pink Cake Box

The thing about being a night owl (I go to sleep around 5am) is that you always see midnight go by. Which can mean awkwardly welcoming in your birthday. This year, for my 25th birthday, I did absolutely nothing but the usual: reading, exercising, TV, and of course, writing! My mother baked me a cake that looks nowhere near as cool as the one in the pic (but it was orange!) but was delicious all the same. Especially with a scoop of Dairy Queen soft serve. Oh, God, my blood sugar. So worth it.

It's kinda weird to think that my life is probably more than a quarter of the way over now. And yet 25 doesn't seem to be a milestone birthday...although I can rent a car now! (Darn, if only I had a license.) Of course, as an adult I have to sit here and think about what a waste of space I am at 25 in my wandering, confused generation of recent grads in a nosediving economy. Hey! No job! Hey! No relationship! But before I feel compelled to go get drunk on my birthday to say that at least something happened like puking in the bath tub I reminded myself of all the life dreams I've accomplished so far, even if at the time they didn't feel like much. Short off you know, the apocalypse, or getting kicked out of my house, or what have you, things can only go up from here and I look forward to what the next 25 years of my life brings!

I don't really have a choice, I mean.

Weekly Writing Check-In: Character Birthdays and...well, nobody cares.

LOL "BIRHDAY".

Oh, Memorial Day weekend! How little you mean to the work-at-home, the freelancers, and the generally unemployed. (Read: me.) But, I am taking a bit of a break today, simply because I'm tired and I'm staring down a 25 page (single spaced in Word) chapter and nooooo not today. That said, editing is coming along as usual. This month I've managed to get through about ten chapters which is no bad business. Meanwhile, earnings are up at Hubpages. Still not making payout yet but I'm not complaining. It's still on the up and that's all that matters from that front! I am also still slogging through McCaffrey's "Acorna" series, and reading it gives me so much faith in myself. Especially in the editing department. Reading a book that has clearly never been edited in its existence really boosts ones own writing confidence~

All that shade thrown, it's May 27th. This date has two significances. The first one is that I've got about four days to prep for Camp. I was hoping to get this other chapter finished (since I like starting Nanos on chapter  breaks) but I don't think that's gonna happen. My best bet is to finish on a scene break. Will make keeping track of my total a bit more difficult, but eh. Somehow, I will manage. (However will I do that?)

The second reason is that May 27th is one of my character's birthdays and for some reason this is the only character birthday I know off the top of my head. All my other characters, I know what month they were born in (and what part, because I know all their signs) but I rarely can remember the dates. Okay. I lied. I know why I know this character's birthday - it's because her birthday passes in the first book of the series, and thus far no other character's birthday in any series gets a little spotlight in the plot. And since I methodically keep track of each day and date that passes (WOOOO 2007! fun fact - after February, 2007 and 2012 have the same days, so her birthday is also over Memorial Day in that year) I know exactly what her birthday is. (Not that I can remember my own at the moment though....)

So this week's check-in question is this: Do you know your characters' birthdays off the top of your head? Do those dates play a part in your plots? Do you even keep track? :P

Oh, and today is Miranda's 40th birthday. She's reaching flaming birthday cake territory.