27. Nanowrimo 2008

So, I only got to 10687 words, which is of course even worse than last year... ah well. I still haven't figured out what happens in the last half of this story.
I titled the story Quiet the Voices. Here's a summary (although what I've written for the story doesn't quite match what I wrote for the summary, it gives you an idea of where the story was going.)
--- Almichaeli's college professor and mentor has come to him with a problem. In his research to destroy the segregation between those with 'voices' and those without, he has removed the 'voices' from his own mind. Mike attempts to keep Bob from slipping into the typical (non-voice) depression and drugs while he and Tasha attempt to continue Bob's research, despite being watched by the government.

And here are two of my better scenes (one is currently at the beginning, the other about halfway through.):

It was cold that night, Tasha had walked the four blocks to work like normal and now she was wishing she had not. Home might be close, just around the corner, but her thin brown jacket did not keep the wind from getting under her skin.
"Hey, Tasha!"
She stopped, startled, and turned to face the voice. Her neighbor, Sid, sat in his fancy black car with his fancy black suit and pulled his fancy black briefcase off of the seat beside him.
"Here, let me give you a ride. You look like you are about to be blown back to where you started."
"Thanks!" She shivered.Her reliable white nurse shoes crunched over the leaves as she stepped off the curb and walked around.
"I cannot believe how fast fall is flying by. This jacket is not near heavy enough."
"Do you really think it is safe to be walking this late at night?"
"Well…"
"I mean, I assume you may have chosen this neighborhood, like I did, for it is safety record, however, a young woman such as yourself really should not walk alone after dark. That is my view in any case." He smiled kindly, indicating he was not considering her dumb for doing what he would not advise. His shiny white teeth annoyed her however. Sid was just too polished.
"I agree really. One day you have plenty of time to get home before it is too dark and the next it was too dark hours ago. I need to start driving. It is such a waste of gas for such a short distance."

~*~

"Dr. McGee."
"Ms. Ralt."
"What brings you here today? Another conspiracy theory?"

Idan bit his tongue. He had once tried to tell Ms. Ralt a story, when he was really nervous and not thinking clearly obviously. This had backfired into the closest thing to a joke Ms. Ralt ever said. The story was meant to be funny, playing on the fact that in this job it was rather plain to see that most conspiracy theories were based on truth.

"Not today Ms. Ralt. Today I have information on a couple people losing their voices, and the fact that one does not seem to be affected."

"That's nonsense!"

"You remember Sidney Burnell."

"Ah yes, the idiot that cannot drive. It is such a waste of money to fix such people. Why cannot they just crash and die?" She paused. "So, it cannot be him. There would be no need to fix him if he were not affected."

"No... it is his neighbor who was in the car with him at the time."

"Wait, let me look this up in his records.
"Ms. Ralt snapped her fingers outside her door and a small squinty-eyed man rushed over from his cubicle.

"I need the employee record for Mr. Sidney Burnell. Yesterday."

"Yes Ms. Ralt." Away he rushed.

"Dr. McGee." She turned back his direction and inwardly he cringed. "How did you come across this information?"

"Mr. Burnell called me a few months ago and told me he was having a few problems adjusting still, and felt there was things that he needed to talk over with someone. I did inform him that if I felt he had something to discuss he would rather the government not know, he should not come to me because I was required to pass the information on. He did not feel it would be an issue. I'm not sure why he felt that, because I do feel slightly uncomfortable with passing this information on."

"But you believe it to be important?"

"Yes, I do. The reason I find it more important has to do with a report from the mental hospital. This same neighbor has changed jobs to this facility, especially to care for a Dr. Robert Gibbs, Professor of Psychology at the state university. Have you read of him recently?"

Ms. Ralt pursed her lips. "No, should I have?"

"I think you would find it pertinant to the information I just passed on."

"All right. I suppose after I have refreshed my memory on these two men I will call you to explain in further detail why this is important to me."

"Good. I will be ready."

"Dismissed."

Idan quickly left the office, and leaned against the wall. His heart had been beating much too hard and it was a great relief to be out of there, even if just for a short while. He hoped he had made the right decision... but it was too late now if it was not.

~*~

26. Thanksgiving

So, Marshall was going to write a list of little things on his blog that he was thankful for, and I was inspired to write a few things down.
My list is not nearly as long (I didn't get back to it after the first day.) and a lot of my thank-yous are a bit conditional, but here they are anyhow.
(I didn't have time to post them on Thanksgiving.)

I am thankful to God...

.... that the station wagon decided to die after my parents traded cars with me (dad has gotten it to start again now, although it seems the starter might be dying... and the brakes are almost gone).

.... that I have a job (even if I don't care for working with people ... the job is stretching me and I'm getting somewhat friendlier.)

.... for a roommate who keeps everything nice and neat, but doesn't freak out if I don't do my dishes right away.

.... for having enough stuff that I don't really know what I want for Christmas (well, except for stuff no one else can afford either.)

.... for the way Katia and I arranged the living room and the picture we both love as a finishing touch.

.... for Taco Bell being a good landmark when telling people how to get to the apartment.

.... that my family gets along fine.

.... that I found one of my waterbottles before I lost the other one.

.... that I have the bigger bedroom and my own bathroom (like I said, I have lots of stuff.)

.... that I get to see people I know all the time when they shop at Walmart (the best part of my job!)

.... for my purse spoon, I never guessed how much I'd use it when I picked it up.

.... that the station wagon cleaned up without too much work.

.... that I don't have to do the sunday school tags or run slides during service anymore (although I do like to think I was better at running the slides, I really like being able to think about what what I'm singing or listening to instead of thinking about when to change the slide.)

.... for a fairly easy year in Awana, that I have one returning leader and one new one (although I dearly miss Shirley).

.... for a newer coworkers comment that she feels more comfortable around me than most of the other cashiers.

.... that Gem found a job, even if it's only part time and won't help much with her resume. (She will be a little less stressed.)

.... that Ian is doing well in school.

.... that I'm no longer addicted to chatting (even if that's partly because no one I used to chat with is online and I've started wasting time other ways online.)

.... for the people I hug almost every week at church... and being told by them that I give good hugs.

.... for people who tell me my hair is beautiful (even if they have a tendency to tell me when it needs washing).

.... that there is less traffic when I have to go to work way too early.

.... for Ealon (having ones own language/ code thing feels cool, even if nobody else can read it).

.... that I can sing/ listen to Christmas music all year (and that I can turn it off when I'm tired of it).

.... that there are more people in the college/ young adult group (even though I really miss the old dynamics of the group.)

.... for having a washer and dryer in the apartment.

.... for parents who let me use their washer and dryer, their car, and just plain for not kicking me out when I wasn't ready.

.... that Kelli said I always have funny answers when playing Balderdash.

.... that even though I wish I weren't single, I'm willing to wait and I won't give up my values in finding him.

.... that God loves me even when I'm not sure if actually I love Him.

.... that I have coats when I'm cold.

.... that I haven't died of ink poisoning as Lele keeps telling me is going to happen.

.... for someone else cooking on Wednesday evening and Sunday afternoons.

.... for Bob, who almost always does snack and cleanup on Wednesday nights. For the guys in the college group, who somehow manage to do more of the cooking and cleaning than the girls... and who are pretty good examples of good men.

.... for Ginny, the cutest one in the group (hope she doesn't get too spoiled!)

.... for when Lele and I get to talk... for when she has time to hang out with the group.

.... for Kale growing up and being way less annoying than he was!

.... for my kitty blanket being warm and heavy... perfect to sleep or cuddle with.

.... for mom not wanting to be like her mother when she's old (much as we love her).

.... that my bed is okay in comfort (as long as I sleep in it upside down).

.... for Lein getting Lawrence's job because (I think this is the plan anyway...) him, Risa and Ginny will move closer. (Although I can't imagine Lawrence not being there all the time!)

.... for Bethany, my pretend little sister who makes me feel special by calling me mean names like 'monkey' and dragging me around the church.

25. Happy Birthday to Me!

I don't know how I got to be so old so fast!
That is, I'm still only 27, so I've possibly many more years left... but 27 sounds so old. By 27, wasn't I supposed to be married and have a couple kids, maybe an interesting job... what happened?

Although, somewhere along the way I think I stopped believing I was going to get older. Maybe that's part of my problem, I'm still stuck back in my teens, and with time going by so much faster (why? I mean, it really goes the same speed, so why does it go so much faster when you're older?) I'm having a hard time catching up.
The older I get though, the more I realize that people older than me don't feel like they are as old as they are either. I had this discussion with one of my customers a couple months ago.

My dad tried to tell me on Sunday that I was still about 7 (which would make him 33.) I informed him that since I drive, have a job, and don't live at home anymore that didn't work... but he could claim I was still 17 if he wanted to.
Actually, it's disturbing to think that I'm old enough to have kids that are 7!

Yeah, so that's my thoughts for today... except, Thank You God that I am still alive at 27!

24. Job 1:8

Job 1:8
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

"Have you considered My servant Job." "Have you set your heart on My servant Job." These are a bit different, most of my Bibles say considered. "Set your heart on My servant..." does Satan have a heart? I think not? It is hard to imagine God saying that there is none like a person, none on earth so upright.

Lord, I know that I am not like Job, but I would like to become as he was, an upright woman, blameless in Your eyes, one who fears You Lord, and one who always shuns/ has nothing to do with evil. God, I keep messing that up. Forever it seems I am giving in to evil, I'm sorry. Please help me strengthen my gates and build up my walls against the evil one. If I could totally feel Your presence, I think I could stand firm against the devil, but "we walk by faith, not by sight," so my request instead is that You increase my faith.

<-- Job 1:6-7                                                                                                                        Job 1:9 -->