Could somebody give me a kick on the butt...

...for procrastinating. I'm not working now, haven't been for months. I have made my living mostly as an early morning paper carrier for nearly two decades, but I injured my knee last spring and once doctors got good look with MRI they found the beginnings of osteoarthritis. Well, no big problem yet, it's not bad yet, so yes, I should be able to continue working as a paper carrier. Only not on apartment buildings, which is what I have been doing all these years, mostly ones with lifts so lots of running downstairs. And that's a no no now.

So, employer says they will find me routes with no apartment buildings, only it might take a while because none is free right now. That was last summer, suitable free routes haven't been found yet. I'm officially on a sick leave, so while the money I'm getting is not good that's not a big problem yet.

So, lots of times to write, right?

Guess what I have been mostly doing?

Right. Tv, reading, internet. I have written, but nowhere as much as I could have.

So. A bit of pushing, or yelling, or buttkicking, anyone? Please?

Thanks.

I'll try that short story prompt. Post tomorrow whether I did it or not.

Walking might be a good idea otherwise, I don't mind cold, but the last two days rained and now it's below freezing again and I very much mind slippery. The sidewalks are thoroughly iced right now. If I had more money I'd buy a pair of skis, I sold my last ones after we had had several winters with not much snow (I live on the Finnish southwest coast, and this is one area of the country where lots of snow is not a guaranteed thing, only right now we have it, lots).

About osteoarthritis: my doctor told me to keep active, only avoid certain types of repetitive stuff which puts extra stress on knees, like that running downstairs bit. But as said, it was only found on my knees, even though as far as I understand it's likely it is, or will develop, on other joints too. But I did get the same advice from the physiotherapist who said she has it too. Seems to be the idea is that the stronger the muscles around them are the less wear you'll get on the joints.

Alleycat: Paasilinna can be extremely funny in Finnish, I hope the translation is a good one.

But sometimes the fact that a few other people know is enough to shame you into doing something.

Well, I finished the short story. Damn thing even sort of reads like a story. You know, with a beginning, a middle and an end. The fact is that I have been trying to learn how to write short stories for years, and most times they read like only like short bits of a longer story. Usually I can get the necessary parts in only when I write something longer than about 20 000 words.

It's midnight here. I think I'm going to bed now.

Chris P said:

Great job Kristiiina! See? You're not stuck when given a reason to not be. I hope you don't think I've actually shamed you; you asked for a kick in the butt and you got me in a butt-kicking mood.

Now, take two hours, make revisions, and then post your story in the appropriate section of Share Your Work. Um, did you write in English or Finnish? I'll happily crit if it's in English.

To keep things fair, here's my attempt in the Romance/Women's SYW

Click to expand...

English. And it's fantasy. I'd appreciate your crit. After a bit more than a couple of hours, I really have to go and get cat food before I start. The animal is starting to get a bit loud (has dry food, really really wants something better).

I can keep on going for fairly long periods once I get started, the problem is that once I start sliding I can keep on doing that for long times too. The usual 'oh dear it's getting late and I just can't think what to do with this now, I'll leave it for tomorrow'. And then the same thing happens tomorrow... this most often happens during the late fall, when it's getting darker, and can keep on going for months. I even have a good excuse, a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder. Which I can, actually, as I have found out during the last years, treat pretty well with lots of vitamin D and a very bright whole spectrum lamp, but anyway...

I tend to excuse the sliding during November and December. But last year I procrastinated a lot more than usually, possibly because the damn knee kept getting stiff when I sat a lot on some chairs, including the one I have at my computer. Not because of the osteoarthritis part, because the injury which did some damage to ligaments - the osteoarthritis was found during the MRI, but it was just a bonus, so to speak.

Well, that shaming bit is one thing that most times works for me - just telling people that I haven't been doing what I'm supposed to be doing can get me started, a lot of times.

I have been living alone for years, and while there are some obvious advantages I have to admit I tended to get a whole lot more done when I didn't. I did find it sort of embarrassing to spend a lot of time just vegetating when there was somebody else to see it, the whole time. Even better when there were a whole lot of somebodies - I don't think I have never been as active as I was when I was living in student housing. Or maybe it was just because I was young then.

OK, story up, Chris P. I'll take a look at yours tomorrow.