Monday, February 16, 2015

Hard to Keep Working by Linda S. Glaz



I have to admit that with the pipes frozen and the cat shivering and my sweatshirt not thick enough, it’s difficult to keep working.
Starting a read, my teeth chatter so loud I can’t continue. So I jump up and nuke my coffee again, fill my 2-liter with very hot water (I rest my hands on it while reading), and try to begin again.
With only one-third of the snow that the poor folks in New England are enjoying, I shouldn’t be complaining, but when the true temp is supposed to be -11 and I hear the wind howling louder than a wolf, it’s horrid to think of what the wind chill must be.
I have no doubt there are those who are happy with this: the gas man, the electric company, and the coffee shops. I’ve been guzzling cup after cup. Probably why I can’t fall asleep until three or four each morning.
Alas, submissions have to be read. Maybe I need to represent some of those hot, steamy, sizzling romances.
Okay, back to the hot coffee instead.
Do you have any distractions that keep you from writing?

17 comments:

Elaine Stock said...

Linda, I so appreciate these words. When I saw the subject line shoot into my email box a few seconds ago I knew I had to reply.

Woke up to 15 below this morning… but, at least woke up. I will continue to plunge forward with my writing today, dressed in 2 layers of fleece, feet plopped up on a stool and tucked under a blanket, sitting beside my wood stove, drinking so many hot drinks that I'm getting my daily exercise by running to the bathroom, and saying periodic prayers for those in NE and just south of where I am in upstate NY who are supposed to get hit with another storm tomorrow.

This isn't fun. My 2-day old migraine testifies this. But hey, a writer does what a writer has to do, right?

Thanks for the commiseration--we all need it.

Linda Glaz said...

Yes, all I want to do is crawl under the covers and cry. But too much to do today. Thanks for the laugh. I guess misery does love company.

Davalyn Spencer said...

Funny you should ask. I was going to write about distractions today, but I was distracted by the birds at the feeder ... in the snow ... so I'll write about them instead! While at the computer I spread a down comforter across my lap. Makes a huge difference!

Linda Glaz said...

It's my hands that get cold. So I have this old empty two liter that I fill with really hot water. Then lay my hands on it when I'm reading and not typing. Weird, I know. But it works. Other than that, my office gets full sun, so I'm warn all but hands. HUGH SIGH!

Andy Scheer, Hartline Literary said...

My office is adjacent to the furnace room. So on cold days, I have to dress lightly so I don't get too warm.

Linda Glaz said...

Oh, I have to say that sounds good. Most of the time. I tend to keep my heat duct shut most of the way as my husband takes meds that keep him cold all the time. So when that furnace is cranking, I'm too warm (except for the hands, doggone it) My husband would LOVE an office near that much heat. LOL

Diana Flegal said...

Poor kitty! I hear your pain. Dog sitting and running outside bundled like an Eskimo. Blanket over legs too! #longjohnsneeded #comespring

Elaine Stock said...

Linda, have you tried fingerless hand mitts? My friend knitted me a pair and they're wonderful for keeping the hands warm. I've seen driving mittens like these as well.

Linda Glaz said...

No, because it's the fingertips that get cold. It's not a huge problem, but an easy fix. Thanks!

Karen said...

It's not as cold here in Atlanta as in other parts of the world today. But, this is Atlanta and it's supposed to be a lot warmer. Our houses weren't built for this cold.

I have a heated mat under my desk to keep my toes warmer. But, my fingers are the problem. I think I need some of those woolly gloves with the fingertips open so you can still type.

I resent that my usual ice tea must be replaced with hot tea that needs constant reheating. But, I will survive--after a few breaks to curl up with a blanket in front of the space heater.

Linda Glaz said...

I hear ya on the fingers, Karen. I totally understand.

Susan F. Craft said...

Not nearly as cold here in South Carolina, but cold enough to freeze the well spigot pipe at the back of the house(we have a sprinkler system hooked to the well, which we turn completely off after summer, but apparently water remained in the pipe). I noticed water dripping from the bricks and called a plumber. Sure enough, the water in the pipeline had frozen and burst the pipe and water was spraying across the back of the house. Winter. Sigh.

Linda Glaz said...

Oh, so sorry. So far we've had mostly outgoing traps that freeze, but yesterday the hot water in the back bathroom froze and so did the water to the commodious! So we put a small heater in there and it freed up. Today, just one outgoing trap frozen, so it's getting better. And people think old homes are somehow romantic. NOT! The entire back of the house has no heat to it, so using that room in the middle of the night...well...TMI. It's c-cold!

Joyce Hart said...

It's cold in Pittsburgh - -5 this morning and snow forecast overnight. 1 to 3 inches. We can't complain, we don't have deep snow, maybe 5 inches on the ground, nothing like further East. No frozen pipes, just running the electric bill high running these little heaters around the house. I have one right under my desk. We haven't been out of the house since Friday night. We never miss church, but JIm didn't feel real good and he didn't feel like shoveling the driveway, so we stayed home. A couple of young men came along and offered to do the driveway and the porch for $10 so we said yes, please do. We did give them $20. It was well worth it.

Linda Glaz said...

WELL, worth it! Enjoy, stay warm, and take out stock in the elec company. LOL

Rick Barry said...

For me, a little bit of success at writing creates distractions that keep me from writing more. I'm at the stage where one publisher requests from me a list of "prominent individuals" who agree to receive an advance copy and possibly pen a few words of endorsement. Now I'm brainstorming which prominent people to approach. Some I know well enough to email. Others deserve a professional letter--and a reminder of when and where we've met (if ever). It's fun work, and it's exciting each time I get a request from an author, a politician, or a radio or TV personality. Yet... this phase of marketing is time-consuming and does distract me.

Linda Glaz said...

Yes, as much as the marketing has to be done, it IS extremely distracting.