Side Projects? What side projects?

School is putting a serous cramp in my writing life. Whenever I think I have time to sit down and do my thing…AHH! Another essay is due!
It’s hard to remember my priorities sometimes. I want to write my novels, but I need to finish school. And then there’s that pesky work thing. Really though, when is a writer supposed to write? I’ll have to be dead before i get the time to work on it, and by then I’ll be too dead to actually write the damn book!
I’m not the kind of writer who see’s twenty minutes of free time and can sit down to write the next few pages of my WIP. I need to warm up—to get into the zone. And then, of course I’ll need to get out of the zone. I can’t just stop writing when I’m on a role, after all. That’s just crazy talk. Absolute nonsense.
Fortunately for me, (and unfortunately for you) I realize that I’m not the only person who struggles with balancing the precious 24 hours given to me. Plenty of you work, raise families, do the school thing, volunteer, play a weekly game of bunko, have a social life, read, and still manage to get in your writing. Who knows? You might even have time to exercise. And to all you well adjusted people, I say kudos and congratulations (in addition to a hearty “screw you”).
But really, if I could give you an award, I would. It would be called the Ass Kicker Award and it would be awarded to bona fide ass kicking people everywhere. Except for me, because I’m a scatterbrained nut-job with a fondness for writing.
On another note, I’ve finally decided to do something about the extra pounds I’ve packed on in the past, oh, two years, or so. You see, I have this genius plan for weight loss. Get ready, because I know this is going to shock some people (mainly, anyone who knows me). I’m going on a diet! Actually, I’m already on one. It’s been one day—the most successful diet attempt I’ve ever had.
I feel like a vegetarian. Okay…a quasi-vegetarian. I’m actually eating those green things and passing on the cookies. I’m pretty proud of myself, as I have no willpower. Maybe I’m just a horrible stereotype, but I’m a Southern woman, and I like my food fried. Umm mmm! Fried chicken, fried Twinkies, fried cheese sticks. You fry it, I’ll eat it.
But for breakfast today, I ate these strange things called strawberries and peaches. Lunch and dinner? Fat free yogurt—and a bowl of shredded lettuce. I mean, come on! Who eats a bowl of shredded lettuce?! [I might have cheated with tacos…but J made them for me. It would have been rude to decline :) ]
Please, oh please, oh please, dear gods of weight loss—rid me of my extra forty pounds! Smite down these evil fast food cravings and let rabbit food taste like Belgian chocolate.
Once I’m over this damn cold, I’m going to start that exercising thing. Maybe I’ll even get out of the house…
Baby steps. Baby steps.