Saturday, December 6, 2008

Take Me Away

Paint fumes hung in the air. A constant pain pulsated behind my eyes. My neck ached. My temples throbbed. In the other room I heard my daughter coughing, but there was nowhere to go. The normal places of refuge (my mom’s house or my best friend’s place) were off limits because both my kids had pink eye, not just minor cases either, their eyes were blood red and oozing with goop.

I was trying to write, but my characters were trapped behind a layer of pain and they kept trying to hurt people in the story. My supposed “cabinet painting break” was going up in a migraine inducing cloud of fumes. I went downstairs to see how much longer he would be spraying and I came to a halt when I saw the black, industrial gas mask he was wearing. My jaw dropped. He was wearing a gas mask! And there we were breathing the poisonous air like suckers.

I whirled around and marched back upstairs, retrieved a suitcase, and packed some clothes for the night. Grabbing the port-a-crib and my kids on the way out, I checked into a hotel. My kids were excited. It was like a mini vacation. They watched television and even got to play in a hot tub. After several extra strength pain relievers, my characters finally didn’t want to kill each other anymore and I was in a much better mood too.

Apparently I was living in an alternate universe (I generally am) if I thought that a week without my kitchen was going to be a vacation. Oh well, it’s done now and I’m happy with the results.

14 comments:

  1. So cute! And good move with the hotel room.

    Also, I'm glad your characters stopped trying to kill each other.

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  2. Wow, I want your kitchen. It looks so nice and open and usable. Totally jealous.

    Glad your book is going well again. I figured you've been on a good run, since I haven't heard from you in a while:)

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  3. Kiersten, I was so happy my characters stopped trying to kill each other because it wasn't quite working with the plot. And, yes, the hotel was a life saver.

    Natalie, I love my kitchen too. It's been quite a remodel to get it to its current place and I am so happy with it. You're right, I have been on a good writing run. It sounds like you have been too. Isn't writing fun? :)

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  4. Oh, your kitchen looks so crisp and clean! I'm glad you got your characters back in line. We should all be so fortunate ... pout.

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  5. Linda, I was just on your site making a comment. That's funny. Linda, I think Meredith needs a good slap across the face and then a nice talking to and she'll tell you what's going on. I need her to tell you what's going on because I am dying to know. :) You know, she's really emotionally stubborn, I hope she doesn't keep things inside for the next twelve years. lol

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  6. Now I am on a roll. I just found your blogsite and now your in trouble. This is my new hobby.

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  7. Tricia, you're a natural--commenting all over the place. It is quite addicting, isn't it? The next step is to make your own blog so that I can comment on your site. Or you can just become a blog stalker, that's fun too. :)

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  8. Blog stalker...that has a beautiful ring to it. I'm going to be it. Then I'm going to write about it and give it the title to my next book.

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  9. Tricia, I have no doubt that you could write that book. I bet it would be hilarious too. "Blog Stalker: What I learned in Blogosphere" It's scary, it's funny, it's a nausea inducing account of everything you didn't want to know, but read on a person's blog. :)

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  11. Oh wow! It turned out so cute!! Aren't you glad you got out of there??

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  12. Gorgeous!! I'm coming over to see it in person soon. I can't believe you had to go to a hotel. No wonder I haven't talked to you for a couple of days. I feel like I'm going through a Kasie drought. Ohh and I need some fairies to come visit me for inspiration. Do you think you could arrange that?

    Hey Tricia! how's it going? Come stalk my blog :)

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  13. Terri, I'm glad we got out of here too. But I love my new kitchen.

    Candi, I just now realized that you made a comment under this post. Note my response to your comment on my more recent post, where I said (perhaps a little more dramatically) that I felt the drought as well. I think I can send a little inspiration your way in the form of fluttering friends. Tomorrow? I'm going to print off my newest edition of one for you too, it's finally ready. Let me know when you're ready for it.

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  14. Woo Woo *hands raising the roof*
    I'm ready!!

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