A return to writing.

The other day, I came across this old post: What's Your Story?

As I was read it, I couldn't help but think, Man! I used to really be able to write. And now, here I am, struggling to string two words together.

I don't have to, however, go back to the 2004 archives to remind myself of how bad those posts are. I remember them well enough! If I was able to write about an evening so eloquently, it is the product of practice. Like I tell my six year old all the time, no one is good at something the first time they try. (Which is false, of course, some people are good beginners. But they are outliers.)

I really would like to be a better writer again. I have a hankering to pick blogging back up. Not for the sake of blogs today. I have no desire to be monetized. No, I just want to write like I used to. I feel like my blogging started to go to crap when I compared my blog to others. I wanted consistent features. I wanted to be a beauty or fashion blogger. I definitely wanted to be monetized.

I'm trying to remember rules of good writing as well as good internet content. For example, most of my paragraphs in this post thus far have started with "I" and that is something that needs work. Also, short paragraphs are good for the internet. Thorough descriptions paint word pictures. So, why don't I give that a go.

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The occasional flicker of light is all that is left from a fading thunderstorm outside. It's dark in the house save for a couple of night lights (ya girl is afraid of the dark), the glow from my sleeping husband's wireless phone charger, and, of course, the glow of the computer illuminating my face. The silence of the night is broken by a distant thunder rumble too far separated from the lightning to count the Mississippis, my spouse's almost-snores, and the click-clack of toys in the room of a child that should definitely be asleep. It's 10:14 pm.

The click-clack of my keyboard is muffled by a silicone cover that was purchased upon first receiving this MacBook. I identify as messy and clumsy and was certain spills would happen. They didn't. Because eating and drinking generally doesn't happen near this laptop while its open.

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Okay, I just put said awake child back to bed. He probably not going to sleep in, even though he needs it. But I haven't signed up for a gym class tomorrow and I have a hunch that all the child care spots will be spoken for. That is to say, we have no place to be in the morning. So hopefully he sleeps in.

Anyway.

I feel pleased with the above two paragraphs. They paint the word picture I was hoping for. Perhaps an exercise in describing my setting would be good practice to get back in the habit of writing. 

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I'm using these breaks to kind of separate my thoughts. This is a post full of thoughts jumping around, so the visual line breaks might help to make sense?

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My muscles are killing me! I did bootcamp at the gym on Wednesday. It was a tough class even though she said she went easy on us. My thighs are way more sore that I thought the would be. But I suppose after all of those weighted squats, curtsey lunges and side lunges, followed by EMOM jump squats and burpees, I shouldn't be surprised. 

Can I tell you something? I'm very proud of my muscles.

I feel like I was created in such a way that makes it easier for me to gain muscle. Years ago, I tested positive for PCOS. I'm a very unusual candidate (read: skinny) and I'm not sure if it the kind of thing that goes away. What I mean, is, do I still have PCOS after my pregnancies? I don't know. At any rate, women with PCOS have higher than normal levels of testosterone, and I wonder if that aids my muscle building.

I love seeing my muscles in the mirror. My arm, back, and shoulder muscles are most obvious and easiest to show off to myself. My ab muscles aren't half bad, but it takes more work to put them on display thanks to my deflated-balloon-like stomach skin and extra bit of squishiness. I'm certain my leg muscles are up to par, but I'm so bad at flexing them. They often look good in running pictures, though.

Running. Eh. Well, that's a thing I haven't done in a WHILE. And I really need to get on the ball. I have twelve weeks and two days, exactly, until a pretty big running weekend. Saturdays is a relay race and Sunday is a trail half marathon. I'd like to do a kickass job in the relay and not come DFL in the half. Sooo...I should probably hop back on the training wagon.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays have been my running days since I started running. But these days, I use them for early morning walks. Walking doesn't really aid my run training, but my desire to run has severely dwindled and walking is better than nothing!

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Okay, that's enough for now. It's 10:48 pm. I'm super tired.

Good night!