What are you doing other than working on your destiny???!!

Sitting here watching oceans eleven....love this movie.....doing everything and everything but writing.....procrastination 101....but its cool...it is on after I come back from the Georgia Mountains this weekend....YAY!!!!

TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY!??!!

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DAY THAT IT WAS MOSTLY GOOD NEWS BUT YOU ARE STILL WORRIED THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG.   THAT IS WHERE I AM TODAY. GOT TWO CALLS FOR JOB OFFERS TODAY AND THEY BOTH ARE PROMISING BUT I AM STILL WORRIED.  WORRIED THAT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING ON MY BACKGROUND CHECK OR THE JOB MAY NOT BE WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, OR I WON'T HAVE TIME TO INISH MY BOOK...."EVE, lOST AND tURNED oUT".......  BUT I HAVED TO STAY PRAYERFUL...GOD BLESSED ME TO GET THESE JOBS AND HE KNOOOOOOOWWWWS I NEED IT AND HE WILL GIVE ME WHAT I NEED.  ANYONE ELSE WORRYING FOR NO REASON?

The Business needs!

I-20 was eerily quiet for 6:15 in the morning. This was not what Crystal needed if she was going to drive 2 hours to get home after working all night. She thinks, "Maybe I should let my window down , this should wake me up." She had just gotten off of work at WNOC-TV, where she is a News producer. Trying to get home to her child is proving to get harder and harder everyday. Ever since the incident with her psychotic babysitter, Crystal had no choice but to move closer to the only person she trusted to watch her child. Her mother. Even though she lived 2 hours away , Crystal felt it was worth it to know her child was safe. But was the job worth the headache of a 2 hour commute.
The phrase "Is it worth it" went over and over again in her head. Her manager made it seem as though having a child inconvenienced him and the company. They wrote her up when she was pregnant and gave her a hard time about her maternity leave. The business needed her to be available 24/7 but her child needed her too.
"What is more important!"
This caused Crystal many sleepless nights, depression, and many doubts. Her health was even affected. She would look in the mirror some days and her eyes would be bloodshot. For no reason at all. Being tired all the time and having no energy just made life worst. She barely saw her child because she was sleep during the day and at night she was at work. She was miserable. She refused to let her job make her child seem like a burden. She was not the burden. They were! The commute was causing her savings account to dwindle, and putting a lot of wear and tear on her car. And she had NO LOVE_LIFE.
It is hard to date when you are never home and when you are home you are sleep or with your child.
All of this is going through her mind when suddenly, Crystal hears a horn blaring at her. She was asleep. Her Mammoth SUV was barreling down the highway , 74 miles an hour and she was sound asleep. The horn had startled her awake. She could have died or killed someone. Crystal immediately took the next exit and stopped at a gas station to gather herself together. and she cried.
Things had to change, now. She had to make some hard decisions and she had to make them quick. Traveling back and forth to Atlanta from Augusta was not worth it anymore and it could kill her.
The next day she went to work early to talk to management about moving her shift to days. Her manager, Mr. Princeton, gave her the same old corporate Mumbo Jumbo. “ at this time we do not have the resources to open up a new position or shift to accommodate you.” “ But, Maybe next year after the corporate restructure, we may be able to make some changes to your schedule.” Which was a really long “NO!” “ I could be splattered on the side of the road and they could care less” Is what she thought. But all she could say was . “OK, thank You let me know if there are any changes ”
She never liked Mr. Princeton. He was a portly, morbidly obese man. One of those managers who are all about the business and not about the people that work for him. He was type you only saw when something was wrong. Of course , for business this is great, but nobody can trust or rely on anyone like that.
Even though her manager sucked ,Crystal , loved her job. Her family liked to brag about how she worked in television and marveled at how “cool” it was. And wanted to know how they could get a job like that. The benefits were great and she could take a month off for vacation and still have vacation left. She was able to get discounts to just about anything and the pay was great. But she was still miserable.
The money she was paying in gas was totaling over $800 a month. It got to the point where she was sleeping in gas stations so she wouldn’t fall asleep on the road, sometimes she had to decide between getting things her daughter needed or put gas in the car. People could not understand why she was so miserable with such a great job, but if you are not happy , it’s time to figure out what will make you happy and do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Her Mother even offered to watch her daughter during the week and Crystal could see her child on the weekends. Even though it would help her out tremendously, that was not the type of mother she wanted to be. She knew it would effect her daughter negatively and one of the things she learned quickly in the 2 years she was a mother was making sacrifices for her child.

Crystal decided , after weighing the pro’s and con’s that moving back to Atlanta would be the best thing for her and her child. Though finding another babysitter that was not crazy was going to be a grueling task ,something had to change and this was the best plan she could come up with. But while she made her plans she still had to trek back and from Atlanta.
Some weeks later while preparing to go to work she received an urgent text from one of her co-workers. Saying “Urgent meeting today, the company has been bought out” Crystal did not know what to feel. There were always rumors about hostile takeovers and lay-offs but everyone figured they would have some sort of “heads up” before anything would actually happen. So she didn’t worry. All the way to Atlanta a calm came over her, like something was about to happen but it would be good.
When she arrived at work it was quiet hysteria. Usually people would be talking , laughing and checking there e-mails but today, everyone was trying to look busy even though there was nothing to do. There was no news that night so most people were there just for the meeting . The looks on their faces said it all. They waited for about an hour for Management to make their announcement. Finally everyone was called into the meeting room.
Of course Mr. Princeton made the announcement and he took no time to getting to the point. “As of today WNOC-TV was bought by Everglobe industries. In order to support the cost of their new infrastructure we will no longer be airing news at this station and we will be concentrating more on entertainment.” “With that being said we will need to let go of most of the news team and redirect other positions. The following employees will be given severance and will be transitioned.”
“Transitioned ?”
“What does that even mean??”
But Crystal began to really think about what this really meant for her. She would not have to commute anymore, she would have more time with her daughter, she could concentrate on starting her Public relations business from home. She would not have to worry about money for a while, And she will finally have peace of mind. Peace of mind was all she wanted and until now she did not have it. This may be a blessing.
By this time everyone was completely disgruntled. Some were crying , other’s once they heard their name stormed out and didn’t stick around. But Crystal………….. “CRYSTAL MADDOX”…………………was relieved.
　
　　


--
Kimberly Davis

So you think you can write!: BEAUTIFUL MONSTER

So you think you can write!: BEAUTIFUL MONSTER: Beautiful Monster Haylie sits in the stall of the ladies bathroom. On the edge and can't wait another second for her fix. Nauseous, lighthe...

BEAUTIFUL MONSTER

Beautiful Monster

Haylie sits in the stall of the ladies bathroom. On the edge and can't wait another second for her fix. Nauseous, lightheaded and sick, she takes off her shoe and slides the platform from the sole of her shoe to reveal a needle and a small piece of tin foil with her drug of choice. Heroin. Putting it in her arms or anyplace noticeable is not an option, even though at this moment she really doesn't care.
The needle goes in between her toes and her eyes roll up into her head. She is a pro when it comes to hiding her addiction, or so she thinks. The rush comes over her like an orgasm, but better. She is holding on the walls of the stall as if she was going to shoot up like a rocket if she did not hold on to something. Her alabaster skin felt smooth again. Her sickness has gone away. Her Strawberry blonde hair looked healthier, her big green eyes were clearer. She was transformed and felt like herself again.
"Haylie, they are calling for you" "You go on in 10 minutes.” Haylie smiles like a Cheshire cat to herself. "OK, I'll be right there". She lets go of the bathroom stall walls and takes some toilet paper to blow her nose. Thinking she has fooled everyone. While she stood and tried to steady herself , she felt a little dizzy from standing. Thinking it was because she stood too fast. Haylie pulls down her blue sequined gown and manages to leave the stall. She walks over to the sink and looks into the mirror. "Perfection" she thinks to herself. After blowing herself a kiss in the mirror ,she goes into the hall.
All of the girls were lined up against the wall , waiting with bated breath to show off their talents. Until Haylie caught their eye , then the stares and whispers began. Haylie thinks, "They all want to be me, I've got this in the bag." They were all adorned in their floor length ball gowns and aqua net frozen hair. Their teeth were covered with Vaseline to keep them smiling. makeup flawless. But like Haylie they all had their secrets. Some were anorexic, bulimic, had multiple abortions, and some were the biggest whores you ever met. But that day they were all beauty queens at the Shriner’s Miss California Beauty Contest, and they were all perfect.
Haylie's poisonous habits were beginning to catch up with her and unbeknownst to her it was no longer a secret. It was a well known fact about Haylie's heroine addiction and even though when she looked in the mirror she saw perfection everyone else saw what she really was. The drugs were fooling her to think that her metamorphosis into the woman she became did not go unnoticed. The only reason she was still being considered in the pageant circuit was because of her "friend" and dealer being the coordinator of the pageant. He supplied her with all the drugs she needed and kept her in the running for "favors". But he could not help her that day.
She walked down the hall as they called her name to perform her talent. Haylie was an accomplished singer and was hard to beat, when she wasn't high. The stage manager motioned for her to come quickly. He was a somewhat flamboyant gay man with a passion for pageants and order. As she approached, he stops her at the bottom of the stairs and looks at her. "What?" Haylie said impatiently. He smirks at her and hands her a tissue. "Wipe your nose honey, your demons are showing." she picks up the mirror that they keep backstage for the girls. Her nose had started to bleed. Frantically she grabbed more tissue and held them to her nose. Then she tears small people pieces and stuffs them up her nose.
"You don't have much time your on in 5 minutes" The stage manager says arms folded watching the chaos ensue. " shut up, your not helping!" She scowls as she stuffs more tissues up her nose. Haylie catches her composure and lets out a sigh of relief. Not realizing how ridiculous she looked with her nose filled with tissues. She then looks at the stage manager and says "see , now I am perfect again." He shakes his head in disgust and said " You are using the word perfect a little bit too loosely". He is then interrupted by someone speaking into his earpiece. " OK beauty queen, You are up"
Haylie smoothes the lap of her gown and breathes in and whispers "you are going to wow them." all the while the tissues in her nose are bulging. She steps forward to go on stage and stumbles. Haylie grabs the curtain to catch herself from falling. almost pulling the curtain down. The Stage manager tries to grab her "Wait a minute, are you sure you are ready to go out there?" trying to hold her up. But, she swats his hands away from her." I'm fine I just need a second". "You don't have a second , You are on Now!" she growls at him, "Shut up you has been, wanna be gay beauty queen,!" “I bet you are getting a real kick out of this. But remember baby, I have more talent in my little finger, than you have had in your whole miserable life."
He paused and looked into her eyes and saw the hatred and contempt filled within them. He raised his hands in surrender and backed away slowly. "It's your world, fall on your face if you want". " MISS HAYLIE WINTERS" the announcer proclaimed. Haylie steadied her feet while the other contestants began to gather behind the stage manager after hearing the commotion between them. It was like watching a train wreck , and they all wanted a front row seat. "MISS HAYLIE WINTERS!" They announced again impatiently. Haylie finally removed the bloody tissues from her nose, wiped one last time, and entered the stage.
A round of applause greeted her even after her fashionably late entrance. The grand piano was on the far end of the stage, but as Haylie approached it seemed to get farther and farther away. When she finally arrived at the piano, she immediately began to play as if her life depended on it. She then sang "You are beautiful".
She was spectacular!
All the girls that snickered and whispered behind her back were now in tears. Even the Stage manager had to stop and listen with respect to her talent. When she finished the audience roared. She stood in all her gloriousness. Proud and Perfect. She bowed and they applauded louder. Haylie began to walk off stage when unbeknownst to her, Her nose began to bleed heavily all over her dress. She waved to the crowd , but the crowd's faces began to look distorted. Her feet felt like cement as if she were walking in slow motion. The background music sounded warped.
The stage manager was off stage looking at her with his eyes widened as if he was about to run into an oncoming truck. He knew what was about to happen. Haylie looked over to him, and their eyes met. But before she could comprehend what was going on , she collapsed on stage. In front of thousands of spectators.
When the paramedics arrived she was already gone. The same girls that whispered behind her back mourned her. Some even said, “She was the most beautiful corpse they had ever seen.”


--
Kimberly Davis

SORRY I HAVE BEEN GONE SO LONG.....

THING HAVE BEEN CRAZY BUT I'M BACKAND WILL TRY TO WRITE EVERYDAY......I PROMISE!

Exercise #2 Imagine that you are browsing through an old family album, looking at photographs, clippings, and other memorabilia. Suddenly you spot something that surprises you. Write a piece that begins with , includes, or takes off from that situation.

Exercise #2

The Album

　
　
Marilyn was reeling from the news all night. She could not sleep at all and this morning she was just …..numb. Laying in bed staring at the ceiling was pointless. It was morning now, no reason for sleeping . Her life was changing without her consent and she didn’t know why . She thinks to herself, “This is not my life , I do not deserve this.” She peels herself out of her warm sheets, they don’t feel welcoming anymore. She slumps down every step into her kitchen and makes herself some coffee. While sitting at her kitchen table next to her picture window , with her untouched cup of coffee, she begins to cry. Marilyn allowed herself to sob uncontrollably for 5 minutes. 5 minutes is all the time she was wasting on this. Then she decided she was done mourning.
Marilyn wiped her tears and drank her coffee and decided that she was going to get out of this funk and get on with her life. She showered and got dressed and decided to go into the living room and watch television. Channel surfing and thinking proved to be a dangerous combination. She got angry. There was nothing on and it just made her think of how her life was spiraling out of control. Control was all she had for a while and now she didn’t have that. She turned the television off and tried to think of something else to do to keep busy or she was going to lose it. When something caught her eye. Her old photo album.
Puzzled that it was out in the open she picked it up and started to look through it. She looked at old photos of her children, when they went to six flags every year. Some photos of her Mom, She wished she were there with her now. And then she came upon old photos of her husband and some of their friends. Her mood was starting to change until she saw this one photo. Marilyn, Her husband , Her best friend Sheila and her husband Frank. She never gave it a second thought before, but now it was staring her right in the face.
　
　
Frozen in time and as obvious as the nose on her face. Instead of smiling for the picture, Sheila was staring at Marilyn’s husband. It was all so clear now, but it also enraged Marilyn to the point of lunacy. She screams aloud, “I am such an idiot.” She rips the photo out of the album and rips it to shreds and takes the Photo album and tosses it across the room. “Well I hope they are happy together, Cause now I am going to make their life a living hell!!!”

Exercise #1 Imagine that you are downtown in a major city during rush hour. Suddenly a woman walks toward you, holding a bag. She meets your eyes, smiles, hands you the bag, and says, "Here you go." Before you can say or do anything, she turns and walks off. Write a piece that begins with or otherwise includes this scene.

Exercise #1 The Bag
Lacey was sitting in front of the Benton building. The place she has been employed for 8 years. She is at the fountain in downtown Chicago at 5pm , all the world is running to get home but she is staring at the water in the fountain in shock. The fountain was filled with coins ,all different types of coins from different people. All wishing for something , anything better. Better than what they had. She thinks , “ maybe, I should have thrown a coin in before I went into work today.” “Today of all days……pink slipped” “Thrown away like used tissue!"  After 8 years and a full days work, they actually waited until the end of the shift to let my whole department go.  A tear rolls down her cheek as some of her former disgruntled co-workers left the building.  They were angry, disillusioneds and just pissed....but Lacey was just sad.  "What do I do now?"

Lacey finally musters up the strength to get up and go home , get online and start looking for work.  She wipes her face , inhales and stands to her feet.  Just as she picks up her purse to leave she is approached by an elderly homeless woman holding a bag.  She walks up to her as if she knew her and came uncomfortably close to her face.  Eye to eye.  Lacey should have been frightened but , but the gaze in her eyes told her there was nothing to be afraid of.  The Bag lady smiled, handed her the bag and said "Here you go." As if Lacey was expecting a package.  Before Lacey realized what was happening, before she could speak, The woman walked away. 

In the years after 9/11, anyone handing a perfect stranger a package is a moment for alarm, a code red alarm at that.  But Lacey just sat down with the bag in her hand and tried to get a handle of the situation.  "what now?"  She wanted to open it, but felt doing it out in the open may have been a bad idea.  Never know who is watching.  She could have easily thrown the bag away , but there was something in the old woman's eyes, it made her calm, and gave her peace.  She could trust her.  This bag and whatever is in it was for her.

Lacey grabbed her purse and her gift and walked briskly to her bus stop.  As soon as she got there, The #13 bus arrived.  She got on and paid her fare.  The bus was crowded so she attempted to grab the hand rail but before she had the chance...."Here you go, miss!"  A young man gave her his seat.  "Thank You!"  Surprised that anyone was giving up a seat these days, especially a teenager.  She sat down and pondered more about her gift.  She was calling it a gift now , cause she knew it was going to be something good.  It had to be. But what could it be?  It's not that heavy, more reason to doubt that it's a bomb or anything malicious.  "It doesn't move."  she shook it, It didn't jingle.  "What if it's money. If it is , Lord I promise I will go to church every Sunday and Tithe every month.  She begins to chuckle to herself.

Her stop approached and she rang the bell to get off.  She sprints to her apartment buildingand goes into her purse to pull out her keys.  Her hands fumbled the keys as if she was being chased and had to get in before her assailant got to her.  She finally gets the key into the lock and lets herself in.  She closes the door behind her and leans against it.  She exhales.  "Why am I acting this way, it's just a bag."  She walks into her living room and throws her keys onto her coffee table.  She plops herself on the couch and places the bag directly in front of her. 

Perplexed and curious she stares at the bag.  She begins to Bite her nails and starts to do a nervous shake with her left leg.  "You are acting like a nut, open the bag!"  She sits forward and attempts to open the bag , when the phone rings.  She practically jumps out of her skin, startled by this unexpected interruption.She begins to laugh at herself.  "I'm making a way bigger deal of this than need be."   She rushes to the kitchen to get the phone.
"Hello."
"Hi may I speak to Lacinda Walker?"
"This is Lacinda Walker."
"Hi my name is Kendra Spencer with Spelling employment agency, and your resume was forwarded to me by one of your co-workers."
"OK????"
"We have a client who is looking for HR Assistants like yourself, and we would like to set up an interview as soon as possible."
" Wow, ...ummm ok!, I am available tomorrow.  Is 9am a good time?
With all the "Bag " commotion she forgot that she had just lost her job.  Once she finished setting up her interview she hung up the phone.  "Thank God, He surely is blessing me today!" She breathed  a sigh of relief and returned to the couch.
She looks on the coffee table.
The bag was gone.