Silver Streaks

It wasn't often I caught sight of one with silver strands in their hair. So the fact that I'd been caught red handed and opened mouth staring at the woman who had such hair...was not surprising. I mean, on such a young face, the silver streaks seemed to glimmer with an ethereal light, creating a beauty to her that could not be matched by those who hair was not yet turning grey. I found myself breathless. Yearning to start a conversation, yet unsure how to do so. What could I say? How would she even react if I brought it up. I didn't know. Yet I found myself walking up to her, distracted by how the light danced on those strands as she moved. This, this was one I wanted to get to know. If only for an instance.

-Inspiration from an encounter at work

Writing Strain

Am I surprised to end up with another headache?
No not really. 

I usually end up with one when I try to spend the day writing.
Why?
Because writing ends up using a lot of thinking power. Trying to get the right tone, the right words, the right sequence of events. Plus research to make sure things are being portrayed accurately. 
It doesn't help to be sitting in front of a bright screen, trying to make the words flow....

*exhales*
Yah the ache behind my eyes is well expected if not welcome. 

Shaky Shaky

It went nuclear last night. My headache.
I'd thought it would be just a minor one that would go away with sleep.
But no.
It was definitely a really bad one.
Bad enough that I ended up making friends with the toilet. XP never fun.

But when it finally came time for me to go to work.
I was still suffering.
The headache was still there, my stomach was rolling, a felt shaky and weak...

And so ended up leaving work early just to see if I could rest and recover.
Because thankfully the headache did disappear once I got to work.
But the rest of my symptoms did not, and I could feel the headache threatening to come back at any moment.
So I called it quits. I did what I could to make sure my department was up and running.
And then went home early to rest and recover.
Hopefully I'll be back to normal by tomorrow. We'll see. 

Stressing?

Ended up with a slight headache today.
Not sure exactly which culprits are causing it.
But I'm guessing I'm just getting a bit worn out socialwise with having to meet up and talk to people when I don't particularly want to.
Perhaps I'm also trying to fight away a cold before it becomes a cold.
Or I'm not sleeping exactly right.
Or I'm just tensing myself up with how intent I get into trying to write....

In any case.
There's a faint ache behind my eyes...
And I hope it doesn't stay too long.

Make It End

I could feel my mind becoming more mushy as the meeting dragged on. Minute after minute, second after agonizing second. My eyes were glued to the clock, not even pretending to be paying attention anymore. After all, I could probably quite exactly what had been talked about in the last twenty minutes in two seconds. This. This was why I hated meeting. Because it ended up being a good forty minutes of my coworkers hemming and hawing and what-iffing things to death. 
I'd already given my opinion ages ago, and honestly that opinion had been tossed aside like so much garbage, so why should I even try to participate in this. 
No, my eyes flickered to the doorway, no perhaps I could gradually slip away without them noticing. After all, I doubted they'd miss me. I was the outcast of the group after all. So why even bother pretending that I was feeling included?
My fingers twitched. I knew exactly why. Because if I left suddenly they'd come after me wanting to know what was wrong. If only I had a reason to not be here. Another something to get to. Unfortunately...I didn't. And making up a reason to leave would only mean I'd have to remember that I had made up a reason to leave if the others decided to randomly remember I'd suddenly left.
I gritted my teeth. I could do this. Honestly if it was only supposed to be an hour meeting then I would have a perfect excuse to leave then. I just needed to wait....but waiting was so unbearable. 

-Inspiration from being bored at a meeting.

If I Ever- Invent a New Paint

If I Ever invent a new paint.

It's going to be a paint that can go on roadways that actually SHOWS up when it's raining outside. A paint that probably is actually some sort of solar reflector, that gathers light from the sun or the streetlights and when it gets dark out, or stormy out, makes them glow. So you can actually see the lines on the road. There's no worry about them fading. The paint would be highly reflective so even if the solar panel part of the paint breaks or doesn't get enough light, it would still work. 

That way when you're driving in a pouring rainstorm in the middle of the night on a road that's under construction where the lines have faded to the point of being barely visible....
You won't have to worry about accidentally drifting into another lane, or the wrong side of the road.
Because the reflector paint would tell you exactly where you were.

No More Socialness

There's always a slight pressure/tension involved when there's an expectation to go be social. 
To have obligations to meet up for meetings for groups or to hang with friends, and basically suddenly have my week fill up with all these unexpected hangouts and such...
It stresses me out. 
The pressure, especially when I have a limited social battery to begin with. 
So to have these expectations, especially when there are a handful of these meetings and social expectations that I don't want to get involved in because I have no interest in meetings... 
*exhales*
It's tensing. It's stressful. 
And it causes me headaches because really, there are days that I just don't want to people. 
Peopling is hard. 

The Smile

It had been a long day. 
Fan after fan had streamed past me, eager faces alight with the chance to pause and take a picture with me. 
I kept a pleasant smile on my face, though in reality I was beginning to struggle with keeping it on. There were plenty of people, some in costumes I recognized, others in get ups so strange I wondered why they weren't having their own opportunities to have photos taken with fans. 
Surreptitiously, I stretched in my chair as I waited for the next fan group to come in. I couldn't wait to get out of here. To go and lay down in bed and just relax after a long day.
I glanced over as the next group entered in and my breath caught.
Three individuals dressed in costumes I hadn't seen in years. From one of my first movies where I'd been able to sing and dance. My heart sped up and I found myself genuinely grinning, they were near identical to the costume me and my crew had worn on set. These people had done their research. I straightened up. "Chimney sweeps!" I cried my smile only getting wider as their eyes lit up at my recognition. "Step in time!" I stuck out my elbows in the position for the number, and the three broke out into their own happy smiles as they came up to me, linking elbows before we posed for the picture. 
And for the briefest of moments, I was transported back to the film, to the set, the faint melody of the song drifting through my mind.
A flash of the camera. And they turned to me, withdrawing their arms. "Thank you." They said.
"No, Thank you." Was my reply as I waved them off.
It was just the boost I needed to get through the rest of this day. 

-Inspiration from my roomies getting their picture taken with Dick Van Dyke

Greetings, Maybe

I looked up, hands clenching for the briefest of moments as panic swelled through me. What was Henry doing here?! In a flash I pasted a smile on my face, hiding my inner turmoil as I greeted him with my customer service voice. "Hey...Henry. Wassup?"
I could see it now. It was a trap. It wasn't like I could just disappear from my work shift. I couldn't leave and pretend not to be there, not when I had just stated firmly that I was at work and couldn't talk over the phone. Now I felt like the fool. It should have been obvious that if they knew I was in a place I couldn't leave...then he could come by and see me. Stupid so stupid. And now I was paying the consequences. 

-Inspiration from work

Soaked

I paused, frowning at the odd contraption sitting underneath the counter. "What in the world?" I wonder aloud, as I duck down to get a closer look. I frowned, studying the water-filled container with an island of food in the middle. "Is this a..." it looked like a trap. Like an ill made mouse trap. I frowned, which of my coworkers had decided to do this? It didn't even look like it would--- I cut off the thought, as the water rippled. Eyes widening, I hurriedly pulled the contraption out. Pulling the lid off, I looked inside and promptly awwwed. It was a small grey mouse, struggling to stay afloat in the water. "How long have you been in here?" I whispered. How tired was the poor thing? I looked hurriedly about for my coworkers before I tipped the contraption over, careful to keep the lid on it so the mouse couldn't escape, but dumped the water out. "Hold on buddy," I said quietly. "I'll get you out of here, you'll live to see another day." 

-Inspiration from a dream I had while napping today.

Too Loud

I slipped into the space between my bed and the inside wall, trembling, whimpering as the thunder rattled the houses. I pulled the blankets over me, curling up in a ball. 
It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. I chant to myself my heart in my throat. It's just noise. It's just. 
CRAAACKKK.
I bit off a muffled cry, burying my head into my knees. It's just noise! I tried to tell myself. But noise didn't shake the walls. Noise didn't make it feel like my home was going to collapse down on top of me. Trapping me. Leaving me helpless because no one would be able to find me to rescue me. Thunder shouldn't cause such terror. But it did. Oh it did!
I curled up tighter, unable to get in a full breath of air. Please, oh please. Let the storm pass. Let the thunder be less terrifying. Anything, anything to get rid of this sense of impending doom that was hanging over me. 

-Inspiration from rather loud thunderstorms we've been having recently

Brain: Idea. Idea. Idea. Idea. Idea.
Me: Can we just pick one?
Brain: Idea. Idea. Idea.
Me: What did I just say?
Brain: Idea?
Me: EXACTLY!
Brain: Here!
Me: Great!
Brain: ......
Me: ...What just happened, where's the idea?
Brain: *shrugs* 

Irritated At People

It probably stemmed from having to deal with another prank call at work. 
-Honestly I don't understand why people think it's fun to prank call a Pet Store. Really. What's the point?
In any case.
The call irritated me because it's such a waste of time.
And having to then deal with actual customers after that point that just...didn't know what they wanted but expected me to read their minds and know what they wanted....
It got on my nerves.
Enough to give me a slight tension headache behind the right eye.
However, thankfully, a shower and a heat pack afterwards with a small nap seems to have helped the headache go away. Yay. :) 

Me: So you know all those ideas we were considering yesterday?
Brain: *yawns* Yah?
Me: How...about we work on writing one of them?
Brain: *sleepy blinks* 
Me: Did you hear me?
Brain: Yah?
Me: How about we write one of those ideas.
Brain: *yawns* How....about tomorrow. 
Me: *exhales* Fiiiine. 

That Was the Solution?

The headache stuck with me for the night. 
*exhales*
At least this time around it didn't keep me from sleeping.
It was just there when I went to bed and there when I woke up.

Still annoying to have to wake up to an aching head.
But thankfully, taking a couple of Excedrin and placing heat packs on my shoulders and face helped it go away within minutes of waking up for the morning.

*shakes head*
Wish I'd known that was the solution when I went to bed last night. 

Thinking Too Much

Ugh. I've been trying to avoid this.
But I have given myself a headache. 
*exhales*
And it's really my own thought, because I've been indecisive on which writing project I want to tackle next as nothing is really striking me in the "MUST WRITE THIS NOW" feels. 
And so I've been dithering and stressing.
And obviously giving myself a headache. >.<
Hopefully I can somehow make it go away. 

Do It Again

My shoulders slumped as the manager walked away. He hadn't believed me when I told him I'd just scrubbed those tanks yesterday. 
I turned to glare at the tanks in question, frowning at the goldfish swimming within. Stupid, dirty fish. I shouldn't have been surprised that the manager didn't believe me. After all, the tanks did look filthy. But they always looked filthy! They looked filthy two minutes after I'd finished scrubbing yesterday! 
I exhaled, rolling up the sleeves of my uniform and grabbed out a sponge to scrub again at the algae growing within the tank. At least this would keep me busy for the next couple of hours if I did it right. 

-Inspiration from conversation at work. 

Brain: So you know how we have four blogs?
Me: ...Yah?
Brain: Now here me out, but what if....
Me: Yah?
Brain: What if we made a fifth blog!! 
Me: ()-() Why in the world would I do a crazy thing like that!? We already have FOUR blogs Brain. FOUR. We do not need to add in another one!
Brain: But come on! 
Me: Brain. NO.
Brain: Please!
Me: No.
Brain: I'm going to keep this up until you say yes! It will be fun I promise! There's all these cool ideas I have for it!

New Pants

I couldn't remember the feeling of putting on a brand new pair of pants. 
It had been years really.
I'd gotten used to the holes in my old pair of pants. 
After all it was the only pair I owned.
I had learned how to carefully step into them so that my toes wouldn't catch in the little openings and make them wider.
I'd learned how to use rags to create patches when the holes showed up in problematic areas. 
I'd gotten used to how thin they were. To how I would be instantly frozen to the bone if I'd got caught in a storm since the material was so thin now. It was hardly any protection.
But then.
Then, I'd been given these.
A brand new pair of pants. 
And I couldn't believe the difference.
I was warmer.
I felt...neater.
More confident.
I could stride about in public without worrying about my appearance.
Because for the first time in forever.
I looked like everyone else.
And no one could judge me for that.

-Inspiration from buying new work jeans and wearing them after my old pair got holes in the knees

Mental Stress

The ache behind my eyes probably started from tension at work. Mostly because I had cut my finger yesterday while cooking and was paranoid about it getting infected at work. So I was being extra careful in my movements with that particular hand to avoid getting the Band-Aid and therefore the cut wet or infected -as the last time I'd injured myself while cooking and then dealt with work -particularly fish tanks...I'd ended up getting an infection that I'm still recovering from two years later. :S So yah, mental tension there.
Then there was the anticipation and worry about posting a chapter in a fanfic I'm writing.
Plus just being woken up early in the morning before my alarm went off is also slightly draining. and dealing with a bunch of emotional energies, and customers who were not listening to me...

It was no wonder by the time I got home that I had I had tense shoulders and an ache behind my eyes that demanded I just lay down and close my eyes. 
Thankfully, a bit of meds and some heat packs and distraction with positive reviews on the chapter I posted has helped to make the headache go away! Woot! No worries tonight (hopefully) on being woken up with a major headache. ^^;;

Me: *accidentally cuts finger while cooking*
Brain: Whelp. This is how we die. 
Me: BRAIN! It's not that serious.
Brain: Fine. This is how we gain super amazing powers then!
Me: Oh, that would be so cool!

Rescued

He grabbed onto the rafters, clinging to it as the water rose to his chin. "Please come. Please come." He fervently prayed. Rescue had to come soon right? They knew where he was. They said they were on their way. Please. Someone had to come get him soon. If the water rose any more he was screwed. He closed his eyes, lips trembling. If he survived this, he was enrolling in swimming lessons. He wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place if he'd just known how to swim! 
"Hello? Anyone in here?" 
His eyes shot open as a male voice sounded from near the skylight. He hadn't been able to push it open further than a couple of inches. "Here! I'm here!" He called out frantically splashing the water. "Please! The water is rising! I'm here!" 
"Hold on kid, we hear you. We're coming."
He let out a ragged breath. Oh thank heavens. He wanted out of this nightmare. Now. 

-Inspiration from reading an article about the Houston Flooding and Rescue Efforts that were made.

Am I in the Right Place?

The trees loomed haphazardly over my car as I meandered my way cautiously through the darkened woods. The GPS told me that I should nearly be to the house. But I was beginning to doubt that I'd put in the right coordinates. The right address. I mean, even though I could see the lights of houses along the road, they all seemed to be....well abandoned. Neglected. I couldn't see my friend actually living here. They were old houses with grey stone work and ivy climbing up the sides. And Did I mention the trees? Because the trees were old and overgrown. For sure. My fingers tightened on the wheel as my car lights caught upon the figure of a tiny boy. Who hardly looked more than two, walking along the sidewalk.
"What are you doing out here alone?" I mumbled, glancing around to see if I could find a parent. Because who would let their toddler wander around after dark?! But I saw no one. And when I looked to him again, I stiffened. He was looking right at me. Eyes flashing red in the headlights, his teeth spread in a feral grin. Letting out a squeak, I floored it, racing past the creepy child in the blink of an eye. That was it. There was no way I was stopping here and getting out even if the GPS said my friends house had been three doors past the little demon boy. 

-Inspiration from trying to find a friends house in the dark. 

Brain: So do you want to write?
Me: NO!
Brain: O.o Why not?
Me: *giddy* Because look at all these reviews on this fic I posted!! It's amazing! LOOK AT THEM!!
Brain: :) Yes. It is amazing!
Me: *grins widely* 
Brain: But....shouldn't we be writing so we can continue to get more reviews.
Me: ()_()...you...you may be right. But. But let me enjoy this a little bit longer!

Waterlogged

I darted into the back, nearly slipping in my haste to get to the overflowing sink. 
No, no, no! This was definitely not something I needed to be dealing with! 
But here it was. A problem.
And me, the only person there to deal with it.
I reached the sink, getting myself soaked in the process as I frantically turned the knobs to get the water to turn off, flinching at the heat radiating from the sink. Great. Just great. It was the HOT water that had been left on all night. There would go the heating bill to the store as well as the water bill. 
Steeling myself I took a breath and plunged my arm into the waterclogged sing, flinching at the heat attacking my skin as I quickly pulled the sponge away from it's position covering the drain. I quickly turned the water back on -the cold water mind you- to cool my burning arm before taking a step back brushing my hair from my eyes to fully take in the situation.
I grimaced. 
It wasn't good.
The floor was soaking with at least three inches of standing water. 
Water that had been flowing all night.
Water that had seeped out from this one back room out into the main part of the store, leaving a gigantic pond, no lake, covering the floor. 
I needed to get this all cleaned up. 
And quick.
I couldn't have customers potentially slipping when they came in in an hour to shop. 
That wouldn't bode well at all.
Yet, with our floor machine broken, which would have been the fastest way to suck up the water...I wasn't left with much more than a mop and a bucket to clean the water up with.
Exhaling, I pushed up my sleeves.
Well...here went nothing.

-Inspiration from coworkers accidentally flooding the department. 
(Don't worry they discovered the problem before leaving for the night so the water wasn't flowing all night long.) 

Sleep is an Issue

I do wonder if I'll end up with less headaches as we head into the cooler seasonal part of the year.
Are my headaches partly heat induced? 
Am I getting too hot and that's why the amount of headaches I've been getting has skyrocketed a lot? 
*shrugs*

Who knows for sure.
But that being said, I did end up with another headache today.
Despite my best efforts to head it off.

It was just one of those between a rock and a hard space moments.
Where I needed sleep.
And if I didn't get sleep I would have a headache.
And if I did get sleep...I would get a headache.

So I chose to get sleep.
And got a headache.
Despite doing everything I could to ensure that I was well hydrated and had eaten something and was sleeping relaxed.

*shakes head*

Dear headache.
Go away. 
Thanks.

Surviving Maybe

>.< The headache went nuclear.
It kept me up all night.
To the point where I was curled up in a ball wishing for release from it's hold. 

Unfortunately the demon thing insisted on lurking with me for the entire work day, but thankfully once I got home it faded. 

Really....what did I do to get one in the first place? 

Tension Possibly

I gave myself a headache and I'm not quite sure why.
Was it from writing? Was I tensing myself up too much trying to get my ideas across and making sure they're making sense?
Was it from taking a nap in the middle of the day?
Over heating myself?
Not drinking enough?

No idea.
It's just there.
And I don't want it to be. 
Go away headache. 
Go away.

Brain: You know what would be cool?
Me: What?
Brain: If we created music playlists based on each character we're working on!
Me: Oooooo!! That would be fun!
Brain: So we should start that right now!!
Me: Uh...it is bedtime.
Brain: Perfect! Let's start right now!
Me: *face palm* 

Brain: WE SHOULD WATCH THE THING!!!
Me: But we already watched it....four times.
Brain: BUT ITS AMAZING!! WE SHOULD WATCH IT AGAIN!!
Me: But---
Brain: *clicks replay* 
Me: *watches again*