Do you ever have one of those days when nothing major goes wrong, nothing especially disastrous occurs but nevertheless the day is a mega crap one?
I had one yesterday.
I didn’t get half an hour to myself at work – there was always someone around wanting something or needing my attention. Nothing particularly difficult or traumatic but I just didn’t need or want any of it.
I also found it difficult to be creative despite feeling in a creative mood. It took me nearly 90 minutes to “get into” my novel and then I only produced a measly 600 words. OK. It’s not going to be the end the world but it’s frustrating.
And then there was lunchtime.
Lunchtime summed up the entire day. I decided to treat myself by going to Mr Spud, the local purveyor of that fine English traditional meal, the hot potato. A nice hot spud with a chilli con carne filling was just what I needed to cheer me up and break the malaise of misery that had laid its broad hands upon my shoulders.
Only when I get to be served I get the dregs from the chilli pot. Instead of starting a new pot the seller merely tipped up the sparse remains of the old and slopped it all over my spud. The result was I was the only spud purchaser that day whose chilli contained not one single kidney bean.
And I love kidney beans. For me they are the highlights of a chilli.
Some days, it seems, it’s plainly not worth the effort of getting out of bed...
21 comments:
Oh dear, seems I'm not the only one who hasn't been having the best of days recently! I too have had days which are rather cack for no discernable reason.
Anyway it can only get better, old bean (boom boom). Talking of beans, you should come to dinner at ours and I'll get Gustavo to cook you some rice and beans, he can work wonders with the latter (it's a Braseleiro speciality don't you know....)
Incidentally, how is the novel coming on? Had the Beverley Craven begging outside Stockwell station scene been written yet?
That sounds like most days of my life.
Steve
if they were 600 GOOD words then its been a productive day.
Quality not quantity dear boy (+:
Whats the opening line?
CHILLI
lord I love the stuff
dont normaly like packet stuff but schwartz did a ready made smoked chilli sauce, lord it was good.
Now I make mine with turkey mince, tomato puree , garlic , onions, msg and scotch bonnet peppers
oh and a splash of worcester sauce.
A real ring stinger
http://www.famouschilirecipes.com/
Hi OC, ha ha! The rice and beans sounds delish - anyone who can work wonder with beans gets the thumbs up from me!
The novel is progressing - in fact I may post another excerpt in the next day or two - though I always feel that I never get enough time to spend on it in the day...
Rol, I hope you experience a real bean-feast very soon to make up for it!
Hitch, you're absolutely right. Better 50 good words than 5000 bad ones. The openinh line of the novel (though this is subject to change) is:
“’6 am: the alarm woke Dresden out of an agonized sleep.’”
It is someone discussing a bad opening to a novel... However I'm not sure the "joke" works so may change it once it is all finished. I am resisting the urge to re-write as I go along as I suspect I'll never get in finished otherwise.
Many thanks for the recipes - I'll share these with the wife and see if we can give one or two a go. Normally I'm quite resistant to any kind of packet ingredient or ready made sauce (I'm very snobby about cooking) and like making chillis with all "real" ingredients and then cooked slowly over a low heat for as long as possible... God my mouth is watering already... but your recipe has piqued my interest.
Isn't it uncanny though that these days always coincide with this time of year? Well, at least with me they do.
Hitch - Those recipies look fab. My tummy is rumbling! :D
Hi per.pri - yes, I'm sure the lack of decent daylight has a lot to do with it. No daylight I can just about cope with... but no kidney beans in me chilli?!?!
Aaargh!
What happened to positivity? I thought you were going to give it a go too?!
By the way, does your boss read your blog? Does he/she know you're writing your novel when you should be writing risk assessments for changing light bulbs?
It's that time of the month Steve (ie weeks away from payday!) Sets us all on edge. :-)
Hi Tris, well if he does read my blog he certainly knows now... but maybe my entire novel is based on the Risk Assessment format? Changing lightbulbs can be very dramatic sometimes...
Ironically, Laura, I get paid at the end of this week... until then I haven't got two beans to rub together... ahem.
Now there's an idea for a post-modern novel! Write fast, or I fear Douglas Coupland may beat you to it!
Steve
A novel based around changing lighbulbs isnt going make your fortune.
How about
The alarm rang ,Dresden was jolted out of a fitful sleep, he checked for the comforting weight of the Glock under his pillow, reassured and alone he thought
" fuck it ,im going to wank about an ex girlfriend"
Steve, its true to life and in my oponion , a winner.
H Tris, Douglas Coupland and Risk Assessments. Hmm. Suddenly my enthusiasm for a lightbulb changing novel is waning fast like a 3 ft flourescent with a dodgy start up motor...
Hi Hitch, you may be right... a novel about changing light bulbs isn't going to sell... but a novel about changing the bedsheets every morning might... ;-)
sorry about the bean thing steve...you should have been here...i made a wonderful pot of ham and beans for dinner (apparently no one here has ever had it) was a success and i would have saved you some but it doesn't travel well...
Bean there done that?
Has bean?
Been a long time.
Sorry, just hammin' it.
Daisy, some travel sick beans would have been better than no beans at all! But many thanks for the thought! :-)
Amanda, old bean, methinks it's time to have a vino beano..
Winter is the definitely the wrong time to be a vegetarian, for the last week I have been lusting after bacon butties and steak and now I am going to have to add chilli to my list.Vegetarian chilli is good but just not the same.
I know what you mean Ally, I don't consider myself a huge meat eater and have briefly considered going vegetarian as my parents and sisters have done but... I love chillis, bologneses, currys and fry-ups way too much... as long as the meat I buy comes from livestock that have led good, well looked after lives then my conscience is clear.
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