You all had a lot of splendid advice regarding my writing conundrum. You were right in so many ways.

I am too hard on myself.

I do think too much.

I do ramble too much on the blog.

I need to just keep reading as much as a can and writing as much as I can (which means I need to begin writing again, since I haven’t written a word off the blog in months.)

I need to get over the fear of failing, and just do.

In writing that post, I noticed that I have a really hard time admitting to people that I want to write.

Growing up, I always felt it was a silly notion and worried that I would be ridiculed for wanting to be a writer. It shouldn’t matter what people think, but a lot of things that don’t matter have the power to shape the things we do and don’t do in life.

I now realize that people don’t care if I do or don’t write, and that even if they do or don’t, it doesn’t really matter.

I now have a renewed feeling motivation and I’m excited to be around people both in my real life and virtual life that encourage me to keep going.

So you’d think I spent the whole weekend writing, right? Nope, not even one word.

Instead, I went to Atlantic City for Mr. T’s sister-in-law’s birthday. This was my second time visiting, and it was a much more enjoyable experience.

We stayed on the boardwalk, did some shopping, drank a lot, ate a little and ended the night dancing like fools in the nearly-empty “club” at our hotel.

I consider it research for my next story. Please pause for several gratuitous photos.

Cool, landmark-y place we had dinner. It was good.

All dressed up in garb more conservative than most of the women twice my age in the establishment. I was out of place. Well, until my third glass of wine when I told the story of what went down at the SIL’s 30th birthday party and pissed off the fancy lady sitting next to me.

I can be both matronly and offensive at the same time. I consider this an accomplishment?

40 ounce beers for $9. I’d never had a “forty” before. A true experience.

Let it also be noted that I suck horribly at documenting my travels via photograph. I also won $50, lost $20 and barely slept. Oh, and I never stepped foot near the ocean. It’s really not that pretty there anyway.

Fun times. Moving along.

This week, the plan is to finish the two books I’m reading, one I just started and one I’ve been trying to finish for about six months, and come up with a concept for a short story that I WILL write in the next two months.

A short story is approachable, even if the end result sucks. I can do it.

The deadline is June 23^rd, and I will let at least one person read it, which will be a huge step for me. I’ve never let anyone but teachers read my writing, other than what I post here.

I also have a list of several nonfiction books and writing instruction books I am going to delve into to push myself into a deeper level.

I’m going to have to figure out how to continue writing on this blog and writing on my own. It might be a bumpy process, but I’m hoping some creative energy spills over and makes its way here.

That, or I’ll post more pictures of me and booze and write about things I care about far more than you do. You’re all used to that by now, anyway.