Tag Archives: memory

Back to the Memory Challenge

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I’m thoroughly enjoying the weather right now.  I live in Colorado…where the smoke has consumed us for about a month now.  Luckily, we are entering the rainy season.  It looks like a monsoon out there.  I love it.  Time to go play and get soaked.

With the help of a reader, I am finally getting back to my “50-Day Memory Challenge.”  Although it is not going to be anywhere near fifty continuous days, I will finish this challenge.  Today is day ten.  After receiving a long email from a reader, I couldn’t help but continue writing about my experiencing with the abortion my girlfriend and I had six years ago.

Day Ten: The Opposite of Lonely

Unplanned Sabatical

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I have to issue an apology to all of my followers.  This past weekend turned into pure awesome.  I hardly even opened my laptop for more than a few minutes.  I love when things just work out.  I got ten times more sun than I have in the past year.  I laughed more than I have in the past month.  It was pretty much the perfect weekend.

Now that I am back to normal, I have a long list of things I need to get done today and tomorrow.  I plan on getting a new memory up sometime tonight.  I also hope to start writing a few poems and short stories over the next weeks or two.  I’m still experiencing a bit of a hangover from this weekend, so bare with me.

Much Love,
Richard

Relief & Sad Memories

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I feel extremely accomplished.  I finished my most difficult Elance job yesterday–and the client is very happy with the work.  Today, I helped clean my house, spent a good deal of time editing, and applied to a couple new jobs.  I feel like Summer is fully underway–which is great considering it’s the solstice today.  I just want to edit and read for the next couple days.  that would leave me with a smile on my face.

Today’s memory is a strong challenger for one of the saddest memories of my life.  The story is about the death of my friend’s seven-month old son.  I wrote the memory while at my coffee shop.  I teared up quite a bit and did everything I could to hide my tears from the people around me.  It’s so strange writing emotional things while in public–like you are the keeper of a secret.

Day Nine: Losing Your Infant Son

Against the Deadline

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I got sick last night and didn’t end up working very much on my Elance job.  I then proceeded to sleep for twelve hours.  I feel better, bu now I only have a few hours left to finish my job.  This is going to be a long day of work.  Time to get back to it.

Here is day seven of my memory challenge.  This is one of my favorite yet.

Day Seven: Running for School Board

42

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I had gaming last night.  This is the first time I’ve ever played really played table-top RPG.  That’s not the point though.  The group that I am playing with always used to be the friends of one of my friends.  Slowly, I feel that shifting.  I am getting to know all the guys in this group and loving to hang out with them.  I even held a conversation with one of them until four in the morning…about life, the universe, and human nature.  All I can say to that is…Fuck Yes!

Anyway.  Today will be quite busy.  I have a lot of work to do for Elance.  To be perfectly honest, I kind of want to just do it all today so that tomorrow can be more of a creative day.  I have a lot of free time left today, so I think I may be able to pull it off…so long as I start right now.  Anyway, here is Day Six of the memory challenge.

Day Six: Daddy Problems

Wrong Side of the Bed

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Today was just one of those days.  From the moment I woke up, I was pissy.  Luckily, I know how to deal with it.  I’ve stayed away from most everyone all day and just read.  When I get like this, my writing tends to suffer with it…so I just relax instead.  Thus the reading.  I haven’t read nearly enough int he past few weeks so I’m glad I gave myself this opportunity.

I keep getting random emails from the Peace Corp.  My medical has been in for a month.  If the tentative date of January 2013 sticks, I will be leaving in 202-233 days.  A big part of me wants to be called in for early duty.  This waiting game is killing me.  I want to date but I feel guilty about entering a relationship knowing it has to end in six months.  I wouldn’t mind getting a job, but I know I would have to lie to get it.  I would love to move to Denver, but I can’t sign a lease.  Just let me go already!  I can leave tomorrow!  Anywho, here is Day Five of the Memory Challenge.

Day Five: The Break Up

Order of Operations

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I have three heavy-duty, time-consuming projects going on right now.  First, I’m four days into The 50 Day Memory Challenge.  Second, I have a large Elance job.  Third, I need to finish the third draft of my manuscript.  It’s getting difficult to sit down and figure out which one I should be working on.  This is the third day that it has been like this.  In the end, it goes like this.

1. Memory Challenge.  It’s quick and makes me feel creatively accomplished when I finish.
2. Elance.  Since I accomplish creativity early, I feel like I have the energy to do monotonous work.
3. Edit.  Doing this last means that I can do it for as long as I want without causing a problem.

I still might have to take a break to go on another adventure.  The fire here in Fort Collins is kind of crazy–37,000 acres in 48 hours.  It’s starting to hit the outer edge of town.  It’s still 0% contained and burning lots of houses to the ground.  I went on two expeditions yesterday–one brought us close to the flames.  The other got me pulled over.  What does today’s adventure bring?

Here is today’s memory:

Day Four: AIM Crush Realization

Fire a Brewing

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I’ve become rather obsessed with the fire exploding outside town.  It started at 6:00AM yesterday morning.  Now, some 32 hours later, it is already bigger than 14,000 acres.  They are evacuating people on the north side of town and into the mountains.  After going for a swim in the Reservoir this morning, we drove as close to the fire as we could.  Although the fire was fascinating, it was the evacuating population that caught my attention.  Watching people loading up their vehicles.  One man was chasing down his dog.  At the evacuation center, young people were gathered in the parking lot because there was nowhere else to go.  It’s fascinating how disasters mess with culture.

I worked for several hours yesterday and hope to continue to do so today.  I am already deep into the third draft of my book.  I also got a lot done on my Elance job.  So…today will consist of more editing and hopefully finishing off the first part of the Elance job.  It’ll be hard work….but it’ll be worth it.  Until tomorrow, here is day three of my memory challenge.  It’s different than the others (and kind of cheating), but just go with it.

Day Three: The Abortion & Remembrance

Editor Richard Reilly?

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I started work on a big Elance job today.  This one is particularly interesting because the end result will actually carry by name: “Edited by Richard Reilly.”  It’ll be a great way to build my portfolio.  It’s an easy task…it’ll just take some time.  I’m just excited because most of the work I do through Elance is Ghostwriting…meaning my name will never be carried on the finished work.  It’ll be nice for some real recognition (and a good paycheck).

I spent my morning garage saling and watching a fire grow in the mountains west of town. Now I’m spending several hours writing–trading between memories, work, and editing.  Lot and lots of work to do on every front.  My goal is to finish by Elance job early and finish the third draft this week.  It’ll take a lot of work, but it will be worth it.  Until tomorrow, here is day two of The 50 Day Memory Challenge.

Day Two: Kicked Out of a Bar 

Starting the Memory Challenge

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Twenty pages of editing down.  Today was utterly exhausting.  Lots of yard work followed by an afternoon with my grandmother followed by a couple hours of editing.  It is the good kind of exhausting.  The kind where, at the end of the day, I feel like I have accomplished a lot.  And the day isn’t over.  I have plans for what sounds like an incredibly strange evening ahead.  I can’t wait.

I started the 50 Day Memory Challenge today.  I’ve been wanting to start this for quite some time.  Having Jordan preempt me was all the encouragement I needed.  My first one comes from the trip I made to Europe during my Senior Trip.  I hope you like it.  More to come over the next 49 days.

Day One: Love in Frankfurt