For the next ten days I'm supposed to "baby my eyes." This was the instruction I received from my new eye doctor, Dr. Ann Warn, who is with the Lawton Branch of the Dean McGee Eye Institute. No contacts. Eyes drops several times a day.

I have rough corneas possibly aggravated by dry eye syndrome, and just opening my eyes in the morning apparently causes areas of my cornea to peel off. Yeah, it hurts. I spent Thursday in bed with a cold compress over my eyes. The pain meds I took made the rest of my body veeery relaxed but they did nothing for the pain nor did they put me to sleep. I'm so much better today, but am still walking around inside my house with my sunglasses on (over my other glasses). Not a fashion statement.

I think part of the problem is that it's winter and the heats been on. In addition it's so dry and I don't drink near enough water.

I have learned something, though, during this process (it's been going on since early January). I'm constantly creating characters and "what if" situations in my head. Driving to the store, baking cakes, trying to sleep, doing laundry ... you get the picture. Even when I'm sick I can escape to whatever story is currently running through my brain. But lying in bed on Thursday I realized that sometimes it hurts too much to plot. Imagine that.

Thankfully, though I spent most of Friday in bed as well, in the dark, by myself, I had a new story in my head to keep me company. I also listened to three of the tapes I had checked out from the OKRWA library in January. I'm listening to Susan Wiggs' seminar on pacing next.

What is the post man's motto? "Neither rain, nor sleet nor snow nor dark of night shall stay this courier from his appointed rounds." (Thank you, Google). How about this: "Neither ice, nor blogs nor calls nor laundry piles shall stay this plotter from her inspired calling.

Plot on, people. Plot on.