500!

I played the game "500" growing up, or the name my friends and I usually called it: "Flier's Up".  Up on Sucia Island, with a very appropriate Nerf football, a few guys and I played 500 for the first time in a decade--and it felt amazing!  These weren't the same friends I played with in elementary school, but the game is still the same--the thrower tosses the football towards the other guys and yells out a number, usually something between 100-500, and if any of the lucky, skilled, or just tall catchers catches the football, they get said amount of points.  The catchers continue adding their individual points until one person gets 500, and becomes the new thrower, and everyone's points reset.

The game up on Sucia Island was special last weekend because it had been so long since I played, and playing the game instantly brought me back to my youth.  Also, the fact that Ben called out "-100!" and Chad still caught the ball, losing 100 points... ah youth.

Sucia is an amazing place, only accessible by boat or kayak, and we got to witness the lightning and thunder storm of the millenium... so far.  Sitting on a piece of driftwood with my girlfriend, looking south over Shallow Bay, we saw lightning strikes to the East, to the South and even a few to the West.  Not to mention the rainbow and the picture perfect lighting (not lightning!) on the boats in the bay nearing sunset.

500, the game, isn't actually the reason I started out writing this post, nor the reason I titled this post "500!".  Funny, how the mind starts on one path, with really only one goal in mind, and then out jumps another thought like a laser pointer in front of a light-obsessed cat, and after a few minutes of chasing the light you can't remember what the original path was, nor the only goal intended.  I struggle remembering why I went to the grocery store, I know it is usually one very important thing, but god damn those Cheetos look so good!

Anyways!  Luckily enough, this time I DID remember why I titled this 500.  I intend to write 500 words a day between now and the end of my summer vacation--I have a few ideas of stories I would like to get down on paper, but really who knows.  Every other time I have tried to strap myself into a seat and write, it has failed miserably.  I know I shouldn't care about writing everything perfectly the first time, and I know I should just write, write, write, and then if I like something I've written, I can polish it up later... but that is SO HARD to do!  500 seems like an easy number to hit, but I know from experience that if I set too lofty of goals, I will crash and burn--unless I really get into this!  No harm in over-achieving, self!

Any tips?  Should I edit after I publish these posts?  Should I never edit unless something is good?  Should I post and then wait a few days and edit?  I'm new to this!  Also, I realize this post probably shouldn't count, as it is just an introductory post saying I will be writing later... but hey, words are words!  Also... do I use the trial version of Office on my computer to write, or do I write in a web space, be it Google Docs or Blogger? Hrmm....

(Got distracted before posting and realized that my second most recent post... now third? or whichever post is two behind this... also deals with the very northern San Juan Islands, Waldron Island, which is about two miles from Sucia.  Coincidence that I have creative juices flowing after visiting the islands?  Coincidence that the Washington Poet Laureate once resided on Waldron?  Perhaps...)