Hope Darby Writings

I visited the doctor yesterday, thanks to a wicked shoulder injury that has been plaguing me for, oh, the last 17-18 years. As always, my doctor and the nurses asked me if my husband and I have any trips coming up (because we usually do), and I gave them a brief rundown of our next vacation. Standing nearby was a woman who, after hearing me express excitement at the idea of being able to swim with sting rays again, made a face and, appearing genuinely distressed, asked, “How do you keep the... Continue to Full Post →

Living in Alabama as I do, I have had the dubious pleasure of seeing Tim James’ campaign videos. One of his biggest beefs: that Alabamian driving tests are administered in languages other than English. He’s not mad because they’re only offered in other languages, just that the option exists at all. He isn’t alone in this ridiculous gripe. Millions of Americans huff indignantly when an automated voice asks them to, “Press 1 for English,” and righteously proclaim,... Continue to Full Post →

I decided to complete my Hooked-on-Facebook transformation by adding a “Like” button to posts. I’ve tried it out, it seems to work. So if you see that I have “Liked” one of my own posts, rest assured that it isn’t rampaging narcissism, it was just me checking out the new button!   Also, there is a new “Share/Save” menu bar at the bottom of each post. It has huge selection of programs (Twitter, MySpace, GMail, Reddit, Digg, etc), but if you use one... Continue to Full Post →

So, I have been ridiculously absent for an obscene amount of time. I could blame it on a hectic life, outside interests, computer problems, health issues, or any number of things, but the sad truth is that I have been completely dominated by Facebook. You see, I’ve tried to keep my more, shall we say, inflammatory writings and opinions off of this blog. I’ve been told so many times that to fly too many controversial flags is to give a bad impression to potential employers/editors/readers,... Continue to Full Post →

Happy Ides of March, everyone! Since we’ve last talked, a very dreadful thing has happened: my age-odometer flipped to a new zero. That’s right, I am now 30. Which means I’m close to 40. Which means that 50 is right around the corner. After 50, I’m fine, because you basically get to start over and be just as fabulous as you were at 25. It’s the decades in between that comprise the “getting old” years. I realize that most people treat the “0″ birthdays... Continue to Full Post →

I have been spending these past several weeks covered in yarn. Literally. I have been learning to knit for an article an a very prominent knitter’s magazine. I was beginning to feel in over my head, but about midway through, a friend of mine posted on my Facebook, “I was thumbing through a backwater newsagent’s and saw an article written by you! Made my day!”  Since that “backwater newsagent” was in Australia and I live in Alabama, it very well made my year, and... Continue to Full Post →

I’m still stuck on what to call this upcoming decade. The trend seems to be toward referring to the past 10 years as “The Noughties” (or “Naughties,” depending on what spell-check you’re using), what with the awkwardness of the double-zeros. This leaves the next 10 years as the “2ks” for obviously double-grand reasons. Feels a little “Y2K” trendy for me, but whatever works.   Resolutions for this year are still pending. There are the standards,... Continue to Full Post →

This season has been a little insane, and this post may very well reflect just that. I have been working on several projects which have been keeping my scribbling fingers extra busy. One project, as a matter of fact, is forcing those scribbling fingers to become…knitting fingers? It’s a blast to learn new things, and since I have no problem making a complete and utter fool of myself, writing about my foray into a new “talent” is proving to be fun.   My wonderful husband gifted... Continue to Full Post →

I’m a fan of quotations. I enjoy the feeling of stumbling across a sentence, a phrase, a disjointed thought that resonates with me and makes me want to jot it down before I forget all about it. There have been many times when I’ve seen a quotable, not stopped right then and there to put it to paper, and find myself later remembering the general gist of the words but not the complete thought. Today, I was indulging in one of my guilty (extremely guilty) pleasures: Dancing with the Stars.... Continue to Full Post →

Yes yes yes it’s that time of year again. The time of year when the weird kids get their mojo uniforms out of the closet, brush off their coffee pots, invest in large quantities of espresso, chocolate, and severely high-octane Mountain Dew (well, if you’re in the South, that is), and start trying to accomplish a nearly impossible feat: writing a 50,000 word novel in one month. Even worse, a 50,000 word novel that makes sense.   That’s right. It’s NaNoWriMo time.   Last year,... Continue to Full Post →