Happy anniversary, Moonrat!
I don't know how many of you follow the blog of the Editorial Ass, Moonrat, but y'all might wanna pop on over to her 2nd anniversary surprise party. You can win prizes, people.
Moonrat has a great perspective on the writing industry, plus she's a lovely person. Think Miss Snark, only take away the gin and add sunshine. Or, rather, Moon-shine. But then we're back in the liquor cabinet again. I don't know how much she drinks, and I guess that's really none of my business, anyway, since it's unlikely we'll ever be in the same bar together. I don't think she edits fantasy novels.
Well, crap, this is going downhill fast. Just go over there and say hi, will ya?
Moonrat has a great perspective on the writing industry, plus she's a lovely person. Think Miss Snark, only take away the gin and add sunshine. Or, rather, Moon-shine. But then we're back in the liquor cabinet again. I don't know how much she drinks, and I guess that's really none of my business, anyway, since it's unlikely we'll ever be in the same bar together. I don't think she edits fantasy novels.
Well, crap, this is going downhill fast. Just go over there and say hi, will ya?
I know I was bah-humbug about the election before...
...but it's getting exciting. Eek!
Oh, and Ryan Gosling is still hot.
Oh, and Ryan Gosling is still hot.
Tag :
Life
NaNo? Nah, no.
First, some random notes:
Now. Nanowrimo. Not even bothering to link to it. I devoted Nov. 1 to thinking about what I might write, and then I wrote a few lines, and then I decided not to bother. I thought if an idea hit me during my writing wanderings I'd continue, but that did not materialize.
It was quite a low priority anyway, because I'm still working on the NaNoWriMo book from 2007. I've been calling it my WIP, because I wasn't working on anything else, but I must admit I went weeks at a time without cracking it open. Partly because of the personal problems plaguing me the past few months, but also because it was an utter mess, and I seriously didn't know what to do with it.
NaNoWriMo gave me the incentive I needed to finish the WIP. I finished it, all right. Finished it right into the ground. But I have mixed feelings about it, because even though it turned out to be a mess and shook my confidence, now that I'm in the middle of serious edits I see that without that ovaries-to-the-wall, scary-ass month of writing, I wouldn't have made some of these creative leaps that the story needed.
I've been keeping a brave face. If I didn't love this story so much, I'd have totally put it away. But it's a great book! I swear! I usually don't toot my own horn, but this one is going to be great. IF I can pull it off.
And I only fell off the treadmill once during this post.
- Happy voting day, everybody. May your candidate win, whichever he is, because I truly do not give a shit. I'll start caring again when I see what a terrible job the next president does. This is how I operate every election.
- Typing this on the treadmill. Unfortunately, it's not electric, so getting the pushing angle right without hanging onto the bars is a little difficult. Every once in a while it just....stops. You can imagine the hilarity which ensues.
- Oprah had an explicit discussion about sex yesterday, and girl, you KNOW I want to dish about that! But I won't.
- Finally saw the movie "The Notebook" last night. Rachel McAdams was so pretty, my eyes hurt. Ryan Gosling was so virile, my loins hurt. And that ending? My eyes hurt again from rolling them so much. Geez.
Now. Nanowrimo. Not even bothering to link to it. I devoted Nov. 1 to thinking about what I might write, and then I wrote a few lines, and then I decided not to bother. I thought if an idea hit me during my writing wanderings I'd continue, but that did not materialize.
It was quite a low priority anyway, because I'm still working on the NaNoWriMo book from 2007. I've been calling it my WIP, because I wasn't working on anything else, but I must admit I went weeks at a time without cracking it open. Partly because of the personal problems plaguing me the past few months, but also because it was an utter mess, and I seriously didn't know what to do with it.
NaNoWriMo gave me the incentive I needed to finish the WIP. I finished it, all right. Finished it right into the ground. But I have mixed feelings about it, because even though it turned out to be a mess and shook my confidence, now that I'm in the middle of serious edits I see that without that ovaries-to-the-wall, scary-ass month of writing, I wouldn't have made some of these creative leaps that the story needed.
I've been keeping a brave face. If I didn't love this story so much, I'd have totally put it away. But it's a great book! I swear! I usually don't toot my own horn, but this one is going to be great. IF I can pull it off.
And I only fell off the treadmill once during this post.
My theme song
| Your Theme Song is Beautiful Day by U2 |
 "Sky falls, you feel likeIt's a beautiful day Don't let it get away" You see the beauty in life, especially in ordinary everyday moments. And if you're feeling down, even that seems a little beautiful too. |
It looks like I might be back. If anyone still cares! And I know I said I wasn't coming back until something broke in my writing career, but don't get all excited. The progress was internal, not external. Got my mojo back, that's all. Had one of those "I can do this!" realizations (and more importantly, an "I WANT to do this" realization) and jumped back on this slow, lumbering train we call writing with all you other hobos.
I can't guarantee the frequency of posts on this blog, because I'm now dividing my posts in two. My other blog, most of you already know, is Poison Scents, and I'll try to keep all my grumbling about fragrances over there, though I'm sure some will spill over from time to time.
And here's a shout-out to all the NaNoWriMo participants, a group whom I will may join before the end of day one.
Anyhoo, good to see you again.
If fragrance were a man I'd shoot him.
Update: see Poison Scents, my blog dedicated to my fragrance sensitivity.
So this fragrance sensitivity I have, it is the real deal. As you may remember, I took out most everything in my house that contained fragrance and saw an immediate improvement. Over the past couple of weeks I have had much less eye fatigue, no headache, little to no sinus pressure. I've had a stuffy nose, but it's the regular variety. I'm getting to a point where I can live with it.
I was able to find a fragrance-free version of everything in the house, but some things are available only through the internet and cost quite a bit more, such as dishwashing soap, so I'm dragging my feet on those. We're still using the old Soft Soap, and my husband still uses his Irish Spring (making the concession of keeping it under the cabinet when not in use, not sure that's good enough), and I'm using my kid's shampoo since the smell is not nearly as strong as mine.
Everything was peachy...Until I whipped out the carpet stain remover. You know the kind where you spray it on the stain and wait three minutes and blot? That stuff will tear you a new sinus cavity. I didn't consider as I sprayed it on that even after I blotted, the stuff would still be sitting there, in my carpet, silently giving off noxious fumes. By the end of the day I had a migraine. My first headache in weeks.
The headache is only annoying this morning, but I've been sneezing and having trouble focusing already. I tried rinsing and blotting again, but it didn't work. I guess I have to break out the big guns: the carpet shampooer. Of course I won't be using shampoo, only rinsing. Just think, I used to make my whole house smell like that shit... *shudder*
No wonder I had migraines.
So this fragrance sensitivity I have, it is the real deal. As you may remember, I took out most everything in my house that contained fragrance and saw an immediate improvement. Over the past couple of weeks I have had much less eye fatigue, no headache, little to no sinus pressure. I've had a stuffy nose, but it's the regular variety. I'm getting to a point where I can live with it.
I was able to find a fragrance-free version of everything in the house, but some things are available only through the internet and cost quite a bit more, such as dishwashing soap, so I'm dragging my feet on those. We're still using the old Soft Soap, and my husband still uses his Irish Spring (making the concession of keeping it under the cabinet when not in use, not sure that's good enough), and I'm using my kid's shampoo since the smell is not nearly as strong as mine.
Everything was peachy...Until I whipped out the carpet stain remover. You know the kind where you spray it on the stain and wait three minutes and blot? That stuff will tear you a new sinus cavity. I didn't consider as I sprayed it on that even after I blotted, the stuff would still be sitting there, in my carpet, silently giving off noxious fumes. By the end of the day I had a migraine. My first headache in weeks.
The headache is only annoying this morning, but I've been sneezing and having trouble focusing already. I tried rinsing and blotting again, but it didn't work. I guess I have to break out the big guns: the carpet shampooer. Of course I won't be using shampoo, only rinsing. Just think, I used to make my whole house smell like that shit... *shudder*
No wonder I had migraines.
"She wore an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny..."
I really wasn't planning to post today, but I ran across this photo on my cousin's MySpace, and it's begging to be shared. That's my cousin Sinthia on the left and me on the right, the summer before my 13th birthday, 1983. We sure loved those bikinis. Oh, how I wished I could fill the thing out. But that wouldn't happen for another 6-7 years.
Those were the days. Don't I look like I'm having the best time of my life? Photos rarely tell the whole truth, but I think this one does.
[caption id="attachment_818" align="alignnone" width="468" caption="Sinthia and Sherri, age 13 and almost-13"]
[/caption]My first-ever book club meeting
Well, people, guess what I did. I threw myself back into the world of socializing adults, that's what, by going to my first ever book club meeting down at the local library. A few weeks ago I saw a flyer in the library's window advertising the book club, and luckily one of the members had already checked in Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, so I was able to read it before the meeting last night.
I was excited about going until yesterday afternoon, when the usual social dread settled in. I couldn't remember a single reason I'd ever had for going, and in fact rationalized how it would be nice just to stay in and relax with the family. LIKE I DO EVERY DAY. And even though the hubs was pouting about it (I assume, since he'll never tell me exactly what's wrong and I usually have to draw my own conclusions and this would be something that would make him pout) I made myself pretty, finished up my housewiferly duties, dragged my ass to the van (one of the reasons for my social dread) and left.
And so I went to the library, talked about this awesome book with some very smart and personable ladies, and didn't die. Quite the opposite, actually. I don't think I inadvertantly offended anyone, so that right there puts me ahead of the game. I managed to sound halfway intelligent, and nobody threw me out. In fact, they gave me next month's book (Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper) and invited me back.
I was excited about going until yesterday afternoon, when the usual social dread settled in. I couldn't remember a single reason I'd ever had for going, and in fact rationalized how it would be nice just to stay in and relax with the family. LIKE I DO EVERY DAY. And even though the hubs was pouting about it (I assume, since he'll never tell me exactly what's wrong and I usually have to draw my own conclusions and this would be something that would make him pout) I made myself pretty, finished up my housewiferly duties, dragged my ass to the van (one of the reasons for my social dread) and left.
And so I went to the library, talked about this awesome book with some very smart and personable ladies, and didn't die. Quite the opposite, actually. I don't think I inadvertantly offended anyone, so that right there puts me ahead of the game. I managed to sound halfway intelligent, and nobody threw me out. In fact, they gave me next month's book (Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper) and invited me back.
