moved!

Just a quick update to let everyone know I've officially moved over to my main site. I'm still working a little on the layout, but this would be the reason I've been a little quiet here lately. Thanks to everyone who's been reading...the blog will remain up for now, and I hope to see you at its new address!

So...from now on you can find me at patriciaheatherington.com. And of course also on Twitter. 

cold weather

Growing up in Texas, I was one of those people who always said I loved cold weather. I wanted to go to school in Boston, not only because it was one of the coolest cities I've ever been to, but also because it was in the north and it would be cold. 

Oh, so naive...I didn't know the meaning of the word cold.

I have since learned. Here in DC, we've had calls for snow flurries several times over the last few days, and I've also already enjoyed the transforming experience of knowing how the ice cubes in my freezer feel on my walks to and from work. To my friends and family in the south who say they enjoy cold weather, I have to remind them that Texas cold does not equal real cold. It might...for a day. But then it will warm up again.

Who can forget last winter's spectacular snow fall?

Now, for all of my complaining about winter and the bitter cold...there are exceptions. The holidays. I am all for cold weather for the holidays. It seems wrong to have warm weather at Christmas. And then "White Christmas" almost takes on a mocking tone. And I do kind of look forward to the hot chocolate and the blankets in order to stay warm, but only up through the New Year. After that...well then it's just overstayed its welcome.

I looked at the weather today and the high is supposed to be in the 30s. I haven't yet left my apartment, but I'm already looking forward to being back home tonight where it's warm, knowing I'm in for the day and I can settle in with a book and about five blankets on top of my down comforter (okay, that may be an exaggeration), and thaw out. 

thanksgiving

I was quiet on here in the lead up to, and during, the Thanksgiving holiday. But was definitely kept busy. I cooked some, tried to finish up several books and then went to spend Thanksgiving itself with family.

I love the holidays. I love the lights, the music...and it's really the only time I'm okay with a prolonged period of cold weather (in fact, I prefer it!). But of course, come January I'm wishing for 60s and 70s. 

Anyway...total holiday person. It was great to just be home and relax. Including lots of cooking and baking. Of course there was the whole Thanksgiving feast, where I contributed my green beans with garlic and almonds (extra buttery with the green beans adding a light crispness) and then experimenting with recipes with my sister. I also realize that I love the jalapeno salt from Dean & Deluca I brought home with me.

But then I guess it is good to be back in your own bed after traveling. And feeling refreshed after about a week's vacation. I sat down tonight after work, ready to blog and get back to work on the novel, and it's a great feeling. 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! And I'm so looking forward to the Christmas season. Think I may even get a tree for my place now (I haven't yet since in years past I've traveled over Christmas, but it's looking like I'll stay put this year). Totally planning on Christmas decor shopping this weekend. Can't wait! Oh, and to buy milk for plenty of hot chocolate for these cold nights. Did you know snow had made it into the forecast? Of course...I think it's made its way out of the forecast now, but still...it was there. 

rainy evenings

It was actually a beautiful evening today. I walked home and the drizzling had stopped while I was in a cafe, so that everything gleamed. The headlights from passing cars and the stoplights all reflected in the shallow pools on the streets and it wasn't cold, but just cool enough where my jacket was a comfort and not yet a necessity.

It's also perfect writing weather. Or reading weather. That's another nice thing about fall, other than the beautiful colors. The grey skies and cooling temps urge me to stay indoors, or perhaps at a cafe, and curl up with a good book and a coffee. Or perhaps sit down at my computer and create worlds that hopefully others will want to curl up with. 

And today I had another glimmer of inspiration. And unlike my note from the weekend, I was able to grab a piece of scratch paper and write down the story line that came to me. Hmmm...now to just find some time to flesh it out and then get down to writing Act I (it came to me as a screenplay rather than a novel). I love it when that happens.

the importance of a notebook

There are three things I always try to carry with me no matter where I go: a book, a notebook/scratch paper and a pen. The first is because you never know when you will have to wait and it's a good way to get through a few more pages. The other two is because you never know when an idea will hit. It could be an idea for a plot problem, or maybe a few lines of dialogue or a new scene, or maybe a new story ideal all together.

Yesterday and this morning I was reminded why having paper and a pen are so important. On the metro, I had this great idea and since I didn't have any paper, I thought about it and then thought some more, thinking I'd remember enough of it now to write it down when I got home. 

Well...I got home and got distracted by other things and never wrote it down. And now this morning I'm left trying to remember what it was. Let's hope it comes back, and I'm tossing in extra paper into my bag as I type in case it does.

a reminder on personal tastes

One reason for rejections that I've seen discussed (and maybe received one or two) is a matter of personal taste. This doesn't always mean the writing was necessarily bad, but that it just didn't appeal to the reader. I thought about this the other morning after I finished up a kind of futuristic...thriller (if thriller was the right word). I had two friends who loved it and another who didn't really care for it. So where did I fall?

I didn't really care for it. But here's the thing, I don't think there was anything the author could have done to change that. The characters had real motivations, the writing was smooth and the plot was fully developed. But it just didn't appeal to me. I can't pinpoint anything wrong with it that I didn't like, just that I didn't really like it. Is it something that I can recommend to a friend? Mmm...maybe. If I really knew their tastes and knew it was in line with that. But can I go around with a blanket recommendation that I would do with a book that I absolutely loved?

When a rejection comes along and it's not suited to that agent's particular taste, or s/he couldn't get behind it passionately to sell it, just remember. It's not personal. It's personal taste. What appeals to my friend doesn't always appeal to me. And after all, isn't that what makes all of us a little more interesting?

Of course, I will say that having said all that, it's still important to try things outside the comfort zone. Who knows? I might have loved this book. There have been other books I've been skeptical about and then once I read them, wanted to go around and recommend them to everyone I knew. And then I want to read other, similar books. And then not to sound cliche (ok, maybe a little), but I've broadened my horizons. 

It was a nice little reminder to have.

writing contest - Writer's Digest "Dear Lucky Agent"

I had another post mostly drafted late yesterday/early this morning that I planned to finish writing about tonight. But then there was a slight change of plans as I learned about the blog Guide to Literary Agent's "Dear Lucky Agent" contest. Well, I guess I shouldn't quite say learned about...since I read this blog fairly regularly, I've come across it before, but it hasn't yet been in a genre in which I write.

This time around though, it's in Young Adult. Tomorrow though is the deadline.

Ordinarily I've heard about these with slightly more time, but last week was more than a little busy for me, and I wasn't quite up to date with the twitter feeds I follow. But if you're catching up like I am and come across this contest to enter, best of luck to you!

I'm reading over my first 150-200 now, so please wish me luck as well.

halloween

I have always been a fan of Halloween. I've talked lately about my love of mythology and also the supernatural (excluding as I noted, zombies), so maybe that's a large part of it. Halloween's a day to embrace all of that, when as the myths say, the veil between the physical world and the supernatural world is thinnest. 

But more than that too, it's a chance to be someone else and no one would think twice about it. Of course there are the stereotypical costumes, like vampires, witches, nurses and soldiers, but what about the not so typical? Or maybe even the ones that the costumes aren't sold down to the last button in stores, but you have to create it yourself?

Wanted to know what it might be like to act like an 80s rocker? Or maybe a tough biker in leather? How about a jet-setting socialite, even if the stones on that necklace aren't designed by Bulgari. Could be fun, right?

So. What are you going to be? Or rather...who are you going to be?

review: pride and prejudice and zombies

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Of course, I really enjoyed the original, Austen version, so it might have been expected. But I'm not a zombie fan. I'll take my witches and vampires please, but so far in life have tended to stay away from zombies. They're creepy. 

But I picked up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies after my book club decided upon a Halloween-esque read for October (kind of apt, no?). And I was a little surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. I waited to be turned off by the zombies, but it added a nice bit of humor and a lightness to the text, if in fact zombies can actually do that.

And the zombie scenes weren't quite so graphic as I worried they may be. There were a few scenes, that while a part of you might giggle, another part thought a simple "ew." My ultimate verdict is that it was fun. It was a good way to spend a few afternoons reading through it, and kind of relive the romance from the original. Once I started reading it, I had to spend one evening watching the film again. And now I'm thinking about rereading the original. 

As with many things, my advice would be to not have any expectations. Don't think you're going to love it, because you might not. Don't think it's word for word like the original, with a much more formal approach to English and long, descriptive paragraphs, because yes, those are in there, but then there will be a scene thrown it that might make you laugh a little. 

friday!

I forgot for a little bit that it was Thursday night last night. Not quite sure how that could have happened. It was a busy week, but I am looking forward to the weekend. Mostly I'm looking forward to editing the first couple of chapters I've been working on and saving the remaining chapters for National Novel Writing Month.

Yup, that's just a little over a week away. I know you're supposed to write a novel from start to finish during the one month period, but I've always found that little progress bar to be so motivating! Since I have a new idea I'm not very far into, what I think I may try to do is write 50,000 words more of it. So clean up to early chapters that I've mostly finished and then start from chapter 4 and on. We'll see if I still find those 50,000 words motivating or just stressful.

I have to remind myself that next weekend there's a lecture at the National Gallery of Art that I want to attend. It's on Michelangelo, and it's been awhile since I've attended one of their lectures. A few years ago, there was one month or two where I went nearly every weekend in the fall. And then on my way home I'd stop and pick up a vanilla skim latte. Perfect way to spend a chill fall afternoon.

This weekend I don't yet have any set plans. I want to go try to find another pair of boots, but the last few years I've gone on long searches specifically to find a certain pair, and of course I never find the perfect pair until I've given up and stopped looking. Hmmm...I guess that's what's on my mind this morning in a nutshell!  Now let's see if I can get just a couple of more sentences in the novel  before heading off to work.

books vs. film portrayals

Given that Halloween is fast approaching, it seemed only appropriate that I read something with a "monster" in it, and so I read Frankenstein. I've never read it, and to be honest, while I'm familiar with the great, green hulking monster of film adaptations, I've not yet seen an actual Frankenstein film from start to finish. The green, inarticulate monster kind of put me off sitting through 90+ minutes.

So it was interesting to read the book and come across this well-written passages of speech that came from the creation (because he's never actually named, and Frankenstein is the name of his creator). The monster had feelings, he felt lonely, he felt wonderment at the birds singing and at the warmth of fire, and he felt an attachment to a family he encountered and watched, and learned language from without their knowing of course. And he felt resentment at what he was, at being this lonely creature forced to live away from civilization because of what he was. There are elements in the creature which, to an extent, make him sympathetic.

And yes, even after tormenting Frankenstein, he claims to have felt some remorse at times. Granted, there is a different at feeling remorse and then going forward with a plan to destroy everything Frankenstein holds dear, but while he may have sallow skin, he's not the green, slow monster with screws in his neck. And I was reminded then too about The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

When Jekyll turns into Hyde, Hyde doesn't become this larger than life creation. He is Jekyll kind of shrinking into himself, he's smaller, thinner and I think physically appears craftier and meaner version of Jekyll. It was a surprise reading Jekyll and Hyde because of those expectations. I had to reread the first paragraph of the transformation just to be sure it was in fact the change into Hyde.

Just another reason the movie can't be substituted for the book I guess. 

myths and stories

I'm reading The Power of Myth right now, which is fantastic by the way, and there was a question that made me think this was something I wanted to write about.

In the first chapter, Bill Moyers asks Joseph Campbell about when the first time these stories became alive for him. And that got me thinking about my interest. For as long as I can remember, I've loved mythology. Long before we studied them in school, I was checking out every book at the library about them that I could find and finding out that some stood out more than others (Athena was one of my favorites, as was Poseidon). But what sparked this interest?

*Artemis with a Doe at the Louvre

For me it happened so long ago it's almost out of a conscious memory. It was during one of Texas' famous thunderstorms, where the lightning provided a brilliant light show and the thunder was so loud and so powerful that the walls shook. And my dog was not a fan. She shook and cowered between the room where my grandmother and I sat and a table or a bed that she could crawl under.

And my grandmother chided her, telling her something along the lines that she shouldn't let Thor scare her (as if a dog would even listen, but still). Having no idea who, or what, Thor was, I had to ask. And I was told that he was a Norse god who ruled the skies and thunder and lightning. And from there I was hooked. That night she told me more stories in the grand Irish tradition, though covering mostly the Greek gods.

Since then the myths still come to my mind often, and I've written stories incorporating them from time to time. And I still continue to study them, whether it be brushing up on my first love of the Greeks and Egyptians or delving deeper into my culture and studying the Celtic myths. I've also kept my eye open for books detailing Native American myths or Asian myths that may not come across my reading very often. They're just all so fascinating and incredible story-telling.

And if you're ever trapped inside by a thunderstorm or maybe sitting around a fire, then it's definitely a great time to continue that great bardic tradition and tell those stories. Anyone else hooked by myths?

day off

Happy Holidays! Sort of.

For some us, today was a holiday. It's one of those holidays that I realize not everyone gets off, and it seems even less so the further away from DC one gets. I remember in school, in Texas, we got the day off but it wasn't for Columbus day. I can't remember what name they gave it, but we got tickets from the school to go to the State Fair. Granted, since we only got one and couldn't drive, I guess the idea was that we would go with friends and family and in a big group. Not sure if they still do that.

Anyway...I spent an enjoyable day just...hanging out.

I woke up, worked on a novel for a little bit and also on some generic website stuff. And then left for the afternoon and enjoyed the strange warm weather (it's odd to have it in the 80s after so much cooler weather lately). I also stopped off at Borders to pick up a birthday card. Although I wound up with a book for myself and a Halloween card for a friend (birthday card FAIL). But I'm really excited to read this book: Washington: A Life. I've been on a big American history kick these last few years, and for all I've read, I've felt there hasn't been too much in the forefront about Washington. Granted, he's featured in a lot of books I've read (obviously), I haven't come across many bios. There was one a few years ago that I meant to pick up and didn't. I've also heard some good things about it.

Then I also stopped off at Godiva to pick up a couple of their Halloween truffles. If I remember correctly, the blood orange bat was delicious! And finally, grabbed some ice cream and spent a little more time enjoying the afternoon. I know...rough day, right?

Sometimes it's nice to just take a day for yourself. My sister is taking a day off near the end of the month, and it's something I think I may have to make a practice of. The last couple of three day weekends I've either been traveling or recovering from traveling. It's quite different to just relax, knowing that you don't have to be anywhere or you don't have to do anything. And now I'm feeling much more refreshed to start another week. For now, anyway. Haha...

I'll let you know what I think of Washington: A Life, and the many other books currently on my to-read list.

annabel lee

It's really great when you come across something you love, and it's something that you haven't come across, or maybe even thought about, in a really long time. For me, this experience happened again with the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe.

I was cleaning and organizing, restacking books that no longer fit on my bookshelves in order to make room for new books, and the poem was in this book. It was a thick collection of poems, Best Loved Poems of the American People. My family has had this book ever since I could remember, and there is a humorous poem about Texas in it that I remember memorizing for class one year (and still remember about eighty percent of it).

While moving this book, I thought I'd look up this poem. But then I saw that I had a folded letter in it, and I thought that I had marked this poem. To tell you how long its been since the last time I really looked through this book, the letter was an acceptance letter to one of the universities I'd applied to (but didn't go) oh so many years ago. But it wasn't marking the poem I thought it would be. It marked Annabel Lee.

This is such a beautiful poem. And sitting on my couch, window open on a beautiful fall afternoon and revisiting this poem...well, it was an incredible few minutes. Literature, poetry...there's this complete feeling that comes revisiting a poem or perhaps even reading something incredible for the first time. When for a few minutes, all is okay with the world around me.

turkish festival

Every year I look forward to the Turkish festival. I know it's in October, sometime (not sure if it's ever been end of September), but in the summer I start googling it periodically to first find out the date, and then to remember the date. I look forward to the Turkish coffee mostly, and then the food and of course the atmosphere. It's been fun to get my coffee or some food and then sit there at Freedom Plaza and listen to the music.

Turkey is definitely high up there on my list of countries to visit. There's just something magical there in how we think about it, and then also so much history! The Ottoman Empire lasted something like 600 years, and I think what makes it seem even more incredible is the fact that lasted until around WWI. I think of Empires, and I usually think of something that collapsed centuries ago (Rome being the most obvious), and the Holy Roman Empire until a little after the French Revolution.

Every year I think I'll finally get my fortune told after my coffee. But...then I see the line and I would usually rather just get a small paper cup (complete with a handle) of Turkish coffee and find somewhere to sit and take everything in. This year was no different. I wandered through the set up, found the Turkish coffee tent, which of course had a long line. Hmmm...one year!

So now I just have to wait for another year until next October. One of the great things about DC is that there are so many festivals and things happening, and I hear about them. I can see them advertised all around. I've once said that a lot of the larger cities must have things going on, it's just a matter of finding out what that is. For instance, the last time I visited Texas, I found out that Fort Worth has rodeos every Friday and Saturday night. Now even after growing up in Texas, I've never been. So like having my fortune told, one of these years I'll go on a visit and go to a rodeo. Just another new experience in a city I thought I knew well.

What's the next festival in DC?

And then of course, thinking of visiting Istanbul...I also end up thinking of Istanbul (Not Constantinople). And getting that song stuck in my head.

upcoming posts

Lately I've been thinking of this blog and how I've been posting more than my past history of posting, which is a good thing. Posting more is definitely something I've had on my agenda. Of course, the question is just usually what to post about. Thankfully a city like DC does give me enough things to do, like this weekend's upcoming Turkish Festival (yay!).

I look forward to this every year, if only for the Turkish coffee.

But over my cup of coffee this morning, and doing a little bit of organizing of my bookshelves, I got to thinking more about books. Big surprise. But I got to thinking about specific things that I have liked about certain books, whether it's plotting, a particular character (either hero or villain), or delicious characters I'd like to know, or those I'd like to be, and settings....all those little key points.

And there you go.

I thought of a short (maybe) series I plan to embark on with posts. I'll post about certain aspects of novels I've loved in the past. And it would also be a good excuse to finally go back and reread some of those books I loved to revisit exactly what it was I liked about it. Not that you need an excuse, but still. For instance, I remember loving Anna Karenina, but I couldn't tell you exactly why now since it's been so long since I've read it.

And of course there will still be a short recap about the Turkish festival, among other things. Have a great Friday and weekend!

travel itch

I am itching to go somewhere. I want to pack my bags, hang out at the airport for an hour and get on a plane for several more. I always want to travel, but right now, it's worse. This time last year I was preparing to go to Paris for Thanksgiving (which was one of the best Thanksgivings ever), and this summer I've probably done more travel in a four month period than I ever have in that same period.

I had the opportunity to visit two countries for work. Well, one technically for work and the second, Denmark, when my flight was canceled and I had to overnight there. Horrible, right? And then I spent a week in Montana, and time in Dallas and Pittsburgh.

Maybe it's because this time last year I was getting ready for Paris, a trip at least about 10 years in the making. And now, as I think about fall and moving slowly (though it will happen all too quickly) into the holiday season, I find myself thinking of the holiday market on the Champs Élysées, with the hot wine and the Arc de Triomphe at the end there. And the lights too...all those beautiful, twinkling lights.


But at the same time, I also want to visit somewhere new. I'm thinking of traveling to Italy sometime next year, and already have one guidebook on my wishlist. Maybe it's also just to get into the act of planning again, to have that trip to look forward to in the near future. I know that last year, I could not wait to buy tickets to Paris, just so that it would be real. I could plan all I wanted, but until I had those tickets, anything could have happened.

leaving summer...or not

Right after I post about summer winding down, we have a week of 90+ weather. Which when you factor in the humidity, is kind of miserable. If you need proof, well, the Weather Channel ranked DC as number 1 of its worst summers this year. Hmmm...

Number one's number one, right?

And today was definitely a reminder that summer isn't quite over yet. Sure, it may technically be over according to this year's almanac, but no one told summer that. Today I was outside for about 5 hours, and definitely worn out after that. I wasn't doing too much either, mostly standing. In line. But totally worth it. I stood in line for two author signings: Isabel Allende and Orhan Pamuk. I wanted to stand in line for Elizabeth Kostova too, but that would have been another hour and it overlapped with Pamuk's talk. I'd already missed seeing Kostova speak by being in line for Allende, and I wanted to have the chance to hear some author's I really wanted to hear.

Every year I look forward to the book festival. It's inspiring to get a chance to listen to some of my favorite writers, or maybe even those I'd heard of but hadn't read. This year was also the first year I waited to get some books signed. In the past I spent all my time at the tents, which has always been incredible. But...I love my books and there really is something nice to having a book signed by a favorite writer. Preferably at a reading/signing when its just them, but for a heavy-hitter like Allende or Pamuk...I'll wait in the sun.

And as always, when I'm down there...I do get inspired. I look forward to coming home again and sitting in front of my laptop to get back to work on that novel that's giving me trouble or, like I may do tonight, the short story I'm working to polish. And I'll take the heat. Last year I skipped it because of the rain...so I'd rather it be hot and sunny!

leaving summer

Last weekend I spent one day out on the water, and it made me think about how much I'm going to miss summer. Not the high humid days when the air is so thick one can hardly breathe (because how much fun are those days?). I'm going to miss the warm summer evenings, the sun high and bright in the sky, walking home from dinner in the evening with the sun still on the horizon, and that lazy summer feeling when it feels more okay to lounge around outside. And the planning for summer trips (and the taking of summer trips).

Even though I've been out of school for many years, there's still a sense of summer vacation where everything just kind of slows. Okay, so maybe not at work of course, but in the evenings and on the weekends. And this summer was still busy. I made it back to Montana, traveled to a new country for work, made it back to Texas and even up to Pittsburgh. Probably more travel I've done in one summer than ever.

With this last winter that DC suffered through, summer was definitely a long-awaited blessing. And I am looking forward into fall and the leaves changing color. Now that this Texas girl can actually watch the leaves changing! And I'm also looking forward to more writing. With summer, I just want to be outside soaking up that missed-for sun during those cold months. But when I think of fall, I think of sweaters and hot tea, and preparing to settle in for the winter. And that right there is perfect writing weather.

But summer, you will be missed. And I will look forward to seeing you again next year.

tornado in dallas

What?

So I called my sister, one to find out how wet Dallas was and then also just for a general update. I was not quite expecting to hear that she was concerned for a tornado heading up towards North Dallas. From a brief search, there were a few "weak" tornadoes that touched down and it does seem the damage was minimal. But again...WTF?

I always knew that Dallas was kind of on the outskirts of Tornado Alley. Sure, I'd seen the sky turn that hideous shade of yellowish/green that makes your heart drop into your stomach, but it usually faded to a black storm cloud or back into a bright blue sky fairly quickly. And of course there is the monthly siren testing, so those need to be in working order for something, right? And on two occasions, I'd heard the sirens not on testing days (again, talk about a stomach flip). But that was pretty much the extent of it.

Maybe Dallas just wasn't flat enough. I think I'd heard of one time in my twenty years of a tornado touching down, but only briefly. Otherwise...well, we'd just have to worry about Texas sized hail and the sheets of rain that fell from the sky. A good rule: remember to pull over if you can't see outside your window.

Not going to lie...I'm a little amazed at this story. And at the footage and tracing the path of one of them. Streets I know very well (Mockingbird Lane, the tollway). Usually when you do hear of a touch down, it's far outside Dallas, not there in the middle of everything. The CNN guy said it was surreal. Yeah, I'm going to second that, and I wasn't even there.

dvd release

So...I have a small confession. I've been kind of looking forward to the release on Tuesday for The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season. I watched most of season 1 when it was first on, but once I missed a couple I figured I'd wait until it came out on DVD. This was a series I absolutely loved in junior high (wow! that seems so long ago!), back when the only vampire books were pretty much this and Anne Rice. Oh, and Sonja Blue. I remember thinking then that I just wished there were more paranormal choices!

Anyway, I used to think that it would make a really fun movie and so I was kind of excited when the series came out. Maybe a little nostalgia and because I do still enjoy the paranormal stories. The world is serious enough, why not escape into a little fun when it comes to reading?

I'll admit, I was annoyed when I learned the Salvatore brothers came from Civil War era Mystic Falls and not Renaissance Italy, but that only lasted maybe one episode. There is a creative license with adaptations, and I think it works that they were part of the founding of the town. It's an interesting twist.

So I did go to the bookstore after work on Tuesday, but I didn't see it there. But when I got home, I may have gone online and ordered a copy. And I think it's fun that the next books were released, what happens after the original fourth book in the series because I always kind of wondered. I haven't read them yet, but they might be on my wishlist.

the importance of customer service

So back to Dallas for a second. While there, I went shopping (because that's what you do in Dallas) and I found a gorgeous new bag that I just had to buy. Now granted, it was a little more than I wanted to pay for a new one, but I'd been out several times in the last several weeks on a mission to find a new purse and just haven't found anything. And then while browsing in the designer's boutique waiting for my Mom and sister, I came across this absolutely beautiful bag. And it just happened to be the last one in stock (see? Fate).

The clerks were awesome. One guy in particular who saw me looking at the bag and encouraged me to try it in the mirror (curse him!) which probably helped to cinch my purchase. And he was hilarious, and knew to stay back. All too often some people "hover," which turns me off in a store. And what was in my mailbox this afternoon about two weeks later? A handwritten note, addressed by name thanking me for my purchase (insert the bag name and color) and hoping I stop by on my next visit to the mall.

I've bought this brand before, but normally in department stores. This is the kind of thing that separates the boutique stores (though Neiman's and Nordstrom also have very attentive sales staff). And it reminded me of when I worked retail. My second retail job in late high school/early college was at a clothing store. And the best piece of advice that helped me through my entire time at that company, and then later at my first job where I really got to learn a lot of different faces, was getting names. Creating a personal relationship with someone within a few minutes. Help them to the fitting you got started and asking "Sarah, are you doing okay?" rather than just "hey, are you doing okay ma'am?"

I remember there was one woman who had just moved to Dallas. She and I chatted quite a bit as I helped her with some suggestions, and then also some suggestions around Dallas: places for live music, my favorite cafes and restaurants, etc. She didn't buy much that first day, but she came back and sought me out straight away. We worked together about once or twice a month, and there was one time she even dragged her husband into the store to meet me because I'd been such a help to her. These are the relationships you want to cultivate in a customer service setting because everyone benefits. The sales associate has increased/steady sales, and the customer feels like s/he is really being looked after, that they're not just there to fulfill a sales quota. And it also makes the 5 hours or so much more enjoyable.

And I'll be honest. Years after I left this company, I still pay attention to these things. I pay attention when I'm shopping to see who asks my name (sadly, not very many), and even better, who actually remembers it. I do tend to purchase a little more when the experience is more positive.

And back to my bag story that started this, that personalized thank you note has done a lot. Because my bag isn't the basic black I was initially looking for, I am still looking for a black bag. And I may wait until my next visit to Dallas, and rather than checking a department store, I'm definitely going to go back to the boutique store first and see what they have to offer. Maybe my guy will still be there, and if he isn't...I still feel like they're going to take care of me.

And there you go. There's another sale right there. And I feel taken care of..and it totally made my day even more than just my new bag did.

dallas

I went back to Dallas for a long weekend recently, and I must have been crazy because I'd been looking forward to this trip even though August is quite possibly the worst possible month to be in Texas. Well, there was that one time when there were over 30 days in a row with the weather over 100, and I think the bulk of that was in July. But let me just say that on my last full day there, I'm driving in the early evening and am at a stoplight next to a bank. And banks are great for having their electronic signs with the date, time and weather. And what did this sign say? 105.

105. One hundred and five. And I'm sure that was probably without the heat index.

But I kind of liked it (yes, I already noted I must be crazy). Coming from DC, where the air can be so thick with moisture it's difficult to breathe, I would rather have hotter but drier weather. There are parts of Texas where the humidity can be just as bad, but thankfully Dallas isn't one of those places.

It was a great trip. I try to get back whenever I can, but this had been the longest I've gone without a visit (since Christmas!). I had planned a trip in February, but that was postponed first because of snow in DC, and then ultimately canceled because of snow in Dallas. Go figure.

So I basically took a long weekend to check out. I worked on a little writing, ate some delicious Mexican food, sampled tasty margaritas in mango and coconut flavors, and let my sister spoil me with champagne, cinnamon French toast and a fruit salad on my last morning. See why I go back to visit so often?


I want to plan another trip now, one where I would be actively involved in seeing the city again. I thought about perhaps spending a long weekend in Boston, a city that remains in a special place in my heart even though it's been about 10 years since I was last there. But I'm also thinking about a nice little introduction to Italy in a year. I'm thinking...Rome, Naples and maybe Venice. Maybe just Rome and Naples. Naples is definitely high on the list because of, well pizza of course, but also that little volcano named Vesuvius. Yup. Still active.

We'll see. Far too many stamps I want to collect in my passport. But in the meantime, there's always weekends away in Dallas. Maybe just a little more enjoyable in the coming cooler months when the weather will dip to about 17 here, but remain a balmy 85+ back in Big D. Then you won't think I'm so crazy.

sick puppies

I know...what kind of title is that? Well...this will make my parents smile, because it's the name of a new band I heard over the weekend. (Oh boy...I remember playing music in the car when I was younger, and telling my parents it was Garbage, or Nine Inch Nails...or They Might Be Giants).

I don't really listen to the radio much anymore. Actually, haven't for years. Mainly because I couldn't really find stations I liked during college in SoCal or once I moved to DC. I found a couple, but since I'm not a fan of commercials or talk radio (except NPR on occasion, or now...the Ticket) I always found it easier to listen to CDs when out driving.

Whenever I go to Dallas though, I'll have a bunch of CDs to play but I'll also scan through the radio stations every couple of songs or so. And this past weekend, The Edge did not disappoint. There were some classics like Nirvana, Cake, Bush and Smashing Pumpkins, but then while sitting in the parking lot waiting for someone, a new song came on after the one that made me stop and think about first getting my license.

And it was "Maybe," by the Sick Puppies. And I loved it. It was the music, the voice and the lyrics. Pretty much everything I love about music was there. The lyrics totally nail everything about wanting to go out and try something new, something kind of off the beaten path or something you really, really want to do. And maybe it'll be some good motivation. So if you're looking for something new, I'd check this out. I'll be checking out some more songs, but this was definitely on my "to buy" list once I came back to DC today.

sunday mornings

Sunday mornings have always been a morning where breakfast, no matter where or what kind, is always enjoyed at a slow, leisurely pace. There's never a hurry, no errands that have to be run or anywhere to be.

And one of my favorite places to go on nice mornings is to Dean & Deluca in Georgetown. I enjoy the walk through the morning quiet of DC, loving how still and peaceful it is compared to just a few hours later when everyone heads out. And even the main streets of Georgetown are still sleeping, with only a few people heading out to brunch.

On most days when I go, I meet some friends there for coffee and a pastry, or if I'm alone or early, I get a chance to enjoy my book on the stone alley area. This morning the rain held off until I was in line, thankfully, and so the other patrons and I crowded under the overhanging area, my friends having managed to snag a table before the rain fell harder.

I tried something new this morning too. Ordinarily I'll get a vanilla latte and a croissant, but today I tried D&D's coffee and an almond croissant, expecting just a taste of the almonds sprinkled over an otherwise ordinary butter croissant (which is still delicious on its own). But when I pulled off my first taste, there was like...an almond preserve tucked away inside the flaky pastry. It was sweet and almond, almost like solidified almond extract. It was a choice I'll keep in mind for future Sunday mornings.

With the rain I wasn't able to enjoy my book, which I am very excited to be reading and hope to post more on later. While I want to know where this summer went, I am looking forward to the hot days winding down into the more cool mornings of fall so that I can spend more Sunday mornings over more coffees and more almond croissants.

review: let the great world spin by colum mccann

The beginning point for the novel is the walk by Philippe Petit between the World Trade Center towers in 1974. What I liked about this was the way in which the stories about not exactly happened that day with the walk, but with the people on the ground were told in short stories and slowly interwove with each other.

And the stories tie together, all the way through the end. When Claire is first introduced, I had to wonder what she had to do with the story. On Park Avenue, she was far away from the world of the Bronx that is first introduced (after a recap of Ireland), and the prostitutes whose children later play a role. Each character, and the world inhabited by that character, was distinctly developed and there was no blurring between. Which I would imagine is hard to do all in the same novel. Often times there is one world, or a set of characters that you build throughout, but here each one was built in a vignette.

What was incredible were the moments about Petit's walk on the wire. Those paragraphs made everything slow down and the noises become a whisper, as though you were either up there above everything and the world was still, or down below watching and becoming so invested in Petit that everything else just faded away for those few moments.

I loved it. I thought it was a very fitting tribute to the walk, and to New York.

restaurant week dc

I love restaurant week. It's such a great way to either try new restaurants (like the year I tried Marrakesh Palace), or just an excuse to revisit favorites (like Zaytinya). DC's restaurant week is coming soon, beginning August 16 and while the official restaurant week will go until August 22, some restaurants do extend the prix fixe menus another week. So check out the individual restaurant to find out.

Right now I'm finding it tough to decide if I want to check out a new restaurant or head back to those that I love but don't always get a chance to frequent. Hmmm....

summer break

This weekend has been such an incredible break from summer. Don't get me wrong. I love heat and sunshine as much as the next Texan (only please turn down the moisture in the air!), but last weekend was just so brutal. Now granted, I did make some coconut margaritas and spent some time with those and my roof for a bit of a break while still soaking up some sun, but even so I only lasted about 45 minutes on my rooftop.

My godmother was in town this weekend and well, two minds think alike! We met up at Elephant & Castle yesterday and spent a couple hours catching up on their patio. It's one of my favorite summertime places. After some of the summer festivals on the mall, it's good to go have some decent pub food and sit on the patio with some friends and a cold beer.

I know it rained some last night, but so far this weather has continued! I headed out to the grocery store first thing this morning, and all I wanted to do was pretty much just stop and sit down on a bench somewhere. I may be headed out to do more of that shortly.

All of this lazing about outside isn't writing, I'm aware. But yesterday morning I wrote about 10 new pages in my first draft, and if it starts raining again this afternoon like it's supposed to, I'll probably get quite a bit more out there. Still just working on getting from point A to point B for now!

nanowrimo?

I've been in NaNoWriMo mode lately.

Not in the trying to write one book in one month, but just in trying to get the story out there on the screen. The current story I'm working on is something that has been in the back of my mind for years. A large portion of it (ok...the bulk of it) takes place in Montana, and there were years in between my last Montana trip. Knowing that I was headed back out there this summer, I thought now would be the time to get started on it.

However, since it has been percolating for years, there are several scenes that I can see very clearly, only they don't all happen one right after the other. And I'm one of those people that I have to begin at the beginning and write straight through to the ending. I will jot down notes about different scenes, but I most likely won't write out the full scene.

So now I'm writing straight through. And there have been a few short scenes or conversations that I need to work through, but I haven't quite figured out how they should fully go. And at first I struggled with it. I analyzed the dialogue that didn't quite flow, or the structure of the scene...and then I thought...you know what? I may get to the end and decide that it isn't necessary, or something will become clearer to fix it.

I'm just getting from Point A to Point B right now and you know what? This is the reason they call it a first draft. So I moved on. And I'm actually looking forward to finishing and coming back and revising. Maybe it's that I love putting my mind back in Montana, or really loving my characters (despite what I'm doing to them!) and can't wait to get to where it works out. I have no deadline to finish it by the end of July, or even by the end of August, but they say in NaNoWriMo it helps to just get the words out. Layout the groundwork for the story. And then the cleanup can begin.

Okay. Back to it. After all, who wouldn't want to spend time in this place?

48 hour film project

It's been a fairly busy summer and I realized the other day that I hadn't noted the 48 hour film project, or rather how it went. I mentioned it briefly in the beginning of May, but didn't elaborate further on it. As in years past, it reiterated just how much I love writing, crafting a story and creating characters and all that, but also just seeing a story come to life like that and watching the finished project.

We spent Friday evening...or rather the first part sketching out a story line based upon our elements (film noir! how cool was that?). Once the basic story was sketched out and we were sure incorporated all the elements (one of our characters had to have a career related to animals, how are you going to make that noir-esque?) leaving our "horn" for later since we weren't sure right then what kind of horn we'd have. Would it be an animal or musical? I mean...how many people have a horn lying around?

With our schedule, my job was essentially finished Friday night once we had a finished script. And that's not to say that it's an easy job. I think the pressure was a little less this year since it was my third, but also since we didn't have the entire cast and crew assembled. The prior ones I knew they were just in the other room, waiting. But I think too sketching out the story fully first was a huge help. I knew scene by scene what was coming, I just had to flesh it out with dialogue.

Since I wasn't really needed and the trains not running much due to maintenance, I didn't plan on spending all day on Saturday at the set. Of course once I did arrive early afternoon, I was reminded of how much fun it is to be on set. It's really cool to watch your words come alive with the sets and the actions and of course the dialogue. So I stayed up until we wrapped Saturday night. And thankfully I made it to the metro shortly before a train came by. The night before I'd had to wait thirty minutes!

Seeing as how the trains were hit or miss on Sunday, I didn't head back to hang out and watch the editing. So let me tell you, Sunday was kind of rough. I could not wait to see how it turned out! And I'm not good with waiting. I was definitely very, very excited about the finished product. Our actors were fantastic and I'm sure we'll be seeing great things from them in the future. And of course, we had an incredible crew. I'm just thankful to have been a part of it!

And by the way, I hope you caught our homage to the 1920s?

june was a busy month!

Yup, I was a little quiet in June, without intending to be. I even had another post that I had started, and didn't quite get the chance to finish and put up. June ended up being a month of traveling. I first prepared to leave DC for just a little over a week to meet some family up in Montana (yup, the picture above is where I spent summer vacation), and then I traveled some for work, which was a fantastic experience and I visited two countries that I might not have visited otherwise. One maybe, but the other one was, regrettably, off my radar.

I was also working on a new story. But even that was pushed aside some during the craziness of the last few weeks. I am not now expecting to travel anywhere for the time being, so I'm looking forward to the chance to work on this blog more, really develop my story that I've had in mind for several years, and also work on a new idea I am developing with my sister. Perhaps the great thing with this last item is that it involves food: recipes, new ingredients, restaurants...the things we love.

Montana was, in a word, amazing. And cold. I landed and the pilot said the weather was about 42. 42?! I'd left 90s in DC...and while I had expected 70s, I had not expected to be chilled. Did I miss crossing the equator? Last I had checked, it was June.

Thankfully it did warm up and the rain even stopped and I had several days of beautiful sun. We could not make it to the top of Glacier's Going to the Sun road for one of my favorite hikes, the Hidden Lake hike, but we did see a new part of Glacier. And, on my last full day, I saw a bear!
It was from the safety of the car, and I couldn't get a clear picture of it...but I did see it! Not sure if it was a black bear or a young grizzly, but it made my day. And then it was bittersweet to leave. No matter how much I love my vacation, there's nothing like being back in my own place...even if it was for only two days before I left for my work trip.

And now I will finally make the Huckleberry scone mix I bought to take into my office today, and also work some more on my novel, which incidentally takes place mostly in Montana. Hmmm...sounds like I might have to go back for another research trip. What do you think?

new story

I think I've mentioned this before, that new story feeling that's exhilarating. I've had this idea for awhile now, something kind of lurking in the back of my mind while I worked on...well, the current work in progress. But this morning I thought I'd try a new track. I'd use a journal a friend brought me back from a trip overseas to try to start crafting a story longhand and where I can take with me to work on bits and pieces whenever the mood strikes. I thought it'd be an interesting experience.

This morning I sat down and in a stream of consciousness type exercise, sketched out a basic storyline. And you know, there is something to letting an idea percolate! While I had the very, very basic idea, I was a little surprised by some of the different details I threw in there (and no, I'm not going to give anything away. Just yet).

And then I had to give these characters names. Which has always been one of my favorite parts of the beginning writing process. As Shakespeare says, "what's in a name?" And quite honestly, a lot. A name says a lot about people. Think about it. What kind of person comes to mind if you heard the name Agnes. Or Riley. Maybe Francois. And even more than just the characteristics I associate with a name, I often will look at the meaning behind a name if I'm going for something really specific. That is of course if there isn't a name that jumps out of me and says "Yes! I'm for your character!"

I had to leave it at that this morning. But let's just say I'm really looking forward to lunch today when I can start with the first few tentative outline notes.

rolling thunder 2010

I first heard about the Rolling Thunder rally from my Dad, who took part in at least one run back in the day. And when I first decided to come out to DC for a semester, one of the arguments for the spring term was witnessing Rolling Thunder (I ended up opting for the fall...wanting to actually witness a fall and also DC at Christmas). It didn't matter so much since less than a year after my semester, I moved out here. And that first spring, I couldn't wait to see it.

But that was about four years ago. Since then, it was on my mind, but either rain threatened or I mixed up the days. This year, the weather promised sunshine and warmth, and I knew I had to take another trip down to the mall.

If you're not familiar with what Rolling Thunder is, it's a motorcycle rally/demonstration started in 1987 to bring attention to the POW/MIA issue. And if you've ever heard the sound of a Harley, let alone even a small group, you can easily imagine why it was so named (And let me tell you, there is nothing like hearing that thunder!). I haven't seen numbers for this year's run, but the Rolling Thunder website says that there were possibly 500,000 riders in 2005.

And if you can make it up to DC for the Memorial Day weekend, it is more than worth it. The demonstration for our veterans, POW/MIAs is very moving, and not only is it worth it to witness it, but it is more than worth it to add support and appreciation for those who fight for us.

To those who have served, those we encounter every day and those who have not made it home: Thank You.

the importance of the first line

I decided today that the break was over. After doing a slightly major overhaul of my rough draft (changing the ummm....point of view), I took a bit of a break to let the story marinate from this new viewpoint. And now it's time to go back to it.

So I sat down, opened up the latest draft that I had...and knew instantly that I needed to rewrite the first sentence.

The first sentence is what sets the tone of the book and draws you in. It has to be engaging, without fully revealing. It has to set the stage, without being a very simple descriptive but possibly throw-away line. The importance is shown just by how many first lines there are: Tolstoy (the happy and unhappy families), Dickens (best and worst of times), Austen (searching for a wife), Melville, Nabokov, and many, many more.

In order to get into the spirit, I went through several novels and read the first lines. Of course now I have hindsight, but I could instantly see where one novel was slightly more contemporary, others darker, some lighter with just the faintest tinge of humor, and others more melancholy. Each first sentence fit perfectly with the story I had read.

Many articles I've read always talk about the first five pages and how important those are. And yes, they are important, because it confirms that attention garnered from that first sentence will be held. How many times though have you gone to the store, found a slightly interesting book, opened it and read that first sentence, only to put it back on the shelf?

I've done it a few times. Not necessarily always because it didn't draw me in...sometimes it just didn't seem like the kind of book I was in the mood to read. There it is again. Mood. Tone. All of that for a whole 200ish page book set out in the first sentence.

Yeah. No pressure there.

So now that I've even increased my pressure after my brief 10-minute research around my apartment, I need to get back to my first sentence. Especially since happy and unhappy families has already been taken.

busy weekends

I've had two fairly full weekends the last two weeks. The first was unplanned, and the second was one I had been looking forward to for some time.

For those not in DC, there were several events around Earth Day, culminating in an Earth day rally down on the mall, which featured several speakers and bands. I hadn't planned to go because that whole weekend the forecast ominously predicted lots of rain with a sprinkling of thunderstorms. And while I love Sting, I wasn't looking forward to standing out in the rain.

But the rally's luck held and the rain held out. I headed down in mid to late afternoon when the sun was struggling to come out, but by the end of the rally, the sun had definitely lost and it grew very cold (and I'd left my light jacket at home since I hadn't needed it earlier!).

Then this past weekend I took part in the 48 hour film project again. If you're not familiar with, it's basically exactly what it says: make a film in 48 hours. And you're given a genre to work within, a character, a prop and a line of dialogue to incorporate into the script. This is the third time I've done this, working as a screenwriter in our group, and it just gets more fun.

The trains weren't working great over the weekend, which made the commute to the locations less fun. But that was a small complaint. On Saturday when I went to check out filming, I had only planned to stick around for maybe an hour or two. But...I ended up staying until filming wrapped. It's just such a fun and interesting process. There are a lot of people involved in making a movie, even a short one. And had the trains been running on schedule without track maintenance, I would have gone out on Sunday to watch some of the editing.

This week AFI will be screening the films, so wish us all luck! I can't wait to see the finished product.

visitors

Having people visit is always a good excuse to go out and do those things that, well...you normally don't do because they're always there. Like the Archives.


Some people I knew from high school visited DC last weekend, and I had the chance to play tour guide for a little while and it was a nice reminder of why I love DC. An evening of catching up turned into a tour of the monuments at night, and then the next day, brunch turned into a walk down to Penn Quarter (with stops at Pershing Park and Freedom Plaza) and a quick look at the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

I haven't gone to the Archives since either I studied out here for a semester or shortly after I moved here. Either way, it's been a long time. I'm down in that area quite a bit, but not to the museum itself.

Kind of makes me look forward to my sister visiting again in the fall. When she visited last year, it was the time I finally saw the Hope diamond (one of those, "it's always here so I can see it whenever" things), and went back to the Spy Museum for the first time since I moved here. And the zoo, which I love but don't go nearly as often as I should.

So last weekend I rediscovered some places to hang out over the weekend, just to take my book down there for a few hours like I did at the Navy Memorial. This city has so many great spots like that.

Any other great spots that I may have missed?