writing in dc

moved!

2010-12-23T02:14:00.000Z

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

2010-12-08T03:10:00.001Z

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

2010-12-03T00:54:00.000Z

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

2010-11-17T01:13:00.000Z

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

2010-11-14T17:31:00.000Z

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

2010-11-13T14:43:00.001Z

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"

2010-11-03T01:23:00.000Z

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

2010-10-30T12:44:00.000Z

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

2010-10-28T02:06:00.000Z

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!

2010-10-22T11:23:00.002Z

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

2010-10-17T15:51:00.000Z

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

2010-10-14T11:00:00.002Z

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

2010-10-11T19:00:00.002Z

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

2010-10-07T10:58:00.001Z

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

2010-10-04T11:20:00.003Z

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

2010-10-01T11:27:00.002Z

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

2010-09-30T11:34:00.004Z

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

2010-09-25T21:04:00.003Z

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

2010-09-22T11:22:00.004Z

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

2010-09-09T11:16:00.002Z

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

2010-09-02T10:39:00.004Z

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

2010-08-30T22:40:00.002Z

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

2010-08-29T19:16:00.004Z

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

2010-08-24T22:16:00.003Z

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

2010-08-15T16:13:00.005Z

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

2010-08-11T11:31:00.005Z

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

2010-08-07T12:21:00.003Z

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

2010-08-01T13:20:00.002Z

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?

2010-07-24T13:54:00.003Z

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

2010-07-18T13:23:00.001Z

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!

2010-07-05T11:01:00.003Z

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

2010-06-08T11:41:00.003Z

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

2010-05-31T14:40:00.005Z

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

2010-05-08T14:26:00.003Z

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

2010-05-04T10:38:00.003Z

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

2010-04-24T11:15:00.003Z

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?

spring!

2010-04-12T11:21:00.006Z

So I know I have been absent from posting, but I've been busy spending a lot of time outside enjoying the spring weather. Especially all that snow and cold we had this winter (we're good for a few years now, right?).

I have also been finishing up some first person revisions. See, while I was starting to work on some revisions, and thinking of different plot points, I came to think that the novel I wrote would actually work better in first person. Which, ironically, is what I first started writing it in. So...I went through and rewrote, paragraph by paragraph, the draft in first person. I made a few small edits, but overall I didn't work on any other revisions. I finished those over the weekend, and now already have a few ideas. But I'm just going to take a short break and work on a short story idea I've had in my head for awhile before going back to it.

And of course, catch up on some reading, which I did this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday I spent some time outside reading with either an iced soy chai or a bubble tea. Sunday I had a bubble tea from Teaism in Penn Quarter, and sat at the Navy Memorial and read for a bit...and I think I've found a new favorite spot.

Ok. Enjoy spring! I'm already looking forward to next weekend for some more outside time. But in the meantime, I guess these pictures are just going to have to do.

so what's with st. patrick's day?

2010-03-13T15:57:00.003Z

"The great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad. For all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad."
- G.K. Chesterton

Well, it's that time of year again. St. Patrick's Day. And I have already seen the green out in full force...even if I did think it was a little too early. I can understand parades and all today, since St. Patrick's Day falls in the middle of the week, but two weeks early like I saw last week? Well...that's just a little too early.

Hmm...I should say not too early to celebrate being Irish (because if you are, then you should be happy with that every day) but a little too early for all that green and shiny, sparkly green. Somehow, I really doubt that St. Patrick had a shining Mardi-Gras like beaded necklace of green shamrocks.

So why St. Patrick's Day? And what does that have to do with being Irish? Very, very briefly: St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was kidnapped from Britain and brought over as a slave in Ireland. The legend says that he was able to escape after a dream told him to the very next day. And he did...and returned home. But then later he felt a calling to return to Ireland and spread Christianity. And, again, according to legend, he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity...which is why the shamrock is also such a symbol of Christianity.

His day was March 17th, which is supposedly the day that he died. In a book on Irish history I read fairly recently, it noted that centuries ago as the Irish spread across the world, they used this day to kind of reconnect with the homeland and culture. But regardless, St. Patrick's Day has definitely become a day when "everyone's Irish," as they say.

Anyway, just a little background info in case you've ever wondered what all the fuss was about.

"When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious."
- Edna O'Brien

percy jackson and greek mythology

2010-02-28T19:54:00.004Z

Just a very quick post for a movie recommendation. Well, and a book recommendation tied into that too, I guess.

So yesterday I went to see The Lightening Thief in theatres, and I loved it. I have to admit that I had kind of been looking forward to seeing this movie for a long time. About a year or so ago, I got around to reading the book, and my first reaction was that I was kind of upset with it. I was upset with it, because I wanted to know where this series was when I was that age.

I thought it was such a cool idea, putting the Greek gods into today's world, and having them be just as meddlesome and dramatic as ever. Growing up, I loved Greek mythology. I still do, of course, but I used to read anything I could that would give me more stories about the gods. Any guesses as to my favorite god?*

So yes, the book is a suggested read, and I recommend the movie. As with any adaptation, there were some things that were left out. But I can honestly say that I didn't mind so much. I think the actors were all fantastic, mortal, god and demigod alike. And of course the Fury was awfully creepy. I thought the "kids" were a little bit older than I had pictured in the books, but again, it didn't bother me so much. It's been awhile since I read the books, so that could have been part of it. But also somewhat older kids, like in the movie, are probably more likely to be going off on their own like that.

I'll admit it. I'm kind of already looking forward to the DVD and the second one. My inner-nerd is happy. To recap my short post: excellent story idea and a pretty good cinematic adaptation.

*If you guessed Athena, you'd be correct!

even the best laid plans...

2010-02-15T13:17:00.002Z

I was supposed to do some travel over the long weekend, hopefully going somewhere a little warmer than DC where the snow and the cold could have free rein while I was away. But...that did not quite work out the way I had planned. My trip, ultimately, was canceled, and while at the time I was of course upset, I now fully appreciate the irony.

I first had to reschedule out of DC because of snow here. That was not ideal, but it was ok. I was able to reschedule for an early morning flight the very next day. I figured I could live with that, even if it meant leaving for the airport just after the middle of the night to give plenty of time to get through the snowdrifts.

But then I had to reschedule my trip again because of snow. At my destination. And this was not a place that sees much snow, and so of course their "severe winter weather" was a couple of inches, compared to the massive amounts of inches piling up around the capital. But here my luck ran out. I was not able to reschedule a flight out until the day before I was supposed to return. I would have had less than 24 hours of vacation.

So I canceled. And you know...I've also decided to look at it this way. For the amount of flying I do, I have not had many major issues. I figure I was due...and I would rather have had it been this weekend than say Christmas, or over my trip to Paris that I finally took a few months ago.

It would of course have been nice to be in the south where their snow is already gone, and they're cold with 50 degrees, but I'll be back. And the weekend here gave me a chance to catch up on other things. And also give myself more work to do. On one writing project, a little over halfway through the edits, I decided it would probably work better in first person, rather than third. Ironically this was something I thought when I first started too.

I am now rewriting from the beginning. But also taking a look at it as a time to edit. Let's see how this goes.

snow part II

2010-02-08T16:20:00.005Z

Though I guess really I should edit my last post to be "snow: the prequel." If you haven't heard on the news, and don't live anywhere near here, then you may not be aware that DC saw a lot of snow over the weekend. A lot. Probably more snow than I've ever seen in my life (visits to Montana excluded since it's expected there. Practically mandatory).

And being out in the aftermath on Sunday, with the most beautiful clear blue sky with wisps of clouds and a blanket of whiteness covering the ground, I was again reminded that DC is an absolutely beautiful city. That thought hits me periodically, among the cherry blossoms or with fall leaves blazing against a blue sky...flowers coming up after the quiet of winter.

But the blizzard also had a few interesting moments. For one, mostly on Saturday during a short break in the torrents of snow falling down, the few people that were out had free rein of the streets, walking in the middle where the ground was much more solid. No worries about cars for once (and for more on that, please see my earlier post about being a pedestrian in DC). And there was something else too...something that made me realize it wasn't just me.

See, snow makes me happy. When it falls, it's beauty is calming and I could sit for hours with hot chocolate, a book and a window and just watch it fall. And that I have done before. But when I was out taking pictures...I realized I wasn't the only one who was made happy by the snow fall. For the first time, I traded many smiles and "good mornings" with those I passed in the streets and made way for a good camera shot.

For some reason, it opened people up, in ways that I see more often in Texas than here. Too often, we Washingtonians, hurry to work with our headphones, passing people by without eye contact, without a smile or a "good morning," especially in cold weather when we're hunched over trying as best as possible to protect ourselves from those bitter cold winds rushing down the downtown wind tunnels. I know because I'm guilty of this too.

But it was a nice change.

snow

2010-01-30T20:41:00.003Z

You know one thing I love about snow? Besides the obvious of course, of it just being snow and so warranting my love to begin with.

The quiet.

It has been snowing now nearly all day since I've been up, and shortly after it started, I shut off my computer and curled up with my book to read. And a calm quiet settled in my apartment, and even in the hallway where I hardly heard anyone stirring. It was as though my building decided to stay inside with the heat, our large windows and just enjoy a day of...well...doing nothing.

But even when I stepped outside to pick up a few items for the rest of the weekend, it struck me just how quiet it was outside. With the snow still falling, there weren't many cars out, and those that were drove slowly. The people around kept their voices down, like talking would break the mesmerizing spell of the snow.

And you know...it's kind of nice.

I'm back home now, I've finished my book and am sitting here with a cup of sipping chocolate, back at work on editing, and the snow is coming down harder now for a spell. And while it has been an extremely unproductive day, it has been one of the best days I've had in awhile.

pedestrian friendly

2010-01-16T13:52:00.005Z

I generally try to keep complaints away from here, but there have been two very similar incidences within the last few weeks that I feel like I should share. Those of us who live in very pedestrian heavy cities have, I'm sure, had the few encounters of people ignoring the pedestrian right of way. And now I'm not talking about the given, but the hard-to-deny right of way. You know, when the traffic going the direction you're going has a green light and you have the little white man. Not even the flashing orange hand. Hard to argue that.

The last two weeks, I have had two instances where the driver with a red light wanted to turn right. So not only have they inched forward to almost obscure the crosswalk, but they're not even looking on their right side, only the left. Once there's a break in traffic, however small, they drop a weight on the gas and speed forward to make their turn.

Only...there's a person there. Namely me.

In all the years I've lived here, there have been several similar instances. But both of these were very, very close and happened so close together. And in both instances, had I not stepped back (or more appropriately, jumped back with a shout of surprise) I would have gotten clipped. Now in the first case, the driver did see me even if she'd already nearly hit me, and apologized through the windshield profusely. This driver also stopped and let me continue crossing (how nice since I had the 'green' light).

The second instance was a little different. After about three cars had turned right, well before I reached the point of collision, the fourth driver who nearly hit me swerved only a little (and I also sped up the second I got over my initial surprise) and sped past me. And did I even get a "sorry," through the windshield from the driver or the passenger? Nope.

My point is this. If you live in a pedestrian heavy area...please pay attention to us. Even a small clip to one of us can do some heavy damage. We don't have the protection of 3,000 pounds of car with air bags to protect us. It's just us and...well, your 3,000 pounds of car. If you have a red light and are trying to make a right turn...please remember to check your right side. Because there might just be one of us trying to get to work just as quickly as you are. We understand your hurry.

first day in Paris

2010-01-10T15:12:00.007Z

Only once can you experience Paris for the first time. I feel like I'd heard that somewhere, or read it, but it was what went through my mind as my plane descended into Charles de Gaulle and I was finally going to see the city that had captured my imagination and my heart for so many years.

And it didn't disappoint. Once you step out of the metro onto the street in the Latin Quarter, turning the corner to the tiny side street where the hotel is, you see the boutiques, the buildings with the iron balconies practically right up against the street, the narrow roads with the motorcycles and vespas, and then you think that...yes, I'm in Paris. Finalement!

I'd been expecting it to rain pretty much the entire time we were there. But this first day turned out to be a beautiful day. After dropping our bags and changing at the hotel, we headed up to the Seine to the Pont Royal and the Tuileries. This was from the start of a walking tour of the bridges that we thought would be a good introduction, only we got distracted by what was on the right bank after crossing the bridge. Across from the Tuileries was the Louvre, and then walking through the garden, after many pictures, of course, was the Place de la Concorde just before the Champs-Élysées.

It turned out there was a holiday market there, and so we purchased a chocolate crêpe and then a cup of hot Christmas wine and strolled along the avenue, looking at all the trinkets for sale or the store fronts. And up ahead was the Arc de Triomphe, not yet lit up in the sunset. However, when we crossed to the other side, underground of course and not through that traffic, the sun had fully set and the Arc was lit up with the moon just above it.

The last stop of the night was the Tour Eiffel. You can't come to Paris without seeing it, at least not the first time. And now granted, you can see it from so many places around Paris, kind of like the Washington Monument here in DC. But it's not the same as looking up at it from its base.

Walking around Paris was not only a nice introduction our first afternoon there, but it was also a nice way to begin to get acclimated to the metro system. We took the metro to the Eiffel Tower and then back to our hotel, switching lines as needed. And of course there was the initial ride in the morning from the airport where we had to switch to the RER and then to the metro.

Even from just that one afternoon, I knew that I wanted to come back. The first trip to Paris is spent seeing all those wonderful things that have been talked about, filmed and photographed...all those images of Paris I'd seen throughout the years. But walking around, there are many more places to explore. And even of those places that everyone knows, there are more wings in the museums to discover, more boutiques to shop in, more cafes to try...

So yes. I'll be back. But in the meantime, I can relive my trip vicariously through these posts.

new year

2010-01-02T13:47:00.002Z

Happy New Year!

I know, I'm a day late, but I took yesterday off from pretty much everything to just chill. Well, I cooked and I wrote...and caught up on some reading too. I know...tough day, huh?

But I didn't make any resolutions. I think I've talked about this in year's past, but I'm not big on resolutions. If there's something I want to change, I'll try to just do it, no matter what time of year. But if I am trying to pick a day to start, I prefer my birthday. To me it just seems to make more sense thinking of what I want to accomplish during the next year of my life, rather than the next calendar year.

I also have a feeling that 2010 is going to be a good year, and that's not just hoping that there's truth to the power of positive thinking. For one, it just sounds good. You know? Twenty-ten, vs. two thousand and nine. Although I do have to say that last year's going to be a little tough to top. For starters...I finally went to Paris in 2009, something I'd dreamed about since before the two-thousands. That alone is going to be hard to beat.

But it's a new year...a decade marker. I'm sure I'll come up with something. Italy? Or I've been leaning towards Ireland too.

I'm looking forward to it. It just seems kind of surreal to be writing 2010 already. Where did the last year go?

webrings

2009-12-13T15:31:00.003Z

Ok, so random thought today. Shortly after I woke up this morning, and planning out my day and writing and all of that, I thought about webrings. Maybe because I was thinking about websites after a discussion with my sister yesterday.

Do you remember those?

I assume they're still around, but maybe it's because I can't remember the last time I came across one. The idea was a good one, and also very time consuming. Back in the mid-90s, when dial-up was still the new thing and was all the rage and I looked through all these sites through my Netscape, I used to spend so much time online! Granted, I still do, but in other aspects. Now it's checking emails, checking the social networking sites (playing Scrabble on Facebook), but then it was just...browsing.

I even once wondered what I used to do with all that time online. In junior high, it's not like there are a whole lot of options you can do in the evenings, or staying up late night, especially once the homework was finished (of course the homework would always be finished first). And sometimes it was just clicking through the webrings or even looking at a directory and seeing which ones sounded interesting.

Hmmm...the internet was a different place then. Although, you know what? I kind of like it now. If anything, it helps me boost my scrabble score when it comes to playing in real life.

You know what they say: Practice makes perfect!

paris

2009-12-06T12:22:00.005Z

I started taking French freshman year of high school, and I fell absolutely and completely head over heels in love with the language, with the culture...the history...practically everything. I couldn't wait to go to France, particularly Paris, and experience all of that first hand.

Well...about 12 years later...I finally went.

And it was worth it. Yes, it was worth the wait, in a way. Then also when I was down walking along the Seine, I just thought that within the last few years, I could have managed another trip or two to Paris and already been here a few times. But that's pretty much besides the point. The point is that I loved Paris and I'm already trying to figure out when would be a good time to go back.

I wrote down some thoughts and what I did each day of the four days that I was there, and I'll come back and write those out a little more fully. Because you can't devote only a few sentences or even a paragraph to Versailles or to the Seine or to the little side streets and cafes with some of the most incredible coffee I've ever had.

I just can't believe it took me so long to get there. And yes, it was everything I had hoped it would be, and then some. Four days was a great introduction to Paris, but now it will be time to go back and go beyond that brief introduction to learn more about its history, and the way that some of the stairs sagged at the sides from centuries of use, and to sit outside the cafes with my latte and watch Paris life unfold.

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

-Ernest Hemingway

sleep alone

2009-11-21T13:21:00.004Z

The other day I came across a new song, that right now, I can't seem to get enough of. The song is "Sleep Alone," by Bat for Lashes. A clip of the song was on a recent Vampire Diaries episode. After just hearing the music alone, before any vocals, I had to have it. It was haunting.

Thankfully the internet is around. So I was able to look it up and buy it, able to listen to it in full right then, and put it on my ipod for my walk to and from work. It's also definitely on the playlist I have for writing. There are a couple of scenes that I definitely would love to have the same feel as the song. Hmmm...what I mean is that when I wrote them, I knew the ambiance I wanted these scenes to have, and then when I heard the song, I thought "that's it!"

I have always loved music that has this kind of dark beat, with light, feminie vocals over them. I've always thought it's such a unique and beautiful juxtaposition, you know? Think Sarah McLachlan's Silence, or even just a lot Sarah McLachlan's work.

Now it's back to writing, with Sleep Alone definitely on the playlist.

now boarding zones 1 and 2...so why are the rest of you up here?

2009-11-11T00:39:00.002Z

Ok. I think someone's got to say it. And it may as well be me. There is something I have not understood about airplane boarding. If you're not called...then why are you crowding the area around the door? We're all going on the same plane...and last time I checked, if your seat's assigned to you, then it's not like you're going to be able to move up front.

I know. It's so people can find a place for their bags. Which is why I check mine. It's less of a hassle. You don't have to worry about taking out your bag of shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser, and whatever else you've managed to fit in there. There's no worry of finding bin space, or it being so heavy that it slows you down if you're rushing through the next airport to make a connection.

The reason I ask is because of common courtesy. When they call my zone, I'd like to board with my zone. It's difficult to find the back of the line when those whose numbers have not been called are slowly inching around to be first once their zone is called.

Yes, this happened to me over the weekend. I was waiting for my second flight to board, sitting down comfortably and reading, when my zone was called. I was looking forward to finding my seat, sitting back and continuing my book. So when my zone was called, I got up and wandered over to the boarding area, only...there was this large crowd with some people inching forward. Not wanting to cut in line, I stood back and tried to find...well, the back. And then the next zone was called, and half that crowd rushed forward....including someone whose carry on must have been twice the size of the allowed limit. Yes, it did take him time to find a bin and yes...I did have to wait in the front of the plane while he tried to fit his bag in.

Common courtesy. If your zone isn't called...please try to make sure you're not confusing those who wait patiently to find their seats. Again...we're all going to the same place. It's not like the plane is going to fill up and leave you without a seat.

NaNoWriMo 2009

2009-10-30T01:53:00.002Z

Awww...exactly two years today, I signed up on NaNoWriMo (for those of you not in the know, that's National Novel Writing Month). Not that I remember exactly what day, but when I logged in today, it lists the date you joined.

To be honest though, I wasn't planning on signing in at all this year. I finished my novels the last two years, using it as an exercise to just get the ideas out, and it was really good. This year, however, I already knew was going to be a little crazy. I'm currently taking a class, so I have homework, plus I've got some travel that will cut into my writing time too. Though, I'm not complaining about the travel.

But...well then we started talking about it. And then of course I thought of the great motivation that is the word count bar, and even the graph, where you can visualize your progress. Plus, there's the added competition of trying to just get five more words than your friend before going to sleep.

And I also have this idea I've been playing around with, not really sure if it could go anywhere, but I would like to start writing and see where it goes.

So. Am I going to do it again?

Let's just say I'm thinking about.

french press

2009-10-26T11:07:00.002Z

So it felt like several years ago the French press became all the rage, despite it being a brewing method around for 160 years or so. They seemed to be everywhere and I heard quite regularly how great a cup of coffee made from a French press was.

But, like many fads, this one seemed to quietly fade. It was still there, of course. There was even some restaurant I heard of that served after dinner coffee in little French presses (how cute!). Somehow though, I had missed this. Despite my love of coffee, I never got around to trying it.

Until the other week. A few months ago, I won one in my writer's group, which made me a very happy girl since I've long wanted to try it out. Of course, a few months go by and I still haven't. Finally I got it out from the cabinet, washed it up and scanned over the directions and tried it with my favorite Sumatra blend coffee.

The result?

A resounding yum!

It's so much smoother than coffee brewed in my regular coffee pot, and maybe a little more bold. It's not as warm, but maybe that's just because I'm afraid of cracking the pot and my water could be a little warmer, but so far it hasn't been a problem. Plus, if I make more than a cup, which I normally do, it's not sitting on a burner continually heating up, but on my countertop. This I may have to tweak a little.

But it's definitely delicious, if you're a coffee drinker. Whereas before I looked forward to making a pot of coffee on the weekends and getting a little writing done, I'm now looking forward to my French press and my draft. There have even been a few mornings before work where I've made some. I didn't today, but it's definitely become a favorite.

finally fall

2009-10-17T12:37:00.002Z

Actually, maybe not quite as much into fall as I thought. When I first started forming this post in my head, it was cold and raining, and that was pretty much the forecast for the next 10 days. A few moments ago I looked again, and after tomorrow it's supposed to be up in the 50s and...if you can believe it, then up in the 60s.

Still though, today...it's definitely fall.

Over Columbus Day weekend, I took a train out to the beach to just get out of the city for a little. It's always good to take a little bit of a breather away from everything, and disconnect. I brought my laptop and did a little bit of writing, though I think the most was on the train ride home. But this trip is what sparked my fall post.

Riding through Virginia, it was so beautiful! There were patches of golden fields, shades of red and orange on the leaves, though still mostly dark green...for now. But it reminded me of how beautiful fall is. Again, keep in mind I come from the South where...well, the only leaf color change is from bright green to a dead brown. Hmmm...not quite the stuff of poetry.

But though it's been almost painfully cold at times, because the rain and wetness doesn't play well with cold and wind, it's been ok. I love this time of year because it's cozy. It says: down comforters, movies, and lots of hot chocolate.

And it's also a good atmosphere to write. But there will definitely be a few evenings where I'll say I'm going to go write, but will be curled up under warm blankets watching a movie, while the wind howls outside and the cold chases everyone else indoors.

music education

2009-09-22T01:11:00.004Z

I'm a writer that works best with background music. I've already written about my writing playlists, and how it sets the mood for a scene I'm working on, or a character. Music has always been a big part of my life. I grew up listening to music from the '50s, '60s, '70s and a little into the '80s. And of course in my formative years, I was very much in love with the Seattle grunge scene, and then on into the trance and electronic scene (yeah...no one said my taste in music was selective).

And I have distinct memories of dancing around my den with my father to everything from classic rock to soul. The music there would be so loud at times I'd have to shout up to him...ok, maybe some of that could have been due to my height as an eight year old or something. But still...

And I also have distinct memories of being sent to bed on the other side of the house, and could feel the music vibrate through my walls and hear it coming through my partially open door. And I loved it. Maybe that's why I now have to constantly have music on. I'm not such a big fan of the pure silence.

Tonight, for some reason, I had Otis Redding stuck in my head. Yeah, you can probably guess the one. I'll give you a hint: "Watching the ships roll in, / And I'll watch 'em roll away again, yeah, / I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay..."

Was that the one you were thinking of?

Anyway, I checked out iTunes, but kind of wanted a little more than just that song. So then I went over to Amazon and have found my one new item to stick to the top of my Christmas wishlist: The Incredible Soul Collection. Maybe when I was 16 I would have felt lame for wanting "oldies" music, but at 26, I just have to think "man, did I grow up with some great music!"

I know, I know...It wasn't my time, but I did grow up with it. I started listening to the Amazon sampler, and the first song just totally made my night. And each one, I was thought back to my den so many years ago. I like to pass along recommendations, though I don't do it too often on here. But this CD I will. And I'm sure there are others that are slightly different, but just as good. That's the beauty of Amazon. You can just keep going through and finding more.

hope diamond

2009-09-06T15:33:00.003Z

My sister was in town visiting, and her first day here we walked around Chinatown and then on to the Mall. While heading down to the WWII monument, we passed the Museum of Natural History, and I recalled that there was something there said to be very big, and very shiny, that we might want to see: the Hope Diamond. I've lived here for several years now and still had not seen it.

We went up to see it, and I have to admit I was kind of expecting a little more. Granted, it was beautiful. It's such a deep, rich blue, but I guess because of all the hype I expected something a little more exotic (though that's probably more due to the curse than anything).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not turning my nose up at it. It was beautiful. But it's that whole phenomonen of having something so built up that it would have to have been boulder sized probably to live up to that. Ok, maybe a small boulder. And I also wasn't expecting it to be blue. I pictured it just like any other diamond. But in all fairness, it has been resized twice.

I have heard from others though who also expected it to be a little bigger. Anyone else? Or did it exceed your expectations?

mixed tapes

2009-08-30T13:28:00.003Z

I watched this movie the other night, a pretty recent one, but set in 1985. And the main character was so excited when his friend gave him a mixed tape. And I just thought...."awww...I remember making my own!"

There's just something that seems to make the mix tapes a little more...personal. I don't know, maybe it's just me. But I wonder if it's also maybe because of the time it took to make one. With CDs now, we know exactly how much time is left and the program will usually tell you if the final song will go over the allotted time.

But with tapes, it took time to make them. There was the first five seconds of silence to go through, and then trying to calculate how many songs, at what length, would fit on one side of the tape without stopping one song in the middle. And if you did...well, who hasn't had a tape with songs that cut off right in the middle?

Now it's so simple to create playlists for iTunes and other mp3 players, and it's great when you can easily create multiple ones the moment you think about it. You don't have to stop and think about which songs and how long they are. But...it's not as much work. It doesn't seem to have to the care and effort that tapes had.

Just a random thought.

my so-called life

2009-08-12T10:54:00.004Z

The other night I headed on over to Hulu, thinking that maybe I'd watch an episode of Chuck from season 2...because it's taking too long to come out on DVD with Netflix. But...when I got to Hulu, I discovered something even better.

My So-Called Life is currently up in its entirety.

I don't know about you, but that was one of my favorite shows! If I didn't want to be Angela, I wanted to know her, to have a friend like her. And I know that I definitely wanted to know a Jordan Catalano.

There were definitely moments where I knew exactly what they were talking about. I'd had those thoughts, or would have those thoughts very soon and relate over the reruns. And what's interesting is to go back and watch it now. The show was on when I was in Junior High, and then I caught some reruns occasionally throughout high school...but once college started...I don't think it was ever on. Or if it was, I didn't see an episode. I don't think that I've watched it in the decade since I started driving. It's interesting to watch the show now as an "adult," after I've had all those experiences.

"What's amazing is when you can feel your life going somewhere. Like, your life has just figured out how to get good. Like, that second." - Angela Chase

Oh, and another great show on Hulu? 21 Jump Street. I used to love catching the reruns. And yeah, Johnny Depp has always been cool.

author interview: michael sullivan

2009-08-03T23:33:00.017Z

Author Michael Sullivan will be at the Barnes and Noble at 7pm in Clarendon this Wednesday for a signing for his Riyria Revelations series, of which the third book, Nyphron Rising, will be available this October. Please click here for more information on the books and on additional tour dates. If you're looking for good storytelling, I definitely recommend looking up this series. Michael has graciously answered some questions I've had after reading the first two books in the series.

PH: What do you think makes the fantasy genre so appealing? What is it that you like about it?

MS: As a reader, I enjoy the themes usually found in the typical fantasy story. The heroic struggle of good against evil where good is made up of archetype, underdog characters that triumph in the end. It sounds simplistic, and trite, but I prefer it to more complex, “sophisticated,” themes often found other genres.

As a writer, it is just plain fun. The non-fantasy books I’ve written required large amounts of research. The most mundane things demand extravagant investigation. If a character spends even a brief amount of time in a police car, I would need to research what the interior of that vehicle is like. I could make it up, but there are a large number of potential readers who would know the difference. My stories invariably involve law enforcement, hospitals, and other institutions and settings that I don’t have firsthand knowledge of. Before I can write I need to spend lots of time either going to these places, talking to people, or doing research.

Fantasy requires no research at all. As it happens I actually do a great deal of historical study to add realism, but I don’t have to. As long as I am true to the internal rules that I set down, then as the author I can never be wrong. This allows me to jump right in and write, like getting to play without doing the chores first. In addition, as everything in the story world is of my creation there is a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. After all, who wouldn’t want to be able to play god for a little while?

PH: There were several scenes of swordplay in your novel. And there were some instructional scenes in Avempartha. Did you study fencing at all, or get to take a class to understand fencing?

MS: I get this question frequently and I would love to say that I used to be on the US Olympic fencing team, or better yet, that I have a door in my basement that leads to a parallel universe filled with knights and dragons. The truth is, I don’t know a thing about fencing. Everything in the books are a combination of some research and lots of imagination. Everything in The Crown Conspiracy is completely invented, but for Avempartha, as it required an actually sword fighting lesson, I did do research to assist me in creating a believable scene. That I have frequently been mistaken for a fencer gives me confidence that I created a pretty convincing illusion.

That’s the thing about writing fantasy. To do it effectively you need to be able to suspend disbelief. That’s not too hard to do if you are writing a novel about a middle-aged businessman reflecting on his life as he faces the inevitability of death. But there’s a bit more of a challenge in convincing readers that magic really exists, that dragons are real, or that time can stop. Such things take a bit more effort, and if you can do that then inventing a sword fighting scene that sounds plausible doesn’t seem so impressive.

PH: These were some fantastic covers. Can you tell me how they came about? I've read that authors often don't have a lot of input into their covers, but your covers are a little different.

MS: Yes. I created them myself. Writers often have input on their covers, but no control, anymore than they have over the title of their work. I was lucky. My publisher hired an artist and having seen an early sketch, I wasn’t happy. As it happens, I began my professional career as an aspiring illustrator who later drifted into layout design and art direction eventually owning my own advertising agency, which I closed four years ago to write full-time. I quickly did a painting of what I wanted the cover to look like, and the publisher decided to go with it and asked if I would do all the covers. When I was eighteen I dreamed of being a book cover illustrator, so this was my way of backing into that job.

PH: Who do you think you relate to more, Royce or Hadrian? Or could it be Alric or maybe one of the supporting characters? Is this character your favorite, if you have one (or want to admit you have one?)

MS: Royce and Hadrian are like the two sides of my own personality. Physically I am more like Royce and my wife tells me I’m more like him in personality too…I’m not sure what to think about that. Yet I drew both of them out of myself. Alric has nothing to do with me.

Arista, Gwen and Amilia, (who you haven’t met yet,) find their basis in my wife as I drew on her for inspiration building those characters.

I don’t know that I have a favorite character. The most enjoyable to write is either Royce or Myron, although Merrick is fun as well (another character you’ll meet soon.)

PH: Do you have any book recommendations for those waiting for your third book to come out?

MS: I am really not an avid reader of the medieval fantasy anymore. I grew up loving it, but quickly moved on to the likes of Stephen King and historical non-fiction. Most of the fantasy works of the eighties and nineties don’t appeal to me that much. What I call the “Fat-book” era where sword and sorcery fantasy developed into a homogenous world-building formula that seemed to forget about fun interesting characters and strong compelling plots. Still, my favorite books of all time are still pure fantasy, those being: The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter series, Watership Down and The Stand. These are my tens, and I really don’t have any nines. I’ve enjoyed many books, but only these would I ever consider re-reading which, as with movies, I use as a measurement of appeal.

That said I did very much enjoy Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet and Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Pillars is historical fiction while Mistborn is a true sword and sorcery fantasy. Yet to be honest, I can’t name a book I can honestly say is like mine. Some have compared it to George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, but I can’t say I agree. So if you’re really desperate for something while you wait, the closest thing you’ll likely find is the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

PH: Do you have a set writing routine? Do you wake up early or stay up late, have a favorite CD to help the creativity?

MS: I write in the morning. Surprisingly that is what many writers do—full-time writers that is. On an ideal day, I write from 7AM to noon, then take the rest of the day off to do other things. It is very civilized. The kids are off to school, my wife to work, and I am left alone in a quiet house with my dog, Toby. I make a pot of coffee from a special mix of decaf and caf, which I have over the years determined to suit my metabolism. I drink perhaps four cups of strong, black coffee over the course of the morning as I write and if it were full strength, I’d probably have a heart-attack.

I settle in at my desk, with my coffee and my dog at my feet and check email. Then it is time to dig in. I have a playlist on iTunes and a radio station on Pandora both of which are called “writing music.” Fact is, I can’t read or write if someone is singing. The lyrics interfere as I start listening to them. It is like trying to compose a sentence while someone is speaking to you. Still, dead silence is dreadful. Music, I found, greases the skids. Emotional, dramatic, or soft and soothing, music can evoke a mindset for creating. The best I found for this are movie scores. Not soundtracks mind you, not a compilation of songs, but the theatrical, background scores, the music you usually don’t consciously hear in a movie. I find it works the same way while writing.

So with the music playing, and my dog resting on my feet (Toby is an American Fox hound we rescued from a shelter last year), I begin by re-reading the last page or so of what I wrote the day before. I edit it as I read and this gets me in the mood to write, it also refreshes my memory of where I was, the flow and the pace and when I hit the blank edge of the last line, I know just where to go next.

Thanks for stopping by Michael! I'm looking forward to reading Nyphron Rising in a few months. And to those visiting, if you'd like to read about what goes on in a writer's mind, check out Michael's blog.

true beauty

2009-08-02T13:33:00.003Z

Cloudy, grey skies make me want to listen to calm music that I normally think of as "late night" music. This includes lounge, acoustic, light rock and classical. Sometimes it's Delerium, or Massive Attack or Bach. This morning I've put in a CD though that I haven't listened to for several months. I'm listening to Joshua Bell's Romance of the Violin, am reminded of how incredibly wonderful this CD is and also what a great talent he is.

The first song on here is Puccini's O Mio Bambino Caro. And I think this is my favorite song on the entire CD. It's the reason why I started drafting this post in the first place. There's something...almost ethereal about it. The gentle cry of the violin strings are haunting and I just want to close my eyes and lay back and listen to the violin's singing.

I read over story behind the aria, which I wasn't aware of as I have not seen Gianni Schicchi. The English translation of the lyrics show very simple lyrics. But I don't think the lyrics are what make this piece so...beautiful, I think it's the music.

Basically I should just say that highly recommend this CD, and am enjoying an overcast day that made me listen to again. If anything, it's worth it just for the first song. The rest are great too, of course. Like Debussy's The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, which is another hauntingly beautiful song in the hands of Bell.

tour guide preparation

2009-07-19T21:43:00.002Z

I had confirmation today that family will visit over the next holiday weekend, and I am so stoked. We'd already talked about a couple of things to do, but now that the schedule's firming up, I'm starting to mentally put together a basic agenda. Now, keep in mind she's been to DC before, many years ago, some of the obvious stuff we can skip. Except the memorials as the WWII memorial wasn't up when she was last here, so we'll go see that. And I thought today that her trip might be a good time to finally go up into the Washington Monument...something else I haven't done in the last four years.

Other options? While scoping out the Spy Museum, I saw this thing for Spy at Night, which might be kind of cheesy, but for visiting family, it might be the right amount of cheese. And then of course there's Georgetown, and some of the other neighborhoods that she may not have seen while last here doing mainly touristy type things. And of course...dinner at my favorite Ethiopian place. That's a type of cuisine that I don't think has hit her city yet.

I know, I know...I have time. But it's a lot of fun to plan. It's a good chance to also do some things I haven't done before, like that Spy at Night. I'm open to other suggestions as well!

what's in a name?

2009-07-17T11:22:00.004Z

So the Sears Tower (which has not housed Sears for over a decade) will soon be...ok, will probably still be known as the Sears Tower, but will technically be the Willis Tower. Reading this article yesterday, I got to thinking about name changes for landmarks. The article even mentions that it could take about 20 years for the new name to catch on. And chances are, that will happen after a huge ad campaign, otherwise...people would probably just keep referring to it as the Sears Tower.

Two years ago when I was in Montana, I'd learned that the Big Mountain ski resort was to be renamed to the Whitefish Mountain Resort. Why? I don't think I got a confirmed answer to that. But the few people I talked to still referred to it as Big Mountain, and said those they knew would as well. I even saw some signs that had been posted that said it was still Big Mountain, or something to that effect (hey, it's been two years!). And then there was the oh-so-clever "The Mountain formerly known as Big."

I don't think the mountain got any smaller.

And then of course there are city changes, or country changes...what brings on these changes? Especially in instances where one name may be so ingrained in our minds that it's going to take an investment of time and money to make the change. Words of wisdom?

"Even Old New York was once New Amsterdam.
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way.

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople"

-Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
They Might Be Giants

writing playlists

2009-06-21T15:47:00.003Z

Last night I put together a playlist (though incomplete as I still have some CDs to go through), that would help with the mood while rewriting some scenes and making some edits. And...so far I have to say that it really does help. I've sorted through some songs while working on one particular scene...and was able to really get that scene to convey what I wanted. Or so I think, anyway.

Here are some of the songs I've found particularly useful:

Mummer's Dance - Loreena McKennitt
Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez
Fable - Robert Miles
Before I'm Dead - Kidney Thieves
Truly - Delerium
Is This Real? - Lisa Hall
Standing Still - Jewel

This is just a sampling, of course. And I think a few of these will probably show up in other playlists for other books. I've always listened to music when writing, except if I've gone out to Starbucks for a little writing sessions. And I've found that when I'm home, I definitely get more writing done listening to...the right kind of music.

While going through a bunch of these CDs, I also came across some really fantastic songs that I haven't listened to in awhile. I'm really looking forward to putting those on my iPod for the week.

I'll just have to try to refrain from singing aloud with some of them.

baseball

2009-06-13T12:56:00.003Z

I went to a baseball game this past week. Nationals vs. Reds. And though it was a pretty uneventful game by sporting standards (at least until the rain delay was over, but I didn't stay for that), it was still fun. And for the most part, the rain held out until the ninth inning. There was a spurt kind of early on where I did pull out my umbrella for a little bit, but it wasn't bad.

I went with my writer's group for a break away from our normal meetings. And no matter the sport, I've since learned that there is something to going to a sporting event with several friends or family, or friends of the family. It's being up in the stands, with all the fans, the classic fanfare foods and yes, even the oh-so-classy beer in plastic bottles.

I have not been converted to baseball though, I feel a little sorry to say. But it is not for want of trying! This was my fourth game. I've been to two Rangers games back in Dallas, although I guess in all fairness I should say I don't remember a whole about those. And then I went to a Nationals game at RFK shortly after moving here. Perhaps if I had someone explain everything to me, much like the last Cowboys game, I'd understand the game better and enjoy it. Although...baseball doesn't strike me as confusing as football. Sorry. It looks like a pretty straight forward game.

I know, I know. What do I know?

But the real question. Would I go to another one? Yeah, I think so. With the right people, of course. And hopefully without the rain. Do you know strange rain looks though when you look up at it falling down when you're pretty high up? It was kind of cool, the first time. But then later on when it came in torrents...not so much.

Who's up for a DC United game?

sunday morning

2009-06-07T13:50:00.003Z

Mmmm....I love the smell of fresh basil. I was buying it for a different recipe, and knew I would only need a small portion of the bunch I was buying, and so I ended up buying a couple of different items for different recipes to use up more and more of the fresh basil. I would have to say that's one of my favorite herbs.

And not a bad way to start out a day. I feel almost like I'm giving away a secret, but grocery shopping on Sunday morning is really one of the best times to do it. The store isn't very crowded so there's no rushed feeling. I was able to get a lot of great fresh fruit to try a new recipe: Fresh Fruit Parfait with Lemon-Poppy Seed Yogurt. Not a particularly difficult recipe, but perfect for Sunday morning. That along with an iced vanilla coffee...can we do Sundays more often? I'd vote for that.

In other news, I have a couple of book recommendations coming up. I finished up The Count of Monte Cristo the other day, and I have to say it didn't take me as long to read as I first thought. Probably because it's so incredibly good you just get sucked up in the story and the time just flows by.

rain

2009-06-04T11:37:00.003Z

If I'm not mistaken, all this rain we've been having really should have come in April, right? We had quite a bit of rain in May too, and I remember thinking that it went "April showers bring May flowers," not the other way around. Last night I thought it wasn't raining when I left the office, but it poured. Thankfully, the rain came in light, thin sheets.

At least until I was halfway home and the skies opened up. I even stopped a few minutes under an awning. I had my umbrella, but really at that point, it wasn't doing any good.

To say that I was drenched would be an understatement. And of course....the rain practically stopped just a few blocks from home.

Complaining aside, the thunderstorm did make for a very enjoyable evening once I was home with the windows open and changed into dry clothes made specifically for lounging. And the rain is great also for beauty. Did you go out around DC last weekend? Everything was so green and absolutely beautiful! I took some of the best photos, I think, that I've taken of DC in awhile. Several other times it's been a little overcast, or the colors weren't as vibrant, or what have you.

I have some photos up from last weekend. I had initially planned on just going to the Freer and Sackler Galleries for their new exhibition, but after that I ended up walking around the tidal basin and then down around the mall. I don't think it's supposed to rain this weekend, so I'm looking forward to being out again. But if the rain can just hold off or take a breather on my way to and from work today, that would be wonderful.

reading aloud

2009-05-25T14:46:00.004Z

It's one tip I've heard numerous times to help one improve one's writing. Read it aloud. This will give an idea of how it sounds and if it flows more. We read things silently one way, but then when read aloud, it may sound as natural as it could.

I haven't read much of my own work aloud. I have read aloud sections in my French books or some French poetry when I'm trying to improve my French. Similar concept, I guess. It helps me speak some French without necessarily thinking about it. But my own work is something a little different.

I feel odd reading aloud in the privacy of my own room (why, I don't know...it's not like anyone can hear me). Maybe it's because since there's no one listening, I'm strangely aware of the sound of my own voice. But it's helping. I've read a few paragraphs of a short story that always seemed ok in my head, but reading them aloud...well, it's making me rethink the word order. And maybe this is a good exercise. Maybe by the time I've finished reading through the short story, the sound of my voice won't seem so foreign and I'll be able to conquer the book.

Maybe.

And it'll be interesting to see how the short story reads once I've made some edits based upon hearing it read aloud.

weekend

2009-05-17T15:50:00.003Z

So, how was your weekend? Mine? Well, only one way to describe it, really.

Do I need to say much more? Do I wish I was still there? Yeah.

I spent a few, too short days at the beach on the Gulf side of Florida this weekend for my best friend's wedding. There was no question of going down there, really, and not just because it was the beach, but because this is a friend I have really known all my life...for about 20 years. When I thought about it...I can't remember not knowing her.

Having friends like that is really a great thing. The internet has made staying in touch much easier. You can drop a quick email, chat or trade facebook messages. And since facebook and MySpace and all of that has become so popular, I've reconnected with many people I knew in high school and even before that. Which is great. But this stuff didn't really get very popular until near the end of my college days (back when certain universities belonged to facebook only), but my friend and I stayed in contact then. We talked and of course saw each other in breaks from school, even though we were about 1,500 miles apart with our respective schools.

And you know...on that, I have another friend of mine, a college friend, who I have not seen in about five years. And we stay in contact by phone (*gasp!* imagine that!). Sure, we're friends on these online networking sites, but rarely do we trade a message that way. There's really nothing like catching up, and every time we talk, either with her or with my friend who was married over the weekend, it's like we'd just seen each other. Even though the last time may have been six months ago, or five years ago.

I started off writing about my weekend and then ended up talking about how great it is to be in close contact with my two really good friends. But I guess that's the great thing about stream of consciousness. And though the internet has made staying in contact so much easier, there's still something to be said for working towards that contact by phone or letters. I don't know...it's just...it's nice. And it's worth that extra step of a phone call or taking the time out to write an actual letter.

But back to my friend's wedding. In a nutshell, the wedding was beautiful and it was so very much my friend. She is a very laid back kind of girl, and the beach ceremony really fit with that. We lucked out and the weather was incredible! I'm so glad I was able to make it down to the beach, not just for a very nice change of scenery, but to share that special day with her.

And it was a pleasure and an honor to have been asked to have been a part of it.

korbel and bittersweet music

2009-05-08T11:47:00.005Z

The past two years when I've been back home for the holidays, I've seen the Korbel commercial many, many times. And every time I watched it, I just thought "wow...I love that song."But of course, I had no idea what it was. Yes, the greatness of the internet meant that I could probably find out what it was had I really had my heart set on it.

Only, I didn't think about it whenever I was around a computer with an internet connection. I thought about looking up whenever the commercial came on, or at random moments if I heard a song that sounded somewhat similar.

So this takes us to last night. I was watching an episode of Moonlight (since Anne Rice back in junior high, I've always had a thing for vampires) and there was this song that I thought, "wow, this is a great song. I wonder what it is." And since I was on my computer, I did a quick search for music from Moonlight, and eventually stumbled upon the details: Mating Game by Bittersweet. I downloaded the song from iTunes and, when it finished, sat down to listen to it.

And after the opening, I realized it was the song from the Korbel commercial.

And that made my night.

48 hour film project

2009-05-03T20:33:00.003Z

I know...it's been awhile. But it's also been a little busy, but in a really good way. In mid-April, I went to visit some family further out in Virginia, and, like last time, incorporated some sight-seeing into the trip. One stop was something that, also like last time, I had apparently seen when I was little but I have no recollection of it. Surprisingly that was Luray Caverns. The other place was new to me, and that was Madison's home, Montpelier.

I hope to have pictures up soon. I've been working on editing through them the last couple of weeks when i had some free time, and also resizing some of them so they're not quite so huge. There are a lot. Mainly of Luray, and I'm weeding through them. I mean...how many pictures of stalactites do you need?

So last fall I wrote about working on a film for one weekend, and how much fun it was to do. And I was really looking forward to doing it. Last weekend the 48 Hour Film Project took place in DC, on a slightly tighter deadline than the National Film Challenge, but just as much fun.

It started on Friday night and I got the basic outline of a story after about an hour's worth of brainstorming with the cast and crew, and then I was sent off on my own to write a story. No pressure, right? It was really good, because during some of the writing period I'd chat with our Director and DP and others in the crew and we'd flesh out the story some more, and ultimately I was really happy with the story.

I will say that I wish I'd brought my camera with me! I meant to, only forgot early Saturday morning as I was getting ready to head out to filming. We had some really cool locations that have sparked some other ideas. And again, it's just so interesting and a lot of fun to watch the process of a film getting made, and also to be a part of the process.

I just have to ask if there's going to be another one before the fall? Anyone?

baking on a holiday

2009-04-12T20:02:00.003Z

Maybe it's all those Christmas and Easter dinners, but even when I don't have somewhere to go or other people to cook for, I still feel the need to spend time in the kitchen. Granted, I do like spending time in the kitchen anyways, experimenting with new ingredients and trying out new recipes, along with working with tried and true ones. And today was no different.

Firstly, I started out with a long-promised recipe for my office: Fried Nutella Ravioli. The result? Yum. Oh, so yum. Speaking with some friends, I said that I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, and that I should haven't said anything about bringing it in until I knew how it turned out. But as someone pointed out...it's fried and it's Nutella...how could it not turn out? Too true.

And not to worry. It turned out delicious, if I may say so. I did forget the garnish of fresh mint leaves, and while I think it tastes ok without, I can imagine that the fried ravioli would taste even better with sugared mint leaves. I think the mint would add a nice crisp, freshness.

Other than preparing the ravioli, they didn't take too long to cook and definitely didn't make a mess. I was a little concerned about the hot oil splashing, but I guess I used a deep enough pot. A little later in the afternoon I had another project: a coffee cake with dried apricots, pine nuts and sliced almonds. I've made this once before, and loved it. I thought this time around I would make it for family, since I'm going to see them in a few days.

I haven't tried it yet, but it came out of the oven looking nice and toasted on the top. And I'm hoping it will taste like the last time. If it does, then I'm sure the family will enjoy it with some coffee. Hope you all had a nice Easter Sunday as well!

western review

2009-04-09T10:54:00.004Z

So last weekend I watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid after having the film recommended to me by someone I know and trust. And his opinion didn't disappoint. After watching it, I have to say that for the most part, I really enjoyed it. I have only one real beef with the film, and I'll get that out of the way first.

There's this scene with Etta and Butch riding around on a bicycle (the new invention of the future!), and I had a problem with the pop music playing over this montage: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head." Ok, so granted I just looked up the song, and it was written just for the movie and won an Oscar. It just...it didn't really sound very Western. And so that really kind of took me out of the movie for a little bit.*

But that was really about it. Otherwise, the banter between Paul Newman (Butch) and Robert Redford (Sundance) was excellent. And Redford had such a presences, even though he maybe only said about ten words throughout the movie. Ok, maybe a few more. I'd like to say more, but I'm curious first. I was told that after I watched it, I would be informed of a bit of trivia about the movie and Butch and Sundance. So I think I'm going to wait for that.

One more movie I can now say I've seen. You know how there are just some movies that you feel you really should have seen because it seems like everyone else has? I've been going through a lot of the "classics" that way on my Netflix list. Some have been absolutely terrific, and others...well, not so much. But we'll see what kind of trivia I learn now that I've seen it.

heat

2009-04-08T11:16:00.005Z

I turned on my heat last night, for the first time in awhile. I've been enjoying that crisp, coolness that spring winds bring, but last night...I don't know, it was a little too cool with a little less crispness.

And what was this about possible snow flurries last night? I heard that just as I was about to fall asleep and tried to juxtapose snow flurries with that beautiful warmth and sunshine that we had over the weekend. Hmmm....

I have this slightly lighter but still warm trench that I've been wearing (well, except over the weekend when I didn't need a coat at all!), and I'd really kind of like to put it away for good. At least I haven't needed my wool coat again (knock on wood).

Growing up I was all about the cold weather. I wanted more of it. But that was before I moved somewhere where it's cold for slightly longer stretches than I was used to. Now I'm all about the sunshine and the warm weather. Is there anything better? Well, with that caveat that the humidity stays away. If I'm going to spend a lot of time outside, I'd rather not have my hair frizz.

*As an edit, when I looked over the blog, the bottom page is all about snow. What a difference a month makes. And how different that looks!

2009 Cherry Blossoms

2009-04-05T16:41:00.004Z

I spent yesterday first down at the Japanese Street Festival and then around the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms, despite the crowds. The festival was larger, and more crowded, than I'd expected. I've been down there for the Turkish festival in the fall, which occupies less street space. But it made sense, the size. So many people are in town for the cherry blossoms and the cherry blossom festival. But after checking out the festival some, which had some great jewelry and paintings, and then also had a fun karaoke tent and game tent (no...I didn't sing), my friends and I head to the tidal basin to look at the cherry blossoms. With all the people at the festival, one would think the tidal basin wouldn't be so crowded, but...you'd be wrong. It was packed! And it was beautiful weather, for the most part. There was some business with the wind, but that was bearable. Although it did make it really, really cold when I headed home after some sushi and sake. I survived though.

I can't recall if I went down to see the cherry blossoms last year. It's one of those things when you're not around, you can think that you can miss them. And I mean this, of course, as a very general you. You've seen them once, you've seen them all kind of thing. At least, that's kind of what I've been thinking leading up to this weekend. I've gone down and seen them at least twice. And did I really want to brave the mad crowds to see them again?

Would I do it again next year?

Yeah, I would. Because they're beautiful! And next year I'm going to take a little picnic. I would have been happy to just sit nearby with the sun pouring through the pale pink petals, the wind rippling across the water and maybe, if the wind blows just right, some of the music from the stage set up in front of the Jefferson Memorial. It's one of those things that I really should take advantage of while I live here. I don't have to plan a trip far in advance to ensure a decent ticket price or to find a hotel room and rent a car, all of that.

And it was also one of those weekends when I just kind of thought "huh...I'm really lucky to live here."

Now granted, that may change during another unbelievably hot and humid summer weekend, but for now as I'm sitting here looking through pictures of cherry blossoms with my window open and my apartment only slightly chilled, I enjoy it and can wonder why I would ever want to leave.

westerns

2009-04-03T01:14:00.003Z

I have homework this weekend. And no, it's not homework from any classes I'm taking. I graduated a couple of years ago, and while I have taken some language classes since then, I'm not taking any currently. I have homework from my father. Hahaha...and yes, I'm grinning while I type this.

Hmmm...I guess I should explain.

I spoke with him last weekend and got to ask a few basic questions about basic military organization. Long story short: I had a very brief question about injuries and a wounded man receiving water that I was curious about and while receiving my answer, I figured I'd ask a couple of other questions I was curious about. I was in the last 100 pages of The Naked and the Dead and it really helped with my understanding. Anyway...somehow we moved from that to Westerns.

And apparently the one Western that I have to see, and haven't yet, is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And there will be some trivia information I hear after I watch it. So...like a dutiful daughter I have netflixed the movie and will watch it probably tomorrow night or Saturday evening.

You know what? I'm really looking forward to it too. I actually had it on my netflix list awhile back, but took it off after my list was far too incredibly long (I like shorter lists because I like the feeling of making progress while seeing the numbers drop...don't ask). So this was a really good reason to put it back on there.

I'll let you know what I think about it. I mean...it's a Western with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. And it comes very highly recommended from someone who's opinion I trust, especially with movies. I'm already thinking I'll like it.

So...I guess it's not really homework, is it?

spring?

2009-03-23T11:14:00.002Z

Wow. What a beautiful weekend. Were you out enjoying it? I definitely was. Sure, I had some errands to run, but I was also out just walking around aimlessly for awhile before those errands. Spring is still kind of a new phenomenon to me, kind of like fall. Though I'm now on my third spring, technically. In Texas we had...maybe a day or two. And since there wasn't this period of about three months (give or take a couple of weeks) at least of really cold weather...those days weren't as appreciated.

But regardless...isn't it so nice to be out and feeling the sun on your skin? And the sun with that nice, cool, spring breeze. Ok...I'd rather spend most of today outside as well. Or the next several, but there will be plenty of time I'm sure.

I definitely wasn't the only one. The restaurants with sidewalk areas were nearly all spilling over into the streets with people waiting for tables. And there were many more people out than I've been used to seeing.

Hope you were able to enjoy it! I'm already looking forward to next weekend to spend my afternoons outside again. Assuming it's nice again.

St. Patrick

2009-03-17T01:04:00.003Z

Ah...so Tuesday is the glorious, great green day in March when so many people are Irish (either to get a kiss or to not get pinched). But much like Valentine's Day...there's not a lot about tomorrow that's actually related to the saint. Ok, maybe Ireland. And shamrocks...and by a stretch with the two of those...green. Any snakes going to be out and about tomorrow? And what do snakes have to do with anything?

Ok, that last one I still haven't quite figured out.

From what I've gathered, not much is known. There are, of course, a few basic facts that can be attributed to, let's say a year...give a take a couple. But one thing that has been established is that St. Patrick's first introduction to Ireland was as a slave. From a Roman family, he was kidnapped from Britain and taken to "Erin" to herd sheep. During the six years of his slavery, he turned to religion to help him through, and the legend says he had a dream that told him to leave for the coast, which he did, and there he was able to convince sailors to take him back to his family. Shortly after, he began his ordination studies.

After becoming a bishop, he was sent back to Ireland to spread his religion. And this he did successfully, in part, some argue, because he was so familiar with the people, their customs and their language due to his earlier enslavement.

Forty years later...he died on March 17, 461.

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

More on St. Patrick:
The man behind the green beer and myth
St. Patrick Catholic Encyclopedia
Saint Patrick Wikipedia

silence...

2009-03-14T13:03:00.002Z

So after posting my snow pictures I kind of disappeared, but not by any means on purpose. You see...several hours after posting my snow pictures...my laptop died. And was dead for about a week. Somehow over the weekend my friend brought it back (yay!). He says it in part fixed itself, but considering how it didn't fix itself Tuesday, I'm still giving him credit.

I've been a little afraid to get started on some writing since it was brought back to life, waiting for it to pass away, for real this time, at any moment before my new one reaches me and gets all set up. But it's a cold, overcast day...one of those great days for writing. Plus, my writer's group had some great suggestions last week that I'd like to play around with.

I do need to run to the store too. With St. Patrick's Day coming up I'd like to continue my fairly new tradition of making some Irish soda bread. I make mine without raisins, though I'm a little curious to try it with raisins. And in honor of the day...

Health to you and yours; to mine and ours
If mine and ours ever come across you and yours,
I hope that you and yours will do as much for mine and ours
As mine and ours have done for you and yours.

snow

2009-03-02T17:03:00.004Z

Ok, so yesterday I'm talking about gelato and how I can't wait for it to open so I can get gelato any time I want (is my joy at this new venture coming through yet?) and then it snows, taking my mind far off ice cream of any kind.

But it was so nice to have an unexpected snow day, and then of course to hang out at home, where it was warm and enjoy the snow falling. Though of course, I didn't do that for too long. I did somehow manage to convince myself to go out around and take some pictures. Though it was a little too cold to go all the way down to the mall again and take pictures in the snow.

And the best part was coming back home, changing into warm sweats with my heat cranked up and making some hot chocolate from Williams Sonoma. I was tempted to go back to ACKC, but at that point I was already closer to my apartment and was cold! Besides, I hadn't made the Williams Sonoma hot chocolate in awhile, and I could make that from the comfort of my own kitchen.

Anyway, it's back now to editing and writing. I'm working on editing a chapter that I think I'll submit to my writers' group, and then I've also had a story in the back of my mind that I'm kind of playing around with. It's still YA, but it's different from the series I'm working on, and so far I really like the two main characters. Who knows, maybe I'll have a chapter for my group for thoughts.

ask and you shall receive

2009-03-01T19:52:00.001Z

A few people who know me know of my love for gelato. Ok, even if you don't know me, I think I've mentioned it here a few times. However, there really aren't any gelateria places in my neighborhood, at least not that I've found. There are several relatively nearby, but a metro ride away and something that would take planning. Not waking up or hanging out in my apartment and thinking...hmmm...I'd really like some gelato right now.

And yes, I can and have bought some delicious gelato from Whole Foods, but it's not the same thing.

So imagine my delight when walking home the other night I happened to look into a tiny little store and seeing the sign that some gelateria was opening soon.

It will be a very exciting day when it opens. Yes, to reiterate, it is the little things in life.

buying local

2009-02-22T14:26:00.002Z

About a week or so ago, while doing my weekly shopping at Whole Foods, I stopped in the ice cream section to pick up some more gelato. It wasn't a particularly cold weekend then, which is why gelato didn't seem like such a crazy idea. But while looking over the selection, deciding if I wanted to try a new flavor, I saw a little note underneath one shelf of ice cream: Local brand!

And what struck me were the flavors. There was orange chocolate chip (which is what I ended up buying) and rice pudding, and unfortunately I can't recall the other flavors but they were just as unique. It was the first instance where the local product really caught my attention. I think in the past I've bought some local produce before, and of course the farmer's market in my area each week, but it never really jumped out at me. I think what did it was the uniqueness of the flavors.

And of course...the ice cream was delicious! I don't recall the name of the brand, only that it was from Manassas, and it's definitely one I'll pick up again. About a year ago I'd started following a blog, Local Feast, which at the time was a seasonal experiment. And then I don't think I've really become aware of any such organization, but in NW Montana, there is a Buy Local organization with a logo to really get its point across and increase the recognition of local products and local businesses in the area. It kind of reminds me of the USDA organic labels. At one glance you know it's organic and will pick it up, if that's what you're shopping for of course. And of course the website will list the members so if you're shopping for something specific, and know you want to buy local, then take a look at the businesses.

I think part of the appeal is of course boosting local economies and even getting to know the local businesses on a personal basis. But also...as I discovered with the ice cream, there's more room for experimentation, which is fun. Rice pudding flavored ice cream?

Ah, after a quick search, I did see something in this area: Local First DC, for one. And others that a quick search will yield.

review: just listen by sarah dessen

2009-02-16T14:24:00.005Z

Some of you may know that I have been reading more and more Young Adult fiction while working on my own writing, and while looking for more reads, particularly those that are talked about a lot to see what works and how certain issues are addressed, there are several writers who come up repeatedly. I read this book a couple of weeks ago after hearing much about Sarah Dessen. And I think that this was a great introductory book to her writing.

Just Listen is the story about Annabel Greene, a girl who, from the outside, came from a close-knit, happy family, was part of the in-group at school and also modeled part-time. But things are not what they seem, and after what appears to be a misunderstanding, Annabel is no longer friends with her "best" friend, and finds herself alone, in part self-imposed. And then there's her family, her beautiful, middle sister who has an eating disorder no one will talk about at first, or face. And rather than bring these topics up, or tell her friends what really happened last spring, Annabel seems to tell herself that, in a way, its better this way.

And then there's Owen. The school loner who she begins to become friends with and who ultimately helps her open up and tell people what's happening, when before she claimed she was only "being nice." And that's a moment I know I've had, when you really should say something, but you don't.

What I liked about Just Listen, other than the writing of course, which was brilliant and fresh, but was the aspect of music. Owen is a music fiend, he loves it and constantly has it playing, saying that it saved him back during his rough time. While I can't pinpoint any moment where I started listening to music more, I did relate. I love music and find the static silence near unbearable. Who knows how many times I've had to put in either my angsty rock music or some Fiona Apple or Tori Amos, and then of course my dance music. And in the evenings to unwind, its either some lounge or classical. But I could definitely relate to the music and the need for its presence.

The writing, as I mentioned earlier, is fantastic. And there's great character development, especially with Annabel but also her sisters and new friends (and some old friends too). Whitney's change was subtle, which it would be if it happened to my sister and me too. Little changes that eventually add up, even if you don't quite notice them as they're taking place. And no matter what age group you're writing for or reading, it's those little things that really make a story real.

valentine's day

2009-02-15T16:56:00.002Z

When I was growing up, holidays were always a big thing in the house. And not like big, party big, but there was always...something for the holidays, even the smaller ones like Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. You know, of course we did things for Christmas, Easter and Halloween. But for Valentine's Day, what I remember is that my parents would put little Hershey kisses around the house, and divide up the rooms between my sister and me. When she and I woke up, we'd get to search through our respective rooms for our kisses (and for anyone who is unfamiliar with the whole sibling rivalry thing...having lets say three rooms each ensured that we'd get the same number of kisses).

Last year, flying back from California, I had an unexpected layover in Texas over the President's Day weekend. I first had a four hour layover where my Mom picked me up and took me out to lunch, but when I got back to the airport, I learned that my next flight was oversold and they were asking people to volunteer to give up their seats. Ordinarily it doesn't seem like such a great idea, but an extra, unexpected night back home? Sign me up!

When I got home that night and poured a glass of wine in the kitchen, I saw a Hershey kiss perched on the side of the kitchen counter on a small shelf with some of my Mom's collectibles. My reaction? "Oh my gosh, you're still doing this?!" After all, this was my first Valentine's back home for about six or seven years. I thought it was so awesome that she still put kisses around for my sister. And...when I woke up the next morning, more kisses had appeared throughout the house for me. Granted, my sister and I no longer have to divide up the rooms.

There are some things you just don't get too old for. And while she's no longer able to hide kisses around the house, or my tiny little apartment, I did receive a little package in the mail the other day with a handful of kisses inside. I almost feel the urge to place them along my bookshelves and cabinets, to pick one up whenever I need a little bite-sized piece of chocolate.

rare footage of arctic unicorns

2009-02-12T12:30:00.002Z

One of the many things I wanted to be while growing up was a marine biologist. I was fascinated by whales and used to check out all the books on whales at the local library when I was little, studying what I could on my own. And even though much of that knowledge has faded away in the last fifteen years, I've still held a fascination with these giant, graceful creatures.

Because they are giant and incredibly graceful.

So I was extremely happy to see this article on the BBC earlier, and to take a look at one of the species I wasn't able to find a lot of information on: 'Arctic unicorns' in icy display.

And I've even thought of what kind of stories I could craft around marine biologists just to delve back into that research and create the career that maybe could have been. I know it would definitely be fun to imagine it.

teaser

2009-02-03T01:20:00.002Z

Those of us in the District were teased yesterday, and for a good part of today, with the weather. We were given a taste of what Spring will be like when it's here, and I don't know about you, but it made my mouth water for more. Yesterday was one of those days where I just love living here. I went out and window shopped to enjoy the weather, stopped in at Borders, and...I don't know, when I came out and headed up the street...I just felt so good. Maybe it was the way the sunlight reflected off the glass buildings, or the very faint breeze, or the sunshine on my skin again.

One thing I've come to discover about living in the mid-Atlantic is that I really am a sunshine kind of girl. In Texas, I used to love cloudy weather. But now...I crave my sunshine. I don't know, maybe it was those four years in sunny California that did it.

And so I kept my fingers crossed getting ready for work this morning, just hoping that Phil would not see his shadow. But it was not to be. So...I am trying to think positive thoughts about six more weeks of winter. Six more weeks of hot chocolate and staying warm under my down comforter while watching a movie, six more weeks of curling up with a great book, six more weeks where these gem of a day will be even better than a breath of fresh air...

Still...I also try to think that it had to have been cloudy somewhere today, right? Some groundhog had to not see his shadow. Maybe that one will be more accurate. Because...I can still do my reading at a coffeehouse outside in the sun with a glass of iced soy chai...and that would be just as nice.

happy new year!

2009-01-27T02:05:00.003Z

Again!

It's the Chinese New Year, welcoming in the year of the Ox. And what a good time to enter into the year of the Ox. Ox is said to bring prosperity, but I think some of that is through patience and hard work. Which maybe we, in general, haven't really worked on...judging by the current economic climate.

But I want to steer away from that subject, as there are many who study those kinds of things for a living writing on the topic. I just wanted to wish you all a very good Ox year! And maybe hope for a little oxen prosperity too.

I have always been fascinated by astrology, Western and Chinese. It's a very interesting personality study. As far as Chinese astrology is concerned, when I was growing up I felt I had lucked out by just barely making it into the year before me due to the way the Chinese new year fell that year. I am a dog, just making the cut before the year of the pig. According to Wikipedia, the dog is:

"Dog (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Metal): Honest, intelligent, straightforward, loyal, sense of justice and fair play, attractive, amicable, unpretentious, sociable, open-minded, idealistic, moralistic, practical, affectionate, dogged. Can be cynical, lazy, cold, judgmental, pessimistic, worrier, stubborn, quarrelsome."

Which, looking over those, a lot of those characteristics fit in with my zodiac sign, Aquarius (oh, if you look at the Dog page over on Wikipedia, it says that it is roughly associated with Aquarius! Imagine that).

Even though I like being a Dog, I still think it would have been fun to be Tiger or a Dragon. How cool would that be? But...overall, again, I'm pretty content with my signs: Aquarian and Dog. And I think I once read somewhere that in Native American astrology I was an otter. Fun!

ballet

2009-01-24T22:07:00.003Z

I used to dance. Growing up, I took ballet for several years (along with soccer, which sometimes made Saturday mornings very busy). And then I took dance all throughout high school, which was granted more jazz and modern. But we did do an occasional ballet period after our concerts, and those classes always reminded me of these little muscles in your legs that really don't get worked much on a day to day basis.

But I always loved dance. And whenever I've stopped taking it, I always want to take it back up. And I do plan on it.

Today I made a little progress with getting back to dance. I still remember the ballet workouts and warm ups and all of that, so this morning I spent about 25 minutes working on some basic ballet warm ups. And about midway through, I was already thinking that those muscles I forget are there would definitely be reminding me they're still around come tomorrow and Monday. But it's good. I always feel better after dancing, no matter how tired I feel or how much my legs feel like jelly.

I think I may have to look back into those classes. There were some tomorrow. Hmmm...

And I think I'll be keeping up with the ballet at least. Even if it's just a short workout here and a short warm up there.

coffee cake

2009-01-19T22:56:00.005Z

I should start off by saying that I don't bake. Sure, Ghiradelli has helped me bake brownies my co-workers enjoy, but that's adding water and oil and an egg. Not exactly baking from scratch, which is what I've really been wanting to do more of. Because...nothing smells better than something baking (which is why I don't mind baking brownies for work). But I had a nice long weekend this weekend and decided to try my hand at something a little more labor-intensive.

I've made several things from Giada's recent cook book: Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites, and have loved almost everything I've made. The other night, just as an aside, I made the spiced Americano...mmmm. Not only did it taste sweet and delicious, but the smell! You make simple syrup, but add several spices to it, and it made my little studio smell almost like mulled wine.

Anyway, back to the baking. So I decided to try making the almond, pine nut and apricot coffee cake. Because...I love coffee and almonds, and pine nuts and a good coffee cake. So when I put the cake in the oven, I snuck a little taste of the batter just hoping to get an idea of what it might taste like. Because I don't know if it was the roasted nuts or the almond extract, but just mixing the batter together made me really hope the next fifty minutes went by quickly.

So when the time was up, and my apartment thoroughly saturated with those smells, and ample cooling time had passed, it was time to taste it. Now granted, Ok, not to give myself applause, particularly since it's not my recipe, but it was delicious. So good. It was just moist enough, and the scent from the almond extract floated up off the cake, and it kind of crumbled/melted in your mouth. And then there's the slight crunch of the toasted almonds on top. I was tempted right then to make another pot of coffee to go with a second piece, but...I somehow restrained myself. But I know what breakfast tomorrow will consist of.

So...here's another book recommendation for you. I'm really looking forward to trying something else. Hmmm...something warm for the winter. Or just maybe another coffee cake when this one's gone. Why not?

texas

2009-01-18T16:31:00.004Z

I know. I'm late at posting this. But...I've been a little busy and this is the perfect weekend for catching up on things. Nice long four day weekend. And that's what I'm doing. I've been organizing and cleaning, little by little, so that it's not all done at once and feeling a little overwhelming.

But...I wanted to bring you up to date on my trip to Texas over the holidays. o any of you who travel home still feel that way? When I get off the plane and I'm walking through D/FW, it's like a burden has been lifted. No, that's not the way to describe it. But I can breathe easier. I know that I can relax, that things are chill here. It's a different way of life down there. And this trip I was really looking forward to.

Granted, this had also been the longest period of time I'd gone without a trip back there, but also because I knew that the day after Christmas, we were going to the King Tut exhibition at the DMA. I had meant to take a trip up to Philadelphia when it was there, but I didn't and I had kind of regretted that. So I'm really happy it came back to stop at a couple of other cities, and that Dallas was one of them. It was, of course, incredible.

And the one item that really stood out was this...necklace or pendent that really wasn't too big. Maybe a couple of inches. But the reason it stood out was because of the scarab. It had this kind of...pale green glass that the scarab was carved out of. Next to the display case there was a video that said the glass came from the desert, from this area where a meteor had come crashing down and exploded before hitting the earth. And the heat from that explosion melted the glass for miles, and that's where the glass came from. And of course there were more. I mean...the exhibition was artifacts from Ancient Egypt...talk about opulence. But that one item stuck out in my mind because of the glass.

I also of course got to catch up with some friends and had the best time with my sister. I was, I think, the only person in Texas looking forward to it warming up by the end of that week. I wanted some warmth before I came back to DC, and of course...they want their little cold spells to last as long as possible. But I got my wish and it warmed up to about 70 my last few days. And I'm already looking forward to my next trip, only I have no idea when that will be.

Hope everyone had a great holiday season! And here's to a great 2009!

new year's resolutions?

2009-01-03T15:34:00.002Z

I'm really not big on the whole resolution thing. Because I don't understand why one should wait around for the new year to implement a change. If one wants something to change, then change it. Who cares if it's...November 14 or June 9 or some other random date. I can, and do, understand the whole out with the old, in with the new, of a starting a new year, but...again, change something when it comes to the realization that it should be changed.

That being said, I got to talking to someone the other day about resolutions and something did come to my mind, mainly because it's still within the first few days of January 1. Towards the end of last year, I started slacking in the language department. I studied/reviewed Italian even less than I was doing towards the end of the summer, and my French...well, let's just say that was fading away without even a "au revoir." So...I do have some resolutions, and that's to study my languages.

I'll set aside time each weekend for the Italian, and maybe another time during the week as well for a little review because once a week really isn't enough. And as for French, well...I did get a 2009 desk calendar that has a phrase per day. Granted, some of these in the beginning I already knew, but it's a little something. And I'll watch more French films. Speaking of which...I did hear that Borders was having a big sale so it might be time to stock up on some.

Phrase of the day today: C'est une urgence! (it's an emergency! urgence ). Can I use it in a sentence? Hmmm...c'est uneque j'étudie ma français!

I know, that may not be correct...but hey, I'm trying. Right?

hot chocolate

2008-12-22T13:10:00.002Z

It's cold outside. Cold, and grey. And unfortunately you have to be out in it. Did I mention that, knowing my luck, it's probably windy outside too?

Thankfully I have finally visited ACKC on 14th Street. I am a big hot chocolate fan. In the winter time, I horde the stuff and during those really cold weeks, I make it just about every night. But a few weeks ago, I was walking with some friends down 14th Street, heading towards the Metro from some delicious Ethiopian food, when we passed ACKC. I had heard about this place, probably about a year ago when it first opened from Daily Candy, but I hadn't been before. So on a whim, we stopped by and stepped out of the cold to pick up hot chocolate. My drink? Bette Davis. It was the coconut flakes on top of the hot chocolate that got me, along with the almond syrup.

Well, that following Monday at work, I told several people about ACKC. We would get to talking about our respective weekends, and I would tell them about this place they had to try.

And right now...I'm really craving another hot chocolate drink, but that's going to have to wait until next week I think. I'm spending the holidays down South (and before you feel a twinge of jealousy, know that it's a little cold here too, at least so far it's been cold). I did just get online and try to Google a hot chocolate cafe, but there doesn't seem to be one. Sure, I can get a cup at Starbucks or Panera, but I want the red painted walls with the artwork and the small tables, and that smell of chocolate in the air. And, ok, I wouldn't mind seeing really wintry weather outside either.

So if you find yourself along 14th Street, I'd suggest stopping in for a cup. And in the summer they have some frozen drinks as well. I know that I, for one, will definitely be going there my first week back in DC. Enjoy!

books

2008-11-27T13:39:00.003Z

"A written word is the choicest of relics. It is something at once more intimate with us and more universal than any other work of art. It is the work of art nearest to life itself. It may be translated into every language, and not only be read but actually breathed from all human lips; - not be represented on canvas or in marble only, but be carved out of the breath of life itself. The symbol of an ancient man's thought becomes a modern man's speech. Two thousand summers have imparted to the monuments of Grecian literature, as to her marbles, only a maturer golden and autumnal tint, for they have carried their own serene and celestial atmosphere into all lands to protect them against the corrosion of time. Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. Books, the oldest and the best, stand naturally and rightfully on the shelves of every cottage. They have no cause of their own to plead, but while they enlighten and sustain the reader his common sense will not refuse them. Their authors are a natural and irresistible aristocracy in every society, and, more than kings or emperors, exert an influence on mankind."

- Henry David Thoreau
Walden

help name a novel!

2008-11-22T14:04:00.003Z

A friend in my writers' group could use some help from you. He's written an FBI thriller, but has been told by some guinea pigs (the people who get to read or hear all about our novels before shopping it around) that the title could use some tweaking.

It's currently titled "The Bubble Gum Thief," and he has a poll going on over on his blog with some other title choices. Of course, even if he chooses another title, it could still get changed during the publication process, but who knows? Maybe the title you vote for will wind up on shelves and then you've taken part in the process.

So if you have a minute or two to spare, please go take a look at some of his other suggested titles and vote for your favorite!

NaNoWriMo

2008-11-16T14:49:00.003Z

*Just wanted to edit this a little, because I totally met my goal and then some. As I'm writing this little update now, I'm at 22,358 words. And I still have a couple of more scenes in my head to get down on paper.

Yup, I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm participating again this year in the National Novel Writing Month. I'm really excited for the story I'm working on, but I've just been really, really busy so far for November and so I'm a little behind. Right now I'm currently at 18,851 words, but that will change in about half an hour as I'm working on it right now too.

My goal is to be at 20,000 words tonight, at least. I think it's totally doable. What I'm looking forward to is having a couple of days off at Thanksgiving where I'm going to catch up to the word count I'm supposed to be at, in order to be at 50,000 by the end of November.

Like how I'm saying "I'm going to catch up," as opposed to "I hope to catch up?"

fall

2008-11-09T15:27:00.004Z

Even after three, well, four, falls here in DC I'm still not used to it. I love the crunch of the dried leaves underfoot on the sidewalks, I like seeing them carpet the red brick walkways and a canopy made of ruby and carnelian colored leaves, with the occasional bright yellow in between.

Because, you see...in North Texas, there's maybe a day or two of fall. And the leaves that do change don't change these brilliant colors. They turn brown. And then the next day they're gone. And of course, a day after that, the weather's back up to 70 or 80 (hey! sounds like DC weather lately!).

So I took advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday to walk around and just enjoy the leaves. I had my route mapped out, as I've seen some beautiful picture-perfect scenes on my walk to and from work, but I ended up walking around more than that. I went down to the mall, but as it was packed in anticipation of Veteran's Day (which, by the way, please thank a Veteran!) I skipped most of the monuments and instead came across the memorial to the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

I'd seen this lake before, but hadn't realized there was a memorial there until yesterday. Unfortunately as it was mostly overcast, which was a perfect fall day, my pictures came out a little darker than I had anticipated. But I'm hoping to go down to the National Gallery today and will take my camera with me.

When I first moved out here, I used to walk aimlessly around with my camera, taking pictures of whatever caught my interest. But I haven't been doing that lately. And there have been a few moments where I just think "oh, I wish I had my camera!" I'm going to have to remedy this and bring my camera with me.

Anyway, you can see more of my Fall pictures here. And if you live in DC, then you can also go out and enjoy because winter is approaching! Even if you wouldn't know it by the weather.

am i asking for too much?

2008-11-06T12:24:00.002Z

I tend to wear pretty tall shoes at work. And so the pants I buy for work are generally the regular length. I do have a few short pairs, but to me they don't look as great with my heels. So I have a pair of boots that I wear to walk to and from work. The problem is that the last pair I had finally had to be thrown away as they were worn down as much as is possible.

I new pair that didn't really hold up as well for the walk. Part of it is because there is no platform and the heel was very thin. So...in my mind, I have the perfect pair of a commuter boot: black ankle boot, with a small platform and a tall, somewhat chunky heel.

Can I find said pair of perfect boots?

No. Nowhere have I seen these. I have looked online and in the stores, and with all the selections I would think I would come across something that would make me stop and just think "these, I have to have." Well, ok, I take that back. I've seen several pairs that I've wanted, but none that I've wanted for my walk. The ones I've seen that I wanted are usually a little more of a stiletto, and with the holes and broken pavement and grills...I'm not really sure they'd hope up well.

I didn't think I was asking for a lot, but who knows...maybe I am. Hopefully I'll find something. The pair I currently have as a sort of transition period may have to be retired soon.

national film challenge

2008-10-27T11:17:00.002Z

Anyone do anything fun this weekend? I had a long, but great, weekend.

This past weekend was the National Film Challenge, where you have to make a film in one weekend, including writing the screenplay. Talk about pressure. Friday evening around 7 we got our film requirements, briefly sketched out a story, and then I was sent off to a corner to write for about two hours.

My pulse was racing when it was time to show everyone else the script and go through the first read through. But hey, it's hard to show off a work in progress, especially when it's been awhile since I studied and wrote screenplays. I think that it turned out ok, and the actors were great.

So here's the cool thing: having something done with my writing. It was neat to go through the read throughs Friday evening and as the actors became more familiar with the lines and the characters, it was really great to see what they did with their character. And the on Saturday, seeing the scenes played out. And on Sunday I spent most of the afternoon with the director while he edited and that was really awesome, seeing it all come together.

It's already changing the way I watch things, even just with one weekend. It's one thing to know that films are shot out of order, and over and over again, but it's different to actually watch it.

And it was fun. Definitely a lot of fun. And we'll have a great blooper reel, which is also part of the process.

capitals

2008-10-20T11:24:00.009Z

So this weekend was my very first hockey game. Ever.

And I have to say, it was a lot of fun. I've never really watched hockey, but I always thought it'd be a sport I would like. And I always wanted to go to a Stars game, but that just...never happened. So I didn't really know what to expect.

First thing: I'm glad I wore a sweater. It was a little cold in the stadium, which is of course to be expected. I kind of thought that as the seats began to fill up, it would warm up a little.

Second thing: It takes some concentration to get into the groove of watching the game. You know, in soccer, you can generally follow the ball because it's big and it's not gliding across a large ice rink. In the beginning, the puck would go from one end to the other and I wouldn't even know it. And to be honest, I kind of missed the first goal because there were a few players huddled around the net, and then of course the goalie and his massive padding, and then this tiny black puck that got lost, to my eye, in the shuffle. But I'm a quick learner. I soon was able to follow it. For the most part.

So those are my main observations from the hockey game. No fights broke out, but there were several slams against the wall. Which is to be expected I suppose. A few dirty moves, of course. That happens in sports.

One other interesting observation, and I think it's seen in any sporting event, but I just happened to catch it more because I was actually there. And that is the opinion of the fans. In the beginning, everyone is cheering and urging their team on, especially when there was a goal. Through the first two periods, it was light and great and supportive. But in the third period, after the Devils had scored their third goal, that tone turned...aggressive. I don't know if I'd say annoyed, but there was a lot of "Come on, what were you thinking?!" and it wasn't directed to the refs. Or the other team. And some comments akin to "get in the game!" because I guess the players hadn't been playing for the last oh forty-five minutes or so.

It was...interesting.

So...in conclusion, I had fun. And I'm thinking maybe I'll adopt the Capitals as my team. I don't really have any loyalties to any team since hockey was never a big thing around me. And I feel like I should follow some team in DC since I live here now. DC United hasn't replaced my FC Dallas, and...sorry DC...but I've still got my 'Boys. I don't really follow basketball either, but I am partial to the Mavs. And I'm not really a baseball fan. So...maybe the Capitals should be my team. What do you think?

*Proof that I was there!

julius caesar: a biography

2008-10-18T16:06:00.003Z

I finished this book a short while ago and have wanted to post a review, especially because I highly recommend it. In his introduction, Philip Freeman says that the inspiration for the book partly came from his students after he started talking about Julius Caesar, and that not a lot is known. I know that even though I love classical history, I didn't know a lot about Caesar.

It was a great introductory book to Caesar. If you're looking for something much more comprehensive, then a standard...oh let's say history book, might be a little better. Because it will have more dates and more little details. But if you're looking for something to read, to learn more from, but don't necessarily have the time to delve head on into Caesar's life, then I think this is a great read.

I think it can go without saying that Caesar was a great man, larger than life. Reading through the book, there was so much that he accomplished when the odds were seemingly against him. But I wouldn't necessarily say that he was gambling so much on so little. His risks were calculated and he was a great strategist, learning from his mistakes and from his enemies.

As to the book itself, I think it was written in a very accessible way, going back to my comment that you needn't have studied classical history to really understand or retain a lot of what's presented. And I'm actually kind of looking forward to reading it again in the near future. Caesar led a very full life, and there's more to pick up on than I did during my first read, which I also admit was fairly quick because I have got a full stack of "to read" books. I need to work on getting through those too.

monday recap

2008-10-13T22:43:00.001Z

I had the day of today, and it was a pretty good day. My weekend was a little busy, so it was really great to just have an extra day to do whatever I pleased.

So, needless to say, it was a bit of a slow morning. I woke up earlier than I wanted due to some noise outside, but that was fine. I ended up watching the last hour of this three hour movie I had and didn't finish the night before. Then of course there was the leisurely drinking of the coffee over a book and some writing.

But in the early afternoon I got my act together and went out. And what I'm excited about is that I went to a different coffeehouse to study and drink some iced soy chai, and I really liked it. I don't care to go to the coffeehouses right around me, because I like to feel like I'm going somewhere when I go to hang out. So I studied for a little while before heading back home to cook.

And so that's how I finished off my day. It may not have been the most exciting of days, but it was a needed day. I'm looking forward to visiting my new coffeehouse next weekend with a book and get a coffee and some breakfast there. I used to do that a lot back in Texas and California, but not so much here. I kind of miss those languid mornings.

Anyone do anything fun for the long weekend?

tortoises

2008-10-12T15:19:00.003Z

Ok, so I should apologize for my absence. This time, partly due to circumstances beyond my control. In my mind I was drafting up some new posts based on some articles I'd seen, and then last week as I was about to sit down and write one of those...my internet was down. For nearly all week.

At first on Monday night, I didn't mind too much. I spent the evening catching up on some reading and it was kind of nice. But then on Tuesday...I started to get a little antsy. But it's better now. For now. So I'll continue with the article I wanted to mention.

A couple of weeks ago I saw this article on the BBC: Extinct tortoise can 'live again'

The headline sounds kind of mad scientist, doesn't it? Which I think was the point. Anyway, so there was this species of tortoise on the Galapagos island that became extinct many, many years ago. But scientists have discovered another species that is remarkably similar to the Geochelone elephantopus on another island. It's thought that these were in essence survivors from whaling expeditions that took too many turtles, and so sent some back. These tortoises went to a different island from where they originated, and slowly mixed with the other species on the island.

But because their breeding and maturation process takes so long, they retained many of the characteristics of the extinct elephantopus tortoise they originated from. So the article thinks that with a little cross-breeding, and of course about 100 years or so, the elephantopus can essentially be brought back to life. No playing with genes in a test tube or a lab required.

Anyway, I just thought it was really kind of fascinating. Oh, and on a side note, I finally bought a plant yesterday. It's a small spider plant...sort of a "test" plant. Growing up I didn't have the best track record with plants, they either died or took over (I had a mint plant that completely took over the other herbs). But in college I had a beautiful, leafy bamboo plant...until my cat ate it. And at my last office, I kept the plants there green and leafy and yes, I was proud of them. So if this one thrives, I'm going to take it to my office and then get a larger plant for my apartment.

But I've been wanting/meaning to get a plant for a very long time. And I'm excited now that I finally did. Wish me luck with it!

star struck

2008-09-28T23:13:00.003Z

I'm not one to get star struck. Not usually. But...I do get a little star struck when it comes to writers. And yesterday...I was in the presence of greatness.

I got to the National Book Festival a little earlier than I had initially planned and so go to take in a couple of other authors I was interested in. But my Saturday plans revolved around getting a good spot at the fiction tent for Sir Salman Rushdie.

I have always been so struck by his writing. He's such a prolific writer, and his words just grab the reader, taking the reader into this world that he creates. His language is rich and vivid, and I've enjoyed reading those books that I have. I recently purchased his new book and hope to begin it within the next few weeks.

As to Rushdie the person, he was very amiable, and funny too. And that just made it better, you know? Especially to have gone through what he's gone through, and to come out still writing books and still be so congenial. And what he's gone through is also a testament to the power of words. Yes, it's cliché, but it's the whole "the pen is mightier than the sword." Words are the inspiration behind the action. I know when I look for inspiration, I look to past speeches and past essays and that's what motivates me to continue or to change course.

It's why I love words and language.

It was definitely a highlight to living in DC. Last year's Book Festival was as well, and the festival is definitely a motivator. Maybe it's just being around all those authors and aspiring writers that the motivation just seeps in. And it was also worth braving the potential rain to head down to the mall and have a chance to hear Rushdie speak.

I'm also looking forward to next year (definitely hoping the festival continues!) and who the author list is going to be. I just wish I'd known about the Festival when I first came to DC for a semester and then when I moved here!