almost at the new year...

I've been thinking about what to post the last few days, but what I've been coming up with is more for a month from now. Sort of like New Year's Resolutions, only I don't make resolutions at the new year, I make them at my birthday which is shortly after. I like to think of the next year as in, what am I going to do at, in this case, 25? What do I hope to accomplish before I'm 26.

So...I will have something up soon on that. I'm beginning to think about the things I really want to do to mark my quarter of a century on this planet (God, it sounds old when you put it that way).

But for now, I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. I sure did, and it has been absolutely wonderful to really rest and relax this past week. Thankfully I have another week to go and I intend to do a lot of writing this week.

Happy New Year! I have a feeling 2008 is going to be a good year.

rewards

I've come to find that with life's challenges, sometimes a little reward is a necessary and wonderful thing. Whether it be a night out with friends after finishing that paper, a new book or CD for good grades (back in high school and before), a nice dinner when that job is finished and you get that promotion, etc.

So this evening, and probably for the following evenings, I'm instigating a reward system. A few of you know that I'm trying to finish the first draft of my novel before I leave for vacation, so I can use that time to do a thorough editing of it. But I'd really, really like to have the first draft complete.

However...things aren't quite going that way. Earlier this afternoon I spent much of my time checking email or whatnot and only writing a couple of words before getting re-distracted. The challenge: write at least another 1,000 words before I call it a night.

In my refrigerator, I have a bag of holiday M&Ms.* The reward: An M&M for every 100 words.

And you know what? In the last half hour, I've written over 500 words. I counted out about 10 M&Ms and have them sitting here next to me for relatively easy access. Of course I could steal another one, but then I'd have 9 left and that's not my goal.

Hmmmm...how many M&Ms, I mean words, do I want tomorrow evening?

*Yes, my M&Ms are in the refrigerator. I like my chocolate cold.

rainbows

This afternoon was a little strange as far as weather was concerned. I left my apartment, and needed to pull out my sunglasses, even though my apartment itself seemed dark from an overcast sky. I then turned the corner at the end of the street and had water droplets splashing on my face and on the sidewalk around me. Yet...the clouds didn't seem to be above me and the sun was still out.

Then later, while walking through Thomas Circle, I stopped to wait to cross one street and looked back over my shoulder, checking for oncoming traffic. But instead I saw a pretty perfect rainbow. It arched beautifully behind the Methodist church's steeple, and was full of bright, vibrant colors.

Inside Thomas Circle I saw a few people trying to take pictures and, as it happens, I'd left my camera at home. I normally carry it with me everywhere but this morning I transferred photos off it onto my computer. But, I was reminded that while I may have more than enough pictures of the Washington Monument, this city still provides a wealth of photographic scenes.

Did anyone else get a chance to see it? About an hour later when I walked home from errands, it was gone. But it put a smile on my face for most of the day.

In other news I've finished American Creation by Joseph Ellis. For this book I do intend to post a review, because it was absolutely wonderful and a delight to read. I read the second half in about a day. Today I've just started reading one of my new books on the French Occupation for background for a novel idea I have (and that's all I'm saying). I'm really excited about this and hope to read this book soon so I can at least begin to flesh out the storyline.

One more week until Christmas (and I escape for a vacation in Texas!). Hope your Christmas shopping is done! If not...well, the internet is a beautiful thing.

how 'bout them 'boyz?

28-27

I know I don't talk about football here, or anywhere/time in life. But I am not, as a friend recently joked, a fair weather fan, only liking my Cowboys when they do well. I am a fairly new fan, who is only within the last two years following my boys.

How could this be? I know. I was raised in Texas, a state where football is like a religion. But I never liked it. I thought it was boring, I didn't get it, my high school football team almost never won a game and there was a little bit of animosity between football and me every few years when Super Bowl Sunday happened to fall on my birthday.

But then I left Texas. After a brief detour in California, I moved here, a place where more often than not when someone (usually male, but not always) finds out I'm from Dallas, the question is "oh, so you must be a Cowboy fan?" And so, out of loyalty to my city, I had to state that yes, it was.

Then another interesting thing happened. I went to a Cowboy's game with family friends one holiday season in Dallas. And the strange thing was that I had a great time. I found the atmosphere incredible, with the enthusiasm in the crowd, and the tailgating outside, and how many people were there...it was a little exhilarating (I hadn't been to a football game since I was very little, and I don't remember much since most people were standing and I couldn't see the field for the fans).

The second thing was my father's friend sat next to me during the entire first half explaining everything that went on. Which I think must have taken a lot of patience since I knew absolutely nothing. And even though I have since forgotten most of what he told me, I remember that during that game, I got it. I understood the game and I actually enjoyed it. I had fun.

Imagine that.

I may not ever be like my co-worker, a woman who can carry on a football conversation with the best of them, but I have a little more understanding to the Sunday afternoon hiatus. And if my birthday should ever fall on Super Bowl Sunday again, well...I'll be understanding as well. Just know that I better get a nice dinner or some flowers later in the week.

when did Christmas lists get so hard?

When I was little, coming up with a wish list was a piece of cake. It was the cutting down the list to make it feasible that was difficult. I'd cut up catalogues and magazines and glue the pictures of the things I wanted onto some paper and have a list probably at least 10 pages long for my parents. I remember the dilemma of said project was when I wanted two things that were on either side of a page.

Hmmm. Tricky.

But I just emailed my Mom my list and not only is it much more bare than my lists from fifteen years ago, it's also a little boring.

Part of the problem is that I want "grown-up" things that won't easily pack in my suitcase to bring back from Texas, like these cappuccino mugs from my favorite place: Crate & Barrel. Three Christmas' ago I got a blender. Two years later, blender was still sitting in Texas and I went out and bought a new one with my Bed Bath & Beyond coupon (that thing was never going to get mailed to me and I would never have the space in my suitcase to pack it up).

Books, DVDs, all well and good...but boring. Am I right? There's nothing new, nothing sparkling, nothing I've had my eye on all year and would wait up all night for Santa to put it under the tree. There are no dollhouses, no bikes, no ice skates (although...maybe I should ask for another pair. I miss ice skating).

And as cheesy as it might sound, the thing I'm looking forward to most this Christmas isn't something I'll get under the tree (unless maybe it was the key to a new Aston Martin sitting outside), but I'm mostly just looking forward to going home and spending some time with the family, and kittens, with the holiday decorations up, good food and drink, and some downtime.

So this is growing up.

e-books

I've been seeing the Kindle on a lot of my trips to Amazon lately, and was also reading about e-books while catching up on some of my blog reading. Hmmm...e-books...

Yes, I suppose they would make aspects of life easier. For one thing, it'd probably be much easier to read the latest Grisham or Dan Brown on the metro, or definitely make it easier to read your daily New York Times, especially on the metro during rush hour. The few times it's been pretty bad, I have put my book away simply because I couldn't hold it at a good angle or people kept hitting my book and making my eyes wander from the line I was on.

Slightly difficult.

But...I'm not tempted to get a Kindle, or Sony Reader, or anything along those lines. At the end of the day...I like my books.

I like seeing the spines lined up on my bookshelves, or stacked up along end tables, I like the weighted feel of a new book in my bag, hoping that something causes a delay in my day to read the next chapter or two. I like being curled up in an armchair with a book in my hands, turning the pages in anticipation, or seeing the increasing thinness on the right side as I hurry towards the ending.

It's what I do on lazy afternoons, stormy nights or in the cold chills of winter.

Yes, as cliché as it sounds, I love the musty smell of a collection of books and I look forward to building my own library in my house (whenever that will be) of books I've read and loved through the years. It'd be a little difficult to do that with electronic books.

So what do you think? Tell me I'm not the only one with this love affair for books in a printed form? Or go ahead, try to convince me that I should make the change (although...good luck. I've heard many arguments and think they're really good...but...what can I say? I love my books).

it's snowing!

Yes, I complain about being cold. But you know what? I don't care when it snows. Somehow the snow cancels that bone-chilling cold that makes it hard to breathe.

It's snowed all three winters I've been in DC. This is strange, this is new. Growing up in North Texas, we weren't guaranteed snow every year and were lucky if it snowed at all, even a light dusting.

Anyone looked outside? It's accumulating. There's a light dusting of whiteness on the lawn and driveway at the Embassy in front of my office. And it's still falling. This morning weather.com said there might be a 1 or 2 inch accumulation. To you Northerners, that may not be worth anything.

But for me? That's very exciting. I am a happy girl.

Now...if only I had some hot chocolate...

nothing

Today I did practically nothing. Sure, I got stuff done around my apartment, but I didn't do any of the errands or Christmas shopping I'd thought I'd do earlier in the weekend. The reason was because I could barely walk (ok, slight exaggeration here...but it may have been the truth last night).

Yesterday I went for a six mile hike through Rock Creek Park that took about four hours. I can easily walk six or seven miles in DC while running errands since I don't have a car and I try not to take the metro whenever necessary. But that's on smooth (in places) sidewalk and level, for the most part. None of this hiking up steep inclines or rock-hopping across creeks, tiny steps down steep inclines and traipsing through calf-high leaves.

It was well worth it though. It's amazing to think that all that exists within Washington, DC, except in the few areas we passed through where you saw the road. Mostly it was just the group I was with and the leaves. I'd like to go again in the spring, because the leaves were a little tricky. There were places where you knew there were steps, but couldn't quite see for the leaves. And then I also kept waiting to fall down the rabbit hole since I couldn't see anything on the floor. It was great to take some time and just hike through the area. I found my mind wandering at times, wandering when I'd be finished so I can stop off at the grocery store on my way home, but then I tried to remind myself that sometimes you need to not think about what else there is to do and just enjoy the present.

But it was fun and I'd really like to do it again. Last night, a few hours after the hike, I met Carrie in Chinatown to see Beowulf (and yes, the 3D was awesome). My walk to the metro was a little slower than usual, and I opted to take the metro instead of walking since I could already feel the tightness. But man, standing up after sitting through a two hour movie was painful! But it was a good pain. It means you worked hard.

I did it!

I honestly wasn't quite sure I'd get a chance to finish. Earlier in the week, the 10,000 words I had left was a little bit daunting. But...I did it, down the wire.

I've always said I worked best under pressure.

This was my first year to participate in National Novel Writing Month. And it's interesting, I've written novels before (my first big one, Paradise Without Heaven, is close to 80,000 words), but not in a month. But even still, I didn't think it'd feel this gratifying to get done with NaNoWriMo. You know?

But it does. I am so stoked that I wrote this novel in a month. On Sunday, ok, maybe on Monday, I'm going to go back to the first book in the series that I was working on slowly, editing as I went.

As for now...I'm going to go watch the rest of The West Wing that I have on Netflix and tomorrow I'm going to celebrate with a movie, sushi and sake.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!Please note that this means I will be back to more interesting posts. All my creativity has gone to the novel and there hasn't been a lot of energy to spare from daily life to writing. So...there wasn't much of any kind of energy left for posts.

pre-historic monsters

Scientists have discovered something that I think is going to keep me up tonight: the fossil of an 8 foot long bug.

I saw the article a little earlier today, and I admit I'm a little conflicted. The urban girly part of me shudders at thought of super-sized spiders and other creepy insects (yes...I know they're an important part of the ecosystem and I think that when you look at how interdependent beings are in the ecosystem, it's really incredibly interesting...but...that doesn't mean I have to like them). This is the part that's going to by lying awake tonight trying not imagine a giant spider in my tiny apartment.

And then there's nerd in me who is fascinated by these new discoveries thinks it's incredible that there were bugs of this size.

400 million years ago. That's when this thing was around. I wonder what the world will be like in another 400 million years. That's really...too long of a time to even comprehend.

Did anyone else do that timeline of the earth in grade school? I think it was...8th grade that we did it, where you use what I think may just have been receipt tape and measure out the earth's time periods, with mankind taking up only the last inch or so.

Just wanted to share one of the interesting articles I've read lately. Another was the discovery of Jezebel's seal, and the vacuum mouth dinosaur (haven't read that one yet).

current word count: same as yesterday. I'm about to head home and get some writing in.

10 more days?

So...10 more days until the end of the November. 10 more days to write just under 24,000 more words.

A lesser person might stop here.

Especially considering that for six of those days I'll be on vacation. But I'm going to put my mind to the task at hand and write those words, hopefully getting some out during my time in the Big D. I'll remember to email myself the story to write while I'm there, and then of course remember to email myself the updated version so I'll have it when I get back to DC.

Yes, a short but sweet post. I'm hoping that by stating for the record that I'm going to finish this, that I will. This will hold me to it.

current word count: 26,427

california dreamin'

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
I've been for a walk on a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm if I was in LA
California dreamin' on such a winter's day

It's official. I bought tickets yesterday and I'm heading out to Southern California in February for a nice long weekend of sunshine and warmth. It's possible this may not have been the most responsible of decisions. Those who know me know I'm working hard to get my finances in order and save for more foreign trips (like Paris, Greece, Italy, etc.) but...I miss California. In May of 2008, if I wasn't going, it'd be three years since I'd been back.

I am so excited.

I'll stay at my old roommate's place who has told me that she actually works at our University now. And she is wonderful. Most of my best times were with this girl. She lived down the hall from me Freshman year and we roomed together the next two years (and honestly, I think junior year was the best year of the four...though Senior Spring was nice too).

And my best friend has said she'll drive down from Northern California to see me while I'm there, a girl who we can pick up the phone and talk for hours like we just saw each other the other day, but whom I haven't seen in almost three and a half years. Ahh...sunshine, warmth, mountains....palm trees...this will get me through the cold months coming up. That and the fact that I've recently learned Texas is having 70-80 degree weather in the next 10 days when I'll visit. My mother isn't liking that weather, but I'm looking forward to it.

I know I have until February, but I'm already planning the things I want to do and see while there that I think we'll have time for. And hopefully this will cure some of those pangs I feel when I miss California. Because I've said I could move back in a heartbeat. Of course...it could also be that I go visit and re-fall in love with that place and definitely decide to move back.

I feel like a slacker

After two...ok, maybe three days, of business, I have fallen behind in my word count. Today I wrote a brilliant sentence in the novel. One. Granted, I was instead working on a short story for my writers' group, so I was still writing (ok...editing). But I'm consoling myself with the fact that I do have the weekend. And there is the chance I will write on vacation next week.

I have of late been saying that I write more in Texas. Time to put that to the test.

On a completely different note, is anyone as stoked as I am about fall finally settling in? Yes, I know I complain about the cold, but that's usually only when it drops below 45...maybe 40. But this is only my third fall in DC and I'm still in awe of the leaves. I didn't even really mind the rain on my walk to work this morning, and it was a wonderful walk home with the pink sky and light orange toned buildings from the setting sun, and then the colored leaves and the dampened pavement with the traffic headlights reflecting on the puddles.

There is something to this whole season changing.

Anyway, the posts have been slow but I admit, it has been an absolutely crazy few months at work. But I've been reading some fascinating news articles I've wanted to comment on and hope to get around to. And if not, well, I'm sure there will be new and exciting things in Dallas.

Although honestly...I think the only things that are going to happen are Scrabble games, quality cat and family time, and the house will get mostly decorated for Christmas, since the day after Thanksgiving is traditionally the day we do that. We're not crazy. We don't shop that day (and believe me, after working retail the day after Thanksgiving, you wouldn't either).

current word count: 21,040

20,000 words...finally

My grand plan to get well ahead of the game isn't quite working. I've been getting only a little ahead each night, giving me enough time to get in the day's average 1,667 words. Getting ahead is important because of that little Thanksgiving holiday. I will be spending six days with my lovely family and while the weekend will be more than relaxing, I'm not sure I'll have the time to write a little over 10,000 words.

I have a feeling that when I'm not eating Thanksgiving food (minus the turkey in my case), watching movies or putting up Christmas decorations, I will be engaged in other pursuits that will at least be related to words: reading and playing endless amounts of Scrabble.

I would love it if I could get to 40,000 by next Wednesday night so as not to feel guilty if I get little to no writing done. Maybe 45k. I can dream, can't I?

Oh, and there's also the fact that I've been itching to work on the first novel in this series which I haven't had time for since I've been trying to finish this second one.

The good news, in terms of writing I guess, is that it's cold. The cold is here, and though it's supposed to be up around 60 early this week, it's supposed to get cold again at the end of the week. Those of you who know me know that this Southern girl prefers to hibernate in the cold weather rather than go outside and get assaulted by the bitter wind and freezing moisture in the air that makes it hard to breath.

I prefer to stay inside with hot chocolate/coffee/tea/sherry with sweats, a down comforter and that will give me more than enough time to write. I have a feeling this will be a very productive winter.

If only I had a fireplace. But...I guess I can't have everything.

current word count: 20,039

daylight savings

I realize I'm a little late with this post. But this morning was the second morning in a row that it was just rough to wake up early. Normally it's not too much of a problem. I wanted to get in either a workout or some writing (and I did finally get out of bed, just not as early as I'd wanted). My first thought was to blame what many others blame: Daylight Savings.

Only one little problem with that. It's fall. We fell back. So my 6am wake up call was really 7am, which is what time I'm usually sure I'm up by. And it's only been two days so it's not like I've had a lot of time to adjust.

The other thing is walking home with a setting sun. Normally I like this because it's calming and makes me want to go home, curl up with a book or a movie and some tea...take my time making dinner, etc., etc. But maybe it's because I'm not ready to admit that it's already November that it bothered me yesterday.

Oh well, since I can't change time, I guess the only thing I can do now is sit back and wait for my favorite Starbucks holiday cups. I get so stoked when I see my first one, either in a Starbucks or out on the street because to me that means it's officially the holidays.

current word count: 9327

"if you really want this, it will happen"

The title of this post comes courtesy of Owen in the senior year season of Felicity. The two of them are going around to show their artwork to galleries and are getting rejected without even having their work looked at. Felicity is starting to get a little worried since it seems that everyone else has a career path and a plan of what to do next.

So Owen tells her that she has talent and that it will happen. You just have to want it and work after it. And it'll be a struggle. There aren't really any degrees you can get that says you're a writer. Granted, you can take creative writing classes or major in creative writing (senior year in high school that's what I listed as my applied for degree...I ended up changing it the summer before freshman year for the same reason: I wanted something with a possible career. And I really do nothing related to economics at the moment).

And it's the same with writing. Felicity's mother was taking writing classes and then decided to get into real estate because writing wasn't realistic, she said. And it may not be.

But earlier today I got to thinking about it, when I'm frantically writing my word count for the day and my inner editor is sitting there staring at the screen thinking...wow...this isn't good. So I started thinking this isn't good. But you know what? I love writing. I love creating worlds and characters, these story lines that take on a life of their own and go in directions I didn't think of.

And here's the other great thing about ignoring the editor. I'm working on the second part of a series I have in mind, and it's flowing. I'm just trying to get my count down and the story is sort of writing itself, for now anyway. But the first book in the series took awhile. I tried plotting it out in my head and then with each page I wrote, I wanted to know what the scene ten or fifteen pages later was going to be. And of course I had to edit everything I wrote and get stuck on that part, forgetting what was coming up. That kind of hinders the writing of the story, I've noticed.

A colleague corrected me the other day when she asked how the writing was going with the Bali novel (which I'm putting aside for awhile until I can get to Bali...seeing as how I've been to Java and Sumatra, but not quite Bali). I told her I'd let her know if I ever get published and she smiled and said "when you get published."

While positive thoughts won't necessarily get me published, if I just keep writing I'll improve my writing and improve my chances of seeing "this" happen. And that's something to look forward to, and knowing the challenges will make it sweeter.

current word count: 7510

it begins...

It's November 1 and the National Novel Writing Month has begun! I normally try to wake up early to get my workout in and over with (key word: try), but this morning I woke up early to start writing.

Granted, I didn't wake up as early as I wanted to and I was slightly distracted by other things on the internet, but as of this moment writing this entry, I'm about halfway through today's allotment. I think I can definitely get the rest done this evening.

And as much as I hate it, I'm not doing any editing right now. Normally when I hit a wall with the current scene or upcoming scenes, I'll try to go back through and edit. But I think over the weekend I'll be able to make time to go back and edit a little bit. This will still be a very rough first draft.

I'd also like on the weekends to write a lot and build up a nice little safety net for the day or two when I just don't write (although I hope that won't happen) or write under the daily minimum, imposed by me. This way I'll definitely be able to write at least 50,000 words by November 30.

Good luck to those participating!

happy halloween!

There was an article I saw and wanted to mention, but I decided to hold off until close to Halloween (and how much closer can you get?). The article says that just about one in three people believes in ghosts...which, coincidentally, is the same percentage of UFO believers.
What struck me as interesting is the relatively high number of people believing in ghosts, UFOs and ESP (nearly half the population!) but the low percentage of people who believe in magic.

What also struck me was that as far as people living in the city goes, men were more superstitious than women. When I mentioned this to my sports-loving co-worker, she said "well...there's baseball." And the article did mention that the number of people (both men and women) believing in these things matches the percentage of baseball fans in this country.

I was going to look for a quote from the article, but there's too much there that's extremely interesting and I couldn't really pick the most interesting paragraph. But I will say that I've felt bad for some of the superstitions. So what have I done to remedy that? My favorite number is 13 and I have two black cats.

I once read that in England it was considered lucky to have a black cat cross your path. So when I first got Isis, I figured I'd embrace that part of my English heritage.

And yes, the above pumpkin is one I carved. I'm old fashioned, I didn't need a stencil to make some complicated design...even though they look really cool. Back in my day we used a pencil or a marker and a knife. C'est tout.

Happy Halloween!

wish me luck

On Thursday I begin a new novel, one that will be at least 50,000 words and will finish on November 30. Which coincidentally falls on a Friday, which might be a great time to celebrate finishing a new novel.

That's right, this year I'm participating in the National Novel Writing Month. I haven't in years passed because I was working on other things at the time. Right now I am working on finishing up the first draft of the first book in a YA series that I'm actually really excited about. So when it came to decide to participate, I thought at first that maybe I wouldn't. I wanted to finish this one.

But it's a series. And I roughly have ideas for the first four in the series since it's about four sisters and each book is about one sister (there is more to the idea than that, but I don't want to talk too much about it because the more I talk, the less I write).

Anyway, it struck me that I should go ahead and write the second book. That will definitely ensure that the series continues.

So...wish me luck! I'll occasionally post updates. The only glitch may be my holiday vacation. But I'm hoping to mainly just lounge around the house in Dallas, which should give me plenty of time to write.

And Good Luck to everyone else participating!

puppy chow

Peanut butter, chocolate and Crispix. Can there be anything better?

I realize this may be a foreign dish out here, seeing as how only two of the people I've talked to had any idea what I was talking about. Usually the response was "Puppy chow? What in the world?"

But I made a box of it last night and am pleasantly surprised to see it disappearing fairly rapidly here at the office. And you know, for a first time, it's not so bad. My sister makes this every year and of course it's always delicious, but I've never made it. And I do have some criticisms...there are a few squares without any powdered sugar, but that's really about it.

I love cooking, and as much as I would love to say that the deliciousness that is this batch of puppy chow are due to my expert skills in the kitchen, I can't. I think it's mainly due to melted chocolate, peanut butter and butter poured over cereal and mixed with powdered sugar.
Genius.

I think I may have introduced several people to something new. They do say that Aquarians are trend setters. Always trying to help.

Enjoy the weekend!

umbrella

This may sound strange and/or random, but I don't like umbrellas. I never have, and I usually go without. In Texas it was fine because the only time you would get wet would be the dash from the car to whatever building you were going to. Granted...it pours in Texas like nobody's business and even then sometimes you'd need an umbrella. But when I could, I'd avoid using one.

Then in the four years I was in California, it rarely rained, and when it did, it usually sprinkled which was nothing to the torrents I grew up with. And since I was usually walking from class back to the dorm, I didn't necessarily mind since I could make up a cup of hot chocolate and change and be warm and dry in an instant.

But here...I have no car and no need for one and so I walk. Everywhere. And only rarely take the metro (like last night when it poured and I did to escape the rain even with my umbrella). And I was also reminded of why I don't like them.

First of all, I have to admit it, but they look ridiculous. And secondly, when you have a narrow sidewalk that's already two small for groups of people walking against each other, what are you going to do when you have an umbrella? Granted, I'm short, so for most people, they don't have to worry about hitting me. But I have to worry about hitting them in the face with my umbrella, especially like last night when I rounded a corner against a wall of some prickly bush and had nowhere really to avoid hitting some guy who, granted, raised his umbrella to make room for me.

This morning on my way to work, it was hardly raining and yet I saw nearly everyone with their umbrellas up. I decided to avoid mine, thinking if it started raining harder I'd pull mine out. There was this man in front of me with one of those really large umbrellas (and again, keep in mind it was hardly even spitting). He walked a little slow, and not in a straight line as not many people walk in perfectly straight lines. I wanted to pass him except I couldn't see around his umbrella. When I'd start, someone else would come waltzing past me, blind until we both got to the edge of the umbrella, or he'd start walking in front of me and I'd have to duck, or walk in wet grass, to get around him.

Anyway, so I pass him and get to the intersection, stepping up to the curb to wait for a break in traffic to cross. And what does this guy do? Walk right up next to me, exactly next to me with his umbrella sticking out in my complete line of vision. I missed a few breaks, trying to lean forward or back to see around this guy before he crossed and my vision was clear.

Ok, that's the extent of my rant. I know they're a necessary menace, but for whatever reason, umbrellas annoy me and they always have. And I apologize if I hit anyone or my umbrella blocks your line of vision. I've been there and sympathize. But know that I'll only use mine if it's absolutely necessary.

turkey

Last weekend was the Turkish festival. I met Carrie down there shortly after lunch and we pretty much went straight for the Turkish coffee. We had a bit of a wait while they made some more, but it was delicious, of course. We opted not to have our fortunes told, and while I think it may have been fun, the last time I had a friend read my palm it was a good fortune and I'd rather just leave it with that.

We walked through the stands of food, inhaling the delicious spices used for the kabobs and even the smell of fresh, warm baked pitas with spiced hummus. When we arrived, the music was contemporary and sounded almost like house. If it was Turkish house, it was awesome and I would love to hear any recommendations. When we got back to the stage, the schedule was back to traditional music and next to the stage was a screen rotating images of Turkey. I watched mostly that while we listened to some music briefly and then headed back to Dupont for lunch. To keep with the spirit of the day, we went to Levante's for some hummus (which was some of the best hummus I've had in awhile), I had a grilled vegetable pita and we both finished off lunch with another Turkish coffee.

Oh, and on that, I did buy a small canister of Turkish coffee. The only downside is that the instructions are all in Turkish, so I'll have to try Carrie's instructions since hers are apparently in English. I'll let you know how that turns out.

I stopped by my apartment to put the second half of my sandwich away and then headed back to the Turkish festival right around closing to meet another friend of mine. Like earlier we went for the Turkish coffee first, but I wisely declined some, because I'd also had a big cup of coffee earlier that day, plus the other two coffees. I don't usually get wired from coffee, but when we sat and chatted for awhile, I was pretty wired.

We stood again for awhile listening to the traditional music, which at first was upbeat and yet also mysterious in a way. I really enjoyed that set. The next set was something slower, and while it was nice, it didn't pull me in enough to forget that I was standing in fading sunlight after walking and standing for most of that whole day. So we stopped at another food stall so he could get a quick bite and then sat down in the plaza and chatted and caught up, with the music in the background until it was time to close up shop.

I've wanted to visit Turkey before, in much the same way that I've wanted to visit...Peru or Germany. It was on my list, but wasn't quite up there in the top with Paris, Greece, Prague or Cambodia, the places I really, really want to visit soon. But I think that now it's moved up there. I've always loved the food (and the coffee) and have fairly recently been interested in its history, but the images on rotation and the atmosphere have really bumped Turkey up on my list.

dc driving

I don't often drive in DC because...well, mainly because I don't have a car (which is a good reason). I do miss having a car, except when I get the opportunity to do a little driving inside the District. Like yesterday, for example.

Yesterday I took my colleague's car to pick up a catering order for a big office meeting. Driving her car freaked me out already, without the driver's around. Each time I came to a stop light my heartbeat picked up ever so slightly because there was no clutch and yes, I admit it, I was tempted to do some phantom shifting. I refrained (except once), but there was no way to put the car in neutral and I kept waiting for it to buck and stall. Seeing as how she has an automatic, it didn't. But in the almost 9 years of driving, over 8 have been in a standard.

To think I used to make fun of people who phantom shifted.

As if that wasn't enough, there were the other drivers. Getting to the store wasn't too bad, there weren't to many idiots on the road. But getting back was a different story. I had some guy open his car door almost right into my car, and I just barely had enough room to swerve without hitting oncoming traffic in the next lane. And then, driving back to work at one intersection there was the classic car in the middle of the intersection trying to turn, but oh, guess what? I had a green light and she had a red! I wanted to honk at her, because I'd actually already almost been hit twice...but seeing as how I was in a new car, trying to remember not to shift, I had absolutely no idea where the horn was. It was in a different place than in my old car. I think on the bottom of the steering wheel, not on the side.

And then in the next block, there was a truck stopped in my lane, and I couldn't very well go around it because there were cars coming against me in the very next lane. Fortunately only two, so I didn't have to wait long. But long enough to have some guy two cars back honk. Geez...it's not like I felt like stopping in the middle of the lane for the fun of it. I couldn't go anywhere!

And then I think I almost got hit again before making it back into my building's parking garage. You know..they say LA has the worst traffic, but in four years of driving in Southern California and LA...I never had the problems I've had in the few times I've driven in DC in only two years.

My colleagues were waiting for me in the garage to help take all the food back upstairs and when I first joked with them about the weirdness of driving an automatic again, I told them my realization: No wonder people here are often in such foul moods. I'd be too if I had deal with that every day.

So that's my rant. And that took care of that emptiness of not driving somewhere inside me. And besides, in a month I'm going back to Texas for the holiday and I'll get to drive in nice, four lane roads where most people observe traffic signals, use turn signals and wave when you let them in (how nice is that?) and...what's even better, is I'll get to drive a standard which will relieve that tension.

Oh, and I know where the horn is on my Mom's car.

By the way, I know I owe a recap on the Turkish festival. It was an incredibly crazy week at work this past week with lots of long hours, but this weekend I've got some downtime and intend to take those pictures off my camera and I'll post about the delicious Turkish coffee.

economics

I remember the advice that we received before and during college, that many people get jobs that have nothing to do with their major. I heard a lot of this when I still thought about a creative writing major, which I then switched before I even went to college. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I would have thought my degree would have been used. And it still may be.

If I can remember what I learned.

I spent four years studying economics...ok, maybe three since one senior semester was spent studying politics in DC and the other had one economics course: my senior seminar where I wrote a paper. But I took a lot of courses and I loved them, even if I didn't get a 4.0 in some of them (ok, maybe all of them). The coolest thing was taking what I learned there and applying it to my minors, like the time we were discussing the Asian financial class in my Asian International Relations and for some reason, the double graph I learned about expected exchange rates totally made sense when I tried to apply it.

Sorry...still awake?

The thing is...I don't necessarily remember how to do all of that now. I can see the graphs, but I can't quite remember what goes on there. And it extends beyond international finance. I'm not sure I remember anything from international trade, my favorite econ class.

I'm not sure why, but I kept my old econ books. Well, except for statistics (a class we never used the book in anyway). I've pulled out my micro book to look through. Let's see how easily it is for it all to come back. And now I have something to keep me occupied until Italian classes start again in the spring.

assateague island

Anyone do anything fun for the holiday weekend?

I did. Well, not for the weekend, but yesterday. My friend and I went to Assateague Island to see the wild horses. Did anyone else read Misty of Chincoteague as a little girl (it doesn't strike me as the type of book little boys would read, but I could be wrong)? Well...I did. We both did. And a little over a month ago while chatting over sushi, we somehow started talking about it and it dawned on us that we were close to Assateague and Chincoteague. Now granted, after some research, we missed the scheduled driving across the bay, but the horses on Assateague are wild and you can see them year round.

We found a day that worked for both of us, and drove up there and back yesterday. If you'd like to do it, it's about a three hour trip and Google maps does a great job with the directions.

Anyway, when we crossed over to the island, we drove past two brown horses ambling along the side of the road, but didn't get any pictures of these two. I guess we thought the island would be teaming with the 150 strong herd. But...it's a long, thin island.

We went first (after a couple of trips around finding a parking lot, let alone a spot) to the Life of the Forest trail, which was a nice escape in the hot day. From the outlook point we saw several horses at a distance. Along with a bird. Now...if only we can get to that other side. But...it's an island, right? How confusing could it be?

We drove to the end of the island and parked at the Trail of the Dunes, which I have renamed the Trail of Doom. It was a gorgeous trail, but it was sand. And we both thought the trip would be like the earlier trail, and both wore athletic shoes and I had on jeans and it was hot. It's also been awhile since I trudged through sand and this was deep sand with a lot of resistance.

And no horses here.

But it was beautiful and so the Doom nickname was more of a joke. We made it back to car and thankfully it was after we were back in air conditioning that we realized the weather was up into the 90s. Not knowing that during the sand hike might have made it even worse.

On the way back to the bridge we went down a road and there we saw three more horses that we got out and followed a ways. Now that was pretty cool. They had the right idea by plowing ahead into the water. We hoped they'd lead us back to the larger herd, but they were probably lounging in the shade. Even those these are wild horses, they're not like what I'd imagine the mustangs would be. You could get close to them and they got close to the people around (I think brushing past an oblivious fisherman who looked around with surprise at the three horses walking past him), so we definitely got some great shots.

It was definitely a great experience and a wonderful day trip. I satiated that desire from when I was a little girl completely infatuated with horses (and I think that little girl is definitely still around) and we learned some things for the next time we go. Bring towels and a swimsuit, because the ocean was far too tempting. Had we submitted to that desire, it would have been a long...wet car ride home. And bring better shoes for walking on sand. And more sunblock since I think we sweated most of it off.

Anyway, that's the trip in a nutshell. I have more pictures here. I didn't put them all up, but I took about fifty pictures. The island itself is beautiful, which only adds to the coolness of being there. And I think it is pretty much guaranteed that you'll see a horse or two. Whereas if you go out West with lots of land and try to see the mustangs...well, you might not.

Up next, I hope, is a trip to Luray Caverns. I went once when I was very little and don't remember a whole lot. But I think it would definitely be worth it to visit again.

independent bookstores (remembering city lights)

The other day I read about an independent mystery bookstore in Massachusetts that was selling (and in all probability, closing). And there were great stories about that this store that made it seem like an institution in the state, and quite possibly in the mystery genre. And it got me thinking and really wanting to go to an independent bookstore again. Thinking about this morning, I thought of City Lights.

My first visit to California was junior year in high school when I went out to San Francisco to visit a friend of mine. One day when she had to work, her friend took me on a tour of the city and we passed City Lights. At the time, my only idea of the beat generation were people I imagined went to the Zodiac in Bell, Book and Candle. I may have known of Jack Kerouac, but I certainly hadn't read anything at that point.

But...it was a bookstore. And it looked cool. So we went back and I was in love. I was in love with the atmosphere, the books that lined the shelves and weren't like many other books in the bookstores I frequented. I may have bought one or two books that day, but I went back.

Another day my friend had to work and I walked around from our hotel, down around Fisherman's Wharf, and up to Chinatown and around to City Lights and bought a big bag of books. I discovered Lawrence Ferlinghetti on this trip and great Spanish poets like Jorge Guillén and Rafael Alberti, and first discovered spoken word (though I read it this time and hadn't yet heard it).

I remember going back to Pier 39 and getting clam chowder in a sourdough bowl at Boudoin bakery and reading for the rest of the afternoon there on the pier. It was almost like reading here at a cafe in the fall. It was cold (for me) in July with that breeze coming in from the ocean, and overcast that afternoon.

I digress. But I can't imagine what San Francisco would be like without City Lights. Unfortunately I don't go to independent bookstores as much as I'd like, but I'll make a conscious effort to amend that. While the big stores are great because they have nearly everything you could possibly want, it's the smaller places where sometimes great discoveries are made. I still look for more Ferlinghetti when I'm at the bookstore, and occasionally there are a few newer collections, but I've yet to see Guillén or Alberti.

And those are wonderful discoveries to make. And that sense of history that are with these places. When I think of City Lights, it's like you could imagine browsing through the somewhat obscure poetry and prose, almost waiting for Ginsberg or Kerouac to walk through the front door. These are magical places, full of creativity and history and dreams. They've been created out of a love of the art form and sustained by that.

And that's what I love about them. And miss about City Lights.

It says a lot about that place that I haven't been back since that summer, in seven years, and I can still vividly remember it.

oh DC, sometimes you're really wonderful

Ok, so besides the greatness that was the National Book Festival last weekend, today I discovered something else that has me incredibly stoked about living in this great and wonderful city (I know, these are not actually adjectives I freely use in the dead of winter...DC and I...we have a complicated relationship).

October 14 is the Turkish Festival. And Turkish coffee...how I love thee.

I still remember the first time I had Turkish coffee. It was at Café Izmir in Dallas, right there on Greenville Avenue where you can go on Tuesday nights for $2 tapas. Yes, I still am madly in love with this place and try to go every time I'm back in Dallas. And yes, I've seriously thought about moving back to Texas because then I could go there any time I wanted. Hey...living away from Dallas for six years can really make you miss a place.

After some of the most incredible food I've had, we had some dessert and coffee, and the coffee came out in these little demitasses with colorful designs. I braved it. I didn't add anything to it, and I think it's definitely ruined if you do, but the coffee was thick, and grainy and rich. And somehow it was still smooth going down and had a dark taste, almost like dark chocolate.

I've had Turkish coffee a few times since, not many, and never as good as when I have it Café Izmir. A woman who worked with my Mom brought back a bag of it after a trip to Istanbul. I still have it somewhere and I think I may need to find that for some of the cold nights coming up. But until then...I have this to look forward to.

And hey! This time I can have my future read too. What a plus.

DC...right now, I love you.

2007 national book festival

Anyone else go?

I've been in Washington for three Septembers now, but this was the first one I went to. The first one I didn't know about, the second one I was stoked about but then forgot about it. What can I say? Third time's the charm.

I was most excited about seeing Jodi Picoult. I've read her last three books and loved them. And yes, I had hoped to have a book signed, but the line was about three lines deep and I thought "you know, chances are she'll have another book out and go on another book tour. I can wait then." I admit, I'm not the most patient of people, especially when wearing a black shirt with the sun beating down on me.

Plus...I wanted to go hear more writers talk. So my friend and I wandered over to the Mystery & Thriller tent, way down on the other side. I guess I should first say that I got there around 1:00pm and that was just in time to hear Joyce Carol Oates speak. I admit...I haven't much read from her but I definitely know the name. I think I've read a few short stories. And later when I told my Dad about it, he said "wow...I think I remember reading her in high school!" So...I'll definitely check her writing out. She was a wonderful speaker. Actually, they all were.

So we caught the end of David Ignatius and then stuck around for Daniel Silva, another writer I haven't read but know the name. I've seen his name during my frequent bookstore trips on the shelves of new releases or best sellers, etc. But to be honest, I don't read a lot of Mystery and Thriller. I enjoy them, but I don't usually pick up something there. I think I'll have to deviate from my usually Fiction and Literature section to pick up his books. He was also engaging and told some interesting stories. How cool would it be to go research for your novel in Russia and visit some inner room of an old KGB headquarter? And what interesting characters to write about. I think he said his main character is an Israeli spy/art restorer. Well, I guess you have to have a cover if you're spy and that's as good as any.

After him we grabbed a quick lunch/dinner and chatted before heading back over to Fiction to hear Jodi Picoult. She was a wonderful speaker, and here's someone else who has done incredibly awesome things in the name of research: spent time in a prison, gone ghost hunting, spent time in Alaska (if it was in the winter, I'm even more impressed). She's definitely one of my favorite writers, and part of it is the way she writes, but also what she writes about. Her topics are definitely difficult to conquer, and yet they seem very real. I've only read three of her novels, but I think My Sister's Keeper and Nineteen Minutes are perfect examples. She mentioned briefly her new book about death row and organized religion that will come out in March. I'm going to keep that one in mind and pick it up when it comes out.

I do have some pictures online, not many but one of each author I saw. I know this is only a brief recap but I didn't want a very long entry and bore you with every little detail. I'm stoked I made it out this year and I will definitely go next year. As we walked back to Metro Center, my friend said that this was one of the great things about living in DC. You know? You don't have to plan a trip around these festivals and events. And the other thing Daniel Silva said was about the festival itself. He urged the audience to write their Congressman if they really enjoyed this, to make sure that it continues. This was one of Laura Bush's initiatives and has her backing, but she'll be heading back to Texas soon and then what? If the size of the festival goers is any indication, I think the Festival definitely has support. I saw so many of those little yellow bags on my walk down to the mall, and my friend saw them on the metro as she headed down, so there were countless people there before we even got there.

I'm a fan.

Library of Congress Book Festival.

how's it going?

One of the wonderful things about the internet is connectivity. We're able to remain in contact with people from high school and college and it's easier than it was pre-internet. We don't have to take the time out of our hectic schedules to sit down and write out a letter, look up the address and then post it. We don't have to wait until after 9 for a ridiculously priced long distance phone call or worrying if it's too late or too early to call.

All we have to do is shoot of a quick email, even if it only consists of four lines or so. A quick "Hey, how you're doing? What's going on? Hope all is well." Ciao.

But the thing is, I think sometimes we expect an equally short response back. The note is more just about staying in touch, making a quick connection to show I'm still there and still thinking about you and hope that this connection continues into the future.

And even if we happen to be having the worst day in awhile, or are stressed about work, life, finances or, in my case, the time and creativity to sit down and actually write/edit more than a page, we're not going to say that. Ok, some might. But I'm not. I'll say that things are great, busy and I'm just trying to get some writing in. Because if I go on for much longer, or start talking about what I'm working on, I feel like I'm digressing and no one really wants to hear all of that.

Mostly these are people you knew from class or from the halls, or friends of a friend or maybe someone you would have connected well with but just didn't get the chance to know. And who knows, they may never be close enough to hear your entire life story. But even my really good friends just need a brief email for me to say I'm thinking about you.

Lately I've had a couple of those, where you just shoot back a quick response and know that you'll get a short but sweet one back. And it's not a bad thing, but...I don't know, I guess I sort of feel it's almost superficial. But, at the same time, I'm glad to still connect with these people. I do prefer catching up in person because it feels like a greater connection. With these little connections, then maybe someday there will be an opportunity to meet up for coffee and have a real conversation and catch up on the little details.

shakespeare theatre

I do this a lot living in DC. I walk all over the city streets and pass interesting places and restaurants and think to myself "I really need to come back and check this place out." And then I don't.

Case in point: The Shakespeare Theatre.

I've walked past it numerous times while hanging out or walking through Chinatown, and I must think the same thing every time I pass it. I've been here two years now, and last night I finally went. I was asked to go see The Taming of the Shrew, which is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. So of course, I had to go.

And I had a great time. First of all the theatre is great and I don't think there could be a bad seat there. Then there was the play itself which was a very good production. There were many moments where I laughed out loud, and not only due to Shakespeare's wonderful dialogue and jokes, but also through the movements and little things that were added.

As can so often happen with Shakespeare there were some delivered lines that were...a little over the top. And to be honest, there's something with a wedding dress (I don't want to give anything away) that initially was great, but overall I'm not so sure it worked. I still haven't decided.

But again, overall, it was wonderful. Of course now I'm really in the mood to rent it again and see Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton thunder away at each other. That may still be my favorite version, and maybe that's because that was the first version I saw ages and ages ago.