I used to the play the flute

I used to play the flute, and now I couldn't remember fingering positions if my life depended on it. If I think about it long enough, F seems to start coming back but then I forget it in an instant (if it ever came back at all). I can still position my lips correctly, so I suppose I could at least make a sound on the instrument.

Random thought, no? But this morning I had the classical music station on and there was a piece that was pretty much all flute. And as I sat with my cup of coffee, listening to it and slowly starting my morning (I'm definitely not a morning person. If it's early, I hate getting up and rushing around to get ready and out the door), I felt...nostalgic for an instrument I used to play, albeit not very well. And maybe that's because I'm sure it's one I won't go back to.

I still have my flute, somewhere. My Mom told me she didn't get rid of it after the move, even though I think I might have told her to go ahead and toss it. If I remember correctly, there's a piece that's loose and needs to be repaired. But of course now there doesn't seem to be the time to go back to it. I barely have enough time for work, writing, piano and Italian. Oh, and now French since I want to go to Paris and try to force myself to speak French (maybe I'll finally bump up to the advanced). And of course there are a couple exhibitions at the museums now i want to see.

When I listen to Josh Bell, I wish I'd taken up the violin and then wonder if that would have gone the way of the piano and flute. I played piano for several years (along with ballet...what little girl hasn't done one or the other?) and stopped, only to finally take it up again in high school with lessons after school. Now I have a keyboard that I play when I have time and study my lessons as though I still had to. But weeks will go by where I don't touch the keys. Would I have gone back to the violin after falling in love with Puccini's O Mio Bambino?

Hmmm...not sure. Maybe I'll have to create a character who plays the flute. Definitely a good reason to try to play that again. Of course, that's assuming I can find the instrument. And fix it.

Anyone else have any instruments in their past they miss or have gone back to?

city of brotherly love

Over the holiday weekend, Carrie and I decided to head out of the city and visit Philadelphia. Having lived nearly all of my life in very, very large states, the fact that I can hop on a train and travel through four states in two hours is...incredible.

The hotel was also neatly situated several blocks from the historical part of Philly, which was nice Saturday even when we dragged ourselves back to the hotel. At least, it didn't quite feel like we were dragging ourselves back there.

It was really cool to visit Philadelphia so soon after finishing John Adams (which is a book I highly, highly recommend), because of course he was in the city so much during the Independence era and of course as president. And it was also kind of nice to have my own agenda of what to see (everything) instead of following one that was set out by parents...even if I did want to see it.

So...let's see, what did we do? Well, we toured Indepedence Hall and the Congress Hall next to it, saw the Liberty Bell, the Declaration House, Todd house, Betsy Ross' house, Christ Church, some other houses, Ben Franklin's grave and other signers' graves, saw the Franklin Mint (closed on weekends so no tour) and umm...quite a few other things. I guess maybe I should go back and look at what we didn't see.

But I have decided I am in love with Philadelphia. It's up there with Boston and San Francisco on my list of favorite cities. Now I'm trying to plan when I can go back to Boston. It's been a long time since I've walked the Freedom Trail and I think, now that I've been reading a lot of US history books, that it's time to do so again. And of course throw some more tea into the harbor!

I'll post a link soon when I get pictures up online. There are some technical issues with my site I normally post pictures, so I'm thinking of just putting them up on Flickr. And when I do, I'll also (finally) post those pictures from Virginia last month.

some good news

Not necessarily some good news, but some news I saw this morning and was very pleased with. But maybe first I should set up why?

When I was a little girl, I, like many little girls, wanted to be nearly everything under the sun: a teacher, an actress, a veterinarian, etc. The one career that I wanted strongly to follow, besides being a writer, of course, was a marine biologist. I often went to the library and bypassed the Nancy Drew books for anything I could find on whales (though I would, on occasion, read Nancy Drew too).

I learned a lot during that time period.

I'm not quite sure what happened to that career goal though. It may have been my aversion to the frog dissection in high school biology. But even during college, and even now, I've often wished I'd continued that. I've even tried to think of a story idea centered around a marine biologist to delve back into all that research.

But anyway, the article I saw this morning that made me happy was this: Humpback Whales Make Huge Comeback.

It was definitely good to see that these animals that so captivated my attention (along with Orcas) are making a comeback. And it makes me want to cruise on over to Amazon and see what books I can get to read back up on whales. Who knows? Maybe that story will come back to the forefront of my mind.

Anyone else have any long-gone career objectives that still retain your attention?

rite of passage

This weekend I went up to Pittsburgh, and after shopping around for a mode of transportation, I rented a car to drive up and back. I've been talking about renting a car after turning 25, and now I've finally done it. And, true to any rite of passage, this weekend definitely had its challenges.

First off, it was strange to drive an automatic, but even more so to drive one of those hybrid part-standard part-automatic things. Because when you have to stop suddenly, your right hand drops to the gear shift trying to shift to neutral and your left foot presses down on the floor looking for a non-existent clutch. And "I've got to get in neutral" races through your mind even while you can't do it.

But that's beside the point.

It rained this weekend, especially on my driving days of Friday and Sunday. It rained a lot. And there was roadwork somewhere in Maryland and I went five miles in one hour. I'm not kidding either. So while my initial ETA was a little before 5, I arrived a little after 6.

On the way home there wasn't much traffic, but as I neared DC and had about thirty minutes or so of time left before returning my car, the skies opened up and poured, making it a little difficult to see. And of course, I don't drive in DC so I'm attempting to check my directions and watch the signs and attempt to watch the traffic around me through a veil of raindrops.

But...I passed. I got my car, and myself, to and from in one piece and managed to do so in a strange car on a strange drive without getting lost.

And the trip was more than worth it and worth the annoyances and the slight stresses. And it will also be no big thing to rent another car in the future.

stories

When visiting family, old stories inevitably come up. And I've always known my grandmother had a wealth of stories to tell, an ability I'd like to think came my great-grandmother, an Irish immigrant to the US who used to scare my grandmother with stories of the Bean Sidhe (banshee in Gaelic). Maybe she was a descendant from some great Irish bard. It was from my grandmother that I first heard the myths of the old Nordic and Greek gods.

In high school when studying World War II, we had to interview someone from that time for stories. And though I heard a few, the one I remember the most was my grandmother traveling back to the States from Panama (my grandfather was in the Navy), alone with a newborn (my aunt), on a blacked-out ship that cruised through the waters in a zig-zag pattern.

Anyway, while in Virginia, I learned more about my great-grandmother that weekend than I had in the last twenty-five years. I knew, for instance, that she had a brother who went away and fought in Europe during WWI, but I didn't know she had more than one brother. And to be honest, I really didn't know anything about my great-grandfather.

So after coming back to DC and thinking about it, I'm sending my grandmother a note to ask her to write down what she can of my great-grandmother, and also more stories about herself. Not only is it valuable information to know about yourself and where you came from, but as a writer, it could also provide the idea for the next great story. I already have one idea in mind after hearing more about a story I sort of knew a few details about. Of course, after thinking more about it, I wondered if it would be "realistic" enough for a novel. Sometimes life can be much stranger than fiction, you know?

i'm back!

I'm still here, or rather, I'm back! I went on a long vacation over the weekend to see some family and some tourist attractions in Virginia (Natural Bridge and Monticello). Today was my first day back at work after nearly a week, and let's just say there was a lot to do. Plus...yesterday I was a little tired from running all over Virginia for a week.

But I'll have pictures this weekend when I get a chance to take them off my camera. Apparently I've been to both Natural Bridge and Monticello, but have almost no recollection of going since I was too young. While at both places, I saw several young kids with their parents, and I joked with my Mom that we should tell them not to waste the effort or the money, and just wait until the kids are older. Otherwise, they'll just have to do what we did and go back years later.

Though, I think my Mom enjoyed going back. Yes, she was in town and that's why we went traipsing across the state. I'll let you know when pictures are up. Hope everyone else is enjoying this gorgeous DC weather! (if you have it, of course. My Dad told me he recently had snow, so it's not quite spring everywhere yet).

john keating: my poetry teacher

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion....But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."
- John Keating
Dead Poets Society

This was my favorite movie growing up (and not just because of a young Ethan Hawke), but because of the subject matter. I've always been an advocate for thinking for yourself, and I think part of that was shaped from this movie. And then also because the writing was so poetic (example, above).

I know I promised more poems this month, but it's been extremely busy. And what reminded me of it was NPR talking about poetry a little bit ago. And there was just one brief mention of Pablo Neruda. And even though I was only half listening, I thought with a sigh, "Oh...Neruda." I still remember the first Neruda poem I read, even if I don't remember which one it was. Even in the English translation, it was like a whisper. It was love and it was passion and beauty.

In high school when I read my first Verlaine poem in French, I remember thinking how I was going to have learn so many languages to be able to read poetry in the original language. I loved how in the French poems the words used had a specific meaning, but then because of other meanings it just opened the poem up into whole new depths.

Poetry can be beautiful, yes, we all know that. But its intensity and beauty can both be violent, and defiant, such as some Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.

I need to buy Dead Poets Society on dvd, especially because now I really want to watch it again. Even though it's sad, and I will probably stll sob at the end, it's just...it's such a poweful film. I don't think it'll ever be knocked off my top 10, or even my top 5.

And poetry does that too. It's a glimpse into a particular feeling or a particular time, raw and bare. Even though I look back at my poetry from college and even, oh lord, high school, and want to laugh at it, at the time it was what I felt. It was a moment in my life, a snapshot of a place I'll never be again and a feeling I'll never exactly have.

And now I've realized how this post doesn't quite tie in together. I started thinking of Dead Poets Society thinking about poetry, because of that scene where there's a graph drawn on how to tell whether a poem is great. And Keating essentially says "eh, screw it. You should judge a poem on how it makes you feel." Keating's exact words were: "Excrement! That's what I think of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard! We're not laying pipe! We're talking about poetry. How can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? 'I like Byron, I give him a 42 but I can't dance to it!'"

"...you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.'" Don't be resigned to that. Break out!'"
- John Keating
Dead Poets Society

update

I'm finally getting around to redesigning my website. Yes, I've talked about it for awhile now, but I was doing other things (editing and studying Italian). Oh, and of course that whole working thing.

But this morning I woke up early for yoga, though seeing as how I'm not a morning person (and never really have been, though there was a period in college where my flatmate and I went to the gym at 6am), I usually try to think of reasons to stay in bed. And since my computer is right by my bed, I decided to get to work on the site.

This morning I only had time to rework the main page, it's not up yet since I'm going to wait until the entire site is done, but it's the basis on which I'm going to build the entire site. So...the big part of it is done. I'm pretty happy with it. Since it's tied to the novel I'm working on, I used pictures from my trip to Montana (earth and air), California (water), and a candle in my apartment (fire).

I'll let you know when it's done and up!

back to paris

Ok, not that I've been yet, but I'm back to trying to make it happen this year. Initially I'd put it off a year to possibly go with my sister (and it's now a good thing I did since the time I had planned to go was when there was much striking going on). Then I thought maybe I'd put it off until the dollar starts doing better because of the whole $15 hamburger phenomenon...not that I eat hamburgers, but still.

But lately as I've started putting together tentative travel arrangements for the year, I can't get Paris out of my mind. And of course, Paris has never been far from my mind. I had thought to replace Paris with a shorter long weekend in Oaxaca, which would be fun too, but a trip I'm not as excited about. I think I've come to the realization that I need to get to Paris first, and then I can go to Oaxaca and Montreal (another travel possibility this year).

So...now I'm looking at September/October...and of course, I still may end up going over Thanksgiving as was initially planned. And that would of course give me an extra few months of saving for some spending money. Not that I'm going to go on a spree on the Champs-Élysées, except in my dreams of course, but I'm sure I'll definitely find a use for it.

My friend and I are also tentatively talking about visiting Italy next year to practice our Italian (we're about to begin our second class), and as I thought about it...I figured I really should visit my first love first. It's only fair.

So...that's about it. I came to this realization this morning, but it's been tugging at my mind for the past week or so. Now to call my sister and let her know, see if there's a chance she'll still want to go this year after I said I probably wasn't going.

writing soundtracks

I'm trying to think of music that will work best for my screenplay. I think music definitely helps the writing process. Even in school, I was one of those people that could never work in silence. I hated studying at the library because it was too quiet. I found that the slightest thing would distract me. I looked for those distractions. But give me music or a coffee shop and I can work for hours.

When I worked on the Bali story, I listened to a lot of classical music. It was calming and there were no lyrics to distract, which was great since I had to really build up this world and the experiences that I've never had (and hopefully never will). In the early part of the story, I listened to a lot of lounge music since it was a little more...easy going.

Now that I'm working on the YA novel, I find myself listening to the alternative rock music I listened to in high school. Or at least the bands, even if the CDs have come out later than that. I've been listening a lot to Dave Matthews and had the urge the other day to pop in some Coldplay. And of course there's Garbage and the soundtrack to Romeo & Juliet (with Danes and DiCaprio, still one of my favorite soundtracks) and Brokedown Palace (also a favorite).

But I'm not sure yet which CDs will be most conducive to my current work this month. I've listened to Dave Matthews and Joss Stone, just since that's what's currently in my CD player. But this weekend, when I hope to really get ahead, I need something...inspirational to the story. Hmmm...maybe a little Fiona could work in the beginning, or maybe Jem. But...I'm not sure what else. My lounge and trance I definitely don't think will work. Maybe for one or two scenes, but it's not the same mindset.

I'll let you know what I decide. Sometimes I'll just stare at my CDs and something will jump out and it'll be perfect.

In other news, it's April and, aside from Script Frenzy, it's also National Poetry Month! Last year I posted a few of my favorite poems, and will try to do that this year (in between editing and writing and, of course, that whole working thing.

For kicks I'll leave you with one of my favorites: Hell in Texas.

There's not a great, deep meaning here. But it's fun. And true.

Apparently it's a song. I had it in a collection of poems (The Best Loved Poems of the American People). Looking it up online I only found it as a folk/Cowboy song. So...there you go.

the joys of starting out

Quite recently I'd finished something that was definitely cause for celebration. Or for doing something celebratory. Nothing big, but a small, personal celebration. So...I have this small bottle of nice champagne that I'd received as a gift awhile back and I figured now was as good as time as any to open it.

Only one slight problem. No champagne flutes.

I didn't think about champagne flutes when I moved into my apartment. It was one of those "things I'll eventually buy." Like a toaster. I went about two and a half years without one because I didn't think I'd use it, I did fine without it, and living in my shoebox sized apartment in downtown DC...I couldn't completely justify the counter space.

I have since gotten said toaster, and I love it. Bagels and cream cheese every morning.

Anyway...back the champagne flutes. I figured that would be my celebratory purchase. I found a set of six that I loved from Crate & Barrel (can't go wrong there!) and also a set of rounded bowls that will be perfect for salads with my "rabbit-food" diet.* My roommate had bowls similarly shaped senior year in college, and I loved them! We could make the best huge salads with lots of added toppings, like raisins, lots of nuts, etc., and not have to worry about them dropping over the sides.

So there's one thing I can cross off my list, nearly three years after graduating. Next up...I'm thinking a casserole dish. Or at least some more larger dishes that are oven friendly. Or mixing bowls. Right now I use some of my oven-friendly dishes. And I'm thinking about a TV. Or a really comfortable chair to read, write and watch the aforementioned TV. Hmmm...

*When you grow up a vegetarian in Texas with family members that really enjoy their steak, your "weird" food tends to get made fun. Not that salads are weird, but the fake chicken nuggets and fake bacon I like are. To them.

upcoming projects

I had a couple of ideas for posts over the weekend, and just really wasn't around a computer to get them up. And of course now I think they're sort of irrelevant. Anyway.

I have a couple of upcoming, and I guess continuing, projects that I'm really excited about. The first, as some of you know, is the YA series I've worked on lately. It's been so much fun to write and really develop the four main characters, the sisters. They're so different from each other and it's been fun to slip into each one for awhile and give her a voice.

The second is that April is fast approaching and I'm going to participate in Script Frenzy. In college I dabbled a little in screenplays but it's been years since then. And I've had this idea that I love that never quite seemed to work as a novel. I tried different voices, different beginnings, first person and third person and...nothing. I was never satisfied with where it was going. But then as I started talking to people about Script Frenzy, I started thinking that maybe it would work as a movie. And then I started picturing scenes and how they'd play out.

So I expect April will be a little busy. In addition to attempting to write the first draft of a script in a month, I do have a nice long weekend vacation coming up right in the middle. And quite possibly another weekend trip up to New York. Busy month!

Anyone else participating? Wish me luck!

sláinte!

If you're lucky enough to be Irish...
You're lucky enough!

There's something to the playing of the pipes that makes one think of misty mornings up on stone filled mountains, with green for as far as the eye can see. The sound takes you back through history, and to the myths of Erin's emerald shores and a culture that no matter what, wouldn't fade into the mists like the gods before. It's what makes the Irishmen far and wide want to go home to Ireland.

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind always be at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

So in honor of that and of my ancestors and the past, have a great day today. Don't forget to wear green!

May the lilt of Irish laughter
lighten every load.
May the mist of Irish magic
shorten every road.
And may your friends remember
all the favors you are owed!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

birthstones and meanings

This morning I did a quick search for September/Virgo's birthstone for the novel I'm finishing up, and came across a really interesting website about the meaning of each birthstone. The only ones I really knew were January (for obvious reasons...it's mine), February (again, my zodiac sign has February's birthstone and my Mother's birthstone) and June (my sister's birthstone). Oh, and for some reason I knew the emerald was May...I think from high school when I debated getting that or a garnet in my class ring, my high school's color or my birthstone.

I went with the emerald. But was able to get a garnet for college since my colors were maroon and grey.

Anyway. while looking up September (a sapphire, by the way), I came across the American Gem Society's site that went by each stone for each month, even if they have two or three stones, and told the meanings behind each stone and a little bit about them like where they're from and what they've been used for historically.

For instance, a garnet was so named because of its resemblance to the pomegranate seed. Hmmm...I wonder if stones were also assigned to the gods and goddesses if in Greece this stone was then Persephone's stone. But the stone is also said to represent trust and friendship, which, interestingly enough, relates to the Aquarius trait of loyalty...even though I know Aquarius is technically amethyst, the sign starts in January.

And it dates back to 3100 BC.

Ok, I think that's cool. It also makes me want to go buy some more garnet jewelry. I only have my college class ring now, which I still where every day.

I'd like to hear what you found interesting about your birthstone if you take a look.

je suis ici

I'm still here! I know it's been awhile, but the past week has been crazy, or the past two weeks I guess. And of course my weeks are busy since Wednesday nights I have my writers' group and then the night after is Italian. And have also just been trying to figure some things out.

And on that note, today I stopped at the bookstore to buy a workbook on Italian Grammar Drills to have some extra practice with articles and eventually, when I know more, verbs. While there I also picked up a book on French Verb Drills for a refresher. And I've been pleasantly surprised that I remember more than I thought. Words that I rarely used when I was learning the language and may rarely use in the future.

And of course there's the novel I'm working on. I had a pretty good response from my writers' group with the first chapter and the basic idea, so that was good news. But that also means that I'm hunkering down and making some major edits to the first chapter and then finishing up some edits/plot lines for the rest. So...we'll see.

But I'm here! And I'll try to post some more excitement. I'm glad to see my Monty Python post was a hit. Maybe I'll have to start watching some Flying Circus and post my thoughts on that.

Only kidding.

the declining relevancy of monty python?

Over the weekend I started watching a few episodes of Fawlty Towers, with Monty Python's John Cleese and Connie Booth. I started watching the show probably back in junior high school after discovering the genius of Monty Python. And I remember finding these shows a riot.

I recently saw that Netflix had the show on their instant viewing, so I sat down one evening and starting watching it. I cracked a smile many times and even let a couple of giggles escape, but there wasn't that riotous laughing that I remember.

I mentioned this to a friend and wondered if maybe my humor had changed since then, as things often change. And she said possibly, or maybe I'd just seen it so many times (although that never stopped my friend and me in high school with our movie nights rotating the same three or four movies).

Then I had a thought: What about Monty Python? If my humor was changing, would I still find Monty Python the type of side-hurting humor that I used to? Would I still spend the entire movie/episode laughing so hard I could hardly breathe?

That's a horrible thought.

I hope I never sit through Monty Python and the Holy Grail with only a giggle or two.

And this led me, somehow, to think of future generations. We've got the most brilliant special effects these days, that it can be disappointing to watch older films (I have The Six Wives of Henry VIII on my Netflix list and many of the comments suggest putting aside the poor film quality and occasional bad acting, using the excuse that it was the 1970s). And no one can argue that the Black Knight is realistic.

So if I ever have kids and eventually have them watch Monty Python, will get I get a surly teen look in return and a haughty "why are we even watching this? This is so bad!" Will the poor quality detract from the humor or will the humor have changed so completely that the Python humor is just not funny...to them. Will they even care about an African or European swallow?

I did recently watch Holy Grail several months ago and was very pleased to have found it just as funny, even if my reaction was a little more muted since I knew (by heart) what came next. But...I can only hope that our generation's children will have the same experience I had on that first magical viewing where they may be left wiping tears from their eyes at the end and caught trying to catch their breath.

One of my favorite episodes from Fawlty Towers is up next, so there may be hope left. Here's hoping I get even the slightest cramp in my side from merriment.

to chop or not to chop

Senior year in high school I made the decision to cut my hair into a pixie cut. I chopped possibly over a foot of hair off. And, I loved it. I loved that it hardly took any time to style for the day, that it took almost no time to dry and I didn't have to worry about bumps from a pony-tail or not drying it completely straight.

What I didn't love was the time it took to grow out. I got a little creative with pinning it back so that I wouldn't have to keep getting it cut so often while it grew out (I was in California and the salon I preferred and knew was in Texas). And since then I've kept it long, only cutting off a few inches a year ago to take it closer to my shoulders.

But lately...I've been getting antsy. Especially in the summer when I have to worry about humidity and how hot it can be with my hair down. And for the last year or so I've debated chopping it all off again. I really, really want to, but I don't want to have to go through growing it out all over again. But then it's so much fun having it so short.

I will cut it probably in the coming weeks, and I have one almost shoulder-length style in mind. But there is a growing part of me that things maybe I should just chop it. Have fun with it. So...maybe I should. Hmmm...any thoughts?

california recap (in brief)

So...California was incredible. It was cold for Southern California standards, but hanging out in the sun, with the mountains in the background and palm trees on the horizon, it was easy to believe it was already spring.

The first day was pretty chill. I hung out at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and read/edited while my friend was at work. The next day I woke up early to meet an old prof at another coffeehouse I did quite a bit of studying at (even though it has a new name...again). It was a little too windy to really be out and enjoy the day, so we saw Jumper and ate some good Mexican food.

Saturday, oh...Saturday...we went to Laguna Beach (sigh). Oh...I love Laguna. We just strolled around and enjoyed the view before stopping at this funky little coffeehouse for lunch and Italian sodas. That night we went out, something I miss. I had so much fun with that girl in college and it was fun to relive the "getting ready to go out" routine.

But Sunday was a lazy day. After a late start we finally ended up heading out to Riverside to see the Mission Inn (where I have decided I'm staying the next time I go there) and grab a coffee at Back to the Grind, another great coffeehouse where I spent hours, upon hours, studying.

So that's my trip in a very brief nutshell. I got to see a few other friends, and meet some new and interesting people as well. And I came away with really missing California, again. I hope it's not another three years before I go back out there. That would be too sad.

Oh, and the sushi. I was reminded of how incredibly delicious and heavenly sushi in California is. My first night we went to a sushi restaurant I used to go to nearly every week in college, and it was...divine. I remember when I first moved out here, I found the sushi was good, but I haven't yet visited a restaurant that I absolutely have to go back to. I have my favorites, but not one of those places that are like paradise.

And I have many more pictures here. If you haven't been to Southern California...go.

two vacations in one

I planned my trip so that I had nearly a four hour layover in Dallas so that I had a chance to leave the airport and have lunch with my Mom while passing through. First off, on the way to California, I had the bizarre experience of passing through D/FW. I love that airport, but it was weird on Thursday to not leave it. I've only ever arrived or departed from there (for obvious reasons). Anyway.

I had a great time with my Mom. We went to this little French bakery in downtown Grapevine and then looked through a couple of little cute stores (most of the wineries were closed since it was Monday). I bought a wine stopper that I've wanted to get since I've had a few corks that don't quite fit back into the bottle, and this one's great: it's the state of Texas (complete with a lone star) and a bunch of grapes. It was either that or an Armadillo. Or maybe a Cowboy hat.

So we got back to the airport about ten minutes before my flight boarded, and when I arrived at my gate I saw that there was quite a long list of standbys. And they had seats open at the next few flights that evening (so no vouchers or anything). And I thought...hmmmm...spending the night in Texas? Count me in!

The agent gave me an odd look when I asked for a flight for the next day(yesterday) instead of later on Monday. I surrendered my ticket, turned around and called my Mom: "Hey, turn around. Come get me."

The really nice thing about it was that she and my sister were going out to dinner that night for her birthday since it didn't quite work out the last week. So I was happy to get to celebrate my Mom's birthday with her since it's been about seven years since I've done so. And I got to see my sister who was unable to take off for a late lunch in Grapevine. And...laugh all you want, but I also got to go home and see my cats.

So it was like having two vacations what with my second little, tiny, mini-vacation. Recaps of California coming soon. In a nutshell: Redlands, Laguna Beach and Riverside with some shopping and good food.

so about those resolutions

Yes, I'm aware I still owe you six more resolutions. But you know what? 25, in one year, is a lot. And quite frankly...I'm a little stuck. So I'm hanging up my hat, or whatever, and saying that I have those 19 resolutions. If I can, I'll round it out to 20.

NPR this morning said the weather felt like five below. Anyone else with me who almost cried at hearing that? Granted, when I did finally venture out to hurry up and get to work, I was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't that cold. Of course a little while later I wondered if my hand was frozen through and through when I hurried to the post office to mail a package.

But...I have something to look forward to. This time on Thursday I will be in sweet, sweet Southern California.

I think I dreamed of the mountains and palm trees last night.

So I won't be writing this weekend since I most likely won't do anything online (I'm on vacation!), but I probably will have plenty of stories when I get back. I'm staying with my old roommate of two years, and I have had some incredibly fun times with that girl.

the people around you

I'm currently reading Alan Greenspan's autobiography, and in the chapters on his early life a thought struck me, one that I've had many other times when reading about Hemingway or Picasso, etc.

Greenspan wrote about going over to Ayn Rand's apartment for her weekly gatherings, going to school with Henry Kissinger (even if they didn't know each other at the time in school), meeting Paul Volcker through a college friend shortly after graduating, etc.

It makes me wonder about the people around me, the people I know. Will there be anyone from my high school or university who'll become a great writer, a prominent Senator, maybe even President? I think about the people who surrounded Gertrude Stein in Paris with Hemingway and Fitzgerald. There have always been literary circles and philosophers circles, but when you start reading about several people in those circles, it often seems as though several have known each other since school days.

Sure, there are of course big names and you expect big things from those people and that can maybe be seen ahead of time. But what about the people who grew up down the street from you? Or the quiet person in an English or Algebra class? Or maybe the soprano who often had the lead in school plays is going to become a great actress on Broadway.

It's just an interesting thought.

out of the comfort zone

Before I get to the point of this post, I just want to say how incredibly beautiful it was tonight. While out walking home and then out to the metro, it was just..wonderful. There was that cool breeze with the hint of rain coming after it, which meant a fresh scent with the wind. I could have stayed out for hours.

But...back to my point. Tonight at my writer's group we experimented with writing outside of our comfort zones. Interestingly, many of us, including me, wrote horror. Which to me is a little amusing because I haven't even finished reading a horror book.

And I found it fun. I'm not saying my work is going to make me the next Stephen King, but I had a great time time crafting a world outside of the worlds I normally create. Even if I didn't quite create it, I used my University and the stories of the city and orange groves as a backdrop, it was a different atmosphere.

I didn't finish, didn't even really get to the horror part, but I was setting it up. And I think that it's a great exercise. I think it's a great way to work on the techniques of crafting atmosphere and background and even characters. You have to try harder with something you're less familiar with.

I'll play around with my story and see if it goes anywhere, and maybe post it just to show my first, and quite probably my last, attempt at horror. We'll see. But I suggest trying it. It might be surprising to see what comes out.

mardi gras

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone! (I know...it doesn't sound as good in English.)

To celebrate, my building bought doughnuts for us. Ok, Mardi Gras may not be the reason, but it's appropriate. I actually forgot about Mardi Gras and Lent until this morning when the news reminded me that not only was it Super Tuesday, but also Mardi Gras. At which point I thought: "Oops! I haven't even thought of something to give up."

And I think I may have posted on this dilemma last year too. My only real vice is coffee. While I could conceivably go for a day without coffee, maybe two, forty days would be pushing it and quite probably pushing it for everyone around me.

So...I'm thinking of giving up chocolate. I used to not eat a lot of chocolate, and I still don't. I tend to prefer my chocolate in liquid form. And for my birthday I received peppermint hot chocolate from Williams Sonoma and a tin of Trader Joe's sipping chocolate. And both are heaven.

But for Lent it's also acceptable to do something to help make you a better person. You don't necessarily have to give up something. I'm thinking I may try to work out every day. Not anything hardcore every day, because that would be overkill. But include yoga or walking in with the hardcore stuff. I have actually increased my work out times and I do feel better. Much better. And I've noticed that as I've started doing yoga more, those other little vices (like the chocolate and the occasional drink) have declined on their own. They haven't gone away of course.

While working out every day may not be feasible in the long term, because there are days where life just gets in the way, at least forty days should help institutionalize working out and making it more of a habit.

Maybe we'll see how that goes. And by putting this out there publicly, I am to be held accountable for it. I'll keep you posted on how I do. I do have a vacation coming up in a week, but there will be a lot of walking, probably at the beach and then in downtown Los Angeles. I think this could be very possible.

Anyone else giving up something or adding something to their lives?

mi piace...

I've had a realization. I love Italian. And this is after only two classes where my conversational skills still reside with "my name is" and "I'm fine, thank you, how are you?"

I was pretty confident that I'd like Italian when I started the class. But so far the only language I loved was French. Even after studying Japanese for a year, I only really liked it.

Ah...but Italian is up there with French. I still love the...gentleness of the French language, the way many of the letters sound like a whisper and how it's more like a soft song when spoken. Italian is musical but French...I don't know, French is mostly like a lullaby. Right now I'm thinking of the soliloquy that came after Cyrano's "Non merci" tirade: "Avoir l'oeil qui regarde bien, la voix qui vibre..."

I haven't been this excited about a class since I first started taking French in high school. Even reading the dialogue while studying the other day, practicing the musicality of the language, was a thrill. With my French background, the pronounciation has proved tricky in parts. The "Rs" are rolled and now "swallowed," and all the letters are pronounced and pronounced individually. Words with an "oi" have tripped me up, as have the few words we come across that end in "n" or "t." I must remember those are not left off.

And...after declaring my love for another language (don't worry, French, you still have first place in my heart), I'll leave you with an Italian proverb I learned yesterday and have been telling it to nearly everyone:

Tutte le strade portano a Roma

All roads lead to Rome

brace yourself

Six more weeks of winter according to Punxsutawney Phil.

There was a part of me that groaned when I saw that. The part of me that wants to be out in the sun, see my skin darken a little to that healthy "sun-kissed" glow and feel warm sitting outside with a coffee. But not too warm...springtime warmth when it's nice under the sun but there's still that slightly crisp breeze.

But there was another part of me that, surprise surprise, was pleased to hear it. This is the part of me that the other night wished it remained relatively cold for the hot chocolate and reading on my couch covered with a blanket. This is the part of me that would relish reading by the fire, had I said fire. This is the part of me that will be sad to see the coziness of winter melt away.

No, I'm not quite yet a convert. I've had my moments of being absolutely miserable walking to the metro or to work. And I'm still not planning on moving to a city further north of DC...unless it's for the spring to fall period only. But there is a little something to winter. And...it makes spring all the more worthwhile.

But make sure you have a stack of books still left to read or several great movies on your netflix list. Since apparently we've still got time. Because, of course, the groundhog predicition is very reliable.

snow days

Listening to NPR this morning while getting ready, I heard the announcements of the school closings and delays in the area. And you're probably going to laugh at this, but it really made me smile.

In an odd Proustian moment, I was sitting in the den of my old house, waiting practically with breath held while the closed schools and delayed openings scrolled on the screen. And new additions kept being added. Granted, that time would have been spent better getting ready for school, but that was a minor detail.

If the gods smiled on us, then my school's name would show up on the screen. I don't recall ever going back to bed, but when I was younger I'd probably change the channel to watch cartoons or something, and when I was older it was straight to the computer to get online.

And honestly, it didn't take much to shut us down. People from Dallas know that the entire city practically shuts down for a few tiny inches of snow. Not enough to use that snow day to build snowmen or have snowball fights, but who cares? We'd all probably be inside anyway, thoughts a million miles away from algebra and themes of English literature.

Of course there was a downside back then. We used to have two "snow days" set aside around Easter. If the school was never closed for weather issues, we'd have two days off for a nice long weekend. And if we were closed, well, then we were stuck in school in April.

But the unexpected day off had the same kind of excitement as Christmas morning.

Anyway...I miss snow days. One thing I've noticed, living in a place too where it actually snows more consistently, they don't close offices nearly as often as they close schools. And then there's that whole voluntary snow day I've heard about. Considering I don't have much of a commute to my office...chances are I probably couldn't justify a snow day.

But...maybe I ought to take a "snow" day soon? I think that might be a great idea.

25 resolutions

As I was thinking of a title for the post today, something with resolutions and 25 in it, I thought maybe I should come up with 25 "resolutions," so to speak, for the next year. The past several years, I have opted not to make resolutions at New Year's, but instead make them for my birthday. It seemed more logical to think in terms of "what do I want to have done by the time I'm (insert next year here)?" than "what will I do this year?"

And according to a friend of mine, apparently the year you turn your birth date, that's supposed to be a special year. So...today I reach a milestone year. I am 25 on the 25th. And by the way, I don't feel any different. Except that it struck me that I'm officially in my "mid-twenties." And my slightly younger friends, even by a few months, have liked to point out that I'm a quarter of a century old.

It does sound old when you put it that way.

But I am excited about 25. I think this will be a good year. So...below are 25 things I want to do before I'm 26. Granted...I may have to come back throughout the day because I'm not sure I can think of 25 things in one sitting. I was initially going to have 10, a good, round number. Any suggestions?

1. Visit a new country (so far it's looking like a Canadian or Mexican trip is being planned, but we'll see)
2. Be able to converse in Italian (I just started class last night)
3. Go back to Montana (this doesn't happen every year)
4. Visit my cousin in New York
5. Decide if I really want to go to grad school and take my GREs and GMATs
6. Buy a kitchen table and chairs for my apartment
7. Visit a new city
8. Go to the beach (missed that last summer)
9. Return to California for a visit (already have tickets! but I felt it deserved a mention since it'll be three years since I've been)
10. Take those dance classes I've wanted to take, get back into ballet
11. Join a gym (this one keeps getting pushed back since the opening date of the gym next to me gets pushed back)
12. I'd really like to pick up running again
13. Finally get back down and "visit my roots" in Roanoke
14. Pay off my credit card
15. Really, really clean out and organize my closet
16. Buy a bed (I'm 25! Should I still be sleeping on a futon?)
17. Try a new recipe at least once or twice a month
18. Get a new pair of glasses (this one I've put off, but I probably really should)
19. Figure out what I'm doing with my Bali novel

**Ok...I'm running out of ideas! Open to suggestions for the last six!

mon dieu, c'est difficile!

So Carrie and I had our first Italian class this evening...and I foresee some difficulty and some humour. Probably more of the latter. And if you know what language the title of this post is, you'll understand.

It seems that, much like my attempts at speaking Spanish, I will probably end up sounding like a Frenchman learning Italian than an American. The humour will come when I leave off letters at the end of a word or with the "R" letter. It took me some time to learn how to "swallow" my Rs...and I've never been able to really roll them. Maybe occasionally if place around the right letters.

And of course growing up in Texas I did learn some Spanish. So...while learning how to count in Italian, some Spanish slipped in occasionally (and it didn't hurt that the person sitting me slipped in a little Spanish as well).

But it was fun, and I expect more amusement. And, as Carrie said, "we're speaking Italian."

Right now it's not much beyond introducing myself and saying I'm fine, but it'll get there.

work day

I had the day off today but I definitely planned on making it a work day. And not housework or organizing, or whatever else I usually try to get done on a day off. This was real work, so to speak.

I wanted to write today, and get a pretty sizable chunk done too. Lately I've been ecstatic if I could just get about 1,000 words a day written. But today I set my goal at 5,000. And I've nearly reached it. I'm headed out for a short break, which is probably needed, but when I get back I'll only have a few hundred to go, which is very manageable.

As some of you know, I'm starting a language class this week after it was postponed due to the weather, and so my free time to write is going to shrink even more because of class and studying. But this year I really want to see where I can go with this whole "writing thing," see if maybe it is viable.

Now, I didn't spend the whole day on my couch with my laptop in front of me. I did some yoga and did clean up a little. I got rid of some piles of junk and organized some other piles that I'll eventually get rid of.

I'm really looking forward to the next day off I have. I'll be in sunny California then! Looking forward to being back to my mountains, and sun and palm trees and of course those crazy kids I went to college with.

So...all in all...it was a very productive day. Honestly? Probably my most productive day off from work. How did you guys spend your days off?

snow=christmas (at least in my mind)

Some may find it surprising that with all my complaints about cold weather, I was apparently born in the middle of a blizzard, after the holiday season. And no, not in Texas (where a blizzard is about four inches). And even though said snowstorm happened after Christmas, I still associate snow with the holidays. Maybe this is because growing up in Texas, we usually got our ice, and the occasional snow, before Christmas and rarely after. And of course "White Christmas" songs and holiday movies only add to that.

When it snowed yesterday, for a few brief moments I thought it was still the holiday season. Especially sitting in my office and looking outside, seeing the snowflakes dance and whirl around and collect lightly on the ground. Maybe that's partly because this past holiday season happened too quickly for me. I didn't get a chance to go out and enjoy the holiday decorations as much as I've done in the past.

And even though I love snow, I don't enjoy it as much when it's after the holidays. Strange, maybe. But that's the way it is. I guess I could maybe still pretend the holidays were around. I did see two lit Christmas trees the other day when running errands...but it's not the same. The anticipation's gone.

Maybe next year there will be a white Christmas. It seems that it snows either too early or too late.

atonement

I saw Atonement last night and will begin by saying that I recommend you go see this movie, if you haven't already. Starting from the outside in, I think the cinematography was brilliant. The way it was shot and edited, and set to the score, was very...poignant.

I found the story to be very unfair. But of course, that's what makes it dramatic. But the great thing about the way it was told was that it wasn't a tearjerker. I'm going to try to say this without giving anything away, but if you see it, you'll probably know what I mean. I'll admit that I'm a crier when it comes to movies. I'll cry in nearly everything, so I was expecting this movie to just wrench my heart.

But it didn't.

What happened was the end just sort of hit you in the gut. There wasn't a big lead up to it, and so there were only a few tears. But as I left the theatre, waited for the train and walked home from the metro, it kept coming back to me and I felt even more sad. And I think that ability to stay with a person like that is partly what makes it good storytelling. If it was something that walking out of the theatre made me cease thinking of it, well then it was a good two hours worth of entertainment and that's all.

I also bought the book last night. We ended up having to see a later showing since the one we were going to see was sold out, so we killed time at the Barnes & Noble across the street. I'd almost bought the book for my flight back to DC from Dallas, and after really looking forward to the movie, I decided to go ahead and buy it to read it. It was Nathan Bransford's post on the movie and book that also encouraged me to finally see the movie and buy the book. By mentioning that parts of the movie, that were great in the film but, as he says, not as intense, but were a little "hollow," and maybe just didn't translate well.

I am one of those of the school that the book is always better than the movie. Because there's so much the book can delve into that just either can't translate or is usually cut because of time (The Count of Monte Cristo is my best/favorite example). So those scenes that weren't as intense...well, since I still thought they were good they must be even more intense in the book.

I'll let you know what I think of the book when I get a chance to read it. And it is a bit of an incentive to get through the other ones I'm currently reading. But yes, I really liked the movie and suggest seeing it.

produce guru

The other day I came across the Produce Guru website and thought I'd share. I like learning new and often times random facts about things, and this has the occasional random fact about produce. It also contains nutrition information, recipes, storage tips, and even tips on how to select fresh produce. Which can be handy, especially when trying something new.

What really interested me, besides the selection tips, was the "fun facts" part on each page. For instance, did you know that cantaloupe is in the gourd family? Or do you know how Passion Fruit got it's name? According to the site, "Catholic missionaries in South America gave the fruit its name because they thought the flowers of the plant looked like the crown of thorns that was placed on Christ's head."

And to possibly answer that age old question, the site has tomatoes listed as a vegetable.

So if you have some time to kill, or need to focus on something else during the week until the clock strikes five, check it out. Who knows, maybe that little bit of trivial will come up on a trivial pursuit game or Jeopardy.

rediscovering my roots...musically

During my teenage years I listened to a lot of "alternative rock," and only a little of the trance/dance music that I listened to mostly in college, transitioning now into the lounge music that mostly occupies my stereo. But I've kept most of my CDs from that time, and rarely put them into my stereo, usually only for an afternoon.

Whenever I go to Dallas and have the opportunity to drive around and listen to my music, I'll usually bring a bunch of CDs with me, and only occasionally check out what's playing on the radio, especially The Edge, the station of my youth. In the past there wasn't much I listened to. But maybe I just miss that music or for whatever reason most of my favorite songs were being played, but I listened to the radio a lot in the car this time around.

I even started digging out some of those older CDs when I got home.

Some CDs I don't have, and kind of miss, like my Pearl Jam and yes, even some Nirvana (I admit I was Nirvanaed out in high school when people I knew were very obsessed with them). I think my Nine Inch Nails are around somewhere, and even before I went to Dallas I had, for some reason, started listening to Incubus again.

Now maybe it's all just cyclical and I managed to stumble upon my old radio stations at the right time when I wanted something "different" from my lounge music. I do tend to go through periods of my music preferences, from classical (usually when I'm doing a lot of writing), lounge, classic rock, dance, etc.

But then...it's just really good music. I slipped in my Oasis CD when I got home from the airport and prepared a quick dinner and just thought "wow...this is really good!" even thought this is of course not the first time I've listened to them. And I have to wonder why I ever stopped listening in the first place.

Sure, something new comes along and it's wonderful and great, but I can slip it in alongside an old U2 CD. And of course, looking back, those were good times. Like many other teenagers, I hated that period while living it, I wanted to grow up and, believe it or not, pay bills...be an adult. But now I can think back to hanging out in the neighborhood streets while my friends skateboarded and we planned to go see a movie or go back to my house to listen to music...since there wasn't much else to do until we were sixteen.

Good times and good music. I probably wouldn't have pulled out those CDs though had I not heard some of those older songs that I still love on the radio. It's good to listen to them again and I think that they'll slip into a fairly regular rotation with those other CDs, and even older ones (The Doors, Hendrix, The Beatles, etc.)

Anyone else ever rediscover an old CD and wonder why you ever stopped listening to it in the first place?

there's something about dallas...

...and other people are noticing that too. I admit that I am a little biased, but there's definitely something going on with this place. One thing I've noticed in my trips back is the amount of building going on, and not just the urban sprawl that continues to creep North, but even closer to downtown. New high rises are going up in little communities with shops and restaurants, imitating urban life in other "tighter" big cities that maybe didn't have the space.

But this past week when I was back in "Big D" I flipped through some magazines, looking for some to take on the plane, and the first one I looked at had an article about why Fort Worth was such a great place to live (Dallas and Fort Worth are very often grouped together, so I'm counting that here). And then looking through Elle Decor, there was a lengthy article about Dallas.

I think it was that article that began with something along the lines that Dallas has never been a city to look backward. Maybe that means that it's a city that is always ready to change. And maybe part of that is because we don't have the history that New York, Boston, DC has, etc.

My point is Dallas can easily reinvent itself. And it's doing just that, and really has been doing that for a long time. The downtown area is being revitalized and I think people are discovering that there's more to Dallas than the shopping (but oh goodness is that wonderful too!) with the symphony and the Myerson, the Dallas Museum of Art and, heading up to Fort Worth, the Kimbell, the Stockyards and that feeling of the Old West that I think still manages to get inside all Texans, even us urban dwellers. Yes, I still consider myself a Texan. Maybe in another 18 years I'll finally consider myself a Washingtonian.

I was a little surprised at seeing the attention, which is why I'm noting it. And of course it was just wonderful being back in Dallas for a nice, long vacation. It wasn't as warm as it sometimes is, but there were days when the sun shone brilliantly and the sky was clear. And of course there's flying into D/FW when all you can see is land, as far as you can see, and it's all Texas.

And speaking of Dallas, for your listening/viewing pleasure: