I have friends who graciously donated their endless time to both assist me with ideas, and talk out problems with me, give supposedly constructive critisism or just stand there with blank expressions on their faces while i suddenly am struck by a eurika moment while in their presence and begin to flail ideas around.
I must give a shout-out to three very special people who have been at the forefront of trying to keep me sane this year while undertaking this endeavor.
Colin Morton: You pain in the ass! How could you get me involved in this and then not do it yourself? Gah! Ok ok, i'm kidding, you've been awsome and this is by far the best thing i could have done for myself. I've accomplished more in less than a month than i had in several years worth of trying to write with the simple goal of "someday i might get this published". I can say for a fact without your pestering and the ability to pester you, i never would have done this. .
Mark Telford (aka: Uncle Marcus): By far the most tolerant of my ups and downs this month, permitting me to interupt his lunch hour to talk out how things might be and reading the newest additions to the story almost every day watching me bassically pick apart his own personal character in order to make Uncle Marcus sound all the more believeable. He's allowed me to basically pester him every single day multiple times when i'm having second thoughts.
John Aridi of England (woo!): inspiration and yet another reason why i agreed to join this headless chicken nonsense. Also a frequent companion on Google chat who let me pick his brains even when he was busy. Not to mention he was a great source of information in to the doings of the mob, personalities, and much needed laughter.
Other shout outs include: Margaret Florio, cousin and editor who drove all the way from poulsbo to see me and help me through some of the toughest times.
Kenny Gray: who made sure i got out to see the sun (or rather i guess it was the moon cause we always met up after work when it was dark out) every once in a while and bribed me with food and a lot of laughter especially about squeaky broccolli...don't ask, inside joke.
And The Eastside Wrimers group that met at Soul Foods and later at Panera in Redmond. Though our so called write-ins became entirely too boisterous for any productivity, i had a blast getting the chance to meet each one of you and hear about your stories.
And another Thank You to everyone who as asked about my story and how i'm doing. it was very heart warming to know that you supported my crazy efforts. I swear, most of you will see me starting to emerge now and accepting offers to hang out or go places.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!
THIS IS WHY I WON'T PEOPLE DRIVE WHEN I'VE SEEN THEM DRINKING....
THIS IS WHY I WON'T HESITATE TO PHYSICALLY WRESTLE THEIR KEYS AWAY...
THIS IS WHY I WILL CALL THE COPS ON THEIR ASS IN A HEARTBEAT...
MY 11 YEAR OLD COUSIN WAS HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER LAST NIGHT......
FUCK ALL OF YOU DRINKING AND DRIVING ASSHOLES. FUCK YOU ALL WHO THINK YOU'RE INVINCIBLE WHEN YOU HAVE ALCOHOL IN YOUR SYSTEM. FUCK YOU ALL WHO THINK I'M OVERREACING.
THIS IS WHY I WON'T HESITATE TO PHYSICALLY WRESTLE THEIR KEYS AWAY...
THIS IS WHY I WILL CALL THE COPS ON THEIR ASS IN A HEARTBEAT...
MY 11 YEAR OLD COUSIN WAS HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER LAST NIGHT......
FUCK ALL OF YOU DRINKING AND DRIVING ASSHOLES. FUCK YOU ALL WHO THINK YOU'RE INVINCIBLE WHEN YOU HAVE ALCOHOL IN YOUR SYSTEM. FUCK YOU ALL WHO THINK I'M OVERREACING.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Nano post #9: in which i see the light at the end of the tunnel
So my genius level is rather high today, or i guess it was last night at 10:30.
I generally write in MS Word, then post it onto Google Documents every day so that my collaborator can read it.
However he called me this morning to let me know that while looking at a copy of a pay pal receipt for purchasing a Christmas gift was very interesting, he was more curious about how the story was progressing. I somehow managed to paste the wrong thing and not notice how drastically different it looked. Go me!
Crossed over the 40k line last night and now I'm in the home stretch. With slightly less than 10k to go, i'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and watching all the little bullet points in my story suddently mesh together in a wierd version of connect the dots. Seeing the lines begin to form between them is making all the late nights and extreme amounts of frustration as well as a almost non-existant social life all well worth it.
Still to do:
discovering of an assasination/terrorist attack,
re-routing bomb,
and the big finally in which i get to thumb my nose at the antagonist and watch their world crumble around them metephorically.
Perhaps a little masochistic, but believe me, these guys have it coming to them.
I generally write in MS Word, then post it onto Google Documents every day so that my collaborator can read it.
However he called me this morning to let me know that while looking at a copy of a pay pal receipt for purchasing a Christmas gift was very interesting, he was more curious about how the story was progressing. I somehow managed to paste the wrong thing and not notice how drastically different it looked. Go me!
Crossed over the 40k line last night and now I'm in the home stretch. With slightly less than 10k to go, i'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and watching all the little bullet points in my story suddently mesh together in a wierd version of connect the dots. Seeing the lines begin to form between them is making all the late nights and extreme amounts of frustration as well as a almost non-existant social life all well worth it.
Still to do:
discovering of an assasination/terrorist attack,
re-routing bomb,
and the big finally in which i get to thumb my nose at the antagonist and watch their world crumble around them metephorically.
Perhaps a little masochistic, but believe me, these guys have it coming to them.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Woohoo for learning HTML
My Widget! This shows you my overall progress on NaNo for 2008.
This shows you how I'm doing at meeting the daily quota (ignore all that red stuff and yeah.....)
And this show's you my percentage to complete:
I wish i could show you my progress report except that it said i was projected to finish in about 13 days (there's only 12 left btw) and um....the dog ate it.
This shows you how I'm doing at meeting the daily quota (ignore all that red stuff and yeah.....)
And this show's you my percentage to complete:
I wish i could show you my progress report except that it said i was projected to finish in about 13 days (there's only 12 left btw) and um....the dog ate it.
In which i am sleep deprived and not in the mood for hypercondriacs.
I'm not usually one that complains about sleep deprivation. I figure if soldiers and doctors and countless other individuals (also known as 90% of the population of Japan) can get by with a severe lack of sleep, so can I.
I love my appartment. It's cozy, my roommate is quite compatable to my habits, the rent is reasonable to my budget, and my room is essentially easily turned into a cave simply by covering one window with a black sheet and thus blocking the light from the entryway which has one of those auto lights. I can't unscrew the bulb, because according to my roommate, that would be dangerous! Someone could use the darkness to try and break into our appartment! Oh noes!
(insert unamused stare)
The fact of the matter is that if someone ever REALLY wanted to break into our appartment, we don't have anything that could really stop them. Our ~snirk!~ secure deadbolt is in a very unsecure doorway with a good deal of light around it. A good solid kick won't prevent much. While we may have a home made trellise blocking the jump onto our deck and thus the sliding glass door, it still wouldn't stop someone determined. And my window is by far the most logical entry point. A quick break, jump a little, and you're in.
Now, on the other hand. It only get's dark at night and both of us are ususally home by night or shortly after nightfall. I'm a light sleeper. I wake up as soon as i hear my very quite neighbor set foot on the stairs. Let alone all the noise caused by trying to break in. You kick in our front door or try to smash my window and before you can grab anything you'll have me after you with my metal baseball bat and screaming like a banshee. And you'll be running from there with somethign broken and me still chasing you.
Perhaps what i am describing is overkill, but i am not a happy person when my sleep is rudly interupted. Just ask my roommate and her frying fiasco at 11pm one night.
And in the event that I am not home. Well, then i truely hope that Katherine baracades herself in the bathroom and remembers that it's only stuff and we both have renter's insurance.
I just prefer to handle things...shall we say........in a more direct approach.
I love my appartment. It's cozy, my roommate is quite compatable to my habits, the rent is reasonable to my budget, and my room is essentially easily turned into a cave simply by covering one window with a black sheet and thus blocking the light from the entryway which has one of those auto lights. I can't unscrew the bulb, because according to my roommate, that would be dangerous! Someone could use the darkness to try and break into our appartment! Oh noes!
(insert unamused stare)
The fact of the matter is that if someone ever REALLY wanted to break into our appartment, we don't have anything that could really stop them. Our ~snirk!~ secure deadbolt is in a very unsecure doorway with a good deal of light around it. A good solid kick won't prevent much. While we may have a home made trellise blocking the jump onto our deck and thus the sliding glass door, it still wouldn't stop someone determined. And my window is by far the most logical entry point. A quick break, jump a little, and you're in.
Now, on the other hand. It only get's dark at night and both of us are ususally home by night or shortly after nightfall. I'm a light sleeper. I wake up as soon as i hear my very quite neighbor set foot on the stairs. Let alone all the noise caused by trying to break in. You kick in our front door or try to smash my window and before you can grab anything you'll have me after you with my metal baseball bat and screaming like a banshee. And you'll be running from there with somethign broken and me still chasing you.
Perhaps what i am describing is overkill, but i am not a happy person when my sleep is rudly interupted. Just ask my roommate and her frying fiasco at 11pm one night.
And in the event that I am not home. Well, then i truely hope that Katherine baracades herself in the bathroom and remembers that it's only stuff and we both have renter's insurance.
I just prefer to handle things...shall we say........in a more direct approach.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Nano Post #8: short one
Thanks to the ingenious Colin and his promts, I now have a climax for my story. It's intense, and so audacious that if i can pull it off, my future readers will actually laugh when reading it. heres to hoping
Current word count: 26,720
Current word count: 26,720
Warning, Funny joke turns crude
I had dinner out wiht my buddy Kenny last night at our ususal place. They have a reasonably priced salad bar. So we get there and Kenny finished his first plate before I did, and when he went to go get his second one, i started looking around.
There was a sign, high up on the wall, for a Grocer. It advertized Fresh Bull Cheese.
When Kenny returned, I pointed it out to him and it started a rather bizzare and crude converstation:
Me: Cheese comes from milk right?
Kenny: Usually.
Me: how do you milk a bull
Kenny: Well, you could, but the resulting cheese might taste kinda funny
Me: I just don't see that as being a good sign. You get a bunch of farmers and tell them you want to milk their bulls. I don't think they'll be too keen on that.
Kenny: it must be that kind of stuff they sell to people who think they're super high class.
Me: ~thinking to myself after returning from getting my second plate of salad~ I just don't see how that is a good ad. You need nipples to milk something which makes the cheese.
Kenny: it would be high in protien.
~me kicks him under the table~
There was a sign, high up on the wall, for a Grocer. It advertized Fresh Bull Cheese.
When Kenny returned, I pointed it out to him and it started a rather bizzare and crude converstation:
Me: Cheese comes from milk right?
Kenny: Usually.
Me: how do you milk a bull
Kenny: Well, you could, but the resulting cheese might taste kinda funny
Me: I just don't see that as being a good sign. You get a bunch of farmers and tell them you want to milk their bulls. I don't think they'll be too keen on that.
Kenny: it must be that kind of stuff they sell to people who think they're super high class.
Me: ~thinking to myself after returning from getting my second plate of salad~ I just don't see how that is a good ad. You need nipples to milk something which makes the cheese.
Kenny: it would be high in protien.
~me kicks him under the table~
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Nano Post #7
Normally i'm the person who's in bed by 10pm simply because, HEY i'm up at 5:30am!
I decided that if i really wanted to win NaNoWriMo that i would need all the time possible. Since I only work 4 hours on friday anyway, i talked to my boss (most awsome guy in the world) and asked for the friday's off. It gives me a three day weekend. I love it.
I think the biggest thing i've noticed with my writing is that i get the most ideas and energy to write after 10:30pm. Last night i wrote until 1:30am and still wasn't tired. I finally caught up with the quota writing 23,485 words before i went to bed last night.
Tonight is the halfway point. 25k tonight or bust!
My storyline i starting to rise to the climax and i suddenly realized last night that I DON"T HAVE A CLIMAX.
I had events all laid out that would keep my readers on the edge of their seats. That woud touch their hearts, get their dander up, or at least their heart rate. and now i'm completely out of ideas for a climax.
FUCK!
I decided that if i really wanted to win NaNoWriMo that i would need all the time possible. Since I only work 4 hours on friday anyway, i talked to my boss (most awsome guy in the world) and asked for the friday's off. It gives me a three day weekend. I love it.
I think the biggest thing i've noticed with my writing is that i get the most ideas and energy to write after 10:30pm. Last night i wrote until 1:30am and still wasn't tired. I finally caught up with the quota writing 23,485 words before i went to bed last night.
Tonight is the halfway point. 25k tonight or bust!
My storyline i starting to rise to the climax and i suddenly realized last night that I DON"T HAVE A CLIMAX.
I had events all laid out that would keep my readers on the edge of their seats. That woud touch their hearts, get their dander up, or at least their heart rate. and now i'm completely out of ideas for a climax.
FUCK!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Nano post #6: in which i crack under the pressure
It's Day number 13.
To stay in line with the quota, i should be at 21,971 words by the end of tonight.
Current word count: 17,251
I'm only currently behind by almost 4.5 thousand words.........>.<
I sit here at work Monday through Thursday this month (because i thought ahead and took all friday's OFF! Go me for thinking ahead!) tapping my fingers on my cubicle desk anxiously waiting for 5 o'clock to roll aound so that i can rush home and start writing again in a vain attempt to eventually get ahead of the quota again. Only to be intterupted by massive amounts of phone calls, a desire to go out to dinner for steak, friends IMing me asking to hang out, or me asking friends what they think about a certain aspect of my story or to have them predict the future 30 years from now.
I talk to my sister about Manhattan and the lifestyle the people live with there. Since she's one of the few people i know that have spent an extended period of time visiting and roaming around Manhattan (she's been going there about once a year since she was a kid). She gets there and blends in almost instantly. When i went when i was 18, i spent the entire time bumbling around terrified of the massive amounts of people, watching my sister expertly navigating the crowds.
There's really only one problem with this tactic. My sister is an annalytical thinker with little imagination when it comes to things that could be as opposed to as they are.
I'm frustrated. I know that eventually i can edit my story once i take my own trip to New York in the spring but I'm finding it hard to write things without a clue as to what it's like. I don't know what the streets i've chosen from my Manhattan City guide oragami map (BEST thing EVER if you go to new york to get is a oragami map) So much to my chagrin, i'm basically basing a lot of my scenery off of Sex and the City.
I really want to just give up, but my competative side won't let me and i know that. I have to win this challenge. I'm not the kind of person that gives up even when it starts looking like a futile task. For some reason i'm begingin to get the impression that starting Thanksgiving night, i'm basically only going to leave my laptop for the bread and water and the bathroom because i will be that far behind.
Oh and as far as cracking under the pressure: I told myself at the begining of this that it would be wrong to write while at work. And until today (at least i made it almost halfway) i stuck with that. However yesterday i was surfing the internet waiting for someone to assign me a task and i finally cracked and opened my online version and started writing again. I made over a thousand words throughout the day.
I know this was bad and not a very good indicator of my generally awsome work ethic but in my defense...all of my work was done. Inboxes were empty, task log completely crossed off, and there was nothing more i could do until the next day not even to get ahead of myself. I even went around and checked with my team to see if they needed an extra set of hands to take care of some of their work. When i recived a No response from every single one of them, i began to write furiously.
Sometimes, i love my job. (when i don't have to work with a single moody person).
To stay in line with the quota, i should be at 21,971 words by the end of tonight.
Current word count: 17,251
I'm only currently behind by almost 4.5 thousand words.........>.<
I sit here at work Monday through Thursday this month (because i thought ahead and took all friday's OFF! Go me for thinking ahead!) tapping my fingers on my cubicle desk anxiously waiting for 5 o'clock to roll aound so that i can rush home and start writing again in a vain attempt to eventually get ahead of the quota again. Only to be intterupted by massive amounts of phone calls, a desire to go out to dinner for steak, friends IMing me asking to hang out, or me asking friends what they think about a certain aspect of my story or to have them predict the future 30 years from now.
I talk to my sister about Manhattan and the lifestyle the people live with there. Since she's one of the few people i know that have spent an extended period of time visiting and roaming around Manhattan (she's been going there about once a year since she was a kid). She gets there and blends in almost instantly. When i went when i was 18, i spent the entire time bumbling around terrified of the massive amounts of people, watching my sister expertly navigating the crowds.
There's really only one problem with this tactic. My sister is an annalytical thinker with little imagination when it comes to things that could be as opposed to as they are.
I'm frustrated. I know that eventually i can edit my story once i take my own trip to New York in the spring but I'm finding it hard to write things without a clue as to what it's like. I don't know what the streets i've chosen from my Manhattan City guide oragami map (BEST thing EVER if you go to new york to get is a oragami map) So much to my chagrin, i'm basically basing a lot of my scenery off of Sex and the City.
I really want to just give up, but my competative side won't let me and i know that. I have to win this challenge. I'm not the kind of person that gives up even when it starts looking like a futile task. For some reason i'm begingin to get the impression that starting Thanksgiving night, i'm basically only going to leave my laptop for the bread and water and the bathroom because i will be that far behind.
Oh and as far as cracking under the pressure: I told myself at the begining of this that it would be wrong to write while at work. And until today (at least i made it almost halfway) i stuck with that. However yesterday i was surfing the internet waiting for someone to assign me a task and i finally cracked and opened my online version and started writing again. I made over a thousand words throughout the day.
I know this was bad and not a very good indicator of my generally awsome work ethic but in my defense...all of my work was done. Inboxes were empty, task log completely crossed off, and there was nothing more i could do until the next day not even to get ahead of myself. I even went around and checked with my team to see if they needed an extra set of hands to take care of some of their work. When i recived a No response from every single one of them, i began to write furiously.
Sometimes, i love my job. (when i don't have to work with a single moody person).
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A post of rants and confusion
I was ready to throw the towl in at 8:30 this morning. a meer hour and a half after i got to work, i was one more catastropy away from grabbing my coat and walking out.
I am too old for Junior high.
I wish certain things were easier to do without hurting someone, pissing someone else off, or in the end not being able to do a damn thing about it.
I can sit here and sypathize with both sides of the parties involved in an argument, but staying neutral drives me nuts. I really want to yell at both of them and tell them they're being juvinile hormonal teenage girls hell bent to cause discord just because they can. They are grown women twice if not more my age. Good GRIEF!
I want to yell at them to stop making everything 10 times more difficult simply because that's the way it's always been done.
But i'm not considered the same level as them because they are exectutive admins and i'm not. i'm the only one who isn't and i'm the next level down. So i need to apparently know my place. Go to fucking hell. You put your pants on one leg at a time...same as i do.
In other news...how do you let down a 19 year old hornball who has been after you fairly agressivly despite frequent gentle rebuffs, for the past two years without hurting him because underneath it all he is a good friend and a genuine sweetheart?
I'm at a loss and i have until tomorrow night to figure it out....
I am too old for Junior high.
I wish certain things were easier to do without hurting someone, pissing someone else off, or in the end not being able to do a damn thing about it.
I can sit here and sypathize with both sides of the parties involved in an argument, but staying neutral drives me nuts. I really want to yell at both of them and tell them they're being juvinile hormonal teenage girls hell bent to cause discord just because they can. They are grown women twice if not more my age. Good GRIEF!
I want to yell at them to stop making everything 10 times more difficult simply because that's the way it's always been done.
But i'm not considered the same level as them because they are exectutive admins and i'm not. i'm the only one who isn't and i'm the next level down. So i need to apparently know my place. Go to fucking hell. You put your pants on one leg at a time...same as i do.
In other news...how do you let down a 19 year old hornball who has been after you fairly agressivly despite frequent gentle rebuffs, for the past two years without hurting him because underneath it all he is a good friend and a genuine sweetheart?
I'm at a loss and i have until tomorrow night to figure it out....
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
WoW post and random rants
Wrath of the Lich King comes out in just a couple of day. I have no idea why i'm so excited due to the fact that my higest level character is level 25 i think? not to mention it is November and i'm writing for NaNo like crazy, and I don't even have WLK on pre-order like all the superfans out there.
I think Rebecca's anticipation has rubbed off on me a little....
In other news, I came accross what i thought was an absolutly amazing picture on the internet today. It was a woman with a real full grown bengal tiger's head in her lap like it was a kitten enjoying it's belly being scratched. I was in total shock at where they would let tourists play with one of nature's most lethal creatures and read further for more information since that's one of my more wild, sorry for the pun, dreams. The picture was taken at the Thailand Tiger Temple (i think Thailand just moved up my list of places to visit a few notches).
Then i started reading about how all the tigers there were "rescued" from poaching and taken care of by the monks. Reading further told me that they were drugged.
The first thought through my head is, hmmm feed them well and drug them and get a lot more money from tourist or have them eat the tourists?
While i don't believe most wild animals should be kept in captivity or drugged, this is one instance where i have to dissagree. The tiger's numbers are still so few, though growing. And poaching is becoming easier with their dwindling habitats. The temple is also breeding more tiger cubs all the time and all the feeding and breeding is funded by the tourist factor. So by taking away a lot of the danger in older tigers, they're able to breed new generations of tigers to help supplement the population.
No doubt, i wish there were other ways. it's still a sad catch 22. But I think it would be by far the most amazing experiance ever to be that close to a creature that could rip me to shreads. and while i might be slightly on the crazt side, i don't have a death wish so as far as drugging them, there could be worse things.
I think Rebecca's anticipation has rubbed off on me a little....
In other news, I came accross what i thought was an absolutly amazing picture on the internet today. It was a woman with a real full grown bengal tiger's head in her lap like it was a kitten enjoying it's belly being scratched. I was in total shock at where they would let tourists play with one of nature's most lethal creatures and read further for more information since that's one of my more wild, sorry for the pun, dreams. The picture was taken at the Thailand Tiger Temple (i think Thailand just moved up my list of places to visit a few notches).
Then i started reading about how all the tigers there were "rescued" from poaching and taken care of by the monks. Reading further told me that they were drugged.
The first thought through my head is, hmmm feed them well and drug them and get a lot more money from tourist or have them eat the tourists?
While i don't believe most wild animals should be kept in captivity or drugged, this is one instance where i have to dissagree. The tiger's numbers are still so few, though growing. And poaching is becoming easier with their dwindling habitats. The temple is also breeding more tiger cubs all the time and all the feeding and breeding is funded by the tourist factor. So by taking away a lot of the danger in older tigers, they're able to breed new generations of tigers to help supplement the population.
No doubt, i wish there were other ways. it's still a sad catch 22. But I think it would be by far the most amazing experiance ever to be that close to a creature that could rip me to shreads. and while i might be slightly on the crazt side, i don't have a death wish so as far as drugging them, there could be worse things.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Nano post #5 and other stuff
So, I fell behind. Way behind in my opinon but not neccessarily so far that i couldn't make a comeback.
In nano news: My main character has just met the guy she's falling for rather quickly though when i get home tonight, something's going to happen to her that she won't be able to think about him very much for quite a while. Will they ever reunite? only my immagination knows....muahahah.
Current word count: 13,429
Should be at 16,670 by midnight tonight to be on track. I think it's doable, just need the right motivation.
Friday was my mom's birthday and this year i finally decided she was going to get the present i've been looking for for three years.
On a side note, i completely give up on the Washington State Cartagrophers office as well as the one for Pierce County. (map makers). They fail at being able to zoom into a given area and make a map. Sure i could get maps where the lake i needed was 4 inches on a 22 inch squared map!....but if i wanted JUST that lake...they couldn't do it. FAIL!
The present i wanted for my mom was a map of the lake she grew up on. Her foster father kept a map with all of his fishing notes on it in his bedroom. When the house went up for sale, the map was taken or destoyed much to my mom's heartbreak. Now we own the house and we spend a lot of time out there refurbishing, rebuilding and updating it. That is, when my mom isn't out fishing.
So after three years of trying to get it for both her birthday, mothers day and christmas, i gave up and finally made my own version of the map. Blew up a Google map, traced it onto tea stained paper, and then painted it with watercolors. The effect was awsome and both my mom and i were very pleased with the results.
In nano news: My main character has just met the guy she's falling for rather quickly though when i get home tonight, something's going to happen to her that she won't be able to think about him very much for quite a while. Will they ever reunite? only my immagination knows....muahahah.
Current word count: 13,429
Should be at 16,670 by midnight tonight to be on track. I think it's doable, just need the right motivation.
Friday was my mom's birthday and this year i finally decided she was going to get the present i've been looking for for three years.
On a side note, i completely give up on the Washington State Cartagrophers office as well as the one for Pierce County. (map makers). They fail at being able to zoom into a given area and make a map. Sure i could get maps where the lake i needed was 4 inches on a 22 inch squared map!....but if i wanted JUST that lake...they couldn't do it. FAIL!
The present i wanted for my mom was a map of the lake she grew up on. Her foster father kept a map with all of his fishing notes on it in his bedroom. When the house went up for sale, the map was taken or destoyed much to my mom's heartbreak. Now we own the house and we spend a lot of time out there refurbishing, rebuilding and updating it. That is, when my mom isn't out fishing.
So after three years of trying to get it for both her birthday, mothers day and christmas, i gave up and finally made my own version of the map. Blew up a Google map, traced it onto tea stained paper, and then painted it with watercolors. The effect was awsome and both my mom and i were very pleased with the results.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Nano Post #4: So not feeling the burn
Yesterday at work i decided that i was going to try and reack 10k words, being a 5th of the way through in 5 days.
I got home last night and so did not feel like writing. My fingers were dissobeying me all day, writing with the worst spelling and grammer i've seen in a long time from them.
Bad fingers.
Then my buddy Kenny called and wanted to hang out. I decided to join him for a movie and to offer my advice on buying his first car insurance.
Yeah, i got just barely 500 words written before i gave up. I just didn't feel it.
I'm still ahead of the NaNoWriMo quota for day 6 (meaning if i didn't want to write tonight either, i don't have to, though i probably will)
Tonight, the Eastside Wrimers are gathering in my hometown for a great collaboration of Nano Minds. I probably will join them for a while depending on how good the brainstorming session goes.
From what i've learned about this group, they identify themselves in the crowded coffee shops with rubber ducks.
Odd i know, but i'm betting it works. There's a toy shop next door to the coffee shop where we're gathering tonight and when i went to check it out, i bought my duck.
It was either one that quacks like donald duck or one that lights up with pretty colors. i chose the light-er-up.
I'll probably arrive at the place an hour early and see if the muse strikes me.
On a side note: I'm really starting to get used to not living at home anymore. My mom went with me when I went to check out the coffee shop. It happens to have a lot of hippie holistic qualities to it. My mom is a devout bible thumping christian and thus was rather uncomfortable with the insense, tarrot, crystals, and mandalas. She walked around with pursed lips the entire time.
My parents had good intentions, i'm sure, but these last three months are full of me doing things i never would have dared do at home. Meeting up with friends late at night on a work night, going to unusual places and being exposed to different ideas.
I swear there is a distinct cut out that surrounds my parents house of places that they never go. It's almost like the rest of the map doesn't fully exist outside of their cut-out. They dont' really explore or meander around.
Dating Joe was one of those things that changed all that. Joe loved to wander around in the car with no real destination. I saw more places in six months of dating him that i had seen in my entire life. I had never been to mt. rainer, or further north than burlington. And heaven forbid we cross the mountains.
Now despite no longer having a boyfriend as a constant companion to go with me, i still feel the urge to explore. To find and see all the things my parents kept me away from.
Quite frankly, i feel distinctly cheated.
I got home last night and so did not feel like writing. My fingers were dissobeying me all day, writing with the worst spelling and grammer i've seen in a long time from them.
Bad fingers.
Then my buddy Kenny called and wanted to hang out. I decided to join him for a movie and to offer my advice on buying his first car insurance.
Yeah, i got just barely 500 words written before i gave up. I just didn't feel it.
I'm still ahead of the NaNoWriMo quota for day 6 (meaning if i didn't want to write tonight either, i don't have to, though i probably will)
Tonight, the Eastside Wrimers are gathering in my hometown for a great collaboration of Nano Minds. I probably will join them for a while depending on how good the brainstorming session goes.
From what i've learned about this group, they identify themselves in the crowded coffee shops with rubber ducks.
Odd i know, but i'm betting it works. There's a toy shop next door to the coffee shop where we're gathering tonight and when i went to check it out, i bought my duck.
It was either one that quacks like donald duck or one that lights up with pretty colors. i chose the light-er-up.
I'll probably arrive at the place an hour early and see if the muse strikes me.
On a side note: I'm really starting to get used to not living at home anymore. My mom went with me when I went to check out the coffee shop. It happens to have a lot of hippie holistic qualities to it. My mom is a devout bible thumping christian and thus was rather uncomfortable with the insense, tarrot, crystals, and mandalas. She walked around with pursed lips the entire time.
My parents had good intentions, i'm sure, but these last three months are full of me doing things i never would have dared do at home. Meeting up with friends late at night on a work night, going to unusual places and being exposed to different ideas.
I swear there is a distinct cut out that surrounds my parents house of places that they never go. It's almost like the rest of the map doesn't fully exist outside of their cut-out. They dont' really explore or meander around.
Dating Joe was one of those things that changed all that. Joe loved to wander around in the car with no real destination. I saw more places in six months of dating him that i had seen in my entire life. I had never been to mt. rainer, or further north than burlington. And heaven forbid we cross the mountains.
Now despite no longer having a boyfriend as a constant companion to go with me, i still feel the urge to explore. To find and see all the things my parents kept me away from.
Quite frankly, i feel distinctly cheated.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
My thoughts on the election
Let me preface this entry by saying that i voted and also that i will not reveal my emotions on the winner or the looser.
*cough*Obabma!:D*cough*
I sent in my absentee ballot and then waited with a minor amount of anxiety in my stomach as the results were slowly collected in a sweet across the nation from Maine to Washington.
Granted 98% of it was background noise as i was writing my novel. But i did pay attention to the eloquent acceptance speech delivered by Barak Obama.
The first black man to achieve the presidency and to show the world and our nation just how far we have come in short of 50 years in learning to live peacably with those who look different from us. Regardless of who you backed in this election, you must realize there is a profound impact on last nights results.
This nation has made yet another turning point in it's history. It will never be the same again.
As i watched his speech, however, i found myself distracted at the wide shots showing Obama on the stage. There was what i assume to be bullet proof glass around the end of the stage. And i realize....some things are never going to change. Even people elected by the country are not safe. I shake my head at the beligerance of people i find to be extremists.
"I'm going to leave this country if so and so is elected" (as was told to me in every election i've been conciously aware of, not just this one)
....you'd seriously give up a country where you can speak your mind and not get shot? where anything is possible if you work hard enough at it? We may not be perfect, but i would never give up the rights we have here no matter who is elected. We're still going to have to pay taxes, there are still going to be problems, and unforseen changes that need difficult descisions. There is no avoiding that no matter who is elected. All we really can do is elect the person we believe can best roll with the punches and give the most back for us.
"That canidate is so stupid". Stupid is as stupid does to quote Forrest Gump. Quite frankly, stupidity is in the eye of the beholder. I've heard viscious assumptions, and generalizations and they really just make me roll my eyes.
Here is my quick and dirty opinion of politics. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS A LIAR, A ILLUSIONIST, AND FULL OF BULLSHIT.
YAY for America!
Now, Stop wasting money on ads, billboards and signs that will now rot on the sides of roads across the country because the canidates can't be bothered to pick up after themselves, and let's get this damn economy back on it's feet.
Oh yeah, and has everyone forgotten that we still have Bush until January 20th?
*cough*Obabma!:D*cough*
I sent in my absentee ballot and then waited with a minor amount of anxiety in my stomach as the results were slowly collected in a sweet across the nation from Maine to Washington.
Granted 98% of it was background noise as i was writing my novel. But i did pay attention to the eloquent acceptance speech delivered by Barak Obama.
The first black man to achieve the presidency and to show the world and our nation just how far we have come in short of 50 years in learning to live peacably with those who look different from us. Regardless of who you backed in this election, you must realize there is a profound impact on last nights results.
This nation has made yet another turning point in it's history. It will never be the same again.
As i watched his speech, however, i found myself distracted at the wide shots showing Obama on the stage. There was what i assume to be bullet proof glass around the end of the stage. And i realize....some things are never going to change. Even people elected by the country are not safe. I shake my head at the beligerance of people i find to be extremists.
"I'm going to leave this country if so and so is elected" (as was told to me in every election i've been conciously aware of, not just this one)
....you'd seriously give up a country where you can speak your mind and not get shot? where anything is possible if you work hard enough at it? We may not be perfect, but i would never give up the rights we have here no matter who is elected. We're still going to have to pay taxes, there are still going to be problems, and unforseen changes that need difficult descisions. There is no avoiding that no matter who is elected. All we really can do is elect the person we believe can best roll with the punches and give the most back for us.
"That canidate is so stupid". Stupid is as stupid does to quote Forrest Gump. Quite frankly, stupidity is in the eye of the beholder. I've heard viscious assumptions, and generalizations and they really just make me roll my eyes.
Here is my quick and dirty opinion of politics. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS A LIAR, A ILLUSIONIST, AND FULL OF BULLSHIT.
YAY for America!
Now, Stop wasting money on ads, billboards and signs that will now rot on the sides of roads across the country because the canidates can't be bothered to pick up after themselves, and let's get this damn economy back on it's feet.
Oh yeah, and has everyone forgotten that we still have Bush until January 20th?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Nano post #3
This story I'm writing is unlike anything i've ever written before.
There's no astoundingly beautiful and smart heroine whom everyone's eyes follow like she's a walking angel
There's no mythical creatures tweaked to fit my imagination
There's no humor filled witty dialogue (yet)
There's no magic which defies the laws of physics and corrupt overlords
Yet i'm so involved in my story to the point of near obsession. It's a sensation i don't remember feeling even when writing on my long time work of Elixir.
There's such a momentum driven into me by watching my friend's and fellow NaNoWriMos word counts go above mine, then dip below as i furiously type out the scenes in my head. (except for John, who currently has double my current wordcount :P)
I think Nano was by far the best thing i ever did for myself. My nature is so competitive that i have almost no drive unelss there's some competition involved. I have to win fair and square.
This story base i have is forcing me to look at the classic stories of our time and see what makes them so great. How do we fall in love with characters even if their actions are dark?
In answering that question, i found a truth i had always ignored.
Characters of the great stories are not perfect. They have flaws just like us humans do. They can't be impervious to the emotions that make us, well...human.
Luke Skywalker was had that awkward wonder of a boy growing into a man. The godfather cried when his son was killed. Elizabeth looses her temper with Mr. Darcey. Odeseus longs to return home to see his wife and son.
Now i face the challenge of making a woman strong enough to lead the New York Mafia without losing her ability to appeal to a mass audiance.
*starts drumming her fingers on the table*
Total word count as of right now: 5876
There's no astoundingly beautiful and smart heroine whom everyone's eyes follow like she's a walking angel
There's no mythical creatures tweaked to fit my imagination
There's no humor filled witty dialogue (yet)
There's no magic which defies the laws of physics and corrupt overlords
Yet i'm so involved in my story to the point of near obsession. It's a sensation i don't remember feeling even when writing on my long time work of Elixir.
There's such a momentum driven into me by watching my friend's and fellow NaNoWriMos word counts go above mine, then dip below as i furiously type out the scenes in my head. (except for John, who currently has double my current wordcount :P)
I think Nano was by far the best thing i ever did for myself. My nature is so competitive that i have almost no drive unelss there's some competition involved. I have to win fair and square.
This story base i have is forcing me to look at the classic stories of our time and see what makes them so great. How do we fall in love with characters even if their actions are dark?
In answering that question, i found a truth i had always ignored.
Characters of the great stories are not perfect. They have flaws just like us humans do. They can't be impervious to the emotions that make us, well...human.
Luke Skywalker was had that awkward wonder of a boy growing into a man. The godfather cried when his son was killed. Elizabeth looses her temper with Mr. Darcey. Odeseus longs to return home to see his wife and son.
Now i face the challenge of making a woman strong enough to lead the New York Mafia without losing her ability to appeal to a mass audiance.
*starts drumming her fingers on the table*
Total word count as of right now: 5876
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Nano post #2
Spent most of today sitting in my room typing furiously as the ideas flowed through my head and for a change out through my fingers.
They recommend writing daily 1667 words in order to stay on top of the goal of 50k words.
Today i wrote 3,397 words. *snirk*
Um....yeah, my character rocks all, even at 16 so far.
Thank you Shakespear, thank you John, thank you Colin, and thank you "Uncle Marcus"....
you will love this when it all comes out.
Oh yeah, and thanks Uncle Nick for giving me the idea in the first place...
And the Nano site is pissing me off! you can't get to any page without reloading it about 15 times! It took me 4 hours to try and load my word count. It's rediculous. if this keeps up...i'll probably only update every few days. Seriously Nano people...get your site to work.
Total Word count as of today: 3397
They recommend writing daily 1667 words in order to stay on top of the goal of 50k words.
Today i wrote 3,397 words. *snirk*
Um....yeah, my character rocks all, even at 16 so far.
Thank you Shakespear, thank you John, thank you Colin, and thank you "Uncle Marcus"....
you will love this when it all comes out.
Oh yeah, and thanks Uncle Nick for giving me the idea in the first place...
And the Nano site is pissing me off! you can't get to any page without reloading it about 15 times! It took me 4 hours to try and load my word count. It's rediculous. if this keeps up...i'll probably only update every few days. Seriously Nano people...get your site to work.
Total Word count as of today: 3397
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