My mom has been dropping subtle (or maybe not-so-subtle) hints about this blog. And how it hasn’t been updated.
Sorry.
Double sorry, because I don’t think this will be a real update.
Things have been kind of crazy the last few weeks. I got my second job (my backup plan to England, which I still haven’t talked about), a good thing, too, since my primary plan is half failed (not unexpected, hence the backup plan). So I’ve been trying to figure everything out. There’s the stress of being new somewhere and having to adjust to different hours and what not. I think I’m doing good.
I DID, as of five minutes ago, complete my October goal of editing my story. For a while there I didn’t think it was going to happen because I was bad at time management. But it did happen. Now comes the search for literary agents. *gulp*
November’s writing goal is also tied-in to the not-real-update. And why there might not be a real update for an indefinite period of time. November is National Novel Writing Month, and with that comes a challenge to write 50,000 words in a month. I’ve never done it before because I’ve always forced writing to the back of my mind (as much as is possible with me) and made myself complete all my school work first. After which I was mentally exhausted and therefore could not write. So writing was hard enough, let alone writing 50,000 words (ca. 100 single-spaced Word pages). This year, however…I’m not sure if I’ll make it, but my goal is to write at least SOMETHING every day (as one of the goals before) and get to at least 30,000 words AND to exceed my own expectations.
The e-mails they send me about preparing for NaNoWriMo amuse me. It’s all about tying up loose ends (like this) and alerting people that you won’t be around (like this) and doing grocery shopping for a month and dispelling any penchant you may have for cleanliness (done LONG ago…Dad, I blame your genetics for this). Actually, Katherine, one of my roommates yesterday told me that if I ever wanted her to cook any of my dinners for me, she would. Awww. That’s just about the sweetest thing ever.
The point of this being that I’m already far behind in my journal and will probably get much farther, thus affecting this blog as well. All my writing energies will be expended on creative writing. But, who knows, maybe I’ll occasionally need a break.
What else, what else? I did walk to work once, after I recovered from my cold. It was a shorter walk than I thought, and it was very pleasant. I also finally used up all my apples with apple-y goodness treats.
Another goal for November: Despite the fact that we just had our first snowfall and that Starbucks is going into Holiday-Phase-One, which includes holiday cups (hooray!) and peppermint mochas (actually available year round, for your info, but only really special when it’s the holidays) and the Thanksgiving Blend coffee…do NOT get into a Christmas-y mood.
Actually, a Christmas-y mood would be happy and cheerful and loving and giving, so I can be that. I just can’t listen to Christmas music in my own spare time (I can’t help what happens to be playing on the radio or at Starbucks) or anything like that. I found myself wanting to listen to Christmas music the other day, and I was horrified, being that I am a very adamant Christmas-after-Thanksgiving person.
I guess this counts as a real update.
And with that, toodaloo!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Photos
Some photos of what I've written about!
My clean and organized room (not so clean anymore...):
Wheee, books!
My "Love" wall
Postcards! (Where I've been in Europe, ones people have sent me, where I've been in America)
The result of not-finding celebrities in Boston:
Apples!
The road
Please do not throw apples into the lake
A bushel of apples
This tree was all sorts of photo-awesome
My clean and organized room (not so clean anymore...):
Wheee, books!
My "Love" wall
Postcards! (Where I've been in Europe, ones people have sent me, where I've been in America)
The result of not-finding celebrities in Boston:
Apples!
The road
Please do not throw apples into the lake
A bushel of apples
This tree was all sorts of photo-awesome
Step Six: Lack Coordination and FearTraffic
Written Tuesday, October 11th
Upon hypothesis formation and experimentation, it has been determined that Boston city biking is not for Elizabeth. It was very stressful. There was traffic and more hills than I realized (and I’m not very coordinated on bikes…having a red light at the top of a hill is a very, very depressing sight). So I’m out of shape and FAR too timid to deal with Boston drivers.
I really enjoyed riding my bike when I wasn’t scared of traffic, and I’m fairly close to Reservoir, which has some bike trails, and the Emerald Necklace, so maybe I’ll brave traffic occasionally for a bike ride but not as a money-saving tactic to get to work.
I think I might still bike Sunday mornings to Sunday School when there will be less traffic and get the hang of it, then decide in spring. But not every day, especially with my laptops and the stories my coworker was telling me—she’s seen at least three times a car open their door right in front of a bike and the bike flipping over it.
Maybe I’m chickening out because I’m just not experienced and more tries equals more experience, but I DID try it…I miss Danish bike riding (though I like the bike here). So I think I’ll make my daily goal to get home safely.
Weekly Goal: Bake apple things
On Saturday, we went apple-picking, a quintessential New England fall pastime (and one that makes me wonder about leaving Boston because I love it so much…but that’s a whole different ramble). Only it wasn’t fall. Boston, being Boston, decided it felt like being in the 80s. It was a BEAUTIFUL day but so HOT.
Another new experience with Boston traffic—I drove, but it wasn’t so bad. We live right by the highway out of town so no navigating crazy downtown. Plus, I had Minerva the English GPS to help me. And the drive was gorgeous. Not really fall colors, but they were getting there and the light was hitting the leaves just right.
Because of the long weekend (Columbus Day—yes, he was a terrible person but quit whinging if you get the day off) and the weather, the orchard was packed (and the parking attendants just stood there…thanks for the help, dudes!). However, packed with small children—which is more a bonus than a retractor. There were five of us, so we bought the 20 pound bag equaling LOTS of apples for each of us. On my menu: pie (obviously), apple-raisin bran muffins, and applesauce. I’m weird because I don’t much like apples but I love things made WITH apples.
The weekend was busier than I’d planned because of the weather (we walked to Cold Stone—burning off those ice cream calories!—and met some old guy who was trying to be helpful even though I actually knew where I was going…and then started going off about how the Red Sox are sucking so he’s going to burn all his Red Sox stuff and oh yeah he has cancer. Alright.), so I didn’t do any editing. I did write on Monday, all afternoon, and I’d forgotten how exhausting it is. It sounds weird that sitting and writing all day would be tiring, but if you remember writing essays and how you’re braindead after? It’s like that, only you’re emotionally dead, too, because you’re so invested in it. And all the emotions the characters feel, you feel, too. So, contrary to popular belief, writing is not easy peasy.
Written Wednesday, October 12th
Random sidenote. I read an article that writing dates with the “th” at the end is incorrect. My friend and I then had a lengthy conversation trying to decide whether that was true or not. We decided that either way is correct, but that people tend to write October 12th like above but in a history book or something it would say 12 October 1589.
I just wanted to say that I survived my ride back and I still disliked it so I no longer think I’m chickening out. However, having lost my exercise method, I’m thinking about being completely crazy and walking to work in the mornings. It depends on my work schedule (which will determine my sleep schedule), but if I’m not jipping myself out of sleep, then I’ll wake up earlier and walk to work (it’s about an hour). Until it’s freezing, that is. Is that crazy? My back might not like it with my laptop in my backpack but otherwise, it’s a nice part of town with pretty buildings…
Upon hypothesis formation and experimentation, it has been determined that Boston city biking is not for Elizabeth. It was very stressful. There was traffic and more hills than I realized (and I’m not very coordinated on bikes…having a red light at the top of a hill is a very, very depressing sight). So I’m out of shape and FAR too timid to deal with Boston drivers.
I really enjoyed riding my bike when I wasn’t scared of traffic, and I’m fairly close to Reservoir, which has some bike trails, and the Emerald Necklace, so maybe I’ll brave traffic occasionally for a bike ride but not as a money-saving tactic to get to work.
I think I might still bike Sunday mornings to Sunday School when there will be less traffic and get the hang of it, then decide in spring. But not every day, especially with my laptops and the stories my coworker was telling me—she’s seen at least three times a car open their door right in front of a bike and the bike flipping over it.
Maybe I’m chickening out because I’m just not experienced and more tries equals more experience, but I DID try it…I miss Danish bike riding (though I like the bike here). So I think I’ll make my daily goal to get home safely.
Weekly Goal: Bake apple things
On Saturday, we went apple-picking, a quintessential New England fall pastime (and one that makes me wonder about leaving Boston because I love it so much…but that’s a whole different ramble). Only it wasn’t fall. Boston, being Boston, decided it felt like being in the 80s. It was a BEAUTIFUL day but so HOT.
Another new experience with Boston traffic—I drove, but it wasn’t so bad. We live right by the highway out of town so no navigating crazy downtown. Plus, I had Minerva the English GPS to help me. And the drive was gorgeous. Not really fall colors, but they were getting there and the light was hitting the leaves just right.
Because of the long weekend (Columbus Day—yes, he was a terrible person but quit whinging if you get the day off) and the weather, the orchard was packed (and the parking attendants just stood there…thanks for the help, dudes!). However, packed with small children—which is more a bonus than a retractor. There were five of us, so we bought the 20 pound bag equaling LOTS of apples for each of us. On my menu: pie (obviously), apple-raisin bran muffins, and applesauce. I’m weird because I don’t much like apples but I love things made WITH apples.
The weekend was busier than I’d planned because of the weather (we walked to Cold Stone—burning off those ice cream calories!—and met some old guy who was trying to be helpful even though I actually knew where I was going…and then started going off about how the Red Sox are sucking so he’s going to burn all his Red Sox stuff and oh yeah he has cancer. Alright.), so I didn’t do any editing. I did write on Monday, all afternoon, and I’d forgotten how exhausting it is. It sounds weird that sitting and writing all day would be tiring, but if you remember writing essays and how you’re braindead after? It’s like that, only you’re emotionally dead, too, because you’re so invested in it. And all the emotions the characters feel, you feel, too. So, contrary to popular belief, writing is not easy peasy.
Written Wednesday, October 12th
Random sidenote. I read an article that writing dates with the “th” at the end is incorrect. My friend and I then had a lengthy conversation trying to decide whether that was true or not. We decided that either way is correct, but that people tend to write October 12th like above but in a history book or something it would say 12 October 1589.
I just wanted to say that I survived my ride back and I still disliked it so I no longer think I’m chickening out. However, having lost my exercise method, I’m thinking about being completely crazy and walking to work in the mornings. It depends on my work schedule (which will determine my sleep schedule), but if I’m not jipping myself out of sleep, then I’ll wake up earlier and walk to work (it’s about an hour). Until it’s freezing, that is. Is that crazy? My back might not like it with my laptop in my backpack but otherwise, it’s a nice part of town with pretty buildings…
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Step Five: Stand Up for Your Hair
It’s October! Happy Autumn, everyone! The weather is certainly starting to feel like fall. It’s a good thing I bought my winter boots this weekend.
Monthly Goal: Edit my finished story and make it spick and span for anyone who might be interested in slapping a cover, a back, and a barcode on it.
This might be a bad idea to switch gears right before NaNoWriMo, but it’s high time I’ve edited it. I haven’t looked at it since the beginning of summer, though that’s a good thing. Gave me a break and a calm down. The euphoria of finishing something lasts 24 hours, tops, and then the questions and the freakouts and the worries come. So, giving yourself a break and a time to step back is a good thing.
Now it’s time to edit, and I’m feeling better about it now. Plus, a couple weeks ago, my friend gave me the biggest compliment I could ever hope to get. There are only two people I will trust to read my stories before they’re as close to perfect as I can get them. I call them my beta-readers. And one of them told me my story made her cry. (I’m assuming in a good way ;D). I’m flabbergasted and speechless.
(Don’t worry, Mom. When you finally get the story, it’s not THAT sad. It’s actually a pretty happy story.)
Enough on that, though. I’m turning superstitious and talking too much about details of writing feels like bad luck.
Week’s Goal: Start Biking
Sara’s summer roommate left us her bike and I’ve been meaning to try it out for ever, but I’m a rather lazy person. So today I’m going to get a helmet and a bike light and then theoretically on Wednesday I’ll bike to work. I’m rather terrified of biking in Boston after the wonderfulness of biking in Copenhagen buuut I’ll give it a try, at least. (If you’re confused about that – in Copenhagen bikes rule the street and are given right of way and generally need not fear cars other than a general caution…in Boston, cars hate bikes, bikes hate cars and all traffic rules and don’t much abide by anything and drivers are crazy).
I completed yesterday’s goal, which was to NOT go home directly after “work” (quickly filling out paperwork and about two hours of training at Starbucks). I walked to the library, got a book, had lunch at Panera (yummm) and then met my friend Maggie in the Public Gardens. It was a beautiful day and a guy was playing violin.
Our thought was to try to find Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, who are filming in Boston, but they weren’t filming where they were yesterday so instead we just wandered around Boston. Stopped at Faneuil Hall and watched a street performer. I love Boston.
We also decided Monday was Awesome Old People day. Because we saw so many of them. There was one woman with a light pink top and khaki skirt and BRIGHT pink tights. I want to be her when I’m older. Then a man with the best moustache I’ve ever seen (barring the photos of the moustache competition in Anchorage). Then a couple who walked by during the street performance, so the man called out to them and the old man started dancing. Then a woman carrying a bag with Stephen Colbert’s face on it I wanted to give all of them a hug.
--
And, because it’s been a while since I updated, you get an extra long update thanks to my mom. Who sent me these two articles:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44579757/ns/health-mens_health/t/sperm-bank-redheads-not-wanted/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/09/19/worlds-biggest-sperm-bank-shows-redheads-to-the-door/
Seriously? We’re not in “high demand”? It’s sort of funny but mostly kind of offensive. I was talking to someone else about it and they pointed out that if it that was skin color or something people would be up in arms. But it’s just silly little red hair. I, for one, want a red-headed child more than anything else and it’s a running joke with my friends about my need to marry a redhead so I can carry on my “species”. I’ll take pride in my hair color…it’s everyone else’s loss, to lose the most unique hair color with probably the most shades. Look at my hair color. Unrelated, I’ve had three or four conversations in the last two weeks in which people decide what to call my hair color. It’s not auburn. It’s not RED. It’s not strawberry blonde (though that’s the consensus people normally come to). Moral of the story: my hair color is my favorite part about my physical appearance and phooey on people who apparently find it undesirable. If people want to follow the crowd and have average blonde and brunette babies…their choice. But me and Queen Elizabeth, we’re going to be awesomely unique.
Monthly Goal: Edit my finished story and make it spick and span for anyone who might be interested in slapping a cover, a back, and a barcode on it.
This might be a bad idea to switch gears right before NaNoWriMo, but it’s high time I’ve edited it. I haven’t looked at it since the beginning of summer, though that’s a good thing. Gave me a break and a calm down. The euphoria of finishing something lasts 24 hours, tops, and then the questions and the freakouts and the worries come. So, giving yourself a break and a time to step back is a good thing.
Now it’s time to edit, and I’m feeling better about it now. Plus, a couple weeks ago, my friend gave me the biggest compliment I could ever hope to get. There are only two people I will trust to read my stories before they’re as close to perfect as I can get them. I call them my beta-readers. And one of them told me my story made her cry. (I’m assuming in a good way ;D). I’m flabbergasted and speechless.
(Don’t worry, Mom. When you finally get the story, it’s not THAT sad. It’s actually a pretty happy story.)
Enough on that, though. I’m turning superstitious and talking too much about details of writing feels like bad luck.
Week’s Goal: Start Biking
Sara’s summer roommate left us her bike and I’ve been meaning to try it out for ever, but I’m a rather lazy person. So today I’m going to get a helmet and a bike light and then theoretically on Wednesday I’ll bike to work. I’m rather terrified of biking in Boston after the wonderfulness of biking in Copenhagen buuut I’ll give it a try, at least. (If you’re confused about that – in Copenhagen bikes rule the street and are given right of way and generally need not fear cars other than a general caution…in Boston, cars hate bikes, bikes hate cars and all traffic rules and don’t much abide by anything and drivers are crazy).
I completed yesterday’s goal, which was to NOT go home directly after “work” (quickly filling out paperwork and about two hours of training at Starbucks). I walked to the library, got a book, had lunch at Panera (yummm) and then met my friend Maggie in the Public Gardens. It was a beautiful day and a guy was playing violin.
Our thought was to try to find Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, who are filming in Boston, but they weren’t filming where they were yesterday so instead we just wandered around Boston. Stopped at Faneuil Hall and watched a street performer. I love Boston.
We also decided Monday was Awesome Old People day. Because we saw so many of them. There was one woman with a light pink top and khaki skirt and BRIGHT pink tights. I want to be her when I’m older. Then a man with the best moustache I’ve ever seen (barring the photos of the moustache competition in Anchorage). Then a couple who walked by during the street performance, so the man called out to them and the old man started dancing. Then a woman carrying a bag with Stephen Colbert’s face on it I wanted to give all of them a hug.
--
And, because it’s been a while since I updated, you get an extra long update thanks to my mom. Who sent me these two articles:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44579757/ns/health-mens_health/t/sperm-bank-redheads-not-wanted/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/09/19/worlds-biggest-sperm-bank-shows-redheads-to-the-door/
Seriously? We’re not in “high demand”? It’s sort of funny but mostly kind of offensive. I was talking to someone else about it and they pointed out that if it that was skin color or something people would be up in arms. But it’s just silly little red hair. I, for one, want a red-headed child more than anything else and it’s a running joke with my friends about my need to marry a redhead so I can carry on my “species”. I’ll take pride in my hair color…it’s everyone else’s loss, to lose the most unique hair color with probably the most shades. Look at my hair color. Unrelated, I’ve had three or four conversations in the last two weeks in which people decide what to call my hair color. It’s not auburn. It’s not RED. It’s not strawberry blonde (though that’s the consensus people normally come to). Moral of the story: my hair color is my favorite part about my physical appearance and phooey on people who apparently find it undesirable. If people want to follow the crowd and have average blonde and brunette babies…their choice. But me and Queen Elizabeth, we’re going to be awesomely unique.
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