Creature Comforts USA - Art

I laughed all the way through. Perfect!

Hello...

Apologies for not-so-much posting.

I am:

1) working on thesis, which was by far the loudest voice in my head.
2) prepping for Masters classes, which start up again TODAY at 3:00. Ugh.
3) prepping Child for starting 1st grade tomorrow!!
4) watching ANTM cycle 9 on YouTube, because I am a complete and total addict.
5) prepping for next trip to San Diego, coming up soon!
6) eating way too many sweets
7) Twittering about all of these.

All of the above are true simultaenously.

Proof of Insanity

A snapshot of my brain, or What It's Like to Be a Crazy Person Writer:

Me: Aaaah, my revisions are turned in. Time to relax. Take a breather. Maybe zone out for a while. Read good books, watch some movies...

MELODY (popping up in my face): Yay! My turn! My turn! Okay, listen. I've been thinking a lot while you were gone. I've got some really great ideas for this book. You'll love 'em, honest. Okay, so you're going to have to totally scrap that first part, and my backstory, and that major portion of the plot and all, but TRUST ME! It will be BETTER! Totally, completely different, but better. Let's get to work! C'mon!

GG (sitting in corner, muttering): Nobody loves ME. I don't see why you're not rewriting ME. But oh no, go for the new and shiny after spending a whole month on JENNA. That's okay. Don't mind me. I'm just the middle child, sitting here alone. In the dark.

THESIS: OMG YOU BETTER WORK ON ME RIGHT NOW! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A YEAR! I AM ALMOST DUE AND YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING! NOW NOW NOW!

Me: Shut up! All of you!! I mean it! No, I don't really mean it. But for a second? Please?

JENNA (emailing me from agent's desk): I miss you.

And finally...

Revisions turned in.

*THUD*

That's better.

A much better horoscope today:

You're going to shine today, and everyone will be unanimous in their praise of you. Don't start blushing when people keep going on and on about how smart and helpful you are -- just soak it in! This is the start of a very positive phase for you and your people.

Yeah, baby. Me AND my people. And since if you're reading this blog you're one of "my people", it's a positive phase for you too! Go us!

Actually it IS a very positive phase around these parts just now. I'm well on track to finish my revisions on deadline, which is Friday. Work is just the right amount of busy to be fun. I...er...kind of stopped the thesis work again while I was crunching on deadline, but I WILL pick that up again next week. At least I've made some good progress.

And we've been having some fun. We drove to Idaho this weekend for a friend's wedding, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I've only driven through a corner of Idaho before, so I had no idea of the spectacularness (yes, that is a word now. My word.). And the wedding was perfect and full of happy tears.

And...if I'm a good girl and get my revisions in...we get to go to Yellowstone this weekend. Yay!!

A big fat pshaw to you, sirs

This line was in my horoscope today:

Daydreaming about your future is a lot like playing pretend -- lots of fun, but not very appropriate for grownups.

I'd find it hard to disagree more. Daydreaming about the future is critical: if I didn't have the daydream of a book contract, keeping my head down every day working on revisions might seem pointless.

And who the heck deemed playing pretend as "not appropriate for grownups"? Pshaw.

I do get the point it's trying to make: focus on today instead of tomorrow. Okay. But I'd rather like to keep focusing on both, thanks.

{HUGS}

It's pretty common in online circles to give each other {HUGS}. (Or (HUGS) or [HUGS] or even ((((HUGS))))--you get the idea. When a friend or acquaintance is depressed, lost someone, is sick, or is just having a hard day, {HUGS} are sent and returned.

It's not the same thing, we know that. Supposedly real-body hugging actually increases the body's endorphins, a chemical reaction that can give us mild euphoria.

I like me a little mild euphoria.

But it's the best we can do without being anywhere near our friends. My "closest" friends are scattered over two countries. {HUGS} convey that we wish we could hug each other, give each other comfort and support, and it does help.

I'm incredibly lucky at this point in my life that I also get lots of real-life hugs. A six-year-old daughter is the tops in hugging. Plus husband, family...I get hugged every day.

It was not always so.

When I was 19, I set off for a year of study abroad in southern England (University of Sussex, woo-hoo!). I was part of an organized program, so I was taken care of. I lived with other students from the U.S., from England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, the Seychelles, Portugal, everywhere. I had people I hung out with. I had fun.

I was also, simultaenously, desperately homesick and lonely. By December Christmas was coming and I knew that (a) I didn't have anywhere to go--the dorms closed down, and all my friends already had plans; and (b) I still wasn't going to see my family for at least 4 months, and I wouldn't be home for 6 months. One of the program directors offered to host the Christmas holidays at his house in London for whichever Study Abroad students wanted to come.

I didn't know what else to do, so I went. I think eight of us went, all studying at different schools across the U.K., guys and girls mixed. None of us knew each other. We'd only met the director once, in our whirlwind entry in September. We were going to stay at his little London apartment for a week, bunking in the two beds and the floor in rotation, doing whatever we decided to do.

It was an amazing Christmas. For whatever reason--enforced company, similarities, chemistry--we all bonded straight off. We had long, wine-fueled talks into the night. We laughed our asses off trying to cobble together a Christmas meal in a minuscule, unfamiliar kitchen with recipes that measured in metric. We sang Christmas carols, comparing American and English versions. We walked together, through lightly falling snow, to midnight Christmas mass in St. Paul's Cathedral.

And I realized, on that Christmas Eve, after hugging every one of them, that I hadn't had a hug since I left my parents. That I NEEDED hugs. That maybe part of my loneliness was that lack of touch.

So I was touched by this guy. Yeah, maybe it could be a little creepy. But I think he just realized that some people don't have hugs in their lives, bone-crushing squeezy real hugs. And everybody needs one, now and again.

{HUG}

Stuff

I keep hoping to have a gap-toothed picture to share with you--Child's first loose tooth is sooooo loose it's gotta be soon, but it's still hanging in. Watch this space (for an impending space) {g}.

I seem to have cursed myself by saying yesterday that the next part of revisions would be easier. I was absolutely positively WRONG. I battled with myself yesterday over every word, questioning every flippin' comma, and I'm not sure I made anything better. And I only plowed through 8 pages, which I have to go over again today anyway. *grumble*

Kids, don't listen if anybody ever tells you ANY of this job is easy. *bangs head quietly*

I also want to do a quick YAY shoutout to my girls, who are all pounding away on their keyboards this summer, staying focused, and kicking ass. Vic, Rosie, Linda, Jule, karen, Pam, Sara, Deb, Kathy, Kreek.... You guys keep me sane, and are my inspiration all.

Oh, I forgot how much I love this song.

http://www.pandora.com/music/song/toad+wet+sprocket/walk+on+ocean

Fleeting thoughts (thank goodness)

Status:
Step 1 of Major Revision: Check.
On to Step 2, much less stressful.

Meanwhile, random thoughts I had while attending a jazz concert (trumpet/piano duo) yesterday:

--Is it bad to fantasize about chopping the head off the Amazonian sitting in front of me, so I can see? Her neck level would be just about right.

--(craning around Amazonian) Wow, it's crazy what the pianist is doing with his hands when you can see them.

--These guys are good.

--I despise people who get all agro on other people. Amazonian actually got visibly angry at (a) the slight pump of someone's oxygen machine (head-turning, "what is that noise?") and (b) the 80+ old man humming along happily to himself under his breath. She SHUSHED him. I think if you're 80+ and you've made it to a concert, especially in a natty suit, you should be allowed to happily hum quietly to yourself, thank you. It wasn't bothering anyone else. Reasons to chop her head off: 2.

--Okay, they're good, but I do wish every once in a while they would play the actual melody. Just, you know, once through. I think perhaps I am not a true jazz person.

--Ooooh, there's a nice melody...no, gone now. I shall just sing in my head until they get back to it.

--My child is the youngest one here by FAR, and is extremely well-behaved. Yay.

--Hmm, perhaps it's actually healthier for Amazonian, who expresses her annoyance to everyone, than me, who seethes silently at her. Something to think about. I wish I was one of those people who don't even notice these things.

--*singing in head*

Usually I think of plot points, or daydream about my characters, during these concerts. Yesterday I was a little burnt out on all that, so this is what I got. :)

Also, last night I had a dream that George Balanchine (yes, I know he's dead) created a ballet just for me, all on skateboards. Hmmm.

Not really a post.

Still writing. Still an achingly dull and empty blog, for now.

I apologize.

In the meantime, Maureen is having adventures,

Gary is making very funny lists of what not to do in murder mysteries,

and Rose is having yummy drinks.

I did get to see an exhibit this weekend wherein I saw the originals of: the Wicked Witch's hat from the Wizard of Oz, George Clooney's Batman costume, Indy's leather jacket and whip, Darth Vader's cape and helmet (I looked into his eyes and got a little chill), and a whole mess of other Star Wars and Star Trek stuff. Very coolio.

Break over...later, gators.