28
January

Exciting small children for a living

All it takes is to hand them a hand-crafted dragon mask with streamers and tell them they are going to scare away the evil spirits by shouting Gung Hay Fat Choy. (Yes, I know this is a watered-down version of a Chinese New Year parade–but I’m not putting firecrackers within their reach, since they’re perfectly capable of exploding on their own.)

Reminder: Small children BELIEVE with every fiber of their beings.

Best believer of the day, as we marched past an open space where the winds whirled leaves, spinning them up: LOOK! They’re running away!! We’re doing it!

A number were planning to dispel the evil spirits at their house after school. I predict several masks will disappear very soon thereafter, since I’m pretty certain many parents hold a different definition of evil spirit–and they break after the first fifteen minutes.

No comments yet

27
January

Oops

I was supposed to write tonight.

The evil spirits we drove out by marching around school with our dragon masks took my oomph with them. It’s 8:40, and I’ve given up for the night. I’m lucky I made it this far.

Tomorrow. There’s always tomorrow.

No comments yet

23
January

It’s kinda unnerving

to find a PW article on my brother and his publishing company.

Also, Mom’s been kicked out of the hospital. I’m relieved, and Mom sounds perky.

Writing? Hah. Too much furniture moving and cleaning.

No comments yet

23
January

It’s been busy

The writing was limited to a few notes I jotted down in Encino before the rest of the Freeway Dragons got there. And there were critiques of my picture book manuscript which gave me stuff to think about and a determination to lose another 150 words. Layout is everything, so this time I’m making a two-page layout so I can really see the words.

The overall consensus is that it’s very visual, so that’s good–I’m hoping. Picture book illos are supposed to add to the written text, not merely repeat. We’ll see.

Mom’s in the hospital, this time for a staph infection in her other leg (last month redux) and an elevated white blood cell count. I’m hoping she’s out by tomorrow, but we don’t know. She’s not supposed to be out today, but Kaiser seems to hold on to people until late afternoons and then toss them out suddenly. Again, we’ll see, and good thoughts and prayers appreciated.

What we did manage to do is get our bedroom partially rearranged and slept in a new-to-us Mission-style bed. I’m now four inches higher off the ground when I get up and creeping in the dark so I don’t bash into anything. There’s other stuff to clean and polish tonight, and having the bed up against the wall rather than in a corner delights my soul. I might not be able to vacuum under the bed easily, but I sure as heck can get to the corners and the cobwebs finally.

I went to a small concert last night. I sing with three of the four members a couple of Sundays a month, and they’ve formed a small ensemble. Their harmonies are tight, their blend amazing, and they’ll be having another concert in March at the other church I sing at. Their first CD is out and it’s excellent. I’m so happy to see my friends making this move!

And now it’s Monday again and the first day of Chinese New Year. I am not prepared at all to celebrate at school. Where does the time go?

No comments yet

21
January

Oh, Saturday, how I love you

So it’s been a week and a half away from writing, and it’s time to get back. I figure I can open the file, take a breath, and people in this house will suddenly reanimate.

Yeah, and the day will begin.

I have a new-to-me china cabinet (gotta love Craigslist) which means there should be excitement going on as one desk moves upstairs and mine shifts over to take its place. The china cabinet is going up against the wall here.

Baby steps toward reclaiming my office as the dining room. Eventually, despite the daughter’s best efforts, I’ll be able to work upstairs. I’m not hoping for any such move too soon–making her take down her craft table should result in enough screams of horror.

I sent the paper crane picture book to my local crit group. We’ll meet up tomorrow at a coffee shop in Encino. (This should be exciting. All my years here, and I think I’ve driven through Encino once: to bypass the freeway.) I’m hoping they can pinpoint words to cut. I’m at 950 at the moment, which is still long, but I tried to keep some of the original’s lyrical prose.

We’ll see.

And now, to write. Or wake up the family.

No comments yet

17
January

I’m ready for this to be over.

The stuffy nose, I mean. The nose that is so bad that I can’t breathe except through my mouth.

It’s really really really old.

Bah.

But I made it home in one piece. I survived school and the silliness thereof. No annoyances district-wise, for which I am grateful, unless you count the not-really-a-gift envelope filled with scantron sheets for the kinder tests this week. Kinders can’t fill them out, so guess who is doing that? (True, we don’t correct many papers, but it’s mind-numbing to fill out 72-answer bubble sheets for each student.)

Humbug.

And tonight there’s writing. Luckily, I heard back from one of my crit group members who gave me LOTS to think about (and some good ideas) for rewriting this scene. Seeing that I’m inspired, I’m going to do something about it.

Yay! (Since I have an idea of what I’ll be writing.)

Then it’ll be an early bedtime, since I’m trying to kick this sinus infection/asthma/whatever it is beast, which is making me ache and stuffing my head with cotton.

Bah humbug.

No comments yet

14
January

There’s nothing like

coming home. And by home, I mean the Bay area. I spent far too many of my college and early adulthood years here to call it much else.

So we spent the morning in Half Moon Bay–first at a little breakfast place at the airport (did you know HMB had an airport? I sure as heck hadn’t realized it.) All aircraft-themed, of course, with models dangling from the ceiling and framed medals and memorabilia from the Air Force on the walls. That was fun, of course, but the small plane landing on the runway beside us and pulling up to park at the restaurant was a kick.

Then it was back to HMB downtown and one of our favorite yarn shops.

Of course I bought yarn. A lovely fine hand-painted yarn–Misti Alpaca–in a lovely variegated lavender blue. It’s rapidly growing into a very lacy scarf. I won’t finish it before I drive home on Monday, because lace. Yowza. Either I need new glasses or a refresher in how to count class.

Knitting filled my afternoon, along with football (and wasn’t that 49er game exciting?) and then my friend’s cat arrived.

I’m slightly allergic to cats, so I don’t actively seek them out as much as I like them. He had no problem with that. Magic noticed me, jumped onto my lap, walked around my shoulders, pressed his nose to my glasses….

Oh, fine. I’ll scritch you.

He did not abandon me; I had to abandon him. Now the door is firmly closed because Magic headbutts to make his way in, and I’ve woken to him sitting on my chest demanding scritches at 3A in the past.

Yes, I can be taught.

But I would love to know what I’ve done to become Magic’s catnip equivalent.

no comments

13
January

And I’m off! (Almost.)

It’s been another hard week–the kids have kept me on my toes, and I’ve been collapsing early. Last night, though, I actually stayed up until a few minutes after 10P.

The glamorous life of a teacher.

Still, there are glimmerings of good. I managed to write a few nights–just not every single one. Frustrating, but the Daughter had a friend out from Colorado and guests prove distracting, even when they’re not physically there. Mostly because the Daughter requested certain meals to be made, and none of them were exactly easy prep or clean up. Especially the Peruvian pork last night. (No, that’s not an alias for guinea pig. Trust me.)

But today I get to pack up my possessions and drive 300+ miles. I’m heading up to visit my best friend from college again, and with any luck, will make it there before 10P. Some trick seeing that I have to pick up the rental car and fight traffic. (Yeah, so not taking the blue monster–not since it’s taken up pretending it’s out of gas and chokes off to the side of the freeway. It’s fine for my day drives, but not long trips. Someday we will have a second car again, but not today.)

Lots of ideas churning in my head, including many that I didn’t make a note of, so I’ve forgotten.

Sadly, none of them have anything to do with the novel.

But I’m refilling the well this weekend, and maybe that will help.

no comments

9
January

Dog biscuits for all!

Me to three out of four dogs begging at my feet: No. No. Life is not about treats. Life is not about trea–

Oh.

Dagnabit, maybe it should be.

(That way I get a cookie after I write another 100 words.)

no comments

8
January

I’m not sure where the day went…

…although the house is cleaner and some laundry got done.

There’s more to do, but I think I’ll hit the last bits early in the morning before I leave for school.

Insane, I know, but I’m actually sleepy and since the brain hasn’t wanted to turn off most nights this last week, I’m taking advantage of it.

Plus, I’m feeling accomplished. I have a whole 200+ new words for tonight, and Kelly’s critique really has helped–both with the word count and where I need to expand this scene.

I’m going to figure out how I get to this scene later. For now, just nail the set pieces and the transitions will fix themselves later.

Step by step.

And the first one is off to bed, and carting Harley up the stairs. He decided to leap onto the hill after Zoey yesterday, and his knees are suffering for it today.

I must say I empathize.

Back on the pain pills he goes.

no comments

« Previous Entries     

↑ Back to top