I've been having an F. Scott Fitzgerald month. I finished Tender Is the Night a couple days ago and have started The Beautiful and Damned. I currently have no plans to stop reading his books until I'm finished--I have already read The Great Gatsby and The Other Side of Paradise.
My impression of Tender Is the Night was pretty positive, but I am really digging The Beautiful and Damned. He explains more and doesn't make me guess as much, which I am completely into. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Tender Is the Night, but that 'lyrical prose' gets old after a while.
I love how everyone in his books jaunts off to Europe and stays there for an indefinite period. He makes it sound like for Americans the world is a big sandbox--which is both a completely horrible idea and a great one, depending on how egotistical you're feeling. I almost envy that thought process, but of course I'd do it a little differently once I was there.
Listen to Grant Lee Phillip's Mona Lisa sometime. I have linked it to F. Scott Fitzgerald's work in my mind somehow, and has been my song of the month.
On a completely unrelated topic, I have begun playing Fallout 3 on my Xbox 360, which is basically what it sounds like. I am a girl wandering around the post-apocolyptic world of D.C. I always come home with the best games after I've visited Brandt.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Everything
The title of today's post comes from Michael Buble, which I am currently listening to. My favorite line? So la la la la la la la....and repeat.
Happy news for this week: Kameron is officially walking!!! Yay Kami! Kurt and Kat sent a video, and he is adorable and so proud of himself for walking. I knew he could do it, he just needed that shot of confidence. He's pretty much a little dare-devil. Maybe he'll be my partner in all things crazy. Kaelan used to be, but lately he's gotten cautious. He tells me we can't go skydiving because he's too little, we shouldn't go down the big slides, and as for 4-wheeling with Kurt, well, he's ok until we get to a huge hill and he suddenly becomes a front-seat driver. As soon as we hit a tree, he said, "Ok, I'm done, I don't like hitting trees. Let's go home, Daddy."
Christian Bale in the new Terminator movie out this summer. I am digging Christian Bale lately. He's always been a good actor--remember him in Little Women? He made Laurie come to life. I kind of worked him into my second Gallia book as one of the characters--not really him, just his smile.
Don't worry, Handsome Rob, you're still my #1.
Happy news for this week: Kameron is officially walking!!! Yay Kami! Kurt and Kat sent a video, and he is adorable and so proud of himself for walking. I knew he could do it, he just needed that shot of confidence. He's pretty much a little dare-devil. Maybe he'll be my partner in all things crazy. Kaelan used to be, but lately he's gotten cautious. He tells me we can't go skydiving because he's too little, we shouldn't go down the big slides, and as for 4-wheeling with Kurt, well, he's ok until we get to a huge hill and he suddenly becomes a front-seat driver. As soon as we hit a tree, he said, "Ok, I'm done, I don't like hitting trees. Let's go home, Daddy."
Christian Bale in the new Terminator movie out this summer. I am digging Christian Bale lately. He's always been a good actor--remember him in Little Women? He made Laurie come to life. I kind of worked him into my second Gallia book as one of the characters--not really him, just his smile.
Don't worry, Handsome Rob, you're still my #1.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
UPdate!!!
I realized I haven't written anything on here since last October, when I got back from Germany! Yikes! So here is what has been going on!
We had an amazing Christmas break--the first time in 2 years I've been home for Christmas, so what's not amazing about that? On top of that, everyone was home for the first time in ever! Kurt and Kat came with the munchies (as in munchkins, not snacks), and Brandt and Ash were here as well because two days after Christmas they got married! The wedding was amazing. Welcome to the fam, Ashlie! I have been so lucky with my sisters-in-law. They are both fabulous.
Brandt and AshlieWe recently went to Casper for Kameron's 1st birthday. It feels like yesterday that he was born on the couch while I hid in the back with the firefighters! And now he's trying to walk, not really trying to talk, and way too darn cute. Kaelan started pre-school and he's super-excited about that. He's a smart 4 year old. We count to ten in three languages! We did lots of playing and even went 4-wheeling with Kurt at the off-road park. It was kind of like riding an incredibly bumpy roller coaster. I sat in the back and got tossed around like a marble in a bowl!
Kameron the cake Joker
Playing at the Fishie park with EasterNow what I've been up to. Besides baby-sitting Mom and Dad's two Jack Russel Terrors--Ziggy and Easter--I recently started doing dictations for Kamil at Precision Prosthetics and Orthotics, which is where I worked last year if you remember. I am off to Bryn Mawr in June for my 4th summer and I'm so excited about that. All my favorite people will be there, including Heather! Yay! I was offered a book deal before Christmas and I turned it down. :( I didn't feel as though they were being very fair. I think my little book is worth more than that! So now that I'm attempting to play in the big leagues, I am finding just how frustrating and discouraging it can be. I have sent queries to at least 20 agents and gotten mucho rejections but a few very good reviews as well. And two of them actually asked for my first chapter! I'm hanging in there with that.
As for the future, who knows? I have visions of sailing in Australia, working in Greece, and getting my Masters in Creative Writing.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!!!
I wish I were still a kid during Halloween time. Finding the perfect costume--somehow I think I'd go as a lost sock this year--the smells in the air, getting candy, the excitement of the evening in general!
Luckily for the past 2 Halloweens I have been living with my nephew, so I got the chance to see the perfect costume and be a part of the evening with him. This Halloween, however, I am on my own. So I dressed my teddy bear up as Batman and the Sister Missionaries are coming over. I doubt we'll get any Trick-or-Treaters. We never do. Everyone hits the town these days.
Speaking of Batman, I'd date him. Some reasons why: 1. The Batcave! How cool would that place be? Just think of all the buttons to push! 2. The Batsuit! He has so many cool gadgets. Besides, he looks pretty good in the Batsuit, doesn't he? 3. The fact that he's a superhero through gadgets and willpower only--no radioactivity that causes him to turn into a spider--let's face it, who knows what else Spiderman is going to develop over the years. And he's not an illegal alien like Superman. 4. Bruce Wayne is pretty hot too.
Luckily for the past 2 Halloweens I have been living with my nephew, so I got the chance to see the perfect costume and be a part of the evening with him. This Halloween, however, I am on my own. So I dressed my teddy bear up as Batman and the Sister Missionaries are coming over. I doubt we'll get any Trick-or-Treaters. We never do. Everyone hits the town these days.
Speaking of Batman, I'd date him. Some reasons why: 1. The Batcave! How cool would that place be? Just think of all the buttons to push! 2. The Batsuit! He has so many cool gadgets. Besides, he looks pretty good in the Batsuit, doesn't he? 3. The fact that he's a superhero through gadgets and willpower only--no radioactivity that causes him to turn into a spider--let's face it, who knows what else Spiderman is going to develop over the years. And he's not an illegal alien like Superman. 4. Bruce Wayne is pretty hot too.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Loooooong Time
Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything!
Days go by here. Our computer died and we got a new one--one of those all-in-one jobbies with a touchscreen. We got a new puppy, one of Ziggy's sisters, actually. Her name is Easter and she's a little peanut. She looks so much smaller than Ziggy, it is hard to believe they are from the same litter! To me, Easter doesn't look much like a Jack Russell, with those short little legs, but she's still adorable. She's just settling in. I have been working on my book and am pretty happy with the development of it so far. We're going to Kurt and Kat's pretty soon for Kaelan's 4th birthday. I can't believe he's so old already!
Days go by here. Our computer died and we got a new one--one of those all-in-one jobbies with a touchscreen. We got a new puppy, one of Ziggy's sisters, actually. Her name is Easter and she's a little peanut. She looks so much smaller than Ziggy, it is hard to believe they are from the same litter! To me, Easter doesn't look much like a Jack Russell, with those short little legs, but she's still adorable. She's just settling in. I have been working on my book and am pretty happy with the development of it so far. We're going to Kurt and Kat's pretty soon for Kaelan's 4th birthday. I can't believe he's so old already!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Aggressive
I got an email from my agent today announcing that she thinks it is officially time to get aggressive with pitching my manuscript. I thought we already were...
Basically she will send me a list of publishing houses and then I have to pick how many and which ones we will be attacking. This means that my agents do all the work so far as contacting the publishing house, writing the query letter, printing out my manuscript and setting up the entire pitch. I foot the bill.
Ouch!
However, I think I have made up my mind to do it. I would have to pay for it if I were to do this on my own, after all, and they do know what they are doing.
So I guess we're getting aggressive...
Basically she will send me a list of publishing houses and then I have to pick how many and which ones we will be attacking. This means that my agents do all the work so far as contacting the publishing house, writing the query letter, printing out my manuscript and setting up the entire pitch. I foot the bill.
Ouch!
However, I think I have made up my mind to do it. I would have to pay for it if I were to do this on my own, after all, and they do know what they are doing.
So I guess we're getting aggressive...
Monday, September 29, 2008
Soooo....
Now that I have been home for a little while--2 weeks, it feels way shorter than that--I have some projects to work on.
I am writing like crazy! I have 3 books in the works, but even though I get flashes of inspiration for all of them at odd times, I really only want to seriously work on one. I also plan on pushing my other book with my agent more. Who knows how much work they are really doing with it, you know? I am getting skeptical...
I also plan on rearranging my room. I have this whole scenario worked out in my head. Perhaps it won't work, but we'll see. What I really want is a huge hammock. That probably won't happen.
Of course, the big J O B thing will have to happen soon. I am rather lackadaisical about that one, mostly because I really do hate the idea of working. Especially a job that is just for 'right now' and that I probably won't be too crazy about. I'll give myself a swift kick and get into action soon.
I also got a new phone! At first I couldn't figure out how to answer it, let alone any of the other things it does, but now I get it. It was sad to stop using my last phone. Does anyone else get these insane attachments to non-animate objects, or is that just me?
It is becoming fall here! I love fall. I love the smells, the pumpkins, the rustly leaves, Halloween, the smells again, and just the feeling of it being fall. Unfortunately, it is always too short and then winter hits and I don't feel the same level of amicability toward winter as I do towards fall.
I am writing like crazy! I have 3 books in the works, but even though I get flashes of inspiration for all of them at odd times, I really only want to seriously work on one. I also plan on pushing my other book with my agent more. Who knows how much work they are really doing with it, you know? I am getting skeptical...
I also plan on rearranging my room. I have this whole scenario worked out in my head. Perhaps it won't work, but we'll see. What I really want is a huge hammock. That probably won't happen.
Of course, the big J O B thing will have to happen soon. I am rather lackadaisical about that one, mostly because I really do hate the idea of working. Especially a job that is just for 'right now' and that I probably won't be too crazy about. I'll give myself a swift kick and get into action soon.
I also got a new phone! At first I couldn't figure out how to answer it, let alone any of the other things it does, but now I get it. It was sad to stop using my last phone. Does anyone else get these insane attachments to non-animate objects, or is that just me?
It is becoming fall here! I love fall. I love the smells, the pumpkins, the rustly leaves, Halloween, the smells again, and just the feeling of it being fall. Unfortunately, it is always too short and then winter hits and I don't feel the same level of amicability toward winter as I do towards fall.
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