Write It So

Remember, remember, the 5th of November...

2011-11-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the 4th, but tomorrow I have a knitting class then off to get supplies for Christmas presents then get ready for an actually FANCY 40th birthday party, so....light the fireworks, guys!

Side note: not pregnant. At all. Anymore. Or wasn't. I dunno. A lot of fairly invasive tests (and probably a tall stack of medical bills on their way) later, that is the conclusion. Hopefully soon. But, at least, not now. Which I finally feel ok about. It was a rough few weeks - to say the least - but I really can face it now with a positive perspective, which has been lacking.

Otherwise, life is lovely. Penny had a wonderful Halloween, and now every time we go outside wants to go to "one more house. Teet." In fact, every time I mention a treat, she yells, "tick teet! House! Go!" It is confusing to try to explain to a 2 year old what Once A Year means. She is still the best sleeper ever - going to bed almost always without complaint around 7, still napping a good 1-2 hours every day, and generally happy with lots of sleep (just like her daddy). I think bedtime (most days) is my favorite time of day. A little before 7, we head upstairs - earlier if a bath is required. We head to the bathroom for teeth brushing and potty time - a new addition that is going quite well - and then into the bedroom for socks, feetsy pajamas and reading. Daddy reads a few books, always ending with our favorite, "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo", which we can recite and Penny even knows most of now. Then Daddy turns out the light and I sing, "Hush Little Baby" while rocking, and then Penny goes to her bed with a few babies. But I can't express how sweet she is when I rock her. How she gives Daddy big "movie" hugs and says, "Night Daddy" when he is walking out the door. How she tells me "Night Mommy" when I am walking out a few minutes later. How some nights she plays in her bed for 30 minutes or more, just talking to the babies and settling in, before quieting down. How sometimes when I hear her in the morning and go in to get her, I ask if she wants to get up and she says, "No!" I then leave and wait to hear her ask for me - I don't want to interrupt her personal time, her playtime, or whatever she is doing in there!

It took a few weeks - and a few glasses (bottles) of wine - to get perspective, but everything is really good.

Hello to No One!

2011-10-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

The best thing about absolutely no one reading this blog (except for the Googlebot saving the internet for posterity - hi Googlebot!) is that I can say things here that I can say nowhere else. So...I'm pregnant! Wheee!

It is super early - between 4 and 5 weeks. But I am so amazingly excited. It's just been a few months, but I was so ready. Penny will be almost exactly 3 years older, which is as far apart as I wanted them to be. And over the summer and last few weeks, I have drank wine, imbibed beer, gone abroad, eaten lots of stinky cheese and done all those good things I'll be staying away from the next 9 months.

I also want to keep better records - not just of how I feel, but of life.

Here is to another good year.

Fixed.

2011-08-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

It took awhile, but I am finally able to use my keyboard again!! YAYAYA>>>

It's been busy summer. Lots of two- or three-day trips to the beach or friends' places. Lots of outings with Penny and her little friends. Lots more actual days of work than I intended when the summer began.

Even so, it has been a great summer. Penny has grown so much - now I look at pictures of her as soon as I take them and can't believe that it is the same girl. She looks so...grown up. I can see the girl - and woman - that she will be sometimes. Even though she is still thin and underweight for her age, her face has lost that baby look and filled out to resemble her Daddy (and maybe me, a bit, if you squint). We are finally getting a broader vocabulary and stringing together three or four words to make sentences which make me forget my own grammar. I DO READ! I DO COOK! I PICK CAT UP DOWN AAAAHHHHHH!

Penny adores swimming, but has gotten out of the swing of swim classes since for most of the summer we have been away or I was working, so she didn't get to go. Yesterday, she screamed through most of the class - making her teacher-mommy flush red with each new pitch. Ah well...we will get back in the swing soon.

As for the fall...we are still holding off on preschool. I know she would benefit from a class setting where she is forced to participate...but I still want her with me. I also don't want to take away from her time with Gigi & Jopop. Those two or even three days a week - and maybe some nights too - are so important. She adores them. They adore her. She treats their new puppy Sadie like a baby, and the puppy even seems to like it. Sitting still in a circle will come - each day she gets to spend with her great-grandparents is something she will treasure for the rest of her life.

Writing

2011-06-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

`Why =is =it =that =every =time =I =try =to =type it =looks =like =this....will =write =later...

Why.

2011-05-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have started writing again - actually about things. The problem when I just let myself write - for example, in the hundreds of posts I have started for this blog then deleted when I realized they are unsuitable for the public, except for maybe in some horrible self-examining book of essays that I will probably someday write and keep hidden anyway - is that I get too deep too fast. Way too deep.

So, I am focusing on things. I am going to start writing about beer on a ladies beer site. I am going to write some stories that have been floating in my head. I am going to spend good, solid time in front of a black screen and see what happens. I am also going to record come of the amazing moments that pass by too quick with my daughter. Like today, when she quietly went "aaaaaa" the whole way along 202, which is again under construction and makes a funny bouncing quality out of that simple vowel, like she was being tickled for 10 minutes straight.

Here goes.

Over. It. Finally.

2011-05-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

We have been sick.

I mean down in the dumps, amoxicillin and nebulizer, multiple doctor visits and one chest x-ray sick. And that was just Penny.

I am so happy it is finally over. It was a few three weeks of illness, four if you count her great-grandparents in the beginning and her grandmother at the end. Huzby managed to avoid it - by avoiding us as much as possible and by me washing the sheets, towels and blankets on an almost daily basis. Lucky goose - I succumbed and really only avoided a trip to the doctor by avoiding my worse symptoms and focussing on Penny's.

I am so happy that Penny is able to re-enter society. You don't realize how long three weeks can be until you start visiting friends, attending classes, and generally getting out with a toddler again. All those sharing/no-hitting/DON'T-POKE-THE-BABY skills tend to slide so quickly and need to be re-re-reinforced. We also lost a dear 1.5 pounds, which hopefully won't take too long to put back on since they were really necessary to make the weight limit for sitting forward in the car. We haven't turned her back around, since sitting forward seems to have eliminated the carsickness and made her much happier to take trips. I hope she gets some weight back on before her two-year appointment.

Speaking of...I really need to get on those invites. Craft day today (mostly for Mommy!).

Sleep and Monsters

2011-04-04T05:02:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much sleep can affect your life, especially if you have people in your household who require extraordinary amounts of it. I can generally function on low-to-middling amounts of sleep if 8 or more hours is not available. It takes a stretch of sleeplessness to make me really off balance.

The rest of my family...not so much.

Penny takes after her father in this - if she doesn't get her required amount of sleep (currently 12 hours at night and another 1.5-3 during the day), her Terrible-Twoisms increase exponentially. After spending two nights with her great-grandparents, where she sleeps less due to the constant available entertainment, she was a handful. And a half. And another third on top of that. She didn't want to leave Gigi, didn't want to sit and eat, didn't want to play, didn't want didn't want didn't want!

Off to bed by 7 that night, where she did not make a PEEP until 9:30 the next morning. Nor did my husband. I laid in bed from 8 am on reading, unwilling to get up and disturb the household. When she finally did get up, my happy, giggly, cheeky and funny toddler was back in full force. She excitedly played with Daddy, ate her breakfast and got ready for her first Phillies game of the year. She tailgated like a champion in her own camping chair (which she only fell out of once!), recovered quickly from any slips, ran around the stadium, cheered like only a Phils fan can and then fell asleep in my backpack carrier on the way back to the car before we had even left the stadium.

It is amazing what a little sleep can do.

Once she finally woke up, my wonderful, loving, cheeky and funny toddler was back in full force, just in time for the Phillies' First Sunday Game. It was wonderful - she loved the game, smiled at everyone, walked throughout the stadium, ran down the AWESOME ramps from the 300 level back to the lower decks, then fell asleep in my backpack carrier before we had even left the stadium on the walk back to the car.

It is amazing what a little sleep can do.

Hugs and Kisses

2011-03-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

We are so affectionate these days. We give lots of kisses before bed, all through the day, and even as soon as we get up. She kisses her babies good night and good morning, giving them lots of hugs and cuddling them close (when they are not engaged in elaborate scenarios or being rushed around the house at top speed in their stroller). I think this means we are doing a good job - she is mimicking all the love that we give to her.

I think it is the cutest thing I have ever seen.

She smiles much. much more than she cries. She can be a drama queen, but those episodes generally pass very quickly. As long as she is interested in something, she is happy, even long past her bedtime. Now that it is nicer out and we are spending more time around kiddie friends, she is doing much better with sharing, being gentle and just being around other kids. She still loves monsters and things-that-go-BOO, which makes us all laugh and one great-grandmother a bit concerned.

Penny is just lovely. As we head toward summer, I am missing her so much on the days that I work. I just want to play with her on nice days, blowing bubbles on the deck and running around the playground. I am trying to get my sewing back to snuff, so that I can do that through the summer and spend more time with just her.

On the other hand, I adore that she gets to spend two days a week (and generally one night on the weekend) with her GREAT-grandparents who have created a toddler-sized wonderland at their house just for her pleasure. She has everything she could desire - toys, DVDs, snacks that her parents would never buy, and even two Whippet puppies bought specifically to be gentle with her. Her favorite person is her Gigi, her great-grandmother, and her great-grandfather is her hero, especially whenever he makes her a new woodcraft, such as the specifically designed craft table and counter-high stool.

She is the luckiest girl in the world. Which makes me the luckiest mom. I just need to write about it more - I don't want to forget anything.

Getting Big

2011-02-22T10:57:00.000-08:00

I think we may have returned to normal weight!

YYAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!eleventy!!!!! Fireworks, Drums, Cymbals!!

All of a sudden, Penny is TALL. I mean, legs peeking out of 18 month pants tall. She was in her bathing suit at swim class this morning and it was stretched to the max length-wise, where it used to hang to her knees. She even has a tummy that pushes out her tops and makes her look a bit like a clown with padding when she wears her sleepy pajamas.

This is...huge, to understate it. Penny has been being marked in the legend her last few weight checks. She has had a sweat test for Cystic Fibrosis, which was the worst day we have had in years. There is an order for a blood test sitting in my secretary which we have really not wanted to do, since it would be traumatizing for both her and us. She has been perfect, just tiny and underweight.

Every time we get in the car, I worry about her getting carsick since she is still sitting backwards. I am fairly sure she can wear the same dress for her second birthday that she wore for her first...but getting less certain now. I would love to turn her around, let her wear new clothes for the first time in awhile, help her to actual reach the pedals on her tricycle.

I am going to weigh her to see if she meets the requirements for sitting forward, make her a few new spring dresses in larger sizes and pull out that tricycle as soon as the most recent snowfall melts. I love my little baby...but am so excited to see her get big.

Gaming

2011-02-14T04:50:00.001-08:00

We are a big game family. Matt is very much into video games, occasionally bringing me along with him. Halo and Warcraft are part of our shared experience, even if we don't regularly spend hours in their embrace anymore. Today, we are more likely to spend our time playing an involved German-style board game, with Dominion and Powergrid being two current favorites. We have a group of friends with whom we regularly spend long evenings drinking beer and playing board games for hours.

It looks like Penny is gearing up to join in.

In the last two weeks, her "game" skills have exploded. She understands the concept of "pretending" to not know where something is, so that we can look in all sorts of places (under armpits, in bellybuttons) to search for the lost baby doll. She even waits for an "appropriate" amount of time until revealing the location of the doll (generally, just beside her in plain view). I never realized how rewarding it would be to see your child just learn to PRETEND and play a GAME! With all the BIG moments that we are supposed to cherish, we have not been as ready to celebrate the accomplishment. First steps? Exciting, but it happened so gradually that she went from standing to walking... First words? That baby talk really just turns into real talk one day...

But gaming? I think we need to take her to the store to get her first video game! One trip to Best Buy, coming up!

Sleep

2011-01-31T09:05:00.000-08:00

Somehow, we have created a sleepy baby. She sleeps through the night, from 7 til 7 or 8, almost every night. There are some nights when she wakes once because of teething or some other random issue, but since whe was 14 months or so, she has been a champion sleeper. I thought when we weaned at 18 months she might revert, but even that went without a hitch. We knocked out that last, nighttime feeding through a few nights of sleepovers at Nana's and staying out late until she was exhausted.

When I weaned Penny, I was worried I would never have those moments of sweet cuddling again. And for awhile, she did prefer to go straight to her crib over the rocking chair. However, we are now back into a routine that involves a few sweet moments of cuddling, rocking and humming before she goes to sleep with her baby dolls.

Naps are a different matter. Unless she is VERY tired, Penny prefers to play until she drops. She is much happier overall though when she takes a nap around noon - it splits up the day nicely, with fewer cranky hours. She is starting to turn cuddle time then into a game - rocking forward and back, naming the baby doll's facial features, even humming along with me. This is so very cute - but would go on for hours if I was willing to sit there. So eventually we toss the babies - human and doll versions - into the crib and walk out, listen to a few short minutes of yelling and perhaps the sound of a baby doll being thrown from the crib, and then enjoy about 90 minutes of peace and cleaning.

I really think sleeping depends on a baby's personality - we happened upon this by chance, with no real "sleep training" aside from a few nights that we let her cry over the past year and a half, and a few nights of forgetting to turn on the monitor thrown in. Each child has their trials - we have a great sleeper. I will be happy with that.

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

We finally got away, after more than three years. The last couple vacation we went on was a grand, two week, three country tour of Europe. It was absolutely wonderful, and we swore we would do it again soon. Then the next year, we were pregnant, and we never got around to that "babymoon".

Luckily, we have a wonderful family who offered to watch Penny for as long as we wanted. So, four nights, five days away in Las Vegas. It was...well, it was. We had a great time at parts, other parts were just ok. The main mistake was going when it was "cold" there (still 40 degrees or more warmer than home though!), and the pool at the Hard Rock Hotel was closed. This made staying there, where the party at the pool is apparently the main attraction, less than exciting.

However, we did find the Cosmopolitan hotel, the newest property on the street, which was just fabulous. It was shiny, and cool, and had amazing restaurants, and the only real cocktails to be found on or off the strip. We are on the lookout for any deals for a quick return trip - though next time, two nights is perfect.

Though, even with the small imperfections, it was still a trip to be savored. We had no worries about Penny's happiness - she didn't cry the entire time, though I also don't think she heard the word "No" the entire time either. We were on our own - and it was a wonderful thing, for a few days. However, the next few days when we were back to being a family, were even better. I think it highlighted how happy we are with our current life, the whole shebang.

The Pieces Come Together

2011-01-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

Personality kicks in somewhere around two or three months...though once you have been through it and aren't just pleasing newborn parents, you get that it really starts around the half-year point. Real participation in the world takes about a year. The opportunity to do something smart hits around 15 months (but don't EVER say that to the parent of an 8 month old proclaiming them the next Einstein. Trust me on this.).

Putting it all together...I am marking at the 19 month mark.

Penny can put together a train track - maybe the loop won't quite work in the end, but the train can get some steam on (figuratively...it is a wooden Thomas) and it keeps her busy for a good 20 minutes before it is time to destroy and start all over. And DUH MOMMY, turn the toy ON, it is the BLACK SWITCH IN THE BACK, I know it isn't tired like you keep saying, I want my DAMN BALL POPPER ALREADY!

Oh, I have to HIDE before I say BOO! I get it now! Did you know there are soooo many great hiding places, where a small girl can vanish too in the blink of an eye and then give you a massive coronary event before she jumps out of nowhere with a large BOOOOOOYAAAAAA! scream?

Baby dolls are everywhere, waiting to be cleaned and fed chocolate milk and washed again. Needing to take naps or participate in fights or naked....well, let's say they disrobe a lot. They also really like to pound, then blow it up with accompanying "PHROOOOOOMMMMSSSSHHHHH" sound effects. There is my little blond, blue-eyed princess.

And speaking of princesses...where is that Beauty movie again?

As much as this can cause some changes and headaches (Must. Move. Candy Drawer.), this is yet another point where being a parent just gets so much better. The hugs on purpose. The smiles. Even the sarcastic remarks that point straight toward the Terrible Twos ("Penny! What did Mommy say about playing with the cat food?" Smiling: "Noooo."), they make me laugh more than is good when you are trying to enforce good behavior.

Prince

2011-01-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

It is official: I have become a hopeless romantic.

This morning Penny picked up a sticker showing Aurora and Prince Philip and said quite clearly, "Prince!". She hasn't seen that movie, though she has seen most of the Pixar films and Beauty and the Beast, but we have read quite a few books featuring princes, both Disney and otherwise. I didn't realize how many books featured princes until it became one of her clearest words.

I am actually quite ok with this. I realize that strong female characters are the big thing today, and that is wonderful. My favorite women always tended to be the women who cared for themselves, that wandered out to find adventure - but I was and am ok if those women still search for someone to love in the end. Belle is a fearless and smart girl, resisting the local yokels for a bigger life (and wow, did I forget how much I identified with this movie until we rewatched it during last week's snowstorm), but she still, almost against her wishes, falls in love and is happy doing so. Same for many other princesses - heck, even Cinderella took the initiative in getting out of the house - ok, the Godmother was a kick in the ass.

Snow White, however, was an idiot. REALLY? Go with the hunter, clean a random house in the woods, smile at a bunch of creepy tiny men, eat a random apple from a creepier old woman and then just lie around waiting for a kiss? And that is just the Disney version...she is even sillier in the original version.

Where was I? Oh yes...while it may not coincide with the feminist view of Disney, I adore the stories with a happy ending - yes, the ones which include a princely rescue too. I see no issue with my daughter hoping for romance and a love so powerful that it overcomes every obstacle (even the vapidity of a black-haired girl). Whomever she decides to love, I want her to someday fall deeply, sincerely, sillily in love, just as I did with my husband.

Though if her next word is Darcy, I may have to reign in my story time book choices.

Catching Up

2011-01-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

We headed to the outskirts of the city last night to catch up with some college friends - a few of whom we see regularly, and a few which we haven't seen for years. It was a lot of fun, excepting the fact that we went to the worst TGIFriday's in existence. (Really, why did my fries taste like old fish and my BBQ chicken wrap taste like fries?) However, it was a bit later for our please-put-me-to-bed-by-7-sharp! baby, who was great until towards the end of the meal when she wanted to alternately cuddle and run wantonly around the restaurant.

Though, is there anything that makes you smile more than an 18 month old catapulting from their high chair, only to fall into your arms for a big bear hug? I adore how she throws her arms around my neck now. It makes my year each time.

The night also clarified how far I have diverted from my original course post-college. After taking every difficult course available at our mediocre school and graduating with a degree in accounting and a smattering of minors and concentrations, I went straight into public accounting for a big company and traveled constantly as an IT auditor. My friends went into similar, fast-paced high stress long hour positions, and are still there for the most part. The professor that we also met up with predicted the life was not for me, and was prescient.

Fast forward over 5 years later, and I am a mostly SAHM, teaching swim classes two days a week and working on my sewing skills with the vague notion of someday selling items online. I have absolutely no desire to go back into accounting, which I hated anyway.

But when I talk to my friends, whom I do love and respect and admire for their dedication, and then catch my vaulting child in my arms...I know that I have never been happier than this moment in time.

Blah blah resolutions blah writing lala

2011-01-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

I am sure this is one of, oh, 2 or 3 million of these posts that have gone or are going up all around the intertubes. However, this one is just for me, so I am fine with adding my two cents.

I want to write more.

I want to get on paper that children's book that has been bothering me nightly for months.

I want my posts on this blog to reflect me, not just the writing part or the kid parts. I will write about what I do, so that I have a record even if no one ever reads it. I want to write about cooking, about my new adventures in sewing, about the wonderful times I have with my daughter and husband and friends and family...and even the lesser times. I want this small place to reflect who I am and what I do and how I feel.

I will do this because I finally have an actual keyboard again after my laptop was destroyed by a fish tank falling over, with the assistance of my cat, straight into my MacBook, which was not happy with the situation.

Sesame Street will probably also be of assistance in keeping my daughter within eye or ear range.

I am also going to lose weight before I get pregnant again, but that is another resolution for another time.

The Little Sneak

2010-08-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

I had no idea that con-artists started out so young.

Penny has her whole family figured out. For example, when she falls down. If only I am around, she almost always goes right back to whatever her original intent was unless it was a particularly bad fall. If Daddy is around, she will generally make some fuss, especially if it looked hard, since Daddy will pick her up or chastise me for not realizing how bad the bump was.

But...if a grandparent is around...the full on pitiful face, if not the wail, it turned on for all to see. Kisses, hugs, walks, treats, all are necessary to allay the fact that she fell backward onto a diapered butt and a pile of pillows.

This is to be expected, but I didn't realize how darn AWARE she was of her manipulative abilities until she started walking. She has been late on this train - she will talk up a storm and has a wide range of words that I don't even know about, but crawling and walking have been slower. Then she started taking steps, and quickly progressed to walking right across a room. But only - and I mean ONLY - when no one was watching. If she saw one of us looking, she would throw out her arms like she was trying to get her balance, then fall and raise her arms to be picked up. For awhile I thought it was because she was startled, but no - she is a little con artist.

This rose to new heights while we were away for a full week with my mother and grandparents. While at home she had been walking around the house entirely unassisted, she reverted to needing two hands held, short distances only, pulling up on tables instead of just standing, the whole bit. I kept insisting she could walk, though everyone just said that no, this was fine, this is her best.

Until.

I was watching, unnoticed, my darling daughter in the great room from an upstairs balcony, when she saw she was by herself. She stood right up and walked quickly, with a spring in her step, across the room and down the hall, right up until she saw Gigi, at which point she wobbled, fell, put on a full on pity face and required immediate scooping up.

The little sneak!

This continued all week. When we finally got home after a 6 hour drive, I put her down by the front door. And she promptly RAN down the hallway to find her toys.

This one, she is a hand full, methinks.

Write It So

2010-08-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

I love the name of my blog.

I know it seems odd - it is not a play on my name, it isn't especially fancy or weird, but it is perfect. The name is a play on a quote on my favorite television show from childhood, Star Trek: TNG - "Make it so", the signature line of Captain Picard. It is geeky, silly, but I use that line all the time and every time I see it or hear it, it brings me back to Sundays watching television with my Dad or sitting on the floor doing homework while re-watching the adventures of starship NCC-1701 D.

Write It So...it also means more. It is what I want to do - write it, whatever "It" may be, to an exacting degree. Just so.

The problem is...I have had a hard time getting there. My voice is not working for the stories I want to tell. Hell, I can't decide on the story I want to tell. I seem to keep getting lost in the details...the first few paragraphs expand into pages, but they still aren't telling anything more than should be in the first few paragraphs. I can see the characters, but have no idea where they go. The science fiction short piece I have been ruminating on for two years can't find its foothold in my imagination. The children's book doesn't have the right tone. The personal essays are just too damn...personal. The semi-autobiographical fiction is way too close to my real life, meaning I would offend just about everyone in three counties were I to make a single sentence of it public.

Where to go from here...

My new goal: every day, write. I want to update this blog much more frequently. For one, I want to record much more of Penny's sweet daily life. She is so amazing, so wonderful, and I don't want to forget so many of the little things. How she struggles to climb up onto the couch just to give me a kiss and then goes back to her toys. The way she starts making kissing noises about ten feet away from you, like she is the shark from Jaws coming in to gobble you up. How her soft frizzy blond curls still are concentrated on the top and back of her head, making her look like a mixture of a cherub and a psychotic clown. How she squeals with my mom's new puppy and doesn't get upset, even when the puppy treats her like a chew toy. How she has all of a sudden gone from small steps to running around the house.

I also need to find my voice. I need to see where these stories go. Perhaps none of them will ever go farther than Google Docs, but at least I will know I am pursuing my goal.

I can clean when Penny is awake. While she naps, I plan on writing.

Go.

Mother's Day/Mudder's Day

2010-05-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

My first Mother's Day was just...lovely.

We attended a Gala the evening before which I had helped to organize which ran very late, so Sunday I actually woke up to a silent house - Penny slept over at my mother's, quite happily. This did not, unforunately, allow me to sleep in - we had to attend a brunch with Huzby's family over an hour away at 10, which meant that, allowing for time to pick up, feed and dress the baby, we needed to be up at 7.

7 am. After being out past midnight the previous nights (Cinco de Mayo party on Friday!). Gah.

Even though the child was away, I opened my presents in the morning - one awesome necklace named Sweet Penelope and made out of old vinyl records, a locket with a beautiful tree, moon and bird scene on the front, a board game that I had wanted and the four books of the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons, which I had borrowed from a friend but wanted to own for re-reading purposes. They were all exactly what I wanted.

We picked up Penny, had a lovely brunch and headed back to my Mom's for a very fun party with the cousins on her side. Through it all, Penny was just lovely - beautiful in her pink polka dot dress, happy, smiling, posing for pictures and giving me such joy at being a mother.

Then we got home.

It took two hours for her to fall asleep, then woke up extremely ticked at midnight and again at 5:30 due to a too cold house. She slept from then on in our bed, which meant that I slept only lightly. Today has been a rash of screaming, 15 minute long naps and general desire to just curl in a ball and wake up tomorrow. And that is just me.

Is it some rule that I missed that Mother's Day is followed by Mudder's Day?

Words

2010-05-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

We are really starting to talk. Actually talk - not just random sounds, but real words. We say, in order...

Dada/Daddy (first word, still a favorite)
Cat (refers to our cat, also to dogs, squirrels as well as some babies)
Gigi (more of a random noise, but also what we call my grandmother)
Bye (used properly, along with an emphatic full arm wave!)
Dog (semi-random, but also refers to my mom's dog)
Ra! (seems weird, but is her attempt to bark - generally back at the dogs, but sometimes the cat)

Mama is still not close, which sometimes makes me feel fairly low in the priority list - until I walk in and see that amazing smile on her face. She is still amazingly sweet - the most lovely baby I have ever met.

The best thing - she is sleeping very well through the night. All due to Huzby. We have this lovely little fake aquarium in her room, a stand alone item meant for older kids but which she has loved for months. I would put her down, she would watch it and fall asleep in minutes. Then, that stopped. We thought is was due to teething, then a phase, then...well, eventually she had to sleep for more than 90 minutes, right?

Wrong.

She. Kept. Waking. Up. I was spending most of the evening watching the monitor, waiting for her to wake up, which would almost always happen. One night, when I was trying to cook - as well as being at the end of my wits - Huzby put her down. As he had two nights before. Both nights, she slept for at least 8 hours.

The trick: no fish lamp.

Huzby calls it the baby slot machine - and apparently it was the root of the sleeping issue. It had gone from a hypnotic blue light to the wake up machine of my nightmares.

Thanks to huzby...the slot machine has left, Penny sleeps for 10 hours on a regular basis and Life. Is. Good.

Hmmmm....back to blogging? Methinks?

Little Things

2010-04-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

There are so many little things that happen every day, that it can all of a sudden just be the late afternoon and I still have not showered, cleaned up breakfast or fed myself, let alone had time to actually, you know, write. However, in the past few days, Penny has entirely changed her sleeping habits - for the (much) better. She has switched to napping in her crib, versus me laying down with her on my bed then carefully getting up without waking her. I have always nursed her to sleep, which even though was strictly against all advice and doctor's orders worked well, but now she eats her fill, then pushes off and wants to be laid down in her crib, where she promptly falls to sleep - for either a very long nap or most of the night. She even does this when others watch her - to my surprise.

I keep thinking that this will allow me to have some time (finally) to get back to writing, but then there is the house to clean...or a nice day to head to the park...or finish that book that has been renewed at the library already three times. But my goal is to get back to writing, here and my new blog Where the Main Line Ends (guess where I live?).

In the meantime...

Penny is almost 10 months old. She is wonderful - happy, friendly, learning new things not only every day, but every hour it seems. She has two teeth on the bottom and one peeking through up top, her hair is really starting to fill in and she is FINALLY eating enough solid foods on a regular basis to allow us to start experimenting with food. Her favorite is the parsnip ginger soup that Matt made from Jamie Oliver's new cookbook (mine is the sweet potato chorizo, but she is less than a fan). She also enjoys banana bread molecules and those ever present Puffs.

I want to write more, because I want to remember all this...but I also want to just enjoy every moment.

Jinx...the long nap is apparently not happening today.

Project Runway: WTF?

2010-01-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, I don't know any of their names...but what was up with the judges on Project Runway last night? The crazy Ping and the guy who flouted the rules both stay, the girl who makes a nice, curvy (if short) dress goes home, and the guy who makes the awesome two piece with PANTS (for the first time this season, not a dress) doesn't even make the top three?

Gah.

Resolution: II

2010-01-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

I made a few resolutions this year. Ok, this was less a resolution than a desire to look good as the MOH in an upcoming wedding.

You guessed it...the annual Weight Loss Resolution!

However, I did something a bit different this year. I actually made a plan and bought...a DVD. The one that seems to be the most popular this year, the 30 Day Shred. The first line: "Hi, I'm sure you know who I am."

I had No. Idea.

Apparently, Jillian Michaels is on The Biggest Loser, which I have never watched. Nevertheless, I love her DVD. The workout is a great length, long enough for me to feel heated but not too tired and quick enough that Penny doesn't get too bored. In fact, she likes this DVD way better than most kids shows. Between watching the tv and me making all the silly movements, she has a great time each morning.

Plus, since I started, I am seeing numbers on the scale that I have not seen for years. I am down 5 lbs, and I was already down 10 lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight, which is combining to make a very happy Mommy.

5 lbs. down...way too many to to go. But every bit helps - toned arms for the walk down the aisle!

New Year's Resolution

2010-01-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

So...I started a different blog last year.

It didn't work out.

For one, it was on Wordpress, which I never really got the hang of. I think the interface is clumsy and I never really liked the design of the blog.

For another...I tried to make it a Mommy blog. Because (duh), I had a baby, and thought that would be what I wanted to write about. However...that wasn't exactly true. I just wanted to write - whether it was about Penny (Penelo

pe Rose, born 6.11.09, and oh so awesome a baby) or the fact that I haven't been writing nearly enough or the latest movie I saw.

So, back to Write It So. I like this blog. I will re-post my entries from the Other Blog at some point, here and there. In the meantime, my goal is to write, every day, for at least 15 minutes. Be it a blog post, be it a piece of my own, heck, even if it is just a few long emails, I want to start small and work my way up.

And here, we, go!

She thinks I am silly.

The Perfect Story

2008-11-12T14:45:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, it can seem extremely difficult to come up with all the elements of a perfect story. Among other things, it should have a great plot, memorable characters, demonstrated growth, intrigue, challenges to be overcome, well defined backstory and, if possible, a poignant yet heart warming ending.

This story has all of these elements and more. In fact, I can not think of a more perfect tale from literature - and this is a true story. Someone should make this into a new classic, and I would love to see the movie version.

A Butler Well Served by this Election

Note: Keep a hanky on hand.

Please, please, please stop calling me!

2008-11-03T13:18:00.001-08:00

Yes, I will vote tomorrow. Yes, I understand the importance of voting. Yes, I know where my polling place is. Now stop calling me!

Over the past few weeks, I have received quite a few automated phone calls, surveys and more. More than most people, since I work from home and am around to take these calls. However, today has been insane. Five, count them five phone calls so far today.

Also, please note that pollsters tend to be low on humor. When asked if I knew where my local polling place is, I responded, of course! I vote at the Devil's place (our township building's address is at 666 XXXXX Road). Only one had any clue what I was talking about.

Please, please let the election be over soon.

You realize you are overthinking your current writing project...

2008-09-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

When you pour your cereal into your freshly brewed cup of tea instead of the bowl next to it.

I need to get these articles done and out of my mind. Just to ensure that I am able to eat properly configured meals in the near future.

Book Review: Atonement by Ian McEwan

2008-09-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

Buy Atonement by Ian McEwan on Amazon

This is one of those books that I think I need to read again. It took me a long while to get into, something that I did not expect after all the rave reviews I had heard. The first part, while a masterful piece of literature and beautiful prose, seemed unnecessarily lengthy to me. However, once I got towards the end of the first part and into the second, I barely put the book down. The story captured me and I truly recommend this book to fans of any genre, from romance to mystery to historical to general literature.

Warning: Spoilers Below. Stop Reading Now If You Want To Remain Unspoiled. Spoilers Below.

Once I got used to it, I liked the method McEwan used to tell the story, namely, the switching of viewpoints between the characters. It was well used, specifically as you were not alerted to the switch at the top of each chapter. In some, you were not given confirmation of the narrator until a few sentences or even paragraphs in, by which point you were engrossed in their story. It was also nice that McEwan generally gave the perspective first from the character with the least knowledge of the scene, then gradually unfolded the specifics from the point of view of the other characters.

As I said, the first part failed to grab me immediately. However, once the main plot kicked in, I was engrossed. The romance between Robbie and Cecilia seemed natural to me, though I know others disagree. The hints of their time at college made it clear that, while they rarely spoke then, some feelings may have been generated that did not come to the forefront until this fateful day. I also admire the way the attacks of Paul Marshall on Lola are portrayed, or rather, left to the reader to uncover. I did not connect Lola's complaints of the boys fighting with her to Paul's attack until almost the end of the book.

The second part moved much more quickly, or perhaps I was just more drawn into the story by this point. The depiction of war, both in the battlefield and in the hospital, is startling in its clarity. You got a feeling for all of the characters and their responses to the world around them in broad strokes. The reunion of Robbie and Cecilia was lovely - perfectly put, as wonderful as any fairy tale or romance that has ever been written. Of course, that is why the final section of the book is so entirely heartbreaking. To know that these two young lovers were never able to fully consummate their passion, that they each died tragically in their own way and even more jointly so due to their past and stolen future, almost makes you wish you had stopped reading. However, it makes it all the more masterful.

I made a point to read the book prior to watching the movie, which was a very good strategy. The movie, while also wonderful, is a touch heavy handed in my opinion and lacks the restraint of the novel. Specifically, the depiction and reiteration of the words used in the letter was overdone, though I was surprised that the ending was not more pronounced. The book, though, was by far the better work of the two.

I must recommend this book. I really want to read it again sometime in the future and stay wary for the hints that I missed the first time around, and also simply so that I can fall in love again with Robbie and Cecilia as well as grow up again with Briony.

Notes: did R&C actually have that time in the home? some readers seem to think they died post-time in London, while I saw it as before...check!

Of course you can have a branch...UPSIDE YOUR HEAD!

2008-09-11T10:23:00.001-07:00

I always hated The Giving Tree - the tree has some serious self-esteem issues, and the boy needs a good whack.

This video (somewhat unsafe for work or touchy audiences or people who cry reading the original masochistic children's tale) is, in a word, fantastic.

Credit due to Bookshelves of Doom for pointing this out.

(I don't think I ever paid much attention to this before, but that is a really creepy cover. If you look quickly or see a smaller image, it really looks like the tree is shedding a drop of blood over the boy. Is it just me?)

Have you seen a swirling vortex yet? No? Ok, good so far...

2008-09-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

CERN has turned on the world's largest particle accelerator. Early reports show that the world has, in fact, survived. The world's scientific community, along with most humans with functioning minds and some primates, have turned to those who filed lawsuits to stop the accelerator from operating, collectively stuck out their tongues, and said, "Hah!"

Below is a short story I prepared on what would have happened should the Large Hadron Collider instantly created a black hole which devoured Earth and a big chunk of the surrounding Milky Way Galaxy.

The Hole
by Victoria

At the scene of the LHC: Ok, I am turning it on in five, four, three, two, one! Yes, it wor...

At a research facility on Omicron Perseii VII: Um, did anyone see where the galaxy just went?

The End.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your continued existence!

Bad Blogger!

2008-09-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have been awful at posting the last few weeks - focusing on reading and writing, a late summer blogcation, you might say. It won't get much better this week, with party planning in full swing, but one of my favorite events from one of my favorite lit blogs is in process, so I needed to bring some attention to...

The Big Read III at Bookshelves Of Doom

This time, it is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I have not read this since middle, or possibly high school, though I remember pretending to read it as part of a research project in college (a major piece of BS comparing postmodern works to Dickens, as I recall). I will be joining as soon as I get through the first three chapters, hopefully tonight. In the meantime, keep checking out Bookshelves of Doom, It is also being celebrated at Finding Wonderland.

Crushing On: Bob Costas

2008-08-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

Bob Costas is the voice of the Olympics. He has covered the Olympics for NBC since 1992, which is really the first Olympics that I remember in detail. For my generation, it seems that every time we hear Bob, we expect to be updated on the medal count. He is the redeeming quality of NBC's Olympics coverage - the scheduling generally has me shaking with rage and plotting various methods of cursing the producers.

Why, with all the delays in the gymnastics events, do they not switch to some of the other country's competitors? More routines would be better, and to be entirely honest, there are quite a few people who watch to see the big falls. The lack of coverage of other sports is just appalling - I have DVR'd every second of coverage so far, and fast-forwarded through to find the water sports, hoping to see at least some rowing. I have seen all of 10 minutes, which is ridiculous. The crew events are always amazingly exciting to watch, especially since the US Men's 8 had to go to the repechage in order to make the finals. Plus, in rowing you get two events for one - it is always fun to watch all the coaches bike along the path on the other side of the water, since they never look forward and there is always a good chance that they will have a 20 bike pileup. Ahem, back to Costas. Is there an award he can win for his excellent coverage? His interviews are almost always relevant, and they could make a comedy routine of his dealings with Bela Karolyi - I wish they had a little inset of him watching all the women's gymnastics routines, though I get the feeling they may need to bleep him sometimes. I submit his interview with President Bush, which was more hard-hitting than most political shows.

Exclusive Summer Olympics news & widgets at NBC Olympics.com!

Have a lovely weekend!

Their Infinite Playlist, My Infinite Reading List

2008-08-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

In their ongoing mission to create the most lists ever, Entertainment Weekly has put out yet another upcoming movies slideshow. I still looked - it is my guilty pleasure, these lists. Anyway, 20 Fall Movies We Can't Wait to See has some interesting inclusions, most of which I will of course wait to arrive via my friend Netflix (or even better, Roku). It did make me wonder, though, if anyone in Hollywood besides the Coen brothers are chasing that Original Screenplay Oscar anymore. This fall's movies made me run back to Good Reads and add even more books to my growing To Read List. Look at the movies based on novels coming out this fall, which comprise 10 of the 20 on EW's list:

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Body of Lies by David Ignatius
Quantum of Solace based on characters created by Ian Fleming
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by (duh) J.K. Rowling
The Soloist by Steve Lopez
Defiance: the Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Burn After Reading, while not based on a book, could have fooled me. Plus it stars the Pitt/Clooney 1-2 punch, so count me in. Anyway, of all these books, I have only read two: Marley & Me and Harry Potter. Twilight is next on my list to read as soon as it is available at the library, if only to see what all the fuss is about. I do own The Road, but still have not gotten more than 50 pages in before I feel depressed and need a chocolate bar, which somewhat counteracts my diet plan.

I want to read all of these books - I am particularly interested in Defiance, which tells the true story of three brothers who escaped from the Nazis to start a Jewish resistance during WWII. The lease interesting is The Soloist, but perhaps that is just because stories of musicians never held my attention for long, so I am willing to give this a try - I may just not hold out on seeing the movie until after I have read the book, as I usually do.

I wonder how many people will try to read these prior to the movies coming out. I know movies definitely bring more attention to a novel, but how many readers actually are added, especially for books such as Revolutionary Road, which is not as easy-reading as, say, Twilight or Harry Potter.

The Jolly Chinee by Palmer Cox

2008-08-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Olympics are in full swing and I could not be more excited. They are by far my favorite event of all time, which means the televisions are all pointed to various NBC affiliates whenever possible. However, NBC has currently switched to SOAP OPERAS for the afternoon - apparently no one can get by without the most recent scandal of Jean-Luc and Missy and their midget-witchcraft-swingers club-whositwhatsit for two weeks of awe inspiring athletic competitions. Ahem, I may be a bit bitter.

I will take this time to tell the tale of We Wo Wang, The Jolly Chinee. This tale comes from a children's book from 1900 written by Palmer Cox, who most certainly was not Chinese, probably had never visited China, and most likely never met an actual Chinese person. It is a perfect example of the type of stories popular around the turn of the century describing other cultures in ways that cast much more doubt on the writer's mental state than the habits of the protagonists. This tale is by Palmer Cox, the originator of the somewhat popular series "The Brownies". The Wikipedia page on the author seems to have left out The Jolly Chinee from his opus.

With no futher ado, I present (with commentary):
The Jolly Chinee
from the book: The Jolly Chinee and Other Stories
Interesting Stories and Sketches Designed to Please the Little People
Beautifully Illustrated by the Well-Known Artist, Palmer Cox

We Wo Wang was a "Jolly Chinee." From the time he opened his funny almond shaped eyes in the morning, until sleep closed them for him at night, he laughed and chatted and sang the merriest of songs. He liked the sun because it always seemed so bright and happy - he loved to be out in it. He liked all sorts of flowers, the gayer the better for him, he liked his clothes the brightest; everything must be brilliant and sparkling to please We Wo Wang, the "Jolly Chinee."

We Wo Wang had two sisters who had funny almond shaped eyes just like his and long straight black hair, like his also. But they did not wear a pig tail as We Wo Wang did, they piled their hair on top of their heads, and dressed it beautifully, they thought, with fancy pins and tiny fans. They wore queer little shoes, that were so tight they pinched their toes dreadfully, and made them sway from side to side as they walked along. (This has no bearing on the actual story.) One day We Wo Wang said to his sisters, "My dears, I am sure if I tried I might walk down those balusters. I think I might do it gracefully too, I know just how I would balance myself." His sisters were horrified by the idea and begged him not to try, but We Wo Wang was determined. He mounted the rail, opened his fan, fluttered it from side to side, and commenced the descent. (I know China has a long history of acrobatics, but this sounds bad for We Wo.)

The servants hearing of their master's doings hurried from all parts of the house to see the sight. (Hee! Good for them.) But alas, for poor We Wo Wang his foot slipped and he came crashing down to the floor. Away flew his hat, away flew his fan. Servants rushed to pick him up, and his two little sisters came hobbling down the stairs as fast as ever they could, expecting to see We Wo Wang battered to pieces. There were no bones broken, and arnica and court plaster soon made him pretty comfortable. (Along with the opium that probably inspired him to this feat in the first place.) But there was something hurt past healing and that was We Wo Wang's pride. It grieved him to think his servants had seen his failures. It was bad enough for his sisters to have been witnesses, but it was dreadful to have these chattering servants laugh and joke over his downfall. He made up his mind to punish them for having so much curiosity, so he had one of them carry him into the hall, prop him up with pillows, and then he ordered them to walk down the balusters, one after the other while he sat and watched their defeat just as they had witnessed his. (Um, that is a bit dark. Plus, whn you are already laid up, do you really want the rest of the household also in casts? Someone has to be able to take out the trash.) The servants were greatly terrified when they heard this command, but of course they all had to try, because they dared not disobey their master's command. One after another they mounted the stairs and took their positions to descend, but not in the way We Wo Wang intended. Off they tumbled, one after another bruising their poor bodies and wishing they had kept out of the way, and not been so curious. We Li Ho came very near coming down in safety but near the bottom, his foot slipped, and he too fell down. (Darn, I was rooting for We Li Ho. Or would have been, if he had ever been mentioned before.) As We Wo Wang sat and watched them, he laughed hard enough to split his sides, for no one was able to accomplish the feat.

Next time on Tales to Please the Little People: The tale of We Wing Wong on A Chinese Adventure. Spoiler: it does not end well, unlike the majority of the Chinese in their Olympic journeys this week, they are really racking up the medals!

Two Books, Two Days

2008-08-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

I just read two books over the past two days - less actually, and neither really took more than a few hours. The first was a great thriller, the second an astounding account of sociology in the Chicago projects. I really must recommend them both.

Drive by James Sallis

Drive reminds me a lot of the writings of Annie Proulx, best known for her short story "Brokeback Mountain" and the acclaimed movie which followed. The vaguest outlines of story, character, dialogue and environment are given, leaving the rest to the reader. Drive is exactly like this: there is no setup for each scene. It may take a few paragraphs to understand which characters are involved, or it may not become clear until a few chapters later. The story evolves not on the page, but in the reader's mind. Drive is an extremely short read - a couple of hours at the most, which makes it extremely hard to put down. Before you notice the time, you are already halfway through, and then it seems most reasonable to just keep going until the end. The plot entails a driver - aptly referred to as Driver - who works in the loosest sense of the word in and around the Hollywood machine. He gets caught up unwillingly in the entanglements of local mobsters, which is where the plot catches up. However, this is not as enticing as the shortly described yet rich characters Sallis has created. The screenwriter, the agent, the low-level thugs, the neighbor down the hall - none of them occupy more than a few pages on paper, but they all flow through the story, and none can be left out of the reader's internal novel. This novel should not be missed, if only for the awe inspiring way in which Sallis forces the reader to put together the rich imagery into a full novel. And if you have not read it before, read Brokeback Mountain and the other stories in Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx - the film, while amazing, still can not touch the heart-breaking tenderness of the spare words.

Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh

Another extremely quick read - I started this around 6 pm last night and finished it this morning by 10 am. I read it in three bursts, and had a hard time putting it down each time. Venkatesh creates a vivid world, enhanced by his outsider position and the tentative relationship he has with its members. The story is of his time in graduate school, writing a dissertation on the economics of the urban poor in Chicago. He gets more than he bargained when he encounters J.T., a local gang leader who takes him into the world of the projects, the Black Kings gang, and the people that live there. The story is dynamic, with very few of the clear-cut heroes and villains that might be expected. The situations Venkatesh encounters are fraught with danger and sadness, yet they are part of the resident's daily lives. The realistic view that the author brings is refreshing, as he brings the reader into his attempts to reconcile his morals and middle-class upbringing with the real tradeoffs that are constantly being made for survival. I recommend this book for everyone, especially for students from high school through grad school, as I think it forces you to rethink cold studies in the light of the real people being discussed.

Simple Pleasures: Spaghetti, Meatballs and Mr. Darcy

2008-08-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I love the simple pleasures in life. A beautiful morning, a flower that I planted not committing hara kiri, or a dish that comes out perfectly. My cranky-until-fed spouse came home yesterday with an intense craving for spaghetti AND meatballs in red sauce. I generally would start something like this earlier in the day when I had little else going on. However, it seemed that his hunger would not be abated, and I decided that I was up for the challenge (I had gotten my Pride and Prejudice DVD working again, so that offered some additional incentive - I love cooking to that beautiful soundtrack). This was a straight-forward Italian grandmother approved approach to spaghetti and meatballs, with my usual ingredients: crushed and diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lots of onion and garlic sauteed in olive oil, scoops of salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, basil and thyme in the sauce; a chopped onion sauteed in a bit of butter, ground beef, and a few handfuls of bread crumbs in the meatballs, then baked, drained of grease and tossed in the sauce; and Wegmans spaghetti. I added a Quick Beer Bread (THE best bread to make in a snap, you can keep everything on hand, requires no eggs or yeast and you can change the beer to suit the flavor you want), and Voila! full dinner in about 2 hours, including time for baking/gazing at Mr. Darcy. I will try to post some recipes another day. This was the perfect cooking experience - the sauce did not require a single late addition of spice, was perfectly sweet without the addition of grated cheese (my usual) or the dreaded Sicilian addition of sugar (The Horror!) and the meatballs held together perfectly while baking and simmering. At moments like these, I fail to remember why I ever leave the house for food.

Have you had a simply lovely moment yet today? If not, make time for one now!

I Ring The Bell Before Me As I Go

2008-08-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

The Big Lebrewski at Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY was a grand success, yet again, and everyone in our campsite had a great time. There were, however, two disappointments:

1) The Beer Offerings. There were, of course, the amazing standbys, such as Ommegang's offerings, imports from Belgium, Dogfish Head, and many others. However, the best thing about brewfests is trying what's new, and this year, the great majority of the new offerings were not great. We had a general consensus that it was the year of the Sour Ales, and most did not live up to expectations. It seems that many breweries are jumping onto the Sour bandwagon without seeing if their beers actually deserve the souring treatment. Many were yeasty, underattenuated, or unpleasantly sour, like bad milk rather than tart fruit. Two exceptions were Kelso of Brooklyn and Cambridge Brewing Company. Kelso had some fine offerings, including their saison and their gueze beers. Cambridge Brewing had a fantastic tripel, as well as a few other mainstream styles that exceeded expectations. Unfortunately, neither of these places bottle their beers, so we may have to visit our friends in Brooklyn and Boston in the near future. We were able to sample some old favorites, and had a renewed appreciation for our local breweries Victory and Iron Hill. One note for Iron Hill: next year, remember to bring the hookups for your kegs! They borrowed the keg connections that we brought for our campsite's jockey box, as they had no way to pour their beers. We will have to find the brewer next time we stop by the restaurant and hopefully get a free pint or two in exchange...

and 2) Continuously explaining that I do not have an infectious disease. I recently received a large dose of poison ivy, which appeared to be clearing up prior to the trip. Unfortunately, on the first day it bloomed to a whole new level, causing intense itchiness, bright red splotches everywhere (and I mean that), and people to shy away from the sight of my forearms. While this did allow me to sometimes move ahead in line, I do not want to repeat the experience. I went to the doctor first thing upon coming home, and the meds are kicking in, allowing me to hope that I may be able to see normal skin within a few more days.

Overall, it was a great experience. There is nothing like camping out with 25+ friends for a weekend, especially when there is great beer. I will find my notes and post more later. Have a lovely day!

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

2008-07-31T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Best Beer Event on the East Coast, and maybe America, is this weekend.

Belgium Comes To Cooperstown at Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY.

If you're into beer and somewhat close by (I drive 5-6 hours to get there, it's worth every second), try coming next year - this year sold out back in April! It's camping, amazing Belgian beer, and some of the greatest beer lovers around. If you are going, I'll be there for the full weekend - we're the campsite with the trashcan smokers and homebrews going all day Saturday, so come find me!

In the spirit of the weekend, I offer an old, oft used, but still favorite Irish toast. Use it this weekend with good family and good friends.

May your glass be ever full,
May the roof over your head be always strong,
And may you be in heaven
Half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

(Picture taken at a lovely little bar on the Grand Canal in Venice)

If I May Disagree...

2008-07-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Let me first say, I finally saw The Dark Knight on Thursday night. We actually went to the IMAX theater to see it, so I want to see it again when it comes out on DVD, as I have a hard time getting into the story in the IMAX. Yes, the effects are awesome, but unless you are in one of about 10 seats in the theater, it is hard to focus on the whole movie and really get drawn into the actual story. This is just my opinion, but I am really looking forward to seeing it again. Even though, it was excellent. I absolutely loved every second of it, and really loved the writing - I thought the dialogue was fantastic. Which leads me to the reason for this post...

I deliberately avoided reviews of this movie, trying to avoid spoilers. Generally, I leave Roger Ebert's site out of my paranoia, as he is great at giving you a sense of a movie without giving too much away. However, I am very glad I did not read his review prior to the movie. I think it gives away a lot - maybe not about the plot, but about some of the elements that make the movie so great. Specifically, about the Joker, which is where I must respectfully disagree.

Some Spoilers Below. You Have Been Warned.

I think what makes the Joker so fantastic a character in this movie is his ambiguity. Why So Serious? There is no answer. In the words of Lt. Gordon, he just wants to watch the world burn. Early in the movie, the Joker claims his horrific scars came from an abusive father - which Ebert notes as his raison d'etre. Later on, though, the Joker refutes this story and claims he inflicted it upon himself for his depressed wife. Which to believe? The point, in my opinion, is to believe neither - his motivation is unknown, maybe even to himself. He is an enigma that is unable to savor that grand speech favored by so many evil masterminds where he 'explains it all' to the hero just before the climactic saving of the hero/girl/world. The reason he is so utterly frightening is that there is no end to the madness, no goal other than utter destruction and anarchy. "Chaos is fear", and the Joker desires to inspire.

Now, back to Ebert's review. I think that he makes a critical mistake in citing the Joker's motivations, as it may lead to viewers making the same assumption. This bothers me, as I truly enjoy Ebert's reviews, and they tend to be the only movie reviews I will actually read prior to seeing a movie - Rotten Tomatoes is great for an overall indicator of the movie's theater vs. wait-for-dvd rating. In this case, if I had known Ebert's opinions, I think I would have missed some of the best blow-your-mind moments in the movie.

Anyone out there have any thoughts? I would love to hear other opinions. And if you haven't seen the movie yet, what are you waiting for?

Comic-Con: Final Day Writing Panels

2008-07-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday wraps up Comic-Con, so there are fewer panels than the other days. There are still a few gems out there, specifically the "Secret Origin of Good Readers" panels. Oh, and I really wish I could see the "Starship Smackdown". I would bet on Serenity over an Imperial Super Star Destroyer in any galaxy.

The final day is Kids' Day, so keep your content clean, wordslingers! And don't miss Fraggle Rock!

Muggles, Wizards, and Fans in the World of Harry Potter— Panel members Erin Pyne (author of A Fandom of Magical Proportions), Sue Upton (senior editor of www.the-leaky-cauldron.organd co-host of Pottercast), Melissa Anelli (author of Harry: A History), and Heidi Tandy (webmaster, Fiction Alley) will have wands at ready as they discuss what makes Harry Potter fans so different from members of other fandoms. How has the HP fandom affected the development of the books and movies? Moderated by notorious Muggle Eric Bowling.

Graphic Novel Help in Libraries— Graphic novel collections are booming in libraries. How can a librarian manage when there seems to be a new "must have" title coming out every week? Jill Patterson (La Habra Branch Library) Merideth Jenson-Benjamin (Glendale Public Library), John Shableski (Diamond), and Hillary W. Chang (McCully-Moiliili Public Library) discuss practical ways for librarians to survive their GN collection.

Comics Arts Conference Session #14: Postmodernism and Revolution— Chris Field (Southern Illinois University) examines Ross and Krueger's work in Justice and Millar's Wanted as examples of a postmodern sensibility that recasts the stereotypical supervillain as a flawed anti-hero. Harry Althoff (Truman State University), Meredith Heist (TSU), and Lisa Miller (TSU) take a close look at three factors that make webcomics a revolutionary medium: author-text relationship, hypertextuality, and persistence of non-corporate ownership.

The Secret Origin of Good Readers— The 8th annual Secret Origin of Good Readers panel features Dr. Robyn A. Hill (National University, San Diego), Mimi Cruz (Night Flight Comics, Salt Lake City), Bill Galvan (creator/artist, The Scrapyard Detectives; artist, Archie Comics) and Steven Seagle (creator/writer, Ben 10, It's a Bird, American Virgin). The panelists will discuss how teachers, librarians, retailers, authors, artists, and publishers can work together to bring comic books into the classroom for use as an innovative and motivating cross-curricular teaching tool and a vehicle for promoting reading and literacy. Through a multimedia presentation, personal remarks, and a question-and-answer session, the speakers will present an overview of the medium and highlight specific ways that comic books and graphic novels have been used to engage a variety of learners. Breakout sessions will follow the main presentation. The 70-page resource book The Secret Origin of Good Readers is available for free download it here courtesy of XMission.com

Marvel: TV Writers of Marvel— Heroes, Eli Stone, Carnivale, Underworld, and Big Love. You love these shows & films, but did you know the writers behind them are also at Marvel? Find out what’s in store for some of TV, movies, and comics’ biggest projects from the people behind them with Jeph Loeb (Ultimates), Aron Coleite (Ultimate X-Men), Joe Pokaski (Secret Invasion: Inhumans), Marc Guggenheim (Amazing Spider-Man), Daniel Knauf (Iron Man), Kevin Grevioux (New Warriors), and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (The Stand)!

The Secret Origin of Good Readers Breakouts— This year's Secret Origin of Good Readers program offers an extended opportunity for attendees to learn and network through select breakout sessions following the main presentation. Participants will be able to choose from two intriguing options: “Promoting Tolerance with the Scrapyard Detectives” with Bill Galvan (creator/artist) and Dr. Robyn A. Hill (teacher educator), and “Building Comics & Graphic Novels Collections in Classrooms and Libraries” with Mimi Cruz (Night Flight Comics).

Random So-Cool-I-Had-To-Include-Them Panels of the Day:

Browncoats Fan Group— Calling all Browncoats! Fans of Firefly and Serenity are welcome to join the California Browncoats to hear about upcoming events and products that you'll really love. Stop by and listen to some quality storytelling by ’verse-related and ’verse-friendly authors. And last but not least, come to meet and hang out with all the great Browncoats at Comic-Con!

Starship Smackdown XI— The legendary Comic-Con exclusive celebrates another year of stellar showdowns as the original and infamous Starship Smackdown returns. Ever wonder if the USS Enterprise could take out the ID4 mothership (hint: Kirk's can!)? Can the Galactica find Earth and destroy the Yamato (of course, it's a cartoon)? Can the Serenity outplay, outwit, and outlast the fully functional firepower of an Imperial Super Star Destroyer? You'll find out the answers to all of these questions and many more from the panel of expert spaceship-ologists, including Robert Meyer Burnett (The Hills Run Red producer), Jeff Bond (Geek Monthly editor), Steve Melching (The Clone Wars writer), Daren Dochterman (GI Joe production illustrator), Mary Forest (writer/comedian), and the Jeff Probst of the stars, moderator Mark A. Altman (DOA: Dead Or Alive, Free Enterprise). And it wouldn't be Starship Smackdown without a few surprises, so expect the unexpected. Those in the know, realize the Smackdown is the only way to close out your weekend the San Diego way!

Fraggle Rock— Help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock and learn more about this fall's newest DVD release! Join Red—making a personal appearance—as she sneak peeks the DVD special features and some other DVD surprises!

Comic-Con for Writers: Day 3

2008-07-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

It seems that the writing focused panels tend to taper off on the weekend, as the masses seem more interested in easy entertainment, aka television and movies. However, there are still a large number of very interesting panels of which to be jealous, so those of you going...here are some recommendations!

Looking at Our World: Eye on the Future— Speculative fiction authors discuss shaping the future through their fiction and shaping their fiction to the future. Panelists include Robert J. Sawyer (Rollback), Ann Aguirre (Grimspace), Tobias S. Buckell (Ragamuffin), William C. Dietz (When All Seems Lost), Alan Dean Foster (author of more than 100 books), Charles Stross (Saturn's Children), and John Zakour (Dangerous Dames). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy.

Spotlight on Dean Koontz— Dean Koontz (In Odd We Trust) has had 48 novels on the New York Times bestseller lists, many in the number one position, and has been published in 36 languages. Find out more about what makes him tick in this talk and Q&A session.

The Writers Room: Writing Prime Time Animated Comedy— Join real live prime time animation writers as they recreate a TV animation rewrite room. Jokes will be "pitched," stories will be "broken," and lunch will be "ordered”. Panelists: Eric Kaplan (Futurama, Malcolm in the Middle), Opus Moreschi (Li'l Bush), Dan McGrath (King of the Hill, The Simpsons), Bill Freiberger (Drawn Together, The Simpsons), Maiya Williams (The PJs, Mad TV), and Carolyn Omine (The Simpsons). Moderated by Patric M. Verrone (Futurama, The Simpsons).

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Exclusive Q&A with the writers of The Office— Meet the writers of the EmmyAward–winning comedy The Office and hear them talk about their favorite episodes, characters, and fun behind-the-scenes stories. Moderated by cast member Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute), panelists include executive producer/showrunner Greg Daniels (The Simpsons) and writers Jennifer Celotta (Andy Richter Controls the Universe), Michael Schur (Saturday Night Live), B.J. Novak, Lester Lewis (The Larry Sanders Show), Gene Stupnitsky (Year One), Lee Eisenberg (Year One), Mindy Kaling (Matt and Ben), Justin Spitzer (Scrubs), Ryan Koh (various commercials), and Anthony Ferrell (The Audacity).

Things That Go Bump— Monsters and haunts continue to fascinate authors and readers alike. Authors who’ll be talking about these supernatural themes include Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box), Max Brooks (World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide), Adrienne Barbeau (Vampyres of Hollywood), Chris Marie Green (Vampire Babylon novels), Jeffrey J. Mariotte (River Runs Red), and Natasha Rhodes (Dante's Girl). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy.

Writing 101: Creating Characters— Marv Wolfman has been writing comics for more than 40 years and has created such legendary characters as Blade, Bullseye, Black Cat, The New Teen Titans, Deathstroke The Terminator, and hundreds more. As he's done for the past four Comic-Cons, Marv conducts his personal writing seminar, this year discussing the art of creating characters. There will be time available for Q&A.

Comics: Across Every Medium— Paul Feig (creator of Freaks & Geeks), David Goyer (Batman Begins), Chip Kidd (The Learners), Whitney Matheson (USA Today’s Pop Candy blog), and Brad Meltzer (The Book of Lies) are five superstars who make headlines in television, film, the graphic arts, journalism, and novels. But they all have comics in common. This isn’t just a trend. Join them for a discussion on the influence comics play in their work. It’ll be like a 21st century Breakfast Club—but with better references. Moderated by audiobook master Scott Brick (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant).

Spotlight on Ray Bradbury— The legendary science fiction and fantasy author has been a perennial guest at Comic-Con since the first show in 1970. Ray Bradbury talks with interviewer Arnold Kunert about his career and what's up next.

Spotlight on Joe Hill— Comic-Son special guest Joe Hill, author of the New York Times bestseller Heart-Shaped Box, talks about his critically acclaimed comic Locke & Key (IDW) and why so many novelists are losing it for comics these days.

Spotlight on Len Wein— The writer who gave us Swamp Thing, The New X-Men, Wolverine, Brother Voodoo, memorable runs on all the top DC and Marvel titles and many more, was one of the first fans to become a professional writer...and editor at both companies. Comic-Con special guest Len Wein joins moderator Mark Evanier for a discussion on Len's 30+ years in the industry as one of comics' most popular talents.

Playing God— Authors discuss creating the rules and deities of their fantasy worlds. Panelists include Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), Chris Evans (A Darkness Forged in Fire), Lynn Flewelling (Shadows Return), David Keck (In a Time of Treason), Jenna Rhodes (The Elven Ways), and Eldon Thompson (Asahiel). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy.

Included just because they are so frakking cool:
SQUEEEE of the Day: Battlestar Galactica— Last year, Battlestar Galactica took San Diego by storm. Now the best show on television returns to Comic-Con for a panel filled with excitement, laughter, and a sneak peek into the final revelation. Focusing on the character relationships that give this hit series its power, this exclusive panel sheds new light on the ties between Humans and Cylons and provides valuable insight into the adventure ahead. Panelists include cast members Tricia Helfer, James Callis, Michael Trucco, and Katee Sackhoff and executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, along with moderator Kevin Smith.

Futurama Secrets Revealed!— Join Futurama creator Matt Groening and executive producer David X. Cohen in a mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, fact-checking panel extravaganza! Appearing with Matt and David are series regulars Billy West (Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender), and Maurice LaMarche (Kif, Morbo). And if that's not enough, enjoy color commentary from Eric Kaplan (co-executive producer, writer) and lots of insider straight dope from producer Claudia Katz and director Peter Avanzino of Rough Draft Animation. Plus, don't miss out on your chance to see the sneak peek of "Bender's Game," the all-new feature-length Futurama adventure, crash-landing on store shelves this November!

Dollhouse— When news broke that Joss Whedon was returning to television with a vehicle for “Buffy” alum Eliza Dushku, legions of fans around the world rejoiced. Although most will have to wait until January to learn more about the exciting new project, Comic-Con fans will hear it straight from Joss, Eliza, and actor Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) in person!

Pushing Daisies Screening and Q&A— The cast and producers of the Golden Globe Award-nominated Pushing Daisies return to Comic-Con for a special screening of exclusive clips from the acclaimed show’s upcoming season, highlights from the first season and a Q&A with fans. Stars Lee Pace (The Fall), Anna Friel (Land of the Lost), Chi McBride (Boston Public), Ellen Greene (Little Shop of Horrors), Swoosie Kurtz (Superman Doomsday), and Kristin Chenoweth (The West Wing) join executive producer/creator Bryan Fuller (Heroes) and executive producers Dan Jinks (American Beauty) and Peter Ocko (Dead Like Me) for the session, to be moderated by special guest and executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black). From Living Dead Guy Productions, The Jinks/Cohen Company in association with Warner Bros. Television, Pushing Daisies airs Wednesdays at 8:00 PM on the ABC Television Network.

Comic-Con: Day 2

2008-07-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

The schedule for the second full day of Comic Con continues to inspire jealous in the hearts of many...and me. I have again highlighted some of the best panels for writers, along with one or two that just make me go wheee! Sorry for the long post...I am still having some issues with making the jump work, due to an old template or some such.

Friday is Star Wars Day!

Writer's Best of the Day: The Scribe Awards
Scribe Awards/Media Tie-in Writers Panel— The second annual presentation of the International Association of Media-Tie-in Writers (IAMTW) "Scribe" awards, honoring such notable franchises as CSI NY, Murder She Wrote, Criminal Minds, Stargate Atlantis, Star Trek, Resident Evil and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The awards presentation is followed by a panel of nominees, including William Dietz (Hitman), Stacia Deutsch (Nancy Drew), Kevin J. Anderson (Last Days of Krypton), Steven Paul Leiva (12 Dogs of Christmas), Alan Dean Foster (Transformers), Lee Goldberg (Monk), and moderator Max Allan Collins (American Gangster). Andy Mangels (Iron Man) will present the awards.

Hey Kids, the First One's in the Library— Children's authors discuss the joys of writing for that audience and ways to captivate their young readers. Panelists include Frank Beddor (The Looking Glass Wars), Martin Baynton (Jane and the Dragon), PJ Haarsma (The Softwire), D.J. MacHale (Pendragon: Raven Rise), Rebecca Moesta (Crystal Doors), James Owen (Here, There Be Dragons), and Michael Reisman (Simon Bloom, the Gravity Keeper). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: New Books Based on the Movie and TV Series— The Star Wars Saga continues with a wide variety of tie-in books for the groundbreaking new series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including novels, nonfiction, comics, and children's books. Please join Carol Roeder and Frank Parisi from Lucas Books, along with Karen Traviss (author of The Clone Wars novel from Del Rey), Henry Gilroy (author of The Clone Wars comic from Dark Horse), Jason Fry (author of The Clone Wars Visual Guide from DK Publishing), and Erin Dempsey (marketing director, Penguin Young Readers) for questions and answers—and a sneak peak at these must-have books! Moderated by Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo.

The Art of Adapting Comics to the Screen— The cinematic renaissance of comic book-based films continues, and here's your chance to learn what it takes to adapt these dream projects to the screen! Creative Screenwriting magazine's senior editor Jeff Goldsmith hosts an amazing panel of Stan Lee (co-creator of Iron Man), Zak Penn (screenwriter, The Incredible Hulk), and Mark Fergus (co-screenwriter, Iron Man).

Looking at Our World: Eye on the Present— Authors discuss how they use the supernatural in stories of contemporary society. Panelists include Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld), L. A. Banks (The Vampire Huntress Legend Series), Kate Brallier (The Boundless Deep), Marjorie M. Liu (The Iron Hunt), C. E. Murphy (The Negotiator Trilogy), Justine Musk (Lord of Bones), Lilith Saintcrow (The Dante Valentine Series), and moderator Samantha Sommersby (Forbidden: The Revolution).

Joss Whedon— Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and the writers and cast of his new short film, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, will show never-before-seen clips while Joss also discusses Buffy Season Eight, the Fray crossover, and the upcoming Serenity comic focusing on Shepherd Book.

Mythology, Secret Societies and Lost Civilizations— A discussion of authors incorporating Atlantis, Angels, and Abel's murder weapon into their fiction. Panelists include Alex Archer (Rogue Angel), Thomas Greanias (Raising Atlantis, The Atlantis Prophecy), Christopher Moore (Lamb, A Dirty Job), Thomas Sniegoski (A Kiss Before the Apocalypse), and Michael Spradlin (The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy.

The Write Stuff: Working in Genre Television— Get the inside scoop on how to break in, break out, and deal with some incredibly stupid network notes. A panel of genre luminaries share their war stories and passion for genre storytelling with you in this once-in-a-lifetime summit of super sci-fi scribes who've turned their dreams into drama, including Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The Middleman), David Simkins (Warehouse 13, Dresden Files), Steve Kriozere (V.I.P, Sliders, Dead & Deader), Steve Melching (The Clone Wars, The Batman), Ashley Miller (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Matthew Federman (Jericho, E-Ring), Harry Werksman & Gabrille Stanton (Moonlight), and moderator Mark A. Altman (Geek Monthly).

Change You Can Read In(to)

2008-07-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

How did I ever miss this? At an event in Virginia, Barack Obama was asked about advice for young writers. This was what he said:

There was one question in particular of interest to us book lovers, and that came from a woman who asked what Obama would say to young writers. He was surprised by the question, which he admitted was one he hadn’t heard before, but didn’t hesitate to answer. He referenced his two books, and specifically mentioned how he wrote them himself, along with many of his speeches. With a light inflection, he said, “In terms of getting a job, knowing how to write is a good thing.” He talked about how he kept a journal, and how it was important for teaching him not only how to write, but also how to think. But my favorite part was when he said, “Over the course of four years I made time to read all of the Harry Potter books out loud to my daughters. If I can do that and run for president, then you can find time to read to your kids. That’s some of the most special time you have with your children.”

How awesome is that?? This comes from MotherReader, a great that I will now be reading periodically. Even better is her daughter's rational thought process here:

My older daughter debated waving the copy of Harry Potter that she had brought along to read during the wait, but since it was book five, we decided that its extraordinary size might cause it to be seen as a weapon by the Secret Service agents if she wielded it over her head.

I probably would have attempted to get it signed and taken the hit from Secret Service. Would have made a great story.

This is not the only mention of his love of literature. Salon just recently published an entire article on "Barack by the Books", noting:

If Obama is elected, he'll be one of the most literary presidents in recent memory..."I had tons of books," he told his biographer, David Mendell ("Obama: From Promise to Power"), about this time in his life. "I read everything. I think that was the period when I grew as much as I have ever grown intellectually. But it was a very internal growth." Even after he left New York to work as a community organizer in Chicago, Mendell reports, Obama lived so much like a retiring writer -- spending many hours holed up in a spartan apartment with volumes of "philosophy and literature" -- that some of his colleagues assumed he was gathering material for a novel.

How awesome. I can actually believe that Obama has read these books, and actually understood them - unlike some other presidents (Camus? Really? Should a President really even have time to read Camus? I can't find time to read that one and give it the attention it deserves.).

I am behind....

2008-07-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am running behind on most everything today, so just two quick notes.

1. I can NOT get the settings right on my post template - or something along those lines - which would allow me to split posts so that non-essential information or extra-long posts are not all on the front page. I will keep working on it, but until then ignore the "Read More" Link that is floating around...

2. I am ashamed to admit I have not read any of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I promise to rectify that upon my next trip to the library. That means I really have to crack down on all the books sitting on the bench downstairs.

Happy Friday!!

Ok, so I am a bit jealous...

2008-07-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are not quite as geeky as me (i.e. most anyone), I will explain that Comic-Con is coming up, and features a hell of a lot more than just comics. There will panels on a variety of topics, including a large amount of sci-fi and, yes, comic related entertainment such as television shows, movies and even books. The Con will be held this year in San Diego July 24-27.

Well, the schedule came out for Thursday of the show, and in just one day there are a multitude of reasons for jealousy. Aside from the ones that make my inner geek squeal (Battlestar Galactica! Twilight! X-Men! something called Wizard's First Rule that looks awesome! THREE Star Trek panels! One with Wil Wheaton! Frakking HALO!!! Most everything else!), there are some truly amazing panels that would be worth attending for any writer. A few of the best for writers:

Professional Writing: Threat or Menace?—Let’s talk writing, creativity, and selling (and selling out), and what the world of professional writing is like. Questions that you’ve always wanted to ask? Creative blocks bugging you? Wondered what the H*O*L*L*Y*W*O*O*D life is really like? Show up and get answers to those questions. This no-holds-barred talk is moderated by J. Michael Straczynski.

How to Tell a Story—Get a deep insight into the craft of storytelling from these masters in the field: David Gerrold (TV writer, author of 30+ novels), William F. Nolan (TV and film writer, author of over a dozen novels), George Clayton Johnson (Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Ocean’s 11, Logan’s Run), John Truby (owner, John Truby’s Writer’s Studio, author, Anatomy of Story), and Marc Scott Zicree (TV writer, executive producer, Sliders; author of The Twilight Zone Companion). Moderated by Chas Holloway with Shadowstar Games president Mark O’Bannon.

Star Trek Without a Blueprint: How Books and Comics Keep Expanding the Boundaries of the Star Trek Universe—Andy Mangels (moderator and Star Trek author), Margaret Clark (executive editor, Pocket Books), Andy Schmidt (senior editor, IDW) and Star Trek authors Kevin Dilmore, Dave Mack, Scott Tipton, and Dayton Ward discuss the future of Star Trek publishing. (This is the one with Wil Wheaton. Squeee!)

More writing specific panels are after the jump. I would love to go to any of those, and am looking forward to hearing from those lucky enough to attend!

The Disney Animation Story Process—Nathan Greno (head of story, Bolt), Don Hall (head of story, The Princess and the Frog), Mark Kennedy (head of story, Rapunzel), Joe Mateo (story artist, Bolt), Michael LaBash (story artist, Bolt), Paul Briggs (story artist, The Princess and the Frog), and Josie Trinidad (story artist, The Princess and the Frog) offer an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into the story process at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Coming together exclusively at Comic-Con, these story team leaders will take you from first concept to final story approval as they discuss the art of storyboarding, re-create story pitches, and share boarding styles from their upcoming animated features. Don’t miss this revealing and humorous panel and your chance to get a sneak peek at Disney’s next animated feature, Bolt!

Humor in Science Fiction—Learn the secrets of the humor game from some top insiders in the field, including David Gerrold (”The Trouble With Tribbles”), William F. Nolan (Sam Space, Logan’s Run), John Truby (Anatomy of Story), George Clayton Johnson (Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Ocean’s 11, Logan’s Run), and Marc Scott Zicree (executive producer, Sliders; author of The Twilight Zone Companion). Moderated by Chas Holloway with Shadowstar Games president Mark O’Bannon.

Artemis Fowl—Eoin Colfer, author of the blockbuster Artemis Fowl series, launches his sixth book in the series, Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox, with Fairies, Fiends and Flatulence, a hilarious one man live show that explains to fans the genesis of each of Eoin’s characters in the books—both good and evil—all of which come from his four Irish brothers.

Science Fiction That Will Change Your Life—A discussion of science fiction stories intended to make you rethink your whole life or alter your perceptions. With Annalee Newitz (editor-in-chief, io9.com; contributor, Wired), Austin Grossman (author, Soon I Will Be Invincible), Charlie Jane Anders (news editor, io9.com; contributor, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet), Graeme McMillan (weekend editor, io9.com, contributor, Newsarama), and Patrick Lee (editor, Sci-Fi Wire).

The Pitching Hour—Michael Polis (WildBrain Studios, YoGabbaGabba), Jermaine Turner (director, Disney/ABC Cable Networks Group), Jill Sanford (manager, original series, Disney Television Animation), Sam Humphries (MySpace Comics), Paula Gould (PEG PR), Jeremy Love (writer/producer, Gettosake Studios), and moderator Dan Evans (freelance development exec) will take an idea from conception through production for various media. This process will include creating a pitch document, obtaining agents, and getting a pitch meeting. The panelists will explain, through hypothetical example and humorous stories, the process that new creators should adapt to make their way into the Hollywood creative battleground. Knowing that each project is unique, there will be a Q&A to allow the audience to really hone in on the solutions to obstacles they may encounter. Also on hand will be IP lawyer Brendan McFeely to give creators insight on protecting their ideas as they navigate Hollywood!

Random House Publishing—Staff from the Random House Publishing Group—including Betsy Mitchell (editor-in-chief, Del Rey), Dallas Middaugh (associate publisher, Del Rey Manga), Mutsumi Miyazaki (director of licensing and acquisitions, Del Rey Manga), Chris Schluep (senior editor, RHPG), and Tricia Narwani (editor, RHPG)—discuss upcoming titles from Del Rey, Del Rey Manga, Ballantine, and Villard Graphic Novels.

From Fan to Creator: Goal Setting for Creative Types—Which side of the convention table do you want to be on: artist or fan? And what’s keeping you from getting there? If you have an idea in your head that you’ve had trouble bringing into reality, you might benefit from this fun and practical goal-setting workshop, designed specifically for the Comic-Con crowd. Teacher and life purpose coach Douglas Neff will give you simple, proven techniques for achieving your most important goals. And this year, a surprise guest panel will fill your head with inspiration before you leave. Whether you want to write your own screenplay, draw your first comic, or shoot your independent film, you’re sure to get something useful from this informative and energizing workshop.

Don't Panic

2008-07-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

This sounds awesome.

From SFX: EXCLUSIVE Dirk Gently 2 to feature Hitchhiker's crossover

I need to read the Dirk Gently books. After I finish the other four books from the library I still have not gotten around to...

Presumed Innocent? Really?

2008-07-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Entertainment Weekly today put up a collection of the 25 New Classic Book Covers. I will agree with a few - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris, The Fuck-Up by Arthur Nersesian, and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser for example, or A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, which had a great cover aside from all the controversy following. But Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis, with little circle pictures that look like bubbles? Or Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney with a picture of a city? Or Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton - a dinosaur skeleton on a white background? Really? And Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow has...wait for it...a fingerprint. An orange fingerprint on a dark background. It looks like every other crime novel out there.

Am I insane? Take a look and decide if these really are the greatest covers. I would have certainly changed a few - my votes would include The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer by Eric Hansen, or Paul Auster's City of Glass. And I think the UK version of the first Harry Potter novel had a better cover than the US version. What are your thoughts?

Beach Baby

2008-07-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

We managed to escape early for the July 4th Holiday, so no more posts until after the weekend. However, there will certainly be plenty more to come after the time off - so many ideas! A break is always good for the mind, soul and writing!

Happy Independence Day!

Music to Write To

2008-06-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is a common question for writers, but what do you listen to when writing? Silence is good sometimes, but for a whole day, it is distracting. I have been attempting to find a good mix of music. I like listening to whole albums - today, I have been through the Beatles White Album, some Dave Matthews (I find it is great background music), Metallica and now have settled on The Essential Clash. I rarely listen to full albums, so it is a treat to listen to the progression while writing.

Not much time today - I had an article deadline pushed up, and I am trying to get things in order for the long weekend. Keep writing!

Bag of Books

2008-06-27T12:54:00.001-07:00

I just got back from the library, which is always a fun experience on a Friday in the summer. There are always gaggles of women in there getting their beach reads for trips to the shore, usually toting a few ready-for-vacation-and-therefore-running-wild children, which I truthfully do not mind. In the middle of the week or early in the morning, yes. On a Friday afternoon, I am tempted to attempt an escape out of the children's section myself...or, more appropriately, out of the biography section today. It's just too warm out to deal with those heavy books - so bring on the beach reads!

I had to, I am sad to report, renew my Salman Rushdie novel, The Moor's Last Sigh. I have read the great reviews, but have been slow getting into this. I think it is because I am still trying to get through More Than It Hurts You (see previous post about this one), and therefore putting off getting into the Rushdie novel. I am determined to finish it next though. I did return Book V of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, Wolves of the Calla. I have to post about these sometime - they definitely take a turn for the strange-er with this one, but I am loving it and can't wait to see where the next one leads. I found the last two in the series in a bargain bin at Borders, so I am planning on taking them to the beach over the long weekend coming up. I feel bad getting library books sandy, although judging from the state of some of the other books I was looking at, others do not feel the same.

I also picked up Ysabel by Guy Gavrian Kay and the YA novel The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson, both on recommendation from Bookshelves of Doom, one of my favorite blogs that has turned me on to some great young adult reads. Also, Scandals, Vandals and da Vinci's by Harvey Rachlin, after reading about it in the New Yorker, and Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick. I have been meaning to read some of Dick's work for years now, and thought it would be a good beach read for both my husband and I (I grabbed a copy that looked like it had already been through the ringer, just in case). It includes Minority Report, which I must admit was made into a fabulous movie, so I am really looking forward to that and the other 20 included tales.

I guess this means I have some reading to do...but instead, as it is a Friday night, I am off to some pure eye candy entertainment. Come on, admit it - Wanted looks awesome! I am a sucker for action movies, especially ones at 74% on the Tomatometer. I guess the brain cells have a night off as well! I do have one question...any suggestions for a beach read? If so, comment below. Happy Weekend!

I just don't get it...

2008-06-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Have I gone crazy, or do some of those award-winning books out there just seem to be, well, not that good? I am not saying bad necessarily, just not that interesting or impressive. I was reminded of this by a new book I am trying to get through, More Than It Hurts You by Darin Strauss. It just came out, but I actually received an advance copy a few months ago as part of a promotion. Now, generally I devour these advance books when they arrive in my mailbox, but I am still only halfway through this one. I have it on my nightstand because it actually will put me to sleep, unlike most books. It just seems to be going nowhere, and the characters shallow and ill-conceived. I will not quote directly from the book until I get a chance to look at the published version, but the main characters seem to be caricatures of film versions of book characters loosely based on real people. I especially have a hard time with the motivations behind the female characters - their actions and dialogue, most of all their internal thoughts, do not resemble any woman I have met in the real world.

I encountered the same thing with the first book I read with my book club, The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud. It was picked due to its rave reviews, including being a New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 2006 and called by a reviewer in the New York Times Sunday Book Review a "formally nimble novel of formidable scale". This book made me nuts from beginning to end. One of those novels that praises writers and their devotees above all else, all the 'successful' people in the book were authors or would-be-authors and the other main characters were shown to be failures, in downward spirals or outright unlikeable people. The plot was contrived - you just kept cringing knowing what was coming between the 'legendary journalist' and the protege - both proteges, actually. I continued to expect something to happen, and it of course did as this is one of a new generation of '9/11' novels. However, I thought the use of the event was at best a cop-out of a boring story, at worst disrespectful. The characters, which have been praised in many reviews, were to me the least redeeming part of the novel. My book club consists of women who have come of age in the time since 9/11 - the tragedy occurred within two weeks of our first meeting, our first month of college. This book, however, did not seem a reflection of our world. Instead, it seemed a lightly treaded take on the exterior vision of modern life, with no deeper meaning.

Is this just me? This book has advance praise from some authors I very much respect and the authors other books are similarly well regarded. I will give a full review after I finish the book, and maybe that will change my opinion.

I really needed this today...

2008-06-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

From the great blog Freelance Writing Jobs comes this post, on a day when I really needed it: Top Ten Things to Do While Waiting for that PERFECT Writing Gig. Sometimes it is hard to remember why you are doing this. When you do not even get rejection letters, you just hear nothing. When everything you write seems sub-par, not ready to send, not good enough. You have to remember to keep writing, keep searching, keep your damn butt in the seat until you have pounded out enough words to make something that makes sense to someone besides the crazy woman between your ears.

On a sidenote: it is truly insane how many marketplaces there are out there for writing. I am just beginning to realize what a wide variety they are - it seems that some have to be supported simply by the writers who subscribe in hopes of someday getting an article published, and want to get an idea of what has been accepted in the past.

Back to work...

Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

2008-06-20T09:46:00.001-07:00

On Amazon

I avoided reading any in-depth reviews of this book prior to actually getting into it. I have been meaning to read this book for years, but just recently rediscovered it in the back of my bookshelf and picked it for my book club. It is certainly a quick read - I read this in two short sittings, and most people can easily get through it in a few short hours. The book is, in a word, remarkable. It really gives you an insight into not only the mind of an autistic boy, but also, the struggles his family faces raising a child with autism. It gives a new perspective, and forces the reader to think about how they would deal with this type of situation. The murder mystery at the supposed core of the plot is a means to highlight the travails of the family, and is an ingenious device.

I will wait until after my book club for more analysis - for now, I just have to say that you must read this book.

Feeding the Habit, with Pleasure

2008-06-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Victoria, and I'm a Literaholic.

Hi Victoria.

I went to the bookstore today. The term 'like a kid in a candy store' would apply, except that kid would spend a lot less than a literaholic in a bookstore. Any addict would recognize the signs: heightened senses, dilated pupils, rapid breating. Breathing in the sweet smell of fresh paper, unspoiled ink, and most especially, unbent pages and spines. I have rarely identified more with a character from any story than Hermione Granger when she first smelled the Amortentia potion - "and I smell freshly mown grass, and new parchment, and..." Even better was when a new girl moved onto our freshman year dorm hall, strolled into a packed room of girls she had just met clutching an armfull of books, and proclaimed, "Don't you just love the smell of books?" I could not have agreed more.

It could have been worse - much worse. I found some adorable pop-up and board books for our 2 year old niece & nephew. Then, in the bargain bin of all places, I found the two final books of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, when I had just finished the previous installment. For $5 each. Even better, I got the last copy of Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst, which I have been dying to read. The library still has not gotten this in, so I was just forced into buying it. Finally, I got a surprise for my husband - The Home Brewer's Answer Book by Ashton Lewis. It addresses problems for homebrewers as they arise, and is just an interesting read. I hope that it may address the issue that led to a certain Bock to act overexcited all over the basement, and then geyser higher than the oak tree in the front yard. Not that I don't loooove the smell of malt and lager yeast pervading the house for a week straight...

I am proud of myself - I got some books I am amazingly excited about, gifts for three people, and only spent about $50. I can definitely do more damage than that in five minutes, if given the opportunity, and I was at Borders for over an hour. However, the still-packed books in the closet would then have even more cause to be upset at their overlong imprisonment.

Reliving the Past is Possible

2008-06-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

I was watching one of those Top Ten retrospectives - the AFI's Top Ten Sci-Fi movies. Sci-Fi is near and dear to my heart. I love science fiction in all of its forms, television, film, book, graphic novel, story, etcetera. Some of my best early childhood memories are curling up in my father's lap, in the horrid old brown striped recliner, watching the original Star Trek television series over and over again. Watching the included movies - Alien, Star Wars, E.T., 2001, and sadly no Trek movies, even the good ones - made me think about how wonderful it is to rewatch old favorites. There is nothing like finding one of your personal favorites while flipping through the channels. However, it is almost impossible to really relive the first time you fell in love with a story, be it a book, a movie, a show, or anything. The only way to get close is to introduce someone else to the story, and get them to love it as well. I was lucky enough to do this with my husband back when we first started dating, introducing him to the Harry Potter novels in time for him to join me in reading the fourth. I have done this a few times, but really look forward to some day doing this with our children. Not that this will be anytime soon - still enjoying the freedom of a young couple - but when I saw E.T., I thought about the last time I saw the movie. It was when the DVD first came out, and mainly remember the outrage at the fact that the guns were switched to flashlights. The darn "Han shot first" controversy all over again. But other than that, I don't remember too much. M&Ms, Elleeeeooooottt, Drew Barrymore being adorable, phoning home, and hiding behind the cushions during the sad parts. For a second I thought about watching the movie again. Ut is just downstairs, and I don't have anything else to do tonight. But then I thought, maybe it is better to wait. The expectation of reliving the magic of this movie for the first time, hopefully in its original uncorrupted, un-PC form, is too alluring. I would love to watch it without remembering every line, every moment, when I do eventually watch it again, hopefully with either my kids or a film virgin - they are the best.

What movies, shows, books or stories would you love to relive with friends? I, for one, am working on my girlfriends to read The Lord of the Rings in our book club, as they are all currently sure that it is beneath them. I would love for them to fall in love with it along with me all over again, and am holding off on reading it another time until then. It may take years, but the day will come.

Time to Write

2008-06-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

The opportunity to write is an amazing thing. There are endless - truly endless - possibilities. Using a sparse 26 letters, anyone can write their heart's desire. Genres, lengths, characters, stories. The unknown, the known. The researched, the fantasized. News, conjecture. What now?

Time to write.

Why write?

2008-06-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

It is a question I have been contemplating for a long time. Not so much the "Why does anyone write?" question - I am not as meta as that - but why should I write? Does anyone care? Maybe. Will anyone read? Aside from my mother and grandmother, maybe. Do I want to? Yes! Well, that seems like enough. Writing has been my passion since as long as I can remember, but I took a detour into business for 'practical' reasons. Bad decision, in retrospect. So, after three years and way too many days staring at a laptop in an endless string of conference rooms, airports and hotels, I finally took the leap and quit to dedicate myself to writing full time. So here I am, writing reports of my attempt to make it as a writer. For better or worse, here goes.

The goal of this blog is to talk about writing, reading, and the life that goes in between. I will write about my passions, successes and failures - hopefully more of one than the other. Please enjoy, and wish me luck!