SOPA/PIPA

STOP SOPA/PIPA

why can’t i?

via escapadeblog

I like the sentiment of this infographic.

But for some reason I feel paralyzed when I think of going after, or asking, or any of that.

Not as awesome as I want to be. Still so afraid.

New York Trip

At the end of the month I’m going to New York City with my friend Rachael. It’s our birthday presents to ourselves. We scored some super cheap tickets to fly up. We’re still working on hammering out details for things we want to do, places we want to go, and which Broadway show we want to see.

And obviously I’m freaking out about clothes to wear. Rachael is much more fashionable than myself. And I have this deep seated fear that as soon as I step of the plane Clinton and Stacy from What Not to Wear will show up and just make fun of my clothes (without offering me the $5,000 to make my wardrobe better).

It’s going to be freezing cold while we’re there. And I’m ill equipped to dress for the weather, let alone dress cutely. SO, this is my HELP signal sent out into the universe. Any ideas for much cuter outfits than the one I’ve got below? Cause that utterly fails.

New York Trip by snoelr featuring wool scarves

mind like a sieve

It completely slipped my mind to blog yesterday. You may have noticed I’ve used up all of my buffer before November and have been sort of struggling maintaining a pace these past two months. But I apologize profusely.

Yesterday and today have been Pam days. Which include a lot of the eating of the Chipotle.

I put the finishing touches on a short story that I’ve just submitted for Creative Loafing‘s fiction contest. I’ll keep you updated. This one has a pretty quick turn around. They’ll have a list posted tomorrow for readers to pick their favorite.

If I don’t end up making the cut, don’t worry, I’ll put it up here for you to read. I’m rather fond of this little story. It was really fun for me to write and it’s been awhile since I’ve written something short and contained.

a shadowy game

Sherlock Holmes, A Game of Shadows

I’ve never been great at riddles. Though I think I’ve mentioned before that I used to race my dad when we watched crime dramas or movies built on mysteries and twists. The past few years I’ve been pleased when a movie manages to trick me, to keep me on tenterhooks so to speak. But if you give me one of those “How is a raven like a writing desk?” riddles I just sit back and wait for someone else to answer them.

I wouldn’t make a very good Sherlock Holmes.

Today I saw Mr. Ritchie’s newest installment to the legend created by Sir Conan Doyle and I just had to use this venue to gush about how enthralling I found the movie. I’m not a Holmes purist by any means, I haven’t read any of the novels featuring him as of yet. So, opinions being like belly buttons I realize that my endorsement leaves somethings to be desired.

And I’m not a movie critic. I could tell you the chase scene through a forest in Germany was one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve seen in film. I could tell you I absolutely love how Guy Ritchie translates Holmes and Watson’s adventures to the screen. And I quite enjoyed Mr. Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes.

It’s solid entertainment. And I mean that’s what most of us go to the movies for. Right? Brief transport to an alternate universe where nothing boring ever happens.

THE END ?

eureka

I’m dropping in to let you know that I haven’t died. I’ve just been less of a stickler about my update schedule this month. It’s a personal failing. But in this transition time as I re-determine what the purpose of this blog is I thought I’d stop in and share something with you about writing. Well, how I write anyway.

  There’s this movie I used to watch a lot when I was a kid. Sabrina the one with Harrison Ford instead of Humphrey Bogart. I really love that movie. Particularly there’s this one line in the movie that sticks with me perpetually. Sabrina says to her father, “I love that you took a job as a chauffuer so that you would always have time to read your books.” Even as a kid I knew this was a man to look up to.

 My job allows me a lot of mental freetime. I sit in a big wooden chair for hours on end and watch people move around a junior olympic size pool. Most of the time I make lists: to-do lists, inventory lists, lists about the members in the pool, lists of steps I would take if an emergency happens, prayer lists… stuff like that.

  A few times in the past few years as I’ve been sitting on the guard stand an idea has fallen into my head. It’s not always a good thing because I get nervouse that I’ll forget it. They’re like the ideas you have just before falling asleep and you try to convince yourself to remember it the next morning, but you didn’t write it down. I try to think about it, hold it in my brain, until I get the chance to rotate down and make a small note that I hope I’ll be able to decipher later.

  Today a though I’ve been pondering for a month or so finally clicked into place about two minutes after I sat down to guard. I managed to get it to stick. And that was exciting for me. I think that days like today are the reason that I love guarding so much and hate the thought of any other kind of job.

unplugged?

Yesterday the internets were not working. At home that meant no blogging or facebooking. At work that meant no emails or proper weather forecasts.

So, I finished a book instead.

That’s makes my list:

1. The Mistress of the Art of Death

2.-4. The Spearweilder’s Tale (Trilogy)

5. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

7. Swamplandia

I still haven’t figured out the order for 8-14. And I need one more book. But I’m about halfway through the last 15 list, so that’s pretty cool.

Speaking of cool, did you know that James Franco does movie reviews for The Paris Review? Right? So cool.

That’s all I’ve got for now.

Thanksgiving Day

Turkeys

 

Happy Thanksgiving! I’ll be over by the green bean casserole.

(come back tomorrow to see if I’ve caught up on my word deficit this week)

unscheduled interruption

Sometimes your day doesn’t go as planned.

It starts out a little off. Your car inexplicably shuts off at a red light. And the events of the day coalesce until you feel that you’ve found yourself on the ridgepole of a roof made of terra cotta tiles. And as luck would have it they’ve begun to crack and fall, obedient to Gravity’s cruel mastery.

You wonder how you’ll deal with this crash. You wonder how other people get through bad days without the perceptible blinking of an eye. And you wonder why after everything was just puttering along this bad day decided to crop up.

So you do something physical to get the frustration of feeling absolutely inarticulate out of your system (like swimming or running). And then you pray to God grateful that bad days are few and far between and that gravity only makes its presence known occasionally.

You play some sweet tunes, you drive home with your windows down, and you think about all the adventures you’ll have. Because at heart, you’re an optimist, undaunted by crappy days.

NaNoWriMo Update #2

I’M A FIFTH OF THE WAY THROUGH MY NOVEL, GUYZ!

THAT’S 10,044 WORDS.

I’m still behind about 4,000 words. But I’ll make it up before this week is out.