The Friday Five! [08 Jan 2010|07:41am] writergrl 1. It is 6:29am, and my daughter just asked for ice cream. Something tells me it's going to be a long day. Personally, I blame Max and Ruby. In truth, Sasha doesn't even like ice cream, as the last time she had it she decided it was too cold. But Max was having some, so of course, she wants it. Really, though, I should blame myself. I'm the one letting her watch the show in the first place. But if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to do this blog. See how that works? Welcome to my world. Guilt, ice cream, TV. And repeat. 2. Yesterday I was at Best Buy, picking up some power strips, when I saw Volume One of Season One of Glee on DVD. Now, I know how this works. Once the whole season is over, they'll release another DVD, with all the episodes, which you'll then have to buy to get the complete set. (Or maybe they'll do a Volume Two, just with sectionals, which would be very cool. But I have my doubts.) Anyway, I knew I should just wait and get the whole thing in the fall. I'd already used this argument when I saw it at Target about a week ago and it worked. But then....I thought about how far away the fall is. And how it would be really nice to be able to watch that "Defying Gravity" duet anytime I wanted. The clincher: the last bit of Christmas money still in my wallet. So yes, dear reader, I bought it. It will get me through until the show returns, which I think is not until April or something. I mean, it was almost necessary, right? 3. I want to give a BIG thanks to everyone who went out with gift cards and bought my books after the holidays. Because of you, three of my books were on the New York Times list this week: Along for the Ride, Just Listen and Lock and Key. It was just the nicest, most wonderful surprise, I can't even tell you. I know I say this a lot but it can never be repeated enough: I really, really appreciate your support and the support you give my books. Thank you so, so much. 4. Last night, we caught the latest episode of Hoarders . It featured my friend Geralin, who amazes me in her ability to not look surprised/disgusted when she's looking at a kitchen full of mouse droppings that's also infested with bugs. Her serenity in the face of total grossness is truly impressive. But I swear, for me this show is like a tonic. Every time I watch it, I end up throwing out a bunch of stuff and organizing a drawer or two, if only because I'm afraid if I don't I might end up with, well, a house full of mouse droppings and bugs. I know, I know, it's a big jump from a messy junk drawer to infested by vermin. Or...is it? 5. Finally, I was SO excited to go out and buy Anne Tyler's latest novel, Noah's Compass, this week. A new Anne Tyler book, for me, is a cause for celebration. I have read no reviews of it: I never do of her books, because honestly, I don't care what anyone else thinks. I love her work so much. There's just something real and so well done about every story, every character, every sentence. I also admire her because she continues to write books, one every couple of years, while totally eschewing any of the publicity stuff that most authors do. She hadn't done a sit down interview or gone on a booktour since 1977, according to this article, which was published when her last book was released, in 2006. She just very quietly writes really, really good books. And though I know it totally goes against her fully private life, I wish SO much I could just have coffee with her for five minutes and ask her how she does it. But of course, I can't. So I will just await her books, read them quickly, then start the wait for the next one. Oh, and worship her from a distance, very respectfully. Have a great weekend, everyone! 5 comments|post comment

Brrr. [06 Jan 2010|08:30am] writergrl 19 degrees? In North Carolina? Really, Mother Nature? It's been so cold here lately, I just can't even believe it. I know a lot of people love winter the way I love summer: they like sweaters and snow and wind chills and all that. Frankly, I just can't even imagine. I just look at our wireless indoor thermometer, which tells you more than you would ever want to know about what's happening, and will happen outside--the temp, what it actually feels like, what it will do tomorrow and the next day and the next---and I just close my eyes and think about this: Five months from today, I'll be there. That's not so long, right? *sigh* In other news, although I've never been much of a Food Network person, we caught the first episode of Worst Cooks in America the other night, and I have a feeling we'll be watching the entire series. Not just because we've been more and more into cooking lately---I'm trying enchiladas from scratch for the first time tonight, wish me luck---but also because it makes me feel that much better about my own kitchen skills. I mean, I am no Top Chef. Last night I made a cook-in-bag meatloaf with a packet of seasoning mixed in, and potatoes and carrots scattered all around it. With bottled gravy. Hello, 1970 called: they want their dinner back. But at LEAST I can put together a meatloaf. Some of these folks couldn't do more than mix up a can of soup and put some cheese over the top. It's like when I used to watch My Super Sweet Sixteen to feel like I was a good, decent person, at least in comparison to some of the behavior showcased there. See, TV CAN be good for you! Finally, today the guy is coming to hook up our internet and phones and stuff over at the new office. I can get a decent wireless signal from our modem, but I have to say, it's been REALLY nice to not have a phone over there. I mean, I have my cell if my babysitters or anyone needs me, but not having the hear the home phone ring, over and over, all afternoon....it's priceless. I'm thinking I might just get the line active, but then not put a phone in. At least not yet. For so long, my working/writing life has been completely intertwined with my home life: I write as dogs bark and babies cry and doors slam and UPS comes and goes, making dogs bark more. And it's a good thing, because I now know that I CAN write under just about any circumstances, even total chaos. But not having to? It's nice. I walk up those stairs, open the door, and....silence. Ahhhh. Yeah. I think I'll skip the phone. Because I can. Have a great day, everyone! 19 comments|post comment

New Year, new schedule? [03 Jan 2010|07:30pm] writergrl Okay, so I'm updating on Sunday again, mostly because I have a bad case of...well, the Sundays. You know that dread you used to feel when you were a kid---or maybe it's not just kids, but that's what I remember it from---the night before a new school week began? Like, just kind of letdown and stressed. I think a LOT of people are feeling this way, and not just today, if the behavior I've seen around town the last couple of days is any indication. People just seem grumpy, over the holidays, and ready to move on. I was at a restaurant this weekend and my waitress was clearly in a mood, which for some reason made me be that much more effusive. (Hello, therapy!) Anyway, she plunked our drinks in front of us and I said, "Thanks so much!" and she just grunted and walked away. This was after someone beeped at us for no reason and another salesperson just saw us walk in, then let out this big sigh and went back to whatever she was doing on the computer. People: I hear you. This is my least favorite time of year. I mean, it was sixteen degrees this morning, and it's not supposed to warm up for an entire week. It's been my experience that you just have to buckle down, endure, and things DO get better. But, um, usually not until late February. But don't think about that! I'm trying not to. In other news, we had a very nice New Year's here, low-key with good friends and good food. I managed to stay up until midnight for the first time since Sasha was born, and of course totally regretted it the next morning when she was up bright and early at 5:50. Dear God. Someone told me years ago that whatever you do on the first day of the year, you do all year long, so I've always been really careful about what I do on January 1st. Which means that normally, I make sure I write, work out, and eat well. This year....well, I just wanted to sleep. So 2010 might be a kind of slack year for me. But if the whole first-day-whole-year thing is true, it will also be a year where I slow down, stop worrying so much about getting ahead every second, and just try to BE. And that is not a bad thing. Also this weekend, we finally watched The Hangover, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to be more...I don't know, crude or something, full of naked girls. But it was actually very funny and more high brow than I expected. (But not THAT high brow: it is not The Road, by any means.) Also, I have only before ever seen Bradley Cooper playing a bad guy (Wedding Crashers, He's Just Not That Into You) and while he was no paragon of virtue in this one either, he was awfully nice to look at. See, it's that whole scruffy, big hair thing again! I'm honestly starting to think I might have a problem. I hope that you all had a very safe and happy New Year's, and that 2010 is exactly the kind of year you need it to be, whether that's full of writing, or workouts, or naps. Or Bradley Cooper. As for me, I might start making updating on Sundays a habit. Just this little entry has kind of gotten right of my blues. Nice! Have a good week, everyone! 43 comments|post comment

[30 Dec 2009|08:34am] writergrl Two full days left of 2009, and everywhere I look people are doing recaps of the year. The big events, who died, who made the news, the heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I'll spare you doing that here, as I honestly don't remember much of the year, as I spend it either running around like a crazy person OR trying desperately to get rested up from running around like said crazy person. But I did have a really good year, that I know. My book did really well, my daughter is healthy and happy (aside from the occasional tantrum) I have an awesome new writing space (pics to come in new year, once it's totally done!) and basketball season is really only just beginning. Plus, I converted yet another person to Friday Night Lights, my friend Courtney, and now she is hooked. Hooray! There are a few things I've decided I really want to try to leave in 2009, though. Like guilt. I have a lot of it, for various reasons and various things, and it's really exhausting, like carrying around a backpack full of heavy rocks. I am ready to put it down and move on, lighter. So I think I will write down all the things I've felt guilty about this year, put the paper in the fire on New Years Eve, and send it up the chimney to the sky. Hopefully my guilt will not settle back down over me in ash form. Blow away, blow away! There are some pressing questions, though, that have not yet been answered in these last twelve months. Things I just, you know, wonder about, and hope to have answers for in the coming year, or at least sometime. Such as: 1. Why are all towels ENORMOUS these days? Twice I have gone to buy new towels, because we really need them, and they are all literally twice as big as my old ones. Are we bigger, or something? Do we need towels the size of tablecloths, really? Really? 2. In the Max and Ruby books, and TV show---which my daughter is now addicted to---where are their parents? There's no mention of them, only Grandma. Someone is paying the mortgage on that nice house and paying for Bunny Scouts. It's such a cute show, but I worry they've been abandoned, or something. 3. Does anyone other than me still have a landline phone? And by having one, am I officially old? None of my friends under 30 have one anymore. It's like regular bath towels, just out of fashion, or something. 4. Do celebrity moms really find motherhood "perfectly overwhelming" and "just amazing" all the time, or do they have moments when they, too, want to tear their hair out? Also, does Jennifer Lopez REALLY have no help at all with her twins? And if so, how did she train for that triathalon? With a double stroller? 5. How many lip glosses and lipsticks should an average person have? Is there an actual number? I have a feeling that it is not fourteen, which is where I am at currently. I'm thinking it is in single digits, whatever it is. Uh-oh. 6. Will this blog ever become more high minded, covering politics and history and providing insightful commentary on world events? 7. Will my daughter ever learn to say "please," without having to be prompted to do so? Because I am beginning to sound like a serious broken record. Also, like my mother. Thanks for the patience, Mom. This one's for you: Please! 8. Will I ever finish another novel? I don't have the answers for these questions. Maybe I will next year. We'll see, I guess. Until then, I hope you all have a VERY safe and happy New Year's Eve, guilt-free, small-toweled, talking on your landline. Or, not. You know, whatever works for you. Have a great day, everyone! Okay, who am I kidding? We all know the answer to number 6 is a big fat NO. Just seeing if you were paying attention..... 69 comments|post comment

Ticking down to 2010.... [27 Dec 2009|05:43pm] writergrl It's Sunday night, and I'm updating because honestly, I need a few minutes to focus on something other than dealing with my cranky toddler. The holidays make everyone a little tense, I know, but it seems---just based on my own personal experience---to be especially overwhelming for two year olds. Suffice to say that I THINK she broke her record for whining today, clocking in at over a half hour straight. I had to take myself outside and count to ten, and I wish I could say it was the first time over this long holiday weekend. Honestly, I know I have said this before, but I don't know how you full time stay at home moms and dads do this. I will be so happy to see my sitter tomorrow afternoon that I may just burst into tears at the sight of her. Hopefully not, as it would probably scare her. But you get the idea. (I hesitated to even post the above paragraph, as I feel like it makes me look like a bad mom. It seems so effortless for a lot of people, or at least not this hard. But I look at parenting the way I do writing: I'm honest about how challenging it is for me. If it's not for you, I admire you greatly. And I wish I was you. But this is me, and I'm counting to ten, whether over whining or plotting frustrations. And that's okay. I hope.) Tantrums and meltdowns aside, it really WAS a great Christmas. We had good food and good times with all our families (except those who couldn't be around my sick husband and child: we hope to catch up with them when we are germ free, if and when that ever happens). My husband bought me a kick-ass pair of cowboy boots, so I can totally channel Tammi Taylor and Lyla Garrity, and I got some gift cards to hopefully put towards a new desktop for my office sometime soon. My daughter LOVED Christmas and we now have even more plastic stuff than before. The craziest thing, though, is that for all I (and everyone else) spent on her---tent, blocks, tons of books, play camera---her favorite toy of all was this five dollar plastic tentacle ball I got at Target. She's obsessed with it. Second best? A ninety-nine cent Slinky. Gotta love that. Now, there's four days until 2010 begins, so I'm thinking about my resolutions. First up: healthier living. Which means no popcorn or chips before bed, and trying to cut back on the desserts and maybe the red wine. (Note: I said MAYBE.) Also, I want to do more for my dogs, who I feel have been neglected for the past two years. Just more walks, more cuddle time, more pats on the head, that kind of thing. I also want to try and spend more time with my girlfriends, because every time I do I feel SO much better about everything. It's like a tonic, I swear, and I just need to make the effort to try to set things up more often, even if does mean sitters or NASA-level scheduling. What else? I want to stop sighing loudly so much (my husband tells me I do this constantly) and maybe lose that last seven pounds of my pregnancy weight I'm still carrying around. Oh, and I'd really like to see at least five movies, in the theater, with popcorn, this year. Which would be five more than I have in the last twelve months. That's the start of my list, anyway. I've learned not to make resolutions that are too hard to do....which is probably why that six pounds won't make the final list. I guess my resolution, as always, is really just to try and be a better person all around. That's just vague enough to work. Not specific enough? Okay, I'll try to floss more and curse less. Done! Have a great evening, everyone! 26 comments|post comment

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