Thursday, January 29, 2009

Word Count: 12,153

My eyes flew open at about 4:30 a.m., so I took that as a hint and got up to work on the novel, costuming myself as the very picture of a writer (I just had a great Freudian typo there: "writher"--it feels like torture sometimes!) in her garret: enveloped in the darkness before the dawn, wrapped in sweats, shawl, stocking cap, neck scarf against the morning chill. I need a pair of fingerless gloves to complete the outfit. Even the pets refused to comfort me, preferring their warm beds to my lap. Maybe they were just giving me my space, though Veronica is now up and "helping" me to blog this. So I unified my two versions of Chapter Four, and now I'm up to over 12K words. Woo!

Whatever. OK, time to get ready for work. (And that's already off to a good start today too--an interview with one of our conference speakers arrived in my inbox this morning, so I'll have a good, easy work blog to post today too, yay!)

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Question of Purpose

I'm picking a cerebral topic to write about quickly during my last hour here at the Applebox with Rebecca and M, so that the photo I posted last time will roll down a bit. (Why did I do that, anyway? So unflattering…) So I probably won't do the subject justice. But perhaps like me you're a bit weary of my "here's what I did recently" entries of late. I hope you won't be horrified at my indolent, heathen thoughts, though most of them seem to be questions rather than conclusions.

"What am I here for?" was a question fellow Pointy Pal Julia asked recently on her blog, a question she poses regularly in celebration of both her birthday and continued cancer remission. (I think it's a wonderful tradition to use one's birthday--or any other occasion--to ask big questions rather than to just celebrate mindlessly as I so often do. If I celebrate at all. That would be a good item to add that to my list of resolutions.)

So that of course got me to thinking a bit about what I'm here for, too. It seems to be entangled in the Is There a God and So Why *Don't* I Want Kids Anyway questions. (Children give you purpose, right? As does serving a Higher Power? Both result in some version of eternal life, so you can just stop worrying if you're following one or both of those paths, eh?) Mortality, as in fear thereof, also seems to be part of the equation. But I don't think I want to live forever, particularly since my body is on the downward slope. Um, even if I had the choice, which of course I don't. Those Charlaine Harris books I'm reading featuring vampires are giving me ideas, I think.

Is there anything wrong with *not* having a purpose? Isn't it OK to just be a fairly helpful, happy, respectful, grateful, loving person who does no harm? If I'm fine with not believing in God, does it mean I don't have to believe that a Purpose is necessary either?

But wouldn't having a purpose make me a happier person? I'm tending to think so. And just what is a purpose anyway? Seems like defining it is half the battle. And defining if it's necessary at all to even have a purpose. If my purpose is to knit lots of inconsequential things, for instance, or procrastinate bigtime on all writing projects of worth, I think my life is pretty well complete. Maybe just the awareness of wanting a purpose, or the process of searching for it is good enough, a qualifier for any rewards due for living uprightly. What if I could have a series of mini-purposes? I think I'd like that. Seems more attainable. Though maybe that's just letting myself off the introspection hook.

Anyway. Something to ponder.

In "here's what I did" news, cuz it's just such a habit: M and I took in a live theater performance last night: Doubt. Maybe it was the fact that the movie version is in theaters, but there weren't many people in the audience, despite the fact that it was only the second performance. I was sad for the actors--M and I agreed that it was really well performed. Nice set too. It was great to do something different for date night. Audience watching in the lobby was also amusing. Plans to see the Yves St. Laurent exhibit in the City have been postponed. Zumba class was better this week-- we just started asking the teacher questions and giving her "helpful" suggestions (me included) and it flustered her a little, but she tried, so I give her props. And I got a better workout. I've been most grateful for the recent rainfall, minimal though it is. I have proposed that M and I undertake some sort of culinary challenge this weekend. Perhaps mozzarella cheese making. Suggestions welcome.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

My Morning


Before makeup, even. See what I sacrifice for your amusement? That's how much I love you.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Weekend Activities Update


neck scarf
Originally uploaded by suzipaw
So I did pretty well with my to-do list:

Scarf finished? Check.

I've moved on to a new project, a head band/ear warmer for M, in time for the trip to NY.

Roses pruned? Check. So is the non-fruiting mulberry. It took M two days to do it. I did not help at all. He's so good to me.


Hiked? Check.

Novel worked on? Check. Word count? (You may remember that I barely broke into five figures at the end of NaNoWriMo.) Over 11,000. I don't have an exact word count because I'm having version control issues and just found two chapter fours! I thought I had worked on it but couldn't find the changes so chalked it up to going crazy, déjà vu, or something along those lines, but it turns out I'm merely disorganized.

Tomorrow is the inauguration and we're bringing a TV into the office so people who want to can watch and work at the same time. That will be a nice change of pace. I should bring in doughnuts or something.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Party On


So it was a fabulous shindig last night. I danced a little. M danced with me! We stayed up late. I had a bit too much champagne and mead, though not enough to attempt karaoke, so I'm a bit foggy today. The only part I did not enjoy was some chick hitting on my husband, but I suspect he does not share my disapprobation.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Deep Breathing

So it was a tough day at work yesterday: a number of people were laid off, many of them friends. I know there are worse things and life goes on, but it's sad. I'm relieved that I still have a job--at least for now.

I also got some news late in the day that affects my travel to NY, shortening my time there. M still wants to go, so we have to figure out where to stay for a couple of nights, and if I can have two days off to fly out with him. In some ways, it's good, since it might work out that we'll have more time together in NY rather than just my the day off I had with the previous schedule. We'll see.

In other more mundane news, I took my first zumba class this morning in the gym. I got frustrated. The teacher is a lovely, enthusiastic young gal and fun to watch, but not much of a teacher. I don't know a samba from a merengue from a calypso and she didn't do much to help other than say very quietly, "Now this! Turn!" and other vague commands. I may try to talk to her next week and ask for help. I really want/need a Friday morning class.

The masquerade party is tonight, hope to have some fun pictures to post soon. And it's a three-day weekend. Rosebush pruning, novel writing, finishing the scarf, maybe a walk on the Marin headlands with friends is on the agenda. Do you have plans?

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Slow Trains of Thought

I'm not really finding any story threads in my life to blog about lately, so here's what's happening, not necessarily in any particular order:

I caught the bug and was sick most of last week. Blew away my triumphant return to the gym. Worked from home a couple of days mid-week. Feeling better now, but it made the return to the office from vacation a little harder. Once more into the gym tomorrow.

Still no change in M's professional situation. But we are both still grateful that he's not studying for the Bar again. I'm really enjoying spending weekends and evenings with him.

His birthday was Friday. He reports that he had a pleasant day. I took him out to dinner at the Starlight Café, and it turned out to be a good choice.

For his birthday/Christmas gift (the Bluetooth earpiece Santa brought for his iPhone just wasn't working out), I bought him a plane ticket to New York. I'll be there February 2-12, though working most of the time; he'll be in town February 5-10. Not working.

After a novel free vacation, I'm now reading Dead Until Dark, the first book in the HBO series TrueBlood is based on. It's pretty funny. Romance, mystery, and horror/paranormal--how many genres can you stuff into one book? Apparently, many. I'm glad to be reading again.

I'm sitting in a local coffee shop with M. How pleasant. I did a little work, blogged this, and now turn to the purpose of my time here: returning to work on the romance novel, even if it's just for a paragraph or two.

Finally, some shout-outs to some friends, family, fellow bloggers:

  • Rebecca is getting ready to donate a kidney next month to a work friend. Wow.

  • My cousin Jim's pug is a gifted and prolific blogger, check it out.

  • Julia and her hubby are starting a non-profit focusing on locavoring and reusing/recycling, CopiaShare.

  • Pal Kerry is documenting her trip through India in beautiful detail (unfortunately, she's not getting down to Chennai).

  • Happy Birthday, Jay! Hope you had a great weekend in Reno.

  • Oh, and the weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately. Sorry all you Northerners. We'll pay for it with another dry summer, though…

    Monday, January 05, 2009

    New Year Is Here


    fetch
    Originally uploaded by suzipaw
    Just exactly how much time can I spend lounging on a sofa in front of a blazing fire? Quite a bit, as it turns out. A wonderful walk on Sea Dune beach on New Year's Day was about the most strenuous thing M and I did while up on the coast with Mom and Don. Well, there was a lot of eating and drinking to do. Even reading seemed to be just too much--running the clicker between Food TV and CSI Special Victims Unit was about all I could manage. Ahh.

    M did get sick, so we stayed in and organized a bit around the house and I eased back into work stuff for the last two days of the long holiday vacation. I'm feeling a little tickle in my throat now, hope it doesn't get worse.

    Back at the gym and office today--it was a long day, but I was actually sorta glad to get back to the routine.