On Your Mark...

I DID IT! I finished my 8K Thanksgiving Day Race!!

It was actually really, really fun. I was smiling the entire time. For once, I knew I had trained enough. I knew I could run that far. I knew I was on pace. I knew what I was doing, and it felt great!

You know what else felt great? To see the people in front of me drop out and know that I wasn't going to be one of them this year. And! Walking back to my car with my free bagel and orange slices while people were still trying to finish. Now THAT felt great.

Thanks for the patience! Monday, I will be back to blogging with a vengeance.

Anybody want to start marathon training with me?

Charmed, I'm Sure

I just got the best note from one of my favorite writers, Nancy Rue.

Her first book, Row This Boat Ashore, (I was thirteen) made me fall in love with reading. This book was the lightning bolt that happens when you find that other person in the universe who understands exactly who you are!

Happy sigh...

This writing charming notes to my favorite writers thing turned out to be GREAT idea. I highly recommend it!

Hope ya'll had a great Thanksgiving!

AAAACCCCHOOOOO!!!

Sniffle.

I am sick.

I'm also looking for your surefire cold remedies! Suggestions?

So far, everyone I know has said, "Zicam!"

I've also heard green tea, echinacea, chicken soup, hot showers, and tons of sleep.

For the record, I am trying all of these things simultaneously. Talented, I know.

I Wanna Be a Grown-Up!

I spent my whole life wanting to be a grown-up, actual adult.

I didn't really understand all the details about taxes, mortgages, and dirty diapers, but I was quite sure it would not be as bad as curfews, high school, and um, high school.

And you know what? I was right!

I love being a grown-up.

I love that I can eat cereal for dinner and no one can stop me. I love that I can listen to whatever I want in the car without anyone complaining about, "all that racket." I can listen to the news and have an opinion and know what's going on in the world and disagree!

And, I love having taxes, a mortgage, and dirty diapers, because I love all the things those mean: (a job, and a house, and a baby.)

This is much, much better than high school.

What's the best part of being a grown-up?

Books for Little People

It is that time of year again... the grandparents are asking for Christmas lists!

As an avid procrastinator and a anti-shopper, I am astounded that anyone starts this early. But since my "lists" are just names of books I want, I started thinking about books for the little people.

My current favorite is Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.

It is easy to memorize, so I can "read" it while multi-tasking. (Shhh! Don't tell!) And my little one, who doesn't understand much yet, loves the rhythm.

My other favorite is My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss.

It was illustrated beautifully, and it has such a lyrical ... everything. It teaches colors and names of emotions to little readers. It teaches poetry to big readers. It will always make my top ten list.

What about you? What are your favorite kid books?

Jango!

Can I tell you the best thing about teaching teenagers? They keep you YOUNG! I always know what "kids these days" are into.

For example, JANGO!

Jango is the best, personalized way to get new music. I made a radio station called "Damien Jurado," and it plays songs by him and people like him! Easy, breezy.

I think with fall winding down here (leaves almost gone, lots of rain) I have been sad and grumpy. Because I have been sad and grumpy (AND SORRY ABOUT THAT, YA'LL!), I've been listening to my sad slash angry songs by Damien Jurado, Elliot Smith, and Iron and Wine. Why do sad songs make me feel better?

If you made a personal radio station, who would be on it?

Every Town

"Every town
Has its ups and downs
Sometimes ups
Outnumber the downs
But not in Nottingham."

My town is so sad.

There was a wreck with a van full of our local college kids, and 12 people were seriously hurt.

Everyone is sad about the election (5 : 2 Republicans to Democrats).

The largest employer just laid off more than 250 people, and many of the others were cut to part-time.

Our college football team is having the worst year in decades.

It's a hard place to be right now.

Is that...?

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, people watched a television show called E.R. I was a rabid fan. I watched it every week no matter what. If anybody wanted to see me or talk to me on Thursday nights, I would be "busy, sorry." (After a while, the show fired all its writers, apparently, and just started having explosions. Honestly, I am surprised County General Hospital is still standing.)

I say all this to let you know that what happened next was earth shattering in importance.

The real reason I stopped watching E.R., besides the explosions, is because Mark died. He died! I cried actual tears over a TV character. I never cry. Never.

After this, I was in Chicago. I was on the top floor of my hotel hanging out by the pool. Guess who was standing right beside me!?! ANTHONY EDWARDS!

He was location scouting with a bunch of dudes who kept talking about the skyline and camera angles. I didn't say anything to him, and actually tried not to even look at him, but inside I was a giant puddle. I was also a little confused because the brain cancer that had just killed him didn't seem to be bothering him anymore.

Who else would get excited about seeing Anthony Edwards? No one.

I think it's so funny how we all have a different idea of who a celebrity is. We would all get excited about different people.

Ever had a famous person sighting? Was it a big deal to you?

Brain Freeze!

My brain has completely stopped working.

Has this happened to any of you?

I feel like I have thought about NOTHING for weeks and weeks. Perhaps part of it is the toddler in my house who keeps climbing on top of my dining room table. I am so busy chasing her around, that I haven't used the part of my mind that can hold a decent conversation with grownups, or remember where I put my car keys.

Another part of the problem was that I had stuff I didn't want to deal with, so I filled my life with hobbies and work and crazy activity. And now, I am dealing with the STUFF, but I've also got hobbies and work and crazy activity on top of everything! Word to the wise: just deal with the STUFF. It's much, much easier than avoiding it.

I had dinner with new friends tonight. One was a writer, and another was in a graduate program in English. It was so great to hang out with new friends, but I am so overwhelmed with jealousy! I really wished I could be in their shoes. Perhaps, "overwhelmed," is the wrong word. I just wish I was where they are, but I have a few years to go.

Here's to the future, much less frantic activity, and contentment with where I am!

Glutton for Punishment Department: I want to run an 8k on Thanksgiving. Anybody in?

History

No matter how you voted, history has been changed. Rounded a new corner, turned over a new leaf... I am running out of cliches!

Mostly, I am excited about how involved voters were this year. Everybody was so excited! I've never seen anything like it. Way to go us! Or, way to go U.S.!

The race wasn't nearly as close as I wanted. I wanted an excuse to stay up late and write! I had to stay up late and write without an election excuse.

Tired of politics?
Happy this election is over?
Want to say if your guy won or lost?

Junkie!

I love politics. I overuse the word, "love," but it just might be true in this case.

I will be staying up all night, keeping track with colored pencils, electoral college count maps, and my calculator.

You think I am kidding!

The coffee pot is ready. Believe it or not, in between all the yelling at George Stephanopoulos, I will also be getting some writing done.

But this poor character in my novel just might be spending the day voting. And be named George...Metropolis.

Go Vote! And watch the results with me!

Smurftastic!

Aren't you lucky I was smurfing by?

The DVD collection of the Smurfs was released earlier this year, and I have be reliving my childhood. I should add that this reminiscing also includes my parents grumbling in the background about communism, magic mushrooms, and witchcraft. But I digress...

Did you know that Smurfette was created by Gargamel? The one female Smurf was a creature of the evil warlock!! He created her so she could capture the Smurfs and lure them all back to his hovel.

She felt so guilty about trying to capture the Smurfs (because they were so nice to her), that she confessed everything. Papa Smurf used a spell and turned her into a REAL Smurf. But she was created as a brunette! The "good" spell turned her into a hottie with long, blond hair.

This is mind numbingly annoying! First, she was created by an evil wizard to bring down an empire. But, she failed because she was too nice. And then, she was made nice(er) by the good warlock who made her cute so we would all understand that cute equals good. On top of that, we've got this conundrum of hair dyers everywhere: blond, good; brunette, bad.

Why did our parents let us watch this?

I will be the first to admit, I really, really always (and forever) wanted to be Smurfette.