All These Things

This post is going to be a bit fragmented; a perfect counterpart to my mind as of late. I've been having great difficulty concentrating on any one thing the past month. I've tried to focus on what revisions need to be done for my sci-fi novel before NaNo, I wrote 15k of a new idea and dropped it, I've been cleaning and organizing our house like a madwoman, and I've recently picked up an old hobby again: crocheting.

It's interesting, crochet. There's no real documentation of anyone doing it until the 1800's. Can you believe that? As I'm sitting here, winding loop after loop of yarn around my hook, it really makes me wonder who came up with it? Evidently, no one really knows.

I'm not a great crocheter by any means, but I enjoy having something to do with my hands while we watch a movie or an entire disc of whatever TV show we're currently binging...

My one-day-will-be-sister-in-law's birthday is this Friday. She's Japanese, lives in Maryland with my brother-in-law, and I've only met her a few times. Kind of at a loss what to give her, so I decided, "hey, maybe I'll make something."

So I made these fingerless gloves. It was my first non-scarf project, and I'm pretty happy with the result. They took me about 8 hours total, I guess, plus a little extra time sewing them together & adding the buttons. Here's hoping she likes them.

This is the scarf I'm currently making for myself. 

Between all the cleaning and the crocheting and the cooking I've been doing, I'm kinda joking with myself that I'm "nesting" for NaNoWriMo. I can't concentrate on writing unless the house is clean and all the little chores are done, so I guess I'm getting a headstart on that.


I've been meaning to upload these pictures for a while. For those of you who've been following me from the beginning, you'll remember my on-going gardening saga. For those of you who are recently joined, just know that when we moved into this apartment, the garden space looked like this:

But after 6 months of hard labor and a lot of money, this is the garden's look as it's entering the decline:

It's been a lot of hard work, but worth every sweat drop (and trust me, there were enough to fill a lake).


So, am I the only one with Restless Brain Syndrome? And is everyone as excited as I am about finally pulling out my sweaters and boots?? 

Calling All Charlotte-ans.

At the end of this week, Evan and I are going on vacation!

A mini-vacation, but a holiday all the same. It'll be our first little trip together since June of last year, when we went to St. Augustine for a whirlwind 2 nights.

This year we're taking the weekend in North Carolina. So far our itinerary includes:

Friday

• Leave Georgia at ass-crack of dawn
• Drive through Spartanburg to Charlotte 
• Go here:

Where we'll enjoy a hard day of white water kayacking, zip-lines, rock walls, and more. We're really looking forward to it! 

Saturday

Attend the Carolina Renaissance Festival! 

This is the whole reason we're going this weekend--it's their Sci-Fi/Fantasy Literary Weekend. Only one author that I'm familiar with: Michael Stackpole. But I have a lot of hopes for it! It's been at least 12 years since I've been to a RenFest, and then it was in the middle of Georgia summer. I think fall is much more suitable for faires, don't you? 

Here's Where You Come In

Evan and I are going to be spending Saturday night and Sunday in Charlotte, but we don't know what else to do! If anyone's familiar with the Charlotte area, we'd be greatly obliged for suggestions! Preferably nothing too expensive, because as always, we're traveling on a budget (sigh). 

NaNo Nannering

The past week, I have really been getting into the NaNoWriMo spirit. Um, probably too much. Yesterday, I'm pretty sure I spent at least 4 hours on the forums. *shame*

But last year, NaNo really helped me out. It was the month before my wrist surgery, I was not at all used to the inactivity of being out of work, injured, and my husband gone for 12 hours a day.

Then NaNo rolled around, and not only did I suddenly have purpose every day, but I also had this enormous community of the like-minded right there with me. We laughed, we cried, we binged on too much food and too much tea/coffee, we updated our Facebook page way too often, we updated our wordcount every 10 words... It was fabulous.

Evan's extended family came into town for Thanksgiving on the 24th, so I had to be done by then, and by George I was! But then I was sad. And feeling withdrawals. I still lurked on the forums, but it just wasn't the same...

December was an extremely dark cloud; I had my surgery on the 8th and had my right arm cast at a 90-degree angle for 5 weeks. Try finishing your novel with one hand! I used the netbook, since the keyboard is so small, and I eventually gave up on proper punctuation or capitalization. And finally, I just gave up.

Anyway, of course I joined the happy Blogger world January 1st and after that, it's all history...

So NaNo means a lot to me. And I am so, SO thrilled to know so many more people doing it this year! My buddy list is wonderfully long, and I foresee many NaNo-related blog posts and Tweets to come. Can't wait!

This is the signature banner I made for this year. I'm actually writing the sequel to last year's novel, so it's technically the same banner...just a different date!


Anyone else been all over the forums? Got any good NaNo stories to share? Started outlining yet? 

Poetry SLAM

Last night, with husband, brother, and brother's girlfriend, I went to see Billy Collins, just like I said I would! And you thought I'd back out...

I'm so glad I went. My favorite thing about Collins is how he can be humorous and profound in the same line of poetry. Not a single word out of place. And the things he writes about...

He read some old stuff, read a poem from his "forthcoming" (the introductory speaker, Thomas Lux, who is also a wonderful poet, said that he thinks "forthcoming" is every author's favorite word) collection entitled Horoscopes for the Dead, and read some haiku, which might have been my favorite part.

At one point he thread three poems about dogs. One of them was my favorite poem of the night, entitled "The Revenant." As introduction to this poem, Collins talked about how when writing about dogs or pets that we care about, it's often very difficult to avoid sentimentality. So he wrote "The Revenant" in a direct tack against sentimentality, and it is wonderful. The speaker is a dog's ghost, and the first line is "I never liked you."
He said that he has always advised poetry students who are having a difficult time with a line or a stanza to bring a dog into the room, and they will find their way out of the difficulty.

Another funny poem towards the beginning was called "Oh My God." Collins introduced it as a poem about a speech tic that has infected our language; however, as he was contemplating this phrase, he came to realize that while he'd always thought that only verbs have past tense, he realized that this phrase does too, and it's "I was like, 'oh my god.'" Funny stuff, folks.

So. A very enjoyable evening. Even my husband liked it, and he's not into poetry at all. If you ever get the chance to see Billy Collins, go go GO! You won't regret it.

 My brother getting his book signed by the man himself.

 Hard to see, but that's Tom Lux giving the intro. 

Also hard to see, but that's Billy Collins after he first went up. 

Polls!

I have some random polls for you today, friends. Just go with it, okay?

So. Is the name "Payette" off-putting?

• Yes
• No

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

How would you pronounce it?

• "Pay" -ette, as in pay: give money to someone
• "Pie"-ette, as in: well, pie

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Do you reward yourself after a good writing stretch?

• Yes
• No

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Do you like candy corn?

• I eat it hand-over-fist
• Tastes like ass-crackers
• It makes me want to vomit
• Meh.

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Do you snack while writing?

• Sometimes
• Only when procrastinating
• Always
• Only when stressed
• Only if it's a really good snack. Like cheese.

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Which of these names do you like best?

• Julian
• Ander
• Bastien
• Cade

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Miscellany

Yesterday was Evan's (my husband) birthday. He turned 27.

Hard to believe that he was only 20 when we met. And I a blushing lass of 18...

I tried to find the very oldest picture of us, but it put the "awk" in awkward. Believe me.

This one is from our first year of dating. And yes, it's a picture of a picture; I don't actually have this one in digital format. We were in Carbondale, Illinois at a theatre conference.

*

Nextly, as you're reading this, I am patiently waiting while my kitty-babies get spayed and neutered and made immune to rabies. I'm killing the day in the BIG CITY!, probably at a bookstore. I'm actually writing this Saturday night, so who knows what the hell I'm actually doing while you're reading this. 

Anyway, my kitties will be pretty drugged up for the ride home. THAT should be fun...

*

Lastly! 

Tomorrow night, I'm going with my brother and friends to see THIS GUY:

This is Billy Collins. He was the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001-2003. 

I know what you're thinking: poetry reading is LAME! And probably BORING! 

But I assure you, Mr. Collins is not only wonderfully talented, but extremely hilarious. He's the number-one poet I want to see read (besides Robert Frost, but..you know), so I'm uber-excited about this. 

Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking. He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark that he barks every time they leave the house. They must switch him on on their way out. The neighbors' dog will not stop barking. I close all the windows in the house and put on a Beethoven symphony full blast but I can still hear him muffled under the music, barking, barking, barking, and now I can see him sitting in the orchestra, his head raised confidently as if Beethoven had included a part for barking dog. When the record finally ends he is still barking, sitting there in the oboe section barking, his eyes fixed on the conductor who is entreating him with his baton while the other musicians listen in respectful silence to the famous barking dog solo, that endless coda that first established Beethoven as an innovative genius.

Making it Official (photos)

This afternoon, I finally sacked up and approached my landlord about our foster kittens, who over the last 3 months have truly integrated themselves into our hearts. 

I'm a big wimp when it comes to any sort of confrontation, even friendly ones like asking for a raise or asking to defy your lease and keep not one, but TWO kittens. Who will become cats. Likely fat cats. 

But you know what? 

He said yes!! 

So, Evan and I are officially, finally pet owners. It's been 5 years since I had a pet I could call my own, and I've been missing it every day. 

Couldn't ask for sweeter intros into adult pet ownership!! 

 Did they really look like this?

 Magoo and Mack the first day we took them home.

Time flies! The kittens are now 14 weeks old and getting their neutering on Monday! But still super-cute.

 Since ^^this^^ picture was taken, I gave up on keeping them off my desk. Moved my golden pothos to the top of the wire rack and threaten them with death if they even look at it. They love my desk... *sigh*