Publish or Perish

Let Us Consider two pictures...

2012-01-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

Let us consider two pictures: me at 8 am and me at 6 pm. In the eight am picture, I am bright eyed and bushy-tailed...if a little perplexed to be so dressed up for a Monday. I love these boots, by the way. They add three inches to my short, short stature. Okay, fine. That makes me a whooping 5'3" in heels. But still. I'm ready to take the world by the tail and shove my fist through it.

On Movies

2012-01-28T20:43:00.004-05:00

So, my wonderful librarian friend, the Notorious L.A.V. has made this year to watch 1,000 great movies. I had asked her for recommendations and she responded by asking me what my favorite movies were. That's a bit tricky. There are my favorite movies and then there are the movies that make some sort of impression on me. So, deep breathe. I will try to list the movies that are either my

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:26:00.001-05:00

Happy new year, y'all! I hope it's a wonderful year for you, filled with wonderful things. :D

a library of dreams

2011-12-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

i dreamed of a library last night. my library. in the house that only comes to me at night. the tall victorian structure with many windows; the top floor being converted into one large bedroom, light and airy catching the sun and wind at all times. it is connected to a large bathroom with an even larger bath tub. and in these dreams, i am taking a bath, heedless of who can see through the

2012 Book Reading Challenge

2011-12-10T14:16:00.001-05:00

So, this year, I had made a pledge to myself to read 50 books. I am only halfway to that goal and there is no way that I'm reading 50 books by the end of this year. Oh, well. Such is. Perhaps I should have made my choices better...or read book reviews or the like. But I didn't. And that's probably my downfall. In case you were wondering here's what I read this year: Wings to the Kingdom

Writing Thought for the Day #1 - Writing for Myself

2011-11-21T20:10:00.001-05:00

So, I understand that writing is pretty much a lonely occupation. There are no coworkers - beta readers only read what you have written and cannot be there while you actually write. Now, bear with me. While I am writing this, Loki Emerson is beside me playing Skryim. He is with me but not writing with me. Writing is a solitary act, no matter where you are. You are writing in your head one

2011-11-09T17:17:00.000-05:00

*** Okay. I’ll bite. Day one: Write some basic facts about you. I am short. I am super introverted and shy (and no they aren’t the same thing.) I get carded all the time when I go into bars. I am an only child. I am, at times, a social chameleon. Day two: Favorite movies/bands/TV shows/books/video games Movies See, this is difficult. My favorite movies are mercurial. But let’s

Writing: part two

2011-09-25T16:41:00.000-04:00

So, the first official Murray Avenue Procrastination Society met yesterday. And after much shenanigans, the Notorious L.A.V. and I finally met at the 61C. We traded poems and stories and gave each other effective critiques. I handed her an old story called Lady Katherine and the Captain. Now, keep in mind that I didn't have the time to read this story before I handed it over to her. So, I

On Old Writing

2011-09-24T18:07:00.001-04:00

So, about two weeks ago, the ever-fabulous and ever Notorious L.A.V. decided that we were going to create a writing group. Specifically called the Murray Avenue Procrastination Society. And tonight is our first official meeting.... Well, we've been perhaps been meeting just not under the official Society name. Anyway, for tonight's first meeting we decided to bring our latest piece that we're

A Musical Memory

2011-09-20T20:13:00.000-04:00

For M & M: I don't know why we were Downtown, but we were on our way back to our dorms in Oakland. It was night and the both of you were tired and ended up leaning your heads against my shoulders. And for some weird reason I begin singing this song to the both of you...whether or not you asked for it or not, I don't remember. But I clearly remember singing it and feeling the both of you

On Attention, Lonliness and Just Being Plain Out of Sorts

2011-08-16T23:30:00.004-04:00

I actually don't need a whole lot of attention in my regular non-Internet life. That's just not how I function. I'm an introvert by nature and I'm fine with this. I'm also shy - which is not to say that being shy and being introverted go hand in hand. They are often used together, but one is not the same as the other. Being introverted means that a person gets energy from being quiet,

On Writing...or Creation

2011-08-16T20:07:00.028-04:00

I've been doing a great deal of writing - not here, mind you. Never here. Whatever I write here story wise is all my own creation...which gives you a little insight into the other writing that I'm doing. And yes, I feel a little...weird writing fanfiction but yes, I guess, at least it's writing. But I have made improvements on writing straight up fiction. Like what? Like getting someone to

Books

2011-08-07T20:53:00.005-04:00

Today's conversation regarding books:Loki: I know that I am a traitor, but I predict that within a year to a year and a half I will own either a Kindle or a Nook.*pause**blink* *blink*Me: I'm not buying it for you. Loki: I understand, but within our area there's only one bookstore. I am too stunned to remind him that there are still libraries within the area.This does not make me happy.

Lost Songs and Dreams

2011-07-07T18:00:00.000-04:00

I woke up to a song that I didn't recognize, playing in my head. I wonder if it's real. My subconscious tells me that it should be a Billie Holiday song. It has that feel to it. Something jazzy, something bluesy. But most definitely something happy. The impressions from my dream are, of course, sepia toned, with a lovely woman who may or may not have been wearing a white flower in her hair.

An Interlude

2011-07-06T22:47:00.002-04:00

She went to sleep thinking about an Irishman that she would never meet and awoke an hour and a half later feeling heavier, disoriented and just plain groggy. The headache had gone only to be replaced by an ache. An ache that she could not describe. She felt it in her bones and in her heart. She could have shrugged it off, gotten up ad fixed herself something to eat.but there was.something...

Current Crushes

2011-07-06T12:34:00.000-04:00

In no order: Salon picked their own sexiest man in 2008. And I have to agree. Those idiots are cancelling his show. Watch new episodes before they pull it. *sigh* I'm a sucker for a Scotsman. Plus, one who can do an American accent. I'm actually surprised that they haven't cancelled his show. Though, now that I've said that I'm hoping that the universe doesn't "surprise me" with cancelling

Hmm...

2011-07-04T22:34:00.001-04:00

I have a feeling that I accidentally hit publish for that last post instead if delete. Anyway, that project has been shelved for the time being. I realized that her creative endeavors should be projected towards the plays she wants to write. Whig is fine, but she still has a hard time calling herself a "playwright." I say, it doesn't matter what you call yourself, as long as you _do_it._ I'm

Happy Fourth of July...

2011-07-04T22:28:00.001-04:00

or let's watch our poor dog freak out. As usual, the weekend, even with an extra day went by in a blur. I am not happy about this bit just, ay least it's a four day weekend, right? Anyway, just a short little post from me.

Tired, Tired, Tired

2011-07-03T22:05:00.001-04:00

Wow. Loki and I just got back from taking a day trip from Columbus, Ohio. And while I like driving and exploring a new city, it's lovely to come home and just veg out...as evidenced, hopefully, by the picture.

Elvis Costello

2011-06-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

The Notorious LAV and I went to the Elvis Costello show on June 16th. Here's the set list from his his website. By the way, it was an amazing show. And no, I don't have pictures. I have my memories, a t-shirt and five guitar picks. :) Elvis Costello & The Imposters Pittsburgh June 16th , 2011 Overture - featuring the former Mother Superior of Our Lady of Perpetual Torment, Dixie De La

Summer Things

2011-06-27T20:57:00.000-04:00

I took today off for a doctor's appointment. Not mine but my presence was extremely necessary just for the instant love and comfort that I offer. All is good and will continue to be better. We found some things out and totally dispelled some prior fears, though further tests will be conducted and the addiction of a multi-vitamin has been added. I cannot write the funniest part of this

squee !!!

2011-06-01T18:22:00.001-04:00

I have a very good friend who's chock full of awesome ideas. And one of her ideas I nearly had a fit over. And while most of the time I worry about inserting myself into other people's projects, the Queen of Cups was absolutely thrilled at my obvious glee about her writing projects. Things won't get into gear until July when her (paying) project is over with but once it does things should be

2011-05-25T22:54:00.000-04:00

Ultimately, I can't write "ambiguously." So, while I admire her writing and her blog, I just can't do it. Being the reticent girl in my real non-internet life, I almost feel compelled to throw up (figuratively speaking, of course) my thoughts...as unvarnished as they are. If something is bothering me, I'll probably type up my thoughts...and never speak of them again in real life. I am

On the Rationality of Writing

2011-05-17T07:11:00.000-04:00

I have a book about writing that I pick up from time to time to get the creative energy flowing (The Daily Writer by Fred White, if you're interested) and sometimes (most times) I just jam on what the meditation/prompt is for the day. May 8th was about observing behavior. It prompted this post that I didn't actually publish until yesterday. And no, I didn't do any polishing while I was typing

Three Prompts and What Resulted

2011-05-16T22:05:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I really need to get back to writing. But slowly and surely, I'll make my way there. I don't remember where I get these prompts but these three interested me. So, here's the prompts and what followed (unedited). 1. Clarence was too scared to jump off the high dive. 2. Louise's mother scolded fer for staying out so late. 3. The children were playing happily in the park until the

Updates and the Such

2011-05-03T22:50:00.000-04:00

It's my Loki's birthday. :) Happy birthday, my dearest! I love you! *** It's been (what feels like) non-stop here in the P-G-H. Loki said it was appropriate for his birthday. To which I told him, shut up. It doesn't matter what the weather is as long as we're together. The saying should now go: "there's nothing certain in life except death, taxes and rain in Pittsburgh." It's almost

Where to Go?

2011-04-17T18:36:00.000-04:00

For Loki's birthday he told me that he wants me to plan a vacation. No problem...once I choose the place, of course. So, in my list are these cities: Chicago Washington, DC Rehoboth Beach, DE Louisville, KY Outer Banks, NC Savannah, GA Toronto New York City Philadelphia Boston I'm leaning more towards some where I can walk on the beach and smell the sea air. But then again, I'm not really

Drama and Karma Bombs

2011-04-14T17:29:00.000-04:00

No, not another whiny post about my relationship with my parents. Just a whiny post about taking minutes in a meeting and having half my day spent in here. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. There has been drama in my life lately and I have been naive in thinking that I had left that behind in my twenties. Oh, how wrong I was. Sometimes, (most times) Loki and I have been caught in the effects

sigh

2011-04-06T21:51:00.000-04:00

I'm never a teary fucking mess...unless it is after I talk to "them." "They" will be become more apparent the further I write this post, by the way. Anyway, I don't think I ever had the easiest relationship with them. Perhaps when I was young but certainly not now. I mean, I love them, but they have never felt like friends to me. I will always know that my choices in life will have never

2011-03-16T22:08:00.000-04:00

Somewhere, deep down, I have locked up a lot of anger and resentment that seems to want to come out during the stressful times. You know, those times when my concentration is located elsewhere instead of that deep dark well where the vitriol festers. And when the vitriol decides it must come out, it manifests as tight shoulders, constant headaches and a very, very, very sharp tongue. I do not

Two Descriptions

2011-03-01T21:37:00.001-05:00

I snagged this prompt from over at Tumblr, but I can't find the specific prompt. Anyway, the prompt is to describe your own face (I used my web cam in place of a mirror) in two different ways: one flattering and the other not so flattering. I find it interesting/sad/whatever that I could describe myself more in the not so flattering way. I have alway known what my foibles are and the places

On Snow and Dogs

2011-02-21T22:36:00.000-05:00

You'd think snow was the *most awful thing ever.* And while I may be tired of the snow, I don't think it's the *most awful thing ever.* Levi, the dog, must have been feeling cooped up today because before our neighbor could put the leash on him, he went bounding off into the snow. And all we could do was stare at him in disbelief before donning our shoes, gloves, hats, scarves and coats and

Writing Interlude

2011-02-15T22:09:00.000-05:00

...the writing prompt... The lone wolf was a stranger to heartbreak. He did not know that what he was experiencing was the complete and utter devastation of losing his first (and quite possibly) his only love. As he watched the life blood drain out of her body, he barely registered the approach of the rest of the pack. He heard their low warning growls but did nothing but stare at rapidly

On Fear

2011-02-14T22:45:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've ever talked about any of my fears (besides my shyness problem, but I presume that everyone gets nervous about new situations and new people), but the fear that causes you to reassess certain things because these certain fears might be confronted. And well, that just can't happen. Anyway, several fears of mine: Complete and utter darkness. I mean the kind of darkness where

The Ever Changing Five

2011-01-31T22:52:00.000-05:00

Hines Ward James McAvoy Ewan McGregor Paul Rudd Jude Law That's it.

2011-01-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

Man, I don't know how people put up with my bull sh*t. I mean honestly. I've got to give those people in my real non-internet life a lot of credit. If I were them and met me, I would walk away from my moody crap. No one deserves to put up (sometimes on a daily basis) with me. That's all.

Writing Interlude

2011-01-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

...a work of fiction... I dreamed of the moon again. Low, plump and just out of reach in the inky dark sky. I rose up to meet her, but she kept running away from me. I ran faster and faster after the moon; dodging trees and leaping over creeks. I tried to get to the highest point I could think of, but she kept alluding me, teasing me until I could do no more but lift my nose up into the air

Writing Interlude

2011-01-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

a work of fiction... The snow settled in pretty quickly and silently, muffling all sound that it touched upon. The houses were beginning to droop from the weight of the wet snow, but still nothing collapsed. Everything sighed heavily, waiting for the snow to finish falling. There was no use in clearing roads or sidewalks; the snow would just cover it up again. Swiftly, swiftly, the snow

On Winter

2011-01-18T19:22:00.000-05:00

I don't mind winter. No, really I don't. I like how fresh fallen snow (temporarily) makes everything pristine. I like how it dampens the sound outside. I like the fleeting peace it brings. And while winter is not my favorite season (that would be autumn), I don't mind it. However, I do mind sheets of ice. I do mind how treacherous my street was this morning. I don't like how I worried for

No, No I Don't

2011-01-12T22:35:00.000-05:00

No, no I don't want to be your Girl Friday. I don't want to be your side kick. I don't want to clean up after you. I don't want to straighten up after I get home from work. I don't want to turn off the lights, shut off the TV and turn off the heater. I don't want to get you something to drink because I just sat down. I don't want to have to shut my door to hear myself think. I don't want

Writing Interlude

2011-01-11T21:17:00.000-05:00

Obviously, just a work of fiction. The music rolled around in her head, sweeping and swooping through the beats of the song that was on her iPod. Next to her was her favorite teddy bear, all squishy, plump and ready to be squeezed. The girl shut her eyes in pain as another wave of blinding nausea swept through her. The girl laid down on her bed, messily fixed and getting messier by the minute

hmmm

2011-01-11T19:12:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, when reading things online I feel like I've just been sucker punched. I mean hard. Should people truly be airing out their dirty laundry on the internets? You know this stuff stays up forever. Ever the crappy stuff I've written will be floating around somewhere on the way back machine. *sigh* Maybe, I'm just more reticent about things than others are. No, I take that back. I

2011-01-09T21:36:00.000-05:00

I've got nothing today. Nothing. Sorry. :)

Writing Interlude

2011-01-08T17:14:00.000-05:00

Obviously, a work of fiction. Trudging through the snow my foot caught on a covered tree root. I tripped and fell, only catching myself hard on my hands and knees. Behind me, I heard something howl. I shivered and pulled my cloak tighter around me as if simple cloth would serve as protection for whatever was tracking me through the woods. I got back up and straightened my skirts, ignoring

Just Be

2011-01-04T23:07:00.000-05:00

Since I graduated from grad school I have a role in my life that seems to be begging for me to fill. But what should I "be?" I could be the writer again. I could be the amateur photographer. I could be the amateur bookbinder. But I could just be. Seriously, just be. It's something I struggle to do and I happen to know that many of us have a hard time also just trying to "just be." It's

2011-01-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

This is definitely not how I envisioned starting 2011; too sick to do anything normal and feeling the need to be tethered to the bathroom. The nearly 24 hours of sleep I got yesterday was not restful and in fact only served to make my back hurt. I need desperately to rest, but yet here I am. *sigh* Okay, enough from me. I'm going back to my bedroom.

Writing Interlude

2011-01-02T01:31:00.000-05:00

Obviously, this is a work of fiction. I did not think that anything would be left from the devastating fire. It had all happened so damn fast that we, obviously, could not take what we wanted from the old huge house. My memories from that awful evening were a jumbled mess of fire, smoke, terror and the overwhelming feeling of death; the death of a life yet to live and the death of something

Day One

2011-01-01T15:38:00.000-05:00

So, in preparing to write something for a year, I decided to skim the only book that I would read time and time again about writing. On Writing by Stephen King. Why this book? Why this author? I have no (easy) answers for you. Back when I was writing more often than I do now, I considered my muse to be some sort of weird dark menacing mass that pushed me to write...darker stuff. Perhaps,

2011: The Year of the Writer

2010-12-26T01:43:00.044-05:00

Yes, I know that the current year still has a week left in it. But truthfully, 2010 needs to be kicked where it hurts. I've heard too many tragic and sad stories from friends and family and quite frankly, I'd like all of us to have a reboot in the new year. And while the year of the tiger is not officially over until February 2, 2011 wherein the year of the rabbit is ushered in. I would

On the General State of my Life

2010-12-25T15:28:00.000-05:00

Hello. I'm sure there's like...two of you who regularly read and still comment on this little blog. My heyday - if I ever had one - has long past. But what exactly does that mean? Does that mean that I'm hanging up my blogging robes. No, not really. But my real non-internet life has firmly taken hold of me again. And really, this is as it should be. Yes, I have a freaking twitter,

...sometimes....

2010-12-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

I love them, but sometimes, just sometimes I want to kick them all to the curb. They are very cute and cuddly but today, I just want to kick them to the curb. I'm not even a parent and I can't even imagine what a parent must go through each and every day. I know, I know, I have no right to complain but I just needed to unload.

Cue Rocky Theme Music

2010-12-06T22:42:00.000-05:00

So, today, was my final presentation for grad school. It was a culmination of two years of hard work. And I am soooo glad that it's over. Anyway, listed below is the outline of my presentation: The Many Lenses of Paperback Writer Act I: The Mask· Before the programo Lack of self-confidence

Publish or Perish

Let Us Consider two pictures...

On Movies

Happy New Year

a library of dreams

2012 Book Reading Challenge

Writing Thought for the Day #1 - Writing for Myself

Writing: part two

On Old Writing

A Musical Memory

On Attention, Lonliness and Just Being Plain Out of Sorts

On Writing...or Creation

Books

Lost Songs and Dreams

An Interlude

Current Crushes

Hmm...

Happy Fourth of July...

Tired, Tired, Tired

Elvis Costello

Summer Things

*squee* !!!

On the Rationality of Writing

Three Prompts and What Resulted

Updates and the Such

Where to Go?

Drama and Karma Bombs

*sigh*

Two Descriptions

On Snow and Dogs

Writing Interlude

On Fear

The Ever Changing Five

Writing Interlude

Writing Interlude

On Winter

No, No I Don't

Writing Interlude

hmmm

Writing Interlude

Just Be

Writing Interlude

Day One

2011: The Year of the Writer

On the General State of my Life

...sometimes....

Cue Rocky Theme Music

squee !!!

sigh