100th Post

I had good intentions yesterday when I promised something good for today. Great intentions. Problem is I haven't been able to think of anything 100th post worthy. Typically my ideas come from something that's happened during the day or something just pops into my head.

I'm still very excited about the car and even drove it for the first time today, but that's not very exciting to you anymore. My migraine is gone but they usually do go away, so nothing to write home about, lol.

While catching up on my mending I tried to find a correlation between the steady, forward motion of the thread and life in general. How we may stray off course now and then but in the grand scheme of things we'll still end up where we're destined to be. You patch up the hole and keep weaving.

That didn't really jump out at me either, so I've decided to take this moment to look back at where I am with my writing.

I finished my first draft, conclusion and everything, and sent it out to a couple friends. Last I checked they're at about the same point so I'm trying to contain myself until they get further. Their thoughts mean a lot to me and I can't wait to incorporate their suggestions. When I sent it out I told myself I wouldn't touch it until it's returned to me. It's been tough, and some better ideas have floated around, but I'm finally reaching that point where I feel detached from my work. This is important if I ever want to look at it with my own critical eye.

I started my next project the week before my parents arrived but haven't gone back to it yet. I'm getting hung up on technicalities and it's starting to piss me off. I have a new journal I'd decided to use for this project but when the ideas first came I wrote them in my everyday journal. My plan is to copy those couple pages into the new book and really get started.

Sounds fun, right? That's why I haven't done it yet. I've caught up with some other mundane things around the house so I'm almost out of excuses. Plus, by rewriting what I already have it should spark some more ideas. It's a different format for me so this is all new territory.

Here's to hoping the next 100 posts will find me with that MS out with friends.

Migraine Day

It seems like just yesterday that I had a migraine. Well, it was yesterday but the full effects didn't hit till later in the day. Then I woke up every hour overnight, yay.

Once again I've got a drill bit stuck inside my right ear. The neighbors are keeping up their end of the deal by blasting music and operating heavy machinery. I've managed to get a few things done around the house but sitting at the computer for any length of time just isn't going to happen.

This is post #99 so I'll try to think of something good for tomorrow. Enjoy your Sunday!

A Car AND Karaoke

Yesterday a friend came over and when we were getting ready to walk downtown, Ibis said something magical.

"Do you want a ride?"

The car works! The AC is still all wonky but sitting on cushy leather beats walking through dusty streets any day of the week.

We spent the evening with separate friends but met up in time for him to drive us all back to my friend's beautiful home in the hills. We only planned to stay a few minutes - long enough for Ibis to get a tour - but then someone said my other magical word: Karaoke.

An hour later I was belting out a deeply profound song that really moved the crowd (Avril Lavinge's Girlfriend) when I was told the karaoke was getting old and it was time to put on some real music. Emphasis not mine.

"Just one more!" I exclaimed. They have several karaoke cds and I was overwhelmed with the selection. My last brush with onscreen lyrics was in Spanish, and the time before that I was under pressure in Rock Star. Last night everyone was sitting on the patio just beyond my field of vision, so I could pretend I was in my recording studio without an audience.

I found a song I like and called Ibis in for our last duet. Justin Timberlake's What Goes Around. Poor Britney. Anyway, we did our thing and finally put our hosts out of their misery. Hopefully they'll invite us back before next year, although I'm sure the karaoke machine will be mysteriously broken when we return.

We Almost Have Wheels

Last week we had a new alternator put in our car. We charged the battery and let it run for close to half an hour. Then we let it sit there. After my parents left Ibis went to start her up and she was dead again.

Today the mechanic came back out and promises it's good again, but we'll see. I've gotten so used to walking everywhere the idea of actually driving seems a little foreign. Ironic since everything here is foreign.

Anyway, tonight I'm going out for the first time without my husband! I know I shouldn't sound so excited but it's been almost a year. He might meet up with us later but either way I'm happy to have something resembling a social life.

Have a great day!

Se Habla Español

I've mentioned before that my Spanish is slowly improving. Strange that the more you go out and interact with people, the more you speak the language. Since I first arrived almost a year ago I've understood more than I speak. Entiendo mas que hablo, as I seem to say on almost a daily basis.

Several times in the past couple weeks locals have stopped me, surprised by how well I speak. Just yesterday the guy behind the counter where I bought bread and yogurt said he thought I was just another guera, but that I speak very well. I answered that I'm from Chicago but live here with my husband. Soy de Chicago pero vivo aqui con mi esposo.

Now, I say that particular phrase A LOT so it rolls off my tongue rather quickly, further impressing whomever it is I'm speaking with. I have several "canned" phrases that I use quite frequently and I'm sure that helps add to the effect. That's fine with me, I enjoy being treated like a local.

That being said, every now and then I encounter someone that I just cannot understand. Through no fault of their own; they speak very clearly and I hear the words they're saying, but I can't get the meaning. The day my mother lost her wallet there was a man hellbent on getting me to understand something and all I could think was, "Why does he keep talking about the highway? Her wallet's not on the highway."

My problem?

carretera = highway
cartera = wallet

Because I can rattle off a few words I fell into the trap common with people trying to speak a second language: I was too convincing.

I smiled and said sí, implying I understood, then ran off to tell Ibis about the crazy man telling me to look for the wallet on the highway.

Page 123

Janna has tagged me again. I still have another tag floating around in my comments from last week but I'm not sure if I'll make it there.

This meme instructs me to do the following:

1) Pick up the book nearest you
2) Open to page 123
3) Find the 5th sentence
4) Post the following 3 sentences
5) Tag five others

My bookshelf is on the wall four inches above my computer (I think you can see it in the iMac post) so I have plenty to choose from. Because I think this meme is fun, I'm going to do the first book that caught my eye AND the book I'm reading (but is in the other room).

The first book I saw (because it's hot pink):
Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats; A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Page 123 (from the recipe for Steaks with Two Tapenades, Arugula Salad, and Crusty Bread):

"Drizzle the steaks with EVOO and season with salt and pepper on both sides. When the skillet is screaming hot, cook the steaks for 2 minutes on each side for rare, 3 on each side for medium rare, 4 minutes on each side for medium to medium well. Let the meat stand for 5 to 10 minutes for the juices to redistribute in the meat."



Now for the book I'm reading, The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

Page 123:

Ahh! Page 123 is blank! I kid you not, it's the start of a new section. I'll use page 125 instead.

"Don't worry," Miss Throckmorton replied. "We'll take good care of him."

Miss Throckmorton was young, just out of school, dark-haired and wiry and enthusiastic.

I must comment about those three sentences. Miss Throckmorton is not mentioned again in the book and I paused at her name when I first read it. I wondered about the author and how she came up with that name. My thought is she must know someone with a similar name or have some interesting way in which she came up with it, because it's just so odd. I puzzled over it for a few minutes, never imagining I'd end up typing it three times*.

I also noticed the structure of the third sentence. I'm not a fan of multiple "ands' within a sentence, I'd much rather use commas. That's just me and my style, but that also gave me pause. How strange that those three sentences were the ones randomly chosen by an online meme.

Hmm...

That's all for now. How many of you are planning on steak for dinner?


*now four times because I just had to add it in my tags.

Oh, and EVOO is extra-virgin olive oil.

Ack! I forgot to tag people. Let's see... I'm just going to tag Jenna because she's reading Stephen King's On Writing and I know she wants to post more. :)

Two Second Post

I'm heading out the door to hang out with a friend at her pool (I have a friend!) and wasn't going to post till tonight, but then it occurred to me someone might think I was in that earthquake.

Nope. All is well here. Still sunny and beautiful. :)

Hasta mañana.