Melonade

And now, for some ramblings:

For those of you who are wondering, the iPod nano lived up to all my expectations. Upon a friend's suggestion, I take it to work every day, hook it up to my speakers, and have a very musical time while doing not-so-musical things (thanks, Blake). And while I always had music around, via the internet, or the cd player stashed under my desk, or the voices in my head, the iPod makes music selection much easier than any of my former methods.

Speaking of Mr. Blackwell, I think he should be today's GSA recipient. Not only did he get a job, but he's also downright enthusiastic about books, and that always deserves a gold star.

It's safe to say that I have no clue who reads this thing anymore. If you're feeling brave, or bored, or just plain feisty, go ahead and leave a comment. I promise not to stalk you or sell your information to the kid plotting world domination from his basement hovel.

For those of you who have befriended me lately, I blame you all for my lack of writing. Seriously, how's a girl supposed to finish her novel if she keeps getting invited to socialize with interesting people? That's not fair at all. I've turned into a serial socializer, and I don't know how to stop it. Pretty soon my couch will feel so neglected that it will look for a new home.

Okay, enough ramblings. Enjoy your weekend.

I considered posting another installation of "Something Senseless" today, but it turned out that I had something else spinning in my brain, so it's here instead. For those of you who are deeply disappointed that you won't be able to hear any random tidbits of my life today, I apologize. Better luck next time.

I've been seeing lots of news on the new iPod nano, and I've got to admit that I am intrigued with a lowercase "i". How can you not be impressed when they put the iPod next to a pencil? Unless that is one dang thick writing utensil, the iPod is impressively tiny (and as you know, miniature electronics are always cuter than their bulkier counterparts).

So I'm thinking to myself, wouldn't it be great to have one of those cute iPods sitting next to my iBook on the kitchen table while I edit my manuscript? Wouldn't it be fantastic to carry the little guy to B&N to drown out the annoying conversations of the teenage girls at the next table? Wouldn't it be fabulous to pick any DMB song on a whim while sitting by the lake?

You bet it would.

Wait, it gets better.

OKC is finally getting its own Apple Store, and the grand opening is tomorrow. I got so excited that for a few minutes I forgot that I have a previous engagement tomorrow morning.

Apparently I'm becoming fascinated with technology, because last week I got a weird craving for TiVo and even looked into it on the web (but I don't have a land line, so that's out). I'd probably just use it for Good Eats, anyway.

Unless something/someone talks me out of it, by this time tomorrow my iBook might have a baby brother.

Enjoy your day.

Change is good.

"I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth. God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth." (Genesis 9:11-13 NAS)

With Katrina still fresh in our minds and our southern neighbors preparing for Rita, this verse has been in my head a lot lately. I don't know about you, but I take a lot of comfort from it.

Between Friday morning and Sunday afternoon, I got nine hours of sleep. I'm strangely proud of my sleeplessness because I thought I'd reached a point in my life where I couldn't stay awake until 4 a.m. and then wake up at 8 a.m.

The retreat was much better than I imagined. More on that later, I'm sure.

It's Thursday, and that usually means B&N night. I try my best to pack up the survival bag (including jacket, because B&N is always colder than most icebergs) and find a relatively quiet corner so I can put in three-four hours of editing. Sadly, there's one thing preventing my regular bookstore fix: a ridiculously large heap of laundry at the foot of my bed.

Tomorrow's the retreat, and I've got to pack tonight, which requires taking stock of my wardrobe and picking out the few choices pieces that can withstand two unpredictable days in the woods. I'm one of those "what if" packers who try to plan for every possible (and several impossible) event. I'm pretty sure that I got the trait from my mom, but only recently realized that I had followed in her footsteps. This time I'll try to leave the alien abduction kit at home.

I know I'm rambling. I've made my peace with it.

It looks like the end of the tunnel.

I still can't believe this has happened.

I think I'm finally okay with it.


My writing performance over the last week has been less than satisfactory. But this weekend that will change. I'm taking Friday off (thanks to enough overtime hours already built up) and this weekend is the Singles Retreat. Lots of friends, lots of fun, and lots of nature. And c'mon, it's nature, which is thick with inspiration, even if nature isn't a big theme in my book.

Speaking of nature, I hope you caught the show last night.



P.S.- Today's Gold Star Award goes to Mandy. Now she can't say that she never got a gold star.

Now if I can just remember where I left the silly thing...

I know, I know. You're disappointed.

So am I.

My blog is in need of an overhaul, but I haven't had the time to devote to the undertaking.

Well, I have had time, but I've just been devoting it to other things.

I have no excuse, really.

Last night I went to the Blue Door with some friends from church to hear K.C. Clifford perform. To borrow one of my sister's phrases, this girl was "a-mazing" (note that the "a" should sound like "uh" and be held for longer than you would expect, with a very clear break before the next syllable).

Anyway...moving on.

The show was acoustic (I'm such a sucker for acoustic) and absolutely without a doubt the most beautiful live performance I've ever heard. KC's got heaps of talent and a staggering voice. She's been trying to play at the Blue Door for 5 years. Five years! Selfishly, I'm glad it took so long. I would have missed it otherwise. Just proves that things shouldn't always happen when we expect them to.

I'm very jealous. She took all the good words. Go see for yourself.

In case you're bored, or desperate, or just looking for something new, here are 10 random suggestions for how to spend your time:

1. Read a story to a small child (character voices mandatory).
2. Take a long bath (with bubbles!).
3. Chug green Hawaiian Punch without spewing it on the carpet.
4. Roll the windows down while driving so you can serenade other drivers with your beautiful voice.
5. Read a story to your roommate (again, character voices mandatory).
6. Bake cookies for your favorite blogger.
7. Start writing your autobiography.
8. Buy doughnuts for your office and deny that you were responsible for their appearance.
9. Clean out your closets.
10. Make ridiculous lists on your blog.

Whatever you do, enjoy your day.

It's been five months since I decided to start this book, and four months since I finished the first draft.

It's been three months since I started the second draft. I'm giving myself four more to finish it. Factor in holidays, moving out of my apartment, Christmas shopping, and miscellaneous time-stealing things, and that leaves three months.

After that, I'm going to give it to a handful of folks who will hopefully provide insightful criticism that will aid in the third draft. I may take a month off and catch up on my reading.

Although I've been dissecting various parts of the book as I'm working on D2, last weekend I tried to sew most of it back together and see it as a whole again. Here's what I've got so far:

Most recent word count: 52,512

Pages: 301

Current songs in my iTunes novel mix (special songs I listen to whilst writing): 36

Current songs in my iTunes writing mixes (songs that block out noise of public places but don't distract me): 131

People who have requested autographed copies of the book: at least 23, give or take a few


This has been your random unsolicited novel update.

Enjoy your day.