[21 Dec 2009|08:13am] writergrl Good morning from my kitchen, where I am sitting literally four feet away from not one but TWO leftover half cakes: one amazing red velvet, and one double chocolate. And don't even get me started on the cheese straws, coffee ring, and Whole Foods chocolate cake in the fridge. Give me strength. I just got off the treadmill, but I think it might take a miracle for me not to dive headfirst into them while I drink my coffee. Our party was great, but crazy hectic as always. This is, like, the twentieth year we've done this party, in various incarnations, and it's always changing. Used to be everyone came late and stayed later. Now, the announced time is 6 but people show up, babies in tow, as early as 5:30. Then it's total mayhem, toddlers and kids running wild while my husband and I try to be good hosts and get a huge amount of food onto the table for everyone. At eight sharp, half the room has cleared. By ten, the only ones left are our friends who are in their twenties, who probably don't even go OUT until that hour in their normal lives. I tried to rally, staying up until 12:30, then was really hating it when my daughter got up at 5:30. Whoa. All I want for Christmas is sleep, sleep and more sleep. Are you listening, Santa? One of my favorite parts of the party, though, is the night after. That's when I get to put on my pajamas and eat leftovers, and this year we did it while watching equal opportunity television: football, followed by Love, Actually. Oh, man. Nothing like eating leftover lasagna, beans and rice and chicken casserole while watching Hugh Grant dance to the Pointer Sisters. Good times. With the party behind us, I can move onto the actual holiday. I've done most of my shopping---although there's always a few more things to pick up---and with my office done (yay!) I can spend the time I'm not checking things off my list geeking out by labeling folders and organizing boxes. It is nerd heaven, I am telling you. All I need to do is get the internet working over there, and I'll be all set to officially move over. Although really, what I SHOULD do is not hook up the DSL, because I'd probably get a done more work done without the distractions of Twitter, and Ebay, and reading the comments on this blog. But let's be realistic here. Me with no internet is about as likely as me actually managing to resist that red velvet cake. Well intentioned, yes, but not going to happen. Just one, small piece. A sliver! Because it's Christmas.... Have a great day, everyone! 23 comments|post comment

The Friday Five! [18 Dec 2009|08:35am] writergrl 1. Okay, so it's one week until Christmas (I know!) and get this: they're calling for snow here today. Yes: snow. Can I tell you the last time I remember it snowing before Christmas around here? That would be NEVER. (Although my memory is not reliable, just as a disclaimer. I can barely remember my name or where I left my keys most days.) Anyway, I refuse to believe this until I actually see flakes falling and sticking, mostly because we are having a huge holiday party this weekend and I have already bought all the food. What will I do with three lasagnas and a vat of spinach artichoke dip if the roads are bad and nobody shows? (Remember, this is North Carolina: if there is even an inch of snow on the roads, people stay home. Yes, I hear you laughing in New England.) Don't get me wrong. I would love a light dusting, to help get into the holiday spirit. But more than that, not so much. 2. And do you want to know WHY it's going to snow? Because about a week ago, we had a thunderstorm. And according to Southern legend, if it thunders in winter, you'll see snow within nine days. Or something like that. My parents are from New York and Baltimore, respectively: I wasn't exactly schooled in the Farmer's Almanac growing up. Still, I have found that a lot of these things turn out to be true. Like you see cows laying down before it rains. Weird, right? 3. Speaking of the holiday spirit, I can't believe that with only seven days until Christmas I have not yet indulged in one of my steadfast holiday traditions: watching Love, Actually. Usually by now I would have watched it at least three times, and have it in the DVD on standby so I can revisit my favorite scenes whenever the mood hits. What is wrong with me this year? Well, there's this move to my office. And the little issue of this novel I'm writing. Oh, and the fact that I have a two year old who is not really a fan of Hugh Grant yet. Can I tell you how many times I have watched the Gabba Gabba Christmas special? No, I can't, because I don't even know. But I will say that it is on right now, as I write this. Sigh. 4. I really do want to get to the movies over the holiday. It's hard to believe, but I used to go to the movies at least once a week, if not more than that. Seriously! I loved to skip out on a writing day and hit a midday matinee with a small buttered popcorn and a bottled water I snuck in inside my purse. Ah, memories. Can I tell you the last movie I saw in an actual movie theater? I think it was Sex and the City. Yes, that was like a year and a half ago. How did this happen? Well, again, there's that issue of the novel. It's a lot harder to play hooky when I'm paying someone else so I can work. But maybe I'll do it over the holiday, as a present to myself. We'll see. 5. Finally, I just have to share this. My husband just came inside, shivering. "It's REALLY cold out there!" he said, and I turned, ready to offer sympathy. Then I saw what he was wearing: (Yes, I documented it just for this entry. But I cut off his head at his request.) I mean, honestly. Shorts and a t-shirt AND shoes with no socks? Of course you're cold! Then again, this is the same person who runs the thermostat at a crazy high temperature so he can wear shorts in the house all year round. I grew up in a house where if you were cold, you put on another sweater. Touch the thermostat and there were repercussions, big time. Marriage is all about compromise, I guess. If not about wearing socks and a jacket when it's below freezing. (Oh, and before you ask, yes, those are tattoos. He's got a bunch of them. And no, I don't have a single one. I always say he's got more than enough ink for both of us.) Have a great weekend, everyone! 41 comments|post comment

[16 Dec 2009|08:16am] writergrl On Monday, my office passed final inspection. HOORAY! The cabinets still have to be finished, and the internet isn't up and running, but yesterday my desk got moved over, so it's all happening. (As they say in Almost Famous. I also love, "Does anyone remember laughter?" and "Your looks have become a problem!" Oh, don't get me started on quoting from that movie, I will go on all day.) I have to say, though, even though I am way excited, it's also a little daunting. The last book I wrote in my actual office was Lock and Key: Along For the Ride, and what I'm working on now, have all been done in either my daughter's room, while she slept downstairs, or our guest room. Glamourous, yes? It's like when we moved to this house from our old Durham farmhouse rental, where I wrote in a back room with brown carpet and wood paneling that resembled a cave. And I still had to write facing a wall so I wouldn't get distracted. Then we come here, where I have windows and this big airy space, and I was convinced I'd never get anything done. But I did. That's the thing. Writing is a job you can do anywhere. Sure, it's nice to have all your creature comforts, and I think most authors have their superstitions and habits, ranging from working a certain time of day, every day (guilty) to what kind of music they listen to, or what they eat while they're writing. But if the last couple of years, and books, have taught me anything, it's that really, I don't need anything other than my laptop and time. The rest is just gravy. Nice gravy, but gravy. So even though it may be daunting to take my show on the road (or across the breezeway and up the stairs) I know eventually I will adjust. Although I might have to face the wall for awhile first. Now that I'm starting to pack up, I'm realizing how much stuff I have accumulated in my office since we moved in here ten or so years ago. LOTS of books, mostly. Now, I know a lot of people consider books to be decor, and the more you have, the better. But I'm a big believer in passing books along to other people. If I like a book, I'll usually pass it around to my friends and family and then donate it to the library. But if I LOVE a book, I'll keep it and put it on my office shelf. It's like the best of the class, or something. Going through them this morning, you can see what I mean: lots of Anne Tyler, John Irving (three copies of A Prayer for Owen Meany, my favorite book ever) my personalized copies of novels by Lee Smith, Doris Betts and Jill McCorkle. I also have signed copies from Pat Conroy and Dave Eggers. Nice, right? Plus some of my favorite books about writing---Bird by Bird, What If, On Writing---and ones that were given to me as gifts that have personal meaning. In all, they only fill about one big bookshelf, which isn't much, I know. Then I have a smaller shelf of my own novels. It's not rooms and rooms worth of books, like the house I grew up in. But they are all mine. Okay, I have to go pack up some more boxes. The hardest part, I swear? Not getting all caught up in the nostalgia, looking at every single thing as I pack it. I found a bunch of How to Deal lipglosses yesterday and got all misty! I am such a sap. Honestly. Have a great day, everyone! 18 comments|post comment

[14 Dec 2009|07:54am] writergrl Okay, so, not to alarm you or anything, but there are only ELEVEN days left until Christmas. Holy pajamas! I thought I had, like, much more time. Better get cracking. In other news, I debated this morning whether I should even discuss the fact that I caught a couple of episodes of Jersey Shore on MTV this weekend. Why? Because a show like this is so completely over the top that you really need to watch about ten hours of Masterpiece Theatre to atone for it. I know there's been a lot of reaction to this show, especially from the Italian-American community, claiming it is full of stereotypes. And, well...it is. These people are SO overblown and exaggerated, it's like they aren't even real. I know people from New Jersey, and they are not like this. But it's MTV. People have figured out that in order to be on these shows, you need to be a "character," not just a person. And I know that if they were filming a show about NC and looking for Southerners, they'd probably pick the most Yee-hawing, tractor-driving folks they could find. But, seriously. I think, stereotypes aside, I am too old to be watching any show like this, about people in their twenties. When The Situation (and that's what he calls himself, I am not even joking) got pink eye, all I could think was that it was probably from the hot tub, which most likely needed to be disinfected. Yes, I am a mom. It's official now. (It has just been pointed out to me that The Situation did not, in fact, get pink eye. That was Vinny. I stand corrected.) (On a related note, The Situation, as a nickname, has become a running joke around here. My husband has decided I should be called The Complication. I personally like The Aberration. I could go on and on.....) The rest of the weekend I spent indulging my office supply obsession, which was just entirely too much fun. (Again: geek.) My office is almost finished---I might actually get to move in before the new year!---so I had an excuse to hit Staples, which is always a great thing. Only fellow office geeks will appreciate the fact that I am having to transition from my regular file folders (manilla, letter size, tabbed) to hanging folders in my new cabinets. Confession: I don't like hanging folders. I feel that things fall out the sides. It's like a Pepsi or Coke thing among us office supply people: you either like one or the other, it's all personal preference. But I can adjust, right? On the plus side, I have an excuse to use my label maker, which is, like, the most fun thing ever. *reads over entry* Between Jersey Shore confessions and my labelmaker, I am NOT coming off well here today. Quick! Let me talk about something that makes me look cool, stat! *thinks* I got nothing. Oh, well..... Have a great day, everyone! 38 comments|post comment

The Friday Five! [11 Dec 2009|08:28am] writergrl 1. Well, it's official. I knew changes were coming, but I don't LIKE change, especially in the morning when I am not fully caffeinated. But, yes: George Stephanopoulos is replacing Diane, and JuJu Chang is replacing Chris, who, in my opinion, deserved his own last day and not a kind of "don't let the door hit you on the way out" in the midst of Diane's big celebratory farewell. Clearly, though, nobody is listening to me. I do LOVE me some Juju Chang, though. So clearly, even when the higher-ups shut a door (and ask you not to let it hit you as you exit) they open a window. So, welcome George and Juju. I will do my best to adjust. Starting Monday. Today, I reserve the right to just get all verklempt. 2. In other TV news, the Top Chef finale was Wednesday night. But, because I am super lame, I just couldn't manage to stay up and watch it live. So yesterday, I had to do the whole news media blackout thing, so I wouldn't see a spoiler of who won. It was HARD. I couldn't read Google News all day, and now I know I am kind of addicted to that, which I guess is helpful. But last night, we FINALLY got to sit down and watch. And I don't want to ruin it for any of you who haven't had a chance yet to watch it, so I will just say I was not really happy with the outcome. It was kind of like Project Runway: I understood why they picked the person they did, but it would not have been my personal choice. I will leave it at that. 3. I've written here before about how I am kind of obsessed with lipstick and lipgloss. My favorite brand, for years, has been Stila, for all kinds of reasons, but especially because it was the ONLY brand that didn't have some kind of drying agent in it that, apparently, I am kind of allergic to. But I just got some new lipstick from Stila and now I'm having a reaction. What's up with that? Does this mean I have to abandon Sephora altogether and start buying my lip stuff at Whole Foods? Oh, please say no. I don't think I can quit that place, allergies or not. 4. It was announced yesterday that Kirkus Reviews, one of the big book reviewing magazines, is being shut down. It's right up there with Booklist, Horn Book and PW when you're waiting for reviews of a new book, and totally nervous about what people will think of it. I can't believe that Kirkus is being shuttered, especially since I FINALLY managed to get a good review out of them for Along for The Ride. They gave me a star! I should have known it was the beginning of the end for them. It's like the center could not hold, or something. Oh, well. 5. Speaking of writers and writing, this week Amazon announced their annual Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and this year, there's a prize for YA fiction as well. And guess who is listed as a judge on their "panel of experts" ? Stop laughing! I'm really excited to be part of this contest, and I'm looking forward to reading the finalists in the spring. If you have a novel--General Fiction or YA---and want to enter, go here for more info. And good luck! Okay, I'm grabbing some tissues and my coffee and sitting down to catch the last half hour of GMA. Have a great weekend, everyone! 19 comments|post comment

[10 Dec 2009|04:00pm] your_starry_sky I haven't posted in 118 weeks. That's over two years. Last post was July 14th, 2007. I can't even begin to write down how much I've changed....or how much i've stayed the same. I'm going to the doctor on Tuesday. December 15th. That's exactly four years after my emergency surgery. I'm going to be finding out if I need another surgery. I'm not ready for this again. It hasn't been nearly long enough. I thought I was done after the last one. I'm just so tired of not being healthy. On top of all of my stomach problems, my migraines are worse than ever, and my mental health is just....gone. I'm not at all in a state of mind to be getting surgery. This will be number 5 if i need it. (i'm almost positive i do). I have no friends left. I never see anyone anymore. i have a boyfriend. but i'm not happy with him or when i'm around him. i feel bad. he's in love with me. i'm not in love with him. he's a nice kid. and means well. i just....can't do it. fuck. post comment

Ch-ch-changes... [09 Dec 2009|08:24am] writergrl Oh, I just don't even know what to say about the latest GMA developments. It's, like, a bad news-good news situation. The latest is that Chris Cuomo will leave for 20/20 or (sob!) another network and George Stephanopoulos will replace Diane. That's the BAD news. The good? Supposedly, Juju Chang will then become the news reader. And you KNOW how much I love Juju: She's the whole reason I got to visit the set last year! She introduced me to Diane and Robin and Sam AND Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens. I mean, come on. I kind of owe her my life for that. Plus, she's a totally sweet person and a GREAT reporter. So I'm happy, happy, happy for her. But in a perfect world---and I know this isn't one, none is, but we can dream---they would have moved Chris up to co-anchor, brought Juju in as news reader and TA-DA: dream team. Sigh. Oh, well. I'll shut up now. In other news, all the power stuff went well on Monday, and my office now has LIGHT! Check it out: Cabinets come later this week, then carpet next. It's actually starting to seem REAL, finally. On the downside, the power outage apparently caused a fatal error (don't you hate that term? It's so scary!) on the DVR in our playroom. The other one, that has all my Friday Night Lights and Hoarders and everything else, was fine. Which is great. But the one that died had ALL of Sasha's shows: a ton of Olivias, Gabba Gabbas, and Sesame Streets. POOF! They're all gone, leaving me to try to explain why we can't watch Slimy get a pet bug or Olivia in the old west anymore. Yikes. A new receiver is on the way but we're basically relying only on DVDs until it gets here and we can start taping again. I don't let Sasha watch much TV---and I know some of you are shocked to hear that, but it's true---but we do let her have a little while she eats breakfast, and I'm not sure how long we can keep watching these same DVDs over and over before there's some kind of toddler riot. I am trying to stay calm, at any rate. So I've written here before about how much I love Rosie O'Donnell. I used to watch her talk show RELIGIOUSLY. I even timed my trips to the gym so I could be on the treadmill when it was on. Then I watched her on the View, until that kind of imploded, and she disappeared. But then, flipping around my Sirius XM radio the other day in traffic, who do I hear but Ro? She's got her own morning show, every weekday morning. Hooray! If you've got Sirius XM, find out more here. I am such a nerd that I am just waiting for the chance to try and call in. I would DIE to talk to her, even for just a second. No joke. Finally---God, sorry this entry turned out to be so long---I got a request from someone on the comments asking for book recommendations for holiday gifts. Personally, I loved the new Jennifer Weiner, Best Friends Forever, and I'm eagerly awaiting Anne Tyler's latest, which is coming out in the new year. Also I LOVED Olive Kitteridge, which is not the newest book but was new to me and reminded me what great writing is all about. What a book. If you have other recommendations for this reader (and for me!) feel free to leave them. Especially if they are picture books. We have all the Olivias and all the Corduroys, and have read them a million times, so I'm ready for a change, Big time! Have a great day, everyone! 35 comments|post comment

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