Day #8521 - A Solstice Solution

Good morning, blogosphere! How've you been? Keeping warm? Holiday shopping done? Read any good books lately?

I am currently on Day 4 of my winter break and have actually been pretty productive in that time. Lots of cleaning has taken place, I got some fabulous new bookshelves from my parents, last night I went and saw the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 at the United Center.

And, FINALLY, I've gotten back to the summer novel! Rereading, tweaking, rediscovering, editing, cleaning up, etc. Take your pick.

Now I finished the first draft back in August, so why did it take me this long to get back to it? For one, life got in the way just a bit. A new job, a new semester of grad school, and all that jazz. And then there was the November novel that I needed to write (a primal need, not like 'so-and-so decrees you must write a book this month!' need).

And, if I'm honest, I was a bit nervous. I figured that if writing a book was going to be anything like the infinite number of papers I've had to write for school, the first draft was going to be absolute crap. I was feeling so good about being able to say that I've written a draft of a novel, so how awful would I feel if I went back and read it only to discover that it was terrible?

So with great trepidation, I opened that incredibly intimidating document on my computer that contains so much of myself, and I began to read. To my absolute delight and total surprise, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined it would be. In fact, I'm actually enjoying it. It turns out for me, taking a break from the story was a very good thing at least this time around. I'm enjoying seeing these characters again, reimagining them and evaluating the choices I made back when the temperatures were in the 70s instead of the 30s.

My Solstice Solution and advice is simple: take your time, but give yourself a limit. When I started November novel, I did so only by promising myself that I would go through summer novel at least once before the end of the calendar year. Like with any relationship, be careful about the idea of "we're on a break." Don't let the break somehow turn into a permanent one. Also, challenge yourself to look at your story through a different lens.  When this story first came to be, I looked at it as a writer. Now I'm looking at it as a reader - what am I enjoying? What makes me cringe (and is it supposed to make me do that)? Does that part feel too long/short/boring/awesome? I take note of these things as I'm going along and then I'll go back see what can be done to make them better.

So there are my two cents. In other news, today is the Winter Solstice! Okay, technically it was at 11:30 last night but according to my desk calendar it's today so without further adieu, the traditional "Monica standing an egg on its end because it's the solstice or equinox" picture!

Happy Holidays!

Day #8440 - Falling and Pick Me Ups

Talk about goofy weather, at least here in Chicagoland. Riddle me this, readers. Lately I find it a little bit strange that when people start putting out all the back to school decorations in August to get people in the mood for September, they put up a bunch of pictures and what have you of yellow, orange, and red leaves. But here it is on October 2nd and I can honestly say that I don't feel like the leaves really started to change until this past week. However, Mother Nature seems to be doing things on her own time table. While September had a few cold spells there (especially on the days I was chaperoning football games at the high school), this whole week it's supposed to be in the 70s and sunny.

Seriously? I think Mother Nature needs a calendar check.

Really though, I'm not complaining. Yesterday I couldn't believe how absolutely gorgeous it was out. I sat on the porch with my Nook and while the air was crisper and full of that great autumn smell, the sun was still warm on my face and I was comfortable in my jeans and sweatshirt. It feels a little bit wrong to like this season as much as I do, what with everything dying and nature preparing itself for the harsh cold winter coming ahead. But it goes out with such a brightly colored bang that I can't help but be wowed.

Naturally since we're 29 days away from Halloween, the topic of Christmas presents came up at dinner with my family tonight. What does this person want? What is that person planning on getting for so-and-so? It's a conversation I feel like I've heard a lot of lately, though not about Christmas. At this point in my life, many of my friends are getting engaged or married, so the inevitable question of what to give for wedding presents comes up. While the many relationships that surround me understandably make me a little sad (and if I'm really honest, a bit jealous), I did manage to find a little bit of silver lining in the middle of it all: I don't have to worry about the presents part.

Though I don't go to the movies all that much because going alone is just weird...

Ah well, you win some, you lose some. Life's never perfect, but luckily this weekend I was able to recharge my batteries and I'm feeling much better about the upcoming week. I get next Monday off for Columbus Day, Tuesday I'll be getting a haircut (and I'm feeling pretty confident about my decision to try having bangs again), there's a wedding in three weeks and hopefully some Halloween plans will present themselves. It's all about perspective and finding pick-me-ups along the way. =)

ALSO! I've started another blog/side project. It's extremely new (as in, a few hours old) and you can find it at fumafiles.blogspot.com . Unlike this blog which has become a place for my random thoughts and ramblings over the years, The Fuma Files is going to be leaning towards my professional side aka all about books. I'll be posting my thoughts on books I've read or am currently reading, my opinions on news in the library world, and any other literary thoughts or experiences I have. If you're interested, please check it out (though I warn you, there's nothing really there yet) and if you know people who like books, please tell them about it!

Hope everyone out there has a great week!

Day #8378 - Just Because

Hello there, Internet!

I can't believe that the last time I wrote anything here was just in January. I'd honestly thought it had been longer ago than that. Interesting...or, not, really.

In days past I probably would have addressed this posting to my "readership" but seeing as I don't have one, I felt it best to do away with that practice for the time being, wouldn't you agree, whoever you are?

Exciting stuff going on here, clearly.

So what have I been up to since my last post all those months ago? Well, I grew out my hair, then chopped it off and donated it to charity. I have finished my first full year of graduate school. I went to North Carolina. I've been to two book signings to see young adult authors whose books I like. I've read a lot of books and watched a lot of tv/movies. I continue to dabble in writing myself. I got a job working at my alma mater which starts in three weeks.

I've also done laundry. There's always laundry to be done.

There's not really much else to say besides that. I'm not sure how I feel about trying to re-enter the blogosphere as a regular contributor (I mean, I can't really see the point of trying to participate in the "blogging community" if no one reads this. Doesn't that just make me a community of one?), but you never know. It'll probably be something more along the lines of random thoughts every once in a blue moon. Yeah, let's go with that. We'll follow Napoleon's battle plan on this one: I'll show up, and I'll see what happens.

May all of you out there enjoy your August 1st, or whatever day it happens to be when you read this. I hope that is a pleasant day for you, too.

Day #8099 - A Mighty Wind

People write songs about a lot of different things in nature. Sunshine, rain, starry nights, fire, waves - you name it, there is probably a song about it. Today would have been an appropriate day to listen to all songs featuring wind, and I'm not talking about gentle breezes. I'm thinking more along the lines of Twister. I laughed a little bit yesterday when the weather report said that today we would have the worst winds Illinois has seen in 70 years, but that stopped this morning when I was outside in my pjs helping my mom gather up parts of our backyard fence because it got blown out. Toto may have been a quiet and obedient dog when Dorothy calmly told him she didn't think they were in Kansas anymore, but Addy, my family's current fuzzball, didn't quite follow Toto's noble example. Pups these days...

In other news, life post-LEEP weekend is mostly back to normal. I'll have a full week of my usual online lectures this week, complete with homework due and projects to be worked on. I have done laundry. My room is clean enough for now. My creative writing isn't so great, but at least I'm trying at it again. The only thing that needs to happen now is the Blackhawks getting out of their current funk and I'll be a happy camper.

And before I wrap this up, on a completely random note, am I the only one who thinks that Glee is getting a little ridiculous? Tonight was their Rocky Horror episode, and if I were a parent, I'm not so sure that I'd be letting my kids in elementary school watch this season. I'm really feeling like this year, there's no way it belongs in a 7pm timeslot. But maybe that's just me.

Can't believe it's almost November already. My oh my how the time flies by.

Day #8048 - Labor of Love

Hey readers, sorry for the gap-ige between posts. Can you believe that for the first time in a long while, I've actually had a bit of a social agenda the last few days? I know, it's shocking, but it was nice to get out of the house for a bit.

I'm currently sitting here at my desk trying desperately to focus on a project due for my class on Tuesday (which, in 20 short minutes will be tomorrow...eek). The task is to write a review of a picture book, so naturally during this time when I need to be concentrating on the works of others, I'm thinking more about my own feeble attempts at writing. I feel like I have a ton of stories building up inside of me, but I just can't ever seem to get them out on paper well enough to do them justice. Or perhaps these many ideas just sound better in my head.

Thank goodness I guess for this blog and my journal, because writing, like anything worth creating, is a labor of love. You have to offer up a bit of yourself in order for anything of any value to come out of it. You have to be willing to get it wrong, have other people hate it, and then try it all over again tomorrow. But in a world where failure is not an option, creativity is becoming stifled - our fear of not doing something that meets everyone's standards has finally outweighed the desire to even try at all. So here's to getting back on the horse. Here's to running everyday even though my back is still feeling off and some days I absolutely dread the walk down to the basement treadmill with my head full of anxiety about this 5K coming up because I know that when I cross the finish line, it will feel that much more awesome. And here's to the stories yet to be written, be it by me or anyone else. Time to just pick up the pen and paper, not worry about it looking great, and just letting the words fall where they may.

And in case you were wondering, yes today's title is a slight pun on the fact that tomorrow is Labor Day here in these United States of America. Celebrate safely, keep it classy, and I'll catch you on the flip side.

Day #8005 - The Write Stuff

One of the many things that drew me to being an English major so many moons ago was my love of stories. Well that and wanting to learn all the rules of proper grammar so I could correct people, but I never got around to that. But ever since I was little, I have always been captivated by a well told story. Great written works like Hop on Pop and of course the Disney (and later Pixar) Classics that so many of us have come to know and love.

However reading hundreds of stories and being able to write a good one yourself are two very different things. Lately I have been trying my hand again at writing stories and so far, not too terrible. It's been fun getting some of these ideas down on paper and playing around with them in my head, and there's so much more to think about than I ever really appreciated before. Will my stories lead to anything? Most likely not, but in the meantime, I like having a project that makes me think.

Sorry, readership. I was definitely planning on going somewhere with this topic, but I guess I lost my train of thought. Keep it classy and keep on reading!

Day #7968 - And I'm back in the blogosphere

Hello there, friends and hypothetical readers!

I'm sitting here trying to think of an excuse that would actually sound believable to explain my one-year absence from this, my blog, but really nothing comes to mind. Sure there's the standard 'I have been so busy lately, I never had time,' but I'm always busy or at least pretending to be so that wouldn't work. I could go ahead and try to justify not writing here this past semester by blaming student teaching and saying that I didn't want to hurt my professional reputation and was afraid that my students would find this or something, but again, who are we kidding? No no, for this one I'll just have to go with the truth - I had accepted/come to believe that the only people reading this were my parents and the writer in me had been hoping to reach a wider audience. A break was necessary to regroup and hopefully this comeback will bring some people back, at least for a time. And if not, meh. That's okay, too. I've kind of missed spewing my random thoughts out into the great void that is the World Wide Web and then waiting to see what could possibly become of it. (I absolutely blame the Julie & Julia Project for that idea - I saw the movie and am unfortunately one of those people who seems to be a sucker for Nora Ephron movies.)

So! Twelve months is kind of a long time to be quiet, so I'll just give the reader's digest version of what I've been up to. Last summer I was never able to find a job or internship, however I was a Vacation Bible School counselor in August, which was fun. I finally turned 21, just in time for my senior year of college. Fall semester went well for the most part - living in a single room in Barton Hall was fine, though kind of lonely especially after being in the apartment with two roommates the year before, but it worked out since I was almost always up to my eyeballs in homework. I moved back home in December after final exams and student taught at a high school for 14 weeks. It's still difficult to answer when people ask me "What did you think of student teaching?" On the one hand, I loved getting to know my students - I have always felt that high school students have some of the most interesting perspectives on things (when you can get them to actually focus on what it is you're trying to teach them). On the other hand, it was really hard to get up day after day knowing that they did not like me, they did not think of me as their "real teacher", and being a person who has always had a hard time making friends, it was especially hard on me to be away from the ones I had while they were still at school and living it up during our final weeks as college students. But hey, I survived! I graduated last month, not all of my kids completely hated me (I hope!), and to say that my four years of college flew by is a huge understatement. If I could go back and do it all again, there are plenty of things I would change, but overall I think I turned out alright.

Which leaves us only with the present. What am I up to now? Still unemployed - some things never change. I applied to a lot of school districts last semester as well as around town for part-time work, however no luck. Hopefully I'll find something sooner rather than later, but I currently have my plate pretty full with GRADUATE SCHOOL. That's right, folks, I just can't get enough of learning. I applied to the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at U of I back in February (which is ranked as the #1 library school in the country) and I found out in May that I got in. I'm doing the program all online (at least, that is the plan for now) and am already up to my eyeballs in reading homework, but I think this will be a good fit for me.

In other news, my social life continues to be non-existent, my room is actually clean for the first time in forever, and I am slowly but surely getting my guitar skills back from last summer. Oh, and my boys, the Chicago Blackhawks, won the Stanley Cup! I'm sad that hockey season is over, but watching them all year was honestly one of the biggest helps in getting me through student teaching. Now if only the Cubbies could take a leaf out of that book...

So that's it for now, I suppose. I'm sure you're all terribly excited that I'm back online and I really do plan on making this a regular sort of column again. I think that's how I'm going to treat this, at least for a while, and see how it goes - sort of a random topic of the day. Thoughts? Send me your comments, per favore!!