napowrimo

I'm a big fan of National Novel Writing Month (aka, NaNoWriMo), in which thousands of people commit to writing a 50,000 word novel during November. It's a great idea, a lovely community, and marks the 30 most productive days of my year. The only problem with NaNoWriMo is that it only comes around once a year. How can I keep the frenzy of wild words and questionable plot devices sustained during eleven other months, which are already filled with too many obligations?

NaPoWriMo, that's how. Clearly riding on the coattails of it's noveling counterpart, participants commit to writing a poem a day for 30 days, those 30 days being the month of April, which also happens to be National Poetry Month. Despite the fact that I have not written poetry seriously since my undergrad days (and despite the fact that I was never a very good poet, even then) (and despite the fact that I've already given up drinking for the month, and sober poems were never my strong suit) I'm going to give it a try. Because let's be serious - is there any short-lived challenge that I won't sign up for?

You can find more information about NaPoWriMo, along with daily poetry prompts throughout the month, at the Read Write Poem website. I'm not planning on posting my poems here (I'm not that cruel) but I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else plans on participating.

life list: teach seamus a new trick

Recently, we taught Seamus how to "sing." This is not his best performance - he's better when he's just woken up and feeling especially mournful. You'll just have to take my word for it.

(Also, he sings most effectively when we sing with him. Listen, you can't question a dog's artistic genius. I know - I've tried.)

exactly

There’s an enormous difference between being a story writer and being a regular person. As a person, it’s your duty to stay on a straight and even keel, not to break down blubbering in the streets, not to pull rude drivers from their cars, not to swing from the branches of trees. But as a writer it’s your duty to lie and to view everything in life, however outrageous, as an interesting possibility. You may need to be ruthless or amoral in your writing to be original. Telling a story straight from real life is only being a reporter, not a creator. You have to make your story bigger, better, more magical, more meaningful than life is, no matter how special or wonderful in real life the moment may have been.

More here.

wonder, seek, discover

I love just about everything posted on Indexed, but this one was especially nice to come across on a slow moving Monday morning.

My weekend was a fine one - I finally got to all the relaxing that didn't happen during spring break. And when I say relaxing, I mean 5 loads of laundry, fancy-ish dinners, 6 hours spent working on the yoga studio's newsletter, a felting workshop, Jenga in the dark (for Earth Hour), and critiquing and writing stories for class. Good times, and here are some pictures to prove it.


The felting workshop was led by an artist named Mindy Sue Meyers, and we learned how to make and dye felt from raw wool and kool-aid. It was interesting and I enjoyed the artist's talk and explanation of her work & vision. I am fascinated by artists and the creative process, so hearing about how someone else is inspired and productive is one of my favorite things.


Mindy Sue specializes in taking household items - sponges, paper napkins, Brillo pads - and embellishing them with beads, embroidery and scents so that they look and smell like delicious baked goods. You can check out more of her work at her blog.


Saturday night, I made the vegan asparagus quiche from Veganomicon. It was a very good looking dish, but unfortunately I didn't care for it at all. I think it came out right - Nathan liked it, and Amy and David seemed to appreciate the leftovers I brought them. It was the consistency that got to me. I don't know why I thought I'd like a vegan quiche, when I've never been particularly fond of the egg version. Alas, they can't all be zingers. On the bright side, my potato leek soup was smashing, as usual. So there's that.

Also! I was originally planning on running a 10K in Tyler this past weekend, but skipped it due to lack of funds and time. Instead, I completed my longest run ever right here in town - six miles on Lanana Creek Trail. It was a good run - slow but steady, and I didn't even feel like I was going to die at the end. I feel confident that if I keep this up, I'll be able to successfully complete a half-marathon by October, and that's pretty freaking exciting.

clean living

After a bit of a break from my 101 in 1001 list, I've decided it's time to take a look at some of the long languishing items and maybe, I don't know, accomplish them? Yes. That would be nice. Especially since I have less than 10 remaining months in which to cross things off.

I've edited a few things on my list - life has changed a lot in the last two years and some of my old goals aren't quite relevant anymore. That's okay. That's life. Most of my goals, though, are still just that - goals. And so, with an eye turned toward the future and confidence in my heart, I move forward.

Right now I'm working on number 35 - Go one month without drinking any alcohol. Sounds easy and it should be, but here's the thing - I like alcohol. I don't get drunk every day - not even close - but I do like to unwind with a glass of wine or a nice, dark beer at the end of the day, after I've had dinner and am relaxing on the couch or reading a book or writing a story. Yes, a glass of wine a day is good for you, but I've read some other things that aren't as rosy and the honest truth is that cutting back isn't going to kill me. It might even make me healthier!

Right now I'm on day six, and so far so good. I don't even really miss alcohol, but I'm betting the weekend will be harder than your average Tuesday. We'll see. A month isn't that long, and will be made even better by the prize that waits at the end - Nathan and I are going to splurge during April and start buying the necessary supplies to brew our own beer! Yes, I am going to be rewarding my month of sobriety with home brewed beer, which is actually number 65 on my list - something I've wanted to do for a long time, and something I'm sure I'll blog about extensively when the time comes.

But for now, I'm living clean and drinking a lot of tea. Wish me luck!

all the single ladies

Tuesdays, Nathan has a night class. Don't tell him I said so, but Tuesdays are my favorite night of the week. I love Nathan, of course, but I also love the rare occasions when I get the apartment all to myself. First, I take the dog for a walk so he'll be too tired and content to beg for attention. Next, I pour myself a glass of wine or a cup of tea. And finally, I sit down at my desk, open my laptop to my latest story, and get to work. A nice little routine and the best part about it? It's all mine.

austin is for bizards

At the tail end of spring break, we headed to Austin for Neil's wedding. We lived with Neil for just under a year, when I first moved to Nacogdoches. He taught me how to make stir fry (the key is frying the garlic in oil first), our dogs spent their first gangly puppy months simultaneously chewing on separate ends of the couch, and the three of us lost too many afternoons to sitting on the porch and watching chili peppers grow in the front yard. It was great to see him again, to meet his lovely wife, and to celebrate a day of love and food and home brewed beer.

It wasn't all peachy keen, though. See, the wedding was in Austin. During spring break. The same week in which 150,000 extra people, all of them dressed in skinny jeans and sporting identical asymmetrical haircuts, had descended upon the city for South by Southwest. I swear I'm not that old, but having to navigate crowds of hipsters while an assortment of loud guitars spilled from various clubs and bars - not my idea of a good time. In fact, it was downright stressful. And yet, the trip was worth it. It's hard to maintain a bizardly scowl when such joyful people are standing right in front of you.



We even managed to pick up a free show (which I didn't enjoy which but made Nathan really happy), eat dinner at Veggie Heaven, and stay at the Habitat Suite Hotel, which is solar-powered and offers a free breakfast spread with adequate vegan options.


On our way back from Austin, we swung through Houston to visit a classmate of Nathan's. Nate Hawkins was recently diagnosed with leukemia and is currently being treated at MD Anderson. He's got a long fight ahead of him, but considering the amount of people pulling for him I'd say his prognosis is pretty damn good. If you want to show your support, consider joining the Facebook group his wife set up. I know it would mean a lot to the both of them.

spring break

I am interrupting my Internet fast to let y'all know that I am still alive and still very much enjoying the wonderful loophole that allows me to be a real grown-up with a real job who STILL gets spring break. I am a very lucky girl and have not taken a moment of this week for granted.

We spent the first four days of our vacation from life camping at Caddo Lake State Park. Caddo Lake is known for the Cypress trees that stand sentry in the lake. My photo doesn't do them justice - in person, they might just convince you that you've taken a wrong turn and ended up on another planet.

We have also seen our friends' band perform downtown, played Bocce ball in the MRTs backyard, and drank beer in the middle of the day. I finished reading two books and started and finished another. Tomorrow, we have plans to kayak the Neches river and this weekend we're going to a wedding.

I've also been working on a short story. I'm planning to workshop it in class, and I'm pleased with the way it's turning out. I challenged myself to set a story in Bellport, which is the village on Long Island where I did a lot of growing up. I hardly ever set stories in New York, so it's been an interesting experiment.

I hope that you, where ever you are, whatever you're doing, are having a good time being there and doing that. Until next time! xo.

go beyond

I just ordered the above print from one of my favorite bloggers and artists, Mae Jane. I plan on matting it, framing it and hanging it above my desk at home, close to my own laptop, where it will inspire me to write more words, more often, and go beyond stories that sit in my drawer, doing nothing.

One of the best things about the workshop I'm taking this semester is the simple fact that I am suddenly around people who take writing seriously. I'm talking to people who are actively submitting work to agents and literary magazines (some of them even getting published!), people who are applying to MFA programs, people who think an awesome Friday night is sitting around somebody's living room, reading stories out loud and then discussing them (and you know what? It is!). When it comes down to it, I'm a competitive person. If I see somebody do something, I want to do it too (and maybe even do it better). That's how I got into blogging. That's why I worked so hard at roller derby. That's why I've been getting up early this week and running four miles in the dark before work. And that's why I'm going to take a red pen to everything I've written and forgotten about in the last year, make it sing, and send it out into the world.

Because really, what am I waiting for?

life list: give up dairy products for good

Last October, I quietly rededicated myself to veganism. Since I'm basically lactose-intolerant, this should have been easy for me. It wasn't. Or at least, it hadn't been in the past. I would announce to the world that I was a vegan - again! for real! - and then a few weeks later, I'd be stuffing my face with cheese, wondering what happened to all my good intentions.

Last October, something shifted. I don't know if it was because I gave up dairy and didn't tell anyone right away - not even Nathan - or if I'd just reached a point in my life where veganism finally felt natural, easy, healthy. I do know that since October, I have been the best vegan I could have been in every situation. This doesn't mean that I've been consistently flawless - I don't quiz the waitstaff in restaurants about traces of casein in bread and if my pasta is sprinkled with cheese, I just scrape it off rather than wasting a whole dish - but I feel good about my decisions. I think my outlook on veganism is healthier than ever - I no longer thing it's necessarily the best choice for everyone, or the most humane choice in every situation. I recognize that life is complicated, that food choices are tied to many things including culture and privilege, and that I am lucky to be able to make such choices for myself. I'm the best vegan I can be because it is best for me. And that feels good!

It also feels good to cross something off this long neglected list. Time's ticking, after all!

strawberry waffles

Saturday night, we went to a party at a good friend's house, where I ate lots of snacks, imbibed perhaps one too many beers, played with a little white dog, and made faces at the most beautiful child I've ever known. It was a lovely night, and we walked home in the warm evening air, talking out loud about how lucky we are to have so many wonderful friends.

The next morning we were not feeling quite so great about life, having woken up with slight hangovers and feeling the sting of springing the clocks ahead an hour. On mornings such as this particular one, the only thing to do is make strawberry vegan waffles and drink coffee, followed immediately by a long cuddle on the couch with the dog. Which is exactly what we did.

I got this recipe from a blog and followed it pretty closely, adding only chopped frozen strawberries because what is a fancy breakfast without a tiny bit of fruit? The first few waffles came out a little on the soggy side (I prefer my waffles to be crispy) but after experimenting with the amount of batter and the cooking time, I got exactly the kind of waffle I'd been hoping for - delicious.

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups soy milk
1 cup applesauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped frozen strawberries

Directions:
Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients and the strawberries. Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.

Preheat waffle iron and spray with some nonstick oil. (My waffle iron is an old hand-me-down and required nonstick oil after each waffle. Small price to pay.)

Cook according to the waffle maker's instructions, which usually means putting about 1/4 cup batter on the iron (or 2/3 if you're like me and have a Belgium waffle maker), closing, and waiting for a light to go out. For crispy deliciousness, cook a little longer than that.

Makes 3-5 big old waffles, one of which you may share with the dog.

priorities

I was planning on running my first 10K in Tyler at the end of this month. I'm 99% sure I'm scrapping that plan, mostly because a camping trip and a wedding (both out-of-town events scheduled for Spring Break) have used up my travel and expense quotient for the month. I'm okay with that. There will be other 10Ks in my future and anyway, more time to train means that maybe my priority can shift from simply finishing the race to actually finishing in a decent time.

Speaking of priorities, I'm trying to figure out how to make time for mine. Besides relationships with friends and family and dog (which I've got a handle on) my main priorities are writing and running. Since I've enrolled in my writing class, I've been a lot better about writing stories. I'm producing things - not as much as I'd like, but way more than usual - and I'm reading lots of books and short stories, which is just as important. You can't be a good writer if you're not a good reader. I got invited to join a local writers' group (first meeting is tomorrow!) and I'm really excited about that. So things on the writing front are picking up.

As for running, well. I would really love to run a half marathon before the year is up. I think 13 miles is not an impossible goal and that, with enough consistent training, I could complete the race and not die the moment I cross the finish line. The hard part is finding time to run. Between work, yoga, writing, friends, relationship, reading, dog walking, and travels, fitting in a five mile run three times a week is nearly impossible. And so, priorities must shift. I'm considering running in the morning, before work. This would require waking up at 5:45am. While I'm fine with waking early, the idea of waking early and then immediately going for a long run is daunting. Should I eat before I run? Should I sleep in my running clothes? Is coffee a terrible idea? What if it's dark, or cold, or raining? Should I run at the Rec Center instead? Can I really run, shower, eat, take care of the dog, and still make it to work by 8:00am? So many questions. I guess they only way to answer them is to try an early morning run and see what happens.

So that's my goal for next week. I'll let y'all know how it turns out. And if you have any tips or suggestions for finding ways to fit in everything that matters, let me know.

picturing dc

This was perhaps the second time I've had to attend a conference by myself, the first time for real (technically, I took MaryT to Galveston with me last March. I wish I could take MaryT with me everywhere!). I don't mind traveling alone, especially when I'm flying. So much time to look out the window and read books!


My first night in the Big City, I met up with Scott and met his new-to-me girlfriend, Melanie. I decided that I like Melanie better than Scott and proceeded to figure out all the things we have in common.


(In case you were wondering - yes, we put our beers in my gloves. Instant cozy!)

I have no pictures from the actual conference, because why would anyone want to look at a bunch of people on podiums? My camera got a rest until Friday afternoon, when WebWise ended and Ella, Melanie and I roamed the streets of DC. We checked out some of the exhibits at the Library of Congress, and that was very cool. It is possibly the prettiest library ever!


After my pilgrimage, we headed back to the Snuggle Cave (S and M's one room apartment) to make dinner, drink wine and eat vegan chocolate Guinness cupcakes. My favorite thing to do is cook and eat a meal with friends. DC did not disappoint on this front.




For a full set of somewhat fuzzy and mostly enthusiastic photos, check out my flickr album. While you do that, I will be dreaming of Ella's chocolate Guinness cupcakes.