Just a quick update, today! I don't know if Collin let people know already, but his contract at U of C has been extended for another six months. Yay!
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Monday, 18 March 2013
Old News: Christmas In California
It has been a while, hasn't it? Since my last post, we've been to California for Christmas, slogged our way through snowstorms, had many dinners with friends, and generally made our epicurean way around Calgary.
First, Christmas! Collin's family lives in Northern California, and we had a great time soaking up the sun/rain by day, and reliving Collin's childhood by playing Hero Quest with his brothers and high school buddies by night.
There was hiking, and a fun trip out to the shore. We drove through gorgeous rolling green hills, dotted with adorable lambs (and shadowed by hawks and vultures waiting to make them lunch). The shore was very windy and cold...but then, it was December, so it came as no surprise. We looped through Bodega Bay, one of the filming locations of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Of course, there was a quick photo op (very quick - the townsfolk must be pestered to death. The "No Trespassing" signs seemed particularly emphatic). We stopped for lunch at the not-at-all ominously named Cape Fear Cafe in Duncan Mills. No one was poisoned, thankfully.
Later in the visit, Collin and I headed to San Francisco. I'd been once before and had greatly enjoyed wandering its colorful streets. Fortunately, the weather stayed nice for our trip. We came in to the Port of San Francisco on the ferry, ate sourdough, watched sea lions, followed our noses to Ghirardelli Square, and climbed Telegraph Hill. The WPA murals inside Coit Tower are gorgeous, and my camera actually cooperated enough to take some good indoor pics, for once!
City Lights Books was its usual self-consciously off-beat self, and we browsed the shelves there for a while before heading next door to Vesuvios Saloon for a pint. I seriously love that place. Everything creaks. Sitting upstairs, in one of the huge windows overlooking Colombus Avenue, it's unclear who's being put on display: you, the patron, or the characters on the street below. I watched an old man and a young, Punk girl have an impassioned discussion about something for quite a while, down in that alley.
We went to Korbel Winery, as well. I felt super fancy, sipping sparkling wine and nodding along to descriptors like, "medium dry" and "peachy", or "bright". I discovered that Korbel Cream Sherry tastes like hugs and sunshine. Sadly, they don't sell it in Canada.
All of these fun activities, plus exploring Sebastapol and Santa Rosa, and going on marvelous walks. As weather here in Calgary is still vacillating between "mostly acceptable for March" and "Who knew that nose hair could freeze?", I think fondly and often of being outside.
It was during this trip I discovered a new hobby: taking shaky, kind of blurry photos of fungus. I blame the rain; everything looks better with water droplets. Here, for your viewing pleasure - pictures of unidentified fungus (you're welcome). If you know what any of them are, feel free to let me know!
 |
| Armstrong Woods |
 |
| 3/4s of the Trail Boys in Bodega Bay |
 |
| One of the WPA murals inside Coit Tower |
 |
| Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill, next to a very macho- looking Cristoforo Colombo |
 |
| The alley between City Lights and Vesuvios |
 |
| The desk from The Godfather. [Insert joke here about offers you'll be unable to decline.] |
There were also a couple of trips to wineries - did you know Francis Ford Coppola owns a winery? I didn't! The wine was...okay. I thought the really interesting part were the displays of props from his movies. It was interesting to see how detailed some of the props and costumes were. Sadly, most of my pictures turned out very badly. Looking at artifacts and reading anecdotes from the set of Apocalypse Now prompted Collin and I to add the documentary Heart of Darkness (about the making of the 1979 film) to our film cue.
We went to Korbel Winery, as well. I felt super fancy, sipping sparkling wine and nodding along to descriptors like, "medium dry" and "peachy", or "bright". I discovered that Korbel Cream Sherry tastes like hugs and sunshine. Sadly, they don't sell it in Canada.
 |
| Even if a lot of the outdoors we explored was underwater. Yay, Winter! |
All of these fun activities, plus exploring Sebastapol and Santa Rosa, and going on marvelous walks. As weather here in Calgary is still vacillating between "mostly acceptable for March" and "Who knew that nose hair could freeze?", I think fondly and often of being outside. It was during this trip I discovered a new hobby: taking shaky, kind of blurry photos of fungus. I blame the rain; everything looks better with water droplets. Here, for your viewing pleasure - pictures of unidentified fungus (you're welcome). If you know what any of them are, feel free to let me know!
 |
| Okay, moss isn't fungus, but I thought the light was really pretty. |
It seems odd to close a blog entry about Christmas with pictures of mushrooms, but that's the sort of person I am. Well, actually, I can do better. Here's Collin, celebrating me updating my blog, finally.
 |
| Hurray! |
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Cooking With Boundaries
On Saturday night I tried to get an idea of some staples to keep around the house in order to attempt the Ration Experiment with a minimum of fuss. Some suggestions were rejected outright by Collin (Marmite), some with grudging acceptance (only 12 ounces of sweets allowed!), and some with enthusiasm (ingredients for homemade bread). We're both wondering how much "cheating" should be allowed - if I make hummus to have with the veggies, is that fair? It certainly wasn't a known food outside of the Middle East in the 1940s...but it is made of chickpeas...
I made some, anyway. It is delicious. I have no regrets!
I also ended up making a very tasty pumpkin soup. I think if we're going to be cooking a lot of squash or gourds, I'm going to need a machete for the kitchen - taking those darn things apart was by far the hardest part of the whole process. Plus I would like to machete things.
Watch John Belushi - Samurai Delicatessen
Apart from anachronisms sneaking into our veggie-heavy new diet, I'm concerned about what this will do to my social standing. No, really - when we're invited to dinner, I always bring desert. On Game Day, I generally also bring some kind of baked good. We go through an absurd amount of butter and sugar. With both severely limited (and eggs as well!) I may have to experiment with making things sweetened with fruit and bound with applesauce or vinegar. I foresee many doorstop-like fruitcakes in my future. Merry Christmas, everyone!
In other news, Collin and I had a good time wandering around Inglewood on Saturday, through the 3ยบ F weather. The train doesn't go far enough east, so we took it to city hall and then had a nice stroll through some construction sites. Everything looks prettier covered in snow! Standing on a bridge over the Elbow River, we watched burgeoning ice floes drift by geese along the bank. Beyond the geese, where the Elbow meets the Bow River, lacy tendrils of mist hovered over the warmer water flowing south.
Scenic or not, it was still bloody cold, so we hustled into Inglewood proper to find somewhere to defrost. Cafe Nine didn't turn us away (Calgary cafe and restaurants often have inscrutable hours). We each had a soul-reviving coffee, and decided to browse through their stock of Geek Chic gift items. We had to leave after only a cursory glance, though, because they had piped-in music* and Collin was afraid his incipient head-banging was going to break something.
I made some, anyway. It is delicious. I have no regrets!
I also ended up making a very tasty pumpkin soup. I think if we're going to be cooking a lot of squash or gourds, I'm going to need a machete for the kitchen - taking those darn things apart was by far the hardest part of the whole process. Plus I would like to machete things.
Watch John Belushi - Samurai Delicatessen
Apart from anachronisms sneaking into our veggie-heavy new diet, I'm concerned about what this will do to my social standing. No, really - when we're invited to dinner, I always bring desert. On Game Day, I generally also bring some kind of baked good. We go through an absurd amount of butter and sugar. With both severely limited (and eggs as well!) I may have to experiment with making things sweetened with fruit and bound with applesauce or vinegar. I foresee many doorstop-like fruitcakes in my future. Merry Christmas, everyone!
In other news, Collin and I had a good time wandering around Inglewood on Saturday, through the 3ยบ F weather. The train doesn't go far enough east, so we took it to city hall and then had a nice stroll through some construction sites. Everything looks prettier covered in snow! Standing on a bridge over the Elbow River, we watched burgeoning ice floes drift by geese along the bank. Beyond the geese, where the Elbow meets the Bow River, lacy tendrils of mist hovered over the warmer water flowing south.
Scenic or not, it was still bloody cold, so we hustled into Inglewood proper to find somewhere to defrost. Cafe Nine didn't turn us away (Calgary cafe and restaurants often have inscrutable hours). We each had a soul-reviving coffee, and decided to browse through their stock of Geek Chic gift items. We had to leave after only a cursory glance, though, because they had piped-in music* and Collin was afraid his incipient head-banging was going to break something.
*Collin only dances to piped-in music. This means he only dances in supermarkets, cafes, and elevators.
After wandering the snow-packed streets for a little while longer, we stopped and had lunch/dinner at Inglewood's Fire Station No. 3 - now The House and Hound Pub. It's a sports bar. As I sat there all warm and comfy with a pint of local brew, watching the University of Calgary v. University of Regina game on the screen, I felt an entirely foreign emotion. Was this what...interest in football felt like? Maybe living for so long in a place where support of the home team feels more like an obligation because you live there (kind of like I'm obligated to get an emissions test for my car because I have one) is detrimental towards fostering athletic enthusiasm. But the Dinos WON! The people in the pub watched with detachment, as if it wasn't a big deal. Whereas I was nearly compelled to go out and drape myself in Calgary crimson to show solidarity.
Thank god we left before I could get any worse.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Experiments
It's a cold night in Calgary. I expect I'll be writing that a lot.
One of my favorite things to do when it's cold and snowy is to bundle myself up and go for a walk - particularly at night. There's a park across from our apartment that has huge cottonwoods and different kinds of pines, along with wide grassy areas. There's even a couple of cricket pitches! A paved path follows the perimeter of most of the park, and lovely, old-fashioned street lights illuminate the way.
When it's wintery like this, the park is abandoned. I'm free to trudge my way through the unblemished snow until frostbite begins to set in. Tonight the snowfall was a fine, dusty type of snow and it looked gorgeous and glittery under the diffused lights of the city.
I may have to figure out some better winter gear, though. Or get an extreme haircut. I have a lot of hair, and right now I can fit either my face or my ponytail under my hood, but not both. Thanks this and a ridiculous retrousse nose, I ended up snorting enough snow during my walk to have powered Corporate America, circa 1983. Maybe I should start wearing a balaclava.
In between walks in the park and through various snow banks, and trying to keep on schedule with my writing (I'm not...), Collin and I were pondering a couple of experiments today. Food experiments. My favorite kind.
Collin has a book called Cooking For Geeks that we were looking through, after I asked why it was that toast is so much tastier than regular bread (I can now tell you the answer if you're interested). At the back of the book were a bunch of experiments that can be done to change the state of familiar food. Foamed fruit juice sounds unnatural and shrimp roll-ups sound unholy, but the idea of gelatinous milk balls is intriguing. Don't get me wrong, I think it sounds disgusting, too. But I remembered my mom bringing milk to work for her tea, and doing all kinds of tricks to keep people from drinking it. What would happen if they poured some stolen milk into their coffee and little blobs slurped out, instead? They'd never steal your milk again!
Well, they'd probably think it had gone bad, and would throw it away. I haven't gotten all the kinks worked out of this Very Fiendish and Gelatinous Plan yet.
My other experiment is more of a social studies experiment. I was doing a bit of research about Albuquerque in the late '40s and early '50s for a story idea I had. One thing that would pop up regularly were mentions of food and materials rationing. This got me thinking. What was it that made the war effort of WWII so different from the wars that were to follow? Society and technology were changing, surely, but it seems like people on the homefront genuinely felt that they made a difference to soldiers overseas. They were recycling, rationing, and repurposing objects with individuals in mind. If we were to experience that kind of rationing and scarcity during our wars abroad today, would society's view of war and it's consequences change? Would it even be possible to go to war?
I'm wondering what a diet that followed rationing guidelines from the 40's would look like with the products available today. I came a across The 1940's Experiment, which has a writer who is using a rations-based diet to lose weight. I can't deny that would be a nice side-effect, but I like the idea of rationing food/materials to benefit something else, just as rationing was seen to help the war effort in the 1940s. I've been keeping careful track of our grocery expenditures since I came to Calgary. Perhaps donating the money we save on groceries each month to the local food bank?
Collin thinks he could only last about a week, but I've got my eye on The Victory Cookbook that might help me make food more interesting than he fears (as if we need another one - I think he and I are both rather compulsive cookbook buyers).
One of my favorite things to do when it's cold and snowy is to bundle myself up and go for a walk - particularly at night. There's a park across from our apartment that has huge cottonwoods and different kinds of pines, along with wide grassy areas. There's even a couple of cricket pitches! A paved path follows the perimeter of most of the park, and lovely, old-fashioned street lights illuminate the way.
When it's wintery like this, the park is abandoned. I'm free to trudge my way through the unblemished snow until frostbite begins to set in. Tonight the snowfall was a fine, dusty type of snow and it looked gorgeous and glittery under the diffused lights of the city.
I may have to figure out some better winter gear, though. Or get an extreme haircut. I have a lot of hair, and right now I can fit either my face or my ponytail under my hood, but not both. Thanks this and a ridiculous retrousse nose, I ended up snorting enough snow during my walk to have powered Corporate America, circa 1983. Maybe I should start wearing a balaclava.
In between walks in the park and through various snow banks, and trying to keep on schedule with my writing (I'm not...), Collin and I were pondering a couple of experiments today. Food experiments. My favorite kind.
Collin has a book called Cooking For Geeks that we were looking through, after I asked why it was that toast is so much tastier than regular bread (I can now tell you the answer if you're interested). At the back of the book were a bunch of experiments that can be done to change the state of familiar food. Foamed fruit juice sounds unnatural and shrimp roll-ups sound unholy, but the idea of gelatinous milk balls is intriguing. Don't get me wrong, I think it sounds disgusting, too. But I remembered my mom bringing milk to work for her tea, and doing all kinds of tricks to keep people from drinking it. What would happen if they poured some stolen milk into their coffee and little blobs slurped out, instead? They'd never steal your milk again!
Well, they'd probably think it had gone bad, and would throw it away. I haven't gotten all the kinks worked out of this Very Fiendish and Gelatinous Plan yet.
My other experiment is more of a social studies experiment. I was doing a bit of research about Albuquerque in the late '40s and early '50s for a story idea I had. One thing that would pop up regularly were mentions of food and materials rationing. This got me thinking. What was it that made the war effort of WWII so different from the wars that were to follow? Society and technology were changing, surely, but it seems like people on the homefront genuinely felt that they made a difference to soldiers overseas. They were recycling, rationing, and repurposing objects with individuals in mind. If we were to experience that kind of rationing and scarcity during our wars abroad today, would society's view of war and it's consequences change? Would it even be possible to go to war?
I'm wondering what a diet that followed rationing guidelines from the 40's would look like with the products available today. I came a across The 1940's Experiment, which has a writer who is using a rations-based diet to lose weight. I can't deny that would be a nice side-effect, but I like the idea of rationing food/materials to benefit something else, just as rationing was seen to help the war effort in the 1940s. I've been keeping careful track of our grocery expenditures since I came to Calgary. Perhaps donating the money we save on groceries each month to the local food bank?
Collin thinks he could only last about a week, but I've got my eye on The Victory Cookbook that might help me make food more interesting than he fears (as if we need another one - I think he and I are both rather compulsive cookbook buyers).
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
"October, October - the summer is over!"
There's a tree across the street from our apartment that's caught my eye today. The leaves have turned a brilliant gold, and every gust of wind sends them bursting up into the sky like a shower of sparks. In a neighboring yard an apple tree's branches are bowed with heavy fruit. Occasionally an apple will fall and bounce onto the sidewalk, to be squabbled over by the large black squirrels that occupy our neighborhood.
Halloween decorations are also starting to occupy the neighborhood. The old Victorian houses on our street don't need much decoration to make them seem ominous at twilight, but a few of the owners are throwing themselves into the spirit of the season. Yesterday I walked past a cherubic little girl in a bright pink jacket running around her yard, stabbing shrunken heads on pikes into the ground. She seemed to be having a marvelous time.
Speaking of ominous, I went to a couple Word Fest events on Friday. One was called 'International Intrigue' and featured F.G. Haghenbeck, Steven Heighton, and the "Queen of Victorian mysteries", Anne Perry. Haghenbeck writes Mexican private eye novels that sound very fun and entertaining, written with the dry observational humor that characterizes many Mexican novels (he comes from a country with a stagering murder rate, he said, and you have to laugh or you go crazy). Heighton read part of a short story from his book The Dead Are More Visible, and I think I may need to find a copy for myself. It was the story of a Canadian in Japan, learning the language through a used Japanese/English primer. It did a remarkable job of slowly building suspense until you come to realize, with rising horror, what actually happened.
Then there was Anne Perry. The moderator of the evening was a huge fan, and didn't do as good a job at keeping her comments on point. That was a bit unfortunate, but it was clear that Perry enjoys researching her topics, and feels strongly about the societal issues in each of her novels. And then she read aloud from her latest William Monk mystery, A Sunless Sea.
I haven't read as much of her latest work because I do find them a little formulaic, but when she read aloud - wow! It was as if all the air left the room. I don't think anyone even breathed. She didn't speak loudly, but it carried. Her characters, even Monk, had slightly different intonations and accents, and lent new weight to the words on the page. I was impressed. I still don't know if I want to read the latest Monk, but I have a new respect for her and her methods.
So that was Word Fest. On Saturday Collin and I went to the wedding of friends of his. It was at a church.
It's been years since I went to a wedding at a church. My friends all tend to get married in the woods. Collin and I were both confudled about the level of formality required (tie? Pantyhose?), but eventually managed to get ourselves there on time. Actually, due to a calendar error (my bad) we arrived an hour and a half early.
The ceremony was short but lovely. The bride was beautiful (and brave - she sang an impressive solo at her own wedding!), the groom was...himself. After the bride shakily read the vows she'd written herself, he responded by saying, "Awesome! Well! That segueways well into what I wanted to say..."
I shouldn't give him too hard of a time, because I'm sure he was nervous. Still, it was kind of funny.
Alas, Collin and I did not get a picture to prove how well we both clean up (I'm sure there are parties interested in seeing him in a tie, heh), but maybe we'll have to go out someplace fancy in the future to give those clothes an outing.
Halloween decorations are also starting to occupy the neighborhood. The old Victorian houses on our street don't need much decoration to make them seem ominous at twilight, but a few of the owners are throwing themselves into the spirit of the season. Yesterday I walked past a cherubic little girl in a bright pink jacket running around her yard, stabbing shrunken heads on pikes into the ground. She seemed to be having a marvelous time.
Speaking of ominous, I went to a couple Word Fest events on Friday. One was called 'International Intrigue' and featured F.G. Haghenbeck, Steven Heighton, and the "Queen of Victorian mysteries", Anne Perry. Haghenbeck writes Mexican private eye novels that sound very fun and entertaining, written with the dry observational humor that characterizes many Mexican novels (he comes from a country with a stagering murder rate, he said, and you have to laugh or you go crazy). Heighton read part of a short story from his book The Dead Are More Visible, and I think I may need to find a copy for myself. It was the story of a Canadian in Japan, learning the language through a used Japanese/English primer. It did a remarkable job of slowly building suspense until you come to realize, with rising horror, what actually happened.
Then there was Anne Perry. The moderator of the evening was a huge fan, and didn't do as good a job at keeping her comments on point. That was a bit unfortunate, but it was clear that Perry enjoys researching her topics, and feels strongly about the societal issues in each of her novels. And then she read aloud from her latest William Monk mystery, A Sunless Sea.
I haven't read as much of her latest work because I do find them a little formulaic, but when she read aloud - wow! It was as if all the air left the room. I don't think anyone even breathed. She didn't speak loudly, but it carried. Her characters, even Monk, had slightly different intonations and accents, and lent new weight to the words on the page. I was impressed. I still don't know if I want to read the latest Monk, but I have a new respect for her and her methods.
So that was Word Fest. On Saturday Collin and I went to the wedding of friends of his. It was at a church.
It's been years since I went to a wedding at a church. My friends all tend to get married in the woods. Collin and I were both confudled about the level of formality required (tie? Pantyhose?), but eventually managed to get ourselves there on time. Actually, due to a calendar error (my bad) we arrived an hour and a half early.
The ceremony was short but lovely. The bride was beautiful (and brave - she sang an impressive solo at her own wedding!), the groom was...himself. After the bride shakily read the vows she'd written herself, he responded by saying, "Awesome! Well! That segueways well into what I wanted to say..."
I shouldn't give him too hard of a time, because I'm sure he was nervous. Still, it was kind of funny.
Alas, Collin and I did not get a picture to prove how well we both clean up (I'm sure there are parties interested in seeing him in a tie, heh), but maybe we'll have to go out someplace fancy in the future to give those clothes an outing.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Write. Sleep. Freeze.
The last two days have been gray and chilly here in Calgary. It's the perfect weather for writing because I don't feel like there's anywhere else I need to be. Actually, in front of my laptop is the only place I ought to be right now. I've decided to follow the National Novel Writing Month schedule and finish a draft of my novel by Dec. 1st (well, November 30th). After spending a lot of time on false starts and research, I decided to give myself a hard deadline. Therefore, October is my last planning and plotting month. And I have planned a way to plot!
A while back I bought Elizabeth George's (author of the Inspector Lynley series) Write Away. Sadly, this book is one of a box that I couldn't afford to send up to AB, but I remember some key points. One, George started out as a high school teacher, and finished her first Inspector Lynley novel during a summer. The key was organizing herself and her information so when it was time to write the story, she was ready. Second, George is probably a little OCD. Part of her organization included doing character sheets and histories for each character that appears on her pages for any amount of time. The final important thing I remember George mentioning is that she started with a crime in mind before she started thinking about characters or setting (unless they tied into the crime). She would ask herself "what if?" questions about it until she came up with an interesting angle.
For the first time ever, I started with this third step. I know the who, what, where, why, and whens of the crime (a violent poisoning death!). I spent a lot of time researching what could drive a person to such desperate lengths (I'm trying to avoid the classic cozy mystery trope of, "Why, clearly he was temporarily insane!"). My internet search history is no doubt very alarming.
I've taken a lot of pointers from Story by Robert McKee, as well. It's directed towards screenwriters, but I figure a good story is a good story in whatever medium you chose. McKee has a lot of tips for keeping the momentum going, keeping people interested in the action, and ensuring cohesiveness in the plot. Outlining the "turns" in the first act was easy enough. Now I just need to figure out what happens during the majority of the story.
Well, I ended up rambling on about my book longer than I intended to. It's what's been occupying my mind and time lately, and one reason why there's been a lack of blog entries. My sister Allison just mentioned that she never hears from me, so I thought I should show I'm alive (again!). Part of the charm of doing the NaNoWriMo challenge is that there are community events for writers to go to (Calgary seems to have a very active NaNo club - the WriMoSauruses) so I'll be able to socialize a bit more (and have more to report for the blog!). Also, everyone should feel free to comment below - it's always nice to hear from people! Let me know what you've been up to, or if you have any questions about things.
Moving along: the only really exciting news is that we got a new mattress Monday. The IKEA bed and futon pad was just not cutting it (especially as more and more things seemed to collapse under it - why would anyone make a particle board bed frame?!). After sleeping on the new mattress Monday night I woke up Tuesday feeling closer to my actual age, which was awesome. Collin, who has terrible insomnia sometimes (and at the moment, another cold), went back to bed and slept most of the day. I think this may actually be our most brilliant purchase to date.
Now our storage room is packed with pieces of wood from the old IKEA bed (except for the broken bits - they're on the balcony, and we're plotting ways to do a drop-n-dash in local dumpsters. Actually, I'm plotting. Collin is merely watching my increasinglystupid daring plans with bemusement.). I had ideas to turn the scraps into a +15 for the cat, or make a side table. Or make everyone kind of wobbly boxes for Christmas. If only I'd listened to my father and brought my drill.... :)
The yellow leaves are starting to fade to brown, and snow is falling in soft flurries today. It's not sticking, and the forecast says the clouds should start to roll back tomorrow. It's a good day to make a pot of tea and get more writing done. I think that's what I'll do.
A while back I bought Elizabeth George's (author of the Inspector Lynley series) Write Away. Sadly, this book is one of a box that I couldn't afford to send up to AB, but I remember some key points. One, George started out as a high school teacher, and finished her first Inspector Lynley novel during a summer. The key was organizing herself and her information so when it was time to write the story, she was ready. Second, George is probably a little OCD. Part of her organization included doing character sheets and histories for each character that appears on her pages for any amount of time. The final important thing I remember George mentioning is that she started with a crime in mind before she started thinking about characters or setting (unless they tied into the crime). She would ask herself "what if?" questions about it until she came up with an interesting angle.
For the first time ever, I started with this third step. I know the who, what, where, why, and whens of the crime (a violent poisoning death!). I spent a lot of time researching what could drive a person to such desperate lengths (I'm trying to avoid the classic cozy mystery trope of, "Why, clearly he was temporarily insane!"). My internet search history is no doubt very alarming.
I've taken a lot of pointers from Story by Robert McKee, as well. It's directed towards screenwriters, but I figure a good story is a good story in whatever medium you chose. McKee has a lot of tips for keeping the momentum going, keeping people interested in the action, and ensuring cohesiveness in the plot. Outlining the "turns" in the first act was easy enough. Now I just need to figure out what happens during the majority of the story.
Well, I ended up rambling on about my book longer than I intended to. It's what's been occupying my mind and time lately, and one reason why there's been a lack of blog entries. My sister Allison just mentioned that she never hears from me, so I thought I should show I'm alive (again!). Part of the charm of doing the NaNoWriMo challenge is that there are community events for writers to go to (Calgary seems to have a very active NaNo club - the WriMoSauruses) so I'll be able to socialize a bit more (and have more to report for the blog!). Also, everyone should feel free to comment below - it's always nice to hear from people! Let me know what you've been up to, or if you have any questions about things.
Moving along: the only really exciting news is that we got a new mattress Monday. The IKEA bed and futon pad was just not cutting it (especially as more and more things seemed to collapse under it - why would anyone make a particle board bed frame?!). After sleeping on the new mattress Monday night I woke up Tuesday feeling closer to my actual age, which was awesome. Collin, who has terrible insomnia sometimes (and at the moment, another cold), went back to bed and slept most of the day. I think this may actually be our most brilliant purchase to date.
Now our storage room is packed with pieces of wood from the old IKEA bed (except for the broken bits - they're on the balcony, and we're plotting ways to do a drop-n-dash in local dumpsters. Actually, I'm plotting. Collin is merely watching my increasingly
The yellow leaves are starting to fade to brown, and snow is falling in soft flurries today. It's not sticking, and the forecast says the clouds should start to roll back tomorrow. It's a good day to make a pot of tea and get more writing done. I think that's what I'll do.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Still Alive!
It has been quite a while since I wrote an entry! Everything's fine, but we're settling into a routine that doesn't make for quite as interesting reading as I try to write about...
And as I write this, Collin objects. "What? It's plenty exciting!" No doubt he's right - we've spent some time poking around the city and discovering (or rediscovering) some fun spots and events. As it's been strange to be in a new place and not know many people, it's also been really nice to get to know some of his friends better. Collin's paper on collective spin squeezing was officially accepted to PRL (woohoo!). Finally, we signed a new lease so Kowalski the Cat and I are here officially, too.
So, in retrospect, time hasn't been wasted at all. We went to Heritage Park a few weekends ago and timed it well - it was the weekend of their Fall Harvest Festival. We spent a couple hours strolling up and down the streets and board walks, exploring old trappers cabins and the strangely humble former abode of one of Calgary's most famous early residents. I was able to speak to costumed reinactors about old timey postage rates and how to type-set a printing press. We ate ice cream in a small park next to a children's midway, where squeals of laughter rang out as joyously as it must have a hundred years ago, when the rides were first unveiled.
On our way out we stopped at the Farmer's Market, and snagged a lot of produce for outstanding prices. Food prices are higher in Canada than they are in the States, and far higher than they are in New Mexico. I still haven't gotten over my sticker shock whenever I go to restock on milk and bread. It was lovely to spend $25 and walk away with as many fruits and vegetables as we could carry.
Since that trip to Heritage Park, autumn has arrived in Calgary in a wave of golden foliage. I'll have to take a picture of our street and post it. It's absolutely gorgeous. Schools and community centers are preparing for other Fall Festivals, and the grocery store is stocking up on turkeys. Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, and then Halloween...
October will be busy. Collin and I are heading out to the mountains this Sunday, to either hike to the Beehive at Lake Louise, or find a new place to explore. I kind of want to try canoeing on one of the gorgeous glacial lakes, but that might get old (and cold) quickly. I think I generally have more fun exploring on my feet.
A holiday, a friend's wedding, and Halloween after that...our friends will be hosting a big Halloween bash and I'm pretty stoked. I love themed parties (especially the catering potential - at the gooey center of every Christi is a 1950's housewife, evidently), and have been missing the kind of silly dinner parties I'd host in NM.
To sum up, September's been filled with important everyday things. October is shaping up to be more of the same, only colder. I'm missing everyone back home and have been channelling that into making an array of baked goods (the most delicious so far is a tie between banoffi pie and maple apple blueberry crisp). And my novel is progressing slowly but steadily.
I know it's time to stop writing when I start sharing recipes. Banff and/or Yoho and/or Jasper National Park(s) next time!
And as I write this, Collin objects. "What? It's plenty exciting!" No doubt he's right - we've spent some time poking around the city and discovering (or rediscovering) some fun spots and events. As it's been strange to be in a new place and not know many people, it's also been really nice to get to know some of his friends better. Collin's paper on collective spin squeezing was officially accepted to PRL (woohoo!). Finally, we signed a new lease so Kowalski the Cat and I are here officially, too.
So, in retrospect, time hasn't been wasted at all. We went to Heritage Park a few weekends ago and timed it well - it was the weekend of their Fall Harvest Festival. We spent a couple hours strolling up and down the streets and board walks, exploring old trappers cabins and the strangely humble former abode of one of Calgary's most famous early residents. I was able to speak to costumed reinactors about old timey postage rates and how to type-set a printing press. We ate ice cream in a small park next to a children's midway, where squeals of laughter rang out as joyously as it must have a hundred years ago, when the rides were first unveiled.
On our way out we stopped at the Farmer's Market, and snagged a lot of produce for outstanding prices. Food prices are higher in Canada than they are in the States, and far higher than they are in New Mexico. I still haven't gotten over my sticker shock whenever I go to restock on milk and bread. It was lovely to spend $25 and walk away with as many fruits and vegetables as we could carry.
Since that trip to Heritage Park, autumn has arrived in Calgary in a wave of golden foliage. I'll have to take a picture of our street and post it. It's absolutely gorgeous. Schools and community centers are preparing for other Fall Festivals, and the grocery store is stocking up on turkeys. Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, and then Halloween...
October will be busy. Collin and I are heading out to the mountains this Sunday, to either hike to the Beehive at Lake Louise, or find a new place to explore. I kind of want to try canoeing on one of the gorgeous glacial lakes, but that might get old (and cold) quickly. I think I generally have more fun exploring on my feet.
A holiday, a friend's wedding, and Halloween after that...our friends will be hosting a big Halloween bash and I'm pretty stoked. I love themed parties (especially the catering potential - at the gooey center of every Christi is a 1950's housewife, evidently), and have been missing the kind of silly dinner parties I'd host in NM.
To sum up, September's been filled with important everyday things. October is shaping up to be more of the same, only colder. I'm missing everyone back home and have been channelling that into making an array of baked goods (the most delicious so far is a tie between banoffi pie and maple apple blueberry crisp). And my novel is progressing slowly but steadily.
I know it's time to stop writing when I start sharing recipes. Banff and/or Yoho and/or Jasper National Park(s) next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)