Since I can't double post when I write at Metblogs, here are links to the articles I wrote:

I took the kids to see Roller Derby.

The kids and I were extras in a movie.

And tomorrow will probably be another link to the super-hot day we spent as non-skating officials at the Roller Derby exhibition bout today. Mostly: It was hot.

Happy Monday!

I don't think I mentioned here that I actually was offered a real honest-to-goodness writing job the other day. I probably mentioned it everywhere else and not here, heh.

So anyway, it's NOT a big deal at all, but it's a START, and heck - it's a start to something I just barely started! I'm actually impressed with my progress in this writing business so far. Scott has a friend who is a real estate agent, her office puts out a community newsletter. She interviewed a florist, and asked if she transcribed the interview if I would put it together into an article. WHA-?? And you would PAY me to do that? Why yes, yes she would. Enough to, say, pay for me and both kids to go see a movie and buy popcorn, sodas and even nachos. So, not $100, but not $20.

I couldn't quite believe she would take the time to do the interview AND transcribe it, but then want someone else to write it up. I could do that with my eyes closed, ya know? But I guess because that's my skill? haha. So I read one of the previous articles, and um, well, now I see why they wanted a writer to do this. So I just finished the article, I think it came out really well, and the best part is she's going to have me do this every three months or so.

So again, NOT a big job, not a big deal - but really it IS a big deal, because it's the first paid drop in the bucket.

Now I just need 100 more of these jobs per month and I'm SET.
:)

I realize I write here less now about things we do because I've been posting them over at MetBlogs or CQCentral instead. I can't cross post, but I can re-write. But re-writing is a lot of unnecessary work. So maybe I'll just link over instead.

For instance, I went to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum last weekend.
Saw a couple awesome movies - by the director who shot some scenes at my house, and another friend from Cinequest.
Went to Cinequest Happy Hour, as I do every other Friday.

We also went to a Roller Derby bout, but I'm writing an article about that too. I'll link to that later. So, enjoy reading the articles, if you want to. They're not too personalized, but it's better than nothing!

Of course, all this fun means Saturday morning will be taken up with writing a blurb about the Cinequest Happy Hour for CQ Central, and a review of the play for SJ MetBlogs, and then fit in a long workout at the gym.

But... Writing and Working Out, isn't that what I love to do best?

And now presenting my latest San Jose MetBlogs article!

Failing Grade for Santa Clara County Air Quality

So last semester I set up a new email with a more professional sounding address to use for freelance writing. I sent out a couple queries in October, and then went back to work on school. I checked the email several times (okay, several times a DAY) but never received a response.

So after school ended I just kind of stopped looking. But now that I've ordered business cards and plan on getting as many writing jobs as possible I decided to just take a peak at it.

Um. One of my queries was accepted. In January.

Heh.

Luckily this was for a local San Jose neighborhood paper, so not too big a deal, and the article would still be relevant, AND the editor apologized himself for his own lateness in responding. He said he could not pay but would be happy to give me a byline.

That's all I ask for at this point. It's another byline in the can. So I just shot off a reply apologizing for MY lateness, and offering to get him the article by the end of the week, whether he still needs it or not. He also had offered to possibly give me a regular feature - not paid again. Hopefully this could still be possible.

GAWD. And GOSHDARNIT. I hope I wasn't too late. I could kick myself. BUT at least it wasn't a real paying job that I missed, just a byline. And hopefully I can still get it.

Yay!!!

So yes, I'll be writing some things over here now. No, it's not a real job, and yes, I'll be contributing a few times a week. It's at least something out there with my name on it. If you live in the area you should keep an eye on the site anyway.

Not a real job - but I'm actually excited and happy about it. I was asked to do it, so that was flattering. It will be good practice for actual "real" work, because as easily as I can toss things out here, my brain just freezes when I'm writing for something else. It took lots of tries to get out that one review, too many to be reasonable, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I just need to get over that freezing before I screw up any actual work.

And of course I'll be linking to my entries each time! So look forward to it! I am, anyway!
:-D

Guess who's writing for San Jose MetBlogs now?

I hate editing

I really shouldn't post things so late at night. It's a pain in my ass going back through to correct the mistakes the next day. You are instructed to always ignore my spelling typos and grammatical errors for the first 24 hours after I post.

Now get back to work. Are you really supposed to be reading blogs right now??

I updated the journal. Now I update here.
I am not feeling good.
I mean, emotionally I feel fine - Finally.
But physically, I think I feel like crap.
You know how you feel like crap the day before you get sick?
How it starts out just feeling kind of tired and relaxed, then quickly escalates to antsy and irritable, then you start biting the heads off your children?
No?
Well that's how I feel at the moment.
But emotionally, I really do feel so much better. I got the loop to stop. It may start up again, I don't know, but so far, so good. Over 24 hours now, and still no film of October 21 going over and over and over.
So that's good.
These last couple days of Statistics are killing me.
I still have at least a 92%.
But I'm not clear on a lot in this last chapter, and there's lots to do before the Thursday morning final.
But the thought that by noon on Thursday I will be finished will ALL my General Education classes...
That I only have a few measly english classes and a swimming class, basically for fun, that in about 122 days I'll be graduating, that really makes me happy.
But for now, concentrate on Statistics.

Stupid Charleen went to Ireland on business without reminding me.
We work at the same company and I hardly ever get to see her.
But we talk on the phone more often. So that's good.
But not when she's in Ireland.

I want Cinequest to start already.
And I want Charleen to give me the days off that I want off when I tell her I want them off, dammit.
I mean, I love you Charleen.

Did I mention that I stuck Itsy's head in the toilet? But only for a minute.

I need to go to bed. I hope I feel well in the morning because I have too much work and homework to do.

I think part of my writer's block here and in the journal (mostly in the journal) has to do with having teenagers. I used to be able to tell so many funny, cute stories about the kids. But teenagers are neither funny, nor fun, nor cute. They are a lot of hard work and can be terrifying.

I mean, I still love them, and I wouldn't give them up, but there's not much fun to write about them. Usually.

So anyway. Every time the prospect of just giving up on this blog and the journal comes up, I renew my goal to at least write here. So here I am. I'm going to try harder to update here, even if it's boring - I'm going to go back to trying to write only for myself. Maybe I'll even cut out the comments section to make sure. We'll see.

trying to write

I updated the journal but it's nothing special - trust me.

I'm so scared to start school this semester with all the units that I HAVE to take if I want to graduate when I want to graduate. And yet I am so excited also. Very conflicted. But a new school year is always exciting anyway, eh?

I have to attend school one evening a week, Tuesday from 6pm to 9:15pm. I have not told the kids this yet. It's better to surprise them with that sort of information to avoid giving them time to make plans. However, once they find out...

I may have to pay Spike big money to make sure Buffy does not get into trouble. Then I have to pay someone to keep Spike out of trouble...

Somebody sign up to help me with my Algebra homework.

And help me with Spanish.

I watched Monster-in-Law last night. I was less than impressed. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. And I was expecting to like it. Oh well.

Deadwood was very very good. THAT one I recommend. Calamity Jane is back in Season Two, right? Don't tell me she just dropped off after a few episodes.

On Buffy's webpage she lists the people she wants to meet as: Brooke McQueen, Harrison, Josh, Carmen, Lily, Nicole and Mary Cherry. 10 points if you know what she's talking about.

Let me bother you all one more time. I'm having a heck of a time trying to come up with the subject for two of my assignments. If I let you guys give me ideas, it won't be cheating because I still have to write the story myself, right? That's what I think. But anyway, here are the assignments I'm stuck on:

Right one story twice from two points of view. First from someone of a vastly different age than you, such as a child or a 90 year old. Then write the same story from the point of view of someone only ten years older or younger than yourself. 750 words each.

So, any ideas?

Second story: A married man and woman are sleeping upstairs in the morning. The woman hears a disturbance downstairs and goes down to investigate. At the end of the story, she returns upstairs. You fill in the rest, 750 words.

Now I have the most difficulty with this one. Because A) if your husband is right next to you in bed and there's a disturbance downstairs, do you really go investigate or do you wake up your husband? Especially if it really is morning. I mean, Girl Power and all, but the man has a better chance with an intruder. So the disturbance must be something the woman is expecting. Like from the children, or she's expecting a visitor. What do you all think? Any ideas for the story?

So just give me a comment if you have any ideas. I'll do the writing, you just be my muse.

Okay, here is one of the poems that I turned in. I don't think it's great, I think it could be "okay" if I worked on it some more. A lot more. I guess I think it has potential, haha, but I think right now this is like a C poem, myself. I'm not stressing about it too much because I have no intention of ever becoming a poet in this current life. Anyway, a small part of me enjoys some of it, so I'm just going to share anyway.

Choosing a friend

Floor to ceiling books
The antidote to loneliness
My dusty musty friends
Always shouting for attention
You’d think they were the silent type
But no
They clamor for my notice
Pick me! Pick me!
My ears ache reading the titles.
Nancy babbles of clues
found in an old clock
behind the pavilion
And the Bobsey’s
cold from sledding
ask to drink hot cocoa
With Heidi in the Alps
On the top shelf
Behind the gold leaf
Katharina loudly debates mustard and beef
With the Phoenix
While the Turtle sits quietly
And waits for later years
My hand reaches out
The chorus grows louder
My fingers rest on Grimm
The originals
A tragic bloody ending
My favorite friend of all.

Okay, are you ready for Poem #2???

You ARE???

Wierdos.
:-)

Aptos Coffee Roasting

Two fast cups, I recite
The Saturday morning ritual
One poppy seed, extra toasted
with sundried tomato
one pesto with butter
I hand the cash in my hand
To the man with the ponytail
Bring one coffee to my man
His nose in his book
Saul Bellow.
My coffee goes back to the counter
Pour the cream, tear open
Four packets of sugar
He looks up and grimaces
Sugar ruins coffee, he says
Again.
One poppy seed! One pesto!
Yells the ponytail man
I take the silver envelopes and sit in my chair
Open my literature book, he puts down
Saul Bellow
Prepares his bagel sips his coffee
And I sit and watch the people

Outside the window
The surfers sip their coffee
in the fog
The little red haired boy runs in
With his red haired mother
They walk past the tables
Where the outgrown hippies sit
I’m in a band, says one
We do Black Sabbath covers,
mostly.
We just need a drummer
And a lead singer.
I smile to myself and look up
My man is smiling too.

I bite my bagel, sip my coffee
The pesto and cheese go well with the sugar
I think.

I just had to write my very first poem ever, not counting silly little haiku, for one of my classes. It's not a graded poem, it was just part of an assignment, but even though I was scared to death to even attempt it (I do NOT write poems!) I did it and I kind of like it.

So here it is:

Breathe

I breathe
I inhale I exhale
I gasp gulp and gasp again
So easily done
For ordinary people
They breathe air
They sit and watch TV
They do their chores they pay their bills
Behind the glass windows
Outside I consume their dinner smells

In one two
Out one
In one two
Out one

I breathe
I gasp I gulp
My lungs on fire
They cannot contract
My heart does not pound
Just a solid presence
Keeping me alive
My lungs cannot keep up
They inhale - not enough
They exhale - not fast enough

In one two
Out one
In one two
Out one

The air is cold
It burns it freezes
Fills me with life
Keeps me from death
Heart wordlessly pounds on
I cannot hear it
Cannot feel it
Focus on breathing
Inhaling, Exhaling

In one two
Out one

Gasping
Gulping
Living

I decide to run another mile.

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