Drum Sticks

Hey! How are you? I've been meaning to call, but have been so busy!

Ok, that's not true, we got a Wii Fit and that's pretty much my reality now. I'll see you in March.

When I was home to visit the ole Mom's last month, she mentioned that she and her brother were talking about their kids. Mom and Uncle Bill both agreed that me and Roger (Bill's son) were the weird ones in the family.

2 days later, out of the blue, it hit me and I said "HEY! What do you mean the 'weird ones'?"

Mom said that I march to the beat of my own drummer. Which I think is an odd statement. Doesn't everybody march to the beat of their own drum? Is there some sort of universal drumming that I can't hear that everybody else can? I've already written about how I am the black/different sheep in my herd, so that information doesn't surprise me. I am just having a hard time figuring out how the rest of you normals find the regular beat.

OH and read my FaN column this week. It's all about love and cupid and the marketing hype that is Valentimes Day.

Pah rum pah rum pum

Feels Like the First Time

I'm going to my very first writer's conference next weekend and am starting to spaz out a little. I'm trying to figure out what to wear, what to bring, how much of every thing I should bring, will there be food, will there be bathrooms, will the other kids like me, should I bring my paper bag so I stop hyperventilating...

So far I've got my briefcase thingie, my laptop, some business cards and the semi-organization of the novel/biography I've been working on. (I'm doing the conference's novel writing intensive, so I figured that'd be good.) Other than that I'm clueless and worried I'll end up wearing a prom dress when jeans are the norm, or visa versa, and will have everything I need but a pen. Perhaps I should take my own advice and breathe a little.

If you've been to a writers conference, do you have any little tips that aren't obvious and would be hella helpful? (Like all beauty contestants know to put vaseline on their teeth. Is that helpful at writer's conferences?)

I'm super excited to go. My stomach has the butterfly version of jazz hands because I'm so anxious to get there, get connected and get writing.

Breathing and bikes

Aaaaggghhh!!! That's how I've decided to start my blogs now. It came to me as I was clipped by a bike speeding down the sidewalk. That was the noise I made. Ya like?

The noises I made afterward were fun too, it was mostly mumbling - "GAw, I hate stupid cyclists who don't follow rules!!" "I should have taken off my shoe and thrown it at his head!" "I wish I would have had my arm out and clotheslined him." (BTW, not the guy in the picture...)

I ride a bicycle around Santa Monica, in the bike lane, using my little adorable bike bell if pedestrians are nearby. Can I invoke Karma to kick this guys butt?

So I came home and listened to a meditation from The Meditation Society of Australia. ahhhh. I've been meditating a lot more the last few months. You can read about the tools I've found and how it's perked me right up on my latest Fierce And Nerdy blogumn!

Be careful out there!

Chilly is a Relative Term

Because all my relatives are chilly, back in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, etc...

In my ongoing effort to get any of them to visit me, here is a picture taken yesterday, January 6th at around 11:30 am. Temp: 75 degrees.

I'm not posting this to do anything other than getcha out here!

PS: Colorado weather this winter is not helping me convince Sean (or myself) to move back. Can you guys get on that?

Conversations between Married People

I find those weirdly intimate conversations, that can only take place between married people, hilarious. Here is one that happened today:

Me - "Honey, what's the temperature outside?"

Sean - "62, Why?"

Me (who is wearing a sundress as it is California and forecast was for 72 degrees today) - "Because I'm trying to decide if I should put pants on when we go out for our walk."

Sean - "Well, I'm not putting on pants. I'm just going out in my underwear."

Me - "---"

Where On Earth?

Where is the best place to take a 1 week vacation. (AND when is the best time to go there?)

It is decided. As a shared News Years Resolution, Seen and I have decided to "go somewhere". We've never actually gone anywhere as tourists. Well, we went to Hawaii once, but shared that vacation with 3 other people, so we didn't get to be as tourist-y as we could. This year, we will get our passports and head out into the world. Do you have any suggestions? What was your fav. vacation (Favcation) and what time of year should we go? April in Paris? August in New Zealand, May in Yellowstone?

There are determining factors here, the first being an influx of income. The unemployment, which we are both on, isn't exactly "traveling money". It does allow for a LOT of time for travel. I am optimistically thinking his new creative venture will explode and we'll have lots of clams for moving around the world.

Secondly is; some guy just put explosive in his underpants and made travel a tad more difficult for the rest of us. Thank goodness nobody got hurt this time. Restrictions and security is now tighter/longer/harder (stop it, this is a family friendly blog.) Since we are not criminals, I think we'll just add an hour here and there to the schedule and should be able to weather that difficulty.

Thirdly is; other commitments/animal care. The year is planned out thusly so far (yes, all events require travel): Friday - Writers Conference on V-Day weekend (San Diego), March - I spend a week with my Mother Dear (CO), May - Niece graduates from grad. school weekend (SFO), June - another niece gets hitched (CO), I have moderate promises from 2 other nieces that they will visit me (come on down!!) So somewhere's in there, we'll sneak in a vacation for the stressed out, newly wealthy (fingers crossed) Robinsons.

Happy New Year friends! May all your travels and adventures this year be safe ones.

The Moment

I shall not start every blog with the note, "It's been awhile since I've written here", though it is so often appropriate.

Also I like to list things. So here are the 2 things I'm here for today:

A. Just checked out pix from Halloween. This year has put a ton of stress on my body and MAN do I look tired and a little old.

2. I haven't been driving. Even though my job is about 18 miles away from my abode, Seen drives me to work in the morning and I've been catching the express bus home every night. (BTW, Seen is a frickin awesome, selfless, wonderful, handsome, talented, intelligent person. I am a lucky wifey.) So I bring the iPod with me to listen to Huck Finn on the way home. Gotta keep me entertained, as I am an American and god forbid I am alone with my thoughts for 2 minutes. Tonight, the iPod died, even though I charged it all night last night. The iPod started up, said "charge me", gave me the finger and RIP'ed it just as I started my ride. So, I looked out the window.

Best thing that happened to me today. Out the west window of a southbound bus on a dark LA freeway was a river of light. The grainy sunshade on the buses giant window was blocking any definition in the cars out there, so all I saw were thousands of lights, gliding past me. It was like walking on stars...I turned it into a meditation and it was awe-some. There is unexpected beauty all around us.

Just thought I'd share that with you.