Things are ramping up slowly, publication and publicity-wise. I submitted an application to YAbookscentral.com (a wonderful site jam packed with cool YA books and reader reviews) and they just approved and posted it on their site! It's here. Woo hoo!
Also, Publisher's Weekly gave the book and the whole series a brief mention in their Fall 2012 Preview here. (Scroll down to Kensington/KTeen.)
It's weird how huge these things loom in my mind. I'm just one of hundreds or thousands on these sites. But for me this is BIG. It's all crazy and official-like. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this! I kind of hope not...
Monday, February 20, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
How Publication Works - The Copy Editing Stage
I have now officially gone through the copy editing stage of publication, and I have this to say - copy editors rock!
For those curious about publication, here's how my copy edit process worked.
1. You're done making the changes your editor asked you to make on your manuscript. Congratulations! You send it to your editor and she sends it off to the copy editor. My book went out as a Word file (NOT .docx, by the way, folks seem to hate that format) set up to mark all changes and add comments. The file still showed all my editor's comments/changes and my edits thereafter.
2. Super Copy Editor goes over ever single word in the manuscript, using his/her Mind Boggling Grammar Knowledge and Special Punctuation Insight, making changes (which were marked in the Word file), asking questions about inconsistencies, and so on.
In my case, he/she also made something called a "style sheet" which listed the different kinds of marks used on the file and their meaning. The style sheet also contained all the unusual or unique terms I used in the book, alphabetically, along with queries about any inconsistencies, as well as a list of all the characters in the book, along with their distinguishing characteristics. This list has become incredibly useful as I write Book 2 in the series.
Thank you, Super Copy Editor!
3. The copy editor sends the file back to my editor, who forwards it to me with instructions to make changes so that they are marked, and not to delete any other marks or comments. Also, please save the file as .doc or as the earlier form of Word, not the most recent Word, which is the evil .docx.
4. I go over the manuscript on my computer, checking every change. As I soon realize that Super Copy Editor (hereafter referred to as SCE) fricking knows his/her business, I give up studying every added or deleted comma and concentrate on the queries.
In my case, because I'm writing fantasy, I made up a lot of terms to fit my world buillding. For example, Otherkin contains an organization called the Tribunal. At some points I referred to it as a singular entity, at other times as a plural one. SCE asked me to choose. Singular it is!
At other, awesome points in the file, SCE corrected my spelling of Pepe LePew (note that both the L and the P in his last name are capitalized), and asked me very politely if perhaps I'd like to choose a different word here because I'd used the same word in the previous sentence. Yes, please and thank you!
I also changed a couple of things in my acknowledgements, opined on where I'd like the epigraph to show up, and weighed in on whether or not I'd like a break in the text when a time break happened in the story. (Yes, please.)
Behold the fabulousness of the SCE! They respect your work enough to want to make it as correct, readable, and entertaining as possible, without intruding on your vision as a writer.
5. I also went over the style sheet, corrected one description of one character and answered several queries, highlighting those changes in yellow. Then I sent the file back to my editor.
All of this was surprisingly fun. I know I'm a bit of a word nerd, but it was fascinating to look at my book from this kind of distance, to make sure the world inside it was as consistent and correct as I could possibly make it.
I have to say - I'm a little nervous about this post because it probably needs to be copy edited. Alas, when it comes to the blog, I'm on my own.
Hey, we all make mistakes...
The SCE gives you a chance to look like you're PERFECT.
Well, at least when it comes to spelling and grammar. The actual writing is all you. And if you're a writer, you know that "stuf" is never perfect. But making it as good as possible is part of the job. So the Super Copy Editor is your friend. Embrace him/her and your book will be all the better for it.
For those curious about publication, here's how my copy edit process worked.
1. You're done making the changes your editor asked you to make on your manuscript. Congratulations! You send it to your editor and she sends it off to the copy editor. My book went out as a Word file (NOT .docx, by the way, folks seem to hate that format) set up to mark all changes and add comments. The file still showed all my editor's comments/changes and my edits thereafter.
2. Super Copy Editor goes over ever single word in the manuscript, using his/her Mind Boggling Grammar Knowledge and Special Punctuation Insight, making changes (which were marked in the Word file), asking questions about inconsistencies, and so on.
In my case, he/she also made something called a "style sheet" which listed the different kinds of marks used on the file and their meaning. The style sheet also contained all the unusual or unique terms I used in the book, alphabetically, along with queries about any inconsistencies, as well as a list of all the characters in the book, along with their distinguishing characteristics. This list has become incredibly useful as I write Book 2 in the series.
Thank you, Super Copy Editor!
3. The copy editor sends the file back to my editor, who forwards it to me with instructions to make changes so that they are marked, and not to delete any other marks or comments. Also, please save the file as .doc or as the earlier form of Word, not the most recent Word, which is the evil .docx.
4. I go over the manuscript on my computer, checking every change. As I soon realize that Super Copy Editor (hereafter referred to as SCE) fricking knows his/her business, I give up studying every added or deleted comma and concentrate on the queries.
In my case, because I'm writing fantasy, I made up a lot of terms to fit my world buillding. For example, Otherkin contains an organization called the Tribunal. At some points I referred to it as a singular entity, at other times as a plural one. SCE asked me to choose. Singular it is!
At other, awesome points in the file, SCE corrected my spelling of Pepe LePew (note that both the L and the P in his last name are capitalized), and asked me very politely if perhaps I'd like to choose a different word here because I'd used the same word in the previous sentence. Yes, please and thank you!
I also changed a couple of things in my acknowledgements, opined on where I'd like the epigraph to show up, and weighed in on whether or not I'd like a break in the text when a time break happened in the story. (Yes, please.)
Behold the fabulousness of the SCE! They respect your work enough to want to make it as correct, readable, and entertaining as possible, without intruding on your vision as a writer.
5. I also went over the style sheet, corrected one description of one character and answered several queries, highlighting those changes in yellow. Then I sent the file back to my editor.
All of this was surprisingly fun. I know I'm a bit of a word nerd, but it was fascinating to look at my book from this kind of distance, to make sure the world inside it was as consistent and correct as I could possibly make it.
I have to say - I'm a little nervous about this post because it probably needs to be copy edited. Alas, when it comes to the blog, I'm on my own.
Hey, we all make mistakes...
The SCE gives you a chance to look like you're PERFECT.
Well, at least when it comes to spelling and grammar. The actual writing is all you. And if you're a writer, you know that "stuf" is never perfect. But making it as good as possible is part of the job. So the Super Copy Editor is your friend. Embrace him/her and your book will be all the better for it.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Cover Proofs of Otherkin!
Just got these gorgeous things in from my publisher...
I'm such a newbie that I had no idea what they are. They're folded, actually, with the complete back and front cover text. Inside the back cover is my bio, and inside the back front cover is KTeenbooks.com info.
I asked fellow KTeen author Brigid Kemmerer about them, and yes, it turns out they have a name: cover proofs.
It's weird how much cooler the cover is in the actual paper (Is it paper technically? Not quite cardboard, but thicker than paper - gah! Newbie-ness strikes!) than as just a jpeg. The lower part, where the black "grass" is in the image is shiny, and the grass as it pokes up is shiny. And the images of Dez, tiger, and moon, are all more matte. So awesome! Every step of this process makes it seem more and more real.
Oh, and the back features a quote from the lovely Brigid Kemmerer as well. She was kind enough to read it and give me a blurb
I'm such a newbie that I had no idea what they are. They're folded, actually, with the complete back and front cover text. Inside the back cover is my bio, and inside the back front cover is KTeenbooks.com info.
I asked fellow KTeen author Brigid Kemmerer about them, and yes, it turns out they have a name: cover proofs.
It's weird how much cooler the cover is in the actual paper (Is it paper technically? Not quite cardboard, but thicker than paper - gah! Newbie-ness strikes!) than as just a jpeg. The lower part, where the black "grass" is in the image is shiny, and the grass as it pokes up is shiny. And the images of Dez, tiger, and moon, are all more matte. So awesome! Every step of this process makes it seem more and more real.
Oh, and the back features a quote from the lovely Brigid Kemmerer as well. She was kind enough to read it and give me a blurb
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Otherkin Cover Now on Amazon!
Finally the Amazon bots have found my book's cover and put it up on its order page - here.
You can gaze in admiration or pre-order. Me, I'm just giggling with glee.
Tonight, I am this kitty: Woo hoo!
You can gaze in admiration or pre-order. Me, I'm just giggling with glee.
Tonight, I am this kitty: Woo hoo!
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Take your children abroad...
(click on photo to enlarge)
Here we are in our favorite taverna in Naxos, Greece. We spent three weeks on that island with our friends, Tommy and Evie Davis and their three kids. Tom played basketball in Turkey (he was quite a celebrity there), so we met up with his family in Greece, then went on to stay with them in a wonderful place just outside Istanbul.
According to my Mom, during our stay in Naxos we went this taverna every day, sometimes twice a day, to eat or just to have a cup of coffee. My Dad would play chess with John Stanley (at the center back of the photo) and Tom Davis, and drink beer, philosophizing and laughing. We didn't speak Greek, and the owner and his wife (standing on the right) didn't speak English, but somehow we all became a kind of family. When we got on the boat weeks later, the owner's wife was at the dock, weeping as she waved goodbye.
From left to right: Paul "Doc" Berry (my dad), me, Jacqueline Berry (my Mom, with the great legs), little Tommy Davis, Jill Davis (the almost not visible towheaded girl), John Stanley, Beth Davis, Evie Davis, and the taverna owner and his wife. I don't know who the seated older man is on the extreme right, but I love him.
I wish I knew the names of our hosts in this photo. Thanks to Tom Davis for taking it (he's behind the camera) and for sending it to my parents recently. Now that it's digital, it'll last forever.
Monday, January 30, 2012
See Through a Dog's Eyes
In his book The Tiger, John Vaillant discusses the idea of umwelt, which is a German word meaning "environment," but is used by Jakob von Uexküll and Thomas A. Sebeok to mean an organism's view of the world.
So a tiger's umwelt wold be very different from a human's. The tiger would not only see things differently, but smell, hear, feel, taste, and on and on. How does walking on all fours affect one's viewpoint, for example? To enter the tiger's umwelt, one can only use one's imagination - imagine how the snow sounds to a tiger crunching under its paws, how the snow smells, what the breeze tells the tiger's whiskers.
How about the umwelt of a more common animal - a dog? The video below, from a camera attached to a dog's collar during a visit to a dog park, is a wonderful aid if you're wondering how a dog sees the world. The smells, sounds, tastes, and feel of it all is still up to your imagination...
Beautiful Day at the Dog Park from Kelsey Wynns on Vimeo.
It's also quite lovely and just fun to watch. Oh to be a dog at the dog park!
So a tiger's umwelt wold be very different from a human's. The tiger would not only see things differently, but smell, hear, feel, taste, and on and on. How does walking on all fours affect one's viewpoint, for example? To enter the tiger's umwelt, one can only use one's imagination - imagine how the snow sounds to a tiger crunching under its paws, how the snow smells, what the breeze tells the tiger's whiskers.
How about the umwelt of a more common animal - a dog? The video below, from a camera attached to a dog's collar during a visit to a dog park, is a wonderful aid if you're wondering how a dog sees the world. The smells, sounds, tastes, and feel of it all is still up to your imagination...
Beautiful Day at the Dog Park from Kelsey Wynns on Vimeo.
It's also quite lovely and just fun to watch. Oh to be a dog at the dog park!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Tiger Attack!
Holy flircking schnit. The video below was shot in India as a group of men on elephants attempted to tranquilize a tigress.
You must watch this. It's only 28 seconds, and don't worry, there's no gore:
You must watch this. It's only 28 seconds, and don't worry, there's no gore:
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Moon! The Moon's to blame...
Found this on Facebook and fell in love. Kudos to the "loonies" who made it.
Also, the moon plays in important part in the world of Otherkin, and this is kind of inspiring as I write book 2...
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Kitten BBQ = BAD!!!
Thanks to The Oatmeal, who invited one and all to pirate this .gif so that we may hilariously understand why SOPA and PIPA must be stopped.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Blog-O-Changes
Just a quickie to note that I'm slowly changing my blog, and today I added buttons!
See, those things above that say "Blog," and then "About Me" and so on? I added those. I feel as proud as a toddler who's had her first bite of blended peas.
One of those buttons is my tumblr, which is called The Tulgey Wood. That's the old name for this blog, and I just couldn't bear to part with it completely.
Later on I'll be shaking things up more, but I want my pal and designing maven Elisa Nader to weigh in on fonts and photos and the like.
Stay tuned.
See, those things above that say "Blog," and then "About Me" and so on? I added those. I feel as proud as a toddler who's had her first bite of blended peas.
One of those buttons is my tumblr, which is called The Tulgey Wood. That's the old name for this blog, and I just couldn't bear to part with it completely.
Later on I'll be shaking things up more, but I want my pal and designing maven Elisa Nader to weigh in on fonts and photos and the like.
Stay tuned.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Almost a Character From My Book...
Saw this video of a polar bear cub named Siku ....
And thought - Holy Nub-Ears, that's cute! Then I thought - there's a character named Siku in my upcoming book, Otherkin!
Siku is an Inuit name, and my character isn't a polar bear (exactly), and he's a teenager, not a baby, but...
Well, let's just say this is startlingly appropriate. Almost a spoiler, really. You'll have to read the book to find out exactly how.
Yes, it's true. Everything in the world is about ME and MY BOOK. Mwah ha ha ha!
And thought - Holy Nub-Ears, that's cute! Then I thought - there's a character named Siku in my upcoming book, Otherkin!
Siku is an Inuit name, and my character isn't a polar bear (exactly), and he's a teenager, not a baby, but...
Well, let's just say this is startlingly appropriate. Almost a spoiler, really. You'll have to read the book to find out exactly how.
Yes, it's true. Everything in the world is about ME and MY BOOK. Mwah ha ha ha!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Widget Alert!
Just added a countdown widget to my site, which you'll see to the right here.It counts down the days till release of my book.
Because, I, at least, am counting the days. And I want everyone else to share in my obsession so that I don't feel so crazy.
Many thanks to my genius critique partner, Elisa Nader, for designing it.
Also, a big shout out to fellow KTeen author Brigid Kemmerer for showing me how easy it is to make these widgets over at Widgetbox. You can see Brigid's fabulous widget for the first book in her Elemental series, Storm, on her site here.
It's also Brigid's birthday. Happy Birthday, gorgeous, brainy, writer Mom woman!
Because, I, at least, am counting the days. And I want everyone else to share in my obsession so that I don't feel so crazy.
Many thanks to my genius critique partner, Elisa Nader, for designing it.
Also, a big shout out to fellow KTeen author Brigid Kemmerer for showing me how easy it is to make these widgets over at Widgetbox. You can see Brigid's fabulous widget for the first book in her Elemental series, Storm, on her site here.
It's also Brigid's birthday. Happy Birthday, gorgeous, brainy, writer Mom woman!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
OTHERKIN - Cover Reveal!
How tiger-iffic is this? The colors! The eyes! The stripey stripes and the font! I love it!
Here's the back cover text and blurbs from my wonderful fellow authors:
I thought I knew
myself. Then I met Caleb.
Dez is a good girl who
does as she’s told and tries not to be noticed.
Then she rescues a boy
from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself.
Now inside her burns a
darkness that will transform her.
Everything is about to
change -- and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them are
prepared for what Dez will unleash.
"Get caught up in a dangerous world of shadow magic, shifters, and secrets."
- New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep
- New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep
"Be prepared to lose some sleep. Otherkin is full of non-stop action and suspense, and you're not going to be able to put it down!"
-- Brigid Kemmerer, author the Elemental series
-- Brigid Kemmerer, author the Elemental series
Monday, January 09, 2012
OTHERKIN Cover Reveal - Coming Soon!
I just had to tease you a bit, because I've got the cover for my book in my hot little paws - and it's gorgeous!
Stay tuned for the big reveal, right here - tomorrow!
Stay tuned for the big reveal, right here - tomorrow!
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Hello, New Year!
So in 2012, the idea is to:
1. Finish Book 2.
3. Try something new that scares me.
2. Do things in an unexpected fashion at times.
4. Finish short story for fabulous upcoming secret anthology!
6. Maybe visit friends currently living in Kyiv (Kiev) in Ukraine. (Along with day trip to Chernobyl!)
5. Rewrite pilot script until it's fabulous.
7. If I'm lucky, start and finish Book 3.
9. Bodysurf (This one happens every year, and lucky me.)
8. Read some wonderful books.
10. Publicize Otherkin as best I can with all the tools at my disposal.
11. Yes, I know the numbers are out of order. Please see #2 for the reason.
12. A couple of very personal wishes, which will not be expressed here, but rather will reside deep inside my gray matter.
I'm adverse to resolutions. But goals are good. They help you get to the place you're hoping for. That, and luck, and help from other wonderful people, and lots of hard work.
What are your ideas for 2012?
1. Finish Book 2.
3. Try something new that scares me.
2. Do things in an unexpected fashion at times.
4. Finish short story for fabulous upcoming secret anthology!
6. Maybe visit friends currently living in Kyiv (Kiev) in Ukraine. (Along with day trip to Chernobyl!)
5. Rewrite pilot script until it's fabulous.
7. If I'm lucky, start and finish Book 3.
9. Bodysurf (This one happens every year, and lucky me.)
8. Read some wonderful books.
10. Publicize Otherkin as best I can with all the tools at my disposal.
11. Yes, I know the numbers are out of order. Please see #2 for the reason.
12. A couple of very personal wishes, which will not be expressed here, but rather will reside deep inside my gray matter.
I'm adverse to resolutions. But goals are good. They help you get to the place you're hoping for. That, and luck, and help from other wonderful people, and lots of hard work.
What are your ideas for 2012?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Farewell to the Old Year(s)
Today, the last day of 2011, I look back on the past and appreciate what was, in order to look forward to what will be in 2012.
That's me and Dad at Bellows when I was nine, the year I learned to bodysurf.
How lucky I am to have gone to such a place even once. But I spent that whole summer there, and I go back every year.
2011 was a real rollercoaster. I got an amazing agent, who then sold my book in a two-book deal to an editor I love. After years of effort, I finally achieved something I've always wanted.
But there were big losses and stresses too. I'm not going to dwell on them, but let's just say 2011 was a real rollercoaster.
How grateful I am to be on the ride in the first place.
I hope you can reflect back on 2011 with gratitude and compassion for yourself an others. And here's to a new year full of new adventures, old friends, discoveries, and laughs.
That's me and Dad at Bellows when I was nine, the year I learned to bodysurf.
How lucky I am to have gone to such a place even once. But I spent that whole summer there, and I go back every year.
2011 was a real rollercoaster. I got an amazing agent, who then sold my book in a two-book deal to an editor I love. After years of effort, I finally achieved something I've always wanted.
But there were big losses and stresses too. I'm not going to dwell on them, but let's just say 2011 was a real rollercoaster.
How grateful I am to be on the ride in the first place.
I hope you can reflect back on 2011 with gratitude and compassion for yourself an others. And here's to a new year full of new adventures, old friends, discoveries, and laughs.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Top TV Picks 2011
So many delicious, complex, well written goodies inhabited this so-called vast wasteland. Now that wasteland has a lot of fecund, jungly pockets.
Louie
The weirdest, funniest, truest half hour of art/comedy you'll ever watch.
Game of Thrones
Based on one of my all-time favorite book series, this ambitious show takes its time to set up place, characters, and plot. Then it pulls your guts out. I knew it was coming, and still it wrecked me. Sometimes its even better than the books.
Justified
Complex southern characters plus Elmore Leonard's humor and humanity. Some amazing performances last season lifted this series to one of the best out there, ever. Deserving of way more Emmy nominations than it got.
The Borgias
Historical soap opera at its sexiest, bloodiest, and most gorgeous. I'm usually a stickler for history, but this show made me put down the textbook and revel in Jeremy Irons as a conniving sinner Pope.
Friday Night Lights
One of the all time great series ever on television reached its perfect conclusion this year. I have friends who still haven't watched the final episode. They keep it on their dvr like a hidden stash of gold, pretending the show isn't really over. Only the best of the best could ever inspire devotion like that.
Parks and Recreation
This hilarious series also has one of the sweetest love stories on TV.
Homeland
The show that made me keep my Showtime subscription, featuring amazing performances by Claire Danes and Damien Lewis in a twisty 'Manchurian Candidate" type plot that features real people instead of thriller stereotypes.
The Good Wife
Even with a few missteps this season (Eli Gold overdose, not nearly enough of Will and Alicia's trysts, annoying teen daughter Grace) The Good Wife has the most compelling ensemble of characters on network television. Kalinda Sharma alone could catapult this show into my top picks.
Awkward
Hey look, teens who have sex, do drugs, make mistakes, and are hilarious. MTV makes the case for its continued existence with this series.
Fringe
Sure the storylines involve multiple worlds, but this show is really all about the relationships. Mix up mind boggling sci fi and thwarted true love and you'll get me every time.
The Vampire Diaries
Insane in the best possible way, the incredible pace of this show's relentless story plus its shamelessly hot batch of actors makes it the juiciest guilty pleasure out there. Doesn't hurt that Ian Somerhalder's the hottest vampire since Spike. Sorry, Sookie.
Coverage of The Breeder's Cup 2011
I was glued first to TVG, then to ESPN and ABC watching this series of races featuring the best horses in the world. Mighty European miler Goldikova made her last, valiant stand to no avail, and favorites Uncle Mo and Havre de Grace fell behind a last minute charge by Drosselmeyer, ridden by Mike Smith, who tried to make that same charge last year on (my favorite and one of the all-time greats) the amazing mare Zenyatta, and failed by a nose.
Also excellent: Doctor Who, Whitechapel, Boardwalk Empire (especially the last few eps of this season), Once Upon a Time, The Daily Show, Masterpiece Mystery.
Louie
The weirdest, funniest, truest half hour of art/comedy you'll ever watch.
Game of Thrones
Based on one of my all-time favorite book series, this ambitious show takes its time to set up place, characters, and plot. Then it pulls your guts out. I knew it was coming, and still it wrecked me. Sometimes its even better than the books.
Justified
Complex southern characters plus Elmore Leonard's humor and humanity. Some amazing performances last season lifted this series to one of the best out there, ever. Deserving of way more Emmy nominations than it got.
The Borgias
Historical soap opera at its sexiest, bloodiest, and most gorgeous. I'm usually a stickler for history, but this show made me put down the textbook and revel in Jeremy Irons as a conniving sinner Pope.
Friday Night Lights
One of the all time great series ever on television reached its perfect conclusion this year. I have friends who still haven't watched the final episode. They keep it on their dvr like a hidden stash of gold, pretending the show isn't really over. Only the best of the best could ever inspire devotion like that.
Parks and Recreation
This hilarious series also has one of the sweetest love stories on TV.
Homeland
The show that made me keep my Showtime subscription, featuring amazing performances by Claire Danes and Damien Lewis in a twisty 'Manchurian Candidate" type plot that features real people instead of thriller stereotypes.
The Good Wife
Even with a few missteps this season (Eli Gold overdose, not nearly enough of Will and Alicia's trysts, annoying teen daughter Grace) The Good Wife has the most compelling ensemble of characters on network television. Kalinda Sharma alone could catapult this show into my top picks.
Awkward
Hey look, teens who have sex, do drugs, make mistakes, and are hilarious. MTV makes the case for its continued existence with this series.
Fringe
Sure the storylines involve multiple worlds, but this show is really all about the relationships. Mix up mind boggling sci fi and thwarted true love and you'll get me every time.
The Vampire Diaries
Insane in the best possible way, the incredible pace of this show's relentless story plus its shamelessly hot batch of actors makes it the juiciest guilty pleasure out there. Doesn't hurt that Ian Somerhalder's the hottest vampire since Spike. Sorry, Sookie.
Coverage of The Breeder's Cup 2011
I was glued first to TVG, then to ESPN and ABC watching this series of races featuring the best horses in the world. Mighty European miler Goldikova made her last, valiant stand to no avail, and favorites Uncle Mo and Havre de Grace fell behind a last minute charge by Drosselmeyer, ridden by Mike Smith, who tried to make that same charge last year on (my favorite and one of the all-time greats) the amazing mare Zenyatta, and failed by a nose.
Also excellent: Doctor Who, Whitechapel, Boardwalk Empire (especially the last few eps of this season), Once Upon a Time, The Daily Show, Masterpiece Mystery.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
The Good Old Days
My Dad just sent me this awesome photo of himself (center, brown trunks) and our family friends Lee (left) and Joe (right) on Bellows Beach the summer I turned nine.
What a flood of memories this brings back.
I can feel the warm breeze coming off the water and hear the soothing crash of the waves. We had a flood of wonderful visitors that summer, and we spent nearly every weekend with them at Bellows. I'd race into the water (careful where the bottom dips down!) and dive under the oncoming waves, tasting salt, my long, frizzy hair turning into a smooth flow behind me.
I grew up swimming. At age three I was diving 15 feet down in our school pool to fetch rocks off the bottom. But Bellows was different. The waves were friendly, sure, but unpredictable. You had to stay on your toes, keep an eye on the horizon, and be careful after you caught a wave because another one might be looming right behind you.
Every wave was a possible adventure. I learned to assess the steepness of its face, its speed, its glossy texture. If it all looked good, I'd run/wade through the waist-high water, resisting the tug of the wave's tow, to what seemed the right place, turn around, push off, and one-two crawl strokes - and you're off! If you've done it exactly right at the exact right time, the wave will pick you up like a swell of hot air picking up a balloon, and send you zooming toward the shore, water churning around your shoulders, body laid out like a surfboard.
My favorite sound in the world remains the hiss of the wave-foam buzzing around your ears at the end of a ride. My favorite place in the world remains Bellows Beach.
It was the summer this photo was taken that gave me all that. I look at my Dad in this photo and I weirdly see myself there. Sure, we've got the same nose, the same shoulders, but it's more than that. I don't think I took this photo, but I was in there somewhere. And I can still conjure the heavy heat of the sunshine and the powdery sand between my toes. I'm there now, and later too. And it's here with me.
What a flood of memories this brings back.
I can feel the warm breeze coming off the water and hear the soothing crash of the waves. We had a flood of wonderful visitors that summer, and we spent nearly every weekend with them at Bellows. I'd race into the water (careful where the bottom dips down!) and dive under the oncoming waves, tasting salt, my long, frizzy hair turning into a smooth flow behind me.
I grew up swimming. At age three I was diving 15 feet down in our school pool to fetch rocks off the bottom. But Bellows was different. The waves were friendly, sure, but unpredictable. You had to stay on your toes, keep an eye on the horizon, and be careful after you caught a wave because another one might be looming right behind you.
Every wave was a possible adventure. I learned to assess the steepness of its face, its speed, its glossy texture. If it all looked good, I'd run/wade through the waist-high water, resisting the tug of the wave's tow, to what seemed the right place, turn around, push off, and one-two crawl strokes - and you're off! If you've done it exactly right at the exact right time, the wave will pick you up like a swell of hot air picking up a balloon, and send you zooming toward the shore, water churning around your shoulders, body laid out like a surfboard.
My favorite sound in the world remains the hiss of the wave-foam buzzing around your ears at the end of a ride. My favorite place in the world remains Bellows Beach.
It was the summer this photo was taken that gave me all that. I look at my Dad in this photo and I weirdly see myself there. Sure, we've got the same nose, the same shoulders, but it's more than that. I don't think I took this photo, but I was in there somewhere. And I can still conjure the heavy heat of the sunshine and the powdery sand between my toes. I'm there now, and later too. And it's here with me.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Don't Buy Me These Things for Christmas...
...but I do love them.
Herewith a random list of things I've spotted during the holiday season that I might, in another life, want for myself. BUT DON'T BUY THEM FOR ME. I mean it. Many of them are way too expensive. Others I just don't have room or time for.
But they are pretty cool....
For example. The only way you should ever have an animal head on your wall:
Savannah Story Bust from anthropologie. Also available in rhino, gazelle, giraffe, and elephant.
My cat doesn't particularly like to be up high. She's weird like that, but if she did, I'd get her:
The Cat Clouds Cat Shelf from therefinedfeline.com.
Not to mention the world's most attractive cat tree:
The Lotus Cat Tower. From the same store.
Again, I don't have room for this, but if I did I'd be sorely tempted. It's a gorgeous poster of a painting of one of the all time great race horses, whom you all probably know I've seen race in person:
Available in Zenyatta's own online shop. Those Zenyatta Way Street Signs are also tempting. But I have enough Zenyatta stuff up already.
My next selection is so ridiculous that it's almost awesome. A slanket covered with... skulls!
It's a reversed blanket that will keep you cozy while you sit like a lump, but hey, it's got skulls on it, so it's BAD ASS, right? Wear this and you are one BAD ASS couch potato, bay-bee! Available at Thinkgeek.com here.
I will never be able to justify buying this, given the expense. But oooh, yum:
Laphroaig's 21-year-old single malt scotch. Finally, a whisky old enough to drink.
You should never buy a pet as a surprise gift for anyone. And you should always adopt your pet from a shelter or rescue organization. That said, since this is a fantasy post about gifts NOT to get me...
I ran into a gorgeous, sweetheart of a Newfoundland at the pet store the other day, and she won my heart. I've always loved bigger dogs, and this one was all huge webbed paws and "rub my belly please." Newfies are smart, family friendly, and protective without being scary. I'd never get a pet from a breeder since there are so many rescues out there. But I do love me a big sweet dog. German Shephards and other shephard breeds are also very high on my favorite list. But I haven't met a dog I didn't like.
Not sure how often I'd wear this, but it sure is lovely.
The Egyptian Lotus Necklace from the Met Museum Store. They have plenty of less expensive and still quite lovely things there, if you know someone who's a history/archaeology buff like me.
I'm not the type to ever own a bar or restaurant. But over the weekend I attended an event here:
The Wellsbourne on Pico in West Los Angeles. All old dark wood, shelves with books, shiny bar, and big comfy booths. I had a Pimm's Cup there (the cocktails are all old fashioned) which was delicious, and the tab came to me inside a hollowed out book. So if I ever were to own a bar, it'd be a place like this.
Herewith a random list of things I've spotted during the holiday season that I might, in another life, want for myself. BUT DON'T BUY THEM FOR ME. I mean it. Many of them are way too expensive. Others I just don't have room or time for.
But they are pretty cool....
For example. The only way you should ever have an animal head on your wall:
Savannah Story Bust from anthropologie. Also available in rhino, gazelle, giraffe, and elephant.
My cat doesn't particularly like to be up high. She's weird like that, but if she did, I'd get her:
The Cat Clouds Cat Shelf from therefinedfeline.com.
Not to mention the world's most attractive cat tree:
The Lotus Cat Tower. From the same store.
Again, I don't have room for this, but if I did I'd be sorely tempted. It's a gorgeous poster of a painting of one of the all time great race horses, whom you all probably know I've seen race in person:
Available in Zenyatta's own online shop. Those Zenyatta Way Street Signs are also tempting. But I have enough Zenyatta stuff up already.
My next selection is so ridiculous that it's almost awesome. A slanket covered with... skulls!
It's a reversed blanket that will keep you cozy while you sit like a lump, but hey, it's got skulls on it, so it's BAD ASS, right? Wear this and you are one BAD ASS couch potato, bay-bee! Available at Thinkgeek.com here.
I will never be able to justify buying this, given the expense. But oooh, yum:
Laphroaig's 21-year-old single malt scotch. Finally, a whisky old enough to drink.
You should never buy a pet as a surprise gift for anyone. And you should always adopt your pet from a shelter or rescue organization. That said, since this is a fantasy post about gifts NOT to get me...
I ran into a gorgeous, sweetheart of a Newfoundland at the pet store the other day, and she won my heart. I've always loved bigger dogs, and this one was all huge webbed paws and "rub my belly please." Newfies are smart, family friendly, and protective without being scary. I'd never get a pet from a breeder since there are so many rescues out there. But I do love me a big sweet dog. German Shephards and other shephard breeds are also very high on my favorite list. But I haven't met a dog I didn't like.
Not sure how often I'd wear this, but it sure is lovely.
The Egyptian Lotus Necklace from the Met Museum Store. They have plenty of less expensive and still quite lovely things there, if you know someone who's a history/archaeology buff like me.
I'm not the type to ever own a bar or restaurant. But over the weekend I attended an event here:
The Wellsbourne on Pico in West Los Angeles. All old dark wood, shelves with books, shiny bar, and big comfy booths. I had a Pimm's Cup there (the cocktails are all old fashioned) which was delicious, and the tab came to me inside a hollowed out book. So if I ever were to own a bar, it'd be a place like this.
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