Sunday, December 31, 2006

Last Post of the Year

In a few minutes, Eugene and I are headed out for the evening. We're going out for dinner, then we're going to an improv comedy show--or, actually, two shows. Hopefully we'll get home before the drunk drivers hit the road.

Since this is the last post of the year, I feel as if I ought to look back at what we've done. We've been pretty active, I think. We've taken tango lessons, seen King Tut, visited with old friends and made new ones, been to Michigan, and visited England. Even more changes are in store for us next year.

As for resolutions, well, the last thing I need to do now is lose weight, but I do have to manage how much I gain. For a while over the holidays, I felt as if I was going to gain all my "allowed" weight at once. At least I can work out now; I had to skip it for a while. I do want to lose weight after the baby comes, of course. Needless to say, I want to be a good parent. Some of my other goals for 2007 include finally getting out of this apartment. For writing goals, I want to finish editing Lennon's Line and start submitting it to agents/editors, finish a short story I started a couple of months ago, and start the rewrite of Catalyst in the Crucible, next in the Paul Harrison saga. Hopefully I'll be able to do more research for some other novel ideas that are still incubating in my brain.

Have a happy 2007, everybody!

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

The Two Days of Christmas

Two days, four visits, and lots of driving. That's what we've been up to the last couple of days.

It started Christmas Eve with a drive up to Wisconsin. We stopped first at my friend Liz's house to exchange gifts with her and chat for a couple of hours. We also got to watch the birds (and squirrels) feeding in their backyard. Their neighbor puts out corn for the deer, so there were a few of them around too.

Mid-afternoon, we said farewell and drove to my parents' house. My grandmother was there too (since she lives with them now), and one of my nieces was already there. My brother and his family came by right before dinner. Afterwards we exchanged gifts and had cake and tea. Eugene made his infamous flourless chocolate cake; half a slice was rich enough to satisfy me. The highlight of the evening was watching Heidi, my parents' toy poodle. She got two presents this year: a package of Snausages from me and a new toy from my parents. She wanted to play with her toy right away, and she kept chasing it until we finally had to put it away before she exhausted herself. Then, after getting a treat or two, she sat sphinx-like and stared at the can of Snausages as if she could will it to open and give her more goodies. She tried pawing it a few times but only managed to startle herself. I'm told that the next day she was still staring at the pantry where we keep her treats, waiting for more.

Christmas morning was private time for us. Eugene made a special apple puff pancake for breakfast, and I prepared fresh-squeezed orange juice. Then we exchanged gifts. He gave me four books; I gave him two books, a DVD set he wanted--and two cans of soup (in case he tried shaking the box). Hey, the soup was an improvement on the cans of dog food he put in my gift one year. (No, I didn't keep them.) Eugene even found time to make an apple pie to bring to our next hostess.

The visiting started again with a holiday lunch with Jan, Eugene's dad's vet partner. They've been together so long she's part of the family. Afterwards, we spent the afternoon and evening at Eugene's parents' house. His dad was born on Christmas, so it was a combination Christmas/birthday celebration. Lots of family came over in the evening, and there were plenty of kids to run around and remind us what the holidays are about.

It was nice seeing our families, but I have to admit I'm glad I have today off too to recuperate and catch up on some things around the apartment. Maybe now I can get back to editing again.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

A Regift I'm Grateful For

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their good wishes and apologize I haven't blogged much this week. I've been meaning to, but I'm still feeling a bit fatigued. I haven't even had the energy to work on Lennon's Line, and I want to rewrite parts of it. It may be time to have my thyroid levels checked again.

Anyway, I crashed early last night and slept in, so I'm feeling awake enough to tell you a story.

Years ago, for my 28th birthday (my golden one), I bought myself two rings. One was an onyx stone; the other, alternating sapphires and diamonds. I chose them because the colors are personally significant to me. Since then, I've worn both of them on my right hand. I do take them off at night (unlike my engagement/wedding rings), but I wear them every day without changing them up.

Last week, I took them off as I was cleaning the apartment. To keep them safe, I put them on my watch, closed that, and stuck the watch in my jeans pocket--something I've done lots of times. I left the watch and rings in my pocket later that night as Eugene and I ran errands. I didn't bother putting them on until the next day, when I couldn't find them. I checked the usual spots but soon decided I'd lost them while I was out.

It took me a few days to adjust to the fact I'd lost them for good. My hand felt naked without my accustomed rings, and it was strange not having a watch. So I decided to replace them, even if the rings wouldn't have the same meaning. I found an onyx ring on sale at the mall, and I bought a nice watch at a bargain price from Overstock.

This morning, as part of our routine, we did laundry. Eugene woke up before I did, so he brought the first load down. I roused when I heard him return to the bedroom. He was dangling my watch from his hand.

"Someone up there really likes you," he said.

Apparently I must not have frisked my jeans properly before putting them in the wash; my watch and rings were on the bottom of one of the laundry bags.

Eugene admitted later he was tempted briefly to wrap them up and give them to me on Christmas, but that might have caused some issues.

Needless to say, I'm happy to have my beloved rings back, and I'll have to be more careful with them in the future. Of course, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to wear any of my rings (in case my hands start swelling), so I have to enjoy them while I can.

Happy holidays, everyone, and may you experience a minor miracle of your own this Christmas!

Friday, December 22, 2006

From Russ's Blog

Since Blogthings formatting never works right for me, I'll just paste the link and my results--and my comments on my results.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?


You've Changed 36% in 10 Years

Ah, the past! You may not remember it well - because you're still living in it.While you've changed some, you may want to update your wardrobe, music collection and circle of friends.

Yeah, right. I admire the current crop of celebrites so much I really want to dress like them or listen to them. And why would I give up good old college friends just for the sake of change? Maybe we as a society need to focus more on what is good and not on what is new.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Christmas in Chicago

Today, Eugene and I continued a holiday tradition by visiting the Christkindlmarkt in downtown Chicago. The weather was supposedly warmer than it was at our last visit, but I was still shivering. Of course, sometimes I have to wonder if I'm really warm-blooded, but there was a bit of a wind. I couldn't have any spiced wine this year, so I had to make do with cider and potato pancakes instead.

The markt was bigger and busier than last year. It was also more diverse, including items from Russia, Peru, and Nepal along with German ones. We bought a lace table runner, glass ornaments and a tree topper, and a set of four houses to start a Christmas village for display. We wandered around for a bit, looking at all the booths, the tree, and a miniature tree setup.

After leaving the markt, we checked out the window display at Macy's. This year, it was Mary Poppins. I think they based it on the book, not the movie. (I hate to admit it, but I'm more familiar with the movie instead of the book.) We then had a late lunch at a deli before heading over to Millennium Park. Eugene lost some of last year's photos when his hard drive failed, so he wanted to replace them. We took some photos of us at the Bean, where he proposed to me nearly two years ago. Then we waited until the ice rink was full of skaters (it was being smoothed out) so he could take some pictures of them.

Our final stop was Ghardelli's for a rich chocolate mint sundae. Then I snuggled under a blanket in the car while Eugene drove home.

I didn't take as many pictures as Eugene did, but I posted some here:

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/smua/

I Know Russ's Secret...

because it's actually mine, or should I say mine and Eugene's.

(If you don't read Russ's blog, you can check out the entry and the resulting comments here.)

Eugene and I will be bringing about the apocalypse next year, so start planning now. That's right: we're expecting our first child in June.

To answer a few questions you might have:

So far, the baby and I are doing fine. I've had nausea (not just in the morning) and heartburn, but they haven't been too bad. At least I've been able to eat. I've been tired too, which is part of the reason I haven't done much writing or editing lately. I officially enter the second trimester on Wednesday, so hopefully I'll get some energy back. We've seen the baby on ultrasound and heard the heartbeat, which is reassuring.

Yes, we plan to find out what we're having, but we probably won't announce the sex until the child is born. I personally know of a couple of cases where the ultrasound was wrong, so I'd like to be absolutely sure. Besides, I'm thinking of a unisex theme for the nursery anyway.

I've started looking at names, but we really haven't discussed them yet. It's tough figuring out a name with a strong meaning that flows well with our last name. Hopefully we'll decide on something before we leave the hospital.

As for living arrangements, the plan is to start building a house next year, but it won't be done until September (assuming everything stays on schedule). It'll be tough having a baby in our cramped apartment, but as long as we get out of here before the baby becomes mobile, I think we can manage. How I'll manage work and child-rearing is a different story, but it has to be done too.

Finally, we'd appreciate any good thoughts you could send our way. The doctor says I don't look my age, but that doesn't help me in the egg department, and my hypothyroidism can be a problem if it's not handled properly. Eugene and I just want to have a healthy baby next June.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Your Attention Please....

I just scored over 2.2 million on Tetris at this arcade. I'm not sure how many lines I created, but I got to level 80.

That is all. ;)

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Social Butterfly

That's not how I would describe myself, but it's how my weekend went.

Saturday I got to see my good friend Kristi for the first time in months. She was down for the weekend at her parents' house, which is much closer to me than her current location. So I brought her a couple of gifts that I picked up in London for her. We had lunch at a local diner, then we braved the mall. Kristi was lucky enough to find a gift she'd been searching for. Afterwards, we browsed at the bookstore for a while. I brought her home and chatted with her and her mom for a while before I had to leave. Even though Kristi and I may not see each other often, we still always pick right up again where we left off. Hopefully I'll get to see her again soon.

I barely had time to check the Net at home before it was time to change and leave for my company's holiday party. It was at a seafood restaurant; we'd gone there the year before too. A few people were quite late, but we waited for them before ordering dinner. The crab legs were good, but towards the end of the night the service was quite slow. I guess next year we should look for a new place to switch things up a little.

Today Eugene's cousins held a birthday party for two of their children. It was mid-afternoon, so we ran some errands before heading over. We got there shortly after the party was supposed to start only to find that it had been in progress for a while. Apparently people had decided to show up early--which is quite unusual in Filipino culture, let me stay. We had some food, watched the kids, took a few photos, and left.

We still had things to do at home, including putting up our new "Mini-Tree." It's six feet tall but much skinnier than the big tree we put up last year. Since we haven't gotten that one out of storage yet (it's at my in-laws' house), we figured the only way we would get a tree up at this point would be to get a small one. I have to admit it's a lot easier to put up the Mini-Tree than the half-a-tree we had last year. Besides, given how many ornaments we pick up on trips, we may eventually need two trees to display them all.

Editing: Believe it or not, I did get some editing done today, though it was light editing/reformatting. I am going to need a break from Lennon's Line before I do the final edit.

Friday, December 08, 2006

For John...

(This is one of the many tribute songs written for John Lennon. I've been listening to it a lot today, the 26th anniversary of his murder.)

Edge of Seventeen--Stevie Nicks

Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo

And the days go by....
like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own...
I begin again
Said to my friend, baby...
Nothin' else mattered

He was no more...than a baby then
Well he... seemed broken hearted...
something within him
But the moment...that I first laid...
Eyes...on...him...all alone...
On the edge of...seventeen

Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo

I went today...maybe I will go again...
tomorrow
And the music there it was hauntingly...
familiar
And I see you doing...
what I try to do for me
With the words from a poet...
and the voice from a choir
And a melody...nothing else mattered

Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo

The clouds...never expect it...
when it rains
But the sea changes colours...
but the sea...
Does not change
And so...with the slow...graceful flow..
of age
I went forth...with an age old...
desire...to please
On the edge of...seventeen

Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo

Well then suddenly...
there was no one...left standing
In the hall...yeah, yeah...
In a flood of tears
That no one really ever heard fall at all
Oh I went searchin' for an answer...
Up the stairs...and down the hall
Not to find an answer...
just to hear the call
Of a nightbird...singing...
come away...come away...

Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo

Well I hear you in the morning...
and I hear you...
At nightfall...
sometime to be near you...
Is to be unable...to hear you...
my love...
I'm a few years older than you...
are (I'm a few years older than you) my love

Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo baby...ooo...said ...(repeat)


Thursday, December 07, 2006

Here's a Good One....

You Are: 30% Dog, 70% Cat
You and cats have a lot in common.
You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude.
However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Ah, That's Better....

It's been a headless chicken type of week at work, and I'm sure it's going to continue at least through Friday. So it would be a good night to veg in front of the TV or play video games, and I did do the latter. But I finally got my butt in gear and did some editing on Lennon's Line. It's still a very light edit, mostly reformatting and trimming text. I'm glad to say the novel is now under 148,000 words. Given that Day of All Seasons, even after I tried to shorten it, is over 170,000 words, it feels like an accomplishment to shorten a novel to "publishable" length. (New authors are sometimes advised to keep their novels short. This keeps costs down for the publishers, who may then be more inclined to take a chance on a new author. I don't know how true this is, though.) Of course, cutting length is only good if it improves the story, but I do feel that I'm improving the pacing by cutting some paragraphs and other bits. I still need to review my crits from the OWW and incorporate those changes, but I have to admit that takes more gumption than I have at the moment. I think after I finish this pass through LL, I'll have to put it away for a while before I'm ready to edit it again. Hopefully that will be the last edit before I send it out.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Gee, What Could These Be?

And where could they be going? Hummm.....




















(Believe it or not, Eugene took this picture. I didn't realize it was upside down until after I uploaded it.)


Sunday, December 03, 2006

Quick Recap

I've been a bit lazy about updating the blog, even though I've had things to blog about. Here's a quick summary:

I think I've mentioned before I'm a Nervous Nellie when it comes to winter driving. So Friday morning when Eugene watched the news and came into the bedroom to tell me the local roads were very bad, I took a snow day at work. I didn't get much done other than prep cookies for shipment (hopefully they'll go out this week) and take a much-needed nap in the afternoon. I didn't leave the apartment at all, but I'm well stockpiled with books.

Saturday I straightened out the apartment a bit. I also finally got out of the place: we had tickets to see Wayne Brady live. It was a combination dinner/show, though the dinner was separate from the tickets. The food was OK, things like appetizers, salads, and sandwiches (though I did see some people with prime rib). It was a packed house, and the show started late. The first game was a "gansta rap," which was ruined--or made even funnier--when Wayne's assistants couldn't spell words like "philanthropy." Wayne was rhyming words on a pad; he flipped the page over and went "what the--?" At least Wayne can spell! The show overall was funny, but it was even bluer than the Whose Line show. After the show, we stopped at Barnes and Noble on the way home.

Today was a quiet day, mostly doing errands and laundry. I haven't done any editing in the last few days; lately it's been hard finding the energy. Hopefully after we get the cookies out I can get my priorities straight again.

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