Once in a Blue Moon...

An ending...and a beginning
Thursday, December 13, 2007

Yesterday was the last day of work for one of my GA’s. Christi is doing her internship practicum next semester, so she won’t be able to work for me (since it’s a 40 hour a week job, this internship.) She’s in Councilor Ed right now, and she’s going to go on to her PhD. Sometimes you see people and just shake your head, because you feel bad for their future clients, but she’s going to be really amazing. She’s an excellent listener, sensible, and extremely responsible. All things that made her a great employee…and now, a wonderful friend.

Good luck, Christi. May the path of life always be kind to you, and may you achieve all your dreams with very little trouble.

She gave me a beautiful teapot as a thank you for everything and farewell gift. I thought I was going to get weepy, but I held myself together.

In other news of a huge nature, I received my proof galley from Zumaya yesterday! I started reading it, and was surprised. I’ve not actually read this books since…2004? Maybe? More like 2002, 2003, and so it’s like reading it anew. I see some flaws (I use he at the beginning of sentences a bit much in some of the paragraphs, and have been cleaning that up…) but am often astonished that I actually accomplished the things that I was going for so far. In some ways, the novel is supposed to evoke very clearly certain feelings I’ve had – driving at night, a south western PA fall, and when I read the passages I feel the things I wanted my readers to feel. It could be because I used the things, of course, that key those feelings in me, or it could be because I did a half decent job writing. ;) I go with the latter.

My editor’s divided up the front chapter a little…I wrote it as one whole chapter, introducing all the elements – I introduce us to all the people who are affected by the return of magic, and I’d written it as sort of a fable voice, going from person to person, not really going into anyone’s head. I’m clear about my changes, but I didn’t put in spaces to show the change of places…which she’s done. I am worried that it looks choppy, but I think she’s correct to make the divisions…it’s good to really delineate things. She’s a really awesome editor, as I go through the book, I see that…and I’m also trying to respect it when I see changes that I’m not sure of.

Anyway, the cover page is beautiful. My name is on the top of every other page in gorgeous script. But do you want to know what made me really geek out? What made me get emotional and just all “OMG it’s real!”?

This:

That’s right. I have an ISBN. And I’m LOC catalogued. And look…there’s even a Dewy, though since that changes library to library that’s not as important. But…the LOC number, you can take to any US library, and go to that section, and if my book has been bought by that library (and if they use LOC, lol) then…yep. That’s where it’s at.

OMG. I have an ISBN. I really am a real, honest to God author.

Labels: friends, GA's are love, squeeing with joy, writing

Permalink Cindy scribed this at 9:11 AM 0 comments

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Food and flowers, mostly.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Food has been my bane these past few days. Ever since I bought my gala dress, I've had a million reasons to eat. There was an international dinner, where of course I had to try everything, so I had spicy tofu, (very spicy, and surprisingly soft...it was made by one of my student workers, and she did a marvelous job) lotus root and calamari soup, (Blander, the lotus root was rather neat, especially in texture) jerk chicken, vegatable paella, a lamb curry (I never thought to eat lamb...there's soemthing rather sad about eating lamb, but i wanted to try a curry, and it really was delicious) a marvelous beef stew, creme brulee (oooh) and a magnificent Brazillian Chocolate. I was crammed full, but you don't get real, authentic world cuisine every day!

Then Monday night, we had one of my favorite events: The Honors Dinner. I didn't go last year because no one really knew me, so i thought it might be better to not intrude, also had so, so much to do at home. :( It's the time when we gather together to induct the people into the honors societies and to pass out awards and scholarships. it wouldn't have been so bad (salmon is very good for you, right?) but I pigged out on pizza earlier, because it had such a marvelous, thick crust.

Also, Sunday and last night, mum decided to cook. She's a wonderful cook, but as you know lately there's not been any real sense in cooking things because my father can't eat them, so I wasn't able to make up for my sins by just eating a can of won ton soup. So, today, I decided to fast a little. I just had a couple of cups of tea, and I'll eat when I get home. Alright, alright, I had chocolate, but it's secretaries day, darn it. (My boss was going to take me to lunch, but timing was bad for the GA, who was also invited, poor lady. But isn't that sweet of him? And she was genuinely sad, it seemed, that i was waiting, but it's not fair to her if she can't go.)

...

Well, that was started many days ago. There are many things I think of to say, but I'm going to put them aside so this post doesn't become a novel.

One thing, one that I want to share with you and remember, is this lovely vase of flowers. My GA's, the spectacular and lovely trio that make my life so much better bought these for me for Secretary's day. Aren't they loveliness incarnate?

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I got all teary eyed. These are the moments when you feel truly blessed.

In my life, Baby seems to be a new key word. Two of my closest friends and my boss's wife are all having them...one in June, one in July and one in September. It's amazing -- I'm really happy for my friends. I wish I could talk to them more often, and wonder at what point the three letters and a Christmas card theory becomes an excuse rather than a fact.

Last night my internet got cranky, so I tossed it in and watched the 2003 BBC version of The Other Boleyn Girl I am a bit obsessed with it at this moment. It was interestingly filmed, and i always like the immediacy of when they breack down the fourth wall on occassion to comment directly to the audience. Most of all, the romance, though very, very breifly done, between mary and William Stafford has caught my imagination. In this version, he's played by Philip Glenister, who isn't a particularly stereotypically handsome man on the surface. (You may have seen him as Hobbs in Hornblower.) But he's extremly interesting, and as I realized he was falling for Mary I was really rooting for him. They've choosen a very, very pretty man for the 2007 version of the movie that will be coming out. So very pretty and young, but I'm not happy about it, simply because part of the charm is that William isn't extremly handsome, he's not rich, but she falls in love with him anyway. It makes it feel like a real, true, wonderful love match. Eddie Redmayne, on the other hand, is someone I imagine women fall in love with at cafes, without so much as a word. So it sort of...it's not as romantic for me.

And now I can go home!

Labels: flowers, food, GA's are love, presents, The Other Boleyn Girl

Permalink Cindy scribed this at 3:03 PM 0 comments