Holiday post! (Sorry, it's a long one)
To everyone who celebrates a winter holiday: I hope you had a fantastic day!
So, I haven't posted in over a month now. Bad me. Between work and writing, I've been busy. I'm definitely getting tired and fed up with having a day job. Sadly, it does not seem as though my irritation has done much to help my motivation. >_>
Wednesday the week before Christmas, I realized I had a ton of things that needed doing FAST. I had done next to nothing for Christmas, so I banned myself from editing after Wednesday until I finished it all. Thursday, I worked, finished shopping for everyone except Grey, and wrapped everything. Friday, I boxed it all up, Grey got it in the mail, and I worked. Saturday, I worked and found Grey's Christmas present. Sunday, I did chores around the apartment that were all long past due. Monday, I applied to two jobs, emailed the Smith CDO, spent a few hours doing more research on the Ainu, and finished all the honeymoon/holiday postcards that should have been done forever ago. After that, my to-do list was done and I could go back to my editing. Strangely, I didn't really feel as though I accomplished much when I wasn't writing.
Editing update: on page 108 out of 168 in the first draft manuscript.
Christmas:
My phone ringing at 7:30 woke us up. I called my dad back a little while later. I talked to my family and then Grey and I opened presents. Our families had been sending us packages all week, so we didn't have much to open, but I like it better that way.
From Dad to us: Food (Maine blueberries and seafood), Amazon gift card (use still undecided), and more food (smoked turkey, ham, and bacon from one of those specialty companies)
From Grey's parents to us: More food (from Omaha Steaks)
From Mom & Co. to us: Amazon gift card (used for kitchen things)
From Gram to us: Homemade jam, fudge, and cereal mix; the wedding quilt (which is amazing and gorgeous and definitely counts as more than just a wedding gift)
From me to Grey: A cast-iron tea pot and tea ^_^
From Grey to me: A Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen in chrome (and I cannot begin to say how amazingly happy this makes me)
A little after noon, Kiri and Tabs picked us up and took us to M's to hang out for a while. It was fantastic. ^_^ I really miss hanging out with them. We had to leave earlier than I wanted because sleep hit me like a ton of bricks. (And I had to get up at 6am to pull a 12-hour shift at work. Because I am dumb.)
And the updated reading list:
69 & 70. Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Patricia C. Wrede
Only the first two of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles because I got distracted and couldn't bring myself to finish the other two.
71 & 72. Mairelon the Magician, Magician's Ward, Patricia C. Wrede
The very first books I ever read set in a fantasy alternate history and Victoriana. In this case, Victorian England with magic. I first read them in middle school, I think, and I still love them.
73. Sold, Patricia McCormick
Fiction based on interviews and research the author did about a girl from Nepal sold into prostitution. A very short read and incredibly well done.
74. Inside and Other Short Fiction: Japanese Women by Japanese Women, compiled by Cathy Lane
Sora mentioned this one in her reading list and it sounded good. I really liked it, despite the very Japanese resolutions. The resolved aspect is very often not quite what I expect, usually a smaller, minor aspect.
So, I haven't posted in over a month now. Bad me. Between work and writing, I've been busy. I'm definitely getting tired and fed up with having a day job. Sadly, it does not seem as though my irritation has done much to help my motivation. >_>
Wednesday the week before Christmas, I realized I had a ton of things that needed doing FAST. I had done next to nothing for Christmas, so I banned myself from editing after Wednesday until I finished it all. Thursday, I worked, finished shopping for everyone except Grey, and wrapped everything. Friday, I boxed it all up, Grey got it in the mail, and I worked. Saturday, I worked and found Grey's Christmas present. Sunday, I did chores around the apartment that were all long past due. Monday, I applied to two jobs, emailed the Smith CDO, spent a few hours doing more research on the Ainu, and finished all the honeymoon/holiday postcards that should have been done forever ago. After that, my to-do list was done and I could go back to my editing. Strangely, I didn't really feel as though I accomplished much when I wasn't writing.
Editing update: on page 108 out of 168 in the first draft manuscript.
Christmas:
My phone ringing at 7:30 woke us up. I called my dad back a little while later. I talked to my family and then Grey and I opened presents. Our families had been sending us packages all week, so we didn't have much to open, but I like it better that way.
From Dad to us: Food (Maine blueberries and seafood), Amazon gift card (use still undecided), and more food (smoked turkey, ham, and bacon from one of those specialty companies)
From Grey's parents to us: More food (from Omaha Steaks)
From Mom & Co. to us: Amazon gift card (used for kitchen things)
From Gram to us: Homemade jam, fudge, and cereal mix; the wedding quilt (which is amazing and gorgeous and definitely counts as more than just a wedding gift)
From me to Grey: A cast-iron tea pot and tea ^_^
From Grey to me: A Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen in chrome (and I cannot begin to say how amazingly happy this makes me)
A little after noon, Kiri and Tabs picked us up and took us to M's to hang out for a while. It was fantastic. ^_^ I really miss hanging out with them. We had to leave earlier than I wanted because sleep hit me like a ton of bricks. (And I had to get up at 6am to pull a 12-hour shift at work. Because I am dumb.)
And the updated reading list:
69 & 70. Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Patricia C. Wrede
Only the first two of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles because I got distracted and couldn't bring myself to finish the other two.
71 & 72. Mairelon the Magician, Magician's Ward, Patricia C. Wrede
The very first books I ever read set in a fantasy alternate history and Victoriana. In this case, Victorian England with magic. I first read them in middle school, I think, and I still love them.
73. Sold, Patricia McCormick
Fiction based on interviews and research the author did about a girl from Nepal sold into prostitution. A very short read and incredibly well done.
74. Inside and Other Short Fiction: Japanese Women by Japanese Women, compiled by Cathy Lane
Sora mentioned this one in her reading list and it sounded good. I really liked it, despite the very Japanese resolutions. The resolved aspect is very often not quite what I expect, usually a smaller, minor aspect.