Focused Thought Thursdays, for November Anyway

As I’m sure everyone can imagine my thoughts have me pretty well focused on NaNoWriMo tomorrow. Actually midnight tonight but I plan to be attending a party at that hour (or already home and sleeping), the last hurrah of freedom if you will. That is a good escape because there is not much else going on in my brain right now outside of character development and scene and structure outlines.

But I am trying to stay true to the Nano process and not write anything concrete until tomorrow. That has not been a challenge, which I guess is the first hurdle crossed for me.

I usually get so wrapped up in a character I dive in with reckless abandon, not caring if there is anything concrete to back it up. What that usually means for me is I get about 8,000 words out and then abandon the project in search of something fresh and new because I have no idea where this character is going. This time I can actually feel the entire story coming together. Yippie!

So you want a synopsis? OK, here you go…

“Sarah, a freelance sports writer, has no Choos in her closet, but rather, enjoys spending time with the girls at a friend's bar on a Thursday night, drinking a beer instead of a highly overrated cosmo. Her girlfriends are self made and while one is nearing the brink of stardom, another is wildly successful in the ever growing Green industry. Sarah's mom can be a bit abrasive at times and only wants to see her happily settled with a good man, but the great man in all of their lives recently revealed some information that will have the girls opening their eyes to just how short life could be.”

Like I said last week, its Chick-Lit but I am keeping her a lot more real inside the world of fantasy. Everyone always says write what you know. Well I know sports and Green products and beer so it’s a start I suppose. I also know friendships, strong and lasting ones that weather anything. Currently I am learning music (which I think is what I’ll be doing with the “brink of stardom” friend; perhaps a lead singer) and I have had some experience with both comedy and tragedy in this life of mine.

The real test is going to be writing characters that encompass their own unique personalities while embracing a little bit of each other at the same time. I have some inspiration for this book but it is mostly chick-flick romantic comedies. Here is where I stand up and introduce myself so I might as well get it over with…

Hi, my name is Jenn. Although I am a writer I barely ever read.

There, now that the secret is out I can go into more detail as to why. When I put characters down on paper I actually see the scene I am writing in a mind’s eye, visual way. I can feel the table they are sitting at, notice the peeling paint in the corner of the wall, smell the garlic roasting in the kitchen, know how comfortable the main character is in their clothing. Its weird but when I write it is like a movie plays so I figure why fight it, I simply use that medium as my inspiration.

So anyway I need to come up with a whole slew of stuff but hopefully it will just come to me. Ha ha, yeah, hopefully. Pretty much it is all names -- the main character’s (not set on Sarah…maybe Sara is more modern?) including the last name, names of all the supporting cast, name of the band, the bar, the Green products company, the main character’s company. Additionally I need to figure out the moment we enter their lives and at what point I will have her meet a good man (if at all).

The good news is I have some standard Chick-Lit “stereotypical” stuff already -- fantasy jobs for all the characters, an intrusive mom, a bad boy (which I already have a name for strangely enough), the hang out spot, the conflict they will face, the age group, a love interest -- plus I already know that I will not have a gay “BFF” or any of them shopping for $500 shoes as retail therapy. I know it’s a fantasy world but I’m not trying to rewrite Sex and the City here.

Anyway, it all kicks off in the morning, thankfully the Patriots have a bye this week so I will be able to write as inspired. I already have my trusty composition book and about 4 black ink ball point pens ready to go and I intend on bringing that baby with me everywhere but my drum lessons. After all it is a little tough to write holding two sticks and in reality I think I just need to turn it off for at least an hour a week, it will be like really cheap therapy.

So have a really happy Halloween everyone, be safe and don’t eat too much candy unless its Reese cups. Then go and read everyone else who rocks out on Thursday (or there abouts, most of the time).

KC, Ginger, Kate, Bridgete and Bree

PS What’s really cool is that my word count for Nano should be 1667 per day and this is 875 (up to the links). A little over halfway there, and this stream of consciousness came to me in about a half hour; now I just have to channel that into a different character and its go time. Maybe I won’t be up as late at night as I thought.

Thanks for letting me borrow your picture Mom!

Some Call It Insane, I Call It Necessary

NaNoWriMo. A term familiar to over 120,000 people worldwide who are willing to take on the writing challenge, is now going to be a household word around these parts. I just signed up this morning and it feels great!

Immediately after doing so, and before even reading the welcome email telling me I should do this, I sent an email to everyone I know detailing what I am about to embark on. Here is the content of that email:

“Well folks the time has come to put up or shut up. NaNoWriMo is here again and this year I have signed up to participate. Holy shit. What have I gotten myself into?

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and from November 1 - 30 I am taking on their challenge to write a 50,000 word novel. Again, holy shit. It is simultaneously liberating and scary as hell to know that with this kind of structured approach that I will finally have a completed novel after all is said and done. Regular postings of content and word counts are done and although no one will be ringing my doorbell to point and laugh at me if I don't complete the challenge, it is going to feel a whole lot better to win than not fulfill it.

In my recoculously OCD brain I worked it out that I have to write about 2,000 words a day on average. That isn't really all that bad; between all the procrastinations I complete on a daily basis I estimate my current word count to be somewhere upwards of 5,000. That's good because it makes me feel a little less insane for taking this on and also makes me realize how I have been squandering my time on unfocused priorities for just way too long now.

What does it mean though? Well pretty much I will be just as available as I was up until November 1 -- read: basically non-existent (yeah sorry about that) -- its just that my focus is going to drastically change because its time to be a novelist. Period. My ability to stay connected won't really change its just that no one will likely hear about anything but my characters for the next 30 days (yeah sorry about that too).

I will still post GLR blogs (this week I am working to try to get the entire month of Nov. front loaded, I'm about 1/2 way there) and will still see people but my time in email/comment land/FB/text/phone is going to basically be nil. The product of that is going to be a completely crappy, unedited, first version of a novel that I will be able to refine and publish. About effing time.

So I guess really I'm just looking for the validation (shocker right?) and to kind of let everyone know what's what with me. If you want to see me in Nov. just come over because I only get a max of 5 days off and I plan to spend them sleeping.

spread love
Jenn”

And there it is. I put a PS on the email that I would be posting all over the place from email to here to FB so I could be held completely accountable. One of the things it should have said is that my first task is to go out and learn how to spell words like fulfill and existent. Ugh. Regardless, like the wonderfully supportive people over at NaNoWriMo have made very clear “editing is what December is for”.

I had fully intended to write one of my novels by hand and strangely enough that one is coming along really well, albeit slow but definitely steady so I will not be looking toward that project for this challenge.

In process right now I have at least three other novels. Well stuff that I think could become novels if expanded; I guess more appropriately they could be expanded, not every story can be. One of them has been in the works since 1999 and its early character development and outline is likely what I am going to use as my basis for this November writing project.

Sorry fellas, its kind of chick lit, modern woman blah, blah, blah boring kind of stuff to you (unless you embrace the inner humorous romantic in yourself and in that case I say bravo!). Luckily though, I know a lot of ladies.

Here’s hoping I don’t forget to do things like eat, sleep, pee. Then again isn’t that what furious writing is all about anyway? I will keep you all updated on the progress.

Holy shit. It’s on.

Broken Thoughts, by Random Lunacy

I went to open a new checking account for my business because the bank I am currently with decided that instead of giving a high five to their loyal customers, they started hitting small business accounts with mondo fees.

Um, did they not get that small business part??? Can little fishies like me really afford to have my money either held hostage or unceremoniously taken away? I believe the answer you’re looking for would be a clear, ‘oh hell no’!

So, the local bank in the next town over charges nothing for small business checking and I decided to move my money on over so it is no longer held up at fee-point.

When I opened up my EIN document to print it this morning, I realized that Chucka Stone Designs just celebrated her second birthday three days ago. Yea!!

I totally love my job and I love my company and fully intend to keep this little fish swimming in the big old ocean for as long as possible, dodging sharks and finding super secret awesomeness around the corners of patches of coral reefs.

Speaking of awesomeness…

Today I started drum lessons, a promise I made myself last year. Well I might be a little late to the party, finally learning, at age 36, the instrument I have wanted to play since I was a kid, but as far as I’m concerned it’s never too late. My instructor Gil Graham, is so cool.

I found him in a most destined way too; thanks Universe! My mom was selling her lovely photo inspired art at an open studio fair in my old (and now defunct) Junior High School so Matt and I went to check it out. The show was on all four levels of the building as there are artist studios everywhere. We came in through the basement door as it seemed a logical place to start.

As we were walking by a completely unassuming room with an open door I pointed out where the cafeteria line used to form across the hall. Next thing I knew there were some slow drum beats coming from that door and there was a sign reading “Come On In!”. As if I could resist. We listened to the kid play for a few, shook hands with Gil and promised to be back near the end of the day to chat after seeing my mom.

The end of the day proved to be well over an hour while, for free, Gil started breaking down my skill and experience level as he let me play a few hundred beats. I was amazed with what I already knew like how to hold the sticks and limb independence (thanks Rock Band, seriously) and Gil was amazed at not only those things too but also that I was able to keep consistent time.

I think we both got a little giddy at the prospect of entering into a kick ass teacher student relationship and I signed up on the spot. Today was great as I worked toward greater independence and lengthier beat combos. The coolest thing was he told me as I was leaving that we just went through about 3 lessons in that one lesson time slot, that I sound great and am picking it up really quickly. Woo hoo! It still feels weird but I guess that is like anything new right?

I had a chance to interview Adam Sankowski from local band The Grownup Noise again about their veggie oil conversion van that they have used to tour the country for two consecutive summers now. He is such a great guy and always a fun interview. Plus I love discovering new music, especially when it is really, really good.

And they are really, really good.

If you are in the area and can stay up past your bedtime this Saturday night I highly recommend hooking up with me and Matt at their show at TT the Bear’s in Central Square Cambridge.

OK that’s about all I have steam for today so go read everyone else’s stuff now. How about if I say please?
KC, Ginger, Kate, Bridgete and Bree

BTW…thanks for the picture SuperStock!

Broken Thoughts, Am I Early? Do I Care?

The picture is from our foliage viewing trip last weekend. It was a really nice day, we always do so much talking about all things life when we have hours of time in the car. Road trips are some of my favorite memories with Matt over the years. Even when we weren’t seeing things like Mt. Monadnock, but just the same old boring and dark roads from LINY to Springfield every Friday night for two plus years. For some reason the car is so us. Maybe that is fate telling us to buy an RV and hit the road or something. Or maybe not.

Now that I have a food processor and finally walked through the door of the unbelievably cool spice store Penzeys in Arlington (I am happy to report there are 42 across the country including one in Grand Central Terminal of all places!) it was high time for me to finally try my hand at making chocomole. That stuff is the shit!! I am not sure I can bring myself to ever make regular pudding again. Even Matt said he could not tell, and he was trying to.

I modified it from the original recipe because I didn’t have enough avocado so I ended up thinning it out a bit with the left over water from soaking the dates and I forgot completely about the coconut oil. Next time I’m thinking of using dried cherries instead of the dates, or maybe in addition to. All I know is I couldn’t even finish a whole bowl it was so rich and that is definitely not like me when it comes to chocolate. So thanks Jason, this will go into regular rotation in this house!

This afternoon my mom and I are going to visit her friend Bill, have lunch together and then just the two of us are hitting the Garment District and/or Goodwill to see if we can find some good Halloween costume supplies. Matt and I both need wigs and I was also hoping to try my hand at stitching up a little something for my costume. Pictures and/or success/disaster stories to follow!

Bill fell victim to a fairly massive stroke a couple years ago and he is now a resident of an assisted living facility in the heart of the city. He and my mom have been friends since I can remember and as a super active guy (traveling once a year to places like Paris or Africa, a stellar photographer, night shift worker, foodie, movie aficionado) the stroke was quite a life changing blow. Bill was like a second dad to me growing up, except you know, gay. I try to see him once a year, which is about all I used to see him after growing up & getting out on my own but this time of year is odd, we usually get together just after the New Year. Regardless, it should be a nice day. I anticipate we will be going for sushi but who knows.

So my neighbors upstairs are slowly pushing the both of us toward paranoia. Every time Matt or I go into the bathroom or kitchen one of them seems to follow. It wouldn’t be so bad except by some chance both of them tend to be home all day everyday like me. I wish I knew what they did for a living that they only have to leave the house once every three weeks or so; maybe they are writers too? I never hear them on a phone or talking during the day (believe me I should be able to in this place) so I don’t think they are sales people, although I know they both allegedly work in the financial industry. The only thing I hear is them walking around, but only when we do. It is now getting a little creepy. I am thinking maybe we should both become screamers.

I wonder how many books are published every year?

So has everyone seen the freaky UFO cloud in Moscow yet? No? Well it was quite a phenomenal sight apparently and one that Russian meteorologists are brushing off as a weather related, “optical” thing. Um, OK. I mean really, I saw Men In Black. Hell I own Independence Day. Where is Will Smith when you need him? Wait, did Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer make either of those movies?

Speaking of Jerry Bruckheimer, last night we decided to throw on the television for the first time in weeks to watch something prime time and after a couple killer episodes of NCIS and the new (but actually really good despite the absence of Tony & Abby) NCIS: Los Angeles we clicked over to another network for the show forgotten. All hail Christian Slater! I was probably one of the only people on Earth who kind of enjoyed My Own Worst Enemy when it was on and I was sad to see it yanked so soon because I thought Slater could have done a lot more with the role. So when I discovered this show last night I was intrigued.

Not too bad, a twist on the typical crime drama where the people investigating the crime are not cops, just average citizens who concern themselves with solving Jane/John Doe crimes. I don’t think I would stay home to watch it but that isn’t saying much, there is really only one show I would stay home to watch (yes, Lost) but some other random Tuesday when we decided to throw on NCIS I hope this is still on the air.

Since taking the semi break from blogging I have been doing a ton of journal writing. Seems to be doing the trick; my brain constipation is apparently getting its recommended dose of fiber because I have a bunch of new prose for the book. Thank goodness, it was starting to feel like my creative stuff might never come back.

Tomorrow I work on the character book. This is an area where I have previously failed. I start something and then want it to be “perfect” so I never finish it but constantly go back to just the content already written and edit over and over again. Well no more. This character is dying to come to a conclusion.

Since the over edit thing has never seemed to work to get me to finish a book before I figure the best solution is to do something completely different, so this time I am just going to write the whole thing in one shot, no edits at all. After that I will re-read and edit 100 times before I shop it but at least I will be able to breathe knowing she has been purged out of me.

The Farmer’s Market is ending in a couple weeks and I am not going to be able to get there today with all the other stuff going on. Kind of a bummer but its so freaking cold out I’m not sure that is a bad thing. Besides, I shouldn’t have to grocery shop for at least three more days and I don’t want to go early, this planning meals thing is working out awesome!

Since starting to eat less meat and more protein/veggie filled meals I am actually noticing that I have dropped a couple pounds of fat off my tummy. This is impressive because I haven’t yet upped my exercise quotient. That is starting this week. Quitting smoking was the best thing ever. My whole body feels healthier and ready to get back in shape. It’s about time.

Thinking of learning Spanish, must look into local college courses. Huh, if I go back to school I can stop paying my student loans for a while too. Definitely worth looking into I think. Maybe for January. I have a few years to get it together.

Still haven’t found an artist to draw my tattoo. That might be something I have to just do myself. I am so seriously sick of putting this off, waiting for the perfect thing.

What I am really finding is there is no such thing as the perfect thing/time/situation. That thing/time/situation is right now. Procrastination went out of fashion with smoking. It is time for action.

It is going to take me at least ten extra minutes to pull the box of gloves out of the closet and put them all on. Sadly, I just put them away about two weeks ago when spring ended; welcome to the second season in New England -- winter! The voice in the basement eerily whispering “GET OUT!” is creeping back with the colder temperatures. But the spirit of “action” has me getting all my ducks in a row.

In light of that, read these awesome blogs while I go get ready to hit pavement. Later! KC, Ginger, Kate, Bridgete and Bree

Break me off A Piece of That

This past Wednesday I went to the Farmer’s Market with S and the twins and since it is winding down there was a ton available. I picked up a whole bunch of veggies at the grocery store that I just didn’t see at the FM like avocados, carrots, cilantro, red onions, etc. and then at the market I grabbed a butternut squash, red pepper, corn on the cob, an enormous heirloom tomato and a jar of locally packaged Thai peanut sauce with nothing artificial added. Yum.

The night I brought all the veggies home it occurred to me that I never actually liked squash so I have not made it in the ten years Matt and I have been together. I had never seen him with squash on his plate, he’s never even ordered it out, so it was going to be interesting to find out if either of us would eat it.

Over the past couple years I have been experimenting with re-trying foods I used to not like because I figure tastes change so why not give it a go. I think I have mentioned before that this experimentation led me right down an avocado filled path of yumminess, so I wondered if squash could be the next alright veggie.

Yeah, not so much.

Well OK, in all fairness, just not the way I did it. I have major issues with texture in my foods as well as this very odd thing where if I have had the same flavor in my mouth for too long I feel nauseated and I have to stop eating it in favor of something else; sometimes I have to stop eating altogether, don’t ask I’m a freak. Usually it happens with pasta or chicken but never with veggies, until now.

I cut up the heirloom into small cubes, tossed it into a pan with a shake of dried basil, a pinch of each -- nutmeg, sea salt, black pepper and sugar -- and set it to boil. Once it was boiling I simmered it on low for about 2 hours. Making sauce is one of my specialties. In fact for a long time it was the only thing I could cook that I didn’t screw up beyond recognition (lemon poppyseed super bouncy ball anyone?). For some reason, the tomato and I are just happy bedfellows; if I wasn’t Irish, I would have definitely been Italian.

Squash however is entirely new territory for me, so a lot of online research had to be done before I was ready to give it a go. Upon delving, I discovered that about two minutes in the microwave will soften both: the skin to easily peel it, and the meat (is that the proper term here?) enough to cut it up easily. I cubed it, tossed it in my 8x8 Pyrex and sprinkled the top with a pinch of salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and a couple tablespoons of brown sugar then I tossed about a ¼ cup of water in the bottom, covered with my recycled aluminum foil (awesome stuff which I had sent to me recently by Reynolds) and baked on 350 for about 35 minutes.

Zucchini chunks were steamed and vermicelli was boiled and when all was said and done I mixed them all together in a big bowl.

Matt downed that squash so fast I didn’t see a single chunk make it to his bowl before it was in his mouth. I asked why he never mentioned that he loves butternut squash so much, since he clearly missed it something awful over this past decade.

I couldn’t understand his response as his mouth was full of squash.

On the other side of the spectrum was me. I ate about 5 chunks of squash until I finally had to admit that while the flavor was good, the texture was not going to work. This was a vast accomplishment though as I never used to like the flavor, so I started hatching a plan for what could be done with the rest of it, in lieu of allowing Matt to turn into a butternut squash of course.

Into the food processor (my new favorite household appliance by the way, we finally broke down and got one a few weeks back because it is fall and fall is all about soup) went everything chunky along with about a half a cup of 2% milk. Out came the most delicious creamy soup I have ever made.

Admittedly, yes, it was the first creamy soup I’ve made but seriously, who’s counting? Since butternut is a winter squash I have a feeling we will be experimenting with it around this house a lot over the coming months.

That is if I can keep any of it off of Matt’s fork.

If it’s Broken, you’ll find the Thought Process behind it here:
Bridgete, Kate, Ginger, Bree & KC

Broken ish Thoughts on All Things Baseball

One of Matt’s best friends, Dan, just came through Boston while on a 4 week baseball tour around the entire northeast region of the country. He had been to Cooperstown, games, grave sites, and then Boston. He told us that doing the ballpark tour of Fenway was something he would settle for. I told him that there was nothing, and I mean nothing in this world as a baseball fan that could ever top seeing a game at Fenway Park; screw the stadium tour!

As a Mets fan who, from what I understand, basically grew up at Shea Stadium, he was hesitant to agree but we got to work on locating tickets anyway. Matt managed to score some in deep right, just “south” of the bleachers.

Walking out that particular tunnel toward the field, the first thing you see is the press box with Fenway Park emblazoned above it. I still get chills every time I rise out into the aisle to see the entire field and I seriously have to stop for a moment just to take it in.

We were playing Toronto and after being crushed the night before by one of the worst teams in all of MLB this season, we just knew it would be our night. Plus Clay Buchholz was pitching. He was pretty much on fire this season and we couldn’t have been more excited.

First pitch, home run Toronto. Oh no.

It went down hill pretty rapidly from there. So much so that before the end of the first a kid behind us was yelling “who’s warming up?” Ouch. Dan, an outsider to Red Sox Nation, chuckled. The rest of us nodded in agreement as we craned our necks toward the sadly silent bullpen.

Toronto scored four in the first but the Sox wanted to give the fans a reason to hang around so we scored one run a piece in the first and second. Of course Toronto had another home run in the second and the third. By this point someone was screaming “Francona????” and we were off to get another beer.

Clay finally had a 1-2-3 in the fourth and we all rejoiced as we exhaled for the first time all night.

This was immediately followed by Toronto home runs in both the fifth and seventh innings.

So now we were losing 8-2. But we are Sox fans. We do not waver, we never quit believing. After what happened in 2004 we know that anything is possible.

Just as a quick side note for those not in the know …2004 was the biggest comeback ever in MLB for a championship win. We were down by three games to none to the Yankees, projected to go home in game four, and it looked like we would until we tied it in the bottom of the ninth after a stolen base. We won game four on a home run at the bottom of the twelfth and then sopped up the grass of Yankee stadium with their home team over the next three games to win the championship. There are some who forget we beat the Cardinals in a 4-0 sweep to actually win the World Series that fall for the first time in 86 years. To many Sox fans, beating the Yankees like that was the pinnacle of perfection and the dreaded Curse was forever broken regardless of the Series win.

And I digress, back to more present day baseball…

Come the bottom of the 7th, I decided screw it and every single player that came up I screamed & cheered for like we were in the lead. Clapping, screaming, yelling of their name and it didn’t hurt that we were watching Papelbon warm up in the bullpen; Dan was going to see something really cool there. I don’t want to claim it was me that got our section going, which in turn got the whole stadium going but there is something about 36,000 positive vibes that tends to make a team turn around and it only takes one person to start that chain of love.

When the first few notes of I’m Shipping Up to Boston started at the top of the eighth and all those fans jumped to their feet, snapping flashbulbs as Pap took the field, it was like a tornado of awesomeness, love and excitement swirled around the park.

The entire stadium stayed on their feet throughout the entire eighth inning. And then through the entire ninth as well.

The Sox, because they have the best fans in the world behind them, managed to come back and score 5 runs, most of which were with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th. Yeah that’s right baby! Dan was smiling and screaming for the players and having as great a time as any of us die hard Sox fans.

All of us went crazy when Ellsbury singled in the ninth. We all thought Pedroia hit a homer immediately after that but he was off by about a foot. Ellsbury, in true to form fashion, stole second and they walked Martinez. Now it was two outs at the bottom of the ninth and everyone in Fenway was wearing a rally cap.

A single would tie the game. A double deep down the right field line would win the game. That is if Martinez could hustle. Ellsbury of course would be home before the ball even hit the ground.

All the fans started the familiar chant in unison “YOUUUUUUUK!” as Kevin Youkilis came up to the plate. If anyone could get it done and send us home smiling it was Youk.

Sadly Youk struck out and we went from a scream to uttering “aw” collectively before we fell to silence.

We headed home on the T and talked about how much fun we had even though they lost and how Dan was lucky to have had the full experience from a Red Sox rally to Sweet Caroline to Papelbon pitching. Until last month I had never even seen Pap throw.

Dan said in all of the games he's seen on this trip nothing topped the intense fan love he felt at that Sox game. He said it was the most fun game he had been to yet, hands down.

That’s because we’re wicked pissah.




Otha pissah peeps:
Kate, KC, Bree, Bridgete and Ginger.