Monday, August 18, 2008
Busy Week
Tons going on so if I post at all, it will be half-assed posts like this.
Today's photo is from the deep archives. This is Uncle Barry, Auntie Janet and me at what I believe is the famous camping trip to the Olympic Rain Forest. (Just in case you don't click through, I'll tell you that average rain fall is 220 inches a year.) I think the photo was taken by Aunt Aileen.
We drove out to the beautiful Olympic National Forest and set up camp and then enjoyed a lovely hike where we took this photo. We returned to camp and it began to rain. We were prepared for this and sat under our dripping tarp making our dinner and exclaiming how fun it was to be out camping in the rain.
After dinner we huddled on a picnic bench under our shelter and placed bets on how long before the sagging tarp fell and how much water had accumulated at the bottom of our tents.
After dessert we pulled up camp, threw everything in the car and drove home and slept in warm, dry beds. In the morning, Auntie made pancakes and we reminisced about our wonderful camping trip.
posted by Pamela at 1:21 PM
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Saturday, August 16, 2008
Writing Not At Clarion West
I'm a little surprised by how much trouble I'm having writing at home. At home was clearly too distracting so today I tried writing in a student lounge at Clark College which was perfect. Nice open space with comfy couch. I intended to bring my camera but forgot so you get a photo of the cookies I made last weekend. Very few people. No Internet connection.
And still I had a hard time focusing. I made decent progress and did another 800 words tonight after dinner. I might get a draft finished by tomorrow. argh. It feels really half-assed right now.
I guess I felt like things were so busy at Clarion that it would be easier at home. But I took for granted that at CW 99% of my brain was devoted to all things story. And now that I'm home I have to devote at least half my brain to my other responsibilities. And even then I feel like my brain is ruined.
Before CW when I got those phone calls to remind me about appointments I always said, "I know, I'll be there." Since I got home I keep saying, "Shit, what time?" I usually feel like I have my act together and now I can barely remember where I parked my car.
Maybe this is all part of the process. But I'm pushing to write this new story and I'm not enjoying as much as I thought I would. I think I'm going to take one day next weekend for a no computer day and a no writing day. I just downloaded a bunch of stories to my iPod (EscapePod and PodCastle) and I can take some walks and putter in the yard. And make some pies. I haven't had one single homemade pie yet this summer. Tragedy.
Labels: "Clarion West"
posted by Pamela at 9:43 PM
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Friday, August 15, 2008
Sports
I'm not an Olympics person.
When I was younger I enjoyed watching but now it feels like it's not about sports. It's just about the U.S. winning. And the commentators make me want to stick forks in my ears.
I've watched about 3 minutes of the current games and every time I turned on the TV it was synchronized diving. Why is this even a sport? Why not synchronized bowling?
I'm going to invent the sport of competitive vacuuming and start a training camp at my house.
posted by Pamela at 5:47 PM
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
Two Items
1. C-Tran has new buses.
I finally rode on one for the first time this week and I can't say that I love them. They're like the anti-tardis meaning smaller on the inside than the outside. It seems like there are less seats. And the seats are nicer but there's no place to put my stuff so I have my big giant bags stuff on my lap.
2. My sleep habits returned to normal almost immediately after the workshop. In Seattle my bedtime was 1am or later and I had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. I was afraid when I got home it would be like jetlag or that I was broken and would never be able to sleep properly again. Nope. I go to bed at 9pm. It's fantastic.
posted by Pamela at 7:55 AM
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Monday, August 11, 2008
Exciting MondayOn the way to work I got to watch a lady total her shiny Mercedes right in front of me. We were on the freeway right at the I5 – 405 split. She zoomed by me and drifted into my lane. She was probably looking at the directions on her PDA. She kept drifting … drifting … wham! Right into the back end of one of those trailer rigs that carries a bunch of cars. This one was empty. Blew a tire. Thankfully she kept control and made it to the shoulder. When I passed her she looked very unhappy.
Then a guy was puking in the weeds next to the parking lot.
I wonder what else is in store for today.
posted by Pamela at 8:10 AM
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Sunday, August 10, 2008
Fabulous New Development in the World of Chips
Have you heard of these chips? Bob had a bag sitting in the chip area when I got home and I opened them right away. Highly recommended.Bob took a photo of a squirrel on our roof. At this time of year there are these weird nut trees around the neighborhood and the squirrels get into a frenzy chasing each other out of the trees and running back and forth dragging the nuts all over the yard. They're so excited about it they forget that they're afraid of humans and will run right by me when I'm watering or working in the yard: which creeps me out. Aren't they just giant rodents with big fluffy tails?
Now I'm convinced there are squirrels living in the house and it's only a matter of time before one runs out while I'm working on my story or watching TV and will run over and bite me. Then I'll turn into a frothy mouthed zombie and the rest of the summer will be ruined.
Yesterday I went to the Farmer's Market for the first time since I've been home and I wanted to buy everything.
I settled for one giant bag of things. Today I'm making my favorite lentil and chard soup and I just noticed that I only have orange lentils which should make it interesting. It's between that and split peas.
We desperately need a Bobs Red Mill run.
I'm also making beets and some sort of salad I can take to the office for my lunch.
The only thing I managed to make yesterday was bread so I still need to make cookies and granola. I thoroughly enjoyed not cooking for 6 weeks but I'm glad to be at it again.
Okay, time to get to work on this story. I had it open on my computer yesterday and every time I walked by I would stick my tongue out at it. Today I need to get some work done.
posted by Pamela at 11:36 AM
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Friday, August 08, 2008
Re-GroupingThis is my first full weekend back and I'm still trying to get my act together.
There are so many things to do that I keep circling around the house thinking of all the stuff to take care of but not feeling like doing any of it.
I thought I'd get to a point where I'd have some Clarion West definitive wrap up things to say but I'm not there yet. I'm still floating around the edge of the bubble.
The photo above is my new shower. My old bathtub was totally chipped and ugly and horrible and the new one is so pretty I could sit in it for days. I'm going to pull out some bubble bath and spend some quality time in there this weekend. Maybe reading from the ginormous pile of magazines that is threatening to take over the house.
I'm afraid to count how many books I accumulated while I was in Seattle. It's more than 10 but I think less than 20. Plus I bought that DREADFUL vampire book at the midnight book party with some of my classmates It's not dreadful fun, it's dreadful bad. It's making me mad to even have it in my house but I have to read it to find out what happens. I need to get through that and trying to work my way through the magazines. The bus rides will save me.
This is a hole in the wall shared with the bathroom. I'm guessing some sort of installation gone wrong moment. No one noticed except me. We're doing an end of the job inspection today and I'll point that out.
Last night I left my bottle of wine uncorked on the counter and I can see those two annoying fruit flies that were in the house floating in it. Victory?
Today I'm getting back into my routine and I got my haircut and went to Safeway and now the laundry is going.
Before I left I cleaned out my favorite homemade granola and my chocolate chip cookie stash so I'm making those this afternoon. I also cleaned out all my office snacks so all week I had to chew my hand all afternoon. I just bought Wheat Thins (big) and chips and an Odwalla bar and next week I'm hoping I can do See's run with Shay to re-stock my chocolate supply.
Dahlias from the garden.
Yesterday I ate a pastrami sandwich that should have its own national holiday. I only finished half at lunch so I ate the rest for dinner and then I woke up at 3:30a and had to drink a huge glass of water.
Time to get rolling on my chores.
Labels: "Clarion West"