A Writer's Life

Ticketed

Nope, I didn't get a ticket for speeding.  I haven't ever, and it's not something on my to-do list. 

I was thinking today about writing as ticket fulfillment.  At work, we're currently examining options for best managing workflow and one of those solutions may be writing to tickets.  Those of you who work in IT probably have a good idea of what I mean.  A request comes in, a ticket is generated, the problem is solved, the ticket is closed. 

In my former writing lives, we didn't get tickets; we got assignments.  Here's an assignment to write a column, a feature, a book.  In my current writing life, I may start getting tickets.  Here's a ticket to write an ad, a video script, a power point, a drive-time audio, a business plan, a website, a newsletter, a magazine. 

As I was thinking about tickets in my work writing life, I was also pondering the possibility of tickets in my personal writing life.

 Should I get a non-writing ticket if I spend the night watching Lifetime movies and browsing the internet instead of working on my novel?  Not keystroking quickly enough in the fast lane? 

In my own little writing-society-life, what does the branch of Rachel determine to be writing ticket-worthy?  Tick, tick, tick.  The clock is ticking; the ticket's tricking?  What says thee, oh writing society of one?  What's going to get you pulled over to the side of your computer?

 Should I generate my own writing tickets (i.e. assignments) like I ask others to do at work?  If no one ever puts in for the work, will the project yell and echo when he falls in the forest?

Should I get "good effort" tickets to be entered into a raffle if I stay on task for a certain amount of time?  If I donate a little more, can I earn a few extras?  Is the prize worth it; can you give me a million reasons to play and win?  What happens if I hit the bonus; is it like what happens in Jumping Jackpot?

Do I get a ticket to ride?  To where, and what kind of ID is required?  And do I have to take off my shoes to get through security, and who will be waiting for me at the gate?  Will there be a movie to watch along the way? 

Ticket, tisket, Triscuit.

Love, Rachel

Recession Denim

Got the blues about your blues?  Your blue jeans, that is?  Well, never fear.  The progressive, edgy denim company Rock and Republic has decided to offer a special “Recession Collection” to help shoppers open their pocketbooks.  Don’t be heartbroken if you can’t afford a pair of their $320 “heartbreaker jeans” because they’ve now got a line of jeans now that are priced around $130.  If you don’t find it distressing to pay $130-$280 for a pair of jeans, then this collection is just what you need to weather the shaky economy without sacrificing a stitch.

 Here’s the skinny: $130 for a pair of jeans is not a recessionary measure to me.  And, it probably isn’t to the 1/3 of American women who plan to buy no new clothes in 2009 (according to a report just published by Forbes.)  If you need affordably-priced jeans, you really don’t need look any further than your local suburb for a wide range of prices and styles.  You can get jeans at Maurices for $35.  You can get jeans at Old Navy for $25.  You can get jeans on sale at Kohls for $20.  There’s always Walmart for $15 and Ross for $10 (and sometimes less.) 

 If you don’t plan to buy new jeans this year, there’s always a selection at second-hand stores, consignment stores, and thrift shops for $2-$5 per pair.  Hit a special bargain day, and you may save a little bit more.  If you don’t plan to buy ANY jeans this year, then there’s always a thread and needle for patching things up or places like freecycle where you can adopt a pair that’s new to you. 

 I think that R&R has a smart marketing department—I read their article, I’ve talked about it with others, and I’m posting about it here.  But I’m wondering how many retailers will jump on the idea of a true recession collection.  You know—who will offer the McDonald’s value menu of fashion for today’s cash-conscious consumer?  A limited number of items that you can mix and match; maybe not all that healthy but enough to fill you up until 2010.  Dollar jeans, anyone?

 Rachel

Random Updates!

The Furnace

It was only a bad sensor.  It is fixed and working great.  The cost was about $200.  The company was great, and the man who fixed my furnace was friendly and professional.  I would recommend them to anyone in Utah who needs furnace help: www.keepcomfy.com

E-Mail

I am no longer using the rachelsayshello@yahoo.com e-mail.  I was receiving thousands of junk e-mails a day--in my inbox.  I am now only using my other e-mail, which I will not publish in this post because I don't want to get on a list for even more junk mail.  Contact me via Facebook or a relative if you need to know my new e-mail address. 

Health

Ear infection is resolved; crown pain is resolved.  We've had several days with sunshine in a row, and I sit next to a big window at work.  The sunlight has been helping with my case of winter blues.

Putting Goals into a Notebook

I have been reading a lot about the law of attraction again lately.  I haven't handwritten any goals yet because I am trying to get clear on what it is that I really want to attract, especially writing wise.  I've got blank notebooks on standby for when I am ready, though. 

The Novel

It is still in the editing process.  I am not going to worry about all the cool ideas I have for visuals right now--I am just going to focus on improving the text.  Since my novel does not have a standard plot, I have had an interesting time making sure that my character's stories all happen in the right sequence and that it will make sense to the reader how the characters are connected together.  I don't want to draw ALL the lines because dot-to-dot is more fun when you have to search a little.  Still, I don't want it to be confusing, either.

Saving Text Messages to my Computer

Great idea!  And, I am sure it can be done.  I really didn't want to save 2600 text messages, though.  It's kind of like having 2600 photographs sitting on your camera, with many of them being the same image or close to it.  So, like choosing the best photographs to print and scrapbook, I only saved my very favorite text messages, the ones that reminded me of something special.  My post from yesterday kind of preserves the history and the patterns.  I am content with that choice.

Wii versus Exercise Bike

After a year of thinking about it, we walked into a Game Stop and bought a Wii yesterday.  And the Wii Fit.  The exercises are varied and fun and there's lots of encouragement and motivation built in to each segment.  The Wii Fit tracks our BMI, and J. is thrilled to finally join her friends in owning a Wii.  We can add more games in the future, and it was easy to install and takes up a minimum of room.  I did it myself in about ten minutes, and that included putting the batteries in the remotes backwards and removing them again.  I got "Yoga Master" on the Yoga last night and had a lot of fun doing the hula hoop and running games.  (Wii put both J. and I at healthy weights.  Now we'll have a great motivation to maintain them!) 

Cell Phone Scrapbook

Last Sunday night, while driving my daughter to a friend's house for sleepover, I noticed that I had a little yellow envelope flashing on my cell phone.  I stopped at the next red light and discovered the bad news: my memory was full, and I'd have to delete some messages to retrieve any new ones. 

I wasn't sure that I wanted to delete any of them; C. and I have been text messaging since the Monday after we met for coffee for the first time. 

I know it sounds silly to find meaning in little words and phrases, but my cell phone memory was a text-message-journal of our first five months together.  I had about 2500 messages stored on my cell phone, and as I clicked through them one by one, I caught a glimpse of us in the pattern of the messages, the way we make plans together,  the way we say "thanks" to each other, the way we have certain topics that are a running thread between us.

On 9/22,  I remember: we went for lunch at Zupas, and when we came back, I sent him a message that said, "thanks for lunch, I adore you."  And he sent me back a message that said, "And I love you."  It was the first time he'd ever texted those words to me.  Well, I had to keep that one.  And the texts that said, "good night, Rachel, I love you."  Well, I couldn't exactly delete those, could I?

In October, we texted about my birthday and about his, I asked him if he'd be willing to pick us up at the airport at midnight when we returned from Thanksgiving break, he said "of course I will" ; in November, I was in San Franscisco, and he texted me his congratulations when I won Nanowrimo, and told me how much he missed me and that he couldn't wait to see me when I got back home. 

In December, we texted over holiday plans, and at what times he'd be over to pick me up during the holidays and how much we missed each other after getting to spend a practically text free week together in person.  In January, I was sick, and he texted to find out how I was feeling and what he could bring me; and when my furnace broke, I texted that I had no heat, and he said "of course you and J. can stay over tonight."

In my times at CK, I wrote many books and articles on scrapbooking, but never one about your cell phone scrapbook.  I deleted many of the messages, but I kept a few, and when I was waiting for a meeting to start today, reviewing the twenty or so that I kept was enough to make me smile and remember many good times.  And after all, isn't that what a scrapbook is all about?

TTFN,
Rachel

The End.

How much would you pay for a bucket of hot air?  How about a bagful of it?  How about a whole houseful of it?

It’s really not a trick question—just the opening to my next joyful home repair story: my furnace officially doesn’t work, a conclusion I had to officially draw this morning.  I hate drawing expensive conclusions.  After all, I just replaced my hot water heater and got a new hard drive (+data recovery) for my computer and went to the doctor two weeks ago.   How’s my fledging budget supposed to withstand all those hits? 

If I’m writing a story, I don’t have to draw any expensive conclusions, although you know that I *do* fight against writing a “bad” ending or having anything unfortunate happen to my characters.  It’s mentally taxing for me to put them in a less fortunate place, which you could equate with an expensive conclusion, even though no debit card has been swiped.

Heating guy is scheduled for the morning; I’ve got hot water; now I just need matching air.

Love,

Rachel

Complicated

Eight years ago, I got a call from a woman named Stacy Julian.  I knew of Stacy because she taught scrapbooking classes at my local scrapbooking store and because she’d written one of the books that I’d used to teach myself how to scrapbook.  Although we’d never met in person, she was a mentor of sorts to me, even if she didn’t know it.

At the time, I was freelance writing for Creating Keepsakes magazine, and Stacy called me up to ask me to write an article for “her” new publication: Simple Scrapbooks.  (It’s telling how powerful scrapbooking is—I wrote the article about eight years ago, but it’s still on the web.  You can read it here: http://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/scrapbooking/simple-scrapbooks-for-your-babys-first-year/). The thing I remember the most about that phone call was Stacy’s passion for what would become the sister publication of where I’d later work full-time.

I joined the staff of Creating Keepsakes full time in 2003, as an associate writer.  A year later, I accepted a promotion to senior writer, and there, I authored two columns, penned numerous feature stories, and wrote and/or edited about twenty-five books.  I worked right across from the staff at Simple Scrapbooks; I ate lunch in the same break room; I attended the same conventions; I was involved in some of the same brainstorming meetings.  We walked the same halls; we shared the same group of readers, even as we espoused two different philosophies of scrapbooking. 

Yesterday, I heard the sad news that Simple Scrapbooks is closing their doors.  Although I left the scrapbooking industry a year ago, I still feel for the staff and the contributors.  I can “feel” the impact that this decision must have across the board at CK Media.   I have a feeling that the decision to close Simple will have a ripple effect across the lives of many people whom I know.

It’s not so simple to say good-bye,

Rachel

"Fine."

It’s been a coffee and a muffin type of week.  I’m still holiday-transitioning, which was not made easier with winter gloom, an ear infection that was bad enough to warrant a doctor’s visit, and a painful problem with my much-despised crown (not the tiara kind, the dental kind—tell me again why I allowed them to put that awful thing in my mouth?)   

Anyway, during these types of weeks, I comfort myself by stopping at the Starbucks and walking inside and ordering coffee and a muffin (yes, it’s more economical to go to work, directly to work, do not stop at Starbucks! Do not waste $200 on overpriced coffee when you can get it for free at the office! But, see coffee and muffin type of week, cited above.)

 Today, as the barista asked me how my Thursday morning was going, I answered something non-committal—but I was spinning a story in my head at the same time.  As I was picking the crumb topping off my blueberry muffin and waiting for her to put a stopper in my extra-strength Americano, I was thinking I’d like to spend a morning at Starbucks to hear all of the answers from customers who hadn’t yet had their morning coffee.

Because, honestly, at 8:30AM, I’ve only been up for an hour and a half, and there’s a good chance that there’s no coffee in me yet at all.  So when someone asks, “how is your morning going so far?”  I barely have any experiences of which to relate.  What do I say?  Do I tell the truth?  The answers could go like this:

• ·         My alarm went off, and I hit the snooze button!

• ·         I flat-ironed my hair!

• ·         I did the swirl, tap, and buff with my new mineral make-up!

• ·         I told my daughter she was being overly dramatic about her bad hair day!

• ·         I made my daughter cheese pasta for lunch!

• ·         I parked badly, just like all the other private school parents I complain about!

• ·         And then I drove here!  And here I am!

I was wondering how all the other not-yet-caffeinated customers would reply.  And I wondered what she’d think of us if we all returned later in the day, not as needy, and with better stories.   

I guess a “fine” would have worked for most people. 

Love,

Rachel

The Charge It Generation

I know you probably think I’m talking about credit cards—I’m not.  I hope that J. will never have the opportunity to “charge it” as I’d rather teach her how to just use cash to pay her bills.  However, she is definitely a part of the “charge it” generation.  Just last night, she told her friend in Nevada, “yes, I do have a cell phone but it does need to be charged.”  And she hasn’t been able to play her Nintendo DS because she left her charger at her dad’s house. 

At our house, we constantly have electronics that must be charged.  Our cell phones need to be charged.  Our laptop batteries must be charged.  Our regular phone must be charged.   Her Nintendo DS has to be charged.  Don’t forget her ipod and my ipod shuffle.  And now that I’m veering towards the Wii/Wii Fit combo, I’ll probably be bringing another item into our home that must be charged up (at least the remotes or something, right?) 

There are days when I think that bookcases will be replaced with charge cases; that CD towers will be replaced with charge towers; and that IKEA must be working on some sort of charge station where you can hide all of those cords and chargers in one seemingly seamless docking station.  Charge!

Love, Rachel

Your Turn: Take a word that means something to most people and write about it in a different sort of way.  Your unique perspectives are invaluable, and they make the world a more interesting place.

White Ribbons and Blue Skies

It's official. Winter depresses me.  If you've been a reader of my blog over the last five years, you already know this and didn't need an official blog diagnosis.  Although I have winter-optimistic friends, I can't get myself into any sort of "oh yay, it's winter" kind of mood.  To me, winter is a collage of gray skies and darkened evenings and dirty snow (even when it's falling, fresh...) and black ice, interspersed with uncomfortably cold moments that turn into hours that turn into days and that morph into weeks. 

I don't need a pill or a pep talk to make myself feel better about it--all I needed over the last two days were blue skies and sunshine.  The roads were clear enough today that I was able to wear a dress and heels. And as I sat in my cubicle at work, the sunshine was streaming in through the windows, and I could see trails of airplane dust forming white ribbons in the sky.  And my spirits were suddenly lifted, and the mantle of winter gloom was shoved under that place where I kicked off the ugly shoe boots.

That's when I started typing, and that's when I started enjoying what I was writing, so much so that I was surprised when I saw the time on the clock and to hurry to collect my things and leave to get J. from school and to go out for pizza and to meet C. at Starbucks later for coffee. 

I know it's a reprieve, and it's a real one that I needed.  Suddenly 45 degrees seemed like a miracle.  For that, and for the fact that every day that I cross of my calendar takes me one tulip closer to spring, I am grateful. 

Love, Rachel

Random Thoughts I Had Today

• A new study states that 2/3 of all Americans are now overweight and/or obese.  The study was just released but the study results are from 2005/2006.  Huh?  Does that mean we all really weigh what we did 3-4 years ago? 
• For my height, according to the article, I am a mere ten pounds away from being in the overweight category.  Although I don't claim to be perfect, I've been maintaining a size 4/6 for a while now.  How are they defining overweight these days, anyway?
• I don't like meat; it's an aversion that began about 4 years ago.  I will eat it sometimes, especially if it's kind of chopped into little pieces.  However, I will never call a fish a "sea kitten." No way.  No how.  If you have ever seen a scaly fish dangling on a fish hook, you will know the reason why.  Case closed.
• I can't decide if I want to buy an exercise bike or a Wii Fit.  As we don't yet have the Wii, they would cost about the same: about $400.  Since I'm only ten pounds away from being officially fat, I had better decide soon.
• I am addicted to Cup O Noodles.  The best flavor is the spicy lime with sea kittens.  Oops, I mean microscopic things that approximate shrimp.  They cost .40.  They are loaded with sodium.  Maybe I am one Cup O Noodles away from retaining ten pounds of water.
• My Cup O Noodles addiction doesn't keep me from buying organic coffee and enjoying it with organic cookies. 
• It's time for the Biggest Loser, which I am going to sit on the couch and watch.  Because I don't have an exercise bike or a Wii yet. 

Love, Rachel