What We Did On Our Winter Vacation
Monday, January 4, 2010
We have had a very pleasing vacance, and now return to you in fine fettle, ready to tear apart your uninspired literary efforts with renewed vigor! Huzzah for us! And you thought we were a terror LAST year!
Over our Winter Vacation we: read not one, not two, but FIVE Scandinavian crime novels (why are Scandinavians so much better at writing crime novels than anyone else? Especially when there is hardly any crime in Scandinavia?), entered the lottery for the New York marathon (!!), consumed approximately six cubic feet of gingerbread, went to the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker (which succeeded in evoking a childlike sense of wonder in even our embittered person), saw the Truly Amazing Power Duo of Jim and Karen Shepard read in a fancy Soho loft (many kisses to our dearest Chérie L'Ecrivain for smuggling us into this Exclusive Event!), weathered our first New York blizzard, drank mimosas with a Famous Children's Book Author, firmed up our Resolutions, and attended a New Year's party at the home of the former Secretary of the Navy. You think we are making that last one up, but we aren't. New York is a CRAZY TOWN, dear goslings!
How about you, Author-friends??? What delightful activities did you engage in? Is everyone ready for an Inspired Decade? Are we working HARD on our little books? HMMMM?
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Guess who swore off alcohol after watching their drunk father do the worm in the middle of a Christmas party?
Yeah.
But I'm about to start querying, so we'll see how long that lasts.
Mmmkay, you had me at gingerbread...
I got a Kindle for Christmas and like it waaaaaay more than I should. So I spent some time playing with that, and then just *had* to download a metric ton of stuff to read (but it all fits so nice and pretty on that teeny little device! I'm all a-squee!). So then there were the two whole days that I stayed in my pajamas and read. Nice.
I also managed to spend a lot of time writing. So much, in fact, that the husband looked at me at one point and was like, "That's kind of insane." and I went, "Yeah. Pretty much." But it was productive and so...I had to drink a little, too (sorry Lauren!). And that was fun.
Otherwise, we had the standard merriment and hijinx that a house with 3 kids under the age of 9 normally endures. Oh. And Santa brought us a Wii. Try hopping on that thing when you've had one too many. That's it's own party right there, baby...
Oh, I'm working hard. (Heh heh I said "hard".) Where was I? Oh, yes, I am working hard on my little MS, readying it for querying in February, since I know January is a lost miasma of querydom. I am annoying everyone around me with my focused dedication! Usually I annoy them in a more general manner.
I was indirectly responsible for the deaths of no less than three turkeys.
I'd feel guilty about that if I weren't so sleepy...
Christmas was great.
New Year's was quiet. We actually spent it playing my son's Wii. I recommend the Boxing.
It can be therapeutic beating the crap out of your husband and children on that thing.
I do not recommend watching marathons of 'Criminal Minds'. I suspect most of my neighbors and half the people at work are actually serial killers now.
Went to Vermont and shivered. Wrote nothing due to cold-induced rigor mortis of the fingers. Came back to Florida and shivered some more thanks to invasion of Yankee Weather. Currently regretting turning down once again invite to Rio for NYE activities. Soaked by mosoon better than suffering like Bob Cratchit at Scrooge & Marley. Too cold to write complete sentences.
I finally got computer fixed, so now I can facebook--I mean, write--to my heart's content.
I managed to read Patricia Briggs first three Mercedes Thompson novels. Finally. The last one made me get all weepy.
I discovered the joys of Mike's Harder Cranberry Lemonade and played pool tipsy.
Also, my boyfriend proposed on New Year's. I said YES and I wasn't even drunk. ;)
Vacation?!? I have three kids, my vacation starts tomorrow when they go back to school!
Ooh, your vacation sounds lovely!
We made hot buttered rum at home, watched a lot of Dexter and Six Feet Under, popped Christmas crackers, wore paper hats from said crackers, and generally sat around in our PJs doing nothing.
It was wonderful :).
Reading, Twilight Zone marathon, sledding, enjoying the company of family and good friends. On vacation, so it was just good to get away from the job. It's amazing how long a day is, when work isn't part of it.
Working working - oh wise ones. My kids gave me a fab new pen and journal.
Santa gave me a wii fit. I'd like to put some coal in HIS stocking.
I read a few good books, some not so good ones and went with the theory that eating my kids Christmas candy does NOT add any pounds what so ever.
Right??
Yay! The Rejectionist is back! *Doing the Snoopy Dance!*
I took five days off at Christmas, but it turned into six when I put my car in the ditch trying to get to work last Wednesday. I spent the holiday at home alone, just me and the cats and a stash of junk food and chocolate pudding pie with Cool Whip in an Oreo crust. :D I read a ton of books, including the new Terry Pratchett and a couple of Al Franken's and a book on forensics in historical archaeology that has totally confused an issue I have to deal with in my second novel.
I also finally watched the new Star Trek and loved it (yes, I'm a geek) and all three of the extended editions of the LOTR movies. And every time Gollum and Smeagol chatted, dear Rejectionist, I thought of you. ;)
(Word ver: "WERES". How did they find out that werenovelists hang out here?)
Welcome back, Le R!
Finally finished my treat-like item. Took me long enough, eh?
Over the holidays, I finished the first draft of the novella that's been taking me forever and a day to wrap up. Got halfway through reading another book. Did some cooking. Baked apples are quite tasty.
-J
My husband and I vegged in front of the TV and watched a whole season of Mad Men (we just discovered it--yes, we're a little behind the curve). I read a book every day and munched on homemade snow brownies. Funniest book I read was a novel called HOW I BECAME A FAMOUS NOVELIST. I also wrote every day...hmmm...I could get used to that life, but alas, back to work.
Geared up like the Michelin man, shoveled snow, wiped runny noses, marinated in glögg (Scandinavian for wintry booze), shoveled some more, and snogged…okay, shagged to my heart’s content.
May have written and read somewhere between all that shoveling and other wintry delights, must check WIP and gift books for stains of proof. Glögg stains, you pervs.
Larsson? Fossum? Mankell? Leave some room for Jens Lapidus, will ya?
I was in Germany. I got noise-reducing Bose headphones, and they are AMAZING. Unfortunately, we determined they cannot be adjusted to specifically tune out my boyfriend's father.
Yeah, I'm also working hard, hard, hard on those revisions in anticipation of the my latest efforts to end up in someone's slush pile.
Glad you're back. Your posts always make me laugh.
I just saw the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center two nights ago! I don't care that it was after Christmas... it was beautiful.
I did lots of holiday stuff, friends, family, Christmas, junk food, parties, blah blah blah, and now I am ready to WRITE! :D
I joined two writers' groups to keep me on track in 2010 and started posting bits of my work on my blog, The Magic Nutshell.
I also built my list of kick ass writing and publishing blogs to follow, which may be helpful, if I don't spend all my time reading them and not writing!
Dear Loretta, there are seriously not words for how much we adore you.
Dear Dee, we should probably not admit this so as to preserve our Reputation, but we totally cried at the part with the snowflake ladies.
I spent the past week (or however long you left us for) dealing with unreasonably crabby people at work. I also wrote a little, finished reading ONE book (you did FIVE? how do you read so fast?), and may or may not have engaged in daily wrestling matches with the little guy. He apparently has no qualms about putting the ultimate smackdown on his dear defenseless mother. But despite the bruising, we had fun. :)
Dear Lydia, we can read about 100 pages an hour. We read those five books in three days, that's not counting the other books we read on our vacation. It's kind of fucked up, we know.
Do you like that we said fuck unnecessarily, just for you?
Haha. You have no idea how much I missed you.
And for the record, I'm totally jealous of your speed reading capabilities. Freakishly AWESOME.
Le R.
We reads 100 p/h as well. Our husband thinks we are skimming. In the length of time it took husband to reread Dune Book 1, we read the following:
To The Nines by Janet Evanovich
The Elegance of the Hedgehog (DEVASTATING...husband stared at us as we sobbed convulsively why did Renee have to die!!!)
Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Yes, we reads a very strange variety when we have influenza in the Midwest :)
Okay - my ultra-fun-filled Christmas now seems a little duller in comparison...
But it's okay because I read a bunch of books - and spent time with my nutty family!!
I accomplished little, other than surviving a nasty bout with the H1N1. But, that's quite a success story, yes?
My wife danced ballet for 12 years. She has taken me to all the fundamental performances (Giselle, Nutcracker, Swan Lake), but it never clicks for me like it does for her. I appreciate the art and the effort, but it doesn't move me like the music does. Thankfully we both love the theatre so we can still get our culture on together.
Ready to face you people; who are in fine fettle, ready to tear apart my inspired literary efforts with renewed vigor… as if it’s a war! Writing is one of the most delightful activities that make me involved… it’s not a hard work even if it awakens me in midnight. A passion doesn’t allow you to sleep. As a student writing is far more comfortable for me than mugging up senseless things from little books.
When I wasn’t reading at a zombified 20 pages an hour, I managed to clear out two year’s worth of e-mails.
Not that I actually got caught up or anything, but everyone I have to reply to is now safely tucked away in the same folder, where they can talk amongst themselves.
I used my vast moderatorial powers to delete spam. Surprisingly satisfying. I am like the General Kael of spam defense. Those pornographers didn't know what hit them.
And congrats to Brandi G.! For both the engagement and the hard lemonade.
Agree with the whole "why are the Scandinavian crime novels so good despite so little crime in Scandinavia?" paradox.
My mind boggled when I read The Draining Lake by Indridason, and there was an exchange that went something like this:
"We need to identify the body that was found; can you check missing-persons reports for a man who disappeared between 1940 and 1980?"
"Well, there were five of them, so that'll take a while."
I drank copious amounts of Nuvo, FINALLY watched Inglorious Basterds (loved it...the only thing that would have made it better IMO?--if Johnny Depp had a role in it somewhere, natch.), allowed Santa to spoil me silly, partied with friends, sang carols (and Lady Gag songs) drunk through our (expensive gaited) neighborhood (that, my friends, is how you win friends and influence --scratch that-- annoy and alienate people. Good times.), and I stopped my WIP re-writes/revisions for the entire month of December.
Congrats to the girl who got engaged!
Happy 2010 to all,
Lola
please allow me to correct my gross misuse/spelling...GATED, not gaited. Yipes. Too much tussin. (sick w/ darn cold)
Note: Dont tussin and type.
Time to hit the 'Quil, stuffy head so i can sleep juice...
nighty night.
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