I hear different things about Saturday, the UH Book Festival wasn't as big as last year, less people show up for things these days - where was everybody? - but myself, personally, I had a blast on Saturday!
The CWC had events all day which I had the opportunity to be a big part of, very fun. And we managed to pull off a rockin' poetry slam after all. It was awesome! Very good energy. And to top off all that, I got to go to the author's party that night, exclusive to those who helped with the days' events. I met Richard Peck - prominent children's author - and Sara Zarr was there as well, I love her! I love her books and I love her as a person. She's So Cool! (have I mentioned that before?) Special thanks goes to Eric for being my guest :)
It was really an awesome day.
I'm going backwards here.
Friday was a really great day too. I'll be out of town for Halloween, so on Friday I picked out costumes for the kids to wear to a Halloween party Saturday night. And after school I took them to pick out pumpkins and we got to carve them Friday night. She wanted a girly face and he wanted a silly face, but decided a scary face overruled. Mine turned out with some funky kind of a mask and fangs...my OCDness got the better of me. And I am okay with being not a pumpkin carver.
Speaking of carving pumpkins, I'm going to a big pumpkin carving party tonight! Can't wait! Should be a lot of fun. I love watching people who can cut out amazing pictures in theirs and make them all fancy. Something away from the usual pumpkin faces. Which was what I was going for, with a mask, I guess, but I took too much off and now it's getting all saggy, already.
Thursday night (still backtracking) I took my dinosaur road bike to The Fantastic, Awesome, Amazing Bike Collective! I finally found a new back tire for it! So happy! It's a really weird size and near-impossible to find. So, new tire, gear shifter fixed, chain lubed, clunking tweaked (though, cuz of the metal frame, still clunks) all in an hour and a half and now it seriously rides like a gem! I'm so excited! First gear actually works! The Bike Collective Rocks! As do the couple of nice guys there who helped me with all that : )
And that's as far back as I'm going to go. Did you know that you can vote early this week to avoid the lines next Tuesday? I'm thinking I'm going to go vote Tomorrow!
I'm currently in film class and we're watching The Building of a Nation...or something like that...it's a silent film... in all personal unsophisticatedness, how did people watch these back then? I guess back then they didn't know of anything else...that's how. Cuz watching them now ... painful. Not only the lack of sound, but the lack of color as well... it's almost a handicap.
((**the birth of a nation**)) I can see how a lot of this music became so popular, though, how these songs managed to last through the ages with the ties to their respective films... same as today, I guess.
Well, be sure to vote, and be sure to add yourself as a follower of my blog : )
I like knowing there are people who actually read it.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Cloudy in Weather, Sunny in Mood
I stirred up something with that last blog...I was just stating my thoughts...didn't really mean to...
Or did I?
I think it's interesting. According to Wikipedia definitions, republican and democrat sound real similar and I can see where people would call democrats socialists...but that's all I'm saying about that because I really don't know much else yet to hold my own in that previous discussion. And I certainly won't take sides between friends - after all, this is a 'classy blog' :)
Brief plug-in for the Utah Humanities Book Festival! It's gonna be awesome! It's at the SLC Public Library from the 22nd to the 25th. I'm going to be at work all day on Saturday, so I'm hoping I'll see some of you there! We'll be putting on a This I Believe Personal Essay reading, from 11 - 12 and then there's a couple of workshops I'll be teaching, but the biggest thing to look for is the Salt City Indie Arts crew. The guys heading that up are very good friends of mine who Rock Salt Lake with their Amazing poetry, music, and...well, arts. They'll be heading up a teen poetry slam at the fabulous and awesome SLCC Community Writing Center, along with several other fun things. So if you go, totally look for that and them! for more info and a schedule of the events, visit:
http://www.utahhumanities.org/BookFestival.htm
and check out this link as well:
http://saltcityindiearts.com/
So I've travelled in between blogging. How's that for fun. I started this post in math class (of course) but we got out early and I had to take more notes than I expected :) and class got out. So I travelled over to Baxter's Cafe - I was just too dang cold to make it home! Yikes! When did that wind come in? Ooh! And the chain fell off of my bike when I took it off the bike rack so by the time I got that straightened out - which, yes, I put it back on all by myself! (so easy... I remember it being absolutely impossible when I was little... :) - my fingers weren't moving so well...
So now I'm at Baxter's enjoying a lovely cup of hot Chai, which is absolutely the perfect temperature - not too hot, but not cold either. I've decided I'm a cafe junkie (wow, everyone else knows that already but me!!) But seriously. Since Joes closed down I just jump from cafe to cafe, liking them all for their different auras. To name a few, Mestizos to hang out with Nico (You Rock!), Baxter's (though it's been a long time since I've been in here - as in...a few weeks) Coffee Connection, I experienced that for the first time this weekend and the crowd there is awesome!
And I think it's the Coffee Bean where I usually go with a couple of my really great author friends to write our novels. (Or just talk. We do a lot of talking there.)
I'm just biding my time until I can go rock climbing again! This weekend would have been PRIME for climbing - If my group of people I climb with hadn't gone to...well, south somewhere to climb...Moab I think, or just outside Bryce - the arches anyway. So Jealous! That's fine. I'll have my chance soon. Ahahahahahahaha!
Yeah, okay. So I'm going to go now. Maybe work on my novel. I'm working up to the daily word count I need to be at to make NaNoWriMo a success. So far still procrastinating. Procrastinate now, not in November! 1700 words a day for 30 days = close to 50,000 words. I know authors who've done 5,000 regularly to slam in books! So 1700 is Pshaw!
uhuh. Best get on it then!
Or did I?
I think it's interesting. According to Wikipedia definitions, republican and democrat sound real similar and I can see where people would call democrats socialists...but that's all I'm saying about that because I really don't know much else yet to hold my own in that previous discussion. And I certainly won't take sides between friends - after all, this is a 'classy blog' :)
Brief plug-in for the Utah Humanities Book Festival! It's gonna be awesome! It's at the SLC Public Library from the 22nd to the 25th. I'm going to be at work all day on Saturday, so I'm hoping I'll see some of you there! We'll be putting on a This I Believe Personal Essay reading, from 11 - 12 and then there's a couple of workshops I'll be teaching, but the biggest thing to look for is the Salt City Indie Arts crew. The guys heading that up are very good friends of mine who Rock Salt Lake with their Amazing poetry, music, and...well, arts. They'll be heading up a teen poetry slam at the fabulous and awesome SLCC Community Writing Center, along with several other fun things. So if you go, totally look for that and them! for more info and a schedule of the events, visit:
http://www.utahhumanities.org/BookFestival.htm
and check out this link as well:
http://saltcityindiearts.com/
So I've travelled in between blogging. How's that for fun. I started this post in math class (of course) but we got out early and I had to take more notes than I expected :) and class got out. So I travelled over to Baxter's Cafe - I was just too dang cold to make it home! Yikes! When did that wind come in? Ooh! And the chain fell off of my bike when I took it off the bike rack so by the time I got that straightened out - which, yes, I put it back on all by myself! (so easy... I remember it being absolutely impossible when I was little... :) - my fingers weren't moving so well...
So now I'm at Baxter's enjoying a lovely cup of hot Chai, which is absolutely the perfect temperature - not too hot, but not cold either. I've decided I'm a cafe junkie (wow, everyone else knows that already but me!!) But seriously. Since Joes closed down I just jump from cafe to cafe, liking them all for their different auras. To name a few, Mestizos to hang out with Nico (You Rock!), Baxter's (though it's been a long time since I've been in here - as in...a few weeks) Coffee Connection, I experienced that for the first time this weekend and the crowd there is awesome!
And I think it's the Coffee Bean where I usually go with a couple of my really great author friends to write our novels. (Or just talk. We do a lot of talking there.)
I'm just biding my time until I can go rock climbing again! This weekend would have been PRIME for climbing - If my group of people I climb with hadn't gone to...well, south somewhere to climb...Moab I think, or just outside Bryce - the arches anyway. So Jealous! That's fine. I'll have my chance soon. Ahahahahahahaha!
Yeah, okay. So I'm going to go now. Maybe work on my novel. I'm working up to the daily word count I need to be at to make NaNoWriMo a success. So far still procrastinating. Procrastinate now, not in November! 1700 words a day for 30 days = close to 50,000 words. I know authors who've done 5,000 regularly to slam in books! So 1700 is Pshaw!
uhuh. Best get on it then!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Lets Talk Politics for a Minute
I've officially registered to vote and I've officially - for the first time ever - Archana, you better believe it - declared myself a Democrat! I never thought that would happen, honestly. I've always been so anti-democrat, mostly because I grew up in MA and democrats just seemed so wrong at the time, what with the Kennedies and the Clintons... but then I thought about it a little more and listened to a few friendly lectures and realized I have no real basis at all for thinking like that.
Truthfully, as people say, the economy was never better when Clinton was in office, it sucked when the first Bush was in office and we all know how bad it sucks now! Not to mention education, environment and a bunch of other stuff (that's honestly over my head)
I'm going democrat this time around for sure.
The other thing I've been noticing, in the 40's during WWII, Utah was dominantly democratic back then and then sometime since then they switched over to republican and they've been that ever since. But if they were once democratic what better time than now to make the switch again?? Seriously. And I realize the possibility that I might regret down the road this decision, just as I regret the decision of going republican in the last election (though I think then I did declare myself an Independent) But I just can't bring myself to vote for that other guy...Even his name just sounds sinister...
But, honestly, there's another factor that I've considered in this equation. If you notice, things get really bad with one party in office, and then the opposite party is elected and things improve and people generally think it's because the better party is in office, but is it possible that the times of the earth just changed?
What if it really has nothing to do with who's in office when but that no matter what, things would happen the way they do anyway. Like the threatened recession in the 80's and then Clinton comes in at a time when technology peaks and the economy has this amazing boost in the 90's when everyone's so into it and buying up internet stocks like crazy and buying up technological advances like crazy: internet, cell phones, lap tops, etc. And now everyone's so broke from that climbing off of its peak and nothing really new is hitting the market anymore except money suckers like fancier, outrageously priced cell phones and i-pods and expensive things that encourage people to go into debt to buy, like HDTV and crap like that.
So now things are awful and the next person in office is going to come in at a time when people are realizing just how bad it is and are finally knowing something has to be done about it and then something will be done about it. Isn't that possible? That it really has little to do with political party and more to do with, say, the 'natural order of things'?
But either way, I'm voting and I'm voting democrat and I suppose some part of me still thinks the other party can do better this time and, as I said, things with the parties has shifted. Democrats are changing and Republicans are changing and ...I do want ice for the polar bears and I'm not happy with the forests going away or the downfall of public education or where all the money's really going to.
Props to you-know-who for at least taking the initiative to attend that anti-war rally they had here Saturday night! It's not about for or against in things like that, it's about taking a stand for something when it really does count. It's about speaking up and speaking out. I'll tell you what it's not about. It's not about that person in class today who said he's just not going to vote at all because both parties suck. Lets give up all rights and just let whoever take over. That's what that person was saying and it really made me sad. Almost panicy inside, even. I cringe to think I used to almost be like that (there's very little almost in the truth of that...)
Well, not anymore. Cheers to environmentalists! Cheers to those who actually join groups, combine forces for a good cause for a change!
I'm excited for election day this time around and you better believe I will be pinned to watching the polls, for the first time ever, really! Maybe I'll even have a party - it'll be better than the super bowl a thousand times! (unless that other guy wins)
Cheers!!
Truthfully, as people say, the economy was never better when Clinton was in office, it sucked when the first Bush was in office and we all know how bad it sucks now! Not to mention education, environment and a bunch of other stuff (that's honestly over my head)
I'm going democrat this time around for sure.
The other thing I've been noticing, in the 40's during WWII, Utah was dominantly democratic back then and then sometime since then they switched over to republican and they've been that ever since. But if they were once democratic what better time than now to make the switch again?? Seriously. And I realize the possibility that I might regret down the road this decision, just as I regret the decision of going republican in the last election (though I think then I did declare myself an Independent) But I just can't bring myself to vote for that other guy...Even his name just sounds sinister...
But, honestly, there's another factor that I've considered in this equation. If you notice, things get really bad with one party in office, and then the opposite party is elected and things improve and people generally think it's because the better party is in office, but is it possible that the times of the earth just changed?
What if it really has nothing to do with who's in office when but that no matter what, things would happen the way they do anyway. Like the threatened recession in the 80's and then Clinton comes in at a time when technology peaks and the economy has this amazing boost in the 90's when everyone's so into it and buying up internet stocks like crazy and buying up technological advances like crazy: internet, cell phones, lap tops, etc. And now everyone's so broke from that climbing off of its peak and nothing really new is hitting the market anymore except money suckers like fancier, outrageously priced cell phones and i-pods and expensive things that encourage people to go into debt to buy, like HDTV and crap like that.
So now things are awful and the next person in office is going to come in at a time when people are realizing just how bad it is and are finally knowing something has to be done about it and then something will be done about it. Isn't that possible? That it really has little to do with political party and more to do with, say, the 'natural order of things'?
But either way, I'm voting and I'm voting democrat and I suppose some part of me still thinks the other party can do better this time and, as I said, things with the parties has shifted. Democrats are changing and Republicans are changing and ...I do want ice for the polar bears and I'm not happy with the forests going away or the downfall of public education or where all the money's really going to.
Props to you-know-who for at least taking the initiative to attend that anti-war rally they had here Saturday night! It's not about for or against in things like that, it's about taking a stand for something when it really does count. It's about speaking up and speaking out. I'll tell you what it's not about. It's not about that person in class today who said he's just not going to vote at all because both parties suck. Lets give up all rights and just let whoever take over. That's what that person was saying and it really made me sad. Almost panicy inside, even. I cringe to think I used to almost be like that (there's very little almost in the truth of that...)
Well, not anymore. Cheers to environmentalists! Cheers to those who actually join groups, combine forces for a good cause for a change!
I'm excited for election day this time around and you better believe I will be pinned to watching the polls, for the first time ever, really! Maybe I'll even have a party - it'll be better than the super bowl a thousand times! (unless that other guy wins)
Cheers!!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Read the Warning Label First
Don't worry, that title has nothing to do with anything in this post, I'm really pretty sure...
I really hate it when I start reading a book and realize I don't like it. I'm never honest about that, except this time. Normally I just stay in denial: "no, it's okay, I kind of like it...it at least deserves to be read...I can't not finish it now..." Because if I don't finish it, then what do I do? Okay, like Confederacy of Dunces! I really didn't like that book! 50 pages to the end I finally admitted it and put the friggin' book back on the shelf - at which point, why don't I just finish it, I only have 50 pages left!
Yeah, well, the book I'm reading now (Jay's Journal) I'm only about 50 pages into it this time and I'm deciding I don't like it and I put it back on the shelf before I left the house today. But it's still lingering in my head... am I going to force myself to pick it up again and finish the story? I'll let you know if I do...
It just kinda sucks cuz there was this other book I was all excited to read (The second book by Alice Steinbach) a couple weeks ago when I bought it, but I figured I'd start Jay's Journal since I had bought that one first... only now I'm not quite as excited about it, my mood's switched and the book could very easily come across as boring...I'm not in any mood to be bored (or I dunno, maybe I am and that's the problem...?) The point is, I am now in between books and I don't know what to read... do I just pick up Stienbach, finish that stupid book, or maybe read the Enchanted Forest series, I like that one and haven't read it since I bought it... has my mood really switched to Fantasy again?
hmm...interesting...perhaps it has... Eric, for some reason now I'm thinking of you...I've been thinking of you, though, since I started Jay's Journal - I remember what you said about it and maybe that's what's ruined it for me... but I think you warned me of that before you said anything, so I'll refrain from blaming you :)
The worst part of not finishing a book once I've started it, no matter if I've only read the first sentence, chapter (I never only read the first sentence or chapter, for this reason...) or 50 pages from the end, the story Never Leaves my Head!
Have you noticed that too?
I really hate it when I start reading a book and realize I don't like it. I'm never honest about that, except this time. Normally I just stay in denial: "no, it's okay, I kind of like it...it at least deserves to be read...I can't not finish it now..." Because if I don't finish it, then what do I do? Okay, like Confederacy of Dunces! I really didn't like that book! 50 pages to the end I finally admitted it and put the friggin' book back on the shelf - at which point, why don't I just finish it, I only have 50 pages left!
Yeah, well, the book I'm reading now (Jay's Journal) I'm only about 50 pages into it this time and I'm deciding I don't like it and I put it back on the shelf before I left the house today. But it's still lingering in my head... am I going to force myself to pick it up again and finish the story? I'll let you know if I do...
It just kinda sucks cuz there was this other book I was all excited to read (The second book by Alice Steinbach) a couple weeks ago when I bought it, but I figured I'd start Jay's Journal since I had bought that one first... only now I'm not quite as excited about it, my mood's switched and the book could very easily come across as boring...I'm not in any mood to be bored (or I dunno, maybe I am and that's the problem...?) The point is, I am now in between books and I don't know what to read... do I just pick up Stienbach, finish that stupid book, or maybe read the Enchanted Forest series, I like that one and haven't read it since I bought it... has my mood really switched to Fantasy again?
hmm...interesting...perhaps it has... Eric, for some reason now I'm thinking of you...I've been thinking of you, though, since I started Jay's Journal - I remember what you said about it and maybe that's what's ruined it for me... but I think you warned me of that before you said anything, so I'll refrain from blaming you :)
The worst part of not finishing a book once I've started it, no matter if I've only read the first sentence, chapter (I never only read the first sentence or chapter, for this reason...) or 50 pages from the end, the story Never Leaves my Head!
Have you noticed that too?
Monday, October 6, 2008
Hooked!
That's more like one of those Where's Waldo pictures...you can't really tell, but that dark spot at the top is a person... I don't remember, but I think Chris, who was belaying me, took it of me climbing up there... it was super cool, anyway, my second outdoor climbing experience. 2 of 4 now.
I really Love climbing! Wow...this is saying A Lot, but I might be as into climbing as I am to books and even writing...woah. It's seriously addictive. I'm still an extreme amateur, but improving...
The weekend was great! Dodging traffic from Conference was fascinatingly entertaining. Flippin' Hours of Traffic!! But okay, aside from that, I had the weekend off work and took it easy! ...as easy as I take it, anyway :)
Sunday I attended a monthly Poets' Luncheon, put on by Salt City Indie Arts, and growing! It was very kosher.
Was anyone else happy it stopped raining Sunday? Or do we all just love the rain?
Picture Book of the Friggin' Year!! : He Came with the Couch!!
Look it up, borrow it, buy it, it's so flippin' Cute!! I love it!
May the sun burn its warmth into you today :)
I really Love climbing! Wow...this is saying A Lot, but I might be as into climbing as I am to books and even writing...woah. It's seriously addictive. I'm still an extreme amateur, but improving...
The weekend was great! Dodging traffic from Conference was fascinatingly entertaining. Flippin' Hours of Traffic!! But okay, aside from that, I had the weekend off work and took it easy! ...as easy as I take it, anyway :)
Sunday I attended a monthly Poets' Luncheon, put on by Salt City Indie Arts, and growing! It was very kosher.
Was anyone else happy it stopped raining Sunday? Or do we all just love the rain?
Picture Book of the Friggin' Year!! : He Came with the Couch!!
Look it up, borrow it, buy it, it's so flippin' Cute!! I love it!
May the sun burn its warmth into you today :)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Happy October 1 !!!!
And Happy Birthday Grampa and Chris!
I think I said the same thing about September, but October is my favorite month! It reminds me of being 7, 8, 9, picking apples at the Bolton Apple Orchard in MA, Massachusetts in general, the changing trees, the cool brisk air, and of course Halloween.
This year I'll be in Las Vegas for Halloween! What will that be like? (A nightmare??) I just know I want to be something entirely different than what I've been all the other years. You know who you are, are you still up for helping me find a cool costume??? Coming up soon... Halloween is, I mean.
Wow. I didn't realize I have absolutely so little to say, for once. I'm at work too and I should be working, so I'm going to go and work. But I just wanted to say:
Happy October 1st!! : )
I think I said the same thing about September, but October is my favorite month! It reminds me of being 7, 8, 9, picking apples at the Bolton Apple Orchard in MA, Massachusetts in general, the changing trees, the cool brisk air, and of course Halloween.
This year I'll be in Las Vegas for Halloween! What will that be like? (A nightmare??) I just know I want to be something entirely different than what I've been all the other years. You know who you are, are you still up for helping me find a cool costume??? Coming up soon... Halloween is, I mean.
Wow. I didn't realize I have absolutely so little to say, for once. I'm at work too and I should be working, so I'm going to go and work. But I just wanted to say:
Happy October 1st!! : )
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