"Back from the Dead", or perhaps more aptly "Reborn"

Well I have completely sucked at blogging, at least in terms of being diligent about keeping up with it. What I realized is that I am in fact TOO BUSY and overstretched to find the time to devote to it. The completely awesome thing about this realization however is that it has been accompanied by me making a very, very big change in my life.

I have notified my employer that I will be leaving my job at the end of June, to focus on family. What this means is that I have the summer to lounge with the kids (well, let's be honest here...to chase them around) and then in September when they start school full time I will be at home. What am I doing to do, you ask? Well, there's a considerable chance that I will eat bonbons and watch Y&R obsessively. However my plan is to use that time to launch my writing career. To this end, I have started another blog called The Missing Ink . So of course, my freedom is 5 months away so there's a good chance I won't be updating that blog very often either but I figured I'd get started. I'm reborn!

The new math: 1 meteor + 1 window = 1 yummier mummy

Saturday was one of my favourite days, and it all started with being hit by a meteor. Well, that's what the kids say must have happened. Let me back up. I was on my way home in the car when I heard a very loud SMACK/CRASH. For the life of me I couldn't tell what had happened, but was grateful that the car still seemed to be working and it hadn't exploded or anything. I got the car home and investigated. It wasn't long before I spotted the damage: a large hole in my windshield, right at the bottom where the wipers are. I made an appointment for Saturday to take it in, and learned that it would involve replacing the whole windshield...a three hour commitment. You might think that this would be bad news but I tell ya, the old wheels started turning and i started to imagine what I might do with three hours all to myself. It's amazing how perspectives can change...in my 20's I would have been thinking of all the things I was missing out on by being stuck at an auto fixit place for three hours...today? It sounded like a little bit of heaven.

I prepared by doing a driveby. Felt a little disappointment trying to creep in since it seemed to be located in the middle of nowhere, but decided to think positive and figured I could always bring a book, and also my mini-laptop and work on my novel.

Showed up at my appointed time after leaving the kids with hubby, and looked around the "waiting area". No couches, just two hard plastic chairs. Not even a pot of old coffee. OK, no problem. Just needed to find somewhere a bit more comfortable. Like a curb.

Walked south for a bit, discovered a burger joint. Treated myself to a fantastic burger and fries. Walked a bit further, discovered a nail place...the usual kind where not much English is spoken but there are lots of smiles. Peeped my head in and started to say "I don't have an appointment..." and was welcomed in and given a seat immediately...I felt very happy that I would be getting a manicure and greed got the better of me..."Um, is there any chance I could also get an eyebrow wax?" To my delight the answer was an ecstatic "of course!" and I was then made to feel like a long lost friend who also happens to be royalty. What really made my visit to the nailplace joyous was the fact that as I was heading out the door, my lovely nail technician Linda said to me in heavily accented English "You know, you are very beautiful." Whether it was because of the generous tip or because she meant it or even if I misunderstood what she said, it made my day.

I walked out and started heading back to the car place...still at least an hour to kill...walked up to it, saw my car still being worked on, walked past...walked back again, and this time I noticed the pub. I walked by thinking something along the lines of "well it's 2:45 in the afternoon, not exactly happy hour" and then found myself walking back again thinking "well shit, why not! If I order a glass of wine it's not as shameful as a beer the size of my head." So I sauntered in with my French manicured nails and my red and angry (but very nicely shaped!) eyebrows and got myself a winelist.

A few sips of an Australian Cabernet later, I realized with great surprise that the gods were smiling on me yet again and there was free wireless. I felt very smart having brought my little netbook with me, and opened 'er up and not only worked on my novel but also caught up on some Facebook stuff.

I just finished up my glass of wine when I got the call that the car was ready.

It was a picture-perfect afternoon....self-indulgent without any guilt whatsoever! I wonder what the chances are of being hit TWICE by a meteor..?

Back after much laziness...

Well I feel awful for not writing in so long. I have to get in tune with what causes me to just dry up from time to time. Not only have I not been blogging, I've been avoiding my work-in-progress novel too. I'm back on the wagon now though, and ready to go!

Here's what's been going on...the Moksha Yoga studio near my house FINALLY opened this week. I have been on their mailing list for close to two years, waiting for them to open. I used to go to Bikram and Moksha classes a few years ago, but trying to juggle the twins plus driving long distances to the nearest classes...it was too much. So now I have no excuse! It's right around the corner from me so I went to two classes there this weekend. Every muscle I own is in a glorious state of agony and I'm very proud of myself for getting through it (twice!). Anyone who's done hot yoga would understand what I mean. That first class, you spend most of the 90 minutes wishing the floor would open up and swallow you or that the fire alarm would go off. In a somewhat ironic twist, I went to take a shower after class and discovered that the studio's hot water was temporarily unavailable. So that meant I went from 90 minutes in 106 degree yoga-oven, to shockingly freezing cold deluge. Truth be told I loved it. Kinda like racing from the sauna and plunging into a cold lake.

Worked on my book some more. Also started crafting my query letter and researching potential publishers. Something that I'm mystified by is whether to submit just to Canadian publishers or to send stuff to the States too/instead. From what I've been researching, most large publishers in the States only accept material from agents. In Canada, few authors have agents. I guess I've got more research to do.

Kids start back at school next week, or at least, I THINK they do. I'm a little concerned that it's a week away and we've received nothing from the school in terms of schedules/placement/teacher, etc. Today is apparently the first day the school office is open for the season so I will be trying to get some info today.

Well, guess I should get to work.

Y, R & U Are Letters

Y, R & U Are Letters

My dream last night. *Shudder*

I had the goddamn scariest dream last night. My mom, dad, sister and I were on a vacation somewhere and were sitting on some rocks overlooking the ocean. It was very peaceful and beautiful. I noticed a large sailfish-type fin go by in the water just in front of us. Then I saw it turn around and circle back towards us again. Before I had time to do anything more than say "Look at that!", out of the water came these huge jaws wide open, razors-for-teeth glinting in the sunlight. It was like one of those prehistoric sea creatures that ate the occasional T-Rex. It knocked my dad over and he toppled forward right into its gaping jaws and was swallowed whole, shreiking, and then the creature (and my dad) disappeared under the water.

This may sound ridiculous and laughable, but I woke up completely terrified and therefore DONE with sleep for the night. Ugh. I still feel sick, as I keep playing the image over and over in my head of my dad being swallowed face first.

I sure hope my dream isn't prophetic. :)

Wanted: Professional juggler

Must be able to juggle 27 objects in the air, some of them dangerous, and do so with a smile. Must be able to successfully impart this skill on me. How the hell do other working moms do it? I thought it was tough being a stay at home during the two years I did that. And it was. But differently tough. Now my time is split and it's more than my family depending on my ability to succeed. I have GOT to buy some lottery tickets. Honestly it's the only out I can see at this point. Well, I did submit a couple of children's stories to a publisher yesterday, so at least I'm moving forward instead of stagnant. Much more work to do though in terms of putting more stories together, and submitting to more publishers. It feels good to do work that's just for me.

Next stop: published author!

Other than a poem in Quill & Quire when I was 16, I've never been published. However I've always felt that with the right timing and inspiration I would turn myself into a legitimate author. Well, I hunkered down last night and drafted a children's book. It's a picture book, minus the pictures. :) Decided to put it through some rigorous Quality Assurance this morning by reading it to my kids. They loved it! Now, I realize that they are likely to be somewhat biased in this assessment but hey, for an initial take on my target audience, I'm pleased. Now I'm on a mission to churn out stories and ideas on a regular basis until I have some stuff from which to pick and choose. Then I'll start submitting to publishers.

This isn't the first time that I've started up this initiative, but it IS the first time that I feel both the timing and the inspiration are there. So we shall see!