Archive for February, 2009

TTDNST: Le Cafe

I’ve been off coffee for a good long while now.  I no longer get the shakes when I smell it, I don’t feel a small sad ache in my heart when I see the empty coffee pot every morning, and I can function sans coffee without feeling like I’ve been shot with a tranquilizer.

All in all, I’m doing pretty well for someone who was a strung-out detox-addled junkie just a few weeks ago.

Even still, I haven’t forgotten my sweet coffee.  The way the steam made everything feel alright in the morning.  The comforting heft of the warm coffee mug in my hand as I caught up on my blogs.  The sweet satisfaction of knowing that, when I finished the first cup, there’d always be a second one waiting for me.

Wes found a video this week that he thought I’d enjoy, and enjoy it I did.  I enjoyed it for a number of reasons, and that’s why it’s this week’s Thing That Does Not Suck.  For one, it’s in French (subtitled in English) and I feel that the French can get away with just a little more than other people because their language is so lovely.  For another thing, it’s about coffee, and how easy it is to have a little too much and lose your freaking mind.

The video captures perfectly the effortless way that coffee can insinuate itself into every time of day.  Who can say no to a nice cup of coffee?  Before you know it, you’ve had ten cups of coffee, your pupils are dilated to the size of teacup saucers, and your writing looks like it was done with a seismograph.

When I was in high school, I worked as a barista for a small cafe.  I manned the espresso machine with skill and dedication (it was one of the genuine espresso machines, where you have to froth the milk with nothing more than a wand and your expertise and pack the espresso perfectly so it would neither block the machine nor spew grounds everywhere) and was often in the store by myself.

A lot of cute boys lived in my neighborhood and one day, a whole lot of them ended up at my cafe.  They started daring one another who could drink the most espresso in one sitting.  Never one to let boys have all the fun, I whupped them all at nine shots.  The victory felt great until I felt like taking cocaine would be a great way to calm down a bit.

Just goes to show you that teenage girls get stupid when cute boys are around (as though anyone doubted that).  Anyway, enough yammering and on with the show!  I must warn you, though, that this video comes a bit unhinged at the end and there’s some (cartoon) violence and a teeny bit of profanity.  Fair warning.

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A Prospective Perspective Change

I’m toying with the idea of scrapping my whole novel and starting from scratch with the same story, same characters, and a whole new perspective.  My writing class covered point of view last week and I’ve been dedicating some serious thought to giving a different perspective a try.

Granted, the idea of re-writing my 250+ page novel makes me want to cry just a little, but the more I go back and re-read it the more dissatisfied I become.  I’m not the kind of writer who normally feels dissatisfied with her work.  I’ll go back to old blog posts and most of the time I’m surprised I actually wrote them because I like them so much (I know, I’ve got the modesty thing down to a science).

With all the new skills I’m learning though, I’m slowly realizing how much better my novel could be.  Whereas before I would read it over and think to myself how good it was and how well I detailed the characters, I now read it over and realize that my characters have no faces and my story has a plot that’s neither well-developed nor resolved.

Normally, this would probably make me toss the whole thing out and start over but I’m still in love with this story and want to tell it.  I just now realize that I can do it so much better.  The trick, I think, is going to be to tell the story from a 3rd person instead of  a 1st person perspective.

My whole novel as it stands is written in present tense 1st person, which means my sentences are always happening right this second.  For example: I’m writing my blog when Wes walks in and gives me a hug

What I think would be a lot better would be 3rd person omniscient.  For example: She sat at the computer, face scrunched in concentration, typing madly to the sounds of Beethoven when Wes walked in and interrupted her with a hug.

I can give my characters faces, personality quirks, and a deeper depth of character with 3rd person than if I’m shackled to the perspective of one person who’s only in one place at one time.  Also, 1st person present tense gets a bit tiring to read (and write!) after a while.

Apparently, I’m in good company in writing my first novel in 1st person.  According to my good friend Working Girl, most first novels are written in 1st person.  The woman who teaches my writing class says that most publishing houses won’t even take a look at novels written in 1st person since they practically scream AMATEUR AUTHOR!

The last thing I want is to be that obvious about my amateur status, so I think I’ll give a different perspective a try.  I’m sure there are plenty of authors who can make 1st person look good but I’m not yet arrogant enough to assume I’m one of them.  The great thing about having already written a rough draft is that I have an excellent grasp of my story and my characters so I have the feeling the second draft is going to just pour out of me.

Now, the dilemma is: Will I have time to revise my novel before next NaNoWriMo?  I’m so busy lately I really question whether I’ll carve out the time to do this until I’m forced to do it by a voluntary deadline.  If I do have to wait until November, at least I’ll know what I’m writing about ahead of time!

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If the Apocalypse has kicked off its inaugural round of plagues, don’t ask me whether I know what’s going on because chances are excellent I have no idea.  If you’re curious about whether that revolutionary cure for lupus has been proven clinically safe, you might have better luck at another blog because I’ll just stare dumbly at you and ask if you have dinner plans.

But.  If the object of your inquiries involves pop culture at all, rest assured that I either know about it or will know it by the time you’re done asking.  I kicked my Perez Hilton habit about a year and a half ago and have never regretted the decision, but pop culture information is like a staph infection and you’re never really rid of it entirely.  I absorb it like a sponge and, while I’ll never remember the quadratic equation, at least I can tell you whether Madonna really is a zombie or not (current guess is that she’s not).

A good friend raised an issue in my comments section yesterday and I knew it for what it was: a cry for help.  A plea for assistance in discerning a mystery that only a person with my unique combination of skills (e.g. oodles of spare time and a knack for remembering celebrity trivia) could solve.

So!  Let us delve into the mystery of Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry: Are they two people with very unoriginal stylists or are they one and the same person-whom-Erika-is-rather-unimpressed-with?  Let’s examine the evidence:

Defendant: People of the opinion that Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry are two separate people

Prosecution: The United States of Heavens-to-Betsy-look-at-them-they’re-clearly-the-same-person

Exhibit A for the prosecution:

Zooey playing the banjo
Zooey playing the banjo

As you can see, Zooey plays the banjo.

Katy playing guitar
Katy playing guitar

Katy plays the guitar.  Clearly they’re the same person.

Defense rebuttal: This is ridiculous!  The banjo and guitar are very different!  One sounds all twangy and the other sounds cool and stuff.  Besides, Zooey looks demure when she’s playing and Katy looks a bit strung-out.
Exhibit B for the prosecution:
Zooey being aggressively quirky
Zooey being aggressively quirky

This is obviously a very strange photo, and would only be taken by someone who actively tried to present herself in such a way as to reinforce the illusion that she is original and strange.

Katy being just plain aggressive
Katy being just plain aggressive

Here, you can see the defendant trying to distance herself from her alter-ago by showing her dangerous she is.  Clearly, though, this is the same trick with a new bow, as this is still atypical behavior for a normal human being and is merely a reiteration of the same aggressively quirky behavior.

Defense rebuttal: Nonsense!  Zooey’s just trying to make us laugh!  She’s funny!  And strange!  And Katy is…well…to be honest, she’s making us cross our legs just in case.
Exhibit C for the prosecution:
Look how adorable she thinks she is
Look how adorable she thinks she is

Here, you see the defendant shoving the cuteness right in your face.  Look how adorable I am!  I’m so cute!  Love me!

Yet again, look how adorable she thinks she is
Yet again, look how adorable she thinks she is

Here is another excellent example of the act of shoving the cuteness squarely at whoever will look.  It’s not exactly subtle to put hearts on your bottom.  Trust me, people will notice all on their own.

Defense rebuttal: Your opinions about fashion and the optimal placement of hearts aside, I see very little similar in these photos.  Zooey is merely proud of her pretty dress and Katy is being overt about an already overt embellishment.
Prosecution: The prosecution rests.
Defense: The defense rests as well.
Now it’s up to you, fair jury, to help my dear friend Dane out: Are Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel really two people or are they one and the same?
zooey-katy

Which cover takes the cake?

  • Option 4! Wesley's design is superior. (3%, 3 Votes)
  • Option 3! Isaiah's design brings me joy. (3%, 3 Votes)
  • Option 2! Kira's design is my favorite. (5%, 5 Votes)
  • Option 1! Daniel's design is perfection. (89%, 97 Votes)

Total Voters: 108

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Not Quite a Bone-Head

Acquiescing to the recommendations of many, Wes and I watched the first season of Bones this weekend.  This show could have gone either way for me.  On the one hand, I love me some forensic anthropology.  On the other, I cannot stand Zooey Deschanel and her sister looks (and speaks, for that matter) a bit too much like her for me to like her out of hand.

Don’t ask me why I can’t stand one of the arguably most adorable and likeable actresses in the world.  I just don’t.  I’m sure she’s a lovely person in real life, I just can’t stand her acting.  She’s always smug and aggressively quirky and it grates on my nerves like no one’s business.

Anyway, Bones.  In my humble opinion, the show has some really interesting cases.  It’s always a bonus when your choice of mind-numbing relaxation helps you learn strange facts you can use to turn everyday conversations into awkward silences (Wanna know the correct way to slit someone’s neck? being an optimal example).

Aside from the cases, though, there was really nothing that held our interest.  There’s this strange, hammed-up battle being waged between the Feds and the scientists that you’re plunged right into and that never really rings true.  Why would you be so rude to the agency that signs your paychecks?

The characters are likewise stilted, at least at the beginning.  The main character is overtly written to be the hardcore-scientist-who-cares-for-nothing-but-data type and, even though she’s supposedly written a book with steamy love scenes in it, you honestly can’t imagine her being any more sensual than, say, a box of Macaroni & Cheese.

If we hadn’t had nothing else to watch, we probably wouldn’t have made it through the rest of the season.  I’m glad we did, though, because the end of the season was much stronger than the beginning.  We may actually watch the second season, once we’re through with NCIS.  Supposedly, NCIS is the second coming of TV shows so we’re excited to take a peek.  Of course, as with everything else, you can expect my opinion on that to come soon.

Aside from watching Bones, Wes and I had a very busy weekend.  We watched The Pursuit of Happyness on Saturday (do not even get me started on that ruinous heap of wasted time) and ate tortellinis (of Wes’ making) and creme brulee (of my own).  We spent the holiday the way we spend most of our time together: Laughing and eating.

The rest of the weekend was spent running errands, cleaning, doing yardwork, and coding this blog.  Now it’s Monday and I still feel like I could use another weekend right about now.  Either that or a martini.  Maybe a martini and a vacation.  Yes, I could definitely use a martini and a vacation right now.

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It’s a Blogwarming party!

So here we are.  The first post on my new blog.  I have to say, it feels a little weird typing my blog post on WordPress (my new CMS) as opposed to Blogger (my old CMS).  It feels good, though.  Exciting.  New.

I was telling Wes today (during the laborious 12 hour process of getting everything set up here) that my new blog feels a lot like a new house.  It’s like I got the keys when my Dad registered my domain name for me and I moved in today.  My room is unpacked, the bed is made, and the kitchen is unpacked enough for me to be able to cook dinner.

But.  There are still boxes in untold corners of the house just waiting to be unloaded, my garage is still full of that stuff you accumulate but can never seem to find room for in the house, and I haven’t figured out how the thermostat works.

You see, my blog looks really freaking awesome.  I have my (surprisingly HTML and CSS-savvy) husband to thank for that.  He made a ton of progress today and I can safely say that I have the coolest blog I’ve ever seen.

Even with this said, however, we still have a lot of other stuff we want to do with this blog.  There are more colors to be changed, sidebars to figure out, and more fun gizmos to explore.  So, even though I’ve officially moved into this blog, there are still some changes ahead.

I apologize for the (seriously over-stretched metaphor) unpacked boxes, but I’m still just too darn excited about my new digs to keep quiet any longer.  With a blog this pretty, wouldn’t you be?!

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