i just finished my novel.
50,636 words.
i can't decide if i want to celebrate or to sleep.
i did it.
31 May 2013
29 May 2013
Portraits
Remember when i posted about that marvelous date and mentioned that he took a few pictures of me?
Well, here they are. It's interesting to see myself how someone else sees me...
Well, here they are. It's interesting to see myself how someone else sees me...
i have a blind date tonight. Poor thing, he has a lot to live up to and doesn't even know it.
(All photos by Brian J Bell Photography...as he calls himself)
21 May 2013
Interviews
After a month of interviewing people to try to replenish my staff of employees, i have complied the following advice for anyone going in to interview for a new job.
jennifer's interview tips:
*Don't wear a hoodie.
*Zip up your fly.
*When asked if you have any questions for me, don't say, "So, when do I start training?"
*Spit out your wad of gum.
*Be on time.
*Don't wear distressed jeans-- and then apologize for not wearing a skirt.
*Don't say "I'm too old to be around students. Oh wait, are you a student?"
*Dry your hair before coming to your interview.
*Don't put "LDS Laurel, Mia Maid, and Beehive class president" on your resume.
*When asked to tell about a time you had to deal with conflict on the job between a coworker or boss, don't say, "I have way too many examples."
*Don't say, "I left my last job because my boss kept telling me what I was doing wrong and it was very frustrating."
Yes, all of these things really happened as i was interviewing. No, none of these people were offered a position.
jennifer's interview tips:
*Don't wear a hoodie.
*Zip up your fly.
*When asked if you have any questions for me, don't say, "So, when do I start training?"
*Spit out your wad of gum.
*Be on time.
*Don't wear distressed jeans-- and then apologize for not wearing a skirt.
*Don't say "I'm too old to be around students. Oh wait, are you a student?"
*Dry your hair before coming to your interview.
*Don't put "LDS Laurel, Mia Maid, and Beehive class president" on your resume.
*When asked to tell about a time you had to deal with conflict on the job between a coworker or boss, don't say, "I have way too many examples."
*Don't say, "I left my last job because my boss kept telling me what I was doing wrong and it was very frustrating."
Yes, all of these things really happened as i was interviewing. No, none of these people were offered a position.
15 May 2013
Smiling through Wednesday
Did you know that more suicides happen on Wednesday than any other day of the week?
An article that I recently read on nbcnews cited a study which proved Wednesday as the darkest day of the week. "The study, published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, found that people are far more likely to kill themselves in the middle of the week than in the beginning or the end: almost 25 percent of suicides occur on Wednesdays as compared to 14 percent on Mondays or Saturdays, the two days tied for second-highest suicide rates. The study also found if you make it through Wednesday, your risk for suicide plummets by more than half the following day; Thursdays have the lowest rate, with only 11 percent of suicides."
Let's boost our Wednesday a little with a happy list! Here is what has made me happy so far this week:
*Technology makes this possible:
*It also enabled my whole family to Skype all together on one video call for Mother's Day (me in ID, sis in TX, sis in MT, bro in Russia and the 'rents in NV).
*The tulips are blooming:
*So are the lilacs, filling the streets with one of the best scents ever and making my bike rides to work that much sweeter.
*Having only girls at my movie night on Monday, which means we watched "Burlesque."
*New Shades:
*Finding cookies that are easy to make, delicious and healthy (plus, my date loved them ::grin::). Even though i did feel a little crunchy walking out of the store with the ingredients.
*"So You Think You Can Dance" started yesterday-- and i have a friend willing to record it and watch it with me!
*Picking the perfect long weekend (weather wise) to visit Vegas:
*Getting half way through my novel! 25,000 words baby!
*i am actually successfully accomplishing most of the goals i have set! (updates to come)
*Bubble baths
*How healthy my hair feels since i started using coconut oil as my only product (thanks, Rubi)
*FINALLY being done hiring (i am done, right? Please say i'm done)
*My niece (let's just face it...there will be at list one picture of Bo on every happy list i make)
An article that I recently read on nbcnews cited a study which proved Wednesday as the darkest day of the week. "The study, published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, found that people are far more likely to kill themselves in the middle of the week than in the beginning or the end: almost 25 percent of suicides occur on Wednesdays as compared to 14 percent on Mondays or Saturdays, the two days tied for second-highest suicide rates. The study also found if you make it through Wednesday, your risk for suicide plummets by more than half the following day; Thursdays have the lowest rate, with only 11 percent of suicides."
Let's boost our Wednesday a little with a happy list! Here is what has made me happy so far this week:
*Technology makes this possible:
 |
| "Chatting" with Bo via iPhone FaceTime |
*It also enabled my whole family to Skype all together on one video call for Mother's Day (me in ID, sis in TX, sis in MT, bro in Russia and the 'rents in NV).
*The tulips are blooming:
*Having only girls at my movie night on Monday, which means we watched "Burlesque."
*New Shades:
*Finding cookies that are easy to make, delicious and healthy (plus, my date loved them ::grin::). Even though i did feel a little crunchy walking out of the store with the ingredients.
*"So You Think You Can Dance" started yesterday-- and i have a friend willing to record it and watch it with me!
*Picking the perfect long weekend (weather wise) to visit Vegas:
*Getting half way through my novel! 25,000 words baby!
*i am actually successfully accomplishing most of the goals i have set! (updates to come)
*Bubble baths
*FINALLY being done hiring (i am done, right? Please say i'm done)
*My niece (let's just face it...there will be at list one picture of Bo on every happy list i make)
 |
| My sister is a gorgeous mother! |
 |
| Tell me you can look at that face and NOT smile? Impossible! |
13 May 2013
Bike ride
It's national 'ride your bike to work week!'
It was a great way to start the day-- riding in the cool morning with good tunes blasting in my ears.
This was my morning playlist:
-Darkside: Kelly Clarkson
-No Diggity: Blackstreet
-Titanium: David Guetta
-Drumming Song: Florence and the Machine
-No Scrubs: TLC
-In the Meantime: Spacehog
I am all on board with riding my bike to work! In fact, this week, my bicycle will be my sole means of transportation in Rexburg.
Join me??
11 May 2013
Sunny Saturday
i went on a picnic date today.
He picked me up in his 1952 MG convertible. i wore a floppy sun hat and Audrey Hepburn sunglasses. He had just the right amount of facial scruff.
We ate cucumber sandwiches, fresh pineapple and vanilla macaroons on the banks of the Snake River. He made me laugh.
After sitting and talking and talking, we drove and drove through this beautiful countryside that i call home, stopping when anything struck us as beautiful and taking pictures all along the way. He took quite a few pictures of me ::blush::
As we got back to town, he told me to meet me at his house with my car. When i got there, he washed my car for me.
The night ended sitting in the gazebo in the backyard watching the sunset. We didn't talk at all, just sat and listened.
i can handle dates like that. Yessiree.
He picked me up in his 1952 MG convertible. i wore a floppy sun hat and Audrey Hepburn sunglasses. He had just the right amount of facial scruff.
We ate cucumber sandwiches, fresh pineapple and vanilla macaroons on the banks of the Snake River. He made me laugh.
After sitting and talking and talking, we drove and drove through this beautiful countryside that i call home, stopping when anything struck us as beautiful and taking pictures all along the way. He took quite a few pictures of me ::blush::
As we got back to town, he told me to meet me at his house with my car. When i got there, he washed my car for me.
The night ended sitting in the gazebo in the backyard watching the sunset. We didn't talk at all, just sat and listened.
i can handle dates like that. Yessiree.
09 May 2013
Noveling Madness
i made it through week one of this crazy idea to write a novel in a month. i now have more than 12,000 words--one fourth of the way done!
This is what i have learned in week one:
-i am not an author.
-i wish i had a desktop computer instead of just a net book.
-i'm glad i have a net book because some of my best ideas hit when i'm in the bathtub.
-i am much wittier in shorter forms (ie: blog posts and texts). It is insanely difficult to be constantly witty for 20 pages.
-My dramatic nature serves me well when trying to write.
-i enjoy quilting much more than i enjoy writing.
-i love google docs; things are saved instantly as i write and i can access my document from any computer or my phone.
-i usually only meet my daily word count because i know that i have a friend to whom i am going to have to account at the end of the day.
-It is easier than i thought it would be to leave behind my "inner editor" and just type.
-It is harder than i thought it would be to know how to organize my story.
-The characters in my life are way better than any make believe character that i could create.
-i don't have the desire to share what i am writing with anyone--but it sure feels good to write it anyway.
-The first two sentences were the easiest for me to write.
Just to tease you....here they are:
"I always wanted to die by spontaneous combustion. All that would be left of me would be a pair of hot pink chucks, smoking in the middle of the sidewalk."
Here goes week two!
This is what i have learned in week one:
-i am not an author.
-i wish i had a desktop computer instead of just a net book.
-i'm glad i have a net book because some of my best ideas hit when i'm in the bathtub.
-i am much wittier in shorter forms (ie: blog posts and texts). It is insanely difficult to be constantly witty for 20 pages.
-My dramatic nature serves me well when trying to write.
-i enjoy quilting much more than i enjoy writing.
-i love google docs; things are saved instantly as i write and i can access my document from any computer or my phone.
-i usually only meet my daily word count because i know that i have a friend to whom i am going to have to account at the end of the day.
-It is easier than i thought it would be to leave behind my "inner editor" and just type.
-It is harder than i thought it would be to know how to organize my story.
-The characters in my life are way better than any make believe character that i could create.
-i don't have the desire to share what i am writing with anyone--but it sure feels good to write it anyway.
-The first two sentences were the easiest for me to write.
Just to tease you....here they are:
"I always wanted to die by spontaneous combustion. All that would be left of me would be a pair of hot pink chucks, smoking in the middle of the sidewalk."
Here goes week two!
03 May 2013
Spiders and Friends
Considering i get the most hits on my site due to people google searching this question, it seemed fitting to share the following text exchanges. Besides, it reminded me of the incredible taste i have in friends.
Last night i sent the same exact text to two different friends. The following conversations happened--both very different, both hilarious.
Friend #1
Me: It's always slightly alarming to step out of the shower and wrap up in your towel, only to find it was already occupied by a spider.
Friend #1: Gah!! The towel?! Yeah, "alarming" is one way of putting it. Losing bladder control is another
Me: Considering this is not my first arachnid encounter of this nature, they will have to work much harder than lurking in my towel to ellicit that sort of reponse from me.
Friend #1: You're made of stronger stuff :) My brother-in-laws have some Japanese spider mission stories that make me think it's possible
Me: Whatever their nationality, I still feel that it was very uncivilized to peek in on me
Friend #1: No decency these days
Me: Exactly.
Friend #2
Me: It's always slightly alarming to step out of the shower and wrap up in your towel, only to find it was already occupied by a spider.
Friend #2: I personally enjoy that experience!
Friend #2: Shower tonight and not a bath?
Friend #2: Weirdo... ;)
Me: While I am not refuting the fact that I am indeed a weirdo, I would like some clarification. In this particular instance, am I odd because I showered or because I didn't enjoy my arachnid encounter?
Friend #2: No, I was teasing you for showering (like a normal person) instead of bathing (like a weirdo). However, I called you a weirdo for doing the more normal thing. 'Twas a joke, of course.
Me: Either way, I am doomed to be a weirdo considering the fact that my normal hygienic habit is to bathe :)
Don't worry, the irony was not lost on me...I knew you were teasing
Friend #2: Haha. Good. Word count?
i seriously have the best friends.
Last night i sent the same exact text to two different friends. The following conversations happened--both very different, both hilarious.
Friend #1
Me: It's always slightly alarming to step out of the shower and wrap up in your towel, only to find it was already occupied by a spider.
Friend #1: Gah!! The towel?! Yeah, "alarming" is one way of putting it. Losing bladder control is another
Me: Considering this is not my first arachnid encounter of this nature, they will have to work much harder than lurking in my towel to ellicit that sort of reponse from me.
Friend #1: You're made of stronger stuff :) My brother-in-laws have some Japanese spider mission stories that make me think it's possible
Me: Whatever their nationality, I still feel that it was very uncivilized to peek in on me
Friend #1: No decency these days
Me: Exactly.
Friend #2
Me: It's always slightly alarming to step out of the shower and wrap up in your towel, only to find it was already occupied by a spider.
Friend #2: I personally enjoy that experience!
Friend #2: Shower tonight and not a bath?
Friend #2: Weirdo... ;)
Me: While I am not refuting the fact that I am indeed a weirdo, I would like some clarification. In this particular instance, am I odd because I showered or because I didn't enjoy my arachnid encounter?
Friend #2: No, I was teasing you for showering (like a normal person) instead of bathing (like a weirdo). However, I called you a weirdo for doing the more normal thing. 'Twas a joke, of course.
Me: Either way, I am doomed to be a weirdo considering the fact that my normal hygienic habit is to bathe :)
Don't worry, the irony was not lost on me...I knew you were teasing
Friend #2: Haha. Good. Word count?
i seriously have the best friends.
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