Oh Muffins

Well, this month's print week went about as smooth as sandpaper. I worked from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. yesterday, came home and c.r.a.s.h.e.d. So this morning, I decided to pacify my still-angry self with some baking therapy.

(Note: Just so I don't one day return to this post, look at this photo, and then decide that this was the moment I fell off the wagon, allow me to point out that I did not eat five muffins. I ate two; my boyfriend ate three. Because let me tell you, if I ever do fall off the wagon, it won't be over muffins. Heck no. It will be a Great Wall of Chocolate from P.F. Chang's, with raspberry sauce drizzled all over it, and my boyfriend will come home to find me passed out on the couch from chocolatoxification, fork still in hand.)

Today, all I want to do is get outside and enjoy the sunshine, maybe go window shopping in Old Town and read a book by the fountain near the Scottsdale Waterfront. I'm thinking that this weekend will be all about refueling on a little peace and quiet...

Photo by Sway Sovay

Stuck in My Head Today

The Republic Tigers - Buildings & Mountains

What I've Been Up to Lately

...I finished my article about the culinary festival for the March issue, and it will go to print this weekend. I'm not very happy with it, but it will have to do.

...And speaking of finishing things -- my tax forms are complete and ready to be filed. That's a huge weight off my shoulders, even if I'm not really getting much any money back.

...I've bought a lot of educational books focused on different fiction writing techniques, and I've been really poring through them lately. Who knows, maybe this will soon lead to a flurry of short stories or novel chapters, since I'm due for just such a flurry. They seem to hit their peak about every four years, I'd say, so it must be time again.

...This past weekend my boyfriend and I traveled home to Oklahoma for his birthday. (I bet you don't know many people who want to go to Oklahoma for their birthdays, huh?) It was very cold, but good to see friends (including the kitty pictured above!) and family, and get away from work for a while.

Photo by Sway Sovay

I'm Still Waiting for the VW Beetle to Appear

It is bizarre to me how every day can be a little different and yet still feel exactly the same as the one before. The past several weeks I've felt like I'm wading through a deep pool of coffee mugs, bad articles, grocery lists and dinners in front of the TV. And it's not like any of those are bad, it's just that I feel like somehow everything has gradually become monotonous and I don't know what to do to break it. I'm picturing a snow globe that needs to be shaken up. Or this...



... Except without the peppy music. Or the VW Beetle appearance. Also, I am not a dude. Nor do I work in a skyrise in... is that supposed to be Manhattan? Anyway, you get the point.

But, nothing is wrong. Nothing is bad. Yet. And though I try my best to avoid thinking negatively, the pragmatist in me can't help but be concerned over things involving stodgy phrases like "financial stability" and "the security of my job." These things have been distracting me to the point where I feel like in any given minute I'm only paying half as much attention to what's going on as I normally would be. It's like a continuous feeling that I've been up for two days straight and can't quite bring my mind back into focus.

I think the fact that I was sick for a week or so, combined with the dread that any day now I'll walk into work and be terminated, probably has a lot to do with my current state of mind. Ever since the company made its financial predicament known at the beginning of the year, many of us have been asking for updates, but the powers that be have been very tight-lipped on the whole matter, and so now it's like we're all just holding our breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And so now 10% of the time I'm thinking about such matters as... Our apartment complex just upped our rent in an emergency financial move. I'm having a hard time finding a doctor/optometrist/dentist who accepts my poor health insurance. Our lease on our apartment ends in June and we don't know yet whether we'll be able to go or will have to stay -- or even be able to stay. (We would really, really like to move. For a number of reasons.) I can't get a second job because this one takes up so much time already. And if I lose this job, where will I go? Is there even a healthy future for me in this industry or should I change careers? Does this industry even have a healthy future?

And that's about the time my head explodes. Which is why, to avoid such explosions, the other 90% of the time I distract myself by any means necessary, as long as -- like I said in my previous post -- it doesn't involve any real, actual work. Like right now, for example, as I type this on my lunch break, drinking a nonfat mocha and trying to decide how many times during the rest of the day I can sneak away to the patio to read a few pages of my novel before someone takes notice.

OK, that's it, I'm done now, I promise. And tomorrow I'll be more chipper.

If You Pay Close Attention You'll Notice I Have Avoided Doing Any Real, Actual Work

This month I'm writing two articles for our magazine, and each will appear in a different city's publication. The first is an eco-friendly beauty products piece for the "green" issue that we publish every April, and it's going in one of our California magazines.

So far I am loving this first assignment, because all I have to do is call up companies and ask them for free samples and press releases. Then I write up two or three short sentences describing the products' benefits and ta da!, I am done. So easy. Not to mention all the fun, free swag I'll receive by the end of the month. I may have to beg my editor to let me do one of these every month from now on ...

The second article is about the West of Western culinary festival which will be taking place here in Phoenix next month at the Phoenix Art Museum. Have not really started this one yet, but it's due like, yesterday, so pray for me. (In my defense, my editor assigned it to me late, so I won't feel guilty about taking some time with this one. I'm operating according to the concept of quality over speed this time around.)

Things I have done instead of writing the culinary festival article...

Well, I made this:






















Just the one for now. Maybe by Monday morning I'll have a bonafide pair.

The pattern is "Gifted" by Kate Gilbert and the yarn is some I had left over from the Man Scarf I made for my boyfriend. Again, I'm aware that this is further proof that I am in denial about living in the middle of the desert. Or maybe just proof of a personal conviction that I will not always live in the desert? Regardless, mittens are adorable -- particularly these -- and I do intend to make another!

Also, happy Valentine's Day! (If that's your thing. If it's not, you are going to want to visit this post on Lemondrop.com and click through to the foreign site. I certainly hope you're not having THAT kind of a day.)





















Photos by Sway Sovay

Let's Be Friends

I think it says something about this day and age when you accidentally request to be someone's friend on Facebook, even though you realize later that you don't actually know the person (and you're sure), and yet a few hours afterward you receive an e-mail notification saying that he or she has confirmed you as a friend anyway.

Last Thing I'll Say About It (Until November, Of Course, When the Next One is Released)

So remember my long spiel about how I had to read the Twilight books before I saw the movie?

Well, my sister and I -- by now we have both read at least the first book in the saga -- finally carved out time to go see the movie yesterday, before it completely disappeared from theaters. And...

It was so disappointing.

The screenplay wasn't tight at all; it gave me a feeling similar to one I might have while riding around in stop-and-go traffic -- completely jerky and awkward.

And the acting? I think that Kristen Stewart totally "brought it." She looked the part, she acted the part, and was so comfortable in her role that it was a joy to watch her character on screen. Robert Pattinson, on the other hand, was simply awful. Like, bizarrely awful. Out of the 5,000 guys who auditioned for the lead male role, this is who they chose? Really?

Not to anger tween goth girls everywhere, I will certainly agree that he looks perfect for the role, but that's pretty much where his credentials end, because after he opens his mouth the spell is broken. He just seemed kind of... befuddled... in each scene, almost as if he were really confused as to what the scene's objective was. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even actually read the books, because his interpretation of the character was not at all in tune with the character from the book. Was it the bad screenplay that he couldn't work with? Was it bad directing? Did he fall and hit his head during a stunt sequence? Was he too preoccupied with trying to cover up his British accent? Come on, Rob, we want to like you, just help us out a little.

I understand that sometimes seeing a movie after reading the book is likely to be disappointing, as the characters and plot and background story rarely live up to what has been built up in the novel.

However, having said that, I don't think that's the case here. I'm pretty sure that if I had just gone in and watched the movie cold (Ha! -- cold -- like a vampire -- get it? -- OK, sorry, that was stupid) I would have still been disappointed at a vampire who was less charming and mysterious and more like stoned or something and creepy. And wearing a TON of makeup. All the makeup I wear in a year was still less than the amount of face powder, red lipstick and eyeliner that they had applied to Pattinson's face for this film.

The experience made me desperately wish that I were a 16-year-old girl again, because surely then I could have been able to forget about the poorly constructed plot and ill-developed characters and just swoon at the image of the messy-haired heartthrob, right?

Despite all my whining and complaining, I am still glad I got to see the film, as it did have some entertainment value (even if that translates to making me burst into a fit of giggles during scenes which were clearly written to be absolutely serious). And also, I always (always, always) find book-to-movie adaptations interesting.

Which is why I'll most likely see the movies that follow, as well as continue to read the book series. Just please, someone get Mr. R-Pattz some acting lessons, stat.

The best thing about the movie? For me, it was the discovery of Iron and Wine's song "Flightless Bird American Mouth," which is featured near the end of the film. You can listen to it on Iron and Wine's MySpace page here, or head over to YouTube and subject yourself to any number of angsty Edward and Bella true-love tribute videos that are sure to induce gagging. The choice is yours.

à la Fin

A dear friend not so long ago informed me that the name of my most recent knitting project ("Clapotis") sounded like the name of an STD.

Ew.

It took me a few days to forget about that comment before I could pick the damn thing up again. Maybe in time I'll forget she ever mentioned it. (You know who you are. And you know I'm going to say something to ruin your lunch today. Look out.)

At any rate, I have finally come to the end. Voilà!

















Photo by Sway Sovay