Sway's Weekend Music Pick: "Hideaway" by Karen O and the Kids

Featured in the film "Where the Wild Things Are" (— which I really, really wanted to like but just couldn't. Sorry. I love this song, though.)

About Whale-Watching & Other Things

Over Labor Day weekend, my boyfriend and I, plus my sister and her boyfriend, plus eight of their friends (also mostly couples) — traveled to Newport Beach, California. We stayed in a rental property on Balboa Peninsula that was one row over from the sand, and it was a pretty darn near perfect way to spend a weekend. Especially since we were all going from temperatures hovering around 110 degrees here in Phoenix to the wonderful 70-something degrees on the coast.

In case you weren't counting, that's 12 people. All under one roof. And no, we didn't end up killing one another by the end of the weekend, but I will say this: If you are aware that you snore as loudly as, say, the sound a tractor makes were it to drive into a house, then please, please, do the right thing and sleep in a closet with the door shut. It's the polite humane thing to do.

Many of the other people along for the weekend were younger than my boyfriend and me. Not that it makes much of a difference — the two of us are like the oldest young people I know. Anyway, my point is, while the rest of them wanted to do things like bar-hop during the afternoons and evenings, my boyfriend and I wanted to do nerdy things like go whale-watching (see photo above).

I took this photo on Saturday morning off the coast of the Somewhere-Between-Newport-Beach-and-Laguna-Beach area, and it shows the back of a blue whale. At least, I trust that it's a blue whale. That's what the boat's captain told us. So I'm gonna go with that.

Did you know ... (Do any of you watch the TV show "Bones"? Any time I say "Did you know ..." I try to say it in the same tone and voice as Vincent, aka Mr. Nigel-Murray. It's a fairly recent development, as I only began watching the series on Netflix this year. He's a funny character, right? How he's always bringing up random factoids that, at first, don't seem at all related to whatever murder case the team happens to be investigating, but then moments later are revealed to actually tie in quite soundly. Such a good show. But I digress ...) Ahem. Did you know ... that the blue whale is the largest animal known to have ever lived on this here planet Earth? It's true. Even taking all the dinosaurs into consideration.

The boat we were whale-watching on was 65 feet long, and our boat's captain estimated that this blue whale was about 85 feet long. How he can be so sure, like I said, is a wonder, but I'm going to go ahead and accept it as fact. Apparently, blue whales can grow to be nearly 100 feet in length. To get some idea of the scale of that, click here.

We also saw pelicans, California sea lions and common dolphins. All in all, the whale-watching trip was a pretty cool experience. I also want to point out that I found a discount which lowered each of our tickets by 50%. That's right — it would have cost us $60+ for both of us to go, but instead it only cost $30+. Which meant more money for doing other things, such as going to the Aquarium of the Pacific. (Which, by the way, was open for extended hours that weekend, with entry being half-price after 5 p.m. I was on a roll!)

By the way, our snoring friend — we'll call him Jack, as in Jackhammer — was not allowed back into the room for a second night. The room's occupants, which included my boyfriend and me, plus another couple, all folded up Jack's roll-away bed, carried it down the stairs and set it back up in the dining room. And then slept far better that night.

The end.

Dinner in Piazza della Signoria

Today I am remembering a dinner my family and I shared in Florence last month.

We walked to Piazza della Signoria, where a replica of Michelangelo's famous "David" statue stands, along with the larger-than-life Neptune fountain by Ammannati.

The square is surrounded on three sides by cafes and other restaurants, all serving combinations of delicious seafood, pasta, pasta salads and pizza. Although we never ate at the same restaurant twice, we did return to this particular piazza for dinner, and the photo above was taken on our second visit.

The first night, a youth orchestra had assembled itself atop the steps of the Loggia dei Lanzi and was playing wonderful classical music while we ate. Good food, good atmosphere, good mood, good people.

Unforgettable memories that I do not take for granted, and will never forget.

Sway's Weekend Music Pick: "After Tonight" by Justin Nozuka

I've been a little bit stuck on this song lately.

Bonus: Sway's Weekend Music Pick: "Falling Anthem" by Bad Boy Bill featuring Alyssa Palmer

If you, too, become a fitness instructor, then you, too, will get songs such as this one stuck in your head. Forever.

Hey, go out and party tonight. Or stay in and just dance in your living room. No one will know but you. (And maybe your roommate.) ;)

Sway's Weekend Music Pick: "I Am Leaving" by Blue Roses

The United States of Sway

The State of the Art

I'm working on an article about my recent trip to Florence. It's due Aug. 19 and will be for a business and travel publication. As with any time I have massive amounts of information to cram into a single travel article, I sometimes doubt that I'll be able to do the locale justice. I think I did manage to take some good photos, though, and hopefully, after I decide which ones I'm going to submit for printing, I'll know which ones I can post here, too.

As far as my day-to-day work goes, I'm still finding it frustrating that companies can misplace my invoices, or they might get buried in my editor's inbox, etc. And because it takes most magazines at least 30 days to pay freelancers, I can't know that the invoice has been misplaced or skipped until 30 days passes. Then by the time I let the finance department know and they rectify the mistake and cut me the check, two months may have passed. The result is an earnings spreadsheet with lots of red boxes representing thousands of outstanding dollars. Completely annoying.

On another writing front, I've legitimately given myself an ultimatum. (Can you say something is an ultimatum even if there aren't really any negative consequences?) I've told myself I have to finish my novel by my 30th birthday. I turned 27 in May, so I feel like three years should be a reasonable amount of time to accomplish this. I've had an idea brewing since 2006. I was working at a law firm in downtown Phoenix and some scenes and characters came to me. I started scribbling down some notes, and ever since then, these characters have not left my mind. And for the past half decade, I've lived with them in my head, and their story has developed more and more, and I know that it's time for me to just get it out and down on paper. The problem is, I often have a hard time justifying to myself time spent on "investment work" rather than work that's going to immediately pay the bills. Which is a lame excuse. Last year I did National Novel Writing Month and got a good start on it -- so I know what I'm capable of if I just make the stinking time.

From now on, Fridays are for fiction. Monday through Thursday I'm going to work hard to fulfill my other work obligations, and then no excuses, Fridays I'm going to sit my butt down and try to write as much as I can. Even if none of it's good. Even if none of it will be ultimately usable. I just have to get it all out and down on paper. Wish me luck with that.

The State of the Household

My boyfriend left yesterday morning for a week-long vacation with his family, so it's going to be very quiet around here. Usually I get pretty lonely whenever he's gone this long, but I honestly have so much to do and think about this week, that the time will probably just zip by. For starters, I need to crank out that travel article mentioned above, plus working ahead on other upcoming to-do's wouldn't hurt at all. And if I can get all of that to a good place by next Friday, then I won't even have to feel bad about taking Friday and Saturday to work on my fiction project.

Not to mention, I need to clean the house. With me being gone on my own week-long vacation just a few weeks ago, plus with both of us having been so busy with work and other projects these last couple of weeks, the condo is in major need of being put back together. And not to say my boyfriend is messy, but ... let's just say it will be easier for me to reclaim our living space with him gone for a week.

Plus, there are books I want to read, movies I want to watch, bubble baths I want to take, and non-boyfriend-friendly meals I want to cook. I don't know how much, if any, of these things will really happen in the next seven days, but hey, a girl can dream, right? 

The State of the Extracurricular Activities

Also, this week is my first working week as an instructor at that fitness studio I mentioned in a previous post. I have been training my fanny off the past 12 weeks, and then this past week just about did me in. I've been at the studio every single day for several hours at a time, and yesterday I was there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. going over everything all over again. "What?" you ask. "What kind of fitness instructing requires that much intense studying?" This is one of those barre workouts -- a mix of yoga, pilates and ballet barre work. It got me into the best shape of my life and became so fun and addicting that I knew I wanted to become an instructor. Little did I know how much each instructor actually puts into teaching one of these 60-minute classes, though! As in instructor, you're leading a class through a routine, so you're talking the entire hour, giving them cues for each exercise, plus walking around and giving them individualized and positive corrective feedback. The entire time. You have to have the flow of all the exercises memorized, plus you have to stay on the beat and change the music where appropriate. If you see that most of the people in your class are having a hard time with the exercise you've set them up in, then you need to change it on the fly to something a little easier yet still challenging ... The whole thing is a blend of certain material that is etched in stone, and other material that the instructors have to improvise as they go. Plus, you have to make sure that you don't go over 60 minutes, or under 60 minutes.

I can't remember the last time I had to speak in front of people for a full hour. Maybe never. In a way, you're kind of putting on a 60-minute performance for your class that they can follow along with. It's been a little overwhelming to learn everything, but regardless, today is my first full-length class. I have to teach a full 60 minutes with real clients in the class. Another instructor will be present in case I pass out or something, but otherwise, it will be all me. And then tomorrow, Aug. 1, I'll teach my first real class, and no other instructor will be there to bail me out if, say, I forget an entire section.

It is a lot to remember, and at times, a lot of pressure. But sometimes, when the other instructors who are going through the training program start to panic, I just say, "Hey, relax. Remember, at the end of the day, you're just helping people exercise." Not that big of a deal.

Sway's Weekend Music Pick: "Lights" by Ellie Goulding

The Creature(s)

Spotted this guy in my backyard Wednesday evening.

He doesn't look like he'd be very fun to pet, does he?

I also caught these little dudes, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, looking like they'd just taken a cookie from the cookie jar ...

My boyfriend and I are not particularly happy with our local 'munks, as they have consistently eaten every single plant -- flowering, fruit-bearing or otherwise -- that we have tried to grow on our patio. The little rapscallions.

Photos by Sway Sovay

Sway's Weekend Music Pick: "Passenger 24" by Melissa McClelland

Sway's Weekend Music Pick: "Over and Over" by Rachael Yamagata

When One Door Closes, The Next May Or May Not Slam In Your Face

In the weeks since the scenario mentioned in one of my most recent posts, in which I discuss losing a client I was previously writing online articles for, I've managed to pick up two new clients.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that, combined, they won't be paying me a whole lot more per month than my former single client was paying me. Although, the work will not be as constant. So I guess I should look at it as "a little more money for about two-thirds the work," right?

Meanwhile, I keep plugging away at my fitness instructor training. I just found out this week that the goal is to have me on the schedule as an instructor beginning in August -- which gives me about a month and a half to pysch myself up for that. Kind of nervous about all of that, but I'm sure it will be fine once I get rolling.

Also, as far as my financial earnings goal for 2011 is concerned ... We're halfway through the year, and I'm coming up about $3,000 short of where I want to be for my yearly earnings. But I'm fairly confident I can make that up throughout the third and fourth quarters ...

I tell you what ... never did I imagine, when I was an undergrad, that the business side of freelancing would be so involved. But it is, and I don't mind it. As long as the companies eventually pay me!

An In-Progress Knitted Citron In The Least Citrus-Like Color Possible

Pictured above: My scrunched-up, in-progress Citron shawl (pattern/completed version pictured here) alongside my iPhone for scale.

I was in need of some mindless knitting at the end of last week in time for the long weekend, and this project has been perfect -- in that it is simple and goes on forever, much like the never-ending-but-equally-beautiful Clapotis pattern ...)

It's similar to the Clapotis I knit for KT (way back when) in another way -- I'm using the exact same yarn: Naturally Caron Country in Deep Taupe (25% merino wool, 75% acrylic). Ever since I finished binding off the Clapotis, the last 1 and 3/4 skeins have been lurking in my stash, waiting to be found again.

I like this yarn a lot; it's easy to work with and has a very subtle sheen to it, which adds a bit of fun. I only slightly regret not going up one needle size (it's currently on 24-inch circular 6's), because I think the extra space in between the stitches would have fit the whimsy of the pattern a little better ... But then again, it is all scrunched up right now as it's still in progress. I think that after I finish, some blocking and a wee bit of stretching could do some good if need be.

Plus, this was my tester, just to see if I could pull off the pattern. For the next one, I'm thinking a much brighter, better-quality yarn. This looks tempting.

Everyone Knows You're Supposed To Fire People At The End Of The Day

I received some disappointing news yesterday morning -- first thing in the morning, no less -- which really cramped my productivity for the rest of the day.

It would seem a certain client of mine, an online publication, is scaling back its range of content. Feeling they've overextended the scope of their website, they have decided to cut certain sections, mine included. Complete bummer.

I've been writing for them on a daily basis for more than a year now, and I've worked hard to build up my contacts with different PR reps, various companies, brands, etc. It's disappointing now to know that next week I'll be publishing my last online article for them and then that will be that.

Not to mention, all the features I was planning on publishing in the upcoming months are now kaputtsville. And moving forward, all the pitches sent to me for the site are now going straight into my email account's "Trash" folder, and there will be the long transition during which I inform every relevant contact that I'll no longer be working in that capacity for that publication.

Fortunately, I'll be fine. Financially, the publication paid 22% of my total monthly earnings -- a significant amount, but still a percentage that I feel I can pick up again within a relatively short time because 1) I'm due for raises with some of my other clients and 2) I live with my boyfriend and even if I lost 100% of my total monthly earnings, I know he would not let me starve. (Mostly because he needs me around to cook the food he buys. Just kidding. Kind of.) And creatively, the client offered me a lot of freedom regarding what I wanted to feature on a daily basis, so that will certainly be missed. But you know what they say about proverbial doors opening and closing ...

Now I can take a breather and think about which direction I want to start heading. Do I want to publish the same kind of content on a daily basis but start my own website? Do I want to start my own website but publish a completely different kind of content? Do I want to use this opportunity to break into a totally new print or web market for myself? Do I want to write a book? Do I want to team up with another local writer/blogger and see what kind of damage we can do on this here interweb?

There are really so many possibilities; I get a little overwhelmed when I start thinking about all of my ideas at once. I'll have to spend the next few days and weeks weeding out all my bad ideas and narrowing my focus.

[Sway goes into her serious audiobook voice:] And so, in summation, letting go of a job you really cared about presents a variety of challenges as well as an opportunity to take some lessons to heart and experience personal growth.

Blah blah blah. What I'm trying to say is: If you're a newbie full-time writer, or you plan on becoming a newbie full-time writer in the near future, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Diversify your client roster. Even if you only write about a single subject, i.e., gardening, travel, crafts, fashion, whatever, you never ever want all your income to come from a single source. Unless, of course, you have some kind of iron-clad contract with them or just happen to like surprise financial disaster emergencies.

2. In that same vein, it might help you to figure out for yourself what your monthly earning cap for any single client should be. This is a percentage that only you need to know, and only you can decide. For example, I know a writer who doesn't like for any one of his clients to make up more than 15% of his total monthly income. But this means that at any given time, he's juggling close to 10 different clients and numerous projects. However, some fields are more conducive than others to a large client base. If you write mainly for magazines, let's say, you might have a lot of different clients, because the time frames between submission and publication and payment are so long. On the other hand, if you're copy editing content that requires extremely tight turnaround, you may not be able to juggle nearly as many projects/clients.

3. Understand that you could lose your client at any given time. Not even because they don't like you or think you're bad at your job. You might be really, really good at your job. But the client may go under, their budgets may get cut, they may downsize your department (see above), or they could be taken in the rapture. You just never know, so plan accordingly. For example, if you've written almost 400 articles in a year for an online publication (my scenario), you should have been preserving your best content for your writer's portfolio as you went along. [Note: I did do this. Thank god.]

4. I repeat: Understand that you could lose your client at any given time. And actually, it's pretty much inevitable that you will, someday, for one reason or another. So save up some moolah while the checks are rolling in to float you during the times they're not.

OK, that's it, kids. Tune in next week when I discuss how to convince your parents, friends and other members of your family that yes, as a writer you do actually work every day during the week -- sometimes the weekends, too -- and yes, it is possible to earn a good, honest living at this.

Actually, I don't really know how to convince your family of all that stuff. If you're a writer, it doesn't matter what you say, they're just going to think you sleep all day anyway.

Just Like Vertical Horizon, I'm Still Here

Hello, and thank you for not leaving during the intermission.

So, I know I've been MIA for about ... oh, three months ... but I promise my hiatus has come to an end.

Here's what you missed during the break ...

-I turned 27 earlier this month.

-I wrote and copy edited. A lot.

-I've spent an infuriating amount of time tracking down payments from people who have "forgotten" to pay me or have "lost" my invoices.

-I took a weeklong trip to Hong Kong in March.

-I finally had a freelance month in which my gross earnings matched my former full-time monthly salary at the magazine (where I worked survived between 2008 and 2010). I'm singing the "Hallelujah" chorus right now as I type this, because that is seriously a HUGE achievement for me.

-I took a beginner's ballet class at my local community college this past spring semester.

-I began training to become a fitness instructor. (Not as a personal trainer; I'm being trained in a specific method, it's a kind of ballet barre/Pilates/yoga technique. If all goes well, I'll be teaching classes by the end of summer.)

-I joined the Arizona Chapter of Fashion Group International.

-I kicked my professional website/portfolio into high gear -- because man, that corner of the web needed organizing in a big, big way.

-And did I already mention I did a lot of writing and copy editing?

Next week it will have been one year ago exactly that I walked through the doors of the magazine for the last time (OK, so I've been back a few times to visit former co-workers since then, but those don't count) and officially began my freelance career. So what have I thought of the ride so far?

It's sucked.

Just kidding. It's actually been so rewarding that even though opportunities to apply for other full-time, in-house writing and editing positions have come along (and some of them have even been miiighty tempting) in the past 12 months, I've ultimately shrugged them all off. The truth is, once you become your own boss and see what that kind of life can be like, the idea of going back to a 9-to-5-er seems ridiculous.

Not to say this has been a picnic. And I think my boyfriend has probably forgotten what I look like without my laptop.

But, the need to occasionally detach from work is what drove me to get out of the house and take my ballet class a few times a week, plus go to classes at the fitness studio. Actually, I got so hooked on the fitness classes that the owner invited me to become an instructor. So now once a week I attend a workshop for about an hour and a half, in addition to taking three classes per week so that I don't lose my form. I'm also required to observe the instructors in a minimum of 10 classes, then I help with correcting clients for a minimum of eight classes, and then voila! I'll be telling people to get down and give me 20. Just kidding. We don't do that at the studio. We ask much more politely. And we do yoga pushups. Not military pushups. Actually, that's a lie. We do both. But still, we do ask much more politely.

OK, that's all for now. More tales from a writing and copy editing fitness instructor and knitter later.

Promise!

For KT (And Anyone Who Needs A Laugh)