I’ve been talking a lot about writing lately, so today I thought I’d do something a little different. Hard as it is to believe, I know that some people don’t actually care about writing, or my writing, or even words. So for those people, and just to mix it up, here’s a photographic peek into my fascinating crazy awesome life.
My job:
My buds:
My Narnia-like backyard (hearts added as an experiment):
And some weird vegetable that looks like brains:
Think I could put one of those in my head instead of what I’ve got? Or maybe that is what’s in there right now. You know, that would explain a lot…
The process is all so slow, as dreams are slow, as dreams suspend time like a balloon hung in midair. I want it all to happen now. I want whatever miracle I am party to, to prosper and grow: I want the dimensions of time that have been loosened from their foundations to entwine like a basketful of bright embroidery threads. But it seems that even for dreams, I have to work and wait.
- From Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
Quick explanation/FYI/whatever: I know I said I’d finish Twenty-Somewhere by the end of 2009, and that’s still the plan. However, since 20SW is currently under submission to St. Martin’s Press, I’ve decided to hold off putting the rest of it online until I hear back from them. If things go well, it might be a while before I post anymore episodes. If things go really well, I might never post the rest, lol, but I might be able to send you a copy in book form. ;P And if things go not so great, I’ll post the last 7 episodes asap.
Just wanted to clear that up, since Angie and my mom some fans were bugging asking me about it.
…
Completely unrelated and random, here are some photos from my recent trip back home to Houston. (What? I had to do something to make this post less lame!)
Me trying to bribe my cousin’s daughter Kira into giving me a kiss in exchange for Pocky:
Kira coloring:
My mom being awesome as usual:
Cool leaf:
A neat art installation in downtown Houston’s Discovery Green park:
So… It’s December… Wow…
Where did the year go?!
(Or rather, where did I go this year?)
To round out 2009, 20 Something Bloggers is running a Best of 2009 Challenge, in which every day of December is assigned a topic, and bloggers are supposed to write about their best [whatever the topic is] of 2009.
Yesterday was supposed to be “Trip,” but yesterday I was kind of busy (submitting my first partial ever!). So I’m just going to do yesterday today. Also, rather than pick one trip, I’m going to pick one photo from each trip.
Rules schmules.
Chicago:
New Orleans:
Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina:
Yankee Stadium, NYC:
Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland:
Hoover Dam, Las Vegas (ish), Nevada:
Holy cow! I took a lot of trips this year. And that doesn’t even include trips back to Houston (my home) or Rochester (Andy’s home). No wonder my savings account is depleted…
Ah well. Honestly, travel is one of the very few things I will happily spend money on for myself. I would much rather fill my life with experiences than my house with things. So by that standard, 2009 was a year well spent.
What was your best trip of 2009? Tell me in the comments, or if you’re participating in the challenge, leave your link!
Also, be sure to check out other bloggers’ Best of 2009 posts!
1st: As part of the blog swap, I wrote up some fun little travel stories for fgrngtllt. (OH, that’s how a swap works? Yeeeah…) So please go check ‘em out! (Todd already has. Thanks, Todd!)
(update 2-3-2010: her blog has been deleted)
2nd: Yes, I am back from Ireland. The trip was great. Since Andy had to work the first couple days, I spent that time by myself, mostly walking the streets of Nenagh, a small town in County Tipperary. (Interesting anecdote about that in my travel stories…)
This was my first trip out of the US since my summer in Spain, and I think that once again, the alone time in Europe did my soul good. I feel refreshed, ready to be a better me. It’s like New Year’s in my head: lots of resolutions and plans and optimistic ideas.
(Fortunate timing, since NaNoWriMo starts on Sunday.)
Anyway, here’s a little bit of my trip. Maybe I can impart some of my new Zen mentality on you via the internet. And if not, I can at least show you some of Ireland.
The Emerald Isle is as green and rainy and beautiful as promised.
What was nice was that you never really needed an umbrella. It was more of an on-again, off-again drizzle (or mist). Made for some nice rainbows.
Note: That’s Martin, our driver. He’s legendary within Andy’s work group, probably because he tells such great stories. People get sad when Martin has to send another driver to get them instead of him.
Nenagh was very cute and quaint and, presumably, Irish.
Dublin was everything I love about European cities: a mix of old and new architecture, very walkable, with a river running through it.
Due to our limited time, we only did touristy things. But I’ve never understood what was so wrong with that anyway. Aren’t they touristy for a reason?
We visited several museums (including the Dublin Writers Museum — yes, I am that nerdy) and shopped on Grafton Street. We saw the Book of Kells at Trinity College. We even went to the infamous Temple Bar area, although we got gelato instead of Guinness.
(You can see my full set of Ireland photos on Flickr, if you like.)
I think my favorite thing was our visit to Kilmainham Gaol, the old jail. The tour gave a great overview of modern Irish history (like 18th-20th centuries). Also, I’ve always had a morbid curiosity about jails and life in prison, but I’m too much of a goody goody to do anything that would get me incarcerated.
Doesn’t look SO bad, right? Well, each cell was meant to hold 1 person. Usually it held 8 or 9. Yeah, life in Kilmainham was not fun. But during the Great Famine, people would TRY to get arrested, because at least then they were guaranteed 1 meal a day!
:(
Of course, what is a trip to Europe without beautiful churches? We visited Christ Church (seen below with two weirdoes in front) and St. Patrick’s Church (seen even more below) where writer Jonathan Swift is entombed.
As much as I might not love organized religion, I do think old religious art and architecture is absolutely stunning.
My second favorite attraction was the Dublin Zoo. Probably because they give their tigers Red Bull — at least, that’s my guess. They were SO active and playful. Look, this tiger cub is coming over to say hello!
I wanted to snuggle it, but Andy said it might eat me.
Last but not least, this pic is for Angie. Apparently Dublin is known for its doors.
And if you ignore the blurriness, that pretty much sums up how I felt about my Irish vacation.
