My sister is a huge fiction fan. She devours novels, and whenever I need a recommendation, she does not disappoint. Her birthday is coming up and I've been trying to figure out a gift for her. Well, today I had the perfect opportunity to get her something wonderful. An author whom she enjoys was giving a talk at Postdoc U. I went to the talk and got an autographed copy of the poster from his talk. Not quite as good as a signed book, but I tried in vain to find his book at three different bookstores around campus! I hope she likes it.
The thing that surprised me about this was that I had planned this all out, and then when the time came to execute the plan, I froze. I felt embarrassed that I was getting him to sign the poster, rather than a book, like others were. I felt too starstruck to ask for an autograph. I could barely even talk when I got to the front of the line! Fortunately, the words "my sister is a huge fan" somehow came out of my mouth as I pulled the poster out, and he was happy to sign it for her. He was ridiculously down to earth, and, after I calmed down a bit, I even asked him a question about writing. I wondered how he balances writing with his other work, which is pretty draining also, and he was really humble in his response: "Its an evolving process" he said, "I try to do a little bit of both."
As I mulled it over on the bike ride home, I found this to be a good way of thinking about writing, trying to do a little bit. Maybe tomorrow I'll try to do a little bit. What about you? How do you think about your writing?
Cuppa tea anyone?
A friend asked me for tea recommendations, and I thought I'd post these up here so you can see them too. These are all for bagged caffeinated black teas, since he was looking for an alternative to coffee and disappointed with Twinings teas. I've enjoyed many of these and some are strong and bold enough to substitute for coffee, especially if you're trying to cut back on the caffeine but not ready to completely give it up.
Regular Black Tea
As these recommendations go, this is the lowest on the totem pole, but one I reach for when I am just looking for a simple black tea, is Tetley. The one you'd find most easily is British Blend (not classic blend), and actually, if you can get to an import store to buy the British version, it is even better (square box). The "British Blend" is the American version and not nearly as good as the one that is made for the U.K. consumer, but it is still far better than most of the stuff on the shelf here.
Earl Grey
I'm a huge fan of Earl Grey, but not just any Earl Grey. I recommend Revolution Tea's Earl Grey with Lavender. This is one of the best teas I've had and it is comparable to coffee in terms of the kick you get from a good hearty brew. You won't miss coffee when you drink this. Trust me.
Irish Breakfast
If you live near a Trader Joes, you can get your hands on some decent Irish Breakfast without paying too much for it. The Trader Joe's brand has a fine Irish Breakfast, which is reviewed in detail here.
Flavored tea
I don't generally go for much flavored tea at all. However, you simply must try Mighty Leaf's Vanilla Bean tea. I am partial to all of their teas, but as you'll see, they are on the pricey side. Revolution teas is a nice splurge, Mighty Leaf is like a kick in the wallet. So anyway, all of their teas are good, but the Vanilla bean tea comes close to being worth the price.
Regular Black Tea
As these recommendations go, this is the lowest on the totem pole, but one I reach for when I am just looking for a simple black tea, is Tetley. The one you'd find most easily is British Blend (not classic blend), and actually, if you can get to an import store to buy the British version, it is even better (square box). The "British Blend" is the American version and not nearly as good as the one that is made for the U.K. consumer, but it is still far better than most of the stuff on the shelf here.
Earl Grey
I'm a huge fan of Earl Grey, but not just any Earl Grey. I recommend Revolution Tea's Earl Grey with Lavender. This is one of the best teas I've had and it is comparable to coffee in terms of the kick you get from a good hearty brew. You won't miss coffee when you drink this. Trust me.
Irish Breakfast
If you live near a Trader Joes, you can get your hands on some decent Irish Breakfast without paying too much for it. The Trader Joe's brand has a fine Irish Breakfast, which is reviewed in detail here.
Flavored tea
I don't generally go for much flavored tea at all. However, you simply must try Mighty Leaf's Vanilla Bean tea. I am partial to all of their teas, but as you'll see, they are on the pricey side. Revolution teas is a nice splurge, Mighty Leaf is like a kick in the wallet. So anyway, all of their teas are good, but the Vanilla bean tea comes close to being worth the price.
First finished object of 2009
The shawl is complete! Well, it isn't technically a shawl, the pattern calls it a "triangular scarf," but by whatever name, its good to know that I can finish something, even if it is a knitting project. Lately it seems like everything takes so long to finish, articles take a year before they are in print, classes aren't finished being prepped until the time the class meets, research is ongoing etc. etc. etc. I need some smaller projects in my life.
Maybe this finishing power will be transferred onto some of my writing projects now. I can't wait to give the finished object to the recipient! This is my first lace project and I'm really happy with the results. The pattern was a lot of fun to make. I may make one of these for myself soon.
Fall pleasures
I'm getting close to finishing the shawl I'm knitting for my friend. These days, my favorite thing to do is lounge on the couch with my fleece blanket, drink hot lemon zinger tea and knit while watching bad t.v. See how many things I can do at once? Though I don't get to do this for too long, I'm feeling grateful that I can enjoy these small pleasures in the rainy days of fall. Of course, I am pretending all the while that monumental paper and job apps don't exist, but tomorrow morning, I'll have to get back to them!
a moving meter
The word meter inched along a bit further today. I didn't get any writing done this morning, but worked for about an hour and half this evening in a coffee shop with a friend. I'm so thrilled that I'm past the three thousand word mark. For some reason, now that I'm this far in, it is finally feeling like a real manuscript.
Maybe this is related to the fact that my paper from last year is now out in print. I got the journal in the mail this weekend. I remember when that paper was a baby, 3,000-word manuscript, and I struggled with it just as I'm struggling with the monumental manuscript now. Somehow seeing it in print made me feel like its possible to turn the monumental manuscript into a polished and published piece also.
Maybe this is related to the fact that my paper from last year is now out in print. I got the journal in the mail this weekend. I remember when that paper was a baby, 3,000-word manuscript, and I struggled with it just as I'm struggling with the monumental manuscript now. Somehow seeing it in print made me feel like its possible to turn the monumental manuscript into a polished and published piece also.
Getting back up on the horse
Its working. I'm back on the writing horse again, thanks in large part to the encouraging suggestions of Notorious (thank you!). This morning, I deleted as many words (in a separate part of the document) as I wrote, so the ultimate word count is zero but I made good progress today, clarifying a cloudy point in the monumental manuscript over a few paragraphs. And, best of all, I'm excited about this paper again! Let's hope this trend continues and I can give the mentor a draft before October is out.
Progress post of shame plus distractions
I'm shaming myself into posting today, though I didn't write any words today. I did find the latest draft and figure out where I need to go, but then I just couldn't force myself to get any words out. Still, it is a bit of progress, and I at least made coffee and sat down at my desk first thing, which is more than I have done in quite a while. I need to get back into keeping a research journal, so I don't have this problem of finding the latest draft and where I am in any given document.
I am so burned out already, I worry about how I'm going to keep going for the rest of the semester. I need to work in some downtime somehow. Between teaching and job searching, things have been quite intense around here, especially this past week, when I gave a mock job-talk in my department. It was good experience for me, but way more stressful than it should have been because I've never given a paper without reading from my notes before. Still, it went much much better than I could have ever imagined and I am hugely relieved that it is prepped and ready to go.
Though this isn't a knitting blog, I still have to share that my biggest distraction is that I'm knitting this for a friend whose birthday is coming up in three days. I'm using this scarlet colored yarn. I thought she'd love it because she's really into scarves and shawls and it is just the kinda weather to have something warm around your neck. That was before I heard her telling someone that she doesn't wear wool because she finds it itchy. Now, I'm not so sure. I think alpaca may be itchy to people who find wool itchy. I don't, so I have no idea, but I am hoping that since this is baby alpaca, it might be okay. Who knows? I've finished the pattern repeats today, so I hope to do the edging in the next couple of days, so I can block it in time for her birthday. The knitting is definitely helping my mood, otherwise I would have to just throw in the towel and cancel Monday's class.
What about you? Are you burned out too? Is it too early for burnout?
I am so burned out already, I worry about how I'm going to keep going for the rest of the semester. I need to work in some downtime somehow. Between teaching and job searching, things have been quite intense around here, especially this past week, when I gave a mock job-talk in my department. It was good experience for me, but way more stressful than it should have been because I've never given a paper without reading from my notes before. Still, it went much much better than I could have ever imagined and I am hugely relieved that it is prepped and ready to go.
Though this isn't a knitting blog, I still have to share that my biggest distraction is that I'm knitting this for a friend whose birthday is coming up in three days. I'm using this scarlet colored yarn. I thought she'd love it because she's really into scarves and shawls and it is just the kinda weather to have something warm around your neck. That was before I heard her telling someone that she doesn't wear wool because she finds it itchy. Now, I'm not so sure. I think alpaca may be itchy to people who find wool itchy. I don't, so I have no idea, but I am hoping that since this is baby alpaca, it might be okay. Who knows? I've finished the pattern repeats today, so I hope to do the edging in the next couple of days, so I can block it in time for her birthday. The knitting is definitely helping my mood, otherwise I would have to just throw in the towel and cancel Monday's class.
What about you? Are you burned out too? Is it too early for burnout?
Game ON
I told my mentor yesterday how little writing I was getting done, and though I may soon regret these words, promised to meet him with a draft of Monumental paper in three weeks. It is time to hunker down and write. Maybe this fall weather is good for something after all. I've been so busy lamenting the loss of summer that I can't quite seem to enjoy the crisp fall the way I usually do. I think part of the lament has to do with not getting any papers out this summer. I was too busy multitasking on my three different papers to get any one of them done. Ploy of procrastination? Probably, but either way, I'm on the market this fall, and my one publication is not going to look too great without at least one other under review.
So this is it. Writing daily from here on out. And, if you've got a writing project that's stalled, consider yourself tagged for daily writing posts. Game ON.
So this is it. Writing daily from here on out. And, if you've got a writing project that's stalled, consider yourself tagged for daily writing posts. Game ON.
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