withglassinhand

If I can write every day for a month, I can write every day. Right?

Write. 

Although of what, I'm not really clear...

So, the month of November has passed by in a haze of horrible writing and eyes that feel like someone (read: me) took a soldering iron to them every hour on the hour for the sheer fun of it. (In case I'm not clear, I really like NaNoWriMo.) Sadly, beyond NaNo, I've done pretty much nothing this past month. Blah blah fishcakes.

Also:

Had my BIGOHMYGODMUSTSTUDY talk with my boss today...and yeah, I so did not need to worry. Remember where I said that my boss really likes me, well he does. The talk was actually a "getting to know you" talk, not a "let's discuss your job and my expectations versus your expectations" talk. Which actually just made it more funny, because remember when I said that no one knows how old I am at my job, because no one has read my resume and they all think I'm in my low twenties...

Heh. So we're talking about college and majors and I mention that I majored in finance. And he says something along the lines of how it's weird that I studied finance but work in publishing. So I said "Actually, I worked in Finance and moved here in the summer." I could honestly see him trying to fit that information into the age he thought I was and just failing. So then he asked how old I was, I said "You're not supposed to ask that," but I told him anyway.

Jaw drops. Hysterical. He then goes on to say that that (my age) explains a lot about me, my attitude, maturity level, and general state of awesomeness (my adjective) at work. About how it (my age) explains why I'm awesome and can handle everything he gives me to do, plus more. He also said that (because of my age), he'll push to get me a raise sooner--like May. Not a promise, and it wouldn't be a lot (he said 3 to 5k more), but it would be more. He said that it's good I'm taking on some of the responsibilities that I am (financial stuff) because the boss-boss will see it (my awesomeness at work) and be more willing to pay me more.

However, it's backfiring slight because in addition to giving me the A/R (yup, just put QuickBooks--oh, the irony--on my computer so I can start invoicing), he said that I should also be doing the A/P. Not happy with this idea, because that moves me away from editing/marketing/sales, but we'll see.

So, in sum, I completely shook my boss's world in regards to how old I actually am, got lots of kudos, and did not discuss my career goals. Win?

Also:
I listened to the President address the nation* and two three things stuck with me:

The first was that he thinks the troops will be out in 18 months. (I hope he's right, but I fear he won't be.)
The second is something a senator said, that there's talk of instituting a war tax. Granted, only for people who make more than 30k, but still. I can't afford more taxes.
The third is that we've been at war for eight years. I know that, intellectually, but it really doesn't fee like it.

Also, things of interest and note:

Farscape is dirt cheap on Amazon.com right now.
This book, Generation Kill, would be a nice gift. Note, I already have One Bullet Away. And the HBO miniseries.
I'm buying myself a bread maker this year, because I'm tired of not eating bread. I want bread. (I'm in an auction right now!)
I have not yet made my Christmas calendars for people yet. Opps.

*I usually don't watch this stuff, because I find it boring and tedious and they never say anything, but lately I've been feeling like I should at least be informed, even if I think they all say the same thing over and over. I'm tempted--really tempted--to assign myself a reading list, but I'm not sure how I'd even start that. Marine Corps' reading list? Top ten best-sellers on Amazon.com's non-fiction list?

Suggestions welcome.

Yup. 50,044, with hours to go.

Damn. I love this.

This past week was something of a challenging one:

Started my new, full-time, pays for shit job in publishing. However, I also spent the week fighting off a cold and living in a continuous state of exhaustion all week. I'm actually wondering if I'm anemic again, or just stressed out. Probably bits of both. The cold didn't help either. Hopefully I've kicked that.

Failed at NaNo*. Well, I suppose that's a bit harsh. I'm behind on NaNo, way behind and I'm going to have to push myself each weekend to catch up. I already informed my roommate I was going to be (somewhat) anti-social at Thanksgiving.

And yeah, that's it. I've been at this computer for over 12 hours, and I'm completely sick of it. (Not really, precious, you know I love you best, right?)

*All NaNo stuff is going to be over at heathercanwrite

Oh, I don't even know where to start.

I got a full-time, salaried job offer from the publishing firm I was interning/freelancing/part-timing at on Thursday. I start full-time on Monday, the 2nd, and no, it's not enough to live on. (Hence,the copious drinking I'm going to start.)

I'm going to be the Sales and Marketing Assistant, assisting the Sales and Marketing Manager (bet you didn't see THAT coming) and the Special Sales Manager, and as I understand it my duties will be mailing invoices, creating royalty statements, helping to acquire books (no clue yet), and editing the books that the SMM has acquired. I'll be able to tell you more when I actually start the job.

I really wish I was excited about it. I mean, I guess I am excited about it, but at the same time, it's not enough to live on and I'm going to have to get a part-time job for at least a little while, which means long hours and crap jobs and oh, please, someone, where is my drink?

Also, NaNoWriMo starts in five days and I am beyond not ready. I haven't written anything in at least a week, none of my research books have come in yet, and what with starting a new job and looking for/working part time, I'm not going to have any time to write. On either story.

I'm going to find time to write, although I don't know when or how or if it'll be after one drink or five. 

So yes, that's my life in a nutshell. Worrying over work, worrying over money, worrying over NaNo, and worrying about everything I can't afford to worry about right now, because my plate is kind of full at the moment, thankyouverymuch, where the hell is my drink?

PS: I went to Boston & Salem this past weekend to meet up with friends from Seattle and it was a lot of fun.
 

Ugh. Am sick. Very tired. Not writing.

On a happier note, my new shoes are at the post office, waiting for me.  Poor, lonely shoes.

I will save them tomorrow.

If I have not died from my cold. 

Except I won't, because it's already 11 p.m. and I get up before 7 a.m. Curses, foiled again!

Updates, because I'm exhausted.

I've been switched from freelance to part-time at the publishing house. Not really exciting news, although now I don't have to worry so much about paying taxes. I'll still have to pay some (because they weren't taxing what they paid me), but I won't have to pay as much.

The Container Store failed me--they didn't have what I wanted although their system said they did--so I bought something else. Not crazy about them at all, but they'll do. I need at least one more for my knitting stuff, one for sewing, and then one for needles, etc.

I bought a pair of shoes today; singformycoffee , they are the ones you have that I really, really liked. Also, I bought a sweater on sale today, only to find out that my roommate also bought said sweater a couple of weeks ago. I have no memory of that conversation though. 

Finally, I'm clearly not writing every day; Ugh. I know I managed to do it last year, and that was when I was working at retail hell. This year, I'll be working two office jobs, both at computers, so it stands to reason I can at least send myself e-mails when things occur to me. But what's bothering me is how little energy I have when I get home; I'm going to have to stock up on the Vitamin D pills "nurse" Schuester was passing out on tonight's episode of Glee.

Or maybe get more sleep.

Because he lied to me, the dirty rotten liar! I checked and it was not supposed to rain until 7 p.m. tonight. And you know what? It rained at 2 p.m., when I was walking home from Target, sans umbrella. And why was I without my umbrella during that freakishly hard rainstorm? Because the weatherman told me it wouldn't rain until 7 p.m.

I'm agonna find him, and when I do, he'd better run. Fast.

I went to Target to purchase storage containers for my knitting and sewing materials. They've been in bags and boxes on my floor for over a year now and I'm quite sick of it. Only, everything at Target was crap or really expensive. So instead I bought a Christmas gift for my niece (I love the dollar section!) and have decided to look at the Container Store.

I actually like these, but 1) I have to pick them up at the store (otherwise they're back ordered) and 2) it's more than I want to pay.  But, I'm really tired of having stuff on my floor. And I want something that lets me see into the bin...

I think I'll purchase the biggest one on Monday (or at least look at it in person. Then, if I still like it, buy the largest one, see how much yarn I can fit in it, and figure out what size to get the next time I work overtime (I've already worked an hour and a half this past week) and can afford this splurge.

Of course, I could just knit up all my yarn and then I wouldn't need a storage container. This is an option.

To do today:

Go to the gym (no, it's raining)
Go to the store (no, it's raining)
Pick up room
Put away clothes
Wash dishes
Balance check book
Buy hooks for hanging hats
Clean shower
Put up hooks
Figure out who I'm crafting for this year.
Start crafting now; won't have time in November
eta: I knit a cabled hat for someone. One gift down! Two gifts! I knit something else two weeks ago. Look at me go!
Work on "snowflaking" my stories (more on that at heathercanwrite )
eta: Not so much with the snowflaking--although I did some, which is now useless--and more of a complete rewrite of my NaNo plot. Joy.

So, today after work (where I got paid, thank you very much), I met up with a friend for a free concert in Bryant Park. Tonight was a selection of songs from the Gilbert & Sullivan group that performs here in New York. The space is great; it's behind the New York Public Library, plenty of seats, great acoustics, and so very, very cold!

I was wearing a thin sweater and a thinner coat, jeans, and sneakers. My friend was unfortunately dressed in a skirt and heels. We sat there, freezing, while listening to the performances.

Tomorrow, when we check out the Young Opera Singers, we've both agreed to dress much, much warmer. Hats, scarves, knee-high socks, parka... Well, OK, maybe not the parka.

Aside from the cold wind, it was a great night to attend an outdoor concert here in New York and I'm looking forward to the two others we plan to go to.

Also, I'm thrilled that it's finally fall. It's my favorite season. And as a perk, it means that finally, the humidity here will cease. 

Oh, someone just hit me over the head now.

Four hours later, the accountant (at the real estate firm job) has given me a list of things I need to do so that he can do all the financial accounting stuff at year end. Joy. This stuff has only been screwed up for nine months, if not longer.

And this is on top of my daily todo list, which gets longer each day. Seriously; the one partner has seven stacks of papers, bills, notices, folders, and receipts stacked up on his desk. I went through it today, looking for sales tax stuff, and found a dozen other things that should have been handled already.

They love me there, and they tell me so, but God help me, I think I'm going to go insane. 

That said, once I get it all straightened out and organized, things will be a lot easier on me my replacement. 

My Halloween costume shopping. I had a brilliant idea for my costume this year and I only needed a few items to complete it. Wanna see who I'm going to be this year? Click here. I'm very excited and quite proud of myself for this one.

Also, I got my hair cut today. It's shorter in the back, longer in the front, with the longest piece hitting my collarbone. Funnily, when I showed my hairdresser what I wanted, she opened her style book... to a photo of Gwyneth Paltrow sporting the same cut! Grrr, I dislike "copying" celebs. My hairdresser just laughed at me. She did a great job, and once again I got tons of compliments on my natural hair color. Who knew blond was so popular? /tongue in cheek.

I'm slightly disappointed with my NaNo planning this year; the lack of, I mean. I'm trying to motivate myself this year, but it's just not happening and I'm not sure why. Mental stresses, emotional stress, self-applied pressure, ready-made excuses... I've got reason after reason to not be working on my writing, but I need to get past that. My goal this year is to try to write a good novel this year, not just write 50,000 words. And to do that, I need to have more in mind for my story than just the ravens flying away. Freeform writing works for me for short pieces, but not extended ones.

So, with that written, it's off to the writing blog I go... heathercanwrite. You'll let me know if you agree, right?

Write.

I baked an apple pie on Sunday. It's delicious. I'm having a piece for breakfast now.

Also, non-exciting news: The Publicity Assistant at freelance publishing place (formerly the in-house publishing place) works a second job to make ends meet! She teaches English at the Salvation Army. Interesting, no?

I met up with the publisher for my other internship (is everyone following along? E-mail me if you're confused.) last night for dinner--we had yummy cuban food--and when I told her I was freelancing for another publisher, she wasn't thrilled. She's going to introduce me to her publishing friend at Penguin who always needs freelancers (she knows this because in addition to being a publisher, she's also a freelance editor) and hopefully, if we hit it off, the editor at Penguin will kick some freelance work my way. That would be nice. I could maybe not get a job on the weekends if I'm freelance editing.

So, we'll see. Also, I haven't been writing everyday--I know, right?--but I've at least been thinking about writing, which is a good start. My publisher, the one I had dinner with last night, told me that I was a good writer and what was I going to do with it? I said I write a novel during November and now she wants to see it when I'm done. Oh, hahahahaha. I'm tempted to write the same crap that I always do, but I had already planned to actually try this go around, so... She suggested plot lines of a more satirical nature (since that's what she publishes) rather than a fantasy one, which is not something I'd considered. 

But it could work. I could work in fantasy with satire (i.e., the ravens are fed up with the brits, so they pack their bags and fly off looking for someplace better--there isn't someplace better--and the brits are so full of their lives and their tea and their polo matches that they don't notice the Tower falling around them...), or I could just make a plot already and mix in elements of both.

So, in sum, not making more money yet, still excited about NaNoWriMo, and oh yeah, I have to go to real estate office job today and I am not excited about it. At all.

But apple pie for breakfast!

Right, this will be brief because it's midnight and I have to be up in seven hours for office job. Had another interview today, this time at a wine store in Alphabet City; they are looking for someone for Saturdays, which is perfect for me because I'm also looking for work on Saturdays.

Should find out tomorrow if I get it.

(The sad news is that I didn't write anything yesterday and I'm not going to today, since I left at 8 a.m. and got home at 11.40 p.m. Of course, if I have the time to write this, I have the time to write fifty words, right? Write.) 

ETA: I didn't get the job.

Oh, I can't wait to sleep. No clue why, but I have been completely knackered lately. I'm upping my vitamin intake, just to be on the safe side. This doesn't turn around, I'm going to start taking iron again too. For a month or so, anyway.

First day of second part-time job starts tomorrow. Guess we're going to find out if I can back up my claims of "Oh yeah, Quicken, not a problem" or not.

 

God, I'm so full of angst right now, aren't I?  I sound like I should be locked up in room, black curtains drawn to shut out any possible light, some emo-band blaring from my headphones, with a hoodie four sizes to big on. 

Hee. Maybe for Halloween.

 Oh, to have a full-time job that will actually pay the bills *and* give me some money left over each month to put into savings, oh my, what a novel idea, putting money in savings, so that I'll have money later, my God, what I could do with that, ugh, why haven't I considered this before...

...yeah. Anyway, starting on Monday I'll be working two part-time jobs. One at the publishing firm (Mondays and Wednesdays) and one at the real estate technology firm (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). Oh, the joy. Also, I'm still interning at the other internship. Because who needs free time when you don't have any money? Exactly. Also, because my "internship" is the only real editing practice I'm getting these days; how's that for irony? (Is that irony? Alanis would know.)

Funny things of note:

I tell the internship coordinator at the publishing house (where I work) that "I'll be working here two days a week." She takes that to mean I'm interning again. I tell her no, wrong, error and she gets huffy. Now, maybe she was exaggerating for effect, but still. (No, it isn't funny.)

Everyone at the publishing firm thinks I'm *years* younger than I actually am. Everyone. Despite seeing my resume/knowing when I graduated/telling them outright. Apparently, to these people I look twenty-two. (Hmm, do they think I act twenty-two? Because that would suck.) Thanks, parents, for the awesome genes. Can't wait until I'm eighty, passing for sixty-four.

Things of interest:

Obama's education speech. Rocked. Voted for him, or despise him, it doesn't matter, not on this. Education, and a good one at that, is a necessity and it should be a concern of every living, breathing person who lives, legally or illegally, in this country. The end.

I also think everyone should have access to health care, especially since I'm paying for my own out of pocket and yeah, it sucks. Parents, thank you for my health insurance all those years; I appreciate it.

Things I'm thinking about:

My nano story, because I'm stuck. Once I decided to take it seriously and actually try, it's like my creative brain froze up. I've got my opening line and that's it. Sucks.

Winning the lottery, and no, I don't mean the one Shirley Jackson wrote about. (Most days I already feel like I've won that one.) I want the one that gives me oodles of cash. I promise to buy you all ice cream when I win.

Free books. There's nothing better than coming home to find a package on your door with an advance copy of a book. Nothing better. Especially when it's a book by an author you like (ahem, Ilona Andrews, ahem.) Review is here. (Now, if only I could get paid for doing this!) 

Brought to you courtesy of amNew York:

Aries:
You're onto new ways to make money and gain security. Use your natural enthusiasm and follow through on an old dream. 

Oh, life.  How you make me laugh.  

However, I did get a free book in the mail today... so maybe this means that soon, the government will fall, currency will become worthless, and all that will be of value will be books?

OK, so here's the latest on my on-going saga to just get a job, already.

Nee knows someone--through rugby--who needs someone part/full-time to do office admin work. He/they--it's a real estate technology firm--are willing to pay me more than the publishing company, pay for half of my medical insurance each month, and get me my metro pass pre-tax. Awesome, no? He's flexible on days and times, willing for me to work whenever, as long as I want to. Depending on how I like it, they like me, and blah blah, I can move into full-time work and make more.

It's just not publishing. The work will be nothing more than data entry, filing, and ordering supplies, stuff a trained monkey could do. Nothing at all that I'm interested in, except for the pay.

Work at the publishing company is going fine, although I'm doing way more sales stuff than I'd like, and less on the editorial side. I am writing catalog copy though; that's cool. They've also yet to hire someone for the assistant position there, so I'm still filling that seat, answering the phones and entering invoices. I'm actually happy with the last one, since I'll be using the same system at the real estate firm and yay, hands-on training!

So that's it. Exciting, no? I have a new job lined up, they don't care that I'll be there part time, they know I want to be in publishing, and it'll almost be enough to live on. Now to explain it all to the publishing company on Wednesday.

As for my other internship--which I guess is now my only internship--things are OK. I'm getting a bit burned out on all the internet promoting she wants us to do, but I like the editorial work that she offers (non-paying, of course). I just did some major editing on one book; don't know when it's coming out, but rest assured, you're all getting a copy for Christmas.

And speaking of books; it's September now, October coming close on it's heels, which means that November is right after. And you know what November means: NANOWRIMO!

Yup, time to get my brain working and my novel plotted out. I also need to sit down and do a bit of research on ravens. I hadn't planned on them being a major part of the story--just a catalyst--but there's something in the back of my head, poking at me. We'll see.

So I went to my internship/two-week-job yesterday and found out that they haven't hired an assistant *yet*, so guess who gets to sit at that desk? Yup, me!  I learned to answer the phones, print out stamps, do the deposit in addition to my PDF-to-FTP project and working on a book index. A new intern yesterday asked me "what I was" and I just kind of laughed.