A day in the life...

FINISHED. After two months of writing and one month of editing, I've finished my book. (Whaaaaaat!) In order to move on to the next step (coffee) I've begun the odd and confusing process of publishing. Yes, I think my book is good and am very aware no one else may like it, but I have just that much free time on my hands to go for it. I wake up at 8 or 9. I edit, write, search for publishing companies in my genre and patrol the NaNo boards. At about noon, I have a second cup of coffee. At 1 or 2pm I have lunch, then teach a class (or not), then resume tutorials in how to write query letters. P-baby comes over around 5 or 6 and then I stop my work day and focus on making something appetizing to a Frenchman. Then I research the weather for the following day, to see if I can convince myself to walk 15 minutes in the rain to sit on a bicycle for the next hour. This last item fails more and more often to convince me to exercise, but tant pis. Oh well. More time to research! A part from that, writing has literally been occupying the majority of my waking hours so much that - aside from the coffee date, or lunch date with friends - I've been breathing, eating, dreaming my book. Will it go anywhere?? Who knows!! But I crossed that colossal task from my bucket list and I couldn't be happier.

January

65900 / 100000 words. 66% done! Stiiiiiiill workin. NaNoWriMo has come and gone but I still haven't finished my book what with busy holiday schedule and a total lack of down time. Stiiiiiiill workin.

NaNoWriMo

After hearing every year for the last three years how amazing NaNoWriMo is from my mother I have decided to join the movement of the National Novel Writing Month, November. Seeing as how we're already 9 days in, yes I've already started. I don't even know why I'm taking the time to write something here when I'm wasting valuable digital energy instead of applying it toward the deadline of Nov. 30 and 50,000 words. I think I feel like I'm cheating... In any case, I've got 10,000 words down and only 5 times that to go. Back to work!!

Winter is coming

In the illustrious words of the Stark clan, the most hated and arguably most beautiful season is nigh upon us. Winter. Snow is has not dared fall yet upon my story book Normand town but it's coming. You can smell it. I haven't even chosen my Halloween costume (whose cleverness and social wit will be lost among most of my French compatriots because it will probably be based on American cleverness and social wit) but the air is crisp and the rain vacillates between lulling mist and harsh, spiky projectiles aiming for your head. It's not sure when will be the right time to strike, turn to slush, and commit us to cabin fever for several weeks but you can smell it calculating it's opportunities. Until then, probably 2 months from now, the weather is teasingly nice. Really nice to where you're tricked (or treated!) into wearing dresses, skirts, shorts, light jackets in the morning and then frozen solid and looking miserable by the afternoon. Until then my friends, mark the wise words of the late Sean Bean and note: Winter is coming so go to the Carrefour supermarket and grab rain boots on sail (my English is turning into Franglais - SALE) before everyone else notices!! We do not sow. (Season 3 March 2013)

Late twenties

On this day of days, September 11th 2012 I celebrate my 27th year of life and read 9/11 anniversary quotes and comments on facebook, in between liking birthday wishes on my wall. I've also noticed a disturbing pattern of friends posting birthday wishes and then immediately taking to their statuses to post photos of the twin towers with somber captions beneath. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!" "Never forget, united we stand." Both of which are independently excellent uses of social networking. Well-wishing and remembering the most recent American catastrophe to occur on the mainland. And yet another reason I'm always glad I'm living abroad in France when my birthday rolls around. Hello Normandie! Hello grey skies! Soon you'll clear up and deliver my sister and boyfriend and my boyfriend to my cozy (read: small) French apartment and all shall be well! Tomorrow I'll look up 9/11 tributes after the entirety of American media has had its chance to review events from 12 years ago while I am sleeping, but TODAY! Today, I've decided two things: 1) I'm going public with my blog. It's time. I initially started Vernon! VerYES! to contemplate and record all the exciting aspects of moving to a new country but since I stayed 2 years past my contract start date I've decided to open up to the world. Maybe the French world of blogging in Normandie is larger than it seems!! Aaaaaand most of my English speaking friends have moved home so I need more. 2)I'm officially in my late twenties. 28 year olds might tell me I have one more year to go and 24 year olds might tell me I've been a member and paying dues for 3 but I've decided for myself. It's time! If I were to die tomorrow from slipping in the ever present piles of dog poo in Rouen the newspapers would read "27 year old woman dies" and people around the world would say, "Oh she lived a good life" whereas if a 20 year old dies, people say "Life was cut short! She had yet to really live!!" It's time to grow up and really embrace life and living it. Not grow up like stop going out and being ridiculous, but really enjoying and taking advantage of everything in front of me. Finding a career I like, finding a city to live in, making some decisions that I can live with for the next 5 years at least. On that note, I WILL take advantage of the sliver of sunshine. I will get outside of my apartment and enjoy the people in my city. I will buy one of the greatest of French inventions, the macaron. And I will celebrate another year of life and all of its exciting surprises to come.

Last American Update

before heading to France! New York is dirty and teeming with life as always and Melissa and Sean are my halfway home to home. Life is good. After a particularly trying summer (in terms of family, financial resources, and distance covered) I'm ready to go back to Rouen. "Ready" here meaning I've been mentally preparing myself for the last few weeks and it's finally taken. I'm ready! (I think I can I think I can) I have protein powder! New sports bras! New shoes and inexpensive American fashion (don't wanna get confused with my students again) and reinforced friendships and relationships that will hopefully allow me to never fully feel cut off from my Home. Also there are several hopefuls interested in coming to visit this year so maybe I won't have to miss certain individuals for long. I love France and I love my life there but there's of course, so many ingrained American habits and cultural aspects I can't get enough of. Then again there's a lot of irritating parts of both countries and cultures. At the end of my 2 year contract in June 2013, I will have to make a choice. Much like the American and the French people will/have done already in their respective presidential elections this year, a choice will be made between the lesser of two evils. Sacré bleu cheese!

Consistent.

I just checked my blog dates and found that I did the exact same thing last year, where I posted in April and then was so busy the next post I eaked out was in August. Just like 2012. Consistent.