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Feb

Snowmaggedon

Happy Snowmaggeddon! We have about two feet of snow here. The university where I work was closed on Friday and is closed tomorrow. DC is pretty much shut down–even the federal government is closed, and they’ve announced that the metro will only run underground service. Officials don’t expect to clear residential streets until Tuesday, and the weathermen are forecasting at least another 5" of snow Tuesday night into Wednesday. It’s crazy! But it’s really pretty. I don’t mind being snowbound. Friday we celebrated Snowmaggedon happy hour with some friends at our favorite wine bar, blessedly free of hipsters. Last night I stayed up until 3 writing and drinking tea. Tonight, while Steve watched the Superbowl (go Saints!), I ate spice cupcakes with buttercream frosting and wrote letters to my Women for Women sister. I’ve taken several naps with the cat, caught up on my Tivo, and spent entirely too much time...

Feb

4573

Jessica

It is February, aka Month of Suck, and it is Monday, and it is morning, and these are three things that I am typically not fond of. But I am remarkably chipper today. I wrote 4573 words yesterday! That is the most words I have ever written in one day. In fact, I think it’s probably twice as many words as I’ve ever written in one day. I set a goal to write a rough draft of my new WIP before my birthday (May 3). To accomplish this, I set baby goals of writing 20,000 words each month. Yesterday morning I was still 4300 words away. I wasn’t sure I could do it. Steve said, That’s a lot of words. Don’t feel bad if you don’t make it. That was just what I needed to hear. There’s nothing that spurs me on more than someone hinting,...

Jan

Thankful Thursday

Jessica

These are the things on my gratitude list today. What about you? 1. My new yoga studio. I love it! From the soothing sage-colored walls to the teacher’s gentle storybook voice to spending an hour and a half stretching hamstrings and quads. Last night our teacher announced that the theme for class would be "patience" and I almost lost it laughing. It was so exactly, perfectly what I needed to hear. Be patient with where you are now. Be present in the moment. Keep breathing. Those are lessons I need on and off the mat right now. I also love that the studio has chosen 4 charities to support over the year; they have a donation-based class every weekend where all the proceeds go to that quarter’s charity. 2. I have been a worried kitty mama this week. Monkey went to the vet on Tuesday for an infected tooth, and she was alarmed by how much weight he’s lost and...

Jan

WIP Bliss & Ritual

Jessica

I woke up this morning in a deliciously dreamy mood. While getting ready for work, I had An Idea. A sort of magic-click, I can’t wait to write this down Idea for a scene in my new WIP. Complete with dialogue and description and a First Kiss in a Secret Room. I’m kind of in love with my new WIP. I’m only 5K in, but I’m planning coffee-shop writing dates with Steve for this weekend. I still have a goal of 20K for January, and I’m way behind. I spent so long doing revisions and edits on Garolass that it feels strange to work on a rough draft again. I’m trying to be more consistent. But I’m also trying not to be too tough on myself, because I have an overvigilant Guilt Muscle and there are days like yesterday when I get news about subs–potentially promising–and I feel exhausted and...

Jan

6 Things on a Saturday

Jessica

* I read Courtney Summers’ Some Girls Are this week and loved it to pieces. It’s a brutal and brilliant contemporary YA about what girls will do in the name of friendship and fear. As horrified as I was by some of the things Regina’s done, she’s still incredibly sympathetic. I love how we see her hit this wall where she refuses to stay down or apologize when she doesn’t mean it or generally take shit from anyone anymore. I love how we see her change. This is Courtney’s second book after Cracked Up to Be, which I also highly recommend. Both books are heartbreaking honest yet ultimately hopeful. She’s now officially one of my favorite authors. * I learned how to play an incredibly fun, incredibly intricate board game last weekend called Arkham Horror. It’s based on the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and basically, you fight off demons while trying to retain your sanity. It...

Snowmaggedon

4573

Thankful Thursday

WIP Bliss & Ritual

6 Things on a Saturday

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