Block free! (I hope!)

So... I think I may have had a breakthrough and a new idea has finally come to me. There were moments these past two weeks that I thought I had flares of inspiration, but no real spark of motivation. I'm not sure that I have the spark now, but as a friend said, maybe I just need to start writing and all the creativity and ideas will come to me.

It took a weekend of movie watching (Ghostbusters, Fools Gold, Jumper, Wall-E, Chocolat (part of it), and The Mummy) to give me a spark. I'm not sure which of the aforementioned movie was the key to breaking through this writer's block that I've had. It's probably a combination of many, but the idea's here and I'm going to grab it and work on an outline.

In other random bits from the weekend and my life:

• 31 days left in Texas.


• My sister has successfully relocated to Maryland after a stressful start (car shut down because it thought she was stealing it, AC broke, dog started peeing blood).


• Wall-E is super cute, very nice story, lots of chubby people.


• I can't believe I was ever afraid of Ghostbusters! What a joke. Awww, little Tanya (sorry, nostalgic moment).


• I have to reassess how many clothes to bring with me to New Hampshire. Space Bags are awesome, but I still have too much.


• Thinking about selling my lovely 27-inch, flat screen, 100+ lb TV to have more room for things in my car. Time for an upgrade?


• Got my eyes checked. Still blind.


• Mom and Dad are in Alaska on a cruise together. Dad turned 70 on June 26.


• Sent the deposit for my room today. Hopefully this is a good move and not a disastrous potluck situation.


• Bought two books this weekend -- nothing substantial, just little escapes of the heart.


• Had a horrible dream last night that my cat (Tri) was covered with horrible sores. Very upsetting. Also woke up sweaty, which I hate. Crap... I forgot to turn the AC back up to 80 before I left today.


• My new boss starts tomorrow. Whoopie.


• There were bad storms in Omaha -- my brother drives a converted Krispy Kreme truck to do his vending and was caught out in the storm. Scary.


• I'm sad that my niece is growing up without me around. I want to be the kick-ass aunt. I'll just have to keep sending her presents. Babies and bribes--that's how you do it.

Guilt

Guilt is anything you did and fear others to know about. ~Mohammad

Okay... I have this incredible pressure of guilt on my shoulders. Stupid conscious. I am 50-percent at fault for this guilt, whether it be that I wasn't proactive enough, vocal enough, communicative enough. I am at fault. But only 50-percent. But that's enough to make me feel sorta ashamed and very exposed. I wish I could slip away undetected and perhaps I will as I sometimes think very fatalistically. (ie: Oh my gosh, I have a mark on my foot. It's cancer!) Maybe I have nothing to worry about, but still, I am an empathetic person--I suck up emotions from others and care about a great deal. So I suppose you could say that I feel guilty for not caring in the slightest about my 8 to 5, which leads to an immense amount of guilt that I can't get rid of.

I don't know, I thought blogging might help out a bit, but I don't think that it has. I guess I'll just have to deal with the consequences (if there are any) and try to do better. Too bad I'm unmotivated, and to repeat, I just don't give a flying F anymore.

Other news: Here's another article about Chick Lit that was passed on to me (thanks again!).

Choppin' the Block

So... I've been feeling a bit incomplete and inadequate lately since I haven't had a new story bubbling out of me. I don't know that I've ever really been blocked before. I usually write every day, most hours of the day, and have endless ideas and so forth. Sure I didn't always complete stories I was working on, but at least I was working -- constantly creating. But in the past several days, perhaps a week now, I haven't done one thing creative. I've been staring blankly at my computer screen, sometimes flipping back and forth between CNN.com and Perezhilton.com all the while feeling completely empty up top. Perhaps I'm losing brain cells reading celebrity gossip daily. That's very possible. I suppose I like to read about people's whose lives are much more interesting than mine at the moment. [By the way... Angelina's still preggo.] At any rate, not writing has made for incredibly LONG days.

So, in effort to crack through the block, I decided to Google writer's block and remedies to fight it. I came across the article, Top 10 Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block, written by Ginny Wiehardt at About.com.

Let's go through the list:

1. Implement a Writing Schedule: Carve out a time and then ignore the writer's block.

I will try this after I publish this post. Maybe I'll try Speak Coffee's suggestion and throw some people on a bus. And then there will be a bomb and something about 55-mph speed limit. :) Actually... I may have the start of a good idea brewing!

2. Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself: Turn the critical brain off.

The problem is that my brain isn't on in the first place! But perhaps I am worried about making my next story better than the last. That's a lot of pressure.

3. Think of Writing as a Regular Job, and Less as an Art: If we think about ourselves as laborers, as craftsmen, it's easier to sit down and write (says Stephen King).

I'm not sure that I think about writing as a job or as an art. It's my passion. So maybe it's both. Writing is what I do.

4. Take Time Off If You've Just Finished a Project: Writer's block could be a sign that your ideas need time to gestate.

Very good point. I'm sorta coming off a 1.5 year constant writing buzz. Maybe it's time to take a break. Maybe it's OK to take a break. It'll just make my days crappy, that's all. Maybe I need to spend time reading? I should probably start reading more than I have been -- short stories and what not. I feel like I need to prepare for school. Maybe this is the time that I need to really switch gears. Less fluff more hard stuff.

5. Set Deadlines and Keep Them: You might find a writing partner and agree to hold each other to deadlines in an encouraging, non-critical way.

Ummm... not sure about this. I had a publishing deadline for one of my novels that fell through. But I'm willing to give it a go if any other writer out there is also struggling.

6. Examine Deep-Seated Issues Behind Your Writer's Block: Write about your anxieties regarding writing or creativity. Read "The Artist's Way".

Wow, I do own "The Artist's Way"! I should crack that open later. Anxieties... I certainly have a few: What if the creative well is tapped dry forever? What if I go to school and I'm not taken seriously? What if I don't measure up? What if my dreams don't come true? What would happen IF I was actually published? Why is being published so scary to me?

Too many what ifs for comfort I think. Too much worrying, probably.

7. Work on More than One Project at a Time: Some writers find it helpful to switch back and forth from one project to another.

Not this writer. One project takes priority and the others suffer because of it.

8. Try Writing Exercises: Writing exercises can loosen up the mind and get you to write things you would never write otherwise.

Again... will try the people on a bus prompt. This tip also mentions freewriting, which I've never really done before. I suppose I could start with that as well.

9. Re-Consider Your Writing Space: Are your desk and chair comfortable? Space well-lit?

Yes, it's pretty comfy--although I have yet to be in the most ideal place for creativity. I really want a personal library, surrounded by hundreds of books, with a great wooden writing desk, and a big window with a great view.

One day.

10. Remember Why You Started to Write in the First Place: Look at what you're writing and why. Are you writing what you love, or what you think you should be writing?

Wow... this is sorta deep for me. What "should" I be writing? Why should I have to write anything? I think I need to reflect on this for a moment.

So, those are the tips. Helpful? Not sure. I was just reading an article about Tim Russert's son and had a little spark of an idea. Maybe I'll let that roll for a bit and then we'll see. All I know is that being blocked really sucks... a lot.

Still Blocked

I'm still blocked and my yard sale is over. I have had thoughts about writing something paranormal or fantasy-ish, but none of these snippet ideas are growing at all. I guess I should start editing, but part of me doesn't even want to do that.

In unrelated news: 37 days left before my big move.

In very unrelated news: I'm really hungry.

Grand total...

After taking out the change that I started with, I made about $1,000 at my yard sale. [Previous post of $967 was inaccurate--I can't count.] I can't really believe it still. That's pretty satisfying for endless hot hours outside and people haggling prices down. I'm actually glad that I started high. I may not have made much otherwise.

So... I'm pleased.

(Picture): Day 2 of my sale.

Garage Sale Day 1

Holy crap... I made $700 dollars today. I have one more day of my sale... I'm totally shocked. Yard sales are definitely hard work--espcially when you spend 8 hours under the 95-degree Texas heat!

I still have a lot of stuff. I guess that's what happens when you're a pack rat.

Happy Tanya!

Found a room!!

So... I think I've found a room in New Hampshire.

I'll be spending $400 a month. Total. That means for everything: cable, internet, utilities, heat, phone, water, etc.

$400! I can't believe it. She'll check my references and after that, it's mine. It's in a family home so I'll live with a couple and their little girl. I don't really care though, not at all. Not for $400.

So, keep your fingers crossed that this will work out for me, becasue that's the BEST price I'm probably ever going to find.

Feeling a little brain dead.

It feels weird not to be working on a project of some sort, which is making for incredibly long, slow days.

Where are my ideas?

Where are my daydreams?

Why is my brain on strike?

I suppose I need this time to chill and edit, but I have no motivation.

Avoiding? Perhaps.

I could do a bunch more spin-offs, but I think I want to work on new characters. Something will come to me. Maybe the garage sale (2 days away!) has stressed me out so much that I can't focus on more than that at the moment. Hmm... I will test this theory. If I have a new story idea on Monday it means that all lobes of my brain were focusing on pricing and garage sale logistics. If I'm still blocked it means that I'm likely brain dead and need a major dose of inspiration.

Side note: Thanks to all who have been reading! :)

Finished...

I just finished the first-draft of novel #7.

It has 20 chapters and 146,377 words--not the longest one at all, but definitely long. And definitely better than the previous six. I posted the first chapter in March--so, it's taken me three months and one week to write it. That's pretty quick. I hadn't realized that.

I've had a lot of time to write the past 1.5 years--that time will dwindle come September, I'm sure.

Sometimes I can't believe that I--a girl who never finished stories--have completed the first drafts of seven novels. I credit FictionPress and excited readers that leave comments after each posted chapter. They fuel my writing. I'm very grateful.

I don't have any new story ideas, which is shocking. Maybe now I can focus on editing/publishing. No more excuses.

Graphic Novels Revisited

So... I headed to Barnes and Nobel after work today fully intending on buying that book I mentioned a couple days ago "Dying to be Thin", but they didn't have it in the "fiction/literature" or "mystery" sections. So I grabbed a Meg Cabot and was about to leave the store when I remembered my desire to investigate graphic novels.

My search began standing in front of the "graphic novel" shelves -- a foreign place for me.

Talk about overwhelming! I had NO idea what to look for. I knew not to look at the manga section, so I easily passed up those shelves and the turn-table displays full of manga books and turned on my critical eye looking for a reputable graphic novel.

Sadly, I judged a book by it's cover. I skipped over the Sailor Moon-like books, and began looking, looking, looking for something I wasn't quite sure about.

First book I saw that didn't remind me of an early 90s cartoon was Tolkien's The Hobbit.

It's credible, right? A classic turned into a graphic novel. I felt like I'd hit the jackpot. I grabbed it and thumbed through the pages. Hardcover. Colorful drawings. Looks comic-booky. Flipped it to the back to look for a price and screamed (internally): $20!!!! Negative. I'm not paying $20 for a comic. I moved on.

Next book: Jodi Picoult's first graphic novel Wonder Woman: Love & Murder.

I love Jodi's books. She's a great writer. I remembered reading an article about it in The Writer a while ago, so I found this book credible (mostly because Jodi wrote it). I couldn't open it because it was wrapped in plastic (ggrrrrrr). Hardcover again. Price: $20. Sorry Jodi. I just can't fathom paying that much up front for a book that's going to take me an hour or so to read.

Next book: Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth.

My sad, but honest to God response: "MUPPPPETS!" Yes. I know. I examined the book as I did the others. Paper back. Non-glossy pages. Looks okay. I still can't look at it and think "novel" it's just a thick comic book. Not sure how credible it is as a graphic novel. No muppets. Cost: $10. Better price. I probably would have bought it if I'd seen Kermit.

Next book: Jeffery Brown's Clumsy.

It says "A Novel" on the cover. Do we have a winner?! It's $10. At this point I'd come to realize that most of these books, bought new, would be around $10-$20. Astronomical! No wonder they're being pushed! I start thumbing through. WOW. You definitely don't have to be an artist to get these things published! His drawings are slightly amateur, but wonderful (see excerpt here). Anyway, the novel is a compilation of short stories about the clumsy beginnings of a relationship, about loving and about losing.

From the back of the book:

"Clumsy is the story of a new relationship and is stunning in it's realism and honesty. The frailty of the drawn line perfectly matches the human frailty portrayed within the story. It's just so damn human. This is my favorite graphic novel ever. Even if Jeffrey Brown never draws another line again, he has already won a permanent place in my heart. Still, I want more." ~ James Kochalka

I felt sort of connected to it--what little I skimmed--so I bought it. I haven't started reading yet. I wanted to tell ya'll about my discovery. I looked it up on amazon.com--could have bought it used for $5 (grrrrr). I think this might be a good start into graphic novels for me.

It's got romance. I'm a sucker for all things romantic.

Update: So, I finished "Clumsy". Verdict = I really enjoyed it. Of course I don't know how to really critique it since I'm not familiar with what makes graphic novels good. I laughed at some parts, smiled at others, so I suppose it's good to evoke some type of emotion from me. Anyway, I recommend it.

It's settled...

My mom is buying my dad an airplane ticket to fly back from New Hampshire on August 3. So I think that means I won't have to officially ask him to come (although I probably will!). I said a few posts back that I was going to ask him one night this week, but didn't get around to it. Why? I blame my sister. She spent the week at our parent's house and was constantly calling/texting to tell me all the crazy things Dad was doing.

The following text was upsetting: Dad's driving is making me car sick.

Really? You're going to send me such a text when you KNOW that the man will be driving with me 31 hours to New Hampshire? I guess she forgot that he was driving with me, because when I told her that her calls/texts were not making me feel better about my move, she apologized and swore she wouldn't tell me any crazy stories again.

I wonder if I can drive for 31 hours. Driving myself is the only way I'll feel remotely comfortable on the road. I'm probably imagining the worse possibly scenario for my trip with Dad--I do that sometimes. It might be a really great trip. I'm going to document it and give ya'll a play-by-play--maybe even take some video of my dad driving in the shoulder the whole way (making sure that at least one tire is on the rivets). The drive itself will be my first adventure.

In other news. My garage sale is in 9 days. I'm having a pre-sale for my friends the night before. The landlady didn't get back to me when I emailed her to make sure that it's okay. We'll see if she does.

Death of a Term

I've been told--well, I read--that the term "Chick Lit" is dead. The following comes from the BookEnds, LCC - A Literary Agent blog:

I have two manuscripts ready to be fine tuned: A mystery with chick lit voice, and a romantic suspense. I really like both stories, but I keep hearing chick lit is dead. Should I concentrate on the romantic suspense?

Yes, chick lit is dead. I would advise anyone who has a desire to write in the category formerly known as chick lit to wipe that terminology from your dictionary. Now that you’ve done that, let me tell you what you are writing. Funny women’s fiction, light women’s fiction, or fun women’s fiction. And after all that is said I am here to tell you that there is actually an audience for chick lit mysteries. Not just a readership, but an audience of editors. I think in this case you’ve got a light, funny mystery and should feel free to continue
with both.

Speak Coffee pointed this out to me in her blog and at first I felt the need to lament. I thought the stories themselves were dead. I wanted to sit in a corner clutching my little novels to my chest, promising my lovely ladies (Estela, Daisy, Zoe, and Moo) that they weren't obsolete and insignificant to the reading/publishing world. Someone would want to buy them! Now I realize that it's just semantics. The name of the genre/category/imprint is changing (slowly, I think). Perhaps to something less offensive? Something that isn't cringed at? Something that isn't automatically dismissed by "seirous folks" as easy, unsellable fluff.

[Blogger's Note: I'll be the first to admit that my current novels aren't challenging to the reader. I didn't write them to challenge thoughts and beliefs. I wrote them to be entertaining, light, fun, and emotional. I always want deep emotion to be felt in my stories. But are they "deep thinkers"? Hell no!]

So, for BookEnd agents, the term itself is dead. They now call it "humorous women's fiction" (not sure how I feel about the unnecessarily long title--why not just keep it women's fiction? or "Girly Fun!" haha, just kidding). BookEnds represents a cute little mystery series that sounds sorta chick-lit-y to me. The first novel is Dying to Be Thin - A Fat City Mystery, which I'm really looking forward to finding, buying, and reading. Call it what you will--it's chick lit (I'm using the term loosely here) with a little death thrown in.

So... I'm all for changing the name if it helps agents sell their clients novels and reduces the gag reflex some have when they're handed a novel with a "chick lit voice." Because there is still an audience that yearns for fluff and easy-reads. How else would Meg Cabot, Sophie Kinsella, and many others remain on the bestseller lists? (All good writers, IMO, so I'm not knocking them for writing fluffy tales that I buy and enjoy VERY much.)

Anyway...

I suppose in a few months it won't really matter. In a few months I'll shut the feel-good chick lit (CL) (oops... I mean "fun/humorous women's fiction") side of my brain off and start working on "serious" stuff. Which probably means a death of some sort. I don't know why all of my "literary" work revolves around some type of sadness, death, or seriously bothersome topics like molestation. I think my brain rationalizes those topics as "dark and moody" thus not light-hearted and romantic. It will amaze me if I can pull off a literary romance that doesn't fall into the CL voice. I probably could if I changed the definition of "serious" in my head. I'm going to try to tackle an untapped portion of my imagination and writing style while studying at UNH. I doubt my fellow MFAers will read anything remotely close to the stories I'm working on now. I have a few ideas roaming around in my head and scribbled into little notebooks--very random ideas that may not go anywhere.

In the end, students in my workshops will probably have to read about fat girls. I know a few things about fat girls. A title for a novel (perhaps my dissertation?!) popped into my head last night and I really think I could make work. It's a story about a girl's success/failure at loving herself. I don't want the story to be like all other stories out there regarding big girls--I'll have to find a unique twist and I'm not sure what that is yet. For now, the title's stuck in my head. We'll see if it comes to fruition. That and the idea I had about the exhibitionist lawnmower rider--a young girl's coming of age story. :)

Interesting Articles on Chick Lit:
Chick lit, for better or worse, is here to stay
This is Not Chick Lit
THIS IS CHICK LIT: Sick Of Being Kicked Around
How the Slapper Became the Saluted: An Alternative Insight into the Chick-Lit Genre.
A feminist fights back against 'chick lit' label

Self Publishing

I had an email this morning from a woman at Xlibris Book Publishing, a self-publishing book company based in Philadelphia. Here's her email:

Dear Tanya,

You have great writing style. This is what I have seen upon reading your works in FictionPress.com. How you weave your thoughts into words shows how prolific a writer you are and says so much about the person that I think you are – freethinking, imaginative and with depth. Have you given a thought about publishing your works in a book?

Sincerely,

XXXX

Have I ever thought about publishing? Umm... yes!!!!!!! :)

So I responded that I think about publishing daily, but hadn't really put a lot of thought into self publishing. I see it as paying a chunk of money to have my own novels published, which is fine, if I had the extra cash laying around to do so. I'm about to be a poor graduate student though, I may not have the cash to self-publish in a while. I really need to continue trying the traditional publishing route. But I'll admit... the idea of being in complete control of my novels is very appealing. We'll see what happens. I'm approaching this with a careful eye. After all, isn't it all just retail? Someone trying to get me to buy something? We'll see.

I'm very excited to be approached by anyone in publishing though. I've been day dreaming about being discovered through fictionpress for a while now.

Pretty cool email to get first thing in the morning.

Update: I found this interesting article ("Why People Hate Self-Published Authors") on line from Slushpile.net. Happy reading.

Farm Livin' is the Life For Me... maybe

So I spent the weekend at a friends farm out in the country. She lives on a 28-acre converted watermelon patch. (I think that's what she said it used to be.) It's a nice chunk of land, a little hilly and desolate, with a big 8-foot deep 20-foot (est.) wide pond full of snakes (or so many of us believe). We played a drinking game called "Moose", had a water balloon fight, petted donkeys and goats, watched dogs frolic, grilled hamburgers, and snacked nonstop. It was pretty fun and very relaxing for me. Part of me has always imagined myself living in the country when I'm older. Only I wouldn't pick central Texas as a location--I'd choose somewhere up north where it's cooler. I know nothing about farming or livestock, but I could probably make it work. I just want a lake/pond and a white Aflac-like duck. One day... perhaps. I think I just need to live in a place where there's a lot of nature around. Nature that's not surrounded by huge blood sucking bugs and 100-degree weather.

Transitioning...

I haven't written about writing here in a while. I'm intrigued by the idea of graphic novels. I actually know very little about this genre. A current UNH student mentioned Adrian Tomin's graphic novel "Shortcomings". I haven't looked into this yet. I was also introduced to Coco Wang's strip about the China earthquakes on Margosita's blog "Learning to Write, Among Other Things". This strip is powerful--at least it was for me anyway. If only I could draw, I could probably come up with some killer novels this way. However, I'm still perplexed by this style and need to investigate more. Right now all I can think is: "How/why does a long comic book have more clout than a chic-lit (popular fic) novel in the literary world?" and "Does it?" Very confusing. I may leave work early and go peruse the Barnes and Nobel graphic novel section. Anyone have any other good recommendations?

I suppose I'm in another writing fog. I'm about 9 pages into this latest chapter and yet have little desire to complete it. I've lost the groove. I wish I wouldn't slip in and out of the flow, but it happens all the time. So, I need to find my way back to the groove. I wonder if I'm getting bored with the story. I've been thinking about this story that I've been writing on-and-off for a few years. That's usually a key that I'm bored with something (daydreaming about other things). Maybe I should outline this new/old story to get it out of my head.

Roomie Updates: I received another email this weekend from a potential roommate--she seems pretty interesting and laid back through email. So, I'll keep communicating with her and we'll see. The other girl never responded to my last email when I told her more about myself. Maybe there was something there that she wasn't compatible with. That's okay... I don't think I want to stay in Portsmouth anyway. Not for the first year anyway. Dirty Dover is the place for me!

Moving Update: Countdown to my garage sale: 12 days! I asked my landlord if it was OK for me to have a yard sale on her property, but she hasn't responded. I guess I'll have it anyway--what's she gonna do evict me?! HAHA. Dad keeps asking my sister if I'm going to ask him to drive with me up north. After her tales of his erratic driving this weekend at the beach, I have reservations again. But... I'm supposed to be doing things that scare me. This tops my list for now. I'll call Dad tonight. *gulp*

The Roomie Search Begins

So, yesterday I put an ad up on Craig's List to announce that I'm looking for roommates (one or more). I've had two emails so far one from a guy and one from a girl. I hate potlucking when it comes to roommate situations--I had to do random roommate matches for three years in college and only ended up with 2.5 good roommates (the .5 was a cool girl, but a freeloader so she lost half a point). For some reason it's even scarier having to find a random person who lives 1965.28 miles away from me.

Wow, I'm moving nearly 2,000 miles from here ......... I guess we'll tackle this on another post.

Who knows what's going to happen as far as the roommate situation goes. I figure, as long as they don't kill me in my sleep, I can handle almost anyone and any personality. Strike that. I don't do hyper people very well. Hyper people irritate me to no end. I suppose it's because I'm generally calm and laid back. Anyway, if I end up with a horrible person I'll just move, which will be considerably easier since I won't have much and don't plan on collecting random things (DVDs and books aside) anymore. But, I'd really like to not move once I get up to NH. We'll see.

The person I talked to today is looking for a place in Portsmouth. She told me Dover, where I've been daydreaming my self to live, has the nickname "Dirty Dover". Dirty Dover!?!?! No one told me this when I was up there! Makes me wonder what else was left out. I still like Dover though--a little dirtiness doesn't hurt anyone! She sorta made me curious about Portsmouth, but it might be a little naive to base my living decision on the fact that the city has cobblestone sidewalks. Cobblestones! Come on... who agrees with me... something about that sounds immensely quaint and homey.

Okay, I won't be seduced by the cobblestones.

Anyway, I guess maybe I'll keep my eyes open and my intuition up as far as the roommate situation goes. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll find a decent person to live with up there.

Side note: I said that I wouldn't care about living with a guy, but I do have my reservations. The last time I lived with a guy was back at my parents house when I suffered sharing a bathroom with my little brother who tinkled all over the seat, coughed up phlegm and left globs sitting in the sink for me to find later, and never hung up towels. I may stick to female roomies if I only live with one other person. We'll see.

Historic Day!

No other candidate can speak like this man. Very inspiring tonight.

The Great Debate

I have a dilemma.

My dad has mentioned about five or six times that if I want him too, he'll drive up to New Hampshire with me at the end of July. Just me, him, Tri, and the essentials that I'll pack into my car.

He says the same thing: "You know... if you want me to, I can drive up there with you. Just let me know a few weeks beforehand." (He also repeats the same thing at least twice in our conversation.)

My dilemma: I'm torn with what I want to do.

1) Drive solo and have a cross country adventure. Just me, my gato, and the open road.
2) Drive with dad and get in some father-daughter time.

What I want and what I should do are very clear to me: I want to go alone, but I should go with my dad.

Why should I go with my dad? Time is of the essence--may not get another cross-country road trip with him (because I don't plan on making such a trip ever again). But if I were to make a pros and cons list, the cons (all related to his driving) make me want to take a solo mission. I never minded dad's driving when I didn't have a licence. Now, he looks at everything but the road, hugs the shoulder and runs over the rivets put there for sleepy drivers (because he likes the sound), and will side-seat drive every moment he can. Would it be nice to have the company? Sure! Will it make for a pleasant 31-hour drive? The verdict is still out.

So, what to do, what to do. Weigh in my friends... I need help. Or have I already made up my mind?

Update: I'm going to ask my Dad to go with me. It's the right thing to do, and after my sister told me that he was looking forward to spending time with me, how can I deny it.

Gettin' Ready for The Big Sale

So... I made some much needed progress today on preparing for my garage sale in 3 weeks.

E and I put prices on about a three-fourths of the things I want/need to get rid of. I still need to do the kitchen and another sweep of my bedroom and closets and then come June 21st I'll be ready.

Just to show everyone in the world the last of my pack-rat days, please take a look at the picture below. :c This is only a small portion--the rest wouldn't fit.

The sale of my stuff will probably pay for my gas for my trip... maybe.