Below are the most recent 7 friends' journal entries.

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
writergrl	8:15a	My daughter is ten months old today. Say it with me: how did THAT happen? Yikes. But she is such a joy, I can't even tell you. Really, I can't. Even for someone like me, who is never at a loss for them, when it comes to her there are sometimes no words. (As far as her first words go, she's still partial to "Da-da." I only seem to get a "Mmm-Mmm," noise when she is hungry or wants to be picked up. "Da-Da," is joyous, "Mm-Mm" whiny. Gee. I wonder what THAT means?) Anyway. In other news, it's July, and supercool writer Laurie Halse Anderson---aka halseanderson---(author of Speak, and Twisted, and many others) has begun a month long writing challenge. All she's asking is that you commit to fifteen minutes a day, and she'll even help you with prompts. I mean, how often do you get to write alongside a famous, amazing author? And who doesn't have five minutes to spare? (Okay, new moms, you are excused. Seriously. If you have fifteen minutes, you should be laying down, preferably asleep.) Anyway, it's a great thing, and perfect for a summer activity. Finally, we are fast approaching my favorite holiday, The Fourth of July, and the beginning of Le Tour (on Saturday) so blogging may be spotty over the rest of the week. Not that you all care, as you will probably all be at the beach, sitting in the sand. Lucky you! I will be here, trying to come up with The Perfect Holiday Meal. We've decided we cannot do hot dogs: that is too basic. Lobsters were a possibility, but they are seriously high maintenance (and who wants to have to put them in the water? Eeek.). So maybe fish tacos? Or SHRIMP tacos? Or maybe we should go with serious Americana and bust out the shishkabobs. (Yes, Spellcheck, I know that's not right. Nor do I care!) I always like to do a big thing for the Fourth, when we celebrate summer being in full swing. So tonight, I'll sit down with my cookbooks and recipe lists and really brainstorm. In the end, I might end up running to Bojangles for the Tailgate Special. But see, that's okay too! That's the great thing about summer. Anything goes. Even fried chicken. ESPECIALLY fried chicken. Have a great day, everyone! (17 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 30th, 2008
writergrl	8:55a	Recently, someone left a comment asking me about time management, i.e. how I juggle the mom thing, and the writing thing, and the TV/Pop Culture thing. I've been hesitant to respond, because I worry that in doing so, it will seem like I actually AM able to juggle all of this, which I am not entirely sure of. Honest truth: it is day to day. I used to be incredibly disciplined about my writing. I wrote seven days a week, two hours a day, until a book was done. If I skipped a day, or even cut one short, I felt horribly guilty and stressed out. Since I had my daughter, though, I don't have the luxury of control over my own schedule like I used to. I AM very fortunate to have wonderful babysitters, though, who come five days a week (when all is running as it should) for a few hours in the afternoon, so I can work. It is always tempting to spend that time doing laundry, or paying bills, or working out (which I desperately need, let me tell you, especially since I have to put on a bathing suit in a few weeks) but I have to be REALLY disciplined and sit down at the computer instead. It is My Time, the Only Time I Know For Sure I Can Work. So I do. And if the babysitter cancels, or it's a weekend, I just don't get to write. And you know what? Contrary to how I felt the last few years, the world does not end. In fact, I am tempted to say that the book I am working on right now might be even BETTER for the breaks I've taken from it, here and there, to mull things over and rest. But I guess only time will tell. So mornings are for my baby, and errands, and my To Do list. Afternoons are for work. Early evening: bath, books, and bed. (For the baby, not for me. Although it is tempting, at times, to go down with her, even if it IS still light outside.) Then, I usually get to eat (if I'm lucky) and settle down with my DVR (super lucky) for a little escapism, or get into bed early with a good book (finished Tom Perrotta's latest yesterday, SO GOOD!). The next day, rinse and repeat. With, of course, allowing for the crazy variations that always come up. The truth is, some days are great. Some are terrible. Some days I feel like I'm actually making headway, others I am sure I have gone backwards, if not downwards. But that's the way it is for everyone, right? We are all just, as Owen Armstrong would say, doing the best we can, under the circumstances. And that is just fine. Hope that answers your question. Maybe not. But like I said, it's the best I can do. Have a good day, everyone! (22 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 27th, 2008
writergrl	8:57a	The Friday Five! 1. Recently, I purchased a new toy for my daughter. It's called The Happy Home, or something like that, and is basically a large plastic thing with a door she can open and shut, and a fake mailbox, and about a million really irritating sound effects that come from a little fake radio attached to the back. We just set it up yesterday, and right away she hit one button on the radio, which then said, "It's bumper to bumper on the rainbow bridge!" My husband and I just looked at each other, totally creeped out. Because, if you don't know, the Rainbow Bridge is the thing they always talk about when pets die. There's a famous poem, or something, about how they cross the rainbow bridge but are still with us, or something. So you can understand why the idea of traffic on said bridge being bumper to bumper is a little morbid, to say the least. Luckily, my daughter does not yet have this association. Still, I think we'll turn the sound effects off. I have enough to worry about. 2. I just started reading Tom Perrotta's latest, The Abstinence Teacher, and I am LOVING it. I just really adore how he writes. His stories are just so real feeling, and he's one of those writers that just makes it all look so easy: descriptions, dialogue, everything. I'm pretty much in awe whenever I read his stuff, and I wish this book would last forever, or at least until he has another new one. As it is I keep sneaking off to read whenever I can, slacking on just about everything else. The laundry is piling up, but I blame Tom Perrotta. I can't help myself. 3. I can't believe it is almost July. In fact, I had that moment of panic today that always comes when I realize the summer is going by entirely too fast, and I need to be enjoying it more. I mean, I haven't even been to Maple View for ice cream yet! And I've only made deviled eggs once! I think we've been so busy with everything that's going on that we haven't been able to just SLLOOOWW down the way I like to, come summer. Maybe in July, though... 4. Maroon 5 is on GMA right now. They just played a new song, but now they're doing "She Will Be Loved," which is one of those songs that came out ages ago but is ALWAYS still on the radio. Remember how in Just Listen how Owen says how a song can bring you back to a place, or a time, and never changes? It's weird, because this song for some reason has always made me think of Just Listen. Not for any specific reason, just that it was popular when I was writing it, I guess. But every time I hear it, I think of that book. Odd, I know. But you can't control these associations, I guess. At least it's a nice song, though. 5. Finally, my cousin Ben recently convinced me to sign up with a service called Twitter, and it's a little scary because I am already kind of addicted. It's like Facebook status updates, but just that, and all the time. You can even set it up so that you get people's updates via text message, which I did with Ben, because I have all these text messages as part of my plan and never use them. It's pretty neat, I have to say. I'll just be hanging out with the baby, singing Old MacDonald or whatever, and my phone will beep. I'll check it, and know that across the ocean, in the UK, Ben is deciding what to eat for lunch, or just bought a new CD, or is going to bed. It's just sort of fun. Also, the only other text messages I tend to get are from my babysitters when they have to cancel on me, so I kind of had a bad association. Now it's like, "It's Ben!" Which makes me happy. Like Tom Perrotta, and "She Will Be Loved." But not the rainbow bridge. No! Have a good weekend, everyone! (24 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
writergrl	9:23a	Okay, so you all know I am obsessed with Good Morning America. Today they had a segment on summer reading and...Lock and Key was there! Okay, so it was in the background. And they didn't specifically mention it (they did talk about E. Lockhart's latest, so yay for her!). Still: VERY exciting. My book was within a foot of Chris Cuomo! I think I need to go lie down now...... (18 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
writergrl	9:12a	I'm feeling a little wistful that I won't be attending the American Library Association conference, which is happening this week. I didn't get to go last year (too pregnant), and maybe I could have swung the trip this year if it wasn't in California. I'm just not ready to have an entire country between me and my daughter yet (and even if I could, my husband's surgery and subsequent restrictions on movement and driving would have made it a no go anyway). Still, I love the ALA conference. Partially because I love librarians (who doesn't?) but also because it's always so fun to catch up with other writers who I never get to see except at conferences. Plus, this year I would have gotten to see my VERY FAVORITE librarian, who is now also a newlywed. Congratulations again, Matt and Jenny! Anyway, if any of you are going, have a blast for me. I want all the details! We were supposed to go to Cape Cod next week, but now that's been postponed as well. Which means only one thing: we are back on for The Tour de France this year. Regular readers of this space know that my husband LOVES the Tour, and we have watched it faithfully for the last three years or so, ever since our neighbors, who are avid cyclists, got us into it. It is always a production. Big meals, lots of wine, LOTS of TV coverage, lots of people sitting around drinking said wine, eating said meals, and watching said coverage. Now, I'm a social person. I like having people over, especially now that my daughter goes to bed early enough so I can actually hang out and enjoy the company. But every year, I love the Tour....for about a week. I mean, I want to appreciate it the way everyone else does. I WANT to see it as the nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat event that it supposedly is. But after a little while, it's just wheels going round and round for me. And it goes on EVERY DAY (with a couple of days off) for pretty much an entire month. In the interest of keeping peace within my marriage, I'm coming up with alternative viewing options for myself. I figure I can have the meal, the wine, the cheese, and the socialization. Then, I can creep into the other room where....I have the DVD of the BBC Pride and Prejudice, which I am saving for July. Like the Tour, it's set in Europe, there will be people in tight pants, and it's full of tradition and history. When I'm done with that, I think I'll move onto Mad Men, which I hear is GREAT. And if I run through that (entirely possible, I do have an entire month) there's all the chick flicks I've missed lately. Like Definitely, Maybe (which just came out on DVD) and Dan in Real Life (which is not a chick flick, but seems kind of emotional anyway). Plus a new season of Intervention, which I stopped watching last year (too pregnant and emotional) but am now, I think, ready to take on again. So that's my plan. The Tour de Sarah. A full month of movies, TV, and maybe some deviled eggs thrown in for good measure. I will keep you posted on my standings and progress, starting on July 1. It's not ALA (what is?) but it should be fun anyway. Have a good day, everyone! (13 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
writergrl	9:00a	I am back, after a busy weekend that included not only my last local reading for awhile, but also my twentieth high school reunion. Whew! The reading, at the North Regional Library in Durham, was great. Everyone was so nice, and I got probably the best introduction ever from Skip Auld, who performed, a capella, "The Potato Song" from This Lullaby. It was AWESOME. Thanks to him, and Angie, and Autumn, and everyone else there for making me feel so welcome. It was a great way to wrap up my Lock and Key stuff, at least for the time being. I tell you, all this promotion stuff was really fun, but MAN am I sick of myself right now. I am sure everyone else feels the same way. Then, a few hours later, it was onto nostalgia, and my reunion. I attended with my friend Lars, who was also my date for the senior prom back in 1988. I think this confused a few people, who thought we were still together. Still, it was wild to see so many people after so many years. I ended up doing a lot of Mom Talk (par for the course these days, I suppose) and fighting this total sense of insecurity that hit the minute I pulled into the parking lot. Yeah, that's right, I'll fess up: I was nervous. Like, REALLY nervous. It's like I got within twenty feet of the door and regressed twenty years. How crazy is that? Lars and I sat in the car for a few minutes, freaking out together. Which, we realized, was a lot of what we did in high school, as well. But then we finally bucked up and got out and went in, and it was all good. I don't know, I think I have a different connection to high school than most anyway. I mean, I do spend part of my professional life thinking about it, just about every day. It's a job requirement. So I guess it makes sense that those years carry a heavy weight for me. I'm still working things out, on the page. Maybe I always will be? Yikes. I REALLY wanted to post my prom picture with Lars here, along with a shot from Saturday night but 1) I can't find my prom picture anywhere and 2) I think I might regret it, as I had both a big hair and a big dress, and do I really want that on the internet? Probably not. Some things are best left in the past, I think. Yeah. Definitely. Have a good day, everyone! (18 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 20th, 2008
writergrl	9:02a	The Friday Five! 1. Okay, so it IS Friday, right? I've been so thrown off of the days, not to mention the date lately...I swear, we've been so busy scrambling with everything it's like it all just runs together. But okay, yes, Friday. Good to know! 2. My daughter has suddenly decided that she does not like her breakfast anymore. Like, at all. Used to be, she'd happily wolf down her multigrain rice cereal and bananas, but now she's on a hunger strike and won't tolerate either. Is this normal for nine months? She does like Cheerios, but you can't just eat Cheerios. Can you? I have no idea how all this works, I swear. I can't believe they let me come home with an actual human to raise. It's kind of mind boggling, honestly. And I LOVE bananas, so this clearly isn't my genes talking. 3. Weeds is back on Showtime, and I love it, as always. But ever since my friend Courtney pointed out to me that Mary Louise Parker almost ALWAYS is chewing a straw, or eating something, or jingling ice in a cup, I cannot focus on anything else. Is this supposed to be a character trait? Or is it just a M-L P. thing? It's like when someone smacks their gum: once you hear it, you can hear NOTHING ELSE, ever. That said, loved the premiere, totally psyched for the new season. Straw chewing and all. 4. Speaking of TV, I keep seeing ads for this hospital reality show called Hopkins which is apparently like a real-life Grey's Anatomy (or at least that's how they're plugging it) and is starting soon. Now, I know it's summer and there's not much on, but I just don't know about this. I feel like I've spent enough time lately thinking about all things medical, and don't know if I have it in me for more health-related drama. Those shows are always more fun when they have nothing to do with your actual life. Following that logic, though, what I SHOULD be watching is So You Think You Can Dance, as I am doing no dancing whatsoever lately. Also, my friend Courtney and awesome writer Sara Zarr are both totally addicted to it, and we tend to like the same things. So, yes. Dancing over Doctors. Now there's an idea for a show! 5. Finally, someone recently sent me the link to this video a reader put together for This Lullaby, and I liked it so much I have to share. I don't know who or where you are, but thank you: Have a great weekend, everyone! (36 Comments |Comment on this)