tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318355342012-01-29T23:13:26.122-04:00blog.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-84743589566393459572012-01-29T23:09:00.002-04:002012-01-29T23:13:26.131-04:00Reread a chapter of The Fountainhead because I want to use it as an example in workshop tomorrow. Oddly, I'm using it as an example to illustrate dialog (mostly how to incorporate long speeches into fiction). I started to read it and felt myself cringing at how transparently the characters are stand-ins for Rand's narrow philosophies. Can't believe how much I used to love her. I guess their Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-82006677656953263262012-01-29T19:39:00.001-04:002012-01-29T23:09:59.254-04:00Figured I ought to eat chicken soup since I'm sick and all. Made a cilantro-lime chicken soup from a recipe I'd clipped from Chatelaine over winter break. It was okay. A little too limey. I'm not a big fan of soup. To be honest, I mostly ate the chicken and corn and celery and whatnot and left the broth part.
Since starting to watch 30 Rock I have decided to do everything I can to become more Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-11577427457593774972012-01-29T14:16:00.001-04:002012-01-29T14:17:26.138-04:00It is like summer today so I went on a deliciously long walk on Spring Garden and then down Barrington and to the Farmer's Market and back. Had a steamed pork bun for lunch. Went into two bookstores. Had too much coffee. Read half a student story. Doing work in manageable chunks.
Wendy the Cat had one of her adventures this morning. Once in a while she gets brave and runs out my door and takes Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-5160379463851170222012-01-28T20:09:00.001-04:002012-01-28T20:09:22.390-04:00Sick sick sick. Had lunch at The Wooden Monkey with Chris and then we went to his apartment and played a video game called Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. I did not like it as much as I thought I was going to, but it did grow on me. It requires more patience than Mario games, which are the only video games I have any real experience with. Plus it's pretty cheesy and involves Roman Emperors Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-20838883543252403462012-01-28T01:28:00.003-04:002012-01-28T01:28:58.333-04:00I am sicker than I thought I was. Went to curry night and everybody made chicken curry except me. I made potato chickpea curry. Chris brought a cake. We watched hilarious youtube videos and discussed superheros and Twilight and whether Scarlet Johansson is hot. But then by the end of the night I felt more tired than I have felt in ages. Chris very sweetly drove me home. He parks in the casino. Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-55591737663926533922012-01-27T17:35:00.001-04:002012-01-27T17:35:10.297-04:00If they took the laugh track off The Big Bang Theory I would not know when to laugh.
Staffed table at Academic Program Fair today. Two students in my fiction class helped me the whole day, which was wonderful. I was too tired and sick to make Scrabble letter cookies yesterday so I just took Oreos. But everyone loves Oreos so it's okay.
Making a potato chick pea curry for Miko's curry night. I Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-67422153007180403572012-01-26T20:19:00.002-04:002012-01-26T20:19:48.868-04:00Ahhh I ran downstairs and purchased a couple of cans of gingerale and at the first sip my stomach felt so much better. Gingerale is so comforting.
Picked up my free movie passes from The Coast. Then I went online to check movie times and realized it's only playing at Bayer's Lake and Dartmouth Crossing, which means I'd have to take two busses to get there. Then I read reviews. The headline to Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-4612874866816726532012-01-26T18:27:00.002-04:002012-01-26T18:27:49.385-04:00Ohhh so sick so sick. Headache nausea stomachache stuffy nose sinus pain sore throat. I wish I lived in a humidifier. The good thing about being sick is that it is an excuse to drink delicious gingerale.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-27664243714532629032012-01-25T23:44:00.001-04:002012-01-25T23:44:12.720-04:00I can't figure out if someone in my building is smoking weed or if a skunk got scared and defended itself somewhere in the yard. Usually my building smells clearly like weed so this is new.
Went to trivia. I was not very good, but at least I got the Charlotte's Web question right. Was also able to identify the Roseanne theme song.
Started watching 30 Rock. I'm on the fifth episode. It's growingShashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-39898904684101855552012-01-25T16:47:00.000-04:002012-01-25T16:47:57.964-04:00Made a chicken salad sandwich. It was pretty good. Still feel like eating but am going to trivia tonight and told Chris I'd split nachos with him so I don't want to eat too much now.
Feel a bit stuffy and sleepy.
Have not yet picked up the movie tickets I won from The Coast. Am going tomorrow. I hope they still have them.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-70685513023073380832012-01-24T21:49:00.002-04:002012-01-24T21:49:35.295-04:00Just found out PRISM international is nominating my story for the Journey Prize!Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-6083220360343891792012-01-24T18:32:00.000-04:002012-01-24T18:32:31.153-04:00Bachelor Ben (before rappelling into a crater with Courtney): "I really
hope Courtney is willing to take this plunge with me today."
Also: "Relationships are all about trust. And diving into the unknown."Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-26831936241689791852012-01-24T14:39:00.002-04:002012-01-24T14:39:27.310-04:00Had lunch with a couple writer peeps at Mary's Place. Actually I had breakfast, because they have all-day breakfasts. It felt good talking to other writers, as lately I've been hanging out with all science types mostly.
It is raining terribly. My coat is "water-resistant" but I suppose not waterproof, because I felt water leaking down my back. Suppose I will wear a different coat this afternoon Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-60751495891942705422012-01-23T15:00:00.001-04:002012-01-23T15:15:24.342-04:00Class was alright today, though very quiet, as I think it's a heavy work time of the semester. I was a little stumbly in the beginning, which is irritating because I know the story very well and I think it's damn good. Even though I know that when a student yawns or chats with the person next to him, it is not necessarily a reflection of my teaching skills, it still makes me feel that I've done aShashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-48751363674508389852012-01-23T10:26:00.003-04:002012-01-23T10:26:36.958-04:00Forgot about the change in sizes at Tim Horton's so when I ordered a large coffee I got the former extra large size but maybe that is what I need this morning.
Monday stress. But after today the week is considerably less stressful and full of socializing and also I am re-excited about my vow to go spinning more often.
Am going to start working on a new story. If I just cut out one TV show, Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-63081111809898197372012-01-22T23:15:00.001-04:002012-01-22T23:23:29.374-04:00Wendy is so much fluffier after her bath. She was already fluffier but now she is the fluffiest. Her hair feels like baby hair. I think maybe she has trouble reaching her back to clean it properly, especially given the massive tumor on her stomach. I am going to start bathing her once a while, since she seems to enjoy it anyway. Might get her a rubber ducky.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-62503998011088179952012-01-22T22:25:00.001-04:002012-01-22T22:25:48.652-04:00Man, I feel like a fatass. Was looking at photos from the summer and looked much slimmer. Going to eat only the healthiest of foods. Am going to go to four spinning classes a week. I'll be like that redhead guy that's there at every class.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-77027119919567178602012-01-22T20:49:00.000-04:002012-01-22T20:59:50.845-04:00
Gave Wendy the Cat a bath today. She has some kind of scabby rash and was smelling a bit weird. Half-filled the bathtub in warm water and put her in it and I thought she would freak out and I would have to hold her but she was very brave. She waded around like a champion, practicing her synchronized swimming moves. I poured water over her with a yogurt container and then rub-scrub-scrubbed herShashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-1010417255824839222012-01-22T18:48:00.000-04:002012-01-22T18:48:00.078-04:00Went swing dancing with Chris yesterday. We were terrible. I'm going to watch Swing Kids and perfect my moves before the next class. SWING HEIL!!!! etc. I'm trying to get Chris to watch Swing Kids with me because it's one of my favourite movies ever, but he says if we're going to watch a Christian Bale movie, it might as well be Batman. Anyway, I liked the class. I feel like things like this Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-18710716483330330032012-01-21T17:58:00.000-04:002012-01-21T17:58:01.981-04:00I just made couscous for dinner, with onions and mushrooms and goat cheese and chicken. It's pretty good but next time I'll marinate the chicken ahead of time. Wendy broke into the garbage and stole the raw chicken bone. I followed her in a high-speed chase and wrestled it from her.
Swing dancing with CT in an hour. I better finish eating and get ready.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-78655592996932268582012-01-20T22:41:00.003-04:002012-01-20T22:41:56.034-04:00Arghhh I tried to work on a relaxing craft project but now I seem to have misplaced the bobbin cover on my sewing machine. I had it just a minute ago! Frustrations. I was planning to make Wendy a pair of pajamas.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-86231309252587870092012-01-20T19:55:00.002-04:002012-01-20T19:55:51.821-04:00Bah I am irritated with myself today.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-90874231117332896702012-01-20T19:19:00.000-04:002012-01-20T19:19:11.456-04:00Am eating steel cut oats for dinner. They are very comforting. How lucky that Gill left me her bag of oats when she moved, or I probably never would have thought to buy them. They remind me of One World Cafe, where I once in a while ordered the steel cut oats with cream and preserves.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-64833266010680550132012-01-20T14:51:00.002-04:002012-01-20T14:51:33.520-04:00I feel awful today. I don't know what's the matter with me today. Felt weirdly self-conscious during class. Cancelled plans this evening because I just want to sleep and take a bath and get rid of this headache I've had all week. ughughugh. Feel like buying ice cream and crying.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-71732726406450810172012-01-20T09:21:00.001-04:002012-01-20T09:21:32.024-04:00Oh, man, I see I've been sleep-blogging again.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-41122458881542435222012-01-20T05:15:00.001-04:002012-01-20T05:15:37.300-04:00Yy yikes m I feel sick a so tired blogging from bed with left hand because very tired a sleep sleep sleep.e
Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0South End, Halifax44.63488 -63.578808tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-41135125771817208582012-01-19T23:42:00.001-04:002012-01-19T23:42:28.809-04:00Ughhh now the after-class embarrassment has kicked in. Why does this always happen?
Ate desserts with gang at The Middle Spoon. Had carrot cake. Was unimpressed. This was my second time there and both times I have been disappointed, and I'm not very picky with desserts.
Wendy the sweetest baby is sitting on my lap. There is nothing like a warm cat in winter.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-23265600384557026502012-01-19T18:33:00.003-04:002012-01-19T18:33:37.642-04:00Man I just made the best grilled cheese sandwich ever.
Also, today I won two free passes to Joyful Noise from The Coast!Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-31446212764575450922012-01-19T18:09:00.002-04:002012-01-19T18:09:42.663-04:00Every time I get an email from my publisher, I worry that it will say they are no longer going to publish my book. It is terrifying. I wish they would put in the subject line: We Are Still Publishing Your Book.
Felt great after today's class. It was a discussion day, and I am always most anxious about those, because they have the potential to be awesome or awful. And I always know there will be Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-47435686799749541122012-01-18T23:13:00.000-04:002012-01-18T23:13:03.135-04:00Wonder when I can take Wendy to the vet. She's a bit scabby and smells bad. Usually she smells like a forest. I would like to give her a bath but she will be mighty scared of the water, and she is also afraid of the hair dryer so I'll just have to bundle her up in a warm towel.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-29199560429494717382012-01-18T21:27:00.000-04:002012-01-18T21:27:00.526-04:00WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME? I am a failure this week. I've just been eating sugar and not doing work. Finally ran out of sugar this evening. Thank God. I have probably been eating three or four times the recommended daily amount of sugar per day this week, so there goes my new year's resolution. Am not going to buy any more sugar until my breakfast-for-dinner party (I will need it then, to make Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-25225574432966193212012-01-18T19:27:00.001-04:002012-01-18T19:31:40.988-04:00Oh God, this video is so hilarious and strangely accurate.
Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-63763582273097046312012-01-18T15:34:00.001-04:002012-01-18T15:34:15.060-04:00In my office hours watching Parenthood. In this episode, the Braverman daughter gets into into Cornell and her parents are unsure if they can send her because it's so expensive and her younger brother is autistic and his doctors and therapists and whatnot cost a lot, and so you think the parents are going to tell her to go to a State school but then the dad goes in and tells her they're going do Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-46638229071195542262012-01-18T13:07:00.003-04:002012-01-18T13:07:49.932-04:00Went on a walk and stopped at Park Lane and bought body butter on sale for $5.40 down from $18. My skin has been dry lately and none of my moisturizers were thick enough. Also bought cherries on sale for 99 cents a pound at Pete's. I have been eyeing them for two weeks now, watching the price drop slowly down from $7.99 a pound. I go to Pete's every single day.
Rather headachy today. Sinuses, I Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-31784088992874508152012-01-18T10:19:00.002-04:002012-01-18T10:21:24.495-04:00Okay, so I went a bit mental this morning. I think I tried too hard to be laid back earlier in the week (I read this article on subpersonalities and it inspired me to try not to be such of an obsessive perfectionist) and then all the work piled up and stuff wasn't working in the morning and I panicked. Am in my office now, typing student poems. When I'm finished I'm going to go on my walk and Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-67529539383265670172012-01-18T08:22:00.003-04:002012-01-18T08:22:35.286-04:00I want to cry. Am having an incredibly frustrating morning. Didn't sleep well last night. I think I'm going to go on a short walk to calm down.Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-82026389656770669072012-01-17T22:13:00.001-04:002012-01-17T22:13:44.328-04:00Okay, I made myself some brownies. I halved the recipe so I wouldn't have too many. I'm having an I-don't-care week. I tend to do this when I get a cold, just let everything slide. Like I was supposed to spend many hours after class working at a cafe but instead I just bought groceries and came home and ate brownies. But tomorrow for real I am going to wake up early and finish everything. I'm Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-28642232566495184172012-01-17T19:36:00.002-04:002012-01-17T19:37:20.830-04:00He Said, She Said
Watching The Bachelor while I get some stuff done. What a terrible show. It's so much more fun to mock it than just to watch it. In Baltimore we all used to watch it and bet on who we thought would make it to the end. The show is so boring that they've started adding Fear Factor style dates. One of the many problems with this is that the show contestants equate success on theseShashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-29803165435467000122012-01-17T18:58:00.000-04:002012-01-17T18:58:30.481-04:00I slept all day today until my class and I feel sooo much better. Food tastes good again. I am eating celery right now and it is delicious. Today I bought meat from the meat counter for the first time ever in my life. I was afraid I would do it wrong, but it worked out okay. A strange man with a Gandalf beard saw me scouting out the specials and advised me to buy some kind of massive prime rib orShashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-74831745458198379912012-01-17T09:17:00.002-04:002012-01-17T09:17:34.932-04:00I've decided to have a breakfast-for-dinner party. A brinner party? Maybe in early February. I have been wanting to host a brunch for ages because there are so many delicious brunch foods, but a morning party is irritating and there's no time to get all the cooking done and nobody would drink in the morning and then it'd be unclear when people should leave. I am going to make mimosas and mini Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-45945371148318523952012-01-17T09:03:00.000-04:002012-01-17T09:03:11.089-04:00Damnit! Blair and Chuck are supposed to be together!!! How could you do this to me again, Gossip Girl?
I am thinking of re-reading The Lord of the Rings. I read it when I was nine, so I hardly remember anything. The reason I want to read it is that I think it would be a solid reference to have when reading student fantasy pieces. Such an undertaking though.
Guest speaker in Creative Process Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31835534.post-44291548884963823372012-01-16T23:27:00.003-04:002012-01-16T23:27:45.502-04:00Wendy the Cat has been petting me all day. Are pets called pets because we pet them, or do we pet them because they are pets? And if she pets me, am I then the pet?Shashihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129419158742747460noreply@blogger.com0