About a year and a half ago a friend invited me to be a part of a new book club that was starting up here in town. It was a group of local women, most of whom I already knew, at least casually. All of us close in age, with kids in the local schools. These women are intelligent, warm, funny and I really look forward to our meetings.
Lately, though, I haven’t been very good at reading the books. Most are good books, but I haven’t made it a priority. My reading these days is mostly in Google Reader. So much content, so little time! But really- I should be able to read one book per month, right? Especially when life interferes with our meetings and I end up with two months or more to get the book finished!
I don’t want to lose this, because honestly it’s one of the few opportunities I have for thoughtful, intelligent conversations with people in real life. I don’t know if I even care that much about what we’re reading, because it doesn’t seem to matter. The conversations sparkle, there aren’t those awkward lulls.
Our next meeting is tomorrow night and I have about two thirds of our current book left. We’re reading The Seamstress, a first person account of the Holocaust. It’s a difficult subject but a quick read, and I can’t wait to talk about it. So I think I’ll wrap this up and get comfy with my book.
March 24, 2008 – 2:50 pm
Chris Brogan is looking for new, undiscovered blogs to read.
This one isn’t all that new but it’s relatively undiscovered. And increased readership will encourage me to post more! I’ve got a bunch of fun posts just sitting in draft form, waiting for a little attention.
So I’m going to promote myself. Read me!
Off to do the in-law shuffle. Have a great holiday!
March 23, 2008 – 10:16 am
A new toy came via the UPS dude the other day, a Sanyo Xacti video camera, which is barely larger than the little spinning image of it here (and mine is red!)
I can’t wait to get out and take video so I can come home and edit and play.
Video was my first geeky love, in fact I studied video production as an undergrad, but of course the technology has become both simpler and more advanced in the ensuing *cough cough* years. I looked at my little camera when I took it out of the box and remembered the giant video camera my parents gave me as a college graduation gift (yes, other kids wanted cars, I wanted a vidcam.) The camera sat on one shoulder, corded to the VCR which hung from the other. The whole rig weighed maybe 40 pounds or so. At least it felt that way!
As you may imagine lugging that thing around was less than convenient. I had big plans to get out and record life, maybe make some money recording weddings and such. Didn’t happen. Jumped on the mommy track, and the thing was even too bulky to use much outside the house with my kids!
So now it floors me that I can take High Definition video with a camera that literally fits in my pocket, & pull it into my Mac to edit. When I graduated college I dreamed that one day I’d be able to afford the $15,000 it would cost to set up a home studio/editing suite!
Check out my newest project PixelCurrents.TV, that’s where I’ll be posting my stuff as it comes together.
Now all I need is time. Got some?
March 22, 2008 – 11:37 pm
Merlene tagged me, so here goes…
Eight things you might not know about me:
- The only bone I’ve ever broken was my little toe, by kicking a box. And I’ve never been stung by a bee/wasp/hornet.
- I always seem to do something that surprises or shocks people long after they’ve met me. I must give off some sort of “good girl” vibe or something.
- My dad throws the javelin and was ranked #2 in his age group in the USA last year.
- I used to write short stories for fun when I was a teen, and imagined I’d be a writer someday. Unfortunately almost all of my “early works” are long gone.
- I adopt the accents of the people I’m talking with after awhile. I once spent a summer working with 3 people who grew up in Georgia and to this day I think I say “ya’ll” more often than the typical Jersey “youse.”
- I get lost very easily. When I drive I think too much and make wrong turns. I dread the thought of walking in a city alone, I need someone with better built-in directional sense to guide me. I’m working on this.
- I’m a lousy housewife for having been a stay at home mom for so long! I can’t cook, hate to clean.
- My husband and I started dating while participating in a performance of the play You Can’t Take it With You in high school. He played one of the crazy people, we both helped build the set.
In keeping with my tradition of never forwarding chain emails and rarely tagging people- I’m tagging whoever wants to do this. I think most people I know already have, though!
(hmm, it appear I did this already, and listed 8 completely different things!)
March 14, 2008 – 10:12 am
