Stay on the Path

I don't do waiting well. The thing is that I've been doing an awful lot of it lately, at least when it comes to my graphic novel, school, work...OK, I've just been waiting a lot. But I'm a little nervous about it because this time, as I wait for the next move for my book I'm starting to lose the feeling that it's actually happening. It's not a logical feeling, because it is happening and these periods between steps are perfectly normal in the creation of a book. But it makes me apprehensive.

I find that when my life opens up, the way that it has lately, all kinds of distracting fillers flow in, and it's not easy to tell which are blessings and which are not. I believe roller derby was one of those fillers.  A good, educating experience, and in many ways, The Right Thing, just in The Wrong Time. In that case, I screwed up, over estimated my power and resources, and ended up missing registration for school. That Cannot Happen Again.

Then along comes my friend Tara. Tara is the mother of a friend of Lala's. She's a personal trainer,  sells health & wellness products, and is a text book Type A personality. She's also a sweetheart. But that is neither here nor there. Tara calls me the other day and says that she wants to tell me about her company because "With your self motivation, your health values, your energy, your need for flexibility right now- you'd be perfect!" I sniff a pyramid scheme, but there are a few factors that lead me to bite:

1. She's nice and talkative and I want to go have tea
2. She's the sole income of her house, and she's loaded

I'll never get her off my back if I don't

I meet her at Life Alive and we have a nice visit. We talk about me leaving my job and different kinds of tea and our girls. Then she tells me about the business. It's called Arbonne. I'm not wrong in the type of business model it is- you get bigger if others get bigger too, but on the other hand, it's the highest compensation program in the industry (I looked that up). I don't want to be the Mary Kay lady by any means. But on the other hand, they encourage a more casual, natural recommendation model. So she talks to me about the products. They're vegan- bonus. They remind me a lot of products like Juice by Alicia Silverstone. And she tells me that she can get them for cheaper than Clinique- which is the only thing to this point that's done me a lick of good. And she's brought samples for me. OK, OK, I think. Can't hurt if it's free.

This is where I've fallen to pieces.
I love the samples.
My laugh lines, eye lines, and worry lines are all gone. I've had worry lines since I was 16.

I don't know what to do. I want these products and I want them cheap. This is stupid. Am I getting distracted? Do I want to spend my time doing what she does? What if it was just a little bit of time? Can I do it all, or am I going to screw up again? Not if I get to class registration on Monday, right? Right!?

Epic Move...Kinda

So I've decided that it was time for me and the Jewelry Shop to part ways. I finish my stint there at the end of the December.

What? you say? You've only been there since spring and I thought you loved it?!

I know, but there comes a time to grow and move forward from everything stationary, and this was my time to move on from the Jewelry Shop. The facts are that I feel I've been dropping the ball when it comes to Cal and school, that I need to devote more and more time to my writing and impending Kickstarter campaign (all my research has concluded that a successful kickstarter equates to a full time job), and school is starting soon and I HAVE to get in this time or I'll go crazy! These things are just more important to me than a retail job that barely pays for the day care costs it requires.

On a completely unrelated note, what does everyone want for Christmuka?

Happy Best-Two-Days-of-the-Year!

We survived Sandy safe and sound, and I've lived to see another birthday. I admit this one is a bit weird- good, but weird. I'm officially at that age- that age where things need to be moving. Like, sure, I've still got plenty of time, but I should have something to show for my time by now.
Good thing I'm almost finished with this script. My ideal day would involve getting off work and going home to find the kids pooped out from a great day, the house in moderate order, and to settle down an finish the story. Then, of course, to send it to one of my writing-savvy friends to read and tell me it's brilliant.
Tomorrow Jase and I are going as Death and Dream from The Sandman comic series. I think we'll take the kids to Beacon Hill. What are your plans for Halloween?

A Break to Say Where I've Been

As I'm sure you probably already knows by now, I went to New York the weekend of ComiCon, but there's a back story.

Soon after the last post I wrote, I had an epiphany of awesome proportions. I've had this little pet story line for a couple years, which I've picked at and played with, but never gotten to formulate into a full-on plot. While I was mulling over what to do with my webcomic side project, questioning ad nauseum if it was even a good enough story to put the effort to, I thought of my old story, "What a perfect graphic novel!" 

The flood gates opened. As soon as I considered the format, it was like the entire plot came spilling out and I had to write! I decided that it was the perfect excuse to run away to my favorite New York couch for an impromptu writing retreat. While I was there, it just so happened that Shane had an extra pass to ComiCon. It was a killer opportunity to get an idea for what I was getting into- to speak with other writers, illustrators, network, and maybe taste the industry a bit. It was overwhelming, but in a good way. I came away fully charged, and with a goal: I was going to have my own booth for ComiCon 2013.

It's lofty, I know, but still...

I've been writing like crazy ever since and I'm about three quarters of the way done with my first draft. There is a long way to go, and a lot still to figure out, but I'm feeling the progress and I'm pumped. Maybe I'll get lucky and finish before NaNoWriMo (November is National Novel Writing Month)- that would be fantastic!

Art Dilemma

    I've been all sorts of distracted for a few weeks. So many fun new disasters have come along that I almost forgot what I want the most!
    I was having the most fun in ages when I was regularly writing the comic collaboration with Jason, but the breaks got slammed when life happened to my artist and I was churning out pages faster than he could meet them with panels.
    I tried to compensate starting another comic project. This time I intended to draw it myself. Dusting off my art supplies, however, proved harder than I expected, and I haven't even tried Photoshop yet.
    So now I face a dilemma. Do I spend triple the time drawing for the end of a writing medium, or do I try to find another artist?

The Cats

This week we adopted a couple of furry family members.

I'm not sure how long ago we first spoke of getting a pet, but the discussion ended last week with a mouse. Living in this city, mice are just a part of life. But this little bugger avoided every trap, precaution, and tactic we threw at it. Late one night, standing in his underwear with a salad bowl in hand, Jason declared we were getting a cat and that was that.

We considered just getting a kitten on craigslist- kittens are playful, cute, cheap, and perfectly trainable, clean slates. But when I started browsing the website for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, I started to melt. There are so many sweet animals in shelters waiting for forever-homes. And for the amount of vet care that the ARL puts into them, adoption is an amazing deal. A new kitten would cost upward of $500 for first year care alone. I asked Jason and he agreed adoption was the way to go.

The ARL site listed a pair of cats that caught my eye- a 1 year old black and white tuxedo American Short-Hair and his all-white brother. I called the ARL and was given scads of information. I learned that they had come from a placed that was overpopulated with cats. This left them neglected and drastically shy. Their socialization had been the focus of their care, with great results, but they still had a way to go. This, their age, and a prior rash on the white cat's neck had all worked against them when it came to adoption. They'd been there for 5 months (that's a long time to be in a shelter, in case you didn't know). But there was wonderful news. Because of their special case, the ARL was willing to adopt them out for the price of one!

Funny little coincidence- that night I found out that it was "Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week."

We hadn't told the kids our plan, in case something didn't work out. So we broke the news the next morning to much excitement. Before I said anything about the cats I'd found, Lala said "Can we get an all-white kitty?"
"As a matter of fact," I grinned.

We went to the ARL after Cal got home from school. We finally got to meet the cats, and despite their timidness had a great experience with the children playing with them. Five minutes in the room with them and I was in love. They were so sweet and full of personality! As we moved forward with the adoption the shelter started buzzing- volunteers kept spreading the news "The Brothers are getting adopted!" There were cheers and high-fives, congratulations and assurance of the cats' general awesomeness. It was such a happy day.

They were already in their carriers, so we had to hold up their pictiures 

Now the newly named Sherlock and Watson are getting acclimatized to their new home and family.   I'd be lying if I said that their timidness didn't get to me now and then. But they are warming up in strides and I have great hope and assurance from my Cat-people friends. And it's nice to just have them around. They are already a pleasant addition to the household.

Scary Things

Have you ever tried something that scared you a little?

Somewhere growing up, in between the American Dream and New Wave Feminism, I got the impression that if it scares you a little, you're doing it right. I can't say that I actually ever experienced what that means, being alternately  too crazy/stupid or too cowardly. Yes, my name is Heather Louise and I am a chicken.

Now I'm experiencing it.

I've been skating with a few other beginners about twice a week for three weeks. It's done about a tablespoons worth of good. Saturday was the first day of Fresh Meat Training and I got the piss knocked out of me. Seriously. By time I got home I was bruised from my butt to my ego. I started to question whether I could actually do this.

Part of me wavered till the other day when I got a good talkin-to from an unlikely source- my mother. Ms. I-don't-like-this-but-I'll-play-along-with-your-shenanigans. She spent a good ten minutes telling me about all the skills Derby would give me and how they could be applied to the real world. She talked about how when we pay attention to life, life tends to hand us exactly what we need. And she told me that if I was feeling chicken, so stare the situation in the face and say "Bring it on!" It was just what I needed.

It got me thinking about other things that scare me, like speaking up about values I believe in and "getting involved." I think it's time I make a list of scary things and start doing them.

Am I still afraid for the next practice? Yes. But I'm ready to face it head on. And I'm armed with a puke-bucket.