Teaser Tuesday #7

The Prophecy, Dawn Miller
The Watchers Chronicles

"Like the time DON'T GO IN THERE popped into his head when he and Spence Jacobi had found the lid off the sewer behind the apartment building."

"He liked the word that kept appearing in his mind lately too."

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here I Go Again

Every year, Pi day falls during Lent, dadgummit. Guess I'll celebrate on Easter Sunday instead. That has nothing to do with today's post; just an observation on the world.

When I get really busy/stressed, like last week when I was trying to write five papers, running is the first thing to go. It's kind of time-intensive, because I'm slow, but also because of putting on the running kit, finding my watch and iPod, taking my key off the ring (so it will fit into the pocket of my shorts), doing the aforementioned slow running, then coming back, peeling off the sweaty running kit, and taking a shower. All of this is time that could be spent writing an essay.

I took a picture of our handbill
so I wouldn't have to worry about
crediting a source. And now I've
written a long caption, which
takes just  as long as crediting
a source. I'm dumb.

Even though I know from past experience that running (or anything that gets me out of the house, really) is the best way to relieve stress, give my brain a rest, and get the writing juices flowing, I let it go first. This is one of those moments when the lyrics to "Mamma Mia" comes to mind (yes, I'm an ABBA fan): "So I made up my mind; it must come to an end. Look at me now; will I ever learn? I don't know how." Sigh.

So, this week I'm running. (Spring break wins again!) And by this time next week I expect to be bright-eyed and mostly stress-free. Just in time to make the same dumb mistake over again. Oh, well, there are only seven weeks left to the semester after spring break; how much damage can I do?

Please don't answer that! Instead, answer this: What is your guaranteed stress relief and/or creativity-inducer?

The Trouble with Reading

Books. I read them, and they get inside my brain, and then I have to spend days (weeks, months... whatever) mulling them over and either accepting the information and then adjusting my life accordingly, or rejecting it and living with the implications. If only my brain came pre-printed with all needed information.

And don't tell me that it did. If that's the case, why have I spent so many years learning things?

I've finished reading The Story of Stuff (which, while enlightening, is pretty depressing), and there's one bit in particular that has stuck with me. Ms. Leonard spends the entire book tracing our possessions from beginning to end-- getting the materials, putting them together, delivery, advertising, etc.-- and then mentions that after a speaking engagement, or after someone watches her YouTube video (and on your own head be it if you read the comments!), or whatever, she is inevitably asked, "Ok, so what should I buy?" And so Ms. Leonard mentions that "Our consumer self is so overdeveloped that is has drowned out all our other identities."

Yikes. I don't necessarily agree with every word in the book. Nor do I think that it's meant to be a "balanced" perspective; you don't hear what the other side has to say (duh; it's her book! This is what she has spent her life working on!). But her good points are thick and fast, including this one. It was one of those punched-in-the-face kind of moments when I read this sentence, because I had spent most of the book up until then swearing to change my buying habits drastically. Obviously, I couldn't say that she is wrong about my consumer self (even I who consider myself to be a "light" consumer!).

Being as it's Sunday and all, this point has even more effect on me today. I want God to be the centre of my life, but is he? I've been reading Living on a Dime for years, and those wise ladies often warn against making money an idol (by spending all one's time thinking about it, either good or bad), or about doing the same with food (by spending all one's time thinking about it--I think you get the picture). I don't want my stuff to become my next idol because I'm thinking about it all the time. Or the earth, which I believe God gave us and expects us to take care of-- the earth shouldn't be the main focus of my attention, either. Or college, or my current work in progress, or my triathlon training... The point is, I get wrapped up in one thing after another. But I want my life to be wrapped up in God, with everything else in its proper place. (Note: I don't think that it's necessary to chuck everything else out of my life altogether; I just want them all where they belong!)

If you aren't a person of faith, then I'm sure this is of no interest to you. But if you are, tell me (please)... How do you make sure to keep things in your life in their proper place, and God at the centre?

Words Don't Do it Justice

I reserve Saturdays for my adventures in green living. But green living isn't just about recycling and compact florescent bulbs. It's about living with others in mind, not taking more than one's own share of resources, and remembering that others will live here after us.

Other people need us now. Japan had a quadruple whammy yesterday: Two earthquakes, a tsunami, and a disaster at a power plant. They will recover, they will bounce back-- but they can't do it on their own.

So please, do what you can to help Japan. There are plenty of ways to donate, plenty of prayers to be said, and probably other possibilities that I'm not imaginative enough to think of. We can step up and make their recovery easier.

Southwest It Is!

I desperately wish that I had all sorts of interesting things to tell you about this week. Alas, I do not. I mean, things have been happening, but I've mostly been reading or writing a paper while those things were happening, so I kind of missed them. And while I'm hysterically grateful that we have spring break, I kind of wonder if we'd be better off without it, since all my instructors piled on the projects/papers/tests in the two weeks before break, apparently out of kindness so we needn't be working on homework over break, but with a total lack of foresight about the state of our stress levels during those two weeks.

Yay, Austin!

Anyway. South by Southwest is in town! That's right, Austin is in its annual frenzy wherein writers, bloggers, technology gurus, musicians, filmmakers, and networkers all converge on downtown for nine days. In other words, if you were planning a casual trip to Austin this weekend, you may want to rethink that strategy.

Last night, the traffic downtown was unreal. Chad & I were headed to a meeting, but in the end we might have been better off walking (we certainly would have been better off cycling) because of the congestion. And while I enjoy the high-energy feel of it all, I don't enjoy all our buses being packed full of loud, excited conference-goers. I may get a lot of walking and cycling done over the next few days.

But, I do love the energy. I can't get tickets at this point, but there are some outdoor/free events happening that I might catch while I'm enjoying my break from school. Or, I might just go hang out downtown for my own amusement. And I'll probably get lots of novel fodder from people watching and listening.

What's happening in your city this weekend?

Support Your Local Cranky Fairy!

I'm not sure what my muse looks like, but I kind of think of her as a cranky fairy. A cross between:

a really cute and sweet angel, and a grumpy Muppet who lives in a rubbish bin.

And she's been working overtime these past couple of weeks, helping me get through the pre-spring break crunch of papers (although if my last paper today is anything to go by, she signed off a day early).

For a while, my muse would only work between 11 PM and 2 AM. This was during NaNoWriMo, and while I tolerated it for the month of November and indeed the remainder of the fall semester, I told her in no uncertain terms that I refused to keep meeting her in the middle of the night. It's taken a while and the promise of nice caffeine in the mornings, but I finally have her back to working at 6 AM when I am working.

And now with spring break upon me (Hooray!), I'll need her to work all hours of the day for a few days. I still need to get the complementary printed copy of my NaNo novel before the offer expires, and I'd like to have something that isn't complete rubbish to print. So, on my agenda for spring break:

1. Do something clever with my NaNo novel.

2. Write a 500-word essay about cycling for a contest.

3. Finish a baby blanket for an 18-month old so I can begin on one for his soon-to-be sibling.

4. Read.

5. And read some more.

6. And then read for fun, because those first two were for homework.

7. Oh, yeah, and I do have some homework to do.

8. And I have a couple of short stories to finish.

9. And start studying for the GRE.

10. But I'm definitely going to do some sleeping in.

My muse had better appreciate the care, feeding, and extra sleep, because she's going to be on duty a lot. Perhaps I should remind her that I work more hours than she does. ;)

What about you? Does your muse have a preferred time of day?

What-To-Do Wednesday

So, my foray into book reviewing has come to an end. At least for now.

I'm not particularly good at it, I keep reading that aspiring authors shouldn't review books publicly, and the book reviews aren't getting that much interest, anyway. And did I mention that I'm not really good at it?

So, my Wednesdays at Cheekyness are now wide open. What shall I fill them with? Good question. Any suggestions in the comments, please.

In the meantime: Writing. Specifically, NaNoWriMo.

For some crazy reason
having to do with the
calendar, NaNoWriMo.org
 does not yet have 2011
badges. Sheesh.

Yes, I realise that we only just had NaNo and the next one doesn't (thank goodness!) start for 7 1/2 (and a bit) months. Plus, I am a slow mover and haven't yet even collected all my prizes for winning the last one. But I'm thinking ahead, because...

... there are a few Longhorns (that's my university mascot) who do NaNo, but we aren't particularly organized. Back in November, it was all, "Hey, why don't we all get together?" "Yeah, great idea!" "Anybody know a good place?" "Well, there are a few coffee shops. Or on campus. Anywhere, really." "Yeah, I'm good with anywhere but not until after 4:38 PM on Friday." "I'm not free until 5:07 on Friday." "Where are we meeting?" And so on. I finally jumped in and said, "Write-in at X coffee shop at 6 PM Friday!" And for the next week, got comments back like "Wait, was this last Friday? Or this Friday?"

So. We need some organization. We need someone to be in charge. We need someone who likes calendars and coordination. And that someone, my friends, is going to be me. (Shocker, I know.)

Well, me and a co-conspirator. And I have found such a conspirator in my friend TARDIS girl (new nickname coming soon), who tells me that she has attempted NaNo multiple times but has never won, she had no idea there was an Austin NaNo organization (one of the most active ones in the world, mind you!), nor that we had write-ins on campus last fall. And she wants some support to get through the great world of NaNo-ing in 2011.

So, I'm going to quite literally give it the old college try and start a student organization on campus, with some über-original name like "Longhorn Wrimos". And come next November, we'll have write-ins and another thread on the Austin forum on the site and at least two contact people and it will all be swell.

I can't be the only person planning this far ahead; who already has at least one Christmas gift bought?

Teaser Tuesday #6

Revolution in a Bottle, Tom Szaky

"Tom, did you look at the barn before you leased it?"
"Of course I did...Is there something wrong?"
"You could say that. It doesn't have any electricity, for one thing."
--
We still demand that our products be outstanding, not only in their ability to accomplish the job, but also in their appearance and durability.



I've gotten on a memoir/documentary-esque kick with my reading again (I suppose it would be fair to say that I never got off the last one). This one is written by the founder of Terracycle.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Heart of Texas

Yep, these sweaters are all hand-
knitted just for this event. Cool, eh?

Saturday afternoon I volunteered at an outreach activity at UT. 20,000+ kids from all over Texas, plus their 2500+ patient sponsors, converged on our campus for a day of fun.

I didn't know my campus could be so crowded. It was unreal.

The point of the whole shebang was to inspire kids to start thinking about college; to this end, there were activities for kids as young as 4. I know, right? Four? Their parents are probably worried about sending their angels off to kindergarten, and here we're pushing college on them. Well, it's for good reason: A lot of these kids will be lucky get all the way through high school, never mind college.

Yes, this outreach day was for "underrepresented" schools. In other words, schools in low-income areas, or with low graduation rates, or with large percentages of students whose first language is not English. Or, more likely, some combination thereof. So, UT starts them dreaming big as early as possible.

My part of the whole shebang was to wield the bullhorn to keep the ice cream line in order. Before we started, the woman in charge instructed us to use our "most polite tone"; she was not impressed when I asked if she would settle for my least hostile tone instead. So I rehearsed the important information ("Single file line, please! We have chocolate or vanilla! There is plenty for everyone, but only one cup per person, please!" etc.) that I would be giving out in my capacity as an order-shouting person.

And since I have learned something from the myriads of parents and teachers I've been around for the past few years, I stopped one teacher as she was leaving to tell her that her kids were the best-behaved group in line. (By quite a long shot, actually.) She thanked me and then said, "Y'all told us the same thing last year, too. I'll be sure to tell the principal." So of course, I was even more glad at that point that I had stopped her. I hope they make a big fuss today over being proud of the kids' behaviour. (I'm sure they will; like I said, I've learned something from being around parents and teachers.) And in case you're wondering: After a quick Google search, I believe it to be Villarreal Elementary School in San Antonio.

The Longhorn band arriving for the
picture. And afterwards, they played
"I've Been Working on the Railroad"
"The Eyes of Texas".

And at the end of the day, everyone gathered in front of the tower to form a heart (yes, the heart of Texas) for a picture. I didn't get in it, since I was otherwise occupied, but I'll be sure to post it here once it's available. Because Saturday was a great day to be a Longhorn.

Wow, so many possible questions today. Parents and teachers: How happy would you be if someone told you your kids were the best ones in a group? Everyone else: At what age did you first think about college (if you can remember)?

Do You Have a Diem That Needs to be Carpe-d?

I don't know; this seemed like a
"Seize the Day" kind of picture.

I saw that on an ad, I think for some sort of coffee, a couple of weeks ago, and thought it was hysterical. But it's possible that I was running on too-little sleep that day.

So! I've had many occasions this week to consider this verse: "So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get." (Ephesians 5:15-16, The Message) It has occurred to me that "chances" come thick and fast, if I have my eyes open to watch for them.

Yesterday morning I was at a volunteer event and ended up in a (Spanish) conversation with three Venezuelans, one Colombian, and one Mexican. Which was absolutely fabulous, because I wasn't expecting any Spanish practise when I got out of bed. Anyone who has learned a second (or third) language knows that part of the challenge is not only the words, but also the voice; each person's voice and accent are just a teensy bit different than everyone else's. Not a problem in one's native language, but an extra hurdle for the language learner. And even countries that speak the same language and are neighbours don't use all the same words in the same way (like the US and Canada, eh?). I managed to jump into the conversation when we started talking about Congress Avenue being blocked (for a different event). If any of them were surprised that I had been listening, they didn't show it.

And another one (not me this time): On Friday morning I was on the bus and we had just pulled into downtown. A man hailed our bus and explained to the driver that there was a blind passenger coming. So the driver waited, naturally, for the man to make his way onto the bus. Such a simple act of kindness on the part of the man who stopped the bus, and I'm sure he didn't even hesitate before acting, but it would have been just as easy for him to ignore a blind person at the bus stop. He could have called it "Not my problem" and went on his way. But he didn't, and he blessed the man waiting and really, all of us on the bus who got to witness it. I've said it before: I have seen the best of humanity while riding the bus.

A chance may come my way any minute: A chance to show a kindness, or to be an encourager. A chance to give some change to a stranger. Or a chance to learn something and spread my wings a bit more-- at the end of our event yesterday, the woman from Venezuela hugged me and we parted with many "mucho gusto"s (Nice to meet you). Or, just a chance to do the right thing, whether anyone cares or not, like picking up some rubbish off the ground and throwing it away properly. And of course (I have to bring it back to writing), these chances all add up to that experiential life I was talking about on Thursday, and they all give depth and breadth to my writing. So everyone goes home happy.

What about you? What chances have come your way recently?

This and That

After writing yesterday about how going out and doing things will give you more to write about, I feel a bit silly that today I'm having trouble coming up with anything worth an entire post. Guess there's a vanishing point between "getting more stuff to write" and "so much stuff to write about that I can't process it all". So instead, I give you some snippets of the last few days:

I've started volunteering with Bike TX a couple of days a week. Mostly, I'll do admin/data entry-type stuff for them, although they've already mentioned that I can join them for Cyclists in Suits Day at the state capitol in two weeks. We'll all go and lobby our respective representatives about cycling-related legislation. And when I say "we", I of course mean "other people who know what they are talking about will do the speaking while I smile and shake hands at the appropriate times". It's very exciting.

On the topic of cycling, I rode my bike all the way to campus and back on Wednesday, for a total of 13 miles. I also came down the highest hill I've tried on the bike to date, and loved it. Maybe I'm on my way to conquering my fear of roller coasters.

A bike rack like this. Imagine
turning your bike sideways. See how
that would block all the spaces?

And also about biking: I got to campus Wednesday to find a bike parked longways across a bike rack, thus blocking spaces that at least four bikes could have gone into. I squeezed my bike into the space at the end, wondering what was wrong with this person, then finally decided to leave a note: "There are lots of cyclists on campus. Please exercise more courtesy in the future. Thank you!" (No, really, that's what I wrote.) On Thursday, I saw the same bike, on the same rack, properly parked and sharing space with the other bikes. Excellent.

I guess after all that, it's time to add a "cycling" label to my posts.

And on Thursday, my classmate who I've dubbed "Outside Voice" announced that he should have written an anti-feminist essay for our most recent assignment to make the class hate him. I glanced round at everyone else's faces and I'm pretty sure that a similar thought was crossing all our minds at that moment: You're already working on that with the loud-and-obnoxious act; no abrasive essays required. I think he doesn't realise that if he pushes the "I want you to hate me" thing too far, it instead has the effect of people just ignoring him. I had no trouble returning to my book after he made this announcement.

I was going to tell you how much fun I had in my Wednesday class with my friend Sprained Ankle (turns out I had the wrong joint, but since I started calling her Sprained Ankle last semester that's what I'm sticking with), but now I can't remember any of the funny stuff I said. And that's a bummer, because I kept her distracted through the entire class time. She may not want to sit next to me again.

Those are probably more snippets than you had patience for, so I'll stop now in a "quit while I'm behind" kind of way. So, it's your turn: Share a snippet of your week!

Writing Experience

I keep reading all these brilliant blog posts about writing: Voice, characterization, world-building, editing, beta reading, querying, etc. And I'm inspired when I read them and a little bit in despair because I don't know the first thing about any of those-- well, not enough to write a blog post about it, anyway.

So instead, I'm going to write about something that I do have a grasp on. :)

You've all heard me moan and wail about my Creative Problem Solving class. The content for the class is actually really great; I love that the class is offered, but I'm merely okay with taking it myself. One of the things the lecturer gave us early on was a list of four things creative people value; among them was "an experiential life". (I just learned how to spell "experiential".  Good job, spell check!) And I think he's 100% correct.

I blogged once before about how doing things is what fuels my creativity; the more I do, the more I have to write about. And it doesn't have to be anything fancy, either; a stroll round my neighbourhood will usually do it. Or a trip to the grocery store, or a short run, and certainly a good book.

So I'm a bit concerned when I hear people say how they'd love to experience more things, but don't have the money to travel. Now, don't get me wrong; I have benefited from travel and I'm grateful for the ability to do so. But I don't think that I, or anyone else, need pack the bags and head out to experience things. Especially in a city like Austin (although I bet there's plenty to do in your city, too). An experiential life is waiting right outside the door.

Go to a park. Take the bike instead of a car for an errand. Find a high school play to watch. Choose a busy intersection (busy with lots of things, not just cars) and watch for a while. Volunteer for a neighbourhood clean-up day. Find a local rental of a vehicle you wouldn't normally use (bike, canoe, stand-up paddle board, pedicycle, etc.) and give it a whirl. Skip the produce section and go to a farmer's market. Take a bus, ride a train, talk to a neighbour. All sorts of experiences are waiting for you! And then you can turn them into stories.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there! But first, leave a comment and share a story.

Super-Snooper Blogfest (Wow, this came up quick!)

Today's blogfest is brought to you by Allison Stevens! Click on over (after you've finished reading mine, of course) and check out the other participants!

So, a description of my MC's stuff:

The walls were blah, just like in every other rental house, with only a Chronicles of Narnia calendar to break the beige monotony. In the corner nearest the closet, a mound of jeans, t-shirts, and scrubs nearly obscured the blue laundry basket that barely contained the mass of clothes. The bed, pushed up against one corner, had been "made" by smoothing a rumpled blanket over the sheets before a pair of blue pajamas had been flung across the top. Books and magazines covered the nightstand, all piled up as though there was more to be found underneath. A glasses case on the edge of the nightstand looked like it was hanging on for dear life from the encroaching paper. But most of the living in the room must have been done in the opposite corner, where a pair of bookshelves stood on either side of an armchair, each piled high with books. There was another stack of books on the floor, as though the occupant had been gathering books from around the house, then decided that this was as good a place as any to put them. A plate also lay on the floor, covered in crumbs. A coffee mug with a Twix wrapper and napkin tucked inside completed the picture of a late-night snack.

Teaser Tuesday

I should really do what The Golden Eagle does and start numbering my Teaser Tuesdays.

The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard

"What if 'secondhand', 'used', or 'preowned' signified an attractive, desireable option for everyone, rather than a poverty-driven necessity?"

"It's in communities that own the least amount of Stuff that you really see just how subjective that line is between waste and resources."

Yeah. I'm liking this book so far. It's scary, but enlightening.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Lazy Post

I'm still trying to keep my head above water with my homework (seriously, how did this semester get away from me so badly?), so today's post is quick and lazy and another answer to an FAQ: How do you start running?

I've Been Inducted...

I was at an induction a couple of years ago for the Thespian Society at my former high school. I kept saying that Amanda's friend Paula was being "abducted", and Amanda corrected me about four times before she finally realised I was winding her up. Hee hee hee. (I said the same thing to a young man at church the next day, who had likewise been abducted, and he got it right away. At least somebody in Indiana appreciates my sense of humour.)

Anyway! Today I attended an abduction of my own, into Gamma Beta Phi. Let me preface this by telling you that I'm not much into Greek organisations. Even leaving out the raucous parties, they promote a spirit of "us v. them" that I think we already have plenty of in our country, and certainly on our college campuses. So I've spent most of my life pledging to never join a sorority.

And then I got the invite to GBP. First off, it's not a sorority; it's a co-ed organisation. Secondly, it's an honour society. And thirdly, they are officially classified at the University as a "service organisation". So I caved and joined, and today was formally inducted...

... along with my classmate TARDIS girl. (She has a cute TARDIS sewn onto her backpack. It's one of the reasons we became friends; how can you not like someone who will be excited about Doctor Who with you?) (Also, I do know that my nicknames are getting worse as I go along.) They had asked us to submit something interesting about ourselves, so hers was that she "makes a damn good four-berry pie". I encouraged her to bring one to class so that we can verify this claim. She noted that her interesting thing was the only one that included swearing. Tee hee hee.

The first time I tried this shot (yes, I was crazy enough to
take it myself) I got a great action shot of me catching
book and jar as they fell off, because I inadvertently hit the
button mid-catch.

Chad of course asked what my interesting thing was as soon as we walked in and saw the powerpoint scrolling. I couldn't remember (after all, it's been two weeks since I filled out the form), so we had to watch. And wait. And finally, mine came up:  "Susan likes to balance things on her head when she gets bored." Ah. That's it. I was quite gratified that I heard a chuckle in the room when mine scrolled across the screen.

Actually, I don't have to be that bored to balance things on my head.

So, Greeks? Non-Greeks? Balancers? Speak up and be counted!

Aack! A bus!

So, to get myself back to my regular posting schedule, we return to green living today. One of the things discussed in last week's interview between myself and one of the local bus VPs was the "scary" factor of public transportation for people who have never used it. I know this is a real barrier to some, given the number times I've fielded questions from curious friends. So I give you:

Su's Guide to Public Buses. (Based on my own experience with buses in Indianapolis, Glasgow, Lubbock, and Austin, plus what I've read/heard from others and some research I've done into other US cities. Your mileage may vary.)

**Edited to add: I realised belatedly how long this post really is. So if you don't need a bus guide, please do skip to the end and share your public transport experience.**

And Now For the Truth...

There was a fib in yesterday's post. Wanna know what it was? Well, have you read the post yet? No peeking until you've had a guess. Go ahead, we'll wait.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself...

... to my fellow Crusaders.

I love warm weather. There is no greater clothing happiness for me than tank tops, shorts, and flip-flops. It's great when I get a blade or two of grass stuck in my toes; citified as I am, it makes me feel more connected to the natural world when the flora comes home with me.

I also love writing, reading, and running. Some days when I'm trying to feel extra-smart I bring them all together; I bloviate, "Yes, I'd like to canter about as a rabbit does, but I'm afraid I must scuttle in a fuliguline manner." And then the people talking to me wander off in search of someone who makes sense. I should probably stop with the swallowed-a-dictionary act.

I have a larger-than-necessary personal library, because I have a hard time parting with books. But unlike normal people, who shelve by genre or author, I shelve by size. However, my secret plan for my bookshelves is to get them into Dewey Decimal order; someday when I'm bored, I'll let out OCD Su and she'll get right on it.

My classmates have this charming idea that I'm a walking syllabus; they ask me more questions than they ask our TA. And the elder sister in me is happy to oblige, because I think they are (mostly) lovely people and also because I really do want them to succeed. Plus, I know the day is coming when I will be the TA and I'll be obligated to say things like, "What does your syllabus say?" instead of just handing out the answer. Technically, then, I'm an enabler for my classmates' unpreparedness, but I don't mind being their non-trad buddy.

So... something I just told you isn't true. Can you guess what it is? (People who know me personally well are disqualified from answering!)

Run Strong - Live Strong

So... marathon weekend in Austin. The excitement, the visitors, the "Expect Delays" and "Road Closed" PSAs all over town, the traffic... I admit, even though I was all kinds of annoyed at the public transport being rerouted all day long, it was fun to see all this as a resident instead of an out-of-towner. (Although perhaps we should consider moving the Austin Marathon to Round Rock... they don't have any public transport to disrupt!)

Another Quick Post....

... to let you know I haven't died, fallen into a huge hole, or suffered a debilitating accident to my fingers.

What I am doing is desperately trying to keep my head above water with my classes (perhaps taking 4 writing-based classes + 1 science class was a bad idea), in order to open up a bit of breathing space for myself.

Many, many welcomes to my new followers! I'm delighted to see you all and will be round to reciprocate very soon (tomorrow morning, if I can get tomorrow's homework done today!). Thanks for hanging in there while I'm experiencing two of my busiest weeks in recent memory (seriously-- it's a good thing I don't have children, because they would have forgotten what I look like).

I promise to give you a blow-by-blow account of race day (turns out that being a spectator is harder than it looks), my Crusader Challenge post (I'd be lying if I said I didn't have to consult a dictionary for the special words), and a snippet or two of the very inspiring and educational interview I had with a VP of the local bus company last week. Coolest conversation I've had with a stranger, ever.

ETA: Squirrel picture removed. Try Stock Xchng for free photos.

So Much for that Post-Every-Day Streak I Had Going...

... Sigh.

Friends are in town for the Austin Marathon! We're having all sorts of crazy-awesome fun, but not leaving much time for blogging. I plan to be back to my regularly-scheduled nonsense on Monday. In the meantime, here's the sign I'll be holding up for my friends tomorrow:

I Learned Something from my TA

Bit of a rant coming. Apologies in advance.

I love the writing process, I love to read what others have written, I love to help people love their own writing, and I love a good peer review that helps me. One of the many benefits of the Rhetoric & Writing major is that we learn how to give a decent peer review. I keep reading articles that say Aristotle was the originator of collaborative learning, so it's ingrained into the rhetorical tradition.

We have a one-page written response due to each reading in the Problem Solving class (the one for which Skinny Jeans is the TA). The assignment sheet for for the responses was vague at best; to my way of thinking, this is a recipe for disaster. Trust me, I am looking forward to writing the course evaluation for this class (insert maniacal laughter here).

The Necropolis

The Necropolis, P.J. Hoover
The Forgotten Worlds, Book 3

The best series are the ones that get better as they go along, and these books are no exception. Book 3 did not disappoint-- except for it being over, of course.

I'm going to go ahead & presume that P.J. will be along sometime today to read this, and get my plea in early: Please, please write more books! (Not to put too fine a point on it, but Derrick and Douglas need their own adventure someday!)

I recommend the books to fantasy lovers of all ages, and especially for kids. But be prepared for questions when your kids find out that Easter Island is a real place. Spoilers after the jump!

I'm Not This Good of a Friend

I'm way off my usual schedule this week, but I didn't think anyone would mind too much.

This is what the road looks like
after 20 miles.

I went to the Running is Funny blog a couple of days ago, and the post intrigued me because I'm going to be a marathon spectator, for a whole slate of friends, this coming Sunday. (I'm volunteering, too, but the holding-a-poster-and-screaming part is the good stuff.)

The post directs to a Houston Chronicle article about a runner whose friends went out early in the morning before the marathon to put up signs for him at every mile. I am not so dedicated; my running friends will have to be happy with one sign and me jumping up and down, but I admire the sentiment. And if you're running Austin this weekend, let me know & I'll add your name to the sign, too!

It's Valentine's Day!

... which means that excuse to eat chocolate that you've been waiting for since Christmas has finally arrived! Enjoy-- with someone else, if you like.

I'm participating in the Show Me the Love Blogfest, hosted by Stephanie, but before I give you my answers I'm going to show a little love to Mia, one of the most entertaining bloggers on the whole planet (seriously, if you aren't reading her blog, then there is not enough fun in your life), and spread the word about her giveaway. Click on the link and fill out the form by 12 PM GMT on Thursday (that's 6 AM CST, for the time-zone-phobics) to be entered to win books! And drawings! And other fun stuff! Or, don't click and make my odds of winning better. Actually, I'd prefer you do the second one. ;)

Faith v Religion

I've heard my whole life that there is a difference between religion and faith. And I always believed that to be true, even at times when I couldn't see the difference.

I've just finished the book Tribes by Seth Godin, and he puts it very neatly: "Faith leads to hope, and it overcomes fear." "Faith is demonstrated by the actions you take." (Funny; I think I remember reading something similar in James 2.) By contrast, "Religion... represents a strict set of rules that our fellow humans have overlaid on top of our faith."

Mr. Godin isn't writing about Christianity; his book is about leadership. But I think he's hit on a crucial point; faith is what allows believers to soar. Faith is what allows people to take risks. Faith says that it's okay to refuse to go along with what everybody's doing.

Religion can be the one to tell us to colour in the lines. Religion can tire people out and send them on their way discouraged. I don't think it must be that way ... but it happens.

The first group to be called Christians were noticed because they stood out. They did things differently than other people. They didn't go along with the crowd, and refused to do so even when threatened with death, because they had faith. But as time went on there were rules built around the faith, and someone had to be the hall monitor for the rules, and one day this movement that had stood against the culture became the culture, and to oppose it meant dire consequences.

How sad the things that can happen when we turn to religion, instead of to faith.

So today I encourage you: Be different. Do what you believe in. Soar, hope, love, and dream. Have faith.

A Bus-Riding Life; or, This Could Be Really Cool

I've just finished reading Rachel Botsman and Roo Roger's What's Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption. Much more on that later, because it was a great book. For now, I'll just say that it explores such things as car- and bike-sharing schemes, Freecycle, craigslist, and other 21st-century, grown-up ways that we share things instead of each person consuming, then tossing, everything.

Oh, That Crazy Bicycle

After riding my bike three miles in one go the other day (and being very impressed with myself, I might add, and never mind the bruises in uncomfortable places), I decided I need a place to put my stuff other than just wearing my backpack. So I ordered a pannier, which makes me all kinds of happy. But as a stopgap in the meantime, I did this:

...because that's what all the college kids are doing.

Unfortunately, I don't have the same regular bungee cords as all the college kids, and I was unwilling to buy them because 1) it was too dang cold to go to the store, and 2) I have a pannier on the way anyway. So I just used the bungee net that I already have, by passing it under the crate and affixing it to either side.

So far, so good. Then on Tuesday I discovered that if the crate felt just a teensy bit unbalanced (like, say, when I put one foot down because I was waiting at a stoplight), it would retaliate by flipping over to the side, dumping my backpack on the ground, then flipping itself back up again. It was like living in a cartoon, or at least a live-action Looney Tunes movie.

So I learned pretty quickly how to not overbalance on one side or the other, and got to campus, where I had to carry the bike up some stairs (the UT campus has stairs everywhere. I'm surprised they haven't been sued for accessibility issues). I picked up my bike like I always do, forgetting that my heavy backpack was in the crate, then realised that I couldn't lift my bike and my backpack. But before I could set the bike back down, the crate did its new flipping trick. I turned to pick up my possessions and saw that there was a tall young man behind me (think: basketball player) who, to his credit, was not laughing.

I: (to myself) Well, that's not going to work. (See Possible Basketball Player.)
PBP: Do you need some help, ma'am? (I love the politeness of these Texas boys.)
I: No, thank you; I just can't carry it all at once.
PBP: (chuckles) Okay.

And on we went. And for some reason, even though I do dozens of embarrassing things every single day, I was completely mortified by that exchange.

Story time! Have your possessions ever gone into a full-on rebellion?

Join the Crusade!

Are you a writer? Do you want more writing friends? A chance to build your online platform while honing your mad writing skills? A fun community to be a part of?

Ask your doctor if the Writers' Platform-Building Crusade is right for you!

Just kidding, don't ask your doctor. I can tell you for free: It is. Hop on over to Rach's blog, fill out the cute little Crusader form, and you're all set. And just in time, too, because the first challenge is coming tomorrow! (I think... I'm pretty sure that's what she said. Hey, why don't you look that up while you're over there?)

I was in the first crusade, wrote some really bizarre posts as a result, and found a whole slew of writerly blogs to follow-- and made some new blogging friends in return. They're the ones responsible for taking me from 9 followers to 85. Way to go, guys! Anyway, I'm back for a second round, and my goal for this weekend is to get around to all the new crusaders and introduce myself. And you don't want to miss out on that.

Any fellow crusaders? What weird word do you want Rach to give us this time?

The Navel of the World

The Navel of the World, P.J. Hoover
The Forgotten Worlds, Book 2

Last Wednesday I reviewed the first book in the series, The Emerald Tablet, and-- ah, you've guessed it!-- part three, The Necropolis, is coming next week. Austin Public Library has gotten these books to me at lightning speed, which is fast even for them, which makes me suspect that Ms. Hoover is expediting the process. (Okay, I don't really suspect that, but oh my gosh it would be so cool if she were!!)

Mild spoilers again after the jump.

Teaser Tuesday

The Princess Bride
William Goldman

"Westley had instructed her on how to behave if this happened, and she followed his words now: she spread her arms and spread her fingers and forced herself into the position resembling that of a dead-man's float in swimming, all this because Westley had told her to because the more she could spread herself, the slower she would sink."

Westley? Westley?  All these years I've watched The Princess Bride, and I never knew there was a "t" in the middle of his name! I've been calling Cary Elwes "Wesley" for most of my life. Sheesh.

As you can probably guess, the book fills some gaps left behind by the movie. A must-read for fans of the movie (and a good one for everyone else, too).

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Give it a Tri

If I keep posting these grand plans on my blog, I'm bound to stick to at least one of them, right?

So Chad and I, in the absence of a monthly running club race (*waves frantically at the WTRC* We miss you!), have slacked off on pretty much everything. I run three miles about once a week. On the upside, at least I can still run three miles.

We've contemplated doing some upcoming 5 and 10Ks, but the problem with this plan is that all these races cost about $30 each, and that's before we go to the expo to be tempted by all the fancy-schmancy running stuff. Not good.

So! After considering our options and the current state of our sanity very carefully, we've decided to start training for the Austin Triathlon, coming on Labor Day. This gives us plenty of time to work on our swimming and cycling, not to mention budget for the race (although it will be cheaper to do this one race than to do all of the five we were considering). And I'll have a good reason to go use that swimming pool in the university gym that I'm already paying for anyway, but haven't had the courage to use until now.

Any triathletes out there? What should I do first?

Catch Me

My mother's name is Annette. Trust me, we've gotten plenty of net-related jokes out of that over the years (so much that when we taught the gospel of Matthew in Bible bowl a few years ago, I used my poor mother as an illustration for the children to remember that the apostles were "casting a net into the water". It worked, too).

Once upon a time, the minster was giving a sermon series on grace. One week, he told us that we are not under law, but under grace. The next week, when talking about the nature of grace, the minister said, "Grace is a net." Which led my father to make a rather elaborate joke about my mother being in charge-- We're "under" grace, Grace = Annette, etc. I think the minister laughed because he was so happy to hear that my father had been paying attention to the sermon for two weeks in a row.

But I love that. That grace is a net, not that my father has a warped sense of humour. Because I cling to the safety of the ground, but I yearn to venture into the high places. To take risks with my Christian walk. I want to leap out, holding the trapeze of faith, and see how far I can soar through the air-- perfectly safe in the knowledge that if I slip off, or miss my jump, or freeze up in terror, that I will land on a net of grace.

Do I dare leap higher? Trust in God more? Love my husband more deeply? Pray for my family more fervently? Be quick to encourage my classmates? Use lots of adverbs in my blogging, and see if anyone notices?

One of my favourite Christian songs is "If I Stand", by Rich Mullins. He said it so much better than I ever could:

So if I stand let me stand on the promise 

That you will pull me through 

And if I can't, let me fall on the grace 

That first brought me to You 

And if I sing let me sing for the joy 

That has born in me these songs 

And if I weep let it be as a man 

Who is longing for his home

So today, and this week, and this month, and this year: I want to stand. But if I fall, I can do so with confidence that God has provided a net.

Grace.

Trash to Treasure

So I was innocently perusing Twitter on Thursday & came across one of those "RT and we'll draw a random winner" things, from ClifBar. And this is what they were giving away:

Source.

Backstaged

I went to a volunteer training session a few days ago for the fine arts department at UT. They've been working to get a student contingent among their volunteer ushers for a while, so for the next two semesters I get to be part of it. I am really excited about this.

Stock photo; this is not from UT.

Part of that excitement comes from being near a stage again. I was in the drama club throughout my middle school and high school years, and while I am far from being an actress, I loved the backstage stuff. Building a set, moving it around, learning every moment of a play by heart... that's the only reason I could see for even going to school when I was a teenager. (My reputation preceded me, even then; I was so clumsy and fumble-fingered that when anything turned up broken, the directors automatically assumed it was me. The problem is that they were right six times out of four.)

A Part of Me

I'm going to be a jerk and openly declare that I'm irritated by the TA (hereafter known as Skinny Jeans-- I don't understand how she can breathe in those things) for my Creative Problem Solving class. I admit that the problem is me, not her; she's a normal grad student in her late 20s, but I have something hard-wired into my brain to be really irritated by people who are in a life stage that I recently left. I am amused by the freshmen who were still in preschool when I was their age, but someone so close in years to myself-- I have a harder time giggling at her foibles. See? I told you I was a jerk.

The Emerald Tablet

The Emerald Tablet, P.J. Hoover
The Forgotten Worlds, Book 1

First of all, this book is all the more exciting for me because I've met P.J. Hoover! Back last November, when the Princess of Unicorns was in town, we dropped by BookPeople and there was an author event going on... and Ms. Hoover was one of the authors. I would say that we chatted for a while, but the truth is the Unicorn Princess did all the talking and I just stood there looking dopey, at least until Ms. Hoover directed us to her blog-- ooh, that's the magical word! I couldn't get her books that day (this was before the new bookshelves-- there was no space!), but I requested it from the library in my reading frenzy over the Christmas break. I've now zoomed through the first two books in the trilogy (review of The Navel of the World coming next week), and will be reading The Necropolis this week.

Mild spoilers after the jump.

In My Mailbox

These are textbooks for my Pathos class, and I would not normally be that excited about new textbooks, but... look how pretty! They are brand-new! No curled pages or anything! I hardly ever get brand-new textbooks, so this is pretty exciting.

The cover is blurry; it's not the picture
quality. I have no idea what this is
about-- yet. But my instructor talks
about affect a lot.

This sounds promising... but I don't
know what it is about, either. Except
that Descartes was wrong about
something.