Brilliant.
Dec. 22nd, 2005 09:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raybearYesterday afternoon there was talk of going downtown and getting hitched. It didn't happen, in part because of time constraints, in part because neither one of us realized that we were kinda nervous about the whole thing. Not in the second thoughts way, but just in the "whoa! this is bigger than I was expecting". So we're going next week. Instead, we went to lunch at Cozy Corner (where I felt a little like I was cheating on ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mintwaster) then thrift store shopping. I went alone to the grocery store and video store to prepare for the holiday weekend. Among other things, the weekend will involve a Star Wars marathon because strangely enough, dommeyourass has escaped most of her life so far without seeing them all. I mean the originals. So I rented the first trilogy, along with the latest one, which is probably the 'best' of the new trilogy. I'm trying to decide how we should watch them. I'm inclined to say in order they were released, rather than supposed story order.
Last night I burned my 2005 daily calender at a solstice bonfire, along with my final to-do list I carried around the past few weeks related to all my MFA work and a few other scraps of paper that felt symbolic of the year. I started off tearing out individual pages, but later just threw the whole moleskine into the fire and watched it burn rather cleanly.
A couple people have asked me the inevitable graduation questions -- what next? And for the first time, the answer is remarakbly simple. Finish my novel. Keep writing and reading. Nothing so much changes except no longer needing to write up narrative evaluations every 6 months about my progress. I even have a reading list going that I'm starting on. 2006 is the year of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I decided I wanted to pick one author I was mostly unfamiliar with, but interested in, and read all of their works in chronological order and analyzing them from primarily a craft perspective (rather than a literary criticism angle). By August I will have read 12 of his major works along with his autobiography. Anyone want to join in the campaign? My colleagues and I are finalizing the list of works and dates, but I will post it here when I'm done, if so.
It's been a tough week, I must say, despite my hesitations. I feel a little bit like a chunk of my heart has been cut out. In some ways, it's easier that DYA met and loved my L.A. group immediately, so she understands why I miss them so much. I feel silly confessing my sadness, especially since it's not like life is bearing down on me with any major trials. I mean, I just graduated, I have lovely people in my life in multiple cities, I have a great loving partner, I have a weekend ahead of me of food and movies and sex, I have a sense of purpose and a plan. I'm sure there are other things mixed into all this -- the holiday time and family isht that inevitably springs up with it, general exhaustion after 2 months of working hard. Right now I find it best to focus obsessively on a few things. Like finding books off my reading list for super cheap. Or playing sudoku. I spent the entire 4 hour plane ride doing the latter actually.
Also, I miss Rachel Maddow.
mintwaster) then thrift store shopping. I went alone to the grocery store and video store to prepare for the holiday weekend. Among other things, the weekend will involve a Star Wars marathon because strangely enough, dommeyourass has escaped most of her life so far without seeing them all. I mean the originals. So I rented the first trilogy, along with the latest one, which is probably the 'best' of the new trilogy. I'm trying to decide how we should watch them. I'm inclined to say in order they were released, rather than supposed story order.Last night I burned my 2005 daily calender at a solstice bonfire, along with my final to-do list I carried around the past few weeks related to all my MFA work and a few other scraps of paper that felt symbolic of the year. I started off tearing out individual pages, but later just threw the whole moleskine into the fire and watched it burn rather cleanly.
A couple people have asked me the inevitable graduation questions -- what next? And for the first time, the answer is remarakbly simple. Finish my novel. Keep writing and reading. Nothing so much changes except no longer needing to write up narrative evaluations every 6 months about my progress. I even have a reading list going that I'm starting on. 2006 is the year of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I decided I wanted to pick one author I was mostly unfamiliar with, but interested in, and read all of their works in chronological order and analyzing them from primarily a craft perspective (rather than a literary criticism angle). By August I will have read 12 of his major works along with his autobiography. Anyone want to join in the campaign? My colleagues and I are finalizing the list of works and dates, but I will post it here when I'm done, if so.
It's been a tough week, I must say, despite my hesitations. I feel a little bit like a chunk of my heart has been cut out. In some ways, it's easier that DYA met and loved my L.A. group immediately, so she understands why I miss them so much. I feel silly confessing my sadness, especially since it's not like life is bearing down on me with any major trials. I mean, I just graduated, I have lovely people in my life in multiple cities, I have a great loving partner, I have a weekend ahead of me of food and movies and sex, I have a sense of purpose and a plan. I'm sure there are other things mixed into all this -- the holiday time and family isht that inevitably springs up with it, general exhaustion after 2 months of working hard. Right now I find it best to focus obsessively on a few things. Like finding books off my reading list for super cheap. Or playing sudoku. I spent the entire 4 hour plane ride doing the latter actually.
Also, I miss Rachel Maddow.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 07:37 pm (UTC)http://www.maddowonline.com
no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 04:54 pm (UTC)Here you are saying "I miss Rachel Maddow." And I'm thinking that you have a friend named Rachel Maddow that went somewhere are you miss her. And isn't that funny that I went to high school with a person named Rachel Maddow. Then I wondered if we knew the same person. So I made a post on your journal.
Then I thought, I bet they aren't the same Rachel Maddow that we both know. I wonder what happened to my Rachel Maddow. Maybe I should do a myspace search. The last time I saw her was when I visited her at Stanford while I was home on leave. Then I do the myspace search. No Rachel Maddow...but oddly two random dudes have "Rachel Maddow" in their interests. That's odd. Huh.
So maybe I should do a Goodle search for Rachel Maddow.
What do I find? Woah! My Rachel Maddow. The Rachel Maddow I went to school with. The Rachel Maddow that gave that kick ass speach at my high school graduation...that Rachel Maddow is a big Radio Persnality. And you were talking about missing her radio show! Woah! Crazy!
What a crazy world!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 07:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 06:15 pm (UTC)in fact, i'm obsessing right now
no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 06:26 pm (UTC)Well good on you both!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 07:22 pm (UTC)So sayeth the professional.
Also, y'all are going to have a party, right?
Also, I miss you and am looking forward to hanging out upon my return from the land of large, animatronic mice, dogs and bears.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-22 10:45 pm (UTC)GGMarquez, amazing, i would happily join in with that reading. I just love all his visuals, but i am like a kid that way, gotta have lots of pictures going through my head as i read..
re. closure... reduce your goals, maintain a discipline.
re. grief... I would strongly recommend going to gym for 3 months. I dont know it seems a great grieving space. Its got pain reduction tools and games you can play in there that help you push the gunky crap out of your brain through the sweaty parts of the body. And the most important element is that you leave your house to do it.
anyway happy holes enjoy your week with DYA and best wishes for the new year to you both
ooxxxoo
no subject
Date: 2005-12-23 05:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-23 02:40 pm (UTC)What sort of books do you like or want to read? I can maybe make more specialized book recommendations. Right now I can't stop telling people to read Ian McEwan's Atonement. I loved that book.
hullo!
Date: 2005-12-26 10:01 pm (UTC)(a) i am a big marquez fan, and curious to see your response to his work
(b) am currently reading capote, so we clearly have literary interests in common
(c) i am also currently obsessed with "unison," but also "mouth's cradle."
(d) various other little details you write about, to which i relate.
so...hello!
oops.
Date: 2005-12-26 10:03 pm (UTC)Re: oops.
Date: 2005-12-27 06:23 pm (UTC)i'm curious to how you stumbled upon me. not that it matters. i'm just purely curious!
Re: oops.
Date: 2005-12-28 03:04 am (UTC)anyway, i found you a while back, but just now got around to adding you!