Another movie to look forward to!

Loved Paul Rudd in "Knocked Up"? (I did!) Love him even more in "The Ten," based on the Ten Commandments (The laws, not the Charlton Heston movie). The preview ran before "Knocked Up," and I laughed my ass off. Can't wait to see. Check it out.

Ooooh, Wicca-y Woman

Ok, not really. But I liked the pun.

So, I consider myself an Irish Catholic, though in recent years I've lapsed a bit in my church-going, and am currently feeling a little persona non grata with the church, what with my marrying a *gasp!* divorced man and all that. So, we're getting married in a Presbyterian church, and I'm wondering how much leeway we will have to do something a little different with the ceremony.

For several reasons, we won't be doing a unity candle ceremony. But I've been doing some thinking, and pondering, and reading, and want to try to find a way to draw on some older traditions. It's another aspect of my "Vintage Optimism," I suppose.

It's not specifically Wiccan, I don't think, though there are strong elements of Celtic tradition in a handfasting ceremony. I recently read this on (what else?) Weddingbee:

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

I like the style of it, even if it's not exactly what I want. Several questions, though -- will it feel like some weird bondage ceremony to have the reverend tying us up on the altar? Do I now have to go find a special cord, and if so, can I use one in my wedding colors, or are there special colors that are more meaningful than others? Am I going to alienate the more Catholic members of my family with a "pagan" tradition? Is this something the reverend will even allow?

Your advice, as always, is appreciated!

Change of plans!

Had been planning on going down to the Shore this afternoon, but changed my mind once I heard about the veritable army of children (16 of 'em!) that will be descending on the Shore House. Not going to get a quiet weekend to sit and read with all of them around, no sir! So, I'm heading back to Queens, bag a little heavier from the various library books and manuscripts I picked up at work, planning to play a little more CoH with Doyce, watch some tv, sleep in, do laundry, and generally enjoy a quiet weekend without having to go anywhere!

Also, now I can send ***Dave random messages at all hours of the day to support his Blogathon!

Raises an interesting question

Do we need to have something for our guests to throw at us after we are pronounced husband and wife? [...] What do you think? As a guest, is fun to have something to “do” like toss confetti at couple? Maybe some noisemakers would be better? Or should we just skip it and get to the champagne?

Well, what DO you think? (Via Shelterrific.)

Pink!

Look! The sky is pink outside my window!
Or was a few moments ago when I took the picture. It's purdy.

Musical tip!

Morning, all! Please don't forget to comment on my previous post with questions you might have for an agent or editor. I need your help!

In other news, I was out late last night at an intimate show by singer/songwriter Brian Halloran at The Baggot Inn in the Village. Good times, great music. You all know how much I hate Myspace, so you can correctly assume that he must be pretty good to warrant my linking to him there. My favorite song of his is "Everybody," which is conveniently available on his page, so go check it out. I have it on good authority that this guy's going places, and you may soon hear his songs popping up on your favorite tv shows or in some movie previews.

It's funny, a couple of years ago I was all about live music, even if it was mostly Irish. I'd be at a bar at least once a week to hear a band, and I usually knew either the band members, some of the fans, or both. That's gone a bit by the wayside lately, as I'm more interested in spending my social time with friends in places where we can actually hear each other talk. I still love great music, though.

And actually, last night reminded me that I like singing and performing, too. I was a musical theatre baby, cutting my teeth in community theatre and learning to tap dance on borrowed, too-small shoes. And you know, sometimes I miss it. I long ago recognized that I wasn't interested in pursuing a life in the New York professional theatre world, which is both too cutthroat and too good for my feeble talents, but in the back of my head, even when I was admitting I really didn't need to keep taking stage combat classes or update my headshot, I thought of a time in the future when I'd be somewhere where community theatre might be a real option again.

And what do you know, it just may be! If not, at least we can find a karaoke bar, right?

Trolling for Questions

So, I'm heading to LA next week for the Annual Summer Conference of the SCBWI, where I'll be speaking with another agent as well as leading two workshops, and meeting with individual authors to offer in-depth critiques of their first 15 pages. But I could use your help, gentle readers. My workshops are planned to be extensions of the popular (I like to kid myself) semi-regular feature on this blog, Advice From An Agent, and while I could just repeat some of my previous advice (and will), I'm hoping to get a few new topics for conversation as well. And so I turn to you. Published and unpublished writers, editors, and friends -- what do you want to ask an agent? Or, what kind of advice to you wish someone had told you when you were starting out? Or what do you wish writers knew?

Thanks for all your help!!

Kinda weird, sort of appropriate

So I just got a press release from my dentist (I know, let's just move on) touting a new teeth-whitening procedure they're going to be doing. Now, this is on the long list of things I want to do before the wedding, but the email brought it up again to my attention (well, that, and the recent issue of Real Simple I saw which rated a few different methods of tooth whitening). My fear of dentists and various tooth-related issues is well-documented, I think, and yet I want to do this. So, what to do? Go for something I can get at Duane Reade for about $40 -- not inconsequential, but not crazy expensive -- and trust myself to use it all? Or pay what will likely be more money (don't know how much yet) for a one-time process that someone else will do to me, during which I can possibly zone out completely? (I wonder if they'd give me nitrous for a tooth whitening?) In any case, I will continue on as I have been -- whitening toothpaste while still enjoying multiple coke zeros a day.

Thoughts?

ANOTHER downpour

I swear to God, I saw the pigeons and ninja sparrows going off two-by-two down the street. Thanks goodness I finished Harry yesterday -- I wouldn't have wanted to carry the book around in the rain. Although I did give it to my roomie to read -- be careful with it out there! Wrap it in plastic!

There's something about a downpour in New York City that's just twice as miserable as rain elsewhere. Sure, the hoi polloi can just hop in their private cars and ride to where they need to go in comfort, but subways get flooded, buses are packed and full of people with dripping umbrellas, and there really isn't anything to do sometimes but walk in the rain. Umbrellas -- unless they're the giant ones that get in other people's way -- don't really cut it, so some part of you is always getting wet.

It's just miserable, and for the first time that I can remember, I heard myself say "I hate it here." I don't, not really, but I do like the fact that I can envision a time not too far off in the future when I'm not going to be bothered by rain in the same way anymore.

I'll be able to get dressed at home, open the front door, go into the garage via my covered walkway, get in my car (this one? maybe this one? but I want this!), and drive to where I need to be. Maybe there I'll need my umbrella, but that's nothing in comparison to my three-quarters of a mile walk this morning in the pouring rain. Ahhhhh...

Finished!

Got my book yesterday at 11:57 am, finished it just now, about 23 hours later. Bearing in mind I took a few hours off last night for socializing and drinking, and then had to sleep a bit.

Anyway, so good! I will say nothing further.

Going dark

It's after midnight, which means Harry has been released upon the world. The roomie and I saw hordes of people buried in their books on the subway ride home tonight, and though I thought of mugging someone for their copy, I resisted. I'm getting mine tomorrow, which means from now until I read that last page, I've got to observe internet silence. Don't want to risk being spoiled.

Stay safe out there.

Help me find shoes!!

Ladies -- and any gentlemen who frequent shoe stores -- I'm putting out an A.P.B. for some purple shoes. Since my friend Kyrra's wedding a few years ago, where I saw she wore fabulous pink sandals with her wedding dress, I've been stuck on the idea of wearing purple shoes with my gown. Fast forward to now, when I've got the dress, but still no shoes. How can this be? I've looked at Prada, DSW, Stuart Weitzman, Kate Spade, and loads of other places, but still haven't found anything perfect. Sure, there's been some close calls. These were nice, but the version I saw of them in the store was too gladiator-y. These are great shoes, almost perfect, except for the shade of purple, which is a little too pink. These are close, but will I be able to swing dance in them? I had been thinking of something with an ankle strap. I love these, but they're from Kate Spade's wedding line, and only come in white. I don't want the hassle of dying, since my experience with that in the past has left me with dye marks all over my feet.

Anyway, so I turn to you, kind shoppers. On your travels around the internets and the stores of our fine city, could you let me know if you stumble across any great purple heels? Looking at something with at least a two inch heel, preferably open toe, with an ankle strap or slingback. If you need a reminder on the color purple I'm looking for, just check out the background on my blog!

A bee?

I am considering this. Need to post more wedding stuff here to show off my talents!

How Divine! Again!

Want to know more about how I got into triathlons in the first place? Read my latest article on Divine Caroline. With a picture of me crossing my latest finish line!

Back home in NYC

And was welcomed this morning by torrential downpours, a thunder and lightning storm, and flooded out subways. Took me nearly two hours to make it into work, a trip that normally takes about 20 minutes. Ran into some friends on my second subway platform of the day, though, and managed to hit my favorite bagel place for breakfast and lunch on the way in. Still, could the signs be any clearer that I should have stayed in Colorado? (Or at least in bed?) No, they could not.

EDIT: This just in! New York is falling apart! The subways are all kerplooie. My goodness!

Hooray!

We finished!

Took me just over two hours. 22 minutes for the swim, 57 minutes for the bike, and 38 minutes for the run, with 5 minutes and then 2 minutes in my transitions. Some extraneous seconds here and there, and I did not make my goal of coming in in less than two hours, but I came pretty darn close, and I feel great. And tonight -- I get ice cream!!

Ready to go!

Met Yi Shun and Jim at the pre-race expo and materials pick up this afternoon, did the course overview, picked up some freebies, racked the bike, had a fantabulous meal at our favorite local Thai/Chinese place, and showed off the house a bit. Still need to pack up my bag for tomorrow with all my gear, grab a towel and some stuff like that, but we're planning on kicking back now and relaxing with the previous Harry Potter on DVD, so I can reward myself tomorrow, post-tri, with the new movie!

Oh, and I'm drinking lots of water and gatorade. It's highly recommended.

Signing off

Not really, and not for all that long, actually. I'm heading out tonight (yay, finally!) for Denver, and though I aim to be very low maintenance and exercise-y, with lots of time for relaxation, I doubt that that will lead to much blogging. Maybe some photos though, of me (hopefully) crossing the finish line on Sunday.

Anyway, don't forget about me while I'm off. Check back next Wednesday for all the latest.

Oversharing

As Cole Porter once put it, "It's Too Darn Hot."

Adrian Cronauer went a little further and said, "The weather out there today is hot and shitty with continued hot and shitty in the afternoon."

So, yeah, it's hot. I did my NIA class tonight, and even inside, with the AC blasting, I worked up enough of a sweat that I was seriously worried about slipping on the bare floor. Yes, folks, my feet sweat. A lot. And when you're walking on them all day, and moving around on them, they take quite a beating.

So that's my overshare for the day. now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go soak my hot, sweaty feet in a cold bath.

Ktbuffy in Springfield!

Via ***Dave, a link through to the Simpsons Movie site, where you can make your own Simpsons-esque avatar. Here's me!

Scenic bike views.

Eek! There's a black spot on the sun!

The Triborough Bridge still looks nice, though.

Shame about the sun, though.

For my own reference, my ride.

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting...

Know what strikes me about this article?

Schoen this year applied to Notre Dame and was rejected. In his appeal he included a copy of the book, a copy of the New York Times review and a clipping of the newspaper's best-seller list. Notre Dame reversed its decision and welcomed him with a letter congratulating him on his achievements at such a young age.

Notre Dame backpedaled, for one thing! But really, who knew it was possible to appeal a rejection from college?

A quick update

Very busy this weekend, what with all the shopping and hanging out and being social. Hard to keep up with the blogging! So where were we?

When last we left our heroine, she was debating heading back to Astoria Park to swim some laps. Well, I did go back, and managed 19 lengths of the 50 meter pool before getting a ridiculously painful crap in my leg from all the back and forthing. Worked that out, and did three more lengths, for a total of 22. Which, if my math is right, works out to 1100 meters, or .68 miles -- more than what I'll need to do for the race next weekend. After that, I went home, had some dinner, and Doyce and I later rocked the Operative Renault Strike Force on CoV with a pick-up group. Stayed up until 3 in the morning -- just like old times!

Saturday morning, I went up to my mom's, and we checked out a couple of hotels in order to hold a group of rooms for the wedding weekend. I'd had my heart set on the Rye Town Hilton, where I'd played in the halls as a kid, and one time, played in the indoor pool on Kenny G's inflatable pool toy! Good times, good times. The Hilton couldn't block off a group of rooms for us, since they have another convention there that weekend, but I was able to reserve 9, and could call back to reserve more. In the meantime, I checked out some of the other options.

The Doral Arrowwood is nice, but the setup is kind of weird, and they're clearly geared towards business travellers. The rate is one price Friday and Saturday night, then jumps up hugely for Sunday night. Plus, the way the hotel is arranged is kind of confusing.

So we did some shopping for ideas, and crafty stuff, and got some mason jars for our planned candy buffet, and then checked out the Summerfield Suites. Good sized rooms, all of which are suites with lots of room, friendly staff, plenty of availability, a good rate including breakfast, and a place to hang out after the wedding. So, I'm going to hold a block of rooms there, and people can call them directly to reserve for any combination of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, for a one- or two-bedroom suite. I'm being budget conscious wherever possible, and the suites allow for people to share rooms if they want, since each room also has a full sized pull-out bed, not to mention a full kitchen -- nicer than some apartment kitchens I've been in.

So that was a full day on Saturday. Yesterday, I have brunch with Miss Kyrra, talked wedding stuff, and walked over with the roomie to Astoria Pool again to try to get out of the heat. Huge long line to get in, but the pool is big enough to hold thousands, probably, so it was still fun and refreshing. Hit an Italian Ice stand on the way back home, made some cheeseburgers on the George Foreman grill, and watched "Cars." All in all, a very good day.

And only three more days until I'm in Denver!

Swim time!

In Astoria Park.

EDIT: Except not so much, since by the time they finally reopened the pool (the park website neglected to mention that the pool was closed for an hour in the middle of the day, every day), and I waited on line to get in, get my bag searched, and be practically frisked to ensure I wasn't bringing any contraband into the pool, when I finally, FINALLY got in -- the lap lanes weren't open. They are apparently ONLY available during the early morning and late night "Adult Lap Swim" sessions, and not, as I was told on Sunday by a Parks Employee, whenever the pool is open.

So, I turn around get dressed, walk all the way home (this is, by the way, after about a 2 mile run to get to the pool, and kill some time waiting for it to reopen), and now have to decide if I'm going to turn around in an hour and try again. I tell you, I'm tempted to give up, throw on some sweats, and veg out. Stay tuned!

Great speech

Lots of people have been blogging about Keith Olberman's Special Comment on July 3rd (and you probably don't even need a link to go find it, since you're probably someone who already commented on it yourself), but what I haven't seen before was a transcript of the speech. As the editor whose blog I pulled this from said, someone should hire Olberman to be a presidential speechwriter.

Ladies and gents, that is GOOD writing.

Girl in Training

I really ought to make some new labels for all this chatter I'm doing about training. Yeah, I'll get to that soon -- maybe tomorrow. Anyway, I biked! Over 11 miles. And it was raining, and I got very wet and rather dirty. I felt like a kid again.

But man, does my butt hurt!

EDIT: And I saw many pretty things, like this lighthouse on Roosevelt Island. In the distance, the Triborough Bridge, which I also biked under on the same trip. Over and under four bridges in total, some multiple times.

Happy July 5th!

Yesterday was kind of a wacky holiday. It felt weekendish, but it was only one day in the middle of the week, so I didn't make plans to go anywhere. The weather was wacky here, alternatively windy and chilly and rainy and nice. And the fireworks were only a distant booming, not like in previous years when I'd get right up underneath them, either at the beach or watching on the Hudson. it just felt off.

Which may have been an effect of waking up too early in the morning (on a holiday!), when someone decided to park right outside our building and blast music for just long enough to wake both me and my roomie up, long before we'd planned to emerge on a day off.

But I did get a chance to spend the day with Miss Flabbypants herself, who's looking fantabulous, and have many wonderful conversations while in the course of doing some shopping, having some lunch, and completely spacing and not actually looking up to be sure that the movie we wanted to see was actually playing at the theatre nearby. Whoops!

When I got home, I played a little Guitar Hero (practice makes -- well, if not perfect, at least a little better) and watched "Music & Lyrics." Which was silly, but fun. I needed something to scrub my brain clean after wasting an evening watching "Rent" the other day. Man! So glad I didn't see THAT one in the theatre -- either movie or Broadway. I like musicals, but not that one.

Anyway, that was then. In one week, I'll be in Denver. Whee!

Finally!

I came in this morning thinking our office was closing at 1pm, discovered that no one else seemed to have heard that, and that I was mistaken, went out to lunch expecting to work the rest of the afternoon, only to get back an hour ago, and just be told now that we can go home. Which is great, yay!, but means I don't have enough time for the full afternoon of plans I had made -- just enough time to get home and fret about not having enough time to go work out. Sigh.

Tomorrow I'll go for my ride and swim. Tonight -- it's geekfest!

Neat stuff!

Yi Shun introduced me to the wonders of Gmaps Pedometer, and I can map out a route from my apartment to the park where the pool is. There and back, it's just over 3.2 miles, which is a perfect training run for the tri. Woot! Very exciting. Here it is.

I'm going to go figure out how far I biked on Sunday now.

Clearly, Dave, you're not reading my blog carefully enough.

Because you tagged me for an "Eight Random Facts About Me" meme, and I already did it!

Now, if I were a very interesting sort of person, I could probably try to come up with 8 more random facts about me, but then we'd be getting into serious randomness. Like -- I currently have a blister on my left foot, exactly where my flip flops hit. And I'm a total spaz at round-ball sports, due to massive adolescent trauma caused at a grammar school game of dodge ball. My nails are very weak, because I bit them for years. Still do, sometimes, which is why I try to get frequent manicures. I told my niece that my psoriasis was "jungle rot," because that's what my dad used to call his. I'm looking for someone to take engagement photos of Doyce and I, but I'm cheap and just want a friend to it, since we're already going to spend nearly $2,000 on professional wedding photography. Which is nothing compared to what some brides spend -- I just read about someone who spent $6,000! I have a big pothos plant in my apartment that I named "Porthos." Over the years I've had him, I also had clippings that I rooted and named "D'Artagnan," "Athos," and "Aramis." I named my teddy bear Logan after a character on the soap opera "The Edge of Night." That same actor later played Blossom's dad on "MacGyver" (not as Blossom, obviously). And I'm incredibly nervous about some work-related stuff right now.

See? Totally weird and random. Not interesting at all.

Yippie-kai-ai!

Because I can't write anything that better describes the feeling of watching "Live Free or Die Hard", read this:

I just spent two hours laughing, gasping, cheering, clapping my hands, and generally having a helluva time watching this movie. When it was over, I immediately wanted to watch it again. I wanted to buy the DVD in the lobby on the way out. It was that much fun.

Run, don't walk. It's not only a perfect summer film, but it's a great action movie, period.

For the record...

I suck at Guitar Hero. Sigh.

Also, there is way too much stuff in my room. In my apartment, if I'm being honest.

And I hate dusting.

And I haven't gotten any of the reading I planned to do this weekend done.

But I did take a two hour nap yesterday.

And I went for a bike ride today, and discovered the entrance to Rikers Island.

And now my butt hurts, as well as my legs (from my run on Friday).

But I'm going to see "Live Free or Die Hard," and I can't wait!

And I got new shoes on Thursday.

And I'm happy with my haircut, now that I can do something with it myself.

So that's cool.