farewell october

So, work has been rather slow the last two weeks. Today is one of those days where I would so rather be in an art gallery, a coffee shop, or just still tucked in bed. I was a bit sick over the weekend and am still a little tired, but feeling better today. The November calendar is packed with books coming in and there will be so much to do but for today, well, I'm writing this.

Yesterday we went to church and then came home to a houseful of people and had hot chili for lunch. We raked some leaves and I helped Wendy carve her first pumpkin which turned out to be pretty great. After that Joy and a bunch of friends came back to work on their costumes. Joy was a pancake, Zoe, the syrup. Given was bacon, Shepherd was a waffle and Carpenter was a deviled egg, complete with little horns. Together they made up The Breakfast Club. Pretty epic I think.

I curled up in bed around 3:00 and slept until 5:30.

Naps are the most fantastic things.

one of my favorite streets

Looking down toward a favorite coffee shop, Ebenezers.

titus andronicus

A few years ago, whilst studying at Oxford, I fell in love with Shakespeare's work. My favorites consisting of comedies like Much Ado and A Midsummer Nights Dream however I made a goal to, at some point, read his complete works. I've been slowly working on that since. I've also come to realize when one reads Shakespeare one should also see Shakespeare.

I am going on Saturday to see Titus Andronicus put on in Ellicott City. It is designed to be "a production staged to keep the cast and the audience on the move throughout the stone ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park." An open air drama among the ruins on the eve of Halloween, sounds like fun to me. I picked up a copy of the script this morning and true to Shakespeare, there is conflict and murder already in the first act.

I can't wait.

exploring this morning

Thanks guys.

fringe benefits

A few years back I was visiting with some friends over a fall holiday and found myself crammed on the couch, overly full--as often happens in their home--about to watch a movie. I hadn't recognized the name of the film but everyone was excited to watch it together. As the opening scene came on and Eddy Vedder's voice captured my heart I noticed at the bottom of the screen a black bar that read, "for critical viewing only". You see, a friend of a friend rates movies and writes reviews for them and apparently passes them along every once in a while.

I watched Into the Wild about a month before it was publicly released.

Working in a publishing house also comes with its perks. Yes, yesterday morning I came in and checked an index (which basically means I used it, for about thirty different entries, to make sure they were correct) which is one of the most tedious tasks I have ever done. But yesterday afternoon Steve Palumbi came into give a presentation about his book The Death and Life of Monterrey Bay. He has told a beautiful story about the rebirth of the bay and the characters who come alive in it are not only the people who fought for Monterrey Bay, but the animals and the ecosystem that has found its way to life again.

I have in my lap an uncorrected proof galley of his book--which is scheduled to be released later this week.

treasure hunt

Last week we went to the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore to listen to a lecture from the man, Greg Stemm, who is the CEO of Odyssey Marine Exploration. Up until two minutes before we went in Joy was a little skeptical. However after he played a video for us I think we were all hooked.



This man finds deep sea treasure for a living. After his lecture there was time for us to stand and talk with him and Steve asked something to the effect of, "So once you find something, is it finders-keepers?" His response, because the shipwrecks they work with are in international waters, basically. Although the country of Spain wants their gold back from the Tortugas.

Finders-keepers people. Ships have been sinking for thousands of years. Who wants to go into the treasure hunting business with me?

http://shipwreck.net/aboutus.php

Old Ellicott City

 Joy and I

This is Old Ellicott City, where we spent a lovely fall afternoon.

Antique stores and locally owned shops, with so many treasures to be found!

Joy, Steve, Jasmine and Patti walk up main street. 

Inside Taylor's antiques.

The girls! Jasmine, Me, Wendy, Joy and Patti.

At Bean Hollow, these two remind me of the Gilmore girls. 

My new favorite place. Thanks for the camera La!

slow, like the rain

Life has been slow, and pretty normal this week. I finished the castoff for another project and the transmittal meeting for said project is this afternoon. I love going to meetings here, as it gives me a chance to interact with all the different sides of publishing. Assistant editors, editors, the Production department, Marketing--they are all there sitting in one room (some on the conference phone) talking about specifics and reasons for publishing this work. A great opportunity to see the big picture process.

It has been fantastic to have the Weckers home again. Alone time was great, don't get me wrong, but the cat, Franklin/Frankie/Franktown/Fbomb (the last one I made up) was kinda making me nuts. At least now he only bugs me at 5:30 am instead of, well, all night.

It's raining today, and this morning I went to Starbucks (the only reason I go to this one is because of the perfect location, and window room facing Dupont Circle) and watched it. Reason I went to Starbucks? Because my mom sent me a card, as well as a box of wonderful. More on that tk (to come).

the trains don't run on columbus day

Apparently people in Maryland take vacations on Columbus day. I, being from California, don't remember the last time I thought about Columbus day being any different than the rest.

You know the feeling when you show up to school on a late start day, or a holiday and there are no students outside, no cars in the parkinglot and everyone seems to know something you don't? That is presicely how I felt this morning when I pulled into the empty MARC train station, expecting to catch the 8:20 train.

Instead I drove to New Carrolton, having no traffic problems as most people aren't going to work today, and got on the Metro. I find quickly that the Metro Center station is out of service and thus have to transfer lines twice in order to make it up to Dupont Circle. What made all this worth the trouble was a little boy that got on three stops before I got off the train.

Red curly haired boy, about four years old, wearing a plaid shirt was wide eyed as he followed mom and dad onto the train. So excited he couldn't decide where to sit, wanting to sit all by himself. The train was leaving the station and he picked a spot. Feet dangling from the seat he looked around like it was Christmas. Every stop he would yell, "I can hear the brakes going off!" to anyone who was listening. To the everyday-annoyed-that-the-station-is-closed commuter, this little one was a breath of fresh air.

crabs

When I moved in with the Weckers I quickly realized how much seafood I would have the pleasure of eating. I am a lover of most kinds of fish, and crave sushi daily, however crab, shrimp or scallops I am not really familiar with.

Apparently in Maryland crabs are a much revered feast. I learned how to eat them this last weekend during half time of the Ravens/..... game (ya I don't remember who they played, I just remember we won at the last possible moment!). It was a cultural experience, to sit outside in the brisk air in between halves of a football game eating crabs.

This one was as big as my face!


This is what I learned.

1. Rip off their legs and eat any meat attached.
2. Crack open their claws and eat the stuff inside.
3. Pull open the "key" on their bellies.
4. Rip off their faces.
5. Pull off their backs and break them in half.
6. Scoop out their lungs and their insides.
7. Eat the meat and avoid the poop.

He says, "please don eat meee!"


Sounds delicious huh? Actually, I'm a fan.