Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Blog or Holiday Letter--You Be the Judge

Y' all know by now that I don't really qualify as a blogger. It's like not visiting the dentist. The longer you put it off, the more terrifying it is to show your face. So now I owe a blog entry that reads like one of those awful holiday letters from people you barely care about. Here's the skinny, then let's call it even:

1. I worked on the novel like a maniac all summer, close to 200 pages.

2. Humboldt Literacy Project is an invaluable resource to the North Coast. I worked there June through August. If you are reading these words, you are qualified to teach another adult to read, too. Go for it.

3. August. Taos. Earthships. Carla want:



4. Back to Stanford. New on-campus apartment identical to last year, except a) Closer to main campus--good b) South-facing balcony--excellent c) Equiped with cockroaches--bad. Exterminator arrived promptly and cockroaches have been held at bay.

5. Am now paying the piper for cramming so many wonderful fiction classes into my first year. I was looking forward to taking Spanish (3 quarters required, total). Expected it to be challenging but kind of fun. For the first three weeks I had a scheduled meltdown: weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth. No, really--just ask my husband. After 10 weeks, I have had to write three compositions and give two oral presentations, all in Spanish, plus have conversations with the professor and demonstrate my ability to read, write and listen to Spanish during a 3-hour final. It wasn't kind of fun. But...ahora hablo un poco espaƱol. Ole.

6. My family is still surviving, as are my houseplants. They have their own adventures (the family, not the plants) and they will not get a lot of ink here. Let them write their own damn blogs.

7. I have hardly touched the novel all quarter. Damn that homework gets in the way. But I am home for the holidays and plugging away. I have a small but enthusiastic set of first readers all waiting to give their feedback, if I ever get the damned first draft finished.

So why am I blogging, damnit?
Happy festivus everyone.