Point of Rocks, Outlander & Musings on Love in a Laundromat
What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, check out Jaime's or Erin's lovely blogs and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of the post.
WHAT I'M READING
I downloaded OUTLANDER thinking that as it weighed in at over 900 pages, that it would last me a week at least. Nope. Not even close. I read the whole damn thing in two days. This involved reading well into the wee hours of the morning when I knew I had to get up at 5am to run a kayak trip the next day. I think I need to sign up for the AA equivalent for Book Junkies. "Hi, my name is Kris and I have a problem...with books." This is where you all say "Hi Kris" because I know at least half of you deserve to be in that room with me. I'll bring the vegan donuts. And coffee....lots and lots of coffee, because holy crap, I'm sooooo tired.
WHAT I'M WRITING
I've had to break my writing goals into very tiny mini goals in order to make forward progress. Things like: "revise transition in section 14". I won't bore you with the list. Fortunately, my checklist is getting shorter. I got quite a bit done toward the first of the week, then the last half of the week got sucked into a time vortex where I stumbled around in a "What was I thinking?!" haze of 16 hour-long days where I was lucky to get anything to eat before 9pm.
I downloaded OUTLANDER thinking that as it weighed in at over 900 pages, that it would last me a week at least. Nope. Not even close. I read the whole damn thing in two days. This involved reading well into the wee hours of the morning when I knew I had to get up at 5am to run a kayak trip the next day. I think I need to sign up for the AA equivalent for Book Junkies. "Hi, my name is Kris and I have a problem...with books." This is where you all say "Hi Kris" because I know at least half of you deserve to be in that room with me. I'll bring the vegan donuts. And coffee....lots and lots of coffee, because holy crap, I'm sooooo tired.
WHAT I'M WRITING
I've had to break my writing goals into very tiny mini goals in order to make forward progress. Things like: "revise transition in section 14". I won't bore you with the list. Fortunately, my checklist is getting shorter. I got quite a bit done toward the first of the week, then the last half of the week got sucked into a time vortex where I stumbled around in a "What was I thinking?!" haze of 16 hour-long days where I was lucky to get anything to eat before 9pm.
WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
Some of the fun stuff we managed to fit in this week included snorkeling at Point of Rocks. (I've included a panorama I took so you can see the whole shoreline.) We also went out for a very fun celebratory dinner to celebrate Chris starting his new job. He landed what is basically a Biologist's dream job and I'm all sorts of happy for him. He's been grinning like a jack-o-lantern for a week. It was fun to take a break, indulge in gorgeous food and laugh ourselves absolutely silly.
WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW
This is going to sound incredibly cheesy, but can I just say Boy Chris. A friend of mine once said, find someone to love that you could have fun with in a laundromat. It took me a loooong time to figure it out, and many, many mistakes along the way, but I think I finally hit the jackpot. I could have fun with that boy anywhere.(And I do mean anywhere. Including a night in a 75 cent "hotel" in Liberia that had fleas.) And he is incredibly supportive of every ridiculous scheme I've ever come up with. I say, "I want to write books" and he says "When do I get to read them?" I say, "I want to quit my day job and run an Ecotourism business" and he says "Let's do it!" and then makes me dinner after a long day and peels me off the couch when my legs have stopped working and carries me in to bed. Some days I can't believe how lucky I am. And hopefully, he never reads this because it would definitely go to his head.
This is going to sound incredibly cheesy, but can I just say Boy Chris. A friend of mine once said, find someone to love that you could have fun with in a laundromat. It took me a loooong time to figure it out, and many, many mistakes along the way, but I think I finally hit the jackpot. I could have fun with that boy anywhere.(And I do mean anywhere. Including a night in a 75 cent "hotel" in Liberia that had fleas.) And he is incredibly supportive of every ridiculous scheme I've ever come up with. I say, "I want to write books" and he says "When do I get to read them?" I say, "I want to quit my day job and run an Ecotourism business" and he says "Let's do it!" and then makes me dinner after a long day and peels me off the couch when my legs have stopped working and carries me in to bed. Some days I can't believe how lucky I am. And hopefully, he never reads this because it would definitely go to his head.
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"Find someone you could have fun with in a Laundromat." LOVE that! And so true! Glad you found him! He sounds incredibly supportive, fun, and awesome. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, yes - sign me up for the club. I'll bring the coffee. Also, I really need to get my hands on Outlander. A few of my friends have been trying to get me to read that forever.
Thanks Alison! And yay for you joining the AA for Book Junkies Club! I think our meetings are going to be A LOT more fun now. :)
DeleteSo happy that you have someone like Chris. He sounds great! I assume that's the same one with the awesome, new job? If it is, congrats to him!!! (If it isn't than congrats too, just to another Chris ;))
ReplyDeleteI'd love to join your club! And I won't touch Outlander until the kids are back in school. Thanks for the warning :)
Haha! Yes, it's the same Chris. Our friends just call him Boy Chris and me Girl Kris to keep us separate. (It kind of stuck) :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yay, another member of the Book Junkies Club. And yes, don't try and start Outlander unless you want to disappear in a time vortex and lose a couple of days. (at least)
Hi Kris! I'm stopping by through the What's Up Wednesday linkup. :) I'm definitely a member of the book junkie club (and its subgroup: the book-buying junkie club)! I'll also bring coffee...I think a couple gallons would get us through one support group meeting!
ReplyDeleteLoving someone you could have fun with in a laundromat, how perfect is that? I love it! :) Have a great week and good luck with your writing goals!
Hi Kaitlin! Oooh, the Book-buying Junkie Club, I didn't think of that one but it's a must for me as well. My book budget is alarming. (I'm trying to cut down.) Do they have a patch for that?
DeleteI also love the laundromat line. That's so true. Way to go getting some writing done while you're on vacation!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steph! And I'm not actually on vacation, but I wish I was. It was more of a mid-week break sort of thing. But hey, I'll take what I can get. :)
DeleteI hope to be able to go snorkling someday. I read Outlander last year and didn't fall in love with it, but I know I'm in the minority, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. good luck with your writing this week!
ReplyDeleteOh you should! It's so much fun and a great way to get exercise without realizing it. And I actually see both sides of the Outlander argument, I just have a book problem. :)
DeleteCongrats on the new job! Love when someone can get their dream job. Glad you got to go out and celebrate with him. Breaks are nice!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous shots.
Conquering small goals is still conquering. Great job. I do better with smaller ones as well. Good luck getting the rest done!
Thanks Mandie! And yeah, breaks are a MUST these days. And I'm with you, I'd rather rock out 5 mini goals that finish zero big goals. :)
DeleteOoo... OUTLANDER. That's been on my TBR for a heck of a very long time. Thanks for the reminder that I need to get to it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was getting to know my wife, one of the things that "sealed the deal" for me was that I kept thinking, "This is someone that I really want to spend my life with. That I could go places with and have fun, or just be in a room with and just enjoy being with her." Or, indeed, have fun in a laundromat with. :)
I will warn you about OUTLANDER that there is at least one section that most guys I know hated. I don't want to spoil it for you, but you may want to read a review that addresses that aspect so it's not a shocker.
DeleteAnd it sounds like you guys have a wonderful foundation for a relationship. It's wonderful that you found one another. Plus, partners make awesome CP's. :)
I definately need to join that readers adiction support group with you. It actually baffles me when I see people post that they are still reading the same book they started two weeks ago. It's always painful for me to not finish a book in one sitting, and when I do have to put a book down, I still always finish it in two or three days tops.
ReplyDeleteI actually try not to read before bed, because good stories always wake me up. There have been multiple books that I've been almost done with when I noticed the sun starting to rise.
It sounds like not only are you a member of our Book Junkies Support Group but you might qualify as president. I would vote for you! :)
DeleteAnd yeah, if it starts getting light and I'm still reading I'm all "Crap this is going to hurt at 3pm"
I love that laundromat saying! And it's totally true. I could have fun with Todd anywhere because he's my best friend in the entire world. (I've always gagged on that "Today I marry my friend" thing, but in my case, it's totally true.) I'm happy you've found someone like that, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for your writing: Every bit of progress, small or large, is still moving forward. So good for you! I'm amazed that you managed to squeeze it in with everything else you're doing.
OUTLANDER is so good, so it's no big surprise that you devoured it in only two days. Still, it's a beast, so I'm giving you a serious internet high five right now. And that AA equivalent for book junkies? I'm so there. So there. Have a great week, Kris! :-)
I know, I've always balked at the cheesy "marry your friend" thing too. But you know, there really is something to it. You and Todd seem like a great couple, from the little I've gleaned from your blog.
DeleteAnd man, if you're joining the AA Book Junkie group, this will be awesome. Because then I have someone to talk about OUTLANDER with (including that one scene that had me going WTF?!) :)
What a great line of relationship advice, so true. As for the book junkie club count me in, book-buying addict here (I'm like a compulsive buyer) LOL.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your goals for the week & enjoy the vacation, it looks lovely!
Hi Patrice! And yep, compulsive book buyer over here too! Still, as habits go we could have a worse one, right? :)
DeleteSuch beautiful photos, as always <3
ReplyDeleteDon't you love a book you can't put down, even a hefty 900-pager? Awesome :D
Thanks! And yes, those are my favorite kind of books. Though I often stagger around like a zombie the next day. :)
DeleteSeriously, I want that man's email address so I can send him a copy of this post. He'd be thrilled to know how lucky HE is as well (if he doesn't already). :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd, Hi Kris! *waving from across the room* Need someone to sponsor you?
Haha! Nope, you can't have his email, because he's already got a pretty big head about me telling him that he looked a little like Matthew McConaughey with his new haircut. :)
DeleteAnd yes, I DO need a sponsor! *hugs new sponsor* *gives new sponsor jelly beans*
Okay, it's too funny that you read OUTLANDER in only two days! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Although, let's face it, what's not to enjoy? Hello, Jamie Fraser in a kilt. I hope you're on your way to recuperating after your book binge.
ReplyDeleteI love your laundromat analogy and I can vouch for the truth of it. My husband and I are best friends and there just aren't enough minutes in the day to spend with him. A 75 cent hotel in Liberia though? With fleas? That sounds like the true test of a relationship!
Those photos are amazing! I've never been snorkeling, but would love to try it some time. Please tell Boy Chris congratulations on his new job, and keep plugging away at those writing goals. You're smart to break them into smaller more manageable bits. Then even when you're busy with other things you can still keep moving forward on writing. Have an awesome week!
I know! I was seriously kicking myself the next day, but I just couldn't put it down! I kept worrying that I was going to get bawled out by a very grumpy boy if he woke up and realized I was STILL reading at 3am. :) I will tell him that you said congrats on the new job. I'll have to use your Pirate Name though, so he knows who I'm talking about. :)
DeleteHow cool that you and your hubbie are best friends. He sounds awesome by the way. (beer brewing and all)
Hope your week is splendid as well!
OUTLANDER is so good. They're finally making it into a mini series. I think they start shooting in the Autumn. I can't imagine who they'll cast as Jaime!
ReplyDeleteI love the laundromat quote. It's perfect.
Good liluck powering through your checklist this week.
I saw something about the mini series when I was googling the book cover. Had some tasty pictures of guys in the article. Not sure who they're going to choose; that's a pretty big kilt to fill. *wicked grin*
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