Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #44
This one’s gonna be quick, Blogland. I’m not at home, I don’t have access to my whiteboard, and as of this writing it is WAY past my bedtime. Let’s get to it! Last Week Nanowrimo Prep Weekly Nano Word Count Goal (8,335 words) Record Podcast Workout/Read 30 minutes a day How’d I Do? Nanowrimo Prep Yes? Yes! I’m prepped and things are progressing. Weekly Nano Word Count Goal (8,335 words) Lol. No. Record Podcast Yes! Workout/Read 30 minutes a day No, but not like, totally horrible either. Weekly Word Count: 5,258 So, here’s the deal. The first week of November is a shitshow, okay? I’m currently writing this from a hotel room I’m sharing with a coworker while it dumps freezing rain beyond the window. And it’s 11 o’clock at night, after a long day of driving, socializing, and wrangling 22 teenagers. Phew. Add to that the PDX Book Fest…
Outings! – Orchard Heights Park
Welcome! Welcome to the third installment of Outings! If you’re new here, please check out the early installments to get a sense of what this whole series is all about. Orchard Heights Park This is a lovely neighborhood park in a pretty affluent part of town. It’s tucked back behind a retirement home and some winding housing blocks. You would never expect the park to be so big or have so much to offer, which makes it quite the gem! The main area of the park has brand new tennis courts (4 full courts!), a basketball court, two baseball pitches, a children’s playground and a small, fenced off-leash area for dogs. There’s also a paved path circling all of this. And across the drive are butterfly and community gardens. All of this would be enough to rate this park pretty dang high. It just offers so much in a very…
The Recap – October 2022
Goodbye, Spooky Season. I’m sorry I didn’t give you the attention you deserve. I promise I’ll try to do better next year… October Goals Nanowimo prep + research Submit Victoria to Neon Hemlock Read and/or Workout 30 minutes a day How’d I Do? Nanowimo prep + research Yep. A little last minute but, yes. Submit Victoria to Neon Hemlock Yes! The book is done and gone and I am so relieved about that. Read and/or Workout 30 minutes a day Yes? I didn’ workout while I had a migraine, but I did listen to an audio book. And I don’t feel like I should punish myself for something as out of my control as my migraine attacks. So, yes. Total Word Count: 4,839 Well, hot damn! That was a successful month despite work obligations and a killer migraine. I got it all done and even wrote a short story somewhere in there, which I…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #43
Remember last week, when I said I was feeling good? Prepared? *sobs* Last Week Prep Newsletter Nanowrimo Prep Record Podcast Workout/Read 30 minutes a day How’d I Do? Prep Newsletter Nope. Nanowrimo Prep No. Record Podcast No. Workout/Read 30 minutes a day Nope. Weekly Word Count: 0 If you’re looking at this and thinking, “damn B., what the hell happened?” That’s fair. i’ll tell you what happened… one of the worst migraines I’ve had in a long time. It struck Wednesday night after I got my hair done for the first time in months. I don’t know exactly what caused it, but I’m guessing a perfect storm of triggers: strong scents from the hair salon Long period of time without my glasses while getting hair colored and cut change in barometric pressure as Fall weather looms in the valley probably not enough water that day I hadn’t had a migraine…
Nanowrimo Prep 101
National Novel Writing Month (aka Nanowrimo) is right around the corner! If you’re thinking, “B., you write novels (and novellas and short stories and microfiction and and and) year-round! What’s so special about November?” You’re not wrong. But Nanowrimo almost feels like a celebration of novelling. It’s a hectic time of year when it’s so easy to put personal projects aside, and instead writers come together to take on the massive challenge of writing a novel in just one (short) month. In November there’s write-ins and sprints and parties, both locally and online. It’s a chance to work in tandem with like-minded folks that rarely seems to come up any other time of year. This might come as a shock to you, but writing can be a pretty lonesome activity. Any excuse to get together with some sort of writing activity is as good as gold to us. So, YAY…
Outings! – Fairview Wetlands Scenic Trail
Welcome! If you missed the inaugural post (Issue? Episode? Volume?) of Outings!, then please pop on over and give that a read. Today’s post is going to be very similar, although maybe not as long? But the gist is this: Each Sunday I’m visiting a trail or park in my city, reviewing it (along with reviews from my companions), and breaking down gear used vs gear I wished I used, etc., etc. Fairview Wetlands Scenic Trail This trail truly lives up to the #urbanoutdoors vibe. Back in the 90s, when the Fairview Industrial Park was built, the City decided that it wanted to offset all of that industrialization by replacing some of the lost habitat with a man-made, urban wetland. Honestly? Pretty dope of them. The trailhead is directly across the street from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, and I’m guessing that has a bit to do with…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #42
The weather finally broke! Summer is over and Fall is here with a vengeance. Today’s walk was a bit frigid and windy and the fall colors are everywhere. And, best of all? It RAINED! It’s finally autumn and just in time for Halloween! Hurray! Last Week Finish Ramona Rough Draft Continue Research for Nanowrimo Project Workout/Read 30 minutes a day How’d I Do? Finish Ramona Rough Draft Yep! And then some, actually. The story is complete and off to the anthology for which I wrote it. Continue Research for Nanowrimo Project Yes! I spent another three hours in Portland this weekend at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. Workout/Read 30 minutes a day Yes! I worked out five days this week and spent a good chunk of time reading on the two days I didn’t workout. I’m feeling very good about this routine I’ve built. Weekly Word Count: 1,686 Sooooo yeah. It was a…
Outings! – Croisan Scenic Trail
Welcome! To the first installment of an all new blog series, Outings! You can read the full series introduction here, but the gist is this: Each Sunday I’m going to visit a park or trail in my town, and then write up a review to share every Wednesday (basically, I needed an excuse to get outdoors consistently this off-season and I need more photographs for the blog.). The review will include my rating and insights, as well as those of any companions, including my dog, Simon. So buckle up, because this inaugural Outing has set the bar pretty damn high. Croisan Scenic Trail This “pocket” trail is maintained by the Salem Area Trail Alliance, which is a super cool thing I didn’t know existed until just now. This volunteer organization builds, maintains, and advocates for trails in and around our city. Pretty dope. Now, back to the trail itself. According…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #41
This was a busy and very productive week, complete with a trip to Portland to do some research and see some writing friends! Let’s get to talking about it! Last Week Submit Victoria Workout and/or Read 30 minutes a day Decompress from Fiction How’d I Do? Submit Victoria Yes!!!! Yes Yes YES! Workout and/or Read 30 minutes a day Yep! Decompress from Fiction Yes? Maybe… not? Weekly Word Count: 2,517 Let’s get the screaming over with: VICTORIA IS DONE! She is DONE! The novella is revised and submitted and she is DONE! She’s gone, flew the coop and into someone else’s brain! GOODBYE! Okay. Now that’s done, I’ll admit I didn’t feel so giddy about it in the moment. I felt nervous, sending out this little, but ambitious book. It’s strange and complicated and carries a lot of my darkness in it. Actually sending it felt weighty, and I was very somber…
Introducing: Outings!
Outings! is an all-new blog series where I explore the (mostly urban) outdoors and report back to you! I know I’ve talked a lot about hiking on the blog before, and particularly about how I didn’t do enough of it this summer, so this is my way to make up for it. I’ve also talked a little bit about needing to up my activity levels, especially on the weekends, so I thought this might be a good way to do that. So, what is Outings! exactly? Outings! Is… A weekly blog post where I share my thoughts and experiences with the outdoors here in my town. Salem has a lot of parks and some trails and wilderness areas nearby, and despite living here for over 10 years, I haven’t been to most of them. In an effort to be more active, give myself some weekend structure, and reconnect with my…