Juggling Life

The Upside of Technology

We can all find a lot of things to complain about with the omnipresence of technology in our lives. But not this week. Not me, anyway.

We have a Brazilian exchange student, Pedro, staying with us for the coming school year. When Pedro expressed interest in doing an exchange program in the United States some of his friends, who had visited us a couple of summers ago, told him he should see about staying with us. Through Facebook, Pedro’s dad contacted me and we started talking. We were able to arrange a direct placement with the homestay company.

Before Pedro came, Danger Boy and he communicated on Facebook. I talked to his mom and dad on FB. Danger Boy, Social Butterfly and I picked Pedro up at the airport on Friday and we went to Jamba Juice for a light lunch.

I snapped a picture of the kids (BTW--it’s not Pedro’s best picture) on my Droid and posted it on FB. His parents saw it right away—that’s got to make you feel better when you’re kid has just traveled 9 hours to another country to stay with (basically) strangers for a year.

This weekend was a busy water polo tournament weekend in L.A., but tonight Pedro took out his Mac and gave a skype-tour of our house and introduced us to his friends in Brazil. How cool is that?

Pretty cool in my opinion.

And now? Let Poker Night begin . . .

(Please excuse my use of a beach towel as a tablecloth—17-year old boys are not a particularly discerning crowd when it comes to decorating, so I went with totally casual).

Angst Ridden? Not. Damn.

I was at a party Saturday night and a fellow blogger and I fell into conversation about how we felt that our generally sunny dispositions and naturally positive outlooks put us at a creative disadvantage when it came to writing and blogging.

For both of us many of our favorite bloggers either blog regularly about, or refer to, periods of depression or tough times. The angst they experience seems to give rise to a richness of prose and a depth of subject matter that we just don't possess. Next to them we feel a bit shallow.

I certainly don't want to shortchange the pain that depression causes: it just seems that the traditional portrait of the tortured artist is a stereotype for the reason that so many stereotypes exist--there is a kernel of truth to it.

When I was young--11, 12, 13, 14--I was frequently told that I was a talented writer and that I should consider a career in writing. Even then, I didn't think I could do it. I loved Sylvia Plath. How could I ever hope to have her depth? I knew I never would.

So instead of being a profound and amazing writer who suffers for her craft, I'm just a happy blogger. Which is exactly what I'd choose to be if I had been given a choice. And yet . . .

Twitter Stops For No Man . . .

Yeah, this is why I don't twitter!

Bloggy Saturation

Yeah, it does sometimes seem like that!

A Fly In The Ointment

We've established that I'm horrendously busy and overextended, right? And that blogging needs to be at the bottom of my priority list as I finish my education and read my 28 textbooks and take care of my family and 5K Ass? Okay, we're all on the same page then.

I never should have opened the e-mail inviting me to review a site that features first person writing and offers cash prizes and is looking for publicity and submissions. Why, you ask, is this a problem? Because it's an amazing place. FieldReport is the name of the site; I'd never heard of it before. What do I love about it? The stories are like blog posts on steroids.

These stories are the piece you set aside and went back to and polished and had other writers give you feedback on until it was as transformed and beautiful as the homely stone you put in your rock tumbler as a child--letting the tumbler clean and buff until something extraordinary emerged.

With one click of my mouse I was hooked; this is the writing I've come to love through blogging. Ordinary people's stories told by those who possess keen writing skills, an ability to connect with the reader and a compulsion to spin a great, but true, yarn.

Not only will you want to read these stories, I'm sure you'll want to submit your own. I know I'm thinking of a story I haven't posted here and maybe now I won't. Maybe I'll let it percolate until I can give it the time and attention it deserves; then maybe I'll be ready to submit it to FieldReport.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Juggling Life--It's Not Just The Title Of A Blog!

I'm back at school--it's my last year--WOOT WOOT! Am I worried about juggling my schoolwork*,  Danger Boy's water polo schedule (he made Varsity as a sophomore!), making it to all the football and basketball games that Social Butterfly will be cheering at, cooking really healthily so Mr. Fix-it and I can drop some weight, or getting enough exercise so I can 5K ass? Not really, I'll get all that done.

What I am worried about is how I'll keep up with the rigorous blogging schedule to which I've become accustomed! I know I'll continue to post daily. When I started this blog on December 25, 2007, daily writing and posting for one year was my goal. I've made it 8 months, there's no way I'm going to give up now. Neurotic and anal-retentive who? I'm okay with fudging by writing several posts in one day for later publication; rationalization what?

I'm not even that worried about the reading--I've been keeping up with about 100 blogs this summer--there are the people I read and who read me and the people I read who may or may not read me, but definitely don't comment, and the people who I read who almost certainly don't read me but I love anyway (no, I'm not talking about Dooce). I'm a very fast reader and I've become almost adolescent in my ability to multi-task on the computer. So I'll still be reading.

My worry is the commenting--I know I can't keep doing it as much as I have been--which is pretty much to all 100 blogs every time there's a new post. So if you don't hear from me for a few days, don't think I've abandoned you--I assure you I have not. I just won't be able to comment on every post, every day.

It pains me to put this out there, because I know what comment-whores most of us are and I hate to deprive any of you of even one comment, but alas, it must be so. Truth be told I'm a bit worried it may also affect the number of comments and readers I have, but life and it's many duties must take priority. Thanks for understanding.

*Amended to add: Okay, I'm a little worried. I have 28 books this semester. And a prof who looks at our Social Construction of Science class as an interesting sociological experiment in which the students are his lab rats. Rumor has it he doesn't consider it a good semester until someone has cried in class. I think we can safely assume it won't be me!

Unplugged?

          As mother's milk is to a baby, texting is to a teen!

A Bloggy Get-Together And An Embarrassment Of Riches

Clockwise from left: Kalynne, Cheri, Jenn, Jennifer

You know I really wanted to meet Kaylnne and JCK (Cheri's already my bitch)--I returned from vacation Friday at 4:15 and did all the week's laundry straight away so I could be guilt-free when I headed out the next day to take the RICA, a teaching certification test, and then zoom up the 5 to Carlsbad to meet Cheri, so we could zoom further up the 5 to hook up with Kalynne and JCK in Anaheim.

Mishaps aside (a fender bender for JCK and a loooong walk in heels for Kalynne) we had a great time. I'm not even going to try and count the number of Champagne splits Kalynne and I had, though the waiter did comment that it was a shame California Pizza Kitchen didn't sell whole bottles. The food was delish and the company better.

As I have found happens when you meet your blog friends, you are instant real-life friends. So far, for me, the personality that is conveyed in the blogging is the real deal. So if I like your blog, I'm pretty sure I'm going to like you.

Another thing I've found is that when bloggers get together they really cut to the chase. Conversations are deep, personal and real. It's not a cocktail party where everyone is wearing their social mask. I love that you can have diametrically opposed positions on issues, but really listen to, understand, and learn from one another.

Let's just say it was worth the 45% tip I left the waiter--he could have turned the table 3 or 4 times in the time we sat and talked and laughed--it was money well spent!

Thanks ladies and I hope to see you again soon.

An Embarrassment Of Riches

I haven't been hanging around the blogosphere for that long, but even I can see that this must be awards season. I love to see the new awards pop up and watch how they fly around. On my list of things to do is to design my own button--of course I should probably figure out how to display the awards given to me first (I can figure it out if you give me the code, a la Bossy, but otherwise I'm lost).

This gem seems to be pretty new but making the rounds quickly:

This sparkler was bestowed upon me by Deb at Etc., Etc., Etc., Jen on the Edge, TexasHolly at June Cleaver Nirvana, Oliver Rain, and the inimitable Tootsie Farklepants at Vintage Thirty. You can see why I'm blushing, right?

Trooper Thorn (a brand new blogging buddy) at Dogs and Jeans, hooked me up with this award:

Who wouldn't want to be described as Kick Ass?!

I used this button the other day, but couldn't for the life of me remember who to credit, so I didn't. (I've since learned to rename the file for all awards/buttons with the name of the person who gave it to me and the date). Now that my memory has been jogged, Thanks, Magpie Musing!

The hard part is the passing on of the award. Did they already get it from someone else? Are they "awards" kind of people? Will so-and-so feel left out if I don't pick him/her? Aaaah, the pressure!

Since I've seen the Brilliante Award everywhere, I'm bestowing it on those I comment upon who don't already have it. Wear it in good health!

The Kick Ass one I have not seen around, and frankly, I really dig it (my teens will now have to stay in their rooms forever because I said "dig it." Of course they also get upset when I threaten to "Pop a cap" if they don't straighten up. Oh well.)

So, for defining Kick Ass in a variety of ways, I give you.

Hollywood: Where Hot Comes To Die (Bite Me Fridays just crack me up. Plus, now that she can walk unaided again, she might literally Kick Ass).

Magpie Musing (Being a Lefty Commie Pinko like me is Kick Ass!)

The More The Messier (She is my compadre in kicking sulky teenage ass!)

The Philosopher-Mom ('Cause meeting a blogger who lives across the country is Kick Ass!)

Motherscribe ('Cause coordinating the get-together with the blogger who lives across the country is very Kick Ass!)

Last, but not least, was this award from Karen at For The Love of Pete:

I think everyone should have this one, it sums up blogging perfectly. So please, take it and pass it on.

A Little Too Close Too Home . . .

Um, yeah.