Defiance & Slaughter

I know it sounds silly, but after my summer from hell, I decided one of my biggest goals was to stop putting things off and that includes my Netflix queue and the huge stack of unread books on my shelf. So, between starting a new writing gig (<-- I said "gig" ha ha), working on some non-paying writing projects, and playing nurse/counselor to a host of friends and family members, I've managed to read a little and see a few movies. Here are the ones I recommend.

Books: A small town in Georgia; a girl named Sarah, who serves as the town pediatrician/coroner and lives with her two dogs; and her ex-husband/boyfriend, who is also the police chief. No, I'm not describing the life I'd pretty much dreamed up for myself fifteen years ago; I'm describing one of my favorite book series!

I discovered Karin Slaughter's "Grant County" series a few years ago but it wasn't until this year that I started reading them. Obviously, it was the Southern town in Georgia connection that caught my attention, but once I started reading the series, I loved it! I love the characters, I love the setting, and solving murders aside, I love that I can relate to so much of it. If you're looking for a good murder mystery that is more about the human side of things than the technical side, that also has the quaintness of a small Southern town, without being cheesy or too cliche, I definitely recommend this series! I actually just finished the third book, A Faint Cold Fear, and am anxiously awaiting the fourth one to arrive in the mail. I couldn't put it down. I don't know if it was just that good or if it's just been so long since I read a book. And by "so long," I mean "four months. With all that was going on this summer, reading was just not on the menu.

Movies: There have been several movies I've started out watching over the last month and to be quite honest, I either didn't finish them or got bored about half-way through and started doing other stuff. However, I did see two that I thought were pretty good. The first one is "Defiance," starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. I'm not going to comment on how freaking hot Schreiber is, but I will say he's a damn good actor. I'd never really paid him that much attention before. It's a World War II movie that is based on a true story. Four Jewish brothers are running away after their parents are killed and they end up starting a refuge camp of sorts for other Jews. It's definitely got some violence and blood in it, but not too much. It's really just a good story with great acting and even though it's over two hours, it definitely kept my attention. It's the best movie I've seen in a while.

You may laugh at my other choice, but it's "Confessions of a Shopaholic." Hear me out! First of all, yes, I liked the goofy books, but I'd heard such bad reviews of the movie that I really had no desire to see it when it was in theaters. However, it's been on Netflix Instant Watch and I needed something light, so I gave it a shot. I figured I'd get bored with it but I actually enjoyed it. Isla Fisher is adorable and I thought she played the part pretty well. As with anything, the books are way better, but it just wasn't as bad as everyone had told me. Oh, and the best part of all? Ed Helms, himself, has a very small non-credited role in the film! Coincidence? I think not!

Kurt Vonnegut: Writing 101

Due to some recent events, I've been inspired to go all in with this writing stuff. As long as I've been able to read, I've loved to read tips and words of wisdom from good writers, and lately, I've been doing a lot more of that. No one can tell you how to write; in my opinion, it's just something you're born with, but reading the tips of admired and respect writers helps me build my confidence in my own writing abilities, whether it's something I agree with or disagree with completely. Anyway, I ran across this last night, from the preface of Mr. Kurt Vonnegut's short story collection, Bagombo Snuff Box, and liked it:

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Also, my friend Kate sent me this a few weeks ago: Vonnegut: How to Write with Style. Number five really stood out to me because I have learned the hard way over the years to "sound like myself." I was born just outside Atlanta and have the accent and language to prove it, especially when I'm talking in an informal setting. I think learning to write in my own voice instead of the one almost every English teacher I've ever had tried to instill in me has been pretty hard to do but it comes naturally, and that's when I do my best work. And that is EXACTLY what Vonnegut says here (with apologies to Mrs. Yates):

5. Sound like yourself

The writing style which is most natural for you is bound to echo the speech you heard when a child. English was Conrad’s third language, and much that seems piquant in his use of English was no doubt colored by his first language, which was Polish. And lucky indeed is the writer who has grown up in Ireland, for the English spoken there is so amusing and musical. I myself grew up in Indianapolis, where common speech sounds like a band saw cutting galvanized tin, and employs a vocabulary as unornamental as a monkey wrench.

In some of the more remote hollows of Appalachia, children still grow up hearing songs and locutions of Elizabethan times. Yes, and many Americans grow up hearing a language other than English, or an English dialect a majority of Americans cannot understand.

All these varieties of speech are beautiful, just as the varieties of butterflies are beautiful. No matter what your first language, you should treasure it all your life. If it happens to not be standard English, and if it shows itself when your write standard English, the result is usually delightful, like a very pretty girl with one eye that is green and one that is blue.

I myself find that I trust my own writing most, and others seem to trust it most, too, when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am. What alternatives do I have? The one most vehemently recommended by teachers has no doubt been pressed on you, as well: to write like cultivated Englishmen of a century or more ago.

Obligatory Fall Post

Quote of the Day: "The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

I feel like I make the same post every fall but I just love this time of year! There's just something comforting and nostalgic in the air that makes me remember every happy childhood memory and everything that is right in the world. From football to fall festivals, from Halloween to hours spent just sitting outside, enjoying the cooler weather, it's just perfect. It's the perfect time to go to the mountains; oh, the North Georgia mountains in late October is one of the most beautiful things you will ever experience. The year is winding down, and there is a sense of peace in the air that is hard to put into words because it touches all five senses.

Even though I didn't particularly love it there at the time, the fall of my freshman year at UGA is probably the one that sticks out in my mind, more than any other. Being on that campus is something magical in itself, because you just feel like you're a part of something important that has been handed down for decades and even centuries. When I first started, I was afraid to ride the bus around campus so I walked everywhere I went. Every single day I walked for miles to my classes and every single day I was just in awe of the beauty and the history of the campus, the school spirit in the days leading up to a home football game.

Looking back, those walks are my favorite memory from that period of my life. I guess one reason I was planning to move back there this year is because I was hoping to recapture some of that. I'm still not sure if I'll ever go back there, as of right now I'm debating following up on another dream - the one that led me away from Athens a decade ago, but I'll always be grateful for that experience.

This particular fall, I'll probably be pretty busy making up for summer and hopefully getting ready for my big 2011 plans, but the season is also my mother's favorite time of year and after the summer she's had, my goal is to make it as enjoyable for her as possible. But I also hope to take some time for myself to just enjoy life. When the weather cools, I want to visit some historical sites and return to the Kennesaw Battlefields, among other things.

I'll wrap this up with a song, performed by Jerry Douglas, that basically describes fall to me: "A Tribute to Peador O'Donnell/Monkey Let the Hogs Out."

TV! (From a Non-Watcher)

Quote of the Day: "Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home." - David Frost

When I was a lot younger, I was really obsessed with the coming of the new fall TV line-up. I was a sucker for any show's trailer that provided me with even the smallest bit of entertainment, and I'd take my parents' TV Guide and circle and make a list of all the shows I planned to watch and record. Within a few weeks, I'd get bored with this plan and most of the shows I wanted to watch ended up getting canceled anyway. As I got older, my love of sitcoms dwindled in favor of news and sports. I spent most of my 20's watching TVLand or Nick at Nite because I loved old shows like "All in the Family," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "I Love Lucy." There were a few shows I picked up in reruns, such as "Friends" and "Seinfeld," but when it comes to TV, I'm pretty clueless.

Over the last year or so, that's changed a little bit. It's a slow process, but I finally feel like I'm joining the rest of the world. I hate starting a show in the middle of a series, but thanks to Netflix and the era of putting everything on DVD or online, that's something I can avoid. There are still a lot of shows I'd love to watch ("Community" and "Mad Men" to name a couple), but here are the ones I've either started watching or am looking forward to this year

1. The Office

I'd seen episodes of "The Office" here and there, but I didn't really start purposely watching it until this summer. My dad actually started watching it and would call me every day to talk about it. I guess that's why I started watching it too (after the summer from hell, I honestly don't remember when or why). Before I knew it, anytime we'd call each other, we were answering the phone, "Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam." In August, I ordered the Netflix/Wii Instant Watch disc and was able to watch Season's 1-5 in order, and thanks to Comcast and some website I found, I got to watch Season 6 last week. I am absolutely hooked now and can't wait for the new season to start on Thursday. Not to sound completely lame, but I honestly think this show helped me get through said summer from hell because it was just a complete escape from reality. It was one of the few things that didn't remind me of what all was going on.

2. Brothers & Sisters

I started watching "Brothers & Sisters" when it first aired and then, for some reason (maybe lack of time), I stopped after a few episodes. At some point over the last year, I picked it up again and it is, hands down, one of my favorite shows. I like the political aspect of it, I like the whole "big family" thing, and I like the fact that it has several cute guys in it. Unfortunately, Rob Lowe's character died in the season finale, so that will be a bit of a downer; his hotness aside, I really liked his character. Anyway, it starts next Sunday and I can't wait!

3. Glee

I have a love-hate relationship with "Glee." I've watched it on and off as long as it's been on, but I didn't really start watching it until this last spring, when some genius decided it should air right after "American Idol." (Yes, I watch AI. Don't judge me.) I'm still not even sure I like the show but Matthew Morrison is just so darn fun to look at and I've always had some sort of fascination with people covering other people's song. However, Uncle Jesse John Stamos is apparently going to join the cast this season, so that in itself is incentive (for me, at least) to watch it. It starts tomorrow night and I have no idea if I'll be ready and waiting, in front of the TV, but I will definitely have my DVR set to record.

4. Modern Family

I love this show and I've never seen an episode!! Seriously, last fall, when the show began, I saw a million previews and heard a million great things, and thought, I should watch that. Unfortunately, I had better things to do, but at some point over the last year (maybe during the Super Bowl?), ABC played several episodes in a row and I decided to record them. I never watched them, but I set my DVR to record any episode that aired between then, and now and I think I now have most of them stored away. I don't think I'm going to get 24 episodes in by Wednesday night, when the new season starts, but I do plan to get caught up at some point in the not too distant future, so I can start watching it.

5. Mr. Sunshine

Long-time reader(s) of my blog know I'm a huge Matthew Perry fan and always look forward to any new project from him ("Seventeen Again" not withstanding). I was devastated when "Studio 60" didn't last through a full season; I guess I was one of the ten people who loved that show. Anyway, ever since I heard there may be a new MP show called "Mr. Sunshine," I've paid close attention and when I heard it'd actually been picked up by ABC, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, I just learned it won't until later in the year, but I really can't wait and hope nothing deters it from making it on the air.

6. Rizzoli & Isles

Let me just say, I hate fictional crime shows. All the CSIs and that sort of thing are ridiculous if you ask me and that may be because I love the real thing. ("First 48" anyone?) However, I do enjoy Tess Gerritsen's series of books, which the show is based on, and when I heard they were making a show out of it, I decided to set the old DVR to record it. I didn't watch a single episode while it actually aired over the summer, but I did end up with all twelve of them stored away for a rainy day. The previews I saw didn't look too appealing, but this weekend I experienced my rainy day and was looking for something to watch. I actually really enjoyed the show. Sure, there are some things that are hard to believe. For example, Lorraine Bracco doesn't seem old enough to be Angie Harmon's mother and speaking of, Angie Harmon is the only person I know who can look absolutely gorgeous when she's being attacked by a homicidal maniac, but it's a fun show - sort of a crime show with a girly twist. Anyway, I went to TNT's website to see when it started back up again, but it looks like that's not going to happen until...wait for it... next freaking summer! A whole year away! Sigh.

OK, there is absolutely nothing informative about this post, but those are the shows I'm looking forward to. I keep seeing ads for a show with Keri Russell, which could be good, but I couldn't even tell you what time or what channel it comes on. And like I mentioned above, there are some I want to watch, but just haven't really had the time to invest in catching up with previous seasons.

Maybe if I get my job situation under control, I can work on that and then I can review TV shows that most everyone else watched two years ago!

(Yay! I made it through this post without mentioning "Keep Up with the Kardashians!")

Update: I've decided to go ahead and start recording "Mad Men," "Community," and "30 Rock." Also, the Keri Russell show, "Running Wilde" which comes on Fox at 9:30 PM tonight. Why not?

Me Too.

Quote of the Day: "I'm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect." - J.D. Salinger

Fire, Frogs, & the Civil War

I'd like to sum up the last 30 hours...

Yesterday evening, I decided to hit the pool for some laps. There are these tiki torches around said pool that are meant to keep mosquitoes away. If you've ever been in Atlanta in the summer, you know this is a necessity because the minute you walk outside, mosquitoes go will go after you faster than Al Gore goes after a masseuse. Anyway, I lit the last one, walked away, and was just about to get into the pool. As soon as I turned around, I realized the grass around it was on fire. It took me a few minutes to actually realize what was going on. I guess it was leaking. I ended up stomping it out and burning up the bottom of my shoe. Long story short, I've become the butt of several fire-related joke amongst my family and friends. I didn't get a picture of the grass fire, but here is a picture I found that gives you an idea of what I was up against:

After I swam, I did some other things and didn't get home until after dark. Just when I thought my night couldn't get any worse, I went to unlock my door and realized there was a HUGE green frog sitting just above the doorknob. He had to be at least one and a half inches long. I actually had an unopened can of Coke Zero in my hand, and because I couldn't find a stick longer than ten feet to use to knock him off, I opened the Coke and sprayed it in the general direction of my door. That didn't work. About twenty minutes later, I got tired of waiting and really had to use the bathroom, so I went over to where a huge tree limb had fallen and dragged it across my yard. I hoisted it up as best I could and nearly broke the door window, but I managed to knock the frog off the door and send the branch and the frog flying across the yard, all in one swoop. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I killed him. I won't go into detail, and again, I didn't take any pictures but here is a recreation of the scene:

After spending three years in college working in the children's department at a large bookstore, you think I'd know better than to spend my Friday night in one. In theory, I was there working on my cousin's baby shower gift. (I'm starting a library for her soon-to-be son.) It took me less than five minutes of looking for a copy of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" for me to want to find a knife and pay anyone who would to rip my ovaries and uterus from my body right there in the middle of the store. In the end, I actually ended up finding this really cool book in the bargain section called Civil War Battlefields: Then and Now.

Finally, some nice person, who read about my geeky little crush on Ed Helms and the whole bluegrass thing (and his amazing voice), sent me this video chat with Mr. Helms. It's pretty long (about 35 minutes - I watched most of it while I ate lunch today), but if you're a fan of his, it's kinda neat. He talks a lot about the LA Bluegrass Situation, which is obviously over and done, but maybe there will be a second one? I so wish I would have known about it in March. Anyway, I'll sum up the other highlights in five words: Tom Waits and Fort Sumter.

Not Funny

Quote of the Day: "You grow up the day you have your first real laugh...at yourself." - Ethel Barrymore

So, my little gay cousin and I were driving around Atlanta and talking about our future. I expressed my desire to get back into acting. I also added the comment, "I've even thought about trying one of those stand-up comedy amateur nights."

GC: Um, why?
Me: To try my hand at comedy.
GC: But you aren't funny.
Me: But people laugh at me all the time.
GC: Yeah, I know. Two totally different things.
Me: So, what should I do?
GC: Host a rap radio show.
Me: What the...?

Despite what the GC says, I'm pretty sure I'm going to add it to my new, growing list of things I plan to do but more on that list later.

*******

You know what else is not funny? The fact that I have planned a trip to a particular store for the better part of a week to buy a particular gift for someone and went there today during rush-hour traffic, through a crime-ridden town that would most certainly be empty if a few INS agents drove through, only to find this:



Screw you, Old Navy.

Ed Helms is the Most Talented Man Alive on Earth Ever, Part 2

Quote of the Day: "College made me realize that I have no patience for arrogant, dogmatic people and that I must therefore devote my life to undermining and satirizing those people." - Ed Helms

I was actually looking for something else for this post and ran across this "Celebrity College Flashback" article featuring Ed Helms. That quote cracked me up, and I thought it was a cute little interview...there's even a brief UGA mention. But to the point:

Not to beat a dead horse, but O-M-G this man's musical talent is...orgasmic. Seriously! If you'll remember my Lindsey Buckingham phase from about two years ago, there is just something amazingly hot about some guys' voices and their ability to pick up an instrument and play like it's nothing. Throw in the whole bluegrass thing and how seamlessly and flawlessly he is able to couple his comedic genius with said musical talents (what?) and wow, just wow. Why can't there be real boys, who exist outside of Hollywood, like that?

Anyway, it was this scene from "The Office" which prompted me to make a second Ed Helms post that reads like a sixth-grader's diary. The banjo-playing is amazing and then the voice, well, like I said, orgasmic. I could listen for days. Now I'm going to go find something less weird to do.

Football Season!!

Quote of the Day: "There is no place in the world precisely like the grass that grows between the hedges in Athens, Georgia." - Fran Tarkenton


It's officially football season and UGA plays the first game of the year today. It's a perfect Saturday for it. I can't speak for Athens but it's very breezy and fall-like in Atlanta. I've got the air off and the windows open, and I'm about to camp out on the sofa and watch the game and maybe nap intermittently. I do wish I was actually in Athens, as I'd planned to be before the summer from hell, but this is the next best thing. In the meantime, Go Dawgs!!!

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Part 1

Quote of the Day: "The ground was piled up with one solid mass of dead and wounded Yankees." - Sam Watkins

Yesterday, I went to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in North Georgia (about 30 miles north of Atlanta). I've always wanted to go and it's fairly close to me, so I can't believe I've never been there before. Anyway, I will tell you now, I didn't get the full experience of the park for a few reasons. 1) We didn't get there until after 2:00 PM and it was HOT. There is a hint of fall weather (which I love) in the air right now, but not enough to warrant walking sixteen plus miles with the Southern sun beating on our backs. Plus, we were kind of unprepared and not sure what we wanted to see. Throw in the fact that we were a little short on time and I'm still recovering from an incident involving my knee (the one that needs surgery because I ran over it two years ago) and a tree, and well, let's just say we have plans to go back in the next month or two. We did get a couple of hours of hiking in, though, and I did take some pictures with my crappy phone and learned a lot about the battle that took place there, so I decided I'd post about it anyway.

Like I said, I learned a little bit about the history of the area and it's actually very interesting. Well, it was to me. So, the "Battle of Kennesaw Mountain" started on June 27, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War. The Confederate army was very outnumbered (about 98,000 to 50,000), but they (we) still won the battle. Here, the Union army consisted of the Army of Tennessee, the Army of Ohio, and the Army of the Cumberland, while the Confederate Army consisted only of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. I believe the North lost about 3,000 men, while the South lost about 1,000. I think I read that it was one of the bloodiest battles of the war? But as we all know, it all went downhill after that. (Oh, you know what I mean!) Anyway, there is so much that happened there and so much to understand that I'm not sure I could do it justice on this blog or even understand it all, myself, after one quick trip and a few hours of reading up on it.

Obviously, I didn't take this, but here is a map of how the two armies lined up. We spent most of our time yesterday in the Cheatham Hill area. As it says at GeorgiaTrails.com, "No single hiking trail packs more history about the Civil War in Georgia than the Cheatham Hill Loop." Upon looking at maps and commentary, I realize we went the exact wrong way on the trail. Had we gone the other way, apparently, I'd have pictures of the old farmhouse from Kolb's Farm and the grave of an unknown soldier. Had we gone further the other way, we would have climbed Kennesaw Mountain and made it to the visitor's center. There's also a little museum that we didn't even try to go to. Next time, my friends, next time. Anyway, one last thing I found kind of funny, Cheatham Hill is named for Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Cheatham, whose "...hard-drinking, hard-swearing and hard-fighting, had made him the sort of inspirational leader his tough Tennesseans favored. Following the war, he made an endorsement of Jack Daniels Whiskey" (from History and Tour Guide of the Atlanta Campaign).

Upon parking, one of the first things you see is this little plaque dedicated to place where Union Brigadier General Charles Garrison Harker died. A West Point grad from New Jersey, Harker was apparently pretty tough. Before his death at Kennesaw, he'd been shot down off his horses four times, escaping without injury.

One of the next things you see are the South's "camouflage cannons." Actually, first you see a large mound of grass and dirt and then the cannons take you by surprise. They were hidden behind the mounds and ordered not to be fired until Union soldiers were at point blank range.





There are over eleven miles of earthworks there along some of the trails. It's just cool to walk along and think about what was going on there almost 150 years ago.



Every so often, you'll see a monument dedicated to where someone died or was wounded and possibly buried. But many of the dead who were buried here are now in Marietta National Cemetery. This particular spot was once the grave site of C.H. Coffey. Admittedly, I found the random graves along the trail a little creepy; then again, the whole place kind of had a creepy vibe. And fun fact: there were lots of lizards living around this particular monument. No idea why.



Here's one for a Union guy from Newcomerstown,Ohio, Captain S.M. Neighbour.


A little further into the woods, you come across the infamous Illinois monument. It's very large (this is the back of it, which is the first thing you see) and I'm not sure what that circle is in the picture. I think one of my first purchases once I find a new job is going to be a nice camera. I was huge into photography for years, but now I'm stuck with my camera phone.



And here is the front. The monument was built in 1914 and dedicated to the many men from Illinois who died in the battle. It's really pretty and the pictures don't do it justice. Oh, and I didn't get a picture of it but underneath the monument is a tunnel Union soldiers began to dig in an effort to blow up the Confederate soldiers. Kind of cool that it is still there.





Here are some more cannons that were along the trail we walked. I'm not sure of their significance. I don't think there was any sort of marker there.



Completely unrelated to the war and nearly impossible to see (though I tried to help by using Paint to circle it), there was a small deer alone in the woods. I thought it was a dog at first because it was so small, but as we got closer, we realized it was a deer. The thing is, like most deer I see around here, it didn't take off running when we got near it. We were probably fifteen to twenty feet away (my phone lacks a zoom function) from it and it just kept eating and keeping a watchful eye on us. I even tried to call it at some point. Anyway, I guess the wildlife in the area is pretty used to human interaction.




Next you have the Texas Monument. It's not nearly as big as the Illinois monument, but it is placed there in honor of the Texas soldiers who lost their lives in the battle.


OK, here's the large hill/field that is just below the Confederate earthworks. I still don't quite understand if this is actually what is known as Cheatham Hill or if that's just the whole area. Kind of embarrassing to admit, but I'll figure it out when we go back. Like I said, there's just so much to learn there.



And again, this is another field that I'm just not really sure about the details.

This was a plaque at the Illinois monument. I believe it referred to a temporary ceasefire by both sides so they could remove their dead and wounded from the fields. I just liked the quote, so I took a picture.



In conclusion, it was a really fun trip to somewhere I've always wanted to go. Luckily, it's close to my house that we can go back in a few weeks, when it cools off a little bit. Hopefully, we can hike the mountain, visit the museum, visitor's center, and Kolb's farm, and get some better pictures. I'd also like to go to Chickamauga Battlefield sometime this fall. Yeah, I know I'm a big nerd, but it's so much fun! I can think of few things I'd rather do.

On Writing

Quote of the Day: "I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one." - Flannery O'Connor

You'd think with me not having a job, I'd have a lot of time on my hands. Well, you'd be right. Unfortunately, I spend too much time wasting time and end up not having enough time to do anything. But I digress.

My job, which involved me writing mostly about the most boring stuff in the world (though I'd like to think I was creative enough to make it not quite so boring when I put in the effort), was very time consuming for a number of reasons and it really took away from me writing about things I really wanted to write about. On the other hand, it helped me rebuild my confidence in my abilities. So, my new goal from now on (or until I get a job) is to write for at least one hour every night. I can work on specific projects or just take a pen to paper my fingers to my laptop and see what happens, but it has to involve some sort of creativity on my part.

As I search for a job, I do intend to keep doing some freelance work, so that may end up getting in the way a bit, but we'll just have to see. It's so weird to feel like my time is my own again and I feel like I'm slowly rediscovering a world beyond...OK, you get the point and this is getting lame.

Tonight's project actually lasted about 2.5 hours and was the beginnings of my new political website: Liberty and Lipstick. I didn't want to debut it just yet because it's still a major work in progress and should look much different in the future, but I had some things I wanted to go ahead and start writing about. Also, don't get used to that URL. In the future, it'll be something different, but I won't go into detail just yet!