Oh, yes, it's official. I twitter. I may not be the most frequent blogger as of...late? ever?, but I am totally twittering. So follow me there @alisonpace. And also, while we're getting all connected on the onlines, be my Facebook friend, too...
Thanks, and I promise, I update there, and there, a lot more than I do here.
Rock on!
There's an article about Yoga for Dogs in the NYT today. Just a reminder that there's lots, and I mean lots, of Doga in my third novel, THROUGH THICK AND THIN. There's also some dieting, some fine dining, some restaurant reviewing, some sibling rivalry, some suburban despair, and even some DRUGS!, but a lot of Doga, too.
On Friday last I was talking with someone about travel, trips to take, that sort of thing. Either the conversation went to the Galapagos, or it just went there in my head, but now as I sit here at my desk, working on essays about things I've done, trips I've taken, and yes, some dogs I've known along the way, alls I can really think about is taking a trip to the Galapagos Islands and seeing me some blue-footed boobies and all the other animals there.
I'm teaching writing in New York this summer from late May through early August, so either right before the class starts, or right after. If at all. But it's so fun to think about.
Any advice on good trips?
More soon, I hope...
Brenda Janowitz is giving away a free signed copy of City Dog on her blog. (How cute is her blog design?) She also has an interview with me in which we talk about what inspires me, what I do about writer's block, and who I'd like to see cast in the City Dog movie. There is not, as of now, a City Dog movie, but if there were...
As if Facebook wasn't time consuming enough, there's now a game of tag on the site in which if / when you're tagged you have to write a note "25 Random Things About Me," and then tag 25 people. At first I wasn't getting tagged so I thought this was just as well, I didn't want to do it anyway. I figured that seeing as I'm presently writing some non-fiction essays I'm already spending more than enough time writing random things about me.
Then I started getting tagged, but remained steadfast in my determination not to get sucked into the vortex.
But then! Yes, then I started reading all these other people's "25 Random Things About Me" and they were cool and I wanted to do one, too, because I'm a total lemming like that. And then I spent way too much time with writing my 25 random things, couldn't figure out how to "tag," and had to email a friend for help. Does that make me the Facebook equivalent of, "Katie, I'd like to phone-a-friend?"
In any event, herewith the better part of my afternoon:
1. I like quotes
2. I’m an excellent sleeper
3. I’m impressed by intelligence
4. I’m still close friends with my closest friends from high school
5. I hold grudges
6. My next-door neighbor from growing up is a novelist, too (but much more famous)
7. I like staying home more than I like going out
8. I’m very into the fact that I am slowly but surely becoming a runner
9. I’m in a bookclub but I’m not so great about reading the bookclub books
10. Sometimes I get annoyed when people stop me on the street to tell me how cute my dog is
11. I had a pony
12. I have a Frankenstein-style scar over my left eyebrow
13. I think I seem nicer than I actually am, but I’m pretty nice
14. I download too much music and am not good at keeping track of it
15. My cousin is an opera singer. He’s the most talented person I know.
16. I never went to sleep-away camp
17. I’m usually on a diet that I don’t follow
18. I have a sore throat right now
19. I sing to my dog
20. I’m self-conscious
21. It’s hard to type this list without thinking about what people will think about it.
22. I was terrible at sports while growing up. I believe this has had a profound effect on me.
23. I have the occasional grammar issue (see 10, 21)
24. I think Facebook is 85% fun and 15% completely annoying
25. Lately, I’ve fallen into the habit of using the word totally a lot
I wonder if I can include this in my essay collection?
Jason Pinter is talking about just that on his blog. He's asked people throughout the publishing industry, "What is the one thing you would do to change publishing for the better?" and he's posting all the answers.
I like this. It's a nice change from reading about all the doom, all the gloom. Check it out. Better yet, join the conversation...
One of my favorite shows these days is "The Family Guy." My favorite characters are Stewie and Brian, so of course these scenes in which Stewie is asking Brian how his novel is coming along are among my all-time.
Even though Stewie is being so, well, Stewie, I think he makes some good points. I kind of want to bring my laptop into class and play this video for my writing students. There are some lessons to be learned...
One of the blogs I like to read is called The Happiness Project. It's written by a woman who spent a year test-driving every tip she could find on how to be happy. Check out this recent post on nine tips to keep yourself exercising...might help with keeping the "go to the gym more" resolution so many of us make. Click.
I'm happy, excited, enthusiastic, hopeful, glued to the TV, and well aware that at any moment I may burst into tears. Go Obama.
Things I like right now:
1. These products. For the part of this post that does actually fall under the category of Save Money, Look Pretty, I am compelled to give a shout-out to the Olay regenerist products. I've been using
the eye cream, face wash, and night cream for a month (or so) now and
very into them. I think they're absolutely as good as some of the fancy fancy
spa products I've spent too much money on in the past. And you can get
them at the drugstore.
2. Skinny and the City. I really like the concept, to say nothing of the helpful daily emails that appear in my inbox.
3. Also, I just learned on facebook that the former editor of Trashionista (a book site I enjoy very much) has a new blog about books: Five Minutes Peace. The world needs more blogs about books, so definitely check this one out.
4. Because this weather makes me not want to leave the house (or rather, apartment, as I don't actually live in a house) I've been getting a lot of writing done. It makes me happy to get a lot of writing done and it's been a while since it happened, so, woo hoo on that.
Things I do not like:
1. The subzero.
2. Yes, I am sure there are lots of other things I don't like, but that's the main one.
Stay warm out there....
It's a Wonderful Lie: 26 Truths About Life in Your Twenties
"Hired, Fired, and What I Wore," about my professional and sartorial choices prior to becoming a novelist
Jennifer O'Connell: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume
"Are You There, Margaret?" about things I shared with the title character of Judy Blume's Are You There, God? It's Me Magaret
Bark Editors: Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit
"Can We Interest You in a Piece of Cheese?" about growing up with at least five dogs at any given time....Coming in October, 2007
