Wednesday, November 17, 2010

What do you do when

...you feel backwards?

I KNOW you know what I mean. The things you normally do aren't what you want. The food you want to eat doesn't hit your hunger G-spot. The books you want to read seem to blur into one page that you read 25 times. The things you write... well, they just aren't right.


I use other people's words. Poetry, specifically. Here is some more.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought...

..."And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.


Excepts from "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll


What do YOU do, for backwards days?

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Someone Else Always Says It Better.

Fate has written a tragedy; its name is "The Human Heart".
The Theatre is the House of Life, Woman the mummer's part;
The Devil enters the prompter's box and the play is ready to start.


--- from "The Harpy" by Robert Service

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Thrill Is Gone...and by Thrill, I Mean Groove.

I've been a little rocked lately. Spinning on a different axis.

I don't like it.

The littlest tasks, things that I'm passionate about in theory, take an unbelievable effort. The thing is, I'm not tired of this business. If anything, I'm desperate to jump in the deep end, but I can't climb the stairs to the diving board without getting out of breath.

Most of this is due to the one big elephant in the corner of my body. The elephant is scheduled to be transported to a new location as early as Tuesday next week, or as late as December 14th. Until the beasts removal, distance training is out of the question. I guess until then, I am running sprints. Hopefully each sprint takes me closer to the other side of this valley I've been dropped in, until I can see the other side.

Here are the sprints for this week.

1. Finish the read that is currently on my virtual desk and send off notes.
2. Sharpen ideas for Crazy 8s pitch and decide on front runners.
3. Connect with the two people I've been wanting to see, regarding something we ARE very excited about.
4. Decide who, out of the many MANY Movember candidates I know who are scruffing it up for a worthy cause, will receive my donation.
5. Eat Pho. Twice.

I suppose I could try to inject more analogies into this post, but I love my 18 followers, and am hoping for numbers 19 and 20 in the next week, so I'll play it safe. Until then, send me an encouraging sprint-worthy /CHEER, and then go visit me over at The Future Ex Waitress, and send me your script - I still have one spot left for a read with notes!

Time for Pho #1. Peace!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Friday Shout Out


It's crisp outside. Leaves are crumpled and blowing down the street. One latent neighbour has managed to ignore the rotting jack-o-lantern on his or her stoop. There is no time quite like the time between fall and winter. The grey area when the ski hills aren't open just yet, but the television is reminding us every day that our credit cards are about to be maxed to capacity. What better time of year to listen to some sweet soulful jazz?

This Friday's shout out goes to Quintessential. A local jazz band that gigs around Vancouver, and has just come out with their third album "Coffee". They are a fantastic four piece, and they are available for bookings, and general merriment. Also, their bass player just happens to be my fabulous Father.

Take a listen to their albums HERE. If you like what you hear, you can order their albums online. They also have a Christmas album. It makes a great gift. If you know anyone who likes jazz or just general awesomeness, send them over to Quintessential they won't be disappointed.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ruby Skye PI - Are YOU Caught Up?

Check out this delightful new web-series, courtesy of the immensely talented Jill Golick, Kerry Young, Karen Walton et al, along with some incredible sponsors. Get the whole story HERE, complete with activities and brownies! Or follow them on Twitter! Such a great series, with relevant messages, and exciting mysteries. Are YOU caught up? I sure am.




______


Two other things of note:

1. I still have two spots available to do a read for YOU! First come first serve. Head on over to The Future Ex-Waitress and comment, or email me at rachlanger2@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

2. I am FINALLY running another #DSLC (Double Shift Logline Challenge) tomorrow, so get your loglines prepped and ready, and follow me on Twitter for the submission call. Prizes TBA.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Three Things Weighing on This Wednesday

Gordon Campbell has stepped down.

No one is eating out in Vancouver.

I am still waiting on surgery.



These are three issues that are affecting my day. One less so than the others. I didn't vote for Gordon Campbell. I'm uncertain what the ramifications of him stepping down are, and if this will give the correct focus to the tax referendum or not. I hope that whoever steps up to the plate will be prepared for the bees nest that they are entering, and can find a way to make some honey for the province of BC. I don't know too much about Gordon Campbell, though I can't help but wonder if his reasons for stepping down are the same when he gives them at the dinner table instead of in front of the cameras.

No one is eating out. Despite the fact that winter is nipping at our heels and restaurants are usually beginning to feel the first pushes of the Christmas rush, NO ONE is eating out. Except people with coupons. They're coming in spades. Coupons are great for bringing in the business, but not so great when forty dollars is discounted off an otherwise profitable bill. I don't know whether the decline in patronage is fallout from the recession, delayed reaction to the HST spike, or renewed sense of frugal behavior in Canada, but it's definitely killing my Snowboard fund buzz.

I am extremely biased at this time, but I am currently VERY frustrated with the health care system in Canada. Don't get me wrong, I would take our free health care system over the majority of country's any day, and I am SO thankful that medical care is provided to all without debilitating costs, but I am currently stuck in the system's limbo, and it's killing me softly (without the song). I'm not sure I can bring myself to tell the sordid story to the interwebs, but I'm sure the two IV bruises that I'm currently sporting will be sufficient proof of my frustration for the time being.


While trying to hide from my physical pain, and garner some semblance of income to make up for all the days of work I've missed, I've created a new venture. I've decided to give it its own site for the time being, but if I find the dual sites too difficult to manage, I'll find a way to combine them. To check it out - go HERE.

Yet Another Venture

Expanding my online niche

The Future Ex-Waitress