I just finished reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. It was a story that built up slowly then all of a sudden I was submerged. When it ended I couldn’t remember how to breathe. Then I sighed. The story really was like stepping into an ocean. With each step you get deeper and deeper and then there’s that sharp drop. But you’re not startled or afraid. It feels weird. I liked the strangeness.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“That’s the trouble with living things. Don’t last very long.”
“Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside. You don’t. I don’t. People are much more complicated than that. It’s true of everybody.”
“Different people remember things differently, and you’ll not get any two people to remember anything the same, whether they were there or not. You stand two of you lot next to each other, and you could be continents away for all it means anything.”
“You don’t pass or fail and being a person, dear.”
“Books were safer than other people anyway.”
“Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside, either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world.”
How am I supposed to show enthusiasm for every job I apply to if I am losing optimism in all my efforts? I have written so many cover letters. Long and short. Showing my excitement, maybe showing too much excitement. There are the sites that only allow one cover letter even if you are applying to multiple similar jobs with different requirements. A company has contacted me! I figured they must have seen something they like. I tried not to get my hopes up and send what they ask. One week, no reply. Send nice follow up letter. One more week, “we went in a different direction”. Friends have sent me job applications, still turned down. Then there are the companies that don’t get back to you not even with a generic email to say you suck. (I understand why they don’t send emails). And worst the companies that will give you a job but only if they don’t have to pay you. Would you like to build up your resume with our internship? How about a few more articles? We have over a million readers coming to our site daily. Don’t forget to flood your social feeds with your articles and did you ask you friends to like our page.
Tomorrow I’ll be fine. Write new cover letters, sent out a few more resumes, and maybe write a few 100 words towards a story. Today is the day to let out the frustration.
Last night I went to a Neil Gaiman book signing. It was at the Symphony Space theater in NYC. He was interviewed by Erin Morgenstern, the author of The Night Circus. She asked great questions but it appeared Neil Gaiman is an easy man to interview. He is very funny, informative, and inspirational. As a wanna be published writer (one day) I found his stories and his writing talk helpful. What’s great is his writing talk sounds it can go for any creative job, like art, or programing. As Mr. Gaiman said the author is the architect and building the story.
He read a few pages from his recent book, The Ocean At The End of The Lane. It’s interesting to learn how other creative people work on their art. Gaiman said he didn’t outline. The characters were always there waiting patiently in his head. He used Doctorow’s quote, “Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” as an example except he said writing this novel was like driving down a dark country road, in the misty fog, with one head light. He always seemed to have a foggy idea where is was heading with the story. Also, I loved he described his story growing and almost creating itself starting out as a short story and growing into a novella than a novel.
My ticket included a personally signed copy of the book. Plus, he would signed one other book for all fans. Mr. Gaiman is an amazing author and he stayed until every last person had a signed copy. Waiting around I met wonderful people and we talked books, tv, and movies to pass the time. I was seated in row Q so he signed my copy a little after 11:30pm. I couldn’t help thinking while heading home that he was still there signing.
Erin Morgenstein was signing copies of her book. She ran out of copies of her book but continued to sign for fans. She was nice enough to sign the inside cover of my kindle. She jump started my new goal. I had Mr. Gaiman sign the inside of my kindle cover as well. I have always loved cracking a book and now I love opening my kindle cover with these two authors signers. I hope to get more author signers on this cover and when it’s full maybe I will put this in a frame on my wall and start another cover. I wasn’t the only one with new, on our feet, signing ideas. Another women had her signing the back of her nook and one other her iPad. It was an amazing, fantastic, and enlightening experience. Of course, meeting both authors, I said maybe two word to each of them. AHHHH! I was less then a foot away from real authors. (Jump up and down with nervous, exciting energy). Nevertheless, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Neil Gaiman Signing The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
I’ve been playing Skyrim. (Now the title of this blog post makes sense.) I killed a dragon and I forgot to save the game in the excitement of my victory. I go to the next location press the wrong button and now I will have to do the whole fight over. I’m sad, frustrated, angry, and tired. Grrrr. I can’t believe I forgot to save.
It reminds me of the time last week where WordPress wasn’t saving my article as I typed. When I clicked on “refresh” in my confusion and the second after clicking I cursed me. I should know better. I worked for companies with horrible blog backends. I have lost hours of work with one button before. I don’t normally type my articles directly onto a WordPress post. I usually write articles in Word and copy and paste. Why?!
What I’m trying to write is, I’m not a quitter. I have to stop beating myself up. Everyone makes the same or similar mistakes more then once in life. I will go back and kill the dragon the second time so I can right my wrongs and move on in the game. Just like I have never quit on an article or blog post. I remind myself how the article is usually better the second time. All the thoughts are outlined. And it will not take me as long as it did the first time. YEAH! Determination.
Something I will do different. I will right my wrongs another day. This isn’t a job and right now Skyrim you’re not fun. (I still love you, just not right now Skyrim. You understand?)
My mom has been reading Dan Brown’s Inferno. She has really been enjoying the mystery and suspense. Around page 300 she became confused. The story jumped back to a section of the book she had already read before.
The video shows the printing error she encountered with her copy.
It seemed this one section (I believe it is called, “a book signature”) in the book was switched with a past section. Double Day (where the book was purchase) was very nice and are sending a replacement. The woman on the phone hasn’t heard of anymore copies having this issue. We get to keep this copy but I have no idea what we are going to do with it. My mom’s only issue is she has to wait to read what happens.
Recently, I went to a bridal shower and in return the bride to be handed me a lovely light pink gift bag. With the bag came these words, “No water. It was nice seeing you. I’m so glad you came.” I returned polite farewells and moved out of the way so the next person could say their goodbyes. I opened the bag to the picture below. The net has left me with to many vague answers and none of the plants I’ve found have looked like this one. Am I right to think it’s an air plant? Can anyone tell me what type of plant or flower this is and how to take care of it? What should I expect? I don’t want to kill it. Any help will be great.
It’s all over the news. It sounds like a horror movie come to life. Could you imagine waiting 17 years for sex? That’s what the cicada does. At least that is what I’ve been hearing on the news.
I leave in New York and any day now I will be hearing the male mating call of the cicada. For 17 years they live as larvae feeding on tree roots. They are already rising from the depths as soil’s temperature reach 64 degrees Fahrenheit. They will emerge, shed their hard skin, and spend the next five weeks trying to get laid. Sounds like college.
I didn’t have the garden 17 years ago. I was 14 and preparing for 8th grade graduation. Before that it was my mom and dad working the garden. (Huh, I should ask Mom if she remembers what her and Dad did.) Anyway, today I looked up if they would bother my vegetable garden planting. I was thinking, they’ve been underground all that time. It must take a lot of energy to climb out of the ground, sing and get it on. Therefore, they must be hungry? So, I’ve investigated using the World Wide Web. After much searching I’m satisfied they like trees. The vegetable garden should be fine. Panic subsided. Also, I learned the cicadas can be eaten but I will leave that to the imagination.
Now I wait and see if the Cicada song will drive me crazy because pictures of them creep me out. **Shivers**
Random Thoughts 
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