thanks, 2008!!

Success comes to a writer, as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.
P. G. Wodehouse

Here we are...New Year's Eve. What can I say? It's been a pretty crazy, exciting, eventful year.

I know there are many different camps, if you may, when it comes to New Year's Eve. There are those who think it's an absurd reason to celebrate. There are those who see it as a time to make new resolutions and really attempt to stick to them, focusing on the fact that they haven't in the past. There are those who see it as opportunity to go out drinking. There are those who see it as a sort of catharsis through which they can rid themselves of the past year and begin anew.

Needless to say, I'm not from any of those camps. I think today is a great reason to celebrate, and I don't really drink. Yes, I resolve to accomplish certain things in the new year, but I don't necessarily see them as resolutions, but rather just a continuation of what I've been doing up until this point. Same with the idea of shedding off the past year, this whole notion of starting over - I'm not a fan of such expressions. It's kind of my qualm with the "live every day like it's your last" saying. Why be so negative? Why not live every day like it's your first?

It's all in how you perceive it.

I spend much of today with family, for starters. I also spend quite a bit of time cleaning and organizing my humble abode, yes, as a sort of cleansing and fresh, clutter-free start to the new year. And I also think a good deal about everything good that has happened in the past year and how I can build on everything that has happened thus far. Why think of a new year as starting from the beginning when you've already come so far? Of course, that goes for all of us.

So in that light, and with the hope you'll do the same for yourself, I've compiled some of the noteworthy moments this past year that have contributed to me being who I am right now. And because I'm a dork, I've categorized them...

Writing
- joined a writing group with friends, attended my first SCBWI conference, took 1st and 2nd place spots in two NYC Midnight writing competitions, interviewed Tim Gunn and covered the launch of CityView Racquet Club for Elements, among other articles, interviewed and wrote about several doctors and specialists for the NAVEL Expo magazine, started a tennis blog at racquetgirl.blogspot.com, continued work on my novel, signed on to co-write a medical nutrition book, was a featured speaker on a writing panel at NYIT

Reading
- helped organize my father's book signing at Barnes & Noble for Socrates: A Life Examined, read and became a follower of Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series, became a fan of Neil Gaiman's work, read a lot more in general

Acting
- got my headshots taken, took an on-camera film course, started weekly acting classes, attended my first Actorfest, was cast in St. George Productions' classic radio rendition of A Christmas Carol

Sports
- started tennis lessons again and joined a league, competed in a Genesis Adventures adventure race in Allamuchy, NJ with Alex, completed my scuba diving certification, competed in my second Urbanathlon with Alex in Chicago

School
- continuing my graduate studies at the City University Graduate Center and looking to graduate in the Fall of '09

Travel
- went to Switzerland with parents and younger sister, visited family in Texas, went to Chicago with Alex

Film/Photography
- bought a Canon HDV videocamera, bought a new Canon Powershot digital camera, took more pictures and captured more footage than I even thought was possible in the span of a year, organized more photo albums

And that's just some of the bigger things that I was able to compile based on my blog posts from the past year. It was a great year, a very special one, and one definitely to remember.

I hope all my friends and family out there reading this will do the same as they look back on 2008. We all deserve a moment to breathe, smile, and enjoy what we've worked so hard to achieve.

Happy New Year, guys...see you in 2009!!

vm...coming soon

Writing is an occupation in which you have to keep proving your talent to people who have none.
- Jules Renard

In a few days, January '09 will be upon us, and VM will be weeks away from being launched. The programming on the website will be completed, and then we'll have to start sending editorial content to the web designers. And while all of that is moving along pretty swiftly, there is still a lot to do, i.e. advertising and business specifics that often come off as so foreign and excessively boring. Fortunately, we have a number of friends and business contacts who are offering us some guidance and direction. Ultimately, it's up to us to put the pieces together and figure it out for ourselves, but as we all know, especially when it comes to the world of art/media/publishing, it's who you know and how you utilize those connections that can make all the difference.

We have about two weeks to make this all happen. Once the magazine launches, it will definitely be a moment to remember, but that, of course, is when the real work begins.

So let's do this...

merry christmas '08

I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.
- Charles Dickens

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!! I hope you are having an amazing holiday season and that you got everything you wanted, needed, and/or thought you deserved in the gift department.

Christmas definitely ranks up there as one of my favorite times of year. Last night was spent with family, this morning was spent with family, tonight I will spend it with future family at Alex's house, and this weekend we'll still be celebrating again with even more family members. The company, the food, the excitement - it all makes the running around and planning you've been doing all season that much more worthwhile.

As per usual with my repertoire of gifts, I focused on the practical as well as the creative. So Cereal-on-the-Go containers, gift cards, sneakers, clothes (you know they want), art portfolios, curly hair-specific shampoo sets, baking pans, wine, and marshmallow shooters (yes, marshmallow shooters) were included in the mix. Then there were the more creative, you-get-this-because-I-really-love-you gifts, like extensive photo albums, pocket photo albums, mat frames, picture frames, restored pictures, pictures you forgot were taken of you, and pictures you've always wanted to print and frame. Pretty much, if it has to do with photos, I probably gave it to you.

The gifts I received, in turn, were equally as thoughtful, including the most comfortable pajamas, silver bracelets, pen sets, a business card holder, Sour Patch Kids, a photo album to fill, three cookie sheets, two cooking pans, one crepe mix, a cool storage bin, a collection of Neil Gaiman books (like The Graveyard Book!!), a makeup bag, an assortment of lotions and shampoos, and mony, to name just a few. But perhaps the most touching of all my gifts came from somebody who, knowing me so well, also gave me bandaids, Neutrogena hand cream, and little hand sanitizer dispensers. My little sister made a collage of the two of us and all the inside jokes and moments (or as many of them she could fit) we have been fortunate enough to share. It's really quite awesome, and frame it I will.

So yes, a very Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night =)

in medias res

A sweet thing, perspective - a chance to see your enemies so small.
- Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

The past two months have been quite the whirlwind.

As many of you already know, I resigned my position as writer and editor at Elements magazine back at the end of October. After three fantastic years working there, I felt it was time to move on, specifically to focus all my efforts on my own writing, launching VM, finishing graduate school, and pursuing my acting. I'm happy to report that since then, I have been doing just that.

We've diligently been working on getting everything ready for VM's launch, I'm resuming my graduate studies in the spring, I've been taking acting classes for the past two months and performing in a theatre production, and I've been continuing my freelance writing. I've also picked up another project - co-authoring a medical nutrition book with an autobiographical focus. I finished the chapter outline and synopsis this past weekend. Now a book such as this presents a few challenges. The first is that it's about medical nutrition, and while I have experience with all the NAVEL Expo articles I've written, I am delving into a pretty complex field not my own. Second, it's autobiographical in part, and the life story we're following is not my own, meaning that I have to figure out how to write in someone else's voice, telling his story, while also keeping my own voice and style as a writer. A fine line to walk, indeed.

And in the midst of all this craziness, my website and blog are being redesigned, by the talented guys at digitalsoul designs. When all is finalized, two shall become one, and I will be a blog and a website closer to becoming greater than Neil Gaiman.

Now if I could only be wittier...

a christmas carol

I write plays because dialogue is the most respectable way of contradicting myself.
- Tom Stoppard

For the past several months I have been working with St. George Productions on a staged, classic radio rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, part of the company's Dickens Festival. Last month we did two performances in eastern Long Island at the Smithtown Historical Society, and just this past weekend we performed at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ...only this time we did 18 shows, give or take a couple.

It was an absolute blast. We arrived Friday night and got situated in our home for the weekend - George Jay Gould and family's country estate mansion (their second residence), built in 1896. Beautifully preserved by the Sisters of Mercy, who inherited the estate after George Gould's death, it was like stepping back in time for a few nights. And for someone who has covered some of Long Island's historic estates and coordinated fashion shoots in several others, it was a real pleasure for me to see a remnant of the Gilded Age preserved so wonderfully. Plus, we got to stay in it, and I don't think I'll be saying that anytime soon about the Phipps mansion at Old Westbury Gardens. Not that I wouldn't want to, just that it might be illegal.

Here are some pictures from the weekend -

impromptu book corner

Never let inexperience get in the way of ambition.
- Terry Josephson

I think it's safe to say that I watch more movies then read books, but it's not because I'm a slacker, it's just that I'm passionate about both, and when you spend so much time writing (or staring at a computer screen attempting to write), it's sometimes much easier to kick back and watch a movie then engross yourself in more words on a page.

But with everything that's going on, since the last Fablehaven book I read, I have managed to finish two others -

Good to Great, by Jim Collins

This book is a must, especially considering the economic times and what we're seeing happen to businesses, specifically the big ones, right now. The subtitle is telling: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. It's essentially a book about business, but as with so many things that are timeless, it's really a piece of research literature that speaks about life and what separates mediocrity from excellence.

In answer to his bestseller before this one, Built to Last, Jim Collins and his research team embarked on a five-year mission to figure out what it takes for a so-so company to become amazing. For comparison purposes, they created a set of rigorous criteria, and after combing through an unbelievable amount of companies, they came up with only eleven that fit the Good to Great model. The resulting findings delineated in the book are just fantastic. From leadership to discipline to attitude, through studies, interviews, and anecdotes, Collins finds that what it takes to become excellent isn't all that difficult, but it's the rigor with which these components were applied that launched these eleven companies to greatness. And surprise, surprise, what companies continue to do -like lavishly waste money on bonuses and private jets, bringing in big celebrity CEOs to reinvigorate the company, making a lot of noise about new initiatives and launches, diversifying too much without becoming excellent at anything - is the exact opposite of what needs to be done. It's all about consistently pushing the flywheel, letting results speak for themselves, and maintaining a certain level of humility through it all.

The book is a must. Every time you hear about these businesses that are asking for money, falling behind, giving excuse after excuse for shortcomings and mismanagement, you will think of Good to Great. I even want to know what Collins thinks about everything going on right now, especially considering that in the book he makes the crucial point that at no time can a company stop applying all the components of the Good to Great method. Do that, and the fall from greatness will be quick and the demise swift...unless you can get billions of dollars to help cling from the edge a little while longer.

The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz

Okay, so this one didn't exactly come out yesterday, but to whoever picks it up for the first time, it's a breath of fresh air. Considering that the book's subtitle is A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book, you might get the impression it's one of "those" books, the kind that you have to roll your eyes when you see someone reading, but it's completely not. Based on the knowledge and teachings of his Toltec ancestors, Don Miguel Ruiz presents the reader with four agreements to help live a better, more productive, fuller life. And it's nothing that we haven't heard before, necessarily, or that we shouldn't realize as true the moment we hear it verbalized. But in this book, so unbelievably simple in language and small in size (I read it in a few train rides to the city), it's all laid out so clearly. It leaves you thinking...of course it reads so easily because the lessons really are that simple. Try to apply the lessons, however, and that's when the complexities arise. The solution? Simplify, simplify, simplify your life. Don't hold on to grudges, to guilt, to regret, to anger. Give yourself more credit. Realize the potential you have to make everything okay. Live life today.

Ready for the agreements? Real simple:

1) Be impeccable with your word.
2) Don't take anything personally.
3) Don't make assumptions.
4) Always do your best.

So now that you know them, why read the book, right? Just trust me on this one. And when you're done reading it, you'll want to hold onto it, for when you need to be reminded again.

writer in need of a shove

I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged...I had poems which were re-written so many times I suspect it was just a way of avoiding sending them out.
- Erica Jong

This past weekend I finished a short story centered around a plot that came to me several months ago while watching a segment on the History Channel. Originally, I had envisioned it as the basis for a novel, but since it's been, well...several months and still nothing written on it, I thought I'd try out the idea in a short story. And since I haven't submitted something to the writing group in quite some time, and considering that I'm in the middle of a lull with my novel, this weekend seemed like the ideal time to sit down and write it. I even (knowing my own bad habits) alerted the group ahead of time of this soon-to-be submitted story, just to give me that extra push to get it done.

And so I got it done and submitted it early Sunday morning. The critique later that evening was to be expected of a first draft written with little time for editing. It was definitely constructive and pointed out some excellent instances of how an author can get caught up in a story to the point where he or she forgets to let the reader in on all the facts and details important to the plot. It opened up my eyes a little bit more, and while it wasn't a hit, I was relieved to be getting critique at all because it meant I was writing again. Let's keep it up.

Now back to that novel...

back in class

Writing is the hardest way of earning a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators.
- Olin Miller

Last night I was invited to speak at a Writers Round-Up panel discussion for a graduate journalism class at my alma mater, New York Institute of Technology. I remember attending such panels when I was an undergraduate (already more than three years now), which were then, as they are now, organized by the faculty adviser of the campus newspaper, John Hanc. So when he asked me a few months ago if I would be one of the guest speakers, a representative of NYIT alumni who have gone on to somewhat lucrative writing careers, I was quite honored.

Speaking about my career thus far as a writer was kind of strange, even more than how it felt to write a bio about myself to give out to the students. There was a lot of, I did that? I do that? I'm planning to do that, too? I actually ran the bio past a few people to make sure that I hadn't made anything up in my sleep. Not that I'm exactly touting Pulitzer Prizes left and right or Oscar nominations on the horizon, but still, even the small things sometimes make you ask, really? Especially when you're sitting at your computer and writing about yourself at 2 AM in your pajamas, with a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, reminding yourself to re-tape the top right corner of the LOTR poster that's been in your room since forever...Yes, it can be hard to acknowledge your own accomplishments when you're with you every day.

But getting back to the main point, in speaking about what I did in college, what I've been up to since then, and what I'm working on right now, some life truths and words of advice that came up were ringing pretty hard in my own head. I spoke about taking chances, and doing what it is you love when it comes to writing, and working hard, writing often, acknowledging when you just don't have an answer, promising to always look for one, not being afraid of the blank page, expecting crap some of the time, attaining not-crap other times, and always striving for brilliance. Saying it out loud was a very loud reminder to follow my own advice.

Yes, I'm launching my own online magazine. Yes, it's kind of scary. Yes, there's a lot I'm still trying to figure out. Yes, money hasn't yet started to grow on that money tree out back. Yes, there's also the book and the graduate school and the acting and the tennis.

And yes, I'm passionate about all of it.

So now it's just a matter of getting over the fear of that blank page.

actorfest '08

Observe, don't imitate.
- John M. Ford

Today was Backstage's ActorFest NY at the Hammerstein Ballroom. It's a one-day event, a conference of sorts, where actors, singers, dancers, and performing artists, meet with acting teachers, headshot photographers, casting directors, agents, and a multitude of other industry professionals. In addition to meeting with exhibitors, there are a number of workshops and panel discussions you're given the option to attend.

Since I already have headshots and an acting studio (also one of the featured exhibitors), I was there more to learn about agents and casting directors. Probably the highlight of the day - I got to meet Jonathan Strauss, casting director for Law and Order: SVU. And I was not at all dorky about it, or even awkward, which is more than I can say for some others who were at the panel discussion and approached him afterward. Once again, the theory that no question is stupid was busted. Based on what I heard asked during the workshop, that statement couldn't be any further from the truth.

Second only to the casting director Q&A was the cool black Actorfest bag I got out of the whole deal. That's a reusable keeper.

I'm glad I went. It reaffirmed certain things I already knew about the industry and alerted me to some new ones. The casting directors we heard speak also emphasized the importance of - obviously - honing your craft, whether you're in a production at the moment or not. So classes, private teaching, individual work - they can tell when you get up there to audition whether you've done your homework or not. Right now I'm taking Master Classes at PTS, which builds on the work I was doing in the on-camera classes. A couple of months of this, more work on my monologues, and getting into the habit of submitting myself for auditions, and then I'll be ready to start submitting to agents and casting directors.

Yeah, luck plays a part in all of it, but it's just the start.

After all, luck favors the prepared, right?

me again...

Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes.
- Benjamin Franklin

Check me out at this month's past NAVEL Expo, brought to you by Alex Lubarsky and the Health Media Group...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwuktPlIOaM

And me with no audio...

http://www.skheadshots.com

happy halloween '08

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. - Henry David Thoreau

Hannibal, a viking, and a Smart Water bottle walk into a bar, and all is well.


And then Dorothy walks in, and this happens...


Ah, c'est la vie.

Happy Halloween =)

chicago-style urbanathlon

Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.
- George Bernard Shaw

I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason. So when we went to sign up this past summer for the 2008 Men's Health Urbanathlon in NYC, to take place on Saturday, September 27, and we found out the race had already filled up, we weren't too distressed.

So we just went ahead and signed up for the one in Chicago, to take place three weeks later on Saturday, October 18, in colder weather and approximately three miles longer. I admit, even after we signed up and secured our spots, the idea of a longer race in a city we'd never been in, still lacking airplane tickets and hotel reservations, did seem daunting. Plus, we had yet to really start training.

Well...we did it. And it was truly an awesome experience =)

The race turned out to be approximately 11 miles, give or take, and it was a total blast. In addition to the running, we had to tackle obstacles (hence the name, Urbanathlon), including jersey barricades, culvert crawls, marine hurdles, cargo net crawls, monkey bars, taxi hurdles, a stadium climb, and a rope wall from where you launch yourself, in less than graceful form, to the finish line.
As you can see from the pictures in the following links, Alex and I have two very different running styles. His is more serious, whereas I take the more lighthearted, if-I-don't-stop-smiling-maybe-I'll-finish-quicker approach.

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=36402&BIB=1173&S=230&PWD=

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=36402&BIB=810

In the race itself, we saw a good stretch of the city, including Navy Pier, Soldier Field (I'll never look at football stadiums the same way again), Grant Park, museums, aquariums, buildings, buildings, and more buildings. When not racing, we checked out the downtown area, went up Sears Tower, declared a restaurant our favorite in Chicago (the Exchequer Restaurant & Pub), ate Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, rode in an old-school elevator, and even slept in a park next to two giant Native Americans on horses.

And we did it all in three days. Pretty awesome =)

What about next year? Well, as much as we loved Chicago, we would like to get back to our roots and do the Urbanathlon again in NYC.

So that just leaves the question - who's up for joining us?

and then there were three

Forget all the rules. Forget about being published. Write for yourself and celebrate writing.
- Melinda Haynes

You know you're doing what you love when you can't stop smiling from the moment you start it to long after you've finished. I'm thrilled to say that in the past month or so I have been fully immersing myself in the three things that I really love.

1) Writing

I've been, well, writing, a lot. The writing competitions are definitely contributing to that, but I also have some more articles out in the latest edition of the NAVEL Expo magazine.

Check some of them out here -

Overcoming Weight-Loss Resistance

Cleansing and Detoxification of the Immune System's Power Plant

Reversing Common Symptomatology through Liver Detoxification

What Your Tooth Fairy Won't Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn't Know

And as for that book, stay tuned for updates...

2) Acting

I'm already into my fourth week of advanced on-camera acting technique classes at the Penny Templeton Studio in NYC, and I absolutely love it. My acting career thus far has been in theatre, but what I really want to start doing now is film. It's an entirely different beast to tackle. In theatre, there is an energy that is unique to the stage. In film, you need to be able to convey the world through your eyes, through the smallest of gestures, through simply saying nothing. Stage right and camera right are two entirely different things...and that's just the start of it.

Every week, we have scenes to perform, and at the end of class, we see everyone's performance on the big screen. I have to admit, the first week was a bit jarring. I have big eyes, and I feel I look like a kid. But putting such self-analysis aside, as you must, it's all been a real blast. Being around actors, rehearsing scenes, learning new techniques - I missed all this for so long. I also finished a three-hour Business of Acting seminar earlier this evening with The Organized Actor's Leslie Becker. It's off to the races now to look for an agent.

Oh, and * exciting * I start rehearsals next week for a production of The Christmas Carol here in LI and in NJ. Where I find the time, nobody knows.

3) Tennis

I'm playing at least three times a week and shooting to be a 4.5-rated tennis player before the end of the year.

And of course, there's my newest blog -

racquetgirl.blogspot.com

Show some love (no pun intended), even if you can't figure out the difference between a game, a match, and a foot fault. (Olga, this means you.)

Things are definitely busy, but I find myself smiling a lot more these days. I'm doing just what I want to be doing.

flash fiction...round 1, part 2

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
- Albert Einstein

Shortly after the results of Round 1 were announced and points given out in the NYC Midnight Creative Writing/Flash Fiction Challenge, we were sent our assignments for Round 1: Part 2.

Same idea as before, i.e. under 1,000 words, certain guidelines, etc., and the top 10 point-getters in each heat move on to the official Round 2.

Before you read on, I have to admit that I was very annoyed when I first saw what the genre, location, and object were for my heat.

So I took those feelings of discomfort and annoyance and came up with something, I think, rather interesting. Read on!!

Title: Ashes to Ashes
Synopsis: A girl and an urn venture into a seedy establishment to dupe one greedy, scaly fool into trading his life for another, less scaly one.
Genre: Fantasy
Location: Strip club
Object: Urn

By Melissa C. Navia

The sun had barely broken the horizon, but Kate Patton’s heart was already pounding away. As she hurried down the deserted city sidewalk, she glanced at her watch. She was going to be late for school, she thought, pulling at the straps of her overburdened backpack. Purple on the outside, it protruded at sharp angles, hinting at the contents inside.

Kate stopped abruptly. Across the street stood a building with boarded-up windows and graffiti-streaked walls. “After Hours” it read, minus a few key letters. Yet another seedy establishment, Kate sighed. In her family’s line of work, she had been to many. Abandoned factories, vandalized castles, condemned estates—the more unscrupulous, the better. And a greasy strip club, long since shut down, was right up there. Looking both ways, Kate dashed across the street.

The Pattons were well-known in the underground community. They were Night Watchers, members of an ancient order charged with monitoring and destroying evil beings whose hideouts of choice were dark, creepy, people-less corners.

But ridding the world of them meant dealing with them first. And recent events were forcing Kate to do just that. Her grandfather, the patriarch of the family operation, had gone missing, and every demon, zombie, shape shifter, and fallen fairy knew it. Then her parents were kidnapped, leaving Kate vulnerable, and to fix things, she was resorting to desperate measures and a shady rendezvous.

Once across, Kate wasted no time opening a rusty metal door and disappearing indoors. It was dark, and she strained to see. Tacky leather-lined, termite-infested booths filled the space. Ripped velvet curtains dangled from the ceiling. Oversized light bulbs hung shattered. At the far end stood a stage populated with scratched metal poles that no longer glistened. Kate shuddered but advanced toward a table and the point of her excursion.

“You’re late,” said a man. Kate swung her backpack around and propped it on the table.

“This won’t take long, Vlar,” she replied, her voice shaky. “You tell me what I want, and I’ll give you what I promised.”

Vlar leaned forward and took off his wide-brimmed hat to reveal a swarthy grin. His features looked human enough, and his suit was Armani, but Kate knew better.

“You have the urn?” Kate nodded. “Which one?” he pried.

“First, where are my parents?”

“How do I know you really have it?”

“Because I wouldn’t come all the way here to be late for my chemistry midterm if I didn’t,” she snapped, her voice no longer shaky.

Vlar seemed puzzled but convinced. He put his hat down and licked his lips. His tongue was noticeably green and forked.

“They’re in the cellar of the Green Oaks Hospital, the abandoned mental institution upstate,” he said. “Draco and his sister are holding them there.”

Kate took a deep breath. We’ll worry about the dragon prince later.

Without another word, she unzipped her backpack and unveiled a brilliantly shiny silver urn. A faint line ran down the middle to reveal two chambers etched with elaborate markings. Vlar began to salivate and his features started to change. Any trace of humanity vanished. Behind her, Kate heard repulsive slithering and painful grating noises. In her periphery, she discerned three monstrous anomalies crouching and writhing around the stage. They, too, were entranced.

Seven mythic, magically-endowed urns resided in the world, and of those, Kate’s family owned one. Up until this point, it had proved to be dangerous; now she was hoping it would save her.

“Which is it?” Vlar slurred, his eyes transfixed on the prize.

“The Urn of Nemesis.”

“Who?”

“A goddess.”

“Goddess of what?”

“Look it up,” Kate said slowly, matching Vlar’s heavy breathing with her words.

“Why…are there…two chambers…for ashes?” Vlar asked with wide eyes, already drunk with greed. “For two…souls?”

Kate didn’t answer. She knew not to lie in the urn’s presence. So she quickly proceeded.

“Vlar, whoever possesses the urn must warn the next in line. If you’re unable to comply, I’m not at fault.” Vlar nodded. He was fully transformed; his true nature sat oozing before Kate.

“To rightfully take the urn, you must be clear in thought, pure in intention, and free of excessive pride. Are you?”

Another faint nod…

“Then you may take it.”

Instantly, Vlar lunged, but the urn repelled him. He let out a cry, as his hands froze suspended before him. The urn grew brighter. Vlar screamed in agony. Kate stepped back from the table. Vlar tried the same, but he began to convulse and scream even more. His expensive suit melted away, and the scales beneath it began to burn. Silently, the urn’s two chambers opened. From one, a steady trickle of ash poured into a neat pile on the table. Meanwhile, chairs were knocked over and windows smashed further as Vlar’s companions escaped screaming into the blinding daylight.

When Kate turned back, Vlar was a mass of suspended ash, and within seconds, the second chamber had sucked every last speck of him up, closing as quietly as it had opened.

“Well, I won’t do that again, that’s for sure,” chuckled an older voice. Kate looked up and frowned. There stood her grandfather, on the table, in a Zegna suit, with the same smile he was wearing when the urn had sucked him up one week before.

“You owe me one,” she said dryly, zipping up the urn. “Thanks to you, we have to rescue Mom and Dad from a haunted hospital.”

Grandpa Patton, agile for his age, jumped down from the table and put his arm around Kate. “Forgive my greed. If the gods can be merciful—”

“—and clever enough to have built a device with two chambers, fit for only one soul,” she interjected.

“Then so can you,” he smiled. “Now, off to find your parents.”

Stepping out into the open, the bright, cloudless sky a stark contradiction to the events that had just unfolded, Kate sighed and pulled on her backpack straps.

So much for that chemistry midterm.

flash fiction...first place

If you could get up the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.
- David Viscott

"Framed" gets 1st place!!

The 1st round results of the NYC Midnight Creative Writing/Flash Fiction Challenge were just announced, and in Heat 14, comprised of 15 writers, I placed 1st, garnering me 25 points going into the 2nd round this weekend.

Check out the standings -

http://www.nycmidnight.com/2008/CWC/1stRound/14.htm

Thanks to everyone who gave me such awesome feedback on the story =)

walk for a cause, walk and remember

The virtue of books is to be readable.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Alex and I will be taking part in Walk and Remember, a 5K walk supporting ovarian cancer research and awareness by raising money for the Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research.

We (Team Vigilant Monkey, of course) have set up a page where you can make a donation to help us reach our $500 goal -

www.firstgiving.com/vigilantmonkey

Donate safe and securely through the site via credit card. The donations are sent directly to the Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research, and Firstgiving will email you a printable record of the transaction.

It's that simple!! And if you check out the right-hand column of this blog, you'll find a widget featuring the real-time status of our donation goal.

A 3 mile walk isn't exactly a 20+ mile adventure race, but it's for a great cause, so I'll gladly do the walk this weekend =)

Plus, we get the 1st round results of the NYC Midnight Creative Writing/Flash Fiction Challenge this week and the 2nd round assignment this weekend. So while I'm walking, I'll be thinking about what to write. Stay tuned...

game. set. match. blog.

A perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility.
- Billie Jean King

It's that time of year again, right after my birthday, when the weather is still warm and I'm still arguing with people that summer isn't over - time for the US Open at the USTA in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, NY.

Accompanied by my tennis partners in crime, Alex and my mom, I took on the heat, the crowds, the merchandise, the free giveaways, the exorbitant food court prices, John McEnroe, and, of course, world-class tennis.


...okay, maybe not McEnroe per se, but he was in the vicinity.

And, as per usual, I got to thinking: Why am I not out there playing some world-class tennis, too? Well, let's see...A lack of a coach in more than five years maybe? The lack of a steady partner with whom to play? Not enough self-discipline to work on my serve six days a week? The fact that I'm too busy trying to write a book?

All these things, and perhaps more, are definitely good reasons, but not anything that can't be remedied.

So, as of today, I've gotten myself a coach, and I start lessons the first weekend in October. It might not sound like much, but it's a start. It's getting back out on the court. It's that competitive edge flaring up again. It's Varsity tennis all over again, sans the green pleated skirt.

Oh yeah, and it's also dawned on me that next to writing and films, the next thing I'm probably most knowledgeable and passionate about is this very sport, from the history of its snooty (and British) beginnings to the greatest athletes to play the game to those technical scoring intricacies that baffle the uninitiated tennis viewer. I think the lightbulb went on when I found myself for the fourth time this week, not to mention how often in all my 24 years (did I mention it was my birthday??), trying once again to explain to someone the very logical, quite brilliant scoring methodology behind the game. But to no avail. Maybe I'm just not explaining it well enough, I found myself thinking, but God knows, I've tried. So I pondered and I pondered and finally came to the conclusion that I might better express myself in writing than in frustrated, fast-paced, out-of-breath spoken words. Maybe I'll get Alex, my mom, and my sisters (my dad has yet to ask) to understand how to keep score soon enough -

racquetgirl.blogspot.com

Game. Set. Match. Blog...All tennis, all the time, by a tennis player who dreams of US Open glory.

Interesting, if nothing else. The start of something truly unique, most definitely.

happy birthday!!

Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted.
- Jules Renard

August 24, 1984...I showed up.

And here we are, 24 years later, still celebrating =)

flash fiction...round 1

Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else.
- Gloria Steinem

So the writing competition website, NYC Midnight, that brought me 2nd place glory several months ago with their 2008 Short Story Challenge is back with yet another competitive gem - the 2008 Creative Writing Championships.

In this competition, there are four rounds, and each writer is guaranteed to compete in at least the first two. You have two days (from Friday midnight to Sunday midnight) to complete a 1,000-word story, abiding by the genre, location, and object requirements for your specific heat. In a few weeks, we find out how we placed, and depending on what that is, we are assigned a number of points, which ultimately help decide the grand prize winner.

Below is my first submission, written in about three hours, even though, yes, I had a whole two days to do it. Alas, I'm a busy person =P And yes, you might ask, but Melissa, where are the other stories you've submitted to competitions and written about? Why haven't you posted them yet? Truth is, I've never really considered it until now. So...here we are:

Title: Framed
Synopsis: High atop the city, boredom turns to panic, actions are called into question, and a camera captures the tragedy of life in all its hi-def glory.
Genre: Open
Location: Rooftop of a skyscraper
Object: Video camera

By Melissa C. Navia

Matthew felt his eyelids getting heavy as he stared blankly out the towering windows of his father’s office. Fifty-seven floors up might have garnered him a bright, unobstructed view of the city on a hot Friday morning, but it still gave him nothing to do. His head began to nod off to the side. A black, compact video camera lay cradled in his hands.

It was summer. The temperature outside had been consistently scorching for the past week, and today was no different. If anything, it was worse. The air conditioning was at full volume. He had already heard some women in business skirts and blouses complaining about the chilly blast. But 15-year-old Matthew, in khaki shorts and a striped polo shirt, was content with the cold temperature lulling him to sleep. He went back to wondering why he had followed his father, who he hadn’t seen all morning, into work that day.

“Stop having so much fun!”

Matthew looked up. Staring down at him was one of the company’s younger employees. Pinstriped pants, wrinkled white shirt, messy brown hair, and a loosened striped tie. It had already been a long day.

“Scott Lawrence,” he said smiling. “You’re Peterson’s son, right?”

“Yeah, Matt,” Matthew responded dryly, “and yeah, it’s that much fun.”

“Sorry kid. We’re not crazy about being here either. Economy’s been real flighty. Stockbrokers get the worst of it,” Lawrence explained.

Trying to express his disinterest with the conversation, Matthew fidgeted with the video camera in his lap.

“Cool camera!” Lawrence tried again. “Canon? The new one? Expensive stuff.”

“Yeah, it comes with a bunch of different filming modes and upgrades,” Matthew acknowledged, turning the camera around.

“Oh my god!” Lawrence cried.

“Eh, it’s okay. No big deal,” Matthew countered. But when he looked up to explain, Lawrence was already running toward the windows—along with the rest of the office. Matthew spun around in his seat to see what caused the panic, but he heard everyone’s cries first, and he already knew.

Somebody was on the ledge.

Who was it? Anthony Radale from down the hall, someone shouted. What do we do? Somebody call the police! But what do we do? Don’t bang on the window! Open up a window? Get him inside.

Uncertainty mounted, and the orders being given out escalated in number. Several employees, Lawrence included, rushed to start the rescue operation while they waited for police.
But Matthew couldn’t wait. He clutched his camera and ran in the opposite direction. They were three floors from the roof of the building, and since he had been little, Matthew knew exactly where the exit doors stood.

Out of breath and panting, he burst through them into the day’s suffocating humidity, despite the windiness of the rooftop. He hurried over to the building’s edge and looked out over the protective barrier.

There he was, the man balancing on the ledge of the 57th floor. Matthew tore off the video camera’s lens cover, wound the camera strap around his wrist, held his arms out over the barrier, and clicked Record.

The noisy breeze around him dissipated, leaving just the sounds of the rotating lens. Matthew stared intently at the screen. He was filming at 30 frames per second. Perfect for YouTube. He smiled. Who would’ve thought? No news cameras, helicopters, reporters—he was the first one to the scene. Settling on a good bird’s eye view, Matthew lay down on his stomach and steadied his hand. The camera picked up the noise below.

Lawrence and other employees—Was that his father he heard?—were urging the man to come back in so they could talk. They said they were worried. They didn’t want him to get hurt. They understood. They just wanted him to step back inside. They said it wasn’t worth it. Matthew listened in silence.

The man on the ledge said nothing. He just stood there. Was he trembling? Matthew zoomed in tighter and scowled. He still only saw the back of the guy’s head. The monotony of the shot was beginning to irk him.

“C’mon,” he muttered under his breath, “say something…do something.”

For a moment, Matthew glanced away from the miniature screen and looked further below. A large crowd was already forming. Still no news vans.

He took a risk and panned away from the man to the people, simultaneously sliding the zoom toggle and pushing it to the max. Within seconds, they were in focus. Far away, but in focus. Matthew’s eyes narrowed as he strained to look closer. Were they celebrating? He swore they looked excited. He closed his eyes and opened them again. Were they yelling at Anthony to jump?

Shuddering, Matthew slid the zoom toggle again in the opposite direction. The image in the screen quickly ascended the height of the building. But just as it reached the top, a blur in the corner caused a guttural noise to escape from the back of Matthew’s throat.

It was Anthony. Out of focus. Trembling. And staring at him.

Matthew’s hands froze, and so the camera lens obediently adjusted, bringing Anthony into focus. He continued to stare up at the camera, at Matthew. His now visible face was red and tear stained, but his expression was vacant, his eyes were cold.

And then he fell—forward and fast, still looking up. Screams escaped from the windows. People cleared the sidewalk. Matthew’s hands jerked to life, and he pulled the camera in over the barrier. He scampered backwards, his hands burning on the black rooftop floor. They were going to come looking for him, he realized. They were going to want to know what Anthony saw before he died.

And so when the officers, the stockbrokers, and the father burst through the rusted metal doors, they thought they would find something worthy of a man’s last look. But what they found was only a pale young boy, his forehead sweating, his mouth trembling, his arms hanging limp, and a shattered camera at his feet.

out for adventure

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
- Helen Keller

So it's been a few weeks since I last posted, but with good reason. It's been a crazy busy summer packed with writing, going to the beach, working out, doing Bikram yoga, the Olympics, movie watching, test driving cars, visiting parks, taking pictures, planning parties, cleaning, online magazine launching, chilling, and, oh yes, one very memorable Adventure Race, courtesy of Genesis Adventures.


To get the full specifics on it, I'd like to direct you to Alex's website, where he offers a minute-by-minute rundown of the the sweat, the pain, the excitement - 6 hours and 57 minutes worth (including a picture of one of the race map that on several occasions proved useless).

alexanderkblog.wordpress.com

The race took place on Saturday, August 2, in Allamuchy (pronounced with the "ch" sound, not the "k" sound...because I can only be corrected so many times) Mountain State Park, NJ, and according to everyone there, from the coordinator of the event to the adventure race veterans, it turned out to be one of the hardest races on record. The race results, which we got a few days later, proved it, seeing as how about 10 teams were assigned a "DNF" - did not finish.

Alex and me, however, aka Team Vigilant Monkey, did finish in just under 7 hours, starting at 9:00 AM and finishing three minutes before the official race cut-off time of 4:00 PM.

To sum up, the race was awesome, and really nothing like we expected. We actually (if you faithful blog readers can remember) took a prep course/daylong camp about two months ago during the last adventure race to better understand what we we were getting ourselves into, in Wawayanda State Park, NJ.

But you know how you study and study for an exam like the SAT or GRE, take practice tests, go over review questions, do the repetitive, straightforward problems, and still end up convinced that the actual test is more difficult than what you were told to go over? That's kind of exactly how this ended up. Consisting of three sections, kayaking, hiking, and mountain biking, this was the breakdown between the two locations -

In Wawayanda, we were on a lake, a big, calm enclosed lake, where lily pads and flowers were in abundance, on a hot, summer's day.

In Allamuchy, we were on a river, a tight, muddy, shallow-and-then-deep-when-you-least-expect-it, fly-infested, rocky, muddy (did I mention that?) river. Oh yeah, and there were waterfalls. I was covered in crap less than five minutes into the kayak portion of the race. Our paddles picked up more mud, seaweed, mulch, rocks, and unidentifiable brown stuff than I ever even thought sat at the bottom of a river.

Oh, and it was anything but sunny. Kayaking back to the transition point, the heavens opened up and unleashed all the rain that it hadn't unleashed all summer. And thunder. And lightning. When we got out at one point, thinking we should run with the kayak back to camp, we came up in a really thick part of the forest, where walking, let alone running, was out of the question. So we retraced our steps, but once at the river, we realized one of the paddles went missing, so I ran back into the forest to find it. And it might sound silly, but the day had already gotten so Lord of the Rings on me, that I actually entertained the possibility that river trolls had stolen the paddle out of the kayak when Alex was pulling it back, just so that one of us could go back to retrieve it, only to get snatched up, leaving the other alone on the river. Yes, the writer in me was still hard at work...

The kayak portion alone claimed two teams, who ended up stuck out there and had to drop out of the race.

Less than 2 hours for us, however, and we were back at the transition area.

Back to Wawayanda, where hiking was, literally, like a walk in the park. There were open forest areas, nicely marked paths, sights to be seen, and, of course, sun.

Allamuchy - everything was soaked. We were soaked. Our clothes were soaked. The forest was soaked. Any sort of traction that existed ever went out the window. Trails - non-existent. Checkpoints - few and far in between. The hiking was really what either made or broke teams. To be more exact, it was the dreaded Checkpoint 5 somewhere on some mythic stone wall that left people lost, confused, wandering and annoyed. It's funny how much a foggy compass, a wet map, and being surrounded by endless trees can really put a relationship to the test. Plus, there were ruins (and the river we kayaked on went through a historic, closed-down town) that I didn't even give a second look at - just to show you how frustrated Checkpoint 5 made me.

But we persevered and made it out of the forest in relatively sane condition. Back at the transition area, we grabbed our bikes, took note of how many bikes were still in their stands (thus the number of racers still in the woods), and took off on the third and last portion of the race.

Wawayanda - dirt bike paths, sun, some sort of direction.

Allamuchy - rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Wet rocks. Large rocks. Hidden rocks. The term for such bike paths are "bony," and these were up there with the boniest. It was on these paths that we met up with many teams still fuming from Checkpoint 5.

At about 3:30 PM, Alex and I started heading back to the transition point to cross the finish line. We had veered off the map for about thirty minutes prior to that, leaving us lacking in the the last few checkpoints (along with a good deal of other teams), but reinvigorated as well. The time to ourselves, in the middle of some of the coolest woods I've ever seen, by the largest boulder I've ever seen, was much needed and appreciated. It was the perfect note to end our race.

Well, actually, the bell they clanged for us as we crossed the finish line made a pretty good ending note, too. Right after we finished, I asked if there were any teams still out there, to which the coordinator responded with a laugh and an, "Of course!!" And I smiled, because it meant we did pretty darn good.

So that's the story. That was our race. More than once throughout the day my father's voice echoed in my head as he asked, "And why are you doing this again?" And more than once, I wondered the same thing myself. I ended up with cuts on my feet (most from wading in the river, pulling the kayak through gunk) and my legs (most from the hiking, where I think I must have brushed by every thorn and sharp twig in the whole forest), with pain in parts of my body that I didn't even know were capable of aching, with squishy socks that never really dried, with a river gunk-smeared bandana that attracted pesky insects throughout the whole race, with the realization that giving me a map does as much good as leaving the map at home, and with knee pain (there were few without a limp in their step at the end of the day).

Will we do it again? Of course we will. September, to be exact. To which my dad would ask, why is that? Because we have to. Because it was awesome. It was exhilirating. It was a challenge. It was a hardship. It was something unlike I've ever done before. It was 7 hours of realizing that if you want to, you will.

And then there's Checkpoint 5. Somewhere, at some point, some day, there'll be another Checkpoint 5. And we'll find it.

We have to.

your very first day...

The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.
- George Bernard Shaw

You know what it's like: You say you're going to do something, but you don't do it, and then when you remember there was something you were supposed to do, you tell yourself you'll have to look into doing it, but then you still don't do it, because you're doing other things that probably don't get you half as excited as that thing that you keep telling yourself you should do, you want to do, you will do, and yet that you never do.

Sound familiar? I thought so.

When you live a busy life, as I know we all do, procrastination and frustration reign supreme, unless you can get yourself out of that circle. I, for instance, get a lot done, but as an ever-busy person and, worse, a writer suffering from publishing anxiety, I know there's so much more that should be getting done that isn't. And being a perfectionist (yes, I'm a Virgo, for you zodiac sign believers out there) doesn't help.

But I've been working very hard on stifling this tendency for the past year or so, and I think I've been making some serious progress. Like my drawers, for instance, I kept saying I was going to reorganize them this past month, but I never did, and finally, the other night, I did - all of them. Sure, this might have been a convenient way to get out of revising the next chapter of my book, but hey, reorganizing clothes never hurts =P A minor example, but if I gave you others, more important, meaningful ones, we'd be here all day.

So why am I telling you? Because I still see everyone doing it and have come to the conclusion that much of people's unhappiness stems from people's unwillingness to just get it done and fear of not doing it right. Sure, I haven't discovered fire here, but still, really think about it for a moment. It might sound like common sense, and it really is, but when you reflect on it, realize how little and insignificant a habit it is that keeps us from achieving things, and you'll want to get up and go book that trip, start that company, make yourself that sandwich, get yourself to the beach, take that walk - whatever it is you're telling yourself right now you want to do.

And it's not easy. It shouldn't be easy. Sometimes I'll sit at my computer bemoaning the time and agony it takes to get the plot moving (FYI, took me three hours to revise my Chapter 2 last week...but I did it), and I find myself writing slower, with less attention, with more distractions, with motivation quickly draining. But if it was easy, then I would've published a book years ago. Everyone would've published books years ago. And I wouldn't be happy. I'd be restless, trying to find something more challenging, something that asks more of me.

Take, for instance, the fact that Alex and I have an Adventure Race coming up in Allamuchy, NJ. I find myself worrying every now and then that it won't be easy, and we might get lost, and I might get tired, and we might suffer from heat exhaustion, and our sandwiches might get soggy, and I might have to go to the bathroom as soon as we're in the forest - probably when we're lost and too nervous to think about the bathroom - and I might fall off my bike going up a mountain, and I might tip over in the kayak while I'm thinking about falling off my bike...see, now even you're worried.

But then I have to remind myself (and sometimes it's hard) that I haven't been training and running and biking and kayaking and lifting weights and working on my endurance and going to an all-day Adventure Race prep course because it's going to be easy. No, I've been going because I'm going to attempt something ridiculous and fun and possibly painful and definitely memorable. So it won't be easy. But I know that. So why worry? When I'm just fretting over the obvious.

I guess what prompted me to write this was two articles I recently read. One, I read today, about Randy Pausch, the professor from Carnegie Mellon University who delivered the now-internet famous "Last Lecture" (and title of the best-selling book), about achieving your childhood dreams, in September 2007, a month after being told he had only a few months to live because his pancreatic cancer had returned. He died today, almost one year later.

I saw him on Oprah (yes, sometimes I watch) once, and he was pretty extraordinary. Basically, he said that he knew he was going to die, from one of the most painful cancers out there, but knowing that wasn't going to stop him from loving life for himself, his friends, and his family. If anything, he was going to do it one thousand times more. I must admit, some of his methods were a little extreme, like pouring a can of soda on the backseat of his brand new convertible to prove to his nephew and niece that they didn't have to worry about dirtying it. Material things are not important when it comes to people. Lo and behold, I think the story goes, the nephew got carsick at some point later on, threw up on the backseat, and happily realized that his uncle wasn't going to throw him out on the highway.

But ultimately, the book, his mantra, the lectures, his ideas, they were all meant to be, most importantly to him, life lessons he could leave for his wife and children. So he left behind a legacy of just getting out there and doing it with a lot of fun and little to no worry.

The second article I read several days ago was about 112-year old Frank Calloway, an Alabama man who has spent more than 50 years in the mental health system. In the '80s he started drawing, and now he is a prolific painter who creates images out of another time and place, visions of his youth. Last year, the article says, he took a trip to Alabama's Gulf Coast, and soon afterward, he decided he was going to draw pictures of boats, but rather than drawing the modern boats he'd seen, he produced riverboats with paddlewheels, the kind Mark Twain would have written about. Not much is officially known about his life prior to entering the mental health system, that is, except for what he tells people...and what he draws. When he isn't hard at work, he enjoys talking to people who ask questions.

As for all of his paintings, they're going to be worth a lot, and this fall they will be on exhibit at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. Calloway plans to attend the opening - it will be his first time on a plane...at 112 years old. So think about that the next time you say you're too old to do something or it's too late to start something.

I know a lot of people say live every day like it's your last, but I'm not crazy about that. I would probably -regardless of all the positive thinking in the world - be a nervous wreck if I found out it was the very last day (not quite like Pausch, who had some of the most amazing months of his life left).

Instead, I say, live every day like it's your first, with all the awe and wonder and smiles you had when it really was your very first day. When everything was new and awesome, and your thoughts and dreams were all experience- and reality check-free. Experience is what you choose to take out of life. Reality is what you make of it.

Live like you're just starting and like you've suddenly realized, for the very first time, that there's something you'd love to do...right now.

a flicker, then a flame

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.
- Robert Frost

It's taken some time, but dammit, I've done it. Chapter 1 has officially been revised, submitted to my writing group, and (breathe) given a markedly positive assessment.

From the revision, which actually didn't take much time at all once I actually forced myself to sit down and do it, more ideas, more characterization, more plot points, more specifics, and more notes to address have emerged, and it's all so very awesome. It's tangible.

My goal by the end of the week is to have revised Chapters 2 and 3 and have an extensive outline for Chapters 6 - 10. Ugh - which will of course mean I have to start rereading the 100+ pages I've already written, including the parts where I was half asleep and managed to tactfully maneuver my way around gaping plot holes. Yeah, that's gonna be fun to decipher.

So yes, thank you all for not inviting me to any movies, parties, or hanging out time in the last week since my my most recent post. Keep up the great let's-all-help-Melissa-stop-procrastinating work!!

That is what you're doing, right?

Right?

Guys??

two months, no excuses

You can't say, I won't write today because that excuse will extend into several days, then several months, then… you are not a writer anymore, just someone who dreams about being a writer.
- Dorothy C. Fontana

Prior to opening up the new lululemon store at Roosevelt Field, all the new educators have been doing goal setting workshops and examining what each of our goals are for the future - personal, professional, and health. I've always been a goal setter, to a dorky extent, so I'm always surprised to learn that a lot of people never think to set or reach goals, and that's exactly the point these workshops have been getting across. I don't think it was anything that was ever directly taught to me, just indirectly understood to be something you do and continue to do often. So the goal setting concept is nothing new to me, but it was an important refresher nonetheless. It's always good to have things emphasized and rearticulated, to get you back on track.

With that said, it's dawned on me that my writing pursuits have been dragging the past few months, smothered by a horrible case of writer's block/procrastination/fear/perfectionism. So it's time to get back on track. Here are my goals for the next two months -

1) Finish my book, from beginning to end. Begin and continue the revision process as the story moves along. Revision can continue beyond deadline, but I must keep reviewing while I work on a book deal. Keep up the momentum. Don't make excuses.
By when => 8-31-08

2) Launch VM. Organize. Delegate. Reach out. Publicize. Recruit. Write. Inspire.
By when => 8-31-08 (but earlier would be ideal) and beyond

So there you go. Now you know. If I ask to go to the movies, say no. If I want to hang out, say next time. If I want to relax, say get up. If I'm organizing my sock drawer, say you're onto me.

Then remind me to go write.

You know, that thing I do.

when in texas...

All good ideas arrive by chance.
- Max Ernst

Texas, you say? Indeed. I arrived in Texas this past Saturday with my cousin and her husband (or as I like to say, my cousin-in-law), and we've been having a great time. Some relaxing, some exercising, some sightseeing, some more relaxing, and a lot of spending time with family. It's been a nice breather from my usual hectic schedule, but even here I find I've been preoccupied with ideas and things I have to write and do and say and train for and work on and write about yet again. But whatever, I'm a writer, I do a lot of thinking and a lot of writing, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So to summarize, since Switzerland, June has been really busy.

Alex and I participated in our first Genesis Adventures Racing Camp on Saturday, June 7 to prepare for the actual race in August. We went to Wawayanda State Park in NJ, and it was quite the experience. I ended up with a very strange tan - the kind you get when you're out on a lake and in a forest for an entire day. You know, the band where your socks stopped and around your shoulders to clearly demarcate your sleeveless shirt. We kayaked, mountain biked, hiked, and tried desperately to learn how to use a compass. I think Alex did a better job of it than I did, as I was left glaring at my compass and turning in circles while standing in place.

Then there was Soraya's graduation and the many festivities surrounding it. Of course, no surprise there, she left with more awards than I can count, including the coveted gold cords that honor the top graduating students. Was I proud? You bet. Am I left asking how it is that my little sister is suddenly on her way to high school, the very same one that I went to, when it feels like just yesterday she was a little kid waiting for me to come home from school so we could play? Oh yeah. Ah well, such is life. We'll both still always be kids at heart =)

Moving on to the massive amounts of pictures and video I have taken in the past month alone, plus Switzerland, I have a lot - and I mean a lot - to comb through and finally present to everyone. I have, though, managed to do a good deal of printing out of pictures and have showed a lot to the family already. For Father's Day, I gave my dad a small album of only a sampling of the thousands of pictures we took in Switzerland. That same day, we all gave Soraya a scrapbook commemorating her graduation and years in school.

Still, though, a lot more pictures are yet to be printed out, properly sorted, and displayed for all, not to mention the new ones from Texas.

Then there was the Don Quixote course I finished. My paper was entitled "Donkeys, Madmen, and Literature: The Art of Transformation in The Golden Ass and Don Quixote" - which got me a nice A in the class. Or as Yaya would say - I beasted on it.

I've been reading Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star. By my count, I should have been done with it weeks ago, but due to Spanish knights and sheer exhaustion, I'm still plodding along. My critique so far - still an amazing series. Truly awesome. Excellent isn't even the word. It's so good, it still makes me angry =P

So far in Texas, we've been swimming, gone hiking, been mountain biking, visited the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, participated in our first Bikram Yoga class at Bikram Yoga Grapevine (also where some Dallas Cowboys are known to go in the off season, as well as where I walked by a very large NY Jet player) went to the Fort Worth Stockyards where we spent an afternoon with Texas longhorn cattle (where I was so tempted to do my John Wayne impression), visited The Sixth Floor/JFK Museum in Dallas (where outside we saw many intelligent people dodging traffic to get a picture of the X that marks the spot of the shooting), went to Hurricane Harbor, cheered at two baseball games (the Fort Worth Cats and the Texas Rangers), and even bought a house...well, kind of. It was this huge house on sale for about a $1 million, but when we saw the dimensions and realized that on Long Island a house that size could be about $6 million, if not more, we knew it was nothing short of a steal. So in a way, we bought it, and as soon as we get close to one million, we'll move right in.

And that's it really. If you've been wondering where I've been, the answer is pretty much everywhere, always doing something. As for writing, that, too, like my reading has been plodding along, but I am officially dubbing July the month to get most of my book written and completed. It's a major goal, I know, especially considering that I'm also dubbing July the month in which to launch VM.

A lot to do, but we'll get it done.

We always do =)