ROW80 Check-in – Page 5

Category: ROW80 Check-in (page 5 of 11)

ROW80: Embracing New Beginnings, and Banishing the Doubt Monster

If I had a brain scan taken right now, I think it would resemble one of those houses on an episode of Hoarders: piled high with junk, all discombobulated, disorganized, and frightening. July has sped past me with all the zipping and zooming of a bullet train, and I’m not quite sure when I have to show for it.

A photo from one of my fun day trips: The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from Marin. (Photo taken by the author)

One of the causes of this mental disorganization of course stems from the craziness of moving and settling back in. I’ve adjusted to being home with family fairly easily — maybe a little too easily. There have been all sorts of lunches and dinners out, day trips to fun places, and other activities and outings going on. All this social time has been wonderful, but it’s been eating away at my quiet time. As many of you introverts will know, that quiet time is darned essential, and so I need to do a better job at setting boundaries for myself.

To make things even better, the Doubt Monster has been lurking around for the last few weeks, accompanied by his cronies Irrational Fear and Angst. This means that writing, both creative and academic, has been an agonizing process. Words are wrangled onto the page with back-breaking effort, most of them get deleted, then replaced with approximately the same level of pain. My rapidly approaching (and expiring) deadlines have done little to kick my butt into gear, which in turn brings back the Doubt Monster in all his wonderfully doubting glory, and the cycle begins again.

But it is August 1st! This means that it is time for renewed energy and new beginnings. Better yet, I have decided that it is time to banish the Doubt Monster and his posse into some galaxy far, far away so that I can clean up my mental house and get things in order.

August 1st is also the start of CampNaNoWriMo, which I (of course) decided to tackle in a moment of wild idiocy (supreme overconfidence?). I toyed with the idea of pulling out, but part of me thinks that the forced focus might actually be good for me. To make my life a little easier, I’ll be working on STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, my somewhat-erotic romance that is already 15k long. An outline sort of dropped into my lap, fully-formed and shiny, a couple of months ago, so I’ll be using that as my guide.

My itemized list of things accomplished/not accomplished will be posted on Sunday, but until then I leave you with this picture of my cat, Napoleon. I like to think of him as my mascot in all things associated with lazy, and a welcome reminder that a little rest and relaxation in the midst of all our busy time.

Napoleon, the Little Corporal of All Things Lazy

ROW80: Settling in, and Random Photos of Ostriches

July 7, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 24 Comments

A preview of coming attractions.

Well, folks, we’re a week into Round 3 of ROW80! Given that the week was punctuated by an oddly placed holiday, hopefully you all got to enjoy a little extra relaxation and fun in addition to the day-to-day demands of life. And yes, you read that title right: there are random photos of ostriches in this post, though you’ll have to wade through my check-in to get to them. Enticing, eh?

My week started with a bit of a family health scare: my grandma was rushed to the hospital on Monday and ended up having to get a pacemaker. She is recovering well, thank goodness, but everyone was really worried for a few days. Beyond that, I am happy to report that almost all of my boxes are unpacked. Even better, almost all of my cherished belongings have a home. I’ll have to turn my room upside down again in a few days when I start my painting project, but once all is said and done I will post pictures of my new writing space. The walls will be transformed from the pale lavender that 11-year-old-me thought was the absolute height of sophistication, to a warm golden yellow that will hopefully brighten and warm my teeny tiny space.

Also awesome: the family cat, Napoleon, has decided to acknowledge my existence, unlike the time I came home 2 summers ago when he pretended that he didn’t know who I was. Once again, he curls up next to me in bed while I drink tea, write, and listen to classical music. My life is now complete. *squee*

Between unpacking and decorating I haven’t had a chance to really find my rhythm, but I’m working on it. Here’s a shakedown of Week 1:

Day Job: Today (Saturday) was the first chance to tackle what I have code-named PROJECT DISSERTATE OR DIE (yes, the caps are necessary, and yes, “dissertate” is totally a word). My focus for the next week or so is on the seminar paper that I owe my dissertation advisor by mid-month, so I’m doing lots of reading, note-taking, and brainstorming. This week’s goal: Finish (or almost finish) seminar paper by next Sunday’s check-in.

Writing: My other big endeavor for this round, PROJECT RECHARGE, is also coming along. I’ve taken time out for journaling sessions every day this week, and decided that a bit of soul work is in order. I have many thoughts and feelings on this matter, and perhaps once I distill them into something easily digestible and understandable, I’ll be able to write a blog post or two on the matter. This week’s goal: Add bits of free-writing (poetry, story snippets) into the journaling/brainstorming mix.

Social Media: 10 blogs visited, check! Twitter, Facebook, and queuing up blog posts is still on the to-do list. This week’s goal: Wade back into Triberr, get back into the ROW80 #teamsprinty madness, keep visiting blogs, maybe brainstorm potential blog posts?

Exercise: So… moving counts as exercise, right? ‘Cause I can’t count the number of boxes, odds and ends, and pieces of furniture that I helped my dad move. Aside from that, I got 1 “real” workout on the glider in. Now that I can’t roll out of bed and go for a walk (we live at the top of a really steep hill), I have to shift my workout plan a bit. This week’s goal: Aim for 4 days of exercise; get used to the idea of having to *drive* to a walking spot.

So, yay, progress! Be sure to stop by and wave to the other ROWers taking part in Round 3. And hey, just for fun, why don’t you have a few random pictures from my excursion to Ostrich Land? The world can always use more fuzzy animal pictures, even if ostriches are more odd-looking that squee-worthy and likely to snap off a hand if you’re not careful. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Ahoy, Ostrich Land!

The obligatory Instagram’d ostrich photo.

The sign does not lie.

Ostrich feeding is dangerous work.

Baby ostriches: not as cute as baby sloths, but precious nonetheless.

ROW80: New Goals for Round 3

July 2, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 19 Comments

2012 is moving so quickly that I feel like I have whiplash. Somehow it’s already July, and I’ve completed my fourth year in grad school (?!).

I write this post having just completed the “Big Move” from Santa Barbara to my parents’ house in the San Francisco Bay Area. For at least the next year, I’ll be living with them as I work on my dissertation.

It is SO good to be back in San Francisco. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Of course, July marks the start of Round 3 of A Round of Words in 80 Days, the writing challenge that “knows you have a life.” For more information, visit the “About” page.

My life seems to be conspiring against my ability to write of late; June was an absolutely insane month filled with grading, research, schoolwork, and packing up my apartment. Given the major deadlines I’m facing for school over the next couple of months, I gave serious thought to skipping Round 3, but I think I could use the accountability that ROW80 demands.

More importantly, I’ve been feeling at loose ends with my progress as a writer. Being back home in my parents’ house, living in the bedroom where I wrote my first poems and stories, brings into sharp relief the fact that I still haven’t reconnected with my creative impulse as deeply or as fully as I would like. The prospect of grappling with my dissertation for the next few months without any sort of creative outlet feels unbelievably bleak. Right now I’m less concerned with finishing the WIPs on my plate, and more concerned with remembering how it feels to wield words to bring the worlds within my head into existence.

For this round, I have a few goals with specific timelines, and a few others that will be ongoing. Here’s the breakdown:

JULY

Day Job:

Finish and submit a 12-15 page seminar paper on etiquette books and cultural theory. Approximate due date: July 15th
Finish and submit a 25-30 page literature review on my dissertation topic (19th century Catholic women religious in the United States, with an emphasis on the SF Bay Area). Approximate due date: July 31st

Writing:

Renew creativity with daily journaling sessions and lots of brainstorming. I’m not placing a word count requirement on this, because at this point I need to just get back into the rhythm and flow of writing. I don’t care what I write — flash fiction, current WIPs, random snippets, bad poetry, it’s all up for grabs at this point.

Social Media:

Start building a queue of 10-12 blog posts to begin sharing in August.

AUGUST

Day Job:

Continue dissertation reading and (hopefully) begin visiting convent archives to assess holdings and materials.
Write and submit 2-page dissertation summary. Approximate due date: August 15th
Meet with dissertation committee for the “little conversation” to discuss the dissertation proposal and advance to doctoral candidacy. Approximate deadline: August 30th

Writing:

Take part in August CampNaNoWriMo. I know, this might be a little crazy, but I’m not gunning for a 50k win. Instead, I’m hoping that whatever creative juices I unlock in July will allow me to focus on one project and flesh it out a little bit. This is a tentative plan, so we’ll see how July goes. Regardless, I will keep writing everyday so that I don’t lose the habit.

SEPTEMBER

Day Job:

Revise July’s seminar paper with the goal of producing (1) a conference presentation for November and (2) a co-written journal article. Due date TBA.
Draft proposals for dissertation grants and fellowships. Approximate due date: September 30th.

ON-GOING GOALS

Day Job:

Continue dissertation reading, visiting and working in convent archives, and writing weekly research memos.

Writing:

Write everyday. No exceptions.
Read 1 (non-academic) book a week.

Exercise:

Work out 4-5 days a week (I’m upping the minimum threshold by 1 day). Continue to eat balanced meals and drink plenty of water.

Social Media:

Visit and comment on 10 blogs each week.
Start using Triberr on a regular basis.
Adopt Anne R. Allen’s slow-blogging manifesto, and aim for 1-2 posts/week, starting in August.

As always, there’s a lot going on. For this round, however, I think this is going to be all about concrete goals and deadlines for the day job, and much looser goals for my writing. Once I unpack all my boxes, finish settling into my room (there’s a major painting project on the horizon), and hammer out a routine, it’ll hopefully be a lot easier to get things done.

I’m looking forward to connecting with everyone taking part in ROW80 this round. If you’d like to add your name to the list, or check out the other bloggers who have joined in on all the fun, visit the linkytools list.

ROW80: Barely Squeaking By

June 10, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 18 Comments

Oh man, I cannot believe I have missed two ROW80 check-ins in a row. It’s definitely not my usual speed, but there’s a lot going on right now. Classes just ended this week, final exams are due next week, and I’m moving 300 miles back to my parents’ house at the very end of the month. So I am a bit distracted, shall we say, but I am here cheering on all my ROWing friends in spirit, if not “in the flesh.”

However, there has been *some* progress along the way. Here’s how things have gone over the last couple of weeks:

Day Job: So. Much. Work. I have been buried under books and journal articles for what feels like weeks, trying to finish a 25 page term paper on 19th century Catholic nuns for the course I’m taking on religion and gender. However, the absolute best thing to happen to me is that I met with my dissertation advisor on Tuesday, and we decided that the topic can be merged with my nascent dissertation topic.

This is a really, really, really good thing for a million reasons, not the least of which is that I have a direction at last. Better yet, it’s a direction that I enjoy, one that makes me happy, and kicks my little sociologist brain in gear.

I am going to have my work cut out for me this summer, honing and refining my central research questions, but I feel passionate about this project for the first time in a while. And where there’s passion, I’d like to think that we can do anything.

Writing: Yup, this is where I’m “barely squeaking by.” Work on my main novels has been stalled by the day job, though I have been trying to tweak little things here and there when I have a spare moment. So I don’t let myself get too rusty, I decided to sign up for my first flash fiction challenge in a few months: ‘Timony Souler’s June round of the “Dice Games.” I’ve been a little slow at posting my fills, but I’ve finished 2 out of 3: “Liberty,” about a lady assassin, her trusty blade, and a final mission; and “Worthless?“, which involves a pair of supernatural hunters, zombies, and a lovers’ quarrel.

Exercise: I’ve been working out on an average of 4 times each week, so I’m not doing *too* terribly here. Listening to audiobooks while walking has definitely made exercising much more enjoyable.

Social Media: Er… what is social media again? *hangs head in shame*

And finally, here are the awesome things that have been on my reading and watching lists:

I had a blast with a little time travel romance by way of Susanna Kearsley’s THE ROSE GARDEN and fellow ROW-er Jennette Marie Powell‘s TIME’S FUGITIVE (the 2nd book in her Saturn Society series). Kearsley’s protagonist, Eva, is grappling with the death of her older sister and finds herself in Cornwall, reconnecting with old family friends. There, she learns that she can “slip through time,” and ends up falling in love with an eighteenth-century smuggler. It reminds me a bit of Diana Gabaldon‘s OUTLANDER — rich description, evocative prose, lots of romance (although nothing as explicit as Gabaldon’s work), and haunting. I wasn’t sure how things would be resolved

While TIME’S FUGITIVE is also involves romance and time-travel, it’s much heavier in the science-fiction elements than THE ROSE GARDEN. Powell does an amazing job exploring the “butterfly effect” conundrums that can accompany time travel. There’s lots of tension, lots of excitement, and lots of twists and turns that I loved. I was so enthralled with the plot that I devoured the book in a single sitting, which says a lot. 😀

Finally, I read Lindsay Buroker‘s ENCRYPTED. Like all of her other books, this one was funny, fast-paced, and hugely enjoyable. There was one question that ran through my mind as I read, and that was, “Why the hell did I wait so long to read it?”

The watching list is a long one, since my friends and I have been hitting the theaters like crazy over the past couple of weeks. Here’s what we’ve seen, in bullet form:

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Blech. I was dragged to this against my will, and I thought it might maybe be terrible-funny, but no, it was just terrible. Pathetic writing, lame jokes, regressive notions of gender, fat-shaming, stupid “let’s-adopt-an-African-baby” subplot… the list goes on. Not even a bare-chested Joe Manganiello doing one-armed pull-ups could save this one for me.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Also known as “that movie with all my favorite old British actors.” Despite the middling reviews, and the fact that my friends and I were the only people in the theater under 60, I loved this. The movie was a good blend of funny and heartfelt, with three-dimensional characters that I cared about (it’s always nice when characters, you know, grow and evolve). The entire cast is wonderful, but Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Bill Nighy really stood out to me.
Snow White and the Huntsman: I could devote an entire blog post (maybe two or three) to why I was so disappointed with this movie. Instead, I will link to Tor.com’s review, as it pretty much sums up everything that bugged me (Terrible writing! Poor worldbuilding! A protagonist that hardly freaking speaks!).
Dark Shadows: Yet another movie that I got dragged to, as my desire to see Battleship for all its terrible glory (and Alexander Skarsgard, and Taylor Kitsch, despite the horrid haircut) was overruled at the last minute. Even though the movie departs from television show, I mostly enjoyed it. Johnny Depp is, once again, absolutely fantastic, Eva Green is an amazing antagonist, and Michelle Pfieffer pretty much kicks ass. The last third of the movie, however, sorta goes off the rails. Not really sure what the writers were thinking, to be honest (Seth Grahame-Smith, I’m side-eyeing you).
Prometheus: Okay, so I’ll admit that my expectations for this movie might have been a tad too high, but I was disappointed. It is visually stunning — I would actually pay $10 just to look at the darn thing — but I’m not too sure what happened with the script. I found myself hating most of the characters, with the exception of Michael Fassbender’s delightfully creepy android, David, and the ship’s captain, played by Idris Elba (aka my new mancrush).

Next on my list: finishing Seth Grahame-Smith’s ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER before the film comes out, seeing Hysteria in theaters on Tuesday, and wrapping up season 1 of Jason Isaac’s miniseries, Case Histories.

…and that’s me for this week! I will be retreating back into the reading/writing/working cave, but hopefully I’ll be able to manage a check-in for the last week of Round 2. Hope everyone’s doing okay!

ROW80: A Bloggy Birthday

May 19, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 34 Comments

Happy Sunday, ROWers! This weekend is a special one, as I’m celebrating my blog’s first birthday. I’m actually a week late — my very first post, a ROW80 check-in, was posted on May 15th — but better late than never, right?

In celebration, I’m bringing out Party Sloth…

…and you know that festivities would be incomplete without Hugh…

For fun, I thought I’d make a mini-vlog, just to wave and say hello. It’s nothing fancy, but I wanted a chance to thank all of you in “person.” Without this amazing, wonderful, phenomenal community, I think I would’ve abandoned both the blogging experiment and my writing attempts ages ago. 😀

I missed last week’s check-in due to grading, but here’s how things are going so far:

Day Job: The stack of midterms is never-ending, the reading is never-ending, the homework is never-ending. The quarter ends in three weeks, and till then, I will be furiously working my buns off to get things done. My brain is buzzing, I’m learning a ton, and I really am having fun… I just wish the pressure would ease off just a teeny bit. But grading will be done on Tuesday, and I’ll have a couple of weeks to take care of my work before it’s time to tackle the students’ final papers.

Writing: Okay, so, the week before last was my awesome writing week. The plot for STRANGE BEDFELLOWS dropped into my lap, completely unbidden, and I wrote about 4500 words between all 3 of my projects. Not much has happened this week, though, but I did raid the university library for books on 19th century San Francisco as part of my research for TELL ME NO LIES. Now, er, I just have to find time to read them. 😛

Exercise: I’ve been a little under the weather for the last few days, so I scaled back to a couple of short workouts instead of the usual 4 mile walk. But altogether I had 4 days of activity, which is pretty good.

Social Media: Ugh, a total bust. I’ve been unplugged for the last week because I can’t concentrate on grading otherwise. Operation KEEP TRYING is in progress.

Here’s what I’ve been reading and watching this week:

I finally got around to reading, CONSPIRACY, the fourth book in Lindsay Buroker‘s phenomenal EMPEROR’S EDGE series. The EE series is a blend of steampunk and fantasy, and features an unlikely band of outlaws striving to evade the law and do enough good deeds for the emperor to clear their names. Like the previous three, CONSPIRACY is a ton of fun — lots of tension, lots of action, lots of humor, and a great plot.

As far as movies go, I finished the last two episodes of the Zen miniseries, and I think it’s an absolute crime that it was cancelled after only one season (seriously, y’all, it’s soooo sad). I also caught The Raven, which I enjoyed, though not as much as other creepy period pieces, like Perfume or The Prestige. Next up is the miniseries Case Histories, starring Jason Isaacs, which I’ve been dying to watch.

…And with that, I am crawling back into my reading/grading/working cave. Hope you’ve all had an awesome week!

ROW80: Picking Up Steam, and a New Tattoo

May 5, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 44 Comments

Good grief, I can’t believe it’s Sunday already. The last week sort of sped on by, and I feel like I’ve got whiplash. Also, can someone tell me exactly when May happened? Time seems to be hurtling past me.

All in all, it hasn’t been too terrible of a week. Here’s the shakedown:

Day Job: Not much work done by way of research this week, though I took a couple of hours today to take some reading notes and write up a summary of what I’ve learned thus far. I still need to meet with committee members (I’ve been dragging my feet on making appointments), so this is going to be my goal for the week.

Writing: Things are getting a little better here. I’ve logged at least 5 or 6 hours this week on brainstorming, outlining, and world-building. Better yet, I’ve written close to 5k. Not sure how much will survive my next round of edits, but the good news is that Part 1 of PATH TO THE PEACOCK THRONE is finally coming together. Progress is slow, but if I can make sure that it’s steady, I’ll feel a lot better about things.

Exercise: Shockingly enough, I managed to get 6 days of exercise in. Morning walks are becoming second nature, and way too enjoyable to ignore. There’s nothing like listening to a swelling chorus of birdsong and basking in the sunlight to start my day off right.

Social Media: It was another off week for social media. Not much by way to blog hopping, and only 1 post written outside of my ROW80 check-in. I’ve got a few drafts that need to be fixed up and finalized, so hopefully I can get those posted in the week to come.

And once again, here’s what I’m reading and watching this week:

Rufus Sewell as Aurelio Zen

Films: I’m halfway through the BBC Mystery series, Zen, based on the series of novels by Michael Dibdin. The absolutely dishy Rufus Sewell plays the title character, Venetian detective Aurelio Zen, who is one of the few men of integrity, honor, and honesty working in the corrupt Roman police department. Zen reminds me a lot of my detective protag in TELL ME NO LIES, so I’ve been watching Zen with both my writing and “I’m-going-to-veg-out-and-enjoy-this” hats on.

Books: I just finished Jessica Grey‘s novel, AWAKE, which is a modern-day YA retelling of the “Sleeping Beauty” fairy tale. I absolutely adored it, so if you like fairy tale adaptations with romance and magic and lore, I recommend it.

In other news, I got my first tattoo on Friday! It wasn’t nearly as bad as I had feared (I worked myself up into such a tizzy over the potential pain that I lost sleep for about 2 weeks), though there were definitely moments when I wondered exactly what sort of torture I signed up for. However, I am in love with the final product, and that’s all that counts. The tattoo is on my right arm — my writing arm — and will hopefully remind me of my duty to myself as a writer.

The quote, “Words have been all my life,” comes from POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt, one of my favorite books of all time. The original passage, part of a letter that the fictional 19th century poet Christabel LaMotte writes to fellow poet Randolph Henry Ash, is as follows:

…Words have been all my life, all my life — this need is like the Spider’s need who carries before her a huge Burden of Silk which she must spin out — the silk is her life, her home, her safety — her food and drink too — and if it is attacked or pulled down, why, what can she do but make more, spin afresh, design anew…

Like the fictional Christabel, I am, have always been, and always will be, compelled to write, to create, to spin out words and myths and tales. Writing is something that I must do in order to remain whole, in order to survive. That lesson is one that I learned the hard way during my 2 year bout with writer’s block, when I thought that I could walk away from fiction and submerge myself completely in the world of academia.

So yay for tattoos, and for a bit of writing progress! I’m looking forward to finally seeing The Avengers on Sunday afternoon — I feel like I’ve been waiting forever. I actually had an Avengers-themed dream the other night, where I was some sort of hybrid X-Men/Avengers superhero flying around and solving crime… before I turned back into academic me, taking a midterm of Foucault. My grad school friends have termed this the “supertheoro” (super-theory-hero), and I think that is going to be my new alter ego. 😀

Don’t forget to swing by and wish the rest of the merry band of ROWers well! How’s everyone else doing?

ROW80: Sunny Days Are Here!

April 29, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 10 Comments

Happy Sunday, folks! The sun is shining in my part of California, and that always leaves me feeling upbeat and excited. I feel like I’ve got a lot to look forward to. My parents will be in town for a couple of nights at the end of the week, as they’ll be moving my sister out of her apartment in LA for the summer. And I’m getting my 1st tattoo on Friday! I’m filled with all sorts of nervous anticipation (mostly about the pain, ugh), but I really can’t wait.

Before I get to my goals, I want to take a minute to hand out the fantabulous Sunshine award. I posted my response to the requisite 10 questions on Friday (you can find them here). I’m passing it on to the following bloggers:

Now, onto the check-in!

Day Job: The dissertation reading continues. Some days, the reading is hampered by anxiety: I am all too aware that my time in Santa Barbara, and therefore the time I have to figure out my research topic, is rapidly dwindling. I’ll hopefully be meeting with my committee members in the week to come. Their insights and suggestions are always valuable, and hopefully they’ll give me some ideas for wrangling my many ideas into something that makes sense.

Writing: Another slow week with writing. Most of the brainstorming I’ve been doing has taken place during undergrad lectures — lots of scrawled scribbles in the margins of my notebook. I really wanted to treat the first few weeks of this round like my own personal NaNoWriMo, and boy, am I failing miserably. I suppose the goal for the coming week will be the same as last week: to figure out exactly what I am capable of achieving in terms of fiction.

Slightly off-topic, I shared 7 random facts about my writing on Friday. For those of you who expressed an interest in Pierce, I will have you know that it has gone completely to his head, and he is almost too smug to bear at the moment. He would like me to thank you all, as he thinks that maybe now he’ll get bumped up in the in-progress queue (and he is quite compelling, so perhaps he will succeed in convincing me). And, yes, I realize how completely crazy this makes me sound, which is why I’m glad that I am not the only writer who admits to having conversations with make-believe characters.

Exercise: I’m still holding strong here, with 4 workout days this week. I wake up each morning looking forward to my walk, though I think my enthusiasm has been improved by the sunny weather and the fact that my clothes are fitting better. 😀

Social Media: I was only able to write 1 blog post last week, but I have 2 scheduled for the week to come. I’m getting back into the groove to blog reading, which has been so much fun. I think I made it to 12 ROWers last Sunday, and another 8 or 9 blogs during the week.

Finally, for fun, I thought I’d include a bit about what I’m watching and reading this week:

Films: I saw The Five-Year Engagement on Friday, starring Emily Blunt and Jason Segal on Friday, and it was absolutely brilliant… if you ignore the fact that it basically sums up my biggest fears about my professional life in academia: having to relocate somewhere very cold, dealing with “trailing spouse” syndrome, etc.

Outside of all that, I totally recommend the movie. There are lots of awesome shots of San Francisco (enough to make me crazy homesick, and very happy that I’m moving back in 2 months), many moments of hilarity, and a great ending.

Fiction: I finished His Good Opinion, Nancy Kelley’s lovely retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy’s perspective. For those of you who ever wondered why Darcy falls for Elizabeth, and what’s going on in his head that leads him to make such a lovely transformation by the end of the novel, you should definitely check it out.

Non-Fiction: I’m working my way through Beyond Slavery: Overcoming Its Religious and Sexual Legacies for the course I’m taking on gender and religion. The book is a collection of wide-ranging essays that

examine why Roman Catholicism and other branches of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam accepted slavery for so many centuries, and they consider how slavery shaped gender and sexual ethics in these three religious traditions. They also consider how Jews, Christians, and Muslims can draw upon the compassionate values of their traditions to overcome the lingering effects of slavery.

The essays are incredibly thought-provoking and fascinating, and raise lots of important implications for modern-day issues like marriage, employment and labor, the criminal justice system, welfare, and many other social institutions.

So that’s my life at the moment! Be sure to swing by and cheer on the other ROWers this week.

How are things going for the rest of you? Anything fun to look forward to in the weeks to come?

ROW80: Down the Rabbit Hole of Academe

April 22, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 17 Comments

As the title of this ROW80 check-in attests, this last week has been all about the day job and not much else. I spent my weekend doing lots of reading, lots of thinking, lots of note-taking, and in my downtime, lots of videogaming (I am simultaneously replaying Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, which really deserves a blog post all its own). Here’s how things played out:

Day Job: I’m all caught up with the work that piled up while I was sick, which is great. Better yet, I’ve embarked on all of the reading and thinking work associated with the dissertation. There’s now a lot of information in my head; I’ve spent the weekend reading a ridiculous array of books and articles. I can now tell you about the early modern period and the construction of the English “Christian gentleman,” the ways in which modern-day upper class white men in France and the United States conceptualize social status and morality, and the importance of French phenomenology in current feminist thought.

I am not only shocked that my brain hasn’t yet exploded, but that it seems to be hungry for more. We’ll see how long this productive mood lasts, but cross your fingers that it continues indefinitely, because I have so friggin’ much to do in the next 6 weeks. In the meantime, there will be lots of tea-drinking (as tea is essential for the production of scholarly knowledge, lol) and lots of thinking.

Writing: I wrote roughly 800 words this week, not nearly what I wanted to get done. My class schedule this quarter conflicts with the #ROW80 writing sprints 3 out of 5 days in the week, which means I am going to have to figure out where I can fit writing into my (semi-) daily routine. I am coming to the conclusion, however, that the day job is going to have to be my priority during this round. Not sure how/if that translates into changing my writing goals, but we’ll see.

Exercise: I worked out 5 days in the past week, which is absolutely fantastic. The daily walk/at-home Pilates session is starting to become a habit that I look forward to. My clothes are fitting slightly better, which is also a good thing.

Social Media: This is another fail, along with the writing this week. This is actually my first time touching my laptop in 3 or 4 days, which is crazy for me. So, yet again, I’ve got something to work on in the week to come.

-oOo-

So that’s my life right now: lots of books, and lots of unwinding through escapist fantasy of Mass Effect-land. Hopefully there will be more writing in the week to come, but in the meantime, I am retreating back into my wee rabbit hole. 😛

How’s everyone else doing?

ROW80: It’s all About Bitty Baby Steps

April 14, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 40 Comments

As I mentioned in my post on Friday, I got derailed this past week by an unexpected bout with food poisoning. I’m back to normal now, thank goodness, but my ROW80 progress has been pretty limited.

Day Job: I ended up missing a full week of school because I was sick, but I’ve done a teeny bit of reading towards the dissertation proposal. Also, I found out a few days ago that a paper proposal I submitted for a conference in November was accepted. The paper is going to be an adaptation of my MA thesis, and will also serve as prep for both my dissertation proposal, and the journal article I’ll be co-writing with my advisor. I am going to make this paper work for me. 😛

Writing: I wrote 3437 words this week, most of them towards PATH TO THE PEACOCK throne. PPT wasn’t really on my radar until I used it to answer the Lucky 7 meme and was reminded how darn AWESOME this book is. TELL ME NO LIES is still on the agenda, but I might switch my focus to PPT for a while. It’s got a surprisingly strong structure, and while I’m fuzzy on how it’s going to end, ideas are flowing.

Exercise: I managed two short workouts this week, which isn’t too terrible. I think I may have lost a couple of pounds from being sick, so right now my goal is to keep those pounds off, and hopefully lose a little more. Walking and at-home Pilates are on the docket for next week.

Social Media: I wrote one blog post this week, but I haven’t had a chance to really visit any blogs. It’ll be something to work on in the week to come.

-oOo-

Before all the yuckiness hit, there were lots and lots of fun times! We kicked it off with the amazing and wonderful #ROW80 Twitter party, co-hosted by my partner-in-crime, Barbara McDowell. Once again, she and I were the last partiers left standing, which I think ought to earn us some sort of medal. 😉

Even better, I channeled my awesome ’80s side-ponytailing for the occasion. I’m showcasing the original, ’cause it really did rock:

It's ALL about the side pony.

Barbara and I will be going through all of the entries for the photo/blog contest over the next week. If you created a post with the “throwback” theme and didn’t post it to the linky, go ahead and add the link in the comments below.

Who else is easing into this round with bitty baby steps like I am? Or are you blazing along, tackling your goals effortlessly? Let me know, and while you’re at it, be sure to swing by and wave at the other ROWers who are checking in.

Kicking off ROW80 with Goals, a Party, and Vintage Cocktails

April 1, 2012 / Lena Corazon / 38 Comments

Welcome back, ROWers! Round 2 of ROW80 is about to begin. Are your engines revved and ready to go?

For my friends and readers not in-the-know, ROW80 stands for A Round of Words in 80 Days, the “writing challenge that knows you have a life.” Better yet, it is comprised of a community of amazing writers who are some of the most supportive, hilarious, and creative folks that you’ll ever find, online or off.

I’m kicking off ROW80 with what is potentially the most amazing trifecta of awesomeness ever: my new goals for this round, details for our ROW80 party coming up on APRIL 4th, and some drinky-fun to get you in the mood.

First up: The Goals. I’m keeping it short and simple this time around.

1. Day Job: Refine my dissertation topic, and try to write 1000-1500 each week. This writing can take any form, including brainstorms, reading notes, and dissertation proposal drafts.

2. Writing: Finish TELL ME NO LIES, and try to write an average of 500 words each day.

3. Exercise: Work out 4-5 days each week, and continue to whittle down my sugar intake.

4. Social Media: Blog twice a week, and comment on at least 10 blogs each week.

And now, what you’ve been waiting for: the 411 on the upcoming ROW80 party! Even the Party Sloth is ready to rock.

Theme: “Throwback Party”
Oh yes, we are going WAY back. This party is a celebration of generations, music, and fashions. We want you to come on Wednesday ready to kick it like you used to “back in the day.” All outfits are welcome, Lena’s stirring up some munchies and beverages to last all night, and DJ Barbara will be spinning tunes for all decades.

Date: April 4, 12:01 AM to 11:59 PM EST in the U.S.
This will also be the first day of Round Two check-in so there should be a bevy of ROW80 peeps and friends wandering around the blogosphere.

Party will be held at the #ROW80 hashtag.
Include that in your Tweet and join in!

Blog with Photos Competition:
From April 2 to April 8, we want you to keep the party going and post some “Throwback Party” ROW80 celebrations. Just make sure to include some pics in the post that reflect the theme and let your party monster rage. Whatever you want to do to work this into your post, go for it. We trust you are a creative bunch. Then, we’ll review them and decide on the best to spotlight in a post.

To enter the blog competition:

Create a blog that reflects the “Throwback Party” theme.
Creativity is a plus as are great pictures. We know there are some folks holding a treasure of pics showing them in their glory with bell bottom, platform shoes, biker, poodle skirts, and tie-dyed ponchos.
Lena and I will look at the comments on our ROW80 blogs for recommendations of top picks as well as review them all for inclusion of top picks/faves in a mashup and for your vote.
To enter the blog competition, click here (Link forthcoming).

My co-host, Barbara McDowell, is throwing down the jams to get you in the mood. I’ve got the drinks you’ll need to have you dancing on the tabletops with a lampshade on your head in no time. I LOVE vintage cocktails, so here are a few recipes to get you into that period mood.

A slippery nipple shooter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1980s

Zagat has a great blog revisiting some of the cheesiest cocktails of the 1980s, but my favorite might have to be the Slippery Nipple (tee-hee). This new twist on the Sex on the Beach (what were people thinking when they named drinks in the 1980s?) also looks divine.

1970s

Gourmet has rounded up their favorite drinks from 1941-2009, and this selection from the 1970s is nothing short of fantastic. Their recipe for a Gin and Grapefruit Cocktail looks unbelievably refreshing.

Source: Mad Men Cocktails, AMC

1960s

These days, the 1960s has become synonymous with AMC’s hit show, Mad Men. Throw on your favorite 60s garb and take a swig of one of these drinks from the Mad Men cocktail guide. My personal favorite? The Blue Hawaiian — just look at that color!

1950s

According to In the Spirit, the liquor of choice during the 1950s was gin, my personal favorite. Get in the spirit with a Gin and Sin, or give this Gin Daisy a try.

Whiskey Sour, Enmore, 2011. (Source: Wikipedia)

1940s

Some of the classic drinks we know today originated in the 1940s, like the Sidecar, the Manhattan, and the Whiskey Sour. For something a little different, mix up a Mary Pickford or a Cugat Congo.

So go wild and crazy! Throw on your snazziest clothes, spin some party tunes, pour yourself a drink, and get thee to the ROW80 party this coming Wednesday. And don’t forget to enter the blog contest — we can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

Lena Corazon

Flights of Fancy

Category: ROW80 Check-in (page 5 of 11)

ROW80: Embracing New Beginnings, and Banishing the Doubt Monster

ROW80: Settling in, and Random Photos of Ostriches

ROW80: New Goals for Round 3

ROW80: Barely Squeaking By

ROW80: Picking Up Steam, and a New Tattoo

Kicking off ROW80 with Goals, a Party, and Vintage Cocktails

Lena Corazon

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