Here I am! Better late than never.....

Monday morning, and I'm suffering from a bit of a food hangover after all I ate at our Superbowl party last night. But you know what? TOTALLY worth it. We had this huge deli platter, seven layer dip, chicken wings....oh, and some very pretty cut-up vegetables with hummus, which were hardly touched. As far as the game, I've said before I am not much into football, but I was really, really happy for the Saints, who I was pulling for purely for emotional reasons. I love a great comeback story, and this one was for a city AND a team. I mean, it just doesn't get better than that.

I have to believe in comebacks, anyway, because Carolina lost again yesterday. I just sat there, fists clenched: I could barely watch. Ouch, is the word that comes to mind. Even worse, though, is that we play Duke on Wednesday. I may have to be sedated for that one. God help me.

In other news, later this week we're heading out of town, to Myrtle Beach, SC, where my husband and my friend Dana are running a half marathon. Now, I haven't been to Myrtle Beach since I was about fifteen, when I went with a friend and her brother, the brother got arrested, and it turned into this big crazy scene that is funny now, but not so much back then. So I don't exactly have the best associations. Now, though, I'll be returning at almost forty, with a toddler who is determined to bring all her sand toys with her, even though I told her that it's going to be cold and we won't be swimming. Still, though, the beach is the beach, and I have been in serious coastal withdrawal for months now. I just want to put my feet in the sand, to remind myself that summer WILL come, someday. Even if my feet are in shoes in the sand, it counts.

Finally, I have to say I am SO behind on my TV watching, it's crazy. I think this means I need to cull down my shows, which stinks because it means I have to cut some favorites, which is never easy. I hate to say it, but Grey's Anatomy will probably be first on the chopping block, because it meets the top two criteria: I have three unwatched episodes AND my husband will not watch it with me. Same thing goes for Brothers and Sisters, a show I adore but my husband will not tolerate. I should probably delete the last Teen Mom and the reunion show, because I can't seem to get to them either, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I am so totally codependent when it comes to that show. I want to, like, move Catelynn and Tyler into my house and pay for them to go to college. And how much do I love how Maci says the word, "Bentley." BEHNT-LEE! Entirely too much to delete it. I guess that means something else has to go. Iron Chef America, the new Scrubs and Community, consider yourself warned.

All right, time to get to work. I'm already running late. Have a great day, everyone!

1. Okay, so as I am writing this, it is snowing outside. WHAT? I know! They predicted maybe a little bit of freezing rain, or wet snow---or as my husband calls it, snain---but now it's actually accumulating, whatever it is. I am doing deep, calming breathing to control my frustration. My driveway just got melted! My snow heap finally fully collapsed! And now....oh, I can't even think about it. Quick, change the subject....

2. I know you Duke fans are probably waiting for me to comment on my Tarheels losing again last night. And I should probably say something about how we've now dropped five out of our last six games, and how we may not even make it to a rec center playoff at this point, much less the NIT. But I am already discouraged enough this morning, so I'm going to just deny, deny, deny. Sigh.

3. Speaking of sports---or, um, not speaking of sports---the Superbowl is this weekend, and while I'm not a big fan of football, I do love Superbowl food. It's all about the menu, as far as I am concerned. Right now, we're planning a big deli platter, some chicken wings (both real and vegetarian, thanks to Morningstar Farms) guacamole and a seven layer dip. Personally, I've been working hard on my weight loss goal for the last couple of weeks, and doing pretty well, so I don't want to blow it all in one day of indulgence. So I am looking up some more healthy options, like hummus and vegetables, and baked chips and the like. As much fun as Velveeta, melted with bacon added? Nope. Oh, who am I kidding. It's the Superbowl! Maybe if I just take a LITTLE taste of everything.....

4. Ooh, ooh! The snow/snain has stopped! Woo-hoo! Now it looks like we'll just be getting.....two inches or more of rain. Huh. Well, at least you can drive in the rain, right? Things are looking up! Quick, let me check, is my team still in a losing tailspin? Um....yes. Oh, well. I guess you can't have everything.

5. Regular readers of this blog know that I am kind of a purse person. Okay, I'm also a lipgloss person, and a shoe person, and a TV person. But I really do like purses. Back in my pre-Mommy days, I had a dangerous purse habit: I loved Kate Spade leather, and had a really nice Coach bag coveted for months before finally finding one I could justify buying on Ebay. Now that I am toting more juiceboxes and cracker bags than compacts and mascara tubes, though, I kind of needed to change my ways. I mean, in the last couple of months, I have TWICE upended drinks directly into my bag: first a cup of coffee, and then, yesterday, Sasha's half-fully Safe Sippy of water. My checkbook was drenched, my babysitter's money dripping. Plus, the water mixed with all these cracker crumbs at the bottom of my bag, creating this nasty paste that kicked off my gag reflex when I tried to clean it out. (Welcome to parenthood!) Thank Goodness, though, that my bag is a Holly Aiken. She's local, out of Raleigh, and I LOVE her stuff. Not just because it's so cute, and fashionable (which it is) but also because once I DO remove the cracker-paste-dripping-checkbook-damp-cash, all I have to do is wipe the inside with a damp paper towel and it's good to go. No mess, no fuss, no leather ruined for life. Hooray! I mean, ideally, I'd just stop trying to carry drinks in my bag and keep the crackers out as well. Again, though, can't have everything....

Have a great weekend!

It's been four full days since it snowed here, and things are still really covered, at least in my neighborhood. Our driveway is ice and slush, our road halfway decent....unless you are driving a BMW E30 race car, as I was yesterday. Actually, at first, I was driving my car, which has all wheel drive and was doing just fine, as long as I went slow. But I was following my husband, in his race car (oh, don't even ask) which is barely street legal, that he was bringing up to his mechanic, about three miles away. We were doing fine until we a few deer ran out in front of him: he hit the brakes, slid, and promptly got stuck in a pile of slush. After I tried to push him out with no result, he told me to get in and hit the gas so HE could push.

Now, my parents taught me a lot of things, and I am grateful for them all. But lately, as my husband has been buying track cars and needing to be dropped off and picked up various places, I've been especially happy that my mom and dad insisted that I learn to drive a stick shift. Because a lot of people can't. It's just one of those skills, like waitressing and having an extensive knowledge of pop culture, that I feel will continue to be useful in my life as I get older. Anyway, so I have to climb in the BMW, which is incredibly low to the ground, stripped of everything but seats, and has a roll cage. Yes. A ROLL CAGE. It was like getting in the General Lee, if you're old enough to remember that reference.

Anyway, I put the car in gear, ease off the clutch, and after some struggle, we finally get the car loose. I put it in neutral, then climb out as gracefully as I can---which is not very gracefully, when you have to launch yourself out of a roll cage--while the car, which has this loud, burbling engine, popped and grunted beneath me. It was all totally surreal, even before I saw my mailman driving past, very slowly, looking at me like I was a total freak. What? I wanted to say. You've never climbed out of a racecar with a roll cage wearing Uggs before?

All of this is a long way of saying I really hope all this stuff melts today, finally. Because life is complicated enough.

Another result of being home for a few days: due to the combo of watching Hoarders and being stuck inside, I've done some serious clutter removal from my closet. Mostly, it was clothes I don't wear anymore but felt I SHOULD hold onto, because, well, you just never know. I might suddenly have a ken to wear that sweater, even if I haven't for two years. But now,tanks to television, I know this is not a good approach, because the next thing I know, I'll have, like, sweaters piled up to the ceiling and my family will be all upset with me and no one will want to come over. So out they go, to the thrift shop, or to my friend Toby, who can and does sell just about anything on Ebay. And there is something really freeing about just tossing stuff out, if you can just get past that initial anxiety. It's like just about anything else---writing, the elliptical machine (which killed me this morning), trying to lose weight. Keep going and you'll be glad you did.

Okay, time to go warm up the car. Today, we venture into town, roll cage or not!

So I'm doing a rare Monday night entry just to remind you folks in the UK (who are probably asleep right now) that Along for the Ride is officially being released on your side of the pond TOMORROW. Or, if you are reading this on Tuesday, TODAY. I have heard from some readers there that they have already found it in their local bookstore, but the real date is tomorrow, so if you've been waiting, hopefully you can find it then.

As a reminder, if you are looking, here's the cover:


I am thrilled to have another UK release with Penguin UK. They take the best care of me. It's my hope that some day I can make the trip over to do some readings and promote my books in person. Maybe when my daughter is a little older. I bet she would LOVE some fish and chips! (Okay, that's kind of a stereotype. Sorry.)

Now, I'm off to sit down and watch two, count them TWO, episodes of Friday Night Lights I have saved on my DVR. BLISS!

Have a great night, everyone!

I'm writing this as we are wrapping up day two of being snowed in here at the house, and I am pleased to report I have NOT lost my mind. Yet.

The white stuff started coming down Friday night, it sleeted most of Saturday, then snowed a bit more in the evening before finally stopping. The result: we weren't going ANYWHERE, despite my pleas to the weather gods otherwise. My daughter woke up Saturday morning ready to go out in the snow promptly at 6:15. I told her she had to wait until it was light, which led to her shouting "It's light!" every ten minutes or so for the next two hours. (Side note: it was not.) When we finally did go out, she only wanted to stay in the snow for about twenty minutes, which is about how long it took to bundle her up so we could go outside in the first place. Still, though, it was fun stomping around, and we did manage to make a sort-of snowman today. The snow was pretty powdery, not that great for packing, so it was more like a snow heap with a face, but I think it still counted:


Okay, so I never said I was artistic. At least not in that way.

The true saving grace of this weekend? My dollhouse. Now, when I was a kid, I was mad crazy into dollhouses. I spent all my time and money at the local hobby store, buying furniture and food and pots and pans and all that kind of stuff. I really think that this was the beginning of my life as a writer, in many ways, because I would construct these elaborate histories, personalities and situations for everyone and everything in my dollhouse. (The families were always dysfunctional: lots of divorces, people being disowned, that kind of thing. Maybe I was watching soap operas or something.) When I was about nine, I saved up a hundred dollars to buy one I'd been drooling over for months: a big, grey French Victorian with a front porch and four floors. I loved it dearly...until I outgrew it, a few years later, at which point my mom and I disassembled it, packed away all the furniture and accessories, and put it up in her attic. A few years back, we moved it over to mine, where it sat collecting dust, all boxed up, until this weekend.

I knew my daughter, at two, couldn't handle all the tiny, delicate pieces, so my husband and I put it together, then filled it with the more sturdy and plastic furniture. She loved it, immediately starting to play while I sat, digging through the boxes of stuff, completely awash in nostalgia. I'd open up something wrapped in tissue, like a rose-decorated bathtub, or a wedding cake, and just gasp. It was crazy, how familiar all these things were that I hadn't seen in thirty-something years. It blew my mind. Of course, I wanted to organize everything, chairs around the table, fireplace in the living room, the way I'd had it way back when. But Sasha had other ideas: she put the fireplace outside, the kitchen stuff in the attic, and the toilet in the foyer. At first, I tried to fix it, but then I realized something: this was hers now. Her house, her story to tell. And if her story involved toilets in the entryway, well, then, so be it. I needed to get out of the way and just let her do her thing. So I did, even though it was tough. I mean, the coffeepot was in the shower! What was this, a frat house?

See, there I go. Making up another story. Maybe this will be good for my creative process. Huh. I wonder....

Stay warm everyone!

1. Right now, the local TV stations are all abuzz here about this weekend's WINTER WEATHER EVENT. This means---and don't laugh, all you Canadians---that we're going to get, possibly, between 2-4 inches of snow and maybe some ice. I know, I know. You're laughing anyway. But here, this is a Big Deal. They're salting the roads, and telling everyone to hunker down tonight and tomorrow, when it's all supposed to be happening. As for me...I'm not enthused, to be honest. Now, if a snow day meant, you know, sleeping in, watching BRAVO marathons and eating cereal straight out of the box, that would be one thing. But I have a seriously energetic toddler who wakes up at 6am, snow or not, and I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to entertain her if we can't, you know, leave all weekend. I see a lot of Play Doh and tower building in my immediate future. Hopefully we can at least make a snowman or something.

2. This week, we got an elliptical machine, and about a half hour ago I finished my first workout on it. Oh.My.God. When I stepped off, my legs almost collapsed under me, they were so tired and shaky. Whoa. I don't have a ton of experience with ellipticals, but along with the Play Doh, snow and towers, I see a lot of Advil in my future. Good lord. I need to shake up my workouts, though, and I think this will help. I have this goal of actually liking what I look like in my bathing suit by my fortieth birthday in June, which may be entirely too ambitious. But at least it's motivating me through those hills. Although I may be, you know, unable to walk tomorrow and all.

3. J.D. Salinger died yesterday, and today the blogosphere is full of tributes and commentaries. I will admit that I am not acquainted with his work beyond Catcher in the Rye, a book that pretty much has become iconic of the YA voice and genre. As a person, though, he was reclusive: no blog, no Twitter, no website. Like Anne Tyler, he'd long ago decided to just kind of go off the grid, which I sort of admire. Purists will say that the writing is all that matters, if you're a writer. The rest is just distraction and noise. I am old enough to remember a time, after I published my first book, when I had no blog and no social networking sites, where if someone wanted to reach me they wrote a letter to my publisher, which then got forwarded to me. Was I more productive then, a better writer? I don't know. I can say that my writing existed more in its own category, where as now, as I'm checking these feeds all day, the line between my two worlds, work and other, is a bit more blurred. I'm not saying that I want to just disappear--who would I talk about TV with?---but I can certainly see how it might make your writing better. Of course, to really focus, I'd need to not only disappear but not take any internet or TV or, actually, my family with me. And that would be NO fun. I'll take the noise, thanks.

4. So I just flipped over to GMA, where they were having some sort of roundtable current events segment, talking about the Toyota recall and John Edwards. Very informative while you drink your coffee. But can I be honest? I miss my old GMA, which was able to do informative and current, but also be sort of silly at times. And do you know who I realize, now, was actually the cause of a lot of that silliness? Diane, of all people. And with her gone, and Chris Cuomo, who also was able to be professional AND goof off, it's left to Robin to lighten things up, with help from Juju and Sam, and I feel like I can see them struggling with it. I know, I know, there's no point in moaning because it's not like Chris or Diane is coming back. But still. Kind of bums me out.

5. Finally, speaking of TV, I just have say this again: if you're not watching Modern Family, you should be. Regular readers know that I usually save my TV pushing for Friday Night Lights, which desperately needs viewers. Modern Family does not. It's already been renewed for next season and has a good primetime slot. But I watched the pilot recently, along with some repe

Whew.

That's about all I can say about my Tarheels, who won their game against NC State last night. If we'd lost, it would have been FOUR in a row we'd dropped, and that would have just been really hard to take. I mean, I know we are a young team, and it's a rebuilding year and all that. But still. Four in a row is a lot more than three. Especially in basketball.

I know a lot of people reading this might be thinking, "Who cares about basketball?" And I can tell you that I get that. Because I don't get baseball, or even football, unless it's the Superbowl, which is really more about the commercials and food than the game for me. I don't even really like NBA basketball. It's just the college games, ACC specifically---that's the Atlantic Coast Conference, where the Tarheels play---that I care about. Okay, well, care might be a bit too timid a term. I'm kind of crazy for it.

That said, I am not as crazy as I used to be. As a kid, and then in high school and college and even when I was working at the Burrito, I lived and breathed Carolina basketball. I waited all year for the season to begin, scoured the sports pages, knew stats and players and everything else. I'd wake up on the morning of big games, especially the Duke ones, with a nervous feeling in my stomach, like I was actually PLAYING and not just watching and wholly invested. I think a lot of this is because I grew up here in Chapel Hill. Basketball is just part of who we are here. It's the one thing that pulls the entire town---folks out in the country, in town itself, transplants from other places, NC natives---together, gives us something big and wonderful in common, even during a not-so-great season. I can remember where I was when we (and here, we always use the WE when it comes to our team) won every championship. I will never forget, way back in 1982, listening to the roar of Franklin Street from my bedroom window as the town celebrated...and our house was, like, three miles away. I remember shrieking in a restaurant when Dean Smith walked in, totally embarrassing myself and my husband. It was like a reflex: I couldn't help myself. I almost ran my car off the road when I saw Roy Williams jogging near UNC hospital, and I am enough of a geek that I went up and bothered both Bill Gutheridge and Phil Ford for autographs when I saw them out in town. I have a feeling, though, they were used to it.

There are a lot of things I love about living here. It's why I've stayed, made my home here, am raising my girl here. A lot of people think it's ridiculous to live in your hometown, that you'll never get to grow and be anybody else than who you were. For me, that hasn't been the case. I mean, I'm doing what I dreamed of doing---writing books---all those years ago in that same bedroom a few miles from campus. I get to have my grown-up life, and my memories, and my basketball, all at once. Also, yesterday, my daughter and I bumped into my dad at the grocery store. I mean, how great is that? Almost as great as living in a place you love, with a team you're, okay, a bit too crazy about. Who just won their first game out of the last four. Whew.

All right, I'll wrap up my little Chapel Hill love letter now. Thanks for indulging me, even if you have no idea what I'm talking about. If you do, though---you lived here, or went to school here, or just have a good memory from here---I think this clip below says it better than I just did, or could. If you're a Chapel Hill person, or even if you're not, click on it and turn it up. I'm talking to you, Melissa Walker!

In my mind, I'm gone to....

Have a good day, everyone!

It's Sunday night, and I have to keep this short because we JUST put on one of my favorite movies of all time, The Jerk. I bought it for my husband at Target this weekend ($7.50!) and it was like, the best purchase ever. It just wraps up the weekend so well, considering that last night we discovered that one of our VERY best friends had never seen The Princess Bride. I know! So we hit Netflix Instant Queue, and before we knew it, we had Inigo Montoya and everyone else right there in our living room. I guess I've been awash in nostalgia this weekend, but you do what you can to get through these long, dreary winter days. If it takes Navin Johnson and Andre the Giant, then so be it.

In other news, I heard from my fab UK publisher that Along for the Ride is going to be released across the pond on February 4th. I believe Penguin UK has a lot of cool stuff planned, and I'll be sure to remind you UK folks as the date gets nearer. Until then, though, here's the cover:


Cute, right? I like it.

Finally, I think I've written here about how I've been fighting the winter blues lately. You know, just feeling kind of down in the dumps, hard on myself, having negative moments. Maybe you also are feeling like you've not done a lot to feel good about lately. So I decided that to pull myself out, I'm going to spread a little love. As I post this, I'm changing my Facebook status on both pages to say that I LIKE YOU ANYWAY. So if you see it, and feel kind of crappy, you know someone's on your side. If you like that, pass it along and make it YOUR status, and we'll see if we can lift everyone up, at least for a little while. I know, I know, super cheesy. But like with Navin Johnson and Andre the Giant, you do what you can.

Have a great week, everyone!

1. I just got off the treadmill, where I ran a little over two miles. I know for most folks this isn't much, but for me it's HUGE. I used to barely make it to two doing intervals, and it feels really good to run so much more than I used to be able to. Still, though, I haven't made much progress on losing these last few pounds from my pregnancy I've been carrying around. I'm actually thinking about joining Weight Watchers, because it's worked so well for so many people I know, and it's about portion control, which I think is what I need. I mean, I love to eat, and when I'm eating something good, I don't want to stop just because I know I should. On the other hand, I tend to get a little obsessive about things, so I can totally see myself going crazy with the point tracking and turning into a calorie freak. Which would not be so healthy either. Maybe I'll just start running more. Hmmm.....

2. The finale of Jersey Shore was last night, although I haven't watched it yet. This show, though, has seriously been the guiltiest of all guilty pleasures, and I can only imagine the copycat shows that are already in the pipeline. I see a lot of New Jersey in our collective television future, although I bet they also decide to explore some other regional stereotypes. If some location scout is not already in Myrtle Beach, finding a beach house and some crazy Southern girls, they will be. All I'm saying is, brace yourself.

3. Speaking of the Carolinas, it's not been a great week to be an NC native. First, John Edwards admitted publicly that he'd been lying about fathering a child with his mistress, not to mention the crazy, convoluted cover up he orchestrated to try and deny it. Oh, the shame. The truth is, I used to really like John Edwards. I voted for him for senator because I liked what he stood for. Now, not so much. What a big, awful mess. It's always better to tell the truth, especially when you're being taped. Just a reminder. Also, my Carolina Tarheels have now dropped THREE games in a row, which is just...oh, I don't even know what to say. I can't even remember the last time we had such a dismal season, and we haven't even played Duke yet. Dear God. I have a feeling it's going to be a long season, which means, actually, it may be a very short one. But unlike John Edwards, I will always love my Tarheels.

4. I know the news moves fast, and there are always new stories competing for your attention. But the earthquake is Haiti should still be at the top of our priorities. Tonight, there's going to be a telethon (organized by George Clooney) running on MTV and several other TV networks, starting at 8pm. Also, Congress just passed a resolution that many donations given to US aid agencies before the end of Februrary can be claimed as deductions on your tax return. All the more reason to give! You can donate to the Red Cross here.

5. Now that we've moved everything over to my new office, my old space is sort of in transition. We've still got a fax machine up there, and some office supplies, as well as some of the bigger toys of my daughters that I'm hoping I can transition out eventually. Because a few things are left, though, stuff keeps popping up in the weirdest places. The other day, my daughter unearthed from a drawer not only a bunch of How to Deal lip glosses (circa 2003) but also a small, leatherbound journal with a picture of the Bachelorette, Trista Rehn, and her husband Ryan on it. Now, it's one thing for me to find these things. But I can only imagine what my babysitters are thinking. Would I actually purchase a journal with Trista and Ryan's smiling faces on it? I am sure they think so. But actually, I had a cousin whose wife was friends with Trista, and they attended that wedding: the journal was a gift they gave guests, and they passed it onto me because they know I am such a geek about celebrity stuff. It sat, still wrapped in its original plastic, for all this time, until my daughter found it and ripped it open. I remember when

Okay, so I know you're not expecting an entry until tomorrow morning. But the truth is, my mornings have gotten---as my friend and mentor Lee Smith would say---fraught. I'm up at 6, then on the treadmill (if my husband doesn't have to be at work super early) then doing breakfast with the toddler, followed by doing a whirlwind of breakfast dishes, returning phone calls and prepping for the day ahead during the forty minutes or so she reads books in her room. It's fun, but nuts, and lately I've come to dread writing this blog, because I always am doing it on the fly, watching the clock anxiously, and then feeling like it's super lame because I don't have enough time to do it in a relaxed, happy manner. (Then again, I don't do much in a relaxed, happy manner, never have. Part of my charm. Hopefully.)

Anyway, I've found that doing my Monday blog on Sunday night has been really helpful. So maybe evening blogs are more my style? Baby is down, dinner is cooking. Things are a bit calmer, with the bulk of the day behind instead of ahead. I know, change is hard. But I think this might be a better tack for me. We'll find out, I guess.

In other news, Jane Lynch did NOT win a Golden Globe, which is just plain wrong. I was also bummed for Courteney Cox, but otherwise the Globes were fun, and Glee DID win for best comedy or musical, so I can't exactly complain. The fact that Avatar won for best picture probably should have made me want to see it more but....for some reason, I don't. I know, I know. I'm judging it by the blue people and sci-fi angle, which is wrong. But it just doesn't appeal to me, for whatever reason. Not like Up in the Air (which I am determined to see in the theater before the Oscars) and even The Lovely Bones, although I loved the book so much I'm nervous about seeing the movie in case it disappoints. I pledged Jan 1 to see five movies in the theater this year. Now, it's the 19th and I've seen....none. Oh, well. I still have eleven months to go, right?

Finally, I really do my best to not do a lot of judging on this blog, as I do not want people to judge me. But I have to say something about this segment I saw on GMA this morning. It was an interview with Heidi Montag, from the Hills, about her recent revelation that she had 10 plastic surgery procedures during one recent operation. (You can watch the piece I saw here.) My mom always taught me to live and let live, and if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. But I know how many girls look up to Heidi, and when she said, "Beauty is really within," but yet got so much surgery---at only 23---it's a mixed message, for sure. Now, I am not knocking surgery. I think you should do whatever you need to to feel good about yourself. But it's just....she was a pretty, real girl before and now she looks...well, not real. And being a girl is hard enough these days. You have to be real, and true, and honest, to get through it. So if Heidi is your role model, that's okay. Just maybe, you know, balance it out with a few others that think have really done something amazing and special. (For me, it's Anne Tyler and Mia Hamm and my mom, just to name a few.) You take a bit from everyone that inspires you, and make you own vision of what is real. That's all that really matters.

Okay, time to sit on the couch with the husband. Have a good night, everyone!

It's been a rainy, slow Sunday around here, which has really made me feel the Sundays that much more. And tomorrow is a holiday and everything! Luckily, the Golden Globes are tonight. They are my favorite awards show, because they're more like a party than a ceremony, and this year Ricky Gervais is hosting, which should make it even better. I have written here before about how I never see movies anymore---and I used to go once a week, minimum---but this weekend I did try to do a little catching up. First was 500 Days of Summer, which I just liked SO much that I think I will have to buy it. I am such a nerd that I already got the soundtrack from iTunes and am listening to it as I write this. It's just rare that a movie can be so unique these days: the way the story was told, the characters, the entire idea wasn't something I've seen in movies a million times before. Also, the fact that Minka Kelly from Friday Night Lights appears at a crucial moment won me over, even if nothing else would have. She is, hands down, the prettiest actress I've seen in ages. And her name is Minka! Can you even imagine?

Anyway, after 500 Days, I watched The Proposal, which I also very much liked. I have always been a Ryan Reynolds fan (ever since Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place: anybody else remember that show?) and I've been hoping and hoping for him to break through in a big way. With this movie, it happened. Plus, how can you not love Sandra Bullock, even when she's playing a not-so-nice person? You just can't. Finally, last night on HBO we watched Yes Man, which was also very cute and also featured Zooey Deschanel, which meant in two days I got a double dose of her cutesy smile and adorable vintage outfits. It is clearly a Zooey Deschanel world, and we just live in it. Unless you're Minka Kelly, in which you get a world as well.

The other thing about the Globes that's fun is that is honors movies AND TV, which makes it that much more interesting. This year, every single one of the shows nominated for best comedy or musical is a show I watch and love: 30 Rock, Entourage, Glee, The Office and Modern Family. How am I even supposed to pull for anyone? Ditto for the best actress in a comedy, where I have to pick between Courteney Cox in Cougartown and Lea Michele from Glee. The only clear pick for me? Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester as Best Supporting actress in Glee. If she doesn't win, I will throw the remote at the TV. Or at least, in that general direction. Or maybe just curse the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. You get the idea.

Okay, I'm being paged from the playroom to come play with the HUGE bucket of PlayDoh and tools my daughter received as a belated Christmas present this weekend. It has 20 cans of doh and 45 tools. It's like the pinnacle of clutter makers. You can only imagine. But still, so fun.

Have a great night, everyone!

1. I'm hesitant to even do this blog today, as it seems wrong in the face of the tragic events that happened this week in Haiti. Watching the news last night, I was just shattered: so much loss, so much pain and suffering. I thought what Meg Cabot wrote about why things like this have to happen, and how it makes us question things, was really right on. Sometimes, you can't ask why, because there is no answer. You can only DO. And in this case, if you want to do, you can give. Donate to the American Red Cross here or, even easier, text HAITI to 90999 and ten dollars will be added to your cell phone bill. If you can't give money---and I know times are tough---you can give your good thoughts and prayers. They're free and needed a lot as well.

2. Yesterday, I finally went and got an H1N1 flu shot. I think this is kind of like rocking my Uggs years after everyone else starting wearing them: I am all about catching a trend on the downside. I know a few people who have gotten H1N1, though, and it does NOT sound like fun, even if it is not all over the the news the way it was a few months back. So I went to a CVS minute clinic, where a nurse with a cold (?) gave me the shot. My arm still hurts, but at least I'm that much less likely to get felled during flu season, which is apparently still ongoing. Even so, I will continue to hit the Purell hard. Stay away, germs!

3. Also this week, I was asked to speak at a local high school's commencement in June. This is a great honor, and I was really flattered to be chosen. Also, terrified. I mean, speaking at a graduation? ME? I was not the best student in high school, kind of a mess really, certainly not anyone who should be speaking to bright, smart accomplished people on such an important day. My first instinct, truly, was to run screaming in the other direction because I was so scared about what I would say and whether I belonged up there. But the ceremony is the day before my 40th (!) birthday, which is a time you can't help but take stock about your life. So maybe it will be a good thing, revisiting high school graduation then. Get some closure, or something. If I don't have a panic attack. Stay tuned.

4. In other news, I made it through the first week of American Idol without caving and watching. I'm proud of this because Idol is one of those things that once you are in, you're in. It's all or nothing, and such a total time suck it's ridiculous. I don't know, though, that I'll be able to resist once Ellen Degeneres comes aboard during Hollywood Week. I love Ellen and am really wondering how she'll gell with everyone else on the panel. But I am going to do my best to resist. It's bad enough I'm watching Jersey Shore. I mean, I have to draw the line somewhere.

5. Finally, several readers have let me know that Along for the Ride won the Goodreads Choice Award in the Young Adult category, which is very exciting. I'm thankful to everyone who voted for it, and am flattered to be in such good company. The Help won for best fiction novel, and Columbine for best nonfiction, and the crazy thing is that I actually READ both of those books in the past year. Since having my daughter my reading time has been reduced a bit, so I'm a lot slower getting through books than I used to be. But I am reading, any way I can. Right now, I'm savoring Anne Tyler's latest, Noah's Compass, and listening to Kerry Cohen's memoir, Loose Girl, on my iPod when I work out. On deck is Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby, and I really want to listen to Mary Karr's latest, Lit. My audio book habit has been reduced a bit, though, by the fact that my daughter is no longer happy to let me play DJ in the car. If she's with me, she wants HER music. Which means a lot of Laurie Berkner, Elmo, and other children's songs, on repeat. It's a big change from all the dysfunctional memoirs I had us listening to, but maybe not necessarily a bad one. As much as I like Loose Girl

Thank you for all the nice comments about my office. I'm so glad you all approve! And for those who mentioned it, the framed series of my book covers was actually a gift from my publisher, many years ago. Gotta love Penguin, they are the BEST. The Keep Calm and Carry On print I just stumbled across while I was looking for something else on art.com, and I just loved it. It is just the advice I need when in plain view when I'm working. Or, just living, actually. Maybe I should get it tattooed on my arm, or something.

In other news, Glee has been renewed for a second season, to which I say: well, duh. It's just about the best new show this season, followed by Modern Family and Cougartown (which have also just been renewed, yay!). I also saw that they're holding auditions for three new cast members, beginning in February. Which is SO exciting because now I can start totally bugging my cousin Emily to send in a tape. She would be PERFECT for Glee. She's got an amazing voice, she was a theatre major, and she's currently touring around the country with a show. I have decided to make it my personal goal to get her to audition. Now, I just have to start bugging her. Watch out, Em. I can be VERY persistent and annoying. Then again, she's my cousin, so she probably already knows that.

Finally, I've been hearing from quite a few people lately that there are some accounts on Facebook and Twitter that claim to be me, but are not. Especially on Twitter, apparently, where there is more than one person pretending they are me. I mean, come on. It's just so annoying. Be yourself or go home! But anyway---deep breath---just so there's no confusion: if you go to my website, www.sarahdessen.com and scroll down, you will see links to my official Twitter, Facebook and MySpace accounts. On Twitter, I am sarahdessen, and on Facebook I am Sarah Dessen . (Right now we are capped on Friends, but you can also visit my Fan Page, which is here. Accept no imitations! Although maybe, they will not be so persistent and annoying. But still, a fake is a fake. And who likes a fake?

Oops, Olivia's ending and breakfast needs cleaning up. Mom duty calls....

Have a great day, everyone!

I have a friend who is always coming up with ideas for inventions, like an aerodynamic mattress carrier (so it doesn't fly up when you have it strapped to the roof of your car), a restaurant that sells only brown paper bag lunches, like the kind you took to school as a kid, and countless others. Lately, though, I have come up with one of my own: a word-ometer. It's like a pedometer, but somehow---don't ask me, ask Sheldon from Big Bang, I am no scientist---it would measure how many times you say a certain word per day, the way a pedometer measures steps. It would help you to, say, stop swearing, or using the word "like" or "you know" (I am guilty of both of these). But for me, it would measure how many times I say "I feel bad," and, somehow, charge me a quarter for each time. Because I really think that's the only way I'll be able to realize how much I say it and how deflating it is on a constant basis. When I worked at the Flying Burrito, back in The Day, I remember one of my fellow waits once put out a jar and said you had to put a quarter in it every time you said, "I'm so stupid." It was a self-esteem exercise, and this, of mine, would be too. Because God knows why, but I feel bad about EVERYTHING.

I feel bad if I don't recycle a jar, even if it's full of rotten mayonnaise. I feel bad if I don't say yes to requests for interviews or free copies of my books or playdates. I feel bad about having babysitters, but then I also feel bad about not working as much as I should. And don't even get me started on eating and working out, as they would probably blow up my word-ometer all by itself. I remember I had another friend who was trying to get over a girl and put a rubber band on his wrist, then popped it---hard---every time he thought of her. But that seems sort of extreme. And it might make me....feel bad.

Another idea would be to embrace my ability to feel guilty and put it to better use. Like, say, suppose you SHOULD feel guilty about something but you're too busy or don't feel like it. So you tell me, and I take it on as well. In return, you buy me a lipgloss or something. But again, that doesn't really solve my problem. So scratch that. Although new lipglosses are never a bad thing.

Okay, enough of this self-flaggelation. Honestly, I think this could be an unexpected side effect of moving to Sunday night updates: I might always have this kind of end of weekend mood funk going on, and the last thing I want is to be a big 'ol downer. Quick, something cheerful!

Regular readers of this blog know that for the last year or so, we've been working on an addition that will house a new office for me. Around the first of the year, it was finally done and I moved in, and I've spend the time since then puttering around, getting organized and putting things where I want them. I think it is finally Just About Right now. So, for contrast, here's where I have been working for the last two years, in our guestroom:

Note the creepy pencil drawing of Albert Einstein. Don't ask me why it's there, I have no idea. I think my husband just stuck it up and we never took it down. Do you know how hard it is to write YA novels with Albert Einstein watching you? Also note the fire-hazard halogen light you see in dorm rooms everywhere, and the high tech back support system in place on the bed.

And now, click below to see my new digs:




A big difference, right? And it's QUIET, without dogs barking or toddlers hollering and kicking the wall when they don't want to nap. I have all my books, so I feel like a Real Writer, and there's a bed in the adjoining room if I need to collapse (which happens more often than you'd think). Simply put, it is wonderful and I love it, and I REALLY love my husband, who built it for me so I could finally have a

1. It is 6:29am, and my daughter just asked for ice cream. Something tells me it's going to be a long day. Personally, I blame Max and Ruby. In truth, Sasha doesn't even like ice cream, as the last time she had it she decided it was too cold. But Max was having some, so of course, she wants it. Really, though, I should blame myself. I'm the one letting her watch the show in the first place. But if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to do this blog. See how that works? Welcome to my world. Guilt, ice cream, TV. And repeat.

2. Yesterday I was at Best Buy, picking up some power strips, when I saw Volume One of Season One of Glee on DVD. Now, I know how this works. Once the whole season is over, they'll release another DVD, with all the episodes, which you'll then have to buy to get the complete set. (Or maybe they'll do a Volume Two, just with sectionals, which would be very cool. But I have my doubts.) Anyway, I knew I should just wait and get the whole thing in the fall. I'd already used this argument when I saw it at Target about a week ago and it worked. But then....I thought about how far away the fall is. And how it would be really nice to be able to watch that "Defying Gravity" duet anytime I wanted. The clincher: the last bit of Christmas money still in my wallet. So yes, dear reader, I bought it. It will get me through until the show returns, which I think is not until April or something. I mean, it was almost necessary, right?

3. I want to give a BIG thanks to everyone who went out with gift cards and bought my books after the holidays. Because of you, three of my books were on the New York Times list this week: Along for the Ride, Just Listen and Lock and Key. It was just the nicest, most wonderful surprise, I can't even tell you. I know I say this a lot but it can never be repeated enough: I really, really appreciate your support and the support you give my books. Thank you so, so much.

4. Last night, we caught the latest episode of Hoarders . It featured my friend Geralin, who amazes me in her ability to not look surprised/disgusted when she's looking at a kitchen full of mouse droppings that's also infested with bugs. Her serenity in the face of total grossness is truly impressive. But I swear, for me this show is like a tonic. Every time I watch it, I end up throwing out a bunch of stuff and organizing a drawer or two, if only because I'm afraid if I don't I might end up with, well, a house full of mouse droppings and bugs. I know, I know, it's a big jump from a messy junk drawer to infested by vermin. Or...is it?

5. Finally, I was SO excited to go out and buy Anne Tyler's latest novel, Noah's Compass, this week. A new Anne Tyler book, for me, is a cause for celebration. I have read no reviews of it: I never do of her books, because honestly, I don't care what anyone else thinks. I love her work so much. There's just something real and so well done about every story, every character, every sentence. I also admire her because she continues to write books, one every couple of years, while totally eschewing any of the publicity stuff that most authors do. She hadn't done a sit down interview or gone on a booktour since 1977, according to this article, which was published when her last book was released, in 2006. She just very quietly writes really, really good books. And though I know it totally goes against her fully private life, I wish SO much I could just have coffee with her for five minutes and ask her how she does it. But of course, I can't. So I will just await her books, read them quickly, then start the wait for the next one. Oh, and worship her from a distance, very respectfully.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

19 degrees? In North Carolina? Really, Mother Nature?

It's been so cold here lately, I just can't even believe it. I know a lot of people love winter the way I love summer: they like sweaters and snow and wind chills and all that. Frankly, I just can't even imagine. I just look at our wireless indoor thermometer, which tells you more than you would ever want to know about what's happening, and will happen outside--the temp, what it actually feels like, what it will do tomorrow and the next day and the next---and I just close my eyes and think about this:


Five months from today, I'll be there. That's not so long, right?
*sigh*

In other news, although I've never been much of a Food Network person, we caught the first episode of Worst Cooks in America the other night, and I have a feeling we'll be watching the entire series. Not just because we've been more and more into cooking lately---I'm trying enchiladas from scratch for the first time tonight, wish me luck---but also because it makes me feel that much better about my own kitchen skills. I mean, I am no Top Chef. Last night I made a cook-in-bag meatloaf with a packet of seasoning mixed in, and potatoes and carrots scattered all around it. With bottled gravy. Hello, 1970 called: they want their dinner back. But at LEAST I can put together a meatloaf. Some of these folks couldn't do more than mix up a can of soup and put some cheese over the top. It's like when I used to watch My Super Sweet Sixteen to feel like I was a good, decent person, at least in comparison to some of the behavior showcased there. See, TV CAN be good for you!

Finally, today the guy is coming to hook up our internet and phones and stuff over at the new office. I can get a decent wireless signal from our modem, but I have to say, it's been REALLY nice to not have a phone over there. I mean, I have my cell if my babysitters or anyone needs me, but not having the hear the home phone ring, over and over, all afternoon....it's priceless. I'm thinking I might just get the line active, but then not put a phone in. At least not yet. For so long, my working/writing life has been completely intertwined with my home life: I write as dogs bark and babies cry and doors slam and UPS comes and goes, making dogs bark more. And it's a good thing, because I now know that I CAN write under just about any circumstances, even total chaos. But not having to? It's nice. I walk up those stairs, open the door, and....silence. Ahhhh. Yeah. I think I'll skip the phone. Because I can.

Have a great day, everyone!

Okay, so I'm updating on Sunday again, mostly because I have a bad case of...well, the Sundays. You know that dread you used to feel when you were a kid---or maybe it's not just kids, but that's what I remember it from---the night before a new school week began? Like, just kind of letdown and stressed. I think a LOT of people are feeling this way, and not just today, if the behavior I've seen around town the last couple of days is any indication. People just seem grumpy, over the holidays, and ready to move on. I was at a restaurant this weekend and my waitress was clearly in a mood, which for some reason made me be that much more effusive. (Hello, therapy!) Anyway, she plunked our drinks in front of us and I said, "Thanks so much!" and she just grunted and walked away. This was after someone beeped at us for no reason and another salesperson just saw us walk in, then let out this big sigh and went back to whatever she was doing on the computer.

People: I hear you. This is my least favorite time of year. I mean, it was sixteen degrees this morning, and it's not supposed to warm up for an entire week. It's been my experience that you just have to buckle down, endure, and things DO get better. But, um, usually not until late February. But don't think about that! I'm trying not to.

In other news, we had a very nice New Year's here, low-key with good friends and good food. I managed to stay up until midnight for the first time since Sasha was born, and of course totally regretted it the next morning when she was up bright and early at 5:50. Dear God.

Someone told me years ago that whatever you do on the first day of the year, you do all year long, so I've always been really careful about what I do on January 1st. Which means that normally, I make sure I write, work out, and eat well. This year....well, I just wanted to sleep. So 2010 might be a kind of slack year for me. But if the whole first-day-whole-year thing is true, it will also be a year where I slow down, stop worrying so much about getting ahead every second, and just try to BE. And that is not a bad thing.

Also this weekend, we finally watched The Hangover, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to be more...I don't know, crude or something, full of naked girls. But it was actually very funny and more high brow than I expected. (But not THAT high brow: it is not The Road, by any means.) Also, I have only before ever seen Bradley Cooper playing a bad guy (Wedding Crashers, He's Just Not That Into You) and while he was no paragon of virtue in this one either, he was awfully nice to look at. See, it's that whole scruffy, big hair thing again!


I'm honestly starting to think I might have a problem.

I hope that you all had a very safe and happy New Year's, and that 2010 is exactly the kind of year you need it to be, whether that's full of writing, or workouts, or naps. Or Bradley Cooper. As for me, I might start making updating on Sundays a habit. Just this little entry has kind of gotten right of my blues. Nice!

Have a good week, everyone!

Two full days left of 2009, and everywhere I look people are doing recaps of the year. The big events, who died, who made the news, the heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I'll spare you doing that here, as I honestly don't remember much of the year, as I spend it either running around like a crazy person OR trying desperately to get rested up from running around like said crazy person. But I did have a really good year, that I know. My book did really well, my daughter is healthy and happy (aside from the occasional tantrum) I have an awesome new writing space (pics to come in new year, once it's totally done!) and basketball season is really only just beginning. Plus, I converted yet another person to Friday Night Lights, my friend Courtney, and now she is hooked. Hooray!

There are a few things I've decided I really want to try to leave in 2009, though. Like guilt. I have a lot of it, for various reasons and various things, and it's really exhausting, like carrying around a backpack full of heavy rocks. I am ready to put it down and move on, lighter. So I think I will write down all the things I've felt guilty about this year, put the paper in the fire on New Years Eve, and send it up the chimney to the sky. Hopefully my guilt will not settle back down over me in ash form. Blow away, blow away!

There are some pressing questions, though, that have not yet been answered in these last twelve months. Things I just, you know, wonder about, and hope to have answers for in the coming year, or at least sometime. Such as:

1. Why are all towels ENORMOUS these days? Twice I have gone to buy new towels, because we really need them, and they are all literally twice as big as my old ones. Are we bigger, or something? Do we need towels the size of tablecloths, really? Really?

2. In the Max and Ruby books, and TV show---which my daughter is now addicted to---where are their parents? There's no mention of them, only Grandma. Someone is paying the mortgage on that nice house and paying for Bunny Scouts. It's such a cute show, but I worry they've been abandoned, or something.

3. Does anyone other than me still have a landline phone? And by having one, am I officially old? None of my friends under 30 have one anymore. It's like regular bath towels, just out of fashion, or something.

4. Do celebrity moms really find motherhood "perfectly overwhelming" and "just amazing" all the time, or do they have moments when they, too, want to tear their hair out? Also, does Jennifer Lopez REALLY have no help at all with her twins? And if so, how did she train for that triathalon? With a double stroller?

5. How many lip glosses and lipsticks should an average person have? Is there an actual number? I have a feeling that it is not fourteen, which is where I am at currently. I'm thinking it is in single digits, whatever it is. Uh-oh.

6. Will this blog ever become more high minded, covering politics and history and providing insightful commentary on world events?

7. Will my daughter ever learn to say "please," without having to be prompted to do so? Because I am beginning to sound like a serious broken record. Also, like my mother. Thanks for the patience, Mom. This one's for you: Please!

8. Will I ever finish another novel?

I don't have the answers for these questions. Maybe I will next year. We'll see, I guess. Until then, I hope you all have a VERY safe and happy New Year's Eve, guilt-free, small-toweled, talking on your landline. Or, not. You know, whatever works for you.

Have a great day, everyone!




Okay, who am I kidding? We all know the answer to number 6 is a big fat NO. Just seeing if you were paying attention..... Read the rest of this post

1. Well, it's official. I knew changes were coming, but I don't LIKE change, especially in the morning when I am not fully caffeinated. But, yes: George Stephanopoulos is replacing Diane, and JuJu Chang is replacing Chris, who, in my opinion, deserved his own last day and not a kind of "don't let the door hit you on the way out" in the midst of Diane's big celebratory farewell. Clearly, though, nobody is listening to me. I do LOVE me some Juju Chang, though. So clearly, even when the higher-ups shut a door (and ask you not to let it hit you as you exit) they open a window. So, welcome George and Juju. I will do my best to adjust. Starting Monday. Today, I reserve the right to just get all verklempt.

2. In other TV news, the Top Chef finale was Wednesday night. But, because I am super lame, I just couldn't manage to stay up and watch it live. So yesterday, I had to do the whole news media blackout thing, so I wouldn't see a spoiler of who won. It was HARD. I couldn't read Google News all day, and now I know I am kind of addicted to that, which I guess is helpful. But last night, we FINALLY got to sit down and watch. And I don't want to ruin it for any of you who haven't had a chance yet to watch it, so I will just say I was not really happy with the outcome. It was kind of like Project Runway: I understood why they picked the person they did, but it would not have been my personal choice. I will leave it at that.

3. I've written here before about how I am kind of obsessed with lipstick and lipgloss. My favorite brand, for years, has been Stila, for all kinds of reasons, but especially because it was the ONLY brand that didn't have some kind of drying agent in it that, apparently, I am kind of allergic to. But I just got some new lipstick from Stila and now I'm having a reaction. What's up with that? Does this mean I have to abandon Sephora altogether and start buying my lip stuff at Whole Foods? Oh, please say no. I don't think I can quit that place, allergies or not.

4. It was announced yesterday that Kirkus Reviews, one of the big book reviewing magazines, is being shut down. It's right up there with Booklist, Horn Book and PW when you're waiting for reviews of a new book, and totally nervous about what people will think of it. I can't believe that Kirkus is being shuttered, especially since I FINALLY managed to get a good review out of them for Along for The Ride. They gave me a star! I should have known it was the beginning of the end for them. It's like the center could not hold, or something. Oh, well.

5. Speaking of writers and writing, this week Amazon announced their annual Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and this year, there's a prize for YA fiction as well. And guess who is listed as a judge on their "panel of experts" ? Stop laughing! I'm really excited to be part of this contest, and I'm looking forward to reading the finalists in the spring. If you have a novel--General Fiction or YA---and want to enter, go here for more info. And good luck!

Okay, I'm grabbing some tissues and my coffee and sitting down to catch the last half hour of GMA. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Okay, so, not to alarm you or anything, but there are only ELEVEN days left until Christmas. Holy pajamas! I thought I had, like, much more time. Better get cracking.

In other news, I debated this morning whether I should even discuss the fact that I caught a couple of episodes of Jersey Shore on MTV this weekend. Why? Because a show like this is so completely over the top that you really need to watch about ten hours of Masterpiece Theatre to atone for it. I know there's been a lot of reaction to this show, especially from the Italian-American community, claiming it is full of stereotypes. And, well...it is. These people are SO overblown and exaggerated, it's like they aren't even real. I know people from New Jersey, and they are not like this. But it's MTV. People have figured out that in order to be on these shows, you need to be a "character," not just a person. And I know that if they were filming a show about NC and looking for Southerners, they'd probably pick the most Yee-hawing, tractor-driving folks they could find. But, seriously. I think, stereotypes aside, I am too old to be watching any show like this, about people in their twenties. When The Situation (and that's what he calls himself, I am not even joking) got pink eye, all I could think was that it was probably from the hot tub, which most likely needed to be disinfected. Yes, I am a mom. It's official now.

(It has just been pointed out to me that The Situation did not, in fact, get pink eye. That was Vinny. I stand corrected.)

(On a related note, The Situation, as a nickname, has become a running joke around here. My husband has decided I should be called The Complication. I personally like The Aberration. I could go on and on.....)

The rest of the weekend I spent indulging my office supply obsession, which was just entirely too much fun. (Again: geek.) My office is almost finished---I might actually get to move in before the new year!---so I had an excuse to hit Staples, which is always a great thing. Only fellow office geeks will appreciate the fact that I am having to transition from my regular file folders (manilla, letter size, tabbed) to hanging folders in my new cabinets. Confession: I don't like hanging folders. I feel that things fall out the sides. It's like a Pepsi or Coke thing among us office supply people: you either like one or the other, it's all personal preference. But I can adjust, right? On the plus side, I have an excuse to use my label maker, which is, like, the most fun thing ever.

*reads over entry*

Between Jersey Shore confessions and my labelmaker, I am NOT coming off well here today. Quick! Let me talk about something that makes me look cool, stat!

*thinks*

I got nothing. Oh, well.....

Have a great day, everyone!

On Monday, my office passed final inspection. HOORAY! The cabinets still have to be finished, and the internet isn't up and running, but yesterday my desk got moved over, so it's all happening. (As they say in Almost Famous. I also love, "Does anyone remember laughter?" and "Your looks have become a problem!" Oh, don't get me started on quoting from that movie, I will go on all day.) I have to say, though, even though I am way excited, it's also a little daunting. The last book I wrote in my actual office was Lock and Key: Along For the Ride, and what I'm working on now, have all been done in either my daughter's room, while she slept downstairs, or our guest room. Glamourous, yes? It's like when we moved to this house from our old Durham farmhouse rental, where I wrote in a back room with brown carpet and wood paneling that resembled a cave. And I still had to write facing a wall so I wouldn't get distracted. Then we come here, where I have windows and this big airy space, and I was convinced I'd never get anything done. But I did.

That's the thing. Writing is a job you can do anywhere. Sure, it's nice to have all your creature comforts, and I think most authors have their superstitions and habits, ranging from working a certain time of day, every day (guilty) to what kind of music they listen to, or what they eat while they're writing. But if the last couple of years, and books, have taught me anything, it's that really, I don't need anything other than my laptop and time. The rest is just gravy. Nice gravy, but gravy. So even though it may be daunting to take my show on the road (or across the breezeway and up the stairs) I know eventually I will adjust. Although I might have to face the wall for awhile first.

Now that I'm starting to pack up, I'm realizing how much stuff I have accumulated in my office since we moved in here ten or so years ago. LOTS of books, mostly. Now, I know a lot of people consider books to be decor, and the more you have, the better. But I'm a big believer in passing books along to other people. If I like a book, I'll usually pass it around to my friends and family and then donate it to the library. But if I LOVE a book, I'll keep it and put it on my office shelf. It's like the best of the class, or something. Going through them this morning, you can see what I mean: lots of Anne Tyler, John Irving (three copies of A Prayer for Owen Meany, my favorite book ever) my personalized copies of novels by Lee Smith, Doris Betts and Jill McCorkle. I also have signed copies from Pat Conroy and Dave Eggers. Nice, right? Plus some of my favorite books about writing---Bird by Bird, What If, On Writing---and ones that were given to me as gifts that have personal meaning. In all, they only fill about one big bookshelf, which isn't much, I know. Then I have a smaller shelf of my own novels. It's not rooms and rooms worth of books, like the house I grew up in. But they are all mine.

Okay, I have to go pack up some more boxes. The hardest part, I swear? Not getting all caught up in the nostalgia, looking at every single thing as I pack it. I found a bunch of How to Deal lipglosses yesterday and got all misty! I am such a sap. Honestly.

Have a great day, everyone!

1. Okay, so it's one week until Christmas (I know!) and get this: they're calling for snow here today. Yes: snow. Can I tell you the last time I remember it snowing before Christmas around here? That would be NEVER. (Although my memory is not reliable, just as a disclaimer. I can barely remember my name or where I left my keys most days.) Anyway, I refuse to believe this until I actually see flakes falling and sticking, mostly because we are having a huge holiday party this weekend and I have already bought all the food. What will I do with three lasagnas and a vat of spinach artichoke dip if the roads are bad and nobody shows? (Remember, this is North Carolina: if there is even an inch of snow on the roads, people stay home. Yes, I hear you laughing in New England.) Don't get me wrong. I would love a light dusting, to help get into the holiday spirit. But more than that, not so much.

2. And do you want to know WHY it's going to snow? Because about a week ago, we had a thunderstorm. And according to Southern legend, if it thunders in winter, you'll see snow within nine days. Or something like that. My parents are from New York and Baltimore, respectively: I wasn't exactly schooled in the Farmer's Almanac growing up. Still, I have found that a lot of these things turn out to be true. Like you see cows laying down before it rains. Weird, right?

3. Speaking of the holiday spirit, I can't believe that with only seven days until Christmas I have not yet indulged in one of my steadfast holiday traditions: watching Love, Actually. Usually by now I would have watched it at least three times, and have it in the DVD on standby so I can revisit my favorite scenes whenever the mood hits. What is wrong with me this year? Well, there's this move to my office. And the little issue of this novel I'm writing. Oh, and the fact that I have a two year old who is not really a fan of Hugh Grant yet. Can I tell you how many times I have watched the Gabba Gabba Christmas special? No, I can't, because I don't even know. But I will say that it is on right now, as I write this. Sigh.

4. I really do want to get to the movies over the holiday. It's hard to believe, but I used to go to the movies at least once a week, if not more than that. Seriously! I loved to skip out on a writing day and hit a midday matinee with a small buttered popcorn and a bottled water I snuck in inside my purse. Ah, memories. Can I tell you the last movie I saw in an actual movie theater? I think it was Sex and the City. Yes, that was like a year and a half ago. How did this happen? Well, again, there's that issue of the novel. It's a lot harder to play hooky when I'm paying someone else so I can work. But maybe I'll do it over the holiday, as a present to myself. We'll see.

5. Finally, I just have to share this. My husband just came inside, shivering. "It's REALLY cold out there!" he said, and I turned, ready to offer sympathy. Then I saw what he was wearing:


(Yes, I documented it just for this entry. But I cut off his head at his request.)

I mean, honestly. Shorts and a t-shirt AND shoes with no socks? Of course you're cold! Then again, this is the same person who runs the thermostat at a crazy high temperature so he can wear shorts in the house all year round. I grew up in a house where if you were cold, you put on another sweater. Touch the thermostat and there were repercussions, big time. Marriage is all about compromise, I guess. If not about wearing socks and a jacket when it's below freezing.

(Oh, and before you ask, yes, those are tattoos. He's got a bunch of them. And no, I don't have a single one. I always say he's got more than enough ink for both of us.)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Good morning from my kitchen, where I am sitting literally four feet away from not one but TWO leftover half cakes: one amazing red velvet, and one double chocolate. And don't even get me started on the cheese straws, coffee ring, and Whole Foods chocolate cake in the fridge. Give me strength. I just got off the treadmill, but I think it might take a miracle for me not to dive headfirst into them while I drink my coffee.

Our party was great, but crazy hectic as always. This is, like, the twentieth year we've done this party, in various incarnations, and it's always changing. Used to be everyone came late and stayed later. Now, the announced time is 6 but people show up, babies in tow, as early as 5:30. Then it's total mayhem, toddlers and kids running wild while my husband and I try to be good hosts and get a huge amount of food onto the table for everyone. At eight sharp, half the room has cleared. By ten, the only ones left are our friends who are in their twenties, who probably don't even go OUT until that hour in their normal lives. I tried to rally, staying up until 12:30, then was really hating it when my daughter got up at 5:30. Whoa. All I want for Christmas is sleep, sleep and more sleep. Are you listening, Santa?

One of my favorite parts of the party, though, is the night after. That's when I get to put on my pajamas and eat leftovers, and this year we did it while watching equal opportunity television: football, followed by Love, Actually. Oh, man. Nothing like eating leftover lasagna, beans and rice and chicken casserole while watching Hugh Grant dance to the Pointer Sisters. Good times.

With the party behind us, I can move onto the actual holiday. I've done most of my shopping---although there's always a few more things to pick up---and with my office done (yay!) I can spend the time I'm not checking things off my list geeking out by labeling folders and organizing boxes. It is nerd heaven, I am telling you. All I need to do is get the internet working over there, and I'll be all set to officially move over. Although really, what I SHOULD do is not hook up the DSL, because I'd probably get a done more work done without the distractions of Twitter, and Ebay, and reading the comments on this blog. But let's be realistic here. Me with no internet is about as likely as me actually managing to resist that red velvet cake. Well intentioned, yes, but not going to happen.

Just one, small piece. A sliver! Because it's Christmas....

Have a great day, everyone!

It's the day before Christmas Eve, and I have to say that I feel like I am finally getting into the spirit. Sure, there's still a level of stress and craziness as I try to juggle everything to do and everyone we have to catch up with. Also, both my daughter and husband have come down with this wicked cold, so I am doing all I can to rally my immune system so I don't go down as well. I really thought we'd get a pass on being sick for Christmas this year, after the debacle that was last year, when we all came down with a throw-up bug on Christmas Eve. THAT was fun. If I have to pick, I'd much rather have a sniffle and a cough than that. Although not being sick at all would be, like, the best gift ever. I'm putting out extra cookies and milk for Santa in the hopes he'll deliver.

Meanwhile, last night I had two of my best girlfriends over for pigs in a blanket (tofu pups for Dana) spinach dip, pizza, wine and Love Actually. It was just what I needed to mark what I decided was the official beginning of my vacation. When you are self employed, and in the midst of a tricky novel, it's REALLY hard to just stop working, even when you know you should. And I should, because my house is so incredibly messy, and none of my gifts are wrapped, and I'm totally exhausted and surrounded by sick folk. Plus, holidays are supposed to be relaxing, right? Please say yes. Anyway, so after having two great work days in my new office---which is so great, I can't even tell you---I'm stepping back. Clocking out until at least next week, and hopefully the new year. It will be good for me, and hopefully for the book as well.

I know it will be good for my house and the clutter that is piled up everywhere. I'm about to grab a garbage bag, put my hair in a ponytail, and get down to it. But before I do, I just want to wish all of you, wherever you are and whatever you happen to believe in, the happiest and healthiest of holidays. It's been a crazy year, busy and fun and stressful (at times) but I would not change a thing. I'm so grateful for all your support, for the fact that you don't judge me too harshly for watching so much TV (hello, Jersey Shore!) and that you read this silly blog so faithfully. You are my co-workers, in a lot of ways, the folks around my water cooler, who make those sort of lonely work days so much more fun. Thank you for that. It means more than you know.

Okay, off to clean. Maybe I'll chug down an Emergen-C first, though.....

Have a great a safe holiday, everyone!

It's Sunday night, and I'm updating because honestly, I need a few minutes to focus on something other than dealing with my cranky toddler. The holidays make everyone a little tense, I know, but it seems---just based on my own personal experience---to be especially overwhelming for two year olds. Suffice to say that I THINK she broke her record for whining today, clocking in at over a half hour straight. I had to take myself outside and count to ten, and I wish I could say it was the first time over this long holiday weekend. Honestly, I know I have said this before, but I don't know how you full time stay at home moms and dads do this. I will be so happy to see my sitter tomorrow afternoon that I may just burst into tears at the sight of her. Hopefully not, as it would probably scare her. But you get the idea.

(I hesitated to even post the above paragraph, as I feel like it makes me look like a bad mom. It seems so effortless for a lot of people, or at least not this hard. But I look at parenting the way I do writing: I'm honest about how challenging it is for me. If it's not for you, I admire you greatly. And I wish I was you. But this is me, and I'm counting to ten, whether over whining or plotting frustrations. And that's okay. I hope.)

Tantrums and meltdowns aside, it really WAS a great Christmas. We had good food and good times with all our families (except those who couldn't be around my sick husband and child: we hope to catch up with them when we are germ free, if and when that ever happens). My husband bought me a kick-ass pair of cowboy boots, so I can totally channel Tammi Taylor and Lyla Garrity, and I got some gift cards to hopefully put towards a new desktop for my office sometime soon. My daughter LOVED Christmas and we now have even more plastic stuff than before. The craziest thing, though, is that for all I (and everyone else) spent on her---tent, blocks, tons of books, play camera---her favorite toy of all was this five dollar plastic tentacle ball I got at Target. She's obsessed with it. Second best? A ninety-nine cent Slinky. Gotta love that.

Now, there's four days until 2010 begins, so I'm thinking about my resolutions. First up: healthier living. Which means no popcorn or chips before bed, and trying to cut back on the desserts and maybe the red wine. (Note: I said MAYBE.) Also, I want to do more for my dogs, who I feel have been neglected for the past two years. Just more walks, more cuddle time, more pats on the head, that kind of thing. I also want to try and spend more time with my girlfriends, because every time I do I feel SO much better about everything. It's like a tonic, I swear, and I just need to make the effort to try to set things up more often, even if does mean sitters or NASA-level scheduling. What else? I want to stop sighing loudly so much (my husband tells me I do this constantly) and maybe lose that last seven pounds of my pregnancy weight I'm still carrying around. Oh, and I'd really like to see at least five movies, in the theater, with popcorn, this year. Which would be five more than I have in the last twelve months.

That's the start of my list, anyway. I've learned not to make resolutions that are too hard to do....which is probably why that six pounds won't make the final list. I guess my resolution, as always, is really just to try and be a better person all around. That's just vague enough to work. Not specific enough? Okay, I'll try to floss more and curse less. Done!

Have a great evening, everyone!