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During the last session of the Willamette Writers Conference on Sunday, the workshop I was really looking forward to, my pen died. Nothing but dry scratches on the paper. Luckily I was sitting next to a friend who is also…
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On a Change of Plans and Serendipity
We have been planning for months to attend an old friend’s wedding out of town. We made arrangements for the dog and put off adopting a kitten. I made the painful choice to not attend the Willamette Writers Conference in…
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On Great Expectations
Surprisingly, I’ve never read Great Expectations, though I bet I would like it. (Anyone who slogged through the middle of The Count of Monte Cristo would probably like GE, right?) I experience great expectations every 20 minutes or so. This…
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On Freelance Breathing Space
Recently one of my favorite editors at one of my favorite freelance gigs sent out an email announcing that we all — staff and freelancers alike — were being given “breathing space” for a few weeks. I don’t know if…
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On Taking a Break
I have been practicing aikido, a non-violent Japanese martial art, for over five years. Thanks to work, family, and adopting an active dog, my four-times-a-week regular practice has crumbled over the last few months. And I felt terrible about it.…
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On Having Time and Space to Think
After a hectic couple of weeks where I’d overbooked myself (literally — I was editing two books at once), I got a reprieve. I took two days mostly off, followed by a light workweek. Rather than spending that time playing…
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On the Importance of Being Mobile
Last week, I cleared out some time in my schedule to bring my car in for a recall repair at the dealership. (No, it’s not a Toyota, and it has nothing to do with brakes.) I had visited the manufacturer’s…
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The Monday Morning Freelance Plan
As a freelance writer and editor working from home, getting out of the house is always nice. So I’ve instituted a new ritual: the Monday morning freelance plan. It gets me out of the house and makes the rest of…
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Some Not-Resolutions for 2010
I don’t usually do new year’s resolutions. I would rather fix what needs fixing when it needs fixing rather than make a list in the last week of December of things I’d like to do in the next twelve months.…
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Learning the Automotive Photography Ropes
I went to SEMA in Las Vegas this year, and then the Los Angeles Auto Show a month later. The Lexus LFA supercar was at both shows, and I’m my own automotive photographer. So I took lots pictures to share…