kicking (my own) butt and taking names (translation: using lots of icy hot)

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Hiii-YAH! Precious Readers!

<Makes old school dubbed kung fu movie noises at you!>

I’m a huge fan of Groupon* and Living Social*. Being currently unattached to any work, and at the moment being solely on Pilot’s teaching salary, it’s fairly obvious we are a couple with a limited budget. Those two websites allow me to try new experiences locally without having to pay exorbitant amounts of membership fees.

My most recent adventure has been to enter the world of kickboxing.

That’s right, kickboxing. Stop laughing. Please stop laughing.

As I may have mentioned before, quality time with my father consisted of a few activities together: fishing, watching action movies, and WWF Wrestling. (When it was still WWF.) There were many nights of us lounging in our family room, my dad in his “Dad Chair” and me sprawled out on the couch. He’d sip his Pepsi, and I’d be yelling and waving my arms around. (The phrase, “Give ’em the CHAIR! GIVE ‘EM THE CHAIR!” may have been heard from my lips from time to time.)

As part of the Groupon, I received free kickboxing gloves, and one private tutorial before my additional four general classes. My friend Glamazon joined me in this new adventure. Now, the thing to know about Glamazon is she is in good shape. She does yoga and athletic pole dancing, (for fun, not for career), keeping up with both on the regular. Me? Well, I’ve just gotten to the point where I can do a 2 mile hike (walk) without feeling like I’m dying, but that’s about it.

Now, before I get into this subject on a deeper level, I’d like to do a light, general overview of the experience, and point out we arrived at I Love Kickboxing – Kirkland* last Friday, meeting our one-time personal instructor for the day. Glamazon and I worked through the various combinations of jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts. Later, we added front and roundhouse kicks into the mix with our punches. Glamazon and I watched ourselves barely move the bag, it minimally wobbling to and fro with each hit. The others had knocked their bags over further, and easily, but were also friendly to newcomers. (Greatly appreciated!) The thing I liked most was the atmosphere. The instructors were positive and encouraging, but paid careful attention to make sure they didn’t push us over the edge.

Having said that I’d like to point out if you weren’t paying attention to your own body, you might end up hurting yourself. (Foreshadowing much?)

Now… the details. Let’s get to it:

Our first lesson, a personal tutorial, was a bit longer than I expected. Glamazon and I were given an intense interrogation about our “fitness goals” and asked about our previous “workout experiences” by a woman who was a 1/2 foot shorter and 1/3 my width. I dubbed her “mini-structor.” (She also looked strong enough to pick me up and throw me across the room.) Unsure that my “fitness goal” to become a ninja assassin badass warrior goddess would seem realistic, and that my (recent) “workout experiences” consisted of “Computer Nerd Couch Potato who walks her dog 4 times a day” would suffice, I just said I wanted to get healthier and stronger.

Our gloves were black, and the tiny, strong lady Ministructor gave us silver Sharpies to mark each pair as ours. (I’m still mentally creating a design to draw on them in the future, but for now I stuck with my name.) She led us over to pairs of colored wraps to protect our hands, wrists and knuckles with. It was a custom shelf that looked like a display stand for packs of gum was next to the front desk, featuring little bundles of fabric in a variety of colors.

“Pick a color you like,” she said.

I looked at the various pairs of spools.

Glamazon immediately selected a set in deep royal blue, matching her outfit in a cool way. Not stepford-wifey way. (She has always had a laid back confidence I’d give my left eye for.)

Then, it was my turn. A stab of anxiety kicked in from childhood bringing fear of “what others think” through my mind. A (now rare) occurrence of wanting to please everyone poured over me. I wanted them to know I took this class seriously. That I was truly interested in this method of workout. That even though my fitness goals seemed only a (tiny) bit unrealistic, that my overall foundation of my goal was to be fit quickly and maintain it as long as possible for the latter half of my lifespan.

In a mere 1.5 seconds, the following train of thought went through my mind:

Wraps are important. Your hands are your livelihood!
Oh no! Oh no!
My instructor will judge me on the color I pick! Must make the correct choice!
Let’s see.

Red! Red? Yes, red!
No! Red seems too “I’ve watched to many Bruce Lee films.”

Gray!
Gray?
Who chooses gray? Probably those a bit cooler than me, but oh well. I like bright colors. So, sue me.

Pink!
No!
Pink is too girly. I don’t want them to think I’m not serious. But I don’t want them to think I’m not feminine! But I wasn’t feminine as a kid. I’m feminine now, but that’s beside the point. Just skip over it.

Blue!
Blue is a good choice! You like blue! Blue was your favorite color for years!
Wait!
Glamazon picked out blue! I don’t want to copy her. I don’t want her to think I’m copying her. Maybe I should pick it to show I don’t care and that I like blue and that I know they know I’m copying when I’m really not, and I just happen to also like blue. My wallet is blue. A lot of my clothes are blue. Most of my jeans are blue. But…I don’t want to appear like I can’t think on my own. I’m an INDIVIDUAL! BE AN INDIVIDUAL!

Black!
Black’s the go-to badass color! Instant cool! It’s the color of (p)leather jackets! Motorcyclists! James Dean! Bikers!
Wait… Bikers? I don’t want to look like a biker. I don’t want to seem like I’m trying too hard either. Black seems too obvious a choice, like a poser trying to look like a badass when I want to be a real badass!

White?
Idiot! When have I ever been successful with white clothing? I have a permanent stain trend between my boobs from where I drop food on all of my white t-shirts. White will get dirty and gross! I don’t want to smell bleach while I’m working out. I’ll puke! Puking would be bad. Oh crap. Why are you thinking about puking? Stop thinking about puking!

I stamped down my 0-60 in 1.5 seconds panic attack to remember that I’m a cool, sophisticated woman. This is an easy decision.

Pfft! Sophisticated. If the conversation you just had with yourself is any indication, you should spend half of your time in your office/cave where you aren’t a conversational danger to yourself and others.

I let the logical side of my brain take over, and turned my head to our instructor for the day.

Me: These are wraps for our hands, right?
Instructor: Yes, they are.
Me: And the wraps go inside of our kickboxing gloves, right?
Instructor: Yes.
Me: So… No one sees whatever color you pick out… right?
Instructor: <pauses for beat> Yes, that’s true.

I grabbed the yellow wraps figuring those would be an easy color to spot from anywhere, so I wouldn’t have to hunt/dig for them in the vastness of my bag. Problem solved!

Hard part was over, now it was time for class!

WELCOME TO THUNDERDOME!

k-1We entered the workout area, which had 8 standing punching bags, 4 in each row.

Glamazon and I selected a corner so we and our Ministructor for the day wouldn’t interrupt others working out.

In previous class workouts I’ve tried, I naturally assumed there’d be a bit of light jogging and stretching. Then, we’d get to smack the crap out of the punching bags. Maybe throw in a few spin-kicks and learn how to decapitate someone with our foot. You know, normal first day stuff.

The general class instructor cranked up the high paced techno. I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan, but eventually there was some Metallica mixed in with the bubble gum pop techno, so I figured I could deal with the music factor.

Ok! Let’s jog in a circle!
Sure, no problem. This was expected. What major workout doesn’t begin with a gentle run? Warm up and loosen those muscles a little. Remember to keep your shoulders back and chest open. Swing those arms. Loosen up your shoulders a little. All is right with the world. Let’s do this!

Ok, now for some walking lunges!
Oh, stretching out hips and thighs. Sure, that makes sense. We’re going to be kicking stuff. Wouldn’t want to pull a groin. Do girls have groins? I know guys do. Ugh, stop thinking about guy groins, that’s weird. Wait, do girls have groins? I know I have hips… Well, anyone within 5 miles can clearly see I have hips, but I’m trying to reduce that factor. That’s why I’m here. Duh. At least I’m done thinking about groins. Doh!

Next up: Let’s go down to a plank!
Oh. Ok. No big deal. That totally makes sense. Boxing requires a lot of use of your core and shoulders. Of course, we’d be doing planks. Wait, people are planking on their fists/knuckles. That’s… odd. Never seen that before. But our fists have to be ninja warrior strong, right? Right. Ok, onto the knuckles we go. This is weird. This feels really weird. Feeling that in the abs a bit. Ok, quite a bit. A lot. Feeling it in the abs a LOT.

Now: Squats!
Squats? <Performs deep squats.> This is tougher. Not marginally tougher, significantly tougher. Huh. I wonder if this is what childbirth feels like. My ass and legs are on fire. What’s that, personal instructor? Keep my back straight and engage my core? My core? I don’t have a core, unless you figure me as an apple core. Or just an apple. Yeah, I’m probably an apple. Are we going to punch stuff soon?

Now let’s step it up…
Uh… Step what up? The squats weren’t the hard part?
…I want you to do 5 seconds of squats, then jump back into a plank for 5 seconds, and repeat!
Uh… Really? I thought I was going to turn into Muhammed Ali. I thought I was going to turn into a vampire killer like Buffy. I thought I’d be Jennifer Garner in Alias. When do we get to hit things? Ooh! This is hurting! This is really hurting! <Looks at Glamazon> She looks a little winded, but she’s in good shape. My muscles are starting to shake and hurt. Not sure if my knees can take this.

All right! Now…
Please say punching. Please say punching. Please say punching!
Everyone’s favorite… <Class Groans>
Why are they groaning? Panic is setting in.
I saved the best for last, our toughest part!
Toughest part…? Oh… Crap.

BURPEES! 2 minutes of Burpees everyone! Let’s see if you can do 20! Let me see you do 20!
Oh my gosh. It’s a Plank + Squat + Jump combo. A workout created by a dude who was in prison. And they’re doing it fast. Body in pain. Body is hurting. Body is burning. Oh, Dear Lord! Help me! I apologize for everything bad I’ve ever done, intentionally or not. I apologize for not being “fruitful and multiplying”! I’ll give my mom grandchildren if it means I never have to do this again! I mean, hey! Those squats might be useful, right? I’ll walk my dog 8 times a day! I’ll find a way to make money and sponsor one of those starving children in other parts of the world! I’ll join a nunnery! Wait, I’m married. I’ll support the nunnery!

Great job!
Oh, thank you, God!

Now let’s see if you can make it a total of 40 BURPEES!

I. AM. GOING. TO. DIE.

After ~20 minutes of experiencing the Seventh Circle of Hell, the instructors decided that was the perfect time to introduce us as to why I had made the choice to come to this dungeon of pain. I did a mental checklist of how I was doing:

  • Body = Exhausted
  • Energy = Gone
  • Arms = Useless. Listless. Dangling at my sides.
  • Legs = On fire from being in this hell pit.

This was the “Warm Up.”

I repeat: This was the warm up.

Punching and kicking didn’t mean much from this point forward. It was a piece of cake compared to what I’d just subjected my body to. Glamazon was wiped out. It wasn’t just me, thank God. It was truly as challenging as I thought it was.

The next morning, I awoke to being in the worst pain of my life. There wasn’t enough Icy Hot cream in the galaxy to save me. I can’t quite fully describe this. It was prickly, sharp, tingly, burning, and stiff like rigor mortis set in 30 years too early. This pain beat out my previous neck surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, including the required 2 weeks of not being able to lie flat and a month of not being able to drive a car due to my inability to turn my head left and right.

I live in an apartment building requiring me to use a flight of stairs to get to ground level. Stepping down required courage I didn’t know existed mentally as I wanted to cry with each step. The stairs took me 3 minutes longer than my typical 15 seconds. I wanted to sell my soul instead of walk my dog.

Two days after hellfire, I was able to go down the stairs without a soul sacrifice. I’d be willing to sell off some appendages instead. Perhaps both of my legs signaling their unwillingness to perform their expected function of, you know, walking. I texted Glamazon to check in with her.

Text from Glamazon: Arse and legs are in pain. It hurts to sit down.

Sounded as if she was faring as well as I was.

By the third day, I was at the soreness level I’d expected to experience on my first day of recovery and was 90% back to normal.

Believe it or not, I went back on Monday.

Yes. I went back.

How I thought I looked:
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How I actually looked:
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Monday’s workout we focused more on ab work. Although we’d done a variety of crunches, sit ups, and sit up + leg lift combos, on Friday, we did more of those and more planks this time. I no longer had my PI, but I almost liked that better. Without someone directly in my face, telling me to push, I was able to think more about what was pushing my body harder vs. trying to slowly kill myself.

Tuesday morning I had the appropriate amount of soreness, showing I could challenge my muscles without becoming immobile for a weekend.

Now that I was no longer experiencing being trapped in my own body of pain, the second attempt allowed me to focus if I actually enjoyed the activity.

You know what? I think I do. I think I actually enjoy hitting something, kicking something, and knowing that I’m receiving proper instruction to not hurt myself. The only one who can hurt me, is me by taking my body over the line of workout vs. torture. I have a couple more lessons to go before my Groupon is used up. I may have to discuss with Pilot the ability to continue, or find a location a bit closer to our home. (Commuting to Kirkland is a bit far for me.)

Lessons Learned:

  • Water/Electrolyte Water. I can’t stress how much more you think you will need. Take breaks if you need to, even if you’re in the middle of a set. You’re going to sweat. A LOT. Also, drink a lot of water after class as well. And the next day.
  • Stretching/Cool Downs. I firmly believe you must do additional stretching immediately after this, even before getting into your car to go home. Once you’re at home, go on a 15+ minute walk or something for a longer cool down. This is key!
  • Make sure you eat a few hours before class. Something that will give you lots of energy. The first class, I felt every bit of energy drain because I hadn’t provided the right amount of calories to burn and got dizzy. Second class, I was much more prepared with eating the right kind of foods before working out so intensively.
  • DO NOT GO EVERY DAY. At maximum, kickbox every other day. Your muscles need time to recover, and if you do kickboxing too often, you could dangerously injure yourself.
  • Get the wraps, and learn how to wrap your hands properly. It’ll be worth it. I had no idea hands could sweat so much, and this will protect your hands, wrists, and knuckles, along with preventing blisters. They’re easy to hand wash.

I highly recommend I Love Kickboxing – Kirkland. The instructors are knowledgeable, friendly, albeit some are a bit pushy about the memberships – but most anything requesting memberships typically are (Just give them a kind, “No.”), and enjoy giving your own, personal smackdown! I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the location due to the commute time it puts on me, but I recommend it if traveling to Kirkland isn’t a big deal to you.

*This review of Groupon, Living Social, and I Love Kickboxing – Kirkland is by my own free will, and not endorsed by Groupon, Living Social, or I Love Kickboxing – Kirkland. I was not asked to provide a review.

Have you ever tried kickboxing?
What were your favorite/least favorite experiences working out?
What other forms of exercise do you like?
What are your fitness goals? (Are you hoping to become a badass ninja warrior assassin like me?)

Live Tweeting Breakups

Patricia John makes an excellent point about live-tweeting life events, from a third-party perspective. In the new world of living in a fishbowl, whether we want to or not, it’s also created a world of public shaming.

There used to be a chasm between private issues and public entertainment. In today’s world, this is now a line so tiny and fuzzy, society tends to forget the separation existed.

It never hurts to pay attention to the inkling that something should remain private. Especially if that something DOESN’T BELONG TO YOU. Just because you are an observer of a private moment between other people, doesn’t give you the right to share. Especially sharing to anyone with access to an internet connection without the permission from the subjects themselves.

Do you think the world has become too public?
Do you believe public shaming is an issue in line with the times?
Would you stop someone from filming another person’s private moment, or leave it be?

looking for a good book / Waterfront Book Festival in Everett, Washington

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”
– Garrison Keillor

Hello Precious Readers!

That’s right! 2 Posts in 1 week! Who knew it was possible? I’m writing this special blog post in honor of the Evergreen branch of the Romance Writers of America‘s Waterfront Book Festival (RWA), held yesterday in Everett, Washington!

Pilot, my friend Caring*, and I headed up to the Everett Marina in The Cranberry** yesterday afternoon. Spending a good 45 minutes first at The Everett Farmers Market browsing the various vendors vending their volume vestige.

Yeah! How do you like that alliteration? Vindicated! (Mwahaha!)

Although we didn’t purchase anything here, it was fun to check out the stands.

Admittedly, there were a few items I wanted to buy, but I had limited funds put aside specifically for the book festival.

After perusing, we entered Lombardi’s, an Everett Italian restaurant, right there on the marina, and then just outside the restaurant, down the line of the group of vendors. Lombardi’s was kind enough to host the authors in case of inclement weather. After a dry summer, we ended up with torrential rain and blustery winds causing several power outages in Western Washington State. Even now, in the afternoon, I’m still reading posts on Facebook about people still without power on Day 3. I got to see some of my favorite local authors again (Wendy Delaney and Lori Lyn) from the Greater Seattle RWA’s annual Emerald City Writer’s Conference back in October 2014. I also got to meet some of my favorite authors for the first time, and got to meet authors I hadn’t heard of yet for the first time! I also ended up with a huge haul of freebies.

Which is never bad. Am I right?

I’m lamenting the lack of photos, but I was waaay too nervous to think of taking more pictures.

I purchased a couple of books for my friend Caring and I, and then our little group skedaddled out of there.

Should you get the opportunity to go to any book fairs, sales, etc. I always recommend going. Especially if the authors themselves are in attendance! Even though I was nervous, it never ceases to amaze me how warm and inviting the authors are! They’re people, just like you and me, other than the fact they’ve been published – sometimes several times over! I’m always grateful when they deal with a bundle of nerves like myself and still treat me normally.

It’s greatly appreciated to be treated normally when one clearly is not.

Here are some photos from the event!

Jacquie Rogers(From Left) Jacquie Rogers, Caring, myself
I’m holding a bunch of free stuff from Jacquie and Wendy Delaney (not pictured). Wendy made those earrings! They’re exact replicas of the cover of one of her books!

20150830_135635(From Left) Me, Sabrina York
Word of warning, her books are not for the faint of heart! They’re high-octane romance.

20150830_154913My haul of freebies!
…aaaaand that may just be a giant Star Trek mug off to the right.
#NerdGlassesOn, #MyNerdinessIsShowing

If you’re looking for more book events, I know of one that will be hosted during this year’s Emerald City Writer’s Conference for the public. It’s not a book sale. They’re GIVING AWAY FREE BOOKS!

Again, GIVING AWAY FREE BOOKS!

Here’s a link to their event:
Passport to Romance: Free Reader Appreciation Event!

I’m working my way to get to the entire conference, but I’ll at least be at the FREE BOOK event!
October 17th, 2015 (Saturday)
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Bellevue Westin Hotel Grand Ballroom
(No cost to go, but bring cash for raffles!)

??????????????

Do you know of any other local Washington State book events?
Which authors could you talk to again and again?
Who are some of your favorite Washington authors?
Do you ever road trip to other states to meet your favorite authors?
Do you prefer general book events, or book events with specific themes and genres in mind?

Check out:
Jacquie Rogers
Wendy Delaney
Lori Lyn
Darlene Panzera
Sabrina York
Anna Alexander
Terri Meeker
Lynn Moen & Judith Laik
Shannon Kennedy
Jennifer DeCuir
Eldritch Black
Lucy Carol

…and apologies to anyone else I missed who was there!

*Name has been changed for privacy.
**The Cranberry is the name of my car. Sometimes called the Cherry Tomato

keep calm and continue sleuthing! / spooky little girl

“Do act mysterious. It always keeps them coming back for more.”

– Carolyn Keene

Hello again, Precious Readers!

<Looks at Precious Readers through a magnifying glass.>

Have I ever mentioned that I love mysteries? I know in the past, I’ve mentioned I love romances and spy novels, but my number one go-to genre will always be mysteries/suspense!

At a young age, I was quite curious about abnormal things. At eight years old, I read Frankenstein, and by age ten, I’d read Dracula. Not light, or positive reading there. One of my all time favorite films was Beetlejuice, and I adored the cartoon version that Nickelodeon had based on the film. I recall for a brief period of time there was a series of Clue mystery novels based on the board game, which were the only books I checked out of my elementary library. I was also a religious Scooby Doo watcher, Shaggy being my favorite. (I must have a type considering I married quite the goofball in Pilot.)

For proof, here’s a (somewhat embarrassing) photo of me last Halloween when I dressed as Velma Dinkley:

Velma

I think I nailed it. All the way down to the orange socks.

However, out of all of these, my all time favorites will always be: Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes. For those who know me, this should not come at a surprise. I inhale anything Nancy and Sherlock practically daily. Something about Nancy Drew was always empowering, and made me believe I wasn’t weird for my odd fascination with science, skeptical attitude, and somewhat of a sassy wit. (If there ever was a real Sassy Detective magazine, I would have definitely subscribed!) One of my favorite pastimes is to play the Her Interactive Nancy Drew Games, created locally in my home state in Bellevue, Washington. I’m going on 31 next month, and they just released Game #32, Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness, which of the 32 has become one of my Top 3 favorites. They feature other characters like the Hardy Boys in some of them. (I love Frank and Joe!)

The things I love about Nancy Drew, although the books are quite outdated now (some of them even being a bit racist, but I skip those), are her confidence, proof that she studies hard to learn her skills and trade, and doesn’t let anything prevent her from feeling as feminine as she’d like to on any given day. Along with this, she’s close to her father, has some kind and loyal friends, and plans on making sleuthing her career at a time when women weren’t given the choice to have a career if they wished. It’s not just puzzle solving skills, but she keeps a cool head under pressure and is skilled in many mechanical things. I aspire to be more like her every day – except with more wine and no mom jeans.

If you’d like to learn more about the games themselves, I’d recommend a particular YouTube channel. (I may have spent several hours watching them over the years.) Arglefumph’s walkthrough videos, created by a man named Michael Gray in Oregon, not only provides great tips for getting through the games if you’re stuck, he also gives running commentary that runs on hilarious. (You can check out Michael Gray’s YouTube videos here.)

As far as my Sherlock Holmes obsession, I’ve always gone a bit weak in the knees for the various English accents out there. Like one of my favorite authors, Katie MacAlister, I’m a bit of an “anglophile,” though not as strongly as my friend, Obi-One-Pin-Obi. She embraces English culture on a much more soulful level. She’s even traveled there several times in her life, of which I will always be greatly envious of. (Someday Pilot and I will take our Europe trip. I know it!) There’s something about the dark, dank, foggy environment mixed with bits of chemistry and carriages while solving a seemingly impossible riddle that fascinates me to no end. He is able to pick out the minutiae and combine it together to create a fully realized conclusion. Unlike Nancy Drew, I enjoy Sherlock Holmes because he is a greatly flawed character. He is an opium addict, smokes, might have a touch of Aspergers blended with narcissism. He’s also a talented in music, his violin skills often being referenced in the multitude of novels.

There’s no point to this post, only to share a love of all things sleuthy with the troves of people out there on the internet. I bid you all good day.

Who are your favorite mystery, suspense, thriller, all things spooky authors?
What series do you follow?
Which Nancy Drew is your favorite?

Stay sleuthy!

Check out Obi-One-Pin-Obi on her blog: https://crumpetsncream.wordpress.com/

Here goes nothing!

I finally have an idea for a series. Still have a lot of outlining to do, but I have several scenes mapped out, along with the ending. I can’t begin to tell you how good this feels.

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#Committed, #Writing, #NewChapter, #DreamBig, #Writer, #ChapterOne, #Dream, #Dreaming, #HardWork, #WorkHarder, #KeepGoing, #FollowYourDreams, #Hermit, #DontTalkJustDo, #DoIt, #PutYourMoneyWhereYourMouthIs, #Inspiration, #Inspire, #KeepWriting, #NeverGiveUp

Are you going to eat that? / What the heck has Katherine been up to?

“First we eat. Then we do everything else.”
– M. F. K. Fisher

Do you ever think about what you put in your mouth?  (And, yes, Precious Readers, I am aware of how that statement may have come across.)  I was recently watching shows from the Food Network, and consider myself a loyal viewer of the show, Good Eats staring Alton Brown.  He came to this sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy city of Seattle.  His show often delves not only in the molecular breakdown of food, but also its history, and the food’s impact on culture.  As I was sitting at lunch, I stared at the food on my plate.  Similar to the way Good Eats delves into food culture, I began wondering a more basic question.  “How in the heck did we decide to process food in order to consume it?”

For example: Take the banana.  This vitamin rich food is considered one of the ultimate healthy treats, and has even become a substitute for ice cream when pureed and frozen.  However, think back to the first person to decide it was something for the human diet.

In tropical climates, the person would have to look at this bunch of green goodness growing like giant hands on a tree.  Said person would have to climb said tree, and bypass the gigantic, poisonous spiders.

I repeat:

Gigantic.

Poisonous.

SPIDERS.

What is my point of view about arachnids?  I don’t do spiders.  That’s it.  I just don’t do spiders.  I would’ve posted a picture, but when I “Googled” banana tree spiders, I screamed at decibels that B-Movie Horror Film Actresses would’ve applauded for.

Feel free to look them up yourselves, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

 Once you’ve survived your toxic trek into the tree, you still have to wait for the fruit to use its chameleon like body to change its color entirely to yellow.  Then you peel the typically hexagonal skin.

But, wait, there’s more!

After the peel is gone, there are these fibrous, sticky strings that, although edible, are not palatable.  These must also be removed.  Then, and only then, is our delicious banana ready to be eaten, sliced, mashed, pureed, smoothie-d, etc.

You’re requesting another example?  How about women’s favorite sweet?  Chocolate!

In case you are not familiar with this cocoa conundrum, chocolate has an incredible journey before it ends up in a bar form, wrapped in shimmering foil like the gold bar of richness it is.

Chocolate starts as a bean.  That’s right.  A bean.  It’s similar to a seed in a large green/red pod.  The pod is split open and several cacao beans are removed.  These beans being as white, and very slimy.  The farmer actually lets these ferment.

Yes, ferment.  Like beer.  Think we’re almost done?  Not by a long shot!

Once the pods are fermented, they’re left out in the sun to dry.  After the beans are dried, they’re roasted.  That’s what gives chocolate its color.

Ready to eat?  No!

The beans are crushed to reveal the nibs.

Yes, nibs.  I still half-giggle at that term.  (Yes, I’m an adult.)

The nibs are then crushed into a paste, where it’s cooked AGAIN.  Once the nibs are liquefied, THEN it’s formed into a chocolate bar.

May I ask just how the first Mayans decided this was the process for chocolate?  Admit it.  There are fewer steps to roasting a chicken than there are for creating chocolate.

Pineapples.  Don’t even get me started on pineapples.  The only thing I have to say is, “Yeah! Let’s take that spiky thing that stabbed my hand and try to find a way to EAT IT!”

There’s really no point to this.  Just trying to get you to think beyond your reality.  Think beyond just what is “normal” for you.  Start asking yourself the question, “Why?” or “How?”  Believe me, this will completely change the way you perceive the world and open all kinds of new doors for you.

Speaking of pondering the universe, I realize I haven’t written in a long time.  I made the difficult decision to leave the comfort of a steady paycheck and leave my job.  I’ve been home since January, not working.  I have never “not worked” up until this point, which I’ve delved into extensively in previous postings.

Please check out my archives!  (Hint, hint.)

I was overwhelmed with warm and fuzzy feelings over the incredible support my husband, Pilot, my family, friends and coworkers all gave me for making this decision.  The reason I didn’t close out the year of 2014 with postings, was due to the reason of me working my tail off to close out my position at “Mega Ultra Corporate Job” and to also close out the fiscal year.

To put it simply, I worked overtime on my final day.  I wish I was kidding.

So what, pray tell, have I been doing with this time?  Well, the first month I did nothing.  That’s right, absolutely nothing.  I think I caught up on enough sleep equal in weight to about 4 months worth of hours. Then, I had to spend the next few weeks trying not to be nocturnal.  Up until today, it is truly confirmed I am not a morning person.

I’ve been cleaning The Bacher Fort since then.  Yes, Pilot and my apartment has been so bad, that I’m still working on it from mid-February.  Let’s just say The Bacher Fort is going through a cleanse.

After some (several) weeks of not doing anything, but sleeping, Netflix binging and visiting people whom I had considered close friends and family-

Despite not having laid eyes upon said close friends and family in months.  What do you want from me? I told you I was a workaholic.  This is not news.

-I started to feel the inspiration come back.  Those thin tendrils niggling at the back of my brain slowly seeping into the forefront.  Little ideas that popped up and are slowly beginning to become cohesive sentences.

I was ready to write again.

This is the first piece I’ve written in almost six months.  I’m ready to continue this path of making it a full time deal.

Pilot and I have discussed our future.  It is just not fiscally responsible for me to quit working all together, as I was the higher bread winner of the house.  This is not a slight on Pilot, it’s just a fact.  However, I’ve decided I might not go back to work full time.  Instead, I may find part time work while continuing writing full time.

I’m ready to continue down this untrodden path, and I hope, Precious Readers, that you’ll walk along side with me.

What was the best/worst decision you ever made regarding your career?
What advice would you give someone about to begin their first job?
What has been the best way to keep your work life and home life satisfied?
What was the best/worst advice you ever received?
Why have you decided to jump around to different jobs, or stay with the job you’ve had for a long time?

Share your stories in the comments below!

what is the number one piece of advice teachers would give you? (Marysville-Pilchuck High School Shooting)

Dearest, most Precious Readers:

 

Recent news in the State of Washington compels me to write about a tragic event that occurred on October 24th, 2014.

 

Jaylen Fryburg chose to shoot friends and family at his high school.

 

Before you close this page, I assure you that I will not be writing anything political about gun safety/availability or amendment rights. Instead, I am writing on a subject you all know is near and dear to my heart:  children.

 

On posts past, I’ve mentioned that I have never planned to have children, nor any plans for planning a family now. So, why should I care?

 

We ALL should.

 

Why does a school shooting bother me perhaps more than the average blogger or news observer?

 

My husband, Pilot, worked for Marysville-Pilchuck High School in 2012.

 

Please realize that my concern would not be, in any way, lessened should my husband not have worked for the school.

 

School shootings are nothing to glean over. However, I also don’t believe it should be exploited for personal gain by using a devastating event for political platforms.  The safety of children should always be a number one priority for every citizen of the planet Earth.

 

Much of the speculation-

 

…and at this point, that is all we can do: SPECULATE. SPECULATION DOES NOT EQUAL TRUTH.

 

-has been around the question of “Why?”

 

Why did he shoot his friends?  His family?

He was popular!

He played sports!

He was well liked!

He seemed normal!

 

Let’s hone in on that word now, shall we? “Normal.”

 

What is normal? What is your perception of normal?

 

Pilot is not just a teacher, but he is a special education teacher. He has focused the majority of his career on children with emotional and behavioral disorders.  Do you know what “normal” is for this group of children? Juvenile detention, abusive home lives, homelessness, drug dealing/addiction, being part of neighborhood gangs, violent tendencies, social workers, psychologists (if they can afford one), parole officers, etc. This is their “normal.” The average age of Pilot’s students?  15 years old.

 

The child in question in the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting was considered coming from a good home, with friends, popularity at school, extracurricular sports activities, etc. This was his “normal.”

 

There is a massive stigma against “loners,” “unpopular kids,” “goth,” etc. children that they are the usual suspects and the ones to watch for “threatening behavior.”

 

Earlier this year, the world lost an incredibly talented entertainer, Robin Williams, to suicide incurred due to depression. How many other countless celebrities can we name? Another loss last year, was Glee’s leading actor, Cory Monteith. From the 1990’s beloved actor Phil Harman was murdered by his wife. His wife shot their children, killed Hartman and committed suicide. Another local Washington state school experienced a shooting earlier this spring, Seattle Pacific University, a private college.

 

So what about last Friday? I am not going to propose any theories on this child’s life.  I’m not going to demonize him and continue calling him “shooter.”  He was a child. A child who made a horrible, irrefutably horrible and gruesome choice that has destroyed the lives of his family, the victims and their families, his classmates and the school’s faculty and staff, and anyone who is remotely connected to the school and the people of that school.

 

Based on new evidence coming to light, aka Twitter, it has come to the attention that several of Fryberg’s tweets from Twitter indicated disturbing “warning signs” that (in hindsight… and we all understand how hindsight works) should have indicated that there was major dissatisfaction with Fryberg.

 

Depression and pain doesn’t have a single type of face.  It’s a feeling.  It doesn’t hit one type of personality, race, gender, age, or background.  It can occur in anyone.  Stop making excuses and stop being an ostrich.  A shooting could happen anywhere, and it could be caused by any one going through pain.

 1

 I’ve gone through and suffer depression myself.  After a series of events between 2007-2009, I went on antidepressants.  I was in great denial.  It was after those closest to me suggested I talk with someone about the events during this two-year period (a post for another day) and that I should try to get help, it made me realize that if everyone was asking me to at least try it, I wasn’t being my normal perky, snarky self.  I was in such denial about it, that it took several of my loved ones to talk bring it to my attention before I actually sought out help.  Realizing I had a strong support net, even from people I’d least expect to be encouraging, is what pushed me forward.  I couldn’t realize it for myself, it took others’ efforts to get through to me.

 

One of the things I’ve learned after watching years of Pilot navigating the delicate tightrope of emotional turmoil that his students face every day, boils down to a few key things:

 

Involvement

Understanding

Support

 

Involvement: The key factor that unites all of the different problems these children face is lack of involvement from their parents/guardians.  Either the parents/guardians are too busy to help their children, or they have no interest in how their children spend time.

 

Understanding: I don’t like to believe anyone is a lost cause. Adults seem to forget that children are much sharper than they’re given credit for.  A child doesn’t necessarily need to be book smart to be intelligent. Many of the children I’ve seen Pilot work with are sharp, aware, and hyperaware of their environment.

 

Support: America has its priorities messed up.  There, I said it, and I’ll say it again.  America has its priorities messed up.  We do not put enough value on education.

modern schoolteacher

(http://thegrumpyvoter.ca/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/the.modern.school.teacher.jpg)

 

America does not put enough funding into our social work systems, the foster care system, education, mental care, medical facilities, and programs to assist with those who are homeless/jobless.  Many of these children do not receive the necessary resources required to assist with their advancement.

 

Continuing with the support idea, many parents and those not involved in the school systems ask, “What are schools doing to prevent a shooting from happening again?”

 

The answer?  You can’t.

 

I know that’s not the answer you wanted to hear.  Sorry, you just can’t.  No more than you can stop a corner store armed robbery from occurring.

 

Education lives in a rock and a hard place right now.  All schools can do is have good security staff on hand, an emergency drill plan, clear communication channels to local law enforcement, and train their faculty/staff in self defense and classroom management in case a situation like this occurs.  Faculty of every educational institution has to go through some type of psychology training.  Some schools in rougher neighborhoods have metal detectors and body search wands (like at the airport).

 

Nothing is going to deter someone from wanting to inflict harm in others, except for one thing: Someone taking notice of that person’s behavior.  You can have all of the training and preparation in the world.  Taking control of how to handle a situation like that and executing routine practice drills is all of the control you can provide in that situation.

 

Silence is what kills.  Not acting upon that piece of instinct within you to ask the tough questions.  If you notice behavior is off with someone you know, it is worth the risk of creating an awkward situation by asking if something is bothering that person.  I would much rather risk a friendship and dealing with an uncomfortable conversation, than no conversation occurring at all –with dire results as the aftermath.

 

I would rather risk a friendship and push conversations into the “tough stuff” so that the other person knows that I’m always there to listen, open mindedly (that’s key, here people), to what their thoughts are.  You may not agree with their morals or ethics, you may not agree with their opinion, but being willing to listen in the first place and letting the person know they’ve been heard is usually the first step in alleviating anxiety, stress, pain and depression for the other person.

 

If you don’t feel comfortable confronting the person in regards to their change in behavior, speak with someone else close to that person.

 

Again, silence is what kills.

 

Kids today in general have so much more pressure. One key factor I believe causes this, is our world is smaller.  Cell phones, internet, instant messaging, social media, texting, instagram, etc. has made our world more connected, yes, but it has also made each user be placed dead center under literally a world of scrutiny.  Add in the typical pressures of a teenager, growing up, being an adult, still being a kid, academic pressure, extracurricular activity performance pressure, getting into college/not getting into college, home life, jobs, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends/in-between, now you throw in gender identity, dating, sex, love, marriage, hookups, breakups, SAT’s, GED’s, drugs, drinking, expectations/lack of expectations… the list goes on and on.  It’s enough to make anyone cringe at those few, intense years that very few can say with 100% certainty that they survived unscathed.

 

Even the “normal” kids face incredible amounts of pressure I can barely keep up with to try and understand, and I wasn’t a teenager/young adult that long ago.

 

Break the silence.  It’s better to have checked in with someone than let it go.  I don’t know what was going through Fryberg’s mind leading up to and during October 24, 2014.  I can guarantee, that child must have felt severely alone, desperate, angry, resentful and/or any combination of those emotions.

 

It isn’t a “type” of person who feels those things.  Every human being has felt one or more of those emotions at some point in her/his life. Maybe his friends and family might have even talked to him about it leading up to it.  A decision to kill isn’t born into someone. It’s caused.

 

We need to be made more aware of the people around us. Not with a discerning, skeptical, calculating eye, but with a caring, respectful, and genuine sense of community for each other.

 

For parents, all Pilot and I can both suggest as a method to staying Involved, Understanding, and Supportive:

 

  1. LISTEN to your kids. Don’t talk AT them, talk WITH them.  I don’t always succeed in my execution of this, but my efforts are still noted. Even if the conversation doesn’t work the first time, keep at it.  It may not get easier, but at least your kids will know they have safe place to share their thoughts.

 

  1. BE AWARE of your kids’ internet/cell phone use. DO NOT SNOOP.  Establishing at the beginning what the rules are for using computers, cell phones, and other methods of communication are within your home (setting expectations) are key to understanding the world your child has created for herself/himself.  Believe me, you may not have full access to whom /where your kids are spending their time, but Facebook/Twitter sure do.

 

cheating vs social media
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/7f/06/b4/7f06b4fd9eb38ce67b25b30379628933.jpg

 

  1. CARE. I once heard that 99% of parenting is showing up.  Being physically present, or even a phone call (NOT TEXT.  I SAID CALL.  A voice connects you to each other far more than reading letters on a screen) to wish your child good luck with their next activity when you’re not able to attend.  Let them know you’re taking them out afterward to celebrate (whether it goes well or not, especially when it does not).  You have a child in your life. This is a precious gift. Be involved, or get involved.

 

I asked Pilot what the one piece of advice he would give parents/guardians and I’ll paraphrase it here:

 

Be consciously involved in your child’s education and life.

 

Going back to the question of, “What are schools doing to prevent a shooting from happening again?”  There is a mindset becoming more prevalent in parent/teacher conferences:  That the kids spend all of their time at school, so the teachers are responsible for their child’s behavior.

 

This is ass backwards, and here is why:

 

Children spend 6 hours a day in school.  Let’s say 7 hours total to include commute time (assuming your child goes to a nearby school).  I ask you, how many hours are there in a day?  How good are your math skills?  Mine suck, and I can tell you that 7 out of 24 hours is not a lot of time.

 

changes in time

http://pjmedia-new.pjmedia.netdna-cdn.com/lifestyle//user-content/36/files//2014/01/funny-parents-grades-teachers-comic.jpg

 

Children spend 1/3 of their day at school.  Estimate the average 8 hours of sleep at their place of residence, and where is the rest?  With their family or chosen extracurricular activity/jobs.  Do you know where your child works?  Who they work with?  These are questions you should already know the answer to, don’t you think?

 

The point of all of this:  Be there for your children.  Be involved in your children’s lives.  It takes effort, time, and patience, but it’s worth it.  They won’t be children for long, and it’s a tough world.  Not to sound corny, but who they are and how they interact with the world is every person’s responsibility, and they will be our future leaders.  Their choices will shape our future.

 

Be Involved.

Be Understanding.

Be Supportive.

 

What are your methods for staying involved with the children in your life?

How do you monitor your child’s use of technology and social media?

Have you talked to your children to keep an eye out for rash behavioral changes in their friends and peers?

Do your children know where to go at school/work/extracurricular activities to report concerning behavior safely?

For those in the education field, what are your tips for keeping your classrooms safe?

starting to lead a purpose-driven life

“That is all I want in life: for this pain to seem purposeful.”

– Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation

Precious Readers,

I have good news and I have bad news.

 

THE BAD NEWS:

I have not lived up to promises of keeping you entertained.  These last few months have been some of the most difficult I’ve ever encountered.  Needless to say, there is a lot in my life that has required me to step away from the keyboard and focus.  These issues are not quite at a place to discuss them publicly at this time.

Life lessons have been recycling in my life.  Lessons that I’d thought I’d learned from and protected myself against.  There are people in my life and there are those who were only seemingly in my life.  I haven’t had this strong of a reality slap in the face since my dad passed away.  There were people who I thought would never leave my life, who instead completely disappeared never to be heard from again.  Then there were others who stepped up and became closer friends with me than I ever imagined possible.

I’m facing that needle-like tingle across the face, the stinging reverberated across my cheek as the icy reality of the same sensation has happened again.  This time there no major life changes that caused this, thank goodness, but my own awakening as a “can’t look back now, I’m officially an adult, no other synonyms allowed” person.

This year, I turned 30.

Not to sound cliché, but this was a difficult birthday for me.  Not in the political sense of “a woman turning thirty” requiring everyone and their brother to question if the female subject in question is married, has a house, has children?

No, the idea of 30 was a bit more personal than political.

There’s a film called The Last Kiss, one Americanized starring Zach Braff, but actually is a remake of an Italian film L’ultimo Bacio.  For the purposes of this blog, I am focusing on the Zach Braff film.  The director’s commentary of the film-

Yes. I’m one of those.  I watch the director commentary of films. <shrug.> 

-mentions that although of course at the heart of the story is a man who is realizing his life is beginning to “settle.”  He and his long term girlfriend are expecting a child and planning to find a place to live.

The film isn’t subtle.  It’s about as subtle as a brick to the head. However, it does bring up an interesting subplot: the idea that it’s possible there is more than one type of “life crises” phases throughout the human experience.  The main character and his three other friends are all approaching 30.  It explores the idea that there is another “mid-life crisis” in your 30’s where you face not only the consequences of your youth, but setting the foundation for the remainder of your adult years.

That’s a lot to deal with.

It becomes apparent that this is the final age where no person can truly say they’re a ‘young adult’ anymore.  It is the official stark, unwavering line between youth and adulthood.  20-somethings can still use the excuse that they’re “young” and still “finding themselves.”  While any person can easily say that “if you want to be somebody else, change your mind,” (thank you Sister Hazel), at any age, it would be difficult to find any person who believes 30 could still be misinterpreted as a ‘young adult.’ You are now an official adult, no turning back, no holds barred.

In the new age of writing, there has been a recent genre rising to the scene called “New Adult.”  This surpasses the pre-teen angst, the teenage romanticism of pain and joy, and the college years of someone claiming to be an adult while still dealing with a 4-digit phone number and mini-fridge.  New Adult claims to be post-college, yet not quite in the “married, settled in the suburbs with the 2.5 kids.”

Obi-One-Pin-Obi, a longtime friend of mine, greeted my third decade amongst the world with a birthday card that said, “Welcome to your 30’s!  There’s cookies here!”  I’m one of the youngest of all of my friends, the second youngest of all of my cousins on both sides of the family, and was the second youngest person in my graduating class of high school.  The youngest person is only younger than me by less than two weeks.

I look at Facebook among the people around Pilot’s and my age and see a definitive, polarized line of the life stages.  Many are either married or already divorced with several children, while the other side is still single or just finding significant others.  I fall into a minority where I’m married with no children, and no plans for children in the immediate (or possible long term) future.

I’ve been (somewhat) maintaining this blog for 2 years.  What do I have to show for it?  A slow fading of posts that went from daily to only a few times a year.

Funny enough, I find myself back at square one.

 

THE GOOD NEWS:

I find myself back at square one!  (Yes, I did intend to write that a second time.  With an exclamation point!  As a GOOD thing!)  I have another opportunity to make another drastic change in my life.

Precious Readers, Pilot found a full-time job!

This marks a new beginning for me.  The freedom of choice. Although there are still several details that will need to be sorted out, I finally have the freedom to choose how I spend my time.

Not to sound completely full of myself-

However, if I do… I’m blaming “only child syndrome.”

-I am quite hirable.  The skills I’ve learned through having to work since I was young-

and no, I’m not talking early twenties. I’m talking about babysitting, doing odd jobs before I was 14, and then being old enough to have jobs since I was 14.  Been working and never stopped!

-I have a (now) decades of customer service training under my belt, along with now a degree and several other office administrative skills that have grown over the years.

This has granted me the ability to work in whatever location of my choosing.  At the time, I worked wherever the money flowed.

Now I can choose.

The difference between my 20’s versus my 30’s?  I’m finally taking steps towards making writing my full-time career.  This month, I’ll be attending the Emerald City Writer’s Conference in Bellevue, WA.  If you happen to be there, feel free to look me up.

Also, I’ve been attending writer’s support meetings and finally getting to a place where I’m not blocked anymore.

If the lack of blog posts have been an indicator, I’ve been a dealing with a bit of writer’s block lately.  Mostly due to lack of time.  Although it’s true that, “if you want to be a writer, you’ll find a way to write.” That would be true if I didn’t work 60-80 hours per week, plus 1-2 hours of commuting ONE WAY, and (attempting to) manage a household and take care of others in my time-limited life.

Lunchtime would be primo time to knock out a few hundred words… If I actually took a lunch, which I rarely do.

Just a reminder: It’s easy to dole out advice when you don’t understand the other person’s situation. Think before you speak… Another lesson I’m relearning on a minute-by-minute basis, and rarely succeed at.

No, Precious Readers, something has got to give. I’m reviewing my life with a fine-toothed comb, and I’ll tell you what:

By this time next year, there are going to be a LOT of changes happening for me.

I hope you’ll continue to stay with me on this new adventure.

 

Have there ever been definitive moments in your life where you completely 180’d your entire existence?

What sacrifices did you have to make for these life-changing experiences?

Do you ever regret uprooting your entire life?

Who were the haters and your greatest supporters, and how did they affect your decision?

sometimes you feel like The Curried Nut, sometimes you don’t / My Writing Process: Blog Tour

My Writing Process: Blog Tour

Hello and happy end of June, my Precious Readers!

For those who are Seattle Sweeties like myself, I hope you’ve been enjoying this June-uary, craptastic weather.  For those in the know of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) weather, our “summer” doesn’t really begin until Independence Day through end of September.

I was recently invited by one of my besties to do a joint effort of blogs.  Although our genres do not necessarily cross over much, there are similarities.  Meagan Davenport writes The Curried Nut, a food blog whose key focus is on recipes, cookbook reviews, and her adventures attending various food/food bloggers conventions.  When she sent out the call for fellow friend bloggers… Well… I just couldn’t help myself.

Although this will be a shorter post than most, I have some bigger fish to fry coming up in future posts.

We’re talking truly researched topics.

Don’t look at me in that tone of voice.

All right, all right.  I know it’s unusual for me to go into research-worthy topics, but I promise the same fun-loving, snarky humor you all have grown to know and love.

Either way, let’s get this party started!

  1. What am I working on?

Last year, I actually finished a book.  Really.  It has a beginning, middle and ending.  A full ending.  Not just a 3-page ending to wrap everything in a neat and tidy bow.  Sure the heroine/hero fall back in love and begin their Happily Ever After (HEA for those in the romance writing industry), but I like to think it has a very well-rounded ending to satisfy all readers.

The problem?  It’s been in editorial hell.

Working full-time, taking care of my loved ones, and monitoring the wee doggy named, Nimitz, doesn’t leave me a lot of time-

Translation: Energy

-to finally finish it off.  It’s on the to-do list.

A new WIP I’m developing is in “tween” stage of publishing life.  I have my basic skeleton of how I’d like the story to go, but am still filling in the finer details and points of conflict throughout the story.  This next body of work is the beginning of what I hope to be a successful paranormal series.  As I’m highly paranoid-

In general.  As my place in this world as a human being. I’m paranoid people.

I’m highly fearful of copyright infringement.  My husband, Pilot doesn’t even see my work until it’s close to finished.

Also, he’s not much of a reader.  I love him dearly, and he openly admits to this part of his personality.  So to give him only pieces of work that could be completely rewritten down the road is kind of a waste of both of our times.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s EXTREMELY supportive… Just not that into large novels.

My hope is to finish the rough draft of this work and finish book two of this new series.  The somewhat-near future goal is to begin submitting to literary publishers sometime of fall 2015.

Well… If I’m brave enough.

Also, although it’s not specifically focused on blog or romance novel production, I am excited to announce I’ll be attending this year’s Emerald City Writer’s Conference in October!

If any of you Precious Readers are in attendance, I would love to meet you!

It will be my first convention.  Of anything.  About any form of topic.

I’m so excited I could just jump up and dance!

Seriously, Precious Readers:  If you happen to be in attendance, comment below and I’d love to hear from you.  Or you can email me at katherinebacher@gmail.com.  Would love to meet you!

  1. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

What a seriously fun question! (Oxymoron, right?)  I think that first sentence is probably the best answer I could give you.  Although this blog, and my personality, tend to be a bit more on the fun-loving side, I do take my work very seriously.

I believe whatever genre of writing you happen to fall into, it can be told with a sense of humor.  Life isn’t always 100% serious.  There are lighter moments throughout the day.  Sure, not all of them may be happening to you, but the humor is there.  Sometimes it’s situational.  The character may be struggling with the most difficult moment of their entire life, but their sibling or friend may be laughing at the problem the heroine/hero has found her/himself in.

Life is full of the small moments.  To quote Pilot and my favorite couple movie The Wedding Singer, “I think it’s the little things that count.”

To lay it fully out on the line, I’m not often seen as a serious person.

I think my high pitched voice and frequent giggling have something to do with that.  Yes, I’m an almost-30-year-old and I still giggle.  So sue me.

The irony is:  I take comedy VERY SERIOUSLY.

Hopefully this blog is a testament that although sometimes I touch on issues that are near and dear to my heart, mental state, and home life, I enjoy interjecting those serious topics with a little bit of humor.  Life is too short to take everything seriously.

I’d like to think that my voice comes across serious issues in a non-serious or traditional manner.

Also, I’m just a weird person, so that tends to make my story telling go in through an abnormal pathway from my brain to your eyes.

Actually, just reading the above statement makes me realize how odd and creepy that turned out.  I swear it sounded better in my head.

  1. Why do I write what I do?

Ok, so we’re busting out the big guns now.

One of my great vices and pleasures in life is to make someone laugh.  I’m not just talking about polite chitchat and the slight chuckling one might experience at an office work party.  No, Precious Readers.  No, not at all.

I’m talking about a soda sinus cleanse.  (Translation = shoot soda out of your nose.)

Did you know that Seattle has some of the worst traffic in America?  I think we’re number 5 or something down the chain of worst traffic.

There’s a point to this random statement.  I promise.  Just bear with me.

Even crazier? In 2013, Seattle was specifically voted the:

“HARDEST WORKING CITY IN THE NATION”

Now, let’s think about this.  We caffeinated Seattleites beat out cities like: New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Seattleites have the highest commuting times (see the traffic report above), take the fewest breaks and use the most overtime.

I’ll give you a moment to let that sink into your caffeinated Seattleite brain.

Did it soak through the espresso?

Ok, then.  I’ll continue.

I love writing.  I love using my imagination.  I love happy endings for characters.

I also have a lot of voices in my head, with which if I don’t put it on paper they just keep swirling in there.

Hmm…

Again, that sounded better and less creepy in my head.

As previously mentioned in earlier posts, I like the endless possibilities of being able to write about love.  Earning it, losing it, fighting to keep it.

I believe love makes the world go round, either through family ties, friendships, or romance.  For a world that is full of such serious people who don’t relax much, especially in my own backyard apparently, that’s waaay too many hours of the day dedicated to our jobs.

Now, if you happen to love what you do, hat’s off to you, Precious Reader.  I’m not quite at the point myself where I’m writing 100% of the working day, but I do what I can and love every minute I share with you, and with my slow-growing body of work.

Short answer?  I like to entertain people and give them something fun to read while escaping the Seattle 6 AM to 9 PM work schedule.

  1. How does my writing process work?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaaaaaaa!!!   Now that’s the funniest thing I’ve read in a while!  People assuming I have a process.  Oh!  You are a hoot!

<wipes tear>

In all seriousness-

Ok, semi-seriousness.  It’s still me, after all.

In my experience, I’ve been told there are two (2) types of writers:

The Planner and The Pantser

I might have touched on this topic before, but for the sake of the blog tour I will continue.

The Planner:  Someone who meticulously plans out their story covering the beginning, middle and end in detail before writing the story itself.  Generally speaking, this writer is typically spotted with extensive notes, a detailed outline, character biographies, perhaps character interviews, typically writes their story from the beginning directly to the end, a Point A to Point B process.

Pretty much someone I’m extremely green-eyed jealous of, and can’t believe this type of person actually exists.

Then…. There’s the Pantser.

The Pantser:  Katherine… I mean “Someone who writes by the seat of their pants.”  who may have a basic idea of how the story should go… and sometimes doesn’t.  It’s quite possible they’re as surprised by the ending of the story as the Reader is.  They may have extensive notes, but it’s a blend of random notes stitched together weaving a pattern visible only during the wee hours of 3 am in a caffeinated haze.

Hey, I’m a Seattleite, remember?  We use espresso instead of saline bags when we put an IV into medical patients. 

Guess which one I am?

  1. Blogs I recommend:

Now, I haven’t asked these fellow bloggers, of whom I follow, to participate in this blog tour, but if they happen to read this and want to join in, I’d love to hear from them:

Either way, I love these bloggers and highly, highly recommend you giving them a read:

The Curried Nut:  http://www.thecurriednut.com/

Books, Biscuits and Tea: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/

Bucket List Productions:  http://bucketlistpublications.org/

Catherine, Caffeinated:  http://catherineryanhoward.com/

Happy June-uary Precious Readers!

Filling you with author-ly love,

Katherine Bacher

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Thank you, again to my friend Meagan Davenport for inviting me on this blog tour!

The Curried Nut (http://www.thecurriednut.com/)
Please check out Meagan’s reviews, recipe ravings and find out the buzz on food blogger conferences.  Her bio: “I am a born-and-bred Washingtonian who likes to wax eloquent on apples, Lord of the Rings, and the finer points of Indian restaurants.”

For more information about the Emerald City Writer’s Conference located at the Bellevue, Washington Westin Hotel, go to:  http://gsrwa.org/ecwc/conference

soothing the tempest

He steadies the tempest in my mind by using a smile. He heals my scars by just holding me. I struggle daily, saddened and distressed by fear. He listens. My nerves quake at sharing my dreams. The ones I’m afraid to admit to myself. He doesn’t bat an eye. He says the two words that soothe, a balm to my growing panic of the future: “I’m in.”

Thanks to God for making Pilot my minute-by-minute reminder of what a true love is. I hope to reflect a fraction of the love he shows me each moment of every day.

Here’s to 4 years of marriage, 11 years together, and to a lifetime of love. Happy Anniversary to my sweet Pilot!