you know it's been a while when...

You can't even remember what your blog looks like.

Haha.

After all that time I spent trying to make it work.

Oops.

Summer is in its fully glory here in the mid-south US. And with summer's full glory comes an unintentional but unavoidable (and, honestly, annual) blogging hiatus. In case anyone was worried.

I'll be spending most of the next month counseling at Camp Loucon, which is also where I've been the last two weeks. I wouldn't trade it for the world, but it does a number on my relationship with the internet (maybe that's *why* I wouldn't trade it... or part of why).

Lots of good things going on, writing-wise, too. Things that require time and focus.

And so, I'll be hopping off until August.

See you then!

false starts + second drafts :: cranky post.

This is the third time I've started this blog post. I'm doing that middle-of-the-night thing again, too. And I'm using words like "this" and "that" more than usual.

Ahem.

I'm drowning in false starts.

Writing is not my friend, these days. I don't feel like I have anything to say. I'm afraid of working on what I need to work on, because I don't want it to fall apart. Again. Again and again and again.

All I want to do is hole up with the books I should have read a month ago and try to make stories feel like fun again.

I *think* I figured out what was wrong with my beginning. A week ago, I was calling this a "breakthrough." Now I'm just calling it stupid. The issue:  If I write it, it will inevitably be wrong in a few weeks time. And so I haven't written it.

First drafts are nothing, guys.
It's the second draft that's killing me.

cat picture + jennifer :: true things.

Hey there, strangers.

Lots of stuff, lots of stuff. Lots of good stuff. Midnight blogging, too. Hello, friends on the other side of the world who are enjoying this lovely March morning. My cat just fell asleep on my arm after attacking my hands. He does stuff like that. It merits a picture.

Oh, Oliver. If you'd stop being cute, I'd stop taking pictures of you.

Anywho, my friends, in 24 hours I'll be watching

The Hunger Games {!}, 

and probably dying a little bit inside. The question is whether or not it will be the good kind of dying {because there are two kinds, you know}.

It gets me to thinking, do any of you remember this? I had so few readers a year ago when the casting craze began, I'm not sure who knows. I've felt funny about saying anything since then, but it's true.

I grew up going to church with Jennifer Lawrence and her family. Yes, that Jennifer Lawrence. I know. I know. It is amazing. I am so happy for her, and proud beyond words. It is also incredibly weird because, well. You know. I knew her as a little kid, and not as freaking Katniss. The bragging rights pretty much end there, but now you know. In case you didn't before. I just... had to tell you again. I don't even know why. But it's a true thing, and I like for people to know true things about me.

We love you, Jennifer. Louisville girls represent.

pi day.

Doesn't make me think of math or food.

Pi day makes me think of this:

A girl can't help her favorite book.

about the campaign, goals, and this awesome thing called "doing the work."

First and foremost, if you haven't entered to win a signed copy of Article 5, and you would like to, click here! Kristen Simmons is a dear friend, so let's keep supporting her. {Note: the more entries I get on this giveaway, the more winners there will be!}

To all my new Campaign friends and followers and soon-to-be friends, hello!

I have a quick something to say. I've decided {just now this very second}, that until the official Campaign start date next week, I am going to take a mini-break from blogging. Kind of an awkward time, I know, but it's for a good reason.

I'm writing again. For reals. Like, with goals and everything. And if I could take that Blogger icon down from my bookmarks, even if it's just for a handful of days, that would be really helpful.

I will still be doing my Campaign-ly duties, of course. Just not until next week.

To tide you over, here's the song that pretty much epitomizes everything I want my main character to be:

The mood is a little chippy, but seriously, even the title {"Attaboy"} is perfect.

Okay, here I go.

solid advice for a bad day.

Chin up, friends.

We all get down.

We all feel low about ourselves from time to time.

And on such a day, there really is no better medicine

than watching clips of Arrested Development on YouTube.

You're welcome. Feel better!

UPDATE!
In other news, my crit partner, Jeigh, is giving away some awesome stuff to celebrate reaching eleventy-one followers (and then some!), and you DEFINITELY want to be a part of it.
Follow that link!

an amazing thing happened this week...

My computer died.

I spent about twelve hours thinking that I'd lost everything, and so, when I discovered that I actually hadn't, it lit quite the fire under my lazy bum. I have spent the last four days WRITING. Can you believe it? Putting fingers-to-keyboard and proving myself, for once? I set a goal for this weekend and everything. Astounding.

I apologize for the scant appearance in Campaign-land. I am really excited about the second challenge, even though I have no earthly clue what I'm going to come up with for it. We shall see. Until then, here are some other things:

1. Tune in next week for a 100 Followers giveaway/contest/blogfest. It will be fun, promise.

2. I did not fully realize that adding the :: :: to rosewood pencil box would change its alphabetization. Oops. As soon as I assemble a legit banner, I should be rejoining the R's. {Hello, R's! Sorry I left you for the punctuation marks.}

3. I will also be jumbling through a pile of awards to pass on. There may be a surprise in there, as well. Not sure yet.

4. Last weekend, we found a copy of Bongo Kongo at my in-laws' house. It will be played tonight.

Okay, friends. That self-imposed deadline won't wait.

See you soon!

{So much for posting on Mondays and Thursdays.}

this is for my dad.

Happy 60th!

For any of you who don't know, my dad is a rocking dude. There is a lot of him in me. We both love eating grapefruit for breakfast, for instance. I got my thick, wavy hair from him, though his has calmed down a bit since he was my age. I hope my hair grays like his, too, eventually. He has the best salt-and-pepper thing going (you're taking all of this as a compliment, right, Pops?)

My dad has a lot of good things going for him. He's an accountant, which is a job many people are loathe to consider. But he loves it, and he's so good at it. He inspires me to do what I love. My whole life he's told me, "If it doesn't make you happy, Julie Bird, don't do it." My dad has called me Julie Bird since I was a baby. When I was really little, I just about thought "Bird" was my middle name. I sort of wish it was. Julie Bird Palmer (... Maughon).  Perhaps I could use Bird as a not-completely-untrue pseudonym, one day. [Why yes, this is where my online-persona name came from. How did you know? (I added the "my" because "Juliebird" was already taken on one of the platforms. Hence, Juliemybird. And now you know!)]

So, to celebrate my dad's birthday, here's his favorite old cartoon. He still makes himself laugh when he thinks about it. "I love to sing-a, about the moon-a and the June-a in the spring-a, I love to sing-a..."

Love you, Daddy!

(Yeah. That was the post featuring classic cartoons you were looking forward to. Surprise!)

ode to mumble cruncher.

I don't know very much about Mumble Cruncher. I know he likes the newspaper. He seems to have a lot of opinions, because he's always going over them with himself.

I know he likes espresso.

I know he really likes crunchy food.

Why me, Mumble Cruncher? I used to only see you in the opposite corner of the library, where almost no one else goes. I've been avoiding that corner, because you kind of creep me out and I can never get work done around you I didn't want to bother you. But today, you're over here, where all the desk cubicles are. Did someone kick you out?

This isn't really the best place for you, Mumble Cruncher. Your mumbling and crunching, while thoroughly your prerogative, is driving me bonkers. The emptiness of the back of the reference section really misses you. Who else will sit at those tables?*

Also... is there something special about the floor? I just figured, you know... chairs. Are all over the place. Just wondering.

*Me, that's who. Time to leave Mumble Cruncher to ponder his existence, sans my company. I wonder if he even realizes I'm here?

coming soon: my first blogfest.

It's a right of passage for any (somewhat) new blogger, I suppose.

Bess's blog is one of my favorites. Go check her out! And sign up for the blogfest! And stop me before I exhaust my personal daily allowance of exclamation points!

[too late.]

See you on June 6th. (!)

[added: But hopefully also a lot before then.]

mere christianity, and a word cloud.

I finished Mere Christianity tonight, and then made a Word Cloud for it.  It was fun.  Okay, so technically I listened to Mere Christianity, but that totally counts.  And I typed words and phrases into the Wordle box as it went by, which was kind of like taking notes.  Thus, the word cloud.  Now, if someone could just tell me how to make this look like a whole picture instead of the surly link that it is, I would be thrilled.


Oh, to be tech savvy.  Ever in my life.

announcements.

To all interested parties:

I know.  It's hard to believe.  I thought I'd lost my touch.  That is, I thought I'd forgotten how to act, or whatever.  Be on stage.  I had an actual "Oh holy crap I think I forgot how to project my voice" moment at the auditions the other night.  Truth.

But, the director must be desperate, or a fan of argyle and plaid (both of which I wore, unintentionally), because he let me in anyway.

I get to rehearse for a play all through the busy/crazy Christmas season now.  Yay?

:
:
:

Yay!

(?)

hobble off to dreamland.

You know how I was never going to be one of those writers who used their own dreams as fodder for fiction?  Well, you might not have known that, but it used to be true.

Not because I have moral reservations about taking the inspiration in whatever form it greets you... I just usually don't have very interesting dreams.  I mean, I have some WACKY ones, as evidenced here and here, but not really any story-centric or inspirational ones.

I guess the dream I had last night about a kid getting attacked by a giant spider wasn't really story-centric or inspirational, either, but it woke me up and wouldn't let me go to sleep again.  Some of us call that a nightmare.

So I started writing it down and it turned into a story.  Kind of fun.

Thanks for listening.  Also, happy December!

hard to believe?

It is hard to believe, isn't it?  This girl who never pictured her future self in the arms of another, has been married for a whole year.  To one mighty charming fella, she might add.

(the funny part is, he does this just about every day.)

my husband makes me laugh, part three. or four.

Me:  Would you still love me, even if you [insert vaguely spoilery detail from a certain book that shall remain nameless]...?

Him:  Well, since that doesn't really exist, yes.

***

And here's my favorite, from a couple of months ago, on our way back from D.C.  We were in Virginia, going south west back home, and we passed a sign for Glasgow.

Me:  Glasgow?  Is there a Glasgow,Virginia?  Or is it for Glasgow, Kentucky?

Him:  I don't know... it must be Virginia.

Me: (being stupid)  Or maybe it's for Scotland!

Him: (completely straight-faced)  No... It can't be Scotland, Scotland's east.

in chicago.

Yes, that's where I am.  And it feels like July.  What happened?

Sorry, it's another tiny post.  Hope you don't mind.

The next time I have time to wrap my mind around something, I'll write more.

No, I did not run, by the way.  But Joshua did.  2:47!

another joshuaism.

Me:  "Well, how do you know I love you no matter what?"  (I was having a borderline crisis.)

Joshua:  "Because you say you do.  And you seem pretty honest."