I spent the weekend helping my dad paint the 2nd floor apartment to his house. New tenants are moving in next weekend....and all I have to say is oooowwwww. I am dog-tired. I crashed last night before 10 pm and I woke up with muscles on fire. ergh! It was all that up and down on the ladder, moving 40 lb ladder in small increments and then hunching low for the crevices and hard to reach places. Anyway I woke up today at 6 am...turned off my alarm, turned around and went back to sleep for another 40 minutes. *Yawn* Not quite awake yet. All this whinging reminded me to take some ibuprofen.
Bit of good news: On Friday I received my ticket to see Jack White in September at Radio City Music Hall. hoorah!! Very excited. Doing a little happy dance. ouch, okay maybe not quite a dance...just a happy sway.
I also bought train tickets to go visit Tony upstate. Ah, but it’s more of a work visit since I’m helping him out on one of his craft shows. Down time is still down time.
I finished the novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley and have moved onto another Patricia Highsmith novel, Deep Water. I am absolutely devouring this book. A novel about power dynamics, control and psychological manipulation in relationships...love it.
All for now,
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Selah Sue – This World
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Now I am a huge fan of David Cronenberg and I know he has a strong inclination towards the obscure, which is mostly fine so long as I can follow a thread, some semblance of logic or illogic. His works like Crash (1996), History of Violence (2005) and Eastern Promises (2007) to name a few are complex and intelligent films.
Cosmopolis is a total miss for me. Both the subject matter (financial capitalist enterprise) and the storytelling kept everything at the surface level. When we reached the conclusion of the film, I could care one whit about Erik Packer (the protagonist). And his impending death was both trite and obvious. *big yawn*
Now I wish I had gone to see the latest Bourne flick. Mainstream candy. No nutritional value.
OH WAIT!! On a more positive spin
The History Channel ran a repeat of the Hatfield and McCoys mini-series…and that was really well done. Holy Hell!! The cast was fantastic. And I have a new found respect for Kevin Costner. There has only been one movie that he was really good in: Dances with Wolves. Everything else *shrug* just didn’t make an impact BUT Costner was nuanced in this performance. So very glad I was able to catch it this time around.
Last bit, I think I mentioned earlier that I was reading Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt and that I love her writing. I hit up a very good friend with an extensive library and wrangled up six more titles to read. So I’ve been reading The Talented Mr. Ripley and I’m finding the story gripping…because Highsmith knows how to create tension within a character. She does it so well that I could feel the neurotic temperament of Tom Ripley. Hoorah!
Okay, I’m off to work on my own writing.
Peace,
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Pablo Alborán with Carminho - Perdoname
I came across this song as I was hunting for new music and loved it...Pablo Alborán and Carminho sing Perdoname. I love the harmonies between these two singers and have listened to this song non-stop since Friday.
Let's see... today I'm in a fog. I have been like this since yesterday. Shall I blame it on the rain? Today I didn't work on the novel and I feel a little lost for not having spent any time on it. The writing has slowed down...but it's okay as long as I keep working on it. Just today my lack of focus got in the way of sitting quietly and writing.
Last night, I had dinner with some friends and then we went to see Uncle Vanya at Soho Rep directed by Sam Gold. It was a decent performance but the staircase risers where the audience sat was uber-uncomfortable. The first part of the play was very good but the second part was...how shall we say this...some of the actors decided to play their characters sleepy. And the energy just went down the tubes.
They had some very good moments and the play stayed with me for a good long while afterwards.
It was 10:30 pm by the time the play let out and I walked to the subway alone. The night was humid and a hot wind would blow from time to time through the intersections. The streets were dark and quiet and the traffic noise had died down. I passed some guys skateboarding in a parking lot trying to do stunts and wiping out with hands, elbows and legs splayed out in all directions. Made me actually wince to see how hard they fell but they'd get back up again and try again.
Anyway, I don't have very much to write today....so I'm off to find myself a strong cup of Earl Grey tea.
Peace,
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Literary Geeks Rise Up!
The last couple of days I have been spring cleaning. I know it's late summer but I just have a need to clear out the clutter. No, I'm not procrastinating on the writing. I actually need to make some space on my desk to actually do it. Anyway, I've set a pile of books to give away and leave in random places so folks can pick them up. Hopefully I won't get a ticket for littering. I have another pile of books to ship out to friends, returning things that I've held on for a long while...hmmm. And I know there is more to get rid of. Desk drawers and file cabinets full of random wires and old electronic equipment and past magazines that need to be read or thrown out.
Earlier today I read the following Joss Whedon article on Wired (May 2012): http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/05/joss-whedon/
For crying out loud, Whedon quotes Roland Barthes... this is the point when the literary geek girl in me swoons. Loved the article, completely inspired me and I enjoyed even reading about those moments of insecurity when he works on his projects. He talks about his success, his misfires and about his writing craft. LOVED IT!!
On the train ride home, I was reading Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt. I'm midway through this novel and I wish I had known about this writer sooner in my life. The way she handles the internal dialogue of the protagonist is doing my head in (in a good way). There is so much internal strife and she handles it delicately between a handful of lines. Beautifully done. Can't wait to read more. Altho' my eyes feel like they might pop out of my head from too much computer/reading/writing today.
Lastly, tonight I spent the night working on my novel. I wrote for three hours (1,500 words) and I feel good, decent and productive. While I was on the train reading Highsmith...something about my novel clicked for me. I realized how to introduce the betrayal that I've been struggling with almost from the beginning. It wasn't even what I was reading instead...my brain is constantly working on this story in the background somewhere...looking at the problems...trying to figure out the next solution. Working on this story makes sense again. I'm also rethinking the title. Just don't know yet what it needs to be. I'll keep calling it Indigo until the new title comes...until then...I keep writing.
Peace,
Lily~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Earlier today I read the following Joss Whedon article on Wired (May 2012): http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/05/joss-whedon/
For crying out loud, Whedon quotes Roland Barthes... this is the point when the literary geek girl in me swoons. Loved the article, completely inspired me and I enjoyed even reading about those moments of insecurity when he works on his projects. He talks about his success, his misfires and about his writing craft. LOVED IT!!
On the train ride home, I was reading Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt. I'm midway through this novel and I wish I had known about this writer sooner in my life. The way she handles the internal dialogue of the protagonist is doing my head in (in a good way). There is so much internal strife and she handles it delicately between a handful of lines. Beautifully done. Can't wait to read more. Altho' my eyes feel like they might pop out of my head from too much computer/reading/writing today.
Lastly, tonight I spent the night working on my novel. I wrote for three hours (1,500 words) and I feel good, decent and productive. While I was on the train reading Highsmith...something about my novel clicked for me. I realized how to introduce the betrayal that I've been struggling with almost from the beginning. It wasn't even what I was reading instead...my brain is constantly working on this story in the background somewhere...looking at the problems...trying to figure out the next solution. Working on this story makes sense again. I'm also rethinking the title. Just don't know yet what it needs to be. I'll keep calling it Indigo until the new title comes...until then...I keep writing.
Peace,
Lily~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Itchy Palms
As much as I’ve tried staying away from writing a blog entry, I find myself gravitating towards Blogger. It’s become such a habit that too many days without an entry makes my palms itchy. Strange but true.
I’ve had a productive weekend, I managed a nice chunk of writing time on Saturday and worked for about 4.5 hours before I called it a day. Sunday, I worked on some much needed chores but have yet to finish cleaning my room. Ergh! It’s a bit of a wreck. If I look at it too long, I get dismayed and just leave it for another day. Last night, I managed to clear away the stacks of books that I had piled on my desk. My desk is a magnet for every piece of paper, index card and half-read book that I’m currently “working” with. I cleared some of it away but still managed to keep a teetering pile of pages on top of my printer. I think they secretly split off and multiply at night. That’s just my working theory.
Last night I had dinner with a friend and we were talking writing careers versus day jobs. Ergh. He’s a brilliant writer, the kind that as soon as he’s picked up will be highly visible and marketable. His writing is the next wave of up and coming work. Of course, we were talking about making a living as a writer and neither one of us felt very....secure in the idea of being able to make a living from it. *sad sigh *. He works as an adjunct professor teaching composition to undergraduates. These days you have to hustle for those adjunct posts.
Anyway, I read an early draft of one of his short stories and then the revision of it...I have to tell you that the way he uses language gives me goosebumps. His work is truly amazing and I wish I had half his talent...hehehe. Anyway, he’s going back to school to finish a second Masters in a professional field. Frankly, he wants to be able make a living and still write on the side. another sad sigh. We keep relegating our actual work/writing/creative life as secondary, an afterthought. We have to squeeze out a living and then find time to write. He knows he will always write but for the next two and a half years as he begins school in the fall, he will put the creative work away. The notion makes me sad because he is just so good.
As we talked he was advising me to find something more in line with the type of work I’ve done before because I have skills that will translate into any setting. I admit the panic started to rise at the idea of getting locked down into a “job”. To be fair, he was talking about getting involved with companies and non-profits, doing work that I would feel good about. Ergh. Which would be what exactly? I’m having a hard time thinking outside of the box at the moment. Frankly, this job is fine for my purposes. At the end of the day I leave it behind, don’t give it a second thought once I go home at 5 and I have enough head space to work on my creative work. But I’ve been feeling a terrible pressure to try to find a better job. It’s all anyone asks me about these days. Makes me want to stick my head in the sand. Ostrich maneuver.
I will say this, I know the anxiety that rises stems from the overachiever in me. The one who is unsatisfied with a job that is barely scraping at my creative curiosity. I get that! But that’s what I have the rest of my life for, no? I use that time outside of work to go see live music, or go to the theater, or read books, or walk all over the city, or work on my novel, or study shamanism, or go swim in the ocean. That’s really what I have time for. That’s what this job affords me to be able to do at the moment. The only drawback that I see is that I don’t have more money to really travel outside of the states. Will have to see what I can adjust in my financial picture to make that possible. I have a cousin in Maui I can visit, and my aunt and uncle in Puerto Rico, a good friend in San Francisco who’s couch I can crash on...just need to figure that one out. Other than that, I have all I need at the moment. Okay, I’ve gone on long enough.
Peace,
Lily~
[UPDATE] Another one bites the dust.
Another mercury retrograde victim...ergh! My Nook died early Sunday morning. After a soft reset and a hard reset...nothing. It’s been frozen in start-up mode ever since. *sigh * I think I talked up its early death. You see I was just telling someone the other day how I wanted to go back to books. I miss having a paperback in hand. And here is one of the moments when the universe listened. LOL! Really?! That’s what it heard. Anyway, I’ve called in for an updated version...a trade-in if you will but then I realized I should have waited until AFTER mercury retrograde was over. *rolling my eyes *. So when the new one dies an early death, remind me that I was sufficiently warned.
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
I’ve had a productive weekend, I managed a nice chunk of writing time on Saturday and worked for about 4.5 hours before I called it a day. Sunday, I worked on some much needed chores but have yet to finish cleaning my room. Ergh! It’s a bit of a wreck. If I look at it too long, I get dismayed and just leave it for another day. Last night, I managed to clear away the stacks of books that I had piled on my desk. My desk is a magnet for every piece of paper, index card and half-read book that I’m currently “working” with. I cleared some of it away but still managed to keep a teetering pile of pages on top of my printer. I think they secretly split off and multiply at night. That’s just my working theory.
Last night I had dinner with a friend and we were talking writing careers versus day jobs. Ergh. He’s a brilliant writer, the kind that as soon as he’s picked up will be highly visible and marketable. His writing is the next wave of up and coming work. Of course, we were talking about making a living as a writer and neither one of us felt very....secure in the idea of being able to make a living from it. *sad sigh *. He works as an adjunct professor teaching composition to undergraduates. These days you have to hustle for those adjunct posts.
Anyway, I read an early draft of one of his short stories and then the revision of it...I have to tell you that the way he uses language gives me goosebumps. His work is truly amazing and I wish I had half his talent...hehehe. Anyway, he’s going back to school to finish a second Masters in a professional field. Frankly, he wants to be able make a living and still write on the side. another sad sigh. We keep relegating our actual work/writing/creative life as secondary, an afterthought. We have to squeeze out a living and then find time to write. He knows he will always write but for the next two and a half years as he begins school in the fall, he will put the creative work away. The notion makes me sad because he is just so good.
As we talked he was advising me to find something more in line with the type of work I’ve done before because I have skills that will translate into any setting. I admit the panic started to rise at the idea of getting locked down into a “job”. To be fair, he was talking about getting involved with companies and non-profits, doing work that I would feel good about. Ergh. Which would be what exactly? I’m having a hard time thinking outside of the box at the moment. Frankly, this job is fine for my purposes. At the end of the day I leave it behind, don’t give it a second thought once I go home at 5 and I have enough head space to work on my creative work. But I’ve been feeling a terrible pressure to try to find a better job. It’s all anyone asks me about these days. Makes me want to stick my head in the sand. Ostrich maneuver.
I will say this, I know the anxiety that rises stems from the overachiever in me. The one who is unsatisfied with a job that is barely scraping at my creative curiosity. I get that! But that’s what I have the rest of my life for, no? I use that time outside of work to go see live music, or go to the theater, or read books, or walk all over the city, or work on my novel, or study shamanism, or go swim in the ocean. That’s really what I have time for. That’s what this job affords me to be able to do at the moment. The only drawback that I see is that I don’t have more money to really travel outside of the states. Will have to see what I can adjust in my financial picture to make that possible. I have a cousin in Maui I can visit, and my aunt and uncle in Puerto Rico, a good friend in San Francisco who’s couch I can crash on...just need to figure that one out. Other than that, I have all I need at the moment. Okay, I’ve gone on long enough.
Peace,
Lily~
[UPDATE] Another one bites the dust.
Another mercury retrograde victim...ergh! My Nook died early Sunday morning. After a soft reset and a hard reset...nothing. It’s been frozen in start-up mode ever since. *sigh * I think I talked up its early death. You see I was just telling someone the other day how I wanted to go back to books. I miss having a paperback in hand. And here is one of the moments when the universe listened. LOL! Really?! That’s what it heard. Anyway, I’ve called in for an updated version...a trade-in if you will but then I realized I should have waited until AFTER mercury retrograde was over. *rolling my eyes *. So when the new one dies an early death, remind me that I was sufficiently warned.
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Jack White playing Radio Music Hall
Rock on people rock on!!
L~
All artwork, photos, and text © Copyright 2008-2012 Liliana Almendarez unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Liliana Almendarez.
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