I actually managed to finish my NaNoWriMo novel with everything else that has been going on! Yay! I will post a link after I've had a chance to edit the hell out of it. Ok, novel is completed: on to the holidays, and of course planning my 30th birthday bash ;)

Oh, and updates since I keep getting emails/voicemails from people asking why I've disappeared:

Dating - Still seeing a great guy, we have a lot of fun together. It's not often I find someone who also gets excited about geodesic domes, learning new languages, cooking amazing food and watching British comedies while managing to pet four animals at the same time, it's great! Well, that and is also available/actually wants to be in a relationship (gotta be fair to my other friends who also fit the previous criteria).

Pets - Oliver is recovering from knee surgery nicely, Stitch is up next with dental surgery (but everything looks good for a fast recovery), Vincent is finally getting used to the dogs (and has started snuggling with Mac when he thinks no one is looking), and Mac has figured out that stealing Vinnie's food is a bad idea. Everyone's intrigued with the decorated tree in the corner; I might need to tie it to the wall.

School - We are rounding the bend and almost at the end of this semester, classes already registered for the spring. I'm focusing a lot harder on counseling/psychology this coming semester because...

Jobs - I'm in the running for two positions currently, one with a local police department and one studying the California foster care system (we can all agree it needs major improvement). Both jobs would benefit from additional experience with counseling aside from the work I've already done with various law enforcement agencies from 2001 til now (including the trip I have to make this week to finish up with a Nevada district attorney's office). Wish me luck either way :)

Family - Eh, sadly you can't pick your family. Almost all of my relatives (adopted, step or otherwise) are fabulous and doing well, a few could really use a major reality check. The rest of us are just happy that most of the family is ok, it could definitely be worse! ;)

Onward and upward, as they say. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season!

Doing it again :)

I hereby pledge my intent to write a 50,000-word novel in one month's time. By invoking an absurd, month-long deadline on such an enormous undertaking, I understand that notions of "craft", "brilliance" and "competency" are to be chucked right out the window, where they will remain, ignored, until they are retrieved for the editing process. I understand that I am a talented person, capable of heroic acts of creativity, and I will give myself enough time over the course of the next month to allow my innate gifts to come to the surface, unmolested by self-doubt, self-criticism, and other acts pf self-bullying.

During the month ahead, I realize I will produce clunky dialogue, cliched characters, and deeply flawed plots. I agree that all of these things will be left in my rough draft, to be corrected and/or excised at a later point. I understand my right to withhold my manuscript from all readers until I deem it completed. I also acknowledge my right as author to substantially inflate both the quality of the rough draft and the rigors of the writing process should such inflation prove useful in garnering me respect and attention, or freedom from participation in onerous household chores.

I acknowledge that the month-long, 50,000-word deadline I set for myself is absolute and unchangeable, and that any failure to meet the deadline, or any effort on my part to move the deadline once the adventure has begun, will invite well-deserved mockery from friends and family. I also acknowledge that, upon successful completion of the started novel objective, I am entitled to a period of gleeful celebration and revelry, the duration and intensity of which may preclude me from participating fully in workplace activities for days, if not weeks, afterword.

(Many of these I already knew, but it's always good to get a refresher)

1. There is little in life that is more important than stopping to be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen with, and a hand to help. It takes almost no time out of your daily life, and can drastically change the course of someone else's.

2. There is no difference between a friend and an acquaintance/stranger unless you choose for there to be.

2a. When people you choose to treat as friends do not return the favor, try your hardest to let it go. It is never about you, and should not be used as an object lesson to treat people less kindly in the future.

3. The love in your life may not come from all of the sources and forms that you wish it would, but it is there and all of it is worth your full attention and appreciation.

4. All you have to do to reinvent yourself is start over. This is both as easy and as hard as it sounds.

5. When things in your life fall apart, there is always someone there to help you rebuild. All you have to do is ask, and be ready to accept that something new and better might arise from the ashes.

6. Cold chocolate milk and back/foot rubs can make almost anything better.

7. When things start to seem mundane and repetitive, work to see another side (this works for people too). There is always at least one, if not a million more.

8. If someone tells you something wholly unbelievable, believe in it at least for a little while. They're either right or inviting you to take a journey with them, and both are worth listening to.

9. Pay attention to others' forms of expression, whether it is art, music, ranting, writing, whatever. Being appreciated and heard are rare in this fast-paced world of ours, and it is the greatest gift you can give anyone.

10. And of course, most important of all, remember to take time to do nothing but sit back and watch the world go by. I promise that when you get up to join it again, it will still be turning.

Tara/Ranger Mockingbird

Last day of summer session was today, got another two A's under my belt :) Now for a 2 week break and on to fall semester!

(I know, I'm nuts. But I swear I'll take a break some day!)

It's official, Nuala has cancer. If you've got anything to say to my darling girl before she goes, now is the time.

Just got back from the vet... her kidneys and liver are severely enlarged and she's dropped almost three pounds in the last month. They think it might be cancer (most likely) or possibly a really bad infection (least likely).

Racking up a HUGE bill on tests today, but I want to know for sure what's going on... please keep your fingers crossed that it is something treatable.

I just remembered that I have a live journal, and when I logged in it said it's been 14 weeks since my last entry. Time really does fly!

Ok, updates:( Click here if you actually care about what I've been up to. If you don't care, feel free to imagine that my LJ hold music is 'You Spin Me Right Round' by Dead or Alive )

So... how're you guys? :)

Wow, I've had actual requests to update here :) I didn't know you cared, guys. Ok, here's the quick n' dirty.

1. School - still in, still got A's as far as I can tell (although midterms are being graded this week so we'll see!), still not sure about summer session's financial aid. Keep those fingers crossed!

2. Boys - yes I've been dating a little here and there, nothing serious. There's one I'm particularly interested in, though we might be in different places in life at the moment. We'll see what happens.

3. Burning man - as far as I know, I'm definitely still going this year! And really, really excited about it. Whooooo!

4. Pets - my poor cats have been fighting mycoplasma felis for about 6 months now, and I feel so bad for them :( Please keep them in your thoughts, we're trying new antibiotics this week that I'm hoping will finally work! Oliver is just fine, especially since I have a new prescription of liver flavored pain killers for when his degenerative joint disease acts up on cold mornings.

5. Family - waaaay less stress in general, now that the housing situation has been squared away and people have finally agreed on how to deal with one very destructive family member. Mom's organizing a union, sister's learning the trapeze, dad's getting a pickup truck to work on, one cousin is getting married and another is graduating high school this summer. And the cousin with autism is showing fantastic improvement and may even be able to be in a normal class in a couple of years! Life is good.

How're all of you? :)

I know I haven't updated in a while, I'll get to that soon :) In the meantime, I just couldn't sit still regarding one of the biggest crocks of shite I've seen on TV these past few years.
( Rantity Rant )

So feel free to keep up your hate-mongering, trying to stop loving couples that you don't even know and will never even hear about from getting married so that you can feel satisfied with yourself at the end of the day. And if the god you claim to believe in is real, you've got quite an ass-whoopin' coming to you in the afterlife for daring to take his place in judgment and hatred. Have fun with that.

Hooray!