I’m a prepper
What can I say, I’m a prepper. And by prepper, I don’t mean preppy a la cardigans and blazers, I mean I’m a preparer. For the SCBWI Summer Conference, which starts on Friday (holy cow!) I’ve got more notes than I know what to do with. Not kidding – I have a 12 page spreadsheet. (This should be a clue as to the kind of student I am.) I want to get as much out of this conference as I can, so I’ve been spending my time the last few weeks taking notes and reading up on the conference faculty. Not only has the research helped in narrowing down the speakers I want to see, it’s also helped me start a list of agents who I’d like to submit to in the future. Getting ready for the conference is also like studying for the best kind of test – one where you hope to prove yourself professional and involved in your community. Hopefully I pass, and if nothing else, this has been such an incredible learning experience. I can’t wait for Friday. I may not sleep for the next two days!
Filed under Events, Life | Comments (5)My vacation in numbers
After 2 planes, 1 wedding, and 5 hours driving,
the timing belt snaps on my brother’s
1 week old
new used car.
We call Triple A
(who transfers me to myself)
and at long last a tow truck driver named Noah -
bald, yellow vest, tribal tattoo snaked around his bicep -
pulls us the last 70 miles to the Outerbanks.
He tells us his horror stories as we ride,
4 people in a 3 seat cab,
ducking at stop lights to avoid
suspicion of the Highway Patrol.
“My dispatch is bad with mile markers and
they hate when I have to tow people.”
“But that’s the service people pay for,” I say.
“They know that. But it’s a liability thing.
They don’t have to look at the stranded people and
tell them no.”
He turns off his walkie talkie and
turns on his GPS.
“And that, kids, is why we’re going to Nags Head.”
He smiles and I see myself reflected in his sunglasses.
I smile back.
Noah used to work at underground oil drilling,
and at least there he knew
what would kill him.
As a tow truck driver
it could be anything:
hurricanes, big rigs,
people who mistake him for the Repo man.
Noah tells us about the longest
2 hours and 14 minutes of his life,
towing an angry couple to the shore.
“It was so painful I can remember
the exact time it took,” he says.
He tells us he sped through that one, but
you’ll never, ever,
see a tow truck get pulled over.
“Cops look for things that are wrong,
but they don’t know what to look for,” he says.
“Plus you’re helping people,” my brother says.
“You’re doing the right thing.”
“Yeah,” Noah says. “Yeah.”
When we get closer, Noah points out
the best BBQ on the island, places to see.
And then he drops us off and he’s gone,
leaving us 7 days
6 ocean swims
5 bug bites
4 cans of sunscreen
3 planes
2 plane rides
and 1 thunderstorm to go.
Filed under Events, Life, Photography, Travel | Comments (4)Vacation time
I’m off on grand adventures, shooting a wedding in Philadelphia and then spending a week in the Outer Banks, North Carolina with my family. All this excitement (and questionable internet service) means I won’t be posting anything new for the next week. I hope you browse around the site and enjoy your week. Happy (early) Fourth of July!
Filed under Events, Life, Photography, Travel | Comment (0)Happy Memorial Day!
This weekend Ian and I are down in San Diego shooting one of our first weddings of the season. Yesterday we joined Kristin and Dimitri for their fantastic wedding, and today we’re shooting a day-after session for them. We’ll be on the road for most of the day, but be sure to click over to our photography blog for some photo updates in the next couple of days. Happy Memorial Day! Hope you’re enjoying a little sunshine and maybe a good book!
Filed under Events, Life, Photography | Comment (0)Happy Graduation To Me
When asked what they want for graduation, most people I know would say, “a car,” or “a vacation.” But am I most people? Certainly not. My long-anticipated reward for years of toil in academia is registration for the SCBWI Summer Conference! Yay!!! This conference, held annually, is a jam-packed whirlwind of a weekend. Filled with amazing speakers ranging from authors to agents to editors, as well as opportunities for critiques, pitches, and meeting other writers, the weekend is going to be a blast. I didn’t get to go last year since I was busy getting married (guess I can’t use that excuse twice!) so this will be my first official SCBWI conference. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things from my writer friends who have attended in past years, so I am very much looking forward to it. I hear it can be a little overwhelming and exhausting, but I’m unfazed. Registration starts at 10 AM PST today, so be sure to head over to the SCBWI website. The site recently underwent a facelift and it’s super pretty and easy to navigate. If you have any tidbits about the conference, feel free to leave them in the comments section!
Filed under Events, Life | Comment (1)Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Hey everyone! If you’re local to the Los Angeles area and a book lover, stop by the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this weekend. The event is held on the UCLA campus, and all this week the pretty white tents have been going up. The festival will have author signings, panel discussions, and readings, along with booths for different booksellers and publishers. I went last year, had a lot of fun, and bought way too many books. It was boiling hot last year, and may very well be this year, so I suggest packing sunscreen and your own water and snacks. You can wander around aimlessly, but if you’re interested in the panel discussions be sure to get some free tickets ahead of time. Other than that, go and enjoy!
Filed under Events, Life | Comment (0)