Voy a Mexico

Since I don't seem to be using this blog for its intended purpose during my break, I'll go ahead and assume that I'm going to neglect it for the rest of break and go ahead and make my official announcement:

In less than a week, I will have begun my quarter of study in Oaxaca, Mexico. I'll be there from January 3 till March 16, and during that time I'm subverting the original purpose of this blog and turning it into a travel journal. I'm going to try to post as regularly as possible, with pictures (I predict) even more frequently. I hope to keep writing (or pick up again, haha) writing fiction while I'm there; should have plenty of new inspiration, but there will be more of the "here are some cool things I've bee doing/seeing around Oaxaca" kinds of posts. I hope everyone will keep reading!

Wish me luck!

How have I been spending my holidays?

Just like any self-respecting modern women would: coming with emoticons that represent vulvas:

don't forget the clitoris: (i)
vagina dentata: (w)
the cockblock: (x)

Inspired by gchat's monkeyface: :(|) (try it and decide what you think it looks like). It has also inspired the words vulvicon, vulvatron, and monkeygina.


But, seriously, I've been spending my break sleeping in well past noon, trying to get over a cold, and making tasties:


Yes, oohs and ahhs are appropriate. I did manage to type up the story I wrote on my travel day, but have yet to work on it. I also read The Golden Compass and went dancing. So, not so much with the writing, but it definitely has been a vacation full of vacation-appropriate activities. And it's not over yet!

I'll make a post about this specifically, but after the holidays I am flying out of the country to live and study in Oaxaca, Mexico, for 2.5 months! Am I preparing for this? Nah...

Placeholder

I did write a story in the airport/on the plane today, though.

Since I'm not writing anything for you to read...

...here's a recommendation: Science fiction writer John Scalzi has an interesting post about the durability of Heinlein, controversy in literature, and why people write sci-fi:

...the people who eventually write science fiction are the people who grow up reading science fiction. People start writing literary fiction as they tumble through writing programs at Sarah Lawrence or Bennington or Iowa because that’s what they’re expected to write and they want to impress their professors and fellow students; people start writing science fiction, on the other hand, roughly ten seconds after they set down The Star Beast or Ender’s Game or Snow Crash because they get done with the book and think, holy crap, I want to do that.

Read the rest of the post

Never give me any wire you want back in the same shape it was in when you gave it to me

Slow exhale

My last paper for the quarter has been turned in. I'm officially done with schoolwork until January. Huzzah! I am currently still too exhausted to be relieved... I've already been on campus for 4 hours, getting shots, editing my paper, paying too much for school materials, and losing one of my favorite earrings.

But soon I'll head into work where we're having a little going-away party, and then I can go home and maybe nap or maybe start packing up my stuff. Or play Portal. Who knows? My life stretches out in front me unhindered by papers and exams (tundra though it may be at the moment). I've got a couple ideas for stories floating around...maybe I can coax those into something readable.

Cheers,

The season

...has arrived:

Well-timed, too, as we consumed both latkes and eggnog tonight.

Baby's on fire

I believe an exclamation of "w00t!" is in order: I sold a drabble to the new ezine, Necrotic Tissue! Their first issue will be available (for free, online) on January 1. My story will be published in the second issue, which will come out on April 1. (By the way "sold" does in fact mean that they are paying me cash monies.)

If I start with my Machine Death submission, this makes my acceptance rate 2-1, which is pretty awesome!