Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Haiti Wahoo Style

So things are looking good on the Haiti front. First, I met Pere Leroy, the parish priest and de facto mayor of the village we are going to. I attended a couple of meetings with him and translated for him at mass Saturday evening. He's awesome -- very funny, charming and handsome! Not to mention practically a saint for devoting his entire life to improving the lot of the people of Medor for the past 8 years. I can't wait to talk to him about my problems with the church and newfound freethinking ways -- that oughtta pass the time, huh?!

Also, I happened to mention my little issue with using a spider-infested latrine at night, and asked him specifically where the convent was in relation to the rectory, to see if I could get there easily with a flashlight. And guess what -- he had no idea we were planning to stay in the convent and insisted we all stay at the rectory with him and his flush toilet. So no nighttime prowls for me -- yeah!

Next, a couple that is coming on the trip have refused to stay overnight in Port au Prince because of the kidnappings. We decided to stay just one night near the airport because our plane gets in too late to make it to the end of the road to Medor before dark, and also to meet with the Unicef guy we've asked for money for the water project. Instead, we're driving two hours outside the city and staying overnight at "Club Wahoo" -- a tropical resort on the beach that used to be a Club Med! And now we have to stay there one night on the way back too, so we can meet with the Unicef guy at the airport the next morning before leaving.

I have very mixed feelings about this. On one hand I am totally psyched for the whole "roughing it" thing. While I love to exercise and play outside, I'm not what you'd call outdoorsy, like a camper, say. So I've been really excited about challenging myself that way. In fact, I'm wearing my cool new hiking boots right now, trying to break them in slowly. (And of course, it WILL go slowly if I sit here and type instead of actually walking around in them, ha ha.) I'm also semi-ashamed to admit that I'm looking forward to wearing my cool new hiking pants, which unzip to make shorts. If you know me you know this isn't exactly my fashion style, but in the right setting I think they'll be perfect. Yes, I'm afraid I can be that shallow.

On the other hand, I suspect the comforts and luxuries -- hot showers! -- of Club Wahoo will be a sight for sore eyes after six days without such niceties. I'm pretty sure I won't be complaining then.

And finally, all this thinking about Haiti and meeting Pere Leroy has given me a fabulous idea for my next novel -- a sequel! I've been appointed the trip scribe, with responsiblity for chronicling all of our work, meetings and experiences. But mingled in with test results of e-coli content in water sources and the first-hand account of a little boy who literally walks for two hours each way barefoot to Medor every day so he can attend school and get a hot meal, will be the seeds of Liza's next journey. Still 40-something (the great thing about novels is you can let your favorite characters never grow old) and still searching for meaning in her safe, suburban existence, she'll go on a mission trip that just might change her life. It'll include my favorite religious themes of course and maybe even a scandalous liaison with a handsome priest -- wahoo is right!

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Friday, February 23, 2007

KB Concepts P.R.

My response to the last comment reminded me that I have big news which will have a huge impact on my writing -- I quit my job! I've resigned from the wonderful, flexible job I've had for the past 8 1/2 years doing P.R. for AHC Inc., a nonprofit affordable housing developer. I've had the best boss imaginable and done a variety of interesting work. But the job was becoming more and more demanding, and harder to ignore during my time off, and hence harder to focus on my own writing.

So I'm making a change. I've decided to start my own consulting business, KB Concepts P.R. I'll offer my services to nonprofits only, doing annual reports, brochures and awards, media relations, special events and photography. My current boss already offered me a job taking photos at an event!

My last day at AHC is March 8th. Then I'll go to Haiti for a week, run a 1/2 marathon, celebrate my birthday and work seriously at finishing my novel. At the same time, I'm setting up a home office and thinking about logos, accounting systems and new clients. I plan to exercise and write my own stuff in the mornings, see clients and work on my business in the afternoons.

Have you ever felt like your life is taking off in a new direction and you have very little control over these big changes and happenings? But it feels OK because somehow you know it's all good and the right way to go? Well that's been my life for the past several months and I can tell it's gonna continue this way for months to come. I'm riding the wave, embracing the changes and excited about the future. Something big is happening and I'm just gonna roll with it.

There've been a couple of other times before in my life when this happened, and I remember them vividly. I'm a little older and hopefully a little wiser now, although god knows not one bit more mature. So I'm going for it -- and just like the theater manager says in my favorite movie of all time, Shakespeare in Love, it always works out in the end. How? No one knows -- it's a mystery.

Fundraising and Chapter 5

I hate fundraising, which I've had to do in exchange for this 1/2 marathon training program. So last night I co-hosted a happy hour with another runner where for a $10 cover charge (that goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) my pals got to drink for a good cause. And thanks to Jadie and Leslie, who gave me a HUGE check from their fabulous company, InterImage, I've met my goal and don't have to fundraise anymore. Thank you Jadie and Leslie!

So the homework I sent Hannah this week included the first pages of my novel she's ever read. They were from my latest chapter, and a scene where Liza goes out to lunch with a colleague whose intentions are not entirely professional. It was fun to write, especially the dialogue, like a movie playing in my head.

Hannah liked it -- she thinks I'm really cruising now! -- but she said I need to add more character tags, gestures and other things that differentiate the characters, and also add more setting elements such as props, furniture, weather and lighting, again just like in a movie scene. If you can believe this, she suggested I might want to slow the story down a bit to give the reader time to savor it. I could use that advice in real life too!

My homework assignment is to go back and add those things to Chapter 5. And now I realize I'm also gonna have to look at the four previous chapters and do the same with those. So -- one step forward and five big ones back. But it still feels like I'm going forward.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

I Love Rhode Island




The thing I love most about Rhode Island is that just about everywhere you look, you can see the water. When I first moved away, that's what I missed the most. These pictures are right outside my mom's place. It occurred to me last weekend I should use it while she's in Florida for the winter as a quiet retreat and place to write.

Of course, I could never actually live in Rhode Island because that's where all my crazy relatives are. I love them, of course, but only for short visits and from a distance the rest of the time. Luckily, I don't think any of them read this blog!

Friday, February 16, 2007

Characters

I'm obsessed with my characters. After interviewing them and creating their back stories, prompted by Hannah, I feel like these real people are now living in my head. It's becoming difficult to focus on my everyday life, with all their conversations going on! I'm carrying my notebook around and scribbling in it whenever I have a second, using my laptop when I'm at home.

I've read a lot of books about writing and I used to think authors were exaggerating, making it sound more accidental and easier than it really was, to write like this. But it's like their lives are going on in my head and I have to get them out or I'll go nuts -- it's so cool!

So off to the even more freezing and snowy Rhode Island I go, notebook in hand, for my mom's 75th birthday party. It'll be great to be with my yankee people, especially with my three southern belles in tow. It occurred to me this morning that mom had just turned 25 when she had me, and I was her fourth kid in five years. No wonder she's crazy!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

ID's, please!

The good news is I'm getting a little comment chatter on my blog -- yeah! The bad news is everyone who posts a comment has the same name, Anonymous. This gets a little confusing, especially trying to have any kind of dialogue with people with different points of view.

So come on, guys -- pick something a little more creative. How about Agent 99? 007? John or Jane Smith? Pleeeaase?!

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Swimming

I went swimming this morning, been trying to do that once a week in between running days. I used to hate swimming and finally took some lessons this past year. Now I can't believe how much I love it.

It's the perfect antidote to the pounding of running. I love how it feels to slip into the warm water, how my body floats, how it sounds as I start doing laps, how my breathing is loud but only in my own ears, how I reach and reach and turn my head to breathe, concentrating on going smoothly, not too fast, keeping my hips up, legs straight, toes pointed. How I sort of hum when I blow out through my mouth when my face is in the water and wonder if anyone else can hear that, but don't really care if they can. How trying to remember all the little things I learned in my lessons and focusing on my form makes it impossible to think about anything else at all.

This is the only exercise I have ever done that truly empties my mind. It's like meditating. For an entire half hour my mind is completely empty of all my worries and obsessions, all my plans and ideas, all the things on my to-do list. The rhythmic breathing is a lot like meditating too. I'm hooked, and know this is something I can do for the rest of my life.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Writing Naked

So my second assignment for my writing coach Hannah is due, and I've had a bad headache since reading the questions. Last week I "interviewed" my main character Liza, her likes and dislikes, education, family of origin, religion, parents, siblings, etc. It was a great way for me to get to know her background and what makes her tick.

This week Hannah wants to know more. What embarrasses her? What is she most ashamed of? Does she ever completely melt down, sobbing on the floor, or crawling into a bag of french fries (her favorite food)? What was her relationship with her father like? Her mother? Siblings? Has she ever had a bad fight with her best friend, and why?

Now, I am a very open person. That's my M.O., how people know me. A former boss, after listening to numerous Monday morning stories about my weekends when I was single and living on Capitol Hill, dubbed me Karen "my life is an open book" Beauregard. She said she loved Monday mornings and would not let me get to work until I told her and the rest of our small office at GWU at least one good story. Clearly her life was pathetically boring. But it was great, because I've always found my life endlessly fascinating and funny and assume other people do too.

I also ask people lots of personal and probably inappropriate questions, and they in turn have always told me the most amazing and personal things. My husband used to joke that I shoud've had a talk show like Oprah and we would have been rich. He couldn't believe the stuff people tell me.

But this is different. These are questions about things I don't dwell on, that make me uncomfortable, and that I definitely don't want to share. I guess there is a secret, private part of me after all, and digging around in there is not all that fun. I just completed the assignment and it feels I left my blood and guts on the floor.

But amazingly, it also feels like Liza is this living, breathing, endlessly fascinating person (big surprise, ha ha!) that I can't wait to keep writing about, whose story I absolutely want to tell. (Also not sure I can ever actually let anyone read the novel now.) These exercises are so cool -- Hannah is awesome! Part two of the assignment is to write the next chapter, and here I go.

By the way, if you want to know more about Hannah's classes, check out her website at http://www.hannahrgoodman.com.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Missing Cojones

The Washington Post is running a letter I wrote to them this week. It'll be on the Free for All page of Saturday's paper. I've been pissed off that their coverage of the Scooter Libby trial keeps appearing on page A3 or A5, instead of on the front page where it belongs. The Vice President apparently committed a felony, for god's sake -- this is not front page news? But the intricacies of Whitewater were for years when Clinton was president?!

So this is what they're running, and remember you (all my legions of readers, ha ha) saw it here first: Why were stories about Vice President Cheney’s involvement in the trial of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby buried on Page A5 on Feb. 4? This is front-page news. Cheney is the point man, the unindicted co-conspirator. All evidence seems to point to him. Karen Bate, Arlington.

Strangely, they edited out my two best lines: What are you afraid of, your GE bosses? Have some cojones!

Oh well, guess that hit too close to home, huh? cracking up.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Snow Day Book Review

Only in Arlington is your kid's school cancelled for the entire day because there is one inch of dry light powder on the ground. Arlington public schools had a mere two-hour delay, to allow buses to slog through the treacherous mounds of icy stuff -- not! -- but Fairfax County, which Nickie's school follows, needed the whole day off. But it's all good -- I love a snow day!

Nickie, 17, and her pals have been passing around the book "He's Just Not That Into You" by Jeff Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, writers on Sex and the City, who got the idea from an episode they wrote for the show. I read it last weekend in one sitting, and parents of young girls: this is a must have for our smart, confidant, fabulous girls, who can be led astray to waste their precious time and energy, not to mention tender hearts, on men who are not worthy.

The book is great, short and funny -- Greg Behrendt provides a black and white view of what men really think, and dismisses all the many excuses women make for them. "He's shy, he's really busy, he's been hurt, he just got out of a bad relationship, he doesn't want to ruin our friendship." It's all baloney! If a man is into you, likes you, wants to date you, doesn't want some other guy to get you first, he will call you, he will woo you, he will be thoughtful and care what you want and how you feel. He will want to make you like him too.

I've bought and sent a copy to Cassie, 19, and a college freshman too. I hope I can spare them, or at least forearm them, so they don't forget who they are and put up with any crap from guys, so they can size them up quickly and move on to a better model, so they don't waste their time and thoughts and hearts on guys who just aren't that into them.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Pictures



I'm trying to figure out how to post pictures on this blog. This one is supposed to be much smaller and up in the right hand corner. Does anyone know how to do this? the instructions are crazy.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Ayiti

Ayiti -- that's Haitian Creole for Haiti, where I am going in March. I'm reading my "Creole Made Easy" and got my MMR shot and prescriptions for the malaria and typhus vaccines yesterday, as well as a prescription for Cipro, which I really hope I won't need.

The village of Medor has no running water, no potable water (so eating anything, especially anything uncooked, is gonna be dicey), no electricity, no postal service, no government, no roads. Our group of 13 is going for the dedication of a new church, which we helped raise money for, and also to conduct surveys of the water sources we identified as part of our clean water project. The sources are several miles on foot in each direction, and since I'll be there the week before the 1/2 marathon and will be missing my runs, I volunteered to hike out to the farthest ones -- should be a blast and I'll get some awesome pictures.

A bunch of visiting bishops and priests are also coming for the dedication, and there will be parties and celebrating Haitian style -- lots of singing and dancing -- every day. The priests and bishops are staying in the rectory with Pere Leroy, the pastor, and Fr. Stan, a great guy from Africa who I met this summer. Our group is staying in the convent next door. So get this -- the rectory has a flush toilet that runs on a generator; the convent has a latrine. So Pere Leroy, who can basically pull it out and pee in the bushes whenever he wants, has a toilet, and the nuns, who are women and therefore get PERIODS, have a latrine. This is SO typical of the sexist, screwed up Catholic church!

And I just found out that there are TARANTULAS in Medor -- that come out when you use the latrines!! One woman who heard this at a meeting this week has promptly dropped out -- she's arachnophobic. And let's face it -- who really loves spiders?? So I've decided I'm gonna tell Pere Leroy and Father Stan that they better leave the rectory door unlocked at night, because if I have to go, that's where I'm goin'! I am NOT going to a latrine with tarantulas in it in the pitch dark, not even for a good cause!!

The good news is the nuns do have a refrigerator which they keep stocked with beer, and they love to play cards. I'm sure we'll have way more fun with them than with a bunch of priests!

Friday, February 02, 2007

Web 2.0: Returning Power to the People

Went to another very cool seminar on Web 2.0 today -- i love this stuff! Think about it -- YouTube, Google, bloggers, Code Pink, MoveOn.org, these guys are all doing the same thing -- sharing information, getting people involved, influencing public opinion and galvanzing activism from the bottom up. Code Pink activists are going to "occupy" every congressional office on Monday that hasn't publicly repudiated Bush and Cheney's surge, to remind them that we all voted in November to get OUT of Iraq. This kind of thing, and so many other examples, is finally giving power back to the people.

For too long our leaders have thought they could do whatever the hell they wanted with impunity, because what could we do if we disagreed, even if we found out about it? There were so many secrets and lies, about CIA activities, about who they took money from and what they quietly tacked onto legislation. But those days are over, and our "decider" is in for a rude awakening. As wonderful Molly Ivins said in her last column before dying, WE are the deciders, and thanks to Web 2.0, the bloggers and You Tubers -- remember macaca?? -- our message can be heard loud and clear and the powers that be have to listen and act if they want to hold onto their seats.

No more bullshit, because it will be exposed. It's like the old days of our democracy, when people gathered at town meetings and decided stuff together. Now the town meetings just take place online. It's so exciting and awesome. Can't you feel it? It's revolutionary -- power to the people, baby, oh yeah!!