Cue 'Pomp and Circumstance'

Gosh, I know I said it in the last post, but it's true: I love a good deadline. Maybe I should start putting a deadline on absolutely every task. It'd sure help me get things done.

Last week was a doozy, but I made it. I cranked out that paper in one night, and my master's oral exam went off without a hitch. Now, all I have left to do is pass the two classes I'm taking--and I'm golden.

Umm...actually, I take that back. I have to pay a massive university fee. Then, I have to find a job. 

I'm not out of the woods yet, but it sure feels nice to enjoy the moment.  

One of the professors on my committee was also the teacher who pushed me to get my book proposal together. He said it's time to set my focus back to perfecting that beast, so that's just what I'm going to do. He has a lot of faith in the project, which helps when I have lapses of extreme--what's the opposite of motivation? Laziness? Yeah. 

Well, besides the book project, for the next month and some change, I'll be continuing to work as Coach Benzo, leading individual workouts with the post players and making a manual for the person who will be taking my job. Also, I'll be tying up loose ends in my two classes as well as hitting the job hunt hard. 

I almost forgot to mention Taylor and I will be kicking off wedding season with a trip to Austin for two weddings. We leave in nine days, and yes, I'm counting! The ceremonies are a week apart, so we'll be soaking up the rays, throwing back the margaritas, and seeing how many barbecue joints we can hit in a week. 

Yahoo!    

The clock ticks harder?

Like most journalists, students, or I guess most people in general...I love a good deadline. Most of the time, the pressure propels me to crank out my best work.

I think I've met my match.

Yesterday, I found out my master's oral exam (the equivalent of a thesis defense) has been moved up one week to this--excuse me, THIS--Friday.

Somehow I neglected to realize I have a ten-page paper due in conjunction with the exam. The paper was due a couple of days ago, and I nonchalantly ignored the due date. That's a lie. I panicked when I realized I missed the deadline, but I put a band-aid on the issue by promising a completed paper by tomorrow morning.

On top of that, I have to re-format my portfolio. I can't go in to detail about the unfortunate series of circumstances that led to this dilemma, but I will. Oh, I will. That will be a beast of a blog post.

And ... sooo ... naturally I'm blogging instead of writing. Not to worry, I've got the outline all mapped out. I'm not quite sure how I'll manage the re-formatting of the portfolio, but first things first. It's time to get the creative juices flowing, and coincidentally I think my coffee pot is finished percolating.

Let the games begin.

The home stretch

Fifty-four days from now, I'll be a master.

Officially.

Officially a master of book publishing.

What the heck does that even mean?

I wish it meant my job search will be a breeze and my book will be published as soon as they hand me the embossed diploma. But...I have a feeling that's not really the case.

Regardless, I'm counting the days. I'm ready to start a new chapter. Can you believe it's been nearly two years since I embarked on journey I'm currently navigating? I can't.

I've gained knowledge and grown. I've floundered and flourished. It's been a true learning experience, as they say.

I know I shouldn't really be counting the days as it's more important to make the days count. So, that's what I'm going to focus on as I work to complete several papers, projects, and presentations, as well as my daily work duties. I'm going to make a solid effort to keep that mantra on the forefront of my mind as I trudge through an endless folder of paper I listed as "Take Care of Later" in addition to the manual I'm compiling for whoever takes my position at PSU.

I'm eager for the next adventure, but I don't want to regret not sopping up every ounce of enjoyment from the moment at hand.

Here's to fifty-four days of hard work, late nights, and the memories to be made.

Here's a photo of me pouting as I left behind my apartment and life in Austin. I cannot believe that was two years ago. Time flies, and there's really no other way of saying that...

The fine art of multitasking

July is a busy month for basketball coaches. Much of the month is spent on the road and in gyms, evaluating players and trying to put together teams for the future. I've been to tournaments in Oregon City, Seattle, and next week I'm going to San Diego. 

In-between recruiting and office work, I've been putting in what hours I can at Arnica. I'll elaborate when I have more time, but it's been a rewarding experience. I've come in contact with some interesting people, read some life-changing work, and assisted with cookbook-related projects as much as possible. 

Here's a pic from a food photo shoot. The name of the cookbook is Luscious (all about Oregon fruit and its growers), and it's set to hit shelves in November. (My friend Katy--the editorial assistant who helped me get the internship--is in the blue shades.)

Recipe for success

Drum-roll please ...

Well, I did it. One year down and one to go!

I'd be lying if I said the past two months weren't a couple of the toughest I've been through. On top of the emotional turmoil, I took 13 credits this spring. I thought things in the office would slow down a bit after season, but it turns out we conducted workouts in the mornings and in the afternoons. That schedule coupled with my night classes meant long hours. I'm not saying that to complain. I'm just stating a fact.

Basketball-wise, we had an extraordinary spring. The girls improved beyond my expectations, and I finally felt like I made a difference and had a positive effect on the team through coaching. I'm anxious for fall term to roll around with school and basketball because I have a year of experience under my belt, and I am starting to feel like I know what I'm doing. ;)

It's hard to imagine what life will bring this year. I have mixed feelings. It's exciting and scary. I'm out of my comfort zone in an indescribable way. Living day-to-day is a focus of mine, but for someone who loves looking forward to milestones, not being able to see a certain someone waiting for me at the end of this journey is tough to swallow.

I didn't begin this post with any intention of writing the past three bleak paragraphs, but that's what came out. :-/ Let's just call that a random tangent and get back to the point of this post: I've been invited to intern at a local cookbook publishing company! Yesssss! (There's that standard exclamation point and usual tone of this blog that was missing!)

It's called Arnica Publishing & Creative Services. My responsibilities will be varied and open. I can contribute to any area of the press I'm interested in including--but not limited to--editorial, marketing, and sales. The best part is that this job will be combining my passions for writing and cooking. How great, huh?

I had chills when I read the company's collective vision and mission statement. Let me share a bit with you, and I'm sure you'll understand why: "The name, Arnica Publishing, is derived from the plant, Arnica Montana, a small, but powerful flower that promotes physical healing in the body and is often used for relief of pain--it is used as a healing balm. Our name is representative of our original collective vision: 'helping to heal the world through the power of the written word, one reader at a time.'"

I think it's safe to say I'm in the right place at the right time. Talk about serendipity.

The fine folks at Arnica sent me home with two of their cookbooks and three recipes to test for their upcoming release. It's a cookbook called Luscious and it'll be out in the fall. The boss said just cook and take notes. We'll adjust the recipe accordingly. I already bought all of the necessary ingredients, and I'll be reimbursed by the company. This has got to be the coolest job yet!

In addition to Arnica, I'm going to be working on my new blog/website. I won't release too many details, but I can say I'm going to actually tell people about it, unlike this blog that was originally just meant to be my virtual diary. (Nice tease, huh? I learned that in the news biz.)

So, here's a toast to summer, no school for almost four months, and the chance at outstanding professional experience and growth! Cheers!
 

Procrastination Nation

On this day next week, I'll be done with my first year of graduate school. Hoo-to-the-ray! I cannot wait.

I'm not out of the woods yet, though ... I've got my work cut out for me. Two papers, a project, and a portfollio are anxiously awaiting my free time and devotion.

So what am I doing? Sitting and blogging about how much work I have to do. Looking at food blogs. Making lists. Lists of things I need to do, places I need to visit, books I want to read, and how I'm going to save and spend my summer paychecks.

It's the antithesis of productivity. I can hear the clock ticking.

I mean, I just realized I hadn't written anything lately. The old post was screaming, "Replace me!" Never mind the fact it could be lingering on the top of the blog because nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Nothing truly story-of-my-life-worthy.

But, a week from now--yes, just seven days from today, I'll have accomplished a pretty sweet feat. One year down (minus one week), and one to go!

And, to celebrate summer (amid the dreary rain), look what I just bought:

I'm sure I'll have an adventure or two on this puppy. :)

The Oxford comma

No, this post has no relevance to the story of my life, but it's something I just had to share as a former news editor and now as a book publishing student. I have to get this off my chest. I dipped into this topic when I was writing about my love of graduate school in an earlier post, but by gosh, I think it deserves its own post.

My style is changing, and I don't mean my wardrobe. My writing style. I don't even think I mean that. It's not like I'm going from my semi-snarky style to something super serious. What I do mean is my editorial style is changing.

In the news biz, I was a practitioner of Associated Press style. My journalism profs force-fed me the rules of AP style ... to the point I could recite various rules in my sleep! Now, as I work toward my master's in writing and book publishing, I am learning a whole new world of style rules. My new bible is The Chicago Manual of Style. Tres chic.

This shift in style gives me a bit of anxiety about my blog. Go ahead, say it: How geeky can you be!? I know. I know, but before I would never allow a comma before the "and" in a sequence. Now, I can't get enough of that little comma. It's called "the Oxford comma." For goodness sake, the comma has a name!

I can't be a master if I don't practice the rules, right? Therefore, I'm going to do the ol' swap-a-roo and work on my Chicago style. Yes, my blog is a total mess of different writing styles. I doubt I'll ever go back and change everything. Maybe someday if I ever have that oh so elusive thing called spare time. 

Just a recap for those paying attention ... 

Old style: Waffles, eggs and bacon.
New style: Waffles, eggs, and bacon.

Congratulations! You just read a blog post about my obsessive compulsive grammar disorder. I hope you can say you learned something. Now, who's craving brunch?!

Do the best you can ...

... and leave the rest to God.

I think I first heard these words of advice when I was in high school.

Also in high school, I had a teacher who used to hand out motivational and inspirational phrases including, "Inch by inch, it becomes a cinch!"

Never before this year have I so excessively repeated those lines in my head. I've prayed more than ever, too.

(Disclaimer No. 1: This is a looooong post. I don't blame you if you don't want to read it.)

I'm living such a fast-paced life right now, and I'm pulled in so many directions. I've made it through two terms of grad school and an entire basketball season, not to mention more than half a year of living away from my boyfriend and in my parents' house again. Now, it's time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Don't be scared--there's nothing too ugly!)

First, I must proclaim how much I am enjoying graduate school. Sure, it's demanding, and sometimes I feel I'm in way over my head, but I am learning entirely more than I thought I would. I know more about business, management, and marketing--well, maybe I shouldn't say "I know more," because the truth of the matter is, I don't think I knew anything about these things before beginning my program.

I am learning that everything I studied, memorized, and applied stylistically as a journalist and editor for the news is completely wrong. No, no, I shouldn't say that either. That's a lie. But, I will tell you I am embracing the Chicago Manual of Style (which is used for books, not news). I have gone two terms without taking an editing class, and it's killing me. It just hasn't fit in my schedule. I try not to act so jealous or overly interested in my classmates who are already taking Advanced Editing, but I totally am! I can't wait to have discussions about comma placement and capitalization. For example, did you know in the Chicago style you do, in fact, place a comma before "and" in a sequential statement?! Crazy, I know. It goes against everything I was taught in journalism school. But hey, it's OK! I've purchased the massive style guide, and I have my highlighter ready for this next term. Look out: Nerd alert on the horizon.

I'll have you know, I made it through an Online Marketing class in which I was required to blog twice weekly. Aren't you proud? Unfortunately the topic matter was marketing and not celebrity sightings or cake baking, but I learned a ton in that class, too. I learned I shouldn't be such a slacker if I want people to actually check my blog more than once every six months. I listened to motivating and inspiring guest speakers who embrace the whole online thing. I'm hoping to carry that motivation (and lack of required blog postings) into an increased outpouring of blog posts on this blog.

***I must add a second little disclaimer at this point: I never intended for people to actually read my blog. I started it so that I would have a little scrapbook of funny and memorable things that happen in my life. But, as more and more blogs-gone-movies pop up, maybe, just maybe, people might want to read what's going on with me. I don't really think so, but some of my friends do (specifically, my friend Katie). Katie, you're my inspiration for my new dedication to this blog. You introduced me to the Pioneer Woman, my soul sister mom-blogger. If people want to read about one woman's transformation from city girl to ranching housewife, well then, it can be done, right? Please remind me to blog, OK?

Wow. Talk about a tangent. Here I was typing about my lessons learned as a graduate student, assistant coach and living-at-home-again daughter, and now I've just written my Academy Award acceptance speech.

Back to the topic at hand.

I believe I was wrapping up my love of graduate school. In summary: Although it's difficult, I enjoy it. This is the exact sentiment I have for coaching. Except I'm going to bump up the difficulty factor to the tenth degree. I think--scratch that--I KNOW coaching is one of the most challenging tasks I've undertaken. Oh and everyone seems to have their own opinions when I say this. People seem to think just because I was a player, I should be a good coach. Just because I enjoy working with people, that I should be able to teach. Just because I went through a rough couple of hoops seasons, I should be able to inspire and relate to the girls on the team. If only it was that easy, folks.

I find myself pretty lost when we're diagramming plays or discussing offenses and defenses. The other coaches are wonderful mentors, but I've been told (and completely agree) it takes several years to actually understand just what's going on (that is, unless you're totally gifted in all things basketball).

Toward the end of the season, I realized that when I got on the court and played with the girls, I was able to see the game from a different perspective (the one I was accustomed to) and was able to teach in ways I wasn't able to from the sidelines. I'm hoping to continue to play and coach from this standpoint as I think it's the most effective.

My team definitely proved to be an inspiration for me. Picked as the pre-season conference champions, they (we?) ended up having a somewhat disappointing second half of the season. We headed into the conference tournament with nothing to lose, needing to win three games in three days to advance to the NCAA tournament (one of our main goals at the beginning of the season). I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a pessimistic attitude at this point, but the girls surprised everyone--including themselves--by winning the tournament and going to the NCAA tournament first round. What an experience! The most important lesson and memory I'll take from this season is that the old adage is true: Will above skill. If you want it bad enough, and if you believe, all things are possible.

I'm not going to dive into the details of the stress and strain of the administrative duties of my job as a coach. Let's just say I felt as though I was wearing one too many hats. Yet, at the conclusion of the season, everything got done, and I know my experiences will help ease the process next season.

As I try to wrap up this blog post, I'll just briefly mention that living at home isn't as bad as I anticipated. I am enjoying my time with my parents (for the most part). Sure, I miss coming home to an empty apartment, having space, privacy, and my own kitchen to cook in, but I do love and appreciate the home-cooked meals, conversations, and laundry service that come with my temporary residence with Ma and Pa. (See? Not too ugly indeed!)

Lastly, I miss my Austin friends and (of course!) my boyfriend. I think these relationships, however, are being strengthened with distance. The time has just flooooown by, and if it continues at this pace, we'll be back together before we know it! Rocky is enjoying his job, and it's keeping him plenty busy. He loves his new location, and as much as it saddens me to know he won't be going back to Austin, I'll be ready for a new adventure come June next year.

Right now, I'm on Spring Break in Colorado visiting said cowboy. I haven't had a true day off since October, so let me tell you, it feels good. We're about to embark on a trip to the mountain for my second attempt at snowboarding. The first left me sore and frustrated. Stay tuned for the next report.