i believe in art

Eyebeam gallery opening

Little is more energizing than young artists stretching their wings. The current show at Eyebeam Gallery in Chelsea display residents'/fellows' creations, all speaking to the way that art influences social spaces. CHiKA's sculptural light pieces were most striking as they created both structure and dynamism with the arrays. The size of the gallery allows the works to BREATH as the viewers wander.

Eyebeam Gallery - 540 W 21st St, NYC
http://www.eyebeam.org/

A wholesome kitchen

In each place I stay, I find inspiration for my own fantasy nest. When I arrived at Ben and Loren's house in San Diego, Ben professed, "We're kitchen people," with a laugh. The ingredients and tools for home-cooked meals are organized and accessible, an open invitation to nourish. Wholesome indeed.

Riding away from the sunset

Today I left San Diego and the Golden State to start my venture east. Cruising through the Arizona evening, a light show flares around me. All I want to do is lay out as the hues give way to stars, but I drive on to Tucson and a friendly bed before too long.

Austin oasis

I spent an afternoon with Pickle, wandering the fitness trail that runs along Lake Austin. Sporting opportunities abound, and the path gives a great sense of the city's toned and tan flavor.

...and a beer to finish it off.

Learn more about the trail at http://www.townlaketrail.org/

Yay beer!

At Food Front, Hillsdale, Portland, OR. Heavenly. 

Another day, another beach

Today: Pacific Beach, San Diego. It is vibrant and athletic with runners, surfers, and sunrise meditators. It is also dog friendly before 9 a.m. and then in the evening. These early morning Pickle-walk pictures speak for themselves.

p.s. Today I begin the drive east - Tuscan by tonight!

The master plan

This is what my cross country drive looks like:

The West Coast has been lovely but today I leave my friend Anna and her lovely family in LA to head eastward. Stops will include:

1. San Diego to visit an old high school friend, Ben, and his girlfriend, Loren

2. Tuscan to stay with the mother and step-dad of a good friend in NYC, Mark

3. Austin to stay with my friend college pal and travel-mate, Jessica, along with her little family

4. Martinsville, VA to see and stay with the parents of my beloved

5. Brooklyn, NY to get a big hug from my boyfriend

I am so ready for it.

Point Mugu Beach

After the second night in a Motel 6, I was ready to get outside and hit the beach. I pointed the car down the coast from Ventura,  and ended up at a dramatic setting with beautiful breakers that literally knocked me off my feet: Point Mugu Beach right along the Pacific Coast Highway. The beach is dog friendly but leash laws are actively enforced. $8 parking fee.

Point Mugu State Park

9000 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

http://goo.gl/maps/2um0t

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=630

Free is better than Microsoft

Anyone buying a new PC or Mac (or anyone doing a system upgrade) is also basically forced to fork over major dough for Microsoft Office. Without it, most home computers simply don't do their most basic function of word processing... Or so they would have you think. As a consumer, let me say: PLEASE DO NOT BE AFRAID TO SAY NO TO MICROSOFT. But as a writer, let me add: there are BETTER options out there.

OpenOffice is a totally free open-source package of programs that are more than comparable to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Additionally, their functionality is clean and intuitive, unlike the Microsoft products, which have been "updated" past recognition and use. And believe me, after using OpenOffice for five years as my go-to word processor, it is totally reliable. 

Here is what their new 4.0 (which has been updated aligned with Apple's new "flat" OS design) will look like when you download it:

Just in case you're saying, "What!? That looks just like Windows 95... Wack." Well, that's kind of the point. It's simple and it works. Any of the swipey, flippy, slippity-do-da changes that Microsoft has made to its flagship program are basically useless and require a complete relearning of the software. You might also be wondering if using OpenOffice will prevent you from opening your documents on other computers. Do not worry; you can save your writing in any word processing format so that it will later open if you HAVE to use Word at work or something. So, thanks to the volunteers at OpenOffice, you CAN say no to Microsoft with confidence. Who doesn't like sticking it to The Man?

Download your new word processor for free at http://www.openoffice.org/. There are no catches.

Hurdles and milestones

I am trying to write a book. Surprise surprise, it ain't exactly been easy, but at least I can say I'm moving in the right direction. Today I overcame a ridiculous but nonetheless real mental block: the inability to share my work. I submitted a story titled "Wipe the Sleep from your Eyes" (a small section of said book) to be considered for publication in several literary journals.

So what was holding me back? I doubt that my "reasoning" was terribly different from any other insecure creative type:
-The stories aren't quite done yet
-I don't know which venue would best suit me
-What are the chances of a big-bad editor choosing a story by an unknown?
-I can't let go...!
-How do I know it's good enough?

That last one was most daunting. But I finally realized that I am probably never going to write a perfect, immortal story--especially not on the first shot--and I let it be enough that I like it, hoping that someone else will like it, too.

 My secret weapon in managing the submissions can be found at the website Every Writer's Resource; it's a list of the 50 most respected literary journals in the country... And no, I did not submit to The New Yorker... I'm more working my way from the bottom up, and looking forward to the many rejection letters at that. Now, back to the churn.

http://www.everywritersresource.com/topliterarymagazines.html

Who lives here?!

A loner by the look of it. 

...Somewhere in Nebraska

Driving day 3

No profound thoughts here... Just thank God for 75 mph speed limit going through the heartland. What they say is true: Nebraska is one long slog and I haven't had cell phone reception since Omaha. It does help me conceive of our country's vastness. And the vastness of corn.

Motel 6, Rock Spring, WY

PLUS: Doggie friendly!

MINUS: This counts as a locked door!

It pretty much evens out.

Downtown Omaha

...is actually pretty happening. Who knew? It is a little city with heart and style that The Newspaper of Record hasn't blown up with hype. However, based on my quick cruise around with Pickle before finding a camp spot for the night, it is hype-worthy.

Omaha seems like a little slice of Brooklyn tucked away in the midwest, with old warehouses converted to chic restaurants and other old-is-new type places. I'll look forward to spending a couple of days here and getting to know it better when I'm not doing a straight shot across America. Here are some quick pics:

A hip antique mall

 Kitch!

Microbrews!

Iowa.

The air smells sweet and fresh. It's lovely in a way. Pickle seems to like it, too.