Very Busy... But Happy

I have neglected this blog shamefully. Work has been taking up most of my time, as many of you know. But, despite the long hours, I can't remember when I've ever felt so fulfilled by my career life. I still marvel at this feeling. I mean, I am glad to be driving to the client's office (on the sometimes nightmarish 101, no less), and I am still in good spirits when I drive home at night. I enjoy the creative editorial work, and I like and respect the people I work with/for. It feels rather odd to be one of those rare breeds of people who actually like their jobs, but I am certainly not complaining!

The only grey cloud in the past few weeks actually came in the form of a Factorie ghost. Last week, I came home to a message from the local Factorie HR rep requesting that I call and answer some additional questions. Considering that I'd been happily free from that former place of drudgery, er, employment for 2 months, I wasn't sure I'd wanted to return the call. Still, my curiosity was piqued. None of my other Factorie alumni friends had received such a call. A tiny, tiny part of me wondered if the organization was actually investigating improper business practices, given the massive turnover numbers... It was a silly and vain hope, but I suppose I ought to be glad that this ability to hope hadn't been quashed by my many years at the Factorie.

To make a long story short, I made the call, and it was a terrible waste of time. The rep basically read me a survey to answer over the phone. After the 20-minute conversation, I actually felt rather upset and angry. Many of the negative feelings and memories that I'd started to put behind me came rushing back. It was particularly aggravating that the phone survey was intended to influence my answers and that the rep actually defended the inequities and poor managerial decisions rampant at the Factorie. I felt like I had to detox all over again! It certainly reaffirmed how glad I am to be out of there and to be working at a much, much healthier place!

Anyway, I am going to ride out my current gig for as long as I can and see where it takes me. Hopefully, it will lead to a more permanent position, and even if it doesn't, it is a great experience and stepping stone. And perhaps it won't always be this busy, so I will have more time for personal writing, including my humble blog posts. ;)

Garfield Minus Garfield

Rockhopper sent me this link, and I found it hilarious, so I thought I'd share. Who knew that the Garfield comic strip could still stand on its own even when its orange tabby star is digitally removed? Enjoy!

http://garfieldminusgarfield.tumblr.com/

Look What I Won!

During an interactive presentation/training session last week, I somehow emerged as the winner! The prize was this adorable Mickey plush toy. When you press his palm, his pointing finger lights up (à la ET). Oh yes, and the presentation was very informative, inspiring, and loads of fun. Even as a freelance editor, I feel very much a part of the team. I know it's early and perhaps a bit premature to make this declaration, but I'm going to do it anyway: I love my new career! I feel engaged and challenged and happy; I don't even mind the inevitable bumps and growing pains along the way. Here's to new chapters and brighter days. =)

My Infamous Quote Board

I've been meaning to post this photo of my Factorie office quote board in its final state prior to erasure. Caught up in the busy whirl of my new career as a freelancer, I kept forgetting to upload the image. So, here, at long last, it is. (Click on the photo to see it larger.) Ah, fun times! ;P

Other Recent Reads

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (January book club): My first foray into authentic detective fiction by a giant of the genre. No doubt such novels heavily influenced contemporary mysteries and novels of suspense. In fact, I wondered if Dan Brown's rapidly paced, super-short chapters are a nod to Hammett's style. The Thin Man brought the era of prohibition to life, and many of the characters were reminiscent of the wealthy, careless, and laconic individuals that people F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels. It was an enjoyable read, and I appreciated the world it brought to life, but I did not find it particularly compelling in character, style, or plot. Perhaps it is too soon to draw this conclusion, but I don't think this genre really resonates with my literary tastes. One of these days, I'll read The Maltese Falcon and something by Chandler to confirm (or overturn) my impression.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (February book club selection): Utterly engrossing. The nested narratives are beautifully woven, and the levels of storytelling that unfold are gripping. The characters--many damaged and some downright disturbing--and their atmospheric world sink into you as you lose yourself in the skillfully crafted passages. The novel manages to be both Gothic and contemporary, outlandish and real. The powerful tale grapples with the themes of identity, loss, violence, healing, origins, madness, life, death, and the spectral realm in between. It explores a plethora of relationships: between parents and children, siblings (in particular twins), writers and their work, readers and books, storytellers and their audience, doctors and patients, guardians and their charges, strangers and friends. At the core of the novel is the conflict between people's internal imperative to search out elusive truths and the necessity of storytelling (which some see as lies) to make sense of our personal histories. There is a beautiful symmetry in the narrative, but it is a complex symmetry that is multiplied, reflected, and refracted a dozen times. This is a novel that moved me, made me think, and left me with a profound respect for the author. Upon finishing the last page, my thought was that I'd like to reread the book again because knowing what happens at the end will surely provide a lens that will throw into relief many details and subtleties missed during the initial read.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. I picked up this book while perusing the writing section at my library. In the flotsam and jetsam of my memory, a glow of recognition emerged when I saw the title. I think an undergraduate classmate had mentioned the book to me years ago. Since I'd been planning on writing more, it seemed like a good way to start getting in that frame of mind. The book is an easy, enjoyable read. I like its conversational and humorous approach, and it feels good to be reading about writing... it's like I'm slowly finding my way back to membership in a long-neglected club that's always been hovering in my mind and heart...

Return to the World of Harry Potter

Last Spring, KPGirl told me she was rereading the first 6 books in the Harry Potter series in anticipation of the release of book 7. I thought that was a fabulous idea, so I decided to do the same before reading the finale. I am, however, a bit of a dawdler, and there were too many things going on and too many other books I was reading, so I conceded that I probably wouldn't make it to book 7 until summer of 2008. But, I didn't mind. I wasn't in a hurry to find out what happened; I just needed to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to whatever spoilers were floating out there.
The first two books were quick reads that I finished in late summer. I enjoyed them, but not as much as the first time, when J.K. Rowling's magical world was brand new to me. Then, a bit of a lull happened, which was perhaps a bit odd since book 3 had always been my favorite. Two months ago, however, I got into a Harry Potter fix: I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on DVD and reread books 3 and 4 in a fairly short span of time. Now, I'm in a bit of a lull again. This time, it's not surprising at all considering book 5 is my least favorite. (In a rare occurrence, I actually found I liked the movie better than the book!) I am 558 pages into it and still have 300+ pages to go.

Despite the slow-going of book 5, I have enjoyed revisiting the Harry Potter books. Knowing subsequent events and connections made me notice many details and set-ups that I missed the first time. Since I'm rereading all these books in paperback format, I also found that a sequential error in the original hardback of book 4 had been fixed! (Harry's parents now emerge from Voldemort's wand in the correct order.) As an editor, I find this interesting and amusing. See? Things do get fixed in reprints!

Since I am in the midst of book 5, I must include the following images for my Factorie friends who are not Harry Potter readers. These are the talented Mary GrandPré's illustrations of the detested Professor Umbridge (aka Umbrage). She is described as resembling a large, pale toad. Is this not apt?

Jury Duty

I must offer my heartfelt thanks to the benevolent gods who made my jury duty so painless today: out of 7 scheduled trials, 6 settled and 1 waived the right to a jury! The 164 summoned jurors who showed up today were able to leave the courthouse by 12:30. Given all the appointments that I have scheduled in the next couple of weeks, I was greatly relieved that I would not be placed on a trial! And I didn't even have to resort to any of the tips I gleaned from googling "how to get out of jury duty." Huzzah!