Saturday, October 26, 2013

In which I embrace my B&B identity


Ahh Vermont. Look at the sky and those leaves. If only I had been able to take pictures of the frolicking cows. This is really why work travel is terrible - the missed photo ops because I'm driving.

I was surprised by the quiet. I know I was four miles from the Canadian border on what was once a dairy farm but I expected it to be noisier. There weren't a lot of night sounds (house settling, animals moving around, etc.). I've been in the woods before and there are always night sounds. I guess I wanted the horror movie soundtrack to go with the horror movie setting. Apparently there were coyotes. I never heard them. Maybe I was on a conference call at the time.

On my second day at the B&B, I finally met the other guests. I got back to the B&B after my first day of training (which went very well) and settled in to get some work done before going out to dinner. I finished up my last call of the day and started planning for my evening. The counselors recommended a couple of places and I settled on East Side, a restaurant and bar along Lake Memphremago. Had I gone to the other restaurant they recommended, I would have been at the same place as the rest of the people staying at the B&B. When I got back the five of them were in the common room. There were two couples from Rochester, NY who travel together every fall and a radiologist from Western Massachusetts who subs in at the hospital in Newport. I was greeted enthusiastically by the group and they quickly nicknamed me "the Phantom Guest". I guess they didn't believe I was actually staying there. I was up and out before them in the morning and no one had seen me come back in that afternoon. Our host told them about me and they had been hoping I would come in before they all went up to their rooms.

There was no awkward small talk. We discussed restaurants, what they had done during the day, and why I was in Newport for work. They had heard that I worked with computers or software or something technical. We also discussed the adorableness of the B&B owner. And that was it. The ladies continued to knit, the radiologist left to watch the World Series, and I went to bed.

Even my host mentioned my quiet personality. She was making breakfast on the second morning of my stay and I was sitting quietly at the table drinking coffee. She was telling me that most of her guests were talkers and sometimes it was distracting especially when she was cooking. She appreciated the quiet and occasional conversation with me. The radiologist joined us a few minutes later and began telling us about his hike to the maple lines and the coyotes. That was my cue to leave.

I thought about the nickname "the Phantom Guest" as I was driving back to Burlington later that day. That's basically what business travel is. You drop into a city, drive your nondescript rental car to your chain hotel, and go about your business. If you're lucky you'll be in a city that has a good variety of restaurants and bars so you don't have to eat fast food every night. No one really gives you a thought except maybe waiters. I'm sure they're less than thrilled at that table for one by the window. Staying at a B&B or even an inn is much more personal. There's an understood social aspect of that kind of travel that doesn't necessarily gel with work travel. If I go back to the Gilmore Girls (my point of reference for most things), the Dragonfly is still a social space - the board games, the books, the shared spaces. It's all meant to make a traveler feel at home while being away. Feel connection while traveling. Hotels try to replicate that experience but I don't think they're as successful.

I'm not sure which type of travel I prefer. Sometimes the anonymity of travel is a good thing particularly when traveling for work. When I get back to the hotel I want to decompress from the work day: watch tv, have a drink, sit and not talk for an hour. But days of that can be challenging. I know that sort of creeped into my trip to Paris this summer. There was a point in the trip when I wanted to talk to someone and not someone random I met at the cafe. I guess it's a balancing act in any travel situation.

I do know one thing about my trip to Vermont: I love maple syrup. There is no question about that. I had the B&B's homemade version (which you can buy if you're so inclined) my first morning. It was delicious. I also had some on a crepe at the airport and I brought some home. Pure magic.



Next weekend on the Island: I reveal the details of my novel for National Novel Writing Month (which starts next Friday). Three things I can tell you right now: the main character's name is Marnie, her cat's name is Peanut, and one of the characters has a dog named Waffles. If you're participating in NatNoWriMo this year, be my writing buddy - my name is NOLAgirl11.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

It's just me and some cats

Oh the joys of work travel. I'd like to believe that every time I have to travel for work (or have traveled over the years) it would be to a major city or at least a good size town. You know a place where there's at least one fast food restaurant, a coffee shop, and some local restaurants that are enjoyable and delicious. A hotel chain of some form would be nice too.

Sometimes, though, work travel drops you into the middle of nowhere. That's sort of where I am. I'm in Newport, VT. Don't know where Newport, VT is? Look at a map of Vermont, go almost to the Canadian border on the northeastern side of the state, and drop down slightly. My flight options were Burlington or Montreal. Yes, I could have flown to Canada, rented a car, and then driven back to the US. The flight was too expensive so I opted for Burlington and about a two hour drive to Newport. Visiting Vermont this week means that I have 12 states left to visit in the US. I would like to make that happen before I'm 40.

I love the movie Baby Boom. It's such an eighties movie (just based on the shoulder pads alone). Diane Keaton plays a successful career woman (in advertising because it was the 80s) with a comfortable life. She's not married but in a blah 80s relationship with Harold Ramis and is child-free. Then some distant British relative dies and she becomes the guardian to an adorable baby named Elizabeth. She tries to juggle her New York lifestyle with motherhood but it doesn't work so she chucks her life in the city and buys a house in Vermont. Everything goes wrong in Vermont and then everything goes right and she ends up with a successful business, an adorable baby, and Sam Shepard. This movie is basically what I know about Vermont.

Vermont is lovely. I'm sure that the loveliness of the fall is disrupted abruptly by the harshness of winter but man, are leaves amazing. The colors, the way the sun hits the oranges and reds, the mountains - it's breathtaking. Add quaint towns and cows and it's basically a postcard in state form. Did I mention I saw cows frolicking and playing today? I totally believe that cows have best friends and today proved it. If only I hadn't been driving I would have taken pictures. I also passed something called the "Maple Outlet" - I'm stopping on the way back to Burlington.

Anyway, I'm also experiencing my first bed and breakfast. I've stayed at inns before but inns and B&Bs are not the same. Basically a B&B is like staying in someone's house except that they're staying there too. And making you breakfast in the morning. My experience with B&Bs comes from chick lit and an episode of Gilmore Girls where Lorelei and Rory end up at the Cheshire Cat and it's sort of stereotypical of what people think of when they think B&B - scones, awkward common room conversations, lots of florals, and cats.






I'm not great at small talk. I can do it for work because it's part of my job but socially sometimes, I'm awkward and can be very quiet. I don't always ask questions (which is important in small talk) but I'm fine with answering questions when asked. I'm also not here for a romantic weekend or for leaves or whatever reasons people go to B&Bs in Vermont. A B&B is the only option up here (there's an inn but it's 40 minutes away from the school). So here I am in my little guest room. I almost missed the drive because it was basically pitch black at 6:40 and there was no one else around. The proprietress is very nice and I met the two cats (the cats like me). I know the place is full but I haven't seen anyone else yet. I did hear someone in the common area; I'm guessing it's one of the other guests. Or the cats.

Tomorrow I'll drive along the Lake Road (and actually see the lake) to the school for training. I'm looking forward to visiting Newport in the daylight and seeing what there is to see. Hopefully, I can capture the postcard quality of where I am in a few photos. Maybe I'll even get some maple candy. Sometimes being dropped in "the middle of nowhere" is not a bad thing at all.

I'm also looking forward to the quiet to get prepared for National Novel Writing Month. It's starts next Friday and I'm feeling a little stressed about it. I figured I'd use my evenings here to work on character development and map out some semblance of a plot. I also have to give a presentation at our fancy work event in November that has to do with the Island and NatNoWriMo so I'm hoping to get that done too.

Maybe tomorrow I'll meet my fellow B&B-ers and have some maple syrup on my home cooked breakfast. I can only hope.

Later in the week: more from my trip to Vermont and maybe some updates on the novel.

Gilmore Girls


Sunday, October 20, 2013

Hello Chanel, La Deuxième Partie


It always happens. I start working on a project and I've settled on the way the finished product is going to look (and how to get there) and then BAM. A brand new idea creeps into my head and I have to stop and reassess the whole thing. Thankfully, this typically works out in my favor.

This is exactly what has happened with my lego purse project. As you may recall from my first post about the purse, I settled on a design and just had the final phase of spray painting and gluing left to complete.


But I started thinking about it again. And questioning it: Are people going to think it's a lego purse? Is it lego-y enough? What if I made the entire purse out of legos? Is the first design a statement enough? Friday night I set about designing a second purse. I'm still fully committed to completing the first one (it's way more simple than I thought). Now I have options.

Here is the initial design for purse two:


The rectangles make up the front and back of the purse. They'll be connected by a small box of legos that forms the space for my stuff. This design is actually smaller on the inside but I think it will pack much more of a wow when I actually use it. As I was putting the initial pieces together (and by together I mean just held together temporarily so I could move them around), I decided I'd need a hinge of some form to connect the boxes together and allow me to easily open the purse. I also figured I could use legos as a clasp - one side would be the flat piece and the other would be a connector piece of some form.

A more important realization came with the second design: I needed more legos. A second trip to the Lego Store in Potomac Mills was on the horizon and this time I took my brother with me. Legos are a joint toy for my brother and I. We both enjoyed playing with legos as children and have continued that into adulthood (clearly). Scott and I discussed the second purse and my ideas at lunch. He seemed convinced that a lego hinge (the kind you might use on doors in a house) would work for the hinge part. He even sketched out a rough design and shopping list for us. Lego design is a very real thing in my family. My dad even chimed in a few times with supportive comments and a tip or two.

The Lego Store didn't have any hinges but I remembered that I had some in my bag of legos at home so I ended up just getting two more containers of parts (with a discount because I'm part of the Lego Club now - don't be jealous) and a large building plate. I told the cashier what I was making and she thought it sounded cool.

The only thing left to do while at my parents' house was to spray paint the pencil box for purse one and the building plate for purse two (it only came in gray and blue). I don't think I've spray painted anything since high school theatre work days. I now understand the allure of spray painting. It's fun and easy and gives you a sense of control (if could also be the fumes). My dad even has a designated space in the backyard where one can spray paint if needed. It's like a little altar to spray paint. I used Krylon Fusion which is a spray paint for plastic. I opted for a satin finish (mostly because that's what they had). It wasn't particularly windy which was a good thing. Tip: don't spray paint on a windy day.


When I got home, I started gluing the pieces of purse one together and assembling purse two. Purse one is definitely the one to go with if I want to be able to carry more than my phone and ID. The pencil box is roomier. I still have to sew and attach the lining for the inside of the box; I think I might create a little interior pocket on the upper portion of the box for my ID.

Onto purse two. A lego building plate is surprisingly easy to cut with an X-ACTO knife (and of course, I have one at home). If you cut into the plastic and then bend it, the piece will snap off easily. I still have to go back and touch up the edges with paint but I figured I'd save that until the end. I glued two pieces together so I could create the design on the front panels and the interior box on the other side. Lego hinges are not meant to be used in this capacity. I had a few different types in my big ol'bag of legos and none of them worked to hinge the two pieces together. I think I need to buy a regular metal hinge which means I will probably need to drill into the plastic to attach the piece. I'm going to have to borrow power tools from my dad if I have to drill into the legos. I'm hoping that when I find the hinge I can attach it in some other way and a drill will be unnecessary.

I'm pleased with both designs. Both are approximately the same size as a regular clutch purse so neither feel cumbersome to carry. Purse one is lighter given that it has the smaller amount of legos in the design. Purse two is more of the fashion statement. If I can get the hinging to work it would be a very cool accessory to have. Granted I won't be able to carry much but what does one really need at work prom?

I have lots left to do in order to complete both of them but I think it's doable. Now you know what I'll be doing next weekend.







Saturday, October 12, 2013

Words are terrifying

As frequent Island readers know, I have a goal this year to be the leading lady of my own life. I decided on this last January in place of resolutions since resolutions are for chumps. Setting goals seems more positive and actually attainable. In July, I posted an update to my quest. That was the approximate halfway mark for the year. I've been making lots of progress in some areas and failing miserably in others. It's hard out there for a leading lady who's always been more of the best friend.

Today is the 80 day mark (there are 80 days until the new year - can you believe that?). I've decided to amend my original list of ways I would quantify my achieving my goal. I am not going to take a class in the next 80 days; I don't have time or more importantly, the inclination. So I've decided to replace this with something that I think will be even more of a challenge and even more of an achievement:

I am participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for you cool kids out there).

This is both an awesome and terrifying. I think I've always had this idea in the back of my head that I would be a writer. Since starting this blog, it's been more and more in the front of my thoughts but it hasn't been something I've actively been working towards in my life. And of course, my mom thinks I should be a writer. Moms know best.

The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month (November 1-30). Participants keep track of word count and progress through the NatNoWriMo website. The site includes helpful items like pep talks from past participants, tips for avoiding procrastination, and the option to make writing buddies and join into discussions through forums. I feel both intimidated and invigorated by the prospect of writing this novel. I've actually done a lot in my account so far: I have buddies, I created my profile, and I posted to the newbies forum. I have not, however, created my novel.

This is the real challenge: what am I going to write about? Bad Shakespeare is participating for a second year and already has his idea and characters ready to roll. I have two potential ideas and figments of characters. The start of the month is twenty days away. In those twenty days I will finish training my class of new hires, complete 46 hours of client training, travel to Vermont for work, get my haircut, volunteer at the museum, go to the Neko Case concert, make a batch of marshmallows, and finish making my lego purse. These are all things I have the skills to do and I know how to accomplish each one. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to this novel.

And that's exactly why I'm doing this. I like challenging myself and I want to be a better writer. The only way to be a better writer is to you know, write. It could be a horrible novel (and it's a very real possibility that this will be more true than I want to admit) but it could also be amazing. I will not be sharing my entire novel on the Island but I will be providing updates, word counts, and maybe an excerpt or two. Any amount of encouragement would be great and if someone wants to buy me a present, I wouldn't say no to these merit badges. If you're participating, let me know your info and I'll be your writing buddy. You can be mine too - I'm NOLAgirl11 on the NatNoWriMo site.

Finally, I present you with two potential ideas. I can't guarantee either of these will actually be the novel I write but I have to start somewhere.

Idea 1: The Metro Counselor
You know you eavesdrop on other people's conversations on the Metro (or other form of public transportation) and hope that they either stop talking or make a smart life choice. Well, what if that was your job? Instead of just hoping they make a smart life choice, you actually get to help them do so.

Idea 2: Tourist
I have a reoccurring dream about being a tour guide for either a museum or one of those tour companies (like Gray Line). The main character decides to leave her job and become a guide. She ends up in the middle of the cutthroat world of tour guides.


Sunday, October 6, 2013

Hello Chanel, La Première Partie


This is the latest Chanel logo clutch. Isn't it pretty? It's also an item that's price is listed as "by request only." I'm guessing this means it costs more than I make in a year.

So what's a girl to do especially one who is trying to up the fashion ante this year? Well, thanks to the wonderful blogger, Studs and Buttons, I can make my own version out of a pencil box and legos. You read that right - a pencil box and legos.

I stumbled upon Studs and Buttons through a Buzzfeed post (I know, I know) about making accessories out of legos. I love legos. Legos were something that my brother and I (and our dad) enjoyed when we were kids. We could actually play together when legos were involved. Even as adults we still give each other lego presents sometimes and we made our dad a tank a few years ago as a Christmas present (I think it was Christmas). Anyway, legos are so much fun so when I saw that Buzzfeed post my mind went into overdrive and I decided I would make the purse.

In November, I will be attending my company's annual company meeting/awards show/adult prom. We call it the H'Oscars and this year we have a black and white theme. I have a pretty basic black cocktail dress that I plan to wear and figured that I'd use this opportunity to consider the role of accessories in my fashion life. I don't typically wear a lot of jewelry so I've decided to focus on the shoes and a purse. Nothing screams semi-formal event more than a black and white lego purse.

Phase One: Supply Gathering and Design

Here's the supply list:
  • Assorted legos
  • A plastic pencil box (I opted for a standard size but am planning to do one that's smaller in the future)
  • Sand paper (to smooth out the edges of the pencil box)
  • Spray paint (I'm using a paint/primer combo in shiny black)
  • Glue (I'm using a spray glue and a permabond glue similar to super glue - I don't want those legos to break off)
  • Fabric to line the box - Studs and Buttons made an excellent point about noise in a plastic box. He used felt; I'm using a more luxe fabric and creating an interior pocket - go sewing skills!

I stopped by the Lego Store at Potomac Mills mall last weekend and bought some black and white legos to get started. I also found my childhood stash of legos while at my parents' house. I have a ridiculous amount of black and white legos and thanks to my hoarding, I have some pretty fun shapes and interesting pieces that I think will help make my design pop. Studs and Buttons's design is much more like the Chanel bag; I want to play with dimension and shape so mine will be more 3D. That's the point of legos right? Pumpkin "helped" me complete step one: sorting my legos. I organized them size and type (hello OCD). I have easy access to all of my pieces as I design.

Friday, I started to focus on the actual design. I don't draw (my skills are horrifyingly bad). I attempted a design drawing when I was waiting for my training group to arrive. Here is the mildly embarrassing result:



My original thought was to use some of the odd shaped pieces like archways to build a more 3D design than what Studs and Buttons did for his version. I like the idea of dimension and since this is supposed to be the accessory for my outfit, it should be big and bold. What my terrible drawing is supposed to show is borders of thinner legos leading to the four archways that would have a propeller with flowers attached. So it's 3D and it moves.

I tried to execute the design I drew last night. It didn't quite work the way I envisioned it in my head (or in my poorly drawn design). The archways don't meet up in a way that would make it easy to attach the propeller and I was thinking that even with glue it might not stay together so well. I haven't totally given up on this design idea I just have to play with it more. The best way to design anything with legos is to just build it. I think that was the point of legos (at least it was when I was a child). You don't have to follow the instructions if you don't want to. Then I attempted to make a flower but I'm finding that flowers and the pieces I have aren't 100% compatible. Scale wise, that flower is way too big for the purse. Smaller versions look weird and the more 3D flower designs I found online won't work on a purse.
 
After my failed attempt at making the archways happen, I found some other interesting shaped pieces and came up with a flatter design but it still has some pop. Here's the third design of the night:


It's interesting and looks vaguely like something Chanel might add to a plastic purse that costs more than I make in a year (allegedly). I need to spray paint the box to get the full effect of the design but I like this concept. I think it will pop. I could also incorporate a few additional touches in white along the sides. Or leave it the way it is. I have to walk away from it for a few days, let the design sink in before I start the next phase: paint and construction. I can always pull out the legos and try again if it doesn't end up working for me. That's the beauty of legos - you can always take it apart and start over again.

Tune in later this month for Hello Chanel, La Deuxième Partie - the finished product.

Chanel purse photo 

Friday, October 4, 2013

Crossover Bonanza: Where you lead, I will follow...but not to a dark place

Around this time last year, my friend Bad Shakespeare and I decided to periodically switch blogs to try new things and reach new audiences. We both share a love of Gilmore Girls so enjoy Bad Shakespeare's take on my favorite show of all time. I'm over on his blog writing about Breaking Bad. Your regularly scheduled Island post will return on Monday (I know it's crazy) with a look a how to make a purse out of legos for a formal event. Enjoy!


Hi, I’m not your usual blogger. I usually blog over at Bad Shakespeare (tell your friends... if you hate it, tell your enemies) and today, Erin and I have decided to cross over for a very special episode of the Island and Bad Shakespeare. For those of you who don’t follow my blog, I’ve been discussing a little television show called Breaking Bad within the context of it as a Shakespearean Tragedy It’s a very obscure show. You may not have heard of it). Today, Erin is discussing it, and I’m going to talk about a show called Gilmore Girls in the context of it being a Shakespearean Tragedy. Wait... what? It’s funny? Maybe I should rewatch a little bit of it before I type this up...



I was first introduced to Gilmore Girls towards the end of it’s first season. At that point I’d heard about the show, but at the time I was more interested in not watching a show about a mother/daughter relationship because it didn’t appeal to me. It just didn’t at the time, what can I say? I’m glad I eventually did, because it turned out to be one of the best shows on television, and gone way before it’s time. But I digress. My first memory of the show was watching how a deer hit Rory’s car on the way to her finals. Then I met the people who made up Stars Hallow, and I never really wanted to leave.



It was difficult catching up on Gilmore Girls at the time of it’s first viewing, mostly because Netflix wasn’t readily available or yet invented. (on that note, why isn’t this and Smallville not yet on Netflix streaming? I can watch all of Rules of Engagement, but God forbid I want to watch Gilmore Girls. **ahem**) Yes, this was a dark time in American History, kids. I had to watch the first season of the show in reruns... RERUNS, like an animal, or someone who only has dial up and rabbit ears.



What appealed to me most about Gilmore Girls was the writing. Not just the rapid fire/pop culture reference machine that a lot of people have made it famous for. It was the fact that for the most part, these people acted like real people. Yes, Lorelai was all cute, but people got annoyed with her antics from time to time. Rory was a brain, but she didn’t always get it right, and she has the same rebellious streak as her mother (she just shows it different ways. Like when she chooses a college. Or a boyfriend. Or steals a yacht. Wow. I guess Rory was a bad girl.) But the show, while entertaining really sucked you in with it’s relationships.



Too often with television series they tend to focus on the wrong things. Maybe it’s making sure a character has enough lines, or the breakout character gets the right storylines, even if it is him acting out of character. (I’m looking at YOU New Girl.) But Gilmore Girls focused on the core relationships of the characters, not just the family you have, but the family you develop along the way. Stars Hollow was a family like that... whether it was Sookie (pre-famous Melissa McCarthy... real quick show of hands, who thought she would be the breakout on that show? If I see any, I know you’re lying.) or Jackson, or even Taylor, the insane... sorta mayor slash grocer slash the closest thing the show really had to an antagonist.



Yes, it reveled in the drama. The will they or won’t they of Luke and Lorelai. Dean and Rory, then Jess and Rory, then married Dean and Rory... (she got around.) but the stakes were never so high. No one was going to get shot. The world wasn’t going to be destroyed. (No Dean would go on to avoid all that in his next series. Supernatural reference. Nailed it!)



So, why, in a week that a show ended that I referred to as modern literature showed us it’s final act, did I want to talk about the Gilmore Girls? Sort of as a reminder. Yeah. Breaking Bad was pretty freaking awesome. (You can read all about it in my series break down: Breaking Bad Shakespeare over at www.badshakespeare.blogspot.com. Shameless plug. Nailed it!) But it’s important that we don’t forget about the other things along the way. Yeah, the darkest Gilmore Girls ever really got was the dreaded feud between Rory and Lorelai that lasted a few episodes. (And sometimes with the reminder that Lorelai, for all her pluckiness and self assuredness, was a pregnant teenage runaway.) But not all shows have to be dark to include some great writing.



I think, in our quest to classify the next great TV Show, “Dark and disturbed” has become the shorthand for great writing. The doctor is only intriguing if he manages to kill a few people along the way. Hey, this Chemistry Teacher... once he has Cancer, let’s have him cook meth and then kill a few people, that oughta darken him up a little bit. And while those are good examples (the first one I just made up. I was going with a House reference, then lost it. My bad.) it’s important that we remember that good, intriguing characters can pop up anywhere. Hey, Shakespeare did it. One of his most famous, so famous that he got written into the plot of another play, was the very comedic John Falstaff (the fat knight!)



So let’s fondly remember the Gilmore Girls, and their relationships, their quips. Let’s remember that sometimes, good writing and literature is a place that we can call home, a place that we’d want to walk through. Let’s remember that if you lead... I will follow... anywhere.



Quick PS - I couldn’t fit this in anywhere organically, but the character of Kirk is a character the likes of which will not be seen on television. He was just awesome, and perfect. He had “big storylines” but never really anything that overwhelmed the show. He showed up, did something Kirk-like, then left. He filled any role that the show needed. Shakespeare... Shakespeare would be proud at this character.