Caryn's Corner

Moving again

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:08:00 +0000

Yeah, I know, I keep shifting around, but I PROMISE this is the last time.

I have moved my blog over to Wordpress. That way I can consolidate some of my work from my website and you won't have to jump all over the place.

The new url is http://carynswark.wordpress.com

Thank you for your patience!

No sleep tonight, I see

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:56:00 +0000

No, this isn't an advertisement, merely a statement of fact: Ebay is killing me! There are way too many fun things to buy, and with paypal it's way too easy to go click click click, I'm a hundred bucks poorer and some useless crap richer! Argh!

Well, it's the day before the first day of school, which means I'll probably lie awake all night staring at the ceiling and blinking, thus ensuring a cranky, grouchy teacher for my eager little darlings when they arrive on the morrow. Perhaps I'll break the pattern this year... but since it's been this way since I was, oh, seven, I don't think that's likely.

The wedding was a great deal of fun. Saskatoon was quite chilly, which I actually rather enjoyed. On the other hand, somewhere along the way I seem to have switched from "It's a wedding, I'll have a few treats" to "hmm, I think I'll eat everything in sight." Yikes. I consumed some actual vegetables today, and I think my system is still in shock.

I'd love to write some stories based on wedding events, but I'm afraid my family would instantly recognize themselves. Ho hum, maybe in a decade or two ;)

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

How does one "die hard"?

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 03:22:00 +0000

It's official: I should be in charge of writing all Hollywood feature films.

Well, that's perhaps a bit pretentious. Not ALL. There are a few talented writers out there.

But I should have been in charge of this one.

God. Let me explain something to you: it is impossible to survive a fall from a helicopter unscathed, okay? Also, if you can fall through several windows, crash into (and knock down) a handful of metal shelving units, be run over by an SUV, be smashed through a few walls by that same SUV, and come out of it with nothing more than a strategically placed cut on your chin, you shouldn't be in movies, you should be in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Ugh. I actually feel stupider. As the online comic gurus from Penny Arcade would have it, Die Hard is in fact brain poison. Don't see it.

Write something instead.

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Frazzled

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:10:00 +0000

I seriously contemplated buying this for my classroom, but I was afraid it might prove a wee bit distracting. It's certainly distracting me! Still, it fairly accurately describes how I'm feeling!

So, driving six hours through the Canadian prairies -- dull and uninspired. Seriously. Very little opportunity for inspiration. Some people would disagree with me, of course, and the prairies do have their own sordid beauty -- but six hours of them is, frankly, more than enough. I also discovered why you should not use glue stick that is extremely old. It makes a mess. Period. (Don't worry -- I wasn't driving)!

This is the only time I really miss my laptop. My boyfriend bought some contraption where my laptop could plug into the cigarette lighter on his car, and I used to write for hours while we drove. My iMac isn't much bigger than a laptop, of course, but I'm still not carting it all over. Most of the rest of the time I don't miss that tiny lil' thing at all... which I guess is about right. Laptops are mainly of use when traveling.

I'm staying at my brother's house with his psychotic golden retriever/lab. It was so excited about the air mattress in the living room that it spent four hours bouncing on it. By a strange coincidence, this morning I found myself lying flat on the floor.

The stories, hey? :) By the way, if anyone's interested I found a whole bunch of writing contests. Also, I have a new comic strip up on Tomorrow's Trust (but it won't be on my website until I get back on Tuesday).

Keep it up!

Caryn

http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com/

Murphy's Law Day

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:22:00 +0000

Looking for a graphic to go with this post, I discovered more than I'd ever wanted to know about the origins of Murphy's Law. It's kind of interesting, though. God bless the internet :)

Murphy's Law Day is the title I give to days like the ones I had yesterday. Before lunch I'd:

lost my sketchbook
cut myself
burned myself
endured the first half of a VERY long meeting
lost my most important teaching book
smashed my head into a wall

Then AFTER lunch:

found my sketchbook
glued my sketchbook to my desk
set off my car alarm
endured the rest of the meeting
tipped a very full basket of paintbrushes, crayons, etc. off my desk
spilled milk all over my couch
stepped on a rabbit
almost killed a small child with a shopping cart
accidentally scratched a previous wound, which naturally bled copiously
dyed my floor green

OK, I didn't exactly dye it, I just spilled green gunk all over it.

The gluing of the sketchbook is the real mystery. You see, there wasn't any glue on it. Apparently there must have been something on it, because I had to rip the cover off to separate it from the desk, and then I spent fifteen minutes spraying the table down and scraping paper off with a painting knife. The uses you find for things, huh?

At any rate, I'm off to Saskatoon for a wedding, which means I'm driving. Hopefully Murphy's Law is at an end.

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Exhaustion!

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 23:53:00 +0000

This is going to be a record-short entry to match the record-looong staff meeting that sapped my life away. 9:00 am to 2:00 pm with a break for lunch! Yikes! School hasn't even started and I feel like the life inside me is just draining awaaaayyy....

For anyone who may (or may not) be remotely interested, some of my artwork is now available for sale on ebay -- here and here.

More tomorrow, I promise.

Keep writing (and do some on my behalf, huh?) :)

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Levels and Plateaus

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:17:00 +0000

Ever feel that writing is like crossing a looong rickety bridge over a huge chasm?

By the way, that picture is from Capilanno Park in British Columbia, and yes I went on the bridge. It actually wasn't all that scary. It's pretty secure. There was a Japanese lady crossing with us, though, who seemed pretty terrified, judging by all the screaming and whatnot....

I'm finding it a lot harder to come up with good ideas for comic strips than either Paper Masks or The Blacksod Scream. It's funny -- or it isn't, which I guess is the problem. When I write novels I just sit back and write, and sometimes funny stuff comes and sometimes it doesn't. Doing the comic strips I have to be consciously funny, which I find much harder -- I always figure no one else will think I'm as amusing as I find myself :)

By the way, I've submitted The Blacksod Scream to an agent, so we'll see what comes of that. A friend of mine recently complained that I shouldn't post only the first chapter on the net, as it's annoying to anyone who wants to... well, read it! :) I suppose he has the point, but if I was a publisher I also suspect I wouldn't want to bother with something that was available in its entirety for free online. What do you think?

Back to work tomorrow (heigh-ho, heigh-ho!)

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

One Last Day

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:22:00 +0000

You'll have to forgive me if I don't have much writing to talk about just now -- I'm taking one last day of holiday before it's back to work! Hey, I was at the school yesterday from eight to four thirty. All I ask is one more day off :)

The kids aren't back until Tuesday, but we start tomorrow. Opening mass and staff meeting -- looooong staff meeting. Still, I'm kind of excited to go back. My classroom is feng-shuied (a word I've verbified). My co-conspirator and partner in crime, who teaches across the hall from me, and I have been busy following a lot of the advice laid out in this little book. Just in case anyone wants a crash course, this is what we've done:

Wherever possible, replaced artificial materials with natural (eg, wicker in place of plastic)
Placed "pointed red fire symbols" in the south to balance our teaching
Placed seven symbols of wisdom in the room (in my case, a small plaster dragon, an owl, a dolphin dangling from my overhead screen, an angel, a bamboo plant, a globe, and a stone magnet that says WISDOM)
Placed artificial white flowers in the North to facilitate our relationships with our students
Placed drawing charcoal in the southeast to improve our students' self-esteem
Tried to follow color advice where possible: Pale yellow is for listening, bright yellow for talking, red is friendly, blue is calming, green is active, etc. Unfortunately my "black" boards are in fact green.

Actually, we have the whole school curious -- other teachers keep stopping by to see what we're doing! I've also made a big banner reading aut disce aut discede -- either learn or leave. Years ago, someone told me that on the first day of school each child should take something home and learn something specific. That's always stayed with me. So on the first day of school, I always make "welcome back" kits -- you know the drill, an elastic to remind you to stretch, an eraser to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, etc. And I always teach them something random. This year it will be a phrase in Latin :)

Anyway, good luck to all my fellow teachers -- try to go in with a positive attitude, huh?

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Unusual

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:49:00 +0000

This was brought to my attention the other day -- the blog of a couple girls traveling around and knitting... well, whatever, which they then leave attached to various public places. I can't decide if it's really cool or really weird, although I must say that picture is pretty darn neat. And I suppose that if you want to pester the public with your "art," I'd much prefer some brightly colored wool to six foot high curse words. I wonder what I'd do if I woke up and found someone had knit-fittied say, my car. I think I'd leave it.

And people say they have trouble coming up with ideas to write about? Folks, browse the
internet. Every crazy person in the world is out there and usually pretty vocal about it. You're bound to come up with some sort of idea.

I used to knit, actually. A friend of mine was a member of the Revolutionary Knitting Circle, which is actually pretty cool. She taught me how and I made a scarf. It was six feet long, dark green, about six inches wide at its narrowest and a foot and a half at its widest. Needless to say, it was not a very good scarf. I haven't knitted in ages now -- too busy with painting and writing and now cartooning. I should start again. I like to do it while I watch TV, because it gives me something to do during commercials. I hate commercials. It's that English degree coming out -- I tend to sit there and analyze them, loudly. By the time I'm done, other people hate commercials too (or they just hate me!).

Anyway, school's starting again soon (us teachers go back on Wednesday) so I'd better get myself moving and try to accomplish something today. On a bright note, today is the VERY LAST DAY I have to force feed medication to Kirsty Trickster. One more dose and we are FINISHED. Thank you, God.

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

I Hate Cans

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:31:00 +0000

If you are one of those people who throw garbage into recycle bins, could you please stop?

A group I'm involved with is going to Australia next summer for World Youth Day. For a fundraiser, we spent this weekend working like crazy at Cornfest, Taber's local festival/ midway. Look, I didn't name it, okay? :) Yesterday we cleaned up the beer gardens, then worked a five hour concession shift, then spent four hours emptying recycle bins. Today we cleaned the beer gardens again, then spent three hours at the recycle depot sorting the contents. Here is a small sampling of what we gathered:

-many many cans and bottles
-lots of soaked napkins
-a shoelace
-a heavy black object that opened to reveal a sort of metal stick (???)
-hamburgers
-corn cobs
-chewing gum
-copious amounts of various liquids
-lots of cigarette butts
-lip gloss

And much much more. So if you are one of those people who like to throw things that can't be recycled into recycle bins, I repeat: please stop.

Ugh. I smell like beer, I'm a magnet for wasps, and I'm exhausted. In fact, I'm just on my way for an hour long shower, which may begin to remove the grime.

In other news, I have a new comic up on Tomorrow's Trust, where Halos now has its own category (yay Halos!) Check it out!

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

PS: Bunny update: Kirsty Trickster is feeling much better although still hopping somewhat tenderly, and Skunkzilla seems to like her again (although she is still stealing her food). Yay!

The Bunnies!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:25:00 +0000

Yup, I'm still blogging about bunnies. That's all I can think about right now.

I'm not sure what's going on -- if Kirsty came back from the vet with a weird smell, or if weakness just triggers Skunkz's instinct to go for the throat -- but Skunkzilla seems to have forgotten she was ever friends with Kirsty. I'm talking, 8 AM yesterday they were cuddled up together, and today every time Kirsty gets within ten feet of Skunkz, Skunkz chases her and tries to attack her. It's driving me nuts because Kirsty really shouldn't be running, not with the stitches, and she probably shouldn't be stressed out either! I really hope I don't have to go through the whole getting-to-know-you process again, because it took forever.

HOW do you forget your best buddy in a 24 hour period????

Or maybe my boyfriend's right and the Skunk Bunny is, quite simply, evil. I'll let you know.

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Evil

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:44:00 +0000

I am a horrible person who does not deserve a sweet lil' bunny.

Actually, I had Kirsty Trickster spayed the other day for her own good -- female bunnies REALLY have to be fixed or they can get very sick. Also, she kept behaving inappropriately with furniture. She was supposed to stay at the vet overnight, but they asked me to take her home early because she was so scared. She looks an utter wreck. Skunkz was bigger (not older, just bigger) when I had her done so she didn't look quite so... so. Kirsty's eyes are red and puffy and her fur's all matted, and she is VERY VERY UNHAPPY with me!

If she doesn't eat by the end of the day I'm calling the vet, and that's that! My poor little bunny.

On a similar note, HOW ON EARTH DO PEOPLE GIVE BUNNIES MEDICATION? I've read all these tips and the vet assures me she has no problem, but I have two bunnies who would rather swallow hot coals than anything from a tube. I even tried to give Kirsty a smartie today as a treat (I know, I know, she shouldn't have chocolate but I figured if I gave her something really good) and she wouldn't take it! She just hopped away and flicked her feet at me.

Well, fine. I just don't want her getting hurt or tearing her stitches in a fight to dodge medication. Any ideas?

Sorry, I'm just so worked up about my baby bunny that writing is the last thing on my mind!

You keep at it, though!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Books I Like

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:13:00 +0000

I just recently picked up Elsewhere by Will Shetterly. It's a book I expected to like from the description, expected not to like from the first chapter, and wound up loving. The basic plot involves a kid named Ron who travels to the border between the human world and Faerie, a place where street gangs perform magic and elves and humans mix tentatively at best. Ron is an immediately unlikable character, which turned me off at first but quickly became an understandable part of his personality rather than just an annoyance. Shetterly's comic timing is great. Even when I didn't want to I'd find myself chuckling at an off-handed comment or joke. I think the writing itself, and the concept, are more enjoyable than the actual book -- there are a handful of loose ends, the ending isn't particularly satisfying, and events don't play out the way I'd hoped they would. But it's more than worth reading just for the... well, the read! There's a sequel that I'm looking forward to picking up as well.

The other book I'm reading is Anthony Horowitz's Public Enemy Number Two.I'd love to give you a picture but I can't find one without a stupid graphic plastered over top, so just go check it out if you're interested. Horowitz wrote those Alex Ryder teen spy novels, which I haven't read although I do keep meaning to. Public Enemy Number Two is the second in a series of mystery novels written in the tradition of old-school film noir type detectives. It's full of groan-out-loud puns and the narrator is a hardened thirteen-year-old with a dumb-as-nails private detective as a big brother. It's another one of those books I didn't expect to like (and didn't intend to like after reading chapter one) but couldn't quite bring myself to get rid of.

I highly recommend these two reads. Even if you don't enjoy the plot, they're worth reading just for their style.

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynswark.bravehost.com

More People Should Go Outside

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:44:00 +0000

So Waterton is incredibly beautiful. It's kind of like Banff, except without all the stores and wall-to-wall people and cheesy tourist attractions. Don't get me wrong, Banff is lovely and all, but it kind of personifies the word commercialism -- or at least, it would if it was sentient and capable of personifying anything.

Waterton, on the other hand, is a little more low-key, a little more natural. There are still heaps of people and loads to see and do, but it's less like being in a really gorgeous shopping mall. There are deer EVERYWHERE right now -- it kind of reminded me of Nara in Japan! Nara is a city where deer are considered sacred, so they wander around eating your jacket and making pests of themselves. Actually, it's kind of neat, though I can't say I'd like to live with them.

At any rate, Waterton is a wildly inspirational place. I've done lots of writing and drawing over the last two days! By the way, any of you American-types might know the area better as Glacier National Park. We actually crossed the border by boat (one of the few places you can do that without going through customs and immigration, but don't get any bright ideas -- they're pretty careful about making sure you don't stray, and the place they take you is literally miles from civilization).

If you're in the area, I highly recommend it!

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Off to See The Wizard

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 17:12:00 +0000

Well, actually I'm going to Waterton Park, but either way I won't be blogging for the next two days. I can't find my birth certificate, which means I probably can't cross the border though. When I went to Vegas they let me through with my expired passport and a warning that Canada customs might not let me back into Canada. As I recall, Canada customs didn't even check. I guess I don't fit the profile.

If you're interested, I've done a comic called Halos for Tomorrow's Trust. Hopefully it's not as bad as I think it is.... I really need to sit down and do some work on it.

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Apple Works

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:45:00 +0000

At home I use a mac and at school I use a PC. That being said, I have way too much experience with both Microsoft Word and Appleworks, so I thought I'd post a brief compare and contrast here.

Microsoft Word:

Pros:

Compatible with just about every system in the universe
Once you figure it out it operates quite simply
Good selection of clip-art and fonts
Powerpoint is simply amazing (not Word, but they're both part of Office, so...)

Cons:

Annoying little assistant that pesters you until you turn him off
Randomly replaces things without asking you
Frequently insists grammatical mistakes exist where none do
Has a mind of its own (and should receive psychiatric treatment)
Periodically reformats things, or formats them to match something you've done before, forcing you to spend ten minutes figuring out how to make it stop

A lot of the above "cons" are made far worse if, like me, you work on shared computers. I've turned some of these options off on my class computers, but I can't do that in the labs or staff room.

Appleworks

Pros:

Incredibly easy to use
Contains a good selection of fonts
Has a useful, easily integrated drawing and painting program
Never replaces anything without asking you
Efficiently spell checks after you ask it to
Easily handles just about any file format you like (from doc to rtf)
Can save in Microsoft Word format (ie, .doc)

Cons

Compared to Powerpoint, Presentation frankly sucks
Selection of clip-art is middling at best

Well, I guess you can see which side I've come out on :) I love my mac. I cannot begin to express how very much I despise Windows. Last year when my computer crashed, I seriously considered a PC just for financial reasons... but three days of using the school computers changed my mind. Ugh!

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Freelancing

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:58:00 +0000

An article I wrote about teacher dreams has been posted to Tomorrow's Trust, if you'd like to check it out! :)

That being said, I've received a couple emails asking me about freelance writing, so I thought I'd post my usual answer here. For what it's worth, these are strictly my opinions, and they aren't very thorough because I haven't had time to really pursue them. But here are my experiences with some of the main freelance writing sites on the net:

1. Manuscript Services: Manuscript Services is British-based but hires abroad. They are a reputable company and pay promptly for completed work. They email you new assignments as they become available. At first I made some money off Manuscript Services, but I found that it's quite difficult to get an assignment: you go long periods with no work. Furthermore, the vast majority of people seeking your services are CLEARLY university students who want you to write essays for them. Although Manuscript Services explicitly disallows this, some clients go so far as to post assignments and marking criteria. For me at least, this is an ethical issue.

2. Associated Content: I have only recently signed up with Associated Content so please take my comments with a grain of salt. From what I can tell so far, Associated Content seems like a better place to gain name recognition than to make money. They are also not overly picky about what content they accept, so there is no quality assurance.

3. Elance: Elance is definitely one of the best websites for obtaining legitimate, paid work. The only thing is, if you want to turn a profit you will definitely have to get a paid membership. A free membership allows you to browse but not bid, which is rather counterproductive. If you want to make any money at all, you have to be able to bid on projects. So if you're confident in your abilities and your work skills, this may be the site for you; if not, you might want to try somewhere else first.

4. Constant Content: I've saved this one for last because it's kind of a long story. When I first joined Constant Content, I was selling articles like mad and making very good money. At some point, however, they started rejecting my articles for bizarre reasons. Eventually I got annoyed enough to email them and (this is one of my main beefs) they told me to post my concerns in the forum. That, in my opinion, is the most unprofessional and troubling part of Constant Content: they will not deal with you directly but address all concerns publicly in the forum. I've even seen them deal with plagiarism there.

Anyway, I was informed that my writing was poorly organized and illogical. This absolutely knocked me for a loop, because I have a Master's in English and was accepted to do my Ph.D. in the same discipline. I'm a published author and have a certain degree of credibility working with the English language. Since then I've become less than enamored of Constant Content. I do feel honor-bound to add, though, that when I browse the internet no one else seems to have had this problem. I don't know if they just hate me or what, but based solely on my experiences I would definitely recommend against them.

Anyway, those are four of the main freelancing sites I've found available. Hopefully that helps you out!

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Any Ed Profs Out There?

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:05:00 +0000

I think education programs need to offer a course called Annoying Things You'll Spend Hours Doing. I just spent two hours sorting through my decks of cards and making them all into decks of cards again. Unfortunately they were all purchased at the Dollar Store so they all have the same backs, and apparently putting them back into their boxes and/or rubber bands is a little too much for my class to handle. I opened up my math box today to find the cards in a massive heap. So I sat there and rifled through them until I had eight sets and a bunch of extras (I was doubly annoyed to open the language box and find someone had randomly shoved a bunch of playing cards in there, too).

Children! You will destroy me.

An Auspicious Alignment?

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:07:00 +0000

Sometimes it's funny how life works out.

The other day I received two separate emails, both from resources on Catholicism, both asking me to do some cartooning, writing, and blogging. Of course I was happy to comply. It was strange to me that both focused on cartoons, not because I don't like cartooning (I do) but because I'm such a total amateur at it (check it out if you don't believe me!) Still, I'm looking forward to the work. I think it will be a lot of fun, and it lets me combine three things I love (teaching, writing, and drawing) so that should be great!

The blog is called Tomorrow's Trust (I've added them as a link). They are a very thorough and well researched resource for Catholic educators. The site had some nice things to say about me and complained that it was difficult to navigate both my blogs and my site, which I can't say much about as I agree completely :( I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do about it though!

The journal is called Catholic New Times and is a justice and peace journal. I'll provide a link when I have it.

Anyway, I'm excited about both of these opportunities and looking forward to working at them!

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Writing with Eyes Wide Shut

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:37:00 +0000

No pretty picture today. It seems blogger doesn't want me to have one!

Do you ever feel like you're not in control of the words that flow from your pen? (OK, so I never use a physical pen for writing anymore. It sounds better than "spew from your keyboard"). It doesn't happen very often but every now and then it's like once you get going, your muse takes control and your fingers move of their own accord. The next thing you know you're sitting back and staring in bemusement at something that approximates what you intended but exceeds your every expectation.

Of course, this is a rare occurrence. It's a happy one, though. I had it happen last night, working on a chapter of Paper Masks. It was well past midnight when I stopped, exhausted but pleased. Naturally, the chapter still requires edits and rewrites -- can't get away from it, I'm afraid -- but the essence is there and solid and strong. Hooray!

By the way, I've actually read Dream Story, the book Eyes Wide Shut was based on. I have not seen Eyes Wide Shut and have no real intentions of doing so. I read Dream Story in a master's class, a joint operation between the departments of English and psychology. It was on Freud's influence on literature and was actually pretty interesting, in spite of my rather low opinion of Sigmund Freud. Dream Story was weird. Eyes Wide Shut looks even weirder.

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Are Bunnies Supposed to Eat Rubber?

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 22:46:00 +0000

Apparently, this is what my eraser looks like now.

That can't be healthy, can it? Should I be rushing these animals to the hospital? Somehow I doubt it, because they're not rolling around on the ground in agony. Actually, they're currently fighting over a carrot. It's pretty amusing to watch. They're very polite about it -- no growling or scratching or biting, just a lot of yanking food from one anothers' mouths.

I spent a whole lot more money on teaching supplies at a secondhand store today. It made my head hurt. It also made me not particularly inclined to talk about writing, which is why I'm rambling on about chewed-up erasers!

Then again, this is where stories come from, isn't it? There has to be something in that fight over the carrot... I wish I was a more talented artist, because that is something I'd love to capture!

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

Better Poetry Through Refrigeration

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:10:00 +0000

Lately, I just feel like a poet. It probably helps that I received a rather strange email the other day: a woman I knew when I went to the University of Saskatchewan contacted me regarding a poem I'd written many years ago and completely forgotten about. The poem was called "Jezebel," and the woman (Mary Ann Beavis) wanted to use it in a feminist companion to the new testament. Naturally I agreed :) Actually I agreed many years ago, now that the incident's been recalled to my memory ("incident" -- it sounds like some sort of clandestine trade-off in a back room). But I was happy to agree again, and more than happy to have a copy of the poem.

Anyway, I've been enjoying my new fridge magnets, and I thought I'd share some of the results. It's actually incredibly frustrating, because as a writer, it's natural to think ahead to what you want to say next -- and when you can't find that word among your magnets, you have to change your plans. It's probably a good exercise, actually.

1.
houseplant
standing with no
rain window sun
on my refrigerator
so almost dead
I must whisper to you

2.
evening dandelions
will fly when I call

3.
face me
on the roof at summer
at harvest in autumn
beneath birch song shivers
as thunder sounds
face me
and smile by morning
before breathing snow

4.
commercial
listen
journey
wander
that cloud
alive
is streaming
television
eat cry rust skin
this woman
blossomed
her man
concrete
we all want
to be

Actually, on my refrigerator it says "too be", but I thought I'd change it for the sake of grammatical correctness :) By the way, the title of this post is from the box of magnets. It made me grin.

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

School's Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:06:00 +0000

I went into my classroom today for the first time in weeks (I've been in the school, but not in my room per se -- the caretakers have been busy!) The beginning of September (or end of August) is always a funny time for me. I haven't had any school dreams yet, but I will! That's how I know school is really about to start.

I don't think I'll ever be totally comfortable with standing in front of twenty small strangers that first day of school. It's kind of exciting, but I like it better after Christmas, when you know what you're coming back to, the kids are settled into your routine.... Still, you have to admire the potential of September. The whole year is in front of you, last year's triumphs and failures having -- literally -- moved on. It's like a breath of fresh air (unless the classroom gets too muggy, in which case the air is anything but).

I love teaching, and I wouldn't do it if I didn't. It's a hard job, though, and it's made harder by a lack of understanding. Even my family, until recently, thought teaching was a five day a week, nine month a year, 9-3 job. Now my boyfriend complains that he never sees me and I don't have time for him because all my energy is focused on those kids! There's nothing quite like working for eight hours straight, skipping your lunch and coffee breaks to work with someone, not going to the bathroom once because you can't leave those kids alone, and coming home absolutely exhausted to a phone call from someone who thinks your job is easy!

Oh, well, every job has its ups and downs. Just do me a favour -- if your kids are in school, stop in to say "thank you" to the teacher every now and then as well as contacting him/her when things go wrong!

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

What the Heck Bit Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 17:40:00 +0000

At first I thought it was a mosquito bite. Now, twelve days later, I suspect otherwise. I mean, mosquito bites don't generally swell to the size of loonies, stick around for two weeks, or feature bright red dots at their centre. So what on earth is it? I'll tell you this much -- it itches worse than any mosquito bite I've ever had!

This is the kind of thing that gets me going on the bizarre and incredible. "What if" is never a good thing in my mind, because it leads to all sorts of unpleasant suppositions -- things that might make a great sci-fi story but aren't very comforting in real life.

Unfortunately, I don't seem to have developed superpowers, so I guess I can rule out a radioactive spider. I also don't seem to be transforming into anything, so some of my creepier guesses are also rendered null. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.

It makes you wonder where other stories come from, though. The guy who came up with Spiderman -- do you think he really might have been bitten by a spider?

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com

I Love the Mall

noreply@blogger.com (Caryn Swark) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:54:00 +0000

Yes, it was as shallow as I expected it to be. It was also allergen-free, which was wonderful. And it was shoptastic. Sigh, I love the mall :D

I'm back now though, and it's almost time to head back to work. I spent something like $400 out of my own pocket on school supplies (Jysk was having a close-out sale). I'm kind of excited about it, actually, but when you combine it with hotel costs, bunny boarding, and (ahem) shopping, I'm a little alarmed by how much my three day vacation cost me!

On the bright side, I FINALLY picked up a set of those poetry fridge magnets, which I've wanted as long as I can remember. I used to drive my friends nuts by coming to their house and standing staring at their refrigerators for hours on end. Now I can stare at my own fridge, and probably drive my bunnies insane...

Keep writing!

Caryn
http://www.carynscorner.bravehost.com