I Saw Chuck Palahniuk!

Yes, I am obsessive. I saw Chuck Palahniuk, again. This was actually the third time that I have seen him live. It was a special event put on by The Strand (the bookstore with 18 miles of books) at Webster Hall. It was actually very fancy for an author event. There was a video projector, flashing images and lines from his newest book, Pygmy, which just came out yesterday. You don't usually get fancy technology for authors.

Because I was one of the first 150 people to get a ticket, I was a VIP. this meant that I was able to have my books personalized by Chuck at the event. I arrived early to try to get my stuff signed before the event but not early enough. I ended up being 3rd from the cut off prior to the event, so that I had to wait until after to get my stuff signed. By that point, there were no chairs left. After standing in line, I stood through the whole event and then got back in line. Oh, the things one does for literature.

It was a fun event. He gave out huge inflatable penguins to everyone that were signed (see picture in next post) and read us some totalitarian fairy tales. Good times had by all!

Here is a picture of me with Chuck:

He had the trophy because he said that, years from now, someone will see this picture and be like, "Hey, what did you get that huge award for?" Then, I will be able to tell that person anything I want because no one will know any better. Except you, dear readers.

Comments

Spareribs, Sauerkraut and Dumplings

For Valentine's Day this year I cooked a dish that reminds me of home like no other. It's a family recipe that my Mom knows by heart and my Dad gets on special holidays. Spareribs, sauerkraut and dumplings: Here's my plate before I started inhaling it. Not everyone likes it. I didn't like it until I was an adult and came across a very similar dish in the Czech Republic. I craved home-cooked food at the time and I instantly became obsessed with the dish. The tricky part about the recipe is that it wasn't really written down. My Grandmother, Anita, wrote a copy for my Mom a long time ago but my Mom has since changed parts to simplify the recipe. This is the recipe that my Mom told me and I adjusted on my own. For the Dumplings: These are the dumpling when they were boiling, as they start to get done, they float to the top of the water. 3 c bread crumbs (about a half of a loaf dried on a tray for a day and broken up in a food process...

A Place to Log My Progress

This blog has just been sitting out here for nearly two years without a new post. So, I thought I would put it to some good use and start logging my progress with some of my new hobbies. This is what I look like nowadays, blue hair and all. What have I been doing? I started jogging. It is very slow going and it hurts like hell. But it will be worth it. I'm painting and drawing. I am not very good but I get better with each attempt. I figure that if I keep it up, I can only improve, right? I want to start writing fiction again. This one is arguably the hardest for me. Even though I am a professional writer and write for a living, it is different for me when it is fiction. I've signed up for an online class to try to get over that hump. Also, I am always watching some horror movies. My goal is to start writing fewer reviews and more substantive content over on my other blog: www.horrormoviemaven.com . Do you have any hobbies you have taken up recent...

Halloween Project 2009: Zombie Box

I love zombie movies. My first date with Brian, I made the poor guy watch Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead . A while back I saw a photo of a glass case that held a fake shotgun that said "in case of zombies break glass" (click here for my original inspiration). Of course, I wanted one. However, they were a promotional item for a videogame. Plus, the shotguns were fake, not at all useful if zombies actually were going to attack. I tried to see if I could buy one of those fire cases that hold fire extinguishers and fire blankets and just adapt it. Those boxes, it turns out, cost at least a hundred dollars. I decided to take matters into my own hands and build myself an emergency box to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. I bought a frame for a few bucks from a discount store and hand painted the glass: The objects surrounding the glass were part of my "cat deterrence system." Oddly it worked. Livia prefers to sit on my paper projects anyways. I built a...

Put on the Glasses

Search This Blog