books and magazines

Today we had a talk from a publisher I would like to work for (for whom I would like to work). She publishes mostly quite serious non-fiction books; think of the information I would learn on diverse subjects! I am going on a 2-week work placement soon, which is making me both nervous and excited. I shall do some revision of proofreading and editing techniques before I go, in the vain hope of not looking stupid. My placement is with a company I would potentially like to work for, so it is a good chance to impress - though I'm saying that from the outside, it might be different after visting there! Apparently, some students are offered jobs after their first work placement; that would be very affirming! But I think that if I were lucky enough to be offered a job, I would decline the offer (unless it was really stupendously amazing). There is still a lot more to learn from my tutors, and I wouldn't get a refund on the astronomical fees I have paid for the opportunity.

In other publishing news, one of the books I am editing has had the printing date moved forward by two weeks. The schedule was tight to begin with, but now it is verging on hair-tearing-out. It will mean some late nights of grappling with sentence structure, and long, steamy hours with InDesign. But it will be worth it in the end, if only because my name will be on the imprint page! (Along with my co-editor, of course). So everyone will have to buy a copy. The other book I am producing is an architecture journal, and will be an interesting challenge. Luckily the production schedule I've drafted allows a reasonable amount of time for editing and typesetting.

***

The hospital visits and blood tests continue; another round next week. The side effects from the medication still haven't abated, but the doctor did assure me that means the medicine is working (small consolation; he doesn't have to put up with it!). It's been two months of injections now, so hopefully the pain and nausea will ease soon. On the plus side, I might not have to go back to the hospital for another check-up until June, which would be good. Everything depends on the test results next week. (Brings to mind a William Carlos Williams poem..)

Waiting in the Blood and Cancer Centre makes me feel sick to my stomach; I think it is because I nearly fainted there after having a bone marrow biopsy. When I was there yesterday, I saw the doctor who performed the surgery, and my stomach gave a lurch. I felt bad about that, because he is very pleasant and was only doing his job, and I did need the test to be done. It just hurt a lot.

Having an hour yesterday to ponder why I don't like to be there, I decided it is the fact I am the youngest patient by at least 30 years. No, 40 years. And that's the outer limit, most people in the waiting room are at least 70, except the children of said patients. Who are usually middle-aged. So everyone stares at me when I walk in, and I catch their pitying glances as I wait for my turn to be called to the examination rooms.

But there are some nice things that come from the not good things. I am getting to know the reception staff and nurses well; they are good at remembering names and faces. (I'm already pretty down with the Aotea Pathology lab nurses, who I see on a regular basis for blood tests). The doctors are very friendly, and ask questions about my publishing course. There is always cheesy-but-cool music playing in the B&CC, and if I want to read a magazine, maybe a copy of the Listener from the past two months, or any NZ Driver magazine ever published, something can usually be found. There is free tea and coffee and filtered water, toys for children, and even a jigsaw puzzle table (current picture: Scandinavian castle, surrounded by mist and autumnal deciduous trees). It's well-geared for somewhere you spend a lot of time... But my most favourite thing of all is the darling old lady who volunteers there on Tuesday afternoons. She is about 75 years old, at least, and she walks around the waiting room chatting to friends, and asking everyone if they would like a cup of tea or coffee. And she makes a mean cup of tea.

***

Another photo from L.A. This is from our hotel window, looking skyward

disneyland

Finally, with the newest addition to our house (a printer/scanner), here are the photos we took in America:


Knott's Berry Farm



Main Street (Me and Mum)



This photo is a bit like a Where's Wally picture: Me in the New Orleans area, with all the over-the-top Christmas decorations.

Outside CaliFornia Park

The Sleeping Beauty Castle! (Like everyone says, it's a lot smaller than you think. And there is a gift shop inside. But it was still so great)

In order (from the top): my cousins David and Tom; Bex; Mum; me (J taking photo)

This was about 8:00am, hence the slightly glassy-eyed look.. But it was just one of those photos that had to be taken. Jeremy's portrait was more successful..... (cousin and mother in background)

Inside Mickey Mouse's house



I saved the best for last...

first winter dinner party

This is the first entry from our brand new computer. It arrived yesterday - almost two weeks after it was meant to be delivered! It is all shiny and fast. Although we still have dial-up (house isn't wired for broadband), web pages load a lot faster. And it doesn't freeze every time you try to open certain pages. And it actually shuts down properly, instead of crashing. It is glorious. Jeremy is happy because it has spider solitaire.

The seasons have made a transition from summer to winter in one weekend, with no autumn to be seen. I'm holding on to the hope that this is just a cold snap, and that an autumn may still appear before I have to face the reality of winter.

Who am I kidding? Apart from the constant numbness in my hands and feet, I actually do enjoy being wrapped up in winter clothes. The challenge of needing to wear 5 jumpers but trying to remain reasonably un-snowmanlike, and, if possible, remotely fashionable. My new white woollen scarf from SVdP. Soups and stews. Waking up cold in the night and scooching over to the sleeping heater on the other side of the bed. Battening down the hatches when it starts raining, and watching the clouds roll over Bearing Head and Moa Point and across the airport runway and up to our house. Our gas heater. Long baths. My boots. And so on.

I'm going to Palmers Garden World this morning. Our rosemary and mint plants have been all used up, so I need to buy replacements. We are having friends for dinner tonight, and what is a roast lamb without mint and rosemary (and garlic)? We are having lots of vegetables too, and a couscous salad, because one of the guests is vegan. But apparently she doesn't mind if other people eat meat. Dessert will be a chocolate mud cake (because I've been craving it, but I can't bake a whole cake just for us two, because then we have to eat it all - and that isn't good for my waistline), icecream, and fruit salad. And for starters, I have made some delicious water crackers, to go with a lime and tomato dip. Very moreish.

The guests are two of J's best mates, and a girlfriend of one said friend. One of the friends is visiting from down South, and we haven't seen him since we got married. I'm really looking forward to it. Planning and preparing for dinner parties is much more fun than finishing a manuscript assessment. Maybe I shouldn't give up on my dream of becoming a pastry chef.....

a quiet weekend

For lots of reasons, I wasn't really looking forward to this weekend, but it turned out to be quite nice indeed.

Saturday was spent mostly at home. J and I are both engrossed in our books at the moment, so I think a good 3/4s of the day was spent in silence. Jeremy's band was playing their first gig in the evening, so I went along. I spent the sound-check talking to the wife of the singer; she was reading the bone people, so we talked about that. It transpired that she was wanting some new books to read, so I told her I would send some along to band practise with J. She likes 20th century experimental novels, so I sent On The Road and The Catcher In The Rye, as well as The God of Small Things and a mini-collection of short stories by Dave Eggers; all bundled up with some ladybug ribbon I found in my ribbon and lace box. I hope she liked it.

Sunday: market-shopping in the morning, for beautiful autumnal produce. I gazed in wonder at the wicker basket when we got home; it was full of passionfruit, limes, lemons, golden kumara, orange capsicum, and apples. Lots of lovely colours, which all suit the new chill in the air. Toddled off to the Hospice after that, and after lunch, we went to Seatoun to get some takeaway coffees, then drove to Breaker Bay. We sat in the car and ate a home-made lime curd tart each, and drank the coffees, and read our books in contented silence. The wind and waves were quite dramatic, and well-suited to the exciting part of the book I was reading.

Today I am making myself do work. I have a production schedule to draft, a design brief to write for a book I am editing, and a reader's report due in less than a week. I put all my due dates onto a wall-planner last night, and the abundance of black scribbles is daunting. But I must remind myself it is all good practise. I would like to do this work for all my days, if some kindly publishing house could possibly deign have a vacancy for an inexperienced chump like me...

auckland photos

Here are some photos from our all-too-brief trip to Auckland last week. There is never enough time to do all the things we plan. Except there is always time to eat at Fatima's. I wish they would open a Wellington store.

Mum's new house, photo taken from the driveway

The view from one of the upstairs bedrooms; that is a river (well, large creek) in the middle ground. Not as scenic as the last house, but it could be worse...

This is our family, as interpreted by my potter cousin. Too much symbolism to detail here, but basically she was moved to make something for us when Dad was told he had 6 months to live. There are words from his favourite hymn engraved around the two biggest pieces, representing G & D.

In the kitchen (je suis a la cuisine) - novel use of a wine rack for a non-drinker

The chocolate bunny we brought to Auckland for my brother got a bit broken, so Jeremy made a small modification to enhance the drama..

Business class Air New Zealand seats, bought from TradeMe for a pittance. Mum just bought a home theatre system with a projector and screen and surround sound and everything, and she thought these would be fun. And it is rather fun to have a tray table and foot-rest while watching Shortland Street.

My thirteen year old brother, who is now taller than me (he doesn't look too upset about the bunny..)

I didn't know Bex was still taking photos...

At the Easter Show, on the ghost-train-that-wasn't.

Me winning the slide race...

Dispute still rages - I got to the bottom first, but J slid for longest. We called it a draw.