Preludes And Nocturnes

I’m heading out tomorrow afternoon to take part in an Aboriginal Writers Festival - as an interviewer for a film being made about the event. Some of the artists I know more than others.

I’m looking for various questions you all would ask if you were interviewing writers.They need to be some combination of specific and open-ended. Feel free to put lots of thought into this, or just fire off whatever comes to mind. Hey, I leave tomorrow… I’m scrambling.

• What questions specific to their work would you ask an author? (feel free to name the specific author or just give guidelines)
• What questions would you ask an author you didn’t know as well?
• What kinds of personal questions would you ask them - somehow relating to writing/creativity/art?
• What questions to avoid?
• What questions would you ask Aboriginal authors (Native American) that you think could be specific to their experiences?

Thanks all!

So about your pens. I mean, hey, I love them and all. They are all with the good grip and the fun colours and the very nice writing style. Specifically, the new x-tend ones. I really do love them lots.

But here’s the thing. The first pack had that whole green-pen-not-working thing. So I drove all the way back to staples. And then the replacement pack had that whole purple-pen-not-working. And I didn’t bother to return it. Because I’m sick of driving back to Staples.

Instead I keep the faulty pen, and I write you feedback on your website. I realise you have hired out your customer service to Sanford Consumer Affairs. But their auto-generated email reply was not good. Not good at all. Maybe you could pay me to be your grammar whore.

Best Regards,
Jenn

Yeah, so um work… soo having three jobs kinda means I have no life eh? Kinda means I work, and then on my lunch hour (extended) I work, and then I come home and work. I’m glad this is temporary. I’d dump the gov’t one, but I like my local people working on it.

But I haven’t been on the WD hardly at all, I’ve totally been a horrid blog stalker, I haven’t walked with B for ages upon ages, I’ve been meaning to make soup for over a week…. and all my spare time I try and spend it with Jim as he’s only here for a little while longer!

I even didn’t have time to talk to my mom on the phone last night. Yeah. Me. Not talk on the phone.

Bizzaro-land.

But only running for another four/five weeks I think and then I’ll be down to a more normal schedule with two jobs.

Ack - I’ve just blogged about my jobs forever now. How boring!

Oh, I taught Leone some yoga. That was cool.

And I bought a beautiful new watch that doesn’t make me itch. I have totally researched nickel, nickel allergies, and the binding properties of stainless steel. I’ll blog about all that one day. Really, ask me about all that. And how I can now wear a watch without getting all horrid itchy.

did you know 15% of the population is allergic to nickel?

I am full of interesting facts.

Here’s another: I think I just missed hitting the bank before it closed.

And melly, when you read this - yes, I was multi-tasking and blogging before and after we were chatting. I seem unable to do just one thing at at time. WHich is turning me into a spaz.

Oh, and I just remembered while talking to Melly that I have a fourth job. But it is cool. I’m interviewing Aboriginal writers for a film. How cool is that?

xoxo
jenn

As I just turned down another tutoring job!!!

I really did! I said, “no, I’m sorry, but I’m totally booked up right now.”

Wooo!!

But I did just agree to apply for a job pointed out by the English Chair. It is an English/WmSt/Hist Academic Advisor and kinda kicks ass!

ooooohhhhh!

Yeah, I kinda got another job. I now have three, three somewhat mediocre jobs *ah-ha-ha-haaaa* [/voice of the Count from Seaseme Street].

A grade 12 student called the University English department looking for a tutor. But this is no normal tutoring gig. No. This is an hour and a half, six days a week. And today she asked if I could meet with her again tonight after we worked this morning. She is ESL and trying to get through the provincial exam in order to get into a specific uni programme. We’ve met twice so far and I like it. I’m going to give it a go. But I think this will be very time consuming. I’ll be meeting with her during a mid-day break all week. So I’ll go up to the uni in the morning, work the morning, take an extended lunch and tutor at her house, come back to work and work until later in the afternoon (I was going to end each day at 1:30, now I’ll end at 3:30), go for a walk/to gym, get home, eat, and then work my other job for about 2.5 to 4 hours each night from home. Luckily the gov’t job is mostly done on sundays - that is the six hours shift. Rest of the week is the shorter 2.5 or so hours. I’ll tutor as well on saturdays. So gov’t job is seven days a week (it blows), tutoring is about six days a week (seems cool), and uni job is four days a week (I still like it after three months - which is awesome). Fridays will be my closest thing to a day off.

I expect to become rich by the end of the month. If not, I will not be happy.

Jim has attemtped to explain to me that there will reach a time where more people will want me to work for them than how much I’ll be able to work. And that just because I can work them all, doesn’t mean I have to - or should.

I’m thinking this all through. But I really am keen on this whole “money” thing. It buys me stuff. Like…. paid off student loans. That is stuff to me.

xoxo
jenn

Silly neighbours. If we had all stuck in this together and not mowed any more this year…

yeah, that was pushing it, I know. It is only September. But as tomorrow is back to school, I figure summer type activities like mowing the lawn should be done.

And although I’m no longer in school, the new school year is coursing through my veins. Let’s pause here for a moment, shall we? Let’s think about how long it has been since I’ve not officially been in school in September. And actually, since 1979 this has only happened once before for me. I took one year off in undergrad (although a number of part-time semesters). So other than that, September has been a time to start a new school term since 1979.

Gah!!!! No doubt I have this incredible urge to buy new pens and some loose leaf!

And although I’m no longer in school (for now at least), I am still at school with that job. Which seems to be being renewed for another eight months! cool beans. Although I’ve not been up there lately. After having had the past week pretty much off after putting in 21 hours in two days on monday and tuesday for the workshop last week, I got the rest of the week off! Not that I’m planning on starting a schedule that has me putting in two ten hour days a week as a rule. Made me very grumpy.

But then I was less grumpy as I got to spend the rest of the week with Jim. He’s seen the big town now, I’m not sure what he’ll do for the next four weeks here. We’ll have to keep wandering further afield, me thinks!

ANd if you can’t tell, I’ve downed two and ahalf glasses of wine. Sweet lovely red wine.

*hick*

xoxo
jenn

$40.

For a razor and blades.

Oh, and tax.

But I used a cheapola one last week and am now paying the price. But dammit, this non-disposable, non-cheapola one better be freaken amazing! And make me taller.

yeah, I’ve not figured that one out yet.

And now a conversation as we relax with a little Wheel of Fortune after dinner and see the one contestant:

Leone: dude, what are you? 12?

me: And wearing his dad’s suit! His tie is wider than his head!

Jim: To be fair to the tie, his head is abnormally skinny.

heee!

xoxo
jenn