edit exhaustion

Who here is feeling tired? I mean really really tired? Come on, raise your hands...
I know, I know, I'm too tired to raise my hand too.
Wadda ya gonna do - it's end of term and we're all running on fumes - instructors, students, bed bugs - oops did I say that out loud?
Anyhow, I am trying to deal with my general rundownedness (that's a word)
I eat the veg, get the exercise, take the sleep.
But eventually you're just plain Jane tired and the only thing you (I mean me) can do is power through it until you get the distinct luxury of working full time for three weeks so that you have enough money to make it through your work practicum, so then you can start fourth term with a fresh face and waggly tale.
Do I sound tired to you too?
Ah whatever, all good. Will be done soon enough.
Really enjoyed this editing course.
What did I learn?
Editing is really really hard.
You have to have patience and a keen eye and the soul of a poet and the brain of a mathematical logician and question question question every single fact put before you.
The best advice I got in this course?
If it smells fishy it probably is fishy - don't eat it.
Much love.

editing my wardrobe

so here's the thing
I spent the greater part of my career so far working with children.
You wear t-shirts and sweat pants when you work with kids.
You can wear your hair in pig tails.
You are encouraged to wear long stripey socks and layered clothing of various textures and materials - dressing is fun - in a silly costumey kinda way.
But now I am preparing myself for more business like attire. If I want to be taken for a communications professional I better have the clothes to back it up.
So I tried.
I mean it, I really tried.
I went shopping on the Sunday following Black Friday - Grey Sunday? and looked for suits.
I even found one - it fit, it looked fine, it was a grey stripey number...
But I could not deal.
It is very hard to see myself in a suit and accept myself in a suit.
I don't think it was the suit's problem - the suit seemed pretty together, no noticeable neuroses.
I think it was me.
So before I get serious about editing my wardrobe, I think I need to edit my brain or my eyes or both in order to accept this new phase of my existence.
I hope one day to be able to say to myself:
"It suits ya."
Ha ha.

time keeps on slippin'

Today I want to talk about editing my time.
I try - I really try to edit my time in a mature and responsible way.
It sure is hard though.
There is school and work and homework and housework and friend time and family time and me time and there is no way there is enough time in the world for all of that time.
but you make one small mistake and suddenly you are trying to live in the future while doing work from the past and trying to live in the present.
It is enough to make your head spin - it makes me nauseous just thinking about it.
I know I am not supposed to have a life right now - I know that - I try really hard to live by it. It was just one weekend - I swear - but Sunday found me finishing my homework at 2 a.m. and now the rest of the week seems shot
Aw nuts!
So, what is my editing lesson of the week.
Never make any mistakes with your time managment - you will never stop paying for it.

editing my eyeballs - my red burning eyeballs

Today I would like to talk about how much I would like to take out my eyeballs, set them in a big bowl of saline, and let them swim around for 8-10 hours.
What happened?
2nd year CreComm was going so well and then WHAMMO!
November hit and everything went crazy on the crazy machine.
I so tired.
I can't wait for December when all I have to do is work full time for three weeks.
Ah, livin' the dream.

Headlines are music to my ears

I loved this headline assignment for editing.
I wish I had more time to pour over the headlines and catch every little nuance and rhythm.
For me, writing headlines is a combination of writing poetry and solving a puzzle and writing a piece of music.
Like poetry, you need to catch the essence of the story in as few words as possible without losing the essence of the tale.
Like solving a puzzle, you need to amass possibly disparate elements into one cohesive and comprehensible whole.
Like writing music, you need to latch onto a catchy riff. Find a rhythm that the listener/reader finds irresistible so that they will be compelled to continue onto the story to hear/see the rhythm develop itself completely.
Headline writing is an art form, and I think that I'm in love.

edit your health

I'm doing pretty well on the trying to keep healthy front.
I have cut out a lot of the carbs in my diet, I eat loads of fruit and vegetables, I exercise for 30 minutes four or five times a week.
Sounds pretty good right?
But I am smoking cigarettes.
I started smoking in university when you could still smoke in the rehearsal hall at the Black Hole Theatre (Oh those were the bad ole days)
I smoked and smoked and smoked.
and then one day I just decided to quit - cold turkey.
and it took - until it didn't
my major downfall was when I moved to Korea and the smokes were two bucks a pack - it was simply too irresistible for me.
and I smoked and smoked and smoked
the time has come
it's time to stop again.
Unfortunately, I have been trying to quit, off and on, for the last couple of months with not very much success.
I've tried the gum, I've tried cold turkey, but the will is really lacking.
but it's gotta happen and it's gotta happen soon - like yesterday.
so here I go again. editing my behavior for better health.
wish me luck!

books into straw

I love books.
I'm a book slut from way way back.
I love the look of them, the smell of them (yes I sniff them don't judge), I love having them around for company.
When electronic book readers came out I dismissed them out of hand. They could never replace MY books. Without the tangible smell and feel of a book I would be missing out on too much of the overall experience.
Well, I was wrong.
I love reading on my iPod. I almost never read paper books anymore. The convenience is amazing. I can pull out my iPod anywhere and get a couple of minutes of reading. If I want to read in bed and not disturb Andrew - no problem. The iPod provides enough light for me to read without disturbing him. Forever banished are the constant hassles of trying to find the perfect night light. I can carry hundreds of books with me at a time - something I could never do with paper copies. I can look up words online, highlight favourite pages and phrases without ruining the book and the application keeps track of my highlights so that I can review them whenever I want. And I get to feel morally superior because I am not culpable for destroying trees in order to print the books I read.
Margaret Atwood has provided readers with another way  to feel morally superior and I applaud her for it. She has released limited copies of her newest sci fi novel in straw. Yup, straw straw. It is considered a waste product for farmers and is perfectly usable as an alternative to lumber.
I can't see myself going back to paper products any time soon but I am glad there are such great alternatives on the market.