Monthly Archives: July 2011

Come Sail Away …

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Superman and I were invited to a beautiful afternoon and cocktail hour on a 32-foot sailboat with friends this weekend, out on the waters of Newport Beach.

We didn’t get the sails up, because the water outside the jetty was a little too choppy, but we had a great time cruising the harbor, enjoying the early evening sunshine, drinking wine, chatting with fun people, and people- and boat-watching along the Balboa Penninsula. …

So what do you see in Newport Harbor?

We saw Duffy boats:

Wedding boats:

Lots of other sail boats:

 

Gondolas:

Paddle surfers:

Lots of yachts and beautiful homes:

Brides:

Kayaks:

The Virgin Oceanic boat, ready to start its next mission:

The high-rises of Newport Beach:

And the Balboa Island ferry, which you can still ride for only $1:

Chris even got to steer for a minute:

It was one of those afternoons with really nice people, where you’re glad you got out and remembered why you love living here.

Outfitting a Dorm Room

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As soon as we got back from Montana — with visions of Griz pendants hanging in our heads — and I had a clear idea of the size/shape/layout of Ricky’s future dorm room, I wanted to go shopping.

I did a “scout shop,” where I ran into Bed, Bath and Beyond one night without him, just to “see what they had.” I spent a couple of hours, eyeing color-coordinated comforters, mattress pads, pillows, sheet sets, towels, throw rugs, lamps, eating utensils, shower supplies, white boards, desk organizers, even waste baskets — all giddy with anticipation. I had visions of going back with my son, showing him options, having him make selections, and us wheeling out a big cart out of each store with everything we needed, maybe going to lunch, planning out how his new life would look.

But then …

Well, then I realized … I had a son.

He had no interest in mattress pads. Couldn’t care less if his sheets matched or not. Shrugged at one pillow or two. Shrugged again at what kind of laundry hamper he’d need.  Continue reading →

Quick Editing Tip: Chop Out Unnecessary Words

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There are lots of places we, as writers, use unnecessary words, but here are a few common phrases we can get in the habit of hacking:

  • in order to   ->  can always be “to”
  • located in   ->   can always be “in”
  • located at  ->  can always be “at”
  • 7 different types  ->  can always be “7 types” (the reader typically assumes multiples are different)
  • panoramic view   ->  can always be “panorama”
  • close proximity   ->  can always be “proximity”

 Happy Tuesday!

The DIY-Project Workout

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Nothing is a better weekend workout than a little D.I.Y. project at home: bending, lifting, up the ladder, down the ladder, haul the paint can, squeeze by furniture, up the stairs, down the stairs, back up the ladder, down the ladder, back down the stairs, back up the stairs, crawl along the baseboards, back on your toes, back up the ladder, down the ladder … whew!

I’m a little sore today.

(But my walls look great!)

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