Ann Benjamin's Blog, page 255
January 27, 2016
Week by numbers.
As I’ve told everyone this week – it was an absolute race to the finish. And now I’m done! Well, technically 8 hours, but who is counting?
8, number of contracts I put through this week (yes, that’s a lot!). Four could still go out today. Friends, when I work somewhere, I don’t cut any corners.
3, number of Mai Tais consumed with a former co-worker
245, estimated number of recycled pages of paper
2, hours Skyping with my sister (yay!)
1, Gin dinner attended with…
9 friends and…
LOTS of gin and…
4 people that I had to cancel on (because I am not as good at organizing as I thought).
Gif of the week – specifically on the question of, “Can you stay on?”
January 25, 2016
January 23, 2016
Sunday Sentence.
Laura felt a warmth inside her. It was very small, but it was strong. It was steady, like a tiny light in the dark, and it burned very low but no winds could make it flicker because it would not give up.”
Although I have nothing to complain about here in Abu Dhabi, seeing my facebook feed makes me grateful I live in such a mild climate. Stay warm out there people!
Things you will see on a road trip across America.
I did not write this (obviously), but I love this and it reminded me so much of Life After Joe, I had to share.
http://negaverse-scum.tumblr.com/post/137696770200/things-you-will-see-on-a-road-trip-across-america
January 21, 2016
Book Review: Grave Mercy
Y’all, I wanted to like this book sooooooooooooo much. I’ll give you two words: assassin nuns. Right?! Also, it came highly recommended by one of my favorite authors. How much more could I want in a YA novel? Okay, before I devolve into negatives, let me highlight the positives. As someone who is attempting a bit of historical fiction, I can say that Ms. LaFevers seamlessly covered many of the details unique to Middle Ages Europe — setting, clothing, ambiance. Unfortunately, modern language and dialogue crept in quite a bit. For example, with The Queen, everyone has to address my character with the correct title (you can’t believe how many times I have to write ‘your majesty’). On more than one occasion in Grave Mercy there were a few jarring instances that took me straight out of the fictional world.
Other good stuff? I did think the use of the supernatural was well done. I loved the idea of Death as a character and thought the entire concept was nicely incorporated and ‘realistic’ within the world of the novel.
There were a lot of ‘real’ (and obviously well researched) characters in use here — a debate I am currently up against. Certainly, I am working within a time frame where there were many memorable personalities in Europe, many who had a significant impact on one another. However, as much as I want my action to ring true, I don’t want to get bogged down with politics…i.e. my story is one of a young woman’s quest to understand herself, protect her country, and act as a monarch of the most powerful country in the world — a future she could have never predicted for herself.
In Grave Mercy, I thought there were entirely too many characters running around. The beginning of the book opens with a three page (or more) cast list — something I found very off putting. Look, having a diverse supporting cast can add a lot, but when I couldn’t begin to keep all the names and intrigues straight, I lost interest. Even with all the betrayals and lack of trust, the ‘surprise’ baddie really wasn’t that much of a shock. More than anything, I found the amount of characters overwhelmed the main story line.
I’m not sure if I’ve been completely spoiled by Sarah Maas, but I was bored by the action and couldn’t find myself cheering for Ismae, Duval or the duchess. I knew their story would be (more or less) happily resolved and thought it took about 100 pages too long to get there.
As the first book in a trilogy, I can honestly say I am not interested in seeing what happens next and this book was very close to ending up as DNF.
Week by numbers.
Holy hell this was a busy week.
5, days I have left of work
2, number of farewell lunches I attended
1, article drafted and submitted to a fab food blog
500 words (The Queen)
300 words (untitled marching project)
20%, estimated jump in stress level given all the moving and work stuff going
1, free trips I’ve been offered to Doha to attend a jewelry trade show
1, magical haircut
2,324, estimated to do list before the movers show up on January 31st
Gif of the week:
January 17, 2016
There are such things as magical haircuts.
Shallow as it might be, I wanted to make a physical change to signify my upcoming departure from the ‘real world.’ I debated getting a small tattoo, piercing my nose or cutting my hair. While I haven’t ruled out the other options, for now, the hair cut will do.
I booked my appointment at the salon yesterday, and after taking care of some major roots, showed the stylist the picture of the ‘look’ I wanted. Of course, I’ve had short hair before, but as the shears went snip, I felt lighter — physically and mentally. Four inches of hair, gone in an instant.
No regrets, whatsoever.
The world immediately agreed with my decision. Hubs asked for a photo (he was working in Dubai), so I obliged. As a friend once said about an early profile pic of mine, ‘You look like such a Courtney Brandt in that picture.’ And I knew what he meant. As a non-photogenic person (not fishing here folks, it’s a fact of life), every once in awhile there’s a photo that perfectly captures a moment in your life — something that is YOU — and how you define yourself to the world.
With the below photo, I posted it on everyone’s favorite social media channel and spent the evening amazed at how many people responded — new friends, old friends, people I hadn’t heard from in ages. While I’m kind of wondering why I didn’t cut my hair sooner, it’s nice to have this exact moment of knowing, ‘This is what I want my future to look like. This is the person who is going to be successful in the year ahead. This is a person who might be 35, but feels a lot younger.’
Have you ever had a magical haircut?
January 16, 2016
Sunday Sentence.
She sighed. “Defenestration. The tossing of an object from a window.”
Sarah MacLean, The Rogue Not Taken: Scandal & Scoundrel, Book I
While I have established my love of Regency romance, I’m not sure I’ve mentioned Sarah MacLean, who is a fantastic author in this genre. Her most recent book was full of funny little quips and I couldn’t help but wonder if she had a bet with her editor to find a way to use the word ‘defenestration’ in a novel.
January 13, 2016
Week by numbers.
Up and down and back and forth this week.
2 tickets purchased home for this summer (AMAZING deals on Qatar Airways right now, sale ends January 17th)
500 words (for The Queen)
300 words (for my Untitled Marching Project)
1 villa in Jumeirah Village Circle, lease starting February 1st!
5 Powerball tickets purchased with…
0 matching numbers (sad face).
3 Mai Tais consumed on a night out with The New Glitterati!
1.5 hours – length of my exit interview.
11 days of work to go.
Gif of the week:
