Building Up and Tearing Down

I have spent the past month or so focusing on 3 major activities: writing my novel, getting ready and attending interviews, and running.

The novel writing adventure was all about spewing words onto a page, as many as I could in a day, regardless of their importance or value.  I succeeded in finishing my novel in time (which means I get a free paperback copy of it as my prize! Wahoo!)- but now I have to take on the task of editing my novel.  I can already  think of five or six paragraphs, off the top of my head, that I know are complete crap and should probably be deleted.  But it breaks my heart to do it-  I poured a lot of time and energy into those piles of meaningless words that don't really contribute to the plot line. At the time, I really felt like that rambling monologue about a sandwich would be helpful....

The interviewing adventure had been a whirlwind.  Since September, I've been eagerly collecting interview offers and meticulously adding them and all their associated travel plans to my calendar.  But soon, I had 23 interviews offers, but I knew that I should only really attend 12-15 (according to every sane person I've talked to).  So now I've begun the sad process of canceling them. I get overly sentimental about the programs that I'm giving up.  I KNOW which ones need to be canceled, but when I go to do it, I suddenly feel like I'm closing the door to a possible future that I could possibly have if I kept the interview.  It's emotionally draining to talk myself out of all the imaginary lives that I'm envisioned for each of the programs.

The running adventure- well, that's not slowing down at all.  I'm still very much building up that area of my life (my long run this weekend will be 18 miles.  UGH.)  It'll be torn down soon, too, though.  I'm sure that a month after my marathon, I will feel like I spent an extraordinary amount of time working toward something that was over so quickly, and all I have to show is a medal and a story.


Sorry this post became so whiny.  Here's my new favorite picture in the whole world to cheer you up.  Aren't we the best-looking couple you've ever seen?  I certainly think so.