Learning to Breathe

I'm a bit of a snap emotional reactor. Case in point: the hubby and I went to visit a photographer a couple of weeks ago, and when he broke the news that he wasn't doing four hour sessions any more (anything longer than that is too expensive and useless for us), we plotted on the way home to elope or plan a surprise wedding. And if I don't do exactly right at work, I tend to instantly start to beat up on myself. However, working full time and planning a wedding is definitely teaching me to tame my blink.

We're having trouble coming to family compromises about what food to have (hors d'oeuvres or proper dinner?) at the wedding, how to manage attending four separate Christmas celebrations, and of course, there are times at work when I don't do everything perfectly. And I'm working to be chill. Yes, I'd love to elope, but I'll learn how to deal, Christmas will work itself out (this will take some serious negotiation, because while creating new traditions with the hubby is wonderful, giving up my really really strong attachment to our time honoured family traditions is hard), and I'm learning that being a perfectionist isn't helpful, or necessary (I'm doing well enough without being perfect, thank you very much). So while I wish that school started in January instead of September, I'm glad that I'm working and learning how to take a deep breath before I react emotionally.

Publishing is an interesting industry, at least from my perspective. On the outside, it looks pretty glamorous and chic. On the inside, it's really just four or five people, their eyes glued to a computer screen, painfully and painstakingly taking an author's ideas and turning them into a book. It's quite cool, really. And there's lots more that goes on than just making books. This week is a HUGE conference downtown, that I've spent the last few weeks organizing us for, and so we'll spend three days attending & presenting sessions, selling books, talking to customers, and scoping out the competition. Yea for getting out of the office for a few days!

Also yea for having an amazing new cell phone. The Razr died (thank goodness; I wasn't a huge fan), and so now I have a cute little Sony Ericsson Walkman phone that does just about everything, and plays wicked music and radio. It's great. I'm also completely absorbed in the His Dark Materials trilogy; I read the first book on Sunday and Monday, the second book on Monday and Tuesday, and I'll finish the third between tonight and tomorrow, I bet. They're addictive! I'm looking forward to seeing the film of The Golden Compass, even though Freeze Face herself (a.k.a. Nicole Kidman and immobile face) is in it.

Next big projects are PhD program of study proposals, cleaning the apartment for the girls from work to come over on Saturday night (we're going dancing at the Dance Cave), collecting some new Christmas cookie recipes and doing some baking, and starting my Christmas shopping. Fun times!