The blank page

Every time I get a new assignment from a client my first step is usually to open a similar document. Something with the client’s name in the header maybe, or a similar type of work – ad copy, call script, article, or whatever. I quickly do a “file” > “save as…” changing the file name and assuring it’s located in my obsessively organized hard drive file structure. Then I start writing in the document, replace the existing copy with whatever is appropriate. In some cases, I save absolutely nothing from the original file. Which sort of begs the question: “Why do I do this?”

I’ve never really thought about it until today when I opened MS Word and selected “file” > “new.” A daunting plane of bright white assaulted me. I believe I let out an audible gasp. I know I have heard this over and over – that there is nothing more intimidating than a blank page. But I don’t think I realized it was true until today, because I had (brilliantly) avoided the circumstance. I think my subconscious was protecting me all these years.

Obnoxious creative types will probably say there is nothing more alluring or enticing than an unfettered expanse of page, canvass or computer screen. But I think that’s utter crap. Blank pages are frightening. Even for someone who spends all day filling them up.

Word Girl Geek Love Revisited

Back in November - almost a year ago - I posted briefly about how much I wanted a Kindle. Earlier this year, a business colleague was gracious enough to give me one as a gift and it has more than lived up to my expectations.

Most people I know crinkle their faces at me when I tell them that yes, I am in love with it. "Reading on a computer? Really?" Well no - it's not a computer; it's digital ink/electronic paper - a technology specifically designed to be read. I think this is people's biggest stumbling block with the Kindle. You have to start from a platform of understanding that it is nothing like a computer monitor.

I find it difficult to explain why I love it so much. It's partly because the minute I think I am interested in a book, I can pick up my Kindle and, LITERALLY in seconds, wirelessly download a "sample" for free. The sample is usually at LEAST a full chapter if not more. Or if there is a book I KNOW I want, I can purchase it with one click on the Kindle and be reading it in seconds. (You don't need a computer to do this - there is no 'syncing' or anything like that.) If I am sitting comfortably in a chair or snugly warm in bed, I do not even have to stand up to get a new book to read.

I can also instantly look up words I don't know in a text, highlight text, make notes, add bookmarks. It's insane. And it's not just books; you can purchase single issues or subscriptions to tons of newspapers and magazines. And did I mention that EVERYTHING is less expensive in its Kindle version than in its print version. Oh, and I can change the type size whenever I want. Some days my eyes are more weary than others and I increase the type size on those days.

Anyway... I guess I just did a fairly good job of explaining why I love my Kindle, but the reason for the post today is this: I won't need to explain it anymore, ever again. Because today Oprah gave everyone in her audience a Kindle.

Earlier in the day I saw a 15-sec promo for the show saying she would be revealing her new favorite "gadget" and in the pit of my soul I knew... I don't imagine I have much in common with Ms. Winfrey and often our taste in books is quite at odds, but the one thing I suspect we share is an absolute love of reading.

So the Kindle has been touched by the magic wand of an Oprah endorsement and thus I breathe a tiny sigh of relief. Because now, when I have occasion to speak of "my Kindle," instead of blank and perplexed faces, I will be met with, "Oh yeah! That thing that Oprah has!!!"

Why so quiet?

I've been all caught up in the presidential and vice presidential campaigns in much of my spare time (and frankly, overlapping into work time). The BDO blog is a place I created for softer, sweeter things - like tomatoes! Not politics. But since it's consuming so much of my head and heart right now, it's difficult to come to this "Create new post" page. And that's all I have to say about that.

Class Picture

(l to r) Brandywine, Green Zebra, Black Prince (in the back), Riesentraube, Orange Strawberry Oxheart. (Gold Medal Yellow was absent on picture day.)

Aren't they so pretty? Definitely not as prolific as the engineered hybrid plants we usually grow, but I have really enjoyed these heirloom plants. As you can see, we finally got fruit from the Orange Strawberry despite its slow start, but we only got a few. The Green Zebra, Riesentraube and Brandywine did the best.

Green Zebras are probably my overall favs for a few reasons: they produced the most; they and the riesentraubes were the only two who managed not to fall victim to the slug invasion; the flavor was - for me - a perfect balance of sweet and tangy; and of course, they look SOOO COOOOOL!! Sliced on a sandwich they made quite an impression with little strips of their green-yellow zebra skin peeking out between the bread, and I even canned a few and they have such a pleasant melon-green color in the jars.

I'll never do black princes again. They tasted fine, but they are not very visually appealing and they were the most susceptible to slugs. I canned a few of those too and it's a bit of a problem, because they look downright rotten in the jars. Can't give those away as gifts.

Will probably go back to mostly early girl hybrids next year, but may put in some green zebras for fun and variety.

A thing of grace

Bought a new car over the weekend. Haven't picked it up yet. Maybe tonight or tomorrow night. I will be very sad to say farewell to the Tacoma, nicknamed "kitty" because of how she always reminded me of a little black kitten curled up napping in the sun when I had her parked on the street.

I stayed within the Toyota family, although I looked for quite a while at the Honda Fit. I like small cars. I'm all about simplicity and fuel-efficiency when it comes to cars. A car is a mode of transportation to me, not much more, so I really don't care too much about how they look and Will's got his big ol' work truck so it's not as if we need another big vehicle for totin' and haulin' stuff.

So I'll be bringing home a Yaris. It reminds me a lot of the Red Bullet only it's black (they call it mica pearl sand or something silly). The RB is the car I owned for many happy years before the Tacoma came into my life. It was a Geo Prism (and actually came off the same assembly line as, and was identical to, the Toyota Corolla of its generation). Jenn V bought one that same year and is STILL driving it. Great car. Hers is red too, only it's that really nice grown-up maroon, whereas mine was big-hair-mall-chick-Jersey red (which faded horribly during the life of the car, making it more of an over-bleached-picnic-tablecloth red). Over 158,000 miles on it, and a young driver pulled out in front of me causing only minor damage to both vehicles, but enough for his insurance company to total the Red Bullet. They wrote me a check for much more than I thought she was worth and came and towed her away. A sad, but peaceful ending.

Right after the Yaris test drive, I asked the sales guy what the name meant. He confessed that he didn't know. During the hour or so we had to wait to see the finance guy I came up with this explanation and told him to tell future customers who ask: "Yaris is the ancient Greek god of fuel efficiency."

Yeah, right. Like who else asks something like that? Anyway... I looked it up this morning. Really much more stupid than my explanation. Apparently Toyota invented the word (not surprising), by smooshing together the name of the Greek goddess of grace, Charis (pronounced with a 'k' in the beginning so it actually sounds like "CARis"), and the German word for yes, ja, which is pronounced "yah." Hence: Yaris. Like: 'yes, this car is graceful'? Or 'say yes to grace'? Or 'yes, this is the car for anyone named Grace'?

Whatever. I like my answer better.