Rainy days and fundays

It has pretty much been raining for a week. I like it!  Having grown up in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, I enjoy it when we have weather here in Southern California. It's so infrequent, you know?

I am very disappointed about the health care situation. I have recently applied for Medi-Cal and Kaiser and were declined by both.  I had a congenital heart defect and a pituitary tumor, both of which are fully repaired and no longer an issue, yet that was too much for Kaiser. Medi-Cal says I don't have a disability. I didn't know you had to have a disability to get Medi-Cal. And now, the Republicans have pretty much killed any chance of me actually getting any health coverage.

Business is great!
Have had inquiries from 11 new perspective students this month. 5 were craigslist inquiries from adult beginners (none of these ever pan out). 6 were for kids (referred by current students) and 2 of those kids have started already!
I made new business cards.
I sent a mailing out to school music teachers.
One of my violin students joined VYMA.
One of my voice students participated in a really excellent musical revue at Poly last night. I was so impressed with these kids!  All 8th graders and some truly talented kids in the group!
Check out my website at http://www.lizelliot.com/

I am still dreaming of going to London at the end of April/beginning of May to see Private Lives. Don't think it's going to happen though.

And now the really good part - my book is very nearly finished! Have 2 scenes left to write and then I can do another edit, and then I can start sending it out and receiving all those rejection letters!  LOL  Next project...book 2.  Next project after that...screenplay.

A new dawn

I have a website! I'm sort of excited about it because I successfully created it myself and I think it's a good start! Check it out at http://www.lizelliot.com! My goal is to take on 10 more students to be really stable though. If you know anybody in the Pasadena area looking for a private music teacher, please refer them to my website!

I got carded last night. I'm 38. I thought my gray hair was a dead giveaway. They say you're supposed to get carded if you look under 30, but I didn't think I even fell into that category!

My book is about a week of writing away from the end. Once that's done, I will need to do a thorough edit of at least the last half, then I will start soliciting agents again as I work on the second book.

I really should write something more profound one of these days.

Holiday musings

Happiest of Holidays to all readers!

Christmas has become a sort of non-entity for me. I don't have family in town and I don't like to go to Minnesota for Christmas and freeze my ass off. My mom's side of the family has a big celebration - usually a couple weeks before Christmas because the actualy holiday, people are busy with their in-laws to get together. But, I go to these things and watch all these people and I can't relate to them, and I doubt they can relate to me. We make small talk, and I find out that their lives are the same, their kids are older, but not much changes. Not that much changes for me either and they can't relate to what little goes on in my life either. It's not a loss. I've grown apart from them because I lead a pretty different life 2,000 miles away and I'm not really interested in the things they're interested in, nor are they interested in me. The saving grace is that Mom came to visit for about 5 days. It was great having her here.

The book is largely stalled. I am desperate to keep writing, but my current strategies are not serving the story and a restructure is needed. I will continue to play with ideas and I'm confident I will find my way back, but it's frustrating to be stuck without a plan.

My 2 best friends and I have gone to Disneyland on Christmas Eve the past few years, but this year, one is on her honeymoon. The wedding was last weekend and I was a bridesmaid for the first time in my life (I always get asked to do the music, never to be in the wedding). That was a terrifying experience I don't really care to have again. I was filled with anxiety, surrounded by far too many size 2s. I'm sure I stuck out like an elephant. But, it was for Aileen, so I did my best not to let it get to me, as uncomfortable as it was, and it was worth it. Aileen had a beautiful wedding in spite of me and I'm certain that I was 50 times better behaved than one other particular member of the wedding party!

Already?

Okay, so I've been a lazy blogger. It's unfathomable that Thanksgiving is next week. And do retailers really not hear EVERYONE complain about holiday music and items being in their stores so early. I don't know anybody who likes this before Thanksgiving, do you? It's so about the money to them - the longer the stuff is in their stores, the more we spend, I guess. (Well, not me. I have no money. ;-)

25 of my 31 students are having their recitals on Sunday, so I've been busy with that. I'm proud of these kids. Most are memorized and a few have really grown leaps and bounds since the last recital 6 months ago.

Honestly, I haven't written in a couple of weeks, but I sort of screwed it up. I had an idea about whose perspective the book should be written from, and I sorted it out for the first half, but it isn't working on the second half, so I have to rearrange the second half. I just haven't gotten to it yet.

Also, I read "The Lost Symbol" - Dan Brown's new book. Not as good as DaVinci Code, and not even close to as good as "Angels and Demons", but still good nonetheless. I love his writing. His plots are so complicated and take so much explanation, but it doesn't bog you down, nor does he talk down to you. It was a very fast read and I couldn't put it down.

Here's hoping you all have a happy, prosperous and warm holiday season!

Birthday Blog

38. Can't believe I'm 38. I had certain ideas about how life would be at this age, and life really doesn't turn out the way you expected, does it? I have other things to be grateful for, but those really strong core life wishes like having a family, being in a relationship, having a lucrative and successful career have slipped away from me. Having my own kids and being in a relationship are wishes I've given up, but my friends are my family and my career is about to get a big boost, especially if this book gets finished and published.

I've been in the midst of a rearrangement of my work situation which has been incredibly stressful. Today I got some very good news that should help this along brilliantly. Without going into details, I have to add that my mom is the greatest person on the planet and I love her with all my heart! Also, Colby has been a godsend to me in figuring all of this out. I wish he would go to law school! Aileen and Alison have been very helpful as well. I'm so grateful to have such fantastic, brilliant and generous people on my side!

The book is moving forward. It has become a great escape during this stressful time. I started over on Monday yet again, but I'm happy with what I've done. It has cut a lot of words off the book while maintaining the story just as effectively and it's going to work brilliantly. And the length of the book is an important consideration in getting it published, especially as a first-time writer.

I have a great desire to go to London next spring and see a revival of Private Lives with Matthew Macfadyen and Kim Cattrall in the lead roles. Financially, it isn't logical to even try to make it happen, but I could really use a vacation to somewhere other than Minneapolis and one of my deepest desires has always been a trip to London.

Now what do I do?

So I got the first draft of book 1 done. In the last 20 pages, things really took shape and a lot of doubt I had was removed. I'm 79 pages into the first edit. Yesterday, I was with Colby, and I described what the story is and he proceeded to go on for 15 minutes about what he didn't like. Bear in mind 2 things - I asked him for and very much value his opinion - he hasn't actually read any of it, I've just told him the story in detail. He had several things to say and I realized he had some very good points, and now I don't know what to do. I thought I had it figured it out, but he pointed out a lot of weaknesses in my ideas. Shit.

My most gifted student had to drop lessons this week. I was very bummed about it. She's been with me for 2 years and I really like her and her family. She's a brilliantly talented singer and she works hard. And I know from experience that they almost never come back. But I know I have taught her a lot and she will take that with her wherever she goes next. I will watch her rise. Someday, she will be on Broadway.

Watched the very disturbing and frustrating Criminal Justice II (BBC crime drama) all week. Was lovely to see some new Matthew Macfadyen material (even though he was doing some disturbing stuff); the acting was spectacular and I am fast becoming a fan of Sophie Okonedo. But the show itself was badly written.

Also, got to see Ricky Gervais on the season premiere of The Graham Norton Show. Ricky is hysterical, and there is no better laugh on the planet! When I was in Nebraska, I listened to the first season of the Ricky Gervais Show (the podcast) and it was quite funny. And I truly loved Extras.

Got my taxes done. Took me and Colby 7 hours yesterday, but I am getting a small refund (almost enough to cover the cost of TurboTax, woohoo). What a relief to have that out of the way.

Minneapolis got 2 inches of snow on Thurdsay. ROFL! They're all complaining - why do they live there if they hate snow? I don't get it.

My sis-in-law recently told my Mom, "I don't know how you were ever with that man," meaning my Dad. My friends who have met both my parents can't understand how they were ever a couple either! ROFL!

Almost there

I am happy to report that book 1 is almost a complete story at 127,000 words. That'll get edited down to about 115,000, I believe because I've decided to scrap a whole section. Then I can finally start submitting to agents and publishers, whoever they are and begin receiving the hundreds of rejection letters I will receive before being offered that magical YES with lots of $$ attached!

I am very grateful that I was part of the acting profession. I am OK with rejection. I understand because I have experienced that there is a time and a place and a "right vibe" for every professional relationship and that the right publisher/author relationship will come along for me too. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was rejected many times and look at it now.

My income is down $500 since July (and the summer months are already down). I lost 3 students for various reasons, and sent 4 guitar players to a brilliant new teacher where they will thrive and learn much more than I can teach them. I wasn't counting on losing 3 kids. Now I'm sweating. So if you know anybody who needs a teacher (Pasadena area), please send them my way. Not adult beginners though. I'd rather die.

Was going to go to a taping for the new Jeff Dunham Show tonight with Colby but I have a migraine. I tried to sleep it off, but it didn't work and now I'm not tired enough to sleep more. This beautiful sunlight is not helping. It's a gorgeous day! If my head wasn't splitting in 2, I'd be out in it. 80, sunny, clear, breezy. Perfect!

Taxes are calling. Anybody know somebody REALLY cheap?