Random Pseudo-Celebrity Sighting

I was getting a snack duirng the break of my class today, and I totally saw one of the contestants from Project Runway. At least I'm pretty sure it was him. He kind of just looked like a guy, but one that I was like... "I know him! OH! It's that guy!" I don't even know which contestant. I'll try to find a picture online and figure out his name! Ah! His name is Jack Mackenroth, 38, and I just spoiled myself searching the internet for a picture (I'm watching the episode now).


This happened to me once before. In 2006, Joe and I were at Brooks Brothers so he could wear a fancy shirt to our wedding. He was paying and I was walking around outside in a light misty rain. All of the sudden this guy walked very precisely up to the window while spinning an umbrella to look at the display, with his entourage following him. I managed to get a good look, and it was Austin Scarlett!



Somehow I never, ever have New York City celebrity sightings by myself. I was literally two feet from Denzel Washington and I just walked right past him, thinking about how annoying it was that all these people were blocking the sidewalk. Luckily the person I was with was a little more observant! Yet somehow put me in the vicinity of a Project Runway contestant and I see nothing else.

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Confessions of an Austen-ite

I have a confession. I am an Austen-ite. In college, during my semester abroad in Bath, England, an Oxford tutor whom was aptly named Lizzie encouraged my love of all things Jane Austen. We read her books-in order of publication, not written-, we watched movie adaptations, we visited her home and her grave. I was hooked.

As time went on, I suppose my love of Jane Austen faded into the background of my life. I didn't go out of my way to see the new Pride and Prejudice. I didn't reread my once much-loved tomes. I enjoyed my Austen "lite": laughing at the loose P&P frame of Bridget Jones' Diary, making references to Alicia Silverstone's stunning performance in Clueless.

Lately though, I've been getting back into my Austen groove. I watched the Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice. Though some may consider it sacrilege, I thought it was a good adaptation. It wasn't four hours long (insert throat-clearing sound here), the setting was amazing and the general feel of it was nice. And it put me in the mood to read Austen some more. Last summer, I reread Persuasion, my favorite Austen novel. It is atypical of her usual setup and one that I knew I could read again and again. But over the long weekend I was horrified to realize that apparently, though I own some of Austen's lesser-read novels (Persuasion, Northhagner Abbey), I do not own Pride and Prejudice. It's on my to-buy book list now.

Because my Pride and Persuasion cravings couldn't be satiated by the book, I went for the next best thing: I watched the Bollywood version, Bride and Prejudice, which I have been sitting on for 2.5 years now. In case you were wondering, I don't know why I waited. It was awesome. Not only was it a satisfying and fun way to feed my Austen hunger, but it also helped ease the disappointment that Lost won't be on the air until January or February, as the talented and gorgeous Naveen Andrews was cast in the role that would have been Mr. Bingley.

So, obviously, when I saw this quiz on-line, I couldn't resist. For my senior year of high school, Pride and Prejudice was the fall play. I was cast in the role of Kitty and got to flit around the stage giggling and flirting with all of the handsome soldiers. Thankfully, the gods of the internets seemed to have a bit more faith in me, and my quiz answers cast me in the coveted role of Elizabeth Bennet.

Which Pride and Prejudice Girl Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Elizabeth I am Elizabeth. I am headstrong and intelligent. I love to be myself, and am very loyal to my family. I can sometimes be prideful and "prejudiced," but I try to remain open minded and I usually regret past mistakes. Elizabeth 75% Charlotte 60% Jane 60% Mary 55% Mrs. Bennet 50% Kitty 35% Lydia 25%

Frekin' NaNoWriMo

You're falling a little behind. But don't worry, just try to write 2480 words a day and you'll still make it.

11/12 5,343 1,156 44,657 445 2,350 February 20, 2007 11%



This year is my third competing in NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. A significantly less public but a bit crazier cousin of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), NaNoWriMo is the way that once a year I decide that "really, I should start writing again", and actually do it. Grant you, I don't think my submission for NaNo is particularly good (thankfully, and unlike NaBlo, no one will ever actually be forced to read it), and sadly I have never reached the 50,000 word mark where victory lies. But for one month in the year, I get to really think of myself as a writer. I create characters and a world. I decide relationships and fates. Even at day 12 and 5,343 pathetic words in, I can be proud of the fact that I wrote 11% of a novel. I can enjoy the fact that today I wrote 1,156 words that I would most certainly not have written if this imaginary deadline was not looming over my head.

Right now I'm in grad school, I work and I have delusions of having a life that I'm really not willing to give up for any internet contest. I probably won't reach the 50K word mark again this year (unless I manage to write 2,480 words a day until November 30th). In fact, part of me feels a little guilty that I'm wasting 325 words (326) here (327) instead (328) of (329) putting them in my novel. But I suppose we all must sacrifice for our art. (344)

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