Thursday, July 7, 2011

Fog

All this clean California air... my lungs don't know what to do with it.  It makes me want to nap and drink 75 cups of tea. Not at the same time of course.

I left my 2nd MFA residency and headed to Washington DC. I went to visit a good friend of mine in a rough place. I don't think she even invited me to stay. I told her I was planning a visit, I needed to pay her a visit, just to see where she was mentally and if I could offer her any words of understanding.

My friend, let's call her Donna, was preforming an incredible feat of selflessness. She opened up her home to a dying friend. A friend with terminal cancer.  People who know me well are familiar with my story and my family history. I watched two people close to me, my mother and sister, die of cancer. My mom went first followed by my sister two and half years later.

My mother never acted sick. She was in a clinical trial for small cell lung cancer and attended undergraduate college part time.  One day she was in class, the next day she had difficulty breathing, went to the ER and never came out.   She died at 11:30pm  on September 10, 2001. I took the last flight out of Houston that night (and luckily I did b/c we all know what happened the next day) hoping to say goodbye to her. When my plane touched down at BWI, she was already gone.

My sister had undiagnosed pain for a year. When the source of the pain was discovered, she was told she had stage 4 cancer. That was April 2003. She went into out patient hospice December 2003 and died within 6 weeks.  My sister  held on for nearly two weeks after the death rattle began,  she held on through all the medical predictions of "within hours", and she held on for a week without a traceable blood pressure.  She died on a during an ice storm on a Monday. She was 46 years old.

My heart went out to my friend Donna when she told me she was caring for her terminal ill friend.  I am a writer but I do not have the words to express what happens when a person dies slowly and painfully in front of you. You want your loved one to end their suffering, to go peacefully into the after life. But you selfishly do not want them to go, to leave you in the wake of grief - the fog that envelops you then dissipates over time, therapy, and a lot of cupcakes.

Donna was a good shape though. In much better shape that I had anticipated. Her friend had left to be with family and decided to live our her final days there.  The day after I left Donna's house, her friend died.  She sent me a text and a I cried like it was yesterday my niece called me to tell me my sister finally let go.

Whether you get to say goodbye to a terminally ill loved one or you make peace with their eventual demise, I think it's important to reach out people may need your help. That's what I did for Donna and doing so, I helped myself.

WOW! What a totally depressing post...

I missed two Igpay Atinlay posts. I owe you 2 and then some.

Peace Out,
EPJ

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Igpay Atinlay Uesdaystay Elayedday noay Ccountaay foay Etlagjay

Elcomeway  otay Igpay Atinlay Uesdaystays.


Etlaggedjay inway Illmay Alleyvay ACAY. Eatingway armfay eshfray organicway awberriesstray andway allonsgay ofway offeecay.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Igpay Atinlay Uesdaystays

Elcomeway  otay Igpay Atinlay Uesdaystays.  Ouya ancay  evernay peaksay nougheay Igpay Atinlay.  Omesay aysay tsiay aay ostlay anguagelay. Iay aysay tiay ustjay eedsnay otay ebay ekindledray niay hildhoodcay indsmay.

Idday ouyay nowkay Homastay Effersonjay roteway etterslay niat Igpay Atinlay? Ehay uresay idday. Tiay asway lsoay idelyway umoredray hattay ehay roteway boutaay ishay excapadessay niay ishay ournaljay singusay Igpay Atinlay. Histay sisay aay idkay riendlyfay logbay osay hattay siay notheraay torysay ntirelyeay.

Iay ubmittedsay ymay wotay anuscriptsmay orfay ymay Unejay esidencyray. Ighsay. Ladgay hattay sisay veroay ithway. Iay maay  ookinglay orwardfay otay eeingsay riendsfay nday amilyfay noay ymay riptay nday foay oursecay ritingway ymay ummbay ffoay!

Iay opehay ouyay avehay njoyedeay ymay eryvay irstfay Igpay Atinlay Uesdaystay ostpay. Ntiluay extnay eekway...

Saturday, May 28, 2011

After You - A Short Film by Noah Debonis

Noah Dubonis, the son of my friend and mentor Laurie Kuntz directed this short during his first year of grad school. After You won Best Cinematography at the University of Miami's Cane Film Festival. This short was one of nine films that represented U of Miami in a Paramount Studios Los Angeles Screening!


After You - YouTube

Grammar Challenged

I'm a grammar fucktard.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Counting day the days...

'til my next Writer's Residency.  My first semester at Lesley was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, next to child birth and motherhood. Everything I thought I knew about writing, I didn't.  Writing is a process, creativity a gift.  I learned I must work my process to reap the rewards of my gifts even if it's just a shitty first draft. 


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Back in Bangkok... Where there will be a chance of sleep and Pad Thai Prayers...

You know that feeling you get after a long boat ride, the feeling that you are still moving. What's it called? Sea legs? Well, after 32 hours of travel, I have some serious air legs. I wish I could sleep it off. With the jet lag and my bursting excitement at seeing my kids again,  there will be no chance of sleep in my near future.  Maybe tomorrow, I'll sleep.

In the meantime, I 'll head down to my favorite mom and pop thai place,  carb -load up on the best Pad Thai, EVER. I'll say quite prayers to the sleep Gods in between breathless gulps of noodles, my glasses fogging up from dish an the afternoon sun, sweat dripping down my face. I may even wash down my noodles with a Singha. Who knows? I'm an MFA candidate at 40, I'm all over some crazy shit like beers at 10am and no sleep for days!!

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Post Residency... Part II

Post residency travel - 

I'm in DC with my niece and nephew (in law) until next week which is good. I'll be easing into my life without the community of writers. I'm a bit lost. I don't know what to do with myself. I should be writing but I not there yet. I should be reading but again, not there yet. I'm antsy. 

And I need coffee. 

Lost on the coffee thing here at my niece's Her coffee maker is an all in one, grind and brew. It probably can perform minor surgery. I have no idea how to work it. 

I'm out of clean clothes too. 

I arrived at my niece's  with one clean underwear, if I can call it underwear. More like affixing-eye- bulgers that "shrink the waist and gut" by 2 - 10 inches depending on the peddler.   I call them my magic pants. I typically only wear these babies on special occasions like anniversary dinners with my hubs. I have no idea why I do this because getting out of the magic pants is one of the most exhausting and completely unsexy to witness. 

So today is all about finding some coffee, doing laundry and changing my magic pants which of then I'll be totally exhausted to get any real work done. Tomorrow is another day so tomorrow, I will release the Kraken!

Four Days Post Residency...

Laundry done, sorta. Books hunted and purchased, mostly. Time to destroy that blank page. RELEASE THE KRAKEN, hopefully.