I got an idea for a story the other day and I couldn't get it out of my head. Soooo... I decided to write it out. And after mulling it over in my head for a while I realized that it would be best suited for a series type of thing. I figured that since there's so much potential within this idea that it wouldn't be fair to get it over with in one shot. Besides, where's the fun in that?
My goal is to add a new volume to the story every week. But since I'm such a rebel (insert chuckle here), I may add more than one per week if I'm on a roll or I may skip a week. I'll really try not to do the latter, I promise!
Feedback would be greatly appreciated. I want to hear what you think about the characters and the situations that they find themselves in. Can you relate? Do you think so-n-so is out of their mind? Do you like what I've got going on? Do you (deep breath) dislike what I'm doing and wonder if I'm sane? It's all welcomed and received!
Alright, here it goes! Revenge in Stilettos Volume One:
Candace Jacobs waits, fairly impatiently, for her boyfriend Ron to arrive. They have 8 o'clock reservations at an exclusive new sushi restaurant in Westwood and he was running late, again.
She had spent hours rummaging through her closet in search of the perfect outfit for tonight. This was going to be a special evening. She stands in front of her floor-length mirror and inspects herself.
Candace is a beautiful, mocha-brown skinned woman with sparkling brown eyes and short, well-manicured hair. After much debate, she finally decides on a bronze-colored halter dress that broadcasts every foot of the four miles per day that she runs to keep everything in place.
Candace looks at the small digital clock on her nightstand for what seems like the thirtieth time. 7:32 glares out at her in harsh red numbers, taunting her.
Candace picks up her cell phone and stares at it. She didn’t want to seem like a nag, she had already text Ron twice. “Screw it!” She said as she dials his number, “I made these reservations two months ago!”
The phone rings four times before Ron finally picks up. “Hello?”
“Ronald? Where are you?”
“Hey, wassup Candy Cane?”
Candace winces at Ron’s insistence on using that stupid nickname. Couldn’t he call her Candace like she’d asked time after time?
“Um, where are you?” She asks again, “If we’re not at the restaurant in twenty minutes they’ll give away our table. You know I’ve been waiting a long time to go to Sake Fire!”
“Yeah, I’m just running a little late.” Ron takes a deep breath, “You know I’m not really into sushi. Shit, Asian food altogether!”
Candace rolls her eyes. He can be so selfish! “I’ve already told you that they’ve got steak and rice on the menu, things you eat everyday.”
“I just don’t know why you couldn’t take one of your girls or something. Every time I turn around y’all are eating something wrapped in seaweed!”
She is on the verge of losing her patience now. “Dammit Ronald! Are you coming or not? It’s too late to call one of my girlfriends and I wanted to spend this evening with you anyway! I mean shit, you wait until twenty minutes before our reservation to pull---“
Ron cuts her off, “I said I was coming! I was just asking you a question. I’m around the corner.”
Candace smiles and hangs up the phone. She runs into the bathroom to touch up her makeup and check her dress. “That was pretty selfish of him. I’ve made it perfectly clear how special I want this night to be!” She decides to shake it off. He’s still coming after all and they can still make it on time.
Ron pulls up in front of Candice’s townhouse and honks twice. She runs out the door and into his black Chevy Tahoe. Candace leans over and pecks him on the cheek while simultaneously lowering the volume on the radio.
“I really wish you wouldn’t honk. This is a quiet neighborhood and I don’t need people in my business.”
Ron speeds away without looking at her, “We’re in a hurry right?”
As they drive, Candace admires Ron’s strong appearance. His long, lean frame coupled with his caramel complexion would make a beautiful child. She senses tension between them but credits it to Ron’s embarrassment for making her wait. She proceeds to ramble on about her day at work until they reach the restaurant.
The building is packed with patrons and there are many unhappy-looking people milled outside. “They obviously didn’t make a reservation,” Candace whispers triumphantly to Ron. He rolls his eyes and glances, longingly, towards an IN-N-OUT burger joint across the street.
A very petite Japanese woman holding a clipboard greets them just inside the door. Candace admires the woman’s long, dark hair. It hangs almost to her waist! “Welcome to Sake Fire! Are you on our guest list?”
Candace chimes, “Yes! Jacobs, party of two.” The woman checks her clipboard, smiles and leads them inside the establishment.
Sake Fire is flawless! The décor made Candice forget that she just stepped out of a Los Angeles parking lot. She felt as though she was IN Japan! The music was authentic but not intrusive and every employee’s presentation was immaculate. Candace felt pleased with herself for deciding on this location to surprise Ronald.
They are led to the back of the restaurant. Their table was a small two-seater next to an enormous fish tank housing the most colorful and exotic fish that either of them had ever seen! Candace couldn’t avoid beaming. They had the best table in the house!
“Here are your menus. Your personal server will be with you very shortly. Enjoy your experience.” The dainty woman then turns and weaves her way through the tables back towards the entrance.
Candace instantly begins talking. “Isn’t this place amazing? I’m so glad we were able to get here in time! Close call though huh?”
Ron’s attention shifts from her to the massive fish tank. There were many vibrant-colored fish in the tank but the one that wasn’t colorful caught his attention. What was it called? Oh yeah, a puffer fish! Ron had never seen one in real life before. He’d watched the movie Finding Nemo with his nephew once before and remembered that they blew up like a balloon. He wondered if he could get it to puff up. Maybe if he tapped on the ---
“Ronald?”
The sound of his name snapped Ron out of his puffer fish infatuation. He looked at Candace but didn’t answer.
“Did you hear anything I just said?” Ron frowns, trying to remember something she had said. Candace forces a smiles, “I’ve been trying to make tonight special because I have something for you.” She gestures towards a black, velvet ring box she’s placed in front of him. He hadn’t realized that there was anything there.
“What’s this?”
“A surprise. If you had been listening to me the last five minutes you would have heard me say how much of a good team I think that we make. I’ve just been promoted and with that big contract you’ve just landed, we’re prime candidates for marriage and children.”
Rob chokes, “Whoa, whoa! What?”
“Please let me finish Ronald.” She’s got his full attention now. “I have no desire to have a fall or winter wedding. Everyone knows that summer is the best time of year for that sort of thing so I figured that we could take the next logical step while we wait.” Candace grins and sits back in her chair looking as if she just cured cancer.
Rob stares at her with his mouth open. “What was that? Did you just propose to me? What the hell was that Candace?”
Okay NOW he uses my real name, Candace thinks. “Will you please just open the box?”
Ron picks up the box and looks at it intently. This didn’t seem right. Wasn’t a man supposed to propose to a woman, when he was ready? This is too much!
“Hi! I’m Kelly and I’ll be you server today. May I interest you two in our specialty Sake Bombs before I take your order?” Ron was relieved for the break from Candace’s impatient glare.
Candace directs her attention towards the waitress. “You know Kelly, I’d love one of those Sake Bombs. Also a glass of water with a splash of lemon juice, but not the piece of lemon in it, okay?”
“Sure! And for you sir?”
“Yeah, Sake’s fine.”
“Wonderful, I’ll be back to take your order in a few, unless you’re ready now?”
“No thanks, we’ll need more time.” Candace answered.
“Okay I’ll be back shortly.”
Ron watches Kelly walk away. He slowly returns his eyes to Candace’s and is met with an annoyed stare. “What were we talking about?”
“You’re kidding me right?” Candace takes a deep, cleansing breath, “You were about to open that box and give me an answer, Ronald!”
Ron takes his own deep breath and looks Candice directly in her eyes, “I hate it when you call me Ronald. I told you my mom is the only person who uses that name and I like it that way.”
She cuts in, “I hate nicknames. You’re a professional man and you should use a professional name.”
“Don’t interrupt me.”
Candace opens her mouth to respond then decides against it. Ron twirls the box around in his hands but does not open it. “I gotta be honest with you. I’m not interested in what’s in this box after that lil speech you just gave. I have no plans of getting married or having kids any time soon and I’ve explained that to you numerous times. And the fact that you would make the decision to go ahead and decide to do whatever this is anyway confirms what I’ve been feeling for weeks.”
Ron stands and walks to Candace’s side. He places the box in front of her on the table. “I can’t do this anymore Candace. I hope you get what you’re looking for.” Without another word, he walks away and Candace is left alone wondering what just happened.
“Oh I see we lost someone,” Candace was startled by Kelly’s return. “Is your friend in the restroom? Would you like to wait to order?”
“No Kelly, it looks like it’s just going to be me.” She opens her menu and does a quick scan. “I’ll start with the Kani Salad, Salmon Sashimi and two orders of Shrimp Tempura.” She folds her menu and hands it to the server. “Oh and Kelly? Keep these Sake Bombs coming.”
Candace downs drink #1 and turns her attention to the ring box Ron had returned to her unopened.
“Asshole.” She opens the box to reveal a singular key on a key chain reading HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS.
Her intentions were to ease him into an engagement by inviting him to live with her. She had plenty of space and her Sherman Oaks zip code was much more appealing than that shit hole he paid too much rent for in Reseda!
Candace reaches across the table and downs Ron’s Sake Bomb in one gulp. She notices all of the happy couples seated all around her and suddenly feels very self-conscious at Ron’s absence.
Instantly, she realizes that she didn’t drive there, “Shit! How am I getting home?”
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I Love My Children But I Hate My Life
I read the most interesting article about parenting by Jennifer Senior. She discusses why parents hate parenting. I'd love to start a forum about this subject. If you haven't read the article yet, take a look using the link above and come back and chat with me about it.
I first saw a link from MSN with the header I Love My Children But I Hate My Life and I instantly thought, "Who would say that?" But, honestly, how many parents have thought the same thing? Why is it taboo to say that you may be unhappy with the way your life has progressed? That it's nothing like you may have imagined?
The article sited many studies dedicated to finding out how parents feel about the transition into parenting. Most of the studies state that, as a whole, parents are more unhappy after children than before. Andrew Oswald, an economist, says: “The broad message is not that children make you less happy; it’s just that children don’t make you more happy.” I believe that there lies the problem.
There are unrealistic expectations that are placed on parenthood. People believe that children will make their lives so much happier and tend to dilute themselves to the real and true struggle of raising other human beings into functioning, responsible members of society. Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist and father and grandfather has made a name for himself showing that we humans are pretty sorry predictors of what will make us happy, and to his mind, the yearning for children, the literal mother of all aspirations for so many, is a very good case in point—what children really do, he suspects, is offer moments of transcendence, not an overall improvement in well-being.
The point was also made that parent's level of dissatisfaction grew with the amount of money they had. This really surprised me. Their guess as to why this is revolves around age and expectations. People who are at a higher economic status tend to wait a little longer to have children. They've established themselves in their businesses and the community and come to know exactly who they are as an individual. Now, “there’s a loss of freedom and a loss of autonomy. It’s totally different from going from your parents’ house to immediately having a baby. Now you know what you’re giving up” says Jean Twenge, a psychologist. “There’s all this buildup—as soon as I get this done, I’m going to have a baby, and it’s going to be a great reward!” says Ada Calhoun, the author of Instinctive Parenting and founding editor-in-chief of Babble, the online parenting site. “And then you’re like, ‘Wait, this is my reward? This nineteen-year grind?"
Older parents, after spending their entire adult lives in the work force, tend to feel that there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Unfortunately, this mind frame can be disastrous when applied to raising children. It can breed competitiveness against other families: "Lil Johnny didn't walk as quickly as Lil Jesse down the street so WE must be doing something wrong!"
I really enjoyed reading this article though I barely scratched the surface of the information provided in it in this blog post. I wonder how many parents would actually fess up to feeling, or having felt, similar feelings. I know I have! Unrealistic expectations alone can make a girl loose her mind! Ahhhh!!! Raising my kids has definately provided the most rewarding experiences in my life so I'm not saying it's bad or a regret. I just think it's unhealthy not to be able to express ALL of the feelings we have. Why do we have to censor our emotions?
I first saw a link from MSN with the header I Love My Children But I Hate My Life and I instantly thought, "Who would say that?" But, honestly, how many parents have thought the same thing? Why is it taboo to say that you may be unhappy with the way your life has progressed? That it's nothing like you may have imagined?
The article sited many studies dedicated to finding out how parents feel about the transition into parenting. Most of the studies state that, as a whole, parents are more unhappy after children than before. Andrew Oswald, an economist, says: “The broad message is not that children make you less happy; it’s just that children don’t make you more happy.” I believe that there lies the problem.
There are unrealistic expectations that are placed on parenthood. People believe that children will make their lives so much happier and tend to dilute themselves to the real and true struggle of raising other human beings into functioning, responsible members of society. Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist and father and grandfather has made a name for himself showing that we humans are pretty sorry predictors of what will make us happy, and to his mind, the yearning for children, the literal mother of all aspirations for so many, is a very good case in point—what children really do, he suspects, is offer moments of transcendence, not an overall improvement in well-being.
The point was also made that parent's level of dissatisfaction grew with the amount of money they had. This really surprised me. Their guess as to why this is revolves around age and expectations. People who are at a higher economic status tend to wait a little longer to have children. They've established themselves in their businesses and the community and come to know exactly who they are as an individual. Now, “there’s a loss of freedom and a loss of autonomy. It’s totally different from going from your parents’ house to immediately having a baby. Now you know what you’re giving up” says Jean Twenge, a psychologist. “There’s all this buildup—as soon as I get this done, I’m going to have a baby, and it’s going to be a great reward!” says Ada Calhoun, the author of Instinctive Parenting and founding editor-in-chief of Babble, the online parenting site. “And then you’re like, ‘Wait, this is my reward? This nineteen-year grind?"
Older parents, after spending their entire adult lives in the work force, tend to feel that there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Unfortunately, this mind frame can be disastrous when applied to raising children. It can breed competitiveness against other families: "Lil Johnny didn't walk as quickly as Lil Jesse down the street so WE must be doing something wrong!"
I really enjoyed reading this article though I barely scratched the surface of the information provided in it in this blog post. I wonder how many parents would actually fess up to feeling, or having felt, similar feelings. I know I have! Unrealistic expectations alone can make a girl loose her mind! Ahhhh!!! Raising my kids has definately provided the most rewarding experiences in my life so I'm not saying it's bad or a regret. I just think it's unhealthy not to be able to express ALL of the feelings we have. Why do we have to censor our emotions?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Is It Possible?
I've read a bunch of stories about super-successful people. I love hearing how they made it to super-successful status. How they sacrificed and put in crazy amounts of hours and lived in poverty all for the ulimate prize... their dreams coming true! The story is pretty similar with all of them; they had blinding, one-tracked determination and they were going to make it no matter what!
I noticed another trend among these people as well. A strong majority of them had failure after failure in their personal lives. Multiple marriages, children they don't see enough of and lack of 'true' friends.
Is it possible to have true success in both your professional and personal lives? Or are you sacrificing one for the other?
I noticed another trend among these people as well. A strong majority of them had failure after failure in their personal lives. Multiple marriages, children they don't see enough of and lack of 'true' friends.
Is it possible to have true success in both your professional and personal lives? Or are you sacrificing one for the other?
Saturday, July 10, 2010
What's Your Contribution?
I spent this past week on vacation in Vegas with my wonderful husband. We were celebrating my entrance into my third decade and had the best time! For years I've wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil show and The Lion King theatre production. On Tuesday we saw Mystere and Thursday was The Lion King.
If you've never had the opportunity to see one of the many Cirque du Soleil shows, please do yourself a favor and find the closest one to you. It was one of the greatest collections of talent and perfection that I've ever seen! While I was sitting in the audience watching people fly through the air and balance on poles and other people's hands I realized that each and every one of these people we utilizing their talents to the fullest. They were all artists and none of them made mistakes within their art. They were each getting paid to perform amazing acts with their bodies that 95% of the rest of the population couldn't do even if they wanted to.
How amazing would this world be if everyone found what it was that they were good at and actually did it? I used to love to dance but I stopped as a child. I could have been a cast member in a play like The Lion King but I ended up looking at a cubicle wall for 8 hours a day instead. I know I'm not the only person who's life took this same path. Everyone wanted to be something and do something when they were younger but not everyone followed those dreams. Somewhere between wanting to grow up and be a fireman and fighting rush hour traffic on the way to a job you hate we veered off the path of who we are.
I wanted to be an architect when I was a little girl. Although I couldn't see myself doing that now, I can identify that I wanted to create things. Create things and make things around me better.
What's your contribution to this world? Are you suppressing it?
If you've never had the opportunity to see one of the many Cirque du Soleil shows, please do yourself a favor and find the closest one to you. It was one of the greatest collections of talent and perfection that I've ever seen! While I was sitting in the audience watching people fly through the air and balance on poles and other people's hands I realized that each and every one of these people we utilizing their talents to the fullest. They were all artists and none of them made mistakes within their art. They were each getting paid to perform amazing acts with their bodies that 95% of the rest of the population couldn't do even if they wanted to.
How amazing would this world be if everyone found what it was that they were good at and actually did it? I used to love to dance but I stopped as a child. I could have been a cast member in a play like The Lion King but I ended up looking at a cubicle wall for 8 hours a day instead. I know I'm not the only person who's life took this same path. Everyone wanted to be something and do something when they were younger but not everyone followed those dreams. Somewhere between wanting to grow up and be a fireman and fighting rush hour traffic on the way to a job you hate we veered off the path of who we are.
I wanted to be an architect when I was a little girl. Although I couldn't see myself doing that now, I can identify that I wanted to create things. Create things and make things around me better.
What's your contribution to this world? Are you suppressing it?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Charming Notes
I'm currently reading Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See. I'm only a few chapters in but I must say that I'm enjoying it. I'll probably finish it.
In the book, Ms. See discusses the importance of writing 1,000 words per day, five days a week for the rest of your life. Her reasons, among others, are: 1) Five days a week makes it seem as if you're working which can placate the naysayers and 2) It fosters momentum and momentum is like gold!
I completely agree with those two reasons. If being a writer is what you want to do, as opposed to cleaning houses or being a doctor or a life guard, then you have to do it! Any other profession requires practice and consistency so why would writing be any different? You got it, Ms. See! I'm on board with 1,000 words, five days a week!
Later in the book she discusses writing a charming note to someone you admire, five days a week for the rest of your life. This is where I took a pause...
I understand her reasoning behind it. It can bring joy to the writer/director/publisher etc that you choose to languish your affection on and it can possibly get your name out in the industry. The thing that bothers me about this is me. I have the discipline to write 1,000 words per day because I really want to make writing my life. I can split my writing between short stories, screen writing, blogging and my own personal rantings (my personal fav), but I'm not so sure that I can come up with hundreds of people whose contributions I admire. Also, I'd worry about coming off desperate or pitiful. The book says that you are not to ask for anything, only to express how their work has enriched your life in some way.
Dammit!
I've recently made a promise to myself that I was going to live in such a way that doesn't leave regret and since I may regret not doing something for the sole reason of questioning my own dedication, I'm going to go ahead and do it. Dammit...
I can only thing of about ten people that I'd write a note to off the top of my head. I guess I better get reading so I can find some people to admire.
In the book, Ms. See discusses the importance of writing 1,000 words per day, five days a week for the rest of your life. Her reasons, among others, are: 1) Five days a week makes it seem as if you're working which can placate the naysayers and 2) It fosters momentum and momentum is like gold!
I completely agree with those two reasons. If being a writer is what you want to do, as opposed to cleaning houses or being a doctor or a life guard, then you have to do it! Any other profession requires practice and consistency so why would writing be any different? You got it, Ms. See! I'm on board with 1,000 words, five days a week!
Later in the book she discusses writing a charming note to someone you admire, five days a week for the rest of your life. This is where I took a pause...
I understand her reasoning behind it. It can bring joy to the writer/director/publisher etc that you choose to languish your affection on and it can possibly get your name out in the industry. The thing that bothers me about this is me. I have the discipline to write 1,000 words per day because I really want to make writing my life. I can split my writing between short stories, screen writing, blogging and my own personal rantings (my personal fav), but I'm not so sure that I can come up with hundreds of people whose contributions I admire. Also, I'd worry about coming off desperate or pitiful. The book says that you are not to ask for anything, only to express how their work has enriched your life in some way.
Dammit!
I've recently made a promise to myself that I was going to live in such a way that doesn't leave regret and since I may regret not doing something for the sole reason of questioning my own dedication, I'm going to go ahead and do it. Dammit...
I can only thing of about ten people that I'd write a note to off the top of my head. I guess I better get reading so I can find some people to admire.
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