mythteller: (karnack)
In this meme, people post random things about themselves and if you leave a comment or a Like (on Facebook), they give you a number and then you need to provide that many random facts about yourself.

My friend Alli K., in all her devious sweetness, gave me the number 15. Emily B. was nicer and asked for two, but  I'm hoping they all get covered in this list. Jeepers.

15 Random Facts about me

1. Although I live in Montreal now, I was born in Quebec city. Yes Mme. Marois, I am a part of the tiny Anglophone community that lives and thrives still in Quebec city.

2. I have only ever traveled across the pond twice: once to Ireland and once to France.

3. I am still very scared of the dark and I'm quite claustrophobic.

4. Growing up, I was a proud member of Boy Scouts of Canada. I was a Wolf Cub and a Scout, and when I was an adult, I was a Wolf Cub leader in groups in Quebec city and Sherbrooke.

5. Because my girlfriend Gail was a Jeannettes leader with Guides & Scouts du Quebec, I was also became a leader with the Jeannettes (girls aged 8 to 13) in Sherbrooke, Ottawa, and Montreal. I received my Guide Cross in 1992 and I still have all the scarves from the groups I've worked with during those years. Very happy memories.

6. Before my 20s, my metabolism was in high-gear and I used to be bone-thin. I remember thinking that I wished I could put on some weight. Be careful what you wish for. Now, because of a variety of medical issues, losing weight is especially difficult.

7. I've always been fascinated by ghosts and hauntings, so no matter how crappy it is, if there's a TV show about hauntings and ghosts, I will probably watch it. I have only done a couple of investigations personally. Orbs no longer impress me and I'm not convinced that EVPs should be considered hard evidence. I try to be open-minded, but I am a skeptic.

8. In my childhood years, I was a target for many, many bullies because I was small, skinny, weak, and easily prone to crying. This has left me with a profound sympathy for the underdog and I can sometimes overreact to perceived bullying, either directed at me or others.

9. I have one sister who lives in Ireland, one mother who lives in Quebec city, and one father who passed away in 2007. I also have a niece studying in Montreal, while my two other nieces still live in Quebec, one of whom is my goddaughter. I love these girls somewhat fiercely.

10. My first real acting role was in a high school play where I had the distinct memory of being on stage and hearing someone in the audience whisper to me "Hey... Hey Hickey. You suck!" Despite these blistering words of encouragement, I continued to act and direct plays until 1995 when I discovered storytelling.

11. I have been telling tales since 1995, I've been published a few times, I have won storytelling awards and competitons, and I'm currently hosting my own storytelling competition. I dream of becoming one of Canada's favourite storytellers and performing in various parts of the world.

12. I had to consult a bunch of these other meme lists to figure out what to put in here. Coming up with 15 facts is hard. Darn you, Alli K.

13. I've only ever gotten stoned once (when I was 37, funny story), I don't smoke, and I didn't start drinking beer until after I graduated university.

14. I've always been a huge nerd (shock and surprise). I collect comic books, adore Steampunk costumes and gadgets, play in LARPs (mostly in the spring/summer), play video games (mostly PC), I love animation (more 2D than 3D), and watch Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who, and Mythbusters. I used to play tabletop D&D, but the rules frustrated me. I enjoy board games (Catan!) and Texas Hold'em poker.

15. I don't drink coffee, but I find a hot mug of tea to be comforting.

16. (because #12 was a cheat) When people find out I'm Pagan, I get the weirdest questions including: "Are you a demon?", "Do you drink blood before casting your love spells?", and my personal favorite: "Are you still Pagan or have you found a job?"

Happy Yule

Dec. 21st, 2006 09:05 pm
mythteller: (Rudolph2)
Tonight is the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. Many people I know will be lighting candles and holding all night vigils to welcome the return of the sun after being away for so long. That might sound a bit weird, but how many of you have a dead pine tree in your home covered in lights and shiny tinsel. When you take a step back, Xmas has some weird traditions around it.

Looking back, it's been a transformative year. I've been going through my own metamorphosis in terms of my career path (moving from technical writing to biography writing), but there are a few others I know who are struggling with their own demons right now. All of life's challenges seem to be building to a surging point and these people are trying to decide if they can ride the avalanche or be swept away by it.

For my part, technical writing is a lucrative career path but it's starting to get soul-crunching. I'm hoping the biographies will be just as lucrative, but also more satisfying. It's difficult to get excited about your work when you write technical manuals that, by their very nature, have a reputation of being unhelpful and uninteresting. Of course, MY technical manuals are helpful and well-designed, but I work in an industry that does not value good documentation.

However, the biography is something that people can value, not only when they first get it, but also over time. I feel good about the product and I think it's something that can really respond to a need for people searching for personal history and family roots. But I still need to pay the bills, so I worry about the realities of money and providing for my family.

I strongly believe in this project, but the future is fraught with peril. What makes it easier is having a strong support from friends and family; if they believe in me and my project, I can't be too far off-base, can I? Maybe I need to put some trust in them too...

So to those people who are struggling with their own perils, I can only advise them to lean on their friends and family (both biological and selected). We're dying to help you, if you'll let us.

So let's raise a glass to each other, count our blessings, and carry each other into a new year. It's going to rock.
mythteller: (Seagull_Mine)
When I'm working a contract like this, especially at the end of it, it usually gets a bit hairy (especially this particular client). This is the fourth time I've been back and the last three times, I swore up and down that I would not take another contract with them again. It's amazing (and depressing) the things I do for money.

So as this contract comes to an end, I'm trying to keep my eyes on the goal and not run screaming through the hallways. The goal is to complete this project as best as I can, take a bit of a break, finish off the Second Draft of the biography, and start networking/promoting like crazy.

Alot can happen in 6 months and I feel like I'm on the brink of something big. So here's a post I'd like to be writing six months from now. In six months, I'll report back and see how it's all going.


If you'd like to do the same, leave me comment with your Post From the Edge or a link to your Post on your own LJ.
mythteller: (hat)
On Saturday, I dropped off the Second Draft of my first biography project. I met up with my client at a bakery, put the leather-bound book in his hand, and he swooned.

Whew. First hurdle met. The client was impressed and happy. I was glowing about that for hours afterwards.

But the real hurdle was the birthday supper. The subject and true recipient of the biography was to receive it on Sunday night during a birthday supper. Up to this point, he had no idea this was being put together. His reaction would determine whether this project was a success or not.

I spoke with my client this morning. Here's what he told me:

First there was confusion.
Then there was stunned silence.
Then there was stunned sputtering.
Then there was open weeping.

When he realized what the biography was, he was floored. He couldn't believe it.

Now he won't read it. Because it's a Second Draft, he wants to wait until it's done before he reads it. I'm going to get a final interview with him and just ask him questions based on each chapter in the book (family memories, political life, work life, etc.). Then I'm going to interview the sons and have each of them give his thoughts on his Dad. That will all go into the final chapter.

And then Gilles Vigneault has promised to write the Preface (he is an old friend of the subject of the biography). We need to get the family tree and more photos, but now we'll have more access to the family slides since we don't need to keep it secret.

The plan is to get the Final Draft done before the end of the month. But I am still glowing in my early success. Go me!
mythteller: (guinness)
So we had a fabulous show last night at the Empress. Many thanks go to Eric Gauthier who wowed the audience with his stories of moose antlers and french fries. Zimmerman regaled us with tales of the Devil, the Sky God, and Terror at the Shot Clinic.

I wanted to prepare a new story for this show, but my deadlines have been so crazy that I haven't had any mental time to prepare for it. So I went with the tested and true stories of mermaids and blue hippos.

This fundraiser was also supposed to kick-off a series of storytelling evenings at the Empress. We've tentatively set a day (Tuesday nights) and we need to pick an interval that doesn't conflict with other events. I'm going to apply to the CALQ for some funding so that I can get some tellers in from away (outside of Montreal).

Of course, we will also have local tellers, but I want everyone who performs to be paid. But this is also supposed to be a fundraiser for the Cultural Centre, so a performance budget would be really helpful.

The other happy news is that I was able to send the Second Draft of the biography to the printer, so I'm supposed to be getting it back today. I met with the leather guy last night and he's promised the leather cover by the end of today as well.

So that leaves me with the final deadline for my technical documentation client, which is the end of next week. I'm doubley motivated to make that deadline because next weekend is the last LARP game of the season. If I have to give up my last LARP for work, I will be *very* upset.

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