72 Hours iPhone-less

So, I may have had a bit of an accident last week. I drowned my iPhone.

It kind of fell into the toilet when I was getting ready for work which, if you have ever experienced, is a terrifying ordeal. I quickly scooped my phone out of its watery grave, turned it off, and promptly buried it in a Tupperware container of uncooked rice. And there it remained for 72 hours. I thought that my poor iPhone 5 might’ve been done for, but I was thrilled to discover that it was still working. So thrilled, in fact, that I went around the house screaming “It’s alive! It’s alive” a la Victor Frankenstein. For all you doubters, the rice trick does seem to work. I think that it's imperative that you keep your phone off the whole time and let it dry out slowly.

My 72 hours without my iPhone was an interesting experience though. I haven’t been without my phone for more than a few hours since getting it nearly 3 years ago. There was some withdrawal going on, but I did learn a few things along the way.

• My life is on my iPhone. That sounds hyperbolic, I know, but it’s the truth. I didn’t realize how much I relied on my phone until it wasn’t there to rely on. I use it as my alarm clock in the morning and as my radio while I get ready; it’s a source of entertainment and a work tool; and it's how I communicate with everyone. I found it so inconvenient to have to check my emails on an actual computer, and let’s not forget how often I had to call people instead of sending a quick text message.  Without it, I felt so disorganized, so out of touch.
• I can send text messages online.  I discovered that you can send text messages online on a lark. It did make it a bit easier to stay in touch with some people, and it helped me to not feel quite so cut off from the world.
• Text messages are so convenient. There was more than one occasion when I had to call people to say something that I would’ve simply sent in a text. Text messages are so quick and easy. You don’t have to worry about ending up in a long conversation with a person or do the whole small talk thing. You get right to the point, which I prefer. What did we ever do before text messages?  Seriously.
• I feel naked without my iPhone. I roll my eyes when my Dad goes on about how this generation doesn’t know how to put down their phones, but he's right. I felt so uneasy without my phone on me and kept reaching for it, only to remember it was in triage at home. I think that using my iPhone is just as important to me as knowing that the option is there. 
• I’m more productive without my iPhone. I was able to get so much work done on the train when I didn’t have my phone there to entertain me. I read for work and for leisure, I did some creative writing, and I got to turn off my brain for a while. There was no Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to check or update, no emails or text messages to read. I have to admit that it was nice to have some downtime.

So, will I make it a habit of leaving my iPhone at home in the future? Probably not. It’s as much a technological security blanket as it is a convenient tool for staying connected with the rest of the world. And nowadays I don’t know if we really have the luxury of disconnecting. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. Hmm.

Have you ever drowned your phone or gone several days without it?

Secret Garden

I’ve been waiting for the weather to finally be warm enough to garden. Our winter lasted forever, and it’s only been since mid-to-late May that it felt even remotely spring-like. But even then, the temperature would still drop to wintry temperatures overnight. Not ideal for planting young flowers and shrubs.

Gardening is a family affair for us, which is something that I’ve come to enjoy. My parents and I wake up early on a Saturday, hoping to beat the crowds at the local plant nurseries. Mom and I pick the flowers (Dad always insists on some blue or purple varietals), and Dad is in charge of paying and then loading up the car. The rest of the morning is spent in the dirt (literally) until every flower has a new home. The end result is a yard filled with bursts of color. It’s so refreshing after a gray, colorless winter.

My favorite flower (if you don’t already know) is the rose, so each year we add a few roses to the collection. This year we added a sherbet colored one and a red and white speckled one. I’m a huge fan of both! They seemed so unique to me. Because Dad favors purple and blue flowers, we have a lot of those scattered about as well. We’re still waiting for our lilies to bloom though, but they’re coming along nicely.

There’s something therapeutic about gardening for me. It’s peaceful, especially since we garden first thing in the morning. Our neighbors still haven’t emerged from their houses, so it’s just us and maybe some birds chirping. It’s nice, too, that it’s time spent with my parents. The older I get, the more I appreciate that quality time I have with them. And gardening is creative too. You spend so much time picking flowers and then laying them out to create something aesthetically pleasing. The yard becomes like an empty canvas, the flowers different tubes of oil paint.

 

Do any of you garden? What are your favorite flowers?

Book Haul #3: BEA Swag

I already wrote about my BEA experience, but I thought that maybe you’d like to hear about my swag. Maybe? If you read my post on BEA, then you know that publishers give away books, totes, and other bits and bobs. As a bookworm, I have a hard time saying “no” to books. Saying “no” to a book causes physical pain and twitching. Ok, I’m exaggerating a teeny bit, but you get the idea.

The past two years my BEA strategy has been to grab every free book I see, but then three things happened: 1) I cursed myself when I had to lug my weight in books around for the rest of the day, 2) I picked up books that didn’t interest me (like that awkward moment when I picked up a gay erotic novel…), and 3) I didn’t read any of the books. This year I decided that I’d only grab books that I really had interest in reading. It meant that I had a smaller haul but quality over quantity, right?

City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg

Regan and William Hamilton-Sweeney, estranged heirs to one of the city's largest fortunes; Keith and Mercer, the men who, for better or worse, love them; Charlie and Samantha, two suburban teenagers seduced by downtown's punk scene; an obsessive magazine reporter and his idealistic neighbor; and the detective trying to figure out what any of them have to do with a shooting in Central Park. Their entangled relationships open up the loneliest-seeming corners of the crowded city. And when the infamous blackout of July 13, 1977, plunges this world into darkness, each of these lives will be changed forever. A novel about love and betrayal and forgiveness, about art and truth and rock 'n' roll, about how the people closest to us are sometimes the hardest to reach--about what it means to be human.

This was one of the hot books at BEA this year, so I was lucky to get myself a copy. Everyone wanted a copy. It’s an extraordinary book for three reasons: 1) it’s over 900 pages long, 2) it’s a debut novel, and 3) it sold for multi-millions in 2013. That’s basically the equivalent of seeing a unicorn as far as publishing goes; it’s mythical, legendary. There’s a lot of pressure on this book (and the author) to perform well, and there’s been so much buzz. I’m excited to read it!

City on Fire goes on sale October 13, 2015.

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

What if Aladdin had never found the lamp? This first book in the A Twisted Tale line will explore a dark and daring version of Disney's Aladdin.

When Jafar steals the Genie's lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.

I’m not a fan of this cover (at all) but I couldn’t resist reading a twisted version of Aladdin. I’m not typically a YA reader, but I’ll make an exception for Disney.

A Whole New World goes on sale September 1, 2015.

Sweet Caress by William Boyd

Born into Edwardian England, Amory's first memory is of her father standing on his head. She has memories of him returning on leave during the First World War. But his absences, both actual and emotional, are what she chiefly remembers. It is her photographer uncle Greville who supplies the emotional bond she needs, who, when he gives her a camera and some rudimentary lessons in photography, unleashes a passion that will irrevocably shape her future.A spell at boarding school ends abruptly and Amory begins an apprenticeship with Greville in London, photographing socialites for the magazine Beau Monde. But Amory is hungry for more and her search for life, love, and artistic expression will take her to the demi monde of Berlin of the late '20s, to New York of the '30s, to the blackshirt riots in London, and to France in the Second World War where she becomes one of the first women war photographers. Her desire for experience will lead Amory to further wars, to lovers, husbands, and children as she continues to pursue her dreams and battle her demons.

This was an impulsive grab, but the cover screamed historical fiction so I went for it. It turns out that the author, William Boyd, is a pretty big deal. He’s written eleven novels, the most recent of which is a James Bond novel, and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. I really lucked out by pick this one up! The description sounds fascinating, so this has moved to the top of my reading list.

Sweet Caress goes on sale September 15, 2015.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

The Shadowhunters have reached Los Angeles in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

I’m kind of embarrassed to say that I haven’t read the Mortal Instruments series, but my best friend is a huge fan. I picked this sneak peak of the novel up for her, and it’s already on its way to Vancouver so that she can give it a read!

Lady Midnight goes on sale March 8, 2016.

Bits & Bobs

Other than books, I did manage to grab a few totes and a London Book Review temporary tattoo. The Chronicle Books tote was a pain to get but totally worth it. It’s so cute! I ended up circling the Javits Center 3-4 times before they started giving it out at the Chronicle booth. #sorrynotsorry

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So what do you think of my swag?

*Synopses are from Amazon.

BookExpo America 2015

One of the perks of working in publishing is attending BookExpo America (BEA) in May. Think massive booklover’s convention. Publishing houses from all over converge on New York City and take up residence in the Javits Center. The place is swarming with editors, literary agents, authors, and booklovers.  It’s chaos, but good chaos!

I was able to spend half the day on Friday at the Javits Center where all the magic happens. Now, the Javits Center is this massive glass “palace” of sorts in the middle of no man’s land Manhattan. Yes, that is a thing. Basically, you walk as far west as you can before walking into the Hudson River and hit this unsightly neighborhood with construction going on everywhere. It’s ugly. Really ugly. It’s kind of ridiculous that such an eyesore exists only a few blocks from the Empire State Building, but I digress.

Anyway, once you actually get to the Javits Center it’s row after row of publishers peddling their books and promoting their companies. Do you know what that means? Free stuff! Lots and lots of free stuff. I just mill around and get free copies of books that are practically being thrown into the crowd. Free books are great, but what’s even better are that these books usually haven’t been published yet and aren’t available in stores. They’re known as ARCs (advance reader copies), so you get to feel special for a while. Publishers give out other things too like tote bags, pens and pencils, tattoos (I kid you not), and whatever else they can put their logo on.  Then there's just plenty to look at like the books on display and Harry Potter's Monster Book of Monsters.  I may have fangirled over that one a bit...

There are plenty of events to attend too. If you want to learn something about publishing, you can sit in on various talks and seminars (okay, that’s not so fun…). Or you can stand in line and get your books signed by the authors or have a photo-op with one. And there are some major celebrities doing book signings and photo-ops too—Mindy Kaling was there this year and Snooki was there a few years back. Christie Brinkley, who has apparently discovered the fountain of youth, was also at BEA this year to promote her upcoming book. She’s very bubbly.

After a few hours and several laps around the Javits Center (which involves weaving through huge crowds), it’s finally time to call it quits and leave while you’re still able to carry your swag.

It is a ton of fun, but BEA is also a work event for publishing professionals. The downside to BEA is the many meetings that editors and literary agents have to buy and sell books. And depending on if you’re into parties or not, the many parties afterhours can be a drag or a real blast. But the Javits Center is where the fun is if you love freebies, and who doesn’t? And even if you don’t work in publishing, you can still get tickets or attend BookCon on the weekend for a similar experience!

Ok, so BEA can be a bit overwhelming (big crowds, sensory overload, way too many books to see) but the experience is totally worth it.

New Month, New Goals: June

You'll have to pardon my cliché but, as they say, when it rains, it pours. I got poured on, repeatedly. It was like there was a tsunami coming and all I had to protect myself was a dinky umbrella. First, it was the health scare with my mom, which I spoke about in an earlier post. Her doctor ended up testing her for breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers because of some abnormalities that showed up during her annual check-up. So the first half of the month was waiting for the results and praying that they would be negative which, thankfully, they were. We thought we’d be able to breathe easily for a while, but then out family dog, Taurus, got sick. We rushed him to the emergency vet, he spent 2 nights there, had surgery, and came back home with a drain in his face and a cone that makes him look like a satellite dish. He seems to be feeling better (aka causing trouble), but his vet bills set us back $6,000. Eek! So, health scares galore for the month of May.

With all that going on, I was preoccupied and let everything else fall to the wayside. Healthy eating, reading, blogging, even planning my trip (gasp!), you name it, all had to wait. I just couldn’t focus on anything other than my mom’s test results and then my Taur-bear’s health. I’m hoping that June will be a better month for my family, and that I have the opportunity to get back on track with everything.

How was your month?

Read 2 non-work related books. Hahaha, no.  Life, unfortunately, got in the way of this noble endeavor.  While I did start reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which I wrote about in a book haul post, I am nowhere near finishing it.  I started it just before Mom started her tests and then wasn't able to focus on anything else.  Then the family dog had some health issues right after that, so little reading was done.

Get some gardening done. Done! This is a family effort, and Mom and I spent a good part of last weekend buying up the local plant nurseries and beautifying our garden.  You'll see a post all about that soon!

Attend BEA. I came; I saw; I got some prime swag!  Stay tuned for more on this!

Buy some new clothes (for real this time).  I wouldn't say that I want on a shopping spree, but I did manage to add some lovely pieces to my wardrobe.  After doing an H&M wishlist, I actually went and bought items #2 and #6 and Mom bought me another adorable pair of flowy pants.  Hopefully I'll get to do a bit more shopping in June.

Take photos for my first monthly photo challenge. Done! You can check out my post here.  This month I think my photo-challenge will be to use the manual setting.  Dun dun dun.  I usually stick to aperture priority mode, so this should be interesting.

JUNE GOALS

• Finish reading The Secret History.  I'm about 50 pages into The Secret History right now and am already a fan. I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype, but so far so good. If I do manage to finish reading this book, then you can expect a book review later this month!
• Workout my abs and arms daily. I’ve been trying to eat healthier all year and, with the exception of some road bumps (like May), I’ve been able to do so much better. One thing I’d love to add to my routine is some exercise. I don’t have time during the week to hit the gym because of work, and I can never motivate myself to go on the weekends when I could be enjoying my free-time. I’m just not one of those people who find working out fun. Never have been. But I found these Youtube videos for tightening the upper arm and flattening the belly, so I’d like to take a little time each day to do these workouts in the comfort of my own home.
• Go on an excursion. I live just 50 miles from New York City, but I rarely take the opportunity to go downtown for anything other than work these days. After commuting 5 days a week, the train is the last thing I want to see on my day off. Still, I’d love to go on an excursion to one of New York’s many museums or even take a trip to the Bronx Zoo this month. I think it’d be fun!
• Start finalizing my itinerary for France. I can’t believe that I’ll be going to France next month! I’ll be just about done buying my advance tickets and scheduling various tours in the next week, so it’s about time I sat down and worked on my insane itineraries. They usually take me a few weekends to complete because not only do I map out my days, but I include directions from one destination to the next. I’m sure you’ll see pictures of my “war room” at some point this month. I’d love to have the itineraries finished this month so I can spend July doing last minute shopping and packing.

Do you have any goals for June?