Progress! (It's almost football season!)

It's been a while! I feel like everything's been absolutely nonstop—and nothing's happened the way it was supposed to! I should've had two pretty big work-related meetings by now and neither of them have happened. I should've also caught up on my sleep (and I haven't) and Matt and I should have drafted our Fantasty Football teams (but we haven't). Instead, I'm being super social! And when I'm not social, I'm working. It's seriously exhausting.

And expensive.

Freelance work got the best of me this past weekend. A proofread about how to hunt and kill white-tailed deers took up most of my free time—and then some. Matt and I did a decent amount of laundry (see also: all) Saturday morning and I had a pretty good meal with Andrew on Sunday. There's been so much going on, and I don't want to recap it day-by-day because that could get boring, but I can highlight some stuff:

• Last Thursday — Work party was tons of fun. I talked to a lot of people I never get the chance to speak with in the office and my group of friends (colleagues?) were the last to leave. I even came away with a bottle of champagne!
• Last Friday — Shooting at the Empire State Building. (Thanks to everyone who texted to see if I was okay!) My office is two avenue blocks away from the ESB, so we weren't in danger at any time.
• Saturday and Sunday — Calling, rattling, and decoying whitetails. Almost all day. Plus laundry, grocery shopping, and brunch at home made by Matthew! No date night/cooking because I had too much work to do and we didn't have enough food in the apartment (at the time) to do much with.
• Monday — Is it sad that I can't even remember what happened yesterday? I think I finished up my deer murdering proofread and that was about it.

That brings us to today! I put an entire book about rabbit hunting ("Wabbit season! Duck season!") together and am still pretty ahead of the game in reference to my own work. I have four proposals I need to read and was thrown a few compliments from my editorial director today about my "eye" for what the company needs.

Then it was happy hour! Something we'd been planning for a while, but weren't able to execute until tonight. A decent amount of people showed up; people I hadn't really ever talked to. It's so weird to think that I was able to make my rounds and talk to everyone tonight, rarely feeling uncomfortable or without something to talk about. This time last year, I was struggling, like I had been for years. I remember going to a happy hour with a group in which I knew two people and I was so uncomfortable that I shut down completely. I barely spoke to anyone and I ran out of there pretty quickly. That just doesn't seem to be the case anymore. It's not because of the move to NYC or my new job; it definitely has something to do with the way I grew as a person while Matt and I were apart. I learned to fend for myself in more ways than one.

The rest of the week includes researching NFL players for the office's fantasy football draft on Sunday. (I made the team!!) I won't be able to participate in the actual draft, but Henry's going to sign in as me and pick my players for me since my parents will be here and it's pretty time consuming. We'll probably split the prize if I happen to win (which I doubt I will).

I also plan on cleaning some more (Matt did a wonderful job with the guest room/office/man cave today!) and getting everything situated for my family's visit! I'm super excited about it; I hope I can be a good tour guide and I don't send them home too tired/annoyed. Manhattan can be overwhelming.

Can't wait for Friday!!

Date Night #3: Veggie Lasagna

That's right, I made lasagna ALL BY MYSELF.

Kind of...

The noodles were "no bake" and most of the veggies (carrots, onions, leeks, zucchini, purple peppers) were all prepped before Matt went to work—because he still doesn't trust me with a knife—but I did put it all together. I skinned a tomato for the first time ever and Matt taught me how to correctly cut basil via text. I also made a pretty bangin' cheese sauce without curdling anything. My wrist hurts a bit today because of the continuous whisking, though... Regardless! It was delicious. I was impressed; Matt was impressed. ("I am pret-ty impressive." – Bridesmaids) But it wasn't very photogenic. Either way...

Date Night #3 = Success.

No plans for next weekend yet (except maybe a trip to the rooftop bar/club thing attached to Matt's restaurant), but I might try to make something a little lighter. And not pasta-based. I'll figure it out as time goes... My cookbook author recently submitted her first section of appetizers for her book and I skimmed it yesterday and came across a very tasty-looking/sounding buffalo chicken wing hummus I may make. Just to... make. Cooking is definitely a different, yet enjoyable way to pass the time. I've seen so many desserts I want to try, too, but have to try to stay away from those for a little while.

Even though I really don't want to. :(

This weekend was pretty eventful and uneventful at the same time. I feel like we got a lot accomplished, but I was still able to find some time to relax. Friday night I was exhausted and spent the night watching True Blood. Saturday morning, we went to the Union Square farmer's market, had our first food truck lunch (from Gorilla Cheese!), and did a little bit of grocery shopping. Then we both went to work.

In the three hours I spent at work (totally, completely alone), I'm pretty sure I did a day's worth of work. I sent a bunch of emails, completed five jacket design forms, finished tweaking a manuscript, and scanned four different books that we're reprinting. What killed me, though, was tearing apart the books to scan. I know we have them in the office for that specific reason, but I typically give the task to someone else because I really hate cutting and tearing books. I don't even like bending the corners of my pages to keep track of my place; this process is painful.

This afternoon, Matt got his hair cut and then we walked through Central Park for a bit since he'd never been there. It's so hard to remember that not only have I been out here longer than him, but I get out more. I've seen  more of the island than he has and sometimes I forget that there are still places he's never been. It's difficult, though, to get to those places with his hours. But we're making it work, I think. My family is visiting for Labor Day weekend and I'm planning on taking them down to Battery Park and Chelsea and the World Trade Center, all places (except Chelsea) that Matt hasn't been yet. Two birds, one stone. I'm really looking forward to it. The place will be a bit cramped (especially if my brother and his girlfriend decide to come, which... is going to be up in the air until the second my parents pull out of the driveway, I think), but it'll be a good time!

This week should bring some pretty interesting work, meetings, and parties. Hopefully more exciting things to talk about! Like... possibly my second acquisition! We'll see!

Half-birthday-ness!

As previously mentioned, half birthdays are a big deal in this house (apartment... whatever). In honor of my own half birthday (and our 7-year-and-4-month anniversary!), I'm taking the night to try to relax. I'll read a little bit, watch some True Blood, and just try to wind down. It's been a long, tiring week... Nothing to really report, work-wise. Going in tomorrow (and getting paid for it, yay!) to try to get ahead of the game. Other than that, all is well.

Also in honor of my half birthday (and due to pure exhaustion), this will be a half-entry. I'll leave you with some pictures detailing what I found when I got home from work today, though. :) Click to see larger images. Enjoy!

(And yes, we will be making our Fantasy Football teams this weekend!)

Pretty sure he bought these from the guy at the top of the subway exit who sells them from a shopping cart lol. But whatevs. First time I've received flowers since our 5-year anniversary!

Upcoming Social Engagements (aka PARTY!)

In the next two weeks, I have two somewhat important meetings coming up with two different authors. The first is with the author of the novel (which I still haven't finished reading) I have unofficially been assigned (still negotiating the contract). He's a middle-aged college basketball coach from Rhode Island. We'll most likely go to lunch and the sports editor, the publicist assigned to the book, and my boss will join us.

The second meeting is with the author of a reprint who hated her original book about an animal sanctuary in New York. She wants to rearrange the chapters, write new chapters, change the title, and get a new cover. Essentially, she wants a do-over, not a reprint. She doesn't trust the company, and she especially doesn't trust me. I have a feeling it has something to do with my title. Editorial assistants don't typically do the job of editors, so I think she just assumes I don't know what I'm doing. Every time I make a suggestion, she wants me to run it by my publisher or associate publisher—two pretty important men who don't have time for her BS. I'm concerned that if I can't pull her in and make her believe that I'm responsible and that I know what I'm doing, she's going to try to go over my head by calling someone higher than me every time we disagree on something minor. Her disagreements with the editor of the original book actually brought her into the office, where she sat down next to someone and asked questions about every single change in her manuscript. She's probably going to be worse this time around. We've already rejected her idea for the new cover (a picture of a turkey and a goat cuddling—no joke) and none of us are really fans of her new title, but we're letting it slide for now. She also wanted to write new chapters, but the associate publisher veto-ed that today. (I'm not sure if she knows this yet, though.) At this meeting, we have to eat vegetarian and we'll be joined by the associate publicist (who intimidates me more than any person I've ever worked with).

So my issue is... what do I wear? Do I go ultra business-like? Very, super professional? The dress code at the office is very casual—I went in a Planet Fitness t-shirt and jeans today. (I woke up with the worst headache and just didn't feel like getting my shit together. I'm having a rough week.) But I think I should represent the company better. Problem is, I don't think any of my dresses are appropriate for a business lunch and the only dress pants I own are kind of big on me. I've put off shopping the last few months and now I'm faced with a decision... Go buy some new clothes, or try to make something else work? I don't want to spend what is essentially rent money on clothes. But I kind of feel like I don't have a choice. I don't know when I'll find time to shop, but I'm going to have to do it soon. The first meeting can be as early as Tuesday. Maybe that's what I'll do Sunday afternoon. Maybe Constance will want to shop... Hm...

Saturday's out. I'm working OT this weekend. Got it approved and everything today. I was assigned three more books for the Spring season today from a series we're doing with Instructables.com. Which brings my total to... 8 or 9, I think. Half are reprints, half are from scratch. Regardless of whether they've been published before, though, they all need new covers and catalog copy and sales materials and I just haven't had time to think about them. My first big deadline is next Friday. Figured I could use this Saturday to get ahead. After work on Saturday, I'll come home and make vegetable lasagna for Date Night #3!

Oh, speaking of date nights! Although I doubt Matt will be able to accompany me next Thursday, I'll be going to a surprise party at my boss's apartment on Riverside Drive. I told Julie I'd be her date since her boyfriend is in law school and with the hours Matt puts in, he might as well be, too. The party is for one of our... well, I actually don't know what he is. He used to own a publishing company, but now works for us. He's been in the business 51 years, so they're throwing him a 50+1 party to celebrate. I wasn't going to go since I felt like I'd be awkward and uncomfortable, but then I found out how many people are actually going and figured I might as well. It'll be interesting to see where my boss lives, too. He lives in a really nice area, so I hope the apartment is kind of cool. It must be big if he invited the entire company and their +1s... Jealous! Also, this marks yet another event I should probably go shopping for.

I'm tired just thinking about the next week or so. Maybe this week really won't ever end. It's aready going on... 11 days without a break. I suppose I could consider last night a break since Matt and I skipped all our plans (grocery shopping, fancy Mexican dinner) due to thunderstorms. I came home, pretty much soaked through despite my umbrella, to find him in the living room surrounded by clothes. He must've done five or six loads of laundry last night between his work clothes, our regular clothes, and the towels. Mine were fresh out of the dryer and almost folded. It was sweet; he was so excited about it lol. So we put the clothes away and then I made tacos while he ran to the liquor store next door. We watched a marathon of American Pickers, drank, and called it an early night. Although I got a decent amount of sleep, it wasn't enough. I think tonight is going to be another early one. Not as early as Monday (8:30!!), but early enough.

Well... off to do some work and not get paid for it! Oh well. Someday I'll be done with all these late (and lame!) books (when you talk to me next, ask me how much I love Swedish boat restoration) and caught up on my own stuff. Someday soon, hopefully.

The Week that Never Ends

New day, old news: I am so tired. Exhausted. I went to bed at 8:30 last night and wish I could've done it again tonight. I just can't seem to catch up on all the sleep I've been missing since Matt moved in, I think. I also haven't been working out, and while my diet isn't the best it could be, it's not the healthiest either. I need to get a grip! It's difficult, though, when work is taking over my life.

I still love everything about my job, but it's starting to lose it's shine, I think. I do so much "assisting" that I barely have time to work on my own books. Which is fine—that's my job. But it's frustrating. I have so many things to do for myself, but yesterday I got slammed with a proofread of a 260-page book that was due Friday. I'm impressed that I was able to finish it between 2:00 yesterday and 5:00 today. It was on such a depressing subject (When Cancer Strikes a Friend was the title). But... I did it. And learned quite a bit in the process. But still... I think I'm going to see if I can go in this coming Saturday for some over time. I'll head south with Matt at 3 and see how much I can get done, perhaps. It's the only way I can work without being handed other tasks all day long.

Silver lining of today would probably be the meeting I scheduled with my editorial director for Thursday to discuss that proposal about the writing book. If he likes it as much as I do, it'll go to the publisher, and hopefully I'll have my second acquisition! Another editorial assistant was promoted today, having been with the company a year and a half. It took me three weeks to go from intern to editorial assistant. I believe I see my next challenge up ahead of me!! If I acquire a few books that make the company some money, I think it should score me points...

I titled this entry the Week that Never Ends because I've been going nonstop since last Monday. I had plans Monday through Thursday and then went home Friday, only to return again on Sunday. Seeing my family was great; I enjoyed every single minute of it. Breakfast with Ange on Sunday was worth every minute I didn't get to sleep in. The distance from Matt was... weird, but easier than living in NYC while he was in PA all those weeks. I think he had a hard time, though. He's never been utterly alone in an unfamiliar city. I got quite a few texts, but he bought a new video game and powered through. Tomorrow is his only day off work this week, so I think we're going grocery shopping and then going to some Mexican restaurant he wants to try somewhere in the 200s. Should be a good time.

I might try to go back to the gym Thursday, depending on how much work I get done the next few nights. The author of the first novel I was assigned wants to meet to discuss his book, even though the contract isn't signed and the manuscript isn't 100 percent finished yet. So I kind of have to have the book (manuscript) read by the time we meet. He hopes to be in the city next week, but doesn't know of a specific date. The best approach I can think of is to have it all skimmed (with summaries of each chapter) by Monday. Then at least I can discuss it with him. I know I'll be the only one at the meeting who has any insight into it, so I have to be prepared. I didn't want to start bringing my work home, but... I just don't have time in the office. Maybe once all the books Eleanor left me publish and I'm working on my own, things will even out. All of hers were complicated and were already late, so I inherited a bunch of frustration. When they're gone, maybe things will settle down... Until then...

I suppose the week will keep going and going, especially if I end up at work both Saturday and Sunday. Ugh!

It's Been a While: So Much Good News!

Oh man... I have been busy! So many hours spent on the subway and watching the Olympics. So much money spent on... food. So much good news about work! So many plans this weekend.

I don't even really know where I left off last... I know I made cookies (which are in the freezer because even though Matt had to try them, and even though I looked all over the place for freakin' mint extract, he ate two and then said he was getting serious about dieting) and I know I announced my very first aquisition. (Which become official on Monday! More about that in a bit.)

Let's see... Matt finally saw The Dark Knight on FRIDAY. And we had some really great Thai food. And SATURDAY I made a veggie stack for our late night dinner after spending the day exploring Harlem with Constance. (Yay, another friend living on the island!) It was basically just roasted veggies set on couscous. And chicken. And I made the dressing that went on it. Very simple... and Matt may or may not have cut all the veggies and cleaned the chicken the night before to eliminate the possibility of me cutting my fingers off. I'm going home Friday night and I have to admit... I'm actually kind of bummed that I won't get to make dinner this weekend. Who would have thought?

SUNDAY was pretty uneventful save for some freelancing (turns out chia seeds are getting pretty popular...). Then, some awesomness occurred.

MONDAY

• The cookbook girl agreed to all contract negotiations and she and my publisher signed the contracts, making my first acquisiton 100% official!
• I was assigned my very first novel! I reviewed the first few chapters of a manuscript a few weeks ago and highly recommended we publish it. In my review, I said I'd love to work on it. The publisher decided to pick it up and told me I'd be editing it. I emailed the author to introduce myself and tell him what I thought of what I'd read so far and he called me as soon as he received the email to thank me and tell me how excited he was. It's a novel about a retired basketball coach who loses his wife to cancer and has to deal with starting his life over alone. It's really well written and I can't wait to work on it for the Spring 2013 season.
• The publisher called me into his office at the end of the day to give me more information about the novel and he told me I'm doing a really great job. I got all bubbly and stupid, but was able to thank him for the compliment before I totally embarrassed myself.
• Went to dinner in Soho with Constance. The weather was beautiful, so we ate on the roof of DBK. Small bill, good food, poor service... but whatevs. We spent the rest of the night walking up and down Canal Street and Broadway, ducking into shops and commenting on fashion trends. She's trying to convince me to get a pair of dwarf hamsters (look how cute!!). She has them and they're adorable. Matt keeps telling me no because I'd be too heartbroken when they eventually died. He also said, "We can barely take care of ourselves."

TUESDAY

• I woke up to find the cookbook author/blogger had posted a huge announcement about her upcoming book. She was so excited. When I forwarded it to the woman in the office who helped me through the acquisition, she replied and said she got tears in her eyes reading it. (You can read it here if you're interested.) It kind of gave me some clarity. Sure, I want to some day earn my own book deal, but in the mean time, if I can offer deals to other people and help make their dreams come true (Seriously.), then I'll be more than happy.
• Another editor forwarded me a proposal for a book about how to physically beat writer's block. She said it wasn't really for her and told me if I wanted it, I could review it and attempt to acquire it. I definitely like it, and it'd be really awesome if I could get it for us. I just need to go through the process again: review, report, pitch, contract negotiations.
• Movie and dinner with Andrew. Hope Springs was... okay. I was definitely not the target audience. But dinner was good! Tapas... I think it was Italian? I'm not entirely sure. The star of the show was dessert, though. So freakin' good.

WEDNESDAY

• Tons and tons and tons of work to do. Deadlines set for two early spring books and one is way more complicated than the other. (Reprint/update/revision/expansion vs. Public Domain) I actually had to request help from an intern today—something I didn't really want to do just yet. I don't want anyone to think I'm pulling rank or can't handle things myself, but it's really hard to do my own work when I'm constantly doing the "assisting" part of my job for everyone else. But, that's the job. And I do really like it.
• On Tuesday, I submitted an announcement of my deal to Publisher's Marketplace. Today, they sent out the daily Deals newsletter to every professional with a subscription. Part of it looked like this!

• If you click the link to my name, it takes you to my very own page on Publisher's Marketplace. I was told that this may mean people may start submitting proposals directly to me. The more titles I acquire, the more proposals I'll get. The more proposals I get, the better the chances that maybe someday I can work as an aquisitions editor at a bigger company. Or... the better the chances I'll meet other editors who may want to someday acquire something I write!

• In addition to this awesomeness, Chatti was in town with a friend to go to a few museums. Andrew and I met her at Central Park and then we went for dinner. She's moving across the country soon. :( I'm skipping this topic.

TOMORROW, Matt's parents will be in town! Which means as soon as I'm done here, I have to start cleaning. I brought work home to do tonight, but I don't think I'll get to it. Matt said he'd do most of the apartment since he's off tomorrow, but requested that I put my clothes away in the bedroom. Which, I suppose, is an appropriate request lol.

FRIDAY after work, I'll be heading back to the W-B. I have plans nearly all weekend, but I'm most looking forward to seeing my grandparents. I haven't been home in a month. Should be a good weekend!

 

Two Firsts: An Acquisition and Homemade Thin Mints

I'm exhausted. As in... probably getting in bed before 10 p.m. exhausted. It's been a long time since I was this tired; I've been pretty busy, though, and not getting nearly as much sleep as I should.

Let's start with Monday! I had a meeting schedule to discuss the Prevention RD cookbook acquisition with my publisher, but he didn't get into the office that morning until almost noon. And our meeting was at 10. So I was pretty bummed. On top of that, an author (who may or may not be suing us) kept calling and demanding that the publisher call him back immediately. When the publisher finally got in, though, he called me in for our meeting. Five minutes later, I walked out with permission to offer the author of Prevention RD a contract!

If you're unfamiliar with the way acquisitions work, I'll explain: We see something we like, we go after it, we offer money/a contract, and then we publish it. Luckily, this is a more-involved process for me and this book because the book isn't written yet. So I get to walk this author through her very first book from start to finish. She's so excited about it—I got an email last week when we were working on her proposal that was literally 10 smiley faces in a row. I love that she's so enthusiastic; it makes me like my job even more.

As I've said to so many people this week, I did not think I'd be making acquisitions in less than one month with the company—especially as an editorial assistant. But, again, my company is small ("the fastest growing independent publishing company") and we all share various responsibilities. People are hired specifically by companies such as Penguin and Macmillan to acquire titles. You have to have so many years of experience and credits to your name to even be considered. And I just joined the staff, sent an email, presented an idea, and BAM! Done! I love it. It's unbelievable.

Monday night, Andrew and I went to DBK for Restaurant Week and had a pretty good meal. We also made a stop at The Strand (because I, again, bought a book I already own the last time I was there... You try keep track of hundreds and see how many you buy twice!) and Washington Square Park (I think?). Spent a bunch of time outdoors since our reservation for dinner was so late. The weather was nice, the food was great. Waiting for the A-train at almost midnight sucked, though. I didn't get home from dinner until past midnight. I was barely showered and ready for bed by the time Matt strolled in past 1 a.m. (Late night #1)

Tuesday was a really easy day at work. I was actually able to sit down with all the stuff I knew I needed to do eventually and make an Excel to-do list. Now I know exactly what's already done, what I'm in the process of doing (such as... a 1,400 page final pass!!), and what needs to get done eventually. I feel much better having it all laid out and easily accessible; after I finished, I literally felt myself relax. My muscles in my back released a bit and I just felt more in control than I've felt since taking over for Eleanor.

When I got home from work, I did three loads of laundry, paid the rent and a few bills, cleaned a bit, and made a batch of Thin Mints. My cookies aren't very thin, and a few of them burned, but they're minty and chocolately and there are tons of them. They didn't finish until almost midnight, and were not very pretty to look at, but... it was a first attempt. They were easy to make, so if Matt likes them, I'll try them again.

I think part of the reason they didn't turn out as well as they could... Well, actually... there were a few reasons. I have really shitty knives. Matt has super nice ones, but the ones in the kitchen when he takes his to work are horrible. There's no way I could cut 1/4 inch cookies, so they turned out to be probably 1/2–3/4 inches thick. So I figured that since they were thicker, they could go in the oven the maximum number of minutes (15). So I showered while they were in the oven, didn't check on them, and then pulled them out when the timer went off. And they were crispier (and blacker) than they should have been. I was just not as attentive as I should've been....

I mean, at one point, I was standing in the living room, watching the USA Women's Gymnastics team celebrate a gold medal while I stirred the chocolate so it wouldn't harden while I watched TV. Probably not good cookie-baking behavior, but the Olympics may or may not be one of the most important things in my life right now—it's all I can talk about with everyone. I love it. I couldn't tear myself away from primetime until well after 1 a.m. (Late night #2)

And, of course, barely sleeping the past two nights made me late for work this morning. No one seemed to notice, but you better believe it's not going to happen again. I was late all the time at my old job because I didn't care enough to be on time. I care now; I care way more than I've cared about a job in a while. Have to go to bed early, have to wake up early, have to be on time. That's that.

Tonight I went to happy hour with a pretty decent-sized group of people, a mix of interns and employees that I was able to bring together with few issues. I'm still hoping to make some real friends out of this job, and I think this is the right way to go about it. We had a great time, didn't spend too much money, and got along well. Gives me hope!

Matt was supposed to be off Thursday and Friday, and he had invited his friends to come visit, but then Chef kicked two different people off the staff last night and asked Matt to work Thursday. So... I think it's just me tomorrow. Which is fine, I suppose, because I picked up a tiny bit of freelance today that I can work on (a proofread of cookbook based on Chia seeds... yeah... ch-ch-ch-chia breakfasts, dinners, and desserts). I'd go to the gym, too, but I don't know if I'll have the energy. I'm super worn out and I think I just need a night of almost nothingness. He wants to make risotto on Friday night, and he left me a vegetarian cookbook on the couch tonight, which I'm thinking must contain a recipe or two he wants me to try for Date Night #2, which will be Saturday night (Sunday morning) this week. Who knows what will happen. I wish the food I made was good-looking so I could post photos of it. But the presentation is just not there. Oh well. Eventually. Maybe. If I can keep up with it.

Time for some tea and bed. Tired, tired, tired.