A Day in the Life of Todd Crawford: Part 2

Hello and welcome to "A Day in the Life of..."©, a featured guest post exclusive to my blog that's published on Mondays and sometimes, on Thursdays. On these two days, a spotlight guest will share a normal day in their lives, giving us insight on their thoughts, projects, interests, obsessions and more. Occasionally, and if we're lucky, they'll even throw in a giveaway.

And now on with the show...

                                          
                                             About Todd Crawford 

Todd Crawford (1994) was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, where he wrote his first three books, a Clockwork in the Stars, The Final Gospels, and his anthology The Black Season. His writing style is recognized as descriptive, cynically honest yet whimsical. His works obsess over the geography of the human mind, existentialism juxtaposed with the politically religious, and nature hearkening back to the Romantic era of literature. He first published a Clockwork in the Stars through Lulu publishing, but released his latter works under the CreateSpace banner before reissuing Clockwork with his new label. Although his only currently released works have been of the literary outlet, he has indulged in other orientations of Art such as music (having composed a companion piece for his novel, The Final Gospels), film (having adapted his novella, Brighter, into a short film), and comic books. Crawford is currently working on his third (traditionally structured) novel, The Pilgrimage, an abstract commentary of politics as he is browsing agents to market the release.

Connect with Todd Crawford

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“A Day In The Life Of…” Todd Crawford, pt. 2

I wake up every morning to the sound of my alarm clock, the most sobering noise this world has to offer. I force myself out of bed, already well aware that I’m to be cutting it close to being late to my first class as I get in the shower. It’s amazing how many insults can slip out of one’s mind at any given nuisance when this tired. The shower at my apartments has no bath tub, but rather a small cell with a shower curtain, which means my towel, spread across the floor, will inevitably be soaked by the time I step out. Not only that, but the thin shelves are hardly wide enough to put a thin bottle of shampoo or a bar of soap on, let alone my roommate’s large bottle of hair jazz that he somehow manages to balance just long enough for me to get in the shower, before tumbling down onto my toe, at which point my arm-flailing reaction knocks my own bottle of shampoo on the other side of me (Oh, right, this shampoo cell has just about the spaciousness of a coffin, you might need to know.) onto the same toe on my other foot! I spent the first two weeks living here paranoid that I had broken one or both of them, especially when they began to stick out funny.

Anyways, I’m sure that you didn’t come here to read all about my toes. My day varies greatly depending on which day of the week it is, as Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays I have my English 198 and Psychology classes; on Tuesdays and Thursdays I attend History and Music. Now, one would think as an English major and author I would be in favour of the former set of days, but I also don’t think one would be inclined to think I would be failing my English class. I won’t necessarily go in-depth about it, but I never would have thought college professors would try to suffocate creativity and individuality in such a way as this woman does. She really is every reason that I didn’t want to go to college in the first place. She will tell students that they write “too scholarly” for her or that they are “too smart,” and then dock points for being too sophisticated for her low class. It’s sickening at how well America tends to the lowest common denominator, especially in the classroom of all places, where knowledge and personal development should be encouraged, not depressed. My History course makes up for it in spades, though, as we usually take at least four pages of notes a class period and all of it is both fascinating and inspiring. As I am currently writing a novel based on how little Art has advanced since the Greek and Roman ages, it’s stunning to find out how little society has advanced as well. (Democracy and Republics originated from these time periods, as well as just about any religious or artistic theme which one can find!) My Music class is also interesting; I can now read music…well, sorta, and we even learned about Symphonie Fantastique, the musical piece from which my upcoming novel originated.

After class I head back to my apartment and may stay there until the following morning, with occasional breaks to go on walks. I get hopelessly lonely and have noticed that I eat a lot more than I need to out of both lethargy and a need of something to do, which is never something I noticed about myself before. I’m really struggling to live up to that healthier lifestyle I had planned for myself a few months ago. This past month (of October) I have been uploading videos to YouTube about my artistic endeavors and giving more personal statements about them than I am able to through written word, which has surprisingly gone over much better than I had ever anticipated it to. I’m still very camera-shy (technophobe here), but I see it as a challenge to overcome, and something that will better prepare me to be the public figure which I see myself as inevitable to become. I’ve also been working on a lot of promotional essays and articles (such as this one!) for a “pre-marketing” campaign for my upcoming book titled The Pilgrimage. My theory is that if I do enough to promote the book on my own before I finish writing it, and develop a proper readership for the book, then when I go to sell it to agents and publishing houses, then they can recognize me as someone capable of handling publicity and marketing, as well as a true Artist (or at least someone attempting to live up to such a title). I also plan on someday compiling and publishing a book containing just these articles, interviews, and other promotional releases in one volume organized by date. The Artist’s representation of his- or herself is something truly lacking in a lot of modern contributors today, and something I hope to reform. I’m sick of seeing quotes by Blood on the Dance Floor, Black Veil Brides, or whatever farce act is trendy today on Facebook proclaiming their message to kids as some phrase synonymous with “Just be yourself!” If you don’t have something worth hearing, there’s no sense in clouding the public conscious with your chatter. Hopefully when people read my writings they can see that I aspire to much more than that.

Speaking of which, a lot of younger girls from my high school who are into such bands seem to look up to me or idolize me as they do such characters. I’m both flattered by their adoration and insulted that they would lump me in with such “Posers,” as Matthew Lillard might have it. Seeing myself as a “survivor” of high school and being suppressed artistically by my peers, classmates, and school in many ways, I see it as a sort of duty to help support them in whatever they may want to do, so long as it is true to their selves. I even offered to pay one girl for her Artwork when her parents told her she’d never get anywhere or make any money off of it. I just hope to remind them that life isn’t about financial gain, or what that may bring you, but the journey of life itself, and the satisfaction one may get from it: The Pilgrimage. It’s a journey I have yet to complete as well as one that I hope to help others along. It’s The Shadow of the Valley of Death, the journey from Kether to Malkuth, Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.”

By the end of the day it’s fascinating how different of a place I am now than when I first wrote in to Nely Cab’s “A Day In The Life Of…”, (A hundred thousand thanks for having me!) yet I am in no different a situation as I was before. I still suffer from claustrophobic loneliness, and overpowering lethargy, but here I am nearly two hours away from my home town. I suppose what I’ve really learned is that life isn’t about what you have, but what you do. I’ve come to terms with a lot of the struggles I’ve had in the past, but I’ve still got many landmarks to pass and many ways to go. It seems like new readers are always telling me “I can’t believe that I’ve waited this late into your writing career to jump on the bandwagon!” but in actuality, this is only the beginning. I’m young at 18, I’ve only written three books, and there is so much yet to come that I don’t think anybody can fathom where it will end. If nothing else, there are two things I wish to accomplish every day in the life of Todd Crawford: 1.) To let people know that I am something to watch out for and that I have some truly fantastical things in the making (starting with five upcoming books) and 2.) To become not only the Artist, but the person I have always aspired to become. By the end of 2013, my Potential and Real selves will be merged into the best of my capabilities.

Thank you, Todd, for sharing your day with us and thank you, readers for taking the time to stop by. I hope that you've enjoyed today's 

"A Day in the Life of..."

A Day in the Life of L.A. Cadieux (+International Giveaway)

Hello and welcome to "A Day in the Life of..."©, a featured guest post exclusive to my blog that's published on Mondays and sometimes, on Thursdays. On these two days, a spotlight guest will share a normal day in their lives, giving us insight on their thoughts, projects, interests, obsessions and more. Occasionally, and if we're lucky, they'll even throw in a giveaway.

And now on with the show...

 About L. A. Cadieux

L. A. Cadieux is the writer of ONE LIFE: A Teddy Owens Story. ONE LIFE is currently on submission with publishers. She lives in Calgary with her husband and two children. When she isn’t busy working on a manuscript, L. A. enjoys watching her favorite television shows and traveling.

Connect with L.A. Cadieux

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A day in the life of L. A. Cadieux: 

children, dirt, coffee, and writing.

 “Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing.”
― Phyllis Diller

*A day in my life tends to change depending on the time of year. My oldest child is active in dance and soccer in the fall/spring. Occasionally we fit in time for swimming lessons or a play date.

7:00 AM:                  

My husband is up and preparing to leave for work. My eyes need pliers to be opened.

“Mommy, what are we doing today?” My daughter bounds into the bedroom. “Who are we going to visit?” she asks. “Do I have playschool today?”

I pry an eye open as her fingers dig into the mattress—giggles are my alarm clock. She climbs up to cuddle.

“Mam!” a little voice calls from outside the bedroom. “Mam!” the voice calls again.

I toss back the comforter. “I’m coming,” I mumble, rolling out of the bed.

Up and at em, our day is started.

7:15 AM:

“Mam—shirt!” says a wide-eyed toddler. He looks up at me like the Puss in Boots from Shrek, his eyes simmering with intensity. He tugs on my hand.

“Okay, okay.” I open his closet doors. He hugs my leg while I search for his shirt and pants. I change him out of his pajamas. He wiggles and tries to run away.

7:15 – 7:50 AM:

I check my email and Twitter, then ensure my daughter is also dressed. Throw in a load of laundry.

“Are you done yet?” My daughter asks, after spending 15 minutes deciding what she wants to wear. I’m trying to gather her waist length hair into a ponytail.

“Not yet.” I lean over to snatch up the shampoo bottle my son had tossed into the bathtub. “Shampoo isn’t for playing with,” I say (inside I’m secretly smiling at the little rascal).

“Done?”

“Almost,” my voice is muffled. I have a hair tie clenched in my teeth.

After the ponytail is securely tied in place, my focus switches to the next task: brush the kid’s teeth.

“Mom, what is for breakfast?” my daughter asks, handing me her toothbrush like it’s a trophy. She shows me her teeth. I give her thumbs up.

“What do you want for breakfast?” I ask. She shrugs and disappears into the other room. The theme song from Disney Junior’s Special Agent Oso blares on the television. “I’ll make breakfast soon,” I shout from the bathroom, where I’m still trying to brush my hair.

“Mom!” my daughter calls out.

“I’ll be done in one minute.” I spit toothpaste into the sink. My son is wrapped around one leg, so I’m careful to dodge his toes.

8:00 – 9 AM.:

“Have a good day,” I say. My husband pulls on his shoes in the entrance. I’m in the kitchen making breakfast. We say our goodbyes.

The kids finish eating. Clean up #1 time.

9:00 - 10:00 AM:

Check Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. Respond to any messages.

“Hey, you two stop fighting.” I twist around as a child cries out. My hand actually closes around my e-reader in passing. Yes, it is my intention to spend a moment reading.

“I had it first!” My daughter shouts as my son rushes past…waving a toy in the air.

Sadly, I don’t end up reading; instead I turn into a referee. Over the course of an hour I break up a fight—or three.

10:00 – 10:30 AM:

Throw the laundry in the dryer. Get dressed and do my makeup—if I haven’t yet.

10:30-10:50 AM:

Get the kids ready to stop in at Tim Hortons.

“I want to bring Dolly!” my daughter cries. My son pulls on his Calgary Flames baseball cap (backwards of course).

“Put your shoes on, please. Where did you put your doll?” I ask. The next few minutes are spent madly searching the living room for her beloved doll. I end up finding it stuffed in-between two cushions on the sofa. “Found it—did you put your shoes on?”

“No,” she says, holding a shoe up. “Can you do it?”

“I can help.” I hand her the doll, then help with her shoes.

The kid’s shoes and jackets are now zipped or laced. I slip on my flip flops.

We head out to the vehicle. I strap both kids into their respective car seats. “Where is your sippy cup?” I ask my son.

“Cup!” he says, but it sounds more like ‘cub’.

“Oh no,” I say to myself. My son must have dropped it on the way out of the house. I end up finding it stowed in a flower pot…or discarded on the sidewalk.

11:15 AM:

We are on our way. Coffee time!

“Mom, can I have chocolate milk?” my daughter asks. I power down my window to order at the drive-thru.

“Juice!” my son says, raising both fists into the air.

“Good morning. What can I get for you?” a friendly voice emits from the order microphone.

“Hi. Can I have one double-double? One small chocolate milk—and one orange juice? Please?” I order breathlessly, turning around twice to shush my daughter.

“Don’t forget my chocolate milk,” she adds…one last time.

We park for a minute. I stick straws in the kid’s milk/juice. We drive home. I take a moment to turn up the music and cherish a sip or two of my personal ambrosia.

11:30 – 12:00 PM:

“Can I play in my sandbox?” my daughter asks. We’ve pulled into the driveway.

“Sure,” I say. Yes, my life involves answering children’s questions. I release the kids from their seats. They take off running and open the gate into the backyard. I recycle their beverage containers—if they’ve finished their drinks.

12:00 – 12:50 PM:

“Okay, time to head inside to make lunch,” I say, gesturing for the kids to follow me. They stop kicking around a bouncy ball to come inside.

“Can I have a cookie for lunch?” my daughter asks. They climb the back steps.

“No, cookies aren’t for lunch.” I hold the door open for them.

“Can I have pizza?” she asks, trotting past. We all head inside to wash up. I prepare lunch (probably not pizza). We eat. Clean up time.

12:50 PM:

I change my daughter into clean clothes—because she’s covered in dirt now. We pack up her backpack, and then the process of re-putting on shoes and jackets begins.

1:00 PM:

I strap the toddler into the wagon. We head down the street to drop my daughter off at play school.

1:15 PM:

Return home. I let the toddler play for a few minutes.

1:30 PM:

Naptime!

1:30 – 2:45 PM:

I sit down at the computer and open up my manuscript. I’ll either start to write/edit or check social media.

If my son naps for 15 minutes—he often does this—I’ll take him for a bike ride, park, etc.

2:45 PM:

What should I make for supper? I stare blindly in the refrigerator. I usually end up taking food out of the freezer. Vegetables won’t need to be sliced and diced until later.

2:50 – 3:15 PM:

Head outside to water the garden. I pick a few weeds…and listen for my toddler to wake.

3:15 – 3:50 PM:

“Mam!” Toddler is up. Complete various duties around the house; fold clothes, organize bedrooms, etc. Clean out the dishwasher.

3:50 PM:

“Time to pick up your sister,” I say. A few minutes later I’ve packed the little boy back into the wagon. We depart to pick up his sister from playschool.

4:15 – 5:00 PM:

Return home. Finish making supper.

5:00 – 5:30 PM:

Kids eat.

6:00 – 6:50 PM:

“Daddy!” two little voices shout in unison. My husband has arrived home from work.

“Daddy, guess what?” my daughter says, clutching a crayon.

“What?” he asks.

“I can draw the letter R now,” My daughter says proudly. She goes on to show him.

The adults eat and hang out with the kids. Talk turns to everyone’s day.

6:50 - 7:30 PM:

We work together to prepare the kids for their bath. After bath time we dress them for bed and brush teeth. One of us throws another load of laundry into the wash.

The toddler goes down to sleep.

8:00 PM:

Read my daughter a story of her choice. Tuck her into bed.

My husband and I sweep/wash up the main floor. We pile the dishes into the dishwasher—taking the opportunity to have adult conversation.

We sit down to view our favorite recorded television show (we are both fans of reality television). I’m a big fan of HBO and the CW.

9:30 PM:

Return to my laptop. Check social media. I tend to write better while music is playing.

10:00 PM:

I’m full on writing/editing a manuscript.

11:00 PM:

Take a break to hang out with my husband.

11:30 PM:

Husband retires to bed. I’m back to work on my manuscript.

12:00 AM:

I forgot to put the laundry in the dryer!

12:30 AM:

Head upstairs to transfer the laundry to the dryer. I look at my phone. Where does the time go?

12:30 - 1:00 AM:

Shower! (This does occur in the morning, too. I switch it up). Complete my typical bedtime ritual. Look longingly at my e-reader…it would be amazing if I could finish reading a book. Rest my head against my pillow. I continue to contemplate reading a book—and sometimes I do!

~Sweet dreams~

I’m headed back to work this month! A day in my life will change drastically, but I’ve sure enjoyed the time at home.

 Thank you, L.A., for sharing your day with us and thank you, readers for taking the time to stop by. I hope that you've enjoyed today's 

"A Day in the Life of..."

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A Day in the Life of Cameo Renae (+ Intl. Giveaway!)

Hello and welcome to "A Day in the Life of..."©, a featured guest post exclusive to my blog that's published on Mondays and sometimes, on Thursdays. On these two days, a spotlight guest will share a normal day in their lives, giving us insight on their thoughts, projects, interests, obsessions and more. Occasionally, and if we're lucky, they'll even throw in a giveaway.

And now on with the show...

                                                                          

About Cameo Renae

I love reading great books that whisk me away from reality, even if for a little while. :)

I love a great love story, anything paranormal, supernatural, magical, things with vampires, angels, mysteries, thrilling, suspenseful, and fantasy (yes...unicorns, elves, and dragons :))

I recently released my debut novel, In My Dreams, and am thrilled at how well it is doing! Writing is an escape, and I enjoy every minute of it. I hope you'll join me in one of my adventures!

We'll see what the future holds. Until then... :) HAPPY READING!

Connect with Cameo Renae

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 *When Nely Cab asked me to do a post on her blog I was THRILLED!!! But then I noticed it was a Day in the Life of _ME_! OMG… My life = Not so thrilling… But, it does have its moments. Here we go!

Somewhere around 9:00 AM:

Rise and shine!!!

Yep, my kids are grown (18 and 20), so I get to sleep in. We started a family early. I know MANY of you are wondering how old I am… I just turned 40. HEY – I’m still younger than J-Lo, and I can move like Jagger! Okay… maybe not like Jagger.

Once my eyes open and my brain kicks-in… that’s it. The first thing I do is reach for my iPhone and quickly check my notifications on FB, and then my email.

30 minutes of my waking moments - Gone.

I push out of the comfort of my warm blankets, and battle the Alaskan cold. It’s like I’m in an icebox, even in the summer mornings…and even with sweatpants and socks on. Brrrrr! 

9:30-ish

Teeth chattering, I stumble for the kitchen and coffee pot. I fill it up, add the grinds, click it on, AND…wait. Tick, tick, tick… It never brews fast enough. A thought quickly passes through my mind… What are we going to do today?

Coffee is done, and I pop out of my zone. I fill my cup with the steamy, very-potent, black coffee, and then pour in the wonderful, flavored creamer which turns it into a sweet, magical potion.

My morning crew:

10-ish

Brain is starting to show signs of life. I’m beginning to feel some type of normalcy, and movement in my limbs. I quickly pour a second cup of brew.

Then, it’s cleaning time. Make the bed (once the hubby is out of it), laundry, vacuuming…and whatever else needs to be done.

Somewhere within this time, our son brings his baby in. Yes, we have an 11 month old grandson, who is the cutest little munchkin, injected with super-energy.

I think to myself…I need whatever he has.

I pour myself a third cup of coffee, and its playtime! He’s very bossy, but adorable!

11-ish

If the kids are working we run our errands. Bank, store, gas station.

If the kids have a day off, we all vote on a road trip. (Let’s assume they have a day off.)

Choices are Walmart or Hatcher’s Pass? It’s unanimous… Hatcher’s Pass is a “GO!” That is…after we pick up some essentials at Walmart first. haha

Immediately the two teenage girls (my daughter and son’s girlfriend) commandeer the bathroom. Flat iron and make-up are strewn all over the bathroom counter.

I check FB and attempt to get some writing done. Usually not gonna happen.

My desk:

Sorry it looks so dark. The lighting is pretty bad.

12:30 pm

Girls are still getting ready. I ask... “WHY the heck are you guys putting on make-up and getting all dressed up when we’re going to the mountain???”

Snarky remark from the daughter, “Because we have to take pictures! Hello?!”

OMG… :/

1:30 pm

Everyone is ready. Car is loaded and we begin our journey. 

2:30 pm

We make it to Hatcher’s Pass. The drive is breathtaking. My hubby has to pull on the side of the road, many times, for awesome photo shots. I love to take nature shots, while the girls take shots of themselves, in different poses, with a bit of nature in the background. They quickly post photos to Instagram before we lose service.  

The views at the top are AMAZING!!! We walk around, maybe pick some blueberries, hike a trail, see a beaver and its awesome beaver dam, and hopefully won’t run into a bear.

Photos I took of HATCHER’S PASS:

(FYI: Hatcher’s Pass is one of the locations in my novel, In My Dreams.)

6:00 pm

HOME! Dinner has either been bought or prepared, and we usually gather to watch a movie.

10:30pm

Everyone is settled in their rooms. My hubby puts on a movie for himself, and I grab my mini-laptop. I settle into my bed, and fluff the pillows behind my back until I’m comfortable. Then, I plug in my lime-green earphones, sign into Spotify, and listen to some music while I quickly check FB to see if anything exciting happened.

My night crew:

(Mini-laptop, Headphones, Kindle & Caffeine)

One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite groups…Maroon 5 – One More Night.

(FYI: I don’t really care for the video.)

11:30 pm

I realize I’ve wasted an hour’s worth of writing, while messing around on FB. Grrrrrrrrrrr Happens every night. I turn on my writing music… which is music with no words, and pull up my WIP.

I can’t write with music which has someone singing, because I end up singing along, in my head, and can’t write. I need background music. Musical scores. They work great for me.

1:30 am

Eyes are getting droopy, so I decide to shut down the computer and grab my Kindle.

2:30 – 3:30am

I realize I’ve dozed off a few times. I turn off my Kindle and my world fades to black, hoping for sweet dreams and more adventures in the morning...    

And there you have it! Thank you, Nely for letting me visit your amazing blog!!!

*bow and exit stage left*

 Thank you, Cameo, for sharing your day with us and thank you, readers for taking the time to stop by. I hope that you've enjoyed today's 

"A Day in the Life of..."

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In My Dreams

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