Tag: Washington DC

No time for revolving doors.

Sara Mazariegos

Commuting in DC. I love living in the DC area and being able to take reliable buses and Metro trains everywhere. Luis and I don’t own a car (I can’t even drive, and he dislikes driving) and we don’t need to. We save so much money by not having a car, and the time spent waiting for buses or trains is comparable to the time spent sitting in traffic for drivers.

That being said, having to stand for all or nearly all of the commute is exhausting and I always get bummed because it means I can’t read while I ride. (First World Problem, I know, but still.) The other morning, the train was full of people and slow because of single-tracking and I had to stand the whole time. I briefly felt a panic attack coming on, but luckily I was able to get a seat before it got bad. I felt hot and like I might faint or be sick. That doesn’t usually happen to me. Thankfully, it’s not usually so packed I have to stand in the morning.

“It’s gonna snow again.” We heard for at least a week that it was going to snow from Saturday night through Monday morning. I went from thinking, “Oh man, I might have to work from home” to “I’m definitely going to have to work from home” to “I might have to take it as a snow day if the power goes out.” It also ramped up to include so many other states that several of my coworkers also had to work from home in their respective office locations. What does it say about me that I was more concerned about having to possibly take a day off (not as vacation, but as emergency) than I was about having enough non-perishable food in case we’re stuck in our house with no power for a while?

Luis ordered groceries and we planned meals in case we can’t use our stove or microwave. We might be living on canned beans and potato chips for a few days. I have faith that things will be okay, though.

SNOW UPDATE: I was allowed to work from home on Monday and Tuesday. We got about six inches of snow plus ice and sleet on Sunday, and the D.C. government closed because of the weather. The bus and Metro would be a nightmare when there’s that much snow and ice, even if they sometimes like to pretend otherwise. The Metro had problems with their track the other day, after all, and that was without snow.

Luis helped me get on the bus from the terribly icy/snowy bus stop this morning. Maryland left a huge frozen hill at the bus stop and we had to climb over it to get safely on the bus. Fortunately, the driver knew to wait to let us on. We weren’t going to wait 30 minutes for another bus. Luis even rode to the Metro with me, to make sure I got onto the train safely as well. I can’t speak highly enough about him. 🥲 Today’s the anniversary of the day we met!

He’s probably going to need to help me the rest of this week, until the snow is actually gone enough for it to not still be a minor hazard. Conversely, the Metro? Totally fine. It came right on time and there were no issues. I hope it stays that way.

The Color Purple novel. I’ve just started reading The Color Purple, and I’m really enjoying it. It feels like a well-timed departure from the depressing books I’ve read recently. It’s not all sunshine and giggles, of course, but the tone is brighter and the characters (at least several of the main ones) are more lovable. Especially Celie. We saw the musical movie when it was in theaters, so I was excited when I found the novel in a Little Free Library. It is a delight to read the way the strong women in the story fight back against the oppressive men, even if it’s sometimes just with a shared look. I keep catching myself grinning while I read it on the Metro. I used to think it would be very heavy, like Beloved, but it’s got humor to it. I hope it’s not bad to say I find it lighthearted and hopeful.

Beloved is also very good, of course. It is definitely sad, though. I need to read more Toni Morrison. I read Sula in college, and I need to read it again to enjoy it this time instead of using it for a term paper. You know?

February’s going to have a lot going on. There’s a week on my calendar with so much on it. It’s going to have Luis’s and my 14th dating anniversary mini-vacation (14th on the 14th!) the Winter Olympics coverage (I love ice skating/dancing,) and the Project For Awesome! All three of those will be on the same days, though of course the Olympics last longer. With the skating and the P4A livestreaming, we’re going to have plenty to watch in the hotel room after our fun anniversary activities each day. We’re going to museums and parks and shops near where we met fourteen years ago, and we hopefully won’t freeze our tails off.

I’m glad we did not get married on Valentine’s Day, but it is nice we started dating on that day. It makes it seem like everyone’s celebrating us with us.

Brenda and Eddie had had it already by the summer of ’75.

Sara Mazariegos

Thanksgiving mini recap. Wow. We basically had three Thanksgivings the past several days. We had regular Thanksgiving on Thursday (with the parade and dog show and everything) with Luis’s family, then we had Thanksgiving II on Friday at my parents’ house with even more turkey legs for Luis! Then we went to a friendsgiving dinner on Sunday. We got leftovers from all three dinners, so we’re going to be good on food for a while.

I got some ideas for future novels during all of this, so that’s fun. I’m taking a break from writing for the holidays now, so of course I’m plotting new things.

Zootopia 2 and the barrage of sequels and remakes. As we were going into the theater to see Zootopia 2, I commented that the row of “Coming Soon” posters on the wall were all sequels and remakes. It’s obviously not the first time I’ve noticed that so many movies are not original anymore, but it was interesting to see them in a row like that. I like certain sequels and remakes can be okay, but I do miss seeing the latest Disney movie and having it be the latest Disney movie and not a continuation of something. The second Zootopia was good, but do you know what was even better? The first Zootopia, when it was new and different and special.

I can’t believe there’s going to be a fifth Toy Story. Of course I’ll see it, though. Conan O’Brien is in it.

But I also plan to support the crap out of Hoppers. Hopefully our theater will show it for longer than a week. It didn’t give Elio a chance. We still haven’t seen Elio. 😦

Violence near my Metro stop. Harsh transition ahead. Last week, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, there was a shooting of National Guardspeople* near the Metro stop where I get off to go to work. It was during the afternoon, so thankfully I was already safely inside my office. But the commute home was scary because the station entrance was blocked off and there were police and TV cameras everywhere. While I was walking, I thought it was a bunch of police guarding the area, which would make sense I suppose, but then I realized it was a lot of media covering what had happened. They were blocking the corner where I usually cross, so I had to be on the other side of the street.

We live in scary times.

Writing/Editing update. My main update is that I finished editing the latest draft of my It’s A Wonderful Life-inspired novel! Now I have to wait and see what some new beta readers think.

In the meantime, I’m working on some new story ideas and making an outline. I’m planning to start writing this new story project in March (after my birthday) so I want to take the time to really think things through and have a good idea of what I’m doing before starting to type out a fresh new story draft. I’m excited to see where it takes me. I did something I don’t usually do with this one: I created Sims 4 versions of the romantic leads. It might sound silly, but it helps me think of fun ideas and imagine them as real people a little more.

I’ve also started a fun “book club” type thing with Luis. For a sort-of Christmas gift, I asked him to read The Good Part by Sophie Cousens and I’m rereading it as well, so we can discuss it. I love that book. I think he will, too. And then he’ll understand the kind of novels I’m going for when I write.

I still can’t believe it’s already December.

* It was one man and one woman, so “Guardsmen” feels wrong.

And you don’t stop, you keep on eatin’ cars.

Sara Mazariegos

We had a nice birthday celebration for Luis last weekend. It was laid back and fun, and not so jam-packed with activities that we couldn’t relax and enjoy it. Sometimes, we pack a lot into our weekends and/or vacations, because we want to get a lot done, but there’s something to be said for just getting a fancy drink and seeing a movie. We still went to a bunch of different food places around town, for all the birthday deals. My favorite was a Redbull Sunrise, which I paid for because it wasn’t part of a deal. I also got two giant coffees which weren’t part of birthday deals. Maybe I’m bad at getting deals. 😂

The news for DC has been scary, because I work there and we go there so often. It really isn’t that violent compared to other cities in the country. People there are nice and easy-going, for the most part. I think this is some sort of aggressive move to prevent protests and groups of people gathering to dissent. But it’s putting everyone in the city on edge and it’s not pleasant to worry about this crap when I’m trying to get my work done and travel to and from work safely. And that’s only one of the issues from this week. He’s giving all of us issues.

We have fun future plans, but of course they come with anxiety now. Everything comes with anxiety.

This coming weekend, we’re going to celebrate with friends for Luis’s birthday, including a neighborhood block party that just so happens to also fall this weekend. We’re going to bring our friends from our own party to that party. Hopefully it won’t rain. He’s planning to make a bunch of empanadas to bring, since it’s potluck. He makes them with crescent rolls. So good!

Then we’re going to a great local Japanese place with his family for more belated festivities. They have a delicious vegetarian dragon roll that’s so good I wrote about it in my novel. I used to wonder if it could be done, but of course it can be done!

Speaking of writing, I’m now within the last 30K words of my novel draft. I had fun writing about a side character last night, describing him and showing him in person for the first time in the story. I wondered if I was committing the Dickens sin of introducing a character too late in the novel. He’s featured in several chats and texts with the main character beforehand, so I think it’s okay… Sometimes people don’t hang out with other people in person as much. His late introduction reminds me of Maureen Johnson in Rent. I’d argue this character matters less to the story than Maureen does. But he’s nonetheless interesting!

I’m toying with the idea of a romantic subplot featuring the two side characters. It might be too cheesy, but it’s the kind of cheesy that the genre is known for!

Until next time. Stay safe.

It’s confusing these days.

Sara Mazariegos

Last weekend was really fun. The party for Luis’s mom was great, and he made an awesome video with a bunch of his family members wishing his mom a happy birthday. Then he made a speech and it was so cute. I may be biased, but my husband is amazing. 🥰  Then the next day, we went to the Air & Space Museum and spent a few hours looking at the updated exhibits. I had a margarita in a can! I did not expect anything like that to be available in their cafe. Next month, more new exhibits are opening, including one that features Amelia Earhart. Just more reasons to go back again. We still need to visit the one in Virginia, too. That’s where they’re keeping Enola Gay these days.

Luis bought me a copy of the library book I was reading, so for a brief period I had two nearly identical copies of The Ex Talk. I’m reading my own copy now. My used copy is a retired library book, so I went from reading one library book to another. This one’s cover is laminated! I love owning old library books. They tell stories of their own.

He also got me a copy of Ashley Poston’s new novel, Sounds Like Love. I love her covers. Whoever designs them deserves extra points. I’m planning to read her other gorgeous novel, A Novel Love Story next.

We’re getting together with my family on the 4th of July. We always go see them and have food and watch the DC fireworks celebration, and then we set off a few small fireworks in the street outside the house. It’s always been about spending time with family for me, more than patriotism, really. It’s especially like that now.

I’m just grateful for a day off.

My writing is progressing well. I’m writing a little over a chapter a week, so I can really feel it coming along. I’ve also started thinking ahead and putting fun ideas in my outline, so I remember to actually use them. I’ve definitely thought of things to do and then forgotten about them, in the past. The first time I wrote this story, back in 2020, I didn’t even have an outline. It’s come a long way.

I was reading The Ex Talk last night and bits of it were aligning well with my story’s themes. I thought, “Yes! This really is a perfect comp.” It’s relatable to my life, too. I found this book just by searching for romance novels with workplace conflicts. I’m so glad I found it.

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now.

Sara Mazariegos

There’s a horrible heatwave in a lot of the US right now. It’s fine if you can be inside, in the air conditioning, but whenever I walk to/from the Metro and bus, it’s so sticky. I wore a dress to work today in order to stay cool. I’m not a fan of wearing dresses, especially because the AC can make me cold and my legs aren’t covered. But it’s been warm enough inside so it’s okay.

I doubt I’ll wear a dress again tomorrow, though. I need to get some fashionable, work appropriate shorts or maybe some loose linen pants. I told myself I’d go shopping for new work clothes and then I learned I could wear jeans and t-shirts so I haven’t bothered.

On Sunday, Luis and I are finally going to the Air & Space Museum. I got timed passes and everything, like a real tourist. (You have to get timed passes to enter.) Not too much later than the 14th. It’s an important place to us, and it’s mentioned in my novel, so it’s part research but mostly just a nice place for us to return to every once in a while. We’re going to check out the food court. When we first met, it was upstairs and completely McDonald’s. A lot has changed in thirteen years.

I have a unique addiction that thankfully doesn’t happen all the time. I think I may have mentioned it before. I’ve gotten in the strange habit of getting a library book, deciding I want to keep it, and either buying it or asking my husband to buy it for me. It’s happened at least four times that I can remember: Georgie, All Along, Very Sincerely Yours, The Good Part, and now The Ex Talk. All of them have been used as comp titles. I love all of them. So there.

So far, I’ve purchased way fewer books this year than the past few years. I’ve only bought like three, and it’s June. I’m doing well. I need to keep reading the ones I already own, though. The little free libraries in my neighborhood are dangerous for my bookshelf.

Using my calendar for scheduling writing has been going well. I write about 1,000 words a day, broken up into 500 at the office and 500 in the evening when I’m home. It helps to break it up like that so I don’t ever feel stuck. It gives me time to think about things and plan it out, instead of feeling like I need to get it right then and there. I breeze through 500 words easily, and I calculated things out — if I keep writing at my current pace, I should be finished with this draft at the end of September. Just have to avoid skipping writing time because I feel tired and would rather watch TV.

TV can always wait.

She’s got wonderful eyes and a risqué mouth.

Sara Mazariegos

Tomorrow is Juneteenth. I’m off for it for the first time since it was added as a Federal holiday. I’m excited to be off, but I also feel guilty about it. I suppose that’s the general idea. We’re meant to reflect on what this country did and continues to do to Black people. I’m going to spend the day reading and writing, and Luis and I will go have a nice dinner at a nearby Tex Mex place. I think more businesses need to give it as a holiday so it receives its full respect. I’ve noticed it’s optional a lot of the time, hence this being my first year having it off. If Luis didn’t have to work, I would’ve suggested going to a local Black-owned business for dinner, but he has to work.

The Metro has been a nightmare this week. Every day has had some kind of signal problem, some kind of track work. This morning, I was half an hour late to work because there was a track issue two stops away from the office. They made everyone get out of my train and wait for the next one. Thankfully, my coworkers were nice about it. But I was so frustrated and worried about how long it was going to take, because it was stop-and-go all morning.

It’s been pretty calm at work, though. Which isn’t the norm for Wednesday, so something crazy is probably going to happen.

Next weekend, we’re going to celebrate Luis’s mom’s birthday with yet another party. (She’s had like three parties now.) We’re going to a brewery that, for once!, has coffee and pizza instead of just having beer. I’m excited about that. Also, my parents are going to be there, which I didn’t know about until they told us on Father’s Day. We’ll see them again on the 4th of July and then again on the 22nd when we go to see Weird Al. July is going to be pretty packed.

Then there’s nothing on the schedule for August. We need to make August plans STAT. Luis’s birthday is in August, so that’ll of course be something. But a few years ago we literally went to Paris and London. This year, ehh…. we can’t do that. But I’m sure it’ll still be nice.

I’ve been doing a lot of beta reading. I currently have three I’m getting through. Some writers are definitely more patient than others. I’m a slow reader, but I also give the stories more attention than I bet a lot of other readers do. Case in point, I got some early feedback on my novel from one of them that was like, “I like the corporate rivalry.” I feel like you can say that without even reading my story; it’s in the brief description. But I don’t want to be mean. Some people are more comfortable giving feedback than others, and some people don’t want to be negative or whatever. It’s fine. I do my best to read like I’m helping the writer, because I am. I’ve volunteered my time to help them make their story better.

With that in mind, I better go keep reading.

We talk about this whole stupid world and still come out laughing (Ha!)

Sara Mazariegos

The 14th is this Saturday. Luis and I always do something a little special since we first started dating—and got married—on a 14th. I wanted to come to D.C. this time and explore the redesigned Air & Space Museum. But the Mall is going to be full of people and all kinds of militaristic stuff I don’t want to be around. 😞 So we’ll save that for another time (possibly another 14th) and go get pizza and books instead.

We went with his family to another fun escape room in D.C. last weekend. My main mode when I do those things is finding all of the useful parts and giving them to others to actually solve, haha. When a room is open, I look all around for puzzle pieces, flashlights, etc that will aid in getting out of the room. I’m pretty good at doing it quickly. The other day, I opened a combination on a door flap. That felt special.

Luis and I are working on designing a Haunted Mansion escape room in our house. I’m so excited, because—as you know by now, I’m sure—The Haunted Mansion is my favorite Disney anything. He’s been asking for my input and we’ve been using a lot of our stuff to create a fun story. Last year’s Batman escape room was a real hit, so hopefully this one will be, too. Luis even creates videos for them! One of our friends asked who made the Batman one and was amazed that he did. We could start a small business, performing home escape rooms, but it would be complicated because we’d have to go to people’s houses, like birthday clowns or magicians or something. I wonder if that’s already a thing.

Since I’m working on retooling my Nerdfighter novel, I’ve been paying more attention to similar books again. One tough thing in the whole query-writing saga is finding good comp titles. They’re supposed to not be too old or too famous, and they don’t have to be extremely similar to your plot or your characters. They’re mainly meant to have some similar themes or even just evoke similar feelings when you read them, so they give literary agents some good examples of how your book would do in the market.

I read the other day that a comp title can be older than five years as long as the author is still releasing books. I think I’m going to hold the internet to that, because I found a great comp that’s from 2021 and the author has released several books since then. The story in this one just happens to fit my novel the best.

Luis and I will be looking at books on Saturday, though, so who knows? I may come home with a brand new perfect comp title instead.

The Rolling truck Stones thing.

Sara Mazariegos

I see a lot of interesting things on my commute, as one of my followers predicted. A lot of people get off at my Metro stop, so I end up trudging to my office in a Walking Deadesque crowd of sleepy people. There are loose tiles on the sidewalks, so every so often someone will trip a little and cause this sound like a ceramic plate being flipped on a table. That helps keep everyone on their toes. The restaurant downstairs has a cleaner who’s always out hosing down the sidewalk, but he’s careful to point the water away from passersby. I still always worry about getting accidentally sprayed, though.

I think of Belle seeing the same folks every morning. “The same old bread and rolls to sell…” It’s become kind of nice, especially because it’s the calm before the craziness at work. Work’s not even generally that crazy. I’ve been answering many phone calls and chats, though. That’s been a new experience for me, but it’s not super challenging, as long as I answer and I’m polite.

And the commute home is a nice little break for reading. I’m always eager to get home and be with Luis and our cats, but since I have the time, why not enjoy a good book*?

Boo successfully had her surgery yesterday, so I was extra anxious to get home and spend time with her. We received so many generous donations and a grant from a local organization that helps families with pets who have cancer. We were more than covered, and I’m so grateful. 🥲


She’s been so hyper after the anesthesia. Hopefully this evening she’ll be better able to relax, thanks to her pain meds and chill meds. She gets the entire guest room to herself, and Luis has been keeping her in his office with him while he works, set up with a bed and her own chair if she wants it. She’s very spoiled.

In writing news, things are still plugging along at 500 words a day. A big moment is about to happen in my draft, so that’s exciting. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but I wrote the beginning first, since my brain is sequential and writing out of order might just confuse me. Luis is nearly done alpha reading my It’s A Wonderful Life-inspired novel, so soon I will be making edits on that before sending it off to beta readers. I’m liking this whole Stop Pressuring Myself mode of tackling my writing projects. I only hope I won’t get to December and think I could’ve written more.

* Or a bad book, if that’s where I find myself at times.