Nico Mara-McKay

CIBC’s Run for the Cure 2010

Nico — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:26:51 +0000

Each year I participate in CIBC’s Run for the Cure to raise money for breast cancer research and prevention. It’s an important charity to me, my paternal Grandmother died of cancer in 2001. She was the most amazing woman and it was heartbreaking to watch.

My maternal Grandmother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and is now undergoing treatment that would not have been possible without fundraisers like this raising money for breast cancer research. With your help we can make a difference.

For those who have never attended a run, the runners in pink shirts are breast cancer survivors, those in red are lead sponsor CIBC’s employees, and average Janes and Joes run in white. Most sport various accoutrements in pink hats, wigs, scarves, tutus, leg warmers, temporary tattoos anything and everything you can think of is somewhere represented. It’s the only day of the year I wear pink. Click for a few pictures from last year’s Run.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure is Canada’s largest single day, volunteer-led fundraising event dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research, and education awareness programs.

This year’s run takes place on Sunday, October 3rd, 2010, and I am less than halfway to my goal of raising $200, and I would really appreciate your support.

Thanks for your help.

CIBC’s Run for the Cure 2010

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CIBC’s Run for the Cure 2009

I want you to slap me as hard as you can

Nico — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:00:41 +0000

Warning: NSFW

Cute video, and I can’t knock book love, but I’d be the girl getting slapped in the I heart Kurt Vonnegut tee.

That’s ok, I feel vindicated knowing that Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will be opening in Indianapolis, IN later this year, and that the library already has more than 5200 Facebook fans.

Does Ray Bradbury have a library? I didn’t think so.

I like this quote in the Guardian from Edie Vonnegut, his daughter:

“We have boxes of rejection letters, letters saying ‘You have no talent and we suggest you give up writing’,” she told the Associated Press. “He did not have an easy time of it, and I think for anyone who wants to be a writer it will be important for them to see how tough it was for him.”

Boxes. I have a small file folder.

That’s encouraging…right?

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

I want you to slap me as hard as you can

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On writing crap

Writing with Cats: Episode Three

Nico — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:00:06 +0000

Bootsy knows how to relax

BOOTSY: Yo, it’s pettin’ time. Hook me up.⁽¹⁾

ME: No honey, I’m working.

BOOTSY: Ok, cool. Imma roll around in this patch of sunlight for a few minutes. Don’t mind me.

ME: Thanks for understanding.

BOOTSY: No problem. It’s been seconds since I’ve slept; I’m exhausted. I’ll just chill over here for a while.

ME: Awesome.

LESSON: Not all cats are created equal.

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

Writing with Cats: Episode Three

Footnotes:

“Pettin’ time” is like Hammertime, but without the parachute pants.

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Writing with Cats: Episode One

Wedding Anniversary 2009

Writing with Cats: Episode Two

Nico — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:00:06 +0000

Merlyn cannot be contained

MERLYN: It’s snuggle time!

ME: No honey, I’m working.

MERLYN: I’ll just sit behind you on this chair.

ME: Sure, that’s fine.

MERLYN: And nudge you with my head.

ME: Kinda disruptive…

MERLYN: Now I’ll sit in front of the monitor and nuzzle your chin.

ME: Uh, I can’t see.

MERLYN: My face is now in your face! Like my tail?

ME: Urmph…can’t…breathe…

HEADLINE: Aspiring author dies of cat love asphyxiation.

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

Writing with Cats: Episode Two

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Writing with Cats: Episode One

Nico — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:42:51 +0000

Lydia with toys

LYDIA: You’re just sitting there.

ME: No honey, I’m working.

LYDIA: It looks boring.

ME: I’m writing a story. Go play with a mousie or something.

LYDIA: I know! I’ll bring you the mousie and climb your leg, that way we’re both playing!

ME: Ow! Motherfu– [/end transmission]

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

Writing with Cats: Episode One

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Introducing Lydia

Introducing Lydia

Nico — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:32:53 +0000

Lydia exploding from her carrier at the shelter

On Wednesday my husband and I visited a shelter run by Toronto Animal Services to look at the kittens available for adoption.

The closest, the South Region centre, was difficult to reach due to blockades set up for the Indy races which were happening that weekend. After circling the centre for close to half an hour, we approached some service people who let us walk across the track, dodging giant beer trucks, trucks with construction and other dubious materials.

We eventually made it of course.

We’d checked online to see what was available, and to me this little kitten looked like the cutest thing ever, and in person she turned out to be even sweeter, climbing on my shoulder, nuzzling and licking my ear. How could I not fall in love?

Mouse hunt success

I decided to name her Lydia, as it’s a name I’ve always loved. It seems to suit her.

She was extremely sleepy when we took her home, and not very well the first night.

I took her to the vet on Thursday morning, and she was proscribed antibiotics, and she seems to have recovered well. She’s still under quarantine in my study at the moment, hopefully to be released later today, once I hear back from the vet.

Her colouring is similar to Bootsy’s, though I think Lydia has more white on her, and she’s a shorthair.

Neither Bootsy nor Merlyn are terribly thrilled about their new housemate, though as Lyd is still under quarantine, and has not been properly introduced this will likely change. She’s escaped a few times, and Bootsy’s hissed, while Merl has done his usual run-away-like-a-’fraidy-cat routine.

Cat and mouse

Lydia is sweet, but a little crazy, as kittens are. She hops around on everything, and views me as her personal climbing frame and chew toy. Apparently the toy mousie, bunny, hedgehog and screwed up bits of paper just don’t compare to the wonder that is me.

She’s been interfering with my ability to sit still for more than five minutes at a time and get much work done, but – somehow – I’ve managed, with another two stories almost ready to send out. I’ll have Drew give them a read-through then make a few more corrections and hopefully send them out by the end of the week.

Exciting stuff.

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

Introducing Lydia

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Writing, Wild Wood and my birthday

Nico — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:18:42 +0000

I’m still struggling to get into a routine. How do proper writers do this?

Last week my available working hours were reduced due to recovery time required by my surgery. However, I did send out a short story submission, and submitted three poems to another literary magazine.

Friday I felt most productive. Partially inspired by a dream,⁽¹⁾ I woke up early and wrote. I managed 1100 words before I even thought of coffee. I’m immensely and unreasonably proud of this.

I wrote a little more during coffee (another 400 words), and I’m continuing to work on it and shape it into something proper. So far, I like it.

For the pseudo long weekend myself, my husband and another friend made the trek up north to my parents’ cabin, Wild Wood, in the North Kawarthas Friday night. I thought I’d get more done there, but mostly we read, drank, and generally hung out in the heat. Bit of a swim in the lake.

I had a good time, and came away from it with plenty of mosquito bites, but I didn’t write a word while I was there.

Today’s my birthday. Celebrations won’t be as frivolous as last year, we’re on a smaller budget now, but it’s been a good day. I haven’t yet decided where we’ll be going for dinner, but I’m guessing it will be somewhere Italian.⁽²⁾

I’m proud that I’ve committed myself to doing something that I love, but I don’t feel like I’m getting enough done. I’m still learning what it means to be self-employed, still working on what it means to be a grownup, and making it up as I go along.

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

Writing, Wild Wood and my birthday

Footnotes:

A high tech toilet, of all things. It doesn’t feature heavily in the story, but it kind of inspired it.
We live in the Corso Italia neighbourhood in Toronto.

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Birthday Celebrations 2009

Another submisison

First day

Nico — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:16:48 +0000

I resigned from my position at the bank several weeks ago, Friday was officially my last day. Today was to be my first day getting to work as a properly self-employed person. I’m still working out what that means.

For me, today, it meant calling in sick.

I thought it a smart move to use what benefits I had while I could, and had my wisdom teeth removed on Thursday, which turned out to be a much bigger deal. I don’t know what I expected, but I kinda thought I’d be up and about in a day or so. It seemed so straightforward. Routine surgery, right?

Sure, my dentist proscribed me a small pharmacy’s worth of medication, and I understood that the antibiotics should be continued until complete, but the instructions said I should take the pain medication “if needed”. All things considered I’d felt great the past few days. Pain? Pfft. A trifle.

Turns out the reason I’d been feeling so great is because I’ve been taking Tylenol 3, not because I’ve recovered wonderfully. I’m fine, and things are going as they should, but I’m not better. Yet.

I took my antibiotics in the morning, but didn’t bother with anything else. The pain, by noon, was in fact blinding, and I was forced to take pain medication and have a nap. So, that was a bit of a setback.

I did a little self-editing in the morning and started a review, but it seems I’m going to need more recovery time before I can begin in earnest.

It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for this, but it seems worth waiting a few extra days until I know I can properly function as a human being before berating myself for not GTD.

My first day as my own boss and I had to call in sick. At least I know I wasn’t faking it.

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

First day

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I quit!

Nico — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:39:05 +0000

At the end of May my husband and I went to Paris for two weeks. This is my favourite picture of me from that trip. I really dig the beret, and it didn’t bother me a bit that I was the only person in Paris wearing one.

We’re still working on sorting through the pictures (Drew took over a thousand of them). It’s a beautiful city. I may post a few more here in the coming weeks.

The other big new? I quit my job.

On Friday I handed in my formal resignation from my role as a senior business analyst for a major Canadian bank. I gave them three weeks’ notice, everything should be organized by then.

There were a number of reasons why I quit, but highest among them was that I wasn’t happy.

I’d worked for the company for six and a half years, steadily moving up as the years went on, and while I often enjoyed my time there, it wasn’t what I really wanted to be doing.

It’s finally become financially feasible for me to quit the corporate life and go freelance. No, we didn’t win any lotteries, just got our affairs in order so I can pursue my dream career: writing.

At the moment I don’t have any clients lined up (I know, I must be crazy, right?), this is something I’ll be working on for the next few weeks while I still have a paycheque.

It’s a little scary, but exciting, too. I feel fairly prepared, but at the same time I don’t know what’s in store. I have so much to learn. I’ll blog it as I go.

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

I quit!

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Short story submitted, the price of IRCs and something published

Nico — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:56:42 +0000

Last Tuesday I submitted another short story submitted to an American magazine. Holy cow IRCs⁽¹⁾ are expensive. Four dollars. For the cost of a stamp to mail a letter from America to Canada. Oh. Em. Gee. The entire package ended up costing almost eight bucks. For something that may or may not be picked up.

To my American friends: Pls to be sendink American stamps for postage to Canada. Will send money via PayPal. Contact me. Thx.

I received confirmation of my submission to the poetry contest I entered last week, which is good to hear. Still haven’t heard back on submissions sent in February of this year, but responses from pieces sent late last year are arriving slowly but surely.

Speaking of, an essay of mine submitted last autumn has appeared in the latest issue of the online magazine Rending the Veil, you can find it here. Short but sweet.

In a week I head for Paris via Montreal. Until then, more poetry to edit, and a short story I’m trying to get finished for a contest that closes on the 15th.

© 2008-2010 Nico Mara-McKay
For the original source of the content please see nicomaramckay.com.

Short story submitted, the price of IRCs and something published

Footnotes:

IRC = International Reply Coupon

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