Triple Agent

I sat down tonight at my computer after a long weekend of running around and doing twenty million things (literally!).  This is how my computer time goes: 1. Facebook (all three accounts--my personal and then the two for the teams I coach) 2. Twitter 3. Blogspot 4. AQC 5. Gmail  6. Open MS *stare at screen*

Somewhere in the middle of this process I realized that I somehow, and with some sort of success, lead three lives (four if you count mother/wife, but Quadruple Agent didn't sound as cool).  For those of you that wanted to know a little more about me, here it is, in no particular order.

1. My first life started in high school.  Have you ever been to a football game and watched those kids run around during half time with flags--the ones that can take out the entire low brass section with a poorly executed toss?  Somewhere in my sophomore year, with much awe and amazement, I fell in love with colorguard.  I paraded around the football field thinking I was the coolest kid on the planet (and my background in dance didn't hurt either).  

When marching season was over, I was introduced to something even better than colorguard: Winterguard.  Not only did we get to spin a six foot pole, we got to dance around with a six foot pole!  I know you all have visions of strippers in your head, but that's just not the case.   Winterguard is beautiful, a mixture of swirling colors, choreography and bodies moving in harmony.  (Get your minds OUT of the gutter...)  Watch my team here: Odyssey Winterguard

School came and went--my glory days were over.  Then, three years ago, I got an opportunity to coach at the school I'd attended.  The glory days were back!  So this is my first life: Coach.  I'm forever running around organizing something for winterguard.  If it isn't purchasing flags/uniforms/props, organizing a fundraiser, or holding practice, it's preparing for assemblies, writing flagwork/dance/choreography and trying to send my kids to camp.  And one team wasn't enough, we're starting a middle school team next year.  If nothing else, at least I'm thorough.  

So if you asked me what my life was all about, I'd simply say: Winterguard.  It's more than a passion, it's a way of life.


2. My second life is ultrasound (it comes on the heels of hair, which used to be my life too).  A few years ago I got pregnant with my son.  It's a time of wonder and amazement at the changes your body and life go through.  I loved being pregnant.  I loved my belly, I loved thinking that I was creating a person, I loved everything about it.  When the time came for my ultrasound, I fell in love once again.  Two months after my son was born, I was in school for a second time, this time majoring in ultrasound.  

One year of prereqs, one year of clinicals and six months of working and here I am.  I absolutely love my job.  Ultrasound is fascinating, not just because of the technology, but because it makes me realize that everyone is different.  No two bodies are alike, inside or out.  It's incredible.  

On top of the excitement of the medical field, I work with an amazing group of people.  It's so great that even I can't believe it.  I never knew that you could have a job and not hate it (I also never knew it was possible to love your boss, but I do!  She's great!)

I love my job so much that I'm willing to drive a total of 3 hours (1 1/2 hours each way) to work everyday.  I know it seems like a lot, but I actually don't mind it all that much--the drive, that is.  My wallet hates the gas prices.  

So if you asked me what my life was all about, I'd simply say: Ultrasound.  It's more than my job, it's my career and some days, my sanity. 


But I'm getting off subject a little bit.  While I was in ultrasound school, my third life grew wings and tentatively started to fly.  The semester before I started my internship, I sat down and decided to write a novel.  Four weeks later, I was done.

3.  My third life is writing.  During ultrasound school (with me being the queen of multitasking) I wrote two more novels.  Since school, I've written a fourth.  Writing is like navigating turbulent waters in the dark.  I set my ship on a straight course to success, but the second the dock was out of sight, my GPS failed.  

No one ever told me writing a novel was so much work!  

No, let me rephrase, because the actual writing part is easy peasy!  It's the after that's difficult!  It's the line editing, the cutting, and the restructuring that is awful!  It's looking at your favorite scene and realizing with a sick stomach that you're going to have to cut it.  It's feeling a deep obligation to tell your characters stories and not knowing where the heck to start.  

Fortunately, my third life came with an instruction manual!  Here's the secret folks!  AQC!  Thank god for this site!  Without it, I wouldn't know what a query letter is, much less know how to write one!  I wouldn't know how to prepare for the daunting task of finding an agent.  I wouldn't have a crit partner.  And I wouldn't have a support system.  

If you're a writer--you need to go to AQC.  It will change your life.

Okay, I'm done singing praises now...

So if you asked me what my life was all about, I'd simply say:  Writing!  I love writing, it's my outlet, it's my voice to the world, it's all consuming.


And as I'm getting to the end of this, I'm remembering that there are only 24 hours in this day, and I haven't even started reading the manuscripts I'm critiquing, the dishes are dirty, the clothes need to be put in the dryer, the kids need to be registered for camp, Onna and Everett are screaming for a line edit and my son is hollering for me to wipe his butt.  

Triple Agent--out.