New Directions

And no, sadly,  I don't mean these guys:



I haven't blogged much lately.  If you're a past reader of In Search of Giants, you know I don't like long posts, so let's break this down:

Top Ten Reasons 

Aerin Hasn't Blogged Since August

10. Clarity of Night July '09 contest

Writing for it and reading its entries scorched my brain.

9. Reading

Kisses to Trish and Ello for lending me me ARCs of FIRE and of CATCHING FIRE.  Yes, Ell, I still have yours.   See what else I've read at Goodreads.com.

8. Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize

I am forced to use armored cars and bulletproof vests when out in public, since I think this is a splendid idea and people around here....don't.

7. Travels - Nashville and New York City
Both with children, neither with a spa.  Enjoyable but requiring quite a bit of recuperation time.

6. Spouse

Forgets other people are part of the house, focuses on a zillion music projects plus a huge project at work.    I turn into Housewife Zombie.

5. Daydreaming about meeting Stuart Neville

Was even better than I'd expected - the accent, the sense of humor, the milk in his tea, plus he gives great hugs - I'm sorry, but the man is yummy:

Betsy's pretty hot, too.

4. Season Premieres

Fringe, Glee, Bones, Criminal Minds, House, How I Met Your Mother.  This is important sh*t, yo.

3. Stephen Parrish emailed me

He & unknown co-conspirator encouraged my writing, which is not my first love (reading is) but is definitely my first calling (before reading).  No one's ever done that before; I'm taking it as a sign.

2. Family Stuff
My sibs and I are pretty tight-knit; my lil sis and I are practically the same person.  So when life's tough for her, it's tough for me.  And it's been really, really tough for her lately.

1. My son, who is autistic, started kindergarten.

I go with him to class, because as friendly as the teachers & staff are, they're clueless when it comes to the needs of a child with autism.  Our IEP involved a lot of "settling for" on our part - not an ideal situation for my precious child.  I've spent more time and energy in the past three months than I ever did when he was at his special Autism school.  Of course, his special Autism school drained our life savings and my in-laws' bank account, too.  Add to this managing my daughter's feelings, making sure she's not feeling shortchanged, and I don't even have time for martinis in the evenings.  Agh!

I'm not going to turn my blog into a platform for autism, but you're going to encounter it.  The new stats are 1 in 98 children.  Learn more at Autism Speaks.

As if all that weren't enough, NaNo starts in just three days (see #3, above). 

In other words, I will continue to be a sporadic, MIA even, blogger.  But do stay tuned - exciting announcements from the Co-Dictators of the Universe, my first CD review, and more - sometime in the near future (ie, prior to 2011.)

Do You Do: teenreads.com?

News about Catching Fire, The Maze Runner - two books I'll be reviewing this month! - as well as oodles and oodles of giveaways.  (Particularly look for the current one aimed at kids ages 6-12.)

Do You Do is a new InSearchofGiants.com feature to help highlight places of interest.  Feel free to send suggestions to aerinblogs AT aol DOT com.

Teen Essay Contest sponsored by Gilda's Club

GILDA’S CLUB LAUNCHES “IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHING” TEEN ESSAY CONTEST TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR TEENS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH CANCER

Gilda’s Club New York City, a cancer support community named for the late comedian Gilda Radner, launches its inaugural Teen Essay Contest

NEW YORK – ( September 28, 2009) – Are you a high school student who has been impacted by cancer?  Gilda’s Club New York City is launching its inaugural “It’s Always Something” Teen Essay Contest to provide high school students with a forum for sharing their stories about living with cancer.   Teens may submit an essay about the experience of their own cancer diagnosis, a family member or friend living with cancer, or the loss of a loved one to cancer.  Celebrity Judges include Alan Zweibel – Emmy-winning writer and close friend of Gilda Radner, Matthew Zachary – Founder of I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation, William Sherman – Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for New York Daily News, and Tonya Hurley – author of the NY Times best-selling “ghostgirl” novels.

More than 70% of teens have been impacted by a cancer diagnosis yet teens are often an overlooked audience, especially regarding cancer prevention and dealing with the social and emotional needs brought about by cancer.  Nationwide, 25% of families with a cancer diagnosis have children under the age of 18.  “Our primary objective is to provide a forum for teens, grades 9-12, to share their experiences with cancer and more importantly, raise awareness of the issues teens face when they are living with cancer.  By partnering with local schools and community organizations, we are hoping that our inaugural ‘It’s Always Something’ Teen Essay Contest will open the door for teens to express themselves and provide an opportunity for our community to hear what they have to say about life with cancer” says Lily Safani, CEO of Gilda’s Club New York City.

Essays must be postmarked by Friday, October 23, 2009. The contest is open to all high school students who are legal residents of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Subject to official rules available at: www.gildasclubnyc.org. Or write: Gilda’s Club New York City, c/o "It’s Always Something" Teen Essay Contest, 195 W. Houston St., New York, N.Y. 10014.  The essay winner will receive a $250 Apple gift card.  A ceremony for all participants will be held at Gilda’s Club New York City on January 14, 2010.

About Gilda’s Club New York City
Gilda’s Club New York City creates welcoming communities of free support for everyone living with cancer – men, women, teens and children – along with their families and friends.  Our innovative program is an essential complement to medical care, providing networking and support groups, workshops, lectures and social activities, all free of charge.