Day One:
5 a.m. I’m in Portland for CiderCon — my husband, Joseph, is Ash & Elm’s head cidermaker and he’s a presenter. Because I’m working remotely and I’m on West coast time, my days start very early. I set up a small side table by the hotel room couch and use it as my office.
8:30 a.m. Mirror Indy’s morning planning meeting. Every morning, Mirror Indy editors plan stories to publish that day or the next day.
3 p.m. My husband’s presentation is titled, “The Pasteurization Primer: Starting Out and Scaling Up.” There are about 80 people in the room and we try three ciders: unpasteurized, a little bit pasteurized, and very pasteurized. We learn that “sacrificial tannins” are the tannins added at the end to prevent oxidation when aging. A pasteurization machine called “Tunnel of Love” is discussed.
Day Two:
6:35 a.m. On the flight I go from sleeping profoundly, to reading “The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray, to feeling very inspired all of a sudden and handwriting 10 pages for a novel on the tiny airplane table.
9 p.m. We arrive at Indianapolis International Airport and I catch a glimpse of Greg Hull’s “Breath” sculpture in the parking garage — I heard a rumor that it will be operating again soon. At the moment, the sculpture is asleep and not breathing.
Day Three:
2 p.m. I’m meeting “Tha Corn Man,” Timmy Campbell, at Central Library downtown. Mirror Indy is publishing a story about his cafe opening in the near future and I want to take a portrait of him that feels personal. I think it makes a big difference when the people you read about feel like future friends.
4:30 p.m. I’m at Storefront Theatre for a nude figure drawing session with the Indianapolis Figure Guild. They host these twice a month and charge $10 cash for the three-hour session. I recognize the model from my days as a painting undergrad at Herron School of Art + Design. The model is a true pro. I feel a little sentimental about the fact that I drew this man almost 20 years ago and that even though we’ve never spoken to each other, I’m still learning from him.
Day Four:
2:30 p.m. I’m a grad student in Butler University’s creative writing program. It’s my last semester. Besides thesis work, I’m taking Dr. Terri Carney’s film seminar on the works of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar. The class is a survey of his films, starting from the 80s to present time, and it screens at Kan-Kan Cinema and Brasserie — anyone can go to these $5 screenings. The class feels like a reward for writing so many stories about women who suffer but laugh a lot. There’s no film tonight, however. It’s the first day. We review the syllabus and watch videos about Spanish film history.
6:30 p.m. I also volunteer as a reader for “Booth,” the creative writing program’s literary journal. Every month we get a packet to read and discuss. These meetings last about three hours, but there’s usually food involved and people don’t get too cranky. Weighing the merits of about 70 pages of poems, nonfiction and fiction can bring up a lot of feelings in people.
9:30 p.m. Mirror Indy finds out that the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will announce a new conductor. I spend some time on Spotify listening to Jun Märkl’s recordings, wondering how to convey the new conductor’s taste in music to the general public through a playlist. I recognize some of the songs and lead with that. Starting with something familiar feels right.
Day Five:
7 a.m. When I open the blinds that face the back of my house, which is located in a Near Eastside neighborhood, I see the back window of my car is busted. I put my rain boots on to go outside and see that someone tried to steal it. The ignition cylinder is drilled in.
5:30 p.m. I was supposed to go out with my writer friend, Amna. She drives over to visit me instead and asks where I want to go for dinner, but I don’t want to go anywhere. I look out the window again and see all my car doors are open. Is someone trying to steal the car again? We walk outside and see Joseph installing a new window. He bought it from a junkyard for $30.
6 p.m. Amna and I walk over to my dad’s restaurant, Tlaolli. Amna is a vegetarian and I want her to try the “calabacita” soup. Calabacita is what we affectionately call grey zucchini in Mexico. I have a hibiscus flower taco.
6:30 p.m. Although I now have four fully operational car windows, I still can’t drive the car. The ignition cylinder is still busted.
11 p.m. I fall asleep reading “The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray. It’s a heavy book so it feels like I’m bringing a medium-sized cat to bed with me. I have two cats so I feel comfortable making this assessment.
Day Six:
9 a.m. Work meeting at Dream Palace Books & Coffee. The combination of drinking coffee and planning with someone feels like drinking five espressos. I’m taking notes and I want to stay for another hour, but my task list is calling.
1 p.m. A new ignition cylinder arrives in the mail. I finish editing a Mirror Indy story about Mad Farmers Collective.
4 p.m. When my schedule gets busy, I end up using my free time to sit and think in silence. To persuade myself to write, I make writing appointments with people. I’m meeting with my friend Natalie Lima. She and I are very serious about our drafts but we also laugh a lot when we’re together.
Day Seven:
9 a.m. I appear on Fox59’s “Indy Now” show to discuss Mirror Indy’s arts and culture coverage. We are highlighting Seth Johnson’s story, “15 songs by Indianapolis artists to listen to now.” Jennasen plays “Scared Rabbit” live. I tell Jillian and Ryan, the hosts of Indy Now, that Mirror Indy launched in December and that we are here to fill in gaps in local news. Arts and culture reporting showcases the vibrancy of our city, I tell them. Mirror Indy wants to share info on events not to miss and tell stories about the great people that make our city a fun and beautiful place for us all.
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