I Finished my FIRST Manuscript

I can't believe I haven't posted anything about finishing my manuscript yet. I'm in a bit of a walking coma to say the least. My eyes are completely fried after spending most of the day revising and editing my completed manuscript. There's that word again...completed.

Last Monday, I had finished the goal I set out to accomplish. I ended my manuscript at 297 pages, which seems absolutely nuts in my eyes. I can't believe I had that much to write about, but I did and the book is still growing. After today, I'm at 303 pages and have revised up to chapter eight. The more I revise, the more excited I get about my book. How on earth did I come up with these ideas?

Revising and editing takes a long time - much longer than I ever anticipated. I thought I'd go back and read the first draft of my manuscript and be completely happy. Wrong. There are so many pieces of information I missed. My patience is wearing thin. I'm one of those people who likes for things to happen right away. I want my manuscript off to agents yesterday, but I know it's not ready. I need to LOVE it. I do, but I'm a perfectionist and I know I can make the story better.

There are not enough hours in the day.

I had to pull myself away from my computer this afternoon to go on a hike with Karl. The weather was spectacular and here I was stuck behind my laptop, like I am already five days out of the week at work. I knew I had to get away because my neck was screaming in pain. I don't like sitting still in the first place - I have way too much energy for that and was losing my mind over here.

I will say writing "The End" was one of the coolest feelings, but not ccompletely what I thought it would feel like and I think it's because I know I'm just not there yet. I think once I finish editing, I might shed a tear or two. Actually, I will be going out and celebrating. Right now, I still have holes in my manuscript. I'm scared to fall asleep for fear I will lose my memory or something. What if I forget where I left off?

I tend to welcome interruptions throughout the day.  I'm a doer and a helper and this shows in my current manuscript. One chapter someone had blue eyes and three chapters later they have green. Sigh! My goal now is to make the entire story flow.

This is where having a full-time job becomes a struggle. I have to leave all my thoughts and ideas about my book behind because otherwise they will consume me on a daily basis. I even dream about my book. The weekends are meant for charging ahead and getting as far as I can before the next one comes. During the week, I have too many events going on that I can maybe give an hour or two towards my book. This makes piecing the story together difficult. I'm inspired more on certain days than others and it shows in my writing.

I'm still celebrating though because this is a huge feat - maybe a small step in the writing world but a gigantic one for me. I can't believe I actually did this, and it's that feeling that's pushing me to keep going.

For now...it's time to dream about that book of mine! Good night!

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Celebrating One Year

Enclosed is my latest article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It's sort of a recap of the adventure my husband and I had on our one-year wedding anniversary trip!  Hope you enjoy!

http://www.startribune.com/yourvoices/102114779.html

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I'm back!

I know you guys missed me! Sorry I have been MIA (missing in action - for those who struggle with acronyms). If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I was on a fabulous one-year anniversary trip with my amazing husband, Karl. I will say I do not feel like I have been married for an entire year - I've had way too much fun! Below is the latest in my world in no particular order!

1. My amazing grandpa

My grandparent's car after their accident

My grandparents were in a horrific car accident almost two Thanksgiving's ago. They were in a head-on collision the night before my grandma was going to meet me for my FIRST EVER bridal gown fitting. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw some of the pictures. The man who hit them shouldn't have had a license. He had been in and out of jail and seemed to keep getting free passes. This confused me. How can we let someone who had a two-page long record continue to drive? He was behind a semi on a two-lane country road when he pulled out to pass in a no passing zone and hit my grandparents going about 60 miles per hour. My grandpa didn't have any time to react. My grandparents were in the hospital for many weeks. They eventually made it through and even danced at our wedding (which meant the world to me) but the accident took years off their lives. I know they survived because they have always been so active and have this amazing strong faith in God.

Right before Karl and I left on vacation my grandpa was rushed to ICU by helicopter. His brain was leaking blood again - he was experiencing dizzy spells and his leg wasn't moving correctly; his speech was slurred. They drilled another hole in his head and drained the blood. This was his second time getting a hole drilled in his head since the accident. He had to lie in bed for 12 hours without moving. The last time this happened, they took him off his blood thinners and three large clots formed around his heart. One broke off when I was with him last July and he almost had to have his leg amputated. He is off thinners for good now. This is scary. It's one thing after another and I know time is short. This kills me. I love my grandpa so much. He's the coolest guy in the whole world and I'm not ready to say goodbye. But are we ever ready? How do we prepare? I spent an entire night on our trip thinking horrible, sad thoughts and couldn't sleep. Then I started wondering more and more about heaven. What is it like up there? Do you think our loved ones will be up there? If anyone has any answers, please let me know..

2. Trip out to the Northwest

The world's largest Spruce Tree (1000 years old)

What a trip!!!!!! I think I'm going to highlight this trip in my next Star Tribune blog, so you'll have to look for more on our awesome trip there. The world is so huge and full of so many beautiful places. I wish I could spend my life traveling with Karl. I'm trying to figure out how we can visit places all over the world, and I can spend time tweeting and blogging about them (and make some money)! Is that too much to ask for? Talk about dream job!

3. Summer don't go away!

I know summer isn't officially over until September 22 (also my super awesome grandpa's birthday) but I can't help but get depressed! I'm not ready for the cold. I feel like summer has just started! I saw snow in Oregon and Washington and I'm just not prepared. Being cold causes me to get crabby - sunshine and warmth makes me smile! I think I need to start planning that tropical Koester family trip during the cold, winter months. Maybe that will help. According to a post I saw on aol.com, Farmer's Almanac says we're supposed to have a normal winter with three major snow storms. Three?? We'll see about that!

4. My book status
I was excited that I spent the entire flight out to San Francisco writing! I am so close to being done with my manuscript (ms) that all I want to do is write, but time isn't allowing that! I would love to bury myself in our house all weekend and finish it, but again...we're on the go! I hope to at least dedicate maybe a half of a day this weekend to writing. I'd like to say a full day, but I don't think that's possible. I'm trying to shoot for smaller goals. I think what I'm most excited about is starting back at chapter one and reading the entire ms. I know I have holes right now because of my schedule and it's hard trying to find time to write several chapters at once. I lose track of where I am at. I'm ready to fill the whole story in and send off my ms to my friend Luke for his opinion! I also joined a chick lit critique group. It'll be nice to hear a variety of opinions from both sexes. Karl also wants to get his hands on my ms. He reads more than anyone I know, so he'll be great at this...I'm just nervous what he might think of me. LOL! I can almost taste how excited I'm going to be when I finish this. I actually feel like this book might go somewhere, but I do tend to live in a fantasy world too... Sigh!

5. Is my schedule normal?
I know everyone says they are busy, so I have to wonder if I even fit in that category? What is "busy" in people's minds?  I mean...I work 40 hours, I have a freelance job where I design newsletters for a small engineering company in New Ulm, I write for KSTP, I write for Star Tribune, I have this blog, I am quite obsessed with Facebook and Twitter and email...I'm writing a book, I play volleyball, I workout, I'm involved in my church, I'm reading three books at once...I cook and clean and try to pay the bills...I try to make happy hours and coordinate fun events. I rarely ever just sit on the couch.  Is this a normal type of schedule? Because sometimes I feel really overwhelmed, but then I hear people go on and on about how busy they are that I just don't know if I compare? I guess I just feel like I need to prepare myself for motherhood because I feel like I'm going to have to learn to juggle a lot. How am I going to do it though? For real... Any advice?

That about concludes my thoughts for the day! More to come on our trip and other goods!

Of all the things granted us by wisdom, none is greater of better than friendship - Pietro Arentino

Karl and Christie in Crater Lake in Oregon

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Star Tribune Blog...Dreams DO come True!!!!!

My latest blog featured in Star Tribune YourVoices about following YOUR dreams!

http://www.startribune.com/yourvoices/100113989.html?elr=KArks47cQiUdcOy_9cP3DiU47cQUU

What are you waiting for? Chase after those dreams!

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.
- Gail Devers

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Writing is like Running a Marathon

I can't believe I made it to page 202 in my manuscript, Wanted: Groom for my $100k Wedding, this weekend!!! The most I have ever written in my life was a 60-page paper for a class my junior year in college. I procrastinated and gave myself two weeks to write it - my grade reflected how little time I spent on it. I was horrified.

Writing an entire book has always been a goal of mine. I minored in health in college and for one of my classes I had to write five measurable goals for my future. I wrote them out, stuffed them in a box with a noise maker and was to open the box two years later when all my goals were [hopefully] met.

I found my box buried in my closet six years later. I smiled when I picked it up and dusted it off. I anxiously opened it and my heart sunk when I realized not a single goal was met. I couldn't use the noise maker to celebrate. Instead, I was crushed. All those goals and dreams were just that - words on paper that I had imagined would come to life without trying.

Today, with a lot of determination, I am making them come true. My motto: if you believe in yourself, anything is possible. I stand by that because believing in myself has worked for me thus far! (I wish I knew this back in the day!) I can already cross off one of my goals. Next on my list - write a book.

As my neck ached and my fingers cramped yesterday, I kept telling myself, "okay, if I even write a hundred more pages, I will be happy." 

"Just a little further - you can do it, Christie!" I'd cheer.

Even today, when I start thinking how much more of my manuscript I have left to go, my motivation starts to dwindle. It already seems like so much time has gone into this book and I'm only halfway to the end. How much longer? Will I be able to stay on track? Will agents and publishers love it as much as I do? I have a long journey ahead of me. There will be rejections and criticism and lots of red ink - I will have to edit and adjust and re-edit.

Then I started to remember when I first started running. I always hated running in my teens. My least two favorite days of school were the day I had to run the timed mile. The worst day of volleyball was always the first day of preseason in college -we had to run a timed mile. I hated every second of pounding pavement. I would start breathing heavy two minutes in. My mouth was dry. I thought I'd pass out. Then one day I realized how mental running was.

My body was rocking. I was in great shape. I should breeze past the mile runs. What was my problem? A friend of mine forced me to sign up for a 5k after I moved to Minnesota. I was so nervous I thought I would pass out, but for some reason I fell in love with it. Running was fun! I wasn't doing it for the best time or to get more playing time on the volleyball court. I was doing it for myself. Soon I started doing 10ks. I'd see how far I could go without walking. Then came my first half marathon - it was in Chicago. It was a hot summer day and I went out drinking the day before. Not smart. Even before I crossed the start line, my heart was pumping and a pit in my stomach kept telling me...

"You're not going to do this!"
"Christie - do you realize how far 13 miles is???"

My finish time was embarrassing. I ended walking most of the half.

Spectators yelled to me as I walked by, "But, you're athletic! You can do this!"

Physically, I was in the best shape of my life, but mentally I was weak - doubt filled my head the entire time.

"What were you thinking, Christie?" I demanded of myself.
"You can't do this! Why did you think you could do this?"
"It's too hot!" 

I let the excuses win: Yes, it was too hot! I was dehydrated! I was tired! I should have trained more! I should have...I could have...I would have...What if...

Even though I crossed the finish line, I wasn't proud of myself one bit. Deep down I knew I could have done better. I let my negative thoughts win. A year later I decided to try again - maybe because I knew I could do it. I wanted to try another half marathon but in Minnesota. I trained, and mentally prepared myself. I was ready. And I finished in just over two hours. I felt unstoppable. Something came over me while I was running. I couldn't feel pain, I wasn't breathing heavy at all and I was light on my feet. I did it! Yes, doubt started to creep in, but even before I crossed the start line, I set a goal - I would do the run so I would be proud of myself. I knew that feeling and I wanted it. And, yes,  I was so proud. I became hooked. I ran another and another, but I always shied away from a full marathon.

Once I saw mile marker 13, I couldn't imagine running ANOTHER 13 miles to make a full marathon. How would my body function? So instead of running a marathon, I'm writing a book, which feels like a full marathon in a way. I have just completed my half-marathon in the book world - I'm halfway there! To me, another 13 chapters seems insane, but I know I can do it. I will do it. And when I cross that finish line, the moment will be priceless!!

"Encourage each other to build each other up." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

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Christie Koester YourVoices Star Tribune Blogger!

Never a dull moment, is there? What a crazy week it’s been! More below.

1. Visit from the parents

It's Pete! Our family dog! We love him!!!

I swear I have the coolest parents ever. I know, I know. Everyone thinks they have the greatest parents and we all should feel special! We didn’t get to do too much considering our family dog, Pete, is on his last leg and can’t be left alone. Karl thinks he has many years ahead of him and just loves the attention. Pete howls now, for no apparent reason. He sounds like a dying cow. We didn’t want to scare the new neighbors. Instead we took shifts: mom and I got pedicures and the guys watched Pete. The guys went to the horse track and we watched Pete. That dog is so spoiled, but we all love him to pieces and I’m not sure what my mom is going to do when he goes. Someone will have to provide her with grandchildren soon after to keep her spirits up (Mark and Tot...hint, hint). Anyway, we ate in every night, which was HEALTHY and incredibly cheap (my dad won big at the track and bought us steaks at Sam’s Club...a whole $54 win!!). We also went on nightly walks to Dairy Queen and my mom and I went shopping! Fun times were had by all. It’s so hard being five hours away from them. It’s not like I can hop in the car for dinner...

2. I’m a blogger for the Star Tribune
I am so excited about this! Every week I get to blog about happenings, events, thoughts, or whatever my heart desires and I will be featured on Star Tribune’s website!! I noticed the bloggers who get the most responses are the ones who write about politics. Unfortunately, I don’t have a passion for politics; however, I have a feeling I’ll be blogging about President Obama and Congressman John Kline both sending us a wedding congratulations card - HAND SIGNED. If that’s what it takes to get the attention of Minnesota... Anyway, here is a link to my first blog. It’s about customer service. I deal with it everyday, so yes, I think about it often. Let’s just say I’m amazed by people in today’s world.

3. Book Status
With my parents being up, I had very little time to write. Okay, I had none at all. I did write for 20 minutes on Monday after work, during my oil change and before sand volleyball. Have I mentioned how much I love Walser Mazda in Burnsville? I get free popcorn AND car wash...PLUS my oil change was FREE. Now that’s awesome customer service! Oh, back to writing...yes, I will be writing this weekend! My goal is to be on Chapter 18 by Sunday night. I can do it. Next week is going to be crazier than this week. I have volleyball, a happy hour, dentist appointment, a few "big" meetings, the peddle pub for a friend's bday, a wedding and a huge Shakopee Derby Day volleyball tournament on Saturday!! And just in case you forgot what I’m writing about, here’s a link! http://www.christiekoester.com/

4. Excuse me....August is next week?
Honestly, where has the summer gone? I thought last summer was fast planning a wedding, but this one surpasses all of them. Next summer I promise not to fill up every weekend. I promise to do the things Karl and I like and want to do! And I promise to kick back and enjoy the moments more.
 
5. Our house situation
Where do I even start? Karl and I both have town homes. Back in 2003, it looked like we were both ahead of the game. At age 22, I was a home owner (that’s crazy!), and a couple years later so was he. When we met, we both had places we were proud of. We never expected the market to turn upside down on us. Now, Karl has a renter in his place, but we’re not sure for how long. When do we sell? Will we make any money? It’s a constant nagging thought in the back of my mind. All we can do is hope and pray everything will fall into place. It usually does. But what a pain!

6. My husband
I love you, Karl. Thanks for always making me smile!

My brother Smike eating weird food in China...

7. My brother Mike
I call him Smike because he smiles more than anyone I have ever met. On Saturday, he goes to China for two weeks. He travels more than anyone I know. He will miss his birthday completely...well, kind of. He'll be on an airplane flying through a million time zones. And physically MISS the whole day of August 9! But he does get to eat weird foods...like that strange thing he's holding in his hands in the enclosed picture. So I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SMIKE! You are a great brother! Oh, and Happy Anniversary Mark and Tot:) You both are awesome too.

8. Inception
I’m dying to see this movie. I already know I’m going to love it. I know I’m going to stay awake at night thinking about it and I know I’m going to want to write about it. So maybe we’ll go this weekend:) Have you seen it? Thoughts?

My friend is one who takes me for who I am. - Henry David Thoreau

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Dreams, Heaven, Annoyances and More

I often wonder how different my life would be if I were bored all the time. I frequently read Facebook postings that read, "I AM BORED". I don’t get it…

1. Interesting Dreams…
The other night I dreamt of twisters, bed bugs and winding stairs. I looked them up in my dream book. Bed bugs are a little odd to be dreaming of (though I did have them in Greece) and I’m hoping the meaning behind them isn’t true. Maybe this all has something to do with the fact I finished 90 Minutes in Heaven and then after I personally emailed the author. I was intrigued and couldn’t sleep. I felt like I needed to have coffee with him; yet, I was still able to dream. But I was so tired when I woke up!

2. What is Heaven Like Anyway?
Back when I was in college, my dad passed out on our driveway. It was a balmy, hot August afternoon and my older brother’s 21st birthday. My dad was washing the cars and his heart stopped working. He experienced heaven for a short minute. He explains it as being peaceful and vibrant – a place he felt at home and didn’t want to leave. He met his grandma who only shrugged when he asked if that moment was his time. Then he woke to my mom slapping his face begging him not to leave her.

To many, this may seem crazy. Maybe it was a dream? Maybe my dad's brain was wigging out? But how do others have similar stories?

I finished 90 Minutes in Heaven this week. Don Piper had a similar incident, but he died for 90 minutes. He met several deceased relatives and friends in heaven. He embraced them. His description is very similar to my dad’s. However, Don was horrifically injured and was in ICU for weeks; my dad had to get a pacemaker…

I hope heaven is really as they both described. I frequently think of life after this…mainly because I can’t imagine being separated from the ones I love dearly or saying goodbye. Will I really see them again? And maybe that’s why love is the greatest emotion/feeling ever. I can’t imagine having a conversation with my grandpa one day while we're in heaven about the BMW I always wanted or how I wish I made more money. That stuff won’t matter because it won't exist...just love. I bet time won’t even matter and when I’m reunited with the deceased, it’ll feel like we were only apart for seconds. In my mind, time on earth is real and this is why it's precious. In heaven, time is endless and this is why love is precious. I hope I'm right. I always wonder if my dog Pete will be up there? Because that would be really cool.

3. Diets are LAME
I’m sorry but if you’re planning on going on a “diet” that consists of denying yourself breads, pastas or any carbohydrates, you will fail. Food is too damn good to pass up to lose a pound. Sure, you will drop weight after a couple weeks, but can you keep it up for 20 plus years?? Why?? Life is too fun and short to pass up delicious foods. Please save your money and do it the right way. I say this because I tried all those “diets”. I can save you a lot of TIME and money. The word diet shouldn’t exist. I like the words "lifestyle change". I’m 5’10” and used to be 179 pounds. Yes, I said it. At my largest, I was 179 pounds. My jeans were so tight I’d email my friends and cry to them, "I feel fat. I’m miserable.” I’d complain about my weight to anyone who would listen.

”But I’m eating so healthy,” I’d say. ”I worked out two hours yesterday and am running a half marathon tomorrow,” I’d whine. And my pants kept getting tighter and tighter. Yes, I was eating healthy; my fridge was stocked with sugar free puddings and fat free creams and skim milk. Problem was, I was NEVER satisfied and was ALWAYS hungry. The more I couldn’t eat the REAL stuff, the more I wanted it. One night, after eating three Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, I baked a chocolate cake with butter and fat and ate the whole thing. Then I ran ten miles the next day.

After a long talk with my mom, I threw away all my fake, processed, chemically induced cuisines; basically anything that wasn’t REAL. Plus it always tasted NASTY and has been linked to cancer, so what was the point? Soon my cereal was filled with delicious 2% milk and a Dairy Queen Blizzard never tasted so good. Something funny started happening. My portions grew smaller. I didn’t need to eat an entire plate full of food. My stomach stopped growling. And my pants started falling off. Vegetables, fish and chicken became staple dinner and lunch options because they tasted so good and fueled my body with nutrients. Too much sugar and I was practically sleeping on my keyboard at work. Being tired wasn’t worth it.

On my wedding day, I was about 140 pounds. Today, I fluctuate between 145 and 150. And I have never been happier.

My motto: yes, you can have your fatty cake and eat it too…just smaller portions

4. A hike in a swamp park
One of the many qualities I love about Karl is his ability to take charge. Sunday afternoon Karl decided we were going to go on a hike, but he wasn’t going to tell me where (yeah! I love surprises). We ended parking at a trail just outside of Shakopee, near the Renaissance Festival. The trails were great, but the mosquitoes were awful (possibly from the swamp). We had to turn around and take the shorter path since it was higher (less bugs). I love going on walks with Karl. I feel like they are mini adventures and we're back on one of our first dates.

5. My book status- chapter 14…or 15…
I’d like to say I have reached chapter 15, which would mean I am MORE than halfway done with my book! I’m technically on chapter 14 but I have inserted and started another chapter between 12 and 13, so doesn’t that mean I’m really on chapter 15?? I know, I know – I’m totally pushing it! I’m sad because I won’t be able to work on my book at all this weekend since my parents are up visiting, but perhaps I’ll have more energy and incentive to get to chapter 20 by the end of next week! Trying to stay optimistic! I love spending time with my family, so that’s my focus!

6. Talkative folks and other minor annoyances
Do you know someone who talks? And I mean…TALKS so much they don’t even breathe? I do. How do you suggest I approach this person and tell them ever so kindly to STOP? I have tried staring at the wall and running away, but neither seems to work. I know all I have to do is communicate to this person, but I’m not sure how I can get a word in or approach this matter professionally? Any advice would be appreciated! I don’t understand how they can get their work done and still manage to talk. I will briefly mention that LISTENING is one of those GREAT skills very few humans can master. To those amazing listeners out there, God bless you! Sometimes that’s all you CAN do.

One other bothersome event… why do cars pull out in front of me when there are no cars behind me and then turn just a few feet away so I have to slow down? Couldn’t they have waited until I passed and then pulled out?

Oh… and merging in Minnesota. It's killing me. People stop when merging and I don’t know why??? Did I miss the stop sign??

Ali and The Bachelorette…I don’t know why, but she still hasn’t grown on me. I have a hard time forgetting mean people. She was mean on The Bachelor. So I have boycotted this season. I can't get into it...

These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Follow the way of love. -1 Corinthians 13:13; 14:1 NIV

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