Natalia Cherjovsky

Head Above Ink

2012-02-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

As it always happens when the semester gets fully underway, I am hit by the sheer amount of tasks ahead of me. I talk about being busy, and I know, dear reader, that you have to take me at my word. This is tricky because very often I hear people (people who have a quarter of my responsibilities and a calendar with days where there is nothing scheduled) cry out about how very busy they are. And while I understand your busy might feel busy for you while it would be a vacation for me, and you are allowed your feeling of being overwhelmed, if there is some sort of universal yardstick, some sort of objective way to measure how much we are all doing, I am pretty sure I'd be pretty high up there.

I digress (what's new?). As I look ahead, my probationary period at my college has put some pretty heavy demands on my schedule, not to mention that I am teaching five classes, two of which are currently on overload. There is also the fact that I have either volunteered (I never claimed I didn't do this to myself) or been recruited to do multiple presentations and be involved in various other tasks. Of course there is also the notion of me having decided to go back to school. There is reading, studying, and writing involved in that. There is attempting to eat well, which means planning, shopping, more planning, prepping, etc. Add to that the fact that the significant other and I have decided to get our butts to the gym, a great decision for our health, but a toll on my tight schedule. Throw in there my tutoring time, running errands, keeping myself bathed and dressed in something marginally fashionable, and you get the idea of what my daily plate looks like. Of course there has to be time made for social activities, otherwise known (together with exercise) as the release valve for all the feelings of surmenage (that's fancy French for overwork).

So...why am I telling you this, my dear reader? Because the one thing I did not include in that package of busy goodness is my writing. Yes, as one year ends, those of us who love writing make big promises to ourselves that this year will be the year we won't put writing on the back burner, yet as the realities of the busy lives we lead make themselves known, we are often forced to make that dreaded decision: what do we need to sacrifice in order to survive? The question hangs in the air for a while as we struggle to juggle (I am a poet). Inevitably, our writing suffers, not because we don't care enough about it to make it a priority, mind you. However, the reality of it all is that our writing doesn't pay our bills (yet?), and we need to prioritize those items that will allow us to have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and other such creature comforts (sarcasm off).

Therefore, it is tempting to say to oneself, "Self, why are you wasting time talking to the vacuum of the Interwebs on that blog?" And then thoughts of deleting these pages come to mind. If you are out there, and you are reading this, rest assured these thoughts are not welcome or easy to deal with not just because I love writing but because I do believe you are out there even if you don't often make yourself known.

In any case, those thoughts have come, and I have fought them, and this blog and my attempts to continue writing and publishing live on. I just wanted to share a bit of the struggle with you, dear reader, since you are certainly a part of the equation.

Love,

Natalia

Overachievers Anonymous

2012-01-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

From my earliest memories, I remember feeling special. Not in the "the rules of the real world do not apply to me cause I am a princess" kind of special, entitled way that some kids today have been made to feel by parents who, in atoning for not being too present, have over-coddled their children. I felt I was special because I was considered precocious. I developed early, I exceeded expectations in school, I was mature for my age, etc.

While other kids were content to just play, I wanted more out of life. Hey, don't get me wrong...I had an amazing childhood. There was plenty of playing, sleepovers, laughter, and horsing around. Still, I always asked my parents for more things to do in terms of learning. I wanted to study French, which I did, for seven years until I graduated with honors from the French Institute. I wanted to ride horses, which I did, for years. I wanted to graduate early, which I did by skipping a grade (that is to say using a summer to study a full year's worth of classes and sitting for the exams before the year started) and going from 5th grade to 7th grade. I wanted to become proficient in English early, which I did, by taking both University of Cambridge's First Certificate and Certificate of Proficiency at an earlier age than most people. I wanted to do a study abroad program, which I was accepted into after much testing and interviewing. I participated in and won writing competitions, academic tournaments, etc. I was then accepted to Valencia College with a partial scholarship, and participated in their honors program, I created a student club, I participated in Student Government, I was inducted into the honors society, etc. I then moved to New York because I wanted to study there, I pursued an MA after I was done with my BA, and I even earned a PhD by the age of 32. I bought my own condo by myself in my late 20s, became a college instructor in my mid 20s, published work in magazines, and presented research at both Cambridge and Oxford in England. Really, I have been pretty much on my own "veni, vidi, vici" (that's a phrase attributed to Julius Caesar what means "I came, I saw, I conquered") for a while. I did all this while remaining totally sane and having an amazing social life, traveling the world, etc., but I also made sacrifices. Nothing came without a price in time, effort, and a lot of work. I am not glib about it or overly in love with myself. It's just the facts. Not that I have not had disappointments and made mistakes. I am, after all, very much human and fallible.

As I have grown, life has shown me that not everyone appreciates success. I have more than once been seen as an overachiever, which is apparently a dirty word these days. Not only that, pursuing my education and being proud of my accomplishments has sometimes cost me in very material ways. It is unbelievable how being close to successful people can bring out the ugliest behavior in those people who are wont to feel envious or unaccomplished, people who are insecure about their own lives. Let make it clear: I am not one of those people who brings up achievements during conversation because I need validation. Things might come up, as they tend to do. If someone asks me what I do for a living, unless I want to lie, I have to reveal I am a professor. This often leads to questions about my degrees, and my PhD comes up, etc. Still, people seem to resent me for my aptitude and my tenacity as much as they tend to admire me for those characteristics.

And that's not necessarily the worst of it. The most pressure comes from myself. Even as I reread the partial list of my accomplishments, I still wonder whether it is enough. We live one life only, and I guess I am determined to make the most of it. I want to taste everything, try everything (just to be clear: not drugs or swimming with sharks, among other things), do everything, and learn as much as I can. I go at life with gusto, and sometimes that means questioning if you are doing enough.

Perhaps most people who have just landed a job they wanted, have accomplished the highest level of education possible, and are in a stable, happy relationship, would be content. I am not sure I ever want to be content. Again, not to confuse my readers: I am happy. Very happy. Blissful even at many points. However, contentment to me means lack of desire for something more. And that can actually be something to aspire to in a way. Contentment can mean tranquility. Still, contentment can also mean stagnation.

So, here is me. After finishing my PhD, finding a position I love, finding love with someone with whom I want to share the rest of my life with, I am still seeking more. I look at people who have published more than me, and know I need to get on that ASAP. I think about the other areas that I want to study and enroll in school to pursue a degree in psychology. I want to learn how to cook better, make sushi, take better pictures, and maybe do some of that as a freelancer. It never stops.

Maybe this is why overachiever can seem like a dirty word for some. To me, this is what Thoreau had in mind when he wrote in Walden about living deliberately, living deep and sucking out all the marrow of life, so that I will not, when I come to die, discover that I have not lived. Not going to live in the woods, though...don't worry.

Love,

Natalia

In One of Those Moods

2012-01-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

Good morning peeps of the interwebs.

I am having one of those days when I am questioning a good amount of the basic things I hold to be true. Nothing to panic about, I suppose. It's healthy to ponder. It's good to grow. Change is inevitable. I get philosophical quite often. Nothing momentous has to happen to trigger it. Small things can cause me to sit and rethink life. Much like that fabled butterfly who flutters one one side of the world and causes a hurricane on the other side.

All I can do is sigh, and remember that I am very lucky in many ways. And if things get hard, I am able to give myself perspective. If you think you are having a bad day, just remember you are going to die. Everything else seems pretty inconsequential after that.

Sending out love!

Natalia

Biggie Smalls

2012-01-15T14:47:00.000-08:00

I know that a lot of people say that they are all about the small stuff but when push comes to shove, they are drooling over the larger-than-life items.

I am not saying that I don't enjoy the finer things in life. However, when it comes to gestures, the small ones make a hell of a difference. I remember talking to this woman, who was mega excited that her boyfriend had "done all the right things for Valentine's Day." He had bought her something pricey and had flowers delivered to her office (this one mattered because she could look like a queen in front of other women, which ranked high in her priorities...but I digress). It just seemed her man was trained to show affection the way a lot of people are: Check the calendar, and when appropriate, buy flowers, jewelry, and make reservations for dinner. To me, that's not as rewarding if there aren't smaller, genuine, and more spontaneous gestures along the way.

Don't get me wrong, I am in no way discouraging a nicely-planned, all-out date that involves a limo ride to a chic, new restaurant, followed by night at a ritzy club. What I am saying, however, is that there is no need to go all out all the time, and small, heartfelt, and unexpected displays of affection (and I am not talking PDA here) can be a constant reminder of someone's love.

Wondering what that looks like? Why, I was just about to hand out some examples. You wake up for work earlier than your spouse, who has an important meeting today. Before you leave, you stick a post-it note on the bathroom mirror that says, "I know you'll kick ass today. Call me when you are done. I love you." The price tag on that? However many cents a post-it and some ink might be. The result: Priceless. Another example? You and your significant other are watching TV, and he or she gets excited about a particular new product that just came out, let's call it a new flavor of ice-cream. The next day, in your way home from work, you stop by the grocery store and get a pint of said ice-cream and surprise him or her with it for dessert. Again, this should score you beaucoup points. I could go on. Add to the list: breakfast in bed, an unsolicited back rub, her/his favorite flowers on a day that is not her/his birthday or your anniversary, an impromptu picnic at a park, a meal you cooked served on the deck/porch/balcony with candles and all, or even a scavenger hunt in the house that leads him or her to something you bought that he or she wanted. It's not that hard. If you run out of ideas, browse the Internet. Yes, the Internet is full of crappy advice, but you'd be surprised at the number of nice ideas you can find there (Ahem...like on my blog!). Another good source: romantic comedies. Yes, some of them make us all puke, and some of the behavior exhibited by some characters can be categorized as "stalkery." Still, plenty of stuff there to rip off.

Before I leave you, I want to talk about the other side of the coin. If and when you find yourself on the receiving end of this lovely treatment, it is important that you acknowledge and celebrate the gestures. It is important that you allow yourself to express your surprise, your delight, your giddiness, and whatever else you feel. If your partner whips out the magazine you wanted to buy the day after you mentioned said magazine, saying, "Oh yeah, I wanted to read that" will be completely anti-climactic. This person just demonstrated that not only does he or she listen to you, but he or she cares enough to go out of his or her way to make you happy. A little gratefulness and a little sugar are in order, my friend. If you are not impressed, or if you don't show your appreciation, you might not only hurt your loved one but give him or her little incentive to ever demonstrate their thoughtfulness again.

Last but not least, loving gestures are a two-way street. It's a give and take. They say that giving is better than receiving, and that's often true. However, giving and never receiving blows. Hard. Especially because the person who gives and gives might start wondering whether the love goes both way or why the person who always receives doesn't get a clue. I mean, if receiving feels so good, then you would want your partner to experience that as well, right?

I hope that I have planted the seed in your mind and that you'll try to show your partner how you feel more often and in romantic, silly, fun, cute, and creative ways. Keep in mind, though, that these gestures have to come from the heart. If you do them cause you feel obligated, your significant other will feel that. And it sucks to know someone is doing something for you under duress, because he or she feels he or she has to and not out of desire to see you happy. Maybe you didn't grow up seeing your parents do this, and that's why you were never inclined to be that person who goes out of the way to create those moments. It doesn't mean you don't love your partner, but it's never too late to start making room for this kind of happiness. Why not start today?

I'd love to hear about it if you tried something new!

Natalia

Shameless Self-Promotion

2012-01-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

The Fox Chase Review, which only accepts submissions by invitation, invited me to submit my work a few months ago. Out of the three short stories I sent them, they accepted two. Yaay!

A few days ago, the current issue, featuring my stories, became available. I thought I'd share the link here so that you can see a sample of my work, other than this blog portion of the site.

Please follow the link and read not only my work but that of other talented writers:

The Fox Chase Review

If you have any thoughts on my pieces, good or bad, I am always open to feedback.

Enjoy!

Natalia

Perspective

2012-01-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

I think to know me is to know that I am mostly a positive person. I am not 100% sunshine, which is normal. People who are happy all the time scare me. Life has more than one shade, and so do most people.

Still, I can't be put in the category of worrywart. I tend to not sit around and dwell on the negative or fret about every little single thing.

However, I do worry. About a lot of things. I think it comes from being responsible, though. Not saying responsibility is a problem. I'd rather be responsible than not, but with that comes a bag of other goodies.

There have been times when I have, albeit only momentarily, looked at someone who doesn't care whether he or she is late to a meeting and been a tad jealous. I can't function like that. I have this work ethic, this sense of duty.

Sometimes, I worry about the what ifs, whether I am doing enough, whether I will have enough times in my life to do everything I want to do, and so on. I have often doled out this advice: Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength and Worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. As always, these are easier to tell other people to follow than to follow yourself.

I think at times it is easy to get lost in our own woes. This is why I often seek perspective. Here's something I have seen making the rounds on Facebook, Pinterest, etc. It has helped me rethink things, and it might help you.

You are welcome.

Natalia

A Change Would Do You Good

2012-01-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

As I was taking a shower yesterday, I realized that I always start by soaping up the same parts of my body. I have a showering routine, if you will. Unless I need to do something specific that I don't do all the time, I am pretty much on auto-pilot. I don't even have to think about the next step, even if I am aware of everything I am doing and how it feels.

This led me to think about how we go about the rest of our days and whether this little auto-pilot way we set into routines isn't perhaps the reason why change is so difficult. Doing something a different way is like throwing a wrench into our known plan, the one with which we feel completely comfortable. Being creatures of habit who enjoy familiarity and comfort, we fight this, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Not only that, but we also have to factor in how many of us are perfectionists and are likely to scratch a new idea if we don't get it completely right. For example, if you decide that you need to start working out, and decide that waking up at 6 AM for a run will fit into your schedule better than any other exercise at any other time, you might just give up on exercise altogether if you don't manage to pull yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn. It's the same rule that applies to the person who thinks, "Well, I just had a piece of chocolate. The diet's off for the day. I might as well pig out."

No wonder we fail at change so often. So much pressure! So many rules! What if we agreed with ourselves to accept the fact that we will mess up, and that we will attempt to sabotage the change because something new might feel icky. I really do believe that acknowledging possible barriers (as opposed to pretending they don't exist) is the best way to avoid crashing into them.

Change is bound to be complicated at times and to not go the way we planned. However, there was a reason we set out to alter our lives in some way, and we should keep that in mind as we fight the ickyness and the urge to go back to what feels normal, even if the normal wasn't healthy.

Here's to not expecting perfection, only progress.

Natalia

Happy Resolutions Day!

2012-01-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

It is officially 2012, and I have had a lovely break. Family, friends, lots of relaxation, good food, and entertainment.

As I type this, my partner, Ryan, is getting stuff ready for us to leave his mother's house and return home to Iowa City. I love spending time with his family, and I love getting out of town. However, there is something to be said for returning home and getting on with life.

The new year always brings the promise of renewal and change. People are famous (or notorious) for making all sorts of resolutions. I have often been ambivalent about these. On the one hand, I think that planning and setting goals is fantastic and necessary for a healthy life. On the other hand, however, I think that by attaching such grave importance to these goals we set, we might also be setting ourselves up for failure and disappointment.

I read it somewhere that people can only make a limited amount of changes to their lives at any given time. Also, many of these changes are easier to stick to if they are done gradually as opposed to cold turkey. The new year's eve resolution ritual puts a lot of pressure on us to become, from one day to the next (or from one second to the next, really), better people by the sheer change in the calendar year. Maybe this is why a lot of people fail, and diet and exercise places see a surge in January and a decline by March. We've all been there. It's so heartbreaking!

Am I advocating the renouncement of the resolutions ritual? Not entirely. Different things work for different people. This year, Ryan and I didn't sit down and write any goals. What we did do is chit chat about where we want to be this time next year. I know I want to spend more time writing and publishing. He knows he'd like to get back to the gym. I know I am going to try the gluten-free and dairy-free lifestyle again to see if I feel better in general. He knows he is going to be working on a few projects he has meant to get to.

While I know that some people derive motivation and strength from the ritual of writing or reciting their resolutions, I am almost certain if I wrote them all out, I would scare myself. I might as well write down: In 2012 I plan to make some major changes in my lifestyle while attempting to complete my tenure probation, publish work, teach five classes, take a class at U of I, etc. etc. etc. See what I mean? I might as well write: In 2012, I plan to be Superwoman. That's scary.

This way, I give myself more latitude. I know people like to tout the phrase: Failure is not an option. But that's just silly. Failure is not only an option but sometimes a likely outcome, and a hell of a lesson and motivator.

So, here's to resolving to doing my best at everything I plan to do. And I wish you the same kind of 2012.

Love,

Natalia

Challenge!

2011-12-27T17:44:00.000-08:00

I don't often sit there and daydream about having a wish come true. I do daydream (not ADD, but a creative mind that's being asked to do a lot of different things at one time and seeks refuge in the imagination), but I tend to make my own wishes (really more like goals) come true.

If I had one wish, I imagine I would make the world a better place in some way I cannot accomplish just by sheer hard work. However, if someone else took care of that, and I had one wish with which to be selfish, I would like to take away people's ability to lie.

I am sure it would take some adjusting. Some people have been lying to themselves so much that they would have a hard time coming back to reality. Some people have been lying to everyone all their lives, and would find it difficult to live without that crutch. Some people actually prefer to be lied to, lest they are required to deal with the truth they so detest.

I am one for brutal honesty. Lies scare me. Lies make me angry. Lies make me unable to trust. Lies steal from me. Lies hurt me to the core...more than any truth ever could, really.

As a fiction writer, I make up lies all the time. I get the irony in that. However, those lies are expected and don't hurt anyone. That's the one place I think lies are okay.

Try to imagine a world without lies. How much time would we save? How much simpler would everything be? How much sorrow could we avoid?

So, here's my challenge to you today. For the next 24 hours, try to live lie-free. If you are able to, I'd be interested in hearing how hard it was and what kind of response you got to the honesty. If you are unable to, I'd like to know how that happened and why.

I hope you'll take me up on it.

Natalia

Wishing Well

2011-12-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

Last night, I submitted a piece for consideration for publication. When you submit by email, which is fairly common these days, hitting the "Send" button brings about such a bittersweet feeling. You send off your work, your baby, to be inspected and judged by others. You hope they (the people who will ultimately decide whether your work will see the light of day) will see in it what you saw, the realization of the potential that kept swirling around your head and that compelled you to sit down and put the words on the page. You fret that the piece will be lost on them, that they won't appreciate it enough.

Until you send the piece out into the world, until it has to face the firing squad, it is full of promise, of possibility. Once it is out there, it is alone, unprotected, and it will be pronounced worthy or unworthy of publication. Its fate will be adjudicated, and it will either become your pride and joy, or it will come back to your bosom, dejected and rejected, perhaps seeking further editing.

Rejection is part of being a writer. You cannot avoid it, and neither should you desire to escape this heartbreaking part of doing what you love. Rejection is certainly not fun. It is the crystallization of your fears. As writers, you are already self-conscious enough about your work, timid about sharing because you are scared of ridicule. Being a writer takes courage. You are allowing people into your heart and your mind, giving up a certain level of protection and privacy.

Luckily, your piece is like a cat. It has nine (or more) lives. It can come home wounded by dismissal, and soon find itself on its way to being published by someone else who appreciated what the first group of readers might have missed. It can't be said that there is a home for every article or story you write, and it is sometimes hard to find the right audience in the sea of print and web markets. However, there is nothing stopping you from trying every outlet in the world.

Today, I am wishing the piece I sent out yesterday good luck. May it only require one trip into the world to fulfill its potential, which is what every piece of writing longs for in the end.

Natalia

Idea

2011-12-21T07:16:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been toying with the idea of writing a short article about the modern condition. The title in my head has been: The Exhausted, Distracted Human.

Part of what I want to do in this article is list everything someone, in this case me, may actually end up doing in one day, all the things one has to remember, from everything involved in daily grooming, working, and being tied to the interwebs. The article would investigate how overly taxed we arein our attempt to do it all.

Is it not ironic that I've been thinking about this article for a few weeks, but I have not nailed down any significant free time to work on it? Ha!

Any thoughts on the idea? I am all ears. Or eyes.

Natalia

Hitching a Ride

2011-12-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Christopher Hitchens passed away. Cancer takes another human away from this earth way too early in the game.

Whether you liked or disliked Hitchens, whether you agreed with him or not, it is a fact that he wasn't easy to ignore. He was brave enough to be vocal about his beliefs in a world where people judge you and attack you personally based on your ideas. He was controversial, and he didn't back away from the hard questions and the divisive topics.

Some called him a provocateur. I don't think he minded that. As a professor, I am only too aware of the need to shake people a bit at times in order to just get them to wake up, leave the comfort zone, and think. This is also part of being a writer, of course, but I don't get to see the reaction of those who read my writing whereas I get immediate feedback in the classroom.

I hope Hitchens died knowing he made a difference. I hope he knew his legacy will live on. I hope he was surrounded in his last moments by those he loved.

Farewell, Sir. Thanks for making people think.

Natalia

Shrink This!

2011-12-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my "About Me" page (if you have not read this, you ought to), I have just decided to go back to school to study psychology.

This decision was one part impulse and one part premeditation. I have been interested in psychology for what seems like ages. I've always been intrigued by what makes people tick. I have also thought for a while that psychology would be a great complement to my loves: teaching, communication, and writing. That takes care of the premeditation. The impulse part came in the shape of making the decision to go for it, apply, get accepted, and register all within a month and a half or so.

Today, I had my orientation at the university. It was weird to be back on the student side, but it was also inspiring. Universities are places rife with a sense of possibility. You enter with hopes and dreams, and you leave with the tools to make it happen.

When I came home, however, there was an article on AOL.com about the worst majors to pick based on job availability. Guess what was listed? If you guessed psychology, you are a smarty pants. This was a tad bit depressing. Then again, I am not expecting a job in psychology after finishing the BA. My plan is to use psychology in my current career and perhaps become licensed to see patients and do that on a part-time basis. Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for those people I met today, brimming with passion and hope for their future.

And I couldn't help but feel like the calculations must be wrong. The way I see it, everyone in the world could use a little shrinking, and I don't mean in inches. So, here's hoping the figures and the research are premature, or wrong, or a passing trend. Here's hoping people will still pursue their dreams, or we might have to go to a system where people get assigned jobs based on the need of the economy and the community, much like in the classic "The Giver". If you've never read that book, get thee to a library or bookstore.

Those are my thoughts for the day. Catch you later.

Natalia

Sad Panda

2011-12-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

Every day is made up of little moments. Some go by without making much of an impression, like when you go on autopilot as you are driving to work along the same roads you have been taking forever and a day.

Other moments, however, make you stop and reflect. Some are poignant moments, which make you smile or ache. And I kinda get the feeling that the more you stay off autopilot, the more of these moments you will encounter.

I experience these a lot. Maybe because I tend to be observant by nature and because I am genuinely interested in people and stories.

Today, when I stopped at a gas station on the way to the mall (I am not a fan of the mall, but Christmas shopping made me do it), I had to go inside the convenience store to pay for my fuel. The guy behind the counter was being trained. Having been there many times, and knowing how nerve-wracking it can be to train on the job, I smiled and made small talk. He asked how my day was going, and I told him I had got more grading done than I thought I might be able to handle. This led to him asking what I taught, and I told him I was a professor of communication. He perked up at that and told me he had graduated with a degree in journalism not too long ago. I smiled, but my heart felt a tug. It's sad that this economy will deprive many young people of the opportunity to realize their dreams.

Surely, I am giving this young man the benefit of the doubt. I am assuming the best, which is what I try to do when I encounter people (at least until they prove me wrong). I am choosing to believe that he was a dedicated student, who learned a lot, tried to line up internships and jobs, etc. It could well be, however, that the dude was a slacker whose parents paid for school and demanded he stick it out despite the fact that he had the lowest GPA ever earned in the history of all education. In which case, chances are he never intended to look for a professional job, and I should feel happy he is contributing to society by having a job, etc., etc., etc.

I will never know which guy I was dealing with today, but since I pictured him as the first, my heart ached a bit for him, and as I exited the store, I sent some good juju his way, hoping the convenience store job would be enough to help him support himself, but that he wouldn't give up on his dream to become a journalist.

I hope my wish for him will come true. Maybe if we all wish each other well a little more, some more good juju will start to circulate. We could certainly use that.

Natalia

Watch This Space

2011-12-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

More to come soon. Visit the other pages until I am ready to post on a semi-often basis.

See you soon!

Natalia