Friday, February 18, 2011

In Which I Become A Fan of Polish Sausage Over Bacon

Believe it. And in order to understand how something like this could happen, let's go inside a day in Elana-land. This you can survive that? Well, let's go for a ride people.

How about a Tuesday? Sure, let's go with an average Tuesday in Elana's life:

Tuesday, February 8:
7:00 AM: Wake up. Sort of. Midnight came too late, and 7 AM comes way too early. This might be 7:10 or 7:16 or something.
*get ready for work, get kids ready for school*
8:30 AM: Leave for school.
9:00 AM: Arrive at work, frantically check to see which typing lesson to do, erase board from last week, write today's assignments, open Firefox, Safari, and Remote Desktop, log in 37 computers, check gmail.
9:20 AM: 4th grade arrives. Begin typing lesson!
*repeat four times*
*check gmail forty thousand times*

11:35 AM: Lunch
*eat while writing a million+one emails*

12:15 PM: 3rd grade arrives. Begin typing lesson! Sooo exciting. The students are thrilled, trust me.
*repeat for a second time*
1:15 PM: Get email from agent
Subject: possession pierogi!!

Now, I have no idea what that means, but exclamation points in an email from your agent are always good.

The news?

POSSESSION sold in Poland!

1:24 PM: See email and freak out. Reply to agent, even though I'm late to switch classes.
1:25 PM: Switch second grade classes.
1:30 PM: Teach typing! My life is so glamorous. You know you're jealous.
1:34 PM: Text husband.
1:35 PM: Freak out.
2:05 PM: Finish teaching for the day.
2:25 PM: Drop off tax papers at the accountant's office.
3:00 PM: Arrive at girl kidlet's school to switch out the home-reading books for her Kindergarten teacher. Yeah, I volunteer at the school once a week.
3:30 PM: Arrive home. Feed girl kidlet. Hound her to change her clothes.
4:00 PM: Take girl kidlet to dance.
4:30 PM: Take boy kidlet to work.
4:40 PM: Arrive home. Alone.
4:41 PM: Freak out.

I could go on with my night, including a few more taxiing moments, and lots of visiting to people in my neighborhood. I finally got home around 8:30 PM, wherein I changed into my pajamas and...
8:45 PM: Watch Chopped.

Ahhh, Tuesday's are good days. Let's all have some of this:


Or these, which are pierogies, in case you didn't know. (I totally didn't.)

Good news? I know people who've gotten their first full request this week! I know people who have signed with agents. Yay! I know people who have had news from publishers. What have you got?

And I just want to give you a visual of what next week is going to be... One word: EPIC.

75 comments:

Misha Gerrick said...

Oh my word congrats!

:-D

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on selling in Poland. That is awesome news! And yeah Tuesday sounds like too many of my days lately only I get up at 6:00 and get home from work at 5:00, then rush off to some other event. Next month looks much better, Thank God. I'm hoping I can focus on writing more.

Unknown said...

That is awesome! Congrats!

Oh, BTW- pierogies go great with Polish Sausage.

Liza said...

Congratulations! I can see your next interview now: "Chocolate, or Polish Sausage?"

Emily White said...

Oh, yay!! I do have big news, but I'm trying not to share it until next week.

Congrats, Elana!

Theresa Milstein said...

YaY - that's so exciting!

When it's published in Italy, will your favorite food be prosciutto? Because that's up there for me.

Happy weekend! Glad all these good things are coming your way. May it continue.

Kayeleen Hamblin said...

It amazes me what we put ourselves through in a day.

Congrats on Poland. That's full of awesome.

Matthew MacNish said...

I'll take bacon wrapped polish sausage, thanks. Hell, I'll take just about anything wrapped in bacon, as long as it has a pink wig.

Brenda St John Brown said...

Congratulations!! Or as they'd say in Poland: GRATULACJE. My parents ae both Polish, so I grew up with pierogies and kielbasa and blinis. And kolatchy, delicious little nut-filled cookies.

I always end up hungry after reading your posts. :)

Stina said...

I love perogies (that's how we spell them in Canada), and my 8 yo could live off them if I let him.

Congrats on Poland. So are you going to do a book signing over there. ;)

Artemis Grey said...

I'm all about the Polish sausage! Congrats on everything!

What I have this week? Absolutely nothing professionally speaking.

In fact, I was teetering on a little hair-rending there, until a very good blogger friend said thing like 'I LOVED this sentence' and 'Your did a GREAT job here' about something I'd written... and then things were better... :)

lotusgirl said...

Woohoo for Poland! This week I got to be on a panel with Beth Freaking Revis and Carrie Freaking Ryan and Tracey Freaking Adams. It was pretty freaking cool. The moderator was Snow Wildsmith. The great thing is that they are really super nice people. We got to hang out after and talk books. I ended up with some amazing book recommendations as a result. I'm going to be reviewing some of them on my blog starting Monday.

Anonymous said...

Great news, Elena! Congrats!

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness, I thought Possession was hot stuff on her own... but with pearls and a pink wig - she's GORGEOUS!

Congrats, Elana!! What awesome news!

Carolyn Abiad said...

Gosh, I didn't know pierogies were so popular around here! Been (trying) to make them like my Babcia for years....finding good kielbasa (polish sausage) is so much easier - I'd stick to that! And Lotus Girl is pretty freaking cool herself! (I was there.)

Congratulations!!! :D

Michelle McLean said...

So exciting!!! And pierogies are sooo good :D

B.E. Sanderson said...

Woohoo! If I knew how to say congratulations in Polish, I would. Gotta love their sausage. I don't know if it's better than bacon, though. ;o)

No news here. If I get something positive back from any of those queries, I'll let you know. =o)

Unknown said...

Congrats on the sale!

No news here except I got some positive feedback from a beta reader on my opening scene. I guess it's all about the little things.

Bish Denham said...

Doing the happy dance with you girl! How exciting! Wonderful! I hope it sells ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Ishta Mercurio said...

Wahoo! Congratulations, Elana! May your book sell in many, many more countries!

Janet Johnson said...

Congratulations! Very exciting. :D Poland is a good country.

And here's to many more. *cheers*

Angela said...

Congrats Elana! I'd be eating Polish sausage too.

Kelly Bryson said...

Congrats Elana!
btw- we converted to kielbasi and pirogies when we lived in Pittsburgh- soooo good with some ketchup, sour cream and hot sauce, caramelized onions and peppers. Hmmm, now I have an idea for dinner:)

Meredith said...

Yay! You'll have to go to Poland now and eat pierogies. They'll change your life. :)

Lola Sharp said...

First, CONGRATS!!!

Second, pierogi's are deeeelllish!

And...I LOVE Possession all dressed up for LiLa's Liar Society! (Isn't it fun being festive?!)

Don't you need to add a polka to your repertoire now, too?

Ooohhh, soon you'll be eating croissants (and french fries dipped in mayo!), oui? We can hope, non?

Love,
Lola

Tom M Franklin said...

a former temp in my department was so appalled by the fact i had no idea what pierogies were that he brought some in the next time he visited his mother. even as leftovers that made a trek of several hundred road miles and reheated in a microwave, thems was some good eats.

congrats on the polish translation! time to get those european book tour plans updated.


-- Tom

VICTORIA SAAVEDRA said...

Yay! Congrats! How exciting! You make typing class sound much more glamorous :)

Tracey Neithercott said...

Congrats on selling in Poland! And I've heard of pierogies but I've never had one. If I ever do, I'll think of Possession. (And probably its beautiful pink wig.) My good news this week: A blurb from my first draft that appeared on Miss Snark's First Victim's blog got interest from an agent. Super exciting even though I'm nowhere near ready to query!

Unknown said...

Congratulations. That is awesome. I love how glamourous your life is.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

That is fantastic news, Elana!

BUT . . . let's not get carried away. You are and must remain a bacon person. Really. You know it's true. But we can celebrate with a monster sausage-fest!! :-)

Shari said...

What an AMAZING day! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Doing a happy dance for you.

My good news? I'm going to a conference next week in which I just may see the famous Elana J.!!!

Hermana Maw said...

Congrats! Did you squeal out loud? So excited for you. :)

Henya said...

Fantastic!!!! You are Polish Knighted....

And congrats!
:)

Susanne Winnacker said...

Congrats!
And I love Polish sausages. Actually I like almost every kind of sausage on this planet. :D

Kathryn Packer Roberts said...

That's awesome! I wish I had something as exciting to exclame about, but I don't. As yet. But some day. And the food looks terribly yummy.

Sara B. Larson said...

That's so exciting! Huge congrats, Elana! I don't have anything exciting to gush about, so just yay for you! :)

Melissa Gill said...

I'm so excited that your book sold in Poland! That's amazing. Won't it be cool to have all of those books in all those languages lined up in a place of honor.

Margo Rowder said...

Elana,
Fantastic! I'll think of you whenever I see pierogies. (And here in Chicago, they're sort of ubiquitous!)
That is AWESOME news. Again, doesn't surprise me!
Happy weekend :)
-Margo

Anita Saxena said...

Congratulations on selling in Poland! I didn't have anything that big happen to me this weak, but I did finish writing a very pivotal scene in my novel that made me all sorts of happy.

VR Barkowski said...

Honestly? Despite my surname, I wouldn't eat Polish sausage on a bet (sorry, Dad), but I LOVE pierogies. :)

Gratulacje! on selling in Poland. [Love the pink wig and pearls on POSSESSION. Very chic]

Casey McCormick said...

Congrats, Elana!!!!!

Paul Greci said...

Way to go Elana!!! Big congrats!!

Tere Kirkland said...

Yum, pierogies! I want some of those almost as much as I want Possession!

Congrats, Elana!

~Tere

lisa and laura said...

Oh my gosh, I LOVE good news Friday! It was so fun reading through all of these comments. You know what else I love? Hearing about your day. Laura and I have a theory that you have an army of clones that assist you in getting everything done. Don't feel like you need to lie. We promise not to alert the government. CONGRATS on your success, E. I'm guessing there are lots more posts like this in your future.

And...that picture? No. Words. XOXO

Jillian Audrey said...

Pierogies are officially amazing. You should take a vacation to Poland for some pierogies and call it research :)

Lisa_Gibson said...

CONGRATS! That's so freaking awesome. And pierogies are so good. Yum! Yay! Happy dance for you.
Lisa ~ YA Literature Lover

Melissa said...

3 cheese pierogies are my favorite!

Congrats on selling in Poland!!

Heather said...

Congrats on Possession selling in Poland!!! This is huge. I'm so happy for you!

Miriam Forster said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Krispy said...

YAY! CONGRATS!!!

But seriously, lady, you nearly gave me a heart attack with your post title. I was like WHAT?! BACON HAS BEEN BEATEN?!!

Marsha Sigman said...

I am so hungry right now.

I received the books I ordered from Amazon this week so I am walking around in a Duff/Matched/Wicked Lovely/Before I Fall induced daze of delight.

I also received chocolates this week...and I spent time with my loved one (new wip) oh yeah and those other peeps who live with me and scream to be fed. Soooo needy.

Marsha Sigman said...

I am so self absorbed. Congrats on Poland!!! That is awesome but I have a feeling Possession will sweep the World so Poland is only the beginning!!!

kathrynjankowski said...

Mmmmm, pierogi!

Congrats on the sale to Poland!

Donea Lee said...

Major congrats!!! Possession is going to be an International sensation, of course ~ :) And I do know what pierogies are - delish! Best served with sauteed purple onion, sauteed spinach and sour cream...yum.

Melissa Sarno said...

I love polish sausage! I've never had a pieroge! I'm so excited your book is in Poland! Congrats!

Kerri Cuev said...

Alright!!! How about a combo polish and bacon dish! :)

Colene Murphy said...

HOLY CRAP! Congratulations!!!! HUGE!!! WHOOOO! Okay. No really still excited but will calm the caps/exclamations down...Congrats to all those other lucky duckies you know too!<last exclamation...swear...

Jemi Fraser said...

Congrats on the Polish sale!

You haven't tried perogies?? They are heavenly! And you actually serve them with crumpled up bacon. Very, very good!

Alice said...

Your books in Poland and I can't even read it in the states yet? What's up with that? I am patiently waiting to get it in my mail.

Congrats. I'm very excited for you. Since you KNOW people that signed with agents, had good luck, maybe you could pretend to know me better. Ha

I'm thrilled for you.

erica and christy said...

So I don't have much for you today (yeah, I know you were waiting, hehe). But as a fellow teacher, I feel okay saying "I FINISHED REPORT CARDS TODAY!!" (we're on trimester instead of quarter). (phew, glad I got that off my chest).

Your Tuesday is pretty epic. And your friends are very lucky. :)
erica

Lisa Potts said...

Yay for Poland!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Wow! Woohoo!

And how do you not know the goodness that are pierogies? The frozen ones -- boiled, then lightly fried and dipped in ranch -- were my post-drinking staple for years. Nomnomnom.

kcsars said...

YEA!!! My goodness you are humble; you didn't say anything today about that! Yahoo! It was great sitting with you at the conference; thanks for letting me be a groupy for a little while! And your time on the panel...you had us eating out of your palm, my friend, and it was a feast! See ya tomorrow!

Carrie said...

Woohoo!!!! Congratulations!!!!

Jennie Englund said...

You have very faithful -- and funny! -- followers!!

Carol Riggs said...

How totally AWESOME! Big congrats, how exiting. And yum, when's dinner--you having pierogies and inviting us all over? LOL

I don't have super news, but I am incredibly delighted to have finished the rough draft of my WiP this week, that had been dragging on since June. Whew! Time to do some YA reading--like checking out Possession, rah!

Francesca said...

Yay for sausages and foreign sale! Hooray!

Jeanne Ryan (Serenissima) said...

Hahaha. When I read the header, I thought, "Say it isn't so! Bacon rules!" But under the circumstances, I totally get your newfound love for polish sausage. I'm looking forward to seeing what takes over your bacon-love when your book sells in Korea or Zimbabwe.

Congrats!

KA said...

Pierogies are delicious. Congrats!

Unknown said...

You didn't know what pierogies are? THEY ARE DELICIOSO, YOU MUST ACQUIRE SOME AND STUFF THEM IN YOUR MOUTH. omnomnomnomnom.

Also: CONGRATULATIONS CHICKA!

Emily Gray Clawson said...

It was awesome to meet you at LTUE. So glad I got to sit in on your workshops. I just downloaded your Ebook on getting an agent and I'm excited to read it!

Taffy said...

AWESOMESAUCE! You rock, girl!

Anonymous said...

Hooray! CONGRATULATIONS, ELANA! The real question is, did you eat said sausage? And does it really trump bacon? Does anything?

Nicole L Rivera said...

Congrats :)

Good News ~ I'm late on commenting on this post bc the hubby and I were in Puerto Rico and I'm just now catching up on the 100+ blog posts in my inbox :)

AND, I'm on my way to a writer's conference in a couple weeks to meet my dream agent. Well, I actually already met her last year but she wasn't an agent at the time. Excited to see what happens :)

Julie Hedlund said...

Congrats on the Poland sale, but I'm afraid I can't agree with you on the Polish sausage. I grew up in a small Northern Michigan town founded by Polish immigrants. I've consumed many a polish sausage in my day but never, never would I choose it over bacon! :-)

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