Virginia Girl

The Countdown Has Begun!

2011-10-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

T-3 days and counting!

Yesterday, I was able to log into my classroom for the first time and print out the syllabus and have a look around. I wouldn't say I'm the most tech-savvy person on the planet, but I can usually figure out what I'm doing and this on-line setup doesn't look too bad. Over the weekend, I'll be working on the WSRO--Walden Student Readiness Orientation so when class starts Monday, I should be ready to go.

Can I make a confession?

I'm a wee bit nervous. What on earth am I doing?!

Do I really have it in me to devote the next 96 weeks (yes, I did the math) to school plus work? Yes, I did it before--I worked on my Associates degree while working full time in an office, but I was a good 20 years younger and I actually physically went to a school. This is all on-line. When I'm physically accountable to someone, I most always come through. This is different...yes, there is accountability, but it's different and I'm not sure how it's going to go. My optimist side, which, admittedly, is bigger than my pessimist side, says I can do it, but there's still that voice from the pessimist asking if I've really got what it takes. I believe I do, so I guess only time will tell.

I have plenty of people cheering me on...my family and friends and co-workers, so I guess I'm accountable to them as well. Their encouragement will do a lot to keep me going. I really have only two problems. One is funding. I'm looking into scholarships, but I'm also resigning myself to the fact that I'll need to get student loans. The entire cost of my education is estimated around $25,000 (that's the BA & the Teaching Certification). Not exactly chump change but not as bad as the loans some people are taking out to finance their education. I'd hate to tell you the amount my sister had to take out to get her BA & MA.

My other problem is the cat. Meet Willow.

That's my Kaplan Scholarships book she's laying on. She also likes to lay on my laptop and/or the exact spot I need to put my keyboard so I can type. Right now, in fact, she's laying on my laptop so I have my wireless keyboard is in my lap so I can type this. When I started spreading out my papers to organize my SRO syllabus and checklist, she had to sit right in the middle of them. She's going to be a problem. Well, we'll work it out. It may mean doing the bulk of my homework from the dining room table, but at least it'll get done.

Okay, enough bellyaching. I need to get to the gym, the store, have lunch, then a little SRO before going to work. Enjoy your day!

Hello?

2011-10-08T23:54:00.000-04:00

Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello?

Is anybody there?

I'm still here, I promise!

Yeah, it has been a while since I've updated this blog. Truth be told, I've focused so much of my attention to my other blog, A(nother) Year in Reviews and on the other things going on in my life (job, working out, writing) that this blog has kinda (okay, for sure) fallen to the wayside. But I have plans to rectify that situation. For starters, I'm adding something to the Things Keeping Me Busy list. That list consists of:

Job
Working Out (I've lost 100 lb since May 2010! I've got 40 or so more to go, so keep cheering for me.)
The "other" blog
Writing (NaNoWriMo is coming up!)
"Time Wasters," namely games from Big Fish and on Facebook...Zynga, you make some great games but they sure do make time disappear!

So I'm going to work on reducing the amount of time I spend on #5 and replace it with a new #5, namely...

Working on my Bachelor's degree.

Yep, I'm going back to college, specifically Walden University Online (since I don't live in Minneapolis, it kinda has to be online). I've finally figured out what I want to do with my life. I've always been told I'd make a great teacher, and I enjoy English so why don't I finally get off my lazy duff and go back to school so I can become an English teacher which is something I've secretly wanted to do for, oh, maybe twenty years now? Plus, I feel I have a God-given directive to teach, an instruction I received when I was agonizing over whether or not I should teach Sunday School (let's just say God made it pretty clear that He wanted me to do it...if you ask nicely, I'll give you my testimony someday.)

HIPPA laws prevent me from giving any kind of detail about the residents at the nursing home where I work, so I really can't talk about the things that go on there except in very general detail, and what fun is that? And though I know you'll cheer me on, how much blogging can I do regarding my work outs? Some, but not much. I can blog about my NaNo progress, but that's only one month out of twelve...what about the other eleven months? And do you really want me to blog about the games I'm playing? If you want that kind of fun, log on and start playing.

So college blogging it is...at least, I'm going to attempt it. Like many other adults, I'm going back to school to finish my degree and change my career path. Let's hope you find this journey as interesting and exciting as I hope I will!

Um...and now that I look at it, I'll work on the layout of this blog...it needs some serious help!

Writing Exercises

2010-07-31T23:44:00.001-04:00

I met with a group of writer friends and we talked about our various works in progress and our plans for this November’s National Novel Writing Month. We also partook in a couple writing challenges, taking prompts from The Writer's Book of Matches: 1,001 Prompts to Ignite Your Fiction from The Editors of Fresh Boiled Peanuts. The first line of the following two shorts came from that book. We then read our writings out loud. What was interesting was how six people could hear the exact same line and come up with six wildly different stories. Here are the two I wrote:

#1

“You’ll notice my wife doesn’t drink,” Calthrop said, waving a casual hand toward the woman seated in the easy chair. “Wise of her, considering her condition.”

He raised a delicate china cup to his lips, sipping at the hot brew he had liberally doctored with lemon and sugar. Four lumps I counted, and wondered how anyone could tolerate anything that sweet. My cup was empty. I wasn’t thirsty, much to my host’s dismay.

I tried not to breathe too deeply for fear of asphyxiation via lemon furniture polish. Like the room around us, Charles Calthrop was a testament to immaculate fastidiousness. I knew he was a college professor, lecturing in English literature with a specialization in Victorian era poetry. He looked like he belonged in that time. Every hair on his head was ruthlessly in place and his suit jacket revealed exactly one and a quarter inch of crisp white cuff. The crease in his slacks was razor-perfect and I could easily see my reflection in the shine of his shoes.

His wife’s expression never seemed to change. Amanda Winters-Calthrop sat in the Queen Anne chair opposite me, her legs crossed and showing only her lower legs and ankles, her hands folded delicately in her lap. Her face showed the same soft smile it had held when her husband introduced us, her eyes the same far-off, slightly unfocused look behind her tinted glasses. A serene, quiet woman, so different from so many others I’d met in the course of my career. She was obviously content to let her husband command this meeting, even thought she was the reason I was here.

“And what exactly is her condition?” I asked. “Her family is quite worried. They haven’t heard from her in some time, which is why they called me.” In spite of the fact that she was right there in the room with us, I couldn’t help referring to her as if she were absent.

“Are you sure I can’t get you something, Detective? Some water? Or a soft drink? I assume you won’t drink anyting hard while you’re on duty.”

“Water,” I said, giving in. Calthrop would not be comfortable unless I had fully accepted his hospitality. “Water will be fine.”

“Still or aerated?”

“Tap is fine.”

“Very well.” He set his cup down and crossed the room to the wet bar. I turned my attention to his wife, trying to gain her attention, but wasn’t successful. Was she drugged? Is that why she seemed…not quite there?

Calthrop returned with a glass of iced water. A wedge of lemon floated on the top and I could tell he had squeezed some of its juice into the water. I took a drink and set it down. The water tasted bitter, something the lemon juice should have countered.

“Now,” I continued. “Your wife’s family—“

“I will give them a call later this evening,” Calthrop said. “Explain the situation. They’ll understand.”

“Why don’t you tell me and I’ll tell them for you.” The scent of lemon grew stronger and I found myself almost dizzy with it. I shook my head, but that did nothing to clear it.

“I’m afraid that won’t do,” Calthrop said, but I couldn’t hear him. As I sank to the floor, I looked at Amanda. My dying eyes stared as a worm slowly slithered out of her still, soft, dead mouth.

#2

“You want me to believe in God? Fine. I believe he’s one twisted S.O.B.”

The smiles on the faces of the eager missionary Christians on my doorstep never faltered, but their eyes gave away their sudden attack of nerves. Obviously their training had never prepared them for someone like me. I pressed on.

“He’s a loving God, yet He smites those who oppose Him. I’m supposed to love Him and be afraid of Him at the same time. And He impregnates a virgin and then lets the resulting Child die. I’m supposed to believe in someone like that?”

The face of the young man on the left—I silently dubbed him “Lefty”—cleared and he seized the opening. “He sent His Son to die for our sins—“

“Which shows He’s in need of some serious therapy and a healthy dose of medication. Sorry. I’m glad you have something to believe in, but I can’t accept someone who’s so contradictory.”

“But He can do so much for you if only you’d let yourself believe—“

“You already know what I believe,” I said, cutting “Righty” off. “Now believe this: get off my property or I’m calling the cops.”

I closed the door in their faces, ignoring the tract “Lefty” tried to push off on me. I waited a minute, then checked the peek-hole. They were gone.

“Good riddance,” I muttered and returned to my desk so I could finish my sermon for this Sunday.

I'm not sure how I feel about this...

2010-07-14T08:43:00.002-04:00

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

...Still Kicking...

2010-06-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

though maybe not as high as I used to...

I've kinda lost the hang of this blogging thing for a while because my new job (yay!) works me ragged. I've lost ten pounds in the month since I've started and my feet hurt like you wouldn't believe. I guess that comes from literally being on them 8 hours a day (yes, I literally do mean literally).

But other than that, nothing much has been going on with my life. My writing has suffered a bit because I don't have the time like I used to, though I am pushing myself to start it up again. The rocky sea that has been my life seems to be settling down a bit and I really don't want to do anything to start it rocking again.

So I'll try to keep all you wonderful fans in mind and start posting again, even if it's only links to things I find interesting. Until then, get away from your computers and try to get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Alive and Kicking!

2010-03-16T20:01:00.000-04:00

Yep, still here. Sorry it's been so long, but it's been a crazy...one, two, eight, forty-two...yep, it's been a crazy seven weeks here in Virginia. Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of -- okay, let's not go there.

For those who regularly read my blog (all three of you), you know I've been out of work since August. In early-mid January, still sending out resumes and getting no responses, or interviewing and not getting hired, I spied an intriguing ad in the classified section of the newspaper. It offered a one month Certified Nursing Assistant course at a nearby accredited nursing home, starting March 1. "Wow," I thought, "get trained for a nursing job in only a month. Could this be real?" I check it out and found out that yes, indeed, it was for real and on February 2, I attended the introductory session. I was a bit apprehensive, as I'm not that young--barely middle aged--and not in great shape, but I was not the youngest there and my shape definitely wasn't an issue. After she explained what the job of a CNA entailed and the course schedule--75+ hours classroom and 63 clinicals, now that's intense--she gave us an evaluation test. I got a perfect score (!) and we scheduled an interview.

I interviewed a couple days later and the instructor, Robin, offered me a spot in the class right then and there! It was the most ridiculously easy interview I've ever had--I was expecting questions about why I wanted to get into nursing and why they should accept me over all the other potential students (almost 100 attended the intro session and there were only 10 spots in the class). Instead, I was asked if I would have a problem with child care (no kids, so nope), transportation (got a car, thanks), cost of course (manageable), if I spoke any other languages (just English) and a few other simple questions. She then said, "I normally don't do this in the interview, but I'd like to offer you a spot in the class." Of course, I accepted and she gave me the text book as well as all the homework assignments so I could get started on studying right away.

So I spent the month of February reading this 700 page, 41 chapter text book and doing as much of the homework as I could manage. I was also still applying for jobs as required for my unemployment benefits, hoping I wouldn't get an offer so I could take this class. Luck (if you can call it that) was on my side and I was in class bright and early March 1.

So now it's March 16, I just took the final exam and I passed with flying colors! Straight "A" all the way. My lowest grade was a 95.5 on one night's homework. I have to admit, it feels great to have done so well. After feeling like a complete loser for so long because I haven't been able to land a job, I've proven to myself that I can truly accomplish something that I set out to do. Unless you've been in the same situation, you can't truly appreciate how much of a boost something like that gives to your self-esteem.

Tomorrow we start clinicals, where we hit the nursing center floor and start to put to practice what we've been learning for the past several weeks. I just hope I don't hurt someone! Those old people are fragile!!!!

Okay, I'm hooked

2010-01-22T10:07:00.000-05:00

"It’s true that I really enjoy writing, but it’s rarely easy. That’s part of the point for me: the challenge. It’s fun, but it’s not like I sit at my keyboard, occasionally throwing my arms into the air and squealing, 'Wheeeeeee! I’m writing!'”

I came across a guest blogpost on the Men with Pens blog written by Josh Hanagarne, World’s Strongest Librarian (which is also the name of his blog)

Anyone who can make me laugh is worth my time. Check out his blog.

Too awesome

2010-01-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

Check this site out: Steel Head Studio

They held a game party to ring in the new year and created 100 cupcakes with 100 different games represented as the toppings. How many can you guess? I didn't keep track, but I think I got at least 2/3 right.

Friends of mine are considering a game night soon...maybe I should offer to make refreshments?

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T09:21:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all my wonderful, faithful readers.

This past year had its up and downs for everyone. For me, my life took a downhill slide in August and I'm still sliding down. I'm praying I hit the bottom very, very, very soon so I can start that long slow climb back up to true happiness. I'm hoping this year, this JANUARY, things will turn around for me.

I've done a lot of writing over the past two months, primarily due to NaNoWriMo, and I'm determined to keep writing. My critique group is gearing up for first submissions next Saturday and I have several scenes ready to go. My goal there is to have my NaNo novel edited and reviewed by my friends by the end of March or April. CreateSpace.com is offering all successful NaNoists a free printed "proof" copy of their novels and I want to have this one submitted before the June 1 deadline.

My hopes for everyone is that 2010 be a happier, healthier, saner year that the previous one. That we all manage to hang on to what is right and precious in our lives and that when we stand on the brink of 2011, we can look back on 2010, smile at all we've accomplished, and look happily toward the future.

It's That Time Again

2009-12-29T09:40:00.008-05:00

Time to make the donuts?

No, time to make New Year's Resolutions.

Phhft.

What do you mean, "phhft?"

I mean, you've never kept a resolution in your life.

That's not true. For several years, I made only one resolution and that was to not make any resolutions for that year. Those were very successful years, by the way.

So now you've fallen off the "no-resolution" bandwagon and you expect me to be happy for you?

That would require more stretch to the imagination than the elastic in a fat man's pants.

Ha ha

Anyway, as I was saying, it's resolution time. I've been thinking about it, and I've decided that I will make a few resolutions this year. I'm not getting any younger and there are some definite areas of my life that need improvement. So here it is, in no particular order, my list of resolutions.

- Lose 75 pounds

I've heard that one before, folks
Hey! Shut it!

- Find a job

- Read more books

I read an interesting post on one of the blogs I read. (Oooh wait, another resolution, update favorite blog list on this blog...nah, that's a to-do list item...never mind.) This post at Romancing the Blog gave birth to this idea. The writer, Jana Hanson, mentions the number of books she read over the past year and that got me to thinking. I haven't done as much reading in the past few years as I've done in many years further past, but I do want to read more, so why not do the same? Keep a running count of how many books I've read. Okay, yeah, good idea. I can probably find some kind of widget that'll help me keep track of the number of books I've read this year.

Yeah, maybe you could find one on the same site you got that weight loss widget from last year? You know, the one you deactivated after two months?

Hush, you!

But then, I thought, why not take it a step further and post reviews of those books? I've done a couple ARC book reviews this past year for Leucrota Press and reviews on one or two books that I just liked, so why not put the two together and just do it? So that's what I'll do.

This was such a great idea, that in the middle of typing this post, I just went ahead and created the new blog! I called it, A Year In Reviews. Catchy, hunh? Come on, you know you like it!

So starting Jan 1, 2010, whenever I finish a book, I'll post a review, so go check it out, okay? I'll even transfer the reviews I did here to there so they're all in one place.

Okay, back to the list of resolutions. Let's see, we've got lose weight, find job and read more. What else...

- Finish 2009 NaNo Novel

That one is in progress and I hope to have it done by the end of January.

- Get back to writing "The Penn Chronicles"

The Penn Chronicles is what I'm calling the series of books I'm planning based around one central character named Penn. I have one story partly written and ideas for three more, so there's some work to be done there.

Okay, I'm dry. Can't think of anything else. I'm sure there's probably more, and I'm sure I'll not do as well as I'd like on some of these, but at least I'm making a list of goals, and I will work toward them and let you know how it's going.

I have some running around to do, so I have to go. And YOU have to stay here.

No, please, take me with you! I'm sorry I was so snarky. I wanna go out, too!

Okay, okay, just stop whining and get in the car.

Can I drive?

You're a figment of my imagination and you don't have a driver's license. Just be glad I don't make you ride in the trunk.

I'm an excellent driver.

No.

Man, I never get to have any fun.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T21:53:00.002-05:00

Huff, Puff...

2009-12-14T11:29:00.004-05:00

Whew, it's dusty around here!

Yeah, guess that's what happens when you ignore your blog and don't post for a couple days--ahem--weeks.

I do apologize for my absence, but I was kind of caught up in the whole NaNoWriMo stuff. In the 30 days of November, I produced 55,814 words. (That's according to NaNo's word count validator. Per my word counter, I clocked in at 56,018.). Unfortunately, I didn't achieve my true objective, which was to actually finish the novel. I figured my story would take about 60K words to complete but when I was about 20,000 words in, I decided to start over.

What? You started over? Are you crazy?

Yes.

Let me explain. From the very first paragraph, my point-of-view was all wrong. It was third person omniscient, and that's not where I wanted to be. I wanted to be in my character's heads, telling their story from their POVs, not as some standoffish entity, hovering over their heads, revealing what's going on around them with the bland narrative quality of a newspaper. But, hey, this is just the first draft. It's allowed to be crappy. So I kept writing and it kept getting crappier and crappier. There were a few glimmers of brilliance in there, but they were hard to see, being surrounded by all that crap.

So, after talking over the plot with a friend, I decided to start fresh. And boy, was it ever fresh! I was finally in my character's head and telling her story from her POV. So I guess I really only produced 35,000 words, but I did write those first 20,000 and they count, even though they're currently on the chopping block, ready to be sliced, diced and julienned into oblivion.

November 30 came and went, and I took a couple weeks off to let my brain regenerate. Now I'm back and ready to write. My plan is to finish the first draft and then let the story sit for a while before I begin editing. While my story, "Daughter of the King" sits and gels, I'll start working on one of my other manuscripts. What I'm tentatively calling "The Penn Chronicles" is one story, 1/3 complete, and ideas for 3 more stories, so I have some work to do.

So if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to work!

Wait for the awesome!

2009-11-12T09:19:00.001-05:00

Halloween? Bah, humbug!

2009-10-31T08:46:00.009-04:00

Okay, okay, "humbug" is usually associated with Christmas, but you get the idea.

I don't like Halloween.

Oh, sure, I liked it as a kid, dressing up and getting lots of candy just because you were cute, but I fell out of it as a teen and I guess I just kept falling to the point that I actually kinda wish it didn't exist. I lived with someone for about 8-9 years and he felt the same about Halloween as I did, which was great. On Halloween night, we would go out to dinner, maybe do a little shopping, then usually ended the evening at Barnes and Noble or Borders, looking for and test-reading books that we would never buy. We'd stay out until 9:30-10:00 or so, then head home. All the little trick-or-treaters would be home, coming down off their sugar highs. And if someone did dare to ring the doorbell after 10:00, we didn't answer.

Now I live with my mother in a very kid-oriented neighborhood and I can't escape the madness! Mom doesn't like Halloween any more than I do, but rather than escape with me, she buys candy and gives it out because "it's the right thing to do."

Bah, humbug.

I'll suffer though it, I'll endure and then...and then...

That's right, NaNoWriMo kick off is at midnight tonight! My writing group managed to secure a meeting room at a local hotel for a couple hours (free of charge, thank you thank you thank you!) We're expecting about 20 writers to show up tonight. I missed last year's midnight write-in because...well, I fell asleep. That won't happen tonight, mostly because I know the core writers in our group (hmm...I guess I am one of those core writers now) and if I don't show up, they'll come to my house, drag my butt out of bed and make me go to the hotel and write. Probably still in my pajamas, too! I won't inflict the reality of that image on anyone, so I'll be there.

It's 9:00 am--15 hours and counting! I need to hit the shower and then go to the library for some last-minute research, then lunch, then to a friend's house to help her with a little computer work. After that, it's home to charge up my laptop battery in case I can't get an outlet at the write-in, do a little laundry, get some rest, and get ready to write!

Fabulous lettering from Daily Drop Cap

Pressing Onward

2009-10-22T14:11:00.002-04:00

O-kay, so my call for some steampunker help went unanswered. Never mind, said I, for I shall press onward on my own and see what I can see. I picked up a copy of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" from the library and I liked it so much, I bid and won a copy off eBay. I'm also bidding on "Wild Wild West"--the movie, not the TV show--and should have that won later tonight.

Now, I may be generalizing, but it seems like the people who didn't like "LXG" are those who loved the original graphic novel by Alan Moore. And to be fair, I also read that and can understand why those who loved the graphic novel didn't like the movie. Changes were made to the story to make it more appealing to a wider movie audience which the novel-lovers hated, but I liked the changes. It made "LXG" different...not better, not worse...just different.

Not to mention it gave me a rather interesting idea for my own steampunk novel...which will be shelved until after November. I have my NaNo novel already planned it out and it is most definitely not steampunk.

I recall seeing "Wild Wild West" when it came out and enjoying it, but I don't remember much, so I'll have to see it again before I tell you what I think of it.

And I have a small list of novels to look for next time I'm at the bookstore (courtesy of Tor.com). So I think I'm in pretty good shape to begin my slow, steady indoctrination into steampunk.

Until later, everyone. Goggles on!

Steampunkers, I need your help!

2009-10-09T09:57:00.015-04:00

This month is Steampunk month on Tor.com and though I've never been much of a fan of historical novels, I'm finding myself drawn...hypnotically...almost magically, you might say, to the steampunk genre. So much so that I gave thought to abandoning my half-plotted NaNo novel in favor of a steampunk story that hatched in my mind.

I think I've successfully beaten that impulse down, but the interest remains. Can any steampunk afficionados recommend any good books or movies in this genre? I've never read anything steampunk nor seen any movies and I want to so I can see if this is something to pursue. Oh, I did see Wild Wild West with Will Smith and Kevin Kline. I think that qualifies as steampunk.

The story was okay, but it was all the gadgetry that captured my attention in that movie. And, see, that's what interests me the most. The gadgetry, the "inventions" are just outstanding...like these: (all images here snagged from this post on Tor.com)

LOVE the laptop! The fashions are pretty amazing, too, though the last one is a bit scary...just what is he hiding behind that mask?

This appeals to me, but I'm still not sure why...so help me out and point me toward some good books and movies so I can explore this genre some more and decide whether it's for me or not.

What if Beauty was the Beast?

2009-09-22T20:29:00.004-04:00

Okay, I stole that title from one of the commenters, but it's sooo appropriate.

Jeffrey Thomas has created some wonderful drawings, based on the idea of "Twisted Princesses." He's taken the Disney princesses and, ahem, twisted them.

What if...

Alice drunk the wrong potion?

Mulan shed her disguise and her pet dragon really was a dragon?

Nala truly showed her claws?

Jane became a true jungle princess?

Pocahontas...warrior princess?

I think you get the picture. Or you will, if you go check out Jeffrey's site.

As a writer, I love images that spark my imagination. Jeffrey has started a bonfire in my head. Now I need to go see what I can do with it.

Argument for Global Warming

2009-09-22T09:23:00.006-04:00

I'm the type of person who runs from trends. I've never read anything by Dan Brown, I have no desire to see Twilight or the movies that will come after, and have only seen one--yes, only one--episode of American Idol (I was out of town with friends, and in the hotel room that night they all wanted to watch, so I had no choice).

So when all the talking heads were running around headless saying the earth was going to heat up into a fireball due to global warming, I didn't immediately join them. Granted, I didn't immediately run in the other direction, I just didn't do anything. I wanted some time to gather facts and see the truth for myself before adding my voice.

Some evidence shows that the earth is warming at an alarming rate, others show it is cooling. Here in Winchester, VA, we've had one of the coolest, mildest summers I can recall in my 30 years living in the mid-Atlantic area. I read GOC's blog and he's a strong proponent for global cooling and when I read what he has to say (and do my own research!), I tend to agree with him. Here's a link to one of his most recent posts on the subject.

Where am I going with this? Let me shift gears for just a second.

One of my favorite web comics is Least I Could Do. This week, Ryan Somers and Lar DeSouza have their main character, Rayne Summers, giving an address at TED. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. It's an annual conference held in Long Beach, CA and Oxford, England where people are invited to talk about ideas. Go over to their web site and check it out.

Anyway, in yesterday's comment section, many readers have asked "What is TED?" So today, Somers has given loyal LICD readers a homework assignment. We are to go to TED's web site, watch a video, and give an oral presentation to the class about what we learned--what, no oral presentation? Oh, okay, just a post on what we learned.

So here's the lecture I watched. Click here for James Balog's lecture on Time-lapse Proof of Extreme Ice Loss.

Check it out.

Book Review #4: The Unseen

2009-09-18T07:39:00.006-04:00

Wait. #4? What happened to #3?

If you read the post titled "Book Review #2", you'll see it was actually review Number 3, therefore this is Number 4. You are Number 6.

Don't go there.

Okay, okay.

And you said you weren't going to turn this into a book review blog.

Hey, four reviews out of over 135 posts does not make this a review blog.

Fine, then, get on with it.

Thank you, I shall.

The Unseen by T.L. Hines

It's pretty rare that I'll read a book that grabs my attention on the first page and won't let go until I've finished it, and this book joins those ranks. Have you ever read a book where you could predict the outcome after reading the first fifty pages? This book does not fall into that category.

The Unseen is about a young man named Lucas who makes his living washing dishes and spends his free time being an Infiltrator. He finds his way into buildings (office buildings, primarily), finds their hidden spots, and watches people. He's essentially homeless, living in the boiler room at Howard University, but very content with his life. He is Unseen by those around him, until the night another Infiltrator finds his home base. This chance encounter will lead Lucas into meeting other Infiltrators, or "Creepers" as they're better known, and as he learns about their activities, he can't help but get involved.

Unlike Lucas, the Creepers sneak into homes--something Lucas considers off limits to himself--and they record the activities going on in the homes. But they're not interested in the mundane, everyday activities of the homeowners (like blogging), they're interested in the violence that goes on behind closed doors. Spousal abuse, murder plots, they record it all and play it back for the others in the group. When Lucas discovers that the Creepers are only interested in recording and not preventing the violence they witness, he decides to do something about it.

The events that follow take Lucas on a journey that will make him question who he is, where he came from and will bring him face to face...with himself.

I started reading this yesterday around 8:00 p.m. and finished it around 11:40 p.m. I tried several times to stop, but within a minute or two, I was right back into it. I just could not stop reading it. I guess it's a good thing I'm not working right now and staying up that late didn't bother me.

I initially picked up this book at the Green Valley Book Fair because the plot, as described on the flyleaf, was different. A lot of the writing advice I read tells me that to become a better writer, you need to read, read, read, and not just within your preferred genre. I've heard of urban explorers, or Infiltrators, before but never really read anything about them, so that peaked my interest. Another bit of advice is to come up with your own unique twist on things to make the story stand out from all the others. The writer definitely did that with The Unseen. Plus, another bit of writing advice is that you should constantly ramp up the tension as the story progresses, putting your protagonist into more and more peril, so that the reader keeps turning those pages so they can find out how the hero triumphs in the end. Oh, my goodness does that ever happen here!

I will admit I found the character of "Swarm" to be a bit...um...unusual, and a little sci-fi'ish, which doesn't really fit the atmosphere of the story. As a plot device, it works, but it kinda threw the story a little off kilter to me. And a few times, Lucas looks back on his childhood, but it's always to one specific memory from when he was 10 years old, and nothing else which, in retrospect, is odd, but I didn't think so as I was reading. It's only until "Swarm" reveals all that I realized this.

Another odd thing is that this book was published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publishing firm, but the story does not have an overall Christian theme. A salvation message? Eh, maybe. A moment of revelation? Yes, but Lucas did not turn his life over to Christ, as you might expect in a Christian story. So I find the choice in publisher odd, but that's really not something for me to judge.

I don't grade my reviews, but if I did, this one would get 7 stars out of 5. It truly is an awesome book, despite the one or two oddities. It's going on my Shelfari list (I read it so fast, I never had a chance to update it) with a great review and I hope to pick up some of T.L. Hines' other works very soon.

EDIT: In accordance with "new" FCC rules, I purchased this book.

A glimpse of the future...

2009-09-13T08:35:00.000-04:00

The Promonator

Still here...I think

2009-09-04T12:22:00.002-04:00

This post is going to ramble a bit, so in advance, please forgive me.

August was light on blogging because I lost my job on August 7 (four weeks ago today) and what energy I've been able to muster has been put toward finding a new job. I've been checking job boards almost daily and applying for positions that I think would be okay or that truly do interest me (there were two this week that I really liked the look of), so all I can do now is wait and see, and keep applying.

There's a part of me that would really like to tell off my old boss and give a loud, shrill voice to the feelings I have inside me, but I'm too aware of the inherent danger in that. Too many people are losing their jobs or their potential jobs because employers check their MySpace, FaceBook or Blog sites. Although this site should be anonymous, I'm well aware it can be traced back to me and so I will remain silent on the subject of my former employer.

You'd think with all this free time I'd get some great writing done, right? WRONG! Except for briefly laying out a new story idea and re-reading some of my old stuff, I haven't done anything. And that sucks big time, let me tell you. I should have gotten a lot done. For heaven's sake, I've successfully completed two NaNo's while working full time. I should have at least completed a first draft of something by now, you would think. But nope, nothing, nada.

I'm going to push myself to get more done this month, even if it is a crappy first draft of something I may never look at again. And I'm going to keep applying for jobs--won't stop that until I find one, of course.

However, there are always bright spots to be found, even amidst all the gloom. I've gotten a lot of work done in the back yard--I'm almost done with the clean-up phase and will be moving on to the landscaping/decorating phase soon. I've inventoried all my books--good grief, over 900 books in my personal library, and that doesn't count craft books and magazines. I'll be looking through the titles and selling as many as I can to Powell's and giving more to the library or to a local used book store. My goal in selling to Powell's is not to make money, but to clear out some clutter. I have plenty of it, and if I can pass some of my stuff on to others who can use it, I'll be happy. I'll inventory music next, though I won't be selling any of my CDs. I have some DVDs that I'll try to unload onto Second Spin and we'll see what else I can do in that arena.

Hmm...let's see...what else...Oh, I uploaded a few pictures onto my Deviant Art page and got some really nice comments on them. I'll have to add some more of my favorites. And I'll probably resume scrapbooking again. I have lots of pictures still to do, and I think once I'm done, if I have any Creative Memories albums left over, I'll get those sold on eBay and make a few dollars.

See? I'm still keeping busy, still keeping active, and I've found that I don't miss my job one little bit. I do miss not working and not getting a regular paycheck, and my mortgage and credit report may take some heavyweight blows (can you say "potential foreclosure"?) not to mention my psyche, but I know that I will be the better for it in the long run. One day I'll look back and...no, I don't think I'll laugh, but I think I'll be able to pick out those bright spots and I'll see the things that got me through the hard time and brought me back into the good times.

TIA for your prayers and good thoughts.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the post office and get a box out to Powell's.

Interesting Article

2009-08-17T08:06:00.002-04:00

Got this via one of my RSS feeds:

What Went Wrong
Piling up debt, gaffes, and hypocrisy, Obama & Co. are sinking.

By Victor Davis Hanson
National Review Online Contributor

We are witnessing one of the more rapid turnabouts in recent American political history. President Obama’s popularity has plummeted to 50 percent and lower in some polls, while the public expresses even less confidence in the Democratic-led Congress and the direction of the country at large. Yet, just eight months ago, liberals were talking in Rovian style about a new generation to come of progressive politics -- and the end of both the Republican party and the legacy of Reaganism itself. Barack Obama was to be the new FDR and his radical agenda an even better New Deal.

What happened, other than the usual hubris of the party in power?

First, voters had legitimate worries about health care, global warming, immigration, energy, and inefficient government. But it turns out that they are more anxious about the new radical remedies than the old nagging problems. They wanted federal support for wind and solar, but not at the expense of neglecting new sources of gas, oil, coal, and nuclear power. They were worried about high-cost health care, the uninsured, redundant procedures, and tort reform, but not ready for socialized medicine. They wanted better government, not bigger, DMV-style government. There is a growing realization that Obama enticed voters last summer with the flashy lure of discontent. But now that they are hooked, he is reeling them in to an entirely different -- and, for many a frightening -- agenda. Nothing is worse for a president than a growing belief among the public that it has been had.

Second, Americans were at first merely scared about the growing collective debt. But by June they became outraged that Obama has quadrupled the annual deficit in proposing all sorts of new federal programs at a time when most finally had acknowledged that the U.S. has lived beyond its means for years. They elected Obama, in part, out of anger at George W. Bush for multi-billion dollar shortfalls -- and yet as a remedy for that red ink got Obama’s novel multi-trillion-dollar deficits.

Third, many voters really believed in the “no more red/blue state America” healing rhetoric. Instead, polls show they got the most polarizing president in recent history -- both in his radical programs and in the manner in which he has demonized the opposition to ram them through without bipartisan support. “Punch back harder” has replaced “Yes, we can.”

Fourth, Americans wanted a new brand -- youthful, postracial, mesmerizing abroad. At first they got that, too. But after eight months, their president has proven not so postracial, but instead hyper-racially conscious. Compare the Holder “cowards” outburst, the Sotomayor riff on innate racial and gender judicial superiority, and the president’s Cambridge police comments. All that sounds more like Jesse Jackson than Martin Luther King Jr. Demagogues, not healers, trash their predecessors at the beginning of every speech. When a once-eloquent president now goes off teleprompter, the question is not whether he will say something that is either untruthful or silly, but simply how many times he might do so at one outing. Some once worried that George W. Bush could not articulate our goals in Iraq; far more now sense that Obama is even less able to outline his own health-care reform.

Fifth, even skeptics are surprised at the partisan cynicism. A year ago, Democratic leaders such as Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama praised organizing, dissidents, and protest. Today they have become near-Nixonian in demonizing popular resistance to their collectivized health-care plans as mob-like, inauthentic, scripted, Nazi-like, and un-American. There are still ex-lobbyists in the government. High officials still cheat on their taxes. Hacks in the Congress still profit from their office. The public is sensing not only that Obama has failed to run the most ethically clean government, as promised, but indeed that he is not running as ethically clean a government as the predecessor who he so assiduously ridiculed.

Sixth, there is a growing fear that Obamism is becoming cult-like and Orwellian. Almost on script, Hollywood ceased all its Rendition/Redacted-style films. Iraq -- once the new Vietnam -- is out of the news. Afghanistan is “problematic,” not a “blunder.” Tribunals, renditions, the Patriot Act, and Predators are no longer proof of a Seven Days in May coup, but legitimate tools to keep us safe. Words change meanings as acts of terror become “man-caused disasters.” Hunting down jihadists is really an “overseas contingency operation.” Media sycophants do not merely parrot Obama, but now proclaim him a “god.” New York Times columnists who once assured us that Bush’s dastardly behavior was proof of American pathology now sound like Pravda apologists in explaining the “real” Obama is not what he is beginning to seem like.

Seventh, the Obama cabinet is sounding downright uncouth and boorish. The tax-challenged Treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, unleashed a profanity-laced diatribe against bank regulators. Hillary Clinton’s recent outburst in the Congo, captured on YouTube, was something out of Days of Our Lives. Joe Biden cannot speak extemporaneously without causing an incident with the Russians or misleading the public about swine flu. Attorney General Holder sounds like a tired scold, only to be overshadowed by the president’s off-the-cuff cuts about the Special Olympics, Las Vegas, and the Cambridge police. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs makes Scott McClellan sound like a Cicero by comparison.

Eighth, we were all appalled by Wall Street greed and the notion that an individual could take $100 million rather than one or two million as a bonus. But the Obama remedy for that obscenity was to conflate Goldman Sachs or AIG with the family orthodontist or local asphalt contractor whose 80-hour weeks might result in an annual $250,000 income. Worse still, the public impression is that while small entrepreneurs may pay up to 65 percent of their income in new state and federal income taxes, payroll taxes, and surcharges, those on Wall Street have been bailed out and have cut various deals with upscale liberals in government.

Ninth, Democratic populism turned out to be largely aristocratic elitism. Obama spends more money on himself than did Bush. The liberal Congress has a strange fondness for pricy private jets. Those environmentalists and racialists who lecture us about our ecological and ethical shortcomings prefer Martha’s Vineyard and country estates to Dayton and Bakersfield. Offering left-wing populist sermonizing for others while enjoying the high life oneself is never a winning combination.

Tenth, Americans no longer believe this is our moment when the seas stop rising and the planet ceases warming. Instead, there is a growing hopelessness that despite all the new proposed income taxes, payroll taxes, and surtaxes, the deficit will skyrocket, not shrink. There is foreboding that while apologies abroad are nice in the short term, they will soon earn a reckoning. And while the productive classes pay more of their income, and while government grows and entitlement expands, there is a sense that what follows will not be thanks for either taxes paid or benefits received, but even more anger that neither is enough and that much more is owed.

Obama’s popularity might rebound with a natural upturn in the economy, continued low energy prices, and good will for our first multiracial president. But then again, it could get even worse if the recovery turns into stagflation, gas prices soar, and the identity-politics lectures amplify. The next six months should be interesting.

My pro-Obama sister might not like this, but as far as I know, she doesn't read my blog.

Victor Davis nails exactly what I'm seeing. Any thoughts?

Stop Playing With Your Food!

2009-08-05T08:25:00.001-04:00

Did your mother ever tell you that? Obviously, these guys weren't paying attention.

Craft Time!

2009-07-29T08:37:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, I do like crafts, even though I haven't had time to really do anything for the past, oh, year or so. Through Google Reader, I read several craft sites each day and try to remember to mark the good ones so that one day I'll try them out.

I saw this one today and said "Yes, that's my next project!...when I have time, that is." I'm blogging it for two reasons: 1) to share with you, and 2) so I have a convenient place to go to for the link.

Here it is.

One of my writing buddies is as nuts about colored pens as I am, and this has given me an idea to cover a pencil box with paper and fill it with colored pens for her. For my other writing buddy, perhaps a similar box filled with these paper-covered pencils. Yes, I know it's the end of July, but for crafters, it's never too soon to be thinking about Christmas presents.

If I get a chance to try the pencil thing in the next month or so, I'll post pictures, okay?

Update - Kendra

2009-07-20T06:05:00.002-04:00

So, I stopped in yesterday afternoon to see Kendra and the burns weren't as bad as I had feared. She has about 10-12 spots on her face that are burned. The doctor in the emergency room said they were second-degree burns, but they looked to me to be first-degree burns, with two spots possibly second-degree. There are two spots on her left thumb that are at least second-degree and while those two spots didn't look so bad, she says those are the ones that hurt the most. At least she's enjoying the pain medications.

She's going to the UVA Medical Center Burn Clinic tomorrow for treatment. They'll also be able to give the "official" burn depth diagnosis and let her know what her prognosis is as far as healing time and scarring. Based on what I could see, it shouldn't be bad, but we'll see.

I got the rest of the story of what happened from my sister. The kids weren't spraying mosquitoes or themselves with the OFF. They were spraying it into the candle flame on purpose, so they could "ooh" and "aah" over the flame it produced. The last time they did it (obviously the last time), the flame shot back up the stream and into the can, blowing the canister up. Kendra was standing next to the guy doing it and she's just the unfortunate one who wound up injured. Needless to say, I don't think any of those kids will ever be playing with fire and flammable liquids again.

Kids, this is why those boring grown-ups that live with you in your house tell you not to do these things! THEY KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN! Now, unfortunately, so do Kendra and all her friends. They learned the hard way.

When I arrived at church yesterday morning, my only thought was to find my pastor. I was going to walk in the door, grab the first person I saw and ask them if they knew where Pastor was. If that person didn't know, I'd grab the next person, and the next, until I found him. I usually enter the church through a side door, and when I opened that door, Pastor was standing right there, like he was just waiting for me to arrive. God knew I needed him, and He placed Pastor in just the right spot at just the right time. I'm taking that as a good sign.

Please keep her in your prayers, that she will heal without any permanent damage to her face or hand, and that she won't be too psychologically damaged from this incident.

Thank you, and God bless you everyone.

Asking For Prayer

2009-07-19T07:28:00.005-04:00

I'm asking for prayer for my niece, Kendra. Last night, she was at a party with some friends, there were candles lit, and because the bugs were bothering them, someone brought out a can of OFF.

Kendra and her parents were at the hospital until 3:30 this morning. She has 2nd degree burns on her face, some of her hair was singed, and she has 2nd & 3rd degree burns on one hand. They'll be taking her to the University of Virginia Medical Center today for evaluation and treatment.

She's asleep right now and my sister is setting up appointments for her, so I haven't been over to see her to see just how bad it is. Please pray for Kendra, that she won't be in pain, that the burns will heal quickly and that the scarring will be minimal, if at all. She's so young (only 16) and has a full and beautiful life ahead of her, I don't want this to hold her back.

Thank you everyone.

Another Reason Not To Buy Kindle UPDATE

2009-07-18T08:19:00.007-04:00

Before you go looking, no, I haven't published any of my reasons for not buying a Kindle yet, so this isn't a subsequent posting. But, since you're probably curious...

1. Price: It's still a bit cost-prohibitive for me at this point, both for the reader and for the books/subscriptions I'd download.

2. No Backup: As far as I know, there's no way to back up the books you've purchased. Yes, I know Amazon saves your purchases so you can re-download if necessary, but I'd rather have a copy stored on my PC or on a CD. Because what if, heaven forbid, Amazon should go under? What happens to your purchase?

3. No Sharing: It's impossible to share a downloaded Kindle book. If I read a great book and wanted to share it with my friends, there'd be no way to just hand them a copy. We do it all the time with real books, but can't with Kindle (another reason to have my own copy on PC or CD). I suspect this is an issue that may eventually work itself out, in twenty years or so.

4. No Importing: I know I can e-mail pdf files to the Kindle, but I don't know if I can e-mail an e-book that already exists on my PC to the Kindle. I read the on-line guide and I can't see where this functionality exists...if it does. I have a small library of books on my PC and I'd love to be able to send them to an e-reader, but if I can't send them to a Kindle and read them just like I'd read something I downloaded from Amazon, then what's the point?

5. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!

Amazon remotely deletes Orwell e-books from Kindles, unpersons reportedly unhappy (update)

If you're into keeping tabs on irony, check this out. Amazon apparently sent out its robotic droogs last night, deleting copies of the George Orwell novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four from Kindles without explanation, then refunding the purchase price. As you can imagine, a lot of people caught in the thick of Winston and Julia's love story aren't very happy -- and rightfully so -- the idea that we "own" the things we buy is pretty fundamental to... ownership. We're not sure exactly what happened, but it seems that the publisher of said novels, MobileReference, has changed its mind about selling content on the Kindle, and poof! Amazon remotely deleted all previously purchased copies. It's all a bit Orwellian, is it not? Good thing we "permanently borrowed" hard copies of both from our middle school library, huh? Let Hate Week commence.

Update: According to commenters on Amazon, this message was sent out from the company's customer service department:

The Kindle edition books Animal Farm by George Orwell. Published by MobileReference (mobi) & Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell. Published by MobileReference (mobi) were removed from the Kindle store and are no longer available for purchase. When this occurred, your purchases were automatically refunded. You can still locate the books in the Kindle store, but each has a status of not yet available. Although a rarity, publishers can decide to pull their content from the Kindle store.

While that publisher's version of the book may have been removed, it appears other versions of the novels are still available.

Update 2: Drew Herdener, Amazon.com's Director of Communications, pinged us directly with the following comment, and now things are starting to make a lot more sense. Seems as if the books were added initially by an outfit that didn't have the rights to the material.

These books were added to our catalog using our self-service platform by a third-party who did not have the rights to the books. When we were notified of this by the rights holder, we removed the illegal copies from our systems and from customers' devices, and refunded customers. We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers' devices in these circumstances.

Still, what's upsetting is the idea that something you've purchased can be quietly taken back by Amazon with no explanation and no advance notice. It's a rotten policy, regardless of the motivations behind this particular move.

I can understand Amazon's reasons for doing this but the last paragraph sums up my feelings. How can they take back a purchase without notice and without giving a clear reason at the time of "takeback"? If I had purchased a novel at a bookstore and they were recalled for some reason, it would be up to me to return my copy. Big Brother wouldn't come banging on my door and demand I turn over my copy.

If a book was ordered recalled from the stores, they would be removed from the shelves and be no longer available for sale and those that purchased the book could keep theirs--oops, you bought yours on Kindle, we're just going to take that back now, okay, there's a good little customer, oh don't cry, see, we're giving you your money back so everything's even now, okay?

Amazon says they're going to change their systems so that in the future they will not remove books from customers' devices. Do we really believe that? I mean, sure, we WANT to believe that, but who's to say they'll actually do it? And what does this say for the future of e-books and e-readers and all sorts of other e-transactions?

If Amazon wants to GIVE me a Kindle, thus saving myself the cost of one, I'd take it in a heartbeat because I'd love to explore its functionality and it would make taking books on vacation so much easier. But I'd be careful about what I'd put on it, knowing that they're out there, watching me.

UPDATE:
Here's more on the topic from Slate magazine.

Book Review #2

2009-07-10T22:13:00.003-04:00

Or is this #3? It's #2 from Leucrota, so I'll call it #2. So without further ado, here's my review of ONE IF BY HEAVEN, TWO IF BY HELL by Rick Maydak.

I had high expectations for this novel and I was not disappointed.

Ethan Reyes hears voices and he can’t stop them, no matter what he tries. The only peace he finds is when he drinks himself into unconsciousness. When the people around him are attacked and start dying grisly deaths, Ethan must pull himself out of the bottle and confront the real-life demon that is haunting him.

Rick Maydack has crafted a great story. I will admit I guessed Ethan’s “secret” early on (and I don’t mean the mind-reading), however, I could not have predicted the twists and turns this story takes and how this story would turn out. Imaginative and well paced, the action kept moving and growing more and more intense right to the very end.

If you’re looking for a great middle-of-the-night-scare-me-read, I highly recommend this book.

The reviewer received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher.

I was hoping the book would arrive before I left on my vacation, but of course it didn't. So I made sure I finished whatever book I was reading so I could start on this one once I got home. It had to wait a day or two for me to finish recovering from my trip, but I dove right in once I was ready. This story wasn't anything like what I was expecting, which I suppose is both good and bad. Good, because it was new and different, and bad because I had different expectations. But it was a good story and I did enjoy it so yes, I would recommend it.

Happy Reading!

Godblog

2009-07-10T15:01:00.003-04:00

Relax, everyone. I’m not turning this into a religious blog. It’s another book review! I know, I know, you’re waiting for my review of the second book I got from Leucrota Press. That’ll come tomorrow. This is a different book entirely.

Tall, non-fat, blond, extra-conflicted, to go...

Circumstances force Dag, a young snowboarder based in Whistler, to give up his sport and to find another way to live. He embarks on two paths, the first, a subsistence job as a barista in a coffee mega-chain where he works hard to be a worker extraordinaire to boost his tips. He also invents an online alter ego who pronounces his own brand of wisdom and rant, an outlet to express what Dag can't in his day-to-day role of coffee slave. His dark side blogs provocation in every post and gains a following.

Women figure prominently in his life, including his friend Heathen, whose competitive skiing successes are a painful counterpoint to his own loss; his new roommate Grace, whose expectations are impossible for him to live up to; and the flirtatious customers and the casual flings he suddenly finds himself drawn to and capable of. Dag's personality suffers in the struggle between his real and cyber lives as the blog veers wildly between bluster and baiting, as people begin to do what it says.

When his blog butts heads with the corporate paranoia of his coffee overlords, Dag has trouble keeping his real and cyber selves integrated. His percolating identity crisis boils over into real-life jeopardy, scalding himself and those around him.

Godblog raises fundamental questions about the risks and rewards of reinventing ourselves in the twenty-first century. The story is told through a combination of regular narrative, blog entries, and corporate memos from the coffee-industrial complex, which also becomes a catalyst in the drama.

My review:

Dag Olsson “crash and burns” his opening day of snowboarding on the Whistler slopes, limps into the nearest BlackArts coffee shop and applies for a job. Within a week, he’s the star barista (or as he calls himself, javaslinger), providing coffee and entertainment (coffetainment) to the customers and his fellow coffee-slaves.
But who is Dag? No longer a snowboarder, he struggles to make a living while figuring out who he should be. He vents his frustrations on an anonymous blog, calling himself the Hero of the teeming masses, not realizing the impact his words will have on his readers.

His looks are drawing attention, too, and for the first time in his life, Dag finds easy relationships, well, easy, to the annoyance of his female co-barista Heathen and roommate Grace. Heathen’s attracted to him, even if she won’t admit it to herself, and Grace slowly finds herself falling in love with him, in spite of the fact that he’s so not her type.

When the Hero posts an off-handed rant against BlackArts, it catches the attention of the corporate office, whose attempts to simultaneously capitalize on the publicity and uncover his identity only irritate the Hero into calling his masses to act.

As things heat up between his work, home and on-line lives, Dag struggles to keep up with everything going on around him. In the end, when lives are literally on the line, what can he do to stop the madness his life has become?

I found this book on Wowio back in March, read a couple chapters, thought it had potential, added it to my library and forgot about it. I started thinking about it again recently and decided I wanted to know what happened. I started reading it this past Monday at work and just finished it yesterday afternoon.

Because I’m a writer myself (or working on it, at least), I tend to read with a critical eye. I’m studying characters, motivation, plot construct and keeping an eye on sentence structure, punctuation, and whether or not the author breaks any established writing rules. And if they do break any rules, are they breaking good or breaking bad?

Laurie breaks some of the rules—breaking bad—but I’m not so sure the average reader would notice them—a few places where she gives background information on some of the characters felt a little forced to me. And she broke what I always thought of as a major rule but did it in a way that worked out, so that broke good. I can’t tell you what that rule is because (1) I’m not so sure it really is a rule and (2) it’s a major plot spoiler and I won’t do that.

There are a number of intertwining subplots throughout this story, but Laurie blends them smoothly like a rich cup of (I don’t drink coffee, so insert your favorite specialty coffee drink here), sure to satisfy.

Books are free to read on Wowio, but since some books in my Wowio library have disappeared, I decided not to take a chance on losing this great story and purchased an e-book copy. I encourage you to give it a look.

Click here for a direct link to Laurie's book--you may need to register first!

I'm Baaaack!

2009-07-05T21:06:00.002-04:00

I made it home yesterday and I don't know how I made it. Honestly, I don't understand it.

I left Winchester--which is in the northwest corner of Virginia--around 7:30 in the morning and I arrived in Myrtle Beach just before 4:00. I stopped twice, one for lunch and once for gas for a total of maybe 40 minutes. That means it took me just shy of 8 hours to make the drive.

On the way home, I left Myrtle Beach at 7:00 and didn't get home until almost 6:00 with three breaks--lunch, gas and drink, taking about an hour of time. Someone please explain to me how an 8 hour trip south becomes a 10 hour trip north. Someone, anyone please explain that to me.

Also, while you're at it, explain how I could drive south for 6 1/2 hours before my right shoulder starts aching, but it takes only 2 hours on a north-bound trip for the same shoulder to start aching? And even with Aleve, I was in pain the entire rest of my drive. I got home and I was absolutely miserable...and yes, relieved to be home.

And I get to do it again in four months!

Un-be-FREAKING-lievable

2009-07-01T18:00:00.002-04:00

Have any of you seen this?

Click here

I...I have no words for this.

Except this...each one of these people deserve to win the Darwin Award.

Hello from Myrtle Beach

2009-06-30T21:47:00.003-04:00

Yep, I'm back in Myrtle Beach. I've actually been here since Saturday evening and while I've had several chances to blog, I just haven't had much to blog about. You can only describe the weather (hot) just so many times before you my readers and I your writer get bored with the subject.

I went out yesterday and scoped out a couple sites where I have scenes planned for my current WIP. I walked by the house that I've decided belongs to my protagonist and took several photos of the street plus of Ocean Boulevard and of the public beach access point just one street over. And man, I have to tell you, it was hot. And humid. I went swimming and didn't go near the water, the air was so thick. I wasn't walking more than fifteen or twenty minutes and when I got back to my car I was all flushed and sweaty. I drank some water (thank goodness I had some in the car) and headed straight home to cool off and relax.

Okay, well, thinking back, walking through the high school field and then climbing to the top of the Doug Shaw Stadium bleachers to take pictures in the blistering sunshine/humidity and then taking the aforementioned pictures was a bit much. Yeah, yeah, I brought it on myself. But I'm doing much better now.

Today I chilled at home, watched TV, played some games on the 'puter, met a friend for shopping after lunch then came back home. A nice relaxing day. Hey, it's my vacation...I'm allowed to relax!

Anyway, I just got done watching a movie and I've come to realize something about myself. The movie was "August Rush" starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell and Robin Williams...and the-cute-kid-who-plays-the-lead-don't-remember-his-name. As I watched it, I realized part of me was disecting it as a writer might. Here are the main characters, here's the backstory, here's where they are today, present subplots one, two and three, introduce sidekick & bad guy/antagonist, great music, conflict, resolution, conflict, resolution, more great music, conflict, wrong choice, ramp up tension, conflict, resolution, tension, even more great music, resolution, happy ending. I could see it, I tell you.

I wonder if this means I'm starting to evolve as a writer. I do the same things when I read books. Maybe not all the time---oh, heck yeah, all the time. I just realized I finished reading a Cait London book today and I was irritated with her because it seemed like she kept going over the same points over and over again, and some of the conversations jumped from subject to subject with no logical transition (that I could see) and it just seemed to take forever to resolve the conflict. And, in my opinion, it didn't live up to the hype. It was the first book in a three-parter and frankly, I don't think I'll bother with the other two. Which is a bit of a pity because I do like her writing, but perhaps not this story. I'll put it on my Shelfari below (scroll to the bottom of the page, okay? thanks) and add the book I'm about to start.

Oh, and the part of August Rush was played by Freddie Highmore. Don't be too impressed...I checked IMDB.

Want a free book? Part 2

2009-06-26T09:51:00.003-04:00

Leucrota Press is giving away another ARC!

Click here for more information.

I'm going to take a pass on this one. Partly because of my history but mostly because this is Fantasy and I've always had a hard time reading fantasy. So I probably wouldn't enjoy it, even if it turns out to be a great read.

If you're interested, head on over to their blog and enter. Read the rules and post a reply (don't forget your e-mail address).

Good luck and happy reading!

Wow...

2009-06-26T08:59:00.004-04:00

Just...wow.

Who could imagine losing two icons in one day?

We all knew about Farrah (or at least, I'm sure most of us did...those of us with televisions and internet access, that is) and her death did not really come as a surprise. I saw her documentary "Farrah's Story" last month and was really touched by the story it told. You see, I lost my sister to breast cancer almost nine years ago and while I wasn't there with her every minute of her battle, Farrah's story brought home to me some of the struggles I know my sister went through.

Probably the one thing that touched me the most was what Farrah did when she started losing her hair. She had her friend Jose Eber shave off all that signature blonde hair (leaving a bit in the front) and she seemed perfectly content to be bald. My sister was the same way. When she started to lose her hair, she had our mother (I guess Jose wasn't available) cut off all her auburn hair. Mom cried buckets, but Linda said she felt liberated, because it was her choice to lose the hair, rather than the cancer taking it. And I really understood that when Farrah did it to her own hair.

So when I read about Farrah's passing yesterday, I was sad for her and her family, but having watched my sister's struggle, I knew that Farrah and her family were finally at peace.

But the shock was when I heard about Michael Jackson. That was a "wait...what?" moment. I was at my computer, loading up my iPod for my trip when I heard my mother yelling in the other room. I had the ear-buds in so I couldn't hear her, so when I went to see what she was yelling about, she told me. I couldn't believe it. While he wasn't exactly the picture of health, I certainly didn't know about any problems he was having. He was preparing to do 50 shows in London, for goodness sake. But there it was, on the television, "King of Pop, Dead at 50."

I sat and watched the news with her, which, of course, didn't have much to say at that point and the first thought that came to my mind was "heart attack." The second thought, "aneurysm." Those were the only two things I could think of that can kill you suddenly without any indication that there was a problem. Now it looks like my first assumption might be the correct one...but we'll see.

Say what you will about the craziness of the last 10 years or so, the man made an impact on the music business the likes of which are rarely seen. I remember singing along with the Jackson 5 hits, watching the Jackson 5 Saturday morning cartoons (remember?), dancing to songs from "Off the Wall", watching the fluid way he moved and danced and the amazement I felt the first time I saw "Thriller". That's the Michael Jackson I choose to remember.

And I loaded his songs onto my iPod because I'm sure I'll be thinking about his music as I drive to South Carolina.

Rest in Peace, Farrah and Michael.

In the Interest of Full Disclosure...

2009-06-24T13:22:00.002-04:00

Ran across an interesting post on Brian Clark's blog, Copyblogger.

Click here for more info.

So, just to cover myself...

1) In return for my reading and reviewing The Kult by Shaun Jeffrey, I received no compensation. My payment was the book itself.

2) In return for my reading and reviewing One if by Heaven, Two if by Hell by Rick Maydak (which I haven't received yet but hopefully will by Friday before I leave town on vacation!), I will receive no compensation. As above, my payment is the book itself.

3) My bookshelf below is linked to my Amazon Associates account, which, theoretically, could bring me some income, but to date, has not. I believe this is due to one of two factors: a) no one has bought anything based on my recommendation or b) I messed up in setting it up. Given my history, probably "b".

That should keep the FTC off my tail for a while...

2009-06-23T21:13:00.001-04:00

Awesome rant from Tammi's World. Got it from Grouchy Old Cripple, but go ahead and check out Tammi's blog.

The Sacrifice of the Job

I've got all these thoughts in my head. Politics, world issues, responsibilites, the government medling in business. I've got to try and get them out. So excuse the rample. This is my version of a free flow thought post......

I think it's time someone explains something to Obama.

You, Sir, are an executive. The highest in this land, as fate would have it. And as such, in a position with the responsibilities you hold, you gotta step up.

Let me explain.

Say you have a job....it's a good job. And it allows you to earn a decent wage, work 8-10 hours a day and then go home and forget it. No evening calls, no big meetings. Just go in, do what you gotta do and leave.

Sweet. But I'll be honest, it's not for me....

Next let's look at managers. They tend to be salary. They work a few more hours and have to attend more meetings, do a bit of traveling, give up a bit more of their personal life to do the job right.

It's not for everyone. But it's a choice. No surprises. Not if you're honest. If you accept a job like that, and you care enough to do it correctly then you know you're gonna miss some soccer games, family dinners, even a birthday here and there.

But you CHOOSE it. The money and responsibilities are greater, but if that's what you're looking for you do it.

Now.....let's talk about the next step in the corporate ladder, shall we. That's where you have real responsibility. To the company, to the employees that you lead. That's a commitment. You WILL have to sacrifice family and friends. It's just the way it is, I don't care what anyone says. And anyone that TAKES a job like that knows it. Period. Claims to be "surprised" by the amount of time away from "real life" is either a sign of naitivity or flat out denial. You have extensive travel, meetings, dinners, late nights, early mornings. You take on a responsibility for peoples livelihoods. You HAVE to make that sacrifice.

For example, I'm only responsible for about 25 people. But...it's up to me to keep things going, keep people on track, put policies and proceedures into place that will help us grow and develop. If I screw up or don't do my job, people could lose their livelyhoods.

The President is responsible for a hell of a lot more than I am. A HELL of a lot more.

Yet, when I have a crisis going on, I'm there. I'm in the office, keeping track of things, planning next steps, making adjustments on the fly. I'm there. I'm THERE.

But not so the President. No......he's going out for ice cream, keeping a low profile (officially) spending time with the family.

Kinda pisses me off. It actually feels like I work more hours at my job than the President does. It seems like I care more about the company I work for than the President does about the COUNTRY he works for.

And let's look at that for just a moment. He wanted the job, so the majority of American's voted him in. He Works For Us. Our priorities should be his priorities. And he get's paid very well for that. Not only that but he's set for life.

Talk about a golden parachute. He feels that executives who work at companies that have taken money from the American Taxpayer should not receive any type of compensation if they leave a company, especially no bonus'. Yet...when he leaves office, he's taken care of. And it doesn't matter if he is voted out in 4 years or rides the ride for 8 years. No matter HOW much he screws this country up - he's still taken care of.

Damn.....I'm in the wrong business.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge him the money or the time with his family. But.....if you want time with your family then Do NOT persue a job that is so demanding. And if you want the money and benefits do NOT "steal" from your employer by taking time away from doing what you're supposed to do.

But what can we really expect when we hire someone for a position that has never been responsible for ANYTHING, never balanced a budget or a P & L, never BEEN an executive of ANYTHING real before.

On second thought, it's not Obama who was naive. It was the folks that voted him in.

Absolutely Stunning

2009-06-19T14:09:00.004-04:00

Found this through one of my RSS feeds:

What's wrong with this picture:

The answer is that it’s in colour. Why? I hear you ask. Because it’s 100 years old and it’s Russian. In 1909 a remarkable project was initiated by Russian photographer Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky. His mission was to record - in full and vibrant color - the vast and diverse Russian Empire. Here, with his story, is a selection of his amazing century old full color pictures. Many of the pictures look as if they could have been taken yesterday, with only the costumes worn by the people captured in their moment of time betraying the age of the work.

See the full set and story here.

Courtesy Derren Brown's Blog

The photos and the story are absolutely amazing. Click on the link and check it out.

I'll Have The Crow, Medium Well...

2009-06-17T13:01:00.003-04:00

...with a side of Humble Pie, thanks.

Word of warning--do not send e-mails at 5:30 in the morning after a bad half-night's sleep.

I received a very nicely worded e-mail from the Editor-in-Chief at Leucrota Press, explaining that my previous e-mails must have been lost amongst the large volume of e-mails they receive. I can believe that for one e-mail, but for two...well, let's be fair here. I do know from their web site that they are no longer accepting paper submissions from writers. New submissions must be sent electronically, so I suppose it's very possible my messages were lost in the shuffle. Let's face it--what I know about the inner workings of a publishing company, large or small, could be written on the back of a postage stamp with enough room left over to write the Gettysburg Address. It would probably also help if I sent the message to the correct address (seconds on the crow, please, thanks).

Also, she said the ARCs of One if by Heaven were sent out three weeks ago, but I never received mine. See, I figured that since the book was now available for purchase, they no longer needed ARC reviews (see above, inner workings of a publishing company). Ms. Editor was nice enough to offer to send me another ARC and I'm taking her up on her offer. When it arrives, I will drop whatever else I'm reading so I can start One if by Heaven and send in my review right away. I really, really want to read this book!

In case anyone is wondering if I would send any of my writing to Leucrota for possible publication, the answer is a 99% "no", and that's not because of my little kerfuffle here. They publish mainly horror and science fiction/fantasy and my writing is more mystery/romance, with a little kick of paranormal (which is where that tiny 1% comes in). Hopefully I haven't killed that 1%. It's never a good idea to piss off a publisher.

Oh, and the crow and pie? Tastes like chicken and cinnamon apple...throw in a side of red beans and rice and I got me a Popeye's meal!

man i need some sleep...

Review of THE KULT

2009-06-17T06:19:00.003-04:00

As promised, here's my review of The Kult. I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, Leucrota Press, with the proviso that I post reviews on my blog and on sites like Amazon.com, Borders.com, etc.

A gory, terrifying thriller, The Kult will keep you hooked until the very last page.

Detective Chief Inspector Prosper Snow thought paperwork was the worse part of his job, until his partner dropped the photograph on his desk. The mutilated body of a young woman surrounded by photographs of famous serial killers signaled the beginning of a hunt for a killer calling himself the Oracle, and might end with Prosper serving time for murder.

In the midst of searching for a sadistic killer, Prosper receives a plea from an old school friend. Jerel wants to revive their blood oath and get revenge on the man who raped his wife, and he wants The Kult to help him.

Caught between loyalty to his old friends and his duty as a police officer, Prosper makes a difficult decision. And when more photographs start to appear in his office, Prosper comes to a terrible conclusion. Could one of his old friends be the Oracle? And what motive did the Oracle have for framing Prosper?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started my journey through The Kult. What I got was a roller coaster ride that plunged me straight down that first terrifying hill into a house of horrors, festooned with bloody, mutilated corpses. The Kult will draw you in with a pace that grows more intense as the story continues. Shaun Jeffrey has created a well-crafted horror that will keep the reader guessing and will keep the pages turning until the ride finally comes to an end.

A word of caution, though…don’t be turning those pages late at night in a creaky house!

Reading over it again, it seems maybe a little stiff and business-like, compared to the other review posted on Amazon.com, but then, that reviewer could read mine and think "gee, maybe I could have tightened mine up a bit." He could also think "this person has no idea how to write a review." Whatever...this is the first review I've ever written, so you get what you get!

Anyway, I'm a little disappointed with the folks over at Leucrota Press. Admittedly, I made the first, and probably biggest, mistake. When I finished the book, I wrote my review and sent them an e-mail, asking if I needed to send them a copy of my review. See, I remembered that they wanted me to post my review on several sites, but I couldn't remember if they wanted me to send them a copy as well. And the e-mail...well, I sent it to what was probably the wrong e-mail address. Three weeks later (yes, three weeks...I got busy!), I realized I had never heard back from them, so I dug out the information card they sent me and lo and behold, there's the address I should have sent the review to. I immediately sent them a note, apologizing for taking so long and explaining why, and pasted a copy of my review.

Keep in mind, I've been checking Amazon to see when the book was going to be listed. Finally, I found it last night, but I still hadn't heard back from Leucrota.
So I sent another e-mail this morning, telling them that I had posted my review, which I have. However (you knew there had to be a "however," didn't you?) I was supposed to receive TWO books, The Kult and One if by Heaven, Two if by Hell. I never received the second book and guess what? It's available on Amazon.com. So in my note to Leucrota, I speculated that I didn't receive the second book because I didn't follow orders on the first. I know, I could be wrong. The book could easily have been lost in the mail or some other convenient excuse. I also said that since no one responded to my previous e-mails, I likely wouldn't receive a response from this third one.

I went ahead and ordered a copy of One if by Heaven, Two if by Hell because of the two books, this was the one I was more interested in reading. It'll be interested to see what response I get from Leucrota, if any.

30 Rock

2009-06-11T09:36:00.004-04:00

Okay, I admit, I can sometimes be very, very slow when it comes to jumping on the bandwagon of the latest trend. I don't Twitter (here's why), I rarely text, and my MySpace page is nothing but cobwebs. This very blog came into existence a little more than a year and a half ago and how long have people been blogging?

I recently started signing up for RSS feeds. I know, I know, RSS has been around for more than 10 years, and has been "the thing to do" for the last 5 or so (I'm guessing at that number, but you get my point). Anyway, I've been finding some really interesting things via my RSS feeds, like Design Milk and others that I would mention here, but I'm still trying to decide if I like them or not.

Anyway, the item that kicked off this post is here: Click Here

I've never watched 30 Rock, but reading this post makes me think I should go over to Hulu and catch up on what I've been missing.

Carrie Prejean has been fired

2009-06-10T14:59:00.002-04:00

And somehow, after reading the article, I can't seem to work up any anger. Probably because this time, it legitimately appears to be her fault.

Exclusive: Miss California Carrie Prejean to Lose Her Crown
Less than a month after being told by Donald Trump that she can keep her Miss California crown, Carrie Prejean is being fired, Foxnews.com has learned exclusively.

K2 Productions, the independent producers of the Miss California USA pageant, under license from Miss Universe, cites continued breach of contract issues as the reason for Prejean's firing. The decision is revealed in documents obtained by FOXNews.com.

"This was a business decision, based solely on contract violations," Keith Lewis, executive director of K2 Productions, said in the documents. "After our press conference in New York we had hoped we would be able to forge a better working relationship. However, since that time it has become abundantly clear that Carrie has no desire to fulfill her obligations under our contract and work together.

At this time, I don't know Carrie's side of the story, but from the Fox News article, she is not fulfilling her obligations, which is a fire-able offense and I don't blame Trump et. al. for making it.

Although, the cynic in me does wonder...will Shana Molaker be asking for her old job back?

Gallup Has A Scoop!

2009-06-02T08:06:00.002-04:00

And the sun is most likely to come out during the day, and dogs are most likely to eat dog food, maybe. [Gallup]

Got it here. Thanks, Wonkette!

Stay on Subject!

2009-05-21T08:50:00.008-04:00

This article from Fox News breaks one of the most fundamental rules I learned as a writer...STAY ON SUBJECT!

Obama 'Distracted' by Biden's 'Indiscipline,' Book Asserts
The president is so "distracted by his vice president's indiscipline" that he has been forced to rebuke privately Vice President Biden, according to a new book by Richard Wolffe.

President Obama is so "distracted by his vice president's indiscipline" that he has been forced to rebuke privately Vice President Joe Biden, according to a new book by Newsweek journalist Richard Wolffe, who interviewed Obama a dozen times.

"He can't keep his mouth shut," Wolffe quotes a "senior Obama aide" as saying of the gaffe-prone Biden in "Renegade: The Making of a President," set for release June 2.

The article goes on to site one--ONE--example involving Valerie Jarrett. The article then mentions Obama's praise for former President Reagan, then Wolfe is quoted describing Obama's youth as a party animal, and then Obama's trip next month to Egypt where he wants to convene a "Muslim Summit." The article ends with a quote from Obama about racial relations.

Someone please tell me what Reagan/Obama's youth/Egypt "Muslim Summit"/racial relations have to do with Biden's ineptitude??? The headline is about Obama being "distracted" every time Biden opens his mouth...what does that have to do with Reagan? Or this "Muslim Summit?"

Don't get me wrong. I like Fox News. I also like CNN. I like getting more than one side of an issue (I'm a little bit of a radical that way). That way I can make up my own mind. The conclusion I've drawn from this article is that Bill Sammon (byline) either ran out of story and had to fill in the rest of the space, or he forgot how to STAY ON SUBJECT!

UPDATE

Okay, maybe this doesn't perfectly go with the above post, but this is what the article SHOULD be talking about.

Got it here!

First Book Received

2009-05-14T09:08:00.002-04:00

Received my first Leucrota Press book, The Kult, the other day. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and I hope to be able to finish it over the weekend. Mom's going out of town again, just for the weekend, so I should have plenty of uninterrupted time to read. I'll post a review here, as well as Amazon, B&N, Borders, & BAM. Anyone know of any other bookseller sites where I could post a review to?

So far, I must say, it's an interesting read. It takes place in England--I'm not sure if the author mentioned a city...I'll check later--involving a police officer named Prosper Snow (I'll say this much for the author, he does know how to pick unusual names!). When he and his friends were in school, they formed a mutual protection pact called The Kult...if one was being bullied, the others would ensure the bullying stopped...whatever the costs. Stopping short of murder, of course. Now, years later, one of The Kult needs help, and he doesn't want them to stop short of murder. There's also a serial murder case going on which Prosper is investigating. The scenes involving the serial killer, "the Oracle," are quite gory and I'm finding it a little difficult to read the murder scenes because the gore factor is so high. This is due to my own personal squeamishness and not the skill of the writer. The conflict arises from the fact that Prosper feels a loyalty toward his old friends, but at the same time, he's a cop and a cop shouldn't be getting involved in a murder conspiracy.

How will Prosper, um, prosper? I hope to know by the end of the weekend.

Shanna Moakler Resigns From Post as Miss California Pageant Director

2009-05-14T08:38:00.002-04:00

Hmmm...how do I feel about this?

Well, if I had any real interest in the Pageant business, I'd feel...pretty damned good!

We live in a country where we are allowed to think as we choose. If two people's opinions don't match, that's okay. We don't need to drag each other through the mud and call each other names...is that supposed to change the other person's mind?

So now Shanna Moakler is so upset with Trump deciding Carrie Prejean can keep her crown that she's resigning from Miss California organization. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Carrie Prejean is due to give up her position in a few months. Couldn't Shanna swallow her bile long enough for Carrie to leave her post and then ensure all remaining Miss California's march to her party line? And, oh, I don't know, maybe grow a little as a person? Nope, guess not. She'd rather sulk and stamp her feet like a child...and she wants to be a role model for her children.

Another brava for Carrie.

Viva Las Vegas!

2009-05-02T18:27:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, my mother leaves for Las Vegas and I get the house to myself for the whole week! Wo-hoo! The only not-nice part is I have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow to drive her to the airport. I may wind up skipping church and coming home to catch up on sleep...that or I'll be there reeeeaaaallly early. We'll see.

The nice thing about having the house to myself is being able to focus on my writing. I know it's all in my head, but I have a hard time focusing on my writing at home when she's around. It's not like she's hovering over my shoulder, reading what I write. She actually leaves me alone and doesn't bug me or anything. It's just the fact that she's THERE that distracts me. I can usually shut it out for a while and get some things done, but it's not the same as when I'm totally alone.

Anyway, while she's hitting the casinos and the shows, I'll be getting some serious writing done. Registration for SCWW starts in a month and I need to register early to get a good editor to critique my work. I so badly need to outline so I have some idea of where my story is going. Part of the critique submission is a synopsis and if I have no idea where my story is going, how can I write one?

My writing group is totally awesome! I just came back from a meeting with them and they gave me a great new idea for a scene that'll work perfectly in my story. So if you'll excuse me, I have work to do while Mom packs.

Woo-hoo! I Won...TWICE !!

2009-04-27T11:45:00.001-04:00

Just got two fantastic e-mails from Leucrota Press. I won both ARC drawings! I'm so excited! I can't wait for these books to come in so I can start reading them.

As a winner, once I've read the books, I have to post a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders and any other book review sites I know of. Which I will do, of course. Oh, and I'll post here as well.

I hope to finish my current novel, The Third Secret by Steve Berry by this Wednesday evening (since I'm going to the library Wed eve, that'll be the perfect time to return it), and I won't check out the next book until I've received these two from Leucrota. I want to be able to jump right in and start reading.

Thank you, Lecrota!!!

Brava, Carrie Prejean

2009-04-22T12:59:00.004-04:00

I may be a couple days late in posting this, but it's taken me this long to write something that wasn't full of anger...although I am still angry.

Everyone knows by now (or probably knows) about what happened at the Miss USA pageant and the insanity that has followed it. I just want to grab Perez Hilton and Shanna Moakler by the scruffs of their necks (with gloves on because I don't want to touch something that scuzzy with my bare hand) and try to shake some sense into them. What ever happened to freedom of expression? Yo, Hilton, if you're not prepared to hear the answer, DON'T ASK THE QUESTION! Not everyone in the world thinks as these two do (thank goodness) and rather than furthering their cause, I think they're showing the world what truly bigoted idiots they are.

I've never read his column before, but I think this man says it best: CNN Commentary by Roland Martin

I've read several articles and I'm glad to see how many people are on Carrie Prejean's side, even if they don't agree with her. I'm sure it was a very difficult decision for her. On one hand, if she gave the answer they wanted to hear, she likely would have been awarded the crown...but then she would have to live the rest of her life with the knowledge that she won because of a lie. On the other hand, she could tell the truth, lose the crown, and live with the knowledge that she was true to her faith and answered honestly. I believe she made the right choice.

Now some are saying she has the possible basis of a lawsuit based on religious discrimination. Yes, I think she could sue, but I hope she doesn't. Success is the best revenge and I think if she says true to herself and to her faith, she will be a grand success, long after the world has (hopefully soon) forgotten the name "Perez Hilton."

Brava, Carrie Prejean.

Want a free book?

2009-04-21T14:37:00.002-04:00

Leucrota Press is giving away free an Advance Reader Copy of their upcoming books, The Kult, by Shaun Jeffrey and One if by Heaven, Two if by Hell by Rick Maydak. All you have to do is post a comment and ten lucky winners will be chosen. You get an extra entry if you mention their site on your blog (I'm shameless, I know). The deadline for entries is Apr 24 for The Kult and Apr 25 for One if by Heaven, Two if by Hell.

I've entered both drawings and really hope I win One if by Heaven. If I don't, I'll be buying it when it comes out.

Check them out! Click

It's Turn Off TV Week!

2009-04-20T11:38:00.002-04:00

Did you know it was Turn Off TV Week? I didn't until I saw this on my Google page.

How to Quit Watching TV

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The average American watches over 35 hours of TV a week[1] and the average Brit over 25.[2] If you find yourself addicted to the "boob tube" and want to break the habit, or if you're just celebrating TV Turnoff Week[3] the key is to wean yourself off using the steps below, watching TV less and less until you stop watching it altogether.

Steps

Start small. Try not watching TV for just one day a week. Make sure to replace that time with another activity that's equally or more satisfying. In other words, don't replace TV time with a task you dread. The task might be noble (such as cleaning the fireplace, or raking leaves, or giving the cat a bath) but such endeavors are best left to when you've already phased TV out of your life. Right now, the best way to wean yourself off of TV is to replace it with another enjoyable activity, but one that's more constructive or engaging, like reading a book, practicing to be a guitar god, or playing drown the penny with your kids. Eventually, increase the number of days per week when you don't watch TV, until there are none (if you wish to go that far).
Don't replace old shows with new ones. When one of your favorite shows goes off the air or you stop enjoying it, don't replace it with another show. Instead, use that new free time to do something else, like calling on friends, doing a hobby, reading, or exercise. Eventually, you will whittle down the shows you watch to a manageable few.
Use the TV timer. Many TVs come with a timer feature. When you start watching TV, decide how much time you want to spend there, and set the timer so that the TV turns off when that time is up. This prevents you from "lingering" on the TV, or at least it's a reminder, forcing you to turn the TV back on if you want to keep watching.
Keep a TV diary. Bringing attention to your habit, without pressuring yourself to get rid of it, can help you realize how much time you actually waste on TV. In fact, the very act of recording how much time you spend watching TV (and what you watch) is likely to reduce your habit. As you write down "12:30am - Watching rerun of Friends that I've seen twice already" you might realize how much of a waste of time it is, and shut off the television, whereas normally you would just keep watching because you lose track of time.
Compare your TV time to your unachieved goals. This is a good motivation exercise. Once you've kept a TV diary for at least a week, you'll know how much time television really takes up in your life. Now it's time to ask yourself how you can use that time more productively. If you're spending 20 hours a week glued to the tube, think about how much you could accomplish if you redirected that time towards something else! Make a list of goals, or things you always complain about but never have time to do. Things like:
- Losing weight and getting fit.
- Spending more quality time with friends, your significant other, or your family.
- Learning or practicing a musical instrument.
- Planting a garden so you can grow your own food.
Get rid of and hide TVs. The rise in television is linked to the increase in TVs per household.[1] Cut down on the number of TVs, and you'll cut down on TV time. You might be met with a good deal of resistance if you live with other people who are addicted to TV, especially kids--see How to Get Your Children Away from TV--but do you really need more than one TV? Do you really need one at all? If you do leave a TV in the house, at least put it in an uncomfortable place, like the garage, with no comfy couch to lounge in.
Cut down on channels. Another reason people are watching more TV is because there are more channels.[1] Look into downgrading your cable or satellite package (and you'll save some money, too!). Another option, if your provider offers it, is to program your TV so it only shows channels that don't suck you in--or if they do suck you in, they at least feed your brain. Stick to news, science, and history channels. Steer clear of entertainment, comedy, and sports channels. Make it so that you can't access the "bad" channels unless you have a password, and have someone you trust be the only person who knows the password. Having to ask for permission is a good way to filter your TV watching.
Use recording devices to your advantage. Even though recording devices like DVR and TiVo are associated with an increase in TV watching[1] you can also use them for the opposite effect. Make a rule that you will only watch recorded shows. Then place a limit on how much TV you can record. This will force you to be more selective about what you watch.

Alternate Activity Method

Decide what you would like to do for a period of time other than watch TV. This is a critical step because if you do not find some thing that will keep your interest, you will fall back on your ol' faithful crutch, the TV. Look up a volunteer program, 'check out' that book, books of CD or magazine out of the library, find a new hobby, pick a craft, introduce your self to your family or even your neighbors, or any thing else that you want to do that you are currently not doing.
Pick a time span that you plan to do what you picked for step #1. Start with a small amount of time, (30 minutes, 1 hour) and then expand each day or week.
Turn off and unplug the television for the specified in step 2.
Keep doing this until you no longer miss the time away from the television. Then increase the time. Soon enough your TV time will be replaced with something productive. You may even get to the point where watching TV is a waste of your time and your money. Also, you can cut you expenses down by down grading your cable or satellite package.

Cold Turkey Method

Call you cable or satellite provider and investigate about discontinuing or suspending your service for a period of time, (weeks or months). Make sure there are no penalties for doing this.
Follow steps #1 - #3 in the alternate activity method.

Tips

If you don't quit TV cold turkey, then at least Exercise While Watching TV or Do a Full Body Workout in Less Than 5 Minutes during commercials.
Replace your TV time with reading time. A trip to your local lending library may produce many good surprises.

Warnings

Don't replace TV time with other notorious time wasters like MySpace or Facebook.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/24/us.video.nielsen/

↑ http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/addicted-tv-brits-watch-more-telly-ever

↑ http://www.tvturnoff.org/

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Quit Watching TV. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Me? Well, I have to admit that I will fail at this. There are certain shows that I love to watch each week. Funny thing is, most of what I watch is on TLC, Discovery or History channels, which they recommend. I also like the BritComs on PBS Saturday night (though I've seen them all at least a dozen times, can identify most episodes within the first 15 seconds and can quote paragraphs of dialogue with very little prompting). I will follow some of the article's recommendations and cut back, though. There's usually nothing I like on Wednesday or Thursday, so I'll not watch anything those two nights and work on my writing.

How about you?

Check this out

2009-04-17T06:49:00.002-04:00

A pretty good slice of awesomeness, I must say...
And no, I don't Twitter.

Oh dear...

2009-04-16T15:30:00.003-04:00

Has it really been a month since I posted? I think we can consider that resolution a failure. Pin it up next to the ones about losing weight and finding a new job. Actually, now that the weather is finally starting to turn, I may be able to get out and start walking again.

I've been doing a lot of writing lately, but not here (obviously!). My local NaNo writing group has been meeting and we're doing critiques of each others works. We've got a romantic suspense, a slightly futuristic story involving the circus, a ghost thriller and a somewhat dark story with an infant as the main character. Oh, and mine...which, unfortunately, I'm putting aside for a while. As I told the others in the group, the main idea of this story was born out of the clinical depression I suffered a few years ago and because I'm no longer "there," the story has lost its importance to me. I kept trying--heaven knows--and even though I still like the story, I just can't make it work anymore. Part of the problem is I keep changing the plot and if it wants to be written, it can't keep changing. So I'm putting it aside and working on something new.

Because........

Steve Berry, author of The Amber Room, The Romanov Prophesy, The Third Secret, The Templar Legacy, The Alexandria Link, The Venetian Betrayal, and The Charlemagne Pursuit (let's see, one, two, skip-a-few, seven...yep, that's all of them) will be the Keynote Speaker at this year's SCWW conference! I've started reading his books--finished Amber and half-way through Romanov--and he is a pretty awesome author, I must admit. Just the kind of intrigue I like. Now, just because he's going to be there doesn't mean he and I will meet and have a nice long discussion about the authoring process. Yeah, there's a chance we could meet but I'm not pinning my hopes on it. You see, last year, it didn't occur to me to read anything that any of the seminar instructors (all authors or editors, and in one or two cases, agents) had written up until about a month or so before going. I had just enough time to read one book by the woman who did my critique and one chapter of one book by one of the instructors. This year, I'll read as much as I can before the conference starts.

And the something new I'm working on? I want to submit that for an editor's critique this year. I have to wait until more info is posted on the SCWW site so I'll know what I have to submit for an editor's critique. My plan is to have three chapters and a synopsis by June 1, which is when registration opens. I don't have to send it in that soon, but I want to know I'm ready by that date, save for some polishing.

So now you know why I haven't been posting. I've been writing! I swear! Just not here. Though I will try to post here more often...I promise.

I didn't think this would work

2009-03-14T20:29:00.001-04:00

Pretty awesome!

I just hope they didn't drive home...

'Nother update

2009-03-14T19:54:00.003-04:00

I'm doing just fine, thanks everyone for asking! Y'all are so sweet!

The test results came back and I did better on the stress test than they thought I could. Not would, could. Apparently they didn't think a woman my size could do the whole seven minutes. Anyway, the test shows that there's nothing at all wrong with my heart. It's in very good shape, and it was a relief to hear that.

So my problem really is just acid reflux. My doctor gave me another acid medicine and I take the Axid in the morning and the other in the evening. Knock on wood, it's been almost two weeks since I've had a symptom flare-up. I have a follow-up with the doc in three weeks and it should be a good appointment. He wants to keep me on this medicine for about three months to give my esophagus time to heal.

Hmmm...what else is going on...Oh yeah, found this at Ambulance Driver who got it here. I want one of these!

Quick update

2009-03-03T21:28:00.002-05:00

Things have progressed a bit health-wise, but not necessarily for the better. I thought the Axid would take care of my problem (well, make that "hoped" it would take care of my problems), but the flush-thing came back last Wednesday. Not quite bad enough to go to the hospital again, but it had me worried. I spent the night sleeping in the recliner because I was afraid to lie flat on the bed. I felt fine by morning, and the next couple days were symptom free. But because the symptoms did come back, my doctor scheduled me for a Cardiolite stress test.

Have you ever had a stress test? Not fun. Not horrible, but not fun. Toward the end of the treadmill portion of the test (which had my calves screaming...I began to wonder if I should have warmed up first, but they didn't make me, so I guess not), they injected me with the Cardiolite, which is a radioactive material...that night, I was my own nightlight! Seriously, though, they then took pictures of my chest. I went back on Monday for the second portion, which was Cardiolite only (no treadmill). They'll look at the pictures and, fingers crossed, they'll be able to tell me what's wrong with me. I'll keep you all posted.

I had another flare-up today and I'm pretty exhausted. I was fighting the pain all day and now I just need to sleep. G'nite all.

My Goodness

2009-02-21T23:00:00.004-05:00

Has it really been (almost) three weeks since I last posted? My, time certainly does fly, doesn't it?

Well, let's start off with the good news...my nephew's wife had their baby yesterday! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present, Ms. Ajia Dita Trinidy (fanfare, please)

Isn't she the sweetest! I'm a great-aunt and my mother's a great grandmother! (okay, enough with the exclamation marks.) The hospital posts pictures of all the newborns on the site so we were able to access the picture quickly. While I was looking at the other baby pictures, I ran across this little gem, name of Atticus Ranson Felix:

The caption under this picture should read "my name is WHAT???" Poor kid, what a name!

Mom flies out next Tuesday so she gets to see the baby in person. Of course, she'll take lots of pictures...she's a little like me in that respect.

Hmmm, let's see...what else has been going on...I printed out my story to date and heaven help me it needs editing. You couldn't follow this mess with a map and a compass and a GPS and a tour guide. I spent a little time in the library earlier today and will likely go again tomorrow after church. It's easier to concentrate there without all the distractions of home. It's such a mess, I'm actually kind of depressed about it. I will work through it though, but I won't project how long it'll take me to finish because I honestly have no idea.

My only other news is that I spent the wee small hours of this past Thursday morning at the hospital emergency room. I've been having some heartburn related issues that I was kind of controlling with Tums, but on Wednesday, I had a disturbing new symptom. It happened a couple hours after lunch. My chest was feeling tight, but my pulse and breathing were normal. I had taken a tums and was waiting for it to work when I felt this flush all over my chest, shoulders and upper arms. It was like that feeling you get right before you throw up, only I didn't feel hot. It lasted for about fifteen, twenty minutes, then it faded away. It was very weird. I did ask the other two women I work with if I looked flush and they said I did, but as I said, it faded and I put it out of my mind.

Later that night, it happened again about an hour after dinner and this time my mother witnessed it. It scared her (not to mention me) because I have a history of heart disease in my family. My father died of a heart attack at age 56, and his father died of one in his 70s, so the fear is there. The flush faded and my mother was reluctant to let me go to bed, but I said I was okay. Problem was, I wasn't...I was too worried about what might be wrong that I could only get about two hours or so of sleep. I woke up around one am and Mom took me to the emergency room.

The good news is, my heart and lungs are fine. They did blood tests, an EKG, CAT scan and chest X-Ray, and they all came back clear. Basically, I just have acid reflux. I saw my regular doctor that afternoon and he put me on Axid to control the acid reflux. I'll be taking it for about three months, to give my esophagus time to heal. I go back next Thursday for a check-up and I'll be happy to report that the Axid is already working. I'm definitely noticing a difference. The only caution is that there might be something wrong with my gall bladder. He's having the hospital run additional tests and I'll get the results Thursday. I'll let you know when I know.

Well, that's all for now. It's late, and I need to get some sleep. G'nite all!

Yay Steelers!!!

2009-02-02T08:52:00.002-05:00

Okay, so let's review the list of resolutions and see how we're doing, okay?

1) Study the New Testament. - Okay, I'm a bit behind in this, so I need to make more time to fulfill this resolution.

2) Continue writing my story. - I finished January with 22,845 words. Short of my goal of 30,000, but I'm pretty happy with what I did accomplish, plus I still have more to write, thanks to Pixie...who I think has jetted off to Paris for Valentine's Day. Yeah, she's early, but that's the way she is. Hopefully, she'll come back with something for me.

3) Lose 50 pounds. - Haven't lost a single pound, but neither have I gained one, so not too bad. Besides, I have ALL YEAR to work on this one, right???

4) Improve my attitude at work. - It's working, what can I say?

5) Look for a new job. - I'm looking, but pickings are slim here in the Valley.

6) Post to my blog more often. - Ten posts in January, that's one every three days. Not bad, if I say so myself (and I do).

So I feel pretty good about this. Compared to 90+% of the population, I'm still working on my resolutions while that 90+% have given up (Editor's note: percentage of resolution-giver-uppers is a shot in the dark and not based on any actual statistics...as if we could be bothered to find any.)

Write-ins resume this Saturday, so I'm taking a little break from writing this week. If I feel absolutely compelled to write, then I will, but I'm not pushing it because I want to have something to do come Saturday. Oh, and I thought up a new story plot! Came to me out of the blue. It's not part of the one I'm working on...it'll be a brand new story, but I really like the idea. I put it in a new file so I don't forget it...maybe it'll be my NaNo 2009 story?

Finally, if you're wondering about the title of this post, the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl last night (yay!) I have the morning off--Boss Man declared this morning a holiday which he titled "Steelers Appreciation Morning." Had they lost, it would be "Steelers Mourning Morning." But they won, so that's good. Boss Man is a RABID Steelers fan, so everyone in the office (I think everyone) was rooting for the Steelers last night. They came close to losing, but managed to pull off a great game-saving touchdown in the last minutes of the game. It was a great game, no matter who was playing, and I'm glad the boss will be happy because his team won.

My only problem is, I have no yellow shirts in my wardrobe, so I can't properly wear black, white and yellow. So I'll wear black and white with gold jewelry. That's the closest I can get. At least I won't be wearing Cardinal red, like I did to church yesterday morning!

My Nephew, the War Veteran...

2009-01-30T21:55:00.003-05:00

...will be landing on US soil tomorrow around noon. And I'm going to go see him!

Mom, Mike's two younger brothers, hopefully his older brother and his wife, one of his other aunts and I will all be going to the airport (not together...the logistics of that are insane) to spend a couple hours with him while he's on layover before the final leg of his journey home! I'm so thrilled that he's finally almost home.

I know Mom is over the moon that she finally gets to see him again, to know that he's safe. He called her probably once every two weeks or so while he was over there, so he's kept in constant touch and to let her know that he was all right. He never saw any combat (that I'm aware of). His assignment mostly kept him on base, though he did hear plenty of shots fired and mortar rounds going off. But now he's almost home!

Tomorrow, I have to get fresh batteries for my camera. Can't have it dying tomorrow and having to pay those outrageous airport prices. I'll be taking plenty of pictures of my war veteran nephew. Hopefully he won't mind posing too much.

Century Post!!!

2009-01-28T20:09:00.003-05:00

100th POST! YAY !!! (cue the confetti)

I can't believe I've made 100 posts here. When I first started blogging, I wasn't even sure I would keep it up for very long, but here I am at #100. Woo-hoo!!

And now for the other reason for making this post...my nephew's coming home!

My nephew Mike has been in Iraq since August (I think) and he just called to say he has left Iraq. He didn't say where exactly he was for security reasons and that's fine. I'm just thrilled to know he's out of Iraq and on his way home. It would be so wonderful if he could stop in here to see his family before going back to his base, but I'll be happy knowing he's back on US soil and that he'll be home in time for his daughter's birth. I wish I could be there when he lands and sees how big Stephanie has gotten. She's only three weeks from her due date so you know she must be huge! (Just joking, Steph!)

Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayers and keeping Michael safe. Thank you, Linda and Dad, for watching over him and keeping him safe so he could return home to Stephanie and their baby. Thank you, thank you, thank you, amen.

Did you take the test?

2009-01-27T20:14:00.002-05:00

Just took the Jeopardy online test...I'll never know just how well I did because they'll never let me know (booo!), but I don't think I did all that bad. Maybe missed 12 or 15 out of 50 questions. Of course, if I did well enough and they choose me to move to the next level, that's a pretty good clue that I did well. We'll see.

As for my writing, well, we're closing in on the end of the month and I still don't think I'm going to hit 30,000 words, but I'm going to come a lot closer than I thought I was. I'm at 21,368 with four days to go. There's a shade of a chance my office might be closed tomorrow. It snowed today, and more snow and ice are expected overnight. If the roads are bad, my boss will close the office for the day and if that happens, I can spend the day writing. Which would be a good thing because that would boost my word count. So we'll see what happens.

Pixie's nudging my shoulder...she wants me to finish this one scene before I go to bed, so I'd better get to it.

Gee, how did they know?

2009-01-26T06:15:00.001-05:00

Your International Spy Name is Sass Goodnight

Your Code Name: Punchline

You Reside in: Stockholm

Why You're a Good Spy: You have total recall

What's Your International Spy Name?

I know these things are silly, but it's Monday morning...I need something to start my week of with a laugh!

My Muse...

2009-01-23T17:23:00.003-05:00

...is such a comedian.

Or maybe that should be comedienne since she is, after all, female. Not sure what her name is yet. She's never told me. Maybe she's waiting for me to name her. I'll have to think about that.

Anyway, back to the subject...you see, she was apparently on vacation because I went for quite a while there with no new ideas for my story, no fresh insights, no scene ideas, nothing. I did a lot of backstory, but backstory doesn't propel your story forward, which is what should be happening. Which is why I wrote that post on the 18th, saying I was giving up for a while.

This afternoon, she showed up at my office and dropped six new scenes in my lap. No joke. Six scenes. I was, like, Where on earth have you been??? And she said, all innocent-like--you know how they are--"I was on the beach in Bora Bora. You know that's where I go to get new ideas for you." Yeah, and that all-over tan didn't come from a salon, you know what I mean? I think she got her hair cut, too.

So here I am, 8000 words behind, and the little wench finally shows up with enough material to take me well into next month. Thanks, Pixie. Hey, I think I like that name...Pixie.

News Article

2009-01-19T09:50:00.002-05:00

Found this on MSNBC.com. Seems some of the MSM is starting to realize there truly IS another side--

Click here

Barack Obama was not my choice for president, but he won the job. Therefore, I do accept him as my president and I will support him, kinda like those people who support our troops but not the war they're fighting.

But the last paragraph of that article pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole "Obamessiahmania" thing...

...Lise Lindeberg, a 72-year-old retiree in Stockholm, Sweden, thinks people have put too much faith in Obama.

"I feel sorry for the poor thing," she said. "People want him to be a savior — some kind of messiah. You just can't become president and change everything when there's no money."

Tack själv, Lise

Ugh...

2009-01-18T17:09:00.001-05:00

I think my well is running dry.

I had hoped to make 30,000 words by the end of this month and right now, I’m exactly 4,900 words off (by the end of today, I should have 18,000 words and I’m at 13,100). I have a couple more scenes in my outline that I can work on, but I just don’t want to. I don’t think those scenes are going to work.

I think it’s because I’m lost. I don’t know where I am anymore. Probably because I spent so much time these last ten days or so creating some fantastic history/backstory (if I do say so myself) that I can’t focus on what’s needed to move this story forward. And I think the only way I can do that is to start reading/editing what’s already been written so I can see what I need. And if I do that, I won’t be creating new scenes, which is the whole point behind a NaNo. Creating new stuff.

It’s kind of like getting in your car and driving. Don’t look at the map, don’t pick a destination. Just point your car somewhere and drive. If you hit an ocean or the border patrol, turn left or right and keep going in that new direction. When you run out of gas, refuel and keep going.

I guess that’s me. Broken down and out of gas on the side of the road with no refueling station in sight. Could someone call AAA for me? Give me a lift to the gas station?

This isn’t writer’s block. Writer’s block is when you know what you want to say but don’t know how to say it. Or you have this terrific scene in mind but don’t know where to start. What I have is a complete absence of ideas, thoughts and imagination. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Maybe it’s time to pull out my passport, chat with the nice Border Patrol agents and visit another country. Write some other stuff for a while. I had this idea to write a few children’s stories based on Jesus’ parables. Oh, and there was this solo one-act play that’s been dancing in my mind for some time. I just bought 26 back issues of Writer’s Digest off eBay that need to be read. Not to mention a Bible Study starting next week, a stack of unworked crossword puzzles and my half-formed plan to cross-stitch presents for Christmas (if you think I’m insane for planning for Christmas 2009 when it’s barely January, you’ve never cross-stitched before).

Anything I write will still count toward my January NaNo goal of 30,000 words. I wanted all 30,000 words to be in my story, but as long as I create 30,000 new words, I will have achieved my goal and kept that New Year’s Resolution.

Okay, I can live with that. Um...and add 544 new words to my word count. So now I just need 4356 words to catch up.

Hey, everything counts!

A waste...

2009-01-16T10:49:00.003-05:00

Some people are just a waste of DNA, you know? Sometimes you just want to revoke their license to breathe.

I had one of these glorious in-duh-viduals on the phone...seems he's been hearin' this talk on the television-thingie about how his an-tenna ain't gonna work no more? And I gotta get one of those converter boxes? D’ya know who I kin talk to about that?

I was about ready to scream. How long have those commercials been on television? How long have we been hearing about the impending conversion from analog to digital transmissions and if you have an older set or use an antenna you'll need a converter box? Seriously. A year? More? The transition happens next month, dude, and you’re just NOW asking about it?

All I could think was, good luck, man, you’re gonna need it if you’re hoping to catch the next NASCAR race. (DISCLAIMER: I have nothing against NASCAR or any of its drivers or fans. I just don’t follow car races of any kind. And if you want to accuse me of profiling, all you had to do was hear his accent and you’d know for sure he’s got at least one NASCAR souvenir in his house. Double or nothing it's got Dale Earnhardt's face on it.)

So I told the poor misguided gentleman that our company was unable to help him as we had nothing to do with television transmission or antennas, despite the fact that we are mistakenly entered in the Yellow Pages under Satellite Systems. (Seriously, we shouldn’t even be in the phone book, but that’s another story). Well, who can I talk to about this? Dude…

I told him to call Comcast.

Yeah, yeah, I know, they’re just going to try and sell him cable service. Not my problem. You know what else isn’t my problem? The FCC has run out of money to reimburse people who want to buy converter boxes. You know those $40.00 vouchers they’ve been telling you about for the past year? Out of money. If you want one now, you’ll have to go on a waiting list and hope you can afford to buy one before the magic day. Dude probably won’t be happy to hear that but, yep, not my problem.

I get these calls every now and then, people wanting to reach the cable company and calling my company instead. How they make that mistake is beyond me. We’re not even in the same business. I had a woman call last week wanting to get her service disconnected because she’s moving out of the area. I told her “you need to call Comcast.” She said, “I just want to get my service disconnected. Can’t you schedule that for me?”

“Yeah, sure, me and Charlie’ll be out tomorrow, how’s 9:00?” And when we don’t show up, she’ll call again all upset and I’ll get in trouble with my boss…so you know I didn’t say that. I just repeated “Call Comcast” and gave her the number. Then filled out another “breathing license revocation form.”

Some people…

Progress?

2009-01-08T21:58:00.002-05:00

So how's it going? Broken all your New Year's resolutions yet? Some of them? Well, so far, not me. I am a little behind in my Jan WriMo--should have 8000 words and only have 5453, but I'll make it up over the weekend.

I love it when the muse and I go for a ride. I just wrote about 700 words in half an hour and this scene is fabulous! Everything just flowed right off my fingertips and onto the screen. It doesn't even need to be edited, it's that good. The sad thing is, I don't know if this scene will make it into the final manuscript. It's part of my FMC's backstory and, though it's important, I just don't know if it'll make it. I hope so...like I said, it's good.

On the weight front, we'll see on Saturday. I only weigh myself once a week, so that's why you're not seeing daily updates.

I start a Bible Study later in the month on the book of Phillipians. I'm going to make sure I read through the book at least once, preferably twice, before that class starts.

I notice I'm having an easier time at work, and I believe it's because my attitude hat is finally on straight. Of course, I'm still looking at job postings, so we'll see what's what there. The Sunday paper's supposed to have a huge job section--it does every January--so we'll see what it holds.

And I'm posting! Sounds to me like I'm keeping all my resolutions. How about you?

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T09:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, okay, I know I'm a day late.

That bad a hangover, eh?

Oh, come on, you know I don't drink.

Yeah, and a bear doesn't--

Hey, this is a G-Rated blog. Watch your language.

Fine. I'll just go over here while you prattle on.

Thank you. As I was saying, I know I'm a day late. I did honestly mean to post this yesterday, but I remembered just as I shut my computer down, so, no posting. Hope everyone had fun and kept it safe.

I was up at midnight, but that's mainly because my sister calls every New Year's eve at midnight to wish our mom a Happy New Year. Plus, my city sets off fireworks and I'm close enough to the launching point that they would have woken me up if the phone call didn't. So I saw in the New Year and fell right to sleep.

Only did three things of great importance yesterday. Laundry, take in the outside decorations, and started my personal January WriMo. Yep, just like the official November NaNoWriMo, I'm doing my own WriMo in January. My plan is 30,000 words by January 31. So far yesterday, 1489 words. I spent most of December reading, revising and reorganizing my 2008 NaNo and came up with a handful of scenes. Probably not enough for 30,000 words, but hopefully more scenes will come to me as I write. This story has potential, and I need to keep at it. I'll be too disappointed in myself if I just let it go at this point. My local NaNoWriMo group should be starting write-ins this month, so that'll keep me motivated.

They're predicting snow showers today, the kind that gets little kids excited, but adults know that there'll be no accumulation. That works for me since I was inside all day yesterday and I need to get out today. Cuts into my writing time, but too bad. I need to get out! I'll probably head down to Front Royal, check out this great little used book store I know.

Hmm...New Year's resolutions. I usually don't like to make resolutions because they're so easy to break. I like to make decisions or promises. In my mind, they're harder to break. Plus, I have this real hang up about people who don't keep their promises, so I always try to keep mine. Also, as RT says:

...most new years resolutions end in failure. People hate themselves for failing at their resolutions, and then spend months in a depressive spiral of self-loathing and horror before giving up and resolving to try again later. That’s no way to spend your time! By the same token, making a difficult to achieve resolution is a sure recipe for failure.

Couldn't have said it better myself. So don't make resolutions that are doomed to fail. Make promises that you mean to keep. So here they are, in no particular order:

1) Study the New Testament. Not just read it, study it, learn it, and really understand it. It's one thing to read it, it's another to KNOW it.
2) Continue writing my story. Finishing it this year would be grand, but at the very least, I want to continue working on it, with the hopeful goal of finishing.
3) Lose 50 pounds. I need to lose more, but I think 50 is good for one year.
4) Improve my attitude at work. I get lazy sometimes, and I have a few issues, so I need to turn those around or...
5) Look for a new job.
6) Post to my blog more often. I can't have my loyal readers getting bored and find other blogs to read.

I may add to this list. We'll see. But I definitely won't be subtracting from it. I'll keep you posted as to my progress.

So ends my first posting of 2009. Have a great year, everyone and be safe!

Tips for Holiday Eating

2008-12-19T20:05:00.001-05:00

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. To be perfectly honest, the only fruitcake you should even consider eating is the one...where the fruit sits & ferments for a month before baked in the cakes or cup cakes & topped with home made cream cheese frosting! Just talking about it I gain 5 lbs.........yep...I have the recipe!

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

100 Item Meme

2008-12-10T21:15:00.003-05:00

Congratulations, Ms Virginia Girl, it's a meme!

It’s 100 questions about things you have or have not done (found it here). Read through and bold the answers you have done. I italicized those that I came close to (because I'm alarmed at the lack of bolding!) I’ll tag EVERYBODY!

1. Started your own blog. You're reading it!

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band. Sang in choir to the band...does that count?

4. Visited Hawaii. Sisters and I sent our parents there for their 30th wedding anniversary, and I came close to going once.

5. Watched a meteor shower. It was more like a drizzle.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland.

8. Climbed a mountain. Been to the top of the Zugspitze in the Alps...via cable car.

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo.

11. Bungee jumped.

12. Visited Paris.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning. Oh my yes. A week after my sister's wedding (no connection, I'm sure). Stayed home from school for three days and saw things come out of me that I swear never went in.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.

20. Slept on an overnight train. From Frankfurt, West Germany to West Berlin, East Germany in the mid-70's.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping. Does my bathtub count?

27. Run a Marathon.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run.

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. I was in an airplane, flying from Buffalo to Toronto. We seemed to be following a river and I noticed some whitecaps. Interesting, I thought, must be near a waterfall. Oh, look, there it is...looks kinda familiar...Hey, that's Niagara!

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. At least one of them. My great-grandfather was born on Kilbowie Road, Clydebank, Scotland. I was there and I have the pictures to prove it!

35. Seen an Amish community.

36. Taught yourself a new language. Taught myself, no. Been taught, ja.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. Once...a long time ago.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone rock (wall) climbing.

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.

41. Sung karaoke. Heard karaoke at a bowling alley and a wedding (yes, a wedding). Turned me off ever going somewhere with karaoke ever again.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.

47. Had your portrait painted drawn.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.

52. Kissed in the rain. Who, you ask? I never kiss and tell.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater.

55. Been in a movie.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business. And failed.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Russia.

60. Served at a soup kitchen.

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Got flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. I donated blood many times, just not voluntarily.

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a check.

68. Flown in a helicopter. Been in one that was on the ground.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten Caviar.

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job. I've never been able to tell him, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. I was about a year and a half old and don't remember it, but have the pictures to prove it.

80. Published a book. Working on it!

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible. I’ve read a lot of it, but not the entire thing.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox. I was twenty-two. Yes, twenty-two. I was exposed to it in a hospital emergency room.

89. Saved someone’s life. Learned CPR, never used it.

90. Sat on a jury. Twice!

91. Met someone famous. I won't mention who, but he's a famous writer.

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one. Grandparents, parent, sister.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person. Pictures, etc.

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee. And now I know I'm mildly allergic.

100. Read an entire book in one day. Many times.

Busy, busy...

2008-11-30T13:51:00.001-05:00

Last day for NaNo and I'm trying to hit 60K before 9:00 p.m. tonight. Found this while on break.

26.5 miles per gallon

Created by The Car Connection

Back to writing!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T21:04:00.001-05:00

Mom was up, maybe not quite as early as she wanted, but early enough and got the turkey going. In the end I helped a bit, mainly because that bird was too heavy for her to lift into the oven! A bit later she made some of the side dishes and we ate around 3:30 next door at my sister's, who also made too much food. All in all, a great day.

Hope you and your family had a great day!

Sorry I Haven't Written...

2008-11-18T21:59:00.002-05:00

but I've been saving the bulk of my writing for NaNo.

How am I doing, you ask? Well, cast your eyes to the right and look at that pretty number! As of right now, 33,916! That's a good two days ahead of the average, which is 30,006.

It helps that work has been a bit slow these past couple days, so to look busy, I've been writing. No one's called me on it yet, so I'm just going to keep going. I may--not only achieve 50,000 words--but I may also finish my story! Oh, this would be so awesome. Last year I hit 50,000 words, but didn't finish the story. It was pretty lousy anyway so I was glad to abandon it once I hit the goal. This year, I'm just gonna keep going until I finish, even if it take me half-way into December. I am going to finish my story!

Wish me luck, my many legions of fans!

NaNoWriMo - Day 5

2008-11-05T21:14:00.003-05:00

My muse was kicking today! My inner editor is firmly muzzled, straight-jacketed and chained up in the basement. Ignore the counter on the right...hopefully it'll update soon. I've written 10,133 words total as of today! Man, this feels great. I was beginning to despair of my muse getting her cute tush in gear and giving me some good stuff to write. I guess she was still enjoying the beach at Myrtle but now she's home and we are cooking!

Bam.

2008-11-05T06:14:00.003-05:00

Borrowed/stole this from Rachel Lucas who found it at Ace of Spades:

No clue who actually wrote this but I found it at Ace of Spades:

Like they always do, hardcore liberal voters have placed all their hopes and dreams into one, terribly flawed, terribly human basket. And without doubt they will be terribly disappointed, especially when they learn they’ve still got to pay their own mortgage and buy their own gas.

Their Messiah, ain’t one, which will become painfully apparent to them soon enough.

Meanwhile, here on the right, we have low expectations of human nature and even lower expectations of government. It’s hard to disappoint us.

And unlike the liberals, all of our hopes and dreams are in exactly the same place they were yesterday, in our family, our friends, our local community, in our work, in our religious faith, and in our country. Those are the great constants, always there for us even when we suffer the greatest of setbacks.

Yep, tough times are ahead, and we’re going to have to fight like somsabitches to keep Obama and the Congress from screwing things up too much in the next two years. But, we’ve been there before, and we’ve prevailed before.

…Don’t give [those] on the left the satisfaction of seeing you all act like a bunch of hysterical schoolgirls. They’re the ones who can’t take defeat. We can take our lumps, get up, and keep fighting. We should be Happy Warriors. whose proper response to this is mockery, good humor, and hard work. We lost an election, but we’re still right, and they’re still wrong.

Anyway, it’s time to cowboy up, and get ready for the next go round.

Bam.

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

Did-ya?

2008-11-04T19:17:00.002-05:00

Did-ya did-ya did-ya??? I did!

Vote, that is. I went to my polling place about 7:25 (it opened at 6:00) and waited in line for 25 minutes or so, then another couple before I could actually cast my vote. I was back in my car and on my way to work by 8:05.

I've heard some stories of problems at other polling places, and other than the fact that they couldn't distribute the alphabet properly (75+ people in one line, 10 in one, and 15 in the other and of course, guess which line yours truly was in?), it was well organized with no problems.

So who did I vote for, you ask? If you ask, then you must not have read my blog these past couple months. Go ahead, look at my previous posts...I dare you.

Sigh...so much for those plans

2008-11-02T18:07:00.002-05:00

I was GOING to be writing at midnight, but Mr. Sleepy had other plans. I fell asleep in my chair around 11:45, woke up at 2:00 and crawled into bed. I then spent all day putting off writing by finding "other things" to do, like laundry, pulling weeds in the back yard, reorganizing my dresser, loading music onto my PC, doing my nails, counting the coins in my coin jar, finish a crossword puzzle, you get the idea. By the end of the day, I was really beginning to hate myself. I want to do this so much, and yet, I spent the entire day putting it off.

There is good news, however. Thanks to the time change, I messed up my clock and woke up an hour early, so I spent most of that hour writing. I got about 1000 words down and it felt great to finally break the ice!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm behind by 2334 words and need to get to work!

5 hours...

2008-10-31T18:57:00.002-04:00

and counting!

Getting together with a group of my fellow WriMo's at IHOP later tonight. We're going to sit around and chat for a while, and when the clock strikes 12, we're going to start writing our stories. Laptops, notebooks, pens and lots and lots of coffee (for those who can tolerate the stuff). After an hour or so, some of us will head home and the die-hards will keep writing away. I'll probably head home after the hour is up...that is, if I make it to midnight! I might have to be there in spirit, but I WILL BE WRITING AT MIDNIGHT!

Day 3

2008-10-26T20:05:00.003-04:00

Put a fork in me, I'm done!

That was probably the most intense two and a half days of instruction I've ever gone through, but it was sooo worth it! Some workshops were a waste of time--in some cases it was because the "faculty member" didn't do a good job and in other it was because I ws in the wrong class. But all in all, it was worth it and you aspire to a career as a writer, whether it's fiction, non-fiction or poety, I highly HIGHLY recommend going to a writer's conference.

Be smart about it, talk to others who have attended a particular conference and see if it's right for you before you go. I didn't but got lucky because it worked out so well for me. From what I understand, there are other conferences that aren't quite so good, so be careful. I just kinda figured any conference that could get Michael Connely, James O. Born, Derek Nikitas and Irene Goodman, among others, must be pretty good.

I'm definitely going back again next year.

Oh, oh, and the best thing I think happened this morning. At breakfast, my critiquer sat down at my table with me and a couple others. I was mostly talking with Donna, another attendee I had met, and Beth was talking with the other two guys at the table. Before she left she made a point to tell me how much she enjoyed meeting me, a compliment I of course returned. I told her I had already taken out the "B" word as she suggested and she was glad. She then told me to keep in touch, that she'd like to hear from me, and left. Donna was pretty impressed, and truthfully, it embarrassed me a little bit. She asked her critiquer if she could resubmit with the changes her critiquer had suggested, and she had agreed. Beth's offer was completely spontaneous. I'll be cool about it...I'm not going to inundate her with questions. I'll probably just send her a Christmas note and let her know how I've been doing and maybe once or twice more. I don't want to make a pest of myself...I'm still grinning over that.

Well, I'm half-way home now, staying at a hotel, and I'll head for home tomorrow. I'll time it so I hit Charlottesville around lunch time and do a little research there (since that's the setting for my book) and be in Winchester by about 3 p.m. It'll be good to get home.

Day 2

2008-10-25T22:11:00.002-04:00

and I'm exhausted.

Four sessions today, two of which were good, one was a waste of time and one was an interesting discussion, but I didn't learn anything. One thing about this conference is that if you don't like what's being taught in your session, you can leave (quietly, please) and join another session. Everyone signed up for sessions when they registered, but--as I now know--that was primarly to see how much interest there was in different sessions. Unfortunately, the session that was a waste of time, I got to late and took a seat in the very back of the class, so leaving quietly was next to impossible. So I toughed it out.

One thing I can say, they certainly feed us well at the Hilton. Large breakfast buffet, snacks--bundt cakes mostly--between morning sessions, full lunch with dessert, coookies between afternoon sessions and full dinners with desserts. I've never eaten so much in such a short amount of time. I almost skipped dinner tonight but since I wanted to hear the keynote speaker, Michael Connelly, I went. Unfortunately, the gist of what he had to say I had heard in an earlier session with James O. Born! Ah well.

And my critique went fabulously! Now, I never told my critiquer, Beth Webb Hart, that I had written my first three chapters through a writing course and that my instructor was a published author, so I actually already had a professional critique. But this was someone who had held my hand through the creative process and I was following her direction, so of course she would like it. I wanted to hear what someone else had to say. And she liked it! She had a few specific points, which I had actually heard from a friend who had read my work, so during the break between the last session and dinner, I edited those parts out. She also had some other points to keep in mind while I did a little bit of editing and as I progress. So I'm feeling really good, like I'm on the right track and I'm doing well!

So now I have two more sessions tomorrow, one of which deals with editing (spinning dross into gold, if you will), and my open session. I may attend a slush-fest, where others have already sent in their work and will have it openly critiqued for everyone attending to hear. All anonymously, of course. From what I've heard from other attendees of slush-fests, they're brutal, and there's a small, sadistic part of me that wants to see the blood bath. Especially since my work won't be on the chopping block. I'll make that decision tomorrow.

So now I'll just clean up, get ready for bed, watch the rest of the Bourne Supremacy on TNT (like I haven't seen it a dozen times already--cripes, I can quote dialog!) and go to bed.

I'm here...

2008-10-24T22:16:00.001-04:00

and I haven't lost my mind yet!

This writer's conference has been a great experience so far. I've had two classes and learned lots about how to construct plot and characters, and how to create conflict between those characters. We also had a poetry reading after dinner by Pamela Smith. I'm not much for poetry, but her work was excellent. Unfortunately, it's rainy with about 30 mph winds, so no night walk on the beach, or morning walk either as it's supposed to rain all day.

My critique is tomorrow, and it's going to be interesting. I don't know if I told you anything about my plot, but I had started with one with a hole in it big enough to drive a semi through. I changed it, but I was never very happy with it. That's the plot I sent in. Then, later that day, my mom and I were driving to Pennsylvania to visit my sister. We were listening to a book on CD and listening to that story, I suddenly figured out how to fill that gaping plot hole! So now I'm going to have a critique on a story that's already been changed. I'm still going through with it, however, because the first ten pages that she has won't change much if at all.

Still trying to settle on my NaNo plot...plus, trying to decided if I'm going to a midnight write-in on Halloween. My local group is having one, but not sure yet if I'm going. It's a bit late for me, but it may be fun.

It's late and I need to get to sleep. One problem with these conferences is that every minute is tightly scheduled and jam-packed, so I can't sleep in. Too bad, because the bed is very comfortable.

Latest & Greatest

2008-10-20T06:40:00.002-04:00

Haven't updated in a little while, so I figured I'd better stop by...

NaNoWriMo starts in 12 days and I don't know what I'm going to write yet. I have two plots running through my mind and they won't settle down and let me choose one. They're both good--one's a 40-year old mystery involving the Viet Nam war, the other is a post-apoc story involving the Hadron Collider. I suppose it would help if I spent a little time and outlined my plots, to see which one has more meat and will give me the 50,000 words in 30 days, but who has the time? Between work, monitoring the election coverage and getting ready for my writer's conference, I just haven't had the time. I need to find it, though.

The South Carolina Writer's Workshop starts this Friday. I'm heading to Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, I'll hang out on Thursday and head over to the resort bright and early Friday morning. I'm excited, because I'll be meeting new people and learning how to hone my craft, but I'm also a little nervous because I've never done one of these things before. Sure, I've been to conferences before but none like this. I guess what I'm really nervous about is my critique. A professional author is reading my work and will tell me what she thinks. It's the first ten pages of the story I was working on in my writing class.

Here's the thing...I had one plot in mind when I started that class, and as it progressed, I found the motivation for my protagonist wasn't good enough, and I couldn't think of a way to strenthen it. So I abandoned that plot and came up with another, which was good, but a bit cliche. I kept going with it, even as I had some doubts. Well, I sent off the manuscript for the critique and literally that afternoon, I came up with a much better plot that was closer in line to my original plot! Aargh! Now what do I do??? If she says anything about my plot being weak or cliche, I'll just tell her that I want to change it, but it was too late because I had already sent it in. Yeah, in other words, I'll wing it.

Gotta get ready for work. The Redskins won yesterday (yay!) and Papa John's gives discounts on pizza when they win. At work, when someone has a birthday, we cater lunch that day. I decided that we would do Papa John's if the Redskins won and George's Pizza if they lost. My choice, because it's my birthday.

Happy Birthday Me!

Take the Test!

2008-10-09T19:35:00.006-04:00

Do you know who you're going to vote for? Still not sure which candidate best fits your personal views or philosophies? Then I have the test for you!

Click here to take the ABC News test.

If you read my previous posts, you already know which way I'm going. This just kind of solidifies it.

So what have YOU been up to?

2008-10-09T19:23:00.005-04:00

Seems these days I'm only posting links or pictures. I don't really have much to blog about lately. I've been focusing on getting ready for my writing conference--still need to watch L.A. Confidential--but I did do something a little crazy...I signed up for a critique.

I didn't want to in the beginning. I figured this is my first conference and I don't know how things are done, so I'll go and observe certain...things...and next year I'll do more. But for the past few weeks, say from the first of September, I began to wonder if maybe I should have signed up for one. The opinion of another professional (not just my instructor, who is a published author) can only bolster my confidence, right? Or, yeah, tear it down, I know, I know. I'm trying to think positive here. So I thought about it for a while, and finally decided that I would bring a couple extra copies of my work and see if I could sign up for one at the conference. See, if they say no, then I can say "I wasn't able to get an appointment" rather than "I was too chicken to sign up sooner." Weak, yeah, but it worked for me.

Anyway, on Sep 30, I get this e-mail saying "There are still open slots available...sign up now with the following critiquers!" And of course, I read through the list. And of course, there's one--only one--person on the list who is in my genre. I agonized for about ten minutes "Should I? Why shouldn't I? Why should I?" etc, etc...you get the picture.

One of my co-workers walks by as he's leaving and asks what's wrong. I tell him I'm trying to make a decision. "Easy," he said. "Don't do it."

"That's the wrong answer," I told him.

"Then that's your answer," he said. "You want to do it, so do it."

And he was right. I picked up my phone, called and booked the appointment. By the end of the week, I sent out my synopsis and first ten pages of my story. I've taken the next step on my road to becoming an author.

So what did YOU do this week?

How unique are you?

2008-10-05T14:37:00.003-04:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There is
1
person with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

I'm not posting my real name here, but my first name is well known - I share it with a very popular former first lady, bu my last name, while not uncommon, has an unusual spelling. Put them together and you get...ME!

Decision Made!

2008-09-26T21:48:00.002-04:00

The Presidental Debate between McCain and Obama is only 50 minutes old and Obama has made up my mind for me...

Obama just doesn't seem to get it...You cannot be the leader of America and be popular with the world! It's going to take someone who is willing to be unpopular. Power brings out the worst in people, but if the powerful person shows he is willing to fight, and backs up what he ways with serious action, you will be taken seriously. Obama doesn't have the...nerve...to be unpopular.

McCain gets it...and he gets my vote.

This just creeps me out!

2008-09-23T10:36:00.003-04:00

stolen from FoxNews.com
"Bill Clinton Says He Understands Palin's Appeal"

NEW YORK — Former President Bill Clinton said Monday he understands why Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is popular in the American heartland: because people relate to her.

“I come from Arkansas, I get why she’s hot out there, why she’s doing well,” said Clinton, who supports the Democratic ticket headed by Barack Obama.

Speaking to reporters before his Clinton Global Initiative meeting, the former president described Palin’s appeal by adding, “People look at her, and they say, ‘All those kids. Something that happens in everybody’s family. I’m glad she loves her daughter and she’s not ashamed of her. Glad that girl’s going around with her boyfriend. Glad they’re going to get married.”‘

Clinton said voters would think, “I like that little Down syndrome kid. One of them lives down the street. They’re wonderful children. They’re wonderful people. And I like the idea that this guy does those long-distance races. Stayed in the race for 500 miles with a broken arm. My kind of guy.”

Palin, the governor of Alaska, became an overnight star when Republican presidential candidate John McCain tapped her for his running mate. Her family, including her Down syndrome baby, Trig, her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, and her husband, Todd, four-time winner of the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race, have garnered intense media interest.

“I get this,” Clinton said. “My view is … why say, ever, anything bad about a person? Why don’t we like them and celebrate them and be happy for her elevation to the ticket? And just say that she was a good choice for him and we disagree with them?”

Nice little speech by Clinton, though I don't trust much that comes out of Slick Willie's mouth...but given his background, couldn't he have consulted his thesaurus ahd come up with a better adjective than "hot"???

Who am I supporting in this year's election?

2008-09-07T19:47:00.001-04:00

This should answer that question...

Amen.

Number One

2008-09-02T19:05:00.002-04:00

Do you know what song was Number One the day you were born?

Click here to find out.

Mine? ">To Sir With Love by Lulu.

When I think of this song, I remember a dance routine I saw on television once...it was, I believe, the farewell tour of champion Ballroom dancers Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin dancing the most beautiful, most sensual rumba I've ever seen.

What's yours?

Found it here.

New Ticker

2008-09-02T06:29:00.002-04:00

I found one of these on another blog and had resisted adding it to mine, but doggoneit, I'm actually losing weight and I want to chart it. I'm not following any special diet right now. I've just eliminated sweets as much as possible and I'm leaving those last few bites on my plate. That's all, and I've lost eight pounds in four weeks. I want to get out and start walking, but it's still too warm here and I'm not going to risk my health. I still can't believe it's working! My initial goal had been to lose 20 pounds before I go to my writer's convention at the end of October and if I keep on this pace, I'll pass that goal with no problem. Wish me luck!

Drainage Fail

2008-08-21T18:02:00.003-04:00

I found this on Failblog.org and just had to link it...this one had me gasping. There's no sound, so don't adjust your volume.

That poor guy!

A Prayer for the World

2008-08-09T10:27:00.001-04:00

This was initially part of the previous post, then I decided it needed its own entry.

These last couple weeks, my pastor has been preaching on Matthew 24 and what Jesus has to say about His return. If you haven't read that chapter, read it. Then read it again. And again. And again. Sound familiar? These things are happening to us now, today.

False Christs are multiplying like rats. Nations (Russia) rising against nations (Georgia). Famine and earthquakes are all around. Jesus tells us not to be alarmed about these things, that these things must happen before He is to return. When I look around at the world and what I see happening, I can only believe that He will be coming again soon. No one knows the day or the hour, only our Father in Heaven knows that. We can only prepare ourselves, to warn others that it's not too late to accept Jesus, to pray for those who need prayer.

Lord, I pray for anyone and everyone who reads this, that their eyes may be open, that their curiousity will peak, that they will read Your Word and come to know the Truth, that You are the Way and the Light and that You are coming again soon. I pray that they will come to know You before it is too late.

I pray for my friends Bob and Colleen. I don't know what trials they're going through right now, but You do, and I know that their faith in You will keep them strong, will keep them going, until they come through victorious in the end. And they will be victorious because they belong to You.

I pray for my pastor's mother, that her health will strengthen, that she will be healthy and can leave the hospital. I know she is struggling with the loss of her husband, but I also know that she and the rest of the family take comfort in knowing he is home with You.

I pray for Steve. He hasn't said exactly what, but I know he's going through something very difficult, and I know he is turing to You for strength. Please give him the strength and love he needs to overcome this difficulty and see him through to the end of this. Strengthen his faith and guide him in what he should do.

I pray for Pastor Joe and his wife, that they will safely conclude their travels (if they haven't already). His words touched my heart last Sunday and when he prayed over me, he prayed over the core of my need. I thank You for him and all the wonderful work he is doing in Africa. I pray that he will continue his mission here on Earth and bring many, many more people into Your kingdom, until his work here is done.

Finally, I pray for myself. I pray that my faith will continue to grow day by day, that I will continue to draw closer to You, so on that glorious day, I will be taken up with other believers to the safety of Your throne. Until that day comes, I pray for the strength to endure the trials I am going through and the ones to come. You have never failed to give me what I need when I need, and I know You will continue to care for me until the end.

In the precious name of Your beloved son, Jesus, I pray these things. Amen.

What is going on????

2008-08-09T10:08:00.001-04:00

I realize that having a politician finally admit what we all know is newsworthy, but is it more important than the ethnic cleansing going on in Georgia? BTW, Edwards, denying the child before DNA results come in is not a good move, because when you have to have another press conference to admit it's yours, you're going to look even more ridiculous. Also, claiming that it's a private matter when the entire world had to hear about your wife's breast cancer? Where exactly is that line drawn?

Another item off my checklist!

2008-07-26T19:53:00.003-04:00

Because I'm living with my mother right now, I don't have room for all my stuff in the house (it's a small house), so I have one of those off-site storage units. I've been wanting to go through the boxes and sort things out, throw away the trash, put aside things for Goodwill, and repack some of the boxes because they're starting to collapse. It took two Saturdays, but I finished today! Another item off the list!

I still have three boxes to go through. They're all personal files--old utility bills, bank statements, etc--and when I have a free weekend, I'll bring those home and sort them out. Old stuff will be shredded, I'll repack the keeper items, add new stuff and take them back to the unit. That'll be another time.

Another item on the list I'm working on is scrapbooking my photos. I have, oh, I don't know how many pictures...not even worth counting. But I'm determined to get them caught up. I finally finished my overseas trip and now I'm working on my nephew's wedding. If all goes well, I'll have them finished by the end of this month (just a couple days away!). Then I'll jump right in to my Milford trip, then I'll start all my South Carolina pictures. Then I'll hop into the Wayback machine and do all the older pictures.

But here's the sad thing. A few years ago, I used to sell Creative Memories scrapbooking/memorykeeping supplies. I quit about two years ago, mainly because I was in South Carolina and battling depression. I kept buying supplies to make my minimum quota sales, but did nothing with them. I packed them up and moved them to my Winchester storage unit and forgot about them.

I had a few things here at the house and finally decided to get rid of them by selling them on eBay. I sold a few items, then took that money and bought some CM-specific pages in white off of eBay so I could finish my nephew's wedding album. Today (back to the "sad thing"), as I was working in the storage unit, I came across a box half-full of CM-specific white pages! Here I went and spent money on something I already had! I'm still steamed over that. But because I'm the optimistic type and try to see the good in the bad, I can balance that discovery with the fact that I need page protectors as well, and found a whole stack of them before I went and bid on some.

This is why I was going through my storage unit, to see what I had. So now I know, and I'll be auctioning off a lot more stuff on eBay in the coming weeks. And yes, that's another item on the list! Not checked off yet, but hey, I'm working on it.

Another Item off the To-Do List, pt 2

2008-07-12T14:19:00.003-04:00

Just thought to add this...

For the past two months, I've been debating with myself about going to a writer's conference. It's in Myrtle Beach, so not too far a trek from Winchester, and it's at the end of October, which is a really nice time in MB--still warm enough to go to the beach, but far enough out of tourist season so the beaches will be empty. The cost is maybe a smidge high, but no so high as to be unreasonable, so I've really been debating it.

I've talked to several people about it, and they all said the same thing, which was "Go! Do it! You'll love it! You'll learn so much! You'll meet so many people!" etc, etc. Not a negative comment in the bunch. I did get differing opinions as to whether or not I should sign up for an agent/editor critique. I feel my work isn't really ready and some agreed that I should wait until I am, while others said an agent/editor would be able to give me guidance as to which way to go with my work. That, I guess, was the reason I was delaying making a choice. Deep down, I feel I'm right in not going for a critique yet, but I understood the other point of view as well. So, back and forth, should I? shouldn't I?

Yesterday, I finally said "Enough procrastinating! Isn't that why you've pushed yourself to finish the Belfast/Glasgow scrapbook? So stop putting off registering for the conference. Do it now before the seminars you want are sold out!" So I logged onto the site (here if you're interested), filled out the form and it's done! I'm going to my first writer's conference in October!

I have three good story ideas and I'm going to bring synopses/outlines of each, just so when someone asks what I'm working on, I can answer them intelligently. And I have some pre-work for one of my seminars, so I need to get going on that. So right now, not much to do to prepare, but some work to do.

So...my wonderful but silent fans...have any of you been to a writer's convention? Any ideas/tips of what I should/shouldn't do? Come on, you know you want to share!

Another Item off the To-Do List

2008-07-12T14:18:00.001-04:00

Three years ago this week, my mother and I set out on a journey overseas, to spend eleven days in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Glasgow, Scotland. Part adventure, part work, we went to do a little genealogy research and, heck, just to see these two great cities.

My mom’s grandfather was from Northern Ireland and he we know he was a school teacher in the village of Ballindrum (which no longer exists, but we know where it was). They left Ballindrum for Belfast and her father was born in Belfast. They then moved to Glasgow when he was about ten years old. His father joined the ship-building trade and I imagine my grandfather did as well before emigrating to the United States.

While we were there, I took—no joke—just over 700 pictures. I figured I may never go back (though I’d love to go back to Belfast), so I might as well take as many pictures as I can.

Why am I telling you this? Because, after three long years, I finally, FINALLY, finished my scrapbook of this trip!

Oh, relax, I’m not going to start preaching about the wonders and pleasures of scrapbooking. I might start preaching about the pleasures of getting over the procrastination bug and finishing a project, though. It gave me such a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that something I’d been thinking about and worrying about and fretting about for three years is finally done and I don’t have to think about it any more! Do you know what that’s like? It’s bliss, I tell you, bliss.

But here’s the funny part. I pushed myself to work on it every evening this week. Monday evening I gathered together everything I needed. Tuesday, I journaled the Belfast portion of the trip, Wednesday I journaled the Glasgow portion of the trip (adding a few embellishments to the pages each night), Thursday I put each page into page protector sleeves and Friday night I bound all the pages into two books, then put everything away. I was done around 10:15-10:30 each night, but Friday I was done around 8:30, tired, satisfied, and yet strangely, at loose ends. I wanted to keep working! I was glad I was done but I wanted to do more. But I forced myself to relax and just enjoy the evening…because Saturday I start a new project!

The pictures of my nephew’s wedding came in on Thursday, and I want to get those into an album as quickly as possible. Far fewer pictures—about 200—so it shouldn’t take me three years…hopefully only three weekends. I want these done because I still have all my South Carolina pictures (Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head), plus my trip to Chicago, not to mention all the pictures of my nieces and nephew that have been crowding numerous picture boxes for numerous years…

Let's get all caught up, shall we?

2008-07-05T23:05:00.000-04:00

Hello all my lovely fans! So sorry I’ve been away for so long. I’d like to say I had a good reason, and in some ways I do, but the truth is, I’ve been both busy and lazy.

So here’s what’s been going on:

I had to finish my final writing assignment and it was a blast! I had to write a query letter, a cover letter, fill out a publisher’s choice form, and write the synopsis of my entire story. The letters I wrote pretty quickly, and the form was easy, so I figured the synopsis would be the hardest part. Wrong! The words just flowed from my brain to my fingertips and it practically wrote itself. I did most of it at work because there was nothing going on there for about a week or so, and I had to look busy, so that’s what I worked on. There were several scenes that I hadn’t worked out yet but as I worked on synopsizing the scenes I had already planned, ideas came for the missing scenes and it all fit together perfectly. I really was stunned at how easily it all came together. I’m so glad that’s done, but now the hard part comes. I have to write the rest of my novel!

My nephew MR and his wife SR flew in from Montana to attend his brother’s wedding. They flew out a week and a half before the wedding day and all I could think of was “why so early?” SR had never been to the east coast before, so MR wanted to show her around the area, and they saw quite a bit. She was in awe of our fair city of Winchester, and he took her into DC. They also went to Luray Caverns and Six Flags in Maryland. She really enjoyed herself and MR enjoyed showing her around. But a week and a half before the wedding? I didn’t understand why they needed to be here that early…until I found out that MR wanted to be here for the bachelor party, which was to be held in Atlantic City, NJ. MR is a poker player and has been to Las Vegas a couple times to play, so he was eager to play in Atlantic City. Unfortunately, the casinos they went to don’t have poker tables. There was blackjack, and video poker and slots, but that’s not MR’s game. He wants Texas Hold’em, Five Card, etc. To say he was disappointed is an understatement.

Oh, and the best news of all…while they were here, SR discovered that she’s pregnant! I’m going to be a great aunt! No offense to my step-niece, but this baby is going to be of my blood, therefore, it’s my first! I’m so excited for them! Of course, they had said from the beginning that they didn’t want to have children, and they hadn’t changed their minds. God changed their minds for them. MR said it was his fault, and Mom/Grandma/Future Great-Grandma said “Um, yeah, of course it’s your fault!” hahahaha But she talked to them both, helped them see the bright side of the situation, and they were both calmer about the news once she was done talking to them. My mom’s good at that.

I’m going to tell you a secret…This all happened on Thursday, and after the “announcement,” they went to spend the day at Six Flags in Maryland. Mom and I went out to dinner, and she told me then. I had to keep it quiet…not allowed to tell anyone until they themselves decided to announce it. I didn’t have to keep it secret for long. At the wedding rehearsal dinner, MR made the announcement and everyone was so excited for them.

Oh, and the wedding was wonderful! GR & BR (my new niece-in-law) make such a beautiful couple and it was a perfect outdoor wedding. Well, it was a bit humid, but at least it didn’t rain. Wait…take that back, it did rain, but not until we were all safely partying at the hotel. BR made such a lovely bride and they couldn’t stop smiling at each other throughout the ceremony. You could just see the love there between them. And I took tons of pictures, which I have already put into an album and it’s waiting for them to return from their honeymoon so I can present it to them. They’re going to love it. I just wish his mother and grandfather (my dad) could have been there to see it. Well, I believe they were there…in spirit. Just wish they could have been there in the flesh.

Let’s see…what else…Oh, I’m participating in JulNoWriMo—that’s July Novel Writing Month, just like the NaNoWriMo I did last November. The difference is that it’s promoted by a different organization…and it’s a different month. The story I’m writing may not be long enough. I don’t know if I’m going to reach 50,000 words with this story, but I’m going to try. And if I run out of words before I run out of month, oh well. It’s putting me in the right frame of mind to just crank out the words. I’m a bit behind in my word count. I should be at 8065 words and I’m actually around 5925 words with two chapters written. I hope to have chapter three finished by tomorrow. I may post the story here when it’s done so my three loyal readers can review it and tell me what they think. I haven’t decided yet.

I think that’s all for now. You’re all caught up. And I promise, I won’t wait so long to make my next post. (Yeah yeah, I’ve made that promise before, I know. You’ll just have to wait and see.)

I'm so proud of myself...

2008-05-29T21:50:00.002-04:00

If my arm was long enough, I'd pat myself on the back !!

I haven't posted lately because, frankly, I've been too busy doing nothing.

Doesn't make sense, you say? Oh, but it does, and I'm betting each and every one of my readers (all three of you) would agree.

My list of things to do--personal projects, you might say--seems to grow by the day. As a result, I have so much to do, that I don't know where to start, so I usually wind up playing computer games all evening until it's time for bed.

But I'm working to change all that. For example, I love to read, but I've been so busy, I haven't had the time. It used to be a day couldn't end until I read something. Now an entire week can go by without me reading a word (I'm talking books and magazines, of course, not blogs and anything else I read on the computer). I've finished two books this month and am working on my third. I won't finish that third before the end of the month, but hey, I finished two!

That's not why I'm proud of myself, though. Let me tell you why I am (and end the nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat tension). I teach Sunday school, and every quarter when we are given our new lessons, I tell myself to spend an hour or two one day and pull all the applicable worksheets for the new quarter. I have these great workbooks that go along with certain Bible verses and I like to give them to the kids when the planned lesson runs out and I need to fill in that last ten minutes. So even though I tell myself to pull the worksheets, I don't, and I usually wind up Saturday evening--or even Sunday morning--frantically searching to see if I have a worksheet that works with that week's lesson.

I received the new quarter's lessons TWO SUNDAYS AGO. TWO. The first lesson of the new quarter starts this coming Sunday. And when did I pull the worksheets? That's right, TODAY! That's why I'm so proud of myself. I'll take them into work tomorrow so I can make photocopies and I'll place them all in a folder and keep that folder with my workbook so no more last minute scrambling for worksheets.

This isn't the first time, you see, that I told myself not to wait until the last minute to pull the worksheets and, next thing I know, it's that last minute mad-dash frantic scrambling. But not this quarter!

Man, that feels good!

Tomorrow, when I have a break at work, I'll check my to-do list and see if I can't mark something else off tomorrow night, and what I can accomplish this weekend. Let's hope this new me lasts longer than a couple days!

I'm Back!

2008-05-20T21:09:00.022-04:00

Okay, okay...so it's been a little bit more than two weeks since I got back, but at least I'm here again...and I have pictures!

But first, a little update...

I finished Assignment 7 and sent it off. I had to edit the first chapter and it really needed it. There was always a little something I didn't like about the first scene and I finally realized what it was. The structure was off, my protagonist's emotions were all over the place and it just didn't "feel" right, so I rewrote it. It's so much better now. I'm just waiting to hear what my instructor has to say.

Just one assignment left and I'm on my own. Unfortunately, finishing this story may not be so easy...while Mom and I were driving to Connecticut, we began to discuss a little mystery that recently cropped up in my family. As we talked about it, we started constructing this great plot and Mom said, "You're the writer. You need to write this!" So while I write the scenes I already planned for one story, I'm researching another. I'll probably end up writing both at the same time. It'll be interesting to see which gets finished first.

As for my aunt, she's actually doing okay. Unfortunately, the Parkinson's is destroying her brain and there's no going back, but she's not doing as bad as everyone made it seem. This was going to be Mom's last trip while Alice is still alive, but she's decided that she does want to go again, and will likely be going next month. I'm not surprised...Mom and her sister are really close and since we have no way of knowing when Alice will die, Mom will want to see her as often as she can.

It's funny...I used to go to my aunt's house in Milford pretty regularly but it was always directly to her house and back out again. What little I ever saw of Milford was just one or two streets with a few old shops, old houses, an elementary school and its ball field. Never gave me much of an impression of the town I was born in. When my grandmother died in 1990, it was the first time I actually got to see a lot more of the town. And about eight years ago that I realized just how close my aunt lived to the beach. Just a block or so down the road, and I never knew. And it was only with those last few visits that I realized just how pretty the town really is.

Here's a picture of the Old Stone Tower. It's located at the Stone Bridge at the end of the Milford Green.

The bridge spans the Wapawaug River...

Which runs behind the Town Hall...(this is the front view)

Here's the river behind the Town Hall

This pic is my favorite. You can practically hear the water as it runs over that little waterfall.

There are more pictures, but these are the best of the bunch. I may post more later, we'll see.

Going away for a few days

2008-05-02T06:45:00.003-04:00

Like you'd notice...Mom and I are heading for Connecticut to visit family, in CT & NY. Her sister is in a nursing home and Mom's not so confident about the level of care she's receiving. Either the staff is completely incompetent, or my uncle is getting his stories confused. Mom wants to be sure, so off we go.

Assignment 7 is almost done in my writing class. My instructor was kind enough to say I could take an extra week or two if I needed it. Considering it was due last Friday and I'm not quite 100% happy with it, you could say I need it. I hope to get my final edits in this weekend and send it off on Monday.

I'm also considering going to a writers conference in late October in Myrtle Beach. I've never been to one, and I know my story won't be done by then, but going would be a good learning experience, kind of like auditing a college course. Registration doesn't open for another month, so I still have time to consider it.

Mom said "Be ready in 5 minutes," so I'd better finish up. Happy trails to us...until we meet again!

Yeah, baby!

2008-04-25T22:48:00.002-04:00

I scored a Far Out
85% on theQuiz by SheGoddess: Quick Weight Loss