Yes, I know, I suck. I just can't keep up with everything. *sigh* But I sincerely hope that's going to be getting better soon. After all, what's the point of having this space here if I never write anything to fill it?
I do have book news. I received an offer for The Silver Spoon, which is great! I'm not at liberty to discuss the details since the deal is not yet done and we may yet encounter obstacles, but I'm happy to be moving in the right direction. There is also interest in the second book on their part, too, so I'm hopeful that will work out as well. I'll keep you posted as soon as I know anything definite.
I also bought my costume for RT. I went for the non-saucy tavern wench. Thank you to everyone who weighed in on this important decision. (yeah, Beck, you're right. I'm not brave enough to be "saucy," particularly when that word translates pretty much to more exposed bosom. *grin*)
In non-book related news, I have to tell you that I love the new show, Ugly Betty. It is so funny and sweet and dear God, I relate to her. It's horrible being the only awkward, un-put-together person in a group of beautiful people. Think I'm kidding? Ask those who remember me in my freshman year in high school. A frightening amount of metal braces, bangs that added a least three inches to my height and caused the depletion of the ozone layer on a daily basis thanks to the amount of hairspray needed, HUGE Sally Jesse Raphael red glasses....*shudder* It's just too awful to contemplate.
Anyway, "Betty" is awesome. If you haven't already, check it out. : ) It's easy enough to do so with it being right ahead of Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays!
Hope to be back here with more news soon!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
"Be bold, wear gold."
I had an awesome birthday weekend. First of all, my birthday was on a weekend. It doesn't get any better than that. Second, it was a three day weekend--rather I made it one, but same difference. Third, a brand new, TWO HOUR Battlestar Galactica was on Friday night that I saved for Saturday. And finally, my husband got me some awesome gifts that he picked out ON HIS OWN. He got us tickets to see "Annie Warbucks," a sequel to "Annie," at the Woodstock Opera House. Woodstock is where they filmed parts of one of my very favorite movies, Groundhog Day. Then he got me a gift certificate to Ann Taylor Loft, where I shop for my work clothes and book event clothes. He also picked up The Little Mermaid on DVD, which is one of my favorite Disney movies, memorized from when my sister was little, and two books that I would have bought myself! And I didn't even hint to him about any of it. Good job, Greg!!!
We saw the show on Saturday night, and it was a lot of fun. The kids playing the orphans were so freaking adorable. Sunday night, so as to avoid the construction into Indiana, we headed to Valpo, my home away from home. My sister had a college visit day there on Monday, and Greg and I decided to tag along. Just being there has the most peculiar effect on me. I'm happy, but also homesick because I don't belong there anymore and no one I know lives on campus anymore. Though, at one point, when I was crossing campus, I heard someone call a name ending in the "e" sound, and my head jerked around automatically looking for someone to be calling me. Um, hello? It's been almost ten years since I graduated. It was fun to show Susan the dorms and the cafeteria and stuff. I hope that she was able to see it as a potential school for her rather than just my school, but we'll see.
I got to visit with one of my professors and just feel like I was at home again, which was nice. Valpo was the first place in my life where I ever felt like I belonged. And life was good there. I told Greg that even though things weren't always easy there, sometimes I still miss being there and living that life so much it makes my chest ache. (Not that it would be the same without the people because that's what made it so good--What do you say, my fellow alums? Want to chuck it all and move back into the dorm? I'm sure no one will notice the husbands/wives, kids and the dogs and real furniture...). Other times, I'm insanely grateful for my non-communal bathroom and whole house versus square cement block room. : )
For other Valpo grads, you should know that brown and gold is in in a big way now. I remember when you couldn't even find a sweatshirt in those colors in the bookstore. Now they have the slogan all over the ARC, "Be bold, wear gold."
I bought a brown and gold sweatshirt. : ) Call me a sucker for a good marketing campaign.
We saw the show on Saturday night, and it was a lot of fun. The kids playing the orphans were so freaking adorable. Sunday night, so as to avoid the construction into Indiana, we headed to Valpo, my home away from home. My sister had a college visit day there on Monday, and Greg and I decided to tag along. Just being there has the most peculiar effect on me. I'm happy, but also homesick because I don't belong there anymore and no one I know lives on campus anymore. Though, at one point, when I was crossing campus, I heard someone call a name ending in the "e" sound, and my head jerked around automatically looking for someone to be calling me. Um, hello? It's been almost ten years since I graduated. It was fun to show Susan the dorms and the cafeteria and stuff. I hope that she was able to see it as a potential school for her rather than just my school, but we'll see.
I got to visit with one of my professors and just feel like I was at home again, which was nice. Valpo was the first place in my life where I ever felt like I belonged. And life was good there. I told Greg that even though things weren't always easy there, sometimes I still miss being there and living that life so much it makes my chest ache. (Not that it would be the same without the people because that's what made it so good--What do you say, my fellow alums? Want to chuck it all and move back into the dorm? I'm sure no one will notice the husbands/wives, kids and the dogs and real furniture...). Other times, I'm insanely grateful for my non-communal bathroom and whole house versus square cement block room. : )
For other Valpo grads, you should know that brown and gold is in in a big way now. I remember when you couldn't even find a sweatshirt in those colors in the bookstore. Now they have the slogan all over the ARC, "Be bold, wear gold."
I bought a brown and gold sweatshirt. : ) Call me a sucker for a good marketing campaign.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
More towel moments in our future...
Check out this little tidbit I picked up from Eonline....
McDreamy, McSteamy and McVet all on the same show?!? I don't think my heart can take it. : )
McDreamy, McSteamy and McVet all on the same show?!? I don't think my heart can take it. : )
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Tell me...
Am I the only one who hit the pause button when Mark walked on the screen in that very poor excuse for a towel? Wow. Soooo happy to see him again. "Maybe fate will come down on the side of the dirty mistresses this time." Yea for dirty mistresses--in this particular case, at least. I like Mark, weird flat ears not withstanding--yes, I have inherited my family's ability to find one annoying or strange characteristic about a television personality and fixate on it enough to drive everyone crazy. Ask my dad about a certain newscaster who always puffed out his cheeks like a bullfrog before speaking. You didn't notice until he, my dad, pointed it out, and then that's all I could see. Have I mentioned that we're odd?
More later...
: )
More later...
: )
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Poor Tivo
Tonight's line up:
-Grey's Anatomy Special (probably just a clips show from last season, but I'm still not going to miss it!) Maybe they'll show the "you don't get to call me a whore" speech, which was just freaking awesome.
-The Office. Pam, Jim, *sigh* That kiss....Jim is so dreamy. : )
-My Name is Earl. Nothing beats Jason Lee in that mustache, but throw in karma on top of it, and I love it.
-CSI: Las Vegas. Sara and Grissom in a hotel room?!? Are they really going to go through with this? Am I squicked out or intrigued. I have to tune in to find out!
-Grey's Anatomy, the regular show. Seriously. Who can miss this? I was always a Mer/Der person until he and Meredith had sex in the last episode last season. I like Addison and she deserves better than this. Meredith should grab McVet and run, but I know she won't. *sigh* Wait, um, I meant, grab him and take him away with her, not just grab and run, like squeeze and leave. Hee. : ) There are so many double entendres right there and I really didn't even mean them!
So, yeah, I guess I'll be leaving the house again sometime next week after I've caught up on all of this! : ) So excited for new tv! And in the best birthday present ever (well, day before my birthday present), Battlestar Galactica returns with all new, presumably kickass episodes on October 6! I would say that Fridays are awesome again, but that's never NOT been true. So, they're just...awesome-er. Um, yeah.
-Grey's Anatomy Special (probably just a clips show from last season, but I'm still not going to miss it!) Maybe they'll show the "you don't get to call me a whore" speech, which was just freaking awesome.
-The Office. Pam, Jim, *sigh* That kiss....Jim is so dreamy. : )
-My Name is Earl. Nothing beats Jason Lee in that mustache, but throw in karma on top of it, and I love it.
-CSI: Las Vegas. Sara and Grissom in a hotel room?!? Are they really going to go through with this? Am I squicked out or intrigued. I have to tune in to find out!
-Grey's Anatomy, the regular show. Seriously. Who can miss this? I was always a Mer/Der person until he and Meredith had sex in the last episode last season. I like Addison and she deserves better than this. Meredith should grab McVet and run, but I know she won't. *sigh* Wait, um, I meant, grab him and take him away with her, not just grab and run, like squeeze and leave. Hee. : ) There are so many double entendres right there and I really didn't even mean them!
So, yeah, I guess I'll be leaving the house again sometime next week after I've caught up on all of this! : ) So excited for new tv! And in the best birthday present ever (well, day before my birthday present), Battlestar Galactica returns with all new, presumably kickass episodes on October 6! I would say that Fridays are awesome again, but that's never NOT been true. So, they're just...awesome-er. Um, yeah.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Dirty Minds
Forgot to mention, Greg had two doctors last weekend, both of which were very nice and did a good job. : )
But me being me, I couldn't help but notice that one was named Dr. Beaver and the other was Dr. Johnson. No lie. Do you think they ever get together for private consultations?
*snicker*
But me being me, I couldn't help but notice that one was named Dr. Beaver and the other was Dr. Johnson. No lie. Do you think they ever get together for private consultations?
*snicker*
Sunday, September 17, 2006
"At night, the sporks pick on me."--Taco Bell Sauce Packet
So, once again, I'm late with updating my blog. But this time, I promise, I have a good reason. If your husband losing a body part is a good reason. I think it is.
Last week at this time, I was in Baraboo, Wisconsin, waiting for my husband to be released from the hospital after his emergency appendectomy. But let me back up a bit.
Last Friday, Greg had decided to head up to Wisconsin with all his buddies for a fantasy football draft, and I was relishing the idea of weekend of watching chick-flicks and reading books! Jane Austen, you're on my list. In fact, you ARE my list. : )
But then on Saturday morning, Greg called from Wisconsin and said that he wasn't feeling well, so much so that he was contemplating going to the emergency room. I told him to go, immediately. Just by the fact that my doctor-resistant husband even mentioned going to the hospital voluntarily, I knew something was wrong.
I got a call a couple of hours later from my brother-in-law, who, thankfully, was at the same draft along with several other good friends who were key in convincing Greg to go to the hospital. Brian said, "Greg has to have his appendix out. He's going into surgery at 1:30."
My response? "You're sh*tting me." Not very polite, and not something I normally would have said to him, but surprise apparently knocked my filter loose. My mother-in-law just had her appendix removed last month in an emergency surgery. Something in the air?!?
So, I called around frantically and got our pet-sitter lined up to come over and let out the dogs and got my brother lined up to handle the potty breaks that the pet-sitter wouldn't be available for, packed up the car, got cash and gas and headed up three hours to the hospital in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
The surgery was already done before I got there, and he came through it fine, thankfully. His appendix had not perforated, so they were able to remove it laproscopically. I spent the night in the hospital on Saturday night, which was...interesting. The staff at the hospital was awesome. They rolled in a bed for me and everything. But after listening to the guy down the hall upchuck violently for about the fifth time, I had to get up and close the door. I told my husband, "I hate hospitals, they're full of sick people." Which, as you know, for me as a borderline germophobe is very difficult. : ) I took a very long, hot shower with lots of soap when I got home. If I could have rolled myself around in the anti-bacterial, handwash Purell stuff, I would have done that too!
Greg is doing fine now. His incisions are healing up and everything. I asked him, freak that I am, if he got to see his appendix, like in a jar or something, once they took it out. He said no. I told him that I would have told them that I wanted to see it afterward and could they please save it? I mean, seriously, how many times in your life do you get to see something as mysterious as one of your own internal organs? Not often, right? I wouldn't want to keep it or anything, but just to see it. His response? "You're weird." And I said, "Yeah, but I was born this way, you voluntarily married into the weirdness that is me. " : ) He didn't seem to find that too funny.
So he's at home this week recovering and is doing much better. Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes, sudoku puzzles, cards and phone calls. And a HUGE thank you to Brian, my brother-in-law, and our friend, Troy, for getting Greg to go to the hospital. Appendicitis--another instance in life where machismo can kill you, if you're not careful.
OTHER STUFF
-Book stuff is going on. Will let you know as soon as I have something to report! : )
-I'm looking into getting a costume for RT in the spring, and now is the time to do it as Target has some cute costumes for grown ups. I'm thinking either the Tavern Wench or the Saucy Tavern Wench. This one also makes me laugh. If I had lots of money, I would be this. Arwen was always my favorite character from LOTR. Of course, in the "be true to who you really are," there's always this option. "So she sleeps above the covers. Four feet above the covers. She barks, she drools, she claws--" "It's not the girl, Peter. It's the building." : )
Last week at this time, I was in Baraboo, Wisconsin, waiting for my husband to be released from the hospital after his emergency appendectomy. But let me back up a bit.
Last Friday, Greg had decided to head up to Wisconsin with all his buddies for a fantasy football draft, and I was relishing the idea of weekend of watching chick-flicks and reading books! Jane Austen, you're on my list. In fact, you ARE my list. : )
But then on Saturday morning, Greg called from Wisconsin and said that he wasn't feeling well, so much so that he was contemplating going to the emergency room. I told him to go, immediately. Just by the fact that my doctor-resistant husband even mentioned going to the hospital voluntarily, I knew something was wrong.
I got a call a couple of hours later from my brother-in-law, who, thankfully, was at the same draft along with several other good friends who were key in convincing Greg to go to the hospital. Brian said, "Greg has to have his appendix out. He's going into surgery at 1:30."
My response? "You're sh*tting me." Not very polite, and not something I normally would have said to him, but surprise apparently knocked my filter loose. My mother-in-law just had her appendix removed last month in an emergency surgery. Something in the air?!?
So, I called around frantically and got our pet-sitter lined up to come over and let out the dogs and got my brother lined up to handle the potty breaks that the pet-sitter wouldn't be available for, packed up the car, got cash and gas and headed up three hours to the hospital in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
The surgery was already done before I got there, and he came through it fine, thankfully. His appendix had not perforated, so they were able to remove it laproscopically. I spent the night in the hospital on Saturday night, which was...interesting. The staff at the hospital was awesome. They rolled in a bed for me and everything. But after listening to the guy down the hall upchuck violently for about the fifth time, I had to get up and close the door. I told my husband, "I hate hospitals, they're full of sick people." Which, as you know, for me as a borderline germophobe is very difficult. : ) I took a very long, hot shower with lots of soap when I got home. If I could have rolled myself around in the anti-bacterial, handwash Purell stuff, I would have done that too!
Greg is doing fine now. His incisions are healing up and everything. I asked him, freak that I am, if he got to see his appendix, like in a jar or something, once they took it out. He said no. I told him that I would have told them that I wanted to see it afterward and could they please save it? I mean, seriously, how many times in your life do you get to see something as mysterious as one of your own internal organs? Not often, right? I wouldn't want to keep it or anything, but just to see it. His response? "You're weird." And I said, "Yeah, but I was born this way, you voluntarily married into the weirdness that is me. " : ) He didn't seem to find that too funny.
So he's at home this week recovering and is doing much better. Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes, sudoku puzzles, cards and phone calls. And a HUGE thank you to Brian, my brother-in-law, and our friend, Troy, for getting Greg to go to the hospital. Appendicitis--another instance in life where machismo can kill you, if you're not careful.
OTHER STUFF
-Book stuff is going on. Will let you know as soon as I have something to report! : )
-I'm looking into getting a costume for RT in the spring, and now is the time to do it as Target has some cute costumes for grown ups. I'm thinking either the Tavern Wench or the Saucy Tavern Wench. This one also makes me laugh. If I had lots of money, I would be this. Arwen was always my favorite character from LOTR. Of course, in the "be true to who you really are," there's always this option. "So she sleeps above the covers. Four feet above the covers. She barks, she drools, she claws--" "It's not the girl, Peter. It's the building." : )
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
The latest and greatest...or something like that.
We were out of town this weekend for my cousin's wedding in Michigan--which was beautiful as it was held at an outdoor herb garden/farm--so I'm running a little behind this week. : )
NEVER GIVE A HYPOCHONDRIAC THE WORST CASE SCENARIO
So the side of my nose has had a little red spot on it for several years now. The first dermatologist, when I asked, told me it was the beginning of rosacea (spelling?) which is a condition that occurs in many fair-skinned people. It never got any worse, so I decided to ignore it as it could mostly be covered by make up. But then my regular doctor noticed it this year and was concerned, so she sent me to a different dermatologist who immediately recognized it as either cancerous or pre-cancerous. Fun, right?
So now I've got this special cream to apply to fix it. Only the side effects listed on the pharmacy insert promptly freaked me out. Especially because within fifteen minutes of reading them, I felt sure that I was experiencing every single one of them in this vague, undefined, "Am I nauseous? If I am, that means I'm experiencing one of these horrible side effects and oh, yeah, now I'm definitely feeling sick to my stomach" kind of way. "Hair loss? My ponytail does feel a little skinnier than normal. I don't know..."
FREE T-SHIRT
I've been going to the gym three or four times a week now for a few weeks. Hoping it makes a difference with what one writer in RWA calls "desk butt." : ) But with the three day weekend and being out of town, I fell off my regular schedule and did not feel like going in yesterday. But then when I got home from work yesterday, feeling very unmotivated to change my clothes and drag myself into the gym, I found we had a voicemail from the gym telling me that I'd earned a free t-shirt with all my earlier dedication.
We used to say in college that people will do just about anything for a free t-shirt. Credit card companies would come to campus and offer free t-shirts for those who signed up.
And you know what, it works. It got me to leave my house yesterday to work out because I wanted to get my free t-shirt. : )
PANIC BUTTON
We were waiting in the Chinese restaurant for our take out order to be ready, and as some of you already know, I'm a born fidgeter. I can't sit still. So, I was fiddling with my husband's keys, and I noticed that the little red button on the back of the key fob is actually labled "Panic." For whatever reason, it made me imagine pushing the button whenever I panicked about anything in life. Worried about your the low balance in your checking account--just press the "Panic" button! A little freaked out about getting everything done at work--that's what the "Panic" button is for. I haven't quite figured out yet what happens in either of those situations when you press the "panic" button, but I feel it should involve a small mysterious man in a dark suit appearing suddenly. : )
NEVER GIVE A HYPOCHONDRIAC THE WORST CASE SCENARIO
So the side of my nose has had a little red spot on it for several years now. The first dermatologist, when I asked, told me it was the beginning of rosacea (spelling?) which is a condition that occurs in many fair-skinned people. It never got any worse, so I decided to ignore it as it could mostly be covered by make up. But then my regular doctor noticed it this year and was concerned, so she sent me to a different dermatologist who immediately recognized it as either cancerous or pre-cancerous. Fun, right?
So now I've got this special cream to apply to fix it. Only the side effects listed on the pharmacy insert promptly freaked me out. Especially because within fifteen minutes of reading them, I felt sure that I was experiencing every single one of them in this vague, undefined, "Am I nauseous? If I am, that means I'm experiencing one of these horrible side effects and oh, yeah, now I'm definitely feeling sick to my stomach" kind of way. "Hair loss? My ponytail does feel a little skinnier than normal. I don't know..."
FREE T-SHIRT
I've been going to the gym three or four times a week now for a few weeks. Hoping it makes a difference with what one writer in RWA calls "desk butt." : ) But with the three day weekend and being out of town, I fell off my regular schedule and did not feel like going in yesterday. But then when I got home from work yesterday, feeling very unmotivated to change my clothes and drag myself into the gym, I found we had a voicemail from the gym telling me that I'd earned a free t-shirt with all my earlier dedication.
We used to say in college that people will do just about anything for a free t-shirt. Credit card companies would come to campus and offer free t-shirts for those who signed up.
And you know what, it works. It got me to leave my house yesterday to work out because I wanted to get my free t-shirt. : )
PANIC BUTTON
We were waiting in the Chinese restaurant for our take out order to be ready, and as some of you already know, I'm a born fidgeter. I can't sit still. So, I was fiddling with my husband's keys, and I noticed that the little red button on the back of the key fob is actually labled "Panic." For whatever reason, it made me imagine pushing the button whenever I panicked about anything in life. Worried about your the low balance in your checking account--just press the "Panic" button! A little freaked out about getting everything done at work--that's what the "Panic" button is for. I haven't quite figured out yet what happens in either of those situations when you press the "panic" button, but I feel it should involve a small mysterious man in a dark suit appearing suddenly. : )
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Saturday, August 26, 2006
What to say...
I relied upon my brain this week instead of jotting down my normal list of topics, and yes, I know I should know better than that.
But here's what I can recall of the list:
Mastering the art of the treadmill
Luke Skywalker's cousin
CSI on the storm door
Sometimes the world sucks
Books
MASTERING THE ART OF THE TREADMILL
I would like you to know that I've gone another week without falling off the treadmill and/or dropping my iPod on the treadmill. In fact, I have conquered the need to cling desperately to the grab-bars and can now walk freely on the treadmill as though I were simply on a moving sidewalk...a really fast moving sidewalk. This is better because now my arms aren't tired from holding on so hard. : ) I also broke down and bought more workout clothes. Unfortunately, the cute little yoga pants I bought are way too comfy and far more suited for laying on the couch than working out.
LUKE SKYWALKER'S COUSIN
It finally occurred to me, after who knows how many viewings of Star Wars, that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had no children of their own, or at least that we're told of. (Feel free to tell me otherwise, fellow Star Wars geeks). But it makes me wonder, why not? I mean, was Luke such a whiney brat that they didn't want to have to deal with another kid around? Were they afraid good old D.V. would coming looking for a custody visit? I'm thinking this is yet another sign of how things changed from the start of the series to the end. In the beginning, I think I always assumed that Luke was placed with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, an older couple who could have no children of their own. And yet, according to the new movies, they were very young and presumably fertile people who could have had their own kid(s).
Yes, these are the kinds of things that scamper about in my brain when I should be thinking of other things. (Also, I know that technically any child of Owen and Beru's would not really have been Luke's cousin as Owen is something more like his step uncle or something. Owen's father married Anakin's mother, which would make Anakin and Owen stepbrothers, in theory. So Owen's kids would really have been no relation to Luke, except by marriage...or something.) I don't know why, but I feel like Owen and Beru had kind of a cool story (well, except for the end of it, of course) that we don't know much about. I want to know why Owen agreed to take in the child of his stepmother's kid whom he didn't seem to particularly care for when they met initially.
CSI ON THE STORM DOOR
We have a storm door leading into our house that is basically one big sheet of glass in a metal frame. The other night I was fascinated to discover that you could see all the finger and palm prints on the door from our comings and goings. I then proceeded to entertain myself by distinguishing between full on palm prints, side of the hand prints and just plain old fingerprints. Yeah, I think maybe I need to cut back on my CSI intake.
SOMETIMES THE WORLD SUCKS
This is for you, Stacy G.! You're better off without them. : ) And rest assured, what goes around comes around, it always does. For those who don't know, Stacy just had a bad week job-wise (and she gave me permission to commiserate with her here). She worked really hard for some people, and they didn't appreciate it at all. In fact, they did pretty much the opposite of appreciating it. So everyone, please send positive and reassuring thoughts in her direction, m'kay? I always hate reminders that the world isn't fair (a sucky lesson that I'm forced to keep learning) and that bad things happen to people who don't deserve it.
BOOKS
Just finished a very funny one called Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane. I have absolutely no book news of my own which is a little frustrating. I have two unrelated books out and about, and yet, I have nothing to report! Ugh. Wait...actually, that's not true. I did send out the marketing plan for Bitter Pill (thanks for the edit, Stacy G.), and I'm now waiting to hear back. I'm hoping that the three weeks it took me to find time to write it all down hasn't caused the publisher to forget about me. Eeek! Hopefully, there will be something official to report soon.
But here's what I can recall of the list:
Mastering the art of the treadmill
Luke Skywalker's cousin
CSI on the storm door
Sometimes the world sucks
Books
MASTERING THE ART OF THE TREADMILL
I would like you to know that I've gone another week without falling off the treadmill and/or dropping my iPod on the treadmill. In fact, I have conquered the need to cling desperately to the grab-bars and can now walk freely on the treadmill as though I were simply on a moving sidewalk...a really fast moving sidewalk. This is better because now my arms aren't tired from holding on so hard. : ) I also broke down and bought more workout clothes. Unfortunately, the cute little yoga pants I bought are way too comfy and far more suited for laying on the couch than working out.
LUKE SKYWALKER'S COUSIN
It finally occurred to me, after who knows how many viewings of Star Wars, that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had no children of their own, or at least that we're told of. (Feel free to tell me otherwise, fellow Star Wars geeks). But it makes me wonder, why not? I mean, was Luke such a whiney brat that they didn't want to have to deal with another kid around? Were they afraid good old D.V. would coming looking for a custody visit? I'm thinking this is yet another sign of how things changed from the start of the series to the end. In the beginning, I think I always assumed that Luke was placed with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, an older couple who could have no children of their own. And yet, according to the new movies, they were very young and presumably fertile people who could have had their own kid(s).
Yes, these are the kinds of things that scamper about in my brain when I should be thinking of other things. (Also, I know that technically any child of Owen and Beru's would not really have been Luke's cousin as Owen is something more like his step uncle or something. Owen's father married Anakin's mother, which would make Anakin and Owen stepbrothers, in theory. So Owen's kids would really have been no relation to Luke, except by marriage...or something.) I don't know why, but I feel like Owen and Beru had kind of a cool story (well, except for the end of it, of course) that we don't know much about. I want to know why Owen agreed to take in the child of his stepmother's kid whom he didn't seem to particularly care for when they met initially.
CSI ON THE STORM DOOR
We have a storm door leading into our house that is basically one big sheet of glass in a metal frame. The other night I was fascinated to discover that you could see all the finger and palm prints on the door from our comings and goings. I then proceeded to entertain myself by distinguishing between full on palm prints, side of the hand prints and just plain old fingerprints. Yeah, I think maybe I need to cut back on my CSI intake.
SOMETIMES THE WORLD SUCKS
This is for you, Stacy G.! You're better off without them. : ) And rest assured, what goes around comes around, it always does. For those who don't know, Stacy just had a bad week job-wise (and she gave me permission to commiserate with her here). She worked really hard for some people, and they didn't appreciate it at all. In fact, they did pretty much the opposite of appreciating it. So everyone, please send positive and reassuring thoughts in her direction, m'kay? I always hate reminders that the world isn't fair (a sucky lesson that I'm forced to keep learning) and that bad things happen to people who don't deserve it.
BOOKS
Just finished a very funny one called Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane. I have absolutely no book news of my own which is a little frustrating. I have two unrelated books out and about, and yet, I have nothing to report! Ugh. Wait...actually, that's not true. I did send out the marketing plan for Bitter Pill (thanks for the edit, Stacy G.), and I'm now waiting to hear back. I'm hoping that the three weeks it took me to find time to write it all down hasn't caused the publisher to forget about me. Eeek! Hopefully, there will be something official to report soon.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
*Insert cool entry title here*
So, in order to be able to remember what the heck I wanted to write about here, I've started keeping a list in my planner. That means, generally speaking, you're going to get short little blurbs of nonsensical stuff here instead of a complete entry...Oh, well. What's funny is that the list looks completely ridiculous and would make no sense to anyone else, and yet apparently out of some fear that my life is so fabulously interesting that people wouldn't be able to resist snooping, I cover the list with an inconspicuous post-it note. Like, "Oh, no, there's nothing written on this planner page, just a post it note. Just keeping flipping pages to get to the good stuff."
Here's what my list says for this week:
Parking garage
Big windows
Treadmill incident
Like Monk--pen washing
PARKING GARAGE
At my new day job, there's a parking garage, which is typically a nice thing. Except for the birds that tend to make a home there. Flying and flapping overhead, which isn't very far overhead unfortunately because of the low ceilings. *shudder* Anyway, there's a dead bird there that obviously got hit by a car or died and then got run over a car. It's basically just feathers and a bright yellow beak now, but for some reason, I'm both completely freaked out by it and drawn to it at the same time. Gross, huh? Like I'll be walking into work, not thinking and I'll step on a leaf or something and think, "Oh, sh*t, I just stepped on that stupid dead bird." But I didn't. At least not yet. And then when I remember to look for it, I'm obssessed with finding in it on the floor, not just so I won't step on it but also because I'm curious about exactly how long maintenance will just leave it there.
BIG WINDOWS
On a related note, I now have big windows in my cubicle that overlook the forest preserve behind the company. Very nice! Plus, I can actually verify the weather before stepping outside. However, I am informed that this pleasing view does have its downside--apparently when the weather gets cooler, birds smack into the windows all the time. Great. Something to look forward to. I did, however, try to explain this to my new boss but it came out like this, "I have a big bird phobia." It probably sounded like this, "I have a Big Bird phobia." As in the Sesame Street character. *sigh*
TREADMILL INCIDENT
We joined the neighborhood gym a few weeks ago and I finally worked up the nerve to go in. I usually hate gyms. They're always full of people who don't actually need to be there, the really skinny people and the intimidating musclebound weightlifters. I want to go to Average Joe's Gym, where you can look like a total spaz on the equipment and no one cares or even really notices. The gym near my house, fortunately, is full of normal people of all shapes and sizes, and while there are body builders there, they aren't the intimidating, grunting, dropping weights on the floor sort. (In fact, there are rules against both grunting and dropping weights--yea for the gym near my house!)
But none of this kept people from staring at me when, on my second trip to the gym this week (I went three times!!!), my iPod fell out of its little holder at my waist, hit the treamill and flew off backwards. Um, yeah. In my panic, I kind of forgot I was on a moving sidewalk, essentially, and tried to bend over to pick it up and nearly flew off myself. In my clutziness, however, I managed to hit the stop button on the treadmill quite accidentally and therefore saved myself major embarrasment. I did, however, experience minor embarrassment when the edge of my shoe treads rubbed against the still moving belt and made a really loud noise. And I felt compelled to break the unspoken gym rule and say something aloud to everyone. It's true, no one talks to anyone else and no one looks at anyone else either. This is a problem for me as a natural people-watcher. Pretty soon, I'm not only going to be the weird treadmill girl, I'm also going to be known as the girl who stares. Ugh.
But I'm finding that I like going on the treadmill. I turn on the iPod and tune everything else out. It's peaceful, makes my brain go blank for awhile. Love that! : ) So, I'm going to try to go three times a week or so.
LIKE MONK--PEN WASHING
As I've mentioned before, if I'm not careful, I can lean a little into the land of hypochondria and obsessive compulsive disorder. This week, I had to shake hands with a person who had this totally phlegmy cough and it completely grossed me out. But I had no choice but to shake hands and then watch as the person continued to cough phlegmily into their hands. *full body shudder* I made sure not to touch my face or anything until I could wash my hands. Unfortunately, though, before I could wash my hands, I was forced to use my favorite pen to write something down. So, after I scoured my hands, I was confronted with the issue of my pen. What to do? The phlegmy germs that were once on my hands were now on my pen. Hmm. Logic (and OCD) suggests getting rid of this perfectly good pen as it is clearly tainted and no longer good for anything. However, it is a favorite pen and those are hard to come by. So, what did I do? I whipped out the travel size bottle of hand sanitizer from my bag and squirted a blob of it on a napkin and then, after carefully wrapping the pen in the napkin without touching the pen itself, I cleaned it off with the hand sanitizer-soaked napkin. Yeah. I know. Craaaaazy. The worst part is that, later, a perfectly normal, non-sick person asked to borrow my pen and I allowed it. And then thought about sanitizing the pen again...just in case. It's a slippery slope, folks!
: ) More later...Hope to have some "official book news soon." Bitter Pill is out and about with a publisher and I've been asked for a marketing plan, which I've written and Stacy G. is reviewing for me. So hopefully, I'll get that sent out soon!
Here's what my list says for this week:
Parking garage
Big windows
Treadmill incident
Like Monk--pen washing
PARKING GARAGE
At my new day job, there's a parking garage, which is typically a nice thing. Except for the birds that tend to make a home there. Flying and flapping overhead, which isn't very far overhead unfortunately because of the low ceilings. *shudder* Anyway, there's a dead bird there that obviously got hit by a car or died and then got run over a car. It's basically just feathers and a bright yellow beak now, but for some reason, I'm both completely freaked out by it and drawn to it at the same time. Gross, huh? Like I'll be walking into work, not thinking and I'll step on a leaf or something and think, "Oh, sh*t, I just stepped on that stupid dead bird." But I didn't. At least not yet. And then when I remember to look for it, I'm obssessed with finding in it on the floor, not just so I won't step on it but also because I'm curious about exactly how long maintenance will just leave it there.
BIG WINDOWS
On a related note, I now have big windows in my cubicle that overlook the forest preserve behind the company. Very nice! Plus, I can actually verify the weather before stepping outside. However, I am informed that this pleasing view does have its downside--apparently when the weather gets cooler, birds smack into the windows all the time. Great. Something to look forward to. I did, however, try to explain this to my new boss but it came out like this, "I have a big bird phobia." It probably sounded like this, "I have a Big Bird phobia." As in the Sesame Street character. *sigh*
TREADMILL INCIDENT
We joined the neighborhood gym a few weeks ago and I finally worked up the nerve to go in. I usually hate gyms. They're always full of people who don't actually need to be there, the really skinny people and the intimidating musclebound weightlifters. I want to go to Average Joe's Gym, where you can look like a total spaz on the equipment and no one cares or even really notices. The gym near my house, fortunately, is full of normal people of all shapes and sizes, and while there are body builders there, they aren't the intimidating, grunting, dropping weights on the floor sort. (In fact, there are rules against both grunting and dropping weights--yea for the gym near my house!)
But none of this kept people from staring at me when, on my second trip to the gym this week (I went three times!!!), my iPod fell out of its little holder at my waist, hit the treamill and flew off backwards. Um, yeah. In my panic, I kind of forgot I was on a moving sidewalk, essentially, and tried to bend over to pick it up and nearly flew off myself. In my clutziness, however, I managed to hit the stop button on the treadmill quite accidentally and therefore saved myself major embarrasment. I did, however, experience minor embarrassment when the edge of my shoe treads rubbed against the still moving belt and made a really loud noise. And I felt compelled to break the unspoken gym rule and say something aloud to everyone. It's true, no one talks to anyone else and no one looks at anyone else either. This is a problem for me as a natural people-watcher. Pretty soon, I'm not only going to be the weird treadmill girl, I'm also going to be known as the girl who stares. Ugh.
But I'm finding that I like going on the treadmill. I turn on the iPod and tune everything else out. It's peaceful, makes my brain go blank for awhile. Love that! : ) So, I'm going to try to go three times a week or so.
LIKE MONK--PEN WASHING
As I've mentioned before, if I'm not careful, I can lean a little into the land of hypochondria and obsessive compulsive disorder. This week, I had to shake hands with a person who had this totally phlegmy cough and it completely grossed me out. But I had no choice but to shake hands and then watch as the person continued to cough phlegmily into their hands. *full body shudder* I made sure not to touch my face or anything until I could wash my hands. Unfortunately, though, before I could wash my hands, I was forced to use my favorite pen to write something down. So, after I scoured my hands, I was confronted with the issue of my pen. What to do? The phlegmy germs that were once on my hands were now on my pen. Hmm. Logic (and OCD) suggests getting rid of this perfectly good pen as it is clearly tainted and no longer good for anything. However, it is a favorite pen and those are hard to come by. So, what did I do? I whipped out the travel size bottle of hand sanitizer from my bag and squirted a blob of it on a napkin and then, after carefully wrapping the pen in the napkin without touching the pen itself, I cleaned it off with the hand sanitizer-soaked napkin. Yeah. I know. Craaaaazy. The worst part is that, later, a perfectly normal, non-sick person asked to borrow my pen and I allowed it. And then thought about sanitizing the pen again...just in case. It's a slippery slope, folks!
: ) More later...Hope to have some "official book news soon." Bitter Pill is out and about with a publisher and I've been asked for a marketing plan, which I've written and Stacy G. is reviewing for me. So hopefully, I'll get that sent out soon!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
More B.S.
I read an interview with Bryan Singer (creator of House, Superman Returns, etc.) in which someone asked him what part of the movie making business he was best at. He said casting even though he hated it. When the interviewer asked why, he said that the only thing harder than rejecting people all day long is being rejected yourself.
Initially, I kind of thought that was crap. I mean, as a writer, I'm quite familiar with rejection. And being rejected sucks. Never have I thought that it was hard on the people doing the rejecting.
But then on Friday, I went to an ad agency for my day job. They had several models come in to meet us so we could try to find the look we wanted. But you know, it was hard to meet all of them and know that even with their exceptional beauty (talk about a bad self-esteem day, these women were gorgeous!) not all of them would be hired. And it was hard not to want to hire someone because I liked her.
So, okay, now I know what he's talking about. You can like someone, and that has nothing to do with why you have to reject them. It really isn't personal. It just feels like it on the rejecting side.
Hmmm. Learning new things. Who'd've thought it? : )
Initially, I kind of thought that was crap. I mean, as a writer, I'm quite familiar with rejection. And being rejected sucks. Never have I thought that it was hard on the people doing the rejecting.
But then on Friday, I went to an ad agency for my day job. They had several models come in to meet us so we could try to find the look we wanted. But you know, it was hard to meet all of them and know that even with their exceptional beauty (talk about a bad self-esteem day, these women were gorgeous!) not all of them would be hired. And it was hard not to want to hire someone because I liked her.
So, okay, now I know what he's talking about. You can like someone, and that has nothing to do with why you have to reject them. It really isn't personal. It just feels like it on the rejecting side.
Hmmm. Learning new things. Who'd've thought it? : )
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Hey, it's me!
MORNINGS MAKE ME STUPID.
Seriously, getting up early is damaging my brain cells or something. Tonight, after running in to Borders to pick up a book (okay, two--I'm so going to have to skip lunch or try to get a freebie for a few days to make that up), I found myself stopping in front of the doors to wait for them to automatically open--you know, like at the grocery store and Target? Only Borders doors don't do that. So, I'm the moron standing in front of doors that require an actual push to move them. I'd have been waiting a long time had my brain not finally kicked in.
READER EMAILS
I got the nicest email yesterday from someone who read my book. It really brightened my evening yesterday and my whole day today. It means so much to get emails like those because sometimes it feels like we're writing in a vacuum ("But it's a little dark inside this here Hoover." Ha, see, I'm getting slaphappy because I should already be sleeping!), entertaining nobody but ourselves. So, next time you finish a book that you really liked and the author lists a web address or email, contact him or her. If only to say "I liked it and keep up the good work." You don't know how crappy a day that person is having and what difference a few little words can make! : )
More later...
: )
Seriously, getting up early is damaging my brain cells or something. Tonight, after running in to Borders to pick up a book (okay, two--I'm so going to have to skip lunch or try to get a freebie for a few days to make that up), I found myself stopping in front of the doors to wait for them to automatically open--you know, like at the grocery store and Target? Only Borders doors don't do that. So, I'm the moron standing in front of doors that require an actual push to move them. I'd have been waiting a long time had my brain not finally kicked in.
READER EMAILS
I got the nicest email yesterday from someone who read my book. It really brightened my evening yesterday and my whole day today. It means so much to get emails like those because sometimes it feels like we're writing in a vacuum ("But it's a little dark inside this here Hoover." Ha, see, I'm getting slaphappy because I should already be sleeping!), entertaining nobody but ourselves. So, next time you finish a book that you really liked and the author lists a web address or email, contact him or her. If only to say "I liked it and keep up the good work." You don't know how crappy a day that person is having and what difference a few little words can make! : )
More later...
: )
Sunday, August 06, 2006
"Giraffes are the new duck."
The title of this entry comes from something my friend Deb said yesterday at a baby shower, and it totally cracked me up. So I thought I'd share. It was relating to the sudden dominance of giraffes on baby clothing and accessories over the previously unchallenged reign of the duck. Hee. : )
It's hard for me to write during the week with working, at least until I get back into the swing of things. So you're probably going to get a long rambly entry a couple of times a week. : )
THE WEEKEND OF EMERGENCIES
It was a hectic weekend here at the Klemstein residence. Late Friday night, we had to take Joe into the emergency vet office because he'd broken one of his toenails (a fairly common event, thanks to his thyroid condition) but this time he didn't want to put any weight on his foot. So we brought him in to be checked out and got done at about 1:00 a.m. or so. That's after getting up at six a.m. that morning. Saturday I was gone at a baby shower and came home to get a message that my mother-in-law had been taken to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy--but she's doing okay now! Later last night, after grabbing a quick bite to eat, my husband had an allergic reaction to something, and his eyelid puffed up! So I made a quick run to the store to stock up on Benadryl.
EARLY MORNINGS
So, as I said before, I like being up early in the morning, just not getting up. It's neat to be in my writing room with the sun just coming in, landing on the carpet in pale squares. But the other cool part, which I'd never thought about, is that I'm getting to work early enough that I don't have to worry about being late. That's a huge stress reliever. I don't have to worry about hitting the lights just right or getting stuck behind someone slow. And on Friday...I made it to work in 32 minutes. Awesome.
VALPO
My sister is looking at colleges. She is the age now I was when I was starting my freshman year in college (they changed the cutoff dates for starting school in the thirteen years between us). It just make me feels nostalgic and sort of homesick. I'm going to go with her to visit Valpo, and I'm going to try not to be pushy about it. : ) But I just loved it so much. I remember my first visit to Valpo very clearly. It was in the fall. I burned my tongue on hot chocolate I got at the Chapel. I was wearing one of those multi-colored rugby shirts that were popular back then, and as it was one of my favorites, it featured prominently in pictures of the next couple of years. My jeans were Levis, of course, because that's what they were wearing on 90210. I wore a long wool trench coat and leather boots that, after much loving use, would disintegrate a year or so later and one of the sole nails would actually puncture my foot while I was wearing them. That would require Julie, the one with a much steadier hand and stronger stomach, to use tweezers and a needle to remove the fabric of my sock that the nail punched into my heel. Yeah, okay, that's probably a little gross, but looking back on it, it strikes me as one of the many memories that make us--my college friends and I--family, you know?
This weekend, I was at a baby shower for a college friend and a baptism for the son of a couple of college friends, and at both events, I got to hang out with more college friends. They're all part of my family, and any place, any school that can do that is a good one in my book.
SPEAKING OF BOOKS
How cool is this? On my first day at my new job, they took me out to lunch, and a few of us started talking about books. The next day, I came in and found one of the mentioned books--one that I'd said I'd like to read--on my desk. One of the women I will be working with brought it in for me. How nice is that? : ) I was just so excited and touched by the gesture.
It's called The Jane Austen Book Club and I'm really enjoying it so far. I also just bought Sloppy Firsts, which is one of those books that was allegedly copied in that whole plagiarism thing with the Harvard grad. I was curious! : )
More later!!!
It's hard for me to write during the week with working, at least until I get back into the swing of things. So you're probably going to get a long rambly entry a couple of times a week. : )
THE WEEKEND OF EMERGENCIES
It was a hectic weekend here at the Klemstein residence. Late Friday night, we had to take Joe into the emergency vet office because he'd broken one of his toenails (a fairly common event, thanks to his thyroid condition) but this time he didn't want to put any weight on his foot. So we brought him in to be checked out and got done at about 1:00 a.m. or so. That's after getting up at six a.m. that morning. Saturday I was gone at a baby shower and came home to get a message that my mother-in-law had been taken to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy--but she's doing okay now! Later last night, after grabbing a quick bite to eat, my husband had an allergic reaction to something, and his eyelid puffed up! So I made a quick run to the store to stock up on Benadryl.
EARLY MORNINGS
So, as I said before, I like being up early in the morning, just not getting up. It's neat to be in my writing room with the sun just coming in, landing on the carpet in pale squares. But the other cool part, which I'd never thought about, is that I'm getting to work early enough that I don't have to worry about being late. That's a huge stress reliever. I don't have to worry about hitting the lights just right or getting stuck behind someone slow. And on Friday...I made it to work in 32 minutes. Awesome.
VALPO
My sister is looking at colleges. She is the age now I was when I was starting my freshman year in college (they changed the cutoff dates for starting school in the thirteen years between us). It just make me feels nostalgic and sort of homesick. I'm going to go with her to visit Valpo, and I'm going to try not to be pushy about it. : ) But I just loved it so much. I remember my first visit to Valpo very clearly. It was in the fall. I burned my tongue on hot chocolate I got at the Chapel. I was wearing one of those multi-colored rugby shirts that were popular back then, and as it was one of my favorites, it featured prominently in pictures of the next couple of years. My jeans were Levis, of course, because that's what they were wearing on 90210. I wore a long wool trench coat and leather boots that, after much loving use, would disintegrate a year or so later and one of the sole nails would actually puncture my foot while I was wearing them. That would require Julie, the one with a much steadier hand and stronger stomach, to use tweezers and a needle to remove the fabric of my sock that the nail punched into my heel. Yeah, okay, that's probably a little gross, but looking back on it, it strikes me as one of the many memories that make us--my college friends and I--family, you know?
This weekend, I was at a baby shower for a college friend and a baptism for the son of a couple of college friends, and at both events, I got to hang out with more college friends. They're all part of my family, and any place, any school that can do that is a good one in my book.
SPEAKING OF BOOKS
How cool is this? On my first day at my new job, they took me out to lunch, and a few of us started talking about books. The next day, I came in and found one of the mentioned books--one that I'd said I'd like to read--on my desk. One of the women I will be working with brought it in for me. How nice is that? : ) I was just so excited and touched by the gesture.
It's called The Jane Austen Book Club and I'm really enjoying it so far. I also just bought Sloppy Firsts, which is one of those books that was allegedly copied in that whole plagiarism thing with the Harvard grad. I was curious! : )
More later!!!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Jumble of thoughts
Started work today. Got up with the sun...literally. I've discovered that it's kind of cool to be up that early. Everything is so quiet, and there's little (besides my bed) to distract me. However, getting up that early really sucks. : ) If that makes any sense.
I've forgotten how tiring it is to be new. How uncertain you can feel about your role and the bounds of your responsibility and authority. But the people are nice and the job will be challenging so that's good.
BATHROOM TALK (You have been warned. No complaining! : ) )
Weird thing, in the bathroom at work, they have a bottle of spray air freshener in every stall on the back of the toilet. And three more on the countertop by the sinks. So, obviously, this is an important issue for them. But me being me, I'm wondering about protocol. Is that something you do for yourself or when you deem it necessary, regardless of the source? Is it gross that I'm talking about this? These are the thoughts that are wandering through my head. Like, say you're in there and it's just standard protocol to spray every time regardless. Companies develop weird traditions like that. At my last company, you'd get a tray to carry your food to the table in the cafeteria, but you never ate on the tray. You always returned it to the tray holder before even eating. Which was stupid because it meant you had to juggle all your dirty dishes to the conveyor belt instead of just using the tray. But those were the rules. And everybody followed them. I just don't want to break the bathroom air freshener rules because I don't know them, you know? Aaaaah, the peer pressure! : )
NON-BATHROOM TALK
We went to see Miami Vice this weekend and hit the movie trifecta.
-someone snoring behind us,
-a couple talking so loudly I wanted to tell them that if I'd wanted to hear their commentary I would have waited for the DVD to come out and then gone over to their house,
-and a woman with a larger than average hairdo (or perhaps it was her head...I'm not being nasty, I just couldn't see the screen as well around her) in front of us.
Plus, I really didn't like the movie either. Oh, well, better luck next time.
I'm off to microwave dinner, watch The Closer and Saved, or as much as I can stay awake for, and finish my laundry! : )
I've forgotten how tiring it is to be new. How uncertain you can feel about your role and the bounds of your responsibility and authority. But the people are nice and the job will be challenging so that's good.
BATHROOM TALK (You have been warned. No complaining! : ) )
Weird thing, in the bathroom at work, they have a bottle of spray air freshener in every stall on the back of the toilet. And three more on the countertop by the sinks. So, obviously, this is an important issue for them. But me being me, I'm wondering about protocol. Is that something you do for yourself or when you deem it necessary, regardless of the source? Is it gross that I'm talking about this? These are the thoughts that are wandering through my head. Like, say you're in there and it's just standard protocol to spray every time regardless. Companies develop weird traditions like that. At my last company, you'd get a tray to carry your food to the table in the cafeteria, but you never ate on the tray. You always returned it to the tray holder before even eating. Which was stupid because it meant you had to juggle all your dirty dishes to the conveyor belt instead of just using the tray. But those were the rules. And everybody followed them. I just don't want to break the bathroom air freshener rules because I don't know them, you know? Aaaaah, the peer pressure! : )
NON-BATHROOM TALK
We went to see Miami Vice this weekend and hit the movie trifecta.
-someone snoring behind us,
-a couple talking so loudly I wanted to tell them that if I'd wanted to hear their commentary I would have waited for the DVD to come out and then gone over to their house,
-and a woman with a larger than average hairdo (or perhaps it was her head...I'm not being nasty, I just couldn't see the screen as well around her) in front of us.
Plus, I really didn't like the movie either. Oh, well, better luck next time.
I'm off to microwave dinner, watch The Closer and Saved, or as much as I can stay awake for, and finish my laundry! : )
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Update
So, I've been a little lax on posting lately. : ) Sorry. Things have been a little hectic here. As of Monday, I'll be starting a new temporary position, sort of an in-between to a full-time job and fully freelance. Which will definitely help with the cash flow situation. : )
I will do my best to be a little more prompt about updating here. I keep thinking of things that I want to write about but without writing them down, they always slip away before I can get over here.
On the good news side of things, Linnea Sinclair won a RITA for her book, Gabriel's Ghost, last night at the RWA conference. This is a HUGE award in romance writing, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person or a more deserving writer!!! She called me last night to tell me--so cool! I can't wait to hear from her what it was like to hear her name called in front of all those people. This is the conference with Nora Roberts and all the other giants in the romance industry. : )
Random things
-Not to sound too vague, but the good book news is still in the works. I don't have anything definite to announce, but I hope to in the next few weeks.
-I'm loving the new summer shows Psych and Saved. That Wyatt Cole on Saved is a cutie.
-Gobbled up the latest Meg Cabot YA How to Be Popular. My favorite is still Avalon, but this one is good too.
Have to go now. For the first time since I was living at my parents' house, I actually have a bed time. No choice. I've got to be at work at 8:00 a.m. Dude. *sigh*
I will do my best to be a little more prompt about updating here. I keep thinking of things that I want to write about but without writing them down, they always slip away before I can get over here.
On the good news side of things, Linnea Sinclair won a RITA for her book, Gabriel's Ghost, last night at the RWA conference. This is a HUGE award in romance writing, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person or a more deserving writer!!! She called me last night to tell me--so cool! I can't wait to hear from her what it was like to hear her name called in front of all those people. This is the conference with Nora Roberts and all the other giants in the romance industry. : )
Random things
-Not to sound too vague, but the good book news is still in the works. I don't have anything definite to announce, but I hope to in the next few weeks.
-I'm loving the new summer shows Psych and Saved. That Wyatt Cole on Saved is a cutie.
-Gobbled up the latest Meg Cabot YA How to Be Popular. My favorite is still Avalon, but this one is good too.
Have to go now. For the first time since I was living at my parents' house, I actually have a bed time. No choice. I've got to be at work at 8:00 a.m. Dude. *sigh*
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Blogger error and Madison
I tried to post an entry to let you guys know I'd be in Madison this week, but Blogger kept giving me an error message. Oh, well. So, I'm back now. And I'd forgotten how much fun I have in Madison, especially at the Writers Institute.
I arrived late on Wednesday, only missing the hotel parking garage once and having to circle back with a minor bit of angst, which is pretty good for me! The hotel--the Madison Concourse--was lovely, right next to the Capitol, which is such a beautiful building. It would have been neat to get a closer look, but I ran out of time.
After getting checked in on Wednesday, I decided to find State Street and get some ice cream. That's always my big challenge to myself whenever I go anywhere alone. My temptation is to hide in my hotel room, but I always make myself go out and eat or walk. I found a Ben and Jerry's only a couple blocks up from my hotel, so that was easy enough. I love UW-Madison and State Street, it's just like being in college again. There are always people out and about, even after dark, and you can be out there eating an ice cream cone by yourself and not have to worry. Plus, the very casual and laid back way the students dress reminds me so much of my college days, back when grunge was very hot. ; )
After the ice cream, I went back to my hotel and prepped for my session the next day and went to bed.
The shuttle to the Union on campus left the hotel at 7:30 a.m. Ugh. But I made it! I got there plenty early, dropped my books off in the bookstore and settled in with a muffin. As always there were about two hundred people attending and everyone was so nice and friendly. I love that! A few people remembered me from last year and came over to say hello. It's amazing to me how many people share this love for writing. And they have so many fascinating ideas to write about.
The keynote speaker was David Maraniss, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning author. Pretty cool, right? And he was an excellent speaker too. After he was finished speaking, we, the instructors, introduced ourselves. That always makes me nervous. It just takes me a few minutes to warm up to speaking in front of a bunch of people and by that time, the introductions are already done!
My session, Elevating Conflict, was in the first group. Talk about a tough act to follow! But I think it went pretty well. It was soooo hot, though, upstairs in the Union. Plus, when I'm talking and moving around, I tend to get even warmer.
After my session, I went out to lunch at Einstein's (where else!) with a gentleman who'd attended my session. (I don't post names here unless someone is a public figure--an author--or has given me permission). We had a fascinating conversation about the non-fiction books he's planning on writing.
After lunch, I attended a couple more sessions, including a round table where we all just got together and talked about various writing issues. J.A. Konrath was there, and he is always so much fun! And a little crazy.
Afterward, J.A., another writer and I went out for dinner and drinks. Linnea would be so proud of me--I had a Cosmo instead of a Fuzzy Navel. Though the bar where we ate didn't serve martinis evidently, so I had my Cosmo in a tumbler, which just cracked me up. My husband and I, often too lazy to drag out the fancy wine glasses for just the two of us, have had wine with dinner in tumblers. So sad!
Anyway, I'll write more about the rest of the conference as soon as I have a chance. Hopefully, tomorrow or so. I'm heading out to Peoria this afternoon to attend my dad's twenty-fifth ordination celebration. : )
I arrived late on Wednesday, only missing the hotel parking garage once and having to circle back with a minor bit of angst, which is pretty good for me! The hotel--the Madison Concourse--was lovely, right next to the Capitol, which is such a beautiful building. It would have been neat to get a closer look, but I ran out of time.
After getting checked in on Wednesday, I decided to find State Street and get some ice cream. That's always my big challenge to myself whenever I go anywhere alone. My temptation is to hide in my hotel room, but I always make myself go out and eat or walk. I found a Ben and Jerry's only a couple blocks up from my hotel, so that was easy enough. I love UW-Madison and State Street, it's just like being in college again. There are always people out and about, even after dark, and you can be out there eating an ice cream cone by yourself and not have to worry. Plus, the very casual and laid back way the students dress reminds me so much of my college days, back when grunge was very hot. ; )
After the ice cream, I went back to my hotel and prepped for my session the next day and went to bed.
The shuttle to the Union on campus left the hotel at 7:30 a.m. Ugh. But I made it! I got there plenty early, dropped my books off in the bookstore and settled in with a muffin. As always there were about two hundred people attending and everyone was so nice and friendly. I love that! A few people remembered me from last year and came over to say hello. It's amazing to me how many people share this love for writing. And they have so many fascinating ideas to write about.
The keynote speaker was David Maraniss, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning author. Pretty cool, right? And he was an excellent speaker too. After he was finished speaking, we, the instructors, introduced ourselves. That always makes me nervous. It just takes me a few minutes to warm up to speaking in front of a bunch of people and by that time, the introductions are already done!
My session, Elevating Conflict, was in the first group. Talk about a tough act to follow! But I think it went pretty well. It was soooo hot, though, upstairs in the Union. Plus, when I'm talking and moving around, I tend to get even warmer.
After my session, I went out to lunch at Einstein's (where else!) with a gentleman who'd attended my session. (I don't post names here unless someone is a public figure--an author--or has given me permission). We had a fascinating conversation about the non-fiction books he's planning on writing.
After lunch, I attended a couple more sessions, including a round table where we all just got together and talked about various writing issues. J.A. Konrath was there, and he is always so much fun! And a little crazy.
Afterward, J.A., another writer and I went out for dinner and drinks. Linnea would be so proud of me--I had a Cosmo instead of a Fuzzy Navel. Though the bar where we ate didn't serve martinis evidently, so I had my Cosmo in a tumbler, which just cracked me up. My husband and I, often too lazy to drag out the fancy wine glasses for just the two of us, have had wine with dinner in tumblers. So sad!
Anyway, I'll write more about the rest of the conference as soon as I have a chance. Hopefully, tomorrow or so. I'm heading out to Peoria this afternoon to attend my dad's twenty-fifth ordination celebration. : )
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Just a reminder...
I'll be out of town at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Writers' Institute for the next couple of days. I'm so excited!
I'll try to post from the road if time and wireless access allow.
: ) Stacey
I'll try to post from the road if time and wireless access allow.
: ) Stacey
Just a reminder...
I'll be out of town at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Writers' Institute for the next couple of days. I'm so excited!
I'll try to post from the road if time and wireless access allows.
: ) Stacey
I'll try to post from the road if time and wireless access allows.
: ) Stacey
Just a reminder...
I'll be out of town at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Writers' Institute for the next couple of days. I'm so excited!
I'll try to post from the road if time and wireless access allows.
: ) Stacey
I'll try to post from the road if time and wireless access allows.
: ) Stacey
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