Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Such a geek...
I'm wondering...(Ed, probably you would be the one to know this) do they have a cd that has the sound effects used on Star Trek: TNG? I think the engine noise would be so soothing to listen to. You know, like white noise.
Mice *shudder*
Ever noticed how "terminated" and "exterminated" mean pretty much the same thing? Was thinking about this as I, the reigning queen of mouse death, killed another two this morning. Not with my bare hands or anything, but I finally figured out how to set those freaking traps correctly.
Guess I should back up a little. We just recently noticed mouse evidence (read: "poo" as Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs would say) in the laundry room and we couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. We've lived here for a year and a half without a problem. And it's warm now! What the heck...mice come in for warmth and water, or so I'm told.
Anyway, after Greg saw something moving in the early morning light in the laundry room, we decided to get some traps. Right now, Stacey: 3, Mice: 0.
But I'm proud of myself because I learned something today and fixed the problem, at least temporarily, for myself. Apparently, mice chew through caulking. So if you caulk a hole into your house, like where you have pipes or tubes leading out, they can eventually eat through that. I went around to the side of the house and found that the tube or pipe or whatever leading from the A/C into the house, which USED to have grey caulking around it, was now bare. Ha, ha, caught you, you little buggers!
I also learned that the way to fix this was to stuff steel wool into the hole and then caulk it shut. Well, I can't caulk it yet (too wet outside) but I did go and buy the steel wool and fit it into the hole.
So, I'm feeling quite proud of myself! : )
Guess I should back up a little. We just recently noticed mouse evidence (read: "poo" as Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs would say) in the laundry room and we couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. We've lived here for a year and a half without a problem. And it's warm now! What the heck...mice come in for warmth and water, or so I'm told.
Anyway, after Greg saw something moving in the early morning light in the laundry room, we decided to get some traps. Right now, Stacey: 3, Mice: 0.
But I'm proud of myself because I learned something today and fixed the problem, at least temporarily, for myself. Apparently, mice chew through caulking. So if you caulk a hole into your house, like where you have pipes or tubes leading out, they can eventually eat through that. I went around to the side of the house and found that the tube or pipe or whatever leading from the A/C into the house, which USED to have grey caulking around it, was now bare. Ha, ha, caught you, you little buggers!
I also learned that the way to fix this was to stuff steel wool into the hole and then caulk it shut. Well, I can't caulk it yet (too wet outside) but I did go and buy the steel wool and fit it into the hole.
So, I'm feeling quite proud of myself! : )
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Quick update
I know, I've been very lax in updating. Just a little too much going on! Snowy had a biopsy to confirm that she has osteosarcoma. Then, on Tuesday of this last week, she had amputation surgery on her front right leg. It was a difficult decision for us because it is such a big surgery and we have no way of knowing how long she'll be with us. But the pain in her leg was getting to be so much that we knew it was really inhibiting her quality of life. So it was either this or the ultimate decision. We felt the surgery was the right choice. It is what was recommended by all three of the vets we saw as a reasonable course of action.
So she's at home with us now, recovering. Some days are better than others. Yesterday, she came to my writing room and poked her head in, just like she always did. So, I brought her bed in and she slept comfortably in there. And when I went out yesterday to run errands, she hopped to the door to watch me leave, just as she did before. She's still not eating very well, so I'm worried about that. She seems hungry, but she won't eat unless I add water to her food and hold the dish for her. But it's only been a few days and she's standing up to drink water and go to the bathroom. So, we're hoping that the worst is behind us in terms of recovery from the surgery. : )
So she's at home with us now, recovering. Some days are better than others. Yesterday, she came to my writing room and poked her head in, just like she always did. So, I brought her bed in and she slept comfortably in there. And when I went out yesterday to run errands, she hopped to the door to watch me leave, just as she did before. She's still not eating very well, so I'm worried about that. She seems hungry, but she won't eat unless I add water to her food and hold the dish for her. But it's only been a few days and she's standing up to drink water and go to the bathroom. So, we're hoping that the worst is behind us in terms of recovery from the surgery. : )
Sunday, March 04, 2007
The bad news
Sorry, I've been away for awhile. We're going through some difficult stuff here that's hard for me to talk about. One of my furry babies, Snostorm, the first dog I've ever had, was diagnosed last week with osteosarcoma--that's bone cancer.
We're going in for a second opinion tomorrow just to be sure, but we're fairly certain that the diagnosis is correct.
The cancer has not spread yet as far as we can tell, which is good. But x-rays can only detect cancer after it has accumulated enough cells in one place. So, it may have spread but is just not big enough to be detectable yet. Unfortunately, our only possible treatment option (that we know of at this time) is to pursue an amputation. And even that may not extend her life and it's a very painful procedure.
So we're kind of stuck with this very ugly decision. If we decide on pain management only, she probably has about three months. If we pursue the amputation, it's at least two or three weeks of recovery time and then...who knows? I would just hate for half of her remaining time to be spent in such misery, if it won't extend her life.
The good news is that right now she's still her happy, goofy self. She's limping, to be sure, but she is still playing and begging for treats and butting her head into my leg when I type at the computer. She's my good girl : ) I love her so much and it's going to hurt just that much when she's gone, whether it's three months from now or years.
This sounds selfish, I know, but please keep us in your prayers--we know she is a dog, but she's our dog, and more than that, we have to make this big decision about her life and when it should end and that's a responsibility I was really hoping to avoid--foolish as that sounds. We just want to make the right decision by her.
Anyway, I will provide updates as I'm able and please don't think I'm a horrible person if I'm on here writing about other stuff. This is tough for me to write about and I can barely talk about it. Sometimes talking and writing about other things is the only way I'm keeping it together.
We're going in for a second opinion tomorrow just to be sure, but we're fairly certain that the diagnosis is correct.
The cancer has not spread yet as far as we can tell, which is good. But x-rays can only detect cancer after it has accumulated enough cells in one place. So, it may have spread but is just not big enough to be detectable yet. Unfortunately, our only possible treatment option (that we know of at this time) is to pursue an amputation. And even that may not extend her life and it's a very painful procedure.
So we're kind of stuck with this very ugly decision. If we decide on pain management only, she probably has about three months. If we pursue the amputation, it's at least two or three weeks of recovery time and then...who knows? I would just hate for half of her remaining time to be spent in such misery, if it won't extend her life.
The good news is that right now she's still her happy, goofy self. She's limping, to be sure, but she is still playing and begging for treats and butting her head into my leg when I type at the computer. She's my good girl : ) I love her so much and it's going to hurt just that much when she's gone, whether it's three months from now or years.
This sounds selfish, I know, but please keep us in your prayers--we know she is a dog, but she's our dog, and more than that, we have to make this big decision about her life and when it should end and that's a responsibility I was really hoping to avoid--foolish as that sounds. We just want to make the right decision by her.
Anyway, I will provide updates as I'm able and please don't think I'm a horrible person if I'm on here writing about other stuff. This is tough for me to write about and I can barely talk about it. Sometimes talking and writing about other things is the only way I'm keeping it together.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Have to say this...
I read a book today that I HAAAAAAATED. Totally hated. As in, I wish I could pull my brain from my head and vacuum out any memories of or thoughts related to what I read. Ugh!!! Worse part is, not only did I buy it, I actually wasted one of my precious book gift certificates on it.
So, here's the deal: I hate lesson-y books. You know the ones that preach to you under the guise of some naive character learning a lesson without actually getting damaged or hurt in any way. This trend used to be particularly prevalent in one of my favorite genres, YA, back when I was a kid. But lately, these books (and the authors) have gotten sooo much better. The kids in the story are like real kids. Some of them are shallow, some of them are nice, some of them are misguided and clueless, etc., etc. But they make mistakes and they regret them. They try to figure things out and sometimes they really, really blow it. But that's the way life works.
In this book, the young naive main character (let's call her YNMC) has a crush on a hot guy who is suddenly interested in her instead of his current hot girlfriend. He sneaks over to her house, they share a few midnight kisses, but he hasn't officially broken up with his girlfriend. Well, YNMC eventually puts her foot down and he breaks up with the girlfriend, but now YNMC's friends all hate her because they're also friends with the former girlfriend. One friend warns her that the hot guy is only interested in YNMC instead of hot ex-girlfriend because of "one thing." Cliche after cliche! Can everyone see the after school special lesson coming?
(Oh, and as a sidenote, she, who has never been noticed before--by her own admission--eats one lunch at the jock table, flirts a little with some of the guys and suddenly she's tagged as easy and guys are phoning her house constantly. Okay, maybe this happens, but after only one incident of mildly flirtatious behavior?!? And the hot guy, now interested in her, says he's heard nothing about it and does not seem disturbed by it. No guy, especially one who is genuinely interested in a girl, is going to be all "eh" when he hears guys talking about his new girlfriend as easy!)
So, anyway, the entire book turns out to be about one issue, pre-marital sex. Should she, shouldn't she? Does her like her only for that reason? Etc. Of course, characters who do have sex are immediately shown behaving selfishly and evilly and then find themselves heartbroken. Whereas the people who wait are all lovey-dovey and wonderful to each other, clearly the couple to emulate. Blah! Seriously. While this may be accurate in some cases, is there a more simplistic, agenda-driven way to shove a message down a reader's throat? Why not show what really makes life decisions like this difficult? That the line is not black and white. All people who have premarital sex are not evil and destined for heartbreak. And yet some high school guys will say anything to have sex and they're a**holes.
But beyond this obviously moralistic take on story telling (I wish Barnes and Noble would create a new category for this crap so I wouldn't accidentally buy it), it was just a lame story. She decides not to have sex and hopes the guy respects her for it. Okay, good for her. Except I could see that coming from about page 3. I kept waiting for the twist (which is the only reason I read it all the way to the end), waiting for the thing that would make me relate YNMC's struggle. But it just wasn't there. The story wasn't interesting, and I wouldn't think that for someone who is wrestling with that decision in her life that it would be all that helpful either. You know what would be helpful is seeing her make a decision, get her heart scraped all over the floor and figure out how to survive the rest of high school. I don't actually care what her decision about sex is, just that it shows her becoming an independent person, struggling with her decisions and the consequences of them. But there was none of that!
Oh, and the worst part, oh, yes, it gets worse, was the overall theme of the book. I actually liked the theme in the beginning, which was part of what encouraged me to buy the book. The idea was that everyone has different voices in their head, the angel and the devil on your shoulders, for lack of a more original description. I liked this idea because I do understand that. The struggle we go through daily as we figure out which voice to listen to. But the book practically comes out and states that exact thing. Like in those very words. I mean, seriously, by that time in the story, I would have thought they could have declared a world-wide shortage of anvils, but nope, she managed to save the biggest one for last. I still have the headache.
Ugh...*full body shudder*
For YA books that handle the pre-marital sex topic sooooo much more deftly, try any of the following:
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Or any of the three most recent Princess Diaries books by Meg Cabot
It is possible. It can be done with sensitivity and without agenda. This book, however, just ain't it.
So, here's the deal: I hate lesson-y books. You know the ones that preach to you under the guise of some naive character learning a lesson without actually getting damaged or hurt in any way. This trend used to be particularly prevalent in one of my favorite genres, YA, back when I was a kid. But lately, these books (and the authors) have gotten sooo much better. The kids in the story are like real kids. Some of them are shallow, some of them are nice, some of them are misguided and clueless, etc., etc. But they make mistakes and they regret them. They try to figure things out and sometimes they really, really blow it. But that's the way life works.
In this book, the young naive main character (let's call her YNMC) has a crush on a hot guy who is suddenly interested in her instead of his current hot girlfriend. He sneaks over to her house, they share a few midnight kisses, but he hasn't officially broken up with his girlfriend. Well, YNMC eventually puts her foot down and he breaks up with the girlfriend, but now YNMC's friends all hate her because they're also friends with the former girlfriend. One friend warns her that the hot guy is only interested in YNMC instead of hot ex-girlfriend because of "one thing." Cliche after cliche! Can everyone see the after school special lesson coming?
(Oh, and as a sidenote, she, who has never been noticed before--by her own admission--eats one lunch at the jock table, flirts a little with some of the guys and suddenly she's tagged as easy and guys are phoning her house constantly. Okay, maybe this happens, but after only one incident of mildly flirtatious behavior?!? And the hot guy, now interested in her, says he's heard nothing about it and does not seem disturbed by it. No guy, especially one who is genuinely interested in a girl, is going to be all "eh" when he hears guys talking about his new girlfriend as easy!)
So, anyway, the entire book turns out to be about one issue, pre-marital sex. Should she, shouldn't she? Does her like her only for that reason? Etc. Of course, characters who do have sex are immediately shown behaving selfishly and evilly and then find themselves heartbroken. Whereas the people who wait are all lovey-dovey and wonderful to each other, clearly the couple to emulate. Blah! Seriously. While this may be accurate in some cases, is there a more simplistic, agenda-driven way to shove a message down a reader's throat? Why not show what really makes life decisions like this difficult? That the line is not black and white. All people who have premarital sex are not evil and destined for heartbreak. And yet some high school guys will say anything to have sex and they're a**holes.
But beyond this obviously moralistic take on story telling (I wish Barnes and Noble would create a new category for this crap so I wouldn't accidentally buy it), it was just a lame story. She decides not to have sex and hopes the guy respects her for it. Okay, good for her. Except I could see that coming from about page 3. I kept waiting for the twist (which is the only reason I read it all the way to the end), waiting for the thing that would make me relate YNMC's struggle. But it just wasn't there. The story wasn't interesting, and I wouldn't think that for someone who is wrestling with that decision in her life that it would be all that helpful either. You know what would be helpful is seeing her make a decision, get her heart scraped all over the floor and figure out how to survive the rest of high school. I don't actually care what her decision about sex is, just that it shows her becoming an independent person, struggling with her decisions and the consequences of them. But there was none of that!
Oh, and the worst part, oh, yes, it gets worse, was the overall theme of the book. I actually liked the theme in the beginning, which was part of what encouraged me to buy the book. The idea was that everyone has different voices in their head, the angel and the devil on your shoulders, for lack of a more original description. I liked this idea because I do understand that. The struggle we go through daily as we figure out which voice to listen to. But the book practically comes out and states that exact thing. Like in those very words. I mean, seriously, by that time in the story, I would have thought they could have declared a world-wide shortage of anvils, but nope, she managed to save the biggest one for last. I still have the headache.
Ugh...*full body shudder*
For YA books that handle the pre-marital sex topic sooooo much more deftly, try any of the following:
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
Or any of the three most recent Princess Diaries books by Meg Cabot
It is possible. It can be done with sensitivity and without agenda. This book, however, just ain't it.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Stacy G.
Tag, you're it!
"The rules are: Once you have been tagged you can't be re-tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' on their profile and tell them to read your latest blog."
Just list your ten things in the comments section below... : )
"The rules are: Once you have been tagged you can't be re-tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' on their profile and tell them to read your latest blog."
Just list your ten things in the comments section below... : )
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
10 Things Meme
Tagged by Anne
The rules are: Once you have been tagged you can't be re-tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' on their profile and tell them to read your latest blog."
1. I don't break the spine on books...ever. Or fold the pages.
2. Like my mother, I have whole conversations with myself--I guess I'm pretty good company to myself. : )
3. I'm terrified of birds. Hate the suckers. Especially when they're dead. *full body shudder*
4. I moved eight times before the age of 18.
5. I lean toward the obsessive compulsive side and if I don't keep a tight rein on it, I will check doorknobs, ovens, and alarm clocks three times in a row (or more) to make sure they are in the desired state (locked, off and set).
6. I did not go to my high school prom. Yes, that DOES explain a lot. : )
7. I don't like to leave my shoes tipped on their sides instead of resting upright on the soles. Creeps me out as it always reminds me of that scene in the Stephen King short story, "The Body," which was made into Stand By Me, where the kid gets hit by a train and knocked out of his shoes.
8. I don't actually remember much before kindergarten. Really anything before about 3rd or 4th grade is kind of a blur.
9. When my sister was young and I'd take her out to the store with me or whatever to run an errand for my mom, people would think she was my kid.
10. I'm kind of a germaphobe. Bodily fluids gross me out.
P.S. If you're reading this and feel so inclined, consider yourself tagged! : )
The rules are: Once you have been tagged you can't be re-tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose 10 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' on their profile and tell them to read your latest blog."
1. I don't break the spine on books...ever. Or fold the pages.
2. Like my mother, I have whole conversations with myself--I guess I'm pretty good company to myself. : )
3. I'm terrified of birds. Hate the suckers. Especially when they're dead. *full body shudder*
4. I moved eight times before the age of 18.
5. I lean toward the obsessive compulsive side and if I don't keep a tight rein on it, I will check doorknobs, ovens, and alarm clocks three times in a row (or more) to make sure they are in the desired state (locked, off and set).
6. I did not go to my high school prom. Yes, that DOES explain a lot. : )
7. I don't like to leave my shoes tipped on their sides instead of resting upright on the soles. Creeps me out as it always reminds me of that scene in the Stephen King short story, "The Body," which was made into Stand By Me, where the kid gets hit by a train and knocked out of his shoes.
8. I don't actually remember much before kindergarten. Really anything before about 3rd or 4th grade is kind of a blur.
9. When my sister was young and I'd take her out to the store with me or whatever to run an errand for my mom, people would think she was my kid.
10. I'm kind of a germaphobe. Bodily fluids gross me out.
P.S. If you're reading this and feel so inclined, consider yourself tagged! : )
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Questions for Becky
Interview Meme Rules are as follows: You comment on this entry requesting an interview. I respond with five questions. The questions will theoretically be tailored to you based on what I know of you (or want to know). You copy and paste those questions into your own journal, and write the answers, along with these rules. Anyone wanting an interview from you continues the game by requesting an interview from you.
1) If you could talk to your college self, knowing what you know now, what major would you tell yourself to pick? If it's different than what you actually chose, what is it and why?
2) Do you still catch yourself thinking/dreaming in German?
3) Do you regret not going to law school? Why or why not?
4) What's one dumb thing you've done that you wouldn't change even if you could?
5) What is a common misperception people have about you? (For example, many people think I'm a bit of a loudmouth, but, as you know, I'm actually rather shy, especially around new people--it's just that forcing myself to be loud and talky is a pretty good disguise!)
1) If you could talk to your college self, knowing what you know now, what major would you tell yourself to pick? If it's different than what you actually chose, what is it and why?
2) Do you still catch yourself thinking/dreaming in German?
3) Do you regret not going to law school? Why or why not?
4) What's one dumb thing you've done that you wouldn't change even if you could?
5) What is a common misperception people have about you? (For example, many people think I'm a bit of a loudmouth, but, as you know, I'm actually rather shy, especially around new people--it's just that forcing myself to be loud and talky is a pretty good disguise!)
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Waaaay too sensitive
I'm having a thin-skin day. I hate these. I've had them since high school at least, and probably for as long as I can remember. It has nothing to do with my actual skin, but my very overactive brain.
Thin-skin days are the days where NOTHING goes right, and while these little wrong-going things normally are brushed aside, on a thin-skin day, each of them is a huge, glaring billboard of suckitude. If that makes sense.
On a thin-skin day:
The world hates me. Everything everyone else does feels like some kind of slight--a stupid reckless driver decided I was taking too long to turn left, so he veered around me to make a left before I could. And I feel guilty, bad and stupid that he felt compelled to get around me, the slow cautious driver!
Everything I say is stupid--was caught off-guard today and blabbedy blabbed on forever in answer to an incredibly off-hand and simple question. I feel awkward and giant-sized in a world of tiny, put-together, sophisticated people.
I repeatedly do remarkably stupid things--let's see, just today I...slept fifteen minutes longer than I should have, agonized over perfecting writing instead of just writing it (write a sh*tty first draft--that's supposed to be my mantra!), skipped my Wed morning Starbucks (which always makes me feel good and organized that I can stop to get a hot chocolate and still make it on time to work), got frustrated over small things that I have no control of and ended up not being a big deal anyway, stopped to pick up the mail and forgot to put the car in park (I figured it out before it rolled too far), and drove over the concrete parking header-thing at the gym.
And yes, I know all of this is completely ridiculous and self-centered, but bad days usually are, right? : )
So, as a counter measure:
Good things that happened today--I went to the gym (yea!), I finished the latest Suzanne Brockman book from the library before the due date (which means I saved the money from buying it) and best of all, I'm shutting down the computer and going to bed now, which means this day is over!
Thin-skin days are the days where NOTHING goes right, and while these little wrong-going things normally are brushed aside, on a thin-skin day, each of them is a huge, glaring billboard of suckitude. If that makes sense.
On a thin-skin day:
The world hates me. Everything everyone else does feels like some kind of slight--a stupid reckless driver decided I was taking too long to turn left, so he veered around me to make a left before I could. And I feel guilty, bad and stupid that he felt compelled to get around me, the slow cautious driver!
Everything I say is stupid--was caught off-guard today and blabbedy blabbed on forever in answer to an incredibly off-hand and simple question. I feel awkward and giant-sized in a world of tiny, put-together, sophisticated people.
I repeatedly do remarkably stupid things--let's see, just today I...slept fifteen minutes longer than I should have, agonized over perfecting writing instead of just writing it (write a sh*tty first draft--that's supposed to be my mantra!), skipped my Wed morning Starbucks (which always makes me feel good and organized that I can stop to get a hot chocolate and still make it on time to work), got frustrated over small things that I have no control of and ended up not being a big deal anyway, stopped to pick up the mail and forgot to put the car in park (I figured it out before it rolled too far), and drove over the concrete parking header-thing at the gym.
And yes, I know all of this is completely ridiculous and self-centered, but bad days usually are, right? : )
So, as a counter measure:
Good things that happened today--I went to the gym (yea!), I finished the latest Suzanne Brockman book from the library before the due date (which means I saved the money from buying it) and best of all, I'm shutting down the computer and going to bed now, which means this day is over!
Monday, February 05, 2007
Love is Murder
I attended Love Is Murder this weekend, a mystery and romantic suspense writers and readers conference in Chicago.
Some of the highlights included a seminar presented by a graphoanalyst (one who analyzes handwriting), a demonstration and explanation of a polygraph machine and how a polygraph examiner does her job, and meeting my new publisher!
It was so cool, you guys! Echelon Press sponsored the lunch on Saturday, which was for like 200 people, and my publisher, Karen, got up and introduced the EP authors who were there, including me. So exciting!
I also got to meet Nancy Pickard, a mystery author whose books I've loved for years. I started reading her Jenny Cain series back in high school or even before. She was a marvelous speaker and very laid-back. Charlaine Harris was also there and she's always a hoot!
I also got to see Nancy and Luisa Buehler (another awesome mystery author who is with Echelon) and a bunch of other authors doing the Super Bowl Shuffle, of all things, after dinner on Saturday. This was, of course, before the Bears didn't quite make it on Sunday.
As always, the best part of going to these conferences is just getting to hang out with other writers. I always learn something new, and it just feels good to talk with other people who go through all the ups and downs of writing too.
Some of the highlights included a seminar presented by a graphoanalyst (one who analyzes handwriting), a demonstration and explanation of a polygraph machine and how a polygraph examiner does her job, and meeting my new publisher!
It was so cool, you guys! Echelon Press sponsored the lunch on Saturday, which was for like 200 people, and my publisher, Karen, got up and introduced the EP authors who were there, including me. So exciting!
I also got to meet Nancy Pickard, a mystery author whose books I've loved for years. I started reading her Jenny Cain series back in high school or even before. She was a marvelous speaker and very laid-back. Charlaine Harris was also there and she's always a hoot!
I also got to see Nancy and Luisa Buehler (another awesome mystery author who is with Echelon) and a bunch of other authors doing the Super Bowl Shuffle, of all things, after dinner on Saturday. This was, of course, before the Bears didn't quite make it on Sunday.
As always, the best part of going to these conferences is just getting to hang out with other writers. I always learn something new, and it just feels good to talk with other people who go through all the ups and downs of writing too.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Finally, the car I've been waiting for...
You know how in all those memes and email forwards they always ask you what kind of car you would buy if money were no object? I never have an answer because I don't care about engines or gears or cylinders or whatever.
But now, finally, someone has created the one I've been looking for!
Also, for the Firefly fans out there, the flying vehicle that they take to the payroll job in Serenity, isn't that called the Mule? What an interesting bit of symmetry (if you read the article, you'll see what I mean). Unless the creator is a Firefly fan, which is possible, I guess.
But now, finally, someone has created the one I've been looking for!
Also, for the Firefly fans out there, the flying vehicle that they take to the payroll job in Serenity, isn't that called the Mule? What an interesting bit of symmetry (if you read the article, you'll see what I mean). Unless the creator is a Firefly fan, which is possible, I guess.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Interview Questions for Twench
Interview Meme Rules are as follows: You comment on this entry requesting an interview. I respond with five questions. The questions will theoretically be tailored to you based on what I know of you (or want to know). You copy and paste those questions into your own journal, and write the answers, along with these rules. Anyone wanting an interview from you continues the game by requesting an interview from you.
1) Do you remember how/when we first met, like the specific moment? If so, do tell.
2) What year in your life would you live over again and why?
3) If you were a woman, which Ghostbuster (Egon, Ray, Peter or Winston) would you be most attracted to and why?
4) What do you miss most about your life pre-kid(s)?
5) What's the best dream you've ever had? (I mean an actual dream versus a dream like an aspriational goal--this would be like the time in high school when I had a tantalizingly short dream in which I was kissing Dylan from 90210...and then my alarm went off.)
Bonus Question! Why are the archives not working on my blog? Do you know? : )
Anyone else want an interview? Let me know! I'm happy to oblige--I love finding out new things about people. : ) Plus, I'm really, really nosy.
1) Do you remember how/when we first met, like the specific moment? If so, do tell.
2) What year in your life would you live over again and why?
3) If you were a woman, which Ghostbuster (Egon, Ray, Peter or Winston) would you be most attracted to and why?
4) What do you miss most about your life pre-kid(s)?
5) What's the best dream you've ever had? (I mean an actual dream versus a dream like an aspriational goal--this would be like the time in high school when I had a tantalizingly short dream in which I was kissing Dylan from 90210...and then my alarm went off.)
Bonus Question! Why are the archives not working on my blog? Do you know? : )
Anyone else want an interview? Let me know! I'm happy to oblige--I love finding out new things about people. : ) Plus, I'm really, really nosy.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Haven't disappeared off the face of the earth, but I'm trying to finish up the last minor edits on Zara II, titled Eye of the Beholder. : ) I'm down to reviewing each "that" to see if it can be taken out. That kind of detailed and mind-numbing work. Should be done by tomorrow! Then I'll have a chance to write a full update.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Interview Questions from Twench (Ed)
Interview Meme Rules are as follows: You comment on this entry requesting an interview. I respond with five questions. The questions will theoretically be tailored to you based on what I know of you (or want to know). You copy and paste those questions into your own journal, and write the answers, along with these rules. Anyone wanting an interview from you continues the game by requesting an interview from you.
1. You awake to find yourself in a science fiction novel/movie/tv show. What does the universe look like (popular TV show or a made up one) and who are you (yourself, some known character, some random red shirt schmuck)?
Dude, good question! If it didn't make me a complete ego-maniac, I'd love to *visit* the world in The Silver Spoon. See them all and talk to them. Have a conversation that could be actually be heard somewhere else besides inside my head. And while it's temping to wish myself into a position to get my hands on Caelan, he and Zara belong together (in this humble author's opinion, but they may not agree) and besides, he would know the difference. Zara has a lot of tough stuff to deal and when confronted with it, she would not curl up in the fetal position and cry...like I would.
So instead, I'd wish to be a recently awakened drone* with super powers (telekinesis or mind manipulation...I can't decide!) and waaaay less responsibility. Also, I'd be super hot. : )
*This refers to events in book two, which Ed has read, and I hope the rest of you will be able to read soon!
However, I must confess that for many of my teen years, I harbored a deep fantasy of being an ensign on the Enterprise. Some of the first stories I wrote were to this effect, fan-fiction before I even knew what it was. And before you ask, it was Kirk's Enterprise. That was the only place where a lowly, young ensign might catch a captain's attention...unless I managed to save the ship from nanites or something on Picard's Enterprise.
2. When the Silver Spoon is made into a movie, who would you want to play the main characters?
Thank you for saying "when" and not "if." *grin* I'd like Zara to be played by an actual redhead rather than an actress with dyed hair. So, if they were casting right now, I'd want them to talk to Bryce Dallas Howard, looks-wise. But only if she has the spunk and attitude to pull it off.
As for Caelan, well, that's something I've vowed to keep quiet about. But it's not that hard to figure out if you know me and what actors I like. : )
3. What songs on your iPOD do you wish you had never loaded?
Ha, there are lots of them that I've heard so many times, I'm sick of them. But the first song that popped into my head with this question is "I Want Your Sex, Pt.2" by George Michael. I didn't even know there was a Pt. 2. This is not the song I'm familiar with and wanted for my 80s collection. I hate Pt. 2.
4. First to have a child: You or Susan?
Hmm. Tough call. Susan is thirteen years younger than me. She's got four years of college, probably a couple of years of dating after that and then marriage...
I'm thirty-one now so...
Michael. : )
5. Are you a god?
Uh, no...Wait, wait, I mean yes!
1. You awake to find yourself in a science fiction novel/movie/tv show. What does the universe look like (popular TV show or a made up one) and who are you (yourself, some known character, some random red shirt schmuck)?
Dude, good question! If it didn't make me a complete ego-maniac, I'd love to *visit* the world in The Silver Spoon. See them all and talk to them. Have a conversation that could be actually be heard somewhere else besides inside my head. And while it's temping to wish myself into a position to get my hands on Caelan, he and Zara belong together (in this humble author's opinion, but they may not agree) and besides, he would know the difference. Zara has a lot of tough stuff to deal and when confronted with it, she would not curl up in the fetal position and cry...like I would.
So instead, I'd wish to be a recently awakened drone* with super powers (telekinesis or mind manipulation...I can't decide!) and waaaay less responsibility. Also, I'd be super hot. : )
*This refers to events in book two, which Ed has read, and I hope the rest of you will be able to read soon!
However, I must confess that for many of my teen years, I harbored a deep fantasy of being an ensign on the Enterprise. Some of the first stories I wrote were to this effect, fan-fiction before I even knew what it was. And before you ask, it was Kirk's Enterprise. That was the only place where a lowly, young ensign might catch a captain's attention...unless I managed to save the ship from nanites or something on Picard's Enterprise.
2. When the Silver Spoon is made into a movie, who would you want to play the main characters?
Thank you for saying "when" and not "if." *grin* I'd like Zara to be played by an actual redhead rather than an actress with dyed hair. So, if they were casting right now, I'd want them to talk to Bryce Dallas Howard, looks-wise. But only if she has the spunk and attitude to pull it off.
As for Caelan, well, that's something I've vowed to keep quiet about. But it's not that hard to figure out if you know me and what actors I like. : )
3. What songs on your iPOD do you wish you had never loaded?
Ha, there are lots of them that I've heard so many times, I'm sick of them. But the first song that popped into my head with this question is "I Want Your Sex, Pt.2" by George Michael. I didn't even know there was a Pt. 2. This is not the song I'm familiar with and wanted for my 80s collection. I hate Pt. 2.
4. First to have a child: You or Susan?
Hmm. Tough call. Susan is thirteen years younger than me. She's got four years of college, probably a couple of years of dating after that and then marriage...
I'm thirty-one now so...
Michael. : )
5. Are you a god?
Uh, no...Wait, wait, I mean yes!
Monday, January 15, 2007
"If found, please return to Earth."
I love this. I want them for myself. I also think they'd be an awesome promotional giveaway item. Not that I could afford to give away very many of them! : )
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Okay, all you clever people out there...
I'm toying with a new (free trial offer) of a website. (Ed, I checked it out and it does not seem hard to cancel, so I decided to give it a whirl...we'll see what happens!)
On the home page, beneath my name, it has a place for a tagline. This would be the spot where Linnea's website says something like "internet home of RITA-winning sci-fi romance author Linnea Sinclair." Obviously, I do not have such a claim to fame--don't I wish, though!--nor do I have the ability to limit it sci-fi romance as the first in my mystery series is coming out next year--yea!!!
So, I've been trying to think of SOMETHING to say there. My stories do have common themes, regardless of genre or subgenre. They feature strong heroines in varying degrees of kickass *grin*, forbidden love (one way or another), and the idea that you have to accept yourself for who you are before you can really find happiness.
But then again, maybe I don't need anything as a tagline. Maybe that would just confuse the issue.
What do you guys think?
On the home page, beneath my name, it has a place for a tagline. This would be the spot where Linnea's website says something like "internet home of RITA-winning sci-fi romance author Linnea Sinclair." Obviously, I do not have such a claim to fame--don't I wish, though!--nor do I have the ability to limit it sci-fi romance as the first in my mystery series is coming out next year--yea!!!
So, I've been trying to think of SOMETHING to say there. My stories do have common themes, regardless of genre or subgenre. They feature strong heroines in varying degrees of kickass *grin*, forbidden love (one way or another), and the idea that you have to accept yourself for who you are before you can really find happiness.
But then again, maybe I don't need anything as a tagline. Maybe that would just confuse the issue.
What do you guys think?
Monday, January 08, 2007
They're heeeeeeere!
Greg found this article from the Chicago Tribune for me last week...it's so cool!
UFO Spotted Over O'Hare Airport
Here's the follow-up article, though you may need to register to read this one.
There were lots of questions (and jokes) about why the UFO didn't land, what with the convenient landing strips and all nearby. However, I prefer to think that the aliens were just observing. Ha! And if you don't get that, please let me know. I have a book you should read. *silly grin*
UFO Spotted Over O'Hare Airport
Here's the follow-up article, though you may need to register to read this one.
There were lots of questions (and jokes) about why the UFO didn't land, what with the convenient landing strips and all nearby. However, I prefer to think that the aliens were just observing. Ha! And if you don't get that, please let me know. I have a book you should read. *silly grin*
A case of the Mondays
Saw an accident this morning. Despite the length of my commute, this is the only one I actually saw happening. Worse yet, I could see it coming and there was nothing I could do about it.
I was waiting to get into the left hand turn lane on Rt. 60/83. Unfortunately, the turn lane was full, so the regular lane was now filling up with those of us waiting to turn. On the opposite side of the street, a small line of cars had developed, people trying to turn left into the Mundelein municipal building parking lot to my right. Rt. 60/83 has two lanes on both sides at this point. So while the inside lane of my side of the road was stopped, waiting for all of us lefties to get out of the way, the right lane on my side was moving just fine.
The driver of the mini-van in front of me was trying to be kind and allowed a space between herself and the car in front of her for those who were waiting to turn into the municipal building parking lot. I saw this and groaned. "Accident waiting to happen," I even muttered, never actually believing it would really happen because I'd seen this hundreds of times, always close calls. Like shave the paint off your passenger side door close, but no real contact.
Also, this particular thing is one of my pet peeves. It's dangerous. According to Illinois law, you are required to not block intersections and driveways as marked, otherwise no worries. People who, in trying to help, leave you the gap to pull across their lane and then the one next to theirs cause accidents because you, as the turning driver, can't see around their vehicle to see if anyone else is coming. I've even heard the police warning against doing this. You think you're trying to be nice, but then something like this morning happens.
The guy turning left into the parking lot edged out little by little, but he couldn't see around the mini-van. Finally, after inching forward several times, he decided to go for it...just as a bright yellow H2 came barreling down the open lane, after all there was no back-up in his lane, no reason to slow down.
No screeching brakes, no time. H2 mashed into the side of the sedan, spinning it sideways. Glass popped, that was the loudest and clearest thing I can hear, and it shot out from the sedan in this bright glittering arc. Sedan finally came to a stop when the back end collided with a sign for the municipal building. And holy sh*t, somebody's Monday just went to hell in a handbasket.
Guy in the H2 was okay, got out immediately, looking severely pissed. Guy in the sedan looked okay inside the car--probably because he was hit on the passenger side, thank God.
Whew. It was pretty awful, worse for them than for me, obviously. But how rare is it to be in a situation like that where you can see the bad thing coming so clearly, whole seconds before the two people who will be most affected are even aware that this day is anything but ordinary?
Do you think that's a small taste of what it would be like to be God, seeing the yellow H2 heading straight for sedan-guy, but unable to interfere--other than that tingling little warning that should have been sounding in sedan-guy's brain--thanks to free will? *shudder* Not a job I'd like, thanks.
I was waiting to get into the left hand turn lane on Rt. 60/83. Unfortunately, the turn lane was full, so the regular lane was now filling up with those of us waiting to turn. On the opposite side of the street, a small line of cars had developed, people trying to turn left into the Mundelein municipal building parking lot to my right. Rt. 60/83 has two lanes on both sides at this point. So while the inside lane of my side of the road was stopped, waiting for all of us lefties to get out of the way, the right lane on my side was moving just fine.
The driver of the mini-van in front of me was trying to be kind and allowed a space between herself and the car in front of her for those who were waiting to turn into the municipal building parking lot. I saw this and groaned. "Accident waiting to happen," I even muttered, never actually believing it would really happen because I'd seen this hundreds of times, always close calls. Like shave the paint off your passenger side door close, but no real contact.
Also, this particular thing is one of my pet peeves. It's dangerous. According to Illinois law, you are required to not block intersections and driveways as marked, otherwise no worries. People who, in trying to help, leave you the gap to pull across their lane and then the one next to theirs cause accidents because you, as the turning driver, can't see around their vehicle to see if anyone else is coming. I've even heard the police warning against doing this. You think you're trying to be nice, but then something like this morning happens.
The guy turning left into the parking lot edged out little by little, but he couldn't see around the mini-van. Finally, after inching forward several times, he decided to go for it...just as a bright yellow H2 came barreling down the open lane, after all there was no back-up in his lane, no reason to slow down.
No screeching brakes, no time. H2 mashed into the side of the sedan, spinning it sideways. Glass popped, that was the loudest and clearest thing I can hear, and it shot out from the sedan in this bright glittering arc. Sedan finally came to a stop when the back end collided with a sign for the municipal building. And holy sh*t, somebody's Monday just went to hell in a handbasket.
Guy in the H2 was okay, got out immediately, looking severely pissed. Guy in the sedan looked okay inside the car--probably because he was hit on the passenger side, thank God.
Whew. It was pretty awful, worse for them than for me, obviously. But how rare is it to be in a situation like that where you can see the bad thing coming so clearly, whole seconds before the two people who will be most affected are even aware that this day is anything but ordinary?
Do you think that's a small taste of what it would be like to be God, seeing the yellow H2 heading straight for sedan-guy, but unable to interfere--other than that tingling little warning that should have been sounding in sedan-guy's brain--thanks to free will? *shudder* Not a job I'd like, thanks.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
An ode to jeans...
I've succumbed to blatant commercialism. Yesterday, I bought a pair of jeans for $100. But it (they) feels so good! Ha. : )
You have to understand that for a period of time in my early teens all I cared about, clothing-wise, was the brand name on the tag. Guess, Coca-cola (remember those shirts?), Espirit, B.U.M. Equipment, etc. Then I grew up a little into my later teens and into the grunge era, where nobody cared about the brand, just about how much flannel one human being could possibly wear at any given time.
Once I was out of college, my casual wear drifted toward the inexpensive Old Navy-type stuff, where fit might not have been great but the style was cute and you couldn't beat the price. Only in recent years have I become more concerned about what I look like in those clothes. The old metabolism isn't quite what it used to be, and wearing big sloppy stuff no longer looks cute and carefree, but sort of blah and making me looking bigger than I actually am, something I don't need help with. Jeans that are in fashion no longer fit my shape correctly and the person who brought about the invention of low-rise should either be blessed or condemned to one of the lower circles of hell.
Everyone looked pretty much the same in those high-waisted jeans. It's impossible not to have some kind of pooch in front when it's behind this wall of unforgiving denim. But with low-rise, suddenly those with flat bellies were showing them off and the rest of us...well, me, at least, I was hiding behind "mid-rise" jeans that weren't altogether fashionable or flattering.
Then I saw this show (Oprah had the "What Not to Wear" girls on one night) about how little things like the length of the zipper, the size and placement of the pockets on the back, the cut of the legs, all go toward making you look good or bad in jeans. If you don't look good in your jeans, it may not be because you're hideously malformed. It may simply be that you have the wrong cut of jeans.
So, I promptly went out and found a pair of jeans that I loved from Ann Taylor Loft. Low rise (over which I wear a longer shirt so the front pooch does not show), small pockets that were low on the butt, and legs that were tight through the thigh but loose around the calves and ankles. (I do not look good in the "skinny" jeans, plus whenever I try them on, I get horrible post-traumatic flashbacks to highschool and the early nineties when we used to roll up the bottoms of our skinny jeans to make them even tighter at the ankle...ugh!) And this beautiful find was only $28 on the sales rack! Woohoo! I should have bought multiple pairs...but I didn't.
Now, a year later, the ATL jeans are still holding up well, but they're my only pair. For Christmas, from my husband, I get a cool new pair of jeans but they're the "new" looking kind. Very dark denim. This is fine for when you're dressing up a little but these are not casual jeans.
Yesterday, with my sister in town, we headed to Michigan Avenue for a shopping trip. I HATE shopping. But I discovered a Lucky Brand jeans store in one of the malls. Lucky is a brand name you've probably heard tossed around, like True Religion and Seven. I cannot afford True Religion and Seven, which often go at $200 or so for ONE pair of jeans. But these were less expensive and they are AWESOME.
Already faded and soft (how do they do that?), they are perfect right off the shelf. Short zipper, low rise in the front but higher in the back (so as to avoid the oh-so-attractive "butt crack" look), tight yet stretchy through the thigh and loose around the calves and ankles. And little pockets placed low on the back side, so it looks like I might actually have a butt rather than legs connected straight to my rib cage.
And yes, they were ridiculously expensive, so much so that I'm almost afraid to wear them. But I have decided that at the ripe old age of 31, there are some things worth splurging on. A good hair cut and good jeans are definitely two of them!
You have to understand that for a period of time in my early teens all I cared about, clothing-wise, was the brand name on the tag. Guess, Coca-cola (remember those shirts?), Espirit, B.U.M. Equipment, etc. Then I grew up a little into my later teens and into the grunge era, where nobody cared about the brand, just about how much flannel one human being could possibly wear at any given time.
Once I was out of college, my casual wear drifted toward the inexpensive Old Navy-type stuff, where fit might not have been great but the style was cute and you couldn't beat the price. Only in recent years have I become more concerned about what I look like in those clothes. The old metabolism isn't quite what it used to be, and wearing big sloppy stuff no longer looks cute and carefree, but sort of blah and making me looking bigger than I actually am, something I don't need help with. Jeans that are in fashion no longer fit my shape correctly and the person who brought about the invention of low-rise should either be blessed or condemned to one of the lower circles of hell.
Everyone looked pretty much the same in those high-waisted jeans. It's impossible not to have some kind of pooch in front when it's behind this wall of unforgiving denim. But with low-rise, suddenly those with flat bellies were showing them off and the rest of us...well, me, at least, I was hiding behind "mid-rise" jeans that weren't altogether fashionable or flattering.
Then I saw this show (Oprah had the "What Not to Wear" girls on one night) about how little things like the length of the zipper, the size and placement of the pockets on the back, the cut of the legs, all go toward making you look good or bad in jeans. If you don't look good in your jeans, it may not be because you're hideously malformed. It may simply be that you have the wrong cut of jeans.
So, I promptly went out and found a pair of jeans that I loved from Ann Taylor Loft. Low rise (over which I wear a longer shirt so the front pooch does not show), small pockets that were low on the butt, and legs that were tight through the thigh but loose around the calves and ankles. (I do not look good in the "skinny" jeans, plus whenever I try them on, I get horrible post-traumatic flashbacks to highschool and the early nineties when we used to roll up the bottoms of our skinny jeans to make them even tighter at the ankle...ugh!) And this beautiful find was only $28 on the sales rack! Woohoo! I should have bought multiple pairs...but I didn't.
Now, a year later, the ATL jeans are still holding up well, but they're my only pair. For Christmas, from my husband, I get a cool new pair of jeans but they're the "new" looking kind. Very dark denim. This is fine for when you're dressing up a little but these are not casual jeans.
Yesterday, with my sister in town, we headed to Michigan Avenue for a shopping trip. I HATE shopping. But I discovered a Lucky Brand jeans store in one of the malls. Lucky is a brand name you've probably heard tossed around, like True Religion and Seven. I cannot afford True Religion and Seven, which often go at $200 or so for ONE pair of jeans. But these were less expensive and they are AWESOME.
Already faded and soft (how do they do that?), they are perfect right off the shelf. Short zipper, low rise in the front but higher in the back (so as to avoid the oh-so-attractive "butt crack" look), tight yet stretchy through the thigh and loose around the calves and ankles. And little pockets placed low on the back side, so it looks like I might actually have a butt rather than legs connected straight to my rib cage.
And yes, they were ridiculously expensive, so much so that I'm almost afraid to wear them. But I have decided that at the ripe old age of 31, there are some things worth splurging on. A good hair cut and good jeans are definitely two of them!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Check this out...
Woo hoo, I'm already listed in the Echelon Press author directory (just click on the link and scroll down until you see the "Author Directory" link in the left-hand nav bar)....how cool is that?!?
Thanks to Becky D. for pointing that out! : )
Thanks to Becky D. for pointing that out! : )
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