March 1974:
You know when you're learning a new word and try to use it as much as possible? A kid in my class was fixated on 'respect' and over-used it. I would literally cringe every time he opened his mouth, because I knew that word would eventually be used.
Well, my word was 'embarrassed'. While I didn't try to insert it often, I wasn't really sure of the definition. But when my beloved Mrs. H announced we were going to be split up into groups and create different things, I was excited to be assigned to the Book group. We would try to write a story, and Mr. H would be our group leader.
We sat in a circle at a table and tried to brainstorm ideas for our story. Characters were decided, and a basic plot. I found my opening and asked if the main character could be embarrassed, and was finally told what it meant. I also learned my mind went blank during those verbal brainstorming sessions, I didn't really contribute anything. I don't even think our story ever got written.
I do remember seeing a short film that one group put on as they created their own Star Trek episode. And I noticed one of the other girls in my group ended up being in it, but not understanding why.
*******
Present Day:
Weather warmed up to 50s today! We'll be celebrating the youngling's 10th birthday with his grandparents (last weekend was just simply too icy), and I SHOULD be able to go to karaoke.
Songs will be the same as last week's:
Ghost Riders In the Sky (Outlaws)
You Haven't Seen The Last of Me (Cher) OR Miracle (Jon Bon Jovi)
Girl Can't Help It (Journey)
Genie In a Bottle (Christina Agulara and only if Mel comes)
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
Friday, March 7, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
More Answers
I remembered I still hadn't answered all the questions from several months ago:)
Advice on how to start a story? Advice on how to end a story?
"Begin at the beginning...end at the end'. I think that's from Alice in Wonderland. Anyway, if you have a lot of words cluttering up your brain, just start writing. Chances are the correct ones will come out. When I wrote All She Ever Wanted (Kenzie Michaels), the first thing I heard in my brain was Amber saying, 'Don't get your knickers in a twist, Marc. I'm only filling in for one night." And the argument went from there. I got to the computer as fast as I could, and started with that conversation until I had time to write the back story. And even when it was finished, my editor suggested a prologue.
As for and ending to that book, my editor didn't like mine and suggested I come up with something else. I wracked my brain for an hour, coming up with zilch. So I wrote him a snarky 'and they lived happily ever after', hit 'send', then got up from my desk. Three steps and I 'heard' Amber say, 'Does this mean we finally get that happily ever after?', spun around and typed up a 'never mind; I've got it.' and sent it off.
The main point? Listen to your characters. 90% of the time they will tell you where to start and how to end it.
Advice on how to start a story? Advice on how to end a story?
"Begin at the beginning...end at the end'. I think that's from Alice in Wonderland. Anyway, if you have a lot of words cluttering up your brain, just start writing. Chances are the correct ones will come out. When I wrote All She Ever Wanted (Kenzie Michaels), the first thing I heard in my brain was Amber saying, 'Don't get your knickers in a twist, Marc. I'm only filling in for one night." And the argument went from there. I got to the computer as fast as I could, and started with that conversation until I had time to write the back story. And even when it was finished, my editor suggested a prologue.
As for and ending to that book, my editor didn't like mine and suggested I come up with something else. I wracked my brain for an hour, coming up with zilch. So I wrote him a snarky 'and they lived happily ever after', hit 'send', then got up from my desk. Three steps and I 'heard' Amber say, 'Does this mean we finally get that happily ever after?', spun around and typed up a 'never mind; I've got it.' and sent it off.
The main point? Listen to your characters. 90% of the time they will tell you where to start and how to end it.
Where is the craziest place you have ever set a sex scene?
I love the hot tub scene in Kenzie's Teacher's Pet:) And Marc and Amber were caught in the men's locker room at the country club.
If you could choose… which celebrities would you choose to act out a sex scene from one of your books? Which book is it from?
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling in any of the Teacher's Pet ones, esp that hot tub scene!
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling in any of the Teacher's Pet ones, esp that hot tub scene!
What are you afraid of (regarding writing)?
I still second-guess myself anytime I'm giving an opinion on a hot button topic, or one I think will be controversial. I'm non-confrontational, and a little passive-aggressive, so when I dive in KNOWING it's going to be potentially explosive, I either don't promote it or stay away from the article until much later in the day. That is why last month's RB4U post only had four or six comments. I was happy I didn't piss anyone off!
In my own books, I was a little worried about book #6 and its subject matter, esp when posted on FB about my views on gay marriage, just to balance the look of my news feed. And got slammed by it. I tried to smooth things over by saying I'd written an F/F 'bi-curious' book, but it backfired on me. So I don't promote it a great deal. I wrote it; friend BG, whom it is based on, is happy with it; end of subject.
What books have most influenced your life?
It's no secret that Little Women is my all-time favorite book. I wanted to be a mixture of all the girls, with Amy's name, Beth's musical ability; Jo's writing ability; and Meg's looks.
I fell in love with the way Lavyrle Spencer, Norma Klein, and Judy Blume wove social issues into their stories, and I strove to do the same, even though I began writing my Arbor U books three years before ever picking up a LS book. I patterned AU after the teen romances I'd loved in junior high, only set them in college with the 'gimmick' of the social/relationship aspect.
My college years were a huge influence in my writing.
I also try to live my life by biblical principles, though I never try to shove my beliefs down anyone's throat.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I credit at least three: Judy Blume, Danielle Steel, and Anny Cook. As previously mentioned, I loved the Judy Blume books, and even patterned book #3 after First Love. I learned my head-hopping habit from Danielle, but Anny is the one who really encouraged me when I first began putting my work online. I also can't leave out Bronwyn Green, Brynn Paulin, and Kelly Kirch, who also encouraged me back in 2007, and are to blame for my Kenzie persona (lol!).
I still second-guess myself anytime I'm giving an opinion on a hot button topic, or one I think will be controversial. I'm non-confrontational, and a little passive-aggressive, so when I dive in KNOWING it's going to be potentially explosive, I either don't promote it or stay away from the article until much later in the day. That is why last month's RB4U post only had four or six comments. I was happy I didn't piss anyone off!
In my own books, I was a little worried about book #6 and its subject matter, esp when posted on FB about my views on gay marriage, just to balance the look of my news feed. And got slammed by it. I tried to smooth things over by saying I'd written an F/F 'bi-curious' book, but it backfired on me. So I don't promote it a great deal. I wrote it; friend BG, whom it is based on, is happy with it; end of subject.
What books have most influenced your life?
It's no secret that Little Women is my all-time favorite book. I wanted to be a mixture of all the girls, with Amy's name, Beth's musical ability; Jo's writing ability; and Meg's looks.
I fell in love with the way Lavyrle Spencer, Norma Klein, and Judy Blume wove social issues into their stories, and I strove to do the same, even though I began writing my Arbor U books three years before ever picking up a LS book. I patterned AU after the teen romances I'd loved in junior high, only set them in college with the 'gimmick' of the social/relationship aspect.
My college years were a huge influence in my writing.
I also try to live my life by biblical principles, though I never try to shove my beliefs down anyone's throat.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I credit at least three: Judy Blume, Danielle Steel, and Anny Cook. As previously mentioned, I loved the Judy Blume books, and even patterned book #3 after First Love. I learned my head-hopping habit from Danielle, but Anny is the one who really encouraged me when I first began putting my work online. I also can't leave out Bronwyn Green, Brynn Paulin, and Kelly Kirch, who also encouraged me back in 2007, and are to blame for my Kenzie persona (lol!).
Monday, March 3, 2014
Feb Recap and March Reading Schedule
Feb Recap:
February was another bi-polar month, weather-wise. Frigid temps during the week, then warming trends, only to be slapped back into sub-freezing temps. Plus, a financial snafu occurred, making Valentine's Day a rather somber day around here until Payday on the 19th. I also spent several days avoiding opening my mouth, since no matter what I said, the spouse found fault with it and snapped at me.
Books Read: 7, with four more I couldn't finish. Either the characters failed to interest me, or I realized I didn't care about the plot. Or simply due to the fact it was taking too long between reading intervals and I'd lost interest. I NEED MY KINDLE BACK!!!!
Karaoke: Added two songs: From This Moment and Genie In A Bottle.
Health/Exercise: Managed to lose another pound! And have been illness-free, though still congested.
Submission/Writing: Still waiting to hear whether or not Kenzie's alien-meets-human story has been accepted. Reached Ch. 2 in the 2nd book and need two titles, plus a name for the series.
March Reading Schedule:
Love Letter for a Sinner- Lynne Shura Good story; some mild head-hopping. Got tired of Layla.
The Princess and the Templar-Hebby Roman CNF The 1st half was enough for me; storyline dragged.
True Nature-Neeley Powell
Marriage Counseling from a Stripper Pole-T. Lee Alexis
Love by Auction-Clarissa Yip
Alien Adoration- Jessica Subject
Alien Admirer-JS
Slipping on Stardust-Gordon Osmond
Double Threat-Julie Prestsater
Karaoke Songs:
February was another bi-polar month, weather-wise. Frigid temps during the week, then warming trends, only to be slapped back into sub-freezing temps. Plus, a financial snafu occurred, making Valentine's Day a rather somber day around here until Payday on the 19th. I also spent several days avoiding opening my mouth, since no matter what I said, the spouse found fault with it and snapped at me.
Books Read: 7, with four more I couldn't finish. Either the characters failed to interest me, or I realized I didn't care about the plot. Or simply due to the fact it was taking too long between reading intervals and I'd lost interest. I NEED MY KINDLE BACK!!!!
Karaoke: Added two songs: From This Moment and Genie In A Bottle.
Health/Exercise: Managed to lose another pound! And have been illness-free, though still congested.
Submission/Writing: Still waiting to hear whether or not Kenzie's alien-meets-human story has been accepted. Reached Ch. 2 in the 2nd book and need two titles, plus a name for the series.
March Reading Schedule:
Love Letter for a Sinner- Lynne Shura Good story; some mild head-hopping. Got tired of Layla.
The Princess and the Templar-Hebby Roman CNF The 1st half was enough for me; storyline dragged.
True Nature-Neeley Powell
Marriage Counseling from a Stripper Pole-T. Lee Alexis
Love by Auction-Clarissa Yip
Alien Adoration- Jessica Subject
Alien Admirer-JS
Slipping on Stardust-Gordon Osmond
Double Threat-Julie Prestsater
Karaoke Songs:
Ghost Riders in the Sky (Outlaws)
Gimme All Your Lovin' (ZZ Top)
Girl Can't Help It (Journey)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
Get Down Tonight (KC and Sunshine Band)
Give it Up (KC)
Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman)
Go Rest High On That Mountain (Vince Gill)
God Bless The USA (Lee Greenwood)
Going Out of My Head
Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
Good Lovin' Gone Bad (Bad Company)
Good Morning Starshine
Get Down Tonight (KC and Sunshine Band)
Give it Up (KC)
Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman)
Go Rest High On That Mountain (Vince Gill)
God Bless The USA (Lee Greenwood)
Going Out of My Head
Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
Good Lovin' Gone Bad (Bad Company)
Good Morning Starshine
Friday, February 28, 2014
Flashback Friday: Labor Pains
Feb 2004:
The Fetus Who Cried Wolf...
Okay; by now you've probably all heard (and are sick of hearing) me tell the story about the night I went into labor with the youngling. But did you know what he did the previous three weeks?
Feb 1-7: Pretty normal; I began having Braxton-Hicks (false labor) contractions, but once I began moving around, they went away.
Feb 8-14: Hubby and I went out to dinner on Valentine's Day and joked to our server about the labor possibility, then proceeded to scare her when we signaled for a refill. She thought we wanted the check, and were headed to the hospital! We all had a good laugh and finished our meal.
Feb 15-21: Walking around the house did not ease up the contractions, so I called the dr. Five minutes later, all contractions stopped. This happened at least twice this week.
Feb 22-28: I went in for my regular appointment and embarrassed my kids by wearing my PJ's when we dropped them off. I was certain I was going to be admitted. But once again, after arriving at the office, the contractions quit. I was, however, dilated to ONE.
Feb 29th: Yes, this was Leap Year. I was huge, uncomfortable, and just wanted the baby to be born! I waddled out of church that morning and went into the Community Center to use the bathroom, since it had a handicapped stall. When I came out, a good friend laughed at the way I was walking. I pulled my maternity pants to below my belly, pulled up my shirt to above my belly, and said, "If you were carrying this around, you'd walk funny too!" He laughed and helped me back to the car.
10:30pm: I'm watching the Oscars and had to use the restroom. D was taking a shower, so I went to the kids'. I finished and tried to stand up. Heard a pop! and felt water gushing out. S came out of her room, yelling at the dog to stop drinking out of the toilet, then saw me. I sent her to get her father.
She returned with 'He said,'so?''
I managed to stand up, then dripped all the way into the other bathroom. My water had never broken at home before, and given my history of speedy births, didn't want the kid to arrive in the toilet, and certainly not on Feb 29th!
We made it to the hospital at midnight and I was thrilled when Lord of the Rings won Best Picture. Then I settled back and cooperated with everyone:)
I was able to experience an epidural (I'd given birth naturally the first 2 times) and the youngling was born at 3:29am.
Next Month: I am finally able to give up sex for Lent!
***********
Present Day:
We're expecting a snow storm this weekend, so don't know if I'll be able to go to karaoke. The youngling's birthday is tomorrow (the big 1-0!) and we're hoping to take him to Gattytown in E'ville or our own Gatty's here in town. I know we most likely will NOT be traveling to Terre Haute on Sunday to meet the grandparents.
Planned 'Roke Songs:
Ghost Riders In The Sky
Gimme All Your Lovin'
Genie In A Bottle
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
If you're in the path of the storm, stay warm and safe!
The Fetus Who Cried Wolf...
Okay; by now you've probably all heard (and are sick of hearing) me tell the story about the night I went into labor with the youngling. But did you know what he did the previous three weeks?
Feb 1-7: Pretty normal; I began having Braxton-Hicks (false labor) contractions, but once I began moving around, they went away.
Feb 8-14: Hubby and I went out to dinner on Valentine's Day and joked to our server about the labor possibility, then proceeded to scare her when we signaled for a refill. She thought we wanted the check, and were headed to the hospital! We all had a good laugh and finished our meal.
Feb 15-21: Walking around the house did not ease up the contractions, so I called the dr. Five minutes later, all contractions stopped. This happened at least twice this week.
Feb 22-28: I went in for my regular appointment and embarrassed my kids by wearing my PJ's when we dropped them off. I was certain I was going to be admitted. But once again, after arriving at the office, the contractions quit. I was, however, dilated to ONE.
Feb 29th: Yes, this was Leap Year. I was huge, uncomfortable, and just wanted the baby to be born! I waddled out of church that morning and went into the Community Center to use the bathroom, since it had a handicapped stall. When I came out, a good friend laughed at the way I was walking. I pulled my maternity pants to below my belly, pulled up my shirt to above my belly, and said, "If you were carrying this around, you'd walk funny too!" He laughed and helped me back to the car.
10:30pm: I'm watching the Oscars and had to use the restroom. D was taking a shower, so I went to the kids'. I finished and tried to stand up. Heard a pop! and felt water gushing out. S came out of her room, yelling at the dog to stop drinking out of the toilet, then saw me. I sent her to get her father.
She returned with 'He said,'so?''
I managed to stand up, then dripped all the way into the other bathroom. My water had never broken at home before, and given my history of speedy births, didn't want the kid to arrive in the toilet, and certainly not on Feb 29th!
We made it to the hospital at midnight and I was thrilled when Lord of the Rings won Best Picture. Then I settled back and cooperated with everyone:)
I was able to experience an epidural (I'd given birth naturally the first 2 times) and the youngling was born at 3:29am.
Next Month: I am finally able to give up sex for Lent!
***********
Present Day:
We're expecting a snow storm this weekend, so don't know if I'll be able to go to karaoke. The youngling's birthday is tomorrow (the big 1-0!) and we're hoping to take him to Gattytown in E'ville or our own Gatty's here in town. I know we most likely will NOT be traveling to Terre Haute on Sunday to meet the grandparents.
Planned 'Roke Songs:
Ghost Riders In The Sky
Gimme All Your Lovin'
Genie In A Bottle
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
If you're in the path of the storm, stay warm and safe!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Reality TV Update
Currently Reading:
I've managed to read 7 books so far, with only 3 of the stories worth mentioning: Sacking Austin by Lori Beth Johnson; Forgiving Patience by Jennifer Simpkins; and Two For The Price of One by Sandy Sullivan. All three are Recommended Reads. Untangle My Heart by Maria K. Alexander was good, only I grew bored with the middle and skipped to the last three chapters, when the plot action picked up. Maybe when I can actually read more than one chapter at a time, I'll reread this one.
Currently, I'm getting ready to dive into Love Letter for a Sinner by Lynn Shura. Just very frustrated by the limited access to my own Kindle at the moment.
As you know, I'm a fan of certain reality shows. This week, two of my faves debuted, and we're off to a bang.
Amazing Race ala 'Do You Remember How This Race Is Played?'
A lot of my favorite teams are back, and so are a few I'd rather not see again. One such couple are the annoying twins who were raised in India. Apparently they left their collective brain at home, since they were on the fast-track to do well in the 1st leg.
They spotted the correct sign on the band member, and made it onto the 1st flight to China. But everything went downhill from there.
-They either couldn't recognize the sign shop or misread it, going into the correct one, but second-guessed themselves and walked out, taking three team members with them, and led them on a merry chase through Wedding Row. Fortunately, two of three teams following them wised up and struck out on their own. The twins finally locate the shop again and collect their clue.
-Clue #2 led them to the top of a building, where they had to spot their clue on the door.
-They don't spot said clue until nearly the end of the ride; 'try again'.
-They get into car #2 (the ride is about 20 mins long) and 'try again.'
-They begin yelling at each other, then finally wise up they need to watch the other teams who get on, then leave.
And this is where my DVR cut it off. They were in last place and were still on the ride. I PM's a friend and asked her, "Pleeeeeeease tell me the annoying twins were eliminated?" She answered back 'Yes.'
Survivor: Apparently, It Takes More Than 'Brains' To Win
The tribes are divided into Beauty, Brains, and Brawn. Brains immediately got off to a rocky start when no one knew how to build a shelter. Seriously? Did they all think 'I'll leave it to the more physical guys when it comes to building this thing'? The nuclear engineer thought she knew how to do it, and began issuing orders. But it fell apart, and they blamed her.
Day #2: The other two tribes had shelter; Beauty even had fire. Mr. Poker Player on Brains had an immunity idol. At the challenge, Brains could not seem to work together and came in last. Mr. President decided he wanted to vote out Ms Nuclear Engineer, and thought he had all the votes. Wrong; he found himself voted out for being 'too bossy'.
Day #4: Over at Brawn, one police officer recognizes her fellow officer, but he denies it, saying he's construction, thinking if it's known he's a PO, it will get him voted out. Well, the other one is saying if he doesn't come clean, she's voting him out asap.
Meanwhile, over at Brain, they're still bickering. At the challenge, they do manage to work together, and an sizable lead is acquired. HOWEVER, they let Ms Nuclear Engineer work the puzzle, and she can't seem to figure it out. When the other teams catch up and pass her, she panics and loses the challenge. Again, Mr. Poker Player announces they need to vote her out.
After the challenge, the beefy 'construction worker' aka PO guy dismantles the fishing gear and finds the clue to their hidden immunity idol. He pockets it; puts the gear back together, then goes off and finds it. Two of three idols are now found.
Then Brains do a incredibly stupid thing: They announce Ms NE will be voted out, so what's the point in talking further? Two women go off to wash their feel, and the other two men join her. Meanwhile, back at camp, Ms NE has a meltdown and dumps all the rice into the fire. A plot was hatched to vote out the idiot with the idol, but after arriving back at camp and seeing what MNE did to their rice, it's up in the air as to what will happen.
At Tribal, the three women ganged up on Mr. Poker Player, who, by the way, announced 'he didn't want to play Survivor to survive; he wanted the challenges', and who had left his entire pack, along with the IDOL back at camp! I can hardly wait to see who will look in his pack and find that idol!
Where are these people's brains? Just because you have a high IQ does not give you a free pass to forget the basic rules of Survivor: Keep your friends close and enemies closer. Did neither Mr. President nor Mr. Poker Player learn ANYTHING from Boston Rob or the other winners? Sheesh!
I bet Boston Rob was yelling at the TV last night and will give both of these guys an earful at the finale! Or better yet, show up at the airport and yell at both of 'em. And MPP forgot one of the rules of poker: You don't ever tip your hand too early! Play with your cards close to the chest. I bet his poker buddies are tearing into him.
I've managed to read 7 books so far, with only 3 of the stories worth mentioning: Sacking Austin by Lori Beth Johnson; Forgiving Patience by Jennifer Simpkins; and Two For The Price of One by Sandy Sullivan. All three are Recommended Reads. Untangle My Heart by Maria K. Alexander was good, only I grew bored with the middle and skipped to the last three chapters, when the plot action picked up. Maybe when I can actually read more than one chapter at a time, I'll reread this one.
Currently, I'm getting ready to dive into Love Letter for a Sinner by Lynn Shura. Just very frustrated by the limited access to my own Kindle at the moment.
As you know, I'm a fan of certain reality shows. This week, two of my faves debuted, and we're off to a bang.
Amazing Race ala 'Do You Remember How This Race Is Played?'
A lot of my favorite teams are back, and so are a few I'd rather not see again. One such couple are the annoying twins who were raised in India. Apparently they left their collective brain at home, since they were on the fast-track to do well in the 1st leg.
They spotted the correct sign on the band member, and made it onto the 1st flight to China. But everything went downhill from there.
-They either couldn't recognize the sign shop or misread it, going into the correct one, but second-guessed themselves and walked out, taking three team members with them, and led them on a merry chase through Wedding Row. Fortunately, two of three teams following them wised up and struck out on their own. The twins finally locate the shop again and collect their clue.
-Clue #2 led them to the top of a building, where they had to spot their clue on the door.
-They don't spot said clue until nearly the end of the ride; 'try again'.
-They get into car #2 (the ride is about 20 mins long) and 'try again.'
-They begin yelling at each other, then finally wise up they need to watch the other teams who get on, then leave.
And this is where my DVR cut it off. They were in last place and were still on the ride. I PM's a friend and asked her, "Pleeeeeeease tell me the annoying twins were eliminated?" She answered back 'Yes.'
Survivor: Apparently, It Takes More Than 'Brains' To Win
The tribes are divided into Beauty, Brains, and Brawn. Brains immediately got off to a rocky start when no one knew how to build a shelter. Seriously? Did they all think 'I'll leave it to the more physical guys when it comes to building this thing'? The nuclear engineer thought she knew how to do it, and began issuing orders. But it fell apart, and they blamed her.
Day #2: The other two tribes had shelter; Beauty even had fire. Mr. Poker Player on Brains had an immunity idol. At the challenge, Brains could not seem to work together and came in last. Mr. President decided he wanted to vote out Ms Nuclear Engineer, and thought he had all the votes. Wrong; he found himself voted out for being 'too bossy'.
Day #4: Over at Brawn, one police officer recognizes her fellow officer, but he denies it, saying he's construction, thinking if it's known he's a PO, it will get him voted out. Well, the other one is saying if he doesn't come clean, she's voting him out asap.
Meanwhile, over at Brain, they're still bickering. At the challenge, they do manage to work together, and an sizable lead is acquired. HOWEVER, they let Ms Nuclear Engineer work the puzzle, and she can't seem to figure it out. When the other teams catch up and pass her, she panics and loses the challenge. Again, Mr. Poker Player announces they need to vote her out.
After the challenge, the beefy 'construction worker' aka PO guy dismantles the fishing gear and finds the clue to their hidden immunity idol. He pockets it; puts the gear back together, then goes off and finds it. Two of three idols are now found.
Then Brains do a incredibly stupid thing: They announce Ms NE will be voted out, so what's the point in talking further? Two women go off to wash their feel, and the other two men join her. Meanwhile, back at camp, Ms NE has a meltdown and dumps all the rice into the fire. A plot was hatched to vote out the idiot with the idol, but after arriving back at camp and seeing what MNE did to their rice, it's up in the air as to what will happen.
At Tribal, the three women ganged up on Mr. Poker Player, who, by the way, announced 'he didn't want to play Survivor to survive; he wanted the challenges', and who had left his entire pack, along with the IDOL back at camp! I can hardly wait to see who will look in his pack and find that idol!
Where are these people's brains? Just because you have a high IQ does not give you a free pass to forget the basic rules of Survivor: Keep your friends close and enemies closer. Did neither Mr. President nor Mr. Poker Player learn ANYTHING from Boston Rob or the other winners? Sheesh!
I bet Boston Rob was yelling at the TV last night and will give both of these guys an earful at the finale! Or better yet, show up at the airport and yell at both of 'em. And MPP forgot one of the rules of poker: You don't ever tip your hand too early! Play with your cards close to the chest. I bet his poker buddies are tearing into him.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Flashback Friday: Sick Again!
Feb 1994:
I was once again sniffling and sneezing, and the only thing I could take was Sudafed or Actifed. I began recording an entire 6 hour VHS tape of K's favorite Barney episodes, as well as another full of Shining Time Station. All this due to the fact I popped my medication after lunch, left K in the living room watching the 2nd Barney episode of the day....and woke up two hours later. K was fast asleep on the living room floor and Body Electric was playing on the TV. Thankfully, he had NOT ventured outside!
When I saw Dr. S, he was amazed at my now-three month old battle with sinus infection. And he could not give me the prescription strength meds, due to the pregnancy. I'd have to ride this out with the OTC meds. I griped about being so healthy with K, and if I'd been this sick first, he'd have been an only child!
Mom met me at the hospital for the ultrasound, and it was the first time I'd ever admitted the 1st pregnancy existed. It had always been pushed to the back of my mind, and I'd never spoken about it before. Mom got the true story of it, finally after four long years. We picked up my great-grandmother and ate lunch at the Olive Garden. And no, I didn't want to know the sex. I was hoping for a girl, but still wanted to be surprised.
Next Month: Trip to the Zoo!
***********
Present Day:
Olympics are going great! Alex, Will, and Dan have been watching some of the events with me, and have enjoyed them. He still falls asleep during the ice events, though.
Choir is singing Sunday at 8, so I'll have to leave 'roke around midnight. But I should be able to sing at least 3-4 songs:
Georgy Girl (Seekers)
Get Back (Beatles)
Get This Party Started (Pink)
You Haven't Seen The Last of Me (Cher)
I was once again sniffling and sneezing, and the only thing I could take was Sudafed or Actifed. I began recording an entire 6 hour VHS tape of K's favorite Barney episodes, as well as another full of Shining Time Station. All this due to the fact I popped my medication after lunch, left K in the living room watching the 2nd Barney episode of the day....and woke up two hours later. K was fast asleep on the living room floor and Body Electric was playing on the TV. Thankfully, he had NOT ventured outside!
When I saw Dr. S, he was amazed at my now-three month old battle with sinus infection. And he could not give me the prescription strength meds, due to the pregnancy. I'd have to ride this out with the OTC meds. I griped about being so healthy with K, and if I'd been this sick first, he'd have been an only child!
Mom met me at the hospital for the ultrasound, and it was the first time I'd ever admitted the 1st pregnancy existed. It had always been pushed to the back of my mind, and I'd never spoken about it before. Mom got the true story of it, finally after four long years. We picked up my great-grandmother and ate lunch at the Olive Garden. And no, I didn't want to know the sex. I was hoping for a girl, but still wanted to be surprised.
Next Month: Trip to the Zoo!
***********
Present Day:
Olympics are going great! Alex, Will, and Dan have been watching some of the events with me, and have enjoyed them. He still falls asleep during the ice events, though.
Choir is singing Sunday at 8, so I'll have to leave 'roke around midnight. But I should be able to sing at least 3-4 songs:
Georgy Girl (Seekers)
Get Back (Beatles)
Get This Party Started (Pink)
You Haven't Seen The Last of Me (Cher)
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Looking Into the Future.....
I know; it's been a while since I've answered anymore of those interview questions. And this one threw me for a loop, but I think I finally have an answer that doesn't come off as TOO self-absorbed!
What do you want people to say about you as an author, in the future?
I would hope that anyone who reads my Arbor U series in the year 2086 says "Oh wow...I always wondered what life was like back then...before technology. It took how long for a letter to get across the state/country? Their phone had a cord? They used typewriters? Suffered through snow in winter? (yes, I would hope there is some way to have snow only fall in the grass area!!!) Or even, they had to walk to their classroom?"
And as always, I would hope someone will read one of the books and think 'Oh boy...my boyfriend/roommate/friend/sister/brother has some of the same behavior. Maybe I need to talk to someone about it/end this relationship?'
If anyone reads Kenzie's work, I would hope they finish with a smile on their face and 'where can I get more Kenzie books?' attitude.
In short, I hope people are still reading my work and maybe even use one (or more!) of my books as 'required reading'.
I seriously hope Kenzie's aren't banned....but maybe the PG versions will still be around?
And every month when my children/grandchildren receive a check in the mail, they'll look up at Heaven and say, 'Thanks Grandma!'
What about you?
What do you want people to say about you as an author, in the future?
I would hope that anyone who reads my Arbor U series in the year 2086 says "Oh wow...I always wondered what life was like back then...before technology. It took how long for a letter to get across the state/country? Their phone had a cord? They used typewriters? Suffered through snow in winter? (yes, I would hope there is some way to have snow only fall in the grass area!!!) Or even, they had to walk to their classroom?"
And as always, I would hope someone will read one of the books and think 'Oh boy...my boyfriend/roommate/friend/sister/brother has some of the same behavior. Maybe I need to talk to someone about it/end this relationship?'
If anyone reads Kenzie's work, I would hope they finish with a smile on their face and 'where can I get more Kenzie books?' attitude.
In short, I hope people are still reading my work and maybe even use one (or more!) of my books as 'required reading'.
I seriously hope Kenzie's aren't banned....but maybe the PG versions will still be around?
And every month when my children/grandchildren receive a check in the mail, they'll look up at Heaven and say, 'Thanks Grandma!'
What about you?
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