Monday Needs This

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Caturday!

I've got a chapter meeting today (gun seminar!) then maybe later, a movie. What are you up to?

Freaky Friday

Happy Friday! Here is my gift to you:
Just stare at that for awhile. Later, when you've begun more festive Friday night activities, feel free to come back and stare it some more.

You're welcome.

What time is it?

I watched Shear Genius (check out the ever witty Kwana for a recap) last night, because as most of you know, reality TV is my crack. However, I was beat and ended up falling sleep on the couch. Which I hate, because it really screws up my whole sleep rhythm thing. As a result I am sucking down coffee in an attempt to wake my inner writer up. And, okay, my outer writer isn't exactly chipper, either.

My main goals today are writing and errands. What are you up to?

In other writing-related news, have you heard about this crap? Talk about publishers to avoid. My heart goes out to the author involved.

For some hardcore cuteness, do yourself a favor and visit the ferret cam. Baby ferret, y'all!

Could It Be This Easy?

I gotta try this. If you give it a shot, let me know how it works.

I wish I'd known then...

What I know now about fashion! Come check out my post at the Fictionistas today and talk 80's fashion with me!

Writing and More Pretty Bumpy Things

Gator Update: The past two mornings we've seen a new gator in the canal. This one is probably in the 5-6 foot range and likes to hang out right in front of our house a lot. This morning I think he was looking for a section of bank to sun himself on. At one point he came out about half-way, but the bank was too steep and he slid in. Hotrod took some pics and a video. I'll see if I can get it from him and post it here. (I didn't take the pic here, but that's exactly what he looked like floatin' around.)

Writing Update: The writing is going well, the story is coming in big chunks, like watching a movie - does this happen to you? The characters are giving me lines, helping me build the story. It's awesome. I'm looking forward to getting a big number of pages done this week: 50. Can I do it? Yes, but I'm going to have to keep my head down.

Movie Update: Due to a massive storm, we only got to see The Hulk on Saturday. It was really good tho. Today we're headed out for a late matinée of Indy.

I Doan Wanna Work...

Yes, I know it's Caturday, and there are a million cute cat pictures I could post, but I thought I would express myself in a graph instead. Because it's my blog and I can do whatever the blueberry I want to. Commence graph:



And by bang on the drum, I mean watch movies. We're headed to the Rave for a mini-marathon of action packed goodness. The Hulk and Indiana Jones, baby!

What are your Saturday plans?

Keeping Up With The Bloggers

I currently use Google Reader to keep up with my favorite blogs and it does a nice job, but there are a few blogs it just won't pick up for some reason. Regardless, I really like that I can preview and read the blogs without leaving my iGoogle home page and then if I want to comment, simply click a button to take me there.

What sort of blog roll do you use, if you use one? Do you use one? If not, why not?

Speaking of blogs I read, check out Kwana's blog to read some questions and answers with our lovely agent, Elaine Spencer, from the most amazing agency on the face of the earth - The Knight Agency. Seriously, it won't be long before they take over the world. Get to know Elaine now before she's crowned Princess of the Universe. (Because of course, Deidre would be Queen.)

And lastly, speaking of agents, check out Nathan Bransford's interview with the Fictionistas - he's actually up for Hottest Man in Publishing. lol - Oh, and he's a really great YA agent to boot.

Me, Contemplating Death

Here's me, Hotrod (behind me), Hotrod's brother and next to me, Hotrod's sister's hubby. We're about to face certain death on a roller coaster called Stormrider at Hershey Park. It blasts you off from 0 to 72 miles an hour in 2 seconds. This pic was snapped about .5 seconds into that.

I don't look like I was having fun, but I was. Actually, I think I was trying to figure out if I should have cotton candy or a turkey leg next. That roller coaster was one of the fastest I've ever ridden. There was literally no time to think about what was happening until it was over. That's also when you took your next breath. Seriously. Fast. (It also left bruises on me. I'm not kidding. It was fast and mercilessly bumpy.)

What's the best coaster you've ever ridden?

My Lolcats

moar funny pictures

Go vote for Scooter and Max's bad behavior here!

Home, Hallelujah!

My Hershey Park adventure with Hotrod's family was...an adventure. I'll have more on that tomorrow, but you can chime in on some of it here.

The Stickiest Place On Earth

If Disney is the happiest, Hershey must be the stickiest. I'm soon to find out as we're headed that way this weekend for a family gathering with Hotrod's side.

Personally, I plan to go into a sugar coma (also known as self-medicating) and have wild, hallucinogenic dreams about giant chocolate...bars. What? You thought I was going to say something else? Perv.

Once I get back, I'll be in serious diet mode in prep for Nationals, which will be here before you know it. Have a great weekend, y'all! Think of me if you eat any chocolate, m'kay?

Pretty Bumpy Things

The phone rang at 1:48 AM. I was awake on the first ring, but the phone's on Hotrod's side and he could sleep through an amputation. He eventually managed to get the phone out of it's cradle, at which time he stared at it blankly until I grabbed it. After the third ring and before I could answer it, it went silent.

I checked the caller ID. Out Of Area. Which basically means I have no idea who called at that horrid hour. My heart, which was already pounding because, let's face it, a phone call at that hour usually means someone's dead, in jail or both, now turned black with anger and the desire to make someone dead or in jail.

There are two things that make me cranky. Hunger. Lack of sleep. Take notes.

So I was all prepared to be in a poopy mood this morning when lo and behold, Hotrod calls me outside. At first, I just see the two sandhill cranes he's been feeding, then he points out into the water. We have a gator in our canal! Very exciting stuff, I assure you. And he's kind of cute, just a little fellow maybe 2 1/2 - 3 feet long. He's swimming along and we're taking pictures (well, Babe was) and then what do I spot...another one! Two gators! Coolness squared.

The day has been saved.

Waterstorming

Some people brainstorm. I waterstorm. See, I get my best ideas when I'm either in the shower or in the pool. Yesterday, I was in both. A huge piece of my new YA came to me while I was floating and I couldn't believe I'd overlooked it. This might change everything - or at least make it a much more interesting book. I also had some secondary ideas of things to layer in. All good stuff. I'm excited!

Where do your best ideas come from? What do you do when you need to generate some new thoughts on a piece?

My Addictions, Come Read About Them

Today I'm confessing one of my deepest, darkest addictions over at The Fictionistas and how I want more, even though it's bad for me. And I'm not talking about shoes.

Go ahead and click through. You know you want to.

To Do's

It's Monday. With a new week come new responsibilities. (That sounds much more awake than I actually am.)

1. Write new prologue for old book. (Last year's GH finalist.) Incorporate original prologue as flashback or nightmare.
2. Incorporate beta reader ideas into old book, increase sexual tension in a few areas.
3. Deal with chapter stuff: website, June meeting info
4. Blog about multiple free workshops going on at Romance Divas (How To Write A Novella, Pitching 101, Brillant After Burnout).
5. Laundry

Babe is here through the end of the week, so on Tuesday we're headed to Disney. Then Jax is coming down on Wednesday for a writing day. Friday, Hotrod and I are headed out of town for the weekend. Busy, busy, busy. Maybe I should get one of these to help me remember everything:What are you doing this week?

Ladies Who Lunch

We had a lovely lunch yesterday with lots of fun, frivolity and food. The guests included: Me (of course), Babe (of course), Jax, Roxanne St. Claire, Lara Santiago, Carrie Hensley and Carolyn O'Neil.

A blurry pic of all of us.

Babe and Jax

Carrie and Lara

Babe and Rocki, posing with First You Run, which features a Tasmanian hero!

Maximum fun was had by all and will be repeated tonight with a few more guests at the poolside party at my house!

Girls Day Out

Yesterday, Babe and I and Lara Santiago went to see the Sex And The City movie. It was fairly entertaining, but it did not make me cry like it did some of my other friends who had already seen it. I think Babe and Lara liked it, too.

Afterwards we went to Panera Bread for some lunch and girl talk. Babe also snagged the world's largest straw.

Today we're having more lunch and girl talk, this time including such fabulous girls as Roxanne St. Claire and Jax. Of course, what happens at lunch, stays at lunch.

Be jealous.

Y'all Come Back Now, Y'Hear?

Yesterday I took Babe to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I thought it would a interesting way to start the day and a perfect example of good ole Southern overeating.

After perusing the store and purchasing some Pop Rocks for her kids, we headed to our table and quickly decided on the Sunrise Sampler. This breakfast basically features one of everything except pancakes: biscuits with sawmill gravy, grits (which Babe originally thought was ground up animal intestines), two eggs anyway, a piece each of sausage, ham and bacon, hash brown casserole and fried apples. Mmmm....fat and animal products.

Despite Babe's disbelief at the amount of food (she said "wow" like four times), we both did decent damage to the breakfast, leaving behind a biscuit each and a fair amount of gravy (and grits on Babe's part) then went back out to the store where Babe made a few more purchases.

After that, we headed to the ubiquitous Vietnamese nail salon for a little girl time. Babe was amazed at what a great job they did for so little money. Once we were purtied up, I took her to the local Ross discount store where she proceeded to - I kid you not - outshop me. She had to buy a new suitcase to accommodate her purchases. We made another stop at Walmart for some necessities (mostly fruit and cheap t-shirts) then headed home to eat watermelon while floating in the pool.

I think she likes it here. More adventures tomorrow.

Your web or mine?

I'm blogging at Fictionistas today about the trouble that Spiderman caused me as a teenager. It involves a marriage proposal. Seriously.

You Devil, You!

I have a very special guest visiting me this week - my friend and critique partner, Babe King! What makes the visit so special is that she's from Tasmania, the island state of Australia.

In other words, a long way away.

We've known each other for about four years, but this is the first time we've met face to face. Very cool. I'm going to do my best to introduce her to a bunch of my writing friends while she's here, show her some Floridian sights, do the tourist thing...you know.

Speaking of Tasmania...have you read Roxanne St. Claire's First You Run? It's got a yummy Tassie hero. Just saying.