Day 3 - The Shame Continues...

My first RT was in 1994 in Nashville, TN. Being the wide-eyed Midwestern girl, I was utterly fascinated with everything that went on around me. The authors I adored were like rock stars to me, the parties were hilarious (I mean, where else can a grown woman dress like a fairy?) and the cover models were dreamy and gallant - just like the heroes they portrayed on the front of my favorite romances.

Skip forward 14 years and RT is losing its fabulosity. Some of the authors that I thought were rock stars still are! I was terribly excited to see Bertrice Small for the first time in quite a few years. She is still funny, sweet and touched to meet each and every person that walks up to her. Her husband was with her and i know he's been very ill but it was great to see him looking so good.

Roberta Gellis and Mary Balogh are also in attendance and these lovely ladies are of the same royal fabric as Ms. Small. Friendly, outgoing - they are humble and truly touched when we, the unworthy, stop to worship at the tips of their shoes for a mere moment. The hours of utter pleasure I had at the hands of these amazing women are immeasurable...(get out of the gutter you freaks!) and yes, I'm a silly fan girl.

Yesterday I met Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jennifer St. Giles and Rachel Vincent - all fabulous paranormal authors. I was squealing like a little girl...

For the most part the parties are still great fun. The ballroom setup for the fairy ball was stunning. The theme was Under the Sea and they had decorations that hung from the ceiling to simulate water and when thelights went down they shimmered like water. the costumes were numerous and they really set the tone for the evening - fantasy....and wings. (they can be dangerous...there are probably more than a few scratched corneas this morning!)

And then there are the cover models...displaying very ungallant behavior. Well, let me rephrase that...some of them are lovely. Well mannered, courteous - exactly what one would expect in someone who hoped to portray one of our fabulous heroes.

The others, a motley gaggle of strippers and one triple X rated porn star - yes, a porn star - groping people and generally offending a great many attendees. Of course when a few of these gems stage a 9/11 tribute at the EC Party (it was during an SOS military salute - a cause that Kathryn Falk, the founder of RT, has thrown her voice and cash behind) came on stage in military regalia and proceeded to strip and grope themselves. What does grabbing your dick have to do with a tribute to those fallen on 9/11?

First off, dressing in a faux military outfit and stripping could be sexy and over the top - but during a TRIBUTE to the soldiers? A TRIBUTE to 9/11?

WTF???

Of course if that weren't enough to turn the stomach - the X rated simulated sex on stage was enough to send people out in droves. A woman (can't call her a lady!) was stretched out on the stage with a stripper simulating sex with his dick positioned over her mouth. It just so happened that while this was going on...her top came down.

I know, it happens to me all the time. I go to the grocery store with a porn star mounted on my chin all the time - its the new rage. Whoever said I wasn't a trend setter?

Somehow, in the rush to gather a group of knuckle-dragging children, someone forgot to tell them they were supposed to be GENTLEMEN. Then again, this crowd of testosterone driven two year olds can barely pronounce it let alone spell it.

The first year my favorite cover model was Dr. Bob, a darling emergency room surgeon from Dallas. He was tall, handsome and didn't grab his crotch or lose his clothing...not once! This year there are no faves. The fantasy is gone. If I want to see men groping themselves, I'll go to a dive bar for free rather than pay more than 1k to attend RT.

Those who know me know I'm not a prude - not even close. Hell, I traveled with an alternative band for several years and I work with 70 testosterone laden police officers - very few things ever faze me. This has taken the cake. For me, the 'fantasy' aspect of RT is gone and this could very well be my last year. I'm about the books and the fun - not strippers and groping people.

SO - onto the FUN stuff.

Cindy Colby Hodge was resplendent in her fairy costume. Elegant (well, not when she was wandering around the bar with no shoes and whacking people in the head with her ji-normous wings) and too cute for color tv (well, not cuter than McDreamy but close). I have many photos - will post later.

As usual there was much scandal surrounding Ms. Hodge. Our lovely and most favorite fairy (sorry Cheyenne) was summarily tossed from the fairy ball last night by RT staff. Why? Because she was 'monopolizing' a cover model. Hmm, seeing that she and said model are friends outside of RT...well, you get the picture. If you see Cindy - just ask her about it or post a note here. She'll be reading this later today.

Scandalous!

The stunningly beautiful Linnea Sinclair was in the bar handing out balls that glow. No, don't ask.

Jennifer 'yeep' Dunne was in residence and much yeeping was heard. She laughed so hard that she ended up on the floor twice. the sad thing was she doesn't drink - I'd hate to see her with a few cocktails in her!

After the fairy ball many party goers crammed into the bar. Some of the costumes were just lovely. I could tell many had spent quite a few hours crafting their amazing looks while some others...well...I think they didn't have any mirrors in their rooms because their mamas would've slapped them down if they'd have been here. Someone was wearing panties with blackfishnets on top - noskirt.

Uh...what about that says fairy or water?

My favorite was the woman who wore panties under a sheer pink skirt...and she was at least 45 with the sense to know better.

When did RT turn into a What Not to Wear episode ?

Hey, I'm a fat woman and I know to keep my shit covered for the sake of blinding others with my white flesh. Not to mention blinding someone if my breast is let lose and hits someone in the eye. Being sexy isn't about showing things better left covered - its about confidence and knowing your the BOMB even when your undies have holes in them and your ankles are swelled from too much salty food. Repeat after me, Lycra is your friend.

Yep, my Mama taught me right.

Day 2 - The Battle has Begun!

Quotable Quote: "I couldn't be a lesbian, I love HOMOsexuals." Donna Richards, author of In A Heartbeat - Samhain Publishing...after two very strong rum and cokes.

Yes, Donna - I know you meant to say HETEROsexuals...

The RT grind is off to a rip-roaring start. Yesterday morning we were forced to venture out to WallyWorld to purchase a small refrigerator. This tower-of-terror hotel did not reserve refrigerators for those with medical needs.

Oh, and the elevators crapped out, no bathrooms on the same floor as the bars...do they REALLY want drunken people negotiating a cement stairway? Can you say, Lawsuit? I knew you could...

So after our Bataan Death March of Walmart runs, Carolan and I hit the bar and stayed there for three hours. This is not unusual as the bar is my office when I'm at RT. I literally put out my shingle that says, "J.C. is in...way in..." and that's where I stay.

We browsed promo lane and I ended up being chatted up by a film crew. I have no idea who they were or what they were doing but I can only hope that the vid doesn't end up on YouTube in a What NOT to Wear film clip.

I hit the ebook expo for a few minutes then ran out screaming. The room has very bad acoustics and my head was throbbing. I ran into Melissa Lopez, Beth Williamson, Judith Rochelle, Bianca D'arc and about a million new authors. I really do need to read more.

Then it was off to my suite (yes Marty, I am going to rub it in your face every chance I get) for my Samhellion party. It was a little get together to thank my fellow editors of the Samhellion newsletter. So now my suite (yes Marty, I know you're grinding your teeth...) smells like pizza and red wine - Just like home!

Then...it was off to the bar. Well, bars. There were two bars so why sit in one all night? It was there, my first unpleasant run in with the cover models occurred. there was about 15 of us and we were sitting in a pit-style area with a marble wall behind the pitt. the wall lines a walkway and people coming and going.

Here come two of the models and what do they do, run and jump up then off the wall right behind my head. Now, if you took your kids to a hotel and they behaved like that, wouldn't you correct them? When I first started to attend RT, the models were lovely. Most of them professionals, doctors, contractors etc - now they are unrestrained children with very bad hair. They don't seem to understand that a cover model is to be the Perfect Man - a gentleman. You know how men want a whore in the bedroom and a proper lady in the living room? Women want the same - a stud in the bedroom and a gentleman in the living room...only with pecs.

What's up with that?

Do I sound like an old fuddy? Yeah, sometimes I think I do too. :)

RT: Day One - Camping

Carolan Ivey and I joined forces to tackle the Romantic Times Booklover Convention with a vengeance. And I must say, I'm glad we did.

The hotel is scary...

We're staying at the Hilton Pittsburgh and its being remodeled. Majorly remodled. Just trying to find the entrance is an adventure, not to mention getting assistance with our luggage. Everywhere you go there is evidence that Tim 'the tool guy' Taylor has been here. The halls are covered in plasterboard dust and many of the doorways don't have framing. How bizarre. While the employees have been lovely, I've never camped in a hotel so this should be interesting.

After we finally got into our room, we headed down to see what havoc we could create. And who was the first person I spied in the lobby? The oh-so-fabulous Linnea Sinclair and her drinking protege Stacey! After a gale of giggles we were joined by Robin Owens, Isabo Kelly and Cindy Colby Hodge - some of my favorite peeps!

Since Isabo is preggers (and some of the gals named the baby Moon Beaver - sounds like a stripper to me) food was the first order so we headed out into the mean streets of Pittsburgh. Needless to say the restaurant never saw us coming and will be forever changed from our visit. Much fun was had to the point one author (whose name rhymes with WINDY) spewed liquid from multiple orifaces...

Hey, I tried to warn her to not drink unless we were all drinking - we're dangerous like that.

The Make The Yeep Chirp contest has begun. For those of you have no idea what I'm talking about, wait, I will try to post a clip of it. This you HAVE to hear. :)

More Later!

Guest Blogger - Judith Rochelle

Digging Into the World of Paranormality

When I sat down to write my first book I had nothing in mind except to try and combine a good love story and a good mystery. And hope that I could do it well enough that someone would buy it. Well, folks, four years later no one has, but my “area of operation’, fueled by my natural curiosity (some might say my essential nosiness) has grown and widened., and with it the sales of my books.

If someone had told me those four years ago I’d be delving into psychic experiences, people with psychic abilities—dogs with psychic abilities—I’d have sent them for counseling. Yet here I am, not only fascinated by it but immersed in it.

The word psychic refers to extra sensory perception and forces of a paranormal nature, as well as to a person who has extra sensory perception or paranormal powers. My Phoenix Agency books deal with former military men who have formed a security agency that contracts for both the government and private corporations. In each of the books, the heroine has special psychic powers.

In Always On My Mind, Faith Wilding is a telepath who becomes the only link to the outside world for her friend and lover, Mark Halloran, who is a prisoner in the Peruvian jungle. She receives fragments of his cries for help because a stronger telepath is working to block them.

In Visions of Darkness, released this month, Mia Fleming is precognitive. Visions come to her in flashes and pieces and aren’t always that easy to interpret. She’s frustrated by the strangeness of them and fears the dark messages they are sending. But with the help of other precogs she helps Phoenix CEO Dan Romeo find a missing high tech robot and solve three murders. In Scent of Danger which is still a work in progress, there is a dog with Psi abilities who communicates with his owner.

So I guess I’ve managed to combine my love of romance and mystery with my new obsession, the paranormal.

Here’s a little blurb of each of the first two books, released by The Lotus Circle.

Always On My Mind
As teenagers Faith Wilding and Mark Halloran discovered they could communicate telepathically. For most of their lives it’s been their private way to send messages, especially when a long weekend brought home the realization that their friendship had become something far more complex. But Faith is busy building a career as a successful author of political thrillers and Mark, a Special Operations team leader, is concerned with the covert missions he leads.
Now someone has betrayed their latest mission, most of his team has been killed and Mark has been captured. His telepathic messages to Faith are his only chance for help. But powerful forces want to sweep the whole episode under the rug and will do anything to make that happen—including killing Faith.

Visions of DarknessDan Romeo CEO of the mysterious Phoenix Agency, has just completed a dangerous mission and wants some down time. But when his friend Chase Carpenters calls with an emergency, how can he refuse him? Someone is threatening to steal Chase’s brand new high tech robot about to be unveiled and all he’s got is an anonymous tip. Art historian Mia Fleming has battled with her precognitive abilities all her life, often shunned by a skeptical public and even more skeptical police. But the visions relating to the robot are so vivid she can’t ignore them. When Dan tracks her down as the source of the anonymous note, he wonders if she’s the culprit or a conduit for a message? Things get complicated when the electricity between Dan and Mia ratchets up into high voltage and they find it’s not something they can ignore. Then bodies begin falling, Mia’s vision escalate in horror and intensity and the tension at Carpenter Techtronics is off the charts. When Mia is shot and almost killed, Dan and his team race to locate the real robot and find the killers before they can strike again.

How do you feel about the paranormal? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

April Fool's Day

Yes, it is April 1st and I'm not going to play a trick on you. Unless of course you work at the local bank where I vaselined the toilet seats.

But lets not go there...

What about that novel you're writing...

Family Guy - Steiwe Hows that novel coming along

The trouble with Moms...

Sunday I left town to head south to the glorious state of Georgia. (I do some part time work as a contractor) I left Mom knowing that a friend was going to keep an eye on her and she'd be good to go.

Or so I thought.

Sunday evening, my drunken idiot neighbor called the police of my dog...AGAIN. Bella, the evil dachshund, is a barker and she'll stand out in the back yard and bark her fool head off at nothing. It's really annoying.

So the police came out to visit Mom and relay the complaint. Mom was in her nightgown and she has bad hearing - she didn't even know the dog was barking. Luckily I know all the cops so Dan chased Bella back into the house. (I have to say the image of a big, strapping man like Dan chasing around a dog that stands only 10 inches high is quite amusing)

So needless to say Mom has been pissed all week.

This morning when I called her, she said she'd taken Bella out back on the leash so at least she'd listen. Well, the collar came off and Bella behaved badly as usual. The police didn't come out but Mom was so mad that she put a hex on the neighbor.

Yes, a hex on the neighbor.

A friend asked if Mom was good at putting on hexes and I had to say I didn't really know. The reality is she's never said anything like this to me before.

Hmm, and my mother calls ME a witch?

My thoughts on people who share ebooks...

BRING ON THE PEEPS!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/05/AR2007040501976.html

Lewis Black on Writing

Collateral Damage

According to Merriam Websters online:

collateral damage
Main Entry:
collateral damage
Function:
noun
Date:
1972
: injury inflicted on something other than an intended target; specifically : civilian casualties of a military operation

(http://www.nbc5i.com/news/15532216/detail.html?rss=dfw&psp=news)

On CNN this morning was a mention of the Southwest airlines debacle regarding their failure to maintain planes. According to 2 FAA officials, the FAA allowed Southwest to slide on many infractions thus putting passenger lives in danger.

So basically when it comes to the bottom line, your life has very little value to this corporation. Its cheaper in the long run to pay damages than to do their job and keep you safe.

Ya know, I try really hard to be a positive person but when I read things like this, its difficult.

The blizzard - LIVE!

Snowy Saturday

The indignities a dachsund must endure during winter. We have about a foot of snow (taken 8:30am) and the conditions are actually getting worse. I've been listening to the scanner and the police have been sliding around town pulling and pushing people out of the snow.

DUDE - STAY HOME -and quit calling the pizza places. No one's life is worth getting a pie for you!

Snowy Friday!

Bella is cowering under the chair. She's a weenie dog so she's in danger of being buried alive. She hates it when her belly gets wet.

Here is Maddie running through the snow on Friday around 2pm. We had about 3 - 4 inches down.

The weather has disintegrated into white out conditions. What cracks me up are the people who are on the radio complaining about the weather.

People...it's WINTER. These things happen in the WINTER.

Personally, I love the snow and can't wait to get out in it. :)

Way Big Storms

I love a good storm. My mother likes to tell the story of a tornado warning when I ran outside to watch it rather than take cover - I think I was maybe five at the most. It just so happened that during the tornado warning my second cousin and his wife were visiting and he was a photographer. I vividly remember standing outside in the street with Jim, the wind was whipping at my hair and clothes while he took photos of the tornado.

Of course Mom was quite annoyed with both of us but she's a Mom, they're genetically predisposed to disapproval at all costs. (or so it seemed at that age)

The weatherman is predicting 8-12 inches of snow here in Central Ohio. We'll see. Its rare we get that much snow at one time. Sometimes I have to ask, why bother? It's going to be in the upper forties by Tues/Wednesday so its only going to melt anyway. While we may get snow, we rarely keep it for more than a few days. There's nothing more sad than melting snow and hybernating brown grass peaking through the bare spots.

Project Runway!!

For those of you who haven't seen the final - you won't want to read this. Beware, spoilers below...

I've been following Project Runway this season though I have to say, it wasn't nearly as exciting as previous seasons. There wasn't much drama to be had. Love or hate him, Jeffrey from last season knew how to spark it up!

But let's talk about the finale.

I need to get this out of the way, Jillian's voice is SO annoying. I would take Chris' loud laughter any time of the day or night. I wasn't surprised she didn't win as, personally, I thought her collection was boring. Now, 11 hours later, I can't remember a single piece. I was surprised as I thought she was very talented but her collection was blah.

Rami - he has the 'ladies who lunch' set down pat. I think his work is meticulous, exact and way too complicated. I loved the two final gowns and the short, black / beige swirly one. That said, at least I can remember some of his.

Christian - can't help it, I pegged him as the winner from week one. His style is unique, his vision is clear. Of course not a single garment was created with a normal woman in mind. LOL! An entire dress out of feathers? I think I liked him because he will never be boring. I love his sass, his confidence, attitude - and he's only 21. I can't wait to see where his journey takes him.

Back from Celebrate Romance

Let me just say this now, if you're looking for a fun conference to attend, check out this one. (www.crspring.com)

This year we gathered in Columbia, South Carolina - a lovely city - at a fab little boutique hotel. There were about 20 authors including Stephanie Bond, Jade Lee, Elizabeth Hoyt, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Rosemary Laurey, Linnea Sinclair and others. We kicked off Friday night with a wild game of trivia and some hilarious prizes.

Saturday there were chats with the authors, raffles and other hilarity. That evening we went out for a BBQ dinner at a place called Hudson's Smokehouse and I had the Biggest Plate of Meat. Both beef and pork - pulled, bbq ribs, fried chicken and fried catfish. I was in heart attack heaven. :)

Sunday we had a few more chats, raffles then the booksigning. I think my favorite thing about this conference is that its so laid back. No rushing around - its all about having a good time. So will I see you next year? :)

The Truth About Gas Prices

In my decades long work history, I spent three years working at gas stations. I worked my way up from part time cashier to assistant manager before I decided that wasn't the lifestyle for me. For one thing, I was constantly surrounded by snack food and for someone who is a snack junkie - my butt just kept getting bigger and bigger.

This is a bad thing.

Yesterday morning I took Mom in for her stress test. As I drove by the gas station closest to the house, I noticed the price per gallon was $2.91. Even though the price was sucky (I don't think we should be paying anything more than 2.00 - oil companies are having record years in terms of profits and they're acquiring those on the backs of hard working Americans), I knew I had to fill up my tank. So I said to Mom, I'll have to fill up when I come back to pick you up. So I drop her off at 8:45am and toddle home to do laundry, deal with the herd (the dogs) and do my thing.

I left the house to pick Mom up at 12:30, three hours and forty-five minutes later. I had every intention of stopping at the gas station to fill up...until I saw the price had risen to 3.19. So let's do some math.

3.19-2.91=.28

The rice rose .28 cents in less than four hours. Wow, don't you wish you could get a .28 raise every four hours that you worked? I know I do!

So now it is time for some truth about gas prices and how it really works in the industry.

1. There is a 30 day supply of gasoline, already processed and ready to use, at any one time in the United States.

2. This is not the 'national reserve' that you hear President C- talk about from time to time. That is another 'pot' of gas and it to is 30 days supply. The National Reserve is to be used in case of emergency.

3. Oil companies stockpile oil way in advance. I don't know how much they keep on hand, but I would hazard a guess that it is a substantial amount. Remember the edict, buy low, sell high. (This will come in handy later)

4. The gasoline that you put in your car today, was not refined yesterday. Chances are it was refined roughly 25 - 30 days earlier.

5. When the daily price of barrels of oil ebb and flow, it *should* have no immediate impact at the pumps. Why is that? Because it takes roughly three weeks to buy crude oil, refine it, ship it etc. Remember - what you put in your car wasn't made yesterday - it was made weeks ago.

6. Most gas stations are franchises - the owner / manager of said station BUYS the franchise rights to have a Big Dollar Gas Company station.

7. In most (okay, almost all) gas stations, the price is determined by the MANAGER/OWNER. Surely you didn't think someone from Big Dollar Gas called all the stations and jacked up the price did you?

8. The consequence of the Owner/Manager setting the price is they can pay x dollars for a gallon and charge xy to you. For example: if the gas station owner is buying gasoline at 2.75 per gallon, they could set the price at 2.79 and make a good profit. With most stations, its about quantity of gas sold, not a large profit per tank.

9. To be competitive, in my day, station owners would survey other stations. This means they'd hop in the car with a notepad and run around to all stations within 2 miles and check their rates. A smart station owner would then set their price .01 LESS than their competators. This is no longer the case - now it seems to be every man/woman for themselves.

So what have we learned? That most gas stations are price gouging the consumer. This time last year gasoline prices were 2.41 per gallon and they're predicting 4.00 in late spring. So, how long until you have to decide whether to put gas in the car or buy enough food to put on the table? Write the Attorney General of your state and start asking the hard questions.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-501-s&p=office+of+the+attorney+general&rs=1&fr2=rs-top

It's Oscar Time!

Yes, it's time for the Oscars. Ever since I was a child (which was only a few weeks ago) I would make popcorn and watch the Oscars with my grandmother and Mom. We love the clothing more than anything else. Well, there is also the aspect of seeing the stars without the acting mask firmly in place.

So here are my nominations for the Oscar this year, read them and weep! (Feel free to harass me if they're wrong. :) )

Best Movie: No Country For Old Men - I'd like to see Juno win but I just don't think its going to happen. Its rare that a film with a comedic bent wins best picture. (Tells me the voters are all stuffy!)

Best Actor: Tommy Lee Jones - The man has paid his dues. Yes, I love Johnny Depp too but let's face it, he could do a Verizon commercial and get an Oscar nod.

Best Actress: Either Cate Blanchett or possibly Julie Christie. I think Julie is a long shot as she hasn't been 'around' much in the past 15 years or so.

Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck - He's incredibly talented but if No Country wins for best film, then I predict it will be Javier Bardem.

Best Supporting Actress: Ruby Dee - hands down!

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Atonement

Best Writing (Original Screenplay): Juno or Lars and the Real Girl

A fishy quandry

I love to cook - and I have quite a few signature dishes. I receive rave reviews any time I fix ribs, meatballs, pizza, boxed cereal...no one pours milk like I do!

I cannot cook fish. It is a tragedy really. I do have one good recipe for salmon but that's pretty much it. And I've tried everything. Tonight I had two fabulous pieces of Mahi Mahi tuna. It is fatty and meaty which means its pretty tolerent of fools like myself so if I overcook it, the fish does retain some moisture.

So I gave it a good rinse and dunked it in milk to let it soak. (gets rid of the 'fishy' taste / smell) Any fish that has been wrapped in plastic more than a day gets that fishy smell and its just nasty. I then pulled out my jelly roll pan and greased it up.

Lying out the fish, I lightly coated it in butter then Old Bay seasoning, Louisiana Spice (its a brand) garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. I then sliced an onion very thin and laid that on top along with some thin sweet pepper strips. It looked very pretty - I was quite pleased with myself. (did you notice I forgot the lemon?)

Popped it in the oven and baked it for about 15 minutes - it was smelling good.....and it had little flavor at all. I could taste the garlic and a hint of the butter but that was it. I have no clue what went wrong, am I supposed to coat the fish in seasoning?

Yes ma'am, I'd like some fish with my seasoning...

What gives???

Signed,

Disaster in the Kitchen

I've lost my brain...

if found, please return to J.C. Wilder as she is looking for it...when she remembers its missing that is.

Took Mom to the doctor this morning. I mentioned that she was ill a few weeks ago on my blog. She was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and stenosis of one of her heart valves. This doesn't have much to do with my brain which is MIA, but it is a follow up to an early post so there you go.

I took her to the two doctors, heart and lung guys, then shot off on a trip to NY. Somehow, in the furor of packing, flying, coming home etc, I seem to have completely forgotten exactly what the lung doctor told us to do. What I remembered was to pick up an oxygen sensor for Mom to wear overnight to test her oxygen levels while she slept. So yesterday I picked up the machine and all was well.

CHECK!

This morning I take her to the doctor and I handed in the machine. They downloaded the information to check her stats and voila...she never turned it on. Yep, she put on the machine, slept with it all night and failed to turn it on.

Yes, at least I come by my craziness honestly.

So the nurses and Mom and I laughed about it. I had explained to Mom how to put it on and she missed the part about the little button on the top.

Then, the next nurse comes in to ask about the breathing test.

What breathing test?
The one that was scheduled for Monday at the hospital down the street from you.
Blink.
I wasn't aware of a breathing test...

Yes, I forgot to take Mom for a breathing test appointment. So she forgets to turn on the machine...I forget to take her for another test.

Sometimes it doesn't pay to get out of bed.

Gorging Myself...

Today I am gorging myself on Project Runway (www.bravotv.com) I just love that show. In high school I created most of my clothing because we were financially challenged - not to mention that it was a great way to express myself creatively.

Keeping in mind that it's been about 24 years since I've created a garment, Project Runway has inspired me to pick up my scissors again. A few months ago I picked up some fabulous fabrics with the Romantic Times conference in mind. So here it is, eight weeks until RT and I've yet to even pick up the bag of fabric. So here is my challenge, I bought materials to create a duster, and two shirts. If I can create one new look for RT, I consider myself a winner.

Think I can do it? :)

Home Again

I returned home late Thursday and I'm glad to be here. What is it about stretching out in your own bed? It's the closest thing one will come to finding perfection in life that's for sure.

NY was great fun and I can't wait to return. I injured my knee walking to the theatre to see RENT but it was worth it. Seeing that performance was worth both pain and blood...except I didn't bleed. But if I had, it still would've been worth it.

At the end of the performance the staff of the Nederland theatre directed me to walk down some back steps and voila - ended up backstage. LOL! I was able to meet a few principals of the show and thank them for their most excellent job they did. It was brilliant.

But now I'm back in Ohio...no theatre here. (sigh)

The Apple is FROZEN!

I'm not sure I've ever been as cold in my life as I've been here in NY. All this cement makes everything feel 10x colder than it really is I guess.

On Sunday I went to check out the show Young Frankenstein and it was fabulous. Roger Bart (The psycho pharmacist from Desperate Housewives) played the lead and he was brilliant. Megan Mullaly (Will & Grace) was the fiancee and she was hilarious. Originally I had seats in the back of the orchestra section and when I got there, they moved me up to the 3rd row on the aisle. It was an amazing seat. I was so close that when they danced, I could feel every footfall. Since I love the movie, the musical was brilliant.

Last night we went out to Perdilla - this is the restaurant owned by Harold Diedrich, the first winner of Top Chef. I cannot tell you how good this meal was. It ranks up there in the top five for me. If you're in New York - GO! Just make sure you call ahead and get a reservation. After dinner I was privledged to meet the Chef and chat with him a few minutes. I was just in awe - cooking is such an art and while I love it, I could never be a cook of even half his calibre.

Tonight I'm off to see RENT, my all time fave musical...well, okay...one of them. I adore so many of them - but with Rent I know all of the lines, lyrics etc. Yes, it's just that good.

J.C. Wilder Takes a Bite out of the Big Apple

Yes, I'm in NY and just thrilled to be here. I love this city and everytime I come here I have to ask myself, why did I wait so long? Its only a 90 ride on a plane and voila - I land in the concrete jungle.

So what am I doing here?

Theatre tickets of course.

Well, there is this little matter of a conference but I won't let that interfere with my gorging on musicals. :)

I have my camera at the ready and I'll record my trip so stay tuned, you never know what can happen when JC Wilder is on the loose!

In The Gloaming anthology

Boo YAH!

In The Gloaming, the paperback, is now available at Amazon.com.

It is a sexy paranormal anthology with a Celtic twist.

Well, my story is a futuristic and it really isn't Celtic, but you know me, I'm not very good at following directions. :)

I hope you enjoy it!

It lives....

...but it's retarded!

So I reinstalled my operating system...all my programs...only to realize instead of erasing the drive, Windows installed over the old operating system.

I really hate technology.

On my other laptop all I have to do is stick in the CD, select the option to reinstall and that's it. Obviously the newer, stealthier laptop doesn't have that much sense. Seeing that I am headed to New York on the ninth, I'm going to turn my precious hardware over to a friend who will kick it back into shape.

Thank god for geeks.

One of those days...

Yes, it's Saturday and one of those days. It started out easily enough. Got up at 6am (sickning isn't it?) and put out the dogs. Went back upstairs and weighed myself...then decided to go back to bed.

Yes, I gained a few.

Back into bed I went for a snooze...a two hour snooze. Why is it when I stay up late, I still get up at 6am? That is SO wrong!

Anyway, when I got up for the second time (at least I avoided the scales as I was pretty sure sleeping for a few hours wasn't going to remove the poundage I'd added) and went to turn on my computer...it locked up.

Actually this has been going on for a while. I'm one of those old school geeks who likes to reinstall their operating system 12 or 18 months. I have a tendency to install and uninstall all sorts of things and I don't care what anyone says, programs never completely uninstall themselves. They leave bits and pieces of themselves all over your drive like little piles of dog poo just waiting to be stepped in.

Unfortunately, the drive on that particular laptop hasn't been reistalled since I bought it almost two and half years ago. Needless to say, it was much overdo.

So here I sit, sneaking peeks at my beloved computer as Windows is being reinstalled. I have an automatic defibrilator just in case it can't be revived.

Wish me luck. :)

Ye-OWCH!

So I was blow drying my hair and somehow managed to get a few strands sucked into the intake.

It really hurt.

Just thought I would share.

Heath Ledger

CNN is reporting that actor Heath Ledger was found dead in New York City. I enjoyed his work and the entertainment world and his family have suffered a great loss. So young, what a loss.

Manly Monday

I've long been an admirer of Johnny Depp. His work, his attitude, all of it. He is a man who doesn't compromise his art and as a fellow artist, I take my tiara off to him. Love this photo - it shows the lines around his eyes. :)

Fun and Games

Every week I hit the pool at the Rec Center. Now my routine is kinda dull. Get up at 7am, pull on a bathing suit, sweats (which are now falling off - YEA!) and some shoes. Feed the dogs, shove them outside for a potty break, grab a protein shake and head for the door. The pool opens at 8am and I like to be there on time.

Now, my hair is getting long and one thing I hate is wet hair sticking to my neck. I love to swim, yes I get my hair wet, but if I know I'm not going to go under, I pull my hair up into a ponytail then add a hair band - keeps the bangs under control.

Today I was in the pool and chatting with two of the ladies when I felt my hair band slip. I reached up to straighten it and it literally rolled off my head and into the water. I barely blinked and it was GONE!

Now, let me explain. I was in something they call The River. The river is literally a cement chute in a kidney shape. It is filled with water and there is a current, hence the name.

So when the headband hit the water, the current took it and that was that. Within a minute, the entire pool was looking for my white headband against a pale blue painted pool.

Hilarious!

Think about this image - I swim with roughly 15 older people who are trying to rehabilite limbs, stay in shape etc. All these lovely gray hairs walking up and down the pool with their eyes glued to the bottom of the pool sorta like lemmings. :)

Anyhoo - I finally found it in the center of the River in something they call the Vortex. It is a round pool and the water goes really fast and if you get knocked off your feet, you're done. Its hard to get your feet back under you again.

So there I was, in the vortex, trying to get my headband with my bare toes. Then, once I did get it, to somehow transfer that to my hands as the water works to drown me.

It really wasn't pretty.

I love the Gray Hairs, they keep me in line.

Foto Friday!

It is freezing cold and temps will be down in the single digits this weekend. I want spring and my garden back, NOW! :)

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen of my most favorite things in the world! 1. My family - yeah, they can be a pain but if I didn't have them, who would I complain about?2. Traveling - I love seeing new places, eating different food and just soaking up the atmosphere.3. New Orleans - my favorite city!4. Sweat Pants - it doesn't get any better than fleece.5. DVDs - I love nothing better than to get lost in a movie / show on a gray afternoon.6. Music - can't live without it.7. My dogs - all three of them.8. The pool - I do love to swim!9. Lindt chocolates - this seems to come up on my 13 lists quite a bit!10. Jewelry - I love to make it, wear it - roll in it...11. My car - I do love my car and even though I don't travel nearly as much as I used to, I enjoy just driving to the store!12. My garden - I practically live outside in the summer. It's just heaven.13. My computer of course!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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It's About The Journey

www.theshrinkingwoman.com

Bumps in the road

One of my favorite movie lines is from The Big Chill.


"Nobody ever said life was supposed to be fun, at least they never said it to me." Richard from The Big Chill.

Mom has been ill since just after Thanksgiving and the ups and down have been waaayyyy big. She had an allergic reaction to some medication and its been getting worse since then. Her breathing has become more labored and she gets out of breath walking from the living room to the kitchen which is about 15 steps.

Last week she had her chest xrayed and the results aren't good. She could have emphysema or a host of other issues. The interesting thing here is that my mother never smoked, not even a single drag. If it does turn out that this is what she has, then Mom is a victim of second hand smoke.

My grandfather was a heavy smoker and he did smoke around her. He also took her to smoky bars when my grandmother was working. Yes, he was a sorry bastard and he died of emphysema and alcoholism.

My father was a smoker though he smoked pipes most of his life. After he became ill with multiple sclerosis he switched to cigarettes for the last fifteen years of his life. Consequently, I was subjected to second-hand smoke. I smoked for a short while then gave it up. It's just plain smelly. :)

Mom said that when she was in the car with her father she sat in back and all his smoke would hit her in the face. He did this even knowing that as a child, she already had a lung issue called Beck's Disease. BD is rare now and it is called Sarcoidosis - it alone can cause shortness of breath when she has a flare up.

So for those of you who smoke around your kids or others who don't smoke, what are you thinking? Do you want your loved ones to pay the price for your smoking sixty some years later, too?

I'm not one to preach, but I can't help being pissed off that a man who was a lousy father (for many more reasons than the smoking) and a rotten human being is still wrecking havoc with the last remaining members of his family.

Mom goes in Tuesday for a CAT scan. The doctors want to diagnose what is actually going on with her and get her started on some kind of treatment. Please keep her in your thoughts, she's all I have left.

Foto Friday

So instead of posting a photo - I thought I'd post a video instead. Enjoy!

13 Must Haves for 2008

Thirteen Must Haves for 2008 1. Housekeeper - I can't stress how much time she saves me not to mention the fact that I love coming home to a clean house! 2. Manicure / pedicure - Somehow I never seem to fit these into my schedule! 3. New Music - Might I recommend Maroon 5's It won't be soon before long - Gossip or Dax Riggs? 4. Time Off - I never seem to have enough time to relax. Just ask yourself, what are you doing working so hard that you can rarely, if ever, kick back and enjoy it? 5. Fun Books - Jack Cafferty's It's Getting Ugly Out Here is good for starters 6. Recycle Bins - If we don't take care of Mother Nature then we have no right to think she'll take care of us. 7. Sumptuous Bath Towels - I'm SO in love with the massive Egyptian cotton bath sheets. I wrap one around me and it feels like heaven. 8. Lindt Truffles - My favorite chocolate in the world. 9. Off Button for the television. We've become a nation of people who watch others live their lives. So get off the couch and out into the sunshine! 10. Body Butter - from origins.com - I highly recommend the Orange Ginger...it's HEAVEN. 11. Something to love - it could be a pet, a stuffed animal, a pillow - it doesn't matter. The only criteria is that every time you look at it you smile. 12. Soft Clothes - I'm talking about something sinful to kick back in at home. No, not your husband's boxers - maybe a stretch velvet jumpsuit? Cashmere? Something fabulously expensive that you wouldn't buy for yourself - but you deserve it! 13. A wish - Everyone needs to have a wish. I don't mean you should wish for a new car - pick something that no one else knows - a secret wish - and you never know...this year it just might come true!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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It's a new year...

And this means the slate is clean! It is a fresh start.

For writers, it doesn't matter how many rejections you received in 07 - its a new start as of today. So put all of the negativity behind you and move forward. Who knows what 2008 has in store!

Foto Friday

www.theshrinkingwoman.com

Today I posted on one of my sister blogs - www.theshrinkingwoman.com

Are you looking to shave a few (or a few hundred) pounds? Come join me and we can be miserable together. :)

Doing The Right Thing

No, I'm not referring to the movie.

Last night Mom was watching the Glen Beck show on CNN. Personally, I think he's a fruitcake and a hate monger, but that's just me. His guest was Jon Huntsman, a very accomplished business man and philanthropist. In the course of his lifetime this man has lost and made hundreds of millions of dollars. One of his most enduring achievements is the founding of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. (http://www.hci.utah.edu/index.jsp) This institute is doing amazing things in the area of cancer research. Not only are they looking to cure cancer, they are looking to prevent it as well.

According to his book, Winners Never Cheat, around 2001 his company took a huge financial hit. In order to come up with the working capital to make his commitments, payroll etc - he put 40% of his company up for sale. After long negotiations, he and the buyer came to an agreement of 53 million dollars. The men shook hands in agreement.

As with most business deals, the lawyers then come in and tidy everything up. It took six months for the paperwork to be finalized and in that time, Huntsman's company came back with a vengeance and the 40% of the company was now worth 250 million dollars. The buyer came back to Jon and said, "Look, let's split the difference and I'll pay you 125million."

Huntsman's response was, "No, I shook your hand over the deal, you will pay me 53 million dollars, it's a done deal."

This man sold 40% of his company and lost almost 200 million dollars.

Huntsman then turns around and has to go to the banks to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to meet his financial obligations. When I'm talking about financial obligations, I'm not talking about payroll, I'm referring to his charity contributions. He'd given his word to meet these obligations to charities and he took out loans to do it.

This man lost 200 million, then took out hundreds of millions more to pay to charities - both of which he'd shook hands on.

So why am I bringing this up?

Growing up, my father instilled these same values in his children. A man's word was his bond and shaking hands on it was as good as a signed and sealed contract. It used to be this was the rule, not the exception.

No matter what a decision will cost you personally, if you give your word then it should be a done deal. The only thing you really have in life is your reputation as a human being, your money and external accomplishments say very little about the core essence of a person.

So why am I bringing this up?

This morning the news reported that a new poll indicated that a growing minority of teens believe it is okay to lie, cheat and bully your way through life. That it is okay to physically accost a coworker as long as they are on the same level as you.

And this is the generation that will be running America when you and I are in our seventies.

This news report made me incredibly sad. Not only do I think we've forgotten where we come from, but we've lost our way as well. No longer is it enough to be a good person, you now have to have eyes in the back of your head so you can watch people as they stab you in the back to get up that ladder of life.

I don't know about anyone else but I don't want to live in that kind of world. In general I do believe in the goodness of people, but I also believe that we all could use a reminder of who we are and where we came from. That's what the Huntsman interview did for me. I was raised right, to do the right thing no matter the personal consequences and I will continue to do so.

According to Huntsman, when the man who bought the 40% of his company passed away, it was in his will to ask Huntsman to speak at his funeral. Huntsman said it was one of the greatest honors of his life and worth far more than 200 million dollars.

I agree.

What happens when you put your underwear on backwards

In case you can't tell from reading my blog, I'm a pretty rational, down to earth kind of girl. I'm not superstitious, I'm just what they call...sensible.

This morning I got up early, now when I say early, I mean it was still full dark outside. My plan was to hit the grocery store and pick up a few things then lock myself in the house until December 26 - that's when I go out and hit the after-Christmas sales. :)

So I did my morning thing, got dressed, fed the dogs - you get the picture. After I got dressed, I was wandering around the house and realized that my drawers just didn't feel right. I had actually put them on backward. (And you thought the header was just to get your attention!)

Well I was dressed with purse and coat in hand when I realized this. I wasn't about to strip down and turn my drawers around. Let's face it, shoe removal alone would've cost me a few minutes of time, let alone dealing with the whole drama that is pants removal when you're wearing socks and the pants are cotton.

Ugly picture isn't it?

Laughing at myself, I head out into the wilderness that is the local grocery store. That part of my morning was uneventful, thank goodness. I packed my car with my shopping and decided to splurge and hit McDonalds for a snack.

Yes, I know I am working on losing weight, but sometimes you have to give into a temptation. If you don't, then at some point you will have a weak moment and hours later you will wake up covered in hamburger and pie wrappers. We don't want that to happen now do we?

As I'm sitting in the drive thru, my car stalled. I wasn't too shocked, it has done that before. I've had the car for five years and its probably stalled maybe 4 times. I started it up again and it purred like a kitten. I got my food and thought I'd head over to the car wash and get the road salt off my car. (I recently had my car detailed inside and out - my Christmas present to myself - and I'm completely anal about it now)

I pull out into traffic, all is well. I'm about to tuck into my heart-killer breakfast when WHAM - my car stalled again. Now this time, I was actually driving it when it cut out. After I struggled around the corner (let me just say that turning a corner in a Jeep 4x4 with no power steering is just ugly!) I put it in park and started it up.

Now I'm sitting at the corner of a major Ohio artery and a little side street. In front of me is a Goodyear auto shop and me, in my infinite backward underwear wisdom, decide that I can get it home instead of just pulling in there.

Putting it into drive, off I go down the street. I made it about 150 yards and BAM, it did it again. Now I'm concerned. My Jeep has been through some tough terrain, weather etc and I couldn't keep it running on a flat, paved road. BWAH!

I did manage to make it another 300 yards or so until it died at a stop sign. After calling a friend and whining, I called AAA and they sent out a car hauler. (because it is a 4x4, they don't tow them, they put them on a flat bed instead) I explained what my car did and the guy said it sounded like bad gas.

"Sounds like bad gas to me." he said.
"No, that isn't it." I said.
"What do you think it is?"
"I put my underwear on backwards."
He started laughing so hard his false teeth almost popped out.
"You don't understand. This car has never broken down on me in five years and seventy-five thousand miles. But I put my underwear on backwards this morning and my car paid the price for my laziness."
He laughed harder.

Ya know, sometimes people just don't understand me.

Moral: If you put your undies on backwards, change them right quick or a man with false teeth will have to rescue you and he'll laugh at you!

13 Last Minute Christmas Gifts

13 Last Minute Christmas Gifts 1. Online gift certificates! They are one size fits all and you don't have to get dressed to buy them. 2. Flowers - I don't know about anyone else but I just love flowers. 3. Breakfast in bed 4. A card you've made yourself - you have a computer, there are at least a million online card creation sites 5. Foot rub - oh yeah... 6. Give the wife / boyfriend / roommate a night off - pick up their household chores for the evening. 7. Make dinner 8. Pick up dinner 9. Wash your beloved's car inside and out 10. Write a love note 11. Spa gift certificates - everyone loves a manicure / pedicure - even men 12. Pick up a much loved snack and a fun, new DVD and prepare for a relaxing evening 13. Gift cards - as with online gift cards - they are all one size fits all! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Manly Monday!

Gives new meaning to "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus..."

Sexy Saturday

The weather says a storm is coming in. So while I'm battening down the hatches, I thought I'd share a little Christmas warmth. : )

Winter's Daughter is NOW AVAILABLE!

BUY ME!

To say that I'm excited...would be a HUGE understatment. I am stupidly thrilled that WD is now available that I'm almost beyond words. (Note the 'almost') And now for some review quotes...

"This is an incredibly engrossing tale and I did not put it down for more than five minutes once I started it." The Romance Studio, 4.5 hearts

"The first Coven tale is an exciting paranormal thriller with whodunit and romantic elements to enhance the tense drama." Harriet Klausner

"Murder, mayhem and magic will send chills down your spine in this haunting first in The Coven series." RT Magazine, 4 stars

Too-much Stud-Tuesday

Darn it - I missed Manly Monday! I hope this earns me some forgiveness....:)

Winter's Daughter Video

LOOK - I just made my first book trailer!!!

The Junk Drawer...

Yes, I realize it's Foto Friday and I normally put up something pretty, thought provoking or fun - but this week I thought I'd just put up something that provokes me.

This is a photo of what I call my cord drawer. This is the top drawer of my filing cabinet that sits next to my desk. Now, I'd love to keep handy things in there like office supplies, files, paper for the printer...

BUT NO....

Every other week the cords take over. I swear, I clean this drawer at least twice a month and the moment I'm not looking, gremlins get in there, tangle up the cords to ensure I can't find anything. I gave up keeping much of anything in that drawer because it just gets caught in the cords, flipped out of the drawer and onto the floor.

Do you think it's a conspiracy? Are the cords trying to form a union and take control of my filing cabinet?

Cheeky monkeys. Today I'm armed with zip ties and labels, we'll see who wins this battle!

Manly Monday

Romance is all about the fantasy.

We, as women, do harass men from time to time about objectifying us as sexual objects. If you watch television ads, what does a blonde in a bikini have to do with selling wine? Is the implication that if you buy said wine, you get a free blonde with purchase?

Now let's be honest ladies - do we not objectify men through romance novels? Tell the truth now. ;)

Of course, IMO, its difficult to find a man who doesn't enjoy being thought of as a sexual toy. Let's face it, they're all about the fantasy, too.

This is Jason Chambers, a mixed martial arts fighter and co-host of Human Weapon on the History Channel. I picked this photo because I thought he was hot, like the pose, and the tattoo screams Bad Boy. In all honesty, my favorite photo of him was in a suit but I didn't select it as I didn't feel it properly illustrated my point.

Fantasy is a beautiful thing.

A Musical Commentary

Recently I discovered that my cable service has The Best channel EVAH! It is VH1 Classic. They play tons of videos that were big when I was a teen and completely addicted to MTV. This morning I spent several hours chuckling over the polyester stretch pants and way big hair.

Ah, fond memories.

While enjoying this blast from my past, I came up with a few comments that I'd like to share.

Van Halen - the moment David Lee Roth left they blew chunks.

Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart have two of the most beautiful voices in music

The Police - after they broke up Sting had a few moments of brilliance then lost his mind and musical way

Eddie Van Halen wasn't nearly as hot as I remembered.

Warrant was one of the worst hair hands there was.

Michael Jackson was stupidly talented

U2 rocked both then and now!

Eric Clapton is one of the best guitar players in the history of recorded music

AC/DC was the BOMB both with and without Bon Scott

Metallica turned the Heavy Metal world on its ear when they made their arrival

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is still incredibly HOT!

Why the Pet Shop Boys did a song called 'West End Girls' when it was pretty obvious they had little to no interest in women is beyond me...

Twisted Sister was one ugly band

Iron Maiden - how did they play music with all that hair?

Poison - no thanks - did nothing for me both then and now

REM was THE BAND then they went commercial in the nineties

I just loved Pop Up Video - it was fab.

Where does the time go??

I could've sworn I posted a blog last week. Normally I try to post two or three. Somehow, in the depths of my scary brain, I managed to miss almost two weeks of potential blog-time. How does that happen??

I was going through some old photos and thought I'd post something pretty. The fall colors around here have been bad thanks to the drought. I took this photo seven years ago and I think it's pretty.

I absolutely love the scent of drying leaves. Reminds me of pumpkin pies, hot chocolate and the scent of snow.

13 things I can't live without

Thirteen Things I can't live without 1. Chocolate - no explanation necessary2. Computers - can't help it, I'm addicted. I have a love/ hate relationship with technology. You can just call me a technology stalker.3. My dogs - they really are too cute.4. Sweatpants - they're more than clothing, they're a lifestyle.5. Lip Gloss - I don't know about you but my lips get DRY! Not enough kissing I guess.6. Bottled water - Our tap water doesn't taste right because we have a water softener. It ends up with a soapy taste.7. Hand Lotion - delicate hands you know!8. Music - I have no idea how I'd survive without music. I pretty much listen to it 24/7.9. Pillows - I have 20 on my bed alone. They're good for snuggle into when watching a movie.10. My car - when my car goes into the shop I literally have panic attacks. I just might need to go somewhere and I can't - NO WHEELS! (screams of pain)11. Did I mention chocolate? Lindt truffles, please.12. Books - nope, a life without books is no life at all.13. Readers - if I didn't have readers then I wouldn't have a job...not that I'm pro-working mind you!! But if I didn't have readers then I'd be stuck with all these voices in my head with nowhere to go and that would be ugly. :) So tell me, what can't you live without? Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Happy Halloween!

It's that time again...when the little ghosties and goblins scamper about. You never know, someone who has passed on might be sending you a message - be open to it.

Namaste

Have we gone too far?

This morning on local talk radio, the topic was Halloween festivities for children. I live in Central Ohio, north of the Bible Belt, in a position I refer to as the Bible Garter Belt. (its above the actual position of the panties (the bible belt) so hence the name.)

Yes, I know I'm not funny - its one of many crosses I have to bear in life. :)

Locally there has been a movement to eradicate Halloween from the schools. Instead of having a costume party, schools are now having a 'fall festival'. One lady called in and said that her children's school had declared halloween themed plates and napkins as verboten. (Hey, what did Caspar the ghost do to these people?) She laughed and said that she liked to throw them a curve by slipping a few of the contraband plates in the mix of autumn themed plates.

Good woman - a little civil disobedience is good for the soul.

Of course next year I expect them to frisk the plates before allowing them into the classroom. If I had children I'd do the same thing but I'd volunteer to help hostess the party then show up dressed as Glenda, the good witch. I'm devious like that. :)

First off, WTF? I agree, heartily agree, in a parents right to choose for their children. Children should not be allowed to play with loaded guns, drink liquor, or run the streets at midnight. Yeah, I get that - but Halloween? Candy? Costumes?

Secondly, as a tree hugging pagan, I can state with some authority that if one was to celebrate a Fall festival - that should be done on September 21st - the Autumnal Solstice or the beginning of fall.

What has happened to imagination in this country? When did fantasy become a bad thing?

Yes, I understand there are some who don't want their child exposed to the 'dark side' they imagine Halloween to be - but that's a lie. Samhain, for us pagans, signals the end of harvest. The Celts (not the basketball team) divided the year into two halves, the light and the dark. It signals the beginning of the dark half of the year - the time in which nothing grows and the earth lays fallow, gathering nourishment for the coming growing season. Some even believe it is the time in which the dead come to visit the living.

I don't know about anyone else but if you watch TAPS or MOST HAUNTED then you know ghosts are around all the time, not just one day of the year.

I guess for me, the bottom line is that I feel there is no darkness in the holiday. If you want to talk about darkness, read up on the origins of Passover - that day is much bloodier than Halloween.

I and millions of others grew up with Halloween parties, going trick or treating and all the crazy fun that makes up the holiday. Guess what, I'm not a serial killer and it didn't warp me in any lasting way. (At least not that the courts could prove) So let the kids have their fun and liberate the candy!!!

OH the ABUSE!

http://www.jibjab.com/starring_you/receipt/1996587

Lori Foster is a very sick woman...

Men never change...

Every morning I hit the local rec center to use to use the pool. That early in the morning, the only other people there is a group of retired swimmers. Seeing that I'm the youngest person there, they constantly call me The Kid.

In this group there are several married couples and I swear, these men still haven't grown up. they splash the pretty girls, play around and giggle like four year olds. They are great fun and when I spend time with them, it always starts my day with a smile.

I think men are genetically predisposed to being perpetual four year olds - or maybe they regress to that stage when they hit retirement. Whatever it is, I hope I have that much energy when I'm their age. :)

No Kids Allowed!

From the time I was very young I knew I didn't want to have kids. I'm not saying I don't like children, I do - they're great on toast. (just kidding) I simply don't want to raise one. I can remember my mother laughing at me and saying, "you'll change your mind."

Uh, no, I won't and haven't.

I'm 42 and completely happy with my decision to remain single and child-less. I didn't have a normal childhood - my father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis before I was born and when I turned 14 he broke his hip and that was that. He remained in a bed for 17 years until the day he died. I spent most of my child and young adult-hood taking care of my parents and guess what - I don't want to take care of anyone else. :)

It's always funny to me how society believes that those of us who choose to not have kids are unfulfilled in our lives. While it is more acceptable now, I still see it when I meet someone new and they question almost always comes up.

Do you have children?

No, I have dogs instead. :)

The double whammy comes in when they learn I'm not married. That's when the look turns pitying and they try to determine what is defective about me that no man would want to marry me or breed with me.

Whatever!

Society still harbors the mistaken impression that a woman cannot possibly be fulfilled if we don't have a man in our bed and children underfoot. And to add to that antiquated picture, we now have to have full time, high-powered careers and drive a Lexus. Of course personal trainers, manicures and charity work - let's not forget that part.

It's crap and I personally blame that stupid television show, The Housewives of Orange County, for keeping those myths alive. What a bunch of empty-headed, boob obsessed women! The end all be all of life isn't a perfect waistline of being seen in the 'right' car LADIES.

Sorry, had a moment.

Anyway - I laugh when people jump to their own conclusions about how I live my life. I'm fine with not having kids, between my sisters and my best friend I have about 10 children of various ages in my life. I love them, I play with them and I hand them back when I'm done. It's a perfect system.

As for marriage - its very rare that I feel lonely. I've had some amazing men in my life and I know that if I had married my soulmate then I wouldn't be a writer. (there's always a price to be paid for everything isn't there?) Am I willing to give up writing to have a man in my life?

Uh, no.

Maybe someday I will settle down (kids are still out of the question), but not anytime soon. I'm having way too much fun. :)

So tell me...

is it a bad thing when you go to get a cloth duster out of the box and the box is So Dusty that you have to dust it first?

The art of being subtle...NOT

Words cannot express...

My latest obsessions

I've always had the attention span of a gnat. I don't even consider myself the MTV generation - a generation of people who have been tested and determined to have shorter attention spans than average thanks for four minute videos - I'm just interested in everything and I'm easily distracted by shiny objects.

Some of my latest obsessions are:

America's Next Top Model - I've always loved this show. Early in my working career I was a stylist and I actually dressed people for a living. I love the clothes, the makeup - the process I guess.

Project Runway - Same as above. I love this show so much that I've actually purchased a new sewing machine and I plan on designing my own clothing for conferences. So watch out! Who knows what I will end up wearing.

Hershey's Dark Chocolate - Hey, it's chocolate - need I say more? I have finally made the switch from milk to dark, but it took a while. Now I truly enjoy the bite of dark chocolate.

Reading - some of you will laugh. I haven't had time to read the past few years and its really been breaking my heart. There are SO many good books out there and I just couldn't get into them or find the time to devote to reading. Now I actually make time to read and I've fallen in love all over again.

Eating Well - Yes, I am now obsessed with eating well. Scary isn't it? I've lost 22 pounds since early September and for the first time ever, I'm obsessed but in a good way. Before I'd beat myself up over eating a mouthful of anything 'bad'. Now, I realize there isn't any food that is bad, its all about how you look at it. I no longer live to eat, I eat to live. Will I keep this up? I hope so as I'm feeling better than I have in years.

So what's your latest obsession?

NEW COVER!!!

Is this gorgeous or WHAT? Coming out June, 2008 - more details coming later.

Thirteen Things You Probably Didn't Know About Overweight People

This is my experience as a woman of size. I do apologize is this offends anyone. :)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN!

Thirteen Things You Probably Didn't Know About Overweight People 1. Pssst, we know we're fat, quite assuming we want to order diet soda with our lunches. 2. We love bright colors, will the designers please quit using the most offensive prints they can find in our clothing? Here's a hint, there's a reason why skinny people don't want to wear the elephant/tropical/giant flowered/geometric print mumu/shirt/pants/skirt that you've created. It's UGLY. 3. There is no need to stare at us, there's more than enough to go around. :) 4. Big people need love, too. 5. Just because we are overweight, that doesn't mean we live like bears in caves. We have homes, lives, careers, kids, siblings, spouses - just like normal people. 6. We like food just like everyone else, the only difference is we don't throw it up afterwards. 7. Food Addiction is just as deadly and difficult to kick as alcoholism, drug addiction, nicotine addiction. 8. Life is too short for bad food. 9. Just because we are large doesn't mean we're to be religated to the fat best friend, sympathetic mom-figure, the eternal bridesmaid or any of that crap. We're hot, sexy and ready to GO! 10. Big can be BEAUTIFUL. 11. Close the magazines and turn off the television - you're life will be much happier if you do. 12. Big people have caught on that Cosmo, Elle and other glossy magazines are not the end-all be-all of fashion. 13. Want to know what is sexy? Confidence! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is almost over, have you read your banned book yet? :)

What strikes me as odd about BBW is those who are banning the books are usually places reserved for education. Schools, libraries etc. Seeing that these institutions are funded, at least in part, by our government who should be supporting the freedom of speech - isn't it hypocritical to allow those same instutions to ban books?

In my opinion, any institution who receives tax money as part of their funding, should not have the right to ban a book. Now having said that, I'm not saying that third graders should be reading one of my books - no how no way! It should be up to the parents to determine what is appropriate reading material for their children, not a school or library.

I think what really bothers me is, when does this end?

John Lennon's song IMAGINE could be offensive to some though there are no curse words to be found. Just the line:

"Imagine there's no Heaven,"

would be enough to spin a few conservative heads off their shoulders. Where is the line drawn between inappropriate material for children and inappropriate ideas. Trust me, if we allow these institutions to 'ban' books, it's only a matter of time before one of them tries to ban a book based on the concept, not the content.

That is REALLY scary if you ask me.

Dear Fashionista

Dear Fashionista, According to Redbook, the styles for Fall are going to be more figure conscious than the summer was. They are accenting the waist and I don't have one! What do I do?
Signed, Fashion Victim

Dear Fashion Victim, Can I just call you Victim? I, too, am in the same boat as you. I haven't seen my waist since 1994 as its been covered by my breasts. That said, this little figure flaw doesn't have to sideline you in the Fashion Rat-Race.

One of the trends for fall is the wrap - wrap dresses, wrap tops, wrap skirts etc. Buy yourself a few wrap items and when you put them on, bind that wrap so tight that the twins are shoved up and out of the way and it will create a faux waist.

Doesn't everything sound better when you use the word 'faux'?

Now, some of you may end up smothered by the girls but if you don a scuba mask, you should be able to breathe just fine. Who knows, you might just start a trend of your own!

Signed, Fashionista

Sunny Sunday

On a day when one should take time to reflect upon their life, their week and how they're making a difference in the world around them, I bring you...sexy Mormons.

http://mormonsexposed.com/

I don't think anything else needs to be said.

Friday Funnies

No photo today! A friend sent this to me and it is hilarious. While I wasn't a virgin at 30, our stories are somewhat similar. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soFhO7cWGMw

Flowers

How beautiful is this? I took this photograph at Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage, outside of Nashville Tennesee. I dream of having a garden such as this - it was magnificent.

An Unpopular View

Six years ago today, the world trade centers were brought down and the Pentagon burned. Almost three thousand people died. I, like most Americans, remember where I was when I heard the news. I was sitting in the basement of a State office building, alone, when the first yahoo post came in a few minutes before nine a.m.. I didn't think much of it, the news post didn't specify what kind of plane had hit the first tower, so I was thinking it was a small one, maybe a two or four seater.

How wrong was I.

Today there are ceremonies in New York, Washington and Pennsylvannia to mark this tragic event. The media call the terrorist attacks a life-altering expereince for all Americans - my question is, was it really?

To those who lost their loved ones, I would say it is a yes. Has it changed the lives of Americans as a whole?

No.

The legacy of 911 doesn't have near the impact the bombing of Pearl Harbor did. Americans haven't had to change their lives over 911 while Pearl Harbor changed us as a nation. Yes, the security at airports is a pain in the butt, it is illegal to photograph bridges, (love to see them try and enforce this one) and packages that are over one pound must be handed to a postman rather than dumped in the mailbox. A portion of Americans will tell you they feel safer now than before 911, in my opinion that is an illusion. How can we be safer in the skies when our luggage and our bodies are searched but less than 1% of cargo is checked out?

Pearl Harbor ripped the mask of complacency from the nation. During a time when our allies were at war, we didn't want to get involved so we kept our blinders in place while we manufactered cars and refrigerators. Some of our armed forces joined in the battle long before Pearl Harbor was destroyed. These brave men became pilots and conducted raids with England's Royal Air Force. It wasn't until the destruction of Pearl Harbor that our government made the decision to get involved.

See any similarities?

War has been waged in the middle east for over six hundred years. From time to time we dip our toe into it but we've never made the commitment to jump in with both feet. Then, after we were attacked, we invade the wrong country at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.

I truly feel for the families who lost loved ones on 911. I feel for Americans in general as we were, for a brief moment, shaken out of our apathy toward the goings on in the world. Yes, there are people who hate us, who want to kill us - but it goes deeper than that.

The news keep saying how this is the day that changed America and I maintain that the opposite is true. This day is important to American history, it is important to those who lost their loved ones, it is important to those who were, for one brief moment, shaken from their slumber - but that time is gone. Most of us have returned to our lives with very little thought to 911, that is the sad reality of this days events, six years ago. What will it take to make us understand that the America we thought we inhabited is now only an illusion?

Flooding in Ohio

In the past three days we've received something like 8 inches of rain. Seeing that we haven't had hardly any all summer, this is a good thing. Of course the bad part is the ground can't handle it falling all at once.

For some reason the news channels are reporting the flooding in Ohio is near Cleveland...not even close. (Where in the heck do they get their info??) I live just north east of Columbus and the worst of the flooding is about an hour away. So when you see the clip from 'near Cleveland' where the man is being rescued via Coast Guard helicopter - no, that's Shelby, only two counties away.

Here in my town we've had extensive flooding as well as has Columbus. Luckily it has been property damage only. My neighbor's tree came down...right across his car and it missed his house by four or five feet. A small yet very important distance. :) It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week with many of the showers being pretty heavy. 'Okay Mother Nature, we got the memo!'

One of the ministers I work with through the Police Department called last night and he's organizing a caravan of food up to the Shelby High School to feed those whose houses are under water. So in about an hour my car will be loaded down and I'll be headed north. I can only hope I'm the macaroni and cheese car - I'm HUNGRY!!

Book Review: Blackmailed by Annmarie McKenna

BLACKMAILED
by Annmarie McKenna
ISBN: 1599982137
Samhain Publishing

Brianna Wyatt is being blackmailed by her father for an heir. If she doesn't follow through, her father threatens to put her handicapped brother into a home where she can no longer protect him. Her father wants her to get pregnant by Cole Masters, a very weathy and powerful man.

When Mr. Wyatt appears on his doorstep wanting to whore his own daughter, Cole is sure he's about to be blackmailed. Taking Brianna into his own, they concoct their own plan to thwart her father but he fails to take into account that he desires Brianna and he can only hope that Tyler Cannon, his best friend and fellow menage partner, will want her as well.

This is one HOT book. I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared to enjoy this book as much as I did. I've always been a one-guy kind of girl so the concept of menage was foreign to me. Now, I understand the allure. :)

Some of the plot points were a little contrived, but seeing that this book is about fantasy it more than fulfills on it's promise. So if you're looking for a spicy menage with two utterly yummy males, BLACKMAILED is for you.