Quick update

I've managed another chapter's worth of edits. YAY! It's a real triumph right now since I'm *still* organizing and unpacking in most of my spare moments.

Also, I seem to have a little girl who gets car sick after a certain time in the car. That time period happens to be exactly how long it takes to drive her older sister to school. Anyone have advice on toddlers with carsickness? Let's just say that I know feel completely immune to being vomited on. I've aquired another Mom Superpower! WOO! ;)

Off to scrub the front porch... (which is where she got sick *this* time)

Books vs. TV

Bookseller Chick had a great post the other day asking about why 250 million people watch Grey's Anatomy but very few books get close to those kinds of numbers. I can't link directly to it, but if you'd like to read her post, it's the March 14th entry.

Anyway, I'd been thinking along the same lines over the last few weeks. I've had such a hard time finding a new book that I really loved, and here I am a writer and lover of books. What gives?!

So I was thinking about this as I was watching Grey's last week. And I think that the reason I so love the shows that I do is because the writers have created really likable characters, that stay *in* character, and basically I enjoy hanging out with them for the hour that I tune in. I want to have a cup of coffee in Luke's Diner, or hang out on the beach with Sawyer, and listen to Izzy give George a hard time.

Whereas a lot of the books I've picked up lately are either really beautifully written, but don't create characters that I like and want to spend time with. Or, they *do* create great characters, then just put them through the ringer. Enough, enough. I challenge writers out there to create a really great child character and then *not* have her abused at some point in the book. PLEASE!

The books I love, are books that create likeable characters and create a setting for them that I can "hang out" in. This is the genius of Harry Potter - wands and warlocks are just icing on the cake, I really want to hang out at school with Harry and Hermione. It's also what makes the Amelia Peabody books so good. I just want to be on a dig with Amelia and Emerson.

Anyway - that's my thought for the day! Agree? Disagree?

What was America thinking?!

They choose Austin over DEREK?!

*sniff*

Do they not remember the fiasco that was Fun, Fun, Fun?!

I honestly don't know what to say except that I'm having flashbacks to Sam being ousted from Top Chef.

So. Wrong. So, so wrong.

****
OK, I've know watched the whole show and I'm editing to add that while my partiality to Derek hasn't waned, Max really does have a compelling story. So it will be some mollification if Max can win and make his little 6 year old brother proud - especially after all Max has been through.

But America really was robbed in that we didn't get to see Derek sing "I've Had the Time of My Life" ARGH!!!!!

Midnight update

I finally managed to get both kids in bed and asleep, though not till 10:30. There were many trips to get a drink of water and things like that... and I've dug out the Supernanny book. Kira noticed that and said "need some advice, huh?" I probably shouldn't have let her read the book herself. ;)

Still, eventually they fell asleep and I got some editing done. YAY! I've inputted the first chapter's worth of changes. That was after the great feat of putting the first 72 pages back into order. Ooops! So, it's just one chapter, but progress of any kind feels good. AND I've named one character whose name has eluded me until now.

I've also done a lot of work over the last month on characterization and motivation. So I know that when I get to some key scenes in my editing, they'll be much better.

Also, I've decided that the absolute hardest part of editing is discovering a plot change that needs to be made, forcing me to go back and change scenes that I love. That's the sad part - when I loved the language of the scene, but it's not saying the right thing anymore, and the new version doesn't feel as good. But... I really can't have them talking about a boat sinking if it doesn't sink anymore.

Ok, off to bed and to think about chapter two!

Goodnight blog buddies!

Saturday Night Live

It's Saturday night and I'm blogging while I make dinner. Randy is working, yet again, this time till verrrrry late and my heretofore good attitude is waning just a bit. I know this second job thing won't last forever, but, if you read my previous post, you'll know I'm learning that patience is not quite the strength I thought it was!

But, I've got a Lost to watch tonight and many pages to edit and baked potatoes with the works for dinner. (I'm finding that unpacking/cleaning all day means I do streamlined dinners. I just can't bear to mess up the one room that's reasonably put together!)

OK, that's it - not much to say - just wanted to feel a part of the blogosphere tonight!

Two weeks in...

to being a stay at home mom! So far, I'm loving it. I'm really loving the focus. I really liked the job that I left, but I felt so scattered - when I was at work I was trying to make calls about stuff at home, and home really got the shaft with the 3 hour commute on the days I worked. So now I can make healthy dinners, unpack, take walks with my kids. Very, very fun.

But, I'm really not settled into things yet. I suppose that moving, quitting my job, Randy getting a new job, then getting a second job, then going to New Jersey for a week could be a little unsettling. ;) I really thought I was a patient person until all of this. I wait in line really well! But I want everything to be unpacked and us to be in a routine yesterday! (and let's add that the bathroom should be tiled then, too).

So, any of you with mom schedule experience, please comment. I need to get the kids, the 18 month old especially, into a good routine so that we can all be happier and more secure! I know I'm unsettled because I'm having the recurring dream I have when I'm stressed - that I'm back in school. Apparently I thought I had things well in hand in lovely Santa Barbara. ;) In the dream, I'm always thinking that I *should* be stressed about something, then my friends say "you're lying on the beach in Santa Barbara, what could you be stressed about." Good point, friends! But, I'm not *actually* in school anymore. I have a few more things to do than study and work on my tan.... like finish the edits to my novel.

I did finally *find* the beginning of my novel, so God-willing-and-the-creek-don't-rise I should be able to type those in tonight! (In my case, the creek is Gigi and she needs to stay in her sweet little bed!)

Book Meme

Here's my take on the fun book meme that I saw on Anissa and Therese's blogs! (links to the left)

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) (I've read parts. The sexy parts. *grin*
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) (I've read the whole chronicles at least 5 times)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) - I need something for partials. I got a few pages into this and put it down. I didn't like where she was going with some of it...
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) - in my TBR pile!
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) (In German!)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) - I have read David Copperfield, which should have made the list!
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) - no, but I saw the miniseries as a kid!
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) - saw the movie with my daughter - she'll watch anything with "Rory" in it!
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)7
3. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) - not yet, but I did see Matt do this!
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) (well, I listened to it in my car - does that count?)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Fish 'n' Flush

OK, I'm in the midst of planning a bathroom remodel (I've GOT to find my xd card so I can upload some before pictures. I'll warn you - you might have to look through darkened glasses at the horrific vinyl tile).

So, while browsing for shower fixtures, I stumbled upon this: http://www.homeclick.com/showpage.asp?itemid=305268

Yes. It's a toilet and fish tank, all in one. Because that's what the world needs. I really have no words...

I'm still here...

Wow, being a stay at home mom and unpacking seem to equal less blog posts!

Thank you to everyone who commented in my post below. I know it will be a lot of work, but I'm already feeling so much more focused and happy (despite missing my friends at work - I really did have some great coffee buddies!)

Gigi seems to love having me home. I'm getting lots of cuddles and kisses. Kira, well, she fell apart in sobs when I picked her up from school instead of Grandma. We had to have Grandma meet us at Barnes and Noble. Sigh. I suppose it's not a bad thing that she adores her grandmother, but it was heartbreaking to hear her saying, between sobs "why can't we see each other?! We should be together!" And I even stayed this morning and helped in her classroom.

I'm also in the middle of revisions for my WIP. Wow. It's hard. I've decided I need only one POV character so I've got a bunch of chapters to rewrite, plus I think I need to storyboard out the timeline. OK, it's almost midnight and I'm thinking that "storyboard out" is not truly a verb phrase, but there you have it. I think you know what I'm talking about. I need some sort of graphical representation of who is where and when to make sure I don't get anything wrong.

And I can't find the first 72 pages that I edited. I'm sure there in one of these many boxes. I remember packing them, but the boxes all look the same...

off to bed, hoping I'll dream of a great way to convert the POV chapters. HA!

The Big Day and the Big Blizzard

Today I walked out of my client site for the very last time. My husband and I have worked so hard and so long for this day, that now that it is actually here, it feels surreal. I have a hard time believing I really won't go back to work.

All day today I was thinking about how it was the last time I would do something - the last time I'd take the back stairs to Starbucks - the last time I'd swipe my badge in the elevator - the last time I'd walk through the hallway to my cubicle - the last time I'd make myself a cup of tea or refill my coffee cup. And I realized, that along with my dear friends (and my work laptop which I LOVED) I'll really miss the familiarity of everything. I've been there longer than I've lived anywhere since I've been married, and longer than I've worked anywhere. It felt a little like leaving my college dorm.

So, I'm permitting myself to be a little wistful about it, and tomorrow I'll jump for joy at never having to write another functional specification in my entire life!

and onto the blizzard...

Driving home last night, snow started to fall about halfway into my commute. It seemed fine - not much was sticking and I was fairly far along. But traffic had slowed to about 2 miles an hour and suddenly the snow was freezing on the road and my poor little Volvo couldn't get any traction.

Ten miles from home I had to pull off into a McDonalds parking lot and try to find another way home. I was stuck. And I hadn't been able to reach my husband, who had our kids in the car, for hours. I was fine till my cell phone died and I realized I wasn't a powerful, cyber-connected commuter anymore - I was just a lady in the middle of a snowstorm in high heels with no cell phone.

Clearly this ended happily, and after a 3 hour commute my hubby came and rescued me with some help from my mom at Snow Crisis Central (aka my parent's house).

But it did make me feel really happy to know that from now on, snow can be welcomed with opened arms because I won't *have* to get to work he next day. Schools are always so sensible and close if there's snow. Hooray!

And of course, I whipped out my laptop and wrote a scene where my heroine is stuck in the snow, since I had all of the details so fresh in my mind!

My poor little bathroom

As you all know I recently moved into a *new* house - new to me, that is. It's actually 102 years old. So the bathroom was an afterthought, to be sure. It's situated off the kitchen and under the stairs. Not a great location, but I can live with it.

However... here's the thing, there is some sort of odd lineoleum on the walls of the shower. It's ugly, and not supposed to go on walls, so I thought I'd replace it pretty easily. Hmm... so it turns out I can't take out the tub and put in an enclosure, because there is a load bearing pillar coming down from the stairs to the corner of the tub. The tub stays put! Apparently my only option is to tile those two walls. Which is fine, I like tile. Then I can have the tub refinished if I want.

But here's the problem, according to the guy at Home Depot, I'll have to rip out those two walls completely to get a flat surface for the tile. UGH! And if I'm doing that, maybe I should replace the fixtures for the tub while I'm at it because I hate them and you have to rip out the wall to do that... and I don't want to do it twice.

The rest of the (very small) bathroom is fine for now. I eventually want to put in a new floor and vanity/sink, but that can wait. The shower, however, can't wait long because I don't want to get moisture in those walls. And they're ugly!

If anyone has had any experience doing anything remotely like this, please let me know. I'm thinking that I might be able to tile myself, but I don't think I can put in drywall or greenboard myself. What do you all think?

I'll post pictures soon!

And the winner is...

No, this is not an Oscar related post. I haven't seen really any movies in the theater this year due to little ones who like to run the aisles, so they just aren't that much fun.

But, I do watch my fair share of television, and I'd like to present the award of "Most Captivating Sweeps Month" to....

Grey's Anatomy!!!

Yes, Gilmore came through with giving Christopher the boot, but as I said before it was handled rather poorly. Studio 60 was amazing, but it's too sad to contemplate the storyline now that it appears to be cancelled. (And traitor that I am I Tivo'd The Black Donnelly's last night). Lost was good as always, but Grey's had me on the edge of my seat, even though I really knew that Meredith would pull through. Plus, any chance to see Dear Denny again is met with open arms!

Also - I'd like to mention the unbelievable choice of "the panel" on Grease to save Kathleen rather than Kate. WHAT????!!!! Kate has such a beautiful, powerful voice, I have no idea what they were thinking. I thought it would be a no-brainer that Kathleen and Kevin got the boot. Their duet was truly painful last week, and sure, Kate and Derek struggled a little, but I'd still have saved her. That must have been one super acting scene that saved Kathleen (though hard to believe after seeing her performance). Ah well.... my pick for Sandy is Laura now, if she stays strong, and has good chemistry with Derek, I think she's a shoe-in! (And smart girl that she was she chose Derek for her scene partner!)

If you were an agent...

Lori Perkins has been talking about the kinds of books she loves to represent.... which got me thinking, what woul *I* represent if I were an agent? This was very fun to think about, since as a writer, I can't really write everything that appeals to me, at least not out of the gate. I understand that new authors need to build their "brand" and can then branch out if they have a nice following (like Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb).

So, I'd want to rep mysteries, particularly cozy mysteries. I don't think I'd rep genre romance because I don't read enough of it, but maybe an occasional stand-alone title that is women's lit/romance. I'd search high and low for the evasive literary novel with a Happily Ever After ending instead of all the misery and despair that seems to crowd the "new in paperback" tables right now. I'd also search for novels with intesecting plot lines, particularly when one is historical - The Map of Love and Possession are great examples. Also genre-bending novels with a mystery at their core, like The Historian (aka the best book of 2005) and Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books.

I also tend to shy away from "inspirational fiction" as a genre, but love books where faith is explored and presented as a complex undergirding to the structure of the book. C.S. Lewis and Tolkein are the masters of this. So, sure, I'd look for the next C.S. Lewis and Tolkein - no problem!

So, blog-readers, what books would you rep if you were an agent, looking for that diamond in the slush?

Bad v. Badly

I've finally got the grammar rule down for this one! Have you, like me, wondered if it's correct to say "I feel bad" or "I feel badly?"

Well, wonder no more! I've just found the Grammar Girl's podcast - so much fun.

So, anyway, if you are trying to communicate that you are sad, or ill, or otherwise not up to par, the correct usage is: I feel bad.

Bad is an adjective, and therefore modifies the noun "I". It is you who are bad.

Badly is an adverb, and so modifies the verb. If "you feel badly" then your you have some sort of nerve damage and your sense of touch doesn't work.

I am so happy to finally have the answer to this question!

Catch-up Post

1) Three and a half more working days to go. WOO!!! Of course, this means very little right now because working is actually a break from the move. Phase one should be finished in one week, Feb 28th - and then I'll just have unpacking and organizing to do. Oh the joy of being able to focus!

2) Lost... I'll just say that I used to think I knew what was going on, and after last week's episode, I'm, well, lost! What I *do* know, is that Desmond is my new favorite character and I hope we get to see Penny again. :)

3) Grey's Anatomy... Meredith can't really be dead, can she? And as much as I love her, the whole storyline is worth it to see Denny Ducquette again. I love Denny! Also - brilliant move having the bomb squad guy there.

4) I have a comment on Gimore Girls that will segue into a writing related post... last week Lorelai gave Christopher the boot. Finally. Geez. The thing was, the final conversation that got us there was terrible. I mean, it was well acted, but the motivations were all wrong. I won't go into details except to say that Lorelai is an exceptionally well drawn character, so well drawn that I know this conversation was very out of character for her. It seemed like a case of the writers needing to get from point A to point B. And as much as I've been chomping at the bit to get to point B... the ends don't justify the means.

This is important to remember in plotting. I know where I need my characters to go, and sometimes am tempted to just give them a little push to end up there. But if I don't stay true to who my characters are, the readers will feel cheated.

Like I do right now about Lorelai. The real problem is that it breaks that 4th wall and your readers suddenly become aware that it's just a story, whereas (hopefully) they were living and breathing it up until this point.

The Move

I've been sleeping at the new house now for a week and a half. I've got about that much more time till we're totally out of the old house and I'm done working, and can just focus on unpacking. It's crazy and hectic but I LOVE my new house, even with all the pet projects I'm seeing everywhere.

Here are a couple of highlights:

New Dishes!!! I told my mother how depressed I was to move my dishes one more time, so she bought me new ones. :) Don't they just pop against the white cupboard?

Saved by Elmo

This was day 2 of moving. I was trying to unpack. The living room was wall to wall boxes. Then I found the little tv/vcr and a rogue elmo tape. The kids made do with seating arrangements, and I had a blessed cup of coffee

Say it's not so!!

I just heard a vicious rumor that Studio 60 is cancelled. It's my favorite show on the air right now, edging out Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy - quite a feat!!

Seriously, this is like the tragedy that was Sports Night, all over again. It's even another "Danny" that I'll be missing!!

Sports Night nearly made the leap to HBO and I'm hoping S60 will do that. I think cable is just a better bet for Aaron Sorkin all around. *sniff*

Quick update

No real time to blog in the flurry of unpacking. Just wanted to say that I now have cable tv and internet. YAY!!!!

Sadly, the first thing I saw on logging into Yahoo this afternoon but this travesty of justice:
Dog is being extradited to Mexico!

Seriously, any faith I had in our justice system is out the window.

Long, rambling post on many subjects...

Some thoughts for the day....

Clearly I'm not tracking on all cylinders because I went grocery shopping at lunch and carefully read all the ingredients on everything I bought to make sure they didn't have high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated anything, or gluten... then bought a bag of candy corn on my way out and ate that before anything else. *eyeroll*

Ezzo

I was discussing Gary Ezzo and his book Babywise/Growing Kids God's Way yesterday with a friend of mine and couldn't sleep all night thinking of the horror that is Ezzo. I try to steer clear of contraversial subjects on my blog. I try to stay mostly light hearted and focused on fun things the kids are doing, writing, gardening, things like that. But I will say that while book burning and/or banning is creative terrorism in my mind, like the death penalty it may just have it's place every now and then. If anyone out there in the blogosphere is considering using this method of child rearing without moderation (and Ezzo certainly does not encourage moderation or a blending of methods), I'd ask you to please check out these resources first:
http://www.fix.net/~rprewett/concerns.html
http://www.fresnofamily.com/ap/ezzo.htm
http://www.equip.org/free/DG233.htm
http://www.nospank.net/ezzo4.htm
http://www.ezzo.info/
I won't get into much more here, but just had to include some of these links in a post, to add one more "anti-Ezzo" hit to those googling him. Just to be clear - I'm all for schedules and discipline and structure if that's what works for your family - Ezzo is in a class all by himself in that regard. I don't know how any man has the gall to take from Christ suffering and dying on the cross, an imperative from God that a mother not pick up a crying infant.

OK, difficult subject out of the way - onto writing...

I want to talk a little bit about the mysticism of writing. I listen to a lot of podcasts on writing and read lots of blogs and books, and I have an English degree... so it's safe to say I've heard many, many hours of instruction and discussion on the subject. While getting my English degree, I found it very difficult to write creatively. I think in part I was absorbing a lot of information and was in a "take it in" mode rather than an output mode. But also, I know that I struggled with thinking that if my prose didn't sound like Faulker/Austen/Bronte/ as it left my pen, I might as well give up. I'd never heard the adage "first drafts are allowed to suck" or "write first, edit later". I just thought that what I was writing would never endure to be taught in a classroom years from now.

Maybe because of that, I bristle when I hear authors talk about the magic on the page, or how the characters speak to them and run away with the book - things that can't be analzyed or quantified or taught in any way. It makes writing into an exclusive club that you can't gain access to unless you experience "it", whatever that is.

Pshaw!!!

I loved reading Janet Evanovich say that her characters are *her characters* and do exactly what she tells them to! I do think that I finally understand what authors mean by their characters doing something different than they had planned, however. Here's what I think - it's like raquetball. Have you ever heard a writing/raquetball analogy? I didn't think so!

So, in raquetball, you have the laws of physics governing the ball's movement. You hit the ball at a particular angle with a particular force, and the ball has no choice but to bounce off the wall in a particular way. If that's not the way you want the ball to go, then you hit it at a different angle or with a different force, but you don't get to change the laws of physics.

I think it's the same thing with characters. You set them up with certain traits, strengths, weaknesses and drives (their laws of physics). Then you introduce stimuli, events, plot points into their world (the serve) and they will react to these events according to the laws you set up. Now, as a writer, you can rewrite and change these laws if you don't like them. You can make your heroine stronger or weaker, or your hero a little more devious or more moral - but once you've established who they are, then their reactions need to make sense within that framework. So I think characters run away with the book when an author sets up that framework, and then introduces the plot points, and discovers that for a character to stay true to who you created them to be, they have to react in a way you hadn't planned. But of course you can change that if you want to by changing the character - or just go with the new direction.

But it isn't a big, amorphic mystery. It's writing. It's a skill. We can all do it. Just sit down with a pen, or a keyboard, and have at it!

Whew!

The cable company can get me tv and internet access *this* Friday. I have to wait till next week for a phone, but who needs a phone. ;)

The cable...

will not be connected until NEXT Friday. Oh, the sorrow.

The Countdown

To answer a question from the comment trail, the official Countdown to Leaving Corporate America is D - 7!!!

After today I have only 7 working days left. WOO!

Flower of the Day

This seemed very appropriate for Valentine's Day! It's a bellflower called Campanula Pantaloons, and it always makes me smile. :)

I can't wait to see what blooms in my garden this spring, so I can start creating my little floral wonderland!

Happy Valentine's Day!

And a Happy Valentine's Day to all! My primary focus this Valentine's Day has been to try not to forget that Kira needs treats for her class. In the end, my mom and friend bailed me out with a last minute trip to the drugstore. But my husband did not forget, and showed up last night after working both jobs with chocolate covered cherries, two very thoughtfully chosen books, and a card. Aw! Whenever I was single on Valentine's Day (which was often) I celebrated by buying myself a present and wearing pink so I'd be happy, regardless, but it *is* more fun to have a present bought for me. :)

So Happy V Day to the rest of you! I hope all the little kids are having fun with their candy exchanges and Valentine's Day mailboxes today! If I had any intellectual reserve, I'd post about Saint Valentine and why he should be remembered, but honestly, I don't have it in me today. Check back next year...

Hello again

Well, the move is definately underway. We've been sleeping at the new house since last week, but still have sooooo much to do to finish up. DH has been working 2 jobs and I've been going solo with the kids without tv or internet access for a week. ACK! I have some fun pics of the move, but of course can't find my upload cable in all the chaos. I promise they will be posted shortly!

I do LOVE the new house - I'm seeing projects everywhere (why exactly did they paint the molding around the door... all but the last two inches??) but it feels very much like us and once the boxes are out will be very cozy and homey. And wait till you see my new dishes!! My wonderful mother wouldn't let me move my old, depressing dishes one more time and bought me the new set of my dreams. Pictures to come!

I have no tv wrap up this week, because I haven't seen any, except Grease. So I'll just briefly say that Derek is once again the only choice for Danny (he sang Footloose, people!) and they should just pick Sandy by pairing all the women with him and seeing who he has the best chemistry with. That's my tip for the producers!! I'm also curious as to why they put the guys through elaborate dance numbers, but have the women just stand there and sing. Why?

Also - March is NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month) YAY!!! I couldn't nano in November because I hadn't finished with my novel and I didn't want to start a new one till this baby's done. And I have much editing to go. This is perfect timing. I'll be staying home. The bulk of the move will be done. I should be set up well to edit in the evenings. WOO! If anyone else has a novel to edit, I encourage you to join me. I love the community that is nanowrimo, and I hope this has a similar feel.

So, see you all when I have my upload cable back!!!

Did she do it??

Update on today's goals. Darling husband is home packing, so that first goal is well on it's way. I know for a fact he left the top floor for me, so that's probably what my evening will consist of.

As far as the second... I wrote about 1000 words, then went to insert it and realized I'd covered some of the same ground elsewhere. Grr... this is the problem with taking too long of a break! So, I decided *not* to stop to write long passages. I make a note of what sort of content I think I need, and then I keep editing. This will mean I'll need to do a second pass, and Holly Lisle says you only need one pass, but... this is my first novel and I've just got to get the editing done however I can get it done. I'll refine the process with the next book. (And I finally know what that next book is! YAY!) So I stopped and edited the next 10 pages again.

Probably there won't be any posting till Tuesday. The Great Move should be taking place over the next 4 days. If I can sneak a little laptop time in, I'll post about it, if not - see you all on Tuesday!!

Okay, one more!

Just found this and have to post it - clearly I like tiger lillies and this is the first double tiger lily I've ever seen. (I have a thing for "doubles" - the fuller the better!)

I can't wait to plant this!

Flower of the Day

OK, I'm taking a break from my dog posts. This is because my cat is driving me crazy and the thought of adding another four legs right now isn't terribly fun. I'm sure I'll be back to my old, animal loving self once I finish moving. Probably the cat is just a little unsettled with all the boxes, so has decided to meow incessantly. I hope that's it!

So one of the things that I'm really looking forward to in my new house is gardening in something other than containers! They've put in a lot of flowers and bulbs in the front yard. But there's still plenty for me to do. Right now it's pleasantly landscaped but not even close to approaching cottage garden status!

I have a list in my notebook here three pages long of plants I want to get and where I'm going to put them - so I thought I'd share some of the highlights:

I LOVE Calla Lillies, and usually prefer them to just be white and long - then I found this. So, in it's honor I'm creating a "black and white" garden with these "Black Pearl" Callas:

Next up are two lillies. The first is "Clothed in Glory" - note the ruffled gold edge! The second is called Miss Lucy, and it's the only double oriental lily in the world! (And *I* have the web site address to buy it from!)

And finally we have an Iris named Steve. :) I think the blue in this iris is breathtaking. Also, the irony of a blue iris named Steve has not escaped me... or maybe I've seen Blue's Clues one too many times!

Goals for today:

1) Get everything ready to move tomorrow. We pick the truck up first thing in the morning. YAY!

2) Finish these 2 chapters that are standing in my way of continuing to edit. I've got one just about knocked out. One to go. That should be easily accomplishable at lunch today. If I don't do it now, it's not going to get done during The Great Move and it will drive me crazy!

I inspired a post....

on a fellow writer's blog. I am so very happy!

link

How Tight is Publishing?

I hear a lot about publishing being really tight right now - meaning it's extremely hard to break into and get published. Mostly, I don't think about this because I have exactly no control over the market, just over what I write.

But I saw this post by Lori Perkins recently and I thought this must be part of the so called tightness people are talking about. Lori is an agent who has been working for about 20 years, and she says that 20 years ago, she got about 2000-3000 queries a year. Now she gets 30,000. She attributes this to the computer and word processing, her theory being that 20 years ago, there just weren't that many people who could type well enough to complete an 80,000 word novel. I think that having 10x the manuscripts out there must contribute to the difficulty to get to market (if it truly is harder today than decades ago, which I'm not conceding yet). Simple supply and demand.

And it makes me wonder if I'd have typed out an 80,000 word novel. I tend to think I would have, because I wrote plenty on my word processor with it's 8 line display, and before that, I wrote long hand and then typed it up later. It was part of my editing process. (OK, I was 14, so I'm reaching here, but I did use it as an opportunity to revise).

It also makes me wonder how much the process of typing or writing longhand affects the actual manuscript. On the one hand, it's much easier to revise, so possibly books go through more revisions now. On the other hand, I know that when I wrote long hand, I wrote much more slowly and thoughtfully and didn't rely as much on revision. Not that I plan to go back. I love my keyboard. ;)

Greta's sign language

I tried to teach my baby sign language, like a good 21st century mom. I got the baby sign books and was all over doing the signs for "eat" and "drink" and "more" at all the appropriate times. None of them took. Nada.

But, what I learned was that the concept of signing had sunk in, I just wasn't teaching her the right sings. Just like at 17 months she still won't say "yes" or "no", but she will frequently say "kitty cat", "Blue's Clues", and "chocolate," (That's my girl!) she has no need to sign "more" when a furtive pointing at what she wants and then pointing at her chest does just fine. Another favorite is extending her hands in front of her, wrists to chest, palms up, and wiggling fingers. This means "put said item in these hot little hands before someone gets hurt. My cry can break glass, you know." There was no sign in the books for this.

Her latest is as follows. First some background. She isn't terribly fond of the word "no." (which probably explains her complete boycott of voicing it). Although I can say "Greta, if you want some chocolate, it's in the drawer in the kitchen. Just use your stool and go get it." And she will return with a chocolate bar in hand, if I am typing on my laptop and she decides to turn on text to speech, the on-screen keyboard (did you know you had one? I didn't) or just hibernate the whole thing and I say "Greta, no." She glazes over. No Habla Ingles. I'm just a baby and can't possibly understand you. If I say it again, she'll then continue doing the action, but with more ferver. The implied thought here is "I know you can't possibly be telling me no, so I am going to continue doing this, with oomph, and give you a chance to correct your error." If I continue saying no (and admittedly, she has sometimes worn me down by this point) she then has no choice but to acknowledge it, which is where her new "sign" comes in: Spread fingers of left hand, tilt head downwards slightly, bring hand to face, contort face into pained expression, stifle cry. This would be the sign for: "The world is too horrible, too horrible for me to gaze upon. I have been wronged."

This also is not in the baby sign books.

Link(s) of the day

1) www.bloglines.com I was resistant to this at first, because I love reading blogs on the actual blog page. But I follow so many (25 at last count) that this is really helpful. You can see on the left sidebar which of your blogs has an update. Then click on it, and the posts show up on the right side. If you like, you can then click on the blog title and it will open the entire blog so you can read on the blog itself. I usually do this, except for blogs that i know are kind of plain, or for livejournal blogs - because they're always plain!

2) www.historylink.org - an online encyclopedia of Washington State history. I've been looking things up all morning!

Quote of the Day

"The downhill path is easy, but there's no turning back." Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

My new obsession

And why doesn't Starbucks sell licorice lattes? I think I'm onto their new big taste sensation!

Another New Look

As much as I loved my last look, it was the "classic" template and I just needed to go back to the beta/new/enhanced templates. It was too hard to update my links and novel edits and other fun widgety things. So, I hope you like the Tiger Lillies. :)

The Winter Ball

Kira attended her first "ball" last night. Her school held a winter ball for the entire school. Families were encouraged to attend, and daddies to dance with their daughters. Much fun was had by all.

Here is the little dancer:

TV Wrap Up

The One That I Want

I *just* discovered this show (Thanks, Trace!). Thank goodness I found it in time to see Derek sang "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Sadly, the show is now over. He's Danny. Wow. WOW!!!!! All he needs is a pompadour.

I also liked Max, but there's no comparison. He'd be a great secondary character, though.

So far, Ashley S. is my choice for Sandy.

Top Design

OK, I don't feel like I'm going to bond to this show like I did Top Chef and Project Runway, but we'll see. So far, my pick to win it all is Goil. I'm not sure how I like Todd Oldham as host. He's kind of combining the Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum roles, although he's not juding. Interesting. But I miss having a Heidi/Padma around. And, uh, Alexis Arquette.... wouldn't have been my choice for the celebrity client. But it does raise an interesting question:

If a decorator had to design a room for you based on your five favorite items, what would those items be?

Mine would be ... ok I've been stalled here for a while. Clearly items yet to be purchased.

Gilmore Girls

Did I not say it was turning around?! Yes, Christopher, she still has feelings for Luke. Yes.

Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip

Love, LOVE Matt and Harriet. I feel sure they'll patch things up. Love Danny and Jordan. I thought the way they had her misunderstanding his declaration of love was really interesting. Loved the missing snake. And why did Tom lie about being out with Kim? I missed why he couldn't tell Julia the truth about that. I hate misunderstandings so I hope they clear that up soon.

Happy House Day!

Today we receive.... drum roll... the keys to our very own house!!! Yes, we are homeowners as of this very moment!

Tonight we will be driving to our house, just because we can!

This has been a long time coming. Since before we were married we've been working towards two big goals: Me being able to stay home with my kids, and purchasing a home. Today, both goals are realized. I'm turning in my notice at work today as well.

It feels like an entirely new chapter in our lives, like I just see a big door that says March 1st, and can't see beyond it. But I know it will be good!

Yesterday we reflected on what we'll miss most about the house that we're renting, which we really do love. I'll miss sleeping under a skylight - watching the snow fall on the glass, just inches from my nose was magical this winter - and the enormous magnolia tree outside our window that gets it's strong pink blooms on bare wood, before the leaves - and the expansive front porch/deck that looks out to the lake - the neighborhood has very few lights so the moon and stars are very bright from that deck! And mostly, I'll miss being able to walk to our very cool indie bookstore.

I think it's good to acknowledge what we'll miss, but what we'll gain is so much greater! What I'm most looking forward to gaining is a sense of home. I'll be able to make the house mine, to put all the little homey touches in that make it feel like *our* place - just perfect for us! Of course, at first I'll just be figuring out how to keep it clean with my little destructo-toddler underfoot and no job to run to. But eventually, I'll be customizing. See, I'm still thinking of it as a computer application - customization, personalization... if you talk like a techie enough, you stick that way. ;)

And the new Top Chef is...

Yep, Ilan won. I realized when he won how much I *didn't* want him to win. The reasoning being that Marcel is just quirky and different enough, that I could understand them going with him, but there's just no way that Ilan is a better chef than Sam. None. Nada.

OK, I never actually tasted the food... but I feel I know this. Plus, Ilan trashed Howard, from season 1, whom I loved.

If you watch the credits of the show, you'll notice a pesky little phrase that says "Some elimination decisions were discussed with Bravo." Uh huh. Read: we don't just pick based on quality of food, but who's gonna be exciting to watch. I know it was really tight between Sam and Ilan and I just wonder if the producers didn't think that a face off between Marcel and Ilan would be the more interesting than between Marcel and Sam.

And did you all notice the way Sam chose to work with Marcel, even though they'd had their differences, because he didn't want more people choosing Ilan. More Top Chef qualities at work.

Ok, that's it, I'm done with the whole thing. I'll just say that I hope the competition opens doors for both Sam and Marcel, regardless of them not winning the entire prize.

More on books

First of all, thank you for the recommendation in the comment trail! I just added Angle of Repose to my Frugal Reader wish list on "auto request". Once I get my new library card (more on that later) I'll see if the library has it, too. :)

I also just Frugal Readered (yes, it can be a verb, too!) Mistress of Spices by Chitra Divakaruni - I heard her interviewed about her book "Sister of My Heart" but this is the one that was available and sounds like a really interesting, unusual read and I really like books set in India or having to do with the Indian-American experience, so high hopes. I also ordered a Robert Littell spy thriller that I'm hoping is captivating.

I was reflecting, this morning on some of my favorite books in past years: The English Patient (don't judge it by the movie. The fact that Minghella was able to make such a sweeping, epic from the book is brilliant, because the book itself reads like a poem with hints of plot. Just beautiful) Another one was Possession by A. S. Byatt - I love the interplay of past and present when it's done really intricately in novels.

Anyway - I'm hoping that some of these recent orders stack up! If you all have any more recommendations, keep 'em comin'!!

Bug Hound

Dum, de dum, dum... I'm killing time while waiting for a table at my thai restaurant of choice.... so what do I do, but go visit the pet store next door... and, do my eyes deceive me? Could that be a black masked brindle boxer puppy?!

NO! It's a Bug Hound. What is a bug hound? Does it hunt bugs? These were my questions. No, it's a cross between a Bug and an Italian Greyhound. Um.... that's a Pug, a Boston Terrier, and a Greyhound. You mix them all together and you end up with a mini boxer. I don't know what kind of hoo doo was involved, but there you have it. She looks just like a boxer, but only gets to be 15 pounds.

And here is the little love bug (hound):

Prepping for the finale

Yes, the Top Chef finale is tomorrow. Prepare yourselves, everyone. It's down to Ilan and Marcel. Now, I realize that my heart is really out of the competition now that my beloved Sam had been eliminated.

But still, I'll watch... of course.

The question now becomes, who am I cheering for? Excellent question.

Up until just a few weeks ago, I felt really good about Ilan. He was solid in his dishes, quietly holding things together and producing food that the judges loved. He wasn't very flashy and didn't call a lot of attention to himself, but he delivered time and time again.

Marcel drove me crazy with all of his scramblings to get on top and seeming disregard for the other chefs.

But in the last few weeks things changed. Ilan not only made known that Marcel drove him crazy, he really went to great lengths to make life difficult for Marcel. He repeatedly needled him for his lack of a love life, he slammed his dish TO THE DINERS in the seven deadly sins episode. He did a foam on one dish as an "homage" to Marcel that was really a way to ridicule him and he and Elia just tried one last time to get him sent home in the last episode. Enough already. This is not the strong, silent chef we saw in previous weeks.

Marcel on the other hand has taken it all with a smile, never cussed anybody out, and continued to focus on the food. Still, it's hard to picture him as the "Top Chef" given his crazy personality.

I believe, all that said, I'll be hoping that Marcel takes it, but I'm fairly ambivalent. (Not apathetic, just strongly ambivalent!)

Wanted: A good book

I was just reflecting on how long it's been since I've read a really, REALLY good book. I think the last one was The Historian, and I was pregnant when I read that. (Gigi is now 1 1/2). I've read some fun, light books, but no really good, sink your teeth in, lose yourself in another world type of book.

In my quest for good books, I became really disenchanted with current "literary fiction". So much of it is depressing for no really good reason (books that are depressing for good reasons include: Sophie's Choice, Native Son, The Invisible Man, Absalom Absalom, The Great Gatsby - actually I wouldn't even call these depressing, just very emotionally difficult.). Also, there is an epidemic of books that don't end - it's the literary equivilent of the "fade out" ending where the chorus just repeats ad naseum and gets softer and softer. No slam, bam spectacular ending. So, I went the route of genre fiction - at least those books know how to end! So I've read a succession of light, fun books, but again, no really good literature. I'm thinking I'm going to just reread all of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

Also, I've noticed a lot of self-conscious, overwriting in "literary fiction". For example, I've been anxiously waiting to read The Thirteenth Tale, and it is a very compelling plot, but so overwritten it's taking me out of the story - like when the girl is staring out the window on a dark night and the book goes into a description of her "ghost" that is mimicking her every action, and then the ghost's face starts to disintegrate as though someone threw acid on her.... ok, so the girl's looking out a window and sees her reflection in the glass, then it starts to rain. C'mon people, how about just describing the rain in a nice, atmospheric way.

The point of this post is to plea for book recommendations. If you have read any seriously GOOD books -send me the titles! I need a good book! Thank goodness I already have my copy of Harry Potter reserved. ;)

A new dream dog

Introducing, the Glen of Imaal Terrier. Ireland has historically bred the Kerry Blue Terrier, the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, and this much less known terrier. Like its two cousins, it was bred as a ratter and killer of small vermin, but, interestingly, it was also bred to be a spit turning dog. It worked indoors all day turning the spit with its wee little legs so that the meat would be nicely roasted at the end of the day.

This is really a big dog, on very short legs. What follows is a list of why this is possibly the perfect dog for me:

1) It is quiet, very, very quiet all day (since it was bred to work inside)
2) When there is trouble, the dog does bark, and it is a very deep gruff bark of a big dog - making it an excellent guard dog
3) No shedding
4) No known health issues - it's very sturdy!
5) It is so calm, it borders on couch potatodom, so it won't tear through my house and garden. It will take a walk, but, that's about it.
6) It's excellent with children and cats- although, it will likely kill any small pets like gerbils, taking them for vermin. We don't have any. They've also been known to kill small, yappy dogs, just to make the noise stop. That cracks me up!

And now, the pictures!!!!!

We've closed!!!

On the house, we've closed on the house! YAY! We are officially homeowners. :)

We take possession on Thursday and The Great Move begins.

This has been a goal since we got married, seven years ago, and suddenly I'll be living in my very own home, and staying home with the little munchkins all at once. I am too happy for words!

I think I'm in love...

ok this is a post about dogs, again. I'd like to paste in the paragraph on "temperment" of the Black Russian Terrier.

BRTs are confident, calm, highly intelligent, brave and loyal. It should never be timid, and will not hesitate to defend the people that it loves if it thinks they are threatened. The BRT may seem aloof, but needs human companionship and bonds deeply to its family. They are wary of strangers and take a long time to warm up to unfamiliar people, thus they make excellent guard dogs. BRTs are dominant by nature and need confident owners who have experience handling similar dogs.

That's basically my ideal man, so I think it might be the perfect dog also. My only hesitation is whether to name him Heathcliff, because of his personality, or some wonderful Russian name like Ivan or Dmitri. Oh the dilema.

Here's a picture of my new love:

Even their lips, nose, and tongue are black! As you can see, they're a little a touch on the large side... all the better to protect their family. But, I am afraid he might be bigger than my sofa.

Reasons I'm Happy Even Though I'm Miserable

My head feels like a cement block today, and yet I am happy, because:

1) I'm a mere 5 days away from becoming a homeowner
2) Kira is better and back at school in time to perform in her school assembly (she never misses a stage date and I quote... "If tomorrow is Open House, then how I feel doesn't come into it, I'm going!")
3) Gigi's fever broke last night
4) I can finally watch Gilmore Girls without fast forwarding through all the Luke, Lorelai, and/or Christopher scenes because I see a light at the end of the tunnel. YAY!

So with all those wonderful things going on, how important, really, is the ability to breathe through one's nose?

Paint Job

A new template for today. It looks like Seattle has finally thawed, so I'm taking the frost off of the blog. Also, I'm sick and I want something cozy and really, what's happier than coffee and wi-fi?

House of sickies

Everyone is sick at my house today. Including me. My little one was velcroed to me this morning, not wanting to leave, because she has a fever and a head cold. Poor little thing. I thought Kira would be going to school, but she was up most of the night with a horrible cough.

We're trying so hard to eat well and be healthy that I take it as a personal affront when my kids get sick!

On a positive note, when I called Kira's school to say that she wouldn't be coming, the principal answered the phone himself and took the note for me. When I told him I was calling about Kira, he knew exactly who she was and said he'd get a note to her teacher. I wanted to reach through the phone and hug him! To a mama who had a lot of concerns about taking her baby into the big wide world for school, that means a lot. I then got an e-mail from her teacher this morning letting me know that they would all be praying for Kira to feel better. Awww....

More dinner ideas

Just wanted to update with a few new things we've tried for dinner for anyone else out there Ultrametabolizing...

My first great find is polenta. YUM! I have yet to make it from scratch, although I do possess the corn grits in my cupboard. But... QFC sells premade italian herbed polenta (with nothing scary in it) in the produce section, just slice and cook. The other night we did soup (Amy's organic) and polenta - I sliced it and pan fried it in a little olive oil drizzled with marina and topped with shredded mozzarella, but if you're avoiding dairy, it's good with just the marinara also. I did a cheaters "thin" marinara for this - just a can of organic tomoto paste with basil, oregano, ground pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. I'm also really excited that perhaps I could do a very large polenta round and make "pizza" for myself...

Since I tried a "gluten free pizza crust" mix the other night. Um, not so good. Much better than the one I made from scratch a few weeks ago. This one was by Namaste, and admittedly, I bought it because it reminded me of Lost... not the best reason to pick up food. It was just really dense and crunchy. I think polenta will be a better bet.

Another win was tofu "cutlets" with garlic aioli and veggies. The girls LOVED this since dips are a big favorite. The aioli was a snap and really, mayo, not that bad for you. It's just eggs and vinegar (if you get one without high fructose corn syrup - so no Best Foods). Anyway, mix up 1 1/2 cups mayo with 2 tbsp lemon juice, one large minced garlic clove and a pinch of salt and wow those veggies go down fast! The "cutlets" were just sticks of extra-firm pressed tofu that I rolled in gluten free flour mixed with Mrs. Dash. I was going to do an herb blend when I saw that in my cupboard and thought "Great!" I baked at 400 for 30 minutes or so and they were warm and firm with a cruchy outside. I might try freezing and thawing the tofu once to make it meatier next time.

That's all for now! I've slipped a little on my plan and need to get back at it. (Read: Jelly beans have invaded my pantry!)

My man Sam and some musings on Top Chef

With the Top Chefs off to Hawaii, it's time to put in a plug here for my man, Sam.

GO SAM!

He's easily been the strongest chef all season, and the strongest leader and all around best guy. So I'll be cheering him on!! (He's the one on the right up above)

Now that we've established my love for Sam, though, I'd like to talk about another chef. I think it's interesting that in all the tv I've watched (and let's face it, I don't exactly skimp), the strongest character arc I've seen lately is on a reality show.

One of the four remaing chefs, heading off to Hawaii, is Marcel. He's a little goofy. (Up above, on the left). He's kind of anal and has that funny poofy hair do and doesn't mind throwing another chef under the bus when they're on the "chopping block." Once, he even threw my Sam to the wolves. So, I rolled my eyes at him a lot and shook my head.

Apparently he didn't make many friends among the other chefs either. What started as Sam blowing steam (justifiably, if you ask me) one day, seemed to open the door for the others to vent their feelings, all the time. So the funny thing was that the more the other chefs excluded Marcel, the more endearing Marcel became. He's still just as odd, but he's also surprisingly resilient. He's kept smiling through all of it, even when he slept on the bathroom floor so no one would attack him, and even when he was on the roof composing rap lyrics about how his food was the best (a classic episode!)

Things got nasty this week one of the chefs woke Marcel up out of a dead sleep and held him down so the rest of them could shave his head. (Sam had the clippers and didn't go through with it). That guy got kicked off the show since it was practically assault, and Marcel still gave him a hug goodbye.

So the writer in me is thinking about how I can show similar things in my books. The cool thing is (since it's real, and not scripted) Marcel is still Marcel, still doing his annoying things. But as I've seen him in different situations and under different pressures, I get to see more of who he is and my opinion of him has changed pretty dramatically. I think that's the challenge for a writer, to stay true to their characters, and still bring them through a complete arc by the end of the book.

And in the meantime, I'm still routing for Sam, but I wouldn't be sad to see Marcel take it all, either. ;)

Quote of the Day

shamelessly stealing the quote idea from Dilettante ;)

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Question of the Day

Every night at dinner we do "The question of the day." Kira loves this. We each pick a question to ask everyone at the table during dinner. The following is a transcript of a recent exchange surrounding the QOTD...

Kira: Shall we do the question of the day?

Me: Sure!

Kira: Who has a question?

Randy: I'll go first... name a word that comes to mind when you think of a great husband or daddy.

Me: Randy

Randy: Ha, no, name a trait.

Me: Ok, strength

Randy: Kira?

Kira: Tom*

Randy sadly had just taken a bite of food and is now choking. Tom* is a kid in Kira's class.

Me: OK, well, why does Tom* represent a good husband?

Randy is still choking

Kira: Well, he's the calmest boy in class, and he's really good at studying so I think he'd be good to study with, and he seems like he would take good care of his family.

Me: Well, those all seem like good traits to look for.

Randy has stopped choking, but not yet recovered the power of speech.

I am biting my tongue to stop from suggesting other boys in her class, that *I* would have liked.

Must not interfere. Must let her choose... though I'd rather be letting her choose at 16, not 6...

*Names changed to protect the innocent.

The Kerry Blue Terrier

This guy's about the size of a Wheaten - so, bigger than a scottie, but smaller than a boxer. And how adorable is he! Because he's a terrier, he doesn't shed, but does need clipping and tends toward dry skin, so he'd need his daily dose of flax seed oil (like the rest of the family).

Let's call him Desmond for now. ;)

Small dog of the day... The Puggle!

Yes, that's right, the Puggle... part Pug, part Beagle. The combo helps aleviate some of the breathing issue in the Pug. (Pugs have a face that looks like Wile E Coyote after running into the anvil).

And how cute is this little guy?!

Editing update...

I'm up to page 73 - much less progress than I wanted to make, but I've ironed out a lot of plot issues so that's good - that's the whole point of the process, and I'm trying not to rush through to make a goal, but really spend the time and do it well.

That and we started "Get Greta to sleep in her crib, take 2" this weekend. ARGH!!!! I broke down sobbing 3 nights in a row and got 9 hours of sleep over those three days, so it's clearly not all that fun and is sapping my mental energy. BUT... she's really sleeping poorly and needs to learn how to put herself down. It's just not any fun. So I've got that project, The Move, and the novel edits all going simultaneously... not to mention my actual job, so things are nice and busy at the Lemkes!!!

Anyway, hopefully that little ticker picks up speed here shortly. :)

Walking in a winter wonderland....

We have more snow in Seattle!!! We had another little blizzard last Wednesday, ironically just as I got in my car to go home the flakes started falling, and by the time I got to the bridge, I was praying that I'd just make it home without hitting anyone. Which I did manage to do - whew! It took three hours, but I was just happy to get home safely.

Since we live on a nice steep hill (for now), I was pretty much grounded till Sunday, and looking forward to getting out and to work today when... yes, more snow!

I remember hoping with everything in me that the snow would please, please stick as a kid! Seattle is notorious for snow falling, but not sticking, so snow days were few and far between. This is the snowiest I can ever remember it being. So, I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible and not worry about being housebound or what's going on at work. It would be a lot easier if I were already in my new house - it's flat where that house is. :) And I can walk to coffee from that house (a requirement whenever we look for a place to live - I can live with 1 bathroom, but I better have a coffee shop within walking distance!)

Anyway, I'm assuming this is the last snow of the season, so Im singing every "snow" song to myself in my head, revelling in the fact that it's finally happening to me. I'm using up all of my hot cocoa and espresso pods and staring at the icicles hanging off of my eaves.


Where it's snowing
All winter through
That's where I want to be
Snowball throwing
That's what I'll do
How I'm longing to ski
Through the snow-oh-oh-oh-oh
Those glist'ning houses that seem to be built of snow
Snow
Oh, to see a mountain covered with a quilt of snow

Dog Update

Apparently the trial for Duane "Dog" Chapman is underway in Mexico. I'd read that charges were dismissed, but that doesn't seem to be the case. If you saw "The Year of the Dog", you know that 2006 was a hard year for my favorite hero. He lost his Father in law, his daughter, and was arrested and put in Federal prison on the ridiculous charge of kidnapping Andrew Luster. More info here.

But he's still out there catching criminals and changing lives. If you have a minute, please take some time to pray for the trial to resolve speedily and for all charges to be dismissed.

And if you haven't seen Year of the Dog, set your Tivo, and grab your Kleenex, it's a tear jerker, but a great show! Some favorite quotes from the show:

Beth Chapman: When you're going through Hell... don't stop.
Dog Chapman: With this ring, baby I thee wed! (Awwww!!!!)

And some more Dog quotes just for fun:

"Twelve men can judge you, or six men can carry you - you decide"
"I like to hear that God goes before us, because he is the biggest bullet proof vest of all."
"I don't care if he went to hell, I'll find him."

Beverage Alert

As Miss Snark would say, I'm issuing a beverage alert for this post:
http://evileditor.blogspot.com/2007/01/face-lift-254.html

Don't read while drinking coffee or you'll need a new keyboard. Don't read if laughing out loud in your cubicle could get you fired. Do read if you need a good laugh this morning. ;)

The Scottie

I don't know a lot about Scotties, except that it would be super cute to have a Westie *and* a Scottie as an excercise in contrasts. :) We'll call him Mingus.

Let the editing begin!

I printed out the entire manuscript this week and started editing. WOO HOO! Note the new "pages edited" meter to the left. My goal is twenty pages a day, so that I'll finish in about 2 weeks. Then, I'll have to go through the hard copy and type in the changes, so there will be another round to do that.

Then... off to the first readers!!

And now, the Westie

This is a West Highland Terrier, aka Westie. I'm calling him Fergus.

I actually nearly got one of these when we were first married, but we fell in love with an apartment that said no pets. :( Back then I was going to call him Dexter, but now Dexter is in my top two list for a little boy... so I can't use it on a dog.

These guys are actually little, but they *think* they're big. And, no shedding here either!

Next up, the Wheaten

OK, I should probably pace myself on these but it's a S-L-O-W day, and I'm making up for the dirth of posts in December.

Presenting, the Irish Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier. I don't know if it's generally considered a small dog, but it's much smaller than a Boxer, only getting up to 35-40 pounds rather than 65-80.

Name is pending, which means I'm probably not as emotionally attached, but Randy loves these dogs, they're really sweet, and they don't shed. All good things!

New Years Goals 2007

I like to call them "goals" rather than resolutions, because that way you can't break them. You just keep "reaching" for them. ;)

First, let's review last year's goals, which were: 1) lose 10-30 pounds, 2) Finish novel 3) pay off debt. We're looking pretty good. I lost all of the baby weight. YAY! I finished the first draft of the novel. YAY! Debt - well, it's much reduced aside from the mortgage we are taking on. But since the goal of paying off the debt was to buy a house, it's looking pretty good too. We're still working to pay off the rest (car loans, etc) in the beginning of this year. But that's boring and I'm letting my husband put that on *his* New Year's list.

So, for this year the goals are:

1) Complete novel edits and SELL NOVEL! I love having this as a goal. (stay tuned for new widget in the sidebar)

2) Take on administrating the household - no more feeling like I'm at the end of a whip. It's gonna be a well oiled machine, baby! This involves some big steps that I don't want to put up here... yet

3) Consistency in the things I want to do every day: prayer, study, writing, exercise.

I think 2007 is going to be a great year!!

For lo, the virgin will be with child...

I'd intended to post this during Christmas, but, alas, my internet was down. So, bear with me. It's still Epiphany, so I feel like we're good. :)

The subject today is the virgin birth of Jesus. Nice and light. ;) Here's the thing... I'd been taught in (Christian) school that the virgin birth was a 'non-essential' teaching, a nice to have, but less than crucial part of our faith. It didn't have anything to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus or the forgiveness of sins, so it's a negotiable point. Today, people like me who were taught that are writing books on the subject now and it's become a hotly debated theological point.

This post is dedicated to all of those kids, like me, who thought "Hm, the virgin birth seems important, but maybe it's not?"

Rob Bell has a book out called, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, that makes the claim that it isn't important to accept all of the tenents of the faith and that some, like the virgin birth can be removed without losing anything.

The problem with that is if you lose the virgin birth, you lose Jesus. It really is key, I can finally articulate why, so I'm going to here on my blog!

1) Isaiah (7:14) told us to look for a child born of a virgin and that would be one of the signs that this child would in fact be the Messiah. So, if Jesus isn't born of a virgin, we've got the wrong guy.

Yes, I'm aware that there is some debate over the word translated virgin - it can also be translated as a young unmarried woman - but in a pious Jewish culture, that was one and the same.

So, it was a sign to look for. If Jesus wasn't virgin born, we need to keep looking.

2) Mary claimed to be a virgin, impregnated by the Holy Spirit, with a Savior for all of mankind. (Mt 1:18-25) That's a big claim. Furthermore, because he loved her and because an angel came to him and confirmed her story, Joseph married her and raised her child as his son, and as the Son of God.

So this is the biggie here... if Jesus wasn't virgin born, Mary was a promiscuous girl and a liar who invented a crazy story and hoodwinked her fiancee into belivieving her and marrying her anyway. It also makes her testimony about Jesus throughout his life pretty much invalid. Hers is one of the most powerful testimonies in the Bible. She bore Jesus, raised him, and still worshipped him as God. So, either he really was God and his mother who would know better than anyone could attest to the fact that he lived a sinless life... or she's crazy. If she made up the virgin part, we've got good reason to think she's just crazy.

We lose the virgin birth, and we lose Jesus. I only wish I could have articulated all of this in the 9th grade when I was told the opposite.

You can hear this talked about with much more clarity and humor, here.

Size Matters

As I've hinted about in some other posts, we, the Lemkes, bought a house over Christmas. YAY!!!!! There will be a more in depth post on this with pictures to follow, but let's skip ahead to the really important part of this... the dog.

You might have gathered that I'm fond of Boxers, possibly. And I tend to hold very true to my loves. However, this house is moderately sized (1700 sq ft) with a smallish yard. Now, a boxer still might work. She (Dagmar the Boxer) would mostly live inside and it's a very walkable neighborhood and I know she would get plenty of exercise. My concern is that a large dog in a small yard can do a lot of damage and that's not fun for anyone. So, on the off chance that I won't realize my dream of a boxer right away, I'm going to be posting pictures of many smaller breeds of dogs. Please comment on your favorites.

Today, we have a Basset Hound for your consideration. Let's assume this is either Thelonius or Basil the Basset. If it's a girl, Randy wants to name it Beyonce and the juxtoposition of a Basset Hound named Beyonce does make me laugh, but, um, no. I can't think of a cool girl name, so just imagine it's a boy.

Boxer of the Day

A word to the wise - boxers need a coat if they go out in the cold. They don't do well in extreme temperatures! (Kinda like me)

Our Wild December

Part of the reason I was MIA in December was the crazy weather we had. First a snow storm, snowing us in for three days (that may actually have been the end of November, now that I think about it) and then a wind storm that broke branches off trees and knocked out power for 5 days.

Seattle is rife with very large evergreen trees, so a windstorm is a serious thing. Our house sits in a bowl shaped area surrounded by 40 and 50 foot trees. In fact, our landlord called us the night that the storm was supposed to start and cautioned us not to sleep upstairs (where the bedrooms are) because we could so easily have a branch come through the roof. Yikes!!! You can imagine how much fun it was for all four of us to sleep together, without power, on the futon downstairs. Fortunately my parents let us huddle at their house for a couple of nights so we could stay warm!!

Below are a few pictures of the fun times:

First the snow....

And then the wind... note the very tall trees! The one that fell just missed the deck.

Lots of clean up to do...

A picture is worth a thousand words

Kira has been suffering from excema lately and we're trying many, many things to get rid of it. She's really not thrilled about the ban on tomatoes (not that she'd eat an *actual* tomato, but it puts a crimp in her passion for cheese pizza and Doritos), or the flax seed oil. When I told her that she'd need to drink 30 ounces of water a day, she had her own ideas about that. Rather than tell me what they were, she said she could best express herself in a picture:



Apparently the idea is that if she exercises (by riding a bike, perhaps) she will get thirsty (note the sad face) and then choose to drink water. Not a bad idea. ;)

Wordie

In case you need something to do today... check out www.wordie.org. I warn you, it's addictive (see my new blog widget to the left!)

Where do they get it?

My nother often comments that I was such a sincere, serious little girl, she wonders how it is that I've given birth to two comedians.

I wonder.....

... yes, those are Gigi's socks.

Under Construction and an update on the novel

Please forgive a little instability as I try to get my January template underway. I'm having more than a few issues, as usual. ;)

Also, you'll notice that my "novel word count" meter is gone. That is because, dun dun dun dunnnnnnn..... the first draft is complete. I've written two different endings and I'm not really sure which one I'll go with, so the word count seemed irrelevant at this point.

What's next, you ask? I'm glad you did... next I'll start the revisions. I'm planning on using the Holly Lisle One Step Revision process. I've heard excellent things about this process and I love that she says it's "once and done." That's probably about all I can manage right now! After the revision, I'll be sending it out to my very kind first readers, then incorporating their feedback, and sending it to agents.

My timeline is as follows:

Jan 31 - Revisions done
Feb 1 - Send to First Readers
?????? - Receive back from Readers with comments
? + 2 weeks - Final revisions done, incorporating feedback
? + 3 weeks - Agent packets complete and begin querying agents. WOO HOO!!!

Nevermind I'm moving, smack in the middle of the timeline. I don't think it will have too much affect on my writing, but you never know. I find revising a TON easier than facing an empty page, so it should go along at a pretty good clip. I also plan to attend Left Coast Crime, if moving permits.

Kira takes on global warming

Kira: Mom, we really need to make sure when we leave the house that we turn ALL the lights off, you know.

Me: Yes, I know, it costs money to run the lights for no good reason.

Kira: It's not that, mama, I don't want anymore of the polar ice caps to melt!

Me: *stunned silence* as usual.