Random Stuff Friday

1) It's been a while right? I've been spending lots of time on airplanes and really long car rides recently, so hopefully you didn't miss me too much while I was gone. Actually, I'm on a plane right NOW. It's also a little turbulent and I'm not diggin' the bumps right now. Makes it hard to type, fingers keep slipping to other keys.

2) I spent this week in the Baltimore area for a #dayjob training. And I swear one of our facilitators looked just like this:

Except wore pants and wasn't furry orange. It was ODD.

3) Are you a writer who cooks? Are you a cook who writes? Do you love food and books? Or maybe just food? If you fall into any of the above categories, have you checked out Pots 'n Pens? It's a fun blog about writing and food and writing about food. You can find all sorts of recipes that writers use to help get a little more time for wordage, there's author interviews with fave recipes, and did I mention I'm a contributor? Yeah ... head on over and check out the Easy Peasy Capellini recipe I shared this week, super easy and super YUM!

4) What are you guys reading this weekend? Anything good? I'm trying to decide if I want to reread something or if I want to read something new. I'm taking part in the Clockwork Prince Read Along that @MundieMoms is hosting, but I've been sporadic in keeping up since I didn't have the space to lug the big ol' fat book across the country with me. Other than that, I'm totally looking for recommendations!

5) I love naps. I think they even outrank nighttime sleep. And when you have time zones issues, they are even better! Like when you have to get up at 1am Utah time to catch a flight that gets you home at 10am Utah time, you've already been awake for 9 hours if you can't nap on the plane (for whatever reason). Yeah, so far I've been awake since 1am after only about 3 hours of sleep, a short 20 minute nap during takeoff, and now ... I'm really looking forward to getting home and crawling into my own bed for a real not-sitting-upright-nap.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Random Stuff Friday

1) The weather in Utah sucks right now. Between the inversion, aka pollution, trapped in the valley and the frozen rain, yeah, not so awesome living in Utah right now. It hurts to breathe.

2) That means lots of time indoors. Reading and writing, woohoo! But also trapping three kids inside and that basically voids out that woohoo. Boohoo.

3) Every time we drive past a Taco Bell the kidlets yell "Doritos Locos Tacos!" ... whoever named that was a marketing genius. And after so many months of this, 7yo and I finally caved and stopped by to try some. And they are everything their name screams! It's a taco wrapped in Doritos. And you can never go wrong with anything wrapped in a Dorito. Remember Doritos 3D? Yum! For reals.

4) You know what sucks? Traveling so much and being so tired that you can't even keep up with the shows you watch even though you only watch them online! Yeah, I technically "watch them at my convenience" but they're only available to stream for a certain number of days on the official websites and, uh, yeah, when you miss one, it's TERRIBLE!

5) Speaking of TV, Husband and I recently (like a few weeks ago) discovered Supernatural. And I have grown to appreciate just how delicious Dean Winchester is. Sam Winchester does this weird nostril flare thing and yeah. Totally not as delicious.

All right, peeps! Have a great weekend! Hope you have lots more fresh air than I do!

I Can See Clearly Now

I've been wearing glasses since 6th grade.

Umpteen number of years later, I'm still wearing glasses, but guess what???? As you read this, I'm GETTING LASIK!! Sorry about the yelling. I'm just really excited about waking up in the morning and being able to see!

I'm excited about opening a book and not having to literally have my nose buried in it to see the words if I don't have glasses or contacts on.

Not that I'll stop having my nose buried in books, but that could actual just go back to being a saying.

So I'll be all drugged up for most of today - Valium is my friend - and then hopefully I'll be back just in time for some Random Stuff Friday, when I can see all of you clearly!

Random Stuff Friday

1) I'm in the playoffs! This first year of ever playing Fantasy Football and my (randomly drafted) team finished the regular season in the #1 seat and we're in the playoffs! Woohoo! I stand a chance of winning! *knocks on wood* Not bad for beginner's luck, right?

2) I've been reading like crazy recently. The problem? I need to get some writing done. Like, 25,000 words worth of writing in the next week or so. It's just ... there are SO MANY fantastical reads to be read! Gah!!! What to do!! ... not that I'm procrastinating or anything... *whistles*

3) Netflix has spoiled me! The lack of commercials is a godsend! I love it! Especially since I have limited TV watching time (what with reading + writing + family + day job + etc... seriously, not that I'm procrastinating or anything),  no commercials = AWESOME ... here are some of the shows we've watched recently: Sons of Anarchy, Nikita, The Glades, and we're currently in the middle of Season 2 of Supernatural. Love that I don't have to wait days/weeks/months until the next episode! What are some of your favorite shows that I need to add to the queue?

4) They mentioned this on the radio this morning ... but with the end of the year coming ... does anyone actually remember their New Year's resolution? Did you follow through or did you lose steam somewhere between there and here? Just curious.

5) It's Margarita Night! Every few weeks, a few girlfriends and I get together and, well, have margaritas ... or (insert cocktail of choice here). Gives us a chance to catch up, have some girl time / talk, and just generally decompress. So with that in mind, *raises glass* margaritas for everyone!

Have a great weekend!

Utah Locals! Who is EVERBOUND??

I apologize in advance for those who are not local, as I'm not able to run this on a larger scale, BUT if you're one of those lucky peeps who live in Utah, have I got an opportunity for you!

Nope, doesn't even involve a lemon of used car!

This ARC:

is currently en route to me. Interested? I thought you might be, especially since it's not even going to be published to the masses until January of 2013. By my count, still more than 4 months away!

Here's the deal - if you're interested in signing up for the ARC tour, please fill out the form below and keep an eye out for an email to come with additional details!

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Random Stuff Friday

1) I don't know where the rest of you are, and what the weather is like, but this year, we're having some sort of bizarro take on an Indian summer in Utah. I'm not diggin' it. We can't seem to find a good temperature for the house and I can't put away summer clothes and pull out autumn/winter clothes because there just isn't enough room for all that. *sigh*

2) In 6yo's 1st grade class, I learned they do this fabulous thing every month: Author Spotlights. Where, not only do they learn about the books an author writes, but about the author themselves. I love that her teacher does that and is helping them learn about the amazing people behind the books they love. This month they're learning about Eric Carle and really, who doesn't love THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR?

3) I have 11 books on my nightstand and 4 (I think) on my Nook that I haven't yet read. Not that I haven't read anything lately, it's just I keep re-reading the books I love and have not yet gotten around to new stuff. I feel like I'm not in the mood to be introduced to new characters right now. Like it might be just too much energy for me to become emotionally vested in their lives. Does that sound weird or am I just, yanno, a writer? ;-)

4) We've bought our treats to give away for Halloween, our decorations are up, costumes have been picked out and all we have left are pumpkins to purchase. Which leads to the question of pumpkin patch or grocery store? Husband doesn't want to go without me and baby, but I don't want to take newborn out yet. Thoughts?

5) I keep forgetting what day of the week it is. I guess that was one benefit of getting up and going to dayjob every day, right? I had to be aware of the calendar, if for no other reason, than to count the days until the weekend when I wouldn't be working, Lol!

Speaking of weekends, hope everyone has a great one!

Reading is Boring

Over the weekend (thankfully BEFORE I got sick), the kidlets and I went to a family birthday party. Husband was off working and so we were free to party it up.

Well, this party went from a 9yo's birthday with pinata bashing to Glee Karaoke Revolution and ended with a very, very high spirited game of Catchphrase - like Charades, but where you can talk as well, you just can't say the "catchphrase."

Anyway, during this game, one of the catchphrases that came up was BEDTIME STORY. After the clues were solved for this one, my nephew (cousin's 15yo son), said "Mom, you never read us bedtime stories."

My cousin just shot her son a look. You know the one, that Mom-look? Yeah, that one.

Nephew then said, "It's okay, though. Reading is boring."

I nearly dropped the drink in my hand as I just stared at him. It was like a moment where everything around me just went eerie and quiet and I didn't even know what to say because . . . OMG THAT IS BLASPHEMY! HOW COULD HE SAY SUCH A THING?????

I get that reading's not everyone's fave activity. I do, really. Like Husband? He's a very specific kind of book guy, otherwise, he's a magazine guy all the way. BUT, he will always read to the kidlets and always supports them in their reading (or attempts at it - they are only 3 & 6, after all).

When I was little, my parents weren't really read-to-me types. One reason: English is not their first language and they had a hard enough time with general communication, let alone trying to understand all the nuances in children's storybooks. BUT, they were ALWAYS supportive of my reading, taking me to the library whenever I wanted to go, even signing me up for those kids' book of the month clubs.

And now, both Husband and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that our kidlets enjoy books. That in most cases, they'd rather read a few pages of Harry Potter together than watch the movie. (It may have something to do with 3yo being afraid of Voldemort, aka "The Flat Nose Guy.") But still.

Okay, I'll get off my ranty soap box now. But a quick question for you guys: How have you guys fostered reading with the kids around you, whether they are your own or just ones you borrow from time to time?

(Belated) Quote of the Week

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."


Dr. Suess

Sleepless (sort of) Night

It's just after 1 A.M. as I write this blog post, having just been awoken for the umpteenth time by our almost 3yo. This is what happens when you have a toddler who doesn't like the whole "Your room is over there, this is my room. can i have my bed back?"

Anywho, this is the third night in a row that I haven't slept very well, so instead of lying in the dark not sleeping, I figured I'd turn on my computer and, yanno, do something. But what??

Firstly, I realized I hadn't written a blog post yet, and I'm trying not to be too much of a slacker on this attempted comeback from the grips of not so fun illness. So here you are. Second, I know I could always read to try to go back to sleep, I mean, I have a stack of books on my TBR pile, but nothing was really screaming out at me and I'm one of those people who need to be in just the right mood to read. And well, that leaves me here. Staring at this blog post wondering what I am going to do to try to get myself back to sleep.

Oh, and I'd write or revise or something, but my brain's at that point of exhaustion where thoughts may or may not be completely coherent and I'm not sure how functional my eyes really are right now - things are still a little fuzzy. Though that could be a really interesting beginning of a new story, hmmm . . .

So what do you guys do when you can't sleep?

Read? Write? Revise? Eat? Watch TV? Stare at the abyss-like blackness of your dark ceiling until the shadows swallow you up?

Random Stuff Friday

It's Friday. Who's ready for the weekend? Yeah, me too.

1) Don't you hate when you wake up one morning, think that it's say, Thursday, but then it's really Wednesday and your week automatically got a day longer? It was one of those weeks.

2) Took the kidlets to the dentist yesterday. We have an AWESOME pediatric dentist (anyone in the South Valley of Salt Lake County need a referral? Let me know!) and 5yo loves going there. The walls are all jungle themed and there's TVs in the ceiling and there's prizes at the end. What's not to love? Well, it was 2yo's first visit. She started out well enough, excited for a prize and to watch ceiling TV. She even let the hygienist clean her teeth. Then it was time for the dentist to check her teeth and oh my holy . . . she was NOT having any part of that. Little did she realize, that her screaming and crying was actually quite helpful in keeping her mouth wide open for the doc to check things out. A new Pooh Bear toothbrush and a Princess flosser later, she's totally fine. Kids, they recover quick. Oh, and we emerged VICTORIOUS--no cavities for either kidlet! Woohoo!

3) I love post-it notes. Right now I'm staring at a wall of post-it notes in 5 different colors as I work through a revision project. Sharing the wall with my post-it notes?

Yep, that's Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and the rest of the good guys.

Autobots, roll out. Transformers, more than meets the eye.

4) While I hate that people in Utah cannot seem to remember how to drive in the snow through an entire winter, and they have to relearn every time it snows, I wish it would snow again. All the snow on our lawn has melted and now the dead grass covered in dried pine needles is not looking so hot. If it doesn't snow soon, by Christmas would be great. We're all "dreaming of a white Christmas." Not a brown one.

5) My TBR pile is so big, I think it's been deterring me from reading. Like, I think the books are multiplying on their own and soon the pile is going to overtake me.

Sorry for the post of boringness today. I'm writing this really late and my eyeballs are starting to hurt and stress has been wearing on me. Having a hard time stringing many words together to make up something sensical.

Have a good weekend!

Swimming in Books

I've been terribly remiss. (Wow, I sound so adult-ish and proper there!)

During the last few weeks I've read. A lot. Anywhere. Everywhere, I've always got a book on me. And while I've done some minor starring on my GoodReads page, but otherwise, I haven't posted a Recent Reads for quite some time. So . . . you'll be getting some catch up posts over the next few days.

There are some new and amazing books out there and I didn't want to miss the chance to share them with you! Oh, and thanks to all this fantastic reading I've been able to get through, I'm well toward my reading goal for the year!

'Fessing Up

... Home again, home again, jiggity-jig. I can't remember what nursery rhyme that's from, but yay! I'm home again after 4 days back east.

I know I've posted a whole bunch of Recent Reads in the last few weeks, but I have a confession: I have a book on my to-read pile that I'm scared to read. In fact, I'm sitting in my office, writing this blog post and the book is right there, looking back at me. Mocking me. No, not the cute Sarah Dessen cover ... I probably should've rearranged the books before I took this pic ...

Anyway - look at that skull on there. He's totally laughing at me.

You see, I'm a scaredy cat. I don't watch horror movies - well, not ones with ghosts in them. Or zombies, though surprisingly I was mostly okay with the Resident Evil series, but otherwise, yeah, ghosts freak the crap out of me. I mean, I have to sleep with the lights on, TV turned up to drown out creepy noises, kids in bed with me kind of freaked out.

I know.

I'm a wuss.

I've renewed the book twice already and still can't bring myself to read it. But I really want to. Good Lord, I'm lame.

So, uh, yeah. What scares the pants off of you?

Tuesday's Tiny Talkers

Okay, maybe that's a totally lame blog title, but I decided this is the week where the name of the day will be each blog post. Why, you ask?

I have no idea. Just because I decided.

So yesterday I mentioned I'm rewatching Gilmore Girls. The Complete Series. The husband gave the boxed set to me as a gift a couple Christmases ago. I watched the whole thing a couple times through after I received the gift, but a friend borrowed the set this past year and I just got it back. After about 11 months. So yeah, I missed my GGs.

Lorelei and Rory aside, there are some fantastic supporting characters on the show. The loud, sort of obnoxious, but endearingly caring Babette: the next door neighborly gossip. Taylor - the really obnoxious, condescending town magistrate/selectman/mayor guy who is always out for himself. Mrs. Kim, Rory's best friend's mother, owner of an antique shop and psychotically strict. These people do so much with such a tiny part, you know their personalities, how they will react, who they are.

I recently read a book that had the potential to give the supporting characters personality, but it didn't. And I was really disappointed because of it. Although the MCs were pretty well developed, the world didn't seem real to me when the supporting characters, who interact with the MC(s) constantly, are flat, generic and have no personality.

As hard as it is to make sure the characters in your work are real, have you spent the time needed to make sure the Tiny Talkers in the background, the quirky math teacher, the brainy student body president, the loud and nosy neighbor, are just as real?

Just something I've been thinking about. Have you considered it?

Last Monday

I have another week off before heading back to work. Taking advantage of the time off, I've done some reading and some critting and some revising and hoping I'm going to be able to squeeze in some writing this week. We shall see.
A couple things taking up my days off time:

*A really loud pair of small children who have realized that I am not going to work.

*Rewatching the Gilmore Girls complete series. Again. (Just so you can put in perspective how much I adore the Gilmore Girls--
Last night I said: "I really need a cup of coffee."
4-yo kidlet asked: "Why?"
I said: "Because I haven't had my cup of coffee today and I have a headache."
Kidlet: "You need coffee like Lorelei?"
I couldn't help giggling. Just a little. And, yeah, if you haven't seen GG, you really should.)

*Finishing up the first part of our 2nd bathroom renovation

*Critting

*Reading

*Revising

*Writing

As much as I've tried to take advantage of the time off from the day job to get really going on the writerly stuff, yeah. It hasn't worked out as well as I'd like. Mostly because there's these two adorable little chicklets that I can't say no to. I'm betting most of you know what that's like!

So what have you guys been up to this last couple weeks of the year?

Well, Happy last Monday of 2009!

The One Ring

Husband likes to tell people about our venture into the world of Tolkien via the first Lord of the Rings movie. You see, we went to see it, on opening night. This was not actually a truly planned event, I think the conversation went something like this. . .

Me: you wanna go see a movie tonight?

Him: I guess. What do you wanna watch?

Me: I don't know. I just want movie theater buttered popcorn.

Him: I want Sour Patch Kids.

Me: Okay, let's go.

Then we just picked the movie that had the next soonest starting time. Little did we know we were walking into a cult phenomenon. (At the time, neither of us had read much Tolkien and had purged all experiences from high school.)

Moving on. Can you imagine if the One Ring was actually one of these and not something cast from the depths of Mount Doom or what not?

Evil Dark Lord could’ve just passed these nifty little color coded sheets and yanno, when he was having a bad day, people could just leave him alone.

Or bring him some Super Mario cupcakes or whatever. (Super Mario would've made Middle Earth way cooler.)

I know that’s a bit random for today, but it’s Friday. And although the sun looks like it may be breaking through the clouds outside, it’s supposed to flurry all day. Then SNOW tomorrow. And be frigidly cold.

And we found a leak in our roof last night. Yeah. Sweet, I know.

Anyway, I’ve committed to turning my personal internal mood ring to be a nice shade of light blue and dang it, I’m trying.

Okay, have a great weekend everyone! Good luck to all who are Nano-ing or Reviso-ing or Delete-o-ing or maybe just Reading!