Tomorrow I will be on my way to L.A. for the SCBWI Summer Conference. (Woohoo!!) Wish me luck.
When I get back, I'm sure I'll have loads to say. :-)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I just can't resist these things:
37 Odd Things About Me
1. Do you like blue cheese?
Yes, but only on really fresh salad.
2. Have you ever smoked?
Yes, about 6 cigarettes. Then I decided I did not like them and never would. Plus, it made me look ridiculous.
3. Do you own a gun?
No. And the one I took with me to Iraq was BROKEN. Can you believe that? I went 4 months there not realizing it didn't work. In the end, I got it fixed, but thankfully never needed it except at target practice. I hated that thing.
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite?
Sugar-Free Cherry
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
No, I get excited. Lame, I know.
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
They're ok. I feel guilty eating them, though, even the kosher ones.
7. Favorite Christmas movie?
White Christmas. (I love Danny Kaye.)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Earl Grey with milk and honey.
9. Can you do push ups?
Yes, but last time at the gym I realized my belly is so big now that it hits the ground before I can get all the way down. It made me giggle right in the middle of the class.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
I have two: a ring Jim gave me with a sapphire stone, and a ring my mom gave me when I had my first baby, with a star-sapphire.
11. Favorite hobby?
Um, reading?
12. Do you have A.D.D.?
No. I'm too neurotic for that.
13. Do you wear glasses/contacts?
I had PRK eye surgery. (Don't do that--it's more painful than childbirth.)
14. Middle name?
Dawn.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I don't like it when Jim reads over my shoulder, we need to buy a washing machine, and I wonder if Elizabeth is asleep yet.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Water, tea, and lemonade.
17. Current worry?
Just one?
18. Current hate right now?
Parents who would rather be "cool" than care for their children.
19. Favorite place to be?
On the edge of a mist-covered lake, sipping apple cider.
20. How did you bring in the new year?
Well, don't blame me for the new year coming in--I was asleep when it happened.
21. Where would you like to go?
Western China
22. Name three people who will complete this?
Um, no.
23. Do you own slippers?
I think so.
24. What shirt are you wearing?
A white shirt with blue snow-flake looking embroidery. I look like a round snowball.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
That sounds rather sticky.
26. Can you whistle?
Yes.
27. Favorite color?
Well, now, that changes frequently. Earlier tonight I thought lilac was rather pretty.
28. Would you be a pirate?
Not unless the other choice was to be taken down by one.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Oh, I can sing the whole soundtrack to Sound of Music. But sometimes it's the theme song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, a Wiggles tune, or Elmo's theme.
30. Favorite Girl's Name?
Well, there was this story about an immigrant family who found a beautiful name for their infant daughter in a dictionary: Diarrhea. But really, if this next kid had been a girl, she would have been Penelope.
31. Favorite boy's name?
Not gonna say.
32. What's in your pocket right now?
nothing
33. Last thing that made you laugh?
I can't remember, but earlier I laughed because Elizabeth got way too excited over seeing a monkey on TV. And she had to "be" one.
34. What vehicle do you drive?
Subaru Outback.
35. Worst injury you've ever had?
The second time I broke my arm. But healing up from childbirth took a helluva lot longer.
36. Do you love where you live?
I always do. Temporarily.
37. How many TVs do you have in your house?
One. We were going to have none, but one showed up on our doorstep at Christmas.
37 Odd Things About Me
1. Do you like blue cheese?
Yes, but only on really fresh salad.
2. Have you ever smoked?
Yes, about 6 cigarettes. Then I decided I did not like them and never would. Plus, it made me look ridiculous.
3. Do you own a gun?
No. And the one I took with me to Iraq was BROKEN. Can you believe that? I went 4 months there not realizing it didn't work. In the end, I got it fixed, but thankfully never needed it except at target practice. I hated that thing.
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite?
Sugar-Free Cherry
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
No, I get excited. Lame, I know.
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
They're ok. I feel guilty eating them, though, even the kosher ones.
7. Favorite Christmas movie?
White Christmas. (I love Danny Kaye.)
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Earl Grey with milk and honey.
9. Can you do push ups?
Yes, but last time at the gym I realized my belly is so big now that it hits the ground before I can get all the way down. It made me giggle right in the middle of the class.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
I have two: a ring Jim gave me with a sapphire stone, and a ring my mom gave me when I had my first baby, with a star-sapphire.
11. Favorite hobby?
Um, reading?
12. Do you have A.D.D.?
No. I'm too neurotic for that.
13. Do you wear glasses/contacts?
I had PRK eye surgery. (Don't do that--it's more painful than childbirth.)
14. Middle name?
Dawn.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I don't like it when Jim reads over my shoulder, we need to buy a washing machine, and I wonder if Elizabeth is asleep yet.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
Water, tea, and lemonade.
17. Current worry?
Just one?
18. Current hate right now?
Parents who would rather be "cool" than care for their children.
19. Favorite place to be?
On the edge of a mist-covered lake, sipping apple cider.
20. How did you bring in the new year?
Well, don't blame me for the new year coming in--I was asleep when it happened.
21. Where would you like to go?
Western China
22. Name three people who will complete this?
Um, no.
23. Do you own slippers?
I think so.
24. What shirt are you wearing?
A white shirt with blue snow-flake looking embroidery. I look like a round snowball.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
That sounds rather sticky.
26. Can you whistle?
Yes.
27. Favorite color?
Well, now, that changes frequently. Earlier tonight I thought lilac was rather pretty.
28. Would you be a pirate?
Not unless the other choice was to be taken down by one.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Oh, I can sing the whole soundtrack to Sound of Music. But sometimes it's the theme song from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, a Wiggles tune, or Elmo's theme.
30. Favorite Girl's Name?
Well, there was this story about an immigrant family who found a beautiful name for their infant daughter in a dictionary: Diarrhea. But really, if this next kid had been a girl, she would have been Penelope.
31. Favorite boy's name?
Not gonna say.
32. What's in your pocket right now?
nothing
33. Last thing that made you laugh?
I can't remember, but earlier I laughed because Elizabeth got way too excited over seeing a monkey on TV. And she had to "be" one.
34. What vehicle do you drive?
Subaru Outback.
35. Worst injury you've ever had?
The second time I broke my arm. But healing up from childbirth took a helluva lot longer.
36. Do you love where you live?
I always do. Temporarily.
37. How many TVs do you have in your house?
One. We were going to have none, but one showed up on our doorstep at Christmas.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Made me laugh
I was just browsing a baby website, and for 23 weeks (where I'm at now), it said: Your baby is about 11½ inches long and weighs 1 pound, or about the length and weight of a Harry Potter book.
Made me giggle.
Made me giggle.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Catching Up
I don't know when we'll get the England photos downloaded. Maybe tomorrow?
Elizabeth FINALLY took a nap today, which gave me time to get away and write. We purposefully spent two hours at the pool trying the sun+water=nap formula, and it worked. :-) So while Jim was tinkering with his ever-problematic SVX (a car), I slunk off to Starbucks with my dana and wrote a new scene in my new book. At this rate, I might be done with the first draft in, oh, a year.
But it was fun spilling a bunch of water over a cliff. (The scene.)
The more I dip into Ali's world, the easier it is to jot down the story. Even if the story right now is difficult, and bumpy, and looks more like my first attempt at knitting--going off the straight line and far from perfect. Bah! Perfection is for second drafts!
Elizabeth FINALLY took a nap today, which gave me time to get away and write. We purposefully spent two hours at the pool trying the sun+water=nap formula, and it worked. :-) So while Jim was tinkering with his ever-problematic SVX (a car), I slunk off to Starbucks with my dana and wrote a new scene in my new book. At this rate, I might be done with the first draft in, oh, a year.
But it was fun spilling a bunch of water over a cliff. (The scene.)
The more I dip into Ali's world, the easier it is to jot down the story. Even if the story right now is difficult, and bumpy, and looks more like my first attempt at knitting--going off the straight line and far from perfect. Bah! Perfection is for second drafts!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Oh My...
After some googling, I found this link. At first I thought the guy who wrote it was trying very hard to sound like a crazy person. But he's not! (Or I got the wool pulled over my eyes.) It just blows my mind that there are people out there who not only think like this, but put it on the internet! [It's about Harry Potter breaking the 10 Commandments.]
I want to laugh, but I'm too stunned.
I want to laugh, but I'm too stunned.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Waiting for babies and book news
Just to clarify, when I sent off my manuscript to NYC, I was not pregnant. Now, I am fat and the baby kicks and could nearly survive outside (with the aid of plastics)! So is it weird, or funny, or just plain normal for a human being to be created and developed before hearing from a publisher?
Don't get me wrong: I am not annoyed or angry with the editor. In fact, each morning I hope he'll call! I am just dying to know if my book is "worthy" or not. And I'm afraid that if I don't get a call before I see him in person next month, I'll end up getting sorely disappointed in person. And I'd rather find out any bad news while I'm at home, away from public eyes and ears.
Don't get me wrong: I am not annoyed or angry with the editor. In fact, each morning I hope he'll call! I am just dying to know if my book is "worthy" or not. And I'm afraid that if I don't get a call before I see him in person next month, I'll end up getting sorely disappointed in person. And I'd rather find out any bad news while I'm at home, away from public eyes and ears.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Trip to England--Part Two
I haven't downloaded all the pics yet, so you'll just have to deal with what you get! :-)
The first thing we did in England was check out the playground, naturally:
Then we walked around the RAF base and saw the famous Priory, which is reportedly haunted. (Aren't all old English buildings?) We would have eaten dinner there, but we couldn't find a babysitter and the Brits aren't as easy-going about bringing kids into nice restaurants--not that we wanted to try that!
Next to the Priory was a dumpster with an old tricycle next to it, which Elizabeth saw instantly. We "borrowed" it for the whole time we were there and then dropped it off at the dumpster on our way out. (She wasn't happy about that, and in fact, this morning the first thing she said was, "I want bicacle."
Next, we went to a safari park in which you drive through the exhibits. And yes, that is a monkey, and it's sitting on the moonroof of our car.
And at the same safari park, we got a little bit closer to some tiny monkeys:
Now, the rest of the pics are on another card which will take eons to download as Jim was a bit trigger-happy with his new camera. (We must have thousands of pics on it!)
And for those interested: we are having a boy. :-) I'm very happy to be having one of each, but now I'll have to search out for a new name. "Penelope" just won't do now, will it?
The first thing we did in England was check out the playground, naturally:
Then we walked around the RAF base and saw the famous Priory, which is reportedly haunted. (Aren't all old English buildings?) We would have eaten dinner there, but we couldn't find a babysitter and the Brits aren't as easy-going about bringing kids into nice restaurants--not that we wanted to try that!
Next to the Priory was a dumpster with an old tricycle next to it, which Elizabeth saw instantly. We "borrowed" it for the whole time we were there and then dropped it off at the dumpster on our way out. (She wasn't happy about that, and in fact, this morning the first thing she said was, "I want bicacle."
Next, we went to a safari park in which you drive through the exhibits. And yes, that is a monkey, and it's sitting on the moonroof of our car.
And at the same safari park, we got a little bit closer to some tiny monkeys:
Now, the rest of the pics are on another card which will take eons to download as Jim was a bit trigger-happy with his new camera. (We must have thousands of pics on it!)
And for those interested: we are having a boy. :-) I'm very happy to be having one of each, but now I'll have to search out for a new name. "Penelope" just won't do now, will it?
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