Crazy Week

Quote of the day: "A Diamond is a piece of coal that stuck to the job."

If I don't blog a lot this week, it's because my week is CRAZY. I had a lovely, calm, relaxing weekend, and I'm paying for it now. The big church dinner is Thursday, and I have people coming over tonight and someone else's kids to watch, Tuesday night I have to buy everything for the dinner, Wednesday night we're going to the temple, and Thursday is the dinner. And I have lots of scheduled things going on during the day. CRAZY CRAZY.

I woke up at 2am this morning, because I was so stressed out about everything I have to do this week. UGH. On top of it all, I have a cold that settled into my chest, and I'm a coughing, hacking mess. I don't have time to go to the doctor--hopefully he'll just call in some antibiotics for me because I'm going to be unable to stop in to be seen.

Unfortunately writing is going to be pushed to the back burner this week, but I have absolutely NOTHING planned next week that will interfere with writing, and I plan to crank out at least 5000 words on What Was Lost...

I am sitting here, looking at all the pretty snow out my window, and savoring a moment of calm before the storm. All the kids have just finished their cereal and are obediently making their beds and getting dressed for school, and everything is peaceful. But in about an hour all hell will break loose and my crazy day will begin.

I read in the news that a "haunted" Elizabethan era castle is going up for auction in England, for only 5000 pounds. I saw a picture of it (totally gutted, but really cool looking) and for a moment I thought it would be cool to buy it. Ha! But I definitely got the beginnings of a story, about the woman who does buy it...but I'll have to scribble down the idea and let it marinate. I have other priorities.

Well, I am going to get dressed, and then it's off to the races! Wish me luck...

And the Winner is...

The Templar Legacy, by Steve Berry. Having read a few of Dan Brown's novels (my favorite being Angels and Demons) I am wondering if this guy is a copycat--there seems to be a rash of novels out there about Templars and the like, since Mr. Brown rose to fame with his tale involving the mystical Knights.
But I'm a sucker for commercial fiction, so I'll read it. I eeny-meenied my stack of unread novels last night, and for now, this one won out. The runners-up:

#2: Birthright by Nora Roberts (I've never read any of her stuff, and I'm not into romance novels, but we'll see--I'm attracted to the historical/archaeology element of her story)

#3: Catherine the Great by Henri Troyat

#4 Persuasion, by Jane Austen. The only novel of hers that I haven't read. I'm excited. It came with the dvd copy of the movie, which blurbed "If you liked "A Room with a View" you'll LOVE "Persuasion!"
I have to admit "A Room with a View" is my all-time favorite movie in the entire Universe. Has been since high school. So I guess that means I'll like Persuasion! :-)

Hubby and I are watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire tonight. I saw it once in the theatres last year, but I'm glad to see it again after so long.

Hmmmph, it's Garbage Day and my kids are doing their usual routine of yelling/tattletaling/piddlyfarting around, while emptying all the trashcans. UGH. Why can't they do it without being at each other's throats?

Quite a bit of snow melted yesterday, and it was in the high forties. But supposedly we're getting more snow soon. Weird. Denver weather is wonky. It can't seem to make up its mind between Spring and The Dead of Winter. I still think it's funny my kids were wearing shorts and capris to school last week, and now it's down winter coats. Ha!

Well, time to go pack some lunches. I'm getting AT LEAST 2500 words in today! Watch me!

Have a good weekend, all,

Lara

Miss Snarky...

I've been looking through a lot of books lately, dealing with the subject I'm writing about for What Was Lost... and I have to say, my perspective has broadened SO much during my research. Yesterday I had a moment where I was like "A HA! I never looked at it that way!" and actually felt stupid because I had gone my whole life with a rather narrow view of events the way they might have happened.
This is why I love research. It broadens my (somewhat sheltered) world just a little more, and my perspective changes. Which can be a good thing.

I've also discovered that Thing One is a sixteen-year old masquerading in an 8-year old's body. GEESH. That girl is a piece of work. And we've been clashing a lot lately. I can't STAND it when she's "shirty" with me, and talks back. And I've been told it will only get worse.
What is it? A Ticking Timebomb Talkback gene? As soon as she turns eight, she becomes Miss Snark? Well, I won't stand for that. She's EIGHT for Cripes sake.

Of course she's too old to swat on the backside, so I've employed other methods. Time outs, denial of privileges, soap on the tongue for snotty speech (I will say I was talking with another mom the other day and she makes her daughter drink a tablespoon of vinegar--because she wants her to realize the "ick" she's dishing out. Wow, can we all just say UGH?)

Although after the lip Thing One gave me yesterday about how she was NOT going to wear the fuzzy earmuffs to school, made me actually consider the whole dosing-with-vinegar thing.
She does have her moments of sweetness. But they're like bad smells--they up and vanish on the wind VERY quickly...and her alter ego (who I like to call "Grumpy Gertie" or "Petunia Piddlefart") comes out in full force.

My mom says I was like this when I was younger. Go figure. What goes around, comes around, right?

Hope everone has a good (and snark free!) Thursday!

Memory Lane

As I was putting all the books back into my bookshelves yesterday--I started looking through one of my favorite collections--a nearly complete set of vintage Sweet Valley High paperbacks.

Yes, they're absolute crap, but when I was fourteen, they were the coolest series. I devoured them like I did my food--I had to know what Jessica Wakefield would be up to next, and if Todd and Elizabeth would stay together forever...you know, really dumb stuff like that.
Well, I started looking through them (and cracked more than a few smiles at how simplistic they are) and I realized that these books might be considered really lame, compared to the edginess of today's YA fiction. I mean, these teenagers said stuff like "gosh" and "gee whiz" and spoke in grammatically correct sentences, with absolutely no fillers such as "Like" and "You Know."

It's amazing. Did kids really talk like this in the eighties? Hmmm, I think I've blocked most of Middle and High School from my memory, so maybe we did. It's kind of sad how our language has degenerated into mostly filler. But now I'm talking like an old Fogey, so I'd better stop. :-)

I dropped Thing Three off for his playdate at 10 yesterday, and stayed to chat with the mother, and we had a blast, talking about this and that, and then we looked up at the clock and realized it was 1:00. We had been talking for three hours. It was just too much fun talking with her. She's really anal like my hubby, and her hubby is really mellow like me, and so we had lots to laugh about. I think I'll have to do more stuff with her. It's nice when you "click" with people.

Well, must dash. Kids need to get to school and then I have to go buy decorations for a big birthday dinner I'm putting on for our church. Party City, here I come...

I'm Tired!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is out on DVD today! Hooray!!!!

I decided to be resourceful yesterday. Our interior designer quoted us an outlandish sum to get built-ins for our first-floor study--so I went to Target yesterday, bought a bunch of nice looking tall bookshelves, built them, and lined one wall with them. I got lucky, they match the desk that's already in there.
Then I added "stuff" to frou-frou it up (my hubby calls me Queen of the Candlesticks) like greenery and candles, and I unboxed all the nice leather books and got everything put where it needed to go. The other end is my "craft" area where I have about six chests of drawers with craft stuff, and my craft desk, and I cleaned it up.

So now it looks very elegant, and nice. It's a pleasure to be typing in here now! And it matches the rest of the house--no longer a pit! I had so much crud in here--it was kind of my "catch all" office for a while. Much more conducive to writing and inviting the Muse now. I even moved one of the nice leather chairs in and put some nice paintings on the walls. It looks great.

And now I'm VERY tired. It took up my whole day yesterday. Today is laundry day, and since I didn't do it last week, I have about twelve loads of laundry to do. FUN.

But at least I can get some writing done while I'm washing!

This is weird--we've been having GORGEOUS springlike weather--70's and sunny and everything, and we're supposed to have a snow storm tomorrow. Strange. My kids are wearing capris and shorts to school, and tomorrow, it will be dead of winter again. Hmmm. I guess I'd better go dig out the boots again!

Thing Three has a play date today at a friend's house--so I get a few hours to myself. I'll probably end up cleaning toilets, but the urge to go and use my 15% off B&N coupon is a little stronger than the desire to have a clean bathroom. :-)

Besides, now that I have all these bookcases, I need to fill them up! (heh heh heh, Lara rubs her hands with fiendish glee and cackles)

But I'll practice self control. Two books. That's my limit. Hubby will be so proud...

Hockey!

Before I begin, I have to announce that another issue of The Scruffy Dog Review is out! Hooray! Check it out here.

Okay, call me silly, I went to my first Hockey game last night, ever. Hubby got some sweet tickets, and we went with another couple--it was a blast! We saw the Avalanche--the game was intense, and the score was 1-0 at the end. The Avs won! And I got to eat a beer brat--YUM. I never have those, because they look so scary. But mm mmm mmm it was so good. I've probably had my fat gram allotment for the next three months, but who cares.

Kids are home today, and I've had to give them two time-outs already. WHY do they have to fight like cats and dogs whenever they take out the garbage? UGH. Maybe they're on a sugar high from the waffles we had for breakfast. I'm going to get them out of the house, pronto, so they can get their energy out.

For some reason, as I was cleaning and running around yesterday, I had an ongoing conversation between two characters in my head, ALL DAY. I guess they're telling me I need to get the scene out before I lose the comic timing of it. It really has potential. I haven't decided if these two characters "get together" or not yet--but there's definitely some tension. I'll write the scene out and see which direction it takes. For now, I better get the playful banter down--before I lose it!

I broke down and went to B&N yesterday (my home base--along with Hobby Lobby, my other home base) and got some really great books. My favorite is the book I got for Thing Two: The Big Book of What, How and Why, which has over 1,000 questions, and the answers to them.

Thing Two is six, and he's VERY inquisitive. More so than my other kids. He's always asking me stuff like "What causes Tornados?" and "why is our blood red?" and "Why do we have planets?" etc.. Well, this book provides the answers to all the questions like that. It's WAY cool.

I wish the paint and floor and electric people would hurry up and get here--so we can get going! There's nothing more frustrating than having the whole day ahead of you and having to sit at home, waiting for repair/construction people. Especially with three high-energy kids!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

My Daughter, the Tetherball Queen...

Hubby and I are having a small dispute. Let me explain:

My second-grader is apparently "Queen" of the Second Grade in Tetherball. She even beat a fourth-grader yesterday, which she announced very proudly.
I immediately was plunged into memories of my own Tetherball-playing days, from about fourth to sixth grade. I too, was the best on the playground. I remember Shelley Tucker, who taught me how to play, and I remember the crowning moment, at the end of the school year, when I finally beat her. She didn't want to be my friend anymore. Oh well. At least I beat her.

I remember begging my parents for a Tetherball pole in our backyard. BEGGING them. Of course they said no, they didn't have the money. So I tried to get creative. I took a jump rope and a milk jug and and tied it to a porch support, I even tried a tree. Nothing worked. I daydreamed about having a Tetherball pole in my backyard. If I got one, I thought, I would spend hours out there, practicing and perfecting my talent.

But alas, I never got one. I think it's haunted me my whole life, because now, I just looked up at Gart's and they have an entire Tetherball set, pole, ball and rope for only $44. I decided I was SO going to get it for Thing One, and put it in the back yard.

Enter Hubby. He is against the idea. I asked him why, and do you know what he said? He's worried that our boys will want to play Tetherball, a la Napoleon Dynamite --and boys don't usually do that.

Of course I laughed and laughed at this ridiculousness, but then I realized he has a point. So I told him we could put a basketball hoop in the backyard, but he isn't bending on the Tetherball pole. He thinks if its there, they'll want to play with it.

I think he's seen Napoleon Dynamite one too many times.

So, it looks like my daughter will have to suffer as I suffered. Ah, the injustice of it all!

Antsy Pantsy

You ever get tired of "the process" and want things to just "be done?" That's me right now. I am one antsy lady.

Granted, I am a highly impatient person to begin with. That's why I'm highly unsuited to be a Mother and Writer--two careers which require generous doses of patience, and long-suffering, etc. etc. I want it done, and I want it done NOW. I cringe whenever I have to let my kids lace up their shoes themselves, or when they take about 17 minutes just to get into the car, or when they can make a sandwich and a juice box last 45 minutes...AAACCKK!! Be DONE ALREADY!!!
(This is the Me screaming inside Myself, I never actually scream out loud) although I have been known to tell them to "hurry up."

So, this is me, with my writing. I absolutely HATE that it takes months to write a novel. (Research and crits can bog you down like no one's business.) The most fun I had in the world, was when I wrote an entire novel in a month because I didn't have to research any of it--I had an alternate universe that I had made up and so I didn't have to pause and check for historical accuracy or anything. It was very liberating.

But with this historical middle-grade mystery (and the other historical I'm working on) I'm slower than frozen molasses. I think if I got in my car and drove to the Grand Canyon and stood on the edge and screamed my guts out I'd feel better,. But alas, the Grand Canyon is nowhere near my house, so I just have to be content with letting the nervous energy come out in my writing.

T-0-0 s-l-o-w!!!!!!!

A Mini Rant...

People are very judgemental--I've noticed...at least in my immediate geographical area. Granted, I'm Christian and conservative, but I also believe that its not our business to judge others, you know?
I shop at the local Super Target a few times a week, and there is a guy who works there, and I'm not sure if he's transgendered, but he has long black hair, and he wears very heavy eye makeup and lipstick (no, he's not Goth--it's definitely female makeup) but he has stubble so you can tell he's a guy. He's very nice, (he's helped me a few times) and I don't think much else of it but yesterday, I was at Target, and he walked by me, we exchanged smiles, and I heard the lady walking behind me audibly gasp. After he passed by us I turned around and she had this horrified expression on her face. "What WAS that?" she asked, mortified.

I immediately thought of a few snide remarks, but I merely said "It's a person who works here." She looked at me as if I'd gone crazy and shook her head, and went into the checkout.

This really bothered me. I mean, sure, the very first time I saw him, I did a double-take, (his look is a bit extreme, even for a woman) but this would be a classic case of judging a book by it's cover.

I've been "heavier" in my life, and I noticed that people weren't as nice to me as when I was skinny. It definitely gave me perspective--and a determination not to judge by appearances.
I was a good person--just because I was covered with a layer of fat didn't mean I was "bad" or "less" worthy of speaking to. I've been on the receiving end of prejudice, and it isn't a fun place to be. People need to take the sticks out of their rear ends and accept people for what they are...people.

OK--rant over. I got 1700 words in yesterday, so that was progress--the only problem is, I'm being wishy washy on the premise. I have a great story, but I can't decide on certain elements of it, so I've been working on two separate drafts, to see which one I like better. Yesterday I decided that I liked the Second Draft better, so I'll stick with that. The only problem is, I've hyped the First draft in my submissions. UGH. I clearly should have waited until I made up my mind. Well, I HAD made up my mind, but then I went back to this draft and decided I liked it better, after the fact.

(Am I scaring you yet? ;-)

Well, it's off to school with the kids and off to Target to get Pride and Prejudice. I swear, I should just keep a toothbrush at Target. I LIVE there...

Till We Meet Again...

The closing ceremonies of the Olympics were good--almost poignant. I'm always sad to see them end. Four more years!
We had the LAZIEST weekend. Hubby's back is still bothering him, so he stayed home with Thing Three, who is sick, and I think he got a little touch of cabin fever, because he was SO ready to go to work this morning.
Of course Thing Three is STILL sick, I wish he'd get better. But I'm waiting for everyone else in the family to come down with his sore throat and cough (including myself) so we can be done with it.

We are having the Annual Family Reunion at our house this year. It was just decided. I'm off my head with joy. In fact, excuse me while I go and turn some cartwheels...


...OK, back. Whew, I can't do those as well as I used to! ;-) ANYWAY, we get to have about 30 people stay at our house over the 4th of July (Hubby's family doesn't believe in Hotels) and all I can think about is what I'll have to clean after they all LEAVE. UGH. But I can't think about that now. I think I will actually hire someone to help with that.

We are closing on our house in Wisconsin!! Done! Finito. Good Riddance. No more double bills. I'm telling you, though, these people got a DEAL. Only because we were desperate to get rid of it. Such is life. Good for them.

My heel is feeling better. I know, what an exciting thing to write about. But it's been so all-encompassing these last few weeks, I'm truly excited that it feels better than it has. I've been doing my stretches faithfully, and I think they're really helping. I see the Dr. again this Wednesday, so we'll see what he says. I hope I don't need another shot. :-(

Tomorrow Pride and Prejudice comes out on DVD!! I want it to be tomorrow! Funny part is, I don't know when I'll have time to WATCH the movie once I get it. Hubby hasn't traveled in a while, and he isn't traveling until next month. So I have to wait.

I'm going to stick to my guns and get some writing in this week. I really do need to edit the rest of EMMA, because I have chapters out on submission and if they want more, I'm going to have to give them the rest--so I'd better get on it.
I need more TIME!!!