HERE.
*giggles*
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Hola!
Well, I pulled out everything for FI today and did a read through. Unfortunately, I'm feeling a little discouraged at the moment -- there just seems to be so much left to do. Blah. I'm chalking it all up to being exhausted. My week (last week, that is) didn't turn out the way I expected. Grandpa came to town in order to get his teeth fixed (LONG overdue). Anyway, I was put on official Grandpa-watch--had to make sure he ate enough pudding and ice cream, had something to drink at all times, and was fairly entertained throughout the day. He didn't want to do anything other than listen to music and talk. And the talking was pretty sporadic. I couldn't really write so I did some reading in between our convos.
Then this weekend was BUSY. Lots of working, late hours...throw in a couple of friends who came to town (a visit that lasted almost 8 hours!! LOL), and it was gone, gone, gone. So yeah, new week, fresh start. I'm going to pull out one small section of FI tonight and just try to concentrate on that. If I look at the whole, I become overwhelmed. Weird because I know there's not THAT much left to add. It's just that there are a lot of little problems I need to fix and well...yeah...that equals one freaked-out Jen.
Anyway, finished a couple of books.
Stephen King's THE GUNSLINGER -- can't say I loved it, but I'm interested enough to at least try the next book. I have to admit, I'm a little lost on some of the terminology, but his world-building is good overall. I seem to recall someone saying that the first book wasn't really representative of the series as a whole (meaning the others are much better), so we'll see.
Dana Stabenow's DEAD IN THE WATER -- so, I've made a decision about this series. It's a BUY. :) Her writing really did a huge leap between books 1 and 2, and she really seems to have hit her stride in book 3. In this book, two fishermen disappear off of a crab boat and Kate joins the crew, undercover, to discover the truth behind their disappearance. Let me tell you, there is no way in heck I would ever want to do that job! LOL. She really brought you right on to that boat, and I do not want to go there again. (g) At least, not physically. But it was a great read -- terrifying, actually. (That drowning thing of mine (g)).
Okay, off to dinner -- then to write.
Then this weekend was BUSY. Lots of working, late hours...throw in a couple of friends who came to town (a visit that lasted almost 8 hours!! LOL), and it was gone, gone, gone. So yeah, new week, fresh start. I'm going to pull out one small section of FI tonight and just try to concentrate on that. If I look at the whole, I become overwhelmed. Weird because I know there's not THAT much left to add. It's just that there are a lot of little problems I need to fix and well...yeah...that equals one freaked-out Jen.
Anyway, finished a couple of books.
Stephen King's THE GUNSLINGER -- can't say I loved it, but I'm interested enough to at least try the next book. I have to admit, I'm a little lost on some of the terminology, but his world-building is good overall. I seem to recall someone saying that the first book wasn't really representative of the series as a whole (meaning the others are much better), so we'll see.
Dana Stabenow's DEAD IN THE WATER -- so, I've made a decision about this series. It's a BUY. :) Her writing really did a huge leap between books 1 and 2, and she really seems to have hit her stride in book 3. In this book, two fishermen disappear off of a crab boat and Kate joins the crew, undercover, to discover the truth behind their disappearance. Let me tell you, there is no way in heck I would ever want to do that job! LOL. She really brought you right on to that boat, and I do not want to go there again. (g) At least, not physically. But it was a great read -- terrifying, actually. (That drowning thing of mine (g)).
Okay, off to dinner -- then to write.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wordle
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Mini-Reviews
As I said in a previous post, I've been reading up a storm. (g) I really need to stop slacking and get to work on FI, so that's my goal for this afternoon. In the meantime, here are some quick reviews of the books I've gulped down during the past couple of weeks.
FEARLESS FOURTEEN by Janet Evanovich -- I actually liked this a lot more than I thought I would--simply based on the reviews I heard. It's extremely fast-paced (almost too fast in parts), but actually tied up rather well. I would agree that it wasn't as funny as some of her others--and, gah, Ranger was almost an afterthought (seriously, we need something to happen--soon). Overall, tho, I enjoyed it. It was a nice, fun, light read that kept my mind off things.
DEVILISH by Maureen Johnson -- This one is about a high school student who discovers her best friend has sold her soul to the devil in order to become popular. In order to save her, she makes her own deal and gets into all kinds o' trouble. This one was okay. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. The characters are well drawn, but the devil character was a little too...hmm, random is the best word I can come up with. But it's a page-turner, and light...so yeah, it's enjoyable and worth a read.
A DANGEROUS MOURNING by Anne Perry -- LOVE LOVE LOVED this one. This is a must-read series, imho. :) A young widow is murdered and all evidence suggests it was one of her family members who killed her. Inspector Monk recruits Hester Latterly to go undercover (yay) as a nursemaid, and _everyone_ looks guilty. (g) I loved it (repeat yourself much, Jen? (g)). Again, a lot of historical detail, without beating people over the head with it...and characters that are so richly drawn. I sank right into this book.
SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane -- A patient has gone missing at the Ashcliffe mental institute and Teddy Daniels and his partner have been called in to investigate. What they find is a bunch of clues that lead them to believe there's more going on than meets the eye -- in other words, the mental institute isn't just treating patients, but perhaps....experimenting on them. Throw in a hurricane, and...Muhahaha. I liked this book. It was intriguing and had all kinds o' twisty plot turns. The ending was pretty surprising. LOL. Not sure I could've seen it coming while I was reading, and it was more than a little far-fetched...but still. Enjoyable. I liked the characters a lot and the writing, as always, was superb. Lehane was able to create another great world -- this time set in the 1950's -- that felt very authentic. So different than MYSTIC RIVER, and I respect his ability to create such differently colored books.
Surely I must've read more books than this.... Oh, I'm in the middle of THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King, and got about halfway through another that I just had to give up on. (blech) OH OH OH..and I got MY LORD AND SPYMASTER by Joanna Bourne the other night. I'm listed in the acks!! Me, MY name in lights (so to speak). (g) Too cool for school.
Anyway, off to try and get some words in. We'll see how it goes.
FEARLESS FOURTEEN by Janet Evanovich -- I actually liked this a lot more than I thought I would--simply based on the reviews I heard. It's extremely fast-paced (almost too fast in parts), but actually tied up rather well. I would agree that it wasn't as funny as some of her others--and, gah, Ranger was almost an afterthought (seriously, we need something to happen--soon). Overall, tho, I enjoyed it. It was a nice, fun, light read that kept my mind off things.
DEVILISH by Maureen Johnson -- This one is about a high school student who discovers her best friend has sold her soul to the devil in order to become popular. In order to save her, she makes her own deal and gets into all kinds o' trouble. This one was okay. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. The characters are well drawn, but the devil character was a little too...hmm, random is the best word I can come up with. But it's a page-turner, and light...so yeah, it's enjoyable and worth a read.
A DANGEROUS MOURNING by Anne Perry -- LOVE LOVE LOVED this one. This is a must-read series, imho. :) A young widow is murdered and all evidence suggests it was one of her family members who killed her. Inspector Monk recruits Hester Latterly to go undercover (yay) as a nursemaid, and _everyone_ looks guilty. (g) I loved it (repeat yourself much, Jen? (g)). Again, a lot of historical detail, without beating people over the head with it...and characters that are so richly drawn. I sank right into this book.
SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane -- A patient has gone missing at the Ashcliffe mental institute and Teddy Daniels and his partner have been called in to investigate. What they find is a bunch of clues that lead them to believe there's more going on than meets the eye -- in other words, the mental institute isn't just treating patients, but perhaps....experimenting on them. Throw in a hurricane, and...Muhahaha. I liked this book. It was intriguing and had all kinds o' twisty plot turns. The ending was pretty surprising. LOL. Not sure I could've seen it coming while I was reading, and it was more than a little far-fetched...but still. Enjoyable. I liked the characters a lot and the writing, as always, was superb. Lehane was able to create another great world -- this time set in the 1950's -- that felt very authentic. So different than MYSTIC RIVER, and I respect his ability to create such differently colored books.
Surely I must've read more books than this.... Oh, I'm in the middle of THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King, and got about halfway through another that I just had to give up on. (blech) OH OH OH..and I got MY LORD AND SPYMASTER by Joanna Bourne the other night. I'm listed in the acks!! Me, MY name in lights (so to speak). (g) Too cool for school.
Anyway, off to try and get some words in. We'll see how it goes.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
You Never Quit On Your Writing
So, I've had a hard time picking myself up after this past week and the loss of my grandma. I know I'm not the first person to lose a loved one, but I must admit it feels that way sometimes. Part of it is that no one close to me has ever passed before, and part of it is that this was my grandma. My only grandma. Long story, but she was it. As my grandpa is my only grandpa. It's hard to let go and I find myself tearing up at random moments.
Writing hasn't even been a possibility for the past week, and I'll admit it's more about being too sad to muster the energy. My characters have been knocking, but I've been too tired and emotionally drained to answer right now. I've been reading a lot -- watching movies. I happened to have August Rush waiting for me when I got home, and it has this really great scene where someone (no spoilers!) is telling August to never give up on his music. Because that's the one place he can escape to and let go of all the bad things in the world. It really hit a nerve with me, and I've given it a lot of thought. August had his music, and I have my writing. I shouldn't feel guilty for writing, for wanting to get back to my story so soon. It's the place I feel safe, where I'm happiest, where I can go to heal.
So, today I pulled up a blank page and just wrote. About my grandma. It was hard, I cried, but yanno, I feel better.
Am I cured? Heck no. But it's a step. Perhaps I can even work a little on FI soon.
Writing hasn't even been a possibility for the past week, and I'll admit it's more about being too sad to muster the energy. My characters have been knocking, but I've been too tired and emotionally drained to answer right now. I've been reading a lot -- watching movies. I happened to have August Rush waiting for me when I got home, and it has this really great scene where someone (no spoilers!) is telling August to never give up on his music. Because that's the one place he can escape to and let go of all the bad things in the world. It really hit a nerve with me, and I've given it a lot of thought. August had his music, and I have my writing. I shouldn't feel guilty for writing, for wanting to get back to my story so soon. It's the place I feel safe, where I'm happiest, where I can go to heal.
So, today I pulled up a blank page and just wrote. About my grandma. It was hard, I cried, but yanno, I feel better.
Am I cured? Heck no. But it's a step. Perhaps I can even work a little on FI soon.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Random Meme
I stole this from Deniz's blog.
1. What’s in your pocket right now? Lint, prolly.
2. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping? Erm, no. LOL. Doubt I ever will.
3. Did you have a baby blanket? Nope -- didn't suck my thumb either. (g)
4. Have you ever tried to cut your own hair? My bangs, yes.
5. How did that turn out? Heh...don't ask. (g) I don't do it anymore.
6. Have you ever sleepwalked? Either that, or I was really restless when I was younger. I moved around a lot. That's all I know.
7. Have you ever had a birthday party at a restaurant? Showbiz Pizza, baby! For those of you don't know, it's along the lines of Chuck E. Cheese.
8. Have you ever eaten a dog biscuit? Hell's no, but my mom claims I ate dog food. (BTW, never fill these things out with your family in the room. They have way too much dirt that you've forgotten all about.)
9. If you were in a car sinking in a lake, what would you do first? Panic and die. Drowning is one of my worst fears.
10. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Nope, though I probably should have a couple of times. LOL. My sister says I need a one-way ride to the psych ward, tho -- right now.
11. Have you ever fallen asleep in school? Uh, yes. LOL. The worst is when you snort or something and wake up to find the cutest boy in school laughing at you. Or drool. Drool is bad.
12. How many foreign countries have you visited? Uh, one...though it barely counts. (Canada) My mom went to Japan and she says it wasn't worth her time. Clearly she's insane.
13. Have you ever broken a bone? Yes -- a small one in the bridge of my foot.
14. Have you ever accidentally taken something from a hotel? No, but I have on purpose. LOL.
15. If you could invite any movie star to your home for dinner,would it who be? I gotta go with Gerry Butler here. Or Ewan McGregor. They can both sing to me...naked. (g)
16. If you could attend an Olympic Event, what would it be? I'm a figure skating junkie...though curling fascinates me for some reason.
17. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Rough guess...somewhere around 25-30.
18. If you won a $5,000 shopping spree to any store, which store would you pick? Is there any doubt about my answer here? My Church!!!!!! (Barnes & Noble)
19. Have you ever been rushed to the emergency room? Yes -- Once when I was a baby for apparent evacuation from both ends. (g) Once in high school for some bizarre digestive problem, and then again a few years ago for the same condition (Oh yay, a pattern -- looking forward to the next occurrence. :P). And a fourth time for a rapid heartbeat (195, I believe). It's been a real pleasure. (Kidding)
20. Have you ever had surgery? Does an IV count? No? Uh, then no. (g)
21. When was the last time you had a sit-down dinner with your immediate family that didn't consist of a television? Tonight -- about an hour ago.
1. What’s in your pocket right now? Lint, prolly.
2. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping? Erm, no. LOL. Doubt I ever will.
3. Did you have a baby blanket? Nope -- didn't suck my thumb either. (g)
4. Have you ever tried to cut your own hair? My bangs, yes.
5. How did that turn out? Heh...don't ask. (g) I don't do it anymore.
6. Have you ever sleepwalked? Either that, or I was really restless when I was younger. I moved around a lot. That's all I know.
7. Have you ever had a birthday party at a restaurant? Showbiz Pizza, baby! For those of you don't know, it's along the lines of Chuck E. Cheese.
8. Have you ever eaten a dog biscuit? Hell's no, but my mom claims I ate dog food. (BTW, never fill these things out with your family in the room. They have way too much dirt that you've forgotten all about.)
9. If you were in a car sinking in a lake, what would you do first? Panic and die. Drowning is one of my worst fears.
10. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Nope, though I probably should have a couple of times. LOL. My sister says I need a one-way ride to the psych ward, tho -- right now.
11. Have you ever fallen asleep in school? Uh, yes. LOL. The worst is when you snort or something and wake up to find the cutest boy in school laughing at you. Or drool. Drool is bad.
12. How many foreign countries have you visited? Uh, one...though it barely counts. (Canada) My mom went to Japan and she says it wasn't worth her time. Clearly she's insane.
13. Have you ever broken a bone? Yes -- a small one in the bridge of my foot.
14. Have you ever accidentally taken something from a hotel? No, but I have on purpose. LOL.
15. If you could invite any movie star to your home for dinner,would it who be? I gotta go with Gerry Butler here. Or Ewan McGregor. They can both sing to me...naked. (g)
16. If you could attend an Olympic Event, what would it be? I'm a figure skating junkie...though curling fascinates me for some reason.
17. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Rough guess...somewhere around 25-30.
18. If you won a $5,000 shopping spree to any store, which store would you pick? Is there any doubt about my answer here? My Church!!!!!! (Barnes & Noble)
19. Have you ever been rushed to the emergency room? Yes -- Once when I was a baby for apparent evacuation from both ends. (g) Once in high school for some bizarre digestive problem, and then again a few years ago for the same condition (Oh yay, a pattern -- looking forward to the next occurrence. :P). And a fourth time for a rapid heartbeat (195, I believe). It's been a real pleasure. (Kidding)
20. Have you ever had surgery? Does an IV count? No? Uh, then no. (g)
21. When was the last time you had a sit-down dinner with your immediate family that didn't consist of a television? Tonight -- about an hour ago.
Hey
Well, I'm "back." Not really, tho. I'm still out of town, but plan on going home tomorrow -- just in time to work. (joy) Thought I'd get caught up on some email's, etc. Anyway, it's been a rough week -- lots of tears, lots of laughter -- all for one very special lady who I will miss terribly. Here's to Ruby -- love you, Grandma.
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