Thank Goodness For Videos on Demand

No. That's not my lips. I just realized today I missed True Blood. Planned on watching it. Excited about it coming on. Then BANG! I forgot. Sigh. Oh, well, thank goodness for VOD. That's how I watched all the Tudors last season.

If you're wondering what is True Blood. Click here to find out.

Walking and Listening

Last weekend I finally put together my new treadmill. Love it! I get to walk in airconditioning, without worrying about dogs, mosquitoes, or cars running over me. This poor old body needed excerising so much. We have a gym at work, but with my hours, I would have go in extra early in the morning and shower in their "open" locker room. The guys can do it, but not me. With this body? Hell no!

Anyway, the treadmill has a connection where I can hook in my iPod. Love it! The first two times I used it, I listened to music. Soothing. But today I decided on something different. I listened to Karen Marie Moning's free podcast of her first Fever series, DarkFever. Made me remember why I love this series so much. I can't wait for the third book to come out. Her new website shows there will be two more, plus you can click on the link to her free podcast. I'm in heaven! She's doing such a wonderful job on them.

Thanks, Karen!

I Want to Celebrate!

No. Nothing wonderful has happened. I was just thinking about the bottle of wine a customer of mine sent to me a couple months ago. (Very sweet customers - how lucky can I be?) I sure would love to open it. It's very expensive. When I got the bottle I looked it up on the internet and was SO surprised. Yeah, yeah, probably was tacky doing that but my curiosity got the better of me.

Anyway, I hid the bottle so I would have something special to open when I got THE CALL. As in the call from an editor or the call from an agent saying she sold my book. Of course, I need an agent for the latter to work.

Well, the wine is a 1982 vintage and the rate I'm going it might hit the half century mark before I sell. See, I can be sort of optimistic. I did say sell.

Sundays Belong to the Lord and NASCAR!

Of course, living in the deep South, I've grown up in and still do go to church on Sundays. One of the things that have changed (besides the way preachers preach) is I watch NASCAR. My husband loves to go to Talledega in the spring and fall, but I keep my rearend at home. The track is too crowded and too hot for me. But I do love watching the race.

It's easy to watch the race and read, write or edit. They have dozens of commercials and I'm one of those who don't need total silence (thank goodness). So here I sit, taking care of my blog and will soon work on my WIP again. Got 100 pages left and then I'll be ready for editing. Can't wait. The book's coming along rather nicely. Actually it surprises me everytime I write one how all the clues and twists and turns fall into place. Almost writes itself.

Check out Dale Jr.'s new video.

ADD & AD/HD

Most everyone nowadays know what ADD and AD/HD means (Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Disorder/Hyperactivity Disorder). It's amazing how many acronyms we use everyday. I use them throughout the day. If you were to listen to one of my conversations at work, you would believe we're secret agents speaking in code. It would go something like, "I spoke with my RPC and he said ASI messed up the info on the ADAP. No matter, PPIM will not give us the date we want on the OPC2. Check ICIT and see if you can sub."

LOL!

Oh, the reason I mentioned ADD...some days I feel I have the adult verison. Well, back to work on my WIP. :-)

Samurai Girl

Tonight I was watching Samurai Girl. Really enjoying it. The guy looked so familiar. His name was familiar (Brendan Fehr). Turns out he's the same fellow from ROSWELL! Boy, oh, boy, he's grown up!

Practicing Dialogue

Yesterday, when I was driving home from work, I had a small truck riding my car’s rear end, another car wanting to slide over to my lane while I was still in it and a car in front of me with the driver trying to find something on the passenger’s side. Thankfully not all of that happened at the same time. I’m sure for those who drive more than fifteen minutes from home experience that type of stuff all the time. The question I have is how do you handle it?

Me? I usually ignore most of it, but I do talk to the people. No, I don’t use sign language. I just entertain myself as I rarely listen to the radio anymore during those treks to work and back. My conversations go something like, “No, no, no. This is my lane and I don’t share.” Or “You driving like that give women a bad name. Sit up straight and watch where you’re going, girly.” Or “Hey, hey, hey!” (Think Fat Albert.) Now that last one was to a truckload of hay with bits and pieces slapping my car.

The talking to drivers as I go along is a family tradition. My father did it and I know my daughters do it. Do you talk to drivers? By the way, most of the time when a person gives me one of those hand signals showing their displeasure, I’ll either throw them a kiss or wave at them as if they’re my long lost friend. It usually freaks them out and makes them wonder where they know me and will I tell their wife, mother, etc.? LOL!

The corvette? No. I don't own one. Just added it for color. Pretty, ain't it.

Men and Hair

I know I'm creating a trend by talking about reruns of Home Improvement, but it's on at that time of day I write my blog. Tonight's episode is about Brad's haircut. Even back in the 90's I did't really care for the boy's haircut and I still don't.

But it made me think about how even in my family we feel differently about men's haircuts. My husband keeps his cut short and neat without a part. When we were teenagers together, he worn his hair long. At one time his hair was longer than mine, and at the time my hair reached my shoulders. When I mentioned in his younger days he use to look like Michael Easton, he offered to dye it (it's salt and pepper now) and grow it out. I said, "Nah!" He's pass that now.

My oldest daughter loves military haircuts on men and my youngest prefers long. Too funny. I say a man needs to look at what looks best on him. Some men look sexy bald headed. But I have to say, I hope to God that Michael Easton never goes bald. Check him out.

Taking a Look

I love watching reruns of Home Improvement. One of the episodes tonight was about Tim checking out women, especially when he's with his wife.

Personally, I don't have a problem with my husband looking at women. For two reasons, 1) he doesn't follow them and try to get their phone numbers and 2) I like looking at men. Of course, neither of us stare, just a look and then we check out the next one. LOL!

Am I not ever jealous? Only when the younger neighbor comes over and asks him to do something for her. That ticks me off.

Looking's okay. But having my man do a favor for you, better watch out!

An A-ha Moment

Today I was changing channels and came across an old disaster movie. About fifteen minutes into watching it, a scene came up where a mother gave her baby to an older daughter and told her to leave as they were stuck in a quagmire of traffic. The daughter's boyfriend was on a motorcycle that easily threaded through the stalled and wreaked automobiles. By taking the baby and leaving with her boyfriend, she would be leaving her mom and dad behind, most likely to die. Tears welled up in my eyes and I had to quickly wipe them away before my husband walked in and saw me making a fool of myself.

I had always heard to write an emotional scene the reader needed to like the characters and be vested in them. Well, this was only fifteen minutes of a movie with a large cast. I didn't know if I really liked these characters. But the part that choked me up was knowing I would've done the same thing to save my two girls. Hopefully I would never be placed in that spot but I know I would willingly do whatever was needed to guarantee my kids were still breathing and healthy.

That's when I realized the movie had done one thing for sure to bring out emotion, they presented a situation they knew most parents could understand and feel. Sometimes, even if you don't like or know the character well enough, you can place them in a position where they make a decision you know you would've done the same. At that moment, the reader would be in the shoes of the character, feeling the same feelings, experiencing the same doubts, desires, fears or sadness. That's what I want in my writing.