Michael and one of our friends are playing video games on Michael's Xbox 360. (I'm working, of course.) In honor of their game, I decided to post a really cute "music video" of the game that I found on YouTube:
Showing posts with label plain ol' fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plain ol' fun. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
To punish and protect
Want a good laugh this Tuesday morning? Check out this article about this Thai police force's use of alternative punishments to keep their officers in line.
Friday, April 13, 2007
The trouble with wannabe writers: The redux
Fair warning: This diatribe is about crazy people. More specifically, a crazy person who thinks he's a writer. And the things I'm going to say could be interpreted as slightly mean if you sympathize with crazy people, so read at your own risk.
I posted about wannabe writers several months ago, when I started getting emails from advice-seekers following the publication of my article in Writers Weekly. Today's story beats them all hands down.
I rather liked the guy at first (we'll call him C.G., since I want to rant about him and what he represents, not embarrass him). He keeps a momma cat and her three kittens in his vintage clothing store, and they run around greeting customers, climbing furniture, and playing amid racks of brightly sequined dresses. The way he talks reminds one of the stereotypical gay guy running a clothing boutique. And he has some really great vintage costumes in his shop.
I started noticing little stuff at first. Like the long, unwashed hair that poked out from under his cap and trailed down his back. Or the fact that the couch, coffee table, and TV setup in the back room -- amid racks of costumes and pieces of leopard-print second-hand furniture -- seemed like it might be where he lived. The store was really cold, too, and in retrospect it was probably because he couldn't afford to heat the place.
My mom and I were looking for a dress for her to wear to my 1920s-themed wedding, and although we did find it there, the fact that I was waiting while she tried on dresses meant that I was a captive audience for C.G. He started talking about his upcoming book, and I was going to mention that I'm a writer -- until he said his book would be the next biggest spiritual book since the Bible. At that point, my bullsh!t radar switched to hyper-sensitive. Several seconds later, it just about overloaded when he asked me to email Oprah and ask her to let him on her show.
Over the next twenty minutes, whenever I couldn't escape by checking on my mom or fetching a kitten, I was held hostage by this guy. The premise of his book sounds more like something the crazy homeless guy on the street corner would be muttering under his breath or shouting at nervous passersby. Seriously, if C.G. and I met on a street corner and he started ranting about the "flesh house of 2007," I'd cross over to the other side.
At one point, he told me, "This is a line from my book." He started quoting, and I smiled, nodded politely... Kept nodding... Kept smiling and nodding... And he went on and on and on. I think this "quote" lasted at least a minute. It started out okay, but as he went it turned into this long, run-on sentence. The meaning of what he was saying fizzled out completely after about six words -- after that, it was just a string of pompous- sounding phrases. Either he just made it up on the spot, or he shoved everything he wanted to say in his book into one sentence and memorized it.
Oh, but wait -- it gets better. My mom asked for his business card, because she liked the store, and instead he gave us each a "billion dollar bill." It's basically a mock-up of U.S. money with a head shot of him dressed as a pirate. Really weird stuff. All of his store info is on this bill, like on a business card, except that it's a really awkward size. When I went to fold mine, he said to me, "Don't fold it. It'll be a collector's item someday. Just wait a couple of years."
I'm at a loss to explain C.G. as anything other than crazy. With the wannabe writers that I ranted about before, there was an obvious lack of understanding about the writing business, combined with delusions of grandeur. With this guy, I think it's more like a psychosis of grandeur. (And I shouldn't doubt that it has something to do with the drugs he probably did in the 60s and 70s. And probably still does, for that matter.) Although this may be simplifying the issues here, I didn't get the feeling that this book was a real work-in-progress -- no matter how much he talked about how famous he was going to be.
Okay, so I know this guy probably isn't playing with a full deck, but he is still indicative of a rather large group of people: The "writers" who talk endlessly about their idea for the great American novel, but never actually write anything. They want the attention without having to put forth the hard work of actually writing a book and seeing it through to print. It's the fear of becoming like this that keeps me from ever talking much about a novel or short story idea before I write it. Another writer once wrote that talking about how great your novel is going to be is only wasting time that you could be spending writing it, and I take that advice very seriously.
I posted about wannabe writers several months ago, when I started getting emails from advice-seekers following the publication of my article in Writers Weekly. Today's story beats them all hands down.
I rather liked the guy at first (we'll call him C.G., since I want to rant about him and what he represents, not embarrass him). He keeps a momma cat and her three kittens in his vintage clothing store, and they run around greeting customers, climbing furniture, and playing amid racks of brightly sequined dresses. The way he talks reminds one of the stereotypical gay guy running a clothing boutique. And he has some really great vintage costumes in his shop.
I started noticing little stuff at first. Like the long, unwashed hair that poked out from under his cap and trailed down his back. Or the fact that the couch, coffee table, and TV setup in the back room -- amid racks of costumes and pieces of leopard-print second-hand furniture -- seemed like it might be where he lived. The store was really cold, too, and in retrospect it was probably because he couldn't afford to heat the place.
My mom and I were looking for a dress for her to wear to my 1920s-themed wedding, and although we did find it there, the fact that I was waiting while she tried on dresses meant that I was a captive audience for C.G. He started talking about his upcoming book, and I was going to mention that I'm a writer -- until he said his book would be the next biggest spiritual book since the Bible. At that point, my bullsh!t radar switched to hyper-sensitive. Several seconds later, it just about overloaded when he asked me to email Oprah and ask her to let him on her show.
Over the next twenty minutes, whenever I couldn't escape by checking on my mom or fetching a kitten, I was held hostage by this guy. The premise of his book sounds more like something the crazy homeless guy on the street corner would be muttering under his breath or shouting at nervous passersby. Seriously, if C.G. and I met on a street corner and he started ranting about the "flesh house of 2007," I'd cross over to the other side.
At one point, he told me, "This is a line from my book." He started quoting, and I smiled, nodded politely... Kept nodding... Kept smiling and nodding... And he went on and on and on. I think this "quote" lasted at least a minute. It started out okay, but as he went it turned into this long, run-on sentence. The meaning of what he was saying fizzled out completely after about six words -- after that, it was just a string of pompous- sounding phrases. Either he just made it up on the spot, or he shoved everything he wanted to say in his book into one sentence and memorized it.
Oh, but wait -- it gets better. My mom asked for his business card, because she liked the store, and instead he gave us each a "billion dollar bill." It's basically a mock-up of U.S. money with a head shot of him dressed as a pirate. Really weird stuff. All of his store info is on this bill, like on a business card, except that it's a really awkward size. When I went to fold mine, he said to me, "Don't fold it. It'll be a collector's item someday. Just wait a couple of years."
I'm at a loss to explain C.G. as anything other than crazy. With the wannabe writers that I ranted about before, there was an obvious lack of understanding about the writing business, combined with delusions of grandeur. With this guy, I think it's more like a psychosis of grandeur. (And I shouldn't doubt that it has something to do with the drugs he probably did in the 60s and 70s. And probably still does, for that matter.) Although this may be simplifying the issues here, I didn't get the feeling that this book was a real work-in-progress -- no matter how much he talked about how famous he was going to be.
Okay, so I know this guy probably isn't playing with a full deck, but he is still indicative of a rather large group of people: The "writers" who talk endlessly about their idea for the great American novel, but never actually write anything. They want the attention without having to put forth the hard work of actually writing a book and seeing it through to print. It's the fear of becoming like this that keeps me from ever talking much about a novel or short story idea before I write it. Another writer once wrote that talking about how great your novel is going to be is only wasting time that you could be spending writing it, and I take that advice very seriously.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Time for a good laugh?
I just discovered the "Best of Craigslist" section. More importantly, I just discovered the funniest rant ever about stupid people and their resumes. There's also a post that makes me glad I don't have to deal with office drama anymore. And, oh, it's on a totally different level, but there's one about someone masturbating in the restroom that is pretty funny, too.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Three cheers for my clients!
The car thing set me back a little on my work, but I've gotten a lot done lately and I finally feel like I'm almost caught up. Now that the stress is lessing a little, I need to take the time to voice a little appreciation for my clients.
Andi, Angela, Lee, Chris, Todd, Logan, and Scott --
Thank you all for your understanding, your sympathy, and your flexibility! I appreciate it more than I can say!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Magical Monday
It's a beautiful Monday, and everything is going my way.
1) I went to bed early last night, and got up early this morning. And although it took me a looooong time to fall asleep, getting up at 7:45 (yes, 7:45!) this morning wasn't that difficult. Of course, that might be because I had Michael to wake me up.
I'm hoping to go to bed early again tonight, and get myself onto a schedule where I get up around 9-9:30am every morning. It may not sound very ambitious, but when you figure that I was getting up around 1-2pm every day for quite a while there, it puts the whole thing in a new light!
2) I went to the junkyard, and they ordered me a new window for my car for not much more than the used one (that didn't fit). I'm supposed to pick up the new window later this afternoon.
And no, I didn't yell at them. They were too nice about it, and it seems the problem was on the end of the "tech" who pulled the window (rather than the guys at the counter). I might have yelled at the tech, had I had a chance...
I'm having problems with the fact that the new window is half of what it would have cost to get the window and have it installed by Elite Auto Glass. On one hand, I'm disappointed about having to pay more for this window than I'd planned on, but on the other hand I'm appalled that Elite is making $75 off of an install that probably takes them less than an hour to do.
Of course, truth be told, I'd always rather do the repair myself. That way I know it's done right. I don't want to have to wonder if some newbie window tech mixed up two screws, or cross-threaded something, or left a pile of broken glass inside my window. If I know I can do it myself, and do it right, why pay someone else good money to do it for me?
3) It's a beautiful day. Yes, this figures into my feelings of happiness this morning. Not only did I get up early and get the window problem taken care of, it's also warming up to be a 70-degree day. As I was letting myself into the house, the sun was warm, the birds were chirping, and all the various pets were happy to see me.
This is bliss.
1) I went to bed early last night, and got up early this morning. And although it took me a looooong time to fall asleep, getting up at 7:45 (yes, 7:45!) this morning wasn't that difficult. Of course, that might be because I had Michael to wake me up.
I'm hoping to go to bed early again tonight, and get myself onto a schedule where I get up around 9-9:30am every morning. It may not sound very ambitious, but when you figure that I was getting up around 1-2pm every day for quite a while there, it puts the whole thing in a new light!
2) I went to the junkyard, and they ordered me a new window for my car for not much more than the used one (that didn't fit). I'm supposed to pick up the new window later this afternoon.
And no, I didn't yell at them. They were too nice about it, and it seems the problem was on the end of the "tech" who pulled the window (rather than the guys at the counter). I might have yelled at the tech, had I had a chance...
I'm having problems with the fact that the new window is half of what it would have cost to get the window and have it installed by Elite Auto Glass. On one hand, I'm disappointed about having to pay more for this window than I'd planned on, but on the other hand I'm appalled that Elite is making $75 off of an install that probably takes them less than an hour to do.
Of course, truth be told, I'd always rather do the repair myself. That way I know it's done right. I don't want to have to wonder if some newbie window tech mixed up two screws, or cross-threaded something, or left a pile of broken glass inside my window. If I know I can do it myself, and do it right, why pay someone else good money to do it for me?
3) It's a beautiful day. Yes, this figures into my feelings of happiness this morning. Not only did I get up early and get the window problem taken care of, it's also warming up to be a 70-degree day. As I was letting myself into the house, the sun was warm, the birds were chirping, and all the various pets were happy to see me.
This is bliss.
Friday, March 09, 2007
I saw this on Harmony's blog, and had to try it. I have to say I like the results (click on "Read my VisualDNA" and then the little notebook). This is me all right!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Colorado forecasters have a sense of humor
I don't know why I found this so funny, but I did...and I wanted to share.
Note the forecast for Thursday: Breakfast Flakes. Is anyone else thinking of cereal?
Saturday, February 24, 2007
A Room of My Own
I was inspired by Debbie Ridpath Ohi, who recently blogged about her office cave, to share my own workspace with the world (or at least the writing community). I've never considered myself a tidy person, but I was amused to see how messy Debbie's office was. I think there are two factors that keep me from becoming even more of a clutterbug than I already am: 1) my fiance is extremely tidy, and would probably leave me if I didn't clean off my desk occasionally (not to mention the dining table, where I spend my afternoons), and 2) my cats have a bad habit of knocking things off my desk when they want to look out the window.
In other words, the top of my desk is visible through the piles of crap. It's a little cleaner than usual in these pictures, as I did my semi-annual cleaning job about two weeks ago. I also am pretty good at keeping my drawers organized, particularly my filing drawer, which also minimizes the stuff that lands on top of my desk.
For those of you who don't already know, we have a little two-bedroom bungalow that was built in 1920. It's the traditional bungalow layout, which is divided into quarters: the front door opens into the living room, with the kitchen/dining room behind it, and the bedrooms one behind the other on the north side of the house. (Our common rooms both have south-facing windows, as I've heard is the norm in bungalows, because they get more sunlight - and thus more heat - in the winter.)
Anyway, my office is the front bedroom. Our house is extraordinarily well-lit, and the window behind my desk is one of the large front-facing ones. (All the windows have the original glass - it's so cool! I should have taken a picture of that, too!) My fiance has a desk on the other side of the room, but the office is mostly my space. I'm not ashaed to say that I believe I have the best spot in the entire house.
The rocker that sits on the other side of my desk is also older. It might look like your grandmother's rocker, but I'm telling you, it is so comfy. I do most of my work in that rocker, with my laptop and a lapdesk on my lap. For Christmas Michael got me one of those deluxe lapdesks that you find at Barnes & Noble, and it's wide enough to have my mini mouse and a mousepad alongside my itty-bitty laptop.
Like I mentioned, I spend my afternoons in the kitchen. It's better lit on that side of the house, and I like to open up the blinds on the south-facing windows and let the sunlight in. Especially recently, as warm as the weather has been, I'll also open the windows sometimes to let the air circulate.
In the evenings, though, I work in the office. The cats usually join me - one in Michael's office chair, and one in the rocker if I'm not already in it. Emma (our dog) will often sleep on the rug, too. Sometimes late at night, I'll have all three of them in here with me!
I have to agree with what Debbie says - my office is as good as anything I ever could have dreamed up. I love all of my antique furniture, and the way it makes my office feel so cozy. It's just a pretty room, and it makes working in it so much nicer. :o)
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Why I don't like quizzes
I saw this quiz on Harmony's blog and decided to try it. All in all, the experience reminded my of why I don't like quizzes.
Any "personality quiz" that has only two answer options per question has some serious flaws, in my opinion. I can't tell you how many times I had to choose between two answers where neither really worked.
After being dissatisfied with the answers, I went back and retook the test, changing just one or two answers that I was unsure about. I got a completely different result back.
Anyway, I think each set of results describe only one facet of my personality. (And each set also includes statements that are just plain wrong, such as me being reluctant to let people get close - ha!) I definitely see myself as smart and fairly analytical, but I'm pretty idealistic too. I used to jokingly call myself the "optimistic realist."
Is it just me that is this complicated, or do others agree with me that the test doesn't tell the full story?
Moral of the story: You can't expect a quiz to tell you who you are. Only you can do that.
You Are An INTP |
The Thinker You are analytical and logical - and on a quest to learn everything you can. Smart and complex, you always love a new intellectual challenge. Your biggest pet peeve is people who slow you down with trivial chit chat. A quiet maverick, you tend to ignore rules and authority whenever you feel like it. You would make an excellent mathematician, programmer, or professor. |
You Are An INFP |
The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world. Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships. It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close. But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist. |
Friday, February 16, 2007
Valentine's Day: Celebrating Mr. Perfect
In April of last year, Michael's picture appeared in Glamour, along with a corny quote from me. This Valentine's Day, Mr. Perfect appears in print again!You can make your own romance novel cover here. I got the idea from Kristin King and Julia Temlyn.
Anyway, our Valentine's Day ended up being a two-day event, thanks to the snowstorm we had yesterday. Although the roads were still passable, we didn't feel like going anywhere in the snow, so we postponed our dinner plans and occupied ourselves with the, um, other types of Valentine's Day activites. Tonight we celebrated Valentine's Day, part II, with dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
And a whoo-hoo for Harry Potter!
Okay, I admit it - I'm a Harry Potter fan. Not a crazy, drawing-lightning-on-my-face kind of fan, but I definitely enjoy those books. And - as I'm sure most other aspiring children's authors do - I dream of having even a tenth the success of J.K. Rowling.
So as you can imagine, I was pretty excited when I heard the seventh book is due out July 21. I've been on the library waiting list for the book for months now, and I'm number 142 on the holds list. I imagine they'll get a ton of copies, so with any luck I'll be reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by the end of August.
So as you can imagine, I was pretty excited when I heard the seventh book is due out July 21. I've been on the library waiting list for the book for months now, and I'm number 142 on the holds list. I imagine they'll get a ton of copies, so with any luck I'll be reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by the end of August.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
The trouble with (wannabe) writers
Publishing my article in Writers Weekly earned me a lot of emails, guestbook entries, and other attention. I have to admit this felt rather nice - most of these people assumed I was wildly successful, and more than just a few sought my approval. However, I also got a number of highly amusing emails from would-be writers who wanted me to confirm their delusions of grandeur.
One such writer wrote to me to tell me how she had also always felt wrongly discouraged from being a writer. Okay - that I can understand. She also talked about how she dreamed of being a world-famous novelist. I gave her what I thought was some perfectly sound advice for achieving her dream: start small. Most of today's successful novelists started out publishing short stories, newspaper articles, or anything else that allowed them to make a reliable income writing and earn a name for themselves. I told her the more you publish, the easier it is to publish more, so start with the easy stuff.
Her response was rather hoity-toity. I had the distinct impression that she thought of herself as a real writer, and was talking down to me. She started out by telling me,
It gives me great honor to inform you that I have completed my first suspense-thriller. It is a novel that took six years to finish, and I am currently searching for a literary agent... I feel confident that an agent will see my raw God-given talent, which has been polished from my education, and give this first-time author a chance.
Wow, is she in for a shock. I wonder how she'll handle her first dozen or so rejections.
She concludes her email with this unbelievable statement:
I strive to reach nothing but perfection as I compose each inspiring, meticulous word. Hopefully, after people read my thought-provoking words, they will view life rather differently and contribute toward the betterment of mankind.
The last statement in particular reminds me of the kinds of things you hear out of beauty pagent contestants, each with Barbie's smile pasted on her lips.
Another would-be writer wrote to me asking for advice on starting his career. He started out by asking - no, demanding:
What are the proper channels a writer needs to seek to become a high-paid writer? Does one need credentials? Define credentials? Out of the choices of having a book published, working on a team, writing for a paper, blogging, or movie screenplays....what's the best one?
He then continued on to describe his disappointment that his writing hadn't been "discovered" via MySpace. (That part made me laugh quite a bit. Does he think there are talent scouts out there combing MySpace for the next Stephen King?) Finally, he explained his goals as a never-been-published writer:
I realize there are several routes I can take to make a name for myself, but the only one that reall [sic] appeals to me, is either 1) getting a book published and/or 2) being part of a creative team writing for a movie or T.V. show that's already made a name for itself.
And therein lies the rub...
This guy also thinks he is not just going to rise straight to the top, but start at the top. I tried to explain to him the natural order of things, but I don't think he understood (or appreciated) my advice, because I never heard back from him.
Although it might seem like I'm making fun of these people (okay, I am, but only a little), I'm really posting about this for a couple of very good reasons. For one thing, I think other already-established writers will see the humor in a bunch of wannabes being rather too big for their britches.
However, I am also posting this because it reminds me of who I - and probably every other published writer - was when I was just a dreamer and a wannabe myself. Back in high school, when I wrote whole novels only to stuff them in a drawer because I so feared editing, I too thought that becoming a writer was my destiny. And in retrospect, I think I was right, but only because I got myself here. Writers aren't born or discovered; they achieve their dreams at the price of their blood and sweat and tears. And although I've only traveled a short distance upon this path, I am proud of every single step I have taken.
As for the betterment of mankind... Well, it's quite enough for me right now to know that right now, somewhere in the world, someone is reading words I was paid to write.
One such writer wrote to me to tell me how she had also always felt wrongly discouraged from being a writer. Okay - that I can understand. She also talked about how she dreamed of being a world-famous novelist. I gave her what I thought was some perfectly sound advice for achieving her dream: start small. Most of today's successful novelists started out publishing short stories, newspaper articles, or anything else that allowed them to make a reliable income writing and earn a name for themselves. I told her the more you publish, the easier it is to publish more, so start with the easy stuff.
Her response was rather hoity-toity. I had the distinct impression that she thought of herself as a real writer, and was talking down to me. She started out by telling me,
It gives me great honor to inform you that I have completed my first suspense-thriller. It is a novel that took six years to finish, and I am currently searching for a literary agent... I feel confident that an agent will see my raw God-given talent, which has been polished from my education, and give this first-time author a chance.
Wow, is she in for a shock. I wonder how she'll handle her first dozen or so rejections.
She concludes her email with this unbelievable statement:
I strive to reach nothing but perfection as I compose each inspiring, meticulous word. Hopefully, after people read my thought-provoking words, they will view life rather differently and contribute toward the betterment of mankind.
The last statement in particular reminds me of the kinds of things you hear out of beauty pagent contestants, each with Barbie's smile pasted on her lips.
Another would-be writer wrote to me asking for advice on starting his career. He started out by asking - no, demanding:
What are the proper channels a writer needs to seek to become a high-paid writer? Does one need credentials? Define credentials? Out of the choices of having a book published, working on a team, writing for a paper, blogging, or movie screenplays....what's the best one?
He then continued on to describe his disappointment that his writing hadn't been "discovered" via MySpace. (That part made me laugh quite a bit. Does he think there are talent scouts out there combing MySpace for the next Stephen King?) Finally, he explained his goals as a never-been-published writer:
I realize there are several routes I can take to make a name for myself, but the only one that reall [sic] appeals to me, is either 1) getting a book published and/or 2) being part of a creative team writing for a movie or T.V. show that's already made a name for itself.
And therein lies the rub...
This guy also thinks he is not just going to rise straight to the top, but start at the top. I tried to explain to him the natural order of things, but I don't think he understood (or appreciated) my advice, because I never heard back from him.
Although it might seem like I'm making fun of these people (okay, I am, but only a little), I'm really posting about this for a couple of very good reasons. For one thing, I think other already-established writers will see the humor in a bunch of wannabes being rather too big for their britches.
However, I am also posting this because it reminds me of who I - and probably every other published writer - was when I was just a dreamer and a wannabe myself. Back in high school, when I wrote whole novels only to stuff them in a drawer because I so feared editing, I too thought that becoming a writer was my destiny. And in retrospect, I think I was right, but only because I got myself here. Writers aren't born or discovered; they achieve their dreams at the price of their blood and sweat and tears. And although I've only traveled a short distance upon this path, I am proud of every single step I have taken.
As for the betterment of mankind... Well, it's quite enough for me right now to know that right now, somewhere in the world, someone is reading words I was paid to write.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Website traffic record and another snowstorm
I knew yesterday's traffic would set a record, but I didn't know how high that record will be. Goodness only knows how long it will take me to set a new record: yesterday I had 1,509 hits on my website, with 343 unique visitors. (In other words, my visitors were looking at a lot more than just one page.) I checked my Active Meter log occasionally throughout the day, and for the most part the traffic seemed to be coming from my article on Writers Weekly, although a few visitors are still coming over from Deborah Ng's End of Year Blog Plug.
Today looks like it could be similar: I already have 286 hits, with 81 unique visitors.
In other news, it looks like we're in for another big snowstorm here. The weather is predicting 12 to 18 inches, although they've been vacillating on when they think the bulk of it will hit. This time they started talking about it days in advance, urging everyone to stock up on food and prepare for several days indoors, and as a result the grocery stores were practically taken by force last night. In any case, it sounds like this storm won't be quite as bad, but still a rather major storm right on the heels of the last one. The streets hadn't even cleared up yet, so I don't anticipate going anywhere again for a few days.
Oh, I do love getting snowed in!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Snow day: Part 2
The snow is still falling! Emma - our 75-pound dog, the size of a shepherd - almost disappears in the snow when she goes out. Our snow storm made national news - in the article they say we've gotten two feet of snow. I think it's quite possibly more.
Although the snow is supposed to stop today, the sun isn't supposed to come out until tomorrow. I have a feeling most of the city will be closed down well into tomorrow.
The bad part of this is that I wasn't done with my Christmas shopping - but by the time the snow melts enough to go anywhere, it'll nearly be the big day! I'm also hoping the snow doesn't delay Michael's biggest present, which is coming by mail. We didn't get any post office service today, and I'm rather doubting we'll have any today, either.
In a little bit, Michael and I are going to go outside and play around in the snow. We need to clear off my car again (and probably his, too), and then I'm hoping to make a snowman. I haven't done that in years! Hopefully the snow is moist enough - last night it was still quite powdery and resistant to packing!
Although the snow is supposed to stop today, the sun isn't supposed to come out until tomorrow. I have a feeling most of the city will be closed down well into tomorrow.
The bad part of this is that I wasn't done with my Christmas shopping - but by the time the snow melts enough to go anywhere, it'll nearly be the big day! I'm also hoping the snow doesn't delay Michael's biggest present, which is coming by mail. We didn't get any post office service today, and I'm rather doubting we'll have any today, either.
In a little bit, Michael and I are going to go outside and play around in the snow. We need to clear off my car again (and probably his, too), and then I'm hoping to make a snowman. I haven't done that in years! Hopefully the snow is moist enough - last night it was still quite powdery and resistant to packing!
Sunday, November 19, 2006
I've been tagged!!!
Another active member of the online freelancing community, Kathy Kehrli, just tagged me to participate in a Meme. I haven't done this before, but apparently the idea is to make me tell everyone five things they don't yet know. As much as I gab about my professional and personal life on my blogs, this is going to be difficult...
Here goes!
1. I was one of the nominees at my high school for the National Merit Scholarship. That was 10 freaking years ago, so I'm willing to bet most of my readers don't know it. ;o)
2. I wrote my first novel when I was 14 years old. I never published any of my high school writings, but all of my friends read them and loved them.
3. Before deciding to go back to school, I not only taught preschool and after-school programs, but also flirted with the idea of pursuing a career in the automotive industry.
4. My least favorite authors that I read while getting my degree were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Virginia Woolf. I've probably offended someone now...
5. I collect 1950s dolls. Seriously, I have two cabinets full of them, countless shoeboxes and plastic storage totes, and they're still taking over non-storage or -display areas of my house.
As my duty to this game dictates, I have tagged the following people:
Melissa
Brandon
Bryan
Eve
Julia
Unfortunately, not all of my friends are as techno-savvy as me (meaning they don't all spill their guts online on a regular basis), so this little list will have to do.
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