Outta Here!

Well, moving day is upon us. We lose internet tomorrow, so this will be my last entry for at least a week, probably two, and perhaps even three. Military and moving company snafus are attacking us from all sides, so we really have no idea when we'll be settled in our new home in Mississippi. I'm HOPING to be back online by the 10th, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Take care, everyone, and enjoy the summer!

Oh, and there's a new myth in my Doggie Bag. Cat myth, this time.

See y'all soon! (Yes, I'm practicing my "Southern speak!")

Monday, June 28, 2004 @ 11:40 AM CST [link]

Horrible!

And I used to like Ah-nold! There HAS to be a better way to save California money. Like, say, cutting politicians' ridiculous salaries or cutting back on taxpayer funded social events. Gee, novel idea, huh? But no, animals, schools, and emergency services always suffer the most from cutbacks!

Schwarzenegger Wants Stray Animals Killed Faster

Friday, June 25, 2004 @ 12:55 PM CST [link]

Ancy

Pages Written: Theme From "Fairly Odd Parents." (Yes, the kid is home for the summer!)
Mood: Manic

I hate moving. I really do. Especially when I've got SO much stuff to do but I've got this incredible urge to write. I SO want to work on my current novel-in-progress. It's making me insane that I can't take the time to work on the story, especially after recently making terrific progress on it. Argh! I know my fellow writers will understand my frustration!

As annoying as it is that I haven't gotten any writing done, at least I've made progress with the move. Things will still be crazy come next week when the movers arrive, but hopefully we'll have enough pre-move stuff done--cleaning, organizing, packing--that next week won't be TOO bad. 7 moves in the last 10 years have made me pretty efficient but no less calm when it comes to moving.

I also got my "kitty move kit" in the mail yesterday. Felicks, the freak of nature who needs anti-anxiety medication to keep him from spraying all over the house, tends to not handle change well (he's only NOW getting back to normal after our vacation.) We got rid of our living room furniture the other day and he spent a good couple of hours spazzing. Our new furniture arrives tomorrow, and no doubt he'll flip over that, too.

So to head off trouble at our new house while hopefully being able to halt the medication, we ordered a pheromone therapy plug-in called Feliway. We can plug it into an outlet in our new house as soon as we get there, and hopefully it will reduce Felicks' stress so he won't start marking stuff. I really don't want to give him pills for the rest of his life. They successfully ended his territorial marking, but they also changed his personality. Some of the changes are good--he no longer beats on the other cat, and he isn't nearly so destructive--but some are bad. He's not as active and has gotten fat, he isn't as playful, and he isn't as quirky (which could be a good thing, since his quirks are WEIRD.)

Okay, I think I've procrastinated long enough. Must get the downstairs carpet shampooed. Instead of working on my novel. Must get the windows washed. Instead of working on my novel. Must wash the baseboards. Instead of working on my novel.

Thursday, June 24, 2004 @ 09:47 AM CST [link]

Only a Writer Can Relate

I just loved the article in this month's Spotlight, and had to share (with permission from the author, of course! )

20 Things Only a Fellow Writer Could Possibly Understand

by Sheri Radford

1 The concept of a good rejection letter.

2 The contradictory emotions of envy and elation experienced when a
friend gets "the call" from a publisher.

3 How you can still believe a piece of writing is good, even after it's
been rejected 46 times.

4 The truth of the following equation: butt + chair + time = writing.

5 How much a form rejection letter hurts.

6 Wanting honest feedback of your writing, but wanting that honest
feedback to be, "It's perfect! Don't change a word."

7 Ideas are everywhere.

8 Ideas are the easy part - it's what you do with all those ideas
that's bloody difficult.

9 Writing is really, really, really hard work - even when it looks like
you're just goofing off.

10 Staring out the window for an hour is part of the writing process.

11 Sometimes characters refuse to behave and insist on telling a story
their way.

12 Everything is fodder for writing, even the juicy secret you're sworn
to secrecy about.

13 The inner critic is harsher than any outer critic could ever be.

14 Sometimes scrubbing the toilet or cleaning the garage is more
appealing that writing.

15 Sometimes writing is more appealing than getting enough sleep or
going out on the town.

16 A first novel shooting straight to the top of the New York Times
bestseller list is just an urban myth. (It has to be, it just has to
be, doesn't it?)

17 Procrastination is a crucial component of the writing process.

18 Sometimes bookshelves need to be rearranged, right now.

19 Having written is far more fun than writing.

20 There's always more rewriting to be done.

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 @ 11:28 AM CST [link]

Writers on Patrol With the USCG

Alison thought I'd get a kick out of this, and she was right. As a writer married to a USCG officer, not only could I relate to Dana Stabenow, but I got a good laugh out of her observations.

Ms. Stabenow went on a two week patrol with the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley for research for a future novel. (Sounds like something I would do!) Her diary of the patrol, On Patrol With the USCGC Alex Haley, is hilarious! Just a sampling of her oh-so-true remarks:

On seasickness aboard a cutter-- "I got sick this morning, and my bunkie, Chief Alice Jamison, doctored me with ginger ale and crackers. It worked and I’ve been fine since. There is not a lot of mercy going around for the sick, lame and lazy. One guy has been sick since we left the dock and I heard one petty officer suggest that we use him to troll for orcas." --Hehe. My husband has the same attitude.

On the USCGC crew-- "Pretty damn impressive bunch of people. I haven’t asked but I’m betting we don’t pay them enough." --No, we don't--trust me. Now if we can just convince the powers that be of that...

On weather-- "The Ops officer keeps forecasting horrible, terrible awful weather and rock and roll city. We got like five minutes tonight, and now we’re back to practically flat calm again. (I know, I know, I’m tempting the fates, the crew is going to kill me.) Meteorologists. They were invented to make astrologists look good." --Hey! THAT remark wasn't remotely funny!

Anyway, great info on the inner workings of a USCG cutter, complete with pictures for anyone interested!

Monday, June 21, 2004 @ 09:30 AM CST [link]

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day! Have a beer, watch a game, take your kids someplace special--or make your kids take you someplace. Enjoy your day!

Sunday, June 20, 2004 @ 10:17 AM CST [link]

Back from "Vacation"

After spending a week in Wisconsin, I'm convinced that the mosquito is the state animal, state bird, and, quite possibly, the state plant. Ugh! The things are vicious, not only in their tendency to swarm and attack in force, but in their sadistic habit of biting in the worst places. Places like between your toes or on your knuckle. Or on your butt so you can't scratch without looking like a weirdo. Or smack dab in the middle of your forehead so you look like you have a big zit.

Yep, I love mosquitoes.

So anyway, the trip was interesting. On the way to the in-laws' place, my husband ran over a poor little shrew that was trying to cross the highway. Now I'm worried it had babies that are starving to death now. Yes, only I would worry about shrew babies.

Then we get there and my sister-in-law manages to get me a dentist appointment at the clinic where she works as a dental hygienist. Isn't it fun to go on vacation and have three cavities filled? Admittedly, I needed it done. I'm terrified of dentists and haven't been to one in YEARS (though I DO take care of my teeth, brushing and flossing twice a day,) and things were getting to the point where eating anything hot, cold, or sweet was painful. Now I only need one crown and two wisdom tooth extractions, and my dental work will be done. Let's see if I can procrastinate for another 9 years...

We did get to see two movies while we were there. Don't bother seeing Van Helsing. It was terrible! Hugh Jackman was yummy as usual, but the rest of the movie was garbage, right down to the sappy ending that must have been embarassing for Hugh to watch later.

We also saw Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Not sure what to say about that one. I think Alison says it best. I agree with a lot of what she had to say, though the strange thing is that despite all its flaws, I liked the movie better than the first two. Well, maybe not better than the first one, but I have to say, the acting has improved A LOT since the first Harry Potter movie. Especially Emma Watson's acting. She was dreadful in the first movie, but I really liked her in Azkaban.

I think I liked Azkaban (movie) because I didn't like the book, so it was nice to not have to bother with reading the story. In fact, I haven't liked any of the books except the first one. The writing is too episodic, too monotonous, and too predictable. Yes, I realize that they are children's books. But I still grew so frustrated with the writing that I tossed the third book before I'd even finished it.

I believe that part of the problem with this third movie (other than the change of directors) is that the first two movies, like the first two books, had "stand-alone" qualities to them. The third book and movie felt more like they were the first part of a continuing series. In the first two movies, the entire story could be told within the framework of the film without being confusing or without leaving anything from the novels out, but with Azkaban, suddenly it seems like a lot of elements had to be included to make future movies make sense--which made Azkaban itself NOT make as much sense.

I have a feeling that much of the story would have made more sense and worked better had crucial scenes/elements not landed on the cutting room floor, but then, I don't know for sure. It's just that the movie felt a little choppy, a little unfinished, which is often an editing issue. Maybe in a DVD extended version the movie will be smoother--much like the extended version of The Lord of the Rings and The Two Towers was helped by the addition of cut and created scenes, though in those cases the story was enhanced rather than completed by the added scenes.

Okay, so we saw movies. We visited with family. We had lots of food. Then we came home to our cats. One cat was so happy to see us after a week that she clung to me like Velcro. Velcro-Cat, we call her. She hasn't left me alone since we got home. She's on my lap right now.

The other cat, Felicks--the one that we have to keep doped up with anti-anxiety medication--had practically gone feral. It took half an hour to coax him out of his hiding place, and when we did, he acted insane for hours. In fact, he's still not right--yowling, pacing, skittish. He was severely traumatized by our absence. We'd separated the cats because he tends to beat on the other cat when we aren't around or when he isn't on his meds, but it's apparent that we can't separate them again.

NO ONE can tell me that cats are so independent that they don't need company, which I've always believed but of which I am now entirely convinced. Cats form strong bonds with other animals and with people, and they stress when they are separated from their family. We knew the cats would be lonely--and we made sure someone would come in to check on them and maybe keep them company--but we didn't think they would suffer SO much. We definitely won't leave them like that again!

Okay, I must go catch up on blogs and email!

Friday, June 18, 2004 @ 11:36 AM CST [link]

Hit and Run

I'm not at home right now. Nope. I'm in Wisconsin visiting the in-laws. The first couple of days were...interesting. And by interesting I mean CRAZY. But today it looks like things are going to settle down, and Bryan and I will take our son to see the new Harry Potter movie. I'm pretty excited!

I also JUST finished up edits for an LSB novel, so now I can relax until we get home on Thursday. At that point, the move preparations begin. Ugh!!!!

Monday, June 14, 2004 @ 10:21 AM CST [link]

Duh

Scientists figure out what dog lovers have known for years...

Study: Dogs Understand Human Language

Thursday, June 10, 2004 @ 12:04 PM CST [link]

A New Record

I'm a slow writer. Very slow. On a good day I might write 5 pages but even that is rare, and what I do write is usually crap. I have to go back later and do a lot of revisions.

But yesterday I wrote 9 pages! 9 decent pages! And I wrote them in about 3 hours, which is about how long it usually takes to write 3 pages. Granted, I don't sit for 3 hours at a time and do nothing but write--I tend to surf the web, answer emails, watch TV, wander aimlessly about the house, etc., but still...I'm slow. But not yesterday! Yay!!!

I also managed to get a little work done for the new job I started a little while ago, editing for Liquid Silver Books. But, like writing, I'm a slow editor and critiquer. I just can't zip through anything. I have to be obsessively thorough. I'm also brutally picky, though some of my critique partners have me beat in the brutal department! (Yeah, you know who you are! )

Anyway, I have NO doubt whatsoever that I will become the Editor From Hell, the one everyone complains about and who no one wants to edit their novel. It will happen, guaranteed. I try to be tactful and respect the author's voice. But I also don't let anything slide. I'm going to be annoying a lot of authors, I think, because I don't care if they get rave reviews on everything and everyone thinks they're great. There is always room for improvement.

So it's only a matter of time before an author whose work I tore apart screams, "I've sold 50 novels and they've gotten good reviews, so obviously I'm doing something right! You have no idea what you're talking about!"

Oh, joy. I can't wait!

Tuesday, June 08, 2004 @ 10:14 AM CST [link]

I'm Spike!

Okay...but I'm not manic!

Still, when I've taken this test before (just not the Buffy version,) I did come up with the same "Self-Preservation Seven."

But I'm not manic!

You are Spike! Or, Type Seven of the Enneagram's
personality structure: THE GENERALIST. You are
accomplished, impulsive, excessive and manic.

Monday, June 07, 2004 @ 08:41 AM CST [link]

Tornado Chart

What to do if you see a tornado bearing down on you. Very informative.

Sunday, June 06, 2004 @ 09:22 AM CST [link]

WE GOT IT!!!!

The house! We got it! Our very first house.

It's brand-spanking new, and still needs to be completed. But it'll be done by the time we get to Mississippi on July 4th, and it'll have a fenced back yard with NO neighbors to the rear--ever. The wooded area behind the house is considered wetlands and is protected. So the rear will be totally private.

And I'll have a den!
Woo hoo! Well, it's actually the dining room, but since the breakfast nook is sizeable and we only have one dining table, the formal dining room is going to be the den.

Here's a shot of the living room, which I really like.

And I'm THRILLED about the tub in the master bath. Oh, I can see that being used A LOT!

Yay! Can't wait to move now!

Saturday, June 05, 2004 @ 11:11 AM CST [link]

The Larissa Curse Gene

As if there was any doubt about whether or not my son inherited my "weird-luck gene," the question was answered last night.

Brennan is seven years old. Seven. And in those seven years he's been to the emergency room four times. Three of those four were in the last year. And three of those four were for the same thing--deep eyelid/brow lacerations.

Now, I'm not the kind of mom who freaks out every time my kid gets hurt. My attitude is that if it ain't squirting arterial spray or no bone is showing, quit crying and get over it. But these head wounds Brennan is prone to always need stitches.

So that's how we spent last night. At the Charlevoix hospital with staff I've come to know on a first-name basis. Brennan will now have a new scar on his brow--one that is about 1/4th an inch above an old scar caused by the same thing; slamming his face into wooden furniture. Twice that furniture has been what we've come to know as "The Coffee Table of Death." Last night's injury was a result of tripping over one chair and hitting another. Sigh.

Thing is, I somehow KNEW it was going to happen. All the conditions were right for such an event: 1. Bryan was gone. 2. Full moon. 3. It was bedtime. 4. I was exhausted. 5. I looked like a scrounge.

So as I'm brushing my teeth, I get this strange feeling that Brennan was going to hurt himself and we were going to end up at the hospital. Again. In my head I actually pictured him falling and heard him cry. I hurriedly spit my toothpaste out to tell him to come into the bedroom, but before I could say anything, I heard his scream. I was not surprised when he ran into the room, blood streaming from his eyebrow.

The routine began. Direct pressure on the wound, get dressed, climb into Jeep, back out of driveway, let go of steering wheel because by now the Jeep knows its way to the hospital all by itself.

They're going to have to dedicate a wing to us.

Oh! And guess what? We put in a bid on a house this morning! I'm waiting on pins and needles to see if we get it. Right now the buying market is crazy where we're moving to because it's "move season" for the military, so Air Force and Navy people are buying up houses all over Ocean Springs. The house we're bidding on is brand new, not even finished yet, and it's already had offers turned down, so we know there are people wanting it. Wish us luck! (Because heaven knows I need it!)

Friday, June 04, 2004 @ 09:53 AM CST [link]

Project Greenlight

The screenplay competition started by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Project Greenlight, has announced its top 6 Screenplays. Six out of 4212! Way to go, Misha!!!! The door to Hollywood has been thrown wide open!

Oh, and there's a new myth over in Doggie Bag. *shakes head* The things people believe...

Wednesday, June 02, 2004 @ 08:51 AM CST [link]

The Knight and the Dragon

I just love these things!

Once upon a time, there was a moist knight named Bryan, who, by his valiant passion, saved the kingdom from the semi-firm dragon and bounced the princess in the nick of time. He rode his cheeky duck from the throbbing mountain upon which the kingdom was built, journeying into the unknown. He was cheery and did not stop for fear the dragon would lick them all.

By and by, he came to a giant cheese which blocked his path. He stopped and curdled harshly to himself. Then, summoning his shadowy indifference, he flitted the cheese out of his way and continued onward.

At last, he reached the erotic hobbit hole of the bristly dragon. The dragon writhed at his approach. They fought archly. The battle was slimy and quivering, raging a whole year, until at last, the knight seized the dragon by the manhood and swallowed him in the armpit. The princess was grateful, and the knight stripped her over his shoulder and returned to the king. The two promptly chilled, and they lived stupidly ever after.

Tuesday, June 01, 2004 @ 09:07 AM CST [link]