Still Bleh

P. played nice in B.'s room while B. was at school, so I took an hour long nap. Still a bit sleepy though. I still plan on getting some writing in, even if just a few lines. Off to hopefully make some progress...

Bleh

Husband and I seem to have come down with a bug. Sick no fun. :-(

Poetry Update

I've had two batches of poetry out. One I'm officially labeling as "assumed rejection" as I sent a follow-up email two months ago and still haven't heard back. The other batch I received a rejection for today. Ah well. Moving on. You could probably guess what one of my goals for next week will be.

Poll Reminder

You have until Tuesday to vote on the name of my creature!

 

Poll on sidebar.  ===>

 

All votes are anonymous.

Movie Quote

I rediscovered this quote recently. Must watch the movie again. Very uplifting. This is from Patch Adams.

 

All of life is a coming home. Salesmen, secretaries, coal miners, beekeepers, sword swallowers--all of us.
All the restless hearts of the world...all trying to find a way home. It's hard to describe what I felt like then. Picture yourself walking for days in a driving snow. You don't even know you're walking in circles--the heaviness of your legs in the drifts;
your shouts disappearing into the wind. How small you can feel. How far away home can be. Home.
The dictionary defines it as both a place of origin...
and a goal or destination. And the storm? The storm was all in my mind. Or, as the poet Dante put it...
"ln the middle of the journey of my life I found myself in a dark wood...for I had lost the right path."
Eventually I would find the right path...but in the most unlikely place.

Tuesday Tally and other updates

EotF Update

total words to date: 89,801

pages: 397

chapters revised: 0/21 (draft 4)

 

T.C. Status

word count: 443

 

Previous Goals:

• two scenes for T.C. - still struggling. need smaller baby steps 
• name my new sea creature (Leviathan replacement) - vote on sidebar 
• work with B on letters and crafts on school days he has off for Spring Break - very productive :) 
• get book on Ley Lines from B&N - looked, but they don't have any in store. would have to order :( 

Goals for next week:

• write a minimum of one paragraph (or 10 lines dialogue) every day toward T.C. 
• send out Blazing Princess again 
• find good website on albinism      

 

Yes, I missed a day in blogging. Almost three months before missing one though; good streak. It was recently brought to my attention that having multiple scenes with both Isaida and Indil was confusing, so I'm changing the name Indil. I've narrowed it down to two replacements: Gale and Gaelin. Very similar, I know. But which to use? Here's his description if you'd like to pitch in your thoughts.

 

The Fey male formerly known as Indil:

Sylph (air fey). Pale blue eyes. To quote Yensid, "His hair was long, reaching just past his shoulders, and very light, almost silver, pulled back in a ponytail, held in a clasp that reflected the light shining into the clearing. Shoulders broad, waist thin, covered in loose clothing the color of the sky. His hands were long and pale, gesturing gracefully. "

 

I realize I am awful at beginnings. They take me forever! Once I started writing it, I took three months to write the first chapter of EotF, another seven months for chapter two. The rest averaged out at a chapter a month. I spent a lot of time world-building and doing character profiles. I'm tempted to procrastinate by doing a lot of research for T.C. (real world setting = intimidation) . But at the same time, I know most of the story isn't dependent on setting or research. My plan has been to check facts and work in details after I have a first draft to work with. If I decide to research some along the way, that's fine, but I need to get into my book if I'm to finish a first draft this year.

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has a good Easter Sunday.

Busy day! But here's some more Q&A

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

161. Would you still love and stay with your signifigant other if he or she had to have a breast or testicle removed? yes

162. Do you believe in fate or free will? yes. can the two not coexist? we have free will to move within our fate, to accept it or to fight it. paths are chosen for us, but we are not forced to follow them.

 
163. Do you believe that only boring people get bored? I believe everyone gets bored at some point.

164. Can life change or are we all stuck in vain? life can change, as can people. I have to believe that.

165. What changes are you afraid of? becoming homeless, getting fat, death of a loved one

166. Are you a day person or nocturnal? I love sunlight, but I thrive at night.

167. What one CD could you listen to for an entire week (no mixed CD’s, it must be an album)? Hayley Westenra's Pure (to name one of a few that would answer this question)

168. Which is worse, working in retail, food service, or an office? food service

169. What's the coolest job you ever had? working at a library

170. What is one central idea that your thoughts seem to come back to? that I should be better, stronger, smarter, more diligent

171. Have you ever wanted to be an actor/tress? no (unless when I was very young and don't remember it)

172. If you had the power to control one person and make this person do anything you wanted for a whole day, who would you pick and what would they do? better that I not be given that power… people have free will for a reason. (is that a cop out answer? maybe)

173. What star sign are you and what is your sign like? Sagittarius – idealistic, spiritual, optimistic, plans (but not necessarily follow through), desires travel, imaginative, generous, romantic. enjoys tracking down mysteries and exploration.

174. Did the Blair Witch Project scare you? haven't seen it

175. Are you in constant fear of death? no

176. Does fear of death keep you from building a life? no. it's fear of other things that encumber me

177. Do you like all your movies to be in wide-screen? yes

178. Are you a fan of any comic books? Serenity comic books.

179. At what age did you attend your first funeral? The earliest I can remember is my Aunt Robin's funeral, but I'm not sure how old I was, or if that really was the first I'd attended.

180. What do you smell like (lotion, cologne, sweat)? cucumber melon lotion

181. What are your greatest sources for wisdom? books

182. When you were little, where did your parents tell you babies come from? I don't remember. lol

Lots more Q&A!!

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

139. What do you think is the most amazing thing that anyone has ever accomplished? Christ's atonement

140. What could a member of the opposite sex do to impress you? remember things about me that I've only mentioned in passing

141. About how many emails do you get a day? lots – most subscribed for newsletters and mailings, few actual personalized emails
How many of those emails are junk mail? most
How many of them are forwards? a couple

142. What's your favorite thing to do online besides write in your diary and hang out at this site? read blogs

143. Do you believe Kurt Cobain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Cobain) killed himself or was it a conspiracy? I'm not familiar with the issue at all, and don't want to do research to come to an opinion on the matter.

144. Have you ever thought about hitchhiking across the country? absolutely. when dreaming as a teenager, and having no desire to drive, how else would I plan on traveling?

145. Who would you bring with you on this kind of a road trip? If I'm hitchhiking, I'm going alone.

146. Of the following, which word best describes you: accurate, bold, charming, dependable. charming (I hope)

147. If you are single, at about what age do you think you will be ready to settle down and get married? If you are married, how old were you at the time? I was 19 when I got married.

148. Do you often wonder, when you say goodbye to people, if it is the last time you will ever see them? no. I like to be optimistic about it.

149. What movie are you most looking forward to seeing when it comes out? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

150. What is your quest? to write books that will influence people as the ones I read influence me

151. What is louder and more annoying: 200 adults talking or one four-year-old screaming? the screaming child. much harder to block out.

 

152. Do you believe the stories about planes, boats and people mysteriously disappearing into the Bermuda triangle? I believe there is an element of truth in it. I'm sure not as many as have "been reported", but too many for coincidence.

153. Who are you the most jealous of? there are aspects of people's lives that I am jealous of, but I do not want to trade lives with them. everyone has their own demons.

154. What is the happiest way you can start your day? extra time cuddling with my hubby, snuggled down under the warm blankets, with my son either still sleeping or quietly watching tv

155. Do you ever have moments where you feel like everything is all right in the world? yes. but there are also moments where despair reigns

156. Who thinks that you are offensive? no one that I know of. do you?

157. If you had to teach a class in something, what would you be able to teach people? poetry. though I don't consider myself a good teacher.

158. Have you ever had a spiritual experience (an experience that cannot be explained by science)? multiple times

159. Do you believe that this experience was truly mystical or do you think there is some scientific explanation for it, only you don't know what it is? God works under natural laws. he knows and uses a higher science. that doesn't make it any less mystical.

160. Do you get offended easily? no

Politics, Jacuzzis, and Life

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

 

122. How do you feel about women in politics? I have no strong feelings for or against. There are definitely women that make good politicians, and others that don't. Same as men.

123. Would you rather have an indoor Jacuzzi or an outdoor pool? I'd make more use of an indoor Jacuzzi.

124. What things are you interested in that you study or read about on your own? mythology, wonders of the world (Stonehenge, Easter Island, Chaco Canyon, Bermuda Triangle, etc.)

125. Would you consider yourself to be intelligent? no. my IQ is good, but my common sense is … lacking. I definitely have my blonde moments.

126. Would you consider yourself to be wise? no. I don't think things through enough.

127. Have you ever given or received a lap dance? yes. not a professional one though

128. Have you ever spoken to a homeless person? not that I can recall

129. Would you ever creep into the subway tunnels to go exploring? before I was married, I'm sure the answer would have been yes. I was much more spontaneous and exploring when I didn't have a son and husband to worry about me.

130. If you could add 70 years to your life but only by making some random person die 70 years sooner would you? 70 years is a long time. I don't want to live an extra seventy years (assuming we are adding it to the average seventy year life span).

131. Can you finish any of the following lyrics?
A: Nothing to kill or die for... clueless
B: Late comings with the late comin' stretcher... ??
C: I could make a film and make you my star... what are these songs??

I guess that makes my answer "no."

132. Were you ever with someone while they died? only a character in a book

 
133. Would you rather be a world political leader or a rock star? rock star. much easier decisions.

134. Have you ever given someone a love letter that you wrote? yes

135. Have you ever sent someone a surprise though the mail? yes

136. Are you looking forward to any concerts right now? I'm looking forward to the Celtic Woman concert coming here next month, but doubt I will be going. :-(

 

137. Of all animated movies, which is the best one you've ever seen? I've seen so many good animated movies. I don't think I could label one as the best. TMNT was great, but so was Shrek, Titan A.E., Quest for Camelot, Spirit… I have lots of favorites. Ooh, I was wrong. There is a best. Just reminded by a look on my shelf: Over the Hedge. That movie is awesome! Great humor, great music, and such a true look at human life. One of the few movies I haven't tired of after B watched it frequently.

 

138. What are the best bands or songs to listen to while driving? NA, don't drive

Unicorn

What Kind of Unicorn are YOU? (no, really..its cool- with graphics!)

You're a unicorn of a different color. You're your own person...err, unicorn, andyou aren't afraid to be different. Go you! Unfortunately, you are also utterly insane.
Take this quiz!

Tuesday Tally, Trace Adkins, and Parenting

EotF Update

total words to date: 89,801

pages: 397

chapters revised: 0/21 (draft 4)

 

T.C. Status

word count: 443

 

Previous Goals:

• exercise 3x - I did it! Now to continue doing it...
• write more in T.C. - not much, but progress
• list of research books for T.C. - found a couple I want, but found some awesome comprehensive websites to replace some I planned to get 

Goals for next week:

• two scenes for T.C.
• name my new sea creature (Leviathan replacement) 
• work with B on letters and crafts on school days he has off for Spring Break
• get book on Ley Lines from B&N   

 

I've recently started listening to music by Trace Adkins since watching him on Celebrity Apprentice. He is so modest, everyone loves him, and even his opponents can't find anything bad to say about him. I love Trace and really hope he wins. Anyway, I'm not a fan of country music in general, but I do like Trace's songs. This one I found on YouTube and just have to share. Absolutely touching. I dedicate this viewing to my parents. I love you Mom and Dad!

 

Trace Adkins - Then They Do

 

Speaking of parents, B finally calls me Mommy! He's been able to say the word for a while now, but would only say it to repeat his dad when I'm not around, never to my face. We'd tell him "say Mommy" and all he'd do is smile or say "bobba", when we know he can say it right. This weekend we finally got him to say it to me, and he's been using it since. It makes me all warm and bubbly to hear it.

Monday Poem

This is a poem I wrote about three years ago. I love you B!

 

 

Cherished Child

 

A noise awakens me in the night;

My one-year-old son’s cry.

Silently I enter his room,

Rub his back and sing a lullaby.

 

I sing to him of love unending,

Of how I’ll always be there

Watching over and protecting,

As I dry his face of tears.

 

And though he drifts off back to sleep,

I stay by him a moment more—

Thanking God for giving me

This child I cherish and adore.

Geeky Fun

Update on gaming problem: I found the option to slow down the cursor/rotation speed, which has helped greatly. I can now play for greater periods of time. No nausea, and only a minor headache after playing for multiple hours. I made some good progress in game today. :-)

 

46% Geek

Struggling to play my game

Today I started to play the adventure game "Return to Mysterious Island." So far, great game - looks great, sounds great, good premise, like the interface. But one big problem - it's first person, and the screen moves with my cursor. It gives me motion sickness (or more specifically, simulator sickness). I really want to play this game, but can only handle it in short spurts or the headaches and nausea will persist long after I stop. This is the reason I don't play first person shooters. Sadly, more adventure games are getting going the "realistic" route as well.

 

I found a great article on simulator sickness, found here.

A New Name

I'm leaning toward Anton as a new name for Adolf (from Trinity Coven). My husband is right. As much as I like the name Adolf, it has too much baggage. The Heidrich brothers were all going to have animal meaning names, but I've had to stray from that to keep to their alphabetical naming. Ah well. Better to get used to a name change while in the early stages, then mid-book or in rewrites.

Cat Cartoons

This artist is talented. These are so great!

 

 

Also by the same guy.

 

Answering more Q's

5,000 Questions... My answers so far...

 

101. What does happiness/joy feel like physically? energy, uncontrollable smiles, and toe wiggles

102. List five people you love starting with the one you love the absolute most.
A. My husband
B. My son
C&D. Mom and Dad
E. my siblings (I will not pick one above the rest. I may be closer to some, but that does not mean I love the others less.)

103. How many movies have you gone to see this month? haven't seen any this month, but saw "Jumper" last month

104. If you could have 3 wishes...but none of them could be for yourself, what would you wish for? relatives to be out of debt, friends to not be alone, and the homeless to be cared for

105. In what ways do you relax and de-stress when you are really tense? go for a walk, read a book, take a nap; not always in that order

106. How much money would it take to get you to drive to school naked in the springtime and get out of the car? no amount of money would overcome my inability to drive, therefore the naked part of the question is nil

107. Have you ever killed an animal? no. and I don't know if I could even if I was starving.

108. Have you ever lost someone close to you? I've had relatives die, but no one I was close to. I've lost close friends in other ways though.

109. What do you think of cloning? I'm fine with cloning body parts for replacement, but cloning an entire human or animal… My mind just can't wrap around how that would work. You can't clone a soul.

110. Do you read or watch TV more often? Toss up. I read lots, but I also have my regular shows. I think the scale tips different ways throughout the year. Throw video games in the mix, and the other two are no competition. Though I love my books.

111. With all this talk of terrorism going around are you willing to sacrifice rights and freedoms for increased safety? To a degree. I've been watching the tv show Jericho, and it's scary to see how quickly how "for your safety" can become a prison.

112. What is the punishment you would come up with for Osama Bin Laden if you caught him alive? bury him alive. actually, I don't know. that one just popped into my head.

113. Have you ever named an individual part of your body? no

114. Have you ever been on the radio or on TV? not that I know of

115. Have you ever won a lottery, or sweepstakes? I've won drawings, but nothing huge

116. Have you ever won a contest or competition? yes, I have won a few contests on Writing.com

117. Do you like to watch The Joy of Painting show with Bob Ross (check out this link if you don't know who he is. Also please note me if you notice the link is broken) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross_(painter)? Yes. watching him is so calming, and I'm in awe at his talent.

118. Do you know what your grandparents and your great grand parents did for a living? uhh… I'm sure I've been told at one point, but I have an awful memory, and it's not something I've had to remember…

119. Is there anything really interesting in your family history? My grandfather was in World War II.

120. Is there anyone you trust completely? absolutely completely? no. I have too many insecurities. heck, I don't even trust myself completely.

121. Have you ever lost someone without having the chance to say goodbye? as in they died, no. as in never seeing or hearing from them again, despite trying to keep connected? yes.

Tuesday Tally

EotF Update

total words to date: 89,801

pages: 397

chapters revised: 0/21 (draft 4)

 

T.C. Status

word count: 307

 

Goals for next week:

• exercise 3x
• write more in T.C. 
• list of research books for T.C. (Stonehenge, Chaco Canyon, etc)   

 

My goal for this month is to finish chapter one of Trinity Coven. And I may need a new name for one of my main characters if I am not to be forever mocked by my husband.

Alphabet

Thanks to Nikki for mentioning Starfall.com in her blog. B loves it! It's a site for learning sounds and reading. We've been going through the alphabet on there and B does his best to sound out all the letters and repeat the words. He'd sit on my lap all day and look at the site if he could. I always have to distract him when I'm ready to stop. I'm glad he enjoys learning. Hopefully by the time he turns five he'll be a good talker.

Birthday Party

We kept B's party simple. A four year old doesn't need organized games and strict routine. My cousins and their kids, who said last minute they would come, ended up not showing. Not a bad thing. There were still eight young kids including B.

 

My mom bought helium balloons and let all the kids have one. B quickly chose a purple one. There was lots of running around with balloons.

 

Once the kids started gathering, we got out Play-Doh. After I made B a bunny, everyone else wanted one too. :-) While they played, I called and ordered eight $5 medium one topping pizzas from Pizza Hut. They gave me an estimate of 20 minutes for pickup (hah! should never have believed that). My husband took one of my sisters and went to pick up our order.

 

Side story here. I ordered our pizza about 10:45 AM. Pizza Hut was barely open, so I believed their estimate. J (hubby) went in and they were so disorganized! The ONE person who knew how to use the cash register had run to the bank. Since J paid with cash, they finally figured out how to open it at least and give him his two cents change, but if we were paying with check or credit card who knows how long the other employee would be gone. They did give J a free 2-liter soda for the long wait. Then later we found out that they had given us an extra cheese and one less sausage pizza. Oh well. Wasn't going to call and complain (even though she did repeat my order to me on the phone). Anyway, back to the party...

 

Once the pizza arrived, we cleaned up and ate. Drinks were simple - we brought lemonade only, so no worrying if everyone will have enough of the drink they want. Most everyone likes lemonade, and if they don't they could have water. Simple. It also made it nice not cluttering the table with four different drinks. Just one open bottle at a time.

 

After pizza I herded the kids downstairs to watch "Panda Go Panda! Rainy Day Circus" (went with our circus train theme). B didn't sit down and watch, but he's seen it a million times. Most of the other kids were glued to the TV though. The show was 35 minutes.

 

After the show we moved back upstairs, had B open his presents (more clothes than toys, yay!). My mom had found a train conductor's hat which B put on immediately. He even said thank you for his presents. :-)

 

We ended with cake (spice cake, with circus animals and a mechanical train that actually moves around the track) and handing out favors (boxes of animal crackers). B was so worn out by the time we left (just after 2pm). We thought he'd fall asleep on the drive home, but he resisted. He needed a nap though, so as soon as we got home he was put in bed. About fifteen minutes later, he slept. We were worn out too, so we all took a long nap.

 

After nap, we gave B our present - an "I Spy" puzzle game for preschoolers. He certainly enjoyed his birthday.

Happy Birthday B!

My son turned four years old today. He had a great birthday. Wore everybody out! I'll write details tomorrow. :-) Have a great weekend!

Progress!

I wrote in Trinity Coven yesterday! Mostly dialogue, as that's what comes easiest to me. I figure once I get into it I can go back and fill out the description. What I finally had to do was bring a notebook in while I watched my son take a bath - no procrastinating, no computer or tv distractions, just a splashy kid to dodge water from. I rarely write longhand, but sometimes a change is just what I need.

Party Planning

B's fourth birthday is on Saturday. I've been doing last minute planning. Nervous in the fact that more people will be there than I was expecting. And this is my son's first actual birthday party (tradition I'm taking from my own family - party every four years). Also the first party I've been the main planner on. I should have consulted more with my hubby. We live and we learn. Keeping my fingers crossed that the party goes well. The main thing is that B has fun.

Mister Independent

B is still liking to help with cooking and household stuff, but now I have to keep a close eye on him. Instead of simply following directions, he takes a more proactive approach.

 

Take making muffins for example. I get out the box, B has it opened and scissors out of the drawer before I get out a mixing bowl. I intercede with the scissors, and he pours in the mix. I get out the rest of the ingredients - milk, vegetable oil, and eggs. While I am measuring the milk, B removes the cap from the oil and I intercede just before he pours who knows how much into the bowl. I let B pour in the milk, then measure the oil while he wipes some of the milk off the table. I open the egg carton. I crack one egg, and B starts hitting another against the table, luckily not fully breaking it before I take it from him. (Also thankfully uses two eggs, not one, in the recipe.) B did a good job mixing it up.  To prevent him from attempting to pour the results in the muffin cups, I let him lick the spoon while I finished up.

 

Also to keep a close eye on - B's desire to cut his own slice of cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich. Some things are not compromise-able. And I think he hurt his fingers taking my toast out of the toaster this morning... Few things are still out of his reach.

T.T. postponed

Don't feel like blogging today. :-p

Submission Update

Well, I no longer need advice on my question yesterday. I got my reply from Drollerie Press. They have passed on my story, but the response was very encouraging and personal - said what she liked about it and the specific reason it was rejected. I'll give the story another read through, and send it out elsewhere.

=)

To Inquire? Or to wait a few days?

The Drollerie Press website now states: "If you have not yet received a response for your submission sent prior to January 1, 2008, please inquire." I sent them The Blazing Princess on Dec. 31. So, it's definitely before Jan. 1... but just barely. I got a response same day noting they had received my submission, so I know they got it. Thus, the question. Should I inquire, or wait a week before doing so?

The Best "Apologize" Music Video

 

Video by Aaron Platt, www.aaronplatt.com. Song is "Apologize", by One Republic.