The soccer season is usually over the first weekend in November, but thanks to Tropical Storm Lee and the Snowstorm of October, we ended up having two games for each kid this weekend.
Both kids' teams had some pretty big obstacles this year. For Number Two, they had a new coach whose mom died a couple of weeks into the season, so she missed a lot of practices. They'd lost four players and taken on a couple of new ones, and the weather canceled a lot of practices. They had a really hard time meshing. But last week and this week they really came together. They'd gained confidence and comfort with each other, and played hard, coming up with enough wins to finish in second place in their division. The detail Number two is proudest of is Goals Against. She and her co-goalie held 7 opponents to a total of 7 goals.
Number One had different challenges. She had the same coach she's had since fifth grade (he's the best coach in the world, I swear!), but because of a big dropoff in participation at this level, they cobbled together a U19 team that had one senior, a handful of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, and three 8th graders. Most of the girls hadn't played together, and they faced the same scheduling issues. Number One missed one game due to a groin pull and ankle injury, and was hobbled in others for the same reasons. Yesterday (Saturday), they played with only 7 players against 9 on a field sized for 11 on a side. They didn't win any games, didn't even score more than one goal all season, but they never gave up, never backed down. Today they played fiercely against an overly aggressive team. I'm incredibly proud of them and so glad Number One had the opportunity to play.
Number Two is in fine shape (though she might be sore tomorrow), but Number One is pretty battered. Yesterday she played in goal and was magnificent, but she had a "save" blocking the ball with her abdomen, which now hurts when she sneezes, coughs, or laughs, and tweaked a hamstring. The hamstring wasn't much of an issue today because she got kicked in the kneecap, so that pain overwhelmed the hammy. She can barely walk tonight. But she wears her injuries as badges of honor, so who can complain? She can rest for the next six weeks, until indoor soccer starts. :)
The blog tour continues! Today (Monday!) I'll be at Rosalie Lario's blog, where I talk about why I set my books where I do, and at Rachel Firasek's blog, participating in her month of thanks with a thank-you letter to my mom, who died long before she got to see me reach this level of success.
Tonight (Monday! I'm really messed up writing this post at midnight-ish) I'm doing a radio interview with BK Walker at 6:00 p.m. EST. Tell your friends, and come give a listen!
Now I am off to bed, visions of my Patriots' win over the Jets dancing in my head. :)
Showing posts with label Soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soccer. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Supernatural and Soccer and Scrambling
What did you think of last night's episode of Supernatural? I did a recap and review over at Supernatural Sisters. Come chat!
This is going to be a super-busy weekend. We have two soccer games today, followed immediately by a managers' dinner for my husband's work. Two more soccer games tomorrow, one of them an hour away, plus family coming over so we have to do housecleaning in the morning. But this is the LAST soccer weekend! We can start sleeping in on weekends again, and I can use them to catch up on all the work I didn't get done during the week.
Actually, things have slowed down a bit. My promotional commitments are spread out so I don't feel so scrambly. (You can find me at Paranormal Romantics tomorrow and Rosalie Lario's blog [check out her gorgeous new cover today!] on Monday. Monday I also have a thank-you letter posted Rachel Firasek's blog on Monday. She's doing a whole month of thank-yous, and some of them have been heart-wrenching. You should go read them.
My client work is steady but I'm not under an outrageous (self-imposed!) deadline. I'm awaiting some edits on one book and a revision letter on another, but while I wait for those, I have to put a pause on writing the third goddess book, just in case they think I went off the rails on book 2. So I actually have some time to hang out! Kind of. I'm at least going to try to check in on the blogosphere and do some catching up there.
Now that I've thoroughly jinxed myself, I'm off to the soccer game!
This is going to be a super-busy weekend. We have two soccer games today, followed immediately by a managers' dinner for my husband's work. Two more soccer games tomorrow, one of them an hour away, plus family coming over so we have to do housecleaning in the morning. But this is the LAST soccer weekend! We can start sleeping in on weekends again, and I can use them to catch up on all the work I didn't get done during the week.
Actually, things have slowed down a bit. My promotional commitments are spread out so I don't feel so scrambly. (You can find me at Paranormal Romantics tomorrow and Rosalie Lario's blog [check out her gorgeous new cover today!] on Monday. Monday I also have a thank-you letter posted Rachel Firasek's blog on Monday. She's doing a whole month of thank-yous, and some of them have been heart-wrenching. You should go read them.
My client work is steady but I'm not under an outrageous (self-imposed!) deadline. I'm awaiting some edits on one book and a revision letter on another, but while I wait for those, I have to put a pause on writing the third goddess book, just in case they think I went off the rails on book 2. So I actually have some time to hang out! Kind of. I'm at least going to try to check in on the blogosphere and do some catching up there.
Now that I've thoroughly jinxed myself, I'm off to the soccer game!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Keeping-Your-Sanity Tip of the Day
If you have a bottle of dish detergent—the hand-wash-dishes-in-the-sink kind—and it's almost empty, and the top of the bottle is little so you can't set it on the counter upside down, and you decide to set it in a cup so you can efficiently and frugally use every last drop of soap in the bottle—eventually—and finally you do use the last drop and now the cup is dirty...
Well.
Be warned. If you put that cup as is into the dishwasher?
You're gonna wind up with suds all over your kitchen floor.
And it's gonna be on a day your kid's homework won't print on your printer, so you have to finally get around to running to Staples to get new ink for her own printer, while it's raining and putting on a spectacular lightning show.
On the same day that same kid's soccer practice was called halfway through due to that same lightning, throwing off your entire schedule.
If you're lucky, you'll have a husband willing to stand in the kitchen for over an hour, watching the dishwasher while you run another cycle, because the leakage was just so odd, with it being mostly suds, and you found no obvious problem with the door or drain, but the unit is so freaking full of soap...
So just save yourself the trouble and rinse out the damned cup.
Well.
Be warned. If you put that cup as is into the dishwasher?
You're gonna wind up with suds all over your kitchen floor.
And it's gonna be on a day your kid's homework won't print on your printer, so you have to finally get around to running to Staples to get new ink for her own printer, while it's raining and putting on a spectacular lightning show.
On the same day that same kid's soccer practice was called halfway through due to that same lightning, throwing off your entire schedule.
If you're lucky, you'll have a husband willing to stand in the kitchen for over an hour, watching the dishwasher while you run another cycle, because the leakage was just so odd, with it being mostly suds, and you found no obvious problem with the door or drain, but the unit is so freaking full of soap...
So just save yourself the trouble and rinse out the damned cup.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
I Swear, I'm Atrophying
I've been working so hard, yet sitting all week. In my car an hour or two a day. At my work desk for 7 or 8 hours, many of them nonstop. Then, after a brief burst of running around that burns no calories at all, several more hours at my desk in my home office.
If I'm lucky, I lie on a couch or bed for 42 minutes and 37 seconds to watch a TV show with my husband. That happened once this week, I think.
My arms and shoulders ache because their range of motion is about 30 degrees. My hips and legs ache from the pressure of so much sitting. The only thing that doesn't hurt are my feet, except when—
Oh, yeah. I did have 8 hours of frantic activity when I worked therapy on Monday and Wednesday mornings. So my feet hurt then. I guess the aching is more intermittent than it seems.
The phone is ringing, yet it's not here on my desk where it's supposed to be. So I'm not answering it. That'll teach 'em.
I did manage to get a little exercise yesterday. Twenty minutes of walking to and from the City Islanders stadium, with 2 hours of sitting on bleachers in the middle. We went to watch a "friendly" match against our affiliate MLS team, The Philadelphia Union. After a dirty second half and a bench-clearing shoving incident, they called the game with no stoppage time.
There was a very cool element to the game. Since the game was a special, non-league-season game, they had general admission, so the fans were all mixed up, with season ticket holders together with the unwashed masses. One of the defensive captains, Dustin Bixler, has been out most of the season due to a knee injury and surgical repair, and he ended up right next to me!
It was pretty funny. This woman had been holding space in our area for, like, 10 people. Right before kickoff, they finally showed up. This guy in a team jersey starts to step into our row. I glance at him, and he looks familiar. (I just now realized why it took me a few seconds to recognize him—he was clean-shaven!) I glance down at his...knee, and see a brace. My eyes shoot back up. OMG, it's Bixler! One of our favorite players!
I look at Number Two, who's watching the field, not the stands. When I make Significant Eyes at Number One, however, she's making Significant Eyes back at me. He passes us and stands on the bench next to me. I lean and tell Number Two who it is. She looks up and widens her expression into Significant Eyes, then covers her mouth to hide her excited giggle. (She's so going to hate me for saying she giggled.)
A little while later, a fan asks us to pass a beer to Captain Bixler. Number One hands it over to me, and I hand it up. Later, she tells me the whole time she was going, "I'mHoldingHisBeer I'mHoldingHisBeer I'mHoldingHisBeer."
It was fun being near Bixler and his insider friends. They were full of affectionate snark directed at their teammates. My favorite was "Where are you going, Schofield, at 300 miles an hour."
The guys all call each other by nicknames, and the fans have picked up on those. So we call them Schoey (Schofield), Pellie (Pelletier), Callie (Calvano), etc. When one of the players on the field called Hotchkin "Hotchie," I told Number Two I was going to ask Bixler if they call him Bixie. She forbade me, though if he'd ever sat down and brought his ear within six feet of my mouth, I'd have done it.
It's funny, the giddiness of being near a local celebrity. This is a very minor league team, in a very minor city, and it's not like we don't have access to the players if we want it. They hang out on the field after every game to sign autographs, and go to a local pub to mingle with fans afterward. They even coach kids' soccer. But it still added a dimension to the experience that we enjoyed.
Okay, time to get back to work. Yes, sitting at my desk. Maybe tomorrow I'll find time to exercise...
If I'm lucky, I lie on a couch or bed for 42 minutes and 37 seconds to watch a TV show with my husband. That happened once this week, I think.
My arms and shoulders ache because their range of motion is about 30 degrees. My hips and legs ache from the pressure of so much sitting. The only thing that doesn't hurt are my feet, except when—
Oh, yeah. I did have 8 hours of frantic activity when I worked therapy on Monday and Wednesday mornings. So my feet hurt then. I guess the aching is more intermittent than it seems.
The phone is ringing, yet it's not here on my desk where it's supposed to be. So I'm not answering it. That'll teach 'em.
I did manage to get a little exercise yesterday. Twenty minutes of walking to and from the City Islanders stadium, with 2 hours of sitting on bleachers in the middle. We went to watch a "friendly" match against our affiliate MLS team, The Philadelphia Union. After a dirty second half and a bench-clearing shoving incident, they called the game with no stoppage time.
There was a very cool element to the game. Since the game was a special, non-league-season game, they had general admission, so the fans were all mixed up, with season ticket holders together with the unwashed masses. One of the defensive captains, Dustin Bixler, has been out most of the season due to a knee injury and surgical repair, and he ended up right next to me!
It was pretty funny. This woman had been holding space in our area for, like, 10 people. Right before kickoff, they finally showed up. This guy in a team jersey starts to step into our row. I glance at him, and he looks familiar. (I just now realized why it took me a few seconds to recognize him—he was clean-shaven!) I glance down at his...knee, and see a brace. My eyes shoot back up. OMG, it's Bixler! One of our favorite players!
I look at Number Two, who's watching the field, not the stands. When I make Significant Eyes at Number One, however, she's making Significant Eyes back at me. He passes us and stands on the bench next to me. I lean and tell Number Two who it is. She looks up and widens her expression into Significant Eyes, then covers her mouth to hide her excited giggle. (She's so going to hate me for saying she giggled.)
A little while later, a fan asks us to pass a beer to Captain Bixler. Number One hands it over to me, and I hand it up. Later, she tells me the whole time she was going, "I'mHoldingHisBeer I'mHoldingHisBeer I'mHoldingHisBeer."
It was fun being near Bixler and his insider friends. They were full of affectionate snark directed at their teammates. My favorite was "Where are you going, Schofield, at 300 miles an hour."
The guys all call each other by nicknames, and the fans have picked up on those. So we call them Schoey (Schofield), Pellie (Pelletier), Callie (Calvano), etc. When one of the players on the field called Hotchkin "Hotchie," I told Number Two I was going to ask Bixler if they call him Bixie. She forbade me, though if he'd ever sat down and brought his ear within six feet of my mouth, I'd have done it.
It's funny, the giddiness of being near a local celebrity. This is a very minor league team, in a very minor city, and it's not like we don't have access to the players if we want it. They hang out on the field after every game to sign autographs, and go to a local pub to mingle with fans afterward. They even coach kids' soccer. But it still added a dimension to the experience that we enjoyed.
Okay, time to get back to work. Yes, sitting at my desk. Maybe tomorrow I'll find time to exercise...
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Suck It, Apple!
So you all know about my iPod being stolen, right? And how much I miss it?
I promise, this is the last time I'll post about this! :)
So seven or so years ago, I guess, my husband bought me an iPod photo for my birthday. In 2007ish, the battery died. No Apple stores around here, so I sent it in for a new battery for around $63. They don't actually install a new battery and send it back, they send you a refurbished unit. Which is all nice and shiny and unscratched and everything, but the battery failed again 6 months later, which totally pissed me off.
What pissed me off more was that Apple wouldn't just replace the battery again, because of the icon I was getting. It was the same icon as before, but it could indicate hard drive failure, so they would charge me over $300. Frak that, I could get a new iPod classic for $189. So I did.
And, as you know, it got stolen last week. I hope Vicki is enjoying Pottercast and Jason Manns. Bi***.
Anyway!
I was also pissed at Apple because they never notified me of a recall on my laptop, even though I'd bought it directly from them and registered it. When the logicboard failed, I was lucky that it was one month before the recall expired, and I sent it in to get repaired for free. Guess what? Six months later it failed again, and they charged me an outrageous amount of money to replace it again.
Clearly, I have a love/hate relationship with Apple.
My iPod Classic lasted three years without needing a battery change or any other repair, by the way, even though I dropped it three times on ceramic tile, chipping the plastic front of the case.
ANYway, geez, digress much?
My wonderful husband loaned me his iPod, which was excellent because with the NFL lockout ending, I was withering without my podcasts. Seriously, when I started listening again, I was like an outdoor plant in August being taken inside and doused with water. I am sooooo refreshed.
But it was a temporary solution, and I feel guilty every minute I'm using it, even if he wouldn't be at the time. So I thought of something else. I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier!
I called Batteries Plus about replacing the battery in the iPod photo. I almost hung up when I asked if they could and he scoffed. "No. They won't let us touch 'em." After I pushed a little and explained that the iPod photo *is* an older generation and that I did *not* mean the iPod Touch, we established that he had a battery in stock.
It is now in my iPod! For only $31 and change!
I also got some Apple Cores. I never saw these before. They're awesome! One is wrapped up in the cassette adapter in my car, and another the dock that I will once again be charging my iPod in.
Add the 2,000 words I've already written today, and the fact that I made a new Twitter friend who loves Wes Welker as much as Shannon Stacey and I do, and I'm flying high!
Back to Heavy Metal, followed by City Islanders soccer watched online and reading of Ghost Story, which I have to devour because even only 90 or so pages into it, I MUST KNOW THE END RIGHT NOW OMG.
"Yep. Gooood day."
I promise, this is the last time I'll post about this! :)
So seven or so years ago, I guess, my husband bought me an iPod photo for my birthday. In 2007ish, the battery died. No Apple stores around here, so I sent it in for a new battery for around $63. They don't actually install a new battery and send it back, they send you a refurbished unit. Which is all nice and shiny and unscratched and everything, but the battery failed again 6 months later, which totally pissed me off.
What pissed me off more was that Apple wouldn't just replace the battery again, because of the icon I was getting. It was the same icon as before, but it could indicate hard drive failure, so they would charge me over $300. Frak that, I could get a new iPod classic for $189. So I did.
And, as you know, it got stolen last week. I hope Vicki is enjoying Pottercast and Jason Manns. Bi***.
Anyway!
I was also pissed at Apple because they never notified me of a recall on my laptop, even though I'd bought it directly from them and registered it. When the logicboard failed, I was lucky that it was one month before the recall expired, and I sent it in to get repaired for free. Guess what? Six months later it failed again, and they charged me an outrageous amount of money to replace it again.
Clearly, I have a love/hate relationship with Apple.
My iPod Classic lasted three years without needing a battery change or any other repair, by the way, even though I dropped it three times on ceramic tile, chipping the plastic front of the case.
ANYway, geez, digress much?
My wonderful husband loaned me his iPod, which was excellent because with the NFL lockout ending, I was withering without my podcasts. Seriously, when I started listening again, I was like an outdoor plant in August being taken inside and doused with water. I am sooooo refreshed.
But it was a temporary solution, and I feel guilty every minute I'm using it, even if he wouldn't be at the time. So I thought of something else. I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier!
I called Batteries Plus about replacing the battery in the iPod photo. I almost hung up when I asked if they could and he scoffed. "No. They won't let us touch 'em." After I pushed a little and explained that the iPod photo *is* an older generation and that I did *not* mean the iPod Touch, we established that he had a battery in stock.
It is now in my iPod! For only $31 and change!
Add the 2,000 words I've already written today, and the fact that I made a new Twitter friend who loves Wes Welker as much as Shannon Stacey and I do, and I'm flying high!
Back to Heavy Metal, followed by City Islanders soccer watched online and reading of Ghost Story, which I have to devour because even only 90 or so pages into it, I MUST KNOW THE END RIGHT NOW OMG.
"Yep. Gooood day."
Monday, July 18, 2011
A Smaller, Better World
Log on to the Internet on any given day, and you're likely to find an article or blog post about how bad the Internet is. We (and our kids) are spending too much time on our computers, too little time outdoors or interacting with other people, absorbing damaging material, blah blah blah. I sometimes feel bombarded by it, and it sinks into me, leaving a greasy, sick feeling that I'm a bad person.
And then the U.S. women's soccer team loses the World Cup.
"Congrats Japan" trended on Twitter to #2 that I saw, and well over 100 new tweets were loading every minute. Hundreds of thousands (millions?) of people were not only bonding over the experience of watching a tremendous competition, they were being good sports. Obviously, winning a soccer game isn't going to magically fix the challenges Japan has faced and is still facing, or the repercussions worldwide, but the whole thing raises morale, and the positivity seeps into everything else. And without Twitter (and all the other social media and Internet-based tools that make instantaneous communication worthwhile), the ripples wouldn't go nearly as far.
Anyone reading this post knows the power of the Internet. It allows millions of dollars to be raised in a matter of hours, for aid to victims of natural disasters everywhere. Via the Internet, regular people can team up with their favorite celebrities to go to Haiti to build schools. When a woman tragically loses a husband and finds herself a single mother of four kids, her friends thousands of miles away can mobilize to organize an auction, drawing donations and bidders on a scale unheard of when all we could do was put cans on convenience store counters for loose change.
All of that isn't even touching the smaller ways it connects us, like when I got an e-mail from my Hawaiian cousin I'd never met.
Any technology has the power to be used for good or bad, but I would far rather dwell on the ways it changes the world for the better. This weekend, I watched it happen, and it made my day brighter.
And then the U.S. women's soccer team loses the World Cup.
"Congrats Japan" trended on Twitter to #2 that I saw, and well over 100 new tweets were loading every minute. Hundreds of thousands (millions?) of people were not only bonding over the experience of watching a tremendous competition, they were being good sports. Obviously, winning a soccer game isn't going to magically fix the challenges Japan has faced and is still facing, or the repercussions worldwide, but the whole thing raises morale, and the positivity seeps into everything else. And without Twitter (and all the other social media and Internet-based tools that make instantaneous communication worthwhile), the ripples wouldn't go nearly as far.
Anyone reading this post knows the power of the Internet. It allows millions of dollars to be raised in a matter of hours, for aid to victims of natural disasters everywhere. Via the Internet, regular people can team up with their favorite celebrities to go to Haiti to build schools. When a woman tragically loses a husband and finds herself a single mother of four kids, her friends thousands of miles away can mobilize to organize an auction, drawing donations and bidders on a scale unheard of when all we could do was put cans on convenience store counters for loose change.
All of that isn't even touching the smaller ways it connects us, like when I got an e-mail from my Hawaiian cousin I'd never met.
Any technology has the power to be used for good or bad, but I would far rather dwell on the ways it changes the world for the better. This weekend, I watched it happen, and it made my day brighter.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Soccer Sunday
So much soccer going on right now!
Number Two and her father were watching the women's World Cup match today, and kept sucking in me and Number One, though we were trying to get ready to go see the City Islanders play. They were only five minutes into the first overtime (USA down 2-1) when I couldn't stand it anymore. They'd paused the game for a while and were behind, and I couldn't stand not knowing what happened, but I didn't want to miss kickoff of the CI game. Soccer live is so much more fun than soccer on TV!
So I went into Number Two's room, where she had ESPN 3 queued up. I was just going to check the score, but they had a live stream, and when I clicked it, I saw they were at 123+ minutes and tied! So we lingered to watch the penalty kicks. It was so hard to scream and boo silently, especially when it was over and we'd won. I actually hurt my throat a little without making a sound. LOL
The CI game wasn't so exciting, though it was a good game overall. We tied in the first few seconds of stoppage time, but then the weirdest game ending I've ever seen happened. We were driving toward the goal. The referee started to blow his whistle just as we shot, and scored. It sounded like he was whistling a foul, but he was whistling the end of the game.
Which you are NOT supposed to do in the middle of a play on goal. That's like declaring a football game over while a pass is still in the air, or a basketball game as the player shoots the winning basket. Part of what makes soccer exciting is that you never know when the game will be over. Control is fully in the referee's hands.
I've never seen the players react so violently to anything. Half a dozen got in the ref's face, shouting, and the fans were screaming, and yellow and red cards flashed. I have no idea who got the red card. One of the coaches came to lead the ref away from the players, who subsided a little, but were justifiably furious.
I'm sad that there are only four home games left!
Number Two and her father were watching the women's World Cup match today, and kept sucking in me and Number One, though we were trying to get ready to go see the City Islanders play. They were only five minutes into the first overtime (USA down 2-1) when I couldn't stand it anymore. They'd paused the game for a while and were behind, and I couldn't stand not knowing what happened, but I didn't want to miss kickoff of the CI game. Soccer live is so much more fun than soccer on TV!
So I went into Number Two's room, where she had ESPN 3 queued up. I was just going to check the score, but they had a live stream, and when I clicked it, I saw they were at 123+ minutes and tied! So we lingered to watch the penalty kicks. It was so hard to scream and boo silently, especially when it was over and we'd won. I actually hurt my throat a little without making a sound. LOL
The CI game wasn't so exciting, though it was a good game overall. We tied in the first few seconds of stoppage time, but then the weirdest game ending I've ever seen happened. We were driving toward the goal. The referee started to blow his whistle just as we shot, and scored. It sounded like he was whistling a foul, but he was whistling the end of the game.
Which you are NOT supposed to do in the middle of a play on goal. That's like declaring a football game over while a pass is still in the air, or a basketball game as the player shoots the winning basket. Part of what makes soccer exciting is that you never know when the game will be over. Control is fully in the referee's hands.
I've never seen the players react so violently to anything. Half a dozen got in the ref's face, shouting, and the fans were screaming, and yellow and red cards flashed. I have no idea who got the red card. One of the coaches came to lead the ref away from the players, who subsided a little, but were justifiably furious.
I'm sad that there are only four home games left!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
My Favorite Part of Summer
I blogged yesterday about one of my favorite parts of summer, going to City Islanders games with my kids. Number Two told me to post it here, too, but I'm just linking to it.
The Islanders had a game last night, the first game in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup, and continued their time-honored tradition of losing for 85 minutes, then tying, and winning in stoppage time. So we go back next Tuesday! We've made the quarterfinals for the last two years, getting dumped by DC United, so expectations are high.
What's your favorite part of summer?
The Islanders had a game last night, the first game in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup, and continued their time-honored tradition of losing for 85 minutes, then tying, and winning in stoppage time. So we go back next Tuesday! We've made the quarterfinals for the last two years, getting dumped by DC United, so expectations are high.
What's your favorite part of summer?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Catching Breath and Catching Up
I finally feel like I'm back to a normal schedule. I don't know if that means I'll be able to post here more often, or keep tabs on Twitter or Facebook, but I'll try. Here's some of the stuff I've been wanting to talk about but didn't have time:
Thursday, July 01, 2010
My July
July is my favorite summer month. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it has a holiday, which mattered back when I had an outside day job (and will again!). Maybe because June has the end of the school year, and August has the beginning, so July is the only truly open summer month.
Plus, July usually has great events, and this year is no exception.
This Saturday is another City Islanders game. This one is regular season, but it's more exciting after we beat the MLS NY Red Bulls on Tuesday, in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. We've got one win in the regular season (6 losses, 4 ties), so as much as I love watching the guys, it's less exciting when you expect to not win. But in Open Cup play, it's been awesome. The Red Bulls had won 8 games at a much higher level than we play at, and slaughtered their competition in open cup play. We didn't expect much, but it was an awesome game.
Next week Number One and I go to New Jersey for the Salute to Supernatural. We're still annoyed that this is the ONLY convention Jared and Jensen refused to sign up for, but since they started filming this week, they'd have canceled anyway, and that would probably have been worse. We'll be with my good friends Megan and Lori, so we'll have a great time.
After that, I've got:
Hersheypark with the kids and their cousins, and my SIL, on July 13
Paperwork at new job on July 14
Training at new job on July 15
Start new job July 19
Next Open Cup game against DC United on July 21 (and a few more home games along the way)
Lamenting not attending the RWA National Conference July 28-31
How's your July looking?
Plus, July usually has great events, and this year is no exception.
This Saturday is another City Islanders game. This one is regular season, but it's more exciting after we beat the MLS NY Red Bulls on Tuesday, in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. We've got one win in the regular season (6 losses, 4 ties), so as much as I love watching the guys, it's less exciting when you expect to not win. But in Open Cup play, it's been awesome. The Red Bulls had won 8 games at a much higher level than we play at, and slaughtered their competition in open cup play. We didn't expect much, but it was an awesome game.
Next week Number One and I go to New Jersey for the Salute to Supernatural. We're still annoyed that this is the ONLY convention Jared and Jensen refused to sign up for, but since they started filming this week, they'd have canceled anyway, and that would probably have been worse. We'll be with my good friends Megan and Lori, so we'll have a great time.
After that, I've got:
Hersheypark with the kids and their cousins, and my SIL, on July 13
Paperwork at new job on July 14
Training at new job on July 15
Start new job July 19
Next Open Cup game against DC United on July 21 (and a few more home games along the way)
Lamenting not attending the RWA National Conference July 28-31
How's your July looking?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
NPH and Dryers
I dreamed this morning that Neil Patrick Harris was trying to sell me a dryer at Montgomery Ward.
It was really Neil Patrick Harris, too, not some appliance sales guy who looked like him. I was surprised, of course, I didn't think he'd need to have a job like that, but then, I wouldn't think Aldis Hodge needed a Taco Bell commercial, either.
Anyway. He was really sweet and helpful and eager to sell me the dryer I really wanted but then I found out it was $1300 and I can't afford that. So I never bought a dryer, but I did get to hang out with NPH outside the job because he was lonely and friendly and that's always my fantasy with celebrities I like--that we can hang out like friends. No, that we can BE friends.
Which was why the Salute to Supernatural last year was so awesome. I feel like a geeky fangirl all the time, but Richard Speight Jr. and Gabriel Tigerman did not treat us like that, they hung out with us and talked to us like we're interesting people. Gabe even came back to the table after being lured away by others. Twice!
We're just over two weeks away from this years convention. Can you believe I didn't have it on my calendar? I'm finally getting excited. Still annoyed that Jared and Jensen are going to every friggin' other convention in the world but can't come see us. But they've posted the schedule and it's enhanced over last year. Bigger and better dessert party, official star presence at the karaoke party, including Richard. I don't know if I'll try to talk to him this year. I can't think of anything to talk about except how he told us to watch Open Water 2 because we see Eric Dane's butt and we actually see a whole lot more of Richard's! Or at least his character's.
Megan is a lot better at the small talk than I am.
Anyway.
Part of last night's dream was the dryer, which is going out and I really want a new one before it dies, because being without one for even a little while will suck, but we're not going to buy a new one until we have to. The problem is, I'm sure, the belt, which is replaceable but not by us, and it seems ridiculous to pay a repair person a few hundred dollars to fix a dryer that's 12+ years old. A new dryer would save us electricity $ in the long run, too.
I had an annual exam today that I had to reschedule. I thought they'd give me a hard time, but for the first time EVER they didn't. So the rest of my day looks like this:
1. Shower
2. Client edits
3. WIP
4. Toy Story 3 with kids and Nana
5. Dinner in the food court
6. City Islanders soccer
Since my phone call to the doctor's office went the opposite as expected, I'm being full-on positive today. I will get the edits done, write more than I did yesterday (10 page) on my WIP, get a request for a full manuscript, and have NO STORMS anywhere near the soccer game.
What's your day look like?
It was really Neil Patrick Harris, too, not some appliance sales guy who looked like him. I was surprised, of course, I didn't think he'd need to have a job like that, but then, I wouldn't think Aldis Hodge needed a Taco Bell commercial, either.
Anyway. He was really sweet and helpful and eager to sell me the dryer I really wanted but then I found out it was $1300 and I can't afford that. So I never bought a dryer, but I did get to hang out with NPH outside the job because he was lonely and friendly and that's always my fantasy with celebrities I like--that we can hang out like friends. No, that we can BE friends.
Which was why the Salute to Supernatural last year was so awesome. I feel like a geeky fangirl all the time, but Richard Speight Jr. and Gabriel Tigerman did not treat us like that, they hung out with us and talked to us like we're interesting people. Gabe even came back to the table after being lured away by others. Twice!
We're just over two weeks away from this years convention. Can you believe I didn't have it on my calendar? I'm finally getting excited. Still annoyed that Jared and Jensen are going to every friggin' other convention in the world but can't come see us. But they've posted the schedule and it's enhanced over last year. Bigger and better dessert party, official star presence at the karaoke party, including Richard. I don't know if I'll try to talk to him this year. I can't think of anything to talk about except how he told us to watch Open Water 2 because we see Eric Dane's butt and we actually see a whole lot more of Richard's! Or at least his character's.
Megan is a lot better at the small talk than I am.
Anyway.
Part of last night's dream was the dryer, which is going out and I really want a new one before it dies, because being without one for even a little while will suck, but we're not going to buy a new one until we have to. The problem is, I'm sure, the belt, which is replaceable but not by us, and it seems ridiculous to pay a repair person a few hundred dollars to fix a dryer that's 12+ years old. A new dryer would save us electricity $ in the long run, too.
I had an annual exam today that I had to reschedule. I thought they'd give me a hard time, but for the first time EVER they didn't. So the rest of my day looks like this:
1. Shower
2. Client edits
3. WIP
4. Toy Story 3 with kids and Nana
5. Dinner in the food court
6. City Islanders soccer
Since my phone call to the doctor's office went the opposite as expected, I'm being full-on positive today. I will get the edits done, write more than I did yesterday (10 page) on my WIP, get a request for a full manuscript, and have NO STORMS anywhere near the soccer game.
What's your day look like?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
This and That
I can't shut off the day-job copyeditor part of me when I read anything, and a couple of things have popped up lately that really disappoint me.
You don't hyphenate adverbs and adjectives, like "excellently-done."
When someone says "my skin regiment," I think they have a zombie army. It's regimen.
On the other side of things, a huge thank-you to Shannon Stacey for using "you've got another think coming" correctly! :)
~~~~~~~~~~
Number One and I saw The A-Team recently. We both LOVED it. She, of course, had no frame of reference for it, and while I have fond memories of loving the TV show, it was too long ago for me to actually remember a lot of details. So we just both thought it was awesome.
I've lost patience with certain reviewers, though, who apply the same complaints to every single action movie no matter what it is, and it's been completely false in many instances. I really dislike Michael Bay-type action movies, the ones full of destruction for destruction's sake. In fact, it was my biggest complaint about The Dark Knight. Long, extended chase sequences bore the heck out of me, and are usually replacements for true plot and relationship substance.
But the complaint did not in any way apply to Iron Man 2 (though other complaints did), which had like three fight scenes that were rather short. And it only barely applied to The A-Team. The thing about TAT's action sequences is that they were clever, and I love cleverness. You had to watch carefully to see how it all fit together, to try to predict what was going to happen next, rather than zone out while explosions follow flying parts follow punches and falls. And I thought they did an admirable job developing character. Sure, we didn't know much about any of them beyond the scope of teh movie's plot, but we don't NEED to know more.
Anyway, great movie, go see it. Oh, and yes, Bradley Cooper's abs are as advertised. And stay through the credits! You really don't want to miss the end thing.
~~~~~~~~~~
My husband had his identity stolen recently, by someone vying for "stupidest criminal on the planet." So far, we've found out about a Target card they tried to open (thwarted because Target is SMART and called my husband to verify), and a Verizon Wireless account. We know about the Verizon account because the confirmation of opening the account and the first bill came here, to our house.
What kind of half-a**** identity thief uses the correct mailing address? Does he not know or care that he'll get about a week's use of the phones before they get canceled? AND the phones could be used to trace him? He probably spent more time setting up the accounts than total minutes he got to use.
~~~~~~~~~~
I was in a cyclical funk on Tuesday, one of those hormonally driven slides into "everything sucks and me worst of all." I've got to remember, next month when it happens again, that the best cure is getting out of the house. As soon as the kids and I left for the City Islanders game--first round of the US Open Cup--my mood lifted.
It was an incredible game. The Islanders have only one win all season, and we missed it, being out of town. And last year they went deep into Cup play, beating two MLS teams before losing to DC United. Amazingly, they managed to tie it 2-2 before winning in overtime 4-2. We were in shock! But so excited to be able to hear "Apache," their victory song, on the way out of the stadium.
The only bad thing about the game was that overtime took us into Mayfly Massacre territory. Near the end of regulation play, they started descending from the lights and flying around us, occasionally alighting. It got worse during the first 15-minute overtime period. While Number One and I were in the bathroom between overtimes, Number Two came rushing in, as if the stands had been attacked. And they had! The bleachers were COVERED--literally!--with dead and dying mayflies. We stood at the rail for the rest of the game, doing the mayfly dance. Waving them away, shaking them off our clothes...I had a loose shirt on with a scoop neck, and I swear, half a dozen got into my bra (and back out again, luckily). It was horrible.
But so worth it! Regular game on Saturday, round two of the Cup on Tuesday, and we're dragging Nana along for her first non-grandchild soccer game. It's gonna be epic!
You don't hyphenate adverbs and adjectives, like "excellently-done."
When someone says "my skin regiment," I think they have a zombie army. It's regimen.
On the other side of things, a huge thank-you to Shannon Stacey for using "you've got another think coming" correctly! :)
~~~~~~~~~~
Number One and I saw The A-Team recently. We both LOVED it. She, of course, had no frame of reference for it, and while I have fond memories of loving the TV show, it was too long ago for me to actually remember a lot of details. So we just both thought it was awesome.
I've lost patience with certain reviewers, though, who apply the same complaints to every single action movie no matter what it is, and it's been completely false in many instances. I really dislike Michael Bay-type action movies, the ones full of destruction for destruction's sake. In fact, it was my biggest complaint about The Dark Knight. Long, extended chase sequences bore the heck out of me, and are usually replacements for true plot and relationship substance.
But the complaint did not in any way apply to Iron Man 2 (though other complaints did), which had like three fight scenes that were rather short. And it only barely applied to The A-Team. The thing about TAT's action sequences is that they were clever, and I love cleverness. You had to watch carefully to see how it all fit together, to try to predict what was going to happen next, rather than zone out while explosions follow flying parts follow punches and falls. And I thought they did an admirable job developing character. Sure, we didn't know much about any of them beyond the scope of teh movie's plot, but we don't NEED to know more.
Anyway, great movie, go see it. Oh, and yes, Bradley Cooper's abs are as advertised. And stay through the credits! You really don't want to miss the end thing.
~~~~~~~~~~
My husband had his identity stolen recently, by someone vying for "stupidest criminal on the planet." So far, we've found out about a Target card they tried to open (thwarted because Target is SMART and called my husband to verify), and a Verizon Wireless account. We know about the Verizon account because the confirmation of opening the account and the first bill came here, to our house.
What kind of half-a**** identity thief uses the correct mailing address? Does he not know or care that he'll get about a week's use of the phones before they get canceled? AND the phones could be used to trace him? He probably spent more time setting up the accounts than total minutes he got to use.
~~~~~~~~~~
I was in a cyclical funk on Tuesday, one of those hormonally driven slides into "everything sucks and me worst of all." I've got to remember, next month when it happens again, that the best cure is getting out of the house. As soon as the kids and I left for the City Islanders game--first round of the US Open Cup--my mood lifted.
It was an incredible game. The Islanders have only one win all season, and we missed it, being out of town. And last year they went deep into Cup play, beating two MLS teams before losing to DC United. Amazingly, they managed to tie it 2-2 before winning in overtime 4-2. We were in shock! But so excited to be able to hear "Apache," their victory song, on the way out of the stadium.
The only bad thing about the game was that overtime took us into Mayfly Massacre territory. Near the end of regulation play, they started descending from the lights and flying around us, occasionally alighting. It got worse during the first 15-minute overtime period. While Number One and I were in the bathroom between overtimes, Number Two came rushing in, as if the stands had been attacked. And they had! The bleachers were COVERED--literally!--with dead and dying mayflies. We stood at the rail for the rest of the game, doing the mayfly dance. Waving them away, shaking them off our clothes...I had a loose shirt on with a scoop neck, and I swear, half a dozen got into my bra (and back out again, luckily). It was horrible.
But so worth it! Regular game on Saturday, round two of the Cup on Tuesday, and we're dragging Nana along for her first non-grandchild soccer game. It's gonna be epic!
Monday, April 26, 2010
My Personal May Sweeps
I don't know why I always say October is my favorite month. I mean, it is, until the end of April, when I become giddy about May and all it will bring.
Besides the obvious (hopefully good weather, the best TV of the season, and the start of the summer blockbusters), I always have a series of events that allow me guilt-free selfishness. We have something awesome every weekend this year!
May 2 is my local chapter meeting, and it starts half an hour late than it used to, which means I don't have to miss the early soccer game or the meeting, or any parts thereof.
May 9 is Mother's Day.
May 13–16 is our annual writers retreat, and Number Two's last soccer game is the 16th, after the retreat ends, hallelujah.
May 21/22 we get to see my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, as well as my cousins and their new babies (and the adorable toddler brother) and my aunt and hopefully uncle and grandfather.
May 29 is a City Islanders game. The season started this past Saturday, but the next home game isn't until the third week in May (which we'll miss, but that's fine, more important stuff going on!). That is also Memorial Day Weekend, so there's that day off of work/school.
The not-so-great part of May? Well, May sweeps means the best TV (ideally), but it also means finales. Supernatural only has 3 episodes left, and by the end of the month, LOST will be done forever. :(
But that's a small thing in the grand scheme of awesome. What are you looking forward to this May?
Besides the obvious (hopefully good weather, the best TV of the season, and the start of the summer blockbusters), I always have a series of events that allow me guilt-free selfishness. We have something awesome every weekend this year!
May 2 is my local chapter meeting, and it starts half an hour late than it used to, which means I don't have to miss the early soccer game or the meeting, or any parts thereof.
May 9 is Mother's Day.
May 13–16 is our annual writers retreat, and Number Two's last soccer game is the 16th, after the retreat ends, hallelujah.
May 21/22 we get to see my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, as well as my cousins and their new babies (and the adorable toddler brother) and my aunt and hopefully uncle and grandfather.
May 29 is a City Islanders game. The season started this past Saturday, but the next home game isn't until the third week in May (which we'll miss, but that's fine, more important stuff going on!). That is also Memorial Day Weekend, so there's that day off of work/school.
The not-so-great part of May? Well, May sweeps means the best TV (ideally), but it also means finales. Supernatural only has 3 episodes left, and by the end of the month, LOST will be done forever. :(
But that's a small thing in the grand scheme of awesome. What are you looking forward to this May?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Taking a Breath
I finally have a moment to do so!
*inhales deep*
Wanna see what I've been doing around the web?
At Supernatural Sisters, I explained why I love the classic episode "Roadkill." (Classic as in "prior to season 4")
At the Gabwagon, I expressed my disappointment at how the RWA annual general meeting proceeded last Thursday.
Coming up, I get to be a guest at the fabulous Magical Musings, talking about how evolution of a career often brings you back to basics. And about how I type with my cat stretched across my wrists. That will be on Thursday, but check out their other great posts in the meantime. I love reading what those smart ladies have to say, though I confess to rarely having comments.
So. Taking a breath? Last week was of the "incredible that I made it through" variety.
Monday
I already posted about this. It was slightly better on Friday. I also have to work a couple of days this week, and I'm feeling more confident. Though the file I couldn't find was apparently where it was supposed to be, which made me feel dumb.
Tuesday
Harry Potter was excellent. Mostly. I'll do another post later that has spoilers, but don't want to bury them here. I think it was the most well done of all the movies, and so much better than the last one as far as cohesiveness and narrative flow. Most of the things they changed, I understood and thought they did well. A few didn't make sense why they changed them, and two big things bothered me a lot and made me afraid for the last movie(s). But, as I said, more later.
Wednesday
Tuesday, of course, ran into Wednesday. When teenagers go to sleep at 4:30 a.m. (ish), they don't really want to get up in the morning. I was aiming for home at noon, but got them all delivered by 1:00. Then I barely had time to get some work done before I drove to DC with Number One, who got to go to her first booksigning ever and meet authors who write the stuff she reads, not just people who are her mother's friends first, authors second. We had a nice dinner and some great conversation, and got home about 10:00 p.m.
Thursday
Up at 6 to drive back to DC with Misty Simon and Vicki Smith. It was a pretty smooth ride into DC, despite being rush hour (and just after) and we got to the hotel in plenty of time for the main meeting, which was half fiasco (see Gabwagon post). The rest of the day was awesome, though. I got to see a bunch of people (though not as many as I would have seen if I'd been attending the actual conference, which makes me sad, but maybe next year I can make it work!) and spend quality time with Agent Awesome. Cathy McDavid and Libby ICanNeverRememberHerLastName had their second annual wine party, which was tons of fun. I didn't want to leave, but finally forced myself to. We got home about 2:45 a.m.
Friday
More freelance work in a.m., outside work in p.m., birthday cake shopping that failed, birthday dinner that did not.
Saturday
Sleeping IN. More freelance work. Soccer game beach party.
Sunday
Two people ended up dropping by, one foreseen, one a pleasant surprise. I had a very nice visit, but spent so much time trying to get Number One's birthday present to work right that the freelance work delayed grocery shopping, which I now I have to do tonight while Number Two is at soccer practice. But the good thing is that, despite some running around and the tightness of scheduling that working outside causes, this week should be MUCH more breathable than last. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Funny Story of the Week:
I took my husband's car to DC, because it's a hybrid and bigger than mine, so more comfortable for passengers. The speedometer is lined up differently than mine is--that's my only explanation, unless it's flat-out wrong, because I had it on cruise and I never set it that high. Then there's the fluctuating speed limit on route 15. Not excuses--I deserved to be pulled over. Just reasons.
So it's 1:30 in the morning, three women in a car, all dressed up. He asks where we're coming from, I say DC. Asks if I'd had anything to drink. I said about "this much" wine, showing a couple of inches, a few hours before. It was actually that much twice, but in a small plastic cup--really less than a full glass overall, and I finished the last bit about...I don't know, 10:30? But of course he wouldn't take my word (and rightfully so) so guess what?
I got to do my first ever field sobriety test and BreathalyzerTM! Of course, I passed with flying colors. And get this--he gave me a warning for the speeding. That has NEVER happened to me before in my life.
Misty said it was the cleavage shirt.
*inhales deep*
Wanna see what I've been doing around the web?
At Supernatural Sisters, I explained why I love the classic episode "Roadkill." (Classic as in "prior to season 4")
At the Gabwagon, I expressed my disappointment at how the RWA annual general meeting proceeded last Thursday.
Coming up, I get to be a guest at the fabulous Magical Musings, talking about how evolution of a career often brings you back to basics. And about how I type with my cat stretched across my wrists. That will be on Thursday, but check out their other great posts in the meantime. I love reading what those smart ladies have to say, though I confess to rarely having comments.
So. Taking a breath? Last week was of the "incredible that I made it through" variety.
Monday
I already posted about this. It was slightly better on Friday. I also have to work a couple of days this week, and I'm feeling more confident. Though the file I couldn't find was apparently where it was supposed to be, which made me feel dumb.
Tuesday
Harry Potter was excellent. Mostly. I'll do another post later that has spoilers, but don't want to bury them here. I think it was the most well done of all the movies, and so much better than the last one as far as cohesiveness and narrative flow. Most of the things they changed, I understood and thought they did well. A few didn't make sense why they changed them, and two big things bothered me a lot and made me afraid for the last movie(s). But, as I said, more later.
Wednesday
Tuesday, of course, ran into Wednesday. When teenagers go to sleep at 4:30 a.m. (ish), they don't really want to get up in the morning. I was aiming for home at noon, but got them all delivered by 1:00. Then I barely had time to get some work done before I drove to DC with Number One, who got to go to her first booksigning ever and meet authors who write the stuff she reads, not just people who are her mother's friends first, authors second. We had a nice dinner and some great conversation, and got home about 10:00 p.m.
Thursday
Up at 6 to drive back to DC with Misty Simon and Vicki Smith. It was a pretty smooth ride into DC, despite being rush hour (and just after) and we got to the hotel in plenty of time for the main meeting, which was half fiasco (see Gabwagon post). The rest of the day was awesome, though. I got to see a bunch of people (though not as many as I would have seen if I'd been attending the actual conference, which makes me sad, but maybe next year I can make it work!) and spend quality time with Agent Awesome. Cathy McDavid and Libby ICanNeverRememberHerLastName had their second annual wine party, which was tons of fun. I didn't want to leave, but finally forced myself to. We got home about 2:45 a.m.
Friday
More freelance work in a.m., outside work in p.m., birthday cake shopping that failed, birthday dinner that did not.
Saturday
Sleeping IN. More freelance work. Soccer game beach party.
Sunday
Two people ended up dropping by, one foreseen, one a pleasant surprise. I had a very nice visit, but spent so much time trying to get Number One's birthday present to work right that the freelance work delayed grocery shopping, which I now I have to do tonight while Number Two is at soccer practice. But the good thing is that, despite some running around and the tightness of scheduling that working outside causes, this week should be MUCH more breathable than last. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Funny Story of the Week:
I took my husband's car to DC, because it's a hybrid and bigger than mine, so more comfortable for passengers. The speedometer is lined up differently than mine is--that's my only explanation, unless it's flat-out wrong, because I had it on cruise and I never set it that high. Then there's the fluctuating speed limit on route 15. Not excuses--I deserved to be pulled over. Just reasons.
So it's 1:30 in the morning, three women in a car, all dressed up. He asks where we're coming from, I say DC. Asks if I'd had anything to drink. I said about "this much" wine, showing a couple of inches, a few hours before. It was actually that much twice, but in a small plastic cup--really less than a full glass overall, and I finished the last bit about...I don't know, 10:30? But of course he wouldn't take my word (and rightfully so) so guess what?
I got to do my first ever field sobriety test and BreathalyzerTM! Of course, I passed with flying colors. And get this--he gave me a warning for the speeding. That has NEVER happened to me before in my life.
Misty said it was the cleavage shirt.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Summer Swampage
I am so swamped.
I'm not quite sure how it happened. Holiday weekends can be deceiving, I guess. They're undemanding, family-oriented, relaxing, etc. Then Monday comes, and blammo.
What I have to do this week:
*Finish Zoe (about 10k or so left)
*Edit two books for clients
*Format both books
*Judge contest entries
*Post to Gabwagon and Supernatural Sisters blogs
*Do short writeups for book sequels
*Prepare for chapter meeting on Saturday
That's just the work stuff. I have to squeeze it in between Number Two's percussion lessons and soccer training, tomorrow's City Islanders game in Maryland against DC United, and all the regular family/pet/household stuff that never goes away.
Next week gets even crazier, if you can believe it. So I'm keeping this short, because even though I've been working diligently for hours, I still have tons to do.
Wish me luck!
I'm not quite sure how it happened. Holiday weekends can be deceiving, I guess. They're undemanding, family-oriented, relaxing, etc. Then Monday comes, and blammo.
What I have to do this week:
*Finish Zoe (about 10k or so left)
*Edit two books for clients
*Format both books
*Judge contest entries
*Do short writeups for book sequels
*Prepare for chapter meeting on Saturday
That's just the work stuff. I have to squeeze it in between Number Two's percussion lessons and soccer training, tomorrow's City Islanders game in Maryland against DC United, and all the regular family/pet/household stuff that never goes away.
Next week gets even crazier, if you can believe it. So I'm keeping this short, because even though I've been working diligently for hours, I still have tons to do.
Wish me luck!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Oh, Well, Maybe Tomorrow?
I opened my WIP yesterday.
*pauses for recognition of momentousness*
Okay, okay, it's not all that momentous. But it's been two weeks, so it felt good to get into the story again. I barely had time to read through the last chapter and finish editing the parts I was editing, but I did do it. I was actually thinking I could finish by my self-imposed deadline of next Friday (it's a writer's group goals thing). 3,000 words a day is doable.
Then today happened.
And it was a good day, it just kind of...gobbled.
Had to get up at 7 for a soccer game at 9. Watched game (great game, despite the 1-0 loss, Number Two had some spectacular saves in goal). Took kids to get brunch, drove 45 minutes to game 2. Watched game. Cheered Number One when she stepped on field first time since MCL tear. Cheered again when she kicked ball. Stopped obnoxious behavior.
Wow, I must be tired. Look how I abbreviated my sentences more and more.
After 12:30 game (won 9-0), stopped to get lunch and drove to game 3, which was still Number One. We had about 15 minutes at home, enough time for her to ice her knee and declare it fine. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, but I forgot to sunscreen my arms and they burned, and I didn't spread the SPF broadly enough so burned my chest and neck a little. Serves me right for being lackadaisical. She won that game, too (5-1) and still felt fine when we got home (with gelati).
But then we had to go get my car that we'd left in the game 1 parking lot, and I was hungry (gelati's a cool dinner but not filling enough), and then I checked e-mail for the first time all day, and now it's 10:00 and maybe I'm getting old, or maybe it's just too difficult to shift my routine back to how it was 3 years ago when I know it's not strictly necessary, but I have no energy for writing.
You know what kind of effort it took to make all of those complete sentences?
*pauses for recognition of momentousness*
Okay, okay, it's not all that momentous. But it's been two weeks, so it felt good to get into the story again. I barely had time to read through the last chapter and finish editing the parts I was editing, but I did do it. I was actually thinking I could finish by my self-imposed deadline of next Friday (it's a writer's group goals thing). 3,000 words a day is doable.
Then today happened.
And it was a good day, it just kind of...gobbled.
Had to get up at 7 for a soccer game at 9. Watched game (great game, despite the 1-0 loss, Number Two had some spectacular saves in goal). Took kids to get brunch, drove 45 minutes to game 2. Watched game. Cheered Number One when she stepped on field first time since MCL tear. Cheered again when she kicked ball. Stopped obnoxious behavior.
Wow, I must be tired. Look how I abbreviated my sentences more and more.
After 12:30 game (won 9-0), stopped to get lunch and drove to game 3, which was still Number One. We had about 15 minutes at home, enough time for her to ice her knee and declare it fine. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, but I forgot to sunscreen my arms and they burned, and I didn't spread the SPF broadly enough so burned my chest and neck a little. Serves me right for being lackadaisical. She won that game, too (5-1) and still felt fine when we got home (with gelati).
But then we had to go get my car that we'd left in the game 1 parking lot, and I was hungry (gelati's a cool dinner but not filling enough), and then I checked e-mail for the first time all day, and now it's 10:00 and maybe I'm getting old, or maybe it's just too difficult to shift my routine back to how it was 3 years ago when I know it's not strictly necessary, but I have no energy for writing.
You know what kind of effort it took to make all of those complete sentences?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Where the H*** Have I Been?
I was thinking, "How did I keep up with blogging when I had a full-time day job?" Then I looked and...I didn't.
Speaking of blogs, go check out Romance University. They soft-launched today and start out next week with Brenda Novak. I'm a guest professor on 5/26.
My days seem unendingly busy. I finish an editing job, feel relief for about 3.2 seconds, and another one pops in. Which is great--everything is great, I really can't complain. But I'm exhausted.
Luckily, it's T-minus 33 hours and counting until the retreat! At which I won't be blogging, probably. But the break is most definitely needed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm tired of negativity. Especially about something as unimportant as TV. Yes, entertainment is vital, and yes, it's not unimportant to those who make their living creating it. But srsly, I just want to watch and enjoy, and not feel icky because other people I don't really know are whining about stuff I love.
Which is not a rant against them, they are entitled to say what they want. I just need to avoid it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the post I wrote yesterday but didn't get to upload until today:
I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day, despite pet problems and in-law invasions. No one deserves crap on the one day a year they get celebrated. Whether that crap is doggie diarrhea or passive-aggressive attacks on your character.
I had a fabulous day. I got breakfast made for me. It was funny--Saturday, on the way to the City Islanders soccer game, we saw that our very favorite bagel place is now open on Sunday. So I requested Bob's Bagels, and they drove over early...and found a sign on the door, "closed for Mother's Day."
I got a gift card for Amazon (hopefully--the store didn't activate it, so J's taking it back today) and the keyboard that shipped last night (hopefully it arrives before I leave for the retreat, but it's not looking good), and we had dinner at Passage to India after a gorgeous hike at the environmental site near the schools.
I also got to see Star Trek, which was so good I'm sorry I already saw it.
But let me back up. Friday night I dragged J to see Wolverine. It was great. Very well acted and structured, though I wanted a lot more Bradley, Wade, and Remy. I definitely want more Remy. I hope they do a Gambit movie next. Anyway, it was well done for a film that was basically rehashing everything we already knew, and the bit after the credits was shiver-worthy, well worth hanging around for.
Saturday we had soccer all day. The Islanders won again, which was cool. Even cooler was the Pittsburgh goalie getting red-carded. The goalie got a red card!!!!
I caught up slightly on TV this weekend, though I'm still way behind. It's okay, because the finale season makes me sad. Pretty much everything is over already, over this week, or ending next week/soon. The longer it takes me to watch, the longer I can stretch the season.
The Scrubs finale was perfectly done, though I'd have liked to see Cox's friend played by Brendan Fraser. I was very misty-eyed through most of it.
Alan Tudyk? Evil? Never thought he would make me so scared. Gah! But I love him more than ever.
So, back to Star Trek. I've never been much of a Trekkie. Casual fan. Never really saw the original, but absorbed enough to "get" the jokes/tropes/commonalities, etc. I did watch some TNG and all the movies. This one is by far the best of them.
First, I want to give kudos to the casting director and anyone else involved in that. It could not be more perfect. The only actor who didn't completely emulate a young version of his predecessor was Chris Pine as Kirk, and I can't say that a true fan wouldn't find him lacking, but I didn't. I didn't expect Karl Urban to do McCoy so well, nor did I think I could divorce Quinto from Sylar. It helped that I haven't watched Heroes for a couple of years, but even my husband, who still watches it, said he was perfect.
The plot made me squee. It connected the franchise with its past/future, grounded the characters and us in a new present, and set up a completely blank slate so they can do anything they want with additional movies.
The details were delightful. Accents and lines and mannerisms and the vastness of space, the relationships they established, the motivations...I don't know how they managed to do it all, but they did. And I have to admit, I never saw the red shirt coming. That's completely on me, because it's not like they didn't throw hints at us like darts. But the action was so very much modern adventure, all I could do was stare in exhilaration.
Anyway, go watch it. If this is at all your kind of movie, you won't be disappointed.
Speaking of blogs, go check out Romance University. They soft-launched today and start out next week with Brenda Novak. I'm a guest professor on 5/26.
My days seem unendingly busy. I finish an editing job, feel relief for about 3.2 seconds, and another one pops in. Which is great--everything is great, I really can't complain. But I'm exhausted.
Luckily, it's T-minus 33 hours and counting until the retreat! At which I won't be blogging, probably. But the break is most definitely needed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm tired of negativity. Especially about something as unimportant as TV. Yes, entertainment is vital, and yes, it's not unimportant to those who make their living creating it. But srsly, I just want to watch and enjoy, and not feel icky because other people I don't really know are whining about stuff I love.
Which is not a rant against them, they are entitled to say what they want. I just need to avoid it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the post I wrote yesterday but didn't get to upload until today:
I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day, despite pet problems and in-law invasions. No one deserves crap on the one day a year they get celebrated. Whether that crap is doggie diarrhea or passive-aggressive attacks on your character.
I had a fabulous day. I got breakfast made for me. It was funny--Saturday, on the way to the City Islanders soccer game, we saw that our very favorite bagel place is now open on Sunday. So I requested Bob's Bagels, and they drove over early...and found a sign on the door, "closed for Mother's Day."
I got a gift card for Amazon (hopefully--the store didn't activate it, so J's taking it back today) and the keyboard that shipped last night (hopefully it arrives before I leave for the retreat, but it's not looking good), and we had dinner at Passage to India after a gorgeous hike at the environmental site near the schools.
I also got to see Star Trek, which was so good I'm sorry I already saw it.
But let me back up. Friday night I dragged J to see Wolverine. It was great. Very well acted and structured, though I wanted a lot more Bradley, Wade, and Remy. I definitely want more Remy. I hope they do a Gambit movie next. Anyway, it was well done for a film that was basically rehashing everything we already knew, and the bit after the credits was shiver-worthy, well worth hanging around for.
Saturday we had soccer all day. The Islanders won again, which was cool. Even cooler was the Pittsburgh goalie getting red-carded. The goalie got a red card!!!!
I caught up slightly on TV this weekend, though I'm still way behind. It's okay, because the finale season makes me sad. Pretty much everything is over already, over this week, or ending next week/soon. The longer it takes me to watch, the longer I can stretch the season.
The Scrubs finale was perfectly done, though I'd have liked to see Cox's friend played by Brendan Fraser. I was very misty-eyed through most of it.
Alan Tudyk? Evil? Never thought he would make me so scared. Gah! But I love him more than ever.
So, back to Star Trek. I've never been much of a Trekkie. Casual fan. Never really saw the original, but absorbed enough to "get" the jokes/tropes/commonalities, etc. I did watch some TNG and all the movies. This one is by far the best of them.
First, I want to give kudos to the casting director and anyone else involved in that. It could not be more perfect. The only actor who didn't completely emulate a young version of his predecessor was Chris Pine as Kirk, and I can't say that a true fan wouldn't find him lacking, but I didn't. I didn't expect Karl Urban to do McCoy so well, nor did I think I could divorce Quinto from Sylar. It helped that I haven't watched Heroes for a couple of years, but even my husband, who still watches it, said he was perfect.
The plot made me squee. It connected the franchise with its past/future, grounded the characters and us in a new present, and set up a completely blank slate so they can do anything they want with additional movies.
The details were delightful. Accents and lines and mannerisms and the vastness of space, the relationships they established, the motivations...I don't know how they managed to do it all, but they did. And I have to admit, I never saw the red shirt coming. That's completely on me, because it's not like they didn't throw hints at us like darts. But the action was so very much modern adventure, all I could do was stare in exhilaration.
Anyway, go watch it. If this is at all your kind of movie, you won't be disappointed.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Quick Hits
My inbox is empty for the first time since, like, Thanksgiving. It gives me a huge amount of pleasure.
~~~
Not as much, however, as the news that Jason Manns is going to be at the Salute to Supernatural convention in Cherry Hill this March. Many of you won't believe me, but I am more excited about this than I am about anything else going on at the convention. I mean, seeing Jared Padalecki in person is great, and seeing my favorite angel and FBI agent and psychic is also excellent, but I've been dying to see Jason Manns live for years. That seemed a much more achievable thing, and is therefore less surreal than the rest of it.
~~~
Number One starts indoor soccer this Saturday. She's playing with the team that's playing in the U-15/16 league, which was a relief because they play at 10:45 or 11:30 each week, while the U-13/14 league starts at 6:30 in the morning. But I just found out sometimes she might be needed for that team. Pray we don't draw a 6:30 a.m. game, please!
~~~
I had a good, productive day today, though I need to top it off with an equally productive night. Wish me luck.
~~~
Not as much, however, as the news that Jason Manns is going to be at the Salute to Supernatural convention in Cherry Hill this March. Many of you won't believe me, but I am more excited about this than I am about anything else going on at the convention. I mean, seeing Jared Padalecki in person is great, and seeing my favorite angel and FBI agent and psychic is also excellent, but I've been dying to see Jason Manns live for years. That seemed a much more achievable thing, and is therefore less surreal than the rest of it.
~~~
Number One starts indoor soccer this Saturday. She's playing with the team that's playing in the U-15/16 league, which was a relief because they play at 10:45 or 11:30 each week, while the U-13/14 league starts at 6:30 in the morning. But I just found out sometimes she might be needed for that team. Pray we don't draw a 6:30 a.m. game, please!
~~~
I had a good, productive day today, though I need to top it off with an equally productive night. Wish me luck.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Friday Mix
A fellow soccer parent sent me this. I looked for attribution on the 'net but couldn't find anything convincing, so if you originated it, let me know. I do like to give credit where due. :)
I thought this was really funny. Particularly apropos items are in bold.
Is Your Kid's Soccer Taking Over Your Life?
You know it is if:
You know a few 6 year olds that are good but "lack focus".
You base the next purchase of your new vehicle on whether it will hold six kids, six soccer bags, and a portable goal.
You know every kid on every team your child has ever played on...but don't have a clue who their school mates are.
You feel lost when you have a free weekend.
You become a partner in a soccer store to save money.
You don't give your kids time-outs, you give them red cards.
You can rationalize spending $89 on the good cleats but won't spend $3 on a birthday card for your spouse.
You respond to the question, "How old are your kids?" with "I have a U8 and a U10".
You have to use a grandparent to take kid #1 to a tournament because Dad is at a different game with kid #2 and Mom had kid #3 two cities away in another tournament all in one weekend.
You find yourself missing the parents of your child's teammates during the off-season.
You wonder, "What's an off-season?"
You refuse to make any plans with your friends until you check your kids' soccer schedules.
You have been barred from the sidelines more than once. (I don't actually know anyone who has, though we do a lot of self-banning.
You have had the kids ask if Christmas is "home or away".
You yell at your kid to get up and shake it off, even after the ambulance arrives.
You need to budget for a new portable chair every year.
You have woken up in the middle of the night yelling "Get it out of there".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just finished a nonfiction project that had me delving pretty deeply into some current topics. I have come to two conclusions. Before this, I was, let's say, 94% convinced of their truth, but still believed there were exceptions. Now, if there's any optimism left in me, you'd need a microscope or maybe a gas chromatograph or something to find it.
1. All politicians suck. No exceptions.
2. There isn't even a semblance of objectivity in today's journalism. Everything is op ed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, HOW awesome was Supernatural last night?
I have a residual cough from my recent cold, and it tends to recur at night, and reclining on the couch irritates my lungs or something. Turns out, laughing's enough to stimulate a fit, and Dean nearly sent me into mechanical pneumonia.
I know I don't need to say it again, but...Jensen Ackles is a brilliant actor. He went from over-the-top goofiness with the girly scream and "that was skeery!" grin (which I had to pause while Number One and I collected ourselves, then rewind and watch again) to sheer, incredibly subtle terror when he saw Luther in the corner.
Of course, brilliance is easier when you're given brilliant lines and direction. No way to tell how much was him and how much was fed to him, but the basic writing, at least, was excellent. I looked up who wrote this episode, and was surprised to see two names I didn't recognize, Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin. This episode is the only true writing credit either has (according to IMDb, I didn't look beyond that). Color me even more amazed.
Let us not forget Jared Padalecki, who had to play straight man and did it as brilliantly as Jensen did the opposite. When his eyes flashed yellow at the end, it wasn't just the connotation that gave me a visceral gut reaction. His entire demeanor sent waves of shock (and, okay, I'll admit it, heat!) through me.
Then there's Bobby, who's such a Mary Sue (Japanese!) but you can't hate him for always knowing the answer. And they brought back Sierra McCormick, who's so good she makes me forget she's a little girl. I adore when she calls Dean "silly goose."
And we can't forget the supporting players off screen, those responsible for filming in light that shows us how green Jensen's eyes are and framing Jared so perfectly, and the gorgeous shot of the valley the mill is in, and the amusingly horrifying way Luther's head pops off and dissipates into smoke, as well as the white/green effect of Sam's eyes that tell us it's a hallucination with just a hint of doubt.
Kudos, too, for infusing a show meant to evoke laughter with such poignancy. Luther and his brother John won't get the credit they deserve (except from equally obsessive fans like me), but my heart broke for the poor guy when he cradled the kitten, and when they were pushed to do the same horrible thing to him that had been done when he was alive.
Megan, David Mattey/Luther is 6'10"!!! Who knew someone could dwarf Sam, never mind toss him around like a rag doll?
Man, I love this show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week, a friend called, and asked why I was down that day. I blamed the base of my mood on the Patriots' huge loss the night before, which she really didn't understand. I get where she's coming from. I think "geez, people, it's just a game!" on a regular basis. But whether they win or lose DOES have a lingering effect on me, so I couldn't help exploring why.
I came up with identity. Your sports team is part of what makes you, you. It's often about pride of place, about connecting to the region that raised you. If you still live there, it's community. Shared goals and needs, bonding and making connections with people you might otherwise absolutely despise, except for this thing you have in common. If you've moved away, it's an anchor or a touchstone, something that connects you to where you came from, makes you belong. Some people chose their team for a different reason, maybe because a beloved family member liked that team, or a boyfriend/girlfriend, or because you moved to that area at some point in your life and it has meaning because of that connection.
Not everyone needs that, and many people find it in different things. But for those of us who like competition (and you all know I'm muy competitive!) and have forged this connection for one reason or another, it sinks deep into us. And anything that is that strong is going to have a powerful effect on emotion or mood.
If you didn't "get it" before, you still won't, and that's okay. It's just a thing. Sometimes, I have a need to exposit. :) If you "get it" but have a different idea, or disagree, feel free to say so!
And Go, Pats!
I thought this was really funny. Particularly apropos items are in bold.
You know it is if:
You know a few 6 year olds that are good but "lack focus".
You base the next purchase of your new vehicle on whether it will hold six kids, six soccer bags, and a portable goal.
You know every kid on every team your child has ever played on...but don't have a clue who their school mates are.
You feel lost when you have a free weekend.
You become a partner in a soccer store to save money.
You don't give your kids time-outs, you give them red cards.
You can rationalize spending $89 on the good cleats but won't spend $3 on a birthday card for your spouse.
You respond to the question, "How old are your kids?" with "I have a U8 and a U10".
You have to use a grandparent to take kid #1 to a tournament because Dad is at a different game with kid #2 and Mom had kid #3 two cities away in another tournament all in one weekend.
You find yourself missing the parents of your child's teammates during the off-season.
You wonder, "What's an off-season?"
You refuse to make any plans with your friends until you check your kids' soccer schedules.
You have been barred from the sidelines more than once. (I don't actually know anyone who has, though we do a lot of self-banning.
You have had the kids ask if Christmas is "home or away".
You yell at your kid to get up and shake it off, even after the ambulance arrives.
You need to budget for a new portable chair every year.
You have woken up in the middle of the night yelling "Get it out of there".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just finished a nonfiction project that had me delving pretty deeply into some current topics. I have come to two conclusions. Before this, I was, let's say, 94% convinced of their truth, but still believed there were exceptions. Now, if there's any optimism left in me, you'd need a microscope or maybe a gas chromatograph or something to find it.
1. All politicians suck. No exceptions.
2. There isn't even a semblance of objectivity in today's journalism. Everything is op ed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, HOW awesome was Supernatural last night?
I have a residual cough from my recent cold, and it tends to recur at night, and reclining on the couch irritates my lungs or something. Turns out, laughing's enough to stimulate a fit, and Dean nearly sent me into mechanical pneumonia.
I know I don't need to say it again, but...Jensen Ackles is a brilliant actor. He went from over-the-top goofiness with the girly scream and "that was skeery!" grin (which I had to pause while Number One and I collected ourselves, then rewind and watch again) to sheer, incredibly subtle terror when he saw Luther in the corner.
Of course, brilliance is easier when you're given brilliant lines and direction. No way to tell how much was him and how much was fed to him, but the basic writing, at least, was excellent. I looked up who wrote this episode, and was surprised to see two names I didn't recognize, Andrew Dabb and Daniel Loflin. This episode is the only true writing credit either has (according to IMDb, I didn't look beyond that). Color me even more amazed.
Let us not forget Jared Padalecki, who had to play straight man and did it as brilliantly as Jensen did the opposite. When his eyes flashed yellow at the end, it wasn't just the connotation that gave me a visceral gut reaction. His entire demeanor sent waves of shock (and, okay, I'll admit it, heat!) through me.
Then there's Bobby, who's such a Mary Sue (Japanese!) but you can't hate him for always knowing the answer. And they brought back Sierra McCormick, who's so good she makes me forget she's a little girl. I adore when she calls Dean "silly goose."
And we can't forget the supporting players off screen, those responsible for filming in light that shows us how green Jensen's eyes are and framing Jared so perfectly, and the gorgeous shot of the valley the mill is in, and the amusingly horrifying way Luther's head pops off and dissipates into smoke, as well as the white/green effect of Sam's eyes that tell us it's a hallucination with just a hint of doubt.
Kudos, too, for infusing a show meant to evoke laughter with such poignancy. Luther and his brother John won't get the credit they deserve (except from equally obsessive fans like me), but my heart broke for the poor guy when he cradled the kitten, and when they were pushed to do the same horrible thing to him that had been done when he was alive.
Megan, David Mattey/Luther is 6'10"!!! Who knew someone could dwarf Sam, never mind toss him around like a rag doll?
Man, I love this show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week, a friend called, and asked why I was down that day. I blamed the base of my mood on the Patriots' huge loss the night before, which she really didn't understand. I get where she's coming from. I think "geez, people, it's just a game!" on a regular basis. But whether they win or lose DOES have a lingering effect on me, so I couldn't help exploring why.
I came up with identity. Your sports team is part of what makes you, you. It's often about pride of place, about connecting to the region that raised you. If you still live there, it's community. Shared goals and needs, bonding and making connections with people you might otherwise absolutely despise, except for this thing you have in common. If you've moved away, it's an anchor or a touchstone, something that connects you to where you came from, makes you belong. Some people chose their team for a different reason, maybe because a beloved family member liked that team, or a boyfriend/girlfriend, or because you moved to that area at some point in your life and it has meaning because of that connection.
Not everyone needs that, and many people find it in different things. But for those of us who like competition (and you all know I'm muy competitive!) and have forged this connection for one reason or another, it sinks deep into us. And anything that is that strong is going to have a powerful effect on emotion or mood.
If you didn't "get it" before, you still won't, and that's okay. It's just a thing. Sometimes, I have a need to exposit. :) If you "get it" but have a different idea, or disagree, feel free to say so!
And Go, Pats!
Monday, September 15, 2008
When Do I Ever Post Anything That's Not Randomness Anymore?
I can't seem to post on a single topic here anymore, even when I post more than once a week. Is that annoying?
While doing my post for The Gab Wagon today, I looked up all my Amazon rankings. Most of my paper titles are old, so their numbers are dismal (except Brianna's Navy SEAL, which was 658,733, which is higher than Megan Hart's Wish List and An Exaltation of Larks, and even her next book, Stranger! And yes, I measure myself against her All. The. Time. And usually come up wanting. :) ) Most of my Kindle titles haven't even achieved a ranking at all, but again, Brianna's Navy SEAL had an overall rank in the Kindle Store of 47,461. Since they advertise that Kindle has over 170,000 titles, that seems pretty good. I'm not complaining, anyway.
*Makes note to check ranking every day.*
Soccer season, the real one, is in full swing now. Both kids have played two games, both won both games, both are top of their divisions by either number of wins or goals scored/goals against. It's a nice feeling, especially for Number One, whose team has had varying levels of success but not this one. Number Two's team has yet to be tested, and we'll be up against a particular team (who beat us twice last fall) not once, not twice, but at least three times. We play them twice in the regular season and are bracketed with them in an October tournament. Should be interesting.
Football season, too, is in full swing. The Patriots are 2-0. They had a convincing win against the Jets yesterday. Matt Cassel looked good. Everyone can settle down now.
I have two really great things to look forward to this week. Tomorrow I'm going out to dinner with some friends. These are the ones I did the writing challenge with this summer. We're celebrating our hard work, discipline, and dedication. Someone's got to do it!
The other thing is, of course, the Supernatural premiere. There are two clips available online. One is, I think, the reunion scene, and I don't want to watch that one. I want to see it unfold. Even if I misunderstood what that clip is, I don't want to expose myself to too much. Anticipation is very high for this show, and if it's going to pay off, I want to give it the chance to.
However, I let a friend (damn you, Smith!)browbeat entice me into watching the second one, which showed the boys in their usual form. They were funny and gorgeous and belied implications by Kripke that their relationship is damaged. I can't wait until Thursday!
Number Two just got home. Must move on to the belongs-to-everyone-but-me part of my day now. :)
While doing my post for The Gab Wagon today, I looked up all my Amazon rankings. Most of my paper titles are old, so their numbers are dismal (except Brianna's Navy SEAL, which was 658,733, which is higher than Megan Hart's Wish List and An Exaltation of Larks, and even her next book, Stranger! And yes, I measure myself against her All. The. Time. And usually come up wanting. :) ) Most of my Kindle titles haven't even achieved a ranking at all, but again, Brianna's Navy SEAL had an overall rank in the Kindle Store of 47,461. Since they advertise that Kindle has over 170,000 titles, that seems pretty good. I'm not complaining, anyway.
Soccer season, the real one, is in full swing now. Both kids have played two games, both won both games, both are top of their divisions by either number of wins or goals scored/goals against. It's a nice feeling, especially for Number One, whose team has had varying levels of success but not this one. Number Two's team has yet to be tested, and we'll be up against a particular team (who beat us twice last fall) not once, not twice, but at least three times. We play them twice in the regular season and are bracketed with them in an October tournament. Should be interesting.
Football season, too, is in full swing. The Patriots are 2-0. They had a convincing win against the Jets yesterday. Matt Cassel looked good. Everyone can settle down now.
I have two really great things to look forward to this week. Tomorrow I'm going out to dinner with some friends. These are the ones I did the writing challenge with this summer. We're celebrating our hard work, discipline, and dedication. Someone's got to do it!
The other thing is, of course, the Supernatural premiere. There are two clips available online. One is, I think, the reunion scene, and I don't want to watch that one. I want to see it unfold. Even if I misunderstood what that clip is, I don't want to expose myself to too much. Anticipation is very high for this show, and if it's going to pay off, I want to give it the chance to.
However, I let a friend (damn you, Smith!)
Number Two just got home. Must move on to the belongs-to-everyone-but-me part of my day now. :)
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