Nov 18, 2006
Up, Up and Away...
You gotta love Texas when it's in the mid seventies in the middle of November. What a gorgeous day...full of SHOPPING! When we got home from the mall some hot air balloons were traveling right over the house...
Nov 10, 2006
1 state, 2 state, red state, blue state
I don't study politics at all, so therefore I don't vote. I figure I'll let the people who are educated on the subjects decide. And as a fair trade, I don't complain about the decisions our government makes. But I do have to say I like the color coordinated thing going on these days. I'd much rather see my candidates name in red rather than have an elephant beside him...or much worse...a donkey! So, good job whoever came up with that.
On another random note, I got to take one of my flexible Fridays today. That's where my company lets me leave work at 1 on Friday providing I've put in the extra hours the rest of the week. It was a beautiful day today, but as I drove home I was feeling a bit of guilt. My "plan" for my precious 4 hours of free time was to watch Ellen and take a nap. Couldn't I possibly come up with something more constructive with my time? The answer is...no. Ellen makes me laugh and the sound of water splashing from the fountain outside my windows makes me sleepy. In case you're new...here's a pic of the view.
And finally, today I spent some time looking for a new agent. There's some scuttlebutt on one of my writer's e-mail loops about how having a bad agent can actually be worse for your career than being put in the bottom of the slushpile. A really bad agent can land you in the trash. The politics involved in getting published wears me down sometimes. But then I write a new scene I'm really proud of and I feel better. It amazes me the amount of agents who don't accept e-mail queries. Do I really want someone representing me who still does business through snail mail? I don't know the answer to that question yet.
On another random note, I got to take one of my flexible Fridays today. That's where my company lets me leave work at 1 on Friday providing I've put in the extra hours the rest of the week. It was a beautiful day today, but as I drove home I was feeling a bit of guilt. My "plan" for my precious 4 hours of free time was to watch Ellen and take a nap. Couldn't I possibly come up with something more constructive with my time? The answer is...no. Ellen makes me laugh and the sound of water splashing from the fountain outside my windows makes me sleepy. In case you're new...here's a pic of the view.
And finally, today I spent some time looking for a new agent. There's some scuttlebutt on one of my writer's e-mail loops about how having a bad agent can actually be worse for your career than being put in the bottom of the slushpile. A really bad agent can land you in the trash. The politics involved in getting published wears me down sometimes. But then I write a new scene I'm really proud of and I feel better. It amazes me the amount of agents who don't accept e-mail queries. Do I really want someone representing me who still does business through snail mail? I don't know the answer to that question yet.
Nov 6, 2006
Thanksgiving in June
Jeez, am I glad October's over. What with both of my kids' birthdays, PACE, Halloween and that stupid time change, I'm exhausted. And where does that leave me? Staring straight down the barrel of the holidays. I hate that as I've grown older all the special occasions have turned into things to "get through" as painlessly as possible. But that's the way I feel about it...and my family isn't even all that dysfunctional.
I would like to start a campaign right here and now to offically move Thanksgiving to...uh...how about June. I only see my relatives at Thanksgiving and Christmas so I'd like to spread it out a little bit more. After we visit at Thanksgiving that doesn't give us much to talk about at Christmas. Moving it would also give a much needed summertime boost to the cranberry and turkey farmers. The retailers certainly don't give Thanksgiving any attention where it is...and the weather in June would be much better for the Macy's parade.
Anyway, here are some pics from my daughter and her boyfriend's Halloween party.
My daughter and her boyfriend as Mario and Princess Peach from the Mario Bros. videogame
My son, the grim reaper, and his father, Frank
I would like to start a campaign right here and now to offically move Thanksgiving to...uh...how about June. I only see my relatives at Thanksgiving and Christmas so I'd like to spread it out a little bit more. After we visit at Thanksgiving that doesn't give us much to talk about at Christmas. Moving it would also give a much needed summertime boost to the cranberry and turkey farmers. The retailers certainly don't give Thanksgiving any attention where it is...and the weather in June would be much better for the Macy's parade.
Anyway, here are some pics from my daughter and her boyfriend's Halloween party.
My daughter and her boyfriend as Mario and Princess Peach from the Mario Bros. videogame
My son, the grim reaper, and his father, Frank
Oct 27, 2006
There's No Business Like it
The reviews are in and Scary PACE was "the best one yet" and the "funniest one ever." For some reason this year there was an excitement in the air all over our building...an anticipation I've never seen before. I had people calling from other departments asking if they could "crash" the show.
It was a coincident that Scary PACE was actually our thirteenth year. This is the first time we've held the annual awards show in October. Each year it's a little later in the year so eventually I suppose we'll skip a year kind of like a leap year skips a day to keep up.
Anyway, it was a lot of work but worth every minute. The set was creepy and cool with a miniature graveyard including fencing and a huge flourescent moon hanging above it. There were gothic chairs for the presenters (who were in full costume) to sit in (PVC pipe and black satin over regular chairs). And the EMCEES Vampire and Vampira had a deliciously gruesome script full of puns guaranteed to make you groan about drinking bloody marys and longnecks and thinking outside the box.
The fog machine added to the "graveyard" feel of the stage, unfortunately, it also made taking pictures almost impossible (unless you like pictures of smoke).
We had an opening number to Thriller with faceless zombie dancers. After it was over and to everyone's surprise, one of the dancers went to the podium and took off his mask revealing the president of our division. (Insert hysterical laughter here)
The rest of the show included the awards and various and sundry videos which depicted in GREAT detail things such as unfortunate associates being killed by copy machines and shark-like mail carts.
Here's a list of the movies and TV shows we lampooned (taking a deep breath): Jaws, Shining, Twilight Zone, Friday the 13th, Exorcist, Hellraiser, Phantom of the Opera, Halloween, Alfred Hitchcock, The Ring, Addams Family, Psycho, Motel Hell, Nightmare on Elm Street, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, Young Frankenstein, Frankestein, The Mummy, The Hunchback, Scary Movie I and II.
One of my favorite parts of the show was how we handed out the awards. We had a (petite) woman lying in a cardboard coffin in front of the podium. You couldn't tell she was real until the first award recipient was handed the trophy she held like a lily on her chest. After each award she would descretely replace it with another one that was tucked beside her in the casket. Every time her pale, thin hand reached out of the coffin with another trophy...we got another huge laugh. Our brave committee member who volunteered for coffin duty spent the entire hour and a half flat on her back with her eyes closed. (She'll have to watch the show when it comes out on video.)
Another "new wrinkle" this year was that the invitations were attached to plastic see-through masks that you were instructed to decorate and wear as your key to enter the show. Earlier in the day everyone brought their masks to a designated room for judging. Then they took digital pictures of the top three scariest, funniest and most original masks. Before the audience entered the ballroom they voted on their favorite in each category. Then at the end of the show we gave $25 gift cards to the winners.
And speaking of winners...my mask with hot-glued candy corn, a baby bottle in it's mouth and a tag that said
"Children of the Candy Corn"
took first place in the funniest category. For some reason this award far outshined the $100 gift card and trophy I received for Best Editorial Copy.
Anyway, a good time was had by all, but I'm glad it's over for another year...and that it's Friday.
It was a coincident that Scary PACE was actually our thirteenth year. This is the first time we've held the annual awards show in October. Each year it's a little later in the year so eventually I suppose we'll skip a year kind of like a leap year skips a day to keep up.
Anyway, it was a lot of work but worth every minute. The set was creepy and cool with a miniature graveyard including fencing and a huge flourescent moon hanging above it. There were gothic chairs for the presenters (who were in full costume) to sit in (PVC pipe and black satin over regular chairs). And the EMCEES Vampire and Vampira had a deliciously gruesome script full of puns guaranteed to make you groan about drinking bloody marys and longnecks and thinking outside the box.
The fog machine added to the "graveyard" feel of the stage, unfortunately, it also made taking pictures almost impossible (unless you like pictures of smoke).
We had an opening number to Thriller with faceless zombie dancers. After it was over and to everyone's surprise, one of the dancers went to the podium and took off his mask revealing the president of our division. (Insert hysterical laughter here)
The rest of the show included the awards and various and sundry videos which depicted in GREAT detail things such as unfortunate associates being killed by copy machines and shark-like mail carts.
Here's a list of the movies and TV shows we lampooned (taking a deep breath): Jaws, Shining, Twilight Zone, Friday the 13th, Exorcist, Hellraiser, Phantom of the Opera, Halloween, Alfred Hitchcock, The Ring, Addams Family, Psycho, Motel Hell, Nightmare on Elm Street, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, Young Frankenstein, Frankestein, The Mummy, The Hunchback, Scary Movie I and II.
One of my favorite parts of the show was how we handed out the awards. We had a (petite) woman lying in a cardboard coffin in front of the podium. You couldn't tell she was real until the first award recipient was handed the trophy she held like a lily on her chest. After each award she would descretely replace it with another one that was tucked beside her in the casket. Every time her pale, thin hand reached out of the coffin with another trophy...we got another huge laugh. Our brave committee member who volunteered for coffin duty spent the entire hour and a half flat on her back with her eyes closed. (She'll have to watch the show when it comes out on video.)
Another "new wrinkle" this year was that the invitations were attached to plastic see-through masks that you were instructed to decorate and wear as your key to enter the show. Earlier in the day everyone brought their masks to a designated room for judging. Then they took digital pictures of the top three scariest, funniest and most original masks. Before the audience entered the ballroom they voted on their favorite in each category. Then at the end of the show we gave $25 gift cards to the winners.
And speaking of winners...my mask with hot-glued candy corn, a baby bottle in it's mouth and a tag that said
"Children of the Candy Corn"
took first place in the funniest category. For some reason this award far outshined the $100 gift card and trophy I received for Best Editorial Copy.
Anyway, a good time was had by all, but I'm glad it's over for another year...and that it's Friday.
Oct 17, 2006
Don't Bother Me While I'm WORKING!
PACE PACE PACE
Busy, busy, busy,
Scary PACE (aptly named)
Problems. Losing sleep.
The home stretch.
Is it over yet?
Can't wait.
5-6-7-8
And the winner is...
BTW, I started a new manuscript. It's a lot easier to start one than to finish it.
: )
Oct 1, 2006
Instant Transportation
I think music more than anything else has the power to transport me to another place and time, whether I want to go there or not.
A few bars of Sinatra's Strangers in the Night and I'm suddenly six years old watching my parents slow dance. Santana's Black Magic Woman takes me to about 12 years old sitting outside at night with the neighborhood kids. Chicago's Color My World puts me right in the arms of my first serious boyfriend at the Jr. High Band Dance. Anything from K.C. and the Sunshine band and I'm doing the bump on the lighted disco dance floor with my fiance (we'll be married 30 years this New Year's Eve).
Michael Jackson's I'm Bad conjures up images of my daughter's 5th birthday when we had an MJ look-a-like perform. Walk Like An Egyptian actually brings tears to my eyes as I remember my 3-year-old-son doing the Egyptian dance to get his mother's attention. Any techno music takes me to the little league football field, the parade down Beltline, or the middle of the UNT Coliseum where my competitive drill team performed. Go Charger Powerline!
The soundtrack from Amageddon reminds me of when my daughter taught me how to do this new thing on AOL called "chatting."
I guess someday the music I'm listening to now (Rascal Flatt's Bless The Broken Road) will take me back to blogging this post for you.
What are you listening to right now?
A few bars of Sinatra's Strangers in the Night and I'm suddenly six years old watching my parents slow dance. Santana's Black Magic Woman takes me to about 12 years old sitting outside at night with the neighborhood kids. Chicago's Color My World puts me right in the arms of my first serious boyfriend at the Jr. High Band Dance. Anything from K.C. and the Sunshine band and I'm doing the bump on the lighted disco dance floor with my fiance (we'll be married 30 years this New Year's Eve).
Michael Jackson's I'm Bad conjures up images of my daughter's 5th birthday when we had an MJ look-a-like perform. Walk Like An Egyptian actually brings tears to my eyes as I remember my 3-year-old-son doing the Egyptian dance to get his mother's attention. Any techno music takes me to the little league football field, the parade down Beltline, or the middle of the UNT Coliseum where my competitive drill team performed. Go Charger Powerline!
The soundtrack from Amageddon reminds me of when my daughter taught me how to do this new thing on AOL called "chatting."
I guess someday the music I'm listening to now (Rascal Flatt's Bless The Broken Road) will take me back to blogging this post for you.
What are you listening to right now?
Sep 25, 2006
Scary PACE
PACE stands for Publishing and Advertising Creative Excellence. It's an awards show (a mix of Saturday Night Live-esque skits and videos and Oscar-style awards) I've been involved with at work for the past 13 years and this year I'm the chairman. Since the show is Oct. 26 the committee thought it would be fitting to have a "scary" theme.
This week we're shooting video which is very time consuming and not nearly as fun as it sounds, but I'm always amazed at the "talent" that surfaces when someone yells "action." I'm also in charge of choreographing the opening number which includes dressing up like zombies and dancing to
It's gonna be fun but there's a lot of work to be done between now and then. I'll keep you posted.
This week we're shooting video which is very time consuming and not nearly as fun as it sounds, but I'm always amazed at the "talent" that surfaces when someone yells "action." I'm also in charge of choreographing the opening number which includes dressing up like zombies and dancing to
It's gonna be fun but there's a lot of work to be done between now and then. I'll keep you posted.
Sep 17, 2006
Happy 80th, Dad
Friends and family got together last week at our favorite (centrally located) restaurant to celebrate my Dad's birthday. It turned out to be a lot of fun even though it was on a school night.
This weekend I had houseguests from Waco, my best friend and her daughter and friend. It was a wonderful weekend of shopping, cooking out and hot-tubbing (too cool for the pool). We also finally tried out the fire pit which is probably the closest I'll be getting to camping out. We roasted marshmallows around our terracotta and wrought iron pit and sang one line of Kumbaya for effect.
There's just nothing better than charred marshmallows on a wire hanger, especially from the comfort of your own back yard. (Sorry, no pics. I'll do better next time.)
This weekend I had houseguests from Waco, my best friend and her daughter and friend. It was a wonderful weekend of shopping, cooking out and hot-tubbing (too cool for the pool). We also finally tried out the fire pit which is probably the closest I'll be getting to camping out. We roasted marshmallows around our terracotta and wrought iron pit and sang one line of Kumbaya for effect.
There's just nothing better than charred marshmallows on a wire hanger, especially from the comfort of your own back yard. (Sorry, no pics. I'll do better next time.)
Sep 4, 2006
Krikey!
Steve Irwin, the Discovery Channel's crocodile hunter died today. No, not by a gator, but by a stingray off the coast of Australia.
For some reason it gives me comfort that he wasn't bitten by the toothy fellows who made him famous. And they say he died doing what he loved...wrangling deadly animals.
We will all miss you, Steve.
Sep 3, 2006
Oh! What a feeling...
...to not have a WIP. (For you non-writers that stands for work in progress.)
On one hand it feels wonderful to be completely free of obligations to it. For the first time in a long time I don't feel guilty writing a blog post.
On the other, these ideas keep calling to me. "Write me! No, write me!"
It's a big decision what the next subject matter should be--a committment to spend the next year or so pouring your soul into something that may or may not see the light of day (except for your critique group, your Mom and close friends.)
Too bad there's not an online service to hook you up with your next perfect WIP. Let's see. They could call it E-Genre.com. or Love at first Write.
On another note I just finished hosting the final pool party of the season. It was my mother-in-law's birthday. As luck would have it, the wind was so blustery and cool no one got in the pool. Oh well, I've discovered old people really don't like to put on their suits anyway. Here are some pics:
On one hand it feels wonderful to be completely free of obligations to it. For the first time in a long time I don't feel guilty writing a blog post.
On the other, these ideas keep calling to me. "Write me! No, write me!"
It's a big decision what the next subject matter should be--a committment to spend the next year or so pouring your soul into something that may or may not see the light of day (except for your critique group, your Mom and close friends.)
Too bad there's not an online service to hook you up with your next perfect WIP. Let's see. They could call it E-Genre.com. or Love at first Write.
On another note I just finished hosting the final pool party of the season. It was my mother-in-law's birthday. As luck would have it, the wind was so blustery and cool no one got in the pool. Oh well, I've discovered old people really don't like to put on their suits anyway. Here are some pics:
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