Meal's World

Sailor Moon S Movie Opening In Real Life

2012-01-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

Some friends and I are working on this project:

Book Review: Tales of the Fall

2012-01-06T10:34:00.001-08:00

I was asked by a friend of mine to review the book he had written and published, called Tales of the Fall by Jon Wynn.

The book is intelligently written, and the language is educated yet easy to understand, aside from the few terms the author invents and the parts of the Fourth Tale that use military terminology and acronyms. The book is a compilation of four tales relating to the fall of demons Sitri and Berith (as far as I can determine). The concept revolves at first around the fall of these demons from the "Dark Lord's" grace, and of how they attempt to redeem themselves.
The first tale begins with a traveling storyteller, and reads (at least at first) like a back story to a Dungeons and Dragons game. The author gains his voice slowly, delving deeper into the characters that his storyteller is weaving, but I found that unfortunately there are few places in the book where you actually feel for the characters.

The sense of time throughout the book is not set, and becomes an issue while trying to understand the scene and presence of each story. The first tale seems to be written in the medieval past, and the second jumps into what I assume (given the sudden presence of a modern vehicle) to be the present time. That comes into question, however, when "Sigil" (whom we only much later realize is a different identity for Sitri) brings the two children that he saves/kidnaps to The Abbey, a place that seems frozen in yet another Medieval-style time period. The fourth tale opens in the distant future, which we are thankfully told early on. But the confusion caused by the lack of a sense of time in the three previous tales does little to help your understanding of the complex stories the author is weaving of a celestial and cyberpunk future.

There are parts of the novel that are heartwarming, such as the author's attention to detail when describing the feelings and actions of the young girl Mara, especially concerning her feelings for her toy bear Brownie and her brother, Solomon. The first tale ends abruptly and somewhat confusing; what is the "surgery" that Corrinna is supposedly being forced to face in light of her brief, non-sexual liaison with Sitri? Why does Sitri change his name to Sigil? Does he live forever or is he human and continues to be reborn?

The book has a solid IDEA behind the stories, and the further you read, the more each bit comes together. The final chapter, involving Anomalie and the future world after the strange war that Sigil is part of in the Third Tale, is actually the most clear of the bunch. The author had found his voice by this time, but it looks as if it was difficult to fully build on the myriad stories he had weaved in the previous chapters. The final tale makes the most sense, aside from Anomalie referencing the "Twilight Zone" in the world where she clearly states that such creative media from the past are strictly forbidden from view. The epilogue, however, brings us back to the storyteller at the Inn from the very beginning of the novel. have we jumped through time again? Does the book actually begin in a post-apocalyptic backwards future?

There are so many questions asked while trying to figure out this book, that I honestly think it could use a re-write and the experienced touch of an editor. Tales of the Fall is well-written and intriguing, filled with celestial beings, re-birth, magic, and technology. If it is worked on and re-released, I think it could become an excellent start to a new kind of Sci-Fi series.

I found Heimlich

2011-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

On my walk to take Lyra to the park, today, I passed this:

It was about the size of my pinky finger, or a little bigger; I'd say a good 3-4 inches long and really fat. It was a little scary, actually. Can anyone tell me what kind of caterpillar this is? I can't seem to find anything for it on google. Well, other than this:

Phew...

2011-08-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

Of course we get a hurricane for the first time in twenty years the first year I move back to New England....

At least I have power! Which is more than I can say for my mom or my sister. And the summer is almost over already... only more stormy days to come. And my daughter's second birthday is almost here... ALREADY.... sigh.

Sea Glass Crafts

2010-11-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've been trying my hand at making sea glass magnets and making necklace pendants from natural sediment stones I pilfer off a local beach. I tried selling some at a local festival with little luck, but have listed a few things on ebay to try again. Check it out!
Meal-chan's Listings

Incidentally, my visit back home with Lyra was fantastic! I miss New England...

Book Review: First Spell

2010-03-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

First Spell: Book 1 of the Bayou Witches is an enthralling page-turner by new author Deidre Huesmann. The story of Eloise, Todd, Collin and Corinne, along with the other members of their small coven of witches in Lutcher, Louisiana, keeps the fantastic mystery of certain members developing their witches’ powers until the very end. The book takes its time developing believable modern-day characters over the course of unwrapping the mystery of Eloise’s stagnant witch gift. The tension in the air between the two lead male characters, Todd and Collin, is palpable, yet not fully explained. There are, in fact, many questions left unanswered but hinted at in the young adult novel, but that is precisely the reason it is called “Book One.” The story is exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat at the end of each chapter, begging you to read more. I find myself in great anticipation of Book Two, hoping to find further answers to the questions of Eloise’s dark past.
The novel does have its drawbacks; the writing style moves between mature at most points to an occasional spattering of inexperienced paragraphs without flow. However, continuity is something the author will gain with more practice. The book, even on the back cover, could benefit greatly from an experienced editor’s touch, or at least a proofreader’s. That is one of the unfortunate disadvantages to using Publish America, however, as they print the author’s original work from cover to cover, typos and all. Hopefully if this makes it to a second printing these issues can be remedied. There is also the matter of pricing; a more reasonable retail cost would be closer to ten dollars. However, these issues are secondary and trivial in the overall picture of whether you should buy this book.
All in all, I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in reading Young Adult Fiction. It is an excellent first work for a new author brimming with talent.
http://deidrehuesmann.blogspot.com/

Novel Ideas

2010-02-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well I just looked up a list of Fantasy cliches online and found I'm guilty of at least two in my novel.. I guess that isn't so bad, considering the list goes on quite a way, but still...

I have two important questions to ask that I would really like your opinion on.

Question the First: Would you rather see a land that is made up of Three Kingdoms all with their own special names, or is it sufficient to call them the "First Kingdom", "Second Kingdom", and "Third Kingdom"?
I need your input! And suggestions.

Question the Second: Would you rather read one REALLY long fantasy novel or a Trilogy of shorter novels that all continue the same story?

I appreciate your help!

What could be the last Seattle trip

2010-01-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

Today might have been our last day in Seattle, at least as a family. I may, perhaps, go one more time with Lyra while Jason is gone for a few months, but not for long. We enjoyed the Aquarium very much, and over-stimulated Lyra within 20 minutes, forcing us to enjoy ourselves while pushing a sleeping baby around in a stroller. We got a nice long walk, going to the Spaghetti Factory as well, where I am sure Jason and I ate all the calories we had burned off walking around. Their lasagna was great!

Anyway, I'm really trying to focus more on my cooking blog now. If you haven't subscribed to it yet, please do! And send me some suggestions on what else I can cook for you.

The Holidays

2009-12-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

The holidays can either bring out the best or the worst of you and your family. There are always at least two sides to every family, and this year my side decided to have a very Grinchy Christmas. I won't go into details, but for now it looks like my daughter will only have one aunt. Jason and I are having a pretty decent season. He went on leave last week and has been home, relaxing and playing video games while not playing with Lyra. We celebrated Yule yesterday by burning frankincense and myrrh on a block of wood, burning some bayberry incense, and keeping a red candle lit for Cernunnos from dawn til dusk. Then we all opened up a gift; I got Jason the movie Pete's Dragon (which we both loved as kids), Lyra opened up her jingling teether Eeyore toy, and I got a huge new cutting board.
Lyra, in my eyes, alternates day to day between looking more like me or her father. This video clip shows her looking very much like Jason.

We had a wonderful holiday with Jason's parents and grandparents here a couple weeks ago and are awaiting my mom on Friday. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and consider yourself blessed to be with whoever will happily spend it with you.

Writing Tutor Available

2009-12-14T15:49:00.001-08:00

I believe we are getting into a bind soon what with my husband getting out of the Navy next year and me mostly staying home with Lyra. So I offer my services to those in need: if you are in school, preferably in college, and are taking any class that you need to write a paper for (thesis, essay, research, etc.) I can help you! I am an experienced writing tutor and I am also great at proofreading, $4 per page. We can conduct our business through email and PayPal.

If you know anyone who could use my help please pass the message on!

Christmas season and Weight Loss

2009-12-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

It's soooo hard to lose weight when there is so much tasty food available this time of year! I'm only managing a little since I'm breastfeeding. We had a lovely Christmas visit with Jason's parents and grandparents, and Lyra was mostly very well behaved. Looking at my mother in law reminded me of how badly I want to get back into shape, though, and so I finally used the Wii Fit again this morning. Lyra had fun watching me for about 25 minutes before he fell asleep, then I put her in the swing and finished up 45 minutes of moderate exercise. It actually made me sweat! I must be out of shape. Anyway, the other thing I've been trying out to fix my body after the baby is Mother's Special Blend oil, and it's starting to work a little on the tiny stretch marks at least. I can definitely recommend using it if you're pregnant or just had a baby.

That's all for now, as I hear Lyra fussing and need to go have some play time.

Thanksgiving with an infant

2009-11-27T16:52:00.001-08:00

...is not as easy as you might think.
Thank goddess Jason was home to help! But I still had to do most of the cooking. All of the food turned out great and the guests arrived right on time. I had to truss the turkey (after stuffing it) with an upholstery needle and waxed thread that I found in my sewing box (how random is that?), but it turned out I rigged it just right. However, the moment the food was out and everyone was sitting down Lyra decided it was time to be angry. She began to cry, so I changed her and attempted to feed her, but it was too late. Thanksgiving dinner ended up being a bit of a fiasco, with everyone taking turns eating and trying to calm the baby in another room. Finally after I had eaten Jason and I managed to pool our parental resources and get her calm enough to eat, which cheered her right back up again. She was an angel the rest of the evening.
This is her with my uncle, who had not seen her since the day she was born.

We are now eagerly awaiting Jason's parents and grandparents, who will be arriving to celebrate an early Christmas next week. I'm hoping we can have a tree by the time they get here, but who knows? It all depends on how much time and money we have next week. For now, I think we're just going to relax, take a few chilly walks to exercise off some of the food we stuffed ourselves with, and eat leftovers all weekend.
I wish we still had a fireplace...

Short update

2009-11-06T15:23:00.001-08:00

I have barely touched my novel since the birth of my daughter, mainly because I don't have the time or the brainpower (from sleep deprivation) right now. I will pick it up again soon, I hope. It's even tough to read the novel I was working on reading before, since I need mostly quiet to read and mostly quiet wakes her up. So my days have been spent taking care of Lyra, watching tv/movies, and occasionally getting some exercise. The weather is becoming quite cold and windy, and since she doesn't really fit into any of her super warm clothes yet I'm reluctant to take her outside for very long.
A side effect of having a baby is losing most of your friends, and I've certainly figured that out the hard way. It's just as well, I guess, since she keeps me pretty busy most days and I'd just end up asking a friend who was visiting to help out with her anyway. My husband is out to sea for a short test cruise so it's just me and the baby for a little while; I have no idea how I'm going to do this again for three months next year when he's on his final deployment.
Anyway, the little one is waking, so I leave you with this cute photo I got today as an update of what my life is currently all about:

New Mommy Syndrome

2009-09-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

I'm finally awake enough to blog about my first childbirth experience, and I'd better do it fast while Lyra is still asleep on Daddy in the living room. Fair warning for readers: some of this is pretty graphic.

My water broke at 5:26am on Saturday, September 12th. I called my mom to ask if the trickle I felt was what I thought it was, then I called Jason to get out of work (he was on duty), then I called the hospital to let them know I was coming in. I showered, shaved my legs, emptied the dish washer, an d drank a Carnation instant Breakfast, then (after Jason got home and showered) we left.
The breakfast came up in the parking lot. I was having stronger, closer contractions by the time we got to the hospital around 7. I did not want an epidural, but I now completely understand why most women do. I walked, used the exercise/birthing ball, and utilized the deep tub in my birth room, even though the water was not warm enough for my satisfaction. The tub helped me relax a lot, even though I was still crying out in pain with each contraction.
Finally they moved me to the bed. I had originally wanted to use the squatting bar to push the baby out, but that position was just not going to happen in the amount of pain I was in. I asked for some drugs to take the edge off and they put some fentanol (sp?) in my IV, which barely took the edge off for maybe 15-20 minutes and mostly just made my head kinda loopy for awhile. Shortly thereafter I informed the nurses that I needed to push (mind you, this was amid much groaning, crying, and swearing "oh fuck" a lot), and they checked my cervix to give me the go ahead. Screw them, I was going to push anyway, so they let me start at 9 1/2 cm dilated.
I pushed through it and though my eyes were shut most of the time I'm pretty sure all in all I only pushed for half an hour at the most. Jason hardly looked at anything except me and managed not to pass out at the sight of my blood, so I was proud of him. I'm even more proud of myself for having a natural delivery in less than eight hours.
At one point it was stinging so badly all I could think was "wow, I can't believe my vagina can stretch this far!" My baby girl, Lyra Adele Ritner, was born at 11:48am on Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 20 inches and 7 lbs, 14 ounces. I found out moments later that no, I really couldn't stretch that far. I was bleeding profusely to the point where my doctor was scared, and I had torn at awkward angles in three places, including into my sphincter muscle. They ended up giving baby Lyra to her daddy while they attempted to stitch me up. I was able to nurse her a little before the special surgeon got there; they had to call him in when my doctor couldn't figure out how to sew me up. They numbed me with the same stuff they give you at the dentist for cavities, but it still hurt to be sewn up, almost as badly as the birth had.

After a little over an hour I was finally okay to sit up in bed and Jason brought our baby to me, and my aunt and uncle visited. Jason's parents had left their house the moment I told them I was in labor, but it was a 15 hour drive so we would have awhile to wait. I had lost a LOT of blood; more than I had realized. The nurses got me up to shower and I almost fell over in the tub for hardly being able to stand upright. That got better by the next day, after I got some food in me, but the hospital decided to keep me for 48 hours just in case.
We brought Lyra home on Monday with the help of Jason's parents, and we have been resting and enjoying her ever since. I'm still healing, of course, and will have to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. I only have Jason at home until the 24th, when he'll have to go back to working 12 hour days 6 or 7 days a week for the next month or two. So it's going to be tough, but I'm taking it as easy as I can so I can heal as fast as possible. I'm looking forward to my mom and dad's visits next week, and my grandparents are coming up to see her in October. And I'm appreciating and enjoying the help and company of my in-laws for all it is worth.

Breastfeeding still hurts like hell, but it's getting a little bit easier now that my milk has come in. She'd better know I love her to keep going through this much pain every day just to feed her right. Because I plan to breastfeed for the first six months of her life, I'm already beginning to worry about returning to work. I think I may have to talk to my boss and see if it's okay for me to come back in the Spring instead of the winter, since Lyra won't be hitting the six month mark til sometime in March. I really hope that ends up being alright, and I also hope I'm sick of her enough by then that I can handle leaving her with a sitter for a few hours a day. Right now I'm still enjoying the novelty of a new infant and it's sinking in that I'm someone's mother. I'll enjoy it for all it's worth while she's still tiny, cute, and (for the most part) a calm and happy baby.

Here is a link to the video of her first bath; don't pay attention to the other YouTube videos beneath it, as they are simply from other babies named Lyra and not my cutie pie. Lyra's First Bath

Weirdest Dream Evar

2009-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

So I had this dream last night that I vaguely and half-asleep told the bare bones of to my husband before he left for work.
There were these world scientists who had just completed building a huge, long tube connecting the Earth with the Moon, and they needed to test to see if it worked on someone other than a superhero. So they found Grand Moff Tarkin (from Star Wars) and decided to cut off his head and send it up the tube still alive (they had the technology and for some reason they hadn't built the tube to carry anything much larger than a human head). So they sent his head up, alive and blinking so he could check if there were any cracks in the tube on his way up, with Superman waiting on the moon base as the connection to send the head back down again.
Now while the head was traveling (it was a fast trip, but not instantaneous), on the Earth base suddenly the Trekkies were coming around trying to shake things up and break the tube, and kill Moff Tarkin's body before his head came back. So Chewbacca and a bunch of Ewoks rallied around the base of the tube and fought them off while the scientists protected Tarkin's body before it could die without a head. Then the Trekkies agreed to return to the Enterprise as long as Chewie and the Wookies would go back to the Millenium Falcon where they belonged.

Unfortunately I woke up before they could get Tarkin's head back on....

By the way, I'm 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant, waiting to pop any day now, and the fact that I'm not in labor yet is starting to get really frustrating. I want this baby outta me! Otherwise, we had a good weekend; went to the Blackberry Festival in Bremerton where we got some jam and some fresh honey, then yesterday we went and saw The Gamer, which was a weird and interesting movie to say the least. It wasn't bad, but I don't think I'll buy it when it comes out on dvd, even though it's full of Gerry Butler ass kicking goodness.

She looks like her daddy

2009-08-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

At least I think so, from what I saw in the ultrasound today. I saw her profile and it looked like she has his nose. And she definitely has his feet! I'm going to have to repack her baby bag with bigger clothes, including some bigger booties. They said she's 6 lbs 10 oz now, and she still has a few weeks left to brew! I really just hope I don't have to push out an 8-pound baby. She also has a little bit of hair, which given Jason's and my track record will likely end up being blonde. I had no hair as a baby and he had a head of blonde, even though we're both brunettes now. Anyway, here's the picture that looks like she has Jason's nose. Those four little lumps are her fingers over her face, trying to push the ultrasound tech away from her.

Last Time in Seattle Adventures

2009-08-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jason, our friend Anna and I went to Seattle to see the Muppet Exhibit at the Sci Fi Museum. It was smaller than expected, but still wonderful to see some original Muppets, including Bert and Ernie,
Rowlf, Kermit, and the Manamanah cast, as well as some original props from the Dark Crystal.
We then went to a comic book shop Anna knew of not too far away as well as the awesome mall in the center of the shopping district to get smoothies, then down to the infamous chocolate shop where they make the best fudge in Seattle. I ran in, grabbed a big chunk of penuche fudge and said "At last! I walked 2 miles to get this today and I'm super pregnant, but it's worth it!" The lady behind the counter laughed and asked about the baby as I asked to try a piece of chocolate-lavender fudge they had which sounded interesting. It was very good, with almost a minty/tea tree refreshing tinge to it. As we were about to leave the girl asked me if I liked it, and then gave me the whole chunk for free as a gift for my baby! That was so nice of her, I thought. Anyway after that we headed back to the car, all of us tired, hot and sweaty (my feet were totally killing me by then). We dropped Anna off and thought it was a wonderful day.

I now remember around 11pm or so I got a text from Anna saying she was really scared. It didn't say anything about why and as the text woke me from a pretty deep sleep I just finagled something quickly back about her keeping their dog nearby and that I was trying to sleep. I'm sorry, but if you text me and wake me up when I'm exhausted and it doesn't necessarily sound like an emergency then I'm just going to pretty much tell you to f**k off so I can go back to sleep.
Turns out this was not the best idea. This morning I find out that last night she had called the cops on a group of men she saw trying to break into the apartment beneath hers and subsequently got threatened by some guy with a knife. When she told me the story I reminded her that friend etiquette allowed her very well to CALL ME if someone was threatening to kill her, rather than send what could be misconstrued as a vague text message. Thankfully she managed to get over to another friend's house with her dog (her husband was on duty last night and didn't find any of this out til today) so she is safe now but the cops never found the men she had called about so now she's frightened to live in her own apartment. I'm helping her search online today but who knows how long it will take to find them a new place to live within their means.
Good luck, Anna! And maybe you should go buy a gun....

Thankful for the Support

2009-07-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend (aside from the sweltering heat) with my in-laws. Saturday began with Jason and I going to a childbirth class (much of which he made fun of, mostly due to the hippie meditation technique), then ended with a Star Wars themed baby shower where we received a whole bunch of wonderful gifts from friends and family. I am pretty sure I won't have to buy our baby any clothes for at least the first year of her life now.

Sunday was divided between watching Jason and his dad fix my car and then later watching them put together the new crib his parents bought us. It all took several hours and everyone was sweaty and hot afterward, but it ended in success and we all went to Tizley's to celebrate and eat Reubens afterward. Mom-in-law took some great photos of Jason and I at the waterfront in Poulsbo, and the baby got poked to death by Jason and his dad.
Monday Dad put the changing table together and we reorganized the room so that it is pretty well set up now. I just need Nana's rocking chair, which my sister should be shipping to me in the next couple of weeks.

I continue to be kicked in the side more often now, and I worry that the baby has moved from the face down position she was supposed to be in into a sideways position. I guess I'll find out in a few weeks when I get another ultrasound.

Quit kicking me!

2009-07-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

Diary of a fetus:

Day 224 of my incarceration:

Woke up at 5am so mom could wake daddy up for work. Poked her in the bladder so she would stand up and waddle to the bathroom to pee. Settled back down for a nap until 6am, when I teamed up with the entity known to me only as either "Gratch" or "Damned cat" to wake her into full awareness and feed us. Gratch got fed first, as always; I must discover his power over her and exploit the method for my own purposes.

The life-giver showers, which soothes me, then eats sweet gruel for breakfast, which by this point in my life I actually look forward to each morning. At least the sugar content makes my amniotic fluid taste sweet.

7:30am: car ride. Vibrations and music are soothing, so I opt to nap again.
9am: this dream is disturbing; I cannot escape! Must jam my foot into mom's right side and push my way out. She rubs and pushes and pokes back, but I resist and jab my foot into her stomach instead. That will teach her to resist me.

Find a relatively comfortable position and sleep until 3:30pm. Want Daddy, but he's not home. Jab and kick mom some more; I must exercise my limbs somehow. Punch her in bladder. Jumping jacks until 4pm, both for aerobics and to force mom to sing me that song from the Jungle Book that I like. Finally get rocked to sleep by her walking and dancing and wait, impatiently dozing, until I can hear Daddy's voice again.
I like him. Can't wait to get out of this prison.

Today's special link: How to Tell if your baby is Kicking after 17 weeks

A Shower of Appreciation

2009-07-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have been surprised a few times now by the generosity of some of my friends and family, mainly people whom I did not expect to give me anything but a congratulations for the baby. My heartfelt thanks goes out to any and all who give a helpful gift, especially those who know what sorts of things I need for a baby and offer advice as well as a gift. I have a feeling the advice and recommendations I receive will prove almost more valuable than even the most thoughtful gifts.

On that same note, I do not wish to complain, but I do wish I had more female friends, or at least more who lived closer to me. It's hard work helping one girl put together a baby shower for me (I'm helping her since she doesn't really know any of the other friends I have here), especially when so few of the people we try to invite are available at the same time. We have resorted to inviting a few close male friends as well, but of course men are the least likely to actually respond to an invitation. This process is made even more frustrating by the fact that I can only contact most of these people online, and so online invitations and messages are how they are getting information from my friend. I suppose this does sound like I'm complaining, but it's more out of a frustration in not getting hold of people (or not getting any kind of response to an invitation, whether yes or no) rather than a complaint that no one will come to a shower. If they can't come, they must just say so, and it won't hurt my feelings, as I know many people can't afford to give gifts or travel far in the current economy. But really, a response (especially to a message on myspace, where I can tell if the person has at least read my message or not) would be helpful.

Anyway, whatever happens, I will be grateful for what I do receive at the shower, and for anything family or friends get for us online as well.

And as a special add-on thanks to the response from my mother, No, I am not complaining at all that no one will buy me stuff. Plenty of people have bought me stuff! I don't need them to if they can't; I can provide what I need for the baby myself if I have to. But when I got pregnant I was TOLD that "we wouldn't need to buy anything", so I have been waiting until a baby shower or other ways (like the online registry) for family members to buy baby gifts rather than going out and buying everything myself. I AM complaining that no one seems to want to respond to an online invitation (by either myself or my friend Anna, who is throwing me the shower), and I don't want either of us to be suddenly surprised by an influx of guests who were invited but never bothered to tell us they were coming. If you were making food for these people I'm sure you would want an accurate head count as much as I do. After the shower all bets are off and the baby savings money will go to buy whatever else we need for her.

Murphy's Law stalks me

2009-06-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with Murphy's Law? That anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong? Myself and my family have been cursed with this unfortunate law following us for many generations. This week's issues are a perfect example.

Last Saturday: my cat is sitting next to me on the couch, and I happen to look over and see a bloody red spot on his leg. Turns out he has a HOLE in his leg, which we learned the next day was likely an abscess from a cat bite that popped open. Vet bill: $144.

Tuesday: My computer is making weird noises and is reluctant to open programs or turn on half the time. Jason's laptop is getting very old and the hard drives are overloaded and the fan is beginning to wheeze and die. We go online and look up how much it will cost to replace our computers. Luckily, all I need for mine is the tower, and we find a perfect replacement for just under $400. At such a good deal, we rejoice and put it on Jason's credit card, to be paid off by my next two paychecks. We look up a special gaming computer for Jason; altogether his will cost about $1200. He attempts to finance only to be told his interest rate will be a little over 29%. We say to hell with that, and he agrees to wait two months for my computer to get paid off so we can buy his new one straight out on his credit card. We continue to pray that his laptop will last that long.

Today: While taking my morning walk, somehow my water bottle opens itself in the bag I take with me and leaks all over my keys, iPod, and of course, my cell phone. I rush home, take it apart to the best of my ability, and leave it to dry on top of a running dehumidifier. As soon as the AT&T store opens at the mall, I go in and ask them to fix it; they say they can do nothing but tell me to set it in a bowl of dry rice to help dry it out. I do this, and hours later there is no change. It is a touch-screen phone, so water inside the touch screen prevents me from accessing any of the buttons. I figure everything will be okay, since I know that when I got this new phone in April I made sure I asked for the insurance.
I call customer service and eventually get through, explaining my situation. Long story short, they tell me that whoever sold me my phone mistakenly put the insurance plan I asked for on one of Jason's cell phones (we have a family plan) and that because I didn't check my bill and discover this error myself within 30 days of having the phone, there is nothing they can do to help me. So because someone at the store FUCKED UP, I have to pay $300 to buy a new cell phone. I am currently awaiting my husband's return from work so he can go with me to the cell phone store and hold me back from murdering the entire staff there.

In addition to this, I learned a few months ago that my other cat Cassie has a lump of dead skin and wax buildup in one of her ears, which can only be removed under anesthesia. She is 12 years old now and has also never had her teeth cleaned, a fact that can potentially cause her health problems the longer I let it go unchecked. This combination operation can be done for a little over $400, and I am hoping we can do it before the baby comes.

None of this is helped by the fact that I will only be working about 10 hours per week this summer (basically about 13 weeks of work) and that the hiring freeze at the college is preventing my boss from giving me the raise I am due for. I hate to say it, but I'm actually glad that Jason will be going out to sea next year, one more time before he's out of the Navy, because it will allow us to play catch-up with all our bills and hopefully be debt-free by the time we move to California next summer. And I am SOOOOO glad that my friend Anna has decided to throw me a baby shower! This means more wonderful things I can get from friends to help acquire all the baby stuff we need, and less money I need to spend myself. At this point, I need all the help I can get!

Nesting instinct

2009-06-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

And so, it begins.
I'm starting to really get that anxious, "get things done" feeling in my gut. It's giving me heartburn. I want to prepare for the baby and get everything ready. Hell, I'd love to organize her room. But I'm reluctant to go out and buy anything yet because my in-laws told me that since we have such a large family, "everything will be taken care of". Other than what my mom has bought us and the few things I know his parents are bringing up with them (including their plan to buy us a crib while they visit in July), I have no idea how much of the baby necessities I will actually be receiving as a gift from people and how much I will need to purchase myself.

Don't get me wrong--I am sure this baby will be expensive, but I am fully prepared to go baby shopping when I have to. But the stress over not knowing whether or when I have to is getting on my nerves. It's amplified, I'm sure, by the fact that I've got two weeks off work followed by a month and a half (coming soon) of only working two short days per week. I WANT to do stuff! I'm keeping on my husband's ass to help me set up what things we do have in the baby's room and hopefully at some point clean out his disgusting car so we can actually put a car seat in it, but he is unable to really connect with the pregnancy or act excited because he's not the one with a baby in his belly. Once she's out, I'm sure he'll do great, but he's kinda driving me nuts at the moment by his lack of desire to prepare for birth or the baby. I know he has been working a lot, but I can't help the feeling; what else can I feel when I'm basically home for hours on end taking care of an almost empty house with no ability to prepare for the baby due to general lack of baby stuff?

Sorry for the rant. Not that anyone really reads these blogs anyway...but I needed to let off some steam while I was bored enough to actually write.
By the way:
Babies R Us

Amazon.com

:-D Worth a try.....

Writing Compliment

2009-06-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

I just received a very sweet compliment from a woman I work with who is being so kind as to edit my novel for me. When I mentioned that she was already pretty close to the end of what I have written so far, she asked if I had done any pre-writing. I did not know exactly what she meant, so I told her that I made a basic outline of where I want my story to go (which I change as I see fit) and the rest is just in my head. Her jaw dropped and she said that she could never do that! I was flattered; I suppose that means there are not an awful lot of people who can write as fully and as well as I do straight out of their heads.

I am proud of my writing skills, and though my brain is befuddled and slightly lethargic due to pregnancy hormones and an inability to concentrate very long because of baby thoughts and heat exhaustion, I am still writing. I only get a few paragraphs, or perhaps a page or two in per week right now thanks to my brain fartage, but at least I am making the attempt to continue my work. I have the next two weeks off work, so hopefully I can jump start my brain and get another page or two turned out at least. I had originally hoped my novel would be done before the baby came but I severely underestimated the amount of sheer "duh-moments" I would be having with this child in me.

Anyway, to keep you in line and give you something to revamp your English knowledge, here are two of my latest eHow articles:

Your vs You're
Affect vs Effect

Cat? I'm a kitty cat!

2009-05-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

A thought came to my husband and I as we were getting ready for bed last night. We had gone into the bedroom to change and Gratch (our male cat who has separation anxiety issues and has to be near us at all times) had already settled himself in a nice spot on the end of the bed, stretched out across the whole foot of it. So of course we had to bother him (as we always do when he is being cute), and I started rubbing his belly. He happens to be the kind of cat that 98% of the time you can pet, poke, prod, or pull on and just won't give a damn. So as I rubbed his belly his arms rose in sort of a high-five to Jason. Jason dutifully high-fived the cat, and then I started playing with his arms and making him dance.
I'm not cruel, dammit, it's hilarious!
Anyway, as I was doing this I realized that pretty soon we'll be replacing a cat on the bed with a baby on the bed, and I almost guarantee that we will end up treating her with the same respect as the cat. In other words, she's going to get posed and danced around for as long as she will tolerate it. I mentioned this to Jason and he started dancing the cat as an example, only singing "Cat? I'm a baby cat. And I wah wah wah and I wah wah wah!"
Are you laughing yet? If not, you haven't seen the video to which we were referring. So to end this, I give you choice imagery: imagine doing THIS to a baby.

Vegas, Baby!

2009-05-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

We finally got internet hooked up yesterday afternoon so I can be in contact with the world again. So, let me tell you about our honeymoon to Vegas.

Bad things first: Our hotel, we realized after walking through most of the other hotels on the strip, was the WORST hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Not only did they give away our non-smoking room before we got there, forcing this obviously pregnant lady to sleep on a floor full of cigarette and marijuana fumes, but they offered little to compensate for this fact. Also, the hotel itself was obviously at least 30 years old and had never been renovated. I tell you, if you ever go to Las Vegas, stay ANYWHERE but the Imperial Palace.
The only other "bad" thing about our trip (aside from how much money we had to spend eating every meal out at Vegas prices) was that we walked just about everywhere, at least until we figured out how to get to the Monorail and that it wasn't that expensive to ride. So my feet were hurt, cracked, and swelling for days. Jason and I are still both a bit muscle sore after that.
There were also annoying Mexicans trying to get us to take sex girl cards on every street, which I really wanted to punch in the face, and scores of incredibly rude Asians that have no respect for personal space or ability to be considerate to others.

The rest of the trip, with little exception, was fantastic.
Our first full day there we saw most of the strip, from Harrah's all the way to Mandalay Bay (which we walked). We saw the shark Reef aquarium, which was okay but less exciting than the Mirage's Secret Garden the next day, where we saw a horny dolphin humping the glass and a bunch of lazy Sigfried and Roy tigers. We also got to see the lions at the MGM hotel, which was slightly interesting but not a thrill. Monday night we saw Penn and Teller, where I was probably one of few in the audience who realized Penn was the bassist, hiding behind his hair, playing jazz with the piano player on the stage as a pre-show. Their magic show was pretty fucking amazing, and I'm reasonably sure they actually caught a bullet in each other's teeth after shooting in a way to slow it down. Afterwards, they were even so wonderful as to go out into the hall and sign autographs and pose for photos with audience members. Penn was obviously tired and not much in the mood for smiling, but he was a good sport anyway. And Teller (who we heard talk, by the way) was super nice and friendly and even let me shove my prego belly onto him. As we were posing, I said "Here, sorry, have to shove my prego belly on ya", and he said "Ooh, okay, all four of us!" We got some cool merch from their show as well.
Tuesday night we saw Cirque du Soleil's KA. Though the theatre was a bit smaller than I thought it would be, the show was amazing. We saw a guy trip as he was jumping rope on a rolling, spinning cage, and thought he was gonna fall and die. I think most of the songs and stuff were done in Japanese. I HIGHLY recommend seeing this show if you ever go. We even bought the soundtrack afterwards.
Somewhere in there we ate lunch at Planet Hollywood, which you will see tons og photos from in my album. We walked all around after eating and took pics of the super cool actual movie props they had hanging all over the place. We also managed to go to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Although part of the exhibit was closed when we were there, we still got a few good photos with some of our favorite celebrities. The wax sculptures were incredibly realistic, and tru to life size. Which means that Patrick Stewart is only an inch or so taller than me. Go figure. We did, by the way, attempt to find anything open at the Star Trek Experience, but when we went there not even so much as a gift shop was available. So we left.
Wednesday night we got tickets to see the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur, which is basically a cheaper version of Medieval Times. As we sat in the stands waiting and eating I noted all the wonderful historical inaccuracies with not only the plastic dishes and soda to drink, but of course the crappy food they served and music they played. We actually heard the theme to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves blaring over the loud speakers at one point and I couldn't help but burst out laughing. The show itself was pretty flashy but nonetheless amusing, much like watching a bad fantasy movie only acted out live before you. Thankfully, the king we rooted for was France, and he was a good sport and was very animated and into the role he was playing. We managed to have fun and burn out our retinas on the finale's pyrotechnics.
Thursday we had to check out of our hotel early (unbeknownst to us until we had gotten there) so we were forced to drag our luggage around with us for about 5 hours until our airport shuttle arrived. We pretty much just hung out in the Forum Shops (a giant rich people's mall) watching the free shows and eating at Cheesecake Factory. They have a 50,000 gallon aquarium there with huge fish and rays, so Jason was happy just watching the fish for awhile. We finally made it back to the airport and now that our foot blisters are healing, the rest is history.

On a side note, we saw the new Star Trek movie last night. If you haven't seen it yet, please do. It's easily the best movie of the year and a phenomenal prequel. And yes, you do get to hear some choice phrases that we cannot live without in the Star Trek Universe. Just pray you don't sit near small children or assholes who talk during movies.

It's a girl!

2009-04-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

At least as closely as the technician doing the ultrasound could tell, we are having a daughter. Yes, we were hoping we could beat the submariner odds and have a boy, but we are just as happy with a girl as long as she remains healthy. And given the amount she has been kicking my insides and head-butting my bladder since the tech stopped poking her an hour ago, I'm pretty sure she's healthy. They had a hard time getting a head measurement, since apparently I am carrying her very low in my pelvis and her head and arms were trying to hide behind my bladder. But the look at her genitalia said "hamburger, not hot dog", which means she's a girl. The tech was also complaining that she's a squirmer, which was something I could have told her before, but I found out her position as well and explained away all the weird poking feelings I've had in my lower left abdomen: that's where her feet are. Anyway I'm hoping I don't get too much pink or "girly" stuff, since she's going to have to be tough to keep up with all the sailors around her, but I'm going to have to get used to thinking of her as a girl now. Hopefully she'll be easier to raise than a boy....though we're still hoping for one of those! I guess next time Jason will have to lay off the Mountain Dew....

Ravenous Appetite

2009-04-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Aside from last Friday's day-long bout with a horrific stomach bug, my pregnant appetite has finally begun to amaze my husband. I honestly need to go grocery shopping more often now since everything I buy at the grocery store is either bought on a craving whim and eaten immediately or devoured in less than a week during my hours cooped up in the house craving snacks every hour or two.

I officially deemed myself over my stomach bug when I could finally pass a normal BM (I know, tmi) but yesterday was the funniest and probably most outrageous exhibition of appetite. I came home from work already getting hungry and immediately set to carving up and battering the buffalo chicken wings I was making for dinner. They did their time in the oven and Jason happened to be up in the kitchen to pull them off the tinfoil and get dinner plated for us. My frustration at his snail-pace of pulling chicken from tinfoil gave him the first hint that I was indeed hungry, and when the plate of steaming fresh baked buffalo wings finally made it to the table I tore into them like a starving dog. Dip a wing in ranch dressing, gnaw off every bit of meat, grab another. Halfway through the plate emptying Jason said "Jesus you're tearing into these things!" to which I grunted some sort of animalistic reply around a mouthful of chicken.

Within fifteen minutes the plate was clean and my poor husband was whining about only getting four or five pieces. My reply to him was an admonishment that he should learn to eat faster, as I teasingly snapped my teeth that the last bit of meat he held in his hand. He spent the next ten minutes chewing on the bony leftovers and reminded me that next time I had better buy enough for the both of us. It's not my fault his baby likes buffalo wings! But on that note, you must realize that I've always bought about the same size package of wings and it has always lasted us just fine before, since I'm not usually a huge fan of them and only have a few pieces while he eats most of the plate. I guess you really do crave unusual foods when you're pregnant. Next time I'll be buying a family pack. You know; enough for the two of us. ;-)

Adam West Love and Life

2009-03-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

I read a blog recently about Bremerton, WA getting profiled as a violent town. I lived there before i moved to the nicer area of Silverdale; Bremerton is where the crime is at. Anyway, the person writing the blog used a 70s photo of Batman and Robin asking the reader to quickly name anything else they had been in. I instantly had to defend our dear Adam West as being not only the caped crusader but the Mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island on Family Guy.

I couldn't find the best episode, with Mayor West using a Lite Brite and unable to completely spell out his name due to the size of the toy. "Nobody messes with Adam We!"

Ahhh....at least the man can make fun of himself.

Anyway I'm now 3 months pregnant and pretty much past the potential scare of miscarriage. I had my first OB appointment today and got to hear the baby's racing heartbeat. I wonder what it would have sounded like if I ate some fudge....
My husband just came back from sea yesterday so soon we should be getting back into the family rhythm.
My writing is stagnating a bit on my novel due to brain farts and I'm still awaiting Randi's illustrations and our tax return money before I can publish the children's book. I'm considering adding a "moral of the story" to the end, to add some note of education-worthiness to those readers who refuse to buy anything non-educational for their children to read. Any thoughts on that? It's basically a cheaper cheating way of adding more to my already edited story.

I see a baby!

2009-02-12T15:47:00.001-08:00

The pregnancy is real now. I lay back and sucked it up as a complete stranger (man doctor) slid a big plastic stick up inside me and poked around looking for all my girly parts. Fortunately, in the poking process, he found this:

I watched as the stick got closer, seeing my little bean's brain through its skull, watching it kick its legs and get pissed off at the thing that was poking at it. I couldn't feel a thing, but knowing that my baby at only ten weeks can already kick some ass is quite reassuring.

I hope it's a boy. If not it's going to end up a very butch little girl.....

Moxie Love-The Taste of Home

2009-02-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

You probably have no idea what I'm talking about when I say my favorite soda in the world is Moxie. Most people on the West coast have never even heard of Moxie, except used as a term for "sass, courage, spunk, determination, attitude". But in truth, Moxie is one of the oldest soda/carbonated beverage brands in the United States.

"Before Coca-Cola and Pepsi, there was Moxie soda. Known for its strong, rich flavor, Moxie soda is the oldest continuously produced soft drink in the United States. Since 1884 Moxie has been a favorite of many and has over time cultivated a devoted following of fans loyal to the truly unique taste of Moxie soda. Although readily available in a number of New England areas, the distribution area of the once widely popular Moxie soda has greatly dwindled, making it very difficult for most to enjoy the great taste of Moxie soda."

The secret ingredient for the distinctive cola flavor is gentian root. This is what gives Moxie its bitter kick. You either love it or hate it, they say, and i love it.

My father introduced my sister and I to Moxie when we were very young. Only sold in cans or 2 liter plastic bottles (or if you are extremely fortunate in your hunting, the classic glass bottles), it is not the cheapest soda on the market. It's only made and distributed in New England, and is the official carbonated beverage of Maine. I grew up in Connecticut, so I was fortunate enough to have been exposed to this drink my whole life.

Once I moved to Washington, however, any craving I had for the soda was quashed beneath the inevitable lack of the soda on any shelf in the West. I have had to beg my mother and sister to mail me bottles every time I have the craving. Moxie helps settle an upset stomach as well, so this is a definite need while I'm pregnant, caffeine or no.

This was all brought up when I finally received a package yesterday that I have been waiting for for months. I had begged my sister to buy me some Moxie for Christmas, but of course she neglected to actually mail me the box until I begged my mother to do it for her. When my sister was at the store buying the soda for me, she told me the cashier looked at her as if she had three heads when she checked out the bottles of Moxie, saying "The only person I know who drinks this stuff is my grandpa!"

Well screw that! If I'm a grandma at 25 just for liking Moxie then so be it. My little sister loves it too, and apparently that makes us the freaks of our generation. I just hope more young people are introduced to the classic flavor of Moxie before the company runs out of business. I know that no matter where I live, as long as Moxie is still made I will find a way to buy some so my children can grow up with the bittersweet bubbles on their palates as well.

Prego

2009-01-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

Well I suppose it can't hurt to announce it here.
I'm pregnant!
Yep, found out a little over a week ago. I've been extremely tired and nauseated for many days, and it seems I have many more to look forward to. I emailed and told Jason and he was very happy. He'll be coming home around my 3-4 month period, so hopefully he gets to miss most of my nausea. Anyway that's all for right now....I'm going to go take a nap.

Masterpiece Theatre and Miyazaki

2009-01-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else fallen in love with the newer releases of Masterpiece Theatre? I think they are doing a phenomenal job portraying Victorian literature. I rented then finally bought their newest version of Jane Eyre and am having a sort of tea party this week with some girl friends to watch it. Although they, like every other movie maker, do take some license in changing bits of the story to better fit the screen, it is by far the most sucessful attempt at turning one of my favorite books into a movie. Ruth Wilson is appropriately unextrordinary with moments of sheer glory lighting up her face on certain occasions. Toby Stephens may be a little too handsome for Rochester, but hair and makeup do their best to make him a brooding, dark man and his surly temper peppered with moments of passion flow exceptionally during appropriate moments.
I also just watched Tess of the D'Urbervilles on Masterpiece....very well done, and it brought back memories from when I read the book 8 years ago. In fact the scene where Alec takes advantage of Tess is rather disturbingly portrayed as rape rather than a smooth coersion. This makes Tess all the more a tragic heroine, and of course the movie ends sadly.

I've also been on a Miyazaki kick lately. Even though he didn't direct it, I still think The Cat Returns is my favorite Miyazaki film. And of course Disney does a phenomenal job in the dubbing department so it is pleasant to watched either dubbed or in its original Japanese. Carey Elwes adds sex appeal to the Baron's voice, and it's always nice to reminisce over the hilarious voice talent Peter Boyle adds to Muta. All I have to say about why you will fall for that film at first watch is this: Secret Service cats. I think I'm going to pop in Howl's Moving Castle again some time soon as well, as it inspires me to write and I have been slacking in that department lately. The sheer originality of Miyazaki's tales astounds me and makes me want to be a better writer. The world will mourn when he leaves us. But of course that is why he asked Hiroyuki Morita to try his hand at directing (The Cat Returns). With that film's unbelievable accomplishment, I think Miyazaki has found a more than acceptable successor.

Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and 2012

2009-01-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else happen to watch the special on History channel last night? Nostradamus 2012. It was all about the Nostradamus, Mayan, English and Edgar Cayce prophecies about the end of/rebirth of the world.
Holy crap I'm scared.
Nostradamus may have been a half-assed and more vague prophet, but Edgar Cayce sure as hell wasn't. The only one of his 14,000 predictions that has yet proved untrue (and I do stress the YET) is the discovery of the lost continent of Atlantis.
Cayce's prediction wasn't specifically for the year 2012, but it was for the future past the millennium (as in after 2000). He said the time would be marked by great destruction, storms, tempests, earthquakes, etc. An increase in these, and hurricanes, and other natural disasters will be the warning Earth gives us that the time is near. He said the earth's axis is going to change. Do you know how scary that is? He said that the Southwest will slowly go into the sea, Japan will disappear, New York will sink slower but eventually be gone, Europe will be all fucked up. Basically if the earth starts spinning the other way all hell will break loose and there's nothing we can do about it. However, Cayce and the other prophets DID believe we could change our own future. But the fact is I don't see anyone paying much attention to these "signs", so I think we're probably fucked. And that's what's going down in 2012.
There were many different groups that foretold this to be the last decade.... Apparently our current Pope is supposed to be the last pope ever. Could mean the end of the Catholic church, could mean the end of the world.
Either way, I'm torn between doing as Cayce says (live life in the moment) and being scared so bad I want to stockpile and live in a hole I go dig on a mountain top.

Watch it HERE

Happy Gregorian New Year!

2009-01-01T10:32:00.001-08:00

It's just great how many things have reminded me in the past 24 hours that our "New Year" celebration is entirely dependent on the culture that raised us. Of course, as December 31st is the day America recognizes as New Year's Eve, it and the day after are the ones most people get off work, and so thus whether our beliefs dictate it or not we must celebrate the "new year" on that day.
Of course I did. I went to a friend's house and we had a small but amusing party of nerds and Navy wives. We played dirty Pictionary and watched Imaginationland, then kissed congenially and wished each other Happy New Year after the ball dropped. The Christmas tree and decorations are down, the house is clean and I just woke up before 10:30am in my own bed surrounded by my cats with a slightly upset stomach and no hangover.
So far this is a good sign for the new year. My goals involve getting my children's book published and writing at least another 100 pages of my novel this year. Maybe, if I still can't find a better job, I might even finish writing it.
I don't really believe in "resolutions". In the end, New Year's is just another day, and most people don't stick to them anyway. But having goals for the coming year is important. What are your goals? I know the economy sucks and it's going to be tough for everyone to find jobs, but maybe that means your goal this year can be to spend less.
Whether your goal is a new career or simply to wake up today with no hangover, I wish you luck in the coming American year.

Free time to kill and Benjamin Button

2008-12-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

Jason left today. I won't see him again until March, so now I have almost three whole months to do more fruitless job hunting and a lot more writing. I am actually planning on starting to paint a new picture today. I haven't painted anything in at least a year, so it's about time I start using all the supplies my mother in law got me last Christmas. Of course I also need to work out (on Wii Fit, because it's pouring rain and windy outside so I don't feel like walking to the gym) and write at least a few paragraphs of my novel. So the light in my apartment is dull gray at best, not optimal for painting, but I really want to accomplish something other than sitting on my ass watching tv all day so I'm going to try.

By the way, I went out yesterday and saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Apparently I'm one of the few people who didn't like the movie. I thought it was excessively long at 3 hours, and although it was cinematically beautiful and the special effects were great, the story was lacking and reminded me too much of a backwards aging Forrest Gump story. The director tried to be all philosophical with the imagery of a hummingbird, whose wings flap in a figure eight, remininscent of the loop of endless time, and who appeared after the deaths of two of the characters. I thought this was overdone and cliche. The scene with the German U-boat in WWII was especially exciting, but that was the pinnacle of excitement for the film unfortunately. There were a few good laughs, especially with the old man who "got hit by lightning seven times", but after seeing this movie once I am content never to see it again. You should see it at least once yourself, but I suggest waiting and renting it so you can get up to pee during the long, slow parts that make up much of the movie.

For other writers out there

2008-12-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

I've written a couple of eHow articles that might help you out. One is on academic and novel writing, mainly Introductory paragraphs. It may help you out if you are in schol or if you really want to improve that idea for a novel you've been toying with.

Another is an article on coming up with character names. This is useful information not only for writers (mainly of the fantasy genre) but for gamers as well. If you start playing D&D, do you really want your half-orc to be named Joe-Bob the Magnificent? Or your elf mage to be called Lucy Brown? Of course not! You want a totally awesome sounding name, and THIS will help you create one.

Also check out the other articles I've written, and rate them if you can. You never know, I may have written about something you were looking to know how to do!

On personal business, my job hunting is almost at a stand still. There simply aren't very many jobs out ther, especially around here. So I write a page of my novel every day (or as often as I can) and continue the monotony of fruitless job hunting while trying to keep the electric bill down as best I can by bundling up on these cold days. Wish me luck!

If you cook a duck...

2008-12-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

Cook it for at least two hours! I learned that the hard way after only cooking mine for an hour and a half....it was red inside! And when you check it halfway through, be sure to have a vent on, window open, or be wearing riot gear on your face because the grease flying off that thing will kill your eyes!
On the same note, however, duck tastes freakin amazing! Especially with the totally awesome orange sauce I made to drizzle over it. Everybody loved it, and we devoured every bit of meat we could get off the bird. I should have taken a picture of it but we were all eager to dig into the meat after having to eat all the side dishes first. I smashed a bowl full of creamed corn by accident when taking it out of the microwave, so our side dishes were braised potatoes, lemon rice with raisins, peas and carrots, dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce. The duck was succulent, seasoned just right, and fabulous. So dinner went very well.
Unfortunately most of the pumpkin pie Cliff brought over ended up on people when Kyle decided (drunkenly) that it would be amusing to smash handfuls of it on random things and people. Yeah that's a fun cleanup today. Idiot. But the cheese and crackers and beef log disappeared quickly and so did my vegetable tray (amazingly, since every sailor claims to not like veggies). Between that and the booze, we had a great party with only six people the whole night.

We haven't officially started and Christmas traditions, due mostly to the fact that we don't have a child yet and also partly because half the time we aren't even together on Christmas because of Jason's work. Hopefully some restaurant is open tonight so I can go have Xmas dinner with Cliff and Jason #2, since my husband is on duty all day. We do plan to start using the Christmas pickle tradition (though apparently it's an American commercialism ploy, just like the rest of Christmas) when we have kids, pretty much because it's fun.

And so, by myself for most of the day, I now go to exercise on my Wii fit as many calories as I can from the ghastly over consumption of last night. Let me know if you'd like the recipe for any of the dishes I mentioned.
Merry Christmas and Happy Yuletide to All!

For the love of god and all that is holy, It's SNOWING!!!

2008-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

It started yesterday afternoon.....and then it just kept coming. I live not far from Seattle, so we usually don't get too much snow. Last year we broke the record with 8 inches overnight in January. I just looked out my back window...I think we broke THAT record already, and it's STILL coming down!
Don't get me wrong, I'm used to this sort of thing because I'm from Connecticut. In fact, my sister called me yesterday to ask how I was liking my snow when it had already snowed at least ten inches at her house.
I like snow....but living in Washington leaves you unprepared for it. I mean, honestly, why would I buy a pair of snow pants or boots if it hardly ever snows more than an inch and I can't afford to go skiing? And I have no need for a snow shovel when I live at an apartment complex full of guys who get paid to shovel the walkways for me.
I'm just waiting for Jason to get home now. He woke me up a little while ago to say he got off work and now it's 8am and I'm hoping he can make it through the drifts. My poor, poor Californian.
He'll probably want to go out and make a snowman later....

Trying out EHow

2008-12-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

So I discovered that you can write articles for eHow and get paid for them if they are successful. I'm giving it a try. There is a list of requested topics that people are looking for, but since I didn't know anything about the ones that were up I wrote my first article on what I DO know.

How to...

Speaking of Satan....she's already knocked down half the dining room table and is now attacking both tree and presents...AGAIN.

As for my writing, I have to get my ass in gear on my novel. And I haven't heard from Randi yet on those illustrations.... I know it's only been a week, but I'm getting antsy anyway.

Oh sure...NOW she comes up and mreows and says hi....little brat.....

Bruce Campbell is God.

2008-12-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

So after an hour ferry ride and another 2 hours of sitting through 6 miles of exhaustive stop and go Seattle rush hour traffic I just barely made the show in time for the previews.
My Name Is Bruce was fantastic!!! It was a movie made entirely for Bruce Campbell fans. If you're a fan, buy it. End of story.
On a sad note, I did not get to touch Bruce. But the mere fact that I was in the same room with the man was exhilarating. I hope I get to meet him again some day.
I recorded as much as I could with my digital camera. The footage is shaky, for which I apologize, but the camera was in my hand the whole time. i had to change the batteries half way through once I got the hang of it.
And yes, in the third video, that's me asking him how it feels to be part of a TV series that has lasted more than one season. I'm a brat! The thing is, after about 10 minutes in my car on the ride home I realized what I should have asked him in the extensive Q&A session: "If I said you had a hot body, would you hold it against me?" God that would have been so perfect to say.....and it might have even gotten me a hug. This man is on my list of top 5 favorite actors of all time.
Oh and he was right when he walked into the room at the end of the movie....that damned Guan di song won't ever get out of your head! Guan di is his name....Guan Di is his name, Guan you Guan me Guan di....Guan di is his name!
I SO dig the cheese.....
Enjoy!

Bruce 1
Bruce 2

And Bruce 3

Worth braving the storm for

2008-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

I get to meet Bruce Campbell tonight.
SERIOUSLY.
I bought tickets a month ago for the Seattle premiere of My Name is Bruce, the new movie that he stars in which makes terrible fun of him. In case you've been under a rock for awhile, Bruce Campbell is most famous for his roles as Ash in the cult classics Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and Army of Darkness (which I'm watching right now actually). He is Jack of All Trades, Brisco County Jr. He is also known as Sam from the new hit TV series Burn Notice. Yes, holy crap it's true--Bruce is actually part of a TV series that is successfully running more than one season! Probably because he's not the star....
Basically he's the most famous B movie actor of all time, and he's one of my idols. I'm praying with every bone in my body that I get to shake his hand tonight. It's on my list of life long dreams. I've already met one dream (a year or so ago) when I got to pet a sea cucumber at the Seattle Aquarium.
Anyway, tonight just also happens to be a terrible wind and rain storm, followed by the first sub-freezing temperatures and snow of the year. It just had to hit tonight. Dammit.
Oh well, I'll brave anything to meet my idol. More tomorrow....

Book Title and Metaphysical Beliefs

2008-12-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

Good news: I finally got a hold of Randi and have enlisted her (hopefully) as my illustrator. I also have received help from my cousin David on how to get published. After a bit of research I have discovered that it is incredibly difficult to get a Children's picture book published via use of an agent or normal publishing company. So I'm currently considering going the route of self-publishing through the most successful company out there: AuthorHouse. Thanks again to David, as this is the same company he used to publish his book, A Gnostic Cycle.

Some of you may have read my manuscript and know the basic gist of my story. If you need further details you can ask me here or email me, but I don't wish to put my material on this blog for fear of copyright infringement. At any rate, tell me which of these titles you think might most suit my work, or would be the most eye-catching to a youngster. If you have read my story feel free to give me more suggestions.

Sam, The Were-Calf
The Puppy Who Wasn't
It Eats the Vegetables at Night
It Moos By Moonlight

On another note, I'd like to share a snippet of the interesting (and lengthy) correspondence between myself and my cousin (mind you, this man is in his 50s and helped raise me). He mentioned something about his religious beliefs and I shared mine briefly. Here is an excerpt from some of that correspondence:

David: I have by innuendo told you before that thoughts affect reality and are capable of shaping matter and altering them at an atomic level. This is a scientific tenant that is one of the revealed principles found in Quantum Physics as well as Molecular Biology. This is also where I got off on the idea that Evolutionary Science might need to be revised to also need to take this into account, in that the beings themselves (perhaps even from a supposed spiritual estate) may be able to affect and accelerate their own evolutionary development by use of their own thought processes. But even so, most people have no idea how powerful this process is.

Meal: You know, a lot of the things you are describing (thinking about something you want or need hard enough to get it) are concepts used in Magick. We simply put words and form together with concentration to achieve the desired effect.For example, I'll share a spell with you I learned from Silver RavenWolf's To Ride A Silver Broomstick. If you are down on money and really need it, look at your empty wallet. Think about filling it up and repeat the words Trinka Five, Trinka Five, Trinka Five. You can concentrate and repeat this as many times as is comfortable, but it does work. Every time I am in real need I use this spell and within 24 hours some form of money comes to me. The last time I needed it I got a birthday check from Aunt Joyce 2 months overdue.
Anyway, despite my pagan beliefs, my human belief is basically this: Man invented God. All gods. However, over long enough history and millions of followers, the inherent powers of man has given power to god and made him/them real. The more followers, the more powerful the god. With few exceptions. And the "devil" is an invention of man as well, given power by the millions who believe he exists. I think the real hell is the troubles you have in life. I've been through a bit of hell, but not much yet.

David: You are right. But Magick is much more powerful than most people believe, even for most people who use it. I have avoided using it (which many people think is odd, because it comes so naturally to me) simply because I had been so fearful for adverse effects on those around me (being caught in the spray of the splash zone, so to speak). My friends tell me not to worry about it, that if it affects other people, it is because the whims of those people for self-correction was simply in sync with me (the old argument that all the people who die in a plane crash did so because unconsciously they had all agreed on it). Maybe they are right, but I cannot help feeling responsible. So many people work so hard to externalize blame and make themselves out to be victims of, not masters of their destinies, yet I have always accepted responsibility for my actions, and I think my effort makes humankind better for it.

Any thoughts you would like to add to that conversation are also welcomed. :)

Trying to live life to the cheapest and still get things done

2008-12-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you are unable to stop yourself from buying that PERFECT gift for your favorite loved one that you saw online today. Or the one that you saw at the mall yesterday. Or the one you found so quickly through a link on your significan't other's favorite webcomic.
It all adds up, doesn't it? This year I tried to keep my costs down by shopping online on Black Friday; a lot of websites had deals for the first few hours of the day. Then I finished by shopping either on Amazon.com or the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Of course, now comes the infighting between my husband and I over how much I've spent versus how much he's spent. But really, I got god deals on everything I bought this year.
Still, with the economy being so crappy all over the country, it's hard to find a job to make up for all that spending. Thank goddess for Jason going out to sea soon! I know we can't count on living like that for much longer, especially once he's out of the Navy, but damn it sure feels good to be able to pay off bills all at once! He'll be gone for 3 months, leaving me to only buy groceries for myself and enough gas to get to work and back, because I basically have no life while he's out to sea. Hooray for being boring!

Anyway, I'm still waiting to hear from Jason's friend about the illustrations. If I can get some done then I have a shot at getting published. If nothing else I can publish my own book through amazon or some other self-publisher. Thank goddess for my experience in working marketing for a publishing company back in Connecticut.

Now that my Christmas stress is basically over, I'm focusing on looking for new avenues of work and getting as much writing done as possible. With any luck I can be on my way to publishing my children's book in the next few months. I'm also looking into taking the GRE so I can get into graduate school once we move to California. And I'm trying to help Jason prepare for his SATs, which he will be taking when he gets back from sea.
I bought this for him, and am waiting for it to show up. It got great reviews on Amazon, so I'm hoping it will help him get that edge he needs to score well and get into a Computer Programming degree.

I'll let you know later how that turns out.

Computer Help- I needs it

2008-12-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Do you know how to create a book layout in PDF form? I used to use Mac PageMaker when I worked at Curbstone Press, a program which is easy to use for putting text and pictures together in book format. However, I neither have access to a Mac or that program, and I am finding that some publishers would prefer the book to be all laid out in PDF form. I was under the impression that PDFs could only be made using some form of Adobe something-or-other. I've emailed Jason's friend Randi with a proposition for drawing some illustrations for my story, so when finished I could easily add them to the text to make a book. But you can't do this with MS Word.
Any thoughts? Help or suggestions in any way would be appreciated. If you own a Mac or an Adobe program that could help me organize my material and are willing to help please let me know.

A brush with a scammer

2008-12-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

Wow. Just WOW. Thank the gods I called my father in law for advice on a contract.

The contract itself is legitimate enough, but he suggested before I sign it that I research the company I was going to be working with. This is for publishing my children's book, by the way. I googled the agency's name and red flags went flying! I found a huge list of poor reviews and warnings that the company is run by a convicted scammer. Although they don't technically break any laws, they do take your money and apparently do nothing to help your career.
Advice to those trying to publish anything ever: research your agent and publishing company before you sign any kind of contract.

Mind you, this has nothing to do with my editor; in fact I'm still very happy with her work and am glad I hired her to perfect my manuscript. If anything, because of her I now have a better chance of getting published. So I'm going to do a little searching and try to find a real agent and a real publisher before I start getting excited again.

Stay away from WL Children's Agency! They have many names and disguises for other types of literature as well, but search that name and you will find them all.
I admit this is a hiccup on my road to success, but hopefully I'll perservere now that I actually have the honest drive to try to get published. Wish me luck!

Ready for Yuletide and hoping to get published!

2008-12-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

First, the publishing deal: I just had to write my own contract for working with the agent. I've never done this before, so I looked up tips online. I copied one clause the agency sent me from their contract and then made up a few of my own; hopefully I didn't sound bitchy or demanding. It's hard work!
On another note, I got my edited manuscript back. Even if you have three or four friends and teachers look at your work you never really can have it finished until it has been properly edited by a third party disinterested professional. I was very impressed! I had thought I had a finished product, especially after having several co-workers at the Writing Center go over it. But the editor I found was reasonably priced ($5 per page) and did a fantastic job! All over email. She sent a copy of my story both finished and with"track changes", where you get to see exactly what she has fixed. The story is infinitely better now, I think. I suggest if you plan to get anything published you find an editor online as I did; it is well worth the effort. I am going to keep her info in my mailbox so I can use her to edit my novel once it is finished. Haven't written any of that since last week I've been so busy.

As for Yule, Jason and I got all our shopping done last weekend. I got a ton of deals online on Black Friday and finished up the rest Saturday. Here's a tip: go to Linens and Things! They're going out of business and have phenomenal deals! We also stopped by the animal shelter and ALMOST adopted a kitten. I mean ALMOST as in the paperwork was signed and we were just waiting for approval when Jason FINALLY listened to me and came to his senses. So instead we went and got a Christmas tree. That was an adventure.... apparently my old stand was crap (we called a friend over to help us and ended up going out to buy a new stand) so once we got a fancy new plastic one we put up our 4 foot tall tree in the only space we have available: next to the fireplace. Safe, huh?
Oh well, once we got it all dressed up (still waiting to get Jason's ornaments here someday) we sat and watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. And then I took a photo of the best Christmas gift ever:

Happy Holidays!

A Black Friday Poem

2008-11-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, except Faraday's mouse

The blinds were all closed by the windows with care
That my neighbors wouldn't look in and see me bare

The kitties were nestled all snug in my bed
While I sat in in my chair, kicked off it instead

Jason on the submarine and I in my robe
Had just parted ways four hours ago

When out in the driveway there arose such a clatter
I peeked through my blinds to see what was the matter

Dozens, no hundreds! I say quietly with fear
Parked out in the driveway, and back in the rear

They all gather closely, making their plan
To speed to the department stores, as fast as they can

The look in their eyes is both red-rimmed and crazed,
As they fight their way out to their cars in a daze

There's pushing and shoving, and even some laughter
But not the fun kind, the kind murder comes after

I winced and guffawed but could not tear away
My eyes from the sight building before me this day

One looked toward my house with a predatory smile
And I jumped from my spot to sit down for awhile

I grabbed one of the cats and we cuddled and prayed
Giving thanks that at the frightful window I'd not stayed

She purred in my arms as we rocked back and forth
Hearing banging on doors, gutteral sounds of human wroth

After several more minutes I finally heard
A bunch of car doors slam in the yard

The engines revved up so lively and quick
I sighed in relief, they'd be gone in a nick

Ten minutes went by with less shouting and cursing
Then finally silence broken only by purring

I snuck to the window once more in a dash
And to my relief saw only a few bodies with road rash

At last the dread shoppers had gone to the stores
And I hoped they found the deals that they wanted, no more

For the greed and sheer terror aroused on this day
Was even enough to keep Santa at bay

I settled back down in my chair and my robe
And said "Happy Holidays, cat" playing with my earlobe

The cat looked up at me with love in her eyes
And I thanked my good stars that real love never dies

The neighbors can keep their black holiday sneers
But I'll sit by my fire with calm holiday cheer.

And How, you may ask, can I afford to waste time?
Of course, it's very easy; I just shop online!

By Amelia Ritner

Happy holidays everybody! And yes, I wrote this myself.

Turkey Day, not for us

2008-11-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

We had our Thanksgiving last Sunday and still have a crapload of turkey leftover. There's turkey soup in both the fridge and freezer, turkey pot pie, and a ziploc bag of turkey in the fridge as well. And I still have a bowl ful of excellent cranberry sauce, I just can't eat it all by myself.

Maybe we can find someone to invite over today. But it's more likely to just be myself and my husband. We're celebrating his birthday tonight, as it's really tomorrow but he's working all day then. A rack of lamb, my grandmother's special recipe for baked beans, and steamed vegetables followed by a New York style cheesecake. Yum!

But for now I'm just enjoying the Macy's Parade. I haven't had cable tv in over 3 years so this is the first time in awhile I've actually gotten to watch it. I'm used to being at my mom's house cooking up a storm while this is on the little kitchen tv so it's weird to be sitting at my computer in my bathrobe just sipping tea and wondering when I should make breakfast for my sleeping husband.

Actually it's probably time to start calling family now, since it's 12:30pm over there.... I hope everybody who reads this has a great holiday! And remember, as soon as you're done eating, it's Christmas!

Novels of Note

2008-11-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

I have posted a number of Amazon.com ads at the bottom of my blog screen. These are all hand picked by me; books and movies that I own. A few are simply amazing in entertainment value, but most are the things that inspire me to write.
For example, I cannot watch Howl's Moving Castle or Miss Potter without wanting to jump onto my computer and tap away another page of my novel. Likewise, Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth book series has changed my life and given me the drive to make myself a better person. I suggest you pick it up! All of these are ads for the first one or three in a book series, as I would not want you to start reading somewhere in the middle.
At any rate, the more people who click on and buy from those ads the more money I make, so my thanks goes out to you if you decide to buy through my site rather than just heading down to Barnes and Noble.

I'm off now to shop for Jason's birthday feast for tomorrow. His birthday is the day after Thanksgiving but he has duty that day so we are going to celebrate it tomorrow with a big rack of lamb and a cheesecake. God I'm so glad I can cook well.....

Working on getting a Children's Story published

2008-11-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

I wrote this story last year on a whim, inspired by my (now husband) who gave me the idea whilst cuddling. I won't give the synopsis, as I fear copyright infringement here, but I can say that I submitted it to a Children's Literature Agent last week and they accepted it, given that I go through a third party editing process. So I popped on craigslist and sure enough within seconds found an editing service in Seattle. I emailed the lady and asked her how much it would cost, so now all I have to do is cut a check for $36 and I'll have a professionally edited manuscript. The story all typed out is only 3 1/2 pages long; of course it will have larger print and pictures once it is made into a book. But the company I'm working with only takes a 10% comission and that's ONLY if the book is accepted by a publisher. So we'll just have to wait and see.

On another note, it seems Faraday caught her first bird today. After I threw it out the front door, she finished killing it and is now rolling around playing with it on my living room carpet. JOY. Brings me back to the days before Loki disappeared. He used to kill a bird almost every day. Our last apartment was filled with feathers in all the nooks and crannies. A new generation begins the torture.
"Meow? Meow?"
"Yes, Fara, I saw your bird. Now eat it or I'll throw it in the trash."
*goes to bounce it around more*

Sigh.

Wii Fit Review

2008-11-25T13:13:00.001-08:00

We bought Wii Fit a little over a week ago, mainly for my husband's use since he is too lazy to go to the gym. I finally tried it out today; it was easy to set up, but by the time you are set up, weighed and balanced you have already wasted at least 15 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised when it weighed me in at only 148 lbs, given that the last time I weighed myself at the gym (last week) the scale topped me off at 159 (believe me I've not lost any weight since then). The aerobics are fun, the Yoga is very taxing on your body (which is a good thing) and though I wasn't overly fond of their strength training exercises the fact that they are available for me to try later is good to know. I loved the hula hoop exercise, and the step aerobics were fun once you got the hang of the beat.

However fun this game may be, I do not think it is of very much benefit to people who already have an exercise routine. Instead, this game is a very nice SUPPLEMENT to traditional exercise; walking or jogging on a treadmill is more comfortable and effective than jogging in place to the tv screen wii people. It does help you practice your balance and stretching, but if you are, like me, not overweight (by Wii standards) or obese, I think you will need to consider hopping back up on that treadmill for at least 20 minutes a day as well. Wii Fit does not like you to do a combination of their exercises for more than 30 minutes without taking a long break in between (and by the time you reach 30 minutes of exercise you've already been playing for over an hour) so to lose weight other methods must be used. I think a combination of Wii Fit and a cardio routine, be it walking a few extra blocks or popping on an exercise machine, will help a person weighing just a few extra pounds to reach their goal far faster than the more simple exercises on the game.

If you think you need to lose 15 lbs or more and are not used to exercise, this is the perfect game to get you in shape. The more you use it, the better equipped you become to handle a regular cardio routine at a gym or in your own time outdoors. For those without access to a gym, this is probably the best way to burn a few extra calories during fat season (i.e. Thanksgiving through New Year's). If you have a Wii, this is a worthwhile purchase.

Way better than Endless Ocean anyway.... ;-) That game was a bit of a disappointment and as close as a Wii game can get to a carpel tunnel nightmare.

A Different Christmas Poem

2008-11-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

I got this as a bulletin post from my friend Shawn on myspace. This is powerful stuff, not to be forgotten. I'm proud of Shawn, as he is an ex-Marine, and I'm proud of my husband and all my friends in the Navy, and my friend Sam in the Air Force who is over in the sandbox right now. I give my personal thanks to all the men risking their lives for us overseas today. Love you guys! And Happy Yuletide!

A different Christmas Poem
by LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
Sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... An American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
People as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
Festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe.
Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

The Game and a sick tortoise

2008-11-24T21:30:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry....I just had to!

On a sadder note, not only did my betta died this morning, but Zeebo is still sick. Yes, that's Zeebo the tortoise, as in Zeebo from Earth Girls Are Easy. I guess the antibiotics I had to inject him with didn't do the trick after all. Since I don't have the money to bring him to the vet again, I went to PetSmart and picked up a multi-vitamin powder to mix with his food. I've started blending all his veggies together in my little Cuisinart with the powdered vitamins, and leaving him in his tank under the heat lamp al day, but he's still making wheezy snotty noises and it doesn't sound good. Hopefully the beter diet will put him on the mend, but for now I am disheartened with his progress.

Early Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

Due to scheduling conflicts among all our friends on Thanksgiving Day, we opted to have our grande dinner yesterday. Aside from everyone arriving an hour later than they were supposed to, it went rather well. At least the food turned out great. Even Cliff's mashed potatoes were good, which surprised me given that he is a man and never cooks. Our refrigerator is packed full, mostly of turkey and the THREE extra pies Theo brought to supplement my two. At least mine were homemade.....

We all got pleasantly inebriated on champagne....I think we went through 5 or 6 bottles (hooray for drunk people quoting the entire first Ninja Turtles movie!).... and the biggest hit, besides my turkey, was the cheese tray. I have discovered in the last few months a new cheese called Gjetost Ski Queen. It's a Norwegian goat cheese. I don't know if it's smoked, but it has an incredibly unique flavor that makes it both rich and sweet at the same time. Look it up, or pick up a block next time you're at the grocery store (it's in a red square package), and believe me you won't be sorry. It even trumps the "orgasm cheese" we had at our wedding party back in March (Wenslydale with cranberries in case you were wondering), but because it's made from goat's milk it isn't nearly as bad for you. That's the most important part, especially if you're a woman. Well, that and being able to fill yourself on it within a few slices.
And now that our great feast is over, today I received my package of beans. B&M baked kidney beans, to be precise, which I had to order off the website because no one sells them in stores anymore. Seriously! I had my mother and sister searching the stores in Connecticut while I looked out here, to no avail. Oh well, Grandma's famous baked beans will be a treat just for me and Jason. It'll go great with the turkey leftovers. If you have any good recipes aside from turkey pot pie and turkey stew, let me know.

I posted several fun links for you to look at; a few are comics, some are links to the websites of some of my favorite authors, but all are enjoyable time killers. I'm back to business as usual, trying to write at least one page a day in my novel and hoping to exercise off at least a pound or two from the weight I gained just this weekend.

Hope floats on the Goodwill of the Internetz

2008-11-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

I check craigslist every day. No, seriously, EVERY DAY. I look for jobs mostly. Writing, editing, proofreading, teaching--pretty much anything I might be qualified to do. Just this week I submitted a short story that I wrote in college (edited again, of course) to one publisher, and the children's book I wrote last year to another. Goddess knows I won't hear from either of them for a few weeks yet, but my hopes are up for now.
And of course, I can always get inspiration from Twilight.
The success of that terrible book series gives me hope that my real writing might one day be worthy of the best seller list. If thousands of people can become so obsessed over that piece of trash with sparkly vampires to the point that they make a movie out of it, why can't I make a few bucks with my own fantasy novel? At least I'm trying to go off a realistic basis; any mythical creatures I may decide to mention will be purely from the official bestiary book of Middle Ages. I didn't just dream up some fake ass sparkling guy to come and hump me in the night then call him a vampire even though I don't know a damned thing about vampires....like SOME people did. :)
Actually, I DO know a thing or two about vampires. Which is why I cannot stand hearing about the pre-teen obsession with this woman's bollocks idea of the creatures of the night. And oh dear god, did you see the new South Park this week? I laughed so hard I nearly cried! I recognized with the "goth kids", of course. And the freaking teeny bopper fake vampire kids drinking Clamato juice (barfaroni) made me want to burn down the nearest Hot Topic as well.
Oh well. My rant must end, as I have another page to write.