Archive | March, 2012

On the hunt for a new author

21 Mar

I’m in a book dry spell and it’s driving me crazy! I keep starting something new, getting about halfway through and losing interest. I hate when I don’t have something good to read! A good book motivates me, gives me something to look forward to when I need to be motivated.

The last good series I read was “The Hunger Games.” I went on to read a Lisa Gardner book. Eh, just OK. I’m in the middle of a David Baldacci book that’s well written, but the story is making me depressed. I’m in need of a pick-me-up theme right now, not something on grieving and dysfunctional teenagers. This one needs to be finished when I’m in a better place…

I found “Never Smile at Strangers” by Jennifer Minar-Jaynes and it was a pretty good story with good writing. But, of course, it’s her first book. So now I can’t go through and read all of her other books.

I scoured Amazon.com yesterday, trying to load the kindle with something, anything that would grab me. I picked up “Daddy’s Girl” by Lisa Scottoline. It’s OK, but losing me in the middle again. Argh. Her next book looks great! But it’s not out till April. The next Nora Roberts book that looks good isn’t out till May. And the next Charlaine Harris book isn’t out till May. Hurry up!

I noticed a friend on Facebook is starting a new Christopher Moore book. I haven’t read him and I know we have similar taste, so I’m going to give it a go. He has a ton of books out and he’s supposed to be funny – two things I’m looking for right now. So I’m crossing my fingers!

Any other suggestions?

 

 

 

 

About these ads

Tags:

Working from home with kids

14 Mar

Ever tried to work at home with kids? We’re on the backside of the spring break mountain. It’s week two, hump day. I’m just going to apologize in advance for anything crazy that might’ve slipped into any articles, blogs or chapters I’ve written this week.

I remember the start of the “vacation.” I thought, “This is going to be so nice. No getting up early to get kids to school, they’ll just watch cartoons while I work and drink my coffee. We’ll plan a few outings, but really just hang out together and relax this year.”

I’ve always worked during spring break, so the kids have always been at daycamp. I always feel bad that they don’t get a “real vacation.”

This year we’ve been home (although I’m still trying to “work”). We did have one wonderful day at Disneyland. It was fantastic. Great weather, no lines, no fights, just fun.

But most of the rest of the time … the kids are fighting constantly. They’re so bored. But they don’t want to go anywhere. And they don’t want to do anything. But they’re boooorrred. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

So today my daughter’s swimming at a friend’s house and it’s just me and the boy. He’s playing a Star Wars game on TV, while I finish edits on a chapter of a book project. While playing, he likes to talk (yell) to the TV at the top of his lungs … or sing continuously. Any words will do.

This is what I hear:

“Darth Potato!”
“Darth Potato!”
“Mom, Darth Potato is chasing me!”
“Hey you, Darth Potato!”

And now he’s singing a country music song really loud that keeps ending in some kind of Aerosmith howl at the end. And I’ve also heard Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime and Bruno Mars songs from him.

So he’s not bored right now. Which is good. But who knows what I’ve actually written over the last hour. I’m not even going to turn on the TV next week during school hours. Just silence … but probably with “I’d catch a grenade for ya” echoing through my head.

 

 

Tags:

Please flip your internal editor to ‘on’

8 Mar

People. I swear, sometimes they do and say the stupidest things. We – as thinking people – really need to be sure to keep that internal editor flipped on and think about the consequences of what we say BEFORE the words pop out.

My Aunt Robin sent me a link to this great blog, “Breast Cancer? But Doctor … I hate pink,” that describes the terrible things people say to someone with cancer, and then advises what people should say. The blog is well written, snarky and funny. I thought it was great. Here’s the link:

http://www.butdoctorihatepink.com/2011/07/things-people-say-to-breast-cancer.html

After reading the blog, I spoke with my mom and got a little background on why my aunt found the blog so perfect. She had gone to the laundry room in our complex earlier in the day. Another laundry-doer was there and, spotting her bald head, asked if she had breast cancer. When Robin replied yes, she was told the other woman had gone through breast cancer as well. The woman asked about her treatment, inquiring if she was getting radiation.

When Robin replied, “No,” the woman went, “ohhhhhh” pushing air through her teeth, like, “yikes really?” So Robin explained that her oncologist took all of her results before the tumor board at City of Hope – one of the top cancer treatment centers in the nation – and after reviewing everything thoroughly, they decided not to do radiation.

The woman gave another, “ohhhhhhh, really?” sounding gravely worried for her. And this “ohhhhh” stuck with Robin for the entire day. The kernel of worry was planted. Was just the eight rounds of chemotherapy going to be enough? Should she be getting radiation? What if this ENTIRE PANEL OF TRAINED, SPECIALIZED PHYSICIANS was wrong?

It frustrates me to no end that people can be so unintentionally oblivious to the harm of their words or actions. I’m sure the woman didn’t mean to send her into a tailspin or worry or ruin her day. Or maybe she did. Who knows with people. But I found it ridiculous that she should have to justify her treatment to a stranger.

The “I hate pink” blog has great advice. Just say you’re sorry. Don’t ask, “How can I help?” Do something tangible. Bring food, go clean the house. Pick up the kids from school. And whatever you do, don’t make sounds of uh-oh-you-might-not-be-getting-the-right-treatment to strangers going through cancer treatment when you don’t know anything about their situation and you’re not a doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancer.

Tags:

The fluffiest member of the family

2 Mar

I don’t believe I’ve introduced the furriest member of our family here. Her name is Tiges. If you’re looking at her portrait, you are probably thinking she’s big. OK that’s kind. You’re thinking she’s so fat. Or “fluffy” as we like to put it. I swear she eats small amounts of good quality IAMS food only twice a day. And she exercises … kind of. She’s just naturally curvy.

She came into our family during a tough time. We had just moved back from Austin, Texas, we were living with my parents for a bit and I was desperately unhappy with the situation and our lives in general. I felt like a failure. We barely escaped from our Texas home with two pennies left to rub together. And the “sure thing” job offer I had wasn’t coming through.

My kids and my nephew Cody found Tiges in my parents’ shed. She seemed too fat to be a homeless kitty. So we put out signs, called all the local shelters, etc. But no one ever claimed her. My parents live at the top of a hill in a more rural part of town that backs up to some undeveloped foothills. For some reason people ditch unwanted pets there pretty frequently so over the years, we’ve found homes for a variety of animals. Tiges was one that stayed with us.

That was more than four years ago. She stuck with us through the divorce, settled in to apartment life, and handled with dignity (sort of) two growing kids who went from four and six to eight and 10.

She’s my shadow everywhere I go. She’d sleep wrapped around my head at night if I let her. And she even lets the kids carry her around (even though she’s more than a quarter of their body weights). And she let’s us call her all of the disgusting pet names we’ve given her over the year: fluffy angel sent from heaven, sweet fluffy baby, tigey wigies, chubs, fluffikins and some even more embarrassing.

Anyone who’s had a pet like this – Tiges Softy Dean is her full name – you’ll understand. She’s more than a pet; she’s a member of the family.

 

 

 

Tags:

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.