Our Thanksgiving always includes going to my moms. She makes the turkey, my dad makes the stuffing and the rest of us fill everything else in. It's always carbtastic.
We start by a few of us playing cribbage while watching football and rooting for anyone but the Steelers and Cowboys (sorry PIT and DAL fans). We fill our bellies with cheeses my brother has brought from Pike Place Market while waiting for dinner.
The plan is always to eat by 4, but that never seems to happen. It's usually more like 5 by the time everything is ready and put in it's place on the counter to be served up.
We stuff our faces until our bellies are about to burst (my goal is actually to NOT do that this year). Sometimes a couple of us will go for a walk after dinner while others chat. I usually help with the clean up so Mom doesn't have to lift a finger.
We used to play games, but my family is big and Italian and loud and loves to kibitz and it always took 4 hours to play a 1 hour game, so that tradition has kind of gone down the toilet. Now we talk about work and politics and movies and books and music and whatever the hell we feel like, because we like a good debate.
Then we eat pie. I can never believe people have room for pie after all that.
I usually head to the ocean the next day with my friend Heidi, but this year we'll be heading to see Pearl Jam in Portland, then to the ocean on Saturday.
What are your Thanksgiving traditions?
Also a reminder, Dissected will be free on Amazon for your Kindle tomorrow only. Enjoy the Black Friday deal. If you read it, getting a review would be awesome. Reviews truly do help little tiny authors like myself. :)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Enjoy the day, no matter what you do.
It's not that I have nothing left to be thankful for, but my cousin Natalie made a good point on Facebook the other day. She said this"
"Not
to be mean but I could really live without peoples thankfulness after
the 15th. I could care less about their thankfulness of coffee,
blankets,sunshine,a strangers smile,cars,water and just being a human on
a everyday basis. If your posting something stupid about being thankful
just stop! No one is gonna say" hey Debbie what happened to your
thankful List from the 20th to the 30th" just do yourself a favor and
live thankfulness..."
Haha, she's funny and I got tired of trying to think of stupid things to be thankful for. So thank you Natalie for pointing that out. I'll just be thankful every day I wake up because it means I'm still alive.
I will be nowhere near a place like this on Black Friday
I would like to say this about being thankful: If you're one of those batshit crazy kind. Be polite. And most importantly, try not to trample anyone to death.
people that go shopping on Black Friday - I am not, as I loathe the mall, crowds, people in general, shopping and I'm a broke bitch - please remember all the things that your were thankful for just the day before. Be
One more thing, in honor of Black Friday, the kindle version of my new book Dissected with be free on Amazon this Friday.
Yes I said FREE. One day only.
I ask one thing of you. If you download it, read it and like it, I would love if you would review it for me on Amazon. It really does help sell more books.
If you don't like it, feel free to review it as well, that helps too, but I won't like those reviews as well. Just sayin'.
When I get it that is, which seems like a while now. A good night's sleep anyway.
I can't remember the last night I had a good night's sleep. Every night for the last few weeks I've been waking at 2 or 3 in the morning. Some nights I get back to sleep, some I don't. Like last night I didn't. I've been up since approximately 2:30.
And no, I did not take the opportunity to write. My brain is too mushy to do that.
I could blame the Mexican food last night, but then what is the reasoning for the last 90 days?
I long for a night where I fall asleep at a reasonable hour and don't wake until the next morning. Sleep in, even.
Until then...insomnia and I will be buddies I guess.
I want to mention one other thing, I'm in our local paper today with 3 other authors gone indie. Love if you'd take a read.
Okay, it's Friday, small miracles. Here are the Scribbles...
Pandora Queue song: a shuffle station with Mumford and Sons, Imagine Dragons, Black Keys, and more...Stone Temple Pilots, Big Empty.
Book of the Week: I've not started reading anything yet, been too busy, but going with Catching Fire in conjunction with the movie release. If you've not read the book, you should. You should read all the books. I truly loved all three of them.
Equality. Today marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. I'm not stupid enough to not know we still have a long way to go as a nation, but we've come a long way.
Back then on the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War even Lincoln knew the fight for equality was just starting. I think he'd be disappointed at how long it's taken to make the strides we have in the last 150 years.
Minorities and LGBT's will never be truly equal as long as there is intolerance in our country and as long as people are teaching their children to hate. And yes, I suppose some people just are bigots all on their own, but for the most part, it's learned behavior, so let's stop teaching our children to hate other because of their differences. That's what make us all unique, like snowflakes.
Even women still struggle to find equality in the workplace in this day and age when they're doing equal work. And racism travels in all directions. Let's all just start oozing love for each other, shall we? That said, I'm proud to live in one of the first states to legalize gay marriage and I'm so happy I get to see some of my best friends exchange vows next year because of it. Yay Washington!!! There you have it. I'm thankful for equality. Is it perfect? No. But our country is ahead of many others. And we're still fighting for it because half a nation stood up against the other half and one man spoke out 150 years ago and inspired a nation. Let's try and make more strides before another 150 years passes us by.
This is one of those days in which I'm finding it hard to be thankful. I've been sleeping like crap. My nose has been stuffed up for days and my mood has been up and down due to many factors in my life.
But, I've been determined to always find something to be thankful for, every day.
Hot wings may be at the top of my list today. Too shallow?
Okay, well, you may think this is shallow too, but I'm going for it anyway...
My Seattle Seahawks. Yep, I went there.
I've been a football fan since I was about 10. My dad has had season tickets since the very first year the Seahawks have been a team. I believe that was 1976. He would take to me at least one game a year.
As I got older, I got more into football and I didn't care if they won or lost, Ilove my Hawks. I started to go to more games. As many as I could. Whenever he had extra tickets I would say, "Me, me!!"
Eventually, my dad ended up giving his tickets to his law office and if the Hawks were good, I didn't really get to go, but if they had a bad season, me and my husband (this was when I was married of course) ended up going to at least 3 or 4 games a year.
When Hasselbeck came on board, they started getting good again, and the Kingdome came down and Qwest Field went up and we decided to buy our own season tickets.
We were there when the won the NFC Championship. That was exciting!!
Tickets got too expensive, so we gave them up. Then of course I got divorced. Now I'm back to only going to one game a year.
Now we have a good team again and it's been exciting to watch players like Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Marshawn Lynch on the field. 10-1!! I truly think we are Superbowl bound this year. If not, at least we had a great season.
I'm thankful for my siblings. I have three, two sisters and one brother.
We don't get together regularly, but we do see each other fairly often. Even so, I think if we'd call on each other for help, we'd be there for each other.
My oldest sister, Danais 13 years old than me and disliked me as a child. I was the baby, I suppose I tattled on the rest of them from time to time and maybe got my way, I don't really know. She said the day I came up to her when I was about 4 or 5 and said, "Dana, why don't you like me?" is the day I melted her black heart and she decided to give me a chance. HAHA
She has a delightful sense of humor. She used to have a mannequin, and when I was 8 she snuck into the living room behind the couch where her mannequin, Zelda stood on a chair. I was playing Barbies on the other side of the couch. Very slowly she began turning the chair, so that Zelda appeared to be turning and called my name, "Meeegan. Meeeeeegan." I was pretty sure it was her, but it still scared the shit out of me and I ran screaming from the living room.
And she wonders why I tattled.
She's also a fabulous actress and artist and was the only one who showed to help me stuff swag bags (aside from my mom, and apparently I told the other sister I didn't need her, which I didn't remember, but ya know) for my book launch party. She's awesome.
I work with my other sister, Maribeth. We commiserate about the goings on at the office together. We're also closer in age so we've been known to go out on the town and cause a ruckus. I followed her to college back in 1987 and she introduced me to her older friends, drove me to the grocery store, brought me to parties and bought me beer.
Now I consider her a friend as well as a sister, though we've had our ups and downs here and there. We did end up having kids pretty much the exact same age (our older daughters are 5 months apart, both seniors this year, our younger, mine a girl, hers a boy are 5 weeks a part, both sophomores, all at the same school), she also moved onto my block after she got divorced. It was only two blocks down, so the kids got to grow up on the same street. Of course, when I got divorced, I moved, but we still live close.
So we get to work, party and go to the same school functions together. It's been fun. She listens to my work problems, my dating problems (half the time I'm dating someone she knows, so it's convenient) and sometimes we just sit around and drink wine together.
My brother John L. is even closer in age to me. We're 18 months apart. We went to junior high and high school together for a spell and ended up with many of the same friends. He dated many of my friends to my dismay and I dated many of his friends, again to my dismay.
When I got back from college I got to be a groupie with all the bands he hung out with and belonged to. I loved it. I love music and his friends were mostly cute and we partied a lot back then. How did we party all night and get up and go to work the next day? I have no idea.
Eventually he moved to Seattle, so I don't see him as much, but as the two creative minds in the family (he is also a writer, but will never write commercial so has given up getting published traditionally, but now with the industry changing, maybe he'll go the way of self publishing, who knows?), so we still have much in common and we always have a lot to talk about when we're together. We're also the "crazy" ones in the family and I think it suits us both fine...when we feel okay.
So yeah, my bro and sisters, I'm grateful to have them.
Friday Scribbles, here they are!!
Pandora Queue song:Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis. LOVE this song.
Book of the Week: Um, I'm going with mine because I just released it this week and I'm totally pimping myself out and because I can. Yep. Dissected by Megan Bostic. You should buy it. It has 2 five star reviews on Amazon.
Netflix of the Week: I haven't started watching it, and I don't even really know if it's on there but I'm going to look. House of Lies with Don Cheadle. Because I love The Cheadle and I love the marketing world.
I'm thankful for my readers. I thank everyone that showed up at my Dissected launch party last night. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I know there were others that wanted to be there but had to work, or were sick, but I know they were there in spirit.
I was so nervous, there was so much I forgot that I wanted to say. I wanted to say, that writing what I write, the hard stuff, the people with flaws, with issues...I write it because I'm drawn to it, because it resonates with me. The people in my books - I know them. In many ways I am them.
I also wanted to tell them that if you read the book and if you like the book, consider taking the time to review it on Amazon. Not just my book, but any book of any author that maybe someone hasn't heard of, because it does help. If we get a number of reviews, Amazon might move us to a certain list, or section that might give us a little more promotion.
Also, if you like it, tell a friend.
Okay enough about that and back to my readers. I started writing because I love to do it. It's a form of therapy, a copying mechanism, not unlike my characters Sydney's decision to cut. But since getting published, I realize how important my readers are to me. To inspire them or to give them a story or character to connect with, that makes me feel good.
Here are just a couple tidbits of messages I've received from people who've read my work:
"...i felt like i had a sense of enlightenment and it made me want to be a better person..."
"My younger daughter died of osteosarcoma (a bone cancer) in Dec 2007;
she was sixteen. She would have had so much in common with Austin. Her
courage continues to inspire me and while I will never get over her
loss, I have made it through. Thank you for giving teens with cancer a
voice."
"...Never Eighteen changed my entire outlook on life. Thank you so much for writing this
wonderful book. ...Thank you again for this amazing contribution to
the literature world!"
Just a few, but you get the point. Messages like these make me feel amazing and want me to keep doing what I'm doing.
So, thank you readers for inspiring me and motivating me to keep going.
Today I'm thankful for books. Books that showed up at my door yesterday. Yep. So I could have a release party tonight. Of course, not only those books, but books in general. I love reading books. My mother instilled the love of reading in me. I've been reading since I could, devouring Dr. Seuss, Donald J. Sobol, Judy Blume, then on to S.E. Hinton, then Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkein, Ray Bradbury. I even enjoy some Shakespeare from time to time. Those are authors whose books (and plays) I've read a lot.
Some favorite books:
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice.
More contemporary novels I've liked have been:
The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
The World According to Garp John Irving
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane (I also enjoyed his McKenzie series)
Red Dragon & Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (never read Hannibal)
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
When it comes to Young Adult fiction, some of my favorites are:
The Wicked and the Just by J Anderson Coats
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
Popular by Alissa Tregay
XVI by Julia Karr
Divergent by Veronica Roth (I can't wait to read the rest of the series)
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Truly, I could go on and on all day. And if you're looking for recommendations from me, note, that aside from a few of these books, I read very much like I write, books that tackle tough subject matters. The stories aren't always pretty and there aren't always happily ever afters.
Are there any books you are thankful are in the world? If you're in the Tacoma area, don't forget about my book signing tonight at Garfield Book Company at 7 pm.
I just realized I'm not really giving 30 days of thanks because I'm not blogging on weekends. Oh well. I do digress...
Anyway, today I'm thankful for all those who have put their life on the lines for our freedom, those who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces.
Now, I'm in no way a staunch supporter of wars. I'm totally into peace, but I know there is a time and place to fight for our rights and the rights of those who cannot stand up for themselves, and I know that freedom comes at a cost and I appreciate those who are brave enough to stand up for those freedoms.
I would never have the balls to go into the military. I don't think I'd survive basic training let alone actually have what it takes to go to the front lines of a war torn country. I know people who have been and come back, those who have lost friends and family and even if they don't lose a life, some sacrifice has always been made, whether it be to mind, body, or spirit.
So, men and women of our armed forces, thank you. I'm grateful that you have the courage to stand up and fight for my freedoms.
Today I'm finding it hard to be thankful. I know. Seriously, I'm a glass half empty kind of gal. I can't help it. Just when I thought my book problems were solved for my release party, um, they suddenly weren't. No idea what's happening now. If I'll have books or even a party. I'm a lot panicked and stressed and a little devastated. So, thankful...hmmmm... Going to have to put this on hold for a bit...
(5 hours later) ...okay, I had another book crisis. I thought I had books coming for my release party. Then I didn't. then I did. Then I didn't again. Now apparently I do again. Sheesh. Can you say ulcer? So, I'm thankful for the people who really try to make things work for others. Like Jennifer at Lightning Source who I called in a panic on Monday because I was pretty sure there was something messed up on my order, which turned out to be right, and I wasn't getting my books on time. Then who fixed it so that I could upgrade to expedited shipping to get my books by Monday. Then again with Sandra who I had to call today when I found out my books went out UPS ground and they weren't going to get here until Thursday, when my party is on Tuesday. She went back to talk to the people I'd already talked to to find out what happened. And then for Ryan, who helped fix everything, and since my books had already gone out, put another rush, expedited order in at no charge so I would at least get two cases of books by Monday. Yeah, I'm thankful for those kind of people. The people in customer service who have to deal with people like me who panic and cry. And those ones who have to deal with people that yell and scream and cuss at them. I used to have to do that when I worked at the licensing department. I didn't like that job. Nope, not one bit. I feel for those people, anyone who works with the general public, they don't have it easy. It's why I always tip well, because I know for every 20% I give, there's going to be some asshole that tips 10%. There it is, and here are the Friday Scribbles... Pandora Queue Song: Pitter Pat by Erin McCarley
Book and Netflix of the Week: I'm going to let you tell me. I've been so busy I've neither read no watched ANYTHING for a couple weeks now aside from football and Walking Dead. What are you watching/reading? Quote of the Week:
Have a great Friday and a better weekend. Even if it's hard, find something to be thankful for every single day.
Scoff if you will, but the interwebs is truly a wonderful thing, I mean, after all, you wouldn't be able to read this, if not for the web, yes?
I also truly am thankful for the internet during the holiday season because I can avoid the mall and shop from my home. I loathe the mall.
Without the internet I would not have been able to enter the ABNA contest therefore would not have met all the wonderful writer I've become and stayed friends with the last five to six years.
There would never have been Facebook where I reconnected with friends from high school and junior high that I now see from time to time.
I can also stalk people without them knowing...check out their pictures, posts, try to find out where they live. Just kidding, but seriously, it's so easy to share photos and information with friends and family. No calling, no snail mail. I know some people think this detaches us from one another, but I still talk to people (sometimes, when I want and when they don't annoy the hell out of me), the internet just makes things more efficient.
So there you have it. Without the internet I would be an inefficient, lonely recluse.
Okay, in my usual cold, dead little heart I'm sure I have once, but usually I will blog about it (I think, don't I? Who knows at this point).
So today I will play catch up and blog about 6 things I am thankful for.
6. My health - Okay, maybe I'm tired all the time and maybe I'm batshit crazy, but I have all my limbs and they work properly. I can see and hear and speak. It is my job to keep this body healthy to the best of my ability.
5. My job - Here I mean my day job. I work for a law firm. I do most of their marketing, which includes their social networking, print ads, offline networking, website, blogging, etc, etc, etc. It never ends. I enjoy the work I do, I'm paid well, and we have added benefits at our job that I know other people don't get elsewhere. Plus, I work part time and can still pay my bills, and this still allows me the time to write and market my books.
4. My writing - Oh lord, where would I be without this. Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time know that I've been through some rough patches. I'm not shy about my experiences in life. I share them in the hopes maybe they can help someone else. During those times I've felt desolate and detached from the entire world, I had this. My writing has helped me grieve through losses, make my way through darkness, and give me an outlet when I've needed it.
I thought we were supposed to do the duck face.
3. My friends - These bitches. Some of these people know things worthy of blackmail and I hope they never use it against me. I have friends from high school, writing friends, work friends, friends I've reconnected with on Facebook from junior high, friends I've met through Facebook, I also include my siblings in this...it's cray cray...
My bestie
Work friends on a scavenger hunt.
Writing friends
My sisters and brother
Gae Polisner, awesome writing friend
My two besties
2. My parents - What these two have done for me...oy. I cannot even begin to explain. Let's just say, I owe them everything.
1. My daughters - Yeah, so maybe there is a toothbrush on my bannister and a pair of dirty socks in my car. Perhaps I have to clean up their dirty dishes on a daily basis, tell them to be quiet when I'm trying to sleep, and nag them to clean their rooms. But they're good kids. They stay out of trouble. The treat people with respect. They treat me with respect. They work at their grades and work hard at what they love, for one it's soccer, the other, music. Without them I would be lost. They are my light.
Yesterday I blogged about crappy stuff. Yeah, I had a crappy day. But last night was bliss. Last night I went to my daughter's last regular season soccer game of her high school life. It was cold and a little drizzly. We had to be there early because it was senior night. The team gives all the senior girls flowers and they announce their future plans, where they want to go to school and the parents get to go down on the field with them...it's really cool. You can probably tell I look blissfully happy in the pic to the left (that's her dad, my ex on her other side). This team they played was undefeated. When we'd played them before, we lost 1-0. I'll tell you what, the refs weren't kind. They were calling us for every little thing, BAD calls. Some of them, we had no idea what the hell they were. Yet, the other team was knocking our girls around left and right, pushing them down from behind, elbowing them in the side, hitting them in the gut, and they got no calls whatsoever. Needless to say, they pulled ahead of us 1-0 just before the half. You could tell our team was angry and frustrated, but it looked like they settled things down at half time. They were working better as a team, making better passes. They looked really good. At about the 70 minute mark, my daughter scored to tie it up. The battled continued and it was a hard one. Bodies were flying all over the field, penalties were called, it was hard to score. The game was moving fast, as we wanted to beat the undefeated team and they wanted to keep their untarnished record. But at 80 minutes, right before the game ending whistle blew, my daughter dribbled the ball close the goal, bringing the goalie out just a bit, and took a shot. She made it bringing the score 2-1 as everyone ran off the field and the scoreboard went blank. It was like a movie and was the perfect end to a miserable day.
2013 Wilson High School senior girls soccer players
In the last couple weeks I have had very dramatic ups and downs. I'm not talking speed bumps, I'm talking hills and valleys. Steep climbs of elation and big drops of disappointments, annoyances, worry and facing things that are unknown.
The good: I've written quite a bit the last couple days and it's felt good.
The ugly: I realized I wasn't going to get my books in time for my release party (apparently there was an oversight on my part at Lightning Source, an approval I thought I'd done, which I hadn't) so I had to pay up the yin yang for expedited shipping.
The good: I went to the Seahawks game yesterday and it was a beautiful day and fun and I had a great time with family and friends.
The ugly: I have an issue with my car (totally my stupid fault that I'm not going into) that's going to cost me money.
The good: My kids and I, aside from cleaning issues, are great.
The ugly: I was tagged by two teens in another state on Twitter, and when I jokingly said something about them making fun of an old lady, I mean, I am a teen writer, I thought I would try to engage. I was told to "fuck off" by one, then asked if I send nudes by the other. Um, dudes, you tagged me. Sooo, instead of dealing with that any more, I just blocked them.
The good: I finally got a decent amount of sleep last night, and I didn't even care
that I slept through the Walking Dead to get it.
The ugly: Relationships in my life, well, let's just say they're not easy.
My life is chaotic, I get that. Some of it I create, I know this. It's like I can't function without some amount of drama in my life, but some of this crap falls in my lap, unexpectedly.
I know I'm not mother of the year. I know I could be a better all around person. I have too many vices, my schedule is too busy, my house is cluttered, but I try the best I can and I volunteer my time and donate to charitable works. I try not to miss a soccer game or a music gig if I can help it and I always try to help my parents, family and friends out when they need me.
I guess I'm not really asking for anything in return, I already have much. I still have my parents. I have two healthy kids. I get along with my ex. People like my writing (I mean, some people hate it too but more people like it, so there's that). I have good friends, great family, clothes on my back, a roof over my head, a car to drive (once I get my tire fixed).
I guess this is just one of my ranty venting blogs when I'm stressed out and you are my sounding board.
And those parent's of those boys on Twitter...they should have taught them better manners and to respect their elders. I mean, really...nude pictures...
These are the thoughts I've had since waking up this morning...
Shit, I forgot to plug my phone in last night.
OMG How can it be November?
Can you have a book release party without books?
That guy hasn't really given me a straight answer about my books.
I need to order cookies.
Will I be able to finish NaNoWriMo this year?
I have a book gig tomorrow, I have a book gig tomorrow, I have a book gig tomorrow, please don't forget...
Bookscan: WTF?
I should have screen shotted that #74 in whatever the hell list my book was on.
I should screen shot the thing where it says Never Eighteen is often purchased with Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars.
I should read The Fault in Our Stars next.
Not as many trick or treaters this year and why all the bananas?
Too many full sized candy bars left. ugh.
Yahoo WTF?
I need to migrate everything to my new email account. Ugh.
I need to mail stuff.
People shouldn't have to work on Fridays. Every weekend should be a three day weekend. I think people would be way more productive.
I hate busy weekends.
I'm tired.
At least it's Friday.
There you have it .
So, what are you up to this weekend? Like I said, I have a book gig. I'm on a young adult panel at Northwest Bookfest tomorrow morning with fellow authors J. Anderson Coats, Kristin Halbrook and Cyndi Tefft. Right after that I'm headed to coach a soccer game. My teen girls team is 6-1. They rock!! Sunday I'm headed to the Seahawks game. GO HAWKS!!
Now for my Friday Scribbles...
Pandora Queue Song: Radioactive, Imagine Dragons. It was the iTunes Sessions version, so I went with an acoustic version.
Book of the Week: I haven't started a new book this week. So, um, I'm staring at my monstrous bookcase...hey, I know, since I mentioned John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, let's go with that. Now I'm debating...that or Insurgent to start this week...
Netflix of the Week: I've also watched nothing...my brother suggested Fringe, maybe I'll try that if I get bored this weekend.
Quote of the Week: “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
~ Plutarch
Then we eat pie. I can never believe people have room for pie after all that. 
