Instead of a monkey, I have to show you these pics of this cute little Australian girl. She's been wanting to read and review Never Eighteen, but HMH doesn't ship to Australia. I took it upon my self to send her one of my precious arcs and some swag.
I mean seriously. How cute is she? And she started the book yesterday and so far is liking it. *whew*.
I want to thank Romi for being so excited about the book. She made my day.
Sunday Thing Two was as a baseball game with her Dad. They'd ridden their bikes there. Tacoma has minor league baseball team, the Tacoma Rainiers. So, anyhoo, the seats belong to my dad's law firm, and they're awesome, third baseline, close to home plate, row, like, 5 or something. One of the players pops up a foul ball and it hits Thing Two in the arm. Yep, you guessed it, broken.
So I'm out of town, right? My parents called and told me because they were at the game as well. I'm frustrated, worried, can't do anything about it. I call her, she was okay, but at urgent care getting it looked at (this was before we knew it was broken).
My dad tried to get a hold of her, but not answering her phone, so then I have to field a million calls (mostly Monday morning when I was trying to write my last chapter) as the go between with my parents and my kid and her dad. It was a bit frustrating and annoying. My asks me, how come she never answers her phone. I in turn call her and ask her why she doesn't answer her phone when papa calls or texts. She's like, I didn't get a phone call.
After about a million back and forths, we find out that my dad has her old cell number. sigh. So doc says it's a greenline fracture (or something like that) and she needs to see an ortho. I have to get a prescription filled and it takes me two days to find out who said ortho is and make an appointment.
It's actually her dad's week, but she and Thing One stay with me a couple nights.because I was gone over the weekend.
SO (new story, but in my mind related) Thing One has a friend from out of town, so she wants to have a few friends over at MY house (even though it's dad's week) It's fine, she only invites three people (This was yesterday btw). Thing Two comes in and says her eye has been red and sore for two days. She wears contacts so I said, maybe you just scratched your cornea or something.
I make a doc appt (hoping to make it for Friday because her dad has the day off, but they had an opening yesterday so it seemed best to take her in ASAP). 3:30 we're at the regular doctor. He thinks it's a scratch, but wants to send us to an ophthalmologist.
First of all, I stand waiting and the reception desk for about five minutes before I'm helped. I'm already stressed, annoyed, this doesn't help. Finally I sit down to fill out paperwork (this is a new doc for us). Have I mentioned yet I've had to go to the bathroom for about a half hour at this point?
So I'm filling out paperwork, and they have this toy in the waiting room, which is the most annoying toy on the face of the earth, being used by the most annoying kid on the face of the earth. The thing makes loud grinding noised, which the kid continues to do over and over and over and over and over again. Plus there's a TV in the waiting room which is turned up to about 5 million decibels.
When we finally get in to see the doctor, it takes so long cobwebs are starting to form from my chin to my lap. And to top off the annoyingness, they're playing MUZAK. LOUD. At this point I want to kill someone and I'm starting to think the staff in that office hates people.
I finally decide I'm going to pee my pants, and go to the bathroom. Guess what. No toilet paper. Just glad I hadn't sat down yet. Go get some, pee.
We finally see the doc, she has an eye ulcer. We get a prescription. He says, you need to start this right away, and no generics. This is the best. Head to pharmacy. They don't have it. They call four stores. I sit in my car at the drive up window and play bubble buster on my phone. No one has it, in fact, the manufacturer doesn't make it anymore.
At this point I'm starting to starve to death.
First I wonder why the hell a doctor would prescribe an rx not being make anymore, then I call them. Office closed. By that time I'd invested about three hours of my life I couldn't get back. I decide fuck that it's not even my week. (excuse my french). Remember, Dad has today off. I pick up Thing One who has not completely cleaned up after her party even though I told her that to have a party she was responsible for cleaning up. I wait for her to clean. I take them home, write Dad a novel about what needs to happen (because he's not there) and I leave.
I don't starve to death. I eat two hotdogs and have a glass of pomegranate wine. Then I lock myself in my room with Aaron Eckhart for the rest of the night.
I've decided that my blog will go back to just ranting, because I think that's what my readers like.
TGIF
I leave you with the Friday Nibbles:
Random Pandora Song: They Move On-Tracks of Never Ending Light by This Will Destroy You
Book of the Week: I've not read a damn thing in ages. So I'm going with my own book, Sad, which I finished the first draft of on Monday. Tagline: A Story of Loss, Loathing, and Lacerations.
Movie of the Week: Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. Watched it again this week. It never gets old for me. and I love Michael Cera.
Quote of the Week: "Some days, there isn't enough Xanax." ~ Megan Bostic
I've been thinking a lot about the message behind Never Eighteen, and what I would bring to schools were I to give a presentation. I think part of it would be to pose the question, "What would you do if you knew your time on earth was coming to an end?"
I mean, what if you only had, let's say, a year left? What would you do with that time?
I think I'd travel a lot. I've always wanted to do a cross country road trip. It think I would do that and see all the sites I've never seen while visiting family and friends. There are many writer's I've connected to along my journey, but never met in person. I think I would try to meet as many of them as I could.
I'd throw one hell of a going away party. At the very end, I'd donate everything I own to charity, money to the children's hospital, possessions (the ones I don't leave to my kids) to people who need it. Insurance money is for the kids.
And I may or may not buy a monkey.
So tell me, what would you do if you only had a year left to live?
On the Tsunami Scribble Society retreat, I learned that one of the most common mistakes and editor finds is writer's using the wrong homonym. I've found a list of the most commonly misused.
Accept vs except:
Accept is to receive.
Except is to leave out.
(guilty)
Advice vs advise (to me confusing, so I'll use examples):
Advice is a recommendation for action (noun): My advice is to buy Pepsi over Coke
Advise is to recommendation a course of action (verb): The school counselor advises students on what classes to take.
Affect vs effect:
Affect is to change.
Effect is a result.
All together vs altogether:
All together is everyone in the same place.
Altogether means entirely.
Already vs all ready:
Already means previously.
All ready means all prepared.
Capital vs capitol:
Capital is a city, the location of a government; main; important.
Capitol is the center of government
Clothes vs cloths:
Clothes is wearing apparel.
Cloths are pieces of cloth.
Course vs coarse:
Course is a path; a plan of action; series of studies.
Coarse is rough, crude, large.
Complement vs compliment:
Complement is something that completes.
Compliment is to praise someone; praise from someone.
Council vs counsel:
Council is a group of people who meet to discuss issues.
Counsel to advise or to give advice.
Desert vs Dessert:
Desert a dry barren sandy area; desert to abandon; to leave without permission.
Dessert is the final course in a meal (usually sweet)
Formally vs formerly:
Formally is with dignity; following rules or procedures.
Formerly is previously; at an earlier time.
Loose vs Lose:
Loose is to unfasten.
Lose is to suffer loss.
Passed vs past:
Passed is to go by.
Past is the tense of pass; that which has gone by.
Plain vs plane
Plain is simple, common; a flat area of land.
Plane is a flat surface; a tool; an airplane.
Principal vs principle (guilty):
Principal is the head of a school; also means chief, main.
Principle is a rule of conduct.
Stationary vs stationery:
Stationary is in a fixed position.
Stationery is writing paper, envelopes etc.
Than vs then:
Than a conjunction used in comparisons.
Then at that time.
To vs too vs two:
To is a preposition.
Too is also.
Two a number.
Weather vs whether:
Weather is the condition of the air; the atmosphere.
Whether is a conjunction expressing doubt.
Contractions:
Who's vs whose:
Who's a contraction of who is or who has.
Whose is possessive form of who.
It's vs its:
It's: a contraction of it is or it has.
Its is a personal pronoun showing possession.
You're vs your (guilty, but always just a typo):
You're is a contraction you are.
Your is showing posession
They're vs there vs their:
They're is a contraction of they are.
There is in or at that place.
Their is a form of possession.
First off, here's my cute Monday Monkey. Secondly, I have to correct something here on my blog.
Remember back when I talked about Goodread reviews? Well, apparently the reviewer I spoke about in general commented on that blog, and for some reason it did not post. She thought I deleted it, which, those of you who know me know I wouldn't do. I've been known to delete an entire blog of mine, a million facebook posts of mine, but never a blog comment. I respect other people's opinions even if I don't like them or agree with them.
She blogged about it, thinking I'm a disgrunted writer, which I don't blame her for, thinking I deleted her comment. I'm linking to that blog here. In my original blog was more making a point about Goodreads reviews and respecting others opinions.
I'm linking to her blog because she was very eloquent and made some good points. And now that is all I'll say on the subject.
I want to talk about my writing retreat. It was great. Only four of us. Kristin Kendle talked about grammar and punctuation, Janet Oakley spoke on historical research. I gave an totally unorganized (my style) presentation about the publishing process.
I want to make it an annual event. We have given it a name, as shown in the following logo (TSS for short). I would to get more people involved, even though we want to keep it small. We decided on eight people, though I would probably take it up to ten. I already have people interested.
If you're interested, it's at Ocean Shores, Washington, the third weekend of July. If you want to come, respond to this blog, or send me a direct email. Also, expect to give a presentation on a writing subject, expect to do some cooking, cleaning, and expect to learn and have fun. Participants will be chosen by presentation proposal. I want people who will be a good fit, not just first come first serve.
If I get a lot of interest, I may expand to those who just would like to learn rather than present. But right now, we're tiny. So, if you're interested in the learning process alone, let me know that too. I'll see how many people are interested and go from there.
I wouldn't mind presentation from bloggers and famous writers either *cough Jay Asher cough Brent Hartinger cough Elizabeth Scott* Excuse me. Must have had something caught in my throat.
Instead of a monkey, I have to show you these pics of this cute little Australian girl. She's been wanting to read and review Never Eighteen
, but HMH doesn't ship to Australia. I took it upon my self to send her one of my precious arcs and some swag.
. Watched it again this week. It never gets old for me. and I love Michael Cera.
, and what I would bring to schools were I to give a presentation. I think part of it would be to pose the question, "What would you do if you knew your time on earth was coming to an end?"
