Monkey Madness Monday: Becoming PC

So, there are a couple words I use that aren't quite PC. I'm a little embarrassed to write them out loud, but the first starts with "re" and ends in "tarded". I have a friend I spend time with, we go to lunch at least once every month or so, and we went to the Mariners game Saturday night (awesome game btw) and she doesn't like the word because she happens to work with people who have special needs.

Soooo, I decided it was time to find a new word. I got out my phone and clicked on my thesaurus and looked up stupid. Retarded was actually one of the words. Even the thesaurus isn't PC, sigh.

The word I decided to go with is Lumpish.

 [luhm-pish]

adjective

1.resembling a lump.

2.having a heavy appearance; moving clumsily.

3.having a sluggish mind; unresponsive; dull; stupid.

Example: You're so lumpish.

I'll also be using the word Lumpen.

adjective 

(ˈlʌmp ^ə n)

stupid or unthinking

However, I've decided to use it as a noun.

Example:  You're such a lumpen

I will also be using the word Lumpy which I will be using as a proper name.

Example: Smooth move, Lumpy.

So, I've found a new word and I will no longer be unPC, using the "R" word and causing my friend  to cringe.

I've also found another new word, Festal, but I was told I didn't have to use that one because what I'd replaced it for wasn't as insulting.

Happiest of Monkey Madness Mondays to you.

 

F³A: No visit is a bad visit

I had a visit with a book club yesterday at a library north of me. I drove about 35 miles. In attendance, 3 kids, 1 librarian. At first I was disappointed. Then I wasn't. You know, I've already come to realize that these visits aren't always about selling books. Sometimes they're about learning what kids are reading. Sometimes they're about inspiring people. Sometimes they're about networking and connecting. But yeah, sometimes they're about selling books.

When I got there, they first talked about what they'd read. The librarian, Rosalie couldn't say enough things about a book called Trash by Andy Mulligan. She was currently reading The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers, which she found weird, but intriguing. Both two completely different books, both sounded interesting.

Then one of the girls said though she hadn't really read much in the way of books, she was doing this online interactive book call Home Stuck. It's a game that this guy made up using nothing but MS Paint. It looks interesting enough, you can find it here if you want to take a look.

The next girl had read a book called Kill You Last by Todd Strasser. It's part of what he calls a Thrillology. The book sounded pretty interesting and she said she'd put it on the "hot list". She was currently reading a book called...crap! Can't remember. Anyway, she was kind of liking it. It was called Summer Storm or something like that.

Then the lone boy said he had read the Tarzan series and talked about how the girls wouldn't like it because it was pretty sexist. He was also reading the Mars Trilogy. 

I talked about my book and the writing process. A few questions were asked, jokes made. Then the librarian and I talked about writing. She was an aspiring writer with a girls sports series and some contemporary fiction she had written and was trying to get published. I gave her some advice.

Then I talked about the Class of 2k12 and the Apocalypsies and told them how many great books were coming out this year in all sorts of different genres, gave them some 2k12 bookmarks and Never Eighteen swag and was on my way. 

So, if the library doesn't have my book, I'm sure they will soon. Maybe one of those kids will read it and like it. I'm sure the librarian will read it, AND I gave her some motivation (she was getting down about rejection from agents)

All in all, though a small group, not a waste of time. These visits are NEVER a waste of time.

Friday Scribbles:

Random iPod shuffle song:

Netflix of the Week: Archer Season One. This is hilarious. If you like totally inappropriate humor and cartoons, this is for you. Yeeuup!

Book of the Week: Still reading Danny Marks Velveteen and loving it! Not out until October, but I believe you  reviewers can get it on Netgalley right now.

Quote of the Week: "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." ~Rodin

Finding My Zen

Okay, so this is harder than I imagined. Especially when I'm driving. I had a less than Zen moment in my car yesterday while driving my kids home from school.

I think it was a series of annoying events that contributed.

The first? Justin Bieber's Boyfriend came on the radio. Normally I turn the station when this happens, but Thing One insisted I leave it on. And she kept turning it up. I kept turning it down. It irritated me, but I was trying to be Zen.

Then another song came on. I think I blocked it out my mind as I can't remember what song it was, but Thing One was singing loudly and annoyingly. I calmly asked her to please stop.

Then it happened. We're stopped at a stop light. There are a few cars ahead of us. Light turns green. Cars start to go. But wait. The car ahead of me stops. I'm like WTF? THEN she decides to turn on her left turn blinker. That was it. Screw Zen. Expletives were spewed left and right. I may have pounded on my steering wheel a couple times. I wished for her window to be down so I could yell at her as we went around her; no luck.

I lost my Zen.

A set back. I regained my Zen for the remainder of the day.

I will continue to try to keep my Zen from now on.  When something pisses me off I will breathe in and out deep until it passes. I'm going to read about Buddha and see how he handled assholes. That may help.

Have a great Thrustday people.

Fresh Starts

Photo by Alan Levine

How many fresh starts are we allowed in life anyway? I think the answer is: However many we require. I know I've taken my share, and I've currently taken another. 

I sometimes let stress get the best of me. It doesn't help that I'm Scot, Italian, and an Aries. I find myself getting angry, depressed. I find myself on a journey of serious self destruction sometimes to the point where I can't get out of bed for a couple of days. I felt myself getting there again. I can usually feel it coming and I had to stop it before it got to that point. It's not a good place to be.

These are the things I'm trying to do to not go to that dark place again:

• Find my inner Zen. When I find myself getting angry, I'm going to take a couple of deep breaths before speaking or acting.
• Don't use the word "hate". I usually reserve the word for petty things, but I'm going to try to cut the word out of my vocabulary altogether.
• Continue exercising. I've been doing pretty good, I'm going to keep at it.
• Cut down on the vino. I'm a writer. And Italian. I drink. 
• Write for myself every day. It's cheaper than therapy. 
• Try not to spread myself too thin. I seriously do take on a lot in life. Between my writing, working, kids, and house (cleaning, yard, etc) sometimes that's enough.
• Get organized. My office is a mess. My house is a mess. my yard is a mess. Organization is not my strong suit, but I find myself losing important things, bills, and other stuff I'd rather have than not have.
• Read about inspiring people. My reading time is short. I admit this. I'm reading all my fellow 2k12ers books. So, this is twofold. One is to read MORE, the other is to read about people like Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Buddha, and Anne Frank.

I think that's about it. We'll see how those things work out. How do you beat stress?

First Skype Visit

I had my first Skype visit yesterday with Central A & M High School in Moweaqua, Illinois. One of their students had contacted me through my website and told me she was doing a book project for her class on Never Eighteen and asked if I had any ideas or could I come visit her class. 

I sent her to the discussion guide on my website and said, "I love doing school visits!" Of course, this was before I knew she lived in Illinois. When I found that out, I offered a Skype visit.

There were some technical difficulties on their end at first (a sound cord had come unplugged) but after that, it was awesome. I talked about my book, they asked some questions about writing and publishing. It was a lot of fun!

I'm sending a package of SWAG to the class.

The student sent me her Powerpoint presentation of my book yesterday afternoon and it was awesome. I guess her fellow classmates told her teacher she should get an A+.

I felt very honored to be invited into their classroom and told them I'd be happy to come back when I had another book on the shelf. 

I have to thank author Bruce Hale for his awesome session on Skype at my local SCBWI conference a couple weeks ago. Good info that helped with my visit. 

If you know of any middle or high school classes looking for an author to Skype with, pass my name along!