irrelevant (and sometimes questionable) ramblings

Some days, time just seems to jetstream right on by, doesn’t it?

I spent a chunk of yesterday finish the Offspring’s Hallowe’en costume (she’s going as a spooooky ghost this year), and puttering a little, and the day just vanished. Now I have a bit of free time today, but there’s a list about as long as my arm of things that I should probably do. I know at some point I have to get some groceries so that we can have homemade pizza tonight before trick-or-treating, but other than that, I’m pretty much free as a bird.

I guess I do need to decide for certain if I’m tackling NaNoWriMo, and spend some time brainstorming and doing a bit of plotting. But other than that (and hanging out the wet laundry, I just remembered!) it’ll be a quiet day.

A big plus is that we’re going up to +13C today with clear skies and sun, so tonight won’t be as absolutely horrid as last year — with the rainstorm and blustery winds. And we won’t freeze our poor little tuchuses off. Thank God!

You know, I kind of thought in passing earlier that it would be fun to dress up and do an adult evening out, too, but the idea didn’t inspire me so much that I actually made plans, or anything. I don’t even know what I’d dress up as if I were to go out.

What about you? Is the day for your kids? For you? Neither? If you’re heading out, what are you dressing up as?

So. November is almost here, and with it comes NaNoWriMo — also known as National Novel Writing Month. The goal is a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Not that difficult, if one breaks it down into daily chunks (which I think is something like 1,666 words per day).

The question now becomes, do I do NaNo (as it’s called) this year? Can I squeeze it in with everything else? I know that the uber-mega-deadline I imposed on myself for SweetTart actually worked. So do I try to accomplish something like that again?

The question will be answered in three days.

What about you folks? Anyone out there also crazy enough to consider doing it this year?

I had a brainstorm today.

You know what would make a great new reality TV show? One where they do a talent search to find new Chippendale dancers.

Make it like Rock Star INXS, or one of those other competition-type shows, where the contestants all have to train and go through elimination rounds each week, and viewers vote. The guys would have makeovers, intense gym sessions with a trainer, dance lessons, etc. I’d watch — wouldn’t you??

(As an aside, while searching for a reality show link to put in this entry, I discovered this. It would be so amusing if it actually happened. Rock stars throwing curling rocks?!?)

It’s Meme time, folks. This one’s interesting. Feel free to copy+paste and put your answers in comments!

TYPE ONLY 1 WORD. IT’S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your significant other? Einstein (Boy, not the dead guy, but I can only use one word!)
3. Your hair? Blonde (That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!)
4. Your mother? Mater
5. Your father? Pater
6. Your favourite thing? Offspring
7. Your dream last night? Weird
8. Your favourite drink? Coke
9. Your dream/goal? Bestseller
10. The room you’re in? Bedroom
11. Your fear? Failure
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home
13. Where were you last night? Rella’s
14. What you’re not? Independent (yet)
15. Muffins? Banana
16. One of your wish list items? House
17. Where you grew up? Everywhere
18. The last thing you did? Errands
19. What are you wearing? Jeans
20. Your TV? Ancient
21. Your pet[s]? Goldfish
22. Your computer? New
23. Your life? Exciting
24. Your mood? Anticipatory
25. Dating someone? Yes
26. Your car? Caliber
27. Something you’re not wearing? Rings
28. Favourite store? Shoppers
29. Your summer? Short
30. Your favourite colour? Purple
31. When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
32. Last time you cried? Tuesday

A) Four places I go over and over: work, library, friends’, gym
B) Four people who e-mail me: Donna, Rella, Einstein, ‘Em
C) Four of my favourite foods: pizza, lasagna, chocolate, bubble tea
D) Four places I would rather be right now: WARM, bed, sauna, Einstein’s
E) Four people I think will respond/post answers: Einstein, Robbie, Eric, Donna

There you go, folks! Put your own answers in comments!

Just found this amusing article.

D’you think I should mention it to the brilliant Boy Einstein, or would that do unimaginable things to his ego??

*ggg*

Good reason to find yourself your own Geek, though. They’re highly underrated, those Geeks… Heh.

Oh, he already knows about the article, of course. I’m just teasing… )

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — I HATE winter.

Okay, technically, I don’t hate winter — I hate getting chilled and being cold. This morning was no exception. It’s still October, and we were at a balmy -2C this morning (that’s below freezing, folks!!), with the windchill making it feel like -9C.

And to top it all off, SNOW fell just outside of the city.

It’s too early for this. This kind of stuff isn’t supposed to happen until at least mid/late November.

Right? Right?? 

I’m also giving up on attempting to be a fashion plate while waiting for the school bus. (With age comes wisdom, I suppose??) This weekend I’m going out to buy a new pair of boots — something rated to at least -25C, if not more. And a good pair of gloves.

I may not look that stylish, but dammit, I’m going to be warm. Period.

Nooz! Nooz! Nooz!

Isn’t this the BEST cover?!?

Check it out!! The Shrink Wrap trilogy is now neatly contained in one awesome volume for your reading pleasure! Now you get not just my story, but Lyn Cash’s, and Summer Devon’s, too! If nothing else, now you can also get Peter Murray’s whole story in a nutshell. (Remember our weird and wacky NYC cabbie?)

All you have to do is go here to pick it up (and you can read excerpts there, while you’re at it)! Enjoy, folks!

Once I have my copies in hand, I’ll be giving one away to one lucky reader, so stay tuned!

Anybody out there use “recycling” websites/groups like Freecycle?

I’m considering dipping my toes into the Freecycle pool (well, technically, I guess I already have, because I answered a request for an item that I actually own and don’t use). It seems to be for those things that don’t sell at a yard sale, but still have life left in them, and you don’t want to consign them to a future in a local landfill.

Frankly, I think it’s a great idea. I’ve already come up with a couple of things I plan to post to see if they’ll go. They’re just taking up room in the basement, and we’re not using the items, so somebody should get some use out of them, if they want. Why not?

I think over the winter, too, as we’re sorting through items for a spring yard sale, I may  post things that likely won’t move if parked on a table in our driveway.

Anyway. Back to my question. Do you use these sorts of sites, and do you have any success with them? Inquiring minds would like to know!

A short revision letter has arrived for Lovely.

I shall be chewing it over for the next short while.

Will update as warranted. Keep the Pepto handy, wouldya?

There seems to be a plethora of them around here nowadays. Rella and her hubs and I all have varying reasons to be anxious (the degree, of course, is what differentiates, but still…).

While my friends’ excitement isn’t my news to share, I can tell you that I nervously await judgment on not one, but two submissions currently gracing HRH, The Editor’s, desk.

It makes me wonder what life would be like if there was a genuine status quo. Nothing new and different. I suppose that would be horribly boring, wouldn’t it? No, it would definitely be boring. While I suppose it would be nice to get to a state in life where one “would like to be”, the loss of future surprises is not an uplifting idea.

So I guess the Unknown is still a huge part of our lives, and that’s okay with me. I think we’ll have to start passing around the vat of Margaritas, though…