Sunday Sundries--From the Department of Odd and Useless Information II

Honey took me out to breakfast and we're meeting with friends for a movie and dinner, so Life Is Good. I wanted to share some funnies with you.

Shout out to Beyonce and thanks to Stephanie Belt for this one.
I think I got this one from George Takai on FB:

One of my SF artists friends posted this one.

Wrong on so many levels, thank you Walmart.

When he sits around the house, he really sits around the house.

Thanks, Nordstrom--I spent my years in Retail Hell hanging signs, setting up displays, etc., earlier and earlier. It's refreshing.

Good to know. Today is NOT a good day to die.
Finally, in honor of the Muppets movie:

Have a great Thanksgiving, y'all!

New Stuffs to Drool Over!

Life is good. My husband got in the mail the other day and said, "I think you hit the mother lode."

And I did. On that particular day, I got four books! I am grateful for various contest wins from Goodreads and blog participation, because we were very bad at Books-A-Million and Half-Priced Books last month. I've also been checking out various eBooks through our library for the Kindle. I find I'm really reading more, since I have a "deadline" when the book will magically disappear.

So, here's just a sampling:

First off, from the ever amusing and informative Grace Burrowes, I got an "uncorrected advanced copy" of her very latest:

Yes, the little gold sticker is correct. It is autographed and she did indeed spell my name correctly. Major Squee!
Not only that, she also sent:

Which is especially cool, because I have two heroes and a heroine who are medically retired Marines and we discussed that whole PTSD thing. Again, autographed.
And:

Which just sounds like too much fun, from all the guest blog posts and excerpts. And it's autographed.

That day, I also got:

Mom used to love the cowboy romances and I haven't read any of Harders' books or this particular line, but I am always truly up for trying new things and love swag. It is autographed too--thanks!

Next up:

I won an earlier book from her and she was so sweet sending an eBook my way too, I went out to get this one. See, promotions do produce sales!

Another I found that sounded good was:

Another recent freebie from Goodreads was:

With all my dietary changes recently, I was interested in this one, so I was glad I got it.

I've read two of Eloisa James's early novels from the library. The first one:

I reviewed on Goodreads. It was pretty good and if this was a book from early in her career, I know I'll really enjoy her more recent releases.
The second in the series, I'm 74% through:

There are certain things in romance novels that you know are givens. There will be a HEA (Happily Ever After), if it says something terrible will happen if XYZ occurs it will occur and if it's a series it's a good bet those secondary characters will show up later. None of these are bad things. In fact, they are part of the fun--to see how the author manipulates these standards to make it all come together in the end. I'll read the others in this series.

Finally, here are two blank books I found that I particularly like. I live to find especially pretty or fun notebooks, since I got through them for my writing finds and ideas:

The photo doesn't do it justice and it has the magnetic closure on the side, so it will be good to keep in a bag.
And I couldn't resist this one:

This is not your mother's Harlequin. Actually, it would have been. I found boxes of salacious pulp novels at my parents' house. And some dirty playing cards. And a "stag film" that was kind of sad, but those are other stories.
So, thanks for sharing. What are you reading now?

Sunday Sundries--Stuff to Share

Missed getting this one out on Election Day. Hope you went out to vote. Remember, even if they are weasels, once elected, they're OUR weasels.

Punctuation is powerful! That gender thing is real.

Too sad, but true. Ladies, he's not going to be perfect. We need to remember that when writing our fiction too. Need to mess with our heroes (and heroines) a little bit or they get irritating.

Having finished my first library book on my Kindle (DUCHESS IN LOVE by Eloisa James), this is kind of ironic, don't you think? I will always have "traditional" books. I will always love them and cherish them.

This is just too true--I get that look from Boris and Natasha all the time.



AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! How ya wan' yer eggs, matey?

Have a super week!

Sunday Sundries, Gifts from Your Department of Odd and Useless Information

Need we say more?

Now some funnies--

I have this needlework kit. It WILL be done and on my wall someday.

Photographic depictions of those commonly-used icons. Aunt Julee will explain it all for you. With cats. 'Cause that's how she rolls.

Well, dogs too.

A little font humor.

And finally....

To be honest, it usually doesn't work for me. OK, one more:

Have a nice and relaxing Sunday!

Goals and Catching Up on Business Redux

On Tuesday, June 28^th, 2011, I posted a list of my goals for the remainder of 2011, inspired by my buddy, Pam Asberry. She has her personal blog called Sometimes It's Cloudy, Sometimes It's Clear:

http://pamasberry.blogspot.com/

I wrote down my goals on some scrap paper and promptly put them in the drawer of the desk and forgot about them.

I do remember that the goals, in order to be more effective, need to be "I will..." statements and have a definite date attached to them. Simply by writing them down, they are more likely to be accomplished, right? They need to be doable, which means I need to get off my fat @ss and stop playing Jewel Quest III all afternoon, while watching bad TV.

So, here are the goals I put before you on June 28^th for the remainder of 2011 and my progress (or not so much) in brackets afterward:

1. I will finish one large needlework project by 12-31-2011. I love stitching and have several that would only require a little more effort to finish. [Don’t know if that will happen. I have finished one small piece and started another for an end of February birthday gift for a friend. I’m about I’d say one-sixth through and it goes pretty quickly.]

2. I will be more active and watch my diet to lose at least 10 lbs. by my doctor's appointment the first week in September (let's say 9-1-2011). Really. It's not that hard, Julee. [Did not do it by then, but I did start. I was so sick in August, I started my radical diet and have lost over twenty pounds by the end of October. Not too shabby.]

3. I will get the boxes of cross-stitch magazines and craft stuff that I no longer have need of or want to the place that sells them on eBay for me by 9-1-2011. I've made several hundred dollars so far this year off of stuff that had been in boxes in the garage, not seeing the light of day for years. [Just got payment today (Nov. 3^rd) for the last shipment ($65 toward the new Laptop Fund!) and I have three more boxes of things ready to go. I just need to get the magazine box upstairs (oh, honey….?), seal,  label them and get them to the post office. I also have two pretty clear plastic bowls ready of Christmas earrings priced for the booth I share with a friend.]

4. I will clean and organize the dining room, kitchen and living room so that we can host a Christmas party this year, say before 12-23-2011. The dining room has been a storage room for the past year. I will include re-upholstering the six chairs I spray painted black last year. [Don’t know if this is happening. See below.]

5. I will find full-time employment I enjoy by 10-1-2011. The TV station my husband works at is being sold, so this is an issue. [Close, but no cigar. It was November 2^nd, I got notification they want my real persona to come work at the AT&T technical support call center, in their small business division. Nine (9) weeks of training, but think of all the cool gadgets I get to play with?! Yes, it’s full-time. The pay and benefits are decent and I’ll really get to help people. I am grateful. I just went to pee in a cup and talked to two people from the company that does the security checks, so that’s good. I start Nov. 28^th.]

6. I will finish editing Seven Days by 7-31-2011, so it can go to my beta readers. [Didn’t happen. I’ve divided the book into two stories. Seven Days: Will and Elizabeth is essentially done, as is Seven Days: Rob and Mary, because I just used the alternate POV scenes and stuff I had in my notes anyway. Rescheduled to the end of January, with new employment.]

7. I will finish writing at least one other novel-length manuscript by 12-1-2011. Shouldn't be a problem, because I pretty much have Seven Months done, except for putting it in first person. [I’m splitting up Seven Months too and I have so many good notes, I’m very excited about the two stories. I’m saying end of March or maybe end of April.]

8. I will research and query at least three agents by 9-31-2011. [Not going to happen. See #9.]

9. I will research and make a decision about self-publishing by 10-31-2011. [Decision was made in August or September. Definitely self-publishing, but will choose a company that does print-on-demand too . Why should I give someone else all but 17%?]

10. I will get my writing notes re-organized and get at least five notebooks transcribed into the computer and saved on flash drives by 10-31-2011. [Didn’t happen. I have gone through almost all my notebooks and flagged the pages that involve Seven Days and Seven Months story lines. I’ve also gone through and scanned dozens of magazines for pictures and articles and saved on flash drives. Copies of said flash drives are in a safety deposit box at our credit union. I’m fascinated and excited from going through these notebooks and they are serving as inspiration for little “bridging scenes” in these four books. It will get done, just not as soon as I wanted. That Jewel Quest III demon keeps popping up.]

Not terrible. What do you think? I am following Jane Friedman’s advice (Google her, she’s awesome!) of keeping my daily goals limited to what I can write on a sticky note, so I don’t get overwhelmed. I need to get a new purse notebook out of my stash and transfer phone #s, addresses and such to it. With the new job, I’ll have access to lots of new technology and will be training to use it, so I figure that will be a great exercise. I may even be :::shudder::: tweeting soon.

How have you been doing on your goals? Have you had to re-set them, as I have? That’s okay. It’s all progress.

Happy Halloween Version of Sunday Sundries

Evil Pumpkin.

Cute cat!

For all of us geeks out there.

This wasn't scary--it made me laugh.

Wrong on so many levels.

Again, wrong on so many levels.
Have a super Halloween, everybody! Gotta get some other candy than Smarties early tomorrow....

Latest Batch of Tunes New and Old

You know the drill--you can click on the YouTube links if you like to hear what's been going through my head recently. Or not. Not in any particular order either.

50 Cent “In Da Club” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qm8PH4xAss&ob=av3e

“It’s your birthday…” Nuff said, well, plus 50 shirtless for most of the video.

Aerosmith “Jaded” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GemHezmiV4Y

Saw this one on a video program a few days ago and forgot how much I liked it.

Bryan Ferry “Slave to Love” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH1CMCtV4to&ob=av2n

Hadn’t heard this one in years, but I kind of liked it.

Cee Lo Green “F*ck You” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu3ltXm73sc&feature=related

Not the cleaned up version, sorry.

Dixie Chicks “Wide Open Spaces” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dom7VlltBUc&ob=av2e

Another one I liked that I hadn’t heard in years.

                        “There’s Your Trouble” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9AD4pZJV2g&feature=fvst

Funny and smart, so it went on the list.

John Mayer “No Such Thing” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1W2UddURXI&ob=av2n

I couldn’t find this one, because I had the title wrong. One of my all-time favorites.

                        “Your Body Is a Wonderland” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5EnGwXV_Pg&ob=av2e

Another Sunday morning background music type of song.

Kanye West “Gold Digger” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vwNcNOTVzY&ob=av2e

Cleaned up version, featuring Jamie Foxx.

                        “Say You Will” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfrenkSar8Y

One I clicked on for a sample and I’m glad I did, because I like it. Not really a video, just a heart.

Lady Gaga “(Show Me Your) Teeth” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=linAbM35VMo

Saw the HBO concert and thought it was pretty amazing—a lot better than Madonna’s “Truth or Dare” because it concentrated on the concert without all the drama. Not really a video either.

                     “Just Dance” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Abk1jAONjw&ob=av2n

Only one with a commercial before it, but the video is pretty good.

                     “Edge of Glory” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeWBS0JBNzQ&ob=av2e

With the Late, Great Clarence Clemons.

Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ&ob=av3e

Another one I discovered on a video channel that’s kind of fun.

Black Eyed Peas “Just Can’t Get Enough” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrTyD7rjBpw&ob=av2e

You can skip the commercial. This was filmed in Japan right before the earthquake.

Warren G “Regulate” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1plPyJdXKIY&ob=av2e

Hip hop classic with Nate Dog.

Moved from my digital files onto my playlist:

OutKast “Hey Ya” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw&ob=av2e

I’m just being honest. You’re not supposed to shake those Polaroid pictures, actually.

Macy Gray “I Try” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViyC5X2DRS4&ob=av2n

Another ad you can skip. This is a live version, with a monologue before.

Katy Perry “I Kissed a Girl” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X024NEsDyC8

Not a video, but has the lyrics.

So, which ones did you click on and which ones do you have?