I Wasn't Bad

I was provoked.

That's always been my story and I'm still sticking to it. Only somehow I've never needed to tell it to anyone.

I have boobs. No big surprise there. You've heard about them before. I've always had boobs. Again, not a shocker. I'm sure you could have figured out that I developed early.

As you know, seventh grade boys are stupid. One day, walking to class one exceptionally stupid boy attempted to cop a feel as he so often did. I'd had enough so I turned around, intending to swat him, with my hand already raised, okay, and clenched. Only problem was the little bastard really was little. His nose just happened to align itself perfectly with my fist.

I stopped, he didn't. Ah, getting the picture, are you? Yes, it was broken. He spent all of, I think it was music class, hiding in the bathroom, trying to stop the bleeding and straighten it back out. Between the next two classes, he changed into his gym t-shirt. Had two black eyes for a week.

I'm not sure why, but the few people who knew the real story of what happened to him never told so I didn't get suspended. The music teacher was unconscious and didn't notice he wasn't in class so he didn't get detention. His parents believed whatever lame story he came up with, I think it was something about getting hit by a basketball at lunchtime.

The stupid boy at least had enough sense to keep his hands to himself after that. In fact, he was a little afraid of me from then on. Don't see why. All I did was turn around. It wasn't my fault he was even shorter than I was.

No blog tomorrow. Eva May and I are off on another adventure. I'll tell you all about it Wednesday.

I Did It!

With a little, okay, a lot of help, badgering, from my friends, it's done. YAY! It's silly and I can't imagine anyone wanting to read this one but then I remind myself that somedays people need silly so why not? I just write, I'm not in charge, thank God for that!

It took a bit longer than I'd hoped to do all that extra stuff I rambled about a few weeks ago, the blurb, the synopsis. Yuck! But it's all done and I pushed the button and now I'm done for the day.

Still enough time for a movie or two and I think there's some popcorn out there so that's it for me.

Writer Day

I'd say "Shh, writer at work" only that's not how I do things. I need background commotion.

Sometimes it's movies or TV shows. Not current ones. They have to be specific ones of my characters choosing.

Disney musicals for Beyond Meddling. MacGyver and Due South for Linked.

Sometimes it's music. My Last Dark Day was non-stop blues, mostly Cedell Davis.

My current WIP, which I AM FINISHING TODAY started out with Warren Zevon. Loud. Really, really, really loud with the porch door open all day much to the dismay of my neighbors. But I limit myself to daylight hours unlike them so they really shouldn't complain or I'm going to start complaining too. Now, however, for this last little bit it seems they want some Jimmy Buffett. Okay, I can deal with that. Neighbors will probably welcome the change.

Yep, finishing this up THIS AFTERNOON. Reading over it tonight then submitting so tomorrow when it rains again I can lounge around with the boys and watch old movies or something. I was going to clean but then I had a discussion with Regina Carlysle who's been having some work done on her house. Due to whatever they're doing to her ceilings she can now make snow angels on her floors. Pretty! I'm jealous so I'm doing an experiment to see how long it takes to be able to do that without the workmen doing the ceiling stuff. Gotcha! Just kidding! Or am I?

Peaceful

As you may know, Mouse and I tend to get up at odd hours and wander around the house. This morning it was 3 AM. After he ate, we went out on the porch. We didn’t stay long because it was too cool for my arthritic old man kitty but I actually like the city at those moments.

It was raining so the usual night noises makers weren’t out. With it being misty, everything had a much softer look. Nicer that way as most cities are.

We sat for a little while, me and my Mouse, me petting him, him purring at me, watching the city, pondering the meaning of life, wondering what the day would hold, each of us lost in our thoughts. I know my day ended up not being how I wished it might have been but realistically, I knew it wouldn’t before it even started. I can’t speak for Mouse.

When he tried to snuggle closer even though I was already holding him, I knew it was time to go inside. Since it was so early we did go back to bed for a few hours. Nothing better than listening to the rain with a purry kitty sharing your pillow.

And the best thing? It’s going to rain all weekend so I know we’ll be doing a lot of extra snuggling over the next few days. Good thing because I have a project to finish up. It’ll be nice to have some company while I’m working on it.

My Pop-Pop

When I was a kid, pre-teen, we used to go on family vacations to Clear Lake in Ontario, Canada. Various friends and relatives generally joined us for at least part of the time.

I remember one year when my grandparents where with us. There was another family staying at one of the other cabins that had a speedboat. They were nice enough to give all the kids a chance to try water skiing. We were all disasters at it but had a blast anyway. My Pop-Pop sat on the bench by the dock, shouting encouragement, laughing along with us the whole afternoon. While I was waiting my turn, he promised me a chocolate ice cream cone from the lodge if I managed to stand up on the skis.

I think I had either three or four tries and fell each time. Pop-Pop and I had ice cream anyway. We did every day just because it annoyed my grandmother so much. But not chocolate that day.

Years later I had a boyfriend whose family had a boat. He and his father eventually taught me to water ski though I never was very good at it. The first day I made it around the lake I called Pop-Pop and do you know what we did that next Saturday afternoon? Yep, we went out for chocolate ice cream cones! As he told me, a promise was a promise, no matter how old it was.

Have You Heard?

It’s time to mess with pennies. Bad enough almost all our other money has changed so I can’t tell if it’s real or not, now they’ve decided to change the backs of pennies. To four different designs and for a good cause. It’s in honor of the two-hundredth anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.

I have no problem with commemorating the event. The man did play a very important role in our nation’s history. But really, is it necessary to mess with coins that already cost more to mint than they’re worth?

Please do something for me, if you would, over the next few weeks if you happen to be someplace with a few kids. Ask them what’s currently on the back of a penny. See how many of them know that now. Let me know what answers you get.

I hate to say it but I strongly suspect the only people who are truly interested in this one are the coin collectors in the world. Me? It’ll be like when I got one of the new nickels last year and thought it was defective.

Any thoughts?

Am I Paranoid?

For years, there has been this guy so far on the fringes of my group I don’t think he counts as someone I know. I say hello when our paths cross because I was raised with manners. I’ve never been interested in taking a conversation beyond the ‘hey, how ya doing’ level because there’s something about him that gives me the creeps. Always has.

It’s not what he says. It’s how he says it. I know, difficult to twist “How was your day?” into something sinister but trust me, this guy does it. He doesn’t stand too close and he even manages to look in the general vicinity of my head, though not necessarily in my eyes, when we speak. Still, it’s all I can do not to take a step back. I don’t know why. Other than calling me dear, honey and sweetie even though he does know my name he has never said anything at all inappropriate. Why must men do that, by the way? Women all have names. If you’re not on intimate terms with us, use our name! We use yours.

Sorry, got sidetracked. Lately, this guy has been showing up more and more and it may or may not be coincidence. It’s no secret that I write. I use my own name so finding my website doesn’t take a rocket scientist. There is naturally an email address listed there because I welcome comments from readers. Good, bad, or indifferent – got that readers? What I received was an email from this guy saying cool website sweetie. You’re the best. Keep up the good work. Hmm, okay, encouraging, friendly, just stumbled across it. Nothing too weird but it made me feel creepy.

Then I got a friend request on MySpace. There’s a link on my website so not surprising. It’s a public thing. Readers are welcome to join me there too. The blog I post there is the same as this one only without the pictures because MySpace won’t accept them. I approved him. No real reason not to. I didn’t go check his profile. Honestly not that interested. Also I really don’t want to know if he joined just because he followed me there and I’m his only friend or not.

I do know that I’ve had to start alternating where I do my grocery shopping and what day I go because he was showing up almost every time I went to the store. Not really a big deal. I hate going to the store to begin with and could care less where I shop. It’s just now I have to think about it. The one that really got me though, was the day he mentioned the inspection was due soon on my car. Um, I don’t even know when my inspection is due other than in the fall sometime without checking. I asked three of my closest friends and they looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Nope, they don’t know their own, let alone mine.

So now you tell me, am I paranoid or is something off here?

Typical

I was due. Knew it was bound to happen sooner or later and darn if this wasn’t the week for it. Yes, today was most definitely Monday. Need I say more?

What happened? Nothing in particular. It was just Monday. Blah. Perhaps if something, anything had happening it might have been better. Or maybe not because it certainly could have been worse. I guess that’s something. It wasn’t worse.

So how about you? How was your Monday? Sucky? Utterly fantastic? Want a do-over or are you just as happy putting it behind you and hoping Tuesday brings a new and wondrous adventure?

Calm Down

No, I am not suicidal. Seesh. Just about every time I mention how cool I think this demotivator is I get ask that. Haven't you all figured out by now that I'm a smartass with a sense of humor that is somewhat off and to me, this is funny?

Anyway, I thought I'd post this here because I like it. Simple as that. It's what I currently have as my wallpaper again on both my computers. I switch it now and then but before long I drift right back so maybe I should just leave it alone.

Okay, busy day here so that's it. Look at the pretty picture if the saying bothers you.

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Nothing like a little panic to get the blood stirring.

I was sitting in my living room, happily writing away last night. At a really juicy bit too. The hero had just latched onto some recently bared flesh when my house alarm system went off. If you've never heard one up close and personal, let me tell you the thing is damn loud!

After the first eight seconds of "holy crap someone's breaking into my house, what the hell do I do now" wore off so I could move, I checked the panel and saw it was the porch door. Hm, okay, should have heard that. That's an interior door of the enclosed porch. It would take some doing to get there. Granted I get involved when writing, especially the hot stuff but I'd think I'd notice that even though there is generally some sort of noise going on in my neighborhood at all hours day or night.

I finally thought to deactivate the system just as the alarm company called to check on me. Pretty cool how they do that. In a real emergency I either A) don't answer or B) say yes everything is perfectly fine and then give an incorrect password alerting them that it is indeed not fine at all.

Last night the nice woman stayed on the line with me while I went to investigate. After grabbing my stun gun that is. I keep the room to the door where the porch is closed when the porch door is closed because there's too much stuff I think the cats will play with when they don't have the birds to distract them. You should have seen me working up my courage to open that door with the cats lined up behind me. Yeah, they were sending me in first even though they're the ones with the built in weapons and the eliment of surprise on their side. Where were the wild beasts that were fighting earlier this week? Bunch of pussy cats last night! Anyway, I guess I was supposed to stun whoever might be on the other side of the door and then they'd take care of them once they fell. Thank goodness we didn't have to find that one out.

The room was as it was when I'd closed it up an hour earlier. The porch door was closed and locked and in one piece. I peeked out the window and the porch enclosure was intact. The alarm woman checked my records and suspected that the alarm was triggered by the rapid drop in temperature combined with the increased wind. If it had been a gradual drop the unit would have shown low battery instead. See what else happens on Oley Fair weekends? Now I suppose I'll have to remember to change all my alarm unit batteries the weekend before next year.

Anyway, battery changed. House secure. Years scared off my life. Hero's fun interrupted for the night. Yes, he had to wait until this morning to get back to what he was doing. After that I needed to watch a scary movie to calm down so I could sleep.

So, what did you do for fun last night?