Leap Day!

Why is it called a Leap Year? We don't leap over anything. We don't even leap over a day. We ADD a day. So, where's the leaping?

And even though February is always the shortest month, it never seems short to me. Could it be winter or the fact I know a bazillion people born in this month? And how is it so many of my family members were born in the shortest month? I mean, what are the odds?

Okay, guess I've gone on long enough about that.

Tonight I head on out toward my first writer convention/conference of the year. Down to the south and warmer weather! I'm looking forward to the break and all things writerly. I even have three pitch appointments (with agents).

I WILL have a wonderful time!

If you don't see me for a few days, at least you'll know why. And if you do, well, then I have free internet!

Happy Leap Day!

Pictures in Pittsburgh

Saturday was a great day. Sure, it was cold. It even snowed a little (thankfully, very little), but we (my husband, daughter, and I) had tickets to see the Penguins play Tampa Bay at 1:00pm in Pittsburgh.

We had breakfast at 7:00am and then headed on our way. Arrived in the city around 11:30am and then decided to drive all over the place (unintentionally) to find the parking garage we had used the last time (yeah, our memory really sucks). Thank goodness for the Garmin. We didn't get lost, we just saw more of Pittsburgh than we bargained for, that's all!

But see, that's why we like to arrive early. We just never know what stupid thing we'll end up doing. And we can be very stupid driving in Pittsburgh. I still don't know how my friend managed when she worked there. Oh wait, I remember now. She took the bus!

This picture (which I learned how to take on my awesome camera) was taken before the game started, but you can see we had pretty decent seats (Row X). The Penguins won (8-1 – blow out!!) and we got to witness Malkin get a Hat Trick. Fleury (the goalie) was hot. We certainly picked a good game to attend!

After the game, we had dinner at Hard Rock (my picture includes the incline - just to show it is Pittsburgh). I got my magnet (I also got some Penguins magnets at the arena – one for my car, even!) and my daughter got her collector glass. I had been at that Hard Rock years ago; back when my friend lived in the area and before I started collecting the Hard Rock magnets. I still have the T-shirt I got, though.

It really was a great day. The fact the Penguins won so easily sure made it better.

In other news, my new job is a major adjustment for me. I have to keep reminding myself that I've done this work in the past (accounting) and it's not rocket science! It's a new job and I just have to get used to it. The first day really was awful (If my head could explode, it would have) and unfortunately, I took it out on my husband (I'm amazed at how he can put up with me at times). The next day went a lot smoother and by Friday I was feeling a lot calmer. Let's hope I don't have a relapse.

Happy Monday!

$6 Movie Night - A Keeper!

Yesterday was my hubby's birthday. And in honor of that, he decided to play hooky from school (he teaches) and go to the movies, especially since it was $6 Tuesdays. The theatre is usually pretty empty (which is surprising, since it is cheaper), so it's kind of nice.

We went and saw "This Means War". Oh yes! This is a keeper. And by keeper we mean we'll buy the DVD when it comes out. It's been awhile since we've all agreed on a movie (the Twilight movies don't count, because my husband doesn't care about those).

So it was a nice night out (our daughter joined us, too), capping my final day at my old place of employment.

Yep. I start the new job this morning. So…if you comment, I may not be able to respond until I get home tonight.

My last day was quiet. Almost too quiet. But a lot of people came by to say goodbye. As much as I disliked the position, I did like the people there. And if it was a lot closer to my home, I'd probably still be there (maybe trying to finagle my way into a different department!). But all in all, it was the drive that was killing me. I look forward to the shorter commute.

Have a great Wednesday!

Pet Peeves

I have many pet peeves, but then, don't we all? My husband's pet peeve is with people at the grocery store that have more items than the lane allows. He'll have one item, and the person in front will have a full cart. He'll voice his opinion about it, too. Loudly. While he's standing in the line.

I'm not that brave (I fear retaliation), but I do have pet peeves. One of them I can't really voice my opinion at the moment it happens. That's because that pet peeve has to do with drivers.

Why is it when there are three lanes on the freeway, the slowest drivers seem to drive in the MIDDLE lane? And that most of those slow vehicles are TRUCKS? When did the right lane stop being the slow lane?

The worst part is when one truck wants to pass another truck. Now the two fastest lanes have trucks side by side, right when we start traveling uphill. Both trucks slow down. Traffic backs up.

And I'm usually the one stuck wanting to get over to the right lane, but now I'm trapped because no one will pass.

Arrrghhh!!!

Does this bother anyone else?

Please share your pet peeve.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Normally, the last days on the job aren't too different than getting ready for vacation. Only thing is, you're not going back!

The last time I left a job, my last few days were kind of quiet. I had passed on my responsibilities to others and sat around for questions. I can't do that this time. That's because we're short-handed.

One of my co-workers had to take time off due to a family emergency (we don't know when she'll return), then the other co-worker had training for two days, leaving me alone with the phones. Phones I hate to answer.

What timing, huh?

If they're trying to get me to run screaming from the job, they're doing a pretty darn good job of it. I'm really feeling good about going back into accounting now.

Anyway, if my blogging is sporadic (or, in other words, like it used to be), please forgive me! Eventually, I'll get back into the swing of things, when my brain doesn't feel fried.

Now, it's off to do some more editing.

Beginnings

On Monday, a lot of the blogs I follow were involved in the Origins Blogfest. I don't join blogfests. I just don't have the time (or would that be energy?). But reading stories of how other people got started made me think about when I started writing.

I tell people I've only been writing for three years, but that's when I started writing my first novel. Actually, I think I fell in love with writing back in the 9th grade. I just never pursued it. Probably because all my other writing assignments were research papers – and I really hate research papers!

My 9th grade English class had an assignment to write a short story. Mine was titled "It Was One of Those Weeks", about a boy who has bad luck all week long.

Even at the age of 14 (oh my God – 40 years ago!!), I wrote from the male POV (apparently, I found it easier to write those then, too). It was a fun, humorous story. The teacher loved it. Some of the kids thought the dialogue was stiff, but if I had had someone read it ahead of time, I'm sure I would have fixed that before turning it in.

I loved writing that story – heck, I loved the story. I'm pretty sure I still have it somewhere, too (the fact I couldn't throw it out should have been a clue – but I never claimed to be THAT smart). Of course, if I went searching, I would end up spending (wasting) hours reminiscing over all my crap. And then, if I read it, I might be disappointed.

Maybe some things are best left to my memory.

A Road Block No More

Hurray!

No, I'm not cheering because it's Monday. Far from it. I'm cheering because I FINALLY figured out how to begin Sarah's Turn (Book #2). I'd been going back and forth, fixing, revising, and still, it didn't seem right.

So I had to think about how the book ended and wha-la! It came to me. I got rid of my prologue and just started with Chapter 1, wrote some completely new stuff, and…it worked!

I'm up to page 33 now (so glad to get past 14, where I was stuck, for like, forever) and the editing is going smoother, once I got past that roadblock called Chapter 1.

It's been a successful weekend.

It's also been an exciting weekend. Don't tell anyone, but I'm one of the six finalists* in THE WRiTE CLUB. Voting for the next phase starts Tuesday. Hope you can make it over there!

 

*That's about all I'll tell you. It's up to you to figure out which pseudonym I am!

Give Me My Coffee!!

My morning routines are pretty dull. But put a kink into one of them and it kind of throws me for the rest of the day.

My routine includes making coffee. I come downstairs, get the paper, then start the brew before heading to the computer to check on my e-mail & blogs. Well, yesterday I did all that, but when I came back to the coffee pot, it was empty.

What the???

The light was on as if it had brewed. And I could have sworn I heard the beep when it finished (probably phantom hearing). But the plate was cold. Not a good sign.

I tried unplugging it, thinking it needed a "reboot" (funny how we think in computer terms nowadays, isn't it?). After a minute, I plugged it back in and pressed start.

Nothing.

Well, drat!

I hate the coffee at work (it's free, too, so that should say something), but I was willing to drink it when I remembered I had my container of instant coffee in my drawer. Whew!

Last night I tried to clean the pot, thinking that was the culprit, but it wouldn't clean, either. So now it looks like I'm going to have to go out and buy a new coffee pot. Man, and this one wasn't even three years old.

Bummer!

I sure hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Kind of makes me nervous!

$6 Movie Night and Other Stuff

Last night I was in a blur. I completely forgot I told my daughter that we'd go to the movies after work. Thank goodness the flick didn't start until 7:00pm. No disastrous finagling of time at work (like last week), because I would have failed again – miserably!

We went to see Woman in Black. Sufficiently creepy, I'll tell you. And that's about all I'll say. If you like your horror movies on the "cleaner" side (meaning, not gross), then this is the movie for you. Had enough to make me jerk in my seat numerous times (and I fought the urge to cover my eyes). I think I even screamed a little at one scene.

Now, the reason the day was in a blur? I accepted a new job and quit the old. Yep. That's right. In two weeks I'll be driving to a new place of employment. A place closer to home. I couldn't believe how fast it all went. It wasn't all that long ago that I sent in my resume!

I look forward to the shorter drive into work. And I look forward to the change, but dread starting over. Because that's what I'm doing. If the drive wasn't killing me, I don't know if I would have quit the old – that's how much I hate starting over. Oh, sure, I would have bitched and groaned (just ask my husband), but starting over scares me more. I hope this is the last job I ever have to take.

The WRiTE CLUB

All this week at DL Hammons' blog, Crusing Altitude 2.0 is the next stage of The WRiTE CLUB. There were 12 finalists and two will be going at it head-to-head for the next 6 days. Which means you vote for a different winner every day this week (to bring it down to 6 finalists). So, go on over and vote. Voting ends when the next entry is posted.

P.S. I might have been one of the finalists!

Inspiration

On Saturday, my husband and I attended the matinee of Jersey Boys – the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – at the Schuster Center in Dayton. It was a musical I wanted to see when we visited Las Vegas back in 2010, but never found the time. So last August when tickets went on sale for the show, I didn't hesitate to buy them.

What a great show! I loved the music (then and now) and was fascinated with the story. It only reinforced what I already knew. That there are no overnight sensations. It takes time and persistence along with a little bit of luck and being in the right place at the right time. If you want your dream to come true, don't give up.

I came away from that matinee inspired and motivated. What's inspired you lately?

Happy Birthday, Son!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SON!

This picture was taken 29 years ago, on my son's 1st birthday! Yep, he's 30 now. Damn, that was a long time ago!

I feel old.



Best Laid Plans...

You know, you can plan and plan and still be stupid.

Yesterday I came to work early and shortened my lunch hour by 30 minutes so I could leave by 4:00 and meet my daughter at the theatre to watch Underworld: Awakening. I did all that; thought about it for most of the day, too. Even texted my daughter for dinner plans afterward. I was ready.

Except for one teensy little thing. I failed to put an alarm on my calendar.

So what happened? I got busy and lost track of time. When I looked at the clock at 4:40pm, I nearly died. The movie started at 5:00 and I had a 30 minute drive ahead of me.

Holy crap!

I called my daughter – told her to buy her ticket and meet me in the theatre.

Then I drove as fast as the car in front of me allowed. How fast was that? Hmmm…I think I better not say.

Thank goodness for previews. I got to the theatre in time to watch the last one before the movie started!

Now…was the movie worth all that?

Maybe not, but it was $6.00 Tuesday (so it beat paying full price anyway). My daughter loved the movie, though, and we pretty much had the theatre to ourselves (I think there was one other couple in there – I'm not sure, it was dark when I arrived!).

Hopefully, next time I remember the stupid alarm!!