Detroit - And Yes, I Have Pictures

Who knew Detroit would be so interesting? Who knew this post would be so long? (Sorry in advance). We’d gotten lots of warnings to be careful, so I was almost afraid to sight-see. But it turns out Detroit is just a big city and like all big cities, has its good parts and bad parts. We just avoided the bad parts.

We actually stayed up in Madison Heights, about ten miles north of Detroit. A very nice area with a mall close by (so lots of restaurants, too). And we got lucky with the weather. It hovered in the mid sixties, but was sunny so it felt warmer.

Our first stop as tourists was to the Motown Museum. We saw pictures of the small house and thought it would be a short tour. Boy, were we wrong!

Glenn, our guide (who happened to be Stevie Wonder’s Godson), made the tour so much fun. I wish we could have taken photos of inside the houses (there were two), but cameras were a no-no. So no pictures of Michael Jackson’s glittery glove. No pictures of Berry Gordy’s apartment (felt like we stepped back into the sixties!). No pictures of the vending machine (with 47-year-old candy on display) Stevie Wonder liked to get his Baby Ruths from! I’d forgotten what some of those candy labels used to look like.

Part of the tour took us to Studio A, where the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and numerous others recorded their hit songs. I even got to sing there (with the crowd, that is).

After this tour, we headed to the Ford plant in Dearborn, where they make the Ford F150s. Again, cameras were a no-no, so no pictures of how everything is made. One of the amazing things about this assembly plant is how all the parts match up so perfectly. The bed is in a separate line from the cab, and the different versions are intermingled (for instance, a four-door cab can follow a standard two-door cab and a black bed could be between a red one and a white one), but when they meet up in the middle, the correct bed gets attached to the correct cab. Same with the doors and dash boards and seats and bumpers and you get the idea. All are assembled on separate lines and meet up in one place or another.

This is an Eco plant - Yes, they grow grass on the roof.

It takes about six hours to assemble one truck and they kick out between 615-630 trucks in a 10-hour shift. I couldn’t imagine working in a place like that, but I sure do look at trucks differently now!

Hmmm. Think they want me to buy one?

You might see the restaurant better if you click on the picture.

We ended up having an early dinner at Hockeytown USA (food was pretty good), which is across the street from Comerica Park. Now, I’m a huge Penguins fan and our friends are Blackhawks fans. At the time, the Blackhawks were losing to the Red Wings (Detroit’s team) in the Stanley Cup playoffs (one game from elimination). Our friend really hated being surrounded by Red Wings memorabilia (and I think the restaurant knew this too since he was the ONLY one who got the Red Wings logo on his plate - everyone else’s plate was plain white!). I told him to put out some bad mojo to help the Blackhawks win, so he wiggled his fingers at the establishment as we departed. Must have worked. Blackhawks came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series (last night) and head to the next round!

On Sunday we took in a Tigers game. If there is a ball park in the area of where we visit during this holiday weekend, we always try to attend a game.

 

Our seats were six rows from the field. Not bad!

We like seeing the different ball parks, even if we aren’t fans of the team. I’m not a big American League fan, so I had no problems rooting for the Tigers (and they won - which made it even more fun).

Let's see... Fords are assembled in Detroit, but
Chevy is a sponsor of Detroit's baseball team.
Interesting.

Like I said earlier, we were blessed with beautiful weather. In fact, it didn’t rain until Monday, after we had already departed for home. Couldn’t have planned it better.

 

Got any plans for this weekend? I want to watch the Penguins play on Saturday night, but we have tickets for the Dayton Dragons (who seem to be playing better except when WE go to the game - argh!). Hopefully I’ll be able to catch the end of the hockey game.

Oh, and did you have a chance to check out my cover? In case you haven’t here’s a picture!!

 

Stacy

 

 

I've Got a Cover!!

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!

Check out this site: http://lyricalpress.com/2013/05/30/cover-reveal-my-sunny-vampire-by-stacy-mckitrick/ and then come back and tell me what you think.

Oh my gosh!!

Stacy

 

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff

I didn’t get a lot of reading done this weekend - too darn busy! Anyway, this is what I finished in the past week:

May 25: “Perfectly Matched” by Heather Webber. This is book 4 of the Lucy Valentine series and I believe it falls under mystery (although it has paranormal and romantic elements). Blurb: When Boston psychic Lucy Valentine finds herself involved with a group of eccentric mediums trying to fine tune their abilities, she is convinced a rare spring heat wave has flushed all the local crazies out of hiding. Adding to her theory is her newest client in the Lost Loves division of Valentine, Inc., her family’s lucrative matchmaking firm. He’s an animal whisperer who hires Lucy to locate his soul mate--because his cat told him so. Finding his purrfect match, however, isn’t as easy as it seems. But craziest of all is the Beantown Burner, a serial arsonist who is targeting private eye Sam Donahue, brother of Lucy’s boyfriend, Sean. With the help of her kooky psychic group, Lucy must tap into hidden abilities to catch the firebug before the fires turn deadly. She never expected to discover that the motive behind the flames hits a little too close to home…and dangerously close to her heart. I realized as I was half-way through this book, that this is another series with a Lucy and Sean (see Allison Brennan Lucy Kincaid series). True, they are nothing alike, but I thought it was interesting. I like this series, but don’t care for the little cliffhanger at the end (setting up the next book no doubt). I think it would have been fine without that little bit, since I’m already hooked on the series and I have NO IDEA when the next book will be out. So I’m grumbling about that. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

May 28: “Nerves of Steel” by C.J. Lyons. This is book 1 in a 3 book series, a romantic medical thriller. Blurb (from Goodreads): Dr. Cassandra Hart is fighting a war. And losing. A deadly drug epidemic, a killer stalking her hospital…meet the ER doctor who never gives up. Cassie’s Pittsburgh ER has been deluged by patients who have overdosed on a new drug, FX. After Cassie discovers that the source of the FX is her own hospital, her best friend is killed, and Cassie’s life is threatened. She is forced to place her trust in Detective Mickey Drake. Drake’s irascible charm eventually penetrates the barriers Cassie has built around herself, and their relationship progresses from professional to passionate. After Cassie discovers the truth behind the thefts, she and Drake must confront a killer. In the end, their only weapons are their newfound love and the courage that it gives them. This book was pretty good, but dragged a bit in some scenes and it’s long (845 pages on my e-reader or around 400 in a paperback). I liked the couple though and will read the rest of the books, since I purchased the set. Although on my reader, it’s one huge file (2450 pages!!) and I have NO IDEA how close to the end I am on any but the last book. Ah, but that’s a gripe for the reader (or maybe the publisher - couldn’t they make it three separate files???), not the book. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

Amazing what a travel holiday can do to a schedule (and yes, I have one, even unemployed as I am), not to mention having a relapse (I’m drowning in a sea of tissues!). I’ll tell you about Detroit on Friday and post some pictures then - I promise! Until then…

Happy Reading!

 

Stacy

Walking, Traveling, and DVRs

I’ve noticed that when I walk, I tend to hug the left side of the sidewalk. I couldn’t figure out why I was doing this. First I thought maybe it was because I wanted to be away from the street, but I hug the left when walking in the opposite direction. That puts me closer to the street, so that wasn’t it. Then yesterday it hit me as I was walking on a street WITHOUT sidewalks and I’m hugging the left side. Duh!

And here I was thinking maybe I was just living in the wrong country. Ha ha!

Tonight my husband and I (along with our friends) are headed up to Detroit to be…tourists! I know, you’re thinking DETROIT? But why NOT Detroit? It’s close (about 4 hours away) and it’s a city we’ve never really visited (I know, that’s because it’s Detroit - I hear ya!). We’ll be attending a Tigers game on Saturday and hope to get a tour of Ford Field (I think that’s what it’s called), where the Lions play. Provided they offer tours on a holiday weekend. We’ll see.

Next year we’ll probably visit Cleveland (provided the Indians are in town - they weren’t this year or we’d be going there). Do you see a baseball theme here? Yeah, we like to visit different ball fields. It's kind of our thing.

Anyway, I’ll have my camera and hope to take lots of pictures. It’s also during the full moon, so hopefully the clouds cooperate and I can get my moon shot. The last couple of nights the moon has had a ring around it and no good clouds, but I’m checking every night. Never know what looks appealing. The moon doesn’t necessarily have to be FULL, although I would prefer it to be.

While we’re away, my daughter will be clearing off the DVR in the living room. I’m hoping both of our DVRs are empty by the end of the month so we can switch over to the whole house DVR plan (while they’re still on sale). The new plan has bigger hard-drives and makes it so you can watch the DVRs from either television. Oh, and we get a faster internet connection, too. But it’s a newer and bigger hard-drive that we’re interested in (ours keeps rebooting and it’s making us nervous). Plus, we like to record our shows in HD (yep, spoiled here) and these smaller DVRs just aren’t doing the trick. It’s not like we watch all that many shows, but when he teaches, the recordings pile up quickly.

I’m still trudging through the revisions on Book 5 (my alien story). So close to the end, but dang, so much has to change. It’s like writing the ending all over again (and I had a hard enough time the first time!). I hope I’ve gotten it all straight now. I think I will have to leave it to my beta readers to tell me. I’m too close to it right now to tell whether or not it works. But I do foresee finishing it in the next week. I hope. Maybe. Argh!

So, do you have any plans for the holiday weekend?

 

Stacy

 

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff

I went and saw the latest Star Trek feature last night ($5 movie night - still love it!). Had lots of chuckles while watching and came away happy. I liked this movie (oh heck, I like them all). Bones is still my favorite character (whether played by Karl Urban - yum or DeForest Kelley). Oh, but you didn’t come here to see what movie I watched, did you? Here are the books I read last week:

May 16: “Storm Front” by Jim Butcher. This is the first book of the Dresden Files, an urban fantasy. Blurb: Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever. There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get…interesting. Magic. It can get a guy killed. I’ve had enough people recommend this series to me, and I’ve resisted mainly because I was afraid I would want to read them all. Well, maybe not all, but I’ll certainly be reading the next. Dang it! I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

May 21: “Dead Ever After” by Charlaine Harris. This is the LAST book of the Sookie Stackouse series, an urban fantasy. Blurb: After the terrible events of the past weeks, both Sookie and Sam are finding it hard to concentrate on Merlotte’s--and the bar is suffering for it. But Sookie finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. Sookie’s relationship with Eric Northman is in limbo. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated. Then Arlene is found murdered, and Sookie is arrested for the crime. But the evidence against her is weak, and Sookie makes bail. Helped by her assortment of friends, living and undead, she must discover the truth about Arlene’s death to clear herself of suspicion. All she knows is that two mysterious men were somehow involved. As to whom they might be--Sookie will soon learn that she has more than one enemy waiting to get vengeance for the past. Nothing is ever clear-cut in Bon Temps. What passes for truth is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough… I’ve heard a lot of grumblings about this book because it didn’t end the way a lot of readers envisioned it, but I had no problems with the ending. While there seemed to be more filler than needed in the story itself, I enjoyed this last book and especially how it ended. It fit. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

Weather has been real nice. I even got to eat dinner outside last night (it was too cold in inside the building!). I suspect rain is on the way, because that’s just how it is. As long as the mornings stay dry, I’m good. Got my walking in yesterday and shaved another minute off. Don’t know how long I can keep that up without running, but I’ll certainly try.

So, have you seen “Star Trek Into Darkness”? What did you think?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

 

Monday Ramblings

Monday, Monday, Monday.

Actually, I should say, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Because that’s the day I usually WRITE my Monday post. But I wanted to write about the Penguins winning (they didn’t - grumble), plus I just didn’t want to write during the game (it was a bit intense). Next thing I know, they lose in double-overtime (double-grumble) and it’s after midnight. I was in NO mood to write!

Although I did get some writing done on Sunday (revising and first-drafting). Almost unheard of lately (since I’m home during the week). But when I realized I was missing a scene from my current revision project (this was on Friday - talk about grumbling!), I had to fiddle with it each day (as well as bore my poor husband talking about it) to figure out what was needed and yesterday it finally came to me. I was soooo glad to get that written, because I’m soooo close to the end of this book. I’m sure I’ll discover more roadblocks before I actually reach the end, though (because the end needs the most work).

I was able to go walking this morning. Even cut my time down from 85 minutes to 69 (high-fives anyone?). But hey, what’s with this weather? It was downright sticky out (this was at 6:30 AM, mind you). In fact, I had to actually turn ON the air conditioning yesterday and dust the fans so I could turn them on, too. It’s like we went from cold and wet to hot and humid in less than a week. At least I didn’t need a jacket walking!

As promised, I took some pictures of the jersey I won on Thursday at the Dayton Dragons game.

 

My daughter likes the name (she’s a fan of Jensen Ackles - even though this jersey had belonged to Dan Jensen).

 

Oh, and you can see Dan’s signature at the top of the #8. Pretty cool.

Well, it’s off to breakfast for me, a quick shower, then back to the computer to check out everyone else’s blog before I get started back on my projects.

So, did you get anything accomplished this weekend? Are you watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

 

Stacy

 

Ah-choo!

Being sick sucks.

Stuffy nose. Nagging cough. Sneezing. Watery eyes. It’s enough to drive someone crazy (especially when the cough starts to burrrrnnnn).

I took some daytime medicine, but you know what? That label lies. Non-drowsy my a$$! I fell asleep on the couch. How is that non-drowsy?

Oh, you think I fell asleep because I’m sick? Well…I guess that makes sense.

Went to the Dragons game last night. Thought the fresh air would help (it did in a way). Plus, it was the first game where there was NO threat of rain and it was warm. I couldn’t pass it up. Good thing I went, too.

Why is that? Because I won a Dayton Dragons jersey!! For 12 years I’ve been putting my name in for the drawing (they give a shirt away every game, for free - and it’s autographed). Our friend had won one a few years back. We know people who have won more than one. Well, last night I got to hear MY name called! Yee haw! I got me a shirt.

And would you believe someone had the gall to ask if I wanted to sell it. Heck no! I plan on wearing that sucker. It’s MINE!!!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I got #38, Dan Jensen’s jersey. He pitched for the Dragons in 2012. When I get around to it, I’ll take a picture.

So, have you come down with the crud lately? It sucks, doesn’t it?

 

Stacy

 

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff

Reading has slowed up a bit. I guess that’s what happens when you’re on a deadline. Anyway, here’s the book I read in the past week:

May 13: “Omega” by Susannah Sandlin. This is the third book in her Penton vampire series and is a paranormal romance. Blurb on back: Will Ludlam is tired of hiding. He doesn’t regret turning his back on his father’s cruel Tribunal legacy, but he never intended to live like this, secreted away with the vampires of Penton in their underground fortress, Omega. Charged with caring for bonded humans fleeing the vampire war, Will longs to join the fight. But first he must earn the trust of the beautiful soldier tasked with keeping Omega safe… Randa Thomas is one of Penton’s newest lieutenants, a former US Army officer now devoted to the vampire rebellion. She has little patience for Will Ludlam, and can’t understand why the privileged son of one of the vampire elite has the trust of her scathe’s leaders. But as the Tribunal closes in and Omega prepares to make one last stand, Will’s polished charm--and Randa’s guarded heart--finally give way to the warrior within. This was a good series and this book might very well be the last (I kind of hope it isn’t). I enjoyed reading these and found them hard to put down. If you like vampire romance, you’ll love these. I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

Thanks to everyone who checked out my website. I really appreciate the feedback and know that the site works the way it's intended - to give out information in a clean, simple way.

Penguins won the first game of round 2. Can I attribute it to wearing the Penguins earrings my daughter gave me for Mother’s Day? Heck, why not! I hope the momentum continues.

Happy Reading and Go Pens!

 

Stacy

 

Website Update, Google, and Bookmarks

Hey all! My website, www.stacymckitrick.com, has been updated. My husband and I are not graphic artists, but I think it turned out pretty good. If you have time, or are just curious, please check it out and let me know what you think!

Do you Google your name? Most of us probably do, huh? Now, when I Google my name, my website comes up first, which is good (and I’m not complaining!), but I noticed that Google asks me if I meant Stacey McKitrick (she’s the country and western singer). However, when I Google her name, it doesn’t ask if I meant Stacy McKitrick. I guess when it does (and it will, I’m being optimistic here), it means I’ve finally made it big. Right???

 

I’ve decided to get some bookmarks made up for when I go to Dragon*Con (they have a table there where people put their promotional freebies out), and they were going to look like the picture on the right, but unfortunately, the picture’s resolution is only 72dpi, which means it will turn out grainy. If I up it to 300 (like all the places I checked required), then it will turn out blurry. Another option is to take another moon shot with a higher resolution (and I’ve already fixed that on my camera), but what are the odds the next full moon will be surrounded by clouds (because I really love the clouds)? I mean, I took that picture back in 2011! I do have a couple of months to play around with (and my husband was kind enough to put an appointment on his phone to alert us to the next full moon), so we’ll see how lucky I can get. Pray for good luck, please!!

I had a wonderful Mother’s Day. The kids stayed after breakfast and we sat around all afternoon playing the board game Ticket to Ride. That is one fun game, and kind of addicting. I even managed to win one of the games (yeah, shocking).

Penguins did give me a nice Mother’s Day gift and won on Saturday, making it to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They certainly put me through some stress (as well as all the other Penguins fans out there), though. I hope they play better in the next round. At least they MADE it to the next round. It could have been worse, I know!

So, when you Google your name, does Google think you mean someone else? And what was the last board game you played?

Happy Monday!

 

Stacy

 

Mother's Day, Penguins, Dragons, and Writing

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and what’s the best present I can get? The Penguins winning on Saturday!! They won Thursday night (yay!) to lead the series 3-2 (best of 7). It was nice to see them play aggressive for a change. The last couple of games were pretty sloppy (and nerve-racking).

I got my edits back to my editor early - again. I think she likes me! I have learned a lot in this process. I’m certainly seeing my errors easier. Does that mean I’ll still make them? Probably! J

The husband and I attended the Dragons game on Wednesday and it rained. Not until the sixth inning, and the Dragons were winning 9-0 at the time (they ended up winning 11-4), but it rained and we left. We’re going again tonight. Guess what? It’s supposed to rain. Of course it is! We’ll be there!! At least the Dragons are on a roll. They’ve won their last three games (haven’t had that long of a streak this year yet) and they're no longer in the basement. Let’s hope for number 4 (and a dry game).

So, you have any plans for Mother’s Day? I don’t. Well, besides dinner with the kids (my mother is too far away to have dinner with, unfortunately). So it appears to be a nice, quiet day. Nothing wrong with that!

Have a good day!

 

Stacy

 

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff (Like Movies!)

Tuesday was a busy day. I had a wonderful lunch with a writer friend of mine and spent over three hours talking! It was great! By the time I got home, it was time to meet the family at the theatre to watch “Iron Man 3” ($5 Tuesdays - gotta love them!). I really liked the movie (and if you go, stay for the credits - there’s more after they roll). I also liked the trailer for Thor! Oh yeah, I’ll be seeing that one, too. With all that activity, I didn’t get much writing or reading done, but I sure had fun!

I did get some reading done during the week, though. Here’s what I read:

May 2: “Vampires Gone Wild” by Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer. Four paranormal romance shorts. Blurb on back: “V is for VampWoman”: Pamela decides to shed her prim and proper ways for spandex and mask to help fight the Malcontents. Now if only she weren’t so distracted by the sexy vampire fighting by her side… “A Forever Love”: Trapped in Vamp City, Lukas has been unable to return to the beauty who stole his heart. But now that she’s stumbled into his world, it will take every ounce of cunning he possesses to keep her alive. “First Dates are Hell”: Valiance’s first date in a hundred years is going great…until they’re attacked in the parking lot and quiet, unassuming Esme turns out to be way more than she appears. “Blood and Water”: Beneath the waves of San Francisco Bay lives a vampire race that wants nothing to do with the “landers” except to feed on them. But when Stellan sets eyes on Angelina, everything changes. I bought this book because of Kerrelyn Sparks’ Love At Stake story, because I just love them! VampWoman was okay, but did feel rushed. This story probably could have easily been a whole book. Palmer’s Vamp City story intrigued me enough to check her out, but her books tend to be on the dark side and her hero identified as mean (uh, no thanks), so I’m not bothering. This story had different characters and was enjoyable, it just didn’t have a very satisfying ending (because the series is still on-going, I assume). My favorite of the bunch was Arista’s First Date. So much so, I WANTED to buy her others. BUT (and yes, it’s a big but) while this short was written in third person, the other books she has are written in first of a minor character in this short. Oh well… But if she ever gets to writing another romance like this one, I’ll read it for sure. Falconer’s Water story was interesting, but I did foresee the end (based upon the dates), though. I wasn’t sure what kind of creatures were featured here--Mermaid? Vampires? I’m still not sure. A little too much head hoping (and jolts from third to first without the italics to know the person was thinking!) for my taste, too. But the ending was satisfying. Overall, a fun read of four stories. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

May 6: “Immortal Ever After” by Lynsay Sands. This is the eighteenth book in the Argeneau series, a paranormal romance. Blurb on back: Valerie Moyer doesn’t believe in vampires--until she is kidnapped by a fanged psychopath! After escaping her bloodthirsty captor, she’s through with creatures of the night. Until she finds herself under the protection of the darkly handsome Anders. Not only is she expected to accept that Anders is immortal, but also that she is the woman destined to be his life mate! Anders felt a connection to Valerie from the moment he cradled her bruised body in his arms. But before he claims her, he must destroy the vampire who almost stole her from him forever. His job would be easier if Valerie didn’t fight him every step of the way. Still, Anders loves a challenge, and the green-eyed beauty is worth fighting for! Yep, number eighteen and still not stale. I love this series and knew as soon as I started reading this one, I wouldn’t be able to put it down (and it WAS hard!). These books just make me feel GOOD! I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.

My friend recommended I read Jim Butcher’s books, so I will check out the first Harry Dresden book from the library and see if it’s something I will like. I’m almost afraid to read it. What if I like it? Then I’ll have to read them all! Like I need to find another series to read - arrrgh!

So, have you seen “Iron Man 3” yet? Or read any of Jim Butcher’s books?

Happy Reading!

 

Stacy

 

 

Footy and Book Event - Yep, With Pictures!

Here’s a picture of a footy ball the men used (the woman's ball was yellow for some strange reason). Don’t know if it’s really called a footy ball, but it’s the ball they use to play Australian Rules Football, or Footy.

Jillaroos are in pink. My daughter is on far left. Toronto
player on right has just kicked the ball down the field.

My daughter played Saturday against a team from Toronto. The Columbus Jillaroos only had four players, but Toronto (don’t know their name-my bad) had eight, so they rotated two players from Toronto to play on the Jillaroos each quarter. They also made the field quite a bit smaller. Unfortunately, it didn’t help. They lost 71-34 (yeah, these are high scoring games as well as fast-paced).

We stayed to watch the Jackaroos play, since it was soooo nice outside (the sunburn on my neck and face are evidence to that). They utilized quite a bit more players (something like 18 each) and the pace is almost like a hockey game - they’re all over the place and there isn’t much stoppage of play (no offsides or stuff like that!).

As you can see, they don’t wear any protective gear. And yes, they can tackle (it’s a pretty rough sport).

We left after the third quarter (ONLY because our friend was fixing us dinner and it was already 5pm) and the Jackaroos were dominating at 48-7. I’m assuming they won.

Out of the whole team, one player caught this romance writer’s eye. He warmed up WITHOUT his shirt (yeah, that’s one way to do it, unfortunately he was too far away for my camera, at least for me to be discreet--I know, I should have tried harder) and I swear, there wasn’t an ounce of flab on him. He didn’t look too shabby in uniform, either (that’s him on the left). As I watched the game, I noticed he never came out for a sub. He was a very good player, but then I heard him speak (yep, an Aussie), so I’m guessing he grew up playing the sport. Who knew there were so many of them in the Columbus area? Not me!

My daughter is passionate about this sport. At the end of this month she’ll be in San Francisco trying out for the USA team to play in Edmonton, Canada. One of the guys said Columbus wouldn’t even have a women’s team if it weren’t for her. I know she’s tried to get more women interested, but just hasn’t had any luck. She’s not giving up, though.

J J J

On Friday I attended the book signing of the anthology the Western Ohio Writers Association (WOWA) put together. There was a cake decorated with the cover (I did my part when they begged people to please eat the cake - yum) and 10 of the 11 authors were there to sign (I managed to buy a book that had the eleventh author’s--Liz Coley’s--signature, so I got EVERYONE).

 

From left: Tammy Newsom, LD Masterson, Lynda Sappington, Dennis L. Hitzeman,
Deanna Newsom, Michael Martin, and Philip A. Lee.

From left: Lynda Sappington, Dennis Hitzeman, Deanna Newsom (kind of hidden),
Gery Deer, Michael Martin, Philip A. Lee, Bill Bicknell, Arch Little II, and Kate Seegraves

 

Here's one showing the whole group attempting to cut the cake (our group can be quite the kidders, huh?).

And here’s one of me and LD Masterson.

 

It was an interesting night, but I had a date back home with my television and the second game of the Penguins (which my daughter was there to see). Unfortunately, they lost game two, but at least they won game three on Sunday. Next game is on Tuesday. They better get their act together or they’ll be going home soon, and I certainly don’t want that!! Go Pens!!!

So, did you get sunburned this weekend?

 

Stacy

 

Friday Hodgepodge

Even when I don’t have a paying job to go to, Fridays are kind of lazy days, aren’t they? I have the weekend to look forward to and actually have some events I will be attending.

Tonight I will venture out to Blue Jackets Books (in Xenia) and celebrate the release of an anthology my author friends have put together. Should be fun. Here’s a picture of the book. It’s available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

And why don’t I have a story included in this book? I could have IF I had written one for it, and it was selected (not all submissions made it in apparently). But I didn’t have any short story in mind that reflected on SW Ohio, and I didn’t feel like I had enough time to get one written. Lazy? Maybe. I like to think I was just busy with other writing projects (because I certainly have a boatload of them).

Tomorrow I will be going out to New Albany (that’s just east of Columbus) to watch my daughter play Footy. The weather appears to be cooperating (none of that snow they’re getting in Kansas City!). Afterward, we’ll visit our friend, who happens to live near the park we’ll be at. She invited us over for dinner. Can’t pass that up!

I was able to walk FOUR days this week. After the fourth day, my feet aren’t hurting quite as much and I appear to be walking a little faster. The new shoes seem to be working well. Here’s a before picture of them (before I wore them outside, that is). Aren’t they pretty? Yes, I have a thing for pink.

So, you doing anything exciting this weekend? Like, maybe going out and enjoying the warmer weather? That’s if you HAVE warmer weather. I know not everyone does.

Okay, back to writing. My Sunny Vampire is in round four of edits. Almost done…Yee haw!

 

Stacy

 

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff

Got to walk yesterday, finally! The new shoes work better, but my feet still hurt. I guess I just need to get used to walking again. Of course, it would help if I could do it every day or at least three times a week instead of once a week. Eventually, the weather will cooperate (and it’s getting closer), so I can do that.

Another “light” week of reading. Actually, I think this book was longer than my usual fare (the page number was similar, but the print way smaller).

Apr 26: “Heart-Shaped Box” by Joe Hill. This is a horror book and was recommended to me from a friend (who is also a Stephen King fan, like myself). Blurb on back: Aging death-metal rock legend Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals…a used hangman’s noose…a snuff film. But nothing he possesses is as unique or as dreadful as his latest purchase off the Internet: a one-of-a-kind curiosity that arrives at his door in a black heart-shaped box…a musty dead man’s suit still inhabited by the spirit of its late owner. And now everywhere Judas Coyne goes, the old man is there--watching, waiting, dangling a razor blade on a chain from his bony hand. I think “The Dead Man’s Suit” would have been a more appropriate title, but hey, I’m lousy at titles, so what do I know? The book started out a little slow, but I stuck with it and glad I did. When it gathered steam, it kept on rolling. I didn’t care for Jude at the beginning, so the author (oh yeah, did I mention he’s Stephen King’s son?) did a good job of making me care at the end. If you like whacked-out ghost stories, this book is for you. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

Looking forward to watching the Penguins play in the Stanley Cup playoffs. I hope they make it allllll the way!!! Go Pens!

 

Happy Reading!

Stacy