Odds & Ends and Fun Writer Posts

Hello All!

It's been some time since I've last seen you. I haven't forgotten you, I've been writing. Lots. And when I'm productive in the writing department, I try to stay away from distractions -because the goal is, after all, to get published!

I did write one post and not share it. I think I got distracted. Which, if you know me, doesn't surprise you one bit.


So here is a Late January Post:

As I pulled into the garage today after school, a skateboard magically flew from its perch on the peg wall, hit the side of the van, and landed under the wheel. I backed over the skateboard and out of the garage. (There was no other way to do this since everything in the garage only fits one way.) Then I put the skateboard back in place. (The van was not wounded). As I walked under the eaves and back to the driver's seat, someone slammed the front door of the house causing much of the snow on the roof to land on my head, in my hood, and down my shirt.

The van is in the garage, and I have decided to spend the rest of the day indoors.

And a Crock Pot Recipe I Thought Sounded Good:

BBQ Sauce - Pork Loin w/ Dr. Pepper & lots of garlic. Skim fat. Let cool. Add tomato paste and spices to taste.

And Some Great Blog Posts!

Just One More Page - A new blog by Dave Richardson. All of you Verlakay people know him as "dave r." Dave is an indie bookbuyer/seller for The Blue Marble Bookstore in Ft. Thomas, KY, and he writes a regular book review column for The International Reading Association's READING TODAY. His posts are informative, fun and funny! 

Jennifer Represents -Nancy Drew and the Case of the Guilty Silence - Have you ever wondered why an agent hasn't responded back to a request for a manuscript? 

Also from Jennifer - When to Keep Your Trap Shut? Almost Always. This has some excellent advice for bloggers and others with an online presence. 

Jules Watson - Historical Fiction Workshop - Have you always wanted to attend a writing workshop, but it's never been in the budget? Jules Watson has posted a complete Historical Fiction Workshop, and it's FREE!

Jill Corcoran - How to Sub Queries & Full Manuscripts in the Digital Age "Subbing your ms to agents has definitely changed. No more do you print out reams of paper and ship them off in a box. Now you query and send full requested manuscript via email. And we agents then forward your email with the requested full manuscript to our e-reader, which for me is a kindle. So here are some important tips to help you sub successfully in the digital age."

Finally, because it made me laugh, and because it's TRUE, a video from Jackson Pearce, author of Sister's Red and As You Wish.

Keep Writing!

Nora

I

Because It is FUN...

I promise to write a real, writerly-like post before I leave for Chautauqua.  But today, this is how I procrastinate.

Try this. It's fun!   I Write Like...

So far I write like:

James Joyce
Ian Fleming
Ray Bradbury
Chuck Palahniuk
Stephen King

Be sure to share who YOU write like!

Keep writing,
Nora

Procrastinating...

Honestly, other writers should know better than to introduce their writer friends to these type of distractions!

Apple Game

I got 59 apples my first try. How many apples did you get?

Thoughts on Gross...

WARNING: THIS REALLY IS ABOUT GROSS!

You can't be an elementary school teacher and not have a high GTL (Gross Tolerance Level). The type of gross you deal with depends upon the grade level you teach. In my humble opinion, pre-school, kindergarten and primary teachers are saints. The level of gross they deal with each day is daunting. My classroom is right next to a Head Start pre-school room. Not only do those teachers get to wipe runny noses and brush toddler's teeth, they get to change diapers too. That's right. Pre-schoolers don't have to be potty trained to attend public school. Yuck.

First and second graders are all about holes and fingers. Fingers in their ears. Fingers in their noses. Fingers in their mouths. And they like to use their sticky fingers to poke the teacher to get their attention. Thank goodness they're cute. You can forgive a lot when cute is involved.

Gross takes on a whole new meaning once boys reach 3rd and 4th grade. Out-grossing one another becomes the goal. Recess can be quite an educational experience. If you notice a huddle of boys in fits of laughter in the corner of a playground, it's a good bet there's gas coming out one end or the other.

You haven't lived until you've been cooped up in a hot classroom with a group of 5th or 6th graders who just came in from gym or recess. The smell is unbelievable. You can try to talk to them about personal hygiene, but please know that you will lose them at the mere mention of the words "body odor." Uncontrollable laughter will ensue. You'll be lucky to get them to hear they must wash before they put on deodorant. It's a preventative, not a cover up... HAHAHAHAHAHAH...

Lots of people get tickled at gross. My mother-in-law would become incapacitated by silent, gut-wrenching giggles at the word fart. She would laugh so hard she couldn't breathe, and then she'd snort and start all over again. One Christmas someone, probably one of the sisters, got her The Book of Farts. She laughed so hard all day that her sides hurt by dinnertime. I miss that lady.

My mother would not laugh at the word fart. No. Instead, she would tilt her head and raise an eyebrow at you. She probably didn't dare laugh since it would only encourage my dad and brother to raise the gross ante. They're pretty good at that.

If you're wondering why in the world this topic came to mind, you can blame Lisa Yee and her facebook entry from yesterday. That's right. Lisa's facebook entry began: "Regarding snots and boogers, which ones are hard and which ones are soft?" So far 57 people have chimed in with an opinion. Thank you, Lisa, for some very vivid dreams last night.

I'm done with gross for now. Really, I am.

Because It Made Me Laugh...

My favorite high school buddy sent this to me.

Swine Flu Gets Out of Hand...

Timing is Everything...

It's true, isn't it? Whether it's a job search, an accepted or rejected manuscript, or events in our everyday lives, timing plays a major role.

For instance...

Today is Sunday. Normally I arrive at church at 9:29 for a 9:30 rehearsal -I'm an accompanist and my husband plays the bass and trombone. I had just sat down on the piano bench when the music director called down from the sound booth, "Hey Nora, I think Tim's playing today."

Excellent timing! (think I). Not that I don't enjoy playing. I do, but it's a rare Sunday indeed when I get to take a break.

I decide to use my extra hour to knock off a few items on my 'to do' list for the day. I head to the van, make a few stops on the way to the house, then pull into the drive.

The 3 weeks before and the first week of school is rough on the inside of my van. It begins to think it's a truck, a kitchen, and a dining room table. I've got 30 minutes left before I head back to church, so I thought it would be nice to surprise hubby with a fresh, dusted, cleaned and vacuumed inside of the van. He would like that. I set to work, and when I finished I had to admit it looked pretty good. You think the van would appreciate that. But no. It decided to whack me in the head and face with the back hatch.

I texted hubby to let him know what had happened and that I would pick him up after church, then I headed to the freezer for an ice pack. I'm going to be pretty colors. Did I mention that school pictures are this week?

Timing is everything...

Vowels and Hearsay...

I have no idea if this is true, but I heard that in Arab schools vowels are removed from the text once the student learns to read.

I wondered what that would do to the readability of the English language. Would it improve? Think of all the different pronunciations we have for a single word - read, for instance. Hmmm... if it was spelled rd, it could be read, red, rod, road, rude... Reading would come down to deciphering context clues. On the other hand, there would be no more diphthongs, vowel-blends, short and long vowel structures and such for all the little primary kids to master... And think about what removing vowels would do to the page count of a novel!

I wondered again what it would look like. So here's something for you:

Mry hd a lttl lmb, ts flce ws wht s snw,
nd vrywhr tht Mry wnt, th lmb ws sr t g.

Did you get it? Try this:

W hld ths trths t b slf-vdnt, tht ll mn r crtd ql, tht thy r ndwd b thr Crtor wth crtn nlnbl Rghts, tht mng ths r Lf, Lbrty, nd th prst f Hppnss. Tht t scr ths rghts, Gvrnmnts r nstttd mng Mn, drvng thr jst pwrs frm th cnsnt f th gvrnd...

A little harder?

As I look at it I'm realizing my son already writes likes this. It's called text-messaging!

Something Fishy...

Sometimes the best laid plans go awry...

Everything was good to go when I left. The corn was shucked. The grouper was thawed. I also had a pork chop for hubby -who once told me he'd divorce me if I ever cooked fish in the house. When he was a teen he spent a summer working for the City of St. Joe, MI. His job? Aside from mowing and emptying trash, cleaning up the dead chad on the beach. Ew.

I left to spend the afternoon with my critique partner and friend. We like to meet for lunch, and today we chose Applebee's. I called about 10 minutes before I reached the restaurant to make sure we were heading to the same place. She assured me she was on her way. When I arrived at the restaurant the hostess seated me and said she'd keep an eye out for my friend. Five, ten, fifteen minutes pass. No crit partner. I began to worry, so I called her again.

"Did you fall into a hole?" I asked when she answered.

"No, I've been sitting here at the table waiting for you."

We'd been seated on opposite sides of the dining room. We found each other, had a good laugh and got down to business. What does that mean? Fifteen minutes reviewing chapters and the next three hours talking about everything else. As always, we had fun.

I arrived back at the house ready to fix dinner. I turned on the grill and got the pork chop started, and I pulled out the blackened seasoning and dredged the grouper. The first sign of trouble occurred when I went to check on the pork chop. The propane had run out. Not a problem, I thought. I always have a backup propane tank just for these kinds of emergencies. Except, I found, I was already using the backup tank. Frying was my quick alternative. The chop was about halfway cooked so it didn't take long. I fried the fish as well. Hubby was so happy to come home to that smell, but he hasn't mentioned the "D" word yet. Table set, food cooked, mission accomplished.

I took the first bite of grouper. It was awful! So salty it nearly turned me inside out. I drained my glass of water.

"What's the matter, Mom?" My son threw a suspicious glance at his plate.

"Don't eat that!" was all I could manage.

I needed more water, so I headed to the sink. That's when I noticed the spice bottle on the counter. It wasn't blackened seasoning. No. It was Lawry's seasoned salt - which is fine in very small doses, but certainly not meant to be used to dredge seafood. Ugh! I threw two more pork chops in the skillet for dinner and tossed the fish. What a waste. I love grouper.

I've decided it would be a good idea to keep the blackened seasoning on a different shelf. Oh, and I think it's high time I replaced my glasses.

A Contest, A Quote, and Just Because...

A Contest:
Hop on over to Christina Farley's blog to enter a contest to acquire an autographed copy of one of Min jae's books AND a traditional Korean rice paper fan!
How To Enter:
1. Leave a comment on her blog to be entered to win.
2. If you are a follower, you will get an extra entry (please remind her if you are!)
3. Post it on your blog for an extra entry (leave her a note that you did)
Don't worry, she will ship to anywhere in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!

A Quote:
“A story should contain at least: 1 belly laugh, 1 honest tear, and 1 gasp.” – Bruce Coville 2004

and just because...
The Worst Best Man Ever

Confessions of a Talent Junkie

I can't believe this, but I'm a complete Britain's Got Talent junkie.

Me. Which is strange because I can barely tolerate television. I usually listen to the news on my tiny kitchen TV while I cook dinner, but you'll rarely catch me sitting down to watch a program. I always feel like there is so much else to do that is more productive. My daughter figured that out when she was four. "Mama, come and watch TV with me. We can fold laundry..."

I'm watching it, of course, online. Maybe that's why I like it. I can click on the segment I want to see, and I can view what I'm interested in without the interruption of commercials. Or maybe it's because some of the acts are so bizarre. I have to admit I'm drawn to the singing and dance acts the most. I'm so hooked that I even have the clock on my Mac set to London time so I don't miss anything. The semi-finals are this week, and the final is this Saturday. The shows begin at 8:30 p.m., and they start posting the acts online within an hour. Which is terrific because I can watch them when I get home from teaching and still have dinner on the table at the normal time.

Except tonight. I opted for frozen pizza while I wait for the Semi-final 3 Recap...

Tim Hawkins - Chick-fil-A

I don't normally post twice in one day, but I had to share this. Too funny!!

Tim Hawkins: Chick-fil-A

Feelin' Silly...

It's an absolutely gorgeous day here in Cincinnati - 76 degrees and the sun is shining. Perfect day for a gardener-a-holic to clean out the flower beds.

I begin my tour around the yard to plot my plan of action when I notice that one of my larger flower containers has a drainage problem. The soil is completely saturated and full to the brim with soured water, so I decide to tip over the planter and drain it. This is a BIG planter. Big like the ones you see in the mall that are overflowing with blooms and ferns and sometimes small trees. I almost have it tipped over when it slips out of my hands and lands, all 100+ pounds or so of it, on my foot. It stunned me at first, and it took a second for me to think - "Get it off your foot, stupid!"

I don't think it's broken, but is quite swollen. My plans for the day have changed. Instead of working in the garden, I'm going to sit in a lounge chair and work on my summer tan. Can't waste a beautiful day, right?

A Bit Needy...

Christy has a fun Meme on her blog. I had to try it!

What you do, is type {your name} and the word "needs" in your google search engine and then list the first 10 things that it says you need. Here's mine:

Nora needs:
1) attention
2) to work on her act
3) a higher rating
4) a new home
5) to get a life
6) a permanent loving family
7) time to get that perfect wedding dress done for you
8) to grow up
9) the City Council
10) your number!

I know you're not supposed to list number 11, but Nora needs money... (this really is # 11!)

Why I Can't Give Up Caffeine: A Day in the Life of My TAG Class

Here's a condensed version of a conversation in my math class today. The topic was area and perimeter.

(4th grader with hand wildly waving in the air)
"Mrs. Mac! Mrs. Mac! If Spongebob Squarepants is already squared, when you multiply him by himself is he cubed?"

(6th grader rolling his eyes) "No. If you multiply Spongebob Squarepants by himself, you add the exponents. Therefore, Spongebob Squarepants squared is Spongebob to the 4th power."

I ran this past one of my writer friends. Her thoughts:
"Spongebob Squarepants already gives the appearance of being Spongebob Cubepants, but since he is from a 2-dimensional medium, perhaps the question is moot."

Please know this: I NEVER enter the classroom unless I am FULLY caffeinated!

Satire: Gotta Love This

The New York Times published this article by Julian Gough yesterday: THE PLOT CURDLES

Enjoy!

Odds-n-Ends

The Christmas rush is over (for me at least), and I now have no excuse for not keeping up with my blog. The Christmas Cantata I directed is over. They did great! The holiday break at school has begun - whew. My Christmas shopping is complete, except for my husband's gift. I know what I'm getting him though, and that's half the battle. So now I get to relax, get caught up on housework, read, finish my WIP, and enjoy my family and friends (not necessarily in that order).

I did finish reading a few books since my last post. I read CORALINE, by Neil Gaiman. I enjoyed it very much, although it was rather creepy. CORALINE is coming out soon as a movie. The film's website is a blast. You can check it out here. Neil has been blogging about CORALINE in his journal.. It's quite interesting and worth the visit.

I also read FOUND, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, the author of the Shadow Children series. The School library Journal blog sums it up best... "Thirteen years ago an airline attendant saw something impossible. When the plane appeared on the tarmac it somehow appeared without anyone realizing it had landed. Stranger still, it contained no pilot, no crew, no adults at all. Just thirty-six babies strapped in their seats. Fast forward to present day when new friends Jonah and Chip check the former’s mailbox. There, resting inside is an unsigned note that simply reads, “You are one of the missing.” A cruel prank? It certainly seems that way until Chip gets the same letter. Then they both get a follow-up that reads “Beware! They’re coming back to get you.” They? They who? There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to the notes until Chip discovers that he and Jonah have something in common. They were both adopted. And with the help of Jonah’s sister Katherine there’s more to discover. Why does an FBI agent have information about the boys’ birth parents? Why did Katherine see a man appear and disappear in an office one day? Who’s been sneaking around Jonah’s room, looking through his things? And what’s the real story behind that plane? The answers lead the kids to discover their connection to seemingly impossible events." My thoughts? It's a really great read!

And last but not least, Brenda informed me she has tagged me for the Honest Scrap Award (Thanks, Brenda!).
"Scrap means left over, fragments, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. People like us need to tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will. There are 2 guidelines for receiving this award. One, you are to list 10 honest things about yourself. Make them interesting, even if you have to dig deep. Two, present the award to 7 other bloggers."

So here goes:

1. I started writing my novel on a dare from a group of 10, 11 and 12-year-old students. Their point? They said they have to show me their writing so I should have to show them mine. I discovered I really like to write for an audience.

2. I have less than 5 pages to go and the first draft of my first novel will be complete. I'm not sure I want to finish it. What happens if it sells? Can I keep up with the responsibilities? And if it doesn't sell? The disappointment could be huge.

3. I'm pretty blunt sometimes. I don't mean to be. I just am.

4. I have a healthy dose of the bossy gene. It runs heavily on the Taylor side of my family!

5. I work with gifted kids and love it!

6. When I went to college after high school I couldn't decide between graphic design, music or dance. I chose music performance and was doing quite well, but when my son was born I decided I needed to be home - not traveling. It was a good choice.

7. I still think about taking art classes. Maybe Santa will sign me up for one?

8. I usually keep a private stash of chocolate, and I don't share.

9. I hate having my picture taken - even for the school yearbook.

10. I would live in sweats and tennis shoes if the world would let me. Appearance is overrated. Let comfort reign!

CJ, Angie, Chocolateer, Kim, Linda

One Month of Blogging!

So, I've now been blogging for one month, and I've learned a few things:

1. Never make public goals that are impossible to keep (NanoWriMo).
2. Blogging is addicting.
3. Edit before you post.
4. Visit other blogs.
5. Bloggers are fun people!!

I'm looking forward to the next month of blogging!

Just For Fun...

It's a Star Wars Kind of Weekend here in my house.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5_OSsawz4 

Nano Word Count: 5762

Random Thoughts of "Almost"

Today:

1)We celebrated my Dad's "almost" 74th birthday. It's really Wednesday, but we had our get-together today. Lots of good food. Always good company!

2) I wish I could say I've "almost" met my Nano goal for today, but I'm at a sorry 482 words at the moment. It's 10:30 p.m.  I'm going to give it another go when I finish my post. 

3)My blog has been up and running for a week, and I've "almost" had 100 visitors! It was 97 a few minutes ago.  Thanks to everyone who stops by - Ya'll come back now!

Must sign off now, I've almost 1200 words to go...

Update: End of day NaNo count: 2610

Food Court Musical

This has nothing to do with anything other than it made me laugh!

Food Court Musical 

"For our latest mission, 16 agents staged a spontaneous musical in the food court of a Los Angeles shopping mall. We used wireless microphones to amplify the vocal performances and mix them together with the music through the mall’s PA system. We filmed the mission with hidden cameras, mostly behind two-way mirrors. Apart from our performers, no one in the food court was aware of what was happening. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below."