Today was another great day in the heartland. My grandma came over for brunch, and then stayed to watch basketball. I spent some time coming up with a pseudonym for my book (premature, I know, since I have yet to finish it, but I got a gmail account for the name that I think I'll use), and then signed up for all of the Romance Writers of America mailing lists so that I can start getting more info on the business. I also saw a movie with Katie, came home and watched the news with my mother, and then spent the past couple of hours surfing the web.
Highlights of the day:
1) Hearing my sweet, septuagenarian grandmother tell how she beat a possum to death the other day with an ice scraper and a rock. This proves that if we got rid of guns, people would still find a way to kill things.
2) Eating brunch at home - my father's fried potatoes are what started my love affair with all brunch-related activities.
3) Watching Drake University (based in Des Moines) win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, earning an NCAA playoff berth for the first time in 35+ years.
4) Hanging out with Katie - even if we did end up watching 'The Bucket List'. It was the only movie playing at the theatre in town - and of course it made me cry, even though I wasn't a huge fan (too much depiction of the suckiness of cancer/aging). We saw many of the same people who had gone to the play last night, including several of the actors. We also ran into another high school classmate and ended up watching it with her, which was fun. We then cruised around the square for a few minutes before going our separate ways - I'll have to visit her in Dallas while I'm on sabbatical. Alternatively, I can befriend her dad, although that might be a little weird.
5) Spending FAR too much time using Google Reader. I've subscribed to a whole bunch of blogs by agents, publishers, authors, and readers of romance novels, all in the name of research. And I think it's worthwhile too - but perhaps worthwhile as something to spend half an hour or an hour on, not 2-3 hours or more every day. The beauty of Google Reader is that all of the blogs I like are collected in one place, with an easy way of telling whether they've been updated since I last read them, and so I can stay organized and not mindlessly surf. The dark underbelly of Google Reader is that all of the blogs I like are collected in one place, and I can waste HOURS on it.
Perhaps I'll learn self-control while I'm on sabbatical - or perhaps I'll continue to procrastinate. I also signed up for a subscription to Publishers' Marketplace so that I can see the types of deals that are being made in the industry right now - and which authors are represented by which agents. Clearly I'm interested in the business side of all of this - now I just need to finish a manuscript (or two) so that I don't go back to my regularly-scheduled life as a complete failure. Now, though, I'm going to bed - but first, happy birthday Tammy!
3 comments:
Ice scraper is a new one, but rocks are an old favorite of hers. She has also been known to chase them with her car, run them over, and put the car in park with the offending animal underneath the tire. Don't piss her off...
In honor of the MO Valley Champs, DSM should be referred to as Dogtown in your blog. I'm not even an alumni - but who can resist the Dogs? Going Dancing!!
Swamp,
Miss you buckets and apparently your old cell phone is full with messages!
Did a quick analysis of your blog since March 1 and found a majority of food references ... it went something like this ...
Possum, eating, fried potatoes, hot dog, nachos, popcorn, alcohol, lemon cake, barbeque (as a noun), hamburger, shrimp teriyaki stir fry, steak, steak, steak, ketchup, steak, baked potatoes, salad, and cottage cheese, barbecue tri-tip sandwich, corn nuts, store bought cappuccino, wine.
Technical note -- I debated counting the possum as food but assumed IA is a might like TX and that road kill constitutes lunch on the road. I left out the grease reference as I wasn't sure if that was a unique occurrence or standard. Bottom line assessment, not seeing many Vitamin A or C items on your intake list.
Glad to hear Katie got a job (tell her to call me as I'm in TX all next week).
You'll be happy to hear Matt is in dog house after blowing 2 B's and 5 A's to end up with 6 B's and 1 A on his report card. David is pleading the 5th -- he might need Katie as a lawyer.
Anyway -- give me a call when you get a chance so that dynamics of killing a possum with an ice scraper can be shared. LQJ
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