Movie Quote of the Day:
“Roz, my tender, oozing blossom you’re looking fabulous today. Is that a new haircut?”
–Mike Wazowski, Monsters, Inc.

I was walking around downtown yesterday at lunch and realized how many interesting structures there are. I really should get my camera and just walk around and take pictures. Just for fun.

Wrote two issues yesterday - one for each serial. Got them polished and turned in today. Great progress and I’m pleased.

I’ve decided to enter a couple of contests. I’m submitting a short story to Tall Tales Press for their Hidden Talents Contest. I’m also submitting the first 5 pages and the first 25 pages of the novel to two different contests. I just kinda want to see how I’ll do in those and what kind of comments I’ll get back. Those will all need to be into the mail this week to meet the deadlines.

I just couldn’t make myself write last night. Instead, after putting DS to bed, I settled down to watch some TV. I found French Kiss on again and actually sat and watched the whole thing. Until I fell asleep. I woke up in time to see the last five minutes. I don’t know why, but I like this flick. I think Kevin Kline is great as a Frenchman and it’s making me want to see Dave again.

Quiet day here at the office. Not much else to report so I think I’ll go get some writing done.

Movie Quote of the Day:
“Why can’t they just say go to this place, here’s the treasure, spend wisely?”
–Riley Poole, National Treasure

The AC is still working, thank goodness. It got to over 100 at the house this weekend. Blech. I guess that dog days of summer are here in Texas already.

I should have been writing last night but instead I decided to scour the ‘net for some old favorite books. When I was in junior high, I remember reading the Robert Asprin “Myth” books. I loved those so I decided to go on a quest. Had I known they would be so difficult to find, I would have never gotten rid of them! I’m keeping a watchful eye on several auctions at eBay. I checked Amazon and BN.Com too. Most of the older books are already out of print. Sadly. But at least there’s eBay!

The other series I was looking for were the Indiana Jones “Find Your Fate” books. Gosh I used to love these books. They were very well read when I had them. And I gave them to one of my nephews. Idiot. I should have kept them because they are next to impossible to find too. Not that they’d be worth anything, but it would be nice to still have them so I can read them every now and then. If you’re not familiar with these, they are written in second person. You get to be Indy’s sidekick and go on an adventure with him. At then end of each page is a choice which leads you down another path. Why did I get rid of these, you may ask? Because I was “grown up” and didn’t need them anymore.

Oh how I regret it.

The Robert Asprin books was my first journey into fantasy. I was hooked from then on. The next books I picked up were by Patricia A. McKillip. I still remember reading The Forgotten Beasts of Eld for the first time. Since then, I’ve read several of her books (though I admit not as much as I’d like). Alphabet of Thorn was so great, I read it in two days.

Then I read some science fiction - Asimov, Bradbury. The Andromeda Strain still sticks in my mind. Then I got into fanfic - Star Wars and Star Trek books. I think I read every Star Trek book I could get my hands on. There was this one book, Han Solo and the Lost Legacy that I must have read until the covers fell off. I wanted to be that girl so bad. Very happy to see that Amazon has the trilogy in one volume. I need it.

Yeah, I’m a geek.

I don’t know what this obsession is with getting books from my past. I just suddenly have an urge to have them all again. Like I really need more books. I don’t have enough bookshelf space for the books I do have.

Ah well. I did get one issue of Scars done today. Hoping to have another issue of Ransom & Fortune done today. I am slowly getting ahead again. Woohoo!

I had an idea while vacuuming today regarding the action/adventure serial, Ransom & Fortune. I think I’d like to use the alternate reality thing but add something a little more…dark to it. Not only is their time machine altering their reality, but it is altering them. *evil maniacal laugh* This opens up lots of possibilities for the characters. I’m thinking that the time traveling device could alter them to bring out their true character. Is she really a bad girl, deep down? Is he really a killer? The only way they can get back to normal is to get back to their time.

Okay, I’ll admit some of this idea stemmed from watching too many episodes of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. I guess that’s what happens when it’s on every Saturday and Sunday morning. Okay, I’ll admit too that and Kim Possible are my favorite cartoons.

Dang I’m weary today. I did all the laundry and put it away, vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, swept the floors, picked up the clutter… I’m all tuckered out.

At least the air conditioner is working again up here. That’s a wonderful thing.

I have some issues to write while the baby boy is sleeping, so I best get to it (after I play with my new clipart that is).

Movie Quote of the Day:
Governor Tarkin. I thought I smelled your foul stench when I was brought on board.
– Princess Leia, Star Wars

You know what just occurred to me about Star Wars? At the very beginning when Princess Leia is captured and she sees Vader for the first time, she says, “Darth Vader. Only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this. When they hear you’ve attacked–”

“Don’t act so surprised, Your Highness. You weren’t on any mercy mission this time.”

Sorry, got caught up in that. Anyway… it occurred to me that Leia was quite snappy with Vader in that scene and he didn’t even bother do use his “jedi mind tricks” on her. Remember the scene when the guy says, “Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer ways, Darth Vader.” And Vader gets all pissed off and says, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” and he uses his powers to try and suffocate the guy. How come he didn’t use any of his powers on Leia when she was all pissy with him? Okay, so he needed her alive to question her about the location of the rebel base, but he could have at least scared her or something. I’m just rambling. It’s getting late and I’m tired. (Can you tell we watched the movie today?)

Now on to the title of this entry.

The good news: Hubby comes home next week. Hooray!

The bad news: He’s home for a week and then they ship him off to New Mexico.

The good news: At least it’s only for a week.

The bad news: my frigging air conditioner upstairs crapped out today.

The good news: my dear sweet father-in-law came to fix it. He had a spare fan motor (don’t ask me why - the man keeps everything. I think he has 2 x 4s from 1967) and came and installed it. It works! It was dark by the time he left, but at least it seems to be working.

More good news: my sweet chapter president swung by with an extra box fan, so I’ve got that going up there too to help circulate air.

Welp… not that this isn’t fun, but I’m gonna go crash. Don’t forget to take the writing survey (see link below).

Help a brother out. Take his writing survey here:

http://www.carternipper.com/survey/

Your Star Wars Pickup Line

“I may look like an Ewok, but I’m all Wookie where it counts, baby.”

Movie Quote of the Day:
Jack: I mean it. Your writing is hot.
Joan: You haven’t even read the book.
– Romancing the Stone

I did no writing last night, like I had intended. Fatigue overcame me. The heat does that. It took me about thirty minutes to finish mowing and then after that I was wiped out. DS and I went to Sonic for dinner and I had the extra long cheese coney. Tonight I think I’ll have Chinese food. I’m craving Sesame Chicken.

I really need to work on the serials today. I should get at least one issue of each written. I’m just not motivated. Not motivated to do a whole heckuva lot, come to think of it. It’s Friday, and I just want to surf the net all day.

I caught up on my favorite blogs today. Managed to leave comments on several.

I printed out some paperwork for one of the gals here in the office.

That’s the extent of my workday. LOVE IT.

Actually, I take back that I didn’t write anything. I did. I wrote about 200 words of a new story that came to me while mowing. It was the heat exhaustion about to kick in when I hallucinated this story. So I wrote it down.

Read a story for a friend of mine. She’s entering it in a contest and I gave it a read-through. Great story. Am also continuing to read the paranormal mss. I really like it. Since I knew I’d be sitting in the doctor’s office yesterday, I printed off several pages of it and read while in the waiting room. I really like this story and am looking forward to the HEA.

Not much creeping around in my brain. Guess I’ll get to it.

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you’re told that you’re loved.

You’d like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance.

Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything… no secrets.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You’ll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You’ll do anything for love, but you won’t fall for it easily.

Movie Quote of the Day:
Why you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy looking, nerve-hurter!
- Princess Leia, The Empire Strikes Back (aka Episode V)

I had the best idea while mowing this afternoon. I concocted a romantic comedy set in medieval times. Kind of like A Knight’s tale but different. Along those same lines. Anyway… I had to keep thinking about something to keep my mind of the bloody heat while I mowed. Good golly it was all I could do to finish. I’m thinking I’m going to hire a lawn boy to mow and edge from now on. This mowing crap is for the birds.

For the first time, I’m seriously considering using a pseudonym. Not that I don’t love my real name (I think it sounds “authory”) or that I’m ashamed of anything I write or that I’m trying to hide or anything… I’ve just been thinking that I like writing in two different genres (paranormal/fantasy and contemporary) and I think that I’d publish each genre under a different name. Not that I think I’m going to be a Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb or anything. It’s just a thought. And I came up with a really great nom de plume. And no, I’m not going to tell it here.

I also came up with a new contemporary as I was mowing (big yard). I just kept thinking I had to keep going, that if I stopped, I’d never get the whole thing done. And then I wondered if I passed out, would anyone notice? The only person home was my 3-yr-old (and he can’t even dial a phone) and I never ever see my neighbors (seriously, I think they either hibernate or have that never-leave-the-house phobia that Sigourney Weaver had in that movie…what the hell is it called? I can’t remember…). Anyway… if I passed out… with the mowing running… lying in the middle of the yard in direct sun… would anyone pause to see what was up? Or would they just take off with mower? My writer mind must have been working overtime because I started concocting a story right then.

My brain is all over the place tonight. I’m in one of those I’m tired but I can’t rest phases.

For some reason or another, the M.Y.T.H. Inc books by Robert Asprin came to mind today. I loved those books and now I’m wondering what happened to all of my copies. I gotta go find these books again. I miss spending time with Skeeve and Aahz. Their Myth Adventures was my first exposure to light fantasy. Looks like it’s time to hit eBay!

Movie Quote of the Day:
Look, Your Worshipfulness, let’s get one thing straight. I take orders from just one person: me.
- Han Solo
(In honor of Episode III)

Got two issues of Ransom & Fortune written, proofing and turned in. HOORAY! Today I plan to write two issues of Scars.

I discovered I can pay via PayPal for the Canadian contest over at Tall Tales Press. Very happy about that. I’ll be getting my short story ready for submission. I haven’t done a contest in a while, so I think it’ll be fun. If it doesn’t win, I have a place to submit it. It if does win (or place), it will be published in their anthology. Very exciting. We’ll see. Won’t get my hopes up too much though.

I was very weak yesterday and went shopping. My friend at work and I went to the mall on our lunch hour. I got a ton of clothes for a decent price. She caught me at a weak moment. I stood in my closet yesterday thinking, “I hate everything in here.” And now I have a several new things I can wear. This weekend will be Clean Out The Closet weekend. I have too much stuff I never wear so it’s gone as of this weekend.

I was also weak again yesterday and joined the History Book Club. How did they know that I’m a sucker for these things? I ordered a book simply called Scotland, Atlas of the Medieval Word, and The Last Duel about the last recorded trial by combat in France. I can’t wait to get them! Plus, I get a nifty attaché case. Sweet!

Lost was simply fantastic last night. Sawyer’s admission to Jack about meeting his dad in the bar was terrific. Very in character for him and not too mushy. LOVED IT. And I’m so happy Jin and Sun made up before he left. It was very emotional and moving and romantic. LOVED IT. Can’t wait until next week to see how the end the season.

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