Loser

I lost NaNoWriMo (as I said in my P.S. a post or so ago).  BUT!  I would happily sign up for it again. (especially if it didn't take place in the month of November.  I'm thinking January or February would be better months for writing nonstop).  




So, do you want to know why you should sign up for NaNoWriMo no matter what? .... Wait for it....THE EMAILS!  Can any of you non-nanowrimoers say that you have an email from Gail Carson Levine in your inbox?  What about Robin McKinley? 

Yeah.  I have both of them in my inbox. 


My theory is, if you are a writer, you should sign up for NaNoWriMo just for the email pep talks from other (cool) authors.  Cuz that's just AWESOME to have people telling you that they struggle with the writing process too, even though they are Big Name Authors.

So here's to NaNoWriMo Losering.

--Lu

Not too early for a Christmas Song and Dance

I love this song and the video and everything about it.  If you were with me last year, you already know that, though.  Just pretend we're having a YouTube sharing party at my house.  This is my contribution.



P.S. I'm not going to win NaNoWriMo.  I'm around the 30,000 word mark.  Better luck next year.

Favorite Things Add On

3. Psych.

(I know, I know. Megan and Matthias are shaking their heads and saying, "We told you so."  And all I can say back is...you were RIGHT!  It is stinkin' funny.)

(Psych side note: The Rock's sister says that since she's been watching Psych, she's noticed she's been more observant.  And just tonight (a mere three days after seeing my first episode EVER) I too noticed that I'm getting a tad more observant.  As in, we were picking up a key from our neighbors, and from my position outside their back door I observed that there were homemade chocolates on the kitchen table.  And in my mind, the little Psych glowy light zoned in around the chocolates as if it were an important clue.  Mostly, it was just important to my stomach.)


Watch yourself an episode and let me know if you like.

That links to the second show of the series because...

NOTE: the pilot episode is hilarious and worth watching, but does have the only makeout scene I've encountered in the series so far (though I'm not really an expert on the series, I have it on good authority it's the only one).  It's mild, but I'm warning you because I was annoyed by it and you might be too.  Also, it happens at the beginning of the show, and I didn't want you to get the wrong idea about the whole series from that one blip of stupidity.  And also, these shows are crime mysteries, and sometimes there is some violence, which I didn't find offensive, but I get overly worried that my scale of tolerance is not your scale, so--there ya go.

--Lu

P.S. In case you were wondering, my neighbors did give us some chocolates even though I was Very Good Mannered and didn't make any kind of suggestive comment at all.  Patience paid off...and the fact that they know I have an unquenchable sweet tooth.

Favorite Things

Alright, now that my long silence is over (apparently), and while we're talking about favorite things, I'll tell you two of mine:

1. Sonic Cherry Limeade Chillers.  (take a cherry limeade and add icecreaminess AND whipped cream on top.)  (sigh.)

2. Chocolate covered altoids (cinammon preferably), esp. good when eaten DURING church.  (gasp!  That's practically contraband!  And it's all the sweeter for being such.)

--Lu

What are some of your favorites from 2009?

Most Useful Thing I've Made This Year

The winner is: an improvised rice bag foot warmer.

You've probably heard of/seen/used one yourself.

I have perpetually cold feet (except on the day of my wedding.  And I'm plenty braggish about that fact.)

Cold feet isn't really a problem for most of the year in Arizona. But, when the weather turns cold(er), and me being a night owl, sometimes by the time I hop in bet my tootsies feel like icebergs.

On one of my late night stay-up-a-thons I was really dreading the Iced Feet of the Dead, so I took matters into my own hands. Not wanting to sew that late at night, I grabbed an old pillowcase, scooped in a few cups of rice, then tied the opening of the pillow case in a knot. I stuck the whole thing in the microwave for 1.5 mins and VIOLA! No more cold feet, no more laying awake in bet for an hour till they warm up enough for me to go to sleep.

I carry my rice bag around with me all the time when I'm at home (I'm using it right now, and my feet are blissfully warm, whereas moments ago they were on the verge of turning blue).

This makeshift rice bag foot warmer is working so well, I don't know that I'll ever sit down and make an official one. 

--Lu

Every Moo Needs a Studio

YES! I have a STUDIO now!

I always did kind of sort of have it, only, it had all of my paintings and a (I love it when in mid-sentence I glance up and google is advertising "Feline Pine Cat Litter" with the explanation that "Your cat's litter is important--more than toys or treats." Nice try google. Not buying today.)

Anyway, I had a whole bunch of stuff in the corner, and the University Library has the Famous Artist Course books in the oversized section, and my new goal is to go through all of them before we move in August, or December. And the very first part before Lesson 1, which I could have told you myself, but it's More So coming from Norman Rockwell and Bernie Fuchs (two of the famous illustrators who wrote the books), that before you begin, you need a studio space.

So on Saturday The Geologist mopped the whole kitchen floor and we took all of the big paintings and things I'm not using to his house, and then borrowed my in-laws other card table, and ta-da! I have a studio!

I'm really excited about this because now I can make my painty messes and I don't have to clean them up before dinner/lunch/breakfast/snack because it was all over our kitchen table.

The Geologist has heard lots about this between Saturday, and yesterday like you get to hear now because I'm really excited, as I just said two sentences ago.

The End.
--Moo

From the Old Stomping Grounds

This is The Rock's contribution to the blogosphere.

Slumpish

Dear November Challenges,
People who do NaNoWriMo have it 1,000 times harder than those who do NaBloPoMo (or however that's spelled). 

Sincerely,
Lu

P.S. I'm just below my word quota, coming in now at 15,000 something words.  My "novel" is progressing poorly, but as we NaNoWriMoer's like to say, Quantity, not quality.

You would think that after a ten hour car ride I'd have thought of something to tell you--AND you'd be RIGHT!

If you come to Moo's house this is what greets you:

(Smitty drawn by Moo.  I told you she's good.)

And also, your camera will attempt to infect her computer when you start to download pictures.  But that's ok, because you can use my computer, which apparently, didn't even know it was infected.)

--Lu (the wannabe NaBloPoMoer)

Overheard

"Lately my burps have been really powerful.  Don't you love it when they make your eyes rattle?!"

--Lu

Loosing of the Bird

Someone nick-knocked on our door tonight (see video below, entitled Hamish and Andy 3 step hiding).  Coincidence???

Best of all, just after I opened the door to find no one on my doorstep, a frantic looking sparrow flew through my open doorway and INTO my house!  (which precluded further investigation to see if there was a three step hider in the yard.)

After some moments of yelping, much fluttering of wings and panicked bouncing off of light fixtures (yelping by me, fluttering and bouncing by sparrow), the poor little bird resigned itself to its fate and held relatively still while we put a bowl over it, slid a magazine under it and deposited it outside. 

The most pressing question now is: Was it intentional?  Because, isn't Set A Bird Loose In The House a thousand times better prank than just knock and run!

--Lu

Can You Guess What This Is About?

The papercut is entitled: Mother Said This Would Come To No Good  (click the link to find out...).


You can see the artist's blog here and the rest of the pieces in the gallery here.

Youtube Party at Our Blog

If you lived around here, I'd invite you over to watch these.  But since you don't...



Ghosting 2.0 (slightly more PG-13 content)


and this (as if you didn't already have Ghosting to keep you occupied):



Mucho thanks to jamila for alerting me to these (and Patrick for finding them in the first place). --Lu

Because What's November Without a Little Writing?

The rumors are true...I'm doing NaNoWriMo.
(and so should you).








--Lu