June "Bug" Kramin

Another typical breakfast at our house. Hubby & I drinking coffee, George (the kitty) trying to steal milk from my daughter’s cereal bowl, me trying to get my daughter to snort milk out of her nose… yanno, normal morning stuff.

I was telling hubby about what I did with the rest of the tax return. Nothing as exciting as the new TV – I just paid off a credit card. Big whoop – but it felt good. I said, ” I wish I thought to get one of those robot vacuum things.”

Like this:

I will hug him and kiss him & name him “squishy.”

Okay, not really but I would LOVE to have one. Even with a tax return, it’s hard to justify almost $300 for a moving CD player to pick up the animal hair that accumulates daily in my house.

When we moved into our home, there was carpet everywhere. And I mean, everywhere. The kitchen, the bathrooms… everything had that short pile ugly tan carpet. It didn’t hold up well to my dogs who are more inside than out. We changed it out after a year and put down a nice wood floor which is now, their skating rink. It’s cleaner looking but now it requires a daily sweep instead of daily vacuum. I swear I don’t know how they are not bald. Even when I shave them all summer long, the hair is horrible. It’s tedious, but what so ya do? I won’t make them become outside beasts so I deal with it.

This is where that robot would come in handy and save me the task but even that would probably have its downfall. Right away hubby said, “It would have to have a self emptying station. It’ll fill up in a few passes.”

“Great,” I said. “One more thing to take a crap around here.”

At this point we were successful in the ‘milk out the nose’ previously mentioned comment.

That of course led to, “Maybe it’ll be puking up hairballs before it gets to that stage.”

“Maybe we should get the self bailing, model,” I added.

“Then we’d have to buy the row sweeping model to precede it.”

GAH!

Guess I’ll stick to my swiffer, my huge dust mop, my large vacuum and my little corded Dustbuster with the handle. It’s work but what the hey, they’re cute.  For all the frustration & love one can have in one home, they are my beasts and they are here to stay.

Hubby may act like he doesn’t like ‘em, but they sure love him.

“Lord, help me to be the type of person my dog thinks I am.”

So… besides Mike Rowe *big grin*, we wanted to get the full effect of our new TV and decided to watch the Star Wars series again. Before the menu even came up I was shamelessly squeeing with glee! I have to say, the TV bloody rocks!!

Our I, II, & III are full screen so they were short but still awesome. When we go to IV, V, & VI, they were wide screen so that much more fabulous. The sound is that much more incredible too even though we had a surround sound hooked up to our old crappy TV. (Can I use another adjective here? Yes. The darn thing is totally bitchin’! )

It was fun watching them again. I was never the big Star Wars freak growing up. I saw it once in the theater while I had a friend that went over 60 times. It was a good movie, cool effects for that era but I wasn’t a major sci-fi buff. I didn’t even really read much back then. (Okay, by not much I mean not at all.) I never even got around to seeing I, II, & III until I bought the whole set at Target years later.

We watched them in order this time 1-6 (last time we went in the original order). While I’m drooling over Hayden Christensen,

(Loved him in ‘Jumper’!) I’m noticing an awful lot of ‘Light Saber droppage’. Seems to me, if this was their weapon of choice, the thing should have a strap like a Wii remote so you can’t have it knocked out of your hand by your opponent! Just kidding! I would never criticize the series that brought us this face:

Are you catching a theme here to me liking my new TV?

Okay. First round of edits are off! Now I get to enjoy the new toy hubby bought when I get home. We got a little bit of a tax return and finally joined the 21st century. Ta da! Our new toy looks something like this :

We have put it off forever since I didn’t think we really needed it with as little as we watch it. However, when we tried to watch Kite Runner and couldn’t because of the subtitles and our “aging” eyes, I knew it was time. My son has an awesome feature on his phone that scans bar-codes & tells you where the item is cheapest in town. I hate playing that game but Best Buy matched the other price and viola! A chopped entertainment center later, we’re in like flynn, baby!

When my daughter came in to say good night last night, the most awesome advantage of this new toy occurred to me…and I made her blush.

That’s right! This:

and this:

and even more of this:

Bigger. Better. Dirtier, baby!

I sure hope the screen in windex friendly :}

*wipes drool*

I finished my latest novel and a final read though yesterday. *insert a  squee here* Not even fifteen minutes went by before I got an e-mail from my editor with the first run of edits. Talk about your great timing.

All I can say is, I must have the world’s most patient editor! I knew I needed a “comma nazi” to add or remove as necessary but there is a lot more as well – as I suspected. It is wonderful having a new set of eyes on it. I have read it too many times to catch simple things. (I about fell over when I found the dreaded “your” “you’re” that is my pet peeve! I have a lot to learn apparently about POV (point of view). Some things I felt were needed but apparently just don’t float. It isn’t as hard to change as I thought though. This is an awesome learning experience.

I also find myself catching things I didn’t before. I purposely didn’t read it since I got the acceptance from the publisher so that when I started edits, it would be a somewhat “fresh” read to me. I actually caught where I named 2 minor characters the same name. *head desk*

So, I’m taking my time with this, accepting the changes and finding myself adding to the scenes as well. This is quite the experience in many ways and I know I’m learning a bunch! (I had never used the editing feature in word before – pretty “nifty”)

There is NO fine line between telling a great story and being able to write it for the public to read. Hense why I would never self publish. I wanted someone else to tell me it was good enough to be out there and I wanted someone that knew their stuff to fix the errors I could not. I may have gotten straight A’s in English but I don’t want to count how long ago that was. Writing rules do apply and I know I still have a lot to learn. Yes, smack me. I should have spent more time on AW in “Uncle Jim’s” threads than I did ’stalking the battery’. My bad.

If I’m out of sight for a while, refer to previous post. No, I’m not dead. I’m just trying to make my editor and future readers happy.

I’m goin’ in…

Still coming off the high of seeing Avatar, we decided to go see Lightning Thief. Two movies in as many weekends. My DVD budget is shot this month but both were well worth it. My daughter really enjoys Rick Riordan’s books and I didn’t want her to have to wait until I got around to buying the movie previously viewed.

It was a really good movie. Of course according to my daughter, the book was way better. I was only slightly disheartened to see so much of my last book of hers in it. Despite my facebook post, I shouldn’t toss out my book #9 just yet. Yes, I have the whole Greek god thing and their children down and even the fight between Poseidon & Athena, but I guess if you are quoting mythology, there is only one way to write it unless you rally wanna mess it up. In my book, they didn’t go to the underworld and I knew nothing about the pearls that bring you back, so maybe I’m okay. I still have the twist that only she and her best friend Samantha can add so maybe I’ll just tweak it some more… again. I don’t think I wrote it here but her comment after beta-ing for me was : “You know how when you have too much glue and the papers don’t stick? Yeah, that.” Gotta love her honesty.

Of course it really doesn’t matter whether I do anything with it or not for a long time because once again, I am just sitting on the whole series. Unless my other books take off & I land an agent interested in doing a Children’s series, I am not up to actively seeking getting these published. I’d like to enjoy the high of Dustin Time being out before I start getting beat up again and I still have months to go. One step at a time, Bug…

So, to throw some funny into the whole thing, as we’re walking in my daughter says, “Are you ready for some exciting beasts and to be scared by a “monitor’?”
“Did you mean Minotaur or does this movie have the dreaded computer screen monster?”
tee hee..

I may have steered you wrong in the past with some of my odd movie choices but this was really well done. *gets off movie review soapbox*

This e-mail has come around a few times but it always makes me laugh.

Dear Ms. Davis ,
I want to be very clear on my child’s illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.

Mrs. Harrington

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Very fitting with all our recent snow and although I was not a stripper, a main character one in a book I recently submitted used to be one. I had a roommate on Kauai that swore I was a stripper running from my past. Ookay… whatever. I guess I had a better bod than I thought way back when…. Anyway, it fit in nicely with the story so I ran with it. Again, I stole a bit of my life, so to speak, and threw it in a story. I find that’s what I’m doing with the one I’m currently writing.

My son’s girlfriend posts a picture of a boxer that her mother is fostering and it needs a home. Bam – my MC goes to pick up a boxer that a coworker is fostering. The smoke detector goes off while we are at a cousin’s house for dinner. Bam – my MC burns her spaghetti sauce and the smoke detector goes off. It’s funny how the little daily things make their way into my stories and give them that little touch that it needed to make it more real. I didn’t even realize until yesterday who my male MC was. He’s handsome, sings, plays guitar and shaves his head. Gee my AW friends… which music mod would that be? I recently made this shirt kind of as a joke, but it’s really true.

Do watch yourself around me. This will be your only warning.

P.S. When the whole “Rusty” nickname thing first came up, I did tease that it was my former stripper name. Yes, I’m evil that way.

“Let me know.

If you are… can I have your ATV?”

It’s e-mails like that – that make me all warm & squishy inside.

I’m alive and well, just very engrossed in my new WIP, thank you for asking. Guess I’ve been neglecting my forum “peeps”… my bad. I’ll get in & throw some reps around soon, my love.

I’m at 63K after 17 days and can’t seem to write fast enough. I have enough scenes in my head to take me through to the end, even though they are not necessarily flying at me in order. I have a new favorite novel *squee* and may even send this one out next instead of what I was planning.  Of course I still have my second one out and haven’t heard back yet but you know me, if I’m not biting off more than I can chew, I’m just not doing it right.

As for the ATV, thanks for the reminder. The snow days have been horrible here & I’m ready for a little spring mudding SOON! So no, “Up you’re’s”! * (*AW Trademark – not bad spelling)

Get yer own.

*sprays mud all over clean blog*

…. not know which way to turn the valve on the horse water hose to keep it from freezing?

The “this” was hubby asking me what the standard height of a door was. ‘Answer for $10 Bob’ – 80″ . 6′8″, duh.

Why do I know this? I worked at 3 different lumber yards over the course of my “jill-of-all-trades” life. Two years on Maui, one on Kauai and one p/t in the Florida Keys were the silly people put me in the lawn and garden before they realized I meant it when I said I had a black thumb and could kill a silk plant.

Again, it’s one of those things – I don’t know why I remember this stuff.

~ ~ ~ ~

“We need to re-shingle the house”

“Be sure to go with Arch 80 – it has a 30 year warranty & more depth to the pattern. Firescreen only has 20 & is ugly & flat.”

“Okay…”

~ ~ ~ ~

“I need to go get some sheets to match the garage. The stuff with the grooves.”

“T 1-11.”

“Shut up.”

~ ~ ~ ~

When tiling a bathroom came up on my forum & the use of green drywall I hopped right in. “You have to use durarock, green board won’t do it, ding dong.”

~ ~ ~ ~

If I’m at your house and your bathroom fan makes too much noise, I will crawl up & replace your squirrel cage for you, even though you have no idea what that is. I will also put in your dimmer for you without turning off the power (& yes, I will get zapped a minimum of 2 times & still won’t turn it off) & hang your ceiling fan if you whine long enough. I wish I could say no to taping your damn drywall, yes I do that too.

I got my first tool box when I was around 16. My dad picked up my purse to move it and said, “What the heck is in here?” (Yes, he probably did just say heck. My potty mouth does not come from my dad who was always great about never letting us hear him swear.) I pulled out a couple of screwdrivers, a tape measure & so on. He customized a tool box for me for my car the next day. I wish I still had it. Hubby bought me a pink one a couple years ago but it doesn’t stop the ‘bastid’ from stealing my tools. I asked my son to buy him a “fairy pink tool box” of his own for his birthday this year.

I also used to be great with electronics and install my own car stereos & CB with a PA system. I wired my TV to play out my stereo speakers & rewired my VCR & lamps after my bunny that ran free in the house ate them all. Now, however, I have to call my daughter when she’s at a friends house to ask her how to get the TV to go from DVD to VCR. Something happened after I got married – or hubby & I just don’t agree on wiring solutions. Just tell me which button I need to push, okay?

Bragging? Heck no. I find it funny. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I still prefer guys to do that kind of stuff, but it’s just funny (to me) when its something a guy doesn’t know. A favorite quote of mine from Mr Mom:

“You gonna use 220?”

“220…221. Whatever it takes.”

The main characters in my books always know these kinds of things and it’s always something fun to run with. Somewhere, someone will say, “No way. A chick did not just do that,” & I’ll say, “Way. I did.” In the second book I just sent to my publisher, the girl worked at a lumberyard. I always have bits & pieces of me in my books – helps make things easier on me not having to look stuff up. (I can’t wait to submit the next one – I love the ‘ 67 Mustang banter between my MC & her husband’s father.)

What’s that? Your car won’t start? Try pouring a soda on the terminals. That’ll clean off the crud & it should start right up. Yes, I helped many a friend stuck at the beach that way. It does work. (& yep, I put it in a book )File that in your chick-tool-box under “$#it that really does work!” Yup. You can just call me “McGirlver”. I can also open your bathroom lock with a pen. Don’t.Ask.

Maybe, your toolbox looks like this:

That works too.

So… the horse water faucet. Yes, I will be reminded of that for the rest of my life. I do know in theory what is supposed to work but I’m pretty sure I turned them one way, ran the water, and put it back how it was when I got there. In. Your. Face. Kram-min. That’s my story & I’m sticking to it.

…always hit at the worst time.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I am once again having to consider a waterproof laptop.

Yes, I was in the shower when an idea that would feed a whole chapter hit me. It was all I could do to hurry up and rinse the conditioner out of my hair before I went running to my laptop in a towel to get the idea down before I forgot it.

My family has come accustomed to me jumping up from a game or leaving the dinner table to make a quick note. I have my phone by me when we watch a movie just in case something hits me. It’s a Treo & it has Word on it and I can almost always decipher the notes I make in haste.

Unlike trying to remember three items when I walk into a store and can only remember two, once I get on a roll with a good WIP (work in progress for the few who may not be on AW), I can usually keep a good momentum going and get the scenes to play out. I never outline or know where I’m going, the characters usually just take over. This has to start with that initial idea, however, and I hate to lose it so with my history, I have to get the idea down as soon as possible.

The phenomenon of “I have an idea” then in a minute “Gah!! It was right there!”  goes by many names. Blonde moment, brain fart, etc.  (I refuse to use Senior moment ’till I get that damn discount and start dying my hair blue!) It’s related to the hereafter, I’m sure of it.  I used to sell this mug in our coffee shop:

It was one of our best sellers; too many can relate I suppose.

As for Sunday night anyway, mission accomplished. Thought saved and chapter written. With yesterday’s snow day, the chapter panned out nicely without interruption. I am glad hubby insisted on the real wood floor. If we had gone for the pressed stuff, I’m pretty sure it would be curling up at the edges from all my dripping treks to the laptop. That would be a little hard to make an insurance claim on.

Oh… the beatings our home and family takes for our craft. Could’ve been a lot worse I suppose. The neighbor coulda been over and I could have forgotten the towel. There just isn’t enough eye bleach on the planet for that.

Poetry was never my thing,
This much had always been true.
But I have a friend who is now published,
And for her I must go whoo-hoo.

She was on AW
And known by many names.
In the cabaret she hung her hat,
And we played many games

My favorite nickname derived from potato;
Although her name was not.
It came from her handle initials;
Her name became Tater ToT.

If you haven’t guessed by now,
Think handcuffs, then memories sought.
For my Tater ToT writing buddy
Is our very own Train of Thought.

Here’s a linky to her worky,
Pop on over here & say hi if you have the time.
I’m sure she’d love to hear from you
Just don’t tell her about my lousy rhyme.

We got together in DC & Chicago
And she is a total blast.
Can’t wait till we get together again
ToT, I miss you OCD @ss.

(Well…maybe it’s CDO – I’m pretty sure yours is in order. )

Yes, it’s easy to see why I don’t mess in poetry, eh?
I leave it to the ones that know what they are doing! The 1st 2 are hers. Enjoy!
Congrats, Tater!

Here’s me & a bunch of mods from the MD trip. Nope. No Tater. She took the pic though. That count?