Lessons I Did Not WANT to be Involved In Yesterday

Yes yes. My turn. Blah blah blah.  Pardon me. I'm crabby.

Dignitary? Or Stripper? You decide.

Ever need a good old-fashioned whine fest? Ever wish you could REALLY make it a WINE-fest? Mostly my life is cruising along BEAUTIFULLY. My first book came out last week and is a 'bestseller' according to Barnes & Noble—something that is VERY VERY Cool... But I had a REALLY annoying evening, so I am just going to take a moment to complain.

Lesson 1: Never PASTE pictures into blogger.

This first is the REASON that this post really just couldn't be anything but a whinefest. I have a guest over on my regular blog (who wrote a FABULOUS post) but I tried and tried and tried and Blogger kept eating the bloody post.

Turns out the trouble was embedded pictures. GRRRRR. Each one took like forty thousand lines of HTML and kept crashing the bloody thing. And each time I'd write my little intro and format a few things... and then GONE.

So don't do that.

Do you suppose it is half llama half hydra?

Lesson 2: Turns Out if You are Unhealthy and Feel Poorly for Months, it makes you CRABBY

HWMNBMOTI has been a big grouch-puss for a couple weeks, testy, pissy, crabby... And I've (helpfully) been telling him his medications aren't working (they are supposed to mellow the mood swings) and he has been ANGRY with me for not letting him HAVE his moods. We finally talked it through and a lightbulb went on. He hasn't felt well for MONTHS... thing after thing in his physical health keeps happening and then it is layered with the mental health stuff (PTSD response, anxiety).

For pete's sake, I study PAIN for a living. I KNOW it is depressing to live with a miserable condition. But when it is too close to home (inside the home) it is easy not to apply what you know.

Llamasus! The elusive winged Llama!!!

Lesson 3: (the one I intend to apply ASAP): If you don't have an icemaker, then there is a SYSTEM to the ice trays and if you don't FOLLOW IT, then you are likely to be hit in the head with the tray you left in there with TWO cubes and started a NEW tray using more than half of it.

For the LOVE OF LLAMAS, EMPTY the bloody tray of ice and fill it with water before starting a new one or I will BEAT YOU!

And Now, to make myself feel better, I am going to sprinkle this post with llamas.

(By the time you read this, I won't be crabby anymore...)

Topical Tuesday: BuNoWriMo, Books, Birthdays and Buffoonery

BuNoWriMo

Well, for the first time, I joined BuNoWriMO and actually am writing.  For those who don't know what BuNoWriMo is, here is a short synopsis- Writers, 50,000 words (or 25, 000), 30 days in June.  Similar to the NaNoWriMo in November.

This is monumentous for me as I have not written anything of any significance in the last two years.  I want to thank all of the writers that are currently participating and all the support (cheerleaders) in Writing Sprints R Us!  You have all really helped me to be accountable and remain consistent.  :D

Birthdays 

"He want that cake, cake, cake, cake, cake  . . . You want to put your name on it. . . " - Rihanna's "Birthday Cake"

I had a lovely pre-birthday date with my hubby this past weekend.  We ate a great restaurant in Brooklyn called Fette Sau.  Yes that means "Fat Pig."  It was a great BBQ meal of beef brisquet, pulled pork, with delicious sides like German potato salad, homemade pickles and sauerkraut.  Afterwards, we went to the movies and saw Snow White and The Huntsman.  Good film!  This may sound a bit boring to some people but was perfect for me.  I cannot remember the last time I went to the movies.  I think it was Smurfs 3D with the kiddies.  :D

However, this birthday is a bit difficult for me.  I have just turned 39 years old.  Next year, I will be 40.  I thought I would have accomplished so much by now but things just kept getting in the way.  I decided that I may want to do something different in the future.  I love teaching high school students but I need to move on.  It's been 13 years since I began this pedagogical journey and I want to do more educational administrative "stuff."  Maybe I'll teach at the university level rather than the secondary level.  Not sure but- I will figure it out by the summer's end.  :/

Books!

 I am currently reading Alyse Carlson's The Azalea Assault.  We at the Burrow know her as Hart Johnson.  My daughter is also reading the book and is loving it!  The book is suspenseful and well-written.  Cam Harris is charismatic, deeply thoughtful and a bit of a busybody.  I love the character development and the quick pace of the novel.  It's crazy but I still don't know who did it!  ;)

Hart put so much work into her first novel and is currently working on other projects.  Her dedication and perseverance are qualities that will guarantee her success!  I can't wait to read the others.  :D

For those who love cozy mysteries, definitely get your hands on The Azalea Assault.

Buffoonery

It is the end of the year and it is crazy at the schoolhouse.  Things still to do: grades, paperwork, final grades, paperwork, proctor state exams, paperwork, report cards, paperwork, pack up office, and did I mention paperwork.  I tell you, it never really ends, does it?

It's time to say good bye to my seniors as they commence in their journeys of higher educational facilities, the world of work and/ or the armed forces.  I will miss them dearly.  Congratulations to the Class of 2012!

*That includes my son Justin, soon to be SUNY Delhi college student!*

Love you much and don't forget me!



Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons:  Birthday Cake, The Three Stooges.
Image courtesy of BuNoWriMo: Writing ALot
Image courtesy of Amazon.com: The Azalea Assault

One week report

So, are you WriMo-ing with us this month?  If you are, then you're one week in too - how's it going so far?  I'm pretty pleased with myself at the moment, I really must say - as I type this, it's just gone midnight and my end-of-day-7 word count stands at 14,613.  To put that in perspective, the "official" goal (if you're shooting for the same amount every day and landing neatly at 50,000 at the end) is 11,666, and my personal goal (attempting to hit 2,000 words a day) is 14,000, so I'm beating them both which makes me quite happy - I haven't done this well on a WriMo since, I dunno, 2005 or so.

As for the story itself, it's moving along reasonably well, actually.  I'm into Chapter 4, I've killed off the first (and possibly only - haven't decided yet) victim (it's a mystery, did I say that?), I've got an amazing soundtrack to listen to while I write (Brahms chamber music - sing it with me now, "These are a few of my favourite things!"), and characters I'm enjoying spending time with (to the point that I kind of want to trade places with one of them, but that would be REALLY weird...).

That doesn't mean my life outside the story is totally ghastly right now or anything, though.  It'd be nice if it would stop raining, but my kitty is doing reasonably well with her medications, it's almost the end of the school year which means I have a bit more free time, I met Richard Ford tonight (HUUUUUUUGE fan!), and one of my students gave me a $50 gift card which I promptly spent on books, so yaaaaaaaaay books!

Speaking of books, I have a big ol' task to complete for the Tart, so if you'll excuse me, I need to get on that.  Oh, and what are you waiting for?

WRITE!

Burrow's First Baby: The Azalea Assault

Burrow Baby Born This Day!!!

Announcing the birth of our first official Burrow Baby:

The Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson (that's me, but shhhh)

Published by Berkley Prime Crime (an imprint of Penguin)

June 5, 2012

See, the Burrow began with four score blondes and brunettes all between 16 and 19 ½... wait. Wrong version.

The Burrow was born out of Harry Potter love criss-crossed with serious writing aspirations. And there is no way I EVER could have finished my first book, let alone my 7^th (which this one is—honestly, I am writing #13 this month). But the support and concrete assistance of my Burrow family has helped ALL THE WAY through.

So weighing in a 4.2 ounces, mass paperback, cozy mystery... is the first of what I hope will be MANY books for ALL of us. Available at pretty much all book stores...

If you want a little cozy mystery fun today, head on over to my blog for a blogfest that should be a hoot.

BuNoWriMo Reminder

Okay everybody - only one more day till this year's mad word count race begins!  Yep, the Burrow is doing it again, holding our own WriMo in the month of June, and you're invited.  Yes, you.  Stop looking around for someone else.  The rules are simple - because there aren't any, really.  I mean, okay, so there's the standard 50,000 words in 30 days thing, but seriously, if you need to edit 500 pages, that's cool, or if you want to add to an existing work or write a drabble a day or just want to have some other writers to kvetch with for a while as you try to cudgel your muse into coughing up your next plotline, that's all just fine and dandy.

Like last year, we're hosting the group over on Facebook; we'll let anyone in as long as you ask nicely, so click here and go for it.  Our graphics whiz, Joris, made us lots and lots of avatars, and you can browse those in the photo album over there.

This one's mine (purple and green, y'see).  MINE.  Muahahahaha!

As for me, after last year's spectacular crash-and-burn (caused mainly, but not entirely, by a malfunctioning laptop) I'm just looking forward to doing some actual writing again.  Characters are yakking at me, I've got a soundtrack cued up and ready to go (it starts with Brahms Op. 115 if anyone cares), and miracle of miracles, I've got the first of June off!  No idea how THAT happened, but I'm planning on taking advantage of that, big time.  So what are you waiting for?  All the cool kids are doing it... well, okay, we're nerds, but nerds ARE the cool kids now, so there.

Springtime!

And y'know what springtime means?  It means KITTENS!  And PUPPIES!  And they all want to play with me!  Really.

Yesterday one of my friends came over to use my sewing machine (I have a super-spiffy one now, it's kinda awesome).  When I went downstairs to let her in, she hadn't quite made it to my porch yet, but a lovely fluffy white husky saw me and came tearing up the steps to lick my hand and let me scratch her soft fuzzy ears.  She had heterochromia, as so many huskies do, but I've never seen a pure white one before and oh good grief I ADORE white fluffy dogs.  She didn't want to go back to her walker, either; nope, she wanted to stay with me on the porch.  Doggies love me.

More proof?  Okay.  I popped into the pet store to get some stuff for my own kittehs, and was puttering around browsing when a small brown furball with enormous ears came barreling at me.  Turned out to be a 4-month-old French bulldog (I LOVE Frenchies!  Smooshy faces and great big ears!), who promptly plopped down on my feet and let me scratch those exuberant oreilles.  Oh, and his chin.  And his belly.  And his back.  'Cause he was too damn cute not to pet all over.

Oh, and then I had to go pick up some meds for my Rullie-cat, so I popped over to the vet, only to find the receptionist cuddling a small white-footed tabby kitten.  She handed him over so she could go get Rullie's bag, and the little fluff (named Moose - very small moose, if you ask me) proceeded to lick my left arm from wrist to shoulder, nuzzling with his little wet nose all the while.

(Not Moose, but the Burrito {who looks pretty similar, and, let's face it, he's adorable})

So now I totally want more critters.  I can't afford them, and I certainly don't have room for them, but ohhhh... fuzzbabies are the best!

Hooray, Hooray...

... the 8th of May!  Tami would kill me if I posted about anything else today, so here it is, your rundown of today's obscure holiday.  Hey, if we can have Star Wars Day ("May the Fourth {be with you}!) and of course Cinco de Mayo, what other day could possibly round off this week except - you ready for this one?

National Outdoor Intercourse Day!

I kid you not.

Those goofballs in Tami's town started it, apparently (I know, who'd have thought such a thing originated in a NORTHERN state?  I mean, it gets COLD up there, even in May!  But whatever...), though I hear there are some over in Jason's that say it was their idea.  But WHOEVER started it, it's definitely an amusing addition to those other early-May holidays, especially since we don't get a "real" (as in, government-sanctioned, which, come to think of it, generally does NOT mean it's a hell of a lot of fun {okay, okay, except for the 4th of July, but when you think about it, that was rebelling against a DIFFERENT government [and of course you get to blow stuff up, which is the best part ]}) one till Memorial Day, which is probably how all these extra ones got shoved in here anyway.

So this is the day where you grab your partner of choice and head outside to have a grand ol' time and try not to get arrested for indecent exposure or any of those annoying mood-killers.  At least, those of you who have partners (I don't think it counts if you're flying solo).

And since this is Topical Tuesday, I suppose I should mention some other bits (hah!) of news, like, I dunno, French or Russian elections, or the Avengers' massive first-weekend box office, or baby pills (!!!!!!), buuuuuuuuuuuut those are giant mood-killers too (except maybe the Avengers one {if you like that kind of thing [I'm doing it again with the parentheses, I really need to knock that off, sorry]}) so I'll leave those in the apophasis category and let y'all get on with having a good time, okay?

Hello?

You all went outside already, didn't you?