Ok, a month later here is that post I promised. The one about my goals for this year.
First, I 'd like to blog more. I could set a schedule but then I tend to forget what day it is, etc. Right now I'm going for at least 2 times a week with a gold star for 3 or more.
Writing. Well, that's the big one, ain't it? My ultimate goal is to get two books written (finished) finished this year. To that end, I've signed up for the Book Challenge of a local chapter I belong to - TARA. That means I paid $10 for each book that I set a goal to write and at the end of the year I get a raffle ticket for each one I finish and the winner of the drawing gets half the pot. Or something like that. But the best part is that this puts me on a loop with other people in the Challenge (great people!) who will keep me accountable. Throughout the whole year!
It's so easy for time to pass and to just say "I'll write about that tomorrow." But when you have to check in every Tuesday and you're as competitive as I am, then it's not as easy for time to just float by. For example, I've said I'll write 6k and send my last 20k off to be critted this week. While I haven't written anything, I did send off what I have! So I'm part way there!
Do I have smaller, more concrete milestones to hit my 2 book goal? I wish I did. Originally it was to write for an hour a day. And for those days that I just couldn't write, to at least sit down with the WIP for 10 minutes. So far, not so good. The best that I can say is that I'm getting there. I don't watch nearly as much TV as I used to (in fact, none for the past two nights) and instead The Boy and I camp out in the living room in front of the fire with our computers on ready to write. So at the very least we're creating the habits. I can say that I think about my book every day. All the time. To the point that I get itchy and antsy.
Of course I'd love to have the goal of getting an agent and selling. I mean, that is the ultimate goal. But it is outside of my control. What I can and will do is write and finish work, continue to use my awesome critique people, really incorporate their thoughts, really edit my work, and aggresively send it out. I'm not at the query stage yet or close to it, so those types of thoughts get pushed back for a while. Cause right now, it's all about finishing the current WIP (originally I wanted to do it by Valentine's Day but now I'm not so sure how long it will end up being...).
Another goal of mine is to get more involved in the community. The only problem I've had with that so far is that there's just so much out there - almost too much! I've been watching my loops roll over and over again (I've always felt they're cyclical) and there are so many people out there so much better versed than I to give the requested advice that I just end up being too shy to chime in. That's why I'm going to start small: post on the blogs I read, really contribute to the book challenge group, work my way. My ultimate goal is to have lots of fun friends to have a margarita with at Nationals in July :)
I entered DB&D in a contest. My first ever non GH contest entry! I kinda did it on a lark, especially since I'm not really working on that right now. But it was a goal of mine to submit to a few contests. I can't really submit the current WIP cause it would never win. Trust me. Not your average romance.
Read. I'm gonna go with the goal of 52 books in a year. So far I've been a bit behind, but I got a lotta travel ahead of me. I also have a goal of reading RWR as it comes - all of it :)
As for the other areas of my life... I'd like to have a better attitude towards my day job. After all, it does keep me in the style to which I am accustomed. I want to smile more. In fact, I read someone who said that in 2007 they wanted to bring more beauty to their life: clean house, clean mind, etc etc. I want to be a bit more of an adult (I think it might be time) and keep the house a bit neater, go to the grocery store more than once a month. Those types of things. I also have this big Thin by Thirty plan (which is more of a fit by thirty plan but that doesn't have the same type of ring to it). That means I want to be in better health - back the way I was when I entered law school. I want to be able to run with the dog and know that nothing in my health would keep me from what I want to do! Of course, I say that right now prone on the couch because my back ain't working so good these days (doctor appt. tomorrow - I'm scared!).
So, yeah, I think those are my goals. This time next year, if I am not a contracted author, then I will be starting on my third book having exhausted every possibility on the two I'm going to write this year. My two big focuses: health and writing (The Boy always trumps all, of course :)
I guess we'll just have to check back in a year to see how I did! Wish me luck! And feel free to kick me in the pants if I'm not going after those goals!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
So this is what it feels like to reach a goal?
As the title says, so this is what it feels like to reach a goal? Man, I should set goals more often :) Or rather, I should go after goals more often. I guess I'm so used to having things hanging over my head that I'm not used to completing a task.
So, yes, I made my goal. I wrote 2.2k yesterday (which tends to be my daily average). I could have written more - probably should have. I didn't really finish the scene I wanted to finish, instead a new scene popped up that I think fits great. I love it when that happens and that's the way this WIP has been all along. In the beginning I just wrote and every day the story unfolded in ways that astounded me. In the middle I tried to plot and plan but eventually I realized that - at least with this one - I work best with a phrase in mind.
I know that sounds strange, but I'll hear a character say something in my head and then I'll write until it is time for that character to say that thing. Then I'll hear something else. Very odd, but so far it tends to work when I stop stressing about where everything is going.
Today I read through my progress to date and fixed the 20k going out to be critiqued (adding about 700 more words here and there). There were some scenes that needed moving around and that was tough and took lots and lots of time but I think I got it to work. Technically I could send it out tonight but I'm travelling tomorrow so I might take a hard copy on the plane with me for another read through. I tend to write pretty rough and there's no need to show too much of my knickers to my critiquer :)
Plus, all along I've been reading the day's writing to The Boy and we got off track at some point and he hasn't even read the last 20k. I might want his stamp of approval before sending it off.
Anyway, I'm happy because I feel like I had a solid weekend. And I did what I wanted to do and what I said I'd do. And I like where the book sits now.
Hope everyone else fared just as well!
So, yes, I made my goal. I wrote 2.2k yesterday (which tends to be my daily average). I could have written more - probably should have. I didn't really finish the scene I wanted to finish, instead a new scene popped up that I think fits great. I love it when that happens and that's the way this WIP has been all along. In the beginning I just wrote and every day the story unfolded in ways that astounded me. In the middle I tried to plot and plan but eventually I realized that - at least with this one - I work best with a phrase in mind.
I know that sounds strange, but I'll hear a character say something in my head and then I'll write until it is time for that character to say that thing. Then I'll hear something else. Very odd, but so far it tends to work when I stop stressing about where everything is going.
Today I read through my progress to date and fixed the 20k going out to be critiqued (adding about 700 more words here and there). There were some scenes that needed moving around and that was tough and took lots and lots of time but I think I got it to work. Technically I could send it out tonight but I'm travelling tomorrow so I might take a hard copy on the plane with me for another read through. I tend to write pretty rough and there's no need to show too much of my knickers to my critiquer :)
Plus, all along I've been reading the day's writing to The Boy and we got off track at some point and he hasn't even read the last 20k. I might want his stamp of approval before sending it off.
Anyway, I'm happy because I feel like I had a solid weekend. And I did what I wanted to do and what I said I'd do. And I like where the book sits now.
Hope everyone else fared just as well!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Weekend goals
Ok, you heard it here first... I'm going to post my goals for the weekend so I have some sort of accountability. Here goes: my plan is to finish writing the scene I've been working on (sounds lame, I know, but I figure the scene (or combo of scenes) will be anywhere from 2-5k. Then I want to edit what I've written since the last critique (about 20k) into some semblance of readability and send the new stuff out to be critiqued.
Sounds totally doable. I'll check in on Sun and we'll see how I did!
Hope everyone has great and productive weekends!
Sounds totally doable. I'll check in on Sun and we'll see how I did!
Hope everyone has great and productive weekends!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Money, Money, Money
I know I've promised to write about goals and resolutions and such. But you'll notice that the title of this blog has "procrastination" (close enough) in it. This should be a clue that it may actually be a while before I get around to posting about resolutions.
Plus, posting them might make them real. And I might have to *shudder* follow through on them.
I was reading a blog written by someone who just very recently sold her first book (two book deal - w00t!). In the post she said that already someone had asked her much she'd sold them for (actually, the person asked what she got to which she replied that she earned every penny).
Anyways, like most authors when asked about money, she got a little upset at the question. Thought it was rude. Which is very certainly the way that many, if not most, people feel about questions of salary, money, etc. It is not socially acceptable to ask what someone makes.
I find this so interesting because in my day job (lawyer) we almost all know how much each other earns. Perhaps not at the partner level, but name a firm (preferably NALP recognized), a city, and an associate level and I'll tell you exactly what they make. With some firms I can even tell you what their bonus will be and how it is calculated. Of course, some firms are more cloak and dagger (Jones Day pays what they think you're worth, not on a salary tier) but all in all, most firms only exercise discretion over the bonus amounts. So you know at base what someone is getting. And most of the firms in a given city will be paying the same base amount.
So I guess I don't feel quite as violated when someone asks about the money - anyone can find out what I make with a few mouse clicks. Maybe I will care more when I sell (notice the positive attitude there). And perhaps the PW scale (nice, very nice, etc) is akin to the NALP salary charts for lawyers. Just gives you a range and an idea.
Of course, for lawyers I think the charts give you that extra incentive to get the job. I mean, how many attys would there be in the world if there was no money in it? On the other hand, I think the PW scale works in the opposite way: to bring reality to all those out there who think that all the easy money is in books.*
Thoughts?
________________________
* yes, very recently I had someone at work say this. She'll have that big money book deal worked out as soon as she gets an agent. She says she'll pick which agent after they sign the non-disclosure agreements so she can send the proposal (because it is so high concept). She won't even tell me what the concept is. I thought it was rare and laughable to ask an agent to sign a non-disclosure agreement... am I wrong?
Plus, posting them might make them real. And I might have to *shudder* follow through on them.
I was reading a blog written by someone who just very recently sold her first book (two book deal - w00t!). In the post she said that already someone had asked her much she'd sold them for (actually, the person asked what she got to which she replied that she earned every penny).
Anyways, like most authors when asked about money, she got a little upset at the question. Thought it was rude. Which is very certainly the way that many, if not most, people feel about questions of salary, money, etc. It is not socially acceptable to ask what someone makes.
I find this so interesting because in my day job (lawyer) we almost all know how much each other earns. Perhaps not at the partner level, but name a firm (preferably NALP recognized), a city, and an associate level and I'll tell you exactly what they make. With some firms I can even tell you what their bonus will be and how it is calculated. Of course, some firms are more cloak and dagger (Jones Day pays what they think you're worth, not on a salary tier) but all in all, most firms only exercise discretion over the bonus amounts. So you know at base what someone is getting. And most of the firms in a given city will be paying the same base amount.
So I guess I don't feel quite as violated when someone asks about the money - anyone can find out what I make with a few mouse clicks. Maybe I will care more when I sell (notice the positive attitude there). And perhaps the PW scale (nice, very nice, etc) is akin to the NALP salary charts for lawyers. Just gives you a range and an idea.
Of course, for lawyers I think the charts give you that extra incentive to get the job. I mean, how many attys would there be in the world if there was no money in it? On the other hand, I think the PW scale works in the opposite way: to bring reality to all those out there who think that all the easy money is in books.*
Thoughts?
________________________
* yes, very recently I had someone at work say this. She'll have that big money book deal worked out as soon as she gets an agent. She says she'll pick which agent after they sign the non-disclosure agreements so she can send the proposal (because it is so high concept). She won't even tell me what the concept is. I thought it was rare and laughable to ask an agent to sign a non-disclosure agreement... am I wrong?
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Torturing characters
As y'all know, I find such inspiration reading other writer's blogs. I love it. Especially when I'm knee deep in my day job and just want a smidgen of the writing world. I feel that it keeps me on my game, keeps me focused and reminded. Plus, it's good old entertainment and learning.
To that end, here's what I've been thinking about recently. First, agent Kristin Nelson had a very good entry recently about common pitfalls in writing. It's been interesting to see this post reverberate around the net as various writers comment on which lessons are the hardest/most important/most interesting.
A few of her comments are very much in the "oh yeah, I've heard that before" but still always bear repeating. I really should start a file of all of these comments. They're always so "duh" in the moment and yet so hard to keep all in the head at once.
What really stuck out to me is the necessity to drive the story forward. Why have characters sitting around talking when there can be action. I remember Ally Carter talking about this, how she specifically changed a scene so that there was more action but the information from the dialogue still got across to the reader. Great tip to remember: make those scenes pull double or triple duty.
Another writing credo I have been pondering is the need to torture your characters. I remember Diana talking about this as she was rounding towards the climax in writing Secret Society Girl. She talked about giving her character all these great things and then yanking them away.* Other writers talk of daydreaming of the worst thing they can do to their characters. Some writers even say that they love their characters too much to really give them deep conflict - that it's a struggle for them to really hurt the character so that she can grow by the end of the book.
So I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about what I can take away from my character. About what she holds dear. And of course, then I have to figure out a way to take said thing away from her in a very dramatic and tension filled way. Gotta keep up the tension!
How do the rest of you deal with these issues? Do you already know how you'll torture your characters when you start the book? Is that something you think about when meeting your character or plotting out the action? Also, how do you make sure your scenes are carrying their weight?
As I said, lots to ponder :) I love thinking about writing!
___________________
* I totally have this post bookmarked because it's a great post about the 4 act structure. very much worth reading and re-reading!!
To that end, here's what I've been thinking about recently. First, agent Kristin Nelson had a very good entry recently about common pitfalls in writing. It's been interesting to see this post reverberate around the net as various writers comment on which lessons are the hardest/most important/most interesting.
A few of her comments are very much in the "oh yeah, I've heard that before" but still always bear repeating. I really should start a file of all of these comments. They're always so "duh" in the moment and yet so hard to keep all in the head at once.
What really stuck out to me is the necessity to drive the story forward. Why have characters sitting around talking when there can be action. I remember Ally Carter talking about this, how she specifically changed a scene so that there was more action but the information from the dialogue still got across to the reader. Great tip to remember: make those scenes pull double or triple duty.
Another writing credo I have been pondering is the need to torture your characters. I remember Diana talking about this as she was rounding towards the climax in writing Secret Society Girl. She talked about giving her character all these great things and then yanking them away.* Other writers talk of daydreaming of the worst thing they can do to their characters. Some writers even say that they love their characters too much to really give them deep conflict - that it's a struggle for them to really hurt the character so that she can grow by the end of the book.
So I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about what I can take away from my character. About what she holds dear. And of course, then I have to figure out a way to take said thing away from her in a very dramatic and tension filled way. Gotta keep up the tension!
How do the rest of you deal with these issues? Do you already know how you'll torture your characters when you start the book? Is that something you think about when meeting your character or plotting out the action? Also, how do you make sure your scenes are carrying their weight?
As I said, lots to ponder :) I love thinking about writing!
___________________
* I totally have this post bookmarked because it's a great post about the 4 act structure. very much worth reading and re-reading!!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me!! (updated)
Yay! Happy Birthday me!! While this would be a great time for some reflection, it appears to be an ever better time to clean the house :) Last year, The Boy cleaned our place for my birthday - top to bottom, throwing away junk and old mail and just all that stuff that needed to be thrown away. It was such a suprise and a great treat. This year, I thought I would treat myself! Plus, I'd like to surprise The Boy with a sparkling house for when he returns from Seatlle.
So I'll try to post reflections later. My mom and sister are coming up to take me to dinner so there's a chance such blogging may be postponed.
But I thought I'd leave you with something pretty to reflect on. This was taken at sunset from the porch where we ate all our meals in Curacao. We went for our bar trip and to this day I have somet of the best memories from there!
Update: to keep cleaning, ahem, fun I thought I would give updates. I just retrieved 21 books and three RWRs from my side of the bed. Hmmm....
So I'll try to post reflections later. My mom and sister are coming up to take me to dinner so there's a chance such blogging may be postponed.
But I thought I'd leave you with something pretty to reflect on. This was taken at sunset from the porch where we ate all our meals in Curacao. We went for our bar trip and to this day I have somet of the best memories from there!
Update: to keep cleaning, ahem, fun I thought I would give updates. I just retrieved 21 books and three RWRs from my side of the bed. Hmmm....
Saturday, January 13, 2007
random phone calls
Totally not a writing related post...
But I just got a call from the police department. It's not the first call I've gotten from them and I'm sure not the last. When I pick up, an automatic voice tells me to press any key to get an important message. The first time I did this it was an auto police message telling me there was a marathon being run near my neighborhood and to expect traffic delays and to please find alternative routes.
Very good to know! Can't remember the second message. But this one tonight was a missing persons report. An 80 year old mas has gone missing, wandered away and they put out an auto alert to let us in the neighborhood know to be on the lookout. Gave us a description and everything.
Now I know a lot of people hate to get automated messages, but I thought this was awesome. It made me feel safe and secure. Like if something happened to me there would be a phone call going to everyone in my neighborhood to help. It makes me feel like I'm part of a small community rather than a large city.
I definately think those calls are totally worth it. Really cool. And I'll be on the lookout for that poor 80 year old man.
Now, back to writing. The Boy is out of town (even though it's my birthday season!!) and I must take advantage of it!!
But I just got a call from the police department. It's not the first call I've gotten from them and I'm sure not the last. When I pick up, an automatic voice tells me to press any key to get an important message. The first time I did this it was an auto police message telling me there was a marathon being run near my neighborhood and to expect traffic delays and to please find alternative routes.
Very good to know! Can't remember the second message. But this one tonight was a missing persons report. An 80 year old mas has gone missing, wandered away and they put out an auto alert to let us in the neighborhood know to be on the lookout. Gave us a description and everything.
Now I know a lot of people hate to get automated messages, but I thought this was awesome. It made me feel safe and secure. Like if something happened to me there would be a phone call going to everyone in my neighborhood to help. It makes me feel like I'm part of a small community rather than a large city.
I definately think those calls are totally worth it. Really cool. And I'll be on the lookout for that poor 80 year old man.
Now, back to writing. The Boy is out of town (even though it's my birthday season!!) and I must take advantage of it!!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Tally me bananas...
I'm always late so it should surprise no one that I'm late getting around to blogging on my reflections of last year. I know I've promised an entry on resolutions and I plan on doing so. But first I wanted to look back before looking forward.
About a year ago The Boy and I came up with the Ten Year Plan. It's very simple: in ten years we wanted to be able to support ourselves with our writing. That would now be nine years away.
To accomplish this goal on my part I joined RWA again (I was a very active member for a year after graduating from college - writing and submitting 2 single title romances). I joined some chapters. I got back on the boards and tapped back into the writing community to figure out where everyone was, get the good info.
I think writing is like exercise - the more you do it, the more you want to do it. Coming up with ideas is the same way. When you're using your mind to conjure stories, they come flying at you from everywhere, but it takes time. So I spent time thinking about what I wanted to write. I started a YA vampire book (got 6,977 words in which is shocking since I only remembered scratching the surface). Then I started a romcom and got 12,738 words in. I was adrift - 2,545 on a memoir even!
I was happy that I'd started writing, but I desperately needed focus.
Then on April 6, 2006 everything changed. That evening I was wandering around, trying to figure out the Big Concept, the Plot, that Storyline that would get me published. I thought about what had sold recently, what was hot, and what only I could bring to the table. I came up with many ideas, one of them was Dead Bodies and Debutantes. I mentioned it to The Boy and he gave the go ahead (he was working very hard on getting me to focus, the poor guy!). Coincidentally, that night I won a contest on Agent Kristin Nelson's blog that earned me a free partial read.
Problem was: I had no partial. She agreed to give me up to a year to submit so I got to work. Then I participated in a pitch slam with Kristin Nelson in June and she specifically requested the partial to Dead Bodies and Debutantes. Then I went to RWA Nationals in Atlanta.
Me being me I took a loong time, got it where I wanted it, and got a form rejection. In the mean time I worked to finish Dead Bodies, started a YA series for NaNo and then halted everything to start on the New New Project (that I still don't have a title for).
And that's where I am. One year after the start of The Ten Year Plan. It may not seem like much, but I feel like I've come a very very long way. First of all, writing now permeates my life. I have writing friends, and am now part of a community of writers. I may have only submitted my partial to one agent, but I learned that I don't want to submit again until the work is completely finished. I learned that I need to do things in order.
I decided to tally up the number of words I've written this year in pursuit of my goals. Without calculating Dead Bodies, I've written 82,446 words. I'm estimating that Dead Bodies is worth about 89,255 because I used the same first few chapters but then started writing it over again.
So that brings my total words written in 2006 to around 171,701.
That's a damn good start, if you ask me. A good, solid first year. Next time I'll talk about what I want for this next year. Here's a hint: it includes focusing and finishing!
About a year ago The Boy and I came up with the Ten Year Plan. It's very simple: in ten years we wanted to be able to support ourselves with our writing. That would now be nine years away.
To accomplish this goal on my part I joined RWA again (I was a very active member for a year after graduating from college - writing and submitting 2 single title romances). I joined some chapters. I got back on the boards and tapped back into the writing community to figure out where everyone was, get the good info.
I think writing is like exercise - the more you do it, the more you want to do it. Coming up with ideas is the same way. When you're using your mind to conjure stories, they come flying at you from everywhere, but it takes time. So I spent time thinking about what I wanted to write. I started a YA vampire book (got 6,977 words in which is shocking since I only remembered scratching the surface). Then I started a romcom and got 12,738 words in. I was adrift - 2,545 on a memoir even!
I was happy that I'd started writing, but I desperately needed focus.
Then on April 6, 2006 everything changed. That evening I was wandering around, trying to figure out the Big Concept, the Plot, that Storyline that would get me published. I thought about what had sold recently, what was hot, and what only I could bring to the table. I came up with many ideas, one of them was Dead Bodies and Debutantes. I mentioned it to The Boy and he gave the go ahead (he was working very hard on getting me to focus, the poor guy!). Coincidentally, that night I won a contest on Agent Kristin Nelson's blog that earned me a free partial read.
Problem was: I had no partial. She agreed to give me up to a year to submit so I got to work. Then I participated in a pitch slam with Kristin Nelson in June and she specifically requested the partial to Dead Bodies and Debutantes. Then I went to RWA Nationals in Atlanta.
Me being me I took a loong time, got it where I wanted it, and got a form rejection. In the mean time I worked to finish Dead Bodies, started a YA series for NaNo and then halted everything to start on the New New Project (that I still don't have a title for).
And that's where I am. One year after the start of The Ten Year Plan. It may not seem like much, but I feel like I've come a very very long way. First of all, writing now permeates my life. I have writing friends, and am now part of a community of writers. I may have only submitted my partial to one agent, but I learned that I don't want to submit again until the work is completely finished. I learned that I need to do things in order.
I decided to tally up the number of words I've written this year in pursuit of my goals. Without calculating Dead Bodies, I've written 82,446 words. I'm estimating that Dead Bodies is worth about 89,255 because I used the same first few chapters but then started writing it over again.
So that brings my total words written in 2006 to around 171,701.
That's a damn good start, if you ask me. A good, solid first year. Next time I'll talk about what I want for this next year. Here's a hint: it includes focusing and finishing!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
pre-resolutionary
Ok, me=bad blogger of late. I have excuses. Lots of them. Good ones too. But if I was going to take the time to type up my excuses I could instead write a real post so I'm not going to bother tonight. I just wanted to pop by, say that I'm here, apologize for my absesnse and promise that soon I will be posting more.
Lots of writers out there have posted their resolutions. No time now to go get links for you, I'll try to grab those later. But I've loved reading them all. Soon I will post my own.
The good news is that I'm writing. 1.6k tonight. Just under 9k since I sent it out for a quick crit at 20k (for those of you good with math that means that I'm just under 30k so far). Originally this was going to be YA so I was aiming for 60k (actually 50, but we all know I'm too verbose for that). Some folks think it may not be YA. So that means I need more words. But rather than stress I've just decided to write the story and see how far it takes me. After all, that's the way this project has been all along!
Happy New Year everyone!
Lots of writers out there have posted their resolutions. No time now to go get links for you, I'll try to grab those later. But I've loved reading them all. Soon I will post my own.
The good news is that I'm writing. 1.6k tonight. Just under 9k since I sent it out for a quick crit at 20k (for those of you good with math that means that I'm just under 30k so far). Originally this was going to be YA so I was aiming for 60k (actually 50, but we all know I'm too verbose for that). Some folks think it may not be YA. So that means I need more words. But rather than stress I've just decided to write the story and see how far it takes me. After all, that's the way this project has been all along!
Happy New Year everyone!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Books Read in 2006
Books read in 2006:
1. Bachelorette #1
2. Plan B
3. Cheating at Solitaire
4. Uglies
5. Pretties
6. The Last Templar
7. Manhunt
8. Almost Perfect
9. Just Perfect
10. Too Perfect
11. Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom
12. A Little Change of Face
13. How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got A Life (was in the middle of reading it when the scandal broke...)
14. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You
15. Size 12 Is Not Fat
16. Getting Even
17. Off The Record
18. The Prey
19. Specials
20. Baby Proof
21. Private
21. Dress Rehearsal
22. Undead and Unwed
23. Secret Society Girl
24. Reality Chick
25. Undead and Unemployed
26. Oh My Goth
27. Enchanted, Inc.
28. Once Upon Stilettos
29. Undead and Unappreciated
30. Midnighters 1: The Secret Hour
31. On the Way to the Wedding
32. Gods in Alabama
33. Between, Georgia
34. Playing with Fire
35. Gossip Girls
36. Avalon High
37. Bras and Broomsticks
38. The Princess Diaries
39. The Companion
40. Salem Witch Tryouts
41. How I Live Now
42. Me vs. Me
43. Gabriel's Ghost
44. Hattie Big Sky
45. Vanish
46. The Mephisto Club
47. So Much For My Happy Ending
48. Invitation Only
49. The Domino Effect
50. One For The Money
51. Peeps
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Chopping broccoli
Well, I did some major Christmas shopping today. I was reminded of when I was a kid and my mother would do "panic shopping" for one kid every year. You always wanted to be that kid because inevitably she'd gotten enough presents for you in the first place and so it was just more icing on the cake. After a few rounds of opening presents it always became pretty clear who Mom panic-shopped for each year.
This year I just couldn't decide on that perfect present for everyone which meant I just got lots of things that add up. For one set of nephews I got a collection of Disney movies (I saved the receipt in case my sister doesn't want to intro them to Bambi just yet). I just couldn't say no to any of the movies! I loved them all and could hear the songs in my head so I dropped some major cashola on that. Dude, who knew how expensive Disney movies are?!
Of course, I've yet to think of anything to get The Boy. We usually do big gifts, but with the dog this year and her surgery we're not as flush as we thought we'd be. We joke that we gave each other a bone plate. Then, today The Boy gets a holiday bonus that is 10 times what mine was (yes, he got an extra zero in his check and boy doesn't that make a massive difference?!). I mean, suddenly the dog's surgery is paid for. As is all of the accoutrements we bought when we got her (dog bed, cage, etc etc). So yeah, that was nice. What that means is that all of the sudden our excuse not to get each other something is out the window. Must start thinking gifts! Anyone with good ideas, let me know stat!
The funny thing I saw at the mall today: security on segways. Only our mall would have security on segways. The first time The Boy when to this mall after moving to town we couldn't help but laugh. It's the type of mall that is anchored by Nordstrom's and Macy's, etc. It has St. John, Tiffany, Burburry, Kate Spade, Apple, etc etc etc. It has live models for goodness sake. So the Segway just fits right in perfectly!
This year I just couldn't decide on that perfect present for everyone which meant I just got lots of things that add up. For one set of nephews I got a collection of Disney movies (I saved the receipt in case my sister doesn't want to intro them to Bambi just yet). I just couldn't say no to any of the movies! I loved them all and could hear the songs in my head so I dropped some major cashola on that. Dude, who knew how expensive Disney movies are?!
Of course, I've yet to think of anything to get The Boy. We usually do big gifts, but with the dog this year and her surgery we're not as flush as we thought we'd be. We joke that we gave each other a bone plate. Then, today The Boy gets a holiday bonus that is 10 times what mine was (yes, he got an extra zero in his check and boy doesn't that make a massive difference?!). I mean, suddenly the dog's surgery is paid for. As is all of the accoutrements we bought when we got her (dog bed, cage, etc etc). So yeah, that was nice. What that means is that all of the sudden our excuse not to get each other something is out the window. Must start thinking gifts! Anyone with good ideas, let me know stat!
The funny thing I saw at the mall today: security on segways. Only our mall would have security on segways. The first time The Boy when to this mall after moving to town we couldn't help but laugh. It's the type of mall that is anchored by Nordstrom's and Macy's, etc. It has St. John, Tiffany, Burburry, Kate Spade, Apple, etc etc etc. It has live models for goodness sake. So the Segway just fits right in perfectly!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Bah Humbug!
Ok, not really bah humbug, but perilously close. It's hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it's above 70 degrees outside (and you're used to it being closer to 30s and 40s). Not that I'm complaining at all - I got to sit outside for lunch in the sun with short sleeves on over the weekend. And I love to sit in the sun and soak it up so that was a real Holiday treat.
But at the same time it feels like Christmas has conspired against me this year. When we bought this house in July I had big big plans for Holiday decorating. Big plans. But I refuse - absolutely refuse - to decorate or think about Christmas before Thanksgiving. Which always gives me the sense of being behind after Thanksgiving comes and goes.
And on top of that, this year we got Daphne (who, by the way, is doing awesome!) and so that's a huge time suck. We have to take longer lunch breaks to come home and walk her and do PT which means working later to make up the hours which means not as much time during the week to think about the Holidays. And then, on the weekend we were going to get our tree I got sent out of town on business. So here it is, a few days before I jet to Minnesota for Christmas and we have no tree and I've barely begun my shopping. To be fair I was going to shop on Sunday but we had to cut it short to come home and let the dog out. Then I was going to go on Monday and had to work late. Ditto today.
So I've sucked it up and realized that this just won't be the year for big Holiday celebrations. I have a wreath up and some colored lights outside. I have a cinnamon candle in a pretty snowflake holder and my advent calendar up. It's sad, but at the same time we spend most of our time in the den with the dog and not much time in the living room where the tree would go.
Next year. Next year I will not put things off to the last minute. I will not let work take over the holidays. Next year I will decorate this place to the nines - maybe even real garland on the fireplaces.
Thank goodness there's always next year!
But at the same time it feels like Christmas has conspired against me this year. When we bought this house in July I had big big plans for Holiday decorating. Big plans. But I refuse - absolutely refuse - to decorate or think about Christmas before Thanksgiving. Which always gives me the sense of being behind after Thanksgiving comes and goes.
And on top of that, this year we got Daphne (who, by the way, is doing awesome!) and so that's a huge time suck. We have to take longer lunch breaks to come home and walk her and do PT which means working later to make up the hours which means not as much time during the week to think about the Holidays. And then, on the weekend we were going to get our tree I got sent out of town on business. So here it is, a few days before I jet to Minnesota for Christmas and we have no tree and I've barely begun my shopping. To be fair I was going to shop on Sunday but we had to cut it short to come home and let the dog out. Then I was going to go on Monday and had to work late. Ditto today.
So I've sucked it up and realized that this just won't be the year for big Holiday celebrations. I have a wreath up and some colored lights outside. I have a cinnamon candle in a pretty snowflake holder and my advent calendar up. It's sad, but at the same time we spend most of our time in the den with the dog and not much time in the living room where the tree would go.
Next year. Next year I will not put things off to the last minute. I will not let work take over the holidays. Next year I will decorate this place to the nines - maybe even real garland on the fireplaces.
Thank goodness there's always next year!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
That Point
Let's see here, nothing much new going on here. I haven't done much writing (ok, I haven't done any writing) since the addition of Daphne to the family. Before we got her I was pulling down a solid 2k words per night - every night no problem. Right now I'm about 20k into a new project (started during NaNo but not my NaNo project) and I've hit what I now dub "That Point."
That Point is the place where you 're chugging along, feeling your way through a new idea, testing the waters, just writing for yourself because you have no idea if it will work and then BAM! you realize "hey, I like this!" Then all of the sudden you start to worry about where things are going, are you going to be able to keep up the pace, the tone, the conflict, the voice. All of those pressures begin to push in. For me there's also this fear of choosing the wrong path - of loving where I've been but not knowing where I'm going and the fear of foreclosing ideas. What if I ruin the whole thing? What if I build the reader up only to disappoint? What if I can't follow through on the promises I've given the reader so far in the book?
The Boy said that he thinks that in That Point in the writing I start to become obsessed with the idea of selling the book rather than writing it. And to a certain degree I think he's correct. I think that this is where my writer's block often comes from - the fear of failure. It's when I stop writing the book for myself and start to write it for the hypothetical reader. It's when I start to really second guess myself and worry that I'm making the wrong decisions for my characters.
So it's not such a bad thing that I have an excuse not to write. I've sent what I have so far to a reader that I trust to see if I have a viable idea (boy was that scary to do!). I'm spending my free time working, reading, helping the dog heal, etc. And thinking. Lots and lots of time trying to figure out how to overcome That Point.
That Point is the place where you 're chugging along, feeling your way through a new idea, testing the waters, just writing for yourself because you have no idea if it will work and then BAM! you realize "hey, I like this!" Then all of the sudden you start to worry about where things are going, are you going to be able to keep up the pace, the tone, the conflict, the voice. All of those pressures begin to push in. For me there's also this fear of choosing the wrong path - of loving where I've been but not knowing where I'm going and the fear of foreclosing ideas. What if I ruin the whole thing? What if I build the reader up only to disappoint? What if I can't follow through on the promises I've given the reader so far in the book?
The Boy said that he thinks that in That Point in the writing I start to become obsessed with the idea of selling the book rather than writing it. And to a certain degree I think he's correct. I think that this is where my writer's block often comes from - the fear of failure. It's when I stop writing the book for myself and start to write it for the hypothetical reader. It's when I start to really second guess myself and worry that I'm making the wrong decisions for my characters.
So it's not such a bad thing that I have an excuse not to write. I've sent what I have so far to a reader that I trust to see if I have a viable idea (boy was that scary to do!). I'm spending my free time working, reading, helping the dog heal, etc. And thinking. Lots and lots of time trying to figure out how to overcome That Point.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Daphne is doing great! Four legs and all!
So we dropped Daff off at the vet in South Carolina on Thursday morning. The surgeon was great - looked at her x-rays, told us what he was going to do, and did it. We couldn't pick her up until this morning so we did some shopping for charity (work-related stuff) at Wal-Mart, met The Boy's dad for lunch, and then came home and chilled. It was a very quiet night with no whining :)
When we got to the clinic to pick her up this morning she was very happy to see us! She has a massive elizabethan collar on (the plastic shield around her head) and her leg is shaved. The discharge nurse told us that the pin the last vet had put in had come back out of the hip and had been poking around. She said that before the surgery you could even feel it! Yikes! They had to plate her leg with 8 screws (oh, and there's a pin from the external fixiter that broke off in her leg that the vet removing the external fixiter never bothered to mention to us). The surgeon said the bone is together and wants desperately to heal. He's all smiles about her prognosis and it's so strange to go from expecting to have a three-legged dog to the assurances that our dog will look like any other - with four working legs - in about 6ish weeks!!
Funny thing - when we picked her up the discharge nurse kept making subtle allusions to how untrained Daphne is. About how we can use this time to train her because she can put all her energy into working for us. Of course she's untrained because she is a stray and she's had an unset broken femur the whole time we've had her which makes training difficult (though we did teach her to come and be polite). The nurse also just seemed a bit skeptical about us and our ability to follow post-op instructions. Finally I realized what was wrong: she thought we were Daff's original owners and the people responsible for her first failed surgery (that failed because of poor post-op care). So I said something like, "Poor Daphne, you've only been with your new family for a week and already we have you in an e-collar for 10 days!" The nurse snapped her head up and said, "You've only had her for a week? Then who had her with the external fixiter?" And that was that - the nurse totally trusted us again.
At the nurse's suggestion we went to Wal-Mart and got a rubber bottom bath mat to put in her crate so she wouldn't slip around during the long drive home. Then, right before we got on the interstate Daphne went berserk - she was spinning in her cage but we just thought it was because the e-collar was giving her problems. Nope. A stench filled the car. She'd pooped all over her new rug. A stop by a gas station for paper towels and air freshner and then another round at Wal-Mart for a new mat later, and we were on the road back home.
I'm not gonna say she's comfy with that collar. But she sure is funny looking. And the vet says that her bones should be healed enough in 6 weeks that he can take off her physical restrictions. Which means we'll have a dog - a normal dog!! So we're following her post-op care to the letter! Physical therapy twice a day, short walks 4 times a day - all of it.
We will heal this dog!
Of course, the cats were a little surprised when Daphne arrived back. They were quite sure she was gone for good. We have two pissed off kitties on our hands!
When we got to the clinic to pick her up this morning she was very happy to see us! She has a massive elizabethan collar on (the plastic shield around her head) and her leg is shaved. The discharge nurse told us that the pin the last vet had put in had come back out of the hip and had been poking around. She said that before the surgery you could even feel it! Yikes! They had to plate her leg with 8 screws (oh, and there's a pin from the external fixiter that broke off in her leg that the vet removing the external fixiter never bothered to mention to us). The surgeon said the bone is together and wants desperately to heal. He's all smiles about her prognosis and it's so strange to go from expecting to have a three-legged dog to the assurances that our dog will look like any other - with four working legs - in about 6ish weeks!!
Funny thing - when we picked her up the discharge nurse kept making subtle allusions to how untrained Daphne is. About how we can use this time to train her because she can put all her energy into working for us. Of course she's untrained because she is a stray and she's had an unset broken femur the whole time we've had her which makes training difficult (though we did teach her to come and be polite). The nurse also just seemed a bit skeptical about us and our ability to follow post-op instructions. Finally I realized what was wrong: she thought we were Daff's original owners and the people responsible for her first failed surgery (that failed because of poor post-op care). So I said something like, "Poor Daphne, you've only been with your new family for a week and already we have you in an e-collar for 10 days!" The nurse snapped her head up and said, "You've only had her for a week? Then who had her with the external fixiter?" And that was that - the nurse totally trusted us again.
At the nurse's suggestion we went to Wal-Mart and got a rubber bottom bath mat to put in her crate so she wouldn't slip around during the long drive home. Then, right before we got on the interstate Daphne went berserk - she was spinning in her cage but we just thought it was because the e-collar was giving her problems. Nope. A stench filled the car. She'd pooped all over her new rug. A stop by a gas station for paper towels and air freshner and then another round at Wal-Mart for a new mat later, and we were on the road back home.
I'm not gonna say she's comfy with that collar. But she sure is funny looking. And the vet says that her bones should be healed enough in 6 weeks that he can take off her physical restrictions. Which means we'll have a dog - a normal dog!! So we're following her post-op care to the letter! Physical therapy twice a day, short walks 4 times a day - all of it.
We will heal this dog!
Of course, the cats were a little surprised when Daphne arrived back. They were quite sure she was gone for good. We have two pissed off kitties on our hands!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
argh!
It's another Thursday and I've missed doing my 13! Again! And I even had a topic for this week (and last week...). I've been behind on work all week, haven't written a word, and am behind on a critique that matters a lot to me and I feel like I'm letting the author down for not being on the ball.
Tomorrow I take our new pup to get surgery. Life just keeps piling on, don't it?
Tomorrow I take our new pup to get surgery. Life just keeps piling on, don't it?
Monday, December 04, 2006
Daffers update
Great news! We spoke to the vet orthopedic surgeon and he said it should be no problem to fix Daphne's leg and that her prognosis is "very good"! Of course, he hasn't seen her in person so there could still be complications. Other great news is that the surgery is at least half the cost we expected it to be which is fantastic. We still don't have a lot of information: what type of surgery it will be, how long the recovery will be (he said maybe 6 months), etc etc. But we just can't wait for her to be up and running and playing like a puppy should.
Because there's only a pin in her leg right now and no external fixiter, we decided to start keeping her kenneled most of the time. We bought her a new crate (the big cage kind) and put in an orthopedic pad and some chew toys and bones. She wants to get out and run around so badly but at least it's more space than her travel crate and she can stretch out and stand up. We're too afraid of her causing more damage to her leg before she goes into surgery on Thursday morning.
Of course, there are those in our house who are happy that the dog is kept in her cage most of the time...
Because there's only a pin in her leg right now and no external fixiter, we decided to start keeping her kenneled most of the time. We bought her a new crate (the big cage kind) and put in an orthopedic pad and some chew toys and bones. She wants to get out and run around so badly but at least it's more space than her travel crate and she can stretch out and stand up. We're too afraid of her causing more damage to her leg before she goes into surgery on Thursday morning.
Of course, there are those in our house who are happy that the dog is kept in her cage most of the time...
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Christmas Meme
I got tagged for this Christmas Meme by Diana and boy was she right that I needed to get my mind off things and what better to think about than Christmas and tradition and so many happy memories? Thanks Diana!! I'll post more later, but the vet specialist thinks that he'll be able to save Daphne's leg and it will be great!
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Oooh, yummy hot chocolate! When I was an exchange student in Spain they had the best - it was so thick that you could stand a spoon in it! Almost like molten pudding.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Wrapped of course! My mother used to help Santa wrap and she would hand tie every single bow (and I mean the type you wrap the ribbon around your hand and cut it and tie it and pull it apart - very elaborate). Our tree was always beautiful. My stepmom's family never wrapped and I just don't get it; once glance and Christmas is over!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? At Mom's house big colored lights, at Dad's house small colored lights, and I think we're going to go with small colored lights :)
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nah, too afraid I'll poison a cat.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Mid-December. We tend to leave them up for a while so we put them up later. We've never been a day-after-Thanksgiving decorating kind.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows! But I love all Christmas food just like I love all food generally.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: So many memories! I'm the youngest of three girls and we all used to sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve. Until one of us got married we still spent every Christmas Eve together, giggling, sharing stories, and wanting to hear Santa.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What do you mean, "truth?" All I know is that both my sisters saw Santa one night running across the yard.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yep, only one. One of my aunts gave each of us an ornament every year. They were all similar but different and had our names on them. The tradition goes that she'll give an ornament until you get married. Since I'm the only one still not married that means I still get an ornament every year. We always opened our ornament on Christmas Eve and put it on the tree.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Um, with ornaments and lights? In addition to my aunt give each of us an ornament (usually went on my mom's tree since that's where we opened gifts) my dad gave us each an ornament every year so that we would have enough decorations to fill a tree when we went out on our own. So my tree is full of ornaments with my name on them. We call it the "Carrie Tree"! But I love it because each ornament has a memory.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I'm always up for a good snow, but living in the South means that it shuts down life for days. Which ain't a bad thing if you're prepared for it!
12. Can you ice skate? I learned to skate at birthday parties growing up. And of course one kid always ended up with a concussion (we're not known for our ice skating in South Carolina!). When I went to college in Mass. and attended my first ice hockey game I was just amazed at how they could skate just like it was walking - I got made fun of a lot for that :)
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Not really. I know it seems corny but I think every gift is my favorite.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family, memories, tradition. I love my family and my sisters and love hanging out with everyone. That's the best part.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Rum cake. Of course, every year my mom forgets it she's added the rum. I think I've gotten drunk off of rum cake!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? After going to church on Christmas Eve we'd all come home and hang stockings that my grandmother needle-pointed for us, of course trying them on and one of us would recite Twas the Night before Christmas (we had to memorize it for school - totally worth it!) and leave cookies and milk and a carrot for Santa and his reindeer. Then on Christmas morning my sisters would sneak a peek at the tree with all the presents but I was never allowed to cause I'm the youngest. When we opened presents we all would go one at a time, my mom handing them out as we all watched to see what everyone else got. Mom always made the canned cinnamon rolls too. So many traditions that I loved so much!! One thing I'd like to carry one is the needle-point stockings. My mom's already made some for the next generation and they are just so special.
17. What tops your tree? Mom has an angel that tries to nose dive. For my dad's first Christmas after the divorce he hung a plastic star above the tree. Sometime in March one of us looked up and noticed that it was still hanging from the ceiling! So now we hang that old star above the dining room table, from the chandalier because it makes us laugh. For The Boy's and I first tree we topped it with a mess of ribbons and bows.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Both ;) I love giving a great gift - one I'm especially proud of. And I always love to receive :)
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I love Christmas music and I always forget to pull it out! Growing up we had this collection of songs and I love those versions of the songs so much that I've tried for years to find the same collection. I also love George Winston's Winter album - just beautiful music. I'm more of a traditional Christmas music chick - not that I don't mind jazzing them up a bit, but I don't generally listen to any new songs.
20. Candy Canes? Always tons left over after the season :) We use them to make peppermint ice cream and now I use them to make peppermint bark (white chocolate and candy canes - what could be better?)
Hmmm... this has been a popular meme and I've loved reading everyone's responses. I tag Bren and Nancy, although I don't know if either do memes.
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Oooh, yummy hot chocolate! When I was an exchange student in Spain they had the best - it was so thick that you could stand a spoon in it! Almost like molten pudding.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Wrapped of course! My mother used to help Santa wrap and she would hand tie every single bow (and I mean the type you wrap the ribbon around your hand and cut it and tie it and pull it apart - very elaborate). Our tree was always beautiful. My stepmom's family never wrapped and I just don't get it; once glance and Christmas is over!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? At Mom's house big colored lights, at Dad's house small colored lights, and I think we're going to go with small colored lights :)
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nah, too afraid I'll poison a cat.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Mid-December. We tend to leave them up for a while so we put them up later. We've never been a day-after-Thanksgiving decorating kind.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows! But I love all Christmas food just like I love all food generally.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: So many memories! I'm the youngest of three girls and we all used to sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve. Until one of us got married we still spent every Christmas Eve together, giggling, sharing stories, and wanting to hear Santa.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What do you mean, "truth?" All I know is that both my sisters saw Santa one night running across the yard.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yep, only one. One of my aunts gave each of us an ornament every year. They were all similar but different and had our names on them. The tradition goes that she'll give an ornament until you get married. Since I'm the only one still not married that means I still get an ornament every year. We always opened our ornament on Christmas Eve and put it on the tree.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Um, with ornaments and lights? In addition to my aunt give each of us an ornament (usually went on my mom's tree since that's where we opened gifts) my dad gave us each an ornament every year so that we would have enough decorations to fill a tree when we went out on our own. So my tree is full of ornaments with my name on them. We call it the "Carrie Tree"! But I love it because each ornament has a memory.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I'm always up for a good snow, but living in the South means that it shuts down life for days. Which ain't a bad thing if you're prepared for it!
12. Can you ice skate? I learned to skate at birthday parties growing up. And of course one kid always ended up with a concussion (we're not known for our ice skating in South Carolina!). When I went to college in Mass. and attended my first ice hockey game I was just amazed at how they could skate just like it was walking - I got made fun of a lot for that :)
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Not really. I know it seems corny but I think every gift is my favorite.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family, memories, tradition. I love my family and my sisters and love hanging out with everyone. That's the best part.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Rum cake. Of course, every year my mom forgets it she's added the rum. I think I've gotten drunk off of rum cake!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? After going to church on Christmas Eve we'd all come home and hang stockings that my grandmother needle-pointed for us, of course trying them on and one of us would recite Twas the Night before Christmas (we had to memorize it for school - totally worth it!) and leave cookies and milk and a carrot for Santa and his reindeer. Then on Christmas morning my sisters would sneak a peek at the tree with all the presents but I was never allowed to cause I'm the youngest. When we opened presents we all would go one at a time, my mom handing them out as we all watched to see what everyone else got. Mom always made the canned cinnamon rolls too. So many traditions that I loved so much!! One thing I'd like to carry one is the needle-point stockings. My mom's already made some for the next generation and they are just so special.
17. What tops your tree? Mom has an angel that tries to nose dive. For my dad's first Christmas after the divorce he hung a plastic star above the tree. Sometime in March one of us looked up and noticed that it was still hanging from the ceiling! So now we hang that old star above the dining room table, from the chandalier because it makes us laugh. For The Boy's and I first tree we topped it with a mess of ribbons and bows.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Both ;) I love giving a great gift - one I'm especially proud of. And I always love to receive :)
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I love Christmas music and I always forget to pull it out! Growing up we had this collection of songs and I love those versions of the songs so much that I've tried for years to find the same collection. I also love George Winston's Winter album - just beautiful music. I'm more of a traditional Christmas music chick - not that I don't mind jazzing them up a bit, but I don't generally listen to any new songs.
20. Candy Canes? Always tons left over after the season :) We use them to make peppermint ice cream and now I use them to make peppermint bark (white chocolate and candy canes - what could be better?)
Hmmm... this has been a popular meme and I've loved reading everyone's responses. I tag Bren and Nancy, although I don't know if either do memes.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
More of same...
Well, no big news today on Daphne. The Boy's vet has today off but agreed to look at her x-rays from home - hooray! Our vet agreed to send them down (yesterday) but then I got a call first thin this morning telling me that our vet's assistant sent the x-rays priority mail rather than FedEx. I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I quadruple checked that our vet was okay sending these x-rays FedEx so that The Boy's contact could have them today. Our vet was totally sorry about it, but that means putting off any decision for a while. Especially since the x-rays were being sent to The Boy's contact's home and so he won't even get them until the end of the day Thursday. I know it's selfish, but we just need to know what to do - what's going on. Right now we're having to drug our new dog to keep her sedate because she has a s
everely broken femur and no cast, no external fixiter, nothing.
Our vet said she'd feel better putting a splint on Daff's leg so I took her in this morning. Here's a picture of that ridiculousness! She loves her new hedgehog! Only prob. is that a few hours later the splint slipped which torqued our poor dog's leg even worse so thankfully it's gone now and she's much much happier. Poor thing!
The good news is that she doesn't have heart worms, so there is silver lining in all of this :)
The hardest part is the roller coaster. Vet #1 said yesterday "no question, amputate." Then, when he found out we were both attorneys he said, "well, if you have the money it might be worth fixing." Then our vet said, "no question, amputate" and for some very good reasons: there's already arthitis, her bones are swiss cheesy, and she'd have to be confined for months and months with no guarantee. Then this morning our vet said that she's spoken to her surgeon about the case and he said the leg might be saveable. So what do we do? I mean, everyone says amputation gets rid of the pain now and she's up and normal in about 2 weeks and will live a very happy life. Getting it fixed means another dangerous surgery and possibility of infection that our vet says might already be there. It means keeping a dog that wants nothing more than to play locked up in a pen for months and months. I guess it just seems so much harder because we're in an Indian Summer and she loves to lay outside and watch the birds and trees. There's a part of me that wants to fix it if we can because it seems that is what you do. But at the same time there's a part of me that wonders if she'll be happier if it's amputated. It's surprising how much goes into a question like this and what I thought was the easy or best answer may not be what I used to think it was.
So confusing. Anyone else have thoughts on the matter?
everely broken femur and no cast, no external fixiter, nothing.Our vet said she'd feel better putting a splint on Daff's leg so I took her in this morning. Here's a picture of that ridiculousness! She loves her new hedgehog! Only prob. is that a few hours later the splint slipped which torqued our poor dog's leg even worse so thankfully it's gone now and she's much much happier. Poor thing!
The good news is that she doesn't have heart worms, so there is silver lining in all of this :)
The hardest part is the roller coaster. Vet #1 said yesterday "no question, amputate." Then, when he found out we were both attorneys he said, "well, if you have the money it might be worth fixing." Then our vet said, "no question, amputate" and for some very good reasons: there's already arthitis, her bones are swiss cheesy, and she'd have to be confined for months and months with no guarantee. Then this morning our vet said that she's spoken to her surgeon about the case and he said the leg might be saveable. So what do we do? I mean, everyone says amputation gets rid of the pain now and she's up and normal in about 2 weeks and will live a very happy life. Getting it fixed means another dangerous surgery and possibility of infection that our vet says might already be there. It means keeping a dog that wants nothing more than to play locked up in a pen for months and months. I guess it just seems so much harder because we're in an Indian Summer and she loves to lay outside and watch the birds and trees. There's a part of me that wants to fix it if we can because it seems that is what you do. But at the same time there's a part of me that wonders if she'll be happier if it's amputated. It's surprising how much goes into a question like this and what I thought was the easy or best answer may not be what I used to think it was.
So confusing. Anyone else have thoughts on the matter?
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
That kind of day...
It has not been a good day in our household. I woke up at 6:30 to haul Daphne to the vet that did her surgery (about 45 minutes away). See, we were under the impression that the external post on her leg (ew) would be removed and that her leg would be practically healed. This is what the people told us when we adopted Daphne.So not the case. The vet showed me her x-rays and I was horrified. They look awful. Not only is there still a very clear break - a total snap of her femur - but it is not a straight bone any more meaning that the two ends don't even meet. I couldn't believe it! The vet started talking amputation and kept calling our girl a "he" and I was so upset by the shoddy surgical job that I just had to leave and call The Boy in tears. We made an appointment with our own vet and when I went back in that vet showed me her earlier x-rays from before and after the surgery and they looked great.
Turns out the surgeon did everything right. But the family that had her before us did it all wrong. They didn't keep her "quiet." Instead, they let her go play with the other dog and put her in the yard on a long line. With a broken femur and a post sticking out of her leg in multiple places.
Our vet said the same thing - amputate. She said there just wasn't any healthy bone left to plate and that the arthritus was already setting in. She agreed with the first vet: if Daphne had been kept still after her first surgey, she'd likely be fine now.
So it has been a roller coaster day. Daff is now in the back yard, racked out in the sun cause our vet gave her pain meds and a sedative. The Boy worked for a vet for 7 years and is calling a contact there to have a very well-respected orthopedic surgeon look at her x-rays for one last consult. Either way, our new girl has to have surgery tomorrow and it's either plate and re-pin her leg with 6 months of confinement or amputate.
All afternoon I've been reading about amputation in dogs. They say that a three-legged dog really is just like a four-legged dog. It's just not what I was expecting with my first dog and I'm angry that it has come to this and that it is so unecessary because if she'd been properly cared for we wouldn't be in this situation.
That's all stuff I can't change. This isn't how I planned on spending my days off from work: ferrying a new dog around, riding emotional roller-coasters and researching three-legged dogs. But I think she's worth it.
Monday, November 27, 2006
New addition to our family!
Well, we did it - we got a dog! The original plan was to get a dog when we moved into the new house this summer, but I backed out because I didn't want to upset the cats and I just wasn't ready. Then, a few weeks ago we decided to get a dog in the spring when the weather is nicer but that we'd be open if a dog found us. See, in The Boy's family, that's how they get all their pets - they find The Boy and his family.
Then, last week The Boy got an email from a co-worker about a little lab that had been hit by a car and broken her leg. The dog had surgery on the leg weeks ago and was looking for her permanant home. The Boy immediately emailed me and said "it's a sign!!!" and we went and looked at her and fell in love!
We're thinking of naming her Daphne (Greek myth) but calling her Daf, Daffy, etc. (and every now and then I call her Dizzy). What do you think? Any other good name suggestions?
Then, last week The Boy got an email from a co-worker about a little lab that had been hit by a car and broken her leg. The dog had surgery on the leg weeks ago and was looking for her permanant home. The Boy immediately emailed me and said "it's a sign!!!" and we went and looked at her and fell in love!
We're thinking of naming her Daphne (Greek myth) but calling her Daf, Daffy, etc. (and every now and then I call her Dizzy). What do you think? Any other good name suggestions?
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