Counting The Hours

My darling hubby will be away for a week from tomorrow morning. I've just booked him a taxi for 7am.

Its 15 minutes before my alarm usually goes off so I'll be having an early morning tomorrow... but its worth it. I've told him recently that rather than sneaking out of bed to go to work (coz he gets up earlier than me) its ok if he rolls over and wakes me with an envloping hug or little tickling kisses. It makes my dreams take a turn for the better!

So, what am I going to do all weekend???

Jack Daniels goes without saying.

I've got to mow the lawn.. which is a pain in the butthole, but its gotta be done. I've also got a few stories on Jerry that need uploading onto the computer.

I also need to back up everything on the computer to the two external harddrives.

I've also got about eight episodes of Doctor Who to watch... Yeeeeeeeee ha!

Oh, and of course, Big Brother has begun. And this time I've got More 4 to catch even more of it.

So, it looks like I'll have all my time filled.

Where are all my friends, I hear you ask... well.. yes, good point. It appears that steadily over the years I've been hemorrhaging friends left right and centre. I seem to have been come quite reclusive. Its not that I dont like to hang out with people, its just that I dont like to hang out with people. Hehehehe.. No, really. I just like to get things done, and I find hanging out with people a compromise on both of our time.

To be bluntly honest, I dont have many really good friends in England. Martin and I together have lots of friends who we can both see separately, but as in a best friend or someone I speak to all the time other than Martin.. well.. I cant really think of anyone.

Its not sad.

And I'm not sad.

It just is.

Besides.... who needs friends when you've got eight episodes of Doctor Who with David Tennant! Hehehe.

BUT!!!! - I must must must make some progress on my Cloud People book and/or my Fairy Tales!

Tarot

I'm sure I've done this before... but since I could have answered some of the questions a number of ways then I thought it ok that I repeat it.

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.
The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.
The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Back On Planet Earth!

So, I think I'm back to normal now.

The strange illness that strangled me over the last few days took me on quite a trip, but I feel like I'm back on planet earth now.

I've got back into reading the Robin Hobb book, The Liveship Traders, and I'm slowly catching up on a heap of blogs that I like to read...

I almost feel like I've been on holiday, but it wasn't a nice place to go.

I have an inkling that the recent meddling with the airconditioning unit and vents in my work building may have contributed to my downfall. Another girl at work who I chat to quite a bit complained of similar symptoms to mine over the weekend.

Hmmm.

Right. No more moaning about being ill. I tend to moan a lot when I feel crap. It must stop.

Before the weekend I'd made a start on planning my Cloud People book.. so I must get on with that. If I'm to write three books this year then I must get moving on it.

I've also had a few more ideas about some fairy tales to add to my fairy tale collection. I'm hoping that the deal I made with my hubby that I'd write three books by Christmas will be flexible enough to include a collection of fairy tales.

I'm sure I could talk him around. Hehehe.

I'm a Winner!

Hoorah, I've won something!!

I've been catching up on my blog reading ever so slowly since the disappearance of Miss Snark (still getting over her departure!), and I noticed that Bookseller Chick has drawn the results of the Free Books giveaway thingy... and lo and behold whose name was one of two drawn?

IT WAS ME!!!!!!!!!!

Yay... I'm so stoked.

Thats three books I've won in my life now.

The first was a geology book in a raffle back at Uni...

The second was one from Paperback Writer...

And now the third is from Bookseller Chick

YAY ME!

BB for MISS S

I am still feeling a terrible void from Miss Snark closing up shop. It was always nice to drop in and see what nitwits she was battling with. It always made me feel that little bit less stupid to see people asking questions that were stupider than I ever thought possible.

Alas I shall just have to get over it.

Big Brother starts tomorrow. Now, I wouldn't say I'm a huge Big Bro fan, but I do get sucked into it and get addicted like a skinny little rat girl on heroin.

I dont know why, but perhaps I just need something external to hook on to.

I suppose that Big Brother will have to take Miss Snark's place. Although I would prefer to fill that void with something literary rather than contrived shitheads.

Here's hoping to some housemates that are bashful/shy/humble/polite & just plain sensitive. I dont think I can stand another house full of half lesbian, half gay, singer/model wannabes that dress up like women even though they have dicks. Loud mouth love-me-do's just drive me nuts.

Maybe it might be nice to put a mute into the Big Brother house. Hehehe.

Wasted

Well, what a wasted long weekend that was.

I was right, as usual, that I would feel better as soon as work started back. Its so typical it makes me sick.

Perhaps I have an aversion to time off or something. I mean, really, what kind of bad luck is it to get ill at the start of a long weekend.

I feel bad for Martin... I've kept him awake by coughing and choking all night, as well as snoring! He told me that I sounded like Darth Vader last night!! Nice eh. So, I've been keeping him awake all weekend, but haven't gone out anywhere coz I've felt like shit!

We're getting very tired of staying indoors now. We had initially planned to go to Brighton for a day, or Rochester or something.. but I suppose the weather would have spoiled that plan if I'd have felt well enough to go anyway.

The most we got up to was going to Bluewater a few times to get some new clothes and stuff for his trip next weekend (he's going on a business trip to Texas! Fishing!! Lucky bugger!), but at least we bought a handful of new DVDs. We also watched the last few episodes of Lost (series 3) and Heroes. I was thinking of downloading Quantum Leap too, coz we never got to see the finale, but perhaps I'll do that for when he gets back from his trip.

I've downloaded all the Doctor Who episodes so far, so that when Martin goes away to his little Texas fishing trip I can sit at home and drown in a Doctor Who marathon! I CANT WAIT!!!! hehehe.

I certainly am a geek to the core!

Fingers crossed that I wont be ill next weekend too!

Delirium

I had the strange sleep last night. When I say 'sleep' I mean tossed an turned. I was absolutely freezing, but sweltering like nothing else. My skin hurt even from the silkiest touch. I could even hear myself wimpering as I tossed and turned trying to get to sleep.

I had some debit notes running around in my head that I just couldn't get away from. At work, you see, I deal with all the payments etc, and yesterday at work I ha a hard time photocopying the damn things because someone had jammed the photocopier and then just left it.

I was in such a state last night. I kept poor old Martin up too. In the morning, when Martin got up for work, I think I asked him to stay home with me, but I'm not sure how 'conscious' I was. It feels like a dream. I drifted in and out of sleep and I babbled like a mental patient.

I finally woke up at 11am, feeling a little bit more like myself.

I still feel really strange and delirious, and I'm sweating like nothing else, but at least I can feel that I'm winning against this strange illness.

Its a bank holiday weekend, so it was absolutely typical that I would get sick. No doubt I'll start to feel better by Tuesday by which time I've got to get back to work.

At least I've got today off!

S&S & MISS S

Since I dont have a book published I know very little about publishing contracts, but I did know that once a book is out of print the rights generally revert back to the author... but I've been reading everywhere that Simon & Schuster are changing their contracts so that a book never goes out of print, or they hold the rights for the length of the copyright.

It doesn't sound good to me. Then again I am a bit of a control freak.

Methinks I may scrap Simon & Schuster off my 'publishers to submit to' list.

So anyway.. I've been reading around. There is a massive hole in the blogosphere now that Miss Snark has hung up her clue gun. It sux. So I've added a couple more agent links to my sidebar to try to fill the void. The Rejector comes close, but just doesn't use the magnificently colourful language that Miss Snark did.

Oh I do hope that someone fills her enormous shoes soon. ....or even better, that she sees sense and comes back!

Funniest Thing In The World!

Arnold Schwarzenegger Prank Call!

Writing

I just finished reading 'How to Write A Blockbuster' by Helen Corner and Lee Weatherly, and I must say I'm glad that I did. It has some very useful information in the back, including other books to read and contact lists, but the most useful part for me was the section on writing in a passive voice.

I never realised that I always fell into the trap of 'telling' rather than 'showing'. Its when the words 'was' or 'were' are used that the writing takes a passive turn.

I'm so annoyed with myself. I can't believe I have been so dumb and have not even realised it. Even now I'm deleting bits of this post that I'm writing coz I'm slipping into that past tense way of writing where 'I was' doing something etc.

The whole idea is to 'show, dont tell', and the examples listed in the book illustrated how much better the 'showing' paragraph read compared to the passive paragraph.

I'm such a dick.

A flaccid dick, at that.

Well... it can only be up from here.. hehehe..

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I cant believe it.

Miss Snark is retiring.

*sniff sniff*

Just when I find a site giving guidance without the contrite bullshit that goes with it, it goes belly up.

DAMN!

I didn't get to enter the Crapometer either! I soooo nearly did this year, but thought 'Nah, I'll hold off until I can polish it a bit more and then send it in next time'. Little did I know that there would not be a next time.

Bugger.

Oh well. At least she's leaving the site up so that people can trawl through the archives.

Procrastination

I've been fiddling with my other blog, which used to have an exerpt of my Nanowrimo novel posted on it.

I've now given it a makeover to make it look like my Particle Empire website which hosts my short stories and other little diddlies. Whatever a diddly may be.

I really should be writing this short story for the competition I entered.

The wordcount is nothing like I thought it would be. They really shouldn't call it a challenge unless the word count is going to be punishing.

Its only 1200.

But therein lies the difficulty. To craft a short story in so few words. To create complete and satisfying characters. To develop the plot within such constraints. I'm not sure if I can do it.

But I really should stop messing with my blog and start.

I just cant seem to think anything interesting up.

The theme is FALLING

Now, that can mean anything. Falling from a tree, Falling in love, Falling from grace, Falling as some wierd twisted idea revolving around autumn... or whatever. Falling onto something, out of something, into, around, up, down, and out. I dunno. I just know that there isn't a fizzle going on in my head.

The best thing to do is to make the short story fit in with my Cloud People book. That way I'm not only writing something fresh and new, it also ties in as background info for my novel.

Very good idea.

Now. To choose a plot.

And characters.

I should easily be able to make the theme work. The 'world' in my Cloud People book is suspended in the clouds by the magicians, high above the burning earth. Someone could easily fall over the edge.

Perhaps my main character could be falling already and the story relates his thoughts and backstory. It could end with his body splattering down on sharp and jagged rocks covered in molten lava that fizzles through his skin as though it was butter melting on a hotplate. His guts could spill out and burst as the contents boil and froth. His head and eyeballs could explode like eggs in a microwave and his genitals could drop off like a leper having a bad day....

Ooops.. I'm sorry. My mind wandered there. Hmm.. a bit grisly. Perhaps I should think happy thoughts.

Time to log off here. I might jump on the treadmill to kickstart my imagination.

Head in the Clouds

I've had a spark of inspiration ignite in my little brain which completes my plot for my book about the Cloud People.

I'm so fucking pleased!! WOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I dont know why I didn't think of it before!

I cant say though. That would be telling. And I'd have to go on a killing rampage throughout the world to make sure that anyone who read it here on my blog could not live to tell it to anyone else.... and that would be a big and messy job. and i'm far too lazy for that.

I think I'll start fully planning it after this weekend. The book I'm reading ('How to write a blockbuster') has been really helpful in highlighting writing techniques and tips that I had never given much thought to. I've also got a book called '38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes', which I should read before I start writing the Cloud People book, but I can start the planning before reading that... I think.

I've also got book 1 of The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb, but I dont think I'll start reading that until after the weekend.

This weekend I'm participating in a short story competition called The Weekender Challenge, which should be a bit of fun. Basically all you need to do is write a short story between 9am Saturday morning and midnight Sunday night on a theme chosen by WriteLink, but the theme and wordcount aren't revealed until 9am Saturday morning. So its pretty exciting.

I just hope the word count isn't over 20,000 words or anything ridiculous like that.

5,000 would be ideal.

10,000 would be ok.

Anything less than 5,000 would be ok too.

Fingers crossed that my phalanges are loose and limber enough and that the creative juices are flowing like a river... otherwise I just wasted £4.50 entry fee!

New York New York

New York was bloody excellent!

We had a great time and we packed so much into our holiday that its left my head spinning!

We shopped, we went to Times Sq, Union Sq, 23rd St (Flatiron Building - ie the Daily Bugle in Spider-Man), Central Park & Bow Bridge, Dakota Building & Strawberry Fields (John Lennon was shot outside the Dakota Building), Bronx Zoo, Staten Island Ferry (to see Ms Liberty as we sailed by), Wall Street, Ground Zero, Madison Sq Garden, Natural History Museum, Hard Rock Cafe, saw Spider-Man 3 at cinema, Rockafella Centre (Much better than going up the Empire State.. coz you get a great view of the park, and of the Empire State building! Plus no queue to get in!!!!!), Grand Central Station, Algonquin Hotel (where all those literary chaps sat at the round table in the 20s, including Mrs Parker!), Chinatown, Little Italy (mmmm.. good pizza), Canal St markets, walked up Broadway, walked along 5th Ave....

and...

Shopped, shopped, shopped, shopped and shopped some more.

I was a bit disappointed that my favourite shoe shop, DSW, didn't have much that caught my interest. Grrr. Only came home with 4 pairs of shoes. Martin did really well and came home with about 15 t-shirts and 5 shirts. I did manage, however, to buy some men's lounge pants (basically pj bottoms!) with the Jack Daniels symbol splattered all over them. Also got some M&M ones, Duff Beer, Guinness, and DC Comics. They're really comfy and unlike the womens they are nice and long!

So, all in all, it was pretty good.

I had a really bad cold from Monday onwards though. It made me feel like absolute crap, but it didn't hold us back at all... except for Martin always telling me to walk faster. The three blisters that I gained didn't really help much either.

We also went out to dinner at Cafe Taci where they have opera singers belting out the classics during your (overpriced) meal. It was really nice though. We went with my parents on the Saturday night for Martin's birthday.

On the Sunday, Martin's actual birthday, we went to the Nat. Hist. Museum where I was shat on by a bird while waiting outside on the steps. Just my fucking luck eh. Some people say that being shat on is good luck... it came to fruition later that night when we wanted to see Spider-Man 3. It was all booked out in Times Square so we went up to 66th and queued. The board said it was sold out, but we queued up anyway. Just as we got to the front a nice looking couple asked us if we wanted tickets to the 7pm showing of Spider-Man. Turned out that the bird had bought the tickets online but her bf wanted to see if in Imax instead. As it was 6.55pm we thought it was pretty bloody good timing! So we got straight in to see Spider-Man 3!! The cinema was packed with noisy Americans that actually commented out loud with 'Ooo's and 'Ahhh's at all the revelations during the movie. Morons.

It was a hoot though.

The flight home sucked.

Not only did our tv screens on the plane not work (the only two screens that didn't work on the entire damn plane), but when we changed flights in Zurich (NY to Zurich to England... whose dumb idea was that!!) we had to go all the way out to the check in counter and check in the alcohol that we bought from NY. Fucken European Union making things difficult. We managed it though, even though Martin was swearing his head off and stressing me out. I managed to not shit in my pants. Hehehe.

When we got to Heathrow the weather of England was out to greet us. We caught the bus to the car park and just as we walked to the car the heavens opened up in a ridiculously heavy deluge of rain! We were fucking soaked!

At least when we got home we could relax. It turned out to be a great night...

EXCEPT!!!!......

The stupid workmen, who were supposed to have FINISHED the work on the house, had only just started and their crap was left all over the place. We got a very rude wake-up call the next morning. Sunday morning. At 9am. We were woken by the workmen COMING INTO OUR BEDROOM WHILE WE WERE SLEEPING!!!!!!!!

Needless to say I was not a happy camper!!

I managed to talk them into pissing off and coming back Monday, but we had already been woken and our desire for a sleep in was absolutely ruined.

That whole episode made me sleep in on Tuesday until 9.30am (the time I'm actually supposed to START work)... so I didn't make it in to work until about 11am. Not good.

All is pretty much ok now.

Saw Spider-Man 3 again last night. I love it.

Go Spidey Go!

No Time

Been so busy!

I've been running around like a blue-arsed fly!

Cant blog now.

Gotta get back to work. GRRRRR!!!

House

Got some builders coming over next week while we're away to try to fix the mould problem. The estate agent wrote us a cheeky letter saying that they were organising the work done subject to some conditions, one of them being that we cant apply for compensation for damage to our stuff by the mould.

Thank god I work with a bunch of lawyers. I got JS on the job straight away and he's going to draft me up a letter that looks all legal and stuff and hit them with it. Miss Snark's clue gun would come in handy... the estate agent's letter is sly, immoral and totally rude. You cant admit there is a problem with the house (which the landlord are obliged to fix) then say you'll do the work and then attach conditions.

I'm hoping JS gets that letter written by bed time tonight coz if I dont get the letter sent off by tomorrow then the estate agent wont see it until Tuesday (Monday is a bank holiday), and the work is supposed to start on Tuesday. And none of that takes into account if the estate agent has any days off.

I'm totally sick of Savills fucking with us, and the landlord being so fucking lazy about their obligations!

If anyone is reading this and is renting - WATCH OUT! Landlords and estate agents will fuck you up the arse so hard that they'll be sprouting out of your mouth.

Bubbles and Rumblings

My tummy is flip flopping all over the place. I dont know if its the excitement of going to NY, the panic of packing, or the anxiety of making sure things run smooth.

Either way though its the story of my life. I've been blessed with the most stupidest stomach in the world. The moment I get even slightly nervous my gut wrenches, then I panic in case I cant make it to a loo on time, then afterwards I wonder why I was so worried.

Its a stupid endless cycle and despite knowing logically what is going on I still cant control it.

Hopefully one day I'll be able to master my own body, but until then I am powerless and cramped.

*sigh* what I wouldn't give for a tummy that can handle anything. If my mouth could stand spicy food I'd be so annoyed that my stomach cant. Thankfully I dont like spicy food, but thats not the point. I want to have the option of having spicy food without flooding my daks.

This post is turning nasty. I'm logging off here before I start talking about periods or something. Ugh!

Counting The Days

Just two more days til I jet off to NY with the hubs. Cant wait. We're going to be so damn touristy and hideously laden down with cameras and maps that we'll look like cartoon characters. Cant wait!

Surprise surprise I'm blogging from work. I am really lost as to what is blocked and what isn't...

I had to have a half day of work yesterday in order to take two car loads of junk to the dump. It was messy work and quite streneous coz I had to put a whole dressing table in the car without any help, but I definitely feel cleansed. Hooraaaah!

I was going to do a third trip which would have been three bags of normal rubbish (we forgot to put the rubbish out last week) and three bags of styrofoam but I decided to leave it until the normal rubbish collection day, which was this morning.

What a mistake. I was messing around trying to put Tori Amos's new album onto my ipod this morning, so I was late already, then I realised I had to put the rubbish out, so I tried to hurry but one of the bags split open on the driveway, sending old potatoes and coke cans scattering (among many other nasty things!).

So typical.

Needless to say I missed my train and had the smell of rubbish on my hands from having to re-bag the stuff. Totally gross!

Work is mega busy at the mo. I've got loads to do, and I dont know where to start. As soon as I start something people throw something else at me to do. And everything is always urgent. Ah well, better than being bored shitless.

Cant wait til we get to NY.

CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT