Thursday Thirteen - The Unusual

Having to work at the day job when I'd rather be shopping, or writing, is the pits. Surrounded by files, directories, notebooks, filing cabinets, and computer peripherals, just doesn't put me in a holiday mood. I have a mini poinsettia which looks like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, and it adds a little holiday cheer to my boring, monotone office. But, there are some other, more interesting things I have scattered around.

Here's a list of 13 unusual objects in my office.

1. A bag of cereal - for a quick afternoon snack.
2. A baseball.
3. A candle (Okay, maybe not so unusual. What's unusual is they let me burn it).
4. A fire extinguisher. (It's not that big of a candle!)
5. A minifridge. (Which means I get a lot of traffic in and out.)
6. A zen rock garden.
7. Christmas decorations. (In a box under a table.)
8. A pair of wire pliers.
9. A vacuum cleaner.
10. A silver-toned serving tray.
11. An empty purse.
12. A bottle of ground cinnamon.
13. A salt lick. Yes, the kind you usually find in cow pastures.

Honestly, my office is not in a closet. It just has more room for stuff which really shouldn't be seen in the boss's offices. However, I really need to find out how the salt lick found its way under my desk.

Jessie

Monday's Moment - The Birds

Not the movie. (And to be honest, as much as I love Hitchcock movies, I've never seen more than a few minutes of this one. Rear Window is my fav.)

Picture this: I'm sitting in my office at around 2:30 p.m. Outside, it's crisp and cold, around 38 degrees Everything is quiet. One of my bosses is still at lunch, and the other is in the conference room with clients. I'm working away, caught up in the daily grind, when I hear the sound of chirping birds. The very loud sound of chirping birds, like a whole flock of them has invaded our office. Which I knew hadn't occurred because there's a signal when our door is opened, and then I realized the sound came from the conference room.

A few seconds later, one of the people exited the conference room with cell phone in hand.

About 10 minutes later, the person got another call, and again the birds were chirping wildly.
Now, I'm not one to call the kettle black. I've got my own custom ring tones on my phone. I have the chorus from Tell Me Something Good as the ring tone for an editor I'm waiting to hear from.

However, hearing the sound of chirping birds in my office really threw me for a loop and off my stride.

So, what about you? What strange ring tones do you have on your phone? Or, better yet, do you have a ring tone that will invoke images of any Alfred Hitchcock movie? I'm still seeing Tippi Hedren trapped in the phone booth....

Jessie

Friday's Fantasy

24 hours alone.

Yep, that's this fantasy writer's fantasy. Just me, my computer, some snack foods, and blessed silence through my house. I need my alone time, and haven't had any in a loooong time. Yes, the laundry needs to be done. The kitchen needs cleaning. The floors need sweeping. Stories need to be written.

And I can't get any of those things accomplished while I'm turning in circles or running in place, which is how I feel.

I don't have any plans this weekend. Maybe I can convince DH to leave the house Saturday and give me a few hours. It won't be all the time I need, but it's a start.

Have a great weekend, everyone.
Jessie

Time Warp Thursday

My alarm went off at 7:18 this morning. Yeah, I know, not a morning person here. And hey, I don't have to be at work until 8:30, with only a 15 minute commute.

So, I hit the snooze, roll over, and get the best 9 minutes of sleep (because it's stolen sleep), before the alarm goes off again. 7:27.

Then, it's my usual morning routine. I'm listening to sports radio as I get ready for work (does this really surprise anyone?), and BAM! the announcer says the time is 8:41. No, that can't be right. My alarm clock reads 7:41. I checked it twice. I know it was correct when I went to bed last night, and I know I only hit the snooze button. Besides, to change the time on my alarm clock, you have to press two buttons simultaneously, and it's awkward. Probably to keep people from accidentally changing it.

I grab the purse, the keys, lunch, and I'm out the door. Outside, it's a balmy 66 degrees, lots of cloud cover, and lots of wind. Leaves are blowing everywhere as I place my stash in the car.

Still not believing I lost an hour somewhere, I checked the clock in my car, and sure enough, the little orange numbers read 8:54.

Luckily, I have great bosses, and not a word was said about my being late when I strolled in at 9:15.

However, this bears investigating. How was my clock correct when I went to bed last night, but off an hour when I woke up this morning? I think I should call Mulder & Skully.

Jessie

Monday's Moment - Love at First Sight

Do you remember "The One Thing" from the movie City Slickers? Curly had found perfection in that one moment when he saw the woman he could have loved. For him, it was enough just to carry the moment in his heart and live the rest of his life content.

However, most of us act on the feelings of "that moment". I did. I saw my DH across a room (literally) and the world stopped. Mind, body, and soul, I knew he was the one for me. Oh, I still made him take me through the courtship ritual, after all it was the rest of my life we're talking about.

There have been some rough spots, sure. But after 18 years, the world still stops when I see him across a room.

Was it really love at first sight? I think so. Others might disagree, and that's okay. I won't say our love hasn't grown, matured, or that our friendship came as easily as the love. (Being best friends with the love of your life isn't always as easy as it sounds.)

So, what about you? Do you believe in love at first sight?

Jessie

Finally Friday

Whew! What a week it's been.

I could go into the million and one things that have gone wrong, or lopsided, this week, but why bother? It's finally Friday, and I can go home and write.

Tomorrow is SMRW's annual Christmas Party & Booksigning. We'll all be at Barnes & Noble on Kingston Pike between 2 & 5 signing books and giving stuff away.

Tomorrow night, the gkids are coming over to help us put up the tree and decorate the house for Christmas, maybe bake some cookies, drink some hot chocolate, etc. I'll be worn out.

Sunday, I'm looking forward to a big, southern breakfast. That's eggs, biscuits, gravy, fried potatoes, bacon, pancakes, and occassionally, grits. I like cheese grits. Then, settling down in front of the television to watch a little football, while reading over one of my manuscripts for revisions. But when 8:15 p.m. rolls around, it's all Indy.

I think Monday morning is gonna come way too soon.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!
Jessie

Thursday Thesaurus - Lachrymose Over Synonyms

Synonym: n.

My Handy Dandy Thesaurus suggests: Well, actually it doesn't suggest anything. However, it is included in the entries for description and equivalence.

We learned the definition of synonym in elementary school - two words which have the same meaning, or somewhat the same meaning.

As authors, we sometimes want a new word for walk, or said. Usually, because we've used walk or said a hundred times in our current manuscript, and if we're tired of using it, the reader will most likely be tired of reading it. Won't they?

Maybe. Maybe not. I won't go into that here. What I want to discuss is the author who uses the obscure word found in her thesaurus for tearful -- lachrymose. If I had read lachrymose in a book (prior to today), I would've had to look up the meaning, or try to glean it from the surrounding prose.

My first thought when encountering a $5 word is not, "Oh my, what a wonderful vocabulary this author has. He/she must be brilliant!" No, it's more like, "Did you realize the word lachrymose would pull me right out of your story and send me to my dictionary?"

In other words, I'd rather read the dictionary than stay in the world you created.

I suppose it's better than someone who'd rather read the incredients on the cereal box than your story, but only marginally so.

And after I close the book, will I pick it up again? I might, because I leave very few books unread once I start them. But it will probably go in the giveaway box.

Jessie

Wednesday W(h)ines - Christmas Trees

I love Christmas Trees. The lights, the ornaments, the tree skirts, the crisp, clean scent of winter and the holidays.

And I'm horribly allergic to them.

I don't complain about being allergic to feathers (as in down jackets, comforters, pillows, etc.), because I can stay warm in any number of coats and sweaters, and sleep comfortably on any number of pillows.

I don't complain about the various animals I'm allergic to, even though I don't get to pet them as often as I'd like, and there are some breeds which don't affect me at all.

I don't complain about being allergic to household dust, because hey, it means my hubby gets that job, as well as mowing the grass due to all the stuff I'm allergic to outside.

But, it's just not fair to be allergic to Christmas trees. And if I go to a friend's house, or a party, etc., I have to ask if they have a live tree before I go (which just seems rude), or I suffer the reaction, because after only a few minutes, it's too late to take any kind of medication. The damage is already done. Even if I take something, it's usually a good two hours or so before the effects wear off. Meanwhile, my eyes look like I've been on a 3-day drunk, I'm sneezing every few seconds, and I can't breathe very well.

With some of the newer 12 hour and 24 hour allergy medications, I could probably tolerate Christmas trees, but those medications dry me out to the point where I'm as just as uncomfortable.

So, for now, I'll stick with my artificial tree. It's pretty, but it just isn't the same.

Jessie

Tuesday Tunes - Another Suitcase

One of my favorite musicals/poperas is Evita (The original Broadway Show). However, there is one song which I always skip when I'm listening to the soundtrack - Another Suitcase in Another Hall.

The song is absolutely wonderful and haunting in it's emotional depth. It's performed by Peron's mistress after Evita kicks the teenaged girl out.

So, I'm sure you're wondering why I skip the song.

Because it has absolutely nothing to do with the story line, and it feels more like an intermission.
A few minutes for the regular cast to rest their voices.

Authors do this, too. They'll add a scene, with or without the major characters, and it does nothing to further the story. It's a good scene, but it doesn't add any substance. And guess what? I skip over them, no matter how beautifully written. Most of the time, I feel like those scenes have been added for word count. If the pace needs to slow down a little, and sometimes it does in order for the reader to catch their breath, throwing in a scene which doesn't further the plot will do more than let me catch my breath. Nine times out of ten, it will get a bookmark. There's no driving force to induce me to turn the page, and when that happens, I can close the book.

Not good.

So, any time I'm tempted to write a scene which doesn't directly impact my plot, I pull out my CD of Evita and listen to Another Suitcase in Another Hall, and remind myself why those scenes will never work.

Jessie

Monday's Moment - "Hey Stella!!!"

On December 3, 1947, A Streetcar Named Desire opened on Broadway. Marlon Brando played Stanley, Kim Hunter played Stella, Jessica Tandy played Blanche, and Karl Malden played Mitch. Vivien Leigh played the role of Blanche in the movie, and while the first quote which comes to mind is "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," it is another Blanche quote which I believe sums up her character: "I don't want realism, I want magic."

And the movie is magic.

Stanley Kawolski is not a hero. (Neither is Mitch, for that matter.) He's crude, abusive, unrepentent in the face of his cruelty, and even though most women would never consider any kind of relationship with him, there's a raw sexuality exuding from him. As one girl I worked with once said about a man of Stanley's ilk, "I'd do him, but I wouldn't date him."

Which is why, at the end, we wonder why in the world Stella walks through the door, embraces Stanley with such passion, and let's him carry her off. But look closely at her face as she descends the stairs. He's desperate for her, crying, and for all her mousiness, in that moment, there's a tiger shining in her eyes. And the way her hands move over his back, like claws, tells us she may not be as meek and accepting of the abuse, even though she is accepting him. Or, she could just be caught in his sexual web. I like to think it's the former, and she has a little revenge planned for her husband.

No one will ever tame Stanley, and in my humble opinion, he should never be forgiven for the violent rape of Blanche and doesn't deserve the second chance from Stella.

But what if we could have the magic of Stanley without the reality? What if we could tame Stanley before he goes beyond redemption? This is why we sympathize with him even as we are sickened by his behavior.

Maybe someday, I'll have the guts to put those "what ifs" to the test and try to write a Stanley-type hero who does find redemption before he steps into the abyss of unforgivable. A man who can love unconditionally without the fatal flaws, but not flawless.

Jessie

Friday's Fiction - Ads

I've got to admit, some of the greatest works of fiction (fiction is by its nature, a lie) of our time are advertisements. On the internet alone, there are thousands of ads filling our e-mail boxes and our screens, all of them offering free stuff, or weight loss miracles, or better *performance*, or debt reduction, just to name a few.

And television ads aren't any better. I especially like the ads with 28 year old models who talk about looking old, while touting a product supposed to make you look younger.

Feel like a kid again.

You deserve a break, so eat out.

There's even one beer can that indicates when the beer is cold. Obviously, this is for people who wear gloves or who have lost feeling in their hands.

Or, the world as we know it will come to a screeching halt resulting in chaos if we choose to pay with cash or a check instead of a piece of plastic.

Remember a few years ago when the guy kept telling someone on the other end of his cell phone that he didn't do commercials? Yeah, and consumers still bought the phones, even though they knew the guy was lying, because, well it was a commercial.

And hey, I've never had a Viking ask me what's in my wallet.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!
Jessie

Thursday Thirteen

Happy Thursday, Everyone! I've been working on the first draft of Somewhere in the Night, the sequel to Lord Night. The stories take place in an alternate dimension created as a real-life video game. So, here are thirteen games I've been addicted to over the years:

1. Tetris: I bought this computer game in the early 90's, and I still play it almost every day.

2. Space Invaders: One of the original arcade games.

3. Wolfenstein: Finding all the secret hiding places and killing monsters.

4. Rook: Could sit and play for hours, especially during the holidays.

5. The Legend of Zelda: The original had crappy graphics, but Link was just sooo cute, and there was lots of hidden goodies to find.

6. Test Drive Off Road II: I've only beaten it once. My family laughs at me, because I cannot play this game sitting still. I move with the vehicle.

7. King's Quest I - IV: Love the puzzles, and the graphics were good for the time.

8. Mine Sweeper: Yes, the game which comes on everyone's PC. I've had it set on a 24x30 board forever and am up to 215 bombs.

9. Scrabble: Love the word game.

10. Bejeweled: My high score is over 2,000,000. Those sparklies call to me.

11. Asteroids: Another arcade original. We used to double-team the game, with one of us guiding the spaceship and one of us shooting. Worked well.

12. Mario: The original. I've picked up Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, but haven't started playing yet.

13. Myst: The eerie world kept me interested, even though the puzzles were so-so, and I figured out the shortcut to win very early in the game.

Plus, there are many, many more games I've played over the years, but was never to the point where I played them more than once or twice. And, there are some games which I love to watch others play, but have no desire to pick up the controller.

Jessie

Wednesday W(h)ines - The NFL Network

Tomorrow night the Green Bay Packers play the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC showdown. The young gun, Tony Romo, faces the seasoned gun slinger, Brett Favre in what should be an awesome game. Probably one of the best of the season.

But I won't get to watch it.

Why? Because it's on the NFL Network, and while I have the NFL Network on my cable system, they don't carry the games. According to the cable provider, the NFL Network charges and arm and a leg for games and it's cost prohibitive to air them.

It's bad enough that I haven't seen a Colts game since November 11th, and I won't get to see them this week, but missing the Packers/Cowboys game adds insult to injury. This doesn't endear me to either the NFL Network or my cable provider.

Yes, I know some satellite providers air the games. Before I moved, we had one and I saw all the NFL Network games last season. When we moved, though, I had to find another provider or use dial-up for my internet. Yes, I made the choice, and based my choice on getting the the Sci-Fi channel and the NFL Network, among a few others. At that time, there was no hint of not being able to see the games.

So, I'm stuck, along with a lot of other unhappy fans, because the cable companies and the NFL Network are having a pis#### contest. Unfortunately, it's the fans who are caught in the crossfire without a raincoat.

Jessie

Tuesday Tunes - Singin' a Sad Song Today

As we enter into the Christmas Season, and most eyes turn to literary works such as A Christmas Carol, I look to another of Dickens' classics - A Tale of Two Cities.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

Last Thursday, my mother, sister, and I went to the hospital to visit my new grandbaby (the best of times). He's so beautiful, and alert, and full of life, and while I feel so truly blessed with my family, my heart hurts. We all shed tears of joy and sorrow, because my father wasn't there.

It was this time last year when we learned of his cancer (the worst of times). One of the most poignant memories I have of him is about a week afterward. We were sitting at the kitchen table (our favorite spot), and he told me, "And if I die, think about the adventure I'll have then."

You can see why I always say Dad is my greatest inspiration.

Now, I have a new chapter in my own life's adventure. Being a grandma. I can't wait to show up for grandparents day at school on my motorcycle with cupcakes in the saddle bags. Oh yeah, Dad would totally appreciate that.

Jessie

Monday's Moments - Cursed

On November 26, 1922, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon were the first to enter the tomb of King Tutankhamen.

Shortly after Lord Carnarvon entered the tomb of the boy king, he was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito. During a morning shave, he aggravated the bite and it became infected. He died before medical help arrived. What's strange though, is that all of the lights in Cairo purportedly went out the moment he died.

When they unwrapped the mummy, it had a wound on its left cheek in the same exact position as Carnarvon's bite.

Howard Carter, however, was the first to enter the tomb of King Tut and lived a full decade after the discovery, which he spent cataloguing the contents of the tomb.

The media of the day went wild with tales of a mummy's curse, dogs howling in the darkest hours of the night and then dying, cobras eating pet canaries, etc. There was speculation that Carter had found an inscription of the curse on a tablet, on a candle base, on the entrance to the tomb, or on a wall in the tomb, and decided to destroy the warning so as not to frighten his superstitious workers. He denied all claims of finding such a curse.

Others also survived, including the 10 people who were present when the mummy was unwrapped. According to Herbert E. Winlock, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, out of the 22 people present when the tomb was opened, 6 had died by 1934. And of the 22 people present when the sarcophagus was opened, only 2 had died in the following decade.

We'll never truly know the complete story of King Tut, the king who took the throne at the age of 7, 8, or 9, and who then was probably murdered at the age of 17, 18, or 19. But we do know his tomb, though small and hastily built in the rubble of Ramses VI's tomb, held great treasures.
Jessie

Thursday Thirteen

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I'm Taking a break from my usual thesaurus and looking forward to a great day spent with my family. I'm thankful for God and everything he's given me, including a healthy new grandbaby! So, before I get to any serious cooking, here's 13 things I'll do today (aside from cooking & eating).

1. Clean the bathroom.
2. Dry the Laundry
3. Argue with Hubby.
4. Send Him to the Store.
5. Watch Lots of Footbal.
6. Visit my new grandson at the hospital.
7. Take Pictures.
8. Hunt for the Rook Cards.
9. Play Rook
10. Play the Wii
11. Check my E-mail.
12. Write & work on revisions.
13. Read.

Jessie

Wednesday W(h)ines

No whines today.

I've been scouring the internet looking at wines for Thanksgiving, and the concensus seems to be a light red, like Pinot Noir, or Beaujolais Nouveau, or any crisp white, like a Chardonnay or Riesling.

Personally, I go for the Pinot Noir, slightly chilled. For a white, I'd go with the Riesling. Of course, those are just my choices. The real rule of wine drinking is to serve what you like.

Yesterday's Answers:
1. You'll say, "We've got nothing in common. No common ground to start from, and..."
b) we're falling apart
Breakfast at Tiffany's, by Deep Blue Something

2. Ooh, Baby, when I see your face, gentle as the month of may. Ooh Darling, ...
a) I can't stand it
I Feel the Earth Move, by Carole King

3. Walk in shadow, move in silence...
a) guard against extra terrestrial violence
Men In Black, by Will Smith

4. We are the children, the last generation...
c) we are the ones they left behind
We Don't Need Another Hero, by Tina Turner

5. But I carry this feeling, when you walked into my house...
a) that you won't be walking out the door
Leather and Lace, by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley

6. Sitting in the movie show thinking...
b) nasty thoughts
Nasty, by Janet Jackson

7. You can pout your cherry lips, try to tempt him with a sweet kiss, you can flirt your pretty eyes...
a) he ain't got his hands tied
He Loves U Not, by Dream

8. You turned me out, you turned me on...
a) you turned me loose
You Dropped a Bomb on Me, by The Gap Band

9. A kiss is just a kiss. A sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply...
b) as time goes by
As Time Goes By, by Dooley Wilson

10. If you're lost, you can look...
a) and you will find me
Time After Time, by Cyndi Lauper

Have a safe & wonderful Thanksgiving!
Jessie

Tuesday's Trivial Tunes

In honor of all the new television shows popping up with a finish the lyrics theme, and my own love of music trivia, I've decided to do my own. These lyrics are from the first 10 songs which played from my music library at work. Unfortunately, I don't have any money to give away, but the first person to e-mail me at jessie.verino@gmail.com before midnight, November 20th with the correct answers will receive a free copy of Spellbound or Sensual Energy. I'll post the answers tomorrow.

*No. 11 was Sylvia's Mother, by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. Kinda gives you an idea about my music...*

1. You'll say, "We've got nothing in common. No common ground to start from, and..."
a) we'll end the slump
b) we're falling apart
c) we're almost done

2. Ooh, Baby, when I see your face, gentle as the month of may. Ooh Darling, ...
a) I can't stand it
b) when you tenderly call my name
c) I've just got to have you

3. Walk in shadow, move in silence...
a) guard against extra terrestrial violence
b) take 'em down in sequence
c) lull them to complacence

4. We are the children, the last generation...
a) looking for someone we can rely on
b) is it all over then
c) we are the ones they left behind

5. But I carry this feeling, when you walked into my house...
a) that you won't be walking out the door
b) that you'd been here before
c) I knew you'd never want to leave

6. Sitting in the movie show thinking...
a) I'd rather be with you
b) nasty thoughts
c) to show you my moves

7. You can pout your cherry lips, try to tempt him with a sweet kiss, you can flirt your pretty eyes...
a) he ain't got his hands tied
b) take your best shot
c) you can tell lies

8. You turned me out, you turned me on...
a) you turned me loose
b) you turned me upside down
c) you turned me in

9. A kiss is just a kiss. A sigh is just a sigh. The fundamental things apply...
a) like the blue of the sky
b) as time goes by
c) a case of do or die

10. If you're lost, you can look...
a) and you will find me
b) inside your heart
c) at a map

Good Luck!
Jessie

Monday's Moments - Pencils & PopTarts

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the first patent on the ballpoint pen. I thought it only fair to give the pencil equal time. On November 19, 1895, Frederick E. Blaisdell of Philadelphia, PA patented what he termed a "paper pencil." It was a piece of lead wrapped in paper with a string for revealing more lead. It probably looked a lot like our modern day china markers.

Personally, I don't like pencils, or more accurately, the sound they make when I write with them. Even in school, I used my favorite Bic pen to solve mathematical equations. I use pens to work crossword and other puzzles. Occassionally, I have to use a pencil at work, but I keep it sharpened to a lethal point to cut down on the scratching sound it makes.

Also on this date, Kellogg's introduced a new pastry/breakfast food: the PopTart. I ate them for years, and still buy them every once in awhile. I'm really more of a traditionalist when it comes to PopTarts. I've seen flavors come and go, and I've never been tempted to try any of the *wacky* flavors, which I'm sure are more to entice children than adults. My favorite changes, too. At first, it was the frosted brown sugar cinnamon. Then, it was chocolate with the white stuff in the center. Then, I went for cherry. Then, blueberry.

I haven't been able to find out which is the most popular flavor, but I suspect it's frosted strawberry, my DH's favorite.

What's your favorite flavor?

Jessie

Friday's Fiction - The Liturgical Mysteries

Haydin Konig is the Police Chief St. Germaine, a small town in North Carolina. He's also the organist and choir director at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. What he wants to be is a writer of hard-boiled mysteries. In pursuit of his dream, he purchases Raymond Chandler's typewriter in a vain hope that it will help spur his creativity.

It doesn't.

The Alto Wore Tweed is the liturgical mystery contained within the pages of this book, written on the old typewriter and intersperced with the real story. There's a dead body in the choir loft, and Hayden must find the killer.

Between the Penguin of Bethlehem, the 12 year-old wine snob, and the rest of the quirky population of St. Germaine, I lauged all the way through this book.

There are five books in the series so far: The Alto Wore Tweed, The Bariton Wore Chiffon, The Tenor Wore Tapshoes, The Soprano Wore Falsettos, and the Bass Wore Scales. I've read the first four and have yet to be disappointed.

They're light, easy reads. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon, or the choir loft.

Have a Great Weekend!

Jessie

Thursday Thesaurus - Inspiration

Inspiration - n

My Handy-Dandy Thesaurus suggests: arousal, awakening, big idea, brainstorm, creativity, enthusiasm, motivation, muse and spark, among others.

I found this very interesting from a writing standpoint, because I always considered my inspiration as something a little more long-lasting.

But consider this: I hear a song and the beat of the music, or one of the lyrics, or the title arouses my imagination. There's a spark of creativity, the awakening of a big idea which motivates me to write. With enthusiasm I brainstorm my idea until it becomes a story.

The only one I left out was "muse".

I know some writers who depend on their muse for every word they write, or I hear phrases like, "My muse took over the story." Then, there are some who wrestle their muse to the ground, stomp on it, and declare they are writing whether their muse is willing or not.

I like the second group. Not that I haven't fallen victim to the first group--after all it's a convenient excuse not to write today. I'm just not feeling it. I can't find my muse.

Well, using my astonishing powers of deduction from the list of words above, you shouldn't be looking for your muse. The creature has already left to become inspiration for another writer. The muse should be fleeting. A brilliant flash which gets you started, but doesn't hang around for the actual work involved in writing your story.

You haven't lost your muse, the inspiration you had when you started your story is still there. It's done it's part. You have to do yours if you want the story written.

Jessie

Wednesday W(h)ines

Traffic sucks. There's always some sort of interstate construction going on, and I could avoid it if I want to drive through no less than three school districts. There's construction on the bypass, which I don't use, but travel past every morning. So, it backs up traffic on the interstate for about a mile where we all travel around 10mph. Then, as soon as we pass that, we hit a stretch of interstate construction all our own...two lanes at 45mph. And almost everyone wants to get in the outside lane to travel into downtown, which of course means we play chicken with those who are brave enough to still use the three on-ramps to the interstate which are still open.

Okay, I got that out of my system, but really, it's enough to drive a person to drink (pun intended). No drinking while driving, though, and no drinking at the day job. In fact, there have been a few functions I've been to lately where alcohol was a no-no. So, my wine for this week is...
Sparkling Grape Juice.

I know. I know. It isn't a wine, but it's a first cousin and good for pretending. First, we popped the "cork" at our monthly SMRW meeting (at the public library) to celebrate two of our members who signed contracts last month. Cheryel Hutton signed with Samhain, and Leanne Tyler signed with The Wild Rose Press.

I don't care for the red sparkling grape juice, but the white was decent. So, when I was asked to buy some more the "bubbly" last night, I skipped the red altogether.

I may pick up a bottle the next time I'm at the grocery store to keep at the office. Who knows? I might have a chance to celebrate something at the day job, and I want to be ready.

Just in case.

Jessie

Tuesday Tunes

We finally got some rain here in East Tennessee!!

In honor of this, I'm asking, "What's your favorite *rain* song?"

Here are a few from my playlist, and then some, in no particular order. If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Purple Rain or I Wish it Would Rain. So, pick one and let me know, or throw another title into the mix.

What's Your Favorite "Rain" Song Lizzie & the Rain Man, by Tanya Tucker Fire & Rain, by James Taylor Purple Rain, by Prince I Wish it Would Rain, by The Temptations Rain King, by the Counting Crows Rain Down on Me, by Genesis Laughter in the Rain, by Neil Sedaka Rainy Days & Mondays, by The Carpenters Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, by BJ Thomas Blame it on the Rain, by Milli Vanilli Rainy Night in Georgia, by Ray Charles Kentucky Rain, by Elvis Presley Let it Rain, by Eric Clapton It's Raining Again, by Supertramp Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, by Willie Nelson Current Results

Have a great day!

Jessie

Monday's Moments

To all who serve, who have served, and who will serve, we salute you. For your sacrifice, your dedication, and your loyalty, we simply, humbly say thank you.

On November 11, 1928, the first American Soldier was interred in The Tomb of the Unknowns, orginally called the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and which has never been officially named.

On May 30, 1958, two American Soldiers from WWII and the Korean War were laid to rest beside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Their markers are flush with the plaza grounds.

On May 28, 1984, an American Soldier from the Vietnam War was laid to rest, but was exhumed on May 14, 1998 and identified as Michael Joseph Blassie through DNA testing. The crypt has remained empty since that time.

The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year by soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment -- The Old Guard. The soldiers guarding the tomb never wear rank insignia on their uniforms so as not to outrank the Unknowns.

The Unknown Soldier of WWI was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. All others have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

HERE RESTS IN
HONORED GLORY
AN AMERICAN
SOLDIER
KNOWN BUT TO GOD

Peace & Comfort to you, our Soldiers.

Jessie

Friday's Fiction

The Circle Trilogy, by Nora Roberts
published 2006

I'm still reading Creation in Death, so I thought I'd go with something from JD Robb's alter-ego. I don't normally read Nora Roberts titles, but I won this set at a chapter meeting, and the paranormal elements sucked me right in. Again, not a review, just my personal take.

A man from ancient Ireland, his brother the vampire, the vampire hunter, the shapeshifter, the witch, and a few others are brought together by the Goddess Morrigan to defeat the evil vampire. The stories span a number of time periods and lands.

I enjoyed this trilogy. The ancient and modern, and not quite of our realm, are beautifully woven together. There's a bit of "mad scientist" feel to the magic, and the characters are true to their personalities.

Status: I recommend them, but they will go back to the prize locker.

Have a great weekend!

Jessie

Thursday Thesaurus

Metaphor - n

My handy, dandy thesaurus suggests: analogy, image, symbol, among others.

Writers use metaphors all the time. You may not realize it, as some are very skillfully used, and some, well they're just lazy or weak writing.

Stephen King's use of blood in Carrie is a perfect example of symbolism. He didn't do it conciously, and only took notice of it after the first draft of the story. However, he used it to its full advantage, because whether the reader realized it or not, very few people ever think of blood as a good thing. So, blood as a metaphor for change? For death & destruction? For power? These are used almost universally and connect with the reader.

Metaphors used by writer which are considered weak or lazy, (usually called cliche's) in my opinion fail to engage the reader. There's still a universal connectivity, but the readers' senses aren't engage.

For example: To describe a villain, a writer might write this:

The man didn't care for anyone or anything. He had a heart of stone.

As a reader, I get the general idea here. We've all known people like our villain, and if I were to read this in a story, the words would paint a vague and quick description. One to which I wouldn't give very much thought. (This is also telling instead of showing.)

I use weak metaphors sometimes in my first draft and then strengthen them during revisions. In the second draft, it might look something like this:

Apathy clung to his skin, shrouded him. Protected him from all the destructive emotions others seemed to be afflicted with. His right front tire thumped, and in the rearview mirror he noticed a small dog writhing on the pavement. Damn! He'd have to get the front end aligned again.

Granted, it's not a great example, but doesn't it give you a more clear picture? Not only does it show he doesn't care about the poor dog's suffering, but this obviously isn't the first time he's run over an animal, or perhaps worse.

If you're tempted to use metaphors in your writing, do so in the first draft. Then weed them out. (Couldn't resist using one more.)

Jessie

Wednesday W(h)ines

Too many books - not enough time.

I'm doing something which I rarely do. I'm reading two books. Normally, I read them one at a time, but last night I couldn't help myself. With only about 100 pages left in Requiem for An Assasin, I started Creation in Death. Why do I torture myself this way? I lost too many hours of sleep last week reading Lover Unbound, and it looks like I'm going to lose some more sleep this week. Because, you guessed it, after I went to bed last night, I got back up, and read some more.

Since last week, I've done a little (very little) research on wines. One of the things I've learned is that you need to let it breathe. It has something to do with releasing and mellowing the flavors.

I think a good book should be treated with the same deference as a good wine. One shouldn't simply pop the cork and guzzle from the bottle, nor should one crack open a book and dive right into the first page.

Let it breathe.

Admire the artwork on the dust cover (or regular cover if it's a paperback). Take a few moments to read the cover blurb, the inside cover excerpt, a few of the reviews (in the case of Mark Schweizer's books, these are as entertaining as the story), and the titles of the author's other works. Let all of these flavors come alive and mingle, adding to the rich texture of the story.

Don't guzzle.

You may miss some of the subtle nuances. Savor the experience. Just as there are a limited number of bottles for any vintage, this is the only *first time* you'll read this book.

Jessie

Tuesday's Tunes

Today is Glen Frey's birthday. He's 59. He's written some of my favorite songs, with the Eagles and solo. Some of his songs include:

Take It Easy
New Kid in Town
Doolin-Dalton
Smuggler's Blues
The Best of My Love
I Can't Tell You Why
Wasted Time
Tequila Sunrise
and many, many more.

I have New Kid in Town on 45 rpm record. Most of the others, I have on album or disk. It's hard to pick a favorite among his songs, but if pressed, I might be able to narrow the ones I have listed to one or two.

New Kid in Town, I Can't Tell You Why, & Tequila Sunrise. Those soulful tunes get to me.

So, Happy Birthday, Mr. Frey, and may you have many more.

Jessie

Monday's Moments

I spent a lot of time researching cameras for one of my stories today. I know nothing about good cameras, and that no doubt slowed my research. However, I finally decided my hero uses a Hasselblad 503CW and either a Linhof Master Technica or a Mimiya (sp).

But, it got me thinking. Can we really capture a moment?

With the advances in photography, specifically with digital imaging, we can take loads of pictures and almost instantly upload them and arrange them in electronic albums. This is a lot easier and cheaper than the pictures I have in the plastic sleeve pages of my "old fashioned" albums, or the even older static pages.

Yesterday, I took several pictures at a baby shower. The mother-to-be glowed as she opened presents, and the father, well let's just say his excitement was less noticeable. After all, we forced him into staying while a few other guys were watching football in the back room.

And once the baby is born, there will be many other pictures: of the birth, his hospital stay, his room, his feedings, people holding him, his first steps, and so on. Moments that might've been lost without a camera at the ready.

Or would they be lost? Time and memory might slowly fade the joys the pictures try to show us, but I have many, many memories which are (at least for now) as sharp and vivid as the event itself. When I'm 80, will a picture bring the emotions back to me? When I'm gone, with those emotions die with me, or will someone pick up an old photograph, or see the picture on a computer screen and think, "That's a happy moment."

I hope I leave behind a million happy moments.

Jessie

Friday's Fiction

This is book 5 of the series. I've read all of them (several times), and have become totally engrossed in this world and these characters, their struggles.

Vishous is not an easy man to love. Respect, yes, but he has a dark core. Where the other brothers can usually find some humor, Vishous remains passive. His joy is pain, his pain is unbearable.

Then just as his life is turned inside out by a revelation none of the brothers could have predicted, he is mortally wounded. Dr. Jane Whitcomb patches him up, but there are a few complications.

Oh, Wow. This book cost me a couple hours of sleep this week. I had to force myself to close the book and get some sleep at 2:00 a.m. at least twice in the last few nights. Beautifully written, gritty, sensually charged, this book has it all.

Status: Never loaning out.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

Jessie

Thursday Thesaurus

Construct - v

My Handy Dandy thesaurus suggests: build, fabricate, create, and arrange (among others).

Of course, most people think of buildings or manufacturing plants. Very few people apply the word to writing, but look at it this way:

I build a world.

I fabricate the societal structures of the world

I create (hopefully) believable characters who live in the world.

I arrange situations, conflicts, and other obstacles to complete the plot.

And I do it all without having to wear an uncomfortable hard hat, or smashing my thumb with a hammer. Sometimes, it's hot, sweaty work and leaves me with sore muscles and a headache, and sometimes it's more like I spent the day holding the "Men Working" sign.

I've started writing again, and the muscles are a little limp, so I decided to start some workouts. Someone, (I wish I could remember who so I could give her credit) sent an e-mail on one of my loops today about the Ficlets website. At Ficlets, you can start a story, or add to a story with a prequel or sequel. The catch? You only have 1024 characters. It makes you write tight.

I added a starter today (The Key), and I'll probably try to put something up once or twice a week. It's also great for getting the creative juices flowing. So, instead of writing, I'm doing creative construction.

Jessie

Wednesday W(h)ines

It's cold.

Okay, now we've gotten the whine out of the way, let's move on to the wine.

I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, and truthfully I can't tell a good one from a bad one. I like champagne, and every once in a while a glass of merlot or cabernet. I don't know what kind of glass they're supposed to be poured into, and frankly I don't care. I don't distinguish different plates for chicken, fish, or beef, so if I find myself with a bottle of wine, the contents get poured into whatever glass is handy

However, about two years ago I ran across a wine I really like. Manischewitz Cherry Wine. It's kosher, it's sweet (hubby says it's too sweet), and it's cheap, selling for about $5 a bottle. I'm not embarrassed to say I like a cheap wine. Although for some, this revelation is more horrifying than anything they'll see or hear on this day of horrors. (Halloween for those who may read this sometime in the future.)

And, if you visit the company's website here, you'll find an excellet recipe for Cherry-Chocolate Tam-Tam Pie. I have no idea what Tam Tam crackers are, but anything cherry and chocolate gets my mouth watering. Sounds like a good dessert for Thanksgiving dinner.

Jessie

Tuesday Tunes

I thought I'd start with a random hit off my computer catalog of music and blog about the first song that played. But, after staying up to watch Brett Favre's magnificent 82 yard touchdown pass in overtime, I changed my mind and decided to do a football song. I'm not talking about the songs performed during the promo spots or at the beginning of the shows, I mean a one-time top 40 hit about football. Sort of.

The year: 1969
The artist: Mel & Tim
The song: Backfield in Motion

You can find the lyrics here.

In football, it's a five yard penalty against the offense- more than one man in motion at the snap, and is called as illegal motion. The referee's signal is described as "Horizontal arc with one hand" and can be seen here.

The song also mentions the penalties of off-sides and holding, and strangely enough, a short baseball reference to balking. Must've been written in October.

I'm not sure when they started using illegal motion instead of backfield in motion, and haven't found any references to the switch. If anyone knows, please share the knowledge.

Jessie

Monday's Moments

I'm not much of a history buff. But every once in awhile I run across something interesting while doing research for a story, or just browsing the web.

For instance, I learned that today is the anniversary of the sale of the first ballpoint pen in America in 1945 at Gimbel's Department Store for $12.50. The marvel of the ballpoint pen shows up in a lot of time-travel fiction, and for the common man prior to 1945, it was pretty amazing.

However, did you know it was patented in 1888? Me either. In fact, the ballpoint pen went through several transformations and patents before the first "Rocket" was sold in the US.

Personally, I still like writing with a ballpoint pen. I like the feel of it in my hands, the movement of making words, the differences in my handwriting depending on my mood and what I'm writing. And my favorite pen?

The Bic Stic, now named the Bic Cristal - black ink, medium point.

Jessie

Sunday Surprise

Yesterday, DH & I went furniture shopping. I like lots of splashy color. He likes neutrals. He got the slate couch and I got a new bookshelf in lieu of the set I really wanted. I think it's a fair trade-off.

So, I've been rearranging books. This morning, I pulled one book off an old shelf entitled, Standing the Gaff. It's been in my family forever. Published in 1935, by umpire Harry "Steamboat" Johnson. I've never read it. I've kept it for sentimental reasons. My uncle Kyle played minor league baseball for a few years, and might've made it to the big league if he hadn't been a mean drunk. By the time I was born, he was pretty much a washed-out has been who lived off my grandparents. He played the harmonica with a natural ability I've rarely seen, built model airplanes with perfection, taught me how to roll a cigarette, and died at an early age. Oh, there are plenty of stories there, but back to the book.

Apparently, my dad either bought or inherited the book, and he's written all through it. Sometimes his name, sometimes baseball stats by inning (probably watching my uncle's games), the birth years for everyone in my father's immediately, family and sometimes it looks like he's just practicing his penmanship. (It didn't help.)

Between the pages of the book, I found what looks like my grandmother's recipe for chocolate pie, a free offer cutout from the newspaper for salad dressing which was never sent in, another cutout of an advertisement, and another cutout, my birth announcement. I sat down, handling that small scrap of newspaper with the utmost care and read about the other births at the same hospital, two girls and two boys, and thought about how far we've come as the announcements started, Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Doe announce of the birth of... No mention of the mother's name whatsoever.

This ratty book which I've kept for years because of my uncle Kyle, held a treasure trove of bits of my family's history. What a nice Sunday surprise.

Jessie

Friday's Fiction

Disclaimer: This is not a review, only my personal take on books I am currently reading.



Barry Eisler Home Page

I picked this book up last weekend at the Expo after meeting the author. It's the first in a series about assasin John Rain.

John is Japanese-American, and doesn't feel fully at ease in either culture. He likes jazz and a good single malt. Does he like killing? I think if you were to ask him, he'd shrug and answer, "It's a living. One I'm good at."

He doesn't really have a place to hang his hat, and although the reader can tell he doesn't have a lot of respect for the nine-to-fivers who simply work for the paycheck and retire, I think he envies the sort of life which offers family, stability.

He believes he's a man without hope...without redemption.

But he has a few rules which belie those beliefs. He won't kill women, children, or a second tier to the principle. Two of those I understand, children (obviously) and the second tier. I don't remember how he phrases it in the book, but it just seems like a stupid risk for little to no return to me. He doesn't explain why he won't kill women, so the reader is left to his or her assumptions.

(Here's where I have to admit I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the Japanese phrases in the story. However, I'm sure it's only my Southern showing through.)

I haven't completed reading Rain Fall, but I can already tell you it's a fantastic story. The fight scenes are written as clean and quick as the kills, and the description gives the reader a glimpse into a Japan which the average reader never sees in other media. John Rain is a mesmerizing character, and I find myself wanting to know this man intimately -- not in a sexual sense, but more like an old friend. The one you haven't seen in a decade, but when you meet it feels like the years haven't passed.

Status: Keeper Shelf

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Jessie

Thursday Thesaurus

Refurbish.

Some suggestions from my handy-dandy thesaurus are: recondition, reequip, repair, restore, recondition, spruce up, & clean up.

Now, I don't have a problem purchasing refurbished products. However, I just saw an ad for refurbished defibrillators.

Excuse me?

When my life's on the line, I do not want the paramedics pulling out a reconditioned, cleaned up, spruced up defibrillator. Call me crazy.

I didn't click on the ad, so I can't make any cost comparisons to a new defibrillator. I don't know what kind of warranty the proprietors offer, or if there are any regulations governing such things. I should hope there are, but it still makes me a tad uncomfortable thinking that some Joe off the street could purchase a refurbished defibrillator, or worse that a high school could. Think about that the next time you see the battery commercial where defibrillator saves the basketball player's life. I'm thinking the effectiveness of the defibrillator should be more important than the batteries.

So, what would you buy, or refuse to buy, refurbished?

Jessie

Free E-Book from Phaze

Hello everybody. As 2007 comes to a close we've decided to conduct a reader's survey to get an
idea of what people want, what people look for, and what we can do to make
people happy. You can see it/take it here:

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB226ZQ848Y2S

All readers who take the survey will receive a free eBook for their time,
and be put in a drawing to win three paperbacks of their choice.

You might want to peruse the Phaze catalog first at www.phaze.com

Already Missing You

8.24.07: Already Missing You, Dad


First, I want to thank all of you who kept my family in your prayers. All of us, Dad included, appreciated them, the good thoughts, and kind messages.

He passed August 23, 2007, at 3:30 p.m., peacefully in his sleep. He fought so hard for so long (since November 2006 when the first stage 3 tumor was found), and even the morning before he passed, he was trying to get out of bed. His body gave out before his mind and heart gave up.

He and Mom would have celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary this December. His last words were to take care of her, and she was holding his hand when he passed.

9.7.07: The haze is slowly starting to fade, and I'm getting back into what my *normal* everyday life was before last November. Mom still has some health issues, but she's doing very well. I'm looking forward to finishing some of the projects which were ignored, and having some new stories out soon.

Jessie

Why I Write Romance

Why I Write Romance


The answer is really simple. I believe in it. Oh, not the hearts, and candy, and roses, sort of romance the hawkers sale during Valentine's, but the happily ever after.

If you've been reading my blog in the past 7 or 8 months, you know my father is dying of cancer. My mother has a sever blockage in her carotid artery and is having mini strokes. About 2 weeks ago, she had a bad fall in their garage - the washer won. She looked like a raccoon for about a week, but thankfully she didn't break any bones, which is a miracle.

Dad cried as the medics took her out.

Honestly, none of us thought Dad would make it this long. They stopped any kind of treatment 3 weeks ago. He's been in and out of hospice, and we had another scare today. However, he rallied and managed to get out of bed, eat a little, and was sitting at the kitchen table when I left.

He doesn't want to leave Mom.

Their 53 years of marriage haven't been perfect, but it's been perfect for them.

That's why I write romance. It's not a dream, or fairy tale. It does exist, and I've been fortunate enough to have been surrounded by it. My parents found it, my sister and her husband found it, and I found it (17 years this Saturday).

Jessie

Some Serious Catching Up

I haven't been very active lately, but with my parents' health on a rapid decline, well, things get pushed back, and back, and back. Dad is still with us, but I'm afraid it won't be for long.

My website is down. I'll be getting a new one in a few days, but until it's up and running, I'll be using my MySpace page (www.myspace.com/jessieverino).

I'm getting a little writing done, and will finish Statues soon. Look for it in November in Phaze Fantasies from www.phaze.com.

I'm also attending the Women's Expo again this year, and there are some very exciting things going on there. Check out their website at www.womensexpoauthors.com to see the fantastic, and I mean fantastic, list of authors attending, such as Christine Feehan, Dr. Bill Bass, Barry Eisler, Angela Knight, and the list goes on and on. There are also seminars and a dinner scheduled.

Jessie

Oscar, Everybody Loves You, Oscar

Well, I’m sure the winners love him, but the non-winners probably don’t have a whole lot of nice things to say about him right now. However, whether your favorite movies brought home a little gold statue last night or not, everybody can win at Phaze. In honor of winners of last night’s Oscars, all Surges at Phaze are 50% off through Friday! That’s a lot of bang for your buck! And, Sci-Fi, Romantic Comedy, Historical and BBW are all 25% off this week. So feel the Surge and get a jolt of Sensual Energy.

Jessie

The In-Betweens

The cold temperatures finally moved on, and it's supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow. In-between winter and spring.

I'm working on a few new projects. In-between books.

My Mom is now in the hospital, and Dad had his port put in for the upcoming chemo treatments. He can't go to the hospital to see Mom, because his immune system is already so compromised from the radiation treatments. In-between caring for each of my parents.

My DH is working a short call and will probably be unemployed again by the end of the week. In-between jobs.

The other secretary in our office quit, and now I'm working 9-10 hours a day. In-between co-workers.

Man, when you read it that way, it sound like I should be depressed, or stressed, or any other of the various negative emotions out there. It's not easy being in-between all this stuff, but I have great family, great bosses, great editors, and God. I can feel good about the little things I've accomplished. I can feel good about my son and his family getting a house. I can feel good about the fact that Mom & Dad both have fantastic doctors and great attitudes. I can feel good about my bosses understanding my situation and knowing I could be called away at any moment. I can feel good because my IT guy brought me a king size Snickers, and I haven't even opened it yet. I can feel good, because I'm surrounded by love and friendship.

Thanks to everyone who has sent a prayer or thought our way.

I hope everyone is feeling as good as I am right now. If not, I'll send warm thoughts and prayers your way, and a smile.

Jessie

Cold Temps & Salmonella

I don't eat a lot of peanut butter, but about two weeks ago, I bought a jar (low fat Peter Pan) to keep in my office. Working 9-10 hours a day, I felt the little protein boost in the afternoon would help. Uh-huh. Just my luck, the jar I bought is one in the infected recall. I haven't had severe symptoms, except for last Sunday, but I have eaten at least a tablespoon of peanut butter almost every day for the past two weeks. I'm sending the lid back and getting a refund. But what's really scary is I've been delivering dinner to Mom & Dad a couple of nights a week. I haven't handled their food, only the packaging, and I do wash my hands, but we spend almost every minute in their kitchen when I'm there. Thank goodness I haven't handle any of Dad's insulin or needles. I've got to make some phone calls.

To all those buried under snow, I hope you have power and water, and please stay safe. It's cold here (downright frigid for the South - lows in the teens), and I'm ready for spring. The weather people are predicting snow for us tomorrow. Saturday, which figures. No snow day from work.

Dad goes Monday to have the port inserted for his chemo. It'll be an all day thing, and I'm sure it will wear him out. He's now almost bald from the radiation treatments he received and still very tired.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Jessie

Happy Valentine's Day & More

First, some catch up. Congratulations to the World Champion Indianapolis Colts!!! And to Tony Dungy and MVP, Peyton Manning, along with Joseph Addai, Dominic Rhodes, Adam Vinatieri, and all the rest. Gentlemen, thanks for the great, exciting season.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. I had a great night with my hubby. He took me to my favorite Mexican restaurant.

Work has gotten a little crazy. I'm now the only support staff in the office, and it looks like the 9-10 hour days aren't going to end any time soon.

Dad completed his radiation treatments and starts the chemo in a little over a week. Me and my family appreciate all your kind words, thoughts, and prayers, and ask that you continue to keep us in them.

MySpace Glitter Graphics



I hope everyone has a fantastic Valentine's Day! Remember, the day is to celebrate love, so be sure to let the ones you love know it.



I'm going to spend the evening with the ones I love and who are important to me - my family. I'll stop by the bakery and pick up something sweet, a cake probably, and then grab my parents some dinner.



The evening will be wonderful. Bittersweet in a way, due to my Dad's cancer, but I know every moment spent with him, with my family, is precious.



My son and his family were going to try to come by Sunday, but didn't make it. So, in true Valentine fashion, I went ahead and opened the candy I'd bought for them and ate most of it. Of course, I'm going to replace it, probably with something better than what I first bought. It wasn't that great. Really, they should thank me. Maybe I'll give him a call and see if I can't guilt him into coming over tonight.



Jessie

Hoping for Snow

Predictions went from 1" - 3", then the predictions changed to 2" - 5". I was sooo looking forward to snow day from work. I set my alarm, despite the dire predictions.

Now I know, most of you reading this are thinking, "Is she nuts?! That's not enough snow to get out of work." However, here in East Tennessee that's enough snow to shut everything down and have almost everyone running to their local grocery store to stock up on the essentials: bread, milk, peanut butter, beer, and toilet paper.

When the alarmed beeped at me this morning, I got up and shuffled to the front door to check on the amount of snow and ice on the road.

Where's my snow?????

To the south.

And joy of all joys, the weatherman is predicting more winter weather around lunch time. Of course, it's supposed to move on through and then warm up so that our afternoon commute home will be okay. (Which means my dad can get to his radiation treatment. I really can't complain about that.)

YUCK!

There's hope for tonight, though. Another front moving through, and it might just bring enough ice and snow to keep me out of work on Friday, which altogether isn't a bad trade.

Jessie

Exhausted

Dad's doing much better. After some extensive testing, the doctors have determined that it is a tumor in his brain, but without brain surgery, there's no way to determine what type of tumor it is. He's taking radiation treatment, steroids, and anti-convulsants. He's taking a few steps on his own, but he's still wobbly. It's going to be a long, hard road ahead for him. He knows it, and still has a great attitude toward the whole thing.

After the past week and a half, spending equal amounts of time at work and my parents, I took Friday off and slept. And slept. And slept. I knew I was tired, but didn't realize exactly how exhausted I'd been. Speaking of work, it looks like things will ramp up there as I'm going to be the only support staff for a while. Thank goodness my DH is laid off, otherwise nothing would get done in my house.

On the writing front, I've been doing very little. I have two stories open now, and will work on them today. Check my projects page for further progress (or non-progress as the case has been lately).

Go Colts!!!!!
Jessie

A Fool's Errand...

...or the world's biggest optimist?

That's the question I kept asking myself yesterday morning. The doctors sprung Dad from the hospital Friday night. So I was at their house bright and early Saturday morning. Made coffee, fought my way through the maze of medications, prepared his insulin injection (the steroids are making his sugar high), and I was ready to sit for a few minutes. But no. Dad was out of cigarettes.

Did I mention he has lung cancer?

He also had a winning lottery ticket. Just a few dollars. (We play for fun when it gets over $200m.)

So, he hands me the lottery ticket and tells me to roll it over, which means buy as many picks as dollars he won, and money to buy him a carton of cigs.

I shouldn't have, but I did. He's flat out told me, my family, and his doctors that he's not going to quit smoking.

Well, what do you expect from Roger the Logger, quite possibly the toughest man in the entire world?

Jessie

"I'm a Logger."

Well, I've had a bit too much excitement this week. Dad went for his 1st chemo treatment Tuesday, but they had done a CT scan on his brain Monday, and the results showed a tumor in the right side of his brain. So, they sent him home with another appointment with a radiologist for Friday. On the way home, he started having seizures. He went back to the hospital by ambulance, and the family was called in.

When we arrived he was still seizing. The ER physician saw indications that the cancer had spread to his liver and possibly his stomach. After a few rounds of really good drugs, they stopped the seizing and ordered a CT scan of the stomach & liver. We were told to expect comfort measures only.

They did the scan late Tuesday night, and we didn't learn the results until early Wednesday morning--there's an abscess on the outside of his liver, probably from an emergency gall bladder surgery he had 4 years ago. We also learned that a brain tumor and a brain abscess look almost identical on a CT scan of the brain, and that the tumor could actually be an abscess. They scheduled an MRI for today, which hopefully will give us a definitive answer.

I was praying for a miracle, I'm not going to argue with the results. I'll take a brain abscess over a tumor any day of the week.

Now, for the title of this post: There's an old Ray Stevens' song entitled, The Haircut Song. Here are some of the lyrics:

Well, Butte, Montana just a'passin' through, one thing I just had to do,
Had to get a haircut and I was worried for my hair.
I had a feeling of impending doom the minute I stepped into that room and laid my eyes upon that barber chair.
It was a macho barber shop. Hair dryers were mounted on a rifle rack. Wasn't no mirrors. The barber chair was a Peterbilt... Barber walked in; he was huge, seven feet tall, three hundred pounds of spring steel and rawhide. Wearin' a hard hat, chewin' a cigar, had a t-shirt on -- said, "I hate musicians."
Threw me in the chair, sneered and said, "What'll it be pal?"
Now a lot of people would be intimidated in a situation like this...I was not. I am what I am, play my little piano, and sing my little songs. I looked him right in the eye and I said, "I'm a logger - just up from Coos Bay, Oregon. Been toppin' trees - quite possibly the toughest man in the entire world."

Dad & I quote the part about playing the piano and singing songs every time we're together. It always pops up in one of our conversations, usually along the line of,

"Well, what can you do?"
"I don't know. I just play my little piano, sing my little songs."

Well, Tuesday night when they finally got him to a room around 11:30 p.m. or so, the nurse came in and asked Dad his name. At this point, he was riding high on the ativan, and he sounded like he'd been on a three day drunk because his tongue was swollen from his biting it during the seizures. He looked her straight in the eye and answered, "My name's Roger. I'm a logger from Coos Bay, Oregon. Quite possibly the toughest man in the world. Just playin' my little piano and singin' my little songs."

The look on her face was priceless, and we were all laughing so hard none of us could explain why he'd answered that way. His name's not even Roger. We have no idea where that came from. And he's still telling the new nurses who come in at shift change that he's a logger from Oregon, even though he's completely cognizant. He had a long conversation with one of the nurses about Oregon and Seattle (where she is from) this morning. (He has been there.)

He kicked us out shortly thereafter, and I haven't heard anything from anyone regarding the MRI. I think I may go home after work and collapse now that the immediate danger is over. The chair I slept in last night at the hospital didn't provide a good night's rest.

Jessie

No Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow...

...can keep an author from a booksigning and reading.

Wow! Donna Wright & I had a fantastic time at the Madagascar Coffee Company in Kingsport, Tennessee last night! We had some nasty weather in East Tennessee yesterday--snow, sleet, a mixture of snow and sleet--in short, it was cold & yucky.

We arrived at 6:00 p.m., and were treated to some really great food and coffee. The shop is absolutely gorgeous, and the back room was perfect for us to mingle with the people who braved the weather to attend the event.

Donna and I both read, though we had to close the door for some of the passages from my works. ;) It was a great crowd, and they all got into the books and participated.

I'm sure we'll be going back soon.

Jessie

Great Weekend

Well, I felt sorta *Blah* all day Saturday, even during the games. But, I'm still riding high on the Colts' win. I enjoyed the Seahawks' win, too.

Sunday, I had just settled down at my computer, the game was on, I had my Fury open and ready, and the doorbell rang. My son and his family stopped by for a visit, and we had an absolutely fantastic Sunday afternoon, and we finished the day with a trip to my favorite Mexican restaurant. Even the little ones enjoyed the food.

All in all, I think I got about 30 words written, but that's okay, because no words can outweigh those memories.

Happy Monday!
Jessie

Stage IV

Bi-lateral tumors. Metastasized. Chemotherapy. Radiation. I could have lived quite happily without ever hearing those words. The doctor didn’t complete the procedure to check Dad’s lymph nodes. There was no point after the scope found another tumor in his right lobe. Didn’t want to put his body through the stress of the procedure when the cancer has already metastasized. Treatment can stop or slow the growth, but at this point there is no cure.

But there's always hope. He’s a fighter, his spirit is good, and his faith is solid. I know those things go a long way in treatment. And I do believe in miracles.

Thoughts and prayers still appreciated.

Thanks,
Jessie