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