Happy Halloween or Nano Eve

Well since I told you of my costume I guess I have to buck up and actually share a picture.  You can't see it but I have false eye lashes just at the corner of my eyes and gold sparkles that I sprayed into my hair.  You can't really see the sparkles and I wondered if they had sold me a defective can.  However, once I got to work the sparkles appeared...all over my desk.  I even have sparkly nail polish.

 

 

Less than 12 hours to Nano -  {{Squee}}

Woodland Witch perhaps?

 

ooooo Much Better

 

Now I know why people allow their pictures to be taken. 

 

These were altered at picmonkey.

What a wonderful discovery.

 

re: Your Brains

I heard this this morning and it is so funny.  It is kind of long but awesome for a Halloween song.

Here's the lyrics

Heya Tom, it's Bob from the office down the hall
It's good to see you buddy, how've you been?
Things have been OK for me except that I'm a zombie now
I really wish you'd let us in
I think I speak for all of us when I say I understand
Why you folks might hesitate to submit to our demand
But here's an FYI: you're all gonna die screaming

All we want to do is eat your brains
We're not unreasonable, I mean, no one's gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We're at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We'll all come inside and eat your brains

I don't want to nitpick, Tom, but is this really your plan?
Spend your whole life locked inside a mall?
Maybe that's OK for now but someday you'll be out of food and guns
And you'll have to make the call
I'm not surprised to see you haven't thought it through enough
You never had the head for all that bigger picture stuff
But Tom, that's what I do, and I plan on eating you slowly

All we want to do is eat your brains
We're not unreasonable, I mean, no one's gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We're at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We'll all come inside and eat your brains

I'd like to help you Tom, in any way I can
I sure appreciate the way you're working with me
I'm not a monster Tom, well, technically I am
I guess I am

I've got another meeting Tom, maybe we could wrap it up
I know we'll get to common ground somehow
Meanwhile I'll report back to my colleagues who were chewing on the doors
I guess we'll table this for now
I'm glad to see you take constructive criticism well
Thank you for your time I know we're all busy as hell
And we'll put this thing to bed
When I bash your head open

All we want to do is eat your brains
We're not unreasonable, I mean, no one's gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We're at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We'll all come inside and eat your brains

Retrieved from "http://www.jonathancoulton.com/wiki/Re:_Your_Brains/Lyrics"

Sooo who's dressing up for Halloween?

I love Halloween. I think it is such a fun time of year.  I love the decorations, the costumes, the trick or treaters. 

I love dressing up for Halloween too.  This year I'm going as a woodland fairy.  It is a costume I made a few years back and I'm recycling it this year.  Yes, you read that right.  I actually MADE the thing... well, I bought a dress at Ross and modified it.  I always amaze myself when I think I can do something that for all intents and purposes I should NOT be able to do and it works out!!  Sometimes I am amazing. ;)

Is anyone else dressing up?

Do you have any fun traditions for Halloween?

When the kids were little we always went to my Mom's house.  She made chili and spiced cider for us to eat before the kids when out for their goodies.

My favorite is the Halloween box.
 It is a big box that holds all the Halloween costumes the kids or I have ever worn. Many impromptu costumes have been thrown together from that box. 

One year Jess went as Cleopatra and she convinced me to let her color her hair black (temporarily), I botched the job and it looked GREY.  In grade school my daughter when as OLD CLEOPATRA.

Another year we took clothes from the box and made a scarecrow that sat by the front door for the entire month of October. On Halloween we took out the stuffing and put Jaker in the clothes.  Many screams were heard when the scarecrow came to life.

Halloween is just fun.

T-Minus...

This is what had decided me.

Go with your feelings.
Things will reveal themselves.
All will be made known.

Going into Nano can be mystical. 
I have a great character and/or a great love interest/antagonist.  But they are for another time.

This Nano I am going to revisit my second Nano. 
Not that universe, but the one right after it
What happens when...

The rebel daughter who caused such chaos is now in charge.
When melding the old and the new, happens.
When the connection between is gone.
The reappearing cat is no more.

Going back is not an option. This is it.

I HAVE A STORY. 

{{SQUEES}}  Yes in all caps.  I am SQUEEING!!  Totally!!!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It is almost over -- but I love how companies cash in on the event.

I would have bought coffee anyway, but I bought the "Booby Blend", as  a percentage goes to the cause.  I think it all should but 20% is better than nothing.

Pictures you say?
Here you go..

It says Boobie Blend - Camera's flash deleted some of the words.

 

The reusable bag also had a percentage, even though I am not a fan of  pink.  I can stand aside and let pink happen when it is for the good of all.  

What brought you to NaNo?

For those of you who have done NaNo or are contemplating giving it a go this year:  How did you learn about NaNo?  What made you say - "I can do that."

For me it was October of 2006.  I was at a bookstore and I saw the book No Plot No Problem by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo.  I thought, Hey, awesome.  I have no plot.  This will be great.

This will be my 7th Nano and I find that I'm right back where I started.

I have no plot. 

But I do have a character - two actually.  My main character Indigo Summerland and Valentine Joel Penderghast VI (she calls him six for short.  He doesn't find it funny).  I had thought that he would be the antagonist.  He keeps hinting he might want to be a love interest.

I work at a title company and I have come up with some interesting names.  I've been writing them on a little 3x3 sticky.  My boss is probably wondering WTF, but he has yet to say anything.

Here's what I've collected.
These are real names that have come across my desk.

Stonewald
Don-ita
Garen
Edelgard
McMimimee
Mikell
Lundee
Nyee
Nova
Micca
Paige
Padjen
Colton Catmull

I write fantasy and have found it useful to have a list of possible names handy.

NaNoWriMo

I've been participating in NaNoWriMo since 2006.  The last few years I always think that I won't do it,  but as the time creeps closer the excitement starts to build and I know that I am addicted to the crazy thing.

For one month nothing matters but your writing.  Other things get done of course, life still goes on, but because you are so consumed by your story, the universe becomes a different place. Strange things get typed, strange things get said and because you are sleep deprived it all becomes funny.


I was posting on the forums and one of the questions someone asked was "What funny things do people in your life say about Nano?"

I went in search of a quote that Doug had said one year, I had posted it on my old google webpage. I found it along with a lot of other very funny things.  Well funny to me, I'll share a few.

You know NaNo has eaten your soul when...

 

When you get this e-mail from your sweetie. "I anxiously await the start of the craziness. Will I be seeing you for dinner during the month of November?"

Nano has eaten my soul and is now beginning to consume those I love.


You know Nano has eaten your soul when...

When you are e-mailing your fiance (now Hubbie) prior to the start of NaNo and you say this:
 

I actually made the word count today and that is pretty phenomenal. Oh I know, it doesn't count yet, but generally it takes me a while to build up to that. Heck a 500 word count on the first day is good for me. Maybe this year I'll be able to have Nano and a life... I know, that's just crazy talk, and indeed it is... I might pretend to have a life, but in reality there is only Nano ;)

(Yea girlfriend, wink all you want, he's already feeling the pain of your obsession.)

 

Because you are consumed with word count you don't stop - you just keep going and strange things can happen.

When a plot bunny hops across your Nano novel, and it is a good plot bunny.  However, you now have a new character and no name.  You can’t find the list of possible names created prior to Nano and so the character is named FINDLISTPICKNAME. 

 

I never did Find List Pick Name.  The rest of November she was Findlistpickname.

 

Another time I had forgotten a minor characters name.  The character is a healer and so I named her Sister Lortab.

The statement below truly sums of the essence of  You know Nano has eaten your soul when...
 

...friends want to kill you, family wants to disown you, acquaintances are annoyed though they don't know why, complete strangers pine for your demise, and the only ones that understand your fevered rantings about non-existent happenings and persons are other NaNos, the schizophrenic homeless man living under a felled tree, and God. (Though God was a little muddled by that last plot point.)

~Darkstars2882

(If you're reading this Darkstars let me know and I'll give you credit)

 

 

 

 

 

Spirit Day

Today is Spirit Day.  I have got to be better about writing dates down.  I missed bosses day by two days - but I called it Bosses week, worked for me.  And I would have missed Spirit Day too -  Thanks Julie for reminding me.  Last year I actually wore purple.  Next year I will plan better {{snickers}} that's what I said last year too.

My How Time Flies

38 years ago today I met Doug.

He asked me out and I turned him down.  I said I had to watch my sister. It was a lie. What I really had to do was break up with my current boyfriend. 

Looking back I find it hilarious.  The relationship must have been on the ropes anyway?  I don't remember much about that part. But for whatever reason I could not date Mike if I intended to date Doug.  I apparently was as goofy in high school as I am today.

Happy Anniversary Doug!
I am glad that you saw fit to ask me out again.
I am glad that you are patient, understanding and put up with my quirks.

What?

Any old cord... really?

I can import pictures from my camera.  I can make my Bumble Bee fill with music.  Not sure of the the name MP3? maybe.  Cords that do for one thing do for another, or so it seems.  Magical, Magical.

I am amazed.

111 photos on my camera.  I will not bore you with all. But only those that are important.

My Grand Puppy.

 

Chester was attacked by wandering dogs.  It was traumatic.  I got over it with pepper spray in hand.  Chester, not.  He and the puppy have bonded as best Chester can manage. They both snore.

 

I am so blessed to have this time to be with The Captain.  It is soooo good to see Chester drop 'chews' on the pups head.  "Here ya go."

 

The pup has made me happy. 

He mostly goes on the puppy pad... but more importantly.  Chester seems happy. 

 

I love that dog.

Chester's so fragile.  He keeps trying to leave me.  I keep invoking medicine and keeping him to me. 

 

I love that dog.

His nephew is pretty cool too.

Flying on no sleep

Not entirely true.

I know I slept because I had dreams that I really, really had to get some sleep.

I am watching The Captain while the kids escape for a wee bit of a honeymoon.  He's too little to go to Doggy Day Care with his brother.  The poor pup was content enough following Chester around and doing doggy things but when bed time came something wasn't right.  "Where's momma?  Nanna, where's my daddy?"   I snuggled with him but it was a rough night and now I am feeling the effects of it.

I answered the phone:

"Good After.. morning."  Alrighty then.  Since after morning would still be afternoon I should have just stuck with the afternoon and let the people on the other end puzzle it out for themselves.

I typed a legal, hit spell check and it thought that the word I'd misspelled should be replaced with ... are you ready?  Bitch.  REALLY?  I laughed and laughed and laughed.

No sure what my poor co-workers are thinking.
All I can say is:  "Nano's coming and for 30 days this will be the norm."
Get ready!! 

I should have typed California - I typed Caledonia and it is apparently a word.  At least I caught it before I sent the document out.

I really, really, really need some sleep.  Wish me luck!

Awe...

Today the kids got married.

 

It was an awesome time.

ZZ Top music for him. "Sharp Dressed Man."

Something funky for her.  Not sure who or what.

The flower girls actually scattered the autumn leaves.

Of the two ring bearers, only one bolted.  But grandma finally got him moving in the right direction.

Stavo's mom walked him down the aisle.

Jaker walked Jess. 

I thought I'd cry a bucket but I guess I did all my crying in the coffee shop the day she asked him.

The day could not have been more wonderful.  Last nice day of fall they say.

 

 

I wanted to call the one below 'toes' but I can't get it to enlarge for me.  Argh!!

The bride wore sneakers.  They matched her dress and weren't a planned part of the ensemble.

I was in stilts with my toes painted to match her dress.

 

 

They had a zombie cake

 

 

.

 

They made this wedding their own and a good time was had by all.

 

I'll post other pictures as they become available. 

These were just the ones my sDaughter caught with her phone.

 

Found Jaker on Facebook

My middle son. 

 

 

 

Proof cats are up to no good

This one is for Julie.  You're welcome.

Not that I feel this way personally.  Y'all know I love all critters. 
I'm even coming to terms with the spiders who feel the need to show up occasionally. 
"Arachnid! You have better be gone when I get back."
"Puny human.  Don't shake your fist at me.  I have ways of making you scream."

It's true they do.  But they are always gone when I get back.

Meet Jellie

I

 

Jellie is a shelter dog that was adopted by my sDaugther's mom and nephew.  She is about 8 months old.  They think that she has been a stray all her life because she doesn't fully understand the concept of doors and other things that go with living in a house.

 

Her face is so very sweet. 

 

 

Awe, she's a lap dog.

 

 

 

It appears that October has turned into Dog of the Day.  = )

Graduation

Lord Reginald has graduated from his puppy school.

He really has become a well behaved puppy.

The Captain

My newest grand puppy.

You should see how proud Lord Reginald is of this pup.  He chose him.
"This one is my brother," you can see it in his interest and raised ears. 
It is totally awesome to see.

I think I said last post but he is Lab, Border Collie and and Austrailian something.
You can see the Chester mom in his face.