6/20/12

Posted on June 20, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Washing clothes now. Washed dishes already today. Feel like I have done well for the day, but I still have a ways to go to get ready for tomorrow’s trip to Houston. This is going to be another of those convention weekends which means not a lot of cleaning in the traditional sense, but I’ll be working on cleaning up my laptop a bit, I hope. 🙂

Since this is a short entry, here is a poem for you. This is from my Take Out From the Writer’s Cafe collection.

 

Poet Laureate of the Laundromat

Poetry full of iridescent imagery
awes my mind.
Words that sing an unknowable cadence
but speak volumes.
Intricate tapestries woven of words
creating miraculous visions…
But they are not my poems.
My poems speak fairy tales,
or slyly offer sarcasm to
prick a pompous bubble.
My poems offer philosophy,
but cracker barrel, not heavenly.
My poems weep remembered tears,
or share forgotten songs.
My poems tell of laundromats,
not Luxembourg.
The pictures they paint
aren’t by the numbers,
but they aren’t Degas either.
More Norman Rockwell than
Andy Warhol…
I leave surrealism to
those that speak in riddles.
I am a meat and potatoes girl,
uneasy in the banquet hall.
But my poetry is my own,
and to me, it shines like diamonds.
I am poet laureate of the laundromat
and I am content.

 

I’ll pop in a bit later if anything needs updating.  See ya!

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6/19/12

Posted on June 19, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Newell worked from home today so that I would help him stay on task. He did very well. 😉 And since he was presenting such a good example, I actually put on my Acquisitions Editor hat today and started through the slush that had accumulated. I am bad about getting to it…I usually let it build up a bit before going through them. Weeded out half of the submissions in my box today though, so that was an intense bit of working.

Also got the cover for the story I sold over the weekend today. This is one of a series of “steamy” shorts to be released one a day in July, so they all have the same cover for continuity. I am not sure what day my story will be released, but I will let you know when I find out. Since this is a “steamy” story, it is written by my erotica alter ego. I try to keep her separated from my other work, but I am proud of the things Tysche has done — I try to have at least a little plot in my erotica. 😉

Here is the cover:

If you are interested in reading it, keep an eye out at http://mochamemoirspress.com/ to see when it is available. There is also another of Tysche’s stories on their website, and one of my favorite of my non-erotic stories, Drink My Soul…Please — a science fiction story about a very dystopian future.

UPDATE: Oops. I had my facts a little skewed. This is the accurate info straight from the publisher’s email:  “The stories will go live in clusters every Friday and Saturday in July. Yours goes live first on 7/6/12 with three other stories…there will be a new blogpost and most will be steamy, each of the 31 days.”

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Oops, I Did It Again…6/18/12

Posted on June 18, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Though that sounds like it was an accident, it is a fitting song title for this week, since I missed yesterday. Actually, I took the whole weekend off this week. I feel a bit guilty about that…the more you miss, the easier it gets, and I DON’T want it to become a habit, but there was nothing to talk about before I went to Georgetown on Saturday, and it was after midnight when I got home. Yesterday was spent in relaxing recuperation. I needed it. 🙂

So, Saturday…started off well enough. It was Mystery Readers day, so I went up in time for that with Newell to join me later for the reunion.

We carpooled to the meeting, and when we needed to move the van that we had driven over in, someone unfamiliar with the vehicle volunteered to back it out of the driveway. Unfortunately, it wound up in the garage of the house across the street. It was a true comedy of errors from the sound of things. I was inside most of the time, and only got details second hand. It did make for an interesting meeting.

Then I went back to Mom and Dad’s and waited for Newell and the reunion. It was held at Burger University — a fairly new restaurant in Georgetown. My burger was good, but their vegetarian options were a bit sparse. I think about 30-35 of the 144 classmates were there. My “twin” brother, Rufus — honorarily adopted by my Mom and Dad — flew in from California and did some of his stand-up. It was the first time I’d heard any of his stuff, so that was a lot of fun. After we ate and visited a bit, Newell, Rufus, his companion, my sister and I went back to Mom and Dad’s. It was a nice time, but driving home that late was a bit scary. 🙂

Like I say, Sunday I didn’t do much but play games and relax…but I did do some revisions on a story that I had sold to one of my publishers. It will be from my alter-ego, because it is one of my “Naughty Bits”. 😉

Here are a few shots from the reunion:

   

Rufus Getting Ready.                       Two generations of Mickans.

    

Mingling.                                                               Hilda enjoying her fries.

   

Gretchen and Derek.                       Newell and Julie playing with his phone.

   

Everyone had a good time.

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6/15/12

Posted on June 15, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

So, I am going up to Georgetown in a little while to make myself beautiful. Boy, do I need it! Here’s a first thing in the morning “Before” picture:

Yikes!

I will be getting a haircut and color. Don’t want all those people at the reunion to think I am their grandmother!

 

UPDATE: I think I like it:

Though it has a teeny bit of a cowlick.

That took most of my day. But I’ll feel much better at the reunion tomorrow night!

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6/14/12

Posted on June 14, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Today has been mostly slacking…but I did get a story brushed off and submitted to one of my editors. So not a totally wasted day.

Been watching TV a lot today. Saw two episodes of the new Longmire. Interesting series. I always find it interesting to see character worked into dialog, like Lou Diamond’s lack of contractions. I’ve used this to create a certain feel for a character myself. I think it really adds to Henry’s personality.

Also watching a few episodes of The Mentalist. It kind of grows on you…but I’m still not sure I like it.

Anyway, I’ll see if I get anything more done today…but I don’t know if I will. It is nice to have gotten a story off, even if she doesn’t take it.

 

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6/13/12

Posted on June 13, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

I’ve tended my plants this morning — watered, weeded my little patch, and got the hanging baskets back up after all the wind lately.

Now it’s put in a load of bedding and scold cats who think that the bed is for things other than sleeping…if you know what I mean.

Yesterday was awesome. It has me itching to finish my revisions on Skellyman. So, I will probably work on that while doing laundry. Best of both worlds. Plus I have some poetry to write if I want to submit it to a couple of anthologies I want to contribute to. It’s taken me six months, but the writing bug is starting to raise its head again. 🙂

I’ll be back.

 

UPDATE: Third load of laundry in the machines. Bed remade. Three chapters revised so far. Not a bad day’s work. Also took care of some questions about upcoming conventions. I do feel like today has been productive, even if it might not be “three hours” of cleaning.

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6/12/12

Posted on June 12, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Took Newell into work today, then went up to Jim’s house and had a very productive writing day — for me. 🙂

I think he finished three flash pieces and most of a short story while I revised Skellyman chapters. It’s coming along, though slowly as I try to integrate all the feedback and decide what I want to agree with and what I am going to ignore. It’s a fine line. But I really am starting to get excited to send it out.

Then we watched the first half of Leonard Cohen‘s Live In London. It’s a great concert. LOVE that man’s voice. I may have to order the DvD for myself. I hadn’t heard some of the songs before — and they had some of the coolest instruments in the world…

Made it home in time for Rizzoli & Isles, which is just about the only first run thing we are watching at the moment. The chemistry on that show is great. I do like Sasha Alexander a great deal better as Moira than I ever did on NCIS. To me, Kate was just annoying without the charm. And Angie Harmon has really found her role as Jane.

Anyway, that’s as productive as I got today. Tomorrow will hopefully be a mix of cleaning and revising. Both really need to be done!

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6/11/12

Posted on June 11, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Ran some errands this morning, and then started dishes. About an hour and a half to do a dishwasher full of dishes. Still a bit to go after all the time sick, but it’s getting there. I straightened up the kitchen quite a bit as well. But I am tired. Don’t want to overdo it all at once. Pushing too hard would be a disaster…

So much still to do…I’ll try to get more done and update before the day is out.

UPDATE: So, tomorrow I might not get much conventional cleaning done, but I am going to do a different kind of cleaning as I go to my writing partner Jim Reader‘s house and work on some revisions I have been putting off for far too long. I’m excited! Without transportation, we’ve had to forego our weekly sessions, and I have been missing them. Now we can see about getting some projects off the ground.

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Let’s Save the World…

Posted on June 10, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

Last recuperation day before I have to get back to work tomorrow. Long lazy day.

We did go see Men in Black 3, and as much as I was disappointed in Snow White and the Huntsman, that’s how much I LOVED this film. Josh Brolin was incredible as the Young K, and it was good to see Will and Tommy Lee again. I didn’t know this was Will’s first film in 3.5 years! Wow. I HIGHLY recommend this one. It is a great way to spend a bit of summer.

Aside from that, today was another day mostly spent sleeping or playing video games. All that comes to an end tomorrow as I am back to healthy, and have a lot to do this week.

Talk to you tomorrow.

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6/9/12

Posted on June 9, 2012 by RieSheridanRose

So, someone had the brilliant idea to make today “Bill and Ted Day” because of their fondness for the number 69. It’s been a lot of fun over on the Facebook page. One of the suggested methods of celebrating the day was watching both films. Considering I had a Bill and Ted poster hanging over my breakfast bar when I was teaching in Brownsville, it is no surprise that I didn’t have to look any further than my bookshelf to find a copy of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Unfortunately, finding a copy of Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey wasn’t as easy. Since Netflix didn’t stream it, I had to run all over town to find one. But I’ll be prepared next time. 🙂 They hold up well for twenty years old, I think. I just love William Sadler as the Reaper. And, while rumors are wild over on the Bill and Ted page, Newell says there will be no way they could ever make a Bill and Ted 3 without George Carlin. (Though since that page lists a credit two years after his death…who knows what miracles can be wrought.)

Aside from Bill and Ted day, Newell and I also watched Rango, because Netflix DID have that one…in the Kid’s division…and neither of us had seen it yet. Quite a nice little film. There were whole stretches where Johnny Depp lost himself in the character so well, you couldn’t recognize his voice. That was an excellent performance.

It was mostly a movie day, but I did go take pictures for Kathleen. We have another “watch project”. This is in the same tree that was hosting our cocoon:

And inside it are these:

She thinks it is a mockingbird nest. We’ll keep you updated on the babies when and if they hatch.

That’s about all for today. See you tomorrow.

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