The Loofah

Buckling Down Is Here!

2009-05-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

When two hearts are on the line, it’s double or nothing.

A Wild Ride story.

Levi McKenna heads to Las Vegas with one simple goal: win the rodeo and cement his place in rodeo history. Then Lady Luck throws a wild card into the deck—Sydney Hart. Time and distance haven’t dulled the sharp edge of their attraction, but thanks to a long-ago promise, she will always be forbidden fruit dangling just out of reach.

Sydney wants to believe in fairy tales and happily ever after, but her past relationships leave her doubting such things exist. She’s ready to give up on love…until Levi walks into her bar. The man who’s always held the missing piece of her heart. Love may not be in the cards, but that doesn’t mean a girl can’t flirt.

Neither expected passion this hot, this fast. Yet once the cards are dealt, the only thing left to do is play them out—and see if they have a winning hand.

Warning: this book contains a sassy heroine, a scrumptious hero, blood, sweat, tears, not to mention…sex laced with Vegas heat.

Available from Samhain Publishing

Check It Out!

2009-04-30T08:47:00.004-05:00

The fabulous Blaze author Lori Borrill is the Author of the Month at the Girls on Books in May! We have lots of fun planned, starting with an interview tomorrow. Oh, and rumor has it there might be a prize or two involved, so stop on by in May and show Lori some love!

(December...I'm talking to YOU here. LOL )

May NaNoWriMo

2009-04-28T23:03:00.002-05:00

Word on the street is that May is the new November. Or rather...May is trying to copy November. Whatever. Point is...writers everywhere will be "BICHOK" for the entire month, plunking out gobs of wordage at ridiculous speed. Or at least in the range of roughly just under 1700ish works a day. Which isn't so ridiculous when you really think about it. :D Right? LOL

Anyhow, I've set a goal for myself--to finish a 50K rough draft on my current WIP by June 7th. So...I'm gonna take the May NaNoWriMo challenge and I'm gonna kick ass all over town.

Wish me luck! :)

Up and At 'Em Music

2009-04-28T08:07:00.002-05:00

Needed a little Heart fix this morning. Thought I'd share. :D

Hmm...

2009-04-22T08:23:00.004-05:00

I started writing again last night. I only managed 300 words before I was competely wiped out, which I know is partly because I'm sick, but I'm guessing it also has something to do with using parts of my brain that have collected dust and God knows what else over the past several months. Nonetheless, like a good workout after some time off, it felt good to stretch those muscles, too. :)

Only problem is...I resurrected a story I'd started awhile ago (albeit it very minimally...like ten pages worth) for a pitch contest, since, woohoo, the editors are running another contest in the upcoming months. But...after plotting and pinning down the conflict some, I'm not so sure that I have the voice for what these editors are looking for. I *could* write what they want, but it isn't natural to me. I write more...relaxed? More quirky? More playful? Not sure exactly what it is, but it's just different.

Now, that's not to say that I don't believe in writing beyond your boundaries or out of your comfort zone--hello, that's a given! I just done know that I can be authentic enough with the particular line to do the story(ies) justice. If that makes any sense...

Then again...I hate to pass up an opportunity to get a story (any story!) in front of an editor. So, at the moment, I'm kinda torn. Push myself toward something different that really stretches the scope of my writing or forget the contest and just write what feels good? I guess I know the answer already, but I'm not thrilled with the thought of letting a potential opportunity pass me by either. I mean, I'm just starting to write again. Why not up my game right from the get-go?

Hmm...

What do you think? Do you stick to your comfort zone? Or have you pushed yourself toward something else? Has it paid off for you?

*M, I already know your answer to this one, seeing as the evidence of your boundary pushing is in a cover at the top right of this post. :D*

ETA: I have to say that there is something about the line I'm contemplating that really fits some of my story ideas, too. So while my voice may need some tweaking, I think I'm on the right page with the plotting. Gah. So many things to weigh...

Funny Thing Happened Today...

2009-04-20T15:01:00.002-05:00

I was taking a nap and got to dreaming about writing again. My heart started racing so hard I woke up. I had butterflies in my stomach that only fluttered harder when I remembered that, in a week, I'll finally be able to do it again. How flippin' crazy am I, huh? LOL

2 Weeks 'til Freedom!

2009-04-15T07:41:00.005-05:00

Yep, that's right...only two weeks of school left for me. :P I so sick of it that I can barely bring myself to open a book, let alone actually do any homework right now. And now's really not the time to be slacking, you know? Gah. Oh, well. It'll come to an end just the same, but I can't promise my grades will be anything to brag about.

Unfortunately, I've also done some rescheduling of things, including my summer internship. While I'd love to go right to it and be done with school once and for all in August, a nonpaying summer job just isn't going to be feasible for my family and I, considering I'd have three kids in daycare to pay for. So...next fall it is. Two kidlets will be in school and I'll only have one to worry about. Also, my mother-in-law should be feeling better then and there's also a chance my mom will be living in the area...both or either of them I'm sure will be willing to take the littlest demon spawn off my hands, because for some reason, she's as sweet as pie for them.

So, back to this two weeks 'til freedom business... I've already decided that my plan is to sleep for the first few days. I've been so flippin' tired lately and I know you can't really "catch up", but I'm sure as heck gonna try. Then I'm gonna read a bit, because I feel like I haven't really had a chance to do so in months (gotta love those audiobooks!). Then I'm gonna write my epic novel. Because, really, all I have left for school is to complete my internship to get my required credits and that's not technically "school". No homework, etc. So...that means that in two weeks, I will no longer have any excuses not to write. You could say that the "rest of my life" begins in two weeks. And writing is what I want to do for the rest of my life. *happy sigh* More on that later...

Hope y'all had a great Easter...

Potpourri

2009-04-09T21:59:00.003-05:00

I've got a hodgepodge of things to chat about today, so I'm just gonna blip them all, 'kay? :)

First, my son did not make the Little League team. Not sure what I think about it. I mean, he has a lot to learn and is just barely old enough. Most kids his age (around here anyhow) don't make the team on their first attempt. I'm perfectly cool with that. However, I am not cool with the fact that two boys who are related to the coach, from another district, and also only showed up to one of the two tryout days made the team over local kids who were there for both days. Also, even worse...the coach put a kid on the team who never even tried out, is from freaking Florida, and won't be here until the summer. He's apparently a cousin of another player. Tell me how that's fair, eh?

Second, Jeannie Ruesch is Author of the Month at the Girls on Books. You can check her out on Fridays for the next few weeks. Oh, and her website is beautiful. Go check it out.

If you haven't seen the new Blaze authors blog, you should. Of course, you might not be as tickled as I am, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. And they have a really awesome contest to kick things off. Books, books, and more books.

As I'm sure y'all know, Easter's this weekend and, grrrr, I'm really pissed at myself. I vowed to not get too carried away this year, because we just go too overboard on the whole bunny/baskets thing (as we pretty much do with every holiday). Well, suffice to say, I'll have to try again next year, because we spent a ridiculous amount of money on crap tonight. Yes, I could have said 'no' to a lot of the things the hubster threw into the cart, but alas I did not. Whatever happen to a package of jacks or a jumprope and a handful or two of candy? Gah.

We are now the proud owners of a new camper. Go us. Not so sure what I think of this either. Yep, I'm gonna love the convenience and, yep, I'm gonna love all the space (we upgraded from a tiny pop-up that the five of us fit into like sardines), but I'm not gonna love the monthly payment to the in-laws (we're buying it from them as they just bought a new one and my savings is pretty much frozen until all the house-buying shenanigans are over).

And I think that's all, folks. Nothing exciting for you, but lots of drama for me. I just love this time of the year... :D

Temporary Redirection

2009-04-07T08:33:00.003-05:00

So much to say, so little time this week because of work, some minor home repairs, Little League tryouts, a mountain of homework, a wonky computer, a broken windshield, a lingering cold, etc. Sigh. Just go check out the Girls on Books this week instead, 'kay? We have a new reviewer (debuted yesterday) and I have a feeling she's gonna fit in swimmingly. :P

You Gotta See This!!

2009-04-05T21:49:00.002-05:00

Here's my girl! Mark your calendars...May 5th!! Go buy Buckling Down!!!

Things Still Work!

2009-03-30T07:49:00.003-05:00

After months of succumbing to an overgrowth of cobwebs, the creative, writerly part of my brain is beginning to stretch and bat away the dust and arachnids. Three times yesterday, while reading an awful chapter about GDP and MPC/S (economic terms that make my head spin), I got story ideas. Granted I don't remember the full scope of them now because I foolishly did not write them down, but not only am I happy that things still work, I'm really happy that I'm coming up with different ideas. I really feel like this time off and exposure to new subjects has helped me grow (up) as a writer. I'm contemplating stories and genres I hadn't before and maybe...just maybe, I'll finally find the right kind of story to write when I start up again. Can't wait to find out!

I LOVE this song!

2009-03-29T21:43:00.002-05:00

I kinda watched Can You Duet? (the show these two won and from which they landed a record deal) and I remember Caitlin and Will from the early rounds. I never imagined the two of them would pair up so well together. Seriously, this song gives me goosebumps. Caitlin's voice is just phenomenal and who would have ever thought a burly guy like Will would have such a great voice too? Only criticism I have for these guys: Get a new name. 'Caitlin & Will' is pretty generic and they're so much better than that!

The Count Is On...

2009-03-28T22:43:00.002-05:00

32 days until sweet freedom is mine. Sigh. I so cannot wait to come home from work and have my time be my own. No chapters to read. No papers to write. No deadlines to worry about meeting. Double sigh. Of course, I'll still have to clean the house and cook and all that, but only having that on my plate is going to be heavenly. I'm getting all giddy thinking about it. To be able to read when I want. Write when I want. Watch HGTV without guilt... Gawd, I can't wait. :P

'Tis all... :D

I'm Back!

2009-03-27T16:20:00.003-05:00

Holy geez, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I completely spaced the fact that I even had a blog... My apologies to anyone who's been patiently waiting for me to return. :D Yeah, that's not likely, is it? LOL

Anyhow, not much really going on here. Just anxiously awaiting the end of my (sorta) final semester of school and the beginning of my summer internship. Once I'm finished with that, I will officially be done with college and the search begins for a "real" job. I'm excited, but also kinda scared considering how miserable the job market is right now. Fingers crossed that something interesting and high paying comes up, okay? ;)

And with only a month or so of classes left, I'm looking very much forward to writing again. I played around a little last night and, yikes, I'm rusty. I feel like I need to dig out all of my craft books to refresh my memory on how to actually do it. LOL Okay, not really--writing is kinda like riding a bike, to a certain degree. And, hopefully, if anything, beneath the rust and squeaks is a better, more mature writer who'll actually get something done now. :)

Hmm, let's see what else...

Oh, the fam and I are in the early stages of buying a house. Kinda running into some snags already though, because the house is a fixer-upper and that's not so cool with the lending program we're most interested in (low downpayment and fab, fixed interest rate!). Bigger problem is that my brother-in-law owns the house and suffice to say that despite doing construction/contracting for a living he isn't really ambitious about fixing the house up to sell it. Especially not to us, because God forbid we actually have anything nice (sibling jealousy is HUGE among the hubster and his bros). Sigh. Fingers crossed on that, too, okay? :) Thanks!

And, and, and...I'm typing this post on my new baby!! Isn't she doing a great job? ;) I just lurve her. She's pretty and fast and warm (hello, bonus! No cooling pad needed here!) and I love that I can take her with me while I make dinner or when I'm hiding from the kids. I can already tell she's one of the best investments I've ever made. :D

And I think that's all, folks. More from Loofah Land later...

My New Toy...

2009-03-03T16:51:00.004-06:00

She'll be here maybe by the end of next week, but for sure by the beginning of the next. I'm gonna name her Ruby, I think. :P I have big plans for her and I--I think we'll go far together. At least to the couch or the front yard. :P LOL Seriously, though, I think she'll be an incredible asset and I can't wait to get my hands on her! Yay!!

Lost the Big V

2009-02-17T10:43:00.003-06:00

My audiobook virginity, that is. :)

Hmm, well, actually, now that I think about it, I did listen to something awhile back, but that was *shudder* to learn something. This time it's all for fun, thus feels like the first time. :D

Anyhow, I'm listening to my first fiction audiobook and I am simply awestruck at the awesomeness of the whole thing. I wasn't sure it'd be for me, because, as a writer I kinda like to actually see the words and how sentences are formed, etc. But I think I could quickly get over that and fall in love with just listening instead. I mean, I can completely multitask while doing it and, God knows, I need all the time I can get these days. I can also just lay on the couch with my blankie, take the lazy reader's route, and do absolutely nothing else. ;)

I like this so much that I really wish I'd pushed harder for an iPod for Valentine's Day. Instead, I decided to join RWA. Though I haven't actually mailed the application yet... It's supposed to go in the mail today... Hmm. Maybe I could really get my butt moving and start-- I mean, keep up with walking if I could listen to books while I exercised.

What do you think? Do you dig audiobooks? Does listening to them motivate you while working out? Or should I just stick with RWA? :)

Big Smiles!

2009-02-15T09:12:00.002-06:00

Who says money doesn't buy happiness??

ROFLMAO at that nonsense!

I got my tax refund this past week. Granted, this influx of fundage is only a temporary means to a better mood...but I'm gonna ride it for all it's worth, because I'm suddenly feeling like I haven't in, hmm, well, about a year. Since last year's refund, actually.

Anyhow, I have money in my pocket, the sun is shining (OMG, it's a miracle!), I am well stocked up on caffeinated beverages, my husband is making dinner when he gets home from being gone all day (double bonus!), and I have a beautiful, sunny bouquet of tulips on the corner of my desk from the kids yesterday.

Life doesn't get a whole lot better than this. I am so freaking happy!

That's all. Thought I'd share some sunshine instead of pouting for a change. :)

I have Spring Fever!

2009-02-07T09:31:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day here in Cheesehead Country. We hit something like 35 degrees and the snow was melting and there were puddles and it was complete and utter fabulousness. The sun was shining and everything. My little heart sang and my hopes lifted...

And then I woke up this morning. Granted it's still in the low 30s temp-wise...but it's gloomy and blah and OMG, I am so sick of this! The funny thing is...I'd normally be a little depressed about this. I'm not a winter kind of gal, as I'm sure you guessed from my last post. But this year, however...I AM PISSED! I'm ready to claw someone's eyes out.

I'm not going to give up on the 'high' I had going on yesterday. Today I'm gonna do some cleaning...with lemonade and pineapple candles burning...with the radio cranked...in a pair of shorts even if that means I freeze my butt off... I'm gonna kick winter's ass one fingerprinted window and one dusty shelf at a time! GO ME!!! :P

All I'm Sayin'

2009-01-25T09:01:00.001-06:00

I Wanna Be SuperWoman

2009-01-21T09:22:00.004-06:00

So, I realize I haven't exactly been working on the 'new and improved me' as much as I should be lately. In fact, my intention was to keep this blog all about that, but I've been slipping up. A lot. Then I was reading for school yesterday when I came upon this sentence, which really struck a chord with me...

"The jack-of-all-trades may be a very colorful individual but is certainly not an efficient producer."

Have you, by chance, read my profile? I listed my occupation as a jack-of-all-trades. And that's completely true--I wear many hats. But I don't exactly excel in any area of my life. Perhaps I need to work harder. Perhaps I'm actually trying too hard. Who knows.

As I sit here, thinking about all the things I want to accomplish this year (writing, finishing school, becoming healthier, reading all those books, etc.)...I can't honestly say, without hesitation or reluctance, that any one is more important than the other other to me. I want--need--to write because it's just who I am. It's in me. Without it, life's just not right. I want to finish school, because I really want to get a 'real job'. I want to lose weight and feel better about myself, because I'm sick to death of feeling like crap. I also want to read anything I can get my hands on because I know it'll help me be a better writer and also because I've gotta feed the soul, you know? Life can't be all work.

So, here's the question: How the hell do I do it all and still be efficient?

Okay, that made me laugh. 'Still' probably isn't the best word, because that implies I have been efficient, which is not the case. It's also funny because, while I love that quote above and know it applies to me, I still can't accept that fact that I've probably stacked too many big challenges on my plate.

You know what I need? A cape. And superpowers.

Sigh.

And after all of that dribble-drabble, now I'll tell you the good news... I worked out this morning. Thought that maybe if I got my energy level up maybe I wouldn't be so overwhelmed. It felt great. I even ran, if you can believe it. Granted, it was only for three minutes, but it didn't kill me. And I didn't break the treadmill. :) Oh, and I shave my legs. Probably more than you needed to know, but that's quite an achievement for lazy ol' me. :)

Tsk Tsk

2009-01-10T21:16:00.012-06:00

Shame on me. I am a baaaad, baaaad blogger. You can feel free to stick your foot through cyberspace and kick my ass. I know I deserve it...

Three weeks in and I've already dropped the ball on my Sunday goal posts, but, honestly, it wasn't that I forgot or anything. I just didn't do it. Ha! Bet you didn't expect me to admit it, did you? :P And I haven't been blogging about anything else either and really that's more of a public service than anything, because I would have just babbled about nonsense like I am right now, completely wasting your time. My mind has been so preoccupied with writing (I'm actually doing it!!! And not on just one MS, but two!!! Go me!!) and the start of my LAST SEMESTER OF SCHOOL!! Did you know that? That this was my LAST SEMESTER? Because it is. :D

Anyhoo...here's another probably futile attempt (yikes, that's that nasty negativity again, isn't it?) at some goals for the week. I truly promise to be better this week. Time waits for no (wo)man and all that jazz.

Write 1650 a day. (I only need about 33K by the end of the month, so the numbers work out something like that.)

Read and complete all the first chapters/units/assignments for school by next Saturday PM, so I can spend the weekend writing again (trying this weekend, too).

Finish my GOB review by mid-week.

Exercise 3 times!! I did ask if I could work out at the gym thingy in town here and I got the go-ahead, but then I also got more hours at work and yada, yada...I don't know how it'll all fit into place).

Cut back on soda and drink more water.

Color my hair and paint my toe nails (don't laugh...I need to get the sexy back in '09!).

Oh, by the way, I don't think I've mentioned here yet that my bestest I-friend and CP, Moira, recently sold to Samhain. You should go check out her blog and give her kudos. :P

Ugh

2008-12-31T12:35:00.002-06:00

I got my books for next semester today.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed. The pile is about one book shy of the mountain in this pic, I kid you not.

Not sure I wanna do this again.

Would rather start small bonfire to ring in the new year. I'll bring the marshmallows, you bring the stick.

WHOOT!

2008-12-29T19:33:00.001-06:00

I got over 3K today. I'm on fire. Love this story. Go me!

That 'tis all. :)

Back to your regularly scheduled program...

Check-In

2008-12-27T20:55:00.006-06:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been a whole week since I blogged last. Sure doesn't seem that long. Hope you didn't miss me too much. LOL J Of course, I was busy doing the holiday thing, as I'm sure everyone was. All in all, things were good, even though it hardly seems like December, let alone nearly the new year. I've decided that this year (well, Christmas anyhow) is pretty much just a wash. It came and went by too fast to enjoy, so there's nothing I can do now but wait for next year and hope it's better. J

So, onto the important stuff…this weeks goals. First, I have to say that I'm not entirely disappointed in what I accomplished last week. I wrote more than 3,500 words, but I didn't write every day. And a lot of what I wrote I already know I won't use. But…those words did help me understand my story better, so I can't say they were a total waste. And I also read some, but not as much as I hoped. That said, my goal this week is to finish up what I didn't do last week and then some.

Get to the halfway point of East of Eden and then some. Like the 2/3 mark, which would be something like page 475. I think. Don't hold me to it. LOL

Write 1K a day until Jan. 1, then write 2K a day for Romance Divas JaNoWriMo, or whatever they're calling it now. Yep, I'm out of my mind. Nothing new there. :D

Read and write my Girls on Books review before Thursday night, since I have to work lots this week.

Xmas stuff put away by next Saturday.

Call my boss who owns what used to be an equivalent to Curves (and is now not technically open…to the public anyway) to see if I can work out on the equipment, since my treadmill is jam packed with crayons and Hot Wheels cars and God only knows what else. L

What do you have going this week? Have you made your list of New Year's resolutions yet? (I'll post later in the week about mine.)

Let’s Try This Again

2008-12-21T10:27:00.007-06:00

A few months back on my other blog, I tried to set weekly goals for myself, but, much like with New Year's resolutions, I gave up after a week. Well, part of this transformation I'm hoping to make requires me to set specific goals and actually keep them, if you can believe it. J So, that in mind, I'm giving it another go round. Except instead of posting them mid-week, I'm going to post on Sunday. This may very well change once the new semester begins in a couple weeks, because unfortunately my life tends to revolve around school when it's in session.

Anyhow, these are my goals for this week:

Read to the halfway mark in East of Eden. This would be to page 310 and is 254 pages away. Yikes. But it's gotta be done since the book is due back at the library soon. (So are three others I've yet to open the cover on, but I'll worry about them later.) NOPE...CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
Read half of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This is my second ever self-help-like book. The first was something by Oprah, but since my butt is still huge, I obviously didn't take much away from it. Hopefully this one will be different. Oh, and I'm not counting the books about dealing with unruly children either—I've read more of them then I care to admit since they didn't do a lick of good. NOPE
Read/crit story for Moira. READ, BUT NOT COMPLETELY CRITTED
Write at least 500 words every day. Nope, not a steep goal and not a very productive one either, but it's realistic with all that'll be going on this week. CHECK...KINDA. I WROTE EQUIVALENT OF MORE THAN 500 A DAY, BUT DID NOT WRITE EVERY DAY
Write my review for TGOB as my alter-ego Jolie before Friday morning. Which should be easy since I read that book yesterday. Woohoo! Go me! CHECK!
And last, but not least… Clean, bake (didn't do a thing this weekend), finish shopping, and wrap gifts. Preferably before Wednesday night. CHECK!

So, that's what I'll be chipping away at. What do you have going this week other than the holiday mumbo-jumbo?

Christmas Cookies!

2008-12-20T00:00:00.002-06:00

Since I will be spending most of my weekend slaving away in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies and other sweet treats (and also not doing so well on the losing weight goal), I thought I'd share a favorite family recipe: my Grandma Church's famous sour cream sugar cookies.

Now my immediate family happens to like the cookies rolled out a bit thicker, because then they end up softer, but they're also delicious rolled out thin and cooked crispy. Let me know if you give them a try. J

Grandma Church's Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 c. shortening

1 ½ c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

4 c. flour, plus extra to roll dough

Cream first five ingredients together, then add flour. Roll to desired thickness, cut, and back on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees until golden brown. Honestly, I don't know long this takes since I usually just keep an eye on them and, since there aren't any eggs in the recipe, taking the cookies out while they're still a little soft is fine. I think they're actually better that way myself. Frost them as desired and then enjoy. :)

Twisted Logic

2008-12-18T12:00:00.001-06:00

I've never been one to follow the crowd. Okay, well, I have to a certain degree, I guess, but there are some things in which I just have to go the opposite direction. I don't actually think about it—it's more of a compulsion. A need. An urge so strong I can't help but go with it. I've mentioned this before, but reading—or rather not reading—the Twilight series is one of my most recent rebellious compulsions. I honestly do not know why I don't want to read the books—I just know that I don't and therefore I'm not. I don't why this is, but when it comes to these little moods I get in, there is nothing that will change my mind. And I really mean nothing. I'm seriously as stubborn as a mule. Which is strange as hell, because when it comes to anything else in my life, I'm wishy-washy as all get-out. I can't make up my mind about anything. I whine and complain to no end and then I whine some more (as those who know me know very well).

So, while wondering what the heck is up with my effed-up head, I googled "fun writing tips" and found this. Ironically, it fits in perfectly with the topic of my craziness. Those of us who are writers know the typical suggestions for productivity (as Mr. Kjerulf notes, as well) and those of you who know me know that those don't work for me. I know I'm going out on a limb here—even bordering on making the forbidden "E" words for my lack of productivity—but I wonder if maybe my subconscious mind has went and rebelled the stuff that normally works, much like my conscious mind has rebelled so many other things in my life.

I'll pause here while you laugh your ass off and/or scratch your head. I know I'm a nutcase, but there's something to be said for knowing you're not all there, isn't there? J

Anyhow, I think Mr. Kjerulf's suggestions are good and very fitting to what I've found actually does work for me (on the rare occasions I've rocked out the mojo). There are days (more often than not) when I cannot write at my computer. I need a change of scenery and an escape from the rest of my life (kids, laundry, etc.). When it's just me and my AlphaSmart or a notebook, it's amazing how prolific I can be. Also, I cannot completely "pants"—I need to have some direction, even if it's just a skeleton of a plan. I also find I write better when I'm alone (even IM can be distracting and, yes, I know I'm going to hear about that one, M.) I'm not so sure about the advice about getting feedback as I go, because then I tend to get caught up in revising. I do like the last suggestion of not setting goals and deadlines, but I don't know that that's something I want to get in the habit of, because editors live by them—and, thus, so do writers. Then again, I don't have an editor yet, so… J

Do you have any crazy tricks that work for you, whether it be in writing or getting yourself to the gym. etc.? Have you tried any of Mr. Kjerulf's suggestions? Did this somewhat twisted way of going about writing work for you?

By the way, we officially have a week left until Christmas. Are you ready?

Get SMART

2008-12-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

Why have I never heard that acronym (at least in regard to setting goals) before? Have I been living under a rock or what? Please...don't answer that.

In case you don't know what setting SMART goals is all about, I'll tell ya:

S - Specific. Set specific goals. "Write today" does not count. "Write 1500 words today" does.
M - Measurable. Set goals that are measurable. "Read more" is not cool, but "Read 8 books this month" is.
A - Attainable. Set goals that you can actually achieve. "Lose 50 lbs. by spring" is setting yourself up for failure. "Lose 5 lbs. this month" is much more like to happen.
R - Realistic. Like above, set goals you can actually do. "Never eat chocolate again"...bwaahahaha! "Eat chocolate only once a week" is a still a stretch, but is also a more realistic goal.
T - Timely. Give yourself a specific time frame in which to achieve the goal and stick to it! This is perhaps my biggest downfall when it comes to setting and keeping goals.

Reading

2008-12-17T00:00:00.002-06:00

As I've mentioned, submerging myself in the literary genius of classic novels has long been an aspiration of mine. I remember having this list of must-read classics in high school (not sure where it came from), but the only one I ever managed to cross off was The Grapes of Wrath and that was because it was required for freshman-year English. I actually liked the book, though I'm sure I didn't get as much out of it then as I would now. Knowing that I was able to read Steinbeck without wanting to pull my hair out, I picked up East of Eden from the library and just began reading it this week.

Holy crap, it's a long book. Some 602 pages to be exact. And the print isn't the largest I've read either. It might seriously take me a month to read this book. Of course, I'm sure it'll be worth it, but…gawd. I am not a long book kind of gal. Short and sweet is my preference. The Great Gatsby was perfect in that regard—I could've read it in one night had the kids not haggled me to death, thus, forcing me to spend three evenings on it instead.

Crossing my fingers that it doesn't really take me a month on East of Eden, I'm digging into The Woman in White next. Have you read any of these books? Did you like them? Hate them? Do you have others to suggest?

I Had A Dream

2008-12-16T00:00:00.005-06:00

Which was very rudely interrupted by my sister-in-law a couple of days ago. Before she could even get a word out, I chewed her ass for waking me up from, quite possibly, the best dream I'd had in months. You guessed it, ladies: I was dreaming about shoes.

And not just any shoes. Sexy, bend-me-over stilettos that I have never seen before, much less had the pleasure of wearing. Especially with my duck feet and chunky ankles, not to mention sans polish toes. I don't remember the details of the dream (other than that my ex and my grandma's cat were in it), but I do know that I was positively feeling the vapors when I glanced down and saw a pair of heels eerily similar to these on my feet:

How ironic is it that, not only did I find a pair of shoes that looked like the ones in my dream (it's not like they were standard black slingbacks), but that I managed to do so on the first page of my first search? Tell me the powers that be didn't have something to do with that, I dare you. I'm so convinced these babies were made for me that I'd buy 'em…if I had $895.00 to blow.

So, big deal, right? What the hell does the dream or these shoes have to do with "loofahing" my life?

Back in the day (you know, before I went all pear-shaped—thank you, Melanie Carmichael—and developed cankles), I LOVED shoes. I had tons of them. I wouldn't say I had an addiction or anything, but I treated myself on a regular basis. In fact, I still love shoes, but they're no longer a priority, along with a lot of other things that I used to love, and that totally burns my ass. One of the first things I'm going to do when I get that "real" job is buy myself a pair of the sluttiest heels I can find (and afford). Then I'm going to cross my fingers that I don't break my neck trying to walk in them.

How about you? Have you given up such delicacies somewhere along the way? Or do you just have a shoe dependency?

Revelating

2008-12-15T22:12:00.003-06:00

Nope, that is not a word. Or at least Word says it's not, but I happen to love it, so therefore I'm using it. I like to be rebellious like that.

Anyhow, I thought I'd start things out by pinpointing exactly what it is I hope to accomplish—ehem, what I will accomplish—in 2009. Grab a cup of coffee, because this could take awhile…

Finish my degree. I have only one semester and an internship left.
Find a "real" job and finally make $$$ for my family. And a new wardrobe. And a pair of slutty stilettos.
Get healthy and lose weight. A lot of weight. Fifty pounds would be nice.
Read 100 books, including several classics. Follow my progress in the sidebar.
Write. And write. And write.
Revise, polish, and submit something I've written. Then write some more.
Get a pedicure. Don't laugh. That's a biggie on my list.
Organize and keep my house clean. This means doing the dishes every day. I know…craziness. But someone's gotta do it.
Send birthday and anniversary cards to loved ones.
Chat/email with gal-pals at least once a week.
Read to my kids every day.
Play with the kids every day.
Make more time for Hubby.
Cease to wear my pjs out of the house.
Go to church. At least once a month. (Don't shake your finger at me!)
Go to town board and PTO meetings. Become more involved in the community.

The Loofah Mission

2008-12-15T16:23:00.003-06:00

Welcome to The Loofah, the place where I will be "scouring away the old and bringing forth the new" in 2009.

So, maybe getting rid of the "old" isn't entirely correct, because what I'm really hoping to achieve by keeping this blog is to allow the fun, confident, life-loving person I used to be to resurface again. Somewhere along the way (in the midst of kids, marriage, and college...in that order), I lost her. And, frankly, I'm sick of pretending I'm happy as things are. Now, don't get me wrong--I love my family--but, as far too many people out there know, this person I appear to be on the outside is not who I feel I am inside. Honestly, I don't know who the hell she is other than that she's lazy, indecisive, scared (of too many things to mention), and she's letting life pass her by as she waits for the so-called "right" time to break free.

Well, folks, we all know that there will never be a "right" time. There will always be something that threatens to hold us back and I refuse to give in to it anymore. I absolutely refuse to continue living my life "in waiting". The time for me is now. I am not getting any younger and life certainly isn't slowing down.

Now, I don't plan to use this space to gripe about what I feel I'm missing and what I really want--I plan to use this blog as a journal of sorts in which I let loose, hopefully to the extent I shed the not-so-accurate exterior to expose the woman I am and have always been. Of course, there will be some evolving involved--okay, lots of evolving--as I've yet to perfect any aspect of my life. Except maybe my love of tattooed men and iced mochas, but I digress...

Some hints as to what to expect in the months to come: my journey toward better health, a turn-around of my chronic indecision (aka fear of making the wrong decision, namely when it comes to my aspirations to write), my intellectual expansion (finally fulfilling my high-school aspiration of conquering classic novels and becoming more politically opinionated), my journey toward organization (in other words, keeping my house clean, because, yes, that is a real issue for me), and becoming an overall better person (i.e. a better mother, a better friend, a better employee, etc.).

So, I hope that I don't bore you to tears, but rather show you a side of myself (or several sides, as it may be) that you didn't know existed.