I've Been A Bad Blogger

But, in my defense, it isn't entirely my fault. Nor is it my fault that I don't have a shoe picture today. All my shoes are buried under 6 foot snow drifts. And with the winter storm, our Internet connection has been sketchy at best, so I haven't been able to get around to visit all of you as much as I'd like. Being trapped at home, however, has allowed me to do a whole bunch of other things. I wrote a lot. I read a lot. I ate a lot. I cleaned a lot. And, I watched way too much television. Lucky for me, our Internet didn't cut out once yesterday when I sat in on a Writer's Digest webinar instructed by Mary Kole of The Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Let me just say, it was fantastic. I'll post about what I learned next week. Until then, I'll be trying to dig some of my shoes out from the snow and reading as many blogs as my Internet connection will allow. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! And for those of you experiencing the same weather as I am, stay warm and remember that spring is just around the corner.

Totally Random Shoes...

...for totally random thoughts. (Please note: no writerly advice ensues.) Hey, don't judge me. I'm entitled to random every now and then, right? So, yesterday was a really weird day, and I thought I'd share some of the things I learned from it. #1--Blogger absolutely hates me. Seriously, it does. I couldn't log on to do my post (which was kind of a waste anyway, but still), and then I couldn't comment on a few of my fave blogs or access the follower tool to follow some of the new awesome blogs I came across. Not to mention, I couldn't see who my new followers were. Yeah, so, Blogger doesn't like me. (Maybe HATE was too strong of a word.) #2--My kids are hyped up on "It's Almost Christmas" drugs, and they won't calm down. I kid you not, one of them (who will remain nameless) tied another one (who will also remain nameless) up with the DVD cords to get his way with the TV remote. Its not like there aren't 3 other televisions in the house. Yeah, so my kids are in overdrive. (Maybe ON DRUGS was too strong a description.) #3--My neighbors are even crazier during the winter months. Apparently, dancing 1/2 naked around an open fire on the driveway in 20 degree temps is acceptable to them. Now, I'm not one to judge, but really???? This isn't working for me. The man is loony toons, not to mention too flabby to be flaunting his body, if you know what I mean. Yeah, my neighbors are crazy for sure. (In this case, CRAZY is putting it nicely.) Okay, so those are my random Thursday Thoughts. Do you have anything you want to get off your chest? Really, now's the time. The more random, the better. Come on, if nothing else, you'll make me feel better about my random rage of thoughts. So let's hear it.

Yeah, it's another empty shoebox...

I have to go work at my paying job today, so I may or may not be around the blogosphere. Those of you who work full time, write part time, and manage to blog/twitter/facebook consistently amaze me. It's hard for me to keep up with even on the days I'm home. So, kudos to you! Anyway, I'll leave you with a quick Tuesday Tip before I head off into the executive world... If you don't have something of value to blog/tweet/facebook about, then don't post anything at all. I obviously should have taken my own advice before posting this because I've got nothing! Have a great day, and I'll be around if at all humanly possible.

Football, Football, Football...

That's all I hear around here. Between the high school game on Friday night and the K-State game on Saturday, not to mention the Chiefs on Sunday... it's all about football. Don't get me wrong--I love football. I will say this, though, when a team is losing, they like to blame it on bad calls. To me, this is a joke. Yeah, sometimes bad calls make or break a game, but they don't make or break a season. If a team is good enough, they find a way to win more than they lose. Same goes with writers. Sure, we may have a lot of things going against us, but if we are good enough, we will find a way to win a game or two, hopefully the whole season. A bad call here and there isn't going to make or break us. So, go out there and play your best. You never know what might happen. And if you don't get what you want, don't blame it on bad calls. Just try a little harder. Maybe next time you'll succeed. Yeah, I know, totally random post. It is Monday, though...

New Dangers For Writers Everywhere!

Today is Wednesday's Websites day here, and boy, do I have an important one for you. Writing... normally considered a safe profession, right? Well, according to CBS, we are all in danger! Check it out here. Yeah, apparently, writing is just as dangerous as fighting fires. So, next time you put that laptop on your lap (isn't that where it's supposed to go?), think again. You might be putting yourself in some serious danger of Toasted Skin Syndrome. First, it was microwave popcorn that was bad for you (this made me sad). Now, laptops are bad for you? Seriously, what will be next? What will be left for us writers? Okay, I'll survive without the popcorn, and I can put a pillow between my legs and the laptop. I'll quit writing, though, if they tell me coffee is bad for me. Oh, wait... they already have, and I'm still alive. Any funny warnings you've heard of lately?

There's A Time For Everything

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know this is a picture repeat, but that's me trying to maximize time and minimize stress. So, back to the title of this post--There's A Time For Everything. You know what time it is for me? Well, it's time to get organized. My writing time is sporadic, my workspace is a disaster, and my blogging is, at best, occasional. This isn't like me. I'm normally more on top of things. That being said, my goal this weekend is to get organized in all aspects. I plan on blocking out writing time, doing a complete overhaul of my workspace, and initiate a new blogging schedule. I'm thinking of a wordplay thing like this: Monday's Miscellanea--a day when you never know what you're going to hear from me, but it certainly will be interesting (I hope). Tuesday's Tips--a day when I will share with you something I've learned on my journey thus far. Wednesday's Websites--a day when I will share an interesting/helpful website or blog I've come across recently. Thursday's Thoughts--a friendly day of debate where I will share my thoughts on a timely topic and ask for your feedback. Friday's Fluffs--a day of fluffy inspiration. (We all need that, don't we?) I thought I'd give this a try as I attempt to get back into a regular blogging routine. Please keep in mind that this is all subject to change, but for now, this is my plan. So, what do you think? I'd love your feedback (good or bad). On another note, my aunt passed away Wednesday after a long battle with Alzheimer's. All of us who loved her are both saddened and thankful that she is now in a better place. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we lay this wonderful women to rest. We will do so with a mixture of tears and smiles. And, now, on a happier note, have a great weekend!

I've Been On The Road

And my computer has been on the fritz. Neither make for good blogging. First, we went on a little mini vacation and had no access to the internet at the cabin we stayed in. Then, while we were away, our house was hit by lightning. Apparently, that isn't good for computers, even if they are turned off. My ethernet port was shot, and our router was blown. We found a temporary solution, but we were only able to get on the internet for moments at a time until yesterday. I'm happy to say that it is now permanently fixed, and I can't wait to get around to all of your blogs. During my forced blogging break, I taught two teenagers how to drive (yikes), finished the revisions on my manuscript (finally), sent my second child to high school and my third to middle school (boo-hoo), suffered from a ten day head cold (yuck), and turned forty (I hear it's the new 30). So, what have you all been up to? I'll be around visiting over the next couple of days and plan on getting back to a regular blogging schedule next week. I hope you all have had a fantastic summer, and I can't wait to catch up on all I have missed. Oh, if you haven't heard, one of my awesome crit buddies signed with an agent. Go by and congratulate K.M. Walton. I couldn't be happier for her.

I've Got Nothing ...

Except an empty shoe box. Yep, picture repeat, and I don't have much to talk about. Long story, and I'm sure you don't want to hear it. Let's just say that I'm about to throw my computer through the window. Of course, then I'd have to buy a new window and a new computer, so I won't. Anyway, today marks the beginning of summer for me, which means my kiddos are home invading my space and my computer time and my brain. Instead of giving up blogging entirely, I'm forewarning you that my posts will be random in timing and in content, but I will be around visiting my favorite haunts. Good news, though... I'm down to one chapter on my rewrites. I'm doing all kinds of happy dances here! So, here's to RANDOM SUMMER BLOGGING! What are your plans for the summer months?

Hey, Honey, I'm Home!

Yes, I'm back this week. I can't wait to catch up with my blog friends. I hope you've all been well. I've been working hard on my rewrites. In fact, I'm almost finished. I considered taking one more week off from blogging to wrap things up, but then I realized that next week is Spring Break, and I'll be taking it off. I'll finish up the series on The Fire In Fiction then. While I was gone, I got tagged by K.M. Walton and Dawn Simon with this: I've never been any good at following directions, so I'm going to change things up with this. Instead of posting 6 outrageous lies and 1 outrageous truth about myself all at the same time, I'm going to spread it out over the week. Every day this week (starting tomorrow), I'll post one truth and one lie. You can decide which one is true and which one is a lie. At the end of the week, I'll pull a name from all the correct guesses. The winner will receive a prize (yet to be determined). You get one entry for each correct guess. So, how have you been?