Apr 3, 2008 | Rants, General |
Spammers surely have their own place reserved in hell. I get a lot, but my email does a nice job of filtering it. Though it sometimes sends things I want to see to the spam folder. Because of this, I tend to skim the contents before deleting. (I had an email from Harlequin go to spam — yikes!)
You know the trends. Male enhancement products (no, I do NOT want my thing to be bigger because I don't HAVE a thing, thank you), dates, h*rny girls in your area, people on webcams supposedly wanting to hook up, lottery wins, cheap drugs, etc.
But a new one cropped up lately that had me giggling. Don't know why, but I find this one funny: see your neighbor n*ked (the asterisk will hopefully prevent blog hits, but you get the point). Now why on earth would I want to do that? Have you seen my neighbor? I don't live next door to David Beckham or Brad Pitt, you know!
No, I live next to normal people (I hope they're normal). There's a good ol' boy who likes to fire up his lawnmower at 7AM on a Saturday (no kidding), an air marshal, a few engineers, and maybe even a military guy. No one I want to see in the buff.
What I really want to know is who falls for this stuff? If people weren't clicking on these emails and following through, there'd be no spam. So someone could right now be viewing a nude neighbor. That's something to think about the next time you disrobe for a shower, eh?
Picture from www.funnyville.com.
Click on over to I Heart Presents and see what my editor has to say about calling me with the good news. Tomorrow, you should be able to read my version of events when I guest blog there.
Mar 31, 2008 | Writing, Life, General |
It was a busy weekend here in Northern Alabama! The Heart of Dixie chapter participated in a local event called Female & Fabulous at the civic center. There were health, beauty, and lifestyle booths spread around the center, lots of giveaways, and Clinton Kelly from TLC's What Not to Wear made an appearance.
I've never watched WNTW, but I think I will in the future. I liked what Clinton said. He said one thing that really impressed me: “Don't dress to please a man.” The other thing he talked about was young women and the pressure to dress like Paris, Britney, or Lindsay. Those clothes, the ones that show lots of skin, aren't necessary. You don't have to dress like a ho to be beautiful. After that, I figured I was in love. 🙂 When he continued on to say that catalog models weren't women to emulate because they weren't typical, well, the applause was deafening. The guy was funny, engaging, and entertaining. Other than the women who just wanted to smell or hug him, it was a great question and answer session he gave. (And what's with people anyway that they raise their hand for a question and then just want to smell the guy when he comes over? Sheesh.)
As romance writers, we often write women who are smart and confident. They may not start out that way, but they end up that way by the end of the book. Confident women moving forward with the man they've fallen in love with. They don't compromise who they are to be with the hero. Nor does the hero want them to. I guess that's why I love romance. 🙂
So, let's remember that even though real life isn't fiction, we can still be confident women who have every right to our own sense of self-worth that is NOT dependent upon a man. A man is your partner, not your reason for existing. No romance heroine would ever make that mistake, so why is it that romance novels get the reputation for being fluffy and trashy? Just another thing I don't get. 🙂
What's the worst thing you've ever worn? I can't remember the worse thing I've ever worn, but when I was about nine, I got into my mother's makeup and proceeded to cake it on. Then I went outside to wait for my grandmother to pick me up for my trip to the skating rink. She took one look and went ballistic. Since she never, ever raised her voice or got upset, I guess I must have looked pretty awful. Needless to say, she made me wipe it all off. 🙂
Feb 4, 2008 | Photos, Life, General, Fun |
This past Saturday, the hubby and I went to a Southern ball in a historic home. I got to dress in a gown that made me realize exactly how lucky I am to be living today and not in the 1860s (among many other reasons, of course). But, it was quite fun to be dressed so differently. To realize that hoops are flattering, in fact. Those Victorian-era women weren't dumb. A dress with a big bell and a cinched in waist makes you appear more slender than jeans. 🙂 Who'd a thunk it?
My dress is kind of a replica of Scarlett's curtain dress, though you can't tell it from this picture. There is a cape attached to the back, which you can't see, and some gold cords that hang from it and from the sash (which had to be tied in the back because it was too small to close around the front — or I'm too wide, but we won't go there…). There is also a hat, but since I was going to a ball, I wasn't supposed to wear it.
I'm holding a fan, and I definitely needed it after dancing the Virginia Reel in a velvet dress. Whew! Oh, and I won best ladies costume, which surprised me because there were some beautiful dresses there.
Riding in a car with a hoop skirt on was quite interesting. I did learn how to sit so as not to flash folks, though. One woman at the ball, however, learned it the hard way. 😉 Let's just say I know why pantaloons were required attire under these things. If I ever decide to go back to writing historicals, I'll know firsthand what it feels like to wear hoops. And my cat found it fascinating. She liked to get under it and attack it from the inside.
Hubby was splendid as a gentleman, don't you think? His outfit was far easier to don than mine. I kind of wish men still dressed like this sometimes. I thought it was so elegant. I'm glad, though, that women don't wear hoops anymore. Can you imagine running errands in that getup? No wonder they sat around and fanned themselves all day.
Jan 24, 2008 | Writing, Life, General |
A new Publix opened yesterday about half a mile from my house. Talk about happy! The closest grocery store was approx. 5 miles away before. Not far, but when you just want to dash out and grab something you forgot for the recipe you're making, it's a bit of a pain to drive across town.
So what's the secret I have to confess? *sigh* I grow science experiments in my refrigerator. Not the pretty truth, but there it is. I tend to forget what's in there, and when things get shoved to the back, they just disappear off my radar screen. I also buy things I intend to use, but somehow I forget I bought them and they go bad waiting for me to remember they're there.
Awful, huh? I am a neat person, I keep a clean house, I wear clean laundry, I make the bed every day. But I can't manage to throw out food before it sprouts green fuzz. Or, worse, liquifies (hello veggies in the drawer).
It's time for a fridge party. The kind where I get the trash can and reach to the back of the fridge, wondering what manner of odd thing I'll pull out. And then I can go to the new Publix and buy new things. And hopefully remember they are inside the gleaming stainless box.
Now, totally off topic, but over at the Writing Playground yesterday, they had three fabulous and successful writers talk about their new paranormal anthology. What cropped up in the comments, however, was a discussion about process and self-doubt. Fabulous advice from Roxanne St. Clair, Allison Brennan, and Karin Tabke! Go read this post and the comments that follow.
Do you have any ugly secrets you'd like to confess? Or have you gotten any fabulous writing advice you want to share? Am I alone in my fridge neglect, or have you made green fuzz too?
Jan 8, 2008 | Writing, Rants, Life, General |
It's a myth, right? Life is life. It happens, it's messy, it does what it does. And yet I can't help but be seduced by the myth of a perfect life. I think that if I had a housekeeper, a scheduler, a decorator, an organizer, a life coach, etc, that things would go really smoothly.
It's a new year, and I'm already looking at the pile of junk mail on my kitchen island and wondering how it got so damn big. And there's the little matter of a technical thing I need to attend to that's worth, oh, a lot of money to the bottom line (by the end of January). There's the laundry, the decorating, the appointments for things I'd rather not think about (dentist, for instance) that need to be made.
There's damn HGTV seducing me with the idea of the perfectly decorated house, the awesome and fascinating party I should host, and the stupid commercials where spraying Febreze makes like ohsoperfect. When does it get perfect in Chez Harris? When does myth meet reality and make it all a snap? I've sprayed the Febreze, rearranged the furniture, and tried the new recipe. Life ain't perfect.
Oh, it ain't bad. I'm very thankful for what I have, thankful I can bitch and moan about Hollywood ideas of perfection, but I still wish they'd give me a break from the idea that my life could be perfect if only.
This, I think, is why I write fiction. My characters' lives aren't perfect, but I control their world. I am the demi-god who makes life or death decisions for them. Maybe that's why my real world seems so chaotic. In the fictional world, I have control. Here, I can barely organize a closet, much less my response to a Febreze-scented nation. Jeez.
What about you? Feeling the pressure of a new year and new expectations? Or have you figured out how to make your own way in this perfection-obsessed world? If you've got the secret, I'd sure like to know…
Jan 4, 2008 | Diet, Life, Goals, General |
This is an easy one: lose weight. How many people set that goal every year? The majority of resolvers, I'll bet. I was watching TV the other day, something on HGTV no doubt, when Valerie Bertinelli popped up with her new Jenny Craig body. OMG. I was practically reaching for the phone, y'all!
Valerie looks awesome. She's 47 and she looks amazing. I want to be that thin again. I held off calling Jenny, but it's in the back of my mind should I fail on my own. Now, I know that losing weight is difficult, and programs like that really work because they portion out your meals and take all the planning away from you. But I've lost the weight on my own once before (and I've lost it on NutriSystem) and I know I can do it again.
I sound like a yo-yo dieter, don't I? I'm not, though. I've been overweight twice before and I've lost it both times. This is the third time in my 40 years I've let it creep up on me. Not exactly a yo-yo, but a pain in the butt nevertheless.
When I was 20, I needed a program. Lost 40lbs on NutriSystem and kept it off for 12 years. Then I did Body for Life with the hubby, which taught me how to eat and work out. Lost the 25 lbs I'd let creep back on. Now, I need to lose 30lbs. I gained this weight while not exercising and eating all this great Southern food. I knew it was happening, and I let it happen, and I'm not happy with myself about that.
So, I'm back to doing it myself by planning my meals, avoiding the bad stuff (except for one day a week), and exercising regularly. I know how to do this. If I decide I need Jenny, then it's because I'm not sticking to my plan well enough on my own. And that's a possibility, but I'd really rather do it myself. It's cheaper, first of all. It puts me in control, second.
Here are my diet tips if you're contemplating such a thing for yourself. I offer this as someone who's succeeded in the past. I'm not an expert, but this worked for me.
1. If it's man-made, don't eat it if you can help it. I make an exception for Kashi cereal. And, in this go-round, for Lean Cuisine. Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store like the plague. No chips, no sodas, no cookies, no rice cakes, no boxes of stuffing mix or macaroni and cheese.
2. Don't eat seconds.
3. Portion control. A portion of something is the size of your fist or your open palm.
4. Protein/carb balance. Don't eat tons of carbs (pasta, bread), and don't avoid meat (if you aren't a vegetarian, I mean). Get a balance at every meal. For example, a snack I like is a stick of cheese (protein) and a yogurt (carbs).
5. Small meals throughout the day. I like six over all (and this includes the cheese and yogurt snacks).
6. 20 to 30 minutes of exercise 6 days a week. Get your heart rate up and keep it up. Don't kill yourself, and don't think you're going to jog for an hour on the treadmill. And don't forget that working out with weights also keeps your heart rate moving. You will not get big man muscles if you use weights. Trust me. I've bench pressed 100 lbs at my best and never looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger. 🙂
Other small tips to consider — don't deny yourself. If you really, really want a slice of pizza, eat it. So long as you don't eat the whole thing, and so long as you don't stray every single day, you can reward yourself from time to time. I like one day a week to eat what I want without recriminations. Also, if you're a drinker like me (love my wine!), cut it back to two or three times a week instead of a glass a night. Most importantly, everything in moderation. 🙂
I'm not saying how much I weigh, but I'd like to lose 30lbs. I lost 3 before the cruise and gained it all back onboard. *sigh* Goal for next week: 2 lbs. I'll let you know…..
Spammers surely have their own place reserved in hell. I get a lot, but my email does a nice job of filtering it. Though it sometimes sends things I want to see to the spam folder. Because of this, I tend to skim the contents before deleting. (I had an email from Harlequin go to spam — yikes!)