Okay, so I got a wild hair yesterday and went to get my hair cut after like 9 months of only trimming my own bangs. And I got the idea to swap out my old shitty keyboard for one that still has all its letters. And this morning I got the bright idea to rearrange my part of the office...
Embrace the new.
The keyboard isn't giving me fits anymore. So that's a good thing.
I keep running my hands through my hair and wondering where it all went. I got about 5 inches taken off. It was down to my shoulder blades and now it hangs just above my shoulders. (No pics yet.) It's cute and sassy, so I'm liking it so far, but I haven't washed it yet. You never know until after you wash a new cut whether it was the right cut, ya know.
The rearrangement of the office was finished about fifteen minutes ago. I'm adapting. The worst part so far is that my monitor is on the opposite corner of the desk from where it was so I keep looking up when I should look over. Sometimes it's the little things that get ya. I'm giving it a week and if I don't like it, I'm putting it back. One upside is the light is behind me now, so it's not reflecting off the keyboard anymore, and the keyboard isn't directly under the monitor, so that light isn't reflecting off the keys. (No pics yet of this arrangement either.)
I asked Hubs if he liked the new arrangement... He was patiently working at his desk while I was manically moving things around in my space... He said "Whatever makes you comfortable" but I could tell he didn't understand. I told him it was a girl thing. ;o)
What new things have you embraced recently? How's that working out for you?
Friday, March 7, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Geology Time with Commander Geode
Okay, not really... I just thought that subject heading was funny. I know not as many people are jazzed about Geology as I am, so I'm not going to get all nerdy on y'all. I just wanted to show you this neat rock I found...
If you click on it, it gets larger so you can better see how weird it is. I believe it's some kind of geode with sparkly crystal beads - like grains of rice or tiny balls of pasta - all over the face. Pretty cool, huh?
Or am I the only one who geeks out over stuff like this?
Or am I the only one who geeks out over stuff like this?
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Diggers
I don't know if any of you have caught the show Diggers on the National Geographic Channel, but it's probably one of my new favorite shows. Last night, Hubs and I were watching a new episode, though, and the thought occurred to me...
"This show would be totally boring if not for the rabid enthusiasm of its hosts."
I mean, two guys with metal detectors going over historic sites looking for treasure*, but mostly finding buckles and buttons and bullets and old coins and what they refer to as UFO (unidentified ferrous objects) but what are mostly just rusty lumps of iron. But almost every object they unearth is TOTALLY AWESOME to them. And their enthusiasm is infectious.
These two guys are like big kids out there. They shout and jump around and just generally enjoy their work. I've never seen anyone above the age of 10 get that excited about anything. Last night, they were searching for the lost gold payroll General Custer supposedly buried before Little Big Horn. Every single hit they got on the metal detectors was THE GOLD... Well, at least before they dug the hole and found it wasn't. And every item that wasn't the gold wasn't disappointing to them. It was AWESOME! (Okay, there was a glimmer of disappointment there at the end when they found a cast-iron stove door instead of the payroll box, but they handled it well.)
I need some of that enthusiasm today. I need to expect to find gold in every hole I dig and not get so damn grumpy-butt when all I find is a lump of iron.
The guys also have their own language out there - like UFO. And it kills me. We've even taken to using some of their phrases around the house.
Roundness - any round object they find (rings, coins, buttons)
Roundness in the hole - an exclamation of delight at finding the above round object
Nectar - any good find, and since they're all good, nectar pretty much refers to finding something
Nectar Sector - an area where they're finding lots of stuff
So, if I bring a bowl of cookies into the living room to share, I tell the Hubs I brought 'roundness in the bowl' and we both laugh.
See? The enthusiasm these two guys show for their work brings joy to our household. And life is good.
Of course, now, I want to buy a metal detector and see what I can find on our property. Hubs already dug up an old horseshoe when he was waterproofing the foundation. It could be civ! (Civ - dating to the Civil War) Especially since the Civil War ranged all over Missouri. I think it's a mule shoe probably from rebel troops trying to find a way north across the river**.
What gets you enthusiastic?
* They get permission before they dig and they give all their finds back to the historic societies in charge of the sites.
**Hey, it could be. Part of the fun of the show is them making up background stories for the items they find, so it encourages me to think maybe my horseshoe was on a mule carrying supplies for the troops while they made their way north - and got stopped here because they couldn't cross the river.
"This show would be totally boring if not for the rabid enthusiasm of its hosts."
I mean, two guys with metal detectors going over historic sites looking for treasure*, but mostly finding buckles and buttons and bullets and old coins and what they refer to as UFO (unidentified ferrous objects) but what are mostly just rusty lumps of iron. But almost every object they unearth is TOTALLY AWESOME to them. And their enthusiasm is infectious.
These two guys are like big kids out there. They shout and jump around and just generally enjoy their work. I've never seen anyone above the age of 10 get that excited about anything. Last night, they were searching for the lost gold payroll General Custer supposedly buried before Little Big Horn. Every single hit they got on the metal detectors was THE GOLD... Well, at least before they dug the hole and found it wasn't. And every item that wasn't the gold wasn't disappointing to them. It was AWESOME! (Okay, there was a glimmer of disappointment there at the end when they found a cast-iron stove door instead of the payroll box, but they handled it well.)
I need some of that enthusiasm today. I need to expect to find gold in every hole I dig and not get so damn grumpy-butt when all I find is a lump of iron.
The guys also have their own language out there - like UFO. And it kills me. We've even taken to using some of their phrases around the house.
Roundness - any round object they find (rings, coins, buttons)
Roundness in the hole - an exclamation of delight at finding the above round object
Nectar - any good find, and since they're all good, nectar pretty much refers to finding something
Nectar Sector - an area where they're finding lots of stuff
So, if I bring a bowl of cookies into the living room to share, I tell the Hubs I brought 'roundness in the bowl' and we both laugh.
See? The enthusiasm these two guys show for their work brings joy to our household. And life is good.
Of course, now, I want to buy a metal detector and see what I can find on our property. Hubs already dug up an old horseshoe when he was waterproofing the foundation. It could be civ! (Civ - dating to the Civil War) Especially since the Civil War ranged all over Missouri. I think it's a mule shoe probably from rebel troops trying to find a way north across the river**.
What gets you enthusiastic?
* They get permission before they dig and they give all their finds back to the historic societies in charge of the sites.
**Hey, it could be. Part of the fun of the show is them making up background stories for the items they find, so it encourages me to think maybe my horseshoe was on a mule carrying supplies for the troops while they made their way north - and got stopped here because they couldn't cross the river.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The Average Day
Okay, so I said I would make a post about how I spend my time, so all y'all can see that I'm not really as busy as you think, and so I can figure out maybe where I might be more productive. (Yeah, I know... during all the TV time.)
Anyway, since I don't really have a schedule and I pretty much do what I want when I want, here's how my average day might break down...
6:00am - wake up
6-6:15 - bathroom, making coffee, turning on computers, brushing teeth, etc.
6:15-8:00 - surfing the blogosphere and Facebook, reading the news, query stuff
8-9:30 - 1-3 times a week calling Mom, otherwise further internet fun and this is when I do more agent research and sending queries.
9:30-10:30 - not quite sure what I do here...
10:30 - eat lunch while watching TV
10:30 - 6:30 pm - watch TV and read. Sometimes during this stretch, I go outside and fart around with yardwork or woodsmanship.
4:30-5:30 - somewhere in here I make dinner and we eat
6:30 - 9:00 - on a good day, I write in this space. On not-so-good days, I watch more TV and read.
9-10:00 - If I've been writing, I usually stop here and go watch TV and read. If I haven't... well, you know.
9:00-10:00 - I go to bed somewhere in here. Usually about 9:30, but if there's something good on, I'll stay up until ten. If not, and I'm tired, I go to bed at nine.
Other things that can crop up during this schedule are: grocery shopping/errands (which I do in the morning and which usually takes me about 2 hours), cleaning (sporadic at best and again takes me about 2 hours), walks (taken in the afternoon for about an hour), making breakfast (hey, there's something I do between 9:30 and 10:30 - but not every day), baking (again, not every day - but it usually takes about an hour).
In two and half hours of good writing, I can crank out around 3000 words. And if it's a good book, I can read it in one or two sittings. So you see why I seem like I'm being all productive writing-wise and zipping through the books at an ungodly rate, and why I still think I'm a slug.
Yeah, this exercise didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. That huge chunk of time in the afternoons is where I could increase my productivity. Man, if I had half the drive of some people I know, I could've cured male pattern baldness by now. Or written several more books. Or had a spotless house.
Have you ever done this figuring out where your time is going thing? What's your biggest time wasting activity? How could you be more productive?
Anyway, since I don't really have a schedule and I pretty much do what I want when I want, here's how my average day might break down...
6:00am - wake up
6-6:15 - bathroom, making coffee, turning on computers, brushing teeth, etc.
6:15-8:00 - surfing the blogosphere and Facebook, reading the news, query stuff
8-9:30 - 1-3 times a week calling Mom, otherwise further internet fun and this is when I do more agent research and sending queries.
9:30-10:30 - not quite sure what I do here...
10:30 - eat lunch while watching TV
10:30 - 6:30 pm - watch TV and read. Sometimes during this stretch, I go outside and fart around with yardwork or woodsmanship.
4:30-5:30 - somewhere in here I make dinner and we eat
6:30 - 9:00 - on a good day, I write in this space. On not-so-good days, I watch more TV and read.
9-10:00 - If I've been writing, I usually stop here and go watch TV and read. If I haven't... well, you know.
9:00-10:00 - I go to bed somewhere in here. Usually about 9:30, but if there's something good on, I'll stay up until ten. If not, and I'm tired, I go to bed at nine.
Other things that can crop up during this schedule are: grocery shopping/errands (which I do in the morning and which usually takes me about 2 hours), cleaning (sporadic at best and again takes me about 2 hours), walks (taken in the afternoon for about an hour), making breakfast (hey, there's something I do between 9:30 and 10:30 - but not every day), baking (again, not every day - but it usually takes about an hour).
In two and half hours of good writing, I can crank out around 3000 words. And if it's a good book, I can read it in one or two sittings. So you see why I seem like I'm being all productive writing-wise and zipping through the books at an ungodly rate, and why I still think I'm a slug.
Yeah, this exercise didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. That huge chunk of time in the afternoons is where I could increase my productivity. Man, if I had half the drive of some people I know, I could've cured male pattern baldness by now. Or written several more books. Or had a spotless house.
Have you ever done this figuring out where your time is going thing? What's your biggest time wasting activity? How could you be more productive?
Monday, March 3, 2014
Banana Nut Oatmeal Bread
Hey all! Here's a new recipe I tried over the weekend. It's great for when you have bananas laying around going brown.
Banana Nut Oatmeal Bread
1/2 cup margarine (softened)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large overly ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (ice cream topping works best)
Preheat oven to 350F. Thoroughly spritz one 9x5" loaf pan on all sides and bottom with cooking spray and set it aside. Cream butter and sugar together. In a small bowl, beat eggs together with vanilla. Add to butter/sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas until combined. In a separate bowl, sift flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients - alternating with the milk - until well combined. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out of pan to finish cooling. Slice and serve.
If you're not keen on raisins or nuts, those are optional.
Banana Nut Oatmeal Bread
1/2 cup margarine (softened)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large overly ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (ice cream topping works best)
Preheat oven to 350F. Thoroughly spritz one 9x5" loaf pan on all sides and bottom with cooking spray and set it aside. Cream butter and sugar together. In a small bowl, beat eggs together with vanilla. Add to butter/sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas until combined. In a separate bowl, sift flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients - alternating with the milk - until well combined. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out of pan to finish cooling. Slice and serve.
If you're not keen on raisins or nuts, those are optional.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Sunday Update - Week 9
Hello again.
First off, sorry I've been a toad about posting lately. I don't know where my head's been. Certainly not in the writing.
Anyway, here's what little I did last week...
As of last night, I kicked myself in the ass and got back to writing. I'm still at a piddlin' 3000 words on Djinn3, but it's progress from the 2100 I had last time, so I'm not complaining. Much. And hey, I completed the first chapter. Yay.
I'm still sending out queries in dribs and drabs. Kicked myself in the butt over that, too, and I'm getting back on track. I did have some query news but nothing I want to go into in front of the world wide web. Not bad. Not awesomesauce either. Just a further holding pattern with a minor bit of hope attached.
I haven't done anymore editing on Wrongful Termination, but the last I checked, I decided to completely redo the beginning - which kind of derailed me a little. But I found a better way to start it, so it's all good.
Perhaps I bit off too much last month or maybe I just need to quit whining. I'll put my head down and re-evaluate. No suggestions here, please. This is something I have to figure out myself.
I know several people have commented on how very busy I am, but really I'm not busy. What I am is fast at certain things and profoundly lazy about others. Most of my time really is spent watching TV and reading with brief spurts of activity. Maybe I'll do a post about what my days actually look like and all the places where I could be working when I'm not. Might up my productivity.
If I had half the drive of a normal person, I'd probably be published by now.
In other news, I bought some lovely hyacinths that'll be going in the ground sometime later this week. I also made a pan of layer bar cookies.
Oh, and I got our taxes done.
I think that's enough for one week. Wish it could be more... or actual progress... or something to shout YAY about. Right now, I'm just happy both cats are alive, the Hubs is doing well, and the Kid is safe and warm. And some weeks, that's all a gal can ask for.
What's up in your world? And hey, since I came up with some positives for this bleh week, the least you can do is try. ;o)
First off, sorry I've been a toad about posting lately. I don't know where my head's been. Certainly not in the writing.
Anyway, here's what little I did last week...
As of last night, I kicked myself in the ass and got back to writing. I'm still at a piddlin' 3000 words on Djinn3, but it's progress from the 2100 I had last time, so I'm not complaining. Much. And hey, I completed the first chapter. Yay.
I'm still sending out queries in dribs and drabs. Kicked myself in the butt over that, too, and I'm getting back on track. I did have some query news but nothing I want to go into in front of the world wide web. Not bad. Not awesomesauce either. Just a further holding pattern with a minor bit of hope attached.
I haven't done anymore editing on Wrongful Termination, but the last I checked, I decided to completely redo the beginning - which kind of derailed me a little. But I found a better way to start it, so it's all good.
Perhaps I bit off too much last month or maybe I just need to quit whining. I'll put my head down and re-evaluate. No suggestions here, please. This is something I have to figure out myself.
I know several people have commented on how very busy I am, but really I'm not busy. What I am is fast at certain things and profoundly lazy about others. Most of my time really is spent watching TV and reading with brief spurts of activity. Maybe I'll do a post about what my days actually look like and all the places where I could be working when I'm not. Might up my productivity.
If I had half the drive of a normal person, I'd probably be published by now.
In other news, I bought some lovely hyacinths that'll be going in the ground sometime later this week. I also made a pan of layer bar cookies.
Oh, and I got our taxes done.
I think that's enough for one week. Wish it could be more... or actual progress... or something to shout YAY about. Right now, I'm just happy both cats are alive, the Hubs is doing well, and the Kid is safe and warm. And some weeks, that's all a gal can ask for.
What's up in your world? And hey, since I came up with some positives for this bleh week, the least you can do is try. ;o)
Friday, February 28, 2014
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Okay, so by now you should've guessed that my life is all about writing and cooking right now. And since I've been a toad this week, there's more cooking than writing. To that end, here's a new recipe I tried and found to be delicious.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed*)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, cream the margarine and the sugars together. Mix in the egg until light and fluffy. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet mixture until just combined. Stir in the oats and the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
This made about 2 dozen cookies for me, but your mileage may vary. The original recipe, which I tweaked - naturally - said it made 3 dozen, but they must've made small cookies. We don't do small cookies here. I mean, I didn't make them HUGE, but still...
If you want to play with this one, try semi-sweet or milk or white chocolate chips. I used dark chocolate because that's what we had in the house. I guess you could also try chunky peanut butter. Whatever blows your skirt up.
*on a side note, have you ever seen a recipe that didn't call for the brown sugar to be packed? If it always has to be packed, why do they have to keep saying 'packed'? Just one of those things I think about.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed*)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, cream the margarine and the sugars together. Mix in the egg until light and fluffy. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet mixture until just combined. Stir in the oats and the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
This made about 2 dozen cookies for me, but your mileage may vary. The original recipe, which I tweaked - naturally - said it made 3 dozen, but they must've made small cookies. We don't do small cookies here. I mean, I didn't make them HUGE, but still...
If you want to play with this one, try semi-sweet or milk or white chocolate chips. I used dark chocolate because that's what we had in the house. I guess you could also try chunky peanut butter. Whatever blows your skirt up.
*on a side note, have you ever seen a recipe that didn't call for the brown sugar to be packed? If it always has to be packed, why do they have to keep saying 'packed'? Just one of those things I think about.
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