tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-322897022024-03-19T06:46:49.866-05:00It's All About MeLife in the Little Bedroom in IndianaBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.comBlogger302125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-21991876618920966562012-04-01T20:52:00.001-05:002012-04-01T20:52:25.748-05:00A Change Would Do You GoodSo. I was looking around a couple weeks ago and realized that my "online presence" is pretty scattered. I regularly use about four different handles, which is kind of ridiculous. So now I'm consolidating. Everything else has been shifted to "fibrobabe", but I've been dragging my feet about the blog. I was able to get <a href="http://fibrobabe.blogspot.com/">http://fibrobabe.blogspot.com/</a>, and now I'm going to attempt to move all the old bektold stuff to the new blog. This may or may not be successful. My tech skills aren't exactly top notch. If something weird happens, nobody panic! I'll figure it out eventually. But in the meantime, feel free to send a few extra FGBVs my way!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-63615858044317871282012-04-01T00:53:00.000-05:002012-04-01T00:53:26.887-05:00Grrr againIt's been less than a week since I finished my second round of antibiotics, and my boob is all red and swollen again. I had a massage yesterday, and after a while lying on my stomach was <i>agony</i>. I'm going to have to go back to the doctor this week. In amongst all the chores and errands I need to complete next week so I can go to RT the week after.<br />
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Damn it, boob. Not cool.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-66655942377369100702012-03-25T18:29:00.000-05:002012-03-25T18:29:58.010-05:00experimentI'm just playing around, trying to see if I can blog from my little device thingie. If you're seeing this,it worked! Good news for any attempted blogging at RT in a few weeks.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-60663383313069031892012-03-22T21:28:00.000-05:002012-03-22T21:28:57.428-05:00Sock ProblemsNothing much to see here. I just need to post a couple of pictures so I can in turn post them on my knitting forum. Unless of course someone knows how to repair this. It's my mom's first pair of handknit socks, and she's very sad. :(<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4cJ80nc5NqfucqT4NETbfyjvM0q7ZxVwClDVR-7Bi8KFI3yXIyFxqQzjHsv36t5-w-GBjSRX79OfToXtJrHtfeaLgb_mTNkxUsPcKwpuv3_4eRrK6Nsuke9VHqxa5GpcgGj2/s1600/2012-03-22+22.20.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4cJ80nc5NqfucqT4NETbfyjvM0q7ZxVwClDVR-7Bi8KFI3yXIyFxqQzjHsv36t5-w-GBjSRX79OfToXtJrHtfeaLgb_mTNkxUsPcKwpuv3_4eRrK6Nsuke9VHqxa5GpcgGj2/s320/2012-03-22+22.20.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6At-2e3wlK4n50cKNu9wXdOYWqIbrEEnG3WtLghMQZmcrtQ39czdeQJVL81EFflZve_Uh9Tn6-rP10OdMGPBu8_tOj06hzqMmI1U_adAwSZYFKVeCRKljDrN3pPSB_c0nzyah/s1600/2012-03-22+22.20.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6At-2e3wlK4n50cKNu9wXdOYWqIbrEEnG3WtLghMQZmcrtQ39czdeQJVL81EFflZve_Uh9Tn6-rP10OdMGPBu8_tOj06hzqMmI1U_adAwSZYFKVeCRKljDrN3pPSB_c0nzyah/s320/2012-03-22+22.20.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-16799512662419521992012-03-21T21:51:00.002-05:002012-03-21T21:51:47.636-05:00What are you doing, lady?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymsjDDXX_btOVpLSuIJJVY3NzMcSziNt6swpT9s_qL9mFu2t-ZhC984TmUK4OMgx2zQpUKPh3f3W9aa5VCX1-_PNn0bPDTy1HLFfmPrjL60rDZCjFL5qykQE8FslhedklqnMk/s1600/troub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymsjDDXX_btOVpLSuIJJVY3NzMcSziNt6swpT9s_qL9mFu2t-ZhC984TmUK4OMgx2zQpUKPh3f3W9aa5VCX1-_PNn0bPDTy1HLFfmPrjL60rDZCjFL5qykQE8FslhedklqnMk/s320/troub.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-78643626377073726312012-03-12T19:24:00.000-05:002012-03-12T19:24:58.119-05:00Update- Sorry Everybody!Sorry, everyone! Didn't mean to leave you hanging. The mammogram went very well. It didn't hurt at all. So no excuses-- get the girls checked!<br />
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The report came back clear, with nothing to report. I'm almost finished with my course of antibiotics, and I've got a call in to my doctor to get a refill. I'm still a little pink, a little swollen, a little tender, but nothing like I was. Hopefully, a few more days on the antibiotic and I'll be back to normal.<br />
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And on the positive side, I now have a baseline mammogram. That could be helpful in the future, considering I have a family history of breast cancer.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-52518151928299977212012-03-02T15:19:00.000-06:002012-03-02T15:19:40.694-06:00Nervous UpdateI had my appointment today with my doctor. There's definitely something going on in there. She thinks it might be a cyst or mastitis. She sent me home with a prescription for antibiotics, and I have an appointment for Tuesday afternoon for a mammogram and an ultrasound if necessary. Her office should get the results within 24 hours, so hopefully I'll have some answers Wednesday afternoon. In the meantime, if it's an infection the antibiotic should have it on the mend.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-90945981077840454722012-02-29T01:47:00.001-06:002012-02-29T13:26:34.775-06:00NervousJust a heads up-- this is going to be weird and filled with Too Much Information. Continue at your own risk.<br />
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I need to call the doctor tomorrow. There is something strange going on with my left breast. The nipple and areola are swollen and sore. Every once in a while I'll move and feel a sharp, tearing pain. Any pressure against the breast causes a slightly duller, aching pain. There's no discoloration or discharge. It's not warm to the touch the way you might expect from infection or inflammation.<br />
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So I did the dumbest thing a person can do-- I googled. My first thought, a yeast infection, sounds unlikely. If it were bacterial it sounds like I'd probably be having a systemic reaction, which I'm not. The thing that's left is inflammatory breast cancer, one of the most sudden and aggressive forms of breast cancer.<br />
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That's right, folks. I've diagnosed myself with breast cancer off the internet. To be fair, I have a family history of breast cancer, and the medications I've been on for Crohn's give me an increased risk of all kinds of cancer. And no, I don't really think I have breast cancer based on a few web pages. But it is concerning. Also, it really fucking hurts. So I'm calling my doctor tomorrow and getting it checked out.<br />
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FGBVs, please.<br />
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Update: I have an appointment to see my doctor on Friday at 12:30.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-56331627946638594652012-02-25T02:17:00.001-06:002012-02-25T13:33:18.758-06:00Because I Really Needed Another Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuBtxYqfBi8s9q6tpeNcfCjuV8DeHOrnmqHhf2GKqZ4g1194ktP5XY_TqnFwmfTG85cwsJRx9o3R3tT4rDCq1E_hb_-AsHJLgrH-Dz205lqe7XQtpTF5kAz3t1iJ9-26wRO6w/s1600/2012-02-25+01.29.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuBtxYqfBi8s9q6tpeNcfCjuV8DeHOrnmqHhf2GKqZ4g1194ktP5XY_TqnFwmfTG85cwsJRx9o3R3tT4rDCq1E_hb_-AsHJLgrH-Dz205lqe7XQtpTF5kAz3t1iJ9-26wRO6w/s320/2012-02-25+01.29.42.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Look what arrived on my doorstep today! Lots and lots of yarn. I've been feeling the need to knit for charity for a few months now. But not just any charity. I've been wanting to knit for homeless LGBT youth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did you know that somewhere between 5 and 10% of youth in the US identify as LGBT, but 20-40% of homeless youth are LGBT? Approximately 26% of LGBT kids are kicked out of their homes when they come out. They are also significantly more likely to be sexually assaulted, become addicted to drugs, to be forced to turn to sex work for survival, or to attempt suicide. They're even more at risk for abuse from shelter staff than their heterosexual counterparts. (That there is any abuse of anyone by shelter staff makes me sick to my stomach.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are kids who need help. They need to know that there are people out there who care about them. And they need to be warm. So I'm knitting for them. Right now I'm positively obsessed with hats. I've knit two in the last two days, and I have two more that I knit in January with the intention to donate. All that yarn in the picture above will be hats soon. After that there will be scarves and cowls and fingerless mitts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So far I have one place identified to send these items-- Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco. There's a woman who collects knit and crochet donations all year long to go into holiday gift packages for the kids. I've also contacted an LGBT youth center here in Indianapolis to see if they have a need for hats and scarves for their clients, or know of a program in the area that does. (I'd really like to keep at least some of this local.) And I've found programs in Iowa, Michigan, New York, and Nevada that look like they could use handknits. I'll have to contact them and see if they have any specific needs or guidelines for donations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you know of any LGBT programs in your area that could use handknits, please let me know and I'll add them to my list to contact. And please, consider making a few yourself if you're crafty, or finding other ways to support this population. They sure as hell need all the kindness and support they can get.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now, I'm going to cast on for another hat.</div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-87467847724418845612012-02-14T15:49:00.000-06:002012-02-14T15:49:58.556-06:00Happy Valentine's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh134qawVztTr8Khv1rSlGjSpq7S4YlKq_-9-sgDmJdCZvW-Z3f30BiVyhVbIYfuC-o8R8t7RKDjhrhb3M4iHZ-9caSEVvcZVCwMlIfSuISRzw1XTyZR7pdiWshO6wO0JtbJ9Za/s1600/2012-02-14+03.26.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh134qawVztTr8Khv1rSlGjSpq7S4YlKq_-9-sgDmJdCZvW-Z3f30BiVyhVbIYfuC-o8R8t7RKDjhrhb3M4iHZ-9caSEVvcZVCwMlIfSuISRzw1XTyZR7pdiWshO6wO0JtbJ9Za/s320/2012-02-14+03.26.46.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-26462812052248703232012-01-29T02:58:00.000-06:002012-01-29T02:58:49.522-06:00Frog in a Party HatI finished a new knitting project tonight. Don't adjust your screens, it really is this bright.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiefbM_El7PqCTlhCDP0Xe0fdaA59jGBFFRfwvO5k8OVZvK9pF2DV4nPQ3NIoPWf5hROj0KVKNRPPxSBZt_6tbFdgTxYADMHR9EiicMgSb8pWGLvi-lV0SJ40yniDjXlH48-_v/s1600/2012-01-29+02.55.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiefbM_El7PqCTlhCDP0Xe0fdaA59jGBFFRfwvO5k8OVZvK9pF2DV4nPQ3NIoPWf5hROj0KVKNRPPxSBZt_6tbFdgTxYADMHR9EiicMgSb8pWGLvi-lV0SJ40yniDjXlH48-_v/s320/2012-01-29+02.55.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
OK, maybe the color doesn't come through really well in this picture, but trust me, it's BRIGHT.<br />
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The pattern is Sockhead, and the name of the colorway is Frog in a Party Dress, so I've named this Frog in a Party Hat. It's nice and cozy, but not so heavy that I couldn't wear it in spring or fall as a fashion statement. (You know me, I'm all about the fashion statement.) I'm quite satisfied with this hat, and I expect that there will be more Sockheads to come. And I already have plans for the leftover yarn, of which there is a fair bit. A book of sock patterns came in the mail today, and there's a really cute one that calls for just a little bit of a contrasting color. This pink and green yarn should be almost a shock of color against a black yarn. Or maybe it will work against some deep purple I have in my stash. We'll see.<br />
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My brother and sister-in-law came for dinner tonight. Jer's birthday is in mid-February, and he very humbly requested another pair of heavy house socks. He asked for a pair for Christmas, and he loves them so much that he hasn't been willing to skip wearing them around the house long enough to get them washed! Clearly, this is a guy who needs at least one more warm pair of handknit socks.<br />
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Lip Balm of the Day: Pink CakeBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-75963188061369404502012-01-23T01:36:00.000-06:002012-01-23T01:36:49.518-06:00The CollageI finally got my act together and assembled the collage for the story I'm doing for Fast Draft! Here's the picture:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7br_8wigBziCGTIpdDayBhyphenhypheni2TwC5bE3ZWF1r5NPZyLTnhUyMqyoinm2cBpulxvplpOv6x5_EolgS5eAB4TNuP7HDqUaGk1cOT6XcqD_QxZ_dcfQa-0KcQap44VO4sCXH_oN/s1600/2012-01-23+01.31.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7br_8wigBziCGTIpdDayBhyphenhypheni2TwC5bE3ZWF1r5NPZyLTnhUyMqyoinm2cBpulxvplpOv6x5_EolgS5eAB4TNuP7HDqUaGk1cOT6XcqD_QxZ_dcfQa-0KcQap44VO4sCXH_oN/s320/2012-01-23+01.31.33.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm sure the text is too small to read, so the top one is a quote from the beginning of The Hobbit. It says:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><blockquote class="tr_bq">This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbors' respect, but he gained-- well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.</blockquote><br />
The other one says:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">"Nothing Happens without risk." Anne Packard</blockquote><br />
It's on a magnetic board, and the round things are all magnets I made for the collage. Some are just pictures, but most of them say something, like "Keep Calm and Rock On" or "Keep Calm and Do It Anyway". A couple are Big Bag quotes, including "I'm clearly too evolved for driving" and "I am not crazy, my mother had me tested".<br />
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The pictures all represent a character or group of characters or some aspect of the story. The big 3 is to remind me that in stories, things often happen in threes. So if I'm stuck, look for something that needs to repeat.<br />
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I guess that's it. If you have any questions about any of the images, or can't tell what they are (the overall picture may be a little small if you don't already know what you're looking at), just ask.<br />
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I've already procrastinated the day away, so I'm going to go poke at a blank page and see if I can't at least rack up a few words before bed.<br />
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Lip Balm of the Day: White CranberryBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-85436599381634390582012-01-16T03:21:00.000-06:002012-01-16T03:21:54.247-06:00Jumping In, Head First<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I've been amping myself up, in secret, for doing Fast Draft. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>In secret because I can't stand the idea of my parents knowing about my writing. 1. Because it immediately comes with the high pressure nagging to start submitting stories to publishers. (Bugging someone to submit before they're ready is not helpful.) And 2. Because I know that they would thoroughly disapprove of what I plan to write. It would be a hard enough secret to keep if I wasn't living with them and I got a story published. But, emotionally, living with my parents is like living as an exhibit at the zoo. Everything is know and noticed. There's no mental privacy. If they knew I was writing, they'd want to read it. If they knew it was published they'd want to buy it and read it and tell their friends. And while I feel no shame at all in what I read and intend to write, they'd be deeply ashamed of it, which gets in my head and scrambles it.<br />
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So, anyway, I was telling you how I was getting myself mentally prepared for Fast Draft. That's two weeks of pedal-to-the-metal writing. 5,000 words a day is the goal. (Although I give myself full permission to do less if that's beyond my limits. But I want to stretch myself and see if that's possible. If not, less is more than none.) I've been mostly just *thinking* about writing. Thinking about what music is inspiring me right now, looking at images that I might want to add to a collage. Stuff like that.<br />
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And then last week, out of the blue, my parents start hassling me at dinner about my writing. Now I admit, I have a pretty thin skin when it comes to anything that I'm trying to do and keep to myself. If I hadn't been thinking about trying to write again it probably would have rolled right off my back. But with that writing desire so close to the surface it upset me a lot. My immediate response (which I did not voice, because even if they'd just "ruined it" for me, I still didn't want them to know what I was thinking about doing) was to not do it. To give up. I was pretty pissed for a while.<br />
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Today I said, "screw it," and I signed up for Fast Draft anyway. I'm just going to have to find a way to put up steel bars, castle walls, and a moat all around me, to protect what I need to be intensely private from the intrusion of the unwelcome. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to manage that without creating A Thing in the house. Like the Mom in Everybody Loves Raymond, my mother has a very limited sense of boundaries, and feels that everything is her business. I don't particularly want to deal with butt hurt while simultaneously attempting to write a novel.<br />
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So that's my frustration at the moment. In lighter news, I did a bit of pre-work today by poking around looking for songs for the soundtrack and images for the collage. I'm loving it all, although the whole thing is a bit schizophrenic. Tone and imagery are all over the place. I'm hoping that some of this settles into a semi-coherent <i>something</i> between now and next Sunday, when the class starts.<br />
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Like I said before, the goal is 5,000 words a day. That's 70,000 words over the course of two weeks. Not unheard of, but quite a bit longer than the average m/m story. So I'm thinking, if the 5,000 words per day turns out to be doable, I'll end up writing two stories. The first one I'm thinking of is the riff on The Hobbit that I toyed around with and wrote a few lines for last November during NaNo. I plan to read The Hobbit this week, as soon as I find my old copy, make it to the used bookstore to get another copy, or break down and pay the outrageous $10.99 that Penguin is asking for a Kindle copy. I really want a digital copy, but not at that price.<br />
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The idea for the second story came directly out of all the image searching I did today. I'm thinking either A Rare Duck or An Odd Duck for the title. A guy who collects rubber ducks is searching for one particular, rare duckie, and another guy is trying to block him from having it. First thought was that something was smuggled into the country inside the duck. Second thought is that maybe he's on some weird, Amazing Race type hunt, and he's looking for a clue hidden in the duckie. I'm not sure, but I've got a week to figure this stuff out.<br />
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As a thank you for making your way through all this rambling mess, here is a video with one of the songs I've picked for the soundtrack and a few of the images I have so far. You'll see what I mean about them not fitting together in tone AT ALL. But this is what it is, so I've got to work with it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UHcYiOsO3a4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Sarah Jarosz is a relatively new discovery of mine, and I completely adore her. So talented.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WnZohrzs0mw/TxPmKs5mfxI/AAAAAAAAAXg/DQfgS-5ZMYc/s1600/guy4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WnZohrzs0mw/TxPmKs5mfxI/AAAAAAAAAXg/DQfgS-5ZMYc/s320/guy4.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eyeliner Dude</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g9b1s_tpdp0/TxPmwPqRMzI/AAAAAAAAAXo/MxvFxdzNYN4/s1600/the-a-team-van.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g9b1s_tpdp0/TxPmwPqRMzI/AAAAAAAAAXo/MxvFxdzNYN4/s320/the-a-team-van.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was going to put the crazy guys in the Hobbit story in a<br />
van with a wizard painted on the side, but I thought that<br />
was a little on the nose. So maybe they'll drive one painted<br />
like the A Team van. Or maybe the Mystery Machine, who knows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JiszdSlZYa4/TxPnfA3YyRI/AAAAAAAAAXw/wEYLDl4p3Nc/s1600/cool+joe+duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JiszdSlZYa4/TxPnfA3YyRI/AAAAAAAAAXw/wEYLDl4p3Nc/s320/cool+joe+duck.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool Joe Duck</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rQDIh72yXc/TxPoHwNPPnI/AAAAAAAAAX4/V4KwJ3eqZjE/s1600/love+duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rQDIh72yXc/TxPoHwNPPnI/AAAAAAAAAX4/V4KwJ3eqZjE/s320/love+duck.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Duck</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iq_CehNX0Rg/TxPoTozniAI/AAAAAAAAAYA/a1EqkS_T4ns/s1600/airplane2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iq_CehNX0Rg/TxPoTozniAI/AAAAAAAAAYA/a1EqkS_T4ns/s320/airplane2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage airplanes. Not sure where I'm going with this one<br />
*at all*.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-APee0k9By4o/TxPoxszkipI/AAAAAAAAAYI/GLvymP1LIuE/s1600/disco+duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-APee0k9By4o/TxPoxszkipI/AAAAAAAAAYI/GLvymP1LIuE/s320/disco+duck.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disco Ducks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Zi4bqSkTzE/TxPpJOro7MI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/mXBqpbOjugc/s1600/dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Zi4bqSkTzE/TxPpJOro7MI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/mXBqpbOjugc/s320/dog.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone in this story has a dog?<br />
Who knew?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_iNoaScI9g/TxPpjQaYlFI/AAAAAAAAAYY/CkNCX3Ucj6k/s1600/duck+seat.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_iNoaScI9g/TxPpjQaYlFI/AAAAAAAAAYY/CkNCX3Ucj6k/s320/duck+seat.jpeg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockin' duck toilet seat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Z_FPtSFpME/TxPp61U1-3I/AAAAAAAAAYg/rHFoZpLAdNo/s1600/christmas-cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Z_FPtSFpME/TxPp61U1-3I/AAAAAAAAAYg/rHFoZpLAdNo/s320/christmas-cookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas cookies, because who ever heard of too many<br />
Christmas cookies?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
And now, some more pretty boys.<div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JpWi4yoLFRM/TxPqLdS_b-I/AAAAAAAAAYo/e8JKMBY4BJs/s1600/brad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JpWi4yoLFRM/TxPqLdS_b-I/AAAAAAAAAYo/e8JKMBY4BJs/s320/brad.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have him labeled as "Brad". Not sure<br />
who Brad is, but I'll figure it out eventually.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SYy788-2Br8/TxPqYKqtGYI/AAAAAAAAAYw/vGW2a0WnA1g/s1600/ethan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SYy788-2Br8/TxPqYKqtGYI/AAAAAAAAAYw/vGW2a0WnA1g/s320/ethan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lovely specimen is apparently "Ethan". </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wKaWu5lDJfw/TxPqu-KXSfI/AAAAAAAAAY4/Vp333sPbFDs/s1600/smoking+dude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wKaWu5lDJfw/TxPqu-KXSfI/AAAAAAAAAY4/Vp333sPbFDs/s320/smoking+dude.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure who this is yet, but he's got<br />
attitude to spare.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XxEVJn06gts/TxPrcCbl9ZI/AAAAAAAAAZA/30XON8YiMbw/s1600/kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XxEVJn06gts/TxPrcCbl9ZI/AAAAAAAAAZA/30XON8YiMbw/s320/kiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta love a kiss.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qB39wGm0TP0/TxPrjw0UeKI/AAAAAAAAAZI/BI-Ky5j-QK4/s1600/dude+with+scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qB39wGm0TP0/TxPrjw0UeKI/AAAAAAAAAZI/BI-Ky5j-QK4/s320/dude+with+scarf.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this guy is just hot and wearing<br />
a scarf.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-82468409430783598592012-01-13T02:36:00.001-06:002012-01-16T03:27:40.069-06:00Pick a Color, Any ColorI've bleached a stripe in my hair for maximum color impact. Now I just need to settle on which color I want to use! (Bear in mind that the rest of my hair is now a deep auburn. She went more chocolate brown and less red this time. Next time I think I'll have her scale back on the brown and add a bit more red.)<br />
<br />
So, here are the choices I'm looking at.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPDf0nI5Qjvp5DqkxGkCi3pAdddKdaD9gfH3bwyWFJF39NfhmfnPtiktDfqjCtVcIYYDafCJlAQUeO9k0gciVKG1iTZaoWrueCzJ4MKFbZh-F8KABE9BB6g0VafwHbskyQlzI/s1600/after+midnight+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPDf0nI5Qjvp5DqkxGkCi3pAdddKdaD9gfH3bwyWFJF39NfhmfnPtiktDfqjCtVcIYYDafCJlAQUeO9k0gciVKG1iTZaoWrueCzJ4MKFbZh-F8KABE9BB6g0VafwHbskyQlzI/s1600/after+midnight+blue.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After Midnight Blue</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9qU8SR9zRKcsd3ky8_G4Mo17dICeqrgsFDjpwpO_DY0aQtnXoAV8pOMUE55Mg4eNUaRx_UJR8g5YamChrmDVmohg67JLWfX58A_DfOVR60cqUOQN7uoNNXrsxfieujAv2eRI/s1600/purple+haze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9qU8SR9zRKcsd3ky8_G4Mo17dICeqrgsFDjpwpO_DY0aQtnXoAV8pOMUE55Mg4eNUaRx_UJR8g5YamChrmDVmohg67JLWfX58A_DfOVR60cqUOQN7uoNNXrsxfieujAv2eRI/s1600/purple+haze.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Haze</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSp8qorywoigL28icAkElPfrJgc11dBQwstJe_LIgXrlqRhkHw34qXFxOVP66TeMYMjqn8jDMOThW4yr_vhmgQOLi6wsEvASLQVZ0ZBTeynSoz9aS11rvVjF36NmLZSmM1m7nv/s1600/ultra+violet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSp8qorywoigL28icAkElPfrJgc11dBQwstJe_LIgXrlqRhkHw34qXFxOVP66TeMYMjqn8jDMOThW4yr_vhmgQOLi6wsEvASLQVZ0ZBTeynSoz9aS11rvVjF36NmLZSmM1m7nv/s1600/ultra+violet.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ultra Violet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1l6onOJaV2HXol8tCAvhbJIH7JD_T7kNwBzKfg27lxuGydWhxDzgJ4uQitaR0toXYnYExJv1oqLTPfLzvwI8ZtOBYVnc2DRjODhMdeS2yV0sLX4xe_dFQ2gz5TR30shhNmyI_/s1600/electric+lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1l6onOJaV2HXol8tCAvhbJIH7JD_T7kNwBzKfg27lxuGydWhxDzgJ4uQitaR0toXYnYExJv1oqLTPfLzvwI8ZtOBYVnc2DRjODhMdeS2yV0sLX4xe_dFQ2gz5TR30shhNmyI_/s1600/electric+lizard.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electric Lizard</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYq7IGMm_PopNCHsPXitpEXNgnz_6kNO-PZ53w8DXRnzPX78ysS-ZnrhKnofUqOE9WJhqQGfq7jrMx6EPvR7yjgRMofRwk38edD6eTUxJIXhCDEVNInv141sAcpl5-5a1uLT3/s1600/shocking+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYq7IGMm_PopNCHsPXitpEXNgnz_6kNO-PZ53w8DXRnzPX78ysS-ZnrhKnofUqOE9WJhqQGfq7jrMx6EPvR7yjgRMofRwk38edD6eTUxJIXhCDEVNInv141sAcpl5-5a1uLT3/s1600/shocking+blue.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shocking Blue</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHac67RZmgTjRedRRlReniyjUj_NJ43L7qNlHzsqHxL78SFin1nALU2tZVXrTyFEJgrThj83TCvRLbxcDzWdjLlQxhx5Hkzq7VKuQXR_p33hTGwoRJAx3dtpc29DmAdSdntyH/s1600/new+rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHac67RZmgTjRedRRlReniyjUj_NJ43L7qNlHzsqHxL78SFin1nALU2tZVXrTyFEJgrThj83TCvRLbxcDzWdjLlQxhx5Hkzq7VKuQXR_p33hTGwoRJAx3dtpc29DmAdSdntyH/s1600/new+rose.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Rose</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVQvDXWG7Jak6gaXXVgv5jOSox7DogdkGCcsgPvdb1G2gwNRq9_8Rz1B8-lExUYmmx2FHq5c0CFkaniUJbBuvAX8lYVH2MYUsZaCGoKmw6aBSwklX6kHsNZ1vYu2Hj1M785AY/s1600/pretty+flamingo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVQvDXWG7Jak6gaXXVgv5jOSox7DogdkGCcsgPvdb1G2gwNRq9_8Rz1B8-lExUYmmx2FHq5c0CFkaniUJbBuvAX8lYVH2MYUsZaCGoKmw6aBSwklX6kHsNZ1vYu2Hj1M785AY/s1600/pretty+flamingo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty Flamingo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>I know I want the green, but I'm torn on the others. I like them ALL, but several of them are pretty close, and it wouldn't necessarily make sense to buy them all at once. What do you think? Which ones should I go for?<br />
<br />
Update: Just for Julie (and her sister), I've edited so that we're talking about hair color, not dye. The weather has been yuck, so I haven't had a chance to go out and get anything yet. I know I definitely want Electric Lizard and Shocking Blue, but I'm thinking I might go for some Purple Haze or Pretty Flamingo, too. Kind of depends on what I can find and how expensive it all is.</div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-7072120252124792102012-01-09T12:11:00.001-06:002012-01-09T12:13:55.275-06:002011 Wordle<span style="font-family: inherit;">I meant to post this last week sometime, but you know how stuff gets away from me. It's a Wordle of the titles and authors of all the books I read in 2011. Pretty clear who made my "most read" list, huh?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<pre id="embed" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4619660/Reading_List_2011" title="Wordle: Reading List 2011"><img alt="Wordle: Reading List 2011" src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/4619660/Reading_List_2011" style="border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 4px;" /></a></pre><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry it's so small. If you click on it, you'll go to the Wordle page with a larger image.</span>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-86676652343028292682012-01-05T22:47:00.000-06:002012-01-05T22:47:00.355-06:00Coolest Card EVAR!Check this out! I got the coolest card in the mail today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rgJoABCImFg/TwZ2qya8Y3I/AAAAAAAAAWg/MLZou6ETMEc/s1600/2012-01-05+23.02.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rgJoABCImFg/TwZ2qya8Y3I/AAAAAAAAAWg/MLZou6ETMEc/s320/2012-01-05+23.02.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Does that not just rock? I think this one is going to have to go on my permanent magnet board, once I get the damn thing hung again.<br />
<br />
In other news, I don't have much news. I'm reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Awakened-Cecilia-Grant/dp/0553593838">A Lady Awakened</a> by Cecilia Grant, which is pretty amazing so far. There's been a lot of buzz about this one, and if the rest stays as good as what I've read so far, it will be totally deserving. I'll let you know how it goes.<br />
<br />
I saw on twitter that Candace Havens is getting ready to run another Fast Draft class, and I'm seriously considering signing up. Has anyone taken it? Any advice? Apparently the idea of the class is that you're supposed to write 5,000 words a day, so at the end of the two weeks, you should have a 70,000 word first draft. That's one unusually long m/m romance, or quite possibly two average-ish length ones. I'm not sure if I'm up for that kind of pressure, but it sure would be a kick in the ass to get writing. And the class is only $20, so it's not like it's a huge financial investment. (Although a significant time investment if I'm really going to do it.)<br />
<br />
As far as the rest of my resolutions go, the cleaning one isn't going exactly as I planned, but I am making progress. Today was trash day, and I managed to ditch a whole trash bag full of crap. <br />
<br />
I have the next knitting project for myself planned out, but I'm trying to wrap up a few ongoing projects before I start it.<br />
<br />
The "read less" resolution is in the toilet. I looked at my little red book, and as of the first of the year I only had 295 books to read to reach 1,000 since I started logging them. I think I'd rather hit 1,000 this year, so 295 is my new goal. I have, however, managed to not buy a book for 5 whole days. That's pretty good for me lately.<br />
<br />
Let's see. What else? I haven't done any exercise since that little bout on the Wii last week. I haven't bothered with the picture a day thing, either, although I'm still enjoying taking pictures with my Samsung thingie. Mostly of the cat.<br />
<br />
I think that's everything new and interesting. Or even not so interesting. I'm not even wearing any lip balm today!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-56109997150346783692012-01-02T03:23:00.000-06:002012-01-02T03:23:19.763-06:00What I WantI think this picture expresses pretty perfectly what I want for myself in 2012.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zcfR_2N3pRU/TwFztxBm-pI/AAAAAAAAAWI/L2iQaHlOlYQ/s1600/necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zcfR_2N3pRU/TwFztxBm-pI/AAAAAAAAAWI/L2iQaHlOlYQ/s320/necklace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I used to dream. I dreamed that I'd at least walk, if not run, the Disney marathon. I dreamed of settling down and raising a family. I dreamed of being a published author someday. And I worked toward those dreams. I trained for that marathon, and I did a lot of 5k's and even one 10k, although the marathon never happened for me. I kept my eyes open for the right guy, the one I'd want to raise a family with, and I never found him. Or, I should say. I haven't found him yet, although the hard realities of my life make never having had those kids more of a blessing than a regret. And until I got sick and discouraged and, let's face it, depressed, I worked on my writing, too.<br />
<br />
It's time for me to discover what my dreams are again, to believe in them, and to start working toward making them a reality. I know I still want to be a published author, maybe more now than before, with some of those other dreams gone. So that's the one I'm going to work on right now. I'm not entirely sure *how* I'm going to work on it. I feel like I've got a whole set of muscles that have forgotten how to move. Is there such a thing as author's therapy? Writer's rehab? If so, I need to check myself in for an inpatient program! Short of that, I need to start flexing those creative muscles again, playing with ideas and possibilities, laying the groundwork in my head for putting words on paper.<br />
<br />
I'm going to wear those pendants as much as possible this year, to remind myself to Dream and Believe. Dream and Believe and then Act. It doesn't get you where you want to be if you don't have all three.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-53855498538299025312011-12-31T22:05:00.000-06:002011-12-31T22:05:27.343-06:00The Book List- 2011Here it comes. The hairy, scary list of over 300 books that I read this year. (There are a fair number of category and novella length stories in here, so it's not quite as impressive as it sounds at first.) I've <b>bolded</b> my favorites. The ones that are both <b>bolded</b> and starred <b>***</b> were my very most favorite. I've reread many of the starred ones a time or two already.<br />
<br />
1. How to Marry a Duke- Vicky Dreiling<br />
2. Desperate Choices- Kathy Ivan<br />
3. Doctor Who: Snowfall- Gavin Collinson and Mark B. Oliver<br />
4. Midnight Crystal- Jayne Castle<br />
5. The Sevenfold Spell- Tia Nevitt<br />
6. The Awakening- L.J. Smith<br />
7. Waking the Witch- Kelley Armstrong<br />
8. Not Just the Nanny- Christine Ridgway<br />
9. Like Clockwork- Bonnie Dee<br />
10. Warrior- Zoe Archer<br />
11. Treasured- Crystal Jordan<br />
12. Physical Therapy- Z.A. Maxfield<br />
13. Coin Operated- Ginny Glass<br />
14. In Too Deep- Jayne Ann Krentz<br />
15. Ladies Man- Suzanne Brockmann<br />
16. A Discovery of Witches- Deborah Harkness<br />
17. Somebody Killed His Editor- Josh Lanyon<br />
18. <b>Fatal Shadows- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
19. <b>A Dangerous Thing- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
20. <b>The Hell You Say- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
21. <b>Death of a Pirate King- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
22. <b>The Dark Tide- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
23. Among the Living- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
24. Criss Cross- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
25. The Dickens With Love- Josh Lanyon<br />
26. His Convenient Husband- J.L. Langley<br />
27. Hemovore- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
28. Erias Menage- Alice Gaines<br />
29. All She Wrote- Josh Lanyon<br />
30. Crux: Southern Arcana, Book 1- Moira Rogers<br />
31. Lessons in Love: A Cambridge Fellows Mystery- Charlie Cochrane<br />
32. Mercy Blade- Faith Hunter<br />
33. <b>Duck!- Kim Dare</b><br />
34. The One That Got Away- Rhianne Aile and Madeleine Urban<br />
35. Whisper Falls- Toni Blake<br />
36. Body & Soul- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
37. The Spurned Viscountess- Shelley Munro<br />
38. Blinded By Our Eyes- Clare London<br />
39. Undeniably Yours- Shanon Stacey<br />
40. Fair Game- Josh Lanyon<br />
41. <b>The Happy Onion- Ally Blue</b><br />
42. Blameless- Gail Carriger<br />
43. Burning Up- Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra, Meljean Brook<br />
44. <b>His at Night- Sherry Thomas</b><br />
45. Lead Me On- Victoria Dahl<br />
46. Heaven- Jet Mykles<br />
47. Court Appointed- Annmarie McKenna<br />
48. <b>Strawberries For Dessert- Marie Sexton***</b><br />
49. Purgatory- Jet Mykles<br />
50. <b>Hell- Jet Mykles***</b><br />
51. The Iron Duke- Meljean Brook<br />
52. Holiday Sparks- Shannon Stacey<br />
53. Catch Me If You Can- L.B. Gregg<br />
54. Black Gold- Clancy Nacht, Thursday Euclid<br />
55. <b>Bareback- Chris Owen</b><br />
56. Here Comes the Groom- Karina Bliss<br />
57. Motor City Witch- Cindy Spencer Pape<br />
58. Amethyst Bound- L. Shannon<br />
59. Talk Dirty to Me- Ginny Glass, Inez Kelley<br />
60. Call Me Irresistible- Susan Elizabeth Phillips<br />
61. Bring the Heat- M.L. Rhodes<br />
62. Shadowfever- Karen Marie Moning<br />
63. Touch Me Gently- J.R. Loveless<br />
64. Blue Ruin 1: Some Kind of Stranger- Katrina Strauss<br />
65. Coming Undone- Susan Andersen<br />
66. Tech Support- Jet Mykles<br />
67. Yours, Mine, and Howls- Kinsey W. Holley<br />
68. Handcuffs and Spreader Bars- Kim Dare<br />
69. Mind F*cked- Mia Watts<br />
70. Pretty Man- Ryan Field<br />
71. Sex and the Single Earl- Vanessa Kelly<br />
72. <b>Coming Clean- Inez Kelley</b><br />
73. Blood, Smoke, and Mirrors- Robyn Bachar<br />
74. Texas Tangle- Leah Braemel<br />
75. Strange Fortune- Josh Lanyon<br />
76. Promises- Marie Sexton<br />
77. <b>Faith & Fidelity- Tere Michaels</b><br />
78. Overnight- E.C. Sheedy<br />
79. <b>One Con Glory- Sarah Kuhn</b><br />
80. <b>Drawn Together- Z.A. Maxfield</b><br />
81. The Charlie Factor- Diana DeRicci<br />
82. Slave Boy- Evangeline Anderson<br />
83. Slave to Sensation- Nalini Singh<br />
84. Snowed In- Rhianne Aile and Madeleine Urban<br />
85. Brier's Bargain- Carol Lynne<br />
86. Seb's Surrender- Carol Lynne<br />
87. I Love Rock N Roll- Carol Lynne<br />
88. Cryoburn- Lois McMaster Bujold<br />
89. No One Lives Twice- Julie Moffett<br />
90. Whistling in the Dark- Tamara Allen<br />
91. Anna and the French Kiss- Stephanie Perkins<br />
92. <b>The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
93. Sno Ho- Ethan Day<br />
94. Truly, Madly- Heather Webber<br />
95. Just For You- Jet Mykles<br />
96. Faith- Jet Mykles<br />
97. Genesis- Jet Mykles<br />
98. Revelations- Jet Mykles<br />
99. The Peach Keeper- Sarah Addison Allen<br />
100. William's House- Amber Kell<br />
101. <b>Talker- Amy Lane</b><br />
102. <b>Talker's Redemption- Amy Lane</b><br />
103. <b>The Girl For Me- Failte***</b><br />
104. Quicksilver- Amanda Quick<br />
105. Striking Sparks- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
106. Handcuffs and Leather- Kim Dare<br />
107. Truth in the Dark- Amy Lane<br />
108. Badlands- Seleste deLaney<br />
109. Gambling On Maybe- Fae Sutherland<br />
110. <b>If I Must- Amy Lane***</b><br />
111. Making His List- Devon Rhodes<br />
112. Scoundrel- Zoe Archer<br />
113. Wrong Number, Right Guy- Mia Watts<br />
114. Hunters- Michelle Marquis<br />
115. Three Wrong Turns in the Desert- Neil Plakcy<br />
116. Shadow Touch- Marjorie M. Liu<br />
117. Love & Scandal- Donna Lea Simpson<br />
118. <b>Rosemary and Rue- Seanan McGuire</b><br />
119. Lord Scandal- Kalen Hughes<br />
120. The Panther's Lair- Esmerelda Bishop<br />
121. Infernal Devices- Abigail Barnette<br />
122. Trash Course- Penny Drake<br />
123. The Ghost on My Couch- L.A. Gilbert<br />
124. Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings- Helene Boudreau<br />
125. Hot Pursuit- Suzanne Brockmann<br />
126. Magic Slays- Ilona Andrews<br />
127. The Debutante's Dilemma- Elyse Mady<br />
128. All Play & No Work- Carol Lynne<br />
129. Breaking the Rules- Suzanne Brockmann<br />
130. Edward Unconditionally- Lynn Lorenz<br />
131. Always the Baker Never the Bride- Sandra D. Bricker<br />
132. Fireflies- Ally Blue<br />
133. With the Band- L.A. Witt<br />
134. Everything and the Moon- Julia Quinn<br />
135. <b>Come Unto These Yellow Sands- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
136. The Hood of Justice- Mark Alders<br />
137. Tabloid Star- T.A. Chase<br />
138. The Red Pyramid- Rick Riordan<br />
139. <b>Yours to Keep- Shannon Stacey</b><br />
140. Conquest- S.J. Frost<br />
141. Do Over- Mari Carr<br />
142. <b>What I Did For a Duke- Julie Anne Long</b><br />
143. Details of the Hunt- Laura Baumbach<br />
144. Cry Sanctuary- Moira Rogers<br />
145. A to Z- Marie Sexton<br />
146. Silver Bound- Ella Drake<br />
147. Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep- Michael Merriam<br />
148. <b>Camwolf- J.L. Merrow</b><br />
149. The Dark Enquiry- Deanna Raybourn<br />
150. Threadbare- Clare London<br />
151. Pricks and Pragmatism- J.L. Merrow<br />
152. When Tony Met Adam- Suzanne Brockmann<br />
153. River Marked- Patricia Briggs<br />
154. <b>Hot Head- Damon Suede</b><br />
155. Chasing AllieCat- Rebecca Fjelland Davis<br />
156. My So-Called Love Life- Allie Pleiter<br />
157. Steam & Sorcery- Cindy Spencer Pape<br />
158. The Missing Butterfly- Megan Derr<br />
159. Love Ahead: Expect Delays- Astrid Amara<br />
160. With This Ring- T.A. Chase<br />
161. How to Keep the Love of Your Life- Maureen Willmann<br />
162. Hex Hall- Rachel Hawkins<br />
163. Tin Star- J.L. Langley<br />
164. Heartless- Gail Carriger<br />
165. Call Me Sir, Boy- Kim Dare<br />
166. <b>Tempest Rising- Nicole Peeler</b><br />
167. Side Jobs- Jim Butcher<br />
168. Off the Beaten Path- Katrina Strauss<br />
169. <b>Ghost Story- Jim Butcher</b><br />
170. Diving in Deep- K.A. Mitchell<br />
171. Just-You Eyes- Clare London<br />
172. We're Both Straight, Right?- Jamie Fessenden<br />
173. <b>Hard Fall- James Buchanan</b><br />
174. <b>Making Waves- Tawna Fenske</b><br />
175. Dead Reckoning- Charlaine Harris<br />
176. The Thief- Megan Whalen Turner<br />
177. Man, oh Man!- Josh Lanyon<br />
178. <b>Muscling Through- J.L. Merrow</b><br />
179. Lover Avenged- J.R. Ward<br />
180. Collision Course- K.A. Mitchell<br />
181. Buried Sins- Marta Perry<br />
182. <b>Spice n Solace- K.C. Burn</b><br />
183. <b>Stone Kissed- Keri Stevens</b><br />
184. Jump First- Charles Edwards<br />
185. A Dog Named Slugger- Leigh Brill<br />
186. Under Fire- Jo Davis<br />
187. Mistletoe at Midnight- L.B. Gregg<br />
188. <b>The Fortune Quilt- Lani Diane Rich</b><br />
189. <b>Life, Over Easy- K.A. Mitchell</b><br />
190. Secrets- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
191. Accidentally His- Shawn Lane<br />
192. Sex, Lies, and Online Dating-Rachel Gibson<br />
193. <b>The Last Pure Human- Twisted Hilarity</b><br />
194. Camp Hell- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
195. In a Dark Wood- Josh Lanyon<br />
196. Yakuza Pride- H.J. Brues<br />
197. Artie the Good Witch- Scarlet Hyacinth<br />
198. Devon Cream- Jet Mykles<br />
199. Half Pass- Astrid Amara<br />
200. Marry Me- Jo Goodman<br />
201. A Nanny For Nate- Lisa Worrall<br />
202. Canyons of Night- Jayne Castle<br />
203. Keeping House- Lee Brazil<br />
204. Devlin and Garrick- Cameron Dane<br />
205. The Book of Bright Ideas- Sandra Kring<br />
206. The Gentleman and the Rogue- Bonnie Dee<br />
207. Maritime Men- Janey Chapel<br />
208. The Shattered Gates- Ginn Hale<br />
209. Ticket to Ride- Shawn Lane<br />
210. Crazy Wind- Xara X. Xanakas<br />
211. <b>When Irish Eyes Are Smiling- Tom Collins</b><br />
212. Mind Fuck- Manna Francis<br />
213. Wooing Master Jones- Amber Kell<br />
214. Snagged- Jet Mykles<br />
215. Servant of the Crossed Arrows- Ginn Hale<br />
216. Horizons- Mickie B. Ashling<br />
217. Taste- Mickie B. Ashling<br />
218. India Black- Carol K. Carr<br />
219. Finding Forgiveness- Dana Marie Bell<br />
220. The Broken H- J.L. Langley<br />
221. <b>Mummy Dearest- Josh Lanyon***</b><br />
222. <b>Wolfsbane (MIA Case Files, #1)- K.C. Burn</b><br />
223. <b>ePistols at Dawn- Z.A. Maxfield</b><br />
224. Dressed to Thrill- Kimberly Gardner<br />
225. <b>Spin Out- James Buchanan</b><br />
226. <b>GhosTV- Jordan Castillo Price***</b><br />
227. He Completes Me- Cardeno C.<br />
228.<b> precious_boy- K.Z. Snow</b><br />
229. Catching a Buzz- Ally Blue<br />
230. And Call Me in the Morning- Willa Okati<br />
231. Foxe Tail- Haley Walsh<br />
232. <b>Cut & Run- Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux</b><br />
233. Spell Bound- Kelley Armstrong<br />
234. <b>Squire- Jet Mykles</b><br />
235. Like a Sparrow Through the Heart- Aggy Bird<br />
236. A Change of Tune- J.M. Cartwright<br />
237. <b>Wicked Gentlemen- Ginn Hale</b><br />
238. <b>Barging In- Josephine Myles</b><br />
239. Bent- Sean Michael<br />
240. Cherry Pie- Samantha Kane<br />
241. Cooking With Ergo- Luisa Prieto<br />
242. Love & Loyalty- Tere Michaels<br />
243. Anything For You- Ethan Day<br />
244. <b>When Irish Eyes Are Sparkling- Tom Collins</b><br />
245. Some Kind of Magic- R. Cooper<br />
246. <b>Oleander House- Ally Blue</b><br />
247. Libra: Outlined in Ink- Vivien Dean<br />
248. Brindisi Bedfellows- Jamie Craig<br />
249. <b>Shades of Gray- Brooke McKinley</b><br />
250. An Uncommon Whore- Belinda McBride<br />
251. Like Coffee and Doughnuts- Ellie Parker<br />
252. Bad Company- K.A. Mitchell<br />
253. The Curtis Reincarnation- Zathyn Priest<br />
254. His Hearth- Mary Calmes<br />
255. <b>Sursein Judgment- Jet Mykles</b><br />
256. Just Hit Send- Grasshopper<br />
257. Rhapsody For Piano and Ghost- Z.A. Maxfield<br />
258. The Assignment- Evangeline Anderson<br />
259. Litha's Constant Whim- Amy Lane<br />
260. <b>Between Sinners and Saints- Marie Sexton***</b><br />
261. The Dark Horse- Josh Lanyon<br />
262. Scorpio: The Heart to Help- Jamie Craig<br />
263. <b>Quinn's Hart- Cassandra Gold</b><br />
264. Long Tall Drink- L.C. Chase<br />
265. Not Knowing Jack- K.A. Mitchell<br />
266. <b>Bear, Otter, and the Kid- T.J. Klune***</b><br />
267. <b>One Real Thing- Anah Crow</b><br />
268. Handcuffs and Pretty Things- Kim Dare<br />
269. Gobsmacked- L.B. Gregg<br />
270. Stolen Hearts- Sasha L. Miller<br />
271. Crossing Borders- Z.A. Maxfield<br />
272. The Cards of Life and Death- Colleen Gleason<br />
273. Aquarius: He Said, He Said- Jamie Craig<br />
274. Sonoran Heat- Katrina Strauss<br />
275. Men Under the Mistletoe- Josh Lanyon, Harper Fox, Ava March, K.A. Mitchell<br />
276. Goldilocks and His Three Bears- A.M. Riley<br />
277. Grand Jete- Diana Copland<br />
278. <b>Submission- Chris Owen</b><br />
279. The Locker Room- Amy Lane<br />
280. <b>Christmas With Danny Fit- Amy Lane***</b><br />
281. <b>Holiday Outing- Astrid Amara</b><br />
282. Got Mistletoe?- Andi Anderson<br />
283. <b>Del Fantasma: Duck Fart- Jade Buchanan</b><br />
284. Counterpoint- Rachel Haimowitz<br />
285. And Playing the Role of Herself- K.E. Lane<br />
286. Hide Out- Katie Allen<br />
287. Primal Red- Nicole Kimberling<br />
288. Baby It's Cold Outside- Nicole Kimberling<br />
289. GI Joe Holiday- Amberly Smith<br />
290. <b>Winter Warmers- Chrissy Munder, Clare London, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, Lou Harper</b><br />
291. Mistletoe & Margaritas- Shannon Stacey<br />
292. The Plot Bunny- Scarlet Hyacinth<br />
293. Icecapade- Josh Lanyon<br />
294. Someone Special- T.C. Blue<br />
295. Black Cat Ink- Nicole Kimberling<br />
296. All Snug- B.G. Thomas<br />
297. <b>The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters- Amy Lane</b><br />
298. Batteries Not Included- J.L. Merrow<br />
299. Hue, Tint, and Shade- Jordan Castillo Price<br />
300. <b>Simple Gifts- L.B. Gregg</b><br />
301. <b>Carol of the Bellskis- Astrid Amara</b><br />
302. Twinkle, Twinkle- Josephine Myles<br />
303. The Elf, the Cat, and the Human- Sasha L. Miller<br />
304. The Larton Chronicles- James AnsonBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-17470990068735283942011-12-29T01:19:00.001-06:002011-12-29T01:22:35.051-06:00This is a Little EmbarrassingAs I mentioned the other day, I'm getting started on my 2012 New Year's resolutions. (Why wait to make positive changes in your life, right?) So, I'm going to kill two birds with one stone here-- post some pictures and talk about the cleaning and organizing I need to do.<br />
<br />
Here they come, the embarrassing pictures.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KyhJ_EVAWck/TvwLJ8IwImI/AAAAAAAAAUc/ZRlxBT-A0Ew/s1600/2011-12-28+14.42.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KyhJ_EVAWck/TvwLJ8IwImI/AAAAAAAAAUc/ZRlxBT-A0Ew/s320/2011-12-28+14.42.52.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is the giant pile of crap that completely blocks access to my closet. There are a couple of tubs and boxes on the bottom, with clean clothes, yarn, shipping boxes, and God knows what else in the mix. I haven't measured it or anything, but it's probably 5 feet long, 2 feet deep, and waist high at one end. This is probably my most daunting challenge. A lot of this stuff needs to go into the closet, somehow. But I can't *get to* the closet with the pile in the way. And I don't have the energy or the space to move the pile so I can get to the closet and put it all away. It's a conundrum. But I'll figure something out.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvn3UH66stU/TvwMvRLAMKI/AAAAAAAAAVA/KwIANxRvgUA/s1600/2011-12-28+14.43.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvn3UH66stU/TvwMvRLAMKI/AAAAAAAAAVA/KwIANxRvgUA/s320/2011-12-28+14.43.02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is one end of the pile, and also the little table I use as my nightstand.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xdiPJQcm8jY/TvwM1Tphh4I/AAAAAAAAAVI/i5QMcDeUOFc/s1600/2011-12-28+14.43.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xdiPJQcm8jY/TvwM1Tphh4I/AAAAAAAAAVI/i5QMcDeUOFc/s320/2011-12-28+14.43.12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is the other end of the pile, as well as my dresser, which is thoroughly cluttered and covered in about a quarter inch of dust. On the positive side, you can see my Christmas cards hanging on the door!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1bBBKClM1k/TvwNT9hS3jI/AAAAAAAAAVU/RdhLrqIGQQs/s1600/2011-12-28+14.43.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p1bBBKClM1k/TvwNT9hS3jI/AAAAAAAAAVU/RdhLrqIGQQs/s320/2011-12-28+14.43.52.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is the set of plastic drawers that I use as my other nightstand. See the pink/white/black thing under the tissue box? That's the sack sock I mentioned a couple posts ago. It's coming along nicely!<br />
<br />
As you can see, the whole room is piled, packed, choked with stuff. Part of the problem is me. I have a hard time letting go of stuff that I think I might need. Or I set something aside, and then it disappears from my mind. It just doesn't exist for me anymore. It does, however, continue to collect dust for the next 6 months until I finally throw it away.<br />
<br />
But a really big part of the problem is I have no organizational tools or system. That blue tub at the bottom of the first picture is filled with CDs. But I have no place to put them. There are two or three boxes of books taking up space on the floor of my closet, but I have no shelves to put them on. That big ol' dresser? Holds a lot less stuff than you might think. (But to be fair, I really need to go through some of it and either pack it up for winter or just let it go all together.)<br />
<br />
I haven't started doing my one song of cleaning a day. I was thinking about doing that today, but I did 11 minutes on the Wii instead (first time in *months*), and between that and MTX day, I am pretty well worn out. But I have started thinking about how I want to arrange things as I get them put away.<br />
<br />
Shelves and such are not an option right now. The room desperately needs to be painted (the walls are scuffed up and full of nail holes, and one wall is painted a horrible gray-purple), and I don't want to put anything big and heavy in the room that will have to be moved to get to the walls. And since it's January, it's going to be months before the weather is really appropriate for painting. I'm looking at probably 6 months, minimum, before I can put in shelves. (Also, I want to put in some sort of entertainment system to hold my TV and for storage.)<br />
<br />
All this listing of what's wrong, and what I need and can't get right now is starting to feel like a novel. A long, boring, Russian novel. Something by Turgid. (Points to anyone who gets the reference!) I think I'm going to leave this here and come back tomorrow with what I see as my specific requirements for my room, and what I'm going to try to do to meet them in the short run, even if I can't have my dream room right now.<br />
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Lip balm of the day: Pick Me Up Peach! (And boy did I need it.)Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-66520489653028034382011-12-28T02:00:00.001-06:002011-12-28T02:00:02.537-06:00Wii, Wii, Wii All the Way HomeKaren asked what Wii games I play for exercise. I have <b>lots</b> to say on this subject, so I'm going to go ahead and write a new post. (Thanks for the topic, Karen!) My comments and recommendations come from the perspective of someone who is significantly overweight (I was around 290 the last time I checked), very inactive, and has underlying health problems that cause pain and fatigue. So gentle, low impact exercise is much more important to me than your standard exerciser.<br />
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My first exer-game, and the whole reason I bought the Wii in the first place, was the Wii Fit Plus. You've got to have a Wii balance board to play this one. It looks like a scale, but without the readout. The best thing about the Wii Fit is that it's really just a bunch of fun mini games. You can hula hoop. You can box. You can bike or ski or ride a Segway or navigate rapids. Each little game only takes a minute or two to play. So you do a little of this and a little of that until you've done as much as you want to do. You can set a calories burned goal (this one is fun-- you pick a slice of cheese or a piece of cake or one of a half dozen other food items, and then it lets you know when your combined calories burned in your session has worked off that particular item). Wii Fit also has yoga, strength, and balance activities, so you can work on all aspects of physical activity. If you poke around in all the different areas you can get a nicely balanced workout at any level.<br />
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The second game that I have and love is Walk it Out. WiO is (surprise!) a walking game. The idea is to step to the beat of the music as you move around Rhythm Island. The landscape starts out pretty blank, but you get a point for every step that you make on the beat, and then you can "zap" things as you go. You can add everything from little stuff like benches and trees and lampposts to big stuff like shops and houses. You can gather clock pieces, and then reset the time within the game to any time of day. (The game has a 24 hour clock that generally lines up with the time in the real world. So if you play at noon every day, you play in sunshine. If you play at 9 o'clock at night, it will be dark out.) You can gather CDs and earn new songs. (You start out with a limited number of songs. The variety of songs in the game is pretty impressive, many with original artists.) You can also collect "rainbow spheres" (big colored balls), and once you've got all 7, a rainbow will appear over the island. (This one resets every day, so you have to keep earning it. Everything else, once you've earned it, it will be there the next time you play.) This one is addictive! There's always just one more thing you want to earn, so it's great for me to get a steady, low impact cardio workout.<br />
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I got Active Life Explorer for Christmas last year, and it's fun! It was created as an active game for kids, but it's a fun way for adults to get some movement in, too. Like Wii Fit Plus, it's made up of a lot of different mini games, with an Indiana Jonesy, adventure theme. For me, at the time, it was a little <i>too</i> active. Too much bending and jumping and such. I really want to get into the swing again with Wii Fit and Walk it Out, and then slowly add Active Life Explorer into the rotation. (The great thing about using a game console as exercise equipment is that fun is an important part of the process. If you're not having a good time, why play the game?)<br />
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I also got one of the many versions of Dance Dance Revolution for Christmas last year. This one is more energetic than Wii Fit or Walk it Out, but not as much as Active Life Explorer. My problem is that A, I'm not very good at it, and B, I wear out pretty quickly. This is one I'm going to have to work my way up to getting the most out of. Getting better at figuring out how to respond to the directions and working with the controller mat would help, too.<br />
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Oh, and I almost forgot, I have one called We Cheer. You're a cheerleader, and you have to learn to accurately do the moves of different dance routines. You'd think this would be really demanding physically, but it depends on how you do it. If you try to do the whole body moves like the cartoon cheerleaders on the screen, there's no way I could do it. But if you just try to keep up with the arm movements (you hold a controller in one or both hands, and that's how the game is scored), it's not too bad. And it's fun! The music is a bit teeny bopperish, but that doesn't bother me.<br />
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There are other games I'd like to be able to play, like Just Dance or Zumba Fitness. But I know that those are well beyond anything I could do right now, so I haven't bothered to buy them. Even with regular exercise I'm not sure if my body will *ever* be willing to move the way it would need to to play those games. I'll be happy just to get to the point where I can fully take advantage of the games I already have.<br />
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In the down time, when no one is exercising with it, we play Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and one called Big Brain Academy to help with cognitive function and reaction time. And when we're being really lazy, we use the Wii to watch streaming movies from Netflix! So the Wii gets a workout, even if we don't. :pBeckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-68702268574064544252011-12-27T04:14:00.000-06:002011-12-27T04:14:50.956-06:00In FluxI don't know about you, but for me the week between Christmas and New Year's is always an odd one. The old year is over, but the new one hasn't started yet. It's a time for wrapping up old business and gearing up for the new.<br />
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For the old business, I'm mostly making sure that my book and knitting records are up-to-date, bills are paid, that kind of thing. Reading the last of the holiday stories-- tonight's is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carol-of-the-Bellskis-ebook/dp/B00381AL3Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1324978797&sr=1-1">Carol of the Bellskis</a>, a m/m Hanukkah story. And wrapping up a stray knitting project-- a hat made from the leftover yarn from my brother's Christmas socks that I intend to donate to a local homeless shelter.<br />
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For new business, I've started my first knitting project for myself. It's this <a href="http://wishingiwasknitting.blogspot.com/2008/04/happy-green-day-simply-striped-sack.html">sack sock</a> to collect all the random plastic bags that I keep finding all over my room. (For someone who rarely leaves the house and shops almost exclusively online, I have a shocking number of plastic bags floating around the place.) (Bonus, it will help me keep my room clean!) I've picked up a couple of songs that inspire me for the beginning of a writing soundtrack. I'm not working hard yet, but I'm poking in that direction. And I've got my eye on a reading challenge over at Goodreads that should help me control the ebook buying issue. I felt like crap today (monthly surge in symptoms, plus I'm just worn out from the past week or so), so no activity whatsoever, and no cleaning. I think I might need the same for tomorrow. But Wednesday, look out! I'll poke around and do something or other. My favorite Wii game encourages me to compete against myself, to always go just a little further, so once I get into it again that should help keep me motivated.<br />
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So, progress.<br />
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And with that, I will leave you with a picture. I got up to go to the bathroom, and when I came back I discovered someone had stolen my spot.<br />
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It's a little hard to tell, because the bed is so cluttered. But that green thing is the hat, almost finished then, and completed now. There's also a cone of white/black/pink yarn that I'm using to make my sack sock. I'm getting an interesting swirling stripe effect as it knits up. I'll take a picture in a day or two, when I'm further along and it's easier to see what's going on.<br />
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'Night, all!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-81430482043240283382011-12-26T03:43:00.000-06:002011-12-26T03:43:21.277-06:00Christmas Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Elynppe48Po/Tvg7pQlWuOI/AAAAAAAAATg/syj6b6zBAkk/s1600/2011-12-25+13.35.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Elynppe48Po/Tvg7pQlWuOI/AAAAAAAAATg/syj6b6zBAkk/s320/2011-12-25+13.35.12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We had a lovely Christmas Day, and I hope you all had the same. Relaxing, with lots of fun and laughter. I'm too tired to write a real post, so here are some pictures of our Christmas decorations.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-182CIK4kmCM/TvhBIx3macI/AAAAAAAAAT4/2TIR_aW-Sb4/s1600/2011-12-21+16.14.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-182CIK4kmCM/TvhBIx3macI/AAAAAAAAAT4/2TIR_aW-Sb4/s320/2011-12-21+16.14.08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-9100756951840026002011-12-20T04:08:00.000-06:002011-12-20T04:08:45.548-06:00It's ComingIt's almost here. No, not Christmas. 2012. I've been thinking a lot in the last few weeks about what I want to happen, what I want to do, in 2012. The first decision I made was that I want to cut my reading way back.<br />
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I'll give you a moment to recover from that bombshell.<br />
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Right now I'm on target to read 300 books in 2011. That's a lot of books, and I've enjoyed all that reading thoroughly. But I want to expand a few horizons in 2012, which means I'm going to have to spend less time reading. My goal is to cut the reading in half-- I'm aiming for 150 books in 2012.<br />
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The big reason I want to cut the reading time is that I want to significantly increase the writing time. As in, actually do some. My goal is a little fuzzy in this area, but I think I want to go for two completed pieces in 2012, with at least one of those stories polished up and ready for submission. (I know that sounds massive, but I'm thinking novella length, not 80,000+ word novels.)<br />
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I really want to knit some stuff this year. It's been fun getting back to knitting after taking off most of 2011. (Depression and joint pain pretty much killed my interest in it for a while.) I'm thinking about doing a 12 in 12. That is, 12 projects completed in 2012. But not just any projects. I want them to be stuff for ME. I knit things for other people all the time, but I don't remember the last project I made for myself. I have a boat load of sock yarn, with one slow going sock on the needles. I have a *gorgeous* beaded scarf that I started like two years ago and have never finished. I have a wacky shawl that I started a few months ago and had to set aside for other projects. I just want to do some stuff for myself.<br />
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I want to get into the habit of gentle, regular exercise. I know it will help me significantly. Exercise is one of the major recommendations for people with Fibromyalgia. Physical activity kills me right now, and it probably will for quite a while once I get started. But I can't use that as an excuse anymore. I have to do it.<br />
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Part of the reason I want to improve my condition and stamina is that there is not just one, but *two* conventions I'd really like to go to in 2012. RT (Romantic Times) is in Chicago in April. That's too close to miss if there's any way I can make it. If I want to do anything other than sleep in my room all week, I've got to get my body used to moving and doing again. The other convention is Gay Rom Lit, which is in October in Albuquerque. Getting there will be a bit of a pain in the ass. Either I'll have to fly, which will be quick and hopefully painless. (Minus any body cavity searches security might decide to run.) My other option would be to take the train. Which actually sounds fun and romantic, riding the rails and all. But it adds at least two days of travel both directions, and that might do me in. (If I get a room with a bed, which I would absolutely do on a trip of this length, the price will be about the same as flying first class, which I kind of need to do for the larger seat size. So pricing isn't the issue so much as how hard each travel option is likely to be on me.)<br />
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My thought process right now is that I'll try RT and see how it goes. If I have a major problem, well, home is only a couple of hours away. If I make it through RT without a hitch, then I have a better idea if I'll be up to the trip to Albuquerque in October.<br />
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You didn't think I would make it all the way through a list of goals without saying something about my disaster area, did you? I want to do a little bit of cleaning every single day. I'm not up to big stuff. Just the thought of tackling the whole thing is enough to make me roll over and go back to sleep. What I'm going to do is put on some music and clean to at least one song every day. If I clean to one 3-5 minute song a day, it adds up to 20-35 minutes of cleaning time a week. That will make at least a small dent in the disaster every week. There are plenty of things I can do for 3-5 minutes without even leaving my bed. Like clearing all the accumulated junk off my nightstands. I think clearing out the crap and clutter will make me feel better emotionally. It will probably help physically, too, because we've gotten well beyond the "write your finger in the dust" stage in spots. (I give the computer screen and a short set of shelves by the bed a quick swipe with a Swiffer duster when I think about it, which isn't often. Everything else is on its own.)<br />
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Finally, this is kind of a new idea to me, and I'm a little unsure about it. But I think I might want to try the <a href="http://365project.org/">365 Project</a>. If you're unfamiliar, the idea is to take a picture every day for 365 days, and post them. I've really enjoyed snapping pictures with my Samsung thingy, and it might be fun to challenge myself to find something interesting to take a picture of every day for a year. The challenge would be that I rarely leave the house. At least 320 pictures would need to be taken from inside the house. (And that may be a slightly generous on the side of how many out-in-the-world pictures I actually manage to take.) I feel like this might push me a little, in a good way. So I think I'm going to do it.<br />
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So, there you go. Seven sections of goals for the new year. (I'm also considering a book buying cap. I have enough TBR books on the Kindle right now that I could make my 150 books goal and still have some left over. But not buying books that I want is HARD, especially when you've got gift certificates or there's a sale on. I'll be contemplating this one a bit more.) Will I make them all? Who knows. But it feels like they're all pretty reasonable. They're all action in a positive direction. So I think for now they'll do.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-80647395799171184052011-12-16T01:25:00.000-06:002011-12-16T01:25:50.812-06:00Check Out My Dealie Boppers!Delia reminded me that I haven't posted a picture of my birthday dealie boppers yet, so here it is! I apologize for the moon pajamas and my total unwillingness to put on a bra. That's hard work, and I just wasn't up for it tonight.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoGJ5GZjreLZWKwIV98H5ZkTpKJ8bpLNn_8qLRiE-UBHxT72uYtvcHkxOxs6ZfTThI3yqrub1wEeN9RZ5NhfNeVOVxEQ7Wj06bffGXiFP1V6QGbeKFGUrnxpnmug5-dFrCwd6/s1600/2011-12-16+00.48.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoGJ5GZjreLZWKwIV98H5ZkTpKJ8bpLNn_8qLRiE-UBHxT72uYtvcHkxOxs6ZfTThI3yqrub1wEeN9RZ5NhfNeVOVxEQ7Wj06bffGXiFP1V6QGbeKFGUrnxpnmug5-dFrCwd6/s320/2011-12-16+00.48.26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
You can't see it in the picture, but there are flashing lights on the dealie boppers. Also, check out my red hair! I talked to my mom about the green hair thing, and decided not to do it right now. I'm planning to go to Christmas Eve services with them (I never go to church, so it's kind of a big deal to Mom), and I know it would completely humiliate them for me to show up with green hair. I know that's silly, but I'll respect their feelings about it.<br />
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Also, I talked to the hairstylist, and apparently maintaining an unusual color is a hell of a lot of work. I'd probably be re-dying my hair every week to two weeks. I am so not up for that right now. So I'll be sticking with the fiery, but longer lasting, red.<br />
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And since you can't really see them in that first photo, here are the giant hoop earrings that I talked about a million years ago but never posted a picture of.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_E8SwuX2Y59tlzu6c4mXGPh_oNpRQeUUJvcREMuvie6JiSVsAUaaF4DfUiY5h-MwNsCSbN4BHB9nv9Bjn_vAWELpRTClNZwBXZl8AR3-m7YBTpywG1H3jJ3JkbNlgpvKebk-/s1600/2011-12-16+00.50.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_E8SwuX2Y59tlzu6c4mXGPh_oNpRQeUUJvcREMuvie6JiSVsAUaaF4DfUiY5h-MwNsCSbN4BHB9nv9Bjn_vAWELpRTClNZwBXZl8AR3-m7YBTpywG1H3jJ3JkbNlgpvKebk-/s320/2011-12-16+00.50.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Aren't they fantastic? They looked good with the scraggly blond mop that I used to have, but they really work with the red.<br />
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Also, taking clear pictures of myself, one handed, with that thing was a serious pain in the butt. Definitely not designed for taking pictures of yourself one handed.<br />
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In other news, there are two jars of cherries draining in the refrigerator right now. Tomorrow is chocolate covered cherry day! Messy, but fun. And the results are worth it. Better than any chocolate covered cherry you'll buy in the store. The recipe I use is in the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. (Also available online <a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/candy/chocolate-covered-cherries/">here</a>.) They're a little harder to find, but if you decide to make this recipe, take the time to find cherries with stems. Your results will be much better. (Especially if you're not an experienced candy maker.)<br />
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I think that's all the news and pictures for today. I've started my brother's socks, but just barely. I need to get trucking on them if he's going to get something more than an IOU in his stocking. And I haven't finished embellishing my peanut, but maybe I'll have pics of that tomorrow!<br />
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Lip balm of the day: a very festive and seasonal White Cranberry. (It's way yummy!)Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32289702.post-11006153241077438782011-12-14T00:25:00.000-06:002011-12-14T00:25:49.812-06:00Toffee!As you may have noticed, there have been a lot more pictures around here lately. I bought that Samsung Galaxy Player a couple of weeks ago, and I'm having much fun snapping pictures of everything around me. The pictures are much better than what I was getting from my cheapo digital camera, too!<br />
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Anyway, tonight I made toffee. My uncle really enjoys it, so I send him a batch for Christmas every year. It's really easy to make, too. (The recipe I use is from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. <a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/candy/toffee-butter-crunch/">Here's</a> the recipe from their website.)<br />
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On to the pictures!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmFwjhYYNdvFBPJaR8tO9fiCqvaYwbuf7KQXKpFJEqbMaudzVAIFj8R60lTb3_nUvRiJy8oEl5sgIGMw79hSgl_Aka5a7838PSdvvABtWJkBxPhpjKJ4pkM2x1xLCuKu-p-HX/s1600/2011-12-13+23.04.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmFwjhYYNdvFBPJaR8tO9fiCqvaYwbuf7KQXKpFJEqbMaudzVAIFj8R60lTb3_nUvRiJy8oEl5sgIGMw79hSgl_Aka5a7838PSdvvABtWJkBxPhpjKJ4pkM2x1xLCuKu-p-HX/s320/2011-12-13+23.04.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is the toffee cooking. It's approximately at firm ball stage. Hur.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ss2IpfbeC3UX4lquyB_1Nn9nGHRjv6oe5jqcvgUa9DTT9z_x5-Qnj0ygycHU0TiJ4auldCZOBipcop3R4opP7usNw7cg2qmKmfC76QWl5VINls-S6Gf11WfswmhioRx0TIKu/s1600/2011-12-13+23.08.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ss2IpfbeC3UX4lquyB_1Nn9nGHRjv6oe5jqcvgUa9DTT9z_x5-Qnj0ygycHU0TiJ4auldCZOBipcop3R4opP7usNw7cg2qmKmfC76QWl5VINls-S6Gf11WfswmhioRx0TIKu/s320/2011-12-13+23.08.08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Here's the toffee poured out and cooling.<br />
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And this is the finished product. Toffee covered with semi-sweet chocolate and pecans! I'll make another batch tomorrow or the next day without the nuts. Dad can't have them, and they're a pretty bad idea for me, too, because of the Crohn's. I would be shocked if Mom doesn't manage to sneak a piece or two of the be-nutted batch, though. She really enjoys them.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142090423235200822noreply@blogger.com5