Month: October 2017

How Was My Weekend?

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We went to Chicago!

And made it back safely which is AMAZING because the ride home was shaky and terrible and I found myself wondering what kind of eulogies people would give me. But we landed in one piece and I’m home and writing this while it’s all still fresh (and because I’m kicking ass at this October Resolutions thing). But to answer your burning question: YES! My weekend was awesome. Thanks for asking 😉

Let’s start with our flight out:

Oh yeah. Rows apart and still stoked. Little bummed Batman and I couldn’t sit together, but I had a nice view out the window. Kind of made up for the 3:00 alarm to make it to the airport on time:

I totally forgot to take pictures of the hotel, which I probably should’ve done. It was gorgeous. Really gorgeous. Like, no offense La Quinta, but this hotel has long hallways with nice carpet where two creepy girls wouldn’t look out of place at the end of one. Just saying.

I did, however, remember to take a picture or two of our Architecture Boat Tour. It was good, and would’ve been a lot more educational if I’d been able to hear the guide, a fine older gentleman who didn’t understand the correlation between his mouth and the device used to amplify it. But it was still nice. Batman and I enjoyed the view and the not-having-to-walk-part since we speed-walked fifteen minutes to get there. So, the hour and a half cruise was a great cool down to the fifteen minutes of actual exercise I’ve done recently.

After the boat ride, there was some more recouping at the hotel, followed by the rehearsal at an AWESOME Mexican restaurant with delicious margaritas. This is where I would post those pictures but it was open bar and I already mentioned the margaritas.

Saturday, we played tourist and went to Millennium Park. Look, the Bean! (This is the part where I’m just going to post some random pictures that I took. Here we go:

Lots of fun. 😊

After a quick trip to a retro video game store to scratch Batman’s collector’s itch, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for the big event. Then there were lots of drinks and yummy appetizers and toasts and not knowing where my phone was. Again, the open bar was-a-calling, and I’m pretty much a dance whore at weddings, so there wasn’t a lot of picture-taking at the reception either. But we had a blast and I only fell once, which in my book is a win.

We left on Sunday, but not before seeing the Navy Pier!

So, it was kind of chilly and *shockingly* very, very windy. I didn’t go on the Ferris Wheel because, let’s face it, I was out of money by that point and I have a thing with heights and not wanting to fall from them. Batman and I took a walk around the Navy Pier and I think I got some decent shots. What do you think?

After that, it was saying goodbye to family and heading back to the airport for our flight home. Delayed an hour due to maintenance, and then another half  of sitting on the runway, we were *finally* off the ground and FL bound! We got back at midnight on Monday only to find someone stole Batman’s totally awesome Yoda tag (that I bought for him) so that was a bit of a bummer.

But other than that, Chicago was a blast. 🙂

How was your weekend?

Windy City Bound

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We’re going to Chicago!

Like, for a wedding. Not to move. Although I’m sure that was obvious went I said ‘going’ and not ‘moving’ but I wanted to clear that up from the get-go. Batman and I are visiting Chicago this weekend for my cousin’s wedding and I am STOKED.

Vacation. FAMILY. Drinking. Family. WEDDING. Not working. Fun. DRINKING. Family. VACATION.

This has been on a loop in my head for the past few days. I need it. I need a break to explore a different city and enjoy some actual fall weather. We’re doing an architecture cruise and visiting the Bean—not to mention the actual wedding which is the highlight of the whole shebang. Some people hate them, but I love them. Weddings rock. Even being that single chick at the table with all the weirdos—it’s free food. It’s free food and (usually) free drinks and a dance floor with a drunken sea of people not going to give a damn when you bust out your seventh-grade moves and start doing the Worm. (Not me. Just… saying.)

We’re flying back on Sunday so it’s going to be a short trip. Still. It’s not here and not here is awesome because I’ve been here and I could use an over there. (Although we did go to Orlando last month but that doesn’t count. Same state. Shut up.) And I feel I’m growing in my adulting phase. I’m actually—get this—already thinking about what I want to pack. I started thinking about it weeks ago. Even thought for Batman, too. Because normally, I don’t think about the existence (or cleanliness) of things until right before I need them, even given prior notice. I just didn’t care. And I still don’t. But it’s nice to not panic the night before and question if I’m really an adult or an adult-looking child who somehow manages to fool everyone. So there’s that.

I think I’m doing okay with committing to this post-once-a-week-thing. Course, this is only the second week, so I have plenty of time to fall off the bandwagon. Plus, I’m stalling. I’ve written myself into a scene I’m not into. And I should be because my characters are about to go at it (the good, sexy at-it, not the violent, fighting at-it). Like, for a romance writer, this is supposed to be the HALLELUJAH of scenes, the Hot-Damn-We’re-Finally-Here moment. It’s supposed to be what all of the tension has been leading up to and… I’m not feeling it. Not sure why. I took a wrong turn somewhere and have to back pedal but I like what I’ve written, so I’m not sure where to veer. Sometimes this happens and sometimes I have to sit and read and think and read and think some more and read some more. Then I get tired of reading the same few paragraphs and decide to write a post instead.

Ta-Da!

Look at me, still being productive 😉

We’re leaving Friday for Chicago and something–maybe logic–is telling me next week’s post may be filled with pictures from the Windy City. But you’ll have to stick around and find out. 😉

They’re Real and They’re Spectacular

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This may be an inappropriate post, but I have to brag a little. I should’ve last October when I made the most AMAZING costumes for me and Batman (we went as Helga and Arnold from that classic 90s Nickelodeon, Hey Arnold!) but I wasn’t blogging much then—like now—and I didn’t post any of my costume picks. But I can keep my October New Year’s goal and show you what I’m working on now. Ready for this?

Cartoon testicles! Yes! I made Batman a pair of nuts! And I am *oh so proud* of myself because up until a couple days ago, I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull it off. There’s more to this costume than just the family jewels, but I had to get this part out of the way first. And to answer your question: yes, I did research different ways to make cartoon testicles on Pintrest. It wasn’t quite my search topic, but… I took a stroll down other peoples’ imagination on the subject and man, people get creative.

This has nothing to do with writing other than I keep taking a break from my WIP to look over and see the pair. I mean, come on. Is this not distracting:

So, I’m at a critical part in the second book (again, no one’s read the first) and I have a bridge to jump from where I am to the cloudy ending I see. I’m a Panster, so I have no outline, so I keep looking up and thinking. Then I look over to this part of the room. Then to that part. And then my eyes land on Batman’s prized possession and I smile. Even if I never become the fabulously amazing author it’s obvious that I will be, look at what I accomplished.

If only my A.P. teachers could see me now.

October’s the new January

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My New Years resolution was to post once a week. You probably don’t remember that because I probably didn’t post that. I think I thought about making it a resolution and then thought, nah. I’m pretty sure I won’t keep to it. Just like I won’t keep to that stupid not-eating-Oreos thing. But it’s October and I think I’ll give the one-post-a-week thing a try. I mean, why not at this point? I only have two and half months left to keep it up. After that, it’s new resolutions and I can try again for twelve straight months next year.

So, let’s see if I can do this. I’m interested in the result just as much as you. Because I also said I’d be doing a lot more vlogging and look at all the vlogs I’ve posted. Don’t see them? Because they’re not there. Because I haven’t posted a single one. Look at them. Sitting there. All in-existent like.

Yeah.  That’s more of me saying I’m going to do something and then just kind of not doing it. But I want to try for the next two and half months. One post per week. I can do this. I can write about writing or the  things that happen in my life, like my adventures with breeding Appa. Which may or may not happen, but hopefully does, because that’s some pure German Shorthair Pointer ammo doing nothing. Not being utilized. He could use the release and I could use the money (seriously, Sire fees are like in the couple hundreds. COUPLE HUNDREDS. As in, $500 for Appa-juice? Hell Yeah.) So maybe I’ll talk about that, keep you updated.

I’m just trying to push myself because I definitely give myself enough slack. Like, all the time. Like, oh…I swept the floor-ish. I deserve ice cream. And then I get ice cream. And then I eat and realize I didn’t sweep the floor; I just moved the dust and bits of Appa’s mutilated toys out of the way where I can’t see them. You know, adulting.

Not sure what else to say so here are some recent pics from my life. Make of them what you will:

I probably should’ve put them in order, but we’re past that at this point. What’s been going on with you? Are you too easy on yourself? And have you kept up with your resolutions?

Hurricanes and Vacations and comics! IWSG

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Here I am again, waiting until the last second. In my defense, I tried writing this last night, but I wanted to scan in this thing I was working on that I PROMISED myself I would put on my blog, and instead, spent half an hour trying to figure out how to scan things to my computer. Yeah. I even had Batman stop playing Cuphead—his long-awaited 1930s animated video game—to come help.

STILL. NOT. WORKING.

The reason I wanted the scanner to work is because of my first Morty & Co. comic!I made a promise to myself (& Ari!) to put it up on the next IWSG post and, like the smarty I am, I waited until TWO nights before to get the images onto my computer. And now it won’t. So…

…I went cavewoman and took pictures! Yay for going vintage!

Here’s how some of my September went  (left to right, you’ll have to click to enlarge. Or skip over. That’s completely cool too):

Just starting off in this comic thing but I’m having fun. And maybe that art degree won’t be for nothing 😉

So, yeah. Hurricanes right? The BF and I did go to Epcot and Animal Kingdom for my birthday, and that was loads of fun. I even got a picture with Flick!

It was definitely the vacation we needed at that moment, so the month wasn’t totally crazy.

ALSO: I got a lot of writing done.

Like a HUGE amount.

Like… maybe…I’m almost finished writing book 2… (Just a recap—no one has read book 1. Like no one. Like, not even my mom. Or Batman. I haven’t read it to Appa, even. Only me and this computer and the ghost I’m pretty sure haunts my office has seen it.) But it’s crazy because it’s helping me look at book 1 a little closer (some of you guys mentioned that in the comments) and I’m loving that I’m re-examining the story based on what I know is going to happen in the future. Plus, I’ve been having a lot of fun writing it.

So. Yeah. Hurricanes and Disney birthdays and book 2 writing. September was quite the month. I’ll go ahead and answer the optional question because I like answering questions.

Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?

Are we not supposed to? No, for real. I do this all the time. An old street I lived on or four digits of a friend’s phone number. Absolutely. But nothing too important. Trait wise… that’s a completely different conversation. 😉

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is a monthly blog hop for writers at all levels to share their fears and insecurities in a safe and encouraging place. Please drop by and say hi to Alex Cavanaugh who started this nifty concept in bringing us all together.