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When the Cheers turn to Screams


If you grew up when I did, or have a child that grew up when I did, you probably recognize R.L. Stine from Goosebumps fame. I loved those books! But what you may not know is that R.L. Stine had another series of books, known as the Fear Street Saga. There are many different people this Saga follows, but they're all set in the same place (not the same time, mind you), and follow the same character: an ancient evil spirit that likes to kill people. It can't kill on its own, however. It needs to possess someone who can help it do its killing.

I'm not sure how we came to own them, but when I was younger my brother and I stumbled across The Fear Street Cheerleaders Trilogy. This was before I knew what a blog was, I want to say before the internet even... when pretty much all of my free time was spent reading. There were only three of them then: The First Evil, the Second Evil, and the Third Evil. Now there are two more: The New Evil (which I may have read, now that I'm picking through it) and The Evil Lives! (which I know I haven't read).

The Cheerleaders Trilogy follows Bobby and Corky Corcoran. It starts with them trying out for the Shadyside High Cheerleading Squad, which a good number of the squad members are against (the squad was filled in the Spring and it just isn't fair, as Kimmy incessantly puts it). The girls not only earn spots on the squad, but the jealousy of a good number of the other girls (being the stereotypical, knock-out, blonde cheerleader will do that)! Then, horrible things start to happen, starting with a bus accident that leaves Cheerleading Captain Jennifer face down (and presumed dead) on Sarah Fear's grave! It's up to the Corcoran sisters to find out the source of the bad things, and make Shadyside safe again!

I know what you're thinking, and yes. It is kind of cheesy. But there is one death scene that has always stuck with me, and I needed a book to be my first purchase on my new Kindle, so I found The First Evil and downloaded it. And when I finished that, and I bought the Second Evil. And when I finished that, I hesitated... but ended up buying the Third Evil. I read them so fast, it was crazy. And they weren't all that much worse than they were when I was a kid.

The books play off of stereotypes a lot (the perfect blonde cheerleaders, the captain dating the quarterback of the football team, everyone's boyfriends are super good looking, etc. etc), but considering they were written in 1992, I'm willing to give Mr. Stine a pass. And he didn't focus solely on stereotypes. Kimmy Bass, the Cheerleader co-captain (and eventual captain) is a bigger girl, with crimped black hair and an easily reddened face, and Debra Kern is a girl with cold eyes that seldom smiles... strange for a cheerleader (something the book never fails to point out). I also don't think that a lot of attention was paid to how much time passed between books or murders (for instance, the Cheerleaders tend to have a lot of Spring tryouts... and a lot of springs!).

But for the most part, they're good reads. Quick, but attention grabbing. Unlike their Goosebump counterparts, Fear Street books have no qualms against killing characters, and you learn early on that no one is safe from the ancient evil. They're also marketed like murder mysteries, compelling the reader to try and figure out who is doing the murders, and how to stop them.

The fact that these books were just as interesting to me the second time through as they were the first means they're quite good reads (at least in my opinion), and I encourage everyone to check them out!

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There's gonna be some changes around here!

So, as the year comes to an end, I've decided to add a few more tabs to the tab bar (locate up there ^^^). You'll notice that the Nanny Diaries tab is now labeled Kids, the NaNo tab is gone, and there are two new additions to the tab family.

Literary: NaNoWriMo is over and done with, but my novel is still in need of finishing! Not to mention, I got a Kindle for Christmas, so I'm able to do a lot more reading (I've already read three books since I got it, and am working on my 4th) and we all know how much I love talking about books! So, the Literary tab will lead you to my new blogging "segment", the Literary Craft! There I will talk about books I'm reading, or things I'm writing, or just books and/or writing in general!

Music: Music is a big part of my writing, but it's also just something I enjoy. I love finding new artists/bands, and sometimes the best thing to do is to just blast something as loud as you can and dance like an idiot! This tab will lead you to posts in my "Music Music Music" segment. Here I will talk about songs I like, artists that catch my fancy, and playlists (be they by me or by friends or just other people) that I really enjoy. Maybe you'll even find something new! :)

So those are the changes... here's to a more fruitful blogging year, and to (hopefully) being a published author by the end of 2011!!

Cheers!

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The Spoils of Christmas

Don't you hate it when time just gets away from you? How frustrating!

Christmas came and went like dust on the wind and, other than a few water related mishaps, it went pretty well!

We still didn't have our tree, but that was fine because we planned on spending the day with our Aunt in Atwater... she had a tree, so it wasn't a treeless Christmas (could you imagine? The horror)! Everyone was up pretty late the night before, trying to get presents wrapped or being unable to sleep in beds because other people were trying to get presents wrapped... so we all slept in, and didn't really get over to my Aunt's place until about 2:30/3:00.

The gift exchange went well, also. Everyone seemed to enjoy their gifts... I got my brother a hoodie buddie which, if you don't know what those are, is a hoodie that has headphones sewn in. The draw strings for the hood are the earbuds and the plug in thing is in the pocket. He was pretty thrilled about it!

I got some pretty awesome stuff, too! I mentioned in an earlier post that my kids got me a Kindle for Christmas, and that it was pretty much the only thing I wanted this year... so I was pretty content with whatever I got. I ended up with some pretty awesome stuff as well! And my dad got Inception, so we watched that. My Aunt hadn't seen it yet.

We had a fairly good dinner (though I think the food at the Branding Iron the night before takes the proverbial cake) and finished the night out with pie and an iPhone swim (excited about the pie... the iPhone swim... not so much).

So, all in all, it was a good Christmas! I hope yours went just as well and, if you own an iPhone, I hope yours went better. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!! :)

The spoils of Christmas include:
1 Zombie shirt, 1 Smurf shirt, 1 Scarf/hat/glove combo
1 awesome necklace, 2 bottles of body mist, 1 deck of snow panda penguin playing cards
2 pairs of awesome earring, 1 pair of sweet knit slipper boots, and a partridge in a pear tree an Amazon Kindle!

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Finally finished all my Christmas shopping!

This year was probably the most hectic Christmas wise that I've ever experienced. Probably because Christmas just snuck up on me! I'm still having a hard time believing that it's right around the corner, because it doesn't feel like Christmas. The fact that we don't have a tree up may have something to do with it, but whatever the reason, Christmas just snuck up on me! 

Regardless, I was able to finish my Christmas shopping last night (geez, Wal-Mart, could you be more stressful? Wal-Mart will be closing in 2 minutes it's been 2 minutes why are you still shopping we're closing our registers in 3 minutes and in 5 minutes if you aren't outside well sweet dreams you're sleeping here we'll see you tomorrow) and that was a huge weight off of my shoulders.

This December seemed to be filled with deadlines... it was crazy! Starting right at the very beginning, when my novel was due by 11:59pm November 30th... or at least my 50K. Then I had a Secret Santa gift that had to be mailed off by the 10th (and wasn't actually mailed until the 11th, ooops!), Christmas cards I had to get out, a gift exchange on December 16th (with my kiddos! YAY!) Sean's birthday last night, Christmas Eve on Friday, and Christmas on Saturday. Breathe with me, people.

hee. hee. hoooooooooooooooo.

And also, the whole moving thing. Oh yeah, that.

Deadlines are great, don't get me wrong... and a few of those things weren't even hard to be on top of (like the Dec 16th gift exchange and the Christmas cards), but I think moving around all the time makes time go faster... which is great, unless you don't have that much time to begin with. Right up to the end there it was, "oh yay, I got this, this, and this do--oh no Christmas presents!"

But now I'm done. Anything that isn't wrapped by Christmas Eve is on Amazon and UPS. ha. Which actually takes a lot off my plate and makes the other tasks I have to complete (like, um, my novel?) a little easier to handle.

Plus I'm really excited about some (read: most) of the gifts that I got for people this year... muahahaha (I am so clever... and humble) so there's that. I'm sure that once Christmas is actually here, it'll feel like it.

Merry Christmas! :D

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2 Weeks is a Long Time...

On Fridays, Camden and I meet for coffee and discuss
the important things in life, like whether or not his Pull-Up
is dry, or if Ander needs more Cheerios...
So, it's officially Christmas break for me. Which is great! I have a lot to do... we've bought a new house, and we're moving slowly over there (haha it's even closer to the church than our current one... as if that were possible), and Christmas is coming up and everything. I'm still trying to keep with working out (and I'm doing a little bit on my own but after Christmas we will be cracking down) and I have a few more gifts that I still need to buy, and just a lot that has to get done... I feel like things won't be "normal" until after Christmas, which seemed to sneak up on me this year. It's on Saturday. What is that about?

Anyway, Sunday was my last day with my boys, and I felt so bad because I got sick halfway through the night and had to keep my distance from Cam. Which was fine, until we watched Toy Story 3 and he wanted to cuddle (which of course I eventually caved to... you try saying no to that face, knowing you won't see it regularly for 2 weeks). 2 weeks is not that long, just 14 days but it seems painfully long when you consider having seen the kids everyday for 3 weeks straight. And all of the families I work for are pretty much family, and time is always drawn out when you're away from family.

Ander and me on gift exchange day!
(Dec 16 2010)
The gift exchange went well, by the way. The kids seemed to love their gifts, and I know I loved mine!! Those stinkers got me a Kindle, which was pretty much my Christmas wishlist this year. So jazzed!! It is seriously one of my favorite pieces of technology recently. It's dangerous, because of what my dad calls "instant gratification" but what is for normal people the ability to buy books at the drop of a hat... and I love books I do. So I've had to stop myself from just going OO I WANT TO READ THAT and buying it right there. But it's also great because if I need to read I can just boop get a book. And the free books they have aren't bad! :D Plus, there's a way to link to Twitter/Facebook and share notes and stuff as you read... which I love because I adore discussing books I'm reading. It really is fantastic. I love actual books, but the Kindle is great when actual books aren't an option. Seriously, so jazzed about this! :)

I'm looking forward to this vacation, and Christmas, but at the same time I'm dreading it a bit. 2 weeks is a long time, which means I need to find things to occupy my time (hey Lauren, you could always finish your book quiet, muse) when I'm not cleaning/painting/moving/working out. Haha, yeah, I'd be hard-pressed to find some free time in that, too.

I already can't wait to get back to work, though.
Too many darling faces. I love them all.
(From L to R: Cam, Asher, and Bria)

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Is that a Dolphin?



This is Kara's fish... Yes, I actually got her one! It's a male delta tail beta... The pinkest one I could find. I'm hoping she'll be excited.

Camden saw it this morning and asked if it was a dolphin... Lol. These kids.

We're doing our gift exchange today. The kids are going to help me get their moms' gifts ready, and we're gonna have a little party. Looking forward to it. :)

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Quick and Delicious Tomato-Basil Grilled Cheese

It's been a while since I've made a cooking entry, and I'm quite excited about this one because it's actually a Limitless Ramblings original!! Just something I threw together because I wanted something healthy-ish for lunch.

Quick and Delicious Tomato-Basil Grilled Cheese

Phew! That's a mouthful! *rimshot*


What you'll need is this:

  • 2 slices 100% whole wheat bread
  • 2-4 slices Kraft Singles Cheese (or cheese of your choosing)
  • 1 small tomato, sliced.
  • Dried basil
  • Garlic salt
  • Pepper
  • Butter
If you'd like to make the mashed sweet potatoes that go with it, you'll need:

  • 1 Sweet Potato (or yam, I guess), peeled
  • sugar
  • brown sugar
  • cinnamon
  • butter
Directions: (lightly) Butter one side of each slice of bread and set them aside. If you haven't already, slice your tomato (thickness of slices is up to you). Heat a skillet on medium, this will give you time to assemble your sandwich, without the first slice of bread burning. Allow it to warm up, then place the first slice of your bread in the skillet, butter side down. Lay 2 slices of cheese on the bread, then follow with as many slices of tomato as you would like. Season with basil, garlic salt, and pepper. Lay the remaining to slices of cheese on top of the tomatoes, and add the last slice of bread (butter side up). Allow it to cook until butter has browned and cheese is slightly melted, flip, and do the same on the other side.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Dice your potato into smaller chunks, then let them boil for about 20 minutes. While they're boiling, mix sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a small salsa dish. Set aside. When potatoes are done, drain in a colander and return potato chunks to pot. Add a touch of butter and sprinkle in your sugar/cinnamon mixture. Mix it all together, until mashed. Add more sugar mixture, as according to your preferences.

I prepared my sweet potatoes a couple nights before, so this meal only took me about 5 minutes to prepare, and I was surprised at how tasty it was!! The basil-y tomatoes gave it a whole new flavor! This recipe is NOT for people who don't like tomatoes, though. But if you do like them, this is a quick and delicious recipe that makes for a great lunch!

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The End is Here!!!

December 1st. 24 days till Christmas, 29 days till 2011. Winter is here at last and - for those of us that decided to be insane for a month - so is the end of NaNoWriMo!

I know I was horrible about keeping you all updated on my progress, but this year was way more hectic than last year, so I figure I'll just take this time to sort of recap the whole experience... and what an experience it was!

Week 1 (Nov 1-7): Getting started was difficult. The first day of November, for whatever reason, was trying, and I don't think I got any writing done that day. The whole first week was discouraging, to be honest. I was behind on my word count week after week because I just could not find time to write. Day 1 I should have had 2K, and I had 0. Day 2 I should have had 4K, and I think I had about 500. So on and so forth so that by Thursday, I was a whole 7 or 8K in the hole.

And when I did get the chance to write, the words just wouldn't come, and I couldn't figure out why. I knew my idea inside and out, I knew my characters, and I had a basic outline of what I wanted to do, but it just wasn't working. Astrid was talking to me easy enough, as was Colin, but Kara was giving me a bit of attitude and Caleb just was not giving me anything to work with. I hadn't even dealt with Haylie yet, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

I entertained the idea of dropping out a number of times, but one thing kept me going: the opening. It's difficult for me to be impressed by my writing, but I loved my opening, and so did a few friends who read it. My writing has improved, and I felt I owed it to myself to at least see to it that this story, in its entirety, saw the light of day. That's difficult, however, when you're close to 10K behind.

Week 2 (Nov 8 - 14): I tried something different for week 2. Instead of jumping head first into my writing and forcing each word onto the paper, I stepped back and did something that has always helped clear my mind: I read. I had started Stephen King's On Writing prior to NaNo, and didn't finish it until a couple days into week 2. Not only did that help clear my mind, but it gave me a few ideas as to why my characters weren't talking to me.

For starters, I was thinking about it too much. I was focusing on following the outline I had put together so closely that I forgot the point was to tell a story. I was treating my characters like literary objects, and not as people... which is what they are. It's what they have to be, if your story is going to capture anyone. Once I accepted them and my story for what it was, the words came a little easier.

It was during this week that I found my muse, as well. Everyone's is different, and it doesn't always have to be an actual person. A lot of times, a muse is just a part of yourself that will help you to flesh out ideas, get your characters to talk, and keep the story moving along. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's an extra personality, because it isn't that. It's just the thing that answers back when you ask yourself, what do I do now? Where is this going? Why is this character acting the way they are?

My muse happens to be quite rude, and a bit sassy. But he kept the words coming.

The other thing that changed how I write was the release of the Doctor Who Season 5 soundtrack. Murray Gold is responsible for a lot of my week 2 writing getting done. It's incredibly difficult to not be creative when listening to his arrangements.

Week 3 (Nov 15 - 21): At this point, my characters have figured out who they are, and it doesn't really matter if I know anymore. They know, and my muse knows, and once that happens, you might as well buckle up because author or not, you're along for the ride just like everyone else.

This was the week my characters started doing things they weren't supposed to. Such a thing is frustrating in it's own right, but pretty amazing, too. It's like meeting a new friend and learning stuff about them.

The story itself began to take on a life of its own, as well. I knew the basic idea of what I wanted, but filling in the blanks was fun because I had no idea what to expect. The basic "he said but he's a liar" idea I had evolved into a full on conspiracy, and my characters began to interact and build off each others strengths and weaknesses. Writing became less about the daily word goal and more about finding out what happens next.

I kept up my reading as well, and tore through Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil like it was nothing. I stuck mostly to non-fiction, so as to not subconsciously rip off anything from any fiction pieces I might have read. I was about 5K ahead of the set NaNo goal by the end of the week.

I didn't notice.

Week 4 (Nov 22-30): I was within spitting distance of 50K by Thanksgiving, and actually reached the goal by Saturday.

By this point, I'm hardly even aware of the word count. I don't think to verify that I've won until a couple days later. I am that involved in the story. I begin to stress over the well being of characters I like, begin to get angry and characters I hate. It is not unlike reading.

My music has shifted from Matt Nathanson, Francesca Battisteli, Laura Marling, The Hush Sound, etc. to Ludovico Einaudi, Helen Jane Long, Murray Gold, David Nevue, Laura Sullivan, Loreena McKennit, etc.

The conspiracy has now come full circle, and everything is starting to click into place. But the story is far from over. There is still a long way to go with this... however, I have now invested a month and nearly 60,000 words in it. I am more likely than not going to finish it.

I have started three other books, bringing my "currently reading" total to 4. They are all works of fiction. I simply cannot stay away from it. But they are not similar types of fiction to the one that I'm writing, so I think I'm safe.

What's more is, writing this has ignited a bit of a fire under last year's NaNo, which has been sitting in limbo for a year now. Once the first draft of this is over, I plan on editing that. And once I'm done editing that, I should be refreshed enough to start my second draft... a process I'm really looking forward to.

But first things first, I need to finish the first draft.

Congratulations to everyone who completed their goal! I hope you recognize how amazing it is to have written 50K in just 30 days!! And thank you to everyone who kept me going, pushed me on, and told me my opening - or any bit, really - of my story was good.

Special super uber thanks to Jordan and Stephanie, without whose encouragement I would have quit.You guys are awesome, and I could never put into words how awesome, but just know. Just know. You are awesome. Also, a shout out to Jevonne, who engaged me in a word war, pushing me over 50K in no time. I am e-mailing you what came of that, I promise!!! XD

And now, for those of you that may want a taste of The 11th Hour, here is the first draft of my opening (under the cut). Enjoy! [WARNING: mild language]

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So this is how time passes for normal people...



It's interesting to see my kiddos growing up. I took this picture during quiet time one day. The kids were all watching a movie, and it's just amazing how big they all look.

Cam and Asher were just little stinkers when I first got them. Bria was still in a car seat and slept pretty much the whole time (that... Doesn't happen anymore. Lol). Ander wasn't even born yet, and Kara wasn't so much as talking. Now she's in preschool, Camden is more or less potty trained, Bria climbs on everything, Asher has a little attitude (not necessarily a bad thing) and Ander is eating actual food and taking steps.

The kicker is, it doesn't feel like I've worked with them long enough for them to have changed SO MUCH. It feels like it's only been a few months.

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