Crisp Air

Listening: The Eels, Grace Kelly Blues

I just love the Eels. They're odd. You ever notice how 'Eels' looks really strange with the E capitalized? It only looks right lowercase: eels. I don't know why.

I'm annoyed with myself just a little bit. I somehow managed to misplace three checks for deposit. No idea where. I'll probably find them a year from now. So I had to ask the three places to re-issue the checks. Urgh.

You ever notice that every kind of food comes on a stick at a fair? Even things that normally wouldn't be caught anywhere near a stick.

I'm going through right now and just reading my book. Trying not to edit in my head for a minute and just read it as if it were someone else's book.

Listening: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Judy Blue Eyes

Looking forward to the art show this weekend. Tonight we're going shopping in case we can't get out of the house all weekend. We've heard that over 350,000 people descend on the neighborhood. It's hard to imagine. Good thing I like art shows.

Ding Dong

Listening: Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, Nothing

Finished up all the copy for LeapFrog (yay!). Hopefully it will all work for them. There's a few parts that could really use some more detail, but I plain just don't have it.

There's nothing I hate more than nothing
Nothing keeps me up at night
I toss and turn over nothing
Nothing can cause a great big fight

Love that song. Always have. What I Am was their big hit and that one is fun too.

I have a lot to do today. Or rather, a lot of things I want to do. Not sure how much will actually get done.

Need to....

• Paint bookshelves
• Deposit Checks
• Get hair cut (in desperate need - I've got a huge poofy thing going on and this ain't the eighties anymore)
• Work on revisions
• Swiffer all floors
• Get all boxes to the basement (this sounds easy, but I'm talking a lot of boxes and a lot of them up on the third floor)

All kinds of other things, but if I get those things done, I'll be happy. Okay, if I get some of those things done, I'll be happy. If I actually get out of my nightgown, I'll be happy.

Keeping expectations manageable...

Fall has...fallen

I was going to say Fall has sprung, but that's more for Spring. It is just absolutely gorgeous out. Somewhere around 64 degrees. Tomorrow it is supposed to drop to a low of 42, but only for the day. The air is just perfect, the sun is dappling the ground, leaves are starting to fall (from just a tree or two). I'm out on the porch with Grace. I feel like I've been waiting for this weather for months. I know you shouldn't wish your life away, but I do so much love fall-ish weather. Summer is just too hot for me. We went to Tony's company picnic this past weekend at Huber farm and it was just awesome to see all the pumpkins and other accoutrements of fall.

I'm sure I spelled that wrong.

Anyway, we got the ladder I ordered today, so Tony now has no excuse not to hang up my tapestry.

I'm working on the copy for LeapFrog today. I need to have it completely complete by noon tomorrow, but I'm hoping to just finish it up today. I'd like to get it out the door so I can concentrate on my revisions.

I'm tempted to skip a dose or two of pills so I can stay awake long enough to do it.

Banned Books Week

In celebration of this year's Banned Books week, Chris Crutcher has donated two prize packages (including a signed copy of The Sledding Hill) to me to give away on Young Adult Books Central. His books have come under a lot of challenges this year, along with other authors as varied as Robert Cormier, Dav Pilkey, Sonya Sones, and Walter Dean Myers.

I understand that some parents may want to restrict their children from reading certain books. That's their perogative. But I absolutely draw the line at banning a book (or anything, really) for all. That's just wrong. The few should NEVER control what the many should have access to. I'd be a little more eloquent if I weren't on all this medicine, but I hope the sentiment comes through. Censorship is wrong. Censorship is never the answer.

I'm tempted to order this year's ALA shirt for Banned Books Week. I love the quote on it.

Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak because a baby can't chew it. --Mark Twain

It's a Festival

Listening: To the passersby on the street and Grace tearing into a cat toy
Waiting: for a teleconference with LeapFrog
Eating: Pop Tarts

I've only yet taken my first dose of pills today. I'm waiting on the next until after the call, so I'll have some semblance of awakeness. Then I'm going to work on my book and some reviews for the site. And then maybe a piece of leftover cake...it really did come out pretty good this time. The triple chocolate refers to chocolate cake + Godiva liqeuer + chocolate chips + chocolate pudding. But it's the caramel that gets me.

I think this is funny...

I just got the strangest spam I have ever gotten. I've thought that a lot, actually. Usually with one of the ones where they've randomly inserted bits of poetry and F. Scott Fitzgerald or Vanity Fair or something like that. But this, this is a beast of an entirely different color. I don't think I can even say anything that will add to the humor. One thing I do want to know -- what the heck kind of spam lists am I on???? So here it is:

Hi
This is a legitimate appeal for ladies only. If you are interested or if you want to unsuscribe email me at pal555@mail.win.it I'm an Italian guy, I live in Italy and my name is Maurizio. I live in Roma.

I'm sending this message to the people because I'm bored to live in Italy, I'm looking for a lady what could invite me in usa. I seek a millionaires american lady who desires a young guy for marriage.

I would love to find a wealthy lady who lives in one of the following places in usa or nearby:
1) "The treasure coast",I mean north east Broward County or east Palm
Beach county(FLORIDA)
2)Honolulu (Hawaii)
3)Reno(Nevada)
4)Las Vegas(nevada)
5)Atlanta(georgia)
6)Jupiter,Stuart,Coral Springs,Jensen Beach,Boynton each,Deepwater,Hutchinson Island or Miami(Florida)

Considering that I like the mature women, I'd love to find a lady of 45-60yo age range. I'd love to find a gentle long haired lady who lives in a swimming pool house near the sea (as I like to swim) . I seek a lady without young or old children,a no smoker lady who could be widowed, separated, single , divorced. I would need a sugarmamma figure at the beginning .

I seek a bisexual woman that figures out of the years, looks young and feels young : it's not a problem if she's not beautiful because she should be beautiful inside and most of all ,she should desire a younger soulmate.(She could be overweight too) The thing I desire is to fix a serious stable relationship with a lady who gives me the opportunity to have a better life.

ABOUT ME:
I have long black hair,my weight is 65 kilos (145 lbs) and my height is about 1.80 metres(5.11)... I'm no smoker /drinker and I'm good looking.

If you could be the kind of woman I'm looking for, write me soon please!!!!!!

Thank you very much for reading my letter . I think there must be a woman for me out there.

Cheers

MAURIZIO PAOLI -Italy -(sent from me766@rediffmail.com)

Head like a hole...leg like a snausage

Listening: Imani Coppola, La Da Da
Reading: Libba Bray, Rebel Angels

Wow, doubling up on the muscle relaxers really...really makes me dopey. I exist in a fog. A foul-tasting one, as the muscle relaxers have a tendency to start dissolving as soon as you stick them in your mouth and they taste absolutely foul. Mouthwash, O my friend.

As Dr. Pain predicted, I am once again sore. He says that we'll need to do the shots every two weeks (!). I ask, "How long?" A reasonable question, eh? His answer..."Until you don't hurt any more." Ouch. Out, out, damn ligament.

It's always so strange to me that you have to cause yourself more pain to make other pain go away. Does that make sense? Who knows? I'm fuzzzzzzy. I've already had to go back and fix 3 spelling errors and who knows if I've let some creep in unknowing.

Where am I again?

Listening: Louis Armstrong, Cabaret

Got more shots today in my leg. Ow. Bled all over his table. But at least it seems like I can bend my knee this time. He wants me to double up on the muscle relaxers too, so I get the feeling I'll be sleeping a lot very, very soon. Right now I feel kinda woozy from all the whatchacallit. Anasthesia. Whatever. But I did manage to drive myself home, a true hazard on the road. I can't ask my neighbor to drive me every two weeks. That's stretching the bounds of familiarity. Or something like that. I don't want to be a burden.

Last night I made a triple chocolate caramel and toffee cake. It came out pretty good. Maybe I'll have a piece for lunch. If I'm awake.

Running out of titles

Listening: Maurice Chevalier, Sweeping the Clouds Away

Yesterday I actually got a good start on things and I'm hoping to continue that trend today. On the list: hem shower curtains, clean the bathroom, organize all review books (!), answer e-mail, clean up paperwork, work on T paperwork. There's more, but I don't want to be too ambitious. Goodness knows that always bites me back.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Listening: Etta James, Ooh Poo Pah Doo
Sneaking: Oreos before dinner

Whoo-hoo! I finally got up offa my lazy butt and nailed the backs of the bookcases on. I did determine, however, that I'm much more crafty than handy. I'm terrible with a hammer. I've emptied a bunch more boxes and got stuff all stacked up -- of course, I still need to go through and trash a bunch of it. I have a lot of junk. I come from a long line of pack rats.

I need to dig my sewing machine out so I can make some curtains. Then we'll be a-rockin' along. And this coming week I'm going to start on the revisions. Tony's had some good comments too -- I've got some pruning to do.

Failure, thou name is mine

Listening: Market, Grand Prix 73

Argh. Or *sigh* I didn't do very well today with my goals. I did manage to get all the rebates mailed out (new linksys wireless G router [which had 3] and Kitchen Aid mixer) and talk to a guy about putting a security door on the basement and some other piddly stuff (like installing and re-installing Norton until the damn thing worked again, probably just because it was tired of all the fuss). But my desk is still kinda messy and my books are still unorganized.

Oh, and I did find a toaster that's all retro looking so I can retire my old one. And I dusted and fiddled around with the knick-knacks on the fireplace mantle in the office. Of course, that's only one fireplace out of 7, so I dunno that it counts as much. Like I said, sigh.

I may be living in sin
but I could never give in

That's from the Market song I'm listening to. I wasn't just fessing up to anything or whatnot.

Listening: Jazz Dub Crackers, Everybody Rock

This weekend we're going to try and hit at least some of the following: the Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, the Original "Real" Turtle Soup Festival in Highlands, The Ursuline Art Fair, and the Gaslight Festival. They sincerely believe in festivals up here. So, next time I post I might be snockered on bourbon or reeling from turtle soup. Who knows what they do to you at a gaslight festival.

Is it really Friday?

Reading: Dustin Grubbs, One Man Show
Listening: Run with the Pack by Bad Company

How'd Friday get here so soon? How is it I got so little done this week? Urgh. At least I have pop tarts. Today, however, I am going to get something done. I'm going to get all the review books organized AND my desk cleaned off.

Cross your fingers for me. I feel buried under an avalanche of books and paper.

Aaaaargh.

Reading: Nothing. Need to pick out new book(s)
Listening: The Buggles, Video Killed the Radio Star

I hate it when software doesn't work like it is supposed to. I'm fighting with Norton on my laptop right now. I renewed yesterday and it keeps telling me I'm still expired. Grr.

So...last night. Browsed Ebay and blogs. Then read until about 2:45 AM (Zipped, finished it). Went to bed. Lay there until 3:33 AM, got up and took an extra muscle relaxer and pain pill (due to pain in neck, haha, no joke). I think I finally got to sleep around 4. Woke up at 7:30 AM this morning. Why? I have no idea. Tried to go back to sleep (no go). Imagined hearing knocks on the door. Figured I'd muck around with the computer. Mistake.

Listening: Sting, This Cowboy Song

Plan for the day: do some rearranging upstairs, wash some clothes, go to the Butchertown Market (going out of business sale), go to Baer fabrics (curtain fabric search that I didn't get around to yesterday), return shower curtain to Linens N Things. Not sure what else. Maybe work a bit on the site (really need to, just haven't been in the mood). Possibly start revising, rather than just making notes about revising. Definitely brush my teeth. Definitely eat a pop tart. Hmmm. Maybe right now. First one, then the other.

Listening: Heavy D & the Boyz, Don't Curse

Butane in my veins

Reading: Zipped
Listening: Nothing. I'm trying to be quiet.
Channeling: Beck

I'm up. I don't know why. I'm sleepy, but I just can't get to sleep. The keyboard sounds incredibly loud here in the dark, but hopefully the doors being closed to the office will be enough not to wake Tony up. I need to get one of those soft key types or something. I'd turn on my laptop, but I don't know how to turn off the sound ahead of time...and hearing the very stirring Windows theme song would be sure to wake anyone. So old desktop and noisy keyboard it is.

Note to self: never go shopping with Tony again. He's just not good at it. It's like that saying about leading a horse to water...or maybe it's the one about trying to teach a dog to fish. Whichever, it ends up being a waste of time and annoying someone. In this case, both of us.

I wish I could turn my brain off. I've been just laying there in bed thinking about all of the things I'd like to get done tomorrow. How do guys do it? How do you just shut down as soon as you hit a pillow?

Addendum... 1:18 AM

I just took the Archie McPhee Nerd Test. Oh man. I score higher than Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. The only one listed that I scored less than is Dilbert. I don't think that can be right. I'm not a Trekkie. Or Trekker or whatever.

Your score is: 549

Your rating is: 117.56%

Additional Scoring Information: Sorry, you lost 1 point because you are using a Windows machine.

Prairie Girl

Heheheh, can't help myself. Here's another picture of Pam. I just found a little stash on my PC. There are pictures out there of me in this ridiculous bonnet, but none committed to digital format that I know of.

Alien Baby

I thought I'd post a picture of my sister since some of her buds stop here every now and then. It's my favorite. I call it the Alien Baby picture. Behind her ears used to smell like peaches. And didn't she just have the troll hair? Notice the very lovely couch in the background. They should shoot whoever first came up with that design idea.

I'm happy to say that she can't retaliate, since I don't think she has any baby pictures of me at all. She's got recent ones that I'm sure are mighty embarassing, but it's just not the same thing as a good naked butt baby picture. Hmmm. I'm bound to have one of those of her somewhere...

In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey

I was very peeved the other day and I keep debating about whether I need to write about it or not. I don't have much to write about in here about my writing life -- still letting the novel sit while some people read it over for me, still waiting on the research for the freelance project, unwilling to start on something else (though I could finish up a short story or two), so maybe I will.

I'm fairly easy-going. But, like my character Mina, I don't like it when people are rude or stupid. Last Wednesday, B came over. Tony was on a conference call with people he works with as they were setting up this year's fantasy football league. They do it every year. He was having a great time chatting back and forth with them. B didn't like this because a) it meant no one was paying attention to him and b) he wanted Tony's attention so he could get some letters of recommendation.

I told him it would be a while, who knows how long, but he was welcome to some wine or whatever. He fidgets for a while and then stage whispers, out of the blue, "I just can't understand it. How can someone be spending all this time on fantasy football when there are people dying in New Orleans?" He's got a little mou-face on when he says it. Tony didn't hear him and I didn't say anything because of the call. But it really annoyed me. After awhile, he left.

1. He just insulted the people who's house he's sitting in, the same people who have been feeding him dinner somewhere between 3-5 days a week.
2. Of all the gall...just the day before he'd been regaling us with tales of his weekend out on the town clubbing. I suppose clubbing is okay, but not fantasy football?
3. Life goes on. If we stopped doing everything every time a disaster happened, we wouldn't be living at all.
4. He has no idea what we have or have not done for the people in New Orleans. And I know he hasn't done anything. We have -- and I'm sending out another box of stuff today.

Anyway. Breathe.

Sorry. I had to vent somewhere. I haven't actually seen B since then (a rarity), and I'm glad I haven't. I might say something I regret.

I need to find someone local to hang out with. I'm not really good at friend relationships, in person anyway. Tony is my best friend. Even back in school (pre-college), I'd have friendships with girls, but they'd just end when they moved on (they were usually older than me, so bye-bye when they graduated). Most girls annoy me. I'm more guy-ish, but they're horrible for shopping (unless they're gay -- but clothes shopping still doesn't work out. Rich next door is great for antiquing though). My interests are kind of varied (quirky, at best) and don't generally seem to fall within the realm of girlish endeavors. But it can be hard to be best friends with a guy when you're married. Or not married.

Anyway, blah-de-blah-de-blah. My leg is somewhat better, so I'm going to go do some shopping by my little lonesome. Cat food, material, and pop tarts. Quite the list.

I need pop tarts

I ran out of pop tarts yesterday and I still can't drive due to the shots (lovely collection of bruises, however) so I am pop tart-less. Wah. I'm really jonesing for a pop tart.

I'm out on the porch today (tried rearranging the wicker too, so I could keep a better eye on Grace) because the weather is so awesome. I just need to figure out a way to get an extension cord out here (if I want to play a game, ahem, I can't stick in the extra battery since I need the CD Rom drive).

A few packages are supposed to arrive today, so I'm looking forward to that. Oh the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' down the street, oh please let it be for me!

I feel all goofy from the meds and perhaps some left over anesthesia. Did I spell that right? Do I care? Nah. I'm just trying not to fall asleep.

I really, really want a pop tart.

Last one of these today, I swear...

Strangely enough, I act my age. I can't believe it.

You Are 32 Years Old

32 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

The Year I Was Born

In 1973 (the year you were born)

Richard Nixon is president of the US

Supreme Court rules in Roe vs. Wade that states may not prevent a woman from having an abortion during the first trimester

US announces the end of the military draft

Spiro T. Agnew resigns after pleading no contest to charges of tax evasion while governor of Maryland

Gerald R. Ford becomes the first appointed vice president under the 25th Amendment

A total ban on oil exports to the US for six months is imposed by Arab nations after the outbreak of an Arab-Israeli war

President Richard Nixon announces that a peace accord has been reached in Vietnam

Drea de Matteo, Tori Spelling, Carson Daly, Monica Lewinsky, and Kate Beckinsale are born

Oakland Athletics win the World Series

Miami Dolphins win Superbowl VII

Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup

The Exorcist and American Graffiti are top grossing films

Elvis Presley's Aloha From Hawaii television special is seen around the world by more than 1 billion viewers

KISS performs their first concert, at the Coventary Club in Queens

"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack wins a Grammy for song of the year
Schoolhouse Rock premieres


What Happened the Year You Were Born?

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

Death comes calling

I look like death. Not even warmed over. Pale, pasty-faced, wild-haired, blurry-eyed and with purple bruises mushrooming all over my right leg from the shots. The worst one was around my knee. I'm still having trouble bending it. The doctor said "You'll be sore tomorrow" and he wasn't lying. No, not at all.

Sigh.

I imagine I'll wind up working on the site today, since all the housework-y things on my list would have me going up and down stairs...something that takes me about 5 minutes to do right now, with both hands clutching either the rail or the wall while I yell at the cats to please, please, stop twining about my legs because they are going to kill their mommy and then they'll be sorry with no one to feed them.

Or I might just sleep.

Except that I keep having the most outrageously weird dreams. I always have strange dreams, but last night was particularly odd. Really, really odd. It's like my normal weird dreams have gone to the carnival, stayed up too late riding the rides, and then thought they'd have a go at the biggest roller coaster in the place after taking some absynthe to get them in the mood. That kind of strange.

Yowch

Went to the dr. Got the shots. About 8 or 9. Very big owie. Kind of lightheaded. Can't quite focus my eyes. Can't quite bend my knee when walking. Going to sleep. Laundry be damned.

Not quite midnight

It's not quite midnight, but I had poetry stuck in my head again, so here it is.

Warmth

My husband
says mysterious things at night,
asleep, nested in my arms
"where you are, I am,"
he proclaims.

when questioned further, he only
burrows deeper into my skin
until all I can taste is the warm smell of him.

Death to Spammers

Unrelated to personal or professional life note: I'm changing the blog so that you have to do the word verification thingy because I'm being attacked by cowardly spammers.

I thought I should also give my writing update...

As for Ze Book: Got some great feedback back from Saundra. Made some notes myself on what revisions I need to make. Tony is reading the novel now and has already made some good catches and Dave is liking it so far, even though he doesn't normally read this type of thing, bless him.

Starting work on the freelance web writing piece. I need a lot more information before I can get much done though. So I'm going to send off a list of demands...er, questions.

Oh, and got a somewhat unusual request in email to quote how much I would charge to re-write package instructions for a new flossing device. So looking at that as well (which reminds me, I really should floss more).

If I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener

Today I have pretty much one plan. Clean the house. Things are a little out of control. Problem? I'm completely sleepy. The shake/shiver/sweat from the blasted pill (that's now my official name for it) lasted until 10:30 today. A shower, wash some clothes, feed the cats...and here I am. Lots of stuff to do. And all I really want to do is take a nap. But I guess I'll tackle one room at a time and see how that goes.

Tomorrow I go back to the Dr. He said to bring a driver this time -- if I haven't significantly improved (which I haven't) -- so we can go to the 'next level.' That means shots to basically deaden the nerve endings for a while in my leg so that hopefully the ligament can heal. Not sure how I feel about it. I just know that I've hit a plateau in improvement. So tomorrow I may not be able to walk after noon for a while. Hmmm.

Which is another reason to get house cleaning stuff done today.

Beautiful weather

Today is the kind of day you wish you had every day. There's a slight breeze, sunlight dappling the lawn, no clouds in the sky...not too hot, not too cold...just right. We're sitting out on the porch, both of us with our laptops. Tony has a bit of work to do (his job is keeping him busy) and I'm kind of lazing around at the moment.

I had some figs for breakfast and we watched people biking and Gracie trying to become one with nature (we ran her back to the porch once she started terrorizing the squirrels). She's settled down to cleaning herself now and is hanging out on the settee with me. I could take a nap out here.

Sleep, perchance to dream

Had a horrible time sleeping last night. I kept tossing and turning between thoughts of New Orleans and what I need to do to fix my novel up. I've been to the Big Easy at least 5 or 6 times. I'd even been thinking about spending some vacation time this year there. It's hard to imagine what has happened to it.

New Orleans is where I went to compete in a National Oratory competition after winning state. It's the one city I actually snuck off to once with friends (we lived close by -- don't tell mom). It's one of the first places Tony and I visited together. I've attended conferences there. Had a hurricane from Pat O'Brien's. Ate at two of Emeril's restaurants. Held my nose at the literal stink of Bourbon Street. Got beads from the same street performer years apart. Covered myself in powdered sugar while eating beigneits. Smelled the heavenly scent of pralines being made.

I had to stop looking at the pictures of the devestation. I just can't look anymore.

I have an ugly baby

Sigh. I'm always getting ahead of myself. Look at me talking about what my next book is going to be when I've got a lot of revising on this one to do! And I feel like I should apologize to anyone who offered to read this draft for me. Properly, I should have called this my 'brain dump' draft and not even have dignified it with the title 'first draft.' I haven't even done a punctuation or grammar check yet (and it definitely needs to be done). Saundra was also kind enough to point out how one bit came out sounding rather horribly bigoted on an issue that I'm most decidely for! Urk. Wet noodle lashes for me. Or dry noodles. Or, worse yet, noodles coated in terriyaki sauce.

And the next up is...

I had to take my car in for another checkup. The check engine light had come on again. This time it was some air flow meter thing, happily covered by the warranty. Last time, I wasn't prepared for how long I had to wait (4 hours), so this time I took my laptop and some books to review. I only had to wait a bit over 2 hours this time, but I got 4 reviews done and even made some notes on another book.

I'm not sure what the best approach is here -- do I work next on a sequel to the book I just finished (Mina goes to France on an exchange program, but has mucho difficulty 'cause she doesn't actually speak French...) or do I start something new?

I've been thinking lately about something I'd started a ways back. It's more of an adult chick-lit type of piece with a Southern tilt to it. Kind of fun. Another first person, but not in present tense. Not sure how that works -- different genres -- do you use one agent or more? I guess I'll have to see....and of course, first I have to actually find an agent.

Oh man

Well, of course I couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the copy of my book that Tony printed out for himself. So far I've noticed that the name of Mina's high school changes between chapter 1 and chapter 3 (McAdam to Palm Ridge). Erg.

Note to self on things I want to add:

• When Uncle Mortie gives the scoop on his turning, add a bit about how the whole family went on the lam
• Vampire lesson after the weirdo werecreature - no Aubrey. Raven demands to know where he is and 'what Mina did to him'
• Add more between Nathan and Mina
• Make sure that the not driving a car thing matches throughout the book
• Fix the high school references
• Decide on George's eye color. Brown in the 3rd chapter...later?
• Remove some brand references
• Find a gay actor to use as a reference that's younger than Rupert Evertt (this is the hard thing -- I barely watch 'adult' movies, so I know hardly any actors that would appeal to a teenager)

That's all I can think of at the moment. But I'm sure there's lots and lots more. I really do need to not look at it for a week or so. And I need to call my soon-to-be 13 year-old niece to see if she would read it for me. She'd be part of my target audience so hopefully I can get some good feedback that way.

Hmmmmm....strange

It feels strange to wake up and not have to think about working on the novel. Not that it doesn't still need some work, but I want to not look at it at all for about a week to let things cool off (and give some people time to read it). Then I'll tackle revision.

In the meantime, I'll work on the new freelance project and all the other little things I've let pile up while I was scrambling to get the novel done. Yeehah! And do some laundry so Tony can go to work tomorrow wearing long pants...

I feel very excited, but also kind of drained.