It’s Friday Woooooo!
Today, I was lucky enough to get off work early and that made me extremely happy. Spring has sprung here in Oklahoma and its so nice being outside.
So I started thinking… what else makes me happy?
Hmmm… Let’s see.
* My family and friends.
* Writing and Reading
* Traveling
* Wrestling
* Music
* Playing with my niece and nephew
So, what makes YOU happy!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Front Row... or Bust!
Last time I mentioned that I go to wrestling events when they are near. The WWE (world wrestling entertainment) was in my town on Sunday, but I didn’t go. Why, you ask. I’ll tell you.
Way back in 2000 I went to my first live wrestling event. It was in Tulsa during winter and my Dad didn’t want my best friend and I to drive there alone. So he did the unthinkable… He made my older sister go as a chaperone. She was mad. I was mad… but we got to go. Well, not, not really. We almost didn’t get to go because there was an ice storm the day before the show, but thankfully my friend’s mom got us a hotel room, so we went despite the weather.
So we got to the Arena and found our seats. Here is what our view looked like.
Okay, I exaggerate… but we were two rows back from the VERY top of the arena! No joke! TWO ROWS! The next show we went to we were a little closer. We were only six rows from the very top!
But then a funny thing happened. The more events I started going to, the closer my seats started getting to the ring ( I also started to learn little tricks here and there about purchasing tickets, but that’s another story). I was mid-bowl, then lower level, and then I finally made it to the floor! My first floor seat was 8th row and I was in heaven!
But in 2006 my seating adventures took a whole new turn. My family and I were going to a house show ( a non-televised live event) in Little Rock for my niece’s birthday. I was supposed to get 6 tickets for my family and my friend and her family. When I went to get the tickets, something happened between entering “6” and going to the next page and somehow I ended up with “8” tickets… in the first row!
Um, y’all aren’t as excited as me. Let me say it again…
I was ecstatic! I had only dreamt of a front row seat and now my family and friends were going to enjoy it with me! We went to the show and it was, without a doubt, one of the best shows that I have ever been to!
But it also created a problem. After sitting in the first row, being in the eighth row just wasn’t as fun. I could handle being in the second and third row… but anything after that and it just wasn’t worth it anymore.
Call me spoiled, and maybe I am… but it would be like someone giving you a brand new iPhone and then telling you to use an analog phone. Yeah, not cool!
So back to the show here in my town. I didn’t go because I didn’t get ‘good’ seats. I’m not disappointed though… I had a surprise encounter with a wrestler at a restaurant, which made my day. And, there will always be another show to go to. :)
Way back in 2000 I went to my first live wrestling event. It was in Tulsa during winter and my Dad didn’t want my best friend and I to drive there alone. So he did the unthinkable… He made my older sister go as a chaperone. She was mad. I was mad… but we got to go. Well, not, not really. We almost didn’t get to go because there was an ice storm the day before the show, but thankfully my friend’s mom got us a hotel room, so we went despite the weather.
So we got to the Arena and found our seats. Here is what our view looked like.
Okay, I exaggerate… but we were two rows back from the VERY top of the arena! No joke! TWO ROWS! The next show we went to we were a little closer. We were only six rows from the very top!
But then a funny thing happened. The more events I started going to, the closer my seats started getting to the ring ( I also started to learn little tricks here and there about purchasing tickets, but that’s another story). I was mid-bowl, then lower level, and then I finally made it to the floor! My first floor seat was 8th row and I was in heaven!
But in 2006 my seating adventures took a whole new turn. My family and I were going to a house show ( a non-televised live event) in Little Rock for my niece’s birthday. I was supposed to get 6 tickets for my family and my friend and her family. When I went to get the tickets, something happened between entering “6” and going to the next page and somehow I ended up with “8” tickets… in the first row!
Um, y’all aren’t as excited as me. Let me say it again…
8 tickets in the FIRST ROW!!!
I was ecstatic! I had only dreamt of a front row seat and now my family and friends were going to enjoy it with me! We went to the show and it was, without a doubt, one of the best shows that I have ever been to!
But it also created a problem. After sitting in the first row, being in the eighth row just wasn’t as fun. I could handle being in the second and third row… but anything after that and it just wasn’t worth it anymore.
Call me spoiled, and maybe I am… but it would be like someone giving you a brand new iPhone and then telling you to use an analog phone. Yeah, not cool!
So back to the show here in my town. I didn’t go because I didn’t get ‘good’ seats. I’m not disappointed though… I had a surprise encounter with a wrestler at a restaurant, which made my day. And, there will always be another show to go to. :)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Music Behind The Words
I’m going to let you in on a little secret… writing is a job and it takes work. Don’t get me wrong, its nothing like my day job (which really isn’t that bad), but sometimes it is hard to come home and write.
Let me give you a little breakdown.
* I get up at 4am M-F
* I work from 5am to 2pm
* I come home and do things around the house, which also includes laundry, dishes, babysitting my baby nephew and 11 year old niece, homework with niece, taking a lil nap, making sure everyone gets a shower and dinner, checking emails and facebook…
Okay, you get the point. I do a lot when I get home. (did ya notice there was a nap thrown in there? I HAVE to get a nap, or I would go to bed at 7pm! I’m not kidding. 7pm!)
So doing all those things and then sitting down to write can be hard. (Sometimes its not. Sometimes I can sit down and write away.) But most of the time I have to make my creative juices flow.
And this is how I do it… I put my Beats by Dr Dre headphones on (which are noise canceling!) and then turn on my iTunes to my Writing playlist. The playlist has a variety of songs that inspire me.
Some inspire EMOTION, such as:
You Won’t Be Mine- Matchbox Twenty
I Will Not Bow- Breaking Benjamin
In The Darkness- Dead by Sunrise
Some inspire THOUGHTS, such as:
2 am/Just Breathe- Anna Nalick
Use Somebody- Kings of Leon
Running Up That Hill- Placebo (I actually heard this while watching wrestling! See, it all ties in my friends!)
Some are SIMPLE (with no words), such as:
Casper’s Lullaby- James Horner
O Fortuna- Carl Orff
Moment of Happiness(from Buffy)- Christophe Beck
And some REMIND ME (of certain people), such as:
Addicted- Kelly Clarkson
Music Again- Adam Lambert
Familiar Taste of Poison- Halestorm
The list goes on and on! My writing playlist currently has 250 songs in it . I hit “shuffle” and go! And then I do what a writer does… I write!
Let me give you a little breakdown.
* I get up at 4am M-F
* I work from 5am to 2pm
* I come home and do things around the house, which also includes laundry, dishes, babysitting my baby nephew and 11 year old niece, homework with niece, taking a lil nap, making sure everyone gets a shower and dinner, checking emails and facebook…
Okay, you get the point. I do a lot when I get home. (did ya notice there was a nap thrown in there? I HAVE to get a nap, or I would go to bed at 7pm! I’m not kidding. 7pm!)
So doing all those things and then sitting down to write can be hard. (Sometimes its not. Sometimes I can sit down and write away.) But most of the time I have to make my creative juices flow.
And this is how I do it… I put my Beats by Dr Dre headphones on (which are noise canceling!) and then turn on my iTunes to my Writing playlist. The playlist has a variety of songs that inspire me.
Some inspire EMOTION, such as:
You Won’t Be Mine- Matchbox Twenty
I Will Not Bow- Breaking Benjamin
In The Darkness- Dead by Sunrise
Some inspire THOUGHTS, such as:
2 am/Just Breathe- Anna Nalick
Use Somebody- Kings of Leon
Running Up That Hill- Placebo (I actually heard this while watching wrestling! See, it all ties in my friends!)
Some are SIMPLE (with no words), such as:
Casper’s Lullaby- James Horner
O Fortuna- Carl Orff
Moment of Happiness(from Buffy)- Christophe Beck
And some REMIND ME (of certain people), such as:
Addicted- Kelly Clarkson
Music Again- Adam Lambert
Familiar Taste of Poison- Halestorm
The list goes on and on! My writing playlist currently has 250 songs in it . I hit “shuffle” and go! And then I do what a writer does… I write!
So, what songs do YOU listen to?
Friday, March 11, 2011
Fun Friday!
It’s Friday everyone! *cues band playing music!* We have worked all week to get to this point and now it is here! In honor of Fun- Friday, I am going to share a story with you all about my wacky niece, Kayla.
Now, here is a little tidbit about Kayla… she has a GREAT imagination, even though she is only 11. This is a good thing, but it can also be a bad/ hard to explain trait. And this brings me to my story.
When Kayla was in the third grade, she had a teacher that she adored. (Ironically, I also had this teacher when I was in the third grade). Anyway, it was time for the parent-teacher conference and my sister knew she didn’t have anything to worry about. Kayla might talk a lot, but she is a good kid.
So my sister went to the conference and it went a little something like this:
Teacher: I am glad to hear that Kayla’s got to spend some time with her dad. It is just great that he took her ice fishing!
My sister: Ummm…
Teacher: And Kayla described it beautifully! I felt like I was there with her! She said that she and her dad had to bundle up because it was so cold outside. Then, they walked across the ice where the hole had been cut. Kayla said that when they dropped the line into the water that it was so cold that the worm froze! She said it was like an ice cube! I just couldn’t believe it!
My sister *trying not to laugh*: Um, that never happened.
Teacher *blinking*: What?
My sister: Kayla has never been ice fishing. In fact, she has never been fishing before…
Teacher: But… but…
My sister: Welcome to my world!
LOL I will tell you all one thing, I get a LOT of ideas from my niece! On that happy note, I bid you all farewell until Monday! Have a great weekend!
Now, here is a little tidbit about Kayla… she has a GREAT imagination, even though she is only 11. This is a good thing, but it can also be a bad/ hard to explain trait. And this brings me to my story.
When Kayla was in the third grade, she had a teacher that she adored. (Ironically, I also had this teacher when I was in the third grade). Anyway, it was time for the parent-teacher conference and my sister knew she didn’t have anything to worry about. Kayla might talk a lot, but she is a good kid.
So my sister went to the conference and it went a little something like this:
Teacher: I am glad to hear that Kayla’s got to spend some time with her dad. It is just great that he took her ice fishing!
My sister: Ummm…
Teacher: And Kayla described it beautifully! I felt like I was there with her! She said that she and her dad had to bundle up because it was so cold outside. Then, they walked across the ice where the hole had been cut. Kayla said that when they dropped the line into the water that it was so cold that the worm froze! She said it was like an ice cube! I just couldn’t believe it!
My sister *trying not to laugh*: Um, that never happened.
Teacher *blinking*: What?
My sister: Kayla has never been ice fishing. In fact, she has never been fishing before…
Teacher: But… but…
My sister: Welcome to my world!
LOL I will tell you all one thing, I get a LOT of ideas from my niece! On that happy note, I bid you all farewell until Monday! Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Wrestling Wednesday!
It's Wrestling Wednesday, my own personal shout-out to the sport that I love. And yes, it is a sport. (Yes, Yes... I KNOW its scripted, but accidents to occur! Trust me, wrestlers are skilled athletes). I promise I won't get carried away on these days, but I want to share my thoughts and memories about it. And there are a ton!
Today I am going to take you back to the beginning. Well, the beginning for me at least. I don't count being FORCED to watch it with my cousin on Saturday mornings the beginning! (Love you Neil!)
Way back in 1999 I was walking through our family room. I had been hiding in my room most of the night, reading. We didn't have cable and there wasn't anything on TV so I would put my nose in a book for entertainment. (It IS great entertainment, by the way.)
As I said, I was walking through our family room and my little sister was watching TV. I believe she was also eating sunflower seeds, spitting the shells into a cup, which used to drive my Grandma nuts because of the sound it makes. Anyway, I got a soda from the refrigerator and then walked back through the room. It was then that I noticed what my sister was watching.
"Are you really watching that?" I asked her with a laugh.
"Yes. There isn't anything else on..." she replied without looking up.
"Tell me about it!" I replied as I sat on the arm of the couch. "Is this that Smack show?"
"Smackdown," she quickly corrected me as she spit a shell. "And yeah."
"Hmm."
We sat in silence, both watching WWE Smackdown. To this day I can still tell you who was wrestling that night. It was the Hardy Boyz (their last name is really Hardy. I thought at first they just liked the Hardy Boy Mysteries lol) fighting Edge and Christian.
"They are hot." I said to my sister. "Who is the one with the rainbow hair?"
"That's Matt Hardy." she replied in an annoyed tone. I was starting to get on her nerves for once. It was usually the other way around.
*** Come to find out it was really Jeff Hardy with the rainbow hair, but I don't hold it against her and i would NEVER remind her that she was wrong. ;) ***
We both sat there in the family room until the show was over. Then we each retreated to our own rooms. I didn't give it much thought, but the next week I found myself turning my own TV on to wrestling. And then the next week. And the next... and you get the idea.
That my friends is how I became hooked on Wrestling. It was just a normal night with nothing to watch, but it certainly changed things for me. I am sure everyone thought back then that I would "grow out of it". LOL boy were they wrong!
And the big question: Do I still watch Wrestling?
Yes, I watch RAW every Monday and I go to live events when they are near. In fact, I will probably be going to an event on Sunday. But, more on that next week.
So there ya go! An inside look at my world! Stay tuned for more! :)
Today I am going to take you back to the beginning. Well, the beginning for me at least. I don't count being FORCED to watch it with my cousin on Saturday mornings the beginning! (Love you Neil!)
Way back in 1999 I was walking through our family room. I had been hiding in my room most of the night, reading. We didn't have cable and there wasn't anything on TV so I would put my nose in a book for entertainment. (It IS great entertainment, by the way.)
As I said, I was walking through our family room and my little sister was watching TV. I believe she was also eating sunflower seeds, spitting the shells into a cup, which used to drive my Grandma nuts because of the sound it makes. Anyway, I got a soda from the refrigerator and then walked back through the room. It was then that I noticed what my sister was watching.
"Are you really watching that?" I asked her with a laugh.
"Yes. There isn't anything else on..." she replied without looking up.
"Tell me about it!" I replied as I sat on the arm of the couch. "Is this that Smack show?"
"Smackdown," she quickly corrected me as she spit a shell. "And yeah."
"Hmm."
We sat in silence, both watching WWE Smackdown. To this day I can still tell you who was wrestling that night. It was the Hardy Boyz (their last name is really Hardy. I thought at first they just liked the Hardy Boy Mysteries lol) fighting Edge and Christian.
"They are hot." I said to my sister. "Who is the one with the rainbow hair?"
"That's Matt Hardy." she replied in an annoyed tone. I was starting to get on her nerves for once. It was usually the other way around.
*** Come to find out it was really Jeff Hardy with the rainbow hair, but I don't hold it against her and i would NEVER remind her that she was wrong. ;) ***
We both sat there in the family room until the show was over. Then we each retreated to our own rooms. I didn't give it much thought, but the next week I found myself turning my own TV on to wrestling. And then the next week. And the next... and you get the idea.
That my friends is how I became hooked on Wrestling. It was just a normal night with nothing to watch, but it certainly changed things for me. I am sure everyone thought back then that I would "grow out of it". LOL boy were they wrong!
And the big question: Do I still watch Wrestling?
Yes, I watch RAW every Monday and I go to live events when they are near. In fact, I will probably be going to an event on Sunday. But, more on that next week.
So there ya go! An inside look at my world! Stay tuned for more! :)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Telling and Showing
I have been thinking about writing and everything that I have learned thus far. And let me tell you, I have learned so much over the years! When I first started writing I thought I knew it all. Boy was I wrong! I look back at my old stories and things that I started, but never finished and just laugh.
Don't get me wrong. The idea was there, the *wow* factor. But I would TELL the reader what was going on instead of SHOWING them. It took me a long time to figure this one out.
Here is an example:
Tell: She was mad. He was there and she didn't want to see him.
Show: Her fists clenched at her side as she looked across the room. That jerk had the nerve to crash her party!
Both convey the same thing. The girl doesn't want the guy there. The first one is telling you. The second one shows your, or, at least, I hope it does. Hey, I'm still learning here! Every day that I write I learned something new and that is the point.
Writing and Leaning.
Don't get me wrong. The idea was there, the *wow* factor. But I would TELL the reader what was going on instead of SHOWING them. It took me a long time to figure this one out.
Here is an example:
Tell: She was mad. He was there and she didn't want to see him.
Show: Her fists clenched at her side as she looked across the room. That jerk had the nerve to crash her party!
Both convey the same thing. The girl doesn't want the guy there. The first one is telling you. The second one shows your, or, at least, I hope it does. Hey, I'm still learning here! Every day that I write I learned something new and that is the point.
Writing and Leaning.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Refocused and Ready to Go!
Since getting back from DFWcon, a writing conference in Dallas, I have been super motivated. Therefore I have decided three things.
1) I will be published sooner than later (mind over matter)
2) I am going to take my destiny into my own hands
3) I will post more on my blog so that everyone can follow my journey as a writer. (Look for postings three times a week, as this seems to be the magical number!)
But I will get back to these three things in a second.
Back to DFWcon. It was...amazing. I am not going to lie, I was scared about going by myself. I can be shy at times, so I have to make a conscious choice NOT to be shy. The first night I was at the hotel I was going down to the restaurant to eat and to see if I could spot other writers and *maybe* go up to them. I didn't have to go far. When I got to the elevators I met one. When we got to the restaurant we met more. And before I knew it I was meeting people! I no longer had to worry about being the wallflower in the corner of the room! YAY!
On top of meeting wonderful writers, I also was able to go to classes and learn more about the craft of writing. And believe me, it IS a craft! When the conference was over, I left feeling motivated and hyped!
So back to my three things. I am going to repeat these three things to myself everyday. And before I know it, I will be published!
1) I will be published sooner than later (mind over matter)
2) I am going to take my destiny into my own hands
3) I will post more on my blog so that everyone can follow my journey as a writer. (Look for postings three times a week, as this seems to be the magical number!)
But I will get back to these three things in a second.
Back to DFWcon. It was...amazing. I am not going to lie, I was scared about going by myself. I can be shy at times, so I have to make a conscious choice NOT to be shy. The first night I was at the hotel I was going down to the restaurant to eat and to see if I could spot other writers and *maybe* go up to them. I didn't have to go far. When I got to the elevators I met one. When we got to the restaurant we met more. And before I knew it I was meeting people! I no longer had to worry about being the wallflower in the corner of the room! YAY!
On top of meeting wonderful writers, I also was able to go to classes and learn more about the craft of writing. And believe me, it IS a craft! When the conference was over, I left feeling motivated and hyped!
So back to my three things. I am going to repeat these three things to myself everyday. And before I know it, I will be published!
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