Tuesday, March 04, 2008

I Wrote!

If you can't annoy somebody, there is little point in writing." - Kingsley Amis

Edited to add: ACK! Allie reminded me I forgot to give the results of the great bath mat debate AND my own response. Bad me.

Amazingly, eight people answered and the results were split right down the middle: four leave their mats on the floor all the time, and four prefer to pick them up in between showers.

Me? I leave mine down on the floor 24/7. Of course, I also dry off in the shower, so they don't get wet and rot the floor. Is that weird? Do YOU dry off in the shower or do you step out and dry off while standing on your bath mat?

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So... wrote as much as I could yesterday. I don't know how long, because I couldn't get any interrupted time ("Mom! How do you reduce fractions again?"... "Arf!! I need to go out!!"... "RING!!!" phone call... "BEEPBEEPBEEP" chocolate pumpkin cupcakes are done... well, you get the point). I managed 917 words on "Return to Stiller Creek" which was a little surprising because I'd sort of written myself into a corner, but somehow as I stared at the screen, an idea came to me. You see, as always, I have the ending written and it's quite exciting (IMHO) with thunder and runaway horses and a murderer and a kidnapping and duct tape... but I wasn't sure how to get the story there. I think I figured it out, and all it took was my hero saying, "Why don't we start riding lessons this weekend?" I KNOW, shocked the heck out of me, too. But, with that simple phrase, it all fell into place. Now I just need to write it.

In one hour a day. If I manage approximately 1000 words a day, and I want 65,000 words, then I'll get it done in twenty days or less. That's not so bad. I'm going to shoot for the "or less" cuz I really just want to have something DONE. Keep me accountable, folks. Okay?

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A week or so ago, Jen mentioned to me that she was making cupcakes from chocolate cake mix and pumpkin. I thought it sounded fabulous, and planned on making them that day until I discovered it wasn't chocolate cake mix I had in my pantry, it was brownie mix. Well, I finally got to the store (I KNOW I could have made it from scratch...but I chose not to), got a box of mix and today... I made them.

Oh. My. Word.

These are the best, lightest, moistest cupcakes I've ever had. Yum. Yum. Yum. And it's so easy. Check it out:

1 Box chocolate cake mix
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
2 eggs
2 T vegetable oil

Mix (use an electric mixer so it gets really fluffy--usually I stir by hand, but this was a little lumpy, so I pulled out my mixer and by the time I was done, it was like mousse), put into cupcake tin, bake at 350 for 17 - 22 minutes (I did 22 because I use stoneware and it always takes a little longer).

Bliss.

Thanks, Jen!

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Just for Groovy who is sick with the flu -- And, yes, Groovy... I was a HUGE "Perfect Strangers" fan way back when. So, enjoy:



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So, Lianne posted these great pictures on her blog... all springlike with green grass and bushes and trees and sun. I'm eaten alive with jealousy. Here's what my yard looks like. First, to give you an idea of just how deep the snow is along our driveway... this is a regular sized basketball hoop--high enough to challenge my 6'3" husband:



And here is the view from my yard looking down the street:



Any bets on how long it will take to melt?

And, just because puppy pictures always make people warm and fuzzy -- we always say that it's a good thing she's cute:



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Your Learning Style: Innovative and Independent



You are determined and driven. Confident in your abilities, no field is too difficult for you.

You Should Study:

Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Design
Engineering
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science



This may be the most wrong (wrongest? LOL) quiz I've ever taken. Physics? Engineering? Philosophy (remind me to tell you about my very short foray into a philosophy class in college sometime)???

ROFLOLOLOLOL.....

14 comments:

Ceri Hebert said...

Ugh. I'm sick of white. Now we're in a flood watch in our part of the state due to the ice storm coming in tonight.

Awesome on the writing! I had to do laundry and brought my notebook and got a bunch done on my western. Nothing like a cowboy to boost one's spirits.

Allie Boniface said...

Congrats on the writing :) And yes, your yard looks a lot like mine right about now...

Hey, what about the bath mat poll??

Diana Castilleja said...

Just wanted to say, I don't always comment, but I love reading your blog. It's a lot of fun, and way more awake then I am in the morning. :)

My sympathies on the snow. And yes, Dakota is cute, but people with dogs remind me why even though I want one, why I don't have one. LOL That and hubby is a pain in the butt about the topic.

Sarita Leone said...

Love it that you're writing. I'll bet it feels great, doesn't it? :)

Lianne Lopes said...

Hey there! Wonderful about getting all that writing done. Close to 1000 words is great, especially for all the interruptions.

Your pictures, my friend, of all that white stuff looks very similar to my back yard. So don't be too jealous of me. The green grass in those pictures is where I'd like to still be, but not where I am. **sigh**

Soon, maybe the snow will melt. I give it about 3 days of warmer temps. Do I win a prize if I'm right?

Thanks for mentioning me in your blog. :)

groovyoldlady said...

1. I dry off in the shower. The mat is just for my wet tootsies.

2. Glad you got in some writing time. I actually think being sick is buying me an excuse to be creative. I just beefed up my Squidoo lenses. Woot!

(and now I feel a crash comi...ZZZZzzzzz)

Ok. I'm back.

3. Whoever took the time to make that Perfect Strangers video (which made me smile from start to finish!) should be the guest of honor on my procrastination lens!

4. yesterday, chills and crud notwithstanding, I had to go out in waist deep snow and rescue Silly-Head. The girls had gone out to play in the snow while I rested, but they went out into the woods and Silly-Head lost her boot COMPLETELY in the deep snow. Girly-Girl came to get me.

I'm a bit heavier than my little ladies so with every other step my fluish legs sank through up past my hips.

I. was. not. happy.

Fortunately, I survived and today there is beautiful, blissful, wonderful MELTING going on out there.

Melting plus Perfect Strangers beats chicken soup for making me feel better! :-)

Thanks.

anno said...

Too bad about the snow, but that will go away. Great news about the writing.... and that you can keep!

Anonymous said...

I always dry off on the mat (that I leave on the floor 24/7). It hasn't rotted yet. *g*

WTG on the writing!!!

I so do not envy your snow. We got a very light dusting last night, but it doesn't even cover the whole yard.

We're twins today on the quiz. ROFL! Yeah, I am so not a science type girl, thanks all the same. *rolling eyes*

Brandy said...

YAY! You were able to write! Good going!

I dry off in the shower, the bath mat is to keep me from slipping and landing on my butt. *g*

As for the quiz, mine seemed about right.
Your Learning Style:Unconventional and Insightful
You are very intuitive and ingenious. You're attracted to any field of study that lets you break the rules.

You Should Study:

Art
Art history
Architecture
Comparative religions
Eastern religion
Education
Music
Philosophy


I hope you get some more writing done today!

Dru said...

Congrats on the writing.

I dry off in the shower. Hate a wet rug or mat.

Aaawww, snow. I know, you hate it.

This is a kewl picture of Dakota.

Your Learning Style: Competent and Cooperative

You have a great head for facts and figures. You can remember and use any fact you've read.

You Should Study:

Dentistry
Education
Environmental Science
Finance
Nursing
Nutrition Science
Medicine
Law

Anonymous said...

I went grocery shopping after work and picked up some chocolate cake mix and pumpkin. Those cupcakes sound great, and easy enough that maybe even I can make them.

Charity

Jen said...

I'm glad you liked the cupcakes! And tomorrow's post is all set! But I got really sick (I've been fighting an icky something) after I e-mailed you, so you're going to see something a little different. I think you'll like it, though. ;-)

Eileen said...

Curse you- those cupcakes sound beyond amazing. Now I have to make them.

Melissa McClone said...

I missed the bathmat thing, but I leave ours out. I dry off in the shower too so it never gets that wet.