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?

========================

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?

=========================

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!

=======================

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



=========================

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:



==========================

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

What Should You Study?

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.....