Something horrible happened yesterday.

My husband came across an old diary I had from middle school. I was such a pathetic little pre-teen!!!

Of course, he thought it would be fun to read the entire thing. I personally wasn’t having so much fun. But then I got to thinking. My diary is what was important to me 15 years ago (granted, I was sadly wrong and nothing in the diary was actually important at all).

And blogs are kind of like diaries. So, will I look back at my blog in 15 years and be horribly embarassed by the things I wrote here? Or is it different because I already have an audience where at 13 I never could have imagined my diary being read by my husband?

Hmmm, something interesting to ponder.

But anyway, the absolutely best part of my diary was the horrendous spelling and grammar. You’d never think that the girl that wrote that would grow up to become a writers.

“The Penguins one the Stanley Cup.”

“He’s a senior, witch means he’ll graduate this year.” (I don’t really know where to start with this one, the sheer obviousness of the statement itself of the hag with the pointy black hat, cauldron and wart on her nose).

And this is my very favorite…Do you think I could start a movement to make this the “official” spelling?

“She is so obnockshous.”

Sound it out and you’ll get it eventually. So come on, share some horrible stories from when you were 13!?!?!

(but wait, Thanksgiving was a month ago?) So, lets talk Christmas cookies or chocolate or something else.

I want to know what you still have to do before the end of the year. And how much time do you have to do it? For instance, everything that I have to get done before the end of the year has to be done by next Friday ’cause I’ll be away the whole next week (and while I have my computer with me I find it best not to plan on getting too much done around family).

1. Finish, edit, and submit a short story to WCPT
2. Hopefully recieve and complete edits on short story for VP (Release date: Feb!!!)
3. Write as much as possible on new futuristic and send for crits.
4. Head to one last store to get Gift Certificates (can’t say for who ’cause I’m still not sure who reads this sucker)
5. Hopefully get last package from Amazon and wrap remaining presents.
6. Pack all wrapped presents for transport to Pittsburgh and then NJ.
7. Bake a few more things & take to post office to mail.
8. Pack clothes to take traveling.
9. Hound The Hubster to wrap the presents that I bought myself (and all he has to do is wrap).

December 19, 2005 @ 2:00 - I’ll be chatting on the VP Chatters List.
December 27, 2005 (all day) - Kendra Clark and I will be chatting at the Torrid Readers group.
(The whole week between Xmas and New Years is Winter Wishes Author week at the Torrid Readers Group).

Your turn…

I don’t get political on my blog - mostly because I’m an equal opportunity hater when it comes to those kinds of things, but I can no longer ignore the Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays Debate.

When you say Happy Holidays to me, I take it to mean Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (or for those so inclined Happy Hannakuah (my apologies to the entire Jewish faith for my bungled spelling) and Happy New Year or Happy Kwanza and Happy New Year, etc, etc).

So, to me, when you say Merry Christmas, you’re leaving out the Happy New Year part and basically saying, I hope you have a crappy-ass New Year.

But come on, we all know what we should really say, “Enjoy your frenzied orgy of spending and I hope you don’t have a hangover on January 1st.”

Until that comes into popular usage, it’s all about Happy Holidays for me.

I’ve come to a conclusion recently and that is that I have much less confindence in my novel length work than I do in short stories/novellas.

I can whip out a short in a couple of days and feel GREAT about it. I’ve even taken to subbing them without my CP’s crit occasionally. I can read and do major edits in a matter of hours. But that’s the thing. They don’t really need major edits.

My long stuff does - oh, does it.

I’m not completely happy with any of the longer works I’ve written - and that includes the one that is out now (I probably shouldn’t admit that, huh).

It’s gone through edits (several times). Someone liked it enough to purchase it, yet I’m still convinced that there’s something wrong with it (though don’t ask me what as I couldn’t tell you).

I’ve got another long novel under consideration at a print pub. I don’t think that it’s the best that it could be. There too, I think there’s something wrong (though this one especially hard to fix as I’m not sure what the line is looking for). But I guess the fact that it’s still under consideration is something to be happy about.

And I’ve got another long work at one of my publishers. This is the one I’m really nervous about. My CP has read it and torn it apart. I’ve hopefully fixed it, but I have no confidence in it whatsoever. I think it’s good - kinda. But my confindence on this one is shot!! I cringe every time I open my email.

And at the moment I’m working on a long and a short. Well, mostly the short because I feel I’ll be better at that one. I need to build up my confidence for writing long - maybe I need to give that plotting thing a try.

Ugh.

I was reading Sherrill’s blog yesterday (sorry, I couldn’t link to the exact post so if you go there you need to scroll down). Anyway, she was discussing the show WANTED (which I’ve never seen but seen commercials for) and in the commercials the one character says something about how he’s totally dedicated to his job and his family is suffering for it (or something close to that).

That led to a big discussion about romance hero’s and redemption and all that stuff.

But is romance really all there is?

I mean, OK, so this guy is a cop and completely focused on his job and unless he changes, he’s going to lose his family.

So.

I mean, my take on this show (which like I said is strictly via commercial) is that it’s kind of a shoot-em-up, lots of explosions kind of show.

When did it come to the point where I started looking for romance in everything? I expect most of what I read/watch to have romantic elements. Or if I don’t expect it, I’m damn sure looking for it.

If there’s a sexy(ish) single guy and a nice single girl in a book/tv show/movie, I get MAD when they don’t hook up at the end.

Example: I really think that someday Monk and Natalie are going to get married and have a happy family.

Am I the only sick one out there? Does everything have to end in romance? Do I need help?

The loving Hubster sent me the following link this morning: www.cuteoverload.com

I, of course followed the link here and if you scroll down you find this:

If you follow the link, you too can get the pattern to learn how to knit “penguin jumpers” (that’s sweaters for non-Aussies).

Thanks a lot, dear.

This seem a little bit slow on the blogging circuit lately. I assume it’s because of Xmas and the end of the year coming up. I sent out the last of my Xmas cards this morning and wrapped the last of the presents yesterday (minus the box that The Hubster is now telling me might not be here on time).

Which brings me to the subject of wrapping presents. I can’t.

I am the worlds worst present wrapper. I mean, I suck. I’ve been made fun of for this for a long while. At one of my old jobs, we were all good friends and exchaged presents for birthdays and graduations and stuff. Every time I gave a present, the giftee would pick it up and immediately say, “Oh, this is from Emma.”

How did they know? The present was badly wrapped.

Shirt boxes, square boxes, round things, oddly shaped items. They’re all equally badly wrapped.

Now, you think someone, (like The Hubster for example) might take pity on me and say, “Since you bought all of the presents and you so suck at wrapping, why don’t you let me do that for you?”

No such luck.

So from now on, whenever you get a poorly wrapped package, I want you to think of me!

So, the other day I was craving a good Xmas read. I happened to be in Target and I flipped through some Xmas anthologies but I was having the same reaction to all of them. Eh.

But then, I remembered! Elf Gratification by Cat Marsters came out on Friday. So, I had to wait a few days, but lucky me, I got my good Xmas read.

And to make it even better - totally HOT and SEXY.

Buy it, read for yourself.

Calascien, keeper of Santa’s reindeer, isn’t too happy to hear that his boss is about to be replaced. For one thing, he likes the old Santa. For another, the new Santa is the silliest, sexiest, most irritating young blonde he’s ever met. How’s an elf supposed to concentrate when his boss keeps dressing up like Santa’s Little Stripper?

Candy Kane isn’t particularly pleased to be abducted from her life as a Hollywood makeup artist and dumped in the middle of Nowhere, Lapland. For a start, everyone seems to be really stoned: Santa? Elves? What are they smoking? Then there’s the guy assigned to keep an eye on her: the most arrogant, annoying, deluded man there’s ever been.

But if he could just get it into his head that he’s not an elf and she’s not Santa, then she might start to find him mildly attractive. In a lunatic sort of way…

And for those of you who like your Xmas reads a little less, uh, spicy. Yesterday I re-read Nora’s The Gift, which contains the stories, “Home for Christmas” and “All I want for Christmas.” Puts me in the lovey-dovey Xmas spirit.

I have been tagged by Kendra. I have to list 15 things that pertain to me and writing/reading

1. I can’t start reading a book and go to bed without finishing it, no matter what time it is.

2. I’ve read Jane Eyre half a dozen times because each time I’ve forgotten that I’ve already read it.

3. There’s one book in the world that I absolutely despise and that’s Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

4. I didn’t read my first romance novel until my 20’s.

5. I high school, I skipped school to stay home and read Pride and Prejudice.

6. I have a first edition copy of Gone with the Wind that was my Grandmothers.

7. I’ve never read The Scarlet Letter and didn’t read Catcher In The Rye until last year and I have a degree in English Lit.

8. The thickest books on my bookshelf are Harry Potter 5 (hardback) and Anna Karenina (paperback).

9. Not counting romance novels the author I have the most books by is Louise Erdrich.

10. I write smut and I’m proud of it!

11. I write in front of the TV a lot (mostly Law&Order).

12. My laptop (where I do all my writing and read all ebooks) is my most prized possesion.

13. I’ve purchased childrens books for when I have kids *someday.*

14. For Xmas this year the only think I asked The Hubster for is money to buy e-books.

15. I’m glad this list is finished so that I can get back to writing.

I don’t really have anything to say today. That might stop some people from blogging but not me.

Actually, that’s a lie. I actually have too many thoughts running through my mind today. Most of them thinking I forgot something, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t. I get a little bit nervous when there’s nothing to put on my daily list in the morning.

***
Anyway, it kind of pseudo snowed here last night/this morning so everything was delayed. I think they were worried about everything being iced over during morning rush hour but things seem to be fine now (not that I left home to check our anything). But the University was closed this morning (to be open this afternoon) but the DH is staying home.

***
Oh, and I made a Dec 8th resolution (why bother waiting ’til the new year when I came up with it now). I’m going to try to get better responding to comments left on my blog!!

***
Speaking of blogs, I’m not sure I mentioned a new blog that I am a part of. The Torrid Temptations. Everyday you, too, can be entertained by your favorite Torrid Authors at our new blog. Plenty of eye candy gaurenteed!!

***
Aside from knitting, I’ve discovered another hobby!! Digital scrapbooking.
I use iPhoto with the books that they offer BUT rather than order their books, my plan is to print them out myself (or the hubster will print them out) and then fancy them up a bit with stickers and all that other cool “real” scrapbook stuff.
Good idea, no?

***
I suppose I’ve rambled enough know. Should probably get to writing. I’m working on a new story that I’m REALLY excited about. And I’m even more excited about the one I’ve got in the works after that. Maybe I’ll tell you about them next week…Maybe.