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Wednesday, May 14th, 2008
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2:18 pm - Meme
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I've been tagged by ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) selimsa803 for this meme:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer. What were you doing ten years ago?
Living in Orangeville. Working part-time at a crappy but socially fulfilling job at Hockley Valley Resort. Like Melissa, I was also changing diapers.
What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
1. Stress about the massive, dead Poplar in my backyard.
2. Go to the grocery store to pick up dishwasher tabs.
3. Run dishwasher
4. Clean the upstairs bathroom
5. Take out the vacuum. Look at it. Probably use it. What are some snacks you enjoy?
Potato chips--dill pickle, salt and vinegar, roast chicken
Doritos
Popcorn
Chocolate-covered popcorn
Almonds
Cookies What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Travel to Italy, Australia, and the UK
Get in amazing shape
Buy the RV of my dreams to tour Canada and the US (dream big, redneck, dream big!)
Buy a waterfront cottage in Kincardine
Rescue lots of kittens and puppies
Adopt two or three kids
Move to my dream home in the country What are three of your bad habits?
Interrupting people when I'm excited
I love a good glass of wine or three
Watching way too much TV
What are five places where you have lived?
Kincardine, ON
Sarnia, ON
Toronto, ON
Orangeville, ON
London, ON What are five jobs you have had?
Maid at a hotel
Housekeeping assistant at a women's shelter
Maid at a resort
Worked nights doing laundry and cleaning common areas at a resort (seeing a pattern here?)
Writer What six people do you want to tag?
I'll tag four...
faerie_writer
aprilhenry
haworth_attard
janetgurtler
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| Monday, May 12th, 2008
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9:13 am - Mother's Day
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Conversation between me and oldest daughter yesterday:
Me: This is the nicest Mother's Day ever.
Her: Why?
Me: Well, Dad and B. got me pretty pink tulips, then Dad got me a pretty pink drink while I watched Little People, Big World, and Dad's going to make my favorite dinner.
Her: ...
Me: That's all a mom needs to be happy.
Her: So... all moms want is flowers, booze, and dinner?
Me: Yup. That sounds about right.
The whole day was relaxing and wonderful. Suspiciously so. Until they announced the winner of Survivor. That, I didn't enjoy.
LJ moms, I hope your Mother's Day was as close to a day off as it could get!
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| Friday, April 25th, 2008
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8:42 am - Bogged down
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Last night, daughter #2 and I went out to look for a grad dress (an ARGH-post unto itself). And while I was out, my husband thought it would be hilarious to answer the phone with, "City Morgue. You stab em, we slab em." He thought the caller was a friend of daughter #1. It was her high school math teacher.
Is anybody else finding it difficult to squeeze writing time into their lives right now? This time of year brings on such an onslaught of yard work, added on to all the housework, and exercise-time, and the demands of kids and pets. I'm feeling very crunched for time, like if I slow down for even a few minutes everything will go to hell in a hand-basket. Subsequently, I've shoved writing to the bottom of my priority list, and I feel guilty about it. Do I really have less time, or am I avoiding writing because it's the hardest thing on my to-do list? It takes far more mental effort to move a plot forward than it does to rake a yard or mop a floor.
It's raining this morning, so I'm going to open my manuscript and see what happens. Fingers crossed that I don't go clean out the fridge...
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| Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
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2:19 pm - The women of the SOE
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There's an interesting article in The New York Times today, about Pearl (Witherington) Cornioley, who passed away last month at the age of 93. During WWII, she parachuted into Nazi-occupied France to act as a courier between the Allies and the French Resistance, and she was the only women to become an S.O.E. network leader. The characters in my spy novel are based on Pearl and other female agents like her. They were exceedingly courageous and fascinating women.
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(7 comments | comment on this)
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| Saturday, October 27th, 2007
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1:17 pm
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Your Score: Myrna LoyYou scored 19% grit, 28% wit, 33% flair, and 33% class!You are class itself, the calm, confident "perfect woman." Men turn and look at you admiringly as you walk down the street, and even your rivals have a grudging respect for you. You always know the right thing to say, do and, of course, wear. You can take charge of a situation when things get out of hand, and you're a great help to your partner even if they don't immediately see or know it. You are one classy dame. Your screen partners include William Powell and Cary Grant, you little simmerpot, you.
Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the Classic Leading Man Test. |
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| Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
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10:18 am - Books!
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I love when a big box of books arrives at my door. In today's box:
Mistik Lake, by Martha Brooks.
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
*and*
Lessons from a Dead Girl, by Jo Knowles/jbknowles :)
I mailed off the latest revision of my spy novel, Violins of Autumn, last week, and I can't think of a better way to spend my break than by reading these books!
current mood:  I get to read again!
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| Monday, July 9th, 2007
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11:35 pm - How did they know?!
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I've joked for years that I have Hobbit feet...
You're The Hobbit!
by J.R.R. Tolkien
All you wanted was a nice cup of tea when some haggard crazy old man
came into your life and told you it was time to do something with yourself. Now you're
all conflicted about whether to stick with your stay-at-home lifestyle or follow this
crazy person into the wild. While you're very short and a little furry, you seem to be
surrounded by an even greater quantity of short folks lately. Try not to lose your ring,
but keep its value in perspective!
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
current mood:  tired
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Friday, June 8th, 2007
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10:10 am - 5 Things for Friday, cause 10's too many
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1. My husband got me a beautiful bike for my birthday. Yesterday, I rode for two hours, downtown to say hello to him at work and then home again. I can't believe I'm posting a camera-held-at-arm's-length photo, in which I'm wearing no makeup (unheard of! this is a one time only thing!).
 Here's me in all my nerdy, bike loving glory:
The site of the 1881 ferry disaster on the Thames river--even though the river was relatively shallow, 182 people died: 
 Approaching the bike path tunnel, which is longer and scarier than it looks, I swear!
2. My daughter and I FINALLY found a dress for her Grade 8 Grad ceremony. I love it, except I really do hate how grown-up she looks in it.
3. I'm reading Kathleen O'Dell's new YA, BAD TICKETS. It's so good!
4. My deadline for my spy novel revision is June 15th. One week from today. The pressure is on. Bring on the wine, coffee, and Diet Pepsi!
5. I ordered an extremely hard to find research book about a month ago, and it still hasn't arrived, even though I paid extra for faster shipping. And, I need it to complete my revision.
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| Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007
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7:45 am - A few things
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First: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the wonderful Debbi Michiko Florence/d_michiko_f!!
Second: My son had to build a house for a French project, to display fire safety words they'd learned. He's been working away on this house for weeks, and somehow none of us took into account that a five-story Lego mansion, complete with front and back yards and a garage might not be very PORTABLE! This became crystal clear to us this morning, fifteen minutes before we had to leave for school. (edited to add: But we did manage to get it to school, with the help of a huge box, some tape, and an older sister!)
Third: We had company over for the Victoria Day long weekend. The weather finally cooperated on the final day of their visit, so we took the nephew to Storybook Gardens for the afternoon. Here are E. and B. hanging out with the Cheshire Cat.
Fourth: I've had no desire to work on my spy novel revision for weeks, but today I suddenly feel gung-ho to throw myself back into it.
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| Thursday, May 17th, 2007
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1:06 pm - Italian cover of Over and Over You
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When Over and Over You is published in Italy on June 29th, it will be called Tu, tu e ancora tu. Here's preview of the cover:
I really like it, but I wish I could clearly see the object dangling below the title. My husband, who likes this cover better than the original, thinks it's a bleeding heart. I can't wait to get a better look!
current mood:  happy
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| Friday, March 23rd, 2007
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9:54 am
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I love that jbknowles's Friday 10 list is becoming a weekly thing!
1. I'm learning to get out of bed when I wake up early, rather than force myself to fall back to sleep. This morning my husband was fairly surprised to see me stumble downstairs at 6:45. Not normal for me!
2. Gave the dog a bath and a haircut. This is not such an easy task when your dog weighs 100 pounds.
3. Mopped muddy kitchen floor. (Ties in with #2)
4. The cat sat on the bathroom countertop and watched the dog get her bath. Again.
5. Today is report card day. My son got up early, beaming about report card day, as if it were Christmas morning. My eighth-grader did not exactly share in his enthusiasm.
6. Now that the snow is gone, I can see how much work I have to do in the backyard. Blech.
7. My spring flowers are coming up in the front gardens.
8. I finally have a cell phone, and I love it. Sometimes I call people when I'm out, for no particular reason other than to use my phone.
9. I have last night's Grey's Anatomy on the DVR. It is killing me that I haven't watched it.
10. Aquafina Citrus Blend water is delicious!
current mood:  awake
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(6 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, March 21st, 2007
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4:07 pm - Taking a break from folding laundry
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What does your drawing say about YOU?
The results of your analysis say:
You tend to pursue many different activities simultaneously. When misfortune does happen, it doesn't actually dishearten you all that much.
You are a thoughtful and cautious person. You like to think about your method, seeking to pursue your goal in the most effective way.
You like following the rules and being objective. You are precise and meticulous, and like to evaluate decisions before making them.
You have a sunny, cheerful disposition.
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
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11:55 am - The cursed lure of memes!
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Amy needs some helping drinking apparently (nah, I think I do okay on my own)
Amy Needs a Crash Pad (preferably in a foreign country... oceanside... airfare, drinks, meals included)
Amy needs sleep (oh yeah? says wh zzzzzzz)
Amy needs to describe her ideas and research plan concisely and clearly. (Bingo! Did my agent write this??)
Amy needs the cooperation of the taxidermists (trust me, you do not want to venture into my 'secret room')
current mood:  revising, I swear!
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, March 12th, 2007
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1:20 pm
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| The Part of You That No One Sees | 
You are compassionate, caring, and soothing.
You like other people to depend on you...
In fact, you don't feel right unless you are helping someone out.
Underneath it all, you feel the burden of everyone's problems.
Without your guidance, you fear that many people's worlds would fall apart.
You like to feel in charge, even if it brings you a lot of stress. |
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| Friday, March 2nd, 2007
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10:05 am - 10 Things on Friday
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From the blog of Jo/jbknowles. Ten Things on a Friday List:
1. Lizzie's best buddy, my middle daughter, is home sick today. Lizzie approves.
2. Older daughter is getting her own room. This morning, I picked up the paint--a beautiful light teal colour called, Quiet Moment. Quiet Moment. How ironic. But maybe since the girls are splitting up, my life will have a few more quiet moments. (I do what I can to delude myself).
3. I have to rent a DVD for tonight. My choices are Marie Antoinette, Flushed Away, Shut up and Sing, For Your Consideration, Half Nelson, and Stranger than Fiction. I can't decide. Help!
4. I'm stuffed up with a cold. I feel crappy. My back teeth hurt. Wah.
5. It's RRROLL UP THE RIM time at Tim Horton's again. I just rolled up the rim of my cappuccino cup and didn't win so much as a cookie. So begins my yearly losing streak.
6. The freezing rain has let up, but it's still incredibly icy outside. I have visions of looking out the window and seeing my van skate off down the driveway on its own.
7. I got out of bed an hour earlier than normal to snap up a great campsite for a camping trip that's five months away. Reserving the most sought-after campsites at a Provincial Park is a sport.
8. I can't wait to see my 19 month old nephew tomorrow.
9. The Amaryllis on my desk bloomed during the night. It's so pretty.
10. It's time to paint!
What's on your 10 Things for Friday list?
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| Tuesday, February 20th, 2007
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1:12 pm - Boo! Hiss!
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OK. To this point I have stayed out of the scrotum debacle, because scrotum is a medical term, it's part of the male body, and for cryin' out loud, why the hell is the whole thing getting blown so wildly out of proportion?
BUT. The issue has now moved on to The View! Elizabeth Hasselbeck (or the Hasselbot, as Entertainment Weekly calls her) not only takes a magic marker to her daughter's books to remove things she doesn't approve of, she actually RIPS PAGES from books to make them more acceptable. The nerve! The! Nerve!
I'm a pretty even-keeled person most of the time, but this woman routinely sends me straight over the edge.
current mood:  livid
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| Tuesday, February 6th, 2007
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11:24 am - Kitties that work
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I loved Barb/haworth_attard's picture of her cat, Hubie, "writing" at her computer, so I thought I'd post a photo of Lizzie, helping me revise my spy novel, during the Christmas holidays. Can you tell I was in Deadline Freakout Mode? In the right-hand corner, you'll notice two coffee mugs, a Diet Pepsi, and a glass of wine. Oy.
After Christmas, my husband bought me a beautiful new desk, so I wouldn't have to work at the dining room table anymore. However, Lizzie claimed that, too.
She'd better not be expecting a portion of my earnings.
current mood:  cold
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(21 comments | comment on this)
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| Sunday, February 4th, 2007
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10:14 am - Five things you don't know about me
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I got tagged by gypsyrobin and selimsa803 for this meme, so I'd better get crackin'!
1. I read magazines back to front, until I get to an interesting article. At the end of the article, I start to flip back to front again.
2.. I'm terrified of ventriloquist dummies. When I was four, a friend brought out their dummy (who owns these things for real?), and she backed me down an upstairs hallway with it. When I reached the steep wooden staircase, I kept backing up and rolled all the way to the bottom.
3. I love horror movies. But I watch a large chunk of the movie from behind my hands. I don't know how watching through my fingers makes the movie palatable, but it does. Hands over face--it's the only way I can get through scary movies.
4. When I go into the darkened bathroom at night to get a drink, I can't help but think the name 'Candyman' when I'm in front of the mirror. Then I have to race back to bed in fear. Thank you, Clive Barker...
5. I've never been the kind of person to make waves, but when I went away to college I asked the owner of my basement apartment to kick out my roommate. For absolutely no good reason. I just strongly felt that she wasn't the right person. And strangely, the landlord did ask her to leave! A new girl moved in, and a couple weeks later she introduced me to one of her male friends at a bar. I looked at him and thought, "Hey, that's the guy I'm supposed to marry..." In April, we'll celebrate our 14th anniversary.
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| Thursday, December 7th, 2006
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2:45 pm
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 Someone thinks the tree is their very own toy-filled playhouse.
I haven't blogged in over a month. Where did that month go? Time doesn't just fly when you're having fun, sometimes it also flies when you're insanely busy and not having all that much fun.
I don't know what possessed me to book every single required appointment for my kids and pets (and me--to get contact lenses!), in the few weeks leading up to the holidays. What was I thinking? And for the first time, I'm able to go to my husband's company Christmas party this year, though I'm nervous, because I've never really met his co-workers. The party's on Saturday. A fancy dinner party (ooooh!) at a Winery (aaaah!)! If anybody knows of some magical way to drop ten pounds in two days, please let me know--I can't stand shopping for clothes, so I intend to stuff myself into the one pair of black dress pants I own. My son's birthday is only days away, too. I'm not sure how many rambunctious ten-year-olds can co-exist at a party without chaos breaking out. I'm leaning toward four, maybe five. And my 8th-grader is touring the local high school tomorrow, and bringing home the registration package, which I will need to fill out by early February. That's just about sending me into a panic attack. Do I really *wheeze* think I'm ready *gasp* to parent a high-schooler? Somebody grab me a paper bag!
current mood: working away on my revision!
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| Wednesday, November 1st, 2006
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1:40 pm
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I got this quiz from pegkerr's journal.
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot. | | The West | | | The Midland | | | Boston | | | The Inland North | | | Philadelphia | | | The South | | | The Northeast | | | What American accent do you have? |
I thought this was funny: "outsiders usually mistake you for a Canadian a lot." Uh, yeah... haha
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