My life in photos - at least the last few days.

I've been introduced to the world of Zentangles. It's the perfect form of fine art for a non-draw-er like me. Just fitting patterns into fun and sometimes intricate designs.

Washi Tape makes everything more fun! And I never said I was actually GOOD at it.

My swimming pool and backyard have become the new (hopefully temporary) home of a couple feathered friends. I call them Mr. & Mrs. Mallard. They might even be the same pair that visited me last year, but since I'm no ornithologist I'll just say they are. They woke me up Sunday with all their splashing around. It was pretty cute.

I went to my first Author Signing Event on Saturday. It was in San Francsico. It was pouring. We rode the Cable Cars anyway. I got soaked but I also go to meet the lovely Kahea of Girl Hearts Books. So you, know I pretty much had a wonderful time! Unfortunately I hadn't read most of the authors at the event but I'm glad I went.

Did I mention it was raining? Lovely.

Lastly, though no photographic evidence, oh wait screen shots will do (I love technology!) I've started getting up in the pre-dawn hours to work out. My workout partner and I had to make the switch as we were blowing off too many evening workouts in favor of Happy Hour... You don't know of any Happy Hours at 5 am do you? Only kidding, kind of. As of this morning I think I may be on the precipice of actually enjoying the exercise. Who am I?

Revival!

In the days of yore, or you know, before I took up blogging. I was nothing more than a lowly office drone. I would sit at my desk for hours and hours, my brain rotting from lack of use and try and think up ways to keep the synapses firing. I tried Scrabble online, many word games, I even joined a few Yahoo! groups for fiction writers and spent hours trolling the message boards. It was human(vie the internet) contact that I desperately needed.

I had graduated college the year before and all of my friends were literally hours away. I wasn't really meeting new people that I actually liked. I was sad and lonely. One day I was fooling around on the computer and I came across a program that helped me design and write a newsletter. I called it Heads Up! a play on my last name and I actually produced three (maybe four) issues. I would write them, print them on some fun colored paper and MAIL them (US Postal Service Style) to the few select friends I knew would get a kick out of my own brand of silly and informative.

Guess what?

I;m doing it again. This time it is an email version. If you want to join the mailing list send me an email to tobie at lollygaggles dot com* with "Sign me up" in the subject line.

You won't be disappointed.

*I spelled it out that way to avoid spammers. Just type it like you would a regular email address.

NaNoWriMo - Hopeful

I signed up.

I have only done it once before, a long, long time ago. Probably when it was still a toddler. I didn't win then, and to be honest, my work ethic these days leaves me doubting I'll win this year.

Whatever.  I'm going to give it a go. Maybe it's just what I need to get myself writing again? I'd meant to spend last week outlining and getting ready to dive in today, but, uh, haha... Didn't happen. What did happen was I spent a crazy weekend hanging out with some truly fun people. Also my niece was born!

Addison Ann, 7lbs 4 oz., 19 1/2" long. We've all been forbidden to share pictures until my brother and his wife have so I'll pop one in soon.

Want to hear a funny story?

I have an old WIP that was my original Master's Thesis novel and the main character was named Addison. This was about seven or eight years ago, before Grey's Anatomy and LONG before the newest addition to our family. In fact, I think my sister-in-law was still in high school then. Weird, but totally awesome!

OK wish me luck on the NaNo!

Indie Ink Writing Challenge - The Surprise

It’s my first week participating in the Indie Ink Writing Challenge and crap was I challenged! Good thing fiction is allowed because I’m not one for talking about S E X, let alone writing about it for the whole world and my mother to read.  Thanks Rachel for the prompt!

she turned to him after their lovemaking, and said, "I'm not sure how to tell you this. It happened so long ago..."

“Wha-?” he mumbled with a yawn. It was late and he had to be up in a few hours.

“You need to listen to me,” she insisted. “Things are going to change for you and if you aren’t prepared you might not survive.”

He was wide awake now. “What the hell are you talking about?”

She sat up, pulling the sheet to her chest and turning slightly away so as not to have to look at him. “When I got here ten years ago I had one objective: find a mate.”

Aw crap. He thought. Just because we had sex she thinks we’ll get married and have babies. Why do chicks do that? “Listen, Marie, I like you. A lot. But don’t you think you’re jumping the gun a little? We’ve only gone out a few times…”

“No Henry, you need to listen. I’ll be gone soon and won’t be able to help you with what is going to happen,” she turned to face him, her bright yellow eyes were sad.

 Yellow eyes? How had he not noticed before? Now he was getting freaked out.

“Maybe I should go and we can talk about this tomorrow… after we’ve gotten some rest,” he said swinging his feet off the bed and looking around the room for his pants.

She grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly strong grip, “I don’t have much time. I’ll be called back in a few minutes.”

“Called where?”

“Home, they will know I’ve completed my mission and bring me back as soon as they can.”

“You are home,” he gestured around the room. A silver box on top of the dresser began to glow with a clear blue light and emit a soft melody. “What is that?”

“I’ve written down everything I could think of to help you through the next few weeks,” she said handing him a small composition book she’d pulled out of the bedside drawer.  The light from the box was getting brighter and the melody faster. Marie stood up and walked toward the sound.  She extended her hand to the box and turned to look at him, “You are going to have my baby, thank you.”