Friday, July 31, 2009

Vacation Awaits

My co-workers told me to take my cheery attitude to my office. I was in a great mood at work all day and they were not. I left numerous projects and tasks in half done states and gladly put my "out of office" message up on my email. I love vacation! And this one I have been looking forward to for weeks.

The cool somewhat rainy Oregon coast awaits us on Sunday. I won't even mind the 6 plus hour drive. Rest and relaxation with fun throughout is at my door. Sunday's update will definitely be late, but we will update.

Until then we have packing and picking up to do. All easy and can be done happily.

Now back to the update, enjoy!

Elisa

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Kinda Hot

We survived 104 (40C) yesterday. Let me tell you...this town isn't prepared for heat like that. After I got off work at 12, I picked up mom, Mike and the kids and we went to a movie. Mom and Cal saw G-Force and their theater was packed with kids. We saw Moon and our theater wasn't packed with kids. As a result I got a wee bit cold. I didn't complain though. It felt nice.

After the movie we came home and sat in front of the fans. Then I was a lunatic and cooked dinner. Sure I didn't cook anything in the oven but the stove top heated the kitchen up quite nicely.

E made it through the evening by hiding out in our bedroom with the portable air conditioner blasting. Thank goodness Mike's house has a basement, which has kept mom and the kids nice and cool at night. I'm not sure we could have all piled into our bedroom to take advantage of the air conditioner. My middle of the night trips to the bathroom sure would have been interesting.

Today the weather has been much more pleasant...91 (32.7C). It's amazing how much nicer it feels. We're all looking forward to Newport, Oregon where the temperatures for the week have been in the 60s (15C). We may even be a bit cold but I guarantee you we won't complain one bit.

Tamara

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

'Tis raining cats, 'tis raining dogs

'Tis pouring from the skies. 'Tis fun for fish, 'tis fun for frogs, but not for butterflies.

Oh boy is it ever raining. I mean, I like rain (not as much a E does but still...). I'm English, I'm used to rain. But this?? This is crazy. Feels more like November than July.

I've been having fun, working after work these past few weeks as a steward for Shakespeare in the Park in Northernhay Gardens. Romeo & Juliet. I work it even though it's unpaid because for every two performances you work you're entitled to a free ticket to see it. I've got a couple or three more performances to steward but I've done enough to earn my freebies. Unlike similar things in the USA it's not free. In fact it's fairly expensive considering you're not under cover at all and if it rains you get wet. They actually had to abandon Sunday's matinee halfway through the first act. It was raining too hard and the stage area was becoming dangerous. Typical. We get to go home after we're already soaked to the skin.

So tomorrow night we're trying again. Weather permitting (must find a virgin to sacrifice to the weather gods), I'll be watching the show, accompanied by my cousin & my nephew. My nephew who, in spite of being a typical, girl-crazy, boozing & clubbing going-on-twenty young man, is actually following the family tradition and being nuts about Shakey. R&J is his favourite play too.

And for the record it is a tragedy not a romance. Murder and a double suicide are not romantic just because they involve a couple of horny teens. The play is about the stupidity of family feuds and the destruction hatred causes. I always get a wtf moment when I hear people say "it's like Romeo & Juliet". All I can think is "Your relationship is about fighting & murder & suicide & losing your only child to a feud?? Wow??" It's as bad as those folk who ask for I will Always Love You or Every Breath You Take to be played at their wedding...did they listen to the words?? One's about leaving and one's about a stalker. I do like Shakey though. The man could certainly turn a phrase.

Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.


Ze

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Goldie Winners

First a quick note from me. Thank you to everybody who offered suggestions for removing the blood from my chinos. The majority of suggestions seemed to be in favour of hydrogen peroxide. From this I gather that it's a fairly common household commodity in the USA. Unfortunately not here. The first two chemist's (a chemist's shop is kind of like a combination pharmacy/drugstore I think) I tried hadn't got a clue. The third knew what it was and could order it for me but didn't stock it. Even our local BOOTS didn't stock it. It's not something we use. If we cut ourselves it's TCP liquid or Dettol we use. And then Savlon Cream or Germolene and a bit of Elastoplast (Band Aid). But thanks for trying to help. In the end I bought a blood and milk Stain Devil which did the trick.

Now, this past weekend was The GCLS con at which they presented the Goldie Awards for excellence in lesbian fiction. At the request of Mary Griggs, Director of Public Relations for GCLS we hereby present you with the list of winners.
    Traditional Contemporary Romance

    Tomahawk'd by Diane Bauden; Trails Merge by Rachel Spangler; and Without Warning by KG MacGregor

    Romantic Suspense/Intrigue/Adventure

    Hotel Liaison by JLee Meyer; Partners by Gerri Hill; and Secrets So Deep by KG MacGregor

    Historical Romance

    A Pirate's Heart by Catherine Friend and Midnight Melodies by Megan Carter (Frankie Jones)

    Paranormal Romance

    Whispering Pines by Mavis Applewater

    Mystery

    Gloria's Secret by Robin Alexander; Land of Entrapment by Andi Marquette; and The Trouble With Murder by Kate Sweeney

    Speculative Fiction

    Residual Moon by Kate Sweeney and Yesterday Once More by Karen Badger.

    Erotica

    Blue Collar Lesbian Erotica edited by Verda Foster and Pat Cronin; Thirteen Hours by Meghan O'Brien.

    Dramatic General Fiction

    Dresses and Other Catastrophes by Dani O'conner; Last Chance at the Lost and Found by Marcia Finical; and The Mortal Groove by Ellen Hart.

    Anthology (non erotic)

    Sparkling Rain by Barbara Summerhawk

    Short Story/Essay Collection

    A Little Book of Big Christmas Tales     by Anne Azel

    Debut Author

    Learning Curve by Rachel Spangler; Looking Through Windows by Caren J. Werlinger; and The Trouble with Emily Dickenson by Lyndsey D'Arcangelo

    Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award

    The Kiss That Counted by Karin Kallmaker

    The GCLS Director's Award     went to Shery Mills

    The Trailblazer Award went to Lee Lynch.


So, there you go folks. Many congrats to each of the winners.

Ze

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Ramble from phair

Greetings from the soggy Commonwealth,

It has been rain, rain, rain, and thunder storms for weeks here. We've had a day or two of sun to break up the gloom but they have been far too few. In short, the summer has been a bust on the weather front! Very little sand time has been logged by my bum. However, there is an upside to every event. Yes, the umbrella guys are doing great but I'm not doing too bad either.

My writing has been chugging along. Words are dropping on my virtual paper almost as plentiful as the rain has been falling from heaven. I've laid down 72k since the beginning of May! Oh sure, it is under the 1k a day recommendations by S. King but it is very, very close. It is an extremely exciting time for me as a writer. And, I want to share the thrills of hair pin turns with prepositions and terror of the ever dangerous out of control multiplications of 'had' in a given chapter. 'Had' is like tribbles on Star Trek. They multiple unchecked once you give them shelter.

Two weeks ago, I invited the nice folks on my mailing list updates of my writing. It was sort of 'a-day-in-the-life' event. Every hour or so I'd update with what I'd been doing since the last update. It was TMI to the extreme. The result was my most prolific writing day ever. I only counted the words set down for my stories and not the blog itself.

I want to do it all again with just a few tweaks. It will start sometime Friday night and end sometime Saturday night – 24 hourish. There will be eating, sleeping and bathroom breaks for the dog and me. It is not an endurance test. It is an interactive record. If folks send, feedback or questions I pass them along (keep it clean- I'm the sole monitor of good taste for this project). I will only blog for the folks who want to hear/read it. So, if you want in then email me your addie at p.phair@comcast.net.

I don't know if it will be fun or even interesting but it is different…I think...anyway, let me know if you want in…
best
phair


First up, phair my apologies as I have no idea how we got your summer! I would love to give it back. Secondly glad to hear the writing is doing so well and keep enjoying it! Now to all you readers, let phair know if you want to watch along. Follow an author through the process and let her know your thoughts along the way.

Back to your updates enjoy and enjoy your week!

Elisa

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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Ramble from Marilee

Marilee sent another ramble. Yippee!
Hi,

You know, I find it entertaining that my brother finds yard work displeasing. He hates the bending down, pulling weeds and well....just plain getting his hands dirty.

I don't mind yard work as long as it isn't too hot (asthmatic), if I can get the lawn mower to run and the trimmer won't have to be stopped every few feet because the line has broken off...so that by the time I have stopped for the '85th time', I am ready to beat the living s--- out of the.... oh, well.....um.....so, I don't mind getting dirty.

If it sounds like an 'old butch (with a short fuse) VS an old (picky) queen'.... that is pretty much what we have here.

Getting up and down the steps in the front and the back is hard for me. I have gained weight, my knees are pretty much 'shot' from too many years playing catcher, working foundry and doing heavy lifting with factory jobs. So, I try to make my trips up and down the steps as few as possible.

The trimmer is electric and while I have enough heavy duty cord to go 1/2 way around the house, I still have to unplug the thing from my side and go over to my brothers side the other 1/2. This makes 4 to 6 trips up and down the steps. That also includes the hauling out of the tools I am going to be working with, the putting back, the raking of grass, bagging and a trip to the dump.

My brother is a nice fellow and will always say 'I will help you when I get back'. Some of the time...he will....but more often than not, I go ahead and do it on my own to get the job finished. Of course, I will hear 'you should have waited for me' as soon as he comes home. Oh...right...like that is going to happen anytime soon.

I am home at 1 pm. He gets in at 4. Where I come in, change and get busy, he will change clothes and head to the gym. After which he will go eat with our sister and her family (he has yet to get his own stove or refridge...why should he? I am next door or he will have meals, do laundry and eat with our sister), then take his shower....play on the computer, stop on his way home for ice tea at the drive thru and come home. He will pick up my remote and change the TV from whatever program I am watching to the ESPN channels... ' I will only stay a minute. I am really tired....just want to check the scores'. By then it is after 8:30 pm and the sun is almost gone.

Tell me, please....where he has the time to help me?

Now, today is different.....

He has a futon he is going to give away to a friend of his at work. Rather than let this person see the yard with a few strands of grass growing up beside the hedge and around our front steps (not a lot of strands mind you...maybe 4 or 5 and the height of ....oh....5 or 6 inches....), he has been out for almost an hour pulling weeds and anything else that he may see.

It is ok with me....first time he has done any yard work in months....but... keep in mind...it is because HE has someone coming for all of 15 minutes to haul a piece of furniture.

Every 2 weeks I hose down the front porch....he did it, for the first time, this morning.

I did go to my door and watch as he worked from the pulling of the weeds, maybe what would have been a 2 minute job, to pulling up crab grass....and we have a lot of that in the yard (the lawn mower is not adjustable. So even after I have cut grass, so me spots just look like I haven't touched it....not true, can't get the mower low enough to cut it). He has been out there for about 45 minutes.

Grant you, the area closer to the steps looks neater. I have to give my brother credit, he did a good job....though for the next day or two I am going to hear how much his back hurts, how his hands are stained and can't wash all the grass color off.....

Living here, next to one another....we tend to take advantage of one another's strengths.....he gets the yard done, trash taken out, help to move furniture, painting....these things I do for the both of us.

So, as soon as I have need to know what length I have to make my curtains (I DO NOT HAVE CURTAINS...I have shades) and what colors will look nice with my rugs and bedding because they have to match the color of the walls in my bed room...oh, I will call on him......

Do you honestly believe that is going to happen any time soon?

I don't think so.

Have a good week,
Marilee


Please take a minute to thank Marilee for rambling. I love it when readers of this site send us words and I bet a fair number of you do too.

Tamara
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Saturday, July 25, 2009

Seattlelite

I am one, hence feeling grumpy about the heat. Over 80 degrees F is wrong and sadly we'll be 10 to 15 degrees hotter than that over the next 5 days. Yeah, for many of you that makes me wimpy, but this wimpy person hates the heat and the heat hates me.

I live in a city that averages 75F for July and August, I want those averages back.

Now past my rambling you have more to read, enjoy and give feedback!

Elisa

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Oregon Bound

The kids come home tomorrow and I'm pleased to say I have a ton of stuff for Goodwill. Tomorrow I'll have Mike drop it off while I get the beds ready for mom and the kids.

I've got one more week of summer school left. Then we're off to the Oregon coast for a week. I've been going back and forth on this vacation but since the house doesn't look like it's going to sell within the next few weeks I made the leap to the go on vacation side. E was very happy. We've got the money saved and by the time the house does sell I should have more saved toward a new appliance or two. We may as well have some fun. Next summer may find us vacationing at home.

Tamara

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Another Guest Ramble

It's splendid that folks are taking us up on sharing their words and worlds. Tonight we welcome guest rambler Marilee. Take it away!
Hi,
I am sitting here reading...doing anything...that will keep me from what I need to be doing........Cleaning.

I don't mind cleaning, but right now, I just feel a bit over whelmed.

I have a 4 room apartment. Well, that is what I pay for. What I live in are the last two rooms.

This started out last winter, as a way to save on my heat bill. I closed off the first two rooms and only had to heat the kitchen, bedroom, hallway and bath. It worked out pretty well, I only had to have the gas tank refilled once. I was pretty happy....a bit 'stir crazy', but happy that I didn't need to pay an extra $300.00+ before winter was over with.

My apartment is an older home that was converted into a duplex. I have window A/C units and since the sun, from the time it shows itself until the time it goes down, hits my side....the window units were costing me an arm and a leg. The money I saved over the winter was being zapped for my power. So, I decided to just keep the front two rooms closed off. It was a good decision, my power bill dropped by almost $90.00. It has been very nice to have extra money at the start of each month to pay bills with/off.

Because the apartment is small anyway and I cut my 'free space' in half, I have stuff alllllllllll over the last two rooms. I have been 'content' being cluttered....not dirty, but man, I have books, papers, etc., in neat piles everywhere.

I would have been happy to keep the front closed off again in the fall and winter coming up....but, I have a friend coming to visit in 48 hours. My friend I haven't seen since we were in high school....almost....(GULP)...40 years ago. Because I want to make a decent impression, I have to clean.....TONIGHT!

I am suppose to go visit with another friend and her momma in the morning. My friend has cancer and her momma is in from Pittsburgh for a visit. My role tomorrow will be to take her momma out to shop, for lunch and give her a chance to 'vent'. Her momma has been kept in the dark about my friend's TRUE condition.....so I am to be 'sounding board'.

I love my friend and I love her momma, but I am sort of at a loss this visit. My friend won't talk about her cancer. So I have no idea what I am about to walk into. Her momma is going to have questions and I won't be much help because I can't answer them.

The next 48 hours will be interesting.

Oh...well....I may as well get up and start doing some of the small stuff around here. If I get up when I wake up, usually around, 4, I should be able to get the laundry done, the kitchen and bathroom floors mopped and my shower before I head out. I feel worn out already...... :)

Hope you all have a great week.

Marilee


Hope that cleaning got done! Good Luck with your friend and her mom. And again...Thanks for Sharing! Now for the rest of you, feel like rambling? Let us know.

Back to your update!

Elisa

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

More on the moon

Not from me - guest ramble in response to mine of yesterday.

    July, 20th 1969: All I can say is that the frenzy about the moon landing didn't make it into my day care / Kindergarten class, then. But I also can't remember there being as much of a fuss about it for the twentieth or the thirtieth anniversary. So, why? Anniversary wise 2019 would have been the better choice.

    Two days ago one of our TV stations sent a special about the first moon mission, between 1 and 5 am. I had some work to finish and the TV was running in the background to keep me from falling asleep. But then the 'live documentary' started, and despite the annoying commentary and the inadequate translations I was mesmerised from the start. (Of course no more work was done that night and I'm still trying to catch up.)

    Was it real or not? With all the botched up missions NASA has had ever since the last of the moon missions it's no wonder that people start to doubt. Sending people to the moon is easier, I think, than keeping them in a stable orbit. Still, I hope that I'll get old enough to see the first human being, preferably someone from an international team, set their foot on Mars. And I hope that then I'll be able to pay more attention than I did during the landing of Apollo 11. I was too young then, so, I'll hope that I will not be too senile in the future.

    Your post got me wonder about the recollections of others about the Apollo mission, and though I know that my ramblings do not really count as such, I still would like to hear more, and it does not have to be about the real event but also about one anniversary or the other, and I don't even want to start thinking about the possibilities of fanfiction in that regard.

    Sabine (aka romansilence)


In response to what Sabine said about her rambles not counting and for all those of you out there who think that your ramble won't count, or the things you do in life aren't as special as someone else, this is something a friend of mine once told me. She knew a chap who worked as a janitor. He spent his life sweeping and mopping floors in corridors and toilets. These corridors were in the buildings used by the scientists at NASA. When asked what he did for a living he would answer "I helped to put a man on the moon." Think about it. And think of yourself in the same way he did.

Goodnight and may your God/s go with you

Ze

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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Eagle Has Landed

Forty Years ago I heard those words for the first time. Forty years. My God. I think that's probably the last happy memory I have of my childhood. Six months later it all went pear-shaped. But at that moment, on that day, life was good.

I sat in complete awe, overwhelmed by the sense of wonder, as I watched a human being step onto another world for the very first time. I still have that sense of wonder. I never lost it. I never became indifferent, as so many did, to the subsequent landings. I watched whatever coverage I could (there wasn't as much and it was never live) of all of them. I've followed it all over again this past month, checking day-by-day in much the same way I did back then. And a couple of days ago as I watched video of that first step I got just as much of a lump in my throat as I did back the first time.

Oh I know the conspiracy theorists say it didn't happen (Lord, don't you Americans love your conspiracies *g*) but they really aren't thinking straight. One person can keep a secret. Two people even. But there were six landings - six - 12 people stood on the moon. Close to half a million people worked on, assisted with or were otherwise involved in, the Apollo programme. Half a million people cannot keep a secret for forty years. Face it guys. It happened. And it was magic!!

Twelve people walked on another world and gazed down on this one. I would give my eye teeth to have been number thirteen.

Ze

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Procrastination

I can't put it off any longer. I've got one week before the kids come back and I've got to get through some of the toys in the garage sorted and shipped off to Goodwill. I was good and worked in the garage a bit today. I'll do the same the rest of the week.

My intention to get in there this weekend just never panned out. It was entirely my fault of course. I didn't really want to work in the garage. I wanted to enjoy my last weekend before the kids get back and I did by golly. But no more messing around. Time to get busy and thin the garage bins. Ick.

Tamara

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Sunday, July 19, 2009

End of the Weekend

One hopes you got a chance to read a bit yesterday. If not, the list will stay so come back again and again to catch up. Don't forget about feedback. Take the time as the authors will totally appreciate it!

One other quick announcement tonight, this one from the fine folks that put out ReadTheseLips.com.
To celebrate the launch of RTL on Facebook, we're giving away an e-book of Year's Best Lesbian Fiction 2008.

To win a copy, we're looking for a name for our baby kitty (to see pics of him, go to readtheselips.wordpress.com).

Send in your suggestions (one entry per person) to info@readtheselips.com by midnight 2 August, to be in the running. The winner will be notified by email.

Evecho


There you have it, time is running, go check out the kitty and throw them some names!

Now back to the update, enjoy 'em.

Elisa

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Saturday, July 18, 2009

Holy $!*& ...get busy and read!

Wow. If you'd forgotten it was the International Day of Femslash, this will be a good reminder. Get to reading.

Tamara

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