Monday, February 08, 2010

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Sitting in the Corner, Writing a Poem by Candlelight



I've been thinking about personalities and personality conflicts of late.

Excuse me for a moment.

(Stop it...I'm not talking bout you, and you know who you are!)

Back to regularly scheduled comments.

I'm prone to melancholy, especially when I've had a run in with either a super melancholy, which leaves me wadded up in a corner like a much used bath towel, or a choleric which makes me feel a little like a pin cushion.

Let me give an overview of the four temperaments (Based on disgusting body fluids, mind you.) (Gag. Blood, biles and phlegm, should you want to know this information.)

Sanguine is the life is a party type.

Phlegmatic is the grown up first cousin to Sanguine. Has a lot of the even tempered sweetness but is a little more dependable and able to get right to the point when needed and the job done.

Choleric, well, these are your Type A classic first-borns, my way or the highway kind of people.

Then the melancholy's, those who wrestle with their thoughts, and others thoughts and sometimes spout something grand, but often are seen wearing black, brooding in the corner and writing poetry by the light of a candle. (I can poke fun since my bad days are spent here. and because it's my blog. ) : )

So. Think about this. I'll be back with more tomorrow. Not through running the thoughts through my Melancholic brain, or was it that I just saw something that looked like it might be more fun?

Friday, February 05, 2010

Super Cinema Saturday ~ Whip It




My Review:

Teen drama and quirk lovers, this one's for you.

Bliss (Ellen Page) lives in dead-end Texas working at the local, home-of-the-Squealer BBQ joint. Her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) knows her daughters tickets out of town include beauty and brains and she promotes this via beauty pageants. Bliss hates this endless parade while her younger sister grabs hold of it. (Begin teen drama.) One day Bliss discovers the big, wild world of Roller Derby and embraces the idea that she can be her own hero. So, she grasps her new dream. (Intensification of teen drama.) Bliss becomes Babe Ruthless, finds her special niche, adds new life to the "We're Number 2!" Hurl Scouts -- slackers of the Roller Derby world, and meets her nemesis on wheels. Bliss embraces the one thing that makes her feel alive, meets the guy of her dreams and then discovers that the big beauty pageant is on the same day as the final Roller Derby face off. (Explosion of teen drama begins here.)

The drama is predictable but the characters are fun and the sports anti-hero concept is fresh. The Roller Derby action keeps the film speeding over film obstacles. My favorite parts of the film all included coach Razor (Andrew Wilson) and his hilarious, dry delivery. Pure entertainment with some laughs and a few feel good, awww moments.

Notes for parents. Teen drinking is an issue, however, there are consequences. One sexual conversation is especially verbally graphic in a scene where Bliss helps gross out her friend so she vomits.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Girl Talk


My male boss sent this e-mail forward to me today. I laughed out loud. Then I found him. He was standing in the lunch room. I said, "Thank you!" He glanced at me, smirked, looked down at the floor then nodded. I said. "Hmmm, reread number 7."


NINE PHRASES WOMEN USE


(1) Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.


(3)Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.


(4) Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh : This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.


(7) Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' , that will bring on a 'whatever')


(8) Whatever : Is a woman's way of saying GO TO H**L!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Kickin My Own Behind-Literally


I have completed 1/3 of a goal. Yay. 23 and I decided to do Jillian Michael's Shred DVD every day for 1 month. Today was day 10.

I have got to tell you, though, my muscles hate me.

Not dislike, not feel crabby at, not annoyed with...they hate me. But it's good for them. They are getting stretched and snapped and squeezed and one day they will thank me.

I'm not going to step on the scale til the end. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the workout is actually taking something off in parts that I wouldn't mind being less than...if ya know what I mean.

And I'm running into a muscle here and there that actually feels rock hard. And I think I don't mind sweating.

Hmmmm.

I think I need to move on to the next level.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Lily and Lola Get Schooled



Smack down.

135 lbs of doggie attitude vs. 8 lbs of pure unadulterated cat rage. No contest.

Freckles the cat hid the first two years after the black trio invaded the house.

Methinks she was horrified that not only did we bring two dogs in, but a feisty black kitten as well.

She became like a ghost cat. We'd maybe catch a glimpse or hear the pitter-patter of her little kitty paws, then we'd turn and there would be nothing there at all. She'd come out for affection when she couldn't stand her self-imposed isolation one more second. But usually, it was only when the dogs were on the lower level of the house.

But one day it changed. She must have had one of those "I'm mad as heck and not going to take it anymore moments." Because, all of a sudden, a hissing, spitting, yeouwling hair ball shot out from underneath a bed and she schooled those girls but good.

Now. The girls give her WIDE berth and mucho space and seem to always be checking over their shoulders, wondering if the scary kitty might be hiding, just waiting for a misstep.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Serials and Scenarios ~ Beguiled



This week, the




Christian Fiction Blog Alliance




is introducing




Beguiled


by


Deeanne Gist


and
J. Mark Bertrand






ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.


J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.




ABOUT THE BOOK



In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her... Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.



Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?



If you'd like to read the first chapter of , go HERE





Check out their video:





My Review:

Two authors with very different voices and genres have combined their skills and created a nearly seamless read that kept reminding me of the movie version of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Characters crafted in the style of classic detective stories fill in the background and intensify the plot as we enter the life of Rylee. Rylee, a beautiful onetime would-be grand lady of Charleston now lives in a rat-trap of an apartment and walks dogs to pay for a luxurious nursing home for her only living relative, her grandmother.

Rylee's parents left her with few resources and in need of help from her father's former law partner. An "older brother," the partner's playboy son, begins to turn his attention toward the all grown-up Rylee in a whole new way, think the movie Sabrina. Meanwhile items, strange items, begin to disappear from Rylee's clients. The Robin Hood thief takes one less valuable treasure, ignoring many worth thousands more, then he donates it to a charity. Soon, circumstantial evidence makes Rylee a suspect.

Reporter Logan Woods is writing about the notorious Robin Hood thief. But Robin Hood is only one of the colorful criminals throughout Charleston's history. His research leads him to the possibility of a contract for a book. But, his involvement in investigating the crimes leads his heart toward Rylee.

Full of fleshed-out characters and plenty of romance and suspense, this novel is a terrific marriage of the talents of Bertrand and Gist. A very enjoyable and touching read with loads of color, fascinating detail and dimension.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Sweet Sounds and a Lazy Dog




After spending a few hours with an adorable nine-month-old, I just gotta ask. "Is there anything sweeter than a baby cooing happy songs?"


Definitely not Lily using her tummy as a ch
in rest!