I was thinking about that this morning and realized that isn’t so much the case anymore – I haven’t been put in a cast for a really really long time. I’m not a walking liability anymore. Yay!

But then I got thinking that I’m kinda a walking contradiction instead. Case in point:

• I love the ocean nearly as much as I love Baby Caveman and Geek Husband. I could live in the ocean (for serious, I once had – and still harbor – dreams of refurbishing and living on an old houseboat…basing at some marina, probably in the Carolinas, and traveling up and down the eastern seaboard when I got restless). Mass amounts of love for the ocean. I live in the mountains. In Wyoming.
• If I could, I would go barefoot every day, all day long. Yet, as I was putting my shoes away the other day I discovered that I own 47 pairs of shoes. I guess if I have to wear shoes I should at least have choices…
• Same deal with clothes, y’all. If it were socially acceptable, I would just go naked (maybe I should join a nudist colony…on the beach! Except I don’t want to see other people naked, necessarily), but I have a ton of clothes. I got rid of a whole bunch of stuff right before we moved, but it still felt like I was unpacking and hanging clothes for eons. Again, if forced, I want choices.
• I’m a writer. I don’t care for caffeine. Or chocolate.

All I can say is, What the hell are these women thinking?!

Okay, I know that a wedding is primarily the woman’s show, but pre-planning without regard to your (future) man’s personality and style is just stupid. A wedding is not something you can plan to only your specifications and then slide into the program whatever man comes along to marry you.

Ladies, I know your future wedding is a big deal and you probably want things a certain way. Daydream away. But please, don’t actually plan anything until you have a man to plan with. 

Baby Caveman decided yesterday that, at a whopping 5 weeks old, he was officially too old for naps. He refused to sleep all day long, which was pretty trying for me, since he was so incredibly tired he was grumpy all day. Normally he is a bright and cheery little chap, but yesterday he was doing his best impression of that grumpy badger from The Fox & the Hound.

Eventually, he caved and slept like a rock, and awoke a much happier little fella.

Thankfully, he is a fast learner and is back to napping peacefully today.

I’m watching Julie & Julia (finally) and loving it. Meryl Streep really is something, isn’t she? She is so spot on in this role. But then again, she is pretty spot on in all her roles. She completely transforms herself from movie to movie. I read an interview with her a while back and she mentioned that she has had the same hair stylist and makeup artist for almost her whole career and she attributed much of her success to those people. I loved that! The acting is all her, and she definitely deserves all the acclaim she gets, but I absolutely love that she points out the people in the background. She could still act as well as she does without them, but they put those finishing touches on each character.

I think that’s the same reason I love reading the acknowledgments in books. It is so great to see the person whose name made it onto the cover paying tribute to all those people who worked in the background and made the book what it really is. It is important that people remember all the others who helped them get where they are. The day we forget about all those other people and start to think we did this all on our own is the day we stop creating wonderful work.

Oh! Baby Caveman is waking up now. Which means I should stop jabbering on.

Or, more, “Hey, your blog has style.” Cause, really, my blog is way more stylish than me.

Thanks girls!

The rules of the award are: 1) Thank and link back to the bloggers who awarded you (done). 2) List 7 things about myself. And 3) Pass the award onto more fabulously stylish bloggers.

Seven things about me:

1. The first movie I can actually remember watching was Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

2. I used to watch Disney’s 101 Dalmations after Kindergarten every day. To this day, if I put the movie on, I can quote along with the whole thing (I don’t though, as it tends to drive others insane).

3. I lived in Hawai’i for a summer for school at the University of Hawai’i. I lived with my oldest brother, who was stationed at Pearl Harbor in the Navy. Before moving in with him, I had only met him twice in my life. We had the best summer!

4.  One of my favorite restaurants ever is this seafood restaurant in Kure Beach, North Carolina called Big Daddy’s. Which is a really stupid name for a restaurant, but the food is SO good. Seriously, they have the best hush puppies under the sun. I named the restaurant in Incubus Big Daddy’s to honor how wonderful this place is.

5. I have seen a lot, a lot, a lot of dead possums (they are all over down south), but I have only seen one live one. It was a little bitty baby possum and it was frantic. (Come to think of it, this was on a walk to Big Daddy’s.) We knew that it was probably an orphan, that its parents were probably smashed on the road somewhere and that it would be smashed as well soon enough. So we lured it away from the road with an apple core and deposited it around the back side of someone’s multi-million dollar beach house. I am sure they were thrilled with their new resident.

6. For years I have dreamed of one day owning a restaurant. Nothing huge or fancy – just a small cafe most likely, but it is still a big dream. One that will take a lot of time, a lot of work, and a lot of money, but one that I would like to pursue nonetheless.

7. I have the greatest husband ever. Being the stubborn person that I am, it took me years to realize how great he is, but once I finally did, we never looked back.

Other stylish bloggers:

• Abby Stevens
• Tiana Smith
• Taylor Mathews
• Rachel Morgan
• Molly Brewer
• Christina Cole
• Marie Freeman
• Le Cordon Q
• The Menu Mama

(Some of these lovelies have already been awarded this award, but I couldn’t help but to honor them again. And not all of these are writing blogs. I know – how weird to have other interests! )

First-draft-mush stage is that wonderful place where my mind swirls with the words I have written and those that are waiting to be typed. I dream of my characters, often in bizarre and scary ways, and find myself talking in the voice of my narrator instead of my own voice. Simply put, first-draft-mush stage is pre-insanity.

The Turds and Critter are left unfed, the dishes left unwashed, and the bed left unmade. I am very lucky that Bubba is so darn supportive; he takes care of all this stuff as I slowly leave sanity behind.

This is the first time I have done a one-month novel since launching my website. It is a little different writing so much on my book every day and also trying to keep up with my blog (really, the blog is a great distraction from the novel–go figure). It is harder to juggle both, and so I am enlisting your help, readers!

Tell me: what do YOU want to know from ME, dear readers? Put your questions* in the comments**, and I will set to work answering them next week. You can ask anything from “what  is your favorite color?” (green) to “what is your writing schedule like?” (crazy and during times it shouldn’t be) to “why does my neck hurt to move when I wake up sometimes?” (meniscoid entrapment) to “what is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?” (African or European?).

Ask away, readers. Ask away.

*Really, leave questions. Ask as many as you want. Putting up a post asking readers for questions and then not getting any is kind of like getting picked last in gym class. Nobody likes getting picked last in gym class. Nobody.

**I know this is a little odd for my less blog-savvy subscribers (*cough*mom*cough*), but if you are getting this via email, just click through to the actual post. There is a handy, dandy little comment form at the bottom. Utilize it.

Wow. Wow. Wow…wow…WOW!

The cover for hush, hush is amazing. Even if I know nothing about this book, this cover would convince me to buy it. I have been drooling over this for days now, and couldn’t resist sharing it. Not that you need to know (I know you will all judge the book by its cover as well–admit it), but hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick sounds great. It comes out October 13th. Can’t. Wait.

Reason #849 why my friends are awesome

Recent Facebook Status:

Once, there was a ninja. Then he decided to assassinate me. His decision resulted in the opposite, and very messy, consequence. My name is Damon Carter*, and I am a Ninja Slayer.

*Name changed to protect the awesome**

Did I mention that Bubba is the best husband ever?

FADE IN

SCENE: Bedroom. Nighttime.

RACHEL enters, brushing her teeth. BUBBA is sitting in bed, reading.

RACHEL: Ummm...

BUBBA stares at her, innocently. Imploringly.

RACHEL: Why are you on my side of the bed?

BUBBA: Think about it.

RACHEL looks puzzled.

RACHEL: Is it because I take over your side of the bed as soon as you get up

        every morning?

BUBBA: Nope.

RACHEL: But, then....?

BUBBA: Think about it.

RACHEL gives up. She finishes brushing her teeth and returns to the bedroom.

BUBBA moves to his side of the bed. RACHEL climbs into bed. Warm, cozy bed.

Yes, Bubba has decided to start warming up my side of the bed before I get in! Best. Husband. Ever.

**I would hate to be held responsible for an influx of Ninja attacks on my little buddy.