Thursday Thirteen #3

"Do not try to be anything other than yourself, and try to do that perfectly."~ Author Unknown (from a motivational poster at work)

If you want to get straight to the TT, scroll down past the boring story of explanation. :)
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Today's Thursday 13 came from a conversation with my sisters-in-law after the funeral on Monday. When we all went inside, everyone made a beeline for the coffee because it was a cold day. Regular coffee burns my stomach and there was neither hot water and tea bags nor milk to dilute the coffee, so I got a glass of lemonade. (SIL #1 looks at me and said, "You don't drink coffee, do you?" Like this is news. I never have.) Other people sort of looked over at me then, like I was so odd, I guess that's why I remember it.

The three of us found a little corner to have a chat. They were talking about a wine tasting my older SIL (SIL#1) is going to (her boys are staying at our house that night) and the subject morphed into vacations. SIL #1 was upset that she couldn't use her frequent flyer miles to go to Hawaii during a August but it was the only place she wanted to go. I asked why she wanted to go there--she's already been at least twice--why not try somewhere different? She looked puzzled. I mentioned that we have beaches and palm trees here and she said the boys loved to go surfing and it was relaxing there. (They live 10 minutes from the beach. My older nephew used to get up early every day and go surfing before he went to school. The Hawaii trip is still a head-scratcher to me. Why not take the boys to Europe? They've only been there once and it was without the boys. They have family there that none of them have met.) Then she mentioned how she'd love to stay at a resort in Hawaii, but they're $800 a night. SIL#2 agreed that a resort would be wonderful, gave me annoyed look and started naming names of resorts. (SIL#2 is like me. Burns after 5 minutes in the sun. What's she going to do in Hawaii?) At least we all agreed that $800 a night was a lot of money.

Anyway, that's how it went. The more and more they talked, the less I had in common with them. I mostly just kept my mouth shut and made positive noises because it was clear that whenever I asked a question, they were just annoyed with me. Why couldn't I just like everything they liked because it would be so much easier? As I stood there I started making a mental list of all the things that the average person likes that I don't. I had nearly 13 in just a minute or two so it was the obvious choice:

13 Things I don't have in common with the average person:

1) Team sports of any kind- I have no interest. I like Horse Racing and figure skating and that's about it. Gymnastics perhaps. But baseball, football, soccer, hockey, basketball? Boooorrrinnngggg.

2) Trucks, minivans or SUVs- I like little sporty cars. I have no desire to own the whole road or be someone's chauffer. I'll be driving a little bitty car for the rest of my life. I'm not interested in sedans or bigger luxury cars either.

3) Hawaii/tropical island vacations- I live in So. CA. I am surrounded by palm trees and the beach is 15 minutes away. If I'm going to plunk down my heard-earned money, I want a change of scenery. Preferably somewhere with old historical buildings or museums. Or for just relaxing, the mountains.

4) Red wine/Dry wines- My in-laws are constantly trying to tell me why I should like red wine. Sorry, I don't. I don't care that making it is a much more difficult process, or how many tannins it has, or that's its supposed to be good for my heart (which really cracks me up because that's not why they drink it!) I don't like the taste of it. Give me some white wine, champagne, or Muscatel. Give me the sweet stuff and I'm a happy girl. I'm 38 years old and I know what I like by now. See #5.

5) Acquired tastes- After 38 years if I don’t like it, I don't like it. I don't want to have to learn to like fish, red wine, caviar or sushi. I don't. I don’t like regular coffee either. Give me a non-fat Carmel Macchiato loaded with milk and sugar or a cup of tea and I'll drink that.

6) Cell phones- I don't understand the addiction. I don't need to be reachable 24/7. I don't get people who can't be anywhere "alone" any more. I understand parents wanting to be accessible to their children, but I don’t understand $200+ phone bills and people who can't put their phones down. I have a pay-as-you-go-plan. I use my phone to tell you I'm on my way or I'm late and then I hang up. I pay about $8 a month for this and it suits me just fine.

7) Reality shows- I've yet to find one I enjoy. I don't watch TV to see an assortment of people who want to be famous, I watch it for escape, good writing and a good plot. Why does everyone have to live in one house? It's annoying and overdone. The only ones I watched a bit of were Rockstar (for the music) and Last Comic Standing (for the jokes). I don't even know if these shows are on any more because I haven't bothered to look for them in the last 6 months.

8) Camping- Vacations include hotel rooms, electricity and my own bathroom. Nuff said.

9) Celebrities- I could care less what the celebrities are doing. Really. I mean it.

10) "The latest" anything/Keeping up with the Joneses- I'm not interested in the latest fad diet. I've never had the desire to be just like everyone else and I don't understand why anyone does. I don't need the newest, bestest anything. It might prove to be a hunk of junk in a year and it costs way more when it's new. If you have that brand new $3,000 flat screen, good for you. If it makes you happy, I'm happy for you, but I have no desire to own one and I'm certainly not jealous. I'll get one in 5 years for $300.

11) Name brands/designers- I have no idea who the famous designers are. I have no desire to know who they are. I don't shop at upper scale department stores unless I'm desperate or with someone else who wants to go there. I drive a luxury brand of car because I love the size and shape of it and the way it drives. I was able to pick up a 2 year old for a fantabulous price. The logo on my car's hood is almost embarrassing to me because it's so not what I'm about. I just love my little car and I'd love it just the same if it was a Hyundai.

12) Rap/dance/county music- I love music, but I hate this stuff. The only tolerable rap is the stuff that tells a good story without all those loud backbeats and swearing. I'm insulted when rappers call me "bitch." Dance music is just beyond me. Way too much beat, too peppy, too everything. Country is just too depressing and/or twangy and just not me. I make an exception A few older ones like some Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline for the new Dixie Chicks CD because it doesn't play like a country CD to me. It sounds like a rock band with a country flair. Plus, the lyrics are great--not depressing. Empowering.

13) Kids/babies - I've always known I'd never give birth to a child. Going through a pregnancy is just something I've never wanted to do. I don't hate kids and I'm tired of being misunderstood. I'm an only child and I like the company of adults. A chaotic house full of kids sounds noisy, stressful and unsettling to me. I've also always known that if I changed my mind I would adopt one little girl (not a baby) and do the best for her. And, to be honest, I still feel entirely to young to be a parent. Laughable I know because I'm almost too old to start a family now, but I still feel like a kid myself. I refuse to have children just because my family members want me to be like everyone else. My husband and I must be true to ourselves.

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Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen Things I love About Writing~

1) When I’m able to translate a scene into words on my computer screen—exactly as I saw it in my head. In my fantasy, the heroine “Brings down the Moon” and channels its power on the entire Pack, causing them all to shape-shift. It feels so right; my skin prickles whenever I read it.

2) When I write an emotional scene that not only makes me cry, it makes my critique partner cry too. I like emotional scenes and I write tons of them. There are too many for me to pick one to describe here.

3) When a character that I have complete faith in is able to grow and change just like I knew she could. My first heroine, a dreamy, waiting-for-her-dream-man kind of good girl chose to walk away from the hero when she thought he’d cheated on her. My critique group’s reaction was first shock, and then applause, but I always knew she had it in her.

4) I love the feel of a pen in my hand and the weight of a beautiful journal in my lap. I’ve written many a first person character study longhand in a journal. It’s very easy to channel characters this way. Being in touch with my characters is what I live for.

5) There’s nothing like reading a book that reminds me in some small way of my own writing. It’s nice to think that someday I could be holding my own book in my hands. After all, a publisher liked this book enough to buy it, so why not mine?

6) It’s only happened a couple of times, but it’s really cool to see a character I’ve created in real life. One of my favorite characters is a werewolf healer named Alissandra—the nemesis of my heroine Roma. She’s beautiful and she has attitude. Imagine my stunned speechless self when I started my current job and was introduced to her! She worked in my department. We later became friends and I had to tell her so she wouldn’t wonder why I was constantly staring at her. It was like magic. I imagined her and…poof! There she was.

7) It’s really cool to get so sucked into writing that hours have passed and I was unaware of it. I sat down once at 8 AM and didn’t look up until 4PM. I’d never had breakfast or lunch, never changed out of my PJs or showered, didn’t do anything I’d needed to do that day but write. Tons and tons of golden pages.

8) There’s nothing better than hearing a scrap of conversation, seeing an object or reading a headline and boom! A story idea pops into my head. It’s like a gift from my muses because I was paying attention.

9) I love, love, love that my plots are all subconscious. That I never know what’s going to happen next and if I keep writing, I’ll find out. Three cheers for my muses! (AKA The Girls)

10) I love that writing is something I can do anywhere, any time. It costs me nothing and the satisfaction I get from it is immeasurable.

11) I love that writing makes me think—even if the thinking part (AKA the plotting) also causes me such pain. Nothing worth having comes easy. The more I learn about writing craft, the harder it gets. But everyone would be a writer if it was easy, wouldn’t they?

12) I’m not a humorous writer by any stretch of the imagination, and I have no desire to write a comedy, but I love it when I write a scene that makes people laugh out loud. It’s usually because I’m in the zone and the characters are saying exactly what they should be saying.

13) I love the writing community. I’ve met the nicest people since I started writing again 8+ years ago. (Many of them are listed on my links in the right margain.) From RWA to my local chapter, to the Cherries, to my friends in Yahoo E-groups, Blogger and LJ. There’s nothing like another writer to really “get” you, support you and cheer you. When I first started writing, I emailed a local author who invited me to sit with her at our local RWA chapter meeting--I still sit with her today! Last year a published author I didn’t even know offered to send me to a writer’s conference when I mentioned on a writer's loop that I couldn't afford to go. When I came up with the money later and told her I didn't need it, she told me to donate it to our Michele Fund auction for my friend's breast cancer medical bills. I’ve had people send me free books and I’ve made the best friends in my life all in writers (and readers) groups. Writing can be a solitary thing--you hear it all the time--but it certainly hasn’t that way for me.

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Friday's Child

Caryle

Janie

Darla

Heidi

Zues

Christine

Artemis

Jill

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Thursday Thirteen #1

I don't think I posted the link right, but here goes... My first Thursday Thirteen.

Thirteen things I want to do before I die:

1) Go the the Kentucky Derby- I've wanted to do this since I was a kid. I can't wait to plan my trip to the Run for the Roses. I'll find the perfect hat, head to Churchill Downs and sip a mint julep out of a collectible pewter cup. Yeah!

2) Go to Ireland- My father's father came to the US from Galway as a teenager. Someday I must see the Emerald Isle for myself. I want to see all of it, including all the places I've read about in Nora's novels.

3) Go to Sicily- My Grandparents on my mother's side came from Sicily. While I have been Rome and Florence (my favorite city on earth!) I've yet to see the birthplace of my ancestors.

4) Finish my fantasy novel- Ok, so this one's obviously much more in my grasp right now than the others. It just feels monumental because I dabbled with it for so long and then put it aside. I will finish it, though. It calls to me all the time.

5) See the Pyramids in Egypt- Pretty much a no-brainer. Doesn't everyone want to? Edit: I'd like to see the Pyramids in Mexico and South America too. Yes, I'm greedy.

6) Take a road trip from the Pacific to the Atlantic- Just cause it sounds fun.

7) Take a three six (greedy again) month sabbatical and gorge myself on reading and writing- Why not?

8) Learn to speak Spanish - My accent is perfect and I know a million nouns, I just have to force myself to speak up (instead of just listening and figuring out what others are saying) and stop worrying about sounding stupid.

9) Visit New York and see Saturday Night Live- I've loved the show since I was a kid. I've always wanted to see SNL live.

10) Attend a Democratic National Convention- It would be so cool to be a delegate. Somebody pick me! How do I get on the list?

11) Visit Chincoteague Island- Ever since I was a kid and read those Misty books by Marguerite Henry, I've wanted to visit the islands off the coast of Virginia.

12) Visit New Orleans- I'm really sad I never saw the city pre-Katrina in all her spender. I'd still like to go there, though. There's just something about it.

13) Spend the holidays somewhere it snows- A couple of weeks on the east coast or the Midwest would be fun. I have both family and friends on the east coast and friends in the Midwest. Either would work. I'd want to spend the time with others or it wouldn't seem like a holiday to me.

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