Picture of the Day for 11/28/2011. Well, I ain't getting any younger so I've decided to pull out all my books on writing fiction and actually read them rather than letting them collect dust. I aim to have an idea for a novel (along with a sample chapter or two) to pitch to an agent at Sleuthfest* in Orlando next March. If you have any ideas about what I should write, please let me know or else I'll have to fall back on my nieces' suggestion to write space/astronaut erotica.*Sleuthfest is an annual mystery writers convention hosted by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
Picture of the Day for 11/27/2011. I find myself buying things my parents liked. I guess it makes me feel like they're still around. My dad was a cookie fanatic- so much so that he would have put the Cookie Monster on Sesame Street to shame. I always used to buy these Danish cookies for my dad for Christmas and I couldn't resist picking up a tin this year.
Picture of the Day for 11/26/2011. I went to visit a friend who is in a rehab center recovering from double knee replacement surgery. I was highly amused by this get well card that my friend had received from a neighbor.
Picture of the Day for 11/25/2011. Every Thanksgiving I pick up a newspaper so I can peruse the Black Friday ads. I never do anything beyond that since I have yet to find anything worth getting up in the middle of the night and fighting the crowds to obtain.
Picture of the Day for 11/24/2011. Per my niece Corinne's request, the post-Thanksgiving dinner entertainment was THE duet- as performed by myself (top-hand) and my sister Paula (bottom-hand). This piano piece has such an infamous history in our family that "THE duet" is a sufficient identifier. It's a wild ride- both for the audience and the performers. The music is very difficult, moves at a swift pace, and is all over the keyboard. Also, as we reach the end of each page, I toss the page into the air with a flourish. Paula and I have been playing THE duet for approximately 30 years and have gotten progressively worse due to worsening eyesight and lack of practice. Words fail to describe how horribly we play which I guess is part of the charm of the experience. Tonight was our worst performance ever and that's saying something. Or, as Corinne might say, it was epic!
Picture of the Day for 11/23/2011. My great-nephew Dane celebrated his 14th birthday today. As you can see from his hat, he's ALL about Mario Brothers and his birthday was ALL about Mario Brothers merchandise. He comes by this honestly. In our family, we never just show mild interest in anything. That's far too tame. Instead, we have full-blown OBSESSIONS. My fanatic interest in space which leads me to spend thousands of dollars attending space conferences and acquiring astronaut autographs is a prime example.
Picture of the Day for 11/21/2011. I'm longing for a good night's sleep. So much so that I resorted to buying the magazine pictured above just for an article on how to accomplish that goal. I've reached a "certain age" where women typically become plagued with sleep issues. Not only do I wake up several times a night, but I have the most vivid dreams. Last night, for example, I spent what felt like hours riding a rickety old bicycle along canyon roads. After that, I dreamed that a mysterious Russian man gave me a powder blue quilted coat lined with lambswool which I passed along to a colleague's wife. (I'd pay good money to figure out the meaning behind that one.) By the time I get up in the morning, I feel like I've already had so many adventures that I'm already exhausted.
Picture of the Day for 11/20/2011. Joey the Beagle is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really hoping my niece Renee will share her pie. Can you blame him? C'mon...it's pie!
Picture of the Day for 11/19/2011. I saw these Lord of the Rings Pez dispensers at a drugstore. It did my nerdy Lord of the Rings-loving heart good to see them. For any family members reading this blog, please note that I DO NOT need these for Christmas. Cute as they are, I'm trying to cut back on on all the useless knick-knacks in my possession, not add to them.
Picture of the Day for 11/18/2011. OK- this picture is really blurry, but it's the best I could do on a rainy evening while driving my car. The lights above the building in the photo are actually fireworks. I can't imagine why there was a big fireworks display in downtown Salt Lake City today. It just seems so random.
Picture of the Day for 11/17/2011. A friend keeps sending me YouTube videos of psychedelic music from the 1960s to listen to. I'm kind of having an out-of-body experience right now...
Picture of the Day for 11/16/2011. So, I was working on updating my blog and documenting all of my adventures last week in Florida when I decided to make some tea since it's cold outside. I boiled water and poured it in a cup to sit for a minute before adding the tea bag since boiling water is normally too harsh on the tea. An hour later, I realized I had forgotten the tea so I boiled some more water and poured it in the cup pictured above to sit for a minute. I'll be danged if the same thing didn't happen again. I was so engrossed in updating my blog that I forgot to finish making the tea. Sigh. I really wanted the hot tea, but I just gave up at that point.
Picture of the Day for 11/15/2011. My dad's younger (by 14 months) brother Wayne passed away on 11/11/2011 while I was out of town in Florida. I found out about it by stumbling across a Facebook posting by my cousin Lane!
A graveside service was held for Wayne today. Five of his six children spoke (the oldest child, Stan, is in Finland). They all did a lovely job, but I have to say my favorite moment from the funeral was the dedicatory prayer offered by my uncle Bud Close. Bud prefaced the prayer by saying he was reading a standardized prayer from a pamphlet his father-in-law Irvine Merrill (Wayne's father) had given him many decades ago. Bud indicated that by doing so, Wayne's father was playing a role in his son's funeral. That brought tears to my eyes. Very sweet.
Picture of the Day for 11/14/2011. This is the price you pay for 12 days of travel- mountains of laundry. (I'm writing this blog entry on Sunday, November 20 and I still have one last load of wash before I'm done getting caught up.) It's definitely worth it as I have now turned into a travel junkie. I can't wait for my next adventure.
Picture of the Day for 11/13/2011. I'm pictured here with Denise Linn, my all-time favorite of the Hay House Radio personalities. Denise is so upbeat that she seems like a ray of sunshine. I was excited to meet her, but I'm not sure Denise was equally excited to meet me. She was very gracious, however.
Picture of the Day for 11/12/2011. I'm in Tampa, Florida for the weekend attending a new age-y conference hosted by Hay House radio- an online radio "station" that I listen to frequently. The conference is all about positive affirmations and living your best life and getting hugged and being called "angel" by one of the vendors who is selling healing crystals. As you can guess, a TOTALLY different experience than my nerdy space events. It's been great.Keynote speakers open and close the conference each day and in between there are break-out sessions. I selected the break-out sessions I wanted to attend based on my favorite hosts on Hay House radio. Pictured above is Colette Baron-Reid who, as you might have guessed, hosts one of my favorite shows.
11/10/2011. Readers of my blog are aware that I have a crush on Randy Wayne White- author of the Doc Ford mystery novels that take place on Sanibel, an island in the Gulf of Mexico right off the western coast of Florida. I love visiting places featured in the books I read so I decided to make a pilgrimage to Sanibel and eat dinner at Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille. Randy happened to be there so I was able to chat with him for a few minutes! As we were having this picture taken, he told me I smelled good. Cute.
