Paranoid

We have an alarm system that I'm still getting used to. I've never lived in a house with one before, though I've set off a few cleaning houses.

Last night around 2:00am the monitor in our room beeped telling me the outside door had been opened. I jumped up in bed and reached for my husband. "Did you hear that?" I asked, my heart racing.  He wasn't there. It was him letting our dog, Speedy, out. It took me a while, but I fell back to sleep.

A few hours later I had a dream that my husband, Mike, went downstairs to check out a noise. I suddenly heard him screaming and fighting someone off. He yelled for me to hit the POLICE button on the alarm. In my dream I didn't know which one it was and it was too dark.

Again, I woke up with my heart pounding, sure there was someone downstairs.

Mike slept next to me, not a care. I kept glancing over my shoulder to make sure the red light on the alarm box was on.

Suddenly I heard a noise, like someone walked into our creaky dining table. My heart thumped loudly and I froze. Slowly I crept out of bed and to the bedroom door. I opened it and tip-toed into the hallway, listening. I didn't hear anything and after a few minutes I climbed back into bed.

Just as I started to doze again, I heard the noise again. This time I was sure there was someone downstairs who, somehow, had gotten through our motion sensor. Just as I was about to investigate again, I heard the noise, louder this time.

It was Mike.

He was farting in his sleep.

What's the Best Writing Advice You've Ever Received?

I've read tons of books on writing. Tons. I have shelves filled with them. Some of which I haven't even read yet. I think the best writing advice I've gotten has been BIC (butt in chair). I'm one of those writers who will procrastinate so long, I'll use all of my writing time up and I'll have to quit before I even did any writing.

My biggest distraction, besides dishes, vacuuming, and cleaning out the lint trap, is the internet. I sat down last night, for my first time, in my new writing room. My husband was taking care of our son, and I planned on working on my Script Frenzy project. I ended up answering a bunch of emails I've let pile up (which I can't do since we own a cleaning business), and checking out Facebook. About an hour later I came downstairs and my husband asked how my writing time went. I said it was great, even though I didn't get any actual writing done. But I did have a great time being alone in my writing room and getting a feel for things.

So even though I don't always follow my favorite advice, I'm striving towards it. Before we moved I took every single opportunity I had to write. At work while cleaning houses I keep a little notebook in my apron where I jot down notes. My head was so into my YA story that I had to stop and write on envelopes, napkins, whatever was available. I'm finally getting back into that mode now that we're more settled at our house. And it's a great feeling.

I Definitely Have a Plan. I Think.

Ok, so I mentioned in my previous post how I'd like to participate in April's Script Frenzy but didn't know what to write about. I am notorious for having a million ideas (all wonderful, of course) and not following on most any of them. I have screenplays with over 100 pages but the story is all out of whack. I have an adult novel (not porn, just not YA) with over 75K words but that, too, is out of whack.

I have two screenplays that have a ton of notes and most of an outline on. One is a female adventure-type story and the other is a contained horror. I left those in the dust when I had this YA novel idea that wouldn't go away. I don't have to explain to you how characters sometimes park themselves in your head and refuse to move until you write about them. That's what happened with these three girls. I have a big outline, lots of dialogue and little details for the story. But I DON'T want it to be a screenplay.

So, I'm thinking of just using April to get me moving on writing the YA novel (sort of an early--or very late--NaNoWriMo). I eventually want to finish the other screenplays, but I'm afraid if I work on those for Script Frenzy, I'll get into screenplay mode and forget about my YA novel. I'm all or nothing with writing. Once I get into something it's full force. I can't work on a novel and a script at the same time. I have to be involved with one story at a time.

It's a little bit of cheating, but that's what I'm going to do.

I think.

The Thing About Facebook

I love Facebook. I check it during the day, usually on my iPhone, and update my status almost every day. Like most people, I have gotten back in touch with people I never thought I'd see again.

I"m lucky that I haven't had any unwanted people find or bother me. I keep everything private so they can't even see my profile picture. At one point I had over 300 friends. When I scrolled through them I realized I didn't talk to almost half of them. I ended up cutting about 150. I didn't like the idea of people not talking to me but looking through my photos.

I love being in close contact with family members now. I have cousins that I had no idea what was going on in their lives. Now we connect on FB and even talk on the phone, which I love.

The downside, for me, is that it's a time-sucker. I check my email and next thing I know, I've been on FB for a half-hour and haven't accomplished anything productive. Especially having it on my iPhone since it's always with me. 

Within the last two days I've been lucky enough to find two long lost friends. One I worked with years ago and I've missed her over the years. The other was my best friend 30 years ago. I've often wondered about her and wish we could somehow reconnect. Now we have and I can't wait to see both of them.

So, my question is, does Facebook go against nature? It seemed natural that you'd meet people in life and sometimes the friendship stuck and sometimes it didn't.

I May Be Nuts, But...

I think I want to participate in Script Frenzy this year. It's like NaNoWriMo but with a screenplay instead of a novel. The reason I'm nuts is because not only did I just move and still have a lot to unpack, but I don't even have a script idea in mind.

The whole YA world is still new to me, although I've read some YA books and have an entire shelf in my writing office with brand new YA books to be read. I still haven't written anything YA. Before we moved I had quite the outline going for a YA novel, which I still want to work on.

Last summer I wrote two short scripts (not young adult) that were turned into films. After they were done I sort of got out of writing screenplays (though not for lack of ideas---YA was just calling my name loud and clear). I feel like if I do Script Frenzy, I definitely want to work on a YA script. But I am WAY behind by not even having an idea.

I still have a few days to think it over, so hopefully I'll come up with something. Maybe I can use my outline and notes for the YA novel and turn it into a script instead....

Ready to Slow Down

I was doing so good blogging every day, then we moved and I don't have the time anymore. But I will eventually, once we're settled. I can't wait for that time! In the last two weeks since we've moved in we've done quite a few projects. Our basement had linoleum floors and white walls, and now it has dark red walls and we had carpet installed. My dad added the cedar trim and door.

I'm going to paint that bench (for our flat screen to go on) and add the little lamp shades (like above right) to the rest of the lights. 

We also knocked down our kitchen /dining room wall (and by WE I mean my dad and his wife).  (Don't look at my dead roses). My brother will be remodeling our kitchen some time this summer. For now it's a great open space for us. Such a difference.

Every day and night we literally have had thing after thing to do. Yesterday we cleaned two houses, then went back to our apartment and cleaned stuff out for three hours. I felt so bad we didn't get home to our son until almost six o'clock at night. No sooner were we in the house when the doorbell rang and the life insurance guy was here (we forgot he was coming).  He was here for two hours and finally left at 8pm when we still have to have dinner. 

It has pretty much been this crazy since we moved in. I told Mike that after this weekend, we need to slow down. No more major projects (except furniture for the basement, but that's fun). I want to just concentrate on unpacking everything and enjoy being a family in our new house. And start blogging again!!

Finally in my 40s!

What a crazy few weeks we've had! Today is my 40th birthday, which I've been looking forward to for a while. Here are a few pictures from the birthday party my husband threw for me today. My husband, Mike, and I. I snuck outside while he was grilling and we took a self-portrait.

My "little" brother and I.

The cake my dad got for me:)

My son, Joey, helping me blow out 40 candles. We did it all in one breath!

My boy, Batman.

I Miss Everybody!

The way we did this move was crazy. Instead of packing up like normal people and just moving in one day, we did it over about two weeks. On one hand it's good because every time my husband brings more stuff from our townhouse, I already have the previous load unpacked. But it also means just when I have the house looking great, my husband shows up with a ton more crap for me to put away.

I've been so busy getting the main floor (and basement) taken care of, that I've pretty much ignored the third floor where my writing office (!) will be. There are two rooms up on the third floor and my dad is going to help me fix the walls and repaint. But before then he's been painting the basement, taking out old trim and putting in new cedar trim, hanging curtains...and this week he wants to knock down the wall between the kitchen and dining room where my brother and him are going to put an island. So, the writing office is far down on the list.

But I miss everyone on here! I was used to reading all the blogs and blogging every day. Now I barely have time to check emails. But I know that will change soon enough.

In the mean time, thank you for all of the awards! I'll get to them soon. Along with all the blogs I have to catch up on:)

Here are a few pictures: My closet.

My son's playroom.

The dining room.

One end of the living room.

New curtains!

What's a Nymphomaniac?

When I was about 15 I got turned on to reading Sidney Sheldon. I worked one summer as a Teen on Patrol for the local police department. Growing up I wanted to be a cop more than anything. I took two buses to get there and my job consisted of working at a local high school (in a bad area), and keeping order while kids swam in the indoor pool.

Yeah, right. Even the littlest kid weighed more than I did.  I was forever 90 pounds and on a diet that summer to gain weight. I ate a hot dog and chocolate milkshake every day for lunch that summer, and didn't gain a pound. So the idea of me protecting anybody and stopping fights was a joke. But the joke was on them because I got paid for it.

My boss was a police officer and one day he came by the high school to hand out Teen on Patrol baseball caps. He asked if I wanted to ride around with him to the other teen centers to hand them out. I jumped at the chance to ride in his car all afternoon.

It was in his car that I found a Sidney Sheldon book he was reading. Before then I was still into Judy Blume-type books and comics. I quickly started checking Sidney Sheldon books out of the library and devouring them. Like always, I'd read at breakfast, lunch and dinner (if allowed).

One night my mom invited our church pastor and his entire family over for a fancy-schmancy dinner. My mom was super nervous about impressing this guy and his family. We had the good china out, butter on a dish not in the tub, glasses to drink out of, not plastic...real fancy.

Dinner was served and I couldn't put my latest Sidney Sheldon book down.

"Honey, please put your book away for later," my mom said sweetly. To our company she said, "She just loves to read. Usually Judy Blume, Peanuts or Denis the Menace."

I ignored her.

She cleared her throat. "After our company leaves you can read. It's dinnertime now."

"I'm almost done with this part. Hey, what is a...."

"Lisa Marie, the book. Down. Now." She meant business to use my full name.

"But wait! What's a nymphomaniac?"

Red-faced, she pulled the book out of my hand while our company watched. "Later," she hissed.

"No, now! What's a nymphomaniac?" I asked. "Why won't you just tell me? Don't you know what it is?" I looked at the pastor and chuckled like, get a load of this, she doesn't even know what that big word means.

Needless to say I got the book taken away and was grounded. But dinner was good.

Excuse My Babbling For a While

Last Wednesday we closed on our house. We started moving in that night and had company over right away. Every day and night since then my husband had made trip after trip with stuff from our old place. He brings it in and I unpack it all. We've had company every day and we hate when we have to leave here to go back to our townhouse to sleep. I feel like I'm living two different lives.

Yesterday my dad and his wife were here from first thing in the morning until about eight at night. We painted our basement (which we're turning into a family/media room). My dad ripped out the baseboards and is putting in cedar ones today.

My brother and his family came last night, and he's going to be remodeling our kitchen since he builds custom kitchens for a living. I am so excited to have the kitchen done. It's the yuckiest room in the house: all mismatched cupboards, paneling (!), tile, awful floor...you get the idea. We're knocking the kitchen/dining room wall down and putting in an island to separate the rooms, but it'll really be one big room. He's moving the sink, stove and fridge, new cupboards, new (hopefully granite) counter tops...can't wait!

I know I sound like a moron, but I keep repeating the same thing over and over: I can't believe this is my house. We went from a four room townhouse (the biggest we've ever lived in in 10 years) to a ten room house with four floors. It blows my mind all day long that this is mine. My husband says he's never seen me so happy and I agree. So excuse me if I don't shut up about it for a while.

We've finally made it.

Why I Don't Enjoy Massages

My husband was nice enough to get me a gift certificate for a spa for Valentine's Day. I went for a massage and eyebrow wax last night. Since we are in the middle of moving (we closed Wednesday and have been moving boxes over), I needed the massage. And since I have crazy thick eyebrows, the wax was much needed, too.

The massage rooms are very relaxing. They're dark, smell good and have soft music playing. I'm fine right up until the girl walks in and starts-a-rubbin.

Then my mind turns on me. Should I say something? Does she think I'm ignoring her? Am I boring her if I keep quiet? Who do I think I am having this poor girl rub me down? She must hate me!

So then I speak. And I can't shut up. Suddenly my massage isn't so relaxing anymore.

Now if I go back to the same girl (and there's only one there) I have to talk. She expects it from me.

On a positive note, I had a $100 gift  certificate and since another massage therapist canceled on me last week, last nights was free. Good deal!

My Crack (and no, this isn't about my butt)

Pens, notebooks and books. Just looking at the words gives me shivers. I look at all three things in any Target, Barnes and Noble or grocery store.

Right now I'm obsessed with:

• Pilot Easy Touch pens
• Moleskine Cashiers notebooks
• YA books (I've been buying so many I've lost count.)

I feel like I've finally found my niche with YA (and I hope that doesn't change!) It's a whole new world for me and I love it. I was obsessed with Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books when I was little. I always thought I'd be good at writing funny-type books for 11-13 year olds. Right now I'm working on an edgy YA for later teens, and I've never had a story fall into place like this has.

Did you have to go through different genres before you found your niche?

Getting to Know You Question

What are some of your favorite novels?

I only recently got into reading YA novels (except for when I was young). I'm having so much fun finding ones to read. So far I've read two of Ellen Hopkins' (I had to take a break from those because they get depressing). Now I'm reading a Lauren Myracle one and have a few others lined up.

What are your favorites?

Where Do You Moms (and other really busy people) Find the Time to Write

I'm a mom to one four year old son. I'm also a foster parent but we're not fostering at the moment, (we will be as soon), and we own a small cleaning business. I have a very hard time finding time to write.

This past weekend my son was sick with a fever and cough. And while I hate it that he was sick, I got a ton of writing done because we laid around the house all weekend.

What is your writing schedule like? Do you even have one? For now, mine isn't anything set in stone. I just write whenever I have a few minutes to spare, and sometimes that's none at all.

How do you do it?