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 University of Mississippi's Writers' Page


Resources


Create Your Writer's Life,
by Cynthia Morris


Impulses Newsletter

On My Nightstand

Write It Down,
Make It Happen
by Henriette Anne Klauser

Imperfect Birds
by Anne Lamott

A Dog's Purpose,
by Bruce Cameron

Ending Your Day Right,
by Joyce Meyer

And my monthly copy of
Down East Magazine


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Products of contemplation from an enthusiastic freelance writer who just can't pin herself down. Some technical, some not so much. Some creative, some shockingly unimaginative. Some professional and productive and some, frankly, unprofessional and unproductive. And that's probably where the fun starts.
Sunday
Aug292010

Nova Scotia Bound, Sort Of

If you know me at all, you know that I've talked about going to Maine once my Spawn had swum upstream to do whatever it is people in their twenties do these days. I have never had an explanation for it, but it's just always been on my mind. Sort of like a calling. I don't know what's calling me exactly - black flies, snow, lack of jobs - but something still does.

Knowing my current contract is on its last legs and a job I'd had my eye on hasn't panned out, I've started my perpetual search for work. Nothing's happening here in Indiana, and though I will always think of it fondly, we've never really been each other's types, so I've been venturing out. Sometimes, it's overwhelming to have nowhere to be, no ties, no anchor. But most of the time, I like it pretty fine.

Just for fun a couple of weeks ago, I paid $4.80 for an astrological/numerological chart that might give me a hint at where to look. Silly, sure. But believe it or not, my red zone (red indicates a good place for vocation, culture, creativity, and a little romantical acSHAWN, if you know what I'm sayin') was in Nova Scotia!! A hop, skip, and a jump from the Maine I've had my eye on.

So, Nova Scotia, it is. Just one tiny problem. The zone doesn't include a cool town like Halifax. In fact, it's not really over that whole pesky land part. It's in the stinkin' ocean. Okay, all may not be lost. I could buy a boat. I could dock in Halifax and still get my groove on. But I get seasick. Near death seasick, in fact. That's not going to be very attractive for all that creative work and romance.

It did dawn on me that the zone runs north and south, so I could do just fine in, say, the Bermuda Triangle. But the problem I see with that is that I could very well be groovy and nobody'd ever know it.

So much for my $5 plan. Maybe I need to take baby steps and think about something like Chicago for now. I hear it's toddlin'.

Monday
Aug232010

Vegas, baby.

I haven't been feeling old enough lately, so I signed up for a trip to Vegas on my first gal-pal trip in well over 20 years. Mission: Tom Jones show at the MGM Grand.

Honestly, I didn't have very high hopes after the 4-hour plane ride with the married couple who apparently didn't know each other AT ALL. They never, ever, EVER stopped talking. The yard, the cars, the neighbors, the basement, the girls, the soccer team, the scouts, the school, the shoes, the shut the hell up. (I was never happier for my iPOD.)

But, once we got through the very confusing hotel check-in process and did a thorough bedbug check, it worked out to be a wonderful trip and one for which I will always be grateful.

I doubt I'll go back in this lifetime (unless Tom makes me), but I enjoyed a lot of things about Vegas. I talked to my son one night and told him that I thought he'd like the town very much. "There are lots of girls with very little clothing on." He said, "Well, duh. It's hot as hell there."

Best Meal: Tao. Period.

Best Snack: Gelato in Ital...I mean, the Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes

Best Dessert: Apple Crisp at the Grand Lux Cafe

Best Drink: Still looking

Best Vibe: Bellagio Cafe/Gardens/Fountains

Best Casino: They weren't all the same?

Best People-Watching Perch: The Venetian casino on a Friday night. My neck is still not itself.

Best Surprise: Dior mini-makeovers

Best Moment: The surprise birthday gift from Sheila - the most creative and thoughtful gift ever

Most Memorable Gal Conversation: The Will-Call line at the Venetian

Most Memorable Boys: Boothbay Harbor firemen in the hotel check-in line and the fine, upstanding one helping his elderly mother at the Vegas airport gate

Best Laugh: Deciding that the reason nobody waited on us in Jimmy Choo was because Sheila was wearing her sandals from the Tractor Supply store, not because of my JC Penney purse

Best part of the airplane experience: The man in the middle who reached up and adjusted my air for me on the way home. "Is that good?" "More?" "Here?" It made us laugh.

Best Show: Phantom of the Opera (That dude who plays the Phantom could sell ice to eskimos with that voice.)

And the Best of the Best of the Best brings me to Tom, of course: Oh. My. God. Worth the entire credit card bill. The charisma, the machismo, the sex that oozes off that man. It's just more than this old gal can handle. When he asked, "Is it hot in here or is it just me?", the whole audience shook its collective head and said practically in unison, "It's just you, baby, it's just you." Typical man, though. Wasn't long enough. I just thought I was addicted to him before. Now I've moved on to Tom hoarding. And, no, thank you very much, I do not need nor want an intervention.

Next stop...somewhere sitting down. Maybe even lounging. With Cape Cod Cabana boys fetching us the perfect drinks.

Tuesday
Jul272010

An Oldie But a Goodie

Every time I take a road trip, I re-post this as Step One of the festivities:  

I do love a road trip. Tom flies in from Vegas, sometimes another place depending on his schedule but usually Vegas, and we get to spend a few uninterrupted hours together. After saying our hellos and flipping through inserts together, I slide his shiny, still too cool for school self into the little slot in the dashboard and off we go.

He sings and I listen. I sing and he just keeps singing. I talk and he professes his love in so many different ways – each about three minutes long and separated by tiny moments of silence for reflection. I like to reflect on his hairy chest and unbuttoned white satin shirt with the ruffles, and he likes to reflect on my crackerjack driving skills and uncanny knack for navigation.

We laugh (oh, how we laugh when we pass the sign for Stinking Creek Road somewhere in Tennessee) and we reminisce about our other road trips together.

Most of our time is spent talking and singing about life and love. I say I’ll never let him go (meaning, I won’t leave him when I return the car to Hertz), and he says that he’ll turn the tide for me with his hands (tide, maybe, but apparently ol’ Thunderball can’t do anything about the yay-hoos going 55mph in the left lane).

At this, we laugh some more. He takes a sip of scotch (I’m driving) and starts singing “She’s A Lady”. I am reminded of how much he really does mean to me, so I pat his little jewel case, take back the unladylike namecalling and graciously accept the turning of the tide. 

Stay until tomorrow? No, I know. We say our goodbyes and he heads back to work. I take one last look as I put him back on the top shelf and can't help but smile. Till next time, young man, till next time. 

Sunday
Jul112010

Awfully Quiet, but for a Good Reason

I've been working on a new Website intended to be a supportive community for Post-Single Mothers, like myself. The years right before and after my son left home for college were paralyzing for me, and I'm still a struggling work in progress. In the meantime, I have given the situation a name and conjured up a way to hopefully connect and share with other women in the same boat.

If you have had a child leave home recently (or know someone who has), I hope you'll visit and share your experiences! The Website is here: http://www.psming.com (PSM is short for Post-Single Motherhood)

Thursday
Jun242010

Life beside Miss Honey's Posse 

It’s official. The Universe is trying to tell me something. And it’s one of two things:

  •  Don’t you ever tempt fate again by saying something like, “It can’t possibly get any worse than this place.”

OR

  •   GET OUT, GET OUT NOW!!!!!!!!

I can’t decide which one to think about first.

I’ve mentioned Miss Honey before, but she became a non-issue for 6 weeks when she was out with her self-inflicted (smoking alcoholic that she is) heart attack. But, she’s been back to work for 2 weeks now, culminating in yesterday’s 10-hour free-for-all.

It was a state government PARTY. At her house (aka, cube). Since my iPod wouldn’t cover it up, I had to hear. They were all giddy about the big department lunch scheduled for 11:30 (when the state bell rings, I have gathered). So, starting about 8:30am, they printed the restaurant menu from the website and had discussions about what they’d order, what they liked and didn’t like AND WHY. “Do you like spinach?” “Well, I like raw spinach like in salads, but not cooked spinach.” “Yea, I don’t like cooked carrots, but I like raw carrots.” “Really? Now, see, I like cooked carrots.”

This spawned other hours-long discussions, you know, as office discussions among productive members of society tend to do, about food shopping, recipes, operating the TiVo, AT&T, golf, unclaimedmoney.com, death certificates, the pub (her haunt) and throwing up but not really being sick discussions.

The one that stopped everyone in their tracks, though, was about crepes on the restaurant’s menu. It confused ‘em. They all asked each other, “What’s a crepe?” “I don’t know.” “Do you know?” “No, I don’t know.” “Well, let me look it up,” Miss Honey said. Which she did and then became the crepe spokesperson. “It’s like a tortilla,” she explained. “Ohhhh,,” they all said in unison. But they all decided they didn’t want to order crepes. Or tortillas.

I had such hope that they’d wear themselves out and be quiet(er) after lunch, but no dice. Discussions after lunch were around the soup, the bill, the tea, the walk there, the weather, mowing the grass, and on and on and on. Until quitting time when they all said things like, “One more day down” and “Will Friday ever get here?” and “What a long day” and “I’m so tired.” Parties can wear out a yayhoo.

By 5pm, I can’t even stand myself. I leave the work trailer for the home trailer. I’ll save this for another day, because I can only handle so much of my own whining. But just this: I complained to the condo’s Board representative about a man whose dog attacked my dog, Sabrina, for the third time last week. The Rep directed me to contact the President (blowing me off by knowing that he’d just blow me off, too). But I looked up the President on the FaceBook. He’s 75 if he’s a day, way too into karaoke and his every other wall post is about either getting drunk at the Blue Martini or having fun on Percocet, which he’s taking for his back, ha ha (his haha, not mine).

I got home last night to a tweet from one of my favorite people in the world, Cynthia Morris, that said, “Your intuition has no agenda other than your ultimate well-being. Always listen to it!”

This morning, I parked my car in the garage lot and prayed. And tempted fate again by realizing I could declare to God and his baby Jesus that, “I will never, ever, ever, in this lifetime sit through another 8-hour day like yesterday. If that means homelessness or a $25,000 debt (I have one more year of college to pay for, which means I need a steady income until August 2011 that provides an extra $25,000 cash), bring it on, you stupid Universe, because I’m just old enough to not give a shit.” (That too old to care thing is new, but I think I’m going to really dig it.)

So, take that, trailer park. My stay here is getting more temporary every day. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Never.

Wednesday
Jun092010

Blog Post Titles are Hard

I don't know how the real bloggers do it. I am hard pressed most days to find anything to talk about in real life, much less write about here. I had no idea my last post was in April. Oh well, not much has changed. (Don't worry, THAT is a good thing.)

But today is a writing day. On a specific project I'm working on. So, here I am. Writing on this silly thing. And washing bath mats. And my ring and watch are soaking in the jewelry cleaner as we speak. My umbrella has rain spots, so that's gnawing at me, too.

And I'm a little sleepy. Sabrina, the dog, is always a problem this time of year. She hates storms, has allergies that make her gasp and cough and snort, and is just cranky (almost 14). So, if she wants to jump off the bed at 2am for a little drink of water, then holler and cry when she's good and damn well ready to get back on the bed again, you better oblige. And toot suite. (She can jump off, but can't quite make it back up at this age. Or maybe she can, and it's a test. Bitch.)

Last weekend, we had stress over a lightning bug stuck between the window and the screen. It must've looked like the lightning of the previous umpteen nights and she wasn't having it. Up, down, up, down. Finally, down. And a pit-stop for a TYlenol PM for mama. I was over it. It was a fucking lightning bug. I explained until I was blue in the face, but no sale.

I was rewarded once again, though. The last time I took T-PM, I hung out with Craig Ferguson. I have mentioned this before. This time...........Tom Jones. No, I'm serious. I've never been happier. I have mentioned my obsession before and since.

We were in his homeland of Wales. He had a castle or something. Beautiful green countryside. He had a few days off between shows or something. Why was I there? I'm not sure. He liked to cook, he liked to lay around and watch movies, he liked to eat, he liked to go for walks, and he liked to talk. So much in common, except, I like to listen, not talk. Sympatico. There was a "thang" goin' on, but I'm a lady and not going into details. He was the age he is now - not the young Tom. So, he was slower, more philosophical, calmer, deeper, and too tired for the Wilt Chamberlain numbers of the past. I must have liked him an awful lot because I was leaving too and I was very sad. Clingy, almost. He wasn't. He was kind and seemed to like me, too, but not in a clingy way. He just wanted to eat dinner, really.

Maybe I'll take a T-PM late this afternoon and hook up with Colin Firth. I am overdue for a visit, he has complained. Now, wasn't this fun? A whole lot of nothing after 2 months of nothing.

Maybe I'll dust the baseboards now. Or organize my desk drawers. I'll close with this: Jorge Cruise is a horrible, horrible man, and I'm pretty sure I could take him in a fight over a piece of sheet cake.

Wednesday
Apr282010

A Mother and Spawn (Email) Reunion

**Because it's funny at the end, and I'm just so darn proud of all the correct grammar and spelling.

Me: Look at this link to the IU refund schedule and see if you think I’ll get a refund for that Chem Lab you dropped.

Spawn: I think that the 240 per credit hour only applies if you were paying per credit hour, but because I remained within the 12-17 credit hour flat fee range, they wouldn’t refund anyway. Now that I think about it, by dropping so late I probably did cause the loss of a lab fee cost, which I do apologize about. Honestly I didn’t know about the time restraint stipulations associated with dropping a class. This was my first time dropping a class, and I did it more so in a stressed panic without knowing the full details.

Me: Okay, that makes sense. I feel better about that 12-17 hour rule thing. That is true - we pay a flat fee for full-time status. So, had you not even taken it, we'd still have had to pay the same fee. I get it now. How much was the lab fee? Do you know? Stressed panic?? I thought you were happy. Do I need to call you about this?

Spawn: The lab fee was like $170. I was happy to drop it but I was only stressed because I had to make the decision, which required thinking about it and weighing my options. In all, I am happy about it, but the day or so that I was contemplating, it was a little nerve racking. But nothing serious. It’s just that I don’t like change haha.

Me: Don’t like change? Hell, we were nothing but change. You can take the lab at a different time from the class? And from a different prof maybe?

Spawn: Yea I'm hoping the prof is different and I will be more prepared in general because I know now what the course is like.

Me: Cool. And it's okay that the lab is taken alone? Not the same semester as the class? On an unrelated subject, guess what I've done? Signed up for piano lessons at the Beech Grove School of Art and House of Music. I can't even type that without laughing. Told the teacher I only had a keyboard at home to practice on and it didn't have all the keys. She said she had students with those and that we wouldn't learn songs with those extr-y keys in 'em anyway. LOL.

Spawn: Yea you can take the lab separately...sweet on the piany lessons, should be fun learnin a diddy or two.