Saturday, November 20, 2010

Today at "While We're Paused"

Today on the Lantern Hollow Press Writer's Blog, I shared a treasured memory that longtime readers of this blog may recall: the story of the demonic toy chick that refused to die after Jasper broke it. Click HERE to read the story.

And, in light of the new Harry Potter release, you get two posts for the price of one today! Click HERE to read my review of the film.

Also, be sure to check out our Facebook group. We've got a contest running for the next few weeks. Two lucky winners will receive a hilarious book that is sure to please (particularly if you love snarkiness). Official rules are explained on the group page.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Éowyn the Grooming Assistant

For as long as I have had Jasper, he has always greatly disliked getting brushed. In recent months, I've been forcing him to submit to it every few days, and he does submit, but very reluctantly, wearing an expression appropriate for the funeral of a close friend.

Tonight, to my delight, I learned that Éowyn has changed all this. After giving both dogs some cuddle time and play time after I returned from class, I grabbed the dog brushes from my dresser. Normally, Jasper slinks off to hide in another room or under the bed, waiting until I call him, then he slinks back as slowly as his desire to be obedient will allow. Not so tonight. He came right to me, slowly wagging his tail, then stood gazing at me with worship while I brushed his coat until that nice shine was restored. Then, when I went to brush Éowyn, Jasper actually came to me acting like he wanted more brushing. I gave him a bit more, plus a treat.

I'm pretty sure I know what's on that little boy's mind. He's accepted the new sister, but he misses having alone time with "Mummy" and recognizes the opportunity that brushing gives him. He just wants to still be the special boy, and I keep reassuring him that he is.

I also suspect that he was also taking the opportunity to once again prove that he's the "good one." I've noticed that Jasper has been even prompter to come when called, faster outdoors, and quicker at playing fetch . . . all since yesterday. Since Éowyn is still learning how to be a good dog, Jasper's making sure that everyone knows that HE is ALREADY trained.

A Few More Pictures of Éowyn

My camera battery, sadly, is dead at the moment, and the charger is MIA. Fortunately, my friend Melissa was kind enough to share some pictures she took last night:





Monday, November 15, 2010

The Nicest Weekend in Ages

Apparently, the minor concussion that I sustained the other day knocked the migraines out of me for a few days! At any rate, I did not have a migraine all the way from Thursday to last night. In the absence of migraines, I had the opportunity to enjoy life for a bit.

On Saturday, my friend Melissa baked enormous home-made cinnamon rolls and had a bunch of us over for breakfast. Afterwards, we all trooped down to the pet store to assist my friend Rachel in selecting another hamster (her previous one, Odysseus, turned up his little toes recently). The pet store happened to be having a puppy sale.

As I have mentioned before, I have been planning to get a second dog after graduation. When we were oohing and ahhing over the antics of dozens of beguiling puppies, however, I altered those plans. I happened to see the exact breed mix and color of puppy that I wanted, in the correct gender, and with the perfect personality. She was a charming little Shih Tzu, Maltese, yorkie mix with brindle coloring (brindle is a soft, subtly-mixed gray and brown that is quite attractive and prized in dogs).

This blend of breeds is an excellent one: Yorkies have the perfect size for an apartment and are easy to train; Malteses are also quick to learn commands and are very intelligent, devoted little dogs; and Shih Tzus, the clowns of the dog world, are playful, energetic, and full of fun. All three breeds are good for people with allergies (like me) and make excellent apartment dogs. When you blend them together, you get a fantastic little animal with the best features of all three. In this little girl's case, she got Yorkie ears with a Shih Tzu and Maltese body, and best of all, a Yorkie snout. As cute as Shih Tzus are, their snub noses make higher temperatures very unpleasant or even dangerous for them; Jasper was unable to take walks for part of the summer because of this. In short, the puppy was everything that I had carefully planned out to look for in a second dog.

Even though I knew it would only make not buying her harder, I had to hold the puppy. She took to me immediately, and I become besotted. In only an instant, she was MY dog. It's been that way with each dog I've owned as an adult; it only takes a moment to forge the instant first connection and to know beyond doubt that a particular dog is exactly the one for me. The puppy cried when I put her down, but I was still battling with myself, wondering if it were the right choice to get a dog right now. I knew my parents would say it was a mistake, but they've been dead wrong in that opinion twice now (with Mitzi and Jasper), so I ignored the Mom and Dad voice in my head. I chose to sleep on it.

After the pet store, I decided to check with my apartment building just to see if getting another dog would be cost prohibitive. It turned out, by the terms of the lease that I've signed (they've since changed things, but I'm under the old policy), I did not have to pay anything extra. Strike one in the puppy's favor. Next, I sat down and thought about the time commitment in house-breaking and training a puppy. I realized that after graduation, I will probably be getting a full-time job rather quickly (I already have three prospects, one of which is almost a guaranteed offer), which would not give me the time needed at home with a puppy. Right now, however, I am a week away from one break, then two weeks away from another. Next semester, I will be doing only theses, so there won't be any classes. In short, this is the ideal time for training a pup, since I am home enough. Strike two in puppy's favor. When my roommate got home, I asked her opinion, assured her that she would not play a role in house-breaking, and found her to be just fine with the idea. The decision was clear; the puppy would work out.

After working on homework (while visions of furriness danced through my head), I met friends for a delicious dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant. Mmmm, peanut chicken! We then drove up to Appomattox to the Appomattox Courthouse Theater, where we watched our good friend David and others perform in Sense and Sensibility. The play was very good, made even better by the fact that we ran into three more friends from church there and so had an even larger group enjoying it together. It was, in short, the nicest Saturday in months.

Sunday trumped Saturday. Rachel came over for our weekly tradition of Sunday Pajama Breakfast (we alternate houses), then we had a stimulating discussion about the emergence of Christianity in England in our Sunday morning class at church. In the service later that morning, Father Mike preached on one of my favorite sections of the New Testament. After the service, I was able to give my future goddaughter, Annora, her birthday present. She's into archaeology, so I got her an Egyptian archaeology kit/game that had her utterly delighted. I cannot believe my luck in getting to be godmother to such an awesome, adorable little girl!

Immediately following the fellowship time, Rachel and I headed over to the pet store, praying that the puppy was still there, unsold. Brian and Annora followed, eager to see "Aunt Stephanie's" new pet. With bated breath we walked in . . . and found the puppy still there. She had almost sold, but the other people had decided to sleep on the decision as well. I snatched up my girl, picked out some supplies for her (bed, blanket, dishes, etc. -- all of which, fortuitously, were on sale), and my life got a little bit more complete.

Little Éowyn (yes, she's named for my favorite character in the Lord of the Rings novels) had a surprisingly smooth first day. She had only one small accident; she went potty outdoors three times! She and Jasper had an awkward first hour (she adored him; he was terrified of her), but by the end of the night, they were prancing and playing together very nicely. Three friends came over to meet and play with her, so we turned it into a puppy and Disney movie night. Éowyn proved very affectionate and friendly to everyone. She shocked me by eating well also (usually puppies don't feel much like eating on their first day).

When it came time for bed, Éowyn, like most puppies, did a bit of crying when I put her to bed in her kennel (she has her little puppy bed in there, so it is not unpleasant). I solved the problem by letting her snuggle with me until she fell asleep, then putting her back into the kennel. I didn't hear a peep out of her for the rest of the night.

Jasper's New Baby Sister

Jasper got a new baby sister today. The little darling's name is Éowyn.


Friday, November 12, 2010

Wow!

I checked the total visits to the Lantern Hollow Press Writers' Blog for yesterday, and we made it to 1,160! Incredible! It was a great morale booster for all of us, as well as further evidence that people actually enjoy what we write and want to read more. There was considerable interest shown regarding Sidhe Eyes (my novel-in-progress), which is great. We're hoping to keep that interest building so that Sidhe Eyes gets a fair chance on the market once it gets published (July 2011).

My eye, as you can sort of see (forgive the lousy photo - I had to make do with a webcam shot because my camera battery is dead; hence the reason that it looks like my right eye instead of my left), is swelling and bruising beautifully. I may have given myself a minor concussion as well; yesterday, I started getting sharp pains in my hair around the area that got hit, and then had ringing in my ears and vomited a bit. Not the best way to enjoy an otherwise triumphant day. Today, aside from the obvious discomfort from my eye, I'm actually feeling all right. The swelling has gone down in my ankle, and I am able to put more weight on it, though I am still going to keep it wrapped and elevated for a few more days.

Only in My Life . . .

As you may recall from my last post, I had a bit of excitement last night. Between the swollen, sprained ankle, the migraine, and the puffy bruised eye, I slept VERY poorly and woke up feeling rather depressed. It looked like a horrible, painful day in store for me. Well, as it has turned out so far, I was only half right. Today has indeed been painful, but has at the same time been highly amusing and even a bit thrilling. And I have two body parts to thank for it all: my left eye and my right foot (interestingly, not the one that got injured last night).

To begin with, the fun caused by the eye:
At work, one of the women in my office, who teaches theater classes, noticed and admired my eye. The bruising has been growing steadily more colorful. With excitement, she asked if she could use me for a lesson in her stage make-up class today. They are currently learning to do bruises. So, I got to be a living model for the students to study as part of their lesson. They were quite delighted with the array of colors. How nice to be able to contribute something to the American theater!

And then there was the fun with the foot:
In my post for the Lantern Hollow Press Writer's Blog today, I wrote about my use of footnotes in my fantasy novel. To illustrate my post, it seemed appropriate to write "I love footnotes" on my foot, photograph it, and put it in my post. I figured we'd have our usual daily readership of about 60 hits. Was I wrong! My post was selected as one of the "Freshly Pressed" posts (sort of like "post of the day"), which means it got promoted on the Wordpress homepage. Wow! My foot (and my article) have had over 250 views already, and the number is steadily going up. If you'd like to read the article, visit "While We're Paused". And please, feel free to comment.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

WARNING: Do Not Wear Snuggies while under the Influence of Migraine Medication

I really, really, really hate being me sometimes.

Today, my migraine came later in the day, so aside from a blunder involving 34 misprinted reports (which, technically, was not my fault, but the computers), it was a good day at work. I have a very nice boss, so generally migraines are the only thing that makes work unpleasant (the stress issue is another matter; just comes with the territory, I suppose). After work, I indulged myself with a trip to Big Lots (yes, grad students lead very sad lives), where I broke down and bought something that I have been mocking ever since I first saw it advertised: a snuggie (you know, those blankets with sleeves). Yes, I am a hypocrite. In my defense, it was only a few dollars, it's super soft, and it really is an enjoyable item to have when you're knocked down by a migraine, which is exactly what happened within a half hour of my purchase. The snuggie and I bonded very quickly.

Unfortunately, Snuggies are very dangerous. At least, to me they are. While highly medicated, I was walking in my snuggie through my bedroom when suddenly, I tripped. The manner in which I tripped twisted my left ankle. Yup, the bad ankle. It swelled quite rapidly and is now pretty colors. Oh, and when I fell, I hit my face on the post of my bed. So, now I have the beginnings of a gorgeous black eye on my left side (it matches the ankle quite nicely). Naturally, that didn't help the migraine any.

Every once in a while, I hate my life. I just hope that no one gets suspicious and starts accusing my roommate of abusing me.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Twelve Days of Migraines

On the first day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Incentive against a PhD!

On the second day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the third day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the fourth day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the fifth day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the sixth day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Six deadlines nearing,
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the seventh day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Seven primary sources,
Six deadlines nearing,
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the eighth day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Eight reviews for skimming,
Seven primary sources,
Six deadlines nearing,
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the ninth day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Nine marxist historians,
Eight reviews for skimming,
Seven primary sources,
Six deadlines nearing,
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the tenth day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Ten things to forget,
Nine marxist historians,
Eight reviews for skimming,
Seven primary sources,
Six deadlines nearing,
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the eleventh day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Eleven previous studies,
Ten things to forget,
Nine marxist historians,
Eight reviews for skimming,
Seven primary sources,
Six deadlines nearing,
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

On the twelfth day of migraines,
My professor gave to me
Twelve books for reading,
Eleven previous studies,
Ten things to forget,
Nine marxist historians,
Eight reviews for skimming,
Seven primary sources,
Six deadlines nearing,
Five thesis meetings,
Four cups of coffee,
Three large aspirin,
Two computer glitches,
And incentive against a PhD!

Latest Lantern Hollow Posts

Today was my day to post to the blogs for Lantern Hollow Press:

On "While We're Paused" - I describe a recent technique I've discovered for making the writing process even easier by using music.

On the Character Blog - The latest update on my trouble-making piskie Renard Breen, who escaped from his story yesterday. He's now wrecking havoc on the unsuspecting world. Let me know if you find him.

On the Dark Character Blog - Mal DaPone, infamous magical mob boss is furious at that rogue Renard Breen, and is offering a reward for his capture. Apparently, Renard has been a busy piskie since he escaped yesterday.

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Website Is up!


The Lantern Hollow Press official website just went up! A group of us holed up at the Melton's for most of Sunday, working on final editing, and then Brian launched our beta version of the site (while we celebrated by watching a scary movie by candlelight). We're pretty proud of this early version, though someday we may look back and laugh (you know, after one of us manages to write a best-seller and we can afford to hire a professional webmaster).

"Passage—immediate passage! the blood burns in my veins! Away, O soul! hoist instantly the anchor!
Cut the hawsers—haul out—shake out every sail!
Have we not stood here like trees in the ground long enough?
Have we not grovell’d here long enough, eating and drinking like mere brutes?
Have we not darken’d and dazed ourselves with books long enough?

Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go, And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

O my brave soul!
O farther, farther sail!
O daring joy, but safe! Are they not all the seas of God?
O farther, farther, farther sail!"

~Walt Whitman, "Passage to India"