Melani Blazer

As weekends go, mine was pretty basic.

The highlight was laying a sleeping bag in the back of the pickup and the husband, daughter and I laid there for about two hours Saturday night, staring at the night sky. Why?

It was the night before the peak of the Perseids Meteor shower. I look forward to it every year, but this was the first in eons I actually got out there and did nothing but watch for meteors. There’s something so awesome about seeing them streak across the sky. Plus, we had some great family time, looking for constellations and trying to figure out what the heck is floating across the sky slow but unblinking. (Still intend to research satellites, cuz it’s our best guess…)

Did a grill out at a friends, watched Nascar and a little bit of the preseason football game. And wrote. Worked my way through a sex scene–one which had a huge impact on the future of the characters, so I wanted to make sure it was “right”. Now I’m back to writing plot and it’s flying. I love the muse when it’s like that!

Anyway, how was your weekend?

Monday again. How’d it get to be Monday already?

Last weekend, Angie, my dear editor at Samhain Publishing, mentioned the deadline was fast (as in superfast) approaching for an anthology. Somehow my brain read that as “CHALLENGE” and I scraped together a submission. While it does feel good to have things “out there” again, I really need to stop doing that.

Last night Shan and I were talking and she mentioned the Brava contest. I guess I don’t hang out on the right blogs or something. (Maybe because I read blogs on my lunch at work). Either I’d forgotten or never heard the Brava contest was going on, but seems I do have more time on this one… September 30th to enter. I wouldn’t even do it if I didn’t already have something “enterable”. I’ll be doing some reading and working to pick up a good 750 word excerpt.

Not writing wise, I’ve been helping the husband (and daughter) in the garage. The Chevelle is running. Well, it’s been running. Big joke is that it’s had GO power but no STOP power. That’s been fixed, we got a battery FOR the car and we actually took it for a spin around the blog block. Dang that car has some giddyup power!

I was really itching to do some photography this weekend, but didn’t make it. Had killer headache yesterday, plus it rained. There’s a gorgeous sunflower field just on the outskirts of town and I HAVE to get there and capture it. Of course, if I do, and anything’s worth sharing, I’ll post it here.

Well, that’s it. If I don’t get moving I’ll be late for work and I don’t wanna start the week on THAT note.

Ciao~!

My percentage keeps climbing.

Well, in a previous post I rambled on about life changing events. I can’t say I predicted this outcome, but it looks like things aren’t changing as drastically as I’d have liked. In a way, I’m glad because the option before me seemed very frightening and overwhelming. On the other hand, I’m ready to leave “This” situation behind.

The major news came Friday morning at the eye doctor. Seems I have an issue with my cornea and right now vision in my right eye is uncorrectable. Since I spend all day working on the computer, it means my eyes are about dead anyway, so I’ll probably cut back more and more on my online time at night. Bigger Poo. End result is meds for four months and then assessment and referral for cornea replacement and potentially an implantable contact. The whole thing sounds scary, but the end result is I’ll be able to see clearly again, YAY!

There is a plus–the muse has enjoyed writing by hand and I’m really making progress on my book. I hope I can get this one completed, edited and then address the companion/series books I have planned and then pitch the lot to agents. I’ve got so many other fun stories (to me anyway) out there, started, that are begging for my attention. I should be so lucky, eh? Anyway, I’m heading out to scribble my hearts content. I’ll be back with updates soon!

Happy writing and happy reading!

~Mel

If today were a scene from a book, I’d definitely be flipping to the back page to see the outcome.

But it’s not, and I’m reminded by the philosophy I’ve had since I can remember–and what really drove me through high school. Everything you do today will affect the rest of your life. Maybe in a good way, maybe in a bad way. Maybe in a big way.

Today I’m at a crossroads and hopefully by 5pm today, I’ll know which direction my life will take. Either way, I know it’ll have an impact on me. It’s always so frightening when you’re on THIS side looking forward. Yet tomorrow I know I’ll be doing one of two things. (I’m hating surprises right now…)

While I can’t go into more detail, I can say this doesn’t affect my writing directly. There might be some changes to my life that affect my online time or what I can dedicate to writing, but in the last few days I’ve come to see how much writing calms me and gives me a security blanket. It’s not going away, that’s for sure.

Plus, being in this position gives me the perspective I can use as a writer, to stretch my characters to their breaking point and give them live altering decision and events.

I’ll be back later to (hopefully) share good news.

ETA: Been and done. I’m exhausted and have nothing to report, other than I hate talking about myself. I’m going to predict things are more likely to stay the same than change, but at this point, it’s move forward waiting for the signal at the crossroads to change.

My husband and I often say that if we were rich and had access to a lot of land, we’d have ourselves a private animal haven.

I’ve decided the animals have learned of our goal, and haven’t bothered to wait until we have either extra money or space. We currently have four furry felines. We’ve been as high as seven. Currently there are no less than 4 squirrels who visit regularly and will take peanuts out of her hands. My husband has named them. Fred, George, Henry and Twiggy. The black squirrel, shadow, makes an occasional visit but is rather shy.

Today, after rolling out the hot rod and washing it, my daughter decided she was going to wash her father’s truck, which was pull oh-so-gracefully in the front yard. When she walked around, however, she spotted something lying in the sidewalk. Closer inspection yielded a tiny baby bunny.

I was able to walk right up to it. (Okay, I limped up to it, petted it, and then it bolted and ran smack into my bad leg…weird). Instead of running away, it ran toward my daughter who subsequently caught it and we put it in a box. We assessed it had no injuries. No momma bunny to be found. We live on a busy street corner very near a school. It’s not a good place for baby anything, much less something as defenseless as a bunny. There are young boys who haven’t quite learned it’s not nice to be cruel to animals. Leaving it would have been more wrong than capturing it.

We petted it, longed to make it a pet, but then drove it down about a mile out of town to a church that backs up to several wooded acres and let it go. Figured it was the right place to release, for lots of reasons.

I figure this sort of thing will have thing will have to come up in a book someday.

ETA: My husband just reminded me the most recent heroic moment was just last Friday night. We went to a car show held every Friday evening in a shopping center parking lot. It was crowded, with lots of people and probably nearly 100 old cars. Suddenly, I see a mouse dart out from under a car. It nearly ran into this guys shoe. I pointed to my husband and daughter, and by then, other people had seen it. As expected, there was a few screams, laughter and the typical 10 yr old boy wanting to catch it.
Boy chased it under a GTO. I got down on other side of GTO and plucked the baby mouse—it’s body was less than an inch long–off the concrete. My daughter and I trekked across the parking lots and behind a department store to release it into the wooded area back there.

I guess we are animal angels, eh?

What a week.

Good things that happened:
BS’d a little on the book I’m preparing for submission, figured out a tentative ending and completed a working synopsis
Went gambling on the riverboat and ….broke even.
Got a killer outfit on clearance. I love deals, but

Bad things that happened:
Realized I have no shoes to go with killer outfit and those will likely cost more than I spent on the clothes
Stepped off the curb (while looking up at pretty fireworks) and sprained my ankle. Got air cast from ER tho.
Yahell messenger won’t let me log in!!!

This weekend is the local Summer Fest parade, and Sunday is a “mud bog” (where men with big 4×4’s play in the mud) and my husband was asked to be the judge. Was looking forward to it. Now I get to walk thru sand with crutches and an aircast. Ick. Tho it’ll be a crazy time once I get there and seated.

Um….Been doing alot of writing. That’s what I’m supposed to do, I guess. oops .

So that’s my Friday rambling wrap up.

How was your week? Big plans this weekend?

First. please excuse the flyby. it’s 30 minutes after standard bedtime and I just finished a rough synopsis. My eyes are wobbly and I can’t stop yawning, but I defeated it, dammit. I won and I think the ending is…not crap, at least not mushy smelly inconsistant crap.

ew, sorry. bad picture, eh?

In other interesting news, my daughter got her permit and tonight was the first experience (well, not completely, but first on the road at speeds of over 15mph experience) of her behind the wheel. The overly bright but focus deprived child managed to speed, accelerate too slowly, stop too quickly and otherwise give her father in the back seat a coronary. I thought she did pretty good, considering my biggest fear was her staying on her own side of the road and not getting distracted by the golden arches as we drove by.

We made it home and my vehicle has no more scratches than when we left. Oh, but I didn’t check the back of the passenger seat. That might be where my husband’s fingernails are embedded. *makes not to put rubber in seat as well*

Have you been reading? I read Emma’s Living Legend. Complex, riveting and damn good. It’s a page turner. A book that makes you think, and yes, I definitely like those. Check it out if you can.

And what’s with Fourth of July arriving so quickly? We didn’t even go fireworks shopping. Kidlet and father might do that tomorrow during the day. It’ll be outrageous tomorrow night. Pray for me.

And with that, my pillow calls. G’night all!

I’m still sick. Tried work yesterday, they booted me and sent me home to hack here. Up again today and determining factor will be if fever is still with me. It’s either doc’s or work from there.

That said, I’ve still been trying to wrap the braincell around writing and finished Ch2 yesterday. *note: this is bronchitis. If I lay down, I cough and cough and cough. I have to sleep sitting up. So I’ve been propped up in my bed with laptop on my lap (or in my puter chair, reclined with laptop on lap), so please don’t go… huh, she can write but can’t work. ’sides, I have no voice and my job entails talking to clients in person and on phone. Not so possible…
(huh, me, defensive much? eh, well,…)

One of the reasons I did want to blog was to give recognition to Tony Stewart and a couple dozen other professional drivers who took a night off from their busy schedules to go charity racing last night. (Tony put it together, owns the track and from the sound of it, footed a ton of the bill.) The event was televised on pay per view, and all the money went directly to the Victory Junction Gang Camp (www.victoryjunction.org). This has always been a very important charity for me, and if you’ve read Trophy Girl, might have guessed it was the inspiration for Molly and Zander’s meeting place.

Anyhoot, I’m off to take the kid to school then diagnose my own day. Thanks for the get well wishes. Smiles make me feel better. (It’s the laughter that’s hell on the throat)

Why I feel this is the scariest cold/flu/sinus infection/sore throat overall ICKINESS evah…

1) I went to bed Sat night feeling okay. Woke up several hours later, wondering if I’d been abducted by aliens and then redposited back in my bed. I was fevered, my eyes were matted shut, my ears were popping and my jaw was….stuck. It ached terribly and brought tears to my eyes to finally work the stiffness out. When I did, my ear started draining.

2) I coughed so hard I was afraid my eyes would pop out. Then I coughed so hard I thought I might need Depends.

3) When I finally fell asleep this morning, I had the covers pulled up to my chin (was shivering). I woke up to a pin prick on my lip. A sharp, painful pinprick. Opened my eyes to find my cat, Hurricane, reaching out with his paw, nails slightly extended. Damn cat must have an insane sense of humor. ’specially because when I closed my eyes again, he repeated it.

I swear he was laughing when I croaked out some choice names…and of course, he was on the floor near the end of the bed, licking his paws, acting all nonchalant.

I’m actually thinking about writing. THAT, my friends, my prove to be the most frightening prospect yet.

2007 Indianapolis 500–caution laps (It’s much louder and they’re MUCH faster under green!~)

It was an unusual set of events that made it possible, in the end, I found myself holding four tickets to the Indy 500.

I’ve considered myself a lifelong race fan–following both Nascar and Indy car from the midseventies forward. I attended my first Nascar event in 1988, another since and a few pole days as well. The Indy 500 was always…so big and so…historic, I never imagined I’d get to go.

The weather threatened us, and eventually washed us out (we left early, mainly because it was a minimum 3hrs until race restart AFTER the rain stopped and we were parked about 3 miles from our car. There was limited room to stand under the grandstands, and although we had ponchos were wet. The biggest downer for us was the number of people who had been excessively drinking and behaving stupidly. We hated the idea of those jerks driving, especially given three hours of nothing TO do but drink until the race restarted. But we saw over half of it, and it was an experience that will last a lifetime!

My daughter used the voice record on her phone to catch the cars going by at race speed, and has that now as her ring tone. It rocks!

Today, we’re relaxing and recovering–the drive, the heat, the rain, the fact we didn’t eat more than a granola bar and apple pie from McDonalds from 3:30am until nearly 6pm probably didn’t help–we need it. Hopefully I can kick back later with some writing and wrap my brain around it.

Hope all of you have had or are having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. Thanks for all the troops, past and present, who make it possible to have this free country. Thanks to the families who have sacrificed as well. God bless the USA.