Offline for a week

I'm taking a short break from the blog. I should be back next Monday, June 1st.



Don't forget about me! :)

Honor the Fallen

Weekly Wrap-Up #5: Spend, spend, spend!

In the past week, have you spent more or less than usual? The same.
What was your biggest purchase? Probably the ticket to Disneyland for my youngest DS. The eighth grade goes as a class at the end of the year.
What made you decide to buy it? The obvious reason. It was $65 for the ticket and the bus transportation.
Do you typically mull over purchases or are you an impulse buyer? Both! That's bad, isn't it.
Did you enjoy the shopping you do or do you prefer to get in and out quickly? Depends on my mood and what I'm shopping for. I love to browse scrapbooking and craft shops, book stores.

Your turn:
In the past week, have you spent more or less than usual?
What was your biggest purchase?
What made you decide to buy it?
Do you typically mull over purchases or are you an impulse buyer?
Did you enjoy the shopping you do or do you prefer to get in and out quickly?

Big Bad Chuck

Thursday 13 is too much for me to deal with. I only do three. :)

Chuck Norris is an entertainment martial arts icon. I've recently become aware of Chuck Norris jokes that make fun of his toughness. Here are three that I thought were hilarious.

1. When Chuck Norris was born, the only person who cried was the doctor. Never slap Chuck Norris.

2. Chuck Norris' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd. No one fools Chuck Norris.

3. Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.

Video Madness!

I have become obsessed with this game. It's so much fun. The music is fun. The graphics are beautiful. You can't get bored because here is always something new, even after you beat the game. Crazy Dave is hilarious.

You don't want to start playing. Really. It's addicting. But if you feel the need to ignore my warning, go here to play for one free hour.

I've always liked Legos, so I thought this puzzle calendar was a neat item. However, the practicality of rearranging all the blocks every month...seems like one more thing to have to do. That's why I don't like those day planners where you have to write the days yourself. I like 'em pre-printed!

But if you have a little kid, it might be a fun way to teach him/her about the days of the week and calendars.

Your call!

Funny Kid Meme

My friend Robin Bielman posted this on her blog and I thought it was hilarious. It's twenty-one questions you ask your kids. I found it humorously enlightening. These are the answers my younger son (14 years old) gave.

1. What does your mom always say to you?
Did you remember to get your lunch?

2. What makes mom happy?
When I get good grades. Obviously.

3. What makes mom sad?
When Dad does annoying stuff. Wait. Sad? Getting a rejection from the Woman’s World people. Because when Dad does annoying stuff, you get annoyed.

4. What does your mom do that makes you laugh?
When she shows me something funny on someone else’s blog.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Short. (laughs) She didn’t have to wear glasses back then. I don’t really know that much else.

6. How tall is your mom?
Short. (snickers) I’m sorry. There’s nothing else I can say. (Obviously I've raised a smart ass.)

7. What is her favorite thing to do?
Maybe play computer games on her computer, the various games she finds on the internet.

8. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Same stuff she does all the time.

9. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Writing romance books, or just books in general.

10. What is your mom really good at?
Writing. And cooking. And yoga from what I can tell.

11. What is your mom not very good at?
Most video games. (Not true! I can kick ass at Plants vs. Zombies, Bookworm, and Bejeweled Twisted.)

12. What does your mom do for her job?
She puts all of her personality into making sure that the customers at Starbucks feel welcome and that they have a pleasant time at the store.

13. What is your mom's favorite food?
Lasagna! Wait… I don’t know! (I don't even know what my favorite food is.)

14. What makes you proud of your mom?
Raking in the bucks from the stories she writes for Woman’s World and for being such a nice person to all of her customers at Starbucks because some of my friends go there and I like to know they’re being taken care of.

15. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A mix of Pinky and that rat from Pinky and the Brain, a mixture of them.

16. What do you and your mom like to do together?
Watch the old movies and classic musicals pretty much. And speaking of that we really need to rent Chorus Line. (I told him we should see the play and not the movie.)

17. How are you and your mom the same?
We are both mildly funny with a positive outlook on life. (Hrumph. Only mildly???)

18. How are you and your mom different?
Height. Definitely. (laughs some more) I get she was a lot smarter than I was when she was a kid.

19. How do you know your mom loves you?
She says it everyday and she makes me very very very very very nice dinners. (Ah, even at this young age, the way to a man's heart...)

20. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Hawaii. Specifically the island of Kauai. The people there thought she was a native. (Well, I like Hawaii, but I think I'd rather go to Italy.)

21. Where is your mom's least favorite place to go?
I would imagine boats on the ocean. (This was the strangest answer he gave! I have nothing against boats.)

Weekly Wrap-Up #4: Research

This week's wrap-up topic is researching.

Did you do any sort of research in the last week? Yes, my brother and his wife are now writers for Examiner.com in Dallas. I'm interested in doing that for L.A., so I was researching what's involved and what topic I might take up. Since there are already a couple of Food Examiners for Los Angeles, I may try to specialize and be the Coffee Examiner.

Was it for work or play? Work. Apparently you get paid per click on your articles.

Learn anything you’d care to share? Some of the Examiners out there are not publishing articles within their topic. For instance, there were a couple of One Pot Meal Examiners that wrote about dishes that weren't complete meals, which is the whole point of One Pot Meals--that you don't have a bunch of dishes to clean afterward. Also, while researching a local coffee roaster, I cried when I read an account of how his beloved brother passed away from cancer.

Do you have a hunger for knowledge or are you more passive? I love learning stuff. I can easily get carried away for hours researching.

Do you like the learning (aka school?) I loved school. That's probably why I eventually became a teacher. If I had the time and money, I'd so go back to college and get a second degree. I would love to learn how to speak Italian.

Your turn!
Did you do any sort of research in the last week?
Was it for work or play?
Learn anything you’d care to share?
Do you have a hunger for knowledge or are you more passive?
Do you like the learning (aka school?)

Unnecessary Knitted Item

I saw this in my Real Simple magazine and couldn't believe it. It's a knitted coffee cup sleeve. Guess how much it retails for!

No, really, guess!

$18.00, no lie. I suppose there might be some eco-freaks out there who might drag this thing into Starbucks to use. (If you're one of them, I'll knit you one for only five bucks.)

This is the place where you can get the original if you want it. They also have slingshot pencils, hair clips that look like googly eyes, and tiny herb gardens whose pots are porcelain eggs. Those things are kind of cool.

Excerpt "Monday": Secrets of the Jin Hakku

A bunch of romance writers I know participate in Excerpt Monday once a month. The deal is we all post a little snippet of something we've written and read everyone else's. Last month it was a lot of fun, so here's Round Two! (Note: Because of technical difficulties, I have to publish this on Sunday.)

This 500 word snippet is from Secrets of the Jin Hakku, just released in print (the Torrid Topaz anthology) from Ellora's Cave. It's also available on it's own.

Warning: The following contains a whip, M/F/M, and anal mischief.
____________

“Look alert now, girl,” Kai said. “I have a potential buyer coming in a few moments.”

Again, Hana started slightly in surprise at this turn of events but recovered quickly. The slave market game was another of their favorites. Joran wondered which persona she would take on tonight.

“I told you before,” she said, lifting her chin imperiously. “I’m not for sale. You are making a grave mistake.”

Joran smiled as he handed Kai the quirt. He might have known she’d choose the furious princess after having just played the wholly subservient prostitute.

“My father will have you flayed alive when he discovers what has happened.”

“You have no idea how many others have claimed the very same thing,” Kai said. “It’s never true. Now listen carefully. This buyer has paid for a privileged assessment. Do you know what that means?”

Hana spat forcefully in Kai’s general direction. Chuckling silently, Kai leapt out of the way and exchanged a look of amusement with Joran before clucking his tongue and giving her rump a sharp taste of the lash.

“Ow!”

“Behave or you’ll get worse than that. Now hold still while I put this in you. He might want to explore your back passage.”

Hana hissed as Kai inserted the oiled konsu, giving it a slight tug to make sure it was set in place.

“There we go. Just in time,” Kai said. “Here he comes.”

That was Joran’s cue. Assuming an arrogant expression, he took her chin in his hands. Hana flinched, her nostrils flaring, but she said nothing. The reddened mark on her rear explained why.

“She’s a beauty, is she not?” Kai said. “Feast your eyes on this unusual adornment, how the dragons are poised to devour her.”

Joran grunted noncommittally. Grasping her throat with one hand, he took hold of her breast with the other. He squeezed it, hefted it in his palm. Hana turned her face aside, but submitted. Her nipples were hard. He flicked one of them with his index finger.

“Those luscious melons are as responsive as any you’ve tried before. I’ve had a turn at them myself.” Kai poked her with the handle of the quirt. “Arch your back, girl. Let him get his mouth on you.”

With a falsely apathetic sigh, Joran lowered his head and took a sweet, sweet peak into his mouth. Hana made a muffled sound as he sucked. Again and again he swirled his tongue around, teasing with nips of his teeth, pulling with his lips. When he finally let go with a smacking sound, her nipple was swollen and red and she was panting but trying not to show it.

“What did I tell you, my lord? If you think that was something, wait until you fuck that tight, juicy kachi.” Kai applied the whip lightly to her thigh. “Spread your legs now and be quick about it. His lordship doesn’t have all day.”

____

And here are some other folks who, like me, write hot. Click on the links to read some more interesting snippets!

Leah Braemel, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Evie Byrne, Paranormal (R)
Jax Cassidy, Erotic Contemporary (R)
Cate Hart, YA (R)
Inez Kelley, Rom Com (R)
Ainslinn Kerry, Paramornal Romance (R)
Elise Logan, Paranormal/contemporary (R)
Suzanne McLeod, Urban Fantasy (R)
Annie Nicholas, Paranormal Romantic Suspense (R)
Vivienne Westlake, Historical Erotica (R)

Ella Drake, Erotic Paranormal Romance (NC-17)
Kirsten Saell, Erotic Romance/Fantasy (NC-17)

Weekly Wrap-Up #3: Food Glorioius Food

TGIF! This week's wrap-up topic is Food.

In the past week have you had any restaurant food (whether deliver or you went out)? Yes, we went out for my BIL's birthday. A restaurant called Granville in Burbank. It was delicious! Mr. Kate and I shared: Caesar salad (yummy) and a thick pork chop, garlic mashed potatoes, and sauteed spinach. OMG. It was fantastic.

What is your favorite restaurant? I think it might be Macaroni Grill. It's hard to choose.

What is your favorite food? That's equally hard to pin down. French fries, maybe.

How often do you go out to eat/order delivery? About once every two weeks.

Your turn:

In the past week have you had any restaurant food (whether deliver or you went out)?
What is your favorite restaurant?
What is your favorite food?
How often do you go out to eat/order delivery?

Thursday 3: Going Green

Thursday 13 is the norm. I only do 3 because I'm lazy.

Here are three reasons why you should go to your nearest Kohl's store and invest in several of these reusuable grocery bags.

1. It's an easy way to be part of the green movement. Don't those plastic bags just pile up? We always used or recycled them, but now I don't have to do either. We aren't consumers of plastic grocery bags anymore. (And the way my family goes through groceries, this is a big thing.)

2. They are the most user-friendly bags I've found. The one I had from Whole Foods had a cardboard base, which was good. The ones from Vons were floppy, with no base. I didn't like the unorganized mess they made in my car. These, on the other hand, from Kohl's are absolute heaven!

These bags, like the Whole Foods bags, have bases, so when you fill it with packages of crackers, cereal or whatever, it has structure. Excellent. But, unilke the Whole Foods bags, THEY FOLD UP AND SNAP CLOSED into a neat, flat seven inch square. (You can see the little snap flap in the picture.) Oh, the ecstasy! The straps are also long enough so you can hook a couple bags on each shoulder, grab two in your hands and make it into the house with five heavy bags!
(I gave away my other substandard ones.)

3. Finally, they're only $2 a piece. I have six of these bags. That was an investment of $12. I look at it like a donation to Mother Earth.

Jason Stratham

While looking for a movie to rent, I happened upon Transporter 3. It looked good. But we'd never seen the first two Transporters. So, I opted for the first one. It was a total testosterone fest, but I really liked it. Jason Statham was fantastic as the taciturn, hard-as-iron, kick-ass loner who has a softer side. In other words, your perfect romance hero. Unfortunately, there wasn't any romance. But actually, I'm okay with that because if they'd tried to include a romantic sub-plot, they probably would have botched it. Better to focus on the real story and do that really well.

Just two days ago, my younger son and I watched Transporter 2 and we liked that just as much! I'm always surprised when I like a sequel as well as the first. Oh, there was a lot more that I had to roll my eyes at, plausibility-wise, but it was still a fun adventure. I'm really looking forward to number three.

Star Wars Silliness

This video made me laugh. It's the Star Wars saga retold by someone who hasn't seen it. Enjoy!

Roasted Pepper Pasta Stuffed Peppers

1/2 pound short whole wheat pasta
4 large red bell peppers, tops cut off and reserved, seeds
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
4 jarred roasted red peppers
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 small portobello mushroom caps, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 sprigs rosemary, stems discarded and leaves chopped
One 28-ounce can fire-roasted, crushed, or diced tomatoes
2 cups arugula or baby spinach (a few generous handfuls)
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

2. Trim the bottoms of the bell peppers, without cutting a hole, so that they stand. Season inside with salt and black pepper. Turn the peppers bottom side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, set the tops alongside and drizzle with EVOO. Roast for 20 minutes.

3. Using a food processor, puree the roasted red peppers. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the red onion, garlic, mushrooms, crushed red pepper and rosemary and cook until softened, 7 minutes. Stir in the pureed peppers and the fire-roasted tomatoes; season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pasta and toss. Add the arugula and basil and cook until wilted.

4. Preheat the broiler. Turn the peppers upright; fill with pasta. Top with the cheese and broil until melted, 2 minutes. Cover with the tops and serve with any extra pasta.

Weekly Wrap-Up #2: Gimme Popcorn!

TGIF! This week's wrap-up topic is The Movies.

In the past week have you gone to the movie theatre? Yes.

If so, what did you see? Hubby and I got away to see State of Play with Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. I liked it. I expected another governmental military cover-up story, of which I'm somewhat tired, but it wasn't. I liked that it gave the audience credit for having a brain. Helen Mirrin was excellent as usual. I just love her. Ever see Calendar Girls? LOVED that one. She's hilarious in it.

Do you frequently see movies in theatres or wait until they are out on DVD or TV? We usually wait. Movies are so expensive these days.

Have you ever gone to a movie during its opening? Did you wait in line? Do you get excited for movie openings? Yes. I saw Star Wars The Phantom Menace. There was a line. We drank hot chocolate from a thermos. I was teaching full time then and some of my colleagues and I went to the Too Goddamn Early showing and we drank hot chocolate from a thermos while we waited. Afterward, we went to breakfast and then staggered in like zombies to work. The act of going with my friends was more fun than the movie, which I thought was sub-par. I will sometimes get excited about movie openings, but usually wait to see them. I don't like fighting crowds.

Your turn...

In the past week have you gone to the movie theatre? If so, what did you see?
Do you frequently see movies in theatres or wait until they are out on DVD or TV?
Have you ever gone to a movie during its opening? Did you wait in line? Do you get excited for movie openings?