Ang

[Angie]

Heh... gonna start the Blog in disguise. PK's gonna dis-"member" me if I don't get my act together over here. ;D

Anyway... let the Bloggin' Begin!

School started today - YAY!! Poor kid looked like the kid in the TV commercial who puts on his bookbag and falls over backward. I bet T's bag weighed a good 25 pounds! He's finally at the magical age where girls become important for more than just the butt end of jokes too. He combed his hair without being told to, and put on deodorant! Yeah. What's with the pants these boys wear tho? This child has enough room in his britches for himself and an entire clown family. His boxers go up, his pants sag down - and the only thing saving him from alot of embarrassment in the middle is his belt.

After we got him out the door and swallowed whole by that great cheese wagon of parental freedom, our work started. It's August in Arkansas and the worst month ever for infection and sickness. We vaccinated and wormed the horse herd, doctored their scratches and scrapes with purple stuff that musta stung like fire, then cleaned and trimmed their feet. Next, we got after the doggies. Shots, wormer, and a dunk in a flea/tick dip. They just loved us for that. The chickens got medicine drops in their water, a cleaned coop, and fresh "scratch". The rabbits got shots and wormer, and a cleaned hutch. By the time we finished, every critter on the place was healthier for it. LOL We... well, we were stank-y.

After we got cleaned up, we went into town to a little antique shop on the square. This place was so jam-cram-packed with high priced stuff, I was nervous to just be standing there. Normally I talk with my hands, but I didn't in there buddy! LOL I bought T this really cool hand carved cedar box. You have to look close to even notice it has a lid, it's almost an optical illusion. The box top is cut tongue and groove and the lid slides in and out. The wood patterns were all carefully matched up, so you really have to look to even notice it opens. I told him it's for his little treasures, like girlie notes, his gold dollar, and owl talon. He thought the lid was cool too, and away he went with it. Gods only know what he'll actually put in there... I just hope it's not alive. LOL

Anyway, dinner's done now, I'm caught up on here (sorta, lol) and I'm thinking... family KARAOKE night!! Yeah! And if the guys complain - Steven Seagal movie night!! Uh-Huh, Uh-Huh, Uh-HUH! LMAO

~Ang

[Ang]

I’ve just been sitting around here today thinking of all the things I should be working on, and inventing new clever excuses to explain why I’m not. ;D This is the one area of my life where I’m feeling the effect of age the most. A few years back I could not have tolerated having projects unfinished, things out of place, or idle time on my hands. I use to be so bad I’d create a mess just to have something to clean up, or start an argument just to have drama to deal with. The older I get, the less important order seems, and drama - please. I’ve got all the drama I need just getting out of bed in the morning. LOL In a post on here somewhere PK mentioned something about it how it sucks to finally start to like yourself - then go through a change. I know what she was referring to… and yeah, that sucks too, lol… but just the knowledge the aging process is changing me is sucking for me.

I’ve heard people say that life doesn’t start until after 40... But ever notice, it’s always people over 40 who say it? ;D I mean… would you really expect them to admit it sucks? Not long ago a friend sent me a newspaper clipping of a picture that was taken at one of my high school reunions. I was laughing my butt off, making all these comments - oh look! This one is fat now! This one is bald! OMG - this one looks like her Mother now! And my daughter looks at me and say’s… Um… Mom… you don’t exactly look like your Prom picture anymore either. Sh’UP! No bad things! La la la la la la … I soooooo do not hear you! LMAO

I’m pretty sure my “coolness” is slipping too. I’ve hit that horrible place in life where the kids are coming up with subjects of interest I have no knowledge of what so ever. I use to be able to say, oh yeah… we did that too! Ain’t I cool? LOL Now it’s like, I’m sitting here in amazement, thinking… these kids are FREAKS, they’re crazy! That ain’t cool… that’s INSANE!! And instead of feeling a sense of camaraderie with their way cool Mom - I’ve caught the kids whispering to each other - “Shut up, you wanna give the old gal a heart attack?” LMAO So, I’m thinking okay, fine - so I’m a little dated and maybe not on the fad forefront anymore… I’ll be the coolest GRANDMA!! Yeah! But… somehow… this thought… just isn’t as uplifting as it should be. PK said something about aging like good whiskey, soothing to the soul or something along those lines. I’m thinking I wanna be more like a twinkie… a shelf life of at least 100 years - with no loss of freshness or flavor! LMAO

I did do one half-domestic thing today tho, I applied some cookage to a turkey. ;D I forgot to take that freeken' little nasty bits bag out of it tho, man I hate that! By the time I realized I'd done it, it was already too late to attempt a duche. It's bad enough to have to go in after that thing on a cold bird, I ain't about to try to dig it out on a 350 degree bird. LOL I'll just stick some parsley down there by it for garnish and tell the guys it's "stuffed". Noooo, I'm not that bad.

JT's had his attention span sucked dry by something on the History Channel and T's... somewhere... I'm sure. ;D And I have no clue what to do with myself now... which is the perfect excuse to do absolutely nuffin'.

~Ang

[PK]

I know what you mean...and to top it off, Chris tells me the other day that I am a stick in the mud. Of course he was about 60 sheets in the wind, done played lawyer way over his limit and worked on several cases...lol...so anything short of the excitement of driving for NASCAR would probably be considered 'stick in the mud' mundane.

I think the next time we are in the middle of 'fun'..I'm going to ask him "How's that for a stick in the mud?"..LOL

As for the whiskey thing..I simply meant that when someone tells me something...instead of "reacting with drama" I want to look at them and say.."Oh honey that's okay."...and mean it...almost. Or when I speak--everyone listens, the birds, the animals, people---because the wisdom that I spew forth is soooo worth listening too.....That's a hoot huh?

I want hot flashes in the winter...please. Life has not given me anything else I asked for, it could at least give me that...instead..I sit here in the a/c, in front of a fan, sweating like a pig...I wash my hands fifty million times a day because they just feel icky--feet feel icky. Cold baths (which I have never ever enjoyed) are heaven---but by the time I get dried off--I am icky again.

Remember when sweating had that sex appeal sort of thing attached to it?..what happened to that?

Remember when you hit puberty and your hair was always greasy and you had to wash it daily...then you hit your twenties and your hair looked better the day AFTER it was washed?..We back in puberty again. So I think that the change or menopause is just re-entering puberty---we have started backwards and next comes re-entering childhood. Oh yay! Gonna milk that one for all it's worth. Hell think I will milk the second puberty thing too.

I drink about half a gallon of water a day and still feel dried out--so I take a cold bath with half a bottle of baby oil in it and then feel greasy...er..soft...yeah that's it.

But, we are supposed to think positive and embrace this stage in our lives from mother to crone. Only the word crone sounds old...why couldn't they pick some other word, something mystic that sounds like it's dripping with wisdom and honey. What would that word be? Twinkie..sounds too gooey and fluffly. Dingdong fits, but sounds like you are not very wise. We will think of something. Help me out here...lol

Okay, that's enough talk about that. I am off to see the wizard...again.

[Ang]

JT has quit, for the most part, but not because he suddenly decided to make a change in his life... because his meds would kill him in conjunction with alcohol. But I'm thankful none the less.

PK knows my life history already, so I tend to take it for granted that everyone else does too. But for anyone who might be curious, or in the dark about something I’ve mentioned in a post - here’s a quick 411 on JT. I’m the only person on the planet who loves this man. LOL I’m serious! He’s been such an ass for so long to so many people - I think the devil himself has a chair at his side waiting for JT to fill.

He’s been shot in the head, stabbed in the chest, had one massive heart attack and 3 lesser heart attacks (or strokes), he’s an alcoholic, and will be on methadone treatments for the rest of his life. He takes enough anti-depressant to tranquilize an elephant, prescription pain killers out the wazoo, muscle relaxers, and about 10 different heart and blood pressure pills.

He’s as hard headed as a rock, stubborn as a mule, mean as a snake… and the love of my life. I’ve known him forever, been on again, off again, married, separated, on again, off again, divorced, on again, off again - married again - with this man practically half my life. And we have a total of 5 kids between us. He has 2 girls from a previous marriage, I have a boy and girl from a previous marriage, and we have a son together.

A lot of things happened to us both during the on again - off again times. So when I post something about someone other than JT - that’s why. They obviously entered my life during an off again time. LOL I know, it’s confusing. But hang with me long enough and it'll actually start ot make sense. In a nut shell - yu can love someone you can't always live with, you know?

~Ang

[Angie]

I’m gonna publish my book on the internet so PK can tell me how horrible it is. LMAO No, really, I need some way serious and constructive criticism. I’m pretty sure the language is a bit harsh, but what I need is someone to tell me if the grammar is decent - it can’t be “correct” because some of these people did not speak correctly, of course. But I need to know if the way I presented it is correct. If I have all the little “ and “ in the right places. Also, I have a very redundant - “Yadda, yadda.” He said. “Yadda, yadda.” She said. Instead of the word “said” every time, what’s some alternatives? He explained? She continued? He added? She countered? Can you end a quote this way? I also need to know if the story has decent flow. Do the words - as you read them - flow along, or did you catch yourself having to stop often and re-read a sentence or back up a word or two? And of course, is the story believable, interesting, and entertaining? I need to know. However, like the moron I am… my story was written, not typed. I got the whole enchilada to now type in, and this is gonna take some time. What I may do is publish a chapter or section at a time, so you guys can read and criticize that one while I’m typing up the next one. And I’ll warn ya ahead of time, this is one of those annoying books written backwards. The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning. LOL Anyway the title is: “Sunflower”. And I don’t wanna ruin it, but it starts with a guy who wakes up in his bed looking at his wife’s face. His wife has been dead and buried for a week. LOL

I’ll try to have at least chapter one up somewhere later tonight and I’ll come back here and post the link.

~Ang

[PK]

You know..other than the country hick thing...your life would be perfect on "Days of our Fucked up Lives"..
Man shot in head..survives.
Man stabbed in chest...survives.
Man has heart attack...survives.

Are you sure he isn't a Demira?..LOL..

As for the book. There is nothing wrong with he said and she said. Or you could throw in a replied occasionally. But the use to too many replacement words is seen as amateur---or so they told me.

If dialog flows well there is usually no need for lots of he said and she said...it's just understood when reading the story. Let me see if I can give an example...yeah right off the top of my head, this should be interesting.
Probably be very cheesy too.. ;D

Angela grabs a hot cup of coffee and strides across the manicured lawn towards the barn where JT is attempting to fix a hay shoot.
As she reaches the barn doors she looks up to see JT making his last adjustments, "How's it coming?"

"Oh, I'm just about done here," he replies, as he turns the wrench on the last bolt.

"You know that ain't gonna work."

"Yeah! What makes you the expert?"

"Cuz that's the same thing you did last year and it didn't work then either."

See, very cheesy but I only used one instance of who was actually talking with he replies, the rest was understood.

Honestly, I haven't written in over a year. When school started last fall, I sort of dropped everything else, reading, writing, practicing the craft, studying the craft. So I am rusty. But if you want a good site to get feedback (and it's free) go to www.writing.com.

You can also get a paid account, but the free one allows you to post some stories and get feedback. I need to sign into my account before they kill it if they haven't already. I haven't even talked to my critique partner in about six months. Pathetic huh?..LOL
But I will be glad to read over it too.

[Angie]

Oh man, I feel a re-write already. LOL See, I thought you had to end every spoken sentence with - something. Seems like some old crab ass English teacher or someone told me that. So very single spoken sentence in the entire section 1 ends with Paul said, Wayne said. I'll go back in and delete some of that, cuz it's only 2 people talking, and that shouldn't be very hard to follow.

Here's the link to chapter 1 - section 1
computerxclinic.com/sunflower.html

And yeah... it's a novel, I'd guess a good 500 pages if it were printed and bound in a book. Written, as it is now, it's a BOX - a beer box - full of notebooks. Front and back on each page. But I won't kill you guys with all that, LOL... if you'll just help line me out on a section or two, I should be able to do the first draft from there.

~Ang

[Angie]

As for Jt... gods above. LOL

Instead of writing a fiction book, I ougtha just write our life down. It's more dramatic than 90% of the crap I've been buying at Amazon.

~Ang

Oh! Side note: T's homework this weekend was to put 8 items in a little brown paper lunch bag that best described him. He put in a fishing bobber, because he loves to fish. He put in a Hot Wheel's car, he collects them and has over 3,000, a sugar cube because it reminds him of his horses, a plastic toy screw because he loves tools and making things, a blue crayon because that's his favorite color, an Eminem cd insert because that's his favorite music, a Dale Ernheart (sp?) trading card because he loves Nascar... and a picture of his Mommie. Awwwwwwww ;D Ain't that sweet?

[PK]

See, that's the beauty and horror of writing. It doesn't necessarily go with what you were taught as right and wrong in English class.

Re-writes? Uhm, get ready for like a million of them. You write your first draft, go over it once or twice, change a few things, put it up for critique, take some of those suggestions, re-write again, put it back up for critique, take a few of those pointers, put it back up for critique---okay, got the picture?..But, there comes a time when you gotta say, "Okay this is finished, even if it isn't perfect, it is finished."

I think after that point, you decide to submit it to some agents and publishers. If anyone accepts it, they have you do a ton of re-writes too.

I had one person pretty much rip me on the choice of words in my bigfoot story. It was not appropriate for kids. Well guess what? I ain't writing for kids....and yes people do speak the way I had it written. I do not know if the one line I refer to is still in there. I just found it on my disk and posted it on my site. It's when the guy realizes he is there with Bigfoot and he says, "Fuck the dog." I got ripped for that. Well, seems to me that if you meet Bigfoot face to face, you are not going to say, "Well golly geeze." An obcenity is gonna come out.

Later we will get into the whole format thing as well. Double spacing, preferred font, yadda, yadda, yadda.

[Angie]

Well... see, that's a big problem with this story too. Paul has a vulgar mouth and it's just the way he is - period. To edit that out would change the person he is completely. Wayne, on the other hand is much better spoken (rarely cursing). Paul is loud, curses with every sentence out of his mouth, always talking with his hands - flinging his arms all around. One of them redneck types that need a 40 acre field of space to tell a story. Further into the book, you could see how Paul's charachter develops and comes to life - it's a very important part of who he is. So I dunno if I could ever get this published if I have to change that.

Like I said, this is a novel too - that small little snippet I published to get started - is just that - a SMALL snippet. Gods - if I type and double space and make this right... I bet it could easily take 2 full 500 count packs of paper, maybe 3. Should I start removing "filler" right now? Try to cut the size down?

~Ang

[PK]

You will change and delete and add a lot of things as you type it up. I always do. Just go with what feels right while you are getting it into the pc, and then we'll see what happens from there. You obviously need back story to tell a story and create characters. Finding where to put that info is one of the keys of being a good writer, and then deciding what just really doesn't need to be said and delete it. Leave things for the reader to decide for themselves also.
That's one of the mistakes I make, I want to tell it all and get it out there. I'm still learning how to 'build' a story. I haven't read a book in over a year, but I get a lot of insight from that. Sometimes I miss the whole story because I am looking at the writers style and what they put where..LOL

My critique partner reads everything out loud. I can't bring myself to do this, but he's an old radio host so he is used to speaking into thin air...as you probably are as well. You may want to try that. I know when I send him stuff he's gonna read it out loud and save me the trouble..lol..

The opening line wasn't an attention getter though. It felt as though you started in the middle of a sentence. After that it got interesting, but you want your first line to grab the reader so they will keep reading. I'm really bad about reading one page and if it doesn't get me, I will never finish it.
Although I did force myself to read "Timeline" by Michael Critchton, and it turned out pretty good.

[Angie]

computerxclinic.com/sunflower2.html

Here's the link to the whole story line. This may help you understand where these little snippets are trying to go. I know it's looooong, it's a huge freeken' book. The damn story line alone would prolly be big enough for a large short story. LOL

And I agree, the opening line is way lame - I actually deleted the REAL line I started this story with (and it's too innaproperate to print here, lol). I may put it back to spice it up again. ;D

~Ang

[PK]

I forgot to login..hehe!

I like the story line. With that you almost have your cover thingy that you mail in to see if they are interested in your story. Of course, you'd have to shorten it and cut the details, but at least you have that part. Hell I wouldn't know where to begin to write my cover for a story.

I have quite a few writing links that you may want to stop by and get some tips from. That's what I do.

In just the outline you've done good with going back and forth and not staying on one thing too long either. I think it will be a great story.

[Angie]

You didn't think the ending was too implausible? It all hinges on it being believable that Belinda could have switched those bodies... and that a woman could be so devastated and upset by an affair that she'd go to such lengths to feel vindicated. The whole book kinda seems to deal with Paul and Kerri and the promise she made him make - but when you get to the end (hopefully) the reader will see it was all about Wayne and Belinda and the affair he had. Paul and Belinda are two completely different people with completely different agendas but are basically both working with the same “prop” - Kerri’s dead body. Paul was trying to do something with it, and so was Belinda. But like you said, by the time I get this all typed, re-typed, formatted, re-formatted, researched, corrected, la la la - it’ll probably be a whole new book anyway! LOL

Want a brain teaser? Check this out, okay? This is the homework my 4th grader came home with, yes… FOURTH grader. It took me over an hour to figure this out, the kid got the numbers only after I gave him the colors, and JT couldn’t get it all, period. LOL Whatever happed to addition, subtraction, multiplication and division - you know - the shit we actually USE in life? How in the world is crap like this going to benefit a forth grader - if it takes a 40 year old an hour to figure it out?
computerxclinic.com/homework.html

~Ang

[PK]

I'm not good with those at all. I would still be looking at it going "That bitch is crazy". I suppose it's supposed to make them think, but that's ridiculous. They could come up with better thought provoking material than that..LOL...

It's a brain teaser every morning just remembering who I am...lmao

[Angie]

Okay, turn down the lights and get your "snaps" ready - it's poetry time cats...
LMAO

(I like this one)
Warped and Twisted

Harsh words and violent blows.
Hidden secrets nobody knows.
Eyes are open, hands are fisted.
Deep inside I'm warped and twisted.
So many tricks and so many lies.
Too many whens and too many whys.
Nobody's special, nobody's gifted.
I'm just me, warped and twisted.
Sleeping awake and choking on a dream.
Listening loudly to a silent scream.
Call my mind, the number's unlisted
Lost in someone so warped & twisted.
On my knees, alive but dead.
Look at the invisible blood I've bled.
I'm not gone, my mind has drifted.
Don't expect much, I'm warped and twisted.
Burnt out, wasted, empty, and hollow.
Today's just yesterday's tomorrow.
The sun died out, the ashes sifted.
I'm still here, warped and twisted.

Heh. ;D

[Angie]

Walking Home

The snow makes everything look clean.
But the homeless pay for the facelift.
Under a white sheet they can't be seen.
Progress here is slow, death is swift.

Charity is only free if it's given away.
The soup kitchens are all going hungry.
He added to the unemployment rate today.
So, she'll be out there tonight for money.

Your eyes drift to her arms and linger.
She doesn't have the energy to turn them in.
You notice the ring there on her finger.
But you don't ask about the boyfriend.

Instead you ask if she’s been using again.
She say’s now that's a strange proposition.
You say you're only trying to be her friend.
She say’s give your money to the soup kitchen.

Heading home the snow's really coming down.
Everything is prettier if it's painted white.
She passes a man in a cardboard box on the ground.
She stops and hands him the money she made tonight.

With a shaking voice he says, "God bless you".
And inside she wonders if that applies to whores.
Sometimes she thinks God only sees what he wants to.
And the rest, well... She imagines he just ignores.

[Angie]

This one is my favorite...

Better Things

I'm told I'm destined for better things...
my kismet.
Sealed with a dry kiss, a drop of blood...
an eyeliner smudge.
Whilst I am shattering infinite mirrors...
trampeling angel fetuses.
My lotus a circle in my blind hunt...
for better things.

You can't hear screams through all this...
cotton wool
And I can't see past my insecurities...
mental armor.
Here I am still feeling trapped...
armadillo fashion.
Inside a woman shaped cage built
of better things.

Hand nearly frozen, pen shaped, mind unable...
to carry to term.
These poetic abortions meant to cleanse itself...
from want.
Idiosyncratic in my own indifference...
I drive for oysters.
Open my clenched and closely held hands...
and drop everything.

Heh ;D
~Ang

[PK in cognito]

I liked Warped and Twisted. It flowed very well, and even though it may be a serious matter, it had a hint of light humor...LOL

Ya' know, this thing logs you out every six hours..LMAO

[Angie]

LMAO ;D
Haaha, that is too funny. I was playing in photoshop, and made me a new avitar, this one's so crazy it's perect.

~Ang