a book I think all women/girls should read ...

A couple of years ago, there was a guy on VH1 who called himself Mystery.  He had a show about being and/or becoming a pick up artist.


The other day, I perused the titles available at the library this appeared on the shelf:

The Pickup Artist: The New and Improved Art of Seduction.

The man has truly observed human nature and done some serious studying on how women respond, in his words, beautiful women.  He reminds me of a character I wrote, Lester. Lester attracted all things female by merely breathing and women would beat down his door to get close to him.  Mystery is the actual manifestation of my Lester.

Despite the fact Mystery claims that there is no longer a need for a man to use a line to pick up a woman and that beautiful women are approached all of the time and immediately brush men off, the whole thing is how to get a 'non-line' line to work and how to pick up the beautiful women.

Other than the first and last disc, he pretty well spells out what works and why.  The first and last discs are a bit too much about the money, drugs, and the numbers of women who are more than willing to warm his sheets.

If you know a woman who is interested in dating and finding 'the one' it is a good read so you go in with eyes wide open.  It isn't a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination - but it is interesting to see what works, how and why.

fairy tales and point of view

Why do fairy tales seem to be written from the point of view of the heroine?

Why not from the point of the wicked or evil character?

Why don't we know what Prince Charming does when he isn't riding around on his trusted steed?  Is he bored running the castle?  Does he regret kissing the girl and being stuck with her for the rest of his life?  Did he take over for his gay brother who couldn't get married and provide an heir for the kingdom?

In the case of Snow White - what about the huntsman?  Does he do anything to keep her safe?  Did he ever threaten the dwarves?  Is he actually a body guard for them when they work in the diamond mine? 

In Sleeping Beauty - what about the fairy godmothers?  What did they do on a daily basis?  Is there something special they need in their diet to get more and better lift off?  Where do they get the fairy dust?  Who trains the new fairies?  How long did they have to wait to get their wings?

Is Jimminy Cricket really a cricket?  Couldn't he be a member of the media or a morals board?

These other points of view might be interesting ... or not ... but I dither yet again.

They always did say I was easily distracted

death of an experiement

The science experiment that started in the experiment has now officially died.  Several weeks ago, I discovered an onion sprouting in my fridge, something I had no idea they could ever possibly do.  It was thrilling to see something new come out of a partial onion.

With love, care, a lot of water and some tending, the onion was transplanted to a window box.  It continued to grow and thrive, for a while.  My experiment survived until the weather hit 110F.

It was a true cycle of life moment for me - just very sped up.

I saw it go from inception, develop into something completely different, and ultimately die.

I thought I'd try again with an onion I had hidden in the back of my fridge.  Sadly it molded before it could morph into a new life.

Maybe next time?  Thinking I'll stir fry something soon and use part of an onion.

Getting in touch with my inner eight year old?  Priceless.

the keys to my heart - sort of

I have a friend who is amazing, creative, charming, and sees beauty in all things.  (See Gone to the Beach)  She even found some old keys at a flea market.

Where I would have just seen keys or shaped metal, she saw the keys to someone's heart.  The key that might have kept a house safe.  The key that locked someone's most precious items in a special box.

I don't see the beauty as quickly as she does.  But I'm working on it.

The other day, I saw the keys above. 

There truly is a grace and an elegance in them.

hiding in plain sight ...

I consider myself to be lucky to have a (relatively) cheap hobby, writing.  Plot bunny breakfasts trying to goose the muse aren't necessarily free - but it is much cheaper than restoring cars that have running boards.  (Ok, so I don't know how old this car is, but I love looking at the lines of it - poetry.)

Anyway, the stories I like most to read have a twist - but not in a bad way. For example, I did a romance where the prince charming character turned out to be a dog.  There was another strictly from the point of view of a dog reflecting on life with his mistress.  I think I need to get more friends who have cats so I can increase my POVs.

Several of my pieces have been published in on-line magazines and anthologies.

Last year, I submitted several pieces to an Australian group, signed the paperwork, and heard nothing.  I knew they still had an on-line presence, so I just chalked it up to experience.

Turns out that they hadn't forgotten about me.  The project is now moving forward (insert Snoopy dance here) and they are ready to pay for the pieces they have used.

Houston, we have a problem.

The problem?

I have to write a 250 word biography, or shall I say autobiography. And I promptly went into hiding.



I learned the lesson of the Tall Poppy (also known as 'your head shall be no higher than the king's) well.  I like to stand out in a limited crowd, but have always feared (just a little) standing out too might get my head cut off.

Today's goal?  Write the biography and put the king on an extension ladder so I can stand at full height and not worry about the competition.