Anna C. Morrison

Update

2011-02-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

Hello, all! Sorry for the long absence. I've had some medical and personal concerns for the past almost a year. I'm back, but this is going to have to be less personal and more professional from now on. I'm working on another picture book manuscript currently, and I have some other projects underway. All is in a state of transition and flux right now. As soon as I have information about

Book Signing in Needles, CA

2010-07-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

If you are planning to be in the Needles/Laughlin area July 22, 2010 (next week), please feel free to stop by the Needles Branch Library where I will be reading Silly Moments and signing books. I hope to see you there!

Girl Cooties

2010-05-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

I kissed my son goodnight just now. And by that, I mean I gathered up all the love I had left in my chest after a long day of fighting a tooth infection after a night of restless sleep, and I offered it to him as if it were a bouquet of fragile lilacs freshly picked from a field untouched by ... wait, in order to be picked, they would have to touched by someone or something: human, machine, cat.

Silly Moments is Now Released!

2010-04-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/silly-moments.htm My first book has been released. Hooray! For ordering information, please visit the link above. Thank you!

Galleys Ready!

2010-03-10T11:20:00.001-08:00

I reviewed the galleys for Silly Moments last night, and I must say that I'm very excited! After this week ends, I should have some time available for ... well, for breathing. And that will be nice, too.

Coming Soon: Silly Moments

2010-02-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

As far as I know, Silly Moments is still due out next month through Guardian Angel Publishing, so I'm excited about that, and many other positive changes in my life that are due to start rolling in and affecting each other like dominoes any second. Please form a line to the right to be the first ones for autographed copies of Silly Moments, the first picture book from Anna C. Morrison, with

Clearance Racks

2010-01-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

I couldn't do it yesterday. The sitting on my butt part: I couldn't do it. I've been wanting some new clothes since returning to work after the surgery, and since I am not able to be as active as I would like, the new clothes need to be a little bit larger than the old clothes. Not much. But enough for me to breathe. I wish I could just lose the weight, and believe me, I've been trying, but

Hungry-Girl (.com)

2010-01-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

I have to post something, or I will lose momentum. I can't think for myself tonight, so I'll just pass on this great new (to me) web site. www.hungry-girl.com It's a free daily e-mail from a girl who is hungry and has found a lot of ways to make yummy food that isn't as fattening as you think it is. Lots of tips, etc. I'm still fascinated, and it's been about a month, so that says something.

Short This Time

2010-01-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a short blog to balance out the really long blog I posted yesterday. Cranberry walnut chicken salad rocks. That is it. Carry on.

Philosophical Question (and a reallllly long recounting of a dream)

2010-01-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

I experience an intense, vivid, and lately, an increasingly more active, dream life, as I may have mentioned before. Some dreams are nightmarish and irrational, others are placid and serene, and some are realistic and logical, rife with morals and symbolism. This last type of dream plagues me worse than one of the first type would because it feels like it is actually occurring, and the emotions

Hair, Hair, Glorious Hair...or not

2010-01-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

I am seriously considering shaving my head and just starting over. Okay, maybe not. But I'm sick of split ends and vicious, self-induced scissor attacks. The ladies at Supercuts pretend I'm invisible when I walk in trying to look incognito. They know my spiel. "I just wanted to take off a little here and there," I say. They sigh and do their best, but what I end up with just looks like

The Cost of Penmanship

2010-01-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Now that the holiday season is over, I can rev up again, ready to go the distance. Unfortunately, I reinjured my post-op ankle, so the limp is back in style, and the "good" ankle whimpers from time to time due to compensation. I know it will be two years from last June before I'm at 80% of normal on the post-op ankle, anyway, but I had made strides in recovery, and now I'm set back about a

Back in the (Blogging) Saddle

2010-01-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to follow the rules. I'm a person, not just a writer. I may blog about writerly things, or I may blog about personal things, or I may combine the two. I'm not going to worry so much about collective feelings anymore. Mine are enough, and they matter, too. I will blog when I'm available, and in the mood. And when I'm not here, well...I won't be here. I may not have time to

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all, no matter where you are or what you have planned today. I hope your day is fulfilling and contains all the sweetness life has to offer. I have been more than busy, but who isn't? There is still time to enjoy moments with friends and family, and always, there is always, without a doubt, ALWAYS, room for dessert! Here's some virtual pie for you this holiday season.

A New Smile for RJ

2009-11-11T11:56:00.001-08:00

This is a shameless plug for my friend, RJ. Here is the email that his better half, my friend, Tigger, posted this morning: "As some of you may or may not know RJ was kicked by a horse back when he was 18. 1 month after getting his braces off. It destroyed his mouth and the doctors and dentist were not the best when trying to get his mouth put back together. Anyway, 1-800 dentist is doing a

Say Goodnight, Gracie

2009-11-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

While my chest is still purple from the encounter with Byte, I thought it would be a good time to introduce the newest zoo member, Gracie. She comes from the magnificent Bracken's Bird Farm in Redlands, CA, where they discounted her because one of her toes is not perfect. I think she is just fine precisely the way she is. Don't you agree? Gracie is a grey cockatiel and is the new mate for

The Byting

2009-11-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

It was really cute when I heard the story of how the gecko named Byte bit someone I knew. It was less cute when I learned that she still has a scar on her nose. I made a mental note at that time never to pick up the gecko and hold it in front of my face. I never thought that letting it ride around on my shoulder would be dangerous. I guess I should have thought twice when it slipped down my shirt

Goldenrod

2009-10-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

Excuse me, please, for not blogging much lately, but I have a good reason, or at least, a few of them. I started another new book, one others will read in the future, not one already published. Yeah, I have a new child. Her name is Goldenrod and she is 6,300 words old. She's taking those first non-expositional steps and I feel I can trust her not to fall down the staircase without watching

Something to Say and Editor's Day

2009-10-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Anna, and I am in my thirties. A coworker reminded me that I only have today and tomorrow remaining to say that, so I am saying it in abundance. I am in my thirties! I am, I still am! I decided only to blog if I had something to say, and I think the above qualifies, don't you? Also, Editor's Day this weekend was awesome and fantastic and other fun, exclamatory words, and I am

Life vs. Blogging

2009-09-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

That silly little thing called life keeps getting in my way of the truly important things, such as blogging. Today at lunch, I plan to catch up on as many of your blogs as possible, because frankly, I am in withdrawals. Even coffee and Nutty Bars can't console me. I must satisfy my blog addiction with blogs, and only with blogs. It's like trying to quit smoking by sucking lollipops. It

Constant Characterization

2009-09-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when I watch a movie, or read a book, one thing will stand out to me and grab my attention. This time, it was a movie again. I'll Believe You is one of those movies that Netflix has decided to grant streaming priveleges to for a while. Catch it while you can! I did, twice.What really hit me about this was the characterization. Each character is distinct and constantly acting as

YAY, SHOES!!!

2009-09-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

YAY, SHOES!!!Each day, I can wear them a little longer than the last day, and they have built-in arch supports! Okay, enough about my feet. Thx for your encouragement and support! I knew this day would come. It just took its time getting here.

Sent from my PDA as kind of an experiment

2009-09-13T13:58:00.001-07:00

*Note: Apparently, when blogging from my PDA, I can submit blogs without titles! LOL And here are the shoes. :-) What a great day!!! I don't know how to save the spacing, though, so let's just consider this an experiment that is, shall we say, a tad avant garde? I slept blissfully through the night and slipped on my brand new real people shoes which are pink and grant wishes. The shoe

To Walk or Not to Walk

2009-09-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging lately, sorry, but I had plenty of time at two separate doctor's visits yesterday, and the auto shop the day before, to observe humanity, to read, and to curl inside myself and hide while my foot was poked and prodded and pulled. Unfortunately, there is an issue with the lack of authorization for physical therapy, and my ankle is not where it should be on the healing

Fail Cake

2009-09-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

Or should it be Cake Fail? Either way, it's a disaster. Delicious, but still in ruins. Kind of like life sometimes, when it is crumbling apart around you, but still holding on to surprise goodness when you least expect it. I offered to bake a cake for my son's friend's birthday. He wanted chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, and Pikachu on top of it. No problem. I bought the Pikachu

Storm

2009-09-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

A storm passed through on my drive to my house after work last night. It was magnificent, powerful and sudden, like a stallion galloping through the sky. And then, just as suddenly, it was gone, and all we had left was the faint scent of moisture in the ground before the desert sun evaporated it. Sometimes I feel like creative energy is much the same. Right now, I can only smell a hint of it

Hero

2009-09-02T14:20:00.001-07:00

A coworker helped me out today with doing some intricate accounting maneuver that involved paying another department for subpoenaed records so that we can actually receive them. I told him he had earned the title of hero for me today. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough. Here was his response: “What does that say about yesterday? Or tomorrow?” Let’s see, yesterday’s hero was definitely my son,

The Visuals

2009-09-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here are the visuals from yesterday's awards post: Thanks again, ladies, and enjoy passing these along to other bloggers.Sorry I don't have much more to say today, but I'm really tired. The dogs kept me up all night again, and the smoke in the air makes breathing a chore. I also tried to walk too much yesterday, and my ankles are complaining. Enough whining from me. Enjoy your day, and I'll try

Awards? Wow, thanks!

2009-08-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you to Lazy Writer for the Splish Splash Award for those who have dazzling blogs. Also thanks to Fiction Groupie for the Super Comments Award. I need to pass the Splish Splash award on to other bloggers now, who also blink like diamonds in the sea of bloggerdom. I am still fairly new to Blogger, having been a myspace blogger for far too long, and so I am touched that you guys

Have a Fun Weekend!

2009-08-28T22:43:00.001-07:00

En Media Res

2009-08-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

You know how we, as writers, are supposed to always begin our stories with the main character's moment of change, otherwise known as throwing the reader into the tale en media res? I found a glowing example of this in a movie I watched last weekend, and I thought I would share its brilliance and simplicity. Since I like to have backstory clearly defined in my mind, and usually need to be reminded

Health Not

2009-08-27T08:01:00.001-07:00

I was filling out an emergency information form at work today, and one of the questions was the name of my medical insurance carrier. Instead of writing “Health Net,” I wrote “Health Not.” I did not mean to say that, but there you go, the truth slipped out.Yesterday, I wrote a scathing letter to my primary care physician with a cc to Health Net Member Services

Brains Devoured

2009-08-25T19:34:00.001-07:00

Zombies ate my brain. I was in a meeting all day today, and not one of those fun ones where people talk about books and writing, but one where they ask me questions relating to database restructure. Hopefully, my grey matter will regenerate overnight. ~hits pillow facedown~ Zombie Letters from e-zombie.com

Editor's Day at the Santa Ana Zoo

2009-08-22T07:34:00.001-07:00

I am so excited that I am recovered enough from surgery to attend this year's Editor's Day at the Santa Ana Zoo in October, hosted by SCBWI! Last year, I could barely walk. Now I can still barely walk, only with the boot and the crutches, but it's a better situation, and I think I can make it through a full day of walking around by that time.I heart SCBWI events. It almost killed me not to

Be Careful What You Ask For

2009-08-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

I wanted a dream that I could use to start a story, or just for a story idea. I didn't count on an epic dream involving mysterious characters in the snow and possible zombies. The anti-hero is almost too dark. He scares me, but not the heroine, who is better than me, and is gutsy and clever, and she will persevere. And zombies? Hey, that's nothing! It will be a fun story to complete.I

Keep on Blogging

2009-08-20T16:10:00.001-07:00

As a follow-up to yesterday’s entry, the dreams from this morning were not as conducive to fiction as the one from yesterday. All I could remember from the time before the dogs woke me up at 1:22 a.m. was thinking that a giant, juicy spider was lodged between my little toe and the one next to it, and was biting me repeatedly. Then, two and a half hours later, when I finally went back to sleep

Killing a Character

2009-08-18T09:06:00.001-07:00

Oh, so sweet, the satisfaction of a character well-offed. Lately I discovered that I do prefer car accidents over other means, but that could be due to (non-death-related) personal experience in my younger, more impetuous, days of driving. I also like to send my characters off into the unknown where they are never heard from again and speculation runs rampant as to their whereabouts.

Nothing to Wear

2009-08-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

I looked through all three closets today, and my dresser. I don't know what I'm going to wear to work tomorrow. ~sigh~I went through dresses, capris, pants, skirts, suits, fancy dresses, casual dresses, silky shirts, cotton knits, embroidery, flounces, pencil straight skirts with pinstripes, pants in black, navy, khaki, and chocolate brown (there are no other good colors for pants in my world),

Putting a Gag on the Inner Critic

2009-08-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Me, sitting down to type, mulling through piles of ideas in my head.Inner Critic: You can't write that! Me: Why not?Inner Critic: It's not literary enough! It's too personal! It's too deep! It's too shallow! It's not funny! It's raunchy! It's not for kids! It's not even for adults, that one, really, you should just ctrl-a and hit delete, for the good of mankind, go ahead, do it now, I'm

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

2009-08-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling the crunch of the economy. Right between my teeth. Personally, I prefer creamy, but my son insisted on using up the extra crunchy first for our sandwiches today. He is on a field trip to a nearby lake with his summer day camp class, and needed to brown bag it today. I thought that since I was making his lunch, I would have the same lunch, and it would be ALMOST like having lunch

Night of the Living Crutch

2009-08-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't been as available to the blogosphere as usual lately, and that trend shows signs of continuing indefinitely, so I apologize to any fellow bloggers who may feel slighted by the absence of my comments. I shall attempt to make it up to you in bits and chunks, as time will allow. And thank you for permission to ramble.And now for some random anecdotes in no particular order:1) Halfway to

Rambling Woman

2009-08-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

So my friend from the river calls me today and asks how I'm feeling. She says she tries to keep up with my blog, but she gave up after a while because, really, I ramble sometimes.So I'm not rambling today.That is all.Note: If you are viewing this blog post via Facebook, I would appreciate it if you would comment on the original blog post instead of the note. Thank you!

Movies Based on Books from My Childhood

2009-08-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Kid: Mom, there are lots of movies about books when you were young that are...well, they're GOOD!Me: Yes, movies sometimes start that way, you know.Kid: How?Me: As books!I know, it's hard to imagine. And I do think I have a glisten or two of youth left in my frail bones.Today we watched The Phantom Tollbooth, starring Butch Patrick, produced in 1969. I explained to my offspring that this was

A Tribute to The Phantom Tollbooth

2009-08-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

I decided to re-read The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I don't remember a lot of it, so I'm re-discovering as I go along. Do you remember Milo and Tock? Milo is "every boy," or "every child," and he is consumed with boredom and laziness. Ennui rules his every breath. (I just like that word. Say it with me: ennui. Don't you feel sophisticated?) Tock is a Watchdog. Literally. A

FrankenAnkle Strikes Again

2009-08-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Just call me FrankenAnkle. Go ahead, it's got a good ring. It sounds better than FrankenFoot, although there is technically nothing wrong with that name, either. It's slightly less exciting than the WereVampire, which is a character in a book my son and I thought of together and is more or less written in our heads. You see, a werewolf was bitten by a vampire, and, well, that's pretty much

Trying to Do Things By Myself Again

2009-07-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

Good advice from Angel: When something's stuck, don't pull it so hard!That could apply to so many things. In this case, it was my bra, stuck in the dryer. When I pulled it out, the wire hook pretzeled out of all recognition. Angel tried to fix it, but it just looks like blue miniature playground equipment for a flea circus now. I should have waited and asked for his help.That's a huge lesson

What I Should Be Doing Today vs. What I Actually Have Done Today

2009-07-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

Things to do today:Contact pharmacy. List stuff on ebay to sell. Bake a cake using the ancient frozen strawberries that are taking up room in the freezer. Apply for more adjunct positions at online colleges. Write out "what each character wants" for one of my WIP's. Do character mapping for same WIP. Return a phone call. Stay awake. Write a blog. Design a t-shirt. Redo my web pages.

This boot was made to walk all over you.

2009-07-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

It was a mistake to think I could accomplish anything practical during recovery. I am forced to believe, finally, that the body really does need the time off just to rest. My plans for getting some writing done flew out the window. My brain is made of mush. The consistency of the mush changes throughout the day. Right now, it is firm enough to allow me to type. About three or four o'clock

Let's Hear it for the Boy!

2009-07-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

Since my kid will be with his father on his actual birthday and for a few days afer that, we plan to take him out and force him to have loads of fun TODAY! He will be eleven soon, but some days it seems like he will be 24 much sooner. He has been such a helper since my surgery. He has learned responsibility and cleanliness and many lessons in patience. He now knows how to sweep, clean the

Coming Soon: Book Reviews

2009-07-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

I will be posting children's book reviews on this blog shortly. If you are interested in submitting a book for review, please contact me at reviews@annacmorrison.com. It would be nice to offer brief interviews with the authors, as I have seen others do on their blogs. If you are interested in that option, please let me know, as well.While I await your manuscripts, I will be reading all the

A Day at the Fair

2009-07-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, this is the best of the three pictures taken of me at the OC Fair yesterday afternoon. The other 124 pictures are of the boys having a tremendously good time in the carnival section. That is the only section we visited. We didn't get to see Al's Brain, even though we are big Weird Al fans. And yes, I am in a wheelchair in public here for the first time. There is no way I could

Are You on Quack?!

2009-07-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

We often kid with my kid that he's on crack, meaning sugar, because that is his drug of choice. He gives hyperactivity new meaning. Speedy speech, eyes darting, he becomes the life of the party, even if we are just sitting in the car. It doesn't take much sugar to bring him to this state of supernatural bliss. He craves sugar as strongly as I need coffee in the morning just to unsluggify my

Silly Soon!

2009-07-13T17:18:00.001-07:00

I was granted a glimpse of possibilities for the cover of Silly Moments today, and I am so excited! I can't share with you, but I can just say that the book and the coloring book and the t-shirts will be available soon, so please hold on and don't forget about Silly! It's going to be a baby's picture book, so it's geared for ages 0-7, and I may be a little biased here, but I think anyone of any

Tribute to Friendship

2009-07-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Diane's funeral/memorial service is Saturday. Her body was cremated, so there was no rush. She passed on June 23rd. Three weeks is a long time to wait, and a long time to think. I put off my tribute blog for a while, but did write it last week, when she wouldn't stop bugging me to do it. Today, at lunch, she was sitting next to me again, as if to say, "Remember when we used to do this?

I Can Has Pain Pill?

2009-07-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

Reasons why I should have stayed in bed today:1) My laptop is unhappy, and rebelling at every chance. It needs to be restored, but I hate to lose stuff, so I have been putting this chore off. I can't put it off anymore. It will be a clean slate tomorrow morning. No more freezing. And I can't wait to be able to print again, and view pdf's!2) I burned my arm on the waffle maker this morning,

Why is it always about the food, anyway?

2009-07-06T13:55:00.001-07:00

What is it with me? All I can think about lately is food. And that's what I write about, too. Not just here in my blog, although you may notice that I was tagging the blogs with whatever I was consuming at the time of writing, but also in my fictional works. Apples are everywhere. As I sat down to plot out Seneca, I realized that I named her after an apple. In Freedom of Sandals, apples are

Doctors and Wheelchairs and Yogurt, Oh My

2009-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone's Fourth of July was fantastic. My kid acted up, so it was a fizzle-out for us until fireworks time, which was pretty fun. It's still hard to get around, even with the knee walker, and when the cast presses on my heel due to gravity, it causes me to grow weary and sometimes a little bit crabby. So, a couple happy pills later, we made it through to the day after the Fourth of

Castitude

2009-07-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Castitude. It's an attitude of gratitude induced by leg-cast-wearing humility. Castitudinations for today include:1) Taquitos and sludge.In our search for "real guacamole," we failed. The good news is it's so awful that Angel won't eat it and that leaves it all for me. Wait. That's good news? The real good news is that I am able to knee walk myself to the kitchen and warm up my own taquitos

Pictures

2009-06-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the case of Silly Moments, the sketches I received this morning are worth more words than can be contained in any dictionary! I am so excited! AND there will be a coloring book edition of the book, as well as the illustrated version! So much fun! I am so pleased. The sketches display the vitality of the book, along with the homey

Diane

2009-06-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to devote a blog to Diane. I wasn't going to share how I feel with anyone. After all, these are my feelngs, and if I choose to keep them to myself, who's going to stop me? Who's going to care?She would. She does. She cares. That's her, always caring, for everyone. She is here right now with me, I don't care what anyone says. I can only touch her with my thoughts and

Fax: Stranger Than Fiction

2009-06-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

And the adventures of a reluctant patient continue. When I was last at the orthopaedic surgeon's office, I was told I needed four things: an X-Ray before the next ortho appt., the film or disk of the X-Ray, an appt. to see the ortho again, and then to go to the place where the CAM boot will be fitted and then given to me. In my Norco-induced haze, I attempted to communicate through the pain

The Road Less Traveled

2009-06-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Katie took me and the boys to the doctor's office for the fateful appointment. Because I predicted painful stitch removal, I took a pill for pain before we left. By the time we arrived, an hour and a half later (because that's how far away it is), I was loopier than a loon, shaking, and trying not to vomit. I also used the knee walker for the first time to get from the car to the

Untitled Blog Blurb

2009-06-24T17:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Diane passed away in her sleep. Amid a flurry of phone calls, I decided not to blog about it. Instead, I chose to talk to her in my mind, and I said everything I needed to say. I'm not going to repeat any of it. Or at least I'm not ready to divulge how I feel about this situation. I may never be. So be it.On another note, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, early, to

Grocery Shopping in the Bedroom

2009-06-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

I thought I did the grocery shopping online. I mean, well, I guess I actually did do the grocery shopping online. It took over an hour. I might as well have been at the store, with all the "browsing the aisles" and "shopping from lists" I did at albertsons.com.I even updated my preferred member card number and provided a correct mailing address (I usually don't bother).I sat here with my leg

Just When You Thought it was Safe to Sleep Through the Night

2009-06-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

So, you know, the pain has been decreasing gradually. I kind of thought I might not need the pain pills as much anymore. It would be great to be able to control my thought patterns again and see the world through clear eyes. However, I still set the alarm on my son's phone to alert me every time a pill was due. What I didn't remember was that I gave him that particular phone because the

another day in the life of a recovering ankle patient

2009-06-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

More on the recovery process, for my own notes as well as for anyone out there who is contemplating pttd surgery or anything like it, or has gone through it and can commisserate. There are most likely similarities with many procedures. I did just take a pill, and am trying to use my lucidity to my advantage. While I may be able to type in complete sentences with a minimum of effort, speaking

trying to document the experience for later

2009-06-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day since the surgery on Monday that I feel anywhere near coherent enough to attempt to describe even part of the experience. And this feeling is temporary, as I have a pain med due in four minutes, and I have learned not to wait or delay those pain med deadlines.Let's just say that the pain was unbearable at first, then the nerve block at the knee down to the ankle wore off,

Thanks and More Thanks and Then Some More Thanks!

2009-06-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone. Everyone. Just everyone. For being my friend, for loving me, for putting up with me when I am difficult (I know I can be, sometimes), for reading my blogs even when they don't make sense, and for everything and nothing in particular.A special thank you goes out to everyone who is wishing me well for the surgery on Monday.A specific thank you goes out to each and every

Surgery Right Around the Corner

2009-06-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

I’m as ready as I’m going to be. Petrified, but ready. Almost everything is accumulated and sitting next to the front door. The lizards are on their way to Phil and Lori’s house. Jim will watch the other zoo occupants, and the house, while I'm gone. I don't know when I'm coming back. AJ will be at his dad’s for a little while for his normal visitation. Katie will take me to surgery and

Five things? Maybe four.

2009-06-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

First, a correction: Silly's new illustrator's name is Marina Movshina, and her website is here. More of her artwork is available there than at the other link. I'm so excited! Second, now my time off work has been extended to eight weeks. I'm kind of bummed, because that means I will go without pay for a portion of the time I am recovering.Third, my lovely carrot that was dangled in front of

And then...

2009-06-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

I must have done something right with all that follow-up with the doctor's offices today. I received a phone call with notification of a surgery date. It will officially be Monday, June 15. My pre-op appointment is this coming Monday, June 8. I have to make a list of questions to ask at that appointment. Any suggestions? Something I might not think of, being unfamiliar with the medical

The Surgical Saga Continues

2009-06-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

I decided that since it had been a week since I asked about an upcoming surgery date, I should call and ask for a status update. I made three separate phone calls and was placed on hold and transferred a few times. I found out that the ortho was waiting for authorization. The person at the ortho’s office told me, “You know they will call you, right?” And then, when I forced her to look up the

A Perfect Mission

2009-06-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Fourth Grade in California means that you learn about California history. Namely, the missions. Everybody gets to build a mission, see a mission, write a report on a mission, eat, breathe and sleep MISSIONS! And I love the missions. I think they are serene and unspoiled (except by earthquakes), and I love the architecture and the gardens.So, we went to see Mission San Juan Capistrano, and we

New Illustrator for Silly Moments

2009-06-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to be able to take the last six minutes of my lunch break today to introduce the illustrator for Silly Moments, who I haven't even met, but what the hey, here she is. I believe her name is Maureen Movshin Brodsky, and I think her watercolors are fabulous! I am looking forward to seeing Silly come to life under her expert touch.The day just got a million times better with this

calcaneal osteotomy, et al

2009-06-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm thinking in Latin. What do you expect? I'm surrounded by attorneys all day. But this is more of a medical term, specific to my poor heel, which is near my equally poor ankle. I can't sleep. I don't feel like eating. My surgery will be scheduled soon.If you wish to see what a calcaneal osteotomy looks like, click here. (Not for the weak of heart, stomach or spleen).I am also

Idiot Central Medical Group

2009-05-27T11:35:00.001-07:00

Mysterious phone message last week:Unknown Female: Hi, this is Idiot Central Medical Group, calling to let you know that your referral is ready. If you have any questions, please call 1-800-WE-SUCK.Me:Ignore.Mysterious phone call yesterday, around 2:00 p.m.:Same Unknown Female: Hi, this is Idiot Central Medical Group, calling to let you know that your referral is ready.Me:What is this about,

Sugar for the Ham

2009-05-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last night was AJ's school's spring musical, where all the kids in the elementary portion of the school dress up and sing, along with some choreography, while a few of the older children perform a skit. AJ dressed up from biblical times, like everyone else, and stood in the front row, hamming it up before the acts, during the acts, between the acts, and after the acts. He was wonderful. I took

Cookie Pops

2009-05-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

Last night, I sacrificed some sleep so I could turn out these cookie pops for the bake sale at AJ's school today. I know, I could have baked them and assembled them and then froze them ahead of time, but there's no time like the last minute. Deadlines make life that much more thrilling. Woohoo!AJ picked out the cookies he wanted me to make from The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook that I love. They

Breast Friends T-Shirts

2009-05-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's good cause time again here at Anna's playhouse. If you are a student, past or present, of Spalding University, chances are good that you received an e-mail regarding the 40-year-old single mother battling breast cancer. Seeing as how I am an inch away from 40 and a single mother, myself, this really hit home. This could oh so easily be me--or you or you or YOU!If you would like to help

Days of Friskies and Bonkers

2009-05-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Chessie and Toby, circa 2006. Together again, 2009.

Wham Wham Wham

2009-05-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

That's my head against the wall. The brick wall. Wait, I can still feel pain. Wham! Good, now I'm nice and numb. Why would I want this numbness, you ask?1. My work week has been reduced by four hours for the entire fiscal year, beginning June 20, 2009.2. The stupid idiot doctor's office ordered an MRI for the wrong body part, which I cancelled. Idiots.3. Yes, the cat has cancer.And that

Literature Map

2009-05-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

I found this link on the current Spalding MFA Alumni newsletter also found at www.spaldingmfaalum.com.www.literature-map.com"What else do readers of Douglas Adams read?The closer two writers are, the more likely someone will like both of them. Click on a name to travel along."If you enter an author's name, a cloud of related authors will appear. Some of the names are surprising. Others are

Venn Diagram

2009-05-12T14:48:00.001-07:00

I have three cats. 'Nuff said.see more Funny GraphsI don't know why "don't" wants to fade off the page, but it does.

Poor Chessie

2009-05-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Poor Chessie, my 15-year-old cat. Thursday night, I discovered a golf-ball-sized lump under her right cheek that was squinting her eye shut and causing pink discharge to puddle next to her nose. It had sprouted apparently overnight. She smelled like trash left out in the sun for over a week. She obviously had not eaten for a day and a half, if the vomit on my treadmill was any indication, and

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T14:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there. I'm relaxing and waiting to hear back from the vet again about Chessie, my oldest cat. She has some sort of tumor that caused two teeth to abscess. I'll know more about the tumor later in the week. And then I can make some tough decisions. She is 15 years old, so I'm not sure what her chances of survival are, even without a tumor in her jaw.On a happy

Silence is Platinum (because that's better than gold)

2009-05-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Quiet.No zipper clicking in the dryer. No child slurping from a bowl of cereal. No video game screaming the latest fantasy hockey score.Only now I ruined it by tapping on the keys of my laptop. I guess I'll have to stop.For now.

Cheetos Rock

2009-04-30T20:27:00.001-07:00

What can I say that sounds positive, like there is still hope for the universe in the midst of a possible pandemic, closing car makers, and the lack of parents interested in purchasing 4th Grade yearbooks?I guess one good thing is that Cheetos still rock. Or they look like rocks. Orange, salty, bumpy, warty rocks. That you eat.Oh, if only I had ADD. Then they could affect me in --hey, look!

It's more than one question, really

2009-04-23T15:03:00.001-07:00

I'm on a quick break here at work before my head explodes and spouts numbers and error rates and corrections in a spattering of yellow highlighter- and clicker-type pencil-shaped confetti. I think the hyphens are in the right place. If they're not, Kit will let me know. But anyway, I have a question.Why on earth would a 4th Grader need a yearbook?And why would it cost $20?Do they think I have

Life Without Coffee

2009-04-21T14:14:00.001-07:00

Sometimes things blurt out of my mouth that seem worth remembering. I said this little jewel yesterday.Life without coffee would be just one long nap.And I don't feel like sleeping anymore! So I should drink up, I guess, huh?

In Pursuit of the Perfect Chicken Taco

2009-04-19T14:24:00.001-07:00

Food is all that really matters. Sure, there are little things like love, death and taxes, but without food all you get is that middle thing: death. And if you have to eat anyway, it might as well be something good. Not just good, but great. Not just great, but infinitely delicious.Now, I've lived my life shoveling sugar in my pie-hole for many years, and my thighs bear attestation to this point.

Adventures in Lunchtime Banking

2009-04-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have this friend...no, really! It's not me. It's my friend. Anyway, so I have this friend, and she owes me some money. So my friend wrote me a check. But my friend has a history, a notorious history, involving checks and a lack of money in the bank. Well, the bank has lots of money, but my friend does not. Or she cannot keep her money in the bank. Or it burns a hole in her check-writing pen. Or

Not Writing is Like Chickenpox

2009-04-10T08:42:00.001-07:00

Itch. Itch. Itch.Teensy tiny scratch.Itch!Ignore.ITCH!!!Oh, all right.I’ll write something. Soon.~head thump~Oh, you mean now?Can’t. Working. Too sleepy. Busy. In “imagination stage” before I can actually create.Oh, are those EXCUSES instead of real REASONS?Yes, they are.How about this one: it seems hopeless to write anything because it may never be published.Yeah, that one’s more valid than the

Doggie Blues

2009-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Dear: My DogShut up. Just shut up. Shut up already!Now, for the record, know that I love you and your big swimmy brown eyes and graying red fur. I love the way you hop around on your arthritic legs and wag your tail ferociously. I love a little less the way you yap at trains and birds who have done nothing at all to you except stare at you with beady eyes that gleam of carcasses...okay, go ahead

Pioneering a New Art Form

2009-03-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

I am blown away. I was presented with my name spelled in a Google map somewhere near my house, which is why I am not sharing the link with you. I then was presented with the person's name in a map near their house, also why I am not sharing the link with you. He used his house as the destination, and changed the directions so that they were on foot so that he could get in the route he needed

Huh?

2009-03-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!My kid asked me this morning why St. Patrick had his own day. I explained that all saints have their own days. He asked why this one was a holiday. I overwhelmed his curious little mind with all the material about Irish immigrants bringing their customs to America due to the great potato famine I remembered from undergrad sociology. He had to remind me that he is too young

Links Instead of Thinks

2009-03-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

Completely random web browsing tonight...so that I don't have to think. I can just look in awe and wonder.Need a hand with your salad?And check out the ice cube tray under it.Mystical Cat is my new jedi hero.And how about making yourself a manga? I did.

Whatcha Thinkin'?

2009-03-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

When I am asked what I'm thinking, my first reaction is to say, "Nothing," and shake my head and hope the question goes away. It never does. I want to truly believe that I am in actuality thinking of nothing at all. But I never am. I have to acknowledge that I am in the moment surrounding me and give it credence by admitting to my thoughts. Sometimes I think my thoughts are stupid, foolish,

Mini-Golf

2009-03-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

I wonder if the designers of miniature golf courses all get together and giggle over webcam clips of people trying desperately and repeatedly to hit the balls up the ramps and into the little cups. Do they knowingly place slopes at such angles that only Tiger Woods could navigate the ball successfully? Why does the ability to achieve par on any of these holes evaporate after age 12, when full

Twisted

2009-03-05T18:46:00.001-08:00

Nothing. I just wanted to use the tags "pickles" and "rice cakes." Because I'm twisted like that. I wonder if anyone will even notice.~yawn~

Walmart at 8:00 a.m.

2009-03-04T16:08:00.001-08:00

So there I was in Walmart at 8:00 a.m. I was only there because Target was closed. Or not open yet. Not really closed. “Closed” implies permanence. I’m sure Target opened at some point today. But there I was in Walmart at 8:00 a.m. I was not sitting at my desk, gleefully whipping out world-shaking Visio diagrams for the case management system project. I was not running through error