M.J. Fredrick's Blog, page 36

11/22/63–After one month

I’ve been listening to 11/22/63 for a month now, about an hour a day on the way to and from work. I’m about at the halfway part, fascinated by the parameters he’s created in the world, the way the past is painted, and the character whose eyes we’re watching this unfold.

Jake/George is telling the story in first person. It’s been awhile since I’ve read Stephen King so I’m not sure if this is something he usually does. But it certainly forms a bond between the reader and the book. I didn’t listen Friday because I rode with another teacher, and all weekend I thought about the book, not having time to listen but wondering, wondering…

I have probably 23 more days of listening. I’m wondering if I’ll have withdrawal when it’s done!

Things I Learned During my Weekend at the Coast

1) You can make a whole outfit from discarded clothes–a pair of trunks here, a sock there, sweatshirts and random flip flops everywhere.

2) Kids make friends easily.

3) My Orly nail polish held up pretty well, sand and water.

4) You can build shoe days around sunrise and sunset.

5) Most women have body hang-ups. I wanted to hug some of them and tell them they were beautiful.

6) Some women don’t have any. Ahem.

7) Daddies and daughters are as fascinating to watch as fathers and sons. There’s such trust there, with the good daddies.

8) Kids need limits. I saw some kids time and again, and NEVER saw the parents.

9) ALWAYS take a jacket!

10) Quiet, unplugged time with the husband is good.

Goals for the Week of Columbus Day

We went to the coast this weekend, so this post is a little leave. Fred picked me up from school Friday and we headed out. We got there by 5:30, checked into our hotel RIGHT on the beach–have a beach view from our window and our balcony–and went for seafood on the water, where we watched the sun set. We came back and walked on the beach, but it was DARK. The moon wouldn’t rise for hours.

The next morning we went out a dawn and spread my mother-in-law’s ashes in the water. It was very emotional. It’s been 4 years, can you believe that? 4 years this weekend. We sat on the beach a long time after that, then went out to get breakfast, and snacks for later. When we returned, we rented a shade, you know, those things people use at arts and crafts shows, and a couple of chairs. We’d go from chairs o the water, chairs to water, until 5:30. I even napped a bit! It was surprisingly crowded for October, but it was a gorgeous day. The breeze was a bit cool, so I’d cover up now and again with a towel.

We went out for the BEST fish and chips I’ve ever had, bought a flashlight and did another evening walk, then stretched out on our towels and watched the stars. Some guy had a kite that lit up so it looked like a UFO. It was awesome!

Then this morning we got up early to find the cold front was blowing in, and the day was overcast. Still gorgeous, though. We ate breakfast at the hotel this time, overlooking the water, then walked BRIEFLY on the beach–quite chilly. Then we headed home, against the wind, to a grateful dog, who’d been outside last night.

So, goals this week:

1) Inservice tomorrow

2) Meeting Tuesday

3) Finish revising short story

4) Start revisions on the book I wrote this summer, based on my editor’s suggestions. Need it done by NaNoWriMo!

5) plot NaNoWriMo book

6) a guest blog or 2

7) EXERCISE. We were so bad this week about eating out. I think we ate home one night!

8) Catch up on TiVo–I’m a week behind on everything. My TiVo is at 98% capacity! And bunches of new shows are on tonight, including the 2 hour season finale of Hell on Wheels.

No time for sewing, though, and my recipes this week will be tried and true!

Goals for the Week of the DH’s Vacation

The boy is coming for a visit today! I haven’t seen him since Labor Day. We’ve wanted to go to Austin but he’s been crazy busy with school and the paper.

My schedule will be wonky this week because the dh will be home, so we’ll eat home most nights, but he’ll cook. We do have a coupon for Gristmill and so could go one night this week. Other than that, nothing crazy at school yet–that starts in a couple of weeks.

So:

1) Enjoy visit with the boy

2) Revisions on short story

3) work on other short story

4) Decorate for fall

That’s it for the week, which is good, because it’s gonna get CRAZY.

The TV Season So Far: The Great, the Meh, the Undecided

So, the first week of the TV season is done and I’ve got winners and some on the chopping block.

Chopping Block:

Glee. Bor.Ing. I loved loved loved the new girl whose mom is the cafeteria lady, but she’s not on much and everything else is just boring and self-indulgent. When Beauty and the Beast premiers, I think I’ll drop this one.

Grey’s Anatomy. Recycled storylines and too much angst. We’ve had the surgeon with the hand trauma already and the people recovering from yet ANOTHER tragedy. Also, no more Lexi and Mark, who I loved.

Ben and Kate. EW said this was one of the best new shows, about a brother and sister living together and raising her daughter, but I thought it was meh and the brother was just…loud.

Winners:

Castle. Nice job of carrying both the big mystery forward and the big romance Funny seeing Beckett acting romantic though.

Last Resort. This story about a submarine crew who refuses a firing order and is chased down for it played like a movie. No idea how they’ll make it a series, but….I’ll be watching.

Modern Family. Laughed until I cried at the stuffed animals on the car, cried at the end.

Fringe. I admit, not my favorite series, but the dh loves it. I was sucked into the season premier set in the future, where Peter and Olivia’s daughter is grown. I loved their wonder as they watched their adult daughter take up the mantle.

The New Normal. This show makes me cry more than laugh, but I love love love it.

Haven. Now THAT is a love triangle. That’s all I’m saying.

Undecided:

Vegas. I’m not a police procedural fan, but I was intrigued by the setting, Las Vegas in the 50s-60s (not sure.) Jason O’Mara is in it, and I like the byplay between Dennis Quaid and Carrie Ann Moss. It’s interesting to see the procedures they use, things that had become cliche, but we don’t see anymore because of technological advances.

The Middle. We used to LOVE this show, but the writing felt flat during the season premiere.

Big Bang Theory. I used to love that one, too, and it’s still good, but once Vampire Diaries comes back….

Still good:

Hawaii 5-0. I liked the season premiere for the most part. I liked the mom, liked that McGarrett called Katherine to guard his mother (though maybe I didn’t. Is she trained for hand-to-hand combat? I mean, she kicked some ass, but…also, why put the woman he loves in such obvious danger?) I did NOT like the beginning for obvious emotional reasons, wondered why they put so many windows in a safe house and why all the bad guys dressed the same.

So what have you watched and loved? Watched and decided to dump?

Stephen King and the Evil of Audio Books

That picture isn’t completely true, but the picture is hilarious.

I joined Audible so I could listen to 11-22-63, the gigantic Stephen King tome.It’s 30 hours, broken into 5 parts. I’ve been listening over a week and I’m still on the first part.I have an hour commute a day! (I figure I’ll be done at the end of October.) Anyway, his world-building is fabulous, and I really enjoy it.

But.

We’re at the point when the main character is facing his first goal in the past, and….I’d totally be flipping pages now to see what happens. THREE TIMES I’ve arrived at my destination in suspense of what’s going to happen. That’s over an hour of OMG, just let it happen already!

Ordinarily I love audio books but right now…

What else is interesting is that he’s referencing his own story “It” in the book. 11-22-63 takes place in the same time period, apparently just after “It.” So now I want to see the movie. I never watched it because, you know, clowns. But now I have it on my DVD queue and my TiVo wish list.

Do you like audio books? Have you read 11-22-63? It’s going to make me crazy, isn’t it?

Bluestone Homecoming is Free

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Fall Favorites in Texas

Another idea stolen from Romance Bandits. Ahem.

So it’s officially fall, though here in Texas we don’t really feel it until the end of October. We’re just happy the mornings are in the 60s and the afternoons are low 90s.

But I love fall anyway. Why?

1) The colors. Not the trees, because, hey, this is Texas. We may have an occasional red oak turn red, but mostly it goes from green to brown, especially after a hot summer like this. No, I like the fall fashion colors, the maroons and burnt oranges and browns. I may still be wearing short sleeves, but the colors are fall.

2) Pumpkins. Not real pumpkins yet, because they’d rot or melt or whatever, but wooden pumpkins, woven ones, I have a lot of pumpkins I use to decorate.

3) The scents. You know, the cinnamon brooms they have when you walk in the grocery store, the pumpkin spice candles, the aroma of cooking apples. Those scents.

4) Cooler nights and mornings, which means I can open the sun roof for the first time since May. Windows too.

5) New TV! Nothing cozier than curling up under a blanket (because we’re still running the AC) with popcorn or baked apples and a Diet Coke and watching new TV shows!

My Traveling Bucket List

My husband and I are trying to decide where we want to go on vacation next year. I thought we’d already decided to go back to Washington state and spend some time along the coast, see Mount St. Helen’s and Mt. Ranier, since the cloud deck was too low to see either on our last trip. But now he’s talking about the other side of the country, and since I’m listening to 11-22-63, I’m on board.

So we’re thinking of places we’d like to see, all still up in the air right now.

1) Go back to Washington State.

2) Go back to the Grand Canyon.

3) Go back to New Orleans. I’m sure it will be different without a 10-year-old in tow

4) Go to Yellowstone.

5) Go to Maine/Vermont.

6) Go to Colorado.

7) Santa Fe.

8) Marfa.

9) Palo Duro Canyon.

10) South Dakota, where Laura Ingalls lived (this is more me than him, if you didn’t guess.) We thought maybe we could fit Deadwood into this trip, too.

11) Hawaii.

12) Alaska. (These two are on the bottom because of travel time involved.)

What about you? What is on your traveling bucket list?

Also, if you’re on Twitter, check out the Carina Press feed. I’m in charge this week, and I’m tweeting about TV

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Goals for the Last Week of September

I’m the Twitter host for Carina Press this week and I’m crazy nervous about it. The guidelines say not to overwhelm, and to retweet and to promote new releases and to engage replies, only…I’ll be working. I had asked to be scheduled in the summer, but it didn’t work out that way. So I’m going to do my best, and try to discuss the new TV season, and pre-schedule comments, and check in at lunch and after school.

This week, at least, is calm as far as school goes.

1) Technology meeting after school one day

2) Work on new series.

3) Be better about eating home–last week we ate out 3 days out of 5.

4) Find something more exciting for lunch. Tired of salads already.

5) Be an excellent Twitter host for Carina

6) Work on a couple of guest posts

7) Sew something. I haven’t finished anything I’ll wear in weeks!