Rita Arens's Blog, page 24

The World's First Breyer Horse Wheelchair

The Short Stride

I used to see them, the slow runners. I used to think I could beat them up a hill. I used to think they were at the beginning of the run. So slow.

I've been training for a half marathon since last July. It began with me thinking I should just add a block each time. Then I realized to make it up some hills I needed to shorten my stride. A lot. An embarrassing lot. There were some days when I was working my way up a hill and understanding that I looked ridiculous but I was eleven miles in, and t...

Who Are You, AVG, and Why Won't You Go Away?

I have uninstalled this program and can find no evidence of it in my Google Chrome. But every morning, there it is! Again! Like the cat that came back and couldn't stay away!

Also with the annoying text ads everywhere. What is this stupid thing and how do I get rid of it? Has this happened to any of you?

Stage Fright

My girl and two of her besties are trying out for the school talent show tonight. They're singing Let It Go from Frozen -- the anthem of tween girls everywhere. They sound really good, and their routine rocks. I have no doubt they'll get in.

That doesn't mean there's no stage fright.

This morning, she asked me if I ever have stage fright. I told her of course, and we talked about the wonders of deep breathing.

After she got on the bus, I realized my worst stage fright these days no longer inv...

Bug, Part Two

Since I last wrote, my formerly obstructed and nowpoor UTI-inflamed cat turned my basement into Shark Week. He came home on Friday night having peed on his own at the vet's after they removed the catheter. Yay.

Friday night: happy

Saturday morning: happy

Saturday mid-morning: straining and crying. And LICKING LICKING LICKING. The vet closed at noon, so we got there as fast as we could -- surrounded by at least eleven dogs of various sizes lunging at one another while their owners feigned igno...

Some Days You're the Windshield. Some Days You're the Bug

Kizzy is okay. For now. For today, we are the windshield. I wrote a very long post about what was wrong with him today on BlogHer, if you're interested.

Everyone Send Good Juju

The little black cat is in the kitty hospital recovering from a blocked urethra. It could've killed him if it went untreated. It hasn't even been a year since we lost Sir Charles Buttonsworth. I really need Kizzy to be okay.

Send good juju.

Book Marketing Tests: BookGorilla & Riffle Select

Welcome back to my journey through book marketing. THE OBVIOUS GAME is coming up on its one-year birthday, which prompted me to show it a bit of financial love as it blazes onto a backlist and I dive into my second group of beta readers' suggestions for THE BIRTHRIGHT OF PARKER CLEAVES.

I've learned a lot this year. THE OBVIOUS GAME was a different marketing game than SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK because the publishing landscape has changed so much from 2008 to 2013.

If only I had a bunch more money...

The Importance of Boring

Don't feel sorry for her, but my daughter is bored.

And I get it. I'm not a fan if the time between when school gets out and when it starts up again. It'd frickin' freezing outside, but there's usually not enough snow for sledding. Everyone's broke from Christmas and done with crowds. Redbox stands in the grocery store, sucked dry down to The Hangover 2.

It's boring.

So today we went through her art projects from 2013, dividing them between grandparents and my sister, boxing them up and sealin...

Goodbye, 2013

I found my class ring. Apparently we can learn from this when I graduated, what my school colors were, that I was a cheerleader and into academics. Not much about who I WAS in high school.

I felt a lot of feelings this week. I'm on the cusp of 40, I had a novel out this year for the first time, my daughter is suddenly looking 15 instead of nine, I started training in July for a half-marathon next April and have had subsequent body changes, my colitis finally got diagnosed, I had a lump in my...