Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 146
October 8, 2013
Totally Not Julia Child
I hate cooking. Seriously hate it and the microwave is my friend, but I believe that even I've reached new heights. Or would that be lows?
On Friday, I decided to make a frozen pizza. Because of space limitations, I have some skillets stashed in my oven and I needed to move them. I reach in, grab the handles, and feel something tickling my arm. I thought it was just a loose hair that had fallen, but as I put down the pans, I see spider webs between the three handles.
That's right, it's been so long since I used my oven that a spider put webs between the handles of my skillets. I promptly put the three pans in the dishwasher.
Which kind of segues into my next story. Last year, my parents came down to Georgia for Thanksgiving and we discovered I was seriously lacking pretty much everything I needed to cook a turkey and trimmings and serve them. I tried to order things like a roasting pan and a platter, but even with one day shipping, it wouldn't arrive in time for T-Day 2012.
I cancelled my order and we picked up stop gap things like a tinfoil roaster and skipped the platter all together.
This year, my folks are coming down for Thanksgiving again and this time I got smarter. I'm starting to order things like roasting pans and platters now. In a couple of weeks, I'll order the second half of what I need like a covered casserole dish, serving bowls, and a meat thermometer.
It's kind of a shame to buy these things I'll only use on rare occasions, especially since space is an issue, but it was tough serving T-Day last year without them. This year should go much more smoothly.
On Friday, I decided to make a frozen pizza. Because of space limitations, I have some skillets stashed in my oven and I needed to move them. I reach in, grab the handles, and feel something tickling my arm. I thought it was just a loose hair that had fallen, but as I put down the pans, I see spider webs between the three handles.
That's right, it's been so long since I used my oven that a spider put webs between the handles of my skillets. I promptly put the three pans in the dishwasher.
Which kind of segues into my next story. Last year, my parents came down to Georgia for Thanksgiving and we discovered I was seriously lacking pretty much everything I needed to cook a turkey and trimmings and serve them. I tried to order things like a roasting pan and a platter, but even with one day shipping, it wouldn't arrive in time for T-Day 2012.
I cancelled my order and we picked up stop gap things like a tinfoil roaster and skipped the platter all together.
This year, my folks are coming down for Thanksgiving again and this time I got smarter. I'm starting to order things like roasting pans and platters now. In a couple of weeks, I'll order the second half of what I need like a covered casserole dish, serving bowls, and a meat thermometer.
It's kind of a shame to buy these things I'll only use on rare occasions, especially since space is an issue, but it was tough serving T-Day last year without them. This year should go much more smoothly.
October 6, 2013
October 3, 2013
Vampire Hunter: UK Readers
For those of you in the UK,
Vampire Hunter
should now be available! The link goes to the book on the Mills & Boon site.
Vampire Hunter features one of my Nocturne Bites stories-- Shadow's Caress --and includes stories by two other authors. It's also available in paperback as well and electronic formats. Shadow's Caress was previously only in ebook format.
And for all my readers, especially fans of the Blood Feud World stories, Phoenix Burning, my January 2014 release, is now up for preorder at Amazon. I haven't spotted it anywhere else yet, but keep your eyes peeled--it should be showing up everywhere ebooks are sold.
Phoenix Burning is a novella-length story that I wrote for Nocturne Cravings which is an erotic romance line from Harlequin. Still no cover or official blurb, but here's how I'm describing the story:
Vampire Hunter features one of my Nocturne Bites stories-- Shadow's Caress --and includes stories by two other authors. It's also available in paperback as well and electronic formats. Shadow's Caress was previously only in ebook format.
And for all my readers, especially fans of the Blood Feud World stories, Phoenix Burning, my January 2014 release, is now up for preorder at Amazon. I haven't spotted it anywhere else yet, but keep your eyes peeled--it should be showing up everywhere ebooks are sold.
Phoenix Burning is a novella-length story that I wrote for Nocturne Cravings which is an erotic romance line from Harlequin. Still no cover or official blurb, but here's how I'm describing the story:
When vampire enforcer Ivar LeBlanc is assigned to bring in a murderer, he stakes out the man's daughter, waiting for the father to appear. Ivar's wild attraction to Phoenix throws his entire scheme into chaos.
Phoenix Cahill came to Los Angles to be a screenwriter, instead she's reached Awakening, where she transforms from Nestling to adult vampire. She's been taught the rules: Don't feed too close to home. Don't feed from the same prey multiple times. But Phoenix wants Ivar and once isn't going to be nearly enough.
October 1, 2013
Adding Touches To My Home
In my Minnesota house, I didn't have a lot of wall space to hang pictures, but my new home in Georgia have space I need to fill. This is something I'm going to do a few pieces at a time because of the cost.
My first two paintings arrived last week. (Should I call them prints since they're not originals?) One of them isn't up yet and won't be until I get the handyman out to do it. I want it perfectly centered in the area over the fireplace (it's a square made by molding) and I don't think I can manage that. :-) Besides, the picture is 32 inches square and that's difficult to handle.
But the second piece of art was going in a place where I was able to hang it myself and that's what I did on Saturday.
The picture is level, it's the camera that's a bit angled. Also, my green walls don't photograph well, but in person are a rich, vibrant olive green. If they really were the shade in the photo, I would have had my kitchen painted. :-) I put it up between a door to the patio and a window in the eat-in part of my kitchen.
Apologies for the sun glare on the glass. The print is an abstract done by Alma Lee, an artist from Wisconsin. (FYI, I bought the print. I'm not getting compensated even indirectly.)
The other print, the one for over the fireplace, is also abstract with lots of bright colors. It's done by a different artist, and I'll share once I finally get that put up.
My first two paintings arrived last week. (Should I call them prints since they're not originals?) One of them isn't up yet and won't be until I get the handyman out to do it. I want it perfectly centered in the area over the fireplace (it's a square made by molding) and I don't think I can manage that. :-) Besides, the picture is 32 inches square and that's difficult to handle.
But the second piece of art was going in a place where I was able to hang it myself and that's what I did on Saturday.
The picture is level, it's the camera that's a bit angled. Also, my green walls don't photograph well, but in person are a rich, vibrant olive green. If they really were the shade in the photo, I would have had my kitchen painted. :-) I put it up between a door to the patio and a window in the eat-in part of my kitchen.
Apologies for the sun glare on the glass. The print is an abstract done by Alma Lee, an artist from Wisconsin. (FYI, I bought the print. I'm not getting compensated even indirectly.)
The other print, the one for over the fireplace, is also abstract with lots of bright colors. It's done by a different artist, and I'll share once I finally get that put up.
September 29, 2013
Fly Like An Eagle
If you have trouble with IMAX you might want to skip this video. For everyone else, here's an eagle's view of what it's like to fly like a bird.
September 27, 2013
Now Available at Kobo
I promised I'd let everyone know as Ravyn's Flight and Eternal Nights became available at more ebook stores. Both stories are now up at Kobo Books!
This was my first time publishing directly with them and it took a little longer than I expected. They're up now, though.
Ravyn's Flight at Kobo Books
Eternal Nights at Kobo Books
And of course, you can still pick up both books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, too.
This was my first time publishing directly with them and it took a little longer than I expected. They're up now, though.
Ravyn's Flight at Kobo Books
Eternal Nights at Kobo Books
And of course, you can still pick up both books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, too.
September 26, 2013
Review: 21 Jump Street, the Movie
There will be spoilers. Don't read any farther if you don't want to know what happens in this movie.
When I first saw the ads for 21 Jump Street when it was in the theaters, I had two reactions. The first: Ah, good grief, not another remake. And the second was: This looks really dumb.
It was later that a trusted friend assured me that it was a funny movie and that I'd like it. With her assurances, I nearly rented it a few times, but couldn't quite bring myself to pay money to see another retread. I finally got my chance to watch it for free, and all I have to say is thank goodness I didn't shell any money out for this thing.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play a couple of cops who are sent back to high school--undercover--to find who's selling dangerous designer drugs to students. Things go wrong immediately when they can't remember their covers and choose the fake ID that belongs to the other one.
And in a role reversal, nerd Schmidt (Jonah Hill) ends up being popular while former popular kid Jenko (Channing Tatum) ends up hanging out with the science geeks.
Most of the movie seems to have little to do with the plot. It seems more like sketches (meant to be humorous) loosely connected by the supposed plot of the film.
The grand conclusion ends up with Jenko and Schmidt having the bad guys show up with guns at the high school prom. One of the students is held hostage by a teacher in with the bad guys. A couple cops who are undercover with the adult drug dealers running the show blow their covers to save the situation and both get shot to death.
And despite all this, at the end of the movie, Jenko and Schmidt aren't thrown out of the police force or under arrest themselves for gross negligence. Nope, they're given another assignment--undercover at a college. Yeah. Right.
I was completely underwhelmed by this movie. It wasn't very funny although I will admit there were a few amusing moments. The problem was those moments were very few and very far between. I made it to the end because I was working on something else while I was doing it and because Channing Tatum is certainly good to look at.
There's really not much more to say about this. I suppose if your choice is between watching the 21 Jump Street movie and having root canal, the film is the better choice, but wow, it was lame.
Two thumbs down/1 star
When I first saw the ads for 21 Jump Street when it was in the theaters, I had two reactions. The first: Ah, good grief, not another remake. And the second was: This looks really dumb.
It was later that a trusted friend assured me that it was a funny movie and that I'd like it. With her assurances, I nearly rented it a few times, but couldn't quite bring myself to pay money to see another retread. I finally got my chance to watch it for free, and all I have to say is thank goodness I didn't shell any money out for this thing.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play a couple of cops who are sent back to high school--undercover--to find who's selling dangerous designer drugs to students. Things go wrong immediately when they can't remember their covers and choose the fake ID that belongs to the other one.
And in a role reversal, nerd Schmidt (Jonah Hill) ends up being popular while former popular kid Jenko (Channing Tatum) ends up hanging out with the science geeks.
Most of the movie seems to have little to do with the plot. It seems more like sketches (meant to be humorous) loosely connected by the supposed plot of the film.
The grand conclusion ends up with Jenko and Schmidt having the bad guys show up with guns at the high school prom. One of the students is held hostage by a teacher in with the bad guys. A couple cops who are undercover with the adult drug dealers running the show blow their covers to save the situation and both get shot to death.
And despite all this, at the end of the movie, Jenko and Schmidt aren't thrown out of the police force or under arrest themselves for gross negligence. Nope, they're given another assignment--undercover at a college. Yeah. Right.
I was completely underwhelmed by this movie. It wasn't very funny although I will admit there were a few amusing moments. The problem was those moments were very few and very far between. I made it to the end because I was working on something else while I was doing it and because Channing Tatum is certainly good to look at.
There's really not much more to say about this. I suppose if your choice is between watching the 21 Jump Street movie and having root canal, the film is the better choice, but wow, it was lame.
Two thumbs down/1 star
September 24, 2013
Adventures With Scorpions
I'd been told there were scorpions in the Atlanta area and that some people found them in their homes, but I'd never seen one. Until last week.
It was Saturday night. Late. I walked into my bedroom and saw something on the floor between my bed and the bathroom and I went to have a look. All it took was one glance to know it was a scorpion. They're very distinct looking with their claws and that stinging tail. Mine was about an inch and a half long. I'm assured that these are "small."
I grabbed some bug spray and let him have it. He didn't react. Was he already dead? But I kept spraying, and then he'd had enough. He started to amble away. With attitude.
Panicked at the thought of having him disappear somewhere in my bedroom, I stepped on him. Luckily, I had on my thick-soled Birkenstock sandals.
To pick him up, I took a sheet and a half of paper towel, folded it all up, donned a silicone oven mitt and tossed his carcass away. This incident shook me up so much that I stayed up till after 1am, until I was too exhausted to think about it anymore.
Monday at work, everyone assured me that it was some freak thing, that scorpions inside homes were rare. I decided they must be right and wrote it off as a fluke. Then Tuesday happened.
Last Tuesday, I got up for work and saw this great big spider next to the baseboard. This was only the second big spider I'd seen in my new house and the other one had been dead. I got the vacuum cleaner, sucked this one up, and went to get some coffee. All was well. Then.
Things deteriorated when I went to rinse my coffee cup before I started to get ready for work. There was a scorpion walking across my kitchen floor!
Lesson learned from the first one, I stepped on this one right away. His tail came up, ready to sting. ::shudder:: The crunch sounded good and I got the vacuum again and sucked his body up.
Since then, I've been sleeping with the light on. They're nocturnal creatures. As I'm writing this, I'm waiting for the pest control guy to come and check out my scorpion situation. You see, scorpions are unaffected by most pesticides. There are very specific scorpion poisons and I'm hoping the exterminator will lay down the ring of death around my house so that I never have one of those things inside again.
It was Saturday night. Late. I walked into my bedroom and saw something on the floor between my bed and the bathroom and I went to have a look. All it took was one glance to know it was a scorpion. They're very distinct looking with their claws and that stinging tail. Mine was about an inch and a half long. I'm assured that these are "small."
I grabbed some bug spray and let him have it. He didn't react. Was he already dead? But I kept spraying, and then he'd had enough. He started to amble away. With attitude.
Panicked at the thought of having him disappear somewhere in my bedroom, I stepped on him. Luckily, I had on my thick-soled Birkenstock sandals.
To pick him up, I took a sheet and a half of paper towel, folded it all up, donned a silicone oven mitt and tossed his carcass away. This incident shook me up so much that I stayed up till after 1am, until I was too exhausted to think about it anymore.
Monday at work, everyone assured me that it was some freak thing, that scorpions inside homes were rare. I decided they must be right and wrote it off as a fluke. Then Tuesday happened.
Last Tuesday, I got up for work and saw this great big spider next to the baseboard. This was only the second big spider I'd seen in my new house and the other one had been dead. I got the vacuum cleaner, sucked this one up, and went to get some coffee. All was well. Then.
Things deteriorated when I went to rinse my coffee cup before I started to get ready for work. There was a scorpion walking across my kitchen floor!
Lesson learned from the first one, I stepped on this one right away. His tail came up, ready to sting. ::shudder:: The crunch sounded good and I got the vacuum again and sucked his body up.
Since then, I've been sleeping with the light on. They're nocturnal creatures. As I'm writing this, I'm waiting for the pest control guy to come and check out my scorpion situation. You see, scorpions are unaffected by most pesticides. There are very specific scorpion poisons and I'm hoping the exterminator will lay down the ring of death around my house so that I never have one of those things inside again.
September 22, 2013
Bohemian Gravity
This video was done by a physics grad student and it's awesome.
