Megan Bostic's Blog, page 46

F³A: Facebook Timeline

I don't get it.  I mean, didn't we have changes just like yesterday?  And now Mark Zuckerburg is changing it up again? *shakes fists at MZ*  
When I started Facebook I liked it because it was simple.  So splash.  No bells and whistles.  No tiny little boxes everywhere to mess you up.  I knew where things were.  It's kind of like someone going into your office and rearranging everything.  I'm like, WTF?  Where are my friends? Where are my statuses? Where is my sanity?  Oh, there it is, in a little box in the bottom left hand corner.
It's my own fault.  I decided to try it out.  I can play with it for seven days of publish it right away.  If I don't publish it myself they do it for me.
but Idon'twanna.  I want to go back to the way it was where everything was listed  neatly and simply on the left.  Where my friends were stacked like the Brady Bunch on the left.  Where that stupid scrolling whatsit that I finally got used to was on the upper right, and my chat the lower right, and all my shit was right in the middle.  Now everything is scattered everywhere and I can't find a damn thing.
So, does anyone know how I can go back?  CAN I even go back or should I just keep it because eventually we're going to be FORCED to have it?
If you already use Timeline, do you like it or despise it so much you want to fling your computer into the fireplace with your Duraflame log and extra Christmas wrap?  Tell me your thoughts on Mark Zuckerburg and his new Timeline.
Okay, time for the Friday Scribbles:
Christmas song of the Week: Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth.  I remember watching this on MTV when they still played music and falling in love with it.
Book of the Week:  I'm reading my friend Ian Healy's Just Cause.  You like superheroes?  Check this book out.
Netflix of the Week: Gray's Anatomy.  I like it.  I'm on season two.  The vet just came in.  He's hot.  I think it's Chris O'Donnell, but I haven't seen him since like 1989 so I'm not sure.
Quote of the Week:  "What can we take on trust in this uncertain life? Happiness, greatness,
pride - nothing is secure, nothing keeps (like our Facebook pages-I added that part). ~Euripides, Hecuba 
Happy Friday!

Author copies, Christmas, and good bfs

Totally unrelated things I know.

[image error] First off, I want to say that I received a box of author copies in the mail a couple days ago.  And SQUEEEEEEE!!!!  They are so beautiful.  The cover is metallic and everything seems to pop off of it.

I was asked by my co-prezzie of the Class of 2k12, Caroline Starr Rose if I would read it again now that it was in realsies book form.

I think I just might read it again, this book I've read a bazillion times and got so sick of I wanted to toss it from the Narrows Bridge.  It's kind of different with it's metallic blue cover and it's dedication and acknowledgments, and playlist in the back.  It's a bit surreal to look at it and know it's mine.  I created it.  The title stands out more on the metallic cover than it did on the other, and the car pops off the page.  If I were walking through a bookstore, I would pick it up for sure.  And on the back where the description starts the words I had the dream again are the same as the title, same font, each letter a different color.  I am so in love with this book, more than I've been in a long time.  So yeah, I may read it again.


Now that I've written all that, I can't remember what I was going to say about Christmas. hmmmm.  I'll get back to that when (if) I remember.


To good boyfriends.  I told you the other day, this is a stressful time of year for me, not just because of the holidays but for other reasons.  The other day I was panicking because there were presents to wrap,  Christmas cards to create and send, and gift baskets to make (57 to be exact), and baking to be done, and my house was a mess, and 18 videos and dvds to make and, and, and...


this is not my bf but you get the picture...and I have a boyfriend who tells me to breathe.  A boyfriend who comes over and folds my laundry, and does my dishes, and vacuums my floors, and makes me dinner while I make videos.  He does allow this poor pathetic girl to breathe.  And I feel much better.  My videos are close to being done, I did some of my baking yesterday, gift baskets, done (just need to be delivered which is fun), my house is clean (outside my office which I just may clean today), I've printed out my Christmas cards, most important, I still have presents to wrap, baking to do, a few more videos to Lightscribe, but I'm also still breathing.


Now about Christmas.  Still don't remember, but I do love waking up to the Christmas lights, to hell with the light bill.

Oh, yeah, and catch me on Julia Karr's 2k12 Days of Christmas today.


Happy Thursday all.  Hope it's a great day.

TODAY IS MONKEY DAY!!

That means I get to post about monkeys twice this week.  I mean, this is a for real holiday (kind of).  The origins are sketchy.

Some day it started to further the awareness of simian species and habitats.  Someday it began as scientific backlash to the religious holidays permeating the month of December.  Others say it was the creation of a bunch of drunken fools who happened to love monkeys.

For me, it's just another way to express my  love for all things monkey.

You can buy Bad Monkey shirts here.

Here is my latest monkey purchase.  Happy Monkey Day all!!

It's Tuesday

So what? Sigh.

I'm afraid that once again I'm suffering exhaustion.  I can't sleep, my body and mind are tired.  Last night I was in bed by 5:00 pm.  5!!!

On top of that, this has been a bad time of year for me for about the last four years. My depressions always gets the best of me. Why?  No idea.  It just is.  I know it's busy for everyone, but it brings me down so much which bugs me because I LOVE the Christmas season, I do. The lights, the gifts, the food. sigh.

My driver quit, I think that's one reason I'm suffering.  I hired her when I suffered exhaustion before. My doctor told me to take it easy, and I thought that would be money well spent, which it was.  She picked up my kids from school, drove them to lessons, soccer, etc.  Now it's back to me.

I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and if you've ever lived in the PNW, you know how gray it gets this time of year.

And in general, I'm stressed out about this week because there are music lessons, and Dr. appointments, and choir concerts, and I have to put together and deliver about 55 gift baskets for the law firm, I need to do my Christmas baking, on top of work, rewrites, and being a mom, grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking (which I rarely do anymore with kids schedules and such).

Good thing?  All my Christmas presents are bought.  Most my Christmas presents are wrapped and under the tree.  So, there, I'm ahead of the game.

Monkey Madness Monday: The Word is Love

Did you know Dec. 14 is Monkey Day?So . . . love.  It's used to express a lot.  I love pizza, I love sock monkeys, I love writing, I love you.

Um, so when I tell someone I love them, I'm pretty much equating them to my collection of sock monkeys.

No.  Doesn't work for me anymore.  I don't love people the same way I love pizza, sock monkeys, and writing.

The truth? I don't like the word anymore.  It doesn't mean anything.  In fact, it feels fake when I say it, when speaking about or to someone dear to me.

The word is taken for granted, overused if you will.  It's become cliche.  I think we need a different word.  It seem like every other language has a different word for these different types of love.  I think the English language should too.

When I tell someone I love them, I want it to mean more than the superficial love we have for material objects or our favorite meal or destination.  It needs to be a word that transcends words.  You feelin' me?

What do you think?  Any ideas?

F³A: Things to play with

I went to the darkside.  Yes, by way of the e-reader. *bows to the book gods in apology*.  I bought the Amazon Kindle Fire.  Why you ask?  There are a few reasons.  First and foremost, friends I knew to be good writers were self publishing straight to ebook.  Drat!!!  There is one in particular, his name is Jeff Fielder, I've read his work and I think he's brilliant.  Anyhoo, he published some short stories in his book Voices in the Field and Other Stories.  Then you know what he did?  He put it out in paperback.  I told him he owed me $199 + tax and shipping.

Of course I was kidding because there are other straight to e books I'd like to read.  But that's not the only reason I bought the Fire.  In fact, reading on it is secondary (I still love the feel of a book in my hands and that book smell, yeah, you know what I'm talking about)You know that thing they call the iPad? Well, the Fire does most of what that thing does.  But cheaper.  And smaller (if you like that kind of thing).

The bad thing about my Kindle Fire?  I've had it about two weeks and still not been able to play with it.  Yes, that sucks.  I've pledged to spend some quality time with my Kindle this weekend.

Do you have an e-reader?  If so, what kind did you buy?  If not, what are your hang ups?

Oh, one more thing, Julia Karr, author of XVI (which I LOVED btw) is hosting some of us 2k12ers in her 2k12 Days of Christmas.  Check it out the deets here.

Friday Scribbles:

Christmas song of the week:  The Monkees Riu Chiu.  I saw this on their show and fell in love with it (it was REPEATS people, I'm not that old *cough*)

Movie of the Week: The Ref.  Funniest damn Christmas movie ever with Dennis Leary, Kevin Spacey, and Judy Davis.  If you've not seen this movie, you're not living.

Book of the week:  Still reading (slowly, not because of the book, because of my lack of time) The Wicked and the Just by J Anderson Coats.  Do you like war and cussing and medieval stuff.  Then buy it.  Now.  And I might add, J and I have become friends and she's kick ass awesome.

Quote of the Week: I've got two and they are both from one of my favorite books, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

"Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores."

"There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing."

That is all.  Happy Friday my friends.

Wednesday Weigh In: Dating a chef

[image error] This is not what my chef looks like.Okay, I'm not doing so bad, but dating a chef makes it difficult to stay on track.  I took him to meet my parents last night (yes, another step) and he made gnocchi with chicken and peppers, roasted acorn squash, and we had bread and wine on the side.  Yum.  needless to say, I've not weighed myself this morning. 

The next couple days though, I'm buckling down to lose a couple pounds.  Office xmas party is Saturday and I have to fit into one of my dresses. sigh.

Still have the goal of losing more weight by release date.  That gives me just over a month *hyperventilate*. I think I can drop at least a few by then as long as my chef cooks light for me (or  not at all, lol).  AND no cookies, candy, or other holiday treats. sigh.

Good opportunity for Aspiring Writers

Amazon.com and Penguin have hosted a contest every year for the last four years titled the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (ABNA).  If you've been following my blog awhile, you'll know that I've entered every year since its inception (and my soon to be release novel, Never Eighteen was entered in the contests first year.  It didn't make it far, so even if you don't win the contest, you still have that shot, just sayin').  The award is a book deal for one YA and one general fiction novel. A real honest to god book deal!  Many of the non-winners have gone on to be published through Amazon's publishing house, AmazonEncore, or other traditional publishers. Contest starts January 23, 2012.If you're trying to get published, you should seriously consider entering. It's not just about the book deal either.  It's about experience.  If you've not queried your novel out yet, guess what?  That's what you need to do to make the first round.  You need to write a pitch.  Terrified?  Don't be.  There's a very supportive group of writers all ready in place on the ABNA forums, some of them having been there all four years.  They have a pitch thread, where you can ask questions, get advice, and even get your pitch critiqued.The feedback is awesome too.  That is, if you make it through that pitch round.  If you do, you get two reviews by Amazon Vine Reviewers.  Just like any other critique, you take what you need from them and disregard the rest.  Vine Reviewers are human and make mistakes, just pull on your thick skin suit and be ready.  If you make it even further, you can get reviews from Amazon customers themselves.  Also, many of the other writers in the contest review the entrants.  Getting feedback was one of the best things about the contest.Lastly and most importantly, for me at least, this contest was about the camaraderie.  I had just finished my first manuscript when I found out about the contest. I had never met other writers before and participating on the forum was a great way to do this.  If found people with the same fears and goals.  I even found writers in my own area that I am still friends with (and actually dating one).  Don't feel intimidated writing on the forum either.  Yes, some of them have been there for four years and have inside jokes, but most of them are loving, friendly, talented, and funny individuals and will accept you with open arms.Really, you should enter.  What have you got to lose?  Click here to visit the ABNA main page and good luck.

Monkey Madness Monday: Megan Messina Bostic is in a relationship with...

Too funnyYep, I've been labeled.  I'm now someone's girlfriend.  This is a good thing.  We've been together for mmmm, at least a month now, known each other for four years (kind of.  too hard to explain at the moment), it's time to tell the world.

It's been a few months, having someone in my life that is.  This time it's different. Or maybe it's just because it's new.  Who knows?

I'm not used to having someone "do" for me.  I'm the one that is usually doing the "doing". (my god does that even make sense?)  That's not a bad thing either, I mean, in my marriage I was a stay at home mom, so I did for my kids and I did for my husband.  While former grew up and latter worked.

I've been on my own for over a year now, and I've grown accustomed to "doing" for myself be it housework, or putting things together or fixing shit.

My boyfriend (it almost says weird saying it or writing it for some reason) does for me.  It almost seems unreal.  He cooks for me (did I mention he's a chef? There goes my diet), he help me clean the kitchen, he put up my Christmas lights, changed light bulbs, wrapped my pipes.  In my moments of utter neuroticy (I made that word up), he calms me down and makes me take a moment to breathe.

So there it is.  Megan Messina Bostic is in a relationship (picture the Facebook red heart next to that statement).  So far, so good.

Oh, two more things.  Don't forget about my contest on Facebook.  You can win a bunch of Never Eighteen swag and a signed ARC.

Also, I cannot comment on blogs when the comment box is on the post page.  I can only comment if they load on pop outs or new pages.  Others may be having this problem too.  You may want to consider changing your settings on your comments if you're not getting comments.

F³A: Aaaaah, sleep I have finally found thee

Sleep finally found me.  I'd been running on fumes for the past week at least.  4 to 5 hours each night.  Lack of sleep for me comes down to this:

ApathyLack of motivation DeliriumIrritation about everything Inability to put words together to make a sentence Inability to know good from evilLack of brain functionMy alter ego Mrs. McCrankypants emergersMoments of complete and utter road rageMy kids thinking I'm psycho
Last night I got 8.5 hours.  No one will die today.  How did I get through it,  you ask?  Thing one and Thing two, as well as their friends who I love dearly, while driving me nuts from time to time, dealt with me pretty good and made me laugh.  Plus, someone who cares about me enough to come over and deals with my shit and does things for me and basically makes me sit, breathe, and feel sane.

Friday Scribbles

Christmas song of the week: Baby It's Cold Outside.  I like most versions, this one happens to be by Willie Nelson and Norah Jones

Book of the Week: The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats.  Don't usually read historical fiction, but started it this week and so far, it's amazing.

Movie of the Week: Casablanca.  I had never seen it until last night.  It's amazing.  I never really thought Humphrey Bogart was handsome either until I watched in.

Quote of the Week: "I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know? " ~ Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Have a good weekend, and get some good sleep.