Cheryl B. Dale's Blog: RANDOM MUSINGS, page 41
April 22, 2012
MAGIC MIRROR
As I mentioned, I'm on a diet. In the last 2-3 weeks I've lost 4-5 pounds. Yay.
So we go out of town to a family thing yesterday, and after the event, came back to the hosts' house to celebrate with food. All kinds of food. On the dining table, on the coffee table, on the counter, on the stove...
Cold cuts, cheeses, croissantes, fruit, pastry poufs, tiny eclairs, little hors d'oeuvre thingies with spinach and stuff inside... Oh it was grand! With a big cake to top it off!
I know what you're thinking. And okay, I did eat. But there was nowhere to go stand without food staring me in the face.
Besides, at our motel, there was a magic mirror. When we dressed for the event, I looked into it and darned if I didn't look slim! I called my guy over. He looked in the mirror and he looked slim, too!
Even when we got back after pigging out, we still looked slim! Then I turned from his reflection and realized that what I saw in the mirror wasn't actually the real thing.
Bummer. Wish I could have brought the mirror home.
So we go out of town to a family thing yesterday, and after the event, came back to the hosts' house to celebrate with food. All kinds of food. On the dining table, on the coffee table, on the counter, on the stove...
Cold cuts, cheeses, croissantes, fruit, pastry poufs, tiny eclairs, little hors d'oeuvre thingies with spinach and stuff inside... Oh it was grand! With a big cake to top it off!
I know what you're thinking. And okay, I did eat. But there was nowhere to go stand without food staring me in the face.
Besides, at our motel, there was a magic mirror. When we dressed for the event, I looked into it and darned if I didn't look slim! I called my guy over. He looked in the mirror and he looked slim, too!
Even when we got back after pigging out, we still looked slim! Then I turned from his reflection and realized that what I saw in the mirror wasn't actually the real thing.
Bummer. Wish I could have brought the mirror home.
April 17, 2012
DIETS
I'm on a diet. I put on ten pounds when we were up in the lake house and now I'm trying to get it off.
So today a friend and I went to lunch at Iguana's here on the island, best known for their wonderful Georgia shrimp that they've won contests for. (She paid for me by the way, because she's so glad I'm back, which I had no intention of her doing, but she's a sweetie and I can't tell her no.)
First thing the server says is, "We have free soft ice cream inside now. Get a cone after lunch."
Huh! And me on a diet? "No," I said firmly. "I won't."
My friend cajoled, but she's a friend so she didn't cajole long. Maybe ten minutes. Seemed longer that I had to fight but...
So I had the shrimp with a baked potato and slaw. Okay, I did have butter and sour cream. And I guess that was tartar sauce I was dipping the shrimp in.
But it was their lunch portion. It wasn't too bad. Maybe.
Anyway, I stuck to my plan. No ice cream. Though I had to keep thinking, ten pounds to lose, ten pounds to lose, to keep from caving.
She had a big bowl of the vanilla/chocolate swirl.
I'm trying to figure out how to talk my guy into taking me back tomorrow.
So today a friend and I went to lunch at Iguana's here on the island, best known for their wonderful Georgia shrimp that they've won contests for. (She paid for me by the way, because she's so glad I'm back, which I had no intention of her doing, but she's a sweetie and I can't tell her no.)
First thing the server says is, "We have free soft ice cream inside now. Get a cone after lunch."
Huh! And me on a diet? "No," I said firmly. "I won't."
My friend cajoled, but she's a friend so she didn't cajole long. Maybe ten minutes. Seemed longer that I had to fight but...
So I had the shrimp with a baked potato and slaw. Okay, I did have butter and sour cream. And I guess that was tartar sauce I was dipping the shrimp in.
But it was their lunch portion. It wasn't too bad. Maybe.
Anyway, I stuck to my plan. No ice cream. Though I had to keep thinking, ten pounds to lose, ten pounds to lose, to keep from caving.
She had a big bowl of the vanilla/chocolate swirl.
I'm trying to figure out how to talk my guy into taking me back tomorrow.
April 11, 2012
THE ALLIGATOR FARM
My guy is a photographer so we visit The Alligator Farm in St. Augustine FL frequently during their rookery season of April, May and June. Yesterday we went down for the first time this year. The birds were already there. Some were so close you could reach out and touch them.
This first picture shows one of the trees with its birds.
This is an egret displaying. For those of you who, like me, are non-birders, I believe it means he's puffing up his feathers, trying to make himself as attractive as possible to the opposite sex so he can nab a mate. Good luck with that, fellow!
And here's a favorite. I've never seen such vivid colors on a roseate spoonbill. A couple of them were nesting in a tree about ten feet from us. Beautiful!
We couldn't leave without a picture of alligators. These are American albinos. They looked like statues when I first went by, then one finally moved and stepped on the other's snout. Thought I was gonna see a battle but they both went back to sleep.
We'll be going back in a few weeks. My guy likes to catch the birds nesting, then see the little babies pop out of the nests, then follow them as teenagers. He'll be busy till probably the first part of June.
This first picture shows one of the trees with its birds.
This is an egret displaying. For those of you who, like me, are non-birders, I believe it means he's puffing up his feathers, trying to make himself as attractive as possible to the opposite sex so he can nab a mate. Good luck with that, fellow!
And here's a favorite. I've never seen such vivid colors on a roseate spoonbill. A couple of them were nesting in a tree about ten feet from us. Beautiful!
We couldn't leave without a picture of alligators. These are American albinos. They looked like statues when I first went by, then one finally moved and stepped on the other's snout. Thought I was gonna see a battle but they both went back to sleep.
We'll be going back in a few weeks. My guy likes to catch the birds nesting, then see the little babies pop out of the nests, then follow them as teenagers. He'll be busy till probably the first part of June.
April 8, 2012
RELAXING EASTER
It's so nice to be back on the island. Yeah, a lot of spring breakers are here but looks like a lot of them left yesterday and more of them today. I love this laidback place where we can walk and enjoy the scenery. On the pier today we saw a begger pelican and a sailboat heading out to sea. Gorgeous
April 5, 2012
MOVED AND SETTLED
So we moved down to the island for a few weeks/months. Just got cable TV, telephone, internet and all that stuff hooked up. Maybe we can relax now.
The cats made the seven hour trip fine. Drugged, of course. Unbearable to be in the car with them otherwise, and I won't let my guy put them in the trunk! He jokes, but sometimes I wonder...
Anyway, when the girl cat wakes up, she apparently blames the boy cat for all her wooziness and unhappy travel arrangements and general malaise. For the rest of that day and part of the next, every time he comes near her, she hisses and threatens to jump on him. He, poor thing, hasn't a clue what she's hissying about. After all, he got drugged and catnapped, too. It wan't his fault!
But I guess they're back to normal. Sleeping on the bed all day, discovering the screen door to look out at the birds and squirrels, watching the tennis players bat the ball back and forth...
Now if I could just get their fountain to stop leaking in the guest bath.
The cats made the seven hour trip fine. Drugged, of course. Unbearable to be in the car with them otherwise, and I won't let my guy put them in the trunk! He jokes, but sometimes I wonder...
Anyway, when the girl cat wakes up, she apparently blames the boy cat for all her wooziness and unhappy travel arrangements and general malaise. For the rest of that day and part of the next, every time he comes near her, she hisses and threatens to jump on him. He, poor thing, hasn't a clue what she's hissying about. After all, he got drugged and catnapped, too. It wan't his fault!
But I guess they're back to normal. Sleeping on the bed all day, discovering the screen door to look out at the birds and squirrels, watching the tennis players bat the ball back and forth...
Now if I could just get their fountain to stop leaking in the guest bath.
April 1, 2012
THE LUCKY 7 MEME AWARD
I recently received this award from fellow MuseItUp author Penny Ehrenkranz who blogs at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/2012/03/lucky-7-meme-award.html#comment-form I don't really think this is an award. I think it's kind of like, tag seven more unsuspecting people or your cats will die, your car won't start, and that yellow stuff floating around in the air will surround you forever. So as not to have any of this happen, I must follow the directions: 1. Go to page 77 of your current manuscript.2. Go to line 7.3. Copy the next 7 sentences exactly how they're written. No cheating!4. Tag 7 other writers to pass this meme on to.So here's the excerpt from page 77 of my manuscript: If he'd only listen, hecould have Norma eating out of his hand."Autumn grinned. "IfI recall, your advice didn't work out so well for Tyler and Abe and Jamie. Oh,and I forgot Will."Laney flapped a hand. "They were different. No, I meanit, Autumn, hang around till she breaks up with him and then move in. So now I have to tag seven more bloggers, eh? Not sure I know that many writers, and I see some of them I know have already been tagged, but here goes. Melody Scott: http://melodyscott.blogspot.com/Graeme Smith: http://www.graeme-smith.net/S.K. Keogh: http://susankeogh.wordpress.com/Calista Taylor: http://asteampunkreverie.blogspot.com/Tom Bradley: http://headfirstintothedeepend.typepad.com/blog/William Kendall: http://williamkendallbooks.blogspot.com/Michelle Pickett: http://www.michelle-pickett.com Congrats folks! You've been tagged!
March 31, 2012
HOUSE FOR SALE
So our house has been for sale for a year now. We've had lots of lookers but no buyers.
When there's a showing, we have to leave. (Don't want our looks to scare anyone off!) So we go to Wendy's and have a Frosty, or if it's lunchtime, a burger. That mean's we're plumping up. We keep talking about going for a walk in the park but I can't see it happening. At least not till the yellow stuff goes away.
So today we come back from Wendy's and it looks like no one's been here. No new real estate agent card. Lights still on. Cats not traumatized. I start to put on my comfy clothes. (We tend to slouch around the house in dirty shorts/sweatpants/undershirts, whatever.)
My guy frowns. "Uh uh. Sure as anything, we'll get comfy and someone will show up."
I sigh but keep my good clothes on. So after three hours, I figure it's safe. I change clothes.
Then my guy says, "Remember the time no one came? And we thought it had been so long they wouldn't come? Except they did? At eight o'clock that night?"
I do remember, now that he brings it up. I'd had my bath, put on my jammies and was about to watch NCIS. Horrible experience.
I weigh my options. Nope. Still not gonna put that bra back on.
When there's a showing, we have to leave. (Don't want our looks to scare anyone off!) So we go to Wendy's and have a Frosty, or if it's lunchtime, a burger. That mean's we're plumping up. We keep talking about going for a walk in the park but I can't see it happening. At least not till the yellow stuff goes away.
So today we come back from Wendy's and it looks like no one's been here. No new real estate agent card. Lights still on. Cats not traumatized. I start to put on my comfy clothes. (We tend to slouch around the house in dirty shorts/sweatpants/undershirts, whatever.)
My guy frowns. "Uh uh. Sure as anything, we'll get comfy and someone will show up."
I sigh but keep my good clothes on. So after three hours, I figure it's safe. I change clothes.
Then my guy says, "Remember the time no one came? And we thought it had been so long they wouldn't come? Except they did? At eight o'clock that night?"
I do remember, now that he brings it up. I'd had my bath, put on my jammies and was about to watch NCIS. Horrible experience.
I weigh my options. Nope. Still not gonna put that bra back on.
March 28, 2012
UPDATED REVISION for 99 Cents
My romantic suspense TREACHEROUS BEAUTIES was published years ago--and used as the basis for a TV movie--but I recently got the rights back. After updating and (since I can't resist fiddling with words) revising it, I am self-publishing it for $.99. Right now, it's up on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Treacherous-Beauties-ebook/dp/B007P5461C/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332979452&sr=1-2
Also on Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145317
I imagine it'll take longer for Barnes and Noble, and the iTunes store to pick it up but it'll eventually be there, too.
So anyone who's read it: Don't buy it again! Anyone interested in checking out my style: This is a cheap intro.
Calista Taylor did the new cover art, and I really like it.
Also on Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145317
I imagine it'll take longer for Barnes and Noble, and the iTunes store to pick it up but it'll eventually be there, too.
So anyone who's read it: Don't buy it again! Anyone interested in checking out my style: This is a cheap intro.
Calista Taylor did the new cover art, and I really like it.
March 23, 2012
CATS
Our cats aren't allowed outside. So my guy took out one of the French door panes and put in a cat door that opens onto the screened porch; they can get out there whenever they like.
The other night, while we were sleeping, they woke us up by carousing in the other part of the house. So my guy, brave fellow, went to see what was going on.
"A rat!" he yells. "The cats have a rat in the house!"
I hop up to see. Turns out it was a ground squirrel, or chipmunk. And it's running from the living room to the kitchen to my office to the utility room, and then starting all over again.
My guy grabs a towel and tries to throw it over the scared baby. I'm screaming and jumping out of the way every time it rushes at me. The boy cat is trying to herd it (it ran right under him several times but the boy cat never once bit or pounced on it), and keeps chasing it out from behind the sofa and TV and other places. The girl cat goes back to the bedroom and hides under the bed.
Finally, we leave the French door open, herd the poor little thing that way, it sees the open door and goes out on the screened porch and disappears behind a plant. Exhausted, we put the cover on the cat door so it can't get back in the house. In the morning it's gone via the way it came in, I'm sure.
The girl cat finally came out from under the bed. The boy cat pranced around for a while and looked very proud of himself.
My guy's talking about changing their zip code again.
The other night, while we were sleeping, they woke us up by carousing in the other part of the house. So my guy, brave fellow, went to see what was going on.
"A rat!" he yells. "The cats have a rat in the house!"
I hop up to see. Turns out it was a ground squirrel, or chipmunk. And it's running from the living room to the kitchen to my office to the utility room, and then starting all over again.
My guy grabs a towel and tries to throw it over the scared baby. I'm screaming and jumping out of the way every time it rushes at me. The boy cat is trying to herd it (it ran right under him several times but the boy cat never once bit or pounced on it), and keeps chasing it out from behind the sofa and TV and other places. The girl cat goes back to the bedroom and hides under the bed.
Finally, we leave the French door open, herd the poor little thing that way, it sees the open door and goes out on the screened porch and disappears behind a plant. Exhausted, we put the cover on the cat door so it can't get back in the house. In the morning it's gone via the way it came in, I'm sure.
The girl cat finally came out from under the bed. The boy cat pranced around for a while and looked very proud of himself.
My guy's talking about changing their zip code again.
March 22, 2012
NEW COVER
Got the cover for my July romantic mystery SET UP. Here it is:
And here's the blurb:
Three divorces should teach a man something, but hotel heir Cal McIntyre can't figure out what. Then a flashy redhead – the kind he adores – shows up. Since he's off women, he reluctantly takes a bet to seduce her. One more hook-up won't matter. Especially with this temptress.
But Amanda's hair is dyed and she's not about to be seduced. Her younger sister gambled with an heirloom engagement ring, and Cal won. If Amanda has to drug him to retrieve the ring and save her sister's marriage, so be it.
She doesn't count on Cal's kisses awakening a long-banished sexuality. Lucky for her, he passes out before she gets carried away. She escapes with the ring and virtue intact. Now to forget him.
But Cal tracks her down. And tells her he bought the ring. From her sister. Worse, someone stole diamonds worth millions after she knocked him out. Cal wasn't the only one set up.
There must be an explanation, but her sister can't give it; she's vanished. Now Amanda must help Cal find her sister or go to jail. She's determined to protect her sister, and he's determined to recover his diamonds.
Sparks are about to fly.
And here's the blurb:
Three divorces should teach a man something, but hotel heir Cal McIntyre can't figure out what. Then a flashy redhead – the kind he adores – shows up. Since he's off women, he reluctantly takes a bet to seduce her. One more hook-up won't matter. Especially with this temptress.
But Amanda's hair is dyed and she's not about to be seduced. Her younger sister gambled with an heirloom engagement ring, and Cal won. If Amanda has to drug him to retrieve the ring and save her sister's marriage, so be it.
She doesn't count on Cal's kisses awakening a long-banished sexuality. Lucky for her, he passes out before she gets carried away. She escapes with the ring and virtue intact. Now to forget him.
But Cal tracks her down. And tells her he bought the ring. From her sister. Worse, someone stole diamonds worth millions after she knocked him out. Cal wasn't the only one set up.
There must be an explanation, but her sister can't give it; she's vanished. Now Amanda must help Cal find her sister or go to jail. She's determined to protect her sister, and he's determined to recover his diamonds.
Sparks are about to fly.
