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One of my favorite quotes about writing comes from Anais Nin:
“I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live.”
That’s very true for me, and I do that a lot when I’m writing, but I don’t think it should be applied to real life. Roger Clemens, though, must disagree with me. He’s developed his own little world, one in which he can live, and no one, not even his wife, is exempt from his stupidity.
I’ve suspected it for a while now, but proof came yesterday, when he was asked by a reporter about the steroids issue. His reply?
“That’s over. That’s over. Everything’s been said that needs to be said on that. We’re moving forward. It’s baseball time. We’re going to enjoy that.”
I’m all for the “baseball time” and agree wholeheartedly that “we’re going to enjoy” it, but “it’s over”? Living in a dream world, Roger. You can say it’s over if you want, but like Yogi said, it ain’t over till it’s over, and this is definitely not over. There’s a little matter of Congress and the probability that you’ll be facing a perjury charge sometime in the future.
Did you forget about that? Or maybe you “misremembered”? Or in your charmed world, did you wave your magic wand and make it disappear? Come on, Roger, your arrogance is creeping me out. Ick!
And while I have you, your wife’s behavior at that party you claim you didn’t attend were only at for a few minutes? Did she really do that? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against breast augmentation, but to have it done and then go to a party and compare the results to another woman who’s had the same surgery…eew, ack!
As for you joking about the incident afterwards in the locker room, pardon me, but gag me with a spoon!
The thing is, Roger…your behavior is nothing short of deplorable.
And Debbie, oh, Debbie, I’m starting to really hope you are supporting this clueless wonder because of the money. I could understand that, but if you’re staying in his make-believe world because you love him, please, pinch youself and wake the hell up! The man tossed you to the dogs–in front of Congress and most of the civilized world, no less–and now we find out you’re the butt of his locker room jokes.
Are you really going to stand for that? Honey, there’s not enough money in the world. And if you are staying for love, I think you’re just as delusional as he is. He may say he loves you, but that love is questionable given the lack of respect he’s showing you.
Well okay, not so much here in the mountains where it’s another rainy cold day, but in Florida, with less than a week to go until the first game, baseball is definitely getting warmer because…Manny’s in the house! For the first time since 2005, Manny arrived on time for Spring training, and from his statements to the press he’s ready to play and looking forward to this season.
Could it be his last as a Boston Red Sox? I have a hard time believing that and hope it won’t happen. But then, as everyone knows, I’m a Manny Fan Girl. I just can’t imagine the Red Sox without him, can’t imagine watching a game where there isn’t the Big Papi/Manny threat hovering over the opposing pitcher’s head, can’t imagine a time when another player will take on the job of taming Fenway’s Green Monster.
The Red Sox without Manny? Say it ain’t so–ever!
And then there’s Jacoby Ellsbury. I caught an informative and interesting article about him in Men’s Vogue the other day. Did you know he’s the first Navajo to play in the Major Leagues? Just another reason for me to appreciate him. I’m not an official FG of his yet, but the more I learn about him the more I like him and I can see myself becoming one, especially after reading the article. Here it is if you’d like to read it:
http://www.mensvogue.com/health/feature/articles/2008/03/jacoby?currentPage=1
Like I said, very interesting. Put longer hair on him and he could be the cover model for the book I have coming out later this year, Snow Shadows. Yep, he could be my Cherokee shape-shifter, Matt, especially since he spent his time in the off-season beefing up.
Hmmm, I wonder if he’d be open to posing for a pic of a paranormal romance hero who, in my editor’s words is ”SO HOT!” (hee-hee, I’ve been giggling over that little tidbit for days!)
The thing is…I’m about 50 pages into the next book, Storm Shadows (working title), and now I’m starting to worry about making the hero of this one, Matt’s brother Marc, “HOT!” Can I do it? Well, the only thing to do is write the story. And now that I have a picture in my head of Jacoby Ellsbury, I think that will help immensely because the brothers in each of the four books in this series look very much alike, about the only difference being the color of their eyes and the length of their hair. Jacoby’s is still shorter than Marc’s, but not by much.
So thanks, Jacoby, for the inspiration!
Yesterday, my editor sent me a PDF file of my upcoming book, Snow Shadows. It’s not the finished product, we still have a lot of work to do, but the end is coming closer. I’ve been reading through it this morning and making a few changes, all the while trying to figure out exactly how to describe this feeling running through me…
And failing miserably. I’m a writer, I should be able to come up with the words to describe it…but I just can’t. Not that the words aren’t there, they are, in fact they’re tumbling through my mind. Words like ecstatic, overjoyed, euphoric, gleeful, thrilled, over the moon, and on and on and on. But none of them expresses how I really feel.
How do you describe the feeling that comes with attaining your wildest dream? I don’t know, but I know I’ll keep searching, because that’s what I do. I play with words, shuffle them around in my head, write them down, and try to arrange them in the perfect sequence to express my feelings or the feelings of my characters.
But this time, I’m, well, speechless.
The thing is…this isn’t my first book and I shouldn’t be so utterly dumbfounded. I’ve had two e-books published and yes, I was delighted when I was offered the contracts for them, and even more thrilled when I downloaded them and saw my words in cyber-print for the first time. But this book…this book will not only be released as an e-book, this book will also be in print, a first for me. Which is, I expect, why I’m so overwhelmed.
And I’m sure the first time I hold this book, this child of my imagination, in my hands, there’s going to be a whole truckload of other feelings for me to try to describe.
The thing that keeps running through my head today is a line from one of my favorite songs by John Mellencamp, Just Like You:
I’m living in my head
Too much life in my veins
Forgetting all of the time
We’re always in motion with angels…
Indeed. That pretty much describes my life right now. So, maybe I need to take a break from editing and trying to describe my feelings and move on to thanking some of those earth-bound angels who are always with me.
Like those emotions running rampant through me, my life is overflowing with angels at the moment.
I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. Don’t know why that is, it just never meant very much to me. I mean I love getting flowers and my husband just sent me a beautiful bouquet of red carnations–my favorite–but I’m not into chocolate and I’m against the whole card thing because hey, dead trees! So Valentine’s Day is way down my list of preferred holidays.
I know, I know, I write romance, it should be right up there at number one, right?
Well, this year it is, because it’s also the day pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. You know what that means–baseball season is almost upon us and after the beating the sport–and my love of it–took yesterday, it can’t come soon enough for me.
(Fair warning I’m going to go off on a little side rant here!)
So, I wasted two hours of my life watching Roger Clemens testifying to Congress about the Mitchell Report yesterday. If you ask me, Clemens represents everything that’s wrong with professional sports and after his repeated attestations of innocence, I found myself having to control an urge to throw the nearest hard object at my TV. Good thing I didn’t have a baseball handy!
Can we all say overpaid arrogant jerk? Well, I can, and let me assure you, I did. Several times, in fact.
The thing is…I already knew I didn’t like Clemens, but after yesterday I have to tell you, I’m even more disgusted by his wife. There’s an acronym that’s popular in the romance community right now; TSTL. It refers to a character, most often, but certainly not limited to, the heroine of a book who is Too Stupid To Live.
And that’s exactly how I feel about Debbie Clemens. It’s bad enough she’s married to a jerk, but now she’s letting him use her to try and clear his name…or maybe just deflect some of the suspicion away from him…or something. I’m not really sure at this point, but IMO, her saying she let Brian McNamee inject her with HGH without her husband’s knowledge, just made me think maybe these two were meant for each other.
Why would a woman do that? Why, if you had a husband who was being raked over the coals, would you throw yourself down there with him? I suppose it could be love, but I think it’s more a case of protecting all those millions her husband has milked from baseball. Or maybe she’s been living with someone who is TSTL for so long that she’s caught the disease. Whatever.
And so, on this day for lovers, I crown her TSTL Queen of the Day.
As for Mr. Clemens, my pick for TSTL King, I’d like to ask him what kind of a man that makes him? You remind me of the playground bully who when challenged runs home to Mommy and hides behind her skirt.
Like I said, arrogant overpaid jerk–and might I toss in, moronic, idiotic, childish, immature…well, you get the picture!
Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, I want to wish all of you a Happy Valentine’s Spring Training Day! The future’s so bright we have to wear shades…
Especially if you’re a Red Sox fan!
Okay, now that I’ve gotten the baseball out of my system–temporarily!–I’m going to move on to a couple of other things going on in my life right now.
First, my ongoing crusade against the Cassie Edwards thing. I’m happy to say I went back to the grocery store this weekend where I hid all of her books and they’re still…hidden! Yippee! Didn’t make it back to the bookstore, but I did go by a local department store and found a few copies of her books. While my husband looked on in disbelief, amusement, and dare I say, just a tad bit of approval–he’s a baby boomer too–I hid them each behind other books. And I sincerely hope they stay hidden.
When I finished, my husband asked me what I hoped to gain by doing that. My reply, “Absolutely nothing, but it offends me that her books are still on the shelf, so I’m doing my part to clean up my little corner of North Carolina.” He laughed and assured me he’d spot the bail money if I ever got caught and ended up in jail for illegally re-arranging a store’s display or something.
He’s so sweet.
To Cassie Edwards and her publishers–won’t you please do the right thing and pull those books off the shelves? I’m not asking for all of them to come down, just the ones where you “borrowed” the words of other authors. Okay, that’s a lie. I want all of them down, but if I have to settle for just those with the words that are so obviously not yours, well, I guess I will. If you’re not sure which ones they are, here’s an URL to help you out:
http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/
And don’t be put off by the fact that these are the women who first um…”outed” you, so to speak, because, really, you could learn a lot from their site. I know I have.
Second, it was announced the other day that Brad Renfro died of an accidental overdose of heroin. Not really surprised by this–I think everybody who knew him more or less expected that, but all the same, it’s very sad and a huge loss, in my opinion.
I keep seeing him standing there in the hallway of Lincoln Park wearing that silly ”Will work for Valentines” sign around his neck, drilling me on my knowledge of Led Zeppelin–a subject he was much more schooled in than I could ever hope to be. And so, Stairway to Heaven has been running through my head. I hope Brad’s personal stairway was easily navigated and brought him to a place where his brightness and creativity will be nurtured.
God bless you, Brad. I didn’t know you well, but I knew you well enough to say, you will be missed.
Only a day and a half until the pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training–those that aren’t already there, of course, like the inspirational Jon Lester–and with each passing minute, I’m getting more excited. Not just because baseball season is fast approaching, after all opening day is still more than a month and a half away, but to me, that day in cold, dreary February when the pitchers and catchers report, is the epitome of what spring is all about–new birth, endless possibilities, and a brighter, warmer outlook…er, weather forecast.
Don’t get me wrong, I love winter, but the way I see it, if I can’t have cold and snow, give me warmth and sunshine. If I still lived in Maine–where I’m told they got another 8 inches of the white stuff this past weekend–I’d be willing to wait for spring because, hey, what else can you do up there? And besides, the long wait makes it that much sweeter when it does finally arrive.
But down here in North Carolina, where we’ve had maybe an inch of snow total this winter, and we’ve been plagued with cloudy, gloomy weather for the last, oh, millenium, or so, I’m more than ready for spring.
And spring to me, means baseball!
So, I’ve moved the official site of the Boston Red Sox up to the top of my favorites list and I’ve been checking out various sports blogs for a little entertainment. It won’t be long, I’m sure, until the first thing I do in the morning is turn on Sports Center and suffer through the seemingly constant basketball coverage, just to get a minute or two of baseball news.
But right now, I’m watching the blogs and the Red Sox home page, both of which are starting to heat up like the weather in spring. Here’s the latest news (in no particular order of importance):
1. YOUK! Kevin Youkilis just signed a one year, three million dollar contract and will be back at first base this year. Quite possibly the best news I’ve heard in this long, long offseason, because IMO, he’s one of the most underrated–and underpaid!–players in baseball.
2. Curt Schilling is already on the DL and likely will be out until at least the All-Star break with right shoulder problems. I’m not sure how I feel about this…Curt’s an asset to our pitching staff, granted, but I think it might have been a good thing if he’d retired this year. Sorry Curt! You’ve been a favorite of mine ever since I first saw that commercial you made when you came to Boston–you know, the one where you’re hitchhiking? Can’t remember if it was Dodge or Ford or even Chevrolet, but I remember when the truckdriver picks you up and asks where you’re going, you answered (paraphrased), “Boston. I’ve got an eighty-six year curse to break.” When I saw that commercial, I got a funny feeling that you just might do it–and I was right! So, while I value you for everything you’ve brought to the Red Sox–including your um…outspoken bluntness, shall we say?–I still think your best bet for this year may have been retirement. Too many injuries over too many years, and no matter how much I love baseball, it’s still not worth your health.
3. Moonshot Manny! From everything I’ve read, he seems more relaxed and happier than ever that he’s a part of this team and I think the team will only benefit from that. I’m not happy that it’s his last year under contract with Boston because as you know, I’m a squee! fangirl! of his and can’t imagine the Red Sox without him. But I’m glad he’s more content than he has been in the past and well, you know, the Red Sox still hold options for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. *fingers and toes crossed as I pray to the baseball gods for the owners not to let you go*
In the words of Jon Lester: “It’s going to be another fun year, and hopefully, we can go do it again.”
Oh yeah!
And from Tessie by The Dropkick Murphys:
“Boston, you know we love you madly,
hear the crowd roar to your sound!
Don’t blame us if we ever doubt you,
You know we couldn’t live without you,
Red Sox, you are the only only only!”
The sun is shining here in western North Carolina–finally!–the thermometer’s pushing 70–take that Mr. Groundhog!–and I just saw on the Red Sox site that Jon Lester is in Ft. Myers already doing the Spring Training thing! Woo-hoo!
Now that’s exciting news for a baseball fan like me and the fact that it’s Jon Lester makes it doubly exciting!
For those of you who don’t know who Jon Lester is, I offer up this little bit of wisdom:
**Jon Lester, who came back from a cancer diagnosis in 2006 to win this year’s World Series clincher for Boston, was honored Wednesday with the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity through spirit, determination and courage.
The 23-year-old pitcher was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in August 2006. After cancer treatment during the offseason, he started the year on the disabled list. Lester was recalled in July and finished the regular season 4-0 with a 4.57 ERA.
The thing is…I saw him pitch with the Portland Seadogs in Maine before he was diagnosed with cancer, was devastated when I heard the diagnosis, and thrilled beyond belief when he returned last season after going through chemo-therapy. And the fact that he won the Tony Conigliaro Award last year means he’s a winner in my book–forever!–because, well, you know how I feel about Tony C!
And judging by Lester’s early appearance in camp, he’s just as anxious as I am to get this season started!
So, am I ready for some baseball–yes! Yes! Hell, YES! Bring it on!
**Copyright 2007 by the Associated Press–here’s the full story: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3132061
My sister forwarded this to me the other day and since the upcoming Presidential election is very much on people’s minds right now, I thought I’d pass it on.
Go ahead, click on the link, take the quiz and let it tell you who you really want to vote for. But fair warning, as it says, you might just be surprised!
The subject of the quiz is the Presidential Candidates – very interesting analytical tool
This quiz Takes about 1-2 minutes. Having trouble deciding who to vote for in 2008?
This quiz will compare your answers with “ALL” candidates – Republican, Democrat, Other and what they support.
This quiz will compare your answers with “ALL” candidates – Republican, Democrat, Other and what they support.
From your answers the candidates will be scored and placed in an order that best reflects your thoughts on the issues.
I found this to be of interest …. It did not select the candidate I had expected!
Of even more interest was which candidates were way down the list – and why.Click on the website below:
http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460 I’m sure you’ll want to pass this along to friends …
I suggest you do it without disclosing who your candidate was before and after the survey!
This is your own personal survey. You might be very surprised – AND
NO!!! This is not a joke – it is for real and very enlightening
For me, this confirmed that the candidate I intend to vote for is really the person I want in the White House, so I’m good. But it got me thinking, if another name had popped up, would I be open-minded enough to change my vote? Well, hmmm, maybe…
The thing is…I used to be a die-hard Democrat but as I’ve gotten older my views on politics–and many other things–have changed. My husband calls me a politician’s worst nightmare because I don’t usually vote a straight party ticket. I look at each candidate and vote for the one I think will do the most good–doesn’t matter if they are Democrat or Republican, male or female, black or white, or whatever–I’m voting for the one I think will be best for this country.
So, I probably would look at that candidate and I might even change my vote. And in the long run, freedom of choice is what an election is all about. Right?
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