NaNoWriMo

It's a world wide event and it starts October 31st at midnight. No, it's not the dead rising from the grave, it's people uniting and supporting each other to be creative. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That's a couple hundred pages of raw, uncorrected words down on paper and out of the minds of 150,000 people.

Let's see how it goes...

Live Long and Prosper

I named my daughter after a planet from Star Trek. Just saying that is enough for people to realize my love for everything Trek. I'm not embarrassed; I'm proud to be a Trekkie. Aside from my child's name, my trekkiness has trickled down to my children and they couldn't wait to go see the new Star Trek movie. They called in all their nerdy troops who were equally enthralled and we "trekked" to the theater for one of the first showings on the first night.

There were twenty of us in our group including three sets of parents, a grandfather, and various children and teens from 9 to 19. Several of my twenty-something former co-workers were there as well. We were multiple generations on the edge of our seats cheering for the NCC-1701 reborn. A new crew, but not new at all because the characters are as familiar as our closest friends. My kids watch the reruns, the same ones I watched when I was their age. The episodes were new to me then and with this new Star Trek movie they've left the Trek universe WIDE OPEN for more movies, a series of books, and lunch boxes for the kiddies!

I gotta tell ya, I'm giddy with anticipation. I hope they boldly go where Star Trek has not gone before.

TV Time

I've been watching a lot of TV. Too much, really. I don't watch a bunch of stupid commercials, though, thanks to the miracle of the DVR and movies by mail ala Netflix. Frickin' I don't ever have to leave my house except to take the Netflix to the mailbox and hell I had children to do that kind of shit for me. LOL

No, really, I'm not getting out enough and the exercise videos are not getting into the DVD player and playing themselves. When it's not raining we take the puppy for a walk around the park but it's been raining, even hailed a bunch the other day (we actually stepped outside and threw hail balls, much like snow balls, just a little icier). I guess we need the rain (everyone says so, so it must be so) so I'll just bide my time and watch some more TV. Keep up with me, if you can...

Ballykissangel is a quirky BBC Ireland show that reminded me of another favorite, Northern Exposure. Both take place in backwoods small towns, both have your token watering hole where everyone gathers, and the simplicity of life draws you into the lives of the average yet remarkable people who live there.

I enjoy cultures I'm unfamiliar with, and both programs indulge my interest. I can't help picking up an Irish accent after I watch an episode of Bally-k and I have come to thoroughly appreciate the traditional Inuit way of life portrayed in NE.

I also realize how the Alaskans must feel during the long winter months when they're shut up indoors. Wah, wah, yes I live in California, and I might be missing the endless darkness, the zero below temps and the acres of blankets of snow. But I'll bet they still don't watch as much TV as I've watched lately...more to come.


******Want to watch right now??? Ballykissangel can be viewed instantly on your computer through Netflix Instant feature******

Juicy Fruit

It's been a while since I blogged. I lost sight of why I started blogging in the first place, so I took a break. I originally didn't start my blog so someone would give me a jpeg they made with photo shop that said "good job" in Latin. And I really didn't start my blog so I could advertise for Google and see how many hits I could get and maybe someday I'll have as many readers as the Pioneer Woman and get a cook book deal. I started writing my blog for me and no one else.

A funny thing happened while I was on hiatus, I got messages from bloggers who wondered where I was. Mind you, it was only a handful of messages, but they happened to be from bloggers I really liked and enjoyed reading and conversing with via our blogs. I admit I wasn't surprised that out of all the millions of blogs I'd read and commented on over time that they were the ones who cared enough to take a minute out of their uber busy lives to drop me a line and to see if I was still alive.

Although I had ulterior motives when I started this blog (to write and get my creative juices flowing) it had turned into something entirely different (an external validation circus) and then when I peeled back the whacked out clowns and dancing bears it turned into something beautiful and so much more than I could ever have hoped. It became a window to a world full of wonderful people. Just like in everyday life, some people are merely acquaintances, most people are strangers, but a rare few, a hand full (if you're lucky) you get to call FRIENDS.

So here I am, alive and kicking sans the sparkly decoration. I'm back to my original purpose of creativity and I'm carrying an extra pack of Juicy Fruit gum. Want a piece? I like to share with my friends and I know who you are.