Random Stuff

As I'm preparing to start my almost WIP (ok, I've been preparing for a couple of years now), I have been thinking a lot about heroes. This book is going to be different in that it's a romantic suspense/thriller type book. But the main focus is on the heroine. I don't think I've ever tried writing where the hero isn't front and center. I mean Alex is one of the protagonists, but I will have less in his POV than usual. The key is to not make him a wiennie. I need a reason that he quit the CIA, I really wanted to chop off his leg but my support group (Holly, Jodi, Bonnie, et) screamed at me. So for the time being his extremities are all intact.

I like wounded heroes, I tend to shoot them alot. ;) However, it can go too far. I've been trying to read a thriller by Brad Meltzer. Boring. The POV switches from third person to first person of the hero. This might be the problem. The hero was injured seven years ago during a Presidential assassination attempt. He was shot in the face, leaving one side of his face scarred and nerve damaged. Because the POV for Wes is first person, he seems too whiny. Everyone who looks at him, he knows is repelled by his face. It's just too close. I don't care for the hero, therefore I don't care that someone is trying to kill him or what the conspiracy is all about.

Even in a plot driven book, the characters are key.

Dua Khalil

In April of this year, 17 year old Dua Khalil was stoned to death in Iraq. Her crime? Being seen with a young man of a different sect. Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, was outraged and wrote a long "rant" on the fan run Whedonesque site. Please read it, his words are very important. http://whedonesque.com/comments/13271

From this article grew the Nothing but Red movement. http://nothingbutred.wordpress.com/
Please take a moment to see what they are planning. Perhaps you might even be able to contribute.

Don't fall back on the "I'm only one person" argument. One person can make a difference, and when more than one like minded person band together, they can make an even larger difference.

As Mr Whedon says "True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself. "

Only in Boise

I was reading the local newspaper Sunday and the time line for Julia Davis Park. JD Park is a beautiful park in downtown Boise and Saturday the city will be celebrating the park's 100th anniversary. Anyway, there was a snippet on the timeline that made me shake my head and giggle. Only in Boise and only with Bisterfeldt.

Background. Vern Bisterfeldt is a city councilman in Boise, before that he was a county commissioner. Before that he was a Boise police officer (heck, the city/county law enforcement center is named for him). But for those of us growing up in Boise in the sixties, Bisterfeldt meant- larger- than- life, everyone- has- a- Bisterfeldt- story. This story I hadn't heard. Straight from the Idaho Statesman:

March 1, 1967. A gate is left open at the zoo and three elk escape. Sgt Vern Bisterfeldt of the Boise Police Department ropes one of the fleeing animals while riding on the hood of a squad car. Four hours later, the elk are caught, hobbled, and hopped back to the zoo on three legs.

Things that drive me crazy

The fact that I post something here, and it doesn't show up until I post a second entry.

The fact that TV/radio/print newscasters are so unprofessional. I'm not talking about their political bias or anything like that. This runs from local to national, fox to NPR. It's a lack of precision, the use of slang. For example: Sunday's headlines (print and radio) " 7 Kids killed in Afghanistan". Kids are baby goats, these young people who were killed deserved to be respected enough to be called "children", not the slang "Kids".

The fact that there are actually people who are asshats enough to want to do malicious things. I don't understand it.

These are just a few of what I'm sure will be many.

Beth who?

Just a brief explanation. I noticed in a previous blog I was talking about Beth, actually two Beths. So to prevent confusion: I am house sitting for my cousin Beth while she and her son are in Alabama visiting her husband who is temporarily stationed there.

The other Beth, the one who went to Vegas is my friend Beth. You can read her most entertaining blog at Sum of Me (link is on the side there).

Blogger Ate It

I posted an entry earlier, I swear that I did. But it isn't showing up. :sigh:

Anyway, nothing important, just a report that my blood feels good.

And a note to Beth. Aren't we getting details of what happened in Las Vegas?

eta: I posted this, and now the earlier entry has been regurgitated (sp?) by the blogger beastie..

Good Blood

No, this isn't about vampires. It's about my blood full of all sorts of medications. I think it's working (won't know for sure until I have my doctor's appointment in July). But I feel much much better. Actually it took a week for my body to adjust to all of the crap. I was tired all of the time. But now I have energy.

And since I'm housesitting for Beth and the computer is on the second floor in the family room, I'm forever running up and down the stairs. I'm getting exercise!!!!! Strangely enough, my appetite has wandered away. It left Thursday night in middle of the night. I'm not going to look for it.

Note to Beth: Are we ever going to get a report on your trip to Las Vegas? Or is it true, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?

People Confuse Me

Over the past few days some drama has been occurring regarding a dear friend of mine. I can't and won't go into it. But it has me scratching my head over human behavior.

The evil doers in this situation worked hard to cause her problems. This violates my first rule of human behavior: laziness. Everyone hurts other people. Usually it's a stupid mistake or statement or whatever. It's accidental. You wound but you really didn't mean to. Sometimes, you don't care or maybe you mean to, and you see an opening and you take it. But it doesn't take any energy on your part. But when people go out of their way to create pain and chaos it just boggles my mind.

I guess it comes down to I don't understand hurting people. However, this incident has helped me come to grips a little more with the villian in my WIP. Evil exists and it doesn't just exist in the hearts of people like Hitler, Saddam, etc.

Lazy Sunday

It's raining, it's cold, it's perfect weather to watch DVDs. So I'm going to curl up and finish watching Firefly. If you have not seen the way too soon cancelled TV series, you MUST get the DVDs, my friend Jos sent me her copy (soon to be on their way to Holly). It is a space western, only way to describe it. Best characterizations ever on a tv show. I must also Netflik order Serendity which is the movie sequel (yay fan power yay). I think I must take a very very long nap soon. ;)

Friday

Sorry I didn't get around to blogging yesterday. Let's see for the news of the world. I'm going to be house/dog/cat sitting for my cousin Beth for the next little while. She and her son are going to Alabama (whee) to visit her husband who is in heliocopter pilot training with the Army. So I have to run between Beth's house and mine to visit Liam, who gets very very pissed at the smell of dog and other cats on me. ;)

All this is about the fact that I went to the doctor yesterday (for a regularly scheduled tune-up/oil change- wtf does that mean?) Anyway, all of my blood work sucks. I have bad blood. My blood pressure isn't coming down, my cholestrol is up and my blood sugar royally sucks. So she changed some of my meds, gave me more and now I have a month to get the sucky blood numbers back into line.

Soooooo, I'm taking my time at Beth's to break all my bad habits (like eating wrong) and establish some new ones.

Other than that, everything is cool.

Sign of the Upcoming Apocalypse

The Ducks won the Stanley Cup. It was bad enough when Stanley had to go to Dallas, but ANAHEIM? That's just wrong. I am thankful that Disney sold the damn team before they won.

Breakfast

Breakfast. Had my blood work done this morning. Kudos to the blood suckers at Primary Health, they are the greatest. One little pin prick and then voila it's over before I know it. Anyway, after my visit to the lab, I happened past (ok, it was the really long way home) Jack in the Box for a Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwich. I am no longer hungry. YAY (Poor me, I would have wasted away to nothing in a matter of years).

Of course, I have to go to the doctor Wednesday and find out my A1C sucks (yes, I have been bad and not watched my blood sugar--see above ciabatta breakfast sandwich).

And the heat is gone! It is cool and rainy today. Yummy.

Evening

Yeah, figured out the sidebar. Yes, I do have a set of links to fan sites for Michael Vartan. Can't help it, he's my obsession du jour (and so damn pretty).

I'm sitting here waiting for the cold front to move in, it was cooler today only 91 degrees. But tomorrow, it's supposed to be high 60's. I was thinking how much the weather today reminded me of East Tennessee (where most of my relatives are). It's hot and sticky, high overcast. Then I checked the humidity, it's 19 percent here. I can hear the Southerners laughing their butts off about that.

Just ate dinner, a cold pork loin sandwich and potato salad. It was excellent. However, I can't eat anything else tonight. I have to have blood work done in the morning.

Now, I'm settling in to watch the Stanley Cup finals. Go Ottawa. YAY Pronger got suspended for a game.

Welcome

A couple of years ago, I moved from blogger to bravenet because I loved all of the bells and whistles bravenet had. Except I never used them and to be honest I'm enough of a technotard that I even had a hard time logging in. So I'm back here, and to be honest can't get my sidebars to work, but I think I can figure it out.