It doesn't really matter what day of the week it is. Nothing else happens until the room makeover is finished. On Trading Spaces, they do this in a weekend. They have a lot of help. So here's the progress: The carpet is coming up tomorrow. Roberto the Tile Guy will be here Monday morning. All painting must be finished when he gets here. This will be a busy weekend.
No, I haven't put any words on paper this week. That doesn't mean I'm not writing. I'm still creating things in my mind as I work. And may I just say right now, every muscle in my body hurts. Every one of them.
Here's this week's Google search terms that led people to this blog:
"smoked a pipe" - I can't begin to guess what someone hoped to find with that phrase. Something about Santa Claus, maybe???
"Carnell the bird" - I don't know. I can't find anything about a bird named Carnell. Maybe it's a kid's book? Who knows?
"Stephen Stills, Plant High" - See! I told you he went to high school here! This was probably some kid who goes to Plant whose mom told him or her that Mr. Stills went to the same school, and the kid doesn't believe it, so Google was invoked.
"smelliest bird" - Again? I still don't get this one.
That's the wrap up for this week. Next week - photos of the new room!!
What I'm reading - Cross My Heart by Carly Phillips
What I"m listening to - the radio
Have a great weekend!
Delia
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Quick Question...
How do you get paint out of your hair?
That's it for today. For obvious reasons.
Delia
That's it for today. For obvious reasons.
Delia
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Paint it, paint it, paint it, paint it Black
Black as night...
No, despite my deep and abiding love for the Rolling Stones, I am not painting the walls of my office black. I'm going instead with Snow White's Song. For no reason that I can understand, that's the name of the deep rose color I've chosen for my office walls. You would expect anything invoking Miss Snow's name to be....well....white, yes?
And let's think about her song. There are quite a few great tunes in the film that have become classics. But if we're talking about Snow White's Song, that can only be "Some Day My Prince Will Come."
I hope when he gets here, he's carrying a paint brush.
Short post today. I'm off to Home Depot.
Delia
No, despite my deep and abiding love for the Rolling Stones, I am not painting the walls of my office black. I'm going instead with Snow White's Song. For no reason that I can understand, that's the name of the deep rose color I've chosen for my office walls. You would expect anything invoking Miss Snow's name to be....well....white, yes?
And let's think about her song. There are quite a few great tunes in the film that have become classics. But if we're talking about Snow White's Song, that can only be "Some Day My Prince Will Come."
I hope when he gets here, he's carrying a paint brush.
Short post today. I'm off to Home Depot.
Delia
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
My Tribute to Roger
When I was in my early twenties, I worked for my dad’s food distribution company. One of our truck drivers was Roger. He was extremely shy with a sweet face and quiet voice. And a fabulous sense of humor.
Roger was the first person I knew who owned his own computer. And he talked with people via the “bulletin board” long before the Internet became a household word. In those days, your connection was dependent on your telephone service. Roger had exorbitant phone bills because he met a woman on the bulletin board who lived in San Francisco. This was the first I’d heard of computer dating. The first just about anyone had heard of it.
In the seventies, my dad wanted to computerize our operation for speed and efficiency. Problem was, the industry was too new. The software we needed didn’t exist. So he and Roger spent some long hours discussing the situation. Dad designed what we needed, and Roger wrote the programs. When we shut down the company in 2005, we were still running Roger’s programs for many of the systems. And Roger was second only to my sister’s husband in longevity with the company. Over twenty-five years.
In the eighties, when I was writing romance novels the first time around, I was talking to Roger about it one day. He said, “Why don’t you write one about a computer guy?” I had never sat down at a computer at that point in my life, but it seemed logical enough. We talked about it for a while, and the story that became my first published work was born.
The hero of Bittersweet Betrayal, Zachary Spencer, was a bit of a Steve Jobs kind of guy. He’d built the first popular home computer and become wealthy as owner of his company. The book is set in Boston. Roger was from Boston. Zachary had green eyes. Roger had green eyes. Zachary smoked a pipe. Roger smoked a pipe. Roger chose Zachary’s birthday - Flag Day - and Zachary’s car - a Jaguar.
Much later when I became president of my family’s business, Roger was one of my favorites there. He was one of the few people left who remembered my dad. He was always good for a funny story when things were overwhelming me. He could be so exasperating! I’d describe to him in detail what I needed a particular computer program to do. He’d shake his head and say, “That’s not possible.” Thirty or so minutes later, he’d put a print out on my desk and say, “Is this what you meant?”
There are so many things I could write about that it would take pages and pages. Like the time he taped a fish to the bottom of Ron’s desk. The night he bowled a perfect game. The day a bee flew into his truck and he almost had an accident. The near miss when his truck caught fire and he barely got out in time. The way he would sneak to the snack machine and get a Twinkie, hoping no one would see him. The story about his mother having tea with Mrs. Calvin Coolidge.
The world lost a kind and gentle soul on Monday when Roger Edwards passed from this life. I hope he’s in a place where there is no pain, where music of the ‘40s plays all the time, and where everyone appreciates a good practical joke.
I've searched my files, and the only photo I can find of him is from Halloween. He was dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein. He's lovely in a pale peach gown. I can't bring myself to post that one today, although I'm quite sure he would think it hysterically funny. I'll save that for another time.
Rest in peace, my Roger.
Delia/Suzanne/Susan
Roger was the first person I knew who owned his own computer. And he talked with people via the “bulletin board” long before the Internet became a household word. In those days, your connection was dependent on your telephone service. Roger had exorbitant phone bills because he met a woman on the bulletin board who lived in San Francisco. This was the first I’d heard of computer dating. The first just about anyone had heard of it.
In the seventies, my dad wanted to computerize our operation for speed and efficiency. Problem was, the industry was too new. The software we needed didn’t exist. So he and Roger spent some long hours discussing the situation. Dad designed what we needed, and Roger wrote the programs. When we shut down the company in 2005, we were still running Roger’s programs for many of the systems. And Roger was second only to my sister’s husband in longevity with the company. Over twenty-five years.
In the eighties, when I was writing romance novels the first time around, I was talking to Roger about it one day. He said, “Why don’t you write one about a computer guy?” I had never sat down at a computer at that point in my life, but it seemed logical enough. We talked about it for a while, and the story that became my first published work was born.
The hero of Bittersweet Betrayal, Zachary Spencer, was a bit of a Steve Jobs kind of guy. He’d built the first popular home computer and become wealthy as owner of his company. The book is set in Boston. Roger was from Boston. Zachary had green eyes. Roger had green eyes. Zachary smoked a pipe. Roger smoked a pipe. Roger chose Zachary’s birthday - Flag Day - and Zachary’s car - a Jaguar.
Much later when I became president of my family’s business, Roger was one of my favorites there. He was one of the few people left who remembered my dad. He was always good for a funny story when things were overwhelming me. He could be so exasperating! I’d describe to him in detail what I needed a particular computer program to do. He’d shake his head and say, “That’s not possible.” Thirty or so minutes later, he’d put a print out on my desk and say, “Is this what you meant?”
There are so many things I could write about that it would take pages and pages. Like the time he taped a fish to the bottom of Ron’s desk. The night he bowled a perfect game. The day a bee flew into his truck and he almost had an accident. The near miss when his truck caught fire and he barely got out in time. The way he would sneak to the snack machine and get a Twinkie, hoping no one would see him. The story about his mother having tea with Mrs. Calvin Coolidge.
The world lost a kind and gentle soul on Monday when Roger Edwards passed from this life. I hope he’s in a place where there is no pain, where music of the ‘40s plays all the time, and where everyone appreciates a good practical joke.
I've searched my files, and the only photo I can find of him is from Halloween. He was dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein. He's lovely in a pale peach gown. I can't bring myself to post that one today, although I'm quite sure he would think it hysterically funny. I'll save that for another time.
Rest in peace, my Roger.
Delia/Suzanne/Susan
Monday, June 25, 2007
Where Is Eldon When You Need Him?
Remember the guy on Murphy Brown who was painting and remodeling her home? I need that guy. Or someone like him, since I don't think Eldon ever actually finished the job. I don't know. I quit watching the show after they jumped the shark with Murphy's motherhood.
Anyway, I'm painting. When I was married, my contribution to the painting of the house was to take the kids and get out of the way. Post-divorce, my involvement has been picking the color and writing the check. Until now...
The Boy's "suite" which I'm turning into my office consists of a bedroom, a small foyer and a tiny bath. I decided to paint the bath first because it's smaller and the light isn't that good. If I mess it up really badly, no one will be able to see.
But first, I had to patch the drywall. The Boy is big. Over six feet. And, well, he's a Boy. And his friends were boys. Roughhousing ensued. There are holes in the walls. Some are the exact same size as a Nintendo controller. Some have a right angle at the exact height of an amp. Or an amp on wheels.
I didn't have a clue how to do this, but behold the wonders of the Internet. There are quite a few sites who not only told me how to patch it, they also showed me in a cute little video. Eureka! I can do this. Armed with a tub of Patch N Paint, a putty knife and a Jimmy Buffett CD on the player, I proceeded. It is amazingly like frosting a cake. I think I did a pretty good job. In fact, I'm quite proud of myself.
So on to the painting. I chose a sunshine yellow for the bathroom. I picked that color for its cheerfulness and also because the tile in that room has some goldish flecks in it. I was quite surprised how easy it was to roll the paint on the big blank walls.
Working my way around the fixtures was quite another story. I have learned the value of painter's tape. But there was nothing I could do short of standing on my head to work around the toilet. But I got it done.
Next I'm going to start on the trim. But I just got back from the manicurist. I may wait a while.
Have a great day!
Delia
Anyway, I'm painting. When I was married, my contribution to the painting of the house was to take the kids and get out of the way. Post-divorce, my involvement has been picking the color and writing the check. Until now...
The Boy's "suite" which I'm turning into my office consists of a bedroom, a small foyer and a tiny bath. I decided to paint the bath first because it's smaller and the light isn't that good. If I mess it up really badly, no one will be able to see.
But first, I had to patch the drywall. The Boy is big. Over six feet. And, well, he's a Boy. And his friends were boys. Roughhousing ensued. There are holes in the walls. Some are the exact same size as a Nintendo controller. Some have a right angle at the exact height of an amp. Or an amp on wheels.
I didn't have a clue how to do this, but behold the wonders of the Internet. There are quite a few sites who not only told me how to patch it, they also showed me in a cute little video. Eureka! I can do this. Armed with a tub of Patch N Paint, a putty knife and a Jimmy Buffett CD on the player, I proceeded. It is amazingly like frosting a cake. I think I did a pretty good job. In fact, I'm quite proud of myself.
So on to the painting. I chose a sunshine yellow for the bathroom. I picked that color for its cheerfulness and also because the tile in that room has some goldish flecks in it. I was quite surprised how easy it was to roll the paint on the big blank walls.
Working my way around the fixtures was quite another story. I have learned the value of painter's tape. But there was nothing I could do short of standing on my head to work around the toilet. But I got it done.
Next I'm going to start on the trim. But I just got back from the manicurist. I may wait a while.
Have a great day!
Delia
Friday, June 22, 2007
No Excuses!
Having frittered away much of the morning already, I thought this would be an opportune time to write about Discipline. That old adage about the teacher being the student, you know. So here we go.
When you work in the comfort of your own home, sometimes in the comfort of your bathrobe, it is really easy to slack off and produce NOTHING on any given day. That's why writers are constantly faced with the dreaded D word - Discipline. There are plenty of different ways to deal with this. Probably as many as there are writers.
Some subscribe to the "Pages" approach. You must produce five pages a day. Or ten. Or whatever number best fits your writing style and your time schedule. I once heard a published author speaking about a friend of hers who had been writing the same book for many years. The friend called and told the writer she'd written an entire paragraph that day. A paragraph! That's not anything to get excited about. To which the woman replied, "But it's a really good paragraph!"
I'm trying to imagine a universe in which one good paragraph trumps ten average pages of output. No, I think not.
Hemingway used the "Words" measure. He had to write 700 words before he could go down to the bar on Duval Street. I've adopted that goal and call it "doing my Hemingway" when I make the 700 mark. But I challenge myself to keep going. I really want to write over a thousand a day, but after 700, I'm on the downhill slope. I don't, however, get to go drinking at Sloppy Joe's afterward.
That's probably a good thing.
But whatever method you choose, the important thing is that you choose something and stick to it. A long time ago, I heard Nora Roberts speaking at an RWA conference on this very subject. (No, I didn't invoke her name to encourage google hits, but if it happens...) She said it aggravated her when people told her, "I'm going to write a book some day when I have time." As if time were the only thing it takes to write a book.
Nora's advice for teaching yourself discipline was borrowed from that well known athletic ad campaign.
JUST DO IT.
Sorry, that's the truth. There is no magic answer. The only way to get any writing done is to plant your butt in the chair, place your hands on the keyboard, AND JUST DO IT.
So now I'm off to Do it. Just.
What I'm reading - Play It Again by Stephen Humphrey Bogart
What I'm listening to - Elliott Yamin
Have a great weekend!
Delia
When you work in the comfort of your own home, sometimes in the comfort of your bathrobe, it is really easy to slack off and produce NOTHING on any given day. That's why writers are constantly faced with the dreaded D word - Discipline. There are plenty of different ways to deal with this. Probably as many as there are writers.
Some subscribe to the "Pages" approach. You must produce five pages a day. Or ten. Or whatever number best fits your writing style and your time schedule. I once heard a published author speaking about a friend of hers who had been writing the same book for many years. The friend called and told the writer she'd written an entire paragraph that day. A paragraph! That's not anything to get excited about. To which the woman replied, "But it's a really good paragraph!"
I'm trying to imagine a universe in which one good paragraph trumps ten average pages of output. No, I think not.
Hemingway used the "Words" measure. He had to write 700 words before he could go down to the bar on Duval Street. I've adopted that goal and call it "doing my Hemingway" when I make the 700 mark. But I challenge myself to keep going. I really want to write over a thousand a day, but after 700, I'm on the downhill slope. I don't, however, get to go drinking at Sloppy Joe's afterward.
That's probably a good thing.
But whatever method you choose, the important thing is that you choose something and stick to it. A long time ago, I heard Nora Roberts speaking at an RWA conference on this very subject. (No, I didn't invoke her name to encourage google hits, but if it happens...) She said it aggravated her when people told her, "I'm going to write a book some day when I have time." As if time were the only thing it takes to write a book.
Nora's advice for teaching yourself discipline was borrowed from that well known athletic ad campaign.
JUST DO IT.
Sorry, that's the truth. There is no magic answer. The only way to get any writing done is to plant your butt in the chair, place your hands on the keyboard, AND JUST DO IT.
So now I'm off to Do it. Just.
What I'm reading - Play It Again by Stephen Humphrey Bogart
What I'm listening to - Elliott Yamin
Have a great weekend!
Delia
Thursday, June 21, 2007
And now some things useful
Because I can't tell you to use the Internet instead of the library without pointing you toward some useful sites, here's a brief collection of some of the places I frequent from time to time.
http://www.schoonerman.com/sailingterms/terms_b.htm
I'm using it for the Lotus story. If you aren't sure what a sailing term means and want to get it right, this is the place.
http://wordweb.info/free/
My favorite online thesaurus. They do a really good job. You can download it and have it pop up mid-sentence when you really need it. Take a look. It's free.
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/gaeilge/general.html#A1.2
Gaelic terms and expressions. There's a section on curses and a warning about using them with care.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/browse.php?character=A
Ah, the urban dictionary. For those grittier, in your face stories. It's fun just to look around.
http://www.tropicalglen.com/
A free jukebox if you want to listen to music from a particular year.
http://www.behindthename.com/
My favorite site for researching character names. There is also a multitude of baby name sites, but I like this one best.
http://www.word-detective.com/
A fun place for people who love words.
And finally, for when I hear thunder outside,
http://www.baynews9.com/Doppler9000.html#
Remember the good old days when we just looked out the window?
Have a great day!
Delia
http://www.schoonerman.com/sailingterms/terms_b.htm
I'm using it for the Lotus story. If you aren't sure what a sailing term means and want to get it right, this is the place.
http://wordweb.info/free/
My favorite online thesaurus. They do a really good job. You can download it and have it pop up mid-sentence when you really need it. Take a look. It's free.
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/gaeilge/general.html#A1.2
Gaelic terms and expressions. There's a section on curses and a warning about using them with care.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/browse.php?character=A
Ah, the urban dictionary. For those grittier, in your face stories. It's fun just to look around.
http://www.tropicalglen.com/
A free jukebox if you want to listen to music from a particular year.
http://www.behindthename.com/
My favorite site for researching character names. There is also a multitude of baby name sites, but I like this one best.
http://www.word-detective.com/
A fun place for people who love words.
And finally, for when I hear thunder outside,
http://www.baynews9.com/Doppler9000.html#
Remember the good old days when we just looked out the window?
Have a great day!
Delia
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