He May Be An Old Guy, But He's a Smart Old Guy

Okay, the suspense is over and John McCain is going to pick Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Brilliant I say, just brilliant.

I'll say it now, as I've said before, if Barack Obama had chosen Hillary Clinton as his running mate, I think he would have won the election, no contest. Their competition for the Democratic nomination really split the part into two factions. By uniting those factions I think they would have had an unstoppable force. But he picked a really boring white guy who has run unsuccessfully for president himself, twice. I think it was a poor choice. I know, I know, balance the ticket, shore up Barack's weaknesses, blah blah. Poor choice, that's all I'm saying.

On the other hand, McCain picking a woman, is really smart. Not just because the Republicans are so behind the times (which they are, sorry) but because all of those disenfranchised Democrats can now justify voting for McCain. Many Hillary supporters can feel better voting for McCain and I think they will jump ship.


Sarah Palin is an interesting choice. Mother of five, including one baby with special needs, reformer and renegade to her own party, former Mayor in and now Governor of Alaska, a state that most of us don't even think of as a real state. I know, beautiful, full of wonderful natural resources and most importantly, in my opinion, way more guys than girls (hmm, maybe I should move to Alaska...nope, too cold.) But it's really more like Canada than the rest of the U.S. Still, I think Sarah is a good choice since she has experience actually running a government (granted again, it's Alaska). Plus she has that 'hot librarian' thing going for her. You know what I mean. She has the bun and glasses but looks like she could whip them off at any moment and start dancing to Van Halen's "I'm Hot For Teacher".

I honestly don't know who I'm voting for this election. As most of you know, I was a John Edwards supporter and still would be if he wasn't an ass@%# who slept around on his cancer stricken wife. Ugh. Sometimes men disgust me. Seriously, gentlemen, why would you risk your career, your family, your reputation and possibly the presidency of the United States just on getting some? I mean it, explain it to me, because I just don't get it.

Anyway, I have a lot of thinking to do because I can see great strengths and major weaknesses in both candidates. I want this country to be better off in four years than it is now. It's up to me (and you) to help that happen. Let's have a clean fight, no hitting below the belt and how about some real answers to some serious problems.

DMV

Okay, I had to go to the DMV this morning since my car registration is due in a few days and my drivers license was set to expire on my birthday next month. So I decided to get all the yucky stuff over at once.

So why does Las Vegas, with a population of over two million people, only have three DMV locations? There was one not too far from my house and they closed it to open a new one about ten miles further away. Why not have BOTH locations? Seriously, why not? Yes, I know, I could have renewed my car via the Internet but after last year's debacle (I had a valid, legal registration but the sticker hadn't come in the mail yet and I got a ticket for it PARKED IN FRONT OF MY OWN HOUSE!!!! It cost me twenty-five bucks. Augh! Since I needed to do an address change (yes, I moved a year ago, oops) and I had already renewed my license by mail four years ago so I had to go in in person this time. Not only was the new DMV location further away, but the MapQuest directions were wrong. But I found it, finally.

Why are drivers license pictures so awful? They are digital pictures so I think they should have to show them to you and you get at least one do-over. They charge you $2.25 for the 'digitized photo' (hmmm, they never charged extra for the 'real' photo before) so I think you should have a say in the matter. I had a relatively cute picture on my last license (hence why I renewed by mail last time) and this time I look like a mentally challenged homeless person. I'm not joking. I'm usually okay photogenically but every now and then I take a picture that totally makes me look like a short bus rider. In this picture I look like I may have Down Syndrome. I'm not making any judgments, I'm just saying that those with Down Syndrome have distinctive features and I look like I may have that particular chromosomal anomaly on my license photograph.

The new DMV is huge but still very industrial. Most government buildings are nice, some are really nice, but DVM offices often feel more like correctional facilities. Why, if you are going to order a bunch of new chairs for a building where people are going to wait, sometimes for hours, do you choose the ugliest, most uncomfortable chairs ever? Is there some government employee who personally tests the chairs to make sure they aren't the slightest bit comfortable? Does that guy get fired if someone actually can sit in a DMV chair for more than two minutes without needing a chiropractic adjustment? It's amazing to me that they can find chairs that no one can feel good sitting in, whether they are tall, short, skinny, fat, whatever, everyone is uncomfortable. Yes, I can definitely see how keeping people waiting a really long time in very uncomfortable chairs for a task that no one wanted to do in the first place is a good strategy. The only thing that could make it worse would be some surly, unhelpful employees. Oh, wait, they covered that too.

To be fair, not every DMV employee is unpleasant. The man at the information desk was nice. The system in Las Vegas is that you have to wait in a really long line to get to the information counter where you explain to the employee why you are there, then he or she gives you a number and you go wait in an uncomfortable chair trying to decipher if G060 comes before or after L089 (because the normal letter/number order does not seem to apply) and then you explain it to another employee all over again. The lady next to me at the information counter actually asked the counter man if he remembered her. Sure, out of the one or two thousand people per day he sees, he's gonna remember you. (Just a note, she looked like a normal, average person. If she had gigantic boobs or some glaringly hideous feature, maybe, just maybe, he might think you look vaguely familiar. But a regular Joe or Jane? Forget it.)

The best part of the DMV? When you drive away. knowing you won't have to go back for at least four years, maybe eight if I'm lucky. Of course, that's if no one steals my license plates again.

You've Been Waiting...And Here It Is!

Okay, you've all been waiting (with baited breath, I'm sure!) for the 'back of the book' synopsis of my current work in progress. So here it is. Would reading this on the back cover make you want to buy the novel?

" Shelby Truitt's life was pretty dull. Running the Book Nook at the mall during the day and watching television with her dog at night, the most excitement Shelby got in her life was when the latest Netflix movie arrived. But ever since hunky author Evan Fielding came to sign copies of his bestselling spy novel at her bookstore, Shelby's seen a murder, a bomb and not one, but two dead guys! Now Evan's in trouble and Russian secret agents are more than mall security can handle. So it's up to Shelby, armed with nothing more than MacGyver reruns and the complete James Bond boxed set, to save the day."

Okay, now you've gotten a glimpse of my latest baby. Critique away. And thanks for being so patient!

My Friend Bonnie

In my never ending quest to promote the things and people I love, today we are going to talk about my 'friend' Bonnie Hunt.

Yes, I used the showbiz term friend. I've actually never met Bonnie but I feel like we have known each other for years. You know her, too. Sure you do. If you've seen a movie in the last fifteen years, you've seen Bonnie. She plays a lot of supporting rolls and she does it well. She played Tom Hanks' wife in The Green Mile, Renee Zellweger's sister in Jerry Macguire, the mom in the Cheaper by the Dozen movies with Steve Martin (which bear no resemblance to the beloved novel of the same name but that's a different story.)

I love Bonnie because she is fresh and funny. But she isn't some over the top caricature. She's warm and real and you feel like she's that funny older sister you could tell all of your secrets to. I first saw her in the very funny but very short lived television series "Grand". Since then I've followed her through a variety of television series' (including the Emmy nominated but also short lived "Life With Bonnie", where the 'Smellgaway' leather couch will be forever one of my favorite bits of all time) and movies. She's on of the few actors around that I'd follow anywhere. Talented and smart and she surrounds herself with other talented and smart people. Wait, why haven't I met her yet?

Bonnie co-wrote, directed and starred in my favorite romantic comedy of all time, Return to Me. If you are a romantic comedy fan and you haven't seen this film, you need to run, RUN, to your video store and rent it. It is a fantastic film, sweet, funny, romantic and beautiful. It tugs at your heartstrings but in a natural, easy way. David Duchovny and Minnie Driver are awesome, and Carol O'Connor made me wish he was my Grandpa. Great supporting cast, including the beautiful city of Chicago and one of the coolest soundtracks around, featuring Joey Gian (former Star Search winner and frequent Las Vegas performer.)

Okay, I feel an affinity for Bonnie because we share the same birthday (but Bonnie is older, sorry Bonnie) and because she has done so many things that I'm envious of. But I support her in all her endeavors because she strikes me as a person who works very hard for what she has accomplished. She also used to be an oncology nurse and I figure that makes her just short of 'angel' in my book.

Bonnie has a new talk show premiering September 8th (my brother Will's birthday). It looks like it's going to be fabulous (after all this is the woman who has been called the "best talk show guest" so she knows how to give good interview.) Plus she's so real and honest that I'm sure she'll bring out the best in whomever she's interviewing. Check out this promo for her show.



The Bonnie Hunt Show will run in syndication so check here for your local station and showtime. I'm so glad that there is going to be something on besides Judge shows and Dr. Phil. Thank God for Bonnie, it'll get the bad taste of Rachel Ray out of my mouth.

Okay, end of shameless shilling for one of my favorite talents. Give the show a chance to shine and rent Return to Me. I think I'll watch it again this afternoon!

I've Been Adopted

It seems as though I have been adopted...or at least my garden has. In addition to the praying mantis' that inhabit my mint patch, I now have a garden cat. She has been living under my basil plant for a week or so. She mews like crazy, loves to be petted, is incredibly friendly and tolerates my dog. I have nicknamed her Lavender since that is the plant she is laying on. We have decided that she likes my garden because it is shady and cool. I am allergic to cats but as long as she stays outside it doesn't seem to bother me and I wash my hands after I pet her. If anyone is looking for a very nice cat, I'd be happy to get her a better home. Otherwise I'll let her live in my garden. Hey, some people have garden gnomes, I have a garden cat.

Thanks and Thanks

Thanks to all who have expressed such compassion and support to me an my family. Just a quick update after The Graminator's first day home. After listening to the naysayers who told us how hard it was and how much care she was going to need, I was really (and pleasantly) surprised at how well she did. Yes, she complained about the pain and she wanted to stay in bed but I got her up three times (which is two times more than she ever did at the rehab facility) for an hour or more each time and she ate and used the new commode chair. In all, it as a great day and I have every reason to believe it will get easier the more time she is at home.

Thanks again for your support, it means so much to me right now!

She's Back

Well, for better or worse, The Graminator is home.

After Monday's nightmare in the ER and a really confused day on Tuesday, we were told we could take her home on Wednesday. We got to the hospital a little before ten in the morning. We got home at nine thirty at night. Yes, another long hellish day.

The physical therapist and the occupational therapist came to evaluate her. After several days of pneumonia and complete bed rest, she was naturally quite weak. But she was alert most of the day, ate really well and (forgive the gross) had several BM's so I was pretty confident that she should come home. The physical therapist (a hippie type George Carlin wannabe) was adamant that she should go to rehabilitation for a week. I was so mad. Two and a half weeks in a rehabilitation facility and she was back in the hospital, worse than before. So I went to the doctor and laid out my argument that we could (with home health care) take care of her at home better than the rehab hospital could. Fortunately the doctor agreed that home is a better place for someone with Alzheimer's and told the therapist where to stick it. (Okay, he was nicer than that, but I was really glad the doctor backed me instead of the PT). So after that (and six more hours of waiting for discharge) we got her home.

It's not ideal, I'll give you that. I've never had children because diaper duty never appealed to me, but now I have to deal with the diapers of a full grown woman. Uck. I'm not sure how I'll get through it, but I will. She is weak and complaining a bit but I'm going to be Nurse Ratchet and make her do what she needs to do, not what she wants to do. The home health agency is going to come by this morning and evaluate what assistance we need. I'll get some supplies at the medical supply store. And we will do the best we can. I want to have a big breakdown but now is not the time. I feel like I'm the one making all the decisions and then everyone is unhappy with me for making them (anyone who knows my 'people-pleasing' complex will understand how incredibly difficult that situation is for me). Honestly, last night I felt like running away from home, but where would I go? With my current unemployed writer status my finances are too tight to run away.

So, I'll get through it. I left a lot of this stuff to my mom when my paternal grandmother was in this situation and now it's time for me to pay it back. I may start drinking more. A lot more. Anyone with an extra supply of Valium, call me.

Rating the Hospitals

Thanks for all the love and support during this trying time with The Graminator. Honestly, if you had asked me on Monday I would have said the situation was very grim indeed but I am far more optimistic now. She was awake and alert and aware yesterday and is getting excellent care. Her blood pressure was really low and so they are giving her some IV fluids and tons of antibiotics for her pneumonia. She was confused (even without the Alzheimer's, four hospitals in three weeks can do that) but handled it pretty well except when she got sad when we left last night. She is even eating (although not very much, probably only a few hundred calories) but she's keeping it down so I have my fingers crossed that we are over that particular hurdle.

The hospital she is in now, Desert Springs, is very nice. She's in a private room (shh, don't tell her insurance company) on the third floor and she has a view of the Strip that any Vegas hotel would charge a whole lot extra for. They have a really nice gift shop where we found a lounge outfit for her that is so her style and they have See's candy. See's (for those of you on the East Coast) is a wonderful candy maker and my Gran has been known to eat a one pound box in two days. She wasn't very interested yesterday so I know she still isn't feeling well but I'll keep it close hoping to stimulate her appetite.

The cafeteria at the hospital looked slightly better than at Valley (that's definitely damning it with faint praise) but we didn't eat there because it is run by an apparent cousin of the Soup Nazi. We got there at 1:59 and they stop serving at 2:00. The food was still there, in warming trays, but the man behind the counter said "No more food" and started pulling the full trays of food out. That left our choices with a sad looking salad bar and some hot dogs on a rotating grill that had been rotating quite a while apparently. Fortunately this hospital is close to many restaurants so we went to a nearby Olive Garden for a soup, salad and bread stick lunch. It was nice to get away from the hospital and have a decent meal for a change.

We will head back to the hospital this afternoon when my mom gets off work (so I can drive her... yes, it's Driving Miss Stacie) and hope that the good news from yesterday still holds.

Thanks again for your patience and support, it is greatly appreciated. Synopsis soon!

Delays Are My Middle Name

Okay, I know I said I would post the "Back of the Book" synopsis for my new novel on Monday but The Graminator took a turn for the worse Sunday night so I was at the Rehab Hospital all day and night yesterday (and they don't have Wi-Fi).

Grams has gotten pneumonia and they feared that she had a pulmonary embolism so they had an ambulance take her to a nearby hospital. The ER ruled out the embolism but did confirm my suspicion that she had pneumonia. We are hoping that they can resolve the pneumonia and get her eating again so that we can bring her home. She had me really scared yesterday and I don't like being scared!

I will post the synopsis soon, honest, but today is another day at the hospital (is it wrong to hope that this one has a better cafeteria than the last one?) Thanks to everyone who posted comments about the first paragraph. I have taken it all under advisement but not changed anything yet because I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. And welcome to "Jonathon Bryant", and all the new Loyal Readers. My blogosphere grows ever larger it seems (no pun intended "Hue"). Thanks to everyone who is getting the Amused and Abused word out there!

Your patience will be rewarded my friends!

Does It Grab You?

Okay, so writers get ideas all the time. I probably get three or four a week. But sometimes one idea sticks out more, or the characters keep talking in your head and they won't shut up and you have to get them out of your head before you can work on anything else. Just such an idea ganged up on me the other day and I have decided to put my other writing aside temporarily while I tell this story.

Everyone says it's important to catch a reader's attention right away, to make them want to read your book. This is especially true when you are sending books to editors and agents and Hollywood script readers since they see many submissions every day. You want them to like your book/movie from the first few pages so they will keep reading. (Many say from the first paragraph.)

Here is the first paragraph of my new novel. This is exactly how the story started in my head and I wanted to know more, so I kept exploring. Tell me, if from reading it, would you like to read more of the book? Be honest, I won't be offended.

"I don't lead an exciting life. I mean, I work at the mall, how exciting could it be? The only time my heart gets racing is when Mint Milanos are buy one, get one free. I am way more 'couch potato' than I am 'counter-espionage'. So how did I end up here, tied to a gorgeous (but unconscious) man, three feet away from a bomb with a counter that reads 00:05:23?"

Okay, critique away. Would you want to know more? Monday I'll have the 'back of the book' synopsis for you to rate as well. Mucho thanks in advance!

I Should Have Been A Disco Queen

I always feel like I was born too late. I just know I should have been born early enough that I could have been around in the seventies.

I have been watching episodes of Swingtown, the CBS show about suburban life in the seventies. No, I don't wish I had been around to swing, but for all the other stuff in the seventies. Fondue and Farrah-hair and The Hustle. It looks like fun. I'll admit it, I have a secret passion for disco music. I like ABBA and the Bee Gees and Donna Summer. I just know that, had I been the right age, I would have been a dancing queen.

It's not just the seventies I would have enjoyed, I think. I would have liked to check out the forties and fifties too. I know, there was a huge war on, but people pulled together for a common cause, supported one another, worked together and eventually won and brought an era of prosperity that we will never see again. I so would have looked cute in a USO uniform too.

My interest in the past doesn't extend very far. Yes, I love Regency novels but I wouldn't want to live there in reality. No aspirin or penicillin, no running water, no electricity and let's face it, if you weren't in the rich elite, life probably wasn't too wonderful. I always think it's funny when people all think that in some past life they were Cleopatra or King Arthur or some other great figure. I'm pretty sure if I had ever had a past life, I was a serf or some other lowly type with a crappy life, serving someone with a better one. No thanks.

I don't think anyone will be pining to relive the years of my youth in the eighties. My mother loved the eighties because, as she says, nothing happened. She means nothing bad happened really, that it was just kind of an even keel time. But I think NOTHING happened. It was the yuppie time, when we watched The Cosby Show and did pretty much nothing else. Boring. No major social change, no uniting for a common cause, no blip on the radar. Dull, just a little wang chung-ing and some John Hughes films. (Okay, do you know how old I feel watching the JC Penney commercials that imitate the Breakfast Club?)

I'm sure the reality of the seventies probably wasn't as cool as it looked but I sure would have liked to see for myself. I would have had some cool clothes, feathered hair and danced the night away!

Some Days It's Too Hard

Anyone who knows me knows how emotional a person I am. I know this and I can't (and won't) change. But it can take a toll.

We re-arranged The Graminator's room yesterday in the hopes that she is coming home sometime this week. So we got to the hospital in the afternoon, after Gram had called. She was a bit agitated (Alzheimer's can make you that way). But she was sitting up in a chair when we got there. She had apparently pulled her PIC line (an IV line that goes into a vein directly to the heart) out in the middle of the night, bringing the number of IV's she has pulled out to three. She was playing with her current IV line and I told her that it was her medicine line and not to play with it and she yelled at me that she knew what it was and I should stop telling her what it was. Okay, even if she did know what it was (doubtful), she has ripped three of them out of her arm and that is dangerous. I would tell anyone that. But I was exhausted, it was a long week, I have been at the hospital with her all week, often the only one, and I lost it. I had to leave the room and cry.

I'll admit it, I'm tired. I'm tired of being at a hospital and worrying about my Grams bowel movements, pain management, how we are going to take are of her when she gets home, her Alzheimer's, what happens when I'm not at the hospital, getting my mom to the hospital, making sure everyone is eating, cleaning the house, getting whatever needs to be there when she gets home. I'm being a big baby and I know on a rational level that I have to be the adult but right now I feel tired and alone and scared.

Okay, enough of my over-emotional, self-indulgent moment. I need to get off my butt and shower, do laundry, mop the floor, go to the grocery store and get back here in time to take my mom to the hospital. We are supposed to meet with the physical therapy people this afternoon so they can show us some things we need to know when she is home. When I say us, since my mom weighs far less than my grandmother, I mean me. Okay, maybe the pity party wasn't quite over yet. Needless to say than my writing has been non-existent for the last two weeks and I hate to be selfish but I need to get writing. Ugh. Where is Prince Charming coming to take me away from all this when I really need him? Calgon, take me away.

I hope your week is much better than mine. Bless you all for listening to me!

Vampires and Tigers and Werewolves, Oh My

In the interest of my writing, I read a lot. Okay, well I'd read a lot even if I weren't a writer because I love to read. I have ever since I learned to read (with the book "Ann Likes Red", a truly classic tale about a young girl named Ann who, well, loves the color red. Hey, I was three, okay? And I can still recite the book more than thirty years later.) Even though I moved on to books with more challenging plot lines, I still love to read and even re-read my favorite books.

I like to keep on the current trends in fiction as I want to be a fiction writer. One of these current trends is the 'supernatural' romance. Like books where the heroine falls for a vampire or a werewolf. You know, the spooky take on the 'Beauty and the Beast" myth. One of the most popular examples of this genre right now is the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. This is a huge bestseller, one of those young adult novels that crossed over into mainstream (like Harry Potter). Mrs. Meyers' books are about Bella, a sweet girl in love with a bad boy. Vampires are the ultimate bad boy. Most of them are the love you and leave you kind (and you are lucky if they leave you alive!) She also has a Native American friend who is a werewolf. No boring life for Bella. Ad she thought moving to the tiny town of Forks was gonna be dull.

I enjoyed the Twilight series but there was a bit too much teen angst for me to love it. I did think it was interesting to read how Mrs. Meyers interpreted and changed around vampire lore to suit her story. Her vampire family, the Cullens, live in the Pacific Northwest because her vampires can come out in the day, just not out in the sun. (And too much light makes them all sparkly, a dead giveaway that something just ain't right.) And the tying in of the werewolves to Native American legend was cool. But frankly I had enough of Bella's whining about wanting to be a vampire so she could be with her beloved Edward forever and Edward's noble self-sacrifice to have Bella grow up first. I'll read the last book, but I also wish Bella would grow up some.

Then I was watching HBO when a teaser came on, a faux advertisement for a product called TruBlood. I checked out the website and it's an ad for their new show "True Blood" which premieres next month. It's created by the same guy who did "Six Feet Under", Alan Ball. And it said it was based on the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris. So of course I had to run to the library to check one of these books out. (And have I mentioned lately how much I love the library? I have saved so much money there, which is a good thing for an unemployed writer.)

The Southern Vampire series is really the Sookie Stackhouse series, and she's not a vampire at all. She's a regular human girl, almost. She can read minds. It takes place in the alternate now when the Japanese have invented a synthetic blood substitute which would be a boon for the medical community but it also allowed the vampire community to 'come out of the coffin' so to speak. Sookie was like the rest of us, ignorant of vampire existence, until a tall dark vampire named Bill walked into the bar where our Miss Sookie works. And her life hasn't been the same since. One could also argue that, at least in Sookie's case, ignorance really was bliss. Oh sure, she's had some great vampire nookie, but now her Grandma's dead, her brother is a were-panther, her boss is a shape shifter, her best friend's a witch and Sookie has been beaten, bruised, bitten, bashed and nearly burned to death on more than one occasion. If I were Sookie, I'd leave the little town of Bon Temps, Louisiana and never look back, but our heroine is like a weeble, she wobbles but she won't fall down.

I expected not to like these books because I haven't been a huge fan of the supernatural genre. I have no interest in having sex with a dead guy and sleeping with a werewolf is yucky. I tried to read a Kresley Cole book but after a rape scene in the first chapter, I put the book back in my bag and returned it to the library. (Hey, maybe it is possible to fall in love with your rapist, it worked for Luke and Laura, but I'm in the 'no way in hell' camp.) But I liked Mrs. Harris' twists on the supernatural (who knew that fairies hate lemon?) and I've been sucking them down like a vamp with a pint of O negative. There are eight books in the series so far and I'm on number seven and I've only been reading them for two weeks. (Of course, I've had a lot of time at the hospital to read.) I think I like them because they remind me of a supernatural Stephanie Plum series (I love the Janet Evonovich novels, thank you Jamie!). Sookie is the "sort of" normal one in a world full of recurring colorful - if not quite real - characters.

Now I'll be interested in seeing the True Blood series, to see how close it comes to the novels. (I already have a quibble with Anna Paquin as Sookie, she is not nearly how I pictured the character) The notes from the previews at ComiCon suggest that the series is more lusty and violent that the books, which I find heard to believe since the books are plenty lusty and violent. At least in the books I don't see the blood. But if you want to sink your teeth into a good vampire series (yes, bad pun intended) check out my friend Sookie. Like a big ole glass of southern sweet tea, you'll enjoy it and want to come back for more.

Motivation and Inspiration

As most of my loyal readers know, I took a year long sabbatical to pursue my writing. Financially I've done okay so I'm hoping it'll be like eighteen months or so. It still isn't a lot of time. And the writing is slower than I'd like - somehow I thought I'd become a writing machine, dashing off a novel a week. And when that doesn't happen, it's easy to get discouraged. Coupled with The Graminator's fall and all of the time I have spent at the hospital (good news, she will probably come home next week but she will need full time care - guess it's a good thing I'm working from home, huh?) plus the myriad of other stumbling blocks this summer (being sick for a month when I've never been that sick in my whole life, what's up with that?) have gotten me a little down. It was supposed to be so easy.

But that which does not kill you makes you stronger, or so the saying goes. This week I felt in dire need of a little motivation and inspiration. The motivation came on Monday night, when I went to the Clark County Library to meet a couple of authors of romance novels, Suzanne Enoch and Teresa Medeiros. Both have written several styles of romance, including my favorite genre, Regency. In fact the event was titled "Highlands, Highwaymen and Being a Bestselling Author". But after just a few brief remarks by the authors, it was really just a great Q&A. You could ask any question you wanted and I gleaned a lot of information from that evening. For instance, the vampire romance genre is cooling right now and the concept on the rise is cougar romance (older woman/younger man.) I found out how they each got their agents. I found out that now selling a book is a lot like selling a film concept - reduce it to a pitch. Which is great for me since I'm also trying to pitch scripts.

They were very nice ladies and it was great to hear their ideas and stories. I went with my writing friend, Dyann, and my mom, who got dragged along because we had been at the hospital and the library was just down the street and I didn't have time to run her home and drive back but she's a great sport and didn't mind. There was a book signing and refreshments after the event. After I bought the books to sign and we were waiting, I noticed that the brownies were getting low and the two authors hadn't gotten any yet (which they mentioned they were really looking forward to early on in the lecture) so I got one for Suzanne and had Dyann get one for Teresa. (Hey, I may not be very good at the schmooze but I am the queen of ass kissing.) Suzanne was actually really happy about the brownie and even signed my book with a personalized "Shae, thanks for the brownie" which I will twist in my future mind to mean she actually had one of my homemade brownies and loved them - c'mon, who said real life couldn't use a little re-writing? It was nice to speak to them for a minute one-on-one and it was also great to hang with Dyann. A lovely diversion from the hospital grind and a great motivator.

The inspiration comes from my friend Maura Prenty who finished her book yesterday. CONGRATULATIONS MAURA!!!!! Maura and I met via an online writers group and she has quickly become a true friend. She is a loyal reader and commentator on this blog and has been a source of encouragement for me both personally and professionally. I hope that I have done some of the same for her. Please check out her blog and if you can, leave her a congratulatory note on her achievement. I am so impressed and happy for her. I cried last night when I read that she had finished because I know what a huge accomplishment it is. I hope she is as proud of what she has done as I am for her. She truly is an inspiration because I know if she can do it, while working and being married, then I have no excuse but to get off my sorry butt and get a writing!

If you read a lot (and I read A LOT) you notice things in inscriptions and dedications and one of the things I have noticed is that a lot of authors have dedications to other authors. At the author lecture the other night I asked the question as to why this is. Both Teresa and Suzanne said that some of their best friends are fellow writers who they met at conventions and writers groups and such. I guess it's because only a fellow writer can understand the birthing, er, I mean writing, process and all that it entails. It is my hope that one day someone will ask me why I credit Maura and Dyann in my writing. (Yes, my family is already a given, and anyone who has seen the credits of "Supermodels" knows I like to thank all of the people that support me.) And I will answer that it is because these fellow writers have helped me through the elation, frustration, doubt, insecurity, delight and all of the other manic-depression that comes with writing a book.

Great work Maura. I am so happy for you and grateful for your friendship. I can't wait to read you novel. And thank you for the inspiration you have given me. Thanks Teresa and Suzanne for the motivation you have provided. And thanks to all my loyal readers and all of my friends who believe in me. I truly don't know what I'd do without you all!

Sour Cream Pie

I will write a long post soon but I've got a lot to do today so here is a simple recipe to keep you going until I can write longer.

This recipe is based on one I read on my friend Pat's blog. Pat is a foodie like me so I trust her recipes and when she said this one is simple, she wasn't kidding. A pie crust, some fruit and some sour cream and you are almost there. Pat's recipe calls for strawberries and that's the first way I made it. Delicious. But you know me, I can't leave well enough alone (plus my family wanted me to try other fruit.) So I have been tweaking it. I'll be honest, my pie doesn't look anything like the one posted on Pat's blog. I think she is using a deeper dish pie than I am. So I have changed the recipe just a bit to accommodate the pan I am using.

Peaches were on sale at Vons and they were so delicious, really peachy and fresh. They were also HUGE so it only took three peaches for the pie. Here is my version of Peach Sour Cream Pie. Feel free to use any fruit that you like. Strawberries were great and really, any berry or stone fruit would be lovely. You can also vary what, if any, spices you use (Strawberries need no spice, the peaches benefited from a teeny bit of cinnamon and clove.)

The recipe on Pat's blog called for a "half baked pie crust". I wasn't sure how long to blind bake the crust for. Don't skip this step or your crust will end up soggy. I used a frozen Marie Calendars pie crust and pre-baked it for 10 minutes. This worked perfectly. Then just dump in your fruit, smooth over the sour cream topping and bake. So simple, yet so good. Easy and really shows off the fruit.

Sour Cream Fruit Pie

1 half-baked pie crust
4 cups fruit chunks
1 cup sour cream
1 -1/4 cup sugar
3/4 c. flour
2 Tbsp. liqueur of choice (this isn't in Pat's recipe, it's my own addition because I found the sour cream mixture way too thick)

Preheat oven to 450. Mix sour cream, sugar and flour. Mix in liqueur of choice to thin the mixture down if necessary (I used Grand Marnier with strawberries and Amaretto with the peaches). Pour fruit into par-baked pie crust (toss with spices if you are using any) Spoon sour cream mixture over top, spreading evenly with your spatula. Sprinkle top of pie with an additional two tablespoons of sugar. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and continue baking for 30 minutes.

Yup, that's it. Simple, huh? You'll be amazed. Try this pie this weekend while the summer fruit is at it's peak. You can thank me on Monday.

Graminator Update

Okay, I promise that tomorrow I will post on something other that The Graminator, but here is a status update on her.

We finally got her transferred to a facility in Las Vegas. The drive to Henderson was awful and the facility there was sub par. Each room had a window air conditioner instead of central air and Gram's room was around 90 degrees most of the time. Some of the staff was really nice but most seemed just to do the barest minimum. And the food was pretty bad. So we worked and worked to get her transferred.

Finally she was set to go on Friday night to the Vegas Valley facility. Her transport was arranged, everything was all set to go. I left at six after being there with her all day and Will and Val stayed until almost seven (she was scheduled to be picked up at eight.) On Saturday I got up and went to the new facility and when I got there...she wasn't there.

I was furious. No one bothered to call us and let us know that she hadn't been transferred. Apparently they ordered some medical tests (no one can tell me what time these tests were ordered but they couldn't be doen before seven at night?) and they wouldn't transfer her while they were waiting for results. Now keep in mind that I was there all day and had spoken to the nurse practitioner at eleven a.m. and she never mentioned these tests. Augh!

Even if these tests were medically necessary and could not be done any other time or at any other facility, why didn't anyone bother to call us and tell us she wasn't being transferred? When I spoke to the weekend case manager he said he did call at eleven a.m. - great, dude, that was when I was at the VV facility frantically searching for my grandmother and it was only fifteen hours after she was scheduled to be transferred. Surely somewhere between eight p.m. on Friday and oh, say nine a.m. on Saturday someone could have wedged a phone call in!

So after a lengthy and somewhat heated discussion with the weekend case manager (who, in my opinion, treated us very badly and if I were a violent person I would have punched him in the nose, but Will and I were doing 'good cop, bad cop' and I was good cop) we got it all arranged again for her to be transferred on Saturday night. I stayed with her all day and Will and Val came after dinner and stayed with her through the transfer. Honestly, if they hadn't been there I'm not sure she would have been moved as scheduled (apparently some paperwork was missing even though we checked with the charge nurse three times to make sure everything was good to go). But Will handled everything and they got her settled in.

The new facility is nice, it has central air and her nurses and CNA's are really nice. We saw the PA on Sunday, her care is well coordinated and the food is better, she even gets choices. The downside is that all of this commotion has really affected her mentally. Her Alzheimer's is very manageable when she is at home in a routine. But when her routine is shaken up she gets very confused very easily and boy, has she been shaken up. She needs constant reminding that she is in the hospital and she isn't supposed to get out of bed. The hardest time for her is when she wakes up, like from a nap. She just can't tell dreams from reality upon first waking. She called me at eleven at night on Sunday. She was convinced that she was at the mechanics to pick up her car and they wouldn't let her pay for her car repairs and leave. It took me a while to calm her down and convince her she was at the hospital and that she needed to stay there. It took some doing though - at one point she was so mad at me for not understanding that she was at the mechanic's that she put the nurse on the phone to explain to me where she was...and she was sure not happy when the nurse agreed with me. Now she hasn't driven a car in more than five years and I'm not sure why she thought that the mechanic's place had beds and nurses (although after having seen my car repair bill at times, perhaps a bed and some medication wouldn't be a bad idea.) We have to constantly reassure her that she's in the hospital and she needs to stay in the hospital to get better. She wants to be home and I don't blame her. I know that the hospital is where she needs to be for her physical well being but mentally she'd do better at home. It's such a struggle. God Bless the staff who are looking out for her and the other patients.

Okay, I'll post something different tomorrow. But thanks to everyone for your thoughts an prayers, they mean the world to me!

Small World

Okay, so I went back again yesterday to make a pest of myself and try to get The Graminator moved closer to home. After a bit of run around (the lovely person I talked to the day before turns out not to be the person I need to help me, of course) I finally found my Gran's case manager (the person from her HMO). And it turns out we went to high school together. She had already faxed Gran's paperwork to the facility we want to go to and they are hoping to have a bed available today. I'm not jumping for joy until I see them loading her onto the medical transport but I am extremely hopeful. Keep your fingers crossed!

They already had Gran up yesterday for a few minutes and today they intend on getting her down to the physical therapy room. No rest around there. I would have thought with a broken bone the would have her in bed for longer but they really want to get her up, walking and out of there. Which is fine by me!

My mom is sick. She had a bit of a cold before all of this happened and all of the stress has weakened her immune system so she isn't feeling well at all. I was worried this would happen, I guess I'm glad that it's a cold and not something worse.

The title of this post is small world, partly because of the coincidence of my having been to high school with Gran's case manager (which goes to show you that as big as Las Vegas has gotten, it's still a small town in some ways.) But the other reason is because of a lovely lady named Maura. She has left me very supportive comments on my blog and I want to let her know how much they have helped. Maura and Dyann, two fellow writers, have been just wonderful about reading my blog and leaving me comments, which does such great things for me, I just can't say enough. (Check out Maura and Dyann's blogs too!) I have never met Maura in person, she lives back east, but we met through a writer's group and she has become a loyal reader and supportive friend very quickly. I really appreciate all of your comments Maura, they mean a lot. One of the problems I have is that my family is who I turn to in times of crisis and when that crisis is family related I have no one to turn to because I know they are going through stuff too. So it's nice to have someone that's in my corner, so to speak. You Rock!

Okay, it's time for me to get ready to trek to Henderson, I have to pack a bag. Hopefully when I get there someone will have good news about her transfer. Keep her in your thoughts loyal readers, they are far more appreciated than I can ever express!