Reading List

We hope you have had a good week and that it has included some romance.

This week we are reading:



Pantster is reading The Best Man in Texas by Tanya Michaels.




Plotter is reading Dark Legend by Christine Feehan and
Learning to Talk Sheep by Christopher Perry and C. Wayne Perry.

We would love to hear about what you are reading this week.
So what are you reading?

Dunking Booth

This Saturday my school is having a Spring Fling.

Now, our school has not flung Spring in this millennium so there are many details to work out. You know how when an organization does the same event over and over, people find their niches. This usually means that responsibilities are spread out based on what jobs people are best suited for. Well, that is not what is happening for this event. Because it has been sooooo long since we had Spring Fling, we have had to recreate everything. Everyone is trying to work together to make sure nothing is left undone. This means that there are lots and lots of emails and telephone calls flying around.

I got an email asking me to take a turn in the Dunking Booth. Not manning the booth and taking up tickets, but actually in the booth being dunked into the water. At first, this seemed like a horrible idea. My hair would get messed up and my makeup would run. But then my wonderful principal pointed out that when I finished with my dunking booth shift, I would be excused to go home since I would be all wet. AH HA!!! Now that was incentive. I wouldn’t have to help clean up and I could even leave early! I signed right up. In fact, I think it is a great idea!

Have you ever, when asked to do something, thought, “Oh, no! I could never do that!” Only to have it turn out to be the best choice, after all?

Irrational Fear or Have You Seen the Size of that Dragonfly?

My neighborhood is infested with giant dragonflies—three feet across and just as tall.

Before you think this is the beginning of a horror story or, worse, that I'm lying, let me hasten to add that they are painted metal sculptures created by commissioned local artists. This event, called "Dance of the Dragonflies", is meant to showcase the artists and financially benefit the visual arts center. These little boogers are going to grace the downtown and historical residential districts for the next year. I know this because, last year, we were infested with butterflies of like size. Some of these giant insects were painted by friends of mine who would probably take exception to my use of the word infested. They would probably like better something like Public Art Display or Gallery Alfresco.

But those giant bugs are just so creepy.

This event is not unique to the art world or my town. In my travels, I've run across pigs in Cincinnati, horses in Louisville, and fish in New Orleans. Really, I'm all for it. I like art. I can't make it happen, but I like it. You'll find no pictures of card playing dogs at my house. I do have a monkey wedding, but I just can't apologize for it. My problem is with the size of these abominations. The pigs and the horses were actual size and I once saw a catfish at the Chattanooga Aquarium every bit as big as those Big Easy fish, so it can happen.

But you just can't have a dragonfly or a butterfly that big. (The thought of the caterpillar from which a butterfly that size would come, is enough to make me want to go into a fetal position and roll myself into a closet.) I understand that if they were actual size, no one could see them and they wouldn't promote anything, but that doesn't stop them from giving me the willies. What if they come alive at night and get after me? It would be like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, only worse because it would be me they'd be after and not Tippi Hedren!

This, my friends, is known as irrational fear. I say you can't have irrational fear of storms; people die because of storms. Same with sharks, bridges, and air travel. Even a clown can go bad and go on a killing spree.

But there are no Godzilla sized insects so my fear of them is, indeed, irrational.

Do you have irrational fears? No? What about pictures of monkey weddings? Talk to me.

This weekend I took a short road trip. I picked up Pantster and we went to Huntsville to attend the Heart of Dixie Readers' Luncheon. Although the drive wasn’t all that long, on the way home I got to thinking about the road trips we had taken together in the past, as well as the road trips we have coming up this summer. Thinking about all of this time on the road, it occurred to me that people can have different traveling styles, especially when taking a road trip.

The first road tripper style that came to mind is what I call a “Musher”. I came up with this name because "Mushers" are all about going as far as they can, as fast as they can. Much like a dogsled driver urges his team to “mush;” a traveler who is a "Musher" will push everyone in the vehicle to do without stops and to hurry, hurry, hurry when there is a stop. This style of road tripper is usually a man. My daddy is a "Musher". I grew up thinking everyone traveled this way. As an adult, it was a wonderful surprise to discover that there are other styles of road tripping.

There is also the “Dawdler”. This style is basically the opposite of the "Musher". They want to stop every 30 miles or so to look around the truck stop, do a little shopping, and “stretch their legs.” This type of traveler is often a woman, though I do know some male “Dawdlers”; usually they want to stop for snacks every few miles, including EVERY single Krispy Kreme doughnut shop they see. My mother is a "Dawdler" and it was a special childhood adventure when she and the “Musher”, daddy, took us on a trip. Wow, the memories these thoughts bring back!

I came up with just a couple of other different road tripping styles, "Tacky Clothes" and "Over Dressed". I am sure you have seen these people in your travels and you can picture them as you read this. You probably ran into them at rest areas or gas stations. "Tacky Clothes" and "Over Dressed" are pretty self-explanatory. I have seen people traveling in nice vehicles who had dressed worse that I would to mow the lawn (if I did mow the lawn). You know they were thinking, “I am just going to be comfortable. After all, I won’t see anyone I know because I will be on the road.” This is probably true but, hey, what about those of us who see them at the gas station? Don’t we deserve a little consideration? "Over Dressed" is total opposite of "Tacky Clothes". They dress as if they have an interview with Hugh Hefner scheduled, while in route to the beach, and the paparazzi is following them to snap photos. No lie; I swear it is true. Recently at a rest stop, I saw a girl dressed as if she was on her way to a club to dance around a pole. It was quite the show!! Both of these road trip types are usually girls.

So what is your road trip style?
Do you have any great road trip stories to share?

A Little Housekeeping

We've been here a little over a month now and we've learned some things about how blogging fits into our schedules. Thanks to the hit counter that The Guy installed, we've learned (and were pleasantly surprised!) how many of you are stopping in and when you are most likely to do that. With these things in mind, we wanted to let you all know that we are making a few changes in the blogging schedule. You probably don’t care; you probably wouldn't even notice but we feel the need to announce our intent.

See, we don't really like change that much, but what we really hate is running up on a change that no one has apprised us of. You know how it is. You go to the Clinique counter, whip out your empty tube of lipstick and say, "I want another one just like this, only not empty." Then you get the bad news. They're not making it anymore, but not to worry; she can give you something that is the same. Well, that's a lie. If it was the same, it would be the same. So we aren't going insult you by pretending the schedule hasn't changed.

From henceforth, meaning until there is a reason to do otherwise:

Pantster will blog on Mondays and Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays and Fridays.
Plotter will blog on Tuesday and Thursdays instead of Mondays and Thursdays.
Fridays will be "What Are You Reading?" day. There will also be some surprises on some Fridays. We don't know what yet, but isn't Friday a good day for a surprise?

We're a little late to the table with this but in our very first blog entry we promised that someone would win a box of Godiva chocolates. It goes to our very first commenter, Shawn. Shawn, we promise we won't be as long getting it to you as we were in announcing it. We know where you are.

We don't have a question today, but talk to us anyway. Be sure to check in with Plotter tomorrow. She always has a question!

Hissy Fit or How I Ruined Myself in Food World

I am a fit thrower from way back. I used to be worse than I am now. After I reached the point where no one could spank me or send me to my room, I embraced the freedom of fit throwing on a regular basis. Oldest Friend throws fits too. We have, in the past, referred to this as "ruining ourselves", as in "Pantster, I don't care if they did put sour cream on your plate after you told them not to, don't you ruin us in this place. We are running out of places to have lunch."

But I decided a few years ago that fit throwing didn't really make me feel that good (except sometimes) and it didn't do anything to improve the world so I cut way back. I became the kinder and gentler Pantster—at least outwardly.

But today I—as the Baptists say—backslid. The scene of the crime was Food World. I'm not proud of it but I'm not that ashamed of it either. It's been coming for years. First off, let me go ahead and own up to the fact that Food World is not my first choice for grocery shopping. Publix is my first choice, but it's across town. Lucky's, which is five blocks from my house, is my second choice but it's small and doesn't always have everything I want. Food World is the bad step sister for many reasons, but it will do if I need more than Lucky's has to offer and I don't have time to drive across town.

I don't know why it happened today. They've never been friendly so I wasn't expecting them to be. I wasn't having a bad day and I'm not an unhappy person. (You know that's what people who work with the public claim about those who find fault with inferior service.) I was just sick and tired of having a cashier who would not speak to me, would not look and me, and continued to visit with a fellow employee while he scanned my groceries. The first words he mumbled under his breath to me were, "Debit or Credit?" Then, "What kind of card?" When I did not press the right button, he reached over and did it, still without a word or a look. When my groceries were in my cart, he mumbled by rote and, again, under his breath, "Haveaniceday."

I began to roll my cart away; I did not get far. I turned to this young man and said, "I don't think you really mean that or you would have greeted me when I approached you."

"Huh?" he said.

"You never said hello. You never looked at me. Your life will go better if you will learn to be nice."

"I am nice," he said.

"No you are not," I told him. "All you do is visit with each other."

And I left Food World for the last time. When I got home I pulled up Food World's website and found the section where I could "tell them about my experience". I was unable to really do that, since they only allowed me 1000 characters but I did the best I could. True, I could write them a letter and mail it but I refuse to expend the energy. I'm not going there anymore so I don't want anything from them and it isn't my job to improve their customer service.

I realize there are people in the world who are starving to death. I realize that in days- gone-by-Russia, those people would have been euphoric to have a Food World, with or without a surly clerk. But I'm not in Ethiopia and I'm not in days-gone-by-Russia , so from hence forth, if I cannot make the time to go to Publix, where all is light and happy, or those sweet, sweet people at Lucky's don't have the brie, or the capers, or whatever other ridiculous thing I have a hankering for, I'll do without it.

Have you thrown any fits in public? Do you care?

Addendum--After I wrote this I got a very nice call from the manager at Food World. He said he was new and to please come back, to give him a chance to straighten things out.

Heart of Dixie Fun

This Saturday, the Heart of Dixie Chapter of Romance Writers of America is hosting its annual Reader’s Luncheon. The luncheon, held in Huntsville at the Von Braun Civic Center, is a great deal of fun. This year we have the fabulous Julia London as our keynote speaker and I was lucky enough to be selected to introduce her. For years I have read her books and loved them so I am really looking forward to meeting her and having her as our guest.

By the time the luncheon actually starts, there will already have been almost twenty-four hours of fun. Some of my favorite parts of the luncheon weekend are the pre-luncheon events. Many members of our chapter get together on Friday afternoon to create the goodie bags for our guests. This is always so much fun since everyone is full of energy and excitement in anticipation of the event. This member has a new hair style, that one has a great dress to show off her newly fabulously thinner figure, while another member has gorgeous new shoes-always a huge hit in our group! Another reason that I enjoy this time so much is that I get to hear lots of news about what is going on in everyone’s lives. Graduations, weddings,new babies, oh my!

After all of the goody bags are ready, many of us will have dinner together and hang out. At this point, those who were not available earlier, join the fun, including many of our author guests. The socializing often gets exponentially more hilarious as the evening flows on. [Yes, those are liquid sounding words on purpose.]

Many authors and readers have been attending the luncheon for so many years that it is almost like a family reunion where someone else does all the cooking and cleaning up, leaving them to concentrate on having a good time. It is a fantastic atmosphere! Like the pre-luncheon events, the luncheon itself is also a lot of fun, which may seem like an odd thing to say, since it is the purpose of the weekend. But hosting the luncheon itself is just a small part of a weekend filled with enjoyment and camaraderie with fellow writers.

Have there been times your life that the preparation for something was as much fun as the actual event?