Wins!

[erm... posted prematurely... always early to the party, I guess... this is THURSDAY'S blog]

Hallo, fine friends! It's Thursday and you know what that means!!! Everybody get Naked! NOW!

I thought additionally, we could throw a little Thursday party with lots of good news going around! (and there is oodles of it (or at least a few significant pieces...)

Cruella's Going Japanese!!!

Long time friend and fellow Burrower, Cruella, is finishing her Master's thesis within the month, but that's not done, so it isn't my news. BUT, she has had a couple job interviews of late... and she got a DREAM internship for someone wanting a life in international politics. She has been offered (and accepted) an Internship with the Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan!!! I am SO thrilled for her, and only a little sad that this venture to Japan will not include the teachings of Professor Wedgie.

[Digression in Cruella's honor: When she was in Japan as an exchange student she had an economics professor who talked OFTEN about wages... with his accent, it was wedgies... you can imagine about how equity of wedgies, and unhappiness with wedgies and wedgies satisfaction caused untold giggles for the semester she was in Japan the first time.]



Book Contract for Clarissa!

This one includes a groovy shout out to Karen, too. Karen Gowen hosted her series of 'lettuce' contests, remember? One of them, the Lettuce Write, asked for submissions [I think queries] for a publishing house-- 6 full manuscripts were requested and one, our very own Clarissa Draper [Clarissa Draper] has been offered a contract!

Congratulations, Clarissa!

Holliblogiversary!

You heard me. Holly Ruggiero had a Blogiversary and designed this FABULOUS little 'you were there' award for her readers, AND I LOVE IT!!!!

Tart X 2

Pucker up! My sister Tart, Jan, at Tartitude has passed on a specially designed award to MOI! YAY! I get presents at my own party! (love it when that happens!)


And FINALLY....



I WIN I WIN I WIN!!!!

Cate Gardner at Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits had a book release contest a while back and I WON package B (seems to me I got to designate which I wanted). They arrived today!

Look at this! House of Fallen Trees is a novel that looks FABULOUS by Gina Ranalli, Glass Coffin Girls is a collection of spooky short stories by Paul Jessup, The Long Way is a standalone short story by Ramsey Campbell, the flowery book is blank, and perfectly sized to carry so I never have to lose ideas to be unprepared... and then finally, a very Halloweenish book of illustrations with 51 Fiendish Ways to Leave Your Lover that include ideas ranging from rude: “Ask her mother out when you are there visiting together,” to morbid: “shoot yourself at his wedding as they say, “I do,” screaming, “I did.” Some are pretty funny: “buying wax lips and lipstick and making kiss marks on your underwear.” Pretty darned amuzing, and as Mr. Tart is still being Underpants, I probably get more chuckle than I should...

Say... somebody else is curious...

This cracked me up. I had no idea the cat preferred certain genres... Apparently she likes horror. Who know!

Bad Poetry and Contracts

So yesterday was Bad Poetry Day. I bet you didn't even know there WAS a bad poetry day. I know I hadn't. But my friend Sketchie (the SPAZ, you may recall) pointed it out, so I proceeded to write the following:

I hope that I shall never sit
beside an ocean full of... rotten food.
The smell that wafts upon the air
Is worse than wearing underwear.

Of course that isn't the first time I've written bad poetry. I am relatively adept at the limerick. Here is an early work from my Harry Potter days:

St. Patrick's Day Limerick (blame Tara, she got me started)

James was the Marauder who loved Lily
Sometimes it made him act silly
He gave her the eye
To let her know he's not shy
but she threatened to cut off his [rhymes with silly]


Sirius Black was the hot one
An unusual day when he got none
They've been lining up
Since he was a pup
And the consensus has been that it's awesome


Poor remus just howled at the moon
Not knowing that poor ladies swooned
His honor too much
His love life a bust
But fandom adoration is his boon


And then we have young master Pettigrew
We wrinkle our nose like he's mildew
Did he really go bad
Or was he a bit mad
But in the end at least he get's his due


Full circle, we're now back at James
Or Prongs in Marauding names
He stood up for his friends
To the darkest of ends
but his legacy's certainly no shame


So anyway, I invited my friends to write bad poetry and had this entry by our own buddy B. Miller:

O, Fickle Peep!
Why doest thou flitter hither and thither so?
Art thou mad?
...No!
Thou art simply puffy.


Thine grit is so sweet!
Make love to my tummy, O Peep!


O yes, your eyes shall be plucked,
your body burned.

(pastoral, I think... for Easter)


And Lance, (Sketchie's brother... a fact I find suspicious) wrote a series of

"Haiku For Real Men":

Driving down the street
I see a smokin' hot chick
I whistle at her




Drank too many beers
I bend over the toilet
And puke my guts out


Joris did some translating:

Chirp chirp - chirp chirp chirp
chirp chirp chirp - chirp chirp
chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp
...chirp chirp chirp


Chirp
etc.

(the above is a translation of the poem "De mus", by Jan Hanlo)

and wrote an original:

Yes, no, please

No, yes, yes, no
yes, no
yes, no
Oh sod it.
...Dinner!

And then Kerry contributed this:

work was going slow last night
call for thunderstorms don't give us much fright
suddenly there was a call that was rather dire
as it turns out; the canopy was on fire!

And LeaAnne (not to be confused with Leanne) added:

Potty training is hell
The built up gas has an awful smell
If I just hold my breath
He'll be successful yet
At least that was what the doctor did tell

And then here is my final entry, followed by an EXPLAINER!

Forty-seven pages
mangled gibberish
binds us
eternally


Taking my power
swearing me to subserviance
I jump for joy
It's my contract!


You heard me... contract arrived last night. I read it and sent a set of questions to my agent, though was rather impressed that I understood at least 90% of the words and 20% of their meaning. I will get it mailed later today, after making my copies. Very exciting!


Say... it's my grandpa's birthday!  (or would be--he would be 91)