a Mel-O-Jumble

So, I challenged some Divas to help me out this morning because I’m braindead and was having a hard time with a blog-topic. I asked them to shout out random words and I would create a blog from them.

Of course, Kristen Painter was the first to volunteer. She’s funny, that Kristen.

Her suggestion?
fig newtons

Well, let me tell ya, I can blog all day about the ooey yuckiness that is Fig Newton. (not a fan of the fig…but the Apple? Yum.)

Did you know that Fig Newton is a brand name? It’s trademarked by Nabisco. But, Fig Newton has become a bit like Kleenex. Yes it’s a brand name, but it has become the everyday word for ‘fig bar’ here in America.

Another bit of Fig Newton trivia: Paul Newman has a product called Fig Newmans. I found an interview with his daughter that explains how he convinced Nabisco to allow him to use the name:

Q: How did you ever convince Nabisco, the original owner of Fig Newtons, to let you use the name “Fig Newmans” for your fig bars?

A: My dad wrote a very sweet, short letter to the president of Nabisco that said, “My daughter’s got a great idea for a product. Could we sit down and talk about a small royalty deal? All the profits will go to charity.” And the guy just sent back a letter that said, “Dear Paul, I love what you’re doing, we’ll just say it’s a dollar a year, and I’d love to sit down and have a beer with you.” The legal department of Nabisco had a fit, but there was nothing they could do.

That’s good info, aye?

Another Diva, Vivienne Westlake, added stargaze lillies and hells bells to the list.

That’s an easy one:

Hell’s Bells! Stargazer lillies are beautiful, but their frangrance gives me a headache every time!

🙂

And that brings us to the end of today’s Mel-O-Jumble.

literary agent Nathan Bransford


Get thee to the Fictionistas and read Gwen Hayes’s lovely interview with Literary Agent Hottie, Nathan Bransford. Also, check out his blog.

Click on the banner

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what the foie gras??? random posting…

Actually, it should be WTF is foie gras? It sounds so yummy and mysterious. I just like saying it. FWAH GRAAAAH. It’s like something the minister in Princess Bride would say. Mawwiage is something we do after we eat Fwah Gwah.

Anyway, I finally got to catch up on the Top Chef finale and Richard made this weird egg, duck, foie gras thing and I guess I always thought foie gras was some kind of cheese until he started the “what comes first the chicken, the egg, or the foie gras” thing. Obviously, foie gras is not cheese.

So I googled it. What did we ever do without google?

For those of you who are as in the dark about foie gras as I am was, let me put you out of your misery…

from wikipedia:

Foie gras (pronounced /fwɑːˈgrɑː/ in English; French for “fat liver”) is “the liver of a duck or a goose that has been specially fattened by gavage” (as defined by French law[1]).

Foie gras is one of the most popular and well-known delicacies in French cuisine and its flavour is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras can be sold whole, or prepared into mousse, parfait, or pâté (the lowest quality), and is typically served as an accompaniment to another food item, such as toast or steak.

Okay. Ew.

What is it with taking something pretty nasty and calling it something that sounds so yummy. Like Sweetbreads.

Sweetbreads are the thymus glands of lamb, beef, or pork. There are two different connected glands; one set in the neck and the other near the heart. Although both are edible, the heart thymus gland is generally favored because of its delicate flavor and texture, and is thus more expensive[1]. Typically sweetbreads are soaked in salt water, then poached in milk after which an outer membrane is removed. Once dry and chilled, they’re often breaded and fried until crisp. It is also popular to use them as a stuffing or in pâtés

Gross.

Okay, I’m not a foodie. It’s obvious. I don’t eat organs or glands. Or brains (is brain an organ?) or genitalia (no comments from the peanut gallery. Fishdog, that means you) And I get why they rename gross sounding food into something yummy sounding. I would’ve probably eaten Sweetbreads or Foie Gras before google…

Now? nope. Not gonna happen.

I sure wish foie gras was a cheese.

don’t forget!

Don’t forget to swing by the Knight Agency’s chat room this evening where we will be chatting live with NYT Bestselling author Gena Showalter at 8pm EST.

Gena will be answering questions, giving advice and dropping hints about the next title in her LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series, THE DARKEST KISS, which recently received a 4 & 1/2 star review from Romantic Times magazine.
You don’t want to miss out on this great event which is sure to have something for everyone who loves a great romance.

I know that I’m not alone in saying that I think Gena’s new series is one of the hottest things to hit paranormal romance this year. Be sure to stop by at 8pm EST tonight to find out what all of the buzz is about!
WHO: GENA SHOWALTER
WHAT: CHATTING LIVE!
WHEN: 8pm EST, Tuesday May 20, 2008 TONIGHT!!!!!
WHERE: TKA CHATROOM
To Enter the chat tonight: Follow this link TKA CHATROOM, enter a screen name and simply select “login.”
*Rules of Play: To keep things organized, the chats are all moderated. The moderator will begin by posting the following rules of play: when you have a question, simply type a “?” and the moderator will keep a list and call on you when it is your turn.
*Chat tips: When waiting on your turn, type your question in Word or another application so when it is your turn you only have to copy and paste. (Keeps the chat running smoothly)Click on any screen name in the list to open a Private Message conversation (a lot like AIM).

feeling chatty?

New York Times Best Selling author (doesn’t that just roll off your tongue like bubbles?) Gena Showalter is going to be chatting live at the TKA chatroom tomorrow night, 8pm EST. Here’s the link.

I just finished devouring reading the first book in Gena’s Lords of the Underworld series, THE DARKEST NIGHT and was so excited to find book #2 waiting for me in the mail today. That naughty little minx sent me a copy along with the two books I had her sign for the blog give away. Now how will I ever find time to write when I’ll be reading THE DARKEST KISS? Gena is a buffet of awesome, so come chat with her tomorrow night.

a mel-o-dramatic mélange

So, where were we? Ah yes, yesterday’s list–updated

  1. Finish revising proposal, send to DK. check
  2. Start plotting new book idea. partially checked
  3. Clean off disgusting desk, partially checked. Finishing now.
  4. Hang anniversary present over desk.
  5. Vacuum and dust.

I could’ve told you yesterday that #5 would still be on the list. Guess what, it will probably still be on the list next week, too. Why hast thou forsaken me, Alice?

Next on my blog topic list? Today was weigh in day. I am officially down 11.5 lbs in 5 weeks. I’m pretty stoked. I worked hard this week, because Sunday we had a birthday party for my nephew and I accidentally ate chicken fingers, pizza, cake and ice cream. I made sure I busted my ass at the gym and walking. Plus all my yard work. I had to make up for all that accidental gorging.

I had hoped to be -15 for my trip to Boston next week, but I don’t think I’ll quite get there. I supposed I could do a Biggest Loser workout, and hit the gym twice a day, every day, for 4 hours or so. Heh. Who am I kidding. I’ll try to lose this week, maybe I can get to -13 before I head to Bean-town.

I really can’t wait to go. I’m gonna hang out with my friends and celebrate Marley Gibson’s (writing as Kate Harmon for this series) debut release! Beta Zeta or Omega? is available for pre-order now!

While in Boston, I’m going to get a chance to meet fellow TKA Sistah and blog-friend, Kwana Jackson! Yippee! I’m also gonna hang with my cps and BFFs, Louisa and Maria. And hot glamazon Kristen Painter. I mean, could my life be any better? I think not. Oh wait! There’s more! Marley and I share an agent, so yes, life could get better, because the lovely Deidre Knight will be there, too! Go ahead. You can be jealous. I’ll let ya.

Have I missed anyone? I’ll let you know when I return. With pictures.

Let’s see. What else did I want to talk about? Oh yeah. Top Shit Chef. Can I just say I’m disgusted that Jen went home? I really liked her. A lot. Sniff.

Okay, I think that’s it for today’s blog-o-plenty. Have y’all had a good week? Anything going on that I need to know about? And have y’all seen any cute shoes that are comfy that will go with my cute black dress? Let me know…

Oh and before I forget: Amanda has a fantastic post on Cyber-stalking/Cyber-bullying over at Fictionistas. Check it out. There are some CRAZIES out there!
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in the garden

I’m in the garden and can’t come to the blog. Please leave a message after the beep…

Oh, I did blog over at Fictionistas today–about yardwork. Go Figure.
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Did y’all do anything fun this weekend? Talk amongst yourselves…

oh alice!

That damn Alice never did come bail me out. I still blame Sam. Last I heard, he had whisked her off to Jamaica and they were have a good time at Hedonism. Well, despite the fact she abandoned me for Naked Twister, my kitchen is clean and I did manage to vacuum the front room and do some laundry. That’s about it.

We had a busy weekend. Ian had detention Saturday. (which was totally my fault. I kept a signed slip of paper an extra day. He got written up for it. Excessive much?) Anyway, after detention, Rader had basketball practice for 2 hours and Ian had a soccer game in a town 30 minutes away. Then we had a friend in town who stopped by for a visit.

Sunday we did it all again. Ian went to watch his girlfriend play soccer and we took Rader to his soccer game in Conway (where Ian’s game was Saturday). It was BLUSTERY! We had 76 degree (but windy) weather Saturday, and yesterday it was barely 50 degrees and so windy I thought we were gonna blow away! WTF? I want my spring weather back, dammit!

Last night, Fishdog and I watched No Reservations. Okay, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick to death of these movies being advertised as something they are not. It’s not a romantic comedy. Not even close. It had its moments, but it was definitely not a “funny movie.” It was more boring than anything. And serious. I wasn’t happy.

We have August Rush and Mr. Woodcock left to watch. Hopefully they will be better.

Did y’all do anything fun this weekend? Is your house cleaner than mine? I hope so.

missing person


Has anyone seen my Alice? She’s been missing for a while and my house is in desperate need of cleaning.

That damn Sam. He’s such a PITA. He’s always whisking her away to some naughty place for nekkid time and my house NEVER gets cleaned anymore. Ridiculous. Why is it so hard to find good help these days????

If you haven’t heard from me in a while, you might want to check to make sure I haven’t fallen victim to the army of furballs. They are mean little bastards.

hella storms

I did NOT wake in a better mood today. Sometime between midnight and the rising of the Grim Reaper, an intergalactic battle was fought over my house.

Worse. Curse. Ever.
(watch the video when you get a chance. It will make you laugh. There is some cursing so it may not be work safe…use headphones. Totally worth watching though. Promise.)

Lightning struck somewhere nearby and it lit up the sky like the Vegas Strip. My entire room was blue/white for multiple seconds. It was like someone flicked on a fluorescent light then flipped it back off. That was freaky. But the thunderboom following it–WORSE. CURSE. EVER. Seriously, I came off the bed screaming and my 14 year old boy came running into our room in a panic. It was louder than a sonic boom.

And that’s when the battle began. I have no other way of describing it. I thought the storms we had a few weeks ago were bad, but I was wrong. The freaky weird cone of silence we had last week was bad, but at least it was quiet. (okay, deathly quiet. But the key word here is QUIET)

The storm carried on for about an hour and a half. I would get to sleep just to be awakened by another clap of thunder or another flash of fluorescent. Finally we thought the storm was dulling some. The lightning and thunder were still persistent, but not as loud or bright. That’s when the firetrucks came.

All 5 million of them.

Sigh.

Right up the street, they blared and parked two houses down from me. At this point, I thought maybe I had died and that my eternal punishment was the land of no sleep. Honestly–that would be a very good punishment for me. Nothing is more frustrating to me. I just don’t exist well without some rest. (like at least 8 hours–though I can get by on 6 a few days a week)

Anyway, Fishdog came to my rescue this morning. (as always. That man is a dream hubby) When my alarm went off, I begged him to please take the kids this morning, even though I know he didn’t sleep much after 3:00 a.m. either. I should’ve sucked it up, but he manages better on fewer hours of wink time than I do.

I slept til 9:45. I mean. WOW is that late for me.

I still have a headache, but it’s nothing that 3 advil and some coffee won’t cure. Obviously, I did get some sleep finally because I feel better today than I did yesterday. This is a very good thing.

Today I start working on LOVE SUX! I have the first chapter mostly written. I’m going to Michael Hauge my plot so that I know the story makes sense. My goal is to have the first draft finished by Summer. I am stoked about the story. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I am now ready to take AJ’s issues to the next level. It’s not going to be fun for our vampy little heroine. Poor girl.

I totally enjoyed all y’all’s lists yesterday. (like my southern pluralism of y’all?) Fishdog said he felt left out (hence the Chad Lowe comment) but he was wrong. There are three songs on my happy list that are reserved only for him. And he should’ve known that. When you get three songs on my happy list, obviously, you make me happy. Duh.

How did y’all sleep last night and what do you do when you don’t get enough? Or do you exist just fine, like my hubby does?

Don’t forget to swing by Fictionistas today to check out Rhonda’s post on guy-o-mancy…

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