The Bucket List Blog Fest!

Hooray! It's TIME!


For what, you ask?


The Bucket List BlogFest, of course!


For this Blog Fest, Blog-Fest-ers (Festoons?) were meant to come up with an 'ultimate list' of things they want to do. That list could be big-picture like life goals, or focused on something related to their blog/topic of interest. 


And since I somehow edited left out the recommendation for five items in both promo posts (whoops!), people have complete freedom over their list. :) The only rule was to post their blog to the Mr. Linky Widget below.


You can find a list of participants below!




Now, on to my 5.  These are not listed in order of priority...


1. Spend a month in one of the following places: Provence, France; Sardinia, Italy; and Istanbul, Turkey.
These are all places where, when I see pictures or hear about them, I realize I want to do nothing more but go there, eat, drink, and wander. I like travel shows, but something struck me as special in each place. I would like to take a few weeks, rent an apartment or something, and find out what that is.


2. Write novels that other people want to read.
Writing is solitary, and it's difficult. Really, I know I can only write for myself... it's impossible to do otherwise. Still, I want people to read my work. Oh, yeah. An Oprah Book Club Sticker would be nice, too. Maybe that can be #6.

3. Grow a family.

I kinda debated putting this one in here, and I wasn't sure how to word it - in part because it's so personal, but also because I have a great family, one that includes mine and Matt's. Still, I'll eventually be ready to ignore the ominous warnings of my sometimes frustrated mother during my childhood: "someday, you'll have kids just like you, and then you'll understand!" 

4. Retire to a beach house in the Outer Banks.
Maybe not a wise plan with global warming and "rising sea levels", but I love the OBX. I'd love to buy a small beach house down there and, when it's finally time to stop working, disappear there for a while.


5. Run a 100-miler.
Actually, the ultimate goal stemmed from a desire to run Badwater. I've read about it and, as horrible as it sounds... my interest was piqued. But since the chances of me getting in are slim, a 100-miler seems like a seriously formidable challenge to tackle in the coming years.




Thanks for reading my list, I look forward to reading the great entries below! 

Brief Intermission...

It was a crazy weekend - crazy busy, not crazy Weekend At Bernies. The next few days will be just as busy. So while I have no shortage of things to blog about... I'll probably be off the radar for a few more days.


Until then... some stuff.


NaNoEdMo has gotten off to a slow start. Here's my progress as of Day 6. See the dark blue line? The sad looking one? Yeah... that's me. The few hours I have logged have not been focused on a single work. I feel like I should have gotten more today, but I feel weird about logging work stuff.

This might be, in part, due to some misspent time....


Pawn Stars is a great show - seriously, I know it must be somewhat staged but it's amazing what these guys know.

Still, I have questions...

• These people go in there and take a hit because the pawn shop has to be able to find a niche market for many of the items. In this day and age of the internet... WHY?
• How does one not notice the Made In USA stamp on the "original" French art?
• How much of that money actually leaves Vegas?
• Does anyone ever mess with Antoine?

Speaking of distractions...

Bucket List Blogfest is coming up - sign up today!


What else...

I made this for dinner last night. It also makes an excellent breakfast.

Pizza with fennel, pancetta, mozz, cheddar, and 1/2 with red onion.
Yes, breakfast. Don't judge.

I'll be at the Biophysical Society's annual meeting this week. I saw someone there today with something very much like this. I still am not quite sure what to say about that. I wish I had stopped and asked her about it.

Happy Monday folks. See you in a few days.

Gone But Not Forgotten Blogfest!

That's right, Erinn, Alicia, Holly, and Pam and Quinta are doing a blogfest! Specifically one devoted to extinct television - five TV shows no longer making new episodes that should return.

This was actually easier than I thought it would be. I don't watch too much TV these days but there are shows I thought were awesome that got cancelled too soon. (Hm. Connection? I think Yes.) 


I think I managed to scratch up a good list. So without further ado, I give you... my 5. 




5) Dead Like Me.
I really liked the story and the dark humor in Dead Like Me. The premise was cool and the characters interesting. And just when I really started to get to know them? Gone. I was sad.

4) Reno 911.
I used to think this show was stupid. And then I heard that the scenes were largely improvisational. For some reason, that totally changed the way I saw Reno 911. After that, I found it HI-larious. 

3) Deadwood.
I was really disappointed that this series didn't continue through the final installments. We flew through the DVDs via Netflix, and I found the characters and the world really interesting. This was a vivid, gritty, compelling drama that kept me interested, even when they sort of went over the top.

2) Greg the Bunny.
I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when this show was cut, but I was. I thought it was hysterical. There was a paintball episode that made me laugh so hard my sides hurt. Sadly... couldn't find a clip of that one.

1)  Firefly.
Clearly, this is a no-brainer. Space. Outlaw/Old-west. Nathan Fillion. For serious... I wish this show had taken off before it was canned.

That's my list of TV shows that I wish would return (but not as Zombies). What TV shows do you miss?




Don't forget to check out other people's answers here, and sign up for next week's Bucket List Blog Fest.

Bucket List Blogfest: Promo 2

Have you signed up for the Bucket List Blogfest? It's open to everyone - the more the merrier!

If you're not sure and have questions, I have composed a simple FAQ.


What is a BlogFest?
A blog fest is a virtual "blog party" in which a group of bloggers make a themed post on the same day. 


What if my blog is a 'topics' blog?
The items you post are entirely up to you. Is your blog a travel blog? List the places you want to go! Is your blog a food blog? List the five meals you most want to try! And so on. Feel free to put your own spin on the "Bucket List" - or just make a slight deviation from your normal content.


When do I post? Where?
Post your entry on your blog on Friday, March 11. Other blogfest participants will be able to access it via the links on the blogfest pages.


What else do I do on March 11?
Visit other blogfest blogs! This is a great way to connect with other blogs and bloggers.


What are the rules?
Easy! Sign up with the Linky Widget below. Post your entry on your blog on Mar 11.






And that's it! Can't wait to read your entries. Thanks to all those who have signed up already!




For those of you who just can't wait to join in some sort of blogging festivity... there's a cool one over on Something Else to Distract me on March 4: "Gone but not forgotten" television!

The Bucket List Blogfest

Hey Blog-Friends! I'm pleased to announce the FIRST EVAR blogfest on SwimWriteRun! 


I know, I'm excited too.


I have a birthday coming up in a few weeks, and around this time of year I tend to get reflective. This go-round, it's less about what I've done and more about what I want to do as I move forward... and I'd love to hear the same from you!


Join Erinn and I in sharing the things you most want to do before you kick the bucket.


This Blogfest is open to everyone - the more the merrier!


The rules are simple:


1) Sign up with the Mr. Linky widget below.


2) Post your entry on Friday, March 11.


And that's it!


Sign up, spread the word, and feel free to post the snazzy graphic to your blog. 

99th Page Blogfest

Today is the 99th page blogfest!  I've talked about writing a few times here, but I'm realizing now that I don't talk much about my writing.


No promises on changing that.


Still, the 99th page blog fest - hosted by Erinn, Alicia, Holly, Pam, and Quita - is a pretty cool thing. 


Here's the rundown.


I post the 99th page of a work in progress.  The reader (that's you, assuming you don't hit the "back" button now) decides the following after reading:


1. Would you turn to page 100?
2. Why or why not?
3. Based on what you read, how likely would you buy the book?

It was kind of fun to see what was on my 99th page. This is the first time I've opened this document since November.

          “Oh?”

“I grew up in one,” was all Kat felt like saying.

“I see.  Well, it’s best you don’t spend any time there, Katherine.  I’ll be back in a few days, either to pick you up or to bring more food.”

“You think it might be that bad?”

“I don’t know.”  Mrs. Finch maneuvered the van over a bumpy stretch of road and turned left.  Before Kat was ready, the van came to a stop.  “Here we are.”

The two women got out of the van and stared at the vacation spot.  It was a small cabin with a wrap-around porch.  The house backed against a lake.  The water was steel-gray against the sky, bordered by trees wilting and growing brown with fall.  Kat thought she saw a few other cabins scattered around the lake, but all were dark and the area seemed largely undeveloped. 

She shivered in her jacket.  The air was much colder here than it had been in the city.  She realized too late that Mrs. Finch had been talking. 

“…here all the time when I was a girl.  My daughter loved it, too.”

“I didn’t know you have a daughter,” Kat said.  Mrs. Finch had never once mentioned family before, and always seemed to travel on the holidays.

I look forward to hearing what you have to say! Don't forget to give the other blog-fest-entries a look, there's some fabulous writing out there.