I'm Back! (Sort of)

Hey all, I'm back. I spent the weekend at a writer's retreat, and just got back yesterday. The Internet is still on the fritz at home, the Dismal Swamp is still burning and sending it's smoke my way, and the plumbing hasn't been fixed (I'd say it still smells like a barn but I'm rather congested at the moment). But I don't care. It was nice just to be able to sleep in my own comfy bed with my cat sleeping at my feet. I'll try and get my bloody internet back up when I get home from work today, but for now I just wanted to tell you something really wierd that happened. I drove up to Williamsburg and spent the day with friends and then drove on to the retreat. When I unpacked my stuff from the trunk of my car, I noticed that my deoderant had melted. Yup. Pretty bizarre isn't it? I'll talk to you all later. Have a great day and keep cool.

Temporarily Internetless

Can't post today, the internet is wonky at home, has been for the past two days. I'll let you know when I'm back up and running. Hopefully it won't take too long.
In the meantime, enjoy the lolcats:


more cat pictures


more cat pictures


more cat pictures

Monday's Poetry Train- in Pictures

Sorry I'm posting so late. I've been rather busy lately. I'm working on revising my second book so I can send it out into the world. I did set up my very own flickr account lately and uploaded some of the pictures from my trip home. I took quite a few pictures at the Biltmore Estate (and think I did a pretty good job) and have posted them here. Hope you like them.

Thursday Thirteen #51

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Thirteen Pictures of the Gardens at the Biltmore Estate 1)These first three were taken in one of the wings of the greenhouse- 2) 3) 4)This picture was taken inside the main part of the greenhouse to show the height of the building 5)This is the herb garden- just outside the greenhouse 6)This is the rose garden, taken from just in front of the greenhouse 7)There is a cottage just outside the walled garden, that I have always been fascinated by, and the trees that frame it made a great picture. 8)There is a path that you can drive along that goes through the walled garden, and this picture is taken from that path. In early spring this bed is filled with hundreds of tulips (it's somewhere around 6 or 7 hundred). They usually bloom the second week in April, but with mild winters it probably comes earlier. 9)I could probably do a Thursday Thirteen with just the pictures I took of pansies. 10) 11) 12)This and the next picture are Asters- I'm currently using this picture as my desktop. 13) Bonus)This picture is of one rose bush. Amazing, isn't it? Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Pictures!

Yay! I got my USB cable back and all is right with my world (Okay, no it's not. It's still hotter than Hell, but not much I can do about that). I will be posting more reviews, I'll probably post one tonight (after work), but for now I thought I would tease you with some of the pictures from my most recent trip to the Biltmore Estate. And then I really must go and get ready for work. Sigh.
This is the greenhouse from the back, the lower level is now one big (very big) gift shop. With lots of cool stuff. Of which I bought quite a bit.

This is one of the wings in the greenhouse. I want a greenhouse this size when I get my own house (I can dream, right?)

This is the main greenhouse as seen from inside the walled garden.

This week's Thursday Thirteen will have more pictures of the garden (we didn't actually make it to the house this time, just walked through the garden and then went and had lunch at the Bistro at the Winery. Off to work. Have a great day, everyone, and keep cool.

Monday's Poetry Train-- Sort of

Hey! Okay, so I haven't written a word since I got back from RT, but I have started reading again, so I'm not terribly worried (Besides I'm going on a retreat later on this month and have to have a 850 word short short written on something outside of my comfort zone, and have an idea for a short involving...seals). Anyway, I'm steadily making my way through the mountain known as my TBR pile, and I though since I haven't been writing anything (okay I did try to write a poem, but it sucked- seriously), instead of posting older works that need revising I thought I would post reviews of those books I've been reading (and help out my fellow writers). So for my first Monday review, the book is:

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Charlene Teglia
This is actually a series of three linked novellas all set in the same place and roughly at the same time, similar to her earlier book Wild Wild West (all set in the coffee shop- Lemon Espresso). In this case, the link between the three stories is a dating service the three women all sign up for, a dating agancy with a difference-
"Welcome to The Capture Agency, a fantasy dating service for dominant men who know what they like and how they like it, and women who can handle limitless pleasure. After being matched with a partner, the male will capture his date and make her a slave to passion. This exclusive service is for couples who aren’t afraid to push the limits, let go of their inhibitions and lose themselves in the fantasy."
(I got this off her website)
The stories were well written, funny, sexy, and interesting, and what I appreciated was that none of the males played any of those stupid lets see what sort of ridiculous, humiliating things we can get the women to do and tell them its out of love garbage that seems to be par for the course with some of the writers of bdsm. The men in these stories actually respect the women they've been paired with, and aren't afraid to show it.
There was one thing that I was curious about, the beginning showed how the three women decided to try out this agency, but there was not further interaction between them. Not a big thing, and probably not absolutely necessary in the story, just me being curious.
So... not sure how often I'll post reviews, probably not daily but maybe twice a week? We'll see how it goes. I'll also be running contests this summer, not sure when or what though, you'll have to come by and see. :)

Thursday Thirteen #50

Thirteen Funny Pictures
I had all sorts of plans for my TT this week (don't laugh I did), but we all know what happens when I make plans. I haven't received my usb cable from my sister yet, so I can't get the pictures out of my camera, the pollen counts have risen so my allergies have kicked in, and the expected high for tomorrow is 98! (and it's only the beginning of June! Someone please shoot me. Now). I'm not sure if it's the plants or the change in the weather/temperature, but I've had a headache all day now
(and my eyes have decided not to focus on the same things any more). So I give you 13 pictures from Icanhascheezburger and Ihasahotdog. Enjoy (I'm going to bed, I'll be around to check out everyone's lists tomorrow.

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more cat pictures
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more cat pictures
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see more dog pictures
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see more dog pictures
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see more dog pictures



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants