Thursday, November 15, 2007

Not about writing

Ha. As if all of life isn't about writing for a writer. But I really am going to pretend it's not about writing today.

It's about lurkers and newbies. Hi, out there!

Lately, we've had a few people dropping by to say a quick hi, or even stay and join the family. I'm so happy when that happens, and I'm pretty sure I can safely assert that all the "regulars" join me in those feelings.

If you're just visiting, I hope you enjoy your tour. Come on into the comments and meet the Krazy Kids who hang out there slurping coffee, except for Kelly who likes tea.

If you're a lurker, you're safe with us. If you ever step into the light, we'll try not to make it so bright that it hurts your eyes. I'm not even going to use this post as an excuse to try to lure you out. You'll delurk when the time is right, if it is ever right. And it's okay if it isn't. We're big on doing your own thing. Meanwhile, I hope you find some interesting and/or inspiring fun around here.

If you're a newbie, I hope you're feeling welcome. We're very glad you're here.

If you're an Olde Regular, I love you guys. But you know that.

Everybody wave!

45 comments:

Nancy P said...

I'm posting early, for Friday, so I can go to bed now.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

katiebird said...

Hi Nancy and Everyone-to-come! I just got back from a Tupperware party. I'm thinking about doing it professionally. They have health insurance benefits. Just kidding. I think.

I cracked my head on my sister-in-law's cabinet just as the party started. And sat through the party discretely dabbing at my head with a napkin. Turns out I was bleeding through the whole thing. It took mister a half hour to soak the blood off my head.

I'm not sure I was at my best as a co-host.

Nancy P said...

kb! I'm glad I saw your comment before I turned of the computer. Tupperware. Now there's a blast from the past.

Your poor head! I guess you need that Tupperware health insurance. :)

"See" you in the manana.

katiebird said...

Hi Nancy, Pleasent dreams. And I don't need no stinking insurance for this head thing. Mister was quite ready to stitch me up himself!

Kelly McCullough said...

Hi, (waves back)

I'll be vanishing off the face of the Earth for a couple of days with the Fantasy Matters conference. On the plus side the conference will bring me within easy driving distance of the tea source and a lovely pot of Clouds & Mist Green.

Per Tea Source: Grown on the island of Zhoushan off the eastern coast of China. This tea is bright, very fresh, very refreshing with the tiniest hint of toastiness.

Yum. See you all Monday.

Unknown said...

[delurks and waves!]

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing good. Things are well here in Baja Arizona, just bizzzzy. Did someone steal my memo notifying that it was November?

katiebird - sorry to hear about the head shot but glad that the Mister was there to fix you up.

Nancy P said...

Hey, ManE! I've got to get over to your blog more often, and see what's going on with you and The Noble Bud.

See you Monday, Kelly.

Nancy P said...

I'm still awake for a strange reason. I was in bed when I heard the strangest, loud animal sounds. So close and loud I think they were on our patio. I went and peeked, but couldn't see a thing, but the sound went on and on, repeating and repeating. I was afraid it was an animal in a lot of distress.

Well, thank god for google. I found the sound on google! It was, and I have NO doubt about this, because the sounds are identical, a fox establishing its territory. This is MY place, he was saying, and saying, and saying.

Apparently, that includes our patio. I wonder if he'll want wine and cheese.

I'm soo glad that's what it was, and not some injured or sick creature.

Back to bed. Wide awake, lol.

Unknown said...

Hi Nancy, how cool that you were able to find the sound online. We have coyotes (the animals, not the traffickers) in my hometown that howl at night. That's always fun to hear... hehe

I'm off to bed, hoping that you do the same! Have a good night.

AndiF said...

Morning all. does wan "cheerleader wave" because even the hands are not fully awake

kb, I hope your head feels better. I'm having sympathy pains with you right now -- but that's mostly because you had to go to a IRL social gathering of more than 3 people.

Anonymous said...

Morning from Bangor, Maine, y'all! Where they're calling for snow this afternoon. Can you guess that I'm leaving this am? Spent last night with two dear WRW friends and their amazing hubbys (hubbies?), and we talked writing and life and laughed too much and had a great time.

Waving to all of the lurkers out there - hope you take the plunge and speak up more often. We love to have folks join our crazy family.

Sorry about your head, kb - hope you don't have a headache today. Have fun at the conference, Kelly. And happy Friday, everyone - I'll be back tomorrow, from my sister's house.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

It posted twice...oops! :-)

katiebird said...

Hi everyone! Thank you very much for your sympathy. It almost helps. :)

Andi, you know, I don't do social things very often. And I was thinking about how out of my element I am while we were doing it.

Maria Lima said...

Morning, all! Been a bit of a busy week with a bunch of work projects and such.

Weather here has cleared up and it's sunny and 43, with today's high expected to be 49.

TGIF and I hope everyone has a great weekend. I plan to spend mine writing and sleeping. :)

GhostFolk.com said...

What a technique! Katiebird, a bloody-headed Tupperware hostess... well, you know, I would just have to order something. Glad your head is ok.

None of this would have happened if you had been wearing your TupperWear hat, though, the one you and I are going to invent. Shoes and underwear are next.

I'm also wondering what sort of little thudding sounds a TupperWhere alarm clock might make.

Nancy, your landlord fox is so cool! Rent's due, btw.

katiebird said...

Ghost! I MISSED my opportunity -- that's terrible!

I didn't tell anyone about my injury. My SIL obviously knew I got whacked, but she had no idea that I was bleeding until it was all over.

If I had any idea about the possibility of sympathy-purchases, I could have gone all out. It was still oozing when I got home more than 3 hours later -- so it was pretty gross.

Still, it's not too late, I can set up a way for you to order online.

:)

Jen said...

I guess I'll do what I always do at a mixer -- sit quietly in the corner and wave hi at folks with a shy, friendly grin. :) Hope you get healed up soonest, Katiebird!

GhostFolk.com said...

Hi, Jerri! What you working on?

Aw, sisters. My sil came to visit yesterday. We had tickets to watch a local (Asheville NC) taping of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me last night.

Getty ready to leave, my sil spent about 30 minutes in the guest bathroom doing her makeup and fixing her hair. When she came out, the bride looked at her rather solemnly and said, It's radio.

Now, I have to wake until the weekend is over to laugh. Sisters, you know, you can't take sides.

GhostFolk.com said...

Katie, Tupperware used to make a sheetcake-size lidded box that is just perfect for perma-storing a book-length manuscript.

Dream. This is the story I dreamed a week ago I meant to mention. I'm sure it's not worthy of commment content wise. But it was so odd to dream a story that I will actually use.

The dream was this: at an 1873 Worlds Fair or Expo (it was in the South) a prominent (he seemed well-known and quite established) portrait photographer set up shop.

Every sixth portrait he took came out a cat. Instead of a photograph of the person who sat for his/her portrait, there was a picture of a handsome sitting cat.

This was the earlier period of cabinet-card photography (also tintypes, and carte de-visites). These were cabinet cards, though, approx. 4 x 6 inches each. In my dream, as he shuffled his finished work, every sixth photo was a cat.

I have the story in place now (I hate to give away endings) and am occasionally simply wondering how I knew it was 1873 and whether or not there was any sort of Cotton Expo, or something along those lines, in Atlanta or New Orleans in 1873.

Nancy P said...

Awake! Before I say anythine else, let me alert you to Rick's short-short-short story in yesterday's comment thread. It's the last post. You'll love it, I promise.

Then, want to hear the fox? Here's the link. Scroll down to "fox territory call," and then imagine it VERY loud and close.

Nancy P said...

One of the reasons I love opening up these comments is that I love laughing to start the day. Let me count the ways. . .

"hands not fully awake"
Tupperware hat & other assorted useful products (alarm clock thud! lol!)
Setting up ordering on line
It's radio

You guys should get to meet Ghost's bride some day to fully appreciate how funny that was when she said it and gave him a Look.

Nancy P said...

Hi, Jen in the Corner, Maria falling asleep, Beth fleeing from snow boots.

Ghost, wow, I love your dream story.

Larry Kollar said...

Wow, the party started early, and I don't even have my coffee cup! Lemme scarf some oatmeal while greeting the lurkers.

KB, nice of mister to volunteer to stitch that up for you. If it had been Mrs. Fetched, I'd have gone for a stapler. ;-) Some of the new Tupperware stuff is good; not sure if I like the old or new better though.

Hey Man E, I finally got around to adding you to my RSS feed at work. I'll stick you & Jen on the blogroll this weekend. We have coyotes around here too — they were eradicated in the early 20th Century, then re-introduced. Unfortunately, wild dogs had already filled the niche and they've interbred. Ugly suckas.

Nancy, funny you mention foxes barking. I saw a rather large one with a bad sense of timing, lying on the road this morning. :-(

Ghost, I'd have been smirking like the pretendersent all night, trying not to laugh, if my SIL did that! And that was quite the dream. Sounds like a good story basis.

Speaking of stories, I posted FAR Future, Episode 14, last night.....

Unknown said...

Delurking to wave hello!

Kelly McCullough said...

Quickie on my way out the door, because I forget to wish Katiebird quick recovery last night. So, quick recovery! (Waves, bolts)

Nancy P said...

Waving back at you, Lorna!

Margaret said...

Waving wildly, Nancy! I've tried to post before, but kept getting no-you-can't messages. Hope this one slides through because I do enjoy your posts and the comments of your friends.
Margaret

Nancy P said...

Margaret! Wave at an Edgar winner and former president of Mystery Writers of America, everybody. Her website is linked on the front page. I hear rumors that her upcoming book in the Judge Deborah Knott series, set in North Carolina, is her best yet.

Rick Bylina said...

THE WAVE
--------

Ten toes wave at you
Enthusiastically
Flicking morning's dew

-rick
http://muse-needed.blogspot.com/

Jerri said...

Good morning, all.

Nancy, I do want to hear the fox, even though I should be writing instead. I can't find the link, though? Did you post it?

Ghost: I'm writing a book called 1001 Bathrooms. It's the 24th or 25th book I've written. Home improvement and home decor has been my niche for a long time, but I'm trying to bust into fiction and creative non.

Seriously, I have to deliver this ms. or my death certificate by end of day. I better get going.

Thanks for the welcome.

Nancy P said...

Oops! It always helps to actually post the link:

http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/sounds.html

lol, and good luck, Jerri!

Nancy P said...

That's so cute, Rick!

I'll take off my socks and wave back.

Margaret said...

Waving wildly. This is my umpteenth attempt at posting. Aaarrggghhh!
Margaret

Margaret said...

Aha! I'm on. Now if I can only remember what I did that last time! When you have a minute, Nancy, could you give us the link to animal sounds or should I just Google "Animal sounds"?
Margaret

Nancy P said...

Ach, Margaret, so frustrating!

Here's the link, although this page is just to fox sounds. ("Mine" says, "fox territory sounds")

http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/sounds.html

I don't know if this has anything to do with your posting problems, Margaret, but for what it's worth. . .I can only log on on the front page. It won't let me do it on this comment page. But once I'm logged onto my front page, I can comment on any Blogger blog until I sign off again. (I can't make it remember me. Too boring to explain.)

Kimberly Frost said...

Speaking of the community. I was in B & N and saw Kelly's book. It's always strange and cool to see the book of someone one "knows." Naturally, I had to get a copy. Can't decide if it's going out as a Xmas gift, or if I have to keep this copy for myself. What a vivid cover!

Hope everyone's having a great day. I'm just back in from brainstorming and researching and I'm ready for a nice nap.

Welcome to all the newbies and hello to the old friends.

Anonymous said...

Back safe and sound in NH. Drove through torrential downpours yesterday going up, and "fat rain" that had dreams of being snow today. Clear skies down here - go figure. Kimber, I read both of Kelly's books - they're GREAT! I never read sci-fi or fantasy, but just loved them. I'm tapping my foot for #3, Kelly.

Welcome newbies - join the funny farm!

Waving to everyone - back on a regular schedule on Monday. Til then, have a great weekend!

Nancy P said...

Hi, Beth and Kimberly.


I finished my 5th short story today and shipped it off. I sure hope I feel like working on my, um, book tomorrow.

Larry Kollar said...

Ho-kay, everyone, place your bets! Will Nancy work on her book tomorrow, start short story #6, or slack 'cause it's Saturday?

boran2 said...

Good evening. Hello to all newbies/lurkers! < waving > Glad to hear that the short stories are progessing, Nancy.

Kathy McIntosh said...

Nancy, I've loved your writing forever, and met you and heard you speak at Bare Bones several years back.
Let me assure other newbies you are as nice in person as you are on your blog.
I've lurked before but your newest post made me surface. Thanks.

Nancy P said...

Aw, Kathy, thanks. :)

Bare Bones was an amazing conference. I'll bet some careers got started there.

I'm so glad you delurked long enough to say hi!

Nancy P said...

far, too funny! And I can't even throw the betting, because even I have no idea which it will be. Better put a little down on every possible alternative. :)

Hey, boran2. Thanks. Almost time for the latest progress on your painting.

Anonymous said...

I'm guessing #6. She's on a roll!

We were discussing short stories last night - one of my friends has written a bunch of them, and I grow more and more intrigued by the idea. It'd be fun to have a great idea and not think, "Hoo boy, I have to wait X years to find the time to write about that, and then it'll take X years to write it." I'll keep you posted.

Just came back from a lovely wine bar (called Unwined) where I sipped a flight of whites (Deb had reds) and snacked on baked brie, and felt sophisticated and elegant. Then we had ribs. :-)

And now to bed (oink oink) - night everyone west of the Mississippi!