I'm the World's Worst Mother

So it turns out, I am the worst mom on the planet.  Or at least, that seems to be what my daughters want the otuside world to believe.  Kinda like this lady.  Remember her?

Today is my prime example.  I get up at 6:45am and as usual, my girls are getting ready for school.  Now anyone with children knows what a hectic time this can be.  Making sure papers are signed, lunches are made, everyone is dressed, teeth brushed, etc. 
Innocently enough, I ask my daughter Shelby (10 yrs) where her coat is. 

"I forgot it at school."

How this is even possible when it is 20 degrees outside is beyond me.  When you walk outside in that temperature, you automatically ebgin to shiver, rub your arms to stay warm.  You'd think you would notice the missing layer at that point. But, Shelby can be a bit scattered, so this is not a huge shock.

"Ok, where is your backup coat? The one from last year," I ask.

"I lost it last week."

"You mean to tell me you have no coat at all???"

"No, but I got my sweatshirt." She holds up a red sweatshirt with a zip front."

"If you don't bring your coat home tonight, you are grounded.  You can't go around without a coat, Shel, it's winter!"

After some pre-teen grumbling, she says, "I'll bring it home, I promise."

Then teenage daughter, Caey comes upstairs ready to roll out the door.  Her coat, you ask?  The thin windbreaker she got for volleyball.

"Where the heck is your coat.  You can't go out like that?"

"I can't find it. Haven't seen it since last winter."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. I looked downstairs. It isnt there."

"Just great."

Now they are both standing at the bus stop with either no coat or a windbreaker waiting for the bus in the howling winter winds. I can hear the teachers and bus driver now.

"Doesn't your mother know you don't have a coat?  Are you that poor?  Does she know it's 20 degrees?"

Yup, worst mother ever.... that's me.

So ask me what I did at lunch today?  Yup, that's right.  Mom went to Target and bought two new winter coats, a pair of snowpants for the lil one, and some hats and mittens. 

The irony here?  I would be willing to bet at this time next week, I will be having the same morning conversation and watching my unorganized, half-dressed daughters standing at the bus stop in little but their clothing and wondering how I became sush a sorry excuse for a parent.

*Sigh* Happy Winter everyone!

Nanowrimo 2010 Draws to a Close

As the hectic month of writing frenzy comes to an end, I find myself perplexed by the prospect of reading the 50k words I just wrote.  I have never before just typed furiously with no thought to looking back or editing it while I write.  It's not that I believe that what I wrote is total crap, it is more a concern over the amount of time and work I put in vs how much I will actually end up keeping.  I guess no matter how you slice it, words on the page are words on the page, and a damn sight better than where I was at the beginning of November.

And now I undestand why December is Nanoedmo - (National Novel Editing Month).  Im not even sure if that is a real thing, but I saw it on a blog I follow today and it seemed so appropriate.  That is what my December is looking like.

That in addition to catching up on my crit circles and all the posted works I didnt take the time to read in November, and creating shorts for two contests with the same deadline for the end of December. 

Then, of course, that is that little holiday they call Christmas.

But, Im sure my kids will understand when I tell them Santa took a sabatical to edit the Great American Novel. Right? :P

Happy Thanksgiving :)

Just a quick note before the holiday preparations really kick into high gear to say to all those who happen to stop by or follow this blog. Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  May you have countless blessings to give thanks for in the coming year.

The Waiting Game

As I have only just started trying to send out some of my work for possible publication, this process it new to me.  I am not, as a rule, the most patient of people.  I have three works out now waiting for acceptance or rejection (my babies...).

I sent one to ARCT magazine, but have learned they are now on semi-permanent hiatus.  No further works would be read, and all right for previously selected pieces have been reverted to the author as the magazine is closing.  Bummer, but at least I know.

The second one was submitted to FlashMe Magazine for their SFH issue (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror).  Originally, authors would have been notified by email in October, but they have extended the deadline and pushed back the publication date, as this will be there last issue before a 5 year hiatus. Slush should be read by the 15th of November and final voting on held submissions complete by tomorrow Nov. 19th. They hope to have all authors notified by Thanksgiving.  No news is good news, right?  I hope so as that one is a paying market.

The final short I have submitted was to Everyday Fiction (everydayfiction.com) and that story is in Process.

I find myself checking email and the site for the two still pending submissions everyday, and my hopes rise for them the longer it takes.  What scares me a bit, is the higher my hopes get, the harder they will crash to Earth when a rejection comes rather than an acceptance.

For those of you who have submitted work, how do you pass the time waiting for replies?  Are you like me, checking constantly, or the laid back - it will come when it comes type?  How do you keep your sanity without biting off all your nails.

Inquiring minds want to know.

A Salute to Mr Murphy

Murphy's Law and I have always had a love/hate relationship.  He loves to hang around me, and I hate his constant presence in my life.  Being irish, I had always thought that I was lucky, but it turns out that there is a different irish luck.  That is the kind I have.

I'm that person you see with their car on the side of the road with the hood up one day after their inspection.  Or the one with a flat tire on the day of an important meeting.  Im the girl in line at the grocery that ends up with the half open bag of chips or the case of beer with three broken bottles in it.

I used to lament this fact about my life, but I have come to embrace it over the past few months.  Afterall, it isn't like this is a new development in my life.  It has been an ongoing theme that I do not see coming to an end anytime soon.  A positive attitude does wonders, and learning to accept who you are and what your life entails is the first step to not letting life derail your best efforts.  I am still kicking. :)

So I say here and now, Hooray for Mr Murphy.  I salute you, Sir.  Good game. (And what else ya got?)

Anthology Call for Submission - Dead Robot's Society

Just thought I would share this one with anyone who might be interested:

The Dead Robots’ Society Podcast and MWS Media, LLC are proud to announce EXPLORERS: BEYOND THE HORIZON, a short story anthology to be published in 2011. The stories in EXPLORERS will feature characters forever changed by their discovery of lands and worlds beyond their own. Whether it’s by charting new stars, trekking across fantastical realms, sailing new oceans or traversing the wild and unknown spaces between dimensions, readers will find the unimaginable in the pages of EXPLORERS.

OPEN SUBMISSION CALL:

Submissions are now open for EXPLORERS: BEYOND THE HORIZON. All submissions must be primarily science fiction or fantasy. Horrific elements are acceptable so long as the emphasis is on science fiction or fantasy. The submission period will end at 11:59PM (CST) December 31st, 2010.

• NO reprints. Unpublished manuscripts only. One manuscript per author. Do not exceed 5,000 words.
• Please follow standard manuscript formatting.
• Submissions must be sent as e-mail attachments in .rtf or .doc format to submissions@deadrobotssociety.com.

 This is a paying market with royalty sharing. Space is limited, so good luck to everyone. Please see the FAQ section of the website (http://deadrobotssociety.com/)  for answers to most of your submissions questions.

Mommy? Is there a Santa Claus

I am not sure how many of you out there are parents, but that wonderfully hectic time of year fast approaching.  This year, we spoke to the girls about the possibility of having a "toned down" Christmas in favor of saving some money and taking a family vacation to Arizona in February. 

My sixteen year old daughter, well aware of the truths of Santa, readily agreed.  My ten year old, however, had questions. 

It wasn't until I heard the questions that I began to understand the workings of her young mind.

Shelby: First let me ask, is there really a Santa?
Mom: What does that have to do with anything?

Shelby: If there really isnt a Santa, and you say were going to have a smaller Christmas, than that means we wont get too many presents.  If there is a Santa, even if you tell us it will be a smaller Christmas, Santa will still bring what he usually brings, so it will be the same as always.

How does one argue with that logic?

Mom: Ok... Shelby, you got me.  There is a Santa, but he only brings kids one gift.  The rest are from moms and dads.  So you will still get one, but the others you would normally get, wont be as big -- so you would get less under the tree, but we would take a nice trip in February.

Shelby: Then how come we get lots of presents under the tree that say from Santa, and only one or two from you?

Damn, got me again...

Mom: Well, moms and dads put Santa's name on the other cards because you are always so happy when you see lots of Santa gifts

Shelby: Isn't that the same as lying?

Mom: No, not exactly.  You asked if there was a Santa, not if he brought all those gifts.  So technically, mommy hasn't lied to you.

Shelby:  Ok, I guess Arizona would be fun, then.

I guess my question here is: When the heck did children get so dang smart and world wise?  Is it just mine?  Or are all ten year olds this savy these days? 

Man I feel old :P

Nanowrimo, anyone?

November is fast approaching, and it is getting close to the chaos of Nanowrimo's annual fiction writing event.  I participated last year, and did manage to get about 20k words done for what has become The Machenwood Chronicles (my current WIP).  Didn't "win", but in a way I did, since I did manage to get a good start on a story that I think has some great potential for publication down the road (like when I actually finish it).

I am planning to give it a go again this year, but working on something different--though I have literally no clue what at this point.  I have a few more weeks to come up with some sort of plotline.  Anyway, thinking about it got me curious.

Is anyone else planning on participating in Nanowrimo this year?

Submissions - Torture and Growth

It wasn't until I started to actually submit short pieces of fiction for potential publication, that I realized what a difficult task it is to send your "babies" out into the cold, cruel world of editors.  You spend so much time loving and nuturing them, obsessing over every word and punctuation mark, only to send them to a faceless potential publisher and wait the seemingly endless days, weeks, and months for your reply. 

For me, the responses have all been rejections so far, but I hold tight to hope.  I have only just started on this submission journey and there is a long road ahead -- and hopefully light at the end of the tunnel.

What I have learned, aside from a basic sense of patience ( a difficult lesson for me) is that the mere act of submitting can be very liberating.  To have built enough confidence in your work that you honestly believe you have a shot at that elusive acceptance.  What a feeling.  :)  Somehow it makes the entire idea and process of being a "writer" feel real.  I am loving that feeling.

I have three submissions out now, and they may or may not end up in print or on the web -- that remains to be seen.  But either way, I am feeling like a winner for just taking that first, big step.

May we never forget -- September 11, 2001

Just a simple first post back. This one speaks for itself.

May we never forget those we lost.