Quick Thumb Update

First I wanted to thank you guys for all the prayers and well wishes.

I had thumb surgery on Friday. It turned out that a tendon had gotten caught between the bone which was why it wouldn't un-dislocate... relocate? stay in place.

The orthopedic had to go in through both the front and back of the thumb to take care of it. It's pinned and all bound up now. I have a follow up visit in 2 weeks, but the pin has to stay in for three.

So much bandage for such a little thumb

Needless to say I am getting really good at one handed typing.

It's sore, but doesn't hurt too badly. A lot of things are much more challenging but it could be worse and just think how amazing it will be when I have the use of my thumb again!

That little yellow thing at the end is the pin.
They told me to be careful not to bump it...
yeah, the plastic thing sticking out of the end of my thumb is going to be easy to avoid
(sarcastafont engage)

Again, thank you all for your support :) I've felt quite loved. Here's to a speedy recovery!

Cover Love Thursday: Warped by Maurissa Guibord

I love covers and I often judge books by them. Don't judge me, you know you do it too!

Anyhoo... I've seen people do features like this occasionally and I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorites. I find these just by browsing the store where I work, browsing book websites and blogs, etc.

Today's cover:

Available HERE

Synopsis from Borders.com:
Tessa doesn't believe in magic. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries-old secret.Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.


What I love about this cover:
I love the floral pattern - the tapestry pattern - that fades across the edges of her face. I adore the color scheme. It's warm and lends the perfect atmosphere. I also love her eye. The color is mysterious and the book tag is clever.

You can also visit Maurissa's website HERE and her blog HERE.

I haven't read this book yet, but between the cover and the synopsis it is definitely on my TBR list.

Retail Wednesday Happy Day :)

Is it weird that I hear random songs in my head and then turn them into Retail Wednesday titles? Like above, the theme from Happy Days, a show I don't think I've ever seen an episode of yet inexplicably know the lyrics to? No, I didn't think it was weird either :)

On to the awards!

Phone Freak Award:

I answer the phone.

Guy: Yes, I was wondering if you had a specific computer book.

Me: What book?

Guy: Adobe Premier Pro CS4 Classroom in a Book.

Me: Hold on a second let me check. (look it up, we don't have it) I'm sorry. We don't have that one in stock, but it could be ordered on our website.

Guy: How much does it cost?

Me: $60.

Guy: It costs $60 just to order a book!!!!!!!!! (absolute shock and horror in his voice)

Shock Shock Horror Horror from Jeremy Brooks flickr

Most Annoying Award:


A woman approached me at the information desk.

Woman: I'm looking for a book with a lot of pictures of like ancient Greece and Rome. You know, with a lot of pictures like of their clothes and stuff especially.

Me: I'm not sure if we have anything like that, but let's take a look in the ancient history section. (start leading her toward the section)

Woman: I just want something with a lot of pictures of what they wore and like household stuff.

Me: (as we arrive in the section) If we had something it would be here, but I don't remember seeing anything like that in the store. (We both scan the shelves, checking a couple of books, but mostly they are just text)

Woman: (holding up a book) Something like this would be good, but with pictures of their clothes and stuff.

Me: It doesn't look like we have anything that specific.

Woman: How about in the kid's section? Would there be something in there?

Me: I haven't seen anything--

Woman: (cuts me off) well, we could look, right?

Me: Yes. (I start leading the way across the store to the kid's section)

Woman: You know, something with a lot of pictures.

From HERE

Me: (oh, wait! You want something with PICTURES?! <---sarcastafont engage) We'll take a look at the section. (we get to the kid's history section. There is one book about Ancient Greece, but it only has a very small amount about clothes)

Woman: Yeah, I just need something that has a lot of pictures. Like of their clothes and things.

Me: We could check and see if anything comes up on our website.

Woman: No, I'll just go look back at that other section and try to find something. It just needs to have a lot of pictures.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

And that's it for today! Hope you're having a fun Wednesday :D

Two for Tuesday: Parody

This is a weekly meme idea I stole borrowed from Kate Hart. I discovered it when I linked to one of her posts via Twitter last week. Basically you post two of anything, but you have to connect them somehow. This seemed like a lot of fun and a way for me to easily expand my blog content to make it a little more regular and varied.

Sunday, inspired by a video Catherine linked to her Facebook feed (yes I am involved in way too much social media), I started browsing around for fun videos to use in class about plagiarism. It's always such a dull topic and I was hoping to look for ways to liven it up when I came across this hilarious and well done parody.

First I will post the original Carrie Underwood music video, because the other one is funnier if you've seen this. Also because, for reasons I just don't quite fathom, I absolutely love this song.



Second, here's the parody version.



Hope you enjoyed!

Thumb update: I go to an orthopedic tomorrow, so hopefully I will have good news then :)

The End

Tonight Dad, Mom, Naomi, and I finished the special features on "The End of Time" - the final David Tennant Dr. Who special. Us girls found ourselves getting a bit emotional listening to the actors and watching the replay of the last scenes of the episode. It isn't the end of Dr. Who, because we know that Matt Smith has taken over and there have been two more years of Dr. Who since that ending.

But it was the end. It felt much more like a series finale than a season finale for me. I think some of that has to do with the nature of Dr. Who. Because of the regeneration, it's very much a new show with, in this case, a whole new cast and even a new producer.

(If you don't care about Dr. Who hang in here with me for a moment and I promise I'll tie it into a larger topic in a minute.)

Besides that, as brilliant as I'm sure Matt Smith is, I just think that David Tennant is absolutely brilliant and he was my first doctor. I've heard it said that you often feel a stronger connection to your first Doctor when you encounter Doctor Who.

Anyway. It's over and the specials have all been watched, but I find my thoughts lingering on the show and I find myself feeling almost depressed over the fact that this fictional character of the tenth doctor is never returning to my tv screen. Knowing I'll never see him make friends, make mistakes, continue to grow and change and LIVE makes me incredibly sad. But it was satisfying and beautiful at the same time. This got me to thinking - what makes a good ending? And then I started thinking about other endings that have affected me just as strongly and I started wondering why some are so memorable and others aren't.

I love a happy ending, but I also seem to like shows, and even books, that leave things a little bit open. I like room to imagine what's going to happen next. And honestly, I seem to like a little bit of bittersweet as well. Which is kind of a revelation for me, because I'm such a firm believer in the happy ending ending. I think it depends on how it's handled and the MOST important thing is that the ending is satisfying.

I could make a really long list, but here are a few endings I have loved:

The Hunger Games Trilogy and the Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins. I am such a Collins fangirl. I think she is absolutely brilliant. Both of these series end so bittersweetly and the thing that makes the difference is the hope. With all of the tragedy and death and horror there is hope that the characters can survive and can overcome the terrible things they've come in contact with. I get teared up just thinking about it. But the hope at the end would never have been so powerful if there hadn't been the terror right up until the last possible moment. The pain of the characters emphasizes the power of their ability to move on.

From Crazy Frankenstein

Friends. I discovered this show when I was an undergrad when a friend started lending me the seasons. I fell in love with the six characters and the ending was perfect. Each of them ready to move on with their lives, filled with possibilities, but that poignant moment when they all set down their keys and leave the apartment and the slow pan brings me to tears every time. It's an absolutely wonderful moment.

From Flash Screen

Lost. Yes, I was on the side of those that loved it. It threw me for a loop the first time I saw the finale, but after some time of processing and talking with other fans I realized that it was a beautiful and perfect ending. So there were unsolved mysteries. Wasn't that the whole point of the show? To keep people thinking and guessing and speculating? If everything was wrapped up nice and pretty it would have destroyed the power of the entire show. The characters were what really mattered. It was because of them that we cared so much about the mysteries. And each of them had some sort of conclusion to their story in a beautiful and meaningful way.

From Here

The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I cannot express my delight in these books enough. They are some of my favorites of all time and I was honestly terrified in wondering how the series would end, but I should have had more faith in Mr. Snicket. Open ended, bittersweet, and hopeful with enough bizarre twists and strange happenings to make it a worthy finale to a wonderful series.

I definitely have a lot of food for thought as I work towards the ending of my novel. Because I want to make it an ending that people will love and remember.

So what makes a good ending for you? Do you like wrapped up and happy? Or loose ended and mysterious? Or a mixture?

Gimme a Break...but Not Literally

Due to the whole thumb fiasco and the difficulty I'm having keeping up with schoolwork, I am going to have to take a temporary sabbatical. I will keep y'all updated if there's any news on the thumb front, but for a week or two I won't be doing any of my regular features.

:(

So to cheer your spirits I have this for you!



see more Lolcats and funny pictures

And this!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

And one more!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

See you guys around! Maybe this will give me a chance to catch up on some of my blog reading. Reading doesn't require a thumb ;)

Where is Thumbkin?

(prelude: This is kind of a long post. I can't really break it up, because it all goes together. But you have been warned. So don't look all:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

when you get to the middle)

It all started with band practice.

See, I'm on one of the praise teams at my church. It's me and a couple I will call Matt and Darlene. Since it's just the three of us and they have a daughter (Kara) I usually go over to their house for practice. We had a great practice on Wednesday night and I left feeling quite happy.

Until I got about halfway down the road away from their house. My car started making a horrendous noise. I stopped, got out and my fears were confirmed: I had a flat tire. Flat as flat.

Clean Funny Picture - Santa Got A Flat Tire
Bwa hahaha!

Fortunately I was really close to their house still and they live in a really quiet subdivision. So I turned on the flashers and headed up the sidewalk back to their house.

Enter important facts:

1. There are virtually no street lights in their subdivision.
2. Everything is extremely hilly and their house is at the top of the hilliest part of the subdivision.
3. The sidewalks are not properly put in on the hills.

I got about halfway up the hill when I hit a patch of sidewalk where the concrete slab had settled creating a steplike affect. Which I couldn't see.

FACEPLANT (except without the actual planting of my face. I think my face was the only thing that didn't hit.)

I went down, crashing onto my knees and then falling forward slamming both hands into the concrete.

Ouch.

As I stumbled up the last bit to their house, cradling my bleeding thumb and trying not to cry, I realized how ridiculous I was going to look. Kind of like a scene from some thriller movie or something. These are the things my brain does to keep me sane.

I will haunt your dreams tonight...

Kara opened the door and her eyes got really wide as she took me in. Matt quickly offered to put on my spare and Kara went with him to hold the flashlight. Darlene helped me clean and bandage my right thumb (which the sidewalk had taken a chunk out of) and my left palm that kind of looked like it had hit a cheese grater. Lovely images I know. Then she announced that she was going to give me ice cream because ice cream makes everything better!

See? Even looking at this makes you feel better, doesn't it!?

The tire was replaced without incident, I made it home safely, and my wonderful father spent most of Thursday morning getting my car new tires, a rear end alignment, and an oil change.

My thumb continued to throb.

Do you know how important your thumbs are?! Try doing pretty much anything without one.

Things that are hard to do without a thumb:

1. Write. I'm right handed and this is my right thumb!
2. Get dressed.
3. Put on deodorant (surprisingly more difficult than you would think)
4. Eat.
5. Read. (yes. Turning the pages, holding it open - thumbs are important)
6. Type. I always hit the space bar with my right thumb. My brain is really confused.
7. Start the car.
8. Open a bottle of juice.
9. Pick things up.

See! Thumbs ARE important!
I can't believe this was the first thing on the page when I went looking for something on the LOLcats site!
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

When I took off the bandage I realized that it was more than just a gouge. The whole thing was swollen and purple and I immediately freaked out that it was broken.

So Friday morning Dad drove me to the doctors. They exclaimed over the thumb. They took x-rays. They determined that it probably wasn't broken. Only dislocated.

I have a picture of the x-ray, but didn't want to just post it here in case anyone is squeamish. so click on this LINK to see how ridiculously out of place my thumb was.

After a long wait during which we watched the news about the earthquakes and tsunami (you would have thought that would have helped put my pain in perspective. I was horrified and saddened, but by George, my thumb still HURT!), and the last five minutes of Finding Nemo. Then they told us they were waiting for another doctor who would be comfortable popping my thumb back into place. He was late because he was attending a funeral (I feel like such a whiner because even this failed to make my pain less. Callous woman that I am. I just wanted to feel better).

You know, when this feels like the worst thing in the world.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

So Dad took me out to lunch. And then ran some other errands. And then went back.

The doctor had arrived. He looked at my thumb, grabbed hold of it and POP! um... ow! Shifted it back into place. They took more x-rays. It's better, but still not completely right. They're also concerned about tendon and ligament damage. So I get to have an MRI on Wednesday! I have never had an MRI before. I am trying not to freak out.

So I still can't use my thumb but it feels a lot better than it did on Thursday and Friday morning.

People keep asking me, oh what did you do to your thumb? And then they don't understand how I could dislocate it by falling down.

I'm just talented that way :)

Please Stand By

I know I said to come back today, but this has been an interesting couple of days, which I will share with you soon. Just know I am sorry for not keeping my promise *hangs head in shame* but all will be explained soon.

Retail Wednesday. Yup. That's Pretty Much It.

Prequel:

I was going to post this earlier, but then stuff happened. Not so fun stuff. So it's late. Maybe I will share the tale once I have perspective and can laugh at it.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled post:

Yeah! Retail Wednesday!

Yup. That's my introduction :) Aren't you shocked I didn't talk your ear off first? (I wrote this before stuff happened by the way)

Most Annoying Award:


I came up to the information desk and a customer was searching on the computer. I asked if she needed any help and noticed that she had alphabet and math flashcards up on the screen.

Woman: Yes, I'm looking for flashcards.

I feel like these would be good to warn people of my mood. I could post them on my desk :)

Me: (proud because I had just recently organized the learning flashcards) Sure they're right over here. (Start leading the customer towards the education center) What kind of flashcard do you need?

They actually sell these. To companies. Really.

Woman: For the NCLEX exam.

Me: Oh. Those would be in health. Sorry. (we've only gone about two steps. Turn around to direct her to the nursing review section)

Woman: I know. We've already looked over there. I bought some and now my friend is looking for them.

Me: Well, that section is the only place where we keep stuff like that, so if it's not on the shelf we must be sold out of it.

Woman: I bought them here.

Me: We might not have gotten more in yet. Or they sold out again, but we don't keep those anywhere else in the store.

Woman: How about in the back room?

Me: We're getting ready for inventory, so everything's been cleared out. I actually was one of the ones that worked on it so I know there's nothing back there.

Woman: So you're not even going to check for me? (disbelief and anger)

Me: I'm sorry, there's nothing back there for me to check. We could order it.

Woman: No. Forget it. (glares at me and stalks away)

It's at times like these that I almost want to walk in to the back room, chat with the inventory team for a couple of minutes and then walk back out shaking my head in regret. Maybe then she'd believe me.

I Can Has Cheezburger

Phone Freak Award:


Seriously! What is it with these people on the phone! I have one almost every single week!

J answers the phone.

Woman: I was wondering if you carried journals.

J: Yes, we carry quite a few.

Woman: What kinds do you have?

J: We have a whole section. There are a lot of different kinds.

SO MANY KINDS!

From HERE

Woman: Can you list them for me?

J: What are you looking for? Could you be more specific?

Woman: I just want to know which kinds you have before I come down there.

J: We have leather and cloth and poly and hard cover and spiral bound. We have large ones and small ones and medium ones. We have lined ones and plain paper ones.

Woman: Well, I don't know if you have the one I want. Are there other stores you could check with?

J: ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!

From Evil Cowtown's Blog

And that's it for today! Thanks for stopping by and come back on Friday for a BRAND NEW FEATURE! Aren't you excited?! You should be!

Poor Old Michael Finnegan

I feel like I just wrote about this... oh wait, that's because I did... last week.

But this is torturing me!

So I realized I needed to change the beginning of my WIP. Which still doesn't have even a WORKING TITLE. Seriously How difficult can this BE? Why can't I just name the stupid thing!? Even if it's a lame name that I know will change?!

I keep coming up with really lame and corny and completely too long names like: How a Vampire, Faeries, Gnomes, and Zombies Ruined My Summer Vacation


See? Lame. Also too long. Also not really completely accurate.

Naomi said that I should call it A Conglomeration of Beings Imaginary and Otherwise


Which is hilarious but maybe not the best novel title.

But then I think of tragic, dark, also lame names like Hungry. That is even lamer.

And that is why I still call it my Layla story.

End tangent.

so I started doing research and was going to have Layla and Moira start out in a youth hostel in Germany. And I found some pretty cool stuff out. Like the fact that some of the hostels are actually IN CASTLES. Yes, like you sleep IN A CASTLE. How freakin' amazing is that?! And that Germany is where the first youth hostels were. Some dude invented them there. You can tell that I didn't do my research THAT carefully.

So I started with them getting up in the morning at the hostel. But it didn't work. So I moved back to the night before at dinner. Which was a pretty hilarious scene, but didn't work either. See, they have to be kinda far from civilization when they discover the castle, so there would be a couple of days hiking through the woods/hills/etc. before I got to anything exciting. So that seemed boring and too long. Besides which, when I started there it seemed SO far back and it was going to take way too long to get to Erandell and Tavares.

See, I head hop - switching between third person limited perspectives - so spending like 15 pages only in Layla's head (like my professor suggested) would make the jump to Erandell so abrupt and weird (in my opinion).

So I started with them two days out from the hostel, eating lunch and managed to weave in the most important things that everyone said was necessary to know. I think it works better now. I also can do an earlier scene with Erandell which will hopefully explain some of the questions people had about her.

A big complaint people had was that too much happens too quickly. But it's AFTER they get trapped in the castle that we get to know them better. I don't know. I'm feeling very conflicted and I'm stuck again. I've been spending my writing time reading Hyperbole and a Half, which is absolutely hilarious and you all need to read this post about the ALOT like right now.

This is an ALOT and it is drawn by Allie Bosch at Hyperbole and a Half. She rocksocks and so does her blog.

This is not productive, though it is immensely entertaining.

I apologize for the ramblingness of this post.

Are you stuck on a part of your WIP? Is there something you just can't quite get right? Do tell. It will make me feel better. Honest.

PS: did you get my little joke for a title? You know that old kid's song? After "Poor old Michael Finnegan" the song goes "begin again" Yeah. Lame. I told you I have a hard time with titles!

PPS: I just realized that I started about 5 paragraphs with the words, "So I started." I clearly am a failure as a writer and a blogger and an English major. Especially since I am merely coming here to add a long PPS instead of actually fixing the repetitiveness. Lame.

A random Sunday thing

This BBC America commercial played at the beginning of the 3 Dr. Who DVDs that we've watched recently. I crack up every time I see it. Every. Time. I think I've seen it about 7 times now and I still crack up. so watch it and laugh with me :D

And We're Back

Retail Wednesday returns to your computer screen after a two week hiatus. I feel like a tv show (yes, I'm mad at you, Vampire Diaries, with your month long hiatus :[ )

Not working and getting sick have many downsides, not the least of which is missing Retail Wednesdays. I missed you guys.

so.... On to the awards!

Phone Freak Award:


One of our office lines used to be the number for Foot Locker. Like 6 years ago. I may have done a similar story (can't remember) but this one was new and kind of took the cake.

J: (answers the phone) Thank you for calling Borders, how may I help you?

Guy: Um, I was looking for Foot Locker.

J: I'm sorry. This is Borders.

Guy: Well, can you transfer me?

Densest Customer Award:


A customer comes up to the register with some bargain books.

Woman: The sign said that these are only a dollar?

Jo: Yes, all the blue stickered bargain is a dollar.

Woman: Even if they're marked $2.99?

Jo: Yup, all the blue ones.

Woman: Even the $4.99 ones?

Jo: Yes.

Woman: What about if they're marked $5.99?

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Odd Question Award:


I was working in an aisle when R led a teenage girl into the section to show her the Nicholas Sparks books.

Girl: So which of his books are about kids?

R: I know The Notebook has teenagers. (she looks over at me) Do you know? I'm not really familiar with his books.

Me: I've read a few. The Notebook does and A Walk to Remember.

Girl: The Last Song is about kids too.

R: I don't know any of his others.

Me: The Guardian is good, but it's not about teenagers and The Wedding is kind of like a sequel to The Notebook but it's not about teenagers either. I haven't read any others.

Girl: So which ones are for kids?

Me: um... Well, The Notebook and A Walk to Remember have teenagers in them, but none of them are really kids books.

Girl: But those have kids in them?

Me: Yes...... (didn't I just say that?)

Girl: Okay, thanks (pulls out cell phone and calls someone) Hi! Which Nicholas Sparks books do you have. I'm at the bookstore. .... But which ones have kids?

R and I exchange looks and walk away.

And read Nicholas Sparks
Okay, this picture actually has nothing to do with anything, but it made me laugh so... that's reason enough to share!

And that's it for today! Have a happy week and I'll catch y'all later!

PS I have always enjoyed LOLCats, but I am using them more often now, because of this post and this follow up post, that Laura Marcella so kindly shared with us, that reminded me that you never know where pictures on Google search are coming from and I'm kind of freaked out that I might infringe on someone else's rights. I Can has Cheezburger clearly allows people to share, and always has a link back to the source and I set up an account so I can make my own if nothing really fits. So now you know :)