August 17th Challenge

Sorry for the delay in posting this. I had most of it written yesterday morning, but I ran out of time, because I had to leave to get to my cousin’s house. I’ll post this one now, and I’ll post today’s blog in a little while. (There won’t be two challenges, just this one.)

Hi it’s Christina –

Good morning from a soggy Arlington – day four.

In less than an hour, we head to Austin to visit my cousin Debbie and her husband Leo. We’re supposed to get there around noon, but I’m wondering if the weather is going to make the trip take longer. It could go either way. The thunderstorms could keep the traffic down. It’s supposed to be rainy and cruddy for most of the day here, yet the weather report for Austin says sunshine with the slight possibility of a late afternoon thundershower. I guess we’ll see.

So yesterday we tried to figure out some things we could do but still keep walking down to a minimum. We decided to start with the Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas. It was pretty neat, but I don’t think it was worth the $16 for the ticket. However, if we had realized, the $23 for the tower and lunch combo would have been worth it. You get any lunch item off the menu and one non-alcoholic drink in addition to admission to the GeoDeck. Sandwiches were all in the $10 range and drinks were $4 (I think). We had other plans for lunch though.

From there we drove around a tiny bit. I wanted to see the Book Depository and the Grassy Knoll. We didn’t get out – I was not going to deal with parking, and it was over 100 already. I know the story well, so I doubt I would have learned anything new, but now I can say I saw where it actually happened.

Next on our agenda was to see if we could see where one of my hubby’s favorite shows was filmed. We had no clue if we would even be able to get close, but we wanted to try. Even if we just snapped a photo of the place from the road, Paulie would have been happy. (Like the photo I have of me in front of the T.A.P.S. headquarters.) We were pleasantly surprised. Smart boys that they are, they set up a small parking area for guests and… of course… a gift shop. We didn’t get anything from the gift shop - $25 for a t-shirt is a bit much – but we did get some photos.

On to lunch. Where else would we go? The place was PACKED. The prices were not crazy - $11 for a chopped brisket sandwich and fries. Most of the lunch items were between $9 - $12 and served with fries. We ate at the bar. Our bartender was great, very attentive and polite, even though he was swamped. You could tell he enjoyed his job, and that was refreshing. Yeah, he got a nice tip.

We went back to the hotel for a little while so my husband could rest his foot before we had to leave for the game. The hotel set up a taxi, yellow cab to be exact, to pick us up at 5:00 for the game, and verified the rate of $14 for the two of us. A few minutes before five, we went down to the lobby and the guy at the front desk said Ralph should be there in a few minutes to pick us up.

A yellow cab pulls up right on time, and I say, “Are you Ralph?” and the driver says, “Yes.”, so we get into the cab. We aren’t even out of the parking lot when he starts talking on his phone. No, he did NOT have a hands free device. He finally shuts up so I could tell him we didn’t know what time the game is over so we couldn’t give him an exact pick up time. He said when the place lets out, he’d never find me, but I would have no problems getting a cab.

That’s when I said, but we wouldn’t get one at the $14 price we were quoted. Then he says the regular fee is $45, but he could do it for $25. It was a minimum price set by the company. (Please keep in mind our hotel is just shy of three miles away from the stadium.) Good grief!

So then I ask that if we wait a while after the game, if he would be able to find us then – I’m still thinking that $25 is better than $45. He said yes, and hands me his card so I could call him. Guess what? The name on the card is not Ralph. I question him, and he says he answers to anything passengers call him. Warning bells start going off in my head.

We get close to the stadium and go to hand him the $14 and he says no, it’s $25. I gave my husband a look that said, whatever, let’s just get the heck out of here, he handed him the money, and we got out of the cab. Great, now our total trip was going to cost $70 and we could have got a discounted parking pass for $65, and brought our own dang car. UGH!

We got scammed. Whatever, I was not going to let it mess up Paulie’s night. We walk over to the gate, get through security, the guard scans our tickets, and tell us we have to go to another gate. I start to tell her about my husband’s ankle, and the lady goes to call over someone else to help, and my thick headed husband tells her never mind. He was not going to take a wheelchair, he would walk. I wanted to shoot him, but I bit my lip – again, not wanting to spoil his day. We trudged our way nearly half way around the stadium before we found the gate we were supposed to enter.

We got in, grabbed drinks, and found our seats. The game was good. At one point the Cowboys were down 34 – 10, but they rallied, and we thought they would actually make a comeback. Their second string quarterback wasn’t doing squat, but they put some serious points up on the board when their third string quarterback started to play. The final score ended up being 37 – 30 Ravens, and the last quarter was really exciting to watch.

There was one player on Dallas’ defense who was on fire. He wore #79 and his last name was Minter. Other than that, I know nothing about the guy, but he was impressive. He was making tackles right and left. It was like he had laser tracking on the ball. Wherever it went, he went. I think he ended up getting credited with two sacks, or at least one sack and one hurry, and he caused one fumble which the Cowboys recovered. The guy’s got some serious skills.

Our seats were great. We were in the third row in the end zone. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders would come up on the apron right in front of our seats and cheer. Check out this photo.

The game ended. I could tell Paulie was a little sad that his dream was over, but he was still smiling over the experience. Eventually we made our way out of the stadium, only to find the party going on outside the doors. They had hip-hop dancers, a DJ, and a live band. Supposedly the party goes on for two hours after every game. Not like that for my team’s games, that’s for sure. When the game is over, they are like ‘get your junk and go the heck home’.

So now, here we were, the game was over, and we still had no idea how we were going to get back to the hotel. I suggested we walk. I was being catty. If my hubby was okay not to need a wheelchair at the stadium, his ankle must have miraculously healed. (I had zero intention of walking back to the hotel.) I called up the hotel, told them what had happened, and Ashlee at the front desk arranged for us to get picked up – for $18, not $45.

When we get back to the hotel, I gave Ashlee the card the unscrupulous driver gave me, and she was going to file a complaint. A little while later, I ran out to our car to get something, and there, in the parking lot was another guest, arguing with a Yellow Cab driver over getting charged a much higher rate than he was quoted. So, here’s my public service announcement – if you are in Arlington, Texas, don’t use Yellow Cap. They are a bunch of crooks trying to take advantage of the visitors.

I hope you have a fabulous day, and happy writing!

Your Next Challenge is:

Lightning pierced the sky…

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

April 28th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Happy Monday! First, I want to make a correction from yesterday’s blog. My husband was born at 8:11 am, not 8:12 am. My Mother in Law went and checked his baby book Saturday night, just to be sure.

To say my husband was surprised by his gift, would be a gross understatement. We didn’t plan it this way, but everyone brought him a small gift, so he wasn’t expecting anything big. Fran and Carl got him a big bag of gag gifts. The girls and I gave him a refill for his beer making kit. PJ and Alex got him as

a gag, treats for “his” new dog (he’s not thrilled with Riley joining our house), and some Gear Ties, which are basically giant reusable twist ties to hold things in place – the ladder to the roof of the car, your tool belt to a ladder, etc. My mother made him a lap quilt. His parents got him sneakers, and our nieces and nephew got him a mug and a shirt.

He thought he was done, and he was happy with his gifts, but then we handed him another box. This time, the card was signed by everyone. You should have seen the confused look on his face. He opens the box and pulls out a stack of papers.

The first one said “Pack your bags” – then all the banter went around the room about him getting kicked out of the house. The next page had a picture of an

airplane saying “The plane leaves early”. The next one was a picture of a yellow Hyundai saying “We’ll be driving this bad boy.” The fourth slide was a picture of the hotel we’ll be staying at, and the fifth slide said “Because you’re going to see you beloved Cowboys.” The final slide was the Ravens vs. Cowboys with our seat section and numbers, and the dates of our trip. He couldn’t even read the slide out loud. All he kept saying was, “Holy S*&T!” It was priceless.

Lys’ chocolate stout cake was a big hit. Everyone, except me, loved it. It was really moist, and really decadent, and it came out beautiful, but I just did not care for it. My husband however, who rarely eats sweets, finished every bite of his piece. We were all amazed. We had a couple of bottles of the chocolate stout beer left over, so my husband poured some in our cordial glasses so everyone could have a taste. It’s funny, I don’t think anyone liked the beer itself. I didn’t even take a sip. It smelled disgusting.

By the time everyone left, and I finished the last little bit of straightening up that needed to be done, unwound for a little, it was one in the morning before I fell asleep. I’m so glad I don’t have to work today. After I finish this blog, and get my hubby off to work, I’m going back to bed. I’m wiped! Then, when I get up, I can deal with the grocery store, and hopefully a little more writing.

Unless I get hit by a bus or my computer blows up, I can pretty much guarantee I will reach my Camp NaNo goal. I have 2,355 words to go, and three days to do it. Phew! Glad that’s just about over. The second I hit the 50K, I’m posting my final count, even if it isn’t the 30^th, just so I can be done with it. Then I’ll have May and June to finish Faerie Tale Queen, so it can be published before the next Camp NaNoWriMo starts. I hope I’ll be able to do it with working and Lys being home.

Okay, challenge time and then I have to make my hubby’s coffee. There will be a delay in this post though. I have to wait for Lys to wake up so she can send me the photos she took from yesterday’s party. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

You come home to find a “Dear John” letter … from your pet.

Dear Mom & Dad –

It is with a heavy heart I am writing you this letter. Even though I was very young when you rescued me and my “brother” from the pound, I remember it as if it were yesterday. I didn’t even mind you brought us into a house with a dog, because Mitzi was so sweet and she treated us like we were her own kids. I didn’t even mind when two years later, you brought Corona home. Yes, she was another dog, but she was smaller than us, so it didn’t matter too much.

I was really sad when Mitzi died, so I understood why you added S.P.I.K.E. to the family. He was so dopey, and honestly, I think he thought he was a cat, so he wasn’t an issue either. When S.P.I.K.E. died, and a few months later Corona died, I was sad, but I have to tell you, I was looking forward to it just being my brother and me.

Just as I had imagined, things were great. We had run of the house. We had all your attention, all your love. We were living high on the hog. Then last year, you brought that big hairy beast Colby home and things changed. He has been a nuisance. I realize he’s still young, and things have been getting better, but I’m getting entirely too old to be chased all the time. All that dog wants to do is play, and I just want to take a nap.

It has been tough, but I think I have been handling it very well, considering. But, now I hear you’re bringing another dog into the family. Why? Weren’t we enough for you? I’m sorry, but I do not have the patience or the energy to break in another dog. I just cannot handle it. So unfortunately, this is goodbye. I love you, and I’ll miss you.

Love,

Mikey

(The last couple of sentences and the closing took me twenty seconds past the time limit.)

Your Next Challenge is:

This is going to be a tough one, for ten minutes straight – WITHOUT STOPPING – do a stream of consciousness writing. If you get stuck and don’t know what to write, write “I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write…” The most important thing is you DO NOT stop writing until your timer goes off. Your subject is OUTDOORS.

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

November 25th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Good Morning! Well, the 4:00 am thing didn’t exactly work out for me this morning. I drank entirely too much caffeinated sweet tea last night, to be able to fall asleep early enough, to be able to wake up at four. I think I hit the snooze button at least five times before I actually got out of bed.

We all went to my son’s house yesterday. He and his girlfriend Alex hosted the Dallas vs. Giants football party this time around. Let me tell you, sixteen people in that tiny Cape Cod is an experience. There were people everywhere. It was a noisy ruckus, with a lot of yelling and laughing, and for the folks watching the game, even a little bit of cursing… on both sides. It was a house divided almost equally of Giants fans and Cowboys fans and Food fans (several were there just for the food and family and could care less about football). It was nice not being grossly outnumbered for once, but I didn’t even watch the game. For some reason this season, when I watch, my Giants lose. Unfortunately yesterday, I poked my head in to sneak a peek at the end, and well, y’all know how that turned out…

While all that rowdiness was going on in the living room, Alex was running around making food, serving food, cleaning up food, making and serving more food. I kept asking if she wanted help and she kept saying, “No, it’s ok. I got it,” but you could tell she was getting tired. She and my son had been busting their butts for days preparing for the party. I finally managed to nudge her out of the way so I could at least wash some dishes for her.

I get it. I remember what it was like when I hosted my first parties when I was young. I wanted to do everything, but then, with age I came to realize some of my guests actually felt more welcome if they were allowed to help when they offered to help. Did it really matter if the carrots went in the wrong section of the cru de te dish or if the cheese was in squares instead of cracker sized rectangles? No, it didn’t, and when I realized that, parties went a lot smoother. Helping made my guests happy, and it helped me. When Alex gets a few more parties under her belt, I’m sure she’ll come to the same conclusion. In the meantime, I just keep offering to help, and do the dishes when she’s not looking.

I spent quite a bit of time chatting with my son’s friend Mike’s girlfriend Ashley last night. I had met her briefly in October, and she seemed nice, but we didn’t really have time to talk then. Well, we did last night, and she confirmed my first impressions. She is nice. I’m glad Mike has found a great girl, and I’m glad we get along with her. This is especially helpful since my son informed me last night that Mike and Ashley will be joining us for Thanksgiving.

Actually, I’m thrilled they’re coming. I’ll confess now, I was kinda depressed when I thought I was only hosting Thanksgiving for nine this year. Heck, I could have nine for dinner on a random Tuesday night. There’s nothing special about that, and Thanksgiving should be special. So, now with Mike and Ashley coming, arrangements made so my aunt and uncle are now coming (my uncle had shoulder surgery and wouldn’t have been able to drive), that brings us up to thirteen. All I’m waiting on now is to hear if our friends Barb and John are coming. If so, that puts us at fifteen, and for me, makes it feel more like a holiday. True it’s half the number I used to host for Thanksgiving, but I’ll take it.

So here’s the game plan I came up with for the next three days. I get up early, do my blog while my daughter gets ready for school, write like a fiend from the time my husband leaves for work and my daughter comes home from her half day at school, then me and my daughters tackle one room each day – family room today, living room tomorrow, kitchen Wednesday, which will leave only the bathroom to clean on Thursday. If I stick to this plan there is a slim chance I may hit the 50K. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

I hope you have a great day and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

 This year you are able to go home for Thanksgiving for the first time in many years. When you get there, things feel just a little off…

 

From the moment I boarded the plane this morning and during the entire drive from the airport, I could barely sit still, which I’m sure made me one of the guy I was sitting next to on the plane’s favorite person. I’m sorry, but I was so excited. It has been years since I have been in the position to be able to come home for Thanksgiving. Either money was too tight or things were just too crazy at work and I couldn’t get away; two years, I wasn’t even in the country during Thanksgiving.

I’ve seen the family over the years. I’d meet up with them during my travels or they would come and stay with me for a few days, but this was the first time in forever we would all be under one roof.

As I pulled up in front of my parents’ house, the first thing I notice is my dad painted. For my entire life, we have had a white house with blue shutters. Now we have a blue house with white shutters. My folks are getting wild and crazy in their golden years. Dad’s going to get a kick out of the fact I had to double check the address to make sure I had pulled up in front of the right house.

I gather my luggage, headed inside and stop in my tracks. Gone were the beige walls, gone was the shabby furniture, and what replaced it looked like it had been torn from the pages of Country Living. The transformation was astounding. Maybe this isn’t the right house.

“Honey your home!” Mom squealed and wrapped me in a fierce hug.

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

The Black Friday experience…

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

September 8th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

 

It is another glorious day in Central New Jersey. Although I do not like the cold weather and the changing weather does send my back into spasms, I do love crisp nights and warm sunny days. Usually it means you’ve tired yourself out all day because you can get work done outside because there is no oppressive heat and then you sleep like a rock burrowed under the covers.

 

Unfortunately last night I wasn’t so lucky. This being only the second full day of this type of weather, my back was so cramped up, every time I went to move it was a breath stealing endeavor. I didn’t get a heck of a lot of sleep last night. Hopefully I will have better luck tonight.

 

Today is the first day of Sunday school at our church, and much to my daughter’s chagrin, she needs to get her butt out of bed to be there. She will be part of the Confirmation class and one of its requirements is Sunday school attendance. She grumbles and complains, but after she gets there and gets involved with the kids, she’s fine. I just wish we didn’t have to go through the song and dance beforehand.

 

When we get home from church, I am going to thaw out something to have for a good old fashioned Sunday dinner. I am going to straighten the house and make sure everything is finished before 7:30 so we can watch the Giants v. Cowboys game uninterrupted. What do you think the chances are of spotting my son at the game? LOL, yeah, I know, almost less than zero. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to try…

 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

 

 

Your Last Challenge was:

 

Go ahead, close your eyes, make a wish and blow. I know you want to. I promise not to tell anyone.

 

Blowing dandelion wishes or popping the heads off when they are still yellow, holding buttercups up under your chin to see if they reflect alerting everyone you like butter, catching fireflies and keeping them in a mason jar; all precious moments from our childhood. Memories of a much simpler time; a time when our biggest worry was if we’d be allowed to stay up an extra half hour or if our grandmother would like the necklace we made her out of dandelion stems. A time we would all love to revisit.

 

But who says we can’t? What is stopping you from taking a moment to catch a firefly and let him go? From reaching down, grabbing a fat, yellow dandelion and thumb-popping the head to see how far it will fly? So next time you see a dandelion ball, pick it, bring it up to your mouth, close your eyes, make a wish and blow…

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

Describe the very first time you saw a movie on the big screen.

 

  

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

September 6th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

 

It’s 4:00 am and my son and his girlfriend should be here in the next half hour, so I don’t know if I will get my entire blog done by then, but I’m going to give it a try.

For my son’s birthday, his girlfriend got him tickets to the opening day game of the Giant’s vs. the Cowboys at the AT&T stadium…in Arlington, Texas. I am driving them to Philly so they can catch their flight to Dallas. It is a REALLY great gift, one I had hoped to be able to get my husband someday, but haven’t been able to afford yet, so it’s still on my “to do” list.

 

I took my daughter and two of her friends around the high school yesterday so they could try and map out their class schedule, but I fear my daughter is even more confused now then she was before. Technically the school was closed yesterday, which meant certain doors were locked, so we needed to find different routes than when her sister and another friend showed her around. I think we will be headed back there later today to try it again.

 

I also stopped by our local library yesterday to speak to the director about starting a weekly writing/critique group similar to the one I attend in Princeton, but he wasn’t in, so I didn’t get that accomplished either. All in all, not a very productive day. I hate wasting time, but I guess sometimes it is unavoidable.

 

Today when I return from the airport, I will be making an old German dish my husband’s Nana used to make when she was alive. I only make this once a year because 1 – it’s when the plums are in season, and 2 – it is very labor intensive. Basically it is an Italian plumb dumpling. You make a potato dough, roll the plum in sugar and place it in the dough, boil it in chicken broth, then fry it up in bread crumbs. It is served hot with powdered sugar on top, but it is still considered a meal and not a dessert. I know that sounds a little unappealing to many of you, but trust me, they are quite good.

 

OK, right to the challenge or I’ll have no chance at getting it done before they arrive.

 

Your Last Challenge was:

Write a story containing the following three words: Licorice, Crystal & Cake.

 

Mom’s coming over for her birthday dinner and I wanted to make her a special cake this year instead of a store bought one. I decided to bring out an old favorite which had been a big hit in the past. It’s a square cake, so when it’s frosted in white, it looks like a box. I then take licorice and fashion a bow around the box and then add nonpareils and when it’s finished, it looks like a Birthday present all served up on a crystal platter. The presentation is lovely, but since everyone has seen it before, it won’t be such a big surprise…until they cut into that is…

 

 

 

Short and sweet today, but I’m under a time constraint. Oh, by the way, true story. The photos are the actual cake I made my mom a few years ago. Hope you have a great day and happy writing!

  

Your Next Challenge is:

 

What did you say?

  

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.