Do I Live Here? (And Why?)

Sometimes I wouldn't be able to find my own a$$ if it wasn't attached. Today, all I really want is an exacto knife. I know Shawn has one. I *thought* she kept it with her scrapbooking stuff, but it's not there (or... I didn't see it.) I want the exacto because I'm working on my Ostara altar cloth. WitchSchool is having a competition and I have never been able to resist competitions. Shawn, being the crafty one, also has a book of Celtic knotwork stencils which I did find, and I discovered an awesome knot of geese which I think would be cool for the border. Now all I need is an exacto. Can I find one? No.

In the why do I live here news, I'm sick of my car. Any day we wake up and it's freezing (as in 32F/0C) or below outside, one or both of the front car doors freeze shut (or won't latch, depending on the whim of whatever demon has bedeviled my car). Do you know how many days are below freezing in Minnesota? A lot. Yesterday (or maybe Tuesday) morning, in fact, I had to do the classic Minnesota winter hairdrier trick before I could even leverage my keys in between the door the frame to pop it open. I was funny the first hundred or so times, but it's becoming an every day thing... and deeply annoying.

What's frustrating is that, honestly, for Minnesota... this isn't that cold. I'm okay with the idea that I might have to run an extension cord from my garage to the street when there are -40F wind chills, but at 32F many Minnesotans start talking about heat waves and we all smile a bit brighter as the icicles start melting in the sunshine. 32F is a good, warm day for March, damn it. I shouldn't have to be standing outside with a hairdrier pointed at my car door lock. That's just... annoying.

Deeply annoying.

Especially since outside of this one quirk, Steve (our car) runs like a dream. It's even vaguely green, since it's flexible fuel and could run Ethenol if any gas station nearby carried it any more. If it wasn't silver -- a color I find very boring, and it seems to be difficult for other motorist to notice -- it'd be fairly perfect. Except the door thing.

At least spring seems to be coming. I mean, hell, it's warm out (32F)!! And I had a gardening dream last night, even.

A Bit of Me Elsewhere

I did an interview about publicity over at Writerly So. Check it out.

On-Line Murder Trial Class

****PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED!!*****

Announcing the Heart of Carolina Romance Writer's April Online Workshop: April 2009 Workshop
How to Try a Murder
Instructor: Lucinda D. Schroeder
When: April 1-30, 2009
Cost: $20 for HCRW and CRW Members, $25 for All Others

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
Before your protagonist can break the rules, she has to know them! Learn the facts about legal procedures and how they can go awry. To thicken the drama in your story, stir in entrapment, illegal searches, tainted evidence, tampered juries, and badgered witnesses. Lucinda Schroeder, a career federal agent and author, will give you countless ideas on how to cause trouble before, during and after a murder trial. Don’t be guilty of missing this class!

SPEAKER BIO
Lucinda D. Schroeder has a BA degree in Criminology and is a retired federal agent who worked in the field for 30 years. She is also the author of "A Hunt for Justice," a creative non-fiction based on one her cases. Lucinda uses her writer’s perspective to focus on legal and administrative procedures that writers can best exploit for plot twisters and added tension. She also has a multitude of true stories that are sure to stir your muse.

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REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Cost for the workshop is $20 for HCRW and Carolina Romance Writers members, $25 for all others. All fees payable in US dollars only. The workshop will run from April 1-30. Registration deadline is March 25th 2009. Once registered, you will be subscribed to the workshop loop prior to and for the duration of the class. To register, please visit the HCRW website at: www.heartofcarolina.org and click on the Online Workshops page.

You may pay by check made out to HCRW or by credit card (via Paypal on the site). PLEASE NOTE: You do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal and you may pay by credit card through PayPal. However, if you want to join this class, but prefer to pay by check or money order, please print the registration form and send your check or money order made to payable to HCRW in US funds. The mailing address is:

HCRW Online
PO Box 811
Louisburg, NC 27549

You may contact the coordinator at : HCRWonline@heartofcarolina.org with questions. If you pay for a workshop and do not receive an invitation to join the workshop loop by the first of the month,please contact Elizabeth at HCRWonline@heartofcarolina.org. Cancellation and refund policy: No registration fees will be refunded. All payments for a workshop must be received by the registration cut off date. Late payments can be applied to a future workshop of the applicant's choosing. If a workshop does not have 10 students enrolled by the first of the month, the workshop will be canceled and registration fees will be applied to a future workshop of the applicant's choosing. Hope to see you in class!

Heart of Carolina Romance Writers ~ RWA Chapter 114
Jodie Pearson www.heartofcarolina.org President,
Heart of Carolina Romance Writers RWA® Chapter 114
Raleigh, North Carolina

Oh, hi... How Long Have You Been Standing There?

So, I've actually been busier than you'd think. First of all, I had a lot to say about something someone said at MarsCON both at Wyrdsmiths and on Livejournal.

Then I had a crazy lady show up at my house and either try to scam me or sell me something... I'm still not entirely sure.

Oh, and then Realms of Fantasy magazine was pulled from the ashes of a firey grave... though that has nothing to do with me, it's just cool.

And I wrote a lot.

You?