Photo: Editor Kitteh Helps Me Work on My Novel

by on October 28, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Posted In: Blog, Humor

[dc]I[/dc]‘ll take all the editing help I can get,  even if said help isn’t exactly human. I don’t judge though. Help is help, be it a person, an animal, or a talking paperclip in Microsoft Word.

photo of a cat at a keyboard

“I don’t think your character would act in such a way.” Photo by me.

Our cat, Nigel, decided he wanted to join me while I got back to work editing my latest novel. He had a lot to say about hidden verbs and avoiding the passive voice, but mostly he just slept and purred.

Stephanie helped me get back on the writing horse this week by lobbing some Writer Kryptonite my way: “By the way, how’s your novel coming?”

After a mental record scratch, I realized I have not worked on book since before our move back in August. The move, and the post-move craziness (including living with someone and adopting a pet), threw off my whole routine for the next month.

Getting back into the novel-writing groove is difficult, but even a few minutes here and there—every day–helps. Working on a novel every day is the key: it keeps the flow of the story and ideas fresh in your mind. I want to get this book done so I can begin work on a new book.

Thankfully, I have Stephanie and Nigel around to keep me on task.

Today’s Amazon Deals and ThinkGeek Deals
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Photo: Women Sold Separately

by on October 26, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Posted In: Amazon Enigmas, Blog, Humor

[dc]”W[/dc]here all the women at?”

Sorry folks, these binders don’t come full of women.

Binders not full of women at MSU Surplus in East Lansing, Michigan.

Women sold separately. Photo by me.

But, you can find binders, full of women or otherwise, at MSU Surplus in East Lansing, Michigan, where you can buy most stuff by the pound (books, coffee mugs, ALF comics). I was there at the crack of dawn this morning (more on why later), snapped this photo, and decided today is worthy of a Double Shot Post Day-day (today’s first post was this week’s Amazon Enigmas).

For those needing the guiding hand of context, here is information on the Mitt Romney/binders full of women meme. What a time to be alive.

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Amazon Enigmas: And Now For the Cat Halloween Costumes

by on October 26, 2012 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Amazon Enigmas, Blog, Humor

[dc]I[/dc]t is no secret I am a fan of cats.

cat dog halloween costume on amazon

It kinda looks like a dog ate a cat, but forgot to finish. Image via Amazon and © original source.

So, I went searching for a few cat Halloween costumes on Amazon (why should dogs and unicorns have all the fun?). I was not disappointed. Gender swapping cosplay seems to be all the rage these days, so why not species swapping for your pets on Halloween? Yes, confuse your cat, friends, and district court judges with this Cat-Dog-Cat (or whatever) Costume.

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And Then We Adopted a Cat: Nigel Tufnel Hogan

by on October 24, 2012 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, Humor

[dc]L[/dc]ast month, we went shopping for a dining room table and came home with a cat.

Yes. A cat.

Nigel Tufnel Hogan the Cat. Photo by Daniel J. Hogan

He seems to enjoy having his photograph taken.

After moving in together, Stephanie and I needed a table. And thus the Great Table Quest was born. I had no idea shopping for a table could be so stressful. You would have thought we were searching for an organ donor.

Stephanie really wanted a table she found at IKEA. Or rather, she really wanted the green chairs that came with the table. The table itself could have been cut in the shape of Dan Quayle’s head and I doubt she would have cared (so long as the table was the ‘right color‘).

“But the chairs!” she cried as she ran her hand over the faux real leather covered metal frame, caressing it like it was a thoroughbred horse. “They are amazing.”

At $150 a pop, the chairs weren’t exactly doing it for me. “For the price of four chairs, we could get a table and chairs somewhere else.”

Stephanie just stared at me with saucer-sized eyes and ran her hands up and down the green chairs. “…Amazing…” she whispered, over and over. “…Amazing…”

A week later, after our 135th table-shopping stop of the day (Lansing is not hurting for table stores), Stephanie said, “We’re not far from the Capital Area Humane Society. Can we go pet kitties? I need some kitty therapy.”

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