Question of the Day #452

Last night the full moon was AWESOME. The sparkle and glow makes me think of werewolves and howling at the moon and wacky behavior brought on by the pull of the moon.

I didn't experience any myself, but Lisa D. has been having very vivid dreams the past couple nights and we're wondering if the moon may be to blame.

How does the full moon affect you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #451

I was lying in bed and thought of a great question. Then I got up, went to the bathroom, got my banana and a Diet Coke, turned on the computer and forgot the question.

I can't even remember what subject matter it dealt with. Was it a story with a question tied into it? An "if" question? An either/or? Five random questions?

I'm only 37, but I feel like my brain is slowly dissolving. I have to write lists or I leave the supermarket without the key ingredient I went there for. Stories people tell me evaporate. I forget things I have to do.

How do you feel about your memory?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #450

I'm out of bananas. The first thing I eat every morning is a banana. So now, I'm off to the supermarket.

What's the first thing you eat every morning?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #449

This morning, one of my friends posted an article on Facebook about a group of Bostonians who are going on a pub crawl wearing Snuggies.

Which reminded me of the time my friends and I went to Cafe 50's to enjoy the "Half Off if You Wear Your Jammies" promotion.

What's the weirdest outfit you've ever left the house in?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #448

Five random questions:

1. What are you wearing?
2. What project/task are you procrastinating over?
3. What's the last thing you ate?
4. Who is the last person you talked to?
5. Who is the last person you Facebooked?

Here are my answers:

1. Jammies
2. Tally's Story
3. Banana
4. B
5. Tuttie. I put a Happy Birthday wish on her wall

How about you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #447

If someone gave you $10,000 today, what would you do with it?

(This may sound conservative, but I'd save it. For me, cash has been hard to come by lately.)

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #446

My rommate gets Men's Health. The articles in which men attempt decipher how women think are fascinating (and about 50% on target). I used to subscribe to Garden Gate and Writers and Poets. But I haven't renewed any magazine subscriptions lately.

Do you subscribe to magazines? Why or why not? If so, which ones?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #445

B has a buddy named Bear. And Bear is his full name - not a nickname. It fits him, not because he's big and burly and has giant teeth or anything, he's just the kind of guy you want to hug.

I love Bear's cool name. What are some great unique names you've heard?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #444

One of my favorite parts about my old house was the mailbox right across the street. Sounds mundane, right? But it's not. Where I live now, I have to drive to at least a mile to mail off a bill or a birthday card. And I usually end up with a pile of outgoing mail on my passenger's seat (like today).

When I first moved in to my last place, I actually noted how convenient it was to have a mailbox a few feet away. Then, my friend, M, actually said, "The coolest thing about this place is that there's a mailbox right across the street!"

No, I didn't live in a totally uncool place, M and I are just weird and notice stuff like that. Anyway, what's the most convenient thing about where you live?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #443

When I got my car washed a week or so ago, I marveled at the guys who stood inside the car wash, soaping up cars. Can you imagine working, soaked head to toe, all day long?

And now, the mail carrier just scrambled up to the house and dropped the mail in the box - during El Nino. That can't be fun.

Clearly I have an aversion to being wet all day. And your answers certainly don't need to be in the same vein, but what jobs are you really glad you don't have?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #442

This question is brought to you by coffee and Grammilou. In her latest post, Grammilou says that she can't just lie awake at night. She has to get up and do something like read, knit or work a crossword puzzle.

Last night, while I lay in bed with my brain buzzing, unable to sleep, I should have gotten up to write. After all, Tally, my main character, was the one keeping me awake. But instead I hunkered under the covers and prayed for my brain to stop.

Next time, I'll write. What do you do when you can't sleep?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #441

It was a dark and stormy day...

Okay, but seriously, it is dark and stormy. There's thunder and lightning in So Cal. Which is about as odd as snow in So Cal. Equally as odd, I'm making coffee.

I don't drink coffee. Not often anyway. I'm a Diet Cokehead. I wake up and pour Diet Coke over ice while other people order their cafe ole grande mochachino half fat decaf lattes.

But today, the dark and stormy stuff is making me sleepy. Very sleepy. And I have work to do. So I'm brewing coffee in hopes that it will perk me up. (Ha ha! Perk. Get it?)

Clearly, I need help.

Are you a coffee drinker? What is your morning bevvie of choice?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #440

I can't remember the last time I went to the movies. Seriously.

Was it Juno, when H and I sobbed like loonies and went straight to a bar afterwards to drown our tears?

I remember going to a really bad movie with Stacie once, but I don't remember what it was or when.

When was the last time you went to the movies?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #439

Let's discuss Avatar.

Last night it won best picture at The Golden Globes. It's made a gazillion dollars and everyone is talking about it. I have yet to see it. Mostly because I rarely go to the movies - not for any other reason. So I'd like to hear from you bloggers:

Who has seen it? What did you think? Who hasn't seen it? Are you planning on it? Why or why not?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #438

B bought me a bunch of books for Christmas. (Very smart guy, huh?) And I just finished Sara Zarr's Story of a Girl. It was a beautifully written story about a regular girl with a messed up family. I felt like I'd known the characters all my life, after only short introductions.

Overall, the theme that rang with me was forgiveness. The main character's father had to forgive her. But more than that, she needed to forgive herself.

I'm eager to read more of her work. What themes have you noticed in the books you're reading?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #437

Today's topic was suggested by one of Jersey's finest - the brilliant Kristen. Right before Christmas she started her go-to diet plan: Weight Watchers. Right after Christmas, I started mine: Fiber, Fiber, Fiber.

I cut out almost all carbs and then eat tons of black beans, smoothies with ground flax, granola, salads, veggies. Anything full of fiber. That usually knocks off the bloat and some water weight.

When you realize you need to lose a few pounds, what do you do?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #436

It's supposed to rain this weekend. That's a big deal here in So. Cal. It only happens a few times a year, so when it does, it's kind of a special occasion.

When it's stormy, I like to make soups, read and watch movies. What about you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #435

Lisa D and her toddler made a birthday cake for her other daughter's first birthday. She said, "It's the funniest, most horrible looking cake! But it's made with looooooooove so it's fantastic in all it's ugliness."

It looks cute to me, but apparently it slopes in one direction - big time.

What gifts have you teamed up with a kid (or made on your own) that have ended up a little lopsided?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #434

If you were to take a last minute, quick weekend getaway, via automobile, where would you go?

If I were with friends, I'd probably go to Vegas. A significant other? Most likely Santa Barbara or the Central Coast.

What about you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #433

After discussing rejections, one of the writers in my critique group shared a great quote, about how to respond to the people who doubt our potential. Funny enough, it's from a priest, "Sh*t on them from a great height."

What great quote would you like to share?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #432

Here we are. Monday, January 11, 2010. The second week of the new year of the new decade.

Does anybody feel any different?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #431

There are hunks of tree goo all over my car. Embarrassingly enough, I never wash it. Maybe two or three times a year. I know I should get it washed more often, but it's not like I have a driveway and a hose to suds it up with. I have to drive to a car wash, pay them $15, wait a half an hour and then tip the washers. It's kind of a luxury.

How often do you wash your car?

xoxo,

Suzanne

Question of the Day #430

The pub has been rearranged. Booths are no longer booths. High top tables have replaced regular tables. And the spot for regulars is gone.

We used to sit at the table the Red Sox World Series trophy sat on when it visited Sonny McLeans in 2004. It's tall enough so Big Tom could do crossword puzzles there. Familiar enough so H and I could tell secrets over it. Small enough so we could pack a party in around it.

Last night, N, H and I sat where it used to be, but found that we felt far away from each other. So far that we began writing notes to each other.

H wrote to N: I like your jacket.

N replied: Thanks. I stole it.

I wrote: What do you think of DJ Roque's last pick?

H wrote: We need Carly Simon.

Then H said, "My handwriting is awful!"

"Mine too!" I said.

"I'm so used to typing and texting that it's like I forgot how to write things out!" She said.

"I feel the same way!" My handwriting was like hieroglyphics. I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually written anything down other than a shopping list. And a lot of times, I type those and print them out.

What common activity have you replaced by technology?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #429

If you could commit any crime and get away with it, what would it be?

I would rig a lottery so I could wins zillions. (Yes, zillions.)

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #428

So after arriving at B's last night I realized I left my laptop power cord at my house. Since I fought two hours of LA traffic to get here, it wasn't like I could dash home and get it.

I was pretty annoyed with myself. What item have you been annoyed with yourself for forgetting?

xoxo,

Suzanne

Question of the Day #427

Making big resolutions once a year doesn't work for me. I'm more like a constant work in progress, evolving all year long.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? And if you do make them, do you care to share any?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #426

All right, this one's a tuffy, but I'm going for it. Over the last decade, I've learned:

1. To spend less money more carefully
2. It's okay to walk away from something when it's not working
3. Good friends know when you don't want to talk and they're okay with it
4. The only way out is through
5. Once you extract yourself from the bad, the good will come

What have you learned from the past decade?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #425

Okay, let's flip the last question and make it a positive. These are the people who made the last decade good for me:

1. H. I have no idea what I would have done, where I would have gone or how I would have entertained myself without her
2. Kate Schafer Testerman. My Literary Agent's support of my work is encouraging even when everything else is discouraging
3. My supercool critique group
4. I did. (I made some good decisions too)
5. (This is a thing, but whatevs) My career, for making it possible to attend a zillion writing conferences and workshops

Who made the decade for you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #424

This question is brought to you by the fabulous EMoney.

Osama Bin Laden, the U.S. Banking System, Bernie Madoff and other terribly evil people aside, here's my list of the people who ruined this last decade:

1. Kanye West. Anyone who disses Taylor Swift is no friend of mine
2. (I'm borrowing this one.) The inventor of The Snuggie. As if Americans need another excuse to look lazy or stupid
3. The people who voted to revoke the right to same sex marriage in California
4. Myself. Yes, it's true. I made some lousy decisions
5. All the people who shamefully neglected to care for Hurricane Katrina victims

Who ruined the decade for you?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #423

How do you feel about American Idol?

xoxo,
Suzanne

Question of the Day #422

To begin our new year, B and I went for a walk at El Matador, my favorite So Cal beach. We ducked through caves, peered at sea anenome and enjoyed glassy waters and pink skies.

It was perfect.

How did you begin your new year?

xoxo,
Suzanne