I'm exhausted and beat, so instead of harassing the kids about their research projects I gently reminded them that rough drafts are due next week and popped in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Students are DEAD silent and completely riveted to the film. Very nice.

Tags: school
Current Mood: exhausted

Yesterday, my wife's Grandpa died. It's very sad and I don't think it's quite hit me yet. I'm blessed that I've had three grandfathers in my life. I wish I had more to say but I don't. He was a great man and I know he'll be looking down on us with his typical shit-eating grin. 

Tags: grandpa joe
Current Mood: sad

First there was Cloverfield and my dirty secret of being afraid of being eaten alive and now this:

Killer ants!

When I was a kid this was a crazy fear based on a nature book I got from the Astoria Public Library in Queens, NY. I wouldn't go outside for days because I was afraid of army ants!

Poll #1188298 Which Would You DO?
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Would you rather:

This is based after a discussion overheard during my second block today!

So I joined Critters. I really want to get some new eyes looking at Winter so I can pick it up a little later on...like when summer comes. hyperbard look for me over their...I'm using my real name and all that over there, but you can easily find me by title: Winter's Discord.

I've decided this is going to be a big writing summer...between diaper changes that is! Last summer was a pretty good writing summer, but I think I can do better. I'd really, really like to get moving on the third book, but I've stepped away from writing in the world of Seasons of Destiny for a while. I've switched gears to something else that I've been toying with...and I've started it.

I know, usually I sit here and thump my chest and brag about the new project I'm working on but my first two days of writing weren't too shabby. The project is very, very YA perhaps even MG, but we'll see! I might post some of it later. Inspired by Suzanne Collins Underland Chronicles, DJ MacHale's Pendragon books and James A Owen's (coppervale) The Chronicles of the Imaginarium GeographicaI, the new project has me very excited and I'm envisioning it being a very short, sweet and simple project to get my mind out of the Seasons of Destiny obsession I've been in for the past few months. BTW, the project does not have a title yet. I'm basing the word count on just shy of 3k per chapter...that'll change.

Untitled MG Project

2,469 / 70,000 (3.5%)

Tags: writing
Current Mood: optimistic

American Idol is on....and I've got one comment....

Syesha Mercado is SMOKIN'. I missed it somewhere along the line, but she just looked STUNNING tonight! I've acquired a real appreciation for women of color in the last few years.

Tags: american idol
Current Mood: chipper

Holy crap...I didn't post for two days in a row! That's got to be some kind of record! Well, here's something to make you laugh...this is  what my daughter would like to say to the agents who've rejected me (we're up to 11 of 20 and 2 that have had the MS since April 1 and haven't responded yet!):

Tags: baby stone
Current Mood: amused

So we went to my wife's cousin's graduation today...SU=big school=individual schools have a ceremony on Saturday and the whole school has a big one on Sunday...and between the ceremony and the lunch we were having we stopped at the hospital to see grandpa, who is much more aware than he has been in the last few weeks. We went in to see him (me, the wife, her sister and her husband). They said hello, identifying themselves to him. My brother in law said, "Hey Joe, it's Fred." and I announced, "Hey Joe, it's John." To which he responded, "Oooooh boy."



Now it either means he really, really likes me....or he really, really dislikes me...it was funny none the less.

(He also said, when our cousin reminded him he graduated college today, "I'm a high school drop out." A HS dropout that's "sired" over a dozen college graduates between his children and grandchildren. Pretty impressive.)

Other than that, tired and in need of some sleep. No working on the new project but soon methinks.

Tags: family
Current Mood: exhausted

My juniors talking about the prom:

"There's three grades of kids for the prom...you just gotta bag some one and go!"

Current Mood: chipper

I've had an idea. And I think it's a really, really good one. One that I may be able to step away from Seasons for a while with. Shhhh!

((And yes, I am considering joining Critters to work on Season, but don't tell her I might be cheating on her with a new, younger and possibly sexier project!))

Tags: writing