Tuesday Humor from the Pacific Northwest

We know you are from the Pacific Northwest if...

1. You know the state flower (Mildew)

2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.

3. Use the statement 'sun break' and know what it means.

4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.

5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.

6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.

7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the 'Walk' Signal.

8. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is
not a real mountain.

9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and
Veneto's.

10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye Salmon.

11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima,
and Willamette.

12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.

13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese, and Thai food.

14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark- while
only working eight-hour days.

15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.

16. You are not fazed by 'Today's forecast: showers followed by rain,' and
'Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers.'

17. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.

18. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.

19. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through
the cloud cover.

20. You notice, 'The mountain is out' when it is a pretty day and you can
actually see it.

21. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still
wear your hiking boots and parka.

22. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.

23. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.

24. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.

25. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones
after such a long time.

26. You measure distance in hours.

27. You often switch from 'heat' to 'a/c' in the same day.

28. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.

29. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining
(Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer & Elk Season (Fall).

REBECCA by DAPHNE du MAURIER - Book Review

Okay, Rebecca is a classic and I’ve even seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie – maybe 30 years ago. This mystery-movie was filled with shadowy suspense and intrigue; however, the book is an entirely different beast.

Du Maurier fills the story with beautiful settings, scenes and thoughtful reflections but, for me, it was rather slow. I actually had trouble getting through the entire story.

I was half-way through the book when my book club met to discuss it – and I can usually read a book in a day or two. But, nowadays, life competes with my reading time so the story has to be quick-paced to keep my attention.

Maybe I’m a little ADHD – but Rebecca would not be on MY list of “must reads”. I know there are going to be a lot of people who disagree with me because, like I said, after all, it is a classic and the book that du Maurier is most known for.

I'm not saying anything to knock Daphne du Maurier. She is a beautiful wordsmith and able to get the reader “into” the story but, for me, it was just too slow.

Another odd thing about this book is that du Maurier never names the main character. It's not until after she marries Maxim that she becomes Mrs. de Winter but she is always overshadowed by his first wife: the beautiful Rebecca – so much so that she never has a name of her own.

By the time the second Mrs. De Winter (the unnamed MC of this book) comes down the stairs for the ball, I knew what she’d be wearing and what would happen – so no surprise there. And, by the time Maxim revealed the truth to her, I knew what he was going to say – so no suspense or mystery there for me either. And, without Hitchcock’s wonderful cinematography, I found the book lacking.

Maybe in the late summer of 1937, when Daphne started to write Rebecca, life moved at a slower pace and weaving words in a wonderful mesmerizing way was enough for most readers but, like I said before, it was too slow for me and I found my mind wandering away from the story.

But, if you are looking for a quiet, slow, literary read of an old classic, perhaps Rebecca is just the book for you. And, the last third of the book IS interesting - especially if you've stuck with it to get here.

Here is one more review, in case you want a second opinion.

Write2Ignite

This was a great first conference! I've been in North Carolina at the Write2Ignite conference in Indian Trails.

So many friendly people were willing to share their advice, tips, hints and even a meal or two:



Jonathan Firesen, Author of Jerk, California, Suzanne Hadley, Editor of Clubhouse Jr., Nancy Lohr, Acquisitions Editor of JourneyForth Books and so many more.



Here are some fun photos from the event.

These are the organizers of the First Ever Write2Ignite Conference: Samantha Bell, Jean Hall and Dr. Gail Hayes:











Sandra Epps is the founder of Sandy's Land a publishing house and children's entertainment services.

Saturday Silliness - Start the Day with a Little Humor

Okay, the week is over and we all need a little rest and relaxation. So, why not start the weekend out with a little humor. Here have a few language laughs - on the internet.

EARTH FRIENDLY FRIDAY - AND ANSWER to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER TO THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY: According to everything I've read, the Advent Calendars originated in Germany. You can read more about them here.

NOW FOR EARTH-FRIENDLY FRIDAY:

I was shopping this past weekend with my gf, Des. And when we both bought some items, she told the clerk, "No thanks. I don't need a bag." And then she took the socks off the itty-bitty hanger and handed it back to the cashier.

I asked her what she was doing. She said, "I'd just throw it away and they can reuse it."

I never even thought about that. Des is sooo smart.

So, next time you're out shopping, don't get a bag and hand back any reusable packaging to the clerk. It will leave more room in your garbage can and help save resources at the same time.

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY - Holiday ?

QUESTION: Where did the Advent Calendar originate?

With the holidays sneaking up on us, I thought it would be fun to start thinking about upcoming traditions and how they got started, and when.

So take a guess.

Writing Wednesday

So many people are involved in the writing Nano challenge - trying to write 50,000 words in a month. YIKES!! I didn't join in this year - maybe next year, when I'm older, wiser, and - hopefully - a better writer.

Agent Rachelle Gardner did a post on the process of getting published, you can read it here.

But both of these things made me start thinking about the writing/publishing industry and how hard it can be to navigate the writing waters.

I have a couple of manuscripts I'm hoping to get published and the only thing I can say about this industry, at least for me, is:
Waiting is the Hardest Part.