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What I'm writing in YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
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Christmas meme

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.17.2008

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Bags because they’re HECKA EASIER! HELLOOOOOO! Besides, save a tree.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I like the smell of real trees (had them while growing up) but cleaning up the needles in January was a pain in the petootie! Gimme a fake one anyday! I’ll burn pine logs to get the smell.

3. When do you put up the tree? That should probably be IF we put up a tree. Since it’s in the living room, the Christmasy eye candy is lost on us.

4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year’s Day. Sometimes a few months after New Year’s Day ...

5. Do you like eggnog? Yup! Full fat! Bring it on, baby!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Books! (Come on, you saw that coming, right?)

7. Hardest person to buy for? My parents! They already have pretty much everything they want. If they don’t have it, they’ve already bought it. And anything they do want is WAY out of my price range.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? This year, we’re GOING GREEN! (Haha, get it?) We’ll have a Christmas website newsletter!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? It turned into a White Elephant gift.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Lord of the Rings marathon! Yeah, baby!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? January

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course! And made the new recipient very happy, I might add.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Grandma’s shortbread cookies is way up there, but Mom’s toasted almond triangles is a close second. And let’s not forget Mom’s Chex mix, made with my Aunty Gail’s recipe but “embellished” by Mom with a hundred different kinds of cereal and macadamia nuts until it’s the most un-put-downable thing in the house!

16. Lights on the tree? Of course

17. Favorite Christmas song? I hate Christmas songs, only because they play nothing but Christmas songs in December, and it’s THE SAME 20 SONGS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN JUST SUNG BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE!

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, because of that infamous song.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star—I’m all about the bling.

20. Open the presents Christmas eve or Christmas day? One on Christmas eve, the rest on Christmas day ... EARLY on Christmas day ... like 12:01 AM.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? THE SAME 20 SONGS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN JUST SUNG BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE!

22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I am a simple girl and prefer red and gold balls. But I did get a set of international Santa ornaments that my mom made and they’re really cool.

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Prime rib roast! Rare enough to walk off the plate!

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Knitting needles and yarn.

25. Who is most likely to respond to this? YOU MY BLOG READERS!!!!
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Comments

Georgiana Daniels said…
Yes, yes! Finally....someone who agrees with me on the music!!!!
Wed Dec 17, 05:59:00 AM 2008
Anonymous said…
Nice answers. I saw this on Cheryl's site. Lots of questions! :-)

May I do this on my blog and link yours and Cheryl's to my blog?
Wed Dec 17, 06:04:00 AM 2008
Camy Tang said…
Georgiana, let me just say that great minds think alike. :)

Go ahead, Lynn!

Camy
Wed Dec 17, 12:47:00 PM 2008
Domino said…
Camy,
My husband's ipod has a Christmas playlist that has Louis Armstrong singing "Christmas in New Orleans" and "Zat you Santa Claus". There are plenty of songs to play at Christmas time. The ipod or MP3 player is the best way to make sure the variety is up to your standards. Or you could tune your computer to KSBJ.org for their Christian music Christmas songs. Their variety is superb...

I love Christmas music sooooooo much.
Wed Dec 17, 01:12:00 PM 2008
M. C. Pearson said…
Hope you're up for another...because, TAG! You're it! Go to my blog to see what's up... http://tagsandotherformsofmischief.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-tag.html
Wed Dec 17, 11:13:00 PM 2008
Lindsey said…
haha, so funny! I'm thinking the Christmas songs are getting on your nerves... :-) It's the Christmas commercials that get on mine - all that "Make the children happy, go to Walmart!" talk, lol. As if the kids won't be happy if they don't get a huge Walmart present. Anyway... :-)
Thu Dec 18, 07:11:00 AM 2008
Reihaisha said…
I love Christmas music- been in choirs for years and we always started singing them the first rehersal of the school year (1st week of September). There are different arrangements so I love finding out of I know a particular one that is playing.


Now the commercials and the exta circulars in the papers really burn my biscuits.

My favorite food is my family's cream cheese dip - we usally eat an 8 ounce block a person ;)

I love March of the Wooden Soldiers(I own a copy) but my all time Christmas favorite Miracle on 34th Street. When that is doen, I sit down and look a the Stra Wars Trilogy.

I am so stoked to be know I will be spending 5 days with all my family having a blast.
Thu Dec 18, 07:10:00 PM 2008
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