When at first you don't succeed.

The Claw.

Everyone has been tempted once or twice by this arcade staple. The big mocking game that offers incredibly cheap, while still intriguing prizes. This game serves only two purposes: To take your money, as well as your sanity. And convince you beyond all reason that you need whatever it holds.

There are only a few reasons you would ever play this game. You are either A.) High (sugar or drug related) or drunk, or cocky as heck. B.) 10 years old and think you’re invincible, and jonesing badly for that monster truck. Or C.) Dared by all your cohorts and now pride won’t let you leave without that bobble head.

I am only mortal and have also been tempted by this monster machine. Three times in my life to be exact. My first encounter was inevitable, everyone needs their dreams crushed once, or dropped inches from the box. My second time was years afterward when a group of my friends and I instigated situation C, then by sheer luck discovered the weak link in the dream dropping chain. It didn’t matter that the coveted toy inside was miniature Care Bears, when life gives you a broken arcade game, you take it for all it’s worth.

My third time brings us up to last night. When I was getting a late dinner with Grant and Jason at the Gateways food court. It wasn’t really flashy, or emitting brain-melting music, what it had was giant super balls. I don’t consider myself a tomboy, but I do like my bouncy balls.

So after eyeing the machine half the meal, even walking up to it to ogle the toys, Grant handed me 50 cents and told me to go nuts!! I’m not sure if he really meant for me to literally go nuts, but after I aligned the claw just right, watched it descend upon my prize, miss it by centimeters, and still come up with a ball, I did just that!!

It was amazing!! I wasn’t even embarrassed to be the center of attention. Which I was, I even got congratulations from passerby’s. I got my toy! And it flashes, and bounces, and has a snowman in it!!

The evening ended on a very good note, and now the ball rests after being thoroughly used and abused. Don’t worry I promise I wont let it go to my head.. and I wont try to get another one.
Such luck only happens once. ((dang it.))

No more Reasons

I'd like to take this time and apologize. I'm sure you've all noticed I suck at the blogging game, I do and I'm sorry.

When I find time to write, I normally don't think "BLOG!" I think "How the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks did she get into that jail!?!" And then I go on a research bing. Don't be fooled people, I may spout crude, rude, sarcastic nonsense about research, but I love it. Dearly. No I'm not smirking. Or twitching.

So, news on the home front. I've begun editing, and I've learned a lot about myself. It's quite harrowing really, you see I don't always type things (ie: words) that I think, I suppose it's the whole philosophy of "If I know what I'm talking about, so should you." The worst part is, I don't know what I'm talking about!

I've also learned that when ever I try to type lane, I inevitably type lance, Ya I don't know why.

I'm on page 71 of 122, almost there. And can I say, I'm dangerous to my own health. I almost had a mini heart attack because I was (at least I thought I was) far enough in the story to be introduced to Turner, and he wasn't THERE! I flipped page after page looking for him, finally coming to the conclusion that I forgot to add his parts in to my final draft.

Which of course wasn't true, I had. I'm not that insane (yet, give me a few more pages and I just might get there) I finally found where he jumps in, I think I might move him up a bit.

So after 6 hours on my couch with my lappy, my cat, a bowl of extra mild super liquidy salsa (I don't like the chunks, but I like what the chunks do to the juice so I soak my chips in the salsa juice!) my binder of story (yes I printed it out) and my red pen (that apparently had a leak if my red hand/face was any indication later) I was done editing 60 pages.. it was a definite learning experience.

Over at Fifthwind my fellow novelish finisher Wishingstar (we finished at the same time) asked about the next step: Editing. and I've been taking advantage of her request and reading all the tips and advise, and have made a game plan for myself.

Fifthwind, our leader extrodinar of course had great advise, but so did Grammer and Miss. Shadow. So I'm combining them all.

I know what I'm doing, but I don't know how to explain it right now, so I wont bore you with "well see I'm doing this cause..." I'll have to write later on it.

See, this way if it doesn't work I wont have to delete this blog!! Win win right?