All Things Toilet

Okay, maybe I shouldn't have titled this "All Things Toilet", because really, there are some places I do not want to go again (http://terrirainer.blogspot.com/2008/01/sharing-and-poopnot-always-good-thing.html).

Now that you know we won't be speaking of "the poop incident", you can breathe a sigh of relief (I know you were secretly breathing out of your mouth in anticipation of the imagined smell).

Toilets, strange blog topic you might say...not if you're me. Yesterday was a day filled with the word toilet. Let us begin with toilet paper. Does anyone out there really give toilet paper a lot of thought? Sure, if you run out, it's fore-most on your mind. But normally, who would think about it, right? Uh, me, that's who. I think this is a recent occurrence. Maybe adult-on-set-toilet-paper-OCD. Let me explain.

I was always a Charmin type of girl. No thought there. It was soft, yet sturdy. Great combination. As long as you put it on the holder the right way (tears over the top, not under) then it was all good. Until we moved over a year ago. Apparently, when we upgraded in square footage, we downgraded in plumbing size. I got tired of clogged toilets, so I started my search for the "right" toilet paper.

Scott Soft is not only thick enough, but it also didn't clog my toilets. The only problem is, when my husband goes to the store, it's the small things (like the word "soft") that he over-looks. There fore I end up with plain Scott which is like wiping your arse with a minute amount of rice paper...no matter the colossal wad that you have in your hand.

Don't get me wrong, I love that I have a husband who helps out by going to the grocery store, but lets face it folks, when you get older, toilet paper becomes more of a priority. Gone are the days of wild carefree peeing and wiping with a wad of McDonald's napkins from your car, cause you were too drunk to realize you had to go before you left the bar. Not that I ever did this, I just heard stories.

Subject change...on to toilet seats. You would think that the toilet seat and the toilet paper would be related as much as I obsessed over the weekend about both, but alas, they are not even remotely connected. Let's try and make a long story short (I know, I know...as if I could).

My son has spent his own money to redecorate his bathroom. It's all done in hunting/wildlife. We started looking at toilet seats. Since he had spent his own money, we told him we would buy him a new toilet seat. Found the perfect one. Easy, right? Uh, no.

He has an elongated toilet seat (that sounded a bit...uh, bad). Hard to find a the seat he wants in elongated without paying double. I'm sorry, but I have a problem paying $70 for a new seat for a freakin toilet.

So, instead of writing, I spent about six hours looking for this ridiculous (yet cool) elongated fishing lure or deer seat. I'm still looking BTW.

So, that's how my weekend went. I hope everybody else out there was far more productive than I. As for today, I am getting ready to pick my daughter up from the high school amidst a circus of protesters. More on that next time!

Blog Chain Blatherskite

It's my turn to pick the topic on this blog chain round, even though I missed the last one, which Elana started ( http://www.elanajohnson.blogspot.com/ ) and ended with Abi ( http://bloggingexperiments.wordpress.com/ ).

Since I missed the last chain entirely, I was stupid enough not to go back and see what the topic was (Homer Simpson "Doh" could be heard as I slapped my head).

***Unfortunately, it was pretty dang close to the one I picked, so there will be an alternative question for the members who don't want to just copy and paste their last post in their blog.

Have you ever had anything cause you to step back from writing? If so, what was the cause and how long did it take you to get back into the swing of things? If not, do you have any advice for other writers about not letting life get in the way of writing?

Oh dear God, where to start? I have neglected my writing on many occasions; here lately it’s gotten really bad! I think I should just make a list of issues of late, much like you would a grocery list.

1. Two of my daughters were diagnosed with a genetic birth defect which causes a Mal tracking Patella. The oldest is in a full leg brace, and between fights with the insurance company, Doctors and pharmacy, it’s been very emotionally draining.

2. My 13 year old son just got his first car (yes, I said 13), a 1976 Camaro. It’s a fixer-upper and he has done nothing but pester me to go to this store looking for this, that or the other for the car.

3. My husband has been laying off people at his work. Unfortunately, two of the men are disgruntled and have decided to lay in wait for my husband outside our house once that we know of so far.

4. My PC crashed and I lost about 7 years worth of pictures, documents, songs, etc.

5. We had an ice storm that caused my kids to be home for 3 days cooped up in the house.

6. I’ve had a viscous sinus infection that doesn’t seem to want to go away.

7. My cat got out and almost sliced his foot off (no idea how) so got to spend two days at the vet.

8.I had another BIRTHDAY (yuck) and turned 39.

9. Oh yeah, did I mention I have five kids???

This is just the last month. I have neglected my blogging, my writing, pretty much anything that I do for myself, because I have been so mentally taxed. I refuse to write more until I get a new PC. Even though I was able to wipe mine and reinstall Windows XP, there are still issues, and I think it’s only a matter of time till it quits working all together, so I haven’t even uploaded my writing folders back to it.

I often wonder how writers can keep it up even when life happens. I know many say that it is an escape, but I haven’t been able to take advantage of that escape for a few months now. Hopefully getting a new PC will light a fire under my butt, till then, I will just have to cheer on my fellow writers! YOU GO GIRLS! Check out Leah's ( http://leahclifford.livejournal.com/ ) post next!

*** Alternative question: Do you brainstorm with a friend when you are plotting, or do you prefer to be the only one who knows what your characters are going to do?

Cool Shirts and ADD...Random? I THINK NOT.

Okay, how many out there are totally ADD? I start one thing, and end up doing something completely random. I do have the ability to hyper-focus, which I sometimes do when I SHOULDN'T!

Case in point: While doing my daily blogging (on everybody else's blogs), I happened to click on the wrong link from my favorites list. It took me to cafepress.com. Okay, if you've never been there, don't go unless you are a stronger person than I.

I consequently spent a few hours perusing shirts/mugs/caps, etc.

Some of them are now on my "must have" list. How great is that notebook?????

And check out the mouse pad...when you send out queries, I swear you check your bulk/spam box twenty times a day!

Now, as you can see, I wasn't just looking, noooooo, I was preplanning this blog. I was on a mission to share all these great finds with you, my blogger friends...(cough cough).

I know this sounds like it borders on child labor/abuse, but I would SO make my kids wear this shirt! I might even give 'em the quarter for wearing it!

Okay, so I wasn't quite expecting the snicker when I showed my husband this shirt! He could have just played along and agreed! But he did laugh at the next one I showed him...I guess THOSE benefits were more to his liking!

So there you have it. My research for the day, to bring you all this great stuff.

I am such a sharing person , aren't I?

:) Terri