Museum Madness

In my real life I work at a museum as an educator. I love it. I still can work with the kids, but don't have to deal with meetings, grading, meetings, lesson plans, meetings . . . you get the picture. Anyway, so I'm walking around with a group of high schoolers and one stops next to a huge poster we have hung up near a stairwell. On it, one of our actors is dressed as Annie Oakley and she's holding one of our membership cards.

One of the boys says, "Oh man, Annie Oakley was so cool."

Another asks, "Who's that?"

First kid replies, "Annie Oakley was a famous sharp-shooter during the 1800s. She could even shoot a rifle over her shoulder with just a mirror to help her see."

Second kid says, "1800s? So how did she get to be a member of this museum?"

First kid looks at him like this O_O and finally says, "Duuuuuude."

Second kid, "What?"

First kid, "Never mind."

*sigh* Every time I think I've heard it all, someone sets out to prove me wrong.

Saturday Travels

So last Saturday my sister and I hit the road for a day trip. She has this fascination with a place called Big Bone Lick State Park. Yeah, I swear that's really the name. It happens to sit on a road called . . . wait for it . . . Beaver Road. I was telling my friend Jessica it should really sit in the town of Boobieville. I mean really, did a bunch of ten year old boys sit around and think up names? The name supposedly comes from the gigantic mastadon and mammoth bones that were found way back in the day. Apparently, these animals would show up for the salt licks in the area and got sucked down into a huge muddy pit.

I have no idea what she thought the place would be like, but it wasn't all that. It took us nearly 2 hours to get there, driving through areas that I swear I could hear the banjos strumming. And once there, we stayed maybe an hour. Not a lot to do beyond look at the bones, the one huge diorama they have set up, and hike a bit. We then had lunch, not there since there is no where to eat, but an Arby's and hit the road again. To the wineries!!! Wooo hoooo! Way nicer than Big Bone Lick and much more to do . . . like taste wine and buy wine. Totally made my weekend.

New Start

You know when everything goes wrong? Well that's how my life has been for the last 8 months. I slid on the ice and broke my right leg (both bones and a bone in my ankle). I couldn't work for 2 weeks and when I finally made it back to work I was in a wheel chair since I couldn't walk at all. That lasted until May when I was finally able to wear both shoes again. My mom went into the hospital at the beginning of June, end of June and was finally admitted July 10 with a massive stroke. She passed away on July 18 and I can honestly say that it still doesn't seem real.

This week I am finally taking a break from it all to hang out with one of my best friends, and fellow writer, Jessica Jarman. I am finally back to writing and she and I are plotting out a series we are writing together. It will be under the name J.G. Riley. We hope to have the first book finished by the end of this year and we can submit to a publisher then. When I know more information I will certainly post it.

I'm thinking nothing but positive thoughts now because I refuse to do anything else. *g* Hope all of you will do the same.

New Book!!!!

My new book is releasing on Monday and I am jazzed!! LOL!! Get it? Jazzed??? If you don't the hero of HEART BOND is Jaz Maloney who appeared in BLOOD BOND. And is he excited he's getting his own story and his very own Prince Charming. Oh yes, he is. Last year when BLOOD BOND was released, I'd just started teaching at a new school and it was . . . overwhelming to say the least. I didn't even remember the book was coming out. So this year, I am blowing out all the stops. *g*

I'm giving away a copy of my new book. So, all you have to do is join my Yahoo Group, yep see there is always a catch. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ceaseandjarman/ and follow the instructions.