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Author Archives: Cathy
Oldies but Goodies
(Totally spaced titling this one first time around…Need more coffee….)
Though not an afficianado, I’ve been on a classic movie kick of late. Yesterday, I watched The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon back to back. Yes, I loves me some Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Sidney Greenstreet, and even creepy Peter Lorrie. I’m also a fan of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, the Thin Man series, and anything with Katherine Hepburn, particularly when she’s paired with Spencer Tracy. Or Cary Grant. Or anyone, for that matter.
Today, you’d be hard pressed to find such great banter between the sexes as many of these films offer. I’m not saying more recent movies aren’t fun or sexy. But to have the interplay, the subtext, and the sexual chemistry come through without actually using certain words or the physicality that is present today is a lost art. When was the last time you got the impression a couple was hot for each other when, on screen, all that was shown was some snappy, not suggestive give-and-take and a 3 second kiss? (Side note: back in the day, screen kisses could only last 3 seconds. No kidding.) I’m sure they’re out there, but it’s not the norm.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no prude, and I like more graphic movies too. But there is a part of me that smiles and is deeply satisfied by the dance between men and women as shown in those old films. When the raciest lines are like this, from The Big Sleep:
A female taxi driver, who has followed a car with Marlowe in the back, hands him a card.
Driver: Call me if you need me again.
Marlowe: Day and night?
Driver (putting taxi in gear): Make it night. I work during the day.
Brilliant!
Will that sort of interplay ever be popular again? I don’t know. I’d hate to think we always have to be hit over the head with sexual content. I’d love to hear about recent films you’ve seen that defy typical “in your face” sexuality. Any suggestions?
Expect the (Un)Expected
I mention the weather a lot because, let’s face it, living Alaska we get a lot of weather. While March might come in like a lion, most of the Nation is starting to see some signs of spring. Winter-dead grass is beginning to perk up. Tree buds might be unclenching in the warmer, longer days. Birds are beginning to show up again.
Here in the semi-frozen north, we got a taste of spring the last two weeks of February. Yes, February. The temps hovered in the low 40s, there were spurts of heavy rain that melted the mountains of snow (nothing that lasted more than a day) and most of the time a gentle wind ruffled our open coats rather than hurricane-force gusts. It was bliss. It was relief.
It didn’t fool any of us.
In the Lower 48, my sister-in-law boasted about changing over her studded tires to her summer treads. Here, we tolerated the load rumble of steel on pavement, perhaps cringed at the damage of a few hundred cars on bare asphalt, but knew better than to think we wouldn’t need the traction again soon enough.
And we were right.
The past three days saw the spring-like warmth in the air obliterated in a white-out of a snow system tearing across the region. Friday was the worse, with blowing snow making the five minute drive to work a nightmare of low visibility. (Yes, we had school. I would have been more surprised if they would have cancelled.) As the day progressed, short bouts of sun one minute gave way to raging, sideways snow the next. This went on all weekend, and we have a fresh, foot-high layer of heavy snow to remind us that March doesn’t just come in like a lion here. It comes in like a hungry, pissy lion.
As much as we appreciated the reprieve, we know winter isn’t over. In fact, chances are good we’ll have snow coming and going into April or even May. But maybe, just maybe, we will have a spring as decent as the taste we got in February.
Like most things in life, you should hope for the best but be prepared for the worse. Some might consider that take to be a bit pessimistic. I prefer to think of it as realistic optimism. Sometimes, even if you’re prepared for the worst, the unexpected just might turn out to be better than you feared : )
Bad Girl Wins Beacon Contest FF&P Category!
Yay! My futuristic won the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon contest for unpublished manuscripts! I was very excited to get the judges’ comments, particularly from the final round judge, Meghan Conrad from Cerridwen Press/Ellora’s Cave. Bad Girl has been seen by agents but never by an editor, so waiting to see what she had to say was nerve wracking. But her comments were positive and shed some light on where I could make the story better. And that’s really what we’re looking for when we enter contests–advice that makes our stories better.
Congrats to fellow FF&P category finalists Eden Glenn with her story, Dragon’s Mark, and Mary Karlik with her Izzy’s Tale, as well as to all the Beacon contestants and finalists. Thanks to the first round judges who have a lot of entries to read (this contest was for up to 30 pages! 30!), and it’s not an easy task. They did a great job explaining what worked and what didn’t in my story. More thanks to Ms. Conrad for her comments and suggestions, and for taking the time to explain things as well. And thanks to the First Coast Chapter and its contest coordinator Maria Connor. Contests are part of a chapter’s bread and butter. Fees let them continue the work of helping writers of all levels navigate the world we’ve decided to occupy. Plus, you get read by people who understand you. How cool is that? And coordinating a contest requires more patience and organization I’ll ever possess. My hat is off to you, Maria.
Finally, a big thanks to my friends and crit partners, Sharron and Jody. Your comments on the early manuscript helped form Bad Girl, for better or worse : ) Thanks!
The Practical Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics open today in Vancouver, B.C. I love watching the Olympics, especially if I can do it from the warm comfort of my home. The athletes are all so strong and agile, so determined and dedicated. They are the top contenders in their sports, an elite group of humans who do amazing things many of us would never even try. Snowboarding in a half-pipe and shooting 20 feet into the air while doing tricks? Not gonna happen. Luge down an ice tube at a gazillion miles per hour wearing a helmet and a rubber suit? Um, no. Ski down a mountain–a MOUNTAIN!–on two pieces of fiberglass with only two skinny sticks to help keep you upright? I don’t think so. I’ll be right here, on my couch sipping tea and wearing my fuzzy slippers, thank you very much.
We enjoy watching these fine athletes but know we will never be in their class, never achieve such grand accomplishments. Besides, when will being able to hurl yourself down a slippery mountain at 60 miles per hour ever come in handy? For those reasons, I present to you my list of Practical Winter Olympic events. Doable by your average Joe or Jane. No athletic prowess required.
1. Shoveling—the use of a regular snow shovel or larger “scoop” shovel is permitted. Style points for creating a dump pile that can be climbed without slipping back down again when halfway up.
a. Driveway—team and individual
b. Roof—team of two: one on the roof shoveling, the other on the ground removing snow from front of house and to call 911 when “roofer” hits unexpected patch of ice.
2. Walking icy sidewalk w/o grippers, carrying hot coffee—10 points for no spillage, 5 if some slop-over, 0 if the cup is dropped. Style points for avoiding fall awarded. Refills are available.
3. Driving an unplowed road—navigate a road you *know* is under there somewhere. Points deducted if you follow another vehicle’s tracks.
4. Driving an icy road the morning of a melt/freeze cycle, before sander arrives—style points for slide control and number of spins, awarded as necessary.
5. Wood cutting–Though usually done in summer and fall, wood cutting and its accompanying activities (splitting and stacking) are necessary skills for winter survival (like how basketball is a sport typically played in winter but part of the Summer Games).
6. Car window ice scraping
a. Using regulation scraper
b. Using whatever you can find inside the car or on your person
Now, these events will not get your name splashed across the sports pages, or get your image on a box of Wheaties, or your name in a record book. There will be no gold medals awarded at the end of the season, but if you can excel at one or more of these, your spouse/partner/significant other will be appreciative. That’s better than a hunk of metal any day, isn’t it?
BTW, good luck to all the athletes at the REAL Olympics. You are all amazing and inspire the rest of us to go for the gold in whatever we do.
Dear Russian Women…
I’m sorry about ignoring your emails, but I can assure you we did not meet either in your country, online, or anywhere else. Surely you have me mistaken for someone else.
Be that as it may, your offer to become my wife is appreciated. I’ve discussed it with my husband and he thinks it’s a grand idea to have a 23 year-old blonde as a second wife. I couldn’t agree more. There are plenty of chores left undone around here, so another pair of hands would be appreciated. While you’re doing the things I never seem to have time for, I can continue to do the things I want to do. And our husband, fab guy that he is, won’t have to worry about the house being clean, dinner being cooked on time, or getting bored with the same woman he’s been with for nearly 18 years. The kids will have someone sort of near their own age to hang with, because surely you are way cooler than their 40+ year-old parents.
So yes, please come over and be our wife. The check for expenses is in the mail. It may not be as much as you expected as we may have to check out the offer for E.D. pills. With two wives Hubby will be a busy man.
Can’t wait to meet you,
Me
All Grown Up
There are certain milestones in life that you are supposed to accrue to be deemed a grown up. These may include, but are not limited to, attending/graduating from college, getting a *real* job, getting married or being in a long term relationship, having a child, buying a new car, buying a home. The sort of things that make your parents, guardian or parole officer sigh with relief of a job well done. Everyone is different, of course, so your milestones may vary.
Recently, I’ve added another two items to my personal list: buying a new living room set and installing new carpeting in the vast majority of the house.
You’ll notice I have the word “set” in bold. That’s because until now, we have purchased furniture one piece at a time and none of it actually went with the rest. Never an entire three-piece set that goes together. That all arrives on the truck at the same time. It’s a heady experience, I tell you, to see all that lovely matching upholstery in one room.
And new carpeting? Bliss! So clean, so cushy. New carpet smell is not as pleasant as new car smell, to be sure, but it is just as significant as a sign of adulthood.
Granted, with two kids, two dogs and two cats, the newness of the furniture and carpet will fade quickly, but for now I feel all grown up. Well, mostly.
What makes you feel grown up?
Bad Girl Finals in Beacon Contest
Woo hoo! My SFR Bad Girl has finalled in the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon Contest for unpublished writers. The final standings will be announced in February. Go here for the complete list of finalists: http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/contest_un.htm/?page_id=152
Many thanks to the chapter and first round judges. Having been a contest judge, I know it’s not an easy task.
Best of luck to all the finalists.
What a great way to start the new year : )
Merry Merry and Happy Happy!
May your holiday be bright and your new year be joyous!
See you in ‘010! (Yes, that was intentional, a la Stephen Colbert 🙂
~Cathy
*NEW* SFR Holiday Blitz Winner!!!!
Since the first randomly chosen winner never came forward (unfortunate, but it happens) to claim Ann Somerville’s On Wings, Rising, I exercised my right and duties as Queen and chose another. And yes, this one stuck!
The new winner is Cybercliper! Congrats and I hope you enjoy the story.
Thanks again to all who came by. I hope to see you here now and again.
Joyous Holidays and Happy New Year!
~Cathy
New SFR Holiday Blitz Winner TBA
Well, the original winner of Ann Somerville’s On Wings, Rising never contacted me, so I’ll be choosing another winner later today. This time, I will ensure contact before posting who it is, so it may take a bit. Stay tuned!!!
Thanks again to all who entered. Let’s see who the Fates choose this time…….