tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167694862024-03-07T18:41:07.038-06:00Copyright protectedNames have been changed to protect the innocent. The following may be the product of my imagination and any similarity to anything in your life is entirely coincidental.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.comBlogger396125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-88374558234062936732015-10-23T10:00:00.000-05:002015-10-23T10:00:05.191-05:00Is This Thing Still On? So, yeah. I see that it's been almost two years since I've posted anything on this blog.<br />
<br />
Whoops.<br />
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Well, I've been busy. Moving around Chicago. Writing. Writing for my blog with one of my writer's groups. Keeping up with two writer's groups! Knitting. Adopting a kitty. Exploring Chicago. Making friends. You know. Living life.<br />
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I'm brushing the dust off the blog to make an announcement. Silence in the Library publishing is putting out my novel THIS MAY GO ON YOUR PERMANENT RECORD. Sally Clark, a self-sufficient girl with a fatal flaw (she can't lie!) gets sentenced to a school for world domination. Five bucks get you the ebook; $13 gets you the ebook and a trade paperback; $25 gets you the ebook and a trade paperback signed my yours truly. I'm excited to see Sally's story out in the world and hope that readers love her as much as I do.<br />
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<a href="http://tiny.cc/SITLfall2015">Check out the kickstarter here.</a> There are other books besides mine, so be sure to check them out while you're there. It's almost gift-giving season, you know. Surely there are readers on your list?<br />
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Happy reading!<br />
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<br />Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-54114823932807539232014-01-15T19:30:00.002-06:002014-01-15T19:30:34.568-06:00The Obligatory Awards PostFor those who are eligible to nominate and vote for the various awards including (but certainly not limited to) the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker, here is my list of eligible works: <div>
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<ul>
<li>"The One Where the Dad Dies" from the<i> Heroes!</i> anthology (I'm also eligible as editor for this title)</li>
<li>"At Your Service" from the <i>Sidekicks!</i> anthology</li>
<li>"A Simple Plan" from the <i>Crimson Pact Volume 5 </i>anthology</li>
<li>"The Price of Serenity" from the<i> Coins of Chaos</i> anthology</li>
</ul>
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</div>
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Nominate at will!</div>
Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-30905582330466414802013-10-25T12:31:00.001-05:002013-10-25T12:31:36.305-05:00My scariest HalloweenI wore one of my favorite Halloween costumes ever when I was five years old. As soon as I saw it in the store I knew I had to have it and that nothing else would do. Not Cinderella, not Rainbow Bright, and certainly not Strawberry Shortcake. I begged my mom to buy it until she relented. We brought it home and she hung it on a hook in the bathroom.<br />
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As soon as mom left me alone in the bathroom it morphed into something horrific. The costume that had been so great in the store, so foreboding-yet-fun, so very-not-girly, had somehow turned into a huge, scary, child-eating monstrosity that would gobble me up and spit me out without so much as a second thought. As day turned to night and the bathroom got dark, it got even worse. The white fabric glowed on the black background as it seemingly hung from mid-air.<br />
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I played it cool at first. I just didn't use the bathroom. My dad came home from work. I had to pee but I held it until I couldn't anymore. It wasn't until I was standing at the bathroom door, bawling, that dad figured out why I refused to go in. He took down the costume and threw it in a cabinet in the peeved-and-exasperated way that parents of young children have perfected.<br />
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You'd think I'd be too scared to wear the costume, but nope. When Halloween came around we dug it out of the cabinet and I put it one without any problem. It wasn't scary when I didn't have to look at it. Which still holds true, if you think about it. <br />
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<br />Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-10887382877662867232013-09-21T19:01:00.002-05:002013-09-21T19:01:50.899-05:00Time flies when you're having funAs they say.<br />
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This month has been a whirlwind of activity. Meetings! More meetings! Adult decisions about finances! Fun stuff! More fun stuff! So much that I can't believe it's actually fall. It's almost October, people. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around that.<br />
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I've managed to get some writing done this month, though. Mostly on a secret project, but I'm diving into backstory and new outline for the WIP this week. I need to catch up on writing-business emails and work on a submission package for a publisher.<br />
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I'd like to get back into guitar lessons and take an improv class, but any time I spend doing those activities takes away from my writing, and that's a sacrifice I'm not willing to make right now. Experiencing life and writing make you a better writer; it's tough to know when to experience life and when to sit your ass in the chair and write.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-76363620118986375752013-09-12T10:27:00.000-05:002013-09-12T10:27:00.804-05:00Prophet of Bones by Ted Kosmatka--book reviewFor those of you who don't know Ted Kosmatka's work, he has a knack for making hard science concepts accessible through thoughtful blending with fictional elements. In<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prophet-Bones-Novel-Ted-Kosmatka/dp/0805096175/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378652871&sr=1-1&keywords=prophet+of+bones"> Prophet of Bones</a>, Kosmatka turns the evolution of man on its head; in this world, carbon dating and the study of DNA have proven the creationists were right and evolutionists such as Darwin were wrong. Science and religion are friends, not enemies. That is, until strange bones are discovered during an archaeological dig on the island of Flores. What are the implication of these strange, almost-human bones? When the bones are stolen and people with the dig start dying, the fearless hero Paul looks for answers on his own.<br />
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Admittedly, the book started off a bit slow; while there is plenty of mystery and intrigue early on, the plot didn't start to really rock and roll until half-way through. However, the slow beginning pays dividends at the end, and its well worth reading. The world Kosmatka creates is thought-provoking, the science is solid (the author includes a reference section in the back for those who want to delve into scientific papers), and the prose is clean and linear. Fans of science-thrillers shouldn't miss this book.<br />
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Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-24726843392171955972013-09-08T10:06:00.003-05:002013-09-08T10:06:57.969-05:00The dust has settledSort of.<br />
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The house is sold, the boxes are (mostly) unpacked, and we're officially relocated to Chicago. Ken and I are getting accustomed to living in the city. It's much different than being suburbanites. We don't have a yard, we barely drive, and our place is half the size of our old house. We don't cook as much because we have dozens of restaurants within walking distance. I've almost kicked my Massive Diet Coke habit because I never want to lug a 12-pack home from the store. I've found a local knitting group that meets at a pub once a month, a group of writers that meet once a week, and I'm searching for fellow geeks to hang out with. I'm hoping to pick up the cycling habit before it gets too cold to ride a bike. It's a different sort of pace, and I like it a lot. If you had told me five years ago I'd be living in the city of Chicago, I wouldn't have believed you. Just goes to show you how rewarding life can be when you open your mind to new experiences.<br />
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Now that life is settling down somewhat, I'm getting back into the writing groove. I'm working on a novella, shopping around my latest YA novel and working on its sequel, rewriting a short story, and rewriting a short story I wrote early in my career. I have a few pieces coming out later this year (a story in COINS OF CHAOS and an essay in CHICKS DIG GAMING). As always, my writing career isn't moving along as fast as I would like (impatient Kelly is impatient), but it certainly isn't stagnant.<br />
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<br />Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-74470863942990197532013-06-24T22:37:00.000-05:002013-06-24T22:37:00.755-05:00Updatery<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little bit of this and a little bit of that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've sold our house and will close--if everything goes well--on July 26th. We will then be official Chicagoans. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will be so happy to live in one place, I can't even tell you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a secret project due July 25th. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a little stressed but you know. It's a good stress. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once things die down, I'm going to start up guitar lessons again. And exercise a bit more regularly. And hang out with friends and read and write 1K a day again and explore our new city and and and. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Basically still be busy by filling my life with enriching activities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-38643420201524117942013-06-12T15:52:00.002-05:002013-06-24T22:30:41.380-05:00Origins 2013!<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How did it get to be mid-June already? That’s not a rhetorical question. I really want to know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhoo, since it’s mid-June, that means I’m at Origins Game Fair in Columbus. It’s my first time as a writing-program event planner, and while I’m a bit nervous, so far it’s going well. If you’re in the environs of the Convention Center and want to stalk me at some writing panels, here’s my schedule:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thursday 10 a.m., room 223: Hey! I’ve got a day job!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday, 11 a.m., room 223: Women Writing Horror</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday, noon, room 222: Sexism, How much is too much?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday, 11 a.m., room 223: A writing group is not just a group of writers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday, 11 a.m., room 222: Writing Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll be in the Library area of the dealer hall most other times. When I’m not eating or playing games, that is. Origins is a gaming convention, so I expect I’ll be sleep-deprived and over-caffeinated by Sunday afternoon. Which is as it should be. </span></div>
Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-37014515171922992182013-05-24T13:25:00.002-05:002013-06-24T22:30:53.859-05:00My very first fiction editor credit!<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm able to share the cover and TOC from my very first anthology as an editor. I'm so excited for this to get into the hands of readers. It's available at<a data-mce-href="http://www.originsgamefair.com/" href="http://www.originsgamefair.com/"> Origins Game Fair</a> and has a limited print run of 400 copies.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFWYwsfjaqKZ8inQSF8vlZHa9Xde7Vzponfls8Hh-uWIeE0o_RgJ3pynE2VOOIBtPcnIX35IMXluRd0fxWgjKjyWM3Lxnw80Rb0KkYiwZg_Mn3bA6EVwi2qZ4DalSyZEqVnWWrQ/s1600/HEROES!+cover+front.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFWYwsfjaqKZ8inQSF8vlZHa9Xde7Vzponfls8Hh-uWIeE0o_RgJ3pynE2VOOIBtPcnIX35IMXluRd0fxWgjKjyWM3Lxnw80Rb0KkYiwZg_Mn3bA6EVwi2qZ4DalSyZEqVnWWrQ/s320/HEROES!+cover+front.png" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heroes!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green Room-Aaron Allston</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hero's Final Walk-Timothy Zahn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Raven-Maxwell Alexander Drake</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He Was A Marvelous Man-Janine K. Spendlove</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Blank Canvas-Patrick S. Thomlinson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waking Up-Dylan Birtolo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fellow Traveler-Donald J. Bingle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the Seat of Your Pants-Sheryl Nantus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Invincible-Sarah Hans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blue Boy-Daniel Myers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bloom-Bradley P. Beaulieu</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Memories Like Crystal Shards-Jennifer Brozek</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Caretaker of Mire-Gregory A. Wilson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Commodore-Bryan Young</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunny Acres Home of the Specialized Care of the Elderly-Addie J. King</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Fixed State-Aaron Rosenberg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interview-R. T. Kaelin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Blood and Fang and Song, We Call You-Jaym Gates</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bindings-Steven Saus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheshire Moon-Tracy Chowdhury</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The One Where the Dad Dies-Kelly Swails</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Field Trip-Michael A. Stackpole</span></div>
Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-24259023482580276252013-05-24T11:53:00.002-05:002013-05-24T11:54:53.730-05:00I'm back!I'm resurrecting the blogger blog for a few reasons.<br />
<br />
1. Google is my master now.<br />
2. I'm tired of LJ hijinks, and I never used it anyway. (I'm not deleting, though--if you wanna peruse the archives, use the linky over there.)<br />
3. I might actually cross-post my writing group blog over to here, and subsequently cross-post this content to my website and goodreads and such. You know. For exposure and shit.<br />
4. I kinda want to get into the personal blogging game again. We'll see how long that lasts.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-73097989580914700202008-10-11T14:46:00.002-05:002008-10-11T14:52:50.339-05:00Thus endeth the run ...Sort of.<br /><br />Fine. Livejournal wins. I'm going to blog mostly at livejournal now--the "Copyright infringement" linky is on the left. Or, you can access the blog from my webpage at <a href="http://www.kellyswails.com/">www.kellyswails.com</a>. Or go straight there at kelly_swails.livejournal.com.<br /><br />I'm not going to delete this blog, because there's some cool stuff in the archives. And you never know, someday if I become a writer full time I might want to upkeep two blogs again.<br /><br />Why the change, you ask?<br /><br />Well, LJ has lots of cool features, and I feel like more people read that blog, anyway. Also, I've had a hard time separating my "writing" self from the rest of my life. Keeping two blogs for different aspects of my life has become increasingly cumbersome.<br /><br />So, goodbye, blogger. It's been a good run. And we can still totally be friends.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-68779755686097258272008-10-02T22:03:00.004-05:002008-10-02T22:09:06.396-05:00Politics -R- UsWatched the VP debate tonight. While I feel Palin redeemed herself a bit, I don't know that this debate changed any minds. The Obama supporters will love Biden; the McCain supporters will love Palin; and who knows what the undecideds will do. Almost a month away from the elections, and I think it's still a coin toss.<br /><br />Interesting <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/01/beck.future/index.html">article</a> by Glenn Beck. Something to think about. Politicians are so busy being partisan that democracy itself is in peril. It's crap like this that almost--almost!--makes me want to run for public office.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-60720214598847188122008-10-02T22:02:00.001-05:002008-10-02T22:02:45.565-05:00WARNING: DON'T VOTE (Jennifer Aniston, Leonardo Dicaprio, Halle Berry, Sarah Silverman, ...)<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/d8y1e-z1JA0' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/d8y1e-z1JA0'/></object></p></div>Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-57431414469641465592008-09-21T16:04:00.004-05:002008-09-21T16:12:43.545-05:00Busy WeekendFriday: Me and Ken's 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> wedding anniversary. We celebrated by making a big flowerbed (brick edging, fill in with topsoil) and scattering sand around our backyard to help alleviate our drainage problems. Afterwards, we ate an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">unsatisfying</span> dinner at Outback Steakhouse. We then commenced to ... lounge ... at home.<br /><br /><br /><br />Saturday: We finished up the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">yard work</span> and then headed to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Chicagoland</span> to visit Ken's college friends. One of them had been named on of the "top 40 Illinois attorneys under 40", so we attended a nice dinner party complete with wine, appetizers, and dessert. We pretend this is our anniversary dinner instead of the fiasco from the night before.<br /><br /><br /><br />Sunday: Traveled home only slightly worse for wear. Ken is watching sports while procrastinating on schoolwork; I am doing laundry, cleaning, and contemplating a walk. I also <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">foresee</span> a trip to the grocery store. Later I will polish a flash fiction piece and send it off.<br /><br /><br /><br />All in all, quite productive. I'll sleep well tonight, I think.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-82434457681787869882008-09-14T15:35:00.003-05:002008-09-14T15:41:12.401-05:00Soggy SundayThe <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">remnants</span> of Hurricane Ike came through Central Illinois today. I have no idea how many inches we got. I heard predictions of 6 to 8, and that would probably be about right. Earlier I tried to drive to McDonald's to get breakfast and the highway had standing water. I probably could have made it through, but why risk it for an iced coffee? I didn't want to do laundry because I didn't want to overtax the sump pump (which has been working overtime to keep our basement dry, thankyouverymuch). So what have I accomplished today? Nothing, and it's been wonderful. I read a book and knitted and slept. There is something so decadent and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">marvelous</span> about a Sunday-afternoon nap.<br /><br />The rain has no passed and so I must try to get some laundry done. A girl's gotta have clean underwear, don't ya know.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-5034228412993378982008-09-11T17:10:00.003-05:002008-09-11T17:32:56.231-05:00Ah, fall.Fall is my favorite time of year. Yesterday was 75 and sunny and perfect. Today is drizzly and 75; tomorrow will be rainy and a bit colder, I suspect. I love love love when the trees start to turn and the weather turns chilly and it's jeans-and-sweatshirt weather. I love when it's too cold to sleep with the windows open but not cold enough to turn on the heat. I love the mums and the high school football games and the pumpkins. I love pulling out fall and Halloween decorations. I love baking oatmeal cookies and buying candy "for Halloween" a month in advance. <br /><br />This is the time of year I feel most alive.<br /><br />Last week when I drove past our local high school the lights were on over the football field and a pack of girls crossed the street in front of me, on their way to the game. Back when I was that age, the Friday Night Football Game was the place to be. My friends and I would pour wine coolers into 32-ounce "Hawk Mugs" the local Hardee's sold and sneak them into the game. We'd walk around the track while the game happened so we could See and Be Seen. The cool kids hung out behind the home goal posts. The stoners held court underneath the bleachers. Some kids lined the fence around the field and actually watched the game. The liquor made the lights brighter than they were and now makes some of my memories surreal. We'd wear green and white and sing the fight song and drink our drinks fast so we wouldn't actually get caught with the goods. Afterwards we'd drive around the back country roads and try to find the after-game party, or we'd hang out on the square and be obnoxious, or we'd drive to Jerseyville to get pizza. Anything to sober up before curfew.<br /><br />This is the time of year I feel most nostalgic. It's weird, too, because I didn't really like high school all that much. I don't keep in contact with hardly anyone I went to high school with. All I wanted was to graduate, leave, and never go back. I have no intention of ever living there, but when I think about my hometown, this time of year especially, I get the warm fuzzies.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-42148218858950649182008-09-11T16:49:00.000-05:002008-09-11T16:50:01.384-05:009/11I remember. We all remember.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-3732864387667388062008-09-08T21:39:00.004-05:002008-09-08T21:44:29.976-05:00downtimeKen and I carpooled into work today, and on the way home we went to Petsmart to check out the wall o' rescue kitties. So cute! We've talked about getting another girl kitty, but none at the store jumped out at us. The right one will find us when it's time.<br /><br />I did a little bit of writing neepery tonight, but mostly I knitted and watched the movie <em>Contact </em>on TV. We recently (read: last week) ditched cable and got Direct TV, and I have to say I'm enjoying the upgrade.<br /><br />And now I'm going to go read in bed. Ah, free time.<br /><br />In the next few days I'm starting on a new writing project. I will try to be better about regular posting, though.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-16597162646264881852008-09-07T14:19:00.002-05:002008-09-07T14:22:32.754-05:00Public service announcementsYou can buy the <em>Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog</em> soundtrack on iTunes. Go forth and enjoy all the Bad-Horse goodness.<br /><br />Season 4 of <em>How I Met Your Mother</em> started September 22nd. Go forth and and enjoy all the story-telling goodness.<br /><br />Yeah, I finished the draft of the WIP today. How could you tell?Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-11211088055078552222008-09-07T14:11:00.003-05:002008-09-07T14:19:40.221-05:00I knew yardwork was a bad idea<div>This weekend Ken and I finally stopped talking about putting in a flowerbed and started working on it. We cleared weeds, we dug a trench, we poured sand, we moved bricks. Now all we need to do is get in a truckload of dirt and decorative rock to actually make the bed. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Oh, and yeah, we have to get a new sliding glass door, too. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I'm not saying who was operating the trimmer when a rock got thrown. I will say I heard the hit, looked at the house to find the dent in the siding, and saw the spiderweb cracks in the window. </div><br /><div>Luckily it's a double-paned window so we're not imminent danger of getting a living room full of glass. Never fear, a call has been made to the insurance agent. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For your viewing pleasure: </div><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7OP_FFVlQuhE11zOGelL91MgV0g9FwygOYBsn9XAJksXACXWzCdwm4fa4lt7KRlkkskemr53km6khPCC0gpMtIwYHc6hwbHApTIj6iDH-J7AfcGjX8o3CGvShFxQrgPpW3JGeg/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243360921445679714" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7OP_FFVlQuhE11zOGelL91MgV0g9FwygOYBsn9XAJksXACXWzCdwm4fa4lt7KRlkkskemr53km6khPCC0gpMtIwYHc6hwbHApTIj6iDH-J7AfcGjX8o3CGvShFxQrgPpW3JGeg/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a>Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-75300493658594419292008-09-01T08:08:00.002-05:002008-09-01T08:11:23.069-05:00I know, I know ...... I've been remiss about posting lately. But! I've had my head down on the WIP. That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it. If the planets align correctly, I could have a second draft done by 10 p.m. tonight. Fingers crossed! And then, my pretties, you will inundated with blog content from yours truly.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-59026057613968155992008-08-25T16:11:00.002-05:002008-08-25T16:32:32.982-05:00Frolicking in the snowMy niece just started her freshman year of college. On Saturday I visited her, took her to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wal</span>-mart and out to dinner, and basically just hung out with her. It was a good time, and since she's attending college about 40 minutes away from my house, it's an experience that I'll repeat a few times a month.<br /><br />Seeing her dorm room was an eye-opening experience. So tiny! It's hard to believe that my dorm room wasn't much bigger than hers. Back then it had seemed huge because it was something of mine that didn't belong to my parents. It represented freedom and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Independence</span> and potential. I laughed and cried and learned how to make new friends in that room. I stayed up late and stressed about classes and worried about failing and watched the walls spin from drinking too much free beer. Watching my niece go through that experience now is exciting.<br /><br />L. is on the 8<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> floor, and so she's got a pretty kick-ass view. As soon as I saw the expanse of treetops I was back in St. Louis, watching the first snowfall of my freshman year. I could smell the freshness of the snow, see the ice form on the inside of the window, and hear a few <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">floormates</span> knock on the door, saying we should play outside. Myself and three others--people whom I haven't talked to in fifteen years--played in the falling snow at 2 a.m. We ran around the quad and made snow angels and had a snowball fight and built a snowman. We played so long that once I got inside, my body stayed cold for hours afterward. I smile when I remember hanging my wet clothes all around my half of the room, hoping my coat and glove would dry before class on Monday.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-13780983857376723752008-08-25T15:55:00.003-05:002008-08-25T16:11:29.459-05:00Movie Review--Tropic Thunder<em>Tropic Thunder</em> is an action/comedy starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downy Jr., Jack Black, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1040365/">Brandon T. Jackson</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0059431/">Jay Baruchel</a>. Actors shooting a Veitnam War-era movie are accidently dropped into the middle of a baaaaaad situation and are forced to become the soldiers they are protraying. The acting is great. Robert Downy Jr. is especially good. The screenplay is awesome; the movie has an actual plot and all the humor, action, and emotion make sense. Jack Black plays a strung-out movie star, and he rocks as usual. Black never holds back, and his performance in <em>TT</em> is no exception. I'll definitely buy this movie once it comes out on DVD. Here's the thing, though: I'd pay full price to see this movie again because of Tom Cruise. He plays a pudgy studio head, and he's <em>awesome</em>. He's only in a few scenes, but they rocked. So, go! You'll laugh! You'll laugh harder!Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-59641875064604622112008-08-25T10:38:00.001-05:002008-08-25T10:40:51.196-05:00Olympic glory<a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/track_field/news?slug=cr-somalirunners082408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns">Here's</a> the best story of the Olympics. Anything I say will get in the way. Go read.Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16769486.post-72206857624002418492008-08-21T19:16:00.001-05:002008-08-21T19:18:57.827-05:00Yep, sounds about right<p><em>Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...</em></p><h4>HBPS - The Optimist</h4><p>Humanity, Background, Big Picture, and Shape</p><p style="text-align:center"><img src="http://cdn.okcimg.com/php/load_okc_image.php/images/0x0/0x0/0/15270082072270399565.jpeg" width="500" height="213" /></p><br /> <div><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">You perceive the world with particular attention to humanity. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on humanity, you tend to seek out other people and get energized by being around others. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.</p><br /><br /><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> </p><br /><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> </p><br /><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> </p><br /><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> </p><br /><p style="margin-bottom:0in;"> </p><br /><p style="margin-bottom:0in;">The Perception Personality Types:</p><br /><img src="http://cdn.okcimg.com/php/load_okc_image.php/images/0x0/0x0/0/16715388163861827773.gif___1_500_1_2000_7fa54554_.jpg" alt="16715388163861827773.gif___1_500_1_2000_7fa54554_.jpg" /></div><p><a href="http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/the-perception-personality-image-test">Take The Perception Personality Image Test</a> at <a>href="http://www.helloquizzy.com/"><b style="color:#131313"><span style="color:#ac000c">H</span>ello<span style="color:#ac000c">Q</span>uizzy</b></a></p>Kelly Swailshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08712523963592799928noreply@blogger.com2