Thank you Follow Festers!

Hellooooo Follow Festers! (I'm getting an image that's a little like Uncle Fester, except with more hair.)

I wanted to say thank you to all the cool cats who came over and left a comment for me at Tongue in Cheek and commend those who bravely chose to publicly follow the craziness that goes on around here. I promise you probably won't regret it.

It was great to meet so many wonderful writers. And I can't wait to check in at all the new blogs I found through the Follow Fest.

A little about Tongue in Cheek. This is my beloved Crazy Dumping Ground. I keep up appearances in the real world all day and pretend to be a responsible adult, mom, teacher, etc. Here I get to let my hair down and purge the crazy into this blog.

I conduct author interviews occasionally, and talk about my writing sometimes, but it's mainly about the bizarre things that catch my fancy like never-ending supplies of taxidermied squirrels, the perils of Polka, proudly proclaiming that I'm a Geek Girl, attending the roller derby with my 70 year old mother, and commenting on the general all around lunacy that somehow always finds me in the world.

Though I do have a serious side that will on occasion slip in. My next post is going to be one of those. But I'm sure I'll be back to the nonsense before long. So thanks for signing on for the ride. Hope you're able to stop in and play along.

Until then, Citizens!

Follow Fest at Tongue In Cheek

Hi everybody! I found out about the Follow Fest at the last minute, and couldn't help but join in, even though I've never participated in a blog hop/fest before. Thanks to Melissa Maygrove for coming up with such a great idea! Be sure to check out all the cool authors signed up by clicking the Follow Fest picture above.

Now for the questions. 

Name: Ava Quinn

Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction. (Though everything on this blog is true. Except for the stuff that isn't.)

What genres do you write? Contemporary Western Romance.

Are you published? Not Yet.

Do you do anything in addition to writing? I mom, I work with a room full of three year olds 4 days a week, and I write. Did I mention that I mom?

Where can people connect with you?

Here at Tongue in Cheek or at my website avaquinn.com.

Blog - Tongue In Cheek - A Blog That Doesn't Quite Take Itself Seriously
Twitter- @AvaQuinnWrites  

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

I'm currently the president of my local chapter of Romance Writers of America. I ride a motorcycle. I'm the former 'Possum Queen of my county. I battle against the Sea Monkey tribe attempting to take over my bathtub when not trying to convert them to be my minions. And I occasionally find time to write.

I'm Still Tired

But not of this. This never gets old.



Madeline Kahn was such a fantastic comedienne. And Mel Brooks knew just how to work with her.

My favorite part of this song is at about 2:20 where she sings just slightly off key to fill in. What's your favorite?

I'm Going Against The Mainstream, Here

But what else is new?

Do you all remember the show Mad About You with Paul and Jamie Buckman?

Here's a quick refresher for you.



I enjoyed this show. There was one episode in particular that I've been thinking about lately.  They were both having terrible days and  kept trying to get to "The Feel Good Movie of the Year" and were thwarted at every turn until and act of kindness by the film projectionist at the very end of the show saved the day.

Right now, I really want there to be a Feel Good Movie of the Year. Everything that has come out recently seems to be either post apocalyptic or base humor that flaunts bodily functions and/or tears others down.



Are there any feel good movies out now? One that is light and funny and even, dare I say it, a little uplifting?

Help a gnome out. What do you recommend for lighter fare in the movie realm?

More Fun With Taxidermied Squirrels

Yes, folks, there's so much fun to be had with taxidermied squirrels. You didn't think I'd be able to find anything more entertaining than the ones from my previous post, did you? Well the gauntlet has been thrown down. Here are pictures of actual boxing taxidermied squirrels that I saw in all their moth-nibbled first hand glory when I visited Montana in July.

Upper cut. Upper cut. (Name that video game!)

Note the sheep in the background. This becomes important later.

EXTREME CLOSE UP!

 My mom sent me these photos since I'd forgotten to take them when I was there admiring coughshockedandmezmerizedinabadwaycough them in person. She included in the bottom of the email this picture that scared the ever loving crap out of me.

I could have done without that. (The lamb has a twin coming out of its back. Note the legs appearing as spider leg appendages and the two sets of ears.)

There was an entire case of taxidermied animals at this museum, and the Youngest Urchin, who just turned six, went through and named them all. Until she got to this one. She paused in her identifications, and deemed it, "A baby bobcat and its turkey friend."

Umm, friends don't let friends nibble on each other, Youngest Urchin. Just so you know.

And yet, despite the taxidermy, (or maybe because of it) a good time was had by all that day.

The Urchins, my mom and me. The Man is behind the camera.

What would you want to see in your taxidermy? Inquiring mind (me, of course) would like to know.

Sweat, Snot and Tears

Only one was mine.*

Yes, these are the joys of working with three year olds. I didn't list all the bodily fluid combinations that I may or may not come in contact with each day. I'm classy like that.

So the new job is in full swing, and I'm exhausted. I should be working on my manuscript as we speak, but I figured blogging is close enough at the moment. I'm trying to psych myself up and convince my decrepit, aging body that I have energy to spare. So far my body isn't buying it.

I'm having fantasies about hijacking a tractor trailer full of Red Bull. I think this is how addictions start and then later how I end up in the papers. I'll keep you posted.

Any advice or home remedies for exhaustion? Do you have a bootleg recipe for an energy drink? I can easily get my hands on a still, being as I'm the former county 'Possum Queen and all. Lay it on me in the comments!


* That would be sweat.