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.

Back In The Saddle Again - I Hope

Hey everyone!

*chirping crickets*

Yeah, sorry. It's been crazy. What can I say. Just yesterday I had a doctor's appt. and she ordered more blood work for me. It took three women and 5 tries before one of them was successful. And you know they were twisting that needle and pushing it in and out, trying to get the blood flowing. Thirty five minutes later they got a tiny bit of blood. And I had a small fever off an on for the rest of the day from the experience.

Then I had to go get one of my fingers x-rayed. I swear the x-ray techs love to contortion their subjects. It's some type of competition for them. "Hey! Look what I can get my guy to do!"

Anywho, the urchins are back in school, and I'm rejoining the working world. It's all crazy around here.

But here are some good/funny highlights -

The oldest Urchin played two truths and one lie with her new teacher and the class on the first day of school. Here's her list.

My favorite color is red.
My birthday is this week.
I play roller derby.

I was so proud!

My father-in-law has been in atrial fibrillation for the past month and had to get his heart converted via electric shock. Though the procedure was no fun, it worked, and his heart is beating normally again.

I got to see my friend who has ALS.

I worked on my query letter for A Shot At Forever.

I'm trying to be more positive and look on the bright side, instead of the complaining I've been caught up in recently.  I might even join a blog hop that helps celebrate the little things every Friday. I need something, 'cause this blog hasn't been very tongue in cheek-y recently. And I really want that back!

You've been warned.

Until next time, Citizens.

Now Her Eyes Have It

The oldest Urchin, whose birthday party is this Saturday, has some allergy related swollen eyes thing going on.  Can she never have a birthday without crisis? Either I'm sick. Or a skunk and a hurricane stop by (not sure which was worse). Now swollen eyes.

We went to the doctor last night. Our appointment was at 8:40. PM. What the heck was that about? That's after her bedtime. I was tempted to take her in her pjs. The doctor was very nice. She recommended to keep giving her what I was giving her, confirmed that it wasn't contagious and sent us on our merry way. They're starting to look better, so hopefully by Saturday she'll be fine.

So I have party stuff to prepare, Monday is the first day of school for my girls, and I start my new job.

So many changes, and it's my writing time, of course, that has suffered.  I'll need to yet again strive for balance in my life. Which never seems to be very forth coming around here.

So what are your secrets to finding balance in your life? Any big changes coming down the pike?

The Eyes Still Have It

Yes, I'm still feeling the effects of my double eye infection. Which is making it hard for me to type, let alone visit the internet and all my favorite blogs.

And let me tell you, my eyes nearly popped out of my head today when I got a bill in the mail this afternoon from my ophthalmologist. I know I keep harping on the fact that he tried to shiv my eye way back in June, but now he's adding insult to injury by majorly over-charging my insurance for plucking a frigging eyelash.

You'll never guess how much he charged my insurance for coming at me with razor sharp tweezers and yanking out an eyelash without my permission.

$115.00.

Yes. You read that right. One-hundred-fifteen dollars. Of which I'm supposed to pay $40. For a split second's work, but a day's worth of throbbing ouch-i-ness to my lower eyelid.

How can they sleep at night?

In other related news, I haven't gotten anything written on my W.I.P. lately, and I'm bummed, but my eyes are just not up to it. So it's doubtful I'll be making my goal this month. Sigh. I really need to get on it!

So has anyone tried to shiv you recently? Any ridiculous overchargings to your insurance? Any infection related stories to share? Do tell. Cause I wanna know!

I'm A Geek Girl Too!

And I'm raising a pair of them.

I really enjoyed this video, but my favorite sign is at 2:45. I want to make it into a billboard and post it all over town.



Enjoy!