Random stuff about creating order from chaos

Hurray! It seems our new cabinets and appliances will be delivered the last week in August, at the short end of the 4-6 weeks we were initially quoted.  For several reasons, we feel really good about our decision to buy from Lowe’s. We received excellent service from expert staff; also, we admire the corporation’s principled decision to withdraw their advertising dollars from a hate-spewing, fact-challenged cable television show.

 

This morning, I’m registering for a night class! Along with a friend from my writing group, I’m going to take Novel Workshop: Revising Manuscripts for Publication. The topics listed in the course outline sounds really interesting. For example, have you ever heard of these plot structure devices: Bowling Alley/Picaresque, Hour Glass, and Drawing Room Disaster? Aside from learning more about the key elements of fiction-writing, I like the fact that we’ll critique sample pages every week.  Can you say accountability? 


Tonight, we’re going to the Orange County Fair. My husband likes to re-visit certain exhibits every year – the Ginsu Knife salesman’s a favorite, for unabashedly kitschy showmanship, and the corkscrew-tailed piglets are incredibly cute. And the food…oh, the food! While I’m scouring the fareway for healthier fare, he heads straight for the heart-attack stands. His typical menu: bratwurst and barbecued corn on the cob, an oversized cinnamon roll, and soft-swirl ice cream to cleanse the palate. At the end of the night, as always, he’ll roll out to the parking lot, ala Templeton in Charlotte’s Web.

Okay, gotta go…I’m headed to the slab yards to pick out granite for our countertops. Yabba-dabba-doo, and I hope you’ve got a fun day planned, too!
  



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41 Comments

  2. Oh, the Orange County Fair sounds a lot like the Del Mar fair — I’ve been twice now. But the last time was with child in tow, and it wasn’t nearly as fun 😉 (D was about 11 months at the time, so the noise and people made him a tad fussy.) Have fun with both the food and the counters 😉

    • Yeah, I think little kids sometimes get lost in the crowd — meaning, they’re so far below eye level that they sometimes get jostled.

      Are you going to the fair this year? You totally should — and have a fried twinkie, so you can tell me what it tastes like. *shudders to think* 🙂

    • Yay for Lowe’s!

      I had a wonderful time at the fair…it was good to get away from the kitchen mishegas, at least for the night. Are you going to your county fair?

    • I’ll share what I learn in my class; I’m looking forward to it and the chance to break free from the kitchen mess at least one night a week.

      Thanks for your cheery words. 🙂

  8. I heard the Orange County Fair was fun. When I was there a few weeks ago, my bf’s bro and his family went there. They came back with a big bag of kettle corn. Have fun!

  9. YAY! You read dKos!!!! Do you have a handle there? I’m Kevin in Long Beach over yonder. Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised you wander around dKos. 🙂

    I’m so happy that your cabinets are coming in earlier than expected! That rocks! Maybe this will be quick and relatively painless after all. *fingers crossed*

    Have fun at the Fair! I love the Fair… it’s a lot of fun. And jsut a question… have you ever found healthier fare at the Fair? lol… I think my head almost exploded when I saw the Deep Fried Snickers Bars. Bleh!

    Granite countertops? Very nice!!!

    Have a great day!!!

    • I read DKos, but I don’t post or comment there. I’ll have to look for you.

      Just realized that it’ll be at least 3 weeks after the cabinets come, until everything’s installed. That’s a l-o-n-g time, isn’t it? But at least almost everything’s ordered now, including the labor. Whew.

      I had healthy fare, by the way: barbecued chicken on a skewer, and a roasted ear of corn, no butter. Not bad, right?

      • Oh, 3 weeks will fly by before you know it. The hard part is out of the way, so now you just have to sit back and let the workers do their thing! And before you know it, you’re going to have a spankin’-new kitchen!!!

        Healthy fare? At the faire??? What’s wrong with you? lol….

  11. Good for Lowe’s. I’m happy to say our island cable company is a no-O’Reilly zone, although I’m sure you can get it on satellite if you’re so inclined bleh.

    That novel workshop sounds terrific and I’m often a little plot challenged but I would be particularly fascinated to learn more about those bowling alley … plot structure devices. I’m a fairly picaresque character, I think … not 😀

    Have fun at the fair. We used to follow the carny circuit in a previous lifetime. Trust me when I say you’re wasting your time finding healthy fare at the fair. But you like pink and blue, don’t you? Cotton candy comes in both those colours 😀

    Have a yabba-dabba-doo-y day!!

    • We’re looking forward to the same lessons in that class. 🙂

      Oooh, I wanna hear more about the carny circuit someday. You’ve piqued my curiosity about your picaresque lifestyle.

      I did find healthy food, so there! 🙂

      • How ’bout we wear our pink and blue flipflops, eat pink and blue cotton candy and I’ll tell you carny circuit stories? Fun, hmmm??

        What I want to know is how they got the corn onto the skewers 😀

  12. I’ve been giving my business to Lowe’s for some time now because I know that Home Despot is a big Repugnican donor. Glad your transactions went well!

    The night class sounds wonderful and the other students are lucky to have you as a classmate.

    It’s great fun going to the fair. The Alaska state fair was especially fun with its enormous cabbages and such. Eat a funnel cake for me!

    Are you going to post pictures of the granite? Pretty please?

    • I posted pictures of the granite just for you, Tracy, because you asked. 🙂 They don’t do it justice, but they’ll give you the general idea.

      (HUGS)

      • Ooh, that’s lovely. I’m so sorry your kitchen got swamped but I’m happy it’ll be transformed with the help of that granite.

        Thanks for letting me see. Someday soon maybe I can visit SoCal and come see you and your kitchen!

  13. I Will Never Take You for Granite {}

    Reading a Melodye Post is an exercise in Literary How To’s. You nail the emotions, the timing, the climaxes, the anti-info-dumping, the sensory perceptions and g-d do I love your characters MOST of all. So fully fleshed out. So real I could kiss them.

    The Husband and I discovered LOWE’S before the summer. It’s so pretty there, as far as home supply materials go. HOME DEPOT sends me into artificial labor pains. Same with those Costco stores. I just don’t fit in there. I don’t get them.
    I don’t like light bulbs and nails and lumber.

    What sort of counter tops did you buy? Real live granite? What color?

    Are you eating out a lot this summer? I confess F and I have used our kitchen as a way station these past weeks while the kids have been in camp. I love the looseness and freedom of just eating anywhere, anytime, any place that strikes our fancy.

    Your novel workshop sounds provocative. Do you know who will be your instructor? I believe I have mentioned a number of times that you have the tools (words, imagination) to become a great novelist. You heard it here first. {}

    (Avoid learning about accountability if you’re looking to work for the present White House squatters.) :{

    Java, I, too, am a faithful DAILY KOS reader. Another Must Read is Josh Marshall’s TALKING POINTS MEMO. Less interactive but if you want to read the news, there’s the place to go.

    Hope you and the Husband enjoyed your journey and juicy munchies at the fair. You stopped my heart for a moment. We have an Orange County Fair in the Middletown, NY (gateway to the Catskills) area. For a brief, shining moment, I thought you were on MY side of the USA.

    Sending all my love to you, my bedrock friend.

    “Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllmmmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaa!”

    • Re: I Will Never Take You for Granite {}

      My love to you, too…

      I’ll get back to you with answers to your questions, when I’ve got a few more minutes for a longer response, and also when you feel more like reading them than you probably do tonight.

      (((((HUGS)))))

  15. I think my husband likes this fried avocado thing at the OC fair. It has beef in it though, which is slightly strange.

    I haven’t been in YEARS (the grandparents always take the kids.)

    HAve fun!

    Mar

    • *shudders to think* Most of the food is so horrible and so bad for you…but the fair was tons of fun!

      How are you doing, Mar? I’m glad you stopped by to say hello! 🙂

      • I’m doing fine. But I AM busy, for which I am grateful.

        Maybe coffee this month? My two kids are heading off to vacation with the grandparents next week.

        Mar

        • I’d love to meet up with you for coffee! Name some possible dates and times so we can coordinate our schedules — let’s make it happen! 🙂

          newport2newport AT gmail DOT com

  16. You have no idea how much I appreciated the compliment about my writing about now. Thank you!

    And yeah, the accountability thing will be great — and it’ll get me away from my kitchen! 🙂

  17. I got all weepy-eyed, too. It was so very sweet and touching for her to write those words for me. Are you having fun with her book?

    YES for accountability is right! I’m looking forward to it.

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