Quotable Books

Many people quote movies, but do you quote books in normal conversation or in occasional outbursts? Yeah, I do, too.

Here are a few from our household.

"Silencio!" and "Expelliarmus!" from Harry Potter

"Do it for Johnny!" from The Outsiders

Let's sleep in a "real pile." from Where the Wild Things Are (maybe that one is from the movie, can't remember if it's in the book too.)

"You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may." from Green Eggs and Ham

"You've got the cheese touch!" from Diary of a Wimpy Kid

"Wanna see my secret freckle? It's got a hair in it!" Diary of a Wimpy Kid (okay, that is inspired by the movie, too)

"Who Pooped in the Park?" from Who Pooped in the Park? - a book about scat in various national parks!

Various Shel Silverstein poems like "Chester," "Two Tutors" and "Boa Constrictor." Yeah, I just say them occasionally out loud to the kids. They are funny! I've memorized so many Silverstein poems since my childhood.

WHAT BOOK QUOTES DO YOU USE IN YOUR DAILY CONVERSATIONS?

Speaking of Johnny, did anyone catch Ralph Macchio on Dancing with the Stars? I don't watch it, but I had to google him on Youtube to see how he did! Dance on, Dance off!

Is anyone else having trouble cutting and pasting into blogger or adding pictures? Every time I try to add a picture or video, it closes! Arrgh! It's so frustrating that I'm not blogging as much (that and I'm busy!!!). Have a great rest of your week, friends!

This and That Thursday

WRITING
About three years ago I wrote a picture book called "Rockabet." It was an ABC book of rock 'n' roll. There was nothing like it anywhere in print. I submitted it to publishers, one being somewhat interested but passed, and then I moved on to writing two poetry collections and a middle grade novel. I was perusing Amazon.com yesterday and discovered an "ABC's of Rock 'n' Roll" picture book. ARRRRRGHHHH! It was written by someone in the music business and even had a blurb by Iggy Pop on its cover. I know the author didn't steal my idea; it's just frustrating when I knew I had a novel concept, and then I see it in print (and that publishers nixed my similar idea).
My book is slightly different as I had catchy couplets like

"A is for Aerosmith
Their first hit, "Dream On."

B is for the Beatles
George, Ringo, Paul, John." and so on.

Their book is the letter and the name of the band with a cool graphic on each page plus of course we have many different musicians listed. I wonder if mine is different enough to pursue sometime in the future... What do you think? And has this ever happened to you?

READING

I haven't had as much time to read as I'd liked, but I started reading Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner, and I'm amazed by her elegant, vivid, descriptive words.

What are you reading?

BLOGGING

Lots of huge news in blogland!

First, huge CONGRATS to Carolina Valdez Miller! She is now agented, and I am thrilled for her! Go to her blog and wish her congrats plus enter the amazing contest she is having. Win a Kindle, critique and books!

And yes there is more excellent news!
WriteOnCon 2011 is scheduled for August 16, 17,18! Woot!

I was a big winner in three blog contests in the last two weeks. First, thank you to Sherrie Peterson. I won Michael Spradlin's The Youngest Templar: KEEPER OF THE GRAIL on her blog . Also thanks to the fab WriteOnCon ladies, I won Lisa and Laura Roecker's book Liar Society plus yummy chocolate covered Twizzlers. Then I won Odd Girl In by Jo Whittemore at PJ Hoover's blog! I'm starting to feel guilty (but very appreciative) about all these wins. I think I'll stop entering blog contests for a few weeks and let new peeps win; I'll channel my luck to the agent world!

LIFE
I decided to join in on the Blueboarder Biggest Loser Challenge. My goal is to lose 8 pounds in 9 weeks. I'm in my second week. Last week I gained a pound, but lost 1/2 of that this week so I'm up 1/2 pound. Go Kelly! I'll track my progress here as I think it will give me motivation.
I exercise regularly anyway, but trying to do a little more. Plus drink more water. My biggest challenge is cutting down on sweets. I seriously eat like five desserts a day. So trying to cut down eventually to one a day. Anyone else doing the challenge?
It's a warm day in the Midwest. So happy to see the sun and feel the warmth. Happy St. Patty's Day to you all! I am a wee bit Irish, and I'll be enjoying some corned beef today! You?

MUSIC
This is for Carol.

Dear Diary 4

Write what you know. You can dig down and remember feelings of teen angst by looking back to your own experiences. If you kept a diary like I did, you can see how you really felt about your parents, boys, sports, boys, school, and boys.

Here's another excerpt from the Diary of a With It Kid series. If you missed my last entries, see my aspirations as a youth here, puke entry here, and a fourth grade entry here.

Today's entry is how youth really can use classic literature to help their love life. Also how I had my eye on another seventh grader while "going with" another. (sorry, Logan) I was such a heartbreaker (NOT!). And I changed the boy's names to protect their fragile hearts.

Read on to see...

January 31

You know how I like Chase but I'm goin' with Logan. Well, only Sandy, Jenny, and Becky know - hopefully noone else because I didn't tell anyone else. Well, I don't know if I want anyone to know - I kinda wish Logan would break up with me because I hate breaking up with people. I knew, because I did it one whole other time. And it was Chase the summer before this school year of seventh grade. And I had my bff call him to do it. I hope Chase likes me.

February 3rd

Chase is a total babe. He's my "leifie" (that's German for little loved one. I got it out of Diary of Anne Frank). He knows what it means & he calls me "leifie" too. (It's pronounced leafye, but we just say leafy) Greg, Robert, Becky, Jenny and I were reading Diary of Anne Frank - this one book because we had already passed the eighth grade book. Chase was walking from Art (we were in the cafeteria for reading group) and "liefie" came along in the story & I called him that (Becky knew why!). So we told him what it meant! I'm so sneaky... Maybe he just thought I was flirting with him. But anyway, we call eachother "leafie" now. Notice how I change the spelling throughout the entry. I hope he likes me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See, I've always had an affinity for exclamation points. I was (or rather Becky was for me) my go to break up for me gal supposed to break up with Logan today after 4th hour, but he left early. I think Becky will call him and break up with him for me. I'm such a coward! When 4th hour was almost over, my stomach was doing flip flops because I thought I was going to break up with him soon. Then he left.

Chase is like a totally awesome, foxy, tubular, vicious for sure BABE all the way. Like freak me out! What a fox! Yes, I really wrote that.

February 6

I broke up with Logan today. Mary Kate told him 1st hour. Mary Kate is apparently my other go to gal for breaking up with guys for me. Chase is still a babe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mary Kate likes Don so she won't go to the dance with John. Becky is still madly in love with Ryan. Nothing real exciting happened today. Um, I'm single! I did my round off back in gym. Can you believe I could do that?! That's a back flip!

Though that was the end of my friends breaking up with guys for me. My next three junior high boyfriends broke up with me. Bastards.

February 7

It's all over the school that I like Chase. First only five people knew.Then Mary Kate told Jim, Jim told Scott. Logan and Chris knew too! Don't ask me how??! Because you told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on, dipwad.

February 8

You'll never guess what Tracy told me! That Chase was going to give up girls for two years! Like, I'm so sure. Everybody (and I mean everybody) knows I like Chase. Way to be mysterious, Kelly.

February 10

The dance was okay. Becky doesn't like Ryan anymore, he's goin' with Jodi. Becky likes Joel. Mary Kate now likes John. I danced with Chase four times. He picked me twice and I picked him twice. I thought he'd ask me out but nooooooo. When we were dancing, Vicky came up and said, "Why don't you ask her out?" He shook his head. I could've killed her. I really thought he liked me because when Mary Kate asked him to dance he said, "No because I want to dance with Kelly." But the last dance he picked Tracy!

February 15

Chase gave Tracy a note Valentine's Day. He said he liked me for a friend, only for a friend. But scribbled out, "She's not my type." Oh, well. I started laughing when I read that. You go, girl. I think I like Jon, too. He's pretty funny. Yes, go for the funny ones, Kel!

February 23

Here's a list of total babes - Chase, Mike, Ricky Shroeder, Tom Howell, and Michael Jackson.

Boy crazy, much?

And those were the days of my seventh grade life. Who did you think was a total babe when you were in seventh grade?