Political Insanity

That George Bush...you can't blame him for trying.

So what's up with Obama and Hillary? The last I heard she was on TV totally gushing over the second man she probably ever hated. Don't get me wrong. I would love for her to be on the democratic ticket with Senator Obama simply because it would draw the democratic vote but, hey, I'm not into politics all that much so what do I know?

But..this year is different. We've already accomplished one major victory - this is the first time a black man has made it all the way to the democratic presidential hopeful for the White House and if Obama accepts Hillary as his running mate and he wins, the first time a woman became vice-president of the United States. History in the making. And the Boomer Chick is still around to see it.

My family were Democrats. Hell, my grandmother's favorite slogan was "damn yankees!" so I guess I'm a product of a confederate democrat. My grandmother...now that's a woman they needed in the white house. Take from the rich and give to the poor. And that's what I'm seeing is wrong with the Republican party. It's all about how rich they can get and not about how much money they can spare from their own pocket to help the poor. God knows they try - or they say they do. I don't know.

As I was watching the primaries, I was like a ping pong ball getting a good work out - going one way for Obama and the other way for Hillary. But since Obama won the democratic ticket, wouldn't it be neat if he chose Hillary as his running mate? Now that's a reality show the whole U.S. of A. would watch. Just think of the ratings, you television executives.

And I have a great idea. How about we do away with all this political insanity and put all the political incumbents in front of Simon, Paula and Randy and let the U.S. of A. decide who would make a better president by having them do stand-up comedy or magic tricks? Sure, they all give good speeches, but what would they do if they actually had to do something that required talent?

Oh wait, talent has nothing to do with being president.

Ha...I've got tours to work on...yak at you later...

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Obama, Hillary, George Bush, confederate democrat, President of the United States, Simon, Paula, Randy, democratic ticket, stand-up comedy, magic tricks, political satire, political video
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One Minute Maniacal Meanderings: Bikers & Backpacks

When bikers go on road trips that go just down the street and back, what in the hell are they carrying in those cumbersome backpacks? Change of clothes? Toothbrush? Books? Fishing pole? Kidnap victims?

Birthdays and Beaches

Yesterday was my son's 25th birthday, but we celebrated tonight with a feast to fit a king. Steamed shrimp, barbecued ribs, barbecued chicken, barbecued pork, baked beans, cole slaw, applesauce and cornbread, topped off with ice-cream and cake that my daughter made earlier as dessert.

The picture to the top left is the party scene before the party. A thunderstorm rolled through about 9 tonight so most of this stuff is sitting on the floor, lol, but that's the way it looked out the sliding glass doors off the living room.









Here's a better picture:



















After we ate, my daughter had this fantastic idea of walking along the beach, so I got a few pics while we were there...it was early evening by that time and getting ready to thunderstorm at that, so we had the beach all to ourselves...



















Here are the kids walking along the shoreline...



















Now this story gets even better. I was trying to find shells to put in my netting thingee on my deck and started walking. We walked a good ways when I saw a beautiful stretch of sand with actual dunes. This place used to have dunes so high that they had to build steps over them so you could get from your car to the beach without messing them up, but over the years, the storms have leveled them. But, this place we found, there were still a few dunes left. There was a sign that said do not walk on dunes so we eased in back of the signs and found...this...



















Paradise. We walked through the grasses and I took a few more pictures...keep in mind not too many people have seen this as it's strictly off limits but...there was no one around...and well I had a camera and the worse that could happen would be for them to come out and tell us we couldn't go back there and you know me...




















This is an actual dune. A freaking actual dune. You just don't see them anymore here because of the storms taking them all away and, yet, here was a perfect dune, hidden away from everyone...preserved...I walked further and there was a beautiful body of water and I even found a couple of piping plovers! Omg, piping plovers! These birds were near extinction at one time and I got them on film! The piping plover picture is right after this one...




































Aren't they the cutest things you ever saw? And this last one is the walk back...that's my son...I don't know who enjoyed his birthday more...him...or me. ;o)

SPECIAL GUEST AUTHOR: BOOMER CHICK PHYLLIS ZIMBLER MILLER

I have a special boomer chick guest today! Phyllis Zimbler Miller is one of my clients at Pump Up Your Book Promotion and I asked her if she would write something special for my Boomer Chick blog today to help promote her virtual book tour this month. She loved the idea because "although I'm the co-author of a nonfiction published book, this is my first novel and I actually self-published because, as my 60th birthday approached, I said, 'heck with waiting for others to say yes to me. I'm too old to wait around.'

I am finding that the older one gets, the more one starts thinking about the time issue and it's not any different for boomer chicks who need to get their books out there before they deem themselves 'too late.' Phyllis would like to tell you how it's thanks to being a boomer chick that she even got her book published in the first place. Take it away, Phyllis...

It’s thanks to my being a boomer chick that my book MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL is now available through Amazon. The story of how this happened may encourage some of you reading this guest blog to get off your fanny and follow your own dream:

Thirty-eight years ago in May 1970 I became a new Mrs. Lieutenant – the wife of a second lieutenant on active duty in the U.S. Army – when I went with my husband to Ft. Knox , Kentucky , for him to attend Armor Officers Basic.

As most of you will remember, this was the time of the Vietnam War and, days before on May 4, the Ohio National Guard had shot and killed four Kent State University students during an anti-Vietnam War protest. Four days earlier, on April 30^th, Nixon had announced an incursion into Vietnam ’s neighbor Cambodia .

As a newly married Jewish woman from outside Chicago , the world of the army was alien to me. Yet, due to the times as well as the specific women I met during the nine weeks of Armor Officers Basic, I had a very unique experience.

Almost 20 years ago I told the story of this unique experience to two female producers, and they optioned the story for a possible film. They took the story “around town” ( Hollywood ), and then came back to me and said: “People don’t get the story. You’ll have to write the book first.” By the time I had written the first draft of the book, the two producers had moved on to other projects.

Thus began years of rewriting and rewriting, learning to be a novelist instead of a journalist. Because, of course, this story had to be fictionalized to both add dramatic structure as well as protect identities.

And all through these last 20 years, women who read a version of the manuscript liked the story, while agents and editors at publishing houses said “no way.” One editor said that the story was no longer relevant because there was no longer any racial prejudice in the U.S. Another editor rejected the manuscript sight unseen because she said the women couldn’t meet through their husbands – they would have to meet at their mutual place of work, such as a law firm.

And a successful literary agent who had been the wife of an officer liked the manuscript but said: “I won’t be able to convince editors in New York to buy the project.”

My friend Loretta Savery has believed in this book for many years. One day this past December she forwarded an email from an acquaintance: “I’m tired of waiting for people to say yes to my novel. I’m publishing my book through a print-on-demand (POD) publisher.”

Now I knew what POD meant because my business partner Susan Chodakiewitz had been bugging me for the last few months to do this. And at that moment I had an epiphany – I said to myself: “I’m going to be 60 in March. Heck, I’m not waiting any longer for someone to say yes.”

And I also knew no matter what I’d have to do the marketing myself because that’s what Rabbi Karen L. Fox and I had to do in 1992 when Perigee published our Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Thus days later I was off and running, choosing BookSurge – Amazon’s print-on-demand unit.

And then, totally unrelated, a month later MRS. LIEUTENANT was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Through another one of those aha moments, I realized something about AmazonConnect – the ability for authors to have a blog on Amazon. And I was now off and running even faster, reading book after book about online marketing and online book promotion.

Fast forward to Sunday, April 13, when my husband and I were invited to dinner at the home of a friend. I had only given the final approval to the book on Thursday, April 10, although everyone had been bugging me to say yes and not worry if there were still one typo.

At 6:30 p.m. on April 13 when my friend opened her house door, I was greeted with a cry of “Surprise – Happy Birthday!” Even though I had a small suspicion (my younger daughter Yael that morning in yoga had uncharacteristically urged me to shave my legs), I was overwhelmed. My sister and my 83-year-old mother had flown in from Chicago , close army friends from when we were stationed in Munich were there from Phoenix , a dear friend drove in from Palm Springs , and there were so many LA people!

And the most surprising “guest” of all – 40 COPIES OF MRS. LIEUTENANT! Where did they come from? Turns out my older daughter Rachel, who produced this party, had been in cahoots with BookSurge. (My BookSurge publishing rep had told me that the presses were down as an explanation of why I didn’t yet even have the newest proof of the book.)

Anyway, I’m a pretty happy camper at the moment even though I’m now running even faster doing book promotion. Of course, I’m lucky that BookSurge recommended Pump Up Your Book Promotion for a virtual book tour. Working with Dorothy has been a delight! And, again, I’m so thrilled to be a guest blogger on Boomer Chick because MRS. LIEUTENANT is about us boomer chicks. Long may we prosper!

The moral of my story: If you’re waiting for someone to say yes to you for whatever it is, at this age look around and see if, instead, you can say yes to yourself!

P.S. To stroll down memory lane, check out original 1970 army documents on my website at www.mrslieutenant.com.

Editor's Note: Phyllis is on a virtual book tour with her book, MRS. LIEUTENANT. As part of her promotional campaign with us at Pump Up Your Book Promotion, we are giving away special prizes if you leave a comment on her tour stops. If you are a published author, you can win a FREE virtual book tour. If you are not published, you can win a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate. Leave a comment below and you could win one of these great prizes!

Technorati Tags:
virtual book tour, virtual blog tour, boomer chick, boomer generation, baby boomer, baby boomer generation, baby boomer author, Phyllis Zimbler Miller, Mrs. Lieutenant, women's fiction, women's fiction novel, women's fiction author, Vietnam War, President Nixon, army wives
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Trail Blazing

Today was absolutely beautiful. First day of tours and they went very smoothly, so I rewarded myself with a walk down a nature trail here on Chincoteague Island. What was so unique about this place is that not many people (except for Chincoteagers) know about this place. It wasn't run down with tourists (not yet anyway; it might be a bit early) and as a matter of fact, we only saw 3 people the entire time we were there - an elderly couple leaving, a woman jogger and a man who told us Skylar sounded like a pig. Okay, she did sound like a pig with all the grunting and groaning she was doing...that dog just can't hang...but I recognized the guy as the one who always rides around town on this scooter. Well he was sitting on one of the benches and he said that he was overlooking the same pond that he used to go ice skating as a kid many, many years ago.

After we walked the trail, we found a wonderful barbecue place called Woody's. Let me tell you this place is seriously smoking some of the best barbecue pork you'd ever tasted. It's right in front of one of the campgrounds and perfect for the campers as they don't have to walk far to get something other than McDonald's and tastes a lot better, too.

After that, my daughter had to go to work so I decided my fun wasn't over and walked the dogs down the dock. Now, I was hearing this rustling in the grasses and I didn't know what in the heck it was, but there were millions of these miniature looking crabs running all over the place and my question is...are they miniature crabs, or rather baby crabs or something else? I can't forget to ask someone around here who knows their local crustaceans.

After I put the dogs back in the condo, I grabbed BF's bike and headed to town. My goal was to get to town and come back, but I only made it to the carnival grounds, which still wasn't bad for the first time on a bike for that distance. Let me tell you, my behind was so sore, I couldn't sit down.

Needless to say, I crashed on the loveseat and just now woke up. It's good for you, though, and I'm going to repeat it tomorrow.

I did take some pictures while I was trailblazing, though, so I think I'll share...enjoy!

This is me with Skylar standing on the foot bridge.



You can see the path to the left. My daughter thought this tree almost falling over would make a good picture so I snapped it.


A better pic of the trail...it was so serene...

My daughter...you know I was really surprised there were only a couple of mosquitoes...Chincoteague is known for having the largest mosquitoes in the country! Might be too early just yet.



And finally, Skylar, the pig-grunting dog who was so damn glad her trailblazing day was over! See her laughing?

June is 'Book Reviewing' Month at Blogcritics Magazine!

To promote the release of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, co-author Mayra Calvani will be interviewing 15+ reviewers and review editors during the month of June. Learn all about the business of book reviewing and what’s in the mind of some of the most popular reviewers on the internet today. Some of the guests will include: Alex Moore from ForeWord Magazine, James Cox from Midwest Book Review, Irene Watson from Reader Views, Andrea Sisco from Armchair Interviews, Magdalena Ball from The Compulsive Reader, Sharyn McGinty from In The Library Reviews, Lea Schizas from Muse Book Reviews, Linda Baldwin from Road to Romance, Hilary Williamson from Book Loons, Judy Clark from Mostly Fiction, and many others!

To see the complete lineup, visit: The Slippery Book Review Blog.

Between June 1st and June 30th, stop by Blogcritics and leave a comment under the reviewer interviews for a chance to win a Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour ,OR, as an alternative to a non-author winner, a $50 B&N gift certificate!

Pump Up Your Book Promotion Social Network: Virtual Book Tours Q&A and Author Day

Cheryl Malandrinos of Pump Up Your Book Promotion has started a discussion at the Pump Up Your Book Promotion Social Network for those interested in learning more about virtual book tours. As we have been in the business for a year now, we've become experienced experts in the field. If you would like to ask us a question about anything regarding virtual book tours, visit the link and we'll be more than happy to address those questions.

The Pump Up Your Book Promotion Social Network was opened to allow authors to promote their books without cost. Sign up and brag, brag, brag. There's a sub-group in the left hand side that allows excerpts and another one that allows reviews and everyone is invited to submit. All you have to do is sign up and post.

If you are interested in our special section called Author Day which includes an entire day of promotion in a question and answer format, we do have to charge for this but you'll get your own page with book cover, buying information, author bio, book blurb and promotion for the event prior to the date you will appear. We use the same format of promotion we use for all our authors on tour, so you get more than your money's worth. We are booked for June, but do have openings in July. The cost is $25. If you are interested, email me at thewriterslife(at)yahoo.com and I'll send you the application for it.

Our list of authors scheduled for Author Day in June include:

June 2 - Karen White, author of the fiction novel, THE MEMORY OF WATER
June 4 - James Burns, author of the financial book on how to get rich, THE 3 SECRET PILLARS OF WEALTH
June 9 - Victoria Wells, author of the multicultural romance, A SPECIAL SUMMER
June 11 - Traci E. Hall, author of the paranormal romance, LOVE'S MAGIC
June 13 - to be announced
June 16 - Steven Baldwin & Karen Holgate, authors of the non-fiction book about the American school system, FROM CRAYONS TO CONDOMS: THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT AMERICA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS
June 18 - Grace Reddick, author of the children's book, ASHLEY'S UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER
June 20 - Candis C. Coffee, author of the literary fiction novel, MARIPOSA
June 23 - Phyllis Zimbler Miller, author of the woman's fiction novel, MRS: LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL
June 25 - Linda Merlino, author of the literary fiction, BELLY OF THE WHALE
June 27 - Peter Bowerman, author of the book on self-publishing, THE WELL-FED SELF PUBLISHER: HOW TO TURN ONE BOOK INTO A FULL TIME LIVING

All authors are giving away free books!

If you are one of our past clients and would like a stop at Author Day, your fee is waived, but you must book early as we only have a limited amount of stops.

Thank you!

DAVID COOK WON AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!

Omg, what a show!!!! David Cook won!!! I was screaming, the dogs were barking and it's a wonder the neighbors didn't call the cops because I was a one-woman party going on!!! Oh my god, what a show!!!!

Sunsets and Bike Riding

I thought yesterday's sunset was fantastic with the boat gliding just under the sun, but scroll past these pictures and catch the fantastic sunset tonight! Wowzers...



I never knew sunsets could be so pretty!


I really really need a better camera (I'm listening to ya, Dick!).

Tonight, BF met me on the mainland to help me load a bicycle I thought I was getting into the car, but when we looked over the selection they had there at Wal-Mart, the one I finally picked out had a big ol' scratch on it so I'm supposed to call them tomorrow to see if they have one in the back. And then I guess another trip up there will be necessary.

I already bought BF a bicycle which is going to be used by my son and him and whatever male guest comes visiting, but I need a girl's bike for myself.

They do A LOT of bicycling over here on the island. If they aren't walking their dogs, they're riding their bikes. I know of at least 2 bike rental places over here and I'm sure there are more. You didn't see many people riding bikes over where I used to live, now it's like if you don't have a bike, you're losing out.

So, another bike is imminent.

I haven't ridden a bike in years. I've also added some poundage since the last time I hopped on a bike, too. I hope this experience won't be like the time I tried skating. I was on the floor more times than on my feet, so I gave that up. Funny what things you loved as a kid, you hate when you get older.

But bike riding. Man, that was my thing. Let me tell you...my bike was the bomb. Anyone remember banana seats? Oh you couldn't ride a bike comfortably without a banana seat. And, yes, they were shaped like a banana which I'm sure today would be hilarious on these bikes, but that bike was comfortable. Streamers. Had to have my streamers, a bell and ever put cards in the spoke of your wheels which were attached with clothespins?

Man, we were weird back in those days, lol.

ANEC Incompetent

Yesterday morning, I got out of bed and no sooner had my feet hit the floor, there was a loud rapping on my door. I peeked out and the ANEC electric truck (you know the one – the one that turns off electricity if you don’t pay your bill) was parked in front of my house.

Half-groggy, I asked them if I could help them.

“I’ve come to collect for the electric bill or I’m going to have to turn you off.”

I knew I had already paid it and I told him so. At that point, I thought it was a mistake as I knew I had paid it because I had just checked out my bank account online the night before and the check had cleared a week earlier. Keep in mind, too, I had no pending – recent or past – charges as I had paid the bill in full.

I told him I had paid it and without any remorse, he told me, “Well that’s not what we’re seeing. You have to pay $480 or I’m turning you off.”

I tell him I’m calling the company and will be right back. I figured it was a hindsight but I sure didn't appreciate being woken up to someone else's mistake.

I get the office and tell them that the truck is in front of my house and the guy is telling me he’s going to turn my electricity off if I don’t pay a bill I know I don’t owe.

After we argue back and forth, they tell me that my most recent payment was going on an account I had 13 years ago and wasn’t showing up on my new account (I had recently moved 2 months ago).

I tell them that that account was closed when I moved and after 3 visits to them in their building in Onley, Virginia, to get everything changed over (believe me, it wasn’t easy or it would have taken 1 trip like normal businesses), I had signed a new application with my physical address, paid all the re-connection fees and I was good to go. In fact, they wouldn't let me get the new account changed over unless I did pay all charges upfront which I did .

And they still insisted I owed this money.

I had proof I had paid it, but yet they still insisted I owed it and was going to turn me off if I didn’t pay it.

“Well where did my recent payment go?” I was practically screaming at that point because I knew I was in the right.

“To another account.”

“Can you get that money and apply it to my new account now? That account was closed and I don’t owe anything for it.”

“You’ll have to talk to my supervisor. Please hold.”

I was on hold for an interminable amount of time and called back.

“Yes, hi. I was talking to someone else about a bill you all are saying I owe and I know it’s been paid. I have no past due bills and the guy is out front ready to shut me off. I don’t owe it!”

By this time, the guy in the big yellow truck had left.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, Ms. Thompson. We’ll have to get this straightened out.”

“Well is he coming back to turn me off?”

“Unless you pay a reconnection fee, he is.”

“What??? Why do I have to pay a reconnection fee when the damn lights aren’t even cut off yet???”

“Tell you what. If you pay $126 today, he won’t come back and everything will get straightened out.”

“What’s the $126 for?”

At that time, I had lost it. I’m not even sure what I was paying $126 for.

“Will that be electronic check, credit card or debit?”

I paid the amount by electronic check only because for a solid hour, I had had it. I was being harassed by something that wasn’t my fault and I had to pay?

I ask you, ANEC, what did I just pay for? Will I see a credit for that on my next bill and the next time you go around harassing people for something that is your fault, will you still make sure they pay out of their pocket for your mistake like you did me?

Isn't that called highway robbery?