Okay.  So I did not take this picture.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to take a picture — it happened so fast.  But this is about what it looked like.

I was driving into Yucaipa on a four-lane road, and something like this ran across the road — no, jaunted across the road.  And he had a lot less hair than this one.  But despite his ugliness — and yes, naturally, I’ve decided it was a boy — it was probably the happiest darn coyote I’ve ever seen.  His body was much more naked, and most of his hair seemed concentrated on the top of his head and the tip of his tail.  And he seemed taken with spring fever, leaping about like a puppy once he reached the grassy hills on the other side.

Crazy.  I wish I had gotten a picture.  He really was something to see.

Yay!  This week I get to share with you my best friend Kellie’s creative workspace…and man, is this girl the most creative person I’ve ever met who doesn’t think she’s much creative.  Sheesh.  She did her eldest daughter’s room in Harry Potter, complete with wall sconces and a mural; she makes amazing quilts; and she scrapbooks like a professional.

Some years ago, she and her husband converted their garage into a finished space for her to conduct her “not so much creative” activities.  I love this room.  I love that this kind of organization exists in the world.  It gives me hope.   🙂

Take a long, envious gander.

Look at all that surface area.  I’m wiping away the drool as I type.

 

I love a jam-packed bookcase.  Ah, the good things in life!

 

If I had this much surface area, you still wouldn’t be able to see it on any given day…except maybe the day it got set up.  So awesome!

 

Kellie’s frighteningly organized.  I’m jealous. 😉  Love that cup!

 

A box of all the pictures this girl has to scrapbook.  She’s amazing.  She really is.

 

Cool scrapbooking stuff…organized, of course.  I wonder what it’s like to be able to find stuff you’re looking for.  Huh.  Something to put on my bucket list.

 

More cool scrapbooking stuff.

 

Kellie rocks.  This is like getting to go through someone’s cabinets…without having to get off my fat — ouch!  Sorry.  The dog trod on my toe.

 

Lots of fat quarters…oh, yeah!

 

Unbelievable.  There’s room for more stuff in her drawers.  I wonder what that’s like.

ZOMG, Kellie!  Please come and fix my desk.  It seems to have a too-much-crap problem.  But I’m going to need help finding it first….

 

Another added bonus:  there’s enough room in this converted garage for her youngest to have her own workspace…which is just as amazingly organized.  And she’s 11.  (I look away in shame.)

 

I know.  Maybe I can pay the 11-year-old to deal with my too-much-crap problem. 🙂

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I am having too much fun with this series.  I love seeing the spaces where my friends create.  It’s really inspiring, and it lets me see a side of my friends that I never really think about.

Anyway, who’s next?  Who’s ready to share where the magic happens?  Come on.  Let us in!  I swear nobody will go through your medicine cabinet. 😉

First of all…a thousand apologies for being lost in space…twice in just a few weeks.  Not to bore you all with details, but besides all the Neighborhood Watch drama, the Toddler developed a massive case of snot.  (I have witnesses if my veracity is called into question.)  That, plus her being genetically programmed not to sleep, has made these last few weeks difficult.  And yes, I shamelessly blame the Toddler.  But I do love her…yes, I do!  Yes, I do!

But enough of that.  I’m ready to get down to business.  Got lots and lots of stuff to tell you guys…not least of which my chupacabra sighting.  Also have a published author interview coming your way.  And if the stars align, my office may be presentable enough for tomorrow’s Workspace Wednesday feature.

And before I forget, let me address the Dinosaur Party.  I must tell you, I was approached by a miserable bunch of stuffed reptiles on April 1st, extremely disappointed that there was no party to be had.  Just so you know, I take responsibility for this month’s word count not being up to par.  And I did tell the Head Chieftan of the Household Dinosaurs.  Of course, he, being a wise and old dinosaur, understands the pressures of everyday life, and expressed understanding.  And he, also being an avid fan of circus performances, was extremely excited by my suggestion that we not call it a failure, but perhaps a two-month word count goal.  So with the wave of my magic wand, March Madness becomes March and April Madness.  So, if you would, support my desire to play with dry ice and lots of props and send in your word counts!  100k all the way!

What else is going on?  Oh, I’m in the midst of a top secret project, one that I’ll be talking about in days to come.  I’m also making progress with certain things that must be done for Ye Olde Platform, so hopefully, by tomorrow sometime, you will find this blog up at my very own domain www.angelamcconnell.com.

In other news, I will finally crack free of my dusty, antiquated ways and sign up for a Facebook and maybe a Twitter account.  Gawd.  (Somewhere I can hear Marian going, “Sign up already!” 🙂 )

Dang, it’s so nice outside!  Look!

But you know what?  Mom has the baby today, and I am at home…alone…a very rare circumstance…during the day…in front of my computer.  I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be holed up in my office looking at this:

To be honest, I actually converted to Mac a month ago and just haven’t had a chance to discuss it.  But after a month of owning it, I can honestly say it was worth every penny.  I love it.  I love this computer.  Yes, I want to marry it.  That’s how much I love it.

So finally, I’ve got Scrivener, which is just a dream software for me.  It’s described on their website as “a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents.”  No kidding.  I’ve got three or four different projects I’m working on in it, and it’s been absolutely terrific.  It seems especially useful for series stories.

And I managed to learn iMovie fairly easily and turned out a little vidlit story that I’m proud of…and had such fun putting together.  I can’t believe the learning curve on Mac software.  I’m constantly floored by how damn easy things are on this operating system.

And don’t get me started on the magical trackpad….

I’ll try to blog a little more about various softwares and conversion issues as I get into them.  Sometime this week, I need to see about installing Windows XP on it so that I can run my court reporting software…

…which reminds me…I better get to working if I want to pay for this thing.

Hope you all are doing great!

This week I bring to you the workspace of my lovely friend and fellow writer Third Ninja Omniscient Laura.  She has recently finished putting together her workspace, moving it from the dining area to her bedroom, which has a door that can be closed (‘nuf said), and she was kind enough to send pictures.  Thank you, Laura!

It looks so clean and spacious!  My favorite bit is at the bottom though.  Please to enjoy!

Here, Laura has found a better use for windows than just letting in a little ol’ sunlight…plotting with dry erase markers. So smart! I love it!

A couple of scoops of Martha’s famous (and expensive) mac ‘n cheese, rouged with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (yeah, baby!), and microwaved into a molten mini-lake of cheesy nirvana.  This is what keeps me going…cheese.

That and having a copy of a good friend’s first book in my hot little hands.  Howard Andrew Jones’ “The Desert of Souls” goes damn well with pricey mac ‘n cheese.

54.  “Woman Leaves Room” by Robert Reed (Lightspeed)

Good story.  A bit melancholy, I thought…but that’s typical in stories about the erosion of time.

55.  “Spider the Artist” by Nnedi Okorafor (Lightspeed)

Friggin’ awesome.  The world-building is awesome, awesome, awesome…and I loved the main character.  Really had me on my seat.  Recommend.

56.  “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mar/Apr 2011)

My favorite of this week’s round-up.  At first I shied away from it because I have an origami story that I’ve been developing for some time now…but this is a different story…maybe a better story.  And I loved it, every line of it.  Maybe it’s because I have a Chinese mother…I don’t know.  But everything about it resonated true with me.  Very well done.  Love the little paper tiger.  And yes, I did cry.

Okay.  So I wrote a very lengthy blog post about the “incident” that took the air out of my tires for a good week…and then I sat on it.  Although I think it makes for an interesting and dramatic read, I’ve decided that I don’t want it on my blog…mostly because I don’t think it deserves any more attention and energy than I’ve already given it, and frankly, I’m tired of talking about it.  But I do feel that I owe you guys some sort of explanation for my absence, especially given the fact that I’ve committed to blogging daily here at My Blue Screen.

So here’s what happened in a nutshell:  Friday night before last, I had a peeping Tom.  I used to think that was a funny term, but as it turns out, not so funny.  It was a frightening and unnerving experience, as you may imagine, but now that I’ve gone through all the normal reactions of fear, paranoia, anger, and murderous rage, I think I’m all better. 🙂  At this point, everything that needs to be done has been done.

This incident has clearly demonstrated to me, however, just how important it is to have a good circle of friends and loved ones to lean on, and I am so grateful because I have the best.  My Mom, Dad, and brother Jon are great.  That goes without saying.  My wonderful friend Marian, who was actually with me when it happened, spent two or three sleepless nights (and one very sleepful afternoon 😉 ) at my house to keep me company.  (Thank you, Marian!)  One of my neighbors is on high alert, stalking around my property with a bad attitude and an excuse to bring out his shotgun each morning at 4:30 a.m. before he leaves for work.  Yay, Larry!  All of my other close friends — Jeff, Jim, Danny, Sean, Kellie, Kenia, and Mary — have been there for me whenever I need them.  Thanks, you guys!  Just knowing you guys are there not only makes it easier for me, but for Fat Cat, who is stuck far away and unable to really do much more than worry.

Finally, I must report that the Dogs (capitalization intended and extended forever into the future out of respect for their Greatness), Solo and Dixie, are reassured in their household positions as Guardians of the House Goddess and her Adoring Servant (that would be the Toddler and me) and have enjoyed their new indoor assignments muchly.

But even with all this goodness in my life, I must confess, I’m still pretty pissed off.  The thing that has me pissed off the most is how much time this guy stole from me.  I want it back.  I want it all back.  So I’m taking it back.  I’m rewriting this whole past week like it never happened.  I’m going to write all the blog posts I should have written.  So be on the lookout for links in each daily post for posts written to fill in the days I missed.  Because that’s how I roll…and because, as Marian says, Homey don’t play that.  Just kidding.  (It was hilarious when she said it, but it only makes me feel foolish as I type it, which is why I should leave it in.)

So anyway, that’s what’s been happening around here.  Writing’s going well.  Lots of exciting stuff coming your way.  But right now, I’ve gotta prepare my submission for Ye Olde Third Ninja Omniscient Writers’ Club (and Casino), so in the words of one wise Ninja Colleague, I must away.

Hope everyone’s well and kicking word count ass!  Remember, this month’s dinosaur party is dependent on our word count, which is currently at 17,858 words out of 100,000 (thanks to a recent donation of 2,337 words by the awesome Sparks in Shadow).  I know I have a pretty decent word count accumulated, so I will count that up and update the word widget tomorrow night so we have a clearer understanding how deep the shit we’re standing in is how close we are to 100,000 words!  I wanna play with dry ice, dammit!

Remember, all words, any words — whether they’re an email to your mee-maw or a dirty limerick inspired by your boss, rants and ravings from your journal, or artfully-written grocery lists — I want ’em.  I’ll take whatever you’ve got.

Now I’m off to make more.

Hey, there!  Please, please, please forgive me for silence on my part.  Suffice it to say, I am not dead…merely extremely sleep-deprived.  I will explain later.

But for now…I present to you the awesome, stupendous workspace of my good friend Jeff, a fellow writer of all things noir, gritty, and action-packed.  He is also a full-fledged member of the Third Ninja Omniscient Clan.  I bow to him and his crazy-amazing workspace.  If he puts in a fridge and a chamber pot, he’d never have to move.

Anyway, please to enjoy!

Catching up…catching up…

50.  “Botanical Exercises for Curious Girls” by Kali Wallace (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mar/Apr 2011)

This was a good story.  It was beautifully written, the setting and characters unique and interesting, and I was satisfied by the ending.  Yay!

51.  “Ping” by Dixie Wragg (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mar/Apr 2011)

I was a bit reluctant to include this as a short story; however, it is listed as such in the table of contents, and so I do include it.  It is 21 words long.  Besides being slightly embarrassed that I don’t really get it, there’s also the fact that I have trouble defining these clever little micro-flash fiction snippets as true short stories.  However, it is a quick, thought-provoking read (even if I don’t really get it), and to its credit, it is indicated below its entry that it was “first published as an honorable mention entry in The Washington Post‘s weekly humor contest, ‘The Style Invitational,’ Dec. 4, 2010.”  😉

52.  “The Ifs of Time” by James Stoddard (The Magazine of Science Fiction, Mar/Apr 2011)

This was like five stories wrapped up in one big short story burrito…and all the more tasty for all the layers.  I especially liked the ethereal feel of Lady Chandless’s story of Ahn and Shushana, who “had come to the Cinnamon Sea to cease.”  I love Stoddard’s language, and I love this story.

53.  “Samantha’s Diary” by Diana Wynne Jones (“Stories:  All-New Tales” Edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio)

A quirky story of a woman plagued by the outrageous gifts of a wealthy admirer.  An enjoyable, fun read.

EDIT (4/2/11):  I was saddened to hear of Diana Wynne Jones’s recent passing.  Neil Gaiman writes of his friendship with her here.

I’m wearing green for all the Chinese-Irish in the house!  Me and that one other dude.  (Hey, bro.)

Today is not only St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s the fabulous, awesome, rocking-good-time St. Patrick’s Day blogfest hosted by the lovely Alexia Chamberlynn and Colene Murphy.  Everyone’s sharing a flash fiction story today, so put on your seven-league Uggs and start blog hopping.

Here is my literary corned-beef-and-hash offering.  I thought I’d try something I’ve never done before.  I hope you like it.

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Thanks for reading (watching).  And don’t forget to follow the goblin trail to all the other fine Irish stories and leave a trail of appreciation in everyone’s comments section!

1.	Colene Murphy( The Journey)	15.	Dawn Embers	29.	Holly Ruggiero’s POV
2.	Tracy (Forever Endeavor)	16.	Melissa Sarno	30.	Rosie @ East for Green Eyes
3.	Donea Lee @ The QoP	17.	Susan Kane	31.	Angeline Trevena
4.	Jen Chandler	18.	Gina C.	32.	Jennie Bailey
5.	PK Hrezo	19.	Sarah McCabe	33.	Derek Nastase
6.	Alexia Chamberlynn	20.	Bish Denham	34.	Mara Nash
7.	Mary( Giggles and Guns)	21.	Loralie	35.	Jordan McCollum
8.	Madeleine	22.	Ian Bontems	36.	Liza
9.	Hart Johnson	23.	Erin Kane Spock	37.	Jennee Thompson
10.	Bethany@ ASPIRATIONS	24.	N. R. Williams	38.	ALLIE
11.	Michael @ In Time …	25.	Laura (Daily Dodo)	39.	Roland D. Yeomans
12.	Wild Child@ Naked Opinions	26.	Writing with Debra	40.	Abby Minard
13.	Lisa Galek	27.	Bess Weatherby	41.	You’re next!
14.	Angela McConnell	28.	Myne Whitman Writes