I love food. ?In fact, I love almost all food. I particularly have a fondness for fresh food – either freshly prepared or fruits and vegetables. ?I mean, I could live on oranges.

Well, and tuna.?

I know it’s weird, but I love canned tunafish. This is the single reason I am not longer a vegetarian or vegan. I craved tuna fish every single day for no less than three years.?

Yes, you’re right. There’s probably a pill for that.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some of my current favorite recipes – found on the wonderful world wide web. I’m no photographer. ?Janet lives 3,ooo miles away and Tommie lives 1500 miles away ?so we are out of luck on the photo front.

Instead, I thought I’d share the link. And my thoughts about this food.

Thursday 13 – Claudia’s current favorite recipes

1. New Mexico?Green chili stew: Holy Crap, this is good. Wow. We made a crockpot full of this stew then ate it on literally everything we ate for a week. I froze some and gave it to D as a surprise for his lunch. He was a very happy man. If you haven’t tried Green Chili Stew, give it a shot. But start mild.??Even at it’s mildest, this is an incredibly flavorful stew.?Try it out and lemme know what you think.

—>BIG TIP:?Karen Baldwin says you must have fresh chilis. Unfortunately, they aren’t available year round. Try the Hatch brand canned chilis. (They sell those at Costco here.) Start mild, then move to hot. I found fresh chilis in the freezer section of our local Safeway. However, I think it’s a regional thing. If you’re a real pre-planner, you can also order chilis from Hatch, New Mexico over the internet.

2. Tequila Lime chicken:?This is a wonderful marinade. Whether you bar-be-que or simply bake the chicken, it’s great. If you read the link, she used boneless chicken thighs – which are not my favorite. I’ve used white fish (mahi mahi, telapia) and deboned split chicken breasts. Try it out and lemme know what you think. (BTW, Smitten Kitchen is a fun website for great food porn. I found it in a fit of eggplant lust.)

—>BIG TIP:?The longer you marinade the better.

3. Nikki’s Healthy Cookies: D has a moderate wheat intolerance. We found this out after he had been gorging on homemade sourdough bread. No more sour dough in this house. (Doesn’t that suck!) Anyway, I’m supposed to be talking about cookies…. These cookies are unbelievably good. Truly. Amazing. I made a batch then immediately had to make another. I used regular chocolate chips because we like them. ?Try it out and lemme know what you think. (Fabulous food on this 101Cookbooks, btw. Every time I’m there I try a new fabulous recipe.)

—->BIG TIP: You can make your own almond meal. I’m going to try pecan meal (because we have a lot) next.?

4. Lime Garlic Mahi Mahi: Confession time. We buy all this amazing fish at Costco. I really like fish (see note about tuna above) and it’s fabulous nutrition. ?This recipe dropped onto my screen in a moment of : “What do you mean you invited him over for dinner?” It’s easy, is a great reason to have limes in the house, and tastes fabulous. Because it hasn’t quite been bar-be-quing weather, I’ve only cooked this in the oven. Try it out and lemme know what you think.

5. Hummus:?Let’s face it. The Healthy Irishman is just hot. He has the accent. He has the quirky sayings ( ‘Bob’s your uncle’). He’s got the Celtic Tattoos. And he cooks. What more can a girl want? (I know someone who’s aiming to be his colleen. I’ll let you know when I get the details.) His recipe’s are quite good too. ?Of course, I want they healthy recipe for shepard’s pie and beef stew…. I’m thinking that might not exist.?Try it out and lemme know what you think.

6. Marinated Tofu: This recipe is modified from oen in Vegan with a Vengance. If you have even a passing interest in vegetarian recipes, this book will help you eat great food. Unfortunately the link doesn’t have the best tip from the book.?Try it out and lemme know what you think.

—>BEST TIP:?Tofu is stored in water. In order to get the tofu to marinade, you must get the water out of your tofu. The best way to do this is to wrap it in a towel (or paper towels) and place a heavy object on it (like a frying pan). Turn it midway through and leave it for 20 minutes.

7. Chicken tortilla soup: ?I was first introduced to this soup ?by the incredible Citizen Jane at Confessions of a Middle Aged Suburban Diva. And truth be told? I combine both recipes and make the soup in my crockpot (low 10 hours). OMG. If you are looking for a truly fabulous, low fat, high protein easy soup. This is it. It even freezes well for lunches. (I use quart sized zip lock bags because our freezer is the size of a Basketball players shoe.)?

—>BEST TIP: If you use the crockpot, add your boneless chicken breast late. I usually add it when there’s about 4 hours left to cook. This keep the chicken from tasting chaulky or dry.

8. Eggplant Stew:?Did I mention my eggplant lust? I’ve heard that it’s due to eating a low fat diet. But it’s the oddest thing – almost as odd as my tuna lust. Last February, I was wondering through Safeway when I saw these beautiful purple globes. It was as if the spot light shone on their beauty. I had to take them home. Once home, I had to find something to do with them. It was dumping snow and D was gone. I tried a few recipes in my spare time. This is easy – and fabulous. It’s easy enough to make without my beloved crockpot. Try it and lemme know what you think.

—>BEST TIP: You must peel the eggplant from the bottom to the leafy part not around. ?For whatever unknown reason, the eggplant actually tastes better.

9. ?Steak marinade:?We don’t eat a lot of beef. In fact, outside of the occasional beef stew or McD’s hamburger, we don’t eat it at all. When my friend Jen gifted us with Elk steaks, I had no idea what to do with them. Luckily I found this wonderful marinade. ?For those of you who eat the beast – elk, deer, beef or buffalo – this is a must try. Lemme know what you think.

10. ?Roadhacker’s Blackening Spices: Sigh. He took down his blog. I guess I’ll have to share it here.

3t dried Basil
1t dried Thyme
2t dried Oregano?

Mash these together. He uses a mortar and pestil. I use the back of a Tablespoon

1t Salt
3t Garlic Powder
4t Onion Powder
2t White Pepper Powder
1t Cayenne
4T Peprika
4T Black Pepper

I’ve used these spices on everything from pork to all kinds of fish (including shrimp).?Try it and lemme know what you think.

—>BEST TIP: Coat what you’re cooking with olive oil then sprinkle on the seasoning. Fry it up in a pan.

11. ?Potato Frittata:?We subscribe to Runner’s World. While D loves the running plans, I truly love the recipe section. ?Some recipes are just amazing. Others are out of this world. The recipe for a potato frittata is wonderful It’s easy, yummy, and fast. More than anything, it’s a great way to eat potatoes. (Mixed with the fiber in the vegetables, and the protein in the eggs, the potatoes shouldn’t elevate your blood sugar.) I’ve made this fritatta in the middle of the night when we are starving and can’t think of anything to eat. ?Mmmmmm! Try it and lemme know what you think.?

12. ?Chocolate Truffles:?We made truffles for our family and friends last Christmas. It was a first time for me to make anything like truffles. Mostly because, unlike tuna and eggplant, I don’t like chocoate that much. ?I’m sure there’s a pill for that too. Anyway, we tried approximately one billion recipes. We found that the recipes didn’t matter much. Truffles are all about technique. Every step ?has a trick. This site has fabulous pictures to help out. ?One site we found said that they keep the gaunache in the refrigerator at all times for impromptu dessert. We haven’t done that because… well, I have a lust for eggplant and tuna, not chocolate…. Try it and lemme know what you think.

13. Ok now it’s your turn. What is your favorite on-line recipe or recipe site? Leave it in the comments and I’ll link to you and the site.

• Tracey at Girls to Grow‘s favorite recipe is Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
• Pop Art Diva‘s favorite recipe is??VERY BEST ?EDIBLE TUNA CASSEROLE??
• All Rileyed up‘s favorite recipe is Caponata stew recipe
• Tommie from Tuesday Update‘s suggests Tavolini as a great place for recipes
• The Bumbles suggests Queen of the Castle as a great place for recipes
• Flowering Shrub suggests 24 hour beef roast, Vegetarian Shepard’s Pie, and Red-Peppered Sauce Halibut

Check out the new and improved Thursday 13

With all of the fighting between the can’t-be-wrong people and the change people, these words resonate deep within me. ?

And there are 13 lines!

?

When the Nazis came for the?communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

Then they locked up the?social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

Then they came for the?trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the?Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,?there was no one left to speak out for me.

– Martin Niemoller

?

It’s that time of year again. Time to double dig the garden bed. Last year, a lot of people asked about the double digging. This year, we took pictures at each step so you can see how it works.

How to double dig your garden bed:

?1. Here’s the instructions for double digging:

2. This is the second year on this garden bed. The first step is to take off the first layer of dirt:

3. You continue to remove the first layer of dirt. We put 1/2 of top layer on the right side, 1/2 of top layer on the left side:

4. The next step is to remove bottom layer to the one end of the bed. We split the bed and put the rest of the first layer on one end.

5. Now comes the dirt work. Because our soil is clay like, we add dry leaves (collected last fall). The leaves give the soil texture and organic matter. We mix the leaves into the compacted soil with a pickaxe. (Yes, it’s that hard.) Because this is only a second year bed, we didn’t work this layer last year. If you’re starting beds this year, just do as much as you can. You’ll get to this layer next year.

6. ?After mixing in the leaves, we add our homemade compost. We make compost in a ‘lazy pile (meaning no compost bin)’ by mixing kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, dirt, garden clippings, grass and leaves. We usually create two batches per winter. This winter, we started a new compost so we only had enough homemade for this bed. It’s great compost and basically free.

7. ?This is what the bottom ?layer looks like after the addition of compost and dry leaves. You can really see the difference when you compare this to picture #4.

8. We return the dirt in reverse order. Last years top, the right side, then the next, the left side, and finally the lower. We add commercial compost to this layer.?

9. Then you have to work the lower layer of the other half of the bed. Leaves and homemade compost + pickaxe.

10. ?This photo shows the difference between the lower layer and the upper layers.

11. This is what the finished bed looks like.

12. Technically we cannot plant until May 15. So this bed will sit for a while – I think of it as ‘baking’. We had three beds this size last year and are adding two more. When the second bed is done, I will plant this bed with broccoli, peas and spinach. I will also plant soy, under row covers, as a green manure until we plant. ?(I grow soy because it’s cheap. I buy the dry beans in bulk. I’ll turn them under before they flower.) I haven’t made a garden plan this year, but I will let you know when I have it together.?

13. Why the hell would anyone go to all this trouble?!? You wouldn’t believe how often I hear this – particularly from our neighbors.?

• You can literally grow at least twice size and quantity of vegetables than in a traditional bed.
• You can grow a bounty of food in a very small space.
• Using companion planting, you never deplete the soil. You are always improving the soil.
• Because you have fabulous soil, you can plant closer together and more plants than in a traditional bed.?
• You can plant along all the edges of the garden which increases your gardening space.
• You do not poison your soil with petrochemical such as Miracle Grow.?

Here’s a funny story. The Jones on our street (as in keeping up with….) had a garden last year. ?They were working on their garden about the same time we put in three double dug beds. Mr. Jones saw us working and said, “Pfft, I’m not doing that!” By mid-summer, he was bragging about his garden to another neighbor and joking about our work. The neighbor asked, ‘Have you seen their garden?’ Peaking over the fence, he was dumbstruck. (I just saw his little shocked face. I heard the story later.) Being Mr. Jones on the street, he rushed out to buy a box of Miracle Grow petrochemicals. His results? His plants never grew as big or as bountiful as ours. Most of his tomatoes split (due to the burst of nitrogen and water). ?Finally, he resorted to joking about our urban farm. Poor guy.

Moral of the story: A little work and compost will pay off in big ways.

Happy Thursday!

?

?

It’s that time of year again. Time to check the hives. From what I can tell, we started the fall with five hives and one survived. ?Sigh.

No matter what anyone says, Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD is still an international issues. CCD causes full scale collapse of a healthy colony. As little as a month prior to collapse, the hive looks full of healthy bees. The queen is still there. She’s still laying eggs. They have honey and pollen. And then…. ?

The bees are dead. It’s a horrifying site – truly horrifying. Now, remember this is happening to all polinators – every variety of native bee and even bats.

Most people are still able to replace their hives with new ‘packaged’ bees. (Packaged bees are a split of a hive that spent the winter in California.) However, packaged bees don’t survive the winters because the queens aren’t aclimated to the altitude and climate.?

This year, we’ve decided to attempt to create a survivor stock of bees. I’m hoping to start the fall with two healthy hives. ?Wish me luck.

In the meantime, there are things that you can do to help support the bees in your neighborhood.

What to stop doing:

1. Leave your dandelions alone. Dandelions are fabulous early spring food for starving bees. Full of pollen and nectar a few dandelions can make a huged difference to an overwinter starved hive. We plant crocus to give our bees an extra late winter boost.

2. Stop using chemicals on your lawn.?The average household dumps hundreds of pounds of fertilizer, pesticide and weed killer on their grass. They might buy organic vegetables, but think nothing of walking bare foot on their toxic lawns. These chemicals are believed to be the leading cause of bone cancer in dogs. Try organic fertilizer and only in the spring and fall.?

3. Don’t spray your trees for pests and don’t let anyone around you do it.?One particular pesticide is believed to play a role in CCD. It is often sprayed on trees to kill off pests. The bees can’t tell the difference between pollen and this pesticide. The bees bring the pesticide into the hive until it kills off the entire colony.

4.?Stop buying Sue Bee and other commercial honey.?Commercial honey is fraught with contaminents.?

?

What to plant:

5.?When possible plant bee friend plants such as butterflybushes, black eyed susans, borage, penstimen, russian sage or any of these plants.

6. Let your crocus, daffedils, iris, and tulips bloom as long as possible.?Bees hybernate over winter. These early spring plants will help set off a breeding cycle that will out breed CCD. By planting these easy to maintain plants, you can give new life to a hive.

7. Plant late fall blooming plants such as ?Mums, Asters, and Lilys.?These late blooming flowers give bees the necessary boost to make it through the winter.

?

A little bit goes a long way:

8. Plan a fountain or a little water.?As the world warms, clean water becomes harder for bees to find. Just a little clean water can make the difference between a healthy hive and a non healthy hive.

9. Buy only organic, chemical free honey. ?You can find it at your local farmer’s market. If you haven’t grown to love honey, it’s very good for you. Organic unpasterized honey maintains the enzymes that are crucial to human health. Try it on toast – you’ll never look back.

10. Support your local beekeeper.?Contrary to what they said in the Bee Movie, Beekeeping is very expensive. You support of local honey helps your beekeeper continue to replace his or herbees to get through this crisis. Right n0w, the recommendation is to replace all hardware every year – that’s $300/hive alone and doesn’t include new bees.?

11.?Ask your state to support bee research.?A few dollars go a long way. Bee Geeks, like myself, will do almost anything for their hives. It takes money to make the research really happen.?

?

Why do we care about bees?

12. Bees are prehistoric creatures. Evolved over 250 million years ago, they created every flowering plant. Every. Single. One.?

13. Bees are reponsible for most of our food production. Without bees, we will no longer have food to eat.

?

This is a situation where you can make a difference. At this time of year, your simple choices can make the difference between live and death for the hives in your area.?

What will you choose?

Other Thursday-13ers can be found here.

My friend, Heather, sent me this poem. It matched perfectly where I was so I thought I’d share it. It’s a little longer than 13 lines – but I thought you might forgive me just this once.

Little Things

Little drops of water,

Little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean

And the pleasant land.

?

So the little moments,

Humble though they be,

Make the mighty ages

Of Eternity.

?

So the little errors

Lead the soul away

From the paths of virtue

Far in sin to stray.

?

Little deeds of kindness,

Little words of love,

Help to make earth happy,

Like the Heaven above.

–Julia Fletcher Carney

?

Happy Thursday!

In the last six months, I’ve become a free software hound. It all started with a post about free software. My eyes were opened to a whole world of free and fabulous software. I wanted to share with you some of the software that I now use almost every day. And it’s free and fabulous!

Please note: ?I am not against people making money on their tools. I feel trapped by the endless updates. I don’t like the fact that some of my favorite and fabulous programs were jacked up by the latest update.?

Thursday 13
Free and Fabulous

1. Edit Pad Lite:?This is a simple text editor. I’ve used it for years. Pros: When you don’t use it for a few minutes, it goes into your bar. I know that sounds simple, but I can’t tell you how many times it’s saved me. ?Edit Pad Lite Page

2. Free RIP:?I have a number of CDs that were created by people that Windows can’t find the licenses for. Why? Who knows? So rather than carting my entire computer to bed so I can listen to my SleepTracks.com insomnia tapes, I used this program! Ta Da! ?Free RIP rips my CDs into WAV, MP3, Vorbis, WMA or FLAC. Free Rip page

3. Free Commander:?This program makes it easy to move files between drives or onto CDs. Again, this sounds very simple, but it’s wicked helpful. ?Free Commander Page

4. Plurk:?Plurk is like Twitter only better. You can have conversations with people from around the world. I’ve learned so much about… everything. I’ve made great food from recipes, learned programming tips, received fabulous software hints and… wow…. I’ve received tremendous support when I’ve needed it – and given it when it’s needed. ?Give it a try. If you like learning and talking to people, you’ll love it. Plurk Page

5. Gmail:?I received my first piece of email in 1996. In 1996, email was a fun way to connect with people. Now? It’s all about the business and spam. Sigh. Gmail has fabulous spam filters. I’ve been able to organize my email into different boxes that filter into “personal”, “work” and “writing” categories. If you haven’t tried it, you owe it to your life to get it. ?Gmail.com

6. GTalk:?This is a free program from Google. You can speak, computer to computer, with people around the world. You can also IM or Text message your friends. I use this program to keep up with clients and friends. GTalk Page

7. Google Calendar:?Why do I love this program? Google text messages me before every appointment at times I designate. So when I’m writing, I have time to return to the present. When you set an appointment you can email the person you are meeting. They confirm. After years of wondering if my client’s knew they had appointments? This is a god send. Google Calendar Page

8. Skype:?I’ve had skype for a long, long time. But I’ve only used it for voicemail. For example, I used it when I was on the Colorado Trail to keep up with my voicemail. I’ve started to use it, this year, to contact people around the world via computer to computer. I’ve had fabulous conversations with writers. When my husband was in Mexico, we chatted a few times a day. All free. ?Skype Page

9. Avast and AVG:?I have these programs on different computers. I haven’t had a problem with any virus or trojan with this caveat. I caught a trojan from a blog. Avast was on it immediately, but it took some time to get rid of the trojan. But hey, it’s free. Avast?or AVG

10. GIMPshop:?If you know me, you know that I hate Adobe products. I know. I know. They are everything and forty bags of chips. (Hey, I hate Apple to… go figure.) Adobe products make me nuts. I started using GIMP sometime last year and couldn’t figure it out. Recently, I started using GIMPshop. It has most of the tool bars as Photoshop, so it’s familiar, easy, and phew, not Adobe. ?GimpShop Page

11. GNU Cash:?I’ve grown to despise Quicken. In a fit of desperation (read Quicken screwed up a years worth of household accounting when I’m trying to do our taxes), I found GNU Cash. Ahhh… Easy tutorials and very straight forward interface. Plus, you can download from your banks, etc. I am now in the process of setting everything into it. Go ahead, spend another $90 updating your Quicken. I’m using GNU Cash for my personal and business accounting. GNU Cash page

12. Other InBox:??This is a fabulous product. It’s designed so you can make email addresses on the fly. For example, if I see a newsletter or an article that I want to read, but it requires and email address? I just use an other inbox address. I don’t have to tell other inbox that I’m doing it. As long as I use my account, it goes to the right place. I use it for all my website contact forms. ?Ok, here’s the true luxury —>it sends a summary of your email every morning<—- swoon! When you get hundreds of email a day, this is truly delicious! I have a beta release version, but the full version should be available very soon. Other Inbox page

13. Todoist:?This is a powerful project management/time management tool. I use it to track all of my websites and projects. You can set priorities (a la Covey) and hierarchies by project. For any busy person, this is a fabulous way to keep all of your “To Dos” in one place. Plus, there’s a delicious check the box and disappear into history function! ToDoIst Page

What favorite free programs do you use? Leave them in the comments and I’ll add them here!?

?

• “This cleans out the PC?s registry way deep inside taking out all registry changes some programs leave behind. I?ve used it well over a year on three different PC?s flawlessly.” The Walking Mark
• “The one piece of free software that I absolutely could not live without is Note Tab Lite, one of the most muscular text editors I?ve ever used. They have a pro version, but I?ve never felt the need for anything more than the freebie one. Best thing about it? One click lets you substitute it for Notepad in Windows so that it becomes your default text editor” ?Cameleon at Coffee Break
• “A free program I use is SparkPeople, which is like weight watchers but free.” All Rileyed Up, Los Angelista
• “I use ?SpyBot Search and Destroy. Oh, and Digsby! Yay for awesome free programs!” Mary?
• “I?m hooked on Pandora and also on Just Hear It, which finds any song you want to hear.” Los Angelista
• “About the only one I use is AdAware. Amazing how much garbage it finds every week!” Heather at Word Trix

Check out other Thursday 13ers?

Let’s face it. I can be an all work/no play girl. When Dax Moy launched his Magic One Hundred program, I was excited. 100 work goals, right?

No.?

There’s an entire section on ADVENTURE.

…blink… blink…?

What?

Adventure?

Me?

What about… WORK?

No seriously, WHAT ABOUT WORK?

You can see that I have a fairly serious problem. In order to create a little balance in my life, I started to work on a list of Adventure goals. And came up with exactly… two goals.

So, I asked my friends, my family and the usual suspects. I now have twelve Adventure goals. (Applause please)

Here’s where you come in. I don’t have any idea what adventures lurk out there in the world.

Here are my twelve goals. I need twenty.

Help a girl out and suggest another eight. PLEEEEEEZZZZEEEE!!!

THURSDAY 13 -?Claudia’s Lame Adventure Goals for 2009

1. ?Plan one backpacking trip for the summer.

2. ?Ride the bike path from Idaho Springs to Georgetown

3. ?Go cross country skiing by myself (with Rose – of course)

4. ?Visit one national monument or park in Colorado?

5. ?Finally make it to Dinosaur National Monument (Very long story)

6. ?Visit the Denver Art Museums on a regular basis.

7. ?Learn to rollarblade (without killing myself)

8. ?Participate in one book club where either the Fey or Denver Cereal is discussed <–decidedly a work goal, don’t you think? See! I suck!

9. ?Go Bungee jumping <–stolen from every middle aged losers adventure goal list.

10. Do one thing I’m not good at every week.

11. Find new spot to rollarskate and go rollarskating.

12. White water rafting <–see #9

13. Please help a girl out. I’ll post your suggestions here with a link to your blog.

Thursday 13 – On publishing

(Thursday 13′s were revived by Janet and?Megan?)

Ok, I’m on a little bit of a rant. So please forgive me, but I think people need to know about the changes in publishing. So many authors hold on to their fiction, hoping and praying for to win the lotto and a big publishing house will deem them valuable.?

It’s a new time. New times require different and new methods of publishing.

So here’s my list of thirteen thoughts on publishing:

1. Publishing standards were created when books were set one character at a time.

2. Most ‘great works of fiction’ were written long hand with fountain tip pens.

3. There’s never been a time when so many people not only could read but had the capacity (internet, libraries, Amazon) to read.

4. eBooks are the only growing segment of the publishing market.

5. Large publishers have consistently lost money while small publishers have flourished.

6. Large publishing houses no longer support their authors with editing, copyediting or marketing assistance.?

7. More and more, authors are on their own to care for their books including all marketing, copyediting and content editing.

8. ?On average, a new book sells fifty copies. Most assume that’s the number of friends and relatives recruited to purchase the book. (This number is from ‘How to write a bestseller by Mueller.)

9. The large publishing houses have stopped or dramatically slowed their purchases. I’ve heard that they are simply ‘not buying’.

10. At the same time, traditional distribution channels (i.e., book stores) are locked down by publishers. In other words, you must be a publisher to get your book into most bookstores.

11. ?If you’re interested in publishing, and books, you should read these articles.?

• Giving it away by Corey Doctorow
• Books, Going Forward by Mark Tavani
• Read it and weep by Jason Boog
• Blog books open doors by Jason Davis
• Generate Buzz on the Web
• The Wovel
• Tim Ferris on using a viral idea to create a best seller

12. Many publishers are hiring writers to churn out the same books over and over again so that they can fill their list. These authors work for the publishers writing exactly what the publishers want them to write. Period.

13. The number one reason publishers fail is over stock. Publishers must pre-print books. They sell them to book stores who buy them on credit. Book stores have months to attempt to sell the book. If they are unable to sell them, they return the books to the publisher. Ever been to a 50% off store? That’s all the back stock that didn’t sell and was returned from bookstores.

Share with me - what do you know about publishing today that you’d like to share? Leave it in the comments and I’ll link to you here.

Thursday Thirteen was renewed by Janet, Megan and Heather into Thursday-13.com BLAME THEM

Writing a serial fiction has it’s challenges. With a chapter a week deadline, I don’t have the luxury that I had with my novels. ?If I need a word or a name, I need it right now.

One of the ways I abuse my plurk friends, or maybe they abuse me, is by asking them for help. ?Last week, I was looking for a derrogatory name for a man.?

Here’s the alphabetized list:

ass
asshat
asswipe
beetlehead
bitchass
bottom feeder
butt munch
butt nut
dickwad
dirtbag
douche bag
douchebagel?
dick head
dipshit
dipstick
el stupido?
fucker
fucktard?
fuckwad
fuckwit
futarded?
herb
hot mess
knob
maroon
metrosexual
moron
needledick
nuckfut?
player?
prick
PU$$Y?
scumbag
tool

Combinations:

douchebaggety fucktard wish a side order of asshat?
sonofafuckingdoghumpingwhore??
spinelesslimpdicksonofabitch?

First Names:

Bob
Dick Cheney
MITCH!
Beavis
Butthead
Oprah

Stopped laughing yet? You can see that writing is very hard work! ?

Here’s my list of my 13 favorite:

13. ?hot mess ?

12. ?scumbag?

11. ?player?

10. ?knob

9. ?beetle head

8. ?nuckfut

7. ?sonofafuckingdoghumpingwhore

6. ?fuckwit?

5. bitchass

4. douchebagel

3. PU$$Y

2. asshat

1. needledick

Have something to add? Leave your addition and your favorite in the comments. I’ll link to you in the post.

Since the next two Thursdays are holidays, I’m going to give myself this Thursday off the Thursday Thireenage. 

I’ll post something tomorrow, but not a TT. M’k?