Deadline Diaries

Five Romance writers tell all.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Happy Labor Day!

Posted by Kate

Labor Day means.........

.......I get the day off! Woohoo! I work for a behemoth law firm where I’m buried in sh*t and kept in the dark, much like a mushroom. Every day, my cruel bosses force me to do things I simply don’t want to do. They keep me from my true mission of surfing the net and blogging. It’s so unfair. On the bright side, I have an extensive file of lawyer jokes so if you’ve got a good one, send it to me.

.......I’ll spend the day writing, which is what I usually do on my days off, and believe it or not, that makes me happy—unless it makes me crazy. For now, I’m happy. I’m still in the early outline stages of a new book and I’m waking up in the middle of the night thinking of fabulous snippets of dialogue and fascinating character quirks which I write down on tiny post-its, then try to make sense of them the next morning. I love this part of the process.

.......It’s Back to School time. One word: Ugh! I’ll bet some of you loved starting a new school year, right? You’d see your friends, buy lots of new fall clothes, get your school supplies in order. Not me--I was filled with dread. First of all, fall fashions? Ha! Catholic school uniforms. Boring! And oh good grief, the nuns! The thought of facing Sister Mary Cletus with her beady eyes and that 18-inch ruler she'd smack against the palm of her hand as she threatened to—flashback! Talk me down!! Whew. Thanks.

.......Autumn is in the air! I know what you’re thinking -- bitch lives at the beach in SoCal. What does she know about autumn? Go ahead, have your little laughs at my expense but I assure you, you can smell autumn at the beach. It’s subtle, I’ll give you that. But the air changes, and the light is different. I love it. And the absolute best part about autumn is Halloween. I love Halloween. Call me nutty, but I still dress up every year. Yes, some co-workers and I wear costumes every Halloween. We’re very cool, in a scary, geeky sort of way. Some of my more memorable costumes.......

.......The Invisible Secretary. I dressed in black from top to bottom and wrapped my head in gauze, then slapped on a pair of sunglasses.
.......The Dominatrix Nun. Had the whole nun outfit plus whip and fishnet stockings.
.......Barefoot and pregnant.
.......The Old Fat Hooker – I swear I’ve got pictures somewhere--and no, you won't see them. I was truly glorious in faded, stretched-out purple spandex leggings and a chartreuse tank top with black push-up bra showing through, and funky old stilettos that wobbled when I walked.
.......Twice I’ve worn pajamas but everyone agreed that was a cheap, lazy way to go. But at least I was comfortable. Maybe I should’ve told them I was dressed as a writer.

So, do you dress up for Halloween? What are you going to be this year? I need ideas!

7 Comments:

At 8:44 AM, Blogger Jennifer Lyon said...

Happy Day Off, Kate! Or Happy Writing Day, umm, if you're writing what are you doing on the Internet???

I always liked to dress up as a witch. Yes, I know, sick. But these days, I don't even have to try to look like a witch :-)

 
At 9:51 AM, Blogger Maureen Child said...

Yes, Kate, Happy Writing Day!! You so shouldn't have to be dealing with a day job!! You're an artiste!!

Susan, I just know you were one of those kids who had every pencil sharpened and her little zipper pencil case stuffed with everything you might need! =) Although, I admit to loving school supplies, too. I just bought five new composition books at Target!! Love a blank page!

Oh, and Kate, I can trump your Sister Cletus with MY Sister Alphonsus........she still gives me nightmares!!

 
At 11:09 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Happy Labor Day to you too! I am enjoying the holiday by writing (what else?!?), watching the MDA telethon and now I am off to take my teenager daughter to a friend’s house.

It’s a beautiful day here in Massachusetts – the sun is shining (after a weekend of rain) the sky is that beautiful cornflower blue and there is a nip in the breeze…ah, fall in New England!

The best thing about living here is just when one gets tired of a season a change is right around the corner. We’ve got that smell of autumn in the air up here too…it a cross between country fairs, wood burning stoves and crunchy leaves beneath your feet. But there’s still a hint of warmth in the air…I think summer is still trying to hang on!

Christyne

PS - Susan...I finished The Marcelli Bride yesterday...ah, so wondeful! Can't wait for Mia's story!

 
At 11:49 AM, Blogger Maureen Child said...

Oh, Christyne...you made me sigh with longing.. Here in So.CA, Fall is hard to find.

Like Kate said, there is a difference in the air, but not by much! LOL. And September is our worst month for heat.

I soooo need to move where I can have a change of seasons!!

 
At 12:41 PM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Jen...I was wondering where you got that pic....

Kate, not any more on the dressing up for Halloween front. But my fave costume I ever had was one my mom made for me to my specifications, because I always wanted to be Zorro. But then I felt so unfeminine so I christened myself Zorrina. Hey. Worked for me.

 
At 2:04 PM, Blogger Kate Carlisle said...

Jen, you're picking up nagging tips from Maureen, aren't you? You're very good! And hon, the only witch you could possibly resemble is one of those babe-alicious TV witches!

Yes Susan, I knew you'd love the whole back to school experience! There is something to be said for connecting with friends again, but I was never too excited about new classes. Probably because I wasn't such a great student. Not since fourth grade anyway, when I discovered boys...

Maureen...I'll match Sister Mary Cletus up against anyone. She once came at me with scissors and cut my hair! Nightmares?? LOL...I'm scarred for life! It's okay...I use the pain to enhance my writing. *g*

Christyne, I know you brought a tear to Maureen's eye with that description of fall in New England! Sounds wonderful!

 
At 2:07 PM, Blogger Kate Carlisle said...

Chris--er, Zorrina!! That's too cool!

Hmm....I've never worn a Zorro costume before...

 

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