Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Debra Garfinkle's LiveJournal:

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Friday, July 3rd, 2009
3:50 pm	Friday Five 1. My nine-year-old got a concussion yesterday! He accidentally rammed heads with a bigger kid. Hubby didn't want to take him in, but I kept repeating "Natasha Richardson." So he went to Urgent Care. He's fine now. 2. I'm learning a lot by hearing my twelve-year-old talk to his friends. They mostly talk about girls and body parts. I wouldn't mind never hearing Megan Fox's name again. 3. The nice thing about our kids getting older: Hubby and I have had date night the last four weekends. 4. I got a great idea for another young adult novel. I will work on it just as soon as I revise my chapter book manuscript, get brave enough to get a critique on my picture book manuscript, finish the two partially drafted young adult novels I started, and maybe work on the adult book and middle grade book I have great ideas for. 5. I went to the Mac store yesterday re. my iPhone. There was so much I was clueless about, I asked the worker if I was the dumbest customer she ever had. She said no. I think she was just being polite. (15 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 29th, 2009
1:04 pm	Read All About It I just spent four days at the National Society of Newspaper Columnists conference. So fun! The speakers were awesome. They included Jon Carroll, who's written a five-day-a-week column for the San Francisco Chronicle for thirty years. I promise to never again complain about finding ideas for my twice-a-month column. I will probably break that promise next week. Also speaking were Jeffrey Zaslow, Wall Street Journal columnist/The Last Lecture coauthor/very funny and warm man, and Bruce Cameron, funny columnist and successful author of Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter. Most of my three blog readers probably aren't that excited, but the speakers are rock stars to me. And guess who was an attendee? Heloise! I tossed my red wine on her dress to see if she could get out the stain. Okay, I didn't really do that. Also, I was too shy to talk to her. I should have brought her a nice gift of white vinegar. I learned a lot at the conference, including that the newspaper business is even worse off than I thought. So many columnists have recently been laid off or taken buyouts. I'm grateful to still have my column and to get paid a little bit for it. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
10:29 am	Urbdic Urb Dic-- Slang I just made up for the slang website urbandictionary.com. Some of my fave Urb Dic words: Dudevorce- end of a bromance Hello list- list of people you say hello to when you pass them in the halls Sofa king- um, say it fast and it comes out naughty Floordrobe- clothes piled on the floor Boyfriend bomb- when a girl you like reveals she has a boyfriend Showmance- actors' romance for the run of a show Master debate- um, figure it out yourself Pregret- regretting something you're about to do anyway Also (insert witty transition here), I finished drafting a chapter book. Yay! I meant to make it 8,000 words, but it came out 11,000 words. Oh, well. Now I just have to revise it a zillion times, give it to my critique group, and revise it a zillion more times. I think I'm already pregretting it. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
10:41 am	deep philosophical musing Parents, you know how sometimes you'll look at your child and feel overwhelmed with love for the magnificent being you helped create? This morning, I looked at my pot of coffee like that. (12 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 19th, 2009
8:34 am	Friday Five 1. After a month or two hiatus, I performed stand-up at my secret dive bar a few days ago and it was really fun. I love hanging around comedians-- even though we're all horribly neurotic. 2. I recently discovered the hilarious "literal videos," like this one for Total Eclipse of the Heart. I also love the You're Beautiful one. 3. Yay! Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D List is on again. She's so funny, and it's so cool to see Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin on her show! 4. By obsessive self-googling, I saw the German edition of my novel Storky had gotten a five-star review on Amazon. Because I'm that needy, I ran the review through a translator and found it very good indeed. A twelve-year-old boy and his mother had both enjoyed it. 5. Yesterday was the last day of school. My kids started arguing as soon as they got home. Oy. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
9:40 am	If only I could go back in time If I could go back in time, I would have deleted my recording of the first episode of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. I want those two hours of my life back! In my defense, I'd never seen The Hills before, thus had no idea of how extremely annoying Spencer and Heidi (Speidi) are. Eww! Ick! Blecch! I am kind of tempted to murder them, but first I'd torture them by making them wear clothes from Walmart or work at Burger King. Speaking of which, if I could go back in time, I might have convinced myself not to start reading The Stranger Beside Me, which is a nonfiction book about serial killer Ted Bundy. Okay, it's well-written and I couldn't stop reading it, like I couldn't stop watching Speidi, but I've been totally freaked out all week. Every time I see someone standing by herself, I have to force myself not to scream, "Be careful! A sicko could kill you with a crowbar right now just like that!" Now I remember why I had to give up my Stephen King addiction in the '80s and my true-crime book addiction in the '90s. If you need me, I'll be cowering under my desk while ripping up Speidi pictures. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
9:30 pm	Haiku Review Zoo MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco Stork - young adult novel I’d heard raves for this, and it is a good novel, but maybe too hyped? SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder - screenwriting how-to book Take it from me, a writing-how-to book addict: This is excellent. SWIM THE FLY by Don Calame - young adult novel A beach read for guys. It delivers lots of laughs, so I liked it too RELIGULOUS - documentary film One-sided movie mocking fanaticism. Bill Maher is smart. UP! - animated film Wonderful writing, great visuals, Ed Asner. What more could one want? (Comment on this)
Friday, June 5th, 2009
4:53 pm	Friday Five 1. I'm kinda sad to be missing my gazillion-year college reunion this weekend. Anyone who hasn't seen me in a long time, please note that I'm now extremely gorgeous, super wealthy, and beloved by all who know me. And my children are all going to be presidents when they grow up. Good ones. 2. Warning: Reading the big sign in Susan Boyle's hometown, as pictured in People Magazine, might be harmful to a grammar snob's health: "Susan your a super star in our eye's well done." Ow, ow, ow! 3. I started drafting a book ten days ago and it's already halfway done! Okay, I've written 4,528 words, but who's counting, of a children's chapter book. It's going so much faster than my prior 62,000-word young adult novel! 4. Anyone else sick of seeing Jon and Kate plus or minus eight on every single magazine cover? 5. Having own reality TV show: Easiest way to ruin a marriage. E.g., Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Jon and Kate, and more. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
11:14 am	Pics and linkies The booksigning on Sunday was like a mucho fun party. I couldn't figure out how to upload a pic of all six of us authors, but here, courtesy of Marlene Perez, is the brunette half of us: Mary Pearson, moi, and Marlene Perez And here's a link to my talented bro-in-law's new website in which he paints a beautiful picture of a bird every day for 50 days. And here's a link to my new and hopefully funny column about the soccer tournament I took my son to. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 29th, 2009
1:44 pm	Friday Five 1. The auction to raise money for diabetes research ends Sunday. I'm the high bidder on seven items. Please outbid me! Actually, don't, because I really want them. 2. The auction to raise money for Bridge Zinn closes tomorrow. 3. My son's friend came home from pediatric rehab yesterday and is doing really well. 4. I'm reading a screenplay writing book called Save the Cat which is really useful for novel writing and interesting too. 5. Hubby bought me a huge jar of chocolate covered raisins from Costco, which I love. He's either incredibly sweet or incredibly evil. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
12:52 am	Big Booksigning on Sunday! Come by! (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
7:18 pm	Kids say the darnedest things I spoke about writing and publishing to a terrific group of third graders at Granada Elementary School in L.A., taught by my pal Mark. During Q&A, one of the boys asked, "Why are your pom-poms so big?" Mark and I had a good laugh! I'd passed around a picture of myself as a yell-leader in high school, and apparently the pom-poms we used were a lot bigger back then. Back then, mine were perkier too. (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, May 24th, 2009
9:54 pm	Haiku Reviews PERFECT YOU by Elizabeth Scott, a young adult novel Frothy summer read. The boyfriend’s a Mary Sue. Still, it’s romantic. WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson, a young adult novel Gorgeous and haunting tale of an anorexic. This should win awards IF I STAY by Gayle Forman, a young adult novel A compelling read. A girl on the brink of life and death gets to choose. INSTANT ATTRACTION by Jill Shalvis, an adult (very!) romance novel Fun vacation read featuring hot mountain men with zero substance. TOO FAT TO FISH by Artie Lange, an adult (very!) memoir It’s a funny book. Though reading about drugs, drugs, and more drugs got old. YES, MAN, PG-13 movie Jim Carrey retread had some laughs, especially in the second half. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
8:48 pm	Friday Five 1. Today I sent my agent the Thing I've Been Working on Forever. Hooray! 2. I took my nine-year-old to visit his friend in pediatic rehab yesterday. The little guy is getting better every day. The boys were so happy to see each other. They played a very long game of War (the card game, not the conflict in Iraq). 3. Speaking of my nine-year-old, he must have heard someone complain about getting a busy signal while trying to vote on American Idol. Here is his latest cute kid comment: "They should have more than one person answering the phones for American Idol." Ahh. Much cuter than my teen, who mostly communicates by slamming doors, and my 12-year-old, who mostly grunts. 4. We're going on a Caribbean cruise this summer! A few years ago, I hid my passport in a very safe place that only I knew about. Yes, I now have no idea where it is. Anyone with a locatable passport want to buy a cruise ticket? 5. I'm always looking for ideas for my Erma Bombeck-ish column. I've been writing it for close to five years, and my idea store has declared bankruptcy. Pleae help. (11 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 15th, 2009
10:37 am	Friday Five 1. I'm going away again this weekend, to Temecula for 12-year-old's AYSO soccer tournament. I'm looking forward to it, except I'm sooooo close to finally turning in my manuscript to my agent. But I will definitely get rid of send off my wretched beloved novel next week. 2. So Coach finally got voted out of Survivor. I was actually feeling a little sorry for him, until he made that sexist remark about women seeing problems as boulders while men see them as pebbbles. This was after he was kvetching about his back and asthma nonstop, and while hubby was complaining about his cold every 10 seconds, the same cold everyone else, incuding me, has. 3. Me, on the phone to my agent: I want to write more meaningful work. Agent: You mean not so commercial. Me: Well, yeah. Me, talking to myself after the phone call: I really shouldn't have told her that. 4. I've already won one thing in a wonderful auction to raise money for diabetes research and I am the top bidder so far for six other things. I went a little crazy. Please, outbid me! There are great things offered for readers, writers, and everyone, including vacation packages, lots of signed books, and critiques from agents, editors, and writers. 5. Another great auction for a good cause is here. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
6:33 am	Just skip this if you're not into reality shows I'm sad that the three TV shows I watch-- American Idol, Survivor, and Amazing Race-- are coming to an end. Don't judge me. I already know I need a life. Does having Kris and Adam in the finals of American Idol seem a little deja vu to you? The sweet, cute guy (David Archuleta) and the rocker who takes a lot of chances (David Cook). Both years I rooted for the rocker who takes a lot of chances. I hope Coach gets voted off Survivor soon because he's so annoying. But then again, he is the most entertaining person on the show. Remember when Survivor was just starting out, and they'd have a gay guy and it would be this really big deal? Now it's like whatever. Which I think is a good thing. I looked in the dictionary under "closeted gay man," and there was Amazing Race's Victor. By the way, he's a partner at one of the biggest law firms in the country. He needs the prize money like a hole in the head. But I did like him and his lawyer sister. Gotta root for the lawyers. We knew that Amazing Race's Mel and Mike White are openly gay, but did you know there are two others also? Yep, Kisha and Luke. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
7:44 pm	Update My website is back up! Thank you, Greg Fishbone! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
10:33 am	Yech/Yay Yech! Hackers got to my website. Yay! My website guy is looking into it. Yech! We drove to Fresno on Friday and hit a ton of traffic. Yay! We stopped for dinner at Buca di Beppa and got to eat at the table in the kitchen I've always wanted to eat at. Yech! Fresno had a heat wave while we were there. Yay! We spent Saturday with our good friends and air conditioning. Yech! After being hit by a car, nine-year-old's friend was in a hospital-induced coma for close to a week. Yay! He is recovering. Yech! Coach is still on Survivor. Yay! Adam is still on American Idol. Yech! All three of our kids have to be in different places at the same time today. Yay! Hubby's going to help get them there. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 8th, 2009
12:53 pm	Friday Five The very best way to learn how to write novels: Work as a bankruptcy appellate law clerk for Judge Meyers for 8 1/2 years, researching and drafting legal opinions. But hurry! He's retiring soon. How it helped me: 1. Judge Meyers's favorite phrase is "Never assume anything." I learned to check and double-check things before I put them in my drafts. A factual error will take readers right out of the story. And make a judge look bad. 2. He lets lawyers and people representing themselves have their say, then takes it all into account before deciding what to do. Just like I'm a believer in getting my work critiqued and listening to every suggestion, though I don't end up using them all. 3. I wrote about 50-100 pages a month in my job, and never told my boss I couldn't do the work because I was "blocked." Sometimes I have to make myself write fiction too, whether I feel like it or not. 4. Judge Meyers made me revise a lot. Once he had me do 11 drafts of something before he was satisfied. 5. He has a great sense of humor and helped make my job fun. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
10:23 pm	Non-Friday Five Some things that cheered me up this week: 1. Hearing my nine-year-old explain the Cuban Missile Crisis while practicing his oral report on JFK. So cute! I had to keep reminding him that it was "Communism," not "Communalism." Interestingly, the children's bio on JFK that he read did not mention Marilyn Monroe. 2. Hanging out with my friend M and her adorable identical twin toddlers. 3. Reading terrific young adult novels: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson and If I Stay by Gayle Forman. 4. Dog Edna, who follows me from room to room. I love having my own groupie. 5. Adam Lambert of American Idol. I want to be his groupie. (5 Comments |Comment on this)