can you write a story in only 101 words? if i like yours...i'll pay ya!

That was the challenge my Fiction class got last week. We had to write two stories with exactly 101 words--no more, no less. I'll let you read the two I came up with, then....if *YOU* are up to the challenge--write a 101 word story of your own (story=beginning, middle, and end. No poetry). Punctuation and titles don't count, but can't be excessive either. Tell me about it in your comment and I'll come over and read it. The one I like the best gets a $25 AmEx gift card (just in time for holiday shopping!). Since the tumbleweeds will be blowing through blogland until after Thanksgiving--I'll announce the winner on Monday the 30th. It's always more fun when you play along! :)

(Here are mine just to give you a vague idea. I bet you can do better!)

ALIVE

I had a certain order I liked to arrange them in, across the width of my bed: black rabbit, pig, dog, pink rabbit, teddy bear, teddy bear. My 8-year old self assigning such humanity to this line of stuffed animals. I felt their pain when one accidentally fell to the floor. Their cold when left blanketless. Their naked shame when I forgot to dress them. Therefore, I'm not sure why I was so surprised the night the two bears ripped me apart, the rabbits ran off to mate, and the pig just watched--amused--as the dog ate my entrails.

--------

PAPER CUT/INFINITE SKY

I accidentally sliced my thumb against the edge of the telephone bill today--a quick sensation of pain, then the blood. And because I am wont to think of things like this, I imagined the people who lived inside my skin. They were running their streets in a frenzied panic. Above them, their fleshy sky ripped open, spewing stars and moons and clouds and atmosphere out into an unknown void. I pictured citizens on their knees, praying. (Except their scientists who were on their knees, thinking). I paused inside this scene momentarily, then licked the little puddle of red universe from my thumb.

Now....get to writing!!! And Happy Thanksgiving!

who wants to be $250-aire?

Hooray for contests!!! Blog contests are really *the best* because you have a pretty good chance of winning! So here it is:

One of my friends owns 5 gourmet pizza restaurants. They are all doing great, so more are on the way. If things go well, the restaurant could be in strip malls throughout the country. The only bad thing is that the current name isn't really working. It's well known in the little college town it started in, but my friend's not sure that everyone else is going to "get it" (a few of you I know went to school in this little town, so pleeeeease don't say the name if you recognize the place!). Anywhoo....I've been given the thumbs up to let YOU try and name the new restaurant!

~The restaurant concept is all you can eat, high-quality pizza, salad, and pasta. The current feel is contemporary Italian---cement floor, golden yellow walls, stained wood,fireplace, etc.., but that's all up in the air and could be changed with the right name~

What would YOU name the place? And if your name hinges on a certain font, logo, style, or advertising slogan--let us know about that too!

*********Here are the rules:***********

First, if you're on Blogger and not following me---get following!!! (there has to be SOMETHING in this for me besides the hundred bucks I get if my blog produces the winner....right :)?!), and then leave your answer either in the comments section or in my email box (see the link to my email in my profile).

Now the one caveat is that my friend might not like any of the names, in which case--no winner will be announced. You'll have to trust me that he's a super honest guy and wouldn't use any of your ideas without awarding you the prize. If there IS a winner, they will be announced the day the sign is hoisted up on the new place.

And what is the prize?....

Bragging rights to your idea being front and center on an insanely expensive restaurant sign , $200 in gift certificates when the restaurant comes to a town near you (or you make the trip out west to go eat there!) AND $250.00 CASH-A-ROO.

Contest will CLOSE this Tuesday at midnight (Mountain Standard time). Tell all your creative friends and GET NAMING!!!!

Thanks for playing!

p.s....here's the interior of one of the current restaurants if you need a little more inspiration. And again, if you recognize it--sssssssh! Let's let him keep his competitive advantage!

can you keep up with my random taste in music?

**GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!**



Jori-O had the greatest blog post running yesterday. She had put up the first two lines to random songs off of her ipod, and challenged us to guess the name of the song and the artist. I am usually AWESOME with song lyrics (freaky elephant brain of mine...), but I was actually stumped by several of hers--and late on commenting-- so the easy ones were already guessed.



ANYWAY---I wanted to offer the same challenge to my readers. EXCEPT, beware---my taste in music can be rather random......so don't think you'll be guessing all out of one genre' here!



I'm going to put my ipod (ok--SanDisk mp3 player) on random here and pull up 15 songs. Then, I'll give you the first two lines. You give me the name of the song and the artist, and for any or all of you who get them right, one of you will win a $15 i Tunes gift card.





YAAAAAY! I love giveaways! I love music! Let's rock!.........



1. I'm bringing sexy back/ them other boys don't know how to act (easy start!)



2. Words like violence, break the silence/ they come crashing in, into my little world



3. The speed of light slows down as a feather hits the ground/And nothing else gets through, it's always faster than it sounds



4. In the club with my homies, tryin' to get a little VI (?)/ keep it down on the low key, 'cause you know how it feels/ I said shorty she was checkin' up on me.... (gave you an extra line there because I wasn't so sure about the first one)



5.Ladies leave your man at home/ the club is full of ballers and their pockets full of chrome/and all you fellas leave your girl with her friends 'cause it's 11:30 and the club is.....



6. I gotta new life, you would hardly recognize me I'm so glad. How could a person like me care for you?/ Why do I bother when you're not the one for me? (ooooooooh ooooooh ooooooh).



7. Broke into the old apartment, this is where we use to live./ Broken glass, broke and hungry, broken hearts and broken bones



8. We'll be together again. I've been waiting for a long time. / We're gonna be, we're gonna be together again. I've been connected to the right line.



9. I'm the kind of girl who hangs with the guys/ like a fly on the wall with my secret eyes.



10.Don't move, don't talk out of time, don't think, don't worry, everything's just fine.......just fine/Don't grab, don't clutch, don't hope for too much, don't breathe, don't achieve, or grieve without leave

11.Yo! Listen up here's the story/ about a little guy that lives in a blue world

12.I waited till I saw the sun, I don't know why I didn't come/ I left you by the house of fun, I don't know why I didn't come

13. La la la, la la la la la. La la la, la la la la la./ I just can't get you outta my head, boy your lovin' is all I think about.

14. When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you/ When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you.

15. Are these times contagious? I've never been this bored before. /Is this the prize I've waited for?
------------------------------------

*****And just keeping it honest here, ladies: I skipped over a lot of my songs......because they were jazz or classical, and I didn't know how many of you could guess "bump, bee bump, ba du bu bump". Also, I totally skipped over Zombie by The Cranberries, because I just had not a clue what she was saying!!!

---GOOD LUCK! WINNER ANNOUNCED AFTER DRAWING ON FRIDAY! ---

the secret is in the sauce

I am so happy to be a part of this new blogging community started by my buddies Heather and Mrs. Romero. Really. As happy as I am when I wear my red shoes. As happy as I am on ice cream night. As happy as I am when I dream that Blake Lewis is my boyfriend. And that's happy. ANYWAY-- They'll soon be featuring a new blog post each day--the best of the best from the featured blogger's archive--guaranteed to make you laugh or cry or think or all of the above. So, if YOU want to be a part of this group of sassy blogging sista's, send links to your three best posts (and they can be about any old thing!) to the secret is in the sauce blog button above. Right now, the Saucey page is all about the PRIZES....... the really amazing prizes.........oh how I loves me some prizes :)! And if you go comment and grab your own S.I.T.S button, you too could win****** A NEW CAR!!! (not really--but a blog makeover, or a camera, or a voice recorder, or a t shirt, or candy....all good stuff.)

A big CONGRATS again Heather and Mrs. R. May this path lead you to blog stardom and so many comments you will weep openly and shamelessly neglect your children each time you sit down at your computer :)! {{{{{Big blog hugs}}}}}}

step right up! it's the bloggy carnival!

I can't NOT join in this fabulous giveaway-palooza. I love to win stuff, and love to give stuff away--what a perfect match. SO--since I have not much artistic ability of my own, I've decided to give away some goodies from one of my favorite, newly discovered artists: Sara from Sarah and Abraham. She draws lovely little designs like these:

Couldn't you just climb up on your desk and hug these?

The winner can choose anything they'd like from her etsy shop (ok--not anything--value $20 or less). If you want some more ideas of what she offers, you may visit her blog and click on her shop link.

And to win you DON'T have to: do my laundry, be my best friend, bake me chocolate chip cookies, or shovel the snow off my driveway (though I take bribes of any kind--ha! ha!-- you DO have to leave me a comment though. That's not so hard, is it?

*make sure you leave an email address if you a. don't have a blog or b. don't check your own blog very often :). Winner announced Feb. 3. Comments considered until midnight Feb. 2. I am so sorry to all my Norweigan friends, but I think Canada is as far as I can pay to have anything shipped. Winner will be selected by my un-biased children drawing a name out of a bowl :).

Start commenting!!!