My freebie Hot Summer Days story, His Last Resort, went up this week over at the M/M Group at Goodreads:
The last thing transfer student Lee Carmine needs in his life right now is a wide-eyed, gorgeous gay guy for a roommate. When Trask Maitland comes out to Lee, are they doomed from the start or is it possible that "three strikes and you're out" could turn into "third time's the charm?"
It occurred to me while I was driving today--and I had a LOT of time to think!--that I should post some of the random thoughts and interesting (to me) observations I make during the trip. So, I'll start off with some stats and then go from there!
DAY ONE: Drove 753 miles in 11 & 1/2 hours from near Portland, OR to Ogden, UT. (Keep in mind, it's just me and the two kids, no extra driver!) Kids were golden, my a$$ is not quite numb yet, skipped a late dinner in favor of pool time (love hotels with 24 hr pools!).
SPRINKLERS: Driving along in what could be considered the High Desert or maybe the Great Basin..not sure..but anyway, went past the town of Jerome, Idaho, and they had in-ground sprinklers going...in the big area between the interstate and the exit. WTF? What a waste of water! Weird and unnecessary. And it was kept mowed, too. Very oddly green and manicured in comparison with the normal, arid landscape around it. It stood out...in a not-so-good way. Plus watering on a hot summer day in an arid climate?? Most of it evaporated and didn't even get to the roots. Sorry...have to give you a thumbs down, Jerome town leaders, especially since it's evidently smart irrigation month this month (which I found out trolling for a photo to use here--ironic!). Turn off the water, turn under the turf and plant some native grasses already.
STEWART: Also in the middle of Idaho, I came up behind a big boxy car carrier, the whole rear end eye-catchingly painted with the Mobil logo. When I went to pass, I noticed the trailer was being pulled by a huge pickup which was also entirely painted with logos..like a race car. Probably because it was the "OFFICIAL TONY STEWART TEAM #14" truck and hauler. Presumably, the NASCAR car was tucked away inside, asleep...you know...like in the movies Cars? My kids were very excited to see a Lightening McQueen look-alike in person, so to speak. What they were doing in Idaho, I have no idea!
SCAN-STOPPING SONGS--DAY ONE: We don't iPod or Sirius or anything like that on these annual trips. Nope, we do it the old-fashioned way and scan the radio stations along the way, hoping that when one grows too fuzzy, we'll find another good one. The girls enjoy helping me decide which stations to stop on (and the oldest is keeping track with a list now..which will probably get lost before the next trip). They mostly like the dance, hip-hop and Top 40 type songs, so that's what we end up looking for. But sometime I'll hit a song that makes me stop and sing along, even if it's not quite what we were looking for. Kind of fun to "rediscover" some old favorites. Here are a couple from today:
I'll be back tomorrow with a Day Two update! Time to get some sleep before my early Skype work call. At least the kids will probably still be asleep...and there's an in-room coffee maker! Night!
Off for a quick couple of nights at the coast tomorrow. I live close enough for an easy day trip (about a 90 minute drive), but over the years seem to go less and less often even though the beach really calls to me. Love the tranquil peace I always feel near the ocean. Hey, I'm a Pisces, total water baby.
The timing is a bit ironic since I'm going to be leaving on the annual trek east the day after I get back from going west to the beach. More about that in a few days.
But still...it's the coast. Totally worth going the wrong way.
My plans while soaking it all in? Other than a bit of editing, I need to write some song lyrics and a blurb for my next release, One More Wish. If the muse is willing, I plan to unearth a manuscript I've been planning to revise for some time now and actually get to it. Hopefully I'll have some good progress to report to you this weekend.
In celebration of their birthday, Total-E-Bound is offering 25% your entire e-book purchase at their website, all day Friday, July 8th! Take advantage of this great opportunity to buy all the TEB e-books you've been wanting!
It doesn't matter if you've been with someone for 18 years...you never really know a person until you play Monopoly with them.
Base tan as sun protection only works for the parts of your body that actually get sun day-to-day. The tops of my feet, tummy, and upper thighs apparently needed more than mere sunscreen after ages in the shade.
Thermostat wars also happen with hot tubs.
Hardly anyone looks great in a bathing suit, and the ones who do are either under 23 or hit the jackpot in genetics.
Going down into a cave after having seen the movie The Descent is really creepy.
