Category: happiness

Today was a big day for this writer chick.

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After five-plus years in the making.
It came last night, via email. . . . . .  (drum roll, please)
* * * My publishing contract * * *
Hurrah!!! 
Rather bleary-eyed, I read it though a few times, then sent a message to my lawyer brother, asking him to take a look. (Didn’t want to sign any future children away, after all. Not yet, at least. Heh-heh.) 
After determining that everything looked kosher, and after sleeping on it one last time…..
The signing began! 

I took over my boss’s office (which seemed apropos, since I had also been in his office when I’d first spoken to my then would-be editor from Entangled. Plus, Boss’s corner office is so nice, what with all the space, wood furniture, spectacular view and, ya know, natural light.
 
I just LOVE how my pen name is included on the contract. So totally cool.
Err….what have I done?? Just breathe, writer chick.
I’m trying to enjoy this current moment in time, and not think about the upcoming unreasonable deadlines, hard decisions, painful edits and sleepless night filled with my beloved characters running around in my brain keeping me awake–they’re so darling that way. 

And please, feel free to rock out to this. 
When the book comes out, you’ll know why. 

xoxo,
OL

Today was a big day for this writer chick.

18 Comments
After five-plus years in the making.
It came last night, via email. . . . . .  (drum roll, please)
* * * My publishing contract * * *
Hurrah!!! 
Rather bleary-eyed, I read it though a few times, then sent a message to my lawyer brother, asking him to take a look. (Didn’t want to sign any future children away, after all. Not yet, at least. Heh-heh.) 
After determining that everything looked kosher, and after sleeping on it one last time…..
The signing began! 

I took over my boss’s office (which seemed apropos, since I had also been in his office when I’d first spoken to my then would-be editor from Entangled. Plus, Boss’s corner office is so nice, what with all the space, wood furniture, spectacular view and, ya know, natural light.
 
I just LOVE how my pen name is included on the contract. So totally cool.
Err….what have I done?? Just breathe, writer chick.
I’m trying to enjoy this current moment in time, and not think about the upcoming unreasonable deadlines, hard decisions, painful edits and sleepless night filled with my beloved characters running around in my brain keeping me awake–they’re so darling that way. 

And please, feel free to rock out to this. 
When the book comes out, you’ll know why. 

xoxo,
OL

Musical Pleasures

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Thanks to my parents and older siblings, music was always playing in our house. (Like this, this & this.) We took piano lessons and we each learned a different musical instrument. And most of us were at least semi-talented vocally. We were HUGE music lovers and appreciators, if nothing else. Plus, there were those Rodgers & Hammerstein and Hayley Mills movie musicals that played practically non-stop on at least one TV set.

Ergo, my obsession with music developed pretty early. I wore the grooves off “Sneaky Snake” and “Hound Dog” by the time I was eight. (Incidentally, not until I was much older, did I realize that this version of “Hound Dog,” was not by Elvis, but was a cover by “The Big Bop” – not to be confused with The Big Bopper.) 

I made my first “mix tape” when I was ten. It was a 60-minute Memorex with a black label, with songs recorded straight from the radio, complete with the beginnings and ends cut off, as well as the radio DJ’s talking over the intros.

Earlier today, I had a particular song on repeat. After a while, I wondered how many times it had played. Thanks to the wonders of  iTunes, the number of times an individual track is played is actually recorded and stored as part of your library. Curious, I checked out my tracks in the order of the number of plays. The list was not surprising. But it got me thinking. . . . 
If I’d had access to such a “counter” my entire life, what songs would’ve been played the most? 
Interesting idea. 
So I thought back to the major chunks of my life, remembering what songs were important to me. Meaning, what music did I play over and over and over until the tape broke? 

In chronological order, here are the songs that would probably be at the very tip-top of my iTunes “plays” counter list during my formative years:
Elementary School:
The Lonely Goatherd – The Sound of Music
Billy Jean – Michael Jackson 
Junior High:
High School:
Monkey – George Michael
Pour Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard 
Lost in your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
College:

And just because I love lists so much (and in the spirit of full, embarrassing disclosure), here are the songs that compile my current Top Ten Most Played, according to iTunes:


I’m curious. What do you think is on the top of YOUR most-played “iTunes of all times” list? 
Do share. . . .

Musical Pleasures

Leave a comment
Thanks to my parents and older siblings, music was always playing in our house. (Like this, this & this.) We took piano lessons and we each learned a different musical instrument. And most of us were at least semi-talented vocally. We were HUGE music lovers and appreciators, if nothing else. Plus, there were those Rodgers & Hammerstein and Hayley Mills movie musicals that played practically non-stop on at least one TV set.

Ergo, my obsession with music developed pretty early. I wore the grooves off “Sneaky Snake” and “Hound Dog” by the time I was eight. (Incidentally, not until I was much older, did I realize that this version of “Hound Dog,” was not by Elvis, but was a cover by “The Big Bop” – not to be confused with The Big Bopper.) 

I made my first “mix tape” when I was ten. It was a 60-minute Memorex with a black label, with songs recorded straight from the radio, complete with the beginnings and ends cut off, as well as the radio DJ’s talking over the intros.

Earlier today, I had a particular song on repeat. After a while, I wondered how many times it had played. Thanks to the wonders of  iTunes, the number of times an individual track is played is actually recorded and stored as part of your library. Curious, I checked out my tracks in the order of the number of plays. The list was not surprising. But it got me thinking. . . . 
If I’d had access to such a “counter” my entire life, what songs would’ve been played the most? 
Interesting idea. 
So I thought back to the major chunks of my life, remembering what songs were important to me. Meaning, what music did I play over and over and over until the tape broke? 

In chronological order, here are the songs that would probably be at the very tip-top of my iTunes “plays” counter list during my formative years:
Elementary School:
The Lonely Goatherd – The Sound of Music
Billy Jean – Michael Jackson 
Junior High:
High School:
Monkey – George Michael
Pour Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard 
Lost in your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
College:

And just because I love lists so much (and in the spirit of full, embarrassing disclosure), here are the songs that compile my current Top Ten Most Played, according to iTunes:


I’m curious. What do you think is on the top of YOUR most-played “iTunes of all times” list? 
Do share. . . .