What Do You Think?

Joe Konrath wrote an interesting counterpoint yesterday to an article by Ewan Morrison article about the condition of the publishing industry. Ewan suggests that no only will traditional publishers go the way of the world, but the new digital world won't be one where writers and artists get paid for their work.

Joe disagrees.

Vehemently.

What do you think?

Superlatives?

I need to thank Carrie Butler over at So, You're a Writer for an award I'd never seen before:

Thanks for thinking of me, Carrie. I agree with you in your post here. This award is a little more complicated and, for me, difficult to assess. Recipients are supposed to provide links back to a few of their blog posts based upon seven categories. 

How the heck am I supposed to determine "seven post superlatives"? For example, is a post most popular because it had the most comments, that it had the power to get people to take the time to respond? Or the number of visitors who, perhaps, left too stunned by the quality of the post to comment (yeah, and then I wake up). How do we quantify someone else's experience when they visit our blogs?
I can't. So you're stuck with my interpretation. And I'm biased, either for or against.

1. Most Beautiful

Tribute
The post I wrote after my father died last march.








2. Most Popular

According to my blog stats, it appears that my Fun & Games Blogfest post had the most page views. By a substantial number.


3. Most Controversial
This one was easy to decide on. It was the post about self-publishing.

4. Most Helpful
Okay. Now it's getting hard because this is so subjective. How do I really know if something I've written about turned out to be helpful to someone? 

Source

So, I'll go with one of my Grammar Friday posts and hope that I'm right. I like the one dealing with punctuation because I love the example so much.



5. Most Surprisingly Successful

I think this has to be my unmentionables post. I'm not into risque posts, and most of the ones I'd seen were definitely that, so when I was tagged for that meme, I was conflicted. However, I decided there was room for some potential humor there while still maintaining my propriety.



6.  Most Underrated
Once again, how can I even guess at this? I suggest it was my review of Natalie Palmer's book Second Kiss, which I dearly loved.









7. Most Pride Worthy
I'm not sure what to put on here, either. I was tempted to leave it up to you guys, but I decided to list my book review of the I Am Not a Serial Killer series by Dan Wells. Perhaps because this is not a genre I read anymore. Perhaps it's because of the way Dan managed to make me love the terribly flawed, icky fantasizing, wanting to be noble John Cleaver that makes me gush about this series. John is no Dexter to try and justify his atrocities by targeting an "appropriate" kind of victim. Seriously. I can't gush enough about this series. It really struck a chord with me.

So, there you have it. My 7 (presumptuous) superlatives. Now I get to select seven others to pass this on to. Be sure to check their blogs out:

An Alleged Author

Cindy M. Hogan

Dianne K. Salerni

Ellie Garratt

Laila Knight

L.G. Smith

Mark Noce

Here's to a great week everyone. I need to get through another poll worker training session (hopefully not an epic fail this time) and then I have a four-day weekend. And my mind is buzzing with ideas for WIP #3!

Sucky Days and Campaigns

Friday was just one of those days. I'm usually an "up" person, and I'm old enough to have confidence in myself as a person and in my abilities specifically. The week had been crazy at work with a city council meeting on Tuesday and my first poll worker training on Thursday.

Elections are always a little nuts; it's the nature of the beast. I know some recorders who don't live in the communities they work for, and they say it can be easier because they're not so emotionally involved in the campaign issues. However, I am a resident, and I am emotionally involved. But I can't be involved anywhere but inside my head because I'm also a city employee and the election official. *sigh*

So that sets up my mood on Friday. I hadn't slept well earlier in the week, so I was tired. I'd finished the line critique for WIP #1 with my edits earlier in the week, and I'd started reading it to hubby Thursday night.

The changes sucked.

Not the suggestions. The way I fixed them. So I'm going to have to fix them some more. More than a little bit. How could I have messed up all those great ideas?

The next thing was an email from a peer asking if one of my candidates had really called someone a "witch" in the voter information pamphlet that began hitting homes on Friday. I rushed to the original document and, yep, the word "witch" was there. It should have said "which" but somehow I'd missed it even though I'd read the dang thing several times (as had other people, but it's my responsibility).

The thing that hit the hardest was the email received from one of the poll workers about the training the day before detailing all the ways it had confused the attendee, had sent him home with more questions than he'd come with. You know, the training I'd spent two weeks working on. The one that I'd thought through, agonized over, and fretted about.

Epic fail!

The email included good feedback because I sincerely want the training to be useful. The timing sucked, though. It felt like confirmation that I was a waste of space.

I posted on Facebook after I read the email:

This is one of those days where I feel my children were right. I really am the stupidest person God put on the earth. What am I thinking?

I felt like a failure on so many levels.

It's interesting how a few negative things can hit you when you're already feeling a little tired. I was already dragging and ready for the weekend. Suddenly I was spiraling down, down, down.

Though, I have to admit that everyone in my office did have a good laugh over the "witch" remark once I got over it and told them about it. I wonder how many of the 20,000+ homes that flier went out to will catch it. lol

My deputy was off on Friday, and she's always got great suggestions, so I'll bounce some ideas off her to see what we can do to improve the training before the next session on the 30th.

Perhaps the best thing came last night as I continued reading WIP #1 to hubby. I liked the section we were in much better than the ones I'd read to him the night before. It was a salve to my wounds. Maybe there was hope after all.

Campaigns

Click here for details

I've got a lot of blogging friends who've decide to participate in Rachael Harrie's Campaign and have encouraged me to do so. I've met such wonderful people in other events, I gave in. As Rach says in her post:

Length of the Campaign

This Campaign will run from August 22nd to October 31st. I'll be closing the List of Campaigners on August 31st, so join up before then if you want to come on board!

Organized Campaign Events

During the Campaign, I'll be running Campaigner Challenges and the Campaigner Notice-Board. Other than that, go for your life! I've set up a Campaigner Yahoo Group here, for you to chat among yourselves, and there'll be lots of Twitter-talk at #writecampaign.

Mark these dates in your diary now:

1. First Campaigner Challenge - Monday, September 5
2. Second Campaigner Challenge - Thursday, September 22
3. Third Campaigner Challenge - Monday, October 17

So, what about you? What are you up to this weekend? I hope I'm finally going to get see the movie The Help.

Grammar Friday - Semicolon

If you are right-handed, the scissors should be in your right hand, if you are left-handed, scissors go in the left hand.

The above comma is called a comma splice and is considered grammatically incorrect. What you have here is two complete sentences. The writer either needs to separate them with a period or question mark. or connect them with conjunctions like and, but, or, nor, yet, and so.

Another option is to separate them with a semicolon. You can use a semicolon to signal the reader that the two sentences are closely related to each other.

Bear in mind, however, that a semicolon is considered a soft period and not a hard comma.

Are semicolons your friends? Or do you run from them for fear of using them incorrectly? Or do they just bug you when you read them?

Politicians, Writers, and Critique Groups

My dear friend Robin Weeks had a great post yesterday, that got me waxing a little whimsical. You should check out her post before reading on.

Since I work with politicians, am the election official in charge of a primary for over 50,000 registered voters three weeks from yesterday, I must add the following to Robin's theme:

If you want to be a politician, you need to try and please everyone (to get their votes) with the end result that you tick off a lot of people.

If you want to be a writer, you must try to please everyone (because you can't submit anything without feedback so you've got beta readers, critique partners, friends, neighbors, people in line with you at the grocery store, etc. giving you input) with the end result that your ms could wind up without the power and emotion to move anyone (and you are now bald from having ripped all your hair out from trying to conform to what everyone else wants your tale to be).

Hmmm ... seems like everyone needs to accept that if you can't please everyone, you should at least please yourself.

And keep your hair.

But seriously, I've received some good feedback from my betas and tremendous input from my online critique partners. Really. These people are incredible.

Remember that stupid $770 college class I worked so hard to get into last fall because it was a prerequisite for the creative writing class I wanted? But then I got into the class and realized that no way was it going to teach me what I wanted to learn, so I dropped it?

But then I found out about my online critique group (through Robin, btw) at David Farland's Writers' Groups. So I submitted my name to a couple of groups and was accepted by both of them? And now the members (one group is very small and not overly active, which is saving my neck--while the other one is very active and keeping me busy) are teaching me just the stuff I wanted to learn?

For free!

Well, last Saturday, I attended the first meeting of a new in-person critique group.

You know. The kind with real, live people actually sitting in the same room together.

It was a heady experience. They were all at the professional critique session I attended a week ago Saturday, and two of them were in my group. This should be interesting. I've gotten so used to the online format, there will be an adjustment to this live thing.

Do you belong to a live critique group? How does yours work? How often do you meet?

If you don't belong to a live group, do you have on online one? Are you happy with it? How'd you find out about it?

Star Trek Clarification

I've always considered myself a Trekker. 

Not a Trekkie. 

Semantics, I know, but still.

As I quoted Data in my blogfest post yesterday: 

One is my name. The other is not.

Just thought you should know.

Where No One Has Gone Before -- Star Trek As We Know It Blogfest

Monday is Ellie Garratt's Star Trek As We Know It Blogfest. (Hey, it's Monday somewhere). I'm supposed to talk about five of my favorite Star Trek episodes. Now keep in mind, I became a fan, when Star Trek was being broadcast live, back in the day when you got summer reruns, and then the shows were never seen again. Yes. Back before syndication or cable.

I discovered Classic Star Trek when I was 13, and we were living on the Navy base at Sangley Point, in the Philippines. We never got newly run shows, so we were a season behind. You know what they say: There's nothing too good for our troops overseas. And that's just what they get, nothin' too good. I was so excited to get back to the States and watch the new season. Unfortunately, it was last (half) season. The network had tried to kill the show after season 2 but there'd been such an outcry from fans that they brought it back and put it in a time slot guaranteed to kill it.

It was several years before syndication came around, and we were finally able to see some of those old shows again. And I can't even tell you the thrill to see a Star Trek movie! Sadly, it was abysmal. If the fans hadn't been so rabid and dying for something new, I think the franchise might have died there. But then they did Wrath of Kahn, which for me, captured everything that had made Star Trek so fun.


Well, enough ancient history.

My five favorite episodes

Classic Star Trek 

City on the Edge of Forever

Poignant time-travel tale, when Kirk and Spock have to go after a drug-crazed McCoy (accidental needle poke) who manages to change something in the past so drastic they must put things right. Even if it means sacrificing the woman Kirk has come to love. If the urban legend is true, this episode brought the first swear word to broadcast TV, when Kirk says near the end, "Let's get the hell out of here."

The Trouble With Tribbles

I alternated between crushing on Spock and Scotty. I loved the scene in this episode where Scotty is keeping his cool while on leave with his crew mates as the Klingons insult everything they could think of. It's not until they insult the Enterprise that Scotty loses it and everyone ends up in a brawl.

Star Trek, The Next Generation

 I was excited yet resistant when this new series began. I wanted it to be good but felt a bit like a betrayer if I liked it too much. Well. It's my favorite of all the Star Trek variations.

The Child

One of my favorite scenes is in this episode, where the new ship's doctor doesn't get Data. Here's the interchange:
Dr. Pulaski: Dah-ta, look at this.
Data: 'Day-ta'.
Dr. Pulaski: What?
Data: My name. It is pronounced 'Day-ta'.
Dr. Pulaski: Oh?
Data: You called me "Dah-ta".
Dr. Pulaski: What's the difference?
Lt. Commander Data: One is my name. The other is not.

The bolding is mine. I love Data, which probably explains why the next is also one of my favorite episodes.

The Measure of a Man

This is one of my all-time favorite episodes. A Commander Maddox wants to understand how Data's positronic brain works and gets Star Fleet to authorize him to dismantle Data for research purposes even though it could destroy Data in the process. Captain Picard challenges the ruling and is given the opportunity to make his case. But Riker must serve as the opposing counsel and, if the judge determines he hasn't given his side of the argument everything he has, she will rule against data. Picard must prove that Data is a sentient being and a legal citizen rather than property of the Federation.

The Best of Both Worlds

This was a 2-part cliffhanger episode where Picard was taken by the Borg and brought into the Collective. Had us hanging on the edge of our seats all dang summer.

Resistance is futile.

Wanna bet?

Seven of Nine (my Leaky Lounge Name, btw) with Captain Janeway from Voyager

Seven of Nine (Dobby is freeeee!)

The Borg made such a delicious nemesis. So much better than the pathetic Ferengi.

Quark from Deep Space Nine

I thought Q was hilarious, especially as he evolved in the series.

Favorite Films

Star Trek (2009)

And the newest Star Trek film was freaktastic! I saw it in the theaters six times and sat there with a stupid grin on my face all the way through all six viewings.Seriously! Who would have thought Sylar could be Spock? Or Eomer could be Bones?

The Wrath of Kahn. 

I cried. It felt like my favorite uncle had died.

Star Trek IV, The Journey Home

This movie was hilarious! It showed all the fun interactions between the characters that made us fall in love with the series in the first place.

 Star Trek Generations

I loved this film that brought Classic ST Kirk and TNG Picard together on the same screen (even though episodes of TNG had both Spock and Sarek, Spock's father). It was a passing of torch. The King is dead. Long live the King.

Star Trek First Contact

 

Who couldn't love Data kicking the Borg Queen's arse or our unlikely hero in Zefram Cochran?

Star Trek Insurrection

I loved this film for a number of reasons. One was that it had lots of humor in it as the crew members experience a bit of rejuvenation (wish I could get some), Picard found a lady love (finally), and they fixed the messing up stuff they'd done between Riker and Troi (they were always meant for each other). Most of all I love that it's Data who sees the ethical thing that must be done and does it. His line: Lock and load.

I'll always remember a comment Nichelle Nichols made on a TV show many years ago. She said, "I'd rather be star trekkin' than star warin'." I'm a big Star Wars fan, too, but she raises a good point.

So what are your favorite Star Trek memories?

Plot Devices & Two Awards

Plot Devices

Plot Device from Red Giant on Vimeo.

Awards

Valentina Hepburn was very kind and gave me two awards. It's always so nice when someone thinks of you for something like this, and I love to be able to showcase the blogs of other online friends.

Yes, this makes it the 5th time for this one. =D But I've shared awards with people who've already received them, so it's all good to me!

But in the spirit of the awards and the need to tell things about myself (click here for the most recent), I'm going to pass this on to the following bloggers (they will have to share 7 random [or not, depending upon their inclinations] bits of information about themselves). Please check them out and give them a follow if you're so inclined.

Mel Fowler over at Adventure Writes

Heidi Murphy over at Murphy's Law

Canda Mortensen over at Canda's InkBlast

Kristin Baker Przybyla over at Fairies and Pirates

Katie Gates: Stories and Opinions

Grammar Friday - Apostrophes, Part 2

Is the following sentence correct?

Your individual personality and experience meets peoples needs in different ways.

Generally, an apostrophe is used to identify either plural or possessive. Since people is already plural, the s is possessive and should be written:

Your individual personality and experience meets people's needs in different ways.

Example (Wikipedia):

Kingsley Amis, on being challenged to produce a sentence whose meaning depended on a possessive apostrophe, came up with:

Those things over there are my husband's. (Those things over there belong to my husband.)

Those things over there are my husbands'. (Those things over there belong to several husbands of mine.)

Those things over there are my husbands. (I'm married to those men over there.)

Wow. This lady's been busy. Forget Polygamy. Go for Polyandry. O_o

The plurals for capital letters and numbers used as nouns are not formed with apostrophes.  Examples:

She consulted with three M.D.s.

BUT

She went to three M.D.s' offices.

The apostrophe is needed here to show plural possessive.

She learned her ABCs.

the 1990s not the 1990's

the '90s or the mid-'70s not the '90's or the mid-'70’s

She learned her times tables for 6s and 7s.

Exception: Use apostrophes with capital letters and numbers
when the meaning would be unclear otherwise.
Example:

      Please dot your i's.
You don't mean “is.”
 

For some great pictures demonstrating misuse of apostrophes, you can check out the blog Apostrophe Abuse.

So, are you an abuser? Do your fingers sometimes sneak an apostrophe somewhere you KNOW it doesn't belong?

*raises hand*

Your Blog

I read this interesting article in Writers Digest about "10 Ways Writers Lose Blog Traffic and Alienate Readers" by Brian A. Klems. The key points are (you'll need to follow the link and read the article for details):


1. Post too infrequently.
2. Post too often.
3. Turn off comments.
4. Be overly snarky.
5. Choose poor photos.
6. Wax poetic about just anything.
7. Neglect to read other blogs.
8. Refrain from comment.
9. Get carried away.
10. Be self-centered.

It got me thinking about what my blog is about. Well, I guess it's about a lot of things. First, it's about my experiences learning how to do this writing thing (ex: here). There's so much to learn and so much I never considered when I first sat down before my computer, feeling embarrassed and a bit presumptuous that I would dare consider that I could learn to write. It's also about having fun. I might tell a funny experience for a blogfest like I did here. Maybe it's sharing information I gleaned at writing conferences like I did here and here (among other posts).

But I do know as I've found blogs I love to follow that they're the ones that shine with the blogger's personality. I love reading what those bloggers/writers have to say. Sometimes it's because of how much I love someone's blog that I'll be sure to buy that writer's book. Other times, a blog's author might write a genre I don't/won't read, but I love his/her blog.

I really am getting to a point here.

What should blogs be about? A sanitized, politically correct Reader's Digest version of the blogger's thoughts and feelings because some reader or agent might be sensitive? Isn't there as much to be lost as to be won by being too worried? I quit following one of my favorite author's blog because I found the stuff she wrote about boring. I'll bet there are plenty of people who love what she posts about, and I still love her books.

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
~Bill Cosby

What do you think?

Professional Critique Sessions & Lugheadedness

Source

I've had the opportunity on two occasions now to attend a live critiquing session. The first time was in what they called Bootcamp in May as part of the LDS Storymaker conference.

My second opportunity was Saturday. It was hosted by Precision Editing Group, LLC. My particular group included a fun assortment of people and was lead by Annette Lyon (see one of her posts here at the Precision blog). Annette is a writer as well as an editor, and she taught one of my favorite classes at Storymaker on Show, Don't Tell that I talked about here.

Since WIP #1 was what I took to the Storymaker session, I needed something else. But I've been focused only on that project for so long I wasn't sure what to do. I've been dying to work again on my SciFi, but it's got kind of a rough first couple of chapters, and I wasn't sure it would be a good fit for this particular group. Plus, I've learned so much over the past year that I'm sure it would take tons of work.

My other option was to submit the first pages of my NaNo project from last October. I hadn't worked on it in many months, and it also had a problem in that it began its life as a middle grade fantasy but is now going to be a young adult fantasy. I decided to go with this one, and I took two days of vacation time last week to work on it.

Oh. My. Heck!

I never realized how hard it was going to be to take that original project and move it into a different genre. I struggled almost from the beginning, clinging to the idea that I could just edit it.

Nope.

My breakthrough came, when I opened a new Word document and started fresh.

Duh!

A twelve-year-old main character just does things differently than a sixteen-year-old does, is interested in different things. I knew that. Honest. So why didn't I know that from the start?

• Do you ever find yourself stuck in one mindset, when the the one you need and will take you where you want to go sits quietly in a corner just waiting for you to take notice? 
• Do you have any tricks that have helped you to step back and realize you're not suffering from writers block so much as you're simply on the wrong track?

Grammar Friday - Apostrophes (Part 1) and Other Random Things

Apostrophes, Part 1

Test sentence:

A good restaurant requires cleanliness in every part of it's operation.

So, is that sentence correct?

Well ...

it’s = contraction of it is or it has
its = possessive of it or belonging to it

So, if you can replace it's in your sentence with it is--and it still makes sense--then your word is it's. If you can't, then your word is its.

So, I ask again. Is the sentence in blue correct?

Extra credit question:

What happens when its is possessive?

Sorry, got distracted there.

Well, nothing actually. Its stays the same. Its doesn't have a special possessive form.

I know. I'm sure it feels discriminated against. Or, is that its ....

Word Processing Wars

Peggy Eddleman had a great blog post on Wednesday about which word processing system she uses. What about you?

Award 1 (unwarranted)

People have been really kind to me lately. I even got an award I didn't qualify for. Barbara Kloss gave me this:

I don't qualify for her thoughtful gift because I have too many followers. However, I can pass it through to other, worthy recipients.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the giver
Danke, Barbara (in keeping with the German theme).

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog--and follow them!
Melanie Jacobsen (she was my bootcamp instructor at Storymaker, and she rocks)
Jeff King over at Author's Union (he's such a kind poster)
Robin Weeks (I know, I pass a lot of stuff on to her, but she's an amazing writer, critique partner, and dang fun person--even for an attorney. Plus she didn't take me up on the bloomers meme)

Nancy S. Thompson (since she tagged me earlier with that unmentionables meme =D )
KT over at Out of My Mind

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
Done

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!

Award 2

J.A. Bennett over at A Book, A Girl, A Journey gave me this cute award:

And what's amazing is the picture even looks like me now that I've had my highlights put in again. All right, in this picture the cute subject still has eyebrows (mine fell down to my chin). And I don't have hairy toes. Aren't you glad to know that?

Since this post is too long already and I've answered enough questions about myself with other awards, I will do one thing: Share a quote.

"I dwell in possibility." ~Emily Dickenson

Following are the folks I'm passing this award off to:
Kaylee Baldwin (she makes me smile a lot)
Jolene Perry (don't you love the cover to her book?)
Laura Josephsen (you've already heard me talk about her lots

ETA: That's embarrassing. This was supposed to post tomorrow. Dang Blogger. ROFL I changed the date again and now it says it's already Friday. If you're able to read this, you've time traveled to the future. Doesn't that make you feel special? Now, how will you get home?

Book Review - The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Thirty-eight year old Cassandra is lost, alone, and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident 10 years ago, feels like she has lost everything known and dear to her.

But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace Rutherford - the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early 20th century - as well as a cliff-top cottage on the other side of the world, Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell, on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Caroline Lee, who does a wonderful job.

Sometimes when I finish a book I enjoy, I'm ready to immediately pick up the next one. That's not the case with The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morten. Morten does a wonderful job weaving the mystery through several characters, times, and places, bouncing back and forth between Australia and Cornwall, from the early 1900s to the mid 70s and then 2005. It reminded me of Rosamunde Picher's The Shell Seekers, which is one of my favorite books.

At first I was irritated with the character Nell because of how she handled the news she was a foundling. She'd been given a wonderful opportunity to be raised by a loving family, and she cast them away in search of what she'd lost as a small child. As the story unfolds, the reader discovers what Nell and later Cassandra are searching for even before they do. The book is full of ah ha moments.

But if nothing else, this bittersweet story is one of second chances, a journey of self discovery. It's a tale of love and sacrifice, selfishness and flawed (sometimes psycho) motherhood. It's the kind of saga that lingers with me, like an especially exquisite dessert. I don't want to pick up my next book right away, because I want to savor the lingering taste for while.

Nonsense Post

I got tagged by the lovely Nancy S. Thompson for this meme. I debated whether or not to take it up, and decided there was some potential for humor here. You can decide if I succeeded or not.

1. What do you call your drawers?
Drawers
Do you have any commonly used nicknames for them?

I think that is the nickname.

source

2. Have you ever had that supposedly common dream of being in a crowded place in only your bloomers?

No, but as a child I would sometimes dream
I had absolutely nothing on. 
However, in the typical way of childhood, that didn't trouble me. 
Now? At my age it's best to cover up as much as possible.

source

3. What is the worst thing you can think of to make long johns out of?

Wool. Absolutely wool. It would itch like crazy.

source

4. If you were a pair of small clothes, what color would you be, and WHY?

Green. Definitely green. It's my favorite color. 
But I must admit these pirate long johns are quite stylish.

source

5. Have you ever thrown your bloomers at a rock star or other celebrity? If so, which one(s)? If not, which one(s) WOULD you throw your bloomers at, given the opportunity?

Please! Such a waste of fabric! It costs so much to sew anymore. 
To say nothing about being vulgar and unrefined.

source

6. You’re out of clean drawers. What do you do?

Um, wash them. Duh!

source

7. Are you old enough to remember Underoos? If so, did you have any? Which ones?

Ah, yes, Underoos. My older children wore them.

source

8. If you could have any message printed on your long johns, what would it be?

These days, the options are endless. Eve Gaal over at The Desert Rocks and I emailed about this since she got tagged, too, and I like what her brother suggested:

Save Your Soul

Source

9. How many bloggers does it take to put small clothes on a goat?

Zero, since we're in the cybersphere rather than real life.

source

I close with the lyrics that I used for Week 6 of Poetry Summer here
from a song we sang at Girl Scout Camp in the Philippines.

Long Johns

author unknown

sung to the tune of Bye Bye Blackbird (corrected from original post)

I have lost my underwear.

I don't care; I'll go bare.

Bye bye, long johns.

They were very close to me

Tickle me. He he he.

Bye bye, long johns

If you see them you'll know where to find me

With my bare bum stickin' out behind me.

I have lost my underwear.

I don't care; I'll go bare.

Long johns, bye bye.

  Like cyberchocolate that has no fat and no calories, it also has no taste. Just like this meme.

Now I'm supposed to share the wealth, so to speak, and have others give their thoughts about  their unmentionables. 

Hmmm ... who don't I like? 

Just kidding! I won't be the least bit offended if any of you don't take this up.

Donea Lee over at The Queen of Procrastination

Margo Lerwill over at Urban Psychopomp

Jess over at Falling Leaflets

Melanie over at Feather Pens, Tartan Dreams

Robin Weeks

So, did I make you smile? Or just roll your eyes and shake your head? 

Hey, I titled it Nonsense Post. You were warned.