Category: Fun Friday

The English Department at San Jose State University has sponsored the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest since 1982. The contest is a writing competition that challenges writers to create the worst possible opening sentence for a novel. For complete information on the contest, you can click here or visit this link: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

I kind of like the Boise Weekly News description of the contest, namely “the only literary contest that matters!” LOL! Well, contests certainly are a crap shot for sure and some more worthwhile than others.

This one is definitely a lot of fun. For this year’s winners, you can click here. So you don’t have to keep on wondering what won the prize, here’s the 2008 winner of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest!

Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped “Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.”
Garrison Spik
Washington, D.C.

Kind of laughed that it mentioned Piscataway, NJ. That’s the next town over from me!

To check out past winners of the contest, click here.

Hope you have a great weekend! For all my friends in the Houston area, I’m praying for your safety and that storm does little damage.

This cool little site comes to me courtesy of my good friend Irene Peterson.

Have you ever wondered how many other people share your name? You can visit http://www.howmanyofme.com to find out!

I discovered there’s only ONE of me – Caridad Pineiro. Hmm. People always said I was “unique”. Do you think that’s what they meant?

Also interesting that there are only 9150 people with Caridad as a first name, making it quite “unique” and also quite feminine since 99.9% of the people with that name are female. Most famous person with my last name — Joel Pineiro, the baseball pitcher. He’s currently playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. Wonder if we’re related somehow?

What about you? Are you unique?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 1 or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Had to share this with you! What supposedly happened with Julie Andrews turned 69. Turns out it’s not true but it was still so funny I had to pass it on.

FYI — I love Julie Andrews. Two of my most favorite movies are Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. My mom actually took us to see The Sound of Music one Easter when it played at Radio City Music Hall. I had chills on my arms as I watched the movie, especially at the end when they start to cross the mountains in order to escape the Nazis. I remember turning to mom and saying something like, “Just like us. We had to run away, too.”

Anyway . . .

Julie Andrews Turns 69 (Source of Story unknown)

To commemorate her birthday, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan ‘s Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was ‘My Favorite Things’ from the legendary movie ‘Sound Of Music’. Here are the lyrics she used:

(Sing It!) – If you sing it, its especially hysterical!!!

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin’,
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin’,
And we won’t mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I’ve had,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores. Please share Ms. Andrews’ clever wit and humor with others who would appreciate it

Sorry to have missed you yesterday, but I was on a business trip! Today’s Fun Friday tests your psychic ability, but I guess if you were truly psychic, you may have guessed that already!! So to get the weekend started on a intriguing note, take the “Are you psychic?” quiz and let us know how you do by posting a comment!

Here’s what my results said:

You Are 80% Psychic

You are so very psychic. But you already predicted that, didn’t you? You have “the gift” – and you use it daily to connect with others. You’re very tapped into the world around you… Just make sure to use your powers for good!

Are You Psychic?

Click on the link at the end of the results to take the quiz!

To post your results as a comment, just cut and past the results as text since the comments will not allow certain HTML or script commands.

Maybe because I’m a Pisces, one of my absolute favorite things to do is be at the beach. I love early morning strolls along the water’s edge, searching out interesting shells and beach glass.

I have jars at home filled with some of those shells, coral and egg casings from whelks. The cases are quite interesting and I’m told Italians, who call whelks “scungilli” and serve them up with sauce, consider finding them good luck. Others call the egg casings “mermaid’s necklaces” because they look like little pouches strong on a thread. The knobbed whelk is actually the NJ State shell which explains why I find so many of them up on shore.

So this weekend I’ll be “down the shore” at a wonderful event and also at a book fair on the street in Trenton on Saturday. You can get more info on the book fair by clicking here. I’ll be at the NJ Romance Writers booth with some friends.

I’ll also be the one of the authors at a fabulous Authors & Inns tour. My location is the wonderful Beacon House Inn in Sea Girt. It’s an absolutely wonderful place. Candy, the owner, is amazing as is her assistant Cathy. Hubby and I spent a wonderful weekend there in March and I am really looking forward to staying there again!

So in case you’re in the area, here’s the info on this fabulous Authors & Inns Event.

“Authors & Inns – A Spring Lake Event”
Winner of NJ Governor’s Tourism Award 2008
2nd Annual Tour is Literary Event of the Season

Spring Lake, NJ (JUNE 2008) In association with the Spring Lake and Sea Girt Public Libraries, The Historic Inns of Spring Lake are
hosting their 2nd annual AUTHORS & INNS TOUR on Sunday afternoon June 8, 2008 from 1:00-5:00pm. The tour of 9 historic inns features 12 award-wining Romance Authors with a link to New Jersey.

At the 2008 New Jersey Governor’s Tourism Award Ceremony on April 10, the Historic Inns of Spring Lake received one of only 10 awards presented to exemplary organizations or individuals …for their signature June event – Authors & Inns – A Spring Lake Event. These awards set a “…benchmark for excellence in the New Jersey tourism industry, contributing to the experience of visitors and the quality of life of NJ residents.”

Nine inns/hotels will open their doors to tour goers, sharing their distinctive properties for a glimpse into the historic and romantic
style of Spring Lake. At the same time, prominent romance-genre authors will be at each inn meeting fans, selling and signing their
most recently published books. The stories feature many of the most popular themes today from `international political thriller’ and
`romantic novel set in India’ to `dangerous passion set in Ireland’ and `looking for love in the wilds of suburbia’.

The `Authors & Inns Tour’ features the following authors and books:

Annette Blair “Gone With the Witch”
C.H. Admirand “Pearl’s Redemption”
Tara Nina “Curse of the Gargoyle”
Dee Davis “A Match Made on Madison”
Kaitlin O’Riley “One Sinful Night”
Irene Peterson “Glory Days”
Amy Edelman “Manless in Montclair”
Lois Winston “Love, Lies and a Double Shot
of Deception”
Caridad Pineiro “South Beach Chicas Catch Their Man”
Jan Coffey “Deadliest Strain”
Shobhan Bantwal “The Dowry Bride”
Nancy Harkness “Music of the Night”

The cost for the `Authors & Inns’ Tour is $12 (a non-refundable donation) with a portion of the proceeds given to the Spring Lake and Sea Girt Public Libraries. Each tour goer will receive a keepsake tote bag from the Historic Inns.

Nationally recognized for more than a decade for their open house Holiday Tour each December, the Historic Inns of Spring Lake are a stunning collection of 19th Century homes, dating from 1870-1888. They embody the romance and history of Spring Lake, offering the best in architectural preservation, unique character, tradition and hospitality.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 732-859-1465 for details or purchased at Participating Inns, The Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce and Sea Girt Pubic Library plus BookTowne in Manasquan. On the day of the Tour, tickets can be purchased at the Spring Lake Public Library. Each ticket will include a self-guided map of Authors & Inns for visitors’ convenience.

A total of 500 tour tickets will be sold. Guests staying for the Friday/Saturday weekend will receive a complimentary Tour Ticket and guests checking in on Sunday for 1-night will receive a tour ticket plus special accommodation rate at each participating Inn. All Inn guests are invited to a private Post-Tour Reception attended by innkeepers and authors.

The radiantly refined town offers a delightful downtown experience with charming boutiques and galleries, restaurants, historic landmarks and the famous Spring Lake all with a 2-mile Atlantic oceanfront community.

WHAT: “Authors & Inns: A Spring Lake Event”
A self-guided tour of 9 Historic Inns & Authors
WHEN: Sunday, June 8, 2008
1:00-5:00pm
WHERE: Spring Lake, New Jersey
COST: $12/per person
TICKETS: 732-859-1465 – Historic Inns Association

Checks ONLY can be mailed to:
Historic Inns of Spring Lake
P.O. Box 134
Spring Lake, NJ 07762
732-859-1465

INNS: White Lilac Inn, Spring Lake Inn, Villa Park House,
Beacon House, Ocean House, Sandpiper Inn, Chateau Inn & Suites, The
Breakers Hotel, Victoria House, Grand Victorian @ Spring Lake
Click here for more info!