Let Women Jump

Our subject this week blogs and websites. With the Olympics about to begin, I'd like to highlight a new website for you all to check out. (Well, okay, it's not new; it's redesigned.)

Here's the link: wsjusa.com

And here's the story: During the 2006 Olympics in Torino, I was researching women's ski jumping for my book, SASS: THE FINNISH LINE, and happened to contact the kind people at Women's Ski Jump, USA for help. Until that time, I hadn't realized that women ski jumpers were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. I couldn't believe it. What century were we living in? Since that time, I've had a chance to meet the athletes featured in this MSN piece (below) and watch them in action. Sadly, I've also watch them have to fight for the right to be included in competition for the 2010 Vancouver games. They fought hard. They fought fair. But once again, the IOC voted not to include a women's ski jumping event this year. For some of the athletes - such as world champion Lindsay Van who holds the hill record at Whistler, where the Olympics will be held - the decision may have killed any hope of Olympic competition. For the sport, it means a sad lack of sponsors and a shrinking number of new athletes willing to give ski jumping a try, considering that they may never get to compete in their sport on an Olympic stage.

The website features a petition you can sign to show your support for the women jumpers. Please sign it if you feel so inclined.

You can read more about the bid for a women's jump event in today's WSJ article here.

Here's the MSN video:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Oh My Blog

So this week at TFC it's all about blogs and websites. Hmmm, okay, so this could be a problem because I sort of have an awful confession to make. I'm over it. All of it. In fact apart from my cute blog post title (and you must admit that it is cute) , I've got nothing.

You see for the last few months this terrible malady has been falling over me. I like to call it blogitis. Anyway, anyone who is suffering from blogitis will know what it means. Basically whenever I go to blog, I've got nothing to say. Nope, not a word. Even worse, I can hardly bring myself to read other blogs either. For a long time I thought it was because of my incredibly lazy nature, but honestly, I think it's more than that. I've been blogging and blog-reading for about five years now and I feel all blogged out. Hence the blogitis.

Also, will it sound like treason if I admit that I think it's all Twitter's fault? I don't even want to like Twitter (part of blogitis symptoms you understand) but there is something so appealing about the prospect of only having to write in small, bite-sized chunks that I can still manage it. But right now, all my other Internet stuff is a bit of a struggle (okay and when I say struggle, I actually mean non-existent).

So what about everyone else. Any blogitis sufferers out there? If so, should I be worried? Is this something that will go away or am I going to be a blog leper forever more?

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Fashion Week: Extremes

It's Fashion Week at TFC (okay, last week was Fashion Week, but I'm late!). Anyway, I work closely with the fashion industry for my magazine jobs, and I'm always astounded at how night-and-day my two careers are.

So, when I'm a magazine editor, I look something like this (note ridiculously large sunglasses and vintage Oscar de la Renta heels in grass--silly):


And when I'm an author, this is me (unbrushed hair, fleece, general lack of make-up):


They're both me, in a weird way. Though I wear fewer heels than I used to (those things HURT!).

Does anyone else have two (or more) fashion personalities?

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Good News Friday: Girls' Life Interview!

Just wanted to share my recent interview in Girls' Life Magazine!

A quick excerpt:

Samanthan Davis: I LOVE reading, but when it comes to writing, I don’t even know where to start! So, what should I write about?!

Melissa Walker: Write about your life, what you love, what bugs you, what inspires you—anything that comes to mind! Even just narrating your day will help you find a voice that fits. And don’t be critical of your own writing. Just let it flow—every word you put down is practice.

If you’re more into fiction, pick up a book of writing prompts (author Aimee Bender puts up a quirky prompt every month on her site flammableskirt.com). This month’s is: “One page that contains a broken gadget of some sort and a dancer.” Go!

It was really fun to do this interview! (You can read the full version too.) Thanks for letting me celebrate here.

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Food & Fear

It's Food Week at TFC and I thought I'd try a new spin on it: Fear.

Some people think the #1 fear is death, but it's not. It's public speaking. So all you writers and other folks who get up to talk in front of groups of people - yea, you! - you're doing something many other people fear even more than dying. And what's the #3 fear? You may well ask. Why, it's spiders of course. And that #3 bugs me far more than the top two. Oh, I've come to peace with the littler specimens of eight-legged creatures. But the big ones? The hairy ones? Sure, I could probably see a therapist about it. But I figure having one raging fear humanizes me, so I'll hold onto it, thank you very much.

Now you're probably wondering how my arachnid antipathy relates to food. Well, I've eaten a few strange things in my life - peacock, snake - things that other people always say taste like chicken, and they do. But I cannot imagine that a hairy spider tastes anything like chicken, and I cannot imagine eating anything grosser than...

Rats. When I uploaded the image, instead of it going here, like I wanted it to, it ended up at the top of the page. (My #2 fear is modern technology - I stink at it.) Still...

Ack! Gross! Rob Blagojevich's wife ate a tarantula...for a TV show! Think of the crunch. Think of all that hair.

OK, maybe to save the life of another human being I might eat one. But for any other reason? No. Really. No.

So that's my TFC question to all of you today:

WHAT IS THE ABSOLUTE GROSSEST THING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF TO EAT THAT YOU WOULD NEVER, NEVER EAT???

Enjoy your lunch. And have a nice day.

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Healthy Snacking

It's food week here on TFC. Perfect timing because food has been on my mind big time for the past week. I consider myself a pretty healthy person. I exercise regularly. I kicked that nasty smoking habit several years ago. I don't drink much. And I'm vegan. People often assume that being vegan automatically means you're a health nut... in fact you are probably starved. Not the case. There are still just as many unhealthy things out there for vegans to eat. And I'd been eating more and more of those lately. Oh and it didn't help that I decided I would cheat and eat dairy again while I was on my honeymoon. (Veganism is an ethical choice for me, so I feel guilty for the cows when I violate it, but you have to break your own rules from time to time.) I do that on occasion. Usually only for one day though--on my birthday. The result, I came home from my honeymoon three pounds heavier. It was time to get healthy again!

I'm also a big snacker--or grazer as my mom calls it. All the family gatherings there are trays of veggies and chips and salsa and potato chips and dip and especially lots of olives and chocolates around for grazing. Grazing/snacking is definitely a healthy way to eat. I've read in numerous places that its better for you to eat several small meals instead of big ones. But my downfall is that I snack when I'm not even hungry. I just have this need to chew. And if I bring a bag of chips up to my desk while I'm working... they just all disappear. Oh and working late night at a bar with access to both a popcorn maker and a fryer and frozen french fries... not good.

So I've been trying to reform my habits this past week. Since I'm all about writing things down and making lists, I've decided to try keeping a food journal. And it's definitely been keeping me in check. In the late afternoon when I'm tempted to grab cookies and tortilla chips, I actually stop to think about what I'm doing and I go that's not actually going to give me the energy I need, so I grab a yogurt and some pistachios instead.

The pistachios were on sale recently. I'd forgotten how much I love them. Carrot sticks are just as good to dip in hummus as chips are. And clementine oranges? Almost as satisfying as cookies. Okay not really, but the thing I really love about the cookies is the chocolate. I'm a chocolate fanatic. Fortunately Trader Joe's sells a bunch of dark chocolate and it's vegan. One or two pieces of that and an orange satisfies the sweet tooth. Another healthy snack for my sweet tooth (because my sweet tooth is my big weakness... well and the salt... love salt too) that I'd forgotten about is apple slices and peanut butter.

Oh and I have a new morning snack. It's something I was always afraid to try but then I was sent a big box of citrus fruits for the holidays.. Grapefruit! I thought it was a weird old lady food and that it would be bitter and horrible. But once I had it, I was geared up for the challenge and wanted to try it. The best thing about working at a bar is one of my customers always seems to have an answer for my conundrums. I've got the guy I can ask about computers, the one I can ask about anything home repair or construction related, and I've got some foodies. They explained the proper way to cut a grapefruit to me and filled me in on a little secret: you can sprinkle salt on grapefruit to reduce the bitterness and bring out it's natural flavor. Well, I love salt so I was happy to try that. And I'm now officially a grapefruit addict.

As for that pesky need to chew on things when I'm not even hungry--sugar-free gum. So far it seems to be working!

I'm already feeling better now that I'm doing this healthy snacking. What about you? What are some of your favorite healthy snacks cause I'm definitely looking for more. They say it takes 21 days to break an unhealthy habit, so I need some variety to keep me going!

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The Soup

One of my favorite parts of snowy winter months is sitting down to a hot bowl of homemade soup. I usually make a large portion so we have plenty to share with friends, eat as leftovers, and sometimes freeze for future meals.

I made a huge double-recipe of minestrone last week, one of my favorites because a) it's easy, b) it's healthy, c) I can get creative with it if I feel the urge, d) it can be "dressed up" with salad and hot bread, and e) it's even better left over.

I use a recipe called "Best Ever Minestrone Soup" as a guide. It's in my JLO Art of Cooking cookbook (put out by the Junior League of Ogden and jam-packed with delectable recipes and delightful art). Then, I add or omit ingredients to make it a tad easier and healthier. I also double the recipe so we have LOTS. So, without further ado, here's

Wendy's Best Ever Minestrone Soup

2 cups ground turkey, cooked and drained

1 (28 oz) can tomatoes, pureed (Italian seasoned if available)

4 cups water

1/4 of a 10-oz bag of matchsticks carrots (from your produce dept.)

1/4 of a 14-oz bag of Dole Classic Coleslaw mix (from produce dept. by bagged salads)

1 small zucchini, diced

2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce (Italian seasoned if available)

2 cups beef broth

1 T. dried parsley leaves

1/2 t. pepper

Italian seasoning to taste (depending on if the tomatoes you are using are seasoned or not. If not, suggestion is 1/2 t. basil leaves and 1 t. dried oregano leaves)

1/2 t. garlic salt or equivalent fresh garlic

1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 (16-oz) can green beans, drained

1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained

1 1/2 cups baby shells pasta, cooked (optional)

Fresh Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

In large pan, combine everything except for the beans and pasta. Bring to a boil, simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add beans, bring to a boil. Simmer 10-15 minutes until tender. Season to taste. Serve over cooked pasta (I keep it separate so the pasta doesn't soak up the leftover soup) and sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese on top.

Bon appetite! :)

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Scrapbooks love vacations

I wish I had the scrapbook gene.

Lots of my friends do. They create these glorious, lavish scrapbooks with all kinds of cool layouts and embellishments to remember the major events in their lives. I, on the other hand, have only ever managed digital scrapbook pages. And only then because there are really cool digital scrapbook programs that cost less than $30 each and require you to simply drop pictures into an already designed page and do a bit of journaling.

That I can handle.

But I decided that I want to create a real album for my husband and my first ten years together. This is partially because I would like to give traditional scrapbooking a try and partially because all of our photos from that time are (gasp) actual photos and the idea of scanning them all in (even if my scanner was working) makes me want to pass out.

About five years ago, I did the laborious task of sorting through those first ten years of pictures and putting them into labeled envelopes with the date and event. Apparently, I had to go take a nap after that because that's as far as I ever got.

But in pulling out all those envelopes again, I've discovered that pictures--at least for me--fall into one of three categories:

-- Holidays
-- Major life events (birthdays, weddings)
-- Vacations

And really, vacations is about 80% of them. It appears we do nothing noteworthy in the slightest the 345 days a year when we are not vacationing. :-)

It's fun though, this nostaglic look at vacations past. So I thought it would be fun to note my top three favorite vacations from the first five years of marriage. If my scanner was working, I would even include pictures. But alas, Miss Scanner is a finicky girl.

3. The great California trip

Back in the late 90s, my husband and I took a weeklong vacation in California with another couple. We flew into LA and did the Tinseltown routine (and Rodeo Drive) and then drove up the coast to Carmel. We ate at the Hogs Breath Inn which Clint Eastwood owned at the time (perhaps he still does) and then stayed the night in lovely Monterey. Then it was up to San Francisco for three days where we did Fisherman's Wharf, saw Phantom of the Opera and ate. A lot.

2. Grand Cayman

My husband actually won this trip through his work! A week at a gorgeous resort on Grand Cayman. This was the first trip we'd taken in a LONG time where I wasn't obsessed with work. (I actually took my laptop on our honeymoon - no lie.) We sprinted across the Miami airport trying to catch our flight... which left five minutes EARLY even though they'd been alerted to our airplane's delay... but managed to get rerouted on Cayman Air. I hate to fly. I'd rather walk, but the Cayman Islands are, well, islands. So that wasn't really an option. One thing I will say is that Cayman Air served us Cayman punch (I think it was called) out of a gallon jug in these little plastic cups. And it was GOOD. Turns out it was also laced with Cayman rum. Live a little, learn a little. Anywho... we ended up having a nice flight despite the chaos. My favorite memory is sitting out on our balcony with the scent of barbecue floating into the air and chilling out to the sound of steel drums.

1. San Juan, Puerto Rico

This is hands down my favorite vacation ever. We stayed in a bungalow right on the beach with a hammock outside the door. We ate Monte Cristo sandwiches and ate luscious seafood and watched the waves crash over the rocks outside our favorite restaurant's window. I also managed to get a horrific sunburn while snorkeling and spent two solid days on our covered balcony with John Grisham (in book form, not the real deal). But it was still by far the most relaxing and wonderful vacation EVER.

What about you? What's your favorite vacation ever?

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Vacation time!!!!!

Now, I don't want you all to feel sorry for me (well, you can if you like) but running a motel is 24/7 - I open up at 6.15am when I come downstairs, and we lock up at around 11pm when we go to bed. And unless we actually go away we don't get any time off. Our last day off was at the end of May 2009 (actually I went to the RWNZ conference in August, so for me it's August).

Anyway, there is a point to this in case you thought I was just on a ramble, in just over 9 weeks time we're having a two week vacation. I am counting the days and getting VERY excited. It's all I can think about. I've already planned what I'll have for breakfast (which won't surprise those who know me) as we're leaving early, and though I haven't packed my suitcase (that's the one thing I do leave until the last minute) I'm mulling over which clothes and books to take - and I noticed a swimsuit sale going on in a shop where I live, and I could do with another one.

We're not going far, just popping to Sunshine Beach on the Sunshine Coast in Australia.... because, you guessed it, we love the sunshine!!!! And hopefully in a couple of years we'll move there permanently!!

So what about you, any vacations coming up?

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USA Today's Best-Selling Books of 2009

Just a quick YEE-HAW to celebrate that our own Alyson Noel made USA Today's best-selling books list: The top 100 of 2009!!! Check it out here.

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Houston, We Have Cover!

OK,I already posted this on my blog but I'm excited about it, so I think it qualifies for Good News Friday. I got the cover art for TRANCE. Woot! Happy Friday, everyone!

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Learn to Fly

(blog title courtesy of the Foo Fighters)

So this week were talking about Movies, Books, TV, and/or Music and because of it, I decided to play a little hooky conduct some serious research by grabbing hold of my hubby and heading for a matinee.

I love matinees. They're one of my favorite, self-indulgent treats. You always get a good seat, there's no line for popcorn, and even the ticket price is discounted--a win in every conceivable way!

And since we'd already seen AVATAR on Imax (AMAAAAZINNGGG!!!!), we decided to see UP IN THE AIR because we'd heard such great things about it and let me tell you it did not disappoint! I liked it because it was funny, smart, contemplative, and even though it would've been nice, there was no typical "Hollywood" ending. It was both modern and real. Oh, and did I mention it stars Le Clooney???

As for books- well, right now, I hate to say it, but I'm so buried in deadlines, the only book I'm reading/writing/editing is the still untitled, Immortals Book #5, that is due in 2 months--gulp!!

As for TV- I'm thrilled that Big Love is back! And I've been watching lots of Criminal Minds reruns and have developed a significant nerd crush on Dr. Spencer Reid!

As for music- I just downloaded Allison Krauss's live, cover version of "Baby Now That I've Found You" and I've listened to it so many times, I'm almost sick of it. Almost. But not quite!

So what about you? What movies have you seen, what books are you reading, what TV shows are you watching, and what song is playing on your own personal heavy rotation???

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