sunshine blogger award.

Yes, you read that right. Sunshine. If anyone who knew me in the flesh heard that I was chosen for anything with the word sunshine in it, they might collapse from hysterical laughter. I’m usually far more closely associated with dark clouds than sunshine. But I’m guessing there’s no award for that.  Continue reading

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three quotes three days: day 1.

I have been challenged by Joana at The Great Journey for 3 Days 3 Quotes. I was also challenged by Paul at wwwpalfitness a few days ago! I’m finally getting to this!

Rules
1. Post three consecutive days.
2. You can pick one of three quotes per day.
3. Challenge three different bloggers per day.

I challenge
I am V.
When I thought I was fat!
Torn Pages & Coffee Stains

Day 1 Quote

lorax truffula trees.

Until tomorrow…

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thank you, wonderful readers.

thank you neon.

Today I reached 100 followers. I know it may not be a big deal to bloggers with thousands of followers, but it’s a very big deal to me.

Thank you. Merci. Gracias. Danke. Grazie. Mahalo. Diakuju.

One night, after a particularly bad day, I anonymously spilled every detail of every thought in my head in a public forum online. I needed to unload. And I needed someone to get me.

Someone got me. A few someones. But it wasn’t just the content of my story that touched them. They said it was also my writing. They liked reading my story. I made one of them cryWrite more, they told me. Publish something somewhere, they told me.

So I finally did.

And to my shock and awe and amazement, people actually read it!

I am so grateful that each of you found something of value, of joy, of humor, of enjoyment [or of anything else] in my words.

Or maybe you just clicked follow and never came back. I don’t care. It still says 101 in my follower count.

Thanks for your support and thoughts and kindness. And for reading. xo

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one day… from sleep to sleep.

[Psst… This is not PG-rated…]

.

Saturday. Early fall. In the 26th year of my life.

I had to sleep. And recover. After dancing to my friend’s brother’s friend’s band the night before and trying the new drinks our bartender pal insisted we taste, I needed to recuperate. But weariness aside, after one at-home cup of coffee, my roommate and I walked our usual three-block path to our coffeehouse.

“So tonight,” I said, “I’m going to stay in. Maybe some Chinese takeout on the couch and a sappy movie. I drank way too many different things last night. I still feel a little sick. How are you so… not sick?”

“Years of practice.” We laughed until Kristi’s phone interrupted. “Andy.”

“Oooh… your boyfriend,” I teased. He wasn’t really her boyfriend. They’d only been out a handful of times. She liked him, but according to her, he hadn’t kissed her or anything close. I guess I was a little mean teasing her with the boyfriend thing. Especially since he seemed to want to keep it at friendship.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have listened intentionally to their conversation, but Kristi didn’t walk away. And I was curious. For a guy who made no moves and showed little interest in her other than as one of the guys, he called her often. And this time, I could hear their entire conversation. Dinner. Out. Invite your roommate. She wants to stay in. Let’s all stay in – I’ll bring takeout. Later. Bye.

♦◊♦

By evening, we’d straightened up the apartment, rearranged the furniture for optimal movie-viewing, and ensured an adequate supply of wine. After Kristi took a quick shower, I disappeared to do the same. By the time I turned the water off, I could hear voices. Crap. Andy was already out there and I didn’t have a robe.

I wrapped myself in a towel and listened for a moment. I wanted to sneak, undetected, to my room. When I heard sounds from the kitchen, I was in the clear. Grasping the towel around me, I stared at my bare feet while slowly pulling the door open. Apparently, Kristi was in the kitchen alone because one step was all it took for me to crash, full body slam, right into Andy.

Oh God, I’m sorry,” I said, incredibly self-conscious about my nakedness. Andy was kind of hot. Okay, not kind of. He was fucking gorgeous. And he was staring intently at me. He made me nervous.

Without moving or letting me pass, he smiled, almost laughing. “Don’t be,” he said. He knew his presence affected me, and he seized the opportunity to tease me… staying in my path, not letting me go anywhere.

Um… I should get dressed,” I mumbled.

He replied so softly that I questioned whether I heard his actual words. “Maybe you shouldn’t…

I could feel my hands trembling, but I couldn’t help smiling. Tightening my grip on the towel, I shook my head at him. He was always a flirt, but I was naked. And he was making me feel like I needed another shower. A cold one. “Andy,” I whispered, “Kristi’s right in the kitchen…

He completely ignored my words. “You smell good.

I’m dripping…” I regretted my choice of words as soon as I spoke them.

Oh… that is not going to make me let you go…” He rested a very warm hand on my very naked shoulder.

And then I heard Kristi call out Andy’s name.

“Yeah?” He answered her but didn’t take his eyes off mine.

“Where are the chopsticks? Can you come here?”

“Coming…” He smiled again and slid his hand from my shoulder to my neck. His thumb ran over my cheek, lingering on my skin until he finally stepped back. In that instant, I melted inside. And he gave me a look. The look. Until he turned and walked away.

When I was dressed and my heart had finally stopped racing, I went to the kitchen. Dinner. Chopsticks. Movie. Deep breath.

♦◊♦

In the midst of our deliberation over which movie to watch next, Kristi’s phone rang. She grabbed it and mumbled something about her sister while she walked out of the room. I had managed to avoid being alone with Andy since the naked towel incident, but no longer.

As soon as Kristi was out of sight, I could feel his eyes on me. I tried to stare at the television screen but credits were rolling. I couldn’t believably fake interest in the movie’s lighting design team. And Andy wasn’t looking away. I knew I had to look at him. I also knew that I was going to have completely inappropriate thoughts the moment I did. Damn him.

He wouldn’t let me ignore him. He gently kicked my foot. “Hey…

Finally, I turned to him. “What?” I tried to sound calm and aloof. Total failure.

You look nice… but I liked your other outfit better.

That wasn’t an outfit. That was a towel.

Exactly.

I took a deep breath, hoping the right words would magically fill my brain. They didn’t. And I was relieved when Kristi walked back into the room.

“Kate had a little accident,” she said. “She’s not hurt but she’s freaking out. I should go get her.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” I asked.

“No…” She looked at me, then Andy. “You guys stay here… watch the other movie. I’ll go meet her… calm her down… take her home… I should be back in a couple of hours.”

♦◊♦

I escaped to the kitchen immediately after Kristi left. I needed to be anywhere but on that couch with Andy. I poured more wine and threw it down my throat like a shot. Twice. I couldn’t hide until Kristi returned. I rested the glass near the sink and took a long, anxious breath. But I never made it to the living room.

The moment I stepped out of the kitchen, I nearly bumped into Andy for the second time that night.

Andy. Sorry.

My fault,” he said, laying his hands on my shoulders.

My head wanted to speak but the rest of my body halted any hope of coherent words. Shallow, almost panting, breaths fell from me. Andy gave me the look. Again. And he smiled. He could feel the tension between us and I knew he loved it. And I loved it. Damn him.

Are you going to let me by this time?” I asked.

He didn’t say anything, but he did respond. He inhaled deeply and took his hands from my shoulders. Before I could comprehend what was happening, he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed my anxious mouth. He pushed my body against the wall and tasted me. He was forceful in the best possible way. Not violent. Not scary. Just strong and passionate and sexy as hell. And I wanted him. And he knew it.

kiss

His hand on my neck, he held my head, not letting me take my mouth from his. But I didn’t want to take anything away from him. My hand touched his face, God, all rough and unshaven, and my fingers dove into his hair. He pushed his body against mine, running his fingers down my arm until he grabbed my other hand. And I had zero desire to stop him. I wanted more.

He lifted my hand over my head and squeezed it tightly with his against my now-favorite wall in the apartment.  When his body crushed mine, I felt myself unconsciously moan into his kiss. He tasted like wine and desire [whatever that tastes like]. He slipped his hand down my neck and grabbed my shirt, stretching it lower, exposing my bra.

Oh God.

He gave up my mouth, but only to have my neck. His hungry, sucking kisses turned my brain to a completely useless pile of mush. He released the top of my shirt and snuck to the bottom. He grabbed my waist for an instant before slipping his hand under my shirt. His touch traveled slowly up over my skin. It was beautiful, delicious torture… until he couldn’t take it a second longer. And he knew I couldn’t either.

He grasped my hips and lifted me. The moment my feet left the floor, I wrapped my legs around his waist. While I teased him, kissing… sucking on his neck, he carried me to my bedroom. My feet hit the floor but my mouth didn’t leave his warm salty skin. His neck, his ear, his jaw, his cheek. And finally his mouth. Again. When he mumbled my name inside a gasp for breath, I stopped and met his eyes.

“Do you want to stop?”

“God. No.”

Clothes flew everywhere until none remained. I pushed him down onto my bed and crawled on top of him. He pulled my mouth back to his and we devoured each other like starving creatures in the wild.

“Tell me… are you dripping… again?” His words were moans. Deep, delicious moans.

Oh God. “You… tell me… am I?”

He accepted my invitation without a moment of hesitation. And he moaned again when his fingers found the answer.

“Yes.” He sucked my lip between his.

My hand snuck into the drawer by the bed and grabbed a little something for him. I slipped it into his hand. “Put it on… now…”

“You do it.” He handed it back to me. I ripped it open and covered him as torturously slowly as I could bear. “Jesus… are you trying to kill me?”

“I might be.” Why was teasing him so satisfying?

He pushed me off him and turned us around. He pinned me to the bed and dropped his mouth to mine. I knew he was trying to return the torture. But I wouldn’t let him. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled his body into mine. If he wanted to resist… to make me wait… he failed. The most perfectly delicious, beautiful failure.

♦◊♦

And I – without the strength of mind to grasp exactly how I got there – I was having the hottest, wildest sex of my life. With my roommate’s date.

.

[Names have been changed to protect the not-so innocent.]

~Writing 101: day 14

Posted in bloggingu, romance, sex, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 40 Comments

what it’s really about.

I stumbled upon this today (post linked below) … and I love it. With my unemployment status, we have to cut way back on Christmas this year whether we make a conscious decision to do so or not. But so much of what Stephanie Bernaba writes in this post speaks to me.

Collecting experiences and memories is so much more important than collecting toys and trinkets and all sorts of other new stuff we don’t need. Every year when I’m asked what I want for Christmas, I struggle to come up with any suggestions. [Other than an enormous bucket of cash (large bills, please, and hold the bucket), but I’m pretty sure no one’s getting me that.] My house lacks extra space. I want less stuff, not more.

Even my children have trouble coming up with Christmas lists! Sure, seeing dozens of gifts under the tree is exciting and fun for them, but when they struggle to come up with gift ideas, that speaks volumes. They search the internet to find things to want! It’s absurd. If it didn’t come to mind without a push, they don’t really need or want it.

I wonder how my kids would react if I instituted a plan similar to the one presented in the post linked below. I think I might try it. (Though there will be no controlling what my kids’ Grandparents and Aunts buy for them!)


Source: Why I’m opting out of the Christmas rat race this year

When Christmas becomes more about presents than family,
it’s time to reevaluate the holiday.

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Image: Everste/Getty Images

 

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miniature writing challenge.

From Miniature Writing Challenge #17:

Bloggers can choose one of the following categories:

Mini Short Story (50 – 150 words)
Tiny Poem
Haiku (3 lines, 17 syllables)

#17 Theme: 

change.


Challenge accepted. I chose Haiku. And I wrote two. First — probably closer to the intention of the theme. Second — I couldn’t resist.


I loved you before.
And now that I’m over you
At last, you love me.


Coins in my pocket;
Those cupcakes look delicious.
I need more money.


Miniature Writing Challenge #17 

~Blogging 101: day 13

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one hundred words.

God, I am such a sentimental sap! 


lake.

Her shoulders rose and fell with her sigh. She knew he was there. She could feel his heart pounding the whole time.

Holding his breath, he stared as she slowly turned around. His hand covered her cheek and he watched her lips silently trace the shape of his name. His fingers sank into her hair and pulled her closer. He had to have her mouth.

She tried to fight his kiss, but the taste of him filled her with years of memories. And love. She grabbed his face in her hands. It would not be their last kiss.


 ~Writing 101: day 13

© 2015 what sandra thinks
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he had me at latte.

I have two children and one husband. So, three children. Cartoon Network (CN) is the most watched network in our home. While the shows (except for the Adult Swim block) are generally aimed at kids, some have distinct adult-appeal as well. (God, no, not that kind of adult-appeal!) Shows like Clarence, Steven Universe, and especially Regular Show have elements clearly incorporated to appeal to the parents of their target audience. Regular Show had an episode strikingly similar to The Breakfast Club. Clarence featured the old Atari game, Adventure, that I played as a kid. Those allusions were lost on my kids but quite amusing to my husband and me.

But our favorite CN show has been on the air for a mere four months…

We Bare Bears [created by Daniel Chong] premiered on Cartoon Network on July 27th of this year. After seeing the now-infamous bearstack in promos all over other CN series, we eagerly awaited this new show. Look how cute they are!

bearstack.

The characters, three bears (brothers) – a grizzly bear (‘Grizz’), a panda bear (‘Panda’), and a polar bear (‘Ice Bear’), try to fit into human society in the San Francisco area. The earlier web-comics from which the show was developed are a tad more violent than what is aired on CN. But nothing is lost.

Grizz, the eldest bear, tends to take charge but usually gets the bears into problematic situations. Panda, voiced by SNL’s Bobby Moynihan, is obsessed with his phone and the internet, and he’s desperate to find love. And Ice Bear. Oh, Ice Bear.

Ice Bear speaks in the third person. While superbly annoying when Elmo does it, Ice Bear is hilarious and charming. And a little scary (in the most dryly humorous way). He sleeps in the fridge. He has an axe that he uses for everyday tasks like ice sculpting and slicing steak. Yet he is the bear who does the cooking, the cleaning, the protecting of his brothers. He’s like, mom. With an axe.

ice bear needs latte.

My children say I’m just like Ice Bear. But I do not speak in third person. Nor do I have an axe.

Ice Bear’s lines may not seem exceptionally funny to read, but his delivery is perfect.

Ice Bear hates butts.
Ice Bear regrets eating that.
Ice Bear smells like clean babies.
Ice Bear needs it for everyday hustling.

Among the 24 episodes of season 1 aired to date, Jean Jacket is a favorite. I also recommend Our Stuff and Food Truck, and for a flashback to the bears’ earlier days (they are adorable cubs), The Road. I love that this series is kid-appropriate yet is as entertaining to me as any shows geared for my own age group. Even before its television premiere, we were treated to this short. We laughed. A lot. How could we resist these bears?


Watch this show!  Check local listings. Visit cartoonnetwork.com. Set your DVR.

My daughter insisted on the Bears as her birthday party theme. I’ll load some photos soon in a separate post! 

A few more links:
We Bare Bears Wikipedia page
The Three Bare Bears by Daniel Chong blog
#bearstack tumblr
Jean Jacket clip

 

~Writing 101: day 12

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