Free Book Friday, and What You Can Give me for My Birthday

I haven't done an update in a while, so here goes.

What I'm Reading:

Catching Fire.

Re-reading is more like it, because it's so stinkin' good. It's the sequel to The Hunger Games, and if you haven't read these books, I heartily recommend them.
For anyone who has read them, I'm totally TEAM GALE.

The down side to reading such a good book is knowing I will never, ever, be able to write something as good.

Anywho, back from my little pity party...

What I'm Writing:

32,000 words into my WIP.

It's not looking good for my heroine, I'll tell you what.

Free Book Friday:

As always, there are two ways to enter:

1. I warned you lurkers out there to beware. Today is my Birthday, and for my birthday present, I want you lurkers to de-lurk. All 2 million of you.

I'm prepared for the excuses...
Just stopping by today? It's your first time? Tell me about it.

Don't think you have anything useful to add? Read Cam's comments.

Don't speak English? Sprechen sie deutsch? Guten tag, peeps!

Not reading my blog because it's a Friday, and no one reads it on a Friday? Then, how did you just read that sentence? Gotcha!

Don't wanna comment cuz you're my mom's neighbor? Hi Margaret!

So, for my Birthday, and the sweet-sixteen I never had, my Prom Date that went home with another girl, the mud pies my sister made me eat, the time I peed my pants during my tennis lesson... wow. I'm pathetic. Anyway, for my Birthday, I want a "hi" from at least one measly little lurker.

If all 2 million of you want to de-lurk, even better.

2. For non-de-lurkers, write down your favorite overused cliche and we will have a funeral of sorts for it. Bonus points if you twist something in it to make it funny.

ex: "Like shootin' fish in a barrel."

bonus ex: "If a tree falls in a forest, it's still a tree, isn't it?" (From the season finale of a vamp show...)

And that's how you play the game.

Actual Blog Post:

1. My bro-in-law Mark says I'm predictable because I picked eating at the DoDo for my birthday, and apparently I always eat at the Dodo.

We were having dinner at a restaurant when he said it, so I instantly got up and started tap dancing in front of everyone, all the while saying (in between panting), "Am I still predictable? Who's predictable now, suckah? How's that for spontaneity? Zing!"

Finally I stop tap-dancing, and I ask him, "Did you predict that?"

He deadpans: "Yes."

I realized the missing key to my strategy: next time get him to predict my behavior BEFORE I actually do it, not after.

2. Yesterday, I wanted to get a massage. On my way to the spa, I called hubby to tell him where I was going. He's like, "Just wait. Maybe you'll get one for your birthday."

Me: "But I really want one today."

Him: "You haven't wanted a massage for months, and suddenly the day before your birthday, you want a massage? Please wait."

Me: "Fine."

So, I hung up the phone and drove to the spa anyway. What hubby doesn't know won't hurt him, right?

As I'm undressing in the room, my phone rings. It's Hubby. I answer.

"You're there, aren't you?" he accuses.

"No," I say, a little muffled because I'm pulling my shirt off. "Paranoid much?"

Sam: "I'm on the phone with the front desk at the spa right now. They called to let me know you'd come in one day early, and did I want to just switch your birthday massage to today."

me: "Oh."

Sam: "So, happy freakin' birthday."

me: "What a great surprise. Thank you."

(This is totally what I look like when I get a massage. Brunette.)

3. During the massage, I fell asleep while I was on my stomach. There's nothing worse than feeling like you're wasting a good massage by sleeping.

Then I had one of those dreams where I'm falling off a cliff, and suddenly I jerked awake.

Masseuse: "Uh, are you okay?"

Me (not wanting to admit I fell asleep): "I'm fine. It's just that my nose is running... and ... dripping onto the floor."

Yeah, because that's so much less embarrassing than falling asleep.

So, any fun plans for this weekend? I think my Hubby is going to surprise me with a dinner at Melting Pot tomorrow night. I might go by myself tonight, one night early, just to mess with him.