Why is it so hard to get an agent's attention? - the Weekly Weeder

The Weekly Weeder: Why is it so hard to get an agent's attention?: "Why is it so hard to get an agent to even read my work? And what can be done about it? The other week I passed on three chapters of a..."

What's New on the Tube?

It’s winter and what is an expectant couple to do after the sun goes down – besides sleep? How about enjoying as many uninterrupted, DVR’d shows as they can before it all gets turned upside down? Oh, yeah!

So, here are some recent debuts and a few up and comers. The ‘What Is It’ blurbs come from Television without Pity’s Winter Preview (link below). I follow up with my take on the shows. Check it out and decide for yourself.

Harry's Law (debuts Jan. 17, 10 PM, NBC)
What Is It: Kathy Bates basically plays the House of the legal world. She's a curmudgeonly lawyer who was fired from her job and opens a new firm in a shoe store.
Should You Watch?: Yes. It's Kathy Bates. If you don't tune in, she'll come find you and tie you to a bed and do all manner of unkind things to you.

My take: I checked out the pilot on replay because there was not much else on that night. It’s cool that this is based in Cincy and it helps that it’s not about another slick, big city law firm. Toting at windmills? Maybe, but the law impacts people and it was good to see someone working for justice, not just playing for politics and self-gain. Needs polishing and a following to make it. Need to find someone with multi-DVR capabilities since our house tunes into Castle Mondays at 10pm.

Fairly Legal (debuts Jan. 20, USA)
What Is It: A lawyer gets tired of the system and decides to become a mediator.
Should You Watch?: No. Sounds like every other USA show, but even more cookie cutter.

My take: Were we lacking neurosis in San Fran already? I liked parts of it, but thought the pace was purposely rushed at times and some character traits forced. Kate’s a San Francisco mediator with an attitude instead of a highly intelligent, OCD-plagued, wipe-toting detective. She tries to help keep the family biz going after her father’s death. By the end of the show she has cleverly solved some cases, but calls her dead dad’s phone and shares wine with him after confiscating his ashes from the widow/wicked stepmother’s office. This show needs time and work.

The Chicago Code (debuts Feb. 7, 9 PM, Fox)
What Is It: It's the newest cop drama from Shawn Ryan, who created The Shield and Terriers. It stars Flashdancer Jennifer Beals as Chicago's police superintendent and Brotherhood's Jason Clarke as a retired cop trying to clean up the city. 
Should You Watch?: Yes. It may not be as gritty as The Shield, or as quirky as Terriers, but it has potential.

My take: Still mad that NBC dropped Life, so we’ll check out this cop drama and hope for the best.

Body of Proof (debuts Mar. 29, 10 PM, ABC)
What Is It: Dana Delany is a badass brain surgeon who got in a car accident, injured her hand so she can't operate and must now settle for being a really awesome medical examiner who likes to figure out how her "patients" died. 
Should You Watch?: Yes. It's a little bit Crossing Jordan, a little bit Quincy and it has Dana Delany.

My take: We’ll see, since I still think of her strength in China Beach, but it conflicts with another show. Maybe by then the other show will be in rerun phase, I can hardly tell anymore since the networks went rogue with their year-round schedules. 

Get more show info at: http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/winter_preview/winter_preview_2011_what_looks.php

Beware the Turbroccicken

We were having one of those days. The kind of day where everything’s just slightly off – no matter how much or how hard you work. After having a day like that all we wanted was to settle in and try to relax. 

Then came dinner. There was a plan, but the best laid plans... So I started gathering ingredients only to find a key component missing from our cupboard. Okay, time to improvise. Then the next box of anything I checked expired last year. And so it went. I scrambled for substitutes while my kid wanted help with a new game and my husband walked in after his long day.

Great, it’s already time to eat and dinner’s not even started. We talked briefly about what to do. Our weary words and choices reflected our tiring day.

Let this serve as a warning – do not attempt this at the end of your next long day. You really don’t want to end up with Turkey stuffing, cream of mushroom soup, chicken and broccoli – or what we fondly refer to now as Turbroccicken. Think an odd mix of poultry flavors in a creamy stew of stuffing and undercooked broccoli. And yes, it tastes pretty much how it sounds. Not good. We ate what we could and let the kid have cereal. You can bet we will not make that again. 

Chaucer meets the Mamas and Papas

I had a lot of fun watching this video and I hope you do too! This is a group singing about Chaucer to the Mamas and the Papas tune "California Dreamin" and let's say, they do a great job singing and telling a story. 


:) Enjoy! 


http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2011/01/the-mamas-and-the-papas-and-the-chaucer/

Scattered

While I was contemplating this post, so many things came to mind that I thought it would be smart to just let it fly. If you’re wondering what’s on my mind these days, prepare yourself. This is as the title indicates, scattered. Perhaps it should be classified as an exercise in writing, clearing the mind, venting or something like that. Call it what you will, any brain, especially one taxed with paying bills, chasing kids, figuring out life’s meaning and more has a right, on occasion, to be scattered.

• Chicken Saltimbocca – will I make that new Cooking Light recipe or are we going to be searching the dregs of our freezer for dinner tonight?
• D-D-Dora, D-D-Dora, Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer
• Really Gwyneth? We’re supposed to believe every mom’s typical day includes voice lessons and a girls’ night out?
• Was I hallucinating when I read about a winter boredom buster that included face painting your walls with the kids?
• Am I getting enough fiber (bathroom break) – How can I get more fiber?
• When is this kid coming?
• What will we do when this kid finally arrives?
• How can we afford a personal trainer, landscaper, chef, nanny and cleaning crew?
• When is tax day this year?
• Tsk, tsk, Brandi Favre. What does one have to be doing at a meth house to need a cleansing before the police can interview you?
• Can I get out old spit up stains from onesies that were washed, dried and packed away nearly years ago?
• Does it matter if the next kid wears onesies with little spit up stains – maybe if they are layered under other clothes it won’t matter?
• When is dinner and who the heck is coming to fix it and clean up when it’s over?
• Happy Thursday – the weekend is almost here!

I resolve to make more reindeer cupcakes…and eat them!

This time of year New Year’s Resolutions make huge headlines. I know, I’ve been ignoring them for years. Which is surprising, considering my great love of lists – all kinds of lists.

Okay, I admit that I’ve made some effort to jot down a few goals every year, but it usually isn’t good when I’m still coming down from my annual Holiday Season Sugar Rush. I’m in no mood to restrict my self or my diet when I already have to deal with the sudden departure of decadent reindeer cupcakes and sugar cookies.

I am in a new state of mind there is no doubt. Sure, I want to publish a New York Times Bestseller, but realize it may take more time and work. And I will not kid myself that I can have a bikini body in three months, or even three years. No, this year is different. This year, for the first of as many as I can remember, I am ready to put away the lights, the trees and shed our family room of all the pine needles that are sure to fall when we remove the swags from our mantle.

This is big news, people! I am a holiday freak and am usually fighting to deck the halls early and keep things up at least until the bowl games are over. So why am I so eager to move on this year? There are several reasons, really – and perhaps some resolutions.

The first is I want to enjoy winter. What? Is she losing it? Yup! (That’s yes to enjoying winter. I will not admit to losing it, yet.) My 3yo is a fan of Frosty and it just seems like the right time to move on from the guy in the bright red suit to the one with the old silk hat. Building snowmen, sledding and searching for tracks in the snow with my kid is fun, and I want to do more of this (resolution alert) with my daughter before our second one comes along. Just for fun, I thought we’d get bundled up and attempt to make a snowman, woman or family with rounder middles than me.

The second is we are approaching our due date and we’ve got to get things in order around here (another resolution)! My belly may be about to pop, but I am not getting caught without a well-stocked changing table and pantry before this kid makes an appearance. We may have to add coffee and liquor to the list for dad, but we’re going to have things ready soon!

The third reason I am ready to move on from the holidays is that I want to enjoy the year. All of it. I want to take in every crazy blustery/rainy/steamy day from now until the next Holiday Season. Because that’s when I resolve to make even more adorable reindeer cupcakes with my husband and kids, and eat them up without worrying about fitness resolutions or reducing our family’s chocolate consumption.

And there you have it, enjoy, eat more cupcakes and worry less. I guess I did have some resolutions to share.

Happy New Year! Make it Great!

Here's a photo of the reindeer cupcakes we made from Family Fun magazine.

More than just a job (AAF, January)

It's nice to find people who enjoy what they do. Especially, when what they do is help kids. Here’s a profile of the Washtenaw Child Advocacy Center Program Director. She’s doing great work for area children. You can check out the link or the January issue of Ann Arbor Family to read more.