Not that list. That list can be summarized like so:

Clive Owen
Richard Armitage
Sean Bean (the younger; like Hans Holbein, only literally younger. Look! I made a medieval art joke!)
Takeshi Kaneshiro

edited to add: Daniel Craig

Now onto the List for today. I’ve been formulating it in my head for a few weeks now, and it surely will not be complete, but I have to get it out of my head and onto here.

The List of People I Hate (they do not deserve boldface, that’s how much I hate them):

1. George Bush
2. Car service drivers
3. Michael Brown (heckuva fucking job, my ass)
4. Jay Leno (for causing Life to be cancelled).
5. Jennifer Aniston
6. People who fling their dog crap into my unlined, empty trash can. You know, don’t you, that I will have to pluck it out and put it into a garbage bag? I don’t care that you used a NYT wrapper, it’s still your dog’s crap.
7. Tom Cruise
8. That horsey-faced conservative chick–Ann Coulter? Yeah, her.
9. Dick Cheney
10. Sarah Palin
11. Cyclists who don’t wear helmets
12. People who have loud arguments on their cell phones on the street.
13. Anyone who smirks ‘bodice ripper’ at me when they find out what I write/read. Fuck you.
14. People who say, ‘well, you couldn’t pay me to live there’ when I say I live in New York City. Nobody asked you to. In fact, bet we’re all glad you don’t.
15. The guys at my gym who preen in the mirror, then smile when they catch you looking at them. I’m just looking at you ’cause you’re so obnoxious, not ’cause you’re hot, dumbass.
16. James Cameron. Just because.
17. Bill Laimbeer (I have a long memory).
18. Isaiah Thomas (long and short memory).
19. Miley Cyrus. Not for any reason but that in every single photo she’s holding up two fingers in a smug peace sign gesture. We get it, Miley, you’re a teenager. On your Lolita-ish way to becoming a twentysomething bimbo. Good on you.
20. Kobe Bryant

Care to share?

So last night, during Tub Time, the Son finally got something off his chest about the books I like to read:

“Honestly, Mommy? Some of those paranormal books have really simple, kind of silly plots.”

Yes, he’s 10. And he’s not wrong. So why do I love them and read them anyway? Clearly, there’s more going on than the blurb on the back (and that’s where is info stems from, I’m not letting him read any of these books. Not yet, at least). There are a lot of things I love in paranormal books:

The bending of rules in the Real World.

The rewriting of New Rules in the New World.

Fun tweaking our standard ideas of werewolves, vampires, etc.

Romance between two different species, and what that means to both of them. Sometimes this is more played out in books than in others; I like it when it’s not just accepted that one or the other of them (usually the human, if there is one in the equation) will change over to the other side. Compromise is a hard concept to get across in a novel without having your characters appear wishy-washy, and some authors do it really well.

High moral stakes–a lot of paranormal characters are Saving The World.

Lots of creative sex–and while they’re Saving the World, they’re doing it a lot.

And, finally, these new creatures are my Superheroes–I’m not reading graphic novels or comic books, but these characters are larger-than-life, endowed with superhuman powers and therefore are capable of Saving The World. That’s good to know.

1. My back is way better, thanks!

2. My synopsis? Not so much. Wah.

3. The 10 year-old has days off, so I won’t be posting or writing much. I will be heading to the Museum of Natural History, yay, and to Shake Shack, double yay!

4. My steampunk romance piece in Marie Claire has been pushed to the March issue.

5. I ADORED the final epi of Mad Men; I cannot believe what a horrible mother Betty is. Removes any sympathy I ever had for her. Don is a better parent. Yikes. Poor kids.

6. As always, I am sleepy.

7. Our backyard firepit is da bomb.

8. As are my husband’s Southwestern Bloody Marys (chipotles instead of horseradish, yum).

9. Back in a few days; hoping to get this synopsis done and relatively okay so I can start to write actual chapters. Trying a new tack in terms of plotting.

10. Blergh.

Yesterday was lovely. I got up, worked on freelance, then headed back upstairs to take a nap. WIN1

Then I worked on my own writing, and finished this short Regency-set story I’ve been doing. WIN2

Then, McVane came up with the perfect anagram for my name: Tramp, Fang On Me. WIN3

The Picky Vegetarian, who’s been working like a dog WITH dogs (and cats) called, which was nice, but cell reception stinks so all I could hear was “Happy Birthday.” But still, it was nice. WIN3.1

After, I read more of The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks, which the Faux Critique Partner recommended. WIN4

[Many, many happy birthday wishes from Twitter and Facebook, plus a special post from my P-I-C] WIN4.1

Then, STEAK! And family, and wine, and laughter. WIN5

A gift of tube mascara and Godiva chocolate. WIN6

After that? The Nocturnal Aunt and I watched North And South, and she adored it. WIN7

A really, really good day.

1. Experiment making Pad Thai.
2. WIP–now a robust 1500 words or so. Only 88,500 to go.
3. Stupid to-do list.
4. Sleep
5. Self-Esteem Retrieval–I know I left it around here somewhere.
6. STILL not watched North & South. Might cave tonight.
7. Planning for RWA National Conference next week.
8. Squelching ongoing panic attacks at so many people in one place.
9. Squelching desire to say inane things to perfectly innocent Carolyn Jewel, with whom I’ll be rooming.
10. Oh, right, and the Stupid Career. Must work on that (see #2).

*I am in a super-crappy mood today. Like, really, really crappy. Hopefully will emerge from same without visible scars.

Today–wait for it, it’s gonna be a shock–I am in a really good mood. It’s weird, I keep kinda testing it like you touch a sore tooth or something. Still there, though.

No one real good reason, just a general relief on a variety of issues, and that’s good. And vague, sorry, not trying to be coy. But figure it out yourself:

-My agent has an ms. out on submission.
-It’s been a hella long winter.
-I have been with my Spouse for 20 years next month.
-Writing had hit a roadblock, but I’ve tried another approach that seems to be working.
-I have ordered many, many books, and gotten many more from other sources, so reading material is totally rocking.
-Running class is building up my endurance, so much so that I now find I actually like running.

Okay, off to do something cheery.

Let’s see. Quick update:

It is no longer raining! Weather WIN!
I don’t have faith in the weather anymore, though. It’s gonna have to work hard to regain my trust.
I am writing, albeit not very much. I will be sending the revised version of Mothering Heights to my agent soon.
My son is reading Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief, and loving it. He spent over an hour on it yesterday, and read it this morning over breakfast. It’s cool to see him like I was at his age (but he’s not fat, miserable and lonely. TMI?)
I am feeling tapped out as to Risky topics–any Regency-related general interest topics I might wanna tackle? Yeah, me neither.
Everything I made yesterday turned out well. The whole wheat molasses bread is deliciously hearty.
I am inordinately excited about the new trashcans we bought.

Okay. Seriously, that is about everything in my brain right now. Sad, right?

1. What kind of love and sex stuff would you like to read about in your favorite ladies’ magazine? I ask because I’ll be pitching my favorite ladies’ mag soon with some topics.

2. What should I do Valentine’s Day? The Spouse AND the Son will both be away, and I am pondering:

a. watching historical dramas and drinking wine by myself
b. going to the movies by myself
c. trying to find another similarly alone friend and hanging with them. Wine and historical dramas probably not optional.
d. crying myself to sleep

3. I can’t seem to get writing; what should I try to motivate myself?

4. Have you pre-ordered Carolyn Jewel’s Scandal yet?

5. Do you want to follow me on Twitter?: http://twitter.com/meganf

6. What book are you reading now?

7. What’s your favorite zany, albeit also serious, contemporary?

8. When will it stop being cold?

9. Is Wanted, with Angelina and James McAvoy, a good cheesy movie or too godawful even to laugh through?

10. What are you most excited about lately? Not necessarily any one topic, just . . . anything.

1. My own personal jury is still out on those shoes. The Spouse doesn’t like them, so I’m not sure. Plus there’s that whole broke thing anyway.

2. Morbier cheese is quite stinky, and equally delicious.

3. Writing everyday isn’t as hard as I once thought.

4. Writing well everyday might be.

5.  Damian Lewis is my new favorite redhead. Life is a great show, thank goodness it’s been renewed.

6.  Tomorrow will be a tough day–my dad’s birthday. I’ll probably post something maudlin and goofy, so you’ve been forewarned.

7. I keep dreading November 20. And it’s not like I’m a Special Date kind of person, it normally doesn’t bother me, but I did see him every year around his birthday. This year, I won’t.

8. Okay, on to happier things. Lessee: I am reading the newest Elizabeth Hoyt, I needed something fluffy and romantic-y after finishing Jim Butcher. Dennis Lehane awaits after that, can not wait (and if that is true, why didn’t you read it right after Butcher? Because I needed a romance palate cleanser, that’s why. Pfft.).

9. The Knicks’ Nate Archibald is a testament to practice and will. He’s only about as tall as me, yo!

Whaddayou got?

My husband has Knicks season tickets. While this may dismay some–especially Knicks fans–it thrills me. Why, you ask? Because he is out for a set number of evenings, which means I can do what I want, including:

1. Write

2. Eat early (i.e. not 8:30)

3. Watch historical dramas/MI-5 with impunity

4. Write. Really, this time.

5. Talk on the phone.

6. Check various sites for shoes I can neither wear nor afford.

7. WRITE, Megan.

8. Read.

9. Make excuses for not writing.

10. Write long emails to justify the not writing thing (gotta stay in touch with the fam, yo!)

What do you do on ‘free’ nights?