Stopped by WalMart this morning for some dishwasher detergent and ZOINKS! Getting lined up in their cardboard crates on the holiday aisle ... Cadbury Mini Eggs.
I found myself singing, "It's the most wonderful time of the year."
When I mentioned to the lucky gal who was filling the shelves with the heavenly Eastery candy that I'd been looking forward to Easter candy since Valentine's Day, she said, "I'm glad it's here because it means the end of my candy-holiday season." Poor girl.
So, I bought just two bags today: a Cadbury, of course, and a bag of pastel mylar wrapped mini-Twix bars. I think I can hold off until 10:00 a.m. to break them out. I think.
If you live in my WalMart region you better get over there and get your own bags before I buy them all, though. It's a risk. I guess the reason I have to make the Easter candy announcement in the poltergeist voice is for me, I could go into a sugar coma at any time between now and the post-Easter clearance. But a coma of bliss!
It's the best, best of all the candy times of year.
New topic. And, no, I didn't make it until 10:00 before I ate the chocolate. I made it until 9:51.
My brother sent my 13 year old son a subscription to Auto Week magazine. My brother's a car guy. He bought a 1967 MG in high school and a parts machine and made one sweet cherry red convertible over the course of a few years. It still sits in his garage and I assume he takes it out for a spin now and then, as the father of four. It's great. One time we were driving to the local ski resort in it together, squished in with the skis and boots and 90 blankets and as we rounded an icy bend on the mountain road, MY DOOR FLEW OPEN. Holy smoke, I was almost the topping for a road kill snow cone. Glad that seat belt kept me inside the beloved rattletrap. Other memories...I'll save them for another day.
My son isn't a car guy (yet.) So in the meantime, I'm devouring the weekly updates on the Detroit Auto Show and what Bugatti is doing next. And Formula One racing. And a comparison between the Ford Focus and the Chevy Cruze. I eat it like candy!
This makes me think. Yeah, I'm probably never going to write a book about racing. (I heard there's a NASCAR imprint for Harlequin these days. Seriously.) Or about cars, even. But who knows? I do love it. I would never even have thought of it (even though its a lifelong mini-obsession) without the magazine showing up.
A few years ago I had some kind of frequent flyer miles that netted me no trips to Hawaii, but two magazine subscriptions, one of which was Frommer's Budget Travel. It was fantastic! I loved reading about the places, places I might never visit, but the writing made me feel like I'd been there. I ended up writing a few chapters of a novel set in one of the places I read about.
The point is, subscribing to a magazine on a topic you like might be a great way to spark a few ideas for writing. Yes, there's magazine writing for cash and excitement, too (I took a class on that at a conference a while back.) But just for interest, and to broaden knowledge base, and to become more expert in an area, it can be a great option. I have an idea about a guy who gets roped into taking care of/restoring an English garden, so maybe I'll check out some good gardening magazines. Some people write YA and want a convincing voice. Check out some of the teen glamor magazines. They write for a specific audience and sell a LOT of those things. It's a great resource. Take advantage of it!
And while you're in the grocery store, pick up a bag of Cadbury Mini-Eggs. You'll be glad you did. Easter comes but once a year...
Mmmm, Easter candy. I could imagine you dancing down the aisle in walmart singing. I wish I had been there.
ReplyDeleteI would never have pegged you for an auto enthusiast. Go figure. Now, the Cadburry eggs ...I'll have to get on over to the store.
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