Bill Douglas is a college friend of my husband. Among Bill’s sterling qualities is incredible lung capacity and a great sense of humor.
In Cincinnati, he was—and possibly still is—known as one of the Signs of Summer:
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Tartle:
A Scots word meaning “The act of hesitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name.”
I can’t tell you how tickled I am that there’s an actual word for this. I’m not alone!
.
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My Complete Third Season of Leverage shipped yesterday!
I know what I’m doing for my birthday!
Okay, yeah, probably finishing up the last chapters of Pigeon while washing down cake with diet Pepsi swilled right out of the two-liter bottle.
But if I can’t get the first season of Doctor Eleven from the library on time, my first draft afterparty is going to be popcorn, Häagen-Dazs , and the crew doing what the crew does best.
You know you love a show when you ask a co-worker visiting Portland to try to get the autographs of the writers and producers instead of the actors.
(okay, maybe them, too)
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This image. No real reason.
(thanks, Kevin—you always make me smile)
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Wrote a love scene..
No, I’m not elaborating.
But I did yesterday!
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Library Raid jackets are back on sale at the Unshelved webcomic store!*
I’m hoping they’ll bring back the cap, too.
If you’ve never tried Unshelved, I recommend it—it’s an exaggerated look at library life, but only slightly. And they do great book recommendations and excellent commentary, too.
I met Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum at the last ALA I attended, and they’re good people—they autographed their carpal tunnel off for us!
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And finally, comments make me smile.
I know, shocker—but I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me what you think (unless you think I need Viagra, O-rings, and discount office equipment).
So let’s have more smiling around here: What made you smile this week?
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** If any family members are checking here in the hopes that I’ll drop a birthday present hints and are cursing me for preordering Leverage: Hint.
Earful of Cider 
A love scene?! I can’t believe you’re going to throw that out there and not fill in the dirty details. That’s so wrong.
Bring me the autograph of John Rogers and I’ll let you read it. 😀
(actually, I’ll be begging you to read it after you get back, but I want to smooth it out first, so to speak)
Love scenes are so difficult for me. Good on you!
Smile this week…my two year old telling chastising his brother with, “Young man!” inflection and all.
Writing love scenes aren’t easy for me, either—I don’t have Averil’s talent or bravery. But these two characters need each other.
It’s both hilarious and cringeworthy when my kids start mimicking me . . . and then I realize they’re mimicking me mimicking my mother.
Oh, the ciiiircle of liiiife! 😀
Re Bill Douglas = – there’s a man who likes his job.
I had to google O-rings -I was expecting something a bit risque since you mentioned them right after love scenes and Viagra . . . but I guess sometimes a gasket is just a gasket ? (or is there some other “urban” definition that hasn’t reached wikipedia yet ?)
I was surprised at the innocence of O-rings, too—I imagined all sorts of things. Freud would be so proud. . . .
PS – meant to ask, when is your birthday? And Happy Birthday!
Next Friday–the 17th. And thanks! 🙂
Not only can I not remember a person’s name, I seem to forget it the moment it is offered. It’s like there’s a vacuum from one side of my ear to the other, expunging whatever particle of information has briefly landed. I am a “tartler”of the highest order.
I’m intrigued about this love scene. Main character and one of the thugs? Sounds dirty.
So, when you’re done with Pigeon I’m thinking your next WIP should be set in a library, with a librarian as a main character. It seems to obvious. Write what you know, no?
Smiling? Nick Pitera, big time.
We should form a Tartler Club, with lapel pins to warn the normal-memoried. Except we’d probably forget to wear them.
The love scene is actually rather sweet, I think. There’s another one I’m thinking of adding earlier in the book that isn’t so healthy.
I did one set in a library—of course, it was a futuristic library, set after the Paradigm Revolution, in which the ALA became a quasi-military organization in order to protect the information streams. It had hoverbaskets and librarians armed with Hushmaster 2000s and books rigged to explode if they weren’t checked out–or returned on time. I might have been a week bit testy when I wrote it, and it isn’t very good. But it was cathartic. I’ll think about it—actually, a plot nugget has been circling about a librarian who finds a body trapped in the compressed shelving . . .
Mr. Pitera makes me smile, too!
I think I’ll be using the term “tartle” a lot this year–to the point of torturing my 8th graders, I think. Yes, the plan is shaping up quite well. 🙂
Things that made me smile this week: finishing my reading assignment early, accomplishing a lot before 10am today, and your post about your kangaroo story with Sunny.
I live to torture eighth graders—payback is sweet.
Your query just made me smile and do the “Yes! Countdown is being sent out” dance! Not to mention your comments on the love scene–whew! Glad it worked!
You wouldn’t believe how much the elephant made me laugh! Can’t wait for season 4 to start. You’ll have to let us know if the autograph seeking is a success.
P.S. May I join your tartling club? (OK, it sounds a bit risque when I phrase it like that)
That elephant may be my spirit animal . . .
I’m hovering over the DVR waiting to record season four. I’m ridiculously obsessed and I don’t care. Someday, I will get John Roger’s autograph. Someday.
And of course you can join! We’re an all-inclusive tartling establishment around here. Just leave your memory at the door! 😀