Let's Talk Road Rage

Okay, so I'm woman enough to admit that I’m probably not the friendliest or the most patient driver on the road (and my husband, I'm sure, would quickly second that opinion).  But neither am I pulling a Ricky Bobby down SH-114, or leaning on my horn like some psycho-crazed maniac.  Yet I’m definitely not one to smile serenely and make cute cuddly puppy noises at the Sunday driver that decides to get out on the road on a weekday and drive like Grandma Gertie right in front of me, let alone let it pass on an actual Sunday.  Of course, I still offer the friendly Texas-steering-wheel-hand-wave when stopped at a light or a stop sign.  After all I do have manners, and this is Texas. 

But Monday through Friday (and let’s tack-on Saturday for good measure), when I’m sitting behind the wheel of my 2006 Hyundai Accent, and I’m driving, it’s because I actually want to get where I’m going in the most expedient and the safest (of course) way possible.  Aka. NOW!

So I'm sure we can all admit to there being times when you just want to RAM that cell-phone-chatting-blackberry-texting-I’m-so-much-better-than-you-with-my-smartphone, with that I’m-so-much-more-important-than-you smirk on their face, driver. 

Pfftt…I know I do! 

But there have been times when I’ve seen some completely out of control road rage antics.  I mean, seriously...I call shenanigans!  It's ridiculous the way some people behave when they have a little power beneath their keister.  How these people have managed not to pop an artery or suffer some road rage-induced aneurysm is beyond me.  And in some cases I’ve been in the unfortunate position of being in the car with some of these serial RR cases. (Not the fondest memories I have by the way)  At the time I was desperately wishing someone had started a Road Rage Passenger Crisis Hotline.  Imagine being an operator at that job?

But this morning, while witnessing one of these not-so-rare moments of Serial RR, I couldn’t help but ponder over a few alternative scenarios.  One scenario being...what if we collected all the serial road ragers in the city, put them on a boat, and shipped them off to their own island?  And on this island they could make their own laws, have a language, an anthem, even a bird...the whole sha-bang!  

Island Name: Indy Island

Citizen’s Motto: I approach the daily commute like an extreme sport, and I am the MVP!

Language: (It’s not exactly an intelligible language, mostly aggressive grunting, screaming, yelling, growling noises and imaginative hand gestures.)

Island Song: “The Highway Salute” 

Island Bird: The Vulture (It's a road kill smorgasbord!) 

Code of Conduct: GET OUT THE WAY!!! 

Law(s)/Rule(s):   

• Must apply blinker before simultaneously changing lanes and using imaginative hand gestures to your fellow drivers.
• No Cyclist Allowed 
• No Four-Way Stop Signs 
• Right-hand lanes do not exist...only exit lanes! 
• All Sundays are banned (New day coming soon!)

Yep, sign me up...not!

But I did stumble across a video that I found to be very informative on the psyche of the Road Rager...and also my Aunt G.  Love you Aunt G!!! Hehe.  Enjoy!

"Goofy Road Rage"

The Story's in the Playlist

As writers, I believe we all have some unique personal form of inspiration. That special place or thing that sort of tugs on the creative part of our brain needed to get the old pendulums moving.  For me music has become a very pivotal pendulum in my writing process.  Before I can officially start my first draft or start any writing I have to have a writing mix..no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  This mix is one of many elements that help me to establish the theme or mood for my story.  Do I want to go heavy and intense?  Or maybe light and whimsical?  Of course the playlist may (and often does) change as the story progresses, with me adding or removing songs as I continue to write.

Of course I'm also aware that some of this is simply the OCD in me shining through...but I figure it’s all for the sake of my craft, right? (Yeah, even I sometimes wonder.)

But I must have a playlist.  Even though, normally, I don’t even know what songs will make the list until I hear it, or I'll randomly stumble across a song I hear on the radio.  But more often than not, the lyrics to a song I don't even know the title to will pop into my head, and I will then proceed to scramble around looking for a pin and something to graffiti the words onto until I can Google them and find out the artist and title. (This particular moment getting pretty tricky when it occurs while sitting in crawling traffic on the interstate behind the steering wheel of your car.)  But for me, not having a playlist is like going to class without your textbook.  Yeah, you could probably manage to smooch by without it, but life is just that much easier if you take the time and go prepared in the first place.

But having finished the first draft of Book #1 in my YA series, I’ve decided to start a little side project.  Being that usually after I finish one story I am in desperate need of space along with some fresh new material to dig my claws into, in order to help wash away the grit from my last project.

My current playlist consists of music artist(s):

• One Republic
• Ray LaMontagne
• Tony Bennett 
• Josh Ritter 
• Dan Auerbach 
• Sondre Lerche 
• Bibio

I can honestly highly recommend all these artists if you're looking to possibly expand your musical repertoire with something new and kind of different.  But I think I’ve pushed this envelope as far as it can go and procrastinated long enough for one day.  I'm off to be productive and lay some verbiage! Adios muchachos!

It's Official!

Well folks, I finally did it.  I took the plunge.  I jumped over the fence.  I hopped on to that proverbial bandwagon.  I DRANK THE KOOL-AID!

I am officially a BLOGGER!!! YAY!!! *fist pump* Thank you, thank you…but please hold your applause. 

I have arrived, ladies and gentlemen!  And honestly, it’s not as bad nor as scary as I thought it would be.  Actually, I think I kind of like it over here.  I even feel a bit different, kind of cutting-edge.  I don’t know, to me it just always seems like people look at you just a little differently when they find out you’re a blogger.  Especially on those occasions when you manage to casually let it slip that, “Oh yeah, I wrote about that on MY BLOG...” Gasp. “OMG! You have a blog. Wow, you’re so cool!” At least this is the dialogue I hope would transpire if I were to awkwardly blog-drop my new blogger status into some obscure completely off-the-subject conversation.

But yes, I am here and I am here to stay.  And being that this is all still pretty new to me please bare with me as I adjust to my new britches, with the hopes that in time as we become more comfortable in this blogger to blogger worm relationship, this will ultimately be a mutually satisfying and beneficial friendship for all willing participants. 

Another bit of exciting news (at least it is for me)...I'm also a tweeter!  I tweet!  So if you're feeling particularly stalker-ish, please "follow" me!  Now I know some of you may be thinking I'm getting way over my head with all this, but I'm sticking with it and my borrowed motto of, “Go big or go home”.

As my "About Me" says, I'm a YA and literary fiction writer.  I am currently working on a YA supernatural series that I started back in early 2010.  I have yet to be published but am hoping that 2011 will be the year that this will finally change.  But no matter what the outcome of this year may be, in regards to me getting published or not, I intend to keep writing.  I love writing and the process of creating something from nothing and I feel pretty darn lucky to be able to do what I do.

But being that we can’t all live on love and passion alone I usually masquerade, I mean, work as an office assistant during the day.  Which for some may sounds pretty drab but I actually enjoy what I do and it helps that I work with some really awesome people.

Shout out to my peeps at LaserImage Dallas!!!

I also have a six-month-old kitty named Daisy, who is for the most part extremely whacked-out and super hyper, but she is sooooo adorable…well, that is when she’s not being completely whacked-out and obnoxiously hyper.  But she is definitely like part of the family now and so I wouldn't trade my little meow-meow for anything.  Okay, maybe for Gerard Butler, but nothing else.  I obsessively love to read and  therefore I read A LOT! I enjoy music of all kinds and am always open to suggestions, except I’m not a big fan of heavy metal, at all, it reminds me of…well, we’ll just say hard rock is not my cup of tea and I can avoid offending anyone.

But in a nutshell I’m just a random, quirky, lit-junky, Kindle-lovin, bookworm, no-nonsense chick writer who, unfortunately, is in an ongoing love-hate relationship with all nefarious cocoa bean bi-products. Darn those monks!

But any who...all good things must come to an end, as they say.  So until next time, keep it clean peeps!