A quick note

I'm back, or to be more accurate, we're back. After moving, double ear infection misery, more moving in temperatures closer to hell than I want to feel in a long while, family time, rehearsal dinner with grandpa wine, Wedding Day (!!), day-after-wedding-and-getting-the-phone-call-offering-CJ-a-job excitement, packing and throwing away more of my junk, CJ squeezing time to work on his classroom, us flying to LA, me attending SCBWI conference (good times!), both of us cruising up the California coast in a red Ford Mustang convertible, returning to the Midwest, moving MORE stuff into our cute-but-cramped apartment, and nearly finishing the second week back at our jobs (mine old, his new)...deep breath, we're ready for some downtime.

Seriously.

And once we get the internet set up at our new place, you can once more enjoy my eclectic taste on Music Mondays. That should be within a week or so, but I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not gone forever. And there's plenty of words left to write. :)

Happy Friday, all!

Music Monday - For Ainsley, Of Course

She was born on Friday afternoon. Like her dad. And it was the 13th. Her parents got engaged on another Friday and 13th. She was late too, but we won't hold that against her.

The most enjoyable moment regarding the baptism yesterday (after the angels stopped singing), was when two uncles, a grandmother, and the new father (among all who were there in person) had a photo-call with the young lady, her godmother, and her godfather - who appeared via Skype. Baptism in the 21st century!

Hello to a little girl who is very much loved!

Ummm, yeah. It's June.

Sorry to leave this blog so quiet for so long. It wasn't planned. Unlike the next couple of months in my life. So what happened?

-Quick trip to "round on the ends and high in the middle"* for Mr. Fartlepants' shower. Family, faith, food, fun. 

-CJ's birthday. And contrary to what he has said, he's still young. Sheesh.

-Finished, finished, finished my yet-to-be-titled (that's heading, not Easrl or Duke) book. Finished. Did I say finished? Not perfect, but FINISHED. Yay!!!!!

It will be pretty light here for awhile, but I'll try to pop up a couple of times a month. It's not as if there's nothing going on. Coming up this month: freaky fast trip to California for CJ's sister's graduation and a bridal shower, wedding up north (wedding just this past Saturday, too) and another shower here to round out June. 

July: moving house, Mr. F's imminent arrival (this could come earlier) and CJ becoming a married man, with some help.

August: SCBWI National Conference in LA, FANTASTIC honeymoon in....?, going home to even more books.

September: Mr. F's reaffirmation of his/her baptism

October: Sleep. Maybe.

'...Jack, don't you understand? All of your life, in your game, you've been striving for perfection...you saw it.'

I'm nearing the end of the race now, to finish my book. I shouldn't take this much time to even post this.

But I have to.

The Kentucky Derby was this past Saturday. This year's winner was a horse named I'll Have Another. Every year, the winner of the Derby is the subject of immense speculation - will he or she win all three races (Derby, Preakness and Belmont) to win the Triple Crown? It hasn't been done since the 1970s.

There is one horse that stands above all others in Triple Crown lore. In 1973, Secretariat won the Triple Crown. The climax was the final race, the Belmont Stakes. His victory there was so staggering that many people think it will never happen again.

This clip is from a documentary about Secretariat in 1973, focusing on the Belmont. Mingled with original footage of the race are comments from journalists, horse experts, as well as Secretariat's owner, trainer and jockey. It's a long clip, over ten minutes. TOTALLY worth watching in its entirety. If you aren't moved, you don't have a sense of the divine.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"It was like the Lord was holding the reins. Secretariat was one of his creatures..."

"Lucien said, 'Oh my God, Ron, don't fall off, just don't fall off!'"

"They're treating him like just another horse."

"...'Jack, don't you understand? All of your life, in your game, you've been striving for perfection.' And he said, 'At the end of the Belmont, you saw it.'"

This post is included in Music Monday because of the clip's Best Use Ever of "Overture: Prisoner Of The Crusades" from the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The music has been used for many sports clips, but not to this effect, in my opinion.

Happy Second Birthday, S!

May you have happiness every day, just like Gene and Donald. But perhaps not (always) the mess.
Love you!

Haunting Deleted Movie Scene Music

From Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. They should have kept this scene in. Even if you've never read the books, or watched the movies, anything with an English choir is worth listening to. And if that argument doesn't convince you, please indulge me. :)

Blessed Easter season to you all!

Music Monday