….not “new-queu-leer.”

That was what my husband leaned over and said to me during Obama’s speech tonight. LOL.

Did you watch it? What did you think?

Mr. Frodo’s ears, that is.

We call him the bat-puppy. Adorable, no?

(Yes, he’s in my trés messy office.)

Had a big party at Chez Gleason last Friday night. Am still recovering.

When Music Man has a party, it always includes live music. In this case, he knew a couple guys who were putting together a new bluesy cover band and invited them to “try out” their new set at our house last Friday. We have a big yard on a lake, and the band was set up on the deck from our ranch’s walkout.

Music Man is a piano player, so he moved a piano out onto the deck, and the guys brought a full drum set, amps, mixing board, guitars, mikes, etc., etc.

We had a keg, made dogs and brats on the grill, and attendees brought sides and stuff to share. Plenty o’food.

I can’t sing, but I did. Sat myself next to Music Man during a lull (even though the new band was playing, it was also open-mike night for any attending musicians to sit in or join in), and I asked him to play “Baby I’m Amazed” and we sang it together. How sweet.

Well, it would have been sweet if I can sing. It was more like Linda and Paul McCartney than…hmmmm…Sonny & Cher? But I had fun, and since I couldn’t hear myself, all was well!

Anyway, as I mentioned, I’m still recovering from the party.

But this brings me to the point of the blog. During the course of the evening, I was standing with a group of friends talking, and a few minutes into the conversation, one of the guys looked at me and said, “That’s the second time you’ve dropped the F-bomb.”

(I’m sure it’s a shock to all of you that I would do such a thing. But, it’s true. I did.)

Anwyay, the friend, Ted, was more shocked-slash-admiring than anything. Maybe it’s ’cause I know him from church, but it’s not as if he’s a sheltered kind of guy. Not in the least.

So, yeah. I use the F-word. I love the F-word. It’s earthy, it’s strong, it’s satisfying…and it’s a guy thing. It’s a man’s word.

That’s why I love it.

And I personally don’t find the word itself offensive–whereas there are other words/phrases that bother me (the C-bomb for one), this one is just a great, solid word.

So I got to thinking about guy things that girls do. Using the F-word is one.

Drinking a beer. (and enjoying it)

Driving a stick shift. (and preferring it)

I happen to do all three.

What other guy things do girls do? Which ones do you do, girls? Guys, do you see it this way? Or am I all effed up?

So I was over on Amazon today and right on the front page was a dangling carrot that I could not resist.

I’ve been thinking about buying a Kindle for a variety of reasons…partly because I think it’d be like an actor not having a DVD player. Or an iPod. Or whatever.

And so they’re giving a $100 rebate sort of thing if you apply for an Amazon Visa and buy a Kindle.

So, yeah, I did it. And I’m so excited!

Everyone I know who has one just loves their Kindle. I’ll report later when I get mine (some time next week?)

My only worry is that it might make it hard to read in the bathtub. Dare I?

Can you say….housebroken? In less than a week?

Yes, indeed my friends. He has already learned to go to the door when he needs to go out. Which is often. But we’re happy to do it.

And no more whining at night. (Or is it whingeing? Someone tell…what’s the difference? We Americans say “whine” and the Brits say “whinge”? How do you pronounce that?)

Home from Cleveland. Ate at a smashing place called Tommy’s on Coventry. Ask for AJ’s special (whatever she happened to make that day) if you go in. The best milkshakes, and fabulous French onion soup…along with fresh, fresh, fresh hummus and baba ghanouj. (sp?)

AJ introduced me to a very interesting book club when I was there (hers). The members who attended the meeting consisted of three men in their late 50s who’d of course never read a romance novel in their lives (and probably won’t ever again)–one’s a lit professor (gak!), one’s a produce guy (love me some produce guys…more on that later), and one reminded me of a very trim biker and I never found out what he did for a living. And another woman attended (a massage therapist), along with AJ, who is my age and cooks at Tommy’s.

So this book club read The Rest Falls Away. Anyway, to sum up the meeting, one of the guys (Mr. Produce Man) said, “It wasn’t bad.” LOL.

Not their cuppa, but it was fun anyway–definitely fun to hear from a totally different perspective than my usual readers.

And the stories that followed, at the bar across the street…..oh me oh my. More when I can’t get sued for publishing them online.

So, if you’re in Cleveland, hit Tommy’s on Coventry for great food…and then pop next door to Mac’s Backs where there are some signed copies of my books!