Category Archives: Musings from the laundromat

Musings from the Laundromat: The Staked Plains edition

I don’t know what I did to deserve an Advance Reading Copy of Stefan Kiesbye’s new book ‘The Staked Plains’, but the invitation came from the author himself and that alone made me feel incredible.

Not one to look a gift author in the mouth, and considering he is one of my favorite authors, of course I politely and calmly said yes, I would LOVE to be included.

OK, it didn’t come out like that. It was more – ‘teenage girl spots favorite boy band and proceeds to fan girl the fuck out.’

I was introduced to Kiesbye’s work when I read ‘Your House Is on Fire, Your Children all Gone’ in 2013.

I did the ‘carry the book around whilst bumping into walls’ thing with that one. My nook went with me everywhere until the last sentence.

You know you have read a great book when you come out of that last page much like you would a matinee of a great movie. Blinking against the light of day and disoriented.

Yesterday presented the perfect opportunity to sink into The Staked Plains and I proceeded to read the entire novella with a minimum of bathroom breaks. No, the book did not come with me – are you kidding? It’s my ARC copy! I did hate to leave it on the couch though and hurried back to it.

When I reached the last few paragraphs, I greedily read them. And then sat – stunned.

Absolutely stunned.

“He did it again.” Was my first thought.

Not just write a damn good book, but managed to throw marbles under the feet of the reader. I was off kilter. Needing more! I kept flipping to the ‘Acknowledgements’ and ‘About the Author’ pages hoping they’d magically fill with more of Kiesbye’s words.

Remember I’ve shared this before:

Well, in this case, the curtains aren’t always blue. Never mind Shrek, Kiesbye is like an onion! Layers upon layers that you KNOW are there but too absorbed to ‘get’ on a first reading. I know for a fact that I’ll need to read this book many more times and maybe even get a degree in archeology before completely understanding.

I love that by the way. I don’t want to be dumbed down by a book. I want to feel almost unworthy reading it. I want the book to challenge me as I try to figure out who the characters are and why they’re doing what they’re doing – and honestly, with this book, Kiesbye keeps throwing those marbles.

I had told Stefan in an email that I would be reviewing the book today – and jokingly said “You don’t mind if I open with the last paragraph right?” I would never. But – let me try to sum up The Staked Plains without giving any of the meat away. (OK, without trying, that last sentence might be an Easter Egg for you.)

For me, on first read – it’s about humanity in a barren environment, with a heaping spoonful of the supernatural. No one is who they seem – and yet they are. Human. Whatever that means. And while the characters are written honestly, I still found myself surprised by what they were capable of – and of what they weren’t.

But that IS humanity no?

We’re all layers. Capable of such good and born with so many juxtapositions inside of us.

The book made me uncomfortable because I felt like I was looking in a mirror and seeing everything I fight not to be, everything that is complex and ugly about me that I can’t tamp down sometimes. And, everything honest and beautiful about my self too.

Currently – the publication date for The Staked Plains is November 24th of this year. THANK YOU Saddle Road Press for publishing this amazing book. And, THANK YOU Stefan for remembering a fan who reached out two years ago with “Hurry up and write another book.”

Posted in Musings from the laundromat, My Favorites, Uncategorized

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Tags: Advance Reading Copy, Author, Book Review, books, Stefan Kiesbye, The Staked Plains, writing, Your Children all Gone, Your House is on Fire

Musings from the Laundromat: Fawn Legs, Secret Apple eating Agents and ARC edition

This is the last I’m going to speak of being sick. I think if I convince myself I’m better, my body will follow. Besides, it gets boring being sick, I can only imagine how it feels reading about it.

I’m late at the laundromat – put English comedy on last night and it proceeded to watch me. I have slept so much it’s bonkers.

Felt like a weighted newborn fawn this morning balancing the two hefty laundry baskets on either side of my thinner frame. (I’ve lost a few pounds in the process of mending.)

Throat still sore – a few coughs, but I’m sure I’m not contagious anymore, so, back to work tomorrow. I’ve missed everyone! I have! And was a little concerned when I was conscious, that work hadn’t called me. Then Friday, I got the call. Yes, they still knew I existed and yes, my inbox was growing taller by the day with work. I was VERY happy about this.

I then got an email that I, in one hundred years would not have expected.

It was from one of my favorite authors.

Would I like an ARC of his new book?

Are you kidding me? First of all, he somehow remembered me from 2013 and secondly, ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

I proceeded to fan girl out and make a fool of myself. To be fair, I was still on pain killers, antibiotics and depleted human skills.

Well, I hope I didn’t scare him off too badly.

And yes, of course I asked for an interview – and he said yes. That’s if he talks to me again.

I’ve been doing a lot of stupid things lately. Not feeling like myself.

Not feeling like I even like myself of late either. Good thing is, I can absolutely change all of that.

I’ve got to focus. Regroup. Prioritize.

In the meantime, here I am, at the laundromat – taking care of business and … thinking about my next nap if I’m being completely honest.

In between sleeping, I did manage to catch up on all the Agents of Shield episodes on Netflix though.

And it’s either THAT, or the fact that he DOES look like an agent that has me cutting my eye over at this man across from me right now.

Nonchalantly eating an apple and reading a magazine. Not just any magazine, but, as I walked by him to collect my washing, I did my surveillance – it’s a gossip rag. Look at the posture? Who sits like that anymore? (She says jealously.) And he’s wearing nice shoes.

Hmmmm …. definitely some sort of law enforcement or undercover agent sent to check on the infected.

I’m exhausted. My little shaky fawn legs clearly aren’t the only deer traits I’ve adopted. I’m staring at him whilst typing with wary eyes and ready to leap if I hear a leaf crunch.

Yeah, ok, that’s silly – there are no leaves. But you know what I mean.

Only thing that doesn’t fit is, he does have his back to the room.

I’m losing it.

Told you I was sick.

But if you don’t hear from me next week – send out the cavalry. I could be in a quarantined area much like the one in Fear the Walking Dead!!!

THEN how would I get my ARC of Kiesbye’s book???

Posted on October 4, 2015 | Video

Musings from the Laundromat: Kind Doctors and Missing my Baby Boy edition.

Sep 27

Posted by debaucherysoup

Pretty much sums it up this morning. YAWN! Today is a big day! I took tomorrow off so I can stay up past my bedtime and photograph the ‘Super Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse!” Sounds like a really bad SyFy movie sequel title no? Anyway, I’m stoked.

So, remember when back when we were in school and we’d have a rare sighting of one of our teachers outside of school? I had a moment like that Friday.

I took my lunch break to grab some produce from the 99 cent store, and who should be walking across the parking lot toward me? My laundry lady! So odd seeing her outside of this place.

‘This’ place by the way, is 90% men today. They’re all sort of aimlessly figuring things out and not talking to one another.

There’s two in that photo. Problem is, I was preparing to take a photo of the machines behind ‘sitting guy.’ Looked like a face to me – two frothy white eyes and a laundry basket mouth. But, then he plopped down and my washing machine face was obscured.

Speaking of faces (this is going to be a really bad segue) I have pink eye.

I was wondering why when I blinked it felt like I had sandpaper on the inside of my eye lids.

The sweet sharer of this condition is my darling son.

Poor kid hasn’t felt good in a week. We treated it like a bug, but yesterday morning, he was up and dressed when I got up. Rare. Very rare.

“I’m going to the hospital. I have lumps in my throat.”

We did the flashlight thing, and while his tonsils did look enlarged, no white spots so I was glad of that.

“Hold on, lemme get dressed, I’ll come with you.”

So off we went.

His comment when I snapped this pic “Really mom? I look awful!” As if that was going to stop me. Pffft. He SHOULD know me by now.

Then while waiting, I started poking around the room a little.

Noticed this –

Good to know – nicely labeled – wait … WAIT … WHAT?

‘Vag’ light? There HAD to be more label available to spell that one out no? I mean, clearly the drawer above it isn’t abbreviated.

“Pass me a vag light, stat!”

I was in stitches laughing (no pun intended.)

Doctor came in, really nice guy.

He inspected my offspring as Nic asked him, “Do you see the lumps?” and proceeded to show the DOCTOR a photo he’d taken of his own throat. “Nic! He’s a doctor! He’s looking in your mouth.” I was amused. As if the doc (since we’re shortening things) was going to say, “OH! Jeez – thanks for pointing THAT out – can NOT believe I missed seeing that.” Anyway, doc then announced ear and throat infection – AND, pink eye.

It should be noted that while my son has insurance, I do not. And that’s not the reason I brought this up, but I casually said to the doctor, “Would that explain why I feel like someone threw sand in my eye?”

The doctor looked at me very seriously and said, “You’re not asking me to diagnosis someone I’m not treating are you?” I must have had a look of horror on my now red face because he quickly followed that up with a small smile and, “Because, I’ll be giving him a refill for the eye drops for someone I’m NOT consulting.”

I loved that doctor then. I mean, these days, who DOES that? So Nic and I are set when it comes to our eyeballs.

We then went to the pharmacy and put his antibiotic, pain and eye prescriptions in capable hands before running a few errands.

I have to say – and this may make me sound like a HORRIBLE mom, but, this past week while he’s been under the weather, there’s a part of me that liked it. No, I didn’t like that he was sick. No, I don’t have munchausen by proxy syndrome … It was just nice that my grown man of a son needed me. And let me stroke his hair off of his fevered forehead. That he was my little boy again. That I got to mother him.

I miss him needing me. I miss being strong for him. Protecting him.

And while I’m sure some would argue that the above are still true, it was just nice to hug him after bringing him a cold drink and him not letting go quickly.

Posted in Humor, Motherhood, Musings from the laundromat, Uncategorized

Musings from the Laundromat: Pre-game Edition

Sep 13

Posted by debaucherysoup

I keep looking at the clock.

Excited about the Green Bay/Chicago game.

As I’m sure you know (or may not know) they are rivals. And it just so happens that I’m a diehard Packer fan and my fiance is a Bears fan for life.

I plan to blog the game in realtime, then post it.

Gawd knows how that’s going to turn out, but we can be sure of one thing (other than the Packer’s winning) there WILL be nacho drippings on the keyboard. Maybe a tear or two. 😉

Anyway – that announcement out-of-the-way, here’s a photo taken yesterday of someone walking down our street/dirt road.

I don’t know the gender of the person under the large umbrella, but loved that they were sporting it.

‘Til the game! Have a great Sunday everyone!!!

Posted in Musings from the laundromat, Uncategorized

1 Comment

Tags: Football, Football Sunday, Green Bay vs Chicago, musings from the laundromat

Musings from the laundromat: YMCA edition

Aug 30

Posted by debaucherysoup

I don’t know if this is going to sound politically correct, but it is what it is – I was totally alone here at the laundromat, then in came a tall, handsome black man and a sweet Mexican in a cowboy hat at the same time and all I could think of? “Half the village people are here!”

I’m sticking by it.

I went on to think, “And I’m the pasty white girl totally ruining the illusion.”

In other news, saw this on a friends page and loved it so much I had to share it with you.

So true, and I don’t know about you, but I really need to learn to live this. So unhealthy to live any other way. I constantly beat myself up about the past and I’m always worrying about the future. I’m missing so many ‘now’ moments in the process.

So today, I need to enjoy my Sunday. Stay in the moment. Maybe eat something really bad for me, because my shorts are falling off as I walk around the laundromat. Time to fatten up a bit and find my ‘happy’. Yup.

And …

Now let’s dance – throw those hands up!