For those of you who were around then, you may recall that I hosted the 10:4 Challenge from June 1st through September 1st of this year. 10:4 was a challenge to lose 10 pounds in 4 months by making lifestyle changes that would promote healthier, happier futures. Not crash dieting, just real change.

The results were less than stellar for me with a total of 9 pounds lost. The reason they were less than stellar was that I made few lifestyle changes and quickly went pack to 194 pounds, just 4 short of my all time greatest weight at the start of the challenge of 198! I then challenged myself and whoever would join to the R.I.P.ing 5 Challenge, with the goals being similar: lose 5 pounds during the 2 months of the R.I.P. II Challenge. Per usual I started out slow…but then something magical happened.

Continue reading R.I.P.ing Away Pounds, Doggy Style →

Update: Everything you are about to read is a complete fabrication. Well, not everything, but the part about Chris being my Secret Santa. Word has come to me from the North Pole. Or at least from one of his elves in Louisiana, that this was just an early gift from Chris and that my True Secret Santa has not yet been revealed!!! So, to my ACTUAL Secret Santa, sorry for the confusion. But believe me, you’ll be getting a post of your very own just like this one very, very soon!!! I’m so tickled!!!

Recently Nymeth had the brilliant idea of hosting a blogger Christmas Exchange, Secret Santa style. It was a wonderful idea and thank you Nymeth for hosting it and taking care of all the details that hosting entails. Anyway, I had great fun planning, picking out and wrapping up the presents for my Secret Santa recipient and I’m happy to say that, prior to the upcoming deadline, my package went off today Priority Mail and should be arriving tomorrow or the next day. I’m all aquiver with excitement.

So, imagine how my excitement grew when I came home today to see this:

(Disclaimer: Some images may be staged for effect. Thank you. -The Management)

What, oh what could it be?!?!?

(I look so handsome after a long, sweaty dog-walking session)

Continue reading Dat You, Santy Claus? →

This is a list of various award winning science fiction and fantasy novels, novelettes, and novelas. I am post this list solely for the use of myself and anyone else who wants a quick reference and wants to use it to track their reading of said stories.

* Italics means I have this book on my to read pile.
* Bold means I have read this book.

Continue reading Hugo, Nebula, Clarke, Campbell and Locus Awards →

I can see the shock on your faces even as I sit here typing this. “You mean he is finally going to do the closing posts for the R.I.P. II Challenge that ended October 31st?!?!? It can’t be!!!”.

Yes folks, its true. Let me start by saying I so appreciate everyone who gave this a shot, pun intended. Next year I plan to tighten up the specifications a bit and be a bit more descriptive in the hopes that those of you who entered this year will do so again and that some of you who didn’t will give it a try!

Without any further ado, let’s look at the entries, shall we? In no particular order:

Continue reading R.I.P. II Round-up: Something Sinister Contest →

Annie, our 10 year old reading phenom (when does she turn 11, Debi?) who has participated in both the Once Upon a Time Challenge and the R.I.P. II challenge (and cranks out more books during the challenges than anyone except probably Kailana!), is hosting a fantastic reading challenge of her own that you really should consider joining: the What’s In a Name Challenge. The details from her post are:

Continue reading Two Great Reading Challenges for the Price of One →