by Sarah | Apr 30, 2013 | A to Z Challenge, All About Me, Bucket List, Random
Sad to see the A-to-Z challenge coming to an end. Some days were tougher than ever, but I managed to post every day this month. I wish there was something like this every month to help keep me moving. Anyway, here I go with my final letter for April.
Last year I did some things I never dreamed I would
I went Ape.
I went rock climbing.
I met Mario Andretti.
I saw Cirque.
I watched the Fever.
I got published (and then a contract on my novel, and then another, and another).
I took chances I never would have before, and I pushed myself beyond limits I didn’t know I had…and it gave me a zest for life.
Now I want more challenges…
But I’ll be spending a chunk of my summer flat on my back after foot surgery.
So much for zest.
*~*~*
The A-Z Challenge has over 1900 participants, all blogging from A to Z this month. Check them out and see if you can’t find a few new favorites!!
by Sarah | Apr 3, 2013 | 45 before 45, All About Me, Books, Bucket List, Changing Tracks, I'm A Writer
There were so many things I could have done for C.
Cystic Fibrosis, Colors, Cannonball, Canada…
But I chose [amazon_link id=”B00BEMN5SC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Changing Tracks[/amazon_link].
Of course I’m a little biased. Changing Tracks is my first published novel. It’s the first in a series, and the characters just make me giddy with happiness on a regular basis.
It was another check off the bucket list when this one came out on February 8th.
I’ve been blessed to have friends read it (and communicate back to me their thoughts WHILE reading, which was hilariously fun)…and strangers alike.
In several months the next book in the series will be out, and I’ll get to keep telling Jane Doe’s story…all while continuing to find new characters and stories to write in the background.
I’ve got a great job…and Changing Tracks helped make it officially a job. 🙂
Blurb:
There’s nothing simple about forgetting your past.
Cole Mitchell runs the busiest saloon and brothel in Dominion Falls. He keeps his women at a distance, unwilling to relive a past he worked hard to forget.
Until the night Jane Doe falls into his saloon bleeding and near death. She wakes with no memory, only the firm belief someone tried to kill her. In the strange world of amnesia she manages to find solace in Cole’s arms and he finds home in hers.
While they work together to solve the mystery of her appearance, their pasts – her lack of, and his buried – build a barrier between them.
To make matters worse, Jane’s past isn’t willing to let her go. A stranger proves he’ll kill to keep his secrets safe. With those she loves in danger, Jane’s errant memory is all that stands between them and death. Cole can only do so much to protect her, will it be enough?
Buy Links:
Secret Cravings Website
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Bookstrand
*~*~*
The A-Z Challenge has over 1900 participants, all blogging from A to Z this month. Check them out and see if you can’t find a few new favorites!!
by Sarah | Apr 2, 2013 | 45 before 45, All About Indiana, All About Me, All of Us, Bucket List, Indianapolis Zoo
Two years ago when I first made my 45X45 list, I added a little something that I thought would be easily accomplished. Something that I’d always wanted to do, but hadn’t because I always came up with an excuse.
Seeing the butterflies at the Indianapolis Zoo. It was a special display they had annually with all of these butterflies. I’d heard such beautiful things about it. I wanted to take my camera and nestle in and stay forever.
So, to keep myself from using the “It’s too expensive to take us all” excuse, I bought our first zoo membership.
That was the year the butterflies went away. I was sad, but we still put that zoo pass to very good use, and have not hesitated to renew our membership every year since.
This year? The butterflies have returned! A couple of weeks ago I got to go to a special event before it opened, take my camera, and wipe that sucker right off the bucket list. And I have the pictures to prove it. (although when I go BACK this week, I’ll make sure to take my zoom lens that I forgot last time, so I can really get those close up and personal shots. ~ahem~)
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by Sarah | Jul 20, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Erik, All About Indiana, All About Me, Blogging Life, Bucket List, Indy Geek Girls, The Reluctant Hoosier
[flickr id=”7604254726″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]Ever since the Super Bowl back in January all anyone in Indiana can talk about is the zip line. I never stepped one foot in Super Bowl Village – but I wished I had just for the zip line.
About two months ago I found out about Go Ape! Right in my own backyard here on the West Side, inside Eagle Creek Park, is a place where you can zip line, do Tarzan Swings, and just climb through the trees like a monkey. You can really Go Ape!
So I rounded up some friends, my husband, a few of their husbands, and we swallowed our fears, strapped on a harness, and climbed.
Did I say fear? Yeah, fear.
After the “bunny hill” courses that are only a few feet off the ground – you climb and climb. High up off the ground you make your way through 5 courses of increasing difficulty – and as a bonus every course ends with the zip line.
I admittedly screamed at every one.
Out of pure joy.
[flickr id=”7604174320″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”right”] The last three courses have options for your routes. You can do “moderate” or “difficult” on course 3 – and on courses 4 & 5 you have your option of “Difficult” or “Extreme”.
I chose the difficult routes because I wanted to challenge myself. After all, I am wiping this sucker off my 45X45 list (“Do something daring”) – because it scared me. Holy cow am I glad I did. Knowing that I challenged myself, conquered my fear, and took the leap (literally on the Tarzan Swing) makes me feel strong and empowered.
[flickr id=”7604240872″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] The whole course left us feeling strong and empowered. Even my husband – who is terrified of heights, bridges, and couldn’t do the last Tarzan Swing (seriously, frightening stuff there) made his way through the course and felt so proud of himself for it – not that he’d do it again. ;).
It was a great ‘day date’ activity for us. It is an amazing team building activity too. Spending our time encouraging each other and cheering each other on (or is that daring each other?) to get through these courses cementing our bond of friendship.
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We all left swearing to do it again.
After all, it’s in our own backyard and a combination of fun, adrenaline pumping, and an intense workout. Best of all? It’s $55 a person – and it takes you at least three hours to get through the full course. For teens it’s only $35, but you are responsible for them and limited to how many you can chaperone (Age limit of 10, height limit of 55″).
*~*
*Disclaimer: Me & 10 of my friends were given free tickets for the day by Go Ape. All the fun I had and my opinions are all my own.
by Sarah | Jul 12, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Me, Blogging Life, Bucket List
2012 is proving to be a year for me to Kick the Bucket…List.
So far, just this year, I have crossed off 6 items & I’m poised to cross off one more this week, and at least two more by September. Granted this is technically my 45X45 list – but I’m thrilled with my progress this year.
My favorite item that I crossed off is the all important #3. Seeing my name in print. And look at that…in print!
Without even realizing it, I’m putting myself out there and doing more things – and I’m crossing things off the bucket list without even realizing that they’re there! Of course, some of those achievements are thanks to my peeps…the local blogging community is great for putting things out there for me to hop on board with!
So 2 years after creating my 45X45 list and with 9 years left I’m 20% through it. Now I just have to figure out what I want to cross of next year! For that matter, I’d love to repeat a couple of them (like the blog conference – loved that…want to do it again!).
So what should I do next – that I haven’t already planned to do?
For that matter…what isn’t on my list that you think should be? Should I move my “done” stuff to the side and add in new challenges?
by Sarah | Jun 18, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Marriage, All About Me, All of Us, Bucket List, Random
*Please excuse the crappy quality of this picture. I assure you the original is AWESOME…my phone just took a really crappy photo of the photo…
Two months ago Erik & I went to St. Louis. It was a “knock some sh*t off Sarah’s bucket list while getting the heck out of dodge & being child-free” weekend. We had a great time. The highlight of the trip (especially for Erik) was the Anheuser Busch Beermaster Tour.
Running in a close second was the Star Trek Exhibit at the science center. Depressingly, pictures were not allowed in any capacity – except for those that they themselves took & you had to pay for (mind you, it was an expense I didn’t hesitate to pay…but I digress).
Erik & I spent over an hour looking at everything on display. Pointing out errors in the placards (seriously? You’re going to allow blatant errors in a ST exhibit? Shame…). Soaking in the dozens of costumes on display. Erik took this killer picture in the original series captain’s chair (depressingly not set in an actual set – but against a green screen). Toward the end I about passed out as I beheld the TNG bridge set. In geek heaven I wandered around, had my picture taken in the captain’s chair, kept wandering. I sat in Data’s chair, people…DATA’s CHAIR.
Geek heaven.
In the past few weeks there’s been an emergence of an up and coming geek.
The teen has been watching anything & everything Trek (or Trek-approximate) in our house. Considering Erik has ALL the movies (some in double w/ Blu-Ray and Standard) – and Netflix carries all the series – this is a lot of Trek. He also has a Play Station Star Trek game that I don’t remember us having…but he’s been playing pretty non-stop
First it was the movies. All of them. From The Motion Picture to the new Star Trek.
Then he tried the series. Much like me, the Original Series didn’t float his boat much – and he stopped watching it within about 3 or 4 episodes. In the past two days he has watched the entire first season of The Next Generation. I know he’s chomping at the bit to get to Deep Space Nine, but seems dedicated to watching them in order. The proper order.
The kid is my kind of geek.
Wish I could take full credit – but I’m pretty sure most of it goes to my movie-obsessed husband whose fail-safe “I don’t know what to watch” movies are the Star Trek movies.
Either way – the new generation has started it’s Trekkie-love. And I couldn’t be more proud. After all, this is something we can share as a family. Most of the time, we don’t agree on much (that is difficult to do with a teen).
Sad to see the A-to-Z challenge coming to an end. Some days were tougher than ever, but I managed to post every day this month. I wish there was something like this every month to help keep me moving. Anyway, here I go with my final letter for April.
