Contests Beget Progress

Internet! Things are good today. I may still feel a bit on the iffy side, but in my haze I've managed to accomplish something very big this week.

See, there's a screenplay I've been knocking around for six years now. The last time I actually looked at it and did any editing was almost three years ago when I entered it into a contest. Well, another contest deadline comes along tonight before midnight, and I finally went back to my work Wednesday and today. I added some stuff, moved some things around and took out others. All of this is to say that I'm moments away from entering it into another contest!

Winning is a long shot, I know. But, the big thing here is that I revisited the screenplay. It's the very first one I ever started, and is currently the only one I've ever fully written down. It feels basically finished to me now, unlike last time I put it in the running for a competition, and I think I can finally start to really work on some of the other ideas I have.

So, progress! Yay!

In other news, there's a contest over at Chronicle Books that ends today. There are two ways to win: post a list of all the Chronicle Books titles you want (up to $500) on your blog, or comment on someone else's blog list. Blogger and commenter will win all the books on the list. Here's mine:

Chronicle Books Dream List

1) Allure by Diana Vreeland $35
2) Curious Cats by Mitsuaki Iwago $16.95
3) Lickshot by Ben Watts $50
4) Hot Shots by Kevin Meredith, Heather Champ & Derek Powazek $16.95
5) Secret Lives of Great Filmmakers by Robert Schnakenberg $16.95
6) Art of the Modern Movie Poster by Judith Salavetz,Spencer Drate, Sam Sarowitz $75
7) Television Without Pity by Tara Ariano & Sarah Bunting $15.95
8) Picture Show by Dianna Edwards $19.95
9) The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex by Kristen Schaal & Rich Blomquist $24.95
10) Gig Posters Volume I by Clay Hayes $40
11) What's Next? by Kerry Hannon $22.95
12) Curious Lists: A Creative Journal for List-Lovers $12.95
13) 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment by Barbara Kipfer $9.95
14) Living Out Loud by Keri Smith $17.95
15) Penny Saving Household Helper by Rebecca DiLiberto $12.95
16) Secrets of Stylists by Sasha Charnin Morrison $24.95
17) Macaroni & Cheese by Marlena Spieler & Noel Barnhurst $16.95
18) The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt $19.95
19) The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt $19.95
20) Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Connor & Leigh Beisch $22.95

There's my awesomely long list. Don't forget to comment and maybe we can both win!

Happy Weekend!

Citygirl Bites!

The soft pretzels and cheese and Kirkwood Ice and Fuel.

Since HUBS and I like to try new restaurants and eat out in general, I've decided to begin a new feature here on citygirl where I review some of these places for a little bit of food porn.

Up first is Kirkwood Ice and Fuel. We've been passing by this place for three years and finally went in the Sunday after my birthday back in November. It was surprisingly dive-y inside, but luckily that doesn't mean the food is crappy. These folks know what they're doing!

Those pretzels were perfect, soft and warm with a bit of crispiness outside and just the right amount of salt. The cheese sauce was warm and creamy. Very nice.



I got this Cajun chicken sandwich which came on a nice wheat bun. It was perfectly seasoned and juicy and the onion rings were amazing, just filled with crunchy, onion-y goodness.



HUBS went with the chili nachos for his meal, and even though it's really an appetizer there's more than enough for a main course. Good, cheesy, bean-y chippy nachos.



If the look on HUBS' face isn't enough, listen up: GO TO KIRKWOOD ICE & FUEL. I don't believe you'll be disappointed.

Tuesday Tipday! Switcharoo!!

Wow. I mean really, I thought I was basically over my sore throat/extreme tiredness issue this weekend, but after trying for two days to act like a normal person who doesn't need to sleep all day, I can see that that's not the case.

It always floors me when I get sick. I stay away from filthy little children, I wash my hands well and avoid sick people and hospitals whenever possible. And yet, sometimes a little bug will still catch up with me. Blech. Of course, it doesn't help that 'the store's closed', which is HUBS' way of saying that I'm on my period. As he put it yesterday, "it's hard to re-open when the employees come in late, keep asking for time off and won't get their overtime pre-approved."

Ain't that the truth.

Combine my current physical states with the fact that I got overconfident on Sunday night and stayed up watching a stupid movie that I, nonetheless, remember fondly from my childhood. I was up until 2:30 Monday morning, and then got up at 8:30 to drive HUBS to work and spend the day with him. BIG MISTAKE STAYING OUT IN PUBLIC FOR 10 FULL HOURS WHEN I FELT LIKE TOTAL CRAP. BIG.


Yeah, this is what I watched...On purpose.

I'm trying to comfort myself, but nothing seems to work. So for Tuesday Tipday this week I'd like your tips. How do you guys pamper yourselves when you're feeling down or just plain sick?