There's a thing on Amazon that shows "similar" items to your book. In my case, they're generally other "chick lit" books, but if people buy DVDs or CDs with my book, then those end up in the category, too. So if you click it for CDs, it comes up with David Gray, the Dixie Chicks, Eminem and Norah Jones. What does that say about me? (I shouldn't joke, though, as in truth, I've bought two out of four of those! Hint: Not the Dixie Chicks.)

Woke up, got dressed, went to work.

Good morning. I will share a morning photo from a recent road trip to upstate New York with you now. More to come.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Reader response:

"I must say that you really have a good eye for photography. However, even though the pictures are very good, it is like a first draft of a story. In other words it needs some work to put a better effect into it. They deserve more of a mood than is permitted by most lighting situations. Since I have no life to speak of, and since I enjoy doing things like this, I took the time to play with yours. I mean your photographs! I hope that you like the way they look."
On a different subject you said in your blog recently “ Oops, I messed up. I don't know how something political got on this blog. Went to work, put pants on, etc.” It seems to me that you got the pants thing a little out of sequence. Still, I like the concept. It must be a real hoot working for you. I might park outside the office just to see for myself if it is true! ( : - ) >
Regards:
Mickey"

Or, you could always send a resume...

DISCLAIMER: That was a joke. Don't sue me, Ash.

I hear Ashton Kutcher is actually dating Michael Moore....

Woke up this morning...and got myself a gun.

Hey, that's just the theme from the Sopranos. Relax.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

60 minutes says: "Despite his success, Michael Moore insists he's an introvert and not cut out to do this kind of work."

Funny, but I can partially believe it. Some of us journalists are secretly shy but our need to write about things or expose them forces us to take up the profession. Even though I was a full-time reporter for five years, I often secretly hesitated before having to call people or ask questions. I remember the first time I had to ask questions of random people. I was in eighth grade when I took a summer journalism workshop (yes, I know it's nerdy) at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, NJ. Our task was to put together a newspaper over two weeks and give it out at Sandy Hook beach. There were some great kids in that workshop - I wonder what they're doing today. Anyway, we had to write stories about the beach, and my assignment was to interview the toll collectors. I knew that I should get a few comments about the tolls by walking up to random beach-goers, too, and that I could get away without doing it but that it would probably strengthen the story if I did it. I remember saying to myself, "Well, if you choose to be a reporter someday, this is what you're going to have to do." So I made myself walk up to strangers on the beach and asked them how they felt about the beach tolls, and they were very nice. (It would take a hardhearted person to be mean to a shy 14-year-old with a notebook.) I still call people all day and do things in public like have book readings and co-host trivia, but it doesn't mean I don't sometimes have to force myself.

In the past week, one person has complained about the repetition in this blog, and another said it would be funnier if it was only "Woke up, got dressed..." every single day, which it actually used to be. The reason I don't do a full-fledged blog is that I'm doing too much other creative writing I don't want to take away from, and if I have an idea I want to use in a future book, I don't want to spoil it by putting it in more raw form here. But I may sometimes want to talk here anyway.

I just saw that someone has a blog called "Cheaper than therapy."

Anyway, I just added to my website excerpts from people's comments about my novel on their blogs and livejournals. Some of them are funny. I'm happy with the fact that it encouraged a girl to listen to her favorite music and jump around her room, basically reminding her to engage in the simple pleasures now and then. See - its influence is positive; it's not going to cause someone to blow up all her stuff in the microwave like Hard Harry's show in Pump Up the Volume.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to see Bruuuuuuuuuuuuce!

Jayson Blair was just given a contract by Esquire magazine. He is going to write a review of the Stephen Glass movie.

Check out the Blog of my Barometer for a highly unimportant storm update. Check out the bottom of www.carenlissner.com for beautiful photos of NJ.

What I said yesterday.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Oops, I messed up. I don't know how something political got on this blog. Went to work, put pants on, etc.

Trivia funny answer d'jour: Last night, my co-host, Eric, asked what Robin's secret identity was. One of the teams answered, "Batman's b--ch." Not telling us anything we didn't already know, but still funny to read out loud. Oh, former co-host (and founder) Dawn's team won this week (and no, it is not fixed!)

How 'bout that, GOP -- we have to go to Clinton to confirm something as truth!

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up. Put clothes on. Went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, didn't go to work. Worked on third novel. After two years, I think I'm halfway done.

Woke up, put clothes on, didn't go to work, hiked at Watkins Glen park in upstate NY.

On the way home I noticed that I hardly ever see bumper stickers on cars anymore. Is it because everyone's wealthy and has new cars and doesn't want to mess them up, or are bumper stickers just too retro?

Woke up. Put clothes on. Went to work.

My trivia co-host Tuesday played clips from comedians. One of them was Buddy Hackett, and I realized how much I had missed hearing that Dannon yogurt pop voice. I just saw this in an article about him: "Always well liked, he was never known to say a bad word about anyone. When asked about his view of Hitler, he once replied: 'You gotta admit he was tops in his field.' "

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Went to the dentist. He gave me a form to fill out so I could check off allergies and other conditions. One of the questions said "Texture of toothbrush?" After some confusion, I wrote, "bristly."

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Is this blog way too interesting for you? Check out the blog of my barometer.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, didn't go to work.

Woke up. Put clothes on. Went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up. Put clothes on. And...went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Last week, at trivia, we asked the following current events question: "In Saturday's New York Times, a Liberian boy was pointing a gun at a photographer. He had something pink strapped to his back. What was it?" The answer was: a teddy bear. However, we gave a special prize to the team that answered, "A giant bottle of Pepto Bismol."

A Google search reveals that my novel was just added to the juvenile section of the Piggott Public Library in Piggott, Ark. The Piggott Public Library website says this about its history:

Piggott has always had citizens who are interested in progress and who want the best for the youth of the town.

Ulp.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work. (My homepage.)