Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, didn't go to work, worked on third novel. The last two photos of upstate New York are up on the page.

"Ho hum." -- My boss, five minutes ago.

Second photo from my brief road trip to Upstate New York.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

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.)

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

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

A photo from last night's NY reading. Note: Political views expressed on Michael's website are probably the opposite of mine. ;)

UPDATE: Dawn has posted something nice as well!

"You haven't woken, put on clothes, and gone to work since Wednesday.
I'm worried.
--Brad"

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Quotes from trivia last night: "Question 2. Within five years, what is the average life expectancy of a beaver...why is everyone laughing?"

Peaches writes: "Are you sure they're just flowers? We sent a PLANT."

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work, got nice flowers from Peaches & my former roommate. (Some people will do anything to get mentioned in the blog.)

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Apparently I'm an inspiration to all. Scroll down a few paragraphs to "Some comments about Caren."

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, didn't go to work, was pleased to see the return of Ian Williams' brilliant weather report (see end of June 21 entry).

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

A dedicated reader ("Peaches") writes: "Did you forget to wake up on the 17th?"

The answer: No; It's just that it's hard to remember to blog every day when you're a world-famous novelist and you're on the road 25 hours a day dealing with all the long-lost cousins who have come out of the woodwork trying to get some of tha bling-bling.

Woke up, put clothes on, didn't go to work. I'm off today recovering from my reading in Philly. Nyah.

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. (Did same thing yesterday.)

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work, updated my regular website.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Mailbag: "This is your former roommate's mother speaking. Listen, I woke up, put clothes on, and went to work for years to support your former roommate, so I figure by now I have the right to a name. You can call me Peaches."

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

"What's this?? 'Did same thing yesterday'??? You, my friend, are getting LAZY!
-Hawaiian Blog fan, Sam."

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Did same thing yesterday.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

A reader writes: "I have an important question. When you say you woke up, put clothes on, went to work, and it's only 7:33am, does this mean you're already at work at 7:33 am? Or is this post written just before you go to work, and the 'went to work' part is in anticipation of going to work? A fan like me needs to know these things. -- Blogfan, Sam."

Well, Sam, I think that blogger is on Pacific time, so the time that shows up is three hours behind. But there are times I'm at work at 7:33 a.m. Thanks for writing from Hawaii to ask that! Aloha.

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.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

A friend writes: "Hello again. Caren, maybe you already knew this, but it's obvious to me you have some genius blood in you. You must, as you obviously think in the same way as one of the 20th Century's most creative minds (besides mine): In the book 'John Lennon - In My Life,' written by John's lifelong friend Pete Shotton, the author mentions John giving him, in late 1968, a copy of a special book John had written..."titled 'Diary Of A Working Man.' The opening entry (for "Monday, 1 January") read "Got up. Went to work. Got home. Went to bed"; this was followed by identical entries for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday ..." Wow! Just make sure Yoko doesn't hit you with a plagiarism suit."

Brad chimes in: "I must once again protest to the innuendo espoused in your blog. In one of your latest entries, you tell the English that "you folks make great muffins." Now, I'm certain I don't need to tell you about the obvious sexual innuendo of that statement."

Former roommate's mother in Mexico writes: "I'd be so pleased to know more about Brad. Like how does he pass his day now that he doesn't have a theatre job and has left ring announcing? (Is he a friend from Trivia Night?)"

Buy my book by the way.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

UPDATE: Dave W., the just-mentioned "Englishman," writes: "You're certainly a competitor for the dullest blog crown. I'm almost wishing I'd thought of the idea first... the same thing every day - genius." Thanks, and might I say that you folks make great muffins.

Dawn writes: "An Englishman has outdone you: http://www.wibsite.com/wiblog/dull ."

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Someone interviewing me about my book Sunday who had read this blog said, "You make up the reader reactions to your blog, right?" I had to tell her that no, people really ARE writing impassioned responses to a blog in which I say "Woke up, put clothes on, went to work" every damn day.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

A friend from whom I haven't heard in seven (!) years (I had to think about it, but it's true) writes in a surprise e-mail: "Isn't the internet great? I know you miss me
terribly and just cry yourself to sleep every single night saying -- what if?
It's so diffcult for you that you just write, wake up, shower, get dressed and
go to work to try to hide it --- it's all so clear now."

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.

"Dear Ms. Lissner,
I'd like to take this opportunity to register my disgust regards the events on your blog. There is too much talk of nudity (all this talk of showering and going to work naked. Ugh). There's not even a mention of your book or carenlissner.com. If this persists, I may e-mail the search engine companies to have yours registered as an adult website.
--Brad"

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

The hubbub continues: "Just for variety, how about 'woke up, went to work.' Skip the 'put clothes on'
altogether. Makes for a slightly more interesting day:) - D.G."

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.

>>The controversy heats up: "Get up, put clothes on, go to work?
You mean you don't take a shower?
K.
www.forgotten-ny.com"

Woke up, put clothes on, went to work.