Wednesday WOLF - Sweat Like A Pig

I've got a collection of random information in my brain that makes me an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner, but is completely useless when it comes to real world application. Like say, job applications. I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of another acronym-ific series. I give you - Word Origins from Left Field - that's right, the WOLF. Er... ignore the fact that the "from" doesn't fit.

So - it's 100 degrees in Ohio today. I endured three softball games yesterday in a similarly-weather-themed-situation and I told someone I was sweating like a pig. Then my brain said, "Um, hey Mindy - pigs don't actually sweat." This is true - ask any farm girl. So where the hell did we get the saying sweat like a pig?

Turns out it has approximately jack crap to do with pigs. Instead, we get it from ye old iron works. Crude iron was referred to as pig iron, and when it had cooled enough to be safely malleable it would sweat, indicating to the smelter that it was time to get to work.

Some Things That Happened At ALA… And Some Things That Didn’t

The Class of 2k13 had the first ever “Class of” panel at ALA Chicago, and I really do think it was a success. We have Polly Holyoke (THE NEPTUNE PROJECT) to thank for conceiving of the idea that a group of authors could be forward enough to send ourselves to ALA (typically publishers send their authors, and choose who goes), and then for pushing the project through to its fruitful endgame.

And what a game it was…

We wanted to offer something a little different for all the librarians who might be tired of talking about databases and Common Core Standards. So we thought – hey, librarians know stuff, and they like knowing stuff. Let’s give them a chance to show off!

Our concept – each author hosted a table, decorated to fit the theme of their book. When people were seated with the author of their choice, we let them know we were not only table partners, but a team. After a quick Q&A with the entire panel we jumped into a quiz bowl, where the winning team won Super Swag Bags which contained ARCs, among other things. But, just to be sure that no one was bummed out, we made sure every attendee got a swag bag, with our bookmarks and general swag, but no ARCs. Hey, we had to make the Super Swag Bags special, right?

Oh, and we thought having Veronica Roth (DIVERGENT) host the whole thing might help draw in some people. You know, just maybe.

So I decided to share some awesome pics of my fellow Class of 2k13 members and our panel, which was a rocking good time indeed. But… as all pictures go, some of them weren’t very good. In fact, some of them were downright funny (mostly those are my shots, you’ll see). And, because I can’t help but put a story together, I ended up making myself giggle.

And I like making other people giggle too. So, here are some things that happened at ALA… and some things that didn’t.

***THINGS THAT DID HAPPEN***

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And Some Things that DIDN’T Happen

Wednesday WOLF - In The Can

I've got a collection of random information in my brain that makes me an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner, but is completely useless when it comes to real world application. Like say, job applications. I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of another acronym-ific series. I give you - Word Origins from Left Field - that's right, the WOLF. Er... ignore the fact that the "from" doesn't fit.

I haven't been to the movies in awhile because I'm a really picky girl. But that doesn't mean that I don't toss around a phrase or two that I picked up from the biz. I don't know how much longer one of my favorite sayings will be hanging on with the arrival of the digital age, but I love telling people when I'm finished writing and editing a book that it's in the can.

In the days of reel film, movies were packed into circular canisters in order to be shipped to theaters for release. I had some friends that worked at a local theatre and I loved to poke around those things. It was (and remains) amazing to me that there's a movie in there. I haven't been in the audience or a reel room in years, so I can't say whether or not those heavy awkward monsters of the film industry are still floating around out there, but damn they were entertaining.

In any case, I find it particularly appropriate to say one of my books is in the can, because this can only be used in reference to something that's completely finished. Edited, cut, polished, ready to go out to the public for consumption. And we all know getting to that point is a long, long process. The can is a good place to be.

In so many ways.