Oaxaca...I'm baaaccckkk

I have been away from Oaxaca for far too long. I got off the plane yesterday (staying at Casa Adobe—my Uncles B&B) and it was like coming home. A few things...Since I’ve been gone, they’ve installed a stoplight at the entrance to Tlalixtac (the village where the B&B is). A stop light? WTF!

And I forgot some things. Like Neurotics Anonymous. Yes, The US has AA, NA etc and Mexico has support groups for Neurotic people. In fact, they are having a convention right now. How weird is that. Note to self: Get some pictures of the signs if nothing else.

Things that have stayed the same: The people. They are still as friendly and wonderful as ever. I went for a walk with Sue when I got there (My friends Sue and Mary are here as well) and we stopped by buy a tostada. Things to know about Mexico. People tend to cook things at the side of the road and yes, they are for sale. So, we stopped and they spoke no English and Sue and I speak MINIMAL Spanish. We’re laughing. They’re laughing. And everyone is using sign language. And it worked. They got their pesos and we got food.

It’s weird. Most Americans seen to know Mexico only through border towns or the resorts. And there is so much more here. The real Mexico is generous. Funny. Smart. Historical.

And patient when it comes to American women who really speak the language.

Hostages freed from FARC captivity

For those who don't know--I work for Northrop Grumman (NG) for my day job. Great job, Love the people. Etc. Etc.

Anyway, five years ago, an NG plane crashed in an area ocupied by FARC. Two men were murdered by FARC. And Keith , Marc and Thomas were taken hostage.

Today, the three hostages were freed by the Colombia military. I am sure it will be a tough recovery but wow. Can you imagine--five years and then you’re free?

It's stunning.

Tequila, It Makes The Iguanas Speak

Taking a flying leap
Originally uploaded by Sharron McClellan

Or it should...but I'll get to that.

Amy and I visited Tulum archaeological site today.

Talum is a nice site on the coast. Normally, I would say that two hours is not enough for an uber-cool Mayan site but considering it poured buckets of rain on us the moment we arrived, two hours was plenty.

Even though we were soaked and almost blown away, it was mucho fun! And the site itself is situated right on the beach. Smart people, those Mayans. If I were going to build a house, I’d chose the same kind of area. Easier to fortify with the cliffs on one side and a food source almost at your front door.

After Tulum, we went to Xel-ha. Xel-ha an aquatic amusement park with snorkeling, tubing, swimming, etc. Much like the resort, it’s all-inclusive. Perhaps I am spoiled because of my snorkeling and diving experiences in Hawaii, but the snorkeling there was a little sad. Few fish. No reef (just rock), and little plant life.

Of course, it’s also mating season and I could not help but think that while the murkiness of the water was due to the thunderstorm of earlier, it wasn’t help by the fact that the male fish were fertilizing anything and everything.
EWW.

I didn’t spend that much time among them.

Instead, Amy and I drank margaritas for about an hour and watch the occasional iguana. Now, maybe it was the tequila, but when iguanas sit there and stare at back you, it looks they area going to open their mouth at any moment and say something.

Oh...if iguanas could only talk...

I see them as being charmers. Players. The Spanish equivalent of Joey from friends. “Hola Chica, como esta.” Hey baby, how you doin’.

After the tequila wore off, I dragged Amy around the park and made her take picture of me doing whatever the heck it is I do. In this case, it’s jumping off a cliff. It was only fifteen feet high but it still gave me an adrenaline rush to take the leap.

So even though it rained…and the iguanas refused to cooperate and speak, it was a good day!

Helllloooo Cancun!

Wow, the resort is gorgeous! But there are things to consider when they give you a room. Ask for either 1) near the beach or 2) in the middle of the resort. Why? This place is GINNORMOUS. Amy and I had a room up front (until we asked to be moved) and it was a hike to the beach. And I mean a HIKE.

This is our new view. Beautious!


I love to sit on the balcony, drink cervesa (beer) and watch the people. The couples. The families. The middle-age men wearing speedos and the middle age women with corn-rows and tiny bikinis. It’s all fascinating and sometimes makes me want to gouge my eyes out! Still, I like to watch the people do that voodoo that they do so well.

And the clothes. Call me crazy. But I seriously think it is a fashion faux paux to wear stiletto heels and short-shorts. Unless, of course, one is a streetwalker. I saw a number of twenty-somethings (and even fifty somethings) wearing the micro shorts, 4” heels and nonexistent tops. Twenty or fifty, the look makes me cringe.

Spirit Airlines--You Get What You Pay For

Sometimes, you get what you pay for. My travel agent (who I still think is wonderful thank you very much) booked me the cheapest air we could find for my trip to Cancun. She gave me what I asked for and I ended up on Spirit Airlines. Good price. But in this case, I'm getting what I paid for. My frustation started with a simple mistake-I paid online for my baggage (which all airlines do) and they overcharged me.

I tried to called to get it fixed (tried being the operative word) and all I got was a busy signal every…single…time.

Seriously. Don’t they know what a phone-que is?
So I called their corporate office: 954-477-965 and every single mailbox was FULL or it popped you back to the busy signal.

I can only hope they are in business tomorrow!

I finally got pissed enough to google them and this is what I found:
http://www.my3cents.com/search.cgi?criteria=Spirit+Airlines

Next time, I fly anyone but Spirit Air!

Cancun--Spring Break for Grownups

Those who read my blog or know me know that I love Mexico. The people. The food. The culture. The archaeology. I think it's one of the best places on earth! And I miss it daily. So I am heading back. Not for good…just a vacation. Yes, I am taking an honest-to-god vacation. Not the kind I normally take. You know--back pack. Stay local. Eat weird food. Nope, this is a traditional, vacation. The kind where I sip fruity drinks by the pool, work on my tan and make quasi-lewd remarks to men half my age. Okay, not quasi-lewd….all the way lewd cause hey, its moi! But all in good fun, of course!

Basically, a writer friend of mine is ditching her husband and kids and we're taking a girls vacation. Woo hoo! We're going to write in the morning (I have a book do so I have to write!) , get a massage (mmm….massage) then drink by the pool and on the beach. Perhaps a little shopping. Some snorkeling. Whatever. We. Want.

And in less than two weeks.

The Creative Boost

Travel of late has been regional. Wineries in Virginia were a definite highlight. Good company. Good wine. Food. What more could one ask for on a Saturday. I even bought a few bottles of white--which I never drink (just ask my sister). My favorite was a port(or Snort as they call it!) produced by the La Grange winery.

If you can't have a good time going to a winery, you need to pull the dirt over your head because you have obviously died!

This weekend, I road-tripped to Bethlehem, PA. At first glance, one must wonder—WHY? What could possibly be in Bethlehem, PA?

Answer—Bob Mayer giving his infamous, brain-overloading all day fiction writing workshop based on his book, The Novel Writer’s Toolkit.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this minor adventure. At three hours away, it's not much of a roadtrip, but I wanted to hang out in the company of writers for a day. I find that due to travel and work, I’ve managed to distance myself from 'my people' and that is counter-productive on both a creative and networking level.

So, off to the Bethlehem--sans manger. First night. Fabu. I had a lovely dinner with two other writers. (Hi Ann and Joanne! We talked for hours.

Next day—Bob's workshop.

Wow. I have to say, the man gives an amazing workshop. it moves at a break-neck pace. There is no mincing of words. No coddling. Yet he manages to keep his message optimistic. The process he offered is creative, yet linear, and for me—that’s a good thing since I have a linear brain. Wonder of wonders—he also uses excel. Thanks God, I was starting to feel like I was the only one who used it to track plot and characters.

Granted, I know most of what he discussed. MOST. But not all. I am not too proud to say that there were some techniques he pointed out that gave me a definite OMG, how could I not have noticed that moment. The funny thing (funny=interesting. Not funny=ha ha) is that when I thought about my books that I considered successful, I had implemented those very techniques.

I guess we do pick things up subconsciously. Go figure.

Now, I am home. Refreshed. Revived. Ready to write. And working on the next novel. And for the first time in what feels like weeks, I am enjoying the process! Going to a workshop like this is like getting a booster shot of creativity and there is something to be said for looking at technique in a different way. It opens the mind to other possibilities on many levels and trust me, that helps when it come to producing the next book.

Now, back to writing.

And we have a winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated in or read my blog yesterday over at Pink Heart Society. I enjoy the site so much--it's great too see other's visiting. I love reading the insight and comments (both serious and humorous!) from both authors and readers.

And as part of my blog, I am selecting a winner from the comments to receive a free copy of Breathless. And the winner is Rebekah! Rebekah, email me your address (sharron@sharronmcclellan.c0m) and I'll get a book in the mail ASAP.


Thanks again to everyone!

Pants off! Dance Off!

Being a writer can be a lonely profession. We spend a lot of time by ourselves, and in my case, the writers I talk to all live in other states. So last weekend, I decided it was time to visit! I called Tracy Montoya on Monday (she lives in Florida), got a ticket and flew down on Thursday (yet another spur of the moment trip--the best kind!).

Things I love about visiting my friends:
1) No expectations on either side. I am low-maintenance. I do not need to be taken places. Don’t need to go to Disney world. Or the Mall. I like to hang out, chat and just catch up. My friends get that and it seems to work for all involved.

2) Meeting the family. Parts of being a friend is knowing what's important in their life and letting it be important to you as well. In Tracy's case, she has a husband (sometimes referred to as a Cuban God) and two really adorable kids. I liked them all and it's fun to watch Tracy when she wears the "Mom" hat.

3) Being with someone who get's my job. If you're not a writer or artist of some sort, you might get parts but you just don't get the 'crazy' that goes on in my head. My writer friends get it.

4) Same weird sense of humor. Case in point. Tracy and I were up late and scrolling through Tivo. And what do we see? A show called "Pants Off. Dance Off". We have to watch it! To sum it up--it's average people in a stripping competition. Big. Little. Fit. Husky. Men. Women. All shapes and sizes of people. And when we tuned it the dancers were in costume! The weirdest was the clown. I think clowns are scary anyway. Factor in the stripping and it was like watching a garish, painted train wreck. Still, we watched, laughed our asses off and then watched another hour of this show.

Can't wait to go back!

Random Christmas Thoughts

1) Christmas lights synchronized to music are AWESOME! I find the whole show memorizing.



2) A yard full of un-inflated holiday decorations is NOT awesome and makes me think of an cheerful Christmas graveyard. Which leads me to…

3) I seem to have a lot of random thoughts about zombies as of late. Nothing to do with Christmas but still, they keep popping up.


4) You’re never too old to get a stuffed animal, but only if it makes a sound like a really angry squirrel. This is TAS (tiny angry squirrel) and while you can't hear him, trust me, he sounds absolutely, positively pissed.

5) My sister and I were discussing height and she said she was 5’2”. I thought to myself, “Self, she’s wrong. She’s taller. And while you’re thinking about yourself in third person, how tall are you? You tell everyone 5’8”, but are you?” We got out the tape measure and she’s 5’3.5” and I am 5’7”. WTF?! So I’ve decided to stick with 5’8 anyway as my Christmas present to myself.

Happy Holidays!!

Birthday Girl!!

Today is my birthday. Even at 44, I still love birthdays. Not for the gifts (though I d love presents!) but because birthdays are like individual New Years. While I don’t make resolutions, I do think about where I’ve been and where I’d like to go. This year, I thought I’d do something different. I wrote my obituary.

Now, before you are creeped out or wonder WTF I am thinking (!), this isn’t about death. It’s about my life. Who I am now, who I am working to become and what I hope people will remember about me.

So… NYT Best-selling author, Sharron McClellan, died last night at the age of 113.
Sharron is best know to the public for both her action-adventure novels, movies, and in particular, her beloved North Mackenzie character. While she claims that North was not based on her life, she led a life not unlike an action-adventure novel. From the jungles of Indonesia to the Deserts of Africa and the cities of Europe, she traveled the world experiencing various cultures and incorporating them into her books.

Women, in particular, will remember her angryromancegrrl character--a snarky, sarcastic iconic cartoon. From dating to marriage, angryromancegrrl voiced the thoughts and feelings of women worldwide. Sharron was particularly proud of her even though, Sharron said, she made dating hell.

Besides her beloved characters and exciting stories, Sharron is remembered for her fearlessness, her determination to do the ‘right thing’ even when (as she said) it sucked, her desire to never be bored, and her sarcastic sense of humor.

She leaves behind her 4th husband (Name to be inserted at a later time), her pool-boy Javier , her two sisters, Glennis and Heather and her two brothers, Gary and Patrick.

And, of course, Cathy and Tracy, who will be consoling Javier after the burial. Good luck ladies! :D

Great night--for lots of reason!

I love Annapolis at Christmas. The lights. The cold wind blowing off the water. The people bundled up and walking about the town. It’s wonderful. Sue (my sailing friend) and I walked over the town last night, looking at the light, stopping at the occasional bar for a hot-buttered rum and (basically) bumming around and having a great time.

Then to top it off—we stopped at a bar just before crossing the bridge and I got CARDED.

Sweet!!

Granted, I don’t think she thought I was under 21 but mostly, it you look 30ish—you get carded. Considering I’ll be 44 in less than a week, it was a great night. Woohoo!!

Born to Run

Some of us are born to run and if you've read my blog, you know that I am a runner. I don’t' mean pounding the streets in my Adidas but run as in 'Run to someplace or someone' or perhaps 'run away from something or someone'. The reason vary. Boredom. Urge to learn. To experience the world. Broken hearted. Being chased by the mafia. Need a break from reality. It doesn’t really matter, I suppose. If you’re a runner, you’ll always find a reason to put your feet to the pavement and forge a new path. We don’t' need much to move onward, just a nudge.

And it's not an easy life. The hardest thing? There aren't many people who want to run with you! It's a solitary existence and I am not a solitary person.

So, what next? Do I run? Do I give in to impulse? I don’t know. I do know that I’ll take time off during the holidays. A few people are convinced that once I leave the country I’ll stay gone. They might be right. But, I don’t think so. I think I’ll return for at least a while.

So, why do people run? As you can see, it’s never just one reason. Never that simple. But then life never is.

Catching Up on Sharron

It’s been a fun summer and fall. Obviously, so much fun that I been too busy to blog!

So—a few moments where I remember to take pictures (kinda):

Slaughter Across the Water: One of the great things about Annapolis is the local color. A little background. Annapolis is divided (partly) by Spa Creek. On one side is the main city and on the other side is Eastport are. Every year, there is a huge tug of war called the Slaughter across the Water. Basically, it’s the Maritime Republic of Eastport (MRE) against Annapolis as the MRE fights for their independence.

Mostly it’s a festival atmosphere with beer, bands, food, good times and (of course) a tug of war. On a special note—Annapolis was working on the dock this year so the Slaughter wasn’t across the water...it was across a symbolic baby pool. Still fun!

Fado’s—a great Irish bad in the China town section of DC. Weird, huh? A great place to go if you want pound back a few pints of Guinness before noon and watch rugby on a big-screen television. I went there for the Argentina vs. South Africa playoff and had a blast! Even the Ambassador from South Africa was there.

Sightseeing: I finally saw the Whitehouse! Very pretty and the protesters were interesting. I didn’t see the President but I think I saw a few Secret Service.

DFW Airport Crosses the Line

For the men who actually read this—just a heads-up that this blog talks about ‘girl stuff’ and it might be TMI for your man brain. If you keep reading and get icked out, I don’t wanna hear about it.

I went to TX last week and coming home I flew from the DFW airport to BWI. No biggie. However, I was in the DFW airport and I needed...ahem...a feminine product. Annoying but hey, it’s all part of being a girl. We’ve all been there. You’re in the stall. Realize you’re just 'started' (and always at the worst possible moment), you root around for change in your purse, find the machine, buy what you need and take care of business.

So—imagine my surprise when I discover that the bathrooms at the DFW airport DON’T HAVE MACHINES.

Seriously—how wrong is that. I am smart enough to ask around and sure enough, some nice lady had something and all was good.

But out of curiosity, I thought, “Is it just this bathroom or all of them?” I had time to kill and I can tell you this—it’s all of them.

Now, I have nothing against making money but this is were I draw the line. They know we have to have these. So they make us/women leave the bathroom, traipse down four + gates, find a store, and pay ten times the normal amount for a box of tampons. Geez! Just put in the machine!

So be warned ladies, carry extras with you—especially in TX. Where men are men and women have to work the system just to get a tampon.

ARRGGGHHH--It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day, Savvy?

As much fun as Halloween and more magical than Christmas, it’s Talk Like A Pirate day! Here’s a few links t' help you non-pirate speakers get underway:

HOW TO: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html

TRANSLATOR: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/translator.html

Hey, I made Spinsheet Magazine!

Okay, I barely made it but I’ll take what I can get Follow the pink arrow and that's me! Or rather, my head. Yes, the rest of me is attached and yes, that's a beer in my hand (oh the shame...).

This is from my first race. It was an overnight to Corsica neck River. Once there, we all jumped in, drank beer and had a great time!

The guy doing the flip is Colin, In the water with me is Kristy (my skipper) and John (another crewmember).

Race Weekend in Annapolis

Pics from Sat

It was race weekend in Annapolis this week and I have never seen so many sailboats on the water. Loads of fun. Sadly, I have few pictures because when the race starts, there is no time for snapping photos.

A day race is quite different from an overnight, IMHO. Frankly, it's a lot more work. One would think that racing would be somewhat relaxing. There's wind. Water. The count of the gun signaling the start. Things like that. Nothing too strenuous...one would think.

If one thinks that--one is WRONG!

It's never-ending adjustments., putting up the spinnaker...taking down the spinnaker…putting up the spinnaker…etc.

My GOD. I hated the spinnaker by the end of the day. And I only raced on Sat!

And while we didn't win (DRACO from Detroit kicked Ass in that department) we had a great time. A few close calls but one that sticks out is a crew in a J-Boat came within inches of hitting us in trying to scrape by--almost literally. While they thought it was funny…one sudden puff of wind and they'd have broadsided Cal Tip'n. Idiots. I'm all for taking chances but not when someone else's boat is involved!

Anyway--enough complaining. Good wind. Good grew. Good beer. Good friends.

Great time!

Dance Dance Dance

Obviously, I am procrastinating, but DAMN, this cracks me up! And yes, it's my head!

Can I shake it or what?

Yes, you can do this too.

WIND

First Race Pictures

This past weekend was my first sailboat race. Loads of fun and was exciting, periodically scary, mind-numbingly hot but never dull—even when there was no wind and it was more of a bobbing contest and less of a sailboat race.

Saturday: My Captain (Kristi) picked me up and we boogied down to the docks where I met the rest of the crew of the Cal Tipn (not sure if that’s spelled right!)—Carolyn, John and Eric. Carolyn and Eric have sailed with Kristi quite a bit, John a few times and me –NEVER.

Of course I was a little nervous. I was such a newbie. Hell, I still am. So much going on in my head…will we win… will I fall overboard…will it be crazy-fast.

Answers: No. No. No.

The first day was blistering hot and NO WIND to speak of. Kristi said that people tend to ask her how long a race is. Days like Sat make it impossible to tell. We left dock at 8am. Motored to the starting point. They shortened the race due to NO WIND. Motored again. Began race at 12:30. Since no one was going anywhere fast, everyone started dropping out at around 6. We dropped out and motored to the rendezvous and arrived around 6:30 (I think) with the other boats, where we all swam, ate and listened to the band.

And while the sailing/no wind part of the experience might sound dull—there was beer, food, good company and hey—we were on a sailboat. Still beats almost anything else I can think of.

Saturday Night: —Slept on deck, listened to the approaching thunder and prayed we didn’t get rained on.

Sunday: Thunderstorms rolling in so hey--we had wind. And with wind comes sailing. We put up the spinnaker and raced!! Loads of fun and I tried to fly the spinnaker. I say try because flying a spinnaker is an art. When people say it’s like flying a kite they are not kidding. Of course, that makes me want to learn it even more and I think something I’d like to work on and even excel in oneday,

What a great weekend. There is nothing that beats full sails and good company.

Monday: Back at the day job. Tired. Tanned. And the ground is still moving.