tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61684712012-02-14T13:42:48.965-08:00And if you have five seconds to spare, I'll tell you the story of my life...andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.comBlogger3471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-74575865005752175712012-02-08T16:05:00.000-08:002012-02-14T13:42:49.009-08:00

Essentially, it's a break-up song....This is Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies with a solo acoustic version of "Thanks, That Was Fun," the song that inspired my book's title.* *Now available on iBooks, by the way!(and Kindle and every other e-reading device, thanks to Smashwords.)

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-50855722038754372412012-01-31T15:50:00.000-08:002012-01-31T16:51:35.154-08:00

So I've been super busy lately....promoting, marketing, and talking up my book, and I've gotten A LOT of questions in the process. I've decided to start addressing the queries here on the old blog. Below are the first two in what will probably be a lengthy (but entertaining!) series of FAQ&A's.Here I go.FAQ's: Thanks, That Was FunQ: How did you come up with the title Thanks, That Was Fun?A: The

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-58265398620700181402012-01-16T15:02:00.000-08:002012-01-16T12:36:53.611-08:00

Birds do it. Bees do it. And so do chickens, apparently.I think I must have been about 4 years old when I asked The Question. My family was living in Greensburg, Indiana (this was before we made our big move to "The City" - Indianapolis) and Stuart, my buddy next door, was about to become a big brother. Stuart's mother was the first pregnant lady I'd encountered and, as the months went by and she

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-10117161603251710042011-12-31T19:31:00.000-08:002011-12-31T19:51:31.015-08:00

Happy New Year 2012! Wishing you and yours peace, abundance and much love in the new year.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-75871205417820070442011-12-09T10:21:00.000-08:002011-12-09T10:41:52.637-08:00

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!Popping in to remind my dear readers and anyone and everyone everywhere on this great Google earth that my novel is available on Kindle! Yes it is, yes it is, oh yes it is. (Sorry, I love that song.) And if you have some other new-fangled gadgetry besides Kindle, you probably know that Kindle apps are easily downloaded to iPhone and iPad. Also....You can download it

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-42609021137254472652011-11-21T14:22:00.000-08:002011-11-21T14:44:30.251-08:00

No language, just sound--that's all we need know, to synchronize love to the beat of the show...Check it out, a near shot-for-shot recreation of Joy Division's appearance on Tony Wilson's "So It Goes" using Playmobil figures (see the fictionalized version, from the excellent Ian Curtis biopic Control here).Turns out there is a plethora of Playmobil videos on YouTube, and I love them all. I love

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-48600450785069663952011-11-13T17:31:00.000-08:002011-12-07T17:25:55.400-08:00

UPDATE 12/7/2011Seems that KIEM (pussies) blocked the original YouTube footage, but I found another clip with basically the same report. Betsy Lambert and KIEM can suck it. "I'd like to point out to anybody watching that this is really bunk journalism."Thank you, red fleece man. I couldn't have said it better myself. So I've watched this clip several times now, and--although at first I found it

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-11809464288697843702011-11-09T13:11:00.000-08:002011-11-11T12:45:27.864-08:00

OCCUPY, BITCHES!Also, who pooped and peed on the bank? Is anyone listening to me???? Who pooped and peed on the bank?Yes, my Beavis and Butthead laugh got a workout on this one. Uh huh huh huh hehehehuheheheheh huh huh huh huh. As any twelve-year-old knows, nothing is funnier than poop and pee. Except for maybe this--ahem--'journalist' at Occupy Eureka (northern California logging town...heh heh,

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-83153689272082700062011-10-27T09:56:00.000-07:002011-10-27T11:38:26.013-07:00

Some (Underage) GirlsI just finished reading It’s All Over Now, the memoir of Mandy Smith, former wife of Bill Wyman. She was a model-turned-pop singer, he was the bass player for the Rolling Stones. They married in 1989, divorced in 1991, no kids.Sounds fairly dull, right? Hardly. Mandy Smith started dating Bill Wyman when she was—wait for it—thirteen years old. Yes, you read that right.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-10467535277482055602011-10-21T11:45:00.000-07:002011-10-21T12:02:13.145-07:00

Rachel Maddow schools Mitt Romney!Thank you Rachel Maddow. You perform a valuable public service every night. This lesson is not only for the Mittster, who I suspect has never been anywhere near a woman's "down there" parts (I certainly wouldn't want him--or his legislation--around mine!), but any and all men of the same idiotic mindset.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-24288537767220952662011-10-15T15:38:00.000-07:002011-10-15T15:41:18.589-07:00

Alice in the Palace.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-89751872493263116202011-10-14T11:50:00.000-07:002011-10-14T11:59:35.091-07:00

Oh, hai Greg!It's a Sestero kind of day, kids!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-79045309359722662322011-09-21T11:48:00.000-07:002011-10-15T16:55:15.356-07:00

The new cover of my book!Yes, it's here, and it's glorious! A million thank you's to John (my love) and Kris Stout from Crawfish Games, who helped to create it. Got a Kindle? Download my book here.No Kindle? Download it here (can be read on any computer).

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-52065529769767835292011-09-11T17:01:00.000-07:002011-09-17T15:07:02.138-07:00

Pattie, Eric, Siobhan, Shakespear's Sister and Marcy Levy/Marcella DetroitI just finished Wonderful Tonight (the first book I downloaded on my new Kindle...thanks honey!). It's Pattie Boy's memoir, chronicling her childhood in Kenya, her time as a model in "Swinging Sixties" London, and--of course--her marriages to George Harrison and Eric Clapton. It's a well-written and enjoyable read,

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-34190337784654821932011-09-09T07:51:00.000-07:002011-10-15T16:09:06.788-07:00

PART IV:GETTING MY GROUP ONInitially, the very idea of a writer's group terrified me. I pictured a bunch of ponces sitting around a table, some in sweater vests, some peering at me over reading spectacles, all of them shaking their heads at my amateurish scribblings, searching their overeducated brains for tactful ways to tell me that my work, in fact, sucked balls. I had been hammering away at

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-37270877483764649462011-08-14T23:09:00.000-07:002011-09-17T15:10:53.961-07:00

Oh My Love

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-68089491836556332152011-08-05T06:05:00.000-07:002011-10-15T16:12:51.761-07:00

Pictured: The new cover of my novel.I will continue the posts on my novel writing process, but right now I just want to say THANK YOU to the people who have bought copies. Of course my loved ones were the first to show me love (and THANKS to you all!), but it's also pretty cool that the darn thing is actually selling and that complete strangers are now downloading it. Yes, people I don't even

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-35798243510714974812011-08-01T22:24:00.006-07:002011-09-17T15:13:07.025-07:00

MTV Turned 30 TodayYep, the big three-oh. And since I’m an oldster, I remember the launch of MTV. I remember the cool promos with the rocket blasting off into the stratosphere, the little astronaut dudes planting the badass MTV flag on the moon and the DUH, duh-duh, duh-duh-dah-nah…DUH, nah-nah-nah, nah-nah-nah-nah, nah-nah-nah-nah guitar theme music. The TV spots with the Police, Billy Idol,

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-55744255438602817072011-07-30T08:36:00.006-07:002011-10-15T16:17:23.151-07:00

It's been twenty years since 1991. Oy vey. To commemorate, I am posting one of my first short stories; a slightly fictionalized account of the summer of 1991. I was on the far edge of seventeen and just about to begin my senior year of high school. It wasn't a particularly happy time time for me, but I can't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for that summer. I remember how seventeen years old

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-85182629750400233962011-07-15T15:27:00.014-07:002011-10-15T16:20:14.029-07:00

PART IIIBranching Out, Branching InI realized that if I were going to be a good fiction writer I'd have to dig in and start using my imagination. As soon as I made a conscious effort to invent, my writing process got a lot easier and a hell of a lot more fun. I'd come home from work every day, pop in that disk, and write like a fiend. I'd take a break every 90 minutes or so, have a glass of wine

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-11561991790068926432011-07-13T09:13:00.011-07:002011-09-17T15:17:26.808-07:00

PART II Sex, Drugs, and More SexRevelations From the Mornings AfterI'll be honest--I put "sex and drugs" in this post title mainly to get your attention. Although Thanks, That Was Fun and the story of its writing centers on a whole shit-ton of the former and quite a bit of the latter, it has more to do with how I processed the experiences I was having while writing this novel. And a lot of this

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-37542756043849655702011-07-11T12:32:00.008-07:002011-09-17T15:18:13.229-07:00

Part I: The long, strange trip commences. The story of how I came to write this book is a long one, but I'll try to keep it concise and interesting. It all began in the final days of the last century.I had just had a very unsatisfying date with a guy who would--in the novel--become the Elliott character (loosely based, , of course). The guy was a co-worker of mine, and I'd liked him for a while.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-58706984042400325542011-06-12T13:15:00.004-07:002011-09-17T15:18:54.117-07:00

FREAKY PANDA!Yes, that's a "panda," although I'm pretty sure only in the anime sense. Anyway, I kinda dig it.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-68734044861269731702011-06-08T12:57:00.003-07:002011-09-17T15:19:52.179-07:00

Oddly appropriate excerpt from the Geoff Dyer book I am reading:This is a ripped, by no means reliable map of some of the landscapes that make up a particular phase of my life. It's about places where things happened or didn't happen, places where I stayed and things that have stayed with me, places I'd wanted to see or places I passed through or just ended up. In a way they're all the same place

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-1459535170387010832011-06-07T10:22:00.004-07:002011-09-17T15:20:20.861-07:00

Road To BATON ROUGE!Highway sign for Jehovah Java, a cafe just outside the town of Transylvania (not kidding) Louisiana. We stopped to use the restroom, but I didn't try the coffee. I was afraid to.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-37580823491606333342011-05-03T15:47:00.001-07:002011-09-17T15:20:54.866-07:00

Riverboat on the Mississippi

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-78565864132852952702011-05-02T15:33:00.004-07:002011-09-17T15:21:23.558-07:00

The Big Easy!Old Man River statue by Robert Schoen.The inscription reads: A Man with a Past / Arms reach empty handed / God to a city in Love / with Water

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-50330005567566838062011-04-28T22:49:00.001-07:002011-09-17T15:21:56.984-07:00

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-3177443531353754022011-04-28T09:10:00.001-07:002011-09-17T15:22:35.751-07:00

Duran DURAN!Yep, that's Simon Le Bon performing with the boys at Epic in Minneapolis. I was THAT close!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-55416766823200491912011-04-26T10:16:00.003-07:002011-09-17T15:23:31.354-07:00

Mural Monsters: 22nd & Hennepin

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-18204168211395473432011-04-14T07:50:00.002-07:002011-12-01T11:09:43.953-08:00

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-230849917453949082011-04-07T14:36:00.002-07:002011-09-17T15:24:20.465-07:00

I need this T-shirt.Anyone...? Anyone...?Yes, I do need it.I really do.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-85714043788286486772011-04-05T18:48:00.001-07:002011-09-17T15:24:48.212-07:00

Found on a St. Paul sidewalk.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-12149840523642831372011-04-02T07:42:00.005-07:002011-09-17T15:25:25.262-07:00

Cut me some slack--it was 4:00am.Me on BBC Radio 5 interview yesterday.The link will only be live for a few more days, so if you're interested in hearing it check it out NOW!Here's a second link in case the first one doesn't work. The interview is listed under 1/4/11, which may look like January 4, 2011 to us Yanks, but it's actually April 1. You know how the Brits are.;-)

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-14758233647529237372011-03-30T16:16:00.014-07:002011-09-17T15:26:59.587-07:00

Ready for some META?This blog post helped to bring Simon Reid to justice. I wrote that angry rant about discovering Simon's deception nearly three years ago, in August of 2008. This was at the tail end of a bout of crippling depression where I could barely be arsed to get out of bed. And I didn't know this at the time, but Simon had fled to England and was already at work on a new relationship

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-24177806045271428942011-03-27T18:05:00.002-07:002011-09-17T15:27:29.297-07:00

Maine Monument, Central Park.And coming soon...a REAL blog post! With words and everything!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-44146923878995894142011-03-25T20:04:00.001-07:002011-09-17T15:28:29.885-07:00

At the John Lennon memorial in Central Park.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-23905675898433924742011-03-24T23:36:00.004-07:002011-09-17T15:29:10.975-07:00

Laura gets her portrait sketched in Central Park.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-2302904321786827842011-03-24T08:54:00.003-07:002011-09-17T15:30:47.016-07:00

In the lobby of the ridiculously glamorous Essex House NYC (our hotel!).

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-42123955900016951922011-03-23T22:23:00.004-07:002011-09-17T15:30:20.340-07:00

Sexy face!Stuck in an elevator at The Essex House. It was awesome, especially the free dinner the hotel paid for to placate us after our ordeal. Score!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-17536099923729445032011-03-21T10:19:00.002-07:002011-09-17T15:31:27.664-07:00

About 10 minutes before our live segment. Do I look nervous?

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-46095494004452212772011-03-21T09:56:00.003-07:002011-09-17T15:32:15.036-07:00

Another image from backstage. What a wonderful scary surreal exhilarating fantastic whirlwind of a day!I'm still on an adrenaline high.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-30491365805080120032011-03-19T22:55:00.003-07:002011-09-17T15:33:04.576-07:00

Girl Power!Backstage at the Today Show. Left to right: Me, Laura, Nicola and Jo.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-74924564804359408222011-03-19T10:44:00.004-07:002011-09-17T15:33:48.865-07:00

Me and the girls on the Today Show, 17 March 2011 discussing Simon Reid!Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-57998913100647016162011-03-19T09:13:00.001-07:002011-09-17T15:34:21.894-07:00

Me on the TODAY SHOW on 3/17/11That's me (far left), and (l-r) Nicola,

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-49711012795332737172011-03-14T10:25:00.002-07:002011-09-17T15:34:52.065-07:00

WOWI can't divulge many details at this time but suffice it to say that things are blowing up in a BIG way over the Simon Reid debacle from a few years back. We're talking international coverage kids!Thank you, dear readers, for all of your support.Stay tuned. This revolution WILL be televised.Peace. x

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-12711280192926102032011-03-13T15:12:00.001-07:002011-09-17T15:35:16.732-07:00

Self portrait 3/13/11

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-53909709503861086142011-03-10T05:18:00.004-08:002011-09-17T15:35:49.864-07:00

This one is for Juliette...Sweetest video EVER! I luvs Charley xx

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-29652938023501646552011-03-06T09:03:00.000-08:002011-09-17T15:36:17.550-07:00

The view outside my office.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-72555062193159523772011-03-01T20:57:00.003-08:002011-09-17T15:36:43.720-07:00

Winning!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-17150165462500566552011-02-27T18:52:00.001-08:002011-09-17T15:37:09.850-07:00

Is this the manliest 'stache ever?

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-28291206441349108882011-02-27T10:36:00.003-08:002011-09-17T15:37:29.642-07:00

A few words about the 365 Photo Project...Well, I haven't kept up with this every day like I planned. It's amazing how complicated even a seemingly simple project can become. But even if I don't post every day, I'm determined to take this project through 365 days--a year's worth at least--even if those 365 days take longer than a year to get through. And yes, I will be adding a genuine post (with

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-82241623895167862452011-02-23T15:59:00.003-08:002011-09-17T15:38:10.586-07:00

Good advice.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-16950367742642070952011-02-22T06:23:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:38:53.005-07:00

Gorgeous Emilio, porcelain lovecat model.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-84074951608223698522011-02-17T16:01:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:39:23.954-07:00

Moon over Minneapolis. It's a full moon kids! Time to do some howling.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-44433799549632938182011-02-16T10:44:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:39:58.087-07:00

BookendsAudrey and Alice, holding down the windowsill.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-30986953600682411802011-02-15T09:20:00.003-08:002011-09-17T15:40:31.250-07:00

Third verse, same as the first.And we wait for spring to come...

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-10707491036163928572011-02-11T11:51:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:40:58.813-07:00

Pawwwwws!I could do a series of photos featuring nothing but kitten paws. I love cute kitten paws!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-23178283130072129802011-02-10T17:20:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:41:35.567-07:00

Collage and DecoupageA table top I decorated last summer. It was a project I did to celebrate turning 37.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-84165635809175839712011-02-09T17:47:00.003-08:002011-09-17T15:42:05.963-07:00

Lolita (age 37)A record breaking--ehrm, CD breaking--photo.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-25660716260196199832011-02-07T14:53:00.005-08:002011-09-17T15:43:07.250-07:00

Playing catch-up since I've missed the last few days. My bad.Without further ado, get ready for...Head Trip!See monkey.This is your brain.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-47984877398500458672011-02-04T20:24:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:43:56.212-07:00

The snow actually melted about a 1/2 centimeter today. Can Spring be far behind?Dare I dream?

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-51780659991286666792011-02-04T06:27:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:44:29.439-07:00

And a white porcelain lovecat watches over us all.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-18036647771716773092011-02-03T11:07:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:44:56.860-07:00

It's a miracle!I think I can make out a faint image of Jude Law in this here candle.All hail St. Jude!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-30630122274172849852011-02-01T16:38:00.001-08:002011-09-17T15:45:39.584-07:00

Every girl feels a little dirty sometimes...

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-77687790408736066932011-01-31T19:02:00.004-08:002011-09-17T15:46:11.663-07:00

Posting once a day is HARD sometimes, y'all!Ask Adam. He'll tell you how it is.Mystery lady says good night for now...'Night lovelies!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-18162872419351128732011-01-28T22:48:00.006-08:002011-09-17T15:46:58.920-07:00

Project 365 -- Yesterday's and Today'sThere's a little anatomical rubber man in my office. I gave him a crystal to hold, because he needed some bling.Dog walker outside my office on a snowy afternoon.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-46184754139686390102011-01-27T08:34:00.010-08:002011-09-17T15:47:49.248-07:00

I was fascinated by the story of Vivian Maier, the unknown Chicago street photographer whose work was "discovered" just a scant few days after her death. While I'm not as serious (or as good) a photographer as Maier obviously was, I do enjoy taking photographs and her story inspired me to start a photo project of my own.For the next 365 days, my goal is to take one photograph a day and post it

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-56851667979731803612011-01-23T19:48:00.004-08:002011-09-17T15:48:18.618-07:00

I'm gearing up for a more substantial post, but in the meantime I need to share this little nugget of CUTE.While I love almost anyone who loves cats, men who genuinely love cats are a bit harder to come by than female feline fanatics like myself. That makes this Wisconsinite even more adorable.Thank you Ron Venden. You and your sweet little Almond make me smile.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-88072552452405219612011-01-16T09:31:00.006-08:002011-09-17T15:49:05.258-07:00

Awwwww YEAH!!!!Had to post this in honor of my most favorite-est band in the whole entire universe. Yes, these men have the power to turn a 37-year-old woman into a squealing hysterical 13-year-old. Can I say how much I love this song? They sound better than they have in 20+ years. They sound like themselves again, and I'm sooooo glad they've stopped trying to force hip-hop and R&B elements into

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-51088269625408049172011-01-01T16:41:00.004-08:002011-09-17T15:49:42.339-07:00

A joyfully obligatory post to celebrate 01.01.11 Instead of making resolutions for the New Year, I've come up with a ritual.Try this:- Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center, length-wise.- In the first column, make a list of of negative things in your life that you are ready to let go of.- In the second column, make a list of new, positive things that you seek to welcome into your

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-79873758160288993752010-12-14T10:58:00.007-08:002011-09-17T15:50:37.845-07:00

"Oh, oh, oh, Boeh-nie's crying!"Van Halen reference, btw. If you get that one, congratulations! You're old like me. And you also read his name the way he insists on pronouncing it (BAY-ner). I'll concede that it may be a German thing; I used to know a girl whose last name was Goebel and she pronounced it like "Gable," rather than GO-bel, and she was German.But I prefer "BO-ner." Yes I do. That's

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-12438268946053889162010-11-28T14:47:00.004-08:002011-09-17T15:51:37.029-07:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!I predict these two will have no problem getting pussy now that this video is a hit. Men who like cats are HOT!

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-32198565326463077022010-11-25T20:49:00.003-08:002011-09-17T15:52:30.216-07:00

Received this cheerful little news item in my inbox today:Man accused of conning two girlfriends out of £18,000A man has appeared in court accused of swindling two girlfriends out of £18,000.Simon Reid, aged 44, allegedly borrowed money from women claiming he could pay them back using his business interests in the US.But prosecutors claim that he had no such assets.Reid is charged with two counts

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-21399622238651893252010-11-23T14:00:00.003-08:002011-09-17T15:53:20.302-07:00

Found the following note, carefully printed in my handwriting on an index card and stuck between the pages of a long-forgotten book. It was obviously a quote I'd copied from somewhere, but I don't know the source. It's rather beautiful, though.A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between her work and her play, her labor and her leisure, her mind and her body, her education and

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-89581196787138426122010-11-16T18:46:00.002-08:002011-09-17T15:54:08.845-07:00

Oh, good Lord.There are a several dozen things about this video that make me stabby. Somehow, I've managed to narrow them down a bit:1.) The sheer hypocrisy of "Do as I say, not as I do" -- a disorder that I think we can safely call The Palin Syndrome. In fact, I'm all for campaigning to get it listed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).2.) "B-Palin"3.) "Sitch"4.) "

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-35375445698594663782010-11-03T16:29:00.002-07:002011-09-17T15:54:46.007-07:00

Post-election day blues, and I find this sentiment extremely apropo:More updates later, my sweets. Love to you all.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-34708440924853102072010-10-21T13:18:00.006-07:002011-09-17T15:56:25.367-07:00

IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMSIt's weird how the public, the media, and most of the free world seem to have just "discovered" that bullying--particularly the bullying of GLBT youths--is a problem. Bullying has been around for thousands upon thousands of years: at least since ruthless, insecure assholes became bipeds, and perhaps even before. It's always been a problem, it's always sucked, and it's

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-69418729224557920782010-10-09T15:02:00.003-07:002011-09-17T15:56:54.706-07:00

Posting this in honor of John Lennon's 70th birthday.Poet, artist, lover, dreamer, rebel.Well my instincts are fineI had to learn to use them in order to surviveAnd time after time confirmed an old suspicionIt's good to be aliveAnd when I'm deep down and out and lose communicationWith nothing left to sayIt's then I realize it's only a conditionOf seeing things that way

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-7657961669269847362010-10-04T21:34:00.016-07:002010-10-04T22:50:01.968-07:00

God, I fucking loved this magazine. From 1985 to 1989, Star Hits magazine was my BIBLE. It was a music mag aimed at teens, but it was far from a typical teen magazine. You wouldn't find Menudo pin-ups or Jack Wagner Q&A's lurking between the pages of Star Hits. No, Star Hits was way cooler than that. They ran stories on artists like The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, Siouxsie Sioux, Depeche Mode, Pet

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-58233821462786883202010-09-30T09:21:00.002-07:002011-09-17T15:55:23.124-07:00

Yes kids, in the '80s everyone was doing so much coke that making Pee Wee Herman do an anti-crack PSA--completely in character--seemed like a swell idea.I'm sorry, I can't take this seriously.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-41533882722889361612010-09-28T10:17:00.003-07:002011-09-17T15:57:36.236-07:00

When I was four years old, The Wizard of Oz was my favorite book. Not the actual L. Frank Baum novel—-this picture book adaptation. I couldn’t read yet, but my parents read to me nightly, mostly Dr. Seuss classics like Hop on Pop and Fox in Socks. In fact, I made my mom, dad, and older sister read me those particular titles so often that they memorized them word for word. But the books that

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-90076479184708629732010-09-15T18:29:00.004-07:002011-09-17T15:58:17.220-07:00

New post coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy this filler...More spam! Yay!The malice is of evanescent nature, born of narrow escape. There aresome shops, respectable if not imposing, and a goodly supply of inns; afine church and a notable old Cornish manor-house. But all the time onehas a sense that the real life of the place is the river behind thesehouses; even the leisurely little railway

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-4628249890577848982010-09-10T13:19:00.004-07:002010-09-11T11:13:54.588-07:00

Music videos That Scared the Shit Out of MeA companion article to the popular featureShit That I Didn't Get (1980's Kid Edition)Greetings, modern 8-year-olds! Does Lady GaGa frighten you? With the whole alien-hooker image, buttloads of space glitter and upsetting shoulder pads, I can see how she may creep out the average second-grader.Let me tell you something though, kids: I came up in the

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-8599019949444823322010-07-20T13:59:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:43:58.003-07:00

NOTE: For the following meander down Amnesia Lane, I should clarify that I went to a girls-only boarding school in rural Indiana for all four years of high school. It was sort of like Facts of Life, only way more awesome.The Chimp DiariesWhen I was a junior in high school, I had the biggest, asshole-iest boyfriend on the planet. His name was Trent. He was a despicable, dumb-as-a-sack-of-doorknobs

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-90634145938326266002010-07-10T13:43:00.000-07:002010-07-20T14:44:07.855-07:00

Coming very soon, so soon you can practically taste it:An actual, bona fide, brand new blog post. A fabulously andie-tastic post sure to make you laugh, cry, and ponder the existence of a benevolent God.To keep you sated, here is something else from the brain of yours truly, updated today!Chapter 3 Steppin' Out (short excerpt)Try not to piss yourself with excitement.

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-87937372189023667722010-07-01T09:31:00.000-07:002010-07-20T14:45:11.735-07:00

'Tis the age of self-promotion. I gotta do my part until someone does it for me. I've created a blog for Jordan Lockhart. Jordan, as some of you may know, is the protagonist of my novel Thanks, That Was Fun. I did have a website for my novel at one time, but that has since been suspended until further notice (i.e. until the novel is published. Stay tuned for details). Plus, blogs are just more

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-74451451005558122562010-06-22T17:34:00.000-07:002010-07-20T14:46:47.129-07:00

One-Word Movie ReviewsPressed for time? Check out these reviews of films I've seen over the past year or so. The good, the bad, and the stinky.Into Temptation: HeartbreakingAdam: Sweet The Room: TransformativeParanormal Activity: FUUUUCK!Get Him to the Greek: FunPirate Radio: DisappointingAvatar: Blue 500 Days of Summer: TrueTransformers 2: RetchTwilight: What?Twilight: New Moon: Seriously?

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-85183050866205471062010-06-15T19:45:00.000-07:002010-07-20T14:58:22.558-07:00

Pimpin' my new piece for Praxis! Preview below, then follow the link to your heart's content.8 Rules For Romantic Comedies by Andie Ryan Character Names It is important that the two leads have charming, bite-sized first names. Acceptable names for male protagonists are Jack, Sam, and Max. These names work regardless of the character's age, personality, or profession. The rules for naming female

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-18034851079819130362010-06-10T12:26:00.000-07:002010-07-20T14:48:31.708-07:00

Shit That I Didn't Get -- Part IIWhen I was about seven years old, there was a public service announcement on TV about the dangers of high blood pressure. It was a pretty dramatic ad; a shot of man’s naked torso with a ticking bomb device strapped to it. Then a solemn voiceover is heard, warning viewers that ignoring high blood pressure is akin to—-well-—ignoring a ticking time bomb strapped to

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-35877194231154697182010-06-03T16:26:00.000-07:002010-07-20T14:49:39.304-07:00

Shit I Didn’t Get (1980’s kid edition)The video for Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is”. It was 1985, and radio-friendly rockers Foreigner were starting to wear out their welcome. It was an era dominated by comparatively edgier artists like Madonna, Billy Idol, and Prince, so Foreigner was getting in touch with their softer side, probably to attract more female fans (for a similar example,

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-43917084067583299562010-05-19T13:28:00.001-07:002010-07-20T14:50:07.792-07:00

My friend Angela Boone died suddenly last week. Her passing has been a great shock to her family and friends, and I am still coming to terms with it. I hate that she’s gone. I try to be all spiritual and philosophical; lighting candles in her honor, spending time in peaceful reflection, and all that hippie stuff that’s engrained in my heart and head from my childhood and the books that I read now

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-19270200795204973882010-05-05T14:10:00.000-07:002010-05-05T14:19:39.352-07:00

This is an early birthday shout-out to my writer's group friend Becca: a classic video featuring her (ex-?) boyfriend William Shatner. Funny, funny shit. I would have loved to be in the audience during his performance. Preferably stoned out of my mind (in keeping with the spirit of 1978, natch).

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-84376721506615661152010-04-15T10:18:00.000-07:002010-05-02T15:36:57.086-07:00

Because I adore this guy, I'm posting this. The Foo Fighters was one of the few bands from the nineties that I could get into, and Joshua does an amazing rendition of their song, "Everlong."

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-26583819998966919142010-04-06T10:16:00.000-07:002010-05-02T15:38:35.708-07:00

Dan Kennedy's book, Loser Goes First: My Thirty-something Years of Dumb Luck and Minor Humiliation is tied with Paul Feig's Superstud as the funniest book I've ever read. I first came across a copy of Loser Goes First in 2005, read it three times in a row, and recommended it to everyone who didn't run away screaming. Kennedy's second book, Rock On: An Office Power Ballad is a hilarious account of

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-13777927821483402742010-03-30T15:17:00.000-07:002010-05-02T15:40:21.645-07:00

And because I got nuthin' today, I thought I'd share some more delightful spam. This determined little bugger actually landed in my inbox. It's apparently from Elsie Craft--which doesn't sound like a fake spam name at all, no way.Subject: The theatrical movie business was on the rise for its third weekend in a row, thanks largely to Alice and audiences'Monday, March 29, 2010 5:38 PMFrom: "Elsie

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-76903297603681419352010-03-28T14:04:00.001-07:002010-05-02T15:42:32.045-07:00

SPAM-A-LOTIf you've ever wondered what sort of emails Villarreal Creekmur composes in the dead of night, wonder no more. He (she?) was up at 3:45 crafting this eloquent spam email, just for me. It makes no fucking sense whatsoever, which (after being bombarded with thousands of ads for Viagra/Cialis/Dick N-larger pills) makes it the best kind of spam to get, if you're going to get spam. Check out

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-33123749651697796402010-03-03T11:16:00.000-08:002010-05-02T16:30:06.218-07:00

Yet another YouTube clip fest today, but this one actually has a purpose. I had the pleasure of interviewing Juliette Danielle of The Room for Praxis, and she is more awesome than I could have imagined. If you haven't seen the cult phenomenon that is The Room, here is a quick primer. Then watch the following clips, cause they're hilarious. Then get thee to a midnight showing (see The Room's

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-61664450721859365212010-02-04T13:26:00.001-08:002010-05-02T15:47:13.760-07:00

Time for some shameless self-promotion!With the help of some writer friends, Ian Shane and I have launched an online literary magazine! It's called Praxis (the name comes from a Greek word meaning "to learn by doing"). Our first issue is now up and running. Below is an excerpt from my short story, Right Here, Right Now. It's fiction...except for the parts that aren't. (The Jim incident really did

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168471.post-28349605119302724752010-01-05T12:43:00.001-08:002010-05-02T15:50:15.484-07:00

Sneaking in just under the wire (while it's still January).My "End of Decade" list. 2000 - 2009Remember when you were a kid, and "the year 2000" sounded really awesome and mysterious and futuristic and cool? Well, it wasn't, and neither was the decade that followed it.The '00 Decade: Shit That I Didn't GetIn no particular order...."Dick in a Box" This stupid Saturday Night Live bit with Justin

andiepantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13473057558307221265noreply@blogger.com1