Things to do and see before you kick the bucket

I was just reading Ken's blog on MySpace at: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=253101892 He asked what we have done and seen that we think others should also experience and see before they kick the bucket. So here's my list. I hope you'll share yours with me after you read mine. The cool things I have seen and experienced that I think everyone else should see and do in their lives include: March in the New Orleans and Biloxi Mardis Gras parades. Yep, I really did march in both. I was in the Air Force Drum & Bugle Corps and I twirled flags in their flag corps. It was awesome. I'll never forget it and I am so happy that I have these memories. Serve in the US Air Force. I actually worked in SAC headquarters underground in the command post. Think the movie "War Games" with Matthew Broderick. The command post looks just like that. I also twirled flags and marched in their Drum & Bugle corps. Twirl flags and march in a band. I did so both in my high school marching band and in the US Air Force. Those were two of the best times in my life. I get all warm and giddy thinking of them. Write books. I've written and had published, many books. All are romances. Work for a charity to help the poor. What is life if we don't help others? Sure we all have our own problems, too, but why dwell on them? I'm blessed to have a full time day job working at a charity that helps the destitute poor. I wouldn't have it any other way. I've traveled to the poorest slums in the Third World (Haiti and Jamaica) in our hemisphere and whereas I wouldn't suggest doing this for fun, it is an eye-opener and helps us to realize how blessed we are and how much we can help others. Have children. I have five and although I wouldn't suggest to everyone to have this many unless you really want to, children are a blessing. They are full of love and joy and great fun. They are the future. Be married. It's not always a bed of roses, but there are many blessings to be had. See San Francisco. I love that city! I loved Fisherman's Wharf and China Town in particular. We honeymooned there and visited again several years later. This is a must-see city. Ride horses. I can't imagine never riding a horse. Althouogh I haven't had the chance to do so lately, it's awesome. Eat sushi. I turned up my nose at sushi for years. My kids thought it was awesome and they were on my back to try it and I thought there was no way that stuff would pass my lips. Finally, after many years, I tried it. Now I'm hooked. It's good to try new things and expand our universe. Thus this is an analogy to try new things. There are still many things I'd love to do and many places I'd love to see. I've not been much of a world traveler although I'd love to see the world. That's one of the reasons I joined the Air Force. But the Air Force sent me first to Biloxi, Mississippi (which I wouldn't have missed for anything) and then to Omaha, Nebraska. They sent my husband to those two places plus Northern California, Central Illinois, and Okinawa (Japan). So he saw a bit more than me, not much. I visited him in both Illinois and California so I saw all that except for Japan. I'd love to be a figure skater ice skater. I think it's so beautiful. I can do a bit, and I do mean a tiny bit, on roller skates. I took lessons as a teen for figure skating roller skating. I can do figure eights! But I didn't stick with it long enough to learn how to jump and twirl and do really fancy things. To my defence, my parents divorced about that time and life got topsy turvy. Oh well... I'd love to see my books turn into movies and also get on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. I'm working on these! *** In case you've noticed that I've not visited your blogs and that my blog posts are sporadic this past week it's because I'm having Internet problems. Actually, my computer is, not the entire house. However, it's hard to get anyone to lend me their computer. I'm on DD#1's computer today for a bit. DH let me use his but it broke and now he thinks I'm the Bermuda Triangle of computers so he's mad and doesn't want to let me on his again. I swear, I didn't do anything! Anyway, I'm going to schedule some posts ahead of time this week in case it takes awhile for me to get back online full time. I have DS#1 on the problem but he thinks my memory is full and has memory on order from ebay so it could be a week or two until it arrives and he finds time to work on it. So please don't give up on me. I'll be back to visiting everyone's blogs as soon as I can. Send your good vibes for a speedy recovery.

Thirteener Thursday - 2nd post for today

Thirteen Things about Ashley Ladd 1. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. 2. I had at least five surgeries before I was five years old. 3. I broke my nose when I was 6 in a bicycle accident. I ran into a 3-pronged tree face first. (ouch!) 4. I served in the US Air Force as a Computer Maintenance Repair Technician. I worked at SAC Headquarters in the command post. (Ever see the command post in the movie "War Games"? It looks like that.) 5. I LOVE Clark Kent/Superman. 6. I used to ride horses - English style. I once half fell, half jumped off my horse in the middle of my first riding competition and the judges asked me why I jumped off. (I figured it was better to land on my feet than on my ass). 7. I have about 40 romance books written and published. 8. I wrote an inspirational romance under a psuedonym - it's now out of print. 9. I won at least 20 bowling trophies as a kid but I haven't bowled on a league in at least 4 years. 10. My bloodline is pure German even though my family's been in the US since the 1850's. 11. The only time I've been out of the United States is to have lunch in Canada, and to visit the worst slums in Haiti and Jamaica (with my day job). 12. I marched in the New Orleans Mardis Gras parade with the Keesler AFB Drum & Bugle Corps. I twirled flags in the Flag Corps division. 13. My BSBA is in Accounting but the only time I actually held an accounting job was while I was in college still earning my degree.

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RomVets - military romance writers

I just found the RomVets tonight at: http://www.romvets.com/

I can't believe I've never heard of it before. I say that because I'm a disabled Air Force vet. I'm usually drawn straight to military romances and military writers' sites. (Now watch a lot of people pop up and direct me to a ton more I've missed - actually, I hope this will happen.)

I loved being in the Air Force and I hated it.

I hated the job itself. I am NOT an electronics or mechanics type person. I broke out in tears on more than one occasion because I could not get diodes, transistors, and all that other gobble-dy-gook. I tried to warn my Air Force recruiter that I knew NOTHING about electronics, but they insisted that I had the aptitude for it.

You ask why they thought that?

When any applicant wants to join the military, they have to take the ASVAB test (I think that's what it was called). It scores the applicant on their aptitude in four areas: General, Admin, Electronics, and Mechanical. I scored General 90, Admin 95, Electronics 90 or 95, and Mechanical 25. Yep, I said 25 (as in twenty-five). That's not a typo.

I really wonder if the Electronics score wasn't a typo. I told the recruiter I had totally guessed on the electronics part of the test, that I knew absolutely nothing about it. The recruiter insisted that it did mean I had aptitude.

Guess what? I was lousy in that job. I was constantly upset at work. I felt like an idiot. I finally got out of the Air Force, partially because of that. Also because I had my first baby and I didn't like the idea of having to ship him off to somebody else if war broke out.

I also loved the Air Force - in the Drum & Bugle Corps/Flag Corps and off duty. The environment was a lot of fun. I liked being with my coworkers. I fell in love. I made lots of good friends. I had lots of fun.

I'm not sorry I enlisted. I do wish I'd went to college first instead of after, that I'd gone in as an officer. I also wish I'd stayed in longer, that I'd known enough to ask for a change of job.

But then, live and learn.

Now, I have to do some promo. This is a romance writer's blog, right? Here's an excerpt from "Chances Are" - one of my military romances.

Undiplomatic Relations - in the CHANCES ARE anthology
By Ashley Ladd
available at www.ellorascave.com

In the 26th century, Major Kady Elliott witnesses a heartless massacre of innocent children. Deeply disillusioned and troubled, she escapes the evil murderer, Emperor Lukas. She vows to stop him, so she defects from the Federation and goes in search of the rebel forces hoping to join their ranks.

But that's not as easily done as planned. Not only was she a high-ranking officer in the Federation, but she is the ex-lover of the rebel commander, Admiral Shane Trigilio. And Shane's not only bitter about her supposed betrayal of him, but he's insane. To rebuild his trust, he demands she follow his every command…

excerpt:

Copyright © ASHLEY LADD, 2006.

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

“Do you remember what you said to me just before we crashed?”

Unsure of what her response should be if he repeated himself, wanting to kick herself if he reneged, she held her breath and masked her expression.

With unswerving canniness Shane met her gaze. “Of course. I have perfect recollection. I said ‘I love you’.”

Kady’s heart almost exploded with joy and her every emotional nerve ending fluttered. Happiness surged through her and she lifted his hand and pressed her lips to it. “And I never stopped loving you…”

His expression turned to granite and he yanked his hand back. “You have yet to prove yourself to me, sweetheart. In love or not, I’m not that crazy.”

Shane’s rock-hard expression smashed all hope and prayer of reconciliation. Hot acidic tears stung the back of her eyes, which she swiftly and harshly commanded to retreat. When they disobeyed, she threatened court-martial procedures. If only she could court-martial these insanely tender feelings Shane still stirred up. Four years of being on enemy sides should have killed any unauthorized emotions. How she wished it had!

Furious at her weakness for this man, she backed away a few steps. How dare he reject her so heartlessly! “I hope for your sake you can at least stand being around me. Looks like we could be on this deserted rock a long time.”

A long, long time. If they survived…

Could she stand to spend eternity with a man who wanted no part of her? Of all the people in the universe to be stranded with, why this crazy man that sent her emotions into melt down and her nerves into dizzy tail spins? She had no clue why she loved him.

He looked at her as pragmatically as if she were a desexed robot. “Guess I’m stuck with you.”

“Gee thanks.” Presumably she could dance around naked under the triple moons and he wouldn’t care.

Shane circled her, closing in. “You know, there might be a way…”

As she eyed him warily, Kady’s already frayed nerve endings sizzled. What was the fool up to? Scared as she should be, she had to hear this. She quirked a brow and tilted her head. “A way?”

“To regain my trust. To earn my love.”

Dreading his response, she schooled her features into a mask.

“Well? Don’t you want to hear what it is?” His blue eyes were so intense they almost seared her.

Treading carefully, she bit gingerly on his hook, hoping it wasn’t barbed. “How can I regain your trust, prove myself worthy of your love, and set everything right in our universe?”

A winning smile curved his lips, those same lips that had once driven her utterly, impossible mad with desire, that still made her lust after his mind-shattering touch. He slid his finger beneath her chin and forced her gaze to lock with his. “Submit to my every whim. Do whatever I say, no questions asked.”

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Alexis Fleming at: http://alexisfleming.net/blog/

So, here are my 7 random facts about myself.

1) I marched in the 1979 New Orleans Mardis Gras parade as part of the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps.

2) I used to shoot trap and Jr. Olympic archery.

3) I once fell off a horse in the middle of a riding competition. I felt myself falling and knew I couldn't stay on, so rather than fall on my butt, I jumped off. The judges, of course, asked me why I jumped off. Oy! And the cutest boy in the world was watching. (I guess he noticed me as we ended up necking later.)

4) I have an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

5) I've only been out of the US three times to visit: Jamaica (for work), Haiti (for work), and Canada (for lunch and one afternoon).

6) I love to play scrabulous and waste too much time playing it.

7) I'm a Trekkie. I also love Star Wars.

Here are my victims:

http://liladupres.blogspot.com/ kimcox.blogspot.com Sher Hames Torres at http://www.theyarnspinners.blogspot.com/ CJ Parker at http://fuguemacabre.livejournal.com/ Billie Williams at http://printedwords.blogspot.com/

Now it's your turns to tell us 7 random things about you.

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged by Alexis Fleming at: http://alexisfleming.net/blog/

So, here are my 7 random facts about myself.

1) I marched in the 1979 New Orleans Mardis Gras parade as part of the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps.

2) I used to shoot trap and Jr. Olympic archery.

3) I once fell off a horse in the middle of a riding competition. I felt myself falling and knew I couldn't stay on, so rather than fall on my butt, I jumped off. The judges, of course, asked me why I jumped off. Oy! And the cutest boy in the world was watching. (I guess he noticed me as we ended up necking later.)

4) I have an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.

5) I've only been out of the US three times to visit: Jamaica (for work), Haiti (for work), and Canada (for lunch and one afternoon).

6) I love to play scrabulous and waste too much time playing it.

7) I'm a Trekkie. I also love Star Wars.

Here are my victims:

http://liladupres.blogspot.com/

kimcox.blogspot.com

Sher Hames Torres at http://www.theyarnspinners.blogspot.com/

CJ Parker at http://fuguemacabre.livejournal.com/

Billie Williams at http://printedwords.blogspot.com/

Now it's your turns to tell us 7 random things about you.