Category Archives: Just For Fun

Finding Something Fridays Finds Goodreads (and a Widget)

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Today I found a nice little widget.

That is not a widget. That’s spaghetti sauce on a white t-shirt (which, by the way, was ruined in the cause of the science fair project). But a widget sounds like somebody’s science fair project, doesn’t it?

I’m not really sure what a widget is. But I thought Cathy C.’s Hall of Fame could use a little “blog bling”. If you look at the right column, under “DETOUR” you’ll find the Goodreads widget. If you want any more specifics about widgets, you’ll have to ask someone else. Like a ten-year-old kid. Or your annoying neighbor who knows everything.

All I know is that whenever I see something I want on my blog, I say the magic words: “Somebody put this thing-a-mabob on my blog!” (Sometimes I have to say the magic words more than once, at increasingly louder decibels). And presto! A thing-a-mabob shows up on my blog!

This particular thing-a-mabob, the Goodreads widget, is all about books. Goodreads is an online bookshelf that will list the books you’ve read (or are reading, or hope to read). It will include your review of the book, too, if you choose to write one. Maybe you’re wondering whether you’d like to read the latest Harry Potter book? Then you could read all the reviews on Goodreads. Or you can recommend a book like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to anyone who likes whiny teenagers who constantly do what they’re specifically told not to do. And, of course, you can show the world your own bookshelf of Fame.

I think you get the idea. It’s a fun way to explore books. And next to writing books, there’s nothing I like better than reading books.

On the other hand, there’s nothing I dislike more than finding not-so-nice rejection emails in my inbox on Friday morning. But nobody likes a whiner (unless his name is Harry Potter), so I’ll just say what I always say:

“Mister (Fill-in-the-Market I submitted to), you will rue the day you rejected Cathy C. Hall.” I don’t know exactly how the day will be rued. I just love that expression. I read it once in a book.

I bet somebody over at Goodreads knows the book I’m talking about. Check ’em out by clicking on my widget. (Um, I mean that in a nice way.)

Finding Fame Along a Road Having Little To Do With Publication

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I found myself, along with my cousin and her husband, on a road in downtown Atlanta where a Ted’s Montana Grill sign hangs. Seemed like a grand place to dine, so in we went, squeezing into our lovely booth overlooking a buffalo head (or maybe I should say bison head? I’m never quite sure).

“There’s Ted now!” says Archie (my cousin’s husband). Ha ha ha! That Archie’s such a card. When around the corner of the booth strides Ted Turner (who, I might add, is very tall, up close and personal like that).


“Hi, Ted!” we call out, shaking hands and such. “Ted,” says Janie (the cuz), “I just happen to have my camera!” Out of the seat she scoots to get a picture with the very tall media mogul and ex-Braves owner. (Doesn’t Janie look nice? Doesn’t Ted look nice? Don’t the two look nice together? Time to move on.)

Ted was gracious and patient with the scene we were making. “That’s the great thing about celebrities,” said my cuz, “you can call them by their first name, just like you’ve known them all your life!” And right there, sitting in Ted’s Montana Grill, my delicious bison meatloaf blue plate special steaming on the table, I knew I’d found the hallmark of Fame. When the day comes that I’m walking down the street (or strolling around a restaurant) and someone I don’t know from Adam’s housecat yells out, “Hey Cathy!” just like we’re bosom buddies, then I’ll be famous.

I know if I saw Dave Barry on the street, I’d holler, “Dave! Hey, Dave! How’s it going, man?” He might keep on walking. He might even call the police on the crazy lady screaming his name. But at least he’d know he was famous.