On the Day I Was Born

I made the newspaper on the day I was born. My father, a reporter for the Jersey Journal, was covering a very important press conference with Governor Driscoll (the Driscoll Bridge over the Raritan River is named for Governor Driscoll).

Several years ago, my father handed me the yellowed clipping of the article mentioning my birth. It was directly underneath the article he had written about the governor.

Happy Birthday to me! :^)

P.S. Governor Driscoll did not become my godfather.

Memories of Camping

This is a picture Daughter #2 drew on one of our family camping trips. It depicts our three daughters washing and drying the dishes after a meal. There are two basins on the picnic table for the dishes--one for soapy water and one for the rinse. The big green shape is the big old canvas tent we slept in our our camping trips.

Aside from being economical, camping was a good way for all of us to learn to cooperate with each other and to get closer to nature. Back then, the internet and cellphones did not exist--so there were fewer distractions to miss. :^) We spent our days touring the nearby sights and swimming. At night, we sat around the campfire, toasted marshmallows, and sang songs (we brought the guitar).

Our expeditions were made more memorable because as the girls grew, our vacation journals became more elaborate. They drew pictures and I typed in explanations to go with the drawings.

This picture was drawn by Daughter #3. You can see where I typed in the description--using my daughter's words.

As nice as it is to stay in a fancy hotel, camping is an experience children never forget. For parents who want to foster great creativity and imaginations in their children, I suggest you take them camping instead of going to Disneyworld.

Coming to a Kiosk Near You

The Espresso Book Machine has been in existence for quite a while, but according to an article in Publisher's Weekly, more of these machines should be arriving at a Kodak kiosk near you. This is good news for everyone.

Most big book stores (aka Barnes & Noble) do not shelve paper copies of my books. While anyone can go to a bookstore and order my books, it will take a while for the books to arrive.

Technically, with the Espresso Book Machine anyone can order any book--as long as it is formatted in pdf and included in the catalog. Whether my books will be listed is a matter of speculation, but the possibility exists.

For those who insist on reading only paper editions, this is fantastic news. A book lover can select the book they desire at the kiosk, go shopping, and come back for a nice fresh book in a matter of minutes.

I can hardly wait to see one of these machines. I am looking forward to getting a brand new book, hot from the press. I bet it will smell heavenly--like ink and clean paper. :^)

The Stairway to the Top

Is it worth the climb?
Do I have the energy to get to the top?
Can I go around it?

Cioci

Here's another ancient photo. Hubby's guess is that it's from around 1940. On the left is hubby's aunt. We called her Cioci, which is the Polish word for aunt. To her right is her husband and next to him is hubby's mother. Our children always called her Babci, which is another Polish word and translates into grandmother.

Cioci died last week at the age of 96. She was not in good health for the last few years and needed help, but she stayed in her home and passed away quietly in her sleep.

She did not have an easy life. Her husband had a good job with the transit system in New York, but one day he was digging in the garden to plant tomatoes and hit his foot with the shovel. He died of lockjaw. Her daughter died of cancer. Her son, a musician whose band played at our wedding, also died.

Despite the tragedies, Cioci remained positive. With a tender heart, she felt compelled to feed the stray cats outside. When she found a mouse in her house, she put it in a cage fearing that is she let it go the cats would get it. She always had a joke to tell and she loved to feed us when we visited. She kept in touch, too, by phoning on a regular basis.

She had eight grandchildren and several great-grand children. Her funeral was a celebration of her life. Yes, we'll miss her, but it was a privilege to have known her.

Always Check the Facts

I'm a fiction writer. I make up stories that are not true, although even in fiction the characters, setting, and so forth must appear real.

Many have noted that truth is crazier than fiction, and strangely enough that often seems to be the case. However, an email message I received the other day left me speechless.

Here's what it said:

"In the Muslim religion, dogs are unclean and not allowed to travel in the same vehicle as the Muslim.

Bo has never traveled in the same means of transportation with the First Family."

Um ... really?

No!

This is the season for politics and crazy political messages abound.

While it is true that politicians on both sides frequently state half-truths or distort the statistics to their own advantage, there are some things I've received in email that are so fantastic, they resemble fairy tales.

Yes, it is great to support your favorite political candidate, but before you hit send, at least check to see if the facts are correct. Otherwise, the lies and distortions are perpetuated.

And really...I hate to see lies and distortions being tossed about. Lies and distortions are my business and must be carefully crafted. I write much better lies than whoever is making up some of these wacky political propaganda messages.

The website I usually go to first to check wild rumors is Snopes.com. They have an one entire page dedicated to myths about President Obama, another one dedicated to Mitt Romney, and more pages for other well-known politicians.

Snopes is not the only fact-checking website. You can go to FactCheck.org for plenty of concise information on what's real and what's not.

An awesome site is PolitiFact. This one has the Truth-O-Meter. You can add the app to your cellphone! In seconds, you can discover whether a political candidate has spoken the truth, a half-truth, something false, or something truly wild--real pants on fire stuff.

I know everyone makes mistakes. Politicians in their zeal to win voters to their side are often caught twisting facts. Concerned voters have a right to know exactly which facts were scrambled in the endless rhetoric spewed from the podium, but it is highly unlikely you will find truth in a forwarded email.

I write fiction, but when it comes to political truth, I want the real thing.

Oh. And don't forget to vote. :^)

Thank You, New Jersey!

Here I am in my official graduation portrait, the proud recipient of a teaching degree. I had help getting the degree. The State of New Jersey gave me a scholarship. NJ also gave a scholarship to my brother. We got the scholarships because we were good students, but came from a low-income family. My father worked as a journalist every day for forty years, but most journalists don't make the kind of salaries that chief executives make.

The scholarship paid for my tuition. I went to a state college and the tuition was very low. I wound up costing the state approximately $1200 over four years. The scholarship did not pay for books or any other college costs. I did not live on campus, I commuted to college on buses--a round trip of approximately sixty miles. I worked during the summers.

I finished college on time and got a job in my hometown. My salary for the first year of teaching was $8000. I lived at home with my parents, but I bought a car. :^)

I taught for twenty-five years, but it wouldn't have happened if I didn't have help in the beginning.

So thank you, New Jersey. I will always be grateful to you.

I Got the Sunshine Award!

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogosphere. I am delighted to have been awarded one by Jennifer Wells, author of Magick Charm (A great book which I read.) and Practically Dreaming! (A book which is now on my TBR list.) Go check out her blog here.

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

* Link back to the person who gave me the award.
* Answer the following questions.
* Nominate ten bloggers for the award.
* Link my nominees to the post and let them know about the award.

How easy is that?

Now you get to see the questions and my answers. :^)


What is your favorite Christmas/festive movie?

It's a Wonderful Life has always been my favorite Christmas movie. It's old but it chokes me up every time, and hubby always watches it because there is a scene with an accordion in it!

What is your favorite flower?

This is a tough question. Flowers are all beautiful. I love every single one--wildflowers, invasive weeds, and as well as the cultivated kinds. However, even more amazing than the colors and shapes are the fragrances unique to each bloom. My top three for fragrance: roses, lilacs, and lily of the valley--though even the lowly clover has a deliciously sweet scent. I simply cannot choose a favorite. They are all wonderful.

What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage?

I drink large quantities of tea, mostly ordinary black tea--sometimes with skim milk and sometimes without. I let it steep forever until it is really dark and lukewarm. In the evening I'll drink herb tea. My current favorite herb tea is Celestial Seasoning's Bengal Spice. I don't put sugar in my tea, which makes it very low in calories. :^)

What is your passion?

Aside from writing, I do oil paintings. Lately, I've been doing a series of seascapes. My paintings are very detailed and it takes me forever to finish a painting but I enjoy every moment. I also like to sing, which is a good thing because hubby sometimes wants me to sing along while he plays the accordion.

What is your favorite time of year?

I enjoy cool, fresh air so fall is the best. Spring is good if it's not raining. Summer is too hot, and there are mosquitoes waiting to drink my blood. Winter would be great without all the snow. Snow is pretty, but it turns into ice and that makes walking dangerous.

What is your favorite time of day?

Every hour of the day has its good points. I like to be up when the sun is up, and I enjoy being busy in the morning and in the afternoon. Nevertheless, the peaceful time after supper is done and the dishes are put away is a lovely part of the day. I rarely stay up late. Nightime is for sleeping.

What is your favorite physical activity?

I have never been good at most sports, although skating was a favorite of mine when I was younger and lived above a lake that froze over every winter. I used to enjoy bicycling, too, when I was younger. Now, I have a recumbent bike, which I like because I can exercise and read at the same time. I also like to walk. I tried the gym for a while, but I hated it--mostly due to the music.

However, hubby signed us up for a bocce team and we are now playing bocce. So far, I think I will be able to handle this game. It's easy.

What is your favorite vacation?

I like to go to places that are full of history and old houses. I loved Williamsburg and Plimouth Plantation. I also love to visit the homes of famous authors like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain. But I don't always have to go that far to find old houses because New Jersey has plenty of them.

Here are several of my favorite bloggers and my nominees for the Sunshine Award:

1. Veronica Singleton at Thursday's Child

2. Irene Peterson at Days of Glory

3. Jon Gibbs at An Englishman in New Jersey

4. Debora Dennis at Scribbling Through Time

5. Kim McMahill at Embrace Adventure

6. Kiersten Hallie Krum at Two Left Shoes

7. Janet Lane Walters at Eclectic Writer

8. Aaron Michael Ritchey at The Blog of Ritcheyanity

9. Lindsey R. Loucks at Jesse Said Yes

10. Katie O'Sullivan at Author. Editor. Mommy. Dog Whisperer.

Round Robin

I participated in a writing round robin with the authors of the Prism Book Group. A round robin has nothing to do with the bird of the same name. In a writing round robin, everyone takes a turn writing a segment of a story. This can be fun--or it can be a nightmare. Since I was scheduled to write the ending of the story, I was a bit nervous. In addition, since hubby and I went on our long road trip to Florida, I knew I would have to wrap everything up in the story after we returned.

We returned on Friday. I spent Saturday working on the ending of the round robin. I finished by ten o'clock that evening. It presented quite a mental challenge, but I found it a fascinating. The story, After the Storm, will be offered free at the publisher's website once it is edited. The first round robin, Lightning Strikes, put together by the authors at the Prism Book Group will be offered free at the website during their grand opening kick-off on Wednesday, August 22nd. There will be an opportunity to win a Kindle and a pitch day for aspiring authors.

So visit the Prism Book Group and join in the fun!

A Matter of Taste

When Babci makes up her mind, there's no stopping her. She insisted upon buying a shirt for hubby and a blouse for me. We did not believe we needed anything new, but that did not matter to Babci. We went to Beall's.

Buying clothing is not fun for hubby in general and when she picked out a polo shirt, he groaned. He never wears polo shirts except in the band since the band's summer uniform is a polo shirt. However, I saw a tropical-style summer shirt with bright colors and bold flowers--the kind hubby favors in the summertime and pointed it out to Babci. She swooped it up and put it in the basket. Hubby muttered how he didn't really need another shirt, but it was an inexpensive shirt so he did not grumble too much.

My turn came next. Babci went to a rack of women's blouses and picked up several blouses with designs of the type she favors, the kind with large pastel flowers. (Maybe hubby's love of crazy tropical shirts is genetic.) It was actually rather funny because she kept pulling blouses off the rack that resembled stuff in her closet.

But that's not me. Lately, I tend to choose solids.

I found a simple pink tee and a somewhat fancier brown tee. Real exciting stuff.

Nevertheless, Babci was happy because she succeeded in giving us gifts. At least, we had a choice. A shirt or blouse given as a gift that is never worn is a waste of money.

Everyone has their own style and that sense of style extends to far more than clothing. It includes books.

I am not a fan of science fiction or vampire novels. I've read a few, but they do not appeal to my taste as a rule. To me, vampires are the bad guys and all that blood-sucking is gross. I liked Bram Stoker's Dracula, because Dracula dies in the end.

But that's just me. Plenty of people enjoy those types of books and that's great. Reading is supposed to be fun.

What was the worst gift you've ever received?

Thirty-Six Years

Hubby and I were wed on August 7th, 1976. Tomorrow is our thirty-sixth anniversary. Happy Anniversary to us! How time flies.

No-Wilt Lima Bean Salad

I found this recipe in our local newspaper six years ago and it has become a favorite, probably because I love lima beans, but the feta cheese is a real treat, too. I've taken this to many summertime potluck suppers and it always disappears so I know there are others who have enjoyed it.

Ingredients:

* 1 bag, 1 lb frozen lima beans ( approximately 3 cups )
* 1 sm red onion finely chopped
* 2 cups chopped tomatoes
* 1/2 bunch fresh parsley chopped
* 1/4 cup chopped green or black olives
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* 1/2 cup olive oil (I've used less and it's been fine.)
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
* 2 garlic cloves minced
* 8 oz feta cheese crumbled or as desired
* Salt and Pepper to taste if needed

How to make it:

* Cook beans to pkg directions and drain and cool.
* Combine remaining ingredients except cheese.
* Add lima beans and feta cheese.
* Mix to blend. Taste for seasoning
* Chill well, about one to two hours.

Serves six.

Special Guest: Jenn Nixon

Today I am offering a special feature! One of my author friends, Jenn Nixon, has had a new book released, Lucky's Charm. Jenn’s love of writing started the year she received her first diary and Nancy Drew novel. Throughout her teenage years, she kept a diary of her personal thoughts and feelings but graduated from Nancy Drew to other mystery suspense novels.

Jenn often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state of New Jersey.

Here's the blurb for the book Lucky’s Charm:

To protect her family and find a killer, Felicia “Lucky” Fascino assumed her adoptive father’s identity and joined the network, an organization of moral assassins to finish the job he began. Eliminating the man responsible for murdering her mother has consumed her for the last five years. While keeping her Uncle Stephen and cousin Elizabeth at arm’s length, Lucky begins to feel the weight of her career choice and reclusive lifestyle. Then a chance encounter with an enigmatic hit man, during one of her jobs, turns into a provocative and dangerous affair. Distracted by the secret trysts with Kenji Zinn and mounting tension within her family, Lucky makes reckless mistakes that threaten her livelihood and almost claim her life.

Excerpt:

Lucky learns her uncle is retiring…

When Lucky decided to step into her father’s network shoes, one stipulation had been telling Bet. Although she wasn’t pleased to learn Lucky killed people for a living, Bet eventually accepted the truth.

During the last year, Bet integrated herself into network conversations and privately mentioned suspecting her father had been into something shady for a while. She’d been right. However, the more she learned about what Lucky did, the more she’d want to know. Always a cousin first, Bet was big on family and didn’t mind shoving her nose in everyone’s business. The reasons were simple: a family had to stick together. Most families handed down a farm or at least a tax preparation business, but contract killing was way out in left field.

Family first. That was their expression, had been for years. Bet said it more than once: family doesn’t turn their backs on each other. Even though Lucky never told her the real reasons that she did what she did, Bet had always been there to help.

“There’s not going to be any trouble is there? I mean, do people quit from this business and live to talk about it?” Lucky glanced over at him. It was rare a contract killer made it to “retirement.” The cops found you because you got sloppy, someone else killed you, or like her father, it wore you down and diseased your body. Handlers had a certain amount of anonymity and better survival rates, but they were still at risk.

“The network likes to keep tabs on those who opt out, just for safety reasons, but there’s no reason to fear retribution from Ruddy and his partners or other contractors. He knows I’ve been thinking about it; the few I know won’t be surprised either. Some think we’ve gone soft because of the earlier jobs I’ve turned down for you.” He pressed his lips together in a tight smile.

“Hey, don’t give me shit; you know how I feel about those scrap board jobs.” She ran her finger along the edge of the shelf and turned back to the fire. “I’ve kept us in so we can keep digging, and I’ve made us a lot of money.”

“Luke was the same way. He wouldn’t take a job unless he felt justified.” He patted the spot beside him, and when she sat down, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You have enough money saved to call it quits too.”

The thought had crossed her mind many times over the last five years. What would it be like to feel normal again? Stop killing and start living. Lucky had no idea. She was in so far, so deep, she didn’t know if there was a way out for her. Even if she did get “out,” what would she do? Contract killing didn’t exactly give you real-world skills to work in an office building or retail store.

It didn’t matter; getting out was a long way down the road. She still had an obligation to fulfill to the people who adopted, raised, and loved her. Questions needed answers. She and Phen hadn’t come close to those answers in all the years they’d been searching, but maybe his renewed focus could change things. Her life stayed on hold until she fulfilled her promise and gave her parents a bit of peace.

“You know I can’t quit,” Lucky said, resting her head on his shoulder. She allowed herself a moment of comfort from Phen; he was still her uncle, despite knowing what she had to do to keep that promise. “When you get me some solid leads and I find out who killed her, I’ll stop. Until then, Lucky lives.”

You can find Jenn Nixon at her website:
www.jennnixon.com

Or her Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/JennNixonAuthor

Check out her tweets, too!
Twitter: @jennnixon

Belated Book Birthday!

It has been a little over a year since I uploaded Prince of the Mist to the Kindle platform. Afterward, I uploaded the book to Smashwords for wider distribution. Finally, I struggled over the paper edition, which I uploaded to CreateSpace.

At first, I set the price for the ebook at $2.99, but since it is a novella I later dropped it to $1.99. The paper edition is $5.99--a real bargain.

I designed the cover using a stock photo I purchased. It is eye-catching at 1" high, which helps. I have really been pleased at the response.

Here's a piece of cake for this momentous occasion! (Chocolate is good for you!) Enjoy.

Studying the Stats

Above is the overview of the stats from my Facebook fan page. The graph goes up and down depending on whether I manage to snag someone's attention on the never-ending scroll of status messages in their news feed. It isn't easy and other people can have different results depending upon who their fans are. I do have fans who read my excerpts and enter my contests, but by far the overwhelming favorite topic on my fan page is food.

My fans like to look at food--though not usually the food I have prepared at home. I snapped a photo of my sausage biscuit in a fast food restaurant one day and was amazed that people found it so interesting. Yes, it was tasty but really there wasn't anything unique about it. I took a photo of my fried shrimp at the Lobsterfest and lots of people looked at that. I know there are people who claim to hate reading about what anyone had for supper, but people on Facebook sure are interested in looking at a photo of it--add the recipe and it's even better.

I try to include photos or videos with every post. I don't have an amazing number of fans like Diana Gabaldon (one of Daughter #1's favorite authors). Diana Gabaldon doesn't post photos with every status message on her fan page, but it doesn't matter. For me, it matters.

Flowers and gardening seem to be a big hit, which is a problem for me because I do not have a green thumb. My luck with plants is abysmal. This is embarrassing since my sister is a horticulturist. She is always searching for plants for me that I can't kill. Still, I have taken some nice photos and my fans apparently appreciate the pictures. They can commiserate with me when the deer eat my plants. They can give me advice about what deer might not eat.

Yes, my fans enjoy giving me advice. It's okay. I can always use it. Especially when it comes to gardening.

I'm not terrific when it comes to decorating either. So when I put up a photo of the lampshades I bought that did not look right, I received a wealth of suggestions.

When I dropped my favorite Corningware roasting pan, I got a lot of sympathy. Evidently, there are those who can relate to my klutziness.

Losing weight is a great topic, too.

My fans do look at photos of my artwork, an area where I do have some skill. I get lots of compliments, which sort of makes up for the posts about my klutziness.

Ancient photos receive quite a bit of attention. So far, the photo I posted of me in my Girl Scout uniform has gotten more hits than anything else I've posted. I've gotten more hits than my number of fans. Maybe they all looked at it twice?

What would you like to see on my Facebook fan page?

I Was Lucky

There's me on the left, mixing paints, which is something I still love to do. My brother is sitting on the floor with my sister. In the photo on the right, my mother is at the easel.

It is now three years since Mom passed away. Today is the anniversary of that loss. Mom is still missed, but I consider myself very lucky to have had such a wonderful mother. Mom stayed home to raise us. Yes, the majority of mothers were stay-at-home moms during that era, but my mother put her heart and soul into the job. Nurturing came first.

Still, she never gave up her art. Often, she would paint late at night. Later, when everyone had grown up, she had more time to devote to her passion. For a look at some of her work go to this post:

http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com/2009/07/some-of-my-moms-paintings.html

No matter how important her art was to her, when someone needed her, she was there. She did the right thing and gave out the best advice. Always.

I wish I could use my cellphone to give her a call. :^(

The New Blue Arrow

I noticed something new on the Barnes & Noble website when I went to check out the status of my books. There's a clever little icon on the bottom right corner of my newer books, a small blue arrow with the words, "Read instantly." It reminded me of Alice and the bottle that said, "Drink me." The arrow intends to entice readers to open the book right away and begin reading a sample.

It worked for me. I checked my own books and then I went and checked out a whole bunch of other books. This could be dangerous. My to-be-read stash of books has been out of hand for a long, long time.

There is one glitch. The cute little blue arrow does not work with older browsers. While that does not matter because anyone can download a free sample, the instant gratification of reading a sample with one click makes it so much more satisfying and you can be assured that you will not wind up ten inches high as Alice did.

So go on over to my page at Barnes & Noble, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/penelope-marzec. Read a few samples and see which one grabs you.

Life Skill #34A : Changing a Flat Tire

I believe all of us need to know certain Life Skills. I taught my daughters to cook, do laundry, and clean toilet bowls. They met other students in college who did not know these things.

On my list, Life Skill #34A is changing a flat tire. I was reminded of this particular skill on Friday night. Daughter #1 went out with a friend and at the end of the evening, her friend discovered she had a flat tire on her car.

Everyone who owns a car should know how to change a tire. It's easy to use a cellphone to call a road service, but it might take a while for help to arrive. If you are in a cold place, waiting might not be a good idea. Also remember that cellphone batteries sometimes fail at critical times and that often flat tires happen in places where there are no cell towers, pay phones, or other people.

When our daughters bought their first cars, hubby taught them how to change the tire. A young woman should never expect a hunky hero to be nearby. It would be nice, but in real life it doesn't always work out that way.

I know this because it happened to me.

Once, I had to change a flat tire while it was snowing on a dark lonely interstate in February. Cellphones had not been invented yet and I did not have a CB radio either. Fortunately, I was not alone. I had my mother, my youngest sister and my friend with me. We had been visiting my other sister in a hospital in Scranton.

By the time we headed for home, it was dark and snow was falling. I drove slower because the road had become icy.

On a lonely stretch of Interstate 380, the car pulled to the right as one tire went flat. I had flares, which I lit. I got out the tools, the spare, and the jack. My younger sister held the flashlight. I took off the hubcap and handed it to my friend for safe keeping so we didn't lose it in the thickly falling snow.

A few eighteen wheelers passed us. We did not see a single patrol car.

I had gotten the wheels balanced a few day before the trip and the lug nuts were on so tight that it took both my mother and I to loosen them. As we removed each one them, we placed them in the hubcap which my friend held.

The snow continued to fall. We put on spare in about twenty minutes--just as the flares sputtered out.

As soon as we got rolling again, I turned up the heat. We could have turned into icicles if we had stayed in the cold much longer.

Make sure your daughters know how to change a flat tire. Make sure they are strong, independent women who know what to do--just in case a hunky hero isn't nearby. Or, in case, they have to change a flat for a clueless hunky hero. :^)

Barnacle Dad

My father was never a seafaring man. Yes, he traveled to the South Pacific during World War II in a troop ship, and he could row our rowboat in Treasure Lake, but that was the extent of his watery adventures. So when the dermatologist told me Dad has a barnacle on his back, I thought it was funny--and so did Dad.

The technical name for Dad's unsightly bump is seborrheic keratosis, but it is commonly called a barnacle. Big, ugly, crusty and brown, it stuck out and was visible under his shirt. Yesterday, I took him to the dermatologist who sliced it off quickly and painlessly.

Years ago, when hubby had a boat. He used to put a special paint on the bottom to prevent barnacles--the real ones. Can barnacles be prevented on people? Hmmm?

New Website

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday working on my new website. It is plain and simple, which is the way I generally like things to be. Less is more is most matters--although I haven't been able to apply that principle to my collection of books. :^(

I used a free Weebly site and forwarded my domain name to it. So anyone can type in penelopemarzec.com and wind up at penelopemarzec.weebly.com. (I love the magical internet.)

I intend to add more stuff like links or banners in the future. For now it has all the important information, which is mainly my books and links to each of them. There's a contest and a contact form, too. So go ahead and sign up for the contest! What have you got to lose.