Hobbies oh my!

A quote I hear all to often: "Write what you know!"

This quote speaks volumes, and I have seen the influence of this words when I hear authors talking about settings for their books being in the same state they live, or character personalities based on people they know personally. Writing what you know tends to come naturally, from the vocabulary you use to the conflicts you create for your characters. In some ways even the most far out fantasy book has elements of author life experiences.
You're looking for the point right? Well, I'm getting to it. Patience, dear readers!

That being said, I have been analyzing my hobbies. Do my hobbies increase my knowledge to a point that I can write about them? Do these hobbies expand my vocabulary and mind? Are my hobbies merely just the chance to escape the mundane, humdrum of the daily life?

Let's list said hobbies:
Reading
Book Review
Blogging
Tweeting
Internet article surfing
Paranormal research/ Host of online Paranormal Show
Website Design
Cooking
Playing Violin
Marketing Director for Dog Rescue

Most of these hobbies are definitely geared toward enlightening my mind with stimulating content. I read anything and everything. From news updates to the latest historical romance. I blog to hone writing skills. Designing websites is just another one of those things I do because I'm nice. I tweet to expose myself to authors and the writing community because they are much more exciting then most of my extended family, and network of day job co-workers. I cook because my fondness of food equates to bringing it up in almost every conversation. I help doggies because I can. Hosting a paranormal show was just a suggestion by the DH. He thought I would be good at it and I guess I am.
Random Fact about me: I am my own worst critic about everything I do. A little self conscience I know.

In the end my hobbies enrich, relax, and give me a purpose beyond just going to work and coming home every day. I'm not changing the world, but I am not living ignorant in it. I would say there is an attempt to accomplish my dreams. At the same time, I don't believe to be an expert in my hobbies and I am certainly not an authority to write about them.

So, what about you? Do your hobbies enrich your life and your writing? Are you an expert on said hobbies, and feel you could successfully integrate them into your fiction? Got any hobbies to recommend?

A bathroom emergency

We're all guilty of excuses when we're running late. I don't care who you are, there is a reason why you are 30 minutes late to work, a party, dinner reservations, and all those other places you either didn't want to be at or just simply forgot about. In this particular instance I was not late, but my children were.

Now a little about mwah! I hate mornings. Absolutely cannot stand the idea of waking up prior to 8am, for any reason whatsoever, and if you ask me to get up before the sun peeks it's head over the horizon well, let me tell you that you are in for it.  Even the DH knows that I am liable to spout nasty, profanity laced diatribe in his direction for waking me from my slap happy slumber.

Which brings us to this morning:

I got up. I didn't want to. Got the kids cereal, climbed back in bed and then arose at my usual time of 7:20am. This means I have 20 minutes to get the kids to school, a feat that I have accomplished in the past. The kids are not ready though, instead both go running for the bathrooms. I mean both of those fire breathing dragons go into the bathroom. My daughter in one and my son in the other. Of course by now it's 7:25 am, I'm slightly freaking. To the timeline.

7:30 am- I'm finally like 'What in the H-E double hockey sticks is taking so long!!!??'

7:32 am- Go to the bathroom door occupied by daughter. Knock and turn door handle, it's locked (the audacity)! Your 8 years-old, you don't get to lock doors in our house until you hit puberty. 'Open Up'. Door unlocks, daughter's on toilet and innocently says 'I'm going number 2'.

'Hurry' I reply and shut the door. 

7:34 am- Knock on my bathroom door and open door. My son is naked from the waist down, and says 'Going number 2 Mom.' First off this is fine, but why for the sake of all that is green, blue, and purple does my son feel it necessary to strip from the waist down to use the toilet. Makes no sense to me and he can't even explain it.

7:36 am- Daughter walks out of bathroom. I realize somethings fishy, 'Did you wipe?' Daughter just turns around and heads back into the bathroom shutting the door. I love how I can receive non-verbal answers to questions.

7:38 am- Son walks out of bathroom, finally fully clothed. Again, something fishy thought/moment. 'Did you wash your hands?' Son let's out sigh of exasperation, turns, and heads back into the bathroom.

Really my children are that predictable.

7:40 am- Walking out the front door and into the car.

Officially my children were 10 minutes late today. The crazy part was that this late arrival could not be avoided. I told both children if questioned about being late to simply reply 'We had an emergency'. My daughter said 'Yeah! A number 2 emergency'. I kindly informed them that the words poop, crap, and number 2 needed to be left out at all costs.

Then I signed 'em in at the office, left, and vowed that if I got a phone call this entire story would be told in all it's inane, 'I can't believe this is happening to me' glory. Never got the call, so I thought I would share it with you.

Bottom Line: If I was a teacher listening to this as an excuse for being late, I would probably tell the poor student that it was the biggest hoke of baloney I ever heard and it would have been better to say the dog ate your homework and you were fighting him for the last few scraps.