Random Friday

Too much to do. Not much to say.
And a busy weekend ahead that the mere thought of makes my brain hurt.
The younger K's are off school today, but K2 still had to go to her drama school. I'm lucky because she doesn't rely on me to wake her - especially since she gets up at some ridiculous time like 5am - but I do get up to spend some time with her before seeing her off. No sleeping in, and no going back to bed, even though I entertained the thought. I have too much to do and I probably wouldn't be able to sleep again.
K4 fell on the playground at school yesterday. Skinned her knee and hurt her wrist. The x-ray's I was certain we'd have to get don't appear to be on the horizon. She's moving it more and telling me it feels much better. So...whew.
Well, it's September already.
The kids all say they feel like they've been in school forever already. In my opinion, that's good. Let's just hope they continue to be as enthusiastic as time goes on.
Well, enough insightful thoughts from me. Ha!
Enjoy the holiday weekend!
And...
Behave!

Happy Blog-iversary!

It's been one year since I started this blogging thing.
Can you believe that?
Anyway.
I've been fiddling around, checking out videos on different video posting sites. Yesterday I came across some about the greatest television and movie kisses. Being the hopeless romantic I am, I clicked, watched and now find my head filled with thoughts.
You know I'm not a huge television watcher. Besides Supernatural and Ghosthunters, I rarely pay attention to what's on, so I didn't know a lot of the shows on the video. Hot or not, those kisses really meant nothing to me because I lack emotional investment in the show. Same with the movie video.
So, now you're getting my list of the best television and movie kisses, in no particular order:
1. Sam and Madison - Supernatural - Heart
2. Allie and Noah - The Notebook (rain scene)
3. Robin and Marian - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves
4. Aragorn and Arwen - Lord of the Rings, Return of the King and Lord of the Rings, Two Towers
5. Wil and Elizabeth - Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End
6. Buttercup and Wesley - The Princess Bride
7. Harry and Sally - When Harry Met Sally
8. George and Mary Bailey - It's a Wonderful Life

Okay, so I didn't make it to ten. I know there's more - many, many more. Short of spending more time than I have sorting through the video cabinet, this is what you get. I know someone's going to point out ones I should have here and I'll feel like a huge idiot for not thinking of it myself.
So...have at it!
Behave!

Decision Made...

And work started.
My progress this morning has been much better than I'd hoped.
I wasn't sure I wanted to work on "Jagged Edges" first, but the truth is, "Under the Bridge" is just not ready to be edited yet. There's something stopping me and I'm listening. The thought of tearing into it makes my head hurt and after spending all day yesterday reading, I've decided to work on it last. That's probably as hard to understand as it is to explain.
Anyway.
My coherent thoughts aren't with me again today. My focus is on the edits, as they've been for what seems like ages now.
Oh, and my horoscope just keeps lying to me.
Seriously!
I was supposed to have many obstacles in my path yesterday. The day turned out to be a pretty darned good one. Maybe mine is reversed? Or maybe I should stop checking it. So far, none of the awesomely cool stuff predicted for me this year has come true.
Oh well...
That's it.
Behave!

What do you mean we have to go back?

Seriously, no one said that.
I guess I should have called this post Day 2.
Everyone had a fantastic first day. Things are smoothing out with the traveling conflicts. And I'm ready to find a routine and get busy.
First, I have a few decisions to make. Pay no attention to the word counts on the sidebar. They mean nothing at the moment - not until I decide what I need to do. I'm working on it and that decision is my goal of the week.
Next week, whatever I decide will begin, if not before.
I find I don't have much to say at the moment. Nothing coherent anyway.
So...
Behave!

And They're Off...

To school!
All I can say is...it's weird here.
The dog started in before they were even dropped off. She's been moaning and whining all morning. And following me. She's already checked out their rooms twice, bothered the cat and can't seem to make up her mind where she wants to be. Right now, she's beside me - whining.
B is taking care of drama school traffic today. So tomorrow that trip will start for me.
So what am I doing?
Ha! Not much. Yet.
B will be home after he drops K2 off at high school. I don't know what his plans are, but I imagine they'll include yard work. The routine - my routine - won't start until after Labor Day. Hopefully by then we'll have worked out some kind of ride share with the other kids from K2's high school attending the drama school.
For now, I'm enjoying the quiet. (Translation: blaring the music I want to listen to and not competing with Sponge Bob)
Behave!

Supernatural/Dean - Never Too Late

I wish...

Friday!

What a blur!
And it's hot again!
We have a heat advisory already in effect for tomorrow. Which should be fun for B and K1 since they're helping a friend of ours with roof repairs. Yikes!
Teachers have been met - easing the mind of especially the youngest K. They're very excited for Monday.
I'm melting, so this quick check in is about all I can stand at the moment. I'm going back to my air conditioned room to read.
Enjoy the weekend!
And...
Behave!

Thursday Random

Well, look at that...
Somehow I've managed to blog every day this week. So far.
Still no weird dreams, except something did wake me up around 1am. I have no idea what it was, just that it interrupted a pretty cool dream and I never did get back to that dream.
Nope. Not telling you what the dream was...
Anyway.
I keep getting my days mixed up this week. Yesterday I thought it was Friday all day. This week has seemed long to me and I don't know why.
Tonight we're heading out to hear my very good friend/adopted sister play out at one of the local taverns. Should be a blast. She hasn't played out in a very long time, which is a shame because she's very talented.
And the weather is still slightly crappy here. I definitely don't mind the cooler temps, but we haven't seen the sun since Saturday.
That's about it for my random day.
Behave!

And if I would have...

Not even one slightly whacked out dream.
I slept very well.
Which is surprising. Considering.
If I would have, the bad dreams would be blamed on Megan for sending me a link to a scary video at o'dark thirty last night when everyone else was in bed, including the dog. By the time I went to bed I'd been totally saturated in spooky stuff.
She has the link on her site. DO NOT WATCH IT! I'm not kidding.
(I watched it again. Very freaky stuff.)
Don't do it. Just don't.
I know you will anyway. Because none of you ever listen. :)
Anyway.
On the home front, things are chaotic. The kids are acting like Christmas is Monday instead of the first day of school. They are wound so tight it's not even funny. Of course, it could be the 3 straight days of rain we've had too.
That is all.
Behave!
(and don't watch it!)

Setting myself up...

Anyone who knows me knows I have an interest in the paranormal.
So, tonight I signed on the Internet to do some additional research for Under the Bridge. Things weren't going well. I wasn't finding what I wanted (I've come to the conclusion it's just not there. Whatever. I'll deal.). I decided to go a different direction and clicked over to a website I check out when I get one of 'those' emails - you know, the ones that claim kidney hunters are waiting at gas stations to rip out your vital organs and watch out for the needles hidden in the gas pumps and don't flash your headlights and if you forward that email you'll get a hundred bucks for every person you send it to and a recipe for some famous restaurants equally famous dessert - Yeah, you know which ones I mean.
Anyway.
I went to the site to check out some older urban legends to see what I could find as inspiration.
And I ended up spending way too much time looking at "ghost photos". Page after page of eerie images and not so eerie images. Some were pretty freaky. Others not so much.
I'll let you know if I have weird dreams tonight. As a disclaimer, I have to say I usually don't. I've watched scary stuff while already in bed and haven't had a second thought. Except I think the odd dreams from the last time I looked up spooky stuff are still hanging over my head.
We shall see...
Behave!

Now you see me...

Haven't been absent on purpose.
See post below. Same stuff, different weekend. Or different weekend, different stuff - still crazy.
I've have my head in the editing cave. As you can see, one project is finished. Yay!
I'm about ready to go back into that cave, but with a different project.
And one week from today school starts!
We're ready. I guess.
Of course, today we took the dog for her last haircut of the season and it's freezing and rainy outside. Well, not freezing, but much cooler than it's been lately.
I'll try not to be so absent this week.
Until next time...
Behave!

One Thing After Another...

That's how it's been around here.
It's Wednesday already and I have no idea how that happened!
I can't say anything too major has been going on. Just a bunch of little things. Most of them inconsequential and annoying.
Tried to blog last night, but my computer decided it was time to update. Things move very slow during updates - so slow I couldn't bear the waiting. During this same time, I was working on printing out a hard copy of my manuscript for hand edits and ran out of black ink. Couldn't get the printer que to cancel and ended up shutting the printer off to deal with this morning. Got that fixed, and my pages printed (in blue, red, green and some color the printer made up as it coughed out the last vestiges of ink).
Oh, and I hurt my back.
I don't know how. Just that it hurts a lot. Couldn't find a comfortable position for sleep, and kept waking up. Yes. I know I need to take it easy today - which is where the printed out copy will come in handy.
At least you know I'm still here...
Behave!

Getting Closer...

Summer vacation is sounding its last hurrah.
2 weeks from this coming Monday.
Teacher assignments came today.
Oh. My. Goodness.
That started a wave of excitement, a sudden urgent need to go school shopping, and an almost frantic mode of anticipatory discussion. They're ready. For the most part. K2 still hasn't received any details for her drama school and there are scheduling conflicts waiting to be worked out.
And I'm still a bit bittersweet.
The routine will be nice to have once again - for them and me. Fall will be here shortly, which always makes me happy. But...*sniff, sniff* summer is nearly over.
Anyway.
The status bar for the edits is still lying. I am nearly done. Just a few scenes to tweak and one to rewrite in a different point of view. Heavy work, but not horrible. There's no point in updating my progress since it's really hard to put an exact percentage on what's left to do. I should finish within the next few days, depending on how our weekend plans thwart my attempts.
I might get some work done today, but then again...maybe not.
It is Fiesta Friday.
Behave!

Scared!!

So the other night I was double-checking some research for the book I'm editing. Yes, I research first, but this particular story element took a wider turn than expected. I needed more information and I wanted to make sure my fictional world had at least minimal ties to reality. Writing about "the unknown" gives you a lot of creative freedom, but knowing the facts is important.
Anyway.
I didn't think it was going to take me all night, but I wasn't finding the information I needed. Page after page of demon and vengeful spirit related information - and still not quite what I was looking for. More research while on the phone with a friend helping me from her computer, lots of laughter, and an eventual find of at least part of what I was looking for. Lots of creepy and unusual information exchanged.
Then...
The nightmare.
I woke up nearly hyperventilating. I'd dreamed of my legs being clawed by demons in human form and I could swear the pain was real. The dog decided to change positions about this time, nearly knocking over a chair in our room and adding to my fright. Everything I'd read earlier came rushing back, especially a particularly scary story.
I'll admit it. I was afraid to open my eyes.
...Are you done laughing yet?...
So, yeah, I managed to get myself back to sleep. The next day I found out that the same friend who'd helped me with my research had a nightmare about the same exact time I had mine.
What do you suppose that means?
I don't want to think too hard about that.
Can you blame me?
That's all.
Behave!

Tagged: Music

Natalie tagged me.

Here are the rules:
1. Go to this link at Pop Culture Madness (scroll down - see the list of years on the left?)
2. Pick the year you turned 18
3. Pick five songs from that year
4. Wax nostalgic about each song and why it’s special
5. Pass it on to 5 more friends

Ha! Okay, I'm going to do it, but I have to tell you up front that I suck at song titles and artists. I can remember the tune, but that's about it. But...Here goes:

1. We Built This City by Jefferson Starship
I remember this song because they played it so darn much. Wasn't a favorite. At all. I would, and still do, change the channel if it comes on.

2. Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen
Do I need to say anymore? That was like the theme of the year, and for several years after 1985.

3. Everyday by James Taylor
I love James Taylor.

4. Small Town by John Cougar Mellencamp
This is one I probably know all the words too. I'm not sure what that says about me, except I loved me some John Cougar. I think I even had the cassette.

5. Can't Fight This Feeling By REO Speedwagon
Yes, I saved this for last. As soon as I saw this listed I knew I had to put it up. Okay, I'll admit back then I loved the song. Now, it just makes me giggle. Except when Dean Winchester sings it.

Actually, I was amazed at how many songs I know on my list.
Time for tagging: Ami, Jo and...(Okay, the others I would tag have either already been, or wouldn't do this even if I did tag them.)

Behave!

Late...

But with good reason.
We've been totally packed with social obligation these past few days. Yeah. I know. It's a terrible life. Someone's got to do it though!
Tonight we're off to a pool party. The kids are so excited. They've been ready to go for hours.
So...We came home after being gone all day to find the refrigerator suspiciously full of condensation. I checked to make sure the door was firmly closed before we left at 9am because it has a tendency to not want to shut the whole way. K2 "thinks" it was open a little when we got home at 4:30, but she's not sure. Guess we'll be on fridge watch over the next few days. There's no doubt the milk on the door will need thrown out. The plastic container is swelled and the milk no longer feels cold. #$*&)
Did I mention the heat yet?
The temperature is only 88*, but the heat index is 96*.
We're under a heat advisory right now.
I'm so glad we're going swimming.
Guess I'd better go find my suit!
Behave!

Hot!

93*
Bleech!
(K2 is trying to sunbathe. K3 is spraying her with the hose. It's pretty amusing.)
I'm trying, people, but I'm still not able to come up with coherent thought patterns. Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's my brain. I don't know.
It's not like there isn't anything going on. We're busier now than we were with the play schedule, only now it's a different kind of busy. More fun and less driving, which is good, but no less draining.
Well. That's it.
Have a good weekend!
Behave.

It's Only What Time?

I started trying to write this blog over an hour ago.
During that time, I've accidentally deleted what was actually a non-nonsense post - twice. While I amazed myself by actually having coherent thoughts, I don't have the time, or brain power to recreate it yet again, so you're getting the nonsense you've come to expect from me.
Here's what happened from the time I started trying to blog:
1. K4 fell, scraping her hip and elbow. Much drama, ice and hugs.
2. The dog barking at everything that moves.
3. The cat stalking every cup left in the living room last night. (okay, there was only 2, but he bats at them until he knocks them over and then has the nerve to glare at you because there was no milk spilled. I moved them before the spillage happened. He didn't like that either.)
4. Pirates in my backyard. It's like costume day out there. Every kid has something pirate on, from my niece's striped leggings to the pirate hat worn by K3. Odd things are going on out there, but who am I to argue? They're outside, not fighting and having fun. All good things.
5. The phone rang three times.
6. I made guacamole for tonight's dinner. Don't ask me why I didn't finish the blog first. But the guac turned out very well. Now if I can only leave it alone so there's actually some left for dinner...
7. Someone calling my cell for Gordon. A weird number and bad connection that makes me wonder if the call was from overseas.
Am I going to give you a hint as to what my previous blog posts were about? Nope. I figure if tragedy struck twice, then perhaps I shouldn't blog about the topic at this moment.
That is all...
Behave!

10 More Things...

10 Things I'm looking forward to:
(in no particular order)
1. School starting.
This is bittersweet. Mainly, because we've just really started our summer vacationing. Then again, the return of the routine will be good.
2. Fall
Because it's my favorite season.
3. October 4 - Supernatural Season 3!!
4. September 11 - Supernatural Season 2 on DVD!!
5. The younger K's auditioning and hopefully performing in their first play.
6. One more camping trip.
7. The continuation of "Fiesta Friday" even after school starts.
8. K birthdays!
This, too, is bittersweet. My babies are getting older! K2 will be 16!! 16!! How did that happen?
9. Christmas
I'm going to try to find my spirit long before the season starts.
10. Getting the editing finished and starting something new.

Yeah. So it's a pretty lame list. Don't know what to tell you.

(So I posted my "10 things that drive me nuts" list yesterday and out of those 10, 8 happened yesterday. The only things I did not have to deal with were: 3. Door to door salesmen. 7. Phone calls at 3:51am. Sigh.)

Behave!