Tall Tale Tuesday

Ready?

Okay, obviously it's a screen, but what's the story behind it?

1. Taken from inside the camper during a fantastic thunderstorm. I was trying to get a picture of the lightning over the creek and how quickly the water was rising.

2. The view from my room at the retreat. Again, it was raining and I was lamenting the fact that we couldn't take another walk through the very cool cemetery.

3. Through my back screen door. I was trying to take a picture of our friend dancing in the backyard. I knew if he saw me with the camera, he'd stop. It was way too funny not to document. Or you know, try to document.

What do you think?

I keep thinking it's later in the week, which is probably going to come back and bite me when it actually is later in the week.

Answer tomorrow afternoon sometime!

Behave!

Musing Monday

I'm having trouble focusing today. My brain is going in a million different directions. The document is open. I've written about 3 coherent paragraphs and a chunk of random thoughts and yet, I still can't find a way to concentrate.

Some of the stuff I'm thinking about:

Television:
There isn't much that interests me beyond Supernatural and Ghosthunters. I want to watch Castle, but can't seem to remember and I know there are a few other shows out there that I'd like. I've never watched Lost, CSI, or Bones. Mainly because I forget. The girls have taken to watching some strange reality shows that alternately irritate and frustrate me. Today I find myself surfing the channels in search of something that qualifies as background noise. Not real productive. Not at all productive. Brides behaving badly, brides with huge wedding budgets that behave nicely, but spend frivolously, redneck brides, you're my baby daddy screaming and crying, a demon possessed my son, I was attacked by an incubus or a succubus, I was involved in a cult - holy frickin' get a life. Yikes. Though, it is like watching a train wreck - you can't tear your eyes away. I need to. Seriously.

Telemarketers:
Stop calling me. Just stop it. I am not going to purchase, invest, give, or call you back. If I want you, I will call you. And I won't, ever, if you continue to call me. Five times today. And we're on the "Do Not Call" list.

Writing:
As I mentioned above, I'm having trouble getting started today. I'm only about a half-page away from meeting my monthly writing goal. I'll get there. Hopefully today.

My computer:
If it doesn't stop randomly turning off, I'm going to stomp it into tiny bits. I can't figure out why the turning off stuff keeps happening. It's not the power cord. It's really frustrating. Especially when it shuts off while I'm writing. Or when I'm in the middle of blogging - like just now.

The wind:
Or...the weather. We had a pretty big storm go through here yesterday (tornadoes touched down in some areas) and we were left with windy conditions. The wind is ravaging the back of the house, making the cracked window in the kitchen (missle cup) rattle in the oddest way. It's annoying.

Yeah, there's more, but I've bored you enough!
Behave!

Movies and Stuff

I finally got to see "Ten Inch Hero" with Jensen Ackles last night. What a great movie! It's the kind of movie that leaves you all warm and fuzzy when it's over. I should have had some tissues handy, too. At first, I wasn't sure, but it didn't take long until I was totally wrapped up in the story of each person. I loved it, and I'm definitely going to add it to my own collection.
***
Also, I got to watch Thursday's Supernatural a second time, which was a beautiful thing. The episode was a welcome breath of fresh air after the intensity of the past few episodes. I loved the premise and Zachariah, and I loved that I had no idea what was going on until Zachariah touched Dean's head. Having an angel give you a pep talk has to bring positive results. Above all, I'm really hoping that Sam and Dean remember what it's all about and some of the rift between them is healed. (I can dream, can't I?)
***
Today is one of those days with not a lot of wiggle room. Our morning was busy, and in about an hour, the rest of the day is booked. On top of our regular Sunday obligations, we have a college seminar tonight. College? Really? I'm so not ready for it. So not. Very soon we'll begin the application process, take SAT's, and start looking for scholarships and grant money. She's got a possible internship in her chosen field for the summer, which may or may not affect things that are already in place. We'll see. At this point, we have to roll with it. Did I mention how NOT ready I am?
***
That's all I have.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Wow! That didn't take long.
Here's the Feel Good Friday list!
1. It's Friday - I thought this week was going to feel longer than it did.
2. Warmer temperatures.
3. Chinese food for dinner.
4. New writing.
5. Writing friends.
6. Supernatural!!
7. Weekend plans with friends!
8. A semi-clean house.
9. Crazy kids with a crazy sense of humor.
10. Relaxing.
That's it.
Have a great weekend!
Behave!

Random Thursday Ramblings

Seriously! More rambling! Maybe it'll even be semi-coherent!
***
It's raining. Of course we need it and I like the rain, but it didn't decide to start until time for school to let out. And I can't find my umbrella.
***
New Supernatural tonight. After last weeks edge-of-your-seat episode, I'm really looking forward to this one. Sam in khaki's! Dean in a tie!
***
Senior projects aren't just difficult for the kid. They're trying on the family as well. K2 has spent the past several days getting hers just right. Lots of computer work, lots of late nights, lots of stress.
***
I'm writing my new story. Still no title. The hero's name is Jake, but I think I'm going to change it. The heroine is Casey. She named herself in the book. (For her whole life, she's just been a number) I haven't quite found my beginning. What I'm doing is more "pre-writing" - learning the characters and the tone of the book, answering the questions that pop up about why things are the way they are. I'm excited about it and am enjoying building the world.
Here's an unedited and subject to change teaser:
"The guards moved when he willed them to. Jake entered the darkened room, closing and locking the door behind him. The woman didn’t react to his presence as he removed the shackles and studied the damage done to her wrists. Her skin heated under his touch and he thought the raw wounds looked significantly better by the time he’d finished releasing her ankles."
Eh. Like I said...unedited and subject to change.
***
This has been one long week. I keep telling myself that it'll be Friday soon!
***
That's all.
Behave!

Answers!

Thanks to all who guessed.
The answer:
2. An egg.
I was grasping for straws. I had my camera at the ready all day, but didn't once see anything interesting! Hopefully I'll do better next week!
Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday

Running late today!

Or just...running! At this point, I'm wondering if it will ever end. I have ten minutes before I have to head out the door again. Sheesh.

Okay. Here we go.

What is this?

1. A water bottle cap.

2. An egg.

3. A cue ball.

Lame? Maybe. But hopefully you'll forgive me.

Behave!

Monday

If it were possible, I'd quit having Monday altogether. But then, Tuesday would be the new Monday and things would be all messed up. I used to love Monday. I don't know what happened to change that. Well, I do, but...nevermind.
Okay, so I'm getting closer to making my decision. Or, the decision is made, but I have to be sure. Going to be doing some worldbuilding and pre-writing and probably write a chapter or two to see what I think. I'll still write the other one, just not now. I think. I don't know. We'll see.
I finally got to see Twilight. I liked it. Different from the book, but that's how it usually is. Liked the author cameo in the diner. Liked the movie - especially the baseball scene. Some of the characters are exactly how I pictured them when I read the book, others not so much, but that's okay. K3 has loved it since he saw it in the theater. K2 had no prior exposure to any of it and she absolutely loved the movie. I didn't expect to purchase the movie, but it looks like I will.
Seems like all my posts are random these days. I think that's because my life is absolutely random right now.
That's all.
Behave!

Changing My Mind...

At least I think I might. Or I would if I could actually decide.
I'm thrilled with the book I decided to work on. Mostly. But see...there's this other idea that's nagging at me. It's a more controversial subject matter, in the same overall theme as Into the Fire, but not the same world or characters or any of that. Yes, it's a romance, but the basis for the world is more of a touchy subject - one that people disagree upon. I'm not afraid to write it. Not at all.
I just don't know what I want to work on.
I think I'm going to work on both until one takes over. That seems like it may be a win/win situation for me. It'll all depend...
I'll let you know how it works out.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

There's been a lot of lists this week. Prepare for one more. ha!
The Official Feel Good Friday List (for this week):
1. The end of the sick.
2. Working on a new book.
3. Family dances that are more fun than expected.
4. Friday.
5. The first day of Spring. (but hello? It snowed a little this morning! What kind of a joke is that? It's Spring. Not April Fools.)
6. Working on a new book. (yeah, I know I already said that.)
7. Light-ish weekend plans. (not too many weekends of lightness left.)
8. Pizza for dinner.
uhhh....Okay...I guess I'm done. Partially lame, but the new book trumps it all.
Behave!

Happy Random

Another random list...
1. My cat just ate a fuzz ball off the footstool.
2. I'm not sure what show is worse - Bridezillas or Platinum Weddings. No, you may not ask why I say this.
3. There is a weird smell in my house.
4. I feel much better.
5. New Supernatural tonight!
And probably the best thing...
6. New story!! Whoot!!
It's actually not entirely new - the writing is, the idea is not. I started this story a while ago, but got locked up on the plot. This idea is forever in the back of my head and I'm thrilled to be working on it. Think Little House on the Prairie meets The Jetsons - only not as sci-fi as what might pop into your head. It happens now, only with a tragic history and a very changed world. I'm excited, and making some pretty good progress already.
So there you have it!
Behave!

The Sick: Day Two

I'm done with not feeling good. At this point, my house looks like a bomb went off (and not because no one's helping out, but because everyone is busy and busy picking up my extraneous stuff, too.) I did manage to put dinner in the crockpot, but have been on the couch pretty much all day. And alone with my thoughts...
1. The good news is my brain isn't permanently damaged as I'd feared. I woke at 3am yesterday (and again today) with the oddest dream I've had in a very long time. It could be a story idea, or just a theme. I don't know, but when I say it was odd, I mean that wholeheartedly. It took me a while to figure out what had happened, which is no wonder considering I was shivering to death - so then, I alternated between the elation of knowing my brain still functions and the misery of my germ-invaded self.
2. Even though my brain isn't really damaged, I have no idea what I'm working on next. I kind of do. Kind of. But I'm not sure.
3. I didn't realize it's election time again. Some dude rang my doorbell earlier, totally disturbing me. It's also very disconcerting that he called me by name. I know. I just know, but that doesn't make me feel any less disturbed. Though, I'm sure much of it has to do with the book I just finished writing.
4. Daytime T.V. sucks. I was pleased to find Dark Angel on all day, but by the time it ended, I figured out why it wasn't picked up for a third season. Don't get me wrong. I love the premise and the acting definitely got better over time, but the whole Max and Logan drag-it-out-and-make-me-want-to-punch-both-of-them-and-we-should-see-other-people-because-I-don't-want-to-kill-you-thing? Not working for me. At all.
Now I'm stuck watching the Food channel, which is fine except I'm hungry. And this guy is making fish tacos, which sound really good (much better than when I tried to make them).
5. I hate the sound of our house phone ringing. No one calls us on it except for telemarketers. And they only call when I'm trying to sleep.
6. My cat meows a lot. He spent about an hour straight just walking around meowing in that help-me-my-food-dish-is-down-a-fraction-of-a-centimeter-way. He meowed outside the bathroom door until I came out, and then followed me back down the stairs and I'd already filled his dishes. Weird cat.
7. Sinus headaches suck.
8. My ceiling needs painted.
9. The living room curtains need to be washed.
So there you have it. A small, scary glimpse into my hurting head.
Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday

Thanks to the sick, Tall Tale Tuesday is taking a break this week.
And can I just say, I love tissues with Vicks.
Behave!

Random Monday Nonsense

How about some "good thing, bad thing"?

1. Good thing: Sleeping in.
Bad thing: Last day to do so.

2. Good thing: I got a new coffeepot!
Bad thing: I drank a little too much coffee this morning.

3. Good thing: I remembered to buy tissues.
Bad thing: I am now working on emptying the box thanks to some stupid cold virus that hit me out of the blue.

4. Good thing: Getting all of my running around done in record time.
Bad thing: Being so tornado-brained from the cold that I'm not sure I mailed the one thing to the right place.

5. Good thing: Not having to make dinner tonight since we're going to a birthday party.
Bad thing: The not feeling well thing.

6. Good thing: Being poised to start writing something new.
Bad thing: Having no idea what it's going to be yet.

7. Good thing: More new Supernatural this week!
Bad thing: It's only Monday.

That's enough for now. It's taken me forever to write this because of the sneezing!
Behave!

Doing Your Thing...

To clarify...

I realize my mention of volunteer activities on my post yesterday sounded kind of snarky. Thought I'd clarify that point a little, if you don't mind...

Volunteering is fantastic. I love volunteering and community outreach. There are tons of organizations that could use your help - from the school, to food banks and everything else. Worthy organizations with a real need for happy volunteers.

And that's the thing - "happy volunteers".

If scraping stickers off the lunchroom floor makes you happy - then, by all means, do it. If you want to help and that's the only thing you're able to manage - then do it. If cutting apart labels for the school fundraiser makes you happy, then do it.

But don't do it if it doesn't make you happy. (though sometimes even the stuff you do happily can make you tired and worn) Yeah, sometimes we gotta. I understand that. I live in the same world.

If you're giving up your writing time, perhaps it's time to start saying "NO". It's hard. I know that. But you'll thank yourself later. Volunteering is your choice, your decision, your time. Don't do it if it's going to seriously hamper your writing time on a consistent basis.

If you're saying "yes" as a way to get out of writing, then you need to have a serious talk with yourself. It's hard to say no. But you can do it, especially if it falls within your writing time. You don't have to give a reason. It's no one's business why you can't help. Practice saying no in the mirror. Always be ready to say no and stick by your answer. Decide when you can help out and don't waver.

Still snarky?
Behave!

Guarding It...

Your time, that is.
Keeping your writing time sacred is hard.
Even when your network of friends and family understands and respects your time, it's hard. I'm not talking about your mom calling to see if you want to go to lunch though. You're the only one who knows the situation behind the request. Sometimes moms just know it's time for you to take a break and you should probably listen - unless you're on a major deadline, but then maybe that's why she called you - because she just knows you need a break. But like I said, I'm not talking about that.
Forget about people who want you to volunteer for stuff - they will never understand and it's probably best if you don't even mention why you can't help cut labels apart for their fundraising program, or why you can't come in to scrape stickers off the lunchroom floor. Now before you get the wrong impression, I'm totally for helping out, but it's on my terms, not theirs. I'm telling you - once you say yes to some ridiculous request once, it never ends. Believe me, I've been there. I'm not really talking about that either, though.
What I'm talking about is YOU sabotaging yourself.
Stop talking on the phone and get to work. Stop looking at the pile of papers on your desk and get to work. Stop thinking about the laundry, the bills, the dust on the piano - just get to work. And for crying out loud, stop playing games. You're going to be mad at yourself.
Yeah, there's a time for all of that stuff, but when you know you only have a determined amount of time before writing is no longer going to go uninterrupted, then seriously - stop goofing off and get to work.
This has been your reminder!
Behave!

Thoughts on Supernatural...

*Spoilers*
If you don't watch Supernatural, you won't care about any of this.
Sam using his bad demon powers is squee-worthy. Holy demon smoke, batman. That look on is face and the way he moves - emo Sam has definitely grown up. I've always loved him, but now...Now words cannot describe... I love the super-concentrated angry face he made when he and Dean were trapped in the funeral home. I hated that he lied to the little boy, but the look on his face said he hated it, too. I'm torn about his powers. I don't completely see how pulling demons out while saving the innocent person is bad, but yeah, that kind of power can corrupt and be corrupted. I'm excited to see what happens next with that.
Dean's conversation with Tessa was heartbreaking. He's been through so much and I think he deserves some lessening of his guilt. He's so conflicted and angry - mainly with Sam. I loved how he went with Tessa when it was time for her to take the little boy, and the things he said. I can't help but wonder why Tessa said what she did and if its true. Dean's confused enough - knowing he was chosen and pulled out of hell with a purpose seems to be one of the things that keeps him moving forward. To have that questioned, while intriguing, is more than he needs.
And Castiel! I squeed when he showed up. I still love his character! Pamela dying was disappointing. I kept hoping she'd live. I really liked her - her dialogue always makes me laugh, especially when it comes to Sam and Dean. I loved the ass comment after she said the spell over the boys. And her making sure she told Sam what he was doing was bad. The little boy stuff was fantastic, especially the end when he went with Tessa and his mom could no longer feel his presence. *sniffle*
Overall, it was a fantastic episode. I can't wait for next week's.
That's all.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Here we go!
1. It's Friday!
2. Sleeping in!
3. A planned trip to Barnes & Noble!
4. Supernatural!
5. Friends!
6. Easy weekend plans.
7. Sam and Dean.
8. More sleeping in over the weekend.
9. Having all my admin duties done already.
10. Listening to my son learn to play the guitar.
That's it. Well. Kind of.
Behave!

Oh Happy Day...

Tonight we get a brand new episode of Supernatural!!
I know I haven't talked much about Supernatural lately. That doesn't mean my love has diminished at all.
I've been getting my fix over at Supernatural Sisters. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. I try to head over every day, though I don't get the chance to comment as much as I'd like.
Then, for more Supernatural-related fun, check out Natalie's blog and Megan's blog. They just got back from a Supernatural convention and met all kinds of cool people, including Jim Beaver and Misha Collins. How cool is that? Go and read about their adventures. They had a blast. I'm going next time.
Anyway.
I've been waiting forever for tonight. I've already informed the family that the television is under my control at 8:58. There will be total silence as I snuggle in to watch. I can't wait. I doubt I'll post a recap tomorrow, but you never know. If I don't, you can get one at Supernatural Sisters. If you care. And if you don't, I don't want to hear about it.
Tomorrow there will be much feel-gooding as the kids are off school and we get to sleep in around here. This time change is really kicking my butt - all of our butts. Getting everyone up in the morning has been a chore.
Okay. That's all.
Behave!

Answers!

No one guessed #2?
2. K4's favorite baby doll. It used to have blonde hair, but since her favorite color that week was pink, the doll had to match. Not only did she marker the hair, but she took the fantastic close-up picture, too.
Well, that's good because that wasn't the answer!! K1 was the one who used to do strange things to her baby doll's. If she had a cut, so did the baby. When she had chicken pox...(Freaked you out a little, didn't I?)
And, well, it's not #3, either.
3. A pair of pink furry slippers - brand new and just out of the box. (I wish I had a pair of pink, fuzzy slippers!!)
So, logically, the answer is #1.
1. K1's hair. Such a lovely color for a boy, and it got him suspended from work as well.
I promise, I'm not messing with everyone's head! The reason it kind of looks synthetic is because he had to strip his hair to nearly white for the pink to show - his hair is normally very dark, and there was a time when he dyed his hair every other week - the damage was starting to show. And yes, he did get suspended from work for it. And he did the dye job on Christmas Eve. Very festive!
Good guessing!
Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday

Ready?
What is this?
1. K1's hair. Such a lovely color for a boy, and it got him suspended from work as well.
2. K4's favorite baby doll. It used to have blonde hair, but since her favorite color that week was pink, the doll had to match. Not only did she marker the hair, but she took the fantastic close-up picture, too.
3. A pair of pink furry slippers - brand new and just out of the box.
Guess away.
I have a feeling this one's going to be easier than most. We'll see...
Behave!

What Happened to Monday?

Today went so fast.
And nothing interesting happened. I ran from the time I woke, until just a few minutes ago...and still no coolness...oh...except...Thanks to the store's awesome incentives, I saved $1.30 per gallon this morning. That's pretty sweet, even though it took nearly 10 minutes to fill my tank because the pumps were so slow. And it made me late. And I still don't have a coffee pot. Oh, but I did see a lawn chair cushion in the middle of the road at o'dark-thirty. Not weird enough though.
It's going to be one of those weeks around here. We have stuff nearly every night, with not a lot of down time - maybe one night. We'll see.
That's all I have. Tune in tomorrow for Tall Tale Tuesday.
Behave!

Just So You Know...

I'm done!! The whole way done...revisions complete, synopsis written, query ready. Done!! I cannot tell you what a relief it is. We'll see what happens with my brain over the next few days. As of right now, I'm so far behind with everything else...time to catch up.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

Oops. Time got away from me yesterday and I never managed to post the Feel Good Friday list. I'm sure you were all anxious with the wait. Ha!
Okay...here it is:
1. Friday - Well, I can't say that anymore since it's not Friday. Ha!
2. My CPRW meeting today.
3. Meeting my goal.
4. Being so very close to finishing the final revisions.
5. Gas points.
6. Cool neighbors that are understanding when your daughter accidentally drifts into their car.
7. It's warm out! Whoot!
8. Only 2 1/2 months until the retreat.
9. Coffee.
10. Chicken tacos.
Wow. That's a pretty lame list! ha! Blame it on spring fever. Those snowmen are going into hibernation this afternoon.
That's all.
Behave!

Mommy Meme

Stole this from Natalie.

Ask your kid(s) these questions and write them down exactly how they respond.
Okay, a lot of work went into this. Do you know how hard it is to get answers from four kids on four different schedules. Just so you know: K1 is almost 20, K2 is 17, K3 is 12.5, and K4 is 9 and they all think they're funny.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
K1: Why are you being a d.b?
K2: Do the dishes.
K3: Time to do dishes. I love you.
K4: What do you want for dinner?
There's a lot of talk about dishes...maybe if people would do them without me having to remind them...

2. What makes mom happy?
K1: Supernatural, or liquor.
K2: Getting out of the house.
K3: Stuff.
K4: Me listening.
Obviously, K3 had no idea and K2 believes I'm trapped here against my will. ha!

3. What makes mom sad?
K1: The rum is always gone. (Are you sensing the beginning of a trend?)
K2: Us laying on her when she's trying to take a nap.
K3: When you yell at her.
K4: Me not listening (Another trend)

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
K1: How we think alike.
K2: By pushing me off the couch when I'm laying on her when she's trying to take a nap. By asking me stupid questions like these.
K3: Asking weird questions.
K4: By saying weird stuff.
Apparently I say a lot of weird things.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
K1: Responsible (said while laughing behind his hand.)
K2: I don't know. I wasn't born back then.
K3: Like a child.
K4: Loud and obnoxious.

6. How old is your mom?
K1: 41
K2: 39
K3: 92
K4: 40
92? What the heck? I'm 41.

7. How tall is your mom?
K1: Mad short.
K2: Taller than me.
K3: 3"
K4: 5' something
3"?? I'm 5'2".

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
K1: Write
K2: Write and sleep.
K3: Read funny books.
K4: Be with her family.

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around?
K1: "I don't want to know"
K2: Cry. (because I'm not here with you.)
K3: It's a mystery. (said with flailing hands and "the" mystery voice.)
K4: Write and have her friends over.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
K1: Writing
K2: Writing
K3: Writing
K4: Being a comedian and writing
A comedian?

11. What is your mom really good at?
K1: Being annoying
K2: Being a mom
K3: Writing
K4: writing, but nobody's discovered her yet.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
K1: Being scary.
K2: Being a man.
K3: Making fire.
K4: Catching colds.
Being a man? I don't often try to be a man, or make fire for that fact. And I can too make fire!!

13. What does your mom do for her job?
K1: Write
K2: A Mom.
K3: Write books and talks on the phone.
K4: Write and take care of us.

14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
K1: Captain Morgans (I said he had a theme going on)
K2: Stuff that goes in your mouth.
K3: The edible kind.
K4: Chicken

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
K1: Everything
K2: That she asks me stupid questions.
K3: She writes books.
K4: She's always there for me.
K2 obviously was having some issues with the content of this.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
K1: Marge Simpson or Lois Griffin (Family Guy)
K2: Batman
K3: Potato Woman
K4: Squidward in the morning, SpongeBob in the afternoon
Potato Woman?

17. What do you and your mom do together?
K1: Watch redneck videos and laugh.
K2: Talk about random, stupid questions. We live together and we eat together and we talk together.
K3: This quiz. Cook. Eat dinner. Talk about books.
K4: See movies, go to lunch, make dinner.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
K1: In a lot of ways - same sense of humor and the way we think of strange and funny things.
K2: Uhhh...we have the same hair color and we're both girls. We're creative. She drove a truck when she was my age like me.
K3: We both like to read. We like cooking.
K4: We're both girls. We both have hair. (I think she meant the same color hair) We're in the same family. We both like to read. We both like Daddy.

19. How are you and your mom different?
K1: She's old. I'm young. She's a mom. I'm a son.
K2: I'm shorter. I'm not a mom.
K3: I'm a boy.
K4: Mom's older and doesn't go to school.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
K1: She makes fun of me and calls me names.
K2: She lets me live here.
K3: Because she says she loves me and she lets me live in the house.
K4: She tells me all the time and by the way she takes care of me.
Monkey see, monkey do...

21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
K1: The Outer Banks and the liquor store.
K2: In her dreams.
K3: Cape Hatteras.
K4: The beach.

So there you have it. K1 turned into total randomness because he thought he was too funny with the liquor comments. K2 just laughed the whole time. K3 laughed as well, and coherent answers had to be pulled from him...i.e. Come on, your sister already said that. K4 took it very seriously.

Scary stuff, huh?
Behave!

Answers!

Okay...Good guesses...
Here we go with the answers:
1. The inside of K3's mouth during a weekend scouting trip. Don't ask me. Yes. And I'm glad you didn't ask! ha!
2. Some strange coral formations in a fish tank at the aquarium at the beach. I had to crop the picture quite a bit to get it this close. Nope, but possible. I guess.
3. The healed results of K1's last accident. You remember that accident? The one that included blood, torn cartilage, and pressure bandages. No again. The main thing missing is the gauges in the ears.
I need to actively pursue some more interesting pictures! The illness train seems to have left the station. I'm keeping my fingers crossed no one else comes down with it.
That is all.
Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday

Here we go again!

What is this?

1. The inside of K3's mouth during a weekend scouting trip. Don't ask me.

2. Some strange coral formations in a fish tank at the aquarium at the beach. I had to crop the picture quite a bit to get it this close.

3. The healed results of K1's last accident. You remember that accident? The one that included blood, torn cartilage, and pressure bandages.

So there you have it.

Behave!

Monday Madness

I know I quit doing Moaning Monday, but we're going to go there today. Yes. We are.
Here's the Moaning list:
1. The flu - it's here. One kid home from school today. One kid with the cough. And I don't even want to talk about how my throat feels.
2. Putting off going to the grocery store. I should have/could have gone over the weekend, but didn't. Now I have to venture out in the freezing cold and wind. And I have to, because there is no food in my house.
3. Stupid snow. We've been so cheated this year. So cheated. I wanted more than a dusting, or an inch. Forget it now. I'm done with you snow! Do you hear me?
4. Not being able to take a nap even though I was up all night with a sick kid. What the heck is up with that? Every single time I closed my eyes, something happened - she coughed, the phone rang, the dog barked, you get the picture.
On the other hand....
Yay for meeting my monthly writing goal. And for being on my last load of laundry, and for a lot of stuff that nearly makes up for the moaning list.
That is all.
Behave!

Doing Stuff...

So last night we went to a hockey game.
My sister's boss gave her tickets and our seats were right on the ice near the goal. It was a great place to sit. We got to see lots of players smashing up against the glass. And pucks. Twice the puck came into the audience. It hit a lady the first time and broke her glasses. The second time some guy caught it before it would have smashed into his date's face. Exciting stuff. I don't normally follow hockey. I think it's impossible to watch on television. Being at a game is totally different - you're a fan and that's all there is to it.
There were many fights, including a pretty big one at the very end of the game. I thought the last one went a little too far and don't know why the refs let it go for so long. I'm not even sure what started it, but then I'm not sure what started any of the fights. I'm not sure why they break up some and let others go.
It was good to get out with other adults and be silly. We had a blast.
Then came home to a sick kid. Running a fever and coughing up a storm. Looks like a trip to the doctor is in the forecast. Her ear hurts, too. Poor baby. Today's going to be a low key, chicken soup kind of day. It snowed a little last night - not enough to get excited about, but enough to kick in my hermit-ness. And, The Lord of the Rings is on tv. That's a beautiful thing.
Behave!