2012 in Review...

January - Late 2011 in review, my take on resolutions, new Supernatural, the flu, first meeting as president of my writing group (and not passing out), jackhammers until 2am due to a broken gas line in the street out front, beach trips with the besties, Supernatural, snow!, "Dear" letters, reposts, Tall Tale Tuesdays...
February - videos from friends with good points, That Man's birthday, My sister's birthday, new projects, Supernatural, iPhone!, more sickness, taxes, Valentine's visits to K5, crappy weeks, scout events, rejections, breast cancer rears its ugly head in my family.
March - kids in car accidents, nights out with That Man, retreat planning, bad days, X-box parties, friends, sleep, dinner with friends, the weather getting better, Netflix, gnomes...
April - kids being grounded, dinner with friends, K5, Easter, waiting to hear on the breast cancer, finding out about The Hobbit movie, Supernatural, mini class reunions, retreat planning, revisions, hurting eyes, lost eyeglasses, still in love with the iPhone, psycho weather, K2's wrist surgery, French exchange students, hives, weekends alone!
May - More revisions, girls night with my sisters, promotions at the day job, Mimosas, Retreat!, kid performances, prepping for summer, missing summer vacation...
June - Shaving my head because breast cancer sucks, mammograms, zombie writing, alone time with That Man, Snippets, bald pictures, good weekends, the flu, tagged for the work in progress, kids being at camp, Summer Survival Journal, street fairs, mini-vacations, K5 turning 2!, storms, camping, birthday party for K5!
July - Camping, kayaking, Magic Mike, Summer Survival Journal, baby bluebirds, sick kitty, camp prep, wedding planning, summer camp, Hello-Goodbye dinners, planning for the beach, more summer camp, Good Night, Sweet Kitty (I still miss my kitty boy).
August - K5 and pink ice cream, baseball games, birthday parties, Eagle ceremonies, ice, revisions, silly posts, the news of new babies, wedding dates, wedding planning, the dead iPhone!, a wonderful time at the beach, getting my iPhone back, more wedding planning, sick puppies, saying goodbye to our dog :(, missing Abbie, school starting, new books, bugs.
September - baseball games, wedding planning, Dr. Who, paycheck snafu's that could have potentially screwed up the wedding, flower making, painting, planning, (this will be the theme for 2013 - just hopefully not the paycheck snafu), a beautiful wedding! - so proud of my son, wedding pictures, Farm Aid!, K5.
October - writing, organizing, K5, the Detox diet, Supernatural, post-wedding survival, lizards in the basement (I still have not seen it), kids moving out, Ren Faire!, K2 going to Rome!, dead hot water heaters, pumpkin carving with K5, a 16 year old!, K5, Frankenstorm, excited for my new grandson, birthday parties, Frankenstorm let down.
November - winning with the water heater company and getting the replacement part for free (yes, we went a long time without hot water, but we managed, and now we know we can survive the zombie apocalypse), k5, vehicle issues, last minute school projects, performing kids, baby showers, K5, November wreckage, school plays, funny kids, moving the kids, Thanksgiving with the family, Christmas trees with the scouts, Sometimes, my sister's Etsy shop, kids getting major roles in the school spring musical, looking forward to Christmas, K2 turning 21!
December - Holiday parties, a new kitty, Christmas trees, taking K5 shopping and her hysterical choices, dog fixes, stepping down as president (because I have no choice - my term limit is up) after a pretty decent year, tree decorating with the kiddos, frozen yogurt for dinner, plans for tacos for Christmas dinner, Spenser (our new kitty) getting used to us, Christmas plays with work - food and good performances, the great bedroom renovation of 2013 getting started, being tagged, Girls night with my sisters, birthday planning, crazy schedules!, The Hobbit, K4 turning 13!, Our anniversary, frustrating major gift deliveries, rat baths, good feelings, sickness, snow... (1 day left, but I don't think anything significant is going to happen...)
That was my year - or at least part of it - as I read through this, I realize I didn't post half of the stuff that happened. That sucks, and I'll try to do better in 2013. I missed a lot of Dr. Who and a lot of Supernatural, a lot of good stuff, and some of the bad, too. I also missed a lot of writing things...and some frustration...
That is all..
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Snow Edition

It's snowing! Or it was...Seems to be done now. That man and that boy are out plowing snow for pay. I miss them being here for the snow day, but it'll be a nice bonus to the family income. Anyway...
Let's get to the list, shall we?
1. Snow! Yay!
2. Sleeping for 11.5 hours. Never mind that the sleep was brought on by a fever and massive cold.
3. Christmas being so good!
4. K3 and K4 digging their Christmas presents!
5. Wedding chaos.
6. Baby Shower chaos.
7. Lord of the Rings marathon with K4. The Hobbit has renewed my love of all things LoTR. I was supposed to go see it again tonight with the birthday girl and the BFF, Misty, but this nasty cold, the lack of a snow-worthy vehicle, and the weather has forced me to stay home. Bummer.
8. Les Miserables on Tuesday!
9. Low key plans for New Year's Eve. Good plans, but quiet ones.
10. Looking forward to the new year... Year in review coming tomorrow!
Behave!

Post Christmas...

Christmas was wonderful. And yes, that feeling I posted about stayed until late evening when I realized it was time to go back to reality!
It's Thursday already. Yay for short weeks!
Today was my 2 year anniversary at the day job. Unbelievable that I've been there that long. I got a delivery of beautiful pink flowers and was thanked for my service. And it was a crazy busy day.
The snow didn't last long, but it was cool while it did. Now the wind is howling as we watch another storm roll in for the weekend. Yay! Hello, winter!
I also seem to have received K4's illness. Joy. At first I thought it was the flowers, not that I'm allergic, but smelling them constantly all day... well, I'd hoped that was why my muscles were aching, my head and throat hurt, and my sinuses filled up. Apparently not. While the flowers are now in my house (being eyed up by the cat), my symptoms have gotten worse. I feel like I've been up for four days straight - every muscle aches, my head feels detached, I'm sneezing and my nose is running.
Still...I'm doing laundry, the dishes have been washed and put away, lunches packed... and I'm done... I'm catching up on email and thinking about how to get through the day tomorrow.
This time next week, I'll be deep in baby shower / housewarming / wedding shower mode, finishing up my term as president with transferring some official documents, and it'll be 2013. Then, the official wedding planning begins. We'll be having Christmas with K5 somewhere around there, and then the new grandson arrives. Also, my adopted sister's baby girl is due any time now and I need to deliver the baby gift.
Oy! I'm going to bed...
Behave!

The Night Before...

The younger K's are in bed. (K4 on the verge of another cold. She reeks of Vick's. K3 is busy downloading music thanks to his gift card.) K1 and J are safely at their home after hanging out with us at the 'rents, hoping baby B doesn't decide to make an early appearance. (She's been having some strong contractions. He's not due for a month!) K2 and J are here, sipping adult beverages, and watching a movie with us. They're spending the night. This is their last Christmas as an unmarried couple.
Laundry is in the washer, though it'll probably stay there all day tomorrow. I have frosting, guacamole, and taco prep to do tomorrow. And a birthday present to wrap. Santa has already dropped his load because we'll be in bed soon.
It snowed! It's so beautiful outside.
My only Christmas wish is for the way I'm feeling right now to continue through tomorrow. I am happy, excited, content, peaceful, and feel loved.
I hope all of your Christmas wishes come through.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Pre-Christmas Sunday Edition

I suck as much this week as I did last week! What craziness! Friday was the earliest we managed to get home and it was almost 9pm... I only cooked dinner one night, I think. Between Scout stuff, Christmas stuff, work stuff... Yeah, well, you get the picture. It's a pretty good chance your week was similar.
Here's the good stuff...
1. Surviving.
2. After fighting, frustration, and finally having to drive to the delivery company for pick up, the kid's big gift is in house. I've been with this company for a long time, and I won't ever order from them again. (Not the delivery company, the place where I ordered the gift) (and no, I can't talk yet, it's too risky and it's a huge surprise!)
3. Celebrating 26 years of marriage with my best friend.
4. All of the presents are wrapped, the house is almost clean, laundry is almost done... I'd hoped to be done by yesterday, but it was an unreasonable goal.
5. Cooking tomorrow! We are having tacos for Christmas dinner for K4's birthday. I need to make her cupcakes - red velvet with cream cheese frosting, guacamole, cookies, and food for Christmas Eve at the 'rents.
6. Getting to see The Hobbit with the K's tonight. Great movie. I am still in love with the world. I don't think that will ever change.
7. Looking forward to tomorrow and Tuesday.
8. Snow in the forecast! Yay!
That's enough for now. We won't talk about the bad - my truck not starting, the complete obliteration of my bank account, the constant changing of plans for tomorrow and Tuesday with one of the K's, no writing done, the leak in my washing machine, the frustration of #2, having to give a rat a bath, the fact that it's nearly midnight and our bed is full of clean laundry that needs to be put away. Oy!
I hope to be back tomorrow, so I'll save my Christmas wishes for then!
Behave!

Wow! I Suck!

I will blame my lack of posts on the insanity of my current schedule!
Feel Good Friday was spent hanging out with my sisters! We had a blast! I slept in a supposedly haunted room (nothing happened), watched hookers, pimps, and some odd dude dressed in red that we named "Freakademous" and was the official "lightweight" of the evening.
There has been chorus concerts, room cleaning and switching, sick kids, new sinks, car repairs....
Christmas is kicking my ass!
I have not finished shopping yet. Okay, I've taken care of one thing each for the younger K's, one small thing for all of the kids, and one thing for That Man. And I have to take care of the shopping for work (don't know how that happened), help That Man with the Scout shopping and party prep... And we have dentist appointments, clean up Scout nights, Christmas parties, and our anniversary is Friday...
At the same time, I am in the middle of planning a party (wedding/housewarming/baby shower) for K1 and J, planning K4's 13th birthday, K2's 21st birthday get together...
Having fun though. I haven't baked a single cookie...
Even though the end of the world will happen soon... Then it's wedding planning and new babies...
Wow!
Behave!

The Next Big Thing

I was tagged by Misty Simon to do this... so here goes...

1. What is the working title of your book? Tattered
2. Where did the idea come from for the book? I am totally fascinated by what would happen if the world as we know it comes crashing down - whether it's zombies, a nuclear holocaust, or some other world-changing event. 
3. What genre is your book? Urban Fantasy with Romance
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Jensen Ackles, Jeremy Renner... For Ada - Not quite sure yet. 
5. What is the one sentence synopsis for your book? Ummm... It's about surviving in world gone haywire while trying to figure out what went wrong... See? That's not a one sentence synopsis. It's crap!
6. Will your book be self published or represented by an agent? I'll let you know...
7. How long did it take you  to write the first draft of the manuscript? I'm not that far into it.
8. With what other books would you compare this story to in your genre? I don't know yet, but I will say I hope this book stands on its own and can't be compared to anyone else's.
9. What inspired you to write this book? Lots of things - zombie shows & movies, a constant litany of "what if", a certain television show with a post nuclear storyline... and more.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? Zombie-like hordes, love (not with or between zombies), justice being served, and some awesome post destruction... 

Here's where I'm supposed to tag three people, but everyone's already done it... so...

Behave!

The Crush...

I am feeling it...
My house is a wreck, my week is stacked with all kinds of obligations, and up until a few minutes ago, I'd only taken care of a few presents for Christmas...
There is a lot to be done... Maybe not all of it has to be done, but I want it done. I'd decided earlier today that there was 5 things that had to be worked on tonight.
1. Work on K3's new temporary room. It's a wreck thanks to it's previous occupant and it's completely overwhelming. The previous occupant doesn't have time to pack up the crap, so I'm doing it because I want it done - and when I say "pack up the crap" I mean it. It's all going in the box - dirty laundry, stuff that's probably trash... everything... I have a little bit of an attitude about it, because I shouldn't have to do it. I want K3 into his temporary room before Christmas.
2. Take care of gathering the things I need to pass to my new president and deal with some chapter issues that had to be taken care of.
3. Make food for tomorrow's pot luck day.
4. Begin cleaning the dining room. The hutch drawers were overflowing with stuff we no longer needed.
5. Write.
I am happy to report that each of those things got done (well, not done, but began - which is what I wanted). Plus, dinner was started for tomorrow, the Christmas lists from the younger two have been organized, I talked to my sister about plans for Friday night's girls night. Then, I found a spectacular deal on something That Man and I have been discussing for the younger K's for Christmas and I ordered them. Whoo!
Even though I got a lot done, I'm still feeling the pressure...
One day at a time, I guess...
Behave!

Christmas Partying...

Tonight we had my day job Christmas gathering.
We met for an awesome buffet dinner in a private room with much good conversation. Then, we moved over to see a play. There's a local theater in our area - I've been there once, but not for a play. The grounds are gorgeous and the history of the estate is very intriguing. That Man got a tour of some of the cool aspects of the dinner house. We tried their world famous sticky buns, and stuffed ourselves to the gills with shrimp, salad, chicken, grilled veges, prime rib, and ice cream.
The play was fantastic. Set in the 1940's during World War II - it was full of singing, dancing, and romance. I (of course) loved it and I think everyone else did, too.
We were supposed to go for drinks afterwards, but that fell through. It's okay, because my heels were killing me like you would not believe. I'm trying to remember the last time I wore heels and I can't... My feet still hurt. The closest I get is my clogs and they're not that high. I'm glad I didn't wear the shoes loaned to me by one of my co-workers... I got a nosebleed when I put them on. Yes, they are that high. Given the rain and the fact that they're open-toed and I'd neglected to by nylons, I decided not to wear them. Thank goodness. I love me some girlie high heels though...
Anyway. It was a good night. I could use another weekend day...
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

I know it's Saturday. I tried to blog last night but kept getting an error message that there was malware attached to my site. Apologies if you stopped by and got the same message. I'm not sure how it was resolved, except that maybe the site it was telling me was affected and linked to mine got fixed. It was weird, for sure.
Anyway. Here's the list:
1. Having all of my kiddos home last night for tree decorating. We listened to "A Charlie Brown Christmas", drank eggnog, made cookies, and laughed our butts off. Spenser, our new kitty, even came down to see what all of the ruckus was about. It was special because this is the last year all of the kids will be home like this. Next year K1 and J will be decorating with my new grandson and K2 and J will be decorating their own tree. I know there will be new memories to make, but I want to hold onto this year with both hands.
2. Christmas shopping with K5. She's a hoot.
3. Starting Christmas shopping. Yay!
4. Hanging out with K4 and eating frozen yogurt for dinner.
5. My day job Christmas party tomorrow. It's going to be fun!
6. Finding my good black pants. They're a little snug, but I think it'll be okay. You have no idea how long I had to look for them. I have no idea what shirt I'm going to wear and my borrowed shoes are very very high...
7. That man and his wacky sense of humor.
8. The new kitty coming around and getting used to our family. She's even started playing.
9. Shopping plans with the kids and That Man.
10. Christmas is a little over 2 weeks away. I'm feeling the pressure, but it's a good thing. As melancholy as I am about the older two not being here Christmas morning this year, I'm looking forward to a new routine with the younger two. And K4's birthday! We're having tacos for Christmas dinner this year.
That is all!
Behave!

Answers!

Yeah, I know no one guessed... but here are the answers anyway. Just in case you can't sleep because you're wondering which are true and which are false... Ha!

1. I was accosted tonight by a nearly 200 pound sweetheart of a dog. Yes. We helped out a friend (see #3) and their Malamute and smaller dog gave that man and I our puppy fix! 
2. Made dinner out of duck, cod, and peanuts. Ummm... No. Gross!
3. Eased the mind of a 36 week pregnant woman so she wouldn't worry about their house burning down. Again. See #1. Yes. They've already had one house fire. They don't need another, especially with baby girl on the way!
4. Refereed a pillow fight between a four year old and two grown men. Yes. 
5. Nearly tripped over a rat in a ball. Yes. Rat cage cleaning night. 
6. Bought cat food for the first time in months. True, but then you knew that. 
7. Wrote. Also true! Yay me!
8. Cleaned out my truck. Not me, but it did get cleaned out. Only it's full of Boy Scout stuff now...
9. Killed a bug in my bare feet. No. I had shoes on. But I did kill a bug!
10. Tried to schedule a day for my family to all be together. True! Do you know how hard that is? Between work schedules, rehearsals, tree sale stuff, blah blah blah... I think we have it worked out though. That man and I had wanted to have a tree decorating shindig as in years past, but it's not going to happen this year. There is no time. I'm sad! I love our tree decorating parties! Hopefully we'll be able to do something to gather the friends soon...
Today has been chaos... Will explain later...
Behave!

Tall Tale Tuesday...

It's been a long time since I've done one of these...
Some of the below statements are true and some are false...
Tell me which...
1. I was accosted tonight by a nearly 200 pound sweetheart of a dog.
2. Made dinner out of duck, cod, and peanuts.
3. Eased the mind of a 36 week pregnant woman so she wouldn't worry about their house burning down. Again.
4. Refereed a pillow fight between a four year old and two grown men.
5. Nearly tripped over a rat in a ball.
6. Bought cat food for the first time in months.
7. Wrote.
8. Cleaned out my truck.
9. Killed a bug in my bare feet.
10. Tried to schedule a day for my family to all be together.
So what did I really do?
Behave!

Another Day...

I could use one to recover from the weekend! Please?
Our kitty finally came out late last night and hung out pretty much all day. She's still not ready to snuggle and is skittish, but she's coming around. I think she'll be up all night though, since she's been sleeping for a very long time now.
Here she is:

My day consisted of writing, getting the Christmas dishes into the hutch, cleaning, and then a shopping trip with my granddaughter. She's a riot. We took her shopping so she could get a present to give her mom. She wanted everything and picked the most random things for her gift - 2 bottles of glitter nail polish, a jingle bell charm bracelet, fuzzy socks with a white cuff (like Santa - which is what she said when she picked them out), and these:

Yes. They're men's shorts and they say "booty hunter" on them. We repeatedly tried to redirect her and convince her mommy would really love the Sponge Bob pants, or the Elmo Santa hat pants, or even the Grinch pants, but she was desperate for these. She finally had enough of us trying to change her mind and grabbed the pants and threw them into the cart. Any time one of us reached for them, she made that face - you know... the one that predicts a meltdown. We finally decided it was her present to give, so whatever. It was only a pair of pants. She picked her wrapping paper - Santa - and kept putting tape into the cart, conned us into a candy cane full of M&M's, and then convinced Pappy that she needed ice cream.
We got ice cream, came home, then wrapped everything with her. A lot of tape was used. A lot of tape. I loved watching her face when she saw the Christmas lights on the way home. She sang us Guns 'n Roses (Paradise City) - so stinking cute. And then very nearly fell asleep. As soon as we got to her house, she showed her mom the present and then commenced to open it, eventually letting mommy help. Too funny and this will be a new tradition for us.
I'm exhausted and need to write more...
Behave!

Saturday...

Today has been an interesting day...
First up was my writing group's annual holiday party... What a blast! Tons of food (I'm still full), much good conversation and relaxing with my friends. We do an annual gift exchange - if you bring one, you grab one - and I got a very cool holiday mug and an Amazon gift card. Nice!
I had to leave a little early because we had a very important arrival due at the house. As soon as she stops hiding, I will post a picture of our new family member - Spenser - our adopted kitty. She's seven and was reluctantly given up by a wonderful couple who had no choice. She's very pretty - a tortoise-shell calico - and I'm excited to get to know her. She's been hiding under our bed for hours now. The last time I checked on her, she came out and got a quick pet, but ran back under. I'm hoping she comes out soon.
Then, we picked out our Christmas Tree. It's still tied to the top of my truck. Maybe we'll work on it tomorrow, maybe not... But it'll be up soon. I'd wanted to have a decorating party this year, but I don't think that's going to happen. Our schedule is just too tight with the scout tree sale, kid school performances, and other obligations.
K4 and I went to see K2 at her 3rd job. A frozen yogurt place. That was the first time I'd been there and I'm  hooked. It was so good. (and took the place of my dinner since I couldn't bring myself to shove any more food into my stomach after the holiday party)
Grocery store was next - even though I was just there last night. Oy! Now laundry, contemplating getting the Christmas dishes out and set up in the hutch. And trying to figure out tomorrow's schedule... We'll have K5 for a little while tomorrow. I'm so excited to see her.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Well... It's Friday...
Tomorrow is December 1st... How weird is that?
Here's the list from this week...
1. Eating out a lot this week... One really fun night. The rest a result of laziness or due to crazy running around...While good and yummy also bad on the bank account and the way the jeans fit...
2. Sleeping in a little tomorrow...
3. Writing group holiday party tomorrow. So excited!
4. Having my gift and ingredients for my food for tomorrow!
5. K3 landing a major role in the spring musical!
6. Maybe getting my new sink (that we've had for 4 years) installed tomorrow!
7. Bedroom rearranging! While a total pain in the butt, it's also a very good thing.
8. Sleeping in... Oh, wait... I said that already...
9. 25 days until Christmas. I think I need to step it up a little...
10. Maybe getting our tree this weekend. Though who knows when we'll get it decorated. I wanted to have a little tree decorating shindig, but I'm not sure we're going to have time to make it happen... Oy! We'll see...

In other news... Stacy's Pita Chips rock my world. So does homemade hummus. There might be some kind of creature living in my basement thanks to a broken window. That man swears he saw "something" run across the floor earlier and it wasn't the lizard that I've yet to see... And the rodents are both still in their cages.

Make sure you check out my sister's Etsy page... Maybe you'll find something for someone on your Christmas list?

Behave!

Check This Out...

I'd like to welcome my very own sister to my blog for a guest spot!

She has her very own Etsy shop and is selling a whole bunch of fantastic stuff that you might like to check out and potentially buy!

Let's do a little interview so you can see that she's as weird as me...

1. Tell us a little about how your Etsy shop came to be...

      Well, after researching some items , just out of curiosity, I realized that there is a market for vintage anything!  So I decided I would open a shop and see what happened!  Now although, I have not sold very many items I am on a mission to find the item that you are looking for!

*Let me just add here that my sister and brother-in-law inherited a fantastic house from grandma! It was stuffed to the gills with great stuff and even though most of it has gone to auction, they're still finding tons of really cool things. (And my sister loves exclamation points!) Ha!

2. You love antiques... I know this... I've trekked through briers and rough terrain (in heels!) to look at antiques with you... What's the deal? It's just old stuff...why bother?

I feel that antique or vintage items have a story to tell.  I like to imagine how things were when these items were made and used.  What were the people like, how different was the area, did they ever think "wow this may be worth something someday"?

The world we live in now is centered around "disposable things"  if it breaks just replace it. The things I sell were made to withstand normal use, and come from a time where people took pride in their possessions!

3. You moved into a house full of antiques. What's the best and worst part of that?

For starters, the daunting task of deciding what to keep, what to throw away, or what to send to auction.(if I had only known what I know now!)

Finding awesome new treasures every day!

4. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Vanilla

*(Let me just add... This is one of the only areas we disagree!)

5. Favorite television show?

can I have 2??

Supernatural!!

The Walking Dead!!

*Yes, you can have two!! I'm sooo far behind on The Walking Dead!! (And apparently I love exclamation points as much as my sister!)

6. Do you have plans for the zombie apocalypse?

absolutely!! bring it on!

*We'll be there with you! 

7. Tell us about some of the good stuff that can be found on your site?

I have many unique mason jars that would make great decorative pieces, as well as completing sets for a collector.  I also have many mid-century kitchen items.  And there is much more to come!!  The research can be a bit time consuming!

8. You walk into a hall with three doors... red, green, black... which door do you go through and what's behind it?

red, a nice comfy bed.

*I should have asked what was behind the other doors. 

9. Sam or Dean?

both

*Same here! I can never choose!

10. Anything else?

Stop by and check out what I have to sell!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageGeekakc

Look at this:

Thanks to Ami for coming over to answer some stupid questions and hawk her wares! 

Check her site out if you're interested in antiques. You never know what she'll find in the attics and storage spaces on the property!!

Behave!

Sometimes...

Sometimes - a brief gathering of thoughts...
Sometimes when things don't go the way you planned them, the end result is better than what it would have originally been.
Sometimes you have to stop talking about it, stop thinking about it, and just do it.
Sometimes you want to drive your car like you can in video games. But don't do that because you will either get arrested or die. (especially if you drive like me in those games)
Sometimes the people you wish would reach out to you can't because they're struggling, too, and might need you to reach for them.
Sometimes I wish I could move to Alaska.
Sometimes it would be good if people actually listened when you explained things to them, especially when you explained it in writing - several times.
Sometimes its best to listen and not say anything.
Sometimes its hard to remember there are several sides to every story. The biggest question would be to ask yourself is it worth making yourself another side, or is it best to stay out of it?
Sometimes you have to be angry, or sad, or hurt. And Sometimes you don't.
Sometimes hope is the only thing you have left. And Sometimes hope starts to fail you and you have to run off of another strong emotion until hope comes back. Sometimes that strong emotion is just hope in disguise.
All very cryptic, huh? Not intentional. As I reread the list I realized most things could be applied to many different situations, but it's heavily influenced by my feelings on my writing career at this particular moment.
And you should still never drive in real-life like you can in video games...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Post Thanksgiving Edition

Wow....Time really got away from me... All of the holiday prep, moving, tree sale stuff, and trying to make sure there is food in this house...
Let me sum up with a list...
1. Holiday cooking. I didn't have to do much this year - a few pies and some sweet potatoes. Bob made his apple turnovers. I love being in the kitchen the night before Thanksgiving.
2. Thanksgiving with the family - we drank a little wine, ate a lot, laughed, trekked through briers to reach old buildings on my sister's property (in good clothes and heels), looked at antiques and had a blast!
3. Helping K1 & J move into their place. We're still not done, but it's mostly done. They are thrilled and we're thrilled for them.
4. The tree lighting ceremony in our town. We work it with the scouts and then always go out to dinner afterwards. We had a lot of fun, except it took K4's dinner way way too long to come and then when it did, she choked on the cheese. That was awful. (She's okay)
5. Hauling Christmas trees with the scouts this morning. It was freezing and the wind nearly knocked us down. Even though it's a lot of work, it's fun.
6. Grocery shopping with That Man.
7. Naps!
8. Short weeks at the day job.
9.  Playing video games with the K's.
10. Writing time tonight.
That is all for now!
Behave!

Dear...

Dear Son,
I am so proud of you for finding your own place to live. It's not perfect, but it is because it's yours. I am so glad my grandson will have a home that is yours to live in. It took a little longer than any of us wanted, but after we're done getting all of your stuff moved from the various places its stored, you'll be good. And before Christmas, too!

Dear Computer,
Why does a simple update mean I have to relearn all of my favorites and tool bars? You suck! All I wanted to do was update some applications...

Dear Work Week,
End already. Yesterday was brutal. Today was brutal. What in the heck is tomorrow going to be like? I hope it's quick.

Dear Child,
Do and turn your homework in before I have a nervous breakdown! Parent-teacher conferences...

Dear Work in Progress,
I need you to flow a little faster. Thanks!

Dear Holidays,
Hi! It's been a while since I've been excited about you! I'm glad you're upon us! We'll talk soon!

That's it... I'm so far behind... Must catch up and sleep before it turns into Wednesday!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Almost Sunday Edition

It can't be possible that the weekend has so few hours left! Wah! I want at least another day! Please?
To say it's been crazy would be a little bit of an understatement, but let's go through the week first...
1. Managing to stay sort of organized this week, even if I screwed up some important things I shouldn't have.
2. Completing the household administration duties and filing! (It might have been close to 2am when I finished, but it got done.)
3. Opening night for K3's play. I'm so proud of him! The cast and crew did such a fantastic job! My kid did such a fantastic job!
4. Heart to heart talks with my youngest.
5. Shopping with the kiddos - even if it was a quick lunch, then to buy new charger cables, and visit the bookstore.
6. Christmas ideas... and there were a lot of them after the bookstore visit.
7.Making sure I claimed my writing time! I have only missed one day in our 50/50 challenge!
8. Doing the grocery shopping for the week for a change. Yeah, I'll have to go back for milk and a few things I forgot, but I even managed to get my stuff for Turkey Day. I saved $68.00 and did some necessary stocking of the pantry. And I spent way less money than I do when I end up going every other day.
9. Getting to see K3's play a second time on closing night. It was just as good, if not better, than opening night. He did such a great job. And he got to go to an after party when they were done. (Picking him up at 11:30 sucked for me, but I'm glad he had such a good time. Last night they all went to Denny's and That Man did the driving duty.) I love seeing K3 in his element and hearing his excitement!
10. One more day left in the weekend. We're in that day now though... and I haven't slept... and I was up way too late last night and up far too early. And tomorrow is full, of course.
I don't know how long it'll take this house to adjust to the play being over. We've been living in chaos for the past few weeks. Constant rehearsals and the rescheduling of our regular patterns have been the norm. Of course, now we're heading into the holidays. That means the Scout tree sale, other Scout holiday community commitments, work holiday parties, shopping... Yeah, we're looking at chaos for the next 6 weeks or so... but wait... my grandson is due in 9 weeks, so...
Oy! I'm going to bed!
Behave!

Wreckage...

Every November we go through this "Season of Breakage", or "'Tis the Season to Replace All Kinds of Crap".
It's always something different, or a lot of somethings... On the very first Thanksgiving dinner we hosted, our hot water heater crapped out, the cat knocked down my brand new "good" dishes and broke half of them, and the wind caught the storm door and busted out the glass.  It's gone on from there with anything from kids putting sandwiches in the VCR, to major and really serious things like That Man's dad having a stroke Thanksgiving morning.
We always joke about it (not the stroke because that was hands down awful), but this year we seem to have started a little early...
Here's the list of carnage for 2012:
1. Water heater - fixed now, but major research, inconvenience, and information was required to fix it for only $10.
2. That man's car - flat tire. And it needs new wires.
3. My truck - Something electrical that keeps draining the battery and a bad tire. (Or 4 tires in need of replacement)
4. The dishwasher - the switch is broken. Guess who is doing dishes by hand until the part comes in? (Just ordered because it just broke over the weekend)
5. Washing machine - the switch that makes it spin is busted. Really? (This just happened tonight)
6. Microwave - The clock is on the fritz and it seems to only heat anything at half power.
7. My iPhone charging cord - I don't know if it's my phone, or the cords I keep borrowing from my sister, but I can't seem to find one that I can depend on. My original cord met with an unfortunate accident and I'm not having much luck finding a replacement. (This started last night. I borrowed a cord from my sister on Sunday. It worked great the first night, but last night I had to fight with it.)
8. K3's iPod. His LED screen is busted. We went to a repair place at the mall on Sunday they promised to call us with the price and how long it would take yesterday, but we've heard nothing yet.
9. The house computer - fried. Completely. Now K4 begs me nightly for a few minutes on mine. Homework is a no brainer. Of course it  must be done and of course I'll let them use mine for that, but the constant "Can I check Facebook" pains me. A new house computer is not in the budget at the moment - not with cars and major appliances needing repaired or replaced.
10. The light fixture at the top of the stairs.
11. The toilet tank and guts. Really? How do you break a toilet?
12. A major part on the furnace. So far we've managed to get around it, but this is probably the last year.
13. The checkbook - for the next 10 years at least.... Or so it feels.
Add to that - 90% of the light bulbs burned out over the weekend. It happens, we're near a transformer and our electrician warned us this would happen. The rat keeps breaking out of her cage because one of the connecting pieces broke off. She comes and goes as she pleases now. (I'm not even going to go into the depression that is my writing career at the moment, because trust me, you don't want to know...)
Ahh... the holidays. I am still determined to have amazing Christmas spirit and be totally into it this year, but we shall see...
No. It will be fantastic.
That is all.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition

Busy weekend!
Here's the list:
1. My niece's play Friday night. She did a fantastic job!
2. Sleeping in Saturday.
3. Writing time.
4. Playing video games with the kiddos.
5. Running around the mall with K3 this morning.
6. Baby showers for and with very good friends!
7. Having K5 from noon until a few minutes ago. I love that kid.
That's the highlights! I'm exhausted and I need to meet my 50/50 word count before bed.
Behave!

Thursday?

How did this happen? Thursday, and the downside of Thursday even? Wow.
Well... I suppose I should have something interesting to say... Or not...
Here's a brief list...
1. School projects that get left to the last minute due to student laziness / poor organization suck! Kid was warned about last minute crap (a million times) and project commenced to creation last night. Due today. And of course, the lesson that should have been learned about quality and last minute prep was not learned. The project turned out awesome (even if I still have green and silver nail polish all over me). Awesome enough that her teacher asked to keep the props we made at almost 11pm last night. *Sigh* (But yay for good presentations!)
2. Some people should not breed. 'nuff said.
3. Hot showers rock my world.
4. Writing time also rocks my world.
5. I missed Supernatural this week thanks to #1. I'm sad. But I will catch up.
6. Kids who love being in the play and have been researching performing arts schools are also very awesome... If only that kid had super rich parents... *sigh*
That is all for now. Feel Good Friday might be late as we will be attending my nieces play tomorrow night...
Behave!

Tuesday is Better...

Than Monday.
And here's why:
1. We have hot water again! Whoo! (They wanted to charge me $20. to guarantee the part would be here today. I refused, and guess what? The part was here today... hmmm)
2. I voted. I hope you did to. (That's as political as I get. Voting is your right and privilege!)
3. The funky karaoke going on in my house when I got home.
4. Taking a walk with That Man.
5. Hot water.
That's enough for Tuesday. I'm wiped out and still need to write.
Behave!

Stupid Monday...

I hate this Monday.
That is all.
Behave...

Dear...

Dear Election,
Can it just be Tuesday already? I am sick to death of the phone calls, Facebook, Twitter posts, and commercials. I'm irritated and cannot wait until you are over.
Just remember to vote, folks!

Dear Hot Water Heater Part,
Get here already, please.
Thank you.

Dear WIP,
Thank you for filling my head with ideas and making me giddy with excitement over you.

Dear 100-year old House,
Please stop breaking. Let us get things fixed before something else falls apart, please.
We can't do it all at once!

Dear Vehicles,
Two flat tires and a dead battery in one weekend? Really?
Thanks for nothing!

Dear Grocery Store,
Why are you always out of the things I need to buy? This is the second week in a row and I'm not a happy camper!

Dear Neighbors,
Why are you so stinking loud all of the time?

Dear Rum,
Why are you always gone? LOL

That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Well... Friday is here again. It was a weird week, and it's November already! Geeze!
Here's the list:
1. Writing meeting tomorrow. Looking forward to it, though it's my last official meeting as president. I look upon that with mixed feelings.
2. The laughter coming from my living room right now. I'm cranky, but that I don't mind.
3. Doing enough research to be able to convince the company that made our hot water heater to send the replacement for our faulty part for free. Go me.
4. Being warm.
5. The storm not being as devastating here as it was other places. I feel bad for other areas.
6. Sleeping in a little tomorrow.
7. A K5 visit on the horizon.
8. Writing time. I'm holding my own in our 50/50 challenge, though my counts haven't been as high as I would like.
9. That man doing the grocery shopping.
10. And planning tomorrow night's dinner.
That is all for now.
Behave!

Post Storm

The storm didn't hit us as hard as expected. I'm home for a few more minutes, then will be heading to the day job.
We never lost power. My folks did, and they braved the wind to come over and hang out with us to watch a movie.
The wind was kind of interesting. I thought we were going to lose trees, but aside from a few sticks down, nothing fell. There's a lot of flooding though, but we're not in a flood zone.
Ah...well... maybe next time.
Behave!

Prepping...

Apparently there's a hell of a storm heading for us.
Okay, not apparently. There is.
We've done our version of storm prep around here - made sure nothing would go flying from the backyard, cleaned up the basement just in case we have to hunker down for the potential tornado threat. Put a little gas in the vehicles, and decided who is driving which tomorrow.
School is closed for tomorrow. Work is not. That Man, if he has to go, will have a very busy day if there's storm damage. They're calling for some bad stuff, but the city he works in is right next to the river and is already under a state of emergency.
Whatever, I say. Bring it. We've done all we can to prepare. We have batteries (because we always do) and candles. We can cook and heat if the power goes out. My laundry is almost caught up.The dishes are done. Groceries are in the pantry. (The weekly grocery trip was interesting!)
Now I'm going to write...
Behave!

Live Blogging the Birthday...

There are many teenagers in my living room. The Xbox is very loud.
Overheard:
"Good for you for understanding that with your second grade education"
"This wouldn't be a good cup if this was a real skull. The fluid would leak out all over your hand."
"I regularly use a cat tail to stir my drinks." (I dunno. We don't  have a cat.)
"You know eating too much cheese will make you constipated."
"Isn't that like the presidential thing or is it the graduation one?"
"I want that to be played at my funeral."
Also, random singing, my sister's dog is wearing a sweatshirt, too many empty pizza boxes, a 3# bag of Swedish Fish demolished, and several 2-liter soda bottles.
Except for K1, J, & K2 I am the only adult in the house. (And since they're participating in the conversation in the living room, I feel very alone right now)
I did make his requested birthday cake - pumpkin spice. It turned out great and was super easy. I used a carrot cake mix, a can of pumpkin pie filling, and 1/3 cup of water. I made cream cheese frosting, too.
The family will descend upon us in a few hours and there will be even more chaos.
The kid is having a really good day so far!
That is all...for now.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Another Friday! These weeks go way too fast!
Here's my list:
1. Sleeping in tomorrow!
2. My baby boy turning 16 tomorrow! How in the heck did that happen? Watch out, folks. In a few weeks, (or sooner) there will be a new driver on the sidewalks!
3. A horde of teenagers in the afternoon, then the family here tomorrow night. (I'm going to need an adult beverage - or six - for sure!)
4. Getting the kid the good things from his list. And finding out where most of our Christmas shopping will be done in the process!
5. Overnight guests. K1 and J are hanging here this weekend to help with the party stuff and eat all of our food (kidding - sorta).
6. The Frankenstorm! I love it! And maybe I will prepare for it. Maybe.
7. Being set up to work the day job from home, if necessary. Gotta love it!
8. My new grandson being in his last trimester of incubation! I can't wait to meet him!
9. Getting to spend time with K5 this week. She is a hoot and I love her so much!
10. Even though my house is a mess, we still have no hot water, and I have mega company arriving tomorrow, I feel very settled and peaceful. That's got to count for something, right?
Behave!

Pumpkins...

At our house...
Pictures (hopefully) to follow.
K1 - absent due to a stomach virus.
K2 - she made a monster. This monster took up my whole dining room table. It was gross and messy and I was not happy, but the carving was so cool.
K3 - Insisted on a big pumpkin. Whatever. He carved it, poked the pieces back in, and then proceeded to practice knife throwing at the pumpkin... I am confused...
K4 - Still uncarved. She's waiting for her decal. The one Dad is printing for her.
K5 - We carved, colored, carved, and tried to feed the carved pumpkin apple slices. (The pumpkin did not like) She yelled at her pumpkin for not eating the apple, scribbled on it, and then gave me her little one to keep.
We had a blast on pumpkin carving day!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Made it to Friday!
We lost our hot water heater this week. The verdict is still out on whether it's the cheap part or the expensive part. Obviously, I'm hoping for the cheap part. I could totally be a pioneer woman, or able to survive the zombie apocalypse. Boiling water on the stove for baths, carting that crap up the stairs to fill the tub. Fun stuff... not!
Let's get to the list, shall we?
1. My kid arriving home safely from her trip to Rome, Italy, and France. Lucky kid. She had a blast, but we missed her around here.
2. K3 getting a chance to take a break. He's been working so hard with school, practicing like a maniac for the school play and chorus, helping with stage crew, and doing scouts that he hasn't had two seconds to relax. They were off school today and he got to sleep in, play video games, and rest.
3. The fact that neither kid balked at the idea of taking a bath and carting water up the stairs.
4. Not having to go to the grocery store or run errands after work tonight. I actually managed to plan ahead and had dinner in the crock pot for tonight. Maybe I'll get around to eating soon.
5. Getting a chance to have dinner with the besties this week. We had to reschedule once because of me, but we managed to make it work. I miss them a whole lot and I miss the time we could spend the entire day together.
6. Sleeping in tomorrow.
7. Hopefully getting to see K5 this weekend.
8. K3 turns 16 in one week! How weird is that?
9. Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is also weird. I usually don't!
10. Writing time!
That is all. My kid is home and I can't wait to hug her!
Behave!

Fun Stuff...

Today the crew went to the Ren Faire for my niece's 21st birthday. 20 of us in 5 cars and all super excited. That man and I hadn't been since K2 was 3 or 4 (we used to go several times a season). K3 had only been once with school, and K4 had never been there. I was so excited for them to go and thrilled that they loved it so much.
The kids took off to spend their money with instructions to meet us at the jail at a specific time so we could decide on lunch. Most of us walked around, checking stuff out, tasting wine, drinking hot mulled wine, or having beer for breakfast, (but just one, because it was expensive!) and laughing hysterically. We ended up changing the meeting place to the mud pit since the show was starting. That was very funny.
Then we moved on to lunch. Food costs weren't too bad. Sure, I spent a little more than fast food, but less than a sit down restaurant. That man and K3 ate turkey legs. Holy crap, they were huge! K4 had pizza and half of my perogies. I had perogies and then a gyro. So good.
K3, K4, and I got sidetracked by one of the musical performances, but we eventually met up with everyone again. More walking. More wine tasting. More shop visiting. Ended up following some awesome music and staying for the show...then buying a cd and getting it signed. K4 loved it because the band had a violin lead who was so super fantastic! When she got the cd signed, the violinist encouraged her to visit her website and check out the sheet music and forums after she found out K4 also plays the violin. So cool. K4 was thrilled.
We caught more music, met up with most everyone at the pub, did a little more walking around, watched the pirate auction, went to some more shops, tasted some more wine, met up at the pub again. Then decided we were done in... it was cold, though most of us have sunburned faces. K4 was falling asleep on the bench, That man's knees were killing him, and a few others were hurting, too. A quick stop at the wine / gift shop for one last wine tasting / tshirt and wine purchasing, then a random group picture (though some of our group had already left due to pain), mayhem trying to get out of the parking lot...met up at the 'rents for hanging out and cake. Pizza first, talking, laughing... then birthday cake (my s-i-l makes the best cake ever!). More hanging out... then home.
So tired, but such a great day!! My love for the Ren Faire has been reignited. I can't wait to go back and my whole family feels the same way!
And, I did my words for the writing challenge! Whoo!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Hey! It's Friday!
Here's the list:
1. Friday!
2. Ren Faire tomorrow! Yay! I'm so excited!
3. That man and I trying our hand at Pumpkin Martini's. First one = :(. I'm slowly, slowly choking it down. 3/4 more to go. Then we try a different mix. Who knew they had pumpkin vodka?
4. Sleeping in a little tomorrow.
5. Writing every day this week!
6. Loving the new book.
7. The weather. I need to get my warmer clothes out now.
8. My kid getting on a plane to Rome! She's terrifically excited and pretty scared, too. Not only is this her first time in an airplane ever, but she's flying International, and she's alone. She meets up with J as soon as the plane lands. Then, they're off to Paris. (J is studying in Rome this semester.) What a fantastic experience for her!
9. Hanging with the K's (and J - not the Rome J, but the new daughter J.)
10. Dinner with the besties coming up!
That's all for now... I think I need to dump this martini and try again...
Behave!

The Case of the Disappearing Post...

Hrm... I wrote a post yesterday. I published it. It's gone now. The only thing left is a saved post in my archives with only a title.
How weird is that?
I'm not going to try to recreate it. Just know that it was brilliant and thought-provoking! Ha ha!
Anyway... moving on.
It's been a pretty decent weekend around here. Writing meeting was awesome and so was lunch afterwards! Lunch is often my favorite part because I get to hang with my peeps to talk business, family, and laugh. And eat. We tried a different place for lunch and it worked out well, so I think we might go back. It's hard for me to believe my term as president is nearing its end. I have one more official chapter meeting to run, two board meetings, and anything that comes up with the chapter for the next 2 months and that's it. I have two years to sit out before I can become a board member again, and that's weird for me. I've been on the board for the past nine years - four as librarian (no term limit), four as vice president, and one year as president. I'm going to miss it, for sure, but I'm kind of looking forward to the break. We'll have a mostly new board though, so I'll still be very involved while they get up and running and learn their jobs.
Got a call as the meeting closed...then a text: THERE'S A LIZARD IN OUR BASEMENT.
All I know is that he's brown and is under the washing machine. I haven't seen him and K3 only saw his tail. K4 tried to catch him, but he was too fast. Okay then. As long as he's eating spiders, I'm good with him being down there, but I really would like to see him.
Came home from the meeting and had to run out to pick up K4's friend. This was the first time this friend has been at our house and I'd put a few limits on the visit, just in case. It worked out well. The kid is just like my kid and they had a blast. My ears were bleeding by the time she went home though. A few hours of constant laughing and talking by pre-teen girls will do that do you.
Today was a whole bunch of  house related things, cooking, shopping, visiting That man's mom as she recovers from some heart related issues and regains her strength in a short term rehab center. Oh and I took a nap, caught up on Dr. Who, read a book, balanced the check book, cleaned out my truck, cleaned the kitchen (twice), talked to all of my kids, but unfortunately I did not get to see K5 as planned. Now I'm opening the wip and will write as many words as possible before I crash for the night.
And tomorrow is Monday. Again.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Hello, Friday!
I've missed you!
I know it's only been a week since we were together last, but it was a long week. I'm glad you're here.
Want to hear the list from this week? Too bad if you don't. It's my blog and I'll make lists if I want. Ha!
1. Friday! duh!
2. Sleeping in a little tomorrow. Just a little.
3. Writing meeting tomorrow! Yay! It seems like forever!
4. Rain in the forecast! I love a rainy weekend!
5. Chicken broccoli alfredo for dinner. Even though I cooked when I didn't want to. It was worth it.
6. Meeting my monthly goal. Even with the wedding.
7. Comfy pants and my favorite sweatshirt!
8. Standing up for my friends when they're being bullied. I'll never take it back!
9. Getting to watch Firefly, The Walking Dead, and Supernatural this week!
10. The fire in my backyard! It's time to go sit by it with that man and have some bonding time!
Behave!

Dear Supernatural People,

It's been a while. I know. I'd apologize for that, but last season was just so... I don't know... Not normal. Good, but not my Supernatural. I'd go into it, but let's not.
Let's face forward and stay that way...
So... Last night... Loved it! Loved Dean coming back from purgatory and stressing out the campers. Loved the subplot with the vampire (and loved the vamp, too... oy! his voice!) (Interested to find out what they did down there and what happens next with Dean and the vampire! And where is Cass?) And Sam! His hair! Oy! That's some good hair! And Wow! Why is Dean being such a bitch to Sam about quitting? Didn't Dean do the same thing after Sam fell into the pit with Lucifer? Anyway - I think we'll hear more on that later, because... the cabin? Why did Sam go there to begin with? And why didn't he take his new dog?
Kevin! I love Kevin! (There are a lot of ! in this post!) What a smart kid! And sarcastic, too. I can't wait to see how his character develops this season.
Crowley has always been one of my favorites. (He has that voice, too) Love his desperation and total frustration with Kevin, Sam, and Dean.
I need to watch this episode again, but let me sum up by saying... This episode has restored my utter and true love of my very favorite show! I am so looking forward to this season! I'm going to have to adjust to Wednesday nights, but for me, Wednesdays are way better than Friday!
I will keep you posted!
Behave!

Detox...

This past week, That Man and I decided to jumpstart getting back on track with our healthy eating program by doing a week long detox. We'd both put on a few pounds - thanks to the wedding and simple not watching what we eat. I'm still not where I want to be yet, so I was ready...
Here's how it went:
Wednesday: Day 1: Fruit all day. It was recommended to eat watermelon and cantaloupe to maximize potential flushing. Black coffee was okay on this program, so I coffee'd it up in the morning. I did okay during the day - ate half a cantaloupe and over a quarter of a big watermelon. Drank a ton of water - which I do anyway. Got home looking forward to the rest of my melons only to find the house full of all children, including the newly married ones. All over for dinner - which turned out to be frozen pizza, and they'd helped themselves to my dinner, leaving That Man and I almost none. I was cranky, tired, had an enormous headache, and was starving. Truthfully, I caved and had one minuscule bit of pizza (not even a half of a quarter small slice) and I felt very guilty. I managed to pull myself together, eat some mandarin oranges, and went to bed far earlier than normal.
Thursday: Day 2: Veges all day. Down 3 pounds. Yay! Woke up sore, tired, cranky, and still with the enormous headache. The program called for a baked potato with a pat of butter for breakfast. A baked potato never tasted so good. Then, carrots, snow peas, more carrots. Did okay during the day. Came home starved, but not as bad as day one. Sucky vege stir fry for dinner (cooked with no oil and one too many hot peppers). I choked it down, trying to concentrate on other things so I didn't notice. Didn't cheat at all today. Hurting though. Went to bed far earlier than normal.
Friday: Day 3: Fruit and Veges all day. Down 2.2 more pounds. Yay! Woke up tired, headachey, not as cranky. A few cups of coffee and I was feeling more energetic than I had since forever. Braindead, though. Hyper - the coffee probably had something to do with that. Made the recommended soup the program calls for and ate like crazy. We did "fall off the wagon" so to speak and had a few adult beverages in the evening. To bed hours earlier than my usual Friday night.
Saturday: Day 4: Bananas and milk. Down .4 more pounds. Okay! Woke up excited for bananas after sleeping in. A banana, and a glass of coconut almond milk for breakfast. (The plan called for up to 8 bananas and 3 glasses of milk) Had no coffee. Should have. Shaky. Managed to do everything I had to, including nap. Ate the soup for lunch. Tried to eat it for dinner, but couldn't do it. Choked down 6 bananas and all of the milk. Bananas suck. So does the soup, but not really craving anything else. Made an awesome meatloaf and put it in the crockpot overnight. To bed early again.
Sunday: Day 5: Meat and 6 tomatoes. Gain of 1.4 pounds. Pissed about weight gain like you would not believe. I mean, I barely ate Saturday. Slept in, woke up excited about meat. Ate meatloaf for breakfast and two tomatoes. Stomach full, but feel like something is missing. Supposed to drink extra water, but it's hard to get in. Urine was supposed to be clear today. That didn't happen until late. More meatloaf for lunch and dinner. Tomatoes all day. To bed early again.Hurting, headache, but not as bad.
Monday: Day 6: Beef and veges: As much beef and veges as you want. Loss of .2 pounds from last weigh in where I lost. Still pissed and ready to quit, but don't. 2 cups of coffee. Tons of water. Carrots for breakfast. Leftover meatloaf for lunch. Pot roast with veges for dinner - didn't eat much. Stayed up later. Weird night sleeping.
Tuesday: Day 7: Last Day! Meat, fruit juice, brown rice, and veges. Loss of 2 pounds from Tuesday. Glad it's the last day and proud of myself for making it through. Feeling good - inside and out. No headaches, no aches and pains. I have energy and my jeans fit much better. Oj for breakfast, the rest of the soup on top of brown rice for lunch - only choked down half of that. Oj and carrots for a snack. Fish, coucous, and zuchini (is that spelled right?) for dinner. Coucous isn't brown rice, but it's a whole grain. To bed at our usual pre-detox time.
Today - First day off - Showed a gain this morning, but have chalked it up to the excess of sodium yesterday. The coucous had more than we should have had (didn't think about that until later) and we had a snack of green olives later. Celebratory dinner tonight of awesome sandwiches, low fat chips, and I had my first diet soda since last Tuesday. I feel like I could vomit, but I'm happy. (I don't think I will weigh myself tomorrow)
In all I lost 7.6 pounds. I feel good. I'm back on track for my goal, have lost all of the weight I gained from the wedding insanity and a little extra. My goal is reachable and I am prepared to tackled it and maintain the healthy eating  I remembered how to do this past week.
Most of the women in my office are now on this plan. They've just finished day two and the mood is mixed. Two of the women are doing well, though one has cheated several times already (she's still losing though). One is struggling because she can't eat certain things the plan calls for and she's frustrated.Another woman is pregnant and is following along with the additions of protein and logical choices for her baby. I plan to stay on it with them during the rest of the week in solidarity. And we planned our next office potluck today, which helped the general mood - that and the gift card the new downstairs tenants gave us for the total disruption of our parking spaces.
So there you have it. Questions?
Behave!

What Am I Doing?

Well, lots of stuff...
1. Writing - My new books is set in a world without green. No living trees. No grass. Nothing grows, or has grown for a long time. The water is full of toxins. The food stores are running out. The heroine is a ranger and she doesn't even have a name yet. At this point, the hero is kind of a jackass. He is nameless, too. I'm still feeling my way around and not sure yet if it's going to be in first or third person. I'm digging it.
2. Organizing. I'm so sick of my house. I want to rip the side off and kick everything into the yard. Rooms need to be cleaned, painted, things disposed of.
3. Helping. My kid bought a place that's in need of some serious repair. Serious repair. We spent some time this weekend ripping out drywall and pulling nails. There is so much more to be done.
4. Getting in Nana time. I got to see K5 twice this weekend. She is so smart and cute.
5. Planning. Birthday parties, baby showers, weddings, other things... There's a lot in a short amount of time.
That's some of it. Most of it's good stuff, though tiring.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

Hello Weekend!
Here's my list:
1. Sleeping in this morning!
2. Movie night - The Avengers. I loved it!
3. Seeing K5 later today.
4. K4 auditioning for and making Special Chorus.
5. The weather!
6. Writing! I got a lot done this week and will keep the momentum up this weekend.
7. Naps. I will be having one today.
8. Gearing up for K2's wedding planning.
9. Getting stuff done.
10. Hanging out with the kiddos. First day in a long time...
That is all. We are off to the mega mart for stuff and then homework will be done, writing will commence, and naps will be taken.
Behave!

Wow...Now That Was Crazy Fun!

I thought I was going to have a quiet Saturday... The boys went on a scout trip and K4 and I were going to have a quiet "jammie day" - naps, movies, and junk food. She and K2 were off doing girl things Friday night, which was the first alteration to the weekend. (We were supposed to take care of headphone returning and junk food purchasing) But that was okay. I got caught up on a bunch of stuff and goofed off. Around midnight, I got a call from my sister... Did I want to go to Farm Aid the next day? Our very good friend wasn't sure she was feeling up to going and, if she wasn't better by morning, graciously offered me her ticket at a reduced rate.
Of course I said yes. I mean, Farm Aid? Willie Nelson (who doesn't love Willie?), Jack Johnson (love), Dave Matthews (love), Kenny Chesney (also love, what can I say, I'm a country girl at heart), John Mellencamp, ALO, and a couple of new bands to me.
I end up talking to my sister until about 1am to discuss the potential of the previously purchased tickets being displaced. Panic ensued. We wouldn't know for sure until morning, so I finally went to bed. Slept in a little, but not as much as I'd planned.
Wait. Write. Start laundry. Drink a ton of coffee. Wait. Write.
Finally, my brother-in-law calls. We're in. Tickets are not lost. Bff is not able to go (as much as I wish she could have been there, I appreciate her so much!). I panic. I've never been to anything like this before. My concert going experience has been limited to a State Fair performance by Reba McEntire before she got hugely famous, Hank Williams, Jr, Willie Nelson, and Garth Brooks (told you I'm a country girl at heart).
I make sure K2's available to hang out with K4 all day. Shower. Grab a sweatshirt, my debit card, and we're off. We park, run into someone we haven't seen since my b-i-l's first band. That's odd, but not uncommon. Finally start walking in and see John Mellencamp in the back of a passing golf cart. We wave, he waves back. Fan girl squee moment. We check out the exhibits, then go to find out seats. It's early and there's hardly anyone else there.(I'm going to shorten this for space)
The bands start. Lukas Nelson - he was awesome and has his dad's voice. ALO! Grace Potter and the Nocturnals! That was incredible! Finally Jack Johnson came on! Oh, how I love Jack! He was brilliant and funny! Kenny was up next and he put on and fantastic show. Loved it! Then...Dave Matthews! I love Dave Matthews as much as I love Jack Johnson. Dave Matthews! Squee! (by this time, I'm over the top...I've seen three of my favorite musicians!) Then John Mellencamp. I love him. I grew up with Jack and Diane. He put on a good show, but he doesn't sing much anymore. Don't hate me, but I'm not a big Neil Young fan. Sure, I like some of his songs, just none of the ones he played. We missed Willie!
We were under the impression the venue closed at 11pm - all music ceased or big fines were amassed. Apparently that wasn't the case. From what we heard Willie started close to 11:30. Dang.
In any event, it was a lot of fun. I'm glad I went!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...On Saturday

It's been a while since I posted a Feel Good Friday! I know it's Saturday, but I was so done in last night all I could do was stare at the computer screen...
All Friday's are Feel Good, as I'm sure you know! The last couple have been especially good (though chaotic)!
But here's the Feel Good from this week:
1. Sleeping in this morning. Ahh!
2. My kid getting a role in the Fall Play!
3. Plans for my nieces birthday! Ren Faire! Yay!
4. Coffee with pumpkin spice creamer.
5. Getting somewhat caught up.
6. Writing time! Yay!
7. Not running out of gas.
8. Wedding pictures.
9. Fall! Yay! I love fall.
10. Potential plans for today... About 10 minutes until I find out for sure!
That is all...
Behave!

One More...

Wedding picture, then I promise I'll stop for a little while.

This is the cake table conceptualized by my very talented sister. The lace tablecloth is an heirloom in That Man's family. The table is an antique and the plates are in an old explosives box. This is a very good example of using what you have on hand. Lucky for us, my sister and brother-in-law inherited his grandmother's house - with an attic full of treasures. Also, lucky for us, our good friends own a red tent thingy. We kept all sides on during the ceremony and dinner portion of the day, leaving the back on for the actual cutting. It was an awesome contrast.
Here's one with the cake:

The cake was insanely good and filled with raspberry awesomeness. My sister-in-law makes the best cakes in the world - they not only look pretty, but they taste just as good. (We had a little problem with the pillars, which caused an emergency cake cutting, but it was all good) And yes, the cake topper is rubber ducks.
We're still dragging around here though - made worse by the fact that That Man's mother was admitted to the hospital yesterday after a fall. (It never ends). She's doing okay now, but That Man didn't get home until almost 4am.
And... as predicted... the wedding ideas for K2 are being tossed around like crazy. I dig the wedding planning though... my sister, a friend, and I were talking about going into the business...Only problem is that weekend working stuff...
Behave!

Beautiful Day...

The wedding is over... The weather was gorgeous. The bride was stunning. My handsome son could not stop smiling. I cried. So did that man. It was just so beautiful and my kid is so happy.
Everything came together fantastically. (Yes, that's a hand painted sign to guide guests to the site). The decorations looked great, even the portajohn was decorated and pretty.
See: 
We had a blast! The music was awesome, so was the food. There were very few glitches despite us running around like crazy fools all morning. We had a time schedule and ended up a half an hour behind at one point. Thanks to some awesome friends, we suddenly found ourselves finished and in plenty of time. The bridal party was running a little late and there were some hair glitches that meant they were about 15 minutes behind start time, but it all worked out. We danced like fools, laughed like lunatics, and stayed up until 3am.
Then... we had to clean up on Sunday! Oy! We learned a lot of things during this whole process, one of the things was to find volunteers for help with clean up. There was a whole lot of work involved and cleaning up was definitely not as fun as setting up. By the time we got home, I could barely walk (especially since I dropped a really heavy mirror on my toe).
And... We will have our first grandson in January. :)
Behave!

Less Than Two Days...

This wedding will be over soon, so just be patient with me for the next few days! The wedding insanity will end for a little while (but not for long, since K2's wedding is coming!).
Here's where I'm at:
The food for rehearsal has been purchased and stored properly. Cole Slaw has been made. Burgers and dogs are stored in my freezer. The "watermelon cake" K1 requested is 1/3 done (it takes time and many trips to the freezer). The food for the wedding has been purchased. The sauce for baked ziti has been made (mine is the "special sauce" ziti). Five hundred thousand muffins have been made for the wedding morning (okay, so I exaggerate, but I have learned my oven is very uneven and burns half of whatever you put inside. Dammit!)
Many other things have been purchased and organized. The veil (that was kind of forgotten about) has been made by a wonderful friend. Some other things need to be taken care of.  Like my dress. Still have no idea on that one. My sister has taken care of hers, but sadly, I wasn't able to join her in the shopping for the dresses tonight. I did, however, get to bond with the terrific toddler of the Godfather of our children while we picked up wedding essentials. She's so funny. I taught her how to snore and she showed me the deer in their backyard. And made me miss my granddaughter a whole lot.
The other thing is that... at two days before the wedding... my hair has gone crazy. It's only about a half an inch long, but it's sticking up like crazy! I can't comb it down at all. So I will look like the insane mother of the groom at the wedding with my nutso hair and without a dress I feel comfortable in. Oy! (Sorry... little freak out moment there...)
There is a whole heck of a lot of stuff to do... I am supposed to be editing the vows right now, but it's super late and after the day job day I had today, my eyes are crossing (that and the fact that I didn't get home until almost 9, and then made all of the above food items with K2 and K3 singing songs from Disney and Rent in the background...)
I have to get the rest of the stuff done tomorrow... like the flowers for the flower girl and ring bearer and the wedding dog... (don't ask). And pack. And finish the watermelon cake. And go to a meeting I can't get out of. And find a dress...because Friday is rehearsal day and decorating day...
And it's going to be awesome!
Because watching my son marry the woman of his heart is priceless....
Behave!

The Tuesday Before...

I have a few quick minutes to update before I have to head out the door for more wedding preparations.
The food consumption containers have been purchased. Necessary flowers also purchased - now they need to be put together.
There's food to purchased and cook. And some other stuff to be taken care of, though I don't have my list in front of me.
And I need a dress since my only real choice was veto'd due to potential clashing and the fact that I really didn't like it.
My sister needs one now, too, since she caught hers on fire. For real. Don't ask. I'm not sure you want to know.
Anyway.
That is all for now.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition

I know it's Sunday...Friday was 2 days ago? I think!
It's been nuts! But I do have a list...
1. This time next week this wedding will be over. I'll probably be a little sad, because I love the chaos and planning and doing, but I'm so tired... Pulling a wedding together - even one as very small as this - in less than a month is a lot.
2. Being covered in paint, having blisters, sores, and a bruise on my arm - because it means we made some serious progress over the weekend. (and a spider bite between my toes)
3. Waking up to coffee with pumpkin spice creamer, the best pillow ever, and an incredible view.
4. Finding my phone charger after it grew legs last night.
5. Hanging out with some of the best people I know. (Well... not really hanging out... wedding planning)
6. Maybe finding out what my new grandchild will be tomorrow. They're not sure if they're going to tell me or make me wait until Saturday!
7. That man cooking an awesome dinner while I was painting, and going to the store with me because I was too tired to go alone.
8. Seeing how gorgeous my girls look in their bridesmaid/groomsman dresses. (K2 will be one of her brothers groomsmen. His best man is a woman who's been his best friend since kindergarten. I think it's awesome.)
9. Hammering out the schedule for the weekend.
10. Sleep.
Okay. There it is... Updates will be sketchy at best this week. I might have pictures soon!
Behave!

What Day Is It??

One week from today...
There is still SO freaking much to do! And thanks to a little paycheck snafu, I am dead in the water at the moment. Blarg!
As soon as my laundry is caught up, I will be heading into the wilds to work on decorations, flowers, plans. I've made some of the boutonnieres. They turned out well. And the throw bouquet. It's cute and the bride loves it. I've never done this kind of flower thing before, but I'm digging it. As it turns out, it's a good thing I like it, because K2 informed me that I will be doing it for her wedding, too. (though she waited to tell me until after the first few boutonnieres were made. Guess she wanted to make sure I could actually do it! ha!)
I forgot the flowers for the bridesmaids and thanks to the above, I can't pick them up on my way to the mountain. I need to pick them up though and a hundred other things, so will have to work out a plan.
This next week will be insane! I even have an itinerary started just to make sure I can get everything done!
But I'm looking forward to it! I love this kind of chaos and I love the fact that my son is marrying the woman of his heart. She's wonderful and fits in perfectly with this family.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

I don't care that this will say it posted Saturday... It's still Friday for me. I'm still awake!!
Here's the list...
1. Baseball games. It was fun. I still didn't win the 40" flatscreen, but... It was K3's first baseball game of the season and he was excited. K3 and K4 entertained everyone around us with their antics, and we were told how funny they are. (None of those people have to live here... just sayin' lol)
2. Friday! AND it's a long weekend!! YAY!!
3. Writing meeting tomorrow!
4. Wedding stuff - even though it's kicking my butt!
5. Weekend plans!
6. The turkey sub or maybe stromboli in my future...
7. Writing time this weekend.
8. Getting caught up on stuff.
9. My kids and that man - they are so danged funny and so much fun to hang out with.
10. Dr. Who coming back this weekend! Yay!!!
That is all...
Behave!

Bugs and Stuff...

Last night we were at the grocery store - late. As I was leaving to meet that man at the car, there was a group of guys standing around an empty shopping cart looking at something. Of course, being the nosy person I am, I had to stop and look. And take a couple of pictures.
See that huge Praying Mantis?
Very cool!! I hadn't seen one all year!
******
In other news... wedding planning is... Well... It's exciting. For both weddings. The one that's only 2.5 weeks away is a little stressful. There's a lot to do and very little time and money to work with. We had another wedding meeting tonight and made some major progress. I had a little too much coffee (but it was so good!) and forgot my trusty notebook, but we're in good shape.
******
My new grandbaby is growing. In less than 2 weeks, I'll know if I'll have another granddaughter or a first grandson.
******
The new wip - It's coming. I'm thinking. And I'm very excited!
******
That is all!
Behave!

And So It Begins...

School has officially started. The kids had good days, though I did hear "I don't feel good" as soon as I walked into the door. Oy. I hope it's not going to be one of those years... I have finished the 17 metric tons of paperwork I'm required to fill out, taken a much needed walk with that man, and have opened a brand new word document.
New book... SQUEEE!
First lines: There is no green anywhere.
The tree in front of the outpost is dead, its leaves dried and brown, though they still cling to the branches. Pretending. That's what most people do now. They pretend we aren't running out of food and starving to death. That people are killing each other for canned goods with no labels. That they didn't eat their family pet just to survive. 
All of that will probably change. I'm just trying to get the idea down. I don't even know the heroines name yet, though I did figure out she's some kind of cop.
Also, let me just tell you that wedding planning is an absolute joy. Not. Copious amounts of adult beverages are going to be required if I'm going to come through this with even a quarter of a brain. It's literally like herding cats, or jello, or fleas, or something equally inattentive. And it's 2 weekends away.
Maybe I'm foolish for starting a new book before this wedding is over, but I think it's the only thing that's going to keep my sane...
That is all for now.
Behave!

School Starts Tomorrow...

The mood in my house is a mix of dread and excitement.
Backpacks are loaded with new pencils, paper, and folders. New sneakers, socks, underwear, and various other items have been purchased. We didn't do the full load of school shopping, but will take care of jeans, more shirts, etc, over the next few weeks.
7th and 10th grade...
Wow!
I'm excited for them. I'm excited for the routine, though I'm not quite ready for summer to end. Our summer has been mostly crappy with the loss of both of our beloved pets and some other stuff I won't get into. We have had some fun though. Camping, an extended July 4th camping trip, our 4.5 gorgeous days at the beach, hanging out in the backyard, wedding planning x2, hanging with the family, random crazy happenstances.
AND! Tomorrow I am starting a brand new book! That's some awesome awesomeness right there!
Fall is coming. I love fall! So much! I love sweatshirts, comfy pants, fires, pumpkin spice candles, baking, comfort food, pumpkins....and new books! Whoot!
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

There isn't a lot of good to this week... I miss my puppy so much. Our house is sad and quiet. Her dishes are gone, so is her bed. Her "babies" are in the washing machine to be claimed by K3 & K4 as reminders of their best friend. The fire sirens went off a little while ago and that man and I looked at each other - someone's got to make sure the dog is in because she'll howl. But no. We don't. She won't be "singing" along with the sirens anymore.
So... in honor of our very special family member. Here is Feel Good Friday - Abbie Style...
1. Our Abbie was the Safety Dog. Any time the kids were doing something she thought was unsafe, she would freak out. Whether she barked, pestered me, or tried to block them... she was on duty. One time, we took her to the beach. She was upset that the older three were in the water splashing around. She wouldn't stop whining and bugging me. K4 decided she was ready to go into the ocean and as I picked K4 up to take her into the waves, Abbie knocked me down and stood between me and K4. She did not want her baby in the water.
2. When she was a puppy she used to crawl on top of the open dishwasher door. It was so, so cute.
3. She wasn't allowed on the couch. She was always on the couch when we weren't looking.
4. She could "high five", "speak", and "shake". When my sister got her dog we were forbidden to teach Nezzie how to shake.
5. When K5 first started walking, Abbie was terrified of her. She would back away while still assuming a submissive position. She never snarled or growled, but she was scared of this tiny walking thing...
6. Our yard isn't completely fenced in and until recently, we never had to worry about it. She never left. Occasionally she'd go down to visit That man's mother (who lives right behind us and has had her share of Abbie duty while we're away). A few times she'd go trash can diving because the garbage smelled too good too resist, but not often. Then she began wandering... (The vet said the toxins in her brain made her think weird things which is why we had to track her down lately)
7. She loved the creek and camping... Which is why we buried her in The Meadow. Any time she even thought we were going to either my sister's house or the creek, she was in the truck... waiting. And she wouldn't get out no matter what. She loved my sister's dog and my sister's family (they were here when we brought her home and she thought they were hers too.)
And... I can't do this anymore....
I miss her more than I can even say. She was my girl. She was my buddy and my friend....
Rest in Peace...
Behave...

Goodbye...

Today we had to say goodbye to our puppy, Abbie. She wasn't a puppy. She was going on 12, but she was my puppy - my baby.
She'd been declining pretty rapidly over the past month. The vet said her liver failed. She had a mass and her liver was no longer working. The toxins had built up in her poor body and she was suffering. She said they could give her fluids and let us take her home, but she felt that was cruel. Abbie was in pain.
I seriously hoped she had some kind of strange infection and that after a few antibiotics she'd be fine.
I was wrong. The vet said there was nothing we could have done differently, nothing we did wrong. It happens. She was old and there is no rhyme or reason for these kind of things.
I was with her when she died - holding her, sobbing into her soft black fur. The vet assured me she was ready and that she could tell by her eyes that she adored us.
The vet carried her to my truck, hugged me, and said no charge for the visit. I really love our vet, except... we now have no animals to take there anymore... (2 beloved pets in less than a month is a little much, don't you think?)
We brought her home and took her to her favorite place for burial. She's at The Meadow, watching over everything.
I will miss you, my sweet girl. So much.

Behave...

Halfway...

Halfway through the week...
Tomorrow is Thursday! Good. That means we're closer to Friday. Though this weekend will be stocking up on school supplies, buying sneakers, undies, and school crap for the big day on Monday.
K3 is excited. K4 is angry.
This summer has gone fast! Too fast! We've had some good stuff, but mostly, it's been drudgery and nonsense.
I am so looking forward to fall. So much. And... I think I might even be looking forward to Christmas. (don't faint - we will see)
That is all...
Behave!

The Real World...

Sucks...
And here's why...
1. Monday. Really? Do you have to be so "typical"?
2. Laundry does not do itself.
3. I forgot to buy half of the stuff I needed to make dinner tonight... (still turned out pretty good)
4. Wedding planning is a p.i.t.a. Just saying...
5. I need a vacation to recover from my vacation - and it was a short one.
The good things about today:
1. Writing time.
2. The rain.
3. A cozy, comfortable evening at home with no outside obligations.
4. Comfy pants.
5. Being able to sleep in my bed.
That is all...
Behave!