Pages

Friday, January 31, 2014

Feel Good Friday

Yay for Friday!
Here's the list:
1. Writing meeting tomorrow! I can't stay long at all, but I'm looking forward to going for a little while.
2. K1 & J finding an apartment closer to us and closer to K1's work. Moving day is Saturday!
3. Next Saturday's author event! (More on this later)
4. Receiving wonderful comments on my book!
5. Making progress.
6. Flocking a Friend order forms. K3's school is doing this. You send in a donation and they will flamingo your friend's yard. Wait for it...
7. K3 meeting his financial requirement for the musical. I wasn't worried, but it was a little chaotic trying to get everyone's break a leg lines.
8. Coffee!
Eh! That's all I have right now!
Behave!

Puppy - Week Two

Elsa's getting so big!
She's gained over 5# since we brought her home! She's starting to follow commands (except come - we're working on it). Now she can go up and down the stairs, but can't quite get on the couch.
The biting is still an issue, but it will be for a little while, and then it'll be an issue again in a few months. If we say "ow" or make a bark noise, she backs off. It's something for now.
Currently, she is pestering the cat. Spenser does not appreciate Elsa's interest. At the same time, she seems to purposefully tease the dog - swishing her tail at the puppy's level, slowly cruising through the room...
Yesterday was kind of a rough day. Baby B was here. Elsa was great with him, but really biting me and snarling at me. I think it was a combination of jealousy, being overwhelmed, and feeding off of my anxiety that she was going to get too rambunctious with the baby. Then, she peed in the toybox - all over the little people. I cut my thumb while trying to rush to get dinner going since both babies were sleeping. Not bad enough for stitches, but in a bad place and bad enough that it won't stop bleeding and I still had to wash all of the peed upon little people and the toy box. By the time That Man got home, I was fried. And we still had a meeting to attend which we were taking Baby B with us so K1 & J could take care of some things.
I was in bed and completely sacked hours before normal.
Behave!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Dear...

Dear Facebook -
When I tell you I don't want to see a post because maybe it's a video where the static screen makes me want to vomit, or maybe I've seen a picture over a hundred times already, whey the heck do you keep bringing it back? Now it's slightly grayed out, but I still don't want to see it. Is it because I didn't take your stupid survey? Last time I took your survey, you totally screwed up my news feed. If someone is my friend, I want to see their posts. Period.

Dear Cold -
Stop already! I have a new puppy who has to go out frequently. Neither of us like you right now. Also, my truck does not like you and shows its unhappiness by refusing to create heat. That's not cool. I'm not blaming the truck, Cold, I'm blaming you!

Dear Elsa -
You're beautiful and I love you, but the puppy biting needs to stop. Also, the puddle of pee I stepped in this morning does not make me thrilled. I understand you are a baby and I'm not mad, just wet. Tomorrow is two weeks since you came home. It seems like longer. You've gained almost 5 lbs and change every day. You can't stand to be away from any of us and cry when we walk out of the room. Currently, you are sleeping behind me on a dining room chair. What's going to happen when you're at your full weight?

Dear Deer -
STOP running into That Man's vehicles! Seriously! His car isn't even two weeks old and you had to dent the fender, crack the grill, and break the mirror? You are jerks! You do this to him all of the time! Does he have a target on him or something? Leave him alone!

Dear Dryer -
Really? Why are you making that noise? I can't replace you right now and I'm afraid to use you!

Dear Mother Nature -
If you're bringing snow, you'd better bring it good! We've dealt with your cold for too long. You owe us an awesome snowstorm!

Dear Luck -
I think it's time for a change. Don't you?

Behave!

Monday, January 27, 2014

Kicking Butt...

Way back when I first started this blog, I used to say how much I loved Monday! Then, I didn't. For a long time. But now... For right now... I really think Monday is my day! I have kicked total ass today!
Everyone was up and out the door on time! That's a first in over a week around here.
Elsa has not had one accident in the house in two days. Today she began telling me when she needed to go out. Progress!
Job hunting this morning. The resumes sent nearly reach 100. Maybe more. I'm becoming desperate and discouraged. And depressed. I am waiting to hear about two positions, but too afraid to get my hopes up. As much as I would love to be able to stay home and run this house, we absolutely need a second paycheck. I need a job. Immediately.
I met a good friend and fellow author for breakfast today. After making everyone in my local restaurant raise their eyebrows because I was having breakfast with a man that wasn't my husband, (the looks I got. I was very amused! K3 used to work there, so a lot of folks know us) we came back here to write and have puppy time. (When I told That Man about breakfast, he laughed. I'm sure he'll hear something about it from the folks at the diner. LOL)
I kicked total ass.
I only have about 30 pages to edit before I'm ready to submit again. That means I did almost 200 pages today! Awesome! Then! New writing!
I made a fantastic curry dinner. Chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, peppers, onions, and lots of garlic. I had to get "big bertha" (our biggest cooking vessel) out, and there was not much left. AND it was low fat, low carb, and low calorie. Can't beat that with a stick!
It's supposed to be stupid, really stupid, cold tomorrow. There's a chance school will be delayed. I kind of hope for that. A few schools in our area have already delayed. It'll be another hour or so until we get a call if they delay tonight. *Fingers crossed*
Though there isn't much sleeping in right now. That puppy needs to go out early because she can't hold it very long and when she's up, she's in crazy puppy (baby elephant) mode for a little while so by the time she takes a nap, I'm too hyped up on caffeine to even think about going back to sleep. (And think about taking a puppy out in the subzero temps. Not fun at all!!) Which is fine in a lot of ways. I get more done that way. But I'm exhausted every night.
School just called. We're on a delay! I think it's time for an adult beverage! Yippee!
Behave!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

It Has Begun...Again

It's been several years since this flamingo has been around. I think it needed a vacation after its last appearance at the beach.
Imagine my surprise when I went out to start the 'burban and see this wired to my wiper blade - hanging out there so anyone driving by could see and wonder why the heck its there. I died laughing (which probably also made people wonder).
I texted my sister and brother-in-law telling them that I think we have a situation. My sister knew but isn't the one who wired it there. My brother-in-law, however, agreed that we are in the middle of a situation. Ha!
The last time this bird was out we were at the beach. It showed up everywhere - beds, the washing machine, showers, hot tub, pool, in cars, in the elevator. We never knew where it would appear, but it always did.
Now that it's back and in my possession, it's up to me to figure out where it should go next. I'm thinking really hard about that and will let you know what I come up with.
Behave!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

I'm not sure what happened to Friday... Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I agreed to watch my one year old grandson. With a new puppy. Not sure what I was thinking there. It wasn't the easiest, but luckily K3 was home and could help with either taking the puppy out, or watching Baby B while I did.
Anyways. Here's the list:
1. Picking up the van. Only on the way home from the shop, the tire blew. Changing a tire in the super freezing cold is not fun. That Man did it, but I stayed out of the nice warm car in solidarity.
2. Kids who go shopping together and have a blast.
3. My daughter's brand new red hair and the fact that I didn't screw it up. And that she paid for it.
4. Girl's weekend. She got a haircut, we window shopped, hair dye shopped, and ordered pizza for dinner.
5. The baby gate now installed on the stairs. Elsa can go up, but cannot come down yet. The bar stools we had as a barrier were ineffective since she kept getting tangled in them. She is currently offended by the gate.
6. Elsa doing great while we were gone. I was worried. We haven't left her for more than 15 minutes since she came home.
7. Finding out my book was mentioned on a USA Today list! Whoot!
8. First reader feedback and it was awesome!
9. Another prospective employer. The position sounds awesome!
10. Baby B and Elsa together. I tried to take a video, but they both move too fast. It's adorable. Trust me.
That's all for now!
Behave!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Puppy - Week One

We've had a whole week with Elsa!
Look at how big she's getting! Gained two pounds and some inches!
The biting is still an issue, but this will pass. She's done well the past two days, even with Baby B here. Potty training is going well, too! She can now go up the stairs, but not down. A trip for baby gates is in our immediate future. We needed them for Baby B anyway, though we've been successful at blocking off the living room in a way he can't escape.
Baby B and Elsa are so adorable together! Elsa must look at him as a sibling and Baby B copies her movements. When Elsa puts her paw up, he puts his arm up. Too stinking cute!
Other than that -
It's Thursday. The kids were supposed to go back to school today, but all three of us woke with a splitting headache and nausea. The headache was so bad that even with pain reliever on board, it hurt to move or find a comfortable place for my head. The second dose helped more and I was able to grudgingly leave the house for a grocery store run. My tire was very very low and I had to put air in it or face changing a flat. No gloves and the stupid machine was frozen so it took a long time to warm up enough to actually kick on the compressor to give me air. I was so very cold!
Job interview yesterday. When I parked, I ended up sliding into the pile of plowed snow. I think I looked like a stupid jerk as I slid and spun before sticking the 'burban in four wheel drive. Ugh! I am very hopeful for this position though. I thought the interview went well. I liked everyone I met and I'm excited about the position. Fingers crossed!
That is all.
Behave!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Snow Day!

We ended up with about 4" here! Not enough in my book. Not enough at all! I love the snow. I don't, however, love the fact that the windchill is supposed to be -15 in the morning. What kind of crap is that? (Yes, negative fifteen degrees!) It's already ugly here. They closed my sister's mountain and there are no cars driving on the road in front of my house. There hasn't been for hours. It's kind of cool! It's also super cool that That Man is not out plowing snow tonight!
I have a new puppy to potty and the extreme cold is not going to go over well! It was hard enough today, though Elsa loves the snow! She does not like the cold. See how perfect she fits with me? And she is so stinking cute!
Anyway.
Today was kind of weird. I job hunted. A lot! Had another spam job offer which I reported to the company the woman claimed she worked for. No way she worked for them and no way she was legit. Hell, she offered me $500.00 to go to the store for her until she returns from Canada. Seriously? I did not answer her.
I took care of the puppy and made dinner. That's pretty much it. No laundry. No writing. No checking the list of stuff I have to do...
Tried to take a nap, but as soon as I settled in Elsa woke. She's in the psychotic biting phase all puppies go through. I know this will pass. I know she's exhibiting normal puppy behavior. It's making me crazy. I did see much improvement once I gave her the bath poofy to play with. (She has a ton of toys, but the bath poofy was "different".)
I did make awesome stromboli's for dinner. Actually, That Man and I made them and they were only awesome because he went to the store on his way home from work because someone ate almost all of the ham I had previously purchased...
We're already under a two hour delay for school tomorrow. I will not be surprised if we're closed. It's going to be colder than a few weeks ago when they cancelled school for the extreme cold, and, we have snow, blowing snow, to deal with as well. I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon, so it better be at least decent by the time I have to leave.
That's it....
Behave!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Release Day!

Today is release day!
I'm excited!
Behave!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Weekend Wrap Up...

Technically, the K's and I have one more day off to enjoy, but since it's Sunday...
Our weekend has been pretty darned good. Friday night That Man and I went to pick up his new (used) car. He found a VW Jetta - diesel - which he has always wanted. The price was awesome and it was too good of a deal with pass up. It's a cool little car. I've yet to drive it though. He loves it and is so happy! We had lots of company to see Elsa and homemade subs for dinner (Just J and I. No one else was hungry). K3 had a school dance and had a blast. The teenagers went to the local smoothie place to hang out after K3 returned, which was good and a lot of fun for them. Baby B was back and his momma and I hung out and talked a lot, which was also good and fun. My sister stopped by, too. S ended up spending the night since it was past our state's driving curfew for the under 18 set. It was snowing, so That Man had to leave to plow and salt. We were up way late (2am), and then I was up way early (6am) with the puppy and to make sure S got on the road to work. That Man didn't get home until almost 8 am. We napped several times Saturday.
We took Elsa with us to run the title for the clown car to our mechanic friend who will be junking the car for us. Their big dog was not too sure about this little squirmy thing and tried to eat her tail. (He wasn't mean, just worrisome and he didn't hurt her at all.) Their little old terrier loved Elsa. A little "too much". Oy. He was funny though and Elsa had fun running around and playing with him. When we returned home K1, J, and Baby B were here. So was my niece's boyfriend / K3's best friend, J (we have a lot of J's in this family). S came over after work and so did her parents. Our neighbor and her son stopped over, too. We had an awesome dinner of fish with mango salsa and guacamole, rice, and two different vegetables - dairy and fat free and vegan friendly, which S and K3 appreciated. The mango salsa and guac were awesome and didn't last long.
We watched movies, played with Elsa, had a few adult beverages, talked, and had a blast.
Today was similar. That Man got up with Elsa. Nice! I slept until a little after 8! That Man ran some errands while I played with the baby and tried to bring up the checkbook / take care of emails. Shortly after he returned, my folks stopped by to meet their new grand dog. That was nice and we had a good time visiting. We then hit the grocery store leaving the K's in charge of Elsa. They did a great job making sure she was properly pottied and loved. After that, we met K1 and J to pick up Baby B so they could go look at a potential new home. Baby B was a riot. He's so stinking cute with his waving and love of Elsa. If he doesn't want her near, he'll push her away. My brother-in-law's mom stopped by (honorary grandparent to my kids and very awesome lady) to drop off a "break a leg" line for K3's musical and to meet Elsa.
I really wanted to take a nap, but that didn't happen. We made chili, but That Man accidentally put too much hot sauce in it and as much as I love hot sauce, it was too much for me. Now we're hanging - watching stupid TV and laughing at the puppy.
Tomorrow I hope to sleep in at least a little. And IT'S RELEASE DAY!! YAY!!  I will also look for jobs, write, clean, do laundry, and prepare for a night out with the BFF's.
I'll be on The Whole Shebang site tomorrow. Come over and see!
Behave!

Friday, January 17, 2014

Feel Good Friday - The New Puppy Edition

Elsa is home!
She's adjusting pretty well - some moments of crying and being scared of everything, but for the most part she's making herself at home! She slept with K4 last night and did reasonably well. K4 said she woke about every hour - licked her face and then tried to find a comfy spot to sleep. We'd taken a blanket to her a few weeks ago so it'd smell like her momma and siblings when we brought her home. It seems to have been a good idea because she's dragging that blankie everywhere.
Potty training is going well. We had a teeny accident this morning, but that's it. She slept in her crate for a few minutes yesterday, but that's the only time she's been inside. I changed my plans today so I could be here with her. It's like having a newborn though. I'm not getting much done. She's very interested in my fingers as I type, but right now she's napping in the dining room. (I had to run the vacuum in the living room and it scared her into the dining room, where she crashed on her bed. I don't have the heart to wake her.)

So anyway... Here's the Feel Good Friday list...
1. See above. Obviously.
2. Release date on Monday!
3. Spending a lot of the day yesterday with K2. She went with me to pick up Elsa. It was really nice to just hang and talk.
4. Chinese food for dinner last night. It's been a while since we've had such a treat. It was so good and wonderful not to cook for a change.
5. Weekend plans - or lack thereof. We cleared our calendar so we would be home with Elsa. For the most part. We have a few errands to run, but no major plans. We'll have visitors at varying times - family and friends who want to meet Elsa and that's great!
6. Interviews and networking. My fingers are crossed!
7. Baby B. He came over to meet his new sibling last night. We want to make sure they're together as much as possible so Baby B isn't scared of her and Elsa is conditioned to a baby. Baby B was a riot. He would crawl away fast, look back and Elsa and make a noise like he wanted her to chase him. It won't be long until that happens. Baby B is so much fun. He gave me big sloppy kisses, spent a lot of time trying to figure out Pappy's beard and dumping cheerios on the living room floor (hence the vacuuming).
8. K2 coming over today for lunch. We've been trying to get together for weeks now. We'd planned lunch at the beginning of the week, and then this morning I bailed on her because of the puppy. Now she's bringing lunch over. Nice.
9. Dinner with the BFF's soon!
10. Even though I still have Christmas decorations to put away, I feel like I'm getting stuff done. That's a good thing.
That's all for now!
Behave!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Available for Pre-Order!



Launch day is 1/20, but you can pre-order your copy at a 20% discount now!

Go here!

I hope you do and I hope you love it!

Also, I've added a comment box at the bottom of this page. Feel free to hit me up with questions!

Thanks so much for your support!

Behave!


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Of Bad Customer Service...

Since, apparently, I am not allowed to post a review regarding my recent experiences on the website of the company I ordered the kid's Christmas presents from, you get my rant. No, I'm not going to name the company names, but I need to get this off of my chest.
I've told you most of the experience - a long wait to talk to a very nice woman at the post office who gave me all of the information I needed and advised me of what steps I would need to take to resolve the issue (She was very nice and so helpful), long distance phone calls to New York to speak to a disgruntled and uncaring post office manager who acted like I was the lowest common denominator, multiple emails to the overseas seller to advise them they shipped to the wrong address, only to have it argued by them, and finally speaking to the company whose website I placed the order on (after 30 minutes on hold) and feeling like things were going to be okay only to have them refund my money. They then told me to reorder my items, except now they're more expensive.
More emails - me asking why my money was refunded when I specifically asked for my order. The seller telling me I agreed to the refund. The company blaming the seller. The seller blaming the company. No resolution from either, except the company did offer me a coupon - only I couldn't use it to reorder the items. What?
So, I wrote a review. I didn't name call, I wasn't mean, I was honest and simply explained my experience.
My return email from the seller was that it was the companies fault, but that they were sorry my money was refunded when I only wanted my product. No apology for the initial screw up on their part where the goods I paid for were delivered free of charge to some dude in Brooklyn. And I spoke to the same customer service rep I had been emailing with from the beginning.
I received an email from the company telling me my review breached their policies and that they made the decision to refund my money because the items shipped from overseas and it would take a while to receive. But I could reorder if I still needed the items. What kind of sense does that make?
I let it sit for a little while as I gathered my thoughts. When I responded I was polite, but to the point. I asked how an honest review of my experience was against policy? (Noting that the other negative reviews posted by other people had been taken down) I told her they're lack of caring of my situation, their zero attempt to make things right, and their refusal to allow my review really proved that they cared more about their reputation and the reputation of their seller than their customers and that I would never be ordering from them again.
But, damn, I'm still mad.
Of course, they haven't responded. They probably won't. I don't care. I don't want anything from them. The only thing I did want was my product and good customer service. As a former customer service agent, I am appalled and angry. I would never treat my customers this way. Maybe that's what has me most upset. I was damned good at what I did. I worked hard to make sure each of my customers felt like they were my favorite and, for the most part, it was successful. (Ha! A little psyche eval there!)
Anyway.
>steps off soapbox<
/rant
Behave!
Updated to add: I just received a response to my email. It said nothing. They are sorry I was unhappy, but not sorry they didn't provide better service. Argh!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Just Because....


Here's Elsa snuggling on my shoulder.

Isn't she cute?

About two weeks until she comes home!

To say we're excited would be an understatement.

That is all.

Behave!

Kicking Butt on a Monday

I know... Weird, huh?
After a totally crappy night of sleep, I had to drag myself out of bed. But I did, even though there is some kind of bug going around this house that has affected all of us. Not horrible enough to keep That Man home, but awful enough to keep both kids home. After discovering K3 had gone back to bed after his shower and could barely open his eyes due to the pain in his head, I went to wake K4. Same thing. Dang.
Made the required phone calls, poured and drank coffee, started laundry, found something to make for dinner in the freezer and pulled that out, answered a few emails, checked the bank, talked to That Man, checked the fire...
Then, it was on to galleys. Done and sent back. Then, 3rd round edits. Also done and sent back. After that, job search time. A half-dozen or more resumes sent. Spoke on the phone with two prospective employers - one I am very very excited about. *Fingers Crossed*
And it's still so early in the day!
Don't worry, I have a "to do" list a mile long, which includes finishing clearing out the Christmas decorations, scrubbing floors, more laundry, blah... I'll get some writing time in there, too. And maybe a nap. Yes. Definitely.
Oh... One week until For the Love of Isaac comes out! Wait for it! Also, I will be with my writing group at a local greenhouse in February. Info on that coming soon!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Weekend End...

Baby B's birthday party went off without a hitch. The house was full of people, food, and presents. Baby B's grandma from up north made the trip to see him, which was cool. She doesn't get to see him often, so it was good to see them together. He loved his presents, and his cake. Then he crashed since he'd refused to take a nap before the party started.
Of course, we had to run towards the end of the party - leaving most of the guests behind. Some went with us to K3's midyear performance for school. (Unfortunately, rescheduled for the same day) It was awesome! Those kids are so talented.
Earlier in the day, we headed up to see our new baby, Elsa. She's bigger and such a love. She snuggled up into my neck and just settled in. Two weeks until we can bring her home.
Today we found a sensational deal on what we'd originally ordered the kids for Christmas. Better price and better product. That Man and I went out to get them, not telling the kids what we were doing. They were very surprised and pleased when we returned. Even though it was a frustrating disappointment, it turned out well. Thank goodness.
Other than that, today was rest day. That Man and I took a walk, made dinner, I worked on galleys, and took a nap, but other than that...
And tomorrow is Monday again. Blah.
Behave!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Feel Good Friday

Okay... This week = Mostly Suck. I'm going to try to put a good spin on it though...
1. Being recovered from the flu. Forget the fact that I felt like hell most of the week and the flu probably cost me a chance at two jobs. (Going to interviews with the flu sucks!)
2. Getting a chance to see my sister at work! Forget the fact that the visit resulted in me losing my tooth. Stupid old root canal work. I thought I was just getting my temporary crown fixed, but no. Though I will admit I love going into my sister's work.
3. Friends who know how to work on computers! Because the kid's homework computer died. (The one we just got a year ago!) I pray it can be fixed. They both need it for homework.
4. Getting my money back for the kid's Christmas present. Even though that's not what I asked for and now the same product is $20.00 more. Not happy. Have expressed my dislike, but not getting any resolution. Will never order from this company again.
5. This should be number 1, but today is my grandson's birthday. Big One today! Oy! He is so adorable and such a great joy!
6. We're going to see Elsa tomorrow! We're taking a blanket so when she comes home she will have familiar smells. We're also taking some toys for the babies and some food for the momma. Really we're only going up to see our baby.
7. Big One Year old birthday party here tomorrow. Yes, we're hosting. It was easier for K1 & J's guests and we really don't mind. Though we have to leave mid-party for K3's mid-year performance for school. We're taking half of the party with us, but we won't be gone long.
8. Random phone calls I was too smart to answer. Some people are not competent enough to function in the real world. I feel sorry for them, but I'm not dumb enough to get involved.
9. I will admit that I did love our schedule this week. Delays 3 out of 5 days. School cancelled one day, and our utter lateness meaning our own delay one day.
10. Everyone in this house pulling together to get everything straightened and done for tomorrow's party. Nice work, family!
11. Rocking my phone interview today. I was on my game and feel really good about it!
Also... final line edits, second and third round edits, promo stuff, upcoming events....
That is all...
Behave!!

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Lost...

I have no idea what day it is...
So that cold I mentioned on Sunday... well, turns out it's the flu. Yay me! I'm on day 5 - doing better today, but still not right. I spent a lot of time on the couch today - in between editing, setting up job interviews, and moaning. It's been a long week. Monday night and Tuesday morning, I dragged my sorry butt to job interviews. I have no idea how I think they went. My head hurt so badly on Monday, I could barely focus, but I was glad I went.
Yesterday it was extremely cold here. So cold they closed schools yesterday and delayed them today. Yeah, ridiculously cold. Temps are supposed to be on the rise now. Hopefully.
And...
Our new puppy's name is... Elsa.
She's a princess from Frozen (which I haven't seen yet, but K4 has). After holding her, it really suits her. We did do it the fair way though - each of us chose two names and we put them in a hat. I think her name was meant to be Elsa, because obviously that's what was picked! Still 3 weeks until we can pick her up and it's killing us!
That's all for now. I have to moan some more.
Behave!

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Weekend Wrapup...

Look at this face!!
 Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?
Meet our new baby! She is still without a  name, but we're working on it!
We went to see her yesterday and instantly fell in love. She's four weeks old right now, and we have until the end of the month until we can bring her home.
The people we're getting her from are awesome! They spend a lot of time with the puppies (fourteen of them - all with homes), calling them their new names, loving them, holding them. She'll be very socialized when we get her, which is a good thing. Their other dogs are very well trained and lovable.
We're all in love. (Yes, I know I said that already). K4 was holding her and she snuggled in against her neck and went to sleep. She's just... so sweet and such a lovey.
I know we'll have days... days that make me wonder why we decided to add to our family. I know there will be frustrations, training snafu's, chewed up and destroyed things.
We've been talking and reading a lot about training and consistency. She's not our first dog, but we know there are things we could have done better with Abbie, and there are things specific to her mixed breed that will be different.
So, now we wait and gather what we'll need to take care of her.
And I go back to nursing this horrific cold that slammed me against the wall yesterday and hasn't stopped making me want to crawl under the covers and cry.
That is all...
Behave!

Friday, January 03, 2014

Feel Good Friday!

As promised... There is a Feel Good side to this Friday...

1. Things are narrowed down now. Apparently the issue is with the shipper, despite everything I was told. The woman from the Consumer Affairs division of the post office has advised me that the package was addressed to someone completely different in New York. She has a scan of the label. I have emailed the shipper to tell them what is going on and demand they send our order the quickest way possible...Hopefully my years working with international companies will help me get this resolved quickly. I have used my best and most urgent customer service email skills. This will be resolved in my favor come hell or high water - especially considering I am the one spending the money!!

2. The snow was shoveled and cars cleaned off (by me, considering the illness in this house). My errands were finished and my sense of cabin fever was kind of eliminated. Kind of.

3. We had an emergency guest through the snow. My niece. It was a good call in more ways than one. She was safe from traversing the mountain to get to The Wilds, and she and K4 had some awesome hangout time. She is a real joy to have around and I'm glad she decided to be safe with us.

4. Writing meeting tomorrow! I have missed my people! I can't go to lunch, which makes me sad, but not considering our alternate plans. (more on that later) I have met my goals, which is awesome.

5. Meeting our new baby girl tomorrow! We get to see our puppy tomorrow! We get to hold her and bond with her and we are so very very excited!! She still has no name, but hopefully after tomorrow we can figure out what she will be called.

6. I have two valid job interviews next week. I have my fingers crossed that someone sees me for the value I have to give and actually hires me.

7. The illness seems to be mostly benign. It didn't get worse. It's gotten slightly better. We're still on eggshells that it's not going to crush us all.

8. Making progress with my edits. I don't think I know what I'm doing most of the time... but I am loving things.

9. Seventeen days until my book is released! Yay!

That is all.
Behave!

Friday Frustrations...

This is post one for this Friday. Post two will be Feel Good Friday!
But so far this morning I am totally frustrated / irritated / blah...

1. I'm trying to track down the kids' main Christmas presents. The ones I ordered a month ago. They were delivered. To New York. I have a case number with the post office and have spoke to the supervisor of the post office responsible for the wrong delivery. All I get from that guy is a run around - there are so many packages to be delivered, the driver can't remember where he dropped it, it had the wrong address on it - all bullshit. He also said he'd left me a message that they didn't know where my package was. Bullcrap. He didn't and he knows it. He also knows it was addressed correctly and that his driver didn't care. I caught him in that lie, but he still doesn't care. I called Consumer Affairs, but you have to leave a message with your case number. I left a message with the seller to please forward me a copy of the shipping label so I can prove to the post office that it wasn't wrongly addressed. (The seller has been okay through all this, but then, they already have my money - what do they really care?)

Argh! The thing is, I spent good money on the items. Good money that as of right now, I might as well have peed away. My kids have lost. I have lost my excitement at the prospect of their gifts because I know I'm never going to see them, and will probably not get my money back either. I am angry and frustrated. I want resolution and am not getting any.

2. Job searching. This morning I got an email from a company I applied to a month ago. He said they'd reviewed my resume and decided to hire me - without interview, reference checks... He'd gave me a weekly figure and said he was out of town, but we'd do the interview process, w2, etc, upon his return, though there were a few errands he needed me to run for him next week. He'd send me funds, including my pay. His email was full of errors - badly worded sentences, sentences that made no sense, logistics that made no sense. I had a bad feeling right away. I googled his name and company and on the first page, everything seems legit. So, I dug a little deeper, because who hires someone without an interview, or at least a telephone interview? And, of course, as is my luck, it's a scam. He sends you the money - which you then deposit and withdrawal - only the check is no good, so you're screwed. I know statistically I'm going to get a few of these due to how widely I am applying for work, but it's so frustrating. Why can't I just find a decent job?

3. Snow. Yes, I do love it. Very much. But I have things to do today. That Man "borrowed" our snow shovel (yes, we only have one right now) for his snowplow gig. I can't shovel the front walk. It's bitterly cold right now, which means the snow is not going to melt from the vehicles, so I have to clean both of them, too. I know... wah! Welcome to winter! I really don't mind, but given numbers 1 and 2, it's just adding to my frustration. Also, That Man has been plowing snow since 5:30 pm yesterday. He stopped in once to warm up and check the forecast, taking K3 with him for the shovel work, but he's been up for over 30 hours now, and I have no idea when he'll be home.

4. Sick kids. No, I'm not frustrated or irritated about this. Just blah. K3 ended up having to come home early because he wasn't feeling well. No fever, but his stomach is all messed up and he's almost as pale as the snow. I really hope this doesn't become an epidemic in our house, though  K4 was complaining about her stomach yesterday. Ugh!

5. Weird Dreams. Not going to go into them, but suffice it to say I was properly weirded out...

That's enough for now. I promise Feel Good Friday will be positive.
Behave!

Thursday, January 02, 2014

A New Year...

Well, Hello, 2014!
I'm not going to complain too much about 2013. There were a lot of good things that happened. Though, A lot of crappy things happened, too. On the whole, I'm pretty much okay with 2013.
Which means, 2014, you have to be better. At least a little!
This snow is a good start.
Actually, there are a lot of good things coming up!
Anyways -
Our New Year's Eve was kind of quiet. We had fun though - until K1 grabbed my jacket and knocked me down. He was joking, but I knocked over the ice and proceeded to trip. I have a lovely injury on the bridge of my nose, extending over my left eye. He felt so bad. I wasn't mad, still am not. Though he continues to apologize.
We had a lot of good food and good company - some stayed the whole time, some just dropped in, and the teenagers used our house for a picking up station while they waiting for parents. Fine by me.
New Year's Day was spent vegging on the couch watching stupid TV, playing with Baby B, and having my parents over for dinner. We were in bed stupid early, though we hadn't stayed up too late the night before.
Today I had to make a trek to the grocery store with the snow-crazed bunch. We were on our last roll of toilet paper, so I looked just as crazy as everyone else. Luckily, I got out of there as the parking lot was filling up. Spent some time doing edits for my next release with Liquid Silver (did I tell you that?), helping K4 with a backlog of homework, cooking, and straightening up this pigpen.
I hope your new year has been good so far. I'm off to do more editing and homework helping.
Behave!