2015 Year in Review

January -
I only posted once due to chaos. Go figure.
February -
Revisions, waiting for Baby C to arrive, author event, overtime at the day job, more revisions, snow, finally getting the year in review up for 2014, puppy pictures, freezing to death, Mom's kitchen remodel.
March -
New kitchen pictures that will no longer show, snow, family time, embarrassing gift card stuff, Baby C arrives!, angry St. Patty's day cat, crazy schedules, Spaghetti dinner, chaos, Easter.
April -
Retreat countdown, Delaware trip with Mom, booking the beach house, chaos, fixing stuff at Mom's, the death of our xbox.
May -
Surprising Mom with a birthday party, great Mothers Day. My mom's unexpected and horrible passing. Missing Mom. Missing retreat.
June -
That Man's best friend dying. K3 Graduating. Aftermath of Mom. New roof.
July -
Cleaning the parents house. July 4th. Redoing our hardwood floors. Night out with friends. Estate stuff.
August -
Cutting down our tree. My new ride. Sick Baby B. Beach planning. The flu. Getting ready for release day!
September -
Prelude of Lies released!!
Family time, hanging with the grandkids, fleas, camping
October -
The beach for the first time in 10 years! My sister got married! Halloween parade. Hosting Mom's spaghetti dinner, birthdays, trick or treat.
November -
K5, new dishwasher, mini writing retreat, Thanksgiving.
December -
Chaos, K4 birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas

There were a lot of sucky things going on in 2015. It was a sad year, but some good things happened, too.
Here's to a much better and brighter 2016...
Behave!

Post Christmas...

Sorry about more silence...
I'm sure I'm not the only one living in chaos. (at least I hope not!)
Christmas was good.
The family was here for Christmas Eve which was insanely loud, crazy, full of food, and fun!
Our teenagers were up insanely early for Christmas day, believe it or not! We took our time with the morning, which is our tradition.
K1, J, and Baby B came for breakfast, then That Man picked up his mom. He left to take her home right before my sister and her family arrived. We had a few drop in visitors. I took a nap with Baby B. We Skyped with our friends in Oregon, made awesome food, had birthday cake.
K4 had a pretty good 16th birthday! I can't believe my baby girl is 16!!
We got her eyes checked for her learner's permit on Saturday. She's not quite ready to take her test, but she should be soon!
So there you have it!
I'm not promising anything, but I hope to have the year in review up before Friday!
Behave!

After Thanksgiving...

Sorry I fell off the grid... It's been kind of crazy around here!
First was getting ready for Thanksgiving. That was nuts! So much to do since we haven't been home most of the time.
We still didn't feel ready when everyone rolled in for dinner (all 30+ people), but we had a fun and good day, even with the stuff we didn't get done. We're still cleaning up - not because the house was trashed (well, okay, it was, but not like you would think), but because there's no place to go with some of the stuff and many people left stuff behind, too!
My sister and her family spent the night (you surely remember our reasoning for that from several years ago). That was fun and we cooked our butts off.
Then we hit Friday. I had to day job it. That Man didn't. He and K4 went to work on her car (we're less than a month before she gets her permit! Oy!) and I came home feeling like I got hit by a truck and went to bed before nine. (Cold... I knew it was going to happen. Everyone at my work is sick, and so are my grandkids)
Saturday, I woke up feeling mostly okay. I paid bills, cleaned, we went to get K2 a birthday present, went to lunch, and then went to visit K2 and family. It was fun to play with Baby C. She's so funny. K2 liked her presents and the diaper covers we got for Baby C (snowmen and mittens). We hung out for a while, which was really good, and then headed to our friends for a party. That was fun, though I felt crappier and crappier. We left early and were in bed at a strangely weird time for a Saturday night.
Sunday was picking up K4's car at my sisters and dropping it off for inspection, grocery shopping, writing, laundry, the cold hitting me again in the evening and bed early...
And today... Day job. Writing. Trying to catch up with stuff. I did no Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping. At all. I do have "some" Christmas stuff bought, and a general idea on some, but am in no way ready to think about the rest. I'll get there though. Right now, I'm heading to bed. Dang cold...
How exciting, right?
Maybe I should have stayed off grid?
Behave!

Weird Wednesday... Or Not...

Today is Wednesday!
So, why is Wednesday good?
1. Videos of Baby C. She was supposed to wave to Nana, but ended up shaking her head no as her hand was raised. Funny kid. I miss her face! I love that I get videos and pictures of her regularly and I can't wait to see her! (and her momma and daddy)
2. Getting to see Baby B tonight. We're going to make donuts for the elves for Christmas! I'm excited. He's hysterical and we are so blessed by him.
3. It's Wednesday, which means we're halfway to Friday.
4. My word count hasn't been as amazing as it was this weekend, but my brain is working again.
5. I won a five day trail of Thrive! I started on Monday and have slowly been feeling better and better. Good enough by today, that I signed up for a month just to see how much better I can feel. I do feel better - I'm thinking clearer, I have more energy, I'm not as hungry, I'm sleeping better, and I completely broke the rules (because I'm a bonehead and didn't pay attention) by having caffeine and booze... So tomorrow I start over and see if it makes more of a difference. I can't deny the difference in my friend. She's had an amazing experience and I love it! My old friend is back and it's awesome.
I'm looking to get myself back, too! My family has dealt with a lot of crap for the last 18 or so months and it's taken its toll on us in many ways and we're heading into our first holiday season without Mom. So...
6. The next week will be getting ready for Thanksgiving! I'm excited to host, but we have a lot to do to get ready. All of my chickens will be in the nest this year and I can't wait!
7. And then we head into Christmas... I think I'm ready. K4 turns 16 this year and I'm determined to make her birthday and Christmas awesome. Determined, even though I have no idea how I'm going to do this without my mom.
8. I miss my momma. I miss her every single day. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her, wish I could talk to her, wish I could hug her. I'm grateful for what I did have with her, but I'm still trying to find my way in this world without her.
9. Adjusting. Because we have to.
10. This will be our first holiday season without Mom. The parade was hard. Trick or Treat night was hard, but now we move into even harder times. Mom loved the holidays beyond reason. She would already be playing Christmas music and laughing about it. She didn't care. She did what she wanted and never apologized. We teased her, but we all loved it!
That's a pretty screwed up, but honest, list...
Behave!

Amazing Weekend!

This weekend I went on a mini writing retreat with some friends.
We had a blast!
The best thing is that I think I found my hidden mojo! I haven't written like this in a really, really long time. I managed over 10K words this weekend, plus made some bookstore connections that I'm excited about!
It was good, though I missed my niece's birthday party and I missed the official first starting of K4's wheels. Everyone supported me in going though, which was great since I'd missed my writing groups annual retreat in May.
I need this more than I realized. And it was good. Really good.
So, now I continue on... excited!!
Behave!

A Monday Since....

Sorry about the radio silence, folks! (Not that there's no one even reading this anymore!)
Okay so...
1. The new dishwasher is installed and is awesome!
2. We had an awesome weekend!I love staying at my sister's (both houses are calming and awesome). We had some celebrating to do with my middle sister and it was really good.
3. Picked up K5 on Sunday. She's a riot. We had a blast with her and she had fun playing with her cousin and running around my sister's house. I miss that kid! She's amazing.
4. Writing meeting on Saturday. Always great! I couldn't stay for lunch (see #2).
5. Back to the grind now... Oy, Monday!
6. Watching inspirational episodes of X-Files with my baby on a cold, rainy Monday night.
7. Thanksgiving is a little more than 2 weeks away. I'm excited and terrified about hosting. Only terrified because I have no idea how I'm going to be ready! I'm excited to have everyone here! It's going to be fun and I'm so grateful to be hosting this year. (I think I already said that!)
8. We're not going to make it to 10. because I'm exhausted and still have a million things to do before I can go to bed, but the best announcement of all is that...
I'm going to be a grandma again! K1 & J's 2nd is due in July!
Yay!
I'm on four and I am early to this Nana game... How many grandkids do you think I'll end up with? I still have two kids at home and two that are still in the early days of parenthood... I'm a little nervous. LOL
Behave!

New Dishwasher

It's still in the box and in my dining room, but it's here!! Finally!
We've been without for... aw geeze...since maybe... I don't even know - two years? Or more? I've never minded washing dishes by hand, but now....I do because there is no time anymore and my minions are overwhelmed by homework, school, activities, too, so they are no help at all. Sure, they'll put the dishes away, but the washing.... That Man does dishes as much as I do. (Disclaimer: Only sort of, sometimes I don't mind, but I have too much lately and I do mind most days, plus we are hosting all major holidays from now until New Years - not New Year's Eve - at least I don't think!)
We went on the trek to the home store, picked out the one we liked and then went to look for other things, finding an awesome and much-needed lamp for the living room in the process. When we got back to appliances, I got to push the "button" that magically announced that someone needed help in appliances. (always cracks me up). The guy was nice, but informed us that they were out of stock, but we had two other stores to choose from. I almost caved and got the cheaper model, but as That Man said, we were saving $10. for a lot of features we wanted. So fine. We buy our lamp and head to the next city where we were told they had 3 in stock. (Which I didn't expect to happen, but we were on a mission)
And they did have it. It was seamless and easy and the guy was great and even filled us in on how installation has changed since we bought our last dishwasher (16 years ago....oy), but awesome! And we got what we needed for that. Thanks to K3 for letting us use his van to pick it up, and we were back home and unloaded in no time.
That Man put the new lamp together. It's really pretty and fits in the living room. And we really needed the light. I love it. He will install the dishwasher this weekend, unless he gets a wild hair and decides to tackle it sooner (you never know with him).
I then wrote a bunch, caught up on emails, did some laundry, and now it's bedtime!
I need to get my plan in place for what's coming up next! There's a lot!!
Yikes! I must sleep now! The day job has gone crazy and I need to go in earlier than normal! And probably stay later, too. Oy!
Behave!

November First

Oh geeze!
Here we are at the start of a new month!

November is going to be crazy!
1. Writers meeting. Always amazing.
2. Private writing retreat at a friend's house. (Remember I missed my annual writing retreat in May. I need this so bad)
3. Birthdays!
4. OT at work. Which makes #2 even more amazing.
5. Thanksgiving!! I am so excited! It's been a really long time since we've hosted.
6. A new dishwasher coming soon! (tomorrow?)
7. Heading into the holiday season!
8. I usually get ticked off at seeing Christmas stuff so soon, but we have a lot going on this year, so I'm excited to start planning. I actually resisted buying Christmas plates at the superstore today. I wanted to, because I was afraid I wouldn't get such a good deal again, but then I decided I didn't like those plates as much as I should... Ha!

I'm trying! You see that?

Oh and I tripped up the stairs yesterday and did something hurty to my little finger. I didn't realize how much I use that baby finger for typing! Ouch!

That is all for now...

Behave!!

Trick or Treat

Tonight was our town's Trick or Treat night.
That Man and I bought candy in secrecy so it would still be here for tonight. Ha!
Baby B was here and was hysterical. He had a "trick".
When you said "Trick, B" He would stick out his finger and say "pull my finger" and then making farting noises when you did. It was hysterical.
He was an adorable dinosaur, but by the time they left he was so hyped up on candy that he was in meltdown mode. I remember those days with our kids. Glad we're out of that stage. So much.
K3 had a class tonight, so he left just as trick or treat night got started. K4 did her cool makeup, but stayed home, except for a brief trip to our very good friend's house to harass and get some candy. S and J came over - S was dressed as the Joker and looked adorable. J was dressed as a "travelling menstrual cycle" and was hysterical. Yes, red pants. white shirt with blood stains, and a string.
I got home just as the porch light went on. I miss the days of being here all day before. I miss the days of having things prepared and ready to go, but then, I don't have little kids anymore, so....
I do miss my folks being here though. Mom and Dad used to come over to hand out the candy. They were hysterical in their interactions with the trick or treaters. Last year, we had Mom and she had a blast.
It's sucky right now because our very good friend just lost her dad. It brings back all of the crap and sadness and makes me realize that we're now facing the holidays without Mom. It was bad enough last year - when Mom's grief class said the second year would be worse than the first - and now we're facing the second year and the first year, which sucks. And I don't put a lot of stock into the things said in that class, but it still sucks.
Anyway...
I'm still writing. Staying in the 50/50 challenge and have already met my monthly goal. I like where my story is going.
And everything else is as normal as it gets - crazy chaos and crazy busy.
That is all...
Behave!

Birthdays and Stuff...

K3 turned 19 today.
How does that happen? I don't feel any older than the day I had him (notice that I didn't say I don't look any older... ha ha)
He's a great guy and I'm so proud he is my son! He's got so many things in the pipeline and I'm so excited to see what he does next! Currently, he's working like crazy, looking for a second job, and taking classes. Like I said, great guy and I love hanging out with him!
*
It's almost the end of October!
Thursday night is Trick or Treat. I can't wait to see Mr. B and experience Trick or Treat night with him. I'm also really glad I don't have to take kids out! Ha! K4 is the youngest and is too old to go out. Bonus! Our old neighbor is coming over because she misses this street on Halloween night!
It should be a good night (if I remember to stop and get more candy!)
Halloween Night That Man and I have some plans which should be awesome! I'm excited.
*
Thanksgiving is coming!
We are hosting this year. We also have K2, J, and Baby C this year, which will be awesome! I'm really looking forward to it. It will also be our first Thanksgiving without Mom. We've had a lot of firsts without her the last five months, but this one will be big. (The Halloween parade, trick or treat night, and birthdays are also big... Okay, so every first without her is big. I don't know what to say about that. It's just the way it is, but Thanksgiving is going to suck without her.)
We will be getting a new dishwasher before Thanksgiving. There is no way I'm standing there to wash all of the dishes for hours! I already told That Man that it must be done and he agreed!
*
Christmas...
I know it's way early, but we are also hosting both days this year. K4 is turning 16 and her only request was that we do both nights - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. She has never had a 'traditional" friend party. It's always been whoever can come on her birthday and whoever remembers on Christmas Eve - all has been fine for her. We won't have folks staying over, which is really okay and for the best, but I hope that it's a birthday to remember for her, especially considering it's our first Christmas without her Gram. And she feels that. And she'll be 16!
And then in the few days after Christmas, she will be going for her learner's permit, because if she doesn't she will have to drive for a year, instead of the six months if she gets it before the end of 2015. Yeah. my last kid will be driving soon. Weird. She already has a car - actually two, but that's another story.
I am forcing myself to get excited for the holidays. I will force myself for Baby B and Baby C and K4, K3, K2 and K1, That Man, and my siblings. I miss my momma, but I will honor her by going completely overboard this year! Yeah, it's like that!
*
I am writing! A lot! Not as much as I would like, but enough that I feel good about what I'm getting done!
*
That's enough for now!
Behave!!

Good Weekend!

This weekend we had our Mom's Spaghetti Dinner.
Mom wanted to have a Spaghetti Dinner after her kitchen was done to thank everyone for their help and to have a gathering to just celebrate.
She hadn't set a date, just that she wanted to do it as soon as her kitchen was back together. Her kitchen wasn't back together yet when she died. We decided to still have her dinner and have been working towards it all summer. This past Saturday was the day.
We just got back from the beach on Sunday. We had a crazy week readjusting to life at home, our town's Halloween parade, homework, writing, work - crazy. That Man and I met my sister and her husband at Mom's on Friday to start getting ready for Saturday. We had some tasty adult beverages and did some cleaning. Saturday was the big push. There was a lot to do, but we managed to get it all done with the help of my sister-in-law and the crew.
At one point, I turned to my sister-in-law and asked about the spaghetti. We had a miscommunication. I thought she'd gotten it and she thought I was getting it. Hysterical.
We didn't have as many people as we thought we would, but we still had a great time. It was really good and so much fun. The sauce my brother made was amazing. We had lots of tasty desserts and an epic bon fire.
It was a bittersweet night. Mom would have loved it.
Behave!

This Beach!

A few pictures (even though my formatting seems to suck)

This was only a few steps out of our back door all of last week! Perfect and beautiful!

This one is K4's little friend. She named all of the birds, which was hysterical. Baby B chased all of the birds, which was equally hysterical. 

O'Dark-thirty on the boat! We watched the sun come up and had an epic time!

When I can figure out this formatting thing, I'll be back with more pics! Behave!

I'm Baaack!!

Maybe you didn't notice I was gone? Sorry about that! I guess if I posted on here more regularly, you'd miss me more! Ha!
Anyway...
I'm back from our first OBX vacation in 10 years!! What a needed and tremendous trip to our favorite place in the whole world!!
Yeah, we had some crap - our Jeep being dumb on the way there, while there, and back, That Man's car (which K1 drove) doing some crappy losing the bolts things, high water, being trapped in the house all day Tuesday due to the storm surge (but, really... we had wine, beer, pina coladas, a pool, two hot tubs, and beautiful sunny beach so we didn't care) stress in some form or another... But on the whole it really was an amazing trip. We did things we've never done before - like go out on a charter boat to fish (very cool for those that weren't chumming all day. At one point, we'd lost 1/3rd of our group, despite motion-sickness medicine, but it was super, super awesome and K4 caught a shark!), shared our beach with people who have never been before (some loved it and some not so much), had some amazing family time (family soup & a ceremony), had a few injuries, got to watch Mr. B loving the beach, aquarium, life in general (he was so stinking cute!!), hang out with cousins, and our uncle and aunt, had an awesome ashes ceremony for our folks, saw a lot of sunrises, sunsets, stars, laundry, sand, shops, food, a fire on the beach, driving my Jeep on the beach (even though that was super stressful, when it should have been fun, thanks to losing my radiator hose in the parking lot - it was fixed super quick, but still)...
I could have stayed another week, if not, forever....
We got back pretty late last night thanks to stupid traffic. Our Elsa was waiting for us. Our awesome friends had her all week and then dropped her off at home for us so they could get their brand new puppy. Our other awesome friend watched our kitties and facilitated the puppy drop off. Everyone was safe, happy, and healthy when we got home.
It's good to be home. But not at the same time. I'd like to start the vacation over again, please?
We were all off today, but tomorrow is back to the grind. And it's our town's annual Halloween Parade, so we'll have a houseful of company.
Oh and did I mention I was one of the injuries? Yeah, scraped the back of my foot on a rusty metal block as we were waiting for everyone on the docks after the charter boat. It was just a dead skin thing, really. We doctored it up Thursday night, and it felt really good until today. Now I'm soaking it in peroxide and dreading having to wear actual shoes tomorrow.
So now we're back to the grind...
We're in the 50/50 challenge in my writing group and I've already exceeded the daily goal. Awesome. I'm trying to get back into my groove. This challenge will totally help.
That is all for now! I hope to have pictures soon!
Behave!

Oh Man...

It's been 12 days since I posted! What is wrong with me?
Well...
It's just been crazy here!
We lived through the "flea outbreak of the century". It was bad. Real bad. We're still paranoid as hell. Thanks to some kick ass flea treatment from the vet, we kicked those jerks to the curb. Now we're dealing with the aftermath - making sure everything is vacuumed and clean. Luckily we don't have carpet, but we're still vacuuming like crazy. All of the animals are clean now. Thank goodness.
I'm nearing the end of my short story. Also... thank goodness!
We're slowly, but surely getting our house back to normal. It's been 17 months since we've been home regularly. We're still not, but we took September off to take care of our own much-needed stuff. It's been really weird, but good, too. The house is back under control...mostly. We still have much to do, but we have a handle on it.
Working overtime at the day job. Oy! That's a crazy all by itself! There is no time to take care of stuff and things. I go in early and get home late. And then have to take care of all of the normal stuff. What to do...
This week will be insane! Every night is booked with stuff.
Anyway...
I found a four star review of my book on Amazon and Good Reads! Yay!
I hope to be back this week, but if you don't hear from me for another two weeks, just know everything is good. I'll post when I can. We have some epic stuff coming up and I'm so excited!
Behave!

Tuesday Tidbits...

1. I knew Ghost Hunters was back, but I hadn't had time to actually watch. Thank goodness for "on demand". I am now pretty much caught up and have not lost my love for this show! Awesome!
2. Mostly quiet night around here. (see above) Laundry working.
3. I wrote a whole bunch tonight! Yay! I'm at the "official"  halfway mark on my short, thought it will need some serious editing. It feels good!
4. I ordered my swag for Prelude. It should be here by Thursday. Yay!
5. The weather is gorgeous!
6. OT sucks. The day job is sucky right now, but what are you going to do?
7. My house is slowly getting back on track. Yay.
8. Weekend non-plans. We have a bunch of stuff to do, but no "commitments", which means we'll be spending the weekend getting much needed stuff done! Yay!
9. Thank goodness for finding a beer in my fridge! It was much needed after today!
10. It's almost time to take the air conditioners out! I can't wait to have a fresh air breeze again! Just not quite yet...
That is all...
Behave!

Monday... Again...

Ugh. Monday.
Today sucked. We lost a person at work and we're already down two....  We're super hyper busy. OT is open again. Which means I'll be working my *ss off until I'm caught up. My brain is broken... I want to stay home to write full time again!
The weekend was good though...We're taking a break from clearing out Mom's house. A much needed break... It was strange to wake up in my own bed and not hearing "It's Yard Sale Time" being screamed along with some kind of obnoxious country music being blared.
Friday night we went to the races to see my nieces boyfriend drive his car. Sweet! It turned out fun and we could have stayed longer, but we had other commitments. Then we went to hang at our friends house - we haven't seen them in forever and I've never seen their new house. It's awesome and we had a blast.
I slept until 10 Saturday, but got a lot done. Completely rearranged my kitchen and put away most of the boxes I've been lugging home week after week. Got rid of a ton of stuff, too. I'm pleased with my progress and I even cooked both nights! It was really nice to be home and not have to go anywhere.
Sunday, I slept in, too. Got up, made coffee, and caught up on some shows I never get to watch. K1 and J came over with BOSS. (Actually Grand Uncle dropped him off here since they watched him the night before) B is so stinking cute. We hung out, played, read some books, took a 'yard ride' in the Jeep, and had fun.
I will have my dining room back soon and I will finish my short story soon!
And it's almost Fall! Happiness is coming back, I think...
Behave!

Weird Wednesday...

So...My computer is being really dumb. I finally managed to load the Internet after an hour plus of BS! Damn!! I can't say that it's Windows 10 glitches or not... I have had this computer for about six weeks, and honestly, have spent most of my time in Word documents.
My plan was to write tonight. But I'm just now back on and it's pretty much bedtime. (or not... we'll see)
It's Wednesday. For work purposes.. Simplified... It's been at least three weeks packed into 4 days.. only it's been two days at this point... Yeah... that's what kind of week I'm having... Argh....
I'm going to bed now... Tomorrow will be better...

Train Wreck Tuesday

So, it's Tuesday! It's September.
We did camp this weekend. It was awesome in so many ways! We didn't get there until Saturday afternoon, which sucked, but couldn't be helped. I had my meeting. That Man had his stuff. But we got there. I'm so glad.
We had a blast Saturday night with K1, J, and Baby B. Baby B is so stinking cute! But they left after the picnic on Sunday. K2, J, and Baby C were there. Baby C is so stinking cute! I was in Nanners heaven!!
Our friends came up to hang out and ended up staying the night. Totally awesome! Our adopted sister and our adopted brothers. It was epic and awesome! We had so much fun hanging out, talking, laughing, singing. That's no regrets right there... You can't plan that stuff...
I'm not sure I got to relax as much as I needed to. I slept for crap both nights. The first night was due to K4 and a migraine with symptoms that had us both on edge. She was fine in the morning, but we had some rough times through the night. The second night I had a dream that is now written down for story fodder. It was so real and scary and it hung with me all day. And I don't know if I slept for more than an hour or so... I woke up grumpy and exhausted. That Man and I took some time together to go on a mission. We got lost. My phone died, but it was good. We got back and my head was killing me. He and my bil starting working on beach stuff. I took some headache meds and a nap. Then we had to pack up.... Ugh...
So last night I also slept like crap again! Or didn't sleep. I don't know.. I couldn't decide if I'd slept or not. I worked the full day job today. I felt lost and crabby most of the day.
Got home and picked K4 up to take her for new headphones since hers died. We did that and hit the grocery store and finally made it home. Ugh. I'm tired...and probably still a little crabby. I have no idea why...
Behave!!

Woah Wednesday...

Woah! My book... Prelude of Lies... released today! So excited!! I got an congratulatory email from my editor this morning and several people told me they got it on their Kindles. Nice! I hope you're watching, Momma! I wish you were here to share this with!

Woah! Apparently, I am allergic to adhesives! Be prepared... this is a long story... There was this skin tag/mole on my neck that had been there for a long time. My sister told me how ugly it was when we were taking down the tree in my backyard, and quite frankly, I knew that, which is why I rarely put my hair up or wear a shirt that shows any skin. That Man and I have been discussing "the mole's" demise for a while now, but I never moved forward on the ideas of remove it.
My hair would get tangled around it a lot. Certain shirts rubbed it. I was always aware of its presence.
Friday night I had a dream that it was disintegrating. I think my hair had gotten caught in it again. It bothered me all day Saturday. I kept touching it, expecting it to fall apart in my hand, but sadly, that never happened.
Cut forward to Saturday night... We had a yard sale at Mom's. It was a Hell day - hot and no customers, lots of leg work, and cleaning out box upon box of old papers that should have been thrown away thirty years ago. Once we cleaned up, the adult beverages came out, and yeah, I had a couple... My hair had yet again gotten tangled in "the mole", and I grabbed a pair of scissors on my way outside. Everyone was hanging on the back porch, relaxing. I asked if anyone wanted to cut of "the mole" and through the groans and "no way", my daughter-in-law jumped up. The pair of scissors I grabbed were dull, so that hurt a lot. She ran inside and grabbed a better pair and cut that bitch mole right off my neck.
I was/am ecstatic. It didn't bleed much at all and it didn't hurt much either. Then, I asked her if she'd cleaned the scissors first... She hadn't, so my sister dragged me inside to properly clean and dress my neck. The bandage lasted like 11 minutes because it was so stinking hot and I was so sweaty. I left it to air until Tuesday morning when I stopped at the pharmacy to get bandages and antibiotic ointment. It still looked really good at that point, but I was concerned enough to think I should do something. Slapped a latex free bandage on it and went about my business. By the time I asked That Man to check it last night, it was red. He said about the adhesive, but I'd woken up a few times the night before with my hair stuck to "the mole's" grave, so I wanted it covered.
By the time I was ready to leave the day job tonight, my neck was sore and uncomfortable. I took the bandage off and it looks like I have a severe sunburn where the adhesive was. Everything else is good, but that rash or whatever is way more uncomfortable than the actual "mole wound". Ugh! Aren't you glad I shared that with you?

Woah! Its Wednesday! This weekend is my writing group meeting, which I am very much looking forward to, and it's a camp weekend. The jury is out on whether or not we'll make the camping trip. There's a lot going on and it's supposed to rain. I want to go, so we'll see...

I'll let you know if "Mr. Mole" comes back to life. I flushed him and have visions of him growing and procreating in the septic tank...

Behave!

Guest Blogging!

Come check me out over here!

I'm guest blogging on my publishers site!

Two more days until release day!

Behave!

And NOW!!!

Available for preorder now!!
Officially out September 4th!!

I am so happy for this book to come out! This is my Momma's book! The first one I let her read! Mom loved this book so much! I love this book so much!
I wrote this book after a fantastic camping trip with friends. The idea started the minute we got there, and grew and grew. I had a whole notebook of notes by the time we left, and still had time to have so much fun. It came together in a month - the first month after all of Those Kids were in school full time and I could concentrate on writing without interruptions. (Yes, it was a while ago, but trust me, it's been edited a lot)
Some time later, Mom and Dad had stopped by our house one evening. We weren't really doing anything, just hanging out - watching a movie or something, I don't remember exactly. Mom and Dad had been out to dinner and saw our front door open as they passed by. They circled the block and came back to stop in. We were happy to see them.
We broke out some adult beverages. Had a blast talking about all kinds of stuff. They had just gotten a new laptop and were confused about stuff. We had them bring it in, hooked it up to our wireless, and downloaded all of the things they needed. (they couldn't get wireless at their house at that time, though they lived just a few miles from us.. and yeah, it was a few years ago...maybe more than a few... (When they got a new laptop, mom transferred the file onto the new one because she would read it every few months)
So...Mom and I's conversation turned to writing. She always asked me what I was working on and what was happening. She was always excited about this story. I had brainstormed it a bit with her. I had already submitted it a bunch of times and no one was interested. I decided to let her read it... I downloaded it onto their new computer for her, after she'd read several chapters on my computer.
Mom loved this story... even in it's unedited state. She'd call me to tell me she found an error, but that it was minor to the fact that she couldn't stop reading. She defended this story to the end. Every time I'd get a rejection on this, she was mad for me. Even when I signed contracts for my other books, she'd ask about this one... wondering when someone would take a chance on it. At last count, this had over 110 rejections.
After Dad passed, I was floundering a lot with writing. As we sat with him in the hospital, I was working on a Halloween short for my other publisher. After submitting it and discussing with my editor, we agreed it wasn't really something that would fit with the Halloween line, and that there were a few plot holes that needed to be addressed, and how it would really be better as a full novel. I wasn't sure it would, so we backburnered it... and I continued to feel lost and without spark.
We do a publishers showcase in my writers group every year and my awesome editor from Soul Mate was part of it. I really liked what she had to say and I loved that they accept many different genres. I thought maybe it was time to dust this book off again and give it another shot. So, I submitted and within a few weeks had a request for a full. I didn't tell Mom. I didn't want to have to disappoint her again.
About a month after I submitted, I was spending the weekend at Mom's. She had bought this awesome desk and needed someone to put it together for her and needed the company. She was in a lot of pain due to a sciatic nerve problem and needed help getting certain things done. I had conflicting feelings about going, only because some of my writer friends were having a mini retreat and I wanted to go, but I couldn't leave Mom in the lurch. I was so glad I went.
I got there and went to work on the desk (only had to take it apart 3 times to fix something)... We ordered food, and after we ate, I took a break to check email. That's when I got the contract offer. I had walked outside to check out the sky and after pacing and calling That Man, I went inside.
Her face when I told her is something I will never forget. I knew right then that I was supposed to be with Mom when I got this news. She was so ecstatic. She clapped, stomped her feet, and nearly cried. It was an epic moment. She wasn't too happy when I said she could only tell her best friend until the contract was signed, but not a real unhappy - just an impatient unhappy. (I had to text her once the contract was signed so she could tell her other friends.) :)
So, fast forward to May. The day Mom started feeling bad was the day I got my first cover shot. The title was incorrect, but the basic cover is the same. I was so excited to show her, but she was sick and in pain. We got her to the hospital and they pumped her full of morphine. By the time they were nearly ready to take her to surgery, her pain level was low enough that I asked her if she wanted to see. She couldn't really talk thanks to the tubes and dry mouth, but she grabbed my hand and squeezed when she saw it. I'm so glad I got to share that with her.
And now I'm a week away from release day! I very much miss my momma and I will miss sharing this with her, but I know she's still here with me for it - just in a different way.
That's my story...
Behave!

It's Done...

This is the tree that fell on my house last July. Or what's left of it... (yes, that's my finger at the edge of the picture. I'm very talented that way.)
It took four cases of beer, 16 lbs of taco meat and the stuff to go with tacos, some cash, a few injuries, several sore backs, and a lot of very appreciated help, but the deed is (mostly) done. The mess you see there isn't the same. it's better, but there's still clean up to do.
So weird in my backyard though... I miss my tree, but as the branches came down, we realized how lucky something major hadn't happened.(Like a brand new roof and a few windows wasn't major...) It was in really bad shape - rot and carpenter ants.
The guys spent Sunday splitting wood and getting a major amount of cleaning up done. Monday, That Man and That Neighbor put the fence back up.
I'm still not used to it. Our major shade is gone, and of course, it's stinking hot outside right now. (and how considerate of us to plan the tree take down on the hottest weekend of summer... Ha ha! Ugh... Was not what we wanted at all, but we all lived)
And on top of all of that, I received my final edits on Thursday. So instead of cleaning my filthy house, I trekked over to Mom's and hunkered down so I could work without interruptions. It was a good call. When I left for work Friday morning, I only had 98 pages to read through. Finished that up by Saturday morning and sent them off before the crowd got here. Turns out no one cared about my dirty house but me... Ha!
So that's that...
Behave!

Weird Wednesday...

Almost a week again...Sorry about that... Someday things will ease up. I think. I hope.
We have discussed that once we're done with the house and the estate that we won't know what to do with ourselves. I have no idea if that will be true... But my house and my family hope it is. I do know that once we come to the other side of this, that I will see my sibs as much as I do know - which is completely awesome and will be good for all of us.
I am waiting for the next round of edits... my book is supposed to come out in two weeks. I'm a little nervous...
We have a crazy weekend ahead... Our big tree - the one that fell on the house the day of Dad's funeral is coming down. We have a huge crew coming to help, besides the guy we actually hired and will pay. The deal is food and beer once the job is one. I'm on the fence as what to feed everyone... guess I should decide soon. My house is still destroyed. We're working on it.
For  now... I'm working on stuff for my new book! I'm working on a short that kind of tie into the new book. I'm dealing with estate stuff. That Man is fixing up the Jeep... The Day Job is insane...
There is never enough time.
I did take Baby B out for ice cream tonight. He's been begging me for a few weeks now. I really wanted to cancel tonight because I hurt all over, but how could I do that to my little man? He was so stinking cute! I'm so glad I went despite my neck ache and list of things to do - spending time with him was so worth continuing to be behind...
That's all for now...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday... On Thursday...

Doing this now, because I know I won't have time tomorrow... I'll either be busy at Mom's going through stuff, or busy puking my guts out since my entire family has had the flu this week, except for me!!

1. Getting my Jeep inspected! Yay! We're legal now and while we have some work to do, we're good. I love her.
(I was trying to upload a photo, but haven't figured out how with the new computer! Rude!)

2. Stuff is done. Not everything, but the major stuff. Or most of it. I can't keep up.

3. Living through the week. Brutal. Between the flu, running constantly (like so much, we didn't cook in this house except for one night and that was That Man), and everything else....

4. Tomorrow is Friday. Yay!

5. Weekend plans! It will be busy, but good.

6. So yeah... I am the last man standing... I'm scared. That Man came home from work early today with the bug. Everyone else in this house has had it. I do not want.

7. My brand new "Beach 2015 OBX" notebook. Yeah, you heard that right. We're going to the beach this year!! WHOOT!!! It's been 10 years!!

8. My new book releases at the end of this month. I know you know that, but I'm excited!!

I got 8. That's pretty good after so long without a feel good Friday!!

Behave!!

Wait? What? August?

Holy Crap!
This summer has flown by! We have less than a month until K4 starts her sophomore year of high school! That's crazy! (Eww... and it means school shopping!)
So, I know I was gone for a little while. Sorry about that! I was in crazy mode working on my edits! Got those sent back in, but will have at least one more round before my book comes out!
We had Baby B on Saturday night. He'd stayed Friday night with K2. (Mom and Dad had their first weekend away and had no cell reception!) K4 and I picked him up Saturday afternoon. He had a blast with K2, J, and Baby C! We did some running around, played in the backyard for a little, and then he came into the living room and plopped down on a bean bag and said he needed a nap. I picked him up to try to figure out what was wrong and he threw up all over me and the floor. Wasn't sure what was up at that point. Checked the juice I'd just bought to make sure it was good. It was. He bounced back a bit and was hanging with That Man and I as we worked on my new ride (more on that in a bit). He was sitting in the front seat and ended up throwing up again. And then again, and again. Poor baby! We felt so bad for him! It wasn't as bad of a night as we expected. He was up early and hungry. Thankfully feeling better! Mom and Dad came to get him shortly after noon. They felt really bad he was sick, but we wouldn't have called anyway. Been there, done that. Plus we could have reached them in an emergency, but some puke isn't an emergency.
And NOW... K4 has it... She is currently moaning and has thrown up several times already. Poor baby! That Man and I made a run for Gatorade, Ginger Ale, ice, and soup. We're kind of afraid. I mean, I was puked on several times. He cleaned up puke several times. K4 quarantined herself after the second time Baby B threw up and she's in rough shape right now... So...
So, my new ride! I got a fantastic deal on a 99 Jeep Wrangler. I love her! Her name is Polly after my momma. She is fun to drive, has a sweet convertible top, and is a 5 speed. She needs some rust tlc... more than we thought (we just found something unpleasant tonight and I'm a little scared!) We took care of the one spot and discovered another in the process. Ugh.
I'll post a picture of my new ride and my new book cover within the next few days!
Behave!!

What's Going On?

It's Thursday. This week has gone fast and has been insanely busy.

1. Our floor is crap. There are spots were the polyurethane is rubbing off. It makes no sense. 90% of it is gorgeous. Of course, the spots are in the high traffic areas... We're not sure what to do. We can't put any more poly down. I guess we'll be looking at rugs. Argh.

2. We managed to get Mom and Dad's vehicles transferred to their new owners. Yay!! But...Ordeal. Per usual.

3. We managed to get the Estate account opened. Ordeal.

4. We also managed to pay the pressing bills - funeral and mortgage. The mortgage company is filled with buttholed idiots. They have the short certificate listing me as an administrator, but said they couldn't talk to me. Jerks. And again... Ordeal.

5. Because they deserve a special shout out - The funeral home is amazing. They are so caring and wonderful. Everyone is awesome, but Funeral Bob is a great guy and has checked in with us frequently over the past two months. We are so lucky to know him. He's become a friend over the last year and I'm grateful.

6. I did manage to take a half day on Wednesday. Got a lot of editing done, which is awesome. I came home to a still sleeping teenager, which gave me time to get busy.

7. Edits are going pretty well. I need to do another read-through. Punch up some emotions and things, and I'll be ready to send it back! Yay! Of course, this is going to take time, and we have an insane weekend ahead.

8. First yard sale at Mom and Dad's this weekend. We're not even remotely ready, but we will be. This is the first of many. We've only scratched the surface there. It's all hands on deck, though. Basement will be started by whoever is not working the sale, and then we'll switch out. And we'll be having a birthday party for my future brother-in-law's twins.

9. My puppy got fixed two weeks ago. We were able to remove "the cone of shame" permanently. We actually did it days early, but watched her to make sure she wasn't licking. I still have bruises. She's done with restrictions, which is awesome. She has been wanting to run so badly. She still has a day or so of antibiotics to take, but she's doing well! I'm so happy I don't have to deal with a doggie period anymore!

10. Here's an all in one for ten.... I am exhausted. I keep forgetting things I wouldn't normally forget. I don't sleep. I need a new car. I wish I was in New York for the National conference going on now. I want to go away and have some fun. I want my living room back. I want to spend a full weekend at home and have a jammie day. ... I'll stop there...

I may be back for Feel Good Friday tomorrow!

Behave!

Where were we?

Let's see...
I last posted on Tuesday... That seems like a lifetime ago...
Wednesday was crazy. Running around and trying to get stuff done.
Thursday I took a very much needed break and went out with friends to see Magic Mike XXL. We'd all gone to see the first one and had made a pact that if they released a sequel, we would all go. Dinner was really nice - great food and company. The movie was surprisingly good. I expected it to be as dark as the first one, but as it turns out, it was a really feel good, women empowering, sexy men, buddy, and growth movie. I really enjoyed it, and for more than the beefcake.
Tonight we sanded, cleaned, and put another coat of polyurethane on our floors. Fingers crossed! It already looked better when we cleaned up and left. Got back to mom's and ordered food. I got my edits and looked over them. I'm good with everything, so just need to make it happen.
Tomorrow is crazy busy. I have to be in Ship first thing to take care of Estate bank accounts. The way things are written, my s-i-l and I have to be present for every transaction. What a pain. But once we get the account open, we can start paying bills. Once we get the vehicles transferred, we're good for a while.
Then we head to my sister's to help with their annual wing cook off competition. Should be fun. And work.
Sunday I will start edits.
I was supposed to take some time off from the day job next week. Was looking forward to it for editing time until I realized I might have to let my time go for someone who needs to lose time since OT is not approved right now. Damn.
I'm a little... okay, a lot... overwhelmed right now... I have a hard time shutting my brain off these days, which makes sleeping interesting and makes me teary during the day. I think it was after two until I feel asleep last night and it's been the same all week. I keep a notepad beside my bed so I can write stuff I don't want to forget down, and I end up with a lengthy sticky note on my phone by the time I leave work. I check one thing off and add three more...
This, too, shall pass.
Behave!

Summer Survival...

*My last post was written on the 9th, but then edited and posted on the 11th. I didn't realize the date would stay... you would think I would know that by now.... Ha!

I miss those days a lot... Being home with the natives - their antics, their perceived boredom, they way they occupied themselves... Summer was a lot more fun back then. Although it didn't seem like it at the time, I had a lot more time to do things. I was writing a lot, my house was clean and organized.
Now it's just same thing, different day. Or so it seems. I have a lot on my plate these days. I don't have time to do half of the things I want and need to. It's been ages since I've been able to "just" relax - not take a break from a task to relax, not relax after a long day of doing whatever, but to spend a day doing what I want to do, instead of what has to be done...
I'm not trying to complain, though it does sound like it. This is life at the moment and I have to do what I have to do. And I am. I'm just feeling a big of nostalgia for simpler times. This will pass soon enough into yet another phase and I'll deal with that, too.
So... my floors need another coat of poly. I thought they would be okay, but the more I look at them - as lovely as they look in many places - we're not pleased with the end result. We knew it wouldn't be perfect, but we didn't expect the floor to look "this" bad. The didn't all fill, there are spots that were somehow missed with the final coat, and all of those areas are not places we can cover up with furniture or rugs. We'll lay down another coat this weekend and see where we end up. Has to be better than right now.
My dilemma is now that I don't want to put my crappy ugly furniture back. I'm searching for something reasonable to replace it. I can't spend a lot and I don't want to considering the three cats and dog, grandkids (and messy teenagers). So we'll see what happens...
Okay... time to write...
Behave!

I Am Trying...

There is a lot these days.
Estate stuff, family stuff, work stuff, writing stuff... OH HEY!! I am writing again!!
Or I was until my computer DIED!! Getting used to the new one is a pain! I haven't had much time to actually play with it! I do like it though, but the learning curve is steep! Red lasted me for 7 years, so there's a lot of new stuff to get used to!
But I lost my story...That sucks hardcore....
I expect my edits soon as my book comes out in August. We're going to have to be quick, but my editor and I are confident we'll get them done in time!
I had to write a letter to a family that were a part of our lives from the time we were little. There was a long stretch of not seeing them, following by a long stretch of seeing them, then followed by another stretch of not seeing them. They aged. My parents aged. They moved to Montana. We had no way to get a hold of them. Mom's address book is missing. It wasn't until she sent Mom a birthday present that we knew how to contact them. It's been almost 2 months... That sucks... It took me over a week to write the letter. The first letter ended up being 14 pages long and was a lot of spew of how things are going now. The second letter was to the point and just had the facts, but it still sucks. This letter has been hanging over my head. But it's done now. And I still feel bad for having to tell them that way.
There are a lot of things like that these days. We got through the anniversary of Dad's death. Hard, but what are you going to do.
Our Uncle and Aunt are the best! They aren't too very far away and they are making sure we're good. Our cousins are doing the same. Texting, calling... we're supported, and that's great, but we're still doing this with just us...But I will say that my sibs are the best. The four of us that have been here through thick and thin are still here through it. We agree. We get stuff done. And we're so much closer than we've ever been, which is saying a lot! A whole lot. We had our first fourth of July campout without our parents, and it sucked, but we did good. We have each other.
My family stayed at Mom's all last week. We started redoing our hardwood floors over the 4th and the dry time is insane and suckage! I made sure the kitchen and dining room were comfort places - completely free of boxes and stuff to go through.
We spent the weekend working hard - got the office gone through, boxed up for yard sale, and cleaned enough that K3 could actually sleep in there. We'd been using it as a storage room when Mom was having her kitchen redone and were still going through boxes when she died. It was a horrible mess, so it's a huge accomplishment! We also got the garage organized. We had a family meeting, which was productive.
I'm beat though. Home again, but there is no furniture in my living room, except for bean bags. The floor didn't turn out like we expected, but it's still beautiful. There are still a few tacky spots, so we're waiting to put the furniture back. I still have a bunch of dust to clean up. Our cats are happy to be free again - we had to keep them contained so they wouldn't get on the floor. They had everything they needed, but they didn't like it.
Elsa got fixed on Thursday and is now wearing the cone of shame. My legs are covered in bruises. So are everyone else's. She's knocked over so many things, broken glasses and beer bottles, gotten stuck on furniture and in doorways, and is generally pathetic. She's doing really well though. No ill effects from the anesthesia or surgery. Except we left her antibiotics at Mom's, so she'll be running a day behind on them. We took the cone off once we got settled in at home. She's not licking at all right now, but we'll be putting it back on before we go to bed. I hate it, but I understand why she has to wear it.
I'm done in. Though I did write a few words tonight. I'm still learning this computer, so everything is a little strange.
That is all...
Behave!

Good and Bad!

I know I'm terrible at posting these days! I'm terrible at most things these days!
Here's what I'm bad at:
1. Remembering stuff. I've forgotten appointments, planned things, stuff the kids say, calls I need to make, and everything in between.
2. Doing stuff. I haven't written. I haven't cleaned my house. I am barely able to function these days.
3. Life. I suck.
4. Being a good friend. I suck at this for sure. I apologize. I don't mean to suck at this. I hate to suck at this, but I am having a hard enough time being a friend to my family and myself right now. And I hate it all.
5. Writing.. I know this is a kind of repeat. I haven't written since the Tuesday before Mom died. I have ideas. I have a short to write. I have edits coming soon. I am trying...
Here's what I'm good at:
1. Sleeping. (Though that's a lie) I want to sleep, but can't.
2. Being with my sister's and brother. We're awesome as a unit. We suck apart.
3. Crying at random times.
4. Missing my folks. I miss them both so much. I miss my Momma so much. She wasn't supposed to go so freaking soon!
5. I'm also good at NOT sleeping! Some nights are good. Others not so much. My brain takes over, the anger takes over, the sadness takes over, and I'm awake. I need a tazer for my brain....
Things to come:
Bad:
1. Dealing with their house.
2. Dealing with certain siblings.
3. Dealing with our super good friends moving away and everything else friend related.
4. Being an adult. No way. Don't want to.
5. Staying where I am right now... Not acceptable.
Good:
1. Getting stuff done.
2. Mom's book coming out.
3. Finding a way to get back to me.
4. Knowing I have the best family ever.
5. Selling the house. Eventually....

ERG!!! That is all...
Behave!

Proud!

My baby boy graduated from high school tonight!
It was an amazing ceremony full of music, tears, laughs, and love! There were only 42 graduating in his class, so much different than other graduations I've been to - including my own. The principal broke up with emotion many times during the night. So did the kids. And the teachers. And me.
They're a family and it was and is amazing. I'm so grateful he excelled there and that he loved it so much!
I'm so proud of him and I'm so proud to be part of this school. K4 has 3 more years there and I'm so excited for her!
And I'm excited to see what K3 does next!
Behave!

Too Much...

So after an epic weekend of fun, craziness, and relaxation, we got home and found out Bob's best friend passed away in a tractor accident...
We are crushed.
Bob's best friend is also my sister-in-law's cousin.
I think this family has been through enough already...
I also think that's selfish of me to say, but I don't know how much more I can take.
Gah....
That is all for now...
Behave!

Still Not Writing...

Nah, I didn't think I would be tonight. I know I will soon, which is half of the battle. I actually have an idea, which is weird and amazing at the same time.
This week has been pretty brutal. Busy at the day job - like insanely busy. A touch of the stomach bug went through this house, which was also insane, awkward, and rude.
They started our roof this morning, which interrupted my moaning and groaning about my stomach hurting and forced me to at least try to go to work (I made it through the entire day, which is really good, especially since I can't afford any more time off right now).
I put together Mom's bills & assets and now have to take that to the attorney.
Our puppy went to stay at my sister's while the roof is being worked on because she would be way to stressed out here by herself while the roof is being done. It was a good call, but I miss her.
We've been at Mom's every night taking care of stuff and home after eight every night.
This weekend is K1's birthday party and the first time he gets K5 overnight. That's epic and will be celebrated, but there's stuff to do...
Yeah, and I'm not complaining. It's just life right now - adjusting to new normal, dealing with everything, planning... you know....
K3 graduates a week from today. My baby boy...
School is out for K4 a week from tomorrow. She's moving to 10th grade. And yeah... My baby girl...
K2 has been sending us audio of Baby C talking. It is so stinking cute! I miss my girls...
So yeah... dealing.. adjusting... trying...
Behave!

Still Raw...

I brought the folks home tonight...
We had Mom cremated as she wished and her ashes were mixed with Dad's. We had to get another box to store them and we picked one that we can open and take ashes to spread when we feel up to that.
Now we wade through the legal and financial stuff. I was working on that tonight - going through bills and bank statements - preparing a list for the attorney. The family chose me and my sister in law to be estate administrators. Then, we'll need to clear out the house. Oh and my family may be moving there if we can work it out. We'll see...
This weekend was equal parts rough and good. Rough because we always camped with Mom and Dad. This would have been our first Memorial Day camp out without Dad. Instead, it was our first without them both. Mom had been planning on coming and using her camper for the first time since Dad passed. How much suck is that?
It was a nice weekend, though. It was nice to relax and not have to get up at a certain time or talk to people if I didn't want to. We got there late because our house was horrible due to not being home consistently in almost two weeks. We had to clean and I'm so glad we did. Coming home to a clean house (despite the napkins the cats decided to strew all over the place) was really, really nice. It was freezing Saturday night and I thought I might die. Sunday night was better, though. Our friends came camping with us, which was awesome, even though I didn't feel well after the picnic and had to cancel plans to go visit a friend who just had surgery. K5 and Baby B were there, which was also awesome. I also had a great conversation with Simon and I should be writing again soon. I actually have an idea for the anthology we'll be self publishing with a few other authors.
Now I'm just waiting for the new normal to settle in... I miss my parents. I never thought I was going to be an orphan this soon.
Behave!

So...I Last Posted 10 Days Ago...

Ten days ago, my Momma was alive.
Now she's not.
She was amazing over the weekend. Not sick. Not even a cramp.
I called her Monday morning and she said she wasn't feeling well. I checked in with her at lunch and she said she had really bad stomach cramps. That Man and I had a meeting for his Mom after work. She's not doing so hot right now either. Once we were done, we headed to Mom's to check in on her - maybe make her some supper and take care of stuff.
Only we ended up calling an ambulance.
She had emergency surgery in the early hours of Tuesday morning. She never woke. Her body couldn't fight off the toxins from the perforated bowel. We didn't even know she had a problem. Neither did she. By Wednesday, we had to make decisions.
And we had to watch our mother die.
I wasn't ready to let her go. I wasn't ready to be without my momma. I miss her so very very much.
We had her services on her birthday.
It's been a really long week...But I am grateful to this crazy family for sticking together and not wanting to leave each other...
I miss you, Momma.
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up!

I know it's been 10 days since I posted last! Things have been crazy here!
Our family planned a surprise birthday party for my mom. It was this weekend! We camped, had a fire, a band, and lots of friends and family! It was a blast! Mom was surprised! Very awesome! And I'm so glad it turned out so well! Mom deserves it!
We went up to my sister's Friday night to get stuff done! Ate pizza, drank some beer, and had a blast by the fire! And we got a lot of stuff done, too!
We got up and got busy - cooking, cleaning, setting stuff up. We took a lot of breaks, but that was the plan. We didn't feel rushed at all, which was amazing and great and what we wanted. We laughed our butts off being silly and inappropriate and worked together to get stuff done!
Mom finally arrived and was surprised! Yay! My sister-in-law made an awesome cake. Mom had friends there that I'm not familiar with, but they stayed and seemed to enjoy themselves. She had all of her "adopted" kids there, too.
This morning, we had mimosas, the kids and guys made breakfast, and us mom's sat in the backyard drinking our mimosas and laughing hysterically and not doing any work! Very awesome!
I got to see Baby C, K5, and Baby B. Super awesome! Baby C is getting so big and she smiled at me! K5 launched herself into my arms and talked my ear off! Baby B is at the fun age! We played cars, he conned me into cookies (of course), and he had a blast running around in our camper! We have an ice cream date before I go on retreat!
I also got to see my first adopted son (current count is two adopted sons and I think four adopted daughters by now, but I lose track! LOL) He moved away about 9 years ago and we've kept in touch. He and his new wife just moved about an hour away and it was so great to see him and meet her! She's awesome and I love it! We had a blast catching up and I had a blast watching his face when he saw the younger kids for the first time in 9 years!
The weekend was fantastic! We had a few hiccups, but nothing too major! Our Elsa-puppy did so great! She's exhausted like the rest of us! She knew when to take herself away from the crowd and knew where to plop down so she could rest. She has a boyfriend now -  actually two. One is a huge German Shepard / rottweiler mix and the other is a tiny Pomeranian... She is getting fixed in less than a month and yes, we have and will have "the talk" with her...
Once we got home, we unloaded the truck and went to see That Man's Mom. She's recovering from a pretty bad infection and needs to get her strength back. I love this woman. She's been a second mom to me for the past 30 plus years. She helped teach me how to drive. She's been a rock for me on so many occasions and I love her.
Like I said, she's like my own mom, and my own mom seriously rocks. Both mom's have strength in places I don't think I have.
So now it's Sunday night.... I did my words for the 50/50 and now I am going into full retreat mode! I leave Thursday! I am so freaking excited! The first three days of this week with be crazy though! I have so much to do! All of the retreat swag and stuff is spread out over my living room. It needs to be condensed and organized. Which will happen tomorrow!
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

For the love of all that is Holy... It is finally Friday!
Thank Goodness!
It has been a super ridiculously long week!
Let's just talk about the good stuff, okay?
1. Ice Cream with Baby B. He was sick and when he started feeling better, he remembered that I promised him an ice cream trip this week. We finally made it and he was so stinking cute. He danced. And then he only ate like four bites of ice cream!
2. The week being over. The day job was super super busy! Our volume was through the roof! The stress level was also through the roof. If you know what I do, then you understand.
3. Seeing my kids perform tonight! They were super awesome! I am so proud!
4. Ordering subs for dinner! We didn't eat until way late because we didn't get home until way late.
5. Having kid friends over and at the performance. Awesome.
6. Keeping up with the 50/50 challenge! I didn't miss a day this week.
7. Retreat coming up in less than 2 weeks! Whoot!
8. Writing meeting tomorrow. Yay!
9. Hopefully seeing K5 tomorrow!
10. Crazy busy weekends! Though I wish for a day without obligations! Ha!
That is all!
Behave!!

Retreat in Two Weeks!

This time in two weeks, I'll be at RETREAT!!
Tonight Simon and I went shopping to get the swag for retreat! We made out like bandits!
We found so much great stuff!
It's going to be so awesome!
Simon and I went out to eat and then hit all of our regular spots. The first one was disappointing. We didn't find all of the awesome stuff we'd found in years past. Then we hit the office supply store and ... Bingo!
Like I said... It's going to be so awesome!
I cannot wait!
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up...

What a crazy weekend! Crazy, but good...
You saw my Friday night...It was good and relaxing...
Saturday: Worked the day job at the store. It was mostly busy and that's good for time going fast. Left work and met That Man at my mom's. Her raised planter had dumped all of its dirt... My bro and That Man were fixing it. She fed us. We laughed a lot. I got her Internet/Phone/Cable upgraded - about time. Her current settings are ridiculously slow! (1 mg compared to the new 25 mg...seriously?) I had to do some comparing, and found that the provider I love sucks for her!
Came home and wrote, That Man fixed the 'burban's power steering hose, (and I went to get power steering fluid in my jammies. Ha) then we hung out with Those Kids that live here, went to bed early.
Sunday: Slept in. Housework stuff. Met the family at Mom's for kitchen stuff, yard stuff, grill cooking, beach meeting.... Our first choice beach house was booked, but we found a better one! Yay for beach!! It's happening after 10 years without a vacation!! I am so very excited!
We came home from Mom's late, but I did write and talked to K2, and took care of a lot of stuff that needed to be taken care of!
Tomorrow is Monday... We're out of OT at the day job right now, so I can sleep in a little (maybe), and I have to lose my Saturday time, so I should be able to leave early one day this week. That will be nice and good for writing! Though, I could take an entire day off and only lose a few hours... hmm... will have to think about that one...
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Here's the list:
1. Friday! Yay! Though, I do have to work the day job tomorrow. In the store. It's okay. I do like working in the store, but Saturday's are exhausting!
2. A little stop off at the adult beverage store tonight. Long week. Much needed. (and in small amounts... see number 1)
3. Despite a crappy week, still hanging in for the 50/50!
4. Less than 3 weeks until retreat! I will have my own room for the first time in years! (Not that I wanted to, but was forced to because our numbers are so low and we have a room minimum) But after shelling out the cash and coming to terms with it, I'm actually excited to have my own bathroom and bedroom.
5. Pizza for dinner. Good pizza, too!
6. My crazy kids....
7. That Man's Mom doing awesome!
8. Roof work coming soon! About time!
9. That Man and I are about the watch The Battle of the Five Armies...
10. 'nuff said...

Good night...

Tuesday Reality...

1. We had a really great time in Delaware. Our cousins are awesome and so is our Aunt. Talk about family - they are just like us. I'm sad that we've missed out on so much time, but happy that we have a plan and have had the realization that we're all on the same page with our moms! The farm is beautiful and amazing and I'm so glad that it's my family.
There was no wifi there... I managed. I think it was actually good to be disconnected.... I think...
2. I did miss days in the 50/50 challenge, but not enough to kick me out! One was my cousin's fault for showing up way too early in the morning. The other was mine for being too tired to function...
3. The XBox fix didn't work. We need a new one and that's out of the budget. The kids are dealing okay. (!&#2^) Yeah... like that...
4. I realized halfway home from Delaware that my drivers license had expired the day after my birthday. I had meant to take care of that... No more speeding for me... Yikes... All taken care of now, but OY! And my new picture SUCKS really hard!!
5. We didn't stop to see the beach because my granddaughter(s) and grandson were waiting for me at home! It was so fantastic to see K5, Baby B, and C! I'm so happy K5 is able to be a part of the family again. AND baby C was here when I got home! I didn't expect C to be here! I was so happy to see her! We got the first picture of all of our grandkids!
6. We're in the middle of a new week now... I'm writing. Preparing for retreat in 3 weeks - that's crazy. So looking forward to it!
7. Summer is coming. We have plans!
8. We're all set for graduation!! Yay! Can't wait to see K3 graduate!!
9. Dead chickens on the farm...long story...
10. That Man's mom is doing well and moved to a really great rehab facility that we're all happy with. She's doing great and we're all hopeful...
That is all for now...
Behave!

10 Days Later...

1. I've had my birthday. It was good.
2. We survived my parents 54th anniversary without Dad. We wet out to dinner and it was really nice.
3. There was a little yardwork done at our abode and some work done at Mom's, though That Man and I weren't able to help.
4. We purchased our first brand new television in 25 years. And paid cash for it because That Man is a saving machine. It's not huge, but it's really nice to be able to see what's on the screen.
5. I had my one year work review and it was really good. And I got a raise!
6. With #5 came some new responsibilities, which I'm digging.
7. We got to hang out with Baby B's other grandma, which was fun, but too short. And Baby B is so stinking cute and awesome!
8. Birthday videos from Baby C. She is so adorable!
9. We're still dealing with That Man's Mom in the hospital and no idea what's going on.
10. The kids attempt to fix the XBox failed and we had to order new parts. Suck.
11. I'm heading out with Mom to Delaware very early in the morning to take care of a bunch of stuff. No work for me tomorrow. YAY! But... I have to get up at 4am. I should be in bed already, but have to wait for laundry to finish first. Talk about running around like a crazy person. We had a nice dinner out, an emergency trip to the store after I couldn't find any underwear at my house. Nice. Came back to mom's and have been getting ready to go ever since.
12. Not missing a day in the 50/50 challenge so far! Go me!
13. Plans to stop and see the beach on our way home! YAY!
That's all. I don't know that I'll be able to post this weekend. Not sure of the Internet ability. I'll be writing though! (I plan to!)
Behave!

Monday Sucks!

There seriously should be a third weekend day! A day of rest! Like years and years ago where everything was closed on Sunday - no groceries, no retail stores... nothing! So your choices are... stay home and clean up / do stuff, or relax for a freaking change! Ha! That day should be in the middle of the weekend. Or the first day of the weekend, because I think if it came on the last day, well... We'd still be just as tired and potentially hung over! Because we'll try to cram every single thing into that last day!  Oh wait! And I need one solid day to just write! No obligations, no errands, noting else that needs my attention! Just writing! That makes four days for the weekend.
Yeah, I'm tired. This weekend was insanely busy. But good. We ended up kid-less at the last minute and for two nights. That hasn't happened in so long, I can't even remember the last time. The first night, the kids all left at bedtime. No fun there. On Saturday, we were both busy doing stuff that wasn't together most of the day. I had my writing meeting, which was awesomely good and much needed. But then That Man and I met up and did some running around, came home and cleaned the house before crashing at a weirdly early hour. Up way too early on Sunday, but ended up being a really really good day.
We got to see the family and Baby C. C's mommy and daddy are doing an amazing job with her! So proud of them! Baby B was so cute and awesome! He was so happy with the T-ball set we got him. He jumped up and down before launching himself into my arms. Too freaking cute. The food was amazing and plentiful. We talked, laughed, watched movies, drank a little Sangria, and got home a little later than we'd planned!
The kids are the lucky ones in this scenario... Their last day of school was Wednesday. They go back tomorrow. Very lucky. Though I know tomorrow will feel like this Monday for them. They had a blast hanging out with their cousin this weekend.
Days off... That's what I need... Not just a weekend, but days...
Behave!

April Fool

I got nothing... so no jokes here...
But how about an April 1st list?
1. We did have a failed April Fool joke at work. The entire office knew, but one person, and we were all SO excited. At zero hour, we were all hanging out near the intended recipient... and then BUSTED... It would have been awesome! Dang. (I promise it wasn't mean at all)
2. That Man's mom was moved to a rehab type facility. It's the best move and we're so happy even though she's still in a lot of pain. The staff is awesome and attentive and there's a calm, friendly vibe there. I'm sure they're going to take great care of her. Heck, they already were and she had just been transferred.
3. I love my day job friends. We all fit together so well. Today was "reveal" day - where the list of the previous months "error rate" is posted. (In my old job, the "problem log" was a horrible, horrible thing. This is not.) We're all working together to get the lowest rates possible, and it's awesome to see someone that had a rough couple of months finally make it into the "zone". There is no animosity or ugliness. Just support and congratulations. And then there are the random Facebook comments that never fail to crack me up!
4. We were told to get out of the house so K4 could take care of her April Fool joke as we were leaving to see That Man's mom... So far... nothing... She doesn't have access to my computer this year, and obviously, her joke wasn't to clean the house or do laundry or anything like that. HA! We'll see... Our bedroom light was on as we pulled in, but I haven't braved it yet...
5. I didn't play the joke I wanted to play today... We had a mice problem at work over Christmas. Turds everywhere, missing food. I wanted to get some chocolate jimmies and go to each desk and tell them the mice were back because look at the turds I found on my desk, then eat the jimmies, but I didn't. Because I'm lame...
6. I miss April Fool with a houseful of crazy kids. Last year was Nic Cage, There has been a lot of things that never made it on here and a lot of things that have, but weren't April Fool's related. I guess I just miss the chaos. And I miss being home and being in the thick of it.
7. 42 days until Retreat! It's a weird year this year with a lot of regular attendees with other writing-related commitments. It's a small group. We'll be cozy, but we'll have fun! I had to take a single room for the first time since we booked this facility. It sucked financially, and I'll miss my roomie, but I'm kind of excited about having my own room.
8. I miss blogging everyday! I know no one reads this anyway, but I love this blog. It's not a funny blog (or even slightly) anymore, but since I'm not home all day it's no wonder...
9. I'm taking a short writing break while I figure out titles and what I'm working on next. I hope to be back in the game by Saturday. That's my plan. We're concentrating on writing at the meeting Saturday...
10. This is ten. For no reason except I needed a ten... Ha!
That is all... We're gearing up for Easter, which will be awesome!
Behave!

I'm Always at a Week...

In between posts...
Let's see...
The rest of last week was normal - chaos. Working quite a bit of ot, editing, kid stuff...
The weekend - well... That Man's mom went into the hospital Friday. Severe bladder infection that affected her kidneys and blood. She's still there. Her pain level was through the roof all weekend. She couldn't move, eat, or most of the time even talk coherently and she couldn't stand to be touched. We were beyond worried. That Man's sister was out of town, so it was just us to handle it all.
She was finally able to sit up today, which is a relief, but she has a long road of strengthening ahead of her. This infection has really kicked the crap out of her. And still is - she has several more days in the hospital with antibiotics and physical therapy before they move her to rehab. But her being able to sit up is like prize winning!
I will tell you that going to that hospital to see her is really really hard. It brings back a lot of memories I don't want to relive. I'm doing what I have to do, and coping the best I can. Because what else am I going to do?
What else...
Elsa has gone into her "doggy cycle". No, she's not fixed yet. She was supposed to be by now, but when the kitty boys started peeing on everything, they had to go first. (Thankfully, fixing them stopped all of that - as we'd hoped) But this dog... OY... all she does is drip.. Yeah, you didn't need to know that. But it's gross and she's confused as to why she can't be on the couch or sleep in K4's bed right now. Poor thing. I feel bad for her and I do not want to go through this again. Yikes.
This weekend is Easter. We have predictably fun plans with family. It's also my writing meeting on Saturday, which is always good.
I'm afraid to guess what else will go on this weekend.
The other thing...The book I've been working on has to be trashed. It has to be completely rewritten, which breaks my heart and soul, but I can't send crap out there. I know it's the right thing to do, but it kills me. So I'm in the middle of a creative thinking process - thinking up new titles for my summer release and waiting for edits on that, and getting my head on straight, thinking...
Today was my one year anniversary at the day job. We had snacks. I won't get my review until next week, because the bigwigs are out this week. I still love my job a lot. It breaks me most days, but I think most people face that.
And I'm still trying to make it all work - fit everything in - feel like I'm being a good mom, good wife, parenting enough, grandparenting enough, writing enough, being a good daughter and sibling, cleaning enough, sleeping enough, eating right and exercising enough, I don't think I'm alone, but it's still daunting...
Cloning machine? I could use one!
Ha!
Behave!

Yikes! A Week!

Things are crazy here!
What did you miss this past week?
Visiting the new grand! Hanging with Baby B!
Insane work schedules! I can't even tell you how insane! Working OT and trying to make it all fit!
Getting scratched in the face by one of the kitty boys. Jerk.
Writing - trying...I'm editing/rewriting. Brutal because there's not a lot of time, but really good when I do get a few!
Crazy kids with their schedules and needs! It never ends. I have half at home and it's still as busy! Or more? And one of them can drive! How nuts is that?
A night out with That Man, K1, J, my sister and bro-in-law, my bro, and some friends. We got to hear our friend play, met some new friends, celebrated J's birthday, and had a blast!
Spaghetti dinner for Boy Scouts. We're no longer as involved as we once were. K3 has aged out, but we will always help with the dinner. It was crazy! We were so insanely busy! That Man and my bro went in around 4am to cook sauce. We didn't get home until almost 10. Like I said, crazy!
Tip O' the iceberg! There is a lot of stuff I can't even begin to list! But what are you going to do? It's life and most of it is fantastic!
Behave!

Throwback St. Patty's Day....

This was our Kitty Boy in 2008...We still miss him a lot. He was a really good cat! Even though he hated St. Patty's Day!
I can't explain the current cats... Ones a jerk, and one isn't. And then they switch...Vidar wants to ride on everyone's shoulder. Charles just hates everyone. So does Spenser..... But yet... they let us feed them and take care of the litter boxes..And sometimes we get to pet and love them. What kind of crazy is that... I'll tell you... It's mind control! LOL
Well... Happy St. Patty's Day to you!
Behave!

So...

I have a new granddaughter...
I'm not really allowed to tell you that yet, but since no one my daughter and son-in-law know read my blog, I figure I'm good. Besides... when do I ever follow the rules?
She will be called Baby C and she's beautiful and perfect!
I am so proud of these kids! They made an amazing human and are amazing parents! They are so relaxed - way more than I was with my first. But I see shades of That Man and I in how things are getting done.
It's awesome!
Pictures won't be posted, but stories will be. I'm so looking forward to getting to know my new baby girl! She is so precious and beautiful!
That is all!
Behave!

An Embarrassing Story!

Okay! So today was my writing meeting! It was a great meeting! I love hanging out with my writing peeps! 67 days until our retreat!
After the meeting, when it was time to decide where to go for lunch, I suggested a steakhouse... Because I had a gift certificate. Everyone agreed, because it's a great place to eat. We get there, order, and I went big because I wanted to use my entire gift certificate...
(I earned the certificate for having a low error rating at the day job!)
I got cheddar stuffed mushrooms, crab & shrimp soup, and a half of a steak sandwich. It was so, so good!
I asked the waitress if I could cover the tip with my gift card and she said yes! I was so happy! I added an extra buck or two because we had really great service and I left to go home!
I had popped my jaw out of socket during lunch, so I was hurting pretty bad - head and jaw... I came home and laid down to try to get it to go away. When I woke up, I saw I had a voicemail message from a friend... It said "Your gift certificate was for a different steakhouse. I covered your bill..."
ACK!!
How embarrassing! I never even realized! I feel like a moron!
It all worked out okay, but still...
And... by the way... my jaw is still out!
Sometimes, I think, I shouldn't be allowed out of the house...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

OMG! What a long week! The kids didn't have a full day at all this week. Delay, home early, delay, off, delay... I even had two days of going home early. That Man plowed. It's cold... Yeah...
So... On to the good stuff this week...
1. Friday. Thank Goodness.
2. Writing - Making good progress on my edits.
3. That Man doing the shopping and cooking dinner. Burgers. Yay!
4. Baby time coming soon! We're (im)patiently waiting for baby girl to get here.
5. The weather! Yeah, it sucked to lose time from work, but I love the snow! I also love driving my 'burban in the snow!
6. Writing group meeting tomorrow! Yay!
7. Free movie rentals. We're watching Big Hero 6 for the third time. What a great movie! (Yes, my kids are teenagers and this is an animated movie, but it's so good.)
8. Baby B time! He's so stinking cute!
9. Having an adult beverage after a long week. Just one. Just in case my new baby girl decides to begin her journey.
10. Sleeping in my nice clean bed... I can sleep in just a little tomorrow. I can't wait!
That's all. I have editing to do!!
Behave!

New Kitchen, Snow, Chaos...

 So this is what my mom's new kitchen looks like! Gorgeous! There are still a few things to be done - outlet covers, the appliance garage, shelves in the lower cabinets, an in-cabinet trash & recycle center, new bar stools. We spent the day cleaning the dry wall dust out of the new fridge (long story), cleaning the cupboards out and wiping them down, putting away things in the upper cabinets, cleaning the dust out of the pantry. We got a lot done, but there's still a lot to do. Everything has to be washed due to the dust and we can't find a lot of things. Okay. That's not true. We know where they are, but we can't get to them because there is construction stuff piled in front and on top of it. But we'll get there... And now I have serious kitchen envy! Ha!
***
It snowed and did some freezing rain. School is already delayed for tomorrow. That Man is plowing. Homework is done. Laundry is almost done. The house has been picked up, vacuumed, and dishes are done. K3 is watching videos on the computer and K4 is researching water polo teams because she thinks she might want to play. Elsa is sleeping on the couch and the kitties are running rampant. It's crazy time for them.
I wrote this morning and am heading back to do more now. I don't know how long That Man will be out, but I highly doubt I'll be able to stay up and wait for him.
That is all!
Behave!

Saturday...

I'm hanging at Mom's...
We cooked in the new (almost completely done) kitchen tonight! It was sweet! We all did our thing without bumping into each other! Awesome! Finding utensils and stuff was weird - tomorrow is our day of putting things away - so no one knew where bowls, spatulas or anything like that was. We unloaded the kitchen over a few weekends, so we kind of forgot where we put stuff... Ha!
I keep looking at this new kitchen in amazement. It's beautiful!
***
Today was the day I picked for my new sweet granddaughter to arrive. Obviously that didn't happen... Any day now though! I can't wait to hold her!!
***
I am writing! In the middle of a rewrite, and it's going well. I just need more time! I need people to remember what it means when "Mom is working". Ack!
***
It's supposed to snow again tomorrow! It's the first of March! Spring is coming! Soon... right? Though I would really love a lot more snow! A lot more!!
***
We're watching a Jaws marathon here... Oh, Lord... Help me!!
Behave!!!

Aw Heck! It's Wednesday!

What a dumb week!
Crazy busy!
Unable to keep up!
Writing/revising as much as humanly possible. Before work. After work. I made really decent progress tonight despite a trip to the warehouse store, the gas station, and the grocery store!
New grandbaby coming soon! So freaking excited! Can't wait to hold my new little girl! (I keep saying that... but it's true!)
Mom's kitchen is almost done! I will try to post a picture! She is so excited as are the rest of us. Did I forget to tell you about Mom's new kitchen? There was wall ripping out and everything! It's going to be awesome!
That is all...
Behave!

Bloody Hell! It's Cold!!

It's currently 8* here, with a windchill of -12*
When I wake up, it's supposed to be -2*, with a windchill of -15 to -25*.
It's 34* in Anchorage, Alaska right now.
It's 41* in Juneau, Alaska
Heck, it's even warmer at the North Pole! It's 20*!
The highest temperature in the entire US today was 82*, and that was in the desert.
I'd give you more temps (I know you want them), but the site won't load. Ha!
The kids already have a 2 hour delay. We'll see if they actually have school tomorrow. I really, really hope they don't! I really, really wish I didn't have to go out either, but that's not going to happen.
We're supposed to get snow over the weekend, then the temps shoot to 40* on Sunday.
What the heck?
I can't get warm. The dog keeps wanting to go outside and play with sticks. There is a breeze over my legs and hands.
I'm going to my nice warm bed now...
Behave!

2014 Year in Review...Late

It's only 2 months late... Sorry about that...

I know I usually post this before the new year starts...I'm dealing with a lot of things right now, so that's why it's late...Please forgive me...
January:
Our Elsa! She's a year old now! She's still super cute and super smart. We love her!
Back then:

Now:

Actually that was September, and she's so tired, she can't even wake up enough to eat a pizza bone.. (that's what's beside her...) She's not as big as we expected, YET, (she'll grow until she's two) but she is super sweet and smart and she's such a good dog! We love her!








Also in January:

Super cold and A LOT of snow. It was good I was still home all day! I miss that this year! lol

For the Love of Isaac came out! Still super excited about this book and my publisher!

I dealt with some bad customer service, which was infuriating,but eventually turned out well.

Baby B turned 1! I was still looking for a job. We had the plague here. Lots of weather delays.
And this:

February:
Trying to watch the Super Bowl...Snow. More snow. Birthday craziness. More ugly weather. Job interviews. More birthdays. Puppy training. Awesome Author Event and Birthday Tea Party!
Sheltered was released! Yay!

March:
Theater stuff with kids. Helping with the musical. More craziness. Fun times. The decline of the rat. Writing process blog tour. Spaghetti dinner. Cousins. Clothes shopping. Stupid fraudulent job. Edits. Auditions. Getting a night out with That Man. My new Kindle! Vet appointments. A NEW good job! Death - the rat. Very Sad. Edits.

April:
Nick Cage jokes. Loving the new job. That Man becoming everyone's favorite person at my new job by bringing cake and coffee for everyone. Fixed dryer. Grandkids. Easter. Anniversary Party. Retreat on the horizon. Taxes. Sickness. New shoes. Writing. Puppy stuff. Report cards. Pie sale. Easter. Adjusting. Edits. Meadow clean up with the grandkids. Ice Cream. Cursed Fate released!!

May:
Retreat. 50/50 challenge. NYC with my girl! Awesome Broadway show! Ice Cream with the kids. Mother's Day. Retreat Shopping. My brother graduating - kind of... The beginning of the decline of my dad...Though we didn't know it yet... Retreat!! Cursed Fate released! Yay! My Dad failing... falling and needing someone with him..

June:
Surprise Birthday parties. Graduation Party for my bro. My Dad being in too much pain for his procedure. Dad going into the hospital. New kitty boys. Finding out K2 and J are preggers! YAY! No answers for Dad. And then the bad answer... Cancer. Not dealing well with things - trying to make it all fit and be there for everyone. Trying to figure it out...Orthodontist consult for K4. Street Fair. Out of town company. Too much. Bringing Dad home with Hospice.

July:
My Dad passed away. He went fast and in a lot of pain. It was horrible. It still is horrible. It was a rough month after a rough couple of months. (and followed by a whole bunch of rough months) I miss my daddy. A tree fell on our roof on the day of my dad's funeral. How shitty is that? That was awful and continues to be... No new roof yet, though the money is in the bank. It's too cold to put a new roof on now... Much needed Date night with That Man. Summer Survival. Reflections...

August:
Our chimney getting repaired. The end of summer school. Oy! Renn Faire. Our favorite! Blogging award thing... School shopping!  Baby B. K5 getting into arts school! New baby on the horizon! Getting my truck back. Camping. School starting! New routine. Looking forward to Fall!

September:
Getting my truck back, finally! And power steering lines going bad! Oy! That man's car still being stupid and broken! Ugh! We had K5 for her first camping trip with us in The Wilds! She was only supposed to stay one night, but ended up with us the entire weekend! We had an absolute blast!! Hot tub time. Booking our mini vacation at the beach! Writing time! Official baby announcement! Baby B overnight! Having the plague. Lunch with the Big Boss. Dad's birthday. Helping Mom clear out stuff. That Man taking care of stuff. Date Nights. Bridal Shower. OT at work.

October:
Cat time travelers. Crazy dog. Vegan kid. 4 star review. Fall. Awesome mini vacation at the beach! K3 turning 18!! Getting my writing groove back! Missing my Dad.

November:
Wedding! House guest, which was awesome! Family parties. Birthday parties. Hanging out at my sisters. Feeling the new grandbaby move! Cleveland with K3 and That Man. What a blast! New contract with Soul Mate! Thanksgiving awesomeness! Getting a better shift at the day job! Missing Dad, especially with the holiday! K2's birthday and nostalgia. Awesome Thanksgiving Eve hanging out with my sister and bro-in-law. Getting Mom's house ready for Christmas! 50/50 challenge. Baby B and his "pappy" yelling.

December:
Author page. Time going by too fast. Shopping. Getting trees up. Friends in accidents and being okay. Crazy Christmas Wishes! The van breaking down. The 'burban almost catching fire. Great Christmas spent at Mom's. Missing Dad a whole heck of a lot. Good Birthday for K5. Having to work the Friday after Christmas. Suck. New boots! Rest time...

And that was the extent of my 2014 posts...I posted 122 times in 2014, which isn't my lowest year. (2013 - 98) (Highest - 2010 with 380) I'm sucking pretty good this year so far... Maybe I'll get better??

Behave!!