Retreat - Day Two - AM

Slept like crap last night. Don't know why. Maybe it was the massive amounts of coffee I drank, or the massive amounts of water I drank before bed. Or just unfamiliar surroundings. I don't know. I was up a lot. I don't think I fell into a deep sleep until around four am. I was up before my alarm though, showered, talked to the family to see how the evening went last night and wish them a good day today, and was at breakfast on time.
I hit about 1k words and took a nap, only to be awakened by housekeeping. Which was fine. I'd slept long enough and our garbage cans were almost overflowing. Besides, I have work to do. Plotting out some of my story with Simon, turned the heat on in our room, and moved to the comfy bed to work. Which I will begin again once I do a ticket run. (We hand out tickets to enter to win the big prizes.)

This is what it looked like when I woke up this morning. There was a little sun. It's gone now and the temperatures have dropped. It's about ten degrees colder here now than it is at home, though I know home is getting hammered with rain and wind. My niece just posted some pics of The Wilds and the flooding. Crazy stuff.
So this new story has a post war setting which I totally dig. Think Jericho meets Red Dawn with a hefty dose of Life After People thrown in for setting. As of right now there is no paranormal elements, but that might change. Or not. The heroine's name is America and her parents might have been double agents. The hero is the leader of the resistance, but at this point America isn't sure which resistance he's leading.
It's definitely a work in progress. One I am eager to get back to.
So I will leave you with that and get back to work!
Behave!

Retreat - Day One

We are here!!
I am waiting for two more in our group, then my chairperson duties will be lessened a bit. Right now, every time I sit down and start to do something, someone shows up. But that's okay. I don't mind one bit.
It's rainy - rainy like crazy right now and is supposed to rain through tomorrow, but I don't mind that either.
We're on a different floor this year, which is pretty cool so far. We have a more private location with closer access to our meeting room. Each room has a view of the pond and the facility set up a table with coffee and hot water for us. Sweet.
The swag has gone over excellently. Everyone has loved it so far.
I'm going through my projects to see what I have and what will be worked on next before starting a new project. (I have no idea what that will be yet - today is for figuring that out).
I might be back later. We'll see...
Behave!

Retreat - Less Than One Day

This time tomorrow I'll be at RETREAT!!!
I'm 99.975674% ready - just have a few things to throw in and I have to sleep at some point. I am so excited!
Yes, I will miss my family a whole bunch! I am missing K3's end of year performance (which is a whole 'nother long and weird story) and him going to his first prom (maybe. He's still on the fence). I'm going to miss the people in my house. And since That Man and I never got our alone time... Yeah... might be a little rougher than usual. But I'm not going away forever. They will have a blast while I'm gone.
I am done with my work week! Yay! (I'll hate this next payday, but...)
I am so very ready for RETREAT!!
More tomorrow...
Behave!

Oh...It's Tuesday...

The weekend was awesome, though the rain prevented us from seeing my brother walk for his graduation. We had fun hanging out though. And we took our friend Richard. Richard is a tick. In a bag. He was on That Man the other day, so we kept him. Though he's a dog tick, not a deer tick, but he's still a Richard. We actually left Richard behind that night and my niece brought him back, though I know she didn't want to. Ha! Mother's Day was fun and good. We hung out, cooked on the grill, and after the crowd left, we had a roaring game of Apples to Apples with the teenagers. Fun stuff.
It's been a really weird and rough week so far though...
Monday was bad. When I got into work I was informed the woman who hired me had passed away in a freak accident. It was horrible. They brought in a grief counselor and talked to us all through the day. Everyone is a mess. She was a huge part of the company and everyone loved her. Suck and so sad!!
Today was also not good. We got an email early this morning that our payroll company had a security breach. All of our info was exposed - birth date, social, hire date, pay rate, address, phone numbers, bank numbers... everything. Yikes! I called my bank and they recommended we put a password on our account. Which I did. They also recommended we close the affected account and open a new one. What a freaking pain! But we will, because... really? The worst thing is that all of the stolen info could be used in bad ways, which we cannot prevent by opening new accounts... The payroll company has offered us free credit monitoring and protection, which I will take, but what a bunch of bullsh*t crap!
Though on a super fantastic note... We did find out that K4 was accepted into the Art's school in the fall for theater. Exciting stuff! I'm so happy and beyond excited!
And... This time tomorrow I will officially be in de-stress mode and ready for RETREAT!!  I am nearly packed. The swag is packed. The game gifts are wrapped. I have a few things to do, but I am so totally and completely ready for retreat!
Come on, Wednesday... Get here and get over!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Crazy Edition

From now until next Thursday morning, I am insane with things and stuffs! And then I am on RETREAT! YAY!!
It's a good kind of insane. The kind I like. But that doesn't stop the worry I won't get it all done from creeping in.
Anyway... Here is the list:
1. Having a wonderful day in NYC with my girl! Cinderella was fantastic! (Awesomely fantastic!) We also saw Mariah Carey get out of her limo on her way to the David Letterman show. We walked, talked, laughed, and had a good time.
2. My work week. It was crazy busy, but also good. I am getting better at what I do and I dig it!
3. Seeing Baby B and talking to K5 this week. Baby B is a riot and K5 talked my ear off! I love it!
4. Lists - because without them I would be adrift...
5. Weekend plans. There is no sleeping in tomorrow, but I will get to see my brother graduate, hang out, and then hopefully (if it doesn't rain) hang out with the neighbors when we get home.
6. Mother's Day plans. I'm very thankful we are gathering here for the day. I'm looking forward to it! (We won't talk about the mess my house is currently and the laundry that needs to be done!)
7. Getting a lot of my retreat shopping taken care of tonight. I still have some things to do, buy, take care of, but I'm making progress.
8. Filling the van for less than $15.
9. Conversations with the K3 and K4.
10. Plans for "us" time with That Man. We need it so very badly.
11. Less than 6 days until RETREAT!!!
That is all... I must go to bed now...
Behave!

Taking Teenagers for Ice Cream...

Today was kind of a rough day for some in this house. That Man had an insane work day, K3 is so busy he's having a hard time keeping up with his stuff, K4 had an emotionally draining day followed by a crap ton of homework. I'm just tired, so that doesn't really count.
Anyway.
Once the dust settled and the homework was done, That Man and I decided we needed to take the kids for ice cream as a little distraction.
DQ is about 3/4 mile away. The trip there was spent discussing grades, and listening to the teenagers argue about something stupid. We pull in, order, and the arguing continues to ridiculous proportions. Finally, the ice cream / treats came out.
And everything changed.
Our conversation on the way home consisted of something we all contributed to (analyzing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and its association with the seven deadly sins). It was a very interesting discussion.
The thing is... the stress that was in the house before we left was definitely not present upon our return. I don't know if we had to leave to get it to leave, too, or if the ice cream lifted us above the stress, but it went away and hasn't come back yet. Moods and attitudes are way better than they were when we left.
The power of ice cream? Or the power of taking a break?
I don't know and I don't care. It worked this time. I'll take it.
Behave!

Weekend Wrap... Again...

Why do these weekends always have to end? I mean... seriously? It's not right.... I do need at least one more day to recover and rest!
There was little to no sleeping in this weekend. That Man and K4 were up early Saturday to head into the woods to work on K4's future wheels. (her uncle is giving her an old truck that will take until she's ready for her driver's test to be road worthy. Very cool! But oy!) K3 had rehearsal. They all left too early. My sleeping in did not happen as I was on puppy duty.
But, Saturday was my writing group meeting. It was very awesome, per usual. We had an awesome and very funny speaker and I had a call from our retreat location while there, so was able to finalize plans and stuff. 10 days!
K1, J, and Baby B were here when I got home. We had a very nice dinner with them. K1 works the night shift so we don't get to see him often. And we miss him. It was good to just hang out and talk and laugh (and have Baby B time).
Today was also getting up too early to make sure the puppy didn't do anything rude, grocery shopping, laundry (oy), yard work, Internet shopping, homework wrangling, supervising room clean up, housework, writing, and cooking.
I did the grocery shopping alone, which is kind of weird since That Man and I have been doing it together for a couple of months now. I saved nearly $20. in coupons though (which I would have done if he were with me, so that really is just a bonus)
Tomorrow's dinner is mostly ready. Some things need chopped and the meat needs reheated, but for the most part we'll eat at a semi decent time. And the menu is set for the week, which should mean no mid-week shopping trips.
I decided against going to the stores for the comfy pants, etc I need for retreat and ordered the stuff online. (I have no comfy pants or pj's at this point... my comfy pants consist of a pair of way too big sweats from the 80's with a reindeer on the leg... Yeah...and my pj pants are falling apart) And I got socks! Though I'm kind of pissed that the one thing I ordered won't be here until JUNE! But then I finished the retreat shopping via Amazon. Gotta love it.
I have a list of stuff that needs to be finished before retreat, but I'm on it. I have 10 days! In that 10 days, I have a whole bunch of other stuff that also needs my attention and toiletries to purchase, but I'm good. One of those days will be spent hanging out with my kid in NYC and watching Cinderella on Broadway. I'm really looking forward to that.
Next weekend will be watching my big brother graduate, partying with him, and then hopefully partying the neighbors (K2's bff is also graduating. From the same school as my big bro), then for Mom's day we are having everyone here for hanging out and frivolity.
Another crazy weekend...
It does not ever end... and I don't think I want it to.
Ha!
Behave!!

Feel Good Friday

Another long week in the bag! Whoot! The day job is going well, but next week is going to be different and interesting. I've been thrown into the fire, so to speak, and I hope I can exceed expectations - which shouldn't be too tough since I haven't been given too many. ha! Though, you know what I mean... I hope to impress and do well. I officially feel "official" today. I have folders, sales reps, accounts, and my "cube" is looking kind of impressive. It only needs a few "homey" touches (which I will slowly take care of). Anyway...
Here is the Feel Good Friday list:
1. Friday. YAY! I have needed and looked forward to this day so very much!
2. Retreat in less than two weeks!! Whoot!
3. Writing meeting tomorrow! I am so looking forward to it!
4. Meeting my goal. Just now. And whoot! Another round of edits to go before I send it off to my crit group, but it is done! Yay!
5. The fact that I've managed to get this story done despite the past few weeks!
6. Pre-writing on the shiny new story I will be starting on retreat. I am relatively confident in my idea and with the way the pre-plotting is going.
7. Keeping up with my writing group's 50/50 challenge. I've only missed one day so far and have exceeded 50 words every other day.
8. Receiving my cool new swag yesterday. The postcards are beautiful and I totally dig my new notebook with my cover!
9. Sleeping in for a little bit tomorrow. I am so tired I can't see straight. I'll be in bed very soon! (Sad on a Friday night, but what can I say?)
10. NYC with my girl. Though I think I already said that! Too bad. I'm very excited to see Cinderella on Broadway and hang out in the Big Apple.
Behave!!

Two Weeks!

This time in two weeks I will be posting from RETREAT!
I cannot even begin to describe how much I need my retreat! 3.5 days of nothing but me being an author! No kids to drag out of bed and then drag to school. No reminding kids to do homework, checking homework, arguing about homework. No day job. No puppy into everything. No cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, committee meetings...
Don't get me wrong, I love the above and I will miss my family while I'm gone. (well, except for the dragging, arguing, cleaning, shopping, laundry...) But having retreat time to focus on me is one of the things that keeps me going. It's so wonderful to be able to have no responsibilities except for writing. The facility cooks our meals, washes our dishes, and keeps us supplied with coffee and anything else we might need. They even bring us fresh towels and empty our garbage. How cool is that?
We've got a ton of awesome swag lined up and cool big prizes to win. Our game is planned. Our cocktail party is nearly planned with a great new twist this year - a signature cocktail! Whoot!
I'm in the process of taking care of the last minute details with our facility - assigning rooms, organizing the stuff folks need, etc. And I have a little bit of shopping to finish up for the group. And all of my stuff to take care of, but I have my lists!!
Before retreat, I get to spend a day in NYC with my girl seeing Cinderella on Broadway and riding in a bus with about 40 middle schoolers. I'm excited, but a little leery of that many teenagers at one time. Ha!
That is all for now!
Behave!

The End of the Weekend...

And I thought the work week was long! HA!
We had a fantastic time hanging out with K5 at The Meadow! She's a hoot! Everyone had a great time with her. She raked leaves and threw sticks with me. We threw rocks into the creek and found fossils and salamanders and got wet. She played in the sand with her baby brother and hugged him a lot. She got to ride on the tractor with her pappy and take a golf cart ride with her Gigi, baby brother, and her other Nana. She hung out with her Mimi, Auntie, Uncle, and her Aunt K. And she learned about mermaid rock. We made plans for camping out this summer. My K5 is a special girl.
After a day spent doing physical labor and having fun, we dropped K5 to her mom and then rushed home to shower (and check for ticks) before heading to an anniversary party for our very good friends parents. It was directly across the street from our house, which was convenient and we weren't late. They had good food and it was a good time. They're awesome people and I'm glad we could celebrate with them!
We kept Baby B Saturday night. He hated his bath, but went right to sleep when it was bedtime. Only... He woke at 2 am and stayed up until 4 am... And then... he was ready to face the day at 6 am... OY!!! He had his breakfast and played and was down for a nap before 9. Nanners also got a little (very little) nap. But then I had to be ready to go to the baseball game.
K3's school was represented at our local minor league ballpark today. We managed tickets through that man's work. We took K3's best friend with us. We're all a little sun burnt. K3 and his fellow students did an awesome job singing! We left after that (it was during the 7th inning stretch and we were all exhausted and burnt...)
We had an awesome dinner with the teenagers. We watched Frozen. I wrote. And now it's bedtime... And I'm more tired than I thought was possible...
Tomorrow starts the week again... I'm ready... I think...
Only a week and a half until the New York trip and only about 18 days until retreat!!....
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - Finally

This has been a really long week! I know I say that a lot lately and I also know it's the adjustment phase still going on. I've only been at the new job a month, so it's going to take some time to find my stride and, of course, the training phase takes a lot out of a person. And I'm working later than I ever have before, but getting up and doing as much as I always have. Today was rough for me for some reason - I hung up on a lot of people and felt like I asked too many questions, but no one else seemed to feel the same way... I don't know. Perspective I guess. Technically, it's only my second week at my desk since I spent two weeks in the store. I know I'm being way too hard on myself, but that's just how I roll. I think a lot of it's because I really like my job and I want to do well and it's frustrating to me that I don't know everything yet. (and it will take a while until I do. I knew that going in)
Anyway. Let's get to the list, shall we?
1. Work - every single day I see / hear / experience something that makes me realize this is where I want to be - that if I have to have a full time job, this is it. Perhaps that's why I'm so hard on myself. I don't want to screw it up and have them tell me not to come back. (and yes, if I had the choice, I would be home full time, but since I have no choice, this is the job I want)
2. Writing every night this week. It's been a struggle, but I've done it. My short story is coming along nicely and I love it.
3. Getting the pie sale completely finished - or almost. There's still money owed from one family, but it's only $12.00. I also informed the committee that I would not be chairing anymore fundraisers. My kid ages out in a few months and while we'll still help out for big events and probably remain on the committee for the transition, we won't be doing nearly as much as we currently do. I will probably miss it, but I'm not so sure after this pie sale. ha!
4. That Man taking care of dinners and shopping. He's not feeling great, and I told him I would take care of things, but he still did it. I think I only cooked dinner one night this week. I have, however, done dishes most nights because the K's have been underground with homework and rehearsals.
5. NYC trip with my girl in less than 2 weeks. We are both looking forward to it. We have some tentative plans for what we'll get into while in the Big Apple. We know we want to eat good food and check out a few stores and things. And we're very excited to see Cinderella on Broadway. I don't know if we will have other students in our group yet, but we're both hoping it's just her and I!
6. Retreat in less than 3 weeks! I am so very ready!! (well.. I have to pack and stuff) The retreat swag and most of the prizes have been purchased. My living room is full of stuff. I cannot wait and I cannot even begin to describe how much I am looking forward to retreat! I need this so badly!
7. This weekend's plans... tomorrow we are picking up our baby girl (K5) and heading to The Meadow for clean up day (unless it's cancelled due to the rain that just won't stop). The Meadow has been timbered, so there is a lot to do to prepare for the first campout, which is about a month away. I haven't been down there since the timbering happened, but I understand it's a mess. We'll wrap up earlier than we want to, I'm sure, to take K5 back to her momma and get ready for an anniversary party in the evening. (I need to remember to buy a gift for that... crap... I should have done that tonight!) We will then have Baby B overnight since his folks are out of town for appointments and such. Sunday is laundry, grocery shopping... the boring stuff... Oh wait. No. We have tickets to the baseball game to see K3 sing the national anthem with his school...
8. Watching old episodes of Supernatural. For some reason, watching makes me remember who I am and who I want to be. I think it has something to do with where I was when I originally watched these episodes - with friends talking about hopes and dreams, working on projects I still love. It's nostalgic and energizing. I don't know if that makes any sense.
9. Final proof copy and cover art received for Cursed Fate! Also, I ordered postcards, stickers, and a very cool notebook! I'm very excited for this book!
10.... Bedtime! I have felt like a zombie all night, but I did some necessary shopping on my way home, made cookies, paid the bills, did dishes, completed pending correspondences, caught up on emails, did laundry, organized my filebox... I need sleep...
And sleep I shall have. I hope. If I can...
Behave!

Cursed Fate Cover Reveal

Here it is! Coming from Liquid Silver on May 26!
The blurb:
When artist and occasional witch Taylor Reed finds her ex-husband murdered in her kitchen, she denies what she really saw. Fearing the ominous presence will make her its next victim, she runs—right into Ben Jones.
Ben is a retired demon hunter, and though he’s left his former life behind, he’s compelled to help Taylor find answers and stop the demon hunting her. That’s not all he’s compelled to do…
A family curse, a binding ritual neither knew they were part of, and a demon who can’t be stopped unless Taylor and Ben resist their feelings—Cursed Fate is a journey of survival, and proof true love really can conquer all.
I'm so excited!
Behave!

Easter Fun...

We had a really great day!
Hung out at my sister's with the family and a bunch of dogs! The dogs were hysterical and played themselves out! Elsa is completely sacked on the couch. She hasn't moved since we got home.
We had our first Easter egg hunt in probably ten years with Baby B, my great niece, and my niece's boyfriend's little sister. The teenagers hid the eggs, which was hysterical! Baby B was all about running and making his turkey noises and didn't care about the eggs. Too funny!
We had a ton of great food...except for my gluten free, vegan, dairy free potato casserole. Yuck! (I made a regular version that was actually good!) I didn't realize vegan ricotta cheese is sweet! It was not good!
It was a good day! We need more days like it! I got to see all of my kids, both of my sisters, but not my brother (he was under a pile of homework). But my sister-in-law and nieces were there, and my niece's boyfriend, and my nephew and his fiancee, and my parents, and new friends. My niece's boyfriend's parents also came and it's always fun to see them.
K3 stayed. The teenagers are camping in the backyard. K3 doesn't have school tomorrow. K4 does.
On the way home, K5 called. She's hysterical and we had an interesting conversation about dog's dancing.
I hope you had a good day too!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday!

Hey... Feel Good Friday on Friday! How rare is that? Ha!
Here's the list...
1. Friday. Yeah. If you've been keeping up, you understand!
2. No cooking tonight... Everyone was on their own for dinner. Plenty of leftovers and other stuff to make... Come to think of it... I never did eat anything for dinner.
3. Pizza for lunch! Though by the time I got to eat, it was cold, but it was still good.
4. Doughnuts for breakfast! I got way too many and brought almost a dozen home, but they were appreciated.
5. Feeling like I have a handle on things. I know this feeling won't last, but for now I will take it!
6. Having not much to do tomorrow... besides laundry, some cleaning, shopping, cooking... Oh and sleeping in!
7. Sunday's plans. Looking forward to my grandson's first Easter egg hunt, the food, and hanging out with my awesome family.
8. This week - even though it's been long, it's been good.
9. Flamingos! I will post pictures then, but Kris' school had a fundraiser to "flock" yards. We did three yards and they all have happened. Two very good friends, and our parents. It was fantastic!
10. Dr. Who marathon tonight! We're still at the very beginning, but it is renewing my love. That's a very good thing!
That is all. I think the Dr. Who watching will commence from the comfort of my bed...
Behave!

Is It Friday Yet?

This has been a really long week!! I think I said that on Tuesday and nothing has changed. Late nights of running errands and wrangling pies and kid homework and all of that stuff. I'm totally burned out.
The upside is that my final line edits are done and turned in as of last night. Yay! And I have a handle on the story I'm writing for Halloween. And I also know what I'm writing next!
The other upside is my kid's great report card! She really turned things around! Yay!
The pie sale was a nightmare! My helpers did a really good job, but some pies got mixed up due to having to move them twice. Money is a wreck, scout accounts need to be re-figured, I have 4 extra pies needing homes in my freezer... I'm so done with it. I hate pie more now than I did on Wednesday.
One more day to work and I don't have to deal with teenagers in the morning since they're off! I also don't have to take lunch tomorrow, which is cool. Our sales rep has bought pizza for tomorrow. I'm also taking the guys in the store doughnuts in the morning to thank them for putting up with me and answering my million questions. They don't know I'm bringing them yet. It's been good to work in the store. They're good guys with a lot of knowledge and a twisted sense of humor and I've gotten a good handle on a lot of product and procedures, and have learned a lot of stuff, but it's been so slow the past week. I still have not heard a bad word about the company, which, after three weeks, is a very good thing. Monday I go back to corporate and my desk. I am looking forward to it.
Retreat is in 27 days! I have a lot to do for it, but this is the fun stuff! I so need this retreat!
But I need to sleep now... For like a week!
Behave!

It's Tuesday?

Sorry, but this week has already been so very long. Seriously.
I am beyond tired. And my toe(s) still hurt, though not as bad as they did even this morning. I have a big bruise, and another bruise forming, but I'm not sure I have any kind of a break now. At least I don't think.
Today is tax day. I mailed my returns (the ones I owed on. The other was done electronically last week) on Saturday. I hate writing that check and I hope this is the last year I have to do it. Damn.
Today is also my parent's 53 wedding anniversary. How cool is that? Five kids and fifty-three years and they still love and like each other? Awesome stuff!
I'm currently working on my final line edits for Cursed Fate. I'm about 90% done, which means the easy stuff is done and I only need to go back and hit the stuff I have to think about. I'll share my cover as soon as I get it, but it should be out around the end of May.
We have around 235 pies coming in for scouts tomorrow. I screwed this thing up big this time because I added wrong and ended up ordering 30 extra chocolate whipped cream pies. Oy! Luckily, all but 5 or 6 are now taken, but man, I feel like a jerk! It's been chaos organizing the extras and I'm stressing because I won't be there to do the sorting and counting tomorrow. I have two really great volunteers helping until That Man and I can get there, but still...
Anyway...
I need to go to bed...
Behave!

Monday Craziness...

Yeah, so, it's my birthday. I was trying to keep everything on the down low. I'm not particularly fond of being the center of attention, but That Man and K2 had other plans.
I go into work this morning and was greeted by a huge good morning from the receptionist. She's always very pleasant so I didn't think anything of it. As I started walking to my desk, my boss comes running out and tells me in a kind of stern voice that she needs to see me immediately. I'm thinking - "Oh crap. I'm going to get fired on my birthday" I start walking towards the conference room, but she leads me into our break room instead, where there are balloons, a cake, and fabulous Dunkin Donuts coffee. I look at her and she said "Surprise, your husband and daughter set this up." I'm stunned and almost cry, but don't. Instead I call them jerks (in the loving-est of ways). And then I laugh because one of the balloons is this huge cow. It's hysterical and I knew right away that K2 had picked it. They got up early to gather everything and drop it off before I got there. How awesome is that? My boss tells me to get my cake now, because That Man brought the cake and coffee for everyone and she wanted to make sure I got mine before she sent an email telling everyone about the cake / coffee.
I do that, log in, and head across the street to the store to start my last week of store training. To sum up, it was a good day. I meet more of my coworkers because they went out of their way to come up to me to say Happy Birthday. That was very cool. I had work emails from so many people, including the bosses, which was also cool! (All of this makes me love my job even more!)
K1 and K2 ended up in a lengthy Facebook conversation on my wall. It included a ton of Nic Cage meme's, which had me laughing hysterically even though I had over 110 emails in my inbox as a result. I had a lot of nice messages, too.
That Man made grilled garlic chicken, potatoes, and asparagus for dinner. I didn't have to cook, clean up, or even thing about dinner, laundry, or much else. We did watch Baby B for a little while, which was very good. I missed him and he's so funny. And he loves his Nanners and Pappy! He wanted my cow balloon! (Shush! I'll get him an Easter balloon!)
The only downsides were K4 not feeling well :( and me (I think) breaking at least one toe, maybe two. I was heading upstairs to change into my comfy pants and when I went over the baby gate, I cracked my toes on the steps. Hard. They hurt. Really, really bad - like I can't put weight on them bad. (and no, I had not had one single adult libation!) Which totally sucks, because my feet actually felt good today and now I have to deal with the pain again.
Oh and my awesome parents got me gnomes for my birthday! I love it! They're very cute. I will take a picture of them soon!
So that was my birthday. Awesome! But I didn't get any older. Just so you know...
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up

So apparently I didn't end up with any kind of sinus infection... at least not that I can tell at this moment. I'm still fighting this crud, but it's not as bad as it was on Friday.
This weekend has been crazy! But way too much fun...
Saturday - K4 and I went on a run for shorts and bras, then did the grocery shopping. (That Man and I went to the store again later) When we got home we helped with the yard work. She did homework, then we all went to K2 and J's house for dinner. We had a blast! We ate tacos, talked, laughed, and played a really fun game that had us all laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. It was very good.
Today - That Man and I dropped the van off at our mechanics because it sucks and won't stay running. Damn. We stopped at a friend's house to pick up a computer he generously offered us. That's a lifesaver. Now I don't have to give up mine for homework and can finally get some writing done. We came home and finished cleaning up, sent K3 and K4 to get gas and to the store (again... really?). Then, the family came over for a cookout and to celebrate our parents anniversary. Their anniversary is really on Tuesday, but this was the perfect day to get together. The weather was beautiful. We grilled, talked, laughed, and my puppy got to play with my niece's puppy. They wore each other out, which is a very good thing. Elsa is so tired and snoring on the floor. It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone. We definitely need to do this more often!
Oh wait... we will. Next weekend at Easter.
I did a little writing. Not enough to catch up with myself, but some. My feet are still hurting and I have to be on them again all day tomorrow. I still have laundry to do and I still have teenagers in my house. But I need to go to sleep, because that sleep thing... It didn't happen too much this weekend. Ha!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Hey! It's actually Friday! This stupid cold has made this a very long week! My butt is dragging! I thought I felt better yesterday, but as it turns out... I don't. I have a killer headache over one eye and down one side of my face. Yes. I know what that probably means. I'm not listening right now though...
So... Let's do the list, shall we?
1. Still having feet to walk on... Yeah. They hurt. And I'm actually bruised, but the new shoes seem to be working out well. Today was better.
2. It's Friday. I lived through the week. Yay!
3. That Man taking care of the shopping and dinners this week. And picking up the slack around the house and kid kingdom - picking up, dropping off, taking care of stuff... He's very qualified to do these things and very capable. I'm just not used to not coordinating everything. It's a little weird for me not to know everything that needs to be done, but really good, too.
4. Writing. I'm a little behind in my goal, but not that far behind.
5. Getting the taxes done and paid. Yay on being done, but boo on the checks I had to write!
6. Plans for the weekend. They're changing somewhat, but still good.
7. Sleeping in tomorrow. That Man insists he's waking me up at six, but that is not going to happen!
8. Our puppy! She's getting so big and calming down for the most part. She's only four months old, but she's so smart (when she's not being dumb! ha!).
That's all I have. This week has been a huge blur for me. I understand I'm still in adjustment phase, but it's been crazy. Between the cold and errands, I haven't sat down at a decent time any night this week. And I discovered I ended up ordering over 30 extra chocolate cream pies for the Boy Scout pie sale! Oy! I hope I can work that one out!
That is all...
Behave!

Yeah...Well...

So... the cold thing has hit me...
I'm trying so hard to soldier through. Taking meds (forgive me for typing errors). Using a ton of tissues. Wishing I could sleep for sixteen years. I'm showing up for my job and doing my best. (I'm not sure the folks I'm working with feel the same. I'm training in retail for the next few weeks, so I'm bugging the guys in the store and trying to learn how to do all of that stuff...)
I'm tired...
I'm trying so hard to do everything I have to do. My feet are killing me. I purchased new shoes tonight. New shoes that cost more than I wanted to spend, but they feel so nice on my oh-so-sore-feet! I hope I feel the same way tomorrow.
I need to go to bed...
But... I still love my new job...
Behave!

Gearing Up For Monday

Again!
I'm really okay with it! I do very much enjoy my new job, but I'm still so tired! I even took a nap today!
It's been a pretty productive Sunday around here! I finished our taxes...all that's left is the check writing! UGH!!!
I paid bills, too. Also UGH!
We're in blast mode in my writing group, so I hosted a blast this morning and met my daily word goal. I missed the second blast due to kids needing my laptop for homework...
Laundry is done. The house is semi-decent.
I made taco soup for dinner.
That Man and I hit the gym. (Our set up in the basement)
And played the puppy out.
But...
I didn't get everything on my to do list done... dang! Though I did try! It was really nice to just relax at home for a change! I didn't even change out of my Jammies! Also we went from the stomach flu to the cold flu... K3 had the stomach flu and K4 has the cold... Erg! I really hope I get neither!!
I know. Lame post!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

I know it's almost Sunday, but here's the list....
1. The dryer is fixed! Yay for clothes that aren't stiff!
2. Making writing progress!
3. The new job! I dig it! I have, so far, found no negatives!
4. My puppy learning new things and growing up.
5. The oncoming end of the school year!
6. Retreat coming up! YAY!!
7. Getting to hang out with my grandson! He is so stinking cute!
8. The warm weather that's supposed to be here?
9. Easter plans...
10. Coordinating things and end of the school year things and stuff like that... Ha... That seems cryptic, but it's really not. The kids only have about 30 days of school left...
That's all...
Behave!

Thursday Stuff...

Okay, so...
I realized I mentioned I was starting my new job Monday and then never said anything else about it. I love my new job! I'm in training so I'm not so good at some things, but I'm learning. I love how everyone made me feel like I belonged there on my first day!
I think I'm catching on at an okay pace. I won't know until I get some feedback, but I feel like I'm catching on.
I will say how glad I am for tomorrow to be Friday. I'm exhausted, but it's a good kind of exhausted. For the most part. It's been a really long week without downtime around here. Not bad, but tiring.
That's it for now...
I am hoping to post Feel Good Friday tomorrow, but I might fall asleep...
Behave!

April Fool

It's been a while since we've had a really good April Fool's joke around here.... I wasn't even thinking about it this year since I'm in the middle of training and so totally brain dead...
But...
Let me give you the back story...
On Saturday, I attempted to log in to my electric companies website to pay my bill. I was redirected to a place where I was supposed to register all of my accounts. What? I have one. It's already registered. I just want to pay my freaking bill.. I get nowhere. I send an email to customer service. I stop trying.
So Monday morning, I can't sleep. I wake up at four am and try as I might, I'm up. I decide to tackle the electric company website again. When I clicked, I got their page, but every picture and flash thingy and everything was pictures of Nicholas Cage. I didn't even know what to say... I was kind of afraid that the site had some kind of virus so I quickly wrote down the contact info and closed everything down.
I tried to call the electric company on my lunch break. I got no where. They said they had an abnormally high volume of calls, so I figured everyone was seeing Nic Cage.
I had plans Monday night to see the friends I never see. I went to dinner and had a great time, though I left way way earlier than I wanted to. I get home to chaos. The grandson is here. Dinner for the following day is under construction. Homework is being done. Things finally calm down and I log onto my computer....
Every freaking picture is Nicholas Cage... every picture in my email, every profile picture, meme, picture of mine, advertising... EVERYTHING....
I go into freak out mode thinking the electric company website gave me some kind of virus. I'm running scans, complaining... you get the picture.
The kid, K4, says... "Sometimes extensions can do that to you." I pretty much ignore her, because I don't have any extensions... forgetting the fact that I've let her use my computer to do her homework...
She starts laughing hysterically...
I check my extensions and see "nic cage"...
Yeah... She got me. Big time. And it was one of the most hysterical things ever!
I finally managed to pay the electric bill, then received an email back from their customer service telling me the site was down for maintenance. How lucky does my kid get with her prank?
Oh wait.... This kid was the one conceived on April 1. She wins. No matter what!
Behave!
ps... I love my new job! (and that's no joke)

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

I was going to explain everything that happened in the last two weeks, but I don't think that's in my best interest at this moment and despite what happened, I don't feel comfortable giving all of the details in such a public place. Instead, suffice it to say, if it hadn't been for the events of the last two weeks, I wouldn't be starting the job I really wanted on Monday. And we'll leave it at that.
So, anyway. Here's the list...
1. My new Kindle! Yay! I love it! I got a hard case for it, but despite it saying it was specifically for my Kindle, it doesn't fit. The thing just falls out. Dang. I got a second one because I thought it was cute, but I have to take it out of the case to turn it on. I'll figure it out and it's all good for now.
2. That Man working on the dryer. I'm keeping my fingers crossed he found and can fix the problem. Won't know until he gives his verdict.
3. Sleeping in a little this morning.
4. Catching up on The Walking Dead.
5. The rain today. I love that we've already taken care of our errands and have no other plans today. We've needed a day like today for a long time. We'll be hanging, watching movies, and I'm going to get some writing done. And take a nap!
6. Turning in my art sheet for my next book. I can't wait to see it!
7. Hanging out with Baby B last night. And getting to see K1. He works nights and has been working weekends too. We haven't seen him in about three weeks.
8. Tomorrows plans to hang out with K5.
9. Getting bills paid, correspondences taken care of, and organizational items taken care of. Now if I could just find my calendar book so I can update that and get rid of the stack of emails in my inbox and the stack of papers beside my computer. It's stressing me out!
That's all for now!
Behave!

One Day More...

(Sorry for the Les Miserables reference. Also sorry if you have no idea what the reference means... LOL)
It's Thursday. I know. You don't need me pointing out every day of the week. Too bad. It's what I do... Ha!
What's good about Thursday?
Thursday is good because, well, it's almost Friday! Duh! I can't wait for Friday! Really, as weird as it sounds, I can't wait for Monday! Monday I will start the job I really wanted! Which means tomorrow is my last day at the current job. Yay! I'll explain more later...
Thursday is good because I got to see my grandson. He's so funny and adorable. He danced for me and gave me kisses and laughed hysterically. Tomorrow I get to pick him up from the sitters and hang out with him until his momma gets here.
Thursday is also good because so far I have talked to both of my sisters and one sister(in-law). I also saw my brother for a few minutes tonight and we got in trouble for goofing off at scouts. (not really) I ran out of time to call my mom, but I will do that tomorrow.
Thursday is good because my editor sent my last round of revisions for Cursed Fate to the boss. I'll probably have another round or two of edits to do, but we're close. No cover to share yet, but as soon as I have it, you'll know.
Thursday is also good because my Kindle will arrive tomorrow! I'm so excited! I've been waiting for this for a very very long time. I think I'm the only e published author who doesn't own a device to read on.
Thursday is good because we're that much closer to the weekend. A weekend where we get to hang out with our beautiful granddaughter. I'm so excited. We decided to surprise her, so she has no idea she's coming to hang out with us!
Thursday is also good because my puppy is curled up beside me fast asleep. She's snuggled into my arm and snoring a little. She's so cute and funny. And she's getting so big!
That's all for now!
Behave!

It's Wednesday...

I have two days before I can tell you what's been going on.
I'm sorry to tease. It's not purposeful. But it's awesome, so just wait! :)
It's been a really weird week so far. I had a conversation today that I did not expect. It was awkward because some of the people involved did not know what they were supposed to know and I was left holding the bag and looking stupid. But I still answered the right way and was grateful the effort was put forth, even though it wasn't even in the ball park.
Oy! Sorry for cryptic, but it will be explained!!
In other news, we're in the middle of a family discussion regarding what needs to be done around here next. The younger K's have been waiting for bedroom renovations for a very long time. They've been constantly thwarted by the older K's and their stuff clogging up the works. We decided tonight that we'll give the older K's a deadline to remove their stuff because we can't wait anymore. Even though we might decide to move out of this house. I love this house and I don't want to move, but it's an option. Everything is an option right now.
The younger K's aren't that young any more. We don't have too long until they leave us completely. That Man and I have to think about that even though we don't want to. I don't think I want to think about this yet....
Behave!

Rest In Peace...

1. I just today found out that a very good friend's mother passed away. I feel bad I didn't know sooner. Knowing the mother's illnesses, I know she's at peace now. But I'm still sad for my friend.

2. The father of a different very good friend also passed away. He'd been battling cancer and while his tumors were shrinking, chemo was kicking his butt. They expected longer. He died very shortly after his 80th birthday. I have really great memories of hanging out with him. He was so like my own dad. His sense of humor was as dry and his intelligence was as high. We always had a blast - drinking Heineken, hanging out on the sun porch and talking about everything, laughing hysterically. We camped in their yard, climbed their trees, had awesome badminton games narrated in a British accent, the kids chased fish in the stream, we hiked through awesome scenery... We crammed a lot of fun into the two summers before they moved to a warmer climate.

3. K2's rat, Maggie, has gone to the big rat maze in the sky. (Actually, I guess you could say she was my rat.) She'd been doing very poorly. We think she may have had a stroke as she was having trouble moving and it seemed to affect one side of her body. She stopped eating, despite being given her favorite treats. She was having a hard time drinking, which meant me standing there to squeeze the water bottle so she would stay hydrated. Her bodily functions changed - that's really all you want to know about that. I thought she looked better yesterday. Her eyes seemed clearer and I thought she had some pink back in her tail. I was wrong. She was at what they say is maximum rat years, though I've heard of rats living much longer. Our experience with two different rats has been two years. Maggie turned two a month or so ago. And yeah, I know she was a rat, but I'm still really sad. She was my little buddy. I'll miss her.

I think that's enough of that...
Behave!

Monday Only Sucks Because I Say So...

THIS Monday sucks because I say so... I didn't want to do what I had to do. No one wanted to get up and take showers and get out the door. We didn't plan dinner and ended up throwing crap together - though it turned out great. Our evening was busy. I didn't get to sit down and relax until almost 9pm.
But. Next Monday should be awesome. Sorry for the tease. I'll explain as soon as I can. I promise!
Anyway!
We took the puppy to see Grandma tonight. She was bad (the puppy, not grandma). Grandma doesn't really like the puppy on her couch (though she loves her granddog!) and since we let her on ours... well... Elsa was into everything, but not crazy and out of control. It was a calm disobedience. lol.
I'm tired. That Man has already set up the coffee pot for the morning. It's killing me. I'm so confused. I smell the freshly ground coffee and it hits me in the "get up and drink coffee" place. But I haven't slept. See what I mean?
I think I'm delirious. Must sleep!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The No Posts Since Wednesday Edition

My goodness last week was long! Sorry for the lack of posts, but the end of the week took a totally crappy turn, and then an awesome turn...
I'll explain as soon as I can, but things did work out.
Anyway -
1. Birthday dinner for my daughter-in-law last night. Calzones, coffee, Baby B, and family. We had a good time and Baby B hung out while his momma ran some errands. It was a good day.
2. Gorgeous weather yesterday. We hung laundry on the line, got the yard cleaned up a bit, and Elsa got to play with our neighbor's grandsons and dog. We had windows open, too. (It's freezing with snow in the forecast today. How stupid is that?)
3. Round 2 edits for my next Liquid Silver release completed and returned. Yay!
4. K4 rocking her auditions for arts school. Decisions will be sent out in a few weeks. We're so hopeful!
5. A night out with That Man. We went to an event put on by one of the supply companies through his work. It was comedy night. The whole evening was free - food, drinks, and the show. We kicked back with a few beers and even though the comedians weren't all that great, had a fantastic time hanging out together and with our friends. It was much needed.
6.  Ordering my new Kindle! I haven't done it yet, but I will today! Yay!
7. Elsa had her second vet appointment the other day. She weighs 33# already! The vet was very happy with her progress and was impressed by how well she's doing with training. She's a smart puppy, though there are commands we're still working on. Playing in the neighbor's yard totally wore her out yesterday, which is a cool thing. She needed to run and she loved it.
8. Hanging out in comfy pants today. Tonight's dinner is simmering. My laundry is drying. I'm slowly catching up with myself. I'm ready for a nap though.
That is all!
Behave!

Adjusting...

It's been a long week so far.
It's going well. I'm new, so there's the learning curve.
I'm tired.
Tomorrow is my Friday.
I am grateful for that.
I'm tired.
That is all.
Behave!

Feel Good... Oh Never Mind...

Yeah, I know! It's been really crazy around here!
I'll try to be brief, but I know it won't happen.
1. Our Boy Scout troop has an annual spaghetti dinner. It was yesterday. This year was one of our biggest dinners to date. It was amazing, fun, and exhausting. We cooked and served over 100 lbs of spaghetti. We also had our first ever silent auction. It was a huge success. I still have one basket to deliver to the bid winner, but people were excited to come back and pick up their prize. Anyways, obviously and event like this doesn't get planned and executed in one day. It's been crazy! We're a really small troop so everyone doing their part was key. We have a great scouting family!
2. Cousins hanging out. K4 and K talked for something like 6 hours straight. They had a blast together and I'm so happy they have so much in common besides blood. It was fun hanging out with my sil and brother after the dinner. We need more time like that.
3. I start my new job tomorrow! I'm excited and nervous! I have much to do today to prepare myself and my family for the change.
4. Edits! My next release from Liquid Silver will come out around the end of May. More info on that as available.
5. I hate shopping. Yesterday I made the trek for work clothes. Ugh. At one point I was in tears in the dressing room as I realized I have no idea what my personal style is and because of how much I dislike my body at the moment. I'd started off feeling pretty good. The scale was down, I felt in control and confident... Anyway. I managed to make some decent purchases even though I blew my original budget.
6. Retreat planning! I've already ordered our t-shirts. They're an awesome color. My only committee member and I have a plan for some very awesome swag. Since our numbers are lower this year, we will fit in the awesome little hallway I've always wanted to check out and we'll be steps away from our meeting room. Less than two months! I can't wait!
That's enough for now. I have a crazy amount of stuff to do today!
Behave!

Writing Process Blog Tour

The talented and awesome Natalie Damschroder has graciously invited me to be a part of this blog hop about my writing process. You can check Natalie out in the above link! Other authors this week are Misty Simon and Vicky Burkholder. Misty's and Vicky's went up on Monday, but I'm a little late. (Not on purpose!)

So here it is...

1. What am I working on?
I'm waiting for edits on my next book from Liquid Silver, pondering requested revisions for another publisher on a women's fiction-y book, and working on a post apocalyptic romance about a world where there is no green - no grass, no trees - and it's the fault of the heroine's father.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Good question. I tend to be a little sarcastic in the make up of my characters. And I like to push the envelope of what's acceptable in polite society. For example - I once called my sister to ask her what she would do if she bit into a sandwich and found a dead bird.

3. Why do I write what I do?
I am fascinated by a changed world - whether because of the paranormal or due to a cataclysmic event. And even in a toxic world, there needs to be love and hope.

4. How does your writing process work?
It changes with every book. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants for most books, but at some point I have to pull back and focus on world building to make sure everything gels. "What if" is the start of almost every book and I will "pre write" until I solidify the characters and the conflict. Sometimes I create a "book bible" with every aspect of society explained and other times I'll just keep a word doc with that info.
Sometimes I write to music, sometimes it's silent. It all depends on what's going on around me and what mood I'm in. (and if someone has "borrowed" my headphones.)

I'm supposed to invite three more bloggers to participate, but unfortunately, I don't have three bloggers who haven't already participated... So...

Behave!

The Wow I Suck Feel Good Friday on Sunday Edition

Man. I suck! And I don't know why...

Anyway... I have a list...

1. Hanging with the family! First time in forever that all of the kids and spouses were together! We had fun! And we had our modified version of South Bay Chowder! Which was excellent!

2. Cooking all day Saturday!

3. A hopefully productive week! Last and upcoming!

4. Less puppy biting! And learning new tricks!

5. Homework getting done and grades coming up! Yay!

6. Auditions coming soon and K4 getting prepared!

7. A mostly jammie day today!

8. Chicken on the grill!

9. The melting ice! Our patio is almost back! (Hacking ice is a good thing!)

10. Sleeping in! Though I really do hate the time change! Except... The sun was out longer and that's awesome! And the sun was awesome too! I laid on the picnic table and filled up on it!

11. Talking to two friends I haven't talked to in forever and feeling warm and fuzzy because of it! It's so great to pick things up without awkwardness!

The sad thing...

The rat is not good. She's old and not doing well. I'm sad! I know she's a rodent but she's my buddy and I don't like this!

That's all for now...

Behave!!

Wrong...

Just wrong...

Imitation?
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Late Sunday Edition

Crazy weekend! Sorry for being so late!
Here's the list:
1. Hell Week - this is the week before / of performances where craziness ensues. Late rehearsals, last minute issues, tired performers - That was this week. K3 ended up arriving home minutes before legal curfew. He was exhausted all week. But the performance was stellar!!
2. Awesome musical performance! OMG!! These kids did the best job ever! It was amazing! Helping with dinner theater was a lot of fun, too!
3. Fantastic writing meeting yesterday!! I had to run out before our speaker got started (see 1 & 2), but breakfast was awesome and the conversation and commiseration was much needed.
4. Husbands who do laundry.
5. Critique partners and their suggestions!
6. Getting the kid caught up on homework after a tough, but much needed conference. Her teachers are awesome.
7. It's March. March is awesome!
8. Retreat in 73 days!!
9. The upcoming week. I hope it's what I hope it is!
10. Also, the snow we're supposed to get! So far, it's doing nothing, but I'm hopeful! I know that's hate to some people, but I want more snow!
That's all!
Behave!

Release Day!!

Sheltered is out!
(Again!) This story was originally in an anthology and has been re-released by my awesome publisher!
Go here: Liquid Silver
It's also up on Amazon!
(Not yet on Barnes & Noble, but soon!)
It's a short read, and it's got a great price!
Thank you!

It's also release day for my friends!
Go here to check out Natalie Damscroder's new book, Hearts Under Seige: Amazon
And here to check out the re-release of Misty Simon's Poison Ivy!

That's all for now!
Behave!

Sunday Random...

Everyone in this house is asleep already. Except for me. For real? It's not even 10pm? That's like insanity for this house! Normally we're all up way later than necessary!
I'm watching The Walking Dead. By myself. And it's awesome! (The Walking Dead, I mean, not being alone to watch. Though I'm really the only one who watches in this house. K4 is so far behind it's ridiculous) (And yes, I spent a full three days getting caught up, so... Okay, I get it...) That Man hates zombies, so even though he'd love everything else about the show, I can't get him to watch. Hell, I hate zombies, too, but I'm so caught up in the world and what is going to happen next.
Anyway...
I slept in a little this morning. It was good. That Man made coffee. That was also good. He also made breakfast. Yes, good again.
Laundry was done. A friend stopped in to meet Elsa and donate books for my "local author basket" for the scouts upcoming spaghetti dinner. (If you're local, hit me up for details on the dinner) I made dinner. Actually, I made tonight's dinner yesterday but ended up ordering pizza because we were all too tired to finish dinner.
It was so warm and wonderful today. That Man and I sat out in the sun for a while. I didn't get the nap I wanted, but I did get a lot done!
It's raining now. I guess the rain is supposed to turn to snow?
That's it...
Behave!

Long Dog Day...

I went to see the boy scouts at their event after sleeping in way after my parents left for their chores. They picked me up and I was so excited to go with them.
I puked in the truck. Then I tried to eat it. I couldn't settle on the trip there. There was so much to see. When I first got to the camp, I was afraid of everything and everyone. That didn't last long.
Lots of boys came to visit me and then I realized these people were friends. The boys from the troop were all around me and I realized I love them. They're nice to me. They like me. I played in the mud. I ate dropped potato chips out of the muddy water. I loved seeing and playing with the boys and begging them for their food (even though my parents told them not to feed me). I liked my adventure. There was snow and boys to play with!
I slept almost the whole way home, except when the road got bumpy. Then I had to make sure mommy and daddy were still there. When I got home, I was ready to sleep, but the parents said it was time to go. We went to the pet store, where I got a harness and a new collar and a few new toys. I met some other dogs, too, and some nice people and babies like my boy, Baby B.
Then those women I live with went into another store and I hung out with Daddy - watching the birds in the parking lot. I wanted to chase them. Daddy said wait. And I was tired and wanted to go home. But the women didn't take long.
It was such a beautiful day. I bit the wind and had my head out of the window as much as possible. And then I slept for a long time. I even forgot our trip to the pet store... I forgot that I'd agreed to my new harness. I forgot I'd picked out a new toy. The collar the parents got me ended up being too small. It hurt my neck. They took it off of me and said they'd get me a new one. Apparently I have a whole bunch of tags that need to be attached to it. Who cares... I don't.
I know they are sympathetic to my sad look and I use that to my advantage. I know they understand I'm still a puppy and forgive me for my transgressions...
I'm a work in progress, but my family understands that...
My mommy says...
Behave!
(What does that mean?)

Feel Good Friday

Post two of two...
Here's the good stuff...
1. Seeing my grandson more days than not this week. Knowing he gets excited when they park in front of the house. The noises he makes and his smile. His kisses. His giggles. His silliness.
2. First vet appointment for Elsa today. The vet says she's wonderful and doing well. I loved the fact that they recognized me even though it's been a year and a half since they had to put Abbie down. I love that they remember her and still say how much they loved her. I love how happy they are for us to have Elsa now.
3. Having lunch with my husband today. I called him after the vet appointment, then told him I was going out because I needed a break. Then immediately called him back to see if he could have lunch with me. His "well, yeah" was what I needed to hear. Having lunch, hanging out at his work (my old work), and having people come in to tell me that they wished I still worked there was also good, though there's nothing for me there at the moment.
4. Phone calls that I hope lead to good things!
5. Hacking ice. Frustration reliever. It hurts me, but it's good for me. I don't mind the pain of my shoulders and back when it means that I'm nicer because of the physical activity.
6. Getting an audition date for K4. She's excited. I'm excited.
7. Elsa calming down a little. She's still a puppy, but she's learning a lot. We're in training mode. She can sit, almost stay, almost lay down, shake, come, and be gentle. She's very gentle with Baby B, though she can't stay out of his face. It's frustrating. Tonight was like a miracle though. She barely paid any attention to him, except when he paid attention to her.
8. Knowing my limits... The puppy and Baby B all day is too much for me. Someone was crying at all times... sometimes it was me... It was a lot. I was crazy to agree to it. But I lived through it. Baby B and I had a blast hanging out though.
9. Talking to K2. It's been a while since we've had the chance to talk. It was good. Plans have been made for hanging out.
10. Tomorrow's stuff... We're doing lunch for the boy scouts Klondike derby like we do every year. It's always fun, though this might be our last year doing it since K3 will age out soon. First, it's inventory for the spaghetti dinner while we're waiting for sausages to cook. Then we head up to camp to serve lunch. After that, shopping for essentials with the pup and K4. I hope the funds hold up, but... we all know they won't.
That is all for now...
Behave!

Two 'fer Friday... Things...

You're going to get two posts tonight... back to back... because I have a lot on my mind and because I can... This post, and then, Feel Good Friday...
Are you ready?
Things...
1. If a hypnotist can fix your addiction to food, and your addiction to nicotine, then why don't other addicts use hypnotism to cure their addictions? Why can't criminals be hypnotized to cure their criminal intent? I am still thinking about this... I know there are a lot of variables...
2. In the same vein... Do fortune tellers know you're coming when you don't make an appointment? Why don't they win the lottery? Is there some kind of secret code of fortune tellers that forbids picking the winning numbers no one else knows about? But, surely, not every mystic follows that creed?  
3. Passive-aggressive behavior breeds passive-aggressive behavior. I have seen it. I have responded to it with my own passive-aggressive response in the past. And I don't like it. I don't like how responding in kind makes me feel (because it's really stupid to respond) and I don't like reading things that are such. I have recently read some things on social media that turn my stomach because they are that mean. I always wonder if the person posting knows, I mean really knows, both sides of the story or if they're going off of one side of the story / gut instinct / protection mode. It's like watching a train wreck...
4. Something else I have learned is that when a passive-aggressive post is viewed, people instantly think it's about them. The truth to that is, if you think it's about you, even if it's not, maybe you have some guilt somewhere? I know I've responded / thought "oh crap, is that me?". It's a sucky feeling. But... maybe that's the good to it? Those kinds of posts remind us to try to be the best person we are capable of, and if we still are failures, then we can at least be comforted by knowing we have tried to do the best we can. Keep it real, people.
5. Stress... We all have it. We all respond to it differently. I'm not sure how I'm responding. It's different these days than in the past, but my circumstances are also different. My goal is to cope in healthy ways and if I can do that I will be buff and fit in no time at all. HA! (I am finding great joy in hacking at the ice, which has to say something positive as far as a physical response to stress) Or I will spend my days watching reality TV and only going outside to take the puppy out! (not going to happen... just saying... I hope...)
6. I saw this great quote the other day...and I've been thinking about it a lot. I can't find the danged thing now, but it was something referring to lifelong friends and how grudges aren't held or relationships aren't questioned when it's been ages since they've talked. About how true friends always understand life is busy, but they know, regardless, that you will always love them. It reminded me of one of my oldest friends, Susie, who passed away over 3 years ago. That's how we were. We were friends since high school and into married life. We always had the best time together and managed to catch up so quickly when it had been a while that it was like no time had passed. She took care of me, and I took care of her. We cried together. We laughed together. We were strong together. I will never forget her bringing us dinner after K4 was born, and making sure she made all of the K's feel special with treats for them. She even took out my trash. And she held my baby so I could shower and spend time with the older K's. I did the same for her when her youngest was born. She helped us move into our house and organized my kitchen in such a way that I haven't changed much since because it works. She was the one who gave me a baby shower when most people said I didn't need one with a fourth child. And she made sure to pamper me as well as my baby. We both made mistakes towards her end, but it didn't matter. At all. She forgave me and I forgave her. The time that had passed didn't change my love for her, or hers for me. I still miss her a whole lot and wish I could call her to talk.
6. Cabin Fever is an absolute true ailment. I have been suffering from it, but I think I'm almost okay now. Maybe. After being away from the house nearly all day, I feel better than I did. I took the puppy to the vet, had lunch with my husband, went grocery shopping and took my time (and saved almost $20 in coupons), organized the grocery haul when I got home, went through my "to do folder" (yes, it's a real folder now and not just a list!), and spent a long time on the phone with K2. The rest of the weekend plans might help, and a little sun might go a long way too. (Especially since we're supposed to have more cold temperatures and more snow next week)
7. I should have talked to my husband before making the decision to not go away with my writing friends this weekend. I was being logical and financially oriented. But, as it turns out, we could have made it work. Sucks to be me...
Okay... I can't make it to ten, but maybe I will with Feel Good Friday...
Behave!

Dear...

Dear Mother Nature,
Now you know I love your wintery ways, but I think you've gone a little overboard this year. Perhaps it's time to see your doctor to make sure your hormones are okay. Today you're giving us freezing rain and Friday it's supposed to be 50 degrees. What's up with that?

Dear Snowplow Guy,
You're an a**! We spent hours clearing our parking spaces in the front of the house. Hours. I think you might have thought you were helping, but you didn't. Instead, you deposited an ice berg bigger than the one that sunk the Titanic on my sidewalk, and blocked two parking spaces. And you deposited an even bigger ice berg in a space that was totally clear. I spent hours hacking away at the huge block of ice blocking my sidewalk and messing up the parking. Nothing like double snow removal! Seriously!

Dear Self,
Get with the program already. You're stuck in a rut and need to get out. Maybe there is more to the cabin fever thing than you thought, but seriously!

Dear Retreat,
You cannot come soon enough! I need you badly!

Dear Dryer,
Please don't die! You're making that sound! I can't replace you right now and the puppy keeps stealing the clothing I try to hang to dry. Can't you just work like you're supposed to? I mean, laundry is dumb enough...

Okay... That's enough for now...
Behave!

More Snow...

And yes, I still love it!
School is on a two hour delay again today. Normally that means I get to sleep in a little. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case today. (It's been tough sleeping in lately anyway, due to making sure the puppy is pottied on schedule) I was awakened to "We have no water". That Man ran to the basement to see if a pipe had burst. I dragged myself out of bed, took the puppy out, and checked my phone - there was a message from our next door neighbor asking if we had water. Then a call from my friend who lives a few blocks away - she had no water either. Oy! Apparently a big water main broke. We've been partially restored for now - enough to get showers, brush teeth, etc. They're expecting us to be fully restored in a few hours.
And yes, I am drinking reheated coffee. I made it last night when my sister and brother-in-law came over for an impromptu dinner and hang out, so it wasn't that old! Besides, I put a teaspoon or so of cinnamon in with the grounds because I know my sister isn't fond of the brand of coffee I have stockpiled. I figured it would help cut the flavor. Turns out, cinnamon in coffee is awesome! I will definitely be doing that again.
Other than that...
K4 will be auditioning for K3's art's school for next school year. I'm very excited for her! She hasn't decided which class she wants - theater or creative writing - so she's auditioning for both and will decide after. Like I said, I'm really excited for her. The school is the perfect environment for her!
Okay. That's enough for now... I might be back later... It depends.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Snow Day Edition

Better late than never... Right?
Okay, so it was only part of a snow day. We only got about two or so inches, maybe three. I don't know. There's no way to measure anymore.
Let's get to the list, shall we?
1. Snow! I still love it!
2. Quiet day today... I did a lot of things, but never changed out of my sleepy pants. Awesome!
3. Kids shoveling snow and having snowball fights.
4. Zero puppy accidents today. We're not counting the excited pee thing she's started. It will end. We've dealt with it before.
5. Baby B! He's so stinking cute and funny! And he loves guacamole!
6. Awesome guacamole and tacos for dinner.
7. Me conquering the furnace! I win!
8. A weird week turned okay.
9. My sore muscles not feeling so crappy anymore!
10. K3 off to have fun with friends. I was a little worried when he left - the snow is blowing like crazy and he had to take a lot of back roads to get where he was going. He has experience driving in snow, but not a ton, so... He arrived without issue and will be there for the night.
That is all...
Behave!

Snowy Saturday

I'll get to the Feel Good post later...
I do realize I set things up to do several posts on Thursday during our big snowstorm. And I suck. Actually, I was fried by dinner time. I'd shoveled several times (I still can't feel my arms), made dinner, took care of some household administrative duties, and made forty-nine billion trips outside with Elsa.
I think about 11" of the white stuff came down. There's no place to put it anymore. And guess what? It's snowing again. We're supposed to get 2-5".
Everyone is complaining about the snow. Not me. Yeah, I'm sore and don't even want to think about shoveling again, but I still love it! I'd be happy with an even bigger storm than what we had Thursday! I know that makes me some kind of a crazy person. I don't care. Though I will say I think I'm developing a small case of cabin fever. We'll see what happens with that...
Feel Good Friday later...
Behave!

Snow Day - 1st Report

It's not quite noon...
I've shoveled once. It hurt. Now I will nap. We're the only ones on our block with a clear sidewalk. It looks weird.
It's still coming down. We're supposed to get over a foot. I think we're getting close to that already.
Obviously school is closed. The kids are playing video games. One is hanging off of the couch upside down. Don't ask me.
The snow is almost over Elsa's head, but she loves it!
I'll update later... If I can move my arms.
Behave!

Old Man Winter...

He's not done with us yet!
We're gearing up for what appears to be a major winter storm starting tomorrow night and going through the rest of the week! The last forecast model I saw was for over twelve inches!
We're good on food and everything else. The pets are good on food as well. We'll be fine if the electric goes out, even if our coal order doesn't arrive before the storm. Though I think I only have one candle at the moment. Oh well... I think we have flashlights.
I have to make a few stops tomorrow, but I'm hoping to get them done before I have to deal with the insane storm preppers. (maybe I'll find some candles, too)
The worst part about the impending storm is that our town didn't plow many of the secondary roads. Our back road hasn't been plowed and is a sheet of ice. That Man's car and the van can't be parked back there, only the 'burban. Not many people have even bothered to shovel out their parking spaces. (We did and so did the "good neighbors")What's it going to be like if we get the twelve plus they're calling for?
You know what I say?
Bring it!

*

On a disturbing note...

I returned to bed after a predawn trek to use the facilities. As I'm laying there reveling in the fact that I still had over an hour to sleep, something felt weird just below the elastic of my sleepy pants. I reached there, and EWWW!! A stink bug! And no, it hadn't just gotten there! It was stuck in my skin (just like the last time). It bit me as soon as I touched it! (I swear! Don't make me take a picture of my butt! I still have a welt!) It's leg fell off and I had to pull it from my skin! It made a stink! Gross!! I am still disturbed. (How did I manage to use the bathroom without realizing it was there?)

*

Other things...

Oreos make my kid very very happy. Also, the fact that we actually have milk in the house (no one ever drinks milk here anymore. But now that Baby B is on milk, I try to keep it in the fridge. K4 is one of the only beings in this house who is not lactose intolerant (besides me, but I don't like milk), only she never drinks it. So I don't buy it anymore.)

Chores being done make me very happy. I didn't even have to nag. Much.

K3 driving himself to Barbershop practice. I only hope he put gas in the van... Ha!

That is all...

Behave!

Monday...

Just in case you're interested.....
Sheltered is available for discounted pre-order on my publisher's website. Sheltered is the short previously released in The Shape of Love. Even if you read it then, you might like it better now. It's received a little interior face lift, plus, it has an awesome cover!
*
I only got online for a few minutes yesterday morning. I was exhausted after a long night of puppy crying. I think she finally settled around 4am. Had to be up early for a scout function for K3, then rush to pick up K4 to shop for jeans. Then rush to the open house at K3's art school so K4 could check it out and see if she thinks it's for her. (I think it is! I'm so hopeful.) Then the store. Then finally home for a quick dinner of pre-made 'bolis. I crashed on the couch for a few hours. Then went to bed. Exciting. I know.
That's about all I have at the moment!
Behave!

Today's Stuff...

Today was pretty awesome!
There was an author event at one of our local greenhouses / farm stores today with many members from my local writing chapter, and another author (unfortunately I didn't get to talk to her much, though I wanted to!.). We had a blast! It was so busy! Lot's of folks coming through! My release buddy and I maned the door for a while. I had chocolate, and some swag to give away. I did come home with way less chocolate and swag than I left with. I got to talk to a whole bunch of awesome people. I got to show off my grandson and introduce my family to my writing friends. That was awesome! It was so much fun!
A lot of my friends and chapter mates came out to see us! That was awesome! And they brought friends, which was also awesome! I met so many great people today, including my mother-in-law's neighbor, which is truly hysterical... her daughter is Vicky - married to Bob. I am Vicki - married to Bob. Vicky and Bob have four kids. Vicki (me) and Bob have four kids. We're friends. It's awesome! Our mothers live next door to each other! Also, one of my very bestest friends ever brought me flowers. It was so very awesome! I was so surprised and touched that she made the time to come and see me! She's always supported me, even if she doesn't really read what I write! I find that so awesome and I love her! (I also love the fact that her husband and my husband were shoveling, wait...  hacking ice today...)
I had to leave early though!(and I missed the after signing lunch craziness!! Dang!) Today is my baby sister's milestone birthday!! Her mother-in-law planned this awesome tea party lunch. It was so cool! From the special dishes to the fantastic teas to the phenomenal food - we had such a good time. (The place even had that "poo-pourri spray" in the bathroom. If you  haven't seen it, google it, and don't close your screen because what looks like an annoying commercial is really the ad for the product and is so very funny!) None of us "really" tried it, (as far as anyone would admit! LOL) though we all sprayed it just to see what it was all about! LOL! We had soup, salad, sandwiches, cookies, cupcakes, three different kinds of awesome tea! I am not normally a tea drinker, but... Man, that was awesome!! And the scones! Oy! I need to learn how to make those!!
I came home to a clean house - dishes done, laundry almost done, parking spaces shoveled...  :) A very good thing. I also came home to a very tired puppy. There's only one teenager in my house tonight and he's already in bed, which means that man and I are... alone? Or kind of?
I think it's time for an adult beverage...
Okay. I'm leaving now...
Behave!!

Feel Good Friday!

Here's the list:
1. Author event tomorrow! If you're local and don't know about it, hit me up and I'll give you the deets!
2. Teenager invasion.
3. Les Mis.
4. Captain Morgan.
5. Laundry 90% done.
6. Watching funny videos with That Man.
7. Teenagers going shopping.
8. Tired puppy. She got a whole bunch of new dollar store toys today. She's broken most of them, but she's having fun.
9. Some good news I'll share with you soon!
10. Easy dinners. Satisfied eaters. Not a lot of dishes (It's my dish night).
That is all.
Behave!

Puppy - Week 3

I know it's blurry! It's hard to get her to sit still. She knows how to sit, but she's not so good at stay yet, or lay down, or down. Today I caught her standing on the end table. AND she learned how to take the lid off of the cat food container today.
Her new nickname is devil dog or demon puppy - said lovingly, of course. She really isn't bad, just a crazy puppy! Earlier she was running circles through the house, then she was chasing the head of her flamingo toy, then the cat... well, you get the picture. She's busy. Very busy. You can kind of see the mischief in her eyes in the picture. She thought we were playing some kind of game.
It's also hard to see how big she's getting. She's not really sitting the right way.
But she is a good puppy (when she's not biting - she's getting big girl teeth now!)! Today she laid on the couch beside me while I was job hunting and laid at my feet while I was folding laundry. She'll lay next to the stove when I'm cooking, too. (Only I didn't do that tonight!)
I put her in her crate this morning to take K4 to school and when I got back and went to let her out, she went to the rear of her crate and turned her back on me. I was shunned. I was also shunned after I took my shoes away from her. Again. She's tall enough to reach my old spot now. And... any time she gets in trouble for biting too hard, jumping on us when we're eating, or any other puppy infraction, she'll go into the kitchen and lay under the counter. Attitude.
But yes, we're still thrilled to have her!
Behave!

Winter Wednesday

There's a lot of ice out there!
School is closed. (Again) That Man is home for now. He was told not to report to work until noon. He's attempting to shovel the ice on the front walk.
The worst of the storm is over and temperatures are on the rise already.
I feel like I missed the storm! It had just started sleeting as I took the dog out before bed. When I got out of bed, it was done. Dang.
It's beautiful out there, but we've lost several sections of hedge and at least one of the shrubs at the porch, maybe both. The hedge needed trimmed way back anyway, and the shrubs needed to be replaced, too. They were too big and becoming a nuisance. But I would have rather been able to remove them on my own.
I might even get the hutch unloaded today. I did finally manage to put away the decorations that were on the piano. Go me! Ha!
Now we gear up for the next storm. It was originally supposed to hit Saturday, but now they've moved it to Sunday. The weather people don't know what it's going to do yet. I'm glad Saturday is clear now though. I'm participating at an author event at a local greenhouse and it's my baby sister's birthday. Another milestone birthday and I'm looking forward to the plans!
That's all for now!
Behave!

Tuesday's Thoughts...

I seriously typed Friday above. For the past hour or so, I was convinced it was Friday. Ack! It's only Tuesday. 

1. Today is That Man's birthday! He hates birthday celebrations. Too bad. He's having one with his kids tonight. This is a milestone birthday for him, and no, I'm not telling you which one. He did pick dinner (chicken fried steak), but refused to decide on a cake (so I did it for him). I think I might be the luckiest woman on the planet to have this guy. He's my very best friend. He loves me no matter what, supports me, motivates me, dreams with me, forgives me, isn't afraid to tell me I'm a freak (ha!), or dress my wounds when I do something stupid. We rarely, if ever, fight, and if we do it's over quickly. He's the best thing that ever happened to me and I would walk through fire for him. I will always put him and our children above all else. 

2. The grocery store SUCKED this morning. We're due for another storm tonight into tomorrow. I needed rice flour so I can make K2's chicken fried steak gluten free and drinks for tonight and fabric softener. It took twice as long as normal and the store only had 2 regular registers open. The lines were at least six deep when I was ready to check out. I went to the self scanner, which wasn't too bad, but still sucked. Anyways, I shouldn't have to go back until Friday. But... We're due for another winter storm on Saturday, so... UGH!

3. A friend asked me this question this morning and I've been mulling it over for hours. Is it fair that someone makes a decision based on one side of a story? Apparently a private conversation was shared with a third party, which is irritating and unacceptable all by itself, and maybe this third party thinks they know both sides based on that conversation, but I don't think that's fair. A few emotional emails and you've decided your finished with someone without even trying to get their side? This person was, my friend thought, someone close to him. They had just been at an event together and as far as he knows, she had no stakes in the discussion he was having. Interesting. It's also interesting that in the conversation one of the parties was accused of speaking behind the other's back... Isn't sharing a private conversation the same thing? And before you think my friend has done the same thing, he didn't. I have no idea what or who any of it was about, except that he's pretty hurt and confused by the idea that someone would judge him without knowing the whole of both sides, and by the sharing of the private conversation. He just needed a little validation and support and yes, I asked if it was okay if I posed the question here. Opinions?

4. It's been a long week already and it's only Tuesday. Yesterday was brutal in so many ways. I keep going over the day in my head and I still can't figure things out. 

5.  It's February and my hutch is still full of Christmas dishes, my piano is still decorated, and Santa is on the front porch. I think I've moved from an understandable delay to total holiday ridiculousness. In my defense for the hutch, I wanted to change how I stored my dishes but with the arrival of the new puppy I've had very little time to implement my plan. Yeah, I know I should be doing that instead of blogging. Shh. 

Okay. Okay. I'm going. 

Behave!

Moaning Monday - The Snow Day Edition

Let's be clear - I am not moaning about the snow! I love it. This was a very good, very beautiful snow storm. K3 did most of the shoveling, even making a "potty path" for baby puppy and clearing off the vehicles. He also shoveled for our elderly neighbor. I did nearly all of the baby puppy potty trips, which were hysterical even if I ended up with snow in my shoes because she wanted to go into the deep snow. She loves the snow - jumping and making tunnels with her nose. She's totally wore out and sleeping at my feet now.
I am, however, moaning about the massive headache I have had all day. And guess who forgot to buy pain relief yesterday?
Also, our hedges took a huge hit from the very heavy snow. They're laying on the ground. If Wednesday's storm does what it's supposed to, it's likely we'll lose them. Oh yeah... and it's supposed to snow Saturday as well. Which does make me moan because it totally screws up some really good plans.
I will also moan just a little about some personal stuff that went down today because this is my blog and I'll moan if I want to. I was a very stupid person and opened my mouth when I should have stayed silent. Suffice it to say things didn't end well. Lesson learned. Cryptic? It's meant to be. I don't have the energy or emotional fortitude to go through anything like it again and this way no one can be truly sure what I'm talking about. It might not be what you think.
Did I mention the headache?
That's all I have at the moment. I have to retrieve all of the shoes Elsa has stolen while I wrote this. (Guess who's awake?)
Behave!

Super? Sunday....

I'm trying...
I want to watch the commercials, but admittedly, I have no stake in either team tonight. And so far, the commercials have not been all that great. Normally we are at a friend's house for at least part of this event. Even though none of those living in this house really have ever cared about the outcome. We go because we like our friends. Or we used to go until our friends got different lives. It kind of sucks because we always had a good time even if we didn't watch the game.
All of the K's are gone as of this moment. The younger K's are helping their brother unpack boxes. It's just me, That Man, and the demon puppy. The demon puppy is not really a demon puppy. She is crazy, wound up, and energetic, but not demon. She is so very gentle with Baby B and as soon as you say "ow" she backs up and looks at you like she knows she's offended you. Most of the time. She's still learning. And she's so stinking cute.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

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

Puppy - Week Two

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

Dear...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Behave!