Tuesday...

It's only Tuesday, but it's been a pretty decent week so far.

I'm digging into the new day job. Making things my own and making my own decisions. It's going over pretty good so far. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making massive changes or being obnoxious in any way - just putting my own spin on stuff. I still have a lot to learn and a lot of connections to figure out, but I know certain things are my responsibility and I already know how I want to manage those.

Today we took our boss out to lunch for bosses day. (Yes, late) I got to tag along even though I wasn't there when the original plans were made. It was a good lunch, even though I still feel awkward and not quite in the "fray" yet. I mean, it was my seventh day. But we had good conversation and a lot of laughter.

I am still dealing with the transition. It's like I don't remember the change a lot of the time. I still say "we" when I talk about my old job, and "you" when I talk about my new job. I don't hear questions relating to either job the way they were intended and need to say "wait, what?" a lot. Though every day it does get different. And better.

I am still doing pretty decent in my writing group's 50/50 challenge. I rarely miss a day and when I do, it's because I planned it that way. I have restarted my story and I am in a good place. And I am pretty much writing more than 50 words each day! Most times loads over that, sometimes only two words over that, but still... Good stuff.

It's freaking HOT in my house right now. The temperature came up about ten degrees, but the internal temps came up at least 20. Last night I was under a blanket. Tonight I am in a tshirt and shorts. Oy. It is what it is with a coal furnace though...

We had to take the new car back to the dealer to have the catalytic converter checked. We took it on Monday and picked it up today. They replaced the converter. It cost us nothing. They put it under the warranty, which is awesome. I mean, really, we had the car for less than a month when the light went off, but they couldn't get us in until after the warranty expired. We totally appreciate the fact that we didn't even have to fight them about it.

We are nine days away from the Christmas season going totally crazy. I am thinking about it, but I can't take action yet. I just can't. Though That Man and I did buy a Christmas present already. It was for Mr. B and we couldn't pass it up. Nine days though! Holy crap! Though we are only 35 days from Christmas! CRAZY!

That's all I have!

Behave!

Thanksgiving One... Done...

We left for That Sister's late yesterday.

First we took out air conditioners, winterized sheds, grocery shopped, cooked, took care of leaves, changed the sheets, cleaned the bathroom, cooked more, cleaned stuff, cleaned more stuff. By the time we left we were already exhausted.

Dropped the Floof off at my sisters since K4 wasn't sure of her plans. Our goal was to get to That Sisters before the deer started trying to kill us and wreck our car. We had about three run across the road on our journey... Oy. Like we need that. And, of course, on our way, another engine light came on in the very new car... Ugh! It has an appointment tomorrow to check stuff out.

We had the greatest time at That Sisters. Dinner was amazing - ham and cheese sliders, mac and cheese, chips, and then, in typical Smith fashion, we both basically made the same dessert without prior discussion. Their new pull out couch was super comfly. The dogs were hysterical. We slept pretty darned good. This morning was coffee and lots and lots of talking.

The brisket was amazing. Like seriously amazing. I can't even tell you how good it was. And smoked salmon spread. Oy! Crazy good. We had coleslaw and lots of meat. It was the best. 

Got home and threw laundry in. But haven't done much else except write a bit.

This was a good weekend.

Tomorrow is back to the new day job. I already know what I need to do and I am happy with that. The transition is a bit complicated for me. I haven't yet wrapped my head around not needing to know as much stuff as I did before. I wake up thinking about the old day job and what needs to be done and needs to be known. And then I remind myself that it's not my job or my problem anymore. It's a process I guess, considering how many years I had in there.

I am still 100% sure I made the right decision though, so that's something...

Behave!

First Week Done...

It was a good week! 

I did my first check run today. It was full on accounting joy. It was good. I am happy. All of the numbers matched. I checked them three times. I made nice with vendors who have been lost in space for the past month and a half. I cut expense checks which always make people happy. Everything came together and it was a beautiful thing. 

I also got a new heater for my office. And a new calculator. (Seriously, my calculator was a teeny tiny thing that would only work with tiny baby hands.) (and we won't talk about how ridiculous putting the paper feed in the new calculator was. lol) I'm waiting for my second monitor. I need that. 

We picked up our car at lunch. They said it was something with the catalytic converter which might need replaced. We are not okay with that. When the light came on, we'd had the car less than a month and hadn't even made a car payment yet. We see the Honda guys on Monday and we'll figure it out from there. 

That Man and I went out for dinner to our little place down the street. Again, it was amazing. The food is amazing and tonight we talked to the chef. He is a funny guy and was happy to hear our praise about his food. 

We got home and watched a super dumb movie, which I liked. It was stupid. But...

It's bedtime now... Tomorrow is a new day...

Behave!

Three Thanksgivings?

Yep. That's what we're doing!

Up first is Thanksgiving with That Man's sister. We'll spend the night and eat awesome food. It's a non-traditional meal with brisket, cole slaw, and I don't know what else... We're looking forward to it! It's just the four of us for this one. We have much to discuss and much to catch up on! We really dig the idea of "going away" for Thanksgiving, so this is awesome!

Thanksgiving Two is our Thanksgiving with our kids. They can't make it to our regular Thanksgiving. Which is fine and expected. We had discussed expectations and how we weren't going to hold them to our old traditions. Being with their friends is completely acceptable and really something I wasn't able to do at their age, but to be clear I have no regrets at all for my past Thanksgivings. At the time, being where we were was the only place I would have wanted to be. It's time for my kids to make new traditions. (and the hope is to eventually drag all of these friends into a huge Thanksgiving dinner at Nana's house. Ha! I know Mom did that, and it did work on some scale)

Thanksgiving Three is the traditional Thanksgiving. We're gathering at our sisters. It's pretty much the adult kids in my family, which (see above) is fine with all parties involved. I've already talked to my sister about the kids having alternate plans and she's understanding. It will be nice to be together as siblings. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm making mashed potatoes and pies.

Neither one of us are off the day after Thanksgiving. Which is a shock to me. I always thought That Man's company was off that day. Now that I work there, I have learned that he takes vacation that day every year. I don't have vacation yet. He's used all of his up. Dang. Whatever. Next year....

Anyways... I have a lot of lists to make... I have pies to make, and a pretty huge grocery list. I am looking forward to the whole thing!

And then... we will go into Christmas! Whoot!

Behave!

So Far, So Good...

It's Wednesday... Halfway through the week.

It's going pretty good. A lot of the old memories are coming back and I'm getting back into the system I helped set up way back in the day. It's nice to be with the people I've known for a really long time. They are all coming to see me and telling me how glad they are that I'm back.

The only frustrating thing is that everyone thinks I'm completely up and running, and I have no idea what I'm doing yet. I am learning though. And I am comfortable there. I've done my supply inventory and made my spreadsheet. But I am not able to do my actual job without help yet. And that freaking kills me.

I'm learning that I'm not chained to my desk at all times and that I'm not going to get "the eye" if I'm not hunkered down at all times. That's a hard one for me. I am not used to a relaxed office environment. I mean, I thought my old office was pretty relaxed, this is just different. I don't know how to explain that one...

Getting up earlier has been fine. Except tomorrow might not be. We have to drop the new car off at the dealership before work to check a light. And we have to be there super early. Thankfully, that's under warranty, but the light has since went off... I questioned whether or not we should even drop it off, but since it is under warranty, there's no reason not to.

We've packed our lunch every day so far. We have a lot of leftovers from my weekend cooking spree. That Man makes sure to bring me yogurt every day, which is good. I've been too scattered to remember to pack my own breakfast. And he makes me coffee every morning, and stops by my office to fill my coffee throughout the day. And he brought our extra container of my favorite creamer to the office with my name on it. That's awesome.

I did get a key for my office. It needs to be locked during off hours due to financial security and the "good" supplies. I have a pretty big office with awesome windows. It tends to get cold in there, but that's okay, I have a heater with a remote. I'm getting a second monitor, which will be amazing, and is much needed. I'm looking forward to making the space my own. Right now, I have some pictures That Man printed off for me and some pictures I brought from my old office. But, I have possibilities now.

I have been writing. Except for Monday. I planned Monday as a non-writing day. I knew I would need the down time. But tonight I wrote more words than I have combined in the last two weeks, which is good. If I could only figure out where to re-start this story, I would be gold.

That is all for now...

Behave!

And A New Chapter Begins...

Tomorrow is my first day...

It's still super surreal to me. I am thinking the change won't hit me until morning. Or maybe until I get there. Or maybe at lunch. I don't know. Or maybe, I'm just comfortable with my decision and know it's the right thing? I think that might be it...

Friday night I met my previous coworkers at our little place. We hung out, laughed, cried a little, and then that was it. I will miss them tremendously. Almost six years is a long time... and it's a lot to get used to.

That night, it was a group chat with the kiddos. All four of them. And it was hysterical. I was crying with laughter and crying because it was so awesome to have all four of them bantering back and forth. We were trying to remember when we came up with certain recipes and why we named them what we did. Now there are at least 50 versions of the same story...

Saturday, we settled up with the landscaper who wrecked our flower beds. He's a super nice guy and was super apologetic. And he gave us some info... There's still some craziness there, but we'll see what happens. And we'll talk about it when it's resolved. It's frustrating though. And has turned into an interesting story...

Anyway... Saturday we had breakfast with some friends. Went to the home store to get wood and stuff. Got home and worked on the camper. I made sweet and sour chicken for dinner (amazing), did some laundry, wrote... We were exhausted and in bed at a stupid early time.

Today, we took the camper for our very first visit to dump the tanks. We were more than a little nervous since we've never done it before. I mean, ever. Nor have we ever even watched more than videos on how to do it. So we did that... It was far, far easier than we thought, which was a relief. First though, we stopped at the mega mart for rv antifreeze. And clothes for the new dayjob. Mainly warm clothes since apparently my new office is always freezing... great. But whatever... Then we stopped for breakfast. Then the tank dump. Then back home to winterize the camper. We're about 3/4 done. Ran out of antifreeze.

Made stuffed shells for dinner, did some more laundry, cleaned our room, wrote, worked on the camper, cleaned up the yard,

It's bedtime soon. My day will start about an hour and a half earlier now. Technically an hour, but with morning times, it turns into that.

So that is all...

Behave!

Argh!

So...

I finally heard from the neighbor.I'm not going to say much more, because I don't know where this is going to go. And I don't know what's going to happen next.

All I have to say is that my kids are super pissed. (All of us are) This whole thing has cause a tremendous amount of trauma around here. The missing items are special to us. The ballet garden. The sea shells we lined the beds with.

Anyway...

I woke up at 4:30am. Thinking about things. It took until around 3pm to realize that I have no stress to go back to when I do go back to work . I mean, I'll have stress, but nothing like what I'm used to. That's a huge thing to comprehend. I'm not sure I've wrapped my head around it yet.

I did more things before 8am than I normally do. Wrote my words. Laundry. Updated the check book and the bill book. Figured out dinner. I did not stay in bed all day like I had planned and I'm kinda pissed about that. Instead I constantly checked to see if the neighbor had shown up... I did take two naps. That was nice. One was with my Fred on my lap and one was with Max on my lap.

Tomorrow I need to call the car dealership. We've had our car for less than a month and the check engine light is on. We have a warranty. We haven't even made a payment yet. That's not how I wanted to spend the day, but we'll see what happens.

I need to figure out our weekend plan though. Our weekend is at home. For the first time in like four months. We have a giant "to do" list and we're not going anywhere! Stuff will get fixed and managed. Yay!

That is all I have for now!

Behave!

So Many Feels...

1. It was an emotional day.

My coworkers made me cry. The CEO made me cry. The Outside Sales Supervisor made me cry. My boss made me cry. It was rough. But even though I was crying, I was so happy at how much they all support me and my dreams. They all had really nice things to say to me. Turning in my key card hit me like a ton of bricks. Talking to my sales reps one last time did too. Talking with the outside rep supervisor was also rough. He's a great guy and someone I consider to be a friend. Somehow, even though he intimidates everyone else, we became friends early on - we have common interests and values and have always had easy conversation. When he comes to the office, I always stop in and say hi and talk about stuff. That was rough. Talking to the big boss was also tear inducing.

Hugging the coworker who has known me the longest at the end of the day brought actual sobs. She trained me. She used to sit across the "cubes" from me and would try to get me to sing to her. We've been through a hell of a lot together. She's actually one of the only reasons I stuck it out as long as I did. I love her and while I know I will see her again, it's not going to be the same because we aren't united in a single cause anymore.

None if it seems real though. Part of me expects to wake up tomorrow and head into work like I have for the last five and a half years. Part of me expects to walk into the office and say "good morning, bitches", like I do every day. So we'll see how I feel tomorrow...

It's a process. I'm sure. I'm just glad I have the next four days off to process and relax.

So...

2. The contractor working on the house next door...

ARGH!! My flower beds are destroyed. Flowers and plants I have been growing for years are gone. Decorations are also missing. Seriously. I'm about to lose it! 

My lilac bush is gone.

They even mulched a tree that there is no way shape or form could be conceived as on that property. In fact, there is no way you couldn't figure out that the flower bed was that house's property! They had to go through our front gate to get to it.

I am so angry! It's not even funny! I left a note on the door for them to call me. I will be marching over there as soon as they arrive to give them the riot act. And calling the borough and anyone I can think of.

I need to let it go for tonight though. I can't do squat at the moment. I've had a long, long and hard day and this is the last thing I needed.

... So that's two, but it's enough... I'm a trainwreck!

I will update tomorrow...

Behave!

One Day More...

This week has been rough. Emotional on so many levels.

But the brain is working again. Critical thinking beyond the day job is coming back and it makes sense. So weird! lol

On one hand, my decision being the right one has been confirmed so many times. On the other hand, I am going to miss these people - my coworkers, my customers... And they aren't shy in letting me know that they're mad at me for leaving. Mad is not the correct word though. They are happy for me in pursuing my dreams, but upset with me for leaving. I get it. 100%.

Tomorrow is it though... I have done lunch with my sales reps Monday and Tuesday...said goodbye, made sure they're comfortable with the way things are now. I'm going to see them both again, but they are like my children and it's hard to know I'm not going to talk to them every day. Tomorrow I am with the people in my office all day. We're going to have some cake at some point. I have no idea if I will have an exit interview. This whole thing has been treated like it might not really happen, despite the transferring of duties and training.

Thursday I will spent my day doing whatever the heck I want. At this point, with the headache still an issue, I think I will be heading to the doctor. The one lady I work with has the exact same headache and she was found to have a massive sinus infection. We shall see. It is some better today, so maybe it is just tension.

I am keeping up with the 50/50 challenge, though I took off last night to chill on the couch and go to bed at 8pm.

Why is this time change as hard as the spring one?

That is all.

Behave!

Here We Go!

Last Three Days coming up at the soon-to-be-former day job...

I'm a mess of sinus and headache.

I had a book signing today. I actually forgot about it - not on purpose - and it's fine because I remembered in enough time to not feel like a jerk. It's a fun event. A growing one. And one I'll keep doing until it's no longer fun. I got to talk to a bunch of people, sold some books, and I got to spend time with one of the besties catching up.

As I drove home from the signing, I could feel the sinus crap creeping in. Maybe it was from the old building, or the weather. I felt like utter crap for the longest time, and then a felt a little bit better. I'm still in the little bit phase though.

Anyway...

I did my words. Had an idea for the next book and wrote that down. I think it's pretty solid. I like it and the direction it will go. That's like huge considering I haven't had a really great idea or direction in a super long time. It just solidified my decision to do what I'm doing.

Oh! And K4 Nick Cage'd me... I know how to turn the extension off, but it cracks me up to open a new tab and see the Nick Cage pictures popping up. Don't tell her though. She still thinks I'm super pissed at her. Which I am a little, because just don't touch my stuff. So don't tell her otherwise. Ha!

That is all...

I'm burning out! Time change last night and I feel dead...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday on Saturday...

Hello, Weekend! You're my favorite!

It was a long and rough week, but some good stuff happened.

1. Lunch with HR yesterday. We had a blast - laughed and talked about our families. The topic of me leaving wasn't really brought up. I think that's because the other senior person in my department joined us. I'm sure I will be having an "exit interview" before next Wednesday.

2. Dinner out with That Man and K4 last night. We went to the local place that just changed ownership. It was as good as the last time we went. We talked and made plans and had a really great time.

3. Writing meeting today. I had to run the elections. Super stoked to be done with board service for now. I do enjoy it, but it's time for new blood. I declined to run again for 2020. I'm excited about the new people coming in and their ideas.

4. Getting my words on the page. I'm not getting a lot currently, but that's okay. I'm doing it though, and that's all that matters.

5. Living through Trick or Treat night. The weather was nasty. We had small numbers, but everyone was having a blast. Around 7:30 the skies opened. It was like a monsoon. J and Mr. B were still out, so K1 had to drive to pick them up. S & J were down the street at a friends. By the time everyone got back, they were drenched to their underwear. I'm handing out towels, leggings, and shirts. My living room floor was soaked. They all had a blast though. It's a trick or treat night no one will forget.

6. Talking to K5. She's so funny! We had an epic conversation over favorite and gross candy.

I have had a freaking nasty headache all week. It comes and goes in intensity, but it's still there. Sinuses and tension is what I think. When I woke this morning, I realized that I'm tensing up constantly. I'm guessing it's due to the big changes going on.

Monday is going to be crazy. I have transitional meetings all day. Same with Wednesday. Tuesday is more one-on-one training with the new girl. I left Friday with only two things on my plate. Those should be taken care of by Monday, and if they're not, I will pass them along. Next Friday, I'm meeting the crew at the restaurant we always go to for a farewell gathering. That's going to be the hardest.

I am looking forward to having Thursday and Friday to myself. Friday K4 and I are going shopping, which should be fun. Thursday I am imagining that I will stay in bed as long as possible and acclimate myself to the changes.

So that's all... I'm in the middle of making baked potato soup and then will run some errands. I'm not sure what we'll get up to for the rest of the weekend yet!

Behave! 

Mid-Week...

This time next week I will be done with my current day job...

This week so far has been rough. I'm training my replacement. She's super, super new, and while I know she can do the job, I worry about the stuff she doesn't know. I don't have time to teach her this stuff. I'm hitting the absolute basics while trying to maintain the customer service. And I know I shouldn't care as much as I do, but I do... I also have to remember that when I took over my territory, I had only been there for two weeks. I managed and figured it out, and she will too. 

But I am disconnecting. Finishing up the big things and passing them on to the next person. Some of my bigger accounts are going to a different person. She's going to be great and do a fantastic job. I have already lost control over things and I can't fight that. It is what it is...

And again... I shouldn't care, but I do...This time next week, I absolutely will not care about the job - only my friends. Though they will still be my friends even if we don't work together anymore...

I have a week left. Tomorrow is more training. Friday is the same, but lunch is thrown in there, too. Next week is meetings, lunches, and cleaning out my desk. I am sure that when I leave next Wednesday I will be crying. I expect that. I also know that I need to do what I need to do...And that I'm making the absolute right decision. 

The writing has been decent this week, despite me giving myself a mental pass to get through my final days. The plotting and brainstorming that was done over the weekend have carried through and I am holding onto that. 

Tomorrow night is Trick or Treat here. It's supposed to be ugly weather, so we will see what actually happens. We have been stocking up and hiding the candy for a month or more now. 

That is all...

Behave!

Hallowreads - 3

It's all done.

I know it's early. I've been up for about a half an hour. I'm not sure what woke me, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Also, this house is an electric vampire. My phone died, even though it was on the charger - the same charger I used yesterday, the same plug, too. And suddenly, it doesn't work anymore. And it worked last night when I plugged in. Weird. It's been a consistent problem this weekend though.

Anyway.

Yesterday was a lot of fun. Talked to a lot of people. Sold a couple of books. Talked to some book reviewers. Talked to more people. Hung out with a writing chapter buddy for a little bit. It was a lot of peopling. By the time the signing was over, I was fried. But it was good.

Turns out, this was the last year for this event. The organizer moved several states away and doesn't have the capability to continue. It's sad, but it happens.

We got back to the house, ordered some food, and pretty much vegged the rest of the day. One of our housemates decided to head home late last night, so it was just Simon and I talking and laughing. Surprisingly, and especially surprising because I wore the same shoes yesterday, I did not wake up with a leg cramp. I was so sure it was going to happen. Before I went to bed I could feel the muscle already twisting. It's still a little sore, but 99.9% improved from yesterday.

I'm going to get my words in and then pack up. Today is K3's birthday. I will be making a spaghetti dinner as soon as I get home and the kids will be coming over to celebrate.

And then tomorrow is Monday - my last full week at the current day job. It's weird, but I'm settled with my decision. I know it's the right one, especially after this weekend. It all still feels pretty surreal though and I can't say I'm looking forward to tomorrow or the rest of the week. But it is what it is...

That is all...

Behave!

Hallowreads - 2

Yesterday was exhausting and good. 

There was a lot of talking, walking, strategizing, brainstorming, laughing, and connecting. It was a lot of peopling. And I did finally get some really good food. 

The restaurant was cool. It's in a super old building. The food was amazing. It was super loud and crowded. We hung out after dinner - waiting for a member of our group, and laughed and talked.  

And I wrote. 

And today there will be even more. 

That's okay though. It will be a good day. 

There are workshops this morning. Then lunch. Then the book signing. 

I'm not sure if I'm going to make the bonfire and haunted house tonight. I woke up around three am with a vicious leg cramp. It's still horrible. I have been limping around for over an hour. 

But that's okay. I will write. And talk. And hang out. I know I will be exhausted. 

And that's all I have for now. 

Behave! 

Hallowreads!

Here I am at a cute little AirBnB in Maryland.

Tomorrow starts the event and I cannot wait.

Three of us rented this little house - 3 bedrooms 1-1/2 bath, full kitchen, dining room, living room, and a cute little patio. Currently, all three of us are sitting around the dining room table getting our words done. (I'm already done for the night. My brain is a bit broken. I'll tell you about that in a few)

I managed to leave the day job far earlier than I originally expected. Ran to the store for some essentials and then hit the road. Only got into a little bit of traffic and made it here shortly after I received the code to unlock the front door. Simon arrived less than five minutes after me, and L was already here.

The weirdness was that the mother of the owner was here when we got here and spent far too long talking to us about really nothing. Don't get me wrong, she was super nice and super excited to meet authors, but it delayed us in getting our stuff unloaded and getting settled in. We finally were able to do that, and then sat around the table drinking tea and catching up.

Then we were off to dinner at the Mexican place in the little town where the event is held. Met up with other authors and had a blast. My food pretty much sucked, which is disappointing because I was so excited to go there again. Whatever though. It was still a great time. We got back to our little "home", changed into our jammies, and then talked and wrote. Well, we're still doing that.

Being in a house is much nicer than a hotel. We each have our own room and there's plenty of space to spread out downstairs. Sharing a bathroom is no big deal, and let's face it, we'd be doing the same in a hotel. Anyway.

The event starts tomorrow. We'll be there helping out and participating. Then tomorrow night is dinner and a bonfire. Dinner is at a most awesome place. Though I will choose wisely because I can't abide by two crappy dinners in a row. Saturday is the signing and more fun stuff. Then a haunted house. Then we'll come back, order pizza, and write and talk some more.

I am so happy to be here. This weekend is the kick off to new things - focus on my writing career, and focus on what I need to do.

And here's why... I've talked a lot about how my day job is brain draining and super stressful... A lot. I also love what I do - I love my customers, the industry, my sales reps, and the people I work with. What I don't love is that I feel like I have to give 500% of myself every day, which leaves nothing for anything else, especially writing. It's been that way for a really, really long time.

So... This job came up. That Man and I discussed. I didn't know what to do. I checked the requirements and didn't think I qualified for the position, but then was specifically asked to submit my resume. I interviewed. And then the job was offered.

And I accepted.

It's really a lateral move, but the stress will be about 490% less. That's what I'm going for. It was a really really hard decision to leave my current job, but in my heart and gut, I know it's the right decision. I was asked if there could be any negotiation at the current day job and I told them absolutely not. You could pay me more and then I would give 800% and have even less left of me. They accepted that well. Though I think I will be asked again before it's all said and done.

I'll talk more about this when it gets closer to my last day. I have a full week and then a few days. It's emotional, but so far pretty much everyone at the current day job has been so super supportive. Turns out, they'd love to see me succeed as a author and that's the main reason I'm making the change. Plus, I just need to have more to give at the end of the day - to my writing, to my family, to the things I previously enjoyed doing but don't have the energy for anymore.

And that is all for now!

Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up!

So having the boys was a complete success! Mom and Dad had an awesome time at the wedding and were very happy! They said it was like an anniversary getaway for them. We had an awesome time with the boys! Little B woke up at 3am. He was freezing cold and very wet. Somehow the little bugger got out of his very warm pjs... We got him settled again and he slept until 7am.

Not too bad at all. Both boys were great! Little B was happy and silly. He and Pappy laughed constantly and played their own version of peek-a-boo. Big B has commissioned me to write him a story. He's even given me a few weeks to complete it! Ha! He doesn't believe me when I tell him I cannot draw. He insists I'll figure it out somehow.

The boys were picked up and we pretty much crashed. It rained all day. A cold rain, too. We were cozy. Candles lit and warm blankets. I wrote. Napped. Made alfredo sauce for dinner - chicken, mushroom, broccoli alfredo. I've been doing store bought alfredo for years, with the addition of my own improvements. Who knew that my own improvements were exactly what you need to make your own alfredo sauce? I didn't, but I do now. Seriously! It's so much better!

Wrote some more. Did all of the laundry. Cleaned up the kitchen with That Man's help. Now we're chilling and it's almost bedtime.

Tomorrow is back to the day job. I am not excited. At all. And I am not looking forward to it. The stress hits around four for me... Ugh!

That's all I have for now!

Behave!

Feel Good Saturday

Here we are on Saturday!

I stayed home from the day job yesterday. I left work on Thursday feeling like death - fever, sinus pain and congestion - and it didn't get any better until last night. I literally slept in my bed most all day. Around four I managed to get my words done, and then laid on the couch the rest of the evening.

Felt better this morning. I did sleep in and take care of some estate stuff. Then I went shopping. We decided we needed a smaller, easier to haul around vacuum. I hit up a few stores, then ended up at the mega mart. Then the grocery store. Then home just in time to get the boys

We're watching the grandsons overnight tonight. K1 & J had a wedding today and ended up with a hotel room overnight. This is the first time they've left Little B overnight, so they were excited - especially after the week they've had. Little B had croup and ended up in the ER for breathing treatments. The last few times we were going to keep them both, something happened - which anyone with kids knows that's how it always goes, so I was glad for them to get away tonight.

The boys were dropped off around two. Big B is a riot. Little B is, too. That Man worked until almost five, so the boys and I hung out and played. We made little stromboli's for dinner, watched a movie, and laughed. Big B went to bed a lot earlier than I figured he would and he was out like a light within five minutes. Little B was a lot harder to get down, but he's finally out. I'm expecting him to be up during the night at least a few times, so it won't be long until I head up myself.

I did get my words in. The dishes are done. The living room is covered in toys. But it's good.

I am exhausted. I can remember how I did this with four. I guess still not feeling 100% has something to do with it, too.

That is all...

Behave!

Tuesday...

A long time ago I used to do "Tall Tale Tuesday" here on the blog. Sometimes I came up with some interesting and maybe even funny stuff. I don't know why I stopped doing it. I kind of miss it. Or maybe what I really is having the time to do it. I'd spend the week looking for funny pictures or interesting stories. These days I'm lucky to even know my name most of the week.

Anyway.

I meant to get back on here over the weekend, but that didn't happen.

We did the Jeep thing with my brother and then we went and bought a car. A used car, but still... It took forever, but we're pretty happy with it. My Jeep isn't supposed to be driven every day and our second car was due for inspection and needed more work than we were willing to put into it. We needed something reliable for the winter. So we bit the bullet and did it. Not happy about having a car payment, but like I said, we're happy with it.

When we got back, we went to the place we wanted to go for dinner last night. It was amazing. Good food.

Sunday was a day of absolute rest. No computer. Stayed off the phone. Did some laundry.

Now we're in the week. I have been writing every day (except for Sunday). Managing some decent words and getting back into my story.

That's all I have for now...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday!

Whoot!

It was a helluva week! Bad doesn't even begin to describe it. Day Job... Oy... There were good moments, but most of it was like fighting through quicksand. I am fighting for my new hire. She's struggling to get things, but I see her blossoming and learning and I will not allow them to let her go until she's been given a fair shake. I know she can do this and I know she will be excellent at it. I have spent most of the last two days, even with being swamped from vacation, training her, and I will continue to do so.

I have been writing. I will not say I've been writing good words, but they are still words.

That Man and I went out to dinner tonight. Not where we wanted to go, but a regular place for us. The food was good, but the air conditioning was cranked up super high and I was freezing. We wanted to go to a new place near us - well, the place isn't new, but the ownership is. We've heard great things about it and it's only two blocks from our house. As we pulled into the parking lot, we heard that the wait was super lengthy so we moved on. We'll get there soon.

Tomorrow we are hopefully doing a Jeep thing with my brother. But we also have an appointment to go car shopping. We're replacing our CRV. We're not in a hurry, but we kind of are too. We will be at the Jeep event either early or late.

And that is all for now... Hopefully I will be back at some point before Monday!

Behave!

That Was A Long Time!

Sorry for the silence!

It's been crazy!

We've had ourselves a little, but wonderful, trip. The break from the day job was wonderful.

It's colder now.

I'm tired!

Coming back to the day job was suckage. Nothing got done in my absence.

One of the kittens is peeing inappropriately. On my bed. Not cool.

I stepped in dog poop tonight. Gross.

Writing has been going okay.

We had our town Halloween Parade. It was fun.

I'm tired!

Everyone at the day job is sick. I am slathering myself in hand sanitizer and protective layers.

That is all. See "I am tired"...

Behave!

Sunday Wrap Up...

We are beat...

Up early. Coffee on the back porch, which was nice. Then we started doing stuff. Vacuumed, which was crazy. The animal hair in this house is insane. I just vacuumed yesterday. It's like the animals all just exploded their hair overnight. Organized some stuff.

Laundry. A quick trip to the store for more stuff we forgot.

K3 & A came for dinner. That was really nice. We talked. Ate pretty good food (grilled veggies and steak).

Many things were accomplished today. Which is why we are beat.

Got my writing chapter newsletter done and some other stuff for that. Next is the writing, which is going pretty darned good.

Tomorrow is Monday. Don't want to talk about it...

Behave!

The Saturday Post...

What a freaking long day!!

Woke up at the normal work day time, showered, and was ready to head out the door for breakfast with our great niece. She's so adorable and looks just like her momma, but it was early. She turned two and she let me wash her hands and put her shoes on her. We had pancakes, bacon, coffee, orange juice and yogurt. I got to catch up with That Man's side of the family. I haven't had a chance to talk to That Sister in a while and I miss her, so that was good. Also got to see her hubby and our nephew. It was a good morning.

We left there and headed back into town to get the camper registered in our names. That didn't take as long as I expected, but it did take a long while. Got the stuff we forgot to take out of the camper and needed.

Back home to take off the defective oil sending unit from the Jeep. That Man broke it fixing the leaky oil filter. He bought a new one and during the test drive, it crapped out. Took it back to the store and they told him they wouldn't replace it. We were fuming mad. We went back today and insisted they replace it. They did. But we had to drive to pick it up since they had no more in stock. Whatever. Then we went to get an oil change kit and... Not in stock. Had to drive back out to not far from where we had to pick up the part (different stores  - That Man wracks his points up at different places) Stopped quick at the grocery store to grab some of the things we forgot.

Ended up getting home about two hours later. K1, J, and my boys were here. K1 came to pick up a cooler for his weekend excursion and grab some stuff from the attic. Got to kiss my baby boy and hang out with my older baby boy. They are so stinking cute! Little B is giving kisses and playing hide and seek and is so freaking adorable! Mr. B is very into Pokemon now and was either quizzing me about Pokemon or showing me his new cards.

Then we had to run another errand. I swear we were away from home for about 10 hours today. We're exhausted.

Finally got back home and threw dinner in the oven. I had marinated some greek chicken yesterday. Apparently, I didn't rinse the dill that went into the marinade enough. It was delicious, but super gritty. And apparently, I have a super bad issue with grit in my food. While it was super tasty, when I hit grit, I was done. Like major gagging done. Never knew that about myself, but there it is... In other news, my tzatziki sauce turned out banging.

And that's about it.

Tomorrow is some running around. We realized the other night that we don't have any working smoke detectors. (After I made meatballs that spilled over in the oven and filled the house with awful, awful smoke. - Like so bad we all had to shower before bed). That Man bought a cheap one to get us through, but we need at least three more and a decent CO2 detector - especially since we just revamped the furnace piping.

K3 and A are coming for dinner. We have laundry to do. And a lot of other stuff.

Then... It's Monday again.

That's all I have...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday!

Things are better.
Some... I still have about 50 things on my to do list. You know... cross off one and add three... that is how it's going...

That Man and I took a sick day today. It was a real sick day - either from some damned virus or our dinner last night. Don't know for sure, but we both felt like hell for most of the day. He actually started with it yesterday. He came home from work early thinking it was the cholesterol med the doc put him on, but that is apparently not the case. I am about 12 hours behind him, so... virus?

We did try to run some errands - grabbed his part-time job paycheck, went to the bank, and then the grocery store, but neither of us had a coherent thought in our head so we forgot half of the stuff we needed. He was better this evening. He did some physical things. I did not. I am feeling some better, but still shaky and not great.

In the Feel Good Friday mode:

1. Our Aunt and Uncle were here this week. It was amazing to see them, but it was a crazy week. We had one night at home. Not because of seeing them every night, but because it was just one of those weeks. We didn't see them nearly enough, but they will be back soon.

2. We met last night for dinner (which I am blaming on part of the reason I stayed home today - partial food poisoning? maybe?). We had a good time. It was good to laugh and hang out. I got to see my brother, sister-in-law, and niece. It was a good night.

3. Our sister is hopefully finally going to get some answers on why she's been so sick lately. I know it's still vague, but I can't go into any more detail or she will kill me.

4. Getting to see my great niece and niece on Wednesday. Baby A is so cute and looks just like her momma.

5. Getting stuff done. We've been working our butts off all week even though it's been crazy.

6. Writing. So I have gotten words on the page this week. Not enough, but more than I figured I would. I'm still at a deficit, but I hope to remedy that this weekend.

7. Bob's great niece's birthday party in the morning. She's two. They are having a breakfast birthday party. Pancakes. It's different, but we are good with it. Her gift is wrapped and we have the rest of our day planned.

8. Hopefully seeing K3 this weekend!

That's all I have for now!

Behave!

A Week?

Yikes!

Though. I haven't even turned my computer on since last Thursday, so there's that. It's been absolutely insane and chaotic.

I don't even know how to get into it all. I don't even think I should.

Everything is absolutely insane.

I have not written in a week.
My house is a wreck.
My "to do" list has like 55 things on it.
I am not getting anywhere.
The day job is nuts.
Crazy things are going on.

Better days have to be ahead, right?

Behave!

A Week?

I swear I have started like four posts! Each were interrupted and then I gave up!

So the weekend was crazy!

Saturday was writing meeting and then a bunch of craziness. Writing meeting was good and I left with the same recharged feeling I used to have after meetings. I really like that and I am so happy to get back to those kind of meetings. Though I did not get to come home and write! Boo!

Sunday I had to work. Nothing more to say about that. Had to run some errands and do some things after. Back home to a houseful. Dinner made. Cleaned up. Grandsons hugs and laughter. To bed way later than I'd hoped.

Since I worked Sunday, this week is screwed up. I am a day ahead of myself and that sucks. Yes. Tomorrow is Thursday and that's great, but I thought today was Thursday. I thought yesterday was Wednesday. We all have the same affliction. Oy. But we did order some amazing subs for lunch. Cheap and super good.

Tonight I had a board meeting with my writing chapter. It went well. We talked about pirates. Ha!

That is all!

Behave!

Mid-Week...

I got my Jeep back! Yay! It's a hefty bill, but all much needed work. Some had to do with my mud adventures at the Jeep festival (others were just age and rust)... Do I regret it? Not really! I only regret the amount of money it ended up costing. Would I do it again? Nope. Not will full knowledge of what it cost... Ha! (Can I change it? Nope! So there you have it)

It's been a bizarre week so far. I know it's been a short one, but I remain caught up at the day job and I'm even finding time to do quality assurance and train. All while maintaining my workload stats. We're supposed to work a full eight on Sunday - to get caught up - but all of us are caught up. So I don't know what will happen - if we'll work, if we'll work to help sister companies, or what... I'm all in because it's overtime, so whatever. 

Writing happened tonight! Whoot! It's been a few days, so it was much needed. I'm hoping now that some of the craziness has ended that I can get my butt back in gear and actually finish this book. Gah!

Other than that! That Man has to work this weekend. I have my writing meeting and I have to work.

I can't believe we're into September already! Granted, I am glad. I am so ready for fall and for the heat to be done! Though I could use a few more weeks of August, just to get the things done. One of those weeks would just be for sleep!

That is all!

Behave!

Back From the Wilds...For a Day

It was a good weekend camping!

That Man got off early on Friday and took the new camper to camp. Took him about twenty minutes to set us up for the weekend. Poor guy! LOL. I had to work my regular shift, so I did the grocery shopping on my way up.

Saturday was nice. K4 ended up crashing on our couch. We figured out how to hook up our DVD player. Fridge running on LP was also awesome. K1 and J came down. Lots of grandson time and good conversation.

Sunday we awakened to the front of the camper failing. That Man did a temporary fix and has been brainstorming the permanent fix. I think he has it now. It was picnic day. Lots of hang out time. Time with family and friends. And my most adorable great niece.

Woke up Monday to a horrible storm. We were dry, except we both had to go to the bathroom and our bathroom in the camper is out of commission. Worked that out with us both getting wet. Then, K4 called. She was not feeling well at all. Ended up leaving camp to go to the doc with her. She's fine - nothing that a round of antibiotics won't cure. But poor kid. She was in a lot of pain.

That Man got home shortly after we did. Did some laundry. Took a nap. Made an awesome dinner. Talked to my sister. Started the newsletter for the writing group only to realize I didn't have enough information. We were in bed super early.

Up early to carpool to work today. The Jeep and his car were both in the shop. Both for inspection, but the Jeep needed some work (it's been there for almost two weeks now, but our mechanic was trouble-shooting an issue and we knew it was going to take a while). We went to the diner for dinner and then picked up his car. Hopefully the Jeep will be done tomorrow! Finished the newsletter and it's now bedtime.

Tired doesn't even begin to describe how I feel...

That is all!

Behave!

We Made It Back...

We actually got in Sunday... Mid-afternoon...

It was rough. We drove like 36 hours in a 65 hour time span.

The drive out was easy enough. We split it up into about 3 hour shifts, though I took an extra shift since That Man hit a wall. The rental car was okay, but the seats sucked. Definitely another "sitting on concrete" kind of thing.

We made it early Friday morning. Hugs and love and hanging out, then we took the rental car back. Stopped for breakfast/lunch, then back to the house. We were going to take a nap, but got caught up in checking out the camper and doing the legal stuff associated with our purchase. Went to dinner, and then pretty much crashed when we got back, though I did spend some "auntie" time with my aunt. Still in bed by 9pm though. Rough sleeping night due to the ultimate exhaustion - mostly That Man since he was still dealing with a horrible cough.

Got up Saturday, packed our stuff, did camper readying, and hit the road. Later than we'd hoped, but still okay. The drive home was pretty brutal. It was my turn to hit a wall and I hit it pretty quickly. I did drive for a while, but nowhere enough to make it fair. I could not wake up and focus. That Man had bonding time with the camper.

Anyway... It's a little rougher than we thought. The floor at the back is pretty much gone and the roof has several leaks. BUT all of that can be fixed. Overall, it's not bad at all. We have plans and a lot of the work will be done this weekend. Once the structural stuff is done, then we can tweak it to fit our needs. We've been doing stuff to it all week - the LP tank is full, the generator battery is new. We're slowly learning about it, but we're so excited!

We're camping this weekend, so we'll make a plan and start to get the stuff done. I wouldn't be surprised if the roof gets fixed this weekend, and possibly the floor - though I think that might take a bit longer. I'm just excited - this camper opens up a bunch of possibilities for us!

Behave!

Mid-Week Insanity

Only a half day at the day job tomorrow though! That Man will pick me up, we will pick up our rental car, come home to load up and hit the road. The house/pet sitter is already in place and everything is taken care of for that.

We're super excited. Not just for the camper purchase, but for the road trip together, and to see the midwest family - no matter how quick of a trip it is. We're mostly packed - just waiting on a load of laundry. The stuff has been organized. Other stuff has been taken care of.

We ran to the notary tonight to get the title taken care of for the 'burban so we can donate it to "Vehicles for Veterans". We're happy it's going to a charity like that, but we are both just devastated to have to get rid of it. It's been the best vehicle we have ever had and we have so many special memories with it. Ugh. The brain knows it's the right move, but the heart is not on board - especially after it was washed and looked so good.

Bookstore day was a ton of fun! My signing went really well. I met a lot of readers and other writers. After the signing, I found a corner to write in. Though some creep guy kept standing over my shoulder and I had to give it up. It was authors and readers after the store closed. We had pizza, a scavenger hunt, and so many other things to do. I ended up going home instead of staying over. There was no way my air mattress was going to fit anywhere inside the store, plus, I had been there for about twelve hours - standing on concrete. I was sore and had a killer headache. Next year, I will take a smaller air mattress. It really was fun though and I'm sad I missed the sleepover part!

The mammogram was good. Got the all okay results today.

That is all for now! Laundry is done and it's bedtime.

Behave!

Feel Good Friday!

For a four day work week, this was a long one!

Next week, I technically only work three days. Full day Monday. Leaving for mammogram/gyne visit Tuesday for a few hours. Full day Wednesday. Half day Thursday and then off Friday. It's going to be a long week though since I'm super looking forward to the end of the week.

We're travelling to Missouri to purchase a camper from my uncle. Yes. We are driving about 2200 miles in 3.5 days. It's fine and good. We were going to fly out, but the camper has sat for a few years and we felt more comfortable having tools and things with us. Plus, holy expensive flights! The drive will be That Man and I - there and back. We are excited to do a road trip just the two of us, and I highly doubt either of us will sleep while the other drives. We're excited to see That Uncle and That Aunt, and we're excited that we negotiated this camper deal with them. We've been talking about this with them for a while now, so this feels like a dream that it's actually happening!

After that we have camp! (With our new old camper! Whoot!)

Tomorrow is Bookstore Romance Day! I am signing at noon and then in for the night for a slumber party! I'm excited! We're "sleeping" over. Though I have a feeling not much sleeping will be done. It's an awesome opportunity and I'm so thankful to have been asked to participate! I only hope I get to sleep a little! I am too old to stay up all night anymore! ha!

The writing has been crap all week. I have spent every single night doing estate stuff and other stuff I can't mention. I didn't make a single blast for my writing chapter.

Oh! We need a list:

1. Sleeping in tomorrow.
2. Bookstore day!
3. Next week!
4. Camping!
5. Not having kids going back to school! First time in like 25-26 years? (we had college last year) Ha! We did school shopping with the grandkids, but it was 1/100th of the scale of what we used to have to do and it was beautiful!
6. The PA part of the estate being done soon. Waiting for one more thing and then... hopefully we're done!

That's all I have! I need to make my list for tomorrow and get some sleep!

Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up on Monday!

It was a crazy, crazy weekend!

Started out Friday night with K5 and Mr. B. We had a "campout" in the living room. Pizza for dinner, s'mores, strawberry shortcake, The Princess Bride. Air mattresses in the living room. I don't think any of us slept well. The kittens were being crazy. The dog couldn't settle. It wasn't cool enough down here and the downstairs fan died.

But... still... It was fun. It really was.

We did the school shopping thing. Which was fun, but equally as stressful thanks to other people. How many freaking screaming kids can fit into a Mega Mart? Not my screaming grandkids. They were awesome and so well-behaved. (I'm not saying they always are, but they definitely were on Saturday) Both of them were like "that's ridiculous"! We did have a blast. Went to a bbq place for lunch and the woman running the cash register totally hooked us up. It was super cheap and very good. Dropped the kids off and came home and crashed for a while.

Later, we went downtown to hear K4's man's gig at the local wine shop. He did really well. We stayed longer than we planned, but it was really a good time. Got home and did some laundry. In bed later than we'd hoped, but still at a decent time.

Sunday morning, we went to see my sister in the hospital. We will talk about this at another time. We don't really know anything yet and I just can't.

After that... we travelled to MD to see Chris Stapleton in concert. The concert was amazing!! I had some absolute culture shock though. I haven't been to a lot of concerts, but still... How on earth can people afford to get trashed at these concerts? A cheap beer was $11. A good beer was $14-17. We saw people carrying four to six beers. For themselves. I swear we were the only sober people out of at least a thousand people! And the garbage left behind!! Holy crap!

But... Chris Stapleton! Amazing! His voice and is guitar skills. His encore was fantastic!

Our hotel had a shuttle service, which we utilized on our way to the concert (even though we ended up in the cargo area of the van! Ha!). On the way back, however, we chose to walk the mile to the hotel. We beat the shuttle back to the hotel by at least 10 minutes and it was fine. It was an easy, quick walk. We were so tired though. Our section of the hotel did not have an elevator, so it was three flights of stairs each time.

This morning, we went to the main part of the hotel for coffee and took the elevator to travel one floor. That's how done with stairs we were. Ha! Sitting by the lake was really nice and relaxing though. It was good to be off work today.

We stopped at a diner on our way back, took a nap when we got home, then did laundry. I did estate stuff while That Man went to help a friend with some construction.

Tomorrow is back to the real world. I'm not ready and I don't want to... But I must. The next two weeks are super crazy here.

Behave!

Mid Week...

It's Wednesday... Which is awesome, but I have to say that I'm so very tired of wishing my week away. It's not supposed to be like this.

And, by this point, we all know why... That brain draining day job. I'm frustrated. Well... beyond frustrated. I need to talk to the boss tomorrow. I'm exhausted - mentally and physically. Or physically because of the mentally. I'm not sure which. I know things are going to get better, but until we have these new people trained up nothing has changed. The pressure is intense.

But only two more days to work and then a full weekend ahead. We're getting K5 and Mr. B this weekend and taking them school shopping. Then, off to our concert on Sunday. No work on Monday!

I did get the August calendar completed and it's super crazy. Things are insane until the very last week of the month. I have two writing classes, an overnight book event, blast week with my writing group, a mammogram, a crazy random trip... and well... a lot of stuff. September looks a tiny less crazy, but I haven't gotten that far yet.

Writing has been slim this week. We had company Monday night. I had a massive headache last night, and tonight I had a million and a half things to do. I should get a few words done before bed though.

And that is all!

Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up!

Monday comes too soon! I need one more day! I know... I say that every week, but it's true...

Let's backtrack...

Saturday's writing meeting was good. Good business meeting. Good program. Good lunch. There was a lot of laughter and discussion. Definitely what I needed to recharge.

Got home to a houseful. K1 & J were here. K1 needed to work on his car and clean his crap out of the 'burban. They did some laundry, too. Friends came to help with car stuff. Got epic grandsons time. Baby B is so stinking cute. He's crawling and he's fast. He's such a chunky monkey! Mr. B was very busy and spent a lot of time reorganizing the toys we have here. Ha! I made spaghetti and meatballs because I know it's one of Mr. B's favorites and we had K1's bestie here for dinner, too.

So, the 'burban is going the way of the white wind very soon. We wanted to restore it, but we don't have the time, money, or space to do so. It won't be long until we get told about it from our borough because that kind of thing is happening all over the place around here. We've had many, many conversations about what to do, but have come to the conclusion that we have to let her go. I am super sad and wish there was another way, but logically, we don't need a vehicle that big anymore. We don't have time to fix her up the way she deserves, and the amount of mold inside those doors is dangerous. It's really, really bad. So...

Today was cleaning. I did a crapton of work - including washing the entirety of our bedding thanks to our old lady cat pooping and pissing on our bed last night! ARGH!! She got trapped in there and I guess it was long enough that she felt she had no choice, but...WHY on the bed? I mean... seriously! And, if you didn't know, we still have a waterbed. It's not just sheets and blankets, it's padding and a lot of it... but thankfully, a mattress that can be disinfected easily. It's a day long process. I managed to replace everything temporarily enough that we could sleep semi-decently last night, but today I had to wash... and K1 & J needed to finish their laundry, too.

It worked out. We had an amazing diner. Baby B continued to crack us up. Mr. B and I played "treehouse" and watered plants. The bed is nearly made and That Man's work shirts are done. There's a load of towels to do thanks to be stupidly overflowing the coffee pot yesterday. Dumb. But on the whole, we're in a good place to start the week.

I'm so tired though... Maybe tired thinking about the upcoming week, or tired from two days of constant peopling. I don't know.

What I do know is that this coming week is my only week in the next three weeks that I work a full five. We're going to a concert next weekend and will be coming home on Monday, so we're off. The next week I have my mammogram, and then we're heading out to parts unknown...Then it's labor day. By then it's September! Woah!

That's all I have... I am off to do the writing now!

Behave!

Feel Good Friday!

The kitty babies are doing well post surgery. Fred recovered far more quickly than Regi, but then again, Regi had super major surgery and Fred just got a snip. Regi was still a little slow this morning, but I let them out of confinement anyway. She snuggled in my arms before attacking the couch, but I still worried as I left her with "the boys" and the dog.

They are fine. Needy, but that's to be expected. Nothing bad happened, but K4 kept an eye on them as soon as she woke up. They are eating well and playing, albeit slower than normal. Elsa was super worried about them and was protective and annoying with them.

I have met my writing goals this week, which is awesome! Progress!

So, the kid got her braces off today! OMG! She looks amazing! What a great smile! I left work early to go with her! So awesome! The actual removal was quick, but then they had to grind off the adhesive, which took a while and they gave her dark sunglasses for that part. She will have to wear retainers for a bit, but... holy smile! My kid... And her smile! Beautiful! What a long road, but so worth it! (Still retainers, but...)

Tomorrow is my writing group meeting! So looking forward to it! I missed last month and that hurt. So many things going on. I am on the board right now, but I don't think I will be next year. I can't keep up and I can't do the things I need to do. I'm pretty solid in my decision. It kills me though. There are many reasons that I can't continue though. We will see...

And I think that is all I have right now...

Behave!

Last Day of July...

That was a quick month! Seriously!

Tomorrow beings August and a month of absolute insanity for us. We don't have a free weekend at all. Some fun stuff. Some work stuff. Some necessary house stuff - which is not really scheduled into the crazy month, but stuff we have to find time for nonetheless.

Today is Wednesday... This week has been long already. Work... well... it's back into crazy mode. The new people started on and so far so good. I am hopeful. If I live through it long enough for their help to be effective. Today was massively crazy.

But... after work, we picked up Mr. B and took him to dinner. We went to the diner close to our house - it's been That Man and I's staple place to grab food over the last few months. The food is good, service is good, and it's reasonably priced. Mr. B impressed us with his word/math skills and we talked about a lot of things. After that, we stopped at the grocery store for a few things we needed (and Hot Wheels, because that's what we do), before hitting up the ice cream store. Or "Dumpster Lake" as Mr. B calls it. Last time we went there we pulled in and B asked what we were doing (not seeing the huge sign) and I told him we were going swimming in Dumpster Lake because the rain water had pooled in the parking lot around the dumpster and it looked like a huge lake. That name apparently stuck with him.

We had a great time with him. He was happy, too. Dropped him off and got Baby B snuggles and laughs. That boy is a chunk and is mobile now. He's so funny.

Tonight is the last night the kittens are he and she. Tomorrow morning, I will drop them off to get fixed. 9pm was the latest they could have food. They don't like that. Well, none of them do. Instead of secluding the kittens, we moved the food for all of the animals. Even the dog food, because the kittens will eat the dog food. So now, they are running around like crazy, following us when we get up and crying at our feet. It's a good thing we're going to bed soon.

I get to sleep in a little bit tomorrow. Just a tiny bit since I'm doing the drop off. They have to be there a half hour after my usual overtime start. That's okay by me. K4 will pick them up and bring them home.

And then Friday, I get to leave early to go to the Orthodontist with K4. Keep your fingers crossed, but hopefully, it's brace removal day!! So excited! It's been a super long road with her mouth!

I did write tonight. And I wrote last night. I am doing my best to get the words in!

That is all for now!

Behave!

Feel Good Friday on Saturday

Happy Weekend!

It was a long, long week! I worked overtime and I might work overtime this weekend. Next week will be the same. We have two new people starting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, because the one will hopefully take a lot of pressure off of me.

Let's hit the list:

1. Sleeping in a bit this morning. Not a lot, but then we were in bed super early last night... Still, it was wonderful to lay in bed and relax.

2. Getting the grocery shopping done. It's a dumb chore, but must be done. I'm really thinking about signing up for either the grocery pick up program, or the delivery program.

3. That Man doing the dinner shopping and cooking the dinner last night. I am on for tonight since he's working, but I'm not quite sure what I'm making yet. I have a few options...

4. Driving with the top down most of the week! Beautiful days! It's a huge stress reliever after a hectic day.

5. Dinner date with That Man on Thursday. We went to the new Indian place down the street. It was pretty good - a little more expensive than it needed to be, but we were both pretty pleased with our meals. Will we go back? Probably... but not for a little while. We have a few other places we want to check out, too.

6. Not a lot of writing progress this week. Except for in my head. Which I guess is better than nothing. I do plan to remedy that here in a bit. I will write before I log into work!

7. I am stunned at how quickly July flew by! August is going to be insane. I think we have something every single weekend and lots of mid-week things, too.

That's about it. I am off to be productive!

Behave!

Wednesday!

Halfway through the work week... Oy!

The National Conference for my writing affiliation started! I so wish I was there! It's in New York this year, which is easily accessible, but I had to make a financial and vacation day choice. I know I chose wisely, but that doesn't help the wish I have that I could have gone.

I mean... It's New York.

It's a conference with my peers. There are classes. Meet-ups, and so many different things to do. I went to New York a few years ago and had a blast. So many of my chapter mates are going - we would have had an absolute blast together.

I will live vicariously through social media and plan for a time where I can go. Though, I really need to get my sh*t together so I feel worthy of going.

Which I am working hard on. I wrote again tonight. I am heading in slow. I wrote more last night than I did Sunday and I wrote more tonight than last night, by like 1/3, so that's something. The story is coming back into my head and it's easier to put the words on the page.

I can't be angry at myself for not writing recently. It is what it is and I did what I have to do, but I'm making a comeback now.

If I continue to live through the work days. And that's always iffy... Ha!

That's all...

Behave!

Taco Tuesday

I guess so? We did have fish tacos for dinner, so...

Long week already. Day job continues to be what it is... I'm super overwhelmed and can't keep up and I hate it. Hopefully the person they hired to take the stress off of me works out, but it'll be a while until they're trained up. We'll see... It's hard not to just walk out some days though.

I have been writing! Whoot! I got words in both Sunday and today. Not a lot, but more than I'm required to for our 50/50 challenge, so it's worthy!

That's all I have. Just wanted to check in and my computer battery is dying!

Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up!

Sundays are hard! I'm good until about 3 on Sundays and then the stress over the coming week starts to settle in. So that's where I'm at right now... full on dread. And I hate feeling this way.

Friday night was a cookout with friends we have known for a super long time - delicious food and good conversation. There was a fruit pizza which was to die for. I will definitely be getting that recipe! And the coolest thing is that they get new pizza boxes from the shop down the street and use them to store/transport them. Luckily their house is right down the street. We could have walked, but it was way too hot for that! We went from there to the grocery store with our plans to not have to do too much over the weekend.

Slept in on Saturday. Paid bills. Laundry. Blah blah blah. Hung out in the air conditioning all day. Damn it was hot. That Man did some weird outside stuff before I got up, but was done by like 10, so that was good. Continued to hang out in the air conditioning, though we did cook on the grill and it did cool down enough to have an enjoyable amount of time outside after the sun went down.

Today was also another sleep in day. Though we were in bed before 10pm last night. Ran some errands. Got to see K3 and A for a bit. Cooked on the grill and are now trying to finish up the rest of the laundry before bedtime.

So, a pretty chill weekend - not literally, though. The heat was just rude - like super rude. Our air conditioning in our room froze up, so we had to deal with that. It's dropped by like 10* in the last hour and a storm is supposed to be rolling through here soon. Thank goodness.

I'm going to see what kind of writing I can get done now. Heck, even 100 words will make me feel like a success. We shall see.

Hail to the new week! Not!

Behave!

Over a Week!

OY! Sorry for the silence! It's been insane around here!

The kitchen came out looking pretty darned good. I've yet to cook a real meal in it. I did make breakfast on Saturday, but it was quick. We're still babying the floor and the countertop, and everything has been scrubbed. We're at a lack of space, but we'll see how it goes when it's just our regular...

So what have I been up to?

Release day was last week and that was awesome!

We spent the rest of our week getting ready for company!

Friday night we picked up K5 and had the absolute best weekend with her. We did rockets on Saturday (which she absolutely loved), she learned to skip rocks, had a blast with the kitties, and got to watch Sponge Bob (she doesn't have the ability at home). We ordered subs, giggled a lot, and had the best time!

Saturday night That Brother, That Niece, and That Niece's Boyfriend came to stay. We had a great time and it was good to see That Brother and get to know That Niece and That Niece's Boyfriend. We had a family cookout here on Sunday, which was good. That Man's siblings and most of the kids. We grilled, blew bubbles, had a fire, and a good time. They left this morning for the next leg of their journey - only leaving behind a pair of sunglasses and bedding washed and folded. K4 and That Niece hit it off and stayed up way late last night talking.

Now it's super quiet here. We worked our butts off for so long that we haven't had a chance to sit back to relax and admire our hard work. That's the plan for the weekend. It's going to be a scorcher around here, so chores are getting done bright and early Saturday and then the plan is to stay in the ac all day.  And we will nap!

One more work day... And the work days have not changed.

Writing has been super scarce, but that will hopefully be remedied soon! Tonight is the first night I've really been on my computer, except for a having to email attorneys for the estate. And all I've done tonight is this blog... Bah!

That is all!

Behave!

Release Day!!

It's Redemption: Sector One release day! Whoot!



















Isaac lost everyone he loved in the government's attempt to take over their lives, but losing his child to their evil drained the last of his mercy. Or so he thought. When he receives one of their soldiers as a debt payment, his last flare of compassion won’t allow the woman to die. When Casey awakens with no memories except her name, he sees good in her he didn’t expect. Through Casey's self-recovery, he learns she’s the soldier that kidnapped his child. He has to decide if he can overcome his anger to trust the woman he healed, not the soldier who hurt him, and decide if it's worth the risk to use her military-induced enhancements to help him rescue other kidnapped children.
Casey used to be a soldier. Now she doesn’t know what or who she is. She doesn't even have a last name. Her slowly returning memories of the things she was forced to do devastate her, and she believes her only route to redemption is to convince Isaac to let her help rescue the children everyone thought were dead. As she learns who she is without the government's control, Casey discovers she's not the monster they forced her to be. She can only hope her newfound sense of self is enough to save her.

We're up on Amazon and other retailers! Please check it out, and please leave an honest review if you do! 

Behave!!

Feel Good Friday! And Sadness!

I had a two day work week, which, despite the utter ridiculousness of my work-week, I do not feel bad about! I did what I could. I kept with my "killing it" numbers and it is what it is!

Yes. I am off today. Thank Goodness! I wasn't supposed to be. Heck. We were supposed to be camping, which is why I took today off. But here I sit in my dining room. K4 and the puppy went to camp on Wednesday, but That Man was still sanding floors. We got the first coat of poly on the floor yesterday morning, the second on last night, and he did the third this morning. We'll check tonight to see if another coat is needed. If not, we'll start the clean up process. But we'll see.

It's a sad sad day for our family. My sister and brother-in-law had to put their puppy to sleep. Nezzie was almost 17 and was such a great dog. She's been failing for a little while now, but yesterday I think she managed to let them know that she was ready to go. She had one last night in The Wilds and they took her this morning. Everyone is sad. Obviously she was a part of all of our lives for a long time. K3 and K4 don't remember life before her. They grew up with her as their own dog, as did the older two.

I don't think my niece really remembers life with her puppy either. Those two literally grew up together and my heart just breaks for all of them.

As she aged, we called her the "fun police" because any time the other dogs, or even the kids were being rowdy, she would step in and shut it down. She was so patient with the kittens and with Mr. B. I used to tell my sister all of the time that she was my dog, not hers, and I gave her all of the treats.

In between coats of poly yesterday, we went up to say goodbye to her. We stopped at got some bologna and cheese to spoil her. It was hard, but Nezzie knew it was time. You could see it in her eyes. As I was saying goodbye, she looked up at me with eyes that seemed to say "thanks for being my friend and thanks for the treats".

My sister texted me this morning to say that she was gone. :(

I'm heading up there in a few. I just feel like I need to be there. That Man is helping a friend out today and I've been cleaning up as much as I can around here and taking care of household administration duties. I have to get out of this poly smell, too. It makes me sick to my stomach and the house is well ventilated.

That is all.
Behave!

The First of July..

I took off work today. Woke up at midnight with a horrible belly. Laid awake for about five hours feeling like utter crap (that's all I'll say about that...eww). When the alarms went off, I'd only been sleeping for about forty minutes. There was no way this work day was happening. Texted my boss and went back to bed for four hours. Woke up feeling some better, but still not great. And so it goes...

That Man took a day as well. I had no idea he'd already planned it. He's been sanding our kitchen floor and wanted to make more progress. By the time I got up, he had another round of sanding done, some patchwork areas, and had stained the new wood we had to install. It's coming together. He's currently sanding again, but we're getting close to new polyurethane. In the meantime, both doorways into the kitchen are covered in plastic. There is sawdust literally everywhere. My countertop is in the dining room and my kitchen is basically unusable. It's worth it though.

We've decided not to put the old countertop back in. Instead, we'll get a butcher block piece and install it over the "floating cupboard". We need to have counter space and this is the most logical way to have more floor space and be able to get stuff done. I'm actually pretty excited. It's been about 20 years since we've done any updates in the kitchen, so this is much needed. My kitchen is super tiny - like I have two drawers in the whole space and only three lower cabinets and three upper cabinets, not including the one over the fridge. I do have a big pantry, which helps, but space is tight - which makes it hard when you both like to cook. I'm hoping this new arrangement will work out well.

I did manage to eat something, which was questionable, but turned out okay. Rested a whole bunch and will attempt to make dinner here in a few. It was kind of hard doing my resting thing while That Man worked his butt off, but it is what it is... I'm still exhausted, but now only have two days to work until a long weekend.

Camping is up in the air at this point. We have so much to do and not much time. Also, the weekend will be broken up by estate meetings and other obligations. I'm not able to make my writing meeting because of the estate meeting, but that's okay. July is typically one of the least attended meetings of the year, and I have done all of the stuff I need to do for my board position.

And that is all for now. The plan is to get some writing in this evening and go to bed early. I can only imagine what my work day is going to look like tomorrow with taking off today, but it is what it is.

Behave!

Thursday Again...

It's hot... I know. It's almost July, it's supposed to be hot. At this point, I'm not miserable. We have air conditioning in our rooms and a small unit running downstairs. I know it's going to get hotter, too. Whatever.

So I went to the Bingo thing and won $30.00. Hanging out with the work friends was fun. There was a lot of laughter and conversation. Came home and spent my earnings on dinner. Ha! That Man was doing stuff and things and I didn't feel like cooking at all, so I ordered food. So there's that.

The day job... Well... I'm not going to get into much of it. Except to say I have spoken my piece and relayed That Man's opinion of how the last few months have affected me. I don't know if it will help and if it doesn't, then I guess my decision is made. We shall see!

The writing hasn't been so good as of late. See above. I'm hoping to change that this weekend. That Man has to work and my plan is to find somewhat of a balance between all of the things I need to do around the house and writing. That Brother, That Neice, and That Boyfriend are coming in about two weeks and we must prepare.

Little "Bootsie" kitty went home with her new momma. She's adjusting wonderfully and these guys left here are also adjusting well. We had a lot of crying last night and this morning, but they seem fine now. Freddie is laying beside me all snuggled in, which is what he does. He's so lovey and snuggly, though my leg has an epic set of cat claw marks. He was loving on me while I was sitting at the table, lost his footing, and scratched the hell out of me on his way down. Not his fault, but...Ouch.

Besides the kitty going to her new home, the animals have adjusted well around here. Max is still a bit of an a-hole at times, but he's getting much better. Spenser doesn't give a crap and doesn't want any other cat around her, though she's still loving with us. She just waits until the kittens have tuckered themselves out. She's a pretty old gal. We don't know how much time she has left, so we're okay with her quirks. Elsa tolerates the kitties, though Freddie absolutely loves her. Last night Fred was licking her ears and "petting" her while That Man was petting her. It was pretty hysterical to watch. We'll see what happens there, but props to my puppy for being so patient with the baby 1/15th of her size. The biggest change is how much cat food we go through. And how much litter. But K4 helps out with that, so it's not a huge deal. Oh and the hair - Fred sheds as much as Elsa it seems, so the vacuum is in constant use.

Tomorrow is Friday. That's a hugely good thing. I had kind of thought about taking a mental health day, but I have too many customers relying on me to finish up their stuff tomorrow. I'll make it through and then enjoy the weekend. I have off next Thursday and Friday, so I need to look forward to that.

That's all I have...

Behave!

Partial Weekend Wrap Up...

Only partial because it's early and there are still things to be done today...

Friday was a rough one at the day job. Okay. So every day is a rough day there. I still don't know what to do.

The dryer is still broken. The new belt doesn't fit properly. That Man will work on it some more when he gets home. Currently, the dry rack we use in the winter is sitting on the patio with clothes drying. It's slow, but undies are needed.

Yesterday was a mostly relaxing day. Slept in, which was awesome. Paid the bills, hit the grocery store, took a short nap with my kitty. That Man worked his second job, so I was pretty much on my own all day. Decided to make some shrimp tempura for dinner. Major suckage. Okay. I guess it was alright, but it definitely didn't turn out like it was supposed to. No part of dinner did. Made fried rice and the rice got to mushy. The veggies didn't do well with the tempura either. Drat. I put a lot of time and effort into it. The only thing that did turn out awesome was a sauce I made - sake, hot sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and something else I don't remember right now. That was downright tasty and made a difference in how poorly the tempura came out. That Man didn't mind, but I was disappointed.

Today I am going with the work friends to a Bingo fundraiser. I have never played bingo a day in my life, but they conned me into going. It will be fun just to hang out with them outside of work - we always have a good time when we do that. I did tell them I will be petting the old ladies troll dolls and generally being a nuisance, but they still wanted me to go, so... we'll see.

When I get home, I will hit the word count. Going to start on it in a few. I have about an hour until I have to leave. I need to make progress after the past few weeks of mainly edits. This book is the second one to the one coming out in July and I've been way too slow on it.

That's all I have!

Behave!

So Much Thursday....

I was off from the day job today! I needed this day so much! Mainly, I took off because today is our annual street fair and I just couldn't even think about dealing with the traffic and bullcrap with leaving and coming home. Plus. I had stuff to do....

1. Estate stuff. Lawyer phone calls and emails. Phone calls were scheduled and productive. Many questions were answered. We're getting close. Just waiting for one thing and some other things. But we're at the place where we need to begin making decisions about some stuff. Talked to my brother. Talked to my cousin. Texted the siblings. We're getting there.

2. Made appointments.

3. Slept in. That was first and foremost. It was beautiful, though I didn't sleep too long.

4. No laundry. Currently the belt is broken on my dryer (ha ha - no surprise in that one) and we're waiting for the replacement to arrive. (tomorrow)

5. Hung out with K4. She did the running for the things we forgot to get last night.

6. Made baked beans. From scratch. I soaked the beans overnight. Made two batches - a vegan batch and a bacon loaded batch. They are more "cuban" than regular, but they are tasty. I cooked them all day and I'm pretty sure they turned out okay. They are a mix of all of the dried beans I had in my pantry - garbanzo, pinto, lentils, northern, red, and idk what else...

7. Street fair today. I have not and likely will not go down. Though one of my best friends from school is down there. I want to go see her, but I am not motivated enough to put on real pants and venture from the safety of my home. The dog has been a mess all day - barking at random noises and being defensive about nothing. K4 and J and K are down there. They will be here soon for food and stuff, so...

8. Final line edits are done and changes sent back. Twenty days until release! Whoot!

9. And now the house is full of kid friends and kid friends I haven't seen since they were in high school. Nice.

Signing off now...

Behave!

Sorry For The Silence...

Wow! Two + weeks! I'm not really sure how that happened, except the last two weeks have been insane!

Let's see...

Got my edits done and returned. Now I have my final galleys to proof. Just got them, but I have to hustle since my book is already up for preorder on Amazon! Whoot! This is what I'll be doing the next few days. I've already cancelled my Wednesday commitment, and I am off from the day job on Thursday, so you know what I will be doing.

We went to the Jeep festival and had a blast! Ended up signing up for stuff and got super muddy! Awesome! We did their "playground", which was fun driving stuff . We both went through a bunch of times and on my last time through I hammered it through the mud. We were covered and it was a blast. Ran into a little issue with overheating since the radiator was packed, but got that taken care of and continued to have a blast. Took a trail ride through a beautiful forest. That was amazing except for the guy about four Jeeps up from us who got stuck constantly. The weekend was so much fun and we had a great time.

The day job - well... It's probably for the best that I don't go into it right now.

Anyway.

The kittens are so crazy and silly. They are getting big. We're still fostering one, but she should be picked up this weekend. Fred is huge (huge as in 3# to the other two at 2#) and is quickly becoming the boss of the cats. He's such a sweetheart though - always wants to be picked up and gives headbutt kisses. They are into everything and literally get stuck everywhere - in the pantry, the closets - I have to be super careful when I close the dishwasher, the fridge, and the dryer.

And below... finally... Is my new cover! Search it on Amazon for preorder! It comes out July 10th!

Behave!

Feel Good Friday on Saturday...

I took the night off last night. No computer screen. No cell phone. No television. We sat on the patio and talked. I needed that. This week was really bad at the day job. The intensity of the suck increased as the week went and by yesterday, I was fried in a way I didn't think possible. No. I still don't know what I'm going to do. The coming week might bring some insights and push me to make some decisions though.

Anyway... Here's the Feel Good list:

1. Taking a chill last night. I know my edits are due, but there was no way I could have effectively tackled them last night. The old brain wasn't capable of anymore screen time and cohesive thought wasn't possible.

2. K4 made an awesome dinner of grilled chicken and corn on the cob. That Man helped with the grilling and I watched. I did the dishes though, so that's something.

3. Helping K4 make lemonade after dishes were done. Lemonade making has always been her thing and she wanted to make a special batch to take with her tonight to her thing. I helped squeeze lemons, and we put a few oranges, limes, and then muddled some berries. It was good last night. I can't imagine how much better it will be tonight.

4. Sleeping in a little this morning. Not enough, especially since I stayed up way later than normal last night, but it was good not to have to wake up to the alarm.

5. Writing meeting today. First we had a breakfast board meeting, which was productive. The general meeting was good. It's always awesome to see my writing tribe. I left early to get home and work on edits. And before you go "hmm", I have been working on them. I have a few things left and a straight up read through before I'm done. I will be starting the read through in a few minutes.

6. Going to see my granddaughters baton recital this evening. That Man can't go because he's stuck working two hours away and that's sad. But I'm excited to see her and see how much she's improved with her baton skills. She really loves it.

7. K1 turned 30 yesterday. He struggled with it a lot and then got the flu and spent his birthday puking. Also, the gifts my daughter-in-law purchased for him went missing. He had a rough day. So did his momma. It's so hard to believe that I birthed this child 30 years ago. The nostalgia is real!

8. Next weekend's plans. That Man are heading out on another Jeep adventure. This time to a festival that looks amazing. We are going as observers this year so we'll know what to sign up for next year. The hotel is reserved. Our pets and house will be well taken care of. And it will be a much needed weekend away.

9. Elsa's dog bite looks good. It's scabbed over and healing nicely. No antibiotics and no adverse side effects, which is awesome.

10. It's an absolutely gorgeous day out there. I'm considering dropping the top on the Jeep, but there's a significant enough chance of a storm that I won't. It's too hard for me to put the top back up by myself and the last thing I need is to be on the highway in a downpour - because that's exactly what will happen.

That is all. Go out and enjoy the sun before it starts raining again!

Behave!