Feel Good Friday on Saturday!

I had every intention of being here yesterday... Ha!

For the feel good...

1. The weather last week. Man, we had a few awesomely lovely days. Now back to the hot...Ugh. Still not as hot as those days in July but hot enough that my electric bill will be crying again. Trust me, my bill was not a feel good thing. 

2. We have tomatoes on!

3. Also, cucumbers, peppers, and zuchinni!

4. Good writing progress this week!

5. A good yearly review with the boss. 

6. Sleeping in this morning. 

7. My current situation of sitting on my patio with my laptop and my manuscript open. That Man is working on my Jeep and I am enjoying the breeze while I take care of business. 

That is all!

Behave! 

Things I Have Seen...

On my daily trips to the post office. 

These are not all today, but a compilation over the last several weeks. But...the city is an interesting place...

1. A very large man with a very long ponytail sitting on the curb talking to no one.

2. A guy on a bike with a crate full of wood. 

3. Two different cars, on two different days, going the wrong way in a one way. 

4. A woman screaming at someone in a car and screaming at the people working at the garage she was parked in front of. I couldn't understand a word she was saying, nor did I want to get any closer to find out. 

5. Someone throwing trash out of their window as a group of kids were walking the sidewalks picking up trash. Rude. 

6. A guy dancing in the street with no cares about traffic. 

7. The car at the stop sign absolutely covered in bird poop. Like covered except for where they washed (kind of) the windshield. So gross. 

8. A very large person on a tiny bicycle. 

There's so much more. Usually it's odd if I don't see something out of the ordinary on my trips. 

That is all. 

Behave. 

Weekend Wrap Up

I'm not sure why this day has gone so fast! Well, I do know. Because it's Sunday. 

Slept in a little this morning. We even went to bed early, too. Clearly I needed the extra rest. 

Did some Jeep work, played with my plants, laundry, made an awesome lasagna for dinner, and wrote. I got quite a few words today, which felt good.

This week should be calmer? We'll see. 

That's all I have. 

Behave!  

Missed Feel Good Friday...

Eh! You didn't miss much! 

Pretty much the usual stuff. 

We had a team building event at work on Wednesday. Mini golf. It was a lot of fun and That Man ended up winning the grand prize. It was a nice break from our desks.

Then we found the part we need for my Jeep. Well, it was a second attempt. The first try ended when the guy sold it. Which is fine. He said no holds and we didn't ask. We just said if he still had it on Friday, we'd come for it. After that we found another one about and hour and a half away, so we went and got it on Friday. The guy was super nice and he has a set of tires and rims that we're interested in. So cool stuff there. That part is the key to finishing.  

I've gotten a decent amount of writing done this week. I think the story is going pretty good, though I had to take some time and do some brainstorming because I felt like I was "blah blah blah-ing". (and I was). So now I have a little more direction. 

Our tomato netting seems to be working to keep the squirrels and blue jays off the little tomatoes. We have several on now, and they're looking good. Same with the peppers. 

So anyway... that's it from me. 

Behave! 

Mid-Week Mayhem

It's Wednesday. Right? 

I have had my days mixed up all week. Yesterday, I thought it was Thursday. It was a total bummer to be told it was only Tuesday. 

I haven't gotten a lick of writing done this week but hopefully that will change tonight. I typically take Monday evening off since my brain always feels broken. 

Last night I went to dinner with a friend, which was a lot of fun and much needed. Our waiter was hysterical, the food was good, as well as the conversation. 

This morning I somehow dropped both of our smoothies in the parking lot. I had strawberry smoothie everywhere--my arms, legs, shoes, shirt. It was a mess. And now we have no breakfast. 

The day can only go up, right? 

I can't believe we only have one more week of July left! 

That's all I have at the moment. 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up

This is the part of Sunday I dislike the most. The day is winding down and now I start mentally preparing myself for the day job. Oy. And don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my day job. But I'd much rather not have to do it at all. 

That rude smoke is finally almost gone. Man, that was rough. I can only imagine how bad it was for folks with breathing issues. The rain and storms were awesome! We enjoyed a forced day off after getting the shopping and laundry done. It was nice to relax and not think about what we "should" be doing. 

Today, however, I wrecked myself pulling weeds around where our old tree was. There was a lot since I'd neglected it all season. I trimmed the volunteer tree that was overtaking the patio and reconfigured some of my solar lights. I'm really pleased with the results. I am not pleased with how bad my back hurts though. But it's getting better. A shower, pain relief, and my massage chair have helped. That Man wrecked himself working on the Jeep and the lawn mower (which is now broken. Joy.)

I also wrote and figured out some stuff story-wise. That also feels amazing. I've spent the afternoon with my butt in the chair and my computer open. 

Now I'm ready to chill for a little bit before dragging my sore butt to bed. 

That is all. 

Behave! 

Freaky Friday?

What a freaking weird week! 

I don't even know if I have any feel good beyond the normal...

But here's the list of weird...

1. The heat. Come on, man! 

2. The wildfire smoke. Holy crap is that eerie! And gross. And smelly. 

3. The parasitic diarrhea. What the hell is that about? 

4. I saw a guy carrying a fridge on his back by the post office. He was just walking down the sidewalk. 

5. I also saw an old guy taking his pants off on my way back from the post office. I didn't look. 

6. The go-cart that pulled out in front of me and almost got run over by a bus on my way to the post office. 

7. Also on my way to the post office...a guy dressed head-to-toe in a white, furry jumpsuit. Okay, it's not as hot today, but??

8. The desolate wasteland that was the office on Friday. There were only four people in the whole building after a certain time (and I was one of them). It was creepy and weird. 

I can't think of any more weird at the moment. 

Bring on the weekend! 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up and All of That...

We had a weekend, right? 

I kinda don't feel like we did. Yeah, we got the housework, shopping, meal prep done and I kind of slept in one day. But it went so fast! 

We did have a great time at a friend's pool party on Saturday. The pool was glorious and so was the conversation and shenanigans.

Other than that... meh. I don't know. 

I didn't get any writing time this weekend. Which sucks, but there's nothing I can do it about it. 

It's going to be hot again this week. Yeah, I know it's summer. Yeah, I know it's July. 

That's all I have. 

Behave! 

Redemption: Sector One

Is back up on Amazon! 

Isaac Hawes 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.

Together, they have to fight to figure out what is really going on and how to fix it. Through that, they discover mutual goals and a connection that goes beyond the state of their lives. Neither wants to explore or accept it, but to solve their problems, they have no choice.  

New Cover: 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up...on Monday!

Thank goodness for the cool air that came with the storms. Except the storms were damaging for a lot of people. There are trees down everywhere and many people are still without power. That all sucks. 

The hot water heater has been installed and is working well. We had to make a trip to the hardware store and almost had to go a second time but found what we needed at home after a lengthy search. The whole thing took a lot longer than expected. The basement floor is almost dry now though. 

Redemption is just about ready to go up. Well, it is ready but I haven't had time to get it done yet. Soon. I'll share the cover soon! 

Other than that... I did get writing done this weekend, which was awesome. 

That's it... I don't have much else you'd care about... Ha!

Behave! 

Hotter Than Hades!

Mother of all that's holy, it's freaking HOT!!! 

I know we're all in the same boat and I know you hate it as much as I do. The stupid air conditioners aren't keeping up. Sleeping is impossible. The flowers are wilted and the sun burns your skin within seconds. 

I'm sad we're not camping but at the same time, I'm not. There is no freaking way I would be a nice person if I was sitting out in this heat. And my poor old gal would not have had a good time. She'll go out to do her business but immediately wants back inside. 

In any event, we got the camper taken care of. Tanks have been dumped (it was borrowed last weekend and the place to dump was closed until yesterday) and we dropped it off for inspection. Ran to two stores and now we are home until Sunday unless we decide to run to The Wilds to visit. That will depend on how the installation of the new water heater goes and how hot it is. 

Sunday is K5's Sweet 16 party. She already has her learner's permit, which is awesome. I'm so excited to see where this kid ends up. 

Redemption has been sent for formatting. I hope to have it up in the next few weeks. I'm not sure which one I'm doing next. I need to do some new writing, so we'll see...

That is all. 

Stay cool!

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday?

Holy Hellfire! It's hot! 

So hot that we've decided not to head to The Wilds this weekend. As much as we want to give the old gal one last camp weekend, she would not do well in the scorch and I don't want her in the creek at all. 

It sucks but it is what it is. 

And the new hot water heater is on the back porch waiting to be installed. I'm not sure how we crammed it into our vehicle but we managed. I had to sit in the backseat but it was way better than having to borrow a truck. 

On the writing front...well, it's been non-existent this week. The most I've done in the last two weeks is a critique, and go through Redemption for self publishing. I need to send it to my friend who will format it for me. The cover is ready, too. I've just been slacking this week. 

Well, not really. It's been a rough week in so very many ways that have nothing to do with the heat. 

All I know is I'm tired in every single way you can be tired. 

That is all. 

Behave! 

Oof! Long Time No See...

Or something like that!

Sorry for the silence. 

I don't have a lot to report. 

Just trying to keep my head above water with everything going on. 

And it's going to be HOT going forward. Can't say I appreciate that but I'm glad air conditioning is a thing. 

That's all. 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up...on Wednesday?

Yeah, it's been like that...

I don't have a lot to say even though there's a lot going on...

It was an okay weekend with a lot of stuff and it's been a b*tch of a week so far. 

We had to order a new water heater. I guess I can't complain too much, the old one was installed 20.5 years ago. But still... We also can't pick it up for another 10 days. So far the old one is holding its own even though it's leaking. 

The dog had a really rough day on Monday. We were worried, but she is back to her normal self now. 

This week has sucked for writing. It's been something every evening. Yeah, I know we've only had two so far but...

It's been one thing after another like that. 

But there's a lot to look forward to coming up! I'm especially looking forward to July 4th weekend and camping. And hanging out with K5 to celebrate her turning 16, though that hasn't been planned yet. (I know! 16! Crazy!)

That's all I have...

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday!

What a week! 

I'm very glad it's over! Except it's stupid hot!

Here's the list:

1. Not burning myself when I broke not only one, but two, coffee pots at the day job. And I broke them back to back in super quick succession. I was holding both - one was empty, and one had been full. After the crack, it spewed hot, fresh coffee all over the little kitchenette. But not on me. All I can say is our little kitchen has never been cleaner and the coffee stain on my knee from scrubbing the floor came out in the wash. 

2. Mexican food. 

3. Not getting as much writing done as I wanted this week but getting some. 

4. Plant sales. 

5. Air conditioning. 

That's all I have. It's supposed to be a little cooler this weekend. I hope. Our weekend days are packed with stuff to do and there might be more poison ivy removal in there. Ew. 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up!

What a beautiful weekend! 

Yeah, it's a little hot but we've been pacing ourselves between indoor things and outdoor things. And the thunderstorm last night was completely disappointing. 

The poison ivy, poke berries, and volunteer trees have been removed. Flowers and plants have been planted, transplanted, and moved. 

The oven has been fixed (again). Laundry has been done. Organizing too. 

No socializing happened and no fire was had. Unfortunately. By the time the wind calmed down last night, we were so tired we knew we wouldn't enjoy it much. So we went to bed early. And we did sleep way past alarm time this morning. 

And I've written quite a bit this weekend in addition to getting Redemption out and into the process of getting it ready to go. I've been going through files too. 

Now we're ready to head into another week. Joy. The work week looks the same as usual. Busy with a side of chaos. 

And that is all. 

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday!

Well, we made it! Another long, brutal week in the books. At least that's how the week has been here. 

But through all of the bull and insanity, there is good. 

Here's the list:

1. I have the absolute best friends in the world. They see me and feel me and know just the right things to say and do to make me feel better or just to hold my hand as I travel through some stuff. I am humbled. 

2. The new (again - three times in a year) oven part arriving. 

3. The old gal having more smiley faces than frowny faces this week. (We're tracking good and bad days) And no, I don't want your opinion on what we should do. (not to be rude) We know our girl and we will absolutely not let her suffer no matter how much we don't want to let her go. We're not at decision time yet. We will be soon, but not yet. We do already have a plan for when it is time. Whether or not we'll actually be in control of that remains to be seen. 

4. Despite taking several days off, managing a decent word count this week. It's not enough but it is at the same time. 

5. Air conditioning. 

6. Weekend plans. They are mainly house centered - remove the poison ivy (again), trim the bushes threatening to take over the neighbors house, replant some stuff, clean, blah blah blah. There might be a bit of socializing in there but I'm not sure yet. I am just looking forward to getting some things taken care of and maybe having a nice fire in the firepit with That Man. 

7. Sleeping beyond alarm time. 

8. The gorgeous weather at the beginning of this week. Not so much today and what it's supposed to be like this weekend. 

That's all I have. 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up on Monday...

It was a chaos filled, exhausting, and productive weekend. 

But then...aren't most of them? We cram as much as we can into those precious forty-eight hours. So much so that we start the week totally exhausted. Then our work week sucks us bone dry, leaving us with very little to get through our evenings. 

It's an awful cycle with no chance of breaking free. 

I don't know what the answer is. 

All I know is I'm tired. 

And maybe a little crabby. Ha! 

That's all I have for now. 

Behave! 

Into the Fire is Available!

 

I'm a little later than intended, but it's out! The paperback will be a little bit longer but should be ready soon!

(This is a republication. The original came out in 2017.)

In Olivia Sanders' world, people like her don't survive very long. Special
abilities are a threat to those in power. Olivia and her friends struggle to
keep their secrets as new laws threaten them daily. But hiding isn't enough
for Olivia. A healer and firestarter, she works with the resistance to
ensure the safety of the people of her sector, toiling in an unforgiving
world without freedom or hope with the goal that someday they will find
both.

Poisoned by someone she should never have trusted, betrayed by her
godfather, the former governor, who is using disturbing methods to control
the population, Olivia is forced to seek help from Luke Jamison, the leader
of the resistance. They join forces with his brother, Matt, and Jillian
Derrick, a hard-as-nails woman leading a band of "undesirables" to safety.
As conditions in the sector deteriorate and the death toll climbs ever
higher, Olivia and Luke, Jillian and Matt, cling to the miracle of found
love while facing the horror of a future without each other.

Behave! 

Thursday Ramblings...

I am in the crappiest mood. 

I'm tired. I know this is a contributing factor. Though I did sleep for most of the night. Mostly. I'll take what I can get. 

I found a long gray hair in my chin yesterday. It wasn't there when I washed my face in the morning. I would have felt it when I put moisturizer on. Then...bam...all of a sudden it's about ninety inches long and just hanging there. Gross. 

Our meal service didn't deliver our box yesterday, which was a frustration that meant we had to go to the store on our way home. I'm going to give them a pass this time though. Two people I know work for the major shipping companies and they both said their days were chaos on Tuesday and things were backed up, which extended into Wednesday.

Other than that...well, there's a lot and I'm not going to get into all of it. 

On the upside, we have a rare weekend at home coming up. I say that like we're going to relax and stuff, but that won't be the case. The weeds are taking over, the oil needs changed, the Jeep needs worked on, and the house needs a deep clean. Surprisingly, I'm okay with all of that as long as we're home. 

That is all...

Behave!