Various Wednesday

Same as "random", but it's time for a new word for now.
*Yesterday, I found a note written on the toilet paper. It said: Sisy is so werid. Which translates to "sissy is so weird". I've learned not to ask why.
*Was supposed to go see the midnight showing of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Guess who could go because of the uncertainties of rehearsals? Guess who is very bummed?
*Talked to Misty (who is at the conference) this morning. Even with all her transportation issues and the length of time it took for her to actually arrive at the conference hotel, I'm still wishing I was there. And I know I'm not alone in this.
*We're supposed to get some rain today. I hope so. It's so muggy and there's only the faintest hint of a breeze. I'm not complaining. Not really. Usually, I can ignore the heat, or at least find a way to escape it.
*I've been having a lot of weird dreams lately. This happens when I don't get consistent writing time. I'm tired of waking up feeling strange though. I've been dreaming about friends I miss and lots of just downright odd things. Nothing funny or even amusing. These dreams are darker and have the potential to make me sad. A lot I don't remember, except for the deep feeling of sadness.
*I heard on the radio this morning that they're remaking "Footloose". I loved that movie. From what they said, it'll be a musical. And the main character will be one of the Disney actors, except I can't remember his name.
*I "think" I have a new title.
Well, that's enough various for one day.
Stay cool, and...
Behave!

The Eye

I woke up Friday morning and realized that the "Great Eye of Sauron" was on the tree right outside the camper window on my side of the bed.
B was already at work and the entire place was silent. Well, except for my giggling.
In the background you can see the muddy creek. This was, obviously, after the rains. We had a spectacular view. The bank was only about twelve feet from our camper door, and a there was a little drop off before the water. (You can kind of see it in the background. The photo's deceiving though - it's not as steep as it looks.)
With this view we saw a lot of cool things - some that we've never seen before - a bald eagle (actually two - a juvenile and an adult), an egret in the shallows directly across from my "Lord of the Rings" tree (a common sight), an otter and a mink.
Blog land is quiet these days as many are in Dallas for RWA's National Conference. I'm jealous I'm not there, and haven't been to National since New York a few years ago. But the D.C. conference is on the horizon in two years and I'm hopeful.
And, oh yeah, I am still working on the "still needs a new title" book. The word meter lies. I need to update it. I'm almost done. Work time has been a bit fragmented due to all the crazy stuff around here. With a little luck and some major self discipline, I hope to be done by the weekend.
Hot as blazes here. (good cliche, huh?)
I'm waiting for the rain...
Behave!

Back From the Wilds

I said I wanted to go back.

And we did.

It was not long enough and too long - which tells me we came home at the right time.

This photo was taken the morning after some extreme rain. Down that path you'll find more trees, rocks, ticks and horseflies.

The rain was crazy. Torrential downpour for nearly two hours - and that was just one storm out of many. Everything was wet - even around the edges inside the camper. K4 had been sharing a tent with her cousin, and we ended up with about 4 loads of wet clothes, wet sleeping bags and deflated air mattresses. Thank goodness my sister lives nearby and we were able to get the clothing dry again without too much effort.

Saturday and Sunday were absolutely beautiful. The kids were able to get in the creek again. Sunday we took a 2 hour float down the creek, thanks to my brother and sister-in-law dropping us off at a good floating spot. It was kind of hairy at times with the kids. K4 wasn't sure of the whole thing. We ran into a huge patch of horseflies and a fish jumped up and hit my tube, splashing me in the face and scaring me just a little. We found tiny baby frogs and the scenery was amazing.

I have many pictures - the little turtle the girls caught, ugly bugs, the "eye of Sauron" (you'll see), and the flooding creek.

That's all for now...

Gone Fishin'

I was.
Not really.
I mean, I was gone, but didn't fish.
Except for when I was helping K4 with her rod. She said it wasn't casting right. I checked it out, seemed fine and when I went to reel it back in, the lure got tangled around some weeds.
And...stupidly, I yanked. Hard. The lure flew up the steep bank and caught me square between the eyes. Cut the bridge of my nose a little and there's a sore spot. I was really, really lucky. And those standing near me were laughing too hard to see if I'd lost an eye.
It was that kind of weekend. But such a blast. Lot's of badminton playing, a sorry attempt at volleyball (it was the balls fault - really), creek swimming and campfire sitting.
I want to go back.
That's all for now...

Thursday...

Can't decide if that's Finally or Already.
There is much to be done, but I seem to be having trouble getting started. Well, that's not entirely true. I've started, switched gears and then re-started. To say concentration and I don't appear to be friends today is an understatement.
Which leaves you, maybe all two of you that read this, with more random ramblings.
*My living room, and I mean all of it, is filled with a little people party. The entire bin of the little plastic dudes is empty. There isn't a place to walk or sit.
*Our remote has disappeared. Again. I will most likely find it in some odd and ridiculous place. Probably after I finally break down and purchase a new one.
*My foot - where I stuck myself with the ballpoint pen - is not pretty. (Yes, mother, I am taking care of it) I can't wear flip flops and there's a painful lump in the center. It occurred to me that I never looked at the pen when I kicked it out of my foot. What if the little metal roller ball is stuck in there? I am soaking it, and keeping a close eye.
Posts will be sporadic over the next week.
Consider yourself alerted.
Behave!

Seems Like...

All my days are full of random stuff lately.
*Was helping K3 clean his room and ended up jamming a pen in my foot - right between my toes. It stuck. K3 almost puked. I bled, and it stings a little, but doesn't really hurt.
*What does hurt is the big toe on the same foot where I sat his desk. I'm having a stupid day.
*It's hot here. Really hot.
*I miss Supernatural. I've been watching Season 1 on DVD and it helps, but its hard with the younger kiddos home since I don't let them watch that kind of stuff.
*Our dog is acting weird. Weirder than normal. I think she's too hot. We finally got the a/c's in last night and earlier she actually opened our bedroom door and went to bed.
*Did I mention how hot it is here?
Do you remember a few weeks back when I mentioned the possibility of my sanity being affected by the insane schedule?
I think it's happened...

Random Monday...

Homemade ice cream.
B's mom gifted us with an ice cream maker, actually two of them. One is the standard electric one, which makes a huge batch. The other is this little ball that you roll or play with. That'll be very cool for camping. Her only request was some lemon ice cream.
All the recipes I found for lemon ice cream required numerous steps, double-boilers and whipping the heavy cream before it's added. Uhhh....not happening. I did find a no-cook recipe for vanilla and I adapted that to make lemon. And, as a miracle, I was actually smart and used the little ball for that batch. It only makes a pint, so if it hadn't turned out, then the waste of ingredients wasn't as severe. There was none left and the kids had a blast "making" it.
***
After several days of drying, the camera actually works again. The knobs are a little tight thanks to the mud, and it's still not quite right. It does work though. For how long, we'll see.
***
Hard to believe it's the last week of June already. And only the third week of summer vacation. On one hand time is flying by, and on the other, it seems like the kids have been out of school for months.
Anyone else feel that way?
Or is it just me?

Friday!

Fridays are official summer goof off days.
Today, so far, we've done just that. (After the required obligations, that is)
Went to see "Pirates" again.
I still love it - even more than the first time.
Next, we're off to a local pub to listen to a friend play guitar.
The weekend is one of those weekends. K2's play schedule is becoming more intensive, as is B's job as one of the stage/tech crew. Which means in a few weeks, we'll be done with the crazy schedule. For now.
I did manage to stay true to my statement yesterday. I did not get talked into going to the street fair. We had a quiet, but fun, day sitting in the backyard. So, to me the day was a great success.
That's all...

Crowds...

Today is our town's annual street fair.
What started out as a way for local merchants to thank their patrons, has turned into a huge, crowded event. The main street is closed for blocks, with several side streets closed as well. Rides, entertainment at several different venues, games and hundreds of vendors selling everything from hot dogs to buffalo burgers to candles to brooms.
Sound like fun?
When I was a kid, it was. It was crowded, but nothing like now. We live close enough that we have to guard our parking - yes, even the parking we allow in our yard today (and pick up a ton of trash afterward). We're talking 10's of thousands of people. Armpit to armpit. In the sun. Most decidedly not my idea of a good time. Though most years, I end up going down at least once. That will not be the case this year. The predicted crowd is many more than even last year's record number. And I'm not going.
I'm much more content to hang in my backyard. We always have company and some of those people we only see on this day. Some years we go all out and host a backyard shindig, sometimes even with a band (it's good to be related to musicians), and party crashers. Other years, like this one, we take things easy. We will have company, and that's fine, but the expectation is for low numbers.
I have to hand it to our town though, this event is so well orchestrated. By this time tomorrow (actually, much earlier) you can't even tell something so huge happened. Everything is back to normal without even a speck of trash.
I'll let you know tomorrow if I was finagled into going down despite how adamant I am right now.
Behave.

Rest In Peace: Spanky

K2 took these pics the Friday before the camera went into the creek. I don't know why I went ahead and downloaded them, but I guess it's good I did.

Sometime overnight into Monday, Spanky passed away. I went to make sure K2 was up so we could get started with the rest of our really busy day. She popped her head out into the hall after I'd left and said she thought something was wrong with Spanky.

There were lots of tears, from all the K's, but K3 took it the hardest. Spanky outlived her predicted years by about 10 months. Her death was not suprising, but it still affected the kids a great deal. She was a friendly little beastie who liked to snuggle on your neck and crawl into your pockets.

And she will be missed.

Happy Father's Day!

Not that I think many dads read this. Except maybe my own every once in a while. Maybe. (Just in case..Love You, Daddy!)
I think (hope) the dads in my family had a good day. We met at our camping spot after lunch. The guys fished, and caught lots. The kids swam and chased snakes. The women chatted and sat in the sun. We had dinner together, sat by the fire (I don't know why, it wasn't like we were cold or anything), laughed, and picked on each other.
I'd show you a picture of the decent sized water snake sunning itself on a rock very near to where we sat, but our camera was involved in unfortunate accident. As in, it fell into the creek. We'll see if it dries out and works again, but considering the amount of mud that was in it...I doubt it. Sigh.
That's all...
Behave!

Fiesta Friday!

Well, we lived through the first full week of summer vacation!
The week has had some interesting moments...
Like when the shelf in my fridge broke, sending jalapenos, yogurt, eggs and jelly crashing to the floor.
That was great fun, and my house still smells a tiny bit like jalapenos.
Or when I was summoned into school by K3's music teacher. On the only day I hadn't bothered to comb my hair or change into jeans. Pretty.
The grocery store with 3 wound up children was also a highlight. I know it's something I won't forget for a while. (as in, I'll be planning trips to the store without the entourage)
The dog now believes that she's able and entitled to be on the couch. Not. I've had to tell her to get down numerous times today. I'm not stupid enough to believe she doesn't get on when we're not home, but she never even tries when we are. Today, she doesn't seem to care.
It's weird though. Like hard to believe this is only the first week weird.
Anyone else feeling that way?
That's all.
Enjoy the weekend!

Haircut!

Same dog.
As you can see, or maybe not since the pic isn't the best (it was the most current overly-furry one), on the left is our little puppy, Abbie, pre-groomed. (She's a baby and only weighs 100 pounds!)
She carried a ton of hair around with her. And shed? Insane. I can't even begin to describe the amount of hair she could leave behind. On the right, is what she looks like today. Much thinner looking, and much, much cleaner. I can't even begin to describe combing her. It was nearly impossible, despite our best efforts. To give you a clue, it took the groomer nearly two hours to shave, bathe and spiff her up. She was miserable hot, and constantly digging to find a cool place to lay, hence creating more filth trapped in her thick hair. She's a Border Collie/Newfoundland mix, and has that really insane undercoat - impervious to pretty much anything.
Needless to say, she's much cooler now.
And considering it's only 60 degrees here, much cooler has a whole new meaning for her. She's freezing, and is currently curled up on the living room floor, covered up with a blanket.
Did I mention that she's spoiled too?
That's all for today...

Conflict

Nope. Not a serious craft post. Just what you're come to expect from me...ramblings that probably don't make much sense to anyone but me.
Anyhow...
In my house there's an extreme conflict of music tastes. Some collide and harmony can be found, but sometimes, there's total upheaval because no one can agree. Now I love a wide variety of musical genres, but what I chose to listen to depends on my mood, what I'm doing and what I'm writing.
At any given time, the musical extremes blaring from the open windows have the potential to make your brain explode. Anything from speed metal to show tunes with a hefty dose of country music thrown in. Normally, it doesn't bother me. Chaos and I are old friends.
I am, however, teased quite frequently for always turning the volume down. Nothing bugs me more than having to speak over what's supposed to be background music. If everyone is doing their own thing or not trying to have a conversation, I'm okay, but don't try to talk to me without turning down the tunes. When I'm alone, it's another story - louder is better.
I mention this because my choice of music this morning has totally irritated K3 and K4. They've even used my own words on me..."Headphones!" Except, my headphones have been hijacked by an unknown (ahem) assailant.
I know, totally pointless post.
Behave!

Thunderstorm

The sky is dark and flashes of lightning occasionally appear in the darkest of the clouds. I can smell the rain, though it's yet to fall out of the sky.
I'm waiting.
I love a good thunderstorm. I'm likely to be found on the porch, watching the lightning and counting to see how far out the storm is.
When I was little we lived in the midwest. Tornado watches and warnings were common and we spent many summer afternoons in the basement waiting out the severe weather alert. Well, when I say "we", I mean my brothers and sisters. I don't remember my mom ever coming down with us. She was content to watch the storm approach and take her chances with a twister. (Obvioulsy, I get it honestly)
So, I'm waiting...
That's all...

Day One: Random Things

I'd like to thank the idiot who scheduled K3's trumpet lessons at 8am.
Oh. Wait. That was me.
At the time, I'm sure I had a really good reason for this. Though now I can't figure it out.
Anyway.
As you can see, I made some major progress this weekend. And yes, I do realize I have to change the title for my book. I'm on it. Thinking.
The heroine in this story has a thing for cliches. She uses them, on purpose, to drive the hero nuts, break up tension and get people's reactions. I'm loving writing her - she's a little odd, but in a good way. (at least I hope) The hero is a lot more serious, but has his own strange sense of humor. They're a good match, though neither of them can see that right now. I'm right in the middle of the book, and right where I should be in the suspense, their relationship and the journey and I'm still having a good time writing them. So far, so good.
Obviously, the projected completion date for this book is already long gone. I've had to relax that goal a tiny little bit. Doesn't make me happy, but there's not much I can do. I was a little unrealistic and didn't think about the other obligations I had during that time.
New projected completion date: When it's done.
Yes. That's killing me because I have so much else I want to do, edit, revise and write, but I don't want this summer to kick my butt like last year did.
On another note:
The kids have already totally dismantled my living room. All the cushions are off the couch and the stools from the kitchen are arranged in some sort of "Stonehenge" shape. The cat looks mad and K3 is trying to convince K4 to make him a sandwich. I don't know for sure, but I think he's the boss of whatever they're doing. (She is, in typical K4 fashion, denying him his sandwich rights.) At least they're not fighting. Yet.
Behave!

Gnomes!

The gnomes have the beginnings of their garden and they are very happy.

Look at that guy. Doesn't he look happy?

Much tweaking needs done, but the flower bed is cleared out, plants are transplanted and the gnomes are out of the box in my dining room.

I'm happy too. Happy to see them when I go outside and happy I got so much done today.

So far. So good.

Behave!

It Is Done...

The school year.
And, most likely, my sanity.

I'm really looking forward to summer vacation, and here's why:
1. Hanging out with the kiddos.
2. Schedule change.
Though until mid-July we'll be pretty busy, there will be a little wiggle room in these weeks. I figure it'll be what we make it. We'll work things out so we're still having fun. (remind me of this in 2 weeks! LOL)
3. Cooking on the Grill.
I don't know why because there's just as much, if not more, work involved, but it just seems easier and relaxing.
4. My sister's new job.
She has off Fridays.
5. Friday's.
Official relaxation and "fiesta" day. Plans forthcoming, but this is to be the day that makes the running of the week worthwhile. We might theme them. We'll see.
6. Gnomes.
The gnome garden is coming. You'll see.
7. Naps.
As if. But I can hope.
8. No homework rush or searching for lost items.
9. No shoes.
And flip-flops.
10. Harry Potter.
The movie and the book.
11. Supernatural Summer.

You get the idea.
Behave.

Weird Wednesday

Today's been kind of an odd day.
I dropped the kids off at school and drove about an hour away to get some exhaust work done on my Suburban. The distance I traveled was well worth it for a few different reasons. We used to live in the area, so traveling the mountain road was familiar and a bit nostalgic. We loved living in that valley, but the daily travel was unrealistic for us. And I spent an hour writing while I waited.
After driving for most of the morning, arriving home before noon was a little odd. K2 had finals today, so she got home shortly after I did. We're coming down to the wire with school. One more full day and then Friday they go for just a few hours.
That means a new schedule. One that, at first, is going to be busier than the school year. Eventually it'll settle into a more summer like atmosphere.
I only hope I'm still sane by then.
That's all for now...
Behave...

Things That Make You Go...Ick!

Nasty, huh?
A spider uncovered while hauling out firewood while we were at camp. Yes, I enlarged him, but he was still pretty big. Big enough that I felt compelled to take his picture.
No, we didn't kill him. After all, he has a job to do and just because he grosses most people out, doesn't mean he deserves to die.
I was going to post a picture of the emerald green flying ant we found in the camper, but it's too fuzzy. He didn't appear interested in harming us, so we gently urged him out the door and hoped he wouldn't come back.
Speaking of gross bugs...it took me a while to figure this one out and I'm still pretty disturbed. Every year at this time, these little fuzzy, creepy looking worm-like (larvae) critters fall out of our tree onto us while we're trying to relax on the patio. They bite. Hard. Usually a big old welt is involved. I recently found out that they're lady bug larva. How rude is that? Lady bugs don't bite, so why do their babies? (If I can manage, I'll post a picture.)
Hey, what do you want? It's Tuesday and I really have nothing logical to say right now.
2 1/2 days...
Behave!

Birthday Shindigs and Other Stuff...

K1's birthday party turned out very well. If you would have asked for my prediction a half hour before the party started, I probably would have broken down in tears, or cuss words.

Let's put it this way: Thanks to an incredibly full schedule, lots of obligations, taxi driving and 4 different schedules...running late doesn't even begin to describe the day.

At 4pm on Saturday, two hours before party start time, I was still at the store buying supplies and gifts. An hour before the party, I was running around here like a mad woman, trying to sweep the half-ton of stone dust off the floors from B running the tamper-thingy on the stone layer under the bricks. I had no food prepared, grocery bags covered the kitchen, the yard was still a mess (Thanks to the patio/sidewalk repair issues, B didn't get to mow the grass until a half hour before guests were due to arrive). It was crazy!

But, thanks to friends, K1's and ours, we somehow managed to get everything done, cleaned up and situated before the guests arrived.

The party went well. Lots of food, music and laughing. In the picture, K1 is holding one of his gifts - a cookbook. That was a very funny thing. He's having a blast being an "adult".

I'm the one with the pangs of nostalgia and sadness. Where is the little boy who used to grab my face with his chubby hands and give me sloppy, sticky kisses? What happened to hot wheel races through the dining room? Where is the boy who had that same cookbook when he was little? When did my baby turn into a man? How did that happen? Our family is changing, but that's not a bad thing. We'll adjust and adapt and look at the future as an adventure, just like we always have.

3 1/2 days of school left.

The past two weekends have given me hope that's this is going to be a great summer!

Behave!

Friday Ramblings...

What a week!
Despite Monday's holiday, this week has been a long one. Too much going on and not enough time. Anyone figure out how to get a few extra hours in the day? I guess if I gave up sleeping...Ha!
My first baby turned 18 yesterday. That's kind of weird. I don't feel any older than when I gave birth to him, so how did he get so old? Big birthday bash this weekend, I'm expecting nearly 50 people here. We're rushing to finish fixing the sidewalk and patio and I've done nothing except that to get ready. Ack! I won't even give you my to do list - it's not pretty.
Misty's book came out yesterday "Something Old, Something Dead". It's the third in the Ivy Morris mysteries, but you don't need to read the first two to understand what's going on . It's a riot. Go. Buy it. It'll crack your stuff up.
After today, the kids will have 4 1/2 days of school left. I'm not ready. Summer snuck in here while I wasn't looking. It's going to be a busy one, but I hope a great one.
Behave!

Now That's a Fish!

Approximate length: 32-34"

I have no idea on the weight, I didn't ask.

This Carp was caught in the creek that runs in front of where we camp. (and yes, much swimming is done in that creek) Sunday night, my brother-in-law managed to hook the whopper. Getting it to the bank was a chore. Not to mention he had a huge audience. This isn't the first fish of this size to be caught there, but it'd been a while. (Last time we had this much excitement he caught a huge snapping turtle in the same creek.)

We had a great weekend. Very busy, but the perfect kick off to the camping season. I would have loved one more day, but we're back to the grind already. Getting everyone up for school was difficult and I can't say I blame them. I hit the snooze button until the last possible minute.

Eight more days of school. Which means I have ten days to finish my book. We'll see. I do have a slightly higher word count now, but I'm hoping by tomorrow there's a significant change in that word meter.

Summer's coming.

Are you ready?

Pirates!

Okay, so you got lucky!
I am completely fried this morning - grumpy with a capital G - but the movie was totally worth it!

Warning: Possible spoilers ahead.
I've seen the first and second movies repeatedly. I won't go into the first movie because, let's face it, everything about it was fantastic. The second movie, however, gave me a different opinion every time I saw it. I loved it, then hated it, then just hated Elizabeth, then Jack. (yes, I know - wash my mouth out with soap.) I hoped this movie would bring the series back around and make me love everyone again.
It did.
Keith Richards was perfect as Jack's father. Once again, Bill Nighy knocked my socks off as Davy Jones. Love the accent and his tortured soul. The characters we already know were fantastic. The new ones equally as great. Plot twists, unexpected developments and lots of very funny moments. And...Holy. Cow. Will Turner. Holy. Cow. (My actual reactions are a little more extensive than this, but this blog has a PG rating) Still love Jack, but Will definitely had it all going on.
If you go, stay until after the credits. There's an extra scene there that'll make you glad you did. (In other words, watch your liquid consumption - you'd hate to have to run out of the theater to empty your bladder and miss it.)
Yes, the movie was long. (not quite as long as I previously stated though) There wasn't a single time I checked my watch, nodded off, or took my eyes from the screen. I didn't want it to be over! There will definitely be another theater viewing before the DVD arrives.
In the meantime...

I need more sleep!
Behave!

Thursday Ramblings

Happy Thursday!
A new cliche will arrive soon. Once Misty and I agree on one. I just know you're missing that terribly.

So, I went down to switch laundry and found the dryer door open. Since our cat disaster, I don't leave the dryer door open. Someone did. I leaned in to pull the clean laundry out, and guess who was taking a nap inside? Yes. Our male cat, Kramer. Total heart attack/bad memory for me. He had the nerve to give me one of those indignant looks - like I'd just taken his food away or something. If you know my cat story, you'll appreciate my total terror.

I ought to be in premium shape tomorrow. Late night last night, a very long day and evening today, and then I'm meeting a bunch of friends to catch the 11:30 viewing of Pirates. 186 minutes - which means I'm not getting home until around 3am - if I'm lucky and depending on how much post movie chatting there is. Tomorrow is another really busy day, and at this point, it doesn't look like decent sleep is on my horizon until tomorrow night. There's no way I won't go though! I'm so excited! If you're lucky, I'll give you my opinions tomorrow.

If you're not lucky, it'll be Monday.
Enjoy the holiday weekend! Do lots of chores, but make sure to relax!
And most of all...
Behave!

The Bird

Well, there he is.

You don't get a good idea of his size, but look at that beak! (No wonder I got a boo-boo!)

I'm searching for a full-sized pic of him and will post one when I find it. He's really beautiful and full of personality. And loud. Very loud. Did I mention loud? Ear-splitting shrieks and cries that happen as soon as he believes you're no longer enamoured of him.

He talks too. His vocabulary is constantly growing. My sister has to watch that he doesn't pick up certain words and has cautioned everyone to watch their mouths. Usually he has to hear a word repeatedly to mimic, but sometimes not. We've been trying to teach him how to say "precious" for ages. No dice. He's kind of like a 2 year old though, and will repeat the most inappropriate things.

K1 cannot stand Captain. Captain cannot stand K1. It's a vicious cycle. K1 walks in the room and the bird goes into some kind of freakish attack mode where he bobs his head and snaps his beak threateningly. That didn't make for a very pleasant weekend when I bird-sat last summer.

So there you have it. And you all thought I was making him up!

That's all for now.

Tuesday...

Today is one of those days where a cloning machine would come in handy.
But that has nothing to do with anything.

My uncle got on his plane very early this morning. We gathered at Mom and Dad's last night for a farewell dinner of Super Secret Family Recipe Spaghetti. (Well, the sauce is super secret, the noodles aren't. But you get the picture.) Everyone was there except for my brother-in-law, who had to work and couldn't leave. We talked, laughed, took pictures and tried not to think about the fact that this was our last night with him here. His visit was wonderful and he will be sorely missed.

Hopefully tomorrow, I'll post a picture of my sister's macaw - the one that bit me on Mother's Day. Guess who forgot to grab the camera last night?

Behave!

Retreat!!

I could put a whole page of exclamation points - that's how great the retreat was. See the slippers? Not mine, but that should give you a general idea how relaxed the atmosphere was.
Day One:
I arrived a little before 10am, after getting the kids off to school and stopping by my mom's for a quick visit and birthday wishes. I spent a few minutes getting settled in my room and saying howdy to the rest of the group, then I was off and running on my new story "Deadwood". Spent the day writing, with breaks for meals, chatting and much laughter. Then a much longer break while we waited for Natalie's exciting news, dinner, Supernatural watching and a trip into town for celebratory drinks and embarrassing tales. We were back at the retreat center by 11 and by midnight, I had 35 brand new pages. I'd just finished a spooky scene when I decided to call it a night and ended up totally freaking myself out.
Day two: Lots more writing. A walk to the nearby cemetery where Natalie conjured up a strong wind by saying "Bloody Mary" and standing in a dead circle of grass. Lots of talking and then back to the pages. We broke for our annual game - a riot and fantastic break after so much mental work. More Supernatural watching and then back to work. By this time, it was around midnight and I'd just polished off a large energy drink. Which meant I didn't go to bed until 2:30 am. But also gave me one of my highest page count days, if not the highest count ever, of 50 pages.
Day three:
Needless to say, getting up in time for breakfast was difficult. I'd just gotten out of the shower when Vicky B. knocked on my door. (The acoustics are kind of strange there and my reply of "I'm naked" was heard throughout the entire 2nd floor.) Breakfast, and then the prize drawings - which were awesomely cool. We didn't have to check out until 11am, but since my brain had started misfiring I packed up and headed home.
I can't wait until next year. Somehow, I am now the retreat chairperson for 2008. I'm excited and a little nervous. But the retreat runs itself, so my job will most likely be an easy one.
That's all for now...

Clean Dishes?

My sisters dishwashers.

Nezzie and Bella.

Okay, so the picture's a joke. (It took a few tries and a lot of spaghetti to get the photo and still this is the best one.)

Anyway.

Tomorrow morning I'll be on my way to the retreat! I'm so excited! Since this will likely be my last post until Monday, I need to take care of sending a birthday shoutout to my most awesome and fantastic mom.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Words cannot describe how much you mean to me.

Your support and friendship always lift me up.

Thank you for everything. You're the bestest.

Behave!

Oh My Achin'...

1. Foot - from the huge splinter I got on my brother's deck. B only managed to dig half of it out so far.
2. Pointer finger - my sister's macaw, Captain, decided our former friendship was over and totally nailed me with his huge, sharp black beak. Twice. I don't know how I offended him, but obviously I did. So not only does my finger hurt, but my feelings do too.
3. Thumb - don't know what I did, but it's been a constant source of ache lately.
4. Jaw - popped it out of the socket eating shrimp on Sunday and while it's back in place, the muscles are tender and it's still making my head hurt. This is common for me. And no, I don't want to talk about my options in getting it fixed.

No pictures today.
Chalk that up to me constantly forgetting my camera this weekend. And I haven't had time to download anyone elses pictures.

That's all...
Behave!

A Very Good Surprise

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms!
Now I can finally tell you what's been going on around here. For weeks, my siblings and I have been keeping a really great secret from our parents. Our uncle, our Mom's baby brother, came to visit. We wanted to surprise her and I'm happy to say that somehow we managed it. Somehow - with pretty much everyone else knowing what was going on, including the kids - she had no idea. Saturday night we picked him up at the airport and arrived back at my sisters. It was a great scene. Perfect.
And we're having a great time getting to know him again. We haven't seen him in nearly 14 years. Mom's seen him somewhere in between those years a few times, but it had been quite a while. Yesterday we hung out at my brother's, eating great food and talking up a storm. It's really fun to hear their stories and learn more about our grandparents. All I can say is, it's very clear where all of us kids get the obnoxious sense of humor. Our mom has always blamed my dad's side of the family. Well, after hearing some of the stuff they did, there's no doubt in my mind.
Posts may be a little sporadic this week. There's a lot of socializing to do before I leave for the retreat, but I'll try to get some pictures up before then.
Behave!

Where did the day go?

Been running around like a chicken with my head cut off today. I'm dreadfully tired, but have to wait until K1 gets in. Soon, I hope.
If you check out Misty's blog, you'll see I got myself in a little hot water for saying she grunted. I guess all I can really say is that she wasn't singing. (She'll get me for that one too.)
One week until my writing retreat. I am so excited. I do feel bad for those that are going Thursday. They'll miss the season finale of Supernatural. I'm sure I'll be on the phone - reassuring that Sam did not die.
What an episode. I'm not commenting since I haven't had time to process everything. But what's sticking out in my head the most, besides how Eva turned out and that creepy as heck girl demon, is how did Sam's mom know the yellow-eyed demon? Hmm...
K2 had auditions for "Rag Time" tonight. She'll definitely be in the production, but we won't know if she's a principle or not until call backs - sometime this weekend. Looks like we're in for another crazy summer around here.
Well, that's all I have for now - disjointed and confusing as it may be.
Behave!

Finished Product...

Sweet, huh?

Misty's Tattoo Day

<--- Pre-Tattoo...Does she look a little nervous?
<--Finding the right spot

(transfer)

Let the needles begin


<--Work in progress.






As you can see, it's been an exciting day. Misty got her tattoo. The cover from her next release featuring Ivy, "Something Old, Something Dead". (I don't know exactly when it comes out. Check Misty's blog for that info.) I was lucky and got to go along. Well, for at least part of it. I had to leave to pick up her daughter and my kiddos, so I haven't seen the finished product yet. When I left, the black was nearly done and the whole thing was coming along nicely. I'm not sure what Misty's frame of mind was, except that when I told her the shading part looked painful, she only grunted. (Yes. I k now she'll pay me back for that one.) I can't wait to see the finished product. And yes, I will post a picture of it - hopefully tonight.
I'm next. If I can just figure out what I want.
The guys at "Visual Addictions" are awesome! Misty was referred there by my brother-in-law and I'll be returning for mine (if/when I ever figure out what I want).
Behave!

Useless as...

Yep, it's another cliche day.

Today's started with:
Useless as a screen door on a submarine.
Which totally cracks me up.
But we also have:
Useless as a pay toilet in a diarrhea ward
Useless as wet toilet paper
Useless as a pocket in a pair of underpants (it's the underpants that makes me giggle)
Useless as a piss hole in the snow - (totally makes me wonder. Why would anyone even come up with this? It really doesn't make any sense, where the others mostly do.)

I love the 'useless as a screen door on a submarine' one. To me, it's like a bad comedy, where the actors are all stereotypes and the plot is as cliche as the saying. They prepare to submerge and fill with water, because the stupid guy only shut the screen door. Of course, everything comes out ridiculously okay in the end. Still...the phrase makes me giggle.

Don't forget to head over and check out Misty's take on the cliche!

That's all for Monday.
Behave!

Tagged...

Natalie tagged me.
So here goes...

Here are the rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

8 random facts/habits about me ...

1. I love diet soda and will never drink regular soda.

2. I cannot sleep in socks, or with my feet covered.

3. I hate to wear shoes.

4. I will not use a bath towel more than once. (Yes, I know this creates extra laundry, but too bad. If I had my own bathroom and could be guaranteed no one else used it, I might feel differently. But...ick!)

5. When I was pregnant, all four times, the sight, thought and smell of eggs made me very, very sick.

6. If I forget to hang shirts up from the dryer, I will rewash them so I don't have to iron.

7. I am really a very shy person.

8. I have never flown. Well, besides once when I was 9 months old. And I was in an UltraLight not too long ago, but I've never been in a "big" airplane that I can remember.

I'm supposed to tag 8 people. But the 8 people I know have already been tagged.

Enjoy the weekend!

Next...

See that?
That's the next project around here. I think I mentioned it before. Bricks will be there. Soon. I hope. B started digging this hole late last summer and through the glory of Murphy's Law, it's still just a hole. With some sticks, balls and now a few volunteer Maple trees.
The plan is to work on it this weekend, in preparation for the stone and sand that has to go down before the bricks. It extends farther to the lower right, making a path beside the back porch and all of that needs dug out.
As long as I can find the batteries for the camera (I just bought some and they're gone), I'll try to post photographic updates. I'm excited to finish this because then I can work on my gnome garden. (And for the obvious reasons - no more dirt hole) My parents gave me lots of cute little gnomes for my birthday and right now they're in a box in my dining room. And flowers. Red flowers in pots around the perimeter of the patio (out of the way of the basketball hoop).
Maybe only exciting to me, but since this is my blog I can be that way. :)
Behave!

Finished! and Random Thoughts

I finished the *shiny* new book without a title last night. It's shorter than I expected, and needs mucho editing, but it's finally done. I say finally like it took me months to write this when in truth, it took me 33 days. Out of that 33 days, there were 18 days I didn't write at all. Since 8 would have been my normal "days off", that means I wrote the book (technically) in 23 days. Which means nothing to anyone but me. It'll probably take the same amount of time to edit it, but that's on my summer list.
What's next?
Well, the next two weeks are packed with outside obligations and I have a ton of critique work to catch up on. And a stack of books to read. My writing retreat is looming (15 days) and I want to plot something new to begin on that weekend. So while I won't be adding up page counts, I will be insanely busy.
The book I start on the retreat will be finished by the time school is out. Then, the summer will be spent taxi'ing kids to various activities, editing and trying to have at least some semblance of a summer vacation. If this summer is anything like last year, that'll be a miracle.
That's all for now...

And so it begins...

Since arriving unscathed from blogging the alphabet, Misty and I decided blogging cliches might be a fun thing.
So here goes. It'll be a weekly thing. (I think.)

Today's cliche: To Hell in a Handbasket

What does this mean? Okay. Stop. I know what it means. I guess my real question is why would anyone say this to begin with? Who said it first? And was it a joke?
Actually, it kind of reminds me of the wicked witch from the "Wizard of Oz". I don't know why.
And it sounds kind of odd too. "Well, that just went to hell in a handbasket." The imagery makes me shake my head.


Maybe it's me, but I just don't get it. I mean, I do, but...
That's it.

Supernatural Friday

(Warning: Fan girl post)
Oh, Winchester boys.
Isn't it funny how Dean just fits into any situation? i.e. "I heard it in the yard." I loved Tiny and "Donuts aren't love". Why on earth Dean picked the biggest, baddest looking dude to pick a fight with is beyond me, but I loved it - especially when they were in the infirmary. (before the scary ghost came)

I'm still not sure about Hendricks. Not sure exactly what he's up to or what he thinks. I have a theory...Nope. Am saving that one for now.

Their attorney was great. Hendricks kind of sealed her fate in helping Dean when he told her the grown ups were working. I loved that she told him the wrong cemetery. Because, you know, I was worried. I wasn't sure who Deacon was either. When he pulled them in that room, I really thought they were about to get the snot beat out of them.

B kind of scoffed at the Impala being conveniently left outside. My take is that Deacon parked it there for them. But, that's a small thing to worry over when the whole episode was awesome. The show just gets better and better.

Okay. I'm done now.
Hey! The weekend is here!
Fun blog stuff starts Monday.
Behave!

Zee End

Did you know there's actually a place called Zeeland? I didn't, but it's in the Netherlands.

What about a zeitgeber?
It's a biological event, such as light or dark, that keeps biological clocks regulated.
Interesting. And there's no way I could say it without hearing the word spoken.

So...
This brings us to the end of our synchronized alphabetical blogging. Misty and I have something exciting planned next. Wait for it.

New Supernatural tonight.
And I have much to do before it comes on.
Behave...

Yawn!

That's the word of the day.
Yawn!
It describes so much. Don't you think?

Things are busy and I'm tired. Tired of being busy, tired of this week...

That's all...

X?

My X word: xyster

Any ideas?

From Dictionary.com: A surgical instrument for scraping bones.
Eww!
But it was enough to catch my attention.

Busy week around here.
That's all for today.
Behave...

Behind Again

Catching up...
This little dude brought a sense of urgency to my son's weekend. He's a twin, but K1 and his "wife" split them up during the night, except for the first night. He had them both while his "wife" worked, and she had them when he worked.
Let's just say the plastic baby verified his lack of desire to become a parent in the very near future. Especially since we thought the baby died.
For most of Sunday, the child remained silent. Then, it started crying. K1 had already gone to see friends and these newer models cannot be soothed by just anyone. He had an electronic bracelet on that matched the baby and only he, or his "wife", could calm them.
I called him, informed him his baby needed him and waited. When the thing started wailing, I called him again and left a message of the baby's cries on his phone. He showed up within minutes, and had the nerve to laugh at me.
Why?
Because despite already knowing there was nothing I could do to help, I was still holding the baby. When I told him it made me feel better, he actually laughed at me.
That's about it...

Supernatural T Words

The boys are back. And it was darn good to see them.
Last nights episode was Terrific!
I'm not going to go deep because I haven't seen it a second time yet, but Dean really cracked me up with the food, the "PA" stuff and his knowledge of horror movies in general. I did have it figured out way before the end, but that's okay by me.
Previews for next week were awesome.

On a different note...
Remember when K2 brought "the baby" home? The plastic gender confused fake grandchild for the weekend?
Now K1 is doing the project. I think it's for Sociology class. He has a "wife" and they have to "run a household", including caring for their "child" - or in this case, "children". Yep. They're getting twins.
He's bringing them home from school (I'll try to put up pictures later. When I told him I was going to, he just rolled his eyes) and then his "wife" will take them for the night because he has to work early tomorrow. Saturday night, they're all his.
Should be an interesting weekend around here.
That's all...

Catching up...

So, in order for Misty and I to finish on the same day, I'm catching up with her now. 3 words all in one post. Wow.

1. Quiver - New Supernatural on tonight. 'nuff said.

2. Really - How excited I am to see Sam and Dean.

3. Supernatural - Of course. Would you expect anything else?

Yeah, I know I'm being pretty lame about this whole alphabet blogging. I can't seem to help myself. But just wait until you see what Misty and I have planned for our next simultaneous blogging adventure. Ha!

That's all...

Paradise

White shores. Blue water. Umbrella drinks. Warm breezes.
Sound good?
Does to me.
That's all...

Negative Ostriches

Obviously, posting my N word was a negative last night. Not my fault. My Internet went down and didn't come back until this afternoon. Stupid wind.
We're not really going to talk about negative ostriches - that's just my way of getting two letters into one post.
So...here we go...Oh No.
Nasty Oaks never own nasally owls.
Ornery nomads need odorous nuts.
Nonsensical olives nix oily nimrods.
That's enough. Don't you think?

That is all...

Missed

That's what happened yesterday.
I missed posting my M word and the big snow storm missed us. (The wind did not.)
Oh, and it's Monday. Another M word.
M-words from my weekend...
Music: Lots of that.
Maniacs: Quite a few of those.
Mouth: Lots of talking and eating.
Miracle: That the whole thing was totally kept from me.
Mortified: By the sign my friend put on my house that called attention to my new age.
There's probably more, but as I mentioned above it's Monday...
I might catch up and post my N word later, depending.
That is all.

Lugubrious

There you have it. The "L" word.
Gloomy, sad, mournful...excessively mournful - to a ridiculous level.
So, I could feel lugubrious that I've already heard three times today..."So, do you feel old now?"
I could feel lugubrious about the whole birthday age thing altogether, but I refuse. I don't feel any different than when I turned 20.
I am, however, lugubriously thinking about missing vacation.
This is a funny word. It doesn't make me think gloomy. Not necessarily. I picture a bunch of wealthy men, standing in a circle discussing their stock market losses while sipping over-priced scotch. "I would never want Buffy to know the lugubrious hit our portfolio took." "I know, Skip, I swore father to secrecy. If Dee-dee ever found out I had to finance her new car for two weeks, she'd divorce me. Terrible, lugubrious misfortune."
Over-exaggerated? Yep. (and my apologies to any Buffy's, Skip's and Dee-dee's)
That's all for today.
Behave!

K is for...

Kids.
They're everywhere in my house today.
K2 (Yes, all their names start with K) has a dance tonight. So far, two of her friends are here to get ready and I'm not sure how many more are expected. They're all very excited. And the younger K's are doing their best to prank them. There's a lot of noise in my house right now. And, I have to drive them to the dance once they're done primping.

Today has been a very weird day. Made even weirder by the forecasted snow. Anyone else in my area notice they're not really putting accumulation amounts in the equation? They say it has the potential to be a big one, but a slight shift east or west could significantly change the amounts. (I seriously heard 2-3 FEET, depending on how the storm tracks. I still want to believe the weather guy read his prompter wrong because it just doesn't make sense!) It's freaking mid-April, Mother Nature. Why couldn't we have this snow when I wanted it?

That's all for now.
Behave!

Always a Joke

Was having trouble with my J word this morning - couldn't come up with one I liked...until I heard this from the living room..."I was only joking."
That's like some kind of theme for this house. Someone is always joking. Always. Practical jokes are normal. Whoopie cushions, rubber snakes, spiders and critters and common, and not just for the kids.
It's not just the practical jokes though. Basically, not one person in this house knows how to be serious. Even big things...big scary things...are dealt with through humor. That's our coping mechanism and one we've obviously passed down to our children.
That's it. Excuse me while I try to figure out how to boobie trap the refrigerator door...

Irritated

Irritated - annoyed, impatient.

So what's irritating me?
The letter from the police department about the unpaid parking ticket K1 got last week. (Remember the car is in my name) He has no memory of this event. I called, got the scoop and now have even more questions. Yes. Irritated.

The fact that K1 was supposed to see the doc Monday to check his knees and we both totally forgot.

How tired I am. Yes. I am irritated by this. I feel like a slug.

The constant stream of telemarketers that have been calling lately. All for someone who doesn't even live here. Wrong number telemarketers? Very irritating. And we're getting a lot of simple wrong numbers as well.

That's pretty much it.
Behave.

Next Letter...H

Just making it in under the wire today.

The word of the day is: Happy.
And here's why:
I'm happy that I actually have made some decent progress on my new book.
I'm happy that K4 is back to her old self.
I'm happy that our schedule is back, but equally happy that school will be out shortly. (Yes. It's weird. I know.)
I'm happy that the flood the washing machine created in my basement the other day was due to something that was easily fixed and not another appliance malfunction.
And there's more, but this has probably been enough to bore you to tears.
That's all for now.
Behave!

Goofy...

Goofy is a good word.

I don't know. It makes me smile - even without another word to go along with it. The word goofy makes me think of things that make me smile.

Lots of things, but stuff that you either had to be there to think is funny or things that don't mean anything to anyone else. So I won't even try to explain...

That's my word for today.
And that's all I have.

F-Words

(Come on, you didn't expect any less from me, did you?)

And the words are: Fun, Family, Friends and Food.

Which is what's in store for today. Same bunch of people from New Year's Eve (and we haven't seen everyone since then) at the same place. It'll be a fun day and great to just hang out, relax and catch up with each other.

And complain that it's so freaking cold here. (See that? Another f-word) Oh. Wait. And another. The weather is downright...frigid. There will be no outdoor Easter egg hunt for the kids this year.

Enjoy the day, even if you have to put longjohns on.
Behave!

E is for...

End.

(Bet you thought I was going to say Easter or Egg.)

There's nothing like reaching the End of a project. Writing "The End" is a special thrill, an achievement like no other. It means you've accomplished something and it doesn't matter if it's your first book or your fiftieth - reaching the end is still a special thrill.

Short and sweet today.
Enjoy the weekend!
Behave!

The D Words

Notice I said "words". There's two again. Mainly because I don't want to get busted like Misty did.

D-word number one: Dean. As in Dean Winchester.
We miss you Dean. Waiting another 2 weeks for a new Supernatural episode is making us all a little crazy. The episode last night was another re-run, and even though I watched with rapt attention...I miss the boys.

D-word number two: Decaffeinate.
As in taking the caffeine out of something.
All I can say to that as I drink my second cup of coffee is...How Rude! Sure, I understand caffeine creates issues for some people and that their doctors have requested they cut back or avoid the stuff completely. I know one day I'll probably be one of those people, but for now, drinking something with the caffeine removed is like having mashed potatoes without gravy...What's the point?

I'm going to try to post over the weekend so Misty doesn't get too far ahead of me, but that might not happen.
So, just in case...
Have a great weekend!
Behave!

Two Word Thursday

I have two words today. They both fit around here and since I couldn't decide between them...

Word 1: Cacophony - a loud, jarring, unpleasant noise.
This is the sound of K4's hacking cough. Or what my house sounds like when the gang can't seem to get along. Or the obnoxious noises that are funny at first, but slowly work under your skin when repeated constantly. There's a lot of the latter around here. A lot.

Word 2: Cachinate - to laugh loudly & convulsively. (the spell check on blogger is not recognizing this as word. Isn't that interesting?)
I'm happy to say that more of this happens in this house. It's a fun thing and something I'd never change even though it often turns into word 1.

*K4 was on the mend, but her fever is back. She's home again and miserable. The high school kids are home too, which left K3 the only one going to school. Our day, and evening, is packed full and I can only hope I keep my sanity.

*Word meter is down. Last night's progress put me at 22500 words out of 100000, or 22.5% completed.

Behave!

Word of the Day: Balance

So maybe I'm not doing this exactly the way I'm supposed to. My actual dictionary is upstairs in the horrid stanky mess where my boys sleep. I'm not going after it - I'm skeered. I'm using the dictionary look up feature on my word program, and scanning the entries instead of flipping the book open and dropping my finger.
As I scanned by "balance", I knew that was my word of the day.
We all know what balance is. We also all know that it shifts constantly - like a foundation build on sand. What keeps us in check one day, throws us over a cliff the next. Balance is tenuous and most of the time we're not really sure we have it. We only know we did when we don't. At least this is true for me.
Simple things tip the balance.
For example: K4 is home with me today. Her fever is gone, but a rough night combined with many trips to the bathroom has left her (and me) very tired. It's one extra person, a very small one at that, sharing my normally quiet and productive time. While her being here doesn't change everything, it still shifts my focus from writing to her needs. She comes first today and what keeps me feeling as if I'm achieving comes second. That's okay because my most important job is being a mom.
And I think that might be at least my key. To have good balance you also have to be flexible - able to adapt to your environment and the changing needs of life around you.
Hmmm...maybe I should have stuck with my original choice. "Babble" Which would properly sum up this post.
That's all for now.
Behave.

Time Flies...

I should have never complained about last week being long! The weekend was just insane - beyond insane, which is why it's taken me until Tuesday to put up a new post.

I'm borrowing this from Misty, who suggested I follow along with the blogging of each letter of the alphabet. The deal is, I open the dictionary and pick a random word for each letter.

Today's letter is A.

Word for the day: Alabaster

When I saw this word, it made me think of how, in romance novels of yesteryear, they described the heroine's skin.
After reading the definition - several definitions. I think if someone ever used this to describe my complexion, I'd have to do some serious butt kicking.

Translucent white? Very light white?

So she looks very sick? Or like a ghost? You can see through her skin? ewwww...

And then there's: pale yellow/pink or yellow/gray.

Can you say liver failure? Liver failure with a sunburn? Dead from liver failure? Not very attractive if you ask me.

Yeah, I know alabaster is smooth and white and that's what the description is supposed to mean. I do understand it was an attractive feature way back when. Women weren't supposed to be out in the sun. I still get a picture of someone who's ill, and never leaves the confines of her "chamber".

There you have it.
Behave.

Finally Friday

And can I just say this was one long, long week?
Too bad. I'm saying it anyway!

Thank goodness the week is over. Of course, the weekend looks just as long, and busy, and chaotic, with no hopes of sleeping in or relaxing. That bites.

I find I really have nothing interesting to say today. I am making progress on the *shiny new*, but it's been kind of slow. I'm still sticking to my goal though. We'll see how stressed out I am at the end of the month.

That's all I have!
Behave!

Ahead of Schedule

Well, there it is. All bright and shiny and new.
I didn't expect to start actual writing until tonight, so I'm already 15 pages ahead of the game.
Which is good, because according to the way the calendar is filling up, I'm going to need all the extra time I can get.
So far so good.

It's Wednesday. One of our only evenings without some sort of commitment or obligation. A writing evening for me.

That's all I have!
Behave!