Time?

Time keeps getting away from me.
Don't ask me why, or how...
Oh, I know. Let's blame the time change. It's certainly upset the balance in my house - okay, not with everyone, but a few of us aren't adjusting well to losing an hour of sleep. Some of those few are cranky, whiny, and argumentative - but I'm not pointing fingers or naming names.
The muddy season has started. After all that rain we had last week, and milder temps, my backyard looks like a big, mud-colored sponge. And it tracks into the house on paws and sneakers. But I'm glad to see spring, even though I still could do with one huge, enormous, accumulating snow that shuts everything down. The gnomes are begging for a reconditioning and upgrading of their home. We've decided to plant some veges and herbs this year, though we haven't quite figured out where we're doing that since we planted grass in our garden spot. Between the dog and flying basketballs, I'm not sure where they'd be safe from breakage and steppage. But we did already start some pepper seeds in the house, so we'll see what happens.
Okay - that's all my stressed and tired brain has for you at this moment.
Behave!

Whoops!

Don't ask me what happened to the past two days!
I'm not really sure - time just got away from me.
I have some pictures I want to post, but as of right now my scanner isn't cooperating. I'll give you a hint though. They fall into "Things to do with the camera on the table at wedding receptions" category. Ha!
Anyway.
Nothing's happening at the moment besides the usual insanity. Our schedules almost on the light side for the weekend. I hate to even say that because usually all heck breaks loose when I dare to make such a statement. That's not to say there's not a bunch of stuff that needs done since it's the stuff that stays on hold when we are running around like crazy people. So, it'll still be busy around here.
And I find that's really all I have to say at the moment. Sorry it's not all that interesting...
Behave!!

Snow What?

Yeah, I know it's already 53* outside and we're all looking forward to spring, but I came across this picture again and thought I should post it just because. K2 and her cousins made these New Year's Eve.

I happen to think they're scary. Especially the big one with the straight line mouth. The little one is kind of cute, but those big sticks kind of freak me out. Ha! We laughed when we saw them. They'd placed them in such a way that when you left my sister's driveway, they kind of snuck up on you and took you by surprise.

Then...they were hacked to death by someone with an even bigger stick. Very sad.

Like I said before, I could deal with some big snow around here. It has to be big, and then spring. If it's not going to snow again, it should be spring. Period. Yeah. I know I say that every year. But as of my count, you've only heard it one winter-into-spring before, so I'm entitled to be repetitive. Ha!

Obviously there's not much going on this week.

Behave!

I Know You Know

What this is.

When I said I didn't have any pictures of manure from our trip to the farm, I remembered this owl stuff. Not quite poop, but really, isn't it close enough? B found this when they hiked up the big hill. Apparently, there was a lot more, but since this particular pile was perched so nicely on a rock, he decided to bring it back to show those of us who didn't go.

The kids wanted to pick through it to see exactly what critter the owl had for dinner. Yes. I have strange children, but I love their curiosity. It didn't stay in the house for long, though I'm pretty sure my sister's dog ate it sometime after B put the rock outside.

Hey, what do you expect from a rainy Tuesday?

That's all I have!

Behave!

Unstable?

There you go.

Puts a whole new spin on the quaint little cabin in the woods, doesn't it? Now you can definitely see why it's too dangerous to go inside. I want to though. B might not be happy that he's in the picture, though to the right you'll see my brother as well. But since B's the one who insisted I put this picture up, that's just how it is.

That's all I have for Monday!

Behave!!

Booksigning Photo!

Just got this from my mom.

This is from the book signing at One Good Woman! See that...I'm actually signing a book and there's someone standing there waiting for it! Very cool. Beside me, though you can't see her, is Vicky Burkholder. Misty Simon and Alayne Adams are at the other table. We had a blast, and as you can see the store has a lot of very cool things. We're supposed to be back in October. I'll post the details when they become available.

I have another picture of the cabin to post. B thinks I should show you just how unstable the building is, and there's one that shows just that. Then, there's a few more before my photo library well runs dry. But don't worry, I'm sure I'll find more weird stuff to take pictures of before too long.

And holy cow, it's March. I know I said that when February started, but seriously, time is flying by. March, which means spring is just around the corner. I can't wait. Look for a revamping of the gnome garden, and hopefully the addition of a few more of the little guys. I've got plans people.

In the meantime, stay warm, and...

Behave!!

Creek View

The view looking down from the same position of the previous picture.

I don't know about you, but I'd love to see that out my bedroom window every morning. That's why we park the camper next to the bank when we camp. Waking up to see the steam rising from the creek and watching fish travel to fish work is very cool, and very relaxing.

Wouldn't it be cool to build a deck that is partially situated on the hillside? I may be the only one who thinks that, but I figure if the wooden house has stood the test of time a properly engineered deck would withstand the elements. What do I know though?

It's finally Friday and it's still really, really, and stupidly cold here. While I wouldn't reject a major snowstorm, I'm ready for spring. We're supposed to get snow showers this afternoon, but honestly, I haven't checked the forecast to know exactly what's going on. It does figure that I have to make a grocery run, as is my usual Friday chore. Tomorrow is my RWA chapter meeting. I'm really looking forward to it. But, of course, as is my absolute luck, K3's district pinewood derby race is also tomorrow. Bugger.

That's all for now. And this concludes your brief foray into things I find interesting. For today. While I was looking through these pictures I came across a few more that will be coming up over the next few days.

Behave!

Will It Ever End?

I bet you're asking yourself that right about now...

This is the last one...okay, maybe.

Taken from a small ledge on the drop off looking up. Very cool place to stand, unless you're afraid of heights, then I don't recommend it.

What I love about this is the huge windows that face the creek below. Do you really think a nasty old guy would care if he could see the beauty of the water below? I prefer to think this was originally built as a starter home until the young couple could build their dream home on the surrounding property. Tragedy happened and the wife died, leaving him alone in the place that was to be the start of a beautiful future together.

Of course, that's just my thinking. I'll have to try to find out what really happened.

Come to think of it, I do have one more picture that shows the creek below. Since no one's yelling about my choice of posts yet, I'll see what I can do about putting it up tomorrow.

Oh, and I have a short list of irritations today: It's cold. My computer is really stinking slow. It's really bitterly cold here.

That's all.

Behave!

Don't Forget!

Come and talk to me, Misty Simon, and Vicky Burkholder TONIGHT!
www.draumrpublishing.com
6 - 8 pm EST

We'll be there talking about The Shape of Love, and whatever else you want to talk about. (within reason) Come on over and say Hi!
Behave!

All Right...Just One More

I forgot about this one.

Picture quality is awful, but this Christmas angel totally intrigued me. She was whole. Perfect, and so tarnished her former angelic face took on a slight evil edge. We planned to take her back to my sisters house and take some decent pictures, but somehow, and none of us have any idea how it happened, one of her wings broke off. I kid you not, she looked totally different after that. Scary different. So, she went back home. And this very poor photograph is all that's left for you to see. Those black fingernails belong to my niece. She was not thrilled I made her hold it so I could take a picture.

And, of course, I had to bring up that maybe the angel was cursed. Maybe she was the reason the cabin looked the way it did. Maybe she was some token of evil that caused the little house to slip toward the ravine, and maybe she destroyed the lives of those who'd lived there. You can imagine the enthusiasm in which my rambling was met with. Yeah. Still. You have to wonder. Or...maybe that's just me.

I did find another picture from this particular weekend. I mentioned my sadness at not having any manure photographs from our Sunday adventure, and then I found the picture which I'll show you tomorrow. It's going to be great. Ha!

That's all for right now!

Behave!!

One More...

Okay. This will be the last of the cabin photos for now. I'm sure you're not all finding it as interesting as I do, but I had to show you the clothes still hanging in the loft. It actually looks like there's some female clothes hanging there.

I have three different ideas on this. One: a woman actually lived here. Two: they were the wife's clothes and he couldn't bear to get rid of them. Three: dude was a cross-dresser. Whatever - to each his own. I prefer option two because it's sad and romantic.

I have one picture from our trek into the wild yesterday. No cows, or cute baby goats, or fuzzy baby chicks - just a window shot of an old covered bridge on the way. I realize how lame it is that I didn't take any more pictures than that. I, obviously, had the camera with me. I even made sure it had fresh batteries, and cleared all the obnoxious teenager pictures. Then again, you'd have to endure post after post of farm animals, dogs, mud, and maybe even some manure shots. Could be that it's a good thing I never got the camera out.

That's all for now.

Don't forget...Chat tomorrow night. See the sidebar.

Behave!!

Don't Forget...

The Tuesday night chat in the Draumr chat room!
See the info to the left, and don't be daunted by having to register first.
I promise it'll be painless and worth it!!
8-10 pm EST - or as long as you want to stay and chat!
Be there!
And...
Behave!!

Cliff

And here's the cliff the cabin sits on. This is to the left, but you get the idea. Below is the creek. I'm not sure I have one that shows the drop, but I'll look.

I have a few more cabin pictures, after that...who knows.

We spent the day at our old neighbors from when we lived in the sticks. We haven't really seen these people in fourteen years except for a handful of times. Recently, we reconnected with them and decided to head up there to spend some time.

The kids had a blast running around the farm - baby goats, little, fuzzy baby chickens, cows, horses and bigger goats. The only thing they said they didn't like was the smell in the barn. It was wonderful to be welcomed like no time had passed. There were no awkward silences, or continuous checking of the time to see if we'd been there long enough to leave. In fact, we left an hour after we'd planned to, and even then, we could have stayed longer. We'll definitely be going back and spending more time.

That was my day. My shoes are muddy. I have mud on the back of my pants from the goats and there's a vague odor of cow on my coat, but what a good day.

I hope your weekend was good. Even if you don't smell like cow.

Behave!

Cabin: Inside

Wouldn't you just love to sift through all of that stuff to see what treasures are buried there?

Okay, so maybe that's just me.

Of course, I can't. It's not exactly safe to go inside, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to. The thing you have to remember is that this is located pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It's not like people can see it from any well traveled road. This mess is mainly from the shifting foundation and animal wreckage.

I'll have to hike back up there in the summer and take another round of photos.

Tomorrow, I'll show you the cliff. If I get time. If not, then it'll be Monday.

That's all for now!!

Behave!

A Cabin Story, Part 2

The front of the cabin. I know it's kind of hard to see. I couldn't seem to brighten it. Under that window on the bottom there's a wooden work bench. Bits of paper, wood, and clothing litter the top. The front door is to the left of the window. The window at the top is a loft where the clothing hangs and the sleeping area. There's a ladder to get there, which I'll show you tomorrow. I had a dream about this cabin last night, though now I can only remember vague images.

The kids are off school today thanks to winter weather. There's a lot of noise in my house and a fair amount of clowing around. The weather totally blew my plans for today and that makes me sad. But I did get to sleep in, and have already taken care of much on my 'to do' list.

Supernatural was awesome last night. Hendrickson's turn around was very well done. His death was sad, but I had a feeling that was going to happen. The creepy little girl with the white eyes at the end, however, was absolutely nothing I expected. Oh, and Sam and Dean's tattoo's...yeah...pretty darn nice. And I know I say it every week, but I loved the whole thing.

I'm sad we have to wait so long for a new episode. But I converted a friend into fandom. She called me after it was over last night to tell me how much she loved it. That's always a cool thing.

I'm off to contemplate the possibility of shoveling snow...

Enjoy the weekend!

And...

Behave!

A Cabin Story

I totally forgot I had this picture to share. There are several more I'll put up in the days to come, but isn't this the coolest thing?

This little cabin, and yes, someone did live there, is near my sisters house. Actually, it's located on some property B and I would love to someday own. The view of the creek is spectacular and I have visions of a pretty house on the ledge with a deck overlooking the creek.

Inside, you'll find the remnants of someone's life. Clothing hangs from the rafters, books cover the tilted and unstable floor, Christmas decorations spill out of mostly decomposed boxes, and dishes are strewn both inside and out. I'm not sure what happened to the person who used to live here, only that they haven't lived in the cabin for quite a while. See that tree? It's the only thing keeping it from tumbling down the embankment. How cool is that? It's impossible to go inside (though I won't tell you who did!). This is the view from the back. I'll show you the front, the cliff, and the creepiest Christmas ornament another day. Even the woods surrounding this old place seem to want to tell a story. I'm in awe every time we walk the land, and I always want to stay.

We hiked here when my cousin was in, then trekked through the woods, before ending up at the creek. I hiked back then, while most everyone else went up yet another cliff, but only because I wasn't dressed for hiking and had given my sister-in-law my gloves because she didn't have a coat.

Anyway.

More winter weather is supposedly on the way. Probably enough to totally screw up my fun plans for tomorrow, and force me to the grocery store today with the rest of the population of our town. Not fun.

Don't forget...New Supernatural tonight...unfortunately, also the last new Supernatural for several weeks. I won't miss it. You shouldn't either!!

Behave!

Already Wednesday

This has been a weird week so far.
Weird, but not necessarily bad. This morning I turned off my alarm because I thought it was Saturday. I've got the same kid who woke me with bodily fluids last week now dealing with upper respiratory symptoms. But even with it being an odd week, there's still not much to report. My truck had it's yearly physical and is now sporting some brand new shoes, which is good because it's snowing it's tail off here at the moment. Probably not enough to even delay school tomorrow, but we'll see.
What else? Well, not much. Writing, chaos, more writing, more chaos...you get the picture.
Speaking of pictures...I realize I haven't posted any on here for a little while. I did promise you one of our totem pole, but that might have to wait until we re-secure it. You kind of don't get the proper effect the way it looks now. I'll see what I can do in the photo department soon. When it's not snowing, there's not much pretty to take pictures of (unless you want to see the mud in my backyard), and if I do see something, I usually don't have my camera with me.
Does anyone else think time is moving rather fast so far this year? In a little over a week, we'll be in another brand new month, and spring will be just around the corner. Yikes!
Okay. Enough rambling for mid-week!
Behave!!

Monday...

Blah.
Yep. That's it exactly. The kids were supposed to be off school today, but since the day was alternately scheduled as a snow make up day, they're in session. Except I have one under the weather child at home. I don't think it's ever going to end. Seriously. K2 is also home for now, but she's on her way to high school. Her arts school wasn't in session today, so she got a bonus sleep in morning.
It's like 55* degrees outside, but supposed to be cooling off as the day progresses. Weird weather.
My spell check button hasn't been working on my blogger page. I don't know what's up with that.
I've been trying to take care of household administration duties today. Then, I realized the banks and post office are closed. So...I still have some phone calls to make relating to my switching phone services. We'll see how far I get with that. I'm not looking forward to it because I have this inkling it's not going to be as easy as it should be.
I need a website. Our new ISP has a place where you can build "personal pages" for free, but it's not exactly what I'm looking for though I did mess around trying to build a site for a while. I'm not sure what I'm doing, but I'd like to figure it out soon. I'm kind of clueless as to how the whole thing works, so I'm going to be trying to figure that out in the very near future.
Oh, the writing, you ask?
Going well. I'm in the last third of the first draft of Out of the Shadows. I should finish by late this week, early next, then it's revision time. I should put the counter do-hickey thing back up, but since I'm nearly done I probably won't.
That's enough rambling for my Monday.
Behave!!

What happened...

to this day?
I seriously don't know! The day flew by and now it's late. I'm tired, but the brain is still too keyed up to even think about going to bed, even though I know I should. I was on my way and the phone rang. On my way again, phone rang again. Then, I realized I hadn't blogged yet, and here I am.
Let's see...
The kids were off school today. I almost wrote 'this week' which is pretty much what it feels like since they only went 2 days. We had plans today, but what happened was fragmented, off time, and pretty much chaotic. But still good.
Okay. Supernatural.
Holy. Crap.
I think I have a new favorite episode. First off, I love Groundhog Day. The whole idea of repeating the same day over and over again intrigues me. (I'd love to write that premise, but I'm not sure how well that would translate into something that would actually make sense. At least right now.)
Sam waking up every morning to Asia, the look on his face, and his growing desperation in knowing he was going to have to watch his brother die...again...was done so very well. There was so much to love about the episode. I can't even tell you all of it. The hug on Wednesday, the bullet wound, Bobby, the deep, dark, rough Sam. The whole thing was wonderful.
And next week looks awesome as well. Then, we got nothing for a little while, which will pretty much kill me. Thank goodness for seasons 1 and 2 on DVD.
Anyway.
Our weekend is pretty solid, but at least there's some fun stuff in there. An actual "grown up" night out with the gang to hear my brother-in-law's band. I can't tell you how long it's been since we've had one of those, and we're both really looking forward to it.
Okay. That's it.
Behave!

Tagged! Again...

Natalie tagged me...


The rules:

Once you're tagged, you have to write a blog with ten (10) random things, facts, goals or habits about yourself. At the end, you choose ten (10) people to tag, listing their names and why you chose them. You also have to leave them a comment telling them "you're it," and instruct them to read your blog for instructions. The rules also state you can't tag a person who's already tagged you.

...okay, but I think I just did one very similar to this...

1. Being without Internet bugs the crap out of me! (it's first because I've had to restart my computer twice this morning, lost my connection once, and I'm still miffed that I can't get online with my laptop!)

2. (borrowing from Nat a little) The S, M, and V keys are completely worn off on my keyboard. Soon A, D, N, E, and C will follow. This drives my family nuts, but makes no difference to me. On the laptop the N is fading and there's a definite wearing of the space bar. It's a good thing I don't need to see the keys to type because replacing the laptop keyboard...well, how easy or logical is that?

3. See #1. If I keep losing my connection it's going to take me days to finish this! Argh!

4. I was a Girl Scout for a very long time, but have very few memories of it. Well, except for the girl who was really freaked out by germs and would cry if she thought you touched something she was going to touch. And making tie-dye, though I don't remember what I made.

5. In high school and college I had perfect grades in grammar and english. By the time I started seriously writing, I couldn't remember most of the grammar rules (just ask my critique partners). It's taken quite a while, but I'm finally starting to remember them...well...all but that stinking apostrophe crap.

6. I wanted to be lots of different things when I "grew up". A graphic artist, a photographer, an archeologist, a nurse, a mom, a writer, an oceanographer, a marine biologist, and several others. Out of that list, I've managed 3.

7. Going from #6, besides being a mom, being a writer is the best job ever. It's also the hardest (besides being a mom).

8. I love to write creepy stuff. Really crazy villians and really odd scenarios. I'm not sure it's "dark", but out of my critique group, I probably write the darkest - or maybe that's "weirdest". I do like me some sarcasm and obnoxious behavior from my hero and heroine though. And there always has to be romance and a happy ending.

9. When I get into a good story, I will continue reading until it's done. I read pretty fast, too. I read the last Harry Potter in less than 36 hours. Yes, I skim, but I still absorb the words on the page and retain what I've read. My dad is the exact same way.

10. I get frustrated and irritated when my house is cluttered. I do like things neat and tidy, but with 6 people, the dog, and the cat living here, I've had to relax my standards or risk going insane and having no time to write. It's taken me a while, and it totally conflicts with my "supermom" syndrome, but now that the kids are older, I refuse to carry the burden of housekeeping alone. Guess what we're doing tomorrow on their day off school? I have to keep reminding myself of that, because today is a writing day for me and if I think too hard about the dust bunnies cohabitating under the kitchen table I'll be so annoyed I won't get anything done.

So there you have it. Too much information, as usual. But hey! I didn't mention bodily fluids in this post! Again, I'm not tagging anyone because most of the people I know have already been tagged.

Oh, and Happy V-D! (eh! Whatever!)

Behave!

Snow Day 2

My Day:
1. More bodily fluids.
2. Very needy, not feeling well children.
3. Chewbacca noises.
4. Too many video games.
5. Laundry washed & dried with a red crayon.
6. Cartoons about male cows with udders.
7. A very long computer line.
8. Lots and lots of noise - most of it happy, but how much wrestling can I endure?
9. Not much writing done.
10.A broken phone
Pleasant. Not.
Stir Crazy. Yes.
That is all.
Behave!

Snow Day!!

Yes, we're actually getting some of the white stuff.
They cancelled school before 6am this morning. There was a little snow on the ground, but not much. It didn't really start snowing until after 11am. By then, I'd cleaned up vomit, gone to the grocery store, cleaned up more vomit, and scratched my head at why they didn't at least let the kids go for a partial day. Doesn't matter. I would have had a kid home anyway. K2 is decidedly under the weather (obviously). That's what I woke to this morning. Then, it was the cat. But you probably didn't want to know about all the bodily fluids I cleaned up today.
Anyway.
I haven't checked the forecast, so I don't know what's in store for tomorrow. It's actually a quiet evening around here since all activities were cancelled. Okay, not that quiet. Everyone is wound up, or they were, now that we're heading into the bedtime hour, things have settled down significantly. Thankfully. I spent the day fighting my virus protection - uninstalling, reinstalling, blah, blah, blah. I think I finally have it fixed. The computer has been in constant use today and not much by me. Hence the lateness of this post.
Man, I miss my laptop connection.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Behave!

Author Chat!

February 26
8 p.m. - 10 p.m. EST
Draumr Publishing Forums
First, you'll have to register here.
Then, you'll be able to talk to the authors of The Shape of Love.
How cool is that?
There will be giveaways, including ebooks - so take a few minutes and click over to talk to us!
Again, it'll be a first for me!
Don't worry - I'll remind you before then.

In other stuff...
We're supposed to actually get some winter weather. That's all I'm sayin'. Don't want to jinx it or anything.
The weekend was long, busy, but good. We had to take a relatively long drive yesterday to pick K2 up from a weekend thing she had. The weather was not so good - blowing snow and really high winds. We took B's moms car since my Suburban is in dire need of new tires (next week), and that little car was pushed all over the highway. And, of course, the exit we needed to get off of was drifted shut, leaving us to sit on the highway for quite a while. We were about a mile from the gas station we planned to stop at for a potty break - and guess who really, really had to go? I considered walking, but the wind pretty much talked me out of that one. I also considered hiking into the shrubs alongside the highway, but the bright daylight and evil wind were factors. We finally made it, and made it home with no huge issues (though traffic, blowing snow, and black ice all factored in).
It's brutally cold here, but the dog doesn't want to stay inside. She'd rather go out and bark at the wind, which is driving me pretty much nuts. Our poor totem pole fell down with the wind, too. I don't think I've ever posted a picture of that. I'll have to see if I have one.
That's all for now!
Behave!

Booksigning! Redux

I have to admit, I was a little nervous.
Not as much as I thought I would be, but considering how much else was going on around here last night and this morning, I think I didn't have time to be nervous. Plus, it snowed this morning, which never bodes well for events people have to travel for.
But...it went very well. We sold some books and had an absolute blast. The folks at One Good Woman are wonderful! They were so accomodating and friendly, and excited we were there. One Good Woman is an awesome store! I loved it, and can definitely see myself going back for cool stuff. The place was packed for a time, and when it wasn't there was still a steady stream of customers. The hours went by fast! My mom and her friend came out, which was wonderful. And my sister traveled quite a distance to come out, which meant more to me than I can say. So, my first signing was a completely positive experience.
On the homefront, K3 called me during the signing to tell me he took First Place in the entire race! Pretty cool especially since this is his last year as a cub scout. They had a 'family and friends' division this year, and K4 won that! Of course, there are no pictures because while B and I had discussed who was taking the camera, neither of us did.
Today was a really good day!
I hope your weekend is going well!
Behave!

Booksigning!!

This Saturday, February 9, 2008

One Good Woman

(gourment gifts - coffees and teas)

1845 Market Street

Camp Hill, PA

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The fabulous Misty and Vicky B - yep, all three authors in The Shape of Love, will be there. Along with the equally fabulous Jacki King. Come out and visit us! It's my very first book signing, plus I'm missing K3's last Cub Scout Pinewood derby race to sign books! So, please come out and see us!

Today I got to hand Vicky B her very first print book. She's multi-published in electronic format, but this is the first time she's gotten to hold a paper book in her hands with her name on it! It was very exciting - almost as exciting as when Misty handed me my book! We signed pre-ordered books, laughed, talked, ate, brainstormed, and actually worked on our own writing while listening to K1 snore on the couch. (don't ask) And my mom stopped by, bringing us each a rose, and getting the first copy of the book signed by all three of us.

In the near future, there will be an author chat featuring the three of us at Draumr. I'll keep you posted with the details. It'll be my first one!

(I'm having a lot of firsts recently! I love it!)

Another new Supernatural is on tonight! I can't wait!!

That's all for now!

Don't forget...Booksigning...this weekend!!

Behave!

Tagged!

Pet and Karen tagged me. So here goes...

The rules of this meme are simple:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.



Six unimportant things about me are:
1. I talk to inanimate objects. (No, they don't answer, and no, I don't expect them to. I'm just noisy, I guess.)
2. I don't like those big woodpeckers. At all.
3. I can't sing. Well, I can, but you definitely don't want me to.
4. I've broken my arm twice, and have had more stitches than I can remember. (surprised? I didn't think so.)
5. I'm a control freak. (Bet that takes you by surprise, too! Ha!)
6. I don't ever fold underwear. Not one single pair. It's a total waste of time. My family knows this, and those that don't do their own laundry either deal with it, or fold their own. (was that too much information?)

Okay, I'm supposed to tag 6 people, but I'm not going to do that. If you feel like doing it, go ahead, then let me know you did it!
Behave!
(p.s. Did I tell you that The Shape of Love is here?) :)

It's Here!!!!!

Look at that!!!!

Aren't they pretty?!!

In my hot little hands, baby!!!

I love it!

AVAILABLE NOW!!!!

Yep, you read that right.
The Shape of Love is now available!
In fact, the author copies are on their way...and I'm having a hard time concentrating on anything else! In a few short hours, I will be holding my very first published work in my hands! WHOOT!!!
The Shape of Love is available at Draumr Publishing and Amazon.com. Unless you know me, then I'll have your copy soon!
The cover's too the left.
What the book is about...just in case you forgot!!
Who's To Say What Shape Is Normal...Join three voluptous women as they open their hearts and minds to possibilities beyond the normal...and straight into the paranormal.
Who's Your Alpha? by Vicky Burkholder
Sunny Clark always thought she was the only shape shifter in the town where she grew up. But when she returns for her high school reunion, she is shocked to find that nearly the whole town can turn into one thing or another. Including her teen crush, David Maxwell.
After a challenge for position in the pack, where Sunny defeats the town's Alpha female, the real question becomes does David only want the new Alpha female, or has he always wanted Sunny just as she is?
Out of the Storm by Misty Simon
Sarah James' quiet, almost solitary life changes when she rescues a wet, bedraggled cat out of a raging storm. But he always seems to disappear without explanation, only to return at the oddest times. Is he really lost, or does he have a secret life outside her apartment walls?
Trenton Cutlass has been forced to roam ever since he was cursed into the form of a fat, tabby cat after dusk. No one has ever taken him in...until Sarah. Suddenly, breaking the curse is more important than ever, or he'll have to abandon the lovely Sarah forever.
Sheltered by Victoria Smith
Drugged and lost after escaping a deranged kidnapper, Dane Masters is stuck as his hereditary alternate form. While wandering the streets on four wobbly paws, he's taken in by vet tech Izzy Burnett. Once he has regained his strength, and his memories, Dane realizes he has found his predestined mate. But will he have time to convince Izzy before the kidnapper turns killer?
Well, what are you waiting for?
Behave!!

Oh Boy...

I'm a little worried.
I've got one home today...flu-like symptoms, though it's too early to tell if she really has the flu or if something else is going on. Except she was with children who'd been/were sick. Which is not a big deal considering everyone at her school is coming down with the same thing. We'll see. All I know is that when I called her for school this morning, the response I got zoomed past my B.S. meter without a second thought. Well, that and the fever she's running. She's one that frequently attempts to yank my chain, though this will only be the second day of school she's missed this school year. My B.S. meter is fairly well-honed thanks to K1.
And now we see if this spreads to everyone, or stays localized. (hence the worry)
Our night ended a little later than I would have liked, and now I'm dealing with the after-effects and K2. She's late - woke up late and ohsovery cranky. And, thanks to that, I've had to request favors of time, traffic frustration, and gas to get her to her arts school. None of which would be a problem if K4 wasn't feeling so yucky. And K3's clock is set wrong. He woke me an hour before my alarm was due to go off to tell me we were probably late. Then, he continued to come and harass me about the time every few minutes. Not in a rude way, just in a worried we were late way. Then, he realized his clock was wrong. My day hasn't started off very well.
Anyway.
Today is B's birthday. No, I'm not going to tell you how old he is. We're not doing much this evening. Our usual Monday obligations will pretty much prevent that (if he doesn't get stuck at work). He's not a big fan of his birthday. Never has been, and I've been with him for at least three-fourths of his total birthdays. It's always been the same. I say "happy birthday", and he says "whatever". Though this morning he didn't. I think he felt sorry for me because of all the crap I'd already dealt with.
That's all for now.
Wasn't it enough?
Behave!

Superbowl Sunday

I gotta admit, I'm not too into the Superbowl game (no throwing tomatoes). We are going to a party later, but more to see friends we haven't seen in ages than to root for any particular team. Though, since I don't follow football I'll be rooting for Natalie's team for her. And no, I'm not saying people shouldn't care about the Superbowl - just that I'm usually pretty flat about it.
Anyway.
Yesterday was my monthly RWA chapter meeting. Always a blast. I got to give this year's Chapter Service Award since I won it last year. Had to make a speech, which I pretty much screwed up and shortened by over half due to my nervousness. I'm glad I got to do it though. The person who won totally deserved the award. She and I were brand new together. We sat together at our very first meeting - a little shell shocked, but determined, so the fact that I got to recognize her was pretty special to me. Then, a few of us went to lunch. What a riot. We had so much fun, and I'm not even going to tell you why. (is that mean?)
The Shape of Love will be available pretty darn soon. Trust me, you'll know when.
That's all for Sunday!
Behave!

February Friday

Okay. I'm just going to go there for a brief minute...
Holy cow, it's February already!
What happened to January?
It went fast, and wasn't a terrible, awful month. Of course, it wasn't a fantastical month either. But whatever.
The new Internet installation went well, but wasn't without some irritations. I now cannot get onto the Internet with my laptop - at least not yet. Apparently, I need some kind of network hub, or other thingy that I can't remember the name of. (which I had no idea about, despite asking the guy 3 times and being assured nothing would change) (Imagine my irritation - you already know how I feel about not having Internet. Not that I didn't, but I couldn't do what I wanted to do.) And, the virus protection that came free with the service is only good for one machine - which means I'll have to come up with something else. Anyway. There were a few other snafu's, but nothing major and all is well now. Can't say I think it's any faster, but that's probably due to the ancient computer than the actual service.
Okay. Supernatural.
Oh. Oh. Oh.
The boys are back, and oh my goodness Sammy is starting to grow up. Lots of door kicking and toughness...oh my. I love the toughness, and yet, I still love the emo Sammy. And Dean...oh Dean. The teeth falling out of the woman's mouth grossed me out, but not as much as the maggots got to K2. She had to leave the room. Well, for that and because she said I was making too much noise. Next week is another new episode with another of my favorite characters, Bobby. I can't wait.
We've got freezing rain here. School was delayed this morning, but luckily, my plans for the day weren't significantly altered. It's really cold, and drainage is poor pretty much everywhere - which meant we had to try (note I said try) to jump a very large puddle in front of the school. Actually, several large puddles.
Now I have to go. Emergency call from K2 to save her from walking home the frozen downpour.
Enjoy the weekend, and...
Behave!

Soon!

We don't have a definite date yet, but The Shape of Love is going to print within the next few days! It's very exciting! I don't even know how I'll react when I get to hold the book in my hands!
Now it's promotion time, which is a totally new experience for me. And if the books come in time, I'll get to participate in my very first book signing. I already said how excited I am, but there's a part of me that's a little bit nervous too.
According to my horoscope February is supposed to be a wonderful month for me in love, money, and career. (except for when Mercury goes retrograde again) Ha! I don't know why I continue to check it, but I do. I'll let you know how it all works out at the end of the month. Might be fun.
Now I'm waiting for the dudes to show up and switch my stuff around. I'm trying to get all my Internet work done before they get here. Which is kind of funny since I never seem to be done on the 'net. And I just realized, as I went down to switch one of the million and a half loads of laundry to be done, that they'll probably need to go into the basement to do their thing. Uh. Not good. Currently, our basement is worse than the depths of hell. No, that's not an exaggeration. Plus, I never did get around to pulling out my desk and cleaning behind it. Oh well...it is what it is.
Don't forget...New Supernatural tonight!
Sam and Dean and spooky stuff and Sam and Dean and cars and Sam and Dean...oh, I can't wait!! There's only 4 more episdoes left because of the writer's strike. All I can say is, I hope the writers get what they deserve soon so they can write more episodes! A world without Supernatural is not a good world. At all.
Tomorrow I'll probably gush more about Supernatural.
Consider yourselves warned!
Behave!

Windy Wednesday

Well, howdy!
It's so windy here - and it's blowing a cutting wind right into your bones. Brrr...
The Shape of Love is coming! More details as they become available, but it won't be long now. Whoot!
Tomorrow I sit and wait for the new Internet and phone hook up. Most likely I'll be without phone and the 'net for hours. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself during that time. Scratch that. I know what I'll be doing. The outage is probably for the best. I might actually get some work done. Of course, there will be strange people working on and in my house as they hook up stuff. Kind of weird. Oh, and maybe I should clean behind my desk before they get here. I should, but am pretty sure that's not going to happen since I have errands to run before they get here.
I'm trying not to watch American Idol right now, but it's not working. Man, some of the people auditioning make me cringe in embarassment for them. And it makes me crazy when contestants trash the show after the judges have passed.
That's your Wednesday update. Nothing special, I admit, but...
The most important thing is...New Supernatural tomorrow! Whoot!
Behave!

Let's See...

Today was one of those days where I ran from the second I got out of bed until...well, now I guess. Or maybe still. I might not be careening around like a chicken with my head cut off (a cliche for you) since I'm finally sitting down, but I'm still very busy, so I don't know exactly what that means.
Doing some computer maintenance - okay, I didn't do it because I'm too impatient and I wasn't quite sure where to go to achieve what needed done - but thanks to some help from a friend, the desktop is most likely ready to handle the new Internet service that's coming.
And yes, it's my own fault for running around like a spaz all day. If I would have prepared for tonight in smaller increments instead of waiting until the last minute, I wouldn't have been checking homework, running the vacuum, and dragging mattresses around ten minutes before our guests were due to arrive.
What's up with the mattresses, you ask? Okay, so it was only one. I decided not to touch the box springs after what the mattress did to me. Anyway, when we helped our friend move, she gave us her very rarely used double bed set up for K3. It sat in my kitchen overnight, then in my dining room. (I did tell you time has been short around here) Even though I knew our guests wouldn't care, I cared. So K2 and I shoved, strained, and finagled the danged thing up to the third floor. It wasn't easy since there was nothing to hold onto, but I've very proud of myself for not letting out the expletives I was thinking. I highly doubt the box spring is going to fit up the narrow stairway to the third floor. We'll see what happens with that.
Anyway (again). Where was I?
Oh. And no, I didn't have to make the dinner that required a little more preparation than tossing some chicken into a pan. But I wanted to. It was worth it. Besides my computer getting all spiffy and happy, we had a good time - which is all that matters. And my house is in pretty decent shape now, so I can spend the rest of the week doing what I need to do without tripping over something stupid that shouldn't have been left on the floor to begin with...but that's another post entirely.
Did any of that make sense?
Oh well...
Behave!

A Whole Bunch O' Nothin'

There isn't much to report.
Oh, except that...The Shape of Love will most likely be released in both paper and ebook sometime in February. I'll let you know once we get a definite date.
On the writing front...
I'm back into the swing of Out of the Shadows. I'll put the word meter back up soon. If you'll notice, I updated my blog a little bit. I'm still playing with that and trying to get the links back up - so if you were there before and aren't now... no worries. I'm working on it.
On the home front...
Not much. We continue to run around like crazy people. No end to that in sight.
The younger K's appear to have hit growth spurt central just in the past 2 weeks. We just did new shoes, and now it's pants. The jeans from Christmas are too short already. K3 is soon going to be as tall as me, (which is good because he needs to grow into his feet) and I don't think K4 will be too far behind.
New Supernatural on Thursday! I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I miss the boys.
That's all I have for now.
I hope your weekend was fantastic.
Behave!

Cover Art

We have the cover for "The Shape of Love".
Yay!!
Unfortunately, we're not allowed to share. Not yet.
Soon!
Seeing my name on the front of the cover was a thrill I hope I never get used to. It's very exciting.

In other stuff, I'm racing around the house like a crazy woman trying to find the list of the things K3 needs for his "basic aid" class at school. The items are due tomorrow, and all I know is that he needs a magazine and a sheet cut into 2 different sized bundles. Ack! I'm driving myself nuts because I never lose stuff like this. The list was just here on my desk and now it's gone. Did I say this is due tomorrow? Yeah.
Off to search some more!
Behave!

Dull Tuesday

It just is.
I can't explain, except that it's the middle of January and don't we all usually feel a little "meh" this time of year?
Around here, it's not the lack of activity. Most of the stuff going on now is cub scout related. Dinners, derby's, the preparation for bridging into boy scouts - and a bunch of other stuff that will be taking up our weekends for a little while. It's hard to believe that we'll soon walk away from the cub scout world that we've been a part of for the last 13 years. I can't think too hard about that or I'll get all nostalgic. (You should be used to that by now)
What else? Hmm...not much. I told you it's been a dull day. Still bitterly, horribly cold out there. I spent my day freezing. I swear my leg bone actually froze. You could have lit my pants on fire and I would have said it felt good. I got a little excited when some flakes started falling, but my thrill was short lived. Dang it.
That's all.
Behave!

A Day Off...Not

You'd think there'd be a little more time to get everything done since the kids were off school today, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Sleeping in was wonderful, though considering the poor quality sleep I had last night, it was more necessary than an indulgence. Our water bed was freezing. I finally got up, using the light on my pen and checked the thermostat to find it turned down to 70*. Did I mention it's pretty much single-digit temps around here? I'm not sure how the dial got moved, but finding B's hand hovering above kind of gives me a clue, plus it moves very easy. We'll have to come up with a way to stop that from happening. Last time it was the opposite, the bed was so hot you couldn't even get under the covers.
Anyway.
Today has been anything than a casual, relaxing day. Errands, shoe buying, unpleasant attitudes from several of the K's, and laundry...'nuff said.
My edits are finished thanks to staying up until 1 a.m. last night. Whoot! Now I have a critique to do, and then I'll decide what's next.
Man, it's taken me a long time to write this. Between the printer malfunctioning, the younger K's bickering, and K2 leaving to go to the mall with her cousins, this should be pages long with the time it's taken.
That is all.
Behave!

Sunday, Sunday

Man, it's cold outside.
The temps around 18* and the wind chill puts it down to 3*. The dog doesn't seem to get that it's too cold for her to stay outside any longer than it takes to do her business. I don't know how long this cold snaps supposed to last, let's just hope it's not too long.
Moving day went okay yesterday. Luckily, it wasn't quite this cold. Our friend was well prepared and had plenty of help, so we were done at a fairly decent time. After we got her bed put together, we went ahead and made it for her, and of course, couldn't just be nice and make it the right way. She hasn't called to yell about that yet. I need to get the picture my brother in law took of my "redneck skiing". Picture a moving cart - one of those four wheel deals with a hole in the middle - and a pair of crutches. Everyone was yelling at me to stop before I fell and hurt myself.
Today I'm writing - well, working on edits - and trying to stay warm.
Hope your weekend is going well.
Behave!

Snow, Music, and Rambling

So...
We had snow, but not enough to mess plans up or delay school. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The extra few hours of sleep would have been sweet.
Today's been busy so far. The usual Friday madness - bills, grocery shopping, taking care of family business. Friday is supposed to be my day off from writing, but not this week. I'm moving back to the edits shortly now that the urgent household chores are taken care of. The family is even having leftovers for dinner so I can work. They don't know that yet.
Anyway.
Sometimes I'm lucky enough to find a song, or a few songs, that suits my work in progress well. The funny thing is, this time I didn't find that song until I hit the editing stage. I know it sounds weird, but the focus I gain from listening really helps. I think I need to pay more attention to the music when I'm working. I used to, but have gotten away from it with the loss of my headphones. I've borrowed K2's for now, and we'll see if I move any faster on the edits now.
That's about it for today. More snow is expected overnight, but since we're helping a friend move tomorrow it would not be a good thing. We'll see.
Behave!

Snow!

Yes, it's snowing here. Yay! It started coming down about an hour and a half ago, and already it's laying on the sidewalks and trees. It's the perfect topper on what's been a pretty decent two days around here.
Our cover for "The Shape of Love" is nearly finished. As soon as I get the okay to share, I'll post it. Things are moving along, and hopefully we'll know the release date soon.
I'm holed up in my "spot", doing my thing (taking a short break right now). K2 is home already due to mid-term exams and is currently working on my last nerve with random loud noises and constant talking though she knows I'm trying to concentrate. (Every time I give her "the look", she apologizes profusely. Except it only lasts less then a minute before the noise starts again.) She's talking to me, the dog, the cat, and the computer while commenting on my choice of music. Oh, and making up new words to the songs. Yeah.
On another front, there's a spectacular chance one of her new hamsters is with child. We'll see, but the critter is very round and grumpy, and has made a nest. Apparently, the pregnancy only lasts about 21 days. She's had the thing 14 days. Oh, and they go into heat about every 4 days. I can't help but see every available container filled with little furry things as they continue to excessively reproduce.
Back to work.
Behave!

Updating...

As you can see I've finally updated the links to the left. The first new one is my my space page, click on over and friend me if you want to (and you have a my space). The second link is the link to my publisher. Head over and check out the coming soon page. "The Shape of Love" is on there, though we're still waiting on our cover art, and if you get a chance go to the blog section and see what's being said about the book. Our back cover blurbs are up.
The desktop computer is feeling a bit better, though still running slow since I haven't removed the pictures or music yet. That's coming once I get some discs and convince the older two to take care of the stuff on their screen names. I spend quite a bit of time yesterday trying to heal it, and feel pretty good about at least helping it run faster.
On the writing front, I'm still working on edits. This is the final stage of rearranging a thread, upping some tension, and making sure everything makes sense. After that, I have a few other projects to make decisions on and I need to get back to OotS. I'm feeling it though - organized, hopeful, sharper, and ready to rock and roll. Oh, and there's our annual writer's retreat planning going on. I'm the committee chair this year, and though it doesn't require a lot of work, there are still things to take care of. I'm excited, but it's not until May. Except I have a suspicion May will be here before we know it - especially since it's already the middle of January.
That's about it. I'm off to the editing cave.
Behave!

And Then...

Still working on the new My Space.
I also need to update around here. I'll get to it, right now I'm doing little bits at a time.
And dealing with computer woes. The desktop (the computer the family uses) is insanely slow right now. When you try to get on the Internet, it's as slow as dial up. Yeah. Lots of fun. I've cleared out the junk, ran the clean up tools, and defragmented, and while it's better...still slow and irritating. Slow Internet is almost as bad as no Internet in my opinion. I'm still working on it. I think the problem is all the "stuff" that's on it - probably thousands of pictures and hundreds of hours of music. Sharing the computer with two teenagers has many pitfalls. Oh, then there are the infected cookies. Obviously, this is my fault for not doing machine maintenance more often.
We didn't get snow. I'm a little bummed by that, though not.
Oh, and the calendar I thought would slow down now that the holidays are over? Ha!
I need a catchy title...I think Tuesdays are going to be for whining on the blog. Hmm...
Behave!!

Branching Out

Don't ask me why. Maybe I didn't think I had enough to do already, but I've made my own my space page. Go here to check it out and if you have a my space, friend me! (Remember I'm still working on it!)
There's nothing wrong with the my space I share with Vicky B at all. I just wanted a page that was all about me, and obviously the blog wasn't a big enough drain on my time. ha!
I've been working on it pretty much all afternoon, trying to get more than "Tom" on my friends list.
There is no other news this weekend. I've been deep into edits while dealing with a crushing, near-migraine strength headache that sleep, medication, and my glasses (and a lot of other remedies)won't cure.
Snow's in our forecast. We'll see. I'm not believing it, though I would like to see some of the white stuff come down.
That is all for now.
Behave!

Random Odd

Things to do in a restaurant while you're waiting for the food to come.

When my cousin and her fiance were here, we braved an eatery with 20 people in our party. That's pretty normal for us, especially when we go to the beach, though the crowd is a little bigger then. There's a lot of wait time and it gets tedious for me, so I can't imagine how the younger ones cope.

Well, yes, I can.

It's like that. I'm not sure what exactly they were building here, but we've had little villages of sugar packets stacked together like tents, straw creations, and other random activities that usually make whoever waits on us roll their eyes. And yes, we always clean it up before we leave.

You can see I have absolutely nothing to say today. Besides a trip to the grocery store, I plan to spend the day working on edits. I keep thinking we have something planned for this evening, but so far it hasn't surfaced yet. We'll see...

Behave!

Check it out...

Go here, or here, or here to check out this:

Fellow My Space cohort, Vicky B's new release!

Available today from Cerridwen Press!

Blurb:

Danger on Xy-One
Vicky E. Burkholder
Book 3 in the Hunters for Hire series
Cerridwen Press – coming January 10th
Aleksia Matthews is an asteroid assayer who would like nothing better than to be left alone. Her life is soon turned upside down when a band of ruthless pirates attack her ship. She manages to escape, but fears the worst for her brother. Ali swears revenge. Although well-trained by Fleet Security, she knows she can't do the job alone. When she literally runs into Jason Cole, a blue-eyed, raven-haired stranger, she knows she has met the perfect partner—in more ways than one.
Special agent and Bounty Hunter, Jason Cole has spent the past year tracking the pirates that killed his brother Zack and Zack's family. He's always one step behind; too late to help the victims. There are never any survivors—until now. It is up to him to keep the golden-eyed, auburn-haired beauty alive and out of trouble until the gang can be captured, and maybe longer.

Check it out!

You won't be sorry!

Behave!

Daily Peeves

1. This stupid DVR thing.
I figured out how to record stuff, but now I can't figure out how to watch what I recorded.
2. It's cold.
Cold in my house. Cold outside. Where's the snow?
3. No new Supernatural.
I miss the boys. Apparently, we have to wait until the end of January for a new episode. I am sad.
4. People hanging over my shoulder when I'm working/writing email/on the computer.
5. The fact that no one knows how to hang up their coat.
Okay. So it's a small list for today. I've been working hard all day. Making progress and feeling pretty good about what I've accomplished so far. There's still more to do, so I'm outta here.
Behave!

Holiday Over

Yeah, I know it's been over for a week now, but I finally got my Christmas tree and decorations stored away. Usually, the tree comes down the day after Christmas for various reasons - deadness being the main one. This year that didn't happen because of time, and because we'd done so much running around we didn't feel like we had much chance to enjoy it.
It was time though. The tree was done. Dry, with the branches turning brown. Not a lot of needle loss though, which means we'll definitely be getting this same type of tree again. I even got the stuff from the front porch put away. The only thing I left out was this old, cool sled. Maybe I shouldn't have put the snowman away...maybe I'll get him back out. I wouldn't want to jinx any possible snow like I think I did last year.
That's all I have.
What a lame post.
Behave!

Spring?

This weather is not cool.
I mean, it is. It's wonderful. Beautiful. Amazing. Nearly 70* in January.
I love it.
And I hate it.
Because we all know this is a temporary abberation. By this time next week we're going to be back to freezing our tails off and complaining about how cold it is. This warmth is not going to help us get through that. I'm a firm believer in snow, but if it's not snowing it should be warm. Oh well...not much to be done about the weather.
In other stuff, this new digital cable thing is pretty darned cool. We got a pretty sweet promotional package, so we've got a few premium channels for free. B and I have been watching "The Stand" each evening and being able to pause and rewind is nifty. No commercials is also pretty nifty.
I'm getting back into my swing with writing. Slowly. I have some editing to do, some other editing to do, more editing to do, and some short stories to work on. Pay no attention to the word meter - its not entirely accurate at the moment.
That's all the Tuesday ramblings I have.
Behave!

Finally the Funny

Okay. Where do I begin?

B prefers to shave his head, especially in the summer months. During the winter, he'll let it grow out some, but will shave when he has to dress up. (No, that is not really what his hair looks like when he grows it. Yes, he's showing a few "thin" spots, but nothing like this). So...He went up to shave in preparation for one of the 55 gazillion Christmas-type obligations we had when he came downstairs with the hood of his sweatshirt up and says: "How much do you love me?" To which my answer always is: "What did you do?" Then he says: "Will you love me when I'm old?" And, of course, I said: "You are old. What did you do?" He proceeds to drop the hood and I thought I was going to die from laughter. I wish we would have had somewhere to go where people would have appreciated what he'd done because it's way funnier than this picture, or my story. He shaved not long after, leaving only the photographic memory behind, which is funny enough. Or not. Maybe you have to know him for it to be funny. I don't know.

Anyway. On this same night, he'd stopped for champagne to toast the signing of The Shape of Love contract. As he popped the cork, it hit the ceiling and then ricocheted back onto his head. Which brought more hysterical laughter from me - so much so I couldn't even croak out enough words to ask if he was okay. Heck. I couldn't even breathe. (My sister did a very similar thing before a wedding, only the cork caught her right between the eyes and left a bloody mark. It's a long story that I don't think she appreciates me spreading around, besides, it's much funnier told in person)

And that's all I have for this unseasonably warm Monday.

Behave!

Getting Lost Inside My Head

Yeah. That's me.
I had all these blog topics I wanted to write about, except now that I'm ready to actually use them I can't think of a single one, except the funny picture I promised, but the photo file is on the house computer and I'm not.
I was going to blog about what I'm looking forward to this year, but I've decided I don't want to jinx myself too much (not that I'm superstitious - but with the luck we had last year...that probably makes no sense, but oh well.). About the only thing I'm going to say is how much I'm looking forward to The Shape of Love coming out. More details soon. I'll keep you posted.
I'd forgotten my writer's group decided not to set annual goals any longer. Instead we'll do the yearly goals prize drawing from the monthly goals. (I won the yearly goals prize this year! First time ever and now I have a very cool bag of goodies!) So I hurt myself trying to decide what I wanted my yearly goal to be for nothing. Not that I'd decided anything concrete before the meeting. Still, knowing what I want to get done this year is a good thing and I at least know that much. I've decided above all else, I need to be a little more flexible so I don't stress myself out too much.
That's about it for today.
Behave!

Saturday

Today was my monthly writers group meeting. I love my chapter. I always leave the meeting feeling recharged and full of hope. Today was no different even though we were crammed into a small space because our regular room wasn't available. We were almost sitting on top of each other, but it was still a blast.
Then we went pet shopping. K2 wanted another small pet and since she had a cage, and her own money, all she needed from us was transportation and advice. After seeing the coolest Great Dane (that's the dog I want), we finally found them. Two Russian Dwarf hamsters. They're very, very cute. I can't remember what she named them, only that she didn't take my suggestion of Franks & Beans. They're all settled into their new home now. I'll post pictures soon. K3 has decided he wants a snake. Sigh.
So yesterday we finally got our digital cable installed. When the ice storm took down our lines, the cable company rep offered us a package that's cheaper than what we were paying per month. Of course I jumped on that, and since by next year everyone will have to convert to digital, I'm ahead of the game a little bit. Which is a rare and unusual thing in this house. Anyway. What a cool thing. I'm digging the music channels and the free movies. We're still learning how to work it, though I did manage to set the parental controls already. And I can't believe how awesome the picture quality is, even on our nearly 20 year old floor model television.
Well, that's about it for me. Our weekend is much more relaxed than what it was this time last week and I think we're still in a state of shock without so much going on.
Behave!

What a Bunch of Crazies!

This is where we rang in the new year.

Around this fire in the freezing cold. See the snow? And my sister went in her slippers and no socks. The guys had been working on the fire for quite some time before the rest of us left the warmth of my sisters house and traveled down icy, slippery trails to gather by the fire. I don't think the thing started burning right until those offended by the cold headed back to the warm house. Yes, it was dark - pitch black dark - and you had to watch your step due to standing frozen water, but you know it's an experience none of us will ever forget. I'm not sure who will remember the fire fondly, and who will grit their teeth and curse, but we were all together toasting in the new year, hugging, and being thankful for each other, for friends who are family, and wishing those that couldn't make it could have been there.

I still have some funny pics to post. I'll get them up soon. Right now, I'm busy organizing myself for the new year. I need to solidify my yearly writing goals before morning. Tomorrow is the first meeting of CPRW for the year, and I get the honor of presenting our chapter service award. Which means I have to give a speech...I don't do so hot with speeches. The mere thought of standing up in front of my peers has my stomach tightening. And these are people I've known for years - my friends and fellow writers. Yes, it's something I need to work on. The funny thing is, I can stand with these same people, repeat the exact same words from my speech and not start talking too fast, or tripping over my words, or turning red, or stammering like a fool, but make me stand up while everyone watched expectantly...shiver, shiver. I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, enjoy your Friday and the weekend and...

Behave!

We are NOT getting a puppy!

Isn't she cute?

Her name is Cleo and she's a four-week old dachshund. She belongs to K1's girlfriend, along with another younger litter of many (I can't remember the number).

They brought the puppy over yesterday and I haven't heard the end of it yet. As I tucked K4 in last night, she called me back into the room and said, in a really sad voice, "I really think we need another puppy". Ack! They're all bugging.

Who's supposed to take care of the puppy when they're all off doing their own thing? Potty training? Cleaning up messes? Yeah.

Don't get me wrong, she's adorable. I know eventually we'll end up with another dog. I'm not ready yet, and neither is our dog. Or the cat, who was rather irritated this black and tan creature was in his domain sucking up all the attention.

There's not much chance of me backing down on this one, but just in case, no one is allowed to say "I knew it", okay?

Behave!

Happy New Year!

And whew!
I hope your new year celebrating went well. We had a blast. I think this new years eve ranks as one of the best yet, even though we didn't get to bed until three in the morning. There were 23 of us spending the night in my sisters house. Yeah. Think major chaos and you have it. Oh and my sisters macaw was along as well - I know I've told you about him. Three dogs and lots of craziness. We played games, laughed, talked, and ended up down at the creek around a big campfire at the stroke of midnight. I'm still processing how I feel about the campfire. It was cool, dark, cold, stressful, and one of those things we'll never forget. I'm not sure if any of my pictures will turn out.
This morning, after breakfast, cleaning up, and discussing the snoring going on in the house during the night, we headed to the movies to see the new National Treasure with 25 people. Very cool movie.
Now...whew...we're home - completely done with the insane craziness that's consumed us for the past few weeks. Life back to normal. Thank goodness. And I'm ready to crash for the night already.
There you have it.
Behave!