Feel Good Friday...On Saturday

It's been a while since I posted a Feel Good Friday! I know it's Saturday, but I was so done in last night all I could do was stare at the computer screen...
All Friday's are Feel Good, as I'm sure you know! The last couple have been especially good (though chaotic)!
But here's the Feel Good from this week:
1. Sleeping in this morning. Ahh!
2. My kid getting a role in the Fall Play!
3. Plans for my nieces birthday! Ren Faire! Yay!
4. Coffee with pumpkin spice creamer.
5. Getting somewhat caught up.
6. Writing time! Yay!
7. Not running out of gas.
8. Wedding pictures.
9. Fall! Yay! I love fall.
10. Potential plans for today... About 10 minutes until I find out for sure!
That is all...
Behave!

One More...

Wedding picture, then I promise I'll stop for a little while.

This is the cake table conceptualized by my very talented sister. The lace tablecloth is an heirloom in That Man's family. The table is an antique and the plates are in an old explosives box. This is a very good example of using what you have on hand. Lucky for us, my sister and brother-in-law inherited his grandmother's house - with an attic full of treasures. Also, lucky for us, our good friends own a red tent thingy. We kept all sides on during the ceremony and dinner portion of the day, leaving the back on for the actual cutting. It was an awesome contrast.
Here's one with the cake:

The cake was insanely good and filled with raspberry awesomeness. My sister-in-law makes the best cakes in the world - they not only look pretty, but they taste just as good. (We had a little problem with the pillars, which caused an emergency cake cutting, but it was all good) And yes, the cake topper is rubber ducks.
We're still dragging around here though - made worse by the fact that That Man's mother was admitted to the hospital yesterday after a fall. (It never ends). She's doing okay now, but That Man didn't get home until almost 4am.
And... as predicted... the wedding ideas for K2 are being tossed around like crazy. I dig the wedding planning though... my sister, a friend, and I were talking about going into the business...Only problem is that weekend working stuff...
Behave!

Beautiful Day...

The wedding is over... The weather was gorgeous. The bride was stunning. My handsome son could not stop smiling. I cried. So did that man. It was just so beautiful and my kid is so happy.
Everything came together fantastically. (Yes, that's a hand painted sign to guide guests to the site). The decorations looked great, even the portajohn was decorated and pretty.
See: 
We had a blast! The music was awesome, so was the food. There were very few glitches despite us running around like crazy fools all morning. We had a time schedule and ended up a half an hour behind at one point. Thanks to some awesome friends, we suddenly found ourselves finished and in plenty of time. The bridal party was running a little late and there were some hair glitches that meant they were about 15 minutes behind start time, but it all worked out. We danced like fools, laughed like lunatics, and stayed up until 3am.
Then... we had to clean up on Sunday! Oy! We learned a lot of things during this whole process, one of the things was to find volunteers for help with clean up. There was a whole lot of work involved and cleaning up was definitely not as fun as setting up. By the time we got home, I could barely walk (especially since I dropped a really heavy mirror on my toe).
And... We will have our first grandson in January. :)
Behave!

Less Than Two Days...

This wedding will be over soon, so just be patient with me for the next few days! The wedding insanity will end for a little while (but not for long, since K2's wedding is coming!).
Here's where I'm at:
The food for rehearsal has been purchased and stored properly. Cole Slaw has been made. Burgers and dogs are stored in my freezer. The "watermelon cake" K1 requested is 1/3 done (it takes time and many trips to the freezer). The food for the wedding has been purchased. The sauce for baked ziti has been made (mine is the "special sauce" ziti). Five hundred thousand muffins have been made for the wedding morning (okay, so I exaggerate, but I have learned my oven is very uneven and burns half of whatever you put inside. Dammit!)
Many other things have been purchased and organized. The veil (that was kind of forgotten about) has been made by a wonderful friend. Some other things need to be taken care of.  Like my dress. Still have no idea on that one. My sister has taken care of hers, but sadly, I wasn't able to join her in the shopping for the dresses tonight. I did, however, get to bond with the terrific toddler of the Godfather of our children while we picked up wedding essentials. She's so funny. I taught her how to snore and she showed me the deer in their backyard. And made me miss my granddaughter a whole lot.
The other thing is that... at two days before the wedding... my hair has gone crazy. It's only about a half an inch long, but it's sticking up like crazy! I can't comb it down at all. So I will look like the insane mother of the groom at the wedding with my nutso hair and without a dress I feel comfortable in. Oy! (Sorry... little freak out moment there...)
There is a whole heck of a lot of stuff to do... I am supposed to be editing the vows right now, but it's super late and after the day job day I had today, my eyes are crossing (that and the fact that I didn't get home until almost 9, and then made all of the above food items with K2 and K3 singing songs from Disney and Rent in the background...)
I have to get the rest of the stuff done tomorrow... like the flowers for the flower girl and ring bearer and the wedding dog... (don't ask). And pack. And finish the watermelon cake. And go to a meeting I can't get out of. And find a dress...because Friday is rehearsal day and decorating day...
And it's going to be awesome!
Because watching my son marry the woman of his heart is priceless....
Behave!

The Tuesday Before...

I have a few quick minutes to update before I have to head out the door for more wedding preparations.
The food consumption containers have been purchased. Necessary flowers also purchased - now they need to be put together.
There's food to purchased and cook. And some other stuff to be taken care of, though I don't have my list in front of me.
And I need a dress since my only real choice was veto'd due to potential clashing and the fact that I really didn't like it.
My sister needs one now, too, since she caught hers on fire. For real. Don't ask. I'm not sure you want to know.
Anyway.
That is all for now.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition

I know it's Sunday...Friday was 2 days ago? I think!
It's been nuts! But I do have a list...
1. This time next week this wedding will be over. I'll probably be a little sad, because I love the chaos and planning and doing, but I'm so tired... Pulling a wedding together - even one as very small as this - in less than a month is a lot.
2. Being covered in paint, having blisters, sores, and a bruise on my arm - because it means we made some serious progress over the weekend. (and a spider bite between my toes)
3. Waking up to coffee with pumpkin spice creamer, the best pillow ever, and an incredible view.
4. Finding my phone charger after it grew legs last night.
5. Hanging out with some of the best people I know. (Well... not really hanging out... wedding planning)
6. Maybe finding out what my new grandchild will be tomorrow. They're not sure if they're going to tell me or make me wait until Saturday!
7. That man cooking an awesome dinner while I was painting, and going to the store with me because I was too tired to go alone.
8. Seeing how gorgeous my girls look in their bridesmaid/groomsman dresses. (K2 will be one of her brothers groomsmen. His best man is a woman who's been his best friend since kindergarten. I think it's awesome.)
9. Hammering out the schedule for the weekend.
10. Sleep.
Okay. There it is... Updates will be sketchy at best this week. I might have pictures soon!
Behave!

What Day Is It??

One week from today...
There is still SO freaking much to do! And thanks to a little paycheck snafu, I am dead in the water at the moment. Blarg!
As soon as my laundry is caught up, I will be heading into the wilds to work on decorations, flowers, plans. I've made some of the boutonnieres. They turned out well. And the throw bouquet. It's cute and the bride loves it. I've never done this kind of flower thing before, but I'm digging it. As it turns out, it's a good thing I like it, because K2 informed me that I will be doing it for her wedding, too. (though she waited to tell me until after the first few boutonnieres were made. Guess she wanted to make sure I could actually do it! ha!)
I forgot the flowers for the bridesmaids and thanks to the above, I can't pick them up on my way to the mountain. I need to pick them up though and a hundred other things, so will have to work out a plan.
This next week will be insane! I even have an itinerary started just to make sure I can get everything done!
But I'm looking forward to it! I love this kind of chaos and I love the fact that my son is marrying the woman of his heart. She's wonderful and fits in perfectly with this family.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

I don't care that this will say it posted Saturday... It's still Friday for me. I'm still awake!!
Here's the list...
1. Baseball games. It was fun. I still didn't win the 40" flatscreen, but... It was K3's first baseball game of the season and he was excited. K3 and K4 entertained everyone around us with their antics, and we were told how funny they are. (None of those people have to live here... just sayin' lol)
2. Friday! AND it's a long weekend!! YAY!!
3. Writing meeting tomorrow!
4. Wedding stuff - even though it's kicking my butt!
5. Weekend plans!
6. The turkey sub or maybe stromboli in my future...
7. Writing time this weekend.
8. Getting caught up on stuff.
9. My kids and that man - they are so danged funny and so much fun to hang out with.
10. Dr. Who coming back this weekend! Yay!!!
That is all...
Behave!

Bugs and Stuff...

Last night we were at the grocery store - late. As I was leaving to meet that man at the car, there was a group of guys standing around an empty shopping cart looking at something. Of course, being the nosy person I am, I had to stop and look. And take a couple of pictures.
See that huge Praying Mantis?
Very cool!! I hadn't seen one all year!
******
In other news... wedding planning is... Well... It's exciting. For both weddings. The one that's only 2.5 weeks away is a little stressful. There's a lot to do and very little time and money to work with. We had another wedding meeting tonight and made some major progress. I had a little too much coffee (but it was so good!) and forgot my trusty notebook, but we're in good shape.
******
My new grandbaby is growing. In less than 2 weeks, I'll know if I'll have another granddaughter or a first grandson.
******
The new wip - It's coming. I'm thinking. And I'm very excited!
******
That is all!
Behave!

And So It Begins...

School has officially started. The kids had good days, though I did hear "I don't feel good" as soon as I walked into the door. Oy. I hope it's not going to be one of those years... I have finished the 17 metric tons of paperwork I'm required to fill out, taken a much needed walk with that man, and have opened a brand new word document.
New book... SQUEEE!
First lines: There is no green anywhere.
The tree in front of the outpost is dead, its leaves dried and brown, though they still cling to the branches. Pretending. That's what most people do now. They pretend we aren't running out of food and starving to death. That people are killing each other for canned goods with no labels. That they didn't eat their family pet just to survive. 
All of that will probably change. I'm just trying to get the idea down. I don't even know the heroines name yet, though I did figure out she's some kind of cop.
Also, let me just tell you that wedding planning is an absolute joy. Not. Copious amounts of adult beverages are going to be required if I'm going to come through this with even a quarter of a brain. It's literally like herding cats, or jello, or fleas, or something equally inattentive. And it's 2 weekends away.
Maybe I'm foolish for starting a new book before this wedding is over, but I think it's the only thing that's going to keep my sane...
That is all for now.
Behave!

School Starts Tomorrow...

The mood in my house is a mix of dread and excitement.
Backpacks are loaded with new pencils, paper, and folders. New sneakers, socks, underwear, and various other items have been purchased. We didn't do the full load of school shopping, but will take care of jeans, more shirts, etc, over the next few weeks.
7th and 10th grade...
Wow!
I'm excited for them. I'm excited for the routine, though I'm not quite ready for summer to end. Our summer has been mostly crappy with the loss of both of our beloved pets and some other stuff I won't get into. We have had some fun though. Camping, an extended July 4th camping trip, our 4.5 gorgeous days at the beach, hanging out in the backyard, wedding planning x2, hanging with the family, random crazy happenstances.
AND! Tomorrow I am starting a brand new book! That's some awesome awesomeness right there!
Fall is coming. I love fall! So much! I love sweatshirts, comfy pants, fires, pumpkin spice candles, baking, comfort food, pumpkins....and new books! Whoot!
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

There isn't a lot of good to this week... I miss my puppy so much. Our house is sad and quiet. Her dishes are gone, so is her bed. Her "babies" are in the washing machine to be claimed by K3 & K4 as reminders of their best friend. The fire sirens went off a little while ago and that man and I looked at each other - someone's got to make sure the dog is in because she'll howl. But no. We don't. She won't be "singing" along with the sirens anymore.
So... in honor of our very special family member. Here is Feel Good Friday - Abbie Style...
1. Our Abbie was the Safety Dog. Any time the kids were doing something she thought was unsafe, she would freak out. Whether she barked, pestered me, or tried to block them... she was on duty. One time, we took her to the beach. She was upset that the older three were in the water splashing around. She wouldn't stop whining and bugging me. K4 decided she was ready to go into the ocean and as I picked K4 up to take her into the waves, Abbie knocked me down and stood between me and K4. She did not want her baby in the water.
2. When she was a puppy she used to crawl on top of the open dishwasher door. It was so, so cute.
3. She wasn't allowed on the couch. She was always on the couch when we weren't looking.
4. She could "high five", "speak", and "shake". When my sister got her dog we were forbidden to teach Nezzie how to shake.
5. When K5 first started walking, Abbie was terrified of her. She would back away while still assuming a submissive position. She never snarled or growled, but she was scared of this tiny walking thing...
6. Our yard isn't completely fenced in and until recently, we never had to worry about it. She never left. Occasionally she'd go down to visit That man's mother (who lives right behind us and has had her share of Abbie duty while we're away). A few times she'd go trash can diving because the garbage smelled too good too resist, but not often. Then she began wandering... (The vet said the toxins in her brain made her think weird things which is why we had to track her down lately)
7. She loved the creek and camping... Which is why we buried her in The Meadow. Any time she even thought we were going to either my sister's house or the creek, she was in the truck... waiting. And she wouldn't get out no matter what. She loved my sister's dog and my sister's family (they were here when we brought her home and she thought they were hers too.)
And... I can't do this anymore....
I miss her more than I can even say. She was my girl. She was my buddy and my friend....
Rest in Peace...
Behave...

Goodbye...

Today we had to say goodbye to our puppy, Abbie. She wasn't a puppy. She was going on 12, but she was my puppy - my baby.
She'd been declining pretty rapidly over the past month. The vet said her liver failed. She had a mass and her liver was no longer working. The toxins had built up in her poor body and she was suffering. She said they could give her fluids and let us take her home, but she felt that was cruel. Abbie was in pain.
I seriously hoped she had some kind of strange infection and that after a few antibiotics she'd be fine.
I was wrong. The vet said there was nothing we could have done differently, nothing we did wrong. It happens. She was old and there is no rhyme or reason for these kind of things.
I was with her when she died - holding her, sobbing into her soft black fur. The vet assured me she was ready and that she could tell by her eyes that she adored us.
The vet carried her to my truck, hugged me, and said no charge for the visit. I really love our vet, except... we now have no animals to take there anymore... (2 beloved pets in less than a month is a little much, don't you think?)
We brought her home and took her to her favorite place for burial. She's at The Meadow, watching over everything.
I will miss you, my sweet girl. So much.

Behave...

Halfway...

Halfway through the week...
Tomorrow is Thursday! Good. That means we're closer to Friday. Though this weekend will be stocking up on school supplies, buying sneakers, undies, and school crap for the big day on Monday.
K3 is excited. K4 is angry.
This summer has gone fast! Too fast! We've had some good stuff, but mostly, it's been drudgery and nonsense.
I am so looking forward to fall. So much. And... I think I might even be looking forward to Christmas. (don't faint - we will see)
That is all...
Behave!

The Real World...

Sucks...
And here's why...
1. Monday. Really? Do you have to be so "typical"?
2. Laundry does not do itself.
3. I forgot to buy half of the stuff I needed to make dinner tonight... (still turned out pretty good)
4. Wedding planning is a p.i.t.a. Just saying...
5. I need a vacation to recover from my vacation - and it was a short one.
The good things about today:
1. Writing time.
2. The rain.
3. A cozy, comfortable evening at home with no outside obligations.
4. Comfy pants.
5. Being able to sleep in my bed.
That is all...
Behave!

Back From the Beach...

Sorry for the long radio silence...
I've been at the beach... soaking up the sun (a little too much sun), having fun with that man and those children (some of them)... It wasn't our regular trip to the Outer Banks, but my close second choice. Also, it wasn't just our family, but a scout trip - but since some of the scout families are like family...
Things I learned at the beach:
1. I can go nearly 5 whole days without Internet, my iPhone, and laptop. A good lesson for me. I feel pretty danged free and without worry that my phone or laptop would get broken or sand/water damaged. In fact, my crappy temporary cell ended up locked in the truck the entire time we were there because I did not care.
2. The ocean and cell phones do not mix. Ask K3. He forgot to take his cell out of his pocket and is in the process of ordering a new one.
3. Spray sunscreen sucks. I am sun burnt. So is that man. He has stripes on his back and I have burn in weird places...
4. Horse Flies are the devil.
5. Porta Johns suck. (I knew this from last year)
6. My future daughter-in-law is a trooper. 5 months pregnant and her first time sleeping in a tent for more than a night. It was her first "real" camping trip and she did wonderfully and without K1. We had a blast!
7. That man with a fishing pole at the beach equals a real smile. (I already knew this, but it was good to see) And I have not seen one of those smiles in quite a while.
8. Also, even though I already knew that man is awesome... He willingly dealt with the chaos of picking up my iPhone on the way home.
9. Sometimes you have to make 65 million trips to the closest pharmacy because they have the best tea in the world on sale.
10. Laughter really is the best medicine.
It was a good trip. But I am glad to be home. I missed home. I am not looking forward to Monday morning though...
Behave!

Still Freaking Out...

So...
I woke up yesterday morning after a very sleepless night and prepared myself to go to my local cell store. I arrived... what I thought was only 20 minutes early... and since I'd confiscated that man's cell, discussed plans for the evening with my mom. When the hour hit, I got out and went to the door... only to realize I'd misread the hours and had another hour to wait... Not happening, so I went home. (only a few miles away)
Obviously, I went back. Too early again, but I was waiting at the door when they unlocked. The tech was completely sympathetic to my crisis, but all he could do was confirm my phone was very dead. He gave me some advice and said... "Welcome to the Hell of iphone ownership."
He wasn't lying.
When I got home, I called the number to make an appointment at the Apple store. The woman who answered did not listen to me and tried to tell me I had to pay either $200. or $69.95 to get a replacement. I said no. My phone is under warranty. I haven't had it that long. I finally told her to just make me an appointment at the Apple store and to stop talking. She apologized and made the appointment.
So, I drive nearly an hour away - leaving early in case I got lost - and finally arrived at this geek girl's dream. I love the Apple store. I would live there. They were very nice and helpful to everyone around me. People left smiling. Then it was my turn. The tech was awesome and nice and did everything he could, but, honestly, it was not enough. I left in tears, without a replacement phone and feeling like I had no options. Oh, it's on order and will arrive in 5 to 7 days... Yeah. Really? That sucks hard. I even offered to accept a lesser phone, but they had none of those in stock either. (I didn't have to pay anything.) I don't understand why I can't exchange it at my cell providers store and walk out with a working phone.
I walked to the store for my cell company and explained my situation. I love my cell phone provider. The guy was helpful and nice and hooked me up with a cheapy toy phone for a few bucks.
This "temporary" phone sucks butt. It doesn't even have voice mail. I don't like it. At all. But at least I have a phone and can text...
The thing is, I am still very much in love with my iPhone. I feel as if I am missing an arm or leg. I'm nervous and shaky... I know that doesn't bode well for my dependence on the thing and maybe being forced to be without it will turn out to be a good thing. (But I doubt it)
I know. I know. I'll survive. Maybe.
Behave!

I Am Freaking Out...

My iPhone is dead.
I know you know how much I love my iPhone!
It will not turn on - no matter what I do. I have tried every single fix. Visited every website and even watched a You Tube video where the phone in question was smashed to bits. (That's really not going to help me considering my phone should still be under warranty).
I don't know what happened. We were on our way to pick up K3 and it just died. It's been on the charger for more than 2 hours with nothing...
Ahhhh!!! We will see what my trip to the cell store brings tomorrow....
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Oh, week... why do you have to always kick me where it hurts?
There is good though... there is always at least "some" good...
1. Sleeping in tomorrow... Always good.
2. The beach is coming soon....
3. Gas points... because... they are awesome and money saving...
4. The critique partner having the book and having some very awesome concerns... (I know that's kind of backwards, but she ALWAYS knows....) The spectacular thing is that her concerns coincide with my concerns...
5. Wedding meeting coming up! For K1 and it will be an awesome wedding even though we have very little time to plan!
6. My new grandchild coming after 2013 begins...
7. One year from today K2 will be legally wed to her soulmate! How awesome is that??
8. The beach! I am unsure and a little nervous, but it's the beach!!
9. Getting stuff done... accomplishment is always good...
10. Sleeping in tomorrow... I am so very tired....
Behave!!!

What a Day...

Here's a list of things I will not do tomorrow:
1. Sleep in. :(
2. Wear "real" shoes. (flip flops only - until the boss tells me to stop it)
3. Revise, edit, or write. Which, this time, is good because it means my manuscript has gone to one of my trusty critique partners for a final read through. Yippee!
4. Put my hair up. Because I still don't have hair. It's getting longer, but I will probably cut it one more time before I let it grow again. It's ridiculous looking at the moment and the man won't give me the temporary mohawk I want! I'm still working on him.
5. Did I mention not sleeping in? Dang it!
6. Kick a toad.
7. Lick chickens.
8. Be home or in bed at a decent time.
9. Be able to finish the Firefly marathon I started tonight. (I am working on getting K4 hooked! And it's working!)
10. Buy a horse.
Well...There's your random list for Wednesday...
Behave!

Of Ice and Men...

Or of Ice and Kids.....
This sign is hanging in my freezer. It's a reminder to check, empty, and fill the ice cube trays. Our old fridge had an automatic ice maker and still couldn't keep up with the demand around here. I buy bag after bag of ice, but there is never any in the cold box.
I'm not sure the sign will help, but it's worth a shot - especially since the ice bin is behind the sign. I'll have to switch it up in a few days because they'll get used to seeing it and the words will no longer mean anything to them.
***
It's been an insane weekend so far. Late nights, little sleep, and constant running. I did manage to sprint into the grocery store for some essentials yesterday in between taking my niece home and getting to a birthday party, but didn't have time to do the regular shopping. I have a few glorious hours of no obligations this morning... And I am writing.
I probably should get to it.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

The "No, it's not really Saturday, even though it is, but I'm still awake so it's Friday" edition... 12:47am - I just finished catching up on everything I HAD to do tonight (and there was no writing! Wah!) and I should be in bed, but the shot of caffeine I had has not left me yet, so now you're stuck with me...
Okay... Here's the list:
1. Baseball game tonight! And That Man's company picnic. Bleh food, barely talked to anyone from That Man's office because we were so spread out (remember - I used to work there, too), but a good time. We took our niece and K4 since K3 had to work. S had a blast and even got caught commenting on the cuteness of one of the players. (Her face was RED! And... He was cute!) The game was kind of boring until the 7th inning. The only thing that kept me amused was K4 and S and their antics.
 2. The Fireworks after the game. They were crazy amazing! Didn't go off too high - I guess because of the humidity ?? - and they were right over our heads. (we had cardboard pieces falling on us) Very cool.
3. Living through the work week.
4. Writing group meeting tomorrow! (In like...8 hours because I have to do a board meeting first... Oy! But breakfast is involved, so that's good!)
5. The rest of the crazy weekend! Birthday parties, Eagle Scout Ceremony (always cool), umm...I think farmer's market, grocery shopping, and laundry are part of the weekend, but I don't know when...
6. K5 and her absolute adorableness.
 Short list this week...
 Behave!

I Could Have Sworn...

I posted earlier this week... Or maybe I was swearing and that's why I didn't? I don't know, but Holy Crap! It's Thursday already! And it's August! Lots going on around here, but not much worth sharing. Just the usual chaos with an extra portion or two thrown in for kicks and giggles Except... K5 is the most hysterical, cutest kid ever! We watched her for a few hours last night and not only did she make everyone eat "pink" ice cream because that's her favorite, she wore us out. In a good way, of course. She's the bestest! and... Looking forward to the weekend, even though it's crazy busy! Feel Good Friday will be late, but it'll show up eventually! Behave!

Feel Good Friday

What a truly sucky week!! I'm afraid there's not much good on the list for this week, but I'll give it a shot...
1. K4 coming home from camp. She had a great time! She talks nonstop about all of the things she did and was hysterical to watch during the closing ceremonies. I missed that kid!!
2. Friday. Thank God.
3. Getting hit on when I went to pick up lunch today. It was flattering, amusing, and amazing considering my hair is still boy short. The bonus is the guy wasn't unattractive.
4. Making revision progress - pretty decent progress, considering.
5. Sleeping in tomorrow...
That's all I've got... Like I said... Sucky week. I miss my kitty boy and K4 was devastated when she got home...Blarg!!
Behave!!

Good Night, Sweet Kitty

Today we said goodbye to our kittyboy, Kramer. :( He was 15. We got him almost exactly 15 years ago as a kitten, with his sister (who tragically passed away about 7 years ago). He was a good cat - good enough that I could overlook the bathroom issues he developed recently.


We knew he didn't have long. He'd stopped eating and had been moving slowly for a while. Occasionally, he'd play with something and make us forget how old he was. His favorite thing was to take over the dog's bed (as seen in the first picture). He would always get on the back of the couch behind me and hang out with me when I write. When I'd get up, he'd steal my spot and put his paw on my computer.


Those that aren't home had said their goodbye's, because we knew it wouldn't be long. Though I didn't expect to come home tonight and find K3 on the basement floor, curled around the cat, sobbing. That broke my heart more than I can say. K3 doesn't remember this house without Kramer. He wasn't even 1 when Kramer came to live with us. He and Kramer were buddies.
Good Night, Sweet Kitty. We will miss you more than you'll ever know.
Behave!

Things I Miss...

1. My baby girl. She is at camp this week. It's only Tuesday and I feel like she's been gone forever. I think / hope she's having a grand time. 2. Sleeping in... 3. Summer vacation with the minions... 4. Hanging out with the friends / family. 5. Writing time. 6. Sleeping in. Yes, a repeat, but I am sooo tired. 7. Summer science experiments. 8. Summer relaxation. (Sense a theme here?) 9. The beach!! 10. The bff's. Soon! That is all... It's only Tuesday. Today feels like Monday, but the week *is* slowly ticking away. I hate to wish the days gone, but... Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

Here's the list:
1. That man and that boy finally home after a long week of Scout summer camp. I missed them. A lot.
2. That man's face. And his hug. And thankfully, he will be sleeping beside me once again. 
3. K4 being so excited to go to camp tomorrow.
4. Our "Hello, Goodbye" dinner tonight. The boys are just home. K4 is leaving for camp tomorrow. Good food is planned. And adult beverages.
5. Sleeping in this morning. After a long week of not much sleep, it was very needed. Then... a nap. Nice!
6. Living through the work week.
7. Making writing progress. Not as much as I'd hoped, but still good.
8. Wedding planning x2.
9. Getting stuff done.
10. Beach plans.
That is all for now...
Behave!

I Need Some Sleep...

Yes, it's after 11pm. I am going to bed as soon as I catch up with myself... I think it's been a week, or more, since I've managed to get to bed before 1 or 2 am. (and during the week, I have to get up at 5:55am)(Yes, I slept in Saturday and Sunday, but when you go to bed at 3 and wake up at 9...well, that's not really sleeping in. It's just sleeping more than usual.) Anyways... Things have gone crazy around here. The oldest and his bride-to-be have decided to tie the knot. Okay, yes, they're engaged, but the original wedding date was changed to "undetermined". With the January arrival of my new grandchild,(didn't tell you that one, did I?) they've decided to push the date up - to 7.5 weeks from now. My future daughter-in-law's mother is ill and I am standing in for her in many ways. Mainly, helping to plan the wedding. The wedding planning is easy. This kind of thing is right up my alley. I love it, but we're doing this on a very skimpy budget so it's challenging. We had our first planning meeting tonight (which is why I'm not in bed yet)and there is a long list. I have to get myself and my family organized to manage it all. My first priority is to get the project I'm working on finished and returned. That's a must and cannot be pushed aside. I'm making fantastic progress. I love this story, but it needs some work. I can't and won't set it aside because this is mine and what I need / have to do is important, too. I might have to get a t-shirt made that says that. Of course, I'd have to wear it every single day... I see a long stretch of 1 or 2 am bedtimes in my future... Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

It's been that kind of a week! Here's the list: 1. Sleeping in this morning. 2. Waking up to the smell of coffee. Okay, so the coffee smell woke me up, but still... 3. Hanging out with that man I live with. 4. Watching Dr. Who reruns. 5. Camp preparations. 6. My house being somewhat clean. 7. The cat seeming to be feeling better. (He's old and has been hanging out in K4's closet - not really eating and barely coming out.) 8. Making it through the work week. It was chaos. 9. The kids getting all of the laundry caught up. 10. The excitement over camp in this house. That is all for now. Behave!

Jeffrey...

We had a little Blue Jay... Well, kind of.
Last night two little Jay's blew out of our big tree. One was trying to fly and ended up stuck between the woodpile and the fence. I tried to help him by encouraging him to step up on a stick so I could put him someplace safer. That went well, except the momma bird went crazy and I thought I was going to get my eyes pecked out. (Kid you not. As soon as he was safe, I ran.)When I went out later, the two little birds were hopping around the neighbor's yard. They were very cute and the momma and daddy were close. Today when I got home, one of the little Jay's was hanging with K2 on the patio. It looked like something was wrong with his mouth, and he was so weak and scared. We managed to get some water into him via the rodent tube water thingy. He took to that very well and the kids were hopeful he'd be okay. He continued to hang out on the edge of the picnic table. The kids named him Jeffrey.
B and I knew something was wrong and we tried to prepare the kids for his eventual demise, (This was not our first bird rescue. They never end well.) but they were confident he was going to live and be their yard pet. Then...something bad happened. K4 scared him on accident (forgetting he was clinging to the leg of the picnic table) and he squawked and flew into K3's foot. And died. Chaos erupted. K4 cried, yelled that she'd killed Jeffrey, and ran to her room. K2 tried to coax Jeffrey back to life. K3 offered suggestions. We really thought Jeffrey had fainted or something. But... No.
Jeffrey was very truly dead.
I seriously don't think K4 accidentally startling him had anything to do with his death. He was very weak and, like I said above, something was wrong with his tongue. I don't think he broke his neck flying into K3 either. Obviously, he was a sick bird. He was beautiful and it was sad (and so weird). K4 is still feels responsible despite how many times and ways we've explained she's not. :(

Rest in Peace, Jeffrey. You were a beautiful baby.
The other thing is... the kids name everything Jeffrey. And everything they name Jeffrey dies (mainly plants - like K2's bonsai tree - and bugs). So the new rule in the house is that Jeffrey is a death name and no living thing shall ever be named Jeffrey again.
Behave!

Summer Survival Journal: Year Four - Entry Two

We're not even halfway through the hot season... 

The constant hunger of the natives is wearing me down. The shells and beads I must trade to fill their stomachs breaks my meager supply. They must have sustenance though, so what am I to do? I return to camp after a long day of earning the required shells and beads only to find the baskets and cold box empty of supplies. Their cries of hunger break me and I have no other choice but to drag my weary self to the market to make sure they are provided for. 

The natives are whiney and bored and constantly haunt me. There are no private spaces in our camp, or even when I am away from camp. They are always connected to me in some way. I have constant company in the checking of electronic devices, cooking, talking on the phone, walking, writing... Most of the time I do not mind, because I miss the natives as much as they miss me, but there are days...

Days I dream of running to other camps and hiding out for a moon or so. I could do so, but chances are, I will not. These natives have touched my soul. I am powerless to resist them. I have obtained the ability to escape for a few hours on occasion and have done so. The time does wonders for my soul and gives me the energy to deal with the chaos when I return to camp. 

I already know I will survive this season. In many ways, it is easier than past seasons, though I long to be at camp full time again and not have to deal with this kind of sweating for shells and beads, arranging native companions, and being so drained every second of every day. Someday. Hopefully before they are ready to leave our camp... 

Look for my signal flare. If you see it, fire up the margaritas...I will be most appreciative...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Post-Mini Vacation Edition

So...our little vacation was wonderful. Four nights sleeping by the creek... (freezing at night, believe it or not), fishing, relaxing... it was very nice!
Here's the good stuff...
1. Meeting my sisters Spanish foreign exchange student. She is super nice and super sweet. The kids all get along fantastically!
2. Hanging with that man! We actually got a few hours of alone time!
4. Sleeping in.
5. Camp coffee!
6. Kayaking on the creek.
7. Hanging out with the crew.
8. Kid time.
9. Hanging out with friends by the pool after we got home.
10. Friday now!
That Thursday and Friday back into the real world sucked pretty hard core! I did get to see Magic Mike! Which was hysterical and great and awesome to be with the bff's - even thought I was lame and had to come home earlier than I would have liked!! (We won't talk about how I had to be at the day job way past normal on Thursday and barely made it to meet up with the girls in time! We also won't talk about how crazy next week is going to be at the day job!)
It's the weekend! (And "Roller Derby" is in my head! Awesome!)
Behave!

Saturday - Mini Vacation Day 1

Ahhh....the first day of "vacation". Hey, it's the best we can do this year, so I'm making the most of it.
First up - sleeping in. Oh my, that was very nice. Then... a trip to the mega store for birthday swag for K5. I could say more about that trip, but... there's a website for that. K5 is the best. She cracks me up - especially when she's feeding me frosting from the wrong side of the fork. We had a really nice time and she is just so stinking cute! I love that kid! Home from the birthday party to make potato salad, then off to friends for an evening of laughter, eating, kids in the pool, fire building, s'more making, more laughter, and sparklers. And we got to see fireworks.
Tomorrow...well...not 100% sure about what's going on yet, but it's like another Saturday for us and I love that. 
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Wow! I suck!
A whole week?? Wtf is up with that?
I don't know, except it was a long week.... ???

Anyways...here's the list...
1. No Day Job until Thursday!! How awesome is that?? Hello, mini vacation!!!
2. K5 is 2 today!! Wow! She is such a great kid!! I am old!
3. Sleeping in tomorrow!
4. K5's birthday party tomorrow!
5. The lightning and thunder going on outside right now... Did I ever mention we only have air conditioning in select rooms and it's freaking hot outside!?
6. Making progress on the bedroom cleaning...
7. Plans to hang with friends tomorrow night.
8. Having no solid mini vacation plans... Awesome!
9. Knowing I will be able to write during this mini vacation!
10. No day job until Thursday!

Behave!

Feel Good Friday

I'm a slacker. I'm sorry...
It's been a long, hot week...Let's hit the good stuff...
1. Friday. Thank you.
2. Living through our town's annual street fair yesterday. I was even off work. I walked about 7 miles. I have a sunburn.
3. Writing time. Though, not much.
4. Alone time with that man I live with. Nice.
5. Not having hair to deal with in this heat.
6. Hanging with the family on Sunday.
7. Picking up my kid from camp tomorrow. I miss that boy.
8. Adult beverages.
9. Air conditioning.
10. The man had to run a boot for the Troop yesterday. Right beside the Army booth. Lot's of eye candy there... I really didn't mind covering for him when he took a break...
That is all for now. Thank you weekend. Now if we could have about ten degrees less on the thermometer?
Behave!

Summer Survival Journal: Year Four - Entry One

It has begun.
I cower under my covers, hoping for a tiny bit of peace. These teenage years are nearly as chaotic as the years they were toddlers. My worries are just different now.
Our camp is constant activity - video games, catching up on television shows, card games, cries of boredom and arguments. They do not go to bed. Ever. There is no peace here. No quiet. No break.
They are always hungry. Always. The food stores are forever in need of resupply.
And they do not see the mess they make. Ever.
The beasts are nearly as bad as the natives. One is shedding - despite how often she is brushed. The other day one of the natives brushed the canine in camp and did not bother to clean up the hair. You can imagine. The feline beast spends his day meowing at everything and everyone. He is well fed, watered, and has all he needs. There is no logical reason for his behavior.
There is no logical reason for much of what occurs in our camp. I am in fear of my sanity.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

Here's the list...
1. Friday. Thank you for still being here!
2. Getting the kid to camp and he's so happy to be there! (We won't talk about the trip I need to make tomorrow with forgotten items)
3. Hanging with the folks for a little bit tonight.
4. Sleeping in tomorrow. Yay!
5. Getting stuff done.
6. Weekend plans.
7. Being bald. I love it. (More on that later.)
8. Living through our brief, but necessary, trip to the mega store tonight. Oy.
9. Not having a raccoon in my oven. (idk)
10. Sleeping in tomorrow!
That is all...
Behave!

Lucky Seven!

My wonderful critique partner/partner-in-all-things-fun, Misty Simon, has tagged me in the Lucky Seven.

The challenge: Post seven lines from an unpublished work of fiction.

The Golden Rules:

Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
Go to line 7
Post on your blog or Facebook page the next 7 lines, or sentences, as they are – no cheating
Tag 7 other authors to do the same (This is not happening - everyone I would tag has already been tagged)


Okay, so from my brand new, never edited, still oh-so-very-rough draft of Shredded:

“What’s going on around here?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” A low howl came from outside. “Follow me.”

Julia waited while he checked the locks, then followed him up a short set of stairs. The window in the small attic-like storage space was covered with a black trash bag. Ben moved the bag as soon as the door was closed and the room dark.

“Come and look,” he said, moving to the side to make room for her at the vent.

Eh...

Behave!

It's Only Wednesday?

Geeze. This week!
Remember me talking about K4 coming down with the flu on Saturday? Turns out, it was a highly contagious flu. Took out four out of five of us - that man and I only hours apart on Monday. (I woke with K4 at 5am on Saturday, then when she got up again - around 9, the man helped her out. I got it at 5 am Monday morning and he got it around 9 - how's that for precision?) What an awful day! I won't go into the gory details, but there was moaning involved. If K2's going to get it, she should have woken up with it this morning, but so far so good. (K3 had it Thursday, but a milder version) Anyway. That's something I do not want to repeat ever.
This morning we woke to the freezer door being left open overnight. So far, no one has fessed up. I guess it was the ghosts, or maybe aliens. (Unless the dog and cat had a party overnight?) Luckily, Mother Hubbard's cupboard is bare at the moment, so nothing of importance (except a almost empty bag of ice) was sacrificed. And, bonus, tonight's dinner was pre-defrosted. The poor compressor was chugging like it was on its last leg, but finally evened out and made everything frozen again, which is a definite relief.
Oh! And it's only Wednesday! Cripes!
And I'll stop there, because you definitely do not want to know what my cat has been doing (or not doing) this week, and I know you don't want to hear about the kid arguments (saving those for Summer Survival).
Behave!

Feel Good Sunday

Sorry I missed Feel Good Friday! I'm not really sure why that happened.
Let's get to the feel good part, shall we?
1. Not having a ton of running around to do this weekend. We managed a fair amount of yard work, laundry, and house cleaning. (Though we did discover our chimney is falling apart. Oy. The man kept finding bricks in the yard. When he looked to the roof...well...yuck and $$) (And K4 woke up with the stomach flu Saturday morning, which squashed our plans for the day. And that was fine. So is she now.)
2. Making the decision to stay hair free for a little while. (I let the man actually razor shave my head last night and I won't be doing that again. It hurts like a sunburn. Besides that, I'm not sure I like it.) No hair is much cooler, and I don't have to worry about accidentally catching myself on fire. Plus, if my s-i-l has to be without her hair for a while, so will I.
3. Writing time and awesome progress.
4. Air conditioning.
5. Talks around the fire with the man.
6. Writing while sitting at the fire.
7. My kid loving his job.
8. Sleeping in x2 - even though we went to bed excessively early last night, which meant I was up early.
9. Finding out our good neighbors aren't moving right now, and meeting the landlord for the houses at the end of our street. She's very nice and working hard to find good people to rent to.
10. Watching hysterical stuff with the kids. I'm not sure if I was laughing because of their reactions or what...
In all, it's been a mostly good, but far too short weekend. Summer is officially here. Let's see how fast it goes.
Behave!

Breast Cancer Sucks...

 Yep. That's me and my new look. Last night was the "head shaving" in honor of my sister-in-law.

Here is the before picture:

Over 20 inches of hair to be donated to Locks of Love.

Things I already like about being bald:
1. Very fast showers.
2. No hair getting stuck on everything.
3. Rubbing my head.
4. My sister-in-law.

The Bff shaved her head, too. And my sister and niece dyed their hair pink. (My sister can't shave hers because of her job, so she did the next best thing.) I also forgot to mention what I was doing to my boss and I think I may have thrown her for a bit of a loop this morning. She recovered, though still had a startled look on her face every time she passed me.
Lots of people stare at me now. I say, let them. Look all you want and when you get home remind the women you love to get their mammograms and do their monthly self exam.
That is all...
Behave!

Sunday Snippets

From the work in progress - very rough first draft... (This book has no name yet.)

"This could not be real. She felt like she was either in a bad horror film, or the victim of one of those pranks where they scared the crap out of you and then everyone laughs their ass off while you try to recover from the shock. If it was the latter, someone was getting a bullet right between the eyes.

“I don’t know. Seems like there are more today than yesterday. You think he’s scary by himself, or Stacey was scary? As a group, they are horrifying and relentless.”"

Eh...it's still in the crappy stage and it's zombies or something like it. I'm getting ready to hit the page count before all of the kids come home to celebrate K1's birthday. 

Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

Thank you, Friday!

It's been a long (short) week around here!

The list:

1. Shaving my head. Because my s-i-l has lost her hair now - before her second chemo appt!! It's all good and I will be bald, too. Soon. My hair is very long and will make great wigs for other breast cancer victims. (pictures when the deed is done! Soon!) (btw... Breast cancer sucks!!!)

2. Having my mammogram and it came back fine. (Get yours!) (And btw... breast cancer sucks!)

3. Oh God! Thank you, Friday! This week was longer than a regular week, even though it was short!

4. Writing meeting tomorrow! Yay! 

5. Getting some words on the page this week! Zombies.... or something like it...

6. School is out in 3 days! 

7. My God, it's June! WTF?

8. Summer is here!

9. That man and I having a "few minutes" of time alone tonight - weird as it is....and not as long as it should have been.

10. The thunderstorms. There should have been more though...

11. Sleeping in a few tomorrow!

Behave!

Things I Miss...

Things I miss about not being home during summer vacation...
1. Sleeping in.
2. Late nights.
3. Impromptu trips to our friend's pool.
4. Feeling free.
5. Hanging out with the kiddos.
6. Last minute plans.
7. Sleeping in.
8. Late nights.
There's more, but now I'm depressed. (Yeah, I know...you gotta do what you gotta do...blah blah blah)
Behave!

Random...

I know it's Wednesday again already... Yay for short weeks!
The long weekend was awesome (and so was the black raspberry sangria). It rained. A lot. Though the rain didn't hamper much of our plans. It definitely cooled things down and gave the teenagers an opportunity to get muddy. We ate a lot, hung out with friends we don't get to see much, shared many an adult beverage, worked on the new pavilion in the camping spot, laughed, cooked, stayed up too late (which was fine because sleeping in the humidity was next to impossible), laughed, and had a blast.
It was over far too soon. And now it's Wednesday.
I'm not sure what's up for the coming weekend besides my writing meeting! In the meantime, I must get to work!
That is all for now!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

Yay weekend! Yay long weekend!
Here's the list:
1. Sleeping in. Considering I'm averaging less than 5 hours a night lately, I really needed the solid 8 I managed.
2. Living through the week. Trust me, it was that bad.
3. Laundry being a load away from caught up. Yesterday was pretty bad. I had to dry with a sheet since there were no clean towels.
4. Weekend plans!
5. Cutting my bangs in the dark and having them actually look okay. (Don't ask why...I'm not sure. I was on the phone and the scissors were there...)
6. Black raspberry sangria. (This has nothing to do with #5. The sangria hasn't even been made yet, only conceptualized)
7. My to do list being relatively short (now that I took care of most everything) and related to fun stuff. Yay.
8. Digging out my summer clothes and finding out the boxers I love to wear around the house (comfy pants for summer) are too big now.
9. The spawn that live here. They made what could have been a really horrible week not so bad by doing whatever necessary to help us all get through. And I didn't even have to ask.
10. That man I live with. He did the grocery shopping, cooked an amazing dinner last night, and planted the garden.
It's time to get this fun stuff started!!
Have an awesome weekend.
Behave!

Sweating in Auditoriums

Tonight was the second night this week that I've sweated out all bodily fluids in the high school auditorium. Don't get me wrong, the reasons for said dehydration were awesome. There's a lot of talent in that school and my kid is a part of it (yes, I'm allowed to brag. It's my blog. And my kids is funny and can sing - he gets neither thing from me, but from that man I live with).
Anyway.
Tuesday was "Showcase" - theater / improv. It was so very (so very!) long, but so awesome! Very funny and my kid was in his element.
Tonight was the chorus concert - also very awesome! And my kid was also in his element. They announced the spring musical and I could hear K3 holler "yes" from across the auditorium. And he was singing songs from the musical on the way home. He is having a blast and I love it!
***
This has been a really long week. Hooray for long holiday weekends on the horizon! I'm not really sure what our plans are yet, but there will be awesomeness involved, I am sure.
It's really hard to believe that this time last week I was at the retreat...It seems like months ago. And *hangs head in shame* this week has been so insane, I haven't touched the shiny new since Sunday morning. I'm irritated by that fact and will remedy that this weekend.
That is all...
Behave!

Retreat!! Day Three! And Four!

I'm glad I waited to post about Day Three!
I know I'm home now and while I'm very glad to be back with my family, I'm sad the Retreat is over! Only 360 days until next year though - and it's our 10th Anniversary! Special plans are already underway!
After breakfast, I got to work on the zombie nonsense. Made good progress, and then it was lunchtime. Lunch almost killed one of our members partially thanks to the alternate location due to wedding preparations (more on that later) and peppers. (Serious pepper allergy. Not sure what happened with our menu, but she didn't die, which is good) After lunch we met at the swing set to take our annual group photo. Then, a break to watch Friday's Supernatural (still processing my thoughts on that). Back to work. Did a crit for one of our newer members, hit the word count again. Then dinner - no peppers this time. The wedding guests were arriving - so many the cars were parked on the hill and everywhere. Back to work until time for the game.
Game was a blast. Wine drinking. Laughing. Espinoza. Laughing. Big prize giveaway (where I won the prize I wanted to most! Go me!). Back to the room for what was supposed to be more writing, but ended up being social time. Went to check out the scene outside...and almost walked into a pile of puke. Yes. One of the wedding guests. We watch a woman try to step onto the sidewalk and land face first in the grass, then get up and pretend nothing happened. The party's winding down and this very intoxicated guy comes over - he's missing two buttons on his rented vest (part of the wedding party), and can't even stand up. He's giving us the details of his father and the coal mine and the psychos (his word) from the wedding (peppered with lots of cursing and repeats). Then this blonde woman in very very high heels screeches his name and runs over to him, cursing and accusing him of stealing her phone. She's ranting about how they are married and how he stole her phone and now she can't even call her mom to check their babies. Then turns to Simon and I and tells us how she had brain surgery a year ago and this is the first time she's been able to drink and how her husband was ruining it because he had her phone in his pocket. They proceed to scream at each other. Simon and I head to the kitchen to look for staff, call and report the puke, and then go back to our door - passing a weeping woman who is "just so sad". Weeping woman sits in the grass crying and is comforted by two equally intoxicated people. Screaming couple has left, but now people are riding the luggage carts up and down the hall.
The staff comes to clean up the mess, lock up the carts, and apologize to us. We look to the truck where screaming couple went, only to realize they are "making up" in the cab of the truck. I mean really making up.
Things finally die down and we go to bed - really late.
Day Four -
Breakfast, packing, saying goodbye, a little writing, more saying goodbye, a little bit of planning for next year. Settle the bill. Load the car and hit the road. Take a wrong turn, have to turn around and go back. Finally get on the road. Stop for lunch - soggy burger buns, but free dessert. Quick nap in the car. Then home.
Glad to see the family. I came home to a planted garden, buffalo chicken cooking, a clean house, and a very happy K3 who had his first weekend of working a "real" job and now has tip money in his pocket. Homework is done, but my dog is in trouble. She's getting senile or something and that man found her two blocks from our house - just walking down the sidewalk. (worried)
Back to the grind tomorrow. Not so happy about that...
That is all.
Behave!

Retreat!! Day Two!

I know it's now day three, but I will catch up!
Retreat Day Two was fantastic!
I started off the day by eating too much breakfast. Took a walk, ending up in the deep dark woods with soaking wet shoes. Back to the room to take care of some regular life duties, then hit the new book.
Zombies.
Did I ever tell you how much I hate zombies? Hate with a fiery passion that borders on love? So, yeah, I've had this idea for a while now and it just won't get out of my head. So I'm writing the zombie book. And I am loving it!
I made major word count progress, won the race to 1,000 word challenge, and am feeling pretty good about where this book is going. Our cocktail party was a success with lots of laughter, wine drinking, and kibitzing about everything from books, to our wips, to life in general. It was a really good way to get to know each other.
I crashed earlier than normal and woke this morning with almost a solid eight hours of sleep in me.
...and I will blog Retreat Day Three later on today when I have more to report.
Also...since I missed blogging yesterday...
Happy Birthday to my momma!! (I tried to call you twice!)
Behave!

Retreat!! Day One!

We're here!!
After a long night of excitement in which I didn't sleep very much, an early (way too early - like 4 am) wake up time, it was finally (Finally!) time to hit the road with the bff's. Road trip! (The road trip is as awesome as the retreat, but for different reasons) After making a stop for a late lunch, we finally arrived!
This facility is the most awesome place ever!
Everyone finally arrived, and now that rooms keys have been handed out, the tour is over, dinner has been eaten, and the initial nonstop talking has calmed, it's time to get to work.
I love it! I am so excited to be here!
Behave!

Retreat!!

Sorry for the lag! This has been an insanely busy week! But all for good because tomorrow we leave for RETREAT!!!
Yes!! Finally!!
3 days and 3 nights of nothing but writing and hanging with the writing peeps! Awesome! We're back at the facility we used last year and so excited to be there!
Did I mention... I don't have to cook, think about what's for dinner, shop for what's for dinner, go to the day job, get dressed unless I want to, or get up at o'dark-thirty! It will be a very welcome break!! AND I get to write all day, every day! How awesome is that?? I cannot wait!
I am packed completely! The retreat swag is loaded into the back of Simon's car. Whoot! I just have to get through the next few hours until it's time for the road trip with the bff's!! Did I say awesome?
I will do my best to post pictures, but...
Until then...
Behave!!! (And Woooooo!)

Mother's Day!

I hope you had a good one...even if you're not a mother!
I had a spectacular day!
1. Sleeping in... that was beautiful and so needed after the neighborhood fire at 12:40 am  (and the motorcycle accident earlier).
2. Mimosas! Yes.
3. Coffee with awesome creamer! And breakfast!
4. Having the day off... no obligations, nothing hanging over my head, nothing to do but relax.... yes....
5. The family coming over... we had a fantastic time!
6. More mimosas!
...and tomorrow is Monday...
Which is really okay because there are only 3 working days until Retreat!!!
Behave!!!

Wow! I Suck! Feel Good Friday!

Okay. I do suck. I try to be better about posting and then... Well... I guess life or something happens and the next thing I know it's been way too many days...
I'm not sure anyone is still reading this... *crickets*
Anyways...Just in case...Here's the Feel Good Friday list...
1. 5 days until Retreat!!
2. The promotion...new desk...new title...pretty good so far...
3. Hey...it's Friday. And my God...Am I glad!
4. Making it through this week - a million and a half things done...did them all. Still have a million and a half things to do.
5. 5 days until Retreat!
6. Sleeping in tomorrow.
7. Supernatural tonight!
8. Catching up on Castle! (Or kind of...catching up on email and this while I watch)
9. Tomorrow's plans - head will be down, work will be done, retreat shopping will be finished.
10. Sleep - which I must do now or # 9 will not happen and it must!
Behave!

Sunday Morning

These weekends go far too fast!
Yesterday was a blast the whole way around.
Writers meeting, with a great speaker, then lunch.
While I was waiting for a friend to pick me up for girls night in, I caught up on laundry - which was not a blast, but a necessary task. But yay! It's done!
Then to the mountain for girls night with my sisters and mom. We had a blast! Laughed, talked, cried a little, learned more about my s-i-l's breast cancer, ate, drank, started watching a movie, but turned it off because we wouldn't shut up... Bedtime didn't roll around until 3am. We only saw the supermoon once before the clouds covered it.
And, of course, sleeping late was a necessity this morning. Now we're trying to get moving on today. The bff is hosting a surprise anniversary party for her parents (I can safely post that here, because I know they don't read this). My family will be arriving shortly from their weekend in the woods (if they can manage to get my brother's truck started). There's food to prepare, wine bottles to clean up, and festive things to do.
This is definitely one of those weekends where having an extra day would be a bonus. Wait. Every weekend should be like that.
That is all for now!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Wow I Suck Edition

Wow! I suck! Almost a week? That's not good. The week was super busy, but surely I could have found time to post? Apparently not.
Okay. So what was good about the week you missed?
1. Today is Friday and I managed to get sprung a half an hour early from the day job (thanks to having to stay late on Monday.)
2. Making the right decision regarding the revisions I've been busting my hump on.
3. Retreat! Less than 2 weeks now! (and still so much to do!)
4. Awesome thunderstorms.
5. This weekend. Epic.
6. Chinese food for dinner.
7. Coffee Heath ice cream.
8. Weird movies that are supposed to be scary, but are just...weird.
9. Writing meeting tomorrow!
10. Oh... so much more, but it's late and I have laundry to finish.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition

Talk about being a slacker! Now it's Sunday! Oy!
I do have a list...
1. Being all by myself from 5pm Friday night until 1am Sunday morning. I didn't get as much work done as I'd hoped, but I had a grand time doing only what I wanted.
2. A long walk by myself with some kickass walking music Friday night, visiting with a friend, chinese food, adult beverages, Jericho, editing until the wee hours.
3. Sleeping in Saturday. Coffee. Loud music. Chapter business, then lunch and retreat shopping with Simon.
4. Grocery shopping. (I only say this because it's done and going by myself meant the bill was lower!) More editing. Frozen pizza, LoTR, more editing.
5. My girls coming home, even though they were in craptastic moods.
6. Sleeping in today.
7. K5 being with us almost all day today. She is so stinking cute and so very smart!
8. My house being in decent shape, though demo'd by the almost 2 year old.
9. New Supernatural Friday night! Awesome!
10. Finding what was stinking up the 'burban. By Saturday afternoon when I went grocery shopping, the smell inside the beast was puke worthy. I did discover the causes and removed them. Dang kids.
And now...after a mostly blissful weekend, it's almost Monday again...
Oy!
Behave!

Slacker!

I am one! Geeze, how does time go by so fast?
Here's the list of what's been up since I posted on Saturday...
1. Saturday evening we made a fantastic dinner and spent the evening playing games, watching Dr. Who, and being goofy.
2. Sunday it rained. A lot. We spent the morning relaxing. (well, the family relaxed. I edited.)
3. Sunday evening we headed to my sister's to meet their French exchange student. What an absolute blast!    We started leaving at 8pm, but didn't actually get out of the house until 10. We were gearing up to leave when M (the french exchange student) asked K3 to sing for her. One song turned into a two hour jam fest and it was awesomely fantastic. We had to take my nieces boyfriend home, and didn't make it in our door until after 11pm. And the next day was Monday.
4. Monday...well, let's just say none of us wanted to get up and deal with the day, but we did and we lived through it. The oldest and his future-bride stopped by and I had a ton of household administration stuff to take care of. Bedtime was very early.
5. Now - It's Tuesday. Still too early in the week to be glad about anything, but with the rate time is passing by, I'd better find something quick... Anyway. K4 woke with hives. Her legs, back, and arms were covered. We saw the doc and he said "major allergy attack", put her on prednisone and zyrtec and even though he had no idea what caused the hives, I felt a lot better after the appointment and the information provided. She feels a lot better after getting a dose of the meds in her.
...and it's only Tuesday...
But! Retreat in 22 days! Whooo!
Behave!!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

So...whoa! I sign in here to post and everything is different about the posting process! hmmm... Anyway. All I can say is, whew! Saturday! Let's get to that list, shall we?
1. New Supernatural last night. Awesome! I loved it. So much.
2. K2 doing well with her surgery. (even though prescription pain meds make her angry and mean.) The doc fixed some torn cartilage and cleaned up some scar tissue. Hopefully the surgery resolves her pain.
3. Hanging out with that man. He makes me laugh. So hard.
4. Having a relatively easy weekend (for me - not for that man!), which means I can write all weekend! (After I take care of the grocery shopping and start laundry)
5. Getting the retreat t-shirts ordered!
6. 26 days until retreat! I cannot wait!
7. Hysterical laughter watching J wash K2's hair in the kitchen sink. He was soaked. She was soaked. It was a riot.
8. My to do list shrinking.
9. Being home Thursday. Even though we spent most of the day at the surgical center, it was fantastic to be home. I cleaned. I cooked. I edited.
10. 26 days until retreat! (I know I said that already!)
That's all for now. It's time to get busy.
Behave!

Wednesday? Really? Again?

These weeks go by way too fast!
1. The weather is psychotic. Monday I wore shorts. Today I am in a sweatshirt.
2. I have this sleep timer app on my phone. I might delete it. Since I downloaded it, only once have I achieved over 8 hours of sleep. Mostly it's 5 hours. And that sucks. Not that it's the app's fault, but...
3. Tomorrow is K2's wrist surgery. Early. We have to leave the house a little after 6am. I don't know if she's nervous, because she's not here.
4. It really bothers me when people judge other people. Worry about yourself, not others. There is nothing redeeming about picking someone else apart.
5. I want to take kick boxing classes.
6. Friday cannot come soon enough.
7. Friday is also new Supernatural.
Seven is enough for this Wednesday. I have work to do.
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up...

Birthday weekends are awesome! You get to begin celebrating early and continue all weekend. Which I did.
Saturday was a good day - slept in, stayed in my jammies all day, read, wrote. The man made a fantastic dinner and cleaned up. We had good conversation and laughter. The 'rents stopped by with a present for me and I didn't do anything I didn't want to do.
Today was working on the sidewalk. We have to "bring them up to code" because our town is repaving the roads and all sidewalks have to be repaired and stuff. Our deadline is looming. The man was out there grinding cracks and slinging cement. We "think" they're about done, but have to have the code guy come out and check. Our repairs weren't nearly as bad as we thought - not like other property owners, which is lucky for us, but still work.
I made major writing progress. Did laundry, grocery shopped, made dinner, swept the floor (a million times, because of all of the dust).
The bad thing about today is that my kid is sick. We thought she was having an allergic reaction to face paint from an event she went to last night, but a fever of 102.5* (with motrin on board) says differently. Now she's coughing. I can hear her misery and it makes me sad.
And...tomorrow is Monday. Again. I really could use one more day of sleeping in and relaxing...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Ahh, Friday! I am so very glad to see you!
Here's the list:
1. Walking in the woods with that man. It was a beautiful evening for a walk.
2. Quick and efficient grocery shopping.
3. Sleeping in tomorrow!
4. My little red fireplace. Not only does it keep me warm, but I love watching the flames.
5. Comfy pants.
6. Netflix.
7. Cheese Steaks for dinner.
8. Writing time tomorrow!
9. How excited K3 was to go to training weekend and how his friends reacted when he got there.
10. My iPhone. Because I still love it.
And that is all for now...
Behave!!

Random...

A random Thursday list...
1. My eyes are killing me. Don't know if there's some allergy action involved, or if it's just plain eyestrain. But ouch and woe!
2. In the eye department, K4 lost her glasses today. Oy! Hopefully they show up tomorrow. If they don't, it means my eye appointment is pushed back...again, so her glasses can be replaced. (See #1)
3. Holy Homework Thursday! Two kids with ten tons of homework. And they both needed the computer at the same time. Ack! (The upside of Holy Homework Thursday is that I stayed home to supervise the homework and was in my jammies - and writing - before 7pm! Yay!)
4. When I asked K2 what she wanted for dinner tonight, she sent me a picture of a penguin. Needless to say, we did not have penguin for dinner. (We did have some kick ass stir fry. With chicken.)
5. I have made pretty dang good writing progress tonight. (That's not random. Just good.)
6. The cat has totally taken over the dog bed. It's a big bed (for a big dog). And the dog does nothing about the infringement. She will lay right beside her bed and let the cat have it. It's cute and proof that my puppy is just a huge teddy bear.
7. I'm cold. And my favorite striped socks have holes in them. I will need some new favorite striped socks before the retreat!
8. Tomorrow is Friday, which is not random, but a fact. And I am damn glad!
9. Saturday has the promise of being a good day. Already I know I will be sleeping in, writing, and not cooking. Or doing anything I don't want to do. Yay! (Because...shhh...Saturday is my birthday!)
10. I am in the middle of a good book and my eyes are bothering me too much to continue. How very sad is that?
Okay. Enough random. Time for bed.
Behave!

Time Warp?

Not The Time Warp. But I feel like I'm in a time warp. The days are going so fast. Too fast. It's Tuesday already. And almost the middle of April! I mean, really!
What have I been doing since my last post?
Well, we had Easter at my sisters. It was a blast. We ate way too much, laughed a lot, and I got the bright idea to hike to the top of the cliff. I was halfway up when I realized I was not the smartest tool in the shed. Everyone was watching, so I had to continue or look like a fool. I made it, and I'm glad I did. The view was gorgeous. No pictures because I was worried I'd drop my phone, so you'll have to trust me. We watched old home videos from when K3 and S were not quite one - holy cow! All in all, it was a very good day.
Then it was Monday...
And we all know how much Monday sucks, so I don't have too much to say about that. Except I did make a little progress on my revisions, had a nice walk with the man, and caught up on a bunch of stuff that's been hanging over my head. (So maybe not all sucky)
Today was less sucky, with more accomplishments. Laundry done (kind of), fantastic dinner made by me - shrimp tacos with mango salsa. Yum! (Though next time there will be more garlic, less taco seasoning (or no taco seasoning), and a little less hot pepper) Major pages of revisions completed. No walk, which makes me feel both sad and fat. A good conversation with K4, and silly, silly kids. (Though we will be having a reminder discussion about how when I am writing they can't bug me unless there's blood and/or fire, because gah! Really?) Oh, and I got to talk to my granddaughter on the phone while K2 watched her. She was so excited to talk to me and her Pappy and oh man, I love that kid!
And tomorrow is Wednesday. We'll see what Wednesday brings...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

I know I'm late!
Here's the list!
1. Supernatural returning for an 8th season with a new writer. One that has written some of my favorite episodes! I know I've been quiet on the Supernatural front lately, and that's because I've been kind of disappointed. I haven't lost my love, but I have been a little disillusioned. And that's sad. My hope is renewed.
2. Getting to see some of my former classmates last night at a mini-reunion. I won't tell you how long it's been since I've seen most of them. A long time. But we had an absolute blast. To say we're a unique graduating class would be an understatement, but those are stories for another time.
3. My writers meeting today. Always awesome, but today was especially awesome because one of our favorite speakers came.
4. Cooking. So far I've made two pans of stuffed shells, a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, and am working on potato salad. B has a dish he is making as well.
5. Looking forward to tomorrow. Hanging with the family and friends, eating (cheesecakes!), and laughing. Can't wait!
6. Hanging out with that man I live with.
7. Writing time!
8. Weird texts with K2.
9. Retreat coming up in 40 days!
10. A less busy week on the horizon!
That is all!
Behave!

It's Almost Friday!

What I'm looking forward to...
1. My sister-in-law getting the all clear, (we should know soon!) though she might have to do some radiation treatments. (Surgery was today and went well). Oh and if things aren't as we hope and she has to have chemo, I will be sporting a bald head in her honor and my stubble will be dyed pink.
2. My writers group meeting on Saturday!
3. Tomorrow is Friday! Yay!
4. Making cheesecake for Easter.
5. Okay...amend #4 to say...Cooking for Easter. I'm not hosting, but I'm cooking some stuff...
6. Easter at my sisters. Always fun and I can't wait to hang out with everyone.
7. Writing time!
8. Retreat! Less than 42 days! Whoot!
9. The Hobbit movie. (It's a long way off!)
10. Relaxing, and maybe sleeping in a little on Saturday, though...see #2.
That is all. It's late and I'm tired, BUT it's almost Friday!!
Behave!!

Mostly Suck Monday...

Regular Monday suck aside...
1. Having to ground my kid for grades! Argh!! He does the homework (I see it, I know it's done, and done well, too), but somehow between home and school he "forgets" that it actually has to be turned in to count towards his grade! So, now he's grounded. And I think it hurts me as much as it hurts him.
2. Not sleeping. Why, when I've stayed up far too late both weekend nights, can I not fall asleep before midnight? Yeah, I know I've screwed with my schedule, but dang it! I was tired! And now I'm more tired!
3. I'm cold! Which really has nothing to do with Monday, but it's relevant because it is Monday.
4. My face breaking out. What the heck? What am I twelve again? Grrr!
5. My house being a complete and total train wreck because no one knows how to put their crap away!
The good stuff about Monday:
1. Dinner with friends. They moved to Florida a few years ago. I haven't seen them since (B has). We didn't have enough time, but we did have a good time. And we had Mexican food, which is always awesome!
2. Watching one of my favorite movies while I "try" to get some work done.
See the ratio there? Proof that Monday is a day of suck!
Tuesday will be better!
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up...

Well, another weekend is done. Sad!
It was a good one.
Lot's of laughing and goofing off.
We stayed up far too late both nights, and got up far too early.
I got a little bit of writing done - not nearly enough, but progress is progress.
Now I'm playing catch up, watching The Stand, and wishing for another day off.
And time keeps ticking by way too fast!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Now that's more like it! Ahhh....Friday!
Here's the list:
1. Meeting with writer friends during the week. Even though we had to fill out paperwork for the chapter, it was a good time.
2. Making good progress!
3. New walking shoes.
4. Sleeping in tomorrow.
5. New Supernatural tonight.
6. Getting to leave the day job early today - though the end result is that K2 has to have wrist surgery in 3 weeks.
7. The retreat coming up fast!
8. Homemade cheesesteaks for dinner. Yum!
9. Taking care of some household admin duties that have been hanging over my head for far too long.
10. The weekend! Yay!
That is all!
Behave!

Thursday Psychosis...

Seriously? It's only Thursday?
But I wore my Friday underwear today! Doesn't that count for something? (No, I do not have day of the week undies. No more explanation.) Actually, I wore my Friday clothes! The jeans that make me look skinnier than I am, my favorite shirt with the hood, socks that match...Clothes I feel good in - good enough for Friday!
What the heck, Thursday? Why are you trying to make me think you're Friday? You did!!!
Now I have to do one more day...Gah! I do not want!
The week has been long. The upside is that I get to leave the day job a little early to accompany K2 to the wrist surgeon. And it's payday - which we all know is a very good thing. And I got new walking shoes and I love them. Oh, and the weekend promises to be full of good stuff - The Walking Dead catch up, writing, hanging out with some of the people I love the most.
But I have to get through tomorrow first...
Oh time, why do you have to F with me so much?
That is all...
Behave!

Wow! I Suck!!

How did it get to be Sunday night? Seriously? I'm not done with this weekend and I do not like this...
The weekend went far too fast. Far too fast.
Here's a quick recap:
1. New Supernatural. It was a good one! The return of Cass! And Sam with a little beard!
2. Sleeping in on Saturday! (We won't talk about how I had to get up at 4am today for a Scout function!)
3. Naps! (See #2)
4. White Chili. Pad Thai. Pancakes.
5. Kids who are too funny.
6. Walking with the man. I have missed that!
7. Easter plans.
8. Making progress...
9. The gnomes staying sober.
10. My bed. I love my bed.
11. Finding new inspirations...
12. Fun times, though 4am is ridiculously stupid.
That is all.
Behave!

Gnome Rehab...

Okay, Weekend, Why do you have to go so fast?
I feel like I just got into weekend mode and now...you're leaving again!!
Not a whole heck of a lot of writing done this weekend, but the yard is coming along nicely.
And so are the gnomes...

He had brain surgery and I'm happy to report he's doing very well. Look at how happy he is! A lot of glue and some patience and he's almost as good as new. Still has a few holes in his head, but I did the best I could. His reaction times are slower than normal and I'm not sure if that will get better with time or not, but it's better than when his hat and the back of his head were laying beside him.

The crew got spiffed up and are ready to resume their positions in the flower garden. Only, because of their alcohol problems, (you wouldn't believe the bags of liquor bottles I cleaned up. They were hidden everywhere.) I've decided to relocate them to a new neighborhood. Maybe it will help. I'll be able to keep a better eye on them and maybe if they realize I can see them, they'll behave a little more. It's worth a shot.
They still tried to negotiate for fairies and a poker table, and I'm pretty sure the one with the frog is hiding a liquor cabinet in that mushroom. We won't talk about the passed out guy in his hammock, except to say he didn't come to the entire time I cleaned him. I know what that means and I see another trip to rehab in future. Maybe one of these times, he'll learn.
Right now they're hanging out on the picnic table - waiting for the planting, tan bark, and me to decide who to separate. They're behaving. For now.
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

It's Friday!!
1. The long hard week turned out to be relatively decent. Talking does wonders...
2. Sleeping in tomorrow on clean sheets. It will be heaven!
3. New Supernatural tonight! Yay!
4. Netflix! Why was I so resistant? Not only can we watch tons of stuff on the Xbox, but I have it on my iPhone, too. Awesome and I am so willing to pay for that!
5. Walking Dead! Thanks to Netflix I am slowly getting caught up. And I love it!
6. Writing time this weekend! Oh, how I need you!
7. Preliminary wedding planning.
8. Headphones! But why is it that every time I get a new pair someone needs to "borrow" my back up pair?
9. Finding my comfy pants! I haven't seen them in a week despite the laundry being caught up. Twice. Apparently the words "I don't want to see any dirty laundry" means it gets shoved wherever there is room, even if it's in the linen closet??... ha!
10. Cooking this weekend. I have a list!
That is all. Must write before Supernatural!
Behave!

It is Wednesday...

And Wednesday is nearly over, which means the weekend is on the horizon and that has to be a good thing. Yes?
Except I feel like I'm wishing my life away - hurrying to the weekend. But, dang, sometimes that's the only way to make it through, especially lately.
So, since it's Wednesday, and I'm already thinking towards Friday, here are some things I am looking forward to:
1. More lovely weather.
2. New Supernatural.
3. Sleeping in Saturday.
4. Cooking. I have some new recipes I want to try this weekend.
5. Writing time!
6. More yard work. I know that sounds dumb, but our yard took a serious hit this winter and it looks like crap. I'm eager to get it cleaned up and looking nice.
Okay. I'm stalling...I need to get to #5 before I fall asleep.
Behave!

Tuesday Nice...

I know it's only Tuesday, but in an effort to stay positive, here's what's nice about today...
1. The weather! Love! (I might have to take back what I said about one more big snow!)
2. My kids and how hysterical they are.
3. Catching up on blogs and laughing my butt off!
4. Dinner with friends last night - tons of good food, laughter, hours and hours of talking! Just what I needed.
5. New Supernatural to look forward to.
6. No stinkbugs today!
7. Writing time beginning in a few!
8. Getting stuff done!
Okay. I think there's some kind of rule that a good list can't be longer than eight on a Tuesday so I'm going to stop there, just in case!
Behave!!

Things I Love...

1. Sleeping in this weekend - though it wasn't as long as I wanted and I'm not a fan of the lost hour.
2. The entire hour of sunshine. Maybe it's worth losing the hour of sleep?
3. My granddaughter. She is so stinking cute! I loved being able to spend a good amount of time with her today. We all needed to see her and her mother!
4. Not having to cook dinner because we crock potted it knowing we would be working in the yard all day. Though I am craving a cheeseburger on the grill!
5. Catching up with one of my oldest and best friends.
6. Playing Frisbee with the kids.
7. The kids hanging out with their friends - even though they were throwing tennis balls at each other and freaking out the dog. Ha!
8. My iPhone - because I am able to stay off the Internet on the laptop when I'm writing knowing I can check my phone for email, etc when I take a break.
9. Putting together my music playlist for the new book.
10. The weather! What a gorgeous day! I love it!
That is all for now...tomorrow is a new week and I'm not entirely sure what it's going to bring...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Well, I lived through the week. Amazingly. I don't think there's a way to describe this week so you can fully appreciate how insane and ridiculous it was...
But, in an effort to be positive, let me find some good stuff about this week!
1. Not cooking last night, or tonight.
2. K2 getting to spend time with her fiance. She needed it.
3. The result of K2 being out of town is that we switched vehicles (The man's car is better on gas. I've been driving the man's car because the 'burban - while inspected and road-worthy, has a short in the electrical system that's draining the battery. The man has the battery unhooked until he has time to fix it.) I've been driving her pickup and even though it's a beat up old gas guzzling thing, it's fun to drive.
4. Managing to stay in my writing group's 50/50 challenge even with the sucky week.
5. Knowing the man is going to try to massage my locked up right side - neck, shoulder, back, ribs - you name it, my whole right side is a throbbing mass of hurt.
6. Getting to meet K3's friends (finally) and stuffing them full of pizza while they played xbox and hung out. It was good and I'm glad it worked out this time.
7. Situations working out pretty well even though a lot of time, energy, and worry were invested into them.
8. That man and his crazy brain full of things that spark ideas for me.
9. That man. Hands down. When things get rough for me, he is right there - doing everything he can to make sure I'm okay. Going above and beyond. There's a reason he's my best friend, and that's only one of them.
10. Right now. I am warm and in my comfy pants and my favorite ripped up sweatshirt, while the freezing wind rages outside. I have a belly full of pizza, my computer on my lap, and my trusty iPhone beside me. The dog is dreaming about chasing squirrels, the kids are laughing, that man is working on the grocery list, and I am getting ready to write. I have an adult beverage beside me, the promise of sleeping in tomorrow, and the weekend to write, rest, and have a little fun. I think that means life is pretty good despite the disappointments. stress, and insanity of this week. 
...and that's what really matters.
That is all...
Behave!

Tuesday Sucks!

Worse than Monday! Way worse! I quit you, Tuesday. I quit your sucktastic-ness and your crushing emotional blows and your drama!!
This day blows. Hardcore.
And I now dismiss you, Tuesday! Go F yourself and leave me alone, because I am done! Fried like a chicken and all of that stuff...
I hope your Tuesday was better than mine!
Behave!

Wow! I Suck!!

Sorry for the long radio silence! (not that there's anyone left reading this blog by now!) *crickets*
Anyways, last week was long, crazy, stupid, intense...and I lived through it! Whoot!
How about a Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition?
1. A rare evening out with the man. We had a blast!
2. Sleeping in - a little bit Saturday, a lot Sunday.
3. My monthly writers meeting. It was a great one.
4. Retreat planning. 73 days!
5. Managing to continue to write through a really crappy week.
6. That man cleaning the house.
7. My kid talking my ear off about everything.
8. Orange juice with extra pulp!
9. My oldest kid being okay, though the car was totaled.
Going to stop there... I find myself with an extra block of time this morning and I need to get some words on the page!
Behave!