Not much new has happened this past week...
The reservations for the May Jeep event were changed. The house wasn't available, so we opted for hotel rooms. Separate ones so my sister-in-law doesn't die from all of the snoring. Ha! Our buddy is booking at the same hotel, so it should be a lot fun! And we're about five minutes from the venue which is awesome! Last year we were twenty minutes away and we paid more for the hotel! I know my brother and our buddy will get along awesomely. Our friend is almost like a son to us (in fact, he was our son's friend back in the way back days, which is weird, but awesome too.)
Our future daughter-in-law's birthday. They came for dinner last night. It was a kind of surprise for her. We had spaghetti and fantastic bread and a fire outside. It was nice to play games and talk. K3 made her an awesome cake. It turned out to be a good night. I know she's not used to our weird family dynamic, but I think she's getting used to our sense of humor! lol!
Writing all of the words! Well, not all of them because that wouldn't be nice. But writing my own words! I did very well last week and I hope to do the same this week.
Writing meeting on Saturday. First, I had breakfast with a friend which was awesome and much needed. I am at a crucial point in deciding whether or not to renew with the national chapter. There's been a lot of terrible things going on at the national level. Things I'm not sure can be fixed on the current course. Things I am so against and appalled by. I've been watching since December and nothing really has changed. We have a special election coming up since 99% of the board resigned, but honestly, the people now running are really no different than the folks we've had in the past. I've been trying to gauge what the national level does for me at this point in my career and I can't say it's much. The rub is that I can't be a part of my local chapter without belonging to national, and that's going to hurt. I have about a month to decide...
We did a lot of yard work this weekend. Many trips to the yard waste recycle center. A bunch of garbage bags. We're making progress. And we are tired. We also made some awesome grilled chicken and potatoes for dinner tonight. And I made some awesome queso. The house is clean and the laundry is 90% done (K4 had the washing machine all day today).
Tomorrow is back to the grind. I am on the phones all day tomorrow, which is fine. It breaks up my week, even though I have to run around for a good part of the morning to get my second check run done. Things are slow right now, so it's all good.
And that is all...
Behave!
Sunday, March 08, 2020
Friday, February 28, 2020
Last Friday in February - Feel Good Style...
February seemed long, didn't it?
For the shortest month of the year, heck!
Tomorrow is Leap Day! I know a couple of people who have birthdays! One will finally be a double-digit midget.
Let's get to the list!
1. Getting trained on a whole bunch of new things at the day job this week and doing it all myself today! I can now do the feet inventory, process checks, and credit cards (I taught myself how to run the credit card machine). I think I might have screwed up a couple of things (I will find out Monday when the real accounts receivable manager comes back), but I think I did pretty well on my first solo run. My boss thought so...
2. Work baby shower! It turned out well. Our Controller is due in about 3 weeks. She's having a boy. She didn't expect a shower from us, but we did it anyway. She turned red and said we sucked, but was so grateful. Good food. She got good gifts including a bucket full of cash.
3. Making our reservations for our Jeep events. We have May and June reserved, including hotels. Though we may change the May hotel to a rental house depending on if my sister-in-law can get off work and if my old work buddy can make it. So much cheaper and closer to rent this house I found! So excited though!
4. Still waiting to get our camper back, but glad the roof seems to be a non-issue!
5. Remember how I told you that the new house owner next door decimated my flower beds in November? On my last day at the old job? Well... he also just put up a fence that spans 1/4 of our yard! This saves us a ton of money. Our plan is to totally fence in the yard. So now 1/4 is done, which is amazing! Someone did move in. We haven't met her yet, but she has the cutest pug. (I saw him through the un-curtained window last night. Curtains are up now.)
6. Watching my boys tomorrow while K1 & J move - one building down and up one floor. I'm glad to not have to lift heavy boxes, but K1 has made me nervous about Baby B's new skills and abilities. Nothing will be safe and I am pretty much on my own. That Man is working the second job all day tomorrow. K3 and K4 are helping with the move. It'll be fine. I will have Mr. B to help me and the house will be baby proofed before I return with them.
7. The rest of the weekend plans. Some involve heavy lifting. Some involved organization. Some involved hilarity. I hope it turns out good.
8. Oh and I get to sleep in just a tiny bit tomorrow!
9. Writing the words! I did relatively decent with the word count this week. Not great, but at least something.
10. Having a relaxing evening with That Man. The kid is gone for the night, so we're chilling and watching "Better Call Saul". We had no dinner because we had so much food at lunch. I thought about ordering a sub, but probably not now.... Ha!
That is all!
Behave!
For the shortest month of the year, heck!
Tomorrow is Leap Day! I know a couple of people who have birthdays! One will finally be a double-digit midget.
Let's get to the list!
1. Getting trained on a whole bunch of new things at the day job this week and doing it all myself today! I can now do the feet inventory, process checks, and credit cards (I taught myself how to run the credit card machine). I think I might have screwed up a couple of things (I will find out Monday when the real accounts receivable manager comes back), but I think I did pretty well on my first solo run. My boss thought so...
2. Work baby shower! It turned out well. Our Controller is due in about 3 weeks. She's having a boy. She didn't expect a shower from us, but we did it anyway. She turned red and said we sucked, but was so grateful. Good food. She got good gifts including a bucket full of cash.
3. Making our reservations for our Jeep events. We have May and June reserved, including hotels. Though we may change the May hotel to a rental house depending on if my sister-in-law can get off work and if my old work buddy can make it. So much cheaper and closer to rent this house I found! So excited though!
4. Still waiting to get our camper back, but glad the roof seems to be a non-issue!
5. Remember how I told you that the new house owner next door decimated my flower beds in November? On my last day at the old job? Well... he also just put up a fence that spans 1/4 of our yard! This saves us a ton of money. Our plan is to totally fence in the yard. So now 1/4 is done, which is amazing! Someone did move in. We haven't met her yet, but she has the cutest pug. (I saw him through the un-curtained window last night. Curtains are up now.)
6. Watching my boys tomorrow while K1 & J move - one building down and up one floor. I'm glad to not have to lift heavy boxes, but K1 has made me nervous about Baby B's new skills and abilities. Nothing will be safe and I am pretty much on my own. That Man is working the second job all day tomorrow. K3 and K4 are helping with the move. It'll be fine. I will have Mr. B to help me and the house will be baby proofed before I return with them.
7. The rest of the weekend plans. Some involve heavy lifting. Some involved organization. Some involved hilarity. I hope it turns out good.
8. Oh and I get to sleep in just a tiny bit tomorrow!
9. Writing the words! I did relatively decent with the word count this week. Not great, but at least something.
10. Having a relaxing evening with That Man. The kid is gone for the night, so we're chilling and watching "Better Call Saul". We had no dinner because we had so much food at lunch. I thought about ordering a sub, but probably not now.... Ha!
That is all!
Behave!
Friday, February 21, 2020
Feel Good Friday!
Yay for Friday! I am happy to see you, Friday!
Let's get to the list already!
1. One of That Man's oldest friends stopping by work yesterday! It was a spur of the moment thing, but it was good to see him. We were late for where we were supposed to be, but that's okay. We haven't seen him for a super, super long time, though That Man and him text all the time.
2. After dealing with the stabby headache for most of the week, it is finally gone. Though there is still remarkable sinus pressure going on.
3. Our poor Mr. B getting better from the flu. Poor boy was a mess most of the week.
4. Getting to see a good friend tonight. She's had an even rougher week than probably a whole bunch of people. We took her and her dad dinner and got to talk for a bit. She's a sweet person. Her dad's been dealing with some health issues and just when she thought things were getting better, he fell and broke stuff in his foot. We've been there and done that, too, so we wanted to help.
5. Our camper getting a new roof! Hopefully it will be done soon. We dropped it off at our friend who owns a roofing company last week. He wants to branch out into doing camper roofs, so we're his test case. Once we get it back, we will tackle the floor and get the new subfloor down. Then we will paint the cabinets, then put the nice floor down and attach the new toilet. I'm excited! I can't wait to get it camping!
6. That Man and I reserving a little beach house! It kind of happened on a whim. He sent me a picture of us on the beach. I said let's go and the next thing we knew we had reserved a tiny house for a long weekend coming up. I am so freaking excited! This was just what we need to get through the next few long months of constant work and projects!
7. Plans for a day out with my girl tomorrow. She needs her driver's license picture taken and we both need to do some shopping, so we're set for the day. (She and That Man tried to go last Saturday, but they were closed. That Man got his done today.)
8. Despite the stabby headache, I have written every night this week but one. I am making amazing progress and loving the story!
That's all I have right now. I'm beat and my shoulders ache.
Behave!
Let's get to the list already!
1. One of That Man's oldest friends stopping by work yesterday! It was a spur of the moment thing, but it was good to see him. We were late for where we were supposed to be, but that's okay. We haven't seen him for a super, super long time, though That Man and him text all the time.
2. After dealing with the stabby headache for most of the week, it is finally gone. Though there is still remarkable sinus pressure going on.
3. Our poor Mr. B getting better from the flu. Poor boy was a mess most of the week.
4. Getting to see a good friend tonight. She's had an even rougher week than probably a whole bunch of people. We took her and her dad dinner and got to talk for a bit. She's a sweet person. Her dad's been dealing with some health issues and just when she thought things were getting better, he fell and broke stuff in his foot. We've been there and done that, too, so we wanted to help.
5. Our camper getting a new roof! Hopefully it will be done soon. We dropped it off at our friend who owns a roofing company last week. He wants to branch out into doing camper roofs, so we're his test case. Once we get it back, we will tackle the floor and get the new subfloor down. Then we will paint the cabinets, then put the nice floor down and attach the new toilet. I'm excited! I can't wait to get it camping!
6. That Man and I reserving a little beach house! It kind of happened on a whim. He sent me a picture of us on the beach. I said let's go and the next thing we knew we had reserved a tiny house for a long weekend coming up. I am so freaking excited! This was just what we need to get through the next few long months of constant work and projects!
7. Plans for a day out with my girl tomorrow. She needs her driver's license picture taken and we both need to do some shopping, so we're set for the day. (She and That Man tried to go last Saturday, but they were closed. That Man got his done today.)
8. Despite the stabby headache, I have written every night this week but one. I am making amazing progress and loving the story!
That's all I have right now. I'm beat and my shoulders ache.
Behave!
Monday, February 17, 2020
Moaning Monday...
Eh... It's not so moaning. Except I'm tired and have a stabby sinus headache and I'm cold. Okay, so maybe it is more moaning than I thought. Ha!
Anyway...
The greenhouse event was a lot of fun. Didn't sell any books, but no one else really did either. The crowd was light. Folks that normally come couldn't. It is what it is. That's something that's definitely beyond control. But, like I said, it was fun. Got to talk to my author peeps and meet some authors I didn't know before. Caught up with old friends and bought some super cute gnome napkins.
After the signing, a bunch of us went to dinner. That was fun. A lot of laughter and conversations. That Man and Simon's Man came, too. When we were done with dinner, we weren't ready to go home, so we went to see friends. That was fun. We didn't stay too late, but we did have a good time.
Sunday was a quick run to the store for ingredients. We whipped up some spinach artichoke dip and headed to a different friend's house to watch the Daytona 500. We only get to see them maybe twice a year, so it was definitely a good time. They made meatballs and other dips. We talked and laughed and well.. since the race was rained out, we ended up home sooner than expected. At one point, I'd gone out to the car for something and it looked like the radiator on the car had busted. There was a huge spray of liquid and it was puddling on the ground. I called That Man out, and we quickly discovered that their male cat had sprayed our car. Gross, but definitely good for a laugh.
Now it's Monday again. It was a quiet Monday at the day job. No mail. No bank. Very few phone calls. Very few emails. I had to cover the phones all day, which is fine. I cleaned up some receivers and purchase orders and organized my day for tomorrow - which will be busy since there are checks to write and bank stuff to do...
I'm about ready to crash now. I've already done my words, caught up on my emails, and took care of a few other household administration duties. It's time to find a blanket and rest my stabby head.
Behave!
Anyway...
The greenhouse event was a lot of fun. Didn't sell any books, but no one else really did either. The crowd was light. Folks that normally come couldn't. It is what it is. That's something that's definitely beyond control. But, like I said, it was fun. Got to talk to my author peeps and meet some authors I didn't know before. Caught up with old friends and bought some super cute gnome napkins.
After the signing, a bunch of us went to dinner. That was fun. A lot of laughter and conversations. That Man and Simon's Man came, too. When we were done with dinner, we weren't ready to go home, so we went to see friends. That was fun. We didn't stay too late, but we did have a good time.
Sunday was a quick run to the store for ingredients. We whipped up some spinach artichoke dip and headed to a different friend's house to watch the Daytona 500. We only get to see them maybe twice a year, so it was definitely a good time. They made meatballs and other dips. We talked and laughed and well.. since the race was rained out, we ended up home sooner than expected. At one point, I'd gone out to the car for something and it looked like the radiator on the car had busted. There was a huge spray of liquid and it was puddling on the ground. I called That Man out, and we quickly discovered that their male cat had sprayed our car. Gross, but definitely good for a laugh.
Now it's Monday again. It was a quiet Monday at the day job. No mail. No bank. Very few phone calls. Very few emails. I had to cover the phones all day, which is fine. I cleaned up some receivers and purchase orders and organized my day for tomorrow - which will be busy since there are checks to write and bank stuff to do...
I'm about ready to crash now. I've already done my words, caught up on my emails, and took care of a few other household administration duties. It's time to find a blanket and rest my stabby head.
Behave!
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Thursday... Pre-Weekend Prep...
This Saturday is the annual greenhouse signing! I love this event so much!
It's just a super fun day with author people, cool greenhouse stuff, good food, and just awesomeness.
My mom loved this event so much. She would come and be with me for it. I made her a special place at my table and was always so grateful for her to be with me. Her friends would come and she would delight in walking around with them and me and meeting everyone. I will always miss that, and I always am aware of it. I miss my momma so much and this event is always a tribute to her in my mind.
So, it you live in my area, think about maybe coming to see me! It starts at noon and goes until three! Heck, it's not going to be winter this winter, so you might as well start thinking about your spring planting. I know I am already! You know... replacing the flower bed that was decimated by the stupid homeowner next door... (I'm still super angry, if you can't tell...)
Anyway...
It's Thursday. This week has been pretty okay. My only complaint is the excessive amount of spam email I am getting. Like 100 spam emails a day. I hate it. So much. We all know that you can't just "unsubscribe" because when you do it automatically subscribes you to five million more spam sites... ugh!
The day job has been pretty good. I've been at the receptionists desk for most of the week until today. I equally love and hate being at the desk. It is what it is. When I'm told the phones are busy, I usually roll my eyes. Yesterday, the phones were the busiest they've been since I started, and, I roll my eyes. That was not busy. It was. But not like I'm used to. Obviously, I'm still adjusting.
Though I was very busy all day today. Busy enough that I didn't get all of the things done! So woohoo! (I do know how ridiculous that is... lol)
We stopped at the store on our way home tonight. That Man is making my favorite dinner tomorrow night. Scallops and pasta. We bought all of the ingredients and grabbed stuff for dinner. Quiche - which was mostly good.
I don't have a lot of love for the traditional Valentine's Day stuff. That's just me! We, also, haven't really ever celebrated Valentine's Day, so this will be a first for us... I might change my opinions...
That's all... The laundry is done. The words, and more words!, have been written. (my story has direction again! WHOOT!)
and that is all...
Behave!!
It's just a super fun day with author people, cool greenhouse stuff, good food, and just awesomeness.
My mom loved this event so much. She would come and be with me for it. I made her a special place at my table and was always so grateful for her to be with me. Her friends would come and she would delight in walking around with them and me and meeting everyone. I will always miss that, and I always am aware of it. I miss my momma so much and this event is always a tribute to her in my mind.
So, it you live in my area, think about maybe coming to see me! It starts at noon and goes until three! Heck, it's not going to be winter this winter, so you might as well start thinking about your spring planting. I know I am already! You know... replacing the flower bed that was decimated by the stupid homeowner next door... (I'm still super angry, if you can't tell...)
Anyway...
It's Thursday. This week has been pretty okay. My only complaint is the excessive amount of spam email I am getting. Like 100 spam emails a day. I hate it. So much. We all know that you can't just "unsubscribe" because when you do it automatically subscribes you to five million more spam sites... ugh!
The day job has been pretty good. I've been at the receptionists desk for most of the week until today. I equally love and hate being at the desk. It is what it is. When I'm told the phones are busy, I usually roll my eyes. Yesterday, the phones were the busiest they've been since I started, and, I roll my eyes. That was not busy. It was. But not like I'm used to. Obviously, I'm still adjusting.
Though I was very busy all day today. Busy enough that I didn't get all of the things done! So woohoo! (I do know how ridiculous that is... lol)
We stopped at the store on our way home tonight. That Man is making my favorite dinner tomorrow night. Scallops and pasta. We bought all of the ingredients and grabbed stuff for dinner. Quiche - which was mostly good.
I don't have a lot of love for the traditional Valentine's Day stuff. That's just me! We, also, haven't really ever celebrated Valentine's Day, so this will be a first for us... I might change my opinions...
That's all... The laundry is done. The words, and more words!, have been written. (my story has direction again! WHOOT!)
and that is all...
Behave!!
Sunday, February 09, 2020
Woah! Long Silence!
Sorry about that! It's been kind of crazy around here.
Let's back up...
Last weekend we took a day off work and spent a long weekend at the cabin. It was warm and comfy and we had a really relaxing time. We set our air mattress up in the main area, which was pretty cool. We watched Lord of the Rings, and made some really awesome food. Scallops & Pasta and Shrimp & Grits. I absolutely love scallops, but the shrimp & grits were the most amazing. It was so easy to make, too. I always get it on vacation on our way home, but last time I just couldn't do it because they don't devein their shrimp and that totally grosses me out. But I've been craving it. Amazing.
On our way home, we stopped at our niece's new house to check things out. They bought a really cute place not far from us.
Then back to work. It was a rough work week for some reason. A lot of weird stuff happened. But I got through it and my supervisor said I'm doing a good job, so there's that.
I had my eyes checked for the first time in a over a decade. Not nearly as bad as I thought. I did need glasses - bifocals, which I expected. I had them leave the lines in them so I could better train myself on where to look. They are fine for reading and driving, but not for computer work. Ugh. So now instead of worrying about one pair of glasses, I need to worry about two. And then three when I have sunglasses. I almost wish I would have gotten them tinted so the sunglass factor was out of the picture. But whatever.
Critiqued an awesome story for a friend and got some writing in. Then prepping for the weekend.
Our second attempt to trim our tree in the back was more successful, but still not a complete success. We started early with a light crew, but the rest of the gang showed up and worked their butts off. Both of my boys and both of our "adopted" sons. They are an amazing team. We only got about halfway done though before we lost the light. Rope lowering huge branches through the power lines ate up so much time. And our finish up date is not for another month. Ugh. Once the tree is done, we'll start on the fence back there. K4 crashed into a few weeks ago...It was already broken though. It's semi-leaned up, but looks like crap.
I made white chicken chili, cornbread, and tons of coffee. We fed them breakfast, too, and kept them hydrated. It was a lot of work, but also a really good day. I didn't do a lot of tree work because there were many hands helping, but I had enough to do with the food and coordinating and cleaning up.
We were in bed stupid early last night. Up stupid early this morning. K4 and I did some shopping. The craft store down the road is going out of business so we hit that up. Then the mega store since we both needed socks. They had the kind of sweaters I love on sale for $5, so that happened. Then grocery shopping. We had a good time!
Back home and paid bills, made lunch, watched Toy Story 4, and tried to take a nap. That Man is making dinner. The laundry is done. The house is in decent shape. Back to work tomorrow. Next weekend is the annual greenhouse signing. I'm looking forward to that!
That's all I have!
Behave!
Let's back up...
Last weekend we took a day off work and spent a long weekend at the cabin. It was warm and comfy and we had a really relaxing time. We set our air mattress up in the main area, which was pretty cool. We watched Lord of the Rings, and made some really awesome food. Scallops & Pasta and Shrimp & Grits. I absolutely love scallops, but the shrimp & grits were the most amazing. It was so easy to make, too. I always get it on vacation on our way home, but last time I just couldn't do it because they don't devein their shrimp and that totally grosses me out. But I've been craving it. Amazing.
On our way home, we stopped at our niece's new house to check things out. They bought a really cute place not far from us.
Then back to work. It was a rough work week for some reason. A lot of weird stuff happened. But I got through it and my supervisor said I'm doing a good job, so there's that.
I had my eyes checked for the first time in a over a decade. Not nearly as bad as I thought. I did need glasses - bifocals, which I expected. I had them leave the lines in them so I could better train myself on where to look. They are fine for reading and driving, but not for computer work. Ugh. So now instead of worrying about one pair of glasses, I need to worry about two. And then three when I have sunglasses. I almost wish I would have gotten them tinted so the sunglass factor was out of the picture. But whatever.
Critiqued an awesome story for a friend and got some writing in. Then prepping for the weekend.
Our second attempt to trim our tree in the back was more successful, but still not a complete success. We started early with a light crew, but the rest of the gang showed up and worked their butts off. Both of my boys and both of our "adopted" sons. They are an amazing team. We only got about halfway done though before we lost the light. Rope lowering huge branches through the power lines ate up so much time. And our finish up date is not for another month. Ugh. Once the tree is done, we'll start on the fence back there. K4 crashed into a few weeks ago...It was already broken though. It's semi-leaned up, but looks like crap.
I made white chicken chili, cornbread, and tons of coffee. We fed them breakfast, too, and kept them hydrated. It was a lot of work, but also a really good day. I didn't do a lot of tree work because there were many hands helping, but I had enough to do with the food and coordinating and cleaning up.
We were in bed stupid early last night. Up stupid early this morning. K4 and I did some shopping. The craft store down the road is going out of business so we hit that up. Then the mega store since we both needed socks. They had the kind of sweaters I love on sale for $5, so that happened. Then grocery shopping. We had a good time!
Back home and paid bills, made lunch, watched Toy Story 4, and tried to take a nap. That Man is making dinner. The laundry is done. The house is in decent shape. Back to work tomorrow. Next weekend is the annual greenhouse signing. I'm looking forward to that!
That's all I have!
Behave!
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Holy Lost Week!
I can't even tell you what went on last week!
I know there was a lot of craziness and a lot of stress. The stress wasn't the day job, writing, or immediate family, so that's a good thing.
We did have our great-niece's first birthday party! She's so stinking cute. Her cake face was awesome! We took the B's. They wore us out and they had a blast.
This week is going fast. I mean it's Tuesday already.
The rest of the week is crazy, so you won't hear from me again until at least Sunday.
Behave!
I know there was a lot of craziness and a lot of stress. The stress wasn't the day job, writing, or immediate family, so that's a good thing.
We did have our great-niece's first birthday party! She's so stinking cute. Her cake face was awesome! We took the B's. They wore us out and they had a blast.
This week is going fast. I mean it's Tuesday already.
The rest of the week is crazy, so you won't hear from me again until at least Sunday.
Behave!
Monday, January 20, 2020
A New Week...
So the snow was pretty disappointing. We spent the morning talking about how we could have gotten the branches down and mostly taken care of before people needed to go home so they weren't driving in the freezing rain. But... it is what it is. Who knows what would have happened had we proceeded? Maybe something bad? I'm going with that.
We have rescheduled, but there's still always a chance of inclement weather, so we'll just take things as they come. Again, it is what it is... The bonus is the delay of the hit to the checkbook, so there is that... Ha!
Anyway. We did stay in our jammies all day. Watched movies, read, took naps, did laundry, cooked, and generally goofed off. We made chicken cheesesteaks for dinner and went to bed super late. And we didn't go outside other than to take the dog out. It was a good day.
Sunday we made a quick trip to the grocery store because we had a dinner epiphany. Did some more napping, though it was interrupted by this weird smell... We'd smelled it on Saturday, but couldn't pinpoint it. By Sunday, it was so bad we thought we had a break in the furnace. It was a exhaust-type/burning smell. We kept walking around sniffing and finally figured it out. They make these plug in diffusers for cat anxiety. My sister had given me the ones she'd gotten (they turned their one cat into a demon - it happens, rarely, but it does happen) for Fred. Both were super, super hot and the one was leaking the oil into the outlet. One of them was starting to burn the plastic. Holy Fire Hazard!! Yikes!
The sad thing is that I think it actually worked. On Saturday and Sunday morning, all of the cats were in the living room all chill. They were sleeping together and there was no stress. No one is crazy now, so I can't say that it did really work or it didn't. I don't think we had enough time with it to know for sure... So now I don't know what we're going to do. I won't plug them in again because I don't want my house to burn down. (Read some reviews and found that it is a common problem with this brand and of course, there are no other brands that appear to work and not catch on fire.)
Other than that... Today was Monday again. It was a weird day at work because I thought I was only on the phones for the morning and I had planned my day around that, but it turned out to be all day. I screwed up my check run - twice, and have a crap ton of research to do tomorrow on three problems that started before I did. (That part is fine...I like the research)
I got my words done. Took laundry downstairs, but didn't start it. Ha!
And that is all...
Behave!
We have rescheduled, but there's still always a chance of inclement weather, so we'll just take things as they come. Again, it is what it is... The bonus is the delay of the hit to the checkbook, so there is that... Ha!
Anyway. We did stay in our jammies all day. Watched movies, read, took naps, did laundry, cooked, and generally goofed off. We made chicken cheesesteaks for dinner and went to bed super late. And we didn't go outside other than to take the dog out. It was a good day.
Sunday we made a quick trip to the grocery store because we had a dinner epiphany. Did some more napping, though it was interrupted by this weird smell... We'd smelled it on Saturday, but couldn't pinpoint it. By Sunday, it was so bad we thought we had a break in the furnace. It was a exhaust-type/burning smell. We kept walking around sniffing and finally figured it out. They make these plug in diffusers for cat anxiety. My sister had given me the ones she'd gotten (they turned their one cat into a demon - it happens, rarely, but it does happen) for Fred. Both were super, super hot and the one was leaking the oil into the outlet. One of them was starting to burn the plastic. Holy Fire Hazard!! Yikes!
The sad thing is that I think it actually worked. On Saturday and Sunday morning, all of the cats were in the living room all chill. They were sleeping together and there was no stress. No one is crazy now, so I can't say that it did really work or it didn't. I don't think we had enough time with it to know for sure... So now I don't know what we're going to do. I won't plug them in again because I don't want my house to burn down. (Read some reviews and found that it is a common problem with this brand and of course, there are no other brands that appear to work and not catch on fire.)
Other than that... Today was Monday again. It was a weird day at work because I thought I was only on the phones for the morning and I had planned my day around that, but it turned out to be all day. I screwed up my check run - twice, and have a crap ton of research to do tomorrow on three problems that started before I did. (That part is fine...I like the research)
I got my words done. Took laundry downstairs, but didn't start it. Ha!
And that is all...
Behave!
Friday, January 17, 2020
Feel Good Friday....
Yay for Friday! Right now, with no immediate holidays to look forward to, Fridays are all we have... Ha! It's what we talk about at the office.
We had to reschedule our tree trimming! It was supposed to be tomorrow. We had all of the "crew" on board - brothers, brothers-in-law, kids, adopted kids - they were all going to be here. Some of them are calling us "wussies" for rescheduling, but it's all about their safety. (They are joking, but...) I am not a happy person about this weather. Everything was planned. Food was purchased. My day was scheduled. Ugh. I even bought first aid supplies, just in case. But the Tree Trimmer made the call so we can't feel bad.
Now That Man and I are looking forward to a "jammie day". We have decided that we are staying in our jammies all day and take a literal day off for a change. We will read. I will write. We will do laundry (because we have to, or maybe we won't) and we will cook amazing food. I am definitely looking forward to staying in my super soft jammies all day. And sleeping in.
I am really looking forward to that!
We, unfortunately, had to stop at the store tonight. Mainly because we were so sure about our weekend plans that we stopped last night. So while everyone else was buying bread, milk, and toilet paper, we were buying hamburgers, perogies, beer, and snacks. We went to the store that only the old people go to and got out of there pretty quickly. Still brutal...
I am spot on with my writing goal! I didn't write last night because I felt like utter Hell, but I made up for it tonight, which is awesome. And I have the weekend since I generally don't count weekends in my writing goals.
That is all...
Behave!
We had to reschedule our tree trimming! It was supposed to be tomorrow. We had all of the "crew" on board - brothers, brothers-in-law, kids, adopted kids - they were all going to be here. Some of them are calling us "wussies" for rescheduling, but it's all about their safety. (They are joking, but...) I am not a happy person about this weather. Everything was planned. Food was purchased. My day was scheduled. Ugh. I even bought first aid supplies, just in case. But the Tree Trimmer made the call so we can't feel bad.
Now That Man and I are looking forward to a "jammie day". We have decided that we are staying in our jammies all day and take a literal day off for a change. We will read. I will write. We will do laundry (because we have to, or maybe we won't) and we will cook amazing food. I am definitely looking forward to staying in my super soft jammies all day. And sleeping in.
I am really looking forward to that!
We, unfortunately, had to stop at the store tonight. Mainly because we were so sure about our weekend plans that we stopped last night. So while everyone else was buying bread, milk, and toilet paper, we were buying hamburgers, perogies, beer, and snacks. We went to the store that only the old people go to and got out of there pretty quickly. Still brutal...
I am spot on with my writing goal! I didn't write last night because I felt like utter Hell, but I made up for it tonight, which is awesome. And I have the weekend since I generally don't count weekends in my writing goals.
That is all...
Behave!
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Update on Fred
Fred is still being skittish and standoffish. But he's still hanging out in the common spaces with us, so that's good. He seems to be more mad at That Man than me, though That Man had nothing to do with the trip to the vet, or what happened to him. I'm the one who put him into his cage, drove him to the vet, and left him there.
I haven't gotten him on my lap for more than a few seconds yet, but he is taking his meds. Currently he is sacked on the couch. Thanks to my brother, I was able to get his pain meds into him. He gave me the best way to do it and it worked!
There has been no pee though, which is good. You can tell that the bladder meds really make him feel better. Within twenty minutes, he's himself again. That Man has taken over administering the meds since Fred wasn't being the friendliest to him before staying at the vet. That Man would rather Fred be himself and in my lap. Sweet.
It's Wednesday. Today was a rough day at the day job. Probably my roughest yet. But I got through it and it's good. My immediate coworkers are amazing and so is my boss. I'm still 100% sure I made the right decision. Though, I am still adjusting. I guess when you think about the length of time I worked like a crazy person, it makes sense that it's going to take more than 60 days to work through it all.
I'm sitting at almost 3,500 words for the week so far and it's Wednesday. That's awesome to me. It's been a long time since I've written like this and I love it. I am over halfway to my goal for the month! My brain actually is working again. For the first time in a very long time, I have random story thoughts and ideas throughout my day and during the night and when I wake up. Brain healing?
I had a dream last night that I don't remember much of, but I do remember that my mom was in it. And so was my Suburban. I remember being freaked out about something and then I got into the Suburban with my mom. As soon as I closed the door, everything was good. What does that mean?
That is all!
Behave!
I haven't gotten him on my lap for more than a few seconds yet, but he is taking his meds. Currently he is sacked on the couch. Thanks to my brother, I was able to get his pain meds into him. He gave me the best way to do it and it worked!
There has been no pee though, which is good. You can tell that the bladder meds really make him feel better. Within twenty minutes, he's himself again. That Man has taken over administering the meds since Fred wasn't being the friendliest to him before staying at the vet. That Man would rather Fred be himself and in my lap. Sweet.
It's Wednesday. Today was a rough day at the day job. Probably my roughest yet. But I got through it and it's good. My immediate coworkers are amazing and so is my boss. I'm still 100% sure I made the right decision. Though, I am still adjusting. I guess when you think about the length of time I worked like a crazy person, it makes sense that it's going to take more than 60 days to work through it all.
I'm sitting at almost 3,500 words for the week so far and it's Wednesday. That's awesome to me. It's been a long time since I've written like this and I love it. I am over halfway to my goal for the month! My brain actually is working again. For the first time in a very long time, I have random story thoughts and ideas throughout my day and during the night and when I wake up. Brain healing?
I had a dream last night that I don't remember much of, but I do remember that my mom was in it. And so was my Suburban. I remember being freaked out about something and then I got into the Suburban with my mom. As soon as I closed the door, everything was good. What does that mean?
That is all!
Behave!
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Freddie is Home!
He's not a happy kitty, but he's home and I'm glad.
He has an inflamed bladder and severe anxiety. Geesh!
There are so many factors that can cause this. We're still researching and hopefully can figure out how to connect the dots. I mean, he was only three weeks old when we found him.
The vet put him on pain meds because it hurts when the bladder is inflamed. And they have him on a bladder med. We have a few things to try as far as lessening his stress - who knew there's wet food for stress? We're also going to try the cat calming diffuser.
But the ultimate thought is that he's still very young and it's really possible that he'll grow out of it. That's what we're hoping for.
When we got home, we took him to K4's room since we had to go to the grocery store. None of us wanted him to be alone roaming around the house and there was a huge chance he would hide and we wouldn't be able to get his meds into him. K4 got the liquid med into him and then we let him come downstairs. He only took part of his pain meds, but it seems to be enough. He's currently laying on the living room floor all stretched out.
He's with his people and his buddies and that seems to be what he needs.
That's about it... I did my words and some other household administration duties and now I'm ready to close up shop and relax - hopefully with my orange kitty on my lap. We'll see if he's mad at me or not...
Oh! Snow is forecasted for the weekend! While I'm happy about the possibility of snow, I'm not happy about the way it could change our plans. We'll see.
That's all...
Behave!
He has an inflamed bladder and severe anxiety. Geesh!
There are so many factors that can cause this. We're still researching and hopefully can figure out how to connect the dots. I mean, he was only three weeks old when we found him.
The vet put him on pain meds because it hurts when the bladder is inflamed. And they have him on a bladder med. We have a few things to try as far as lessening his stress - who knew there's wet food for stress? We're also going to try the cat calming diffuser.
But the ultimate thought is that he's still very young and it's really possible that he'll grow out of it. That's what we're hoping for.
When we got home, we took him to K4's room since we had to go to the grocery store. None of us wanted him to be alone roaming around the house and there was a huge chance he would hide and we wouldn't be able to get his meds into him. K4 got the liquid med into him and then we let him come downstairs. He only took part of his pain meds, but it seems to be enough. He's currently laying on the living room floor all stretched out.
He's with his people and his buddies and that seems to be what he needs.
That's about it... I did my words and some other household administration duties and now I'm ready to close up shop and relax - hopefully with my orange kitty on my lap. We'll see if he's mad at me or not...
Oh! Snow is forecasted for the weekend! While I'm happy about the possibility of snow, I'm not happy about the way it could change our plans. We'll see.
That's all...
Behave!
Monday, January 13, 2020
Monday...
Oy! It's Monday...
The book singing was good! I sold a few. Got to talk to my author and bookseller friends. My sister came. I met some cool people. It was good...
Mr. B came in fourth in the pinewood derby. He's such a good sport. He was supportive of his pack mates and had the right attitude when it came to the end. He's such a good kid. Then, they had a family race. K1 put little Mr. B in to race with one of K1's old pinewood derby cars. (Little Mr. B fell asleep so wasn't a part of any of the thing) The old school bus was K1's entry when he was like 8. He lost horribly this time, but it was a blast. So many jokes and much obnoxiousness! When they found out how old the schoolbus was, one of the leaders brought out his oldest car and they raced. It was awesome. And then they sat at our table and discussed cars and races and scouts. It made me miss our time in scouts.
Sleeping in was marginal this weekend... that's all I have to say about that.
The most important thing today is that my Freddie boy had a vet appointment tonight. He's still at the vet...I am sad. They think he might have a urinary tract infection, which would explain the peeing on everything (occasionally) that is going on. We took him because of the peeing. It's not terrible, but it's not good either. But he peed on K4's coat right in front of me and didn't run away when I caught him. Something is wrong...
And he's at the vet still. I am distraught. I miss my baby. They wanted to give him fluids and get him to pee and check him out. Trust me, the kitty wasn't sick in any way when we went. The boy weighs 15 pounds!! He's only like seven months old!
I don't know what tomorrow will hold yet. They will call me... and I will leave work to pick him up...or whatever they suggest.
I miss my boy though. By now, he is in my lap, purring and wanting love. I feel so bad for him being stuck in a cage at the vet's office...
That is all I have...
Behave!!
The book singing was good! I sold a few. Got to talk to my author and bookseller friends. My sister came. I met some cool people. It was good...
Mr. B came in fourth in the pinewood derby. He's such a good sport. He was supportive of his pack mates and had the right attitude when it came to the end. He's such a good kid. Then, they had a family race. K1 put little Mr. B in to race with one of K1's old pinewood derby cars. (Little Mr. B fell asleep so wasn't a part of any of the thing) The old school bus was K1's entry when he was like 8. He lost horribly this time, but it was a blast. So many jokes and much obnoxiousness! When they found out how old the schoolbus was, one of the leaders brought out his oldest car and they raced. It was awesome. And then they sat at our table and discussed cars and races and scouts. It made me miss our time in scouts.
Sleeping in was marginal this weekend... that's all I have to say about that.
The most important thing today is that my Freddie boy had a vet appointment tonight. He's still at the vet...I am sad. They think he might have a urinary tract infection, which would explain the peeing on everything (occasionally) that is going on. We took him because of the peeing. It's not terrible, but it's not good either. But he peed on K4's coat right in front of me and didn't run away when I caught him. Something is wrong...
And he's at the vet still. I am distraught. I miss my baby. They wanted to give him fluids and get him to pee and check him out. Trust me, the kitty wasn't sick in any way when we went. The boy weighs 15 pounds!! He's only like seven months old!
I don't know what tomorrow will hold yet. They will call me... and I will leave work to pick him up...or whatever they suggest.
I miss my boy though. By now, he is in my lap, purring and wanting love. I feel so bad for him being stuck in a cage at the vet's office...
That is all I have...
Behave!!
Friday, January 10, 2020
Feel Good Friday!
Let's just get to the list!!!
1. Friday! Whoot!
2. K4 taking care of dinner & clean up tonight. No cooking. No cleaning up. Nice!
3. Getting to see Mr. B on his birthday for a few minutes. They are in Cub Scout pinewood derby preparations and stopped by for some advice on the car. I asked Mr. B how he could possibly be seven already and he told me that I hadn't been paying attention. LOL! He's a crack up!
4. Sleeping in tomorrow! Yes! It's been a rough sleeping week. I don't know why.
5. Dinner with "the boys" last night. We had K3 & A, K3's best friend and his partner, M, over. K3's best friend just found his mother deceased. It was super bad. We assisted as "pseudo-parents" at the funeral home since the poor guy has no one with experience around. (He and K3 have been best friends since early high school so he is like our son, too.) He's an only child and has absolutely no close family. So dinner was a way to catch up after the horrific time and make sure he's okay. He's doing well. He's a great guy. M is also a great guy, and we had a really awesome time getting to know him. We approve. I was going to ask K3 to bring a game to play, but as it turns out, we didn't need one. We laughed our butts off just talking about random stuff.
6. Book Signing tomorrow! I'm excited to go with my new books!
7. I did not write last night, which I had planned for. I did a few words tonight - not as many as I have been doing, but enough to keep me on track. And there's always the chance I'll not sleep again and decided to get some words down...
8. Did I mention sleeping in? K4 is taking the dog tonight, which means I won't have to share my blankets, share my leg space, or fight for air since I'm stuck in the middle. Don't get me wrong, I normally don't mind the dog sleeping with us, but sometimes it's nice to have a break.
9. Going to see Mr. B's Pinewood Derby race on Sunday and giving him his presents. That Man is super excited to go to a derby race. It's been a long time. We've done countless derby races - served food, made french fries, carved out cars, painted cars, did last minute weights on cars, baked cookies and pies, organized, cleaned up, gone to the next level with some pretty cool cars. In fact, Mr. B took home several of his dad's old pinewood derby cars for inspiration. It will be interesting to see what has changed.
10. Also Sunday... Oh wait... Laundry... nevermind...ha!
That is all!
Behave!
1. Friday! Whoot!
2. K4 taking care of dinner & clean up tonight. No cooking. No cleaning up. Nice!
3. Getting to see Mr. B on his birthday for a few minutes. They are in Cub Scout pinewood derby preparations and stopped by for some advice on the car. I asked Mr. B how he could possibly be seven already and he told me that I hadn't been paying attention. LOL! He's a crack up!
4. Sleeping in tomorrow! Yes! It's been a rough sleeping week. I don't know why.
5. Dinner with "the boys" last night. We had K3 & A, K3's best friend and his partner, M, over. K3's best friend just found his mother deceased. It was super bad. We assisted as "pseudo-parents" at the funeral home since the poor guy has no one with experience around. (He and K3 have been best friends since early high school so he is like our son, too.) He's an only child and has absolutely no close family. So dinner was a way to catch up after the horrific time and make sure he's okay. He's doing well. He's a great guy. M is also a great guy, and we had a really awesome time getting to know him. We approve. I was going to ask K3 to bring a game to play, but as it turns out, we didn't need one. We laughed our butts off just talking about random stuff.
6. Book Signing tomorrow! I'm excited to go with my new books!
7. I did not write last night, which I had planned for. I did a few words tonight - not as many as I have been doing, but enough to keep me on track. And there's always the chance I'll not sleep again and decided to get some words down...
8. Did I mention sleeping in? K4 is taking the dog tonight, which means I won't have to share my blankets, share my leg space, or fight for air since I'm stuck in the middle. Don't get me wrong, I normally don't mind the dog sleeping with us, but sometimes it's nice to have a break.
9. Going to see Mr. B's Pinewood Derby race on Sunday and giving him his presents. That Man is super excited to go to a derby race. It's been a long time. We've done countless derby races - served food, made french fries, carved out cars, painted cars, did last minute weights on cars, baked cookies and pies, organized, cleaned up, gone to the next level with some pretty cool cars. In fact, Mr. B took home several of his dad's old pinewood derby cars for inspiration. It will be interesting to see what has changed.
10. Also Sunday... Oh wait... Laundry... nevermind...ha!
That is all!
Behave!
Wednesday, January 08, 2020
Mid-Week Mayhem...
Okay, so there's no mayhem. I made that part up... Ha!
It's, so far, been a pretty quiet week around here.
We did have some most beautiful snow yesterday. It's still pretty, but now it's freaking cold and blustery. Which is fine. I mean, it's winter, it's supposed to be cold. And with snow on the ground, I don't mind it so much. Well... I do mind the cold wind. That's pretty much bullcrap.
The day job is good. Still learning new stuff. Obviously that's going to be the case for a while. Went to the dentist for a cleaning for the first time in a long time, which was good. Not as bad as I expected, at all. I also made an eye doctor appointment, which also hasn't happened in a long time. (Do you see the thread here? Hmm...) (I have, however, had my mammogram regularly...)
I feel like I'm becoming a regular, whole person again...
I got my print books for Redemption: Sector One! They are so beautiful and I am so happy! I have my first book signing with them on Saturday! I'm so excited! And then, the next event is the annual greenhouse thing next month, which I am also excited for.
And... the writing is going spectacular! I have written every single day since last Friday, and not just a few words either. I made a pretty lofty monthly goal, and I am overachieving that so far! The story is going well and falling into place. In fact, I finished my words about a half-hour ago, which gives me time to goof off on the Internet. As I increase my stamina to normal proportions, I will be writing more and more words each night and still have goof off time. Oh! And I need a good chair for my office, so... I need to put that on my list!
The crap going on with the national writing organization is so epically ridiculous that it's like riding a crazy train through a ten-ring circus, or maybe worse than that... Today was especially crazy. It's like watching a superbad and cringey tv show that never has any kind of redemption or understanding. And I am not kidding at all.
Other than that... It's Wednesday...
And that is all...
Behave!
It's, so far, been a pretty quiet week around here.
We did have some most beautiful snow yesterday. It's still pretty, but now it's freaking cold and blustery. Which is fine. I mean, it's winter, it's supposed to be cold. And with snow on the ground, I don't mind it so much. Well... I do mind the cold wind. That's pretty much bullcrap.
The day job is good. Still learning new stuff. Obviously that's going to be the case for a while. Went to the dentist for a cleaning for the first time in a long time, which was good. Not as bad as I expected, at all. I also made an eye doctor appointment, which also hasn't happened in a long time. (Do you see the thread here? Hmm...) (I have, however, had my mammogram regularly...)
I feel like I'm becoming a regular, whole person again...
I got my print books for Redemption: Sector One! They are so beautiful and I am so happy! I have my first book signing with them on Saturday! I'm so excited! And then, the next event is the annual greenhouse thing next month, which I am also excited for.
And... the writing is going spectacular! I have written every single day since last Friday, and not just a few words either. I made a pretty lofty monthly goal, and I am overachieving that so far! The story is going well and falling into place. In fact, I finished my words about a half-hour ago, which gives me time to goof off on the Internet. As I increase my stamina to normal proportions, I will be writing more and more words each night and still have goof off time. Oh! And I need a good chair for my office, so... I need to put that on my list!
The crap going on with the national writing organization is so epically ridiculous that it's like riding a crazy train through a ten-ring circus, or maybe worse than that... Today was especially crazy. It's like watching a superbad and cringey tv show that never has any kind of redemption or understanding. And I am not kidding at all.
Other than that... It's Wednesday...
And that is all...
Behave!
Friday, January 03, 2020
First Feel Good Friday of 2020...
It's 2020...
First Friday of 2020...
Let's get to the list.
1. New Year's was good. Lord of the Rings all day. Perfect. I was in bed early and up early the next day.
2. Back up... New Year's Eve was also good. We stopped downtown to see Funeral Bob's new gathering place. Hung out and talked to him and a bunch of people. Went to the grocery store (horrible mistake). Went for food. Visited friends. Visited more friends. Stayed up too late.
3. Back to work on Thursday. It was a long gruesome day of boredom. Seriously. I kept thinking it was Monday, which sucked.
4. Today was inventory day at work. We all made side dishes for the subs work ordered. I had to run checks this morning, but as soon as I was done, I went and helped count. Then lunch. Then entered as much inventory as I could before the end of the day. I was busy, and it was good. We left almost a half-hour late because That Man and I were both caught up in what we were doing and it was hard to tear away. But it will be there on Monday.
5. Chilling tonight. We brought leftovers home from today, so no cooking. I caught up on emails, paid the bills, and talked to my aunt.
6. Tomorrow's Writing Group meeting. Looking forward to it. There's a crapstorm going on with our national organization right now. We have only questions and no decent answers and everyone is ticked off and confused. It should be an interesting meeting.
7. After that... there is hope for lunch with some non-writing friends...
8. Taking the tree down either tomorrow night or Sunday. It's time for it to go. I also need to run the vacuum and clean this pigsty. It's not horrible, but it's not great either.
9. Writing goals... Getting back into the game. I fell short of my goals, but not that short, so I am still on the right track...
That's all I have... January is supposed to be a quiet month, but we're finding every weekend is full... Crazy.
Behave!
First Friday of 2020...
Let's get to the list.
1. New Year's was good. Lord of the Rings all day. Perfect. I was in bed early and up early the next day.
2. Back up... New Year's Eve was also good. We stopped downtown to see Funeral Bob's new gathering place. Hung out and talked to him and a bunch of people. Went to the grocery store (horrible mistake). Went for food. Visited friends. Visited more friends. Stayed up too late.
3. Back to work on Thursday. It was a long gruesome day of boredom. Seriously. I kept thinking it was Monday, which sucked.
4. Today was inventory day at work. We all made side dishes for the subs work ordered. I had to run checks this morning, but as soon as I was done, I went and helped count. Then lunch. Then entered as much inventory as I could before the end of the day. I was busy, and it was good. We left almost a half-hour late because That Man and I were both caught up in what we were doing and it was hard to tear away. But it will be there on Monday.
5. Chilling tonight. We brought leftovers home from today, so no cooking. I caught up on emails, paid the bills, and talked to my aunt.
6. Tomorrow's Writing Group meeting. Looking forward to it. There's a crapstorm going on with our national organization right now. We have only questions and no decent answers and everyone is ticked off and confused. It should be an interesting meeting.
7. After that... there is hope for lunch with some non-writing friends...
8. Taking the tree down either tomorrow night or Sunday. It's time for it to go. I also need to run the vacuum and clean this pigsty. It's not horrible, but it's not great either.
9. Writing goals... Getting back into the game. I fell short of my goals, but not that short, so I am still on the right track...
That's all I have... January is supposed to be a quiet month, but we're finding every weekend is full... Crazy.
Behave!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Happy New Year!!
Have a wonderful New Year's Eve!!
Be safe. Don't drink and drive!
I hope you make 2020 your b*tch and all of the good things happen for you!
Behave!
Be safe. Don't drink and drive!
I hope you make 2020 your b*tch and all of the good things happen for you!
Behave!
Saturday, December 28, 2019
It's Almost Over...
The Holidays, I mean...
We just have New Year's to get through... Oy... I have no idea what we're doing about that yet... We have several invitations, but we may just end up on Main Street in our little town for a few minutes. Don't know yet.
We had a pretty darned nice Christmas! Christmas Eve was good! Good soup. Good company. Great niece holding! Grandsons! Siblings! Friends! (lots of !!!!!) We did our first White Elephant gift exchange and I think it went pretty well! We'll definitely do it again next year.
Folks went home. We cleaned up. Re-set for Christmas Day!
I was the last one up in the morning, which is surprising! Usually I am the one that is making coffee, turning on the lights, and taking the dog out. That Man had coffee ready and K4 was already through her cup by the time I came down! She was happy with her presents. We broke up the chaos a few times like we always do, but this year, we waited on breakfast until K3 and A got here.
Got breakfast done. Mimosas. Presents. Made the stuffed shells for the birthday dinner. Travelled to see K1 and J and the boys. Split up from there. K3 and A went to see A's gma. We stopped at That Man's second job for keys. I stayed in the car and I shouldn't have. The boss wife came out to see me, but she just had neck surgery. I felt bad for being a slump and staying in the car. They gave me a glass of wine and we journeyed home.
A quick nap. And shells. And Birthday stuff. K3 and A came back for the naps and stuff.
It was a good day. We were in bed way late, but it was okay.
Off Thursday and Friday! Beautiful! A little sleeping in on Thursday. We went to the mega hardware store for supplies to get K4 back into the attic. A little change in walls, etc, and she's got her little apartment up there. She's ecstatic and we just have a little more work to do before we can move her stuff up there.
Of course, she has no bathroom or kitchen, but the space will still be amazing! The renovations we did last summer ( summer before last?) are still amazing. The floors are beautiful.
Today, I actually changed out of my jammies and took a shower! Ha! (I did put real pants on to go to the mega hardware store!) I went to the grocery store and caught up on the fiasco that is my national writing chapter at the moment. I am not sure if I am cancelling my membership at this point or not... It's all a bunch of bullcrap...
And that's all I have... Tomorrow is Sunday... Our last day off. We work all day Monday and a partial day Tuesday. Off Wednesday and then back to work on Thursday. Though I will say it's exciting to start the year off with all of my vacation time in place! Whoot!
That is all... I'm off to edit now...
Behave!
We just have New Year's to get through... Oy... I have no idea what we're doing about that yet... We have several invitations, but we may just end up on Main Street in our little town for a few minutes. Don't know yet.
We had a pretty darned nice Christmas! Christmas Eve was good! Good soup. Good company. Great niece holding! Grandsons! Siblings! Friends! (lots of !!!!!) We did our first White Elephant gift exchange and I think it went pretty well! We'll definitely do it again next year.
Folks went home. We cleaned up. Re-set for Christmas Day!
I was the last one up in the morning, which is surprising! Usually I am the one that is making coffee, turning on the lights, and taking the dog out. That Man had coffee ready and K4 was already through her cup by the time I came down! She was happy with her presents. We broke up the chaos a few times like we always do, but this year, we waited on breakfast until K3 and A got here.
Got breakfast done. Mimosas. Presents. Made the stuffed shells for the birthday dinner. Travelled to see K1 and J and the boys. Split up from there. K3 and A went to see A's gma. We stopped at That Man's second job for keys. I stayed in the car and I shouldn't have. The boss wife came out to see me, but she just had neck surgery. I felt bad for being a slump and staying in the car. They gave me a glass of wine and we journeyed home.
A quick nap. And shells. And Birthday stuff. K3 and A came back for the naps and stuff.
It was a good day. We were in bed way late, but it was okay.
Off Thursday and Friday! Beautiful! A little sleeping in on Thursday. We went to the mega hardware store for supplies to get K4 back into the attic. A little change in walls, etc, and she's got her little apartment up there. She's ecstatic and we just have a little more work to do before we can move her stuff up there.
Of course, she has no bathroom or kitchen, but the space will still be amazing! The renovations we did last summer ( summer before last?) are still amazing. The floors are beautiful.
Today, I actually changed out of my jammies and took a shower! Ha! (I did put real pants on to go to the mega hardware store!) I went to the grocery store and caught up on the fiasco that is my national writing chapter at the moment. I am not sure if I am cancelling my membership at this point or not... It's all a bunch of bullcrap...
And that's all I have... Tomorrow is Sunday... Our last day off. We work all day Monday and a partial day Tuesday. Off Wednesday and then back to work on Thursday. Though I will say it's exciting to start the year off with all of my vacation time in place! Whoot!
That is all... I'm off to edit now...
Behave!
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019
Feel Good Friday - The 5 Days Until Christmas Version
Crazy Countdown!
Here's the list:
1. Work week done! Whoot! Only a day and a half to work before a very long weekend!
2. Leaving early today to have a nice dinner with That Man! We worked through lunch so we could leave an hour early. It's our 33rd Anniversary today! We went to a steakhouse we had a gift card for. The service was pretty awful, but the food was good. We're still stuffed and we ate dinner like 3 hours ago! Ha! I can't believe it's been 33 years. And we still like each other - a lot! Ha!
3. Stopping to get a few last minute things. We're not "quite" finished, but my confidence is high. Gift-wise, we're just waiting for the delivery guy. We have a massive grocery store run to take care of in the morning.
4. Getting two of the grands for our annual shopping trip tomorrow. We started this tradition with K5, and now it's grown to include Mr. B. I'm sure it will grow further as we go. We'll pick them up and head to the store so they can shop for each other and their parents. Then, back here for wrapping, crafts, dinner, and their gift exchange. We're doing a sleepover this year, which is usually interesting, and then we'll have "Christmas Breakfast" Sunday morning. We're looking forward to it, even though we have a million things to do before time to pick them up.
5. Dinner out with the writing gang this week. That was fun. It was a small crowd, which just means more personal and deeper conversations.
6. A Christmas Celebration with friends the next night. That was really good, too. Lots of food, laughter, and silliness. It crazy snowed though and they live on a hill on top of another hill in the middle of nowhere.
7. Getting most of the wrapping done last night. We ran out of paper, so I'm glad we made the effort to get done early. Got some paper tonight, so we'll get the last few things done here in a bit. Then I need to clean the office so we can wrap with the kids tomorrow.
8. My lists! I don't think I could survive without them! I have a very hug shopping list, and a list of things to do that shrinks and grows at the same time.
9. Sleeping in a little tomorrow. Just a little, but it will be good.
10. The kitties still leaving the tree alone. Except for the tree skirt. It has turned into a superhero cape, and slidey toy, and the object of fights. I put it back and they just take it away again. To be clear, we're not putting any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve - just in case. For one, the dog will open them. She absolutely loves to open presents, so there's that. We've come home to wrapping paper and open stuff a few times over the years, and I'm not going there again. I also don't trust that the kittens won't do the same, plus they are all over the boxes in my office. Twice last night I had to do repair work on wrapping because they walked over or attacked something. Ha!
And that's all I have to say...
The wrapping, writing, and my lists are calling to me!
Behave!
Here's the list:
1. Work week done! Whoot! Only a day and a half to work before a very long weekend!
2. Leaving early today to have a nice dinner with That Man! We worked through lunch so we could leave an hour early. It's our 33rd Anniversary today! We went to a steakhouse we had a gift card for. The service was pretty awful, but the food was good. We're still stuffed and we ate dinner like 3 hours ago! Ha! I can't believe it's been 33 years. And we still like each other - a lot! Ha!
3. Stopping to get a few last minute things. We're not "quite" finished, but my confidence is high. Gift-wise, we're just waiting for the delivery guy. We have a massive grocery store run to take care of in the morning.
4. Getting two of the grands for our annual shopping trip tomorrow. We started this tradition with K5, and now it's grown to include Mr. B. I'm sure it will grow further as we go. We'll pick them up and head to the store so they can shop for each other and their parents. Then, back here for wrapping, crafts, dinner, and their gift exchange. We're doing a sleepover this year, which is usually interesting, and then we'll have "Christmas Breakfast" Sunday morning. We're looking forward to it, even though we have a million things to do before time to pick them up.
5. Dinner out with the writing gang this week. That was fun. It was a small crowd, which just means more personal and deeper conversations.
6. A Christmas Celebration with friends the next night. That was really good, too. Lots of food, laughter, and silliness. It crazy snowed though and they live on a hill on top of another hill in the middle of nowhere.
7. Getting most of the wrapping done last night. We ran out of paper, so I'm glad we made the effort to get done early. Got some paper tonight, so we'll get the last few things done here in a bit. Then I need to clean the office so we can wrap with the kids tomorrow.
8. My lists! I don't think I could survive without them! I have a very hug shopping list, and a list of things to do that shrinks and grows at the same time.
9. Sleeping in a little tomorrow. Just a little, but it will be good.
10. The kitties still leaving the tree alone. Except for the tree skirt. It has turned into a superhero cape, and slidey toy, and the object of fights. I put it back and they just take it away again. To be clear, we're not putting any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve - just in case. For one, the dog will open them. She absolutely loves to open presents, so there's that. We've come home to wrapping paper and open stuff a few times over the years, and I'm not going there again. I also don't trust that the kittens won't do the same, plus they are all over the boxes in my office. Twice last night I had to do repair work on wrapping because they walked over or attacked something. Ha!
And that's all I have to say...
The wrapping, writing, and my lists are calling to me!
Behave!
Monday, December 16, 2019
Seven Days...
It's the final countdown.... (cue Sponge Bob... lol)
We're almost there. Did the inventory and are pretty good except for a few final things. We couldn't go crazy this year, we've got some big expenses coming up - like a major tree trimming and the cost is so outrageous I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it. But it must be done. Whatever. It's not about the presents at all, and it would do me good to remember that!
Here's our tree!
It's not as fat or tall as I normally go for, but it's beautiful and it smells amazing!
So far, the kittens have left it pretty much alone. The tree skirt is all bunched around the back, but that's normal. We had that when it was just Spenser. *Knock on wood* Not one cat has gotten into the tree at this point. We shall see though. It's early...
This time next week, I should be making K4's birthday cake and working on her stuff shells for dinner. We're having an Italian feast this year for her 20th birthday! And the ultimate goal is not work a lot on Christmas! I will do as much as possible before so I don't have much to do on the day.
The really nice thing is That Man and I are off the days after Christmas. Which is awesome! Sleeping in! Whoot! We'll need it after this week and next!
But first we need to get through this work week...It's an easy week for the most part.
That is all.
Behave!
We're almost there. Did the inventory and are pretty good except for a few final things. We couldn't go crazy this year, we've got some big expenses coming up - like a major tree trimming and the cost is so outrageous I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it. But it must be done. Whatever. It's not about the presents at all, and it would do me good to remember that!
It's not as fat or tall as I normally go for, but it's beautiful and it smells amazing!
So far, the kittens have left it pretty much alone. The tree skirt is all bunched around the back, but that's normal. We had that when it was just Spenser. *Knock on wood* Not one cat has gotten into the tree at this point. We shall see though. It's early...
This time next week, I should be making K4's birthday cake and working on her stuff shells for dinner. We're having an Italian feast this year for her 20th birthday! And the ultimate goal is not work a lot on Christmas! I will do as much as possible before so I don't have much to do on the day.
The really nice thing is That Man and I are off the days after Christmas. Which is awesome! Sleeping in! Whoot! We'll need it after this week and next!
But first we need to get through this work week...It's an easy week for the most part.
That is all.
Behave!
Friday, December 13, 2019
Feel Good Friday!
Here's the list:
1. Seeing our grandbabies on Sunday! They are so stinking cute and they loved the ball pit/fortress we got them. We're not sure mom and dad loved it, but... Ha! Grandparent prerogative! We had dinner and cupcakes for Baby A's birthday, lots of good conversation, and lots of sticky kisses, hugs, demands on where pappy and nanna have to sit, and instructions for head bands.
2. Getting the Christmas shopping almost done. Though... we did think we got Mr. B something super cool and when it came... it was super small and stupid, so... yeah, not there yet. I would say we're about 90% done.
3. Today's work Christmas Party. It was good. We ate well (the food was amazing), and talked to people. We got to leave when it was over (about 2.5 hours before the end of the normal work day), which was cool.
4. Talking to my kid for over an hour tonight! He is so funny and awesome! We talked about future plans, current plans, and the fog outside right now. It was a fantastic conversation.
5. Our tree is up, but not decorated. It's currently drying while it drops. Next, we will tie it to the wall to prevent the kitty babies from destroying it. Tomorrow is decorating. I hope! We will see what it looks like in the morning. Ha!
6. My cover for Into the Fire being in the top ten in the cover contest! Less than 24 hours left in the voting until the next round! It's been fun!
7. Shopping on our way home tonight. We hit the mega store for the stuff we ordered for pick up and got some other stuff, too. That pick up thing is the way to go though! In and out in less than five minutes! Whooo! Then the grocery store with the rest of the crazy people.
8. Sleeping in tomorrow! Whoo!
9. Writing well this week! It's going pretty good! I'm editing what I have so far and I'm almost done! We just came off of our 50/50 challenge, which is pretty much writing every day, even if it's crap. So I'm cleaning up the crappy bits so I can proceed.
10. Weekend plans! Not sure exactly what they are yet. The plans have changed at least five times since this morning, but whatever we do, it will be good!
That is all!
Behave!
1. Seeing our grandbabies on Sunday! They are so stinking cute and they loved the ball pit/fortress we got them. We're not sure mom and dad loved it, but... Ha! Grandparent prerogative! We had dinner and cupcakes for Baby A's birthday, lots of good conversation, and lots of sticky kisses, hugs, demands on where pappy and nanna have to sit, and instructions for head bands.
2. Getting the Christmas shopping almost done. Though... we did think we got Mr. B something super cool and when it came... it was super small and stupid, so... yeah, not there yet. I would say we're about 90% done.
3. Today's work Christmas Party. It was good. We ate well (the food was amazing), and talked to people. We got to leave when it was over (about 2.5 hours before the end of the normal work day), which was cool.
4. Talking to my kid for over an hour tonight! He is so funny and awesome! We talked about future plans, current plans, and the fog outside right now. It was a fantastic conversation.
5. Our tree is up, but not decorated. It's currently drying while it drops. Next, we will tie it to the wall to prevent the kitty babies from destroying it. Tomorrow is decorating. I hope! We will see what it looks like in the morning. Ha!
6. My cover for Into the Fire being in the top ten in the cover contest! Less than 24 hours left in the voting until the next round! It's been fun!
7. Shopping on our way home tonight. We hit the mega store for the stuff we ordered for pick up and got some other stuff, too. That pick up thing is the way to go though! In and out in less than five minutes! Whooo! Then the grocery store with the rest of the crazy people.
8. Sleeping in tomorrow! Whoo!
9. Writing well this week! It's going pretty good! I'm editing what I have so far and I'm almost done! We just came off of our 50/50 challenge, which is pretty much writing every day, even if it's crap. So I'm cleaning up the crappy bits so I can proceed.
10. Weekend plans! Not sure exactly what they are yet. The plans have changed at least five times since this morning, but whatever we do, it will be good!
That is all!
Behave!
Sunday, December 08, 2019
Christmas Party Saturday...
I know it's late! We've been home for a little while, but have to wait for the furnace to catch up, so we're watching a Christmas movie and chilling. Well, actually, That Man is snoozing on the couch... I would be too, but I started sneezing like a maniac a few minutes ago and now my sinuses feel like they're going to blow apart.
Anyway...
It was Christmas all day here (even though my Fall decorations are still on the porch).
Up early to decorate the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake I made for the party. Homemade whipped cream and fresh raspberries. The cake actually made it to the party in one piece, though I dinged it on the door on my way inside. I ended up making strawberry sauce for it since I failed on buying raspberry jam, but it was fine.
I had to be there early for a board meeting. It was my last board meeting since I am not on the board in 2020. It was productive and good.
Then the party - lots of good food and conversations. I requested and received good kitten advice, talked podcasts, cheesecake, book covers, and random stuff. It was really good to connect with my chapter mates!
Got home and took a tiny rest. That Man got home and we wrapped our white elephant gifts and hit the road to the next party. It was a good time. Lots of good food, laughter, and conversation. We connected with one of the office ladies and her husband and talked about a ton of stuff. It was a good time. The white elephant was a blast. I came home with a bottle of champagne and That Man came home with two awesome candles. Our gifts were a hit, too.
Tomorrow is the usual chores, but then we are going to K2's for dinner. I have to make mac and cheese.
And that is all...
Behave!
Anyway...
It was Christmas all day here (even though my Fall decorations are still on the porch).
Up early to decorate the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake I made for the party. Homemade whipped cream and fresh raspberries. The cake actually made it to the party in one piece, though I dinged it on the door on my way inside. I ended up making strawberry sauce for it since I failed on buying raspberry jam, but it was fine.
I had to be there early for a board meeting. It was my last board meeting since I am not on the board in 2020. It was productive and good.
Then the party - lots of good food and conversations. I requested and received good kitten advice, talked podcasts, cheesecake, book covers, and random stuff. It was really good to connect with my chapter mates!
Got home and took a tiny rest. That Man got home and we wrapped our white elephant gifts and hit the road to the next party. It was a good time. Lots of good food, laughter, and conversation. We connected with one of the office ladies and her husband and talked about a ton of stuff. It was a good time. The white elephant was a blast. I came home with a bottle of champagne and That Man came home with two awesome candles. Our gifts were a hit, too.
Tomorrow is the usual chores, but then we are going to K2's for dinner. I have to make mac and cheese.
And that is all...
Behave!
Friday, December 06, 2019
Feel Good Friday!
Thank you Friday!
Though I have to say... my weeks are far less dependant on Friday! It's been a struggle to accept the no stress. In fact, it's been such a struggle that I have been making that stress for myself. It wasn't until last night when I talked to a friend that I realized that... Today was different with that knowledge and I had a good talk with a coworker. It's really good and while I miss my old peeps, I am still confident that my decision was the best.
And my brain is healing... It is... I have ideas and thoughts and critical thinking!
So on to the Feel Good...
1. Figuring out the Christmas stuff with That Man... We have a weak plan at this point, but at least we're getting somewhere.
2. Dinner out tonight. Well... kind of. I wasn't too hungry, so I ordered an appetizer for dinner, but it was brought out right away when it was supposed to have been brought out with That Man's food. Whatever. It was fine. We still had some quiet time and conversation.
3. Weekend plans. That Man has to work a half day. I have a morning Christmas Party. Then we have his part-time job Christmas party - which is always fun. We bought a hysterical gift for it. They do an amazing White Elephant thing and I can't wait to see what happens!
4. Sunday is up in the air, but laundry will be done. And hopefully some decorations will be put out.
5. Writing has been done this week!
6. Good conversations with K4. Her "girls" are recovering and now shedding, which is a good thing. I do have a container of worms in my fridge, which is whatever... I don't necessarily like it, but I don't care either. They are so freaking cute!
And that's all I have...
Behave!
Though I have to say... my weeks are far less dependant on Friday! It's been a struggle to accept the no stress. In fact, it's been such a struggle that I have been making that stress for myself. It wasn't until last night when I talked to a friend that I realized that... Today was different with that knowledge and I had a good talk with a coworker. It's really good and while I miss my old peeps, I am still confident that my decision was the best.
And my brain is healing... It is... I have ideas and thoughts and critical thinking!
So on to the Feel Good...
1. Figuring out the Christmas stuff with That Man... We have a weak plan at this point, but at least we're getting somewhere.
2. Dinner out tonight. Well... kind of. I wasn't too hungry, so I ordered an appetizer for dinner, but it was brought out right away when it was supposed to have been brought out with That Man's food. Whatever. It was fine. We still had some quiet time and conversation.
3. Weekend plans. That Man has to work a half day. I have a morning Christmas Party. Then we have his part-time job Christmas party - which is always fun. We bought a hysterical gift for it. They do an amazing White Elephant thing and I can't wait to see what happens!
4. Sunday is up in the air, but laundry will be done. And hopefully some decorations will be put out.
5. Writing has been done this week!
6. Good conversations with K4. Her "girls" are recovering and now shedding, which is a good thing. I do have a container of worms in my fridge, which is whatever... I don't necessarily like it, but I don't care either. They are so freaking cute!
And that's all I have...
Behave!
Tuesday, December 03, 2019
Tuckered Out Tuesday...
I literally just sat down about 10 minutes ago... Well, I mean I sat down a lot today - I work in an office, and have to sit to travel back and forth to work, and...Ha!, but 10 minutes ago was when I finally was able to think about actually sitting on my couch and putting my feet up.
Did a lot of running around at the office today though. Annual calendar shipment and distribution and by the time I was done, I was sweating! Up and down the stairs at least six times, into and around the warehouse several times - and our warehouse is ginormous. Anyway - for my first big order, I only messed up one calendar and I hope he's going to be okay with what I accidentally ordered for him. If not, well, that's okay.
We left work and picked up K5. Took her to dinner and had a blast! She gave us her Christmas list, we drew pictures, practiced cursive, and goofed off. Had mini mozzarella sticks as an appetizer (those were amazing), a good dinner, and ice cream for dessert. I'm sure they were ready to kick us out of the restaurant for being loud, obnoxious, and staying so long. We tipped well though. Drove around and looked at Christmas lights while we waited for her mom to get home and then hit the road for home.
Then... The regular Tuesday night chores... Trash and recycling out. Cat litter boxes. Ugh... Ran around and got that done. Helped K4 with some stuff since she fell down the steps and hurt her tailbone pretty bad. She picked up her geckos from the person who had them and got them settled in. They are so cute - Ruby and Sugar - Sugar is tiny and is missing her tail. Ruby is a little bigger. They are set up in their heated cage.
Grabbed the packages off of the front porch. Half of the grandkids are taken care of for Christmas and both December grandbaby birthdays - though one of the gifts is a heck of a lot smaller than we expected, but it should be fine. Three more grandbabies to go!
And now we're now...
I am four votes away from second place in this cover contest!! https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/6284/
A little over three days to vote left and then the first 100 covers go to the next round. It's exciting and I am so freaking touched by how many people have shared and voted! It's been amazing!
And if you're so inclined, I sincerely appreciate your vote!
And that is all. I am decompressed enough to actually write something now...
Behave!
Did a lot of running around at the office today though. Annual calendar shipment and distribution and by the time I was done, I was sweating! Up and down the stairs at least six times, into and around the warehouse several times - and our warehouse is ginormous. Anyway - for my first big order, I only messed up one calendar and I hope he's going to be okay with what I accidentally ordered for him. If not, well, that's okay.
We left work and picked up K5. Took her to dinner and had a blast! She gave us her Christmas list, we drew pictures, practiced cursive, and goofed off. Had mini mozzarella sticks as an appetizer (those were amazing), a good dinner, and ice cream for dessert. I'm sure they were ready to kick us out of the restaurant for being loud, obnoxious, and staying so long. We tipped well though. Drove around and looked at Christmas lights while we waited for her mom to get home and then hit the road for home.
Then... The regular Tuesday night chores... Trash and recycling out. Cat litter boxes. Ugh... Ran around and got that done. Helped K4 with some stuff since she fell down the steps and hurt her tailbone pretty bad. She picked up her geckos from the person who had them and got them settled in. They are so cute - Ruby and Sugar - Sugar is tiny and is missing her tail. Ruby is a little bigger. They are set up in their heated cage.
Grabbed the packages off of the front porch. Half of the grandkids are taken care of for Christmas and both December grandbaby birthdays - though one of the gifts is a heck of a lot smaller than we expected, but it should be fine. Three more grandbabies to go!
And now we're now...
I am four votes away from second place in this cover contest!! https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/6284/
A little over three days to vote left and then the first 100 covers go to the next round. It's exciting and I am so freaking touched by how many people have shared and voted! It's been amazing!
And if you're so inclined, I sincerely appreciate your vote!
And that is all. I am decompressed enough to actually write something now...
Behave!
Sunday, December 01, 2019
Feel Good Thanksgiving & Feel Good Friday...On Sunday...
We had a really great day on Thanksgiving!
It was awesome to hang out with my siblings, my nieces (and family), my great niece (who is beyond adorable!) and the extended family members! We had awesome food, great conversation, and a pretty much no-stress day. We even had a fire outside, which is my ultimate for awesomeness.
We got home and finished the laundry. In bed early.
Work Friday, which was kind of lame. There was no one there. The day went kind of fast, but mostly slow. We missed a trail ride with my brother, which would have been awesome. The old Jeep doesn't get out much right now. That's fine, because it's supposed to be a "recreational" vehicle, but it would have been nice to do some "recreation". We got home to a houseful of people working on K1's second car. Didn't expect that. Made "leftover meat pie" for dinner. It was a hit. Got some grandsons time.
To bed early. Up early Saturday. Hit the grocery store, and then had the grandsons all day so K1 and J could go car shopping. Their current car has left them sit several times over the last two weeks and it's not safe for the babies. They did find a car, but can't pick it up until Monday.
We had a great day with the grandbabies. Big Mr. B is so funny. We did crafts (he came up with an amazing idea for a Christmas craft for his house), made cookies, and talked about the book we are writing together. Little Mr. B is hysterical. He is so busy and snuggly! We made them dinner because we knew how stressed out they were coming back from the day of car shopping, financial wrangling, and the whole nine yards. We made Butter Chicken and it was amazing. Little Mr. B learned how to play the piano and was hysterical! He would play and we would clap and he would clap on himself and just laugh! Thankfully we got video!
Then some writing! Making good progress!
Today. Slept in. Got up and headed up to "work daughters" house to help with her water. That didn't go well, but it did get kind of worked out. Came home and took a nap. That Man had started our crock pot dinner when he got up, so that was perfect. We woke up from our nap and had dinner. It turned out really good.
Did some laundry. The kitten pissed on our shirts... Grrr.. The vet will be called tomorrow. Something is wrong with him. I don't want to have to re-home him, but I cannot abide by things getting peed on. He's a very nervous kitty, so maybe there is something we can do to help him.
I also found out that my cover for Into the Fire is in a cover of the month contest.
https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month
So cool! I am excited! The cover artist did such an amazing job!
Twenty-four days until Christmas. We'll be okay. We're figuring the whole thing out currently. Three of the grandkids are done. Three more to go. But we have two birthday grandkids in there.
That is all...
Behave!
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Thanksgiving Eve...
It's my second child's birthday and it's the actual day she was born!
I remember this day vividly. There are a lot of memories...From the day itself to the day after and the day we came home from the hospital. It seems like a lifetime ago.
The kids have a messenger thing going on which is awesome and there are many gifs and comments being shared. I love that.
Anyway.
We got off work around 2 today. Stopped at the store for heavy cream since there was none at the store last night. We stopped at a different, less busy, store, which proved to be a good thing the whole way around. Came home and chilled. Made dinner. Then, K4 and I made some pies.
K4 has a different obligation that we do tomorrow, but she's supposed to bring a pie. And so am I. So we made them together. It's fun to cook with her. She's learning the secrets to homemade pie crust. And she's a master with the mixer. We had a blast, though she ditched me once the dishes were finished and put away so it's now my responsibility to make sure the pies are done - though she was just down here a few minutes ago to check on things.
Tomorrow - the actual Thanksgiving - we will travel to my sister's house and I will see my siblings. I am looking forward to it.
First, I will sleep in. Then I will make potatoes, shower, and then enjoy the day with my siblings!
I hope your day is special!
Behave!
I remember this day vividly. There are a lot of memories...From the day itself to the day after and the day we came home from the hospital. It seems like a lifetime ago.
The kids have a messenger thing going on which is awesome and there are many gifs and comments being shared. I love that.
Anyway.
We got off work around 2 today. Stopped at the store for heavy cream since there was none at the store last night. We stopped at a different, less busy, store, which proved to be a good thing the whole way around. Came home and chilled. Made dinner. Then, K4 and I made some pies.
K4 has a different obligation that we do tomorrow, but she's supposed to bring a pie. And so am I. So we made them together. It's fun to cook with her. She's learning the secrets to homemade pie crust. And she's a master with the mixer. We had a blast, though she ditched me once the dishes were finished and put away so it's now my responsibility to make sure the pies are done - though she was just down here a few minutes ago to check on things.
Tomorrow - the actual Thanksgiving - we will travel to my sister's house and I will see my siblings. I am looking forward to it.
First, I will sleep in. Then I will make potatoes, shower, and then enjoy the day with my siblings!
I hope your day is special!
Behave!
Monday, November 25, 2019
Thanksgiving Two...Done...
We had a really good day!
Lots and lots of food. The turkey turned out well. The mashed potatoes were a little runny, but still pretty good. I made way too much gravy. Which is fine. Also discovered that adding cream cheese to the pumpkin pie is the best ever. And homemade whipped cream. It was a fun day and I am still exhausted.
Back to work today. The day went quick. On Monday's I have to cover the front desk, which is fine, but I also have a lot of regular stuff to do. I'm still training, but I am doing more and more by myself. Woo!
This week consists of prep for the final Thanksgiving. I am making mashed potatoes. I just hope they don't come out runny this time. I am also making pies. And homemade whipped cream. I'm planning on making the pies the night before so I can sleep in a little on Thursday.
The writing is going well. I'm making good progress, even though my numbers were a little low over the weekend.
That's it for now. It's an early bedtime for us tonight.
Behave!
Lots and lots of food. The turkey turned out well. The mashed potatoes were a little runny, but still pretty good. I made way too much gravy. Which is fine. Also discovered that adding cream cheese to the pumpkin pie is the best ever. And homemade whipped cream. It was a fun day and I am still exhausted.
Back to work today. The day went quick. On Monday's I have to cover the front desk, which is fine, but I also have a lot of regular stuff to do. I'm still training, but I am doing more and more by myself. Woo!
This week consists of prep for the final Thanksgiving. I am making mashed potatoes. I just hope they don't come out runny this time. I am also making pies. And homemade whipped cream. I'm planning on making the pies the night before so I can sleep in a little on Thursday.
The writing is going well. I'm making good progress, even though my numbers were a little low over the weekend.
That's it for now. It's an early bedtime for us tonight.
Behave!
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Thanksgiving Shopping and...
So That Man and I went shopping for our Thanksgiving Two. Oy!
The store was insane! Our bill was equally insane! I "think" we have everything we need now. Though we do have to stop for charcoal, drinks, the prescription pick up, and whatever else we forgot we need.
Yes, charcoal. We're grilling the ham - still figuring out how to make that work! We think we found out glaze recipe!
We will stop for the rest tomorrow night. Then, Saturday we will clean. It's not terrible around here, but it's not awesome either.
I have a book signing on Saturday. It's the annex for the book store that I often sign at. I just realized I have pretty much zero inventory. I have enough, but in my mind, ack!
So I will make pies before my signing, and then get the turkey ready after. It will be a crazy day!
oh and the and....
K2 is expecting her fourth child in May... Due date a day after my momma's birthday. We will find out the gender shortly after the new year.
This will be my seventh grandchiild. I am too young for that... LOL.
That's all...
Behave!
The store was insane! Our bill was equally insane! I "think" we have everything we need now. Though we do have to stop for charcoal, drinks, the prescription pick up, and whatever else we forgot we need.
Yes, charcoal. We're grilling the ham - still figuring out how to make that work! We think we found out glaze recipe!
We will stop for the rest tomorrow night. Then, Saturday we will clean. It's not terrible around here, but it's not awesome either.
I have a book signing on Saturday. It's the annex for the book store that I often sign at. I just realized I have pretty much zero inventory. I have enough, but in my mind, ack!
So I will make pies before my signing, and then get the turkey ready after. It will be a crazy day!
oh and the and....
K2 is expecting her fourth child in May... Due date a day after my momma's birthday. We will find out the gender shortly after the new year.
This will be my seventh grandchiild. I am too young for that... LOL.
That's all...
Behave!
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Tuesday...
It's only Tuesday, but it's been a pretty decent week so far.
I'm digging into the new day job. Making things my own and making my own decisions. It's going over pretty good so far. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making massive changes or being obnoxious in any way - just putting my own spin on stuff. I still have a lot to learn and a lot of connections to figure out, but I know certain things are my responsibility and I already know how I want to manage those.
Today we took our boss out to lunch for bosses day. (Yes, late) I got to tag along even though I wasn't there when the original plans were made. It was a good lunch, even though I still feel awkward and not quite in the "fray" yet. I mean, it was my seventh day. But we had good conversation and a lot of laughter.
I am still dealing with the transition. It's like I don't remember the change a lot of the time. I still say "we" when I talk about my old job, and "you" when I talk about my new job. I don't hear questions relating to either job the way they were intended and need to say "wait, what?" a lot. Though every day it does get different. And better.
I am still doing pretty decent in my writing group's 50/50 challenge. I rarely miss a day and when I do, it's because I planned it that way. I have restarted my story and I am in a good place. And I am pretty much writing more than 50 words each day! Most times loads over that, sometimes only two words over that, but still... Good stuff.
It's freaking HOT in my house right now. The temperature came up about ten degrees, but the internal temps came up at least 20. Last night I was under a blanket. Tonight I am in a tshirt and shorts. Oy. It is what it is with a coal furnace though...
We had to take the new car back to the dealer to have the catalytic converter checked. We took it on Monday and picked it up today. They replaced the converter. It cost us nothing. They put it under the warranty, which is awesome. I mean, really, we had the car for less than a month when the light went off, but they couldn't get us in until after the warranty expired. We totally appreciate the fact that we didn't even have to fight them about it.
We are nine days away from the Christmas season going totally crazy. I am thinking about it, but I can't take action yet. I just can't. Though That Man and I did buy a Christmas present already. It was for Mr. B and we couldn't pass it up. Nine days though! Holy crap! Though we are only 35 days from Christmas! CRAZY!
That's all I have!
Behave!
I'm digging into the new day job. Making things my own and making my own decisions. It's going over pretty good so far. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making massive changes or being obnoxious in any way - just putting my own spin on stuff. I still have a lot to learn and a lot of connections to figure out, but I know certain things are my responsibility and I already know how I want to manage those.
Today we took our boss out to lunch for bosses day. (Yes, late) I got to tag along even though I wasn't there when the original plans were made. It was a good lunch, even though I still feel awkward and not quite in the "fray" yet. I mean, it was my seventh day. But we had good conversation and a lot of laughter.
I am still dealing with the transition. It's like I don't remember the change a lot of the time. I still say "we" when I talk about my old job, and "you" when I talk about my new job. I don't hear questions relating to either job the way they were intended and need to say "wait, what?" a lot. Though every day it does get different. And better.
I am still doing pretty decent in my writing group's 50/50 challenge. I rarely miss a day and when I do, it's because I planned it that way. I have restarted my story and I am in a good place. And I am pretty much writing more than 50 words each day! Most times loads over that, sometimes only two words over that, but still... Good stuff.
It's freaking HOT in my house right now. The temperature came up about ten degrees, but the internal temps came up at least 20. Last night I was under a blanket. Tonight I am in a tshirt and shorts. Oy. It is what it is with a coal furnace though...
We had to take the new car back to the dealer to have the catalytic converter checked. We took it on Monday and picked it up today. They replaced the converter. It cost us nothing. They put it under the warranty, which is awesome. I mean, really, we had the car for less than a month when the light went off, but they couldn't get us in until after the warranty expired. We totally appreciate the fact that we didn't even have to fight them about it.
We are nine days away from the Christmas season going totally crazy. I am thinking about it, but I can't take action yet. I just can't. Though That Man and I did buy a Christmas present already. It was for Mr. B and we couldn't pass it up. Nine days though! Holy crap! Though we are only 35 days from Christmas! CRAZY!
That's all I have!
Behave!
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Thanksgiving One... Done...
We left for That Sister's late yesterday.
First we took out air conditioners, winterized sheds, grocery shopped, cooked, took care of leaves, changed the sheets, cleaned the bathroom, cooked more, cleaned stuff, cleaned more stuff. By the time we left we were already exhausted.
Dropped the Floof off at my sisters since K4 wasn't sure of her plans. Our goal was to get to That Sisters before the deer started trying to kill us and wreck our car. We had about three run across the road on our journey... Oy. Like we need that. And, of course, on our way, another engine light came on in the very new car... Ugh! It has an appointment tomorrow to check stuff out.
We had the greatest time at That Sisters. Dinner was amazing - ham and cheese sliders, mac and cheese, chips, and then, in typical Smith fashion, we both basically made the same dessert without prior discussion. Their new pull out couch was super comfly. The dogs were hysterical. We slept pretty darned good. This morning was coffee and lots and lots of talking.
The brisket was amazing. Like seriously amazing. I can't even tell you how good it was. And smoked salmon spread. Oy! Crazy good. We had coleslaw and lots of meat. It was the best.
Got home and threw laundry in. But haven't done much else except write a bit.
This was a good weekend.
Tomorrow is back to the new day job. I already know what I need to do and I am happy with that. The transition is a bit complicated for me. I haven't yet wrapped my head around not needing to know as much stuff as I did before. I wake up thinking about the old day job and what needs to be done and needs to be known. And then I remind myself that it's not my job or my problem anymore. It's a process I guess, considering how many years I had in there.
I am still 100% sure I made the right decision though, so that's something...
Behave!
First we took out air conditioners, winterized sheds, grocery shopped, cooked, took care of leaves, changed the sheets, cleaned the bathroom, cooked more, cleaned stuff, cleaned more stuff. By the time we left we were already exhausted.
Dropped the Floof off at my sisters since K4 wasn't sure of her plans. Our goal was to get to That Sisters before the deer started trying to kill us and wreck our car. We had about three run across the road on our journey... Oy. Like we need that. And, of course, on our way, another engine light came on in the very new car... Ugh! It has an appointment tomorrow to check stuff out.
We had the greatest time at That Sisters. Dinner was amazing - ham and cheese sliders, mac and cheese, chips, and then, in typical Smith fashion, we both basically made the same dessert without prior discussion. Their new pull out couch was super comfly. The dogs were hysterical. We slept pretty darned good. This morning was coffee and lots and lots of talking.
The brisket was amazing. Like seriously amazing. I can't even tell you how good it was. And smoked salmon spread. Oy! Crazy good. We had coleslaw and lots of meat. It was the best.
Got home and threw laundry in. But haven't done much else except write a bit.
This was a good weekend.
Tomorrow is back to the new day job. I already know what I need to do and I am happy with that. The transition is a bit complicated for me. I haven't yet wrapped my head around not needing to know as much stuff as I did before. I wake up thinking about the old day job and what needs to be done and needs to be known. And then I remind myself that it's not my job or my problem anymore. It's a process I guess, considering how many years I had in there.
I am still 100% sure I made the right decision though, so that's something...
Behave!
Friday, November 15, 2019
First Week Done...
It was a good week!
I did my first check run today. It was full on accounting joy. It was good. I am happy. All of the numbers matched. I checked them three times. I made nice with vendors who have been lost in space for the past month and a half. I cut expense checks which always make people happy. Everything came together and it was a beautiful thing.
I also got a new heater for my office. And a new calculator. (Seriously, my calculator was a teeny tiny thing that would only work with tiny baby hands.) (and we won't talk about how ridiculous putting the paper feed in the new calculator was. lol) I'm waiting for my second monitor. I need that.
We picked up our car at lunch. They said it was something with the catalytic converter which might need replaced. We are not okay with that. When the light came on, we'd had the car less than a month and hadn't even made a car payment yet. We see the Honda guys on Monday and we'll figure it out from there.
That Man and I went out for dinner to our little place down the street. Again, it was amazing. The food is amazing and tonight we talked to the chef. He is a funny guy and was happy to hear our praise about his food.
We got home and watched a super dumb movie, which I liked. It was stupid. But...
It's bedtime now... Tomorrow is a new day...
Behave!
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Three Thanksgivings?
Yep. That's what we're doing!
Up first is Thanksgiving with That Man's sister. We'll spend the night and eat awesome food. It's a non-traditional meal with brisket, cole slaw, and I don't know what else... We're looking forward to it! It's just the four of us for this one. We have much to discuss and much to catch up on! We really dig the idea of "going away" for Thanksgiving, so this is awesome!
Thanksgiving Two is our Thanksgiving with our kids. They can't make it to our regular Thanksgiving. Which is fine and expected. We had discussed expectations and how we weren't going to hold them to our old traditions. Being with their friends is completely acceptable and really something I wasn't able to do at their age, but to be clear I have no regrets at all for my past Thanksgivings. At the time, being where we were was the only place I would have wanted to be. It's time for my kids to make new traditions. (and the hope is to eventually drag all of these friends into a huge Thanksgiving dinner at Nana's house. Ha! I know Mom did that, and it did work on some scale)
Thanksgiving Three is the traditional Thanksgiving. We're gathering at our sisters. It's pretty much the adult kids in my family, which (see above) is fine with all parties involved. I've already talked to my sister about the kids having alternate plans and she's understanding. It will be nice to be together as siblings. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm making mashed potatoes and pies.
Neither one of us are off the day after Thanksgiving. Which is a shock to me. I always thought That Man's company was off that day. Now that I work there, I have learned that he takes vacation that day every year. I don't have vacation yet. He's used all of his up. Dang. Whatever. Next year....
Anyways... I have a lot of lists to make... I have pies to make, and a pretty huge grocery list. I am looking forward to the whole thing!
And then... we will go into Christmas! Whoot!
Behave!
Up first is Thanksgiving with That Man's sister. We'll spend the night and eat awesome food. It's a non-traditional meal with brisket, cole slaw, and I don't know what else... We're looking forward to it! It's just the four of us for this one. We have much to discuss and much to catch up on! We really dig the idea of "going away" for Thanksgiving, so this is awesome!
Thanksgiving Two is our Thanksgiving with our kids. They can't make it to our regular Thanksgiving. Which is fine and expected. We had discussed expectations and how we weren't going to hold them to our old traditions. Being with their friends is completely acceptable and really something I wasn't able to do at their age, but to be clear I have no regrets at all for my past Thanksgivings. At the time, being where we were was the only place I would have wanted to be. It's time for my kids to make new traditions. (and the hope is to eventually drag all of these friends into a huge Thanksgiving dinner at Nana's house. Ha! I know Mom did that, and it did work on some scale)
Thanksgiving Three is the traditional Thanksgiving. We're gathering at our sisters. It's pretty much the adult kids in my family, which (see above) is fine with all parties involved. I've already talked to my sister about the kids having alternate plans and she's understanding. It will be nice to be together as siblings. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm making mashed potatoes and pies.
Neither one of us are off the day after Thanksgiving. Which is a shock to me. I always thought That Man's company was off that day. Now that I work there, I have learned that he takes vacation that day every year. I don't have vacation yet. He's used all of his up. Dang. Whatever. Next year....
Anyways... I have a lot of lists to make... I have pies to make, and a pretty huge grocery list. I am looking forward to the whole thing!
And then... we will go into Christmas! Whoot!
Behave!
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
So Far, So Good...
It's Wednesday... Halfway through the week.
It's going pretty good. A lot of the old memories are coming back and I'm getting back into the system I helped set up way back in the day. It's nice to be with the people I've known for a really long time. They are all coming to see me and telling me how glad they are that I'm back.
The only frustrating thing is that everyone thinks I'm completely up and running, and I have no idea what I'm doing yet. I am learning though. And I am comfortable there. I've done my supply inventory and made my spreadsheet. But I am not able to do my actual job without help yet. And that freaking kills me.
I'm learning that I'm not chained to my desk at all times and that I'm not going to get "the eye" if I'm not hunkered down at all times. That's a hard one for me. I am not used to a relaxed office environment. I mean, I thought my old office was pretty relaxed, this is just different. I don't know how to explain that one...
Getting up earlier has been fine. Except tomorrow might not be. We have to drop the new car off at the dealership before work to check a light. And we have to be there super early. Thankfully, that's under warranty, but the light has since went off... I questioned whether or not we should even drop it off, but since it is under warranty, there's no reason not to.
We've packed our lunch every day so far. We have a lot of leftovers from my weekend cooking spree. That Man makes sure to bring me yogurt every day, which is good. I've been too scattered to remember to pack my own breakfast. And he makes me coffee every morning, and stops by my office to fill my coffee throughout the day. And he brought our extra container of my favorite creamer to the office with my name on it. That's awesome.
I did get a key for my office. It needs to be locked during off hours due to financial security and the "good" supplies. I have a pretty big office with awesome windows. It tends to get cold in there, but that's okay, I have a heater with a remote. I'm getting a second monitor, which will be amazing, and is much needed. I'm looking forward to making the space my own. Right now, I have some pictures That Man printed off for me and some pictures I brought from my old office. But, I have possibilities now.
I have been writing. Except for Monday. I planned Monday as a non-writing day. I knew I would need the down time. But tonight I wrote more words than I have combined in the last two weeks, which is good. If I could only figure out where to re-start this story, I would be gold.
That is all for now...
Behave!
It's going pretty good. A lot of the old memories are coming back and I'm getting back into the system I helped set up way back in the day. It's nice to be with the people I've known for a really long time. They are all coming to see me and telling me how glad they are that I'm back.
The only frustrating thing is that everyone thinks I'm completely up and running, and I have no idea what I'm doing yet. I am learning though. And I am comfortable there. I've done my supply inventory and made my spreadsheet. But I am not able to do my actual job without help yet. And that freaking kills me.
I'm learning that I'm not chained to my desk at all times and that I'm not going to get "the eye" if I'm not hunkered down at all times. That's a hard one for me. I am not used to a relaxed office environment. I mean, I thought my old office was pretty relaxed, this is just different. I don't know how to explain that one...
Getting up earlier has been fine. Except tomorrow might not be. We have to drop the new car off at the dealership before work to check a light. And we have to be there super early. Thankfully, that's under warranty, but the light has since went off... I questioned whether or not we should even drop it off, but since it is under warranty, there's no reason not to.
We've packed our lunch every day so far. We have a lot of leftovers from my weekend cooking spree. That Man makes sure to bring me yogurt every day, which is good. I've been too scattered to remember to pack my own breakfast. And he makes me coffee every morning, and stops by my office to fill my coffee throughout the day. And he brought our extra container of my favorite creamer to the office with my name on it. That's awesome.
I did get a key for my office. It needs to be locked during off hours due to financial security and the "good" supplies. I have a pretty big office with awesome windows. It tends to get cold in there, but that's okay, I have a heater with a remote. I'm getting a second monitor, which will be amazing, and is much needed. I'm looking forward to making the space my own. Right now, I have some pictures That Man printed off for me and some pictures I brought from my old office. But, I have possibilities now.
I have been writing. Except for Monday. I planned Monday as a non-writing day. I knew I would need the down time. But tonight I wrote more words than I have combined in the last two weeks, which is good. If I could only figure out where to re-start this story, I would be gold.
That is all for now...
Behave!
Sunday, November 10, 2019
And A New Chapter Begins...
Tomorrow is my first day...
It's still super surreal to me. I am thinking the change won't hit me until morning. Or maybe until I get there. Or maybe at lunch. I don't know. Or maybe, I'm just comfortable with my decision and know it's the right thing? I think that might be it...
Friday night I met my previous coworkers at our little place. We hung out, laughed, cried a little, and then that was it. I will miss them tremendously. Almost six years is a long time... and it's a lot to get used to.
That night, it was a group chat with the kiddos. All four of them. And it was hysterical. I was crying with laughter and crying because it was so awesome to have all four of them bantering back and forth. We were trying to remember when we came up with certain recipes and why we named them what we did. Now there are at least 50 versions of the same story...
Saturday, we settled up with the landscaper who wrecked our flower beds. He's a super nice guy and was super apologetic. And he gave us some info... There's still some craziness there, but we'll see what happens. And we'll talk about it when it's resolved. It's frustrating though. And has turned into an interesting story...
Anyway... Saturday we had breakfast with some friends. Went to the home store to get wood and stuff. Got home and worked on the camper. I made sweet and sour chicken for dinner (amazing), did some laundry, wrote... We were exhausted and in bed at a stupid early time.
Today, we took the camper for our very first visit to dump the tanks. We were more than a little nervous since we've never done it before. I mean, ever. Nor have we ever even watched more than videos on how to do it. So we did that... It was far, far easier than we thought, which was a relief. First though, we stopped at the mega mart for rv antifreeze. And clothes for the new dayjob. Mainly warm clothes since apparently my new office is always freezing... great. But whatever... Then we stopped for breakfast. Then the tank dump. Then back home to winterize the camper. We're about 3/4 done. Ran out of antifreeze.
Made stuffed shells for dinner, did some more laundry, cleaned our room, wrote, worked on the camper, cleaned up the yard,
It's bedtime soon. My day will start about an hour and a half earlier now. Technically an hour, but with morning times, it turns into that.
So that is all...
Behave!
It's still super surreal to me. I am thinking the change won't hit me until morning. Or maybe until I get there. Or maybe at lunch. I don't know. Or maybe, I'm just comfortable with my decision and know it's the right thing? I think that might be it...
Friday night I met my previous coworkers at our little place. We hung out, laughed, cried a little, and then that was it. I will miss them tremendously. Almost six years is a long time... and it's a lot to get used to.
That night, it was a group chat with the kiddos. All four of them. And it was hysterical. I was crying with laughter and crying because it was so awesome to have all four of them bantering back and forth. We were trying to remember when we came up with certain recipes and why we named them what we did. Now there are at least 50 versions of the same story...
Saturday, we settled up with the landscaper who wrecked our flower beds. He's a super nice guy and was super apologetic. And he gave us some info... There's still some craziness there, but we'll see what happens. And we'll talk about it when it's resolved. It's frustrating though. And has turned into an interesting story...
Anyway... Saturday we had breakfast with some friends. Went to the home store to get wood and stuff. Got home and worked on the camper. I made sweet and sour chicken for dinner (amazing), did some laundry, wrote... We were exhausted and in bed at a stupid early time.
Today, we took the camper for our very first visit to dump the tanks. We were more than a little nervous since we've never done it before. I mean, ever. Nor have we ever even watched more than videos on how to do it. So we did that... It was far, far easier than we thought, which was a relief. First though, we stopped at the mega mart for rv antifreeze. And clothes for the new dayjob. Mainly warm clothes since apparently my new office is always freezing... great. But whatever... Then we stopped for breakfast. Then the tank dump. Then back home to winterize the camper. We're about 3/4 done. Ran out of antifreeze.
Made stuffed shells for dinner, did some more laundry, cleaned our room, wrote, worked on the camper, cleaned up the yard,
It's bedtime soon. My day will start about an hour and a half earlier now. Technically an hour, but with morning times, it turns into that.
So that is all...
Behave!
Thursday, November 07, 2019
Argh!
So...
I finally heard from the neighbor.I'm not going to say much more, because I don't know where this is going to go. And I don't know what's going to happen next.
All I have to say is that my kids are super pissed. (All of us are) This whole thing has cause a tremendous amount of trauma around here. The missing items are special to us. The ballet garden. The sea shells we lined the beds with.
Anyway...
I woke up at 4:30am. Thinking about things. It took until around 3pm to realize that I have no stress to go back to when I do go back to work . I mean, I'll have stress, but nothing like what I'm used to. That's a huge thing to comprehend. I'm not sure I've wrapped my head around it yet.
I did more things before 8am than I normally do. Wrote my words. Laundry. Updated the check book and the bill book. Figured out dinner. I did not stay in bed all day like I had planned and I'm kinda pissed about that. Instead I constantly checked to see if the neighbor had shown up... I did take two naps. That was nice. One was with my Fred on my lap and one was with Max on my lap.
Tomorrow I need to call the car dealership. We've had our car for less than a month and the check engine light is on. We have a warranty. We haven't even made a payment yet. That's not how I wanted to spend the day, but we'll see what happens.
I need to figure out our weekend plan though. Our weekend is at home. For the first time in like four months. We have a giant "to do" list and we're not going anywhere! Stuff will get fixed and managed. Yay!
That is all I have for now!
Behave!
I finally heard from the neighbor.I'm not going to say much more, because I don't know where this is going to go. And I don't know what's going to happen next.
All I have to say is that my kids are super pissed. (All of us are) This whole thing has cause a tremendous amount of trauma around here. The missing items are special to us. The ballet garden. The sea shells we lined the beds with.
Anyway...
I woke up at 4:30am. Thinking about things. It took until around 3pm to realize that I have no stress to go back to when I do go back to work . I mean, I'll have stress, but nothing like what I'm used to. That's a huge thing to comprehend. I'm not sure I've wrapped my head around it yet.
I did more things before 8am than I normally do. Wrote my words. Laundry. Updated the check book and the bill book. Figured out dinner. I did not stay in bed all day like I had planned and I'm kinda pissed about that. Instead I constantly checked to see if the neighbor had shown up... I did take two naps. That was nice. One was with my Fred on my lap and one was with Max on my lap.
Tomorrow I need to call the car dealership. We've had our car for less than a month and the check engine light is on. We have a warranty. We haven't even made a payment yet. That's not how I wanted to spend the day, but we'll see what happens.
I need to figure out our weekend plan though. Our weekend is at home. For the first time in like four months. We have a giant "to do" list and we're not going anywhere! Stuff will get fixed and managed. Yay!
That is all I have for now!
Behave!
Wednesday, November 06, 2019
So Many Feels...
1. It was an emotional day.
My coworkers made me cry. The CEO made me cry. The Outside Sales Supervisor made me cry. My boss made me cry. It was rough. But even though I was crying, I was so happy at how much they all support me and my dreams. They all had really nice things to say to me. Turning in my key card hit me like a ton of bricks. Talking to my sales reps one last time did too. Talking with the outside rep supervisor was also rough. He's a great guy and someone I consider to be a friend. Somehow, even though he intimidates everyone else, we became friends early on - we have common interests and values and have always had easy conversation. When he comes to the office, I always stop in and say hi and talk about stuff. That was rough. Talking to the big boss was also tear inducing.
Hugging the coworker who has known me the longest at the end of the day brought actual sobs. She trained me. She used to sit across the "cubes" from me and would try to get me to sing to her. We've been through a hell of a lot together. She's actually one of the only reasons I stuck it out as long as I did. I love her and while I know I will see her again, it's not going to be the same because we aren't united in a single cause anymore.
None if it seems real though. Part of me expects to wake up tomorrow and head into work like I have for the last five and a half years. Part of me expects to walk into the office and say "good morning, bitches", like I do every day. So we'll see how I feel tomorrow...
It's a process. I'm sure. I'm just glad I have the next four days off to process and relax.
So...
2. The contractor working on the house next door...
ARGH!! My flower beds are destroyed. Flowers and plants I have been growing for years are gone. Decorations are also missing. Seriously. I'm about to lose it!
My lilac bush is gone.
They even mulched a tree that there is no way shape or form could be conceived as on that property. In fact, there is no way you couldn't figure out that the flower bed was that house's property! They had to go through our front gate to get to it.
I am so angry! It's not even funny! I left a note on the door for them to call me. I will be marching over there as soon as they arrive to give them the riot act. And calling the borough and anyone I can think of.
I need to let it go for tonight though. I can't do squat at the moment. I've had a long, long and hard day and this is the last thing I needed.
... So that's two, but it's enough... I'm a trainwreck!
I will update tomorrow...
Behave!
My coworkers made me cry. The CEO made me cry. The Outside Sales Supervisor made me cry. My boss made me cry. It was rough. But even though I was crying, I was so happy at how much they all support me and my dreams. They all had really nice things to say to me. Turning in my key card hit me like a ton of bricks. Talking to my sales reps one last time did too. Talking with the outside rep supervisor was also rough. He's a great guy and someone I consider to be a friend. Somehow, even though he intimidates everyone else, we became friends early on - we have common interests and values and have always had easy conversation. When he comes to the office, I always stop in and say hi and talk about stuff. That was rough. Talking to the big boss was also tear inducing.
Hugging the coworker who has known me the longest at the end of the day brought actual sobs. She trained me. She used to sit across the "cubes" from me and would try to get me to sing to her. We've been through a hell of a lot together. She's actually one of the only reasons I stuck it out as long as I did. I love her and while I know I will see her again, it's not going to be the same because we aren't united in a single cause anymore.
None if it seems real though. Part of me expects to wake up tomorrow and head into work like I have for the last five and a half years. Part of me expects to walk into the office and say "good morning, bitches", like I do every day. So we'll see how I feel tomorrow...
It's a process. I'm sure. I'm just glad I have the next four days off to process and relax.
So...
2. The contractor working on the house next door...
ARGH!! My flower beds are destroyed. Flowers and plants I have been growing for years are gone. Decorations are also missing. Seriously. I'm about to lose it!
My lilac bush is gone.
They even mulched a tree that there is no way shape or form could be conceived as on that property. In fact, there is no way you couldn't figure out that the flower bed was that house's property! They had to go through our front gate to get to it.
I am so angry! It's not even funny! I left a note on the door for them to call me. I will be marching over there as soon as they arrive to give them the riot act. And calling the borough and anyone I can think of.
I need to let it go for tonight though. I can't do squat at the moment. I've had a long, long and hard day and this is the last thing I needed.
... So that's two, but it's enough... I'm a trainwreck!
I will update tomorrow...
Behave!
Tuesday, November 05, 2019
One Day More...
This week has been rough. Emotional on so many levels.
But the brain is working again. Critical thinking beyond the day job is coming back and it makes sense. So weird! lol
On one hand, my decision being the right one has been confirmed so many times. On the other hand, I am going to miss these people - my coworkers, my customers... And they aren't shy in letting me know that they're mad at me for leaving. Mad is not the correct word though. They are happy for me in pursuing my dreams, but upset with me for leaving. I get it. 100%.
Tomorrow is it though... I have done lunch with my sales reps Monday and Tuesday...said goodbye, made sure they're comfortable with the way things are now. I'm going to see them both again, but they are like my children and it's hard to know I'm not going to talk to them every day. Tomorrow I am with the people in my office all day. We're going to have some cake at some point. I have no idea if I will have an exit interview. This whole thing has been treated like it might not really happen, despite the transferring of duties and training.
Thursday I will spent my day doing whatever the heck I want. At this point, with the headache still an issue, I think I will be heading to the doctor. The one lady I work with has the exact same headache and she was found to have a massive sinus infection. We shall see. It is some better today, so maybe it is just tension.
I am keeping up with the 50/50 challenge, though I took off last night to chill on the couch and go to bed at 8pm.
Why is this time change as hard as the spring one?
That is all.
Behave!
But the brain is working again. Critical thinking beyond the day job is coming back and it makes sense. So weird! lol
On one hand, my decision being the right one has been confirmed so many times. On the other hand, I am going to miss these people - my coworkers, my customers... And they aren't shy in letting me know that they're mad at me for leaving. Mad is not the correct word though. They are happy for me in pursuing my dreams, but upset with me for leaving. I get it. 100%.
Tomorrow is it though... I have done lunch with my sales reps Monday and Tuesday...said goodbye, made sure they're comfortable with the way things are now. I'm going to see them both again, but they are like my children and it's hard to know I'm not going to talk to them every day. Tomorrow I am with the people in my office all day. We're going to have some cake at some point. I have no idea if I will have an exit interview. This whole thing has been treated like it might not really happen, despite the transferring of duties and training.
Thursday I will spent my day doing whatever the heck I want. At this point, with the headache still an issue, I think I will be heading to the doctor. The one lady I work with has the exact same headache and she was found to have a massive sinus infection. We shall see. It is some better today, so maybe it is just tension.
I am keeping up with the 50/50 challenge, though I took off last night to chill on the couch and go to bed at 8pm.
Why is this time change as hard as the spring one?
That is all.
Behave!
Sunday, November 03, 2019
Here We Go!
Last Three Days coming up at the soon-to-be-former day job...
I'm a mess of sinus and headache.
I had a book signing today. I actually forgot about it - not on purpose - and it's fine because I remembered in enough time to not feel like a jerk. It's a fun event. A growing one. And one I'll keep doing until it's no longer fun. I got to talk to a bunch of people, sold some books, and I got to spend time with one of the besties catching up.
As I drove home from the signing, I could feel the sinus crap creeping in. Maybe it was from the old building, or the weather. I felt like utter crap for the longest time, and then a felt a little bit better. I'm still in the little bit phase though.
Anyway...
I did my words. Had an idea for the next book and wrote that down. I think it's pretty solid. I like it and the direction it will go. That's like huge considering I haven't had a really great idea or direction in a super long time. It just solidified my decision to do what I'm doing.
Oh! And K4 Nick Cage'd me... I know how to turn the extension off, but it cracks me up to open a new tab and see the Nick Cage pictures popping up. Don't tell her though. She still thinks I'm super pissed at her. Which I am a little, because just don't touch my stuff. So don't tell her otherwise. Ha!
That is all...
I'm burning out! Time change last night and I feel dead...
Behave!
I'm a mess of sinus and headache.
I had a book signing today. I actually forgot about it - not on purpose - and it's fine because I remembered in enough time to not feel like a jerk. It's a fun event. A growing one. And one I'll keep doing until it's no longer fun. I got to talk to a bunch of people, sold some books, and I got to spend time with one of the besties catching up.
As I drove home from the signing, I could feel the sinus crap creeping in. Maybe it was from the old building, or the weather. I felt like utter crap for the longest time, and then a felt a little bit better. I'm still in the little bit phase though.
Anyway...
I did my words. Had an idea for the next book and wrote that down. I think it's pretty solid. I like it and the direction it will go. That's like huge considering I haven't had a really great idea or direction in a super long time. It just solidified my decision to do what I'm doing.
Oh! And K4 Nick Cage'd me... I know how to turn the extension off, but it cracks me up to open a new tab and see the Nick Cage pictures popping up. Don't tell her though. She still thinks I'm super pissed at her. Which I am a little, because just don't touch my stuff. So don't tell her otherwise. Ha!
That is all...
I'm burning out! Time change last night and I feel dead...
Behave!
Saturday, November 02, 2019
Feel Good Friday on Saturday...
Hello, Weekend! You're my favorite!
It was a long and rough week, but some good stuff happened.
1. Lunch with HR yesterday. We had a blast - laughed and talked about our families. The topic of me leaving wasn't really brought up. I think that's because the other senior person in my department joined us. I'm sure I will be having an "exit interview" before next Wednesday.
2. Dinner out with That Man and K4 last night. We went to the local place that just changed ownership. It was as good as the last time we went. We talked and made plans and had a really great time.
3. Writing meeting today. I had to run the elections. Super stoked to be done with board service for now. I do enjoy it, but it's time for new blood. I declined to run again for 2020. I'm excited about the new people coming in and their ideas.
4. Getting my words on the page. I'm not getting a lot currently, but that's okay. I'm doing it though, and that's all that matters.
5. Living through Trick or Treat night. The weather was nasty. We had small numbers, but everyone was having a blast. Around 7:30 the skies opened. It was like a monsoon. J and Mr. B were still out, so K1 had to drive to pick them up. S & J were down the street at a friends. By the time everyone got back, they were drenched to their underwear. I'm handing out towels, leggings, and shirts. My living room floor was soaked. They all had a blast though. It's a trick or treat night no one will forget.
6. Talking to K5. She's so funny! We had an epic conversation over favorite and gross candy.
I have had a freaking nasty headache all week. It comes and goes in intensity, but it's still there. Sinuses and tension is what I think. When I woke this morning, I realized that I'm tensing up constantly. I'm guessing it's due to the big changes going on.
Monday is going to be crazy. I have transitional meetings all day. Same with Wednesday. Tuesday is more one-on-one training with the new girl. I left Friday with only two things on my plate. Those should be taken care of by Monday, and if they're not, I will pass them along. Next Friday, I'm meeting the crew at the restaurant we always go to for a farewell gathering. That's going to be the hardest.
I am looking forward to having Thursday and Friday to myself. Friday K4 and I are going shopping, which should be fun. Thursday I am imagining that I will stay in bed as long as possible and acclimate myself to the changes.
So that's all... I'm in the middle of making baked potato soup and then will run some errands. I'm not sure what we'll get up to for the rest of the weekend yet!
Behave!
It was a long and rough week, but some good stuff happened.
1. Lunch with HR yesterday. We had a blast - laughed and talked about our families. The topic of me leaving wasn't really brought up. I think that's because the other senior person in my department joined us. I'm sure I will be having an "exit interview" before next Wednesday.
2. Dinner out with That Man and K4 last night. We went to the local place that just changed ownership. It was as good as the last time we went. We talked and made plans and had a really great time.
3. Writing meeting today. I had to run the elections. Super stoked to be done with board service for now. I do enjoy it, but it's time for new blood. I declined to run again for 2020. I'm excited about the new people coming in and their ideas.
4. Getting my words on the page. I'm not getting a lot currently, but that's okay. I'm doing it though, and that's all that matters.
5. Living through Trick or Treat night. The weather was nasty. We had small numbers, but everyone was having a blast. Around 7:30 the skies opened. It was like a monsoon. J and Mr. B were still out, so K1 had to drive to pick them up. S & J were down the street at a friends. By the time everyone got back, they were drenched to their underwear. I'm handing out towels, leggings, and shirts. My living room floor was soaked. They all had a blast though. It's a trick or treat night no one will forget.
6. Talking to K5. She's so funny! We had an epic conversation over favorite and gross candy.
I have had a freaking nasty headache all week. It comes and goes in intensity, but it's still there. Sinuses and tension is what I think. When I woke this morning, I realized that I'm tensing up constantly. I'm guessing it's due to the big changes going on.
Monday is going to be crazy. I have transitional meetings all day. Same with Wednesday. Tuesday is more one-on-one training with the new girl. I left Friday with only two things on my plate. Those should be taken care of by Monday, and if they're not, I will pass them along. Next Friday, I'm meeting the crew at the restaurant we always go to for a farewell gathering. That's going to be the hardest.
I am looking forward to having Thursday and Friday to myself. Friday K4 and I are going shopping, which should be fun. Thursday I am imagining that I will stay in bed as long as possible and acclimate myself to the changes.
So that's all... I'm in the middle of making baked potato soup and then will run some errands. I'm not sure what we'll get up to for the rest of the weekend yet!
Behave!
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Mid-Week...
This time next week I will be done with my current day job...
This week so far has been rough. I'm training my replacement. She's super, super new, and while I know she can do the job, I worry about the stuff she doesn't know. I don't have time to teach her this stuff. I'm hitting the absolute basics while trying to maintain the customer service. And I know I shouldn't care as much as I do, but I do... I also have to remember that when I took over my territory, I had only been there for two weeks. I managed and figured it out, and she will too.
But I am disconnecting. Finishing up the big things and passing them on to the next person. Some of my bigger accounts are going to a different person. She's going to be great and do a fantastic job. I have already lost control over things and I can't fight that. It is what it is...
And again... I shouldn't care, but I do...This time next week, I absolutely will not care about the job - only my friends. Though they will still be my friends even if we don't work together anymore...
I have a week left. Tomorrow is more training. Friday is the same, but lunch is thrown in there, too. Next week is meetings, lunches, and cleaning out my desk. I am sure that when I leave next Wednesday I will be crying. I expect that. I also know that I need to do what I need to do...And that I'm making the absolute right decision.
The writing has been decent this week, despite me giving myself a mental pass to get through my final days. The plotting and brainstorming that was done over the weekend have carried through and I am holding onto that.
Tomorrow night is Trick or Treat here. It's supposed to be ugly weather, so we will see what actually happens. We have been stocking up and hiding the candy for a month or more now.
That is all...
Behave!
This week so far has been rough. I'm training my replacement. She's super, super new, and while I know she can do the job, I worry about the stuff she doesn't know. I don't have time to teach her this stuff. I'm hitting the absolute basics while trying to maintain the customer service. And I know I shouldn't care as much as I do, but I do... I also have to remember that when I took over my territory, I had only been there for two weeks. I managed and figured it out, and she will too.
But I am disconnecting. Finishing up the big things and passing them on to the next person. Some of my bigger accounts are going to a different person. She's going to be great and do a fantastic job. I have already lost control over things and I can't fight that. It is what it is...
And again... I shouldn't care, but I do...This time next week, I absolutely will not care about the job - only my friends. Though they will still be my friends even if we don't work together anymore...
I have a week left. Tomorrow is more training. Friday is the same, but lunch is thrown in there, too. Next week is meetings, lunches, and cleaning out my desk. I am sure that when I leave next Wednesday I will be crying. I expect that. I also know that I need to do what I need to do...And that I'm making the absolute right decision.
The writing has been decent this week, despite me giving myself a mental pass to get through my final days. The plotting and brainstorming that was done over the weekend have carried through and I am holding onto that.
Tomorrow night is Trick or Treat here. It's supposed to be ugly weather, so we will see what actually happens. We have been stocking up and hiding the candy for a month or more now.
That is all...
Behave!
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Hallowreads - 3
It's all done.
I know it's early. I've been up for about a half an hour. I'm not sure what woke me, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Also, this house is an electric vampire. My phone died, even though it was on the charger - the same charger I used yesterday, the same plug, too. And suddenly, it doesn't work anymore. And it worked last night when I plugged in. Weird. It's been a consistent problem this weekend though.
Anyway.
Yesterday was a lot of fun. Talked to a lot of people. Sold a couple of books. Talked to some book reviewers. Talked to more people. Hung out with a writing chapter buddy for a little bit. It was a lot of peopling. By the time the signing was over, I was fried. But it was good.
Turns out, this was the last year for this event. The organizer moved several states away and doesn't have the capability to continue. It's sad, but it happens.
We got back to the house, ordered some food, and pretty much vegged the rest of the day. One of our housemates decided to head home late last night, so it was just Simon and I talking and laughing. Surprisingly, and especially surprising because I wore the same shoes yesterday, I did not wake up with a leg cramp. I was so sure it was going to happen. Before I went to bed I could feel the muscle already twisting. It's still a little sore, but 99.9% improved from yesterday.
I'm going to get my words in and then pack up. Today is K3's birthday. I will be making a spaghetti dinner as soon as I get home and the kids will be coming over to celebrate.
And then tomorrow is Monday - my last full week at the current day job. It's weird, but I'm settled with my decision. I know it's the right one, especially after this weekend. It all still feels pretty surreal though and I can't say I'm looking forward to tomorrow or the rest of the week. But it is what it is...
That is all...
Behave!
I know it's early. I've been up for about a half an hour. I'm not sure what woke me, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Also, this house is an electric vampire. My phone died, even though it was on the charger - the same charger I used yesterday, the same plug, too. And suddenly, it doesn't work anymore. And it worked last night when I plugged in. Weird. It's been a consistent problem this weekend though.
Anyway.
Yesterday was a lot of fun. Talked to a lot of people. Sold a couple of books. Talked to some book reviewers. Talked to more people. Hung out with a writing chapter buddy for a little bit. It was a lot of peopling. By the time the signing was over, I was fried. But it was good.
Turns out, this was the last year for this event. The organizer moved several states away and doesn't have the capability to continue. It's sad, but it happens.
We got back to the house, ordered some food, and pretty much vegged the rest of the day. One of our housemates decided to head home late last night, so it was just Simon and I talking and laughing. Surprisingly, and especially surprising because I wore the same shoes yesterday, I did not wake up with a leg cramp. I was so sure it was going to happen. Before I went to bed I could feel the muscle already twisting. It's still a little sore, but 99.9% improved from yesterday.
I'm going to get my words in and then pack up. Today is K3's birthday. I will be making a spaghetti dinner as soon as I get home and the kids will be coming over to celebrate.
And then tomorrow is Monday - my last full week at the current day job. It's weird, but I'm settled with my decision. I know it's the right one, especially after this weekend. It all still feels pretty surreal though and I can't say I'm looking forward to tomorrow or the rest of the week. But it is what it is...
That is all...
Behave!
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Hallowreads - 2
Yesterday was exhausting and good.
There was a lot of talking, walking, strategizing, brainstorming, laughing, and connecting. It was a lot of peopling. And I did finally get some really good food.
The restaurant was cool. It's in a super old building. The food was amazing. It was super loud and crowded. We hung out after dinner - waiting for a member of our group, and laughed and talked.
And I wrote.
And today there will be even more.
That's okay though. It will be a good day.
There are workshops this morning. Then lunch. Then the book signing.
I'm not sure if I'm going to make the bonfire and haunted house tonight. I woke up around three am with a vicious leg cramp. It's still horrible. I have been limping around for over an hour.
But that's okay. I will write. And talk. And hang out. I know I will be exhausted.
And that's all I have for now.
Behave!
There was a lot of talking, walking, strategizing, brainstorming, laughing, and connecting. It was a lot of peopling. And I did finally get some really good food.
The restaurant was cool. It's in a super old building. The food was amazing. It was super loud and crowded. We hung out after dinner - waiting for a member of our group, and laughed and talked.
And I wrote.
And today there will be even more.
That's okay though. It will be a good day.
There are workshops this morning. Then lunch. Then the book signing.
I'm not sure if I'm going to make the bonfire and haunted house tonight. I woke up around three am with a vicious leg cramp. It's still horrible. I have been limping around for over an hour.
But that's okay. I will write. And talk. And hang out. I know I will be exhausted.
And that's all I have for now.
Behave!
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Hallowreads!
Here I am at a cute little AirBnB in Maryland.
Tomorrow starts the event and I cannot wait.
Three of us rented this little house - 3 bedrooms 1-1/2 bath, full kitchen, dining room, living room, and a cute little patio. Currently, all three of us are sitting around the dining room table getting our words done. (I'm already done for the night. My brain is a bit broken. I'll tell you about that in a few)
I managed to leave the day job far earlier than I originally expected. Ran to the store for some essentials and then hit the road. Only got into a little bit of traffic and made it here shortly after I received the code to unlock the front door. Simon arrived less than five minutes after me, and L was already here.
The weirdness was that the mother of the owner was here when we got here and spent far too long talking to us about really nothing. Don't get me wrong, she was super nice and super excited to meet authors, but it delayed us in getting our stuff unloaded and getting settled in. We finally were able to do that, and then sat around the table drinking tea and catching up.
Then we were off to dinner at the Mexican place in the little town where the event is held. Met up with other authors and had a blast. My food pretty much sucked, which is disappointing because I was so excited to go there again. Whatever though. It was still a great time. We got back to our little "home", changed into our jammies, and then talked and wrote. Well, we're still doing that.
Being in a house is much nicer than a hotel. We each have our own room and there's plenty of space to spread out downstairs. Sharing a bathroom is no big deal, and let's face it, we'd be doing the same in a hotel. Anyway.
The event starts tomorrow. We'll be there helping out and participating. Then tomorrow night is dinner and a bonfire. Dinner is at a most awesome place. Though I will choose wisely because I can't abide by two crappy dinners in a row. Saturday is the signing and more fun stuff. Then a haunted house. Then we'll come back, order pizza, and write and talk some more.
I am so happy to be here. This weekend is the kick off to new things - focus on my writing career, and focus on what I need to do.
And here's why... I've talked a lot about how my day job is brain draining and super stressful... A lot. I also love what I do - I love my customers, the industry, my sales reps, and the people I work with. What I don't love is that I feel like I have to give 500% of myself every day, which leaves nothing for anything else, especially writing. It's been that way for a really, really long time.
So... This job came up. That Man and I discussed. I didn't know what to do. I checked the requirements and didn't think I qualified for the position, but then was specifically asked to submit my resume. I interviewed. And then the job was offered.
And I accepted.
It's really a lateral move, but the stress will be about 490% less. That's what I'm going for. It was a really really hard decision to leave my current job, but in my heart and gut, I know it's the right decision. I was asked if there could be any negotiation at the current day job and I told them absolutely not. You could pay me more and then I would give 800% and have even less left of me. They accepted that well. Though I think I will be asked again before it's all said and done.
I'll talk more about this when it gets closer to my last day. I have a full week and then a few days. It's emotional, but so far pretty much everyone at the current day job has been so super supportive. Turns out, they'd love to see me succeed as a author and that's the main reason I'm making the change. Plus, I just need to have more to give at the end of the day - to my writing, to my family, to the things I previously enjoyed doing but don't have the energy for anymore.
And that is all for now!
Behave!
Tomorrow starts the event and I cannot wait.
Three of us rented this little house - 3 bedrooms 1-1/2 bath, full kitchen, dining room, living room, and a cute little patio. Currently, all three of us are sitting around the dining room table getting our words done. (I'm already done for the night. My brain is a bit broken. I'll tell you about that in a few)
I managed to leave the day job far earlier than I originally expected. Ran to the store for some essentials and then hit the road. Only got into a little bit of traffic and made it here shortly after I received the code to unlock the front door. Simon arrived less than five minutes after me, and L was already here.
The weirdness was that the mother of the owner was here when we got here and spent far too long talking to us about really nothing. Don't get me wrong, she was super nice and super excited to meet authors, but it delayed us in getting our stuff unloaded and getting settled in. We finally were able to do that, and then sat around the table drinking tea and catching up.
Then we were off to dinner at the Mexican place in the little town where the event is held. Met up with other authors and had a blast. My food pretty much sucked, which is disappointing because I was so excited to go there again. Whatever though. It was still a great time. We got back to our little "home", changed into our jammies, and then talked and wrote. Well, we're still doing that.
Being in a house is much nicer than a hotel. We each have our own room and there's plenty of space to spread out downstairs. Sharing a bathroom is no big deal, and let's face it, we'd be doing the same in a hotel. Anyway.
The event starts tomorrow. We'll be there helping out and participating. Then tomorrow night is dinner and a bonfire. Dinner is at a most awesome place. Though I will choose wisely because I can't abide by two crappy dinners in a row. Saturday is the signing and more fun stuff. Then a haunted house. Then we'll come back, order pizza, and write and talk some more.
I am so happy to be here. This weekend is the kick off to new things - focus on my writing career, and focus on what I need to do.
And here's why... I've talked a lot about how my day job is brain draining and super stressful... A lot. I also love what I do - I love my customers, the industry, my sales reps, and the people I work with. What I don't love is that I feel like I have to give 500% of myself every day, which leaves nothing for anything else, especially writing. It's been that way for a really, really long time.
So... This job came up. That Man and I discussed. I didn't know what to do. I checked the requirements and didn't think I qualified for the position, but then was specifically asked to submit my resume. I interviewed. And then the job was offered.
And I accepted.
It's really a lateral move, but the stress will be about 490% less. That's what I'm going for. It was a really really hard decision to leave my current job, but in my heart and gut, I know it's the right decision. I was asked if there could be any negotiation at the current day job and I told them absolutely not. You could pay me more and then I would give 800% and have even less left of me. They accepted that well. Though I think I will be asked again before it's all said and done.
I'll talk more about this when it gets closer to my last day. I have a full week and then a few days. It's emotional, but so far pretty much everyone at the current day job has been so super supportive. Turns out, they'd love to see me succeed as a author and that's the main reason I'm making the change. Plus, I just need to have more to give at the end of the day - to my writing, to my family, to the things I previously enjoyed doing but don't have the energy for anymore.
And that is all for now!
Behave!
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Weekend Wrap Up!
So having the boys was a complete success! Mom and Dad had an awesome time at the wedding and were very happy! They said it was like an anniversary getaway for them. We had an awesome time with the boys! Little B woke up at 3am. He was freezing cold and very wet. Somehow the little bugger got out of his very warm pjs... We got him settled again and he slept until 7am.
Not too bad at all. Both boys were great! Little B was happy and silly. He and Pappy laughed constantly and played their own version of peek-a-boo. Big B has commissioned me to write him a story. He's even given me a few weeks to complete it! Ha! He doesn't believe me when I tell him I cannot draw. He insists I'll figure it out somehow.
The boys were picked up and we pretty much crashed. It rained all day. A cold rain, too. We were cozy. Candles lit and warm blankets. I wrote. Napped. Made alfredo sauce for dinner - chicken, mushroom, broccoli alfredo. I've been doing store bought alfredo for years, with the addition of my own improvements. Who knew that my own improvements were exactly what you need to make your own alfredo sauce? I didn't, but I do now. Seriously! It's so much better!
Wrote some more. Did all of the laundry. Cleaned up the kitchen with That Man's help. Now we're chilling and it's almost bedtime.
Tomorrow is back to the day job. I am not excited. At all. And I am not looking forward to it. The stress hits around four for me... Ugh!
That's all I have for now!
Behave!
Not too bad at all. Both boys were great! Little B was happy and silly. He and Pappy laughed constantly and played their own version of peek-a-boo. Big B has commissioned me to write him a story. He's even given me a few weeks to complete it! Ha! He doesn't believe me when I tell him I cannot draw. He insists I'll figure it out somehow.
The boys were picked up and we pretty much crashed. It rained all day. A cold rain, too. We were cozy. Candles lit and warm blankets. I wrote. Napped. Made alfredo sauce for dinner - chicken, mushroom, broccoli alfredo. I've been doing store bought alfredo for years, with the addition of my own improvements. Who knew that my own improvements were exactly what you need to make your own alfredo sauce? I didn't, but I do now. Seriously! It's so much better!
Wrote some more. Did all of the laundry. Cleaned up the kitchen with That Man's help. Now we're chilling and it's almost bedtime.
Tomorrow is back to the day job. I am not excited. At all. And I am not looking forward to it. The stress hits around four for me... Ugh!
That's all I have for now!
Behave!
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Feel Good Saturday
Here we are on Saturday!
I stayed home from the day job yesterday. I left work on Thursday feeling like death - fever, sinus pain and congestion - and it didn't get any better until last night. I literally slept in my bed most all day. Around four I managed to get my words done, and then laid on the couch the rest of the evening.
Felt better this morning. I did sleep in and take care of some estate stuff. Then I went shopping. We decided we needed a smaller, easier to haul around vacuum. I hit up a few stores, then ended up at the mega mart. Then the grocery store. Then home just in time to get the boys
We're watching the grandsons overnight tonight. K1 & J had a wedding today and ended up with a hotel room overnight. This is the first time they've left Little B overnight, so they were excited - especially after the week they've had. Little B had croup and ended up in the ER for breathing treatments. The last few times we were going to keep them both, something happened - which anyone with kids knows that's how it always goes, so I was glad for them to get away tonight.
The boys were dropped off around two. Big B is a riot. Little B is, too. That Man worked until almost five, so the boys and I hung out and played. We made little stromboli's for dinner, watched a movie, and laughed. Big B went to bed a lot earlier than I figured he would and he was out like a light within five minutes. Little B was a lot harder to get down, but he's finally out. I'm expecting him to be up during the night at least a few times, so it won't be long until I head up myself.
I did get my words in. The dishes are done. The living room is covered in toys. But it's good.
I am exhausted. I can remember how I did this with four. I guess still not feeling 100% has something to do with it, too.
That is all...
Behave!
I stayed home from the day job yesterday. I left work on Thursday feeling like death - fever, sinus pain and congestion - and it didn't get any better until last night. I literally slept in my bed most all day. Around four I managed to get my words done, and then laid on the couch the rest of the evening.
Felt better this morning. I did sleep in and take care of some estate stuff. Then I went shopping. We decided we needed a smaller, easier to haul around vacuum. I hit up a few stores, then ended up at the mega mart. Then the grocery store. Then home just in time to get the boys
We're watching the grandsons overnight tonight. K1 & J had a wedding today and ended up with a hotel room overnight. This is the first time they've left Little B overnight, so they were excited - especially after the week they've had. Little B had croup and ended up in the ER for breathing treatments. The last few times we were going to keep them both, something happened - which anyone with kids knows that's how it always goes, so I was glad for them to get away tonight.
The boys were dropped off around two. Big B is a riot. Little B is, too. That Man worked until almost five, so the boys and I hung out and played. We made little stromboli's for dinner, watched a movie, and laughed. Big B went to bed a lot earlier than I figured he would and he was out like a light within five minutes. Little B was a lot harder to get down, but he's finally out. I'm expecting him to be up during the night at least a few times, so it won't be long until I head up myself.
I did get my words in. The dishes are done. The living room is covered in toys. But it's good.
I am exhausted. I can remember how I did this with four. I guess still not feeling 100% has something to do with it, too.
That is all...
Behave!
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Tuesday...
A long time ago I used to do "Tall Tale Tuesday" here on the blog. Sometimes I came up with some interesting and maybe even funny stuff. I don't know why I stopped doing it. I kind of miss it. Or maybe what I really is having the time to do it. I'd spend the week looking for funny pictures or interesting stories. These days I'm lucky to even know my name most of the week.
Anyway.
I meant to get back on here over the weekend, but that didn't happen.
We did the Jeep thing with my brother and then we went and bought a car. A used car, but still... It took forever, but we're pretty happy with it. My Jeep isn't supposed to be driven every day and our second car was due for inspection and needed more work than we were willing to put into it. We needed something reliable for the winter. So we bit the bullet and did it. Not happy about having a car payment, but like I said, we're happy with it.
When we got back, we went to the place we wanted to go for dinner last night. It was amazing. Good food.
Sunday was a day of absolute rest. No computer. Stayed off the phone. Did some laundry.
Now we're in the week. I have been writing every day (except for Sunday). Managing some decent words and getting back into my story.
That's all I have for now...
Behave!
Anyway.
I meant to get back on here over the weekend, but that didn't happen.
We did the Jeep thing with my brother and then we went and bought a car. A used car, but still... It took forever, but we're pretty happy with it. My Jeep isn't supposed to be driven every day and our second car was due for inspection and needed more work than we were willing to put into it. We needed something reliable for the winter. So we bit the bullet and did it. Not happy about having a car payment, but like I said, we're happy with it.
When we got back, we went to the place we wanted to go for dinner last night. It was amazing. Good food.
Sunday was a day of absolute rest. No computer. Stayed off the phone. Did some laundry.
Now we're in the week. I have been writing every day (except for Sunday). Managing some decent words and getting back into my story.
That's all I have for now...
Behave!
Friday, October 11, 2019
Feel Good Friday!
Whoot!
It was a helluva week! Bad doesn't even begin to describe it. Day Job... Oy... There were good moments, but most of it was like fighting through quicksand. I am fighting for my new hire. She's struggling to get things, but I see her blossoming and learning and I will not allow them to let her go until she's been given a fair shake. I know she can do this and I know she will be excellent at it. I have spent most of the last two days, even with being swamped from vacation, training her, and I will continue to do so.
I have been writing. I will not say I've been writing good words, but they are still words.
That Man and I went out to dinner tonight. Not where we wanted to go, but a regular place for us. The food was good, but the air conditioning was cranked up super high and I was freezing. We wanted to go to a new place near us - well, the place isn't new, but the ownership is. We've heard great things about it and it's only two blocks from our house. As we pulled into the parking lot, we heard that the wait was super lengthy so we moved on. We'll get there soon.
Tomorrow we are hopefully doing a Jeep thing with my brother. But we also have an appointment to go car shopping. We're replacing our CRV. We're not in a hurry, but we kind of are too. We will be at the Jeep event either early or late.
And that is all for now... Hopefully I will be back at some point before Monday!
Behave!
It was a helluva week! Bad doesn't even begin to describe it. Day Job... Oy... There were good moments, but most of it was like fighting through quicksand. I am fighting for my new hire. She's struggling to get things, but I see her blossoming and learning and I will not allow them to let her go until she's been given a fair shake. I know she can do this and I know she will be excellent at it. I have spent most of the last two days, even with being swamped from vacation, training her, and I will continue to do so.
I have been writing. I will not say I've been writing good words, but they are still words.
That Man and I went out to dinner tonight. Not where we wanted to go, but a regular place for us. The food was good, but the air conditioning was cranked up super high and I was freezing. We wanted to go to a new place near us - well, the place isn't new, but the ownership is. We've heard great things about it and it's only two blocks from our house. As we pulled into the parking lot, we heard that the wait was super lengthy so we moved on. We'll get there soon.
Tomorrow we are hopefully doing a Jeep thing with my brother. But we also have an appointment to go car shopping. We're replacing our CRV. We're not in a hurry, but we kind of are too. We will be at the Jeep event either early or late.
And that is all for now... Hopefully I will be back at some point before Monday!
Behave!
Thursday, October 10, 2019
That Was A Long Time!
Sorry for the silence!
It's been crazy!
We've had ourselves a little, but wonderful, trip. The break from the day job was wonderful.
It's colder now.
I'm tired!
Coming back to the day job was suckage. Nothing got done in my absence.
One of the kittens is peeing inappropriately. On my bed. Not cool.
I stepped in dog poop tonight. Gross.
Writing has been going okay.
We had our town Halloween Parade. It was fun.
I'm tired!
Everyone at the day job is sick. I am slathering myself in hand sanitizer and protective layers.
That is all. See "I am tired"...
Behave!
It's been crazy!
We've had ourselves a little, but wonderful, trip. The break from the day job was wonderful.
It's colder now.
I'm tired!
Coming back to the day job was suckage. Nothing got done in my absence.
One of the kittens is peeing inappropriately. On my bed. Not cool.
I stepped in dog poop tonight. Gross.
Writing has been going okay.
We had our town Halloween Parade. It was fun.
I'm tired!
Everyone at the day job is sick. I am slathering myself in hand sanitizer and protective layers.
That is all. See "I am tired"...
Behave!
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