Guest Blogger - Gabby Allen - Much Ado About Nauticaling

I am please to have Gabby Allen on the blog today!

Hello Victoria Smith Blog readers! So excited to be here with you today!

I’m Gabby Allan and Victoria has been nice enough to let me hang with you for just a little while. I’m super excited to introduce my new series to you! It’s a rom Cozy—rom com and cozy mystery snuggled up on a beach drinking a Mai Tai! If you’re into that kind of thing, I think you’ll love this book and my characters Whitney Dagner and her cat Whiskers!

Thanks for giving me a look and have a great day!

Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that’s to die for—only to find it’s a place people are also willing to kill for—in Gabby Allan’s Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series. 
After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business. Between gift shop shifts selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she pilots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life—and a murder victim? 
The self-proclaimed “Master of the Island,” Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water. That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder. To clear her brother’s name, Whit will have to investigate Jules’ shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members—with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit’s ex-boyfriend who’s looking to rekindle their relationship.

https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496731067/much-ado-about-nauticaling/

If you’d like a door hanger and/or a signed book plate for your book, drop me a line at gabbyallanwrites@gmail.com

You can find me lots of places but here are a few to start!

 

Newsletter sign up  http://eepurl.com/bjDYYX

Website www.gabbyallan.com

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/GabbyAllanAuthor

Facebook Group Merry Sleuths https://bit.ly/2UWZida

Amazon Author Page https://amzn.to/3inb08R

Instagram @gabbyallanspeaks

Goodreads https://bit.ly/3ioqHg3

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabby-allan

Thanks for having me!

(From Victoria - I have read this book and it's a blast! I highly recommend it!)

Behave!

  

It's Been A While...

It's been almost 3 weeks since I posted! Sorry about that! 

We went from That Man being away on his fishing trip to loading up the car and taking a half cross country trek. Many hours driving through horrible rain and butthead drivers to see my aunt and uncle. We hadn't seen them for over two years so when the timing came up, we went for it. 

We had a blast hanging out with them. Basically, we just visited and laughed. My aunt has been taking care of my uncle post surgery - it was last year, but he's still recovering and adjusting medications - so we pampered her a little and took care of some house stuff she hasn't had a chance to get to, made dinner and lunch, and took care of the dogs. Killed some poisonous spiders, and fought ticks. The uncle is looking good though. Still a little wobbly at times, but his mind is sharp again, and he looks well. All good stuff. 

Down the street from their house is a little market - you can get ice, beer, booze, smokes, and a wide range of probably expired food stuffs. Ha! Inside that building is a bar/restaurant. I've been to their house three or four times now and never knew that! We went there to listen to a blue grass band one night and had a blast. There weren't very many people, but the band, the appetizers, and the small crowd were awesome. The guy bought an old Victorian house and incorporated it into the space. The second floor is a bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room and they are all period appropriate. It was cool, but you can't get closer than looking at it from the first floor. We essentially listened to the band from the back porch of the house. That was a highlight for sure. 

Got to see a cousin I haven't seen in forever. We had that awkward silence at first - you know the one where you're not sure you have anything in common even though you're related and you remember hanging out as kids. And then you realize you all fell from the same tree. It was fun and we talked for a long time. It was good. 

We braved more rain on the way home. Coming home is definitely harder than going out. We're still recovering. I think we're just getting too old to stay up that long and sleep in the car. Ha!

Back to work on Monday. Exhausted and trying to get into our new routine. This is the first we've both been in the office all week since I went back. We've had to alter our Hello Fresh deliveries and our old routine. But we'll figure it out. K4 has a different schedule now, too, so that adds an additional adjustment. We'll get there. 

I haven't written much lately, but that will come back, too. I have a lot of research and ideas to put into the book, which is a good thing. Being where we were gave me a lot of terrain and locations to add, so that is also very good. 

Now we're scheduled for home things for the next few weeks. Weeds need pulled. Sheds need cleaned out. Cars need prepped for inspection. Blah. Blah. Blah. It is what it is. 

That is all! 

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday on Saturday!

It was a very long week!

The good things:

1. Signing my contract and the amazing and wonderful things my editor says about my work!

2. Cursed Fate being up for presale! Official release date is August 4th!

3. That Man getting some much needed away time on his annual fishing trip with the guys. They go to one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen and have a blast. He'll be home later. I have missed him a lot.

4. Getting Jeep "ducked". Basically a rubber duckie given by another Jeep owner. It's fun. K4 and I had gone to the garage to pick up her Jeep and we were in tandem on the way home. A red Jeep was in front of us. When we got to the light, there was much hooting and hollering as the ladies in the red Jeep got out and ducked both K4 and me. It was fun. (K4 got ducked earlier this week, too, with a giant stuffed yellow duck) 

5. As much as I'd rather be working from home, being back in the office has been fine. It's nice to see coworkers and be able to talk to them instead of waiting on an email or a call back. 

6. Sleeping in this morning. Very nice and much needed. 

7. Writing time this morning!

8. The quiet of my house currently. The cats are watching the water dish. I don't know why. I just cleaned and filled it, but I guess they think it's going to do something? The dog is chewing on her star treat toy on the couch. It's nice.

9. Fun stuff coming up! 

That's all I have! 

Behave!

Back Home & Father's Day

I got home around 11-ish. Didn't get much writing done this morning, but that's typical for me on the last day of retreat. 

After unloading, I hit the grocery store. That Man wanted fried chicken for dinner. I went to the store and grabbed some of theirs, which is really good. Stuck it in the fridge until time for dinner. (Put it in the oven. Made mashed potatoes, gravy, and cole slaw) Did laundry. K3 and A came over for a while and we had a good time talking and hanging out with them. 

That Man talked to K5. She was on her way home from Harry Potter World and filled him in on all of her adventures, including holding a crocodile and riding in a pontoon boat. She's a hoot! 

My huge surprise when I got home was a contract for the book I sent Friday night. Awesome! I love this book so much and I'm so happy my editor was happy to receive it. I also got my galleys for Cursed Fate! Coming Soon! Yay! 

So it is Father's Day. I appreciate my husband so much. He's an awesome father even though our kids are grown. His interactions with our spawn always make me laugh. And they call him for advice and stuff all of the time. I love that. 

I also appreciate all of the dads in my life - my brother, brother's-in-laws, uncles, friends, nephews, nephews-in-laws. 

I miss my dad. It's been six Father's Day since he was here. Almost seven years since he's been gone. I miss him. A lot. He would get a kick out of his great grandkids and what his grandkids are up to these days. He was always so proud of them. That Man's dad has been gone around ten years? And he would also have loved to see what his grandkid and great grandkids are up to. 

This week is crazy! Next week is too! 

Behave!

Retreat! Winding Down!

 There are mere hours left! 

I haven't gotten anything done this morning yet. I was awakened by the smell of burning toast a few hours before I'd planned to get up. Ha! I stayed in bed a little while longer, but gave up and made my way to the common area. 

From there, I have proceeded to goof off. Though I did strip my bed, made sure my towels were where they are supposed to be, packed some stuff, ate a bagel, drank some coffee, blah blah blah.

Now I'm finally sitting down to get some work done before I head for home. It's been a super productive time for all of us. And nice to get to hang and talk. 

I am looking forward to getting home though. Considering we weren't home last weekend, I'm looking forward to just sitting on my porch. 

And that is all...

Behave!

Retreat! Last Night!

It's the last night of retreat! 

It's been an amazing time! It's been too long since I've been with these creative brains and awesome people. We have laughed, talked, brainstormed, argued a little (about dumb stuff), and supported each other. 

I made a pretty damned good dinner. Chicken stir fry with egg rolls. Of course, I made enough to feed all of us despite the fact that I was the only one eating it. Yes, I offered it around, but it appears I'm the only one with my tastes. Ha! I will take it home as leftovers for lunch this week. That's what we do here though. We all take care of our own meals. If you want to cook, you cook. If you want to make a frozen dinner, then do it. If you just want to snack, then go for it. The only meal we do together is the first night and that's nachos. We all bring an ingredient, but we all make our own. It works. 

There was napping today, which was beautiful. And rain. Also beautiful as we sat at the table on the porch listening to it. It's very quiet here. There was also brainstorming and a major good start on my new story. I'll get back to it in a few. 

Tomorrow is Father's Day. That Man is currently enjoying being home all by himself, which is something that rarely happens for him. I'll head home mid-morning and then will take care of dinner. 

I don't think I'll get to do another retreat until after the first of the year, but we'll see. There's a lot going on the rest of the year and a lot of expenses, so I won't know until we get closer. 

That is all. 

Behave! 

Retreat! Saturday!

It's the last full day of retreat!

This has been a pretty productive time. I finished my edits and sent them off. I figured out what I am doing with the next story and will start writing that in a few. 

Sleep has been good. The shower is decent. The weather has been good. Currently it's threatening rain, but that's okay. We've got an awesome screened in porch to sit on. Though it's supposed to get hot today. We'll see. I do predict a nap in my future. 

That's all I have for now...

Behave!

Retreat! Official Day One!

Good Morning!

I arrived early yesterday afternoon. Our hosts alerted us that the house was ready earlier than our expected arrival, so I buzzed out of the day job and was the first to arrive. Which is funny because I was sure I was going to be the last one here. 

It's the cutest little house near the lake and in the woods. The screened in porch is amazing with a huge table, cool seating, and two double doors to get into the house. The kitchen is tiny, but workable. The dining room seats the four of us and there's a fireplace in the living room. I chose the blue room for sleeping. It was comfy and the air conditioner kicks. 

I slept in, which I needed. Now we're in the living room with the fireplace going. Yeah, it's a little chilly out there at the moment. The talking has been non stop, despite the fact that we all have goals to meet. But we haven't seen each other since the last retreat, so that's to be expected.

I'd better get on it! More later...

Behave!

Off to Retreat!

So I went back to the office this week... The official return day is Monday, but since I'm off starting tomorrow after lunch and since I am covering for accounts receivable, I felt like I needed to get back this week. 

That's a mixed bag of feelings right there. I mean, it's nice to have the space and the organization, and to have that schedule. But it's also so very different. I've been home since last March, so I've gotten used to being able to do laundry, do little cleaning things, start dinner as soon as my work day is done and pet my puppy anytime I want. But I will adjust. I think I'm already adjusting okay. 

Tomorrow I head out to retreat with my writing pals! I haven't seen them since January, except for seeing one of them once or twice. We do talk everyday, so there's that. I need this retreat so very much! I am deep in edits for a book that I need to send to my editor asap, and I need to get my Sector Two groove on. And I need the time! The time to be an author and nothing else! 

Last weekend we went to a Jeep festival. We had an absolute blast! Trail rides, volunteering, hanging with Jeep people. It was so much fun. I took a women's only course and learned a whole lot about off roading and gained a lot of confidence. I did rocks, tires, mud, and huge hills. More than once! I also did trails other than that, and it was so much fun. Volunteering was fun. We met a lot of great people and even though we had no idea how to play poker, it was a blast. We also had a blast just hanging out with each other. We ate out, hung out at our hotel, and generally just had a really super nice time. It was nice to be away and be together. 

So I should be posting during retreat! And hopefully I will adjust to being back in the office and regain a new schedule for writing and posting so it's not so very long in between blogs! 

Behave! 

Whoa! That Was a Long Time!

Dang! Sorry about that! 

I can't even say I've been crazy busy. I think it's more of an apathy. But yeah, I was busy a bit, too. 

We went to The Wilds for the holiday weekend. It was miserable and rained almost the whole time. Though we were cozy in our camper and had our awning and a pop up rain cover that at least kept us from getting soaked. It was cold, too. Mr. B came to camp with us on Saturday. He had a blast even though he couldn't swim in the creek. He did a lot of fishing with Pappy and played games with his aunts and uncles. K3 brought a game that was a riot. We all played and had a great time. It was a good weekend, despite the rain. 

Other than that... things continue to run status quo around here. We have some stuff coming up that I'm really looking forward to. June is going to be an absolute blur, but that's okay. We need it. 

My new release didn't do so great out of the gate, but I continue to be hopeful. The free book ended up doing well and continues to, so I guess that's something. I'm in the middle of editing something I think will fit right in with the series. Once I get that off to my editor, I'll go back to writing the second book for the Sector series. I have some better ideas now, so at least there's that. 

And that's all I have!

Behave!

Release Day!

It's release day for The Shadow Guide! 

I didn't think this day would ever come! Yes, this book is a re-release. It was formerly called For the Love of Isaac. But when my rights reverted back to me, I talked to my publisher and they were more than happy to take a look at it. 

A new cover, updating, and another three rounds of edits and here it is again. Shiny and new!

You can also get Into the Fire for free through today! 

Both (and my other books) can be found on Amazon. Just search the title and my name! 

I'm excited to share these books with you! I hope you like them!

Behave!

Don't Forget!

 You can get Into the Fire for free until May 12th! 

And The Shadow Guide releases on May 12th (tomorrow)!

I hope you get both and that you love them!

Behave! 

 

Into the Fire – Victoria Smith – Free Digitally - May 8^th-12^th

In Olivia Sanders’ world, people like her don’t survive very long. Special abilities are a threat to the corrupt government. 

Olivia and those with similar abilities struggle to keep their secrets as new laws threaten them daily. Though hiding isn’t enough for Olivia. A healer and firestarter, she works with the resistance to ensure the safety of the people of her sector, toiling in an unforgiving world without freedom or hope with the goal that someday they will find
both.

Poisoned by someone she should never have trusted and betrayed by her godfather, the former governor, who is using disturbing methods to control the population and grow his army, Olivia is forced to seek help from Luke Jamison, the leader of the resistance. They join forces with his brother, Matt, and Jillian Derrick, a hard-as-nails woman leading a band of "undesirables" to safety.

As conditions in the sector deteriorate and the death toll climbs ever higher, Olivia and Luke, along with Jillian and Matt, cling to the miracle of found love while facing the horror of a future without each other.

https://www.amazon.com/Into-Fire-Victoria-Smith/dp/1682916332

RELEASE DAY!! May 12^th! The Shadow Guide; Challenging the Fates; Book One – Victoria Smith (This book was previously released as For the Love of Isaac)

When evil comes for Alaina, bringing with it a destiny she can’t deny, can love stand against the forces of darkness?

When Alaina inherits her grandmother’s house, she gets far more than just the eccentric woman’s massive knickknack collection. Desperate for help with the increased paranormal activity around her, she calls the one person she thinks can provide it—despite the memory of the night he rejected her.

Patrick doesn’t want to get involved with Alaina and her demonic inheritance. He’s lost enough to the demons already, and so has she. If he refuses, she could be murdered just like her grandmother. Just like his wife and child. And he can’t live with that either.

Together they must find a way to restore the balance of good and evil, while coming to terms with emotions neither of them thinks they want.

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Guide-Challenging-Fates-ebook/dp/B08TX52QQM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Shadow+Guide+Victoria+Smith&qid=1620084664&s=books&sr=1-1

Thank you!

Behave!

Feel Good Friday on Saturday...

The first week of May is done. 

Time is so weird still... It's so hard to believe it's even May. Let alone that an entire week is gone. 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Still a very hard day for me. I miss my momma so much. It's been 6 years for Mom and 7 years for Dad. Sucks. 

So here's the list:

1. Seeing my grandboys. We got to play a little and talk and hang out. It was a quick visit, but my heart was full. Especially when little B came in and saw me. His face lit up and he ran to me. 

2. Living through the work week. It was a rough one. 

3. My flowerbeds growing and looking pretty decent.

4. Rain. I know that's unpopular. We had a crapton of it, too. Though, I am wishing for warmth and sunny skies today. 

5. The Shadow Guide releasing on the 12th! Watch for it! Into the Fire is going to be a free digital download starting TODAY!!! (Find it on Amazon!) That will last for a week. Hopefully if you decide to get it and you read it and like it, you'll think about leaving me a review on Amazon. That would be awesome and I would so appreciate it!

6. No idea what's going on tomorrow. I have made no plans. But at the same time, I haven't been asked what I want for dinner. So maybe everyone forgot or something. Whatever. 

7. Plans to hopefully see the old work crew soon. 

8. Camping coming up! I'm so looking forward to it! 

That's all! 

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday - The Last Day of April

Holy Crap! April is done!

Such a quick and long month! 

This week:

1. Another "Celebration of Life" event for us today. The mother of a dear friend of ours. Well, most of the family are dear friends. She was 96 and she was a trooper. She fought her cancer until the very last day. The service was beautiful and so was the fellowship. 

2. We have gotten rid of the dirty ugly stumps left from ripping our the front shrubs. What a pain. And since we couldn't grind the stumps out, we put huge flower pots out there. They are screwed to the stumps and filled with rocks so they don't blow away and can't be stolen. The front of the house is looking pretty damned decent. We still have stuff to do, but it's coming along. 

3. Into the Fire is going to be free in two weeks. For about a week. And then The Shadow Guide releases. I did my first foray into real marketing so we will see how it turns out. I have some write ups to do for blogs, but you'll probably see that here, too. 

4. Seeing That Sister this weekend. It's been freaking forever! 

5. Camping is in less than a month! Whoo Hoo!

6. This wind is freaking insane! It's kind of scary, too! It's supposed to be done by 2am, but we'll see. 

That's all I have! 

Happy May! 

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday

And here we are at Friday...

I know I haven't done a Feel Good in a while...

But here we go! 

1. Hello Fresh. It is so nice not to have to think about what to make for dinner three nights a week. Honesty, I think we would spend way more at the grocery store if we had to make the three meals on our own. But, at the same time, I would get it delivered every night if it felt cost effective. So there you go...

2. We had to go to a "celebration of life" for a former coworker today. Yeah, a freaking funeral. It sucked. He had leukemia and he died within a year of his diagnosis. He was a good guy and it was terribly sad to hear his mother say that it shouldn't be like this and hear the stories from his brothers, cousins, and friends.

3. The sunburns are peeling. My feet itch like crazy and my forehead is like four different colors. It's a small problem for sure. Ha!

4. I am writing every day. Yeah, most of those words don't make any sense, but there are still on the page. 

5. Camping coming up soon. I can't wait. I am so ready. 

That's all I have for now. It's a decent list for the week. I think?

Behave! 

Almost Through April...

Yeah, it's been two weeks. 

What can I say? There's just not a lot going on...

Though, That Man and I went to the beach. Just the two of us. 

This was the trip we had planned last year, but was cancelled because everyone was on lock down. There was a bit of a struggle to get the reservation carried over, but it was totally worth it. 

Our place was a tiny little 'cabana'. One room and bathroom. The kitchen was a decent size. There was a couch and this bed that came to my chest. I had to climb up using the ladder. It was comfy though. We had a loft deck where we could go up and watch the ocean, and a lower deck for if the wind was too much. Also, we could park our car right under the house, which was really nice, too. 

We were literally steps from the beach. It would take me about three minutes round trip to go back to our place to use the restroom while we were on the beach. We fished, talked, and walked the shoreline. We planned ahead for dinner and I put it in the oven on one of my bathroom trips so it would be ready when we were done for the day. 

Oh and sunburn! I sunscreened. Like a freak as usual. But my face got burnt. So did my knees and feet. That Man got a little red on his head. He used the same sunscreen I did and looked nowhere like the lobster I turned into. 

Anyway. It was an amazing getaway. Now we're back in the real world. Same old. Same old. We do have stuff upcoming. We'll see if they happen. Two things have already been cancelled. 

That is all! 

Behave! 

First Week of April...

April just jumped right in here...

We had Easter. We got to see some of the family. Not many. And yes, we were safe. And we had a blast. Way, way too much food though. I think I'm still full! Ha! 

I got to see my great niece for the first time in over a year. She is so freaking cute. She ran around picking up sticks and stepping over dogs. No fear and the dogs didn't even flinch. 

We did manage to see most of the grandkids Easter weekend. We missed only one because he was taking a nap. 

I did get my new cover. I will post it very soon. It's lovely and I'm excited about it. I already did my first round edits on the book.  

Looks like I'll be going back to the office within the next month or so. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. I've been home for over a year. It's going to be an absolute huge adjustment on so many levels. 

But the writing is going well. I am a bit lost in the story right now, but am working hard to get it back. 

That's all...

Behave! 

Mid Week

So it's Wednesday...

No more calls from Molly at Amazon, which is good. Though a friend of mine started getting them the day after me. She wasn't dumb like me though. She didn't hit "one" to dispute the charges. I just can't not though. I feel the need to rebel. 

This week has been pretty quiet. The weekend was also quiet. We needed that quiet weekend. We worked on the camper, did the shopping, dropped off the car for inspection & to have the emergency brake checked. I took naps. We made good food. And we cleaned the house. 

I have been writing a lot. I also got a draft of my new cover for the book coming out later this year. I am waiting for the final and hope it is awesome. I will share it as soon as I'm able. 

That's about it. We'll see what this weekend brings...

Behave!

Scam Callers...

Lordy! 

The past twenty-four hours have been horrible with scam callers on my personal phone! 

It's always the same call - Amazon saying that there's a charge of seven-hundred and something made in Dayton, Ohio and they need to know if I made the purchase. 

Like sixty-five thousand times. 

Okay. So I exaggerate, but it was a lot of calls. I put my phone on do not disturb last night and still got like three calls. It started again today right before lunch. 

I told them last night to remove my number and stop calling me. 

Ha! Obviously that didn't work. 

Today, I was told that the rep would need to access my computer or cell phone to remove the fraudulent charge. I said I don't think that's how it works and he assured me it was. I told him to stop calling me and that their calls were harassing. I also told him he should be ashamed of himself for trying to scam people. 

Seven minutes later, they called again. And then again in another seven minutes. 

I informed them that I was going to the police because of their calls and they'd better remove me from the list. This was after the guy wanted to know what kind of phone I had and tried to make me say that I had made the purchase, and condescendingly asked me if I'd shared my log in information with anyone. Again, I told them to remove my number and stop calling me and I might have said a few bad words. 

The last time they called, which blessedly has been a few hours ago, I asked the rep if he could see the number that was called. He confirmed he could. I told him to make sure he removed it from their system and to stop calling me. Except there was a lot of profanity involved and yelling. 

I've had it! There's no way to block the numbers because they are different every single time. You can hear people in the background saying the same thing the rep was saying to me to other people. 

I don't understand it. I am still angry about it. I mean, if it's really stopped. It could start up again at the same time it did last night. Then what do I do? It's not like I have enough information to actually file a harassment complaint. Though I do have a plan if it starts up again. 

Frustrating! 

But it is Friday, which is a good thing. 

That is all...

Behave! 

Well Then...

So it hasn't quite been a week. But close enough. 

K3 and A moved into their new place over the weekend. They hadn't seen it until they picked up their keys. Apparently the previous tenants trashed it and the rental company needed the extra time to get things spiffy. It's a cute little place. Two bedrooms, big bathroom, decent sized kitchen, with an eat in dining room. And with their own parking spaces. And not in the most terrible, worst part of the city possible. 

It's the same distance for us, but a much easier place to get to, if that makes sense. It does to us. 

We took a few loads over Friday night, and then Saturday morning we got the rest of their stuff with some help from friends. It didn't take long at all. In fact, we were home before lunch, and we didn't start until nearly ten am. 

K5 came then. We had a sleepover and a blast. She's so stinking funny. She did my hair, stole my socks, and talked our ears off. She helped make dinner and loved what we made. I wasn't sure she would, so I don't know if it was her active hand in preparing it or the fact that it was really very good. She loved the new spare room and the bed being so high off of the ground. (And the fact that K3's cat was still here and in the room) Mr. B came early Sunday morning. The kids were very happy to see each other. It's been since Christmas. We made pancakes, sausage, and had whipped cream. They were hysterical and had a blast together. 

Then we went to K2's for Baby C's (not a baby anymore-she's 6!) birthday. Having most of the kids together was awesome. (We were missing Baby B) They had a blast. They played with K2's baby bunnies, played in the yard, got dirty, and came up with many different things to do. And we got to see all of our grandkids and all of our kids on the same day, which was particularly awesome. We dropped K5 off at baton class and then headed to take Mr. B home. Then got a phone call from K5's mom that she was stuck in Maryland and could we pick up K5 from baton? Of course. We didn't stay as long at K1's to see Baby B as we wanted because we had to hurry back to be on time, but we still got hugs and crazy stories from him. He adores his pappy and talked his ear off. 

By the time we made dinner and K5 was picked up, we were exhausted. Who am I kidding? We were exhausted Friday night and it never went away. Ha! It still hasn't! 

Now it's Tuesday. Monday was rough. Real rough. Today was a bit better exhaustion wise, but still rough. I had to rescue K4 because she left her lights on and her battery died. I went in my comfy pants and tattered sweatshirt. Ha! 

I made a pretty kick ass dinner, That Man did dishes, I wrote a decent amount of words, and now I am ready for bed. Our weekend coming up is blessedly light as far as obligations. Thankfully. It seems like all we've done lately is run around like crazy people. Though I have a feeling we'll break ourselves doing things that need to be done around here. Ha!

That is all...

Behave! 

Here We Are...

We're at about a year since all of this shit got real...

This time yesterday a year ago, things were still going normal. I had breakfast with a friend, a writing meeting, and gathered with family. Then... just like that, life stopped being normal. 

But... it is what it is. We just do what we can do and make the best of it. 

We are making our summer plans without thought of restrictions though, so I guess that's something. I feel like I want to go and do everything we wanted to do last year and everything we talked about this year, but my vacation time tells me to shut up. Ha! 

Anyway. 

Not much is different from here. 

K3 & A have been here for a little over two weeks now. It's been absolutely good and fun. We make the single bathroom in our house for five adults work, and we make mealtimes work. I have no complaints. They are clean, respectful, and help out. 

They are moving into their new place this weekend. I'm excited for them. Especially after seeing the tiny kitchen they came from. Their new place will be like a palace for them. They both love to cook and have made fantastic meals in my tiny kitchen. Their old kitchen was 1/3 of the size of my tiny space. Their new kitchen is predicted to be four times the size of mine. So that's exciting.

Other than that... Same old. Same old. 

Behave! 

Eh...You Know...

So I saw this meme about why no one feels like talking right now and it pretty much sums it up... 

Basically (and paraphrasing) it said that no one wants to talk right now. Replies are brief and late. Group chats don't really happen anymore. It's because we're all spent and have nothing left to say. You can only say "I miss you" and "I can't wait to see you again" so many times. And let's face it, we're all doing the same thing we were doing about a year ago. It also said that we're not supposed to apologize, because we're all feeling and doing the same thing. 

I feel that so hard! 

I have started a blog post four times in the last few days, but then I become apathetic and feel like I have nothing to say. And I really don't. What I have to say is basically nonsense. 

Except...

We're going to a funeral tomorrow. I don't know what it's going to be like with social distancing and all. But we feel like we need to go and pay our respects. Ben was a very dear friend to us. We haven't seen him in a few years, but he was one of those guys who didn't care about that. He was always happy to see you and talk your ear off. He was one of the most non-judgmental and funny people I have ever known. 

We moved up to his neck of the woods many, many years ago. His son was That Man's best friend. We moved up there based on his son's urging and knowledge of cheap land for sale. We had a lot (a lot) of good times while we lived there. They took us in and treated us like family. 

We eventually moved back down the mountain. Martin (the son) was killed in a tragic tractor accident shortly after my mom died. It was rough. We still made the trip to visit as often as we could. But it's been a while since we've been there. 

We don't know what to expect. We just know we have to be there. 

So we both have a shorter work day tomorrow. That Man is working from home because it doesn't make sense for him to drive into the office for an hour and then drive home so we can leave on time. 

Saturday is helping K3 and A get their stuff out of their apartment and into their storage unit. They've been here with us since Sunday and going over every night and doing as much as they can to make Saturday easier and quicker. 

To clarify, I am just a truck driver. We are borrowing trucks from work and only employees can drive them. So I am just there to drive the truck. I am not lifting, cleaning, or doing anything but sitting behind the wheel. Ha! I am too old for that crap! 

Other than that... Same old. Same old. 

I am writing. I am working the day job. I have been loving the snow, but equally loving the sunshine and warmer temps. (I know. You just can't please me... Ha!) 

Also, I have been doing taxes. State and Local are filed. Just not paid. Federal is 99% done, but I need to double check it. And then pay them. Yeah, it sucks that we owe everyone this year. But that's normal. Ugh. I hate it, but I'm glad to be almost done and know what the damage is. Next up is helping K4 with hers. Which should be easy. 

And that is all...

Behave!

Tuesday...

The first storm predicted this week turned out to be a bust. What was supposed to be ice turned out to be only rain. Bummer. 

Now they're forecasting 5-8" of snow starting tomorrow night. We'll see. The weatherman contradict each other, so I don't think anyone really knows. We'll end up with nothing though... Again. Sigh. 

I know you all think I'm crazy for loving snow so much. But I do and I can't help it. I could happily live in Alaska. 

Our new showerhead is pretty decent. Well, after I figured out how to adjust it so it quit spraying the wall and not my body. Ha! 

I found a sweet dresser and bedside table at the thrift store for the spare room. It's retro and in really good shape, and it was cheap! So I picked it up and brought it home. All we have to do is get K4's cabinet out of the room, and then finish setting things up. 

The writing is going well. I did my art sheet for the re-release of Cursed Fate. I'm excited to see the cover! Next will be edits. I'm plowing ahead on the new book, though plow isn't the exact best word. I was going solid and then hit a wall, so I've had to take a step back and do some character work. But I am working. 

Just found out the winery book signing event has been cancelled for this year. I'm sad, but I get it. It's already on the calendar for 2022 though. Obviously the greenhouse Valentine's event was cancelled. That one really made me sad. That's one of the best events ever - from just getting to be in the greenhouse, to seeing my author friends, to talking with readers, to lunch with my pals afterwards - it was the best. I hope that comes back next year!

That's all I have for now. 

Behave!

Happy Valentine's Day & Weekend Wrap Up

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope your day was as you wanted it to be. Ours was pretty decent. I slept in. That Man made me breakfast. We went to the home improvement store for wood, a new shower head, and the stuff to fix the bathroom sink. And a new ceiling fan for the spare room. 

We spent our weekend cleaning out the spare room closet and dealing with the tonnage, installing the ceiling fan, getting the bed set up, and doing random fixes. We are tired, but things are coming together. 

We have winter weather in the forecast, but we'll see if it actually happens. 

That is all...

Behave! 

10 Days!

Holy crap! I didn't mean for ten days to pass between postings!

So we got about 8" of snow. I think. It was nice. I never made it to the office, but that's okay. 

Thursday was That Man's birthday. I surprised him with a long weekend trip to a little cabin along a creek about forty minutes from our house. We've never been there before and it was super nice. We left Thursday afternoon after our host let us know we were good to check in earlier than planned. 

It was the cutest, most cozy, little cabin! It had a loft that I never went up in thanks to a straight up ladder that threatened me when I considered it. Ha! Big comfy bed (on the main floor). Big awesome tub. Efficient kitchen and comfy sitting places. A fire pit that we didn't get to use this time. There was a huge deck that overlooked the creek, which was beautiful. 

I made him stir fry for his birthday dinner, complete with eggrolls, and cheesecake with a candle for his birthday. There was a sweet grill on the porch so we ran to the store on Friday for steaks. That was an amazing meal. 

We watched movies, napped, ate good food, read, I wrote, we walked the trails, talked, and soaked in the tub. It was a beautiful weekend. Especially since we woke up Sunday to snow. It was beautiful to watch the snow on the creek. We sat out on the deck with our coffee for a long time. Until it was time to clean up and head for home. It was a really awesome weekend!

Sunday K3 and A came over to pick up some boxes and have dinner. We had a nice time talking and making food. They will be staying here for about two weeks while they wait for their new apartment to be ready. It just makes financial sense for them not to have to pay a full months rent and a half months rent. 

Then back to the grind. I did make it to the office on Monday and got my office packed up and ready for the new office flooring. We have more snow in the forecast, though no one seems to know when or how much. 

I guess we'll see...

Behave!

Snow in the Forecast!

We're forecasted for 8-12".

I hope!

I know. I know. It probably won't do anything, but I can still hope for it!

I mean, I get that I don't really have to go anywhere, so it doesn't impact me as much as it does other people, but come on! Snow is awesome! (I was planning on going into the office on Monday though and my week is pretty crazy so I don't know when I'll get it, and it's important that I do)

It's been a pretty quiet weekend. 

We picked up my Jeep on Thursday. The price tag was almost twice as what I had budgeted for, but there was more work to be done than we thought. I am super happy with it though. The rattle that we thought was exhaust, was actually rust and it is no more. It feels solid and tight and we're good on paying our welder for a few years now. (Yeah, we'll need to do more work in a year or two, but my Jeep is an old lady) Next is the fuel lines, and then I should be good to go! I have trails to ride with my brother and my kid and my other kids. 

Friday night was pretty much chill. We made some good food and watched some stupid television. 

Today has been pretty chill as well. Though we did make a trek to the store for cat food and hamburgers. We absolutely needed the cat food. The hamburgers not so much, but they will make a great dinner tomorrow night. Especially if we grill them in the snow. Ha! 

The store was insane! People were coming out with heaping carts of everything. We got out of there as soon as we could. We would not have gone at all if it wasn't for the cat food. 

We were supposed to clean out the spare room. For why, I will tell you soon. We got the huge pipe out - this thing was in our attic when we bought the house. We moved it when we did K4's room, and frankly, it would have been a huge pain to try to bring it down via the stairs. It's like they put it together in the attic or something. I'm not sure how it came down the attic stairs. It went out the window. Ha! 

So, technically we were going to make the burgers tonight, but we changed our minds. I had a gift card for the food delivery place and we ended up ordering Indian food, which was amazing. I am full, but I am thinking about grabbing my leftovers out of the fridge. It was that good. 

Just checked the forecast and from the map, we'll be lucky to get a flake. So I guess we shall see...

Off to write now...

Behave!

  

Post Retreat

 Not much to report on the last morning of retreat. I slept in. Write a few hundred words. Packed up. And headed for home. 

K4 hurt her foot pretty badly and couldn't push in her clutch. She was at a friends, so we ended up going to pick her up. Mr. B's birthday present (that I ordered the day after Christmas) finally arrived, so we headed over to give it to him. He was excited and loved it. Little Mr. B was hysterical and is so attached to his pappy. 

Other than that, we're back to quiet around here. It sleeted over night, but not bad enough to make the roads bad. K4 has had to drive my car all week because of her foot, but since it's feeling better, she'll go back to driving her own. 

And that is all...

Behave!

Retreat: Day Three - Last Night

It's late and I should go to bed...

But I just finished a terrific word count and need to decompress a bit.

I am the only one up, but not for long. I have to say that this house makes a lot of weird noises when you're the only one in the space. Ha! 

Anyway...

I started the story after lunch. And it's going remarkably well. Things kind of just clicked into place and instead of doing extensive pre-writing like I normally do, I hit the bricks and started in chapter one 

I am on chapter three now. I'm excited and pleased. 

This retreat has been amazing in so many ways. To get to hang with my closest writing friends for days after not seeing them forever has been absolutely epic To be able to do my own thing and not have any kind of a schedule to adhere to has also been epic. To have my own bathroom and to take care of my own needs is awesome. 

To say I have loved this time is an understatement. To say I have needed this is also an understatement. This house was amazing and suited our needs pretty perfectly. Though it's doubtful we can afford it again. 

We have a few hours tomorrow morning and then it's over, but I highly doubt the energy gained here will wane for a while. We all made amazing progress on our goals. 

And now I'm going to bed...

Behave! 

Retreat: Day Three - Morning

Ha! Pretty much the same time as yesterday morning!

It's really cold and really windy here. The wind howling through the trees is epic, but kind of comforting at the same time. I wish this fireplace to my left was a working thing. It's ginormous--two-sided with a hearth on each side and an exposed chimney. It totally fits in with the aesthetic of the room. 

Currently, I'm on a loveseat with a dining room chair serving as my footrest. One of my companions has both arm chairs. They're situated so one is her foot rest. And the other two companions are camped out on the sofa. It's working for us and despite the fact that everyone said they were willing to move if someone wanted to try out a different spot, we've all stayed the same place the whole time so far. 

I slept better last night. Woke around four freezing to death. Grabbed another blanket. Then I woke around eight sweating like crazy. The temperature in my room had risen fifteen degrees. Yuck. Got up and showered, made breakfast, goofed off for a while and have spent some time going through old book files looking for an idea file I made a long time ago.

So what happened is that as I started editing the book that killed me to finish, I realized that even if it's published this time next year, it's still too soon. The similarities between the pandemic we're in and what's going on in the book are remarkable. (Yeah, it's way over the top compared to our pandemic, but still...)And I started that book over a year before the pandemic started. As I was editing, I was cringing. So... I stuck it in my "to edit" file and am now doing some research on one of the other books in the series. I've had to familiarize myself with what I said about this place in the first book.

I'm getting ready to start writing - hopefully no later than after lunch. I still need to figure out my characters and all of that jazz. 

That's all for now!

Behave!

Retreat: Day Two - Evening

This day flew by! 

I got my read-through done before noon. Whoot!

We began brainstorming another book I've been working on and was stuck with where to go next. The realization that the book is pretty much done where I am hit me hard and it's right. So whoot on that! I, obviously, need to do some editing, but everything I wanted to say in this book has been said! 

So, then I opened Sector Two to edit and immediately closed it. The gist of the story is that it's a post-pandemic world. I didn't think I could edit it because a lot of the scenarios are super close to what we've all been dealing with the last almost year. 

I took a break and decided to put my big girl panties on and actually edit the damned thing. I'm ten pages in and while I'm cringing at a lot of the similarities, I'm also working hard to enhance it as someone who's also been in the middle of a pandemic (just definitely not in the same way as the heroine, but I can still give her more emotions).

The day hasn't been super productive as far as output. For any of us. But it's been productive in the sense that we have hashed out a lot of personal concerns, we figured out my story was done, we booked our next retreat gig, we brainstormed stuff, we ate dinner together even though we all made our own food, and we have talked until we are all hoarse. We watched turkey vultures congregate and fly around our house. I did not nap. Nor did I shower. 

But.... as always, sometimes retreat is like that. Always retreat is just what you need. Which has, so far, happened for me. I have peace on my guardian story. I am editing the story that killed me to finish. I finished my read-through. I am with friends. I have no obligations except for what I want and need to do. Which is focus on my writing goals, even if I get no words on the page.

Retreat was already a success yesterday, but it's even more so after today! And we have one more full day here! 

Behave!  

Retreat: Day Two - Morning

Good Morning!

I know it's mid-morning, but it's still before noon! Here I am at the beginning of retreat day two! Whoo! It's still hard to believe I'm here and have all day today, all day tomorrow, and a half day Sunday!

We stayed up pretty late last night. Talking. Of course. When I finally did get to bed, I had a little trouble falling asleep. Of course. That's always typical my first night someplace different. The night light in the room was so bright I had to unplug it, and it was so very quiet I had to put white noise on. But the bed is comfy and once I settled in, I slept good and I slept in this morning. 

Even though I'm off from the day job, I have to cover the phone messages. They come into my work email, so I need to check them regularly. It's not a big deal and I don't mind. It's far more of a pain to switch the lines than for me to still do it. I just need to remember to actually do it. Ha!

I'm halfway through my final read through. I ate the most smashed muffin and despite its smashi-ness, it was good. I'm the only coffee drinker here and I've consumed pretty much an entire pot by myself. Ha! 

I will probably nap at some point, too. Which is awesome! 

That's all for now. My break is over. I want to get this read through done before noon and then move on to a different project. 

Behave! 

Retreat: Day One

Day One of my first retreat in five years!! Whoot!

We've been planning this sucker for about four months and have had to change dates a few times. I'm with my closest writing friends and we haven't seen each other in probably at least a year. We've all been super cautious and none of us are worried about making each other sick. We are just happy to be together. 

We're in the wilds in a "cabin" with about 18 rooms (yeah, for four of us, but to be fair there were supposed to be two more of us). (and we're still in our state, so no worries about travel restrictions) This house is super cool. We each have our own room and bathroom, though mines not connected to my bedroom (I think only one is), but it doesn't matter. It's so quiet here, outside and inside. 

We arrived around 4, finagled the parking situation, hauled our stuff up two flights of stairs, got settled into our bedrooms, put our stuff away in the kitchen, and talked and talked. We made nachos for dinner and we're now sitting in one of the living rooms talking and talking and trying to do our thing. Only the main thing that's happening is talking. And talking. Like I said, we haven't seen each other in at least a year and it's been even longer than it's been just the four of us. 

Tomorrow is Friday. My muffins are smashed. Like really smashed, so we'll see if I can even eat them. That's the thing its taking me the most to get used to. We did a shared meal tonight, but we are completely on our own for every other meal. It's taken some creative thinking on my part to deal with this, but I think I'm good now. I have my smashed muffins, a bagel, some energy bars, stuffed shells, and soup. I didn't really plan lunches because I usually either eat breakfast or lunch, but rarely both. I have a bunch of snacks, so I think I'm fine. But then, when I saw everyone else unload their stuff, I wondered if I was going to end up hungry. HA! I'm fine though, and there's a store not too far away if I run out of food. 

Tomorrow I will get to work. I have my final proof of my re-release to read through. I have a book to finish, and two to edit. I need to brainstorm the book to finish. So we'll see what happens. 

That's all for day one. I am so happy to be here! 

Behave! 

The Chair...

We've been talking about getting new furniture for a while now. 

We can't decide what exactly we want and we know we don't want to spend a fortune. We have cats with claws and a dog and a lot of pet hair. 

The last thing we want to do is pay a lot of money for furniture that they destroy. 

Plus, if I'm getting new furniture, then I'm getting new end tables, lamps, coffee table, shutters, and we're painting the living room. So it's kind of an ordeal. Ha!

Anyway. We needed something in the living room. We moved the sleeper sofa couch into my office before Christmas and we moved the "too big for the space" couch back to it's wall after the tree came down. And we were left with a blank space and a man who can't stand our current couch. He's been mourning the chair we had no choice but to get rid of for a long time. (He's still mad that it got put out for the trash despite the fact that there was literally nothing left of it.)

So we did a bunch of research and still couldn't decide on anything. Today we hit a local thrift shop that donates their proceeds to cancer patients and we found a leather recliner. It had a stain, which turned me off, but the price was really good. I was sure the stain was there because someone died in the chair. (They assured me that wasn't the case)

We decided to check other options and think about it. We hit a few stores and there was nothing we liked or felt it was worth spending the money on. That Man kept thinking about the chair. 

So...we ended up with the chair. The stain is not that bad. It doesn't smell at all. And it's super, super comfy. 

That Man is very happy. 

It's not new furniture, but more of a test to see if the cats will try to claw it since it's leather. So far, they have just sniffed it. But time will tell. In any event, it was worth it. 

New furniture is still on the horizon. I'm just not sure when at this point. 

That is all...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Here we are at Friday again!

Let's get to the list:

1. Friday! It's been a long, long week. 

2. Sleeping in tomorrow. I hope to, anyway. Sometimes it doesn't work even though I want it to. 

3. Our Hello Fresh meals this week were really good. We've had a lot of variety and some stuff we never thought of making before. We really enjoy getting Hello Fresh. We work well in the kitchen together and we have a good time making dinner together. I mean we usually do anyway, but with the list and directions and all of the ingredients right there, it's different. 

4. This time next week, I'll be on retreat! So excited!

5. Light weekend plans. We need to hit the big box store because I think we're out of just about everything. I'm not even lying. 

6. We need to clean the Jeep out this weekend because she's going to get the last of her frame rust taken care of very soon. Hopefully it's the last of it, but I supposed our welding guy will tell us if it's not. Then we need to replace the brake lines and adjust some stuff. I need to order new fenders soon, too. 

7. Finishing the Christmas story!! Woo Hoo!! Finishing feels good! I will take the weekend off - maybe - and figure out what I'm doing next... 

8. I cleaned up all of the plants in my office and the bathroom this week. The asparagus fern was ridiculous. So were the spider plants. They all look really good now though and the spider babies have a new home. What a crazy amount of plant debris though! 

9. We're in the long, dark sleep of winter, so there's not much going on... We need snow.

That is all. 

Behave!

January 12

2021 isn't starting out well as I'm sure you're aware. There is just too much... It might be time to ask for a refund...

We did get the tree down last weekend. First we worked in the basement storage space, getting that 3/4 cleaned out and organized before putting the decorations away. Got rid of a bunch of stuff, made a mess. Got Santa and his sleigh put away, but we left the snowmen on the front porch, because... Snowmen...

We'll be back at the basement cleaning this weekend. One more section of shelves, and then we hit the main basement space before getting to the nooks and crannies. We'll need to get the boys over here for some heavy lifting soon, but for now we can work around.

Talked to Mr. B on his 8th birthday! He's such a funny kid! They didn't do anything this year because of non-sleeping toddlers. We're still waiting for Mr. B's present to arrive, so once it does, we'll take it to him. I ordered that thing the day after Christmas... 

Got a call from my gaggle of grandkids earlier. They are so funny and cute. K2's boy thought we were coming over to their house today and then insisted K2 call me. We talked for a long time. The kids were tacos, unicorns, and other weird messenger face thingies, and told me all kinds of things. They asked for their pappy constantly, but he was still at work. That was such a great call! Totally made my day! 

This book is still not ending and I've taken to being super brief... "the rest of the day went great" kind of thing with no action. I have to resolve about four threads and then it should be done? I want it done by this time next week, if not before. Hopefully before. Then I have to decide if I'm going to go back to the project I was working on before this book came to be, or start edits for the next book in my series... Or start something else new. 

We had a little scare about retreat, but all is well now. A little over a week! I cannot wait! I need to figure out my food for the weekend. We have a collective meal on Thursday, but are responsible for our own meals the rest of the time, which is kind of daunting and freeing at the same time. It's been forever since I've only had to fend for myself (last time would have been when all of my family was away at some form of summer camp years and years ago - like eight years?) I will probably end up with chips and dip or cheese and crackers all weekend! Ha! Other than that, it will be friends, writing, and no responsibilities other than writing. Whoot! 

That's it for now. We need snow and we need a lot of it. I know that's an unpopular opinion, but...

Behave! 

 

Feel Good Friday

First Feel Good of the Year...

1. It's Friday!

2. I had to work a full day at the office today. Inventory day. I have not combed my hair or put jeans on at 6am in almost 10 months. That felt odd. It was a weird day and I am exhausted! First, I stood on a concrete floor with a clipboard for many hours. Then I sat in the office chair (that I hate, but my office chair is here at home) entering numbers for the rest of the day. But it really was a pretty good day. I got to see and talk to coworkers I haven't seen for ages while I did my job. (well, some of my job) I think the whole day was good for the office staff. 

3. Sleeping in tomorrow. Oh, and I mean to. 

4. De-Christmas-ing the house tomorrow. Hopefully.

5. Writing time this weekend. 

6. Writing retreat coming up in less than two weeks! Whoot! It's been over five years since I've been on a writing retreat and I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to this! 

That's all I have. It's been a long, wicked week!

Behave!

Dear...

Dear Winter - 

We're in the long, dark cold now. Nothing coming up to look forward to, made even worse by Covid. (except my retreat, but I'm not getting too excited yet) The sun hasn't been around for days. Today it was dark all day, just varying degrees of darkness. I don't know whether to wish you away, or just wait and let you fly by on your own. 

Dear Rude Woman - 

Okay, she's a distant neighbor. She was kind of friends with my mother-in-law when she lived behind us. (kind of) That Man helped her out with some stuff a few times, at his mom's request, but the tendency for advantage to be taken is there, so we keep our distance. The last time we saw her was when she marched right under the bucket of the tree trimming truck, while the chainsaw was running, and demanded to know what we were doing. (umm... hello?) She does not speak to me. Ever. Even if I'm with That Man when she sees him. She does not even acknowledge my existence. Which is absolutely fine with me. I'd rather not.

Anyway. When That Man got home today, she was putting her trash out. She asked him how his mom was doing. He was floored. (His sister went and told her specifically that their mom had passed). He told her she passed a few years ago and she acted like she didn't believe him. No, seriously. Like he was lying to her or something. That Man walked away without another word, but I am dumbfounded. 

Dear Current Work in Progress - 

Why won't you end? Every day I put words in you and every day there are more words that need to go in. I am so close to finishing. And I'm writing decent word counts every day. I would think you would be done by now?

Dear Animals - 

Can you calm the shedding down a little? Please and thanks!

Dear Christmas Decorations - 

Can you maybe put yourselves away this year? I don't feel like messing with you right now. Because to put you away, I need to organize my storage room. And that's not going to be fun. It's not going to be hard, but there's a lot of stuff I want gone, so... Plus, I feel like your holiday came and went in a puff of smoke and I want to keep you around a little bit longer. 

Dear White Car - 

Stop parking in stupid places. Stop parking in front of my dedicated, stoned parking area. Stop parking in the middle of the road. Stop parking in front of the neighbors garage. Just stop. 

I've already called the police on you once when you blocked my off street parking for hours on end. I will call every single time you park on my property and inconvenience my life. I mean, who does that? It's very clearly someone's private parking area. It's very clearly not your garage. 

You are infuriating and I don't like you.

Dear Social Media - 

It's in my best mental interest to stay away from you. I thought you would get better during the holidays. You didn't. In fact, in a way, you've gotten worse. I want cute puppies and kittens back. And kids doing funny things. And funny memes about the pandemic. Heck, food pictures are okay, too. I am sick to death of politics and fighting and people being rude to each other. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Your comment is not going to change their mind at all. Surely you know that already? Because does your opinion suddenly change when someone comments on your comment? No. So maybe just stop fanning the flames, okay? 

Please. Be kind. Just that. Be kind. 

That is all for now!

Behave!

2020 Review

 Let's review one of the fastest years on record!

January:

Feel Good Friday, Booksigning, the one time it snowed last winter, Mr B, birthday parties, hanging with the boys, Freddie goes to the vet, tree trimming rescheduling; lots of same old, same old. 

February: 

Cabin time, kids moving, eye doctor, tree trimming, greenhouse book signing (not happening this year - boo!), camper repairs, more kids moving, random stuff.

March:

Yard work, Birthday dinners, being excited about plans, first of the pandemic, the panic buying, us already planning on being home, and then forced to be home, K4's work closing, struggling to write, getting the camper back and camper work, working from home, stress cooking, Working From Home Survival Journal, working on a week-to-week basis and the stress of that.

April:

Still working from home, new office babies, working in pajamas, taxes, pandemic insanity, Easter cancelled, our beach trip cancelled, our May trip cancelled, my winery signing cancelled, struggling to write, lots of rain, confirmation that we were no longer on a week-to-week work thing, struggling with not seeing my family, ordering stuff for delivery.

May:

Porch work starting, missing Momma, quitting the writing groups, murder hornets, talking to siblings, same old same old.

June: 

Office moving, That Man going back to the office while I stayed home to work, porch work continues, Zooming with our oldest friends, car issues, camper work, girls weekend, Social media drama.

July: 

Heat, K4's new car, camping, porch work, venting, selling cars, updating the Internet, still working from home, still Covid.

August: 

Re-contracting previously publishing books, finishing the porch, K5, zucchini bread, pineapple upside down cake, working in the yard

September: 

Fence replacement, cooler temps, Zooming with friends, K4's room work, only posted three times. 

October: 

Mr. B time, working on the room, brake issues, That Man's car issues, Trick or Treat, prepping for winter, still working from home. 

November: 

More home improvement work, seeing K3, cabin time, totally different, but awesome Thanksgiving, beginning the Christmas prep.

December: 

Edits, random weirdness, seeing my siblings, snow, Hello Fresh and Blue Apron, prepping for Christmas, working from home, Christmas, birthday.

What a weird year. And there's a lot that happen that I didn't post about. It went so fast for me and I've heard other people say the same. 

I hope 2021 is better for all of us!

Behave! 

Two More Days...

Left in this sh*tty year. 

I think I already said that I don't believe anything magical is going to happen at the start of 2021. We are still going to be dealing with this crap. Who knows for how long? 

I'll get to the year in review probably next week...

We had an awesome Christmas! Believe it or not, we were up before 6am Christmas morning. So was K4. In fact, we only got up because we heard her get up. We gathered, did coffee, presents, breakfast, Mimosas. Then birthday... 

I think she was happy with everything. We had stuffed shells for dinner. An ice cream cake, and adult beverages. We watched super stupid movies, laughed, and talked. 

I've been off work since last Wednesday. I go back tomorrow. For a day and a half. I had to use some vacation time or lose it (and That Man and I still have some we didn't use, but we haven't lost anything by not using it). Yesterday That Man was off with me. Today, it was just me. (Well, Kas is off until Sunday, but she is doing her own thing.) I slept in. Goofed off. Went to the grocery store and then goofed off some more. 

Made our last Hello Fresh box from last week. It was really good and it was the one I had kind of dreaded. (We get our new box tomorrow and we'll definitely not try to keep the stuff for too many days again. All of the produce was at the end of its life. Not Hello Fresh's fault, but ours for not cancelling the box for the week like we should have)

I have my second round edits to get done. And I'd like to write a few more thousand words before the end of the year. I don't know if the few more thousand will happen, but the edits will. I have no idea of my writing goals for next year, but I'll think of something.

Other than that... we're marching into the boring time of year... Cold, dreary, and not much going on. My Jeep is going to get some frame work done at the end January. I do have a retreat coming up at the end of January which I am very much looking forward to. Other than that... 

That's all I have...

Behave!