Feel Good Friday

Here's the list:
1. Friday! Yay! Though, I do have to work the day job tomorrow. In the store. It's okay. I do like working in the store, but Saturday's are exhausting!
2. A little stop off at the adult beverage store tonight. Long week. Much needed. (and in small amounts... see number 1)
3. Despite a crappy week, still hanging in for the 50/50!
4. Less than 3 weeks until retreat! I will have my own room for the first time in years! (Not that I wanted to, but was forced to because our numbers are so low and we have a room minimum) But after shelling out the cash and coming to terms with it, I'm actually excited to have my own bathroom and bedroom.
5. Pizza for dinner. Good pizza, too!
6. My crazy kids....
7. That Man's Mom doing awesome!
8. Roof work coming soon! About time!
9. That Man and I are about the watch The Battle of the Five Armies...
10. 'nuff said...

Good night...

Tuesday Reality...

1. We had a really great time in Delaware. Our cousins are awesome and so is our Aunt. Talk about family - they are just like us. I'm sad that we've missed out on so much time, but happy that we have a plan and have had the realization that we're all on the same page with our moms! The farm is beautiful and amazing and I'm so glad that it's my family.
There was no wifi there... I managed. I think it was actually good to be disconnected.... I think...
2. I did miss days in the 50/50 challenge, but not enough to kick me out! One was my cousin's fault for showing up way too early in the morning. The other was mine for being too tired to function...
3. The XBox fix didn't work. We need a new one and that's out of the budget. The kids are dealing okay. (!&#2^) Yeah... like that...
4. I realized halfway home from Delaware that my drivers license had expired the day after my birthday. I had meant to take care of that... No more speeding for me... Yikes... All taken care of now, but OY! And my new picture SUCKS really hard!!
5. We didn't stop to see the beach because my granddaughter(s) and grandson were waiting for me at home! It was so fantastic to see K5, Baby B, and C! I'm so happy K5 is able to be a part of the family again. AND baby C was here when I got home! I didn't expect C to be here! I was so happy to see her! We got the first picture of all of our grandkids!
6. We're in the middle of a new week now... I'm writing. Preparing for retreat in 3 weeks - that's crazy. So looking forward to it!
7. Summer is coming. We have plans!
8. We're all set for graduation!! Yay! Can't wait to see K3 graduate!!
9. Dead chickens on the farm...long story...
10. That Man's mom is doing well and moved to a really great rehab facility that we're all happy with. She's doing great and we're all hopeful...
That is all for now...
Behave!

10 Days Later...

1. I've had my birthday. It was good.
2. We survived my parents 54th anniversary without Dad. We wet out to dinner and it was really nice.
3. There was a little yardwork done at our abode and some work done at Mom's, though That Man and I weren't able to help.
4. We purchased our first brand new television in 25 years. And paid cash for it because That Man is a saving machine. It's not huge, but it's really nice to be able to see what's on the screen.
5. I had my one year work review and it was really good. And I got a raise!
6. With #5 came some new responsibilities, which I'm digging.
7. We got to hang out with Baby B's other grandma, which was fun, but too short. And Baby B is so stinking cute and awesome!
8. Birthday videos from Baby C. She is so adorable!
9. We're still dealing with That Man's Mom in the hospital and no idea what's going on.
10. The kids attempt to fix the XBox failed and we had to order new parts. Suck.
11. I'm heading out with Mom to Delaware very early in the morning to take care of a bunch of stuff. No work for me tomorrow. YAY! But... I have to get up at 4am. I should be in bed already, but have to wait for laundry to finish first. Talk about running around like a crazy person. We had a nice dinner out, an emergency trip to the store after I couldn't find any underwear at my house. Nice. Came back to mom's and have been getting ready to go ever since.
12. Not missing a day in the 50/50 challenge so far! Go me!
13. Plans to stop and see the beach on our way home! YAY!
That's all. I don't know that I'll be able to post this weekend. Not sure of the Internet ability. I'll be writing though! (I plan to!)
Behave!

Monday Sucks!

There seriously should be a third weekend day! A day of rest! Like years and years ago where everything was closed on Sunday - no groceries, no retail stores... nothing! So your choices are... stay home and clean up / do stuff, or relax for a freaking change! Ha! That day should be in the middle of the weekend. Or the first day of the weekend, because I think if it came on the last day, well... We'd still be just as tired and potentially hung over! Because we'll try to cram every single thing into that last day!  Oh wait! And I need one solid day to just write! No obligations, no errands, noting else that needs my attention! Just writing! That makes four days for the weekend.
Yeah, I'm tired. This weekend was insanely busy. But good. We ended up kid-less at the last minute and for two nights. That hasn't happened in so long, I can't even remember the last time. The first night, the kids all left at bedtime. No fun there. On Saturday, we were both busy doing stuff that wasn't together most of the day. I had my writing meeting, which was awesomely good and much needed. But then That Man and I met up and did some running around, came home and cleaned the house before crashing at a weirdly early hour. Up way too early on Sunday, but ended up being a really really good day.
We got to see the family and Baby C. C's mommy and daddy are doing an amazing job with her! So proud of them! Baby B was so cute and awesome! He was so happy with the T-ball set we got him. He jumped up and down before launching himself into my arms. Too freaking cute. The food was amazing and plentiful. We talked, laughed, watched movies, drank a little Sangria, and got home a little later than we'd planned!
The kids are the lucky ones in this scenario... Their last day of school was Wednesday. They go back tomorrow. Very lucky. Though I know tomorrow will feel like this Monday for them. They had a blast hanging out with their cousin this weekend.
Days off... That's what I need... Not just a weekend, but days...
Behave!

April Fool

I got nothing... so no jokes here...
But how about an April 1st list?
1. We did have a failed April Fool joke at work. The entire office knew, but one person, and we were all SO excited. At zero hour, we were all hanging out near the intended recipient... and then BUSTED... It would have been awesome! Dang. (I promise it wasn't mean at all)
2. That Man's mom was moved to a rehab type facility. It's the best move and we're so happy even though she's still in a lot of pain. The staff is awesome and attentive and there's a calm, friendly vibe there. I'm sure they're going to take great care of her. Heck, they already were and she had just been transferred.
3. I love my day job friends. We all fit together so well. Today was "reveal" day - where the list of the previous months "error rate" is posted. (In my old job, the "problem log" was a horrible, horrible thing. This is not.) We're all working together to get the lowest rates possible, and it's awesome to see someone that had a rough couple of months finally make it into the "zone". There is no animosity or ugliness. Just support and congratulations. And then there are the random Facebook comments that never fail to crack me up!
4. We were told to get out of the house so K4 could take care of her April Fool joke as we were leaving to see That Man's mom... So far... nothing... She doesn't have access to my computer this year, and obviously, her joke wasn't to clean the house or do laundry or anything like that. HA! We'll see... Our bedroom light was on as we pulled in, but I haven't braved it yet...
5. I didn't play the joke I wanted to play today... We had a mice problem at work over Christmas. Turds everywhere, missing food. I wanted to get some chocolate jimmies and go to each desk and tell them the mice were back because look at the turds I found on my desk, then eat the jimmies, but I didn't. Because I'm lame...
6. I miss April Fool with a houseful of crazy kids. Last year was Nic Cage, There has been a lot of things that never made it on here and a lot of things that have, but weren't April Fool's related. I guess I just miss the chaos. And I miss being home and being in the thick of it.
7. 42 days until Retreat! It's a weird year this year with a lot of regular attendees with other writing-related commitments. It's a small group. We'll be cozy, but we'll have fun! I had to take a single room for the first time since we booked this facility. It sucked financially, and I'll miss my roomie, but I'm kind of excited about having my own room.
8. I miss blogging everyday! I know no one reads this anyway, but I love this blog. It's not a funny blog (or even slightly) anymore, but since I'm not home all day it's no wonder...
9. I'm taking a short writing break while I figure out titles and what I'm working on next. I hope to be back in the game by Saturday. That's my plan. We're concentrating on writing at the meeting Saturday...
10. This is ten. For no reason except I needed a ten... Ha!
That is all... We're gearing up for Easter, which will be awesome!
Behave!

I'm Always at a Week...

In between posts...
Let's see...
The rest of last week was normal - chaos. Working quite a bit of ot, editing, kid stuff...
The weekend - well... That Man's mom went into the hospital Friday. Severe bladder infection that affected her kidneys and blood. She's still there. Her pain level was through the roof all weekend. She couldn't move, eat, or most of the time even talk coherently and she couldn't stand to be touched. We were beyond worried. That Man's sister was out of town, so it was just us to handle it all.
She was finally able to sit up today, which is a relief, but she has a long road of strengthening ahead of her. This infection has really kicked the crap out of her. And still is - she has several more days in the hospital with antibiotics and physical therapy before they move her to rehab. But her being able to sit up is like prize winning!
I will tell you that going to that hospital to see her is really really hard. It brings back a lot of memories I don't want to relive. I'm doing what I have to do, and coping the best I can. Because what else am I going to do?
What else...
Elsa has gone into her "doggy cycle". No, she's not fixed yet. She was supposed to be by now, but when the kitty boys started peeing on everything, they had to go first. (Thankfully, fixing them stopped all of that - as we'd hoped) But this dog... OY... all she does is drip.. Yeah, you didn't need to know that. But it's gross and she's confused as to why she can't be on the couch or sleep in K4's bed right now. Poor thing. I feel bad for her and I do not want to go through this again. Yikes.
This weekend is Easter. We have predictably fun plans with family. It's also my writing meeting on Saturday, which is always good.
I'm afraid to guess what else will go on this weekend.
The other thing...The book I've been working on has to be trashed. It has to be completely rewritten, which breaks my heart and soul, but I can't send crap out there. I know it's the right thing to do, but it kills me. So I'm in the middle of a creative thinking process - thinking up new titles for my summer release and waiting for edits on that, and getting my head on straight, thinking...
Today was my one year anniversary at the day job. We had snacks. I won't get my review until next week, because the bigwigs are out this week. I still love my job a lot. It breaks me most days, but I think most people face that.
And I'm still trying to make it all work - fit everything in - feel like I'm being a good mom, good wife, parenting enough, grandparenting enough, writing enough, being a good daughter and sibling, cleaning enough, sleeping enough, eating right and exercising enough, I don't think I'm alone, but it's still daunting...
Cloning machine? I could use one!
Ha!
Behave!

Yikes! A Week!

Things are crazy here!
What did you miss this past week?
Visiting the new grand! Hanging with Baby B!
Insane work schedules! I can't even tell you how insane! Working OT and trying to make it all fit!
Getting scratched in the face by one of the kitty boys. Jerk.
Writing - trying...I'm editing/rewriting. Brutal because there's not a lot of time, but really good when I do get a few!
Crazy kids with their schedules and needs! It never ends. I have half at home and it's still as busy! Or more? And one of them can drive! How nuts is that?
A night out with That Man, K1, J, my sister and bro-in-law, my bro, and some friends. We got to hear our friend play, met some new friends, celebrated J's birthday, and had a blast!
Spaghetti dinner for Boy Scouts. We're no longer as involved as we once were. K3 has aged out, but we will always help with the dinner. It was crazy! We were so insanely busy! That Man and my bro went in around 4am to cook sauce. We didn't get home until almost 10. Like I said, crazy!
Tip O' the iceberg! There is a lot of stuff I can't even begin to list! But what are you going to do? It's life and most of it is fantastic!
Behave!

Throwback St. Patty's Day....

This was our Kitty Boy in 2008...We still miss him a lot. He was a really good cat! Even though he hated St. Patty's Day!
I can't explain the current cats... Ones a jerk, and one isn't. And then they switch...Vidar wants to ride on everyone's shoulder. Charles just hates everyone. So does Spenser..... But yet... they let us feed them and take care of the litter boxes..And sometimes we get to pet and love them. What kind of crazy is that... I'll tell you... It's mind control! LOL
Well... Happy St. Patty's Day to you!
Behave!

So...

I have a new granddaughter...
I'm not really allowed to tell you that yet, but since no one my daughter and son-in-law know read my blog, I figure I'm good. Besides... when do I ever follow the rules?
She will be called Baby C and she's beautiful and perfect!
I am so proud of these kids! They made an amazing human and are amazing parents! They are so relaxed - way more than I was with my first. But I see shades of That Man and I in how things are getting done.
It's awesome!
Pictures won't be posted, but stories will be. I'm so looking forward to getting to know my new baby girl! She is so precious and beautiful!
That is all!
Behave!

An Embarrassing Story!

Okay! So today was my writing meeting! It was a great meeting! I love hanging out with my writing peeps! 67 days until our retreat!
After the meeting, when it was time to decide where to go for lunch, I suggested a steakhouse... Because I had a gift certificate. Everyone agreed, because it's a great place to eat. We get there, order, and I went big because I wanted to use my entire gift certificate...
(I earned the certificate for having a low error rating at the day job!)
I got cheddar stuffed mushrooms, crab & shrimp soup, and a half of a steak sandwich. It was so, so good!
I asked the waitress if I could cover the tip with my gift card and she said yes! I was so happy! I added an extra buck or two because we had really great service and I left to go home!
I had popped my jaw out of socket during lunch, so I was hurting pretty bad - head and jaw... I came home and laid down to try to get it to go away. When I woke up, I saw I had a voicemail message from a friend... It said "Your gift certificate was for a different steakhouse. I covered your bill..."
ACK!!
How embarrassing! I never even realized! I feel like a moron!
It all worked out okay, but still...
And... by the way... my jaw is still out!
Sometimes, I think, I shouldn't be allowed out of the house...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

OMG! What a long week! The kids didn't have a full day at all this week. Delay, home early, delay, off, delay... I even had two days of going home early. That Man plowed. It's cold... Yeah...
So... On to the good stuff this week...
1. Friday. Thank Goodness.
2. Writing - Making good progress on my edits.
3. That Man doing the shopping and cooking dinner. Burgers. Yay!
4. Baby time coming soon! We're (im)patiently waiting for baby girl to get here.
5. The weather! Yeah, it sucked to lose time from work, but I love the snow! I also love driving my 'burban in the snow!
6. Writing group meeting tomorrow! Yay!
7. Free movie rentals. We're watching Big Hero 6 for the third time. What a great movie! (Yes, my kids are teenagers and this is an animated movie, but it's so good.)
8. Baby B time! He's so stinking cute!
9. Having an adult beverage after a long week. Just one. Just in case my new baby girl decides to begin her journey.
10. Sleeping in my nice clean bed... I can sleep in just a little tomorrow. I can't wait!
That's all. I have editing to do!!
Behave!

New Kitchen, Snow, Chaos...

 So this is what my mom's new kitchen looks like! Gorgeous! There are still a few things to be done - outlet covers, the appliance garage, shelves in the lower cabinets, an in-cabinet trash & recycle center, new bar stools. We spent the day cleaning the dry wall dust out of the new fridge (long story), cleaning the cupboards out and wiping them down, putting away things in the upper cabinets, cleaning the dust out of the pantry. We got a lot done, but there's still a lot to do. Everything has to be washed due to the dust and we can't find a lot of things. Okay. That's not true. We know where they are, but we can't get to them because there is construction stuff piled in front and on top of it. But we'll get there... And now I have serious kitchen envy! Ha!
***
It snowed and did some freezing rain. School is already delayed for tomorrow. That Man is plowing. Homework is done. Laundry is almost done. The house has been picked up, vacuumed, and dishes are done. K3 is watching videos on the computer and K4 is researching water polo teams because she thinks she might want to play. Elsa is sleeping on the couch and the kitties are running rampant. It's crazy time for them.
I wrote this morning and am heading back to do more now. I don't know how long That Man will be out, but I highly doubt I'll be able to stay up and wait for him.
That is all!
Behave!

Saturday...

I'm hanging at Mom's...
We cooked in the new (almost completely done) kitchen tonight! It was sweet! We all did our thing without bumping into each other! Awesome! Finding utensils and stuff was weird - tomorrow is our day of putting things away - so no one knew where bowls, spatulas or anything like that was. We unloaded the kitchen over a few weekends, so we kind of forgot where we put stuff... Ha!
I keep looking at this new kitchen in amazement. It's beautiful!
***
Today was the day I picked for my new sweet granddaughter to arrive. Obviously that didn't happen... Any day now though! I can't wait to hold her!!
***
I am writing! In the middle of a rewrite, and it's going well. I just need more time! I need people to remember what it means when "Mom is working". Ack!
***
It's supposed to snow again tomorrow! It's the first of March! Spring is coming! Soon... right? Though I would really love a lot more snow! A lot more!!
***
We're watching a Jaws marathon here... Oh, Lord... Help me!!
Behave!!!

Aw Heck! It's Wednesday!

What a dumb week!
Crazy busy!
Unable to keep up!
Writing/revising as much as humanly possible. Before work. After work. I made really decent progress tonight despite a trip to the warehouse store, the gas station, and the grocery store!
New grandbaby coming soon! So freaking excited! Can't wait to hold my new little girl! (I keep saying that... but it's true!)
Mom's kitchen is almost done! I will try to post a picture! She is so excited as are the rest of us. Did I forget to tell you about Mom's new kitchen? There was wall ripping out and everything! It's going to be awesome!
That is all...
Behave!

Bloody Hell! It's Cold!!

It's currently 8* here, with a windchill of -12*
When I wake up, it's supposed to be -2*, with a windchill of -15 to -25*.
It's 34* in Anchorage, Alaska right now.
It's 41* in Juneau, Alaska
Heck, it's even warmer at the North Pole! It's 20*!
The highest temperature in the entire US today was 82*, and that was in the desert.
I'd give you more temps (I know you want them), but the site won't load. Ha!
The kids already have a 2 hour delay. We'll see if they actually have school tomorrow. I really, really hope they don't! I really, really wish I didn't have to go out either, but that's not going to happen.
We're supposed to get snow over the weekend, then the temps shoot to 40* on Sunday.
What the heck?
I can't get warm. The dog keeps wanting to go outside and play with sticks. There is a breeze over my legs and hands.
I'm going to my nice warm bed now...
Behave!

2014 Year in Review...Late

It's only 2 months late... Sorry about that...

I know I usually post this before the new year starts...I'm dealing with a lot of things right now, so that's why it's late...Please forgive me...
January:
Our Elsa! She's a year old now! She's still super cute and super smart. We love her!
Back then:

Now:

Actually that was September, and she's so tired, she can't even wake up enough to eat a pizza bone.. (that's what's beside her...) She's not as big as we expected, YET, (she'll grow until she's two) but she is super sweet and smart and she's such a good dog! We love her!








Also in January:

Super cold and A LOT of snow. It was good I was still home all day! I miss that this year! lol

For the Love of Isaac came out! Still super excited about this book and my publisher!

I dealt with some bad customer service, which was infuriating,but eventually turned out well.

Baby B turned 1! I was still looking for a job. We had the plague here. Lots of weather delays.
And this:

February:
Trying to watch the Super Bowl...Snow. More snow. Birthday craziness. More ugly weather. Job interviews. More birthdays. Puppy training. Awesome Author Event and Birthday Tea Party!
Sheltered was released! Yay!

March:
Theater stuff with kids. Helping with the musical. More craziness. Fun times. The decline of the rat. Writing process blog tour. Spaghetti dinner. Cousins. Clothes shopping. Stupid fraudulent job. Edits. Auditions. Getting a night out with That Man. My new Kindle! Vet appointments. A NEW good job! Death - the rat. Very Sad. Edits.

April:
Nick Cage jokes. Loving the new job. That Man becoming everyone's favorite person at my new job by bringing cake and coffee for everyone. Fixed dryer. Grandkids. Easter. Anniversary Party. Retreat on the horizon. Taxes. Sickness. New shoes. Writing. Puppy stuff. Report cards. Pie sale. Easter. Adjusting. Edits. Meadow clean up with the grandkids. Ice Cream. Cursed Fate released!!

May:
Retreat. 50/50 challenge. NYC with my girl! Awesome Broadway show! Ice Cream with the kids. Mother's Day. Retreat Shopping. My brother graduating - kind of... The beginning of the decline of my dad...Though we didn't know it yet... Retreat!! Cursed Fate released! Yay! My Dad failing... falling and needing someone with him..

June:
Surprise Birthday parties. Graduation Party for my bro. My Dad being in too much pain for his procedure. Dad going into the hospital. New kitty boys. Finding out K2 and J are preggers! YAY! No answers for Dad. And then the bad answer... Cancer. Not dealing well with things - trying to make it all fit and be there for everyone. Trying to figure it out...Orthodontist consult for K4. Street Fair. Out of town company. Too much. Bringing Dad home with Hospice.

July:
My Dad passed away. He went fast and in a lot of pain. It was horrible. It still is horrible. It was a rough month after a rough couple of months. (and followed by a whole bunch of rough months) I miss my daddy. A tree fell on our roof on the day of my dad's funeral. How shitty is that? That was awful and continues to be... No new roof yet, though the money is in the bank. It's too cold to put a new roof on now... Much needed Date night with That Man. Summer Survival. Reflections...

August:
Our chimney getting repaired. The end of summer school. Oy! Renn Faire. Our favorite! Blogging award thing... School shopping!  Baby B. K5 getting into arts school! New baby on the horizon! Getting my truck back. Camping. School starting! New routine. Looking forward to Fall!

September:
Getting my truck back, finally! And power steering lines going bad! Oy! That man's car still being stupid and broken! Ugh! We had K5 for her first camping trip with us in The Wilds! She was only supposed to stay one night, but ended up with us the entire weekend! We had an absolute blast!! Hot tub time. Booking our mini vacation at the beach! Writing time! Official baby announcement! Baby B overnight! Having the plague. Lunch with the Big Boss. Dad's birthday. Helping Mom clear out stuff. That Man taking care of stuff. Date Nights. Bridal Shower. OT at work.

October:
Cat time travelers. Crazy dog. Vegan kid. 4 star review. Fall. Awesome mini vacation at the beach! K3 turning 18!! Getting my writing groove back! Missing my Dad.

November:
Wedding! House guest, which was awesome! Family parties. Birthday parties. Hanging out at my sisters. Feeling the new grandbaby move! Cleveland with K3 and That Man. What a blast! New contract with Soul Mate! Thanksgiving awesomeness! Getting a better shift at the day job! Missing Dad, especially with the holiday! K2's birthday and nostalgia. Awesome Thanksgiving Eve hanging out with my sister and bro-in-law. Getting Mom's house ready for Christmas! 50/50 challenge. Baby B and his "pappy" yelling.

December:
Author page. Time going by too fast. Shopping. Getting trees up. Friends in accidents and being okay. Crazy Christmas Wishes! The van breaking down. The 'burban almost catching fire. Great Christmas spent at Mom's. Missing Dad a whole heck of a lot. Good Birthday for K5. Having to work the Friday after Christmas. Suck. New boots! Rest time...

And that was the extent of my 2014 posts...I posted 122 times in 2014, which isn't my lowest year. (2013 - 98) (Highest - 2010 with 380) I'm sucking pretty good this year so far... Maybe I'll get better??

Behave!!

Lame Tuesday...

I know I suck...
So Saturday was a lot of fun! The crowd was small - maybe because it was 400* below zero and there was snow in the forecast. Dinner after was a lot of fun, too. After that we did a quick shopping trip and ran home to hang out with K1 & J. We had a blast.
Sunday was cleaning and getting ready for our day with K5. Only... Due to the weather, they ended up cancelling. The family still came over to hang out though. We made stromboli's, watched SNL, and had a really great time. It was good for Mom to get out of her under construction house for a little while. It was also good to hang out with K2 & J for a while. Baby is coming soon! We're in the homestretch!! I can't wait to meet my new baby girl and find out her name!!!
Now we're into the new week... Doc appointment to find out what's going on with K3's hip, OT at work, writing, new title search (Illusions won't be Illusions soon), writing, concerts, house stuff, and a really really early morning tomorrow. I have to be at the day job before 7am. Which means I have to get up at an unholy hour. Not looking forward to that, but my clothes are laid out and I'm heading off to bed very soon.
I am still working on my year in review... I'm sorry it's so late. It's a hard one to get through...
Behave!

An Event!!

Well.. Now it's February...

And I still haven't done the year in review... (still working on it) Or post much of anything... I am trying... There is a lot going on at the moment...

But.. I am writing. As much as I can, as often as I can. Currently doing revisions. Have a really great new story idea that I can't wait to start because it's creepy and awesome and I love it! But I have a bunch of stuff to do before I can get to it...

My new granddaughter will be here soon... another month or so... So excited!! So looking forward to knowing her name! (they won't tell us yet! :/)

That's all...

Behave...

Still Working...

On the year in review... It's more than I thought and things are crazy here! Like totally crazy-on-a-stick crazy!
But it is coming!
Behave!