Confession...

I crashed a class reunion over the weekend.

In my defense, I went from kindergarten through grade 9 with half the graduates of McCutcheon High School, and wanted to see some people I hadn't seen in nearly thirty years. And surprise...apparently I've not changed a great deal!

Several people recognized me right from the moment we laid eyes on each other, while others have changed slightly, but thanks to me snooping through pictures the past several months on FaceBook, I was able to recognize them.

I missed catching up with a few I'd have liked to speak with, but there's always a chance they'll hear about my being there and we'll eventually reunite again. And I still have the dancing bug; it didn't get satisfied at my true reunion, nor was it fulfilled at this one. So right now, I dance in my kitchen whenever I can crank up the volume.

More stories tomorrow; I'm slightly sleep deprived from the weekend and my kids left me a pile of laundry. I'll probably take an afternoon nap between loads!

On a positive note, W had a great time with his grandparents, and helped Grandpa drive the church bus yesterday. He opened doors for everyone and was well behaved. The teens had a fantastic weekend with their dad; K's team actually scored a touchdown; Everyone had a nice relaxing time.

I'm off to catch up on my friends' lives, finish the laundry, and unload my memory card into the computer. Have a good day:)

Friday Mayhem

Curently Reading: Enjoyed both Heart and Soul and Beyond Meddling:) Next up: Ashley's Last Man on Earth and Barb's Hot Rush.


My parody earned me a Kreative Blogger award from Barb:) Seven random facts about me...hmmm...what don't you already know?

-My first written story was about a firefly who couldn't fly;

-In the 7th grade I simply recycled my 6th grade stories for English homework;

-In the 8th grade, I didn't understand what 'Is the Wabash rising yet' meant until much later in the year...and discovered my 'Go look for yourself' comeback meant one thing to me and something totally different to the boy who kept asking;

-My second year at Band Camp, one of the dinners served was fish. I can't stand to eat it, and was so hungry by 9pm, my mother (also our school nurse) allowed me to go into one of the boys' cabins and retrieve the peanut butter. Instead of leaving, I made my sandwich and hung out with the guys for about thirty minutes. Nothing funny happened; just me and two sophomores discussing how stupid my ex-boyfriend was behaving;

-One of the first songs I ever learned to play on the piano by ear was 'Amazing Grace'. I picked it out on the black keys. Later, I discovered I could also figure out 'It's A Small World' and 'Melody of Love';

-I didn't see The Rocky Horror Picture Show until I was 22 or 23;

-I have a family history of alcoholism, so when I drink, I do it in a responsible manner. I don't ever want to go down that path as one of my uncles on my mother's side and several aunts on my father's side travelled. Why put your family through that heartache?

Okay. On to today's agenda.

W and I are leaving for Grandma's house as soon as the teens get home from school. W is under the mistaken impression he's going back to the water park, while I'm looking for a relaxing weekend of catching up with old friends and hopefully doing a signing at Purdue. But before we leave, I have to:
-Pack
-Pay K's deposit on his senior pictures
-Pick up my promotional items
-Have a light meal ready for K so he's not starving before his football game tonight
-Do at least one load of laundry.

And yes, Grandpa's arriving tonight to watch the game. Here's hoping for better weather tonight!

Don't know if I'll post again until Monday; I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow before having lunch with a friend. Have a good weekend and enjoy yourselves:)

Tribute To Barb

I'm coming up blank today, so I thought I'd entertain you with a parody I came up with for Ms Huffert last year. There are people out there who are amused by the workings of my brain at times, and since Barb has a new book out yesterday (Questing) and I'm just now getting ready to read Beyond Meddling, enjoy and go over to both EC and TEB to pick up your copies of her fabulous books:)


(Tune: Hey There Delilah)
Hey there Miss Barbara, what's it like in Pennsylvania
Your new book's released today and your friends are all excited
Don't you know.....
I just wish I had the dough.....

Hey there Miss Barbara, Beyond Meddling sounds so steamy
You've only posted just one excerpt but you sent me three in private
Can't you see.....
The world will love Evan and Be...
It's not just me....

Ohhhhhh Evan and Be......
Ohhhhhh Evan and Be....
Will they marry....
We'll just wait and see.....

Right now he's shy but she'll get by and help him see that she loves he
And fans across the globe will make them go.....
Right to the top.....

Hey Total E Bound, bet you're proud of all your authors
And your readers, they all love the books they write along with others
Don't you know....
Keep up the good work we love you so....


And just thought this up...Barb, I hope you like it!

There once was an author from Reading
Whose latest release is called Questing
Caught in the wrong place
With a sexy young ace
Will J make her see he's not jesting?

Off to vacuum the living room. No tomatoes please...

Happy Wednesday!

Currently Reading: Finished No Holds Barred and today I should be diving into Ashley Ladd's Heart and Soul:)


Received a compliment last night! A new member joined our writer's group two weeks ago and wanted to read my work. So I handed over my copy of Love Finds A Way, the one W 'autographed' that I carry nearly everywhere.

Last night, he handed it back and said my dialogue was very natural-sounding; he was also reading a book by Jimmy Carter, and said the former president's dialogue sounded stiff in comparison.

"You've captured a natural flow of several people who don't always answer questions directly..."

Hahahaha...and I can cite a perfect example from Wild at Heart:
Scene set-up: Brad asked Emma to accompany him back to Denver in order to check out of his hotel and return to her uncle's cabin in Estes Park, Colorado. She never does answer him directly!

“So…you never answered my question earlier. Are you working today, or are you driving to Denver with us?”
“I should stop in at the store and see if Ethan’s there,” Emma replied. “I’m not worried about the ranch. Cody and Bob can handle everything at the stables. It’s not our busy time yet, and besides, if people really want a ride, they’ll come back. We don’t get many one-day tourists here.”
“Most come out and stay a week,” he nodded. “I can see why. I certainly could stay another week,” he sighed wistfully, reaching out to hold her hand and looking at her in such a way Gavin doubted the park was the cause.
“So Em,” Gavin cleared his throat. “Are you going with us or not?” He drained his coffee cup and set it in the dishwasher.
“Can you wait for me?” she requested. “I’ll have to grab a change of clothes and let Nora know I’ll be gone.”
Gavin looked at the clock. “We’re leaving at noon,” he stated. “Meet us back here by eleven-thirty.” He took the newspaper and sat down in his easy chair in the living room.

Instead of, “So…you never answered my question earlier. Are you working today, or are you driving to Denver with us?”

"Sure, I'd love to go with you." and eliminating several paragraphs. When was the last time YOU answered a question directly, instead of voicing the objections? I suppose I could have made it an internal dialogue, but I actually like the exchange. We'll see what an editor says if this ever makes it to the acceptance stage.

Switching Gears
Had to take K to the ER last night. He's been complaining off and on about muscle pain in his back, but a heat/ice combination plus Advil was helping it. But yesterday, during a tackling drill, his opponant landed on him and when K went to bed, he couldn't stand to lie down due to pain. So at 11:30 he finally woke me up; he'd taken four Advil an hour earlier and was still in pain. Fortunately, the ER was quiet, and we were in and out by midnight. He's got a strained muscle under his left shoulderblade, and now has a prescription painkiller, plus instructions for an ice massage and to follow up with his trainer. As I told him, 'At least if you get benched for medical reasons this week, it's the weekend I won't be here:)' And to show how incompetant the medical profession is down here, the pharmasist pointed out the fact the name on the 'script wasn't even K's! If he hadn't asked, 'Is G allergic to any medications...', I wouldn't have caught it. He called the hospital, who revealed yes, it was the right prescription, just the wrong name. And even on the discharge papers it says 'G.K'.

And S woke up yesterday with a pounding sinus headache and green stuff oozing from her nasal passages. Our doctor couldn't get her in, nor would he call in a prescription for her unseen. I called our family doctor up north, who realizes that yes, I'm capable of diagnosing a sinus infection, and 'just this once' called in the antibiotics. I love you Dr. S!!

God keep us safe until we can leave this town and get back to modern medicine...or at least top-notch doctors!

RIP Ted Kennedy.

Love vs Money

Currently Reading: I'm up to Ch 16 on No Holds Barred. I think I'm about halfway through it; this is a long one!


This week on The Grip, they are discussing why we writers write. Is it for money or is it for love? Some of us are lucky enough that we actually get paid for the words we write, and others are stuck in the 'I write because I love it' phrase.

Meaning, of course, 'I'm not getting paid yet, but that's okay; my time will come soon enough.'

I'm making a little money; it's not made me financially secure; I still depend heavily on the spouse's paycheck, and we drive older cars which frequently need serviced. And for the most part, living paycheck to paycheck. But hey, that's life. And with two teenagers and a little one, my contributions help out. I've paid for oil changes, extra food in the house, gas in the cars, and every once in a while I even get to put my tiny royalty checks toward promtional items or travel expenses.

But as to WHY I write? That's easy. I HAVE to, otherwise my brain will explode.

An idea will pop into my head, or suddenly I'll have two characters arguing, or one person telling me their story. Sometimes by the third time through their monologue/argument (and yes, they often keep repeating themselves!), I'll have finally gotten the hint to either grab a notebook or open a blank document.

Here's a taste of what went through my head last year (and yes, I happened to be cooking dinner!):

“This is only for one meal, Marc, so don’t get all bent out of shape.” Amber kept her concentration on the stove.

Roger and June gaped at her. Marc drew himself up to his full six foot, three inch height, reaching Amber in two quick strides.

“Can I speak to you in private?” His voice dropped an octave.

Amber defiantly raised her green eyes against his onyx ones. “Just a moment; let me take this off the heat.” She turned her attention back to the stove. “Wouldn’t want dinner to burn and irritate you even more,” she said coolly. The food tended to, she lifted her chin and looked at him. “Well?”

A muscle twitched beside his right eye. “I said in private.” He grasped her arm and steered her to the pantry.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking by myself,” she said forcefully, wrenching her arm away and preceding him into the shelf-lined room.

“What the hell are you trying to pull?” he hissed.

“What am I trying to pull? Nothing, Marc! All I’m doing is filling in so your little dinner party is a success.” Amber balled her fists at the insult.

“You’re not even in the right attire.” His dark eyes blazed in contempt as he took in her appearance. “And what kind of chef wears dangly earrings when she’s on the job?”

“Oh, you like them? It just so happens I was at a family function when Ruth frantically called me. Don’t worry; I won’t leave the kitchen or embarrass you in any way,” she said with a touch of sarcasm. “I came here to do a job; if you’ll pull that stick out of your ass and let me go back to work, your dinner will be coming off the stove in a few moments.”

His jaw flexed. “Stick up my—Damn it Amber!”

“And I suppose you never broke any rules? Oh wait—I seem to recall a moment when you were caught with your pants around your ankles in the locker room.” Amber gritted her teeth and crossed her arms.

Marc’s face darkened. “That was a long time ago. I’m not that person anymore.”

“Too bad. We might have actually been good for each other.” She followed the lines of his gray suit with her eyes. “But no, you just had to become another corporate clone.”

That eventually turned into All She Ever Wanted, by Kenzie Michaels. (Available at http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=208 ...yeah, a little shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone!) And to be fair, the descriptive parts didn't get put in until after I'd written the arguement. Chuck tweaked my descriptive words so they came across better than the way I originally had them (a big Thank You...did I mention my weakness is description?) and thankfully he understood the scene as I was 'seeing it' in my mind's eye.

Sometimes you get lucky and the words you write are snapped up by a publisher. And sometimes it takes years. I've done both, and am waiting to hear back from my publisher concerning my next Kenzie book. If she likes it, hopefully I'll get some money out of it. If not, then I'll keep trying.

And in the meantime, my house is slowly getting whipped into shape and the 'voices' in my head are beginning to mumble. When they start letting me hear what they're saying, I'll be ready. Otherwise, life with me will be unbearable until I'm able to get it out of my head.

What about you? Do you love what you do and can't believe you actually get paid for doing it?

BB Update
Did you think I forgot, ha ha? Tonight we find out if there is indeed a plan to back-door Russell into eviction. Tune in tomorrow:)

Vampires are Hot: Who Knew?

Currently Reading: No Holds Barred by Jayden Chelsee. I'm on chapter 8.


It must have been a slow news day. Besides the news that the reality star suspect was found dead in his hotel room (suicide), the lead story this morning was the fact that (gasp!) vampires are 'cool' again.

Helloooooo....as I'm sure my friends are aware, this has been a known fact for at least a year now! Dakota's vamps hit the ebook world last year. Twilight hit bookstores and now the movies are being made. Several of my friends love Moonlight and True Blood. Are TV news anchors just now 'getting' this info, or did they just need to fill a slot?

And so the question was posed, 'Who's Your Favorite Vampire?'
-Original Count Drakula
-Bram Stoker's Drakula
-Lost Boys
-Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise 'Interview With a Vampire'
-Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Angel
-Twilight's Edward

Don't laugh, but I'm going with Lonnie Quinn: My vampire would be George Hamilton in 'Love At First Bite'.

And Dakota's vamps, of course!

I like the Twilight books, but my man of choice would be Jacob...based on the fact he's warm:) As I was reading the books, Edward's description made me chilly, in the body heat kind of way. I prefer a man I can snuggle up to and be enveloped by his body heat.

What's your preference?

Happy Monday...I'm off to scrub down my baseboards in the living room. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

Saturday's Stupid Saying

Currently Reading: Loved, loved, LOVED Babies in the Bargain!!! Pick up your copy at The Wild Rose Press and settle in for another wonderful Mona Risk story! This week's Recommended Read!!!

Next up: Jayden Chesee's No Holds Barred. I'm already on Ch 8.

On a bottle of bathtub cleaner:
For Best Results, Start With Clean Bathtub Before Use

Singin' in the Rain...
If you're my friend on FaceBook, you know I skipped out early on the football game last night. Why? We settled into our seats and enjoyed watching the warm up. As soon as the National Anthem was over, the sprinkles began. Three plays into the start of the game, the heavens opened up.

Did we have rain gear? No. Dad had left his in the truck; mine was forgotten back at the house.

30 minutes into the game, the on-again-off-again rain turned into a downpour. I was huddled under my jacket; W had his hoodie up and was enjoying himself with a few other kids without rain gear; my poor father sat there with nothing to protect him. Finally, he looked at me and said, "I think I've reached my maximum wetness. How about you?"

I nodded, and grabbed W. We left, went to Dad's truck, and turned on the heat. Of course, by the time we arrived home, it had stopped raining! Dad dropped us off and returned to his motel room. W and I stripped off our wet things and he settled in front of the TV to watch Racing Stripes. I put on my pj's and loaded our wet stuff into the dryer. Around 10, my spouse walked in the door! He'd gotten rained out at work, so he came on home.

When K arrived, he was thrilled to see his dad, and explained the rain hadn't let up until the middle of the 2nd quarter. His team had gotten stomped, but he said if the ball hadn't been quite so slippery, they might have done better. And no, he didn't get to play last night, so not much was missed.

Grandpa will be back next weekend, but I'll be headed north again. Maybe the game on Sept 4th will be better?

Priorities

Currently Reading: Mona Risk's Babies in the Bargain. I've made it to Ch 10! I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and wishing I had an e-reader! If I had one, I could read while waiting for K to appear after football practice:)

Take a look at this handsome guy! Yes, he wasn't thrilled when I cornered him last night. Oh well....Mom reserves the right to any and all pics of her Varsity Football player, esp since this is his senior year!

K is 4th from the left, the one 'hiding' with his arms crossed. This is the poster distributed around town and school. His friend J is the one on the far left, who was most helpful at the Watermelon Festival:) Anyway, above two pictures is the subject of this post.

I've been looking at my fall calendar and have had to make some tough decisions. With K playing football and me wanting to attend as many of his games as possible, my usual round of festivals are going to have to take a back seat this year.

I'm upset that I can't make the Eminence Fish Fry this weekend; I have little gas money, and I'm regretting giving into the childish pressure last year and skipping it. What happend last year? Spouse threw a hissy fit; K and I decided not to risk his wrath; D came home, expecting to be 'taken care of' by S and discovered we'd caved and stayed home. "Next year..." I said. Well, not so fast. D is working nights; I only have a half a tank of gas, and I want to attend K's first official game tonight. So once again, "Next year..."

I'm also going to bow out of the Monrovia Festival in September. Again, it conflicts with my son's football game. And besides, I dearly want to attend RomatiCon in October, so I think D will be more okay with paying that fee instead of several little ones. And there is no game that weekend, unless one has to be rescheduled.

Yes, it's a slightly bitter pill to swallow, but RomantiCon will actually further my writing career, while I'm barely breaking even on the festivals and hearing my husband gripe about the 'waste of time and money', unless I've sold more books than expected (and then he's happy...go figure!).

I'll still be able to do both our county's Fall Festival (weekend after the conference) and the next county over's, as well as the Santa Stroll. And maybe by next summer, Kenzie will have another book out and Forbidden Love (book #3) will be accepted somewhere. I'll just have to hope and pray everything works out.

BB Update: Lydia got her wish (during her drunken tantrum) and 'Captain Unitard' was voted out last night. And I forgot to DVR After Hours, so I have no idea who the next HOH is.

Enjoy the weekend; my dad's coming into town for the game tonight, and the kids are excited about seeing Grandpa, who's spending the night:) I see a trip to Dairy Queen after the game, hee hee...and I hope to have pictures either tomorrow or Monday.

Sad note to pass along: My friend and fellow author BB Walter had a death in her family this past week. She's in town for the funeral, and I hope to see her sometime today. Keep her family in your thoughts please?

Kevin Made Me Do It...

Okay, I'll admit it. I goofed off yesterday. And no, no one 'made me' do anything (see previous post, lol!). I CHOSE to keep my FaceBook home page loaded, waiting anxiously for the next post.

You see, one of my old neighbors/friends decided he had too much time on his hands, so hey, let's run a music lyric contest and see how many people he can get to enter his contest! And since I love music, I was instantly drawn in. And had to consult YouTube a couple of times, because some of them were HARD! But I only 'cheated' when everyone else was stumped too. And only entered once, but 'fessed up about where I found it.

Here are the lyrics he posted:

...(one) nothing wrong with me, (two) nothing wrong with me, (three) nothing wrong with me, (four) nothing wrong with me...."
(Drowning Pool: Bodies Hit the Floor-via YouTube)

..."took my chances on a big jet plane; never let 'em tell ya that they're all the same....Oh, the sea was red and the sky was gray...."
(Led Zepplin: Going To California)
(I got this off YouTube as well and got myself disqualified for the next two rounds, ha ha!)

"...Brenda and Eddie were the popular steadies and the king and the queen at the prom...."
(Billy Joel: Italian Restaurant)

........"the angel opens her eyes, the confusion sets in, before the doctor can even close the door...."
(Live: Lightening Crashes) I knew this one, but was still dq'd....

........"this loud cuban band is crucifying John Lennon. No one wants to be lonely, no one wants to sing the blues......"
(John Couger Mellancamp: Key West Intermezz0)

..."you dont have to watch dynasty, to have an attitude....."
(Prince: Kiss) I knew this one also, but had gone to pick up W from school.

...."going home late last night. suddenly I got a fright..."
(Black Sabbath: Fairies Wear Boots) Got this one from YouTube too. Someone chimed in with the title, but guessed Ozzy. Don't know if K granted him the prize or not!

Yes, I had a lot of fun razzing K about his choice of lyrics, and whether or not I should be allowed to get at least the consolation 'prize' for Lightening Crashes...I jokingly tried to play the old-neighbor-defender-of-his-phone-number-in-the-seventh-grade-card...but as the whole point was to get people talking to each other and tossing one-liner cracks back and forth, a good time was had by all who participated!

But today, there's no excuses. I simply must get to work today! So I'm resisting temptation and getting offline as soon as I post this. Okay...I'll check in with my friends first. But 11:00 (I was going to say 10, but it's only 9:59!), I'm bringing up a wip and will work on it steadily for an hour before I eat lunch!

And Kevin? Thanks for an enjoyable day...even if I didn't get any work accomplished!

I See Your True Colors...

Currently Reading: Finished The American Wife and enjoyed it! Now, time to get back to Mona's book.


Wow.

Did anyone else watch the meltdown last night on Big Brother? Jesse's departure sent a shock wave through the house and brought to light several interesting insights to the houseguests. I'll start with the most selfish and work from there.

Chima. She didn't get her way, and was put up for eviction. So forgetting the fact it's just a game, she went around like a spoiled two-year-old, and refused to follow the rules. Kevin and Natalie tried to get her to put on her microphone, even going so far as to retrieve it for her, but she tossed it into the jacuzzi. And when Kevin fetched a new one, per BB's instructions, she clipped it to her bra, made insulting remarks, and frequently let it dangle near her waist. Later, she refused to listen to repeated requests to go to the diary room, prompting a producer to plead with her to go, so they can speak face to face. When Chima sullenly entered the Diary Room, she was escorted from the game. BB then called the houseguests to the living room, where everyone was shocked by her departure. Lydia, Natalie, and Kevin were in tears.

Natalie. As soon as she and Lydia went to pack up Chima's belongings, Nat tried to blame Michele for Chima's actions. 'She pushed her to this...' Lydia, for once, tried to be the voice of reason by saying Chima was an adult; she knew the rules and CHOSE to break them. Natalie refused to understand and continued to blame Michele. Nat also tried to blame Jeff, because 'he took away Chima's HOH power. That wasn't fair!' Heeeeelllllooooo Natalie....you're playing Big Brother, not Trivial Pursuit! Have you never played Monopoly, Trouble, Sorry, or any other game where the roll of the die or flip of a card can send you back to START?

Lydia: I thought she did a good job of maintaining her cool while packing up C's things. But let her get a little alchohol into her system, and she turned into a pre-teen, cursing Michele, Jordan, Jeff, and dumping Michele's beers down the sink. She even nearly came to blows with Michele, who thankfully showed the good sense not to let the drunken attack affect her.

Kevin: Yes, he was distraught when Chima was expelled. But he kept his mouth shut and did his grieving in the diary room.

Michele: She gave into one childish moment when she told Lydia to 'go put on your unitard, bitch...' which resulted in Lydia's running around the house and verbal threats.

Russell: Kept his cool the entire time, just shaking his head over the childish actions of the others. His only shot of the night was when Natalie thanked him for giving her the phone call from home prize, he stated he didn't do it for her; he took away her Hawaiian Vacation so he could give it to his parents!

Jordan: She had probably the best line last night, summing up the actions quite nicely: 'All this, just because Jesse left?' I didn't like her at first, but watching her blossom under Jeff's friendship has been really sweet to witness!

Jeff: The man knows how to treat his lady. When Jordan got the hole in one on the last round of the HOH contest, he asked her what she wanted. And when she said 'HOH, so I can get a letter from my mom', he intentionally blew his shot so she could take it. That's class. Jordan has come so close to eviction, and his actions showed he's willing to sacrifice his own desires in order to bring her happiness.

I sincerely hope Natalie is the next to go. It's not Lydia's time yet; she's interesting to watch, when she's not in a drunken rage.

Sorry to go on and on about this; but this is one episode that is staying on my DVR.

So how do you react when pushed against the wall? Do you step back and try to be an adult, or do you fly off the handle and play the blame game? I hope EVERYONE watching, including the houseguests, learn something from this episode, and take a good look at how we conduct ourselves in adversity and anger.

Happy 4th Birthday to my beautiful niece R! Your Aunt Molly loves you:)

'My Name Is...'

How do we name our characters? Do we plan to use certain names? Or do they just come to us as we're writing?

I've been asked this question frequently over the past few weeks, and sometimes as I start to write, the characters will 'tell' me their name, or I'll think of a name not used lately and build a character around it.

Some names instantly bring a character to life, as strong Alpha-types: Jake. Nick. Josh. Blake.
Some authors go for the exotic names, Dakota, Savannah, Taylor, or even exotic spellings. Remember Krystyna? Caryn? Even Skylar. I always thought it was spelled 'Schuyler'. And in the mid-to-late '80's, 'Skye' was popular.

Sometimes if I'm hunting for a name, I'll use either my HS yearbook or the phone book, and flip to a random page. Mostly I do this if I'm looking for a last name! And time periods have to be taken into account. For instance, if I'm writing about a woman my age or slightly younger, I don't think I'd use anything too exotic, unless the backstory involved some creative names. Kathy, Tracy, and Tammy were popular girls' names, as were Brian, Matt, and John. In my oldest son's class, Kyle is popular, as is Ashley. My daughter has the Dakota, Savanna, and Alicias. My youngest has an over-abundance of Lindsays, Taylors, Ravens, Isabelles, Brooklynes, and creative spellings: Ashleigh, Emilee, Krysten, Bethanee.

In a few of the wips I've had swirling in my brain, I've had the names Misty, Krystal, Cara, and Thalia announce their names, and Misty even revealed the fact her full name is Kendra Misty Snow, which brought the topic of parents with a strange sense of humor: Naming their children Rocky Walls, Justin Case, Rainey Dayze...you get the picture.

But I also have some traditional names tossed in there. Tammy. Katherine. Cassandra. Kelly. Brian. Kevin. Joshua. Mike. Joe.

How about you? Do you like the traditional names, or do you like the more unusual ones in your reading or writing? Any names you've discovered an over-abundance of either in your kids' classrooms or in the books currently being read? I'll admit; I've discovered I've used Mike several times, but then, that's my dad's name. And as three of those particular books he shows up in aren't published yet, there's still time to edit the names.

Today on the To-Do List:
-Meeting with MIL's caretakers, to discuss tranfer arrangements to new facility
-Photography studio, to pay for football pictures and make appointment for Senior Pics
-Packing D back to work
-'Meet the Teacher' night at W's school. Which means no Laptop Society for me tonight. Bummer...one of our members is wanting help on a story he's written the past week! There's even a character named 'Ms Daniels', ha ha!

Pinky/Mikey/Oreo Comedy Hour Lives On!

K let the rats run around the front porch last night as he was cleaning their cage. Oreo came around, wanting food, and soon Pinky and Mikey decided they would 'help' him eat it! Above, Mikey kept getting close to the cat, but due to my failing batteries, this is one of the closer shots. Oreo is eating and Mikey had stuck his nose in beside him.

Here, Pinky takes a turn. Before I had the camera ready, picture the above shot, with Pinky in the water bowl area, eating alongside the cat. It was this point I yelled for someone to bring me the camera! But Pinky refused to do it again.

Mikey: "I know I can drive this thing; now if could just figure out how to get inside..."

Eating over, it's time for play! Again, due to batteries getting low, Mikey was nose to nose with Oreo.

Pinky: "Come on cat...are you scared of me? Huh? Huh? I'm not scared of you!"

Oreo: "Will someone get this RAT out of my face? Everytime I swat at him, you protect HIM!"

"Let me whisper in your ear..."

"Mom, put the camera away; I can only stand so much humiliation!"

BB Shakeup

I'm not sure what happened on Big Brother last night. My DVR doesn't account for sports events going over their allotted time schedules, and as a result, the last fifteen minutes are missing. My body was fighting a flu bug or something (all of a sudden, about 5:30 I was freezing cold and couldn't seem to get warm...finally around 9:30, I put on my pj's and slid under the covers, plus added a thick comfortor and turned off the bedroom fan. A few minutes later, I was blissfully warm again!) and I'd slept for a few hours. I got up at midnight and D and I watched it. When we discovered the 'oops', we switched over to After Dark and soon realized Chima was not being shown. The teaser across the bottom said 'Find out which player left the game...' and today on the Early Show, Julie said Chima had literally self-destructed and had to be 'expelled' from the game. I'm glad she's gone; she was irritating. And the big eye-roll of the episode? Chima, Natalie, and Lydia crying their eyes out over Jesse's departure!

Monday Mania

Actually, the morning went smoothly. Teens were on time for the bus; W happily ran up the sidewalk when I let him out in front of the school. Realized I'd forgotten his lunch money, but I'll take it to him later. Spouse is trying to sleep; I'm going downstairs to finish his laundry. Since I was sick yesterday, he and the kids went to the store for some school supplies and W's nighttime diapers. So now I have to reorganize my menu plans for the week and go shopping. And hopefully get back to writing? I've had an idea swirling around on one of the abandonded WIPS, and I'd like to see if it will work. More on this later!

Today's To-Do List:

-Two loads of laundry (or maybe even three)

-Clean up kitchen (daughter was gone and with Mom down yesterday, no one did the dishes)

-Grocery shopping

-Fried Chicken for dinner??

-Reading more of Mona's Babies in the Bargain (if I write at least a couple pages!)

Need Input! Do you like the Currently Reading section at the top or bottom? Or does it even matter?

Have a good day!

Saturday's Stupid Saying

The iTAP software combines your keypresses into common words and predicts each word as you enter it. For example, if you press (7) (7) (6) (4), your phone displays a list of suggestions for words such as prog, proh, and spoi.

from a MOTOMANUAL, the instruction manual for a Motorola C139 GSM cell phone

Oh yeah...I use 'spoi' all the time, don't you? Hahahahah...

Currently Reading: I'm about halfway through The American Wife, and I think I've figured out who it's based on...but won't spoil it for you:) I'm also up to Ch 5 on Mona's Babies in the Bargain! So far it is excellent!

K said the scrimmage went well, and he even got about 15 plays' worth of game time last night. I'm looking forward to attending his first official game next Friday:)

Not much to say today: I need to finish washing the curtains and cleaning out the refrigerator. Oh, and I also have to decide what dish I'm taking to K's BSA Court of Honor tonight. It will most likely be my layer salad and maybe some brownies; the cookies were gone by yesterday.

In case you missed it, here's a dittie I came up with for Barb. Blame the fact I've watched too much Nickelodean with W....I think the tune is pretty much self (cough) Spongebob (cough) explanitory.

Are You Ready Readers? (Aye aye Captain!) I can’t heeeeaaaar youuuu! (AYE AYE CAPTAIN!)

Oooohhhh….

Who lives in Reading and writes sexy books?
Barbara Huffert!

Deal of a Lifetime, Linked and Chaos
Barbara Huffert!

Hot Rush, Drakes Rules and soon Questing too…
Barbara Huffert!

Total-E-Bound, CP and EC
Barbara Huffert!

Her books are good, her books so hot
Barbaraaaaaaa Hufferrrrrrrt!

(dodging flying tomatoes) I'm off to drink another cup of coffee:)

Peace!

Yesterday was a work day. As soon as W was settled in school, I came home and cleaned house. Ate a light lunch, then went to the store for cookie dough. I figured freshly baked cookies would be a special treat for everyone, and I was right:)

Today, I'm takiong one more day to finish up some cleaning projects I've been putting off, and starting Monday, I'll be getting back to my neglected wips. So today I'll be scrubbing down the kitchen and washing all the curtains in the house, which will actually take up most of tomorrow too. I have to fix a LIGHT meal for K before taking him back to school, as he has one more practice scrimmage an hour south tonight, and his bus leaves at 5pm.

Woo Hoo!
Jesse was voted out last night! Jeff took both Russ and Lydia down and put up J and Natalie! Unfortunately, Michele won HOH, so hopefully she'll be smart about who she puts up for eviction on Sunday.

Circling The Wagons Again...
Yes, freedom of speech exists, and I'm getting tired of mixed signals from a particular blog I read every now and then. There's a time to be right, and a time to acknowledge other's right to feel slighted/hurt/anger and to silence the fingers. But sometimes, the desire to be 'right' can overtake the desire to keep the peace. So the next time you find yourselves expressing opinions not shared by the majority, ask yourself, 'Would I rather be right or have harmony?'

I'm not slamming freedom of speech; I'm objecting to friends becoming enemies because one friend values his/her own opinion rather than others. I've witnessed this four times now over the past year, and I'm getting tired of it. One day the person will find themselves all by his/her self, with no one listening anymore. But hey, look on the bright side: He/she will always be right, no matter what the issue is! And if this person is happy with their own company, then great.

Reading Schedule:
(Admit it; you're happy to see the return of this segment, ha ha!)

8-14
No Holds Barred-Jayden Chelsee (EP)
Babies in the Bargain-Mona Risk (TWRP)

8-21
Heart and Soul-Ashley Ladd (TEB)
Beyond Meddling-Barbara Huffert (TEB)

8-28
The Oath: Bound-Adrianne Brennan (FB??)
Rescuing Clarice-Anny Cook (EC)

Amber Skyze generously sent me Splashing Good Time, and read it the other day. Wonderful! Now I want my own pool boy...but I don't have a pool! Going off to pout, ha ha...Seriously, I enjoyed it and kept scrolling to the end:)

I also broke down and bought Juie and Julia, and a) it made me hungry; b) I laughed my ass off several times, so now I HAVE to see the movie; and c) I've been strangely creative in the kitchen this week, so my kids have been appreciative of the efforts!

And yesterday, I treated myself to The American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld. My only objection so far is there are no chapters, only sections, and I'm finding it hard to put down. If it hadn't been for the fact I happened to glance at the clock last night, I would have stayed up all night reading, instead of forcing myself to turn out the light at eleven pm. I'm not picking it up until I've finished my chores for the day!

(nd yes, this segment will return, in blue print, to the top of the posts. I just didn't want it to interrupt the flow of today's post.)

So happy Friday, and I'll be back tomorrow!

Letting Go...

This is Amelia, and Monday my daughter released her back into the brush between our house and the neighbor's. S checked on her repeatedly this week, and while there's been no sign of her, she's no longer cooped up in a cage, frantically looking for the escape route. Amelia was rescued from our cat, and spent the first several days in her cage, burrowing under the ceder chips, hiding inside the kleenex box, and finally learning how to drink from the water bottle. She grew more active once the proper food was purchased, but now it was time to let her go. I know she's happier, and so does S.

And speaking of letting go, this is my brand new kindergartener, eager to be on his way to the new school!

And here he is, waiting to be taken to his new classroom.

After his tour, he came back, kissed me enthusiastically, and said he liked his teacher. He high-fived me and went back to stand in line.

Whew!

Flashback twelve years: K, thrilled within fifteen minutes of entering the classroom:

"Mom! Mom! I made a friend!"

"Good for you! What's his name?"

"I don't know...what's your name? ('Austin') Mommy, this is Austin and he's my BEST FRIEND!"

But when it came time for me to leave, he clung to me and had to be practically pried off of me. And two hours later, when I returned to pick him up, K flew down the stairs and into the car, bubbling over with excitement over everything they had done that first day.

I'm sooooo glad the tearful goodbye wasn't repeated today!

Let the party begin! All my kids are in school!

One More Day...

...Till the kids go back to school! Woo hoo!

On the To-Do List Today:
-MIL's medicare redetermination interview, which means I get to dig through her tax return and find out the info. Fun, fun.
-Do a quick clean up of the house...I was gone four hours last night, and with K still under the weather and S at the movies, W managed to make the front room like it's been through a war zone.
-Figure out what I'm fixing for dinner and separate the 15-lb pork loin still in my fridge! (Loin is for Sunday dinner; I break it down into 3-lb roasts).
-Make sure the kids (make that S!) go to bed EARLY tonight! Tomorrow, I can take everyone to school, since W doesn't have to be there until 8:30, but on Friday, the teens catch the bus at 6:50am! And S had trouble getting up at 7:30 last year?? I may need to invest in an airhorn...

Switching Gears:
Did anyone else see this? I'm 50% 'text literate', according to the tiny quiz on the news. Anyone else know what these mean? (Answers at the bottom)
-LOL
-143
-TTYL
-BCNU
-KPC
-ROFL

Big Brother 'Terrorist'?
I've got mixed emotions when it comes to Russell right now. His razzing of Ronnie was slightly amusing, and his blow ups at both Michele and Chima are getting irritating. Of course if Chima would just SHUT UP and refuse to participate...but noooo...she's in his face and giving it back to him.

I seriously hope his plea to Jesse was a lie; on Sunday, I thought it would be cool for Jeff to take down both Lydia and Russell, and put up Jesse and Natalie; now I'm not sure what I want to see happen. I'm also irritated at Kevin for not using the POV on Lydia!

Blog Changes:
If you'll glance to the right, you'll notice I've made a few changes to my Favorite Links. I've added Amber Skyze and Mia Watts to the lineup. I've 'met' them via other blog links, and on the chat loops, so check these ladies out!

I've also added a friend's blog, Rita Wells. She is spending the next year traveling with her truck driver husband, and is chronicling their travels/truck life. Right now they're in Texas, and hopefully she'll keep the pictures coming!

Answers:
Laugh Out Loud (duh!)
I Love You (who knew?)
Talk To You Later (knew this one!)
Be Seein' You (head slap...should have figured that one out!)
Keeping Parents Clueless (whaaaat???)
Rolling On the Floor Laughing (another duh!)

Okay; I'm off to read the blogs, drink another cup of coffee, and get my day started. I should have pictures up tomorrow! If you want to read something more interesting, check out Kenzie's Place.

2 Days Left...

Gads, where did the day go? I woke up around 8; was in the shower by 9; dropped S and her friend A (aka 'adopted daughter #2') at the school at 10. Turns out I did NOT have to stay, so came home, threw dinner together in the slow cooker, grabbed W, and took him to HIS new school.

(Breathe...)

We found his classroom; debated whether or not the only 'B' in his class (and the entire kindergarten roster) was his bff from last year; and investigated the gym. Returned home.

(Breathe...)

I jumped online long enough to read my favorite blogs, swallowed a sandwich, and went back to pick up the girls. Returned about twenty minutes later.

(Breathe...)

Spouse insisted I accompany him to the bank, so off we went. He put some money on my prepaid charge card, bought some batteries, and decided to take me to Arby's for lunch. And then laughed at me when I ordered the kiddie meal, because I'd already had lunch, and wasn't really that hungry. But when he offers to take me out, I don't refuse! Arby's also has new flavors of iced tea: Peach, Diet Peach, Mango, Blackberry, and Diet Blackberry. He chose the Blackberry; I opted for the regular Sweet. I did try a sip of his, but I'm just not a fruit fan when it comes to my tea!

(Breathe...)

After Arby's, we dropped of K's football T-shirt order, picked up the husband's meds at CVS, and came home.

(Breathe...)

Helped spouse reset his online banking password, and went downstairs to finish the laundry K started earlier. K's been infected with an intestinal bug, so washed the dishes for him; made my husband's sandwiches to take to work tonight (he's beginning night shift tonight), and hopped back on the internet. And now I have thirty minutes before leaving for Laptop Society!

Oh, and throughout the past two days? My shoulders are peeling from last week's sunburn. Wearing certain undergarments has been a challenge! And my twenty-five year old one-size-fits-all strapless no longer fits so well. (Sorry for the TMI moment...)

I'll be back tomorrow. I simply ran out of time today.

Countdown Begins!

Three days until School Starts!
Today's chores include a trip to the immunization clinic.

In this town, the doctors don't do the shots in the office; you have to go to another office. The downside? It's a hassle, when you think you're getting it out of the way with one appointment, only to be told, 'no, you have to call this number and schedule it...' The upside? $8 a shot. Period. Even my daughter's HPV shots! Our insurance won't cover it 'until itbecomes a mandantory vaccine'. That's a bunch of bs, in my opinion. A close friend's niece came down with HPV at 17. So instead of the series ( or individual shot...can't remember which it is) costing over $700, we only have to shell out $24. But with the kindergardener needing his last DPT, polio, chicken pox (he's the only one of my kids who will never get the disease), and possibly an MMR, the grand total comes to $56. If you're confused by the math, S only has to get her Booster, the first HPV, and the meningitis one. She'll have to go back two more times to finish the HPV series.

Yesterday, W picked out his new backpack and tennis shoes. I tell you, this kid is growing up before my eyes this summer! He used to want the Thomas the Tank Engine backpack, but they were usually always out of them by the time we had the money to get one. Yesterday, there were plenty of Thomas, but no, my little guy headed directly for the red Spiderman one! He did go back and forth on the shoes...the cool black Toy Story, with the neon green stripe; the white Spidermans; but he finally chose the black Lightening McQueen, with the light-up heels. He's also informed he wants to ride the bus.

We'll see what happens on the first day of school.

What Else is Happening?
Celebrated my MIL's 77th birthday yesterday. As usual, don't have the pics loaded into the computer yet. I'll post it tomorrow.

Hubby is now on night shift, so while he's trying to sleep in, the kids and I are trying to get back to the 6:30am wake up time:)

And in case you missed my comment on my last post, it is now a family joke that we not tell the van we're leaving the county...it is running fine now! Spouse is going to take it Auto Zone and hook it up to the computer. If it comes back 'Mass Air Flow', then he'll order the part and fix it next weekend.

I just hope the Fish Fry is scheduled for the 22nd! I have to confirm the date with a few phone calls in a little while.

BB Update:
I hope Jeff turns the house upside down on Thursday and puts up Jesse and Natalie! As the holder of the 'Mystery Power', he can take both Russell and Lydia off the block and replace both or just one. This should be veeeeerrrry interesting to watch this week!

Have a good day! I need to wake up one more sleeping teen.

Saturday's Stupid Saying

Do Not Use The Diving Board When The Swimming Pool Is Empty
sign at a Sri Lankan swimming pool

"Hi Honey, I'm Home!"
Called home yesterday to check in with K before we left, and D anwered the phone! His paver had broken down, so the company sent him home for a 4-day weekend. He'll be on nights starting next Tuesday night. The kids are thrilled they get to spend some extra time with him:)

Finally!
We are headed north once again, to clean out our storage unit up at the old place! Yay...it's only been delayed umm...6 MONTHS now? And yes, while the timing might be a little better in a week or so, to coincide with the Fish Fry, there's no guarantees the spouse will have that Saturday off again. So better to grab the opportunity while we can...

90 minutes later.....
Aaaaaaaaack! We no sooner got on the highway than the blasted, POS VAN broke down! Why IS it every time we try to clean out our storage and TRY to save ourselves an extra expense, SOMETHING GOES WRONG?????? Yes, I'm throwing a temper tantrum. Got three woeds for that stupid van of mine: CASH FOR CLUNKERS! OOOOOHHHHH!!!

Looking Ahead....
Next week is looking rather crazy. Monday, have to take S and W to the clinic for their booster shots. Tues is S's Freshman Orientation and school registration; Wednesday we'll go school shopping; and Thursday is The Big Day...all three will be in school and I get a peaceful house once more! And let's not forget next Friday, K has his first official football game. Right now the coach has him on second-string offense, as Right Tackle, since the kid hasn't played since the 5th grade, but as I've said in earlier posts, the coach is thrilled with his attention to relearning the game and the fact he's willing to try. As the season progresses, who knows? It's his Senior Year, and he's on the football team. Which means I get to be a Football Mom this fall:)

Have good weekend and I'll be back on Monday...unless I have news tomorrow:)

Last Day...

We're heading home sometime today. This week has gone by in a rush!

Yesterday was A and J's birthdays, and greeted them with birthday spanks and hugs. Aunt Molly also gave them each a present: A Junie B Jones book for A (we read the first 3 chapters in the car later) and a collection of Dr. Suess Stories for J (he was disappointed because he wanted a video game, but not on my budget!).

Took them home, and then Dad and I picked up my grandmother and took her to a dr's appointment. Granny's going downhill in the memory department, and getting confused more easily. It was hard to watch my dad trying to keep his frustration level in check, and after we returned her to her assisted living apartment, Dad thanked me for being there.

Great Chat!
Thanks to everyone who showed up last night! I picked a random winner this morning, and the winner is...

Carol P!

I'll send it to you when I get home tomight:)

And the winner of the random pick from Raine's interview?

Amber!

Email me at storimom2@aol.com so I can send it to you!

I'm off to see about getting together with two of my hometown friends and pack for the trip back. See you all tomorrow!

Busy Day...

So I can't stay long. Join me on the Coffee Time Romance Erotic chat group tonight? Here's the link: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/karendevinkaren/

Returning the 'grandkids' today and seeing my grandmother. S, W, and Grandma may go swimming while we're gone, as well as some minor clothes shopping.

Visit the blogs to the right and I'll be back tomorrow:) My stress level should be lower too.

We Made It!

One Van plus One Teenager plus Two Adults plus Three children plus Three-Hour Drive equals:
-listening to bathroom humor
-'We will, we will rock you!' repeated over and over and over...
-'What time is it?'
-'Are we almost there?'
-trip being extended by thirty minutes as we stopped at a McDonalds to let them play (in hopes of burning off some excess energy and NAPPING the second half of the trip? Never happened...)

I think for the trip back we'll find the portable DVD player and a video.

Interview is Up!
I didn't get a chance to be online until midnight, and that's when I found my interview had been up since around 2:30. So go here: http://authorrainedelight.com/2009/08/guest-author-day-with-kenzie-michaels/ and leave me a comment?

I'm off to finish checking my email and then get the troops ready for an afternoon at the water park. I'll check in with everyone later tonight!

Off To Grandma's

Sometime today my interview will be up on Raine Delight's blog. Click here to go over and say hi:) Whjo knows; you may win something in honor of my good news on Sunday! Don't know what I'm talking about? Scroll down or go here.

The younglings and I are off to spend a few days with Grandma. K will be staying home alone with the animals and is under strict orders (and the watchful eye of the neighbors) to behave himself. And if yesterday was any indication, he'll be fine. He'll be too tired to do anything except go to football practice, shower, eat, and sleep!

The Next Food Network Star Is....
(drum roll please...)

MELISSA!

Although I suspect Jeffrey will have his own show very shortly as well; look at last year's runner-up, Adam. Aaron got his 'Big Daddy's Kitchen' right away, but now Adam has his 'Will Work For Food' show. So watch for the 'Ingredient Smuggler' to show up in about six months or so. Well done everyone!

I'm off to pack and make sure everyone is ready to leave in a few hours. Have a good day and I'll try to check in again tonight, both here and over at Raine's!

What A Weekend!

Saturday, I managed to sell two copies of my own book, plus racked up some potential sales for Jamie Carie, Kelly Kirch, Brynn Paulin, and Sandra Cox. See what happens when I take your books/Promo items with me?

Jamie, I informed several people you were on tour, but your books were available 'over there' at the Bible Bookstore. No, they have not hit the local Walmart shelves. I'll have to chew out the manager !

Kelly, I had several people pick up Marriage Proposal and they took down your info when I refused to sell my copy!

Brynn, your Tribute For The Goddess cover drew many sighs, and one lady remarked that the model resembled her ex-husband! She may very well head over to Amazon strictly for the cover:)

And Sandra, had many pre-teens interested in Akasha!

Yesterday, got a wonderful email from my editor:
Hey!!

Did you know ASEW is # 3 on eBookwise for Freya's Bower?
http://www.ebookwise.com/ebooks/p928/Freyas-Bower/?&si=43

I was so excited, I completely forgot it was Sunday and tried to buy a bottle of wine!

Looking Ahead:
Spouse is still home, due to the jobsite not needing him today. I'm doing his laundry; we're paying some bills, and putting food in the house. The 'grandkids' arrived with him on Saturday, and all of us, except for K, are heading to Grandma's house for a few days. K can't go due to football practice, so he'll be Chief Animal Feeder for the week.

Kenzie just reminded me: We'll be spotlighted on Raine Delight's blog tomorrow, so stop on by at www.authorrainedelight.com/blog (okay...Kenzie will be the feature, but since she's me, well, you get the picture!)

I can't guarantee I'll post every day, but I'll do what I can. Everything depends on what Grandma has planned. I know if the weather is good, we'll go to the local water park. And A and J's birthday is Thursday; A will be 8 and J 7. I've already teased them about 'forgetting' their presents, ha ha:)

So have a good week and I'll check in when I can. Okay?