Friday, April 27, 2018

Flashback Friday: Catching Up

I've been a bad blogger this month, with helping the parents, a book signing, a conference, and the nice weather!  This week we managed to empty the side room of our brown house, scrape up the decaying carpet, and start unloading our storage unit.  So far, we've hauled 4 truckloads of boxes, full of memories.  I've only glanced through a few; I'll get around to actually emptying them on the rainy days, or when we're finished, or just whenever I decide IT'S TIME.

So with that, here's my Flashback Catch Up.

April 1988:
I went down to spend the weekend with DB, and got sick.  Ended up scaring my parents and EY, since they didn't know where I was.  When I got home, the riot act was read; apparently during Spring Break, I'd spent so much time on the phone, I'd racked up a $500 phone bill, which my father expected me to repay.

I'd applied for a job at the Anderson Country Club, and they finally called me in for an interview, and hired me.  For the most part, I enjoyed it; at first, I only worked banquets, and was able to meet Johnny Parsons Jr at the first one.  Two days later, I trained in the Porch area, our Casual Dining, and got to meet the golfers, whom I'd get to know by their drinks, much later that year.  Still, it was a paycheck, and I sent home money every week, to start chipping away at that phone bill.

Decided to attend both summer sessions, so I could graduate the following year.  Since DB lived in Anderson, this meant I'd get to see him whenever I wasn't in school or working.

1998:
March:
K received a flyer to play Little League baseball, so we signed him up:)  Practice would start the next month.  Tax refund arrived.

April:
Baseball practice began, and it was a cold, rainy month whenever our practices were scheduled.  Met more people from the town of Eminence, and got to know CO and her hubby better.

2008:
Enjoyed my signings at VU and Purdue, and was even able to spend two hours with T, who was seeing a girl from E'ville.  She texted him while I was there, and I joked about letting him know his 'call girl' had arrived.  With a smile, he tapped his phone and put it away. 

"That ought to keep her quiet for a while."

He refused to tell me what he typed!  But we had a good visit, catching up and reminiscing before I had to get home.

Next Month:  (88) Finals; (98) Baseball games begin and Kdgn 'graduation'; (08) Waiting For The Phone Call

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Present Day:
As I stated above, I'm hard at work on cleaning out our storage unit and getting rid of things I've not needed for 11 years.

Also, Books 1-6 of Arbor U are now in PRINT!!!!  Whoo hoo!  Showed them off at the Independent Author's Fair two weeks ago.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

April 2018

March was a strange month; I was only around the first two weeks, then returned for the weekend!  
Update On Dad: 
Thought his lifting restriction was going to be the same as his driving restriction, 1 week.  Nope; he's not allowed to lift anything heavier than 10 lbs for a month!  So my time at home again this month will only be the last two weeks!

So How Did I Do On March's Goals?
Lose the 5 pounds I put on last month (241)  Nope; put on 1 lb.  Grrrrr......
Buy copies of Teacher's Pet and Winning Her Heart (need 5 more copies of each) Check:)
Write Ch. 6 of Heart Song  Nope
Finish paying Val $25 Check:)
Pay Cynthia for AU covers ($60) Check:)
Watch SE7 Game of Thrones Nope; too busy
Watch SE2 Stranger Things on NetFlix Nope; too busy
Be helpful when Dad has his knee surgery on the 14th  Check:)
Spend an enjoyable day in Nashville, TN at Weekend with Authors  Check:)
Spend an enjoyable day at WanderLust Indy  Check:)
Convince family to pay for 2019 trip to Washington DC Maybe???
Figure out what to do for Holy Week/Easter. Check:)

Books Read:  4
           Print:  1
       E-Book:  3

Karaoke Songs Added:  10
                            Thurs:  5
                                 Sat:  5

Inventory Ordered?  Yes:)

April Goals:
Write Ch. 6 of Heart Song
Lose 5 pounds (242...I'm going the wrong way!)
Watch SE7 Game of Thrones
Watch SE2 Stranger Things on NetFlix
Convince family to pay for 2019 trip to Washington DC (need to sign up by end of month)
Buy inventory of Arbor U 1-6  Proof copies, check:)
Good sales at Kentucky Author's Fair  Sold 4:)
Good sales at Dale signing  Sold 1:)
Finish cleaning out magazines and back room of brown house
Finish cleaning out green house
Dispose of junked appliances
Contact Helping His Hands or Habitat Restore about doors/windows/carpet HHH, check:)


Reading Schedule:
Print:
Beguiled On A Christmas Morning-Sandra Sookoo  Good story!
The Night Circus-Erin Morgenstern  Excellent story!!  Was hooked by page 2:)  DRR
The Party-Robyn Harding  Excellent!  DRR
Fiction Sample-Alianne Donnelly  DNF.....moved it down the stack to try again next month or so.
Change of Heart-Jodi Picoult Turns out I've already read this, but enjoyed the re-read:)
Starwalker-P. Jameson  Very good!  Left me hanging....who is Helix D??? I'm suspecting Ulna....
Legally Bound-J.R. Gray  DNF; will move it farther down the pile and continue later.
Satan's Press Secretary-Tobi Doyle/Rebecca Barray  Very fun short read!  Enjoyed both stories!
Jake Lawrence-Jean Joachim  DRR!!!  Am loving this series!

E-Book:
The Guardian Angel of FarFlung Station-Edward Hoonaert  Very good:)
Perfect Stranger-Morgan Kay  Good!
Southern Roads-Robin Michaela  Excellent!  DRR


Karaoke Songs:
Thurs:
Who Knew-Pink (re-sing)  Used wrong mic, but nailed it!
My Guy-Mary Wells Did well:)
Who Says You Can't Go Home-Bon Jovi  Nailed it:)
Blaze of Glory-Bon Jovi  Did well until the ending....note to self:  Practice former songs!!!

*was only able to sing two songs each week; was gone the 1st two weeks of the month.*

Sat:
Penny Lane-Beatles  Not too bad:)
Paradise By The Dashboard Light-Meat Loaf (re-sing)  Nailed it!
People Are People-Depeche Mode  Ugh...too low!
Perfect-Pink  DNH
Perfect World-Huey Lewis Need practice???
Perform This Way-Weird Al DNH
Personal Jesus-Depeche Mode  Surprisingly good!

Photograph-Ed Sheerhan Not transferred to new system yet, surprisingly!  Will attempt next month.
Photograph-Def Leopard  Surprisingly, I did NOT clear the bar with this!  Managed to warble my way through it.
Photograph-Nickleback  Nailed it:)
Photograph-Ringo Starr DNH
Philidelphia Freedom-Elton John 1st time:  Flubbed a few lines and camera batteries died. 2nd time:  Nailed it:)
Physical-Olivia Newton-John  Did okay on it; think I was in the wrong key.


Huge congrats to the 2018 NCAA Champs, Villanova!  Defeated Michigan 79-62!!!!

Friday, April 6, 2018

Flashback Friday: 1st 'Recital'

April 1978:
I'm not sure if it was after a PTA meeting, practice for Girl Scout Fly Ups, or what, but our music teacher, Ms Gramza, overheard me picking out It's A Small World on the piano.  Since several of us were taking lessons, she decided to have an inpromptu 'recital' during class one day.

I agonized over what to play.  I hadn't yet mastered IASW, and could only play Amazing Grace on the black keys, so I decided to play my favorite song out of the back of my 1st piano book.  Since it was short, I improvised, and played it twice.  But I was still jealous of the fact my friend K was playing a classical piece.  It helped that others on guitar, trumpet, and flute were also playing pieces from a Beginning Book!

Friend Pam F had her appendix out.

During scouts, we needed two flag bearers for the opening ceremony for the Fly Ups.  I'd previously been part of the color guard, the one who screwed the pole into the base.  All the 6th grade girls' names were put into a hat, and Tracy and I were chosen, both the leaders' daughters!  Eight of us were also chosen to sing On My Honor.

Our Spring Frolic arrived; our two sixth grade rooms were turned into a disco.  My parents operated the Book Nook, and I loved sorting the donated books and setting aside the ones I wanted.  My sister and I wore jumpsuits; hers was red and mine was green, both worn with white turtlenecks.  We thought we looked awesome, and even worked up the nerve to dance to a few Saturday Night Fever songs!

Next Month:  6th Grade Graduation

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Present Day:
4th week of 'vacation'!  Weather is still cold, and even had snow flurries.  Mom and I have been shopping, and I've taken her to two appointments this week.

Going to stay in town this weekend, since karaoke is tomorrow night at the Outpost.  Planning to sing a few songs to commemorate the events of April 7, 1985.

In other news, this awesome lady turned 99 years young yesterday!!!


Mrs. Kazuko Sato, the Japanese lady whom my father chauffeurs around town.

Have a great weekend!!