Quote of the Day:
“A 34-year-old man with no place to live is a catch. But a 34-year-old woman with a great job and a great place to live is tragic.”
-Miranda, Sex and the City

I think I drank too much coffee yesterday. I was super busy in the morning finishing up a proposal that had to go out. We have another due out today and – luckily – the one due on Monday got cancelled. SO, hooray for that. I’m so glad it’s Friday. It seemed like it took forever to get here didn’t it?

So on to the title of this post. After I dropped off Sweetie Boy last night, I went back home, tinkered on the computer for a while, sent a few emails. I started getting tired early on since the thunderstorms the night before work me up. So I locked everything up, shut off all the lights, and climbed in bed.

That’s when it hit me. That something strange. I was lying in bed, the fan on medium, the window open and listening to the night sounds. It had been raining off and on most of the evening and continued during the night.

My little car was right outside in it’s parking space under the carport. My cat was at the foot of the bed (despite my best attempts to keep him off). And everything in that place was completely mine.

That something strange? I felt happy.

For the first time in a long time, I am happy. I have this cute little apartment – which, despite the fact it IS an apartment, is very quite. The neighbors are terrific (the person upstairs has finally stopped clogging though he was vacuuming at about midnight the other night – hello!). I have a fun cute car that is now cheap. I have my son who is adorable and sweet and wonderful. I have a steady job. I have two books coming out this year.

And here’s another tidbit. I have a crush.

More on that later. Much later.

Right now – time for work!

Quote of the Day:
IF love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?
–The Passionate Pilgrim V, William Shakespeare

Yesterday was quite busy at the office. The HP guy came and replaced the rollers on the manual feed tray of my color printer and everything is printing just fantastic now. I called him the HP Dude and I’m not sure he was very receptive to that. Oh well.

The printer is actually pretty old and someone mentioned that it could have an unfortunate accident so we can get a new one (jokingly of course) and so I said, “Like the printer ‘accidentally’ gets thrown off the roof?” It was a well received comment.
:hehe:

So after work, since I had no place to go, no one to meet, and the evening ALL to my little self, I did what any self-respecting single woman would do. I went shopping. Duh! Even though I was bone-weary tired, I picked myself up, got in my little car (that I LOVE) and drove to the mall. As I rode down the escalator in the department store, I spotted it. THE outfit. The one that I’ve been looking for but didn’t know it. I got a helluva deal on some clothes. Not that I was thread-bare or anything, but I have Spring fever. I wanted new stuff. So I got me some new stuff. And there was no one to complain that I bought it!

So then I trolled through the mall and since it was really not all that busy, I got to actually walk without having to dodge people. All alone with my thoughts.

Always a dangerous thing, folks.

There are two other people in my office who are going through a divorce. And it made me starting thinking about relationships and men and life. In the day and age of disposability (is that a word?) – where we have disposable cameras, disposable diapers, disposable telephones for God’s sake – are relationships just as disposable? Do we flush a relationship down the toilet when it just gets too hard? When that other person changes and not to our liking, do we stop trying? And when you’ve been with someone for a long time, do you get too comfortable? Or do you remain guarded, where you can’t really be your true self?

I suppose in my case, we grew apart and I grew up. I became independent of him, trying desperate to spread my wings only to be brought right back down to Earth again when I least expected it. To try and do something I’ve always wanted to do my entire life only to have the dream nearly shattered because it just wasn’t all that important to the other person. What’s wrong with individuality? Why can’t you be in a relationship and remain true to yourself, live your life the way you want and still be with someone you love? I think it’s possible. I think couples do it every day. I also think it’s a job meant for two. Not one. No one person should have to do 110% of the work to make it happen.

So I decided. I will live my life for myself. No one else. And whoever comes into it – whoever decides to take the challenge of Me upon themselves – will be in for a helluva ride. He has to be strong and willing to let me be myself. Someone who will allow me to do what I need to do to accomplish my goals, and celebrate with me with I achieve them. This all sounds very selfish, I suppose, but I know deep inside, I will reciprocate that to someone who’s willing to love me for me. I will appreciate him more for it and vice versa. And if that man doesn’t exist, then I will still live happily ever after. Because I have everything a girl could ever want – a beautiful son and a life that’s all my own.

And now that I’m done waxing philosophical, it’s time for work. And coffee.
:coffee:

Quote of the Day:
So, then, to every man his chance — to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining golden opportunity — to every man his right to live, to work, to be himself, to become whatever his manhood and his vision can combine to make him — this, seeker, is the promise of America.
- Thomas Wolfe

Fortune of the Day:
This weekend will challenge your assumptions.

Today, Issue 2 of Ransom & Fortune hits the Inara bookshelf. Don’t forget to check it out, ya’ll!

Wow, yesterday was super busy for me at work. Not complaining at all. We have several proposals going out this week and I did covers and tabs for all of them. And fought with the durn color printer that didn’t want to print my tabs. I ended up manually feeding them one.by.one. All 40 of them. So hooray for that.

Yesterday morning felt more like a marathon than anything. I just never got a chance to sit down and actually write my blog entry. And I should have done it the night before but, well, I was tired and – get this – I ended up writing two pages on MAGIC. I was very pleased. Of course, I got no writing done yesterday, but that’s okay. I had a great time with my kiddo.

I picked him up after work and we went home. He blew bubbles on the patio while I tried to start cooking dinner. Tried being the operative word. But he wanted me to come out and blow bubbles with him so I did. Also, he kept dropping the little wand inside the bottle and he couldn’t get it out. :hehe:

So I left him to his bubbles while I took out the trash and tried to get motivated to cook. When I came back inside, he said, “Mom, I spilled the bubbles.” And he did too. Almost the entire bottle all over the patio. Which was no big deal. THAT’S why we blow bubbles outside, I said. So he came back in and I put the hockey game on and Sweetie Boy announced that he likes hockey and as I standing in the kitchen, he then says, “Mom, I have an idea. Let’s go to Chick-Fil-A.” Since I wasn’t too keen on cooking, I packed him up, grabbed my keys and we were off.

When we got there, he decided he didn’t want a kid’s meal. He wanted a chicken sandwich. And the way he says sandwich is SO darn cute. It’s sort of like shandwhich. Anyway, I checked and double checked that’s what he wanted to eat and that’s what I ordered. I got myself the chicken tenders and shared my waffle fries with him. And the kid likes their sweet tea (so do I!).

So we got home and that baby tore into that chicken shandwhich. He ate an entire bun, the two pickles, and half the chicken! I was shocked. Plus he ate half my waffle fries before announcing he was done. We watched more of the hockey game and then switched over to Tom & Jerry and he sat in my lap and laughed that belly laugh at that stupid cat and mouse.

I took him home and his dad was watching the third period of the hockey and Sweetie Boy then announced he wanted to play some hockey. So he found his stick (signed by Morrow) and his practice puck and “played” hockey. Dang it was cute.

Then I headed home where I watched a few episodes of Sex and the City on my DVD before hitting the sack for the night.

I zipped in to work this morning with Stevie Ray Vaughn blaring and the window down because the cool front came through last night (thank goodness). Today should be another busy day at the office as we’re getting down to the wire on one that’s due out late tomorrow in town.

I have some issues back to edit on the second season of the serial so I’ll probably get those done tonight. I have to do some rewriting and my brain hasn’t been into it lately. I want to get them done and out of the so I don’t have to think about anything but season three. Which will need heavy revision because the story is too rambly.

Anyway… off to work folks. I need coffee.
:coffee:

I totally didn’t blog today. Work was busy. I have several things going out and I needed to get the covers finalized. :hiding:

I will definitely blog tomorrow though.

Whee!

You Are 23% Selfish

In general, you are a very giving person who treats others very well. But at times, you insist on getting your way - when it matters most to you.

Quote of the Day:
When I’ve got shoes with wings on, the town is full of rhythm and the world’s in rhyme, and living has no strings on.
–“Shoes with Wings On”

What a busy weekend. I’m exhausted. Saturday morning, the Sweetie Boy and I ran errands around town. Then it was off to the movies to see Ice Age 2, which he seemed to enjoy but it wasn’t al that great for me. Then it was off to Starbucks for a treat and to my friend’s house to show her my new car.

After visiting for a few minutes, it was back home to cook dinner where I managed to burn my fingers and slice open the tip of my pinky. Hooray. The baby watched Chicken Little while I cleaned up and afterward since I knew he was tired, I put him in the tub and let him play for a bit. Then it was an early bedtime for him while I fell asleep reading.

Sunday started early. I felt a little tap on my back and rolled over to see a little boy bright eyed and ready to get up. It was barely 7 am. ARGH! So we got up, had breakfast, then I got us both ready and it was off to brother’s house. We spent the day there, had a very filling meal, let the kids run themselves ragged and then had an Easter egg hunter. Sweetie Boy got a haul too and I sent all the candy home with him to his dad. :hehe:

Last night I stayed up late and got all the contest entries back to the non-finalists. Now I’m just waiting for the comment sheets to come back. But it’s nice to know the contest is DONE. WOOHOO!

I’m tired this morning. I have a jam packed week. There might even be a little overtime involved.

And I’m enjoying the hell out of my little car. It gets fantastic gas mileage. I filled up last night – it was only $35. So not only am I saving $400 a month in car payments, BUT I cut my gas bill in half. It’s a beautiful thing.

Time for work. Happy Monday, ya’ll.

Bunny Pop

It takes a whole lot more than three licks to get to your center. You cheeky bunny!

It’s going to be a beautiful day! A warm one, but a beautiful one.

The baby and I are off to two different banks and then we’ll be having lunch somewhere and THEN it’s off to the movies to see Ice Age 2.

And yesterday, I had a great lunch with Sysenlaw. Now that we work somewhat close to each other, we’ve decided to have a standing date every second Friday of the month. She blogged about our lunch yesterday in this entry. Check it out and find out who Hot Brad is.
:hehe:

Okay, I’m off. Just a short entry here. Wow I had some interesting dreams too. Dreamed I went to Scotland!

Quote of the Day:
Never speak of yourself to others; make them talk about themselves instead: therein lies the whole art of pleasing.
- J.E de Goncourt

Fortune of the Day:
Discover your companion’s world. Two worlds are richer than one.

I got the balance of my advance from Samhain yesterday. WOOHOO! Oh, and that reminds me - I have a July 11 release date! I think I’m going to splurge and instead of depositing it, I’m going to cash it and just have a big ole time this weekend. I’m going to take the Sweetie Boy to see Ice Age 2 tomorrow and then on Sunday it’s off to my bro’s house for an Easter egg hunt. Should be fun.

And I am the proud owner of a 2006 Kia Spectra SX in sapphire blue. I got to the car dealership yesterday at around 12:45 and the lady greeted me on the show-room room. She was prepared. She had already pulled around the two cars we had discussed – a Rio5 and the Spectra. I test drove them both and discovered that, even though the Rio is cute and zippy, there wasn’t a lot of legroom in the back. The Spectra was also cute and zippy but did have the legroom, the power windows and locks, and AM/FM/CD, and a very large trunk. It was a no-brainer for me after that.

They gave me a very nice trade on my Tahoe and I managed to bring my payments down $400 a month. When they made the offer, I nearly fell out of the chair. I think I heard cha-ching in my head or something. I will be saving $400/month on the car payment alone. WOW! I drove my little zippy Spectra – who is named Kiki Kia by the way – home that afternoon. It’s a manual transmission and it’s been years since I’ve driven one. But it’s like riding a bike – you don’t forget. I love driving a stick! It’s got a lot of pep for a small sedan, really. So, folks, I’d like to introduce you to Kiki:

Aw! She’s cute! This is the color and everything and LOOK! I have a spoiler! I’ve never had a car with a spoiler before. Anyhoo…it surprised me how much I actually like the car. I guess I had expected to hate it because it’s not an SUV and I’ve been driving one of those for the last six years.

And Devon – you’re right. When it’s time to buy another one, I might just be able to get that cool sports car that match my favorite pair of shoes.

Okay, off to work. Gotta call the insurance agent today.

Quote of the Day:
Life’s a journey. Not a destination.
–Aerosmith

Thanks for all the congrats yesterday. I was very pleased to see my little serial hit the e-shelf. And seeing the real deal with the cool graphics – WOW! I nearly wept with joy when I saw it.

Don’t forget – you can stop by the Reader Forum at Inara Press and post questions and talk about the serial. Just go to the main home page at http://www.inarapress.com and click on Reader Realm and then log in with your username and password you used to set up your account.

This week has been fast and furious. Not that I’m doing anything spectacular, really, but work has been steady and that’s good. I’m doing a resume update for the entire office which is quite a task. Hunting and gathering, editing and organizing. That’s about what it involves.

I’m taking a half day off today. I made a tough decision this week about my vehicle situation. I love my Tahoe. LOVE it. It’s the car I’ve always wanted to drive. Granted, it’s the bottom of the line in Tahoes but I love it. Old Blue has been there for me, has recovered from my massacre of its back quarter panel when I decided to get into with a pole in a parking garage, has saved my life when I decided to skid through the rain and realized I might be turning it over, still loved me even after the driver’s side window got smashed and the stereo ripped off. She helped me move from my house to my tiny apartment. I’m going to miss her.

Can you see where this is going? I’m driving up to a dealership in Denton this afternoon :dead: because they have the smaller, less expensive vehicle I want that gets 30 miles to the gallon IN THE CITY. Old Blue only gets 17 in the city on a good day. I made this decision this week when I realized I am sinking over $800 a month in this car and THAT’S why I’m going broke. It’s a depressing thought that I have to get rid of it. But I’ll be cutting my payment in half and my gas bill in half. It’s worth it. I just think of all the money I’ll be saving, the bills I can pay off, the pedicures I can get, and the nice birthday party I can have for my son (see? I’m not all selfish…lol).

So this evening I’ll be driving a Roller Skate home, getting 30 miles to the gallon and feeling less of a financial burden. And then, in five years, when I’m making a little more money and having less bills, perhaps I can get me another Tahoe. And maybe even by then, those gas-guzzlers will get better gas mileage.

Anyway, time to work. And get more coffee.
:coffee:

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