Thanks to everyone who stopped by my Samhain post on Friday!

We had a blast at Six Flags on Friday but boy was I one tired mamma when I got home. My friend got the Flash Pass – which allows you to, essentially, cut in line. You make a line reservation for the big thrill rides so you don’t have to wait in line. It was TOTALLY worth it, too. We rode everything in the 8 hours we were there.

I’ve never been on the Titan before – 24 stories high and 85 mph. Um, yeah, it totally kicked my butt. It’s sad that I’m not as young as I used to be and can’t handle those rides as well. But my child…is fearless. He will ride ANYTHING and more than once. We rode the Shock Wave twice (no line!). After every ride, he’d shout it was awesome and then immediately ask if we could do it again. We rode Tony Hawk’s Big Spin twice (the third time he wanted to ride it, they had shut it down).

We got on the water rides and then smelled like dirty Six Flags water the rest of the day (ew). I was so tired by the time we hit the door at 7:30, all I wanted to do was collapse. I bought us dinner at Chick-Fil-A because I couldn’t face cooking and we were just too dirty to go some place and sit down.

I couldn’t wait to get into the shower and wash the filthy grim off. After I got cleaned up, I put the kiddo in the tub and washed him down. He was so dirty. That bed had never felt so good before by the time I climbed in.

And just as I was starting to doze off… there was this monstrous sound that scared the crap out of me. I sat up straight, my heart racing and my hands shaking. I seriously thought someone was trying to break in. Turns out, it was the bathroom tile…falling off the wall and into the bathtub. I was NOT happy about that. Four rows of tile fell off the rotting wall.

I can’t afford to replace the entire bath area yet, so on Saturday I went to Lowe’s and bought adhesive and caulk and fixed it. It was hard work but I got it done. That tile isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, either. It’s a temporary fix until I can demo the entire bath area, put in a real shower, and re-tile it.

After resting up a bit, we headed to the grocery store and I managed to stay under budget (YAY!). We had frozen pizza for dinner – lazy mom – and then I was, once again, happy to be in bed.

I have bruises all over me from Six Flags and the bathroom repair. My poor legs look awful. I won’t be wearing a skirt anytime soon. hehe

Sunday we went to church and I had fully intended on going to the movies that afternoon. Instead, we went to Blockbuster. I let the kiddo rent a Wii game and I got Fool’s Gold. We stayed in the rest of the afternoon and just hung out. I think we needed the downtime. I know I was still in recovery mode from Six Flags and Bathroom. I’m so sore, still. It’s awful.

I did dabble with the Magic book a little on Saturday and some on Sunday. I also got the chapter newsletter done and out the door. I have about eight contest entries I need to read and judge by August 1, so I guess I better get started on those this week. I want to get the done and returned so I don’t have to worry about them anymore.

I hope to get more writing done on the Magic book…and I’m actually considering submitting the first 20 pages to an RWA chapter contest. I think it might actually have a shot at a final. Hm.

Another short week for me – yay! Still have no idea what I’m doing for the 4th. Probably nothing spectacular.

Hey all! I’ll be blogging at Samhain today at 3 pm. You can view the post here. Happy reading!

I’m packing up my stuff and we’re headed out here in a few. I’m very much looking forward to today even though I know we’ll both be worn out by the time we get home. But – what a fun day it’s going to be! Plus I have a coupon for a free kid’s ticket with $10 off general admission. WAHOO!

And I’m blogging later today at the Samhain blog. Check back around 3 pm as I’ll be posting the link.

Happy Weekend!

Last night, I decided to take the kiddo to B&N to get more Magic Tree House books. I also had to return my library book. So we did all that and walked through the new B&N and had a nice time. He picked out three Magic Tree House books and I got a book for my niece – a belated birthday present.

The kiddo wanted something from the cafe, so I was weak and stopped. He wanted a cappuccino (decaf) and I got a green tea iced tea. The gal behind the counter was super nice and she made the cappuccino just warm enough for him to drink. He had a HUGE smile on his face carrying that Starbucks cup around. It was darn cute. Oh, and, I also bought him chocolate. Yeah, I spoiled my kid for sure.

We got home and about 10 minutes later, the bottom fell out of the sky! The wind picked up super gusty and it poured for just over an hour. Lost satellite. The kid was freaking out. He went and got his “friends” (stuffed animals) and hid in the bathroom. hehe I told him I was proud of him for knowing where to go when we had a storm. I hope he remembers that if we ever DO have a bad tornado.

The rain was nice, though. We needed it. I shut everything down and unplugged the computers. After the storm let up some, we settled down to read our Magic Tree House #17 and then it was off to bed. He must have been exhausted because he didn’t make a peep.

I didn’t get any writing done last night since it stormed and I was away from the keyboard so much. I did get my computer back on, but answered a ton of email and sorted out bills (ew). I know, I could have used pen and paper, but I needed to see where I left off and well, that was all on my thumbdrive. I didn’t have a print out. So, I will definitely get back to it tonight. It’s still in my head, after all.

Had a super busy – but productive! – day at work. I’m guessing today will be more of the same. I love that, though. Makes the day go really fast. Plus, I’m really looking forward to the weekend!

Last night, I couldn’t wait to get home and cook dinner. Isn’t that strange? But I was hungry for fried chicken tenders and mashed potatoes so that’s what we had. Stunk up the house, too. But oh well! It was tasty. Then the kiddo and I played on our respective computers.

That kid is so nutty. He came home from his grandparents after watching cartoons singing Oh My Darlin’ and Figaro. It was cracking me up. When he went to get on his computer, I told him one hour and he shouts back, “Yeah! I know! I don’t need that information.” Of course, I scolded him for his backtalk but inside, I was laughing hysterically.

Since he got his second crown, we’re having issues with teeth brushing. He doesn’t want to do it because it hurts and I can’t really blame him. But I’m worried it’s going to get bacteria under there if he doesn’t brush good. So we brush our teeth together and have a race.

We finished reading Magic Tree House #17 and now we’re out of books. So, I think we’ll go to the bookstore tonight and pick up 18-20. He loves them so and I want to encourage his reading as much as possible.

Then, as he lay in his bed before going to sleep, he shouted Figaro! at the top of his lungs again. It was cracking me up.

And Friday… I’m taking the day off and we’re going to Six Flags! The kiddo doesn’t know it yet – I’m going to surprise him. My friend had a coupon for buy an adult ticket get the kid’s free so we’re all going out there for the day. We’re even packing up our lunches and stuff so we don’t have to buy food out there because it’s so darned expensive.

This weekend we have plans to see Wall-E (if I can get to the early show!) and Kung Fu Panda. We’re excited about both movies. So it should be a super busy weekend. I can’t wait!

I guess I have nothing noteworthy to say today, other than I’m alive and breathing. Always a good thing.

Tonight I’m cooking fried chicken tenders – I was going to last night but I got home late and the girls were coming over for critique, so I didn’t want to mess with it. It was frozen pizza and Easy Mac instead. LOL!

And also tonight… I’m writing!

Nexus Spear… the Moonstone Rod… Tiger’s Eye Stone…Hellblade…All of these things invoke images for me. Images of things long lost, magical things, mystical things. Yes, I’ve been researching again for the Magic book. I have a lot of cool ideas floating around in my head for this book. I’ve even been researching archaic words to use – I found a list on the Internet. I’ve also been researching dance styles in the Baroque, Renaissance and Middle Ages. I find all of this fascinating.

Anyway, back the name thing. I think names are super important not just for your character but for things, too. Since I’m writing a fantasy book, I’ve discovered that naming places and things has become almost as important as naming characters. As far as places go, I think the name has to be easy to pronounce and easy to remember and not resemble any other place in the book. As far as things go – like weapons – I think they need to sound cool and well, sort of give you a hint as to the wielder (such as good or evil).

So I’m having a lot of fun with this. I’m enjoying the revision process quite a lot and I feel like I’m finally doing the book justice. It’s been a long time coming. There’s so much planning that goes into a fantasy book – not only do you have to build your world, but you have to know your culture. How do they track time? Do they use our hours, and weeks? Or do we call it candlemark, sennight, fortnight? Are the seasons winter and summer? Or dark and light? What is the royal hierarchy? Who is good and who is bad?

It’s really an interesting process and I’m loving doing the research for the book.

In other news… Friday night the wedding was very nice. Long, but nice. The ceremony itself lasted an hour and a half. Lots of standing and knealing going on. The bride looked like a princess. She was lovely. The groom was completely adorable. What an adorable couple they make! The reception had a great buffet and the cake was delish. I left much before the throwing of the bouquet (it was 10:30 and it still hadn’t happened yet!). I was so happy to get home. I literally fell into bed.

I tried to sleep in, but the cat wouldn’t let me. He meows his stupid head off. This is a new thing. The first couple of times he did it, I thought it was because he wanted to be fed. Even though his bowl wasn’t empty, if he can see the bottom, he’s starving. So I started filling it up before I go to bed on weekends so I can sleep. WRONG. He STILL wakes me up. Now I think he just wants me up because me usual rise time is 6:15 on weekdays. It’s hard to explain to the kitty that I don’t want to get up that early on weekends!

He’s decided that – since he got out that one time – he wants to be outside. So now I have to fight him back whenever we go in and out. He thinks we’re going outside, so why shouldn’t he?

So I got up fairly early on Saturday and sort of moped around the house all day. I didn’t do a THING except for return my movie to Blockbuster. Then I watched Pirates 3 and a few Sex and the City episodes and then read my book. Talked on the phone with Man. Things have slowed way down with him and I’m not sure what to make of it.

Sunday I was once again up early. Had coffee. Mowed the yard at 8 am (yeah, my neighbors probably hate me but oh well) and then got ready for church. The service was GREAT. They had great music and I got to sit with Boss and her hubby. I thoroughly enjoyed the service. I’ve decided to become a member and I’m very happy with my decision. It’s a good church for me. I’m considering joining the orchestra since I play sax but I’m sadly out of practice. hehe

Read my book some Sunday afternoon and just had another lazy day of doing not much of anything. I think I needed some downtime. Then Delilah’s story called me and I actually sat down and worked on it some. I had a sort of epiphany with her this weekend and I figured out what the story needs to be. She doesn’t want who I thought would be the hero. She wants another guy – a rich, European, arty guy. I’m running with it. That Delilah has all sorts of ideas.

The kiddo arrived home and we went out back together and tossed his airplane back and forth and then we came in and watched some HGTV and then read his Magic Tree House #17 book. Overall, it was a good day and I finished it off with a lovely glass of tawny port.

I had a lot of time to myself and a lot of time to think. About the past, future and present. Not sure I’m totally happy with everything but one thing is for certain: I really love my house…and I’m wishing I could get bamboo flooring for the living/dining/kitchen/entry (it’s all one big room). hehe

Okay time to get ready and take the kiddo to his early morning dental appointment. He’s getting a second crown, poor thing.

This morning, I stopped at Chick-Fil-A to get breakfast for the kiddo. Last day of VBS and all. The line was around the building for the drive-through. So I parked and we ran inside. They gave me a freek chicken biscuit! SWEET! I love free stuff.

I cooked chicken fried steak last night and it came out PERFECT. I love when that happens. I was so hungry by the time I got home last night, I couldn’t get dinner done fast enough. And then I really stuffed myself.

We’ve been lucky enough to get some rain lately. Yesterday morning, as I drove to work, it was a torrential downpour. Lots of lightening and thunder. The kiddo was in the back seat and every time the lightening flashed, he’d say, “WOW, Mom! Did you see that?” Um. Yeah. I didn’t think it was as cool as he did.

I dropped him off at VBS, went to work. I got to sign up for a Flash class, so I’m looking forward to really learning the program. Right now, I’m self-taught and even though I’ve figured out how to do some stuff, I don’t really KNOW the program all that well.

On my lunch hour, I ran to pick up the kiddo and then took him to his grandparents for the rest of the afternoon. Back to work for the rest of the day and the finally time to go. I was so exhausted last night from all this running, I was ready to collapse. I wrote a shoe article for ShoeIQ (which is posted; you can see that at ShoeIQ.Com [stupid WordPress won't let met link]) and then went to bed. I read a little and then crashed.

Woke up at 5:30 this morning.

Today is going to be another marathon. A friend is getting married tonight and so I brought my clothes to change into because I leave work and go straight there. I would imagine I won’t get home until late

And tomorrow…I’m sleeping in!

I feel like I’ve run my legs off this week! Oh well, at least it’s exercise. Right? I can feel my calf muscles getting stronger…

Had to get gas yesterday morning and it was very painful at the pump. What else is new? Then stopped at Chick-Fil-A for breakfast for the kiddo. They were giving out free breakfast burritos! Cool! I got a free breakfast but it gave me horrendous indigestion. Figures.

Took him to Vacation Bible School and then went to work. Left at 12:30 to pick him up, take him to grandparents and then go to my own dental appointment. Got back to pick him up at nearly 5 pm, came home, good dinner, cleaned dishes, chatted on phone. Looked for the big moon the weather lady swore would be up but never saw it. Put the kiddo to bed. Crashed. That was my evening in a nutshell.

Over the last few days, I’ve realized what my new pattern is with writing. I write late into the night for 2-3 days and then take a day off (to catch up on sleep I would imagine hehe). It’s working so far and I’ve got lots of writing done lately. I’m absolutely thrilled with myself. Now…if I can keep it up.

My best friend/sis-in-law and brother are in Vegas on vacation this week. She tells me the hotel they’re staying in has a Manolo Blahnik store inside it. I am so envious. I have ordered her to pat all the shoes, tell them I love them, and take LOTS of pictures for me. She sent me a text today with a picture of one VERY lovely Manolo. I swooned. She also told me she went to the Fendi store and picked out a new bag for the low-low price of $2000. My brother said no. HEHE

Next week I have two appointments, one on Monday and one on Wednesday. I’ve signed myself up for a Flash class in July as well as another seminar-type thing. One the one hand, I love being busy. On the other, I don’t like not having time to breathe. But hey- it keeps things interesting!

Okay, that’s it for me. It’s time to start up the Mom-Mobile!

Forgot to mention one thing! I did Michelle M Pillow’s “Silly Interview Questions” and it’s posted on her blog. You can see it here! Happy reading.

I stayed up late last night and got my quickie edits done for Take Me I’m Yours. Then I shoved it out the virtual door.  Whew. Here’s hoping. I’m pretty happy with the outcome, so maybe they’ll buy it.

Not much time to blog this morning as I’m runing late. Had to stop for gas and breakfast this morning and in a moment, I’m dashing to take the kiddo to VBS. This is certainly a hectic week.

I have a dental appointment this afternoon so I will be running again today. Tomorrow looks like it might almos be normal.

Happy hump day!

I got some encouraging news yesterday regarding my publisher. Can’t share yet but it is fantastic news.

Last night, I worked on my old contemporary makeing some serious tweaks here and there. I worked on it for nearly two hours. It seems 11 pm is my pumpkin hour and I get super tired. Plus my butt was tired of sitting in this awful desk chair I have. I really must get myself a new one but I’m trying to pinch pennies right now.

It was kinda fun to revisit the characters of TAKE ME I’M YOURS. Marion and Graeme are a lot of fun. I have to admit I missed them. I hope to get back to Delilah’s story too very soon.

I did a few tweaks on chapter two of the magic story. I think the key with that story is finish a chapter then put it down for a day and then go back to it for tweaks and other heavy revisions. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done with one and two, but it’s definitely coming along. Plus I have some great trusty readers that will steer me in the right direction. Anyway, I’m about ready to start the chapter three. This story certainly has come a lot way!

Kid’s Kamp (the church’s version of Vacation Bible School) starts today so I best go get the kiddo up and fed before we have to dash. It’s going to be a long hot day, I think. We hit 100 yesterday and we’ll probably hit 100 again today. YUCK.

Stay cool, ya’ll.

I did something this weekend I haven’t done in a SUPER long time – I visited my local library. It’s brand new and has only been open a short while.

It was so cool to walk through the doors – they even have a coffee shop inside! I perused the shelves and actually checked out a book! I discovered a new-to-me author. It’s a fantasy book called Once Upon An Autumn Eve and I’m so far thoroughly enjoying it. I might have to find the books for my keeper shelf. It’s a series of four books.

Saturday morning was RWA and it was a good meeting, although I wasn’t feel well. I think I must have got some bad tuna at Subway Friday. I’ve had an upset stomach since.

I was mostly a lazy bum Saturday afternoon and even took a nap in front of the TV. It was kinda nice, actually.

Sunday morning, the cat woke me up at 6:30 am. Oof. I finally got up at around 7, got dressed and went grocery shopping. Insane, huh? I got home early though – AND stayed within budget and got everything I’m going to make for the next two weeks. This menu thing is really working for me. Even though I have moments where I still don’t know what I’m going to make.

Did laundry.

I pretty much stayed home Sunday becuase I still wasn’t feeling all the great and it was yucky hot outside. I worked on MAGIC a lot. Did lots of research. I finally figured out their dress. Instead of it being some non-descript clothing, I really sat down and figured out what my time period for their clothing is. It was fun. I have Post-It notes all over my Everyday Life in the Middle Ages book as well as my Costume 1066-1990s book. Lots of notes scratched on paper throughout the books as well.

Watched Sarah Brightman on PBS. I love her. Her voice is unbelieveable. Taped it.

Dug out my Sarah Brightman Harem CD to listen to in the car because I had an urge. Can’t wait to hear that again. I sorely miss my MP3 player in my car. As soon as my computer is paid for, I’m getting myself another CD/MP3 player for the car. I know just the one I want too – it has a USB port. Cool, huh?

Got the kiddo back around 7:30 and let him watch cartoons and eat Cheeze-Its. Got him settled down for bed and started reading #14 of the Magic Tree House books.

Even as I write this, I still can’t stop thinking about my Magic book. I feel very connected to it and the characters this time around, which is a great sign to me. That means I’m going to have a spectacular rewrite. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for. I did manage to complete the second draft of chapter two and I’m pretty happy with it. I’ve sent it off to my trusty readers for their thoughts on it.

This week is VBS and then I have a wedding on Friday. It’s going to be a busy one I can already tell!

This morning I heard a lawn mower somewhere in the neighborhood…at 6 am. Wow. I guess I can’t blame them. When it’s 95 degrees with high humidity I don’t want to get out and mow either. Our low last night was…79.

I did get some progress on the second chapter last night. Yes, it’s very slow going, but it’s going! I need to flesh out some of the emotion and give it more of a punch. So I’m hoping to do that with this second chapter. Plus, I came up with a good idea on how t make it do just that (thanks, Lara!). I also did some research on medieval weapons. Well, okay, fantasy medieval weapons. I’m trying to look at the big picture of the story so I can incorporate it with a series. I have two books planned so far with hopes of at least another two. I think this is can a really great epic fantasy. It’s certainly come a long way! I really want to get this story done because it’s been part of me for so long and I just can’t let it go…yet.

Anyway, this morning, as I was taking the baby boy to his grandparents for the day, we saw a guy walking across the street. He said, “That poor man.” So I asked him why. He told me he was walking all the way across the street (we happened to be at corner with Just Brakes on one and Service King on the other). I said, “I bet he dropped his car off to be fixed.”

There was a pause in the backseat and then, “Well, he should have called Enterprise. Because they pick you up.”

I giggled. Kids…they say some of the funniest stuff!

We had a good evening together last night. I had him laughing so hard he couldn’t breath. It was fantastic. I love those belly laughs! And I was laughing so hard I was crying. I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything in the world.

It’s Friday! Hope everyone has a smashing weekend! I have RWA in the morning and I’m looking forward to it!

Since my front yard was getting kinda thick – and both neighbors mowed – I decided last night to mow the front. I can only do one yard at at time. Especially in 95 degree heat with high humidity.

Anyway, I settled the kiddo down on the computer and headed outside. I left the garage door up. A few minutes in, the kiddo comes wandering outside because he can’t remember is password on one of his websites. I finally shooed him away and he went back inside. A lot of minutes later, I finished up and as I pulled the mower into the garage, I noticed the kiddo had left the door open from the house to the garage.

I knew immediately the cat had gotten out. Because Samping likes to explore the garage. I, however, do not like him in the garage because I have ant poison, paint and other chemicals out there. I ran inside and frantically looked for the cat. He was no where to be found. The kid was hysterical.

It was especially tense for me since he doesn’t have any front claws and can’t defend himself (he was declawed by the previous owner when I got him – not my doing).

Back outside, I began the search of the neighborhood for Sampson. A few houses down, was a kid outside. I ran up to ask if he’d seen a gray and white cat. Nope. I went the other direction, calling the cat’s name and trying to find him.

I look under my bushes, the side of the house. No cat. On the other side of the house, I look and look for him. I finally spot him slinking near the edge of the bushes at the neighbors house. I rush over and shoo him back toward the house. He’s hissing and giving me that angry meow.

Finally, I get everyone back inside and shut the garage door and the door to the house. I knew it was a mistake on the kiddo’s part so I didn’t yell at him too bad. But I did explain to him why it’s VERY important that the cat NEVER leave the house. He was really upset, but I told him I knew it was a mistake so I wasn’t mad and I was just happen Sampson came right back.

So after mowing the yard and the cat fiasco, I was exhausted! I’d like to say I went to bed early, but instead my girlfriend called shortly after 10 and we talked for nearly 45 minutes. When I climbed into bed, I picked up my book on Faeries and read that (it’s research for the Magic book), so even though I didn’t get any writin done… I DID get some reading research done. (The Magic book is based on Celtic myths and legends.)

I’m off to work now. Have a great day all!