I managed to get the website back. Most of the pages are built except for the home page, which I can do today. Good thing I still had all that information somewhere else.

The kiddo woke up yesterday with a 101 fever. I pumped the Motrin in him all day. This morning he woke up with 100. I’m a bit baffled as he has no other symptoms. Just fever. And once his fever goes down, he’s totally fine. So if he still has fever in the morning, I’ll be taking him to the doctor just to be safe.

Today is laundry day and it’s still cold. Where is the sun? I thought we were supposed to have some.

I totally hosed my website today so NOW I get to rebuild it. Go me.

I wrote 925 and had a major breakthrough! Okay, sort of.

You know how you’re writing along and suddenly the story takes a turn you hadn’t really expected? Yeah. That’s what happened. And it WORKS. And I like it. I still have no idea how I’m going to get to my planned end, but that’s okay. I like the mystery of not knowing.

I’m a busy girl and I won’t bore you with all the sordid details but suffice it to say – yeah, WOW. I’m busy. I have a lot of chapter business I’m in the middle of and it’s boring to those who have no interest, so I’ll just say I’m a master of juggling right now.

Someday things will calm down… *snort* As if.

So that’s about all I have to report! I’m off to work/school. Tonight is Pizza Night. Which means I don’t have to cook which makes me a happy girl.

Have a super Wednesday, ya’ll.

Boy, am I glad last week is over. It was hectic and jampacked with things. From Houston to an open house. I literally ran my legs off. There was no need for exercise since I got it all in in five days.

So Friday night, Satuday and Sunday I took some time off to recharge. Oh, I still had some things to do with the contest but for the most part, I was lazy. And it felt great.

Friday night after the open house, the kiddo and I stopped at McDonald’s and got dinner and I treated myself to a Starbucks. Then Man and I sat on the couch and watched our Legends of the Seeker show. I finally crashed around 11. I was exhausted after a long, hard day of major party prep.

On Saturday, we slept in a little. The kiddo had a basketball game, so we went to that and watched the boys play. Man went, too, and afterward we headed to On The Border for a late lunch. I loved stuffing myself with Mexican food. We all went to see Tooth Fairy after and as we walked into the theater, we were handed a survey for Universal Pictures. It was actually a pretty good movie with some laugh out loud moments. And the kid liked it too.

Went to Sears afterward and I patted the Kenmore Elite washers and dryers, which cracked up the salesman. He was actually not too pushy and gave me a little booklet comparing all the different models. So I read over that and drooled. I SO want a pair of those!

Then we headed over to WalMart for some munchies and the movie True Lies (we’d seen part of it on AMC a few days ago but it’s just not the same all cut up and with commercials). When we got home, the kid went to his room to play Wii and we watched our movie. I forgot how funny that movie was in parts but it also seemed a little dated. Made in 1994, showing Windows 3.1 and people smoking in hotel lobbies. Those were the days!

Anyway… Sunday was a total lazy day for me. I only left the house once and that was to put gas in the car. I did laundry and upgraded my Quicken and got organized for filing my 2009 taxes. And then I even wrote a little while we watched the Saints-Vikings game (great game, too!). And I pretty much did nothing much all day. It was glorious. I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, too.

And that’s about all I have to report at this time. Hopefully this week will be calmer. I’m off to work and school.

Finally, the week is nearing an end. Can I just say I’m so happy it’s Friday? I seriously think I could break down and cry at this point I’m so happy.

It’s been a helluva week.

Today my arthritic hands hurts so bad I’m having a hard time typing. I took some meds for it this morning but it’s still stiff. I can’t make a fist. Well, I CAN, but my forefinger refuses to make a fist. It sucks being old sometimes.

We’re having this family open house/charity event at the new office tonight. My boss, co-worker and I have worked our buns off all week on it. We’re doing a bear drive for one of the children’s hopsitals here in town (who also happens to be a client). One of the engineers, who helped organize the event, was bringing some wood pieces to help build a “bear corral” for the stuffed bears. He had to make a stop on the way to work this morning and one of the pieces turned up missing out of the back of his truck.

Now, what kind of sorry world do we live in where someone STEALS wood out of the back of a truck? Wood that’s for a charity event? For kids? It’s sickening, really, and I feel so bad for the guy. He was very upset. Can’t say I blame him. But we’ll figure it out. There are always problems before the big event, right?

Today, the boss and I are off to pick up the rest of the food and drinks, finish setting up the room (we did massive decorating yesterday), and then the event starts at 5. I plan to collapse as soon as I get home. LOL

What else is going on in my life… let’s see… The deadline for the contest is tomorrow and I’m fielding all sorts of questions about entering. So I worked on the contest for about two hours last night as well as cooked dinner and helped with homework.

I’m tired. I’m sore. I’m cranky. I think I’ll get more coffee.

TGIF, y’all.

Yeah, um, I’m busy. So not much of an entry today only that – I’m busy! haha I don’t see things slowing down anytime soon, either. The deadline for the contest is Saturday and then I have to finish rounding up judges, assign entries, and get them all out by Feb 1.

And those RITA entries are still sitting on my kitchen table waiting for me to start reading. RIGHT. Like I have time right now. Feeling a little stressed right now. Think I’ll go get more coffee.

At least it’s Thursday…

Monday was, um, interesting.

We got to the airport in PLENTY of time but the line to get checked in (we were already checked in, just had to check bags) was enormous. I was sweating it. We finally get up there about 20 minutes later and find out that our flight had been cancelled! AH!!

So the gal says they could get us on the 10 am and they were holding it for about 15 minutes and well, it was 9:55 at this point. Um. Oookay. We literally RAN to security. It took agonizing minutes to get through (fastest I’ve ever run through, though) and then RAN to the frigging gate.

It wasn’t a full flight but it was one of those where there weren’t three seats together. We get all the way to the back of the plane and decide that we’d just split up and this nice man moved over a row for us to all sit together. So that was a plus.

Short light and it was good. Landed. Guess what? No luggage. AH!!! It wasn’t on our flight but it was guaranteed to be on the next one. Which landed TWO hours later.

URGH.

So, the girl who came to pick us up was sweet and took us to lunch while we waited for Plane #2 to show up with our luggage.

We get back to the airport (TOTAL madhouse, by the way) and recovered one bag but not the other two. So we were about to give Southwest a piece of our mind when the other two showed up. Whew.

Got to the hotel FINALLY at 2:30.

(My sister and I decided it was the Do-Over Trip because we had to keep Doing-Over just about everything! LOL)

And four women getting dressed for a wedding at the same time was very entertaining. But we made it and it was off to the wedding at 4:30. And it was lovely! We had a smashing good time at the reception too. We ate BBQ and danced our legs off. And I eve managed to injure myself dancing. I thought at first my toe was broken but it seems to me that it’s just a very bad bruise with some swelling (and boy is it UGLY). I’m keeping my toes taped until it heals completely.

We managed to drag ourselves back to the hotel at around 12:30 am. Very late. And way past my bedtime. We all finally settled down for bed somewhere around 1 am. And then I promptly woke up at 3:30 am and STAYED AWAKE. It was a torturous day. I don’t know how I survived or even HOW I’m still sitting upright.

We begged for a ride to the airport and my other sister and her sweet husband got up at oh-damn-thirty and took us. And, really, it WAS oh-damn-thirty. He stopped and bought us all coffee. I don’t think any of us would have made it if he hadn’t. Check in and security was actually decent. We made it through with nary a hitch. The flight back was good and our bags were some of the first ones off which was smashing. Made it to the car, drove back to Mom’s house and dropped off my sister and niece and then I high-tailed it to Fort Worth to meet Man for lunch and the head into the office. I got there about 12:30 and hit the ground running. Well, limping. Seeing as how I have  bum toe.

I have lots and lots of great pictures. I’ll try to get some posted up. Someday. Soon. When I have time. Between midnight and 6 am. HA. 

This week is the family open house. It’s on Friday and we have a TON of work to do. Food to buy, decorations to do, and various and sundry other things.

OH! And my RITA entries were waiting for me at the door when I got home. I have only a few weeks to read like 8 books. I have NO idea how I’m going to do that, especially with the contest going on. I think I want to stab myself in the eye.

Okay that’s it for me. I’m going to bed. I’ve had it. Good night, all.

Weekend went by way too fast. Junior played in his first basketball game ever and he did good. I like the organization he’s playing for.

By the time you read this, I will be on a plane to Houston. Well, actually, on my WAY to a plane to Houston. My niece is getting married tonight. I spaced out and forgot to buy the gift until this past weekend because my days got away from me. So, I went shopping and bought stuff off her registry list. And I’m sure they TSA agents will get a chuckle when they see the cake carrier inside my suitcase. I wish I could be there to see it.

Meh. They probably won’t care. I’m sure they’ve seen all sorts of strange things.

Anyway, so I’m off on a big adventure. I’m picking up Sister 2 and Niece 2 and we’re heading to the airport and then getting on a plane. I’ll be back on Tuesday, head straight to work and then head straight to basketball practice.

And the week doesn’t even slow down from there. We have the family open house at the new building on Friday and there’s lots of prep work that has to be done before then.

And Saturday we have another basketball game. And the whole cycle starts all over again! I guess that’s the way it goes.

Okay that’s it for me. Hectic day ahead!

Last night, after struggling with this one section for days, it finally hit me! I finally figured out some crucial backstory to my race of Fae. And, surprisingly, there are Elves, too.

I love Elves. I love that Tolkein came up with the beautiful, ethereal Elves for Lord of the Rings. There is something just so awesome about them. Mine are patterned much like his, thought they don’t live in Middle Earth. The live in the Otherworld with the Fae. And they don’t much care for the Faeries, either. I haven’t figured out why yet.

BUT, what I’m happy to report is that I think I have some solid worldbuilding now. And I wrote just shy of 1500 words. It felt super awesome to get some words in finally after all the struggle.

So I rewarded myself with a pair of shoes from DSW online. They’re having a clearance sale and I had $10 certificate I had to use before Sunday. So what the heck? So I shopped online and I found the CUTEST pair of black Jones New York for – get this – $30 with shipping! OH yeah, that rocks. It’s a total Deal Of The Century right there. (By the way, they were regularly $80).

There’s also a new Coach bag out that I’m hot to have (Madison Maggie if you’re so inclined to look it up – it’s HAWT). I should have never looked at their website the other. And this bag just spoke to me in a way no other has. Okay that sounds really odd but it’s totally true. I wish Coach would send out another Preferred Customer Event card (25% off – I always get one) so I could get the bag.

Oh well. It’s only a bag. Right? (as if)

I also have a Best Buy reward certificate to use so I think I’m going this weekend and getting myself an iPod/clock radio dock I can take to the office. I hate not having a radio. It’s very bothersome to me. I like to have background noise when I’m working. And the same old MP3s I have on my computer are, um, getting old. Yes, I’m spoiled.

Okay that’ sit for me. I’m in a meeting all day but TGIF. I’m happy it’s Friday!

I have an idea for an article I want to write for my chapter newsletter. It’s just finding the time to sit down and do that. I also have ideas for my WIP but it’s finding time to do THAT as well.

Last night, my evening was filled with doing chapter duties – finding an agent that can come to the luncheon, as well as a speaker. I put some queries out there and I’m waiting to hear back before I ask more folks. I’m quickly running out of time to get someone booked, though, and I’m trying not to panic. I also had work to do on the contest. Logging entry forms and emailing entrants and what-not. It’s busy. And the evenings go so dang fast.

I spent the afternoon at the dentist’s office. I’ve been going to them for something like 18 years so it’s always fun to chat them up. They’re awesome folks.

Tonight I’m frying chicken tenders and making mashed potatoes. All the kiddo has to do for school is study for his geography test and then I’m going to ignore my email inbox and write. Okay, yeah, so I know I keep saying that. But the only way I’ve been successful is when I shut down the main computer, boot up the mini, sit in bed with the iPod and write until my fingers ache. I’m going to try that tonight. I feel discombobulated a lot lately with the writing. Like I can’t find my rythm again. *sigh*

Okay that’s it for me! I can’t believe it’s Thursday already!

Oh – and – what’s new with you? Inquiring minds want to know!

I’m exhausted.

Got nothing done last night which I hate because I so wanted to work on the WIP. But I didn’t get home until late and had no dinner and was completely spent by the time 9 pm rolled around. I feel old.

I had to take junior to basketball practice last night, which was interesting. He had a good time, I think, but we had some issues. We got there way 30 minutes before practice started which was WAY too early. In the course of that 30 minutes, the kid managed to twist his ankle, scratch his leg, and smack himself in the face with the ball.

Then they have three teams that practice all at once and of course he was on the wrong team. I realized this about 10 minutes into practice when something from the coach’s email trigged me (he said he’d have his teenage son helping him). So I wave my kid over and tell he’s on the wrong team and to go ask the other guy if that’s his coach and OF COURSE he shakes his head no and runs back. So I’m watching him and they’re taking a minute to sit down and talk about whatever they talk about. And my kid looks at me with a deer in headlights look and mouths, “MOM! WRONG TEAM.”

*sigh*

I knew this. I wave him back over, graby his hand and march over to the other coach. I tell him I think my son is on his team and we confirm that yes, indeed, he is. After he got with the right team, he had a blast. I could tella difference with him. He was having more fun with them than the others. Who knows why.

And, I have to admit, during those 30 minutes before practice, I watched him shoot hoops and he made a lot of them. I was impressed. Because I certainly can’t get a basketball in a hoop, even if it is lowered to the 3rd grade level.

So, at any rate, I didn’t get any writing done. I absolutely detest getting home late. But what are you gonna do? That’s life.

Today I’m off to the dentist for a cleaning. And then tomorrow should be a somewhat normal day. Friday I’m in a meeeting all day.

And Saturday we have a basketball game at 12:15. So it begins.

That’s it for me! Happy Hump Day.

You know what I love? I love when the unexpected happens – and it’s a GOOD unexpected.

Yesterday started off kinda yucky but actually turned out kinda good! And it was all good stuff in my writing world. I had emailed an editor to ask if she would be interested in coming to our annual chapter luncheon in May and she said yes! So that was very exciting.

Then, I got an email from another editor on another contest I had coordinated. I’d sent Starbucks thank you cards for being a final judge in our contest and she emailed me to let me know she appreciated it and received it. I was glad to know it finally made it. Since I have a submission there, I casually asked what the response time was. She asked me to remind her of the title and genre and she would be sure to put it at the top of the list. Then she emailed me a little later and said that it was on another editor’s desk and I should hear something soon.

I will brace myself for what that ’somthing’ could be. Hopefully it’s good news.

Busy week. Basketball starts tonight and then I have a dental appointment tomorrow and then a meeting all day on Friday and THEN I’m in Houston for my niece’s wedding. Guess I need to make sure I have a plan with the other passengers…

Off to work! Happy Tuesday.

This working full weeks again is a drag.

The weekend was good. Had my local chapter meeting on Saturday morning with a very informative guest. She talked about writing and taxes. It always helps to know what you can and can’t deduct. Then we all went to lunch and I had some delish tortilla soup and some great conversation. The group is so much fun and it’s nice to be able to talk with other writers.

Saturday afternoon I spent at the computer. Man had to work so I had the house to myself. I finished the financial report for one chapter and worked on gathering documents for the other. I will be glad when I get this renewal packet done so I can get on with my life.

Then I sent out some requests to potential guests for the luncheon. Hopefully I can get one agent and one editor to come do appointments for us but I’m not holding my breath. One already said no since he had a conflict which is a total bummer. So I’m going to contact a few more before I totally give up.

Went to dinner with the girls and had a smashing good time. We met at Macaroni Grill and drank wine and had food and dessert. I was stuffed and we chatted for nearly three hours before finally breaking it up. I got home in time to see the end of the Cowboys game - and they won! WOO!

Sunday was very calm and quiet. Had the house to myself most of the day and spent it doing laundry and watching episodes of Lost. I cooked dinner and then at about 9 I finally sat down to write. That must be my time to write because I can’t seem to do it any other time. Wrote for about an hour revision a section and then finally crashed.

I’m not sure I’m ready for another week – it’s going to be a busy one, too. But I guess I just have to face it anyway. Here’s to Monday!

I can. I’m so happy it’s Friday. This has been a hectic week and yesterday nearly killed me.

We got a few icy patches on the roadways but that was it. No major ice event. However, they still closed the schools which I think was totally dumb. What if we really have an icy day? Then what? You going to make the kids go to school anyway? And now they have to make up a day. Stupid.

Oh well. I had to work late. Didn’t get home until after 6. I was such a bad mom, I made mac & cheese for dinner and then let the kiddo play on the Wii (after he did his homework – what little he had). I answered emails. And then I sat on the couch and stared at the trainwreck UT-Alabama game. And it was, indeed, a trainwreck.

Tonight I have one more board meeting with one group and I have to prepare for another chapter meeting with the other group. I’m spent. I want nothing more than to stare for hours on end at my little computer and get lost in the Otherworld. And the harder I try, it seems, the harder I’m thwarted. Quite frankly it’s pissing me off.

Still cold here. The low was 14 degrees last night. The coldest it’s been here in 10 years. The news is calling it “bitter blast” or “arctic blast” because they’re not creative enough to call it anything else. I wonder what I’d call it if I was a TV news producer? Hm. I’ll have to think about that. How about, “Dude! It’s Freaking Cold!” You think that’d fly?

Anyway. I’m glad it’s Friday! And I’m ready for some downtime this weekend. I’m going to get it one way or another. I promised myself.

Happy Friday, y’all!

The COLD is HERE. And OMG. It’s COLD. Have I mentioned it’s cold? I don’t think you could wear enough layers to stay warm outside. How do you people up north stand it? I would freeze to death. haha

Well dumbass (that’s me) left her thumb drive on her desk at work so she couldn’t do a darn thing. So I layed on the couch and watched the hockey game and then read my book. My feet were killing me anyway. I wore heels and ended up having to be up and around nearly all day. The framer came to hang our wall art today at the new office and it looks awesome. Heard lots of positive comments about them, too, which is great. Makes me happy. Makes me feel like it’s a job well done.

So instead of writing, I balanced my checkbook. Not exciting. But it’s the last one of 2009 and now I can file and start thinking about taxes (yuck).

And tonight, I have to leave my cozy warm house and take my child to basketball practice. The very thought makes me want to stab myself in the eye. Ah well. That’s the way it goes.

Stay warm everyone!