Sick Kitty, Not Feeling Too Well Myself

There's a reason I'm not a nurse. The reason is: I'm nuts. And I feel bad for cats or people stuck in my care.

Writing, writing, writing--and getting a few steps ahead! Yay, Karen! Thank you! :-)

Spending too much time on Twitter.

Reading Cozy mysteries in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. Check out The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis! As I'm about to say I truly enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for the next one in the series, I'm also mulling over some recent brushes with book snobbery. I don't really get why people find one sort of book more valuable than another. I have an English degree--I was taught by book-snob professors in classes filled with book-snob student, but I don't love snobbery of any sort. I do love a good read. Back to the diva. The book starts with a bang. It's set in Old Town Alexandria, one of my favorite places on earth, and it's filled with quirky, lovable characters. You can't go wrong!

Back to work!

Monday at Panera

I'm lurking under my headphones trying not to hear the college kids behind me talking about their love lives. I think they want to date each other, but they're both insulting each other's SOs. It's interesting--and also none of my business!

I've been traveling. Had a conference, not far from home, but far enough to stay at the hotel and talk writing to my heart's content. And visit with my excellent editor. And eat too much good stuff. And miss my little family. (How weird is that, only an hour or so away?)

Then my family had a reunion. I love seeing my aunts and uncles and my cousins. And this time, I got to meet the newest baby in the family--totally adorable--despite the handful of hair he grasped. Seriously, how cute can cute really be? That's him!

Then my girl and I got to hang out with our only girl cousin. We chit-chatted and solved most of the world's problems. Turns out we have no expertise with the economy.

And, finally, my nephew, who works on the Dublin, GA newspaper, had an article picked up by the AP. I must link because I'm so proud I could bust! Man--the article's already gone. So--if you're looking, Winston, I tried, and I wish I could have shown you off! ;-)

Back to my own work--unless Winston will maybe take over for me! ;-)

*Update! Found a paper that still had the article. Read and enjoy!

Back, at last!

Our satellite dish had simply tilted out of tolerance. Huh. Naturally, I blamed it on the neighbors who've appropriated our yard to: build a bonfire, periodically store their trampoline, build a fort, build jumps for their ATVs, run a trail for their ATVs.

Most of that has stopped because we don't really take it well, though they still use the trail behind our tree line. The oddest day was when they got upset (families on both sides of us) that we didn't want their fort in our yard. (Picture dragging of boards and metal into our yard via ATV's/sawing/hammering, etc. that is often more acceptably done on land a person owns.) Imagine our arrogance.

So--I was arrogant. I assumed they came over and moved our dish to protest our refusal to house their fort. But they didn't unless they brought tools and hung around a while. I feel a bit mean and ugly about suspecting the worst, but honestly, this will be the second time in our married life that we've had to build a fence to keep neighbors from appropriating our yard. (Okay, it's a three-acre yard, but that just means more fencing to pay for.) Come on, winter! Because these rather annoying kids seem to stay indoors if there's a chill. Wouldn't it be nice if their parents suggested they stay out?

Now this has turned into a whiny post, but I'm actually glad to have access to my blog again. I've missed rambling, and I should delete the whining. However, I'm busy, and I'm not starting over.

Has anyone seen "The Mentalist"? It's my latest TV-fave. I keep the old one (there have only been two episodes, but I'm in luuuuuuuvvv!) until the new one comes on cause I have to watch it again. I see a DVD set in my future! (Shhh! Don't tell the husband. You know the economy's not that good lately, and he doesn't think we should demonstrate confidence that spending money makes money!)

Anyway, I'm taking a class online, and today's lecture is about characterization. I've recognized the bad guy immediately in both episodes, but I cannot look away because they're doing very clever things with characterization for Patrick Jane. He breaks my heart, and yet, I find myself laughing out loud more than once a show. Witness: Hero and sheriff playing intense rock/paper/scissors on this week's epi.

Gotta go. Gotta write. Gotta vacum, cause company's coming! But it's nice to be back!

Note: I have long owed several people books, but I couldn't get into that email address to get snail mail addresses. I'll get the books out next week. Sorry! ;-( (Shamed smiley-non-smiley)

Not gone; just disconnected

The satellite finally gave up. Hopefully, repairs will make all better.

Until then, I wish everyone well!

I hope the coffee shop doesn't start charging rent.

Spoke Too Soon

The Internet's down at home again. Fortunately, the car's working, and the coffee's flowing. (I can't wait until hot-chocolate weather. They draw the cutest little designs on the steamed milk here!)

Last night, after dinner my friend and I drove around town so I could show her the courthouse square I "borrowed" for my Welcome to Honesty series. She'd read Her Reason to Stay, and I didn't even have to force her to look at our hometown, including the coffee shop where I wrote a good many of those pages.

That's friendship! Seriously, we talked about family, both the ones we grew up with and the ones we've made since. We've both traveled the world since marriage and babies, but every time we meet, I look at her face, and I'm taken back to those days when no event was complete or anywhere near as much fun until I'd shared all the shocking details with her.

I just wish Denver was a little closer! I'm actually a bit startled when I meet people who haven't lived everywhere on earth, and I envy them--the connections that time and distance never strain, the time they get to spend with the loved ones they love best. On the other hand, I'm wise enough to just relish the hours I got to spend with my friend and look forward to the next time! (Even if I'm pretty sure next time can't come fast enough!)

Back in again!

I can't believe it. Yay!

Clouds are hovering overhead, even, but shhhhhh--don't tell the satellite dish. I'm a little bemused, in the middle of about four projects, at a stage where I need to finish two right away and get them out. Sigh. (Car troubles and girls who live far enough away to need car swappings!)

And tonight I'm meeting one of my dearest friends for dinner. I rarely ever get to see her, and I can barely type for dancing.

However, I'd better get back to those pages so I don't have stories running through my mind during dinner.

Tuesday in September

The trees are really changing now. Yellow and a few red. The weather's not cooling, really, but the sun is angling in that Autumn tilt. Didn't the summer days fly by?

But the girl's back at school, and Labor Day went by. Fall's starting soon, and I expect to be excited, but right now, I feel a little melancholy because the girl's room is empty, and I miss all my offspring.

Better take this to the wip, huh?