Thursday Thirteen.

Yep, it's Thursday yet again. I've been busy this week with book edits and all the normal run-arounds that a wife and mother deals with. I am going at a pretty good pace when it comes to adding my book edits to the computer file for A Birth at Dawn. I *should* be done in another day or two. YAY!

Ok, now lets get to the Thursday Thirteen. Today's topic is....

13 Pet Peeves of Mine

1. People who cut you off in traffic. Are you really going to get your kid to school faster than mine? They go to the SAME school!
2. People who can't drive & talk on their cell phones. If you're going to do it illegally, at least learn how to do it well.
3. People who show up without letting you know they're coming.
4. On the flip side, people who DO call, but don't show up on time... if at all. Why am I waiting around for you again?
5. People who can't put a new roll of toilet paper on the hanger. Why sit it on the counter? It will take you like a whole second to put it in the right spot. Right?
6. People who stick their noses into other people's business. Mind your own business!
7. Dog owners who refuse to keep their animals on their own property. If I wanted you dog over here tormenting my cats I'd invite it over.
8. Gas prices... need I say more?
9. People who let their kids run wild in public. My kids stay within a three foot space from me, why can't yours?
10. People who smoke in public crowds. I could really care less if you kill yourself with those, but I'd like to not be forced to breathe in your secondhand smoke.
11. The disappearance of common courtesy. Really, when did that happen?
12. Filthy public bathrooms. People are PAID to clean those, so why are they always dirty?
13. Lastly, after-school program directors who think that they can change the practice schedules last minute, yet still expect us parents to drop everything and jump on it. Not this mommy. If you're scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursday, don't tell me after Tuesday's practice that you're adding Wednesday to the lineup. So sorry, not coming, have plans, I signed up for two days a week, not three. You'll have to get over it.

Well, there you go. My Thursday Thirteen for this week is complete. Back to work I go!! :-)

YAY! I'm almost done!

I just finished up the first set of edits on A Birth at Dawn! Woohoo! I'm happy, I'm happy! Yay, Yay! LOL!

If you didn't already know, I hate editing. I'd much rather be writing the next book that keeps screaming at me to write it. But, it wouldn't be fair to my readers if I didn't finish one project, and release it, before starting another one. I know that many of you are out there waiting patiently for this new book to be available, and for that, I am ever so grateful.

Anyway, I just wanted to post this little (or not so little, in my eyes) update. I look forward to the day that I'm announcing its release date! :-)

I'm back!

Yesterday I made it home from our weekend away. I'd really like to say that I came home rested & relaxed, but with three kids and a husband who likes to go, go, go, that's just not possible. But, we did have a good time.

Our youngest didn't like the mountains. She kept saying that she wanted to go to the beach (we vacation on Tybee Island every summer), and then when we were up there she kept asking to go home. She slept terribly both nights and was so happy when we came home yesterday. She even let me know that her crib missed her. LOL! Poor baby.

I got to stand back and laugh at my oldest daughter and hubby's attempts at roller skating. I can't skate, and never could, so I knew better than to put a pair of shoes with wheels on my clumsy feet. LOL! Tim swore that he use to be able to skate, but you couldn't tell it from his performance that day. LOL!

Anyway, the big girls went back to school today, the hubby went back to work, and the toddler is happily watching her favorite channel, Noggin, (which the hotel did not have). So life is back to normal and it's time for me to get back to work. I should be finished with the first full round of book edits on A irth at Dawn by Wednesday. Then I'll go through it one more time before sending it off to be scoured by another set of eyes. It won't be long now!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Monday and that the new week brings lots of joy into your life. Later!

Thursday Thirteen!

It's that day of the week again... Thursday! So what's my topic for this week, you might ask. This week, the topic for my Thursday Thirteen is...

Thirteen Things That I Do When I'm Stressed!! (Yes, it's been one of those weeks)

1. I get a headache.
2. I get very ill-tempered.
3. I'm more likely to yell.
4. I become argumentative.
5. I drink a nice shot of coconut rum. It always relaxes me. LOL!
6. I go to bed early.
7. I get a little "one-on-one" time with the hubby. Always makes me feel better! LOL.
8. I go shopping, alone!
9. I listen to my music very loudly and scream along with the lyrics.
10. I block out everyone around, so much so that people have to say my name numerous times before I hear them.
11. I write, write, write, and write some more. It soothes me to just embrace my characters and their world. It removes me from what is stressing me out.
12. I play online games.
13. I chat with my friend Mis. She always makes me smile when I'm in a pissy mood. :-D

Thank goodness that I'm going out of town this weekend. The hubby & I are leaving tomorrow to take the girls away to Gatlinburg, TN, and we won't be back until Sunday evening. We love going up there, but we haven't been in about 3 yrs, and we were missing it. So I made reservations a few weeks ago and now it's finally time to go!

Thank goodness, because I need a break. A break from home. A break from book editing. A break from all the drama of the cyber world. Just a break.

Of course that doesn't mean that I'll be cut off from my cyber-world. Gosh no! I'll be taking my laptop right along with me and the hotel has free wi-fi. Soooo, if anyone really needs me while I'm gone, you can still email me and I'll answer. LOL!

Ok, I'm off for today. I have packing and shopping to do. I need to fill up the van with gas and try to get the girls' clothing packed without them knowing we are going somewhere (they don't know and we want to surprise them). I'll be back late Sunday and I hope that all of you have a wonderful weekend! :-)

Happy President's Day!

Well, it's Monday again. The big girls are out of school all this week for President's Day & a "Mid-Winter Break". Luckily, they were pretty good today, without many problems. Of course, tomorrow all hell may break loose. LOL!

I've been busy on book edits today, and trying to stay focused and off the computer. Sometimes the computer just calls your name like the little "You've Got Mail" chime alerts you to a new message. What is it about being connected to cyber-space at all hours of the day? I just can't disconnect when I know someone is sending me a message.

To everyone waiting on A Birth at Dawn, you'll be happy to know that this book is even closer to being released. I'm *hoping* that it will be ready for release by the end of March. So be on the look-out for a release announcement soon.

To everyone reading this, I want to share one of the newest places on the internet that ha drawn my attention away from work... LTTM!

LTTM stands for Less Than Traditional Moms. This is a Yahoo Group for all the moms out there that don't quite fit into the "traditional" mold. As a lover of vamps, werewolves, witches, and numerous other paranormal creatures, pretty much fit right into the category. LOL!

If anyone is interested in joining our little group, enjoying some good old-fashion chatting, and getting to know other interesting mothers, stop by and sign up. I'm one of the moderators, so feel free to say hi and jump right in!

Ok, I guess that's it for today. I need to disconnect and get back to work before I have to start dinner and welcome the hubby home from a hard day's work. I hope that you have a wonderful week and don't forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter (use the blue & white box on the right), as the March issue will be sent out in two weeks. :-)

Thursday Thirteen - Valentine's Day edition!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. I hope that you are able to snuggle up tightly with the one you love the most. My honey is at work and I'm doctoring a sick 3yr old this morning. My little lady has picked up a nasty cold from one of her older sisters (who picked it up at school) and now she's curled up in my bed, watching cartoons and drinking hot cocoa.

I don't have any major V-Day plans for today. I will probably go by a local pizza place and order a heart-shaped pizza for dinner, but nothing other than that. We have planned a weekend getaway for next weekend, so that will be our "gift" for Valentine's Day.

Alright, let's get into the Thursday Thirteen for this week. Today the theme is...

Thirteen Things That I Love About My Man:

1. I love that, after 14 yrs, he still gets excited at the sight of me. LOL!
2. I love that he sneaks up behind me and kisses me on the neck.
3. I love that he has grown into the man I wanted him to be all those years ago.
4. I love that he goes to work everyday, even when he doesn't want to.
5. I love that he thinks of me throughout the day.
6. I love that he calls me on his way home, every day.
7. I love that he calls me his, "Sexy Mamacita", even though we don't speak a lick of Spanish. LOL!
8. I love that he can curl up with the children at any given moment.
9. I love that he & the oldest are in a contest to see who can finish a particular video game first.
10. I love that he goes out on a cold winter night and brings in firewood so that I won't have to do it the next morning.
11. I love that he sits down and shuts up when he knows I'm stressed beyond compare and just can't take another word being spoken.
12. I love that he fully admits that I am always right. LOL!
13. Lastly, I love that feeling of security that I have when he wraps his arms around me after a long, difficult day.

My husband, Tim, and I have been together for over 14 yrs and will be having our 14th wedding anniversary in April. We married at the age of 17, and were really just babies. Tim has grown into a man over these years... both mentally and physically.

Our early years were difficult (like most couples), but those passed and here we are. I wouldn't know what to do without him, especially on those stress-filled, crazy days. At the end of the day, I'm happy to see that this man is still by my side and has no plans of ever leaving it.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. I hope that you have someone that makes you feel the way that my Tim makes me feel.




P.S. Looking for some romance? How about checking out A Midnight Infatuation? It's filled with intrigue, passion, sex, heat, lust, and even a little blood!

Power outage...

WOW! This morning my power went out. I didn't think much of it since it seems to happen on occassion when we have rough weather. Well, normally the power will blink and then go out, but today it just went BAM and everything went dark.

Turns out that a power pole at the end of my driveway had blow the top off and was hanging by the powerlines, and it was smoking! Eek! Because of that, the power was out for almost 2 hrs and then 4 giant power trucks were piled up in my driveway for another 3 hours.

They were blocking my exit when it came time for me to go pick my older girls up at school. Luckily, when I questioned them on how much longer it would take, they assured me that they were finishing up and would move out of my way immediately. Five minutes later they were leaving.

On top of all that, it was COLD here in GA today. Our high for today occurred sometime while I was still asleep in bed last night. LOL. It has been cold all day. Luckily, I have a nice fire going in the fireplace and the house is cozy and warm. Will spring be her soon? I'm not a winter person. LOL.

Ok, I'm off for now. I'll be back tomorrow with my Thursday Thirteen. Just like last week, I have no idea what the theme will be, but there will be one when tomorrow rolls around. Have a nice evening!

Let the countdown begin!

Ahhh, just the thought of vacation makes me relax in an instant. But when you've made resevations for that vacation you really have something to look forward to!

A few minutes ago, I called the condo rental lady that I deal with each summer and I booked our condo for a whole week from July 5 to July 12th. I am so excited and I can't wait for it to arrive. I can't stand cold weather, and I love to sun worship. LOL Yes, yes, I know it's not good for you, but I do wear sunscreen. LOL.

Today has been a busy day, but I did get a lot done before noon. I paid a bill OFF (YAY), did my grocery shopping, did a few other errands, and even bought myself a new shirt (I was looking for jeans though, lol). Then I came home and made a few phone calls and fed the youngun'. LOL Now I'm just hanging out until I have to pick the big girls up from school in an hour.

I hope that everyone is having a great Friday!!

Thursday Thirteen

Welcome to Thursday everyone! It has been one long, crazy week around here. But, I'm still alive, so I guess it's all good. LOL.

My Thursday Thirteen them this week is...

Thirteen Things That I Learned This Week:

1. I learned who my true friends are & weeded out some less-than-sincere ones.
2. I learned that placing a glass casserole dish on a stove that is still on will result in flying shards of glass and casserole all across the kitchen & diningroom.
3. I learned to be grateful for the local pizza place after dealing with an exploding casserole. LOL
4. I learned that cleaning Tator Tot Casserole off of the stove eyes is quite an extensive job.
5. I learned that my dog & I have a better relationship when he can spend warm days outside.
6. I learned that telling my toddler 27,000 times not to spit water in the floor still isn't enough times.
7. I learned that a glass of wine (or three) does wonders for the spirit. ;-)
8. I learned that I don't like meatless hotdogs. Ewww!
9. I learned that good quality bunkbeds are exptremely expensive.
10. I learned that I might be getting a much needed office here at home. YAY!
11. I learned that my girls have widely varying taste in decor.
12. I learned that everyone can easily choose a room theme when Mommy says she'll do it herself. (They don't want to see what I'd choose for their room, lol.)
13. Lastly, I learned that I am a stronger woman than I thought. Life may throw you curve balls (after curve ball, after curve ball), but I can catch those curve balls and move on.

I hope that everyone has had a great week, and will have a wonderful upcoming weekend. I will be out doing some shopping this weekend. We'll be coming into a nice tax refund tomorrow & we'll go put it right back into the economy. LOL!

Manic Monday...

Yep, it's Monday again. The weekend was kind of slow and peaceful, but the hubby hates slow and peaceful, so I heard him whining that he was bored. LOL! That's ok though, we've been married for almost 14yrs so I'm use to it.

I am currently planning a weekend getaway for us to take in about two weeks. We will spend the weekend in Gatlinburg, TN. We love it up there, but haven't been in a few years. So I need to call and make reservations today sometime.

I have a huge list of things to do this week and it will only get longer as the week goes on. But, at least I'll get a nice chunk of change from the Federal government when Friday rolls around. Thank goodness for direct deposit. LOL!

Oh, and before I go, my February newsletter will be going out on Wednesday. If you aren't already signed up to receive it, you can sign up with the box to the right or just click here. :-)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Monday! Now I'm off to call a man about a hotel room. LOL!

Tagged

I was tagged by Pat at http://pajohnsonsthisandthat.blogspot.com/

Here's how you play: once you've been tagged you have to write a blog with 4 random facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end choose 4 people to be tagged; list their names and why you tagged them. Don't forget to leave them a comment saying "you're it!" and to go read your blog. You cannot tag the person that tagged you, so since you can't tag me back let me know when you are done so that I can go read your blog answers.

1. I plan to release a total of 3 new books in 2008.
2. I hate cleaning bathrooms & will do everything else just so I won't have to do the bathrooms.
3. I want to move to Tybee Island, GA.
4. My 14th wedding anniversary is April 9th (I was only 17 when we married).

Now I am going to tag these four friends of mine:
Cailin, Lib, Christi S., Michele P.