Weekend Catch Up

Until one of two things happen, I’m making this site the new home for my blog. Unless a) Blogger and Chrome learn to work together as a team or b) my laptop is fixed, I’ll be posting here. I’ve simply run out of time to fight with Blogger or even Firefox.

Had a good weekend; passed out a few cards on Sat at the Stroll, even though it was freezing cold and the spouse thought we were all insane, I told people Murphy was a bitch; the past several parades have been in the 30’s, and Friday was still in the high 40’s/low 50’s. Trust it to be cold the year they scheduled the parade on Saturday!

Karaoke was packed; I was only able to sing 3 songs, and only because I played on Mark’s (drunk) sympathies:

Faith of the Heart: Did well on it, but when Mel picked up my camera, she accidentally hit the battery compartment, knocking them out. So no video.

Everybody: Mel and I decided to try this, since another group had sung Step By Step (New Kids on the Block), but we bombed. Chalk this up to temporary insanity!

Faithfully: Nailed this one, which thrilled me! I’ve been singing it ever since it released over 30 years ago, and I’ve been dying for the chance to sing it. Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t seem to appreciate my talents, as they drowned me out with their conversation….or so it seemed, anyway. I’ll review the video footage and see if I can be heard.

Sunday was busy, as I had a CRHP ‘reunion’ and the two recipients of their framed song and poem were thrilled! I’ll be giving the other one out tonight, Thursday, or next Wednesday, since she wasn’t there.

I was a little pissed off when I sat down to watch 60 minutes. CBS had stated it was to start at 7:30, so I enjoyed dinner with the family. But football had apparently (gasp!) finished early, and I missed 20 minutes of it, the story I had actually wanted to see.

Amazing Race: While I was happy to see the Ice Rink girls be eliminated, I was also thrilled to note I was spot on about Nicole’s use of the Express Pass. Had it not been Amy’s generosity in helping her (cannot believe someone does not know what an octave is! Did the woman never pay attention in music class???), she and Travis would have been going home.

Good Wife: This season gets weirder and weirder. Is Will that bitter toward Alicia? That new smarmy lawyer he hired….yeah, if I wanted to get back at someone, that stunt was ingenious and I’d want him on my side. But on the other hand…..that was annoying.

Yesterday, I neglected to post. But then again, I’d overslept; didn’t even get dressed until 1pm; and had to take the youngling to the dr. Spent the afternoon doing laundry and typing up what I’d written in longhand over the weekend.

Heading Into The Homestretch!
NaNo deadline is this Saturday, and I’m only at the 22K mark. But, I’m hoping to finish Brock and Tricia’s story, then find a title for it, so I can send it off by February. The alien culture keeps developing as I write it, so I’ll have to go back and fix a lot in the earlier chapters. And that was my NaNo goal all along, so I’m thrilled:)

Tomorrow: More Hump Day fun:)

Flashback Friday: Another Diagnosis!

Nov 2003:

Recap:  D had two heart surgeries, was diagnosed with TB and put on those meds; I came up pregnant and had to quit my job; both cars died.  Thankfully, we were able to patch together the Lincoln Town car and drive to his mother’s for Thanksgiving.

We spent an enjoyable weekend, and when D began telling his mother of some other health issues he was experiencing, she made him test his blood sugar.  Over 300.  What?????  As soon as I could, I made him an appointment for the following Wednesday.

This time, his blood sugar was over 400.  Dr. S had him immediately admitted to the hospital.  I called the kids and told them I’d be home shortly, after settling him in.  I felt bad once we got him settled, since Dietary showed up with a meal for his roommate, but he wasn’t allowed to eat it.  I offered, so they gave it to me, and I enjoyed it.  But then the nurse came by and told the roommate his test had been cancelled, and could eat.  I rather sheepishly confessed to eating it; they ordered another meal!  D spent the next day undergoing more tests and was diagnosed with Type II diabetes.  Two more medications were added to his growing list.

I also began noticing people whispering, and finally one of my friends asked me if I’d lost the baby.  I said no; they had noticed I wasn’t putting on much weight and wondered if anything had happened.  I did let my kids accompany me to the ultrasound, where they got their first look at their new sibling.  I didn’t want to know the sex, but the kids did; however, ‘Peanut’ rolled over and refused to allow the tech to get a look between his/her legs!  We were also given an entire strip of pictures, so each one could take to school and show off their new brother or sister.

Next Month:  Christmas Craziness and Bed Rest!

******

Songs For Tomorrow:

Faith of the Heart-Rod Stewart

Faithfully-Journey

Fall 2 Pieces-Avril Lavign

Black Velvet-Alannah Miles

Have a great weekend!

TSWSNBN #4

I will be soooo happy once my computer is straightened out! Still having issues with Blogger.

Ch. 14:
Friend K just got engaged, yet she turns puce? And A thinks she knows what K wants to do instead of going clubbing. Give me a break. If she’s going to be sick. that doesn’t always mean she’d rather hit the sheets instead of the dance floor. I think the author meant to write another color.

Pg.301: Why is he so worried about her alcohol intake? So she downs the water in an ‘unladylike manner’ to protest. Huh.

A is fondled on the dance floor; she slaps him; C punches the guy. Overkill? And yet no one but A thinks K and E are ‘being indecent’ on the dance floor?

Pg. 309: He’s not mad at her ‘for once’ and she thinks this is progress???

Ch. 15: I find it hard to believe her hand still hurts. And I’m completely thrown off by the mock ‘rape’ scene on pages 314-317.

Ch. 16: A goes to work and L shows up to see her. I don’t even know why this was necessary to the story. It’s so uncomfortable to read. I had to stop at the beginning of Ch. 17 to read something else: My FB feed. Much more entertaining.

HDH #30

Currently Reading:  Finished Soulbound last night and WOW!  Really enjoyed this story of three friends finally admitting their true feelings for one another.  Also finished The Price of Defiance.  Now onto The Bitch in the Kitchen:)

I know; there’s no ‘official’ HDH today.  But I’m still fighting with Chrome and Firefox, and apparently I can’t add any photos to this blog while in Chrome.  And FF is moving at a snail’s pace, so I quit trying over there.

Anyway, here’s another snippet from my NaNo wip.  Brock and Tricia finally have their first argument.

“She’s what, sixteen? From what your mother has said, she’s almost of age,” Tricia reminded him. “I know she’s your baby sister, but you’re going to have to accept her choice. How did she first feel when you told her about me?”

Brock looked at her. “That is different.”

“How so? Re’Nah told me how she tried to dissuade you from pursuing me.”

“I knew what I wanted, and nothing was going to stop me.” Brock folded his arms across his chest.

Tricia tipped her head to one side. “Then how do you know you’re right and Ki’Rah’s wrong? Flip it around, Brock. You’re the youngest and pursuing someone nearly thirty years younger than you. Your older siblings question your decision, even expressing disapproval at every turn. How does that make you feel?”

“Do not use your Earthling psychology on me.”

“Then quit acting like a jackass and be happy for your sister.” Tricia’s temper flared. “Yes, your sisters haven’t followed an exactly approved path, and neither did your brother. You went outside your solar system and brought me home, an alien who has to wear dark glasses and drink water all the time, because your liquids are too spicy for me. But all you can say is, ‘I know what I wanted and nothing was going to stop me.’ Can’t Ki’Rah say the same? Or does she have to grow up in order to say that?” She put her hands on her hips. “If she’s anything like teenagers on my world, she may run off with Da’Til just to get away from you. Is that what you want?”

It’s Tuesday??

Currently Reading: Finished Big Girl (DS) and Love Slave for Two: Family Matters (TD). I was most disappointed in BG, since I love Steele’s books, but this was so full of the same phrases over and over, I wondered if a) she actually wrote it or b) did her editor drop the ball? I probably will NOT reread this. And I blame my 3-star rating of LSFT on the fact I’m fighting for time with my Kindle, plus in the middle of NaNo and a long book was tiresome, especially in the 1st or 2nd chapter when I wanted to slap Nevvie silly for her temper tantrum over legalities. If you’re going to live in an unconditional marital arrangement, don’t expect the state to readily jump in and change laws or give you preferential treatment. I did, however, LOVE the hospital scenes. Since I know it’s possible to love more than one person unconditionally, those scenes were proof of one woman’s devotion to her men.

Now I’m on Rick Kelsheimer’s The Hanging of Betsey Reed and Mahalia Levey’s Soulbound.

Where did Monday go? And, for that matter, I keep thinking today’s Wednesday. Can’t blame this on sleep deprivation, so just wondering what’s up with my memory/concept of time.

I updated Google Chrome last week and it’s giving me fits. Sometimes I can access AOL and Blogger; other times I have to switch to Firefox. And FF likes to crash w/o warning. I couldn’t do anything on FF yesterday, and it took me several tries to fix my post over on RB4U. Yes, I’m over there today; drop by and say hi.

Amazing Race:
Why the hell did Team ER Docs use their Express Pass? I saw the previews; I think they’ll regret it. Yes, it got them into 1st place, and they won new cars. But the tasks were relatively easy, and they had a huge lead on the others. Makes no sense.

And why did Team Pinky and the Brain U-turn Team Baseball Moms? Geez, can Pinky hold a grudge. I really hope it comes back to bite her in the ass.

Karaoke Update:
Evergreen: Nailed it, and crossed it off my list:)
Every Time You Go Away: Ugh. Too low.
ET: Nailed it and received applause!
Just Like Jesse James: A bit scratchy, but one of my faves:)
What’s Up: Mark picked this out for me, since he didn’t see Eye Of The Tiger on my sheet:) I made it through, though also scratchy, and received applause.

Flashback Friday: Surprise!

November 1993:

Toward the end of October, I felt my body change. I was suddenly having to use the restroom more, and since it was too early to watch for my period (sorry, TMI), I bought a pregnancy kit.

Negative. I was disappointed; I was sure that’s what the body was telling me. It did say to retest in a week, so without saying anything to my spouse, I went about business as usual.

Baby K was testing his boundaries, especially in the mornings, and I wanted more sleep. So I spent several days recording his favorite show, Barney, since he knew how to work the VCR. That way, he could get up, pop in his video, and Mommy could sleep a little more.

One week later, I tested again.

Positive! Jubilant, I took K out for lunch, where my upstairs neighbor worked, and told her the good news. She agreed to babysit K that night so D and I could go out to dinner, when I’d tell him. But D came home grumpy, and none too pleased to discover I wanted to go to Steak and Ale for dinner. But he agreed, and acted surprised when I dressed up a bit more, and that we were not taking K along.

“Oh geez….you want a date night? Can’t this wait til next week, when I feel better?”

But I wasn’t sure I could wait, so we went. And when he got up to visit the salad bar, I placed the pregnancy test on the extra plate, then followed him. When he saw it, his reaction was less than the 1st time I’d told him, nearly 18 months before.

“Oh. This is why you dragged me out here. Okay, you’re pregnant. Can we eat and get out of here, please?”

Since his 1st reaction had been to light up like a Christmas tree, yes I was disappointed. But also thrilled; maybe this time I’d get my baby girl.

My doctor, however, was thrilled:) I walked into this office for the official confirmation, and he met me in the hall, wondering why I was there.

“How would you like to deliver my 2nd child?”

He smiled. “Is that why you’re here?”

“As soon as the little pink dot appears.”

The nurse looked up. “It’s official; it turned purple right away.”

Dr. S got out his little wheel, and that’s when I realized I would NOT be attending my grandmother’s birthday party in Florida.

I came up with a great way to tell the grandparents. We went to my parents first, and I gave Mom a small package, telling her I had an early Christmas present. She opened it up, looked at the double picture frame with K’s newest picture on one side, and said, “But I already have this one…” and then read the note in the other frame, which read, ‘Coming attraction in July’.

Mom looked up. “Coming attraction….you’re pregnant again?” And burst into happy smiles and tears as she hugged me.

The next day, we drove to D’s parents. And did the same thing, only I waited til his dad’s birthday the following day. Which was hard, since I’d developed a cold and his mom tried to give me medication, then grew frustrated when I read the ingredients. But when Dad H opened the package and they congratulated us (yes, his mom cried and hugged us also!), D said, “Now do you understand why she was such a pain in the ass last night about the medicine?” I was forgiven:)

Plans for the following July had to be rearranged, since I would no longer be allowed to fly to Florida for my grandmother’s 80th birthday July 16th. The baby was due July 19th, but we also thought it would be nice if it was a few days early:)

Next Month: Another health set-back for D.

********

Present Day:

I plan to spend tomorrow writing, since I’ve already cracked the 11K mark. I’m still far from where I should be (25K at the halfway point), if I at least finish this book, or get close, I’ll be thrilled.

Karaoke Songs For Tomorrow:

Evergreen (Barbra Streisand): Hopefully I won’t have another ‘brain fart’ on the melody!

Every Time You Go Away (Paul Young): This should be okay.

ET (Katy Perry): Singing this again, since Mel won’t be there to sing BackStreet Boys ‘Everybody’ with me.

Just Like Jesse James (Cher): Redemption song:) And if I get to sing more, I’ll be thrilled to get into my F titles, or sing the few E titles which are keepers:)

Have a great weekend and see you back here next Monday!

It’s Thursday?

*Looks around and ducks head*

Yes, I forgot to read the next few chapters of That 3rd Book. Oops!

So for your reading enjoyment, here’s another snippet from my NaNo wip. Enjoy!

Warning; unedited content.

“Do you get the feeling you’ve known me? Or that I vaguely remind you of someone?”

Oh god…she’d slept with him before, only didn’t remember. Shit!

“Not exactly.” Tricia shook her head and frowned. Who was he?

“We’ve never formally met.” His fingers stroked her hair. “But I’ve known you for a long time.”

A stalker? A devoted customer? “But the restaurant’s only been open for two years.”

“Yes; I’m proud of your success.”

“Did we go to college or high school together?” Thoroughly confused, Trish searched her memory.

“No. Tricia, try to understand what I’m saying. I met you when you were four years old.”

“Four years….We were living in the country…..our nearest neighbor was a mile away. I don’t remember any playmates until I started school….were our mothers friends or something?”

“I didn’t meet you in that manner.”

“I’m waiting.”

Brock took a deep breath. “You say you had no playmate. But you had an imaginary friend.”

A shock chilled her blood. “How….how did you know?” Indignation took over. “Lots of children do that; so what?” But the memory assaulted her. She’d spilled her secrets, her most private thoughts over the years, to an imagined best friend. It had become a habit by the time she’d reached the third grade, and had often talked to her favorite doll or stuffed animal, until her hormones kicked in at puberty, and she’d discovered boys. But even at night, sharing a dorm room at college, or even an apartment, she’d found herself silently talking to herself, expressing thoughts she couldn’t tell anyone else, or even write in a diary.

Brock tipped her face upward. “You’re remembering.”

She felt the color drain from her face. “Who are you?”

Brock cleared his throat. “At four, you called me ‘Louis’. At eight, it was ‘Shawn’. At twelve, you decided you needed female companionship, so I became ‘Kathy’. And as time went on, various other names of men you liked.”

“How…how can you know this?” Tricia struggled to sit up and stay in control of her swirling emotions. “God, you make me sound like a mental case!” She wrapped the blankets around her and turned her back.

She heard him shift his weight. “I’m….not exactly from Earth.”

That did it. Tricia got to her feet and pointed to the door. “Out.” She refused to admit the sight of his naked body still aroused her. “Out, before I call security.”

*******
What do you think? I’m already on chapter five, and this wip has taken a very strange turn. I’m hoping to get this finished and submitted for next year. And yes, I’ll try to remember to do my ‘homework’ for next week.

Tomorrow: Thanksgiving 1993 Surprise:)