Castle in the Clouds

This weekend has been hell. Friday night I got a phone call from my sister. It seems her husband has decided he no longer wants to married. She's devastated. She loves the fool and can't understand how he could just throw everything they have away. Her heart is also breaking for their two children (ages 3 & 1) and one on the way (she's 3 months pregnant). Hate him yet? I do. What made the situation worse, from my point of view, was the fact she lived so far away. I couldn't just jump in my car and be there in five or ten minutes. Hell, I couldn't be there in an hour or two. Michigan isn't exactly next door to North Carolina, you know. But we did jump in the car. My dad, brother, and I drove all night through so we could pack her up and bring her home. If he doesn't want her or those babies, we sure as the hell do! After packing up the beds of my dad's pickup and her's, we got back on the road and drove straight through on...

Trying something new today. My intention had been hot chocolate but I came back to the office with an experimental combination of Chai tea and hot apple cider. Believe it or not, it's pretty darn good! Yum.

We've been fighting fleas. Go ahead. Say it. "Ewww!" The dog and cat have had numerous flea baths and been doused with that Advantage stuff--a stripe down the spine of a clear liquid supposedly capable of ridding your beloved pet from unwanted visitors. Yeah. Right. My dog is intent on denuding herself. The back of her legs is nearly hairless now after hours (and days and weeks) of obsessive chewing. It's gross. It looks bad and it sounds worse. Sitting here listening to her makes my skin crawl. And yelling at her to knock it off is useless. I hate fleas. Ok. Bitch session done.

Well, I started an hour ago with 31,632 words. I ended five minutes ago with 31,332 words. A net loss of 300 words. Go figure. I tightened the scene quite a bit--it's not perfect yet but at least it's getting closer to functional. So here's the most recent breakdown: Total Wordcount: 31,332 Chapters Completed: 11 Words left to Write: 93,668

Monday night football is going to become my new best friend. My husband loves watching "the game", which leaves me free to do my own thing without the burden of a guilty conscience. After spending all day at work, doing the mom thing during the few hours available to my children, I often spend what little time there is before bed with the hubby. This typically involves watching TV. Well, Monday night football gives me a guilt-free pass to come into the bedroom and fire up the computer. It's time for me to do homework, surf the net, chat, or write. I've decided an hour or two every Monday night should help with the word count issues. It's only once a week, which may not be enough, but it's a start. So, without further ado, I leave you to your surfing. I'm going to go write.

Two of my favorite bloggers are back. I had hoped this would be the case but one never knows. I certainly understood their reasons for closing down their original blogs--they were protecting themselves and their work. From all accounts, it sounds like their decisions proved profitable. They're both doing well, which might explain why they've decided to come back to the blogging world. Only this time comments have been disabled. Good for them! Anyhow...you can find links to their blogs to the right. But I'll also include them in this post just for the heck of it. Paperback Writer Silent Bounce

Ok, this is a from an email I received. I don't know the author and, therefore, can't give credit where credit is due. On to the chuckle-worthy... The Hormone Hostage knows that there are days in the month when all a man has to do is open his mouth and he takes his very life into his own hands! This is a handy guide that should be as common as a driver's license in the wallet of every husband, boyfriend, or significant other!! DANGEROUS: What's for dinner? SAFER: Can I help you with dinner? SAFEST: Where would you like to go for dinner? ULTRASAFE: Here, have some chocolate. DANGEROUS: Are you wearing that? SAFER: Gee, you look good in brown. SAFEST: WOW! Look at you! ULTRASAFE: Here, have some chocolate. DANGEROUS: What are you so worked up about? SAFER: Could we be overreacting? SAFEST: Here's fifty dollars. ULTRASAFE: Here, have some chocolate. DANGEROUS: Should you be eating that? SAFER: You know, there are a lot o...

Final Word Count: 31,933 Only a few new words as I was mostly tweaking what I already had. If I can do a repeat performance tomorrow night, I might actually get to the end of this scene.

The kids are bed, the dishes are done, and a load of laundry is cycling through. It's time to get busy. Starting word count: 31,622

~There is no real topic for this entry. ~I haven't written anything since before the weekend. ~My 3 year old is bawling. Gotta go tuck him in. ~Ok. Back from nightly mommy duty. Gotta love those hugs and kisses! ~I shipped out the Winter course schedule today--so that's one thing I've been able to cross off my to-do list at work. ~I'm reading Stephen King's On Writing . ~I completed my first big assignment for my intercultural course. Thanks to my email volunteers for being such great sports! I appreciate your help more than you know. ~Scrapbook emergency: I'm completely out of Halloween items. I have no idea how this happened but I am determined to rectify the situation ASAP. Too bad for Mr. Checkbook. ~Sister-in-Law had surgery yesterday. She has continual problems with kidney stones and this last one refused to go quietly into the night. She now has a stint, which has been causing some problems of its own. ~Got invited ...

I seem to be experiencing scrapbook withdrawal. I keep flipping through the magazines, browsing the websites, and brainstorming layouts. Now I just need to find the time to actually get downstairs and indulge the scrappin' bug. A break from homework, illness, housework (woefully behind after doing next to nothing for the last week), and various other obligations and responsibilities is necessary. A little R&R is in order, don't you think? And writing doesn't count as R&R! It's hard work, I tell you!

You are Form 2, Angel : The Pure. "And The Angel rose as holy protector for all that was created. She fought with honor and valor to serve the good of the world. But the coming of the mankind was her downfall; and end to purity." Some examples of the Angel Form are Michael (Christian) and Hercules (Greek).The Angel is associated with the concept of virtue, the number 2, and the element of wind.Her sign is the zenith sun. As a member of Form 2, you are a person of your word. You generally keep your promises and give everything you do your best. Although some people see you as overbearing sometimes, you know that you have to stay true to yourself and do what's right. Angels are the best friends to have because they are brutally honest. Which Mythological Form Are You? brought to you by

Well, the pneumonia has worked its way out of my lungs. Thank you very much. I'm still hacking but the rapid, shallow breathing seems to be a thing of the past. I'm hoping my new cough syrup will kick the last of the cold-like symptoms. ~crossing fingers now~ I returned to work yesterday. Oh, joy. The course schedule is, as always, a pain in the ass. I'm trying to room assignments right now (yes, the program is actually running in another window right this second). Unfortunately, the scheduling software seems to be flaking out on me. The bad thing is...there's no way to stop the stupid thing until it's run itself out. Stupid program. Not only did I return to work yesterday, I actually returned to writing, too! Amazing, I know. I can't believe it either. I did a few line edits on the last two chapters to get back into the swing of things. Deleted a scene or two. Hopefully tonight will bring some new words to the story. I'd like to move...

Went to the doctor on Friday and found out I have pneumonia in my right lung. He prescribed meds and lots of rest. It felt pretty odd just lounging around while hubby cooked, cleaned, and took care of the kids.