Victory... It is MINE!

Gah HA HA HA HA!!!!! Victory is finally MINE! Done! DONE, DONE, DONE, DONE, DONE, DONE, DONE! Do a little dance! Make a little love! Get down tonight! Get down tonight! Get down, get down, get down, get down, get down tonight baby! WOO HOO HOO HOO HOO!!!!!! Oh yeah! I'm doin' the dance. Uh-huh! Oh yeah! Uh-huh! It's my birthday, oh yeah! Uh-huh! Fist pump! Jump for joy! Ride the pony! Done. Book, DONE! Website, DONE! Marketing posters, business cards, postcards and bookmarks, DONE! Book on sale, DONE! Marketing, DOING! <Sigh!>
...I'm bored now....

Memorial Day...

Let's not forget what this day is REALLY about. It's not just a day where people fire up the BBQ and drink beer and hang out on what otherwise would have been a Monday at work or school. It isn't a day where we celebrate the fact that we get a long weekend. This is a day when we should take the time to acknowledge the fact that we are able to fire up the BBQ and drink beer and hang out because we have the freedom to do so because of the men and women who fought and fell to ensure that we can. Whether it was overseas far away from US soil or right within our borders, please make sure that you take the time out to thank our military forces. Let's take the time to remember all who have given everything to make sure that we have our freedoms, our lives, our way of life. This Memorial Day, let's also take the time out to remember those families whose lives ARE different because they've lost someone. This day, along with all those bible based holidays and a few others have lost their true meaning and I think it's high time we take them back and remind people what they REALLY are.

Yip skip dippity doo dah!

Edit, re-edit, edit some more. Revise, re-revise, revise some more. Change this, change that... Reword this, what the fuck is that? I've read the friggin' thing so many times I'm not even sure if it makes sense any more! I realize that I'm probably NEVER going to be happy with it (simply because it truly DOES suck) and now point I've drawn the line and said, "Fuck it! Done!" and went on to full production. Don't want to play no mores! Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on the day and my mood and how you look at it) I had way too many people (especially Lucky) pushing me to keep moving forward and see this through and finish what I started. (With book 1 anyway...)

Goodbyes...

When we hang out doing our thing, the WT crew normally discuss the coming zombie apocalypse, discuss random shit, complain about shit, debate about other shit, argue about some other shit, chill out and be. Me, Lucky and my best friend Mitchie. Every once in a while, we have "guest stars" that stop by and chill with us.
Meet Riley. Ri became one of "ours" a little over a year ago having met under the "mutual friend" thing. Despite the fact that our "friend" dumped us, Ri stuck around.
A Canadian "misplaced farm boy" he was attending Bridgeport U and recently graduated and became DR. Riley. A full fledged doctor of Chiropractics. We're so gosh darn proud! We went to the graduation and okay, I may have shed a tear or three... Whatevs... I held it together.
Now, he's going to be going back to Canada to go be a big boy and he came to hang out with us for one last WT. We had a great time. We had a Mitchie pizza, we sat and chilled out on the couch, we talked about all manner of things, just like we had always done. It was when we came to the end of our night that I can honestly say sucked. And not just a little. The reality hit hard... And we had to say goodbye to our friend.
We have all run across people in our lives that, for whatever reason, end up holding a special place in our hearts. Make sure they know how much they mean to you.

Riley, safe travels to you on this day dear friend. You will be sorely missed. Thank you so much for being our friend and sharing so much with us in such a short time.  We're very proud of your accomplishments. Go out there and show the world what you can do. Know that there will always be a spot on the couch for you, okay? Keep in touch and be a good boy! We love you! :)

WOOT!

As of May 24, 2011, I am a PUBLISHED AUTHOR. All of the toiling away, the typing, the deciphering the crying, the editing, the revising, the screaming out in frustration, the many hours in front of a computer screen staring at it until the letters started dancing around has come to its peak. The final okay was given, the final interior galley, the final cover galley, the final all sorts of other stuff and away we go. Thus begins marketing.... And in THAT department, I am about as smooth as a dirt road in Texas... Hoo Boy!

Yup! Here it is, baby!      The Other Place: Book of the Siblings by Mia Tanaka

WOOT!

My Kung Fu....

Sure I've tried out a few different kinds of martial arts... Do I tout any kind of prowess in any of them? Hell no. I am a spaz of epic proportions and my "skillz" are mostly in self injury and falling on my face. Have I tried NOT to be a spaz? Of course I have! The problem is, the harder I try at not being a spaz the more biblical  are the proportions of my spazosity. I am the undisputed heavy weight champion of spazdom. It's not to say that I don't persevere and keep trying. I'm not one to give up because I spazzed. I have lived with my spazness since the day I was born. Besides, it's a great work out for me to go all spaz and attempt to do the something I'm supposed to be learning, but failing miserably at it AND all those who witness the endless boundaries of my "skillz" apparently get a pretty good ab workout from laughing so hard. AWESOME!

Yet another "shred concept" note....

I've posted a couple of times about this concept here. Let's go back over and familiarize ourselves a bit, shall we? Here and here. I guess this kinda counts... Not really, but "AWWWW!" right?
Anyway, this is a concept that was developed by  a guy named Rich Dimitri. A down to earth, get off yer ass and "do some shit!", peace is the shizz "don't harsh my mellow!"  kind of guy. He can be kinda creepy looking when he wants to be and I suppose he's kind of nutty, but he's genuinely a nice guy. Deadly as all get out and I wouldn't ever want to see him angry, but the fact is, he's a sweet, squishy, all around good man with a big heart. He can laugh at himself and joke around. You'd never think this guy is one scary mo fo in the conventional sense. He goes around the world teaching a self defense method that can be utilized by anyone. He has also recruited the most amazing group of people to help him to "spread the word", so to speak.
Now me, having been to dojos all over, I have to tell you, there's always so much ego floating around. The instructors AND their students that take themselves WAY too seriously. And GOD FORBID if you were to question their teaching methods or question anything that they do! Any of Rich's "associates" that I've ever come across are without ego and are genuinely good people. I'm not talking just a little. They have made it their life's purpose to go around teaching women, men, children, the elderly (maybe even pandas... I don't know!) how to better protect themselves and be better aware of dangers around them and help arm them with a little knowledge so that we could have less victims in our world.
I've had questions, comments, complaints, praise... And me, being "vocally expressive" and wordy, FLABAMMO-ed the "Senshido crew" with everything I had. It was amazing to get answers instead of excuses and honesty instead of MORE excuses and I got feedback to everything that I came at them with. And never a moment where I thought, "What a dick!" . It's always helpful and informative. I can't even begin to tell you how rare that can be when it comes this kind of stuff.
I've not run into a more fun group of people (men and women) who I've been communicating with (from all over the world!) whether instructors, "members", or "students". I suppose this is what it means when people say "birds of a feather, flock together"... And it's awesome to feel like part of this particular group.
Senshido or the "shredder" concept is simple and effective. If you've been following along, I am a spaz. Of EPIC proportions... Biblical, even... I have the rare talent of being able to trip on my own feet while standing still and arresting every fall with my face. So, with that being said, is a standard form of "self defense" or martial art going to help prevent my becoming a victim? Well... possibly. My potential aggressor may just laugh himself to death if he caught sight of my "mad skillz"... (I make Diemon Dave look good.) But I think 99% of the time, if I have become the target for someone, even my "skillz" at spazzing out aren't going to save me. The one concept I have been able to get to work... The shredder. Reason? It's rather hard to fuck up. "Oops! I spazzed!" is a thing of the past because even my spaz moments can be incorporated into the constant barrage of physical and psychological attacks that make the concept what it is. It's basically introducing your closest weapon to its closest target. Effective? Well, let's just say that it is disorienting and unpleasant even when it's applied "nicely". And when you mean it... It's devastating. 
If there was only one thing that you were going to do for yourself as far as picking up a skill for self defense, take a moment. Go to the website, talk to people who know what they're talking about and ask questions. What does it take for you to take a couple of minutes to look at something new. Something that could potentially save you from something bad. There is ALWAYS the choice to say, "Meh... I don't think it's for me..." but there could be the possibility that you may think, "I could use this!". Just sayin'.... Better safe than sorry... Seriously. There are contingents all over and they really are a great group of people. I promise you won't walk away disappointed! Like I've said before... If it could work for someone like me, it will work for anyone.

Please tell me...

Why is it that broody teen boy feels the need to get himself into trouble when he KNOWS what the consequences are? Seriously... I'm beginning to think that he enjoys being grounded so that he can sit and brood and pout in his room, by himself, with the door slammed shut, with the broody music and the scowl of disdain... It's not that I ask for anything other than cooperation and proper behavior. Follow the rules and don't be an ass... EVERYTHING has to be the OPPOSITE of what I say! I swear on all things holy teenagers are God's way of testing a parent. Grandchildren are the reward for not killing your teen....
<Sigh...!>
Oh and I'm a dork... Again........

HOOORAY!...

It can be considered a HOORAY! moment... Look, it's a big deal.... But the littlest of the brood is finally potty trained. No more accidents, no more diapers, no issues at night. Done. Potty trained. <Sniffle> She's a big girl now.... <Sigh....> Where'd the time go?

Spiders...

I still don't understand Lucky's fear of spiders. I've been trying so hard to try and lessen the fear by numbing him to the sight of spiders. Random pictures posted on our Facebook page, emailed pictures of spiders... Sometimes I've caught spiders (big ones in particular) and put them in glass or clear plastic containers to show him... No such luck. He still cries and runs away screaming like a little girl. The look on his face is still priceless though. I love him ever so much!

WTF??!!??

I don't know what the fuck has been going on with the internet lately and some of the sites, but I have to say, things are wonky and weird. Random things sometimes... Posts that disappear completely, things getting changed around, my constantly needing to change passwords for certain accounts for all sorts of things I do online.... Do I chalk it up to "stuff that just happens from time to time" or is it something else?
Yup... I love creeping myself out like that sometimes. This one was my latest creep out subject... It's a great cardio workout getting all hopped up on the caffeine from a couple of cups of tea and working myself up into a tizzy about something like that... Why? Quirk... What can I say...

Revenge...

Sometimes the horns come out... What can I say? The devil gets into me... We all have a weak moment and do something that may or may not be considered "revenge". I guess you can call it what you want. Revenge, pay back, come-uppance. It all works out to be the same. I know that it's not exactly "the Christian thing" to do. I get it... You're supposed to turn the other cheek... Forgive and forget... Whatever.
Sometimes revenge is best served hot and fresh, delivered right there on the spot. It's a simple thing like a knee to the groin when someone fondles you inappropriately. Maybe it's a left hook to the temple because someone tried to take a swing at you because they mistook you for someone else.
But sometimes revenge is a dish best served ice cold, over a bed of delicately seared hatred, with a side of raw vengeance and a nice big cup of shut the fuck up to go with it. A meal planned over time, carefully concocted with all the love and care that you would show a child molester.
<Sigh...> I guess I still need to work on that "letting things go" thing... It seems I may be having an off day today...

Conspiracy Theories....

Yeah... I have mine... I mean, who doesn't?
There are certain things in life that just don't seem to jive some times... I'm not talking just a little bit either. I am talking, "Huh? WTF??!??" grade kind of "this shit just don't fly!". And of course, the biggest of which are perpetrated by "the man". The "grand plan" that the government has for the people, the cover ups and scandals and things that we DON'T know about... I mean I'm not saying that I'm going to go build a bunker in the backyard and stockpile canned foods and ammo and junk and stuff and hole up in there for the next fifty years, wearing nothing but a tinfoil hat and corn husks for clothes, but it just freaks me out sometimes that there are so many things that we aren't being told, so many things that we aren't privy to, so many things that "they" think might freak us out... Think about it... Aliens from outer space, U.F.O.'s, mysterious deaths and assassinations, questionable deaths and assassinations, (mysterious and questionable being two SEPARATE things, mind you), people, places, things. Truths unknown to "common folk"...
Sheep... That's what the people are... Mindless, unthinking sheep. Easy to control and thinking that everything is fine and dandy and being taken care of. I don't like being a sheep... That's why I ask a lot of questions, stand by my own code of morals and make sure that I'm not going to get trampled under the feet of those trying to control me, my life or the things I do to make sure these things don't happen. Sure, there are some things that are out of my control, some things that I can't do anything about. But you can make for damn sure that it isn't going to be without a fuckin' fight. I'm tired of rolling over. I'm going out to get what's mine because no one is going to make it happen for me simply because I'm a bred, born and raised in the US AMERICAN citizen, who speaks English, has been "given a number", has paid into the system... (Oops... Did I say that "out loud"? I would apologize, but I'm sure everyone knows I wouldn't mean it. Besides, it would cheapen this moment.)
Things are going on. Stuff is happening. We'll never know it, but they are... I kind of scares me that more people aren't asking the questions and demanding answers. It's frightening to me that most people are accepting the small changes that are taking place that are taking away out God given rights as American citizens and accepting the creeping in of something foreign that seems to be destroying us from the inside out. Sheeple are becoming more complacent with the state of affairs in our country. Sheeple are okay with what's going on in our government... The same government given power by it's people to make sure that what they ARE doing DOESN'T happen... The US is becoming the laughing stock. Economy crumbling, it's people are becoming mindless pansies, disasters happening all around us, corruption that's getting worse, crimes that are getting more heinous, we've become split and the rifts keep getting bigger, all while the president takes credit for things he had nothing to do with and goes out to play golf and his wife goes out shopping like all the world is fine and dandy... All of this goes on and people are quietly accepting the slow disintegration of what is supposed to be the world super power... Anybody else seeing something wrong with this picture?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppAM6zreVKw

Seriously... I'm not the only one.

Hands...

Something I gave way too much thought to... Uh, you know. Again...
We really don't notice them often, but imagine life without hands. We use them, like, ALL THE TIME for EVERYTHING. I did my own version of a science experiment one time and kept my hands in my pocket for a few hours and went about my business... NOT fun. You don't really think about some of the things you use your hands for... The obvious things aside, like the things you would need hands to hold things, like a cup when your drinking juice but, some of the NOT so obvious things. Did you know that sitting down and standing up, hands are helpful.
Imagine now not having hands to touch your lover's face or tickle your toddler. Feeling things and touching things... Feeling the texture of a soft fluffy blanket or running your hand over a smooth marble top counter. Imagine simple things that we take for granted... Going to the bathroom.... Cooking... Scratching an itch...
I know... What can I say... It's another quirk. I give way too many random things way too much thought. This was another one of those things...

Hurray?

I'm just waiting to be able to celebrate the end of the madness that came with this book project. Looking back over these past 10 or so months, it's been filled with a lot of chaos. Writing, rewriting, editing, revising, editing some more and doing more revisions. Deciphering, decoding, channeling the spirits of a long dead civilization of an alien species to help me understand what the hell I was trying to say  in alien shorthand...
Moving onto draft edits and galley edits and discovering that I SUCK at grammar, punctuation and my grasp of the English language is tenuous at best. Vocabulary and spelling? Don't even get me started... And of course, I think I broke my attention span.
Interior galleys, cover galleys, final rounds of last minute edits... Waiting and anticipating what the finished products look like, THEN waiting and to see what those finished things will look like put together in an author's proof...
Soooooooooooo close......

What's the DEAL?

Another question came up.... I'll do my best to answer it... "What is the deal with your life? Why is it that so much wacky shit happens in your life that you are able to post so much crap about it?"
It's not so much that wacky shit happens in my life really. I just take the time to notice it. I see life happening all around me. I make note of it. Some of it is pretty cool. Some, downright amazing... Most of the time? Fine... Wacky. Whatever is going on, I like to see it. It seems a shame to me that most people skate through life and don't take the time to SEE things. Life is really about the series of events that go on, not just in the close proximity but in the world around you. I'm not talking about what goes on in the world that makes the news. I am talking about the "little things" that may not get the recognition that it deserves.
I have been blessed to be acquainted with many braves souls who have put themselves out there, whether they are preaching to the masses, teaching self defense classes to help people protect themselves and the people around them, genuinely caring people who give of themselves to try and better the world as a whole, maybe not necessarily on a GRAND scale, but instead of polluting the already dirty waters, they're doing something positive.
I take notice of things that go on around me simply because that's the nature of the world. I refuse to put blinders on and travel along the road of life thinking everything is great. Stupidity is all around us and it brings me much amusement to watch it. I like experiencing life. There's so much out there and I know that I won't even get to even hear about even a small percent of it.
The other day, Lucky and I were doing a bunch of hanging out in various places. Parks, the mall, various spots and hang outs. Our mission was to find a nice bottle of rye, strike up random conversations with people we don't know, take a bunch of random pictures, learn something new and wander around and enjoy the day together. It was awesome. We met a lot of really cool people in and around town and we discovered cricket. Not the bug... The game. A group of guys were playing in the park and we sat a watched. The guys not on the pitch were kind enough to explain the game to us... Several times... It's quite an interesting game. I knew that baseball was based on cricket and stuff, but MAN is cricket brutal.
We met a bunch of skaters at the skate park, got a bunch of random funny pictures all over the place, found some rye, met a bunch of really nice people AND their dogs and managed to accomplish all of our missions for the day. And it was a glorious day to boot!
Sure our "dates" aren't dinner and a movie, then a night of dancing or parties and whatnot. They aren't "conventional". But our life together isn't about being able to say, well, this is what's going to happen on this day and we're going to do this. It's an adventure and we never know what we'll find or what we'll see...

A Random Spider Post....

Okay... I may have to give it to Lucky about the spider thing in one respect. When you're NOT expecting it and all of a sudden a spider pops up out of no where, I suppose it can give a person the heebie jeebies.
A side note here... I know... My ideas have a tendency to wander quite a bit. What can I say... I have a 1/4" attention span and I think I fried my tiny little mind...
ANYWAY, the story of Little Miss Muffet is actually a disturbing one. Not the nursery rhyme itself, but the fact that the little miss was a real person. Get this... The little miss in the rhyme was the only daughter of a sick and twisted physician. Although Dr. Muffet had several sons, it was his daughter that he used to experiment on by dosing her with the venom of various spiders to see what a human's response to them would be and ultimately try and find a use for spider venom as a beneficial something or another. He used his only daughter because she would not be able to carry on the name like her brothers would.
Just sayin'...

So close now... I can TASTE it!

With the interior galley chosen and alterations made and the cover design nearly complete, it brings me a bit closer to having the "author's proof" (a single printed and bound copy of MY book for my "inspection" for my "approval" before they go full on) in my small, sweaty little hands. I've been assigned a ISBN, the Library of Congress something or another, US Copyright Registration and an author webpage... A lot of stuff has been happening all at once and the reality is starting to hit home. A feeling of accomplishment and fear, pride and a little bit of wanting to crawl into a hole, anxiety and excitement, impatience and wanting to drag my feet all at the same time. What can I say? It's a strange experience.
I thought about how I am going to feel about holding it in my hands... I thought about the things that are going to be rushing through my mind as I leaf through the pages... I thought about what I'm going to be saying to myself as I look at it... The completion of YEARS of work and seeing the product of my efforts (as feeble and pathetic as they were...). I've come to the conclusion that, I have no idea what I'm going to feel or think or say at that moment... I'm just wrapping my mind around the "almost done" thing...
My feelings are rather mixed right now. But I do know one thing... I did it. If for nothing other than to be able to say, "I DID IT!" and hold up an edition of the book I wrote, MY BOOK, and know that I accomplished something. Kinda gives me a warm fuzzy feeling that despite my "critics" and "hecklers", I had Lucky and true friends backing me through this whole topsy turvy journey with so much kindness, warmth and friendly encouragement and I did it.
The marketing department has already gotten a hold of me too... A "press release" and "email campaign" have already been drafted, sent, approved by me and waiting for the next step. Marketing strategies and all sorts of other stuff that I kinda blanked out on as the marketing director was explaining it to me... (Damn attention span!) I don't even know how to respond to the guy other than "Uh-huh!" and "Um... Okay... I guess..." Yup... The epitome of smooth, professional, polished and business like, I am... 'Cause I'm AWESOME like that...
Meh... Here's to another step! Yay ME!

Could it be???

Alright... So May 1st.... I would have commented earlier, but seriously, I wanted the dust to settle a little first. People scrambling to figure out if Usama bin Laden (seriously... Is it O sama or is it Usama.... I suppose it really doesn't matter. His name could be Frank... I guess it doesn't change the fact that he was or is a shitty excuse for a human being....) was really killed, is he really dead... Again.... I mean, did the guy die in 2001, 2007 or 2011... Or are we going to hear that he's dead again a couple more years from now. Was it just a big thing to boost ratings for Obama's flailing presidential re-election thing? As a side note... What did that useless tit of a POTUS really do? Nothing. It's not as if HE was the one who found the towel headed menace, and it's not like the useless tit pulled the trigger or do ANYTHING.... Why give him the credit for any of this? Just sayin'.... "Let's be clear on this: OBAMA did NOT kill Bin Laden. An American soldier, who Obama just a few weeks ago was debating on whether or not to PAY, did. Obama just happened to be the one in office when our soldiers finally found OBL and took him out. This is NOT an Obama victory, but an AMERICAN victory!!" ( as stolen from somewhere... I think it was FB) That is, if the bastard is really dead... Was it that he was already dead and "they" had bin Laden's body on ice until an opportune moment? Hell, he may still be alive somewhere, chillin' out and laughing... Again.... 
Now, IF the fucker is dead, I would like to think that it was up close and personal and the bullet that killed him was made in the USA by naked American women who were drinking and smoking as they loaded those bullets, passed them over to the next area where those bullets were licked by gay goats who were being anally raped by gay camels and finally, soaked in pig's blood and wrapped in bacon for shipping. That one of our troops was right there and got to see the look of shock and fear before seeing the light flicker out. 
It's been such a weird time... You've got Americans who are celebrating out in the streets and partying because the guys is dead. You've got Americans (although in this instance I use the term loosely...) who are disgusted by those partying in the streets because we "shouldn't be celebrating the death of a man"... (I say to them, shut the fuck up ) ...You have people "Hurray!" -ing Obama, when truth be told, well... What did he do? Nothing really.... (He just finished what Bush started and will probably take all the credit and pat himself on the back... But whatever... The guy is an Islamic, socialist, foreigner... That's a whole different post... Seriously... So, moving on...) ...Then you have those who aren't quite convinced that bin Laden is really dead at all... I mean, it seems so convenient that "they" did a DNA sample, but tossed the body into the sea.  I would have liked to seen the mutilation of the corpse and perhaps his head stabbed on a stick and displayed for the world to see... But no. According to muslim whatever, the dead need to be given a proper burial within 24 hours... Yeah... THAT piece of shit needed to be given that level of respect? I don't fuckin' think so.... But you know, whatever. Apparently, he deserved it... Pfft!
Now let's get into the whole Pakistan... Did they know he was there? Did they not know? What's the deal on that... <sigh...> I guess we as Americans will never come to know the truth... Ever. We just have to accept the shit we get spoon fed as we all go slipping further down the rabbit hole...

Birthday party MADNESS!

Let the birthday party madness BEGIN! ...List of 22 kids in hand... CHECK! Food, juice, cake, candy and junk and stuff... CHECK! Copious amounts of caffeine consumed... CHECK! House- child proofed as much as humanly possible... CHECK! Goody bags slapped together... CHECK! Madness, chaos, insanity and mayhem present and accounted for... CHECK! Bring on the Romper Room on Red Bull! So, what do you get when you have TWO birthday parties at one house, 22 kids of varying ages ranging from 3 to 14, a bunch of cake, juice, cookies, chips and dip, candy and junk and stuff and only two adults watching over the festivities? Four of the longest hours of my LIFE, but DAMN was it ever fun! I had AMAZING weather that day, a great group of kids and my Puppy Guts along side of me. 

A word of advice though... If you were to, say, accidentally mash a cupcake into your child's face maliciously, make sure it isn't one with dark colored icing like this one here... Even after we washed off the icing, and vigorously wiped his face, he looked like an Easter egg... A pink one... He had to wash his face about ten times with hot water and soap before it started to come off... Strange thing about it is, he wants to do it again next year... He also wants to make it a "tradition" to mash a cupcake into the face of the birthday person... Oh boy...

The point...

Just as a clarification dearest Puppy Guts... It was not a matter of my volunteering your services because the car was broken. It was a matter of the car being broken with the chance of it having some kind of catastrophic failure, with the possibility of the children being in said car when that happened. If for nothing else, think of it as such. Whether owner of said car was or was not going to pay an exorbitant amount of money out of pocket is neither here nor there, but considering the amount the car owner would have had to pay? Seriously? I don't think so. I respect that mechanics have skills that some may not possess. Being able to bend a wrench is not something everyone can do. I get it. But seriously? That quote was ridiculous. I would have been quite miffed at you if  you had stood back and watched the mechanics take that money for something that you could have spent a little time doing.
If for nothing else, I volunteered your skills as a mechanic to fix a problem that would have caused something more than a minor malfunction and was something that needed to be fixed sooner rather than later. I wasn't saying fix ALL of the problems with the car. Whether the car gets great gas mileage is inconsequential.  I was merely suggesting that you fix the problem that could have led to the possibility of a catastrophic failure when the children could have been in the car. That Murphy guy has a pretty nasty sense of humor and his law is a real bitch sometimes. Unacceptable... Thank you for seeing reason in that and being so amenable to doing the job.
I know that eventually you would have come to that conclusion on your own and going as far as fronting the money for the part, taking the time out of your day to make sure that the job was done right for no compensation for labor (although THAT would go without saying, no?) and getting it done sooner rather than later.
In the end your "services" were not needed, but the job DID get done, quickly and properly by a professional which should bring you peace of mind.If it wasn't going to be done by you, I suppose the second best thing is getting it done by a professional mechanic.
I know that sometimes you need to be given a different perspective on how to look at things and it's wonderful that you are so willing and able to see reason from a different angle. I promise it doesn't make you less of a stubborn guinea. Choosing battles may make you seem less combative, but leaves room to fight even more passionately when battle lines have to be drawn. You are a step closer to reaching a personal goal. I'm so proud of you! Your girl, always...

An Ambien night...

During our nice, relaxing week together, we had one night where in the morning, we had no where to be, no obligations that needed to be met, we would be able to sleep in until whenever we felt like it. Nice! Lucky had been getting shitty sleep at best. He decided that he wanted to give my Ambien a try... We managed a few rounds of ...um... <Ehem!> You know... And then the Ambien kicked in and flabammo! Lights out.
In the morning, we woke up refreshed, managed a couple more rounds of ...You know... And we got ready for a day of whatever. Walking around the house revealed something rather interesting though...
My asthma inhalers, which were in my purse downstairs, somehow managed to find their way upstairs and were up on the dresser next to Lucky's side of the bed, lined up neatly for some reason. A blanket that had been sandwiched between two others was banished to the hallway. It was just hurled down the hall and lay a crumpled heap on the floor. We wandered down the stairs to find that my purse had been rummaged through. Okay, rummaged is the wrong word. The contents  were emptied onto the table. Someone set off a grenade in my purse and purse contents were everywhere. We're scratching our heads at this point. Back upstairs, I make the realization that the contents of my travel bag had been dumped onto the floor of the bedroom, there was a bottle of hooch freshly opened and next to Lucky's side of the bed, I had been covered with two blankets, sans the one banished to the hall and we started putting things together.
Lucky apparently had a dream (a rather vivid dream from what he tells me) that I had an asthma attack in the middle of the night. From there, we gathered that he woke up and went a huntin' for my inhalers in a panic, both bags. We still can't figure out the blanket thing.... After having found the inhalers in my purse downstairs, he must have covered me up again with two of the three blankets that we had on the bed, lined up the inhalers on his dresser next to him, opened up a bottle of hooch, took a sip and went back to sleep. Of course, he remembers NONE of it except that he had a dream that I had an asthma attack. Weird...
Conclusion? No more Ambien for Lucky...

Motorcycle asshole...

Sitting in my room, I get to hear out the window, some asshole revving up his bike fifty gojillion times a day. I've dubbed him motorcycle asshole. That's what this guy does, like, ALL DAY. I swear! He sits in the driveway of his house across the road right where my bedroom window is and revs the friggin' engine on his bike. A constant whining WEEEEEEEEEERN WEEEEEEEERN WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH sound ALL DAY... I don't know what the hell he's doing or WHY he's doing it, but there it is... ALL DAY.... Just about every single freaking day. Jesus Buddha Tap Dancing Christ of Latter Day WINNING! (It works! Thanks Mat and Rosalia!)
There was this one time where I felt the need to open the window to laugh out loud at him. I know he heard me... Motorcycle asshole was doing his thing in the driveway there and I heard the WEEEEEEEEEEERN WEEEEEEEEERN WAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WAHHHHHHHHHHH! CRASH! 
It was awesome. He accidentally did something, the bike went into gear and he crashed the fuckin' thing through the fence into the woods behind it. I almost fell over laughing. I opened up the windows so that he could HEAR me laughing. I sat and watched him and his buddies lash the fence back together with duct tape, twine and wood glue, to no avail. It was great. The thing kept falling over and falling to pieces.  The bike had taken a bit of damage too, which he verbally expressed his dismay about very loudly, which sent me into another fit of laughter.... Ahh... I'll take my amusement where ever I can, thank you very much!

Really? Me? Awww!!!!!

There are times when I actually have to think about whether or not my Puppy Guts is talking to me. The ooey gooey sentiments that pour out of his mouth is nothing short of sweet, kind, flattering and downright AWWWWW!!!!!!
I don't think I've ever spent a day without hearing how much he loves me, how much he thinks of me, how much he needs me, how much he wants me... It's probably because I'm not used to that kind of treatment, but I have to pause a moment once in a while because I find it so hard to believe that someone would think THAT much of me. It's not that Lucky has shown me anything that would contradict his words, it's just something I'm not used to hearing. <Sigh...> Really? Me? Thank you Puppy Guts... I love you too...

Book...

Okay... So, I'm back at it again... The editing process. Going through the final edits that were done and doing more stuff with things... I guess I'm closer than I was a month ago, but dang it! I'm getting impatient.
With the inside bit almost done, I go onto the outside bits and layout. Covers, art, graphics, layout... This has been quite the epic journey for me. Looking back on where I was this past winter and where I am now with this project, I have to say it's been rather surreal. I have a printed copy of the almost completed manuscript sitting next to the original manuscript (or more, "pile of papers and scrap heap") and I'm feeling a little proud of myself. I'm wondering now, what it's going to feel like when I have the "author's proofs" sitting in my hands... The first time a touch the cover with my work and my name in bound editions in my hands... Touching the actual book that I authored. Don't get me wrong. The book sucks. I never claimed to be the next great novelist. I never even claimed to be a good writer. It's the friggin' point. The feeling of accomplishment seen through to the end is quite good.
Throughout this wild ride, I had a few people mocking me and laughing at me and just being all around unimpressed, but for every one of those, I had ten people telling me, "Yes, you can and it's AWESOME!" I had so much support coming from all over the place and it warmed my heart. Never would have thought I'd end up here, but here I am.
My thoughts go to Myra and the ones she left behind for originally sparking the inspiration for me to come back to this project. If there is a God up in heaven, He will let Myra know that her warmth and the inspiration she sent to me is still felt and will not be forgotten. And of course, my Lucky for having so much faith in me and keeping me on task.
So close I can taste it... Victory!

Bacon...

I've posted quite a bit about bacon. What can I say. I believe it to be the perfect food and something that CLEARLY shows us all that God loves us. Even within the acknowledgement page of my almost published book, I thanked the powers of bacon  for all the yummy goodness it provided and nourishing me with its tasty deliciousness and mighty bacon-y awesomeness. Nothing beats the aroma that permeates through a house after bacon was cooked up. Crispy or chewy... There's no wrong way to enjoy it. It's bacon. Scrumptious and downright heavenly, anything can be made better with bacon, it can be enjoyed with every meal. Just sayin'... As I cook up another pound of bacon for my enjoyment.... :) Mia HAPPY!

Why? Go anyway!!!!!

So, the parental units had been promising to go away for a few weeks.... Vacation or whatever the hell... Whatever. As long as they aren't here, near me, talking to me, I don't really give a shit. Go. Go on your vacation. PLEASE. I beg you.
Who's been following along? Hmm? Well, if you haven't already figured it out, I am forced to live back at my parents', with my four children in hell... To be clear, I am reminded on a daily basis that this is not my house, it is not my home. I am only allowed to stay here. Oh, and did I mention my parents are a couple of nutbag lunatics with SERIOUS issues? Yeah... Don't get me started.
So, they were planning on going somewhere to do whatever for two weeks. How blissful did that sound to me? Two weeks of my being able to run my own life, not have to hear the nagging, bitching and complaining, I would be able to be a parent to my children without being undermined by two individuals who would rather pick a fight with me because it's their hobby.
Flights were scheduled, plans were made, an itinerary was put together and a countdown began. The clouds parted, the angels sang and a heavenly light shone down upon me! That was until a week before their scheduled trip... They canceled it because of something. I don't even remember what the reason was. I just knew that they weren't going.
Maybe I didn't mean to crumple and fall to my knees in defeat and raise my hands skyward and scream out "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why? Why would you do this?", but...
I guess that's why they're ignoring me and aren't talking to me... I guess it's as good as them being on vacation... At least they're leaving me alone. :p

Bubba...

I've been trying to cut back on the amount of caffeine I take in every day and trying to function without it. It's been a slow process, but it's been working. I think in the last 2 months, I have had a total of 5 cups of coffee. Tea on the other hand... Now, don't get me wrong. I have a tea bag a day. I just keep pouring hot water into the cup and make the friggin' thing last all day... Talk about gettin' my money's worth! That was when I discovered Bubba... Found it at a Walmart... A 34oz travel mug... This thing is awesome. I fill it in the morning with two teabags, a little sugar and top it full of hot water... The fucker keeps the tea hot for HOURS, I shit you not! Half the day gone and the tea is still warm! I fill it full of hot water again and WOW! I have more tea that stays hot until bedtime! I love this thing! My tea is there, it's hot or at the very least warm, and yay GREAT!  My only complaint? It didn't come in pink...