Thursday, July 31, 2014

Just Another Day In The Life of Me

It's one of those days where I don't know what I want to write about.

I do have a post in the works about what I consider the "token" female in movies and literature, but it's not finished yet.  I'll probably be done with it and have it posted one of the days next week.  There's been a lot of similar post on the internet recently, so I'll eventually be chiming in and giving my two cents worth.

Today is just one of those days I'm not having a very good day.  It's not going the way I expected, and that never makes anyone happy unless its better than what was expected.  But isn't that life?  Always throwing us a curve ball of some kind?
My last birthday cake...two birthdays ago!

Even on our birthdays!  We all have good ones, ones we'd rather forget, and some so mundane we really did forget all about them.  So far it's been a rather blue day.

BUT - I've got some pretty good friends, and a few have cheered me up today.  Which kind of how I came up with a topic to talk about real quick.

I have a tendency to complain about my husband's gaming, and yes there was a time when he was out of control.  It's not so bad if we're gaming together though.

With our new computer, we are able to play a roleplaying game we both like.  Runescape.  It's set in a medieval setting, so my character gets to run around with a sword!  Or a bow and arrow if I want to switch it up.  You can level in almost any skill imaginable: woodchopping, mining, magic, fletching...the list goes on.

Mr. Janney is already talking about doing quests together.  We used to play together all the time.  It's hard on just one computer though, especially since our old one was never able to handle the online game.  Quests open up different areas of the World for you, so does being a paying member - which I am glad to see that the price of membership hasn't gone up in the past few years.  We'll see if we're able to do this by this weekend or not, it depends on his paycheck whether I get my present right away or not.  I'm supposed to be getting a laptop.

Going to keep it short today.

Do you have a favorite birthday memory?  Mine is buying our marriage license a year ago today!


Just a reminder: today is the last day to purchase my novel on Nook...I'll be taking it down tomorrow morning...and then the Kindles sales will start!



2014 ~ Another year older...

Monday, July 28, 2014

12 Hour Shifts and Late Night Movies

My husband has been enjoying his new job, as much as anyone can enjoy a job that is repetitive and mundane.  It pays decent enough for our area, and they've been working a lot of hours.  He was supposed to work last evening (he works second shift, 3-11:30) but something broke and they were released after just over 2 hours into their shift).  So we did what any other couple would have done and made it into Movie Night!

First, we watched Escape Plan with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger - and a lot of other actors I knew that I knew but couldn't put a name to until I looked the movie up so I could spell Arnold's last name (which you notice I didn't try spelling again even with it directly above lol)  People like Jim Caviezal, Sam Niell and Faran Tahir...at least with the last two I was able to connect them with the movies I recognized them from, with Caviezal's character I kept thinking "Gosh, he sounds familiar."

I have to say I loved the movie.  It was funny.  My favorite line was when Stallone's character punched Arnold's and Arnold came back with, "You hit like a vegetarian."  I'm guessing that was said in an effort not to say, "You hit like a girl."  It was a good call, although I'm sure there are a lot of vegetarians out there going, "Oh yeah!?!?!?!"  (Us girls will take any improvement in how we are regarded - but that's for another post.  Especially since both movies we watched were male dominated.)

The second movie we watched was just "ok" so I won't even name it.  It was a deep movie that could have been better had they picked up the pace and moved things along quicker.  A lot quicker.

Anyways, by the time the movies were finished, it was 1:30am going on 2.  No big deal until Hubby says, "Oh, I forgot...we're working 12 hours shifts this week."  Say what?  His work gives their workers the choice of working 4 hours before their normal start time OR 4 hours later than normal.  My husband doesn't like working that late anymore (we both used to do it all the time) so he goes in at 11am.  Which means we have to be up at least by 9am, giving ourselves at best 7 hours of sleep.  Not the end of the world, but it was still not a pleasant surprise!

I still go to physical therapy three times a week, Mon-Wed-Fri if I can get it.  And I like to schedule them about 11-11:30 which gives us enough time for sleeping and getting him to work at 3.  So today I drove him in and went to therapy, and get to go back and get him later.  I am feeling that 'not enough sleep' feeling right now!!  I did reschedule the therapy for Friday, as the friend I get a ride from will be away that day.  As well as two other doctor appointments I had scheduled.  Ugh.  Given how his schedule can change, no doubt they aren't secure where they're at, but it'll have to do for now.

It tasted as good as it looked...
Friday I will also get to have a late lunch with my mom, which will be fitting since my birthday is on Thursday.  I think she just wants to go to Moose's Munchies, that's where I'm picking a cake up on Friday.  Moose's Munchies is a family owned and operated bakery/diner in Troy, PA and I love them - and not just because we're related.  The food is excellent, the staff friendly.

And I loved Lindsey's cake she made for Hubby and I last year.  I gave real thought about freezing the top layer and saving it for the first year anniversary.  But I decided to "cheat" and have a replica made because:
          • I didn't want to bother with what the internet said was the right way to protect the cake from freezer burn.
          • At the time I didn't have the extra freezer space to keep it that long.
          • And I'm not really that big in keeping all the traditions anyway.  I have nothing against traditions, but if I don't want to keep it, I'm not going to.  I get to pick and chose which traditions I keep or don't keep right?  I haven't been struck by lightning yet!
I don't know how much time I'll get to spend with my hubby that day; it will depend on whether or not he has to work Sunday again.  But we take whatever moments we can get.  Right now, we take each moment that we get because I will eventually be going back to work - as soon as my foot heals like it is supposed to - and after that, well he and I have worked opposite shifts before and survived, but I don't think we'll get to see each other until the weekends unless my department finishes early and I get to come home before he leaves for work.  I see the doctor on Monday now, and will know more then about any further treatment options. So we live pretty much moment by moment right now, and go with how things are flowing.

What good movies have you all watched recently?  I know that might sound like an odd question for a writer and lover of reading and books, but I also love movies because that is how I see the stories in my head.  Of course, I am privy to all the other information I write, but it still has that movie flow to it.




2014 ~ One year later than last year...

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Back In Action

I can't begin to say how GOOD it feels to be back online!
my very own 'Touched By An Angel' moment....

Our internet should have been turned back on earlier this week, I even had the company's representatives tell me that it was turned back on and they'd send me a repairman to find out why it wasn't reaching our modem.  It didn't take the repairman long to discover the problem - it was never turned back on!!   Shopping for a different provider never sounded so good as it does right now!

So I'm back and working on getting my online presence sparkling again.  I've already posted at Broads of a Feather.  Because that's a shared blog, I did what I had to in order to keep my posts up to date there, although I'm afraid the posts weren't my best.  I hate writing a post on my phone app, because the screen is so small and my phone is so stupid - it's ridiculously outdated.

I was supposed to be Googling a computer question for my hubby tonight, but I've been so busy checking all my stuff out that I haven't quite got there yet.  I mean...Facebook and blogs and Amazon and Twitter!!  I almost feel like I've come back home after a long trip!  But I know better, because while I had all that silence I was able to complete the rough draft to my second novel!  How exciting is that?!?!  I have taken a break before getting down to the dirty work of proofing it mostly because we're in the middle of transitioning computers (hence the reason why I need to Google computer questions later).  But I expect to release it at least by the end of August!

Which brings me up to an important announcement.  I will be taking Farmer's Daughter off of Nook Press at the end of July.  I know that's a bit short notice, but if I'm going to be releasing the sequel in August, I want a chance to have some sales and special offers available through the Kindle Select program.  Which means that it can only be available for the Kindle.  No biggie since I never did see the sales on Nook that I have on the Kindle.  SO if you haven't gotten your Nook version, better hop to it!  And if you're waiting on a Kindle sale...it's just around the corner!

Sigh.  Ok, I guess I'd better power down for a bit and see if I can't figure out what he did to the new computer so he doesn't have to take it to a professional.  And I have physical therapy in the morning - for both my foot and for the muscle spasm I triggered in my lower back last week.  But at least things are turning around for us in other areas of our life!

I'll see you all again...shortly!  :)



2014 ~ It's July!  How time has flown!