Mini Sequel (I should have saw this one coming)

Well, I blame myself for not expecting this to happen. It really is in the norm of how things proceed in our home.

My husband comes home for lunch yesterday after reading my blog.

Husband: "Does this mean I get to buy a new game today?"

Me: "Hi, honey. Glad you're home. Is that what you got from my blog?"

Husband: "Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 comes out soon. So I'm getting it, right?"

Me: "I never said that. I was pointing out a fact of how our mall expeditions go. I don't recall saying you get a game."

There is moment of pause as I am sure he realizes this point in truth.

Husband: "Well, the first one is really cheap. I can get that one."

So as you see, the discussion of video games must imply that he is going to get spoiled once again. Reason is a foreign concept to him while the words "video games" are being tossed about apparently so haphazardly.

Point to parents: Do not spoil your children, for this is what happens.

Oh, and he accused me of making him sound like a "nerd" because of his love for video games.

......

I merely posted about conversations that have taken place; more or less in that manner.

Make of that what you will.

Quick Plug!

And to inform you all (which so very sadly may be a small small number) the manuscripts I am working on are posted at www.textnovel.com and two of the three have received the Editor's Choice Award, which is in a word, fantastic!

Shades of Grey was my first and Delusions is the second. Each are entered into the current contest running so please drop by, read and vote!

I love you all!

The loves that bind us...

Okay, so I am just a wee bit behind on updating my blog. Yeah, the pre-New Years resolution to write in it nearly everyday, with weekly being the most I go, well, we all can see how that went. There must be a punishment for such behavior, yet I know not what it is. But whatever it is, I am sure I deserve it.

Oh, the power of love and the things that love drives us to do. First, let me just say that the love I have for my husband has lead to some interesting conclusions. Yes, he is spoiled beyond belief and usually gets whatever he wants. Whatever you do, don't take him to the video game store or he will revert back in the the ever insistent child who begs and pleads for every shiny thing he sees. Of course, too often than not, I do give in. Hence conclusion number one: I give in way to easily when confronted with big, pleading, green eyes and a handsome face.

Conclusion number two would be that I can dish out the tough love, yet become incredibly guilt ridden for doing so. Like when we are at said video game store and I tell him only one video game and firmly put my foot down that the second desired game must be placed back on the shelf. Inevitably the anticipated pouting comes and usually a full fledged lip quiver accompanied with puppy dog eyes.

Now, I am prepared for this reaction since it is a common follow up to the word "No" (regardless of the reason). I do my best to not look at the face and to direct my attention onto the debit card that is exiting the wallet to complete the purchase of the first video game. I find if I actually pay attention to the money magically deserting my bank account it makes it easier to repel the Pout.

Oh, and to just make it clear, I can be quite stoic in my decision while in the video game store. It is, however, the walk through the mall and to the parking lot, that my resolve may begin to shake.

Husband: "You know, honey, that (fill in blank of game that was left on store shelf) game got a really good review."

Me: "I know, so we will get that one next time."

Husband: "Well, everyone already has that one and they keep asking me to play it. They said it's the best of the year."

Me: "You should have gotten that one then, instead of the one you bought."

Husband: "But this one is supposed to be better."

So, yes the conversation is a problem, but certainly one can overcome it. The final nail in my coffin of guilt is the viewing of the commercial depicting the postponed video game in all if its glory, which is of course, is sucker punching my poor husband and reminding him of the fact that he is the only person in the world who does not own it.

"Me: "Okay, tomorrow I will swing by the mall and pick it up."


And all of this is the prelude to my angelically beautiful daughter, who, in fact, has inherited her father's green eyes and being a girl, knows how to use their full world dominating power. I think we need not go into detail of how store outings result with that one.

Then there is the cookie. Or ice cream. Or cupcake. Or whatever gluttonously sinful delight that is out there, be it sweet or salty. Somehow, my ability to say "No" is non-existent in these situations.

The love that binds me, is the love that conquers me. C'est la Vie. 

Hmm...

Okay, so I picked up a new book the other day. Torment is the sequel to one of my other books and though it is good so far, I am getting increasingly depressed and frustrated over it. Why? Well, it now is seeming to be coming dangerously close to my manuscript. I swear it's like the author has read my notes and took it from there. GRR! This book just came out and now it seems like they are somewhat similar. Sigh. Well, I guess I just keep persevering and hope it just seems like that right now but will soon follow its own path.

I swear it seems like everything in this world is against me having an opportunity to be published.

Sorry for the short post. I just can't find much more I want to say right now.

Karma and Ranting

I have been very, very bad! I haven't posted since the ice age and now I know karma has made me pay for it.

So little Miss Cowgirl Emmy has been asking all week to go to Papa's to ride the horseys. We were even going to pick Daddy up to go to lunch and she told me she preferred going to Papa's instead of seeing Daddy. Apparently she was going through a major withdrawal.
So Sunday afternoon, we set the last session of conference to record, then headed out to Emmett to ride horses. Now this is where things began looking fishy. First, Papa saddles his horse, Blue, which is a horse with an major attitude towards all other horses, but especially Pogo. So guess who Papa says is getting saddled up also? Yep, Pogo. Not Paint, who Blue actually likes, but Pogo the gentle palomino who Blue loathes. We saddle up, then head into the round pen for some riding.
Emmy is riding with Papa on Blue and I am riding Pogo. Everything is going great, Emmy is having a blast and there is a nice breeze to cool the unnatural 90 degree October afternoon.
We then realize that Papa's other granddaughter wants to ride and that we should just go ahead and saddle up Paint. So, Papa hops off Blue and heads into the shop to get a halter to catch Paint, while Doug holds Blue and Emmy gets up with Mom to ride Pogo.
Blue then decided now was his chance to get to Pogo without the boss around and quickly lunges across the round pen at Pogo, ready to bite. Pogo understandably, rears back to avoid the bite but in the process created enough momentum to send Emmy falling off. I tried to pull her back but I lost my grip on the saddle horn and we both fell to the ground.
I tucked Emmy into me and angled so she wouldn't hit the ground and instead land on me. It worked, but left me worse for wear. I am entirely bruised up and down my right side with every joint aching as if being batted around with a mallet. My other arm and the top of my chest is bruised where Emmy landed on me and my hips all through my pelvic bone are stiff and painful. I am pretty much out of commission and Bless my dead husband's heart for helping to clean the house after he got home from work.

But I would do it again in a heart beat.

Now onto the ranting.

Seriously the AP voters are biased and off their rockers. How they can truly say that Oregon deserves to be #3 over Boise State is obscenely ridiculous. Let's look at the facts.
-BSU has played and beaten two ranked teams. Oregon has played and beaten one.
-BSU was told they need to blowout all of their next opponents. They beat New Mexico St. 59-0.
-Oregon has been behind by 10 or more points in their last three games which were "stronger" schools. BSU has only been behind in one game for roughly five minutes.
-TCU is told they can't jump BSU (unless BSU loses) because they lost to them in the Fiesta Bowl and have lost a good portion of their starters. BSU has beaten Oregon twice in the last two years, once at their home, and has returned about the same starters as TCU.

Call me crazy but as of right now, it appears that Oregon isn't really any better than BSU at all. So either I am just not up on my college football or the AP had seriously just decided to boast up their little media darling in favor of an outstanding team that may shake up their cozy little system an actually make them do their jobs by reporting accuracies. 

But, I will say this, Jesse Palmer is right on cue for appreciating a good college football team. He defended BSU against his colleague admirably, and I could just kiss him right now.

Anxiety

I didn't realize that it has been six days since I last updated. Having family over and getting busy really has worn me out. But now it is time to buckle back down and keep going.

I am starting my new manuscript as well as continuing the sequel to my first one. Yes, I may confuse myself, but I think I have things pretty organized in my head. (No, that is not a joke. I truly believe this.) The big problem I am facing right now is my anxiety over writing my query letter and sending it off to an agent who is a top choice, I feel. Let me just tell you that writing query letters is pure torture. So much depends on what you fit onto one little page and how you say it. If one thing is off, you get Mr. Rejection letter; if you're lucky. There is always the deafening silence of no reply, which kills a bit of your soul.

So, you can see how this for me (the epitome of anxiety and worry) is an overly stressful thing. But unfortunately it needs to be done. The process in the next few days will require tears, sleepless nights, nausea, much praying and for good measure, a trip to the temple.

But I am trying to be strong and optimistic since Doug is stressed with his job. I don't want to add to his problems so I am trying to keep the phrases of "Enduring to the End" and "Never Give Up" circulating through my thoughts.

I realize this is a more somber post than my last few, and I apologize for that. Right now though, I just need that release and therapy of unloading my worries. Even if no one reads it, or even cares for that matter, it has at least been put into words and in that I find a small piece of solace.

Bravery

Whew, busy days.




So, now I must share my tale of daring feats and my gallant charge into the face of utter peril and danger.
 I was sitting on the couch reading the wonderful and captivating book The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (excellent read as is her other series the Mortal Instruments) during my brief break from housework. My sweet adorable two year old daughter was playing with the dog (well, trying to milk her like a cow to be more precise) and was squealing with unadulterated delight. I look up to watch this smile inducing display when out of nowhere a GIANT (literally the size of a silver dollar) spider scuttles across the living room floor and pauses beside the coffee table.

Now, I must inform you that I am extremely terrified of spiders. Heck, if I am aware of one in the room with me I will run to another room and hide there until the infernal thing is killed. So, you can imagine the rapid pace my heart had adopted at the sight of this monstrosity. But, alas, I was home alone with my daughter and my husband wouldn't be home for another three hours.

I knew we wouldn't survive that long if I did not take action.

So against all of my screaming flight instincts, I took my Doc Marten boot (they are perfect spider killers due to their immense weight) from the closet, crept slowly to the coffee table and climbed on top of it. I told my daughter to get on the couch and stay until momma says it is okay to get down. Shaking like a dried leaf in a November windstorm, I positioned my boot above the beast and with a final breath of air, and hopefully courage, I dropped the boot down hard and ended with a mighty twist of the fist.

I pulled the boot up and looked down at the crumpled corpse, adrenaline still burning through my body. I poked it with a nearby lollipop stick, and it MOVED! Not just a twitch but a jump. Oh heaven above, I cannot take this! Dropping the boot again I twisted and ground the thing into the plush carpet until legs were coming off. I poked it again and when I finally was satisfied that it was not going to move again, I grabbed seven tissues and plucked it from the carpet fibers and flushed it down into the great toilet oblivion.

If I had been completely alone, I know I would have fled, but since I needed to protect my child, I had to swallow my fear and dig down to replace terror with bravery. It was our only chance. In moments of great trials is when we truly see our greatest attributes. Though, I assure you, I pray this will be a one time occasion.

Oh, and after my panic that it was a hobo spider, upon researching native Idaho spiders I discovered it was a grass spider that apparently is RARELY seen indoors. I don't think he got that memo...