*Ka-Thunk*

So, I'm still at the beach. I feel kind of ridiculous saying this, but I have done NOTHING since I got here except to go get food. I know, I'm hopeless. :)

I've been a bad girl, too. What is it about vacation that makes me decide to eat such craptastic food? As in, really, really yummy to eat, but really, really bad for me. *sigh* I promised myself that I would go back to eating healthy as of tomorrow. Yes, that's the ticket. :)

I went to my favorite bookstore yesterday & picked up some new/used books to read. Have I picked them up? Nope! I've been lazy, lazy, lazy! It's sick & sad, but I don't care. I didn't realize just how much I needed to relax until I got here. I've showered and stuff, but have barely left my hotel room. It's just so nice to not do anything!

Tomorrow I'll be leaving the coast around 11 and going home. I have to stop by work to pick up next week's schedule and then I get to pick up Lover Avenged from B&N. It's waiting for me. :) I got my email from them at midnight yesterday.

I called my mom to give her a head's up on my expected arrival tomorrow and she told me I had a big package waiting for me. New review books! Whoo-hoo! Very happy about that too!

My car drove like a dream all the way down here. It was as smooth as butter while going down I-5 and everything. I'm so thankful I got my car fixed, even if it ended up costing me an arm & a leg.

My parents were so generous letting me borrow all the money they gave me and I haven't even spent any of it. Shame on me! *sigh* But, there's this great little gift shop on the way down 101 and I hope I'll be able to pick up small stuff for everyone. :)

And that's about it. I'm watching movies and vegetating. I'm going to take a sleeping pill and get a really good night's sleep. Need to get up pretty early tomorrow to get all packed and then I'll be taking off.

So, I shall chat at y'all later! Night!

Whee!!

I'll be leaving in about an hour and a half for the beach. I can't even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to this. I need this vacaton more than I can possibly tell you. :)

Still need to pack and get all that done. I know, I'm the world's worst procrastinator, aren't I? Gotta say though, it's okay. I'll be done. :)

I'll still be around. My hotel has free wi-fi, so that's good. Ciao!

I'm on VACATION!

I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. Of course, I've also got a killer migraine. *sigh* I think I'm jinxed.

Gave "him" a ride home from work. He had to get home quick so he could go buy a car. Yes, the man is now mobile. We're going to try carpooling with him driving now. I'm...scared? LOL! He hasn't driven for six years. This should be interesting. :) But that's what he wants to do. As long as he drives me to & from, that's all I care about. Like I told him, he's got too big a social life. If he's giving me rides, it's gotta be to & FROM! LOL!

Tomorrow I'm going to be a busy girl. Pack, get ready, do some quick shopping to get the essentials. When I was getting ready to go to work this morning, my mom handed me a check for $200. She told me I'd owe her $150, because my dad wanted me to have a nice dinner and stuff on them, plus they were also paying me their half of a birthday gift we'd gotten my great-aunt.

My great-aunt just turned 80 and they had a big party for her today. I couldn't go, because I was at work, but I guess she was just thrilled. I got her something from work (not going to name names) and she told my parents to tell me that she'd always wanted one. So, that made me feel really good. I'm glad she liked it. I wish I could've seen her reaction, but it was worth it knowing she liked it so much.

He's been texting me. Told me he got his car. Told me he was going out for a last night of drinking to celebrate (rolls eyes). He's going to be VERY broke for awhile. :) He's going to get his license on Monday, so that'll be entertaining. We also talked about his not-girlfriend. Turns out she hasn't talked to him in a week and a half. *snicker* Okay, I know, I should be a grown up and be happy for him that he likes someone, but honestly the teenage girl deep down inside me is snickering in glee. I am SO evil! LOL!

I just find it so....weird that we "talk" as much as we do. We text just about every day...sometimes for hours. It depends on what we're both doing. He's told me stuff about himself that makes me so proud of him for achieving what he's accomplished over the last few years. I think that's the biggest thing. I'm proud of him for trying to get his life together and growing up. He's got so much potential to be a truly awesome man and I hope, even if I'm not part of his life that he reaches that potential and becomes that man I can see deep down inside.

I don't think I'm being fanciful or ridiculous, because he has told me so much about him and what he is truly like. He hides it so well around our coworkers and stuff that most of them don't like him, but like he told me today, he's not comfortable in situations where he doesn't like or know people. I told him that I'm amazed we're where WE are in our relationship, because honestly if I'd been told two years ago that we'd be friends, I would have laughed.

And now we are. And it's so weird. It's like...it's like we've both grown a lot these last couple of years. I know I'm not the same person he met. I also don't take any of his nonsense & I think he likes that. I know he treats me with a lot of respect, not just at work, but all the time. Will it ever go farther than friendship? I have no idea. But, if we're just going to be friends, it's okay. I'm glad we've made it this far, at least.

And I'm off to bed. My head is truly killing me and I need to rest my eyes. I will still be "around" whilst on my vacation. My hotel has free wi-fi! I love Oregon! :)

So Close...

And yet so far away. My vacation starts at 4 pm PST tomorrow. Seems like a million years away & yet it'll be here & gone before I know it. Oh well, that's the way it usually goes.

All I know is that I can hardly wait to get packed up and take off. I'm glad I'm coming back Thursday because that gives me four more days to vegetate and just take it easy.

I'm really hoping I can get most of Kara & Jamison's book done while I'm down there. I'm crossing my fingers I'll be able to concentrate. It'll be nice because it'll just be me. No distractions. Unless I get lucky enough to meet a super hot, single, tall, dark-haired man who just so happens to like tall BBW. Hmm...maybe? And yes, it'd only be for four days, but I think a quick, yummy affair would do nicely, don't you? *snicker* Oh brother! You can so totally tell I'm a romance writer. he-he

Tonight on Twitter we were having some VERY interesting conversations. One was about a site Jen was recommending (all I can say about that is ow & LOL) and then cranberrytarts told me I was weird because I don't really care for Linda Howard. Well Hmph! :P Just like I'm not a big Jude Deveraux or Julie Garwood fan. I was...back in the day, but now as an adult I cannot read their books. Something about them just rubs me wrong.

Are they badly written? No...they just don't appeal to me anymore.

However, I have to say that MacKenzie's Mission and Son of the Morning are probably my favorite LH books. And The Summerhouse is probably my favorite Jude Deveraux book. Once JD went into more spiritual books, she kind of lost her appeal. And the whole "I love you because you can tell me apart from my twin" thing was just...wrong. And don't EVER get me started on Knight in Shining Armor.

Am I bashing them? Nope. Just don't work for ME! I always wonder why people get snarked when stating their opinion. If I were being snarky that would be one thing.

I think that's one reason why so many people won't review on their blogs. They're afraid stating their opinion will get them in trouble. For me personally, I started reviewing because I love to read and if I'm lucky enough to find a great book, I'm not afraid to jump on the bandwagon and tell you about it. That being said, even if I truly hate a book, I just can't be obnoxious and super snarky. It's just not me (though trust me, there have been times where I ssssssoooooooooooo wanted to snark. The Sword, anyone?). I guess it all comes down to the old adage "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." That adage has kept me out of more trouble than I can possibly think of.

The weather was super gorgeous today. Cold, but crystal clear. I hope it's like that next week at the coast. The rule of thumb is if it's 70 in Portland, it'll be about 55 where I'll be. *sigh* And honestly I don't care if it's warm, I just hope it's clear! Though storms can be cool...just not if they sound like they're going to blow away my building! :)


And I'm off. Time to go to bed. I've gotta be at work tomorrow. *sniffle* Ciao!

Blech!

So, after dealing w/ the food poisoning from hell yesterday, I have spent today thanking the good Lord that it only lasted a day. Eesh!

Counting down the hours until my vacation starts. At this point, it can't start soon enough. *sigh*

Work was blah. Life was pretty blah today. Oh well. Only two more days to go.

My fingers are numb. Completely & totally numb. I should shut my window, but the fresh air feels phenomenal! :)

Lover Avenged comes out next week! Whoot! I'll be gone. Boo! KB & others were talking about it on Twitter. No spoileries for me. I'm covering my eyes. :D

And that's it. I'm boring and tired and kind of grumpy. This vacation needs to get here NOW!!!!

Hmmm....

I posted months ago about my one small foray into craigslist & their online dating site. I admit to having a sick, sad addiction to reading the ads because honestly? They crack me up and make me shake my head at the same time. It amazes me how many guys can't spell to save their lives & how weird so many of them are.

Having said that, I came across this ad tonight and had to put the linky here. I don't know how long it'll last, but thought I'd have you all go read it. It's extremely imaginative, very funny and I could totally go for someone like that. I get his humor and think he's got a unique idea. However, there is no way on this earth that I would ever respond. My like he'd end up being a psychotic stalker or something. Eek!

Today was miserable. I went to bed last night not feeling super fantastic, but when I got up this morning my stomach really hurt. I made it to work though and was feeling...okay, until about 1 this afternoon. All of a sudden I started feeling really, really ill. I told my supervisor I was going home and came home. Slept for 3 hours and still feel pretty craptastic even now. Oh well. It's either a bizarre flu bug or food poisoning. Either way I feel pretty craptastic.

Got a text from "him." I'm still stuck on being his friend. He hasn't mentioned her again, so I don't know what's going on there. I find it very strange that he opens himself up to me so much and yet, at least as far as I know, there's nothing on his end at ALL. It's very frustrating to say the least.

I had a dream the other night that when I woke up made me shake my head. In the dream, I was very much a different person. I told him how I felt about him and basically laid it out for him. And he reciprocated. It was truly bizarre. Especially when I consider the fact that it's so totally not me. *sigh*

My trip next week is going to be on a super tight budget. My mom is being awesome and lending me $200 for me to spend. I still can't believe my car cost so much money to fix, but it seems to be working well. *knocks on wood* And the one big side bennie of getting it fixed is that my 10-disc changer works again! Yay! I'll have CDs to listen to on the drive to the coast! Whoot!

I plan on taking my camera & I hope this time I'll take some good pictures. I'd like to show y'all just how gorgeous the Oregon Coast really is. I have no idea what the weather is expected to be like. Last year it was super stormy & the last night I thought the hotel was going to blow away. Crazy!

I'm hoping by tomorrow I'll feel more like myself. Today I'm feeling pretty blah. :(

All I Can Say...

Without a doubt, is that this was one of the best books I've ever read. I cannot stop crying, but I've gotta tell you, it's one of the best kind of cries a person can have. I'm just going to give you a link to my review, but I will tell you right now...you have to read this book.

Alas...

I'm tired and somewhat grumpy and feeling like my head will explode. I've decided it's because of two things. A. I'm PMSing...maybe. B. I had to spend $716 on my car. *sniffle* Oh well. My parents were wonderful and picked it up for me. Bless them!

Work was...interesting. Busy. Brainless. Typical.

I'm going over to Samhain to pick up two books. One from an old favorite and one that a lot of my buddies have been raving about. Here's hoping I like both of them! :)

And that's it! I know! I'm so bad! :D

Things & Things

*yawn*

Oh, man. What a weekend. Okay, not really, but it SEEMED like it. :) Saturday after work I came home, did a couple of errands and then got online & putzed around. Yesterday I met up with my "niece" and we went out to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. B is actually one of my BFFs kids and I've now known her for about 8 years. She's 20 and super adorable, but really bad at giving directions...as I am bad at TAKING directions. *headdesk* However, it all worked out in the end and we had a really good time.

I didn't get to bed until 4:30 this morning. And here's why. To start with, I have a confession to make. *ahem* When I read Demon Angel by Meljean Brook for the first time...I HATED it! I mean, I HATED it with a passion. I thought Lillith was psychotic and that Hugh was a milquetoast. I liked the side characters, but couldn't stand them. I put the book aside with a shake of my head and even though I had all the other books in the series, I had no interest in reading them.

Which made me feel guilty, especially after I met her and realized she's one of the sweetest people I've met in a long time. I read the short story that was set in the Guardian universe and actually really liked it, but was dead set against reading the actual series. *sigh*

So, last night as I was hunting for something to read, I came across my copy of Demon Angel and thought "You know, I'm going to try this again...however, I'm going to skip the beginning and jump right into the "present"." and I did and I liked it. LOL! So, I picked up Demon Moon and inhaled it (hence the me falling asleep at 4:30 thing).

And then I got up at nine. Yes, 3 1/2 hours of sleep. *headdesk* Here's the thing, last week I took my car into DEQ to see if it would pass so I could renew my extremely expired tags. It failed miserably and I called around to see how much it would be to just get the initial diagnostic done. I wanted to get my car in ASAP, so I got up at 9 so that my mom would follow me in her truck and I could take my car to the mechanic.

They called around 3:30 to tell me that they'd run the diagnostic, that it was some major hose that was leaking and that they would basically have to take apart my entire engine to fix it. Not only that, but they would then have to recalibrate my car, take it for a run and get it ready so I could try passing it through DEQ...again. *sigh*

I will be $716 poorer tomorrow. *sobs* This will leave me with maybe $350 for my beach trip next week. I asked my mom today if she'd be willing to let me borrow some fundage for the trip so that if I decided to go see a movie or shop, I'd have a bit of extra money to play with. She said okay. I'm just thankful I'd gotten my tax return quickly and had the extra money to GET my car fixed. *sigh*

I'm just bummed it costs so stinkin' much. Like my dad said 99% of it is labor. Ugh!

As I stated in my last blog entry, I've decided that if my crush can't see me as a potential girlfriend, I'd still be his friend. I just find it so interesting that he texts me as often as he does. He bought a car and is all excited about that. He was texting me telling me about it. It's cute. So, as I said, if I can't date him, I'm going to be his friend.

The man is NOT perfect by any means. He has a lot of issues and stuff, but...and this is a big but, he has a decent core to him. If you're his friend, he's got your back. He's generous and sweet and man I wish he liked me, but alas, it is not to be. *sniffle*

The weather has been beyond stunning these last couple of days. I took a picture this afternoon from my front porch. I was pointing it up to the sky to get a good view of the pure cerulean blue. My cell didn't capture it as much as I'd wished, but it still gives you an idea. :) I wish the weather was like this all the time. It was about 70 and perfect. Not too warm and not too cold. :D Yay! Unfortunately, my BlackBerry has been having issues & won't email it to me. Boo! :(

I've been in a horrible reading slump this month. It's awful! I think I've read 6 new books for the month? That's especially sad when you think about it. I average about 20 new books a month, so this is a definite killer. Boo! *sniffle*

I am so looking forward to my vacation. I plan on leaving around 11 next Monday & getting down to the beach around 1 or so. It all depends on traffic. Even if the weather isn't perfect, I'm okay with that. My whole intent is to just veg and relax. *sigh*

And that's about it for the moment. I took a sleeping pill about 10 minutes ago and I'm hoping I'll crash. I took a "nap" this afternoon, but it was one of those sucky ones where even though I was kind of sleeping, I never hit REM sleep and was still aware of everything that was going on around me, which sucks a big fat one. :~P

Ciao!

It Is Better To Have Loved & Lost...

Pfft. What a bunch of hooey. *sigh*

If y'all happened by DIK these last few days, I'm sure you've noticed a trend. I'm a bit bummed out. I found out "He" likes someone else. A woman he met about a week ago. He's totally gaga over her & has been talking to me about it. Yes, I've been relegated to buddy status. *sigh*

And to be honest, I figure if I can't get him to "like" me, it doesn't hurt to be friends with him. I find it so strange that yeah, we are friends now. Go figure. We text message each other all the time and talk about whatever comes to mind. He's getting a friend of his to help me fix my car and all kinds of stuff.

I guess I'm resigned. This is what happens each and every time I like someone. Either he ends up liking someone else or he's just completely blind to the fact that I like him. And I'm sorry, I just can't see myself going up to a guy & telling him I like him. I just don't have it in me. *sniffle*

So, I'll be his friend and well, if things work out for him & this woman, so be it. I did cry when I found out...not because of the fact that he likes someone else, but that I like someone who like someone else...again. *sigh*

Um...Oy!

So, today was just a royal pain in my heinie. *eye roll* I'm serious! Last night I was texting w/ "him" and talking about stuff. I wasn't supposed to be in to work until 1 while he was to start at 10:30. I decided I had to get up early enough to take my car in to DEQ to see if it'd pass & I could get my tags renewed (expired 6 months ago...*ahem*). Yeah...

Anyway, I told him I'd give him a ride to work today. I'm so sneaky. LOL! Well, it's true that I needed to get my car warmed up. *snicker* I'm so pathetic & ridiculous, it's not even funny! :~P

Gave him a ride, went to DEQ, failed, had to go to the DMV to get a temp tag, drove home, got dressed, drove to work & came home at 3. Yes, I worked a two hour day. *sigh* I asked my boss why she didn't just call me up & tell me NOT to come in at all. Talk about a waste of time & money. Grr...

Got home from work. Vegged. Called a couple of mechanics. Hoping I can have my car fixed on Monday. Would love to drive it to beach. If that doesn't work, I can take my mom's truck. Ugh!

I really didn't want to use my tax refund to fix my car. Boo! I did go to Lane Bryant & go a bit wild yesterday though. I needed new slacks. Tried on 10 pairs of pants before I found one that fit and looked good. Dark charcoal w/ white pinstripes. Bought about a dozen new t-shirts & spent a ridiculous amount of money. *sigh* I hate speciality stores. :(

Random picture of my pretty pedicure. For some reason my big toe kept curling up every time I snapped the picture. LOL! Can you tell which toe I've broken 8 times? :)

I am SO mad at myself! I woke up this morning and picked up my cell phone to check my email. Thought I was on email. Deleted. Every. Single. Text. Message. Including the ones from "him" and when you consider that I probably had close to 100 texts from him? I am seriously peeved. I went to T-Mobile & asked if there was any way to retrieve them off my BlackBerry & was told NO! *sniffle* So...I'm sad. :(

Things are going relatively decently right now though. It was gorgeous today & since I got off work so early, I was able to really enjoy the sunshine. Yay!

I'm disgustingly full. Ugh! I feel like barfing. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that sandwich. *sigh* I'm such a pig. Blah, blah, blah! :~P

And that's about it. I still need to do my blog entry for tomorrow's DIK. yay! *eye roll* What to talk about? *sigh*

I'm Up!

On DIK. I don't know how to be clever. Or if I do, it's because I'm not trying to be. *sigh*

I'm tired. Getting up early to take car to DEQ to get my tags...that expired in November. *ahem* I am THAT lame. I texted "him" and asked him if he wanted a ride since I need to get my poor car warmed up before I take it to DEQ. He was surprised, but said yes. Like I'm going to make him take the bus to work. Bwa-ha-ha! *ahem*

Oy, I'm sad & pathetic. :~S

Um...Yeah

Oy, got lots on my mind tonight. Anticipation for my vacation is making me a bit nuts. Less than two weeks. Found out today my boss can't count & ended up screwing me out of a vacation day. *sigh* I'd asked for the day before July 4th off, but had to give it up. *sniffle*

Bought & read Beyond Heaving Bosoms by the Smart Bitches. Let me say this, it was one of the funniest, most insightful books I've read in a long time. I'm a huge fan of their site and go read stuff there every day. I know how much Sarah & Candy love romance, so seeing their thoughts out there for the world to see is awesome. :) I'll review tomorrow when I can think.

Got an email from Tracy reminding me I'm on DIK Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Ack! I totally spaced it. *sigh* I'm a 'tard.

I can't embed the video, but I'm putting a link up here. I recommend you go watch this woman sing. It'll give you chills. It certainly did me. And it's from one of my all-time favorite musicals too, which doesn't hurt. :)

Today was weird. Gave "him" a ride to work today, but he left after 2 hours to get his eyes checked. Ended up being able to stay off since he got his eyes dilated. I texted him and asked him how he was doing. He told me he couldn't see. Next thing you know it was 3 hours later and we were still texting on and off.

Here's the thing, the guy is 6 years younger than me but he has LIVED way more than I have. I'm downright innocent compared to him. For some reason (and don't ask me why) I'm totally attracted to that. I think I need at least one Bad Boy in my life, you know? And for the most part (but not completely by any means) he's calmed down a bit. He fascinates me. It's kind of a like a moth to a flame, but you know what? Maybe, just maybe, it's okay to be burned.

And that's about it, my friends. I hope everyone has a great day (Weds.). My week is going by pretty quickly, but I'm okay with that. Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do on this vacation of mine. I know I'm going to the beach; it's the rest of it I'm not so sure of.

Ciao!

Wha-huh-whoa?!

LOL!

Okay, just an FYI, but my brain is sooooo far beyond normal tonight, it's not even funny. *sigh*

Got up early (as in before 10) this morning and met one of my BFFs for lunch. We went to Applebee's and pigged out. It was great! We plan on meeting next week so she can reciprocate, since I paid for lunch today.

After that I dropped her off and came home. Took a nap and when I got up I went and got a pedicure! And they are so cute! Hot red w/ white polkadots. The chick who did them did a super cute job. Hers are black w/ white polka dots. I told her I liked hers & there you go. :) I also got my eyebrows done and all that good stuff. Now I just need to buy some cute sandals so this adorable pedi doesn't go to waste. *sniffle*

Got a text message from "him" today. Random and I wasn't the one who did it first. He's sick. Looking for sympathy. Can we all say "Aw!" LOL! Typical guy. :D

My cell phone is acting weird. I hope I don't have to get it replaced. Boo! :(

Let's see...anything else? Unfortunately, my life is super boring right about now. Blech! I'm hoping I can take a pic of my toes so you can see just how cute they turned out. *crossing fingers*

And I'm going to go play now. I've got a couple of games on Facebook I'm addicted to. It's a sickness I tell you. :P

Nite! Ciao! Au revoir! :D

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Oy, I am sooooooo tired tonight. I need a vacation! And I get one! Whoo-hoo! Going to the beach the last week of this month. 4 days and 3 nights. Is it sad & pathetic that what I'm looking forward to the most is sleep? LOL! I find that kind of sad and pathetic, but whatever. The idea of getting away for awhile just appeals to me. :) Get to stay at my favorite hotel and all that good stuff.

Today was pretty blah. Work was weird. Kept getting loopy customers who may or may not have been on crack. LOL!

Got a ghost text from "him" today. I texted him w/ a "yes?" Back and forth. Turns out it was a ghost texty. Go figure.

He almost made us late to work yesterday. Overslept. Called me. I told him I'll come pick you up. No, no, won't be ready in time. I stopped by Starbucks. Got a text. "Why don't you stop at Starbucks and then come get me?" So, I did. We made it to work w/ 2 minutes to spare. *sigh*

Today it was me and my buddy E. Boring. Tired. Can't wait for my vacation. I took a sleeping pill about 25 minutes ago & I'm getting loopy. Going to go get clothes ready for tomorrow. Text him to remember his shirt. Go to bed. *yawn*

Night!

FYI

I have no idea what I'm going to talk about. Honestly. My brain, at this moment in time, is basically wiped clean. It's kind of sad, really.

Today was okay. Could've been better. Could've been MUCH worse. It was hard being there though, because I wanted to be out playing in the sun. *sigh* Oh well.

Carolyn Jean won DABWAHA! I'm so proud of her! *happy dance* It was a super-close battle, but all those Iron Kissed fans voted and we squeaked by! Yay! I made it to 55th place, so as a first time DABWAHA participant, I don't think I did too shabby.

I'm really tired tonight. I didn't sleep as well as I would've like.

I'm reading Rob Thurman's books. I honestly thought Rob Thurman was a guy until she did her "My First Sale" thing on Dear Author. I'm not very far yet, but I'm really liking her voice. Fast-paced and smart-alecky. It fits w/ the character. Will review when I'm done.

April is the month of no books. It's so sad & pathetic. *sigh* I'm just buying random books to feed the craving. I need to stop doing that.

Got a text from "him." It was work-related, but funny. *eye roll* I am so lame. *sigh*

And that's about it. I'm going to go play a game on Facebook for awhile and see if I can relax enough to sleep. *crossing fingers*

Thinkin' 'Bout Things

And stuff. LOL!

Went out with my buddy/niece V. We went to La Careta & pigged out on chicken & steak fajitas and fried ice cream. Diet conscious we were not.

I feel much better after talking to her. The one thing I love about V is I know I can tell her anything and it doesn't go any further than her. I told her about "him" and about some of the things that were on my mind. She let me get what was on my mind off my chest and she read something I'd kept. Her thoughts were invaluable, as always.

Tomorrow I'm working. Yeah, working Monday-Friday this week. This is weird to me. But, I get Saturday off, so that'll be nice. Saturday is cleaning day. I HAVE to clean. I have no excuses and will get it done on Saturday. I'd also like to pack up a bunch of books and either donate them or put them in a storage unit. It's hard to tell. I really, really want to go thru and just catalog all the books I have. I have this awful tendency of forgetting I own something, especially if I haven't read it yet.

I was up by 9:50 this morning. *headdesk* But, the nice thing was I got my taxes done. I'm getting about what I usually get, so that was nice. Most of it will go to getting my car fixed and paying off my smaller credit cards. That way I can concentrate on the biggest one I have and get that paid off hopefully within a few months. And then it'll be on to saving funds for a down payment on a house. *sigh*

There are so many super cute houses around here that are for sale and I'm so tempted to scope them out, but I know I'd be tempted and I don't want to be tempted until I have a decent DP for the house. I'd love to save between $15-$25,000. I dunno...I'm sure it's feasible, but I don't know how. *sigh*

I have a lot going on in my head right now. I don't know why. Just do. Need that vacation at the end of this month. DESPERATELY! :)

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

All I can say is...is it getting hot in here?????????????

PS. I CANNOT wait. Dude! Hot guys! Um, yeah. Um...drooling. Sorry 'bout that. :D

*Huge Yawn*

Dude, I am beat! But, I did find out I do get all (but Saturday) off at the end of this month for vacation. Yay! I am going to the beach even if I have rob Peter to pay Paul. I've gotta get away. If I don't? Yeah, I'm afraid my head will explode. *sigh*

So, reading the comments from the last blog entry, I think y'all are right. So, here we go. Titles!

The Altered Series:

State of Being
State of Magic
State of Grace
State of Mind

Dun-dun-dun.

I have had a killer headache off & on since I went to bed Thursday night. Didn't have any meds, but I'm thankful my mom stopped by store & got some Excedrin Migraine! Yay!

Today was my nephew's birthday party, but I didn't go. I'm tired, sick and just wanted to veg. I got some Taco Bell and then sat in front of TV.

Gave "him" a ride to work again. My boss has now officially set up his schedule to coincide with mine so that we can carpool. *rolls eyes* He was especially thrilled since it meant he to got to come in at a later time today. So, we shall see.

I will say that the nice thing about giving him a ride is that I've learned a lot more about him. And that he smells really, really good. I mean REALLY good. Yeah, who knew? LOL! I told my mom today that I still don't know why I like him. Her response? Pheromones. *rolls eyes* Thanks, Mom! :P

I only have tomorrow off, so am planning on doing nothing. If I can talk BB into hanging out, might do that. I really, really, really want to get this first draft done before I lose my mojo. I'm really excited by it all. It's flowing so well and everything seems to be gelling. I just hope it stays that way. *sigh*

I'm off to bed. My head aches and the monitor is making my eyes tweak. Oh fun! *headdesk*

Book Titles

"Officially" *snort*

How about this?

Altered State of Being (Book 1...Kara & Jamison's story)
Altered State of Magic (Book 2...Brie & Adam's story)
Altered State of Grace (Book 3...Wil & Gideon's story)
Altered State of Mind (Book 4...Oz & TBA's story)


Dude, I cannot begin to say how happy I am that...I'm this close to finishing my first draft, it doesn't suck, I've come up with tentative titles AND (and this is the biggy), I have books 2 & 3 almost fully plotted and book 4 has a basic plot w/ other things added for some fun.

I never thought I'd even reach this point. No, my books aren't off to the publishers yet and they're not even close (as of yet) to be done, BUT I'm thinking ahead. I'm that confident. I'd like to know...


WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?

I Hate April Fool's Day & Other Thoughts

Yes, I admit it, I am not one for the stupid April Fool's tricks. Especially the ones that are just cruel. That being said, THIS cracked my butt up. KB is nuts, but that's why I love her so! :) I laughed so hard I snorted. *sigh*

Work was a bear. I've got certain coworkers that drive me so far up the wall I'm lucky I'm not hanging upside down on the ceiling. One, who is supposed be my superior, but is just an idiot, is a constant interruptor. I try to tell him something and he either interrupts w/ something stupid or gets extremely condescending. He drives me up the wall and today he pushed all my buttons. When he does this, he reminds of certain traits my brother has and that is NOT a good thing. My brother has always been able to push my hot buttons and this guy is just as good if not better. Grr...

The irritant who has been driving me and everyone else up the wall since she acquired a God complex is still being her annoying self. She does it mostly to annoy my coworker K, but the things she does to annoy him also annoys the rest of us. I personally would just love to see her go far, far away. *sigh*

I got home from work today and when my parents said hi, I know I sounded down. I'm not. Not really. Just EXTREMELY tired. I need a vacation like I need chocolate...desperately.

On the positive front, my WIP is going well. I've figured out the beginning and end, now it's just putting everything else together. I've found that the story has switched a lot from what I'd first come up with. Much angstier and more heartbreaking than I originally foresaw, but I think it makes for a more interesting approach to what I'd come up with. We shall see.

I was on Twitter asking if anyone had any good suggestions for a title. C2, doll that she is, suggested certain words that might work and as I was starting this blog, a title popped into my head. I'm going to run it past you and see what you think. Oh, and here's a very brief idea for a back blurb, so you can get an idea why I think the title will work.

*Back Blurb Concept*


Ten years ago, Kara McDonald left her life as an Alpha wolf-shifter and has been living as a human in Seattle. When her father dies unexpectedly, everything changes in an instant. Faced with responsibilities she never asked for, she must face her past and the mate she left behind.

Jamison Stone had been biding his time, waiting for his mate to come home. Now that she's back, he'll do all that he can to convince her to stay and accept their mating...before it's too late.

Okay, so I suck at back blurbage, but whatever. It's the EXTREME basic concept of book 1. So, here's my idea (thanks to C2). Book 1 will now be known as Altered State. For all that's going to happen, I think it's perfect...for the moment. We shall see. I'm just so happy to have a tentative title! *happy dance*


I get to see "him" tomorrow. Oh joy of joys. :) Oh who am I kidding? I like the man. *headdesk*

Off to go write. Or maybe procrastinate. I haven't decided yet. *sigh*

Books Read for March 2009

1. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (Rating: B)
2. Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre (Rating: B+)
3. What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown (Rating: C)
4. Hunted by PC & Kristin Cast (Rating: A-)
5. Giving Chase by Lauren Dane e-book
6. Taking Chase by Lauren Dane e-book
7. Chased by Lauren Dane e-book
8. Making Chase by Lauren Dane e-book
9. SEALed With a Promise Mary-Margret Daughtridge (Rating: D)
10. Fortune's Deception by Karen Erickson e-book
11. Fortune's Promise by Karen Erickson e-book
12. Fortune's Chance by Karen Erickson e-book
13. As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason (Rating: C)...need to review
14. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison (Rating: B+)
15. Long Hard Ride by Lorelie James e-book
16. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet by Lorelie James e-book
17. Cowgirl Up & Ride by Lorelie James e-book
18. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas (Rating: A-)
19. Blood Magic by Jennifer Lyon (Rating: C)
20. Here's the Story by Maureen McCormick
21. Blackmailed by AnnMarie McKenna e-book
22. Look What Santa Brought by AnnMarie McKenna e-book
23. Another One Bites the Dust by Jennifer Rardin (Rating: B)
24. Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin (DNF)
25. One More Bite by Jennifer Rardin
26. Bitten to Death by Jennifer Rardin
27. Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh (Rating: A-)
28. Polar Reaction by Claire Thompson e-book
29. Satin Seduction by L.A. Day e-book
30. Wolf Signs by Vivian Arend e-book


All told, 30 books. And remember, these are all new books. I don't know how many rereads I did. I scare myself. :P

Too Many Things...Must Use HandBrake!

Soooooooo...what's up?

Bought & read Magic Strikes. All I can say is...WHOA!

The actor who played Lorne on Angel has passed away...at 33. The guy was a year older than me! From heart failure. That is just so sad. :(

Lots of things on my mind. Been writing up a storm. Wrote a scene between Kara & her sister that was just plain heartbreaking. I actually teared up a smidge. :(

Speaking of writing, what's your thoughts on jumps back in time? I'm kind of ambivalent. I know some authors do it really well, but most don't. I'm trying to decide if I should use the one I wrote today. I think it fits, but I'm scared it gives away TOO much information. Tracy, I need you! LOL!

Um, what else? Hugs to my buddy Jana, who's going thru a rough spot. I love you, bud and if you need to email me, I'm here!

Work was busy for a change. I'm so tired of work. Tired, tired, tired. Stupid stuff, really, but there.

Anything else? Nope. Cool!