My Recent Comments

Get your minds out of the gutter! Geesh. Remember that line from "The Sandlot"? I love that movie. The s'mores made me think of it. 

Sam - Peanut butter cups for s'mores. My goodness, you're a genius! That will be a must-try for tomorrow night.

Susan - I'm doing the sunshine dance for you. In the meantime, I hope hugs, prayers and Whippy Dip will clear the clouds a bit.

Rae- Hugs and chocolate on the R. I'm with you on the piles of mail. I resort to baskets - which soon become overstuffed and I have to buy new baskets. I've tried to make a "lifestyle change" by going through the mail as it comes in, but what do you do with that stuff you can't recycle or stick in the bill folder? Ya know, the park district flyer, church newsletter, etc. I'm never sure what to do with it - so it goes into the basket.

Christyne - I agree. Synopsis are from the devil. I like your way better. Next time I'm going to try Carrie's tip on alternating "meanwhile" and "then".

Maureen - Stalker neighbors? For the love of ice! Maybe you can make up a batch of laxative brownies the first night they're in the same hotel. That should keep them locked in their room for a while. Drastic times call for drastic measures.

Carrie - Yipee for no flat tires and good interviews. Sending good writing mojo your way too.

Holly - Cooking and cleaning. Egads. We'll let it go with a warning this time - but please don't make it a habit. The double C is evil and must only be used occasionally - like Thanksgiving. Here's hoping you like DD's BF.

Ronda - I bet you write a killer synopsis. If I have a lot of posts to check up on, I look for one of yours! You're so good (like Yoplait!). Did I read that you're going to M&M? Is that the Moonlight and Magnolias (or something) conference? I've been trying to decide if I want to go to a fall conference and that one was on my list.

Kay - Facials. Love 'em. Almost as much as massages!

Jeannie - Hair. All I can say is I hope hats come back in style soon. I have the limp, fine variety. If I use enough products sometimes I can make it curly - just long enough to get through dinner before it falls like a startled souffle.

For the fourth we usually bike over to the local parade. After we send the kids out into the street around the wheels of model-Ts and firetrucks, we come home loaded with Tootsie rolls and those stripey peppermint candies. Then I try and counsel the dog. She doesn't like loud noises, so fireworks are a trial. Since counseling doesn't alleviate her anxiety, we take her out to my folks house, where she can't hear the booms. Then it's off to parties for the afternoon, ending with fireworks. Pretty traditional, but I like it.

Happy Fourth everyone!

Whew. Can you believe it's June 30?

Softball/baseball is over. Yipee! Ice cream has been served, trophies passed out and I've officially washed the uniforms for the last time.  Maybe now I can get some kind of schedule initiated. Or maybe not.

I'm sorry to report I'm not going to Nationals this summer. The price tag was a bit too hefty, so I'm taking a pass. But it sure sounds like fun, what with the multiple partners and the possibility of ice cream orgies! Can't wait for the reports and photos.

Jeannie, Kay and the jewelry-ites, you have my interest peaked. I'm trying to resist another hobby, but I feel myself weakening.

Ronda - Hugs on the back and jury duty. And I promise to keep my personal back-to-school count to myself in honor of you hard working teachers. You definitely deserve a break. But just in case anyone was wondering, if there's ever a referendum for taser usage as a disciplinary tool in schools, I'm voting yes.

Congrats to all those June brides and the many happy years. We also celebrated 13 years June 10 with a matinee showing of Kung Fu Panda. Ah, bliss.

I did it! I completely ignored the kids this morning and got caught up on the posts. Okay, I confess. Some of them I skimmed. Here are the topics I remember and wanted to comment on.

Babies, pets and birthdays - Yeah for babies of any kind - I bet a baby donky is adorable. (Anyone else think the word donky is kinda funny?) We're holding firm at five pets - the "room bet" hit the skids on week two of summer break, so we're lizard free. I've thrown in the towel with pet hair. Unless we're going to a particularly fancy event (dinner somewhere other than Culvers or Subway) I keep the 3M roller in the drawer. Belated birthday wishes to Jeannie!

Hellos - Welcome and hello to J Summer and Linda. Delighted to have more Super fans join us!

TV - I love USA network shows. Psych cracks me up. Anyone seen the "Ebony and Ivory" commercial? The Closer is also a favorite and Eureka from the SciFi channel. The Hulk was one of my favorites as a kid and the sound of the theme music can still bring me to tears.

The Giggles - Annie, I am so with you on the inappropriate giggling. A friend of mine once got his head closed in a hatchback and instead of jumping up and offering first aid, I nearly fell to the ground laughing. I swear I saw the birds circling over his head in a halo. Bad Tasha. Ronda - your dad's morning cheer gave me a chuckle. I'd yell it to my kids, but these days everyone is out of bed before me. I made sure the cereal is accessible for everyone ages 5-10.

Congratulations Kay on the review for His Son's Teacher. Can't wait to catch up with the Tulanes.

Kim - Keeping my fingers crossed your gall bladder comes out soon. A friend of mine has to have the same surgery this summer - after telling her doctor (and, BTW, her husband who is a doctor) for years she had gall bladder troubles!

 Here's what I've done the last few weeks:

1. Counted to ten....at least fifty different times.

2. Spent at least $30 at the concession stand at the ball fields. 

3. Removed one-quarter of the wallpaper in my kitchen. I started the second quarter, got tired and had a glass of wine and haven't gotten back to it since.

4. Thought it was a good idea to try and sell crap I didn't need, so I had a garage sale. Unfortunately, no one came up and said "I'll take it all."

5. Rescued the small dog (Lily) from being dressed up four times. 

6. Refereed 543 blood matches. Escaped relatively unscathed, except for a bruise on my calf. I'm contemplating a whistle for July.

7. Grounded each of my children at least twice. Now I'm coming up with ways they can earn time off for good behavior - today it was folding clothes and emptying the dishwasher.

So...only 57 days left until the kids go back to school. Not like I'm counting or anything. 

Good morning everyone!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Softball is nearly over. After weeks of games, practices and an all-star season, we're done tomorrow. I can hardly wait.

Although it looks like I need to catch up on 170 plus messages - that should keep me busy. I promise to do better the rest of the summer.

Until I manage those messages - waves and hugs all around.

Tasha 

It's another quasi-wet day here in Illinois. I'm just thankful it's not cold. The kids have been keeping busy playing Indiana Jones on the Wii and building forts. I had to throw myself over my bed to keep them from using my covers as the roof for their latest creation.

Congratulations Kim on the house! Whoot. And when it gets time for that elbow grease, you might try thinking of it as your zen time. That's what I'm going with while I strip the Waverly wallpaper off our kitchen. I figured trying to plot books in my mind was better than cussing and drinking - which is what wallpaper removal really makes me want to do.

Kay - Top Pick - Way to go! Just when I think I've made a dent in my TBR pile, you guys go and make me add to it!

Ellen - I don't see anything wrong in adding a personal prayer request into the mass. I mean, really, if you slip it in the middle, who'll notice?

Christyne - Thanks for posting the SR link. I needed something good to listen to during lunch.

Chelle - Breathe. You're going to be fine.

Off to hack some more of my ms. Goes well with the Indiana Jones theme we have around the house right now.

Welcome home, Kay! Your trip sounds lovely and I'll admit the green-eyed monster lives inside me - tours, beaches, food sound heavenly. Have fun this weekend at Lori Foster's event.

We're into day five of summer break. So far we've managed to get to the pool, clean rooms and only slightly annoy the neighbors. The dogs, however, are delighted the kids are home to play with them. Lily only hid under the bed once yesterday.

TV brings up a lot of interesting conversations, doesn't it. I recently had this one with DD#2 (who by the way, has now blown our room cleaning deal, so no lizard for me. Yipee!)

DD: "Uh, Mom."

Me: "Mmm hmmm."

DD: "Have you ever seen Dad...uh...like...naked?"

Me: "Yes."

DD: "Uh....Mom."

Me: "Mmmm."

DD: "Has Dad ever...uhm...like....seen...you....naked?"

Me: "Yes."

DD: "Uh...Mom."

Me: "Yes, DD."

DD: "Was it....like....embarassing?"

I think I want to talk about the lizard again.

I'm sunburned and I love it! We spent the weekend cleaning out the garage, going to graduation parties and planting pumpkins.

Anna - You're so brave to jump into cold water! I can barely stand to dip my toe in unless the water is a balmy 80 degrees. My kids ran through the neighbor's sprinkler on Sunday and the water was frigid!

Marcie - I'm on the National Treasure bandwagon. I almost have my kids convinced it would be fun to drive out to Mt. Rushmore this summer. I think they might be disappointed when the City of Gold is nowhere to be found.

Kim - Again with the cold water! Youch. Hope the next meet is better. And I'm sure the house is going to work out. All my digits are crossed.

Amy - Keep that nose to the groundstone. And it would serve DH right if you hired some young, muscle bound hot guy with a freakish ability with computers to fix your computer. Think Tom Welling.

Holly - Hope your picnic was fun and not too gut busting! Although, didn't I hear something about a peanut butter and chocolate desert? Yum.

Ami - Fishing with marshmallows? That might actually get me to fish! Forget worms - I always knew that was made up by my cousins just to get me to handle squirmy, slimy creatures. How was your home picnic?

Annie - Congratulations! That is fabulous news. And I loved the photos on your blog spot. Absolutely beautiful.

Yesterday we helped some friends plant four acres worth of pumpkins. The body is sore - which sorta made up for the chocolate breadsticks from Pizza Hut I inhaled last night - but it was fun and the kids had a ball running around the farm, jumping in the creek and riding around in the golf cart they keep on the property. I'm actually sunburned!

Here's another thing I'm wondering about - Alphasmart. The kids and I plan to do some traveling over the summer, and I'm wondering if getting an Alphasmart might be a good investment instead of carting my laptop to the pool, etc. Any thoughts? And if you're in favor, what's the benefit of going with the Dana over the Neo?

Happy Tuesday!

I saw it yesterday! If you saw something in the sky next to that unfamiliar bright, shiny ball, it was possibly winged pigs.My husband actually took me to a movie on opening weekend. I thought it was great fun - there's a jungle scene involving quick-something (not quicksand, says Indie) that had me rolling in my seat.

I love Indiana Jones.

So Mercury's in retrograde, huh? I'm not sure what that means, but I'll go check an astrology site and find out. If this is a good time for revisions, I'd better get to work.

After the excitement of yesterday, today's somewhat of a downer. We're cleaning the garage. Time to put away all that stuff we were too cold to put away during the winter. It's also garage sale time, so I must throw up some tables and begin to sort stuff I don't want.

Happy Memorial Day barbecues all around.

And Annie, that's just mean - leaving us hanging like that. We want to know the rest of the news! Glad you're back!

Tasha

Morning everyone!

I can't wait for our trip to Fantasy Land. The cabana boys were a brilliant idea, Ronda. After reading the packing stories, I think we might need another rule about no packing. Just buy what you need when you get there - because in Fantasy Land there's always a buy one get one sale.

So reading about packing spreadsheets (Chrystine, really?) and packing days ahead of actual vacation, I wondered if you pack like you plot. I'm trying to be a better plotter, but in the end I'm more of a pantser. As far as packing, I'm usually stuffing that last shirt in the bag as DH is huffing and getting ready to lay on the horn. (Of course, he only has to pack himself. I have to make sure the house is clean, the pet sitters have instructions, the laundry is finished, the dishwasher is unloaded, the kids are packed and then finally that last trip to the store to make sure everyone has magazines, coloring books, new Harlequin titles, etc. and then I can pack.)

So do you pack like you plot? Inquiring minds want to know.

DD #2 Room Update: She fell off the wagon on Sunday. I am one messy room away from a lizard-free zone. But then I couldn't help myself - I gave her a pep talk and the ol' quitters never win speech.

Oh, and the dog poo. Lily (our one year old puppy) has decided that once again the world is her toilet. And I had not one but two children step in her offerings this morning. As if that was not enough, she also chewed the head off Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. In Fantasy Land, that never would have happened.

Tasha

P.S. Chrystine - How did you like that NCIS season finale? (I think you're a fan, right?)

Ronda and Ellen - Can I join Fantasy Land - as long as it's more like Candy Land than Fantasy Island. FI creeped me out. I mean really, if that guy in a white suit with a smaller carbon copy came at me - lei in hand or not - I'd be getting back on da plane. But a summer without swim suits sounds good.

I've been trying to get back on the fitness track and recently joined a class called Hyperfit. At one point I actually looked down at my chest to make sure my heart wasn't breaking through my chest wall. I think it will be good for me - as long as I don't have to reach anything above shoulder level for...oh, another week or so.

So in the spirit of Fantasy Land, and because I like to make up rules, here are my top three rules for Fantasy Land.

1. Fantasy Land never gets above 87 degrees or below 70.

2. No swimsuits are allowed. In fact, spandex in general is prohibited.

3. Chocolate and all it's byproducts are zero calories. In fact, Fantasy Land scientists have even discovered chocolate actually burns calories - leaving room for guacamole with those margaritas (which are free) - and allows an absolutely guilt free attitude when we choose to sit on the beach rather than excercise.

How about you guys? Any Fantasy Land rules?

Tasha