Losing Time

July 3, 2019July 3, 2019 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

I don’t really know what happens. I feel like we are so busy and have so much to do, but nothing actually gets accomplished!

My computer is upstairs in a little alcove in our rec room. With the exception of getting on once or twice to pay a bill that is too much work from my phone, and needing to cut a few things with my Silhouette, I haven’t been on my computer in months. Yes, months.

We don’t really have internet at our house. Not real internet anyway. We have a mobile hotspot from AT&T which is spotty with its connection. We live out in the country, and anything other than satellite (yuck) internet isn’t available out here. My phone doesn’t even have service most of the time. You would think that would make me more productive.

Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t. I’m a bit ADHD when it comes to productivity. I’m always in the middle of 10 projects and never seem to get any of them done!

I’ve made some cups (which I think I’m going to start selling once I can build a turner that is better than the one I’ve already built)- I really enjoy the process of making them, so we’ll see what happens
I’m working on painting my sons room. I’ve been working on it since spring break in April. It’s a lot of drama (I twisted my knee trying to paint his dormers) and I just dread it. But, I’m almost done! Maybe…
We have all the shit from his room all over the upstairs, and it makes everything in me irritated. I feel like I’m drowning in it, but there isn’t anything to be done until I get the paint done and we can put his room back together.
We still have 25 boxes of stuff from Hubby’s parents house that is sitting in the corner of the rec room waiting for us to go through it. I brought some of them home last July when I was down going through the house, and some of them came in September when we rented a uhaul for the furniture we inherited. They just stand in the other room and mock us.
I have the kids books, clothes, and toys to go through because shit needs to be gone, but I’m so attached to shit that I have such a hard time of letting go. But damn, stuff we don’t use is taking over the fucking house and it’s driving me insane.
I have paperwork all over the upstairs table, because I decided to clean out the filing cabinet because I didn’t have enough shit to do!
Just to make life a little more interesting, I’ve applied to go back to school in August. Cause why the hell not add one more thing?! Getting shit together for that has been a pain in the ass.

I’m telling you. It’s insane. I haven’t been reading as much (and I miss it) nor have I been trying new recipes like I was. But damn-it, I’m going to!

To San Antonio I will go (went) – Day 1

July 31, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

So, I had the opportunity to go to San Antonio for an indie book event. In May. Which is now a long time ago, but I don’t feel like I’ve had time to sit down and actually write about it!

I won a free ticket to go to the Wanderlust Book Signing from a “like and share” post that Jonny James did. Hell yeah. I was going. haha. So, I got on Southwest.com and started looking up flights to see how much they were and got on airbnb and picked me out a place to stay!

I actually ended up applying for a Southwest Airlines Visa, so I could get hella rewards points, and since I got the credit card, I went ahead and got a ‘Customer of Size’ 2nd seat. The deal with Southwest is that if you buy a 2nd seat, you are guaranteed that 2nd seat, and once the travel has been completed, you call back to customer service and the 2nd seat is refunded. It is more used as a placeholder for selling purposes. You can also take your chances at the airport and ask to use the COS policy, but if the flight is sold out, I’m not sure how that happens. For me, the anxiety of that would overwhelm me. I’d rather have a charge on my credit card that will be refunded! I know I heard some flack for their COS policy years ago, but I think it was smooth and didn’t have any issues. I’m in a couple of plus-size traveling groups on Facebook too, and no one in those has mentioned any issues either.

My momma has a corporate account with an “Express Park and Ride”. That was fantastic! I drove up to the parking lot, gave them my info and keys, they loaded my bags unto the bus and drove us over to the airport and unloaded our bags and dropped us off at the doors. It was so much easier than trying to find a place to park and deal with getting in.

Me at 8am flying for the first time in almost 10 years!

So, I made it to San Antonio on Thursday early afternoon. I got an uber to my airbnb. It was weird, but it was more loads cheaper than staying in a hotel for 3 nights. I stayed in an old 1800’s farm house. It was a really awesome house. All the wood detail. Built-ins in every room. A dream house. Except my room was up a flight and a half of stairs in a house with no central air conditioning….eek. Luckily they had a window air unit that worked really good! By the end of the weekend I got used to everytime I left the room that the air would get sucked out of my lungs from the heat!

Anyways, I got all my stuff dropped off, found the San Antonio interactive bus routes online, and off I went into town!

It’s really user friendly! You put the address of where you’re going, and it uses your location to get you there!

My first time on a public bus! The bus driver felt sorry for me because I had no idea what to do and paid for my fare! ❤

And just like that, I’m at The Alamo!

I’ve never been to The Alamo before, and I don’t think I’ve ever learned about it in school either. Honestly. I know there is no basement. Thanks, Pee Wee! ~~ Yes, I love Pee Wee.

First of all, The Alamo is just there- Just walking down the street and suddenly you are in the Old Fort footprint. What used to be parts of the grounds now have streets going through, and a whole sidewalk of touristy stuff. The church is just a small part of the mission! It was really neat to be inside the building. It was really beautiful, and it was so cool! If my house was stone, I wouldn’t need an air conditioner! I spent a couple of hours on the grounds. It really was interesting. And weird. I haven’t done anything like that without my kids in so long, it was odd.

After The Alamo closed for the evening, I headed down to Walgreens to get a few things to eat and headed back down to the airbnb.

I got in the shower and went and then went out and had dinner with a friend of my dad’s who lives down there. I can’t remember the name of where we went to eat…. if I ever knew… but I had one of the best Spring Rolls I’ve ever had in my life. I should ask her what that place is called.

I got back to the house to get some sleep! It was a long Thursday!

Cleaning House

July 2, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been to Texas 3 times since the beginning of May. Before this year, I hadn’t been to Texas since 2012.

I flew into San Antonio for Wanderlust Book Signing (which I WILL write about when I get around to it!) . The hubs and I planned on coming down for a week in June with the kiddos to visit family. His dad died 11 days before we were supposed to come. So, we packed up and ended up coming down early and stayed for 13 days. And now, I’ve been here in Dallas since Friday night.

This time, I drove down by myself. The drive down wasn’t so bad. I listened to my audiobooks (I still want to call them books-on-tape… I feel old!) I’ve spent the last 2 days going through boxes and packing up boxes and doing laundry and going through 40 years of paperwork!

I’ve read through paperwork for computer coding that makes my eyes cross, I’ve gone through print outs from 15 years ago when they bought their last house and my MIL was decorating (none of the stuff she printed out was purchased, as far as I can tell – so I’ve really been going through her dreams), I’ve read cards and letters from family and friends – deciding what to keep and what needs to go, and I’ve read love letters from my MIL to FIL. It is really super sweet. My husband and I were together a little over 4 years when his momma died, and they lived in Chicago and then Texas, so we didn’t really spend much time together, so I didn’t see that side of them. When we were going through pictures for FIL’s memorial service when we were down a few weeks ago, I was struck by the love I could clearly see in the photos. It made me sad that I feel like I didn’t even know them until they were gone. And let me tell you, you REALLY get to know somebody cleaning out their belongings after they have passed.

❤

So Much….

May 16, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

Oh my God. I’ve got so much to talk about, and so many books to write about. I don’t even know where to start! I got the amazing opportunity to go to a book event in Texas, so I went on my first kid free vacation since the kids were born! I flew on a plane for the first time since 2009, I did touristy shit all by myself, I stayed in an Airbnb for the first time, I rode a city bus for the first time, and Holy Shit: I met Jonny James. For real. Can I just have a whole post to talk about him? I think I will! And I’ve read like 15 books, done all sorts of end of the year stuff with the kids at school, and worked on the damn yard and house. I’m exhausted and happy and so overwhelmed to talk about all of it!

The kids only have 5 days of school left! How is that possible?! Come on Summer!!! We have a trip to Texas to visit family the first week of June, and then after that I’m spending the next 7 weeks floating in the pool pretending that is all there is to live.

The Real Housewives of Christiana. hahaha.. <———–I don’t own “The Real Housewives” franchise. Don’t sue me, please. Ha!

I can only relax if all the landscaping I’m trying to do gets done and the pool gets opened. So, we’ll see!!

Doll Face: A Doll Face Novel (The Doll Face Series Book 1) – by Sadie Grubor and V Fiorello

April 6, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

Dollface

Find it on Amazon

Sadie is on Facebook – Sadie is V Fiorello. I don’t exactly know how that works. I don’t understand the “writing as” someone, and then telling people that that is you. But, it is what it is.

I met Sadie at Naughty Nashville. She is super nice and if I was a little cooler, I’d make her be my best friend. Ha. I was super nervous about the whole thing (obviously) and she was the first author that reached out to me beforehand and let me know to just breathe and that I’d be okay! Plus, she gave out cheesecake in little jars with the cover stickers on them, and I can almost always be bought with food. haha

I started reading Doll Face before Naughty Nashville. But, I put it down and somehow didn’t pick it back up to finish it. My mistake. Maybe. Because as I got to the end of the book, I realized there isn’t an ending!!! AAAAgh. It appears that the next book in the series, ‘The Geisha’, should be out soon according to the author notes at the end of the book. So, I don’t have to wait so long! I hate cliffhangers. I don’t deal with them well. Mainly because my memory is so shitty that I can’t remember the little details later. When something significant happens in “Book 2” that I should pick up on because of some randomness in “Book 1”, I totally miss it! I suck at book clubs! haha

Now, this morning I got on Amazon and like 14 of my deleted reviews are back up. woohoo. I guess. If I had to go through and pick 14 reviews that I have written, the 14 that are back up would not have been the ones I picked. But, it’s a starting point hopefully. So, I left a review of the book on Amazon and it posted immediately! So, maybe I’ll be able to leave reviews on the books that I get through Kindle Unlimited and the ones I buy directly from Amazon. It’s a start!!

My Amazon Review:

I really liked this story! The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, is that I didn’t know that it wasn’t going to have an ending! I don’t do well with books that have cliffhangers, and I wasn’t prepared for it! I can’t wait for The Geisha to come out!

I’m not into blood play and things of that nature, but this book wasn’t really about that, so those parts weren’t a put-off. This was really a story of two broken people who are both fighting their own demons and the acceptance they find with each other. People are scared of both of them and what they are capable of, but the 2 of them together brings a harmony. And in reality, isn’t that what we’re all looking for? Someone who looks and us and loves us because of who we are and not in spite of it?

I liked Mei for the most part. She was strong when she could have been a weakling for what she had endured. The parts that I wasn’t 100% in love with? Well, you can’t live through the trauma that she did, and come out completely whole. Parts of her personality that would have developed as a normal child into adulthood didn’t, but those holes made her more real!

Saint?! Oh Saint. I love him. He isn’t a good guy. But he is. He’s done bad things, and wants to do bad things, and needs to do bad things, but damn, I love him! He is gruff but can be soft. He sees the broken pieces of Mia and wants to understand them, without wanting to change her by putting her back together.

This is the first book that I’ve read by Sadie Grubor, and I can’t wait to read more. She really brought the whole story to life in such detail that by the end of the book I was bouncing. Especially once I watched the page numbers and realized that there was no way the story was going to end now!

And let us talk about Jacob. I hoooope Jacob gets his own book!

^^ Look at me learning how to change text color! I’ll be able to take over the world soon. And, when they write my biography, that will be the beginning. “She learned to change text color, and that was the catalyst for world domination”… For reference, my 9 year can put together a kick ass PowerPoint presentation, and I fight with the transitions…..

But, anyway! Yeah. At the beginning, with the first time Mei and Saint go at it with the knives and blood and shit, I wasn’t sure I was really going to be able to read the rest of the book, because for real, blood play scares me. But, I kept going and I’m glad I did. I really enjoy horror books, and parts of it had that feel to it. When Mei would flashback to the past, I would totally read that story on how her father got started with all that shit.

And yes, Jacob…. He can spar with me any day! ❤

Midnight Ramblings

March 10, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

So there was a signing not so long ago, that it seems every indie book person in all of my Facebook groups attended. Everyone but me. Which is fine, it was a long way from me and I didn’t want to even try to make it work. But, I’m seeing all the pictures and reading all the posts, and parts of me are jealous.

Because of the smiles and friendships. None of my friends here read any kind of romance, and I don’t make friends that easy and anxiety seems to get the best of me in situations like signings so I am alone and I tend to babble…..which leads me to…
One of the authors there, every post that was made about them was super nice. How nice they are and over and over how great it was to meet them. When I met them? I could see in their eyes (as they looked around for someone they’d rather talk to) glaze over in boredom. I assumed they were just that kind of person, but according to the posts that have come out of this last signing, it was all me.

I have tickets to 2 more signings this year that I would really like to go to, and I thought I was going to be able to make it, but I don’t know that I can. I hate small talk, and even interacting with people on social media, it is still a day of small talk with a bunch of different people. Gah

Glitches Glitches

February 26, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

Well shit. Honestly, I don’t even like goodreads that much, because it’s not really user interactive for me. I wish I was able to blog and be more social and that sort of thing, but it’s not set up to be like that. Right now, I kind of use it as a place holder and replacement of Amazon. Since they (Amazon) wiped all my reviews out (which is how I came to be with a blog), I’ve been pretty pissed at them. I hate that I really have to use Amazon to be part of the indie book world. If there was any other way, trust me, I’d be all upon it!

Since this is not an Anti-Amazon post, I’ll move on.

Good reads has a “glitch” today. But, is it really a glitch? I don’t know. All my reviews (maybe?) are still there, but it just makes it harder to get to them. But, since I don’t have any “friends” on there (should I? – Does it make it a better experience if I do?), I don’t think that part really matters anyways!

I like the way that I can get in and see what books I’ve read without much fuss, and I just don’t want them to go the way of Amazon proper. I don’t wanna end up one of those people that has to have a spreadsheet of what books I’ve read. I’m just not that organized.

Are there any other websites out there that are set up to review books and interact with other readers and authors? If so, let me know!

Snow Time!

January 23, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

So, it doesn’t snow much in Middle Tennessee. When it does, shit shuts down!

My kids went back to school from Christmas Break for 4 days, before schools were closed another week for weather! An extra 10 days of vacation?! Yes, Please!! I find I don’t get much accomplished when the kids are home, but I love it anyways. Going back to school yesterday morning was rough. I hate the alarm clock, and only 4 days of school in 4 1/2 weeks had us on our summer schedule (Sleep late, stay up late, do whatever the hell we want). I’m not a schedule in the summer kind of mom. So, if they wanna be up til 2am and sleep til 1pm, I’m all about it. I’m a night owl, and they have come by it naturally. Sadly, the world just isn’t built around night owls. We have to conform to the day walkers. Bah.

I’m baaaaaack

January 5, 2018 ~ RandomLife ~ Leave a comment

Oh my God. The last 6 weeks have been crazy! Once Thanksgiving hits around here, things get a little crazy. And, my dad has been staying with us on and off, and he sleeps in the rec room for the most part, so I feel awkward sneaking in to get on the computer in the middle of the night. The last time I got on the computer before today was when I was printing out recipes for a couple of GlutenFree dishes for my brother’s girlfriend to have on Thanksgiving. Spoiler Alert: It was a disaster. Have no fear, you will hear all about it. And more. I have like 15 blogs I wanna write. They are all just swimming around in my head!

I have food, books, audio, crafts, clothes, parties, and new year resolutions to write about! Stay tuned! ❤

The worst of it

November 16, 2017 ~ RandomLife ~ 2 Comments

I hate not finishing a book. It irritates me in ways that I can’t even explain. I’m a finisher. I am not a live-in-the-moment kind of person. Honestly. I’m a memory-steeper. I very rarely am “I am having so much fun right now!”. I’m usually “We are making a great memory!”. So, I can’t wait until something is done and the memory is there. I don’t know why I’m like that. I’ve always been like that. Maybe that’s why I’ve always had my camera. I’d go to camp as a kid, and take 5 rolls of film. I have hundreds and hundreds of pictures of people, places, and things (yes, all the nouns) that I don’t remember.

Anyway… Finisher.. Yes. I like the checkmark. I did this. I read this. I watched this. I love To-Do Lists. It may be a problem.

Sidetrack City – I’ve had way too much coffee today and nothing to eat, and I feel like I’m about to take flight and my brain is ADD unfocused.

You know what is worse than not finishing a book? Finishing a bad book. But as I’ve come to read more and more Indie and Kindle Unlimited books, some stories are not meant to be finished. I don’t write bad reviews very often. I really try hard not too, because some things are very clearly subjective. I don’t like “Daddy” books. ugh. I don’t understand people who like them. But, that is their thing. I’ve read some of one. And it was just a friends older brother book where she started calling him daddy, so it wasn’t a older man/younger woman daddy book. And I couldn’t finish it. Of course, she called him daddy all the damn time and it lost even the remoteness of tabooness, it just turned into a sister’s annoying friend at that point. I wrote a 1* review of it. And the 1* was generous, but I couldn’t leave a review with it.

You know what’s worse than finishing a bad book? Finishing a bad book that the author sent you and knowing you have to email the author and tell them it was bad. Gah. I really like this author, who I’ll call Jenny, and I’ve really like everything I’ve read by her. Then, I get an audio ARC from her, and I’m so excited. So I listen to it. And I sit for 4 days past from when my review was due. Just sit. Because it’s pretty bad. Like. I don’t like either of the main characters (I like the man more than the woman), and although I like the woman’s voice, the man’s voice is crap for the character. So, I had to write her an email. Because I have this arc. I can’t just ignore it. It’s not going to go away. So, instead of leaving a horrible review, I have to email her and let her know that I did not like it. And now, I’m sad that I’m afraid that I’ve hurt her feelings, and I’m scared I’m never going to get another ARC from her. Boo.

You know what is worse than that? Looking at other people’s reviews and seeing that they feel the same way about it that I did. Because now I hate that Jenny has to see all of this, and I wish Jenny was my friend in real life so that I could take her out for some tequila and some crying and move on. Because Jenny is a great author. And I’ve read books that she’s written after this one, and they are great. And I’m glad that I’ve read other things by her, because I would be super sad if I never read anything else by her because of this book.