Brenda's Writing Blog

I just read this in the Telegraph today.  Scary stuff.  I hate to go all Gl*nn B*ck on ya, but can anyone else see where this would lead?

“Sorry, Mrs. So and So, but our test confirmed you have a greater than 50% chance of having a child with a genetic defect.” (Doctor whips out tongs, scalpel and laughs an evil laugh). “Now give me those ovaries so you cannot ever attempt to reproduce”.

And then there was this little Audi commercial from the Superbowl.  Talk about an anti-commerical.

I need to wish my sis a HAPPY BIRHDAY! It was yesterday (2/6).  I hope you had a peaceful, relaxing day.

Today, it’s all about the Superbowl. I really don’t have a dog in the fight, so to speak, for Superbowl, but since the NO Saints played overly aggressive (understating) against MN Vikings and trucked BF every chance they got, I’m going with Manning and the Colts.

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

First announcement: the latest issue of THE SCRUFFY DOG REVIEW is up.  You must read the short story SKIRTING THE ISSUE. It is hysterical! Of course everything else is great too, but when I read this submission I almost peed my pants.

It snowed this weekend.  I’m estimating we got about three inches on our side of town. So, the kids got their snow and although it stopped snowing early Sunday, there was still no school today because the side streets were icy. Normally, I’d complain, but since B1 drives himself to school and B2 rides with one of B1’s friends to school, I wasn’t saying a word. And a bonus, traffic was lighter than usual because there were no school buses.

My old Canon Bubblejet printer finally crapped out - bless its heart. I bought it back in 1997 (I think) and it has printed countless pages of homework, school projects, mapquest directions, itineraries, sports schedules, spreadsheets and at least ten drafts of five novels and a plethora of short stories. My husband has the same style printer down in his office and it is still kickin’, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the paper traffic my poor little printer had.

So, I’m now the proud owner of a Samsung laserjet. I’ve only printed the test page so far, but it looks good.

I passed 11k on the ghost story. I’ve been tweaking the first three chapters. I know, I know, it’s better to write the entire novel and then go back and edit, but I can’t go on when I know the previous work is not my best. I just can’t.

Today was a very productive day.  I didn’t get anything I planned to do at the day job done because of an emergency that took all of my time. I blew off the banking until after work and spent my lunch time on the novel.  After work I did the banking, came home, put the pork bbq in the oven (it had been simmering in the crockpot all day), ran B3 to volleyball, came home, had an aqua-chi while I typed the red ink changes for the novel, took B2 to practice (B4 tagged along because B1 had open gym at the school), picked up B3, came home, walked 30 minutes on the elliptical, drove back and got B2, came home, packed lunches, took a shower and managed two loads of laundry during this time. I AM A MACHINE! It couldn’t have been the large Dunkin’ Donuts coffee I bought before I took B3 to practice. I find that if I sit down on the couch, I’m toast. I won’t get up. My solution – don’t sit down until there is nothing else that needs to be done. Another solution – more coffee.

Hubby and I decided to cut back on our expenses and one of the cuts was the weekly house cleaning. So, Saturday I worked from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm cleaning the house.  I really didn’t need to do all that I did, but since I really hadn’t thoroughly cleaned my own house in over three years, I figured I might as well give it a go. The lady who did clean the house did a wonderful job, but I have four able kids and a husband who can also clean.  Each of the kids cleaned their own rooms and bathrooms and I did the rest of the house. God, I was sore! Hubby was non-existent and he heard about that, but as soon as I create the “chore chart”, things will go smoother.

I bought B2 an alarm clock because 1) I’m tired of dragging my dead-ass out of bed at 5:45 am to get her up and 2) she’s almost fifteen for cryin’ out loud. I’ll check on her tomorrow to make sure she’s up and then she’s on her own and I get fifteen extra minutes of sleep. I purchased the clock that stated “LOUD ALARM” on the box and we tested it tonight. Yep, it was pretty loud.  Well see how it goes.

FWIW, this article does explain A LOT! I think FORD has one of these too!

Okay, I’m really not a Duke fan, but I am from North Carolina and I prefer to see Duke win over Clemson, rather than the other way around. I really don’t mind Clemson as a school, but their over-zealous alumni drive me nuts.  Below is written tongue-in-cheek. ;) Some of my best friends are Clemson fans. 

You see, every football season these fanatical fans hook these ridiculous tiger tails on the back of their cars. This in itself is not bad, but combined with duel orange tiger claw car flags, a Clemson vanity license plate and IPTAY decals in their rear window beginning in 2005 onward, it’s a bit over the top, don’t you think? And it doesn’t matter whether this alumni is in their twenties or fifties, there’s still the same amount of Clemson crap on their car and in their work cube or office. Come on, you know who you are.

Other news, the dent situation has been resolved, but both parties fixing their own dents. B4 told me that he didn’t want to play rec Lacrosse this year – just for the school team. At $275.00 dollars for rec Lacrosse, I quickly said “okay, if you don’t want to.”

B1’s basketball team won Friday night by about 40 points. B3’s volleyball team lost their season opener but did push it to a third game. B2’s volleyball team won their season opener, but also got pushed to a third game. I think I missed most of their good plays because I was yacking. I really need to shut up and pay attention.

This morning, I was up at 8:30 am, in the kitchen cooking and by 11 a. m. I had the following done: homemade chicken casserole, homemade lasagne, had leftover sauce and made spaghetti, boiled two dozen eggs, fried two pounds of bacon for sandwiches and cut up vegetables for snacks.  All of this is for next week, when I’m not home to cook. Couple that with last night’s leftover meatload and pasta salad and it will all last until about Wednesday. Then I have stuff to make pork bbq and salad. We’re trying to cut back and not eat out as much. It may end up killing me.

What did I make for breakfast? Leftovers from Saturday! Hubby went out yesterday morning and bought two dozen Krispy Kreme doughts. Not knowing this, I made cinnamon buns.

I surpassed the 10K mark for the ghost story! I’ve been writing at lunch in my truck in the parking lot of the Lowes and OfficeMax.  So far, so good.

It’s cold, raining and hubby’s watching golf on television.  I think it’s time for a nap. Here’s to a great week everyone!

your blog?  Or your website. Amazingly I have a lot of hits come to my blog from a search of “fart tag”. Here’s the post bringing me traffic. Not certain why people have to use a search engine for it.  It seems self-explanatory, to me anyway.

I did finish my editing. Now I’m back to writing the story. Word count: 9832  /  60000 16% complete.

To update on the “fender bender” incident (what? you mean there’s more?), new revelations that there is also a dent in B1’s truck, put there by the boy who owns the car that B1 dented. That does change a few things now don’t it? I’ve taken care of getting the Honda looked at (hopefully they can get there tomorrow) and after I get an estimate, I think I’ll be making a phone call. After all, if I have to pay for damage, why shouldn’t they?

Personally, I think we should just pay for our own damned vehicles and put this nasty mess behind us, but somehow I don’t think boy’s mom knows about my dent. I politely reminded him tonight that it wasn’t my responsibility to tell his mother about the damage. It was his. I could see in his eyes, he hasn’t mentioned it. God, will I ever, ever, ever have a drama-free day?

Well, it’s late and I’d better get moving.  I think I caught B2’s chest cold crud, so I’d better go gargle with salt water and grab the Vicks.  Goodnight!

Today B3 texted me and told me that her shoes were stolen out of her locker at school. She has to change her shoes for PE and forgot to change them back before she left. There’s really not alot we can do unless she see’s them on someone’s feet.

Her’s are the dark brown style with the wool inside. Mine are more like the ones pictured.  Why am I showing a picture of the ones like I have? Well, that’s because after she told me that her shoes were missing, I told her that she’d have to wear mine until spring (only one pair of Sperrys per year, per child). That’s when she informed me that the shoes stolen WERE MY SHOES! First Diet Sundrop and now my shoes? When will the madness end? They say it comes in threes. Only one more to go. Well . . .

I received a call right after 9 pm tonight from another mom from B1’s school.  Apparently a few boys were horsing around in the parking lot of a restaurant after a basketball game and B1’s foot landed into her son’s car bumper. Ya know that plastic piece around the car that is supposed to protect the car.  Well, B1 is a big boy with a bigger foot, so FOOT -1, HONDA - 0. 

B1 was coming up the stairs to tell me about while I was on the  phone.  I can often tell by the way his walk sounds while he’s walking up the stairs that there is bad news.  I’ve heard it a couple  times before.  When I saw the look on his face, I told her that I’d have to talk with B1 and get back with her.  He confessed without interrogation but I want to hear his side before I signed up to pay for any damages.

So, I’ll have to call this mom tomorrow and tell her we’ll pay for the damage. We’ll pay as long as they take it to a place where we know the owners and they specialize in the particular car model. Anywhere else and deal is off.

P O L I T I C A L   R A N T

Okay I admit, when I want to know what’s going on in the news, it’s not any US news organization I click on.  It’s the UK Telegraph. See, since we’re heading down the path to socialism, reading the UK Telegraph is like seeing the future.

 Today I found this article regarding “life-changing” arthritis medication being denied in England and Wales, but free in Scotland. Why is it being denied? Because it hasn’t proven cost-effective. Not that it won’t help treat arthritis, but that it is too expensive.  Yet the people of Scotland, part of the NHS program,  gets it at no cost to them.  Think of Scotland being Labor Unions, citizens of Lousiana and Nebraska, while England and Wales is the rest of us. Not really fair is it? 

Now I’m not saying that the US doesn’t need healthcare reform, but how about fixing the social programs of medicare, medicaid and the Veterans Hospitials and not “fix” the entire system with a broken bill of bribes, increased taxes and backroom deals creating a class system of entitlement. It’s vile, corrupt, controlling and unacceptable.  

Oh, but people can’t afford health insurance. Really? Can they really not afford it or do they chose to spend their money on other things?   Years ago, I had to work and pay daycare just to keep my health benefits.  I could have been a stay at home mom, probably had more disposable income due to the high cost of daycare  and been one of the millions without health insurance. But I didn’t because with four kids it would have been severely irresponsible.  I sacrificed being at home with my kids to provide health insurance for them. Daycare pretty much ate up all but about $200.00 per paycheck, so was it worth it to keep working? I had to if I wanted health insurance. So basically I worked for some groceries, daycare and health benefits until B4 was four years old.  Now, that’s over eight years.

Some employers don’t offer health benefits is a common argument. Well,  find one that does. Make a change. Go crazy! If enough people demand that employers provide health benefits then they will have provide them to keep good workers. It’s simple supply demand economics.

It’s called choices. It’s called responsibility.  In the state where I live, one can get an independent individual healthcare policy for catastrophic care for around $200.00 – $300.00 per month, unless they are an complete and utter train wreck. Family coverage can be a bit more expensive, but hey, if you can’t take care of your kids, then quit having them.

Okay rant over.

Courtesy of appleinsider.com

Remember to shut of the SHUFFLE feature on the IPOD before you listen to an audio-book. DUH!

I kept thinking, “boy, this guy sure does bounce around. Not sure I want advice from an author who can’t keep a coherent thought for longer than five minutes.”

Yeah, go ahead and laugh. It’s funny. I’m an idiot.

Today I will finish editing the last section of my ghost story. Then I’ll have to print it out again and read it through, just to remember the story. I SHALL NOT PROCRASTINATE ANY MORE! Okay, well I won’t procrastinate until after I drop B3 off at volleyball practice, Pick up B4 from basketball practice, drop B2 off at volleyball practice and pick her up at 9pm.

Today was quiet at the day job. A supplier put me on pay in advance credit terms. We moved a warehouse and they sent the invoices to the wrong address. Therefore, we didn’t pay and now they won’t ship anything unless we prepay. Well, they already shipped a year’s supply of parts that I ordered back in November (anticipating the unreasonable transportation times from this supplier), so the joke is on them. Yes, I am Planner Extraordinaire! I think I’ll ask for a raise.

This weekend I did the unbelievable.  I actually sat down and planned out the family meals for the week. Not ones that where we actually sit down and eat together as a family cause that doesn’t happen. Instead, I chopped up a bunch of raw veggies, boiled eggs, fried bacon for bacon and ‘mater sammiches, made pasta salad and bought plenty of fresh fruit to snack on. It should last an hour or so.

Well, I have to get B3 to practice. By the way, it is 65 degrees F outside today. I swear the AC kicked on at work because it was warmer outside than inside.  Here’s to an early spring!

Today the unthinkable happened. Today the snack guy removed Diet Sundrop from the soda machine at work. He said it wasn’t a big seller. WHAT!!!! This couldn’t be happening! To say I’m devastated would be an understatment. How could they do this? 

I’m so distraught I can’t even bring myself to even blog anymore today.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend because mine is going to suck. How could they do this?

Guess what’s going on the grocery list for Sunday – DIET SUNDROP. Those bastards!

P.S. Before I get hateful comments about the devastation in Haiti and my shallowness, I’m only kidding about being so distraught.  But they really did remove it. Blech!

I do! The well would have been too involved to salvage, so $2,400 later, we are now connected to city water.  Other than the intense chlorine smell during a hot shower, there is little difference.  (I’m not counting the the big dirt path in our front yard where they buried the water pipe.) I’m certain we’ll get used to it in time and honestly, I think the kids are more in tune with it just because I was whining. 

I finally spent my B&N gift cards that I got for Christmas. Now I just have to wait for the UPS guy to bring my books.  One book I purchased that I’m dying to read is ALICE I HAVE BEEN by Melanie Benjamin.  The other books I bought was EAT THIS NOT THAT – 2010. B3 and I actually saw this on some television show and with as much fast food and crap that we eat, I thought it would be beneficial to have. 

I also bought LESSONS IN MASTERY by Anthony Robbins on CD and another book which I cannot remember the title right now.  I figured I could listen to the CD’s while I’m driving to work and hopefully get some motivation to to something with my life besides work a mundane day job and taxi kids all over the county. 

The next issue of The Scruffy Dog Review is coming along well. Other than that, there’s really nothing new to say with regards to writing.

This evening will be another of driving B4 to basketball practice at 5:30, B3 to volleyball practice at 6 pm,  pick B4 up at 7 pm, drop B2 off at volleyball practice at 7:30 and picking B3 up at the same time, driving B3 and B4 home to finish their homework and drive back over to pick up B2 at 9 pm.

B1 has an away (and I mean miles and miles away) basketball game. Hubby is driving to see his game.

And B4 want a home-cooked meal for dinner.  Here’s a snippet of the conversation we had last night while watching the Biggest Loser:

“Mom can you make some chicken noodle soup for dinner tomorrow?”

“Nope.  I don’t have celery or any chicken broth.”

“But I want a meal.”

“Chicken soup isn’t a meal.  It’s comfort food.”

“But comfort food is a meal.”

We’ll see. I wonder if Campbells will suffice?

This is it.  This is where I spend most of my day.  Pathetic ain’t it? While most of my co-workers attempt to make their cubes more warm and inviting, I arrive each morning to this antiseptic and bare workspace. Blech. Why am I posting this? Because we are moving to another office space in June.  I hope I get to go with them and not something else.

It was fifteen degrees F here this morning.  FIFTEEN effing degrees! I haven’t had snotsicles in ages but I had some this morning.  I’m ready for spring or at least some snow if the temperatures are going to remain this low.

I think our water froze overnight. There was not much water pressure so I had to tell B4 just to wash his hair in the bathtub.  Everyone else takes a shower at night, except for hubby and B4.  They have to fix their hair.  Hopefully it will thaw out today. I guess I’ll have to leave the faucets dripping at night until it gets warmer.

Update: Our water not only froze, but caused a leak which has damaged the pump on our well.  Dilemma.  Either way to fix it will cost around $2000.00, but do we fix the well pump and water line or just hook on to city water?  I’m for fixing the well.  Who needs a water bill, chlorine smell and rationing during droughts? Hubby will make the final decision though because he’s the one at home dealing with the mess.  God love ‘im!

Currently we have no water except for the cases of bottled water.  We took trips to hubby’s mom’s house last night for showers and to fill large containers of water to brush our teeth, water the pets and flush the toilets.  It doen’st bother me because our water froze all the time when I was a kid, but my pampered children are suddenly dying of thirst.

Hopefully it will be fixed today.