the “I don’t give a shits”. Seriously! I haven’t been writing at all, I haven’t read anything for two weeks and  . . . I’m blogging at my day job. And the worst part is . . . I hope I stay this way.  Why waste all this time being depressed over rejections (and I’ve had several), worrying about not writing and fretting about wasting precious time? Life is too damn short.

Hubby is off to the lake with friends (long story) and we have family arriving this afternoon for the holiday. Tonight it will be catching up with the nephews. Tomorrow will consist of lounging at the pool, a cook out in the afternoon and the fireworks at night.  Hubby drove to South Carolina this morning to get the “hard core” fireworks (the ones that are illegal in most states - and for good reason). We are known for our “pre-show” before the Country Club set theirs off. It is a really good show and the best part is that it is right behind our house.

Of course there’s always the “once a year friends” that drop by, but again, I don’t give a shit.  The beer will be flowing and everyone will have a good time. I might have to fall off of that wagon I’ve been riding on since New Years Day.

B4 has baseball practice tonight and again on Saturday morning. He will go tonight, but I doubt if he’ll be going Saturday.  The rest of the Bs have the weekend off.

Have a great 4th!

 . . . but I actually finished the YA Literary chapters 1-5 edits today. And . . . I sent out three new queries yesterday afternoon. No rest though, because I have chapters 6-10 in my backpack.  I also sent three status queries. No news yet.

I had quite a scare today, because when hubby took B4 to get a sports physical, the doctor at the Urgent Care heard a heart murmur. He refused to sign the Pop Warner form for football. We take them to the Urgent Care because it would take two months to get a well visit appointment with his real doctor. Football season would be over by then. For an hour of my time and thirty bucks, it’s much easier.

Soooo, I called his pediatrician and got an appointment later in the afternoon. He couldn’t hear anything, so he signed the form and gave me a number for a pediatric cardiologist.  Sure, I’m probably overreacting, but I’m not taking any chances. Off for an EKG he goes as soon as I can get an appointment.  He’s now at a scrimmage baseball game.

I have to admit, I’ve been pretty lucky with the kids.  All of them are very athletic and the only incidents we’ve had were one dislocated shoulder that was treated within minutes by another dad who was a doctor (how convenient is that?) and a sprained finger when B3 fell “up” the steps. Yep, and she insisted that she quit ballet. Perhaps she should think about going back.

The day job is starting to slow down a bit. I must be coming out of season (everyone has their trimmer fixed). Now if I can get through blower season without any major hiccups, I’ll considered myself lucky. 

Tomorrow, hubby has to take B2 to another po-dunk town for a softball tournament and I’m going to lay at the pool and even out this dreadful tan. Oh, and I’ll get a pedicure. Oh and I’ll work on the Scruffy Dog Review and review chapters 6 through 10.

Between a plethora of baseball / softball games, day job and life in general, I haven’t had much time to pick up a pencil.  There’s been no writing, no editing and in fact, there’s been no creativity at all. I’m not sure what the problem is and but the worry of “not writing” is constantly nagging at me. Damn muse!

B4’s baseball team didn’t win one game this weekend.  B4 had a good tournament though. B3’s team tied for 5th place in the State tournament, but she got robbed of a homerun by some thoughtless, blind umpire. Hate him!

B2’s team played awesome ball and came in 2nd in the State. They should have won, but a few errors in a critical game on Saturday put them in the loser bracket. However, they did hand one team (which I despise many of the nasty parents) a complete and thorough “ass whippin”.

I love that the shorts styles are the longer bermuda cut, but they make for ugly tan lines as I sit beneath a scorching Carolina sun. I’ll need to balance out the “pasty white” before I go to the pool. I don’t even want the think about the “loverly sandal tan” I’m sporting on both feet.

The kids are out of school and surprisingly, I’ve only had to referee a few fights over the telephone.  But the ones where I did have to intervene where ugly.

So here I am, just working and being a gas-guzzling taxi cab. Can’t you feel the excitement?

First of all let me wish all Fathers a HAPPY FATHERS DAY! My father died 17 years ago and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him. Whether it be something he said in the past or just the quiet way he held himself, his memory will always be with me.

I have two poems published in the RANFURLY REVIEW.  I even got mention in the Editorial. Go me!

It’s mid-June already! School is out and the day job is busier than ever.  Combine that with baseball / softball every weekend and you’ll get my life. I took a quick ride back to my mom’s house this past weekend and just got back.

I’m behind on everything. I haven’t done any revisions to the YA Literary and I haven’t submitted anything new. I have to take B2 to get her braces put back on tomorrow and I have to drive back to my mom’s house on Thursday because my truck broke down and I had to leave it at the local Chevy dealer (really tough because my truck is a Ford. There’s no local Ford dealer). The owner was kind enough to give my mom a loaner and I drove her car back to North Carolina. I must remind mom to have her air conditioner fixed.

I’ve been battling a migraine all weekend. I’ve tried alternating Advil, Tylenol and Excedrin Migraine, but it barely keeps the pain away. Even Rosemary oil on my temples isn’t working. I’m out of peppermint oil, but I usually just use that for allergy headaches.  Honestly, I think only a full night’s sleep in my own bed will cure it. 

This week I need to do one more read through of Chapters 1 - 5 of the YA Literary,  send out some more queries and hopefully blog more often.  

Today is a time of reflection. A time to sit back and be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans and a time to remember those brave souls who died defending our beautiful way of time.

Whether is be a simple silent memory or a big “thank you” to a member of our Armed Forces, please don’t forget to do so.

Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!

Hubby and B3 left at 7:30 this morning for her softball game at 9 am. She’ll have one more after that at 10:30, but I doubt that it will start on time - they never do. An umpire made an extremely bad call at her 6:30 game and it was one of the reasons we lost - but only one of the reasons.  I’m seriously questioning B3’s involvement with travel ball and well as my time committment. I’m not getting any return other than she’s not 200 lbs and lying on the sofa all day.

I leisurely took my time getting up, brewing the coffee and making cinnamon buns for the remaining Bs and F1 (Friend 1).  B4 has a baseball game today at 12:30, so that means we have to be at the field by 11:30. I’ve printed out chapters 1-5 of Stealing Home for one more read though before I move on. He’ll have one additional game today, but I won’t know what time it will be until after the 12:30 game.

Still got laundry to do and I’ve got to go by the grocery store and pick up some food for a small get together at a friend’s lake house tomorrow.  Should be fun!

B3 is playing in a softball tournament today, B2 went along for the ride and B4 has a baseball tournament (but only one game). I took B3 to her game this morning while hubby took B4.  After B4’s game was over (his team lost), hubby drove him home and I came home to get some laundry done. Hubby drove out to B3’s tournament. Tomorrow we’ll switch kids. Monday, we’re going to a lake to visit some friends.

Our beloved hamster Cookie died. I cannot believe how sad I am over the death of this silly rodent. We think someone left B2’s bedroom door open and one the cats (we’re blaming Boo) scratched her a bit deep around her eye.  After four days of peroxide washes and vaseline, she finally had enough.  I think it was because of an infection. Dammit! It was just a stupid sequence of events and now she’s gone. She loved mornings and she’d eat Cookie Crisp or Trix cereal out of my hand. She was a panda hamster and so darn cute.

Something special happened to B2 yesterday. I cannot comment further and I’m just documenting the date here so I’ll remember.

I’m flopping around like a land-locked fish - both with my writing and at my day job. It seems that there is way too much to do and not enough time to get it all in. Notice I said “seems”. Well, I think it’s because there’s no purpose, no direction, no “passion” to anything I’ve been trying to do lately.  I’m just going through the motions while thinking only of the next task on my list. Oh hell, who am I kidding, I don’t even have a list.  It’s triage and I struggle just to stop the bleeding.

It’s not that my schedule has been any more hectic than it ever has been. I’m not using my time wisely. I find myself plopped in front of the television much more often than I used to.

I need a plan. One that I can work with and not so strict and unwavering that I set myself up for failure. So off I go to create one (and do some laundry!).

I’m sorry for the long absence.  I tried to get to the blog (I even tried to sneak a post at the day job) all week, but life kept getting in the way. B4 is almost done with rec baseball. One more game! Of course he still has two tournaments with his challenge team but at least one of them is over.

The day job is hectic. Two really great experienced people left the department and even though two really capable people replaced them, it still sucks. Plus, we’re in full blown trimmer and blower season. Busy, busy, busy.

B1 gets his braces off tomorrow. B2’s softball team came in second place in a tournament this past weekend and B4’s baseball team won both of their games. B3 had a bit of a shock, but I won’t go into it any more. The only reason I mentioned it is so I can document the date.

I had a hair appoinment scheduled for Tuesday for me and the girls. I’ve cancelled this appointment twice already. Wouldn’t ya know it, B4’s team is playing in a championship game on Tuesday. Hopefull hubby will be home in time to get him there. I’m starting to get a little shaggy.   

I still have 1 partial out on the YA Literary piece. An agent contacted me and said that she couldn’t rep it as is, but suggested a rewrite of one character and then she’d take a look at it. I usually don’t do rewrites, but this one really makes sense. So, I’m holding off on starting anything new for now.

I still have a publisher considering my YA Historical and another publisher considering my YA Fantasy. No news is good news there.

But this week it’s all about the rewrites!

Before I begin, I’d like to take a moment and wish all moms a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.

This morning the family dressed up (sort of) and went to brunch. It has been a long time since my family has been all together and it was pleasant for the most part.  As usual, it started off normal (everyone even remembered to put their napkin in their lap), but by the end, hubby was reprimanding B4 for not eating all the food he got from the buffet. Sure, hubby had a good point, but his piss-poor timing and an utterly thoughtless approach was a downer. Typical. Anyhow, now I’m stuffed to the point of pain and in complete understanding as to why gluttony is a sin.

Soccer season is officially over. YAY!

I had to fill my truck up with gas yesterday. $95.00! ICK!

Yesterday was quite a busy day.  B4 had a baseball game and pitched for the second time ever. It was much better than his first. The first inning he struck out three out of three batters. I was pleasantly suprised, especially after the “train wreck” inning he had the last time he pitched. His second inning he pitched he struck out one batter, walked two and two batters got hits. Then the coached pulled him. These coaches are awesome, because they could tell B4’s arm was getting tired. I could see it too, but I’m a mom and I’m supposed to see those little things.  The final score was 11-3 us.

B3 had a tournament in another po-dunk town. They lost early and went to one of their teammates house on the lake for the rest of the day. B2 and B4 had golf lessons at 2 pm and B2 had softball practice at 3 pm (which she was about 45 minutes late). B1 talked me into taking him and two of his friends to the mall, which is near where B2’s softball practice was.

The neighborhood pool opened yesterday and it was a georgeous day to just hang there - mid-eighties and sunny. B4 stayed at the pool with a friend while I ran B3 and B1 across town.

Today, it’s rainy, gray and only in the mid-sixties. B4 has a makeup baseball game this afternoon and as of 2:43 pm it still hasn’t been cancelled.

I queried a small publisher back in March for the YA Fantasy and completely forgot about it. But isn’t that what you’re supposed to do - query and then forget about it? Well, I got an email on Thursday asking for a partial and a synopsis. YAY!

I still have two fulls and one partial out on the YA Literary and one full of the YA Historical being considered at another small publisher. It’s time to start something new. I just have to get one small task out of the way. 

Have a great day everyone!

It’s been over a week since I last blogged. Sorry about that. With hubby traveling and ball practice, it gets a little hard to find time at the computer lately.

Right now, it’s 10 pm and I’m sitting at my desk plugged into the Aqua Chi (google it) machine, with 10 minutes left to go. I’ve been home for about an hour this evening. B2 had soccer practice, then softball practice until 8:30 pm, B3 had softball practice from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and B4 had a baseball game from 6 pm to about 7:30 pm.

It was such a hectic week last week, but the weekend was even busier. Saturday, I was up at 4 am and at Quail Hollow Country Club to work a stand at the Wachovia Championship for the girls softball organization. What a pain in the rear that was.

Sunday, B4 had two baseball games - won one, lost one - I had a ton of laundry to do and there was no food in the house. Thankfully, most of it got done.

Two of the requested partials have been rejected, but three are still out there. Go me! And even better, out of the hundreds of YA submissions to a small press during an open call, mine is one of the 28 still being considered. Got a good feeling about this.

I’m itching to start on something new, but I need to wait until soccer / baseball season ends. I signed B2 and B3 (girls) up for Junior Golf at the local golf course. They aren’t speaking to me about it. I also signed B4 up for golf, but he loves it. B2 and B3 are also taking tennis lessons this summer. But they can walk to both the golf course and the tennis courts in less than 10 minutes. So, no driving all over town for me!

Well, the machine just beeped so I guess I’m all detoxed. Yeah right! Goodnight!