1. Kim Harrison signing( Here's the proof. ) Yes, I was a completely inarticulate idiot when I talked with her (maybe 5 words of utter gibberish); although I might have seemed normal during my brief discussion with the guy in the leather jacket.
2. Anton Strout. You'll just have to take my word for it. His formal signing was last night so I figured I was out of luck and didn't bring Dead to Me with me. So I was pretty excited when I say they still had ARCs of Deader Still. And I nearly jumped out of my boots when I heard some say "I can sign that for you." I talked so fast I could barely understand myself and was beyond geeky. But he was gracious and still signed my book.
3. Sherrilyn Kenyon signing:
. Thank god for SK. This is the 2nd time I've had her sign something and she always makes you feel like you are her best friend. She is just made of all kinds of awesomey goodness. This could have been the only time I sounded sane all day.4. Sci-Fi, Supernatural and Fantasy Panel discussion with Kim Harrison, Carrie Vaughn, Vicki Petterson, Jackie Kessler and many others whose (please forgive me) names escape me now. It didn't help that I missed the first few minutes of this one when they were doing the introductions. Very fun and lively; lots of laughs.
5. Caitlin Kittredge and Jackie Kessler signing of Black and White. I also picked up Mirrored Heavens (signed by David J. Williams) while I was waiting for the B & W signing. I think "goofy" probably describes my attempt at conversation here.
6. Jonathan Maberry signing of Patient Zero. I was still basking in SK goodness, so I think I was coherent for this one. It's a zombie book and I got to read a bit while I was there. Sounds good.
7. I picked up a copy of 101 Ways to Kill Your Boss (Graham Roumieu) for the DH. Autographed and complete with picture of the DH's boss ;)!
8. Four Bionicle books for The Boy.
9. Take a Chance # 1 from CE Murphy et al. Awesome (as is related userpic).
10. Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex which is a parody of Goodnight Moon and priceless. If The Munchkins had there way I'd still be upstairs reading them this over and over again.
I think that's it. Back again tomorrow, which looks to be even busier. Oasis Spa has a massage booth set up that I might have to visit. It's Kids Day, too. Is it wrong to hip-check a child to get a better spot in line for an autograph? Although there were some very cute kiddies there today in costume. Mini-wolverine=too cute. And they were all being really good too. Almost makes me want to bring my munchkins. Almost. And some really interesting adult costumes too. Sorry, no pics of those. Maybe tomorrow if I'm feeling brave.
I'm exhausted so I can only imagine how wiped the people and writers who were working must be. Thanks to all of them.
Geek, out.
- Location:The Red Couch
- Mood:
dorky
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Kim Harrison
Jeaniene Frost
Vicki Petterson
Jocelyn Drake
Caitlin Kittredge
Jackie Kessler
Anton Strout
Carrie Vaughn
Mo Willems (The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!)
Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
And The Boy is a big fan of Superheroes and Star Wars so that's another great reason to go....I already brought him home a cool Marvel poster.
I ran in quickly today to get the lay of the land. I was only able to stay an hour or so, but it was time well spent. I figured out where I could stash my stuff and take a break. I found the autographing and panel areas and feel a lot more comfortable about getting around tomorrow and Sunday which should be much more crowded.
There were lots of interesting/cool costumes. Many people were taking pictures with assorted characters. I'll have to bring my camera tomorrow in case I get up my nerve to ask for a picture with Chewy or a clone trooper or someone more exotic.
I'm obviously a newbie since I did get the "this your first con?" question. Perhaps the dazed and confused expression on my face gave me away.
Initial Observations:
1. Most people were very friendly. Things were a bit unorganized at first and some attendees were a frustrated, but it didn't bother me. Patience and tolerance are natural by-products of having twins. Add a few special needs to the equation and I fully understand a snafu here or there or running behind schedule.
2. I hadn't been to NY in awhile. I love the city, but some things never change. The security staff could use a little social skills training:
2. I hadn't been to NY in awhile. I love the city, but some things never change. The security staff could use a little social skills training:
Security: "Not through here." [rudely, abruptly]
Confused attendee (no, not me): "What do you mean?" [politely, probably from out of town]
Security: "What I said; not through here!" [even more rudely and abruptly]
Security: "What I said; not through here!" [even more rudely and abruptly]
Let me translate that last line for you: "Sorry, folks. This is an exit. The entrance is over there." I know they're not there to socialize per se, but a little courtesy never hurts.
3. There was also a Travel Professionals Convention of some sort going on at the same time in the Javits Center. I think those poor folks were really confused by everything. Imagine a group of people in conservative suits watching 2 women dressed as Jabba the Hutt's slave girls take a picture with Spiderman.
I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow and will be toting in a ton of books to get signed. There will be more time to just wander around and only 2-3 scheduled things that have to take place at a given time. On Sunday, I have a list of about 8 things I want to do, several of which happen simultaneously. Maybe someone can clone me? :)
Kudos to the DH. This has been a very busy week for me (8 meetings), and he's been acting as the primary parent all week; but I still get to go tomorrow and Sunday. <3 <3 <3
*I've probably forgotten almost as many as I've listed.
- Location:The big, black chair
- Mood: geeky
- Music:Theme to "Land Before Time"
Don't worry. I will read it. I have a chance to meet the author next month and am determined to have read it by then.
- Location:still on the couch
- Mood:
confused
Is wrong to drink the beer I got for my husband for Christmas via the "Beer of the Month" club?
It's only 11 months to December. Do the Christmas decorations have to go back into the closet? Can't I just leave the boxes in the basement
Why aren't there rainbows when it's sunny and snowy at the same time (from The Girl)?
I want to go to Iceland with my mom.
I can't decide which of the 12 new books I bought to read first. I think I'm going to have to resort to "eeny meeny miny mo."
I know I'm biased, but I think my kids are really cute.
The artificial pre-lit Christmas tree I bought has to go back. I've never seen pine needles in nature that even remotely resemble the ones on the tree. Sigh. Will send it back tomorrow, weather permitting (6-11" of snow predicted).
Wish the husband would get better soon. It's just a virus, but it's been a week already. He doesn't handle being sick well; he keeps saying he has dysentery!
I want a pet. Specifically a cat or a dog.
Enough for now. TTFN.
- Location:big black chair
- Mood:
contemplative
1. My house will not be perfect for the holidays. In fact it will make the Island of Misfit Toys look like a barren wasteland. But it is filled with love too. And my inlaws have all seen it all before. And my beloved brother-in-law will be bringing wine. And my sister-in-law is bringing cookies. She makes the world's best cookies.
2. The holidays will be tough for The Boy and therefore tough for me. Tougher than the typical day is, which of late, is pretty tough. The Boy is doing great in school, but the second he sets eyes on me he's a whole different kid. His teacher witnessed it for the first time this week and was flabbergasted. (Usually, one of the aide's delivers him to me at pick up time). He tries to sit on the floor, or spins, or says he wants to stay at school. It's a struggle to get him out of the building, but I've become so used to it that it seemed normal to me. (I have a really great set of blinders.) His teacher is going to try and think up some strategies to improve his behavior at home during the break. Which reminds me of something else:
3. Ask for help. It is OK to ask for help. People want to help. Ask for help. Wash, rinse, repeat.
4. The Girl is only 6. God bless her; sometimes she acts like a mini-mom for The Boy. She really seems to enjoy it, but I need to remember she's still little too. She gets to act 6; she gets to melt down sometimes too. She should be enjoying the holidays (& she is); not trying to help me manage The Boy. I need to remember to give her a fair share of the attention and try to limit any stress she may pick up on. (See #'s 1-3.)
5. Take DEEP breaths. Take them often.
Now, the key is to remember these things over the next few weeks. That, and schedule LOTS and LOTS of playdates.
Happy Holidays! Stay sane and stay safe.
Ooooh. And read FATHOM by Cherie Priest.
- Location:The Big Red Couch
- Mood: contemplative
- Music:"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
Quick update since I have been MIA for a while:
Thanksgiving was good. It is my favorite holiday; and I do have a lot to be thankful for. There are of course the serious things (family, friends, etc), but let's not forget to be thankful for pie. I LOVE pie. I made 5. I gave two of them to the crew at the local coffee house who had to work on Thanksgiving. I took the rest to the in-laws. I married into the right family. We ended up with one pie per person. And I came home with 3. Of course my fondness for pie may be linked to the fact that pumpkin pie is one of the few foods The Boy likes. And it has pumpkin, milk and eggs in it. Its practically health food. Yes, I'm channeling Bill Cosby here.
The Munchkins both participated in separate Thanksgiving shows at their school. The Boy said he didn't want me to come to his (he never does!). But that meant I could go to The Girl's program without feeling conflicted. As per usual, I managed to NOT get it on tape. But I did get pictures. Check out their awesome pilgrim costumes.
. 
I made those. NO, really, I did!
The Boy scored major bonus points with DH because he was overjoyed to see him at his show. Of course, then he asked Steve where I was {sigh}. One of these days they'll perfect that cloning thing and I'll be all set.
And on a totally unrelated note, I still have a major crush on Timothy Hutton. However, I was relieved to find out I'm not the only one. And I think that is much more appropriate than having
Now I MUST go do some Christmas shopping. Cheers!
- Location:The Big Red Couch
- Mood:goofy
After searching for a house for 5+ years, we finally made an offer. This house (House A as we'll call it) is a ranch on a completely flat lot with no trees. OK, there are 2 but there are so far from the house they are practically in the street. We had a verbal yes on our offer, but before the paperwork was signed, the seller said they had received another, higher bid. Did we want to change our offer, they asked. While we were considering this, the house next door to House A came on the market. This house (House B) is a colonial. It has is a relatively flat lot, a moderate amount of green lawn in the back yard, and then a slightly (IMO) wooded area. House B has a nicer kitchen than House A, but it is listed at about 100K more than our formerly accepted offer on House A.
And this prompted the Great Tree Debate of 2008. Forget the presidential debates, this is the stuff you really want to see.
Regarding House A:
DH: Look at that flat lot. No trees at all. It's perfect.
Me: The first thing I was going to do was plant trees.......
DH: [Looking horrified]. Uh....wait there are 2 trees right there. I was planning to have those chopped down. Maybe we could keep them?
Me: [Disgusted silence]
Regarding House B:
DH: We'd need to complete plow under the entire back yard.
Me: What! Why?
DH: It's a forest. All those big trees; all those spindly little trees. You can't even walk through it.
Me: Look at this nice stretch of lawn in the back yard. They have a swing set and plenty enough room to kick or toss a ball back a forth. And I'm sure my father would LOVE to come out with his chain saw and take care of all those spindly little trees. But even with them, there is plenty of room to walk and play back here, even in the wooded part.
DH: You're crazy.
Me: But you keep telling me "it's all about the children," and the children LOVE trees. I've seen them hug them. They've brought home seedlings from school that I am struggling to keep alive just so we can plant them "when we buy a new house."
DH: [Stubborn silence]
Of course, then the world came to an end and we decided to not do anything at all. So the ranch will probably be sold to the people who put in the higher bid. In time, the economy might stabilize, and House B might come down in price. And I might convince my husbanded he is a frustrated woodsman. Ha!
PollyAnna
I’ll try and do a general blog here every Friday, but you all know how life is; so bear with me.
Today is picture day and you all are my witnesses. My daughter picked her own outfit today for school pictures. It was pink, naturally. She also insisted on wearing a headband in her hair. This sounds fine, but she insisted on wearing incorrectly. It’s sitting about halfway back on her head but not pulling any hair back. Nope, just sitting there on top of her head. I tried to convince her to wear it differently or not wear it all, but she insisted. I believe in letting her express her little 6-year old self. And I believe in picking my battles, especially 5 minutes before we have to leave from school. BUT I know someday in the future she’s going to ask me why I styled her hair that way for pictures. I’m sure she won’t believe that it was her idea…I’m counting on you to back me up on this!
Have a great weekend.
- Location:dining room table
- Mood:
busy
February 1, 1915-August 29, 2008
Beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, brother, cousin and friend.
Ed is survived by his wife, Helen, six children, twelve grandchildren, and six great grandchildren, his sisters, Lillian Wade and Leona Hayes, and his brothers, Clyde and Rudy Sheltrown.
I miss you, Bahda.
I am aging myself here, but can I just say I miss Frogger. And Ms. PacMan. I'll even go so far as to say I miss Atari and Pong.
The Munchkins turned six last week (yes, I feel old). The Boys favorite gift by far was his Nintendo DS Lite. His favorite game is Lego Star Wars. He has managed to teach himself to play it. Thank God! At first he kept asking me for help, but that stopped after he had to witness Mommy running around the room, screaming and pulling out her hair. Whatever happened to up, down, forward, back and jump? What is Free Play? What to the X and Y button do? I can't even get Anakin to jump half the time or unlock any doors. Sigh....
We had a birthday party for The Boy on Saturday and The Girl on Sunday. May I never see cake or a pizza again. And I really need to finish those thank you notes and get The Munchkins to sign them.
The dirty laundry is breeding like rabbits in the laundry baskets. Off to be domestic!
ETA: LEGOs. They are evil. The end.
- Location:Dining room
- Mood:
frustrated - Music:Theme to "Wow, Wow, Wubzy"
Under the subject of "Too Cute:"
The Boy: Mom, what's this under your arm?
Me: That's stubble from my underarm hair. (Don't judge; showers have been hard to come by. See above.)
The Boy: Is that like fur?
Me: Well, kinda. I guess you could call it that.
The Boy: WOW! We really are mammals!
- Location:the infirmary
- Mood:
sick
Last weekend we took the wee ones for a train ride on an old-fashioned caboose. The important thing to know about old fashioned is that it means NOT air conditioned. I pre-purchased the tickets otherwise I think we would have rescheduled our
Three days later we went to a program sponsored by the local library's summer reading program. This years theme is "Catch the Reading Bug!" We got to get up close and personal with:
a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
a Giant Millipede
a Emperor Scorpion
And yes when I say up close and personal I mean we touched them.
The things I do for love....
I am officially defunked. Although it took some doing. It's amazing what 5 days in Cancun with your best friend of 30 (gulp) years can do. Especially if she has been trying to corrupt me get me to loosen up for at least 25 of those years. Now, what happens in Cancun stays in Cancun, but I can share the following:
She did get me out of my tankini and into a bikini (albeit with a cover up). Apparently everyone wears a bikini in Cancun no matter what their shape or size.
We got tattoos (albeit temporary/henna ones, much to my hubby's relief).
She worked on my flirting skills (albeit with our husbands and via text messages).
All in all, the trip was a huge success and a follow up trip is in the works. Vegas, here we come (maybe!).
But wait, there's more. I was home for 3 days and then off to the Jersey Shore. It was a beautiful Memorial Day weekend here. And NJ is notorious for having horrid weather on Memorial Day weekend. We had to take advantage of your good fortune. So 2 more days of sun and sand for me albeit the ocean was a tiny bit colder. We came back Sunday so we could fit in a visit with the in-laws and avoid Monday traffic.
Now it's back to the routine!
Go, Redwings!!
- Mood:
good
Sorry for recent radio silence.
Other than running an infirmary, things are fine here. No obvious reason for said funkiness. Hopefully upcoming trip to Cancun will alleviate the funktitude.
Happy Mothers Day to all the mommies out there.
Hugs,
Krystn
- Location:couch
- Mood:funked
- Music:Welcome to funkytown
( Details... )
Second, the budget passed. ( Read more... )
And third, well the third requires back story. My best friend (P) still lives in Michigan which means I actually only see her every other year or so. We've been talking about going on vacation together for awhile now. What better reason than turning 40. We decided to time our big escape between our birthdays. We tried to bring the guys along, but my DH was unwilling. If you need to ask why, don't. It's not a pretty explanation.
Our requirements for the trip were somewhere warm, sunny, beachy, and with a spa. We decided on Cancun. Neither of us have been there. And we've finally finalized our trip. May 16-20! Happy Mothers Day to us!!
( Read more... )
- Location:On the couch
- Mood:In pain
1. April is Autism Awareness Months; I hereby pronounce you "Aware." If you know a parent of a child with autism, give them a hug. I guarantee you they need it.
2. School funding and property tax reform. We can put a man on the moon, and we can't fix this. Check this out. www.voteyesfordenville.com This is what I have been working on for the past 6-7 weeks. If anyone has feedback, we'd love to hear it; especially from someone objective.
3. Related to #2. Wow, am I glad I found LJ before I ever visited other online forums or blogs! I need to get back here to reaffirm my faith in people. And don't be fooled by #2. I still hate politics.
Now for the good stuff. The Boy has moved on from being obsessed with presidents to being obsessed with presidential assassinations. Today we printed out pictures from Wikipedia of the assassinations of Lincoln and Garfield. OK, maybe that's not good.
We went to a theatre and saw Horton Hears a Who. It took 10 minutes (& several bribes) to get The Boy into the theatre (mega-plex type). We watched through the open doors of the room while sitting in the hall but we did it. Thanks go to The Girl. I was going to take her by herself for 1 on 1 time with mommy, but she wanted to go as a family.
Yes, this means Dr. Seuss is still a big hit at our house.
And so are bugs. We went hiking last Sunday and managed to find some insects and other "fauna." We saw Yellow Citronella Ants (we had to research on line to figure out what they were), a millipede and a slug. And we brought home (for a few hours only) a snail. I get major mommy points for all that.
Today in Science at school, the Munchkins learned about dung beetles. Guess what they eat?
The Boy is spending time with a typical class and doing pretty well. It's been an experience. Perhaps someday I'll share. Too tired tonight and it is a long story.
The Girl still loves Daisis and gymnastics. We'll also be trying soccer again this Spring.
Good night. Sleep tight.
Krystn
- Location:couch
- Mood:
exhausted - Music:In my head "If You're Happy and You Know It"
Dead to Me by Anton Strout
Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry
The Outer Demon Wails by Kim Harrison
Predatory Game by Christine Feehan (guilty pleasure)
Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Rardin
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss
They didn't have the Goblin Quest books in stock (BAD bookstore. BAD!) I'll have to order those online. Then I'll be tempted to pre-order books, and I always end up wishing I hadn't. I miss the immediate gratification of buying a book The Day it is released in a store. No, I'm not impatient; not me. And it's not as if I don't have anything to read, either.
But March also means a new goal. You know what it is, don't you? I've given you enough hints. It's back to the gym for me. At least 4 days a week. I am so cringing as I write this. And I'm already making excuses for not going tomorrow.
The boy is sick and has a fever. A fever today means no school tomorrow. Yes, we have been getting the antibiotics in him so I don't think we are dealing with the strep here. Probably a virus. And this time he is acting sick; he's currently passed out on the couch.
Tomorrow is Read Across America Day. The Munchkins have been learning about Dr. Seuss at school in preparation for the festivities; hence The Cat in the Hat books above. We already have several Dr. Seuss books but they are some of the lesser known titles. The Girl even drew a picture to mail to Dr. Seuss for the Cat in the Hat book. She wants to mail him the picture, but I don't think he could use it, even if he were still alive. Ahem, take a look.
It's his TAIL, people. Get your minds out of the gutter.
Seriously, that is one happy looking cat. DH and I can't keep a straight face when we look at it. She wants to know why we keep laughing. Anyone want to volunteer to explain it to her?
Have a great week.
- Location:couch
- Mood: moody
antibiotics.
*Note: names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Sunday night as I was drifting off to sleep, my DH says, "My throat has been scratchy for several days now. I think I have strep"
Me: Can't be strep. Strep really hurts; you'd hardly be able to swallow.
DH: Uh, no. Remember last year when I had strep and my only symptom was the scratchy throat. I had to take antibiotics.
[Remember last year? I can barely remember yesterday.]
Me: No, but if you say so, Streptococcus Stan (SS). Maybe you should go to the doctor.
DH grunts, falls asleep and begins to snore. OK, maybe I wasn't overly sympathetic, but DH is a self-proclaimed hypochondriac.
Did I mention I hate antibiotics?
Currently reading: Greywalker by Kat Richardson and The Sister by Poppy Adams
Just finished: Black Magic Woman by Justin Gustanis
Up next: Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry and Dead to Me by Anton Strout
- Location:The red couch
- Mood: exhausted
We also have lots of snow and ice. I've always liked to bake on cold winter days. So add the weather to a bunch of overripe yellowish-brown fruit and you get banana bread and cookies.
Obviously school was closed and even Hubby stayed home from work. But I am still fried. The Munckins were only in school one day this week. They were restless and bored, and I was intolerant. Not a good combo. Bad Mommy.
Oh, and it wasn't good snow for making snowmen.
Have a great weekend, all.
- Location:Couch
- Mood: cranky
Mish Mash:
As some of you are probably aware,
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
jimhines is running a poll to pick the recipient of a free copy of his Goblin Trilogy. There is a movement afoot to provide a copy of his books to each of the potential recipients (12 in all). They are all more than worthy. If you are interested, you can learn more and/or donate here here. Forget about killer bees invading from the South/Central America, I'm more worried about Burmese pythons.
Presidents are so yesterday. Thanks to McDonald's Happy Meals, The Boy's current obsession is Spiderwick. After all, it does have goblins. He loves goblins, almost as much as zombies and skeletons. Toy Story is still a close second. Again, he could care less about Buzz or Woody. No, his favorite is Babyhead?!?!
Tomorrow is shaping up to be another snow day for the munchkins. They've already been home 3 days tihs week for Presidents' Day and teacher in-service. That gift certificate for a massage may come in handy this weekend.
I've finally started watching a little TV again. I mean other than Noggin. The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Lost, and Jericho; that's it. But I am loving all three.
I just received a copy of Black Magic Woman by Justin Gustanis (signed-*squee*). I'm going to start reading that tonight. Next up, an ARC of the The Sister by Poppy Adams for my book club.
Spring cleaning. I am currently trying to find the basement. Is there a 12 step group for pack rats? If I can dig out the pool table, there are one or two people from my husband's office who might be interested in adopting it. Then I could transform it into a playroom and reclaim the main floor for grown-ups. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
OK, time to watch Lost.
- Location:big red couch
- Mood:
content
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