Wow, where did the weekend go? (for some great pics of my youngest son and his watermelon festival experience, go here.

Yesterday, despite the fact that I blog-hopped, I wrote 15 pages and edited 10. Quite an accomplishment for someone who wastes good writing time on the internet.

Last night, Fishdog and I were invited down the street to hang out in the pool/hot tub, drink margaritas, and cook out. We went and had a fabulous time. This would be the same couple where “The Great Hot Tub and Wine Incident of 2006” took place at the beginning of the summer. I know I haven’t shared that story with you because it’s just too stupid and I should’ve known better. Just know that though I did consume a couple of adult beverages, this time I stopped before I entered the hot tub and when I got out of the hot tub, I drank WATER only.

And this morning, I feel fine.

See, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

My real boys start school this week. Ian is officially in Junior High. I am the mother of a 7th grader. God help us all.

And I can’t even think about what 3rd grade is gonna be like with Rader…I’m sure I’ll have plenty of blogable stories…and some that aren’t so blogable, but I’ll post them anyway.

I spoke to Simon via messenger yesterday for close to an hour, and that was fab. He was headed to Cincinatti today with Gary for one more camp next week. And then, if the planets align and the timing is right, he might stay with us some the next week before he heads back to Birmingham. I know his family will be happy to see him. I’m still gonna miss him.

Grant called last night when they arrived in KC. They were getting ready to go check out the town. KC is a great place and I would’ve hooked him up with one of my closest friends while there, but Nick was in Colorado. They head to Lincoln, NE today. I think I told you he’d be there for 3 months. I’ve heard Lincoln is pretty conservative and these guys are not, so I’m anxious to see how they manage. They seemed to deal with the Bible Belt pretty well. It’ll help that they’ll have their own apartment instead of staying with a family for three months.

Anyway, today is the beginning of a new week. I’m going to write this morning, read this afternoon, walk tonight. I miss the lads, but they are both happy and healthy and I couldn’t ask for more. I’m both happy and sad that school starts Tuesday. And I’m more than relieved that I didn’t repeat “The Great Hot Tub and Wine Incident of 2006” last night. Life just doesn’t get any better than this.

This is the part where everyone shouts enthusiastically, “Hi, Maria!”

By now, you’ve figured out that I’m not Mel. Since she’s “hijacked” my blog a few times, I thought it was finally time to return the *favor*.

Lately, there’s been a lot of blog buzz. They’re the new addiction. There’s even blogs about blogs. Everyone, it seems, has a blog, or participates in a group blog, or spends their coffee break reading blogs. Some of us even have multiple blogs. Technically, I have 4. My own, this one (since I’m a contributer) and two group blogs. Most of us will agree that blogging can be fun. But there are some out there who believe that it’s a big waste of time. That blogging is a “problem”. That it takes away from your writing/or your work. Or worse, that people are so clueless they will believe anything they read in a blog or on the internet.

And then there are those who believe blogging is obsessive. Like drugs or booze, you just won’t know when to quit. But how many people do you know who have lost their jobs because they were too busy blogging? Or gotten a divorce because they were blogging when they should have been paying attention to their spouse? As ridiculous as those examples might seem, they really aren’t. Isn’ t the practical definition of an obsession that it interferes with your “real” life?

As a writer, and as someone who reads a lot of blogs written by other writers, blogging is just one of the ways that I keep abreast of what’s going on in the business. It’s a fantastic marketing tool. I learn who’s selling, who’s writing what, what people think of books, agents, publishers, contests, and so on. And then, there’s the fun side to blogging. I love hearing what my friends are up to, what their pets are up to, and yes, sometimes, even how many loads of laundry they’ve done in a day. Hey. If I wasn’t interested, then I wouldn’t be reading it. And as far as advice blogs go, I’m an adult. I have a brain. And I use it. Like any other source of information, you take what you hear, process it, and figure out whether it’s valid or not.

So to those people who just don’t get the blogging craze, I say fine. No one is forcing anyone to have a blog. It’s not me with the problem. You know?

This is the part where everyone shouts enthusiastically, “Hi, Maria!”

By now, you’ve figured out that I’m not Mel. Since she’s “hijacked” my blog a few times, I thought it was finally time to return the *favor*.

Lately, there’s been a lot of blog buzz. They’re the new addiction. There’s even blogs about blogs. Everyone, it seems, has a blog, or participates in a group blog, or spends their coffee break reading blogs. Some of us even have multiple blogs. Technically, I have 4. My own, this one (since I’m a contributer) and two group blogs. Most of us will agree that blogging can be fun. But there are some out there who believe that it’s a big waste of time. That blogging is a “problem”. That it takes away from your writing/or your work. Or worse, that people are so clueless they will believe anything they read in a blog or on the internet.

And then there are those who believe blogging is obsessive. Like drugs or booze, you just won’t know when to quit. But how many people do you know who have lost their jobs because they were too busy blogging? Or gotten a divorce because they were blogging when they should have been paying attention to their spouse? As ridiculous as those examples might seem, they really aren’t. Isn’ t the practical definition of an obsession that it interferes with your “real” life?

As a writer, and as someone who reads a lot of blogs written by other writers, blogging is just one of the ways that I keep abreast of what’s going on in the business. It’s a fantastic marketing tool. I learn who’s selling, who’s writing what, what people think of books, agents, publishers, contests, and so on. And then, there’s the fun side to blogging. I love hearing what my friends are up to, what their pets are up to, and yes, sometimes, even how many loads of laundry they’ve done in a day. Hey. If I wasn’t interested, then I wouldn’t be reading it. And as far as advice blogs go, I’m an adult. I have a brain. And I use it. Like any other source of information, you take what you hear, process it, and figure out whether it’s valid or not.

So to those people who just don’t get the blogging craze, I say fine. No one is forcing anyone to have a blog. It’s not me with the problem. You know?

If you haven’t read Jan Butler’s letter in last month’s RWR, there is a paraphrased version posted on Kate Rothwell’s blog. There’s been a plethora of responses but they are worth reading through. Several folks have chimed in, including our own Nora Roberts.

After last year’s debaucle of an awards ceremony, I had a new found respect for Nora. She took a stand and refused to emcee if the ceremony went on as planned. Of course, it did, and I sat through every painful hour of it. (can I just tell you how bad I needed to pee?) And now, she speaks her opinion without being accusatory or inflammatory, which is more than I can say for some others. It’s worth taking a look, no matter what side you’re on.

kate rothwell: what I’m talking about above–the letter in RWR

Just for the record, Romance has been defined by the dictionary. Why can’t we just go with that? It doesn’t define it between man/woman, it doesn’t exclude aliens or menage or supernatural beings.

My favorite of these definitions is #3: an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity… when you break it all down to the basics, isn’t that what we’re all striving to write…whether it be inspirational or erotica?

Main Entry: ¹ro·mance
Pronunciation: rO-'man(t)s, r&-; 'rO-"
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English romauns, from Anglo-French romanz French, narrative in French, from Medieval Latin Romanice in a vernacular (as opposed to Latin), from Late Latin Romanus Gallo-Romance speaker (as opposed to a Frank), from Latin, Roman
1 a (1) : a medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural (2) : a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usually heroic, adventurous, or mysterious (3) : a love story especially in the form of a novel b : a class of such literature
2 : something (as an extravagant story or account) that lacks basis in fact
3 : an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity

If you haven’t read Jan Butler’s letter in last month’s RWR, there is a paraphrased version posted on Kate Rothwell’s blog. There’s been a plethora of responses but they are worth reading through. Several folks have chimed in, including our own Nora Roberts.

After last year’s debaucle of an awards ceremony, I had a new found respect for Nora. She took a stand and refused to emcee if the ceremony went on as planned. Of course, it did, and I sat through every painful hour of it. (can I just tell you how bad I needed to pee?) And now, she speaks her opinion without being accusatory or inflammatory, which is more than I can say for some others. It’s worth taking a look, no matter what side you’re on.

kate rothwell: what I’m talking about above–the letter in RWR

Just for the record, Romance has been defined by the dictionary. Why can’t we just go with that? It doesn’t define it between man/woman, it doesn’t exclude aliens or menage or supernatural beings.

My favorite of these definitions is #3: an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity… when you break it all down to the basics, isn’t that what we’re all striving to write…whether it be inspirational or erotica?

Main Entry: ¹ro·mance
Pronunciation: rO-'man(t)s, r&-; 'rO-"
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English romauns, from Anglo-French romanz French, narrative in French, from Medieval Latin Romanice in a vernacular (as opposed to Latin), from Late Latin Romanus Gallo-Romance speaker (as opposed to a Frank), from Latin, Roman
1 a (1) : a medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural (2) : a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usually heroic, adventurous, or mysterious (3) : a love story especially in the form of a novel b : a class of such literature
2 : something (as an extravagant story or account) that lacks basis in fact
3 : an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity

I need a happy.

Have you just ever had one of those days where you want to cry but can’t and just really need a happy?

That’s today for me.

I’ve heard from both lads this week. Grant called me from Horn Lake, MS today and Simon (in Chicago) yesterday. Both seem to be doing well and I’m glad to hear it. Originally, Fishdog and I were going to have dinner with Grant and the Horn Lake gang tomorrow, but plans have changed. They asked if we could go up there for lunch, but because this is the week from hell at work, we just can’t take the time off. They leave for KC first thing Saturday morning then to Nebraska. Grant will be there for 3 months.

Si has extended his visit in the states until the 20th so chances are good that I’ll see him one more time before he leaves.

I guess because today has been so busy at work and so emotional personally, I’m just really sad that the summer is over. Simon will be going home in a few weeks and Grant will be heading to the bitter winters of Nebraska for a few months. I’m not even their real mom, but it doesn’t make me any less sad that they are going to be leaving. And my boys, well they go back to school next week. Where did the time go?

It’s just weird.

Part of my sadness is probably coming off the huge high of the conference. It is hard to readjust, I think. Last week I was on the go constantly. Lots of gabbing and visiting and networking and playing. Giggling and gossiping and lots oflate nights in the room with wine.

I spent the entire day today thinking it was Wednesday. We had open house for both kids tonight and I didn’t even realize it until 5:10 pm. Because in my mind it was Wednesday.

Okay, I’ve rambled on enough. My whole purpose of this little pity party is to say I have a huge need for a happy. Please, somebody…give me a happy.

I need a happy.

Have you just ever had one of those days where you want to cry but can’t and just really need a happy?

That’s today for me.

I’ve heard from both lads this week. Grant called me from Horn Lake, MS today and Simon (in Chicago) yesterday. Both seem to be doing well and I’m glad to hear it. Originally, Fishdog and I were going to have dinner with Grant and the Horn Lake gang tomorrow, but plans have changed. They asked if we could go up there for lunch, but because this is the week from hell at work, we just can’t take the time off. They leave for KC first thing Saturday morning then to Nebraska. Grant will be there for 3 months.

Si has extended his visit in the states until the 20th so chances are good that I’ll see him one more time before he leaves.

I guess because today has been so busy at work and so emotional personally, I’m just really sad that the summer is over. Simon will be going home in a few weeks and Grant will be heading to the bitter winters of Nebraska for a few months. I’m not even their real mom, but it doesn’t make me any less sad that they are going to be leaving. And my boys, well they go back to school next week. Where did the time go?

It’s just weird.

Part of my sadness is probably coming off the huge high of the conference. It is hard to readjust, I think. Last week I was on the go constantly. Lots of gabbing and visiting and networking and playing. Giggling and gossiping and lots oflate nights in the room with wine.

I spent the entire day today thinking it was Wednesday. We had open house for both kids tonight and I didn’t even realize it until 5:10 pm. Because in my mind it was Wednesday.

Okay, I’ve rambled on enough. My whole purpose of this little pity party is to say I have a huge need for a happy. Please, somebody…give me a happy.

For Pictures, go here:

The Parallel Realm

Now, I’d tell you what made me laugh like that, but then, I’d have to kill you.

What happens at Trader Vic’s–stays at Trader Vic’s.

Of course, I believe some people wish the Woodland Creatures would’ve stayed at Trader Vic’s, too.

For Pictures, go here:

The Parallel Realm

Now, I’d tell you what made me laugh like that, but then, I’d have to kill you.

What happens at Trader Vic’s–stays at Trader Vic’s.

Of course, I believe some people wish the Woodland Creatures would’ve stayed at Trader Vic’s, too.