The Sun is Shining

I feel like I've been living in a cave the last couple of months. Which, I suppose is what happens when one is all work and no play. This weekend I'm catching up on my sleep and my reading mojo is back.

The sun is shining, we are having a last burst of summer. Here comes the autumn and one holiday a month for the next three months.

I'm working on balance and pacing in my life. You'd think by now I'd have some of this stuff worked out, but it's a constant battle for me.

Thanks to all of you who have been so patient and hanging in with me and my erratic presence online. I love you and appreciate you so much!

It's a New Day.

Well, after all sorts of deal making with myself, wishing, stumbling, and generally fumbling my way through the last six months, I've once again cleared out my Google Reader and am trying to catch up with my pals.

Wish me luck.

One reason I've had time to do this is the reading has dried up in a big way. I've picked up four separate books this weekend and couldn't get interested in any of them.

What are you guys reading. Anything really rock your boat?

From the Peanut Gallery

Sometimes you get the light bulb moment in the unlikeliest of situations when you least expect it.

Me: *sighs pathetically* I'm so out of the loop with my blog and I miss those people so much and I haven't done a book list since November... I'm so behind, I don't know where to start...

GG: Just sit down in front of your laptop and do it. Start.

Break over. I thought I'd jumped this hurdle a month ago but apparently I'm a sloooooow learner.

One is the loneliest number...

Driving into work having a one sided conversation in my head about a book is just not the same thing as interacting with other romance readers online. It just isn't. It begs the question how I've stayed away from blogging and blog hopping for a record length of time in the almost 5 years I've been a blogger doesn't it? Well, maybe for you it doesn't but I sure wonder.

It's occurred to me several times to pack in my blog and call it a day already. Romancelandia can function just fine without one more voice in the darkness compelled to offer up her opinion. Really it can. It isn't that I can't think of stuff to say, or that I've gotten bored with writing and exchanging ideas with all of you. It has simply come down to a question of time.

I'm not special or any different than probably thousands of women across the world. I'm sure I'm no busier at work than many of you. I work an average of 45-50 hours a week. My day has gotten longer (for me) because I've added an hour of swimming or walking 6 days a week. That's the actual workout time. With travel to and from and showering after, my workouts become more like a 2-3 hour time commitment. This, as it turns out, makes all the difference in my blog time.

At first I was dividing my disposable time between reading and blogging. I missed my reading horribly. I was down to literally cramming 15 minutes here and a half hour there. Another factor was fatigue. With an hour workout added to the day I'm not up much past 11 PM these days and so my night time reading and blogging has become non-existent. It turns out GG, the boys and my other family members want me to interact some with them too. Can you believe that????

Even though I've mentioned most of this stuff before I've finally sort of wrapped my brain around the idea that my life is going through another change. If I want to enjoy my leisure time I have to learn to be less rigid and worried about stuff. It's been driving me crazy trying to "schedule" everything. *sigh* Same lesson, new day. I'm such a slow learner sometimes. So, once again it's Independence Day. I'm liberating myself to do whatever comes naturally.

There may be brief and short posts. Posts might not be as polished as I've done in the past. My blog hopping may be sporadic. I hope you will comment, email or share with me what's going on if I've happened to miss some big news you are sharing. I will do the same in return.

So it looks like I'm here to stay. I have no idea how this will all turn out in 2010, but I'm eager as ever to see what the year brings.

Hats & Horns all around!

August 6, 2005 this blog was born. Of course if you read that first post you see that NOBODY ASKED ME had a predecessor which I inadvertently deleted after three posts. Let's just say I've learned a lot since then.

Four years. It's gone by so fast and so much as changed in in my life and in Romancelandia. There are a lot more of us out here for one thing. My tbr is 250 books as opposed to a half dozen or so. I've met so many incredible and wonderful people, readers, writers and bloggers alike. I can't believe I have two trips to RWA under my belt. Two trips that totally would NOT HAVE HAPPENED if I hadn't met the people I have out here in blogland.

My "real" life is a lot different in many ways as well. I work full time at a different place, my two sons have graduated from high school and started college. I weigh less. I swim 2-3 times a week... Just a lot of stuff has changed.

Actually I probably would have forgotten all about my blogiversary, but I'm feeling a bit reflective today. Today, August 9th, would have been my Mom's 77th birthday. It's so odd to realize she's been gone 5 years. I think she'd get a real kick out of my blogging life though.

There is one constant in my life. GG. Such a gift that guy is. He makes me laugh, cry, and shriek in equal measure. He's interesting to talk to and he thinks I'm nifty. It boggles, it truly does.

What a guy. What a life! Such bounty I have.

Making a List and Checking it Twice

...Gonna find out who's naughty or nice. Yeah, I got no where to go with that I just had to finish the line. Now that I'm taking a deep breath with the first wedding under my belt, I feel sorta liberated. I feel better able to concentrate on other things like packing and planning for RWA for instance.

I'm so glad I'm off today. It's my 4th of July holiday. I've got a bunch of stuff to do since we'll be out at the park working for the community 4th of July festivities tomorrow. The fire department I work for is very involved with the town. We have a booth every year and stuff for the kids, etc.

Fun WILL be had by all as we cook in the sun and wait for sundown and the fireworks extravaganza.

1. Finish business card design for a certain special somebody.

2. Grocery shop so we don't starve for the next week.

3. Order some prescriptions for vacations (GG & Shmoo are going on a trip too)

4.

5. Dry cleaners

6. Finish June Reading List post for blog.

7. Catch up blog hopping.

8. Finish ceremony book for niece's wedding.

9. Write and mail birthday cards for two of the Stairsteps.

10.

11. Go to movie with GG because I promised him I would.

What can I say, it's a full day.

Catching Up

I had a gazillion posts in my Reader. Really. A gah-zillion! I Read some. Skimmed some. Deleted some. All your latest and greatest. Of course I still feel disoriented and out of the loop, but hopefully time will take care of that.

OTOH, I can't help but be struck anew about how cool our wee little blogging community is. Romance novels bringing all these people together. It's amazing ain't it?

Tumbling Tumbleweed

I had this whole long post written about what's been going on with me. Really long. Really boring. The simple truth is that I've been reading, swimming, and living a slower paced life. Sort of.

Recently I realized I'd turned my writing and commenting into a chore on my 'To Do' list.  Erg!  That's not good. Writing posts and blog hopping has always been an escape and a fun thing to do. I don't know why, but not so much lately.

So instead of going on with a lot of blah, blah, blah...  I'm so lame.  Blah, blah, blah... I'll do better.  I'm just going to do...  Whatever.  Whatever as in I don't have a clue what I'll be doing tomorrow, next week, next month, etc.  I don't know what I'm going to do.  I really don't.  Write more. Write less.  Blog hop.  Read.  I don't know.

I'm a tumbleweed...  I'm just rolling wherever the wind blows me. Hopefully I won't collect too much trash in my branches as I roll along.

To be or not to be...THAT IS the question.

Let's just hit the high points shall we?

1. Nope not dead in a ditch. Or sick. My back is still creaking and giving me some fits, but I'm mostly my regular self.

2. I've been reading like there's no tomorrow. I can't remember the last time I cranked out 5 or more books in a week, but I did this past week. I read all 4 of the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs AND her Alpha/Omega (related) book CRY WOLF. Yesterday, I finished TO BEGUILE A BEAST by Elizabeth Hoyt. Let me just say I was very, very glad I had the Briggs books in my tbr to glom. Also, if you are a fan of Ms. Hoyt, this new book is a great addition to her soldiers series.

3. Apparently when I'm reading I can't write or blog hop. Sorry about that. I was mesmerized. I also expected things to be a bit easier at work this past week and they weren't. No hugs or words of sympathy needed. I'm fine, but the reading was a welcome escape and once I got home facing a computer screen was one of the last things I wanted to do.

4. For the second time in recent history I will probably be deleting posts from my google reader... not because I don't love you and all the places I visit, but my obsessive compulsive self can't possibly deal with the 597 posts that have accumulated the last time I was brave enough to check them.

5. In the process of going shopping with Shmoo to spend his birthday gift of cash on some new clothes he wanted I found a fabulous pair of shoes for walking in DC. I also took advantage of a killer sale in Macy's and bought a new handbag for the trip as well. Hey it may not seem like much, but my feet and my purse are serious business. I'm ecstatic at this point. As for clothes? Well if you are in DC and you were in SF last year expect to see a lot of the same stuff. Just sayin'.

So let's sum up...

Not dead in a ditch. Reading lots. Behind with blogging and blog hopping. Have new shoes and purse for DC. No blogging or blog hopping.

I figure it's all good. There's certainly lots of room for improvement.

Well I Suck...

I was just tidying things up a bit around my blog and noticed I hadn't responded to comments in *clears throat* over a week. Sorry about that. I went back on the last four posts and answered everyone.

Apples & Oranges

There is always a running list in my head of what I am doing-thinking-saying and what I really want to be doing-thinking-saying.

Because I can't shut up or stop thinking about it. Er...my brain can't shut up or stop thinking about it.

1. While making my bed, I now think about all the people I know who DON'T make their bed. I obsess about why I still do and then wonder if all this wondering makes it a mental health issue?

2. While folding clothes and listening to Shmoo rhapsodize about all things Edward and Bella (I may have mentioned he's hooked on the Twilight series) I am actually wondering if he will remember this when I have Alzheimer's and come and visit and talk to me then.

3. I love blogging but while doing it realize that I rarely watch TV and that it eats drastically into my reading time...the blogging does.

4. While swimming up and down the length of the pool I wonder if being more fit is worth the time I lose in the evenings and on weekends. Of course I've added wondering how I'm going to fit weight training in now too.

For no apparent reason at any given time I'm wondering how women do it all. There is no way when my kids were in grade school that I could spend the time I do now on the computer. Just no way.

Everything has a season I guess.

So why am I sitting here typing and wondering about this stuff instead of going in my room and reading?

Edited To Add

I grew up in a military household. My Dad used acronyms all the time. ETA meant 'estimated time of arrival'. Heh. These days we all know it really means 'Edited to Add'.

I'm not so much with the adding, but I'm always editing. Lord only knows what errors you may have found in my writing, but believe it or not, I edit and polish my writing before I click 'publish'.

I do. Really.

I h-o-n-e.

Lately I've been trying to write a couple of days ahead so I can go back before I publish and look at what I've written with a fresh eye. At least that's the theory.

Why am I explaining all this? Well, I'd like to ask you something. Do you go back and edit your posts after you've published them? If you find an error after publishing do you correct it or leave it? What if you are suddenly struck with inspiration and have a better way of saying something, do you 'ETA' or just fix it and not mention the correction or change?

If you've been reading my posts for any length of time, you already know what I do. I go back of course. I can't just leave a misspelled word or incorrect verb tense once I know it's there, can I? That would be sooooo way not right.

*sigh*

These are the kinds of posts that happen when I don't make my bed. I think too much...about misteaks misstaches mistakes.

THIS = GOOD

THIS = BAD

Great Buddy Award

Last week Holly from What Were You Expecting? and the Book Binge gave me the Great Buddy Award. I'm always amazed and humbled when anyone recognizes me for anything. On account of because it's so always so unexpected. Not to mention, but of course I'm going to, the fact that I think of my blog as a totally selfish endeavor for me to wax on about whatever is buzzing about in my brain. Trust me when I tell you, it's a wonder and delight for me every time someone visits and comments.

Anyway, this week I'm making the decision whether or not to go to DC for RWA 2009. I'm also looking forward to a SoCal Blogger get together this Sunday, February 8th at Victoria Gardens. Lisabea is visiting from back east AND celebrating the release of her first M/M e-book from Aspen Mountain Press called GOBSMACKED by LB Gregg on Saturday, February 7th. Looky, looky... (You send 'em to school, they grow up and make you so proud. Congrats LB!)

Seeing friends and buddies figures hugely in these decisions, so it makes sense that right now I'm thinking about all the wonderful, funny, intelligent, complex women I've met on the internet that have become friends. Holly's timely post made this a golden opportunity and moment to recognize my SoCal blogger buddies.

How this all works:
1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Award up to ten other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

(I stole the paragraph below from Holly. Not only is she nice for nominating me... Recognizing me? Remembering me? she is also smart and funny.)

Ten sounds like a lot until you start trying to choose. But these are some of my favorite haunts, and some of my best buds.

Without further adieu...::drum roll:: The SoCal Bloggers! (Some of whom have already been nominated, but so what, right?):

Lori
Tracy
Wendy
Nikki
Holly
Rowena
Daphne
Alice
Blanche
Thea
Renee
Lisabea (honorary visitor this month)

What about you? Who are your buddies?

Tell the truth now...

Have you ever had your reader just jammed full of posts to catch up on? You sit yourself down, gird your loins determined to catch up with your nearest, dearest and faves.

Scrolling through all those fabulous posts skimming reading you find that some lovely person has dropped in a fantastic picture, or cartoon, or maybe a snappy one liner in their post. Blissfully brief. To the point. You find yourself smiling, sighing in relief and moving on to the next post.

Yeah, baby. Posts happen.

BTW, have I ever told you about my childhood crush on this guy?

Totally Bitchin' or What?

My little Spanky Lisabea put this up on her blog making some crazy vows for the New Year. Who cares about those stinkin' resolutions when I'm freakin' Wonder Woman! How could I concentrate after that? I'll tell you how. I didn't. Much.

Don't suppose for a moment that this will be the last time you see this picture either. Thanks to LB and Facehole.com I have a masterpiece. I gotta say...I love it, love it, love it! You know why? It makes me happy. Little picture. Big happy smile.

Speaking of that totally awesome and cool chick Wonder Woman, I must have been channeling her because I'm finally caught up with skimming reading all your posts from last month when I was mostly no where to be found. As I've said many, many, many times, I'm nothing if not a "Nosy Nora" so I simply had to check out what you all have been up to.

Oh, and that sublime sigh you hear? Yep. That's me leaning back in my office chair grinning like a fool. It just don't get much better than this skeeter.

Let's see if I remember how to do this...

I'm wondering if I know how to write a post any more. Or more realistically, what I'm wondering is if I know how to write a post that's less than a week from the last one I wrote.

It's not that my head isn't swirling with stuff to write and catch up on. I feel a little breathless wanting to know everything at once AND write AND read. Most of all I just feel so darn glad to have a Saturday afternoon ahead of me to fiddle around and write, read or whatever I want to do.

Sublime.

Routine! Routine! Routine!

Wherefore art thou dear routine? I'm dangerously close to throwing in the towel. I sit at my desk typing this with almost 300 books in my tbr, 3 unread on my nightstand, a stack of October and November reads that haven't been put on my spreadsheet, no October, November and now December reading lists posted. I think I've read one book in December.

My life feels insane. I don't like it. I feel out of sorts. Either the end of this craziness is near or I'm going to go mad.

GG reminded me last night when I was whining these same old familiar woes of having no time for my blogging life that since early October my life has been nuts between work and home. Either I've been working weekends or had personal commitments that have kept me from blogging or keeping up with my blogging. I'm at the point now where I feel like I'll be starting all over. Do I sound as pathetic as I feel? I feel pathetic. Look away...I'm certifiable.

I do want to thank all of you for still stopping by and commenting. You've been so encouraging and wonderful. I swear this post isn't to garner your sympathetic comments, don't feel obliged to pull me up by my boot straps. I'm not going anywhere. I say that for Kristie who worries one of us could just disappear and we won't ever know what happened. I like all you crazies too much. I'm just blathering on because I don't seem to be able to carve any time for blogging. That *thud* you hear is me whacking my head against the desk. I'm thinking of deleting. No. Wait. Yep. I'm going to keep typing.

So let's see if I can close on a positive note. We took down our Christmas decorations today. I'm taking this as a sign that we are organized and ahead of the game and that life will return to some sort of normal and R O U T I N E next week. It has to. It does. I'm begging for a dreary and slow January so I can get caught up or what feels like caught up.

Just read an email that reminded me I missed my Access Romance blog post too. Never done that before. Guess that can happen when you haven't been on your home computer for close to a week. Aaargh!!!!

Ooops! Guess that wasn't too positive was it?

Do you hear what I hear?

Happiness and joy abound. I'm ready for Christmas. Mostly. I do have the food preparation for the holiday meals, and some pesky house cleaning to do.

OTOH, shopping is all done. Gifts are wrapped. Packages and cards are sent. And, baking is done. Although I've been thinking that I might make some more biscotti and chocolate chip cookies. They are very popular around here and what I've made will probably be gone before Christmas Eve.

I'd like to get caught up with all of you. I see I have 637 posts again in google reader. *very big sigh* I also have a post to write for Access Romance. You know what I'd really love? I'd really love to read. I don't see any of this happening any time soon though. With my family all coming over on Christmas Eve, sisters visiting from out of town, and the actual holiday itself, I think real catching up won't happen until the new year.

Which reminds me... Throw me a crumb and tell me what you are reading. I just picked up Feehan's MURDEROUS GAMES yesterday. I don't know if I'll get a chance to crack it anytime soon, but one can hope. So give a chickie a break and let me know what YOU are reading. I'll have to survive vicariously on your comments.

So, did you catch the 'sisters visiting from out of town' remark? Yep, the fabbo news I received last week, on my birthday no less, (random??? I think not!) my sister is coming out from Georgia on December 26th! My sister Mary, who sometimes comments on ye olde blog, will come down from central coast Cali to join us as well. You know how I love to spend time with my seees-ters. Can't wait for that. I plan to take a couple days off the week after Christmas to really enjoy the bimbos.

Except for missing all of you these past few weeks, Christmas has been pretty darn swell here at Nobody Asked Me central. I love Christmas season. Yes, I'm busy and there's lots to do, but I really don't mind. It means family gatherings, catching up with friends, and reminding myself of what's really important. Yep, I love it.

I hope things aren't too frantic or worrisome at your households. I hope you are safe, and warm and surrounded by those you love. And, I really hope that you are having a chance to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

What a week!

Still plugging along with my Christmas list. My google reader is up to 488 again. Oy! I'm not even supposed to be writing this post. I'm supposed to be working on Christmas cards. However, I'm not in the mood.

The big-ass TV is now mounted on the wall. The wonderful piece of furniture I ordered to go under it is back ordered. They call 'em TV media consoles. Who knew? I DO know that I looked at about a gazillion before I found one I liked. I also found a dining room table I really liked. However, a dining room table wasn't on the shopping list. Bummer. Very big, very sad bummer. Dining room tables don't grow on trees, especially ones you really, really like.

I'm still lagging on a few Christmas gifts and have about half my wrapping to do yet. All the stuff that had to be shipped is gone baby gone! In fact I've had a couple reports that the recipients already have their packages. Ya-hooey!!!

I have piles of books on my desk to catch up my spreadsheet and October and November reading lists. No worries about December's list. It's dismal. Maybe two books? Although I did buy this book...

THE TREASURE by Iris Johansen. It's a quick read. It's a bit flawed. The dialogue was redundant. All the characters had the same voice and speech patterns. However, I am as fascinated as ever by Kadar. There could have been so much more done there. I don't regret buying it, even in hard cover, cuz, ya know I HAD to read it to see what happened. As you might recall this book is the follow up to LION'S BRIDE which came out in 1996.

I recently re-read LION'S BRIDE in anticipation of THE TREASURE release and was happy to find it held up pretty well. LION'S BRIDE has more layers and detail to it than THE TREASURE, but I did enjoy re-visiting these characters. I just wish the story wasn't stretched so thin. On the other hand, I'd love to see her do Vaden's book and there was enough foreshadowing in this one to believe there might just be one around the corner. One can hope.

So that's my week. Gotta go do my Christmas cards before GG figures out I'm enjoying myself elsewhere. He's a slave driver. (Not really, but I gotta blame somebody and he's handy) I'd rather read or surf my google reader, but alas duty calls. Hope you all aren't too busy and crazy out there. I'm thinking about you...

"Mark all as Read"

I read over half of the almost 800 posts I was behind and when I got it down to 304 I made the executive decision to click "mark all as read". It didn't make me feel better to do it, but at least now I'm starting with a clean slate and can hope to keep up... I think.

On to other news. The plan every Thanksgiving weekend is to eat well, start our Christmas decorating, specifically the outside lights, and see some movies. This week we've already seen TWILIGHT and AUSTRALIA.

We saw the Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman historical epic AUSTRALIA Wednesday night. Two hours and 45 minutes people. Epic is definitely the word too. The photograpy of Australia is sweeping and larger than life. Kidman and Jackman definitely have some chemistry. I have to say I did have a bit of a swoon when Mr. Jackman was shirtless and soapy. The dude has been working out and looks incredible. Incredible. He certainly rang my chimes anyway.

Additionally, since I'm a woman who doesn't mind a little chest hair, I was very happy to see Monsieur Jackman wasn't lasered or waxed. He looked appropriately intense and manly.

So, big pictures, big story, and some sizzling chemisty. I just don't know if it needed to be 2 hours and 45 minutes. OTOH, I don't regret seeing it at all.

How's that for conflicted, contradictory and confusing?