TGIF! Okay I have a glass of wine (I’m writing this at Wine O’Clock on Thursday evening), and it’s time to share 5 random things about our week. Here’s mine:

1. It’s crazy how busy I am NOT writing. Next week, I really do want to get back to the book! This week has been filled with normal life stuff, plus getting ready for a bridal shower this weekend for my nephew’s finance.  It’s a couple hours away from my house, but celebrating these important life moments are worth the drive.
2. We went to visit our grandson, Turbo, on Wednesday, and I took zero pictures :-(. Bad Grandma! Aside from that, we had so much fun with Turbo. He’s all toddler now, and into everything, but still easy enough to distract. Hmm…that sounds like my brain, is it possible I have Toddler Brain?
3. I will never understand how parents can kill their children. We’ve had a rash of those cases in So Cal lately, from babies to preteens. It’s just horrifying and heartbreaking. What made me think of it today is that we have blue ribbons tied around various places all over town for an 8 year old boy missing in a nearby community. The hope was that the boy would be found alive. Sadly, the police announced today, that while they haven’t actually found the boy yet, they have enough evidence to charge the dad with murder, and the mother with child endangerment. I will never understand it. Ever.
4. Wizard and I watched a movie (on Amazon Prime, and I believe it’s also on Netflix) called, Walk. Ride. Rodeo.  based on the true story of nineteen-year-old champion rodeo rider Amberley Snyder who was paralyzed in an accident and her fight to ride again. Amberley Snyder, along with her sister, starred in the movie and did her own stunts. Wizard and I were both moved and inspired by this movie/story.
5. I also listened to a nonfiction audiobook called BAD BLOOD, Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou. This is part of the synopsis on Amazon: The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of Theranos, the one-time multibillion-dollar biotech startup founded by Elizabeth Holmes—now the subject of the HBO documentary The Inventor—by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end.  It’s an interesting book if you’re interested in how multi-million dollar scams like this happen. Unlike parents killing children, I can logically grasp how this happens, and the book laid it out very well. But it still makes me sick that people not only lie and cheat, but risk people’s lives. For those of us who write fiction, this kind of story can be very interesting in developing characters.

That’s my five random things for the week, and now I’d love to hear yours! I hope everyone has a great week!

Today we have here a hunk on vacation at the seaside. I gotta say though, I’m a little worried about him lounging on that wood bench because…splinters!!

Huh, now that I’ve thought of splinters, I’m thinking about Splinter from the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That makes me think of the time CPA Boy was about five or six. We were getting in the car after soccer, and CPA Boy dropped his handheld Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game device down the storm drain.

There were TEARS!!! Major TEARS. His grandma had given him that toy, and he was heartbroken.

Wizard jumped into hero mode, removed the cover, and went down into the storm drain to recover the toy game.

CPA boy was awed! But Wizard wasn’t done, he then wove a ridiculous story about how Splinter was down there and had caught the device, thereby saving it from total destruction, and then waited for Wizard to come retrieve it.

CPA Boy and his two younger brothers totally believed this story!

But this guy here? He doesn’t look anything like that mutant rat mentor/instructor from the cartoon.  And I’m still worried he’s going to get splinters from that bench. Anyhow, splinters or not, he’s our Wednesday Worthy hunk for today.

You know the question–is he worthy?

A quiet weekend for me! I refused to go out into the poppy-apocalypse  traffic, except to run necessary errands close to home. However, kudos to the city, county and state agencies, including law enforcement, for really stepping up to improve and control things much better!

As for writing, I think the fact that I used a scrub brush on my kitchen floor to clean the grout might illustrate how much I avoided writing. I knew it would cause me pain, but physical pain is better than the endless mental battle pain. I don’t think anyone would be surprised to learn that while I’m personally very happy (truly!), I’ve been a little depressed professionally. I now regret all the times I thought Writer’s Block might just be a little laziness. HA!!! I’ve worked untold hours with easily a thousand pages on this book–it’s not laziness, it’s…

You know what? Let’s not talk about it. I will fight my way though because that’s how I am. I love all my characters and I’m going to give them all the happy ending they deserve. Justice and Liza, and one day, Eli and Ram from the Wing Slayers (even if no one is left to read their stories!)

In the meantime, this weekend I read a psychological thriller I loved, STILLHOUSE LAKE by Rachel Caine. One thing I know for sure, reading books I love, and lots of them, will help me with that elusive breakthrough I’m searching for. I really loved the pacing, and stayed up late reading. Although according to Wizard, I never sleep anyway, LOL!

Now I really want to know, how was your weekend? I hope none of your are caught up in the awful flooding in Nebraska and surrounding states of the midwest. It’s been terrible to see all those lives, farms, homes and businesses severely impacted or destroyed. Please tell me you all are okay.

TGIF! I don’t know where the week went–all I heard was the whoosh of time passing and suddenly, it’s Friday! Okay here’s 5 random things about my week:

1. Our little city has gained worldwide fame for the poppy craze. There’s even shots from satellite picture space, LOL! (See the picture.)  All the orange are the poppies in the canyon that is just a couple of miles from my house.  So this weekend, I’m staying home.
2. The last two days have rained, and there’s still diehards trying to see the poppies. Um…they only bloom in sunlight But truly I understand it, this is a rare beauty and people want to experience it.
3. My book is a battlefield as big as the Poppy Apocalypse. Not kidding. I’m so freaking annoyed and tired of this. Also, Wine Is My Friend. 
4. I’ve been on a semi-diet for a day and a half. Still not skinny. Sad
5. My dog, Maggie, is an amazing gift! Maybe to others, she’s just a dog, but to me, she’s special. She brings Wizard and I love, loyalty and laughter that we would never have known without her. And she reminds me to be grateful each and every day. Maggie was worth waiting for (most of you know how long I waited to have a dog of my own!), and I’ll treasure her for all the days we have with her.

Okay so that’s my Friday Five, and now I’d love to hear yours! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

It’s hump day and the Poppy Apocalypse continues! I wish I’d had the foresight to create Poppylicious Cookies and sell them I mean, why not? The CHP (California Highway Patrol) has been shutting down the on and off ramps, so we’re trapped here in town — I might as well bake and sell cookies and make money for our vacation!

Or I could write my book, which I plan to get back to today!

Now onto Wednesday Worthy. There are no poppies in this shot, but there’s a bit of happy trail if you’re into that sort of thing

So what do you think, is he worthy?

What a weekend. We spent much of it fighting traffic, and we didn’t get home until late last night.

Saturday we went out to Wizard’s mom to see an Uncle from out-of-state. We only get to see him once a decade, so we made it work, and it was an amazing visit.

On Sunday, Turbo had a great birthday! But due to our city being completely overwhelmed by folks coming to see the poppies, we had to move the party to Middle Son’s house. Middle Son and his wife were awesome about it, we all pulled together and it worked out. Turbo had a very happy birthday! He got a lot of gifts, but he spent most of the time playing in the wrapping paper, and later, with a cup and spoon Typical, LOL!!!

But…after what we witnessed this weekend, I’m fear for the survival of the human race. Idiots were stopping on the freaking freeway, and walked down the side of it with their little kids to see the poppies. Our city is gridlocked, they’ve been snake bites and accidents, a city employee was hit by a car, and the driver took off. I know a lot more happened but I haven’t had time to check the news on my sites. I’m not exaggerating this, it was terrible, extremely dangerous and truly makes me doubt that common sense even exists any longer. The city posted on social media that all their resources were exhausted and the situation was out of control. Of course they’ve reached out to other resources (police, etc) to help, but we’re talking about 50 thousand people swarming a small city.

Wizard and I are exhausted, and tomorrow morning we have to get up early to go back out-of-town to a dentist appointment, which means back into that poppy gridlock. Hopefully it won’t be as bad as the weekend, or the normally 30 minute drive one way will take up to 2 hours.

Oh, one other good thing, we took Maggie with us to James’s birthday. It’s the first time we got Maggie, and Middle Son’s big dog, Jett together. They did great! Maggie was a very good girl, and Jett’s a totally cool dude who loves all dogs.

How was your weekend?

This week was a whirlwind! Okay here’s five random things about my week:

1. I had to go to jury duty on Wednesday. I made it as far as being selected as an alternate juror on a criminal trial before being excused. I have a friend going through something very close to the charges against the defendant in this case, so the judge excused me. I really liked this judge. He was very good at handling ridiculous excuses in a couple of jurors, and had us all laughing at times, while maintaining excellent control over his courtroom. I wouldn’t mind serving as a juror on a short trial in his courtroom at some point, but this wasn’t the best fit for me, and he agreed once I expressed my concern.
2. So many people were sick and coughing in that jury room! Since I’m at the end of my cold, I should be safe, but wow, that crud is going around everywhere.
3. I’ve had very little time to write this week. I’m not complaining though, there are worse things that having a busy life filled with people I care about. And I’m still sticking to stopping most work/activity at 4 or 5 (except for cooking dinner and cleanup) to keep healing. My doctors had all warned me how long healing would take, and they weren’t wrong. But I’m doing great, with a lot less pain than I had before the surgery. In time, I’ll get back up to the speed I’m aiming for.
4. Turbo turns one year old this weekend! It went so fast, and that boy is such a joy to Wizard and me! We’re having a little family party at our house on Sunday. I’m making beef and chicken tacos, and my version of strawberry shortcake, which is semi-homemade pound cake as the base for the strawberries and fresh whipped cream.
5. It’s also our daughter-in-law’s (Middle Son’s wife)! We all love her and feel very lucky to have her in our family!

That was my five, now I’d love to hear yours! Have a great weekend!