To switch or not to switch

Ladies (and especially Fuzzy, who saw it on Facebook first),

Here's the deal: I have received a job offer!  yay!  It would pay about the same as I make now, but it is much closer to my new residence.  My current commute is 1.25-1.5 hrs each way, potential commute for offer is 7 minutes each way.

The work is relatively the same, but more in the technical realm (think database administrator/analyst, as opposed to statistician/analyst, which is what I do now).  The proposed job also deals more with financial type data, whereas now I deal with a broader range, including demographic, financial, budget, historical, etc.  The shorter commute would afford me more time to write, be around friends, and volunteer at the library, etc.

The problem I am having deciding has to do with the nature of the work, which goes in a direction I had previously not thought my career would go in.  Also, there have been some other changes at my current job that have destabilized the work environment, negatively impacting myself and some coworkers; I really like my current co-workers, and I worry that my leaving may also negatively impact them.  (Sorry to be vague there--email me if you want the specifics.)  I am leaning towards taking this new job, but am accepting thoughts and advice.

Q, yes, I noticed the tree stopped working this year, after a few years of declining functionality.  Oh well; it at least looks pretty with the fire and the snow.  I may try to program my own so that we have a working tree going forward.

Congrats to Q on her beautiful daughter!

Alula

Missing GIfts

I have left a couple of gifts under the tree now, but they keep disappearing.

Checking in

Present and accounted for, and decking the freaking halls!

A little freaked out at all the pregnant women in my life lately, but happy for y'all.  After some thinking about it, if I ever do this pregnancy thing, no cluckfest for me.  Love the party and the games, but all that estrogen just ain't for me.  Co-ed, and considering keeping the sex of the baby a secret until after the party (so no one be offended if I do this) so that I don't get an attack of pink or blue stuff.  Don't know why, but the possibility is somewhat irksome to me now (of course, the hormones might change that).

Fuzzy, you're supposed to be keeping me informed.

Book sales are up, and I did a freebie promo recently that gave me a bump--exciting!  I am currently doing (yet another) redraft of the next novel, but I think it will be much better than before (Munchkin and

Alula

Baby update!

I'm 4 cm dilated, I have Group B strep. Because of this if I don't go into labor on my own this week, its most likely they will break my water next Wednesday. Its for sure if I dilate further.
Will keep in touch!

Check In

OK everyone time to check in and let everyone else know you are alive and well!  We are good here!

Registered?

So, Q and Fuzzy, are you two registered for baby things anywhere? If so, please tell me so I can send you all things.

Okay for all you would be canners out there this is a steam canner and is faster and safer to use than a water bath.  There are people out there that say these are not as good as a water bath and the food will go bad.  Well Nana has been using hers for a good 20 years and has never had a problem with it.  Well thats enough proof for my.  So this is an idea for any one out there who wants to start canning.  Let me know if you want to know more!

Cucumbers!

Help I have so many lemon cucumbers that we can't eat them all and I don't know what to do with them all!  Please, if anyone has any ideas let me know!

Pictures I've been meaning to post

Ladies, these are some things I have been talking about for a while, but never got around to posting the pictures.  

Back in June, a swarm of honey bees took up residence in my back courtyard.  They weren't aggresive, so I was able to get very close to take pictures.  They settled on this chair, and the internet said they were likely to move on to somewhere else on their own within 48 hours, so we left them.  They did not move on.  We called a bee catcher to come and collect them (for free - many bee catchers view this as a mutual favor), and he put them in a box and left them to settle in before he would come and take the box away.  Unfortunately, we had been besieged by the stupidest bees on the planet, and instead of staying in the very nice bees' mansion of a home he left, they moved out of the box and re-swarmed on one of the chair legs of our patio set.  The bee catcher came and removed them the hard way--using a customized no-kill vacuum.

Honeycomb that the bees left on our chair.

A rabbit in my new backyard--there are tons of them in the neighborhood, and mostly not afraid of people.  We like to leave carrots out for them--they also eat any fruit that drops from our trees.

One of the rose bushes in my yard.

Cherries from one of my trees--they are choke cherries, and slightly tart, but I have still enjoyed many a handful.  I'm planning to make preserves.

The apples on the trees are getting huge.  I ate one a couple of weeks ago when they were smaller, because I didn't think the fruit would mature to such an extent.  But it did, and I estimate we have 50-75 apples between the two trees.

If any of you don't have the link to the pictures of the new house, and you would like to see, email me.  Our current frustration is that the previous owners painted all the walls purple.  It doesn't look purple until you see it next to white, but it's PURPLE.  50 shades of purple.  Purple in every room--carpet and walls.  We have already painted all of the bedrooms upstairs and are now working into the den area, where this pastel purple currently resides.

Alula

Hey, baby baby!

Hey Ladies,
   I had my ultra sound today! Its a girl! A very pretty healthy baby girl. It took some work to figure it out, she was being a stinker! Everything looked good but I need to go back in four weeks so they can get a better look at the chambers of her heart.

Pregnant

Well it looks like I am pregnant again, I was bleeding and thought I lost it but it turned out to be me bleeding for some unknown reason and nothing to do with the baby.  So hopefully everything will be good for the rest of this pregnancy.  I will be having a c-section on february 6th, so wish me luck.

Le Retourne de Death of House Plants

DoHP!!!!  YAY!!!! You're back!!! ...and you're not dead.  I was worried.  ;P

Yes, you will have to come visit us in the new house.  We won't even make you make the bed, lol.

Yes Q, the timer moves quickly.  They grow up so fast.

I took some pics of my new backyard that I will post as soon as possible.  The apple trees are doing great, and I have a strong crop of chokecherries and crab apples.  I looked up recipes, and apparently the latter two can be used in jams and preserves and such, so I will have to learn.  I found a neat looking katydid back there, too!

Also, I need to check this blog more often.  Also, goodly amount of sales on Kindle platform this month; makes me smile.

Alula

Wow thats fast!

Has anyone else noticed the baby counter is counting really fast!
I have so many things to do before December!

Stay safe y'all. I keep hearing about all the fires. Just stay safe okay?

Milestones

Ladies, I am buying a new house tomorrow.  It is so exciting!  The house is super awesome, and super in need of fixing, and the one thing that I would change...it's about an hour south of where we are now.

But it's not in Montana, and we must all remember that.  ;)

It is a 2-story, tudor-esque home at the end of a cul-de-sac, 4 bed 3 bath, on 1/3 an acre, and it has a kick butt back yard.  It has a laundry chute from the master bedroom down to the dedicated laundry room, and a 5-piece master bath.  It also needs a new roof, it failed a pressure test (which means there's a leak in one of the pipes, somewhere, inside the house).  The sprinkler system needs to be redone.  There's poor drainage around the house.

There's minor damage to the foundation, some of the window seals are broken, the furnace, AC, and water heaters may need replacing, and the patios should probably be re-poured.

The carpet is royal purple in a way that reminds me of a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.  These people had a thing for purple, because it's all over the rooms upstairs.

 The backyard has a sidewalk that loops around the lawn, with garden areas around the edges.

 The fireplace needs to be serviced.

 The Master Bath.

The play set in the backyard (it's safe--HUD put up the orange fence to keep people from climbing on it while they owned the property).

In short, it's a lot of work, but the house is pretty neat.

...Today, I officially hit the 100 book mark.

Y'all come visit me now!  It's kid friendly and everything!
Alula

Lost Phone

So my cell phone was lost/stolen last thursday, and my data wasn't backed up.  So girls I don't have your numbers so CALL ME so I have phone numbers.
 Fuzzy

Asking a Favor

Ladies,

I need to ask a favor.  I know some of you have already done some of this, and for that, I am VERY grateful.

If you have read my books, or any one of them, please review them.  I seriously need the reviews...in the digital storefronts, on reader sites, and in personal recommendations.

If you have read the books and disliked them, I need that feedback too.  I understand that this can be an introverted group (and some of us just have shy reading habits) but if you could do as much as you are comfortable with, it would be awesome.

Thanks,
Alula

My Eggo is Preggo!

I'm about two months pregnant.

Hello I am....

Hello I am an antisocial, randomly weird person. At least according to the people I live with and around up here. I don't talk much but when I do its all random and weird. And I apparently have the perfect job since I don't have any co-workers that would be annoyed by my mere presence and antisocial behavior. OK most people would here this and try to change and become less so. But me well hearing this makes me want to hide in my house and not come out. True anti social behavior apparently. Well that's what I am going through right now. What about you?

Too personal?

You've been warned.  Don't read the last paragraph if you don't want to get too personal.

I am cruising right along through writing my next book.  While none of you are required to shamelessly promote via social networks, friends, or family, I will buy you coffee on demand if you do.  ;)

I am trying to figure out how personal is too personal to post on my author blog, and in fact, I have been having trouble figuring out what to say there in general.  Ideas are welcome.

I am similarly looking for ideas on things to put in my office cubicle.  I think I need stuff that is professional, but personal.  But not too personal.  Ideas are welcome.

(Personal Stuff Below)

I've been having feminine issues of an unpleasant nature lately, and it's not a UTI, and it's not a yeast infection, and it's not a pregnancy, and it's not an STD (these things I am sure of).  I've made an appointment with the doctor, however, the office called me back because they "had some questions about the appointment I made online" (I'm with Kaiser).  So I call them back immediately when I get home and hear the message, and get someone who is clearly reading from a script (I can hear her whispering stuff under her breath to herself like "If the patient has a card number, then go to the..."), so I am guessing she was new.  It is 4:55 when I called.  She immediately tells me that if she transfers me, she's not sure if I will get anyone in OB/GYN because they close at five.  I say "That's fine, go ahead and transfer me--I can't call them during regular business hours because I have no privacy at work.  Please note in my file to have them email instead of call for that reason."  She goes on, saying she's not sure, puts me on hold to do something, comes back three minutes later, still isn't sure..."Just go ahead and transfer me."  "Oh, well, because it's so late..."  (pause, typing noises, me watching the clock tick down to 5) "...I'm just not sure if anyone will be there.  I will message them about the email, though.  Would you like to have their number so you can call them tomorrow from work?"

"No.  Just transfer me, PLEASE!"


Good god y'all.  I have a great deal of respect for people who deal with people on the phone--I work with people who do it for a living, and it can be hellacious.  But seriously, what part of transfer me before everyone leaves isn't clear?  Seriously?

Alula

I have lost my mind

Okay I have lost my mind if anyone finds it let me know! I have only had this job that took me a year to get in January and I am ready to say all done! Didn't know that the company was so strict about and the Loss Prevention Squad are completely scary! But I will stick with this job since it took so long to get. I decided my reward for keeping this job for a year will be to buy myself a Kindle Fire. So that is my goal, wish me luck.

The 50 book mark

My marriage sucks right now.  That's all I have to say on the subject.

I'm hoping to reach 50 book mark this month.  I don't know why--I think I might have read somewhere that most books will never sell more than 50 copies.  But anywho, it's been a personal goal.  The entire series is already over 50 books in sales, but the first book alone is at 41.  After this milestone, I'm hoping to look forward to the 100 book milestone, and then the 50 books in one week milestone...but we'll see what happens.

My new job is holding  together.  It's a little stressful due to the time of year, and I am more than a little stressed right now, but I'm sticking with it.

Journey to the Center of the Uterus!

Hey Ladies,

( I am alive)

I have been off birth control for over a year now, and alas, my eggo has yet to become prego. We had a sit down with a specialist on Monday. We reviewed my blood work from a month ago, and its not showing anything totally obvious. My vitamin D is crazy low, not super shocking; its a 7 and the number they look for is 30. I will be receiving a remedial course of vitamin D over the next two months. Two doctors over the last year seemed to think I have PCOS, but this new guy, does think that is not the case, so he is retesting. I have received a vaginal ultra sound and every thing was normal! I have very pretty eggs nestled in my belly. YEAH! Tomorrow they are putting dye up my cervix to see if my tubes are working. It can be very painful and I am really looking forward to it. Mr Q, will also be receiving in-depth testing, he, will will be getting friendly with a cup.

Its worth it!

Q

Drama, anyone?

Just teasing, Fuzzy!

And yes, it is the case that I have so much going on that I am hardly able to find time to update.  :P

I apologize.  I will try to do better.  Be advised, you may be able to find me on one of my *other* blogs, ahem, email me if you don't have the web address.

I am proud to announce that this week, ebook total sales passed the 50 book mark, with sales in January on track to be higher than November and December combined.  If this sales trend continues (unlikely, but possible) I may be able to consider it a career by the end of the year.  A review was given after the release of the third book stating that people "need" to read the series, because it is that good.

I'm working on my next series now, and hoping to "keep up the hype" by releasing it by the end of June.

In other news, the new job (the one that actually pays the bills) is working out well.  I take the bus because buying a $75/month bus pass--and that's the discount rate provided by my employer--is cheaper than paying $10/day for parking.  Learning the buses has been an experience.  I walk about two miles a day now getting between buses and work and home, and it's doing shapely things to my legs.

Mr. B and I are still shopping houses, though right now we have an offer in on one.  We'll see how it goes.

Alula

OK this is sad!

Does no one have anything going on that might be interesting? or just checking in? when did life get so busy that we can't keep up with our friends! Ah how times change.

Meet Leo!