Lynn Raye Harris

Imagine my surprise to realize, just yesterday, that National is July 11-14 and not at the end of the month like I originally thought. Never mind that I’ve been registered for months, or that I bought my plane ticket months ago. I’ve been telling my family that it’s the last week in July.

Duh.

So I realized that I have 6 weeks to get back into one of my evening gowns. I am NOT buying a new one. Six weeks is usually enough time, so we’ll see what happens. Ten pounds ought to do it, though twenty would really make me happy. I don’t really know numbers though because I haven’t been on a scale in a long time. Not because it upsets me, but because I use the scale at the gym and I haven’t been to a gym around here yet.

The diet has officially begun. So has the exercise, and today my chest hurts from the 45 push-ups I did yesterday. My abs hurt too. Ah yes, the price of too much good Southern cooking must now be paid.

My house is not quite a disaster area, but it’s not completely done yet either. I still have boxes to unpack (not many). I still have decorating to do. And I have six weeks to finish this book, write another proposal, and get yet another idea in the formation stage. Can’t go to National with nothing to talk about.

*sigh* Better get busy. Aloha.

Yeah, it’s been a while — again. But things are coming together finally after several months of upheaval. We’re in our new house. Our household shipment arrived last week after being in storage for nearly 8 months. My desk is set up beside a window. My Internet connection is on. I itch to get back to work.

Random snippets:

1. I love Alabama. Yes, I do. It took awhile, but this is a FABULOUS place to be. Check out Kiplinger’s June issue and see why Huntsville is one of the top 25 cities to call home.

2. This is my first American Idol season. I am irritated. The finale should have been Melinda and LaKisha, IMO. Jordin is good, but not as good as she will be when she matures. And she comes from a privileged background. I’d prefer the million dollar contract go to someone like Melinda or LaKisha, women who come from humble backgrounds and who can sing so beautifully. Jordin gets a little screechy for me. Love Blake’s innovative side, but he’s not a great vocalist. Such a disappointment watching A.I. for the first time.

3. Iced mint tea is pretty awesome. I haven’t had it in years, but had some at a garden tour last weekend. Great!

4. Do I really have this much stuff? We shipped 10 crates from Hawaii, and had another one in Baltimore. Over 14,000 pounds of stuff, lots of which goes in the kitchen.

5. Love my new LG Steamwasher! Quiet, efficient, and pretty. Ordered white but got red because of a mix up by Home Depot. The red costs $100 more per appliance, but I got the upgrade for free. Not upset by that at all!

6. National is approaching. Pluses: I’m registered, plane ticket purchased, roomies who kindly invited me to share, the prospect of seeing friends from Hawaii and elsewhere, and all the stuff I’m going to learn. Minuses: Southern cooking. I’ve gained weight and I need to get rid of it. No, I don’t know how much. I haven’t stepped on a scale, but I’m guessing it’s in the vicinity of 15 lbs. And I need to do it before National if I want to fit into the clothes I already have. Why buy a new evening gown when I have several!? Must stop eating grits and fried green tomatoes.

7. I miss working on my book.

8. It’s very hard to type with a cat lying beside the computer and randomly attacking fingers and screen.

Once again, I’ve fallen into the morass and failed to write a new blog post for 19 20 days. I hate this! I’ve been busy, naturally. Found a house, bought it, waiting for it to finish being built, waiting to close, waiting to get my household goods, etc. Keeping up with my husband, who now wears suits and ties to work everyday instead of a uniform. Now you wouldn’t think that would be such a biggie, but the utility uniform of the military, aka the BDU (battle dress uniform), doesn’t need much attention. Wash, dry, run an iron over it, wear. Easy.

Now, however, shirts must be washed. Slacks must be pressed. Jackets must be coordinated. Ties are a whole new challenge. The hubby used to iron the uniform himself. Now, however, I seem to have taken over the suit and tie thing, mostly because I’m the color-coordinated one I suspect. Oh, and because I don’t have to get up and drive 20 miles to work every day. *sigh*

I haven’t written a word in more than a month. I missed my last RWA meeting because I was too busy, too exhausted, and had more house paperwork to sign. I somehow stupidly decided to pursue a graduate certificate (don’t ask) which is currently demanding up to 25 tasks per week and 100+ pages of reading. It’s over this week, thank goodness, and I’m not sure if I’ll take the next class in sequence or just say forget it for now.

Found out that one of the entries I judged for the GH is a finalist. Yay! Never managed to get off my butt and get my own entry into the GH, though maybe this year I’ll finally have it together. Did I ever mention that I’m going to Dallas for National this year? I’ve registered and bought the plane ticket, and been taken in by the wonderful Writing Playground group as a roomie. And, dammit, I’m getting myself in gear and writing again NEXT WEEK. As soon as this stupid class is over, I’m writing. My wonderful critique partner probably thinks I’ve abandoned her. I’m almost afraid to email her to find out.

Hey, so now that it’s Spring, what’s your favorite thing about it? I’d forgotten how much I love the new colors when everything is so fresh and tender. The trees and flowers here are just gorgeous. Alabama is turning even prettier than I’d thought it would be. We’re pretty pleased with our decision to move here, even if we miss our Hawai’i ohana.

Aloha y’all.

Geez, I know I’ve been sporadic lately! Blame it on house hunting and all the stresses associated with that. I’m really trying to get back to normal. We’ll see.

In the meantime, what about those Geico cavemen huh? They’re getting their own sitcom on ABC.

I hate the Geico gecko with his smarmy Cockney accent, but man, those cavemen just tickle my funny bone. I love them. Apparently I’m not the only one. Author Ron Rosenbaum performs a bit of literary criticism on the commercials here. I love his analysis of the mango salsa remark, and agree about the therapist commercial (though did you know that the actress is Talia Shire of Rocky fame? I didn’t).

Which commerical is your favorite? I love the mango salsa commercial, but I think the airport is the best. I love the yuppie caveman, the racket instead of a club, the song, and the way the commercial works without a word being spoken.

Hope your celebrations were fun and safe. We stayed up until midnight, said Happy New Year, and went to bed. My parents were in bed much earlier, my mom sicker than a dog (having caught a bug from my dad who is now over it — I wonder if we’re next).

We drank our wine earlier in the evening, with dinner, and toasted friends, family, the coming year, and our lost kitties. Miss Kitty passed on New Year’s Eve 2004. Thumper joined her on Dec 26, 2006.

It is indeed a brave new year for us. We’ve transitioned from the military to civilian life, from the tropics to the South, from living thousands of miles away from family to living in the same house. It’s been amazing.

What does the new year hold? Hopefully, new opportunities — a fulfilling career for Mike, a lot of writing and submitting for me, a new home, and continuing good health.

I don’t usually make specific resolutions, so I suppose I won’t start now. I intend to write more, to submit my work, to attend chapter meetings, to go to my first conference, to work harder and become more focused on my goals of publication. 2007 is the year to put up or shut up. I don’t have to get a contract, but I should at least have some rejections to show for my trouble. This is the year I submit my work. No more letting time get away, no more saying I’ll do it later or I need to make things perfect first. Write, submit, repeat.

How about you? (Photo courtesy of bigfoto.com)

Mom and Dad’s house in the Albany Historic District of Decatur, Alabama. Photo taken by my adorable hubby, Mike. I believe it was around 60 degrees or so that night. Not bad, really.

Merry Christmas Eve!