I'm here

I've fallen back into the rhythm of working in the office. At my desk with the white noise of the ringing phones, conversation and hum of the server room about me. The training meetings that I came here for are going well.

The retreat is tomorrow!! WooHoo! I'm looking forward to it. I just want to sit in a quiet room and write write write. No distractions. No interruptions. Awesome.

The trick is not to think about home. If I don't think about it, I don't get homesick. To be quite honest, I can't wait to get back the hectic bustle of my everyday life.

Today's the day

Today is the day. I fly to VA for a gazillion meetings at my day job. The bonus being I’ll be able to attend a writers retreat this weekend in Williamsburg VA. I’m leaving all books at home. The only thing I’m taking to occupy my mind in the airport and on the plane is my spiral notebook. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get some major writing done on the trip and at the retreat.

Flying isn’t an issue for me. (Although I hate heights) My problem is I’m leaving the family. Not only do I work full time, I orchestrate the household, their clothes, meals, everything. I need to let things go. Relax. My husband is fantastic and he can totally handle anything that may come up.

He doesn’t do it when I’m here, because I’m here. He does know what needs doing, and can do it while I’m gone. Everything will be fine.

quote of the day

Today I wanted to find a quote to start my day off well. Inspirational and True.

I found this by Alan Alda,

Don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. Laugh at yourself, but don't doubt yourself.

It's something everyone would do well to remember.

Quote I love

I'm a member of RWAOL and every week there is an inspirational encouraging post. This week one of the quotes she included really touched me.

"A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her." ~David Brinkley

Finished the short story

I’ve finished writing the short story for the contest at the retreat. It’s more chic-lit than anything else. Stretching like this is healthy, but like regular exercise, it’s not something I do often. I hope to put the finishing touches on it today then pack it with the rest of my gear for the retreat.

Time to get some coffee and start the day.

Short story

Last night I wrote two pages for a contest being held at the retreat I'm attending in a couple weeks. It just flowed out. So awesome when that happens. :)

The story needs to be mega short, only about 800 words. Length isn't what makes this difficult to write, it's the rule that the story has to be a genre in which you don't write. I usually write paranormals, but with this I'm going for a contemporary story of a navy wife. So far it's going well. As I write I'm making notes of what I want to change; so far the first round of editing will be major.

Crash of the day

My husband had the day off of work today and although the weather was hot, he figured it’s as good a day as any to cut down a couple of trees in the backyard.

I telecommute to work from my office in the basement. While on the phone discussing an urgent deadline I hear a booming crash. I gasped and declare to my startled coworker that a tree fell on the house and I needed to call her back.

I rushed up the stairs as fast as my flip-flop clad feet would allow and darted outside. There is my wonderful husband standing by the stump considering the back of the house, one hand holding the now silent chainsaw and the other scratching his chin.

“I didn’t do it.” He declared when he saw me.

At the start, he explained, the tree fell just as he planned. It curved to fall on the corner of the house about halfway down. Luckily, the only damage was a few displaced shingles and a split 2x4 where the gutter attached to the roof.

I helped him remove the tree from the roof, and then left him to fix things while I returned to work. I can only hope that this impressed the powers-that-be with my dedication to them in the face of the presumed crisis.

Well a girl can hope.

He’s found us.

I started writing this blog under a pseudonym for one purpose; I wanted to leave as few clues as possible as to our whereabouts. There is a person in our lives, I will not divulge his relation to us, who insisted on spending time with our children. He didn’t listen to our wishes with regard to his behavior while he was around them so we cut him off.

He took us to court and his motion for visitation was dismissed. Subsequently, we moved. Leaving no forwarding address and telling only a select few where we were going.

Last week he found us. He drove five hundred plus miles to drive by the house twice. Pulling all the way into the driveway then dashing off once we had a good look at him. (We live in a rural area, our road is dirt and our driveway is rather long) Letting us know he found us is the only reason we can think of for these actions. My husband, the white knight that he is, confronted him. (read: chased after him in our minivan until he caught up with him) Insisting that he leave us alone. We haven’t heard from this person since.

This man isn’t a pedophile, or a convicted criminal, but we wouldn’t put it past him to snatch the children should he get the chance. He is a transient person, no steady job, no steady address. In fact, his last known address is a restaurant.

Our school system and the local courts took our concerns seriously. Thank heaven. We have a restraining order, and although it’s just several pieces of paper and a staple, it feels as though our children are safer.

I am still debating on if I should keep the pseudonym or not…for now I’ll keep it. Although I have to say I like the signature for my real name quite a bit. And I know it sounds silly, but should I ever get published I would rather write my own name over and over again than my alternate.

What’s my real name you may ask…

Well, you’ll know when I get one of my novels published. :)