Are the high-speed connection gods angry?

 

     Frustration is spending an hour and fifteen minutes filling out one page after another online to change from dial-up to high-speed and then having the danged thing screw up and go to an error page that tells you to call the company’s 800 number.

     Extreme frustration is after calling that number, jumping through all the hoops, listening to horrible canned music (the same song repeatedly) while on hold, finally getting a human to arrange things, and then after being on hold AGAIN having that person tell you, “oops our computers crashed I’ll call you back.” 

     I’m thinking that this is a sign I’m not supposed to have a high-speed connection.

I reserved my room at the laughing academy.

 

     They said they’d keep the light on for me and they mailed me the keys. 

     The conversation went like this: 

     “Hello, is this the Jolly Time Laughing Academy?”

     “Yes.  How may I help you Madame?”

     “I’d like to reserve a room please.  I’m on your regular customer list.”

     “Would that be the usual or would you like one with deluxe padding this time?”

     “How much more will that cost?”

     “We’re running a special this week.  It won’t cost any more than a regular cell…um…room.”

     “Does it include the usual meds, meals, and fancy lace up the back jacket with funny sleeves?”

     “Why, yes it does.  And will Madam be staying her normal length of time?”

     “Yes.  Could I have one with a view of the gardens?”

     “Why certainly.  Would the south garden suit you?”

     “I think that will do it.”

     “We’ll leave the light on for you.”

Hooked on ‘The Voice’

 

     I was surprised.  I’m not one for shows like American Idol or a couple of the other ones they have going.  However, this show grabbed me and threw me for a loop.  I really LIKE it.

     I like the whole premise of not judging by the person’s appearance but going by their TALENT.  Yep, they finally hooked me on one of those shows. 

Great day fishing!

 

     At least it was for me.  I couldn’t toss my line in without getting a strike.  Not so, for DH, I don’t think he had as much as one bite.  At least he got some fresh air and sunshine.

     We had the park and river to ourselves except for a couple that were fly-fishing in the rapids below us.

     I caught a lovely rainbow trout in the first five minutes we were there.  Then I caught several brookies and another rainbow.  DH caught the roots of a weeping willow several times.

     It seems it was women’s day on the river.  The woman who was fly-fishing the rapids below us caught a couple of nice trout.  By the time they left, her male companion looked very disappointed.

     Sorry folks, we were over halfway to the river when I realized I’d forgotten the camera.  Maybe next time I’ll remember it.

More garden pictures

     Since fishing was a bust yesterday I worked in the garden until dark.

Grabbing my fishing pole and off I go

 

     To keep hold of the thin threads of my sanity I am going fishing again today.  I might take DH along with me.  I’m sure his sanity could use a bit of peaceful time on a riverbank too.

     There are several places we like to go fishing.  One of them is impossible for him to navigate any more.  There are far too many rocks to climb over and too long a walk to get to it.  That one we’ll have to cross off the list.

     The whole process of fishing for us has changed and will continue to change as his MS worsens.  I am the explorer.  I scout out locations I think he can get to more easily and hope they have fish in them so he can get a little sport in too.  I am the pack mule I carry all but his fishing pole and cane.  I am the go-fer if he needs something.  Coo-coo ca choo.  I am the walrus….  Maybe I’ll remember to take the camera along this time.

Crazy is not a drive

 

     After spending so many Sundays working over at the MIL’s house, it feels strange to know I won’t be going over there today.  Wow, I might actually get something done at home.  As I look around at the furniture, dusting comes to mind.  Perhaps I should also vacuum.

     If the dogs and DH leave me alone, maybe I can even get a little writing in this afternoon.  (Oh yeah, like that’s going to happen.)  Whenever they see me sit down at the computer, it seems to signal a ‘how crazy can we drive her?’ response.

     Crazy is not a drive it’s a very short walk for me.  Yeah, I know I left myself wide open there.  Shut up Chuck and Dave.

It may take a bit longer than I expected

 

     When I finished writing my first book, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment.  It took me several years to find my voice.  I did what felt like a million rewrites to make the book a solid submission.  I agonized for months over writing a proper synopsis.  I even wrote a second book of the series and had three more mapped out to write.

     I pitched it to an agent at a writer’s conference.  “Send it to me,” She said.

     I did and within a few weeks, I’d signed a contract with her.

     What happened then?  My agent submitted it to one publishing house after another all of whom turned my book down.  I have some of the nicest rejection letters I’ve ever seen.  Nonetheless, I remained unpublished.  I pulled that first book and set it aside with the second one and the other three I’d mapped out in the series.  I had a new idea.  

     I’m not a fast writer.  I often have daily life interfere with my writing existence.  However, I am a writer and I will finish my books but it may take a bit longer than I expected.

April’s weather teases us

 

     It never fails, this is the month that gives us many promises of warmth and sun, and then it snatches it away.

     The magnolia is in full bloom, what few tulips I have left are opening, and the daffodils are about finished.  The old-fashioned bleeding hearts are blooming as are the grape hyacinth.  The yard is beckoning me.  “Come play, come play!”

     If only the weather would cooperate and warm up enough.  A frost warning might have my magnolia tree all brown by the time I get up today.  I hope the frost stays north of us. 

     I had to stop putting out year round suet for the birds because the tree rats were raiding it and leaving nothing for my feathered friends.

     The hummingbird feeder is up and I hope it will attract some more this year.  I had so much fun watching them last year.

     I can’t wait to set up the hammock.  However, I think it will have to wait until next month. 

The piles of stuff are going down

 

     The pool table is gone from the MIL’s basement!  Before we headed home yesterday, G and I packed up a ton of glasses and mugs and loaded them into my van to drop off at Goodwill.  They weren’t selling and we were sick of looking at them.  We are down one typewriter too, that one went to a cute little red-haired boy with Harry Potter glasses. 

     It helped that we had a sunny day and mild temperatures yesterday.  Sunday’s rain kept people away. 

     It is nice to see the piles of stuff dwindling.  We’ve given ourselves until mid May to clear out the rest of the stuff.  Anything not gone by then I’ll have a clean-up crew come in. 

A makeup test?

 

     I have never been one for makeup and fashion.  I wear clothes that I find comfortable and IF I wear makeup, it’s only for special occasions.  This means what makeup I do have is very, very old.  At least it was until today.

     I knew I needed to toss the old stuff.  I knew I needed to buy new stuff.  The PW conference is approaching fast.  However, I hate shopping.  G finally convinced me that to get rid of all that old makeup and go purchase some new stuff.  She dragged me kicking and screaming into the makeup aisle and proceeded to help me find the right products.

     She showed me lip stains.  “Here, this is what I use.  It’s easy and it lasts.  Let’s find a color that is right for you.”

     I picked up one I thought was pretty.  “How about this one?”

     “No, it’s wrong for your coloring.  Here look at this one.”

     We found two she thought would work for me.  They went into the cart.

     “Now you need some eye makeup.”

     “Really?”

    She heaved a sigh.  “If you’re going to dress up to go out to dinner you should wear it, yes.”

     “Okay.  What one?”

     She suggested two but I stuck to my guns on that after all the last eye makeup I had lasted far too long and I shouldn’t have been using it.

My muse’s idea

 

     I jumped about a foot in the air when my muse popped into the room and said, “When are you going to sit down at your computer and do some real work?” 

     I’d been writing a list of things I needed to do over at the MIL’s house.  Once my heart settled down to its normal rhythm I replied, “I wish I knew.” 

     “You need to stop agonizing over that house, take some time for you, and WRITE and I don’t mean lists!”

     “I agree but if G and I don’t do it it’ll never get done.”

     She leaned against the doorway, folded her arms across her chest, and said, “Sunday is Easter.  You and G aren’t going over there.  It would be a good time for you to make an effort.”

     “It could work if DH and the dogs leave me alone long enough.”

     “Maybe he’ll take a long nap?  Go to bed early that night?”

     “I can hope.”