On the Verge

So, I decide maybe I should go in and check the email I established for my book. There hasn't been much going on lately (read that as no purchases), so it sort of slipped my mind. First I had to remember the password for the account; that caused me a moment or two of panic. I did remember it however, and got in to find over 30 messages! Of course, 30 were spam, but there was one from a woman in Ohio who had purchased and read the book. She truthfully overwhelmed me with praise for the book. We've had a little bit of an email conversation going back and forth, and I found out the book is on the Barnes and Noble book site. She had also written a wonderful review, giving the book 5 out of 5 stars, and in all caps ended with 'HIGHLY RECOMMENDED'. Go ahead, just ask me if I got all tingly!

A couple of nights ago I went in and googled my name and found there are 5 other sites that list the book, including one in the U.K. This is all news to me, but apparently the indie book publishing site I signed up with a year ago has finally gotten the book to some other sites. I want to get the book on the Amazon site as well, so I've printed out the 'Terms and Conditions' for publishing. It's 19 pages of legalese, so I'm going to try and go through it carefully before I click on the 'I Agree' button. I know the book is funny and I know it's got some good drama as well. It's not the next Great American novel by any stretch of the imagination, but everything I've heard so far has been positive. One of my closest friends showed me a post her adult nephew had written on her Facebook page saying he had read about the book on her page, purchased and read it, loved it and is looking forward to the sequel.

Ah, yes. The sequel. It's finished; has been finished for a long time. I've been through it once to edit it, but think I might go through once more. I went through the first one about 4 times, and each time found something that needed to be changed, be it a typo, misspelling or some other inconsistency. I re-read it few weeks ago, and still found mistakes. Guess it's just the nature of the beast. Anyway, I'm hoping to get the second book, finally with a title of 'Space Dude - The Trouble with Travels', online soon.

Otherwise things are moving forward, which, of course, is a good thing. Here's hoping everything is moving forward for you as well. The cat sends you greetings, or would if she was awake. She got me up a little after 6 but it's Saturday after all - weekdays she tries for 4am. She's now sound asleep.

Cheers from here...

Cold, Beds, and Swimming

Well, cat's whiskers! What the heck is wrong with this crazy weather? I mean, I've been going outside and lazing around in the warm sun, rolling in the dirt, chasing bugs and eating fresh, new grass for a couple of weeks now. All of a sudden today turns dark and dreary, the house gets colder, outside is even colder, the dirt patch is cold and there's no rays to even faintly warm my tootsies.

I mean...really.

For all her writings about writing, my staff person has been coming home every day and being a slug. She did get a really good review from someone who read her book and is looking forward to the next one, but she's still only sold a few copies. Of course, if she would write about me, it would be an instantaneous bestseller, doncha think? She's really tired; sometimes she falls asleep for 30 minutes or so before dinner. I wish I could tell her if she didn't get up at 4 something a couple of mornings a week to go to the gym and swim, and instead stay home and SLEEP, she might notice a difference. I'm an expert and know the benefit of numerous naps throughout the day, but I also know she has to buy my kibble. I don't care if she sports a few extra pounds, but for some reason she does. And water? Why on earth would someone want to voluntarily jump in a bunch of water? Ehhh. Whatever.

The guy that lives in the front room bought me a bed about 4 years ago. I disdained it (Target? Reaaaaallllly?). But I jumped up on the table/tin/flat thingy where the bed has been, and well, dang, it was actually quite comfortable, so I've been napping there recently. Of course, you know us cats...we have to keep our staff people guessing. I suppose I'll need to find another place to sleep here soon. . It's so tough being an adorable, 'unpredictable predictable' kitty, ya know?

Sometimes I just sits

A gazillion years ago, when I was in college, I had a poster on my dorm wall I dearly loved. It was a picture of a wooden stool, and at the top it said, "Sometimes I sits and thinks" and under the stool it said, "And sometimes I just sits".

Although I did love that poster, I've discovered I do a lot of just 'sits'. I feel like I'm rapidly approaching a time in my life where I'm going to be forced to slow down, and I know I haven't accomplished even a tiny bit of what I've always wanted to. In my self-reflecting, I see that I have done way too much 'sitting'. I've let a lot of things get away from me; things I wanted to do, but felt I didn't have the time, or most probably the money, to do. I guess I could put part of the blame on my mother as she raised me to always do the right thing,and by that I mean to make sure the things that need to be taken care of are taken care of, but I know it's mostly my fault - I settled for doing what needed to be done, not what I wanted to do. I've worked hard, but not at what is most important to me.

My one huge dream, since I was quite young, was to become a writer. I've finally done that. I've written one book, which is now online (although I've only sold about 12 copies). I have another finished that's half edited, another one started that is all stand-alone stories, and I've just started my fourth one - which looks like it's going to be the hardest one I've done yet. My books aren't very thought provoking by any means; they are simply simple stories of families and friendships and what happens when you look for something you really already have.

I enjoy writing however. It makes me feel good to write. In my search for a job after being laid off and working temp jobs for 5 years, I still found the time to write. Upon finding a job, finally, I threw myself into learning the job, worrying about what I didn't know, dealing with a building full of differing personalities and came home exhausted every day to sit like a log on the sofa watching recorded shows. My weekends have been taken up with doing all the things I 'should' be doing: laundry, cleaning house, running errands I couldn't do during the week...things you don't have to really think about, you just do them. And then your weekend is *pfft* gone.

I've decided I need to do more 'sits and thinks'. Sitting in front of the keyboard, making up new plot lines, inventing new characters and situations. I also need to temper that with 'sits' that are part and parcel of 'sits and thinks'. I need to sit outside on good days and watch Jypsy run around the back yard like a hooligan, leaping at bugs and burrowing her head in piles of leaves. I need to spend more time with good friends and talk and laugh. I need to be there for my friends; dog-sitting, plant-sitting, errand-running, consoling on any myriad of stressful situations that needs a sympathetic ear. Most importantly, I need to spend 30 minutes a day writing. If I only get a couple of pages written, that's two pages more than I had. Hmmm. That sounds really good. I think I'll sits and think about it.

Snow-y Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I got a new bird with feathers filled with catnip - I mean, what could be better?

It's been a kinda quiet day here; it was raining, A LOT, this morning - loud thunder which made me a little jumpy. I'm fine when I'm in the house however. After a while it got quieter. My staff person looked outside and said, "Well, it's snowing now."

Living in Texas I have to admit I totally forgot what 'snow' is. However, I do not like to go outside after it's rained, because, well, you know....it's WET. I really hate for my tender little paws to touch the damp, ya know? So I took a couple of naps and then this afternoon I decided it was time to go outside - surely everything was dry now, right? So, I started whining. And meowing. And moaning. And groaning. And finally my staff person could. not. STAND it anymore so she got up and said, "Fine. We'll see how you like your toes being frozen." First she just opened the door and that cold blast of air hit me in the whiskers and I changed my mind (Women are allowed to do that, you know....).

So, I took another nap. When I woke up I had forgotten about the weather outside, and only wanted to BE outside. So I started up again, and she didn't say a word, just walked to the back door and let me out. Well, I zipped out this time...only to suddenly realize...the deck was now an inch deep in that cold stuff. Well, I tried to act like it really didn't matter, and I was going to go over, go down the stairs and go out into the yard. Only, my toes kept getting colder and colder.

I got to the top of the stairs and decided that, really, this was NOT what I wanted to do. I gingerly turned around and carefully picked my way back to the door, where my staff person was, sorta, well, smirking at me! She opened the door and I ran in to the kitchen where the warmth felt soooooo good!

Anyway, that's my Christmas story. I hope all you felines and canines (oh, okay, the two-footed staff people too, I guess...) have had a wondermous day, and enjoyed spending it with those near and dear to you. Oh, and got special treats, too! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good mouse!

Tis the season

Well, it's been a little busy here; hope you'll cut me some slack. My wonderful nephew married his sweetheart on November 2, which entailed a trip to Austin. The wedding was wonderful and the weather was perfect. However, I'm sure glad I don't live there - the traffic is worse than horrific.

I was next privileged to get a quick weekend trip up to Amarillo to see one of my dearest friends for two days, then came back on Sunday and dumped the suitcase only to repack for an 'official' business conference Monday morning in, wait for it, Austin. The hotel was closer out than in, and I never left the hotel vicinity until time to head back home. I also was not driving this time. Managed to miss a dental appointment while in Austin.

For some insane reason I invited my brother and sister-in-law for Thanksgiving, volunteering to cook. Now, you must first be apprised of the fact that I do NOT like to cook, yet I put together a complete Thanksgiving meal with home-made Pumpkin-Ginger Soup, a Turkey, dressing, baked sweet potatoes, rolls and desert. My sister-in-law brought broccoli for something green. We had wine with the meal, and hot tea with the desert. It was mahvelous and I think I surprised them. ("You mean you did all this by yourself?") Oh, I can cook. I just don't like to and choose not to so much.

The day after Thanksgiving I had out of town company, including the dear friend I had seen only two weeks before (Yay!), and my oldest friend - someone I've known since we were in 7th grade Sunday School together. We did the town, ate some barbeque, drank way too much wine, met another friend...for drinks...had pizza, saw the largest liquor store I've ever been in and just had a great time. Oh, and did I mention I was also frantically trying to put up Christmas decorations?

I almost didn't decorate this year, because, well, it's an ordeal getting everything down the tiny attic stairwell, putting everything up (including my almost 20 year old tree that looks almost brand new), and then carting all the empty boxes back up to the attic to yet come down again after Christmas to be stuffed full and taken back up. Whew. But I did it. My main reason this year is I received a substantial Macy's gift card last year and 'misplaced' it. After searching downstairs, I finally decided it must be up in one of the boxes. Today I went up to put some empty boxes away. There are still boxes up there...just let me say I have a LOT of decorations. I started going through more boxes and found a little box with an ornament I received last year. I opened it and VOILA! My gift card. I need to get my Christmas stuff a little more organized. ☺

So. Christmas has arrived at my house and I love the way it looks. I'm glad I put some of it out. Oh, and I had a lot of good help...see for yourself...

Of course, she needs plenty of little, um, 'cat' naps too...

Hope everyone's Christmas Season is wonderful and brings peace and joy to your heart.

Life in the very fast lane

I'm settling into my new job. I know it takes a while (up to a year has been mentioned) before you feel comfortable. My current problem is I don't know what I'm doing. The State software is intensely confusing and non-user friendly. I've just come off of 2-1/2 days of training and am still sketchy on the whole thing. I did discover that what I thought I knew is mostly wrong and so most of the stuff I've already done is, likewise, mostly wrong. No chance to redo it at the current time, so...oh, well! The training was geared as a refresher course for employees and everyone else in the class was there for that reason only. Being new, I didn't 'get' a lot of what was being said and the instructor was on a tight timeline to get it all covered in the time he had. I never could get the exercises completed either, which was a frustration at best and didn't allow me to follow through. I do have manuals, which will help as a resource. Anyway, I'm guessing I'm just going to have to work through the 'exercises' in real time with real cases, which if done incorrectly will come back to bite me later. I'll just claim lack of knowledge, which is true.

The drive to work and back has been, um, well, let's just say 'Fast'. I'm amazed at all the traffic, and even though I'm on the road sometimes before 6am, I'm amazed at the bumper to bumper traffic. I can't help but wonder if there's anyone in the entire area who's not on the roads going somewhere. It's amazing. And then when I think that each of those vehicles takes $30-70 to fill up...my mind boggles.

Roommate is due back today from his Summer cat-sitting gig. I certainly enjoyed having my house back to myself for a little bit. I've been musing about looking for a bigger house after I get my finances back in shape. Also thinking about seeing if it's a possibility to build a master suite up in the attic. Comments from anyone who's done the attic construction aspect would be very welcome.

Cheers, everyone!

Not an excuse!

So. Haven't been on here in a while. Been too busy chasing the occasional bug around the house, waking my staff person up at, oh, 4am, and of course, sleeping. Just can't fit in much computer time, ya know? Not that I think I owe any sort of excuse, of course.

Mom, oh, er, 'my staff person', finally got a job. I'm excited because it means she can continue to buy the expensive prescription kibble I eat (I have dietary problems...nuff said...), but she's gone all. day. long. We have a great reunion when she gets home, though. She drops all her stuff, I do a 'boomkitty' on the floor, and she rubs my belly and my head. Then I roll over on my side and stretch way out and she rubs my back. It's my own little massage session - it works out all the kinks from sleeping all day!

I hear rumors the guy in the front room will be returning soon from his, (ahem), cat care-taking chores. I personally think I'm such an amazing, wonderful cat he shouldn't go looking after other cats, even if they are on a beautiful lake. Am I not enough for him? Of course, I don't belong to him - I belong to my staff person only - but he's fun to have around when Mom is working. Keeps me from being bored, doncha know? In another way it's been nice and quiet. I heard them talking once when he stopped by for a visit about a new cat that had wandered up. He seemed quite taken with 'July', and there was a discussion of perhaps trying to bring it here. All I can say, is "THEY BETTER DON'T!" This is MY house, and no other cats are allowed. I'll boot 'em out the door as soon as it's open. However, they must have re-thought this acquisition, 'cos I heard Mom say, "I think this is a one-cat house." I knew Mom was pretty smart!

Maybe when the weather cools down, I'll get the persistent itch again to communicate with you humans and get a few things straight. Or...maybe not...