Weird Weekend

It's been a weird kinda weekend 'round our house. I've felt the first waves of some virus or cold or something because I've had a sore throat and congestion with aches and pains all weekend. Not running a fever, so I don't think it's the swine flu. You know I was feeling bad when I declined to go with hubby and daughter to see the new Tim Burton movie 9. I've been waiting to see this movie, but I just didn't think I could do a trip to Lexington (it's not in Danville) watch the movie and then ride home. So I've spent the afternoon reading and resting, but I don't feel too much better.

Hubby did a wonderful job of laying the new floor in our laundry room. The drywall is finished and the floor is done - now we'll be ready to paint, hopefully this week. The washing machine is up and running, but our dryer has the wrong electrical plug, so that's holding us up. We lost our cedar wardrobe in the fire, so that can't be replaced - instead we're going to turn the corner where the wardrobe was into a pantry. It will be nice to have shelves for food storage outside of the kitchen.

Christine took the ACT again on Saturday - she was so nervous. She is trying to get her score up as high as possible so she will qualify for more scholarships. She has a 3.69 GPA and is a straight A student, but she has severe test anxiety and that always messes her up. She is very strong in English and History, but weaker in Math and Science. It's going to be a long fall and winter weeding out colleges and getting all the applications in on time.

I got a phone call Sunday from a lady who works with teaching English to Japanese women. They meet regularly and for their late October meeting, she wanted me to come and demonstrate pumpkin carving. I have carved elaborate pumpkins for years and it is something I enjoy doing, but this is one of the things I've quit doing over the past four years and I've only ever demonstrated to school children or Girl Scouts. I told her YES, so now I'll have to pull myself together and work up a program. This will be another one of those steps to get me out of my comfort zone.

My writing has been going slowly since the fire, but I'm finally starting to write again. I have recently sent in submissions to Kentucky Monthly and New Southerner magazines. I'm also finishing up some poetry for a contest that closes in October.

Okay, I guess a weird weekend has lead to this weird post - it's reading more like a free flowing Friday because my thoughts are rambling all over the place. I'm just trying to stay sane in an increasingly insane world. It's a good thing my family loves me the way I am.

Oh, and it's my oldest daughter's 27th birthday - gosh, how did I get so old?!

Happy Birthday, Amber Dawn Huffman Wilham

Live from Harrodsburg, it's Saturday Night

Here I am on a beautiful Saturday night - sitting in front of my computer. How pathetic is that? Actually, as boring as it may sound, I'm doing just what I want to be doing and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

My husband and my daughter are both working tonight, so I have the house to myself. For the next four hours I can do anything I want. As soon as I finish this blog, I have a short story I need to edit and a new story I want to "flesh out." I'll spend the evening with my computer in my lap, the television on and a stack of books and notebooks at my side; not to mention the ice-cold glass of Coke and last slice of pizza.

At 10 o'clock I'll watch this week's episode of Robin Hood on the BBC. This is one of my favorite television shows and it keeps getting better every week. It actually comes on at 9, but I hate commericals, so I'll wait and use the DVR to fast forward through all the ads; this way I can get some writing in before hand.

I'm currently writing a children's book, so I have several character sketches I need to work on. I have already done some research, but I haven't had time to sit down and work on it, so I'm looking forward to doing this. I have notebooks full of words and doodles; tonight I'll open computer files and start organizing all the information.

I also want to do some reading tonight. I've started on a new series of books by Charlaine Harris called The Southern Vampire Mysteries, so I'm half-way through the first book. I'm also reading a series of children's books called Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan; I'm on the second book. To complicate matters, I'm also reading on a third series of books by John Sanford called the Prey series. It drives my husband crazy when I'm reading more than one book at a time. There are some books I can read straight through, like Stephenie Meyer's new book The Host, but there are many books that I will literally only read three or four chapters before skipping ahead to the next book and then back again. That's just the way my brain works.

So while most people are out on the town or socializing on a Saturday night, I'm home with three of my favorite things: my computer, the televison and my books. And I'm waiting for my top two favorite things to come home: my hubby and my daughter.

It's my Saturday and I'll do as I like!