Thirteen Things I Got/Will Get For My Birthday

My birthday is day after tomorrow and I’ve been celebrating for a while. LOL!
1. Stir Fry Skillet
I went to a Pampered Chef party given by one of the Cub Scout Bitches and I went a little crazy. Luckily, the Redneck had given me permission. For my birthday.
2. A Really Cool Grater<
3. Tai Red Curry Rub
At the party, Beckie, the Pampered Chef person, made a dip with mayo and sour cream and this spice. It was so good, I had to get some of it.
4. Rasberry Habanero sauce I got this for spending so much money. LOL! They also had this at the party poured over cream cheese. Oh. My. God. It ROCKED.
5. A Pastry Blender
Mine has been pretty much broken for a while. I love the style of this one.
6. A New Casserole Dish
My in-laws checked out my Amazon wish list and I got this in the mail yesterday. I can’t WAIT to use it!!!
7. Sarah McLachlan’s “Laws Of Illusion”
Also from my in-laws! They love me.
8. Eminem’s “Recovery”
I downloaded this. Awesome!!!!
9. Joey W. Hill’s “Vampire Trinity”
I won this on Joey’s fan forum. I LOVED this book. It was the best present so far!!!
10. Camping with the Cub Scouts
Actually, I’m so looking forward to this!
11. Homemade Salsa
The Redneck and I went to Pepperwood and Clendenan’s to buy tomatoes, peppers and garlic to can salsa. I love doing this, so it feels like a gift.
12. “Happily Even After” by Lena Matthews This book was a surprise to me. After reading the excerpt, I had to buy it and read it. It’s an awesome story and I think Ms. Matthews nailed it.
13. A Sony EReader The Redneck surprised me this year with this. He loves me.

I was totally spoiled this year.

Thirteen Places I Go A Lot In Fortuna

1. Safeway
I swear I live there.
2. Campton Heights Market
Best ground beef, best steaks, best fruit.
3. The Fortuna Pet Shoppe
4. Rainy Day Books
Used book store with an awesome owner
5. Starbucks
Don’t judge me. LOL!
6. Reel Videos
My favorite vid rental place
7. Don’s Barbershop
8. Saechou Strawberries
When it’s open.
9. Clendenan’s
When it’s open
10. Neatto’s
Not only has awesome ice cream, but the best sandwiches.
11. Pepper’s
Family restaurant that got our business because the Fortuna Denny’s closed.
12. The Oriental Buffet
Fantastic sushi. Mmmmmm.
13. Tom’s Sourdough Pizza
LOVE their pizza AND their hot wings.

Thirteen Ways To Know You Live In Humboldt County

1. You know “Humboldt Green” isn’t money.
2. “To Hurry” is a strange verb that tourists use
3. If you weren’t born here, you know you’re still a newcomer
4. You have a drawl (it’s very close to an Oklahoma accent) even though you’ve never left the county in your whole life.
All along the Pacific Northwest, many of the natives have a drawl that sounds almost southern in its tone. The Redneck believes it’s because many of their ancestors were from the Dustbowl migration.
5. You have a whole different concept of “Rain”.
“That’s not rain. It’s just heavy fog.”
6. You’ve learned “trimming” isn’t just done at Christmas.
7. You have become very familiar with Patchouli Oil
8. Saechou Strawberries, Farmer’s Markets, Clendenan’s, Flood Plains Produce…
9. You don’t think anything of driving three to five hours to shop
10. Summers are about “Going to the River” and the river can vary.
11. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know (or who your father knows)
12. There’s not six degrees of separation. There’s only three….if you’re lucky.
The Redneck says that’s why the men in his family usually go outside Humboldt county to find women to marry.
13. Local is better. But sometimes you still end up at Walmart…….a hundred miles or more away.

Another post of randomness

It seems that I’ve been all over the map the last few weeks. So, this post is just some random stuff that’s come up for me.

“A Rock and a Dead Place” is progressing along. I’ve got 242 pages (aiming for 325) and I know it will need some editing and fleshing out. But the major points are there. I’ve kind of fallen in love with Micah, who needs a bit more backstory added to be fully understood. Funny, Micah was a foster kid whose real parents were neglectful, but he’s much better adjusted than Antonia, the heroine, who took on a pile of guilt just for shits and giggles. Maybe it’s just a matter of opportunity. I think Micah was forced to face his demons at an early age. Antonia glided through life blissfully unaware of the gaping hole in her soul.

Sales of late have been pretty dismal. The economy being what it is, I know people are cutting back, so I’m not too surprised. I’ve dealt with it by buying a book for all my family this year. Even the Millionaire’s wife is getting a book. It’s my way of supporting the publishing business. And I didn’t buy big names. I tried to find people who are what’s called “midlist” or even just starting out.

I planned on canning more this year for Christmas gifts, but somehow it never materialized.

Today we’ll be going to Clendenan’s, a local place, to buy apples for applesauce. It’s a tradition. Clendenan’s apple cider and local produce around Thanksgiving is something we do every year. We didn’t get to buy our pumpkins there this year, so I’m looking forward to it.

Talking about money makes my stomach hurt these days.

Amazon loves me this year.

Christmas Cookie weekend will probably happen, but I’ll be alone. It’s kind of sad.

I sold my novella “A Dangerous Exchange” to Liquid Silver Books for their new Sterling line. LSB has developed this line for sweeter romances. This story will be in an anthology coming out next March and it will be a Jennifer McKenzie story.

And on Twitter, Santa Clause reminded me there’s 33 days left until Christmas. I need more coffee. LOL.

How’s THAT for random? LOL. So, what’s up with you?