Noises in the Night

5 am: I hear a noise. Half asleep I figure it's the neighbors phone ringing. I turn over and go back to sleep.

5:15 am: The noise again. This time I recognize it as one of Little J's Sesame Street toys. I figure one of the cats jumped in the toy basket and set it off.

A few minutes later: The noise again. But both cats are sleeping on the foot of my bed. So I get up. Dig through the toy box and find the blinking toy. Hmmmm. I toss the toy onto the sofa and it retaliates with yet another cacophonic outburst.

I just get back in bed and it sounds again. I figure it will stop. No such luck. Every few minutes I hear that obnoxious calling. I'm tempted to put it out on the back deck to get even with the neighbor's dog yapping. But it's cold outside. So I settle back in bed with head under pillow and sleep sound until 9am.

9:00 am: I awaken to the sound again. Whoooopeeeee! Sounds like spaceship has landed in living room. On the way to the bathroom I see red and yellow lights flash across the room.

Ok I think. It's Halloween. The place is haunted. My imagination starts going in all directions. Ghosts. Goblins. Ghouls.

Then I remember. I remember how annoying it is when the smoke alarm batteries get weak and send out those whining reminders every so often. I can understand the necessity for these warnings on a smoke alarm. But on a toddler toy? Give me a break.

Happy Haunting Halloween to all!

Not Giving Up Nanowrimo

No I'm not giving up on Nanowrimo. Can't give it up. Heck, I've already got my Nanowrimo halo. Something else must go. Perhaps sleep? No... I'm already sleep deprived. Eating? Could stand to lose those 10 pounds. Cooking? Ha! don't do much of that anyway... but I did buy a new crockpot today so I can toss some stuff in it before I go to work in morning and eliminate time it takes to go out to dinner. Babysitting? hmmmmmm. This blog? could be pretty slim for the next month... but then it has been slim lately anyway.

No I'm not giving up. I got my Nanowrimo tote bag in the mail today. Need manuscript to put in it. Didn't order t-shirt this year cause t-shirt drawer is too full.

No I'm not giving up. I just set up another blog just for nanowrimo. That way I can write from any computer, any time (nah, I'm not going to write it at work...really).

Will I let anyone read that blog? Doubtful.

Okay, just a little over 24 hours left before Nanowrimo begins. I better get some sunshine... quick... the days will be shorter tomorrow thanks to daylight savings time changes. Okay not shorter - just seems that way since it will be dark when I get home from work.

Babies, etc

Baby Ilyssa came home from hospital today accompanied by both grandmas. There's gonna be some competition here. First granddaughter for me, first grandchild for her.

Looking ahead, Nanowrimo starts in 2 days. Still wondering how I can write 50,000 words, babysit Little J, visit with Baby I, do 3 red hat events, keep up with Pilates and work too. Yikes, even the refrigerator and cupboards are bare.... have to find time to do shopping... stock up on quick meals.

Something tells me that something has to give. Gosh, and I really wanted to write that novel.... hmmmmm could do that at work.... don't tell the boss. Hey, Jeff... you don't read this do ya? I wouldn't do that. Honest.

It's winter. Cold. Damp. Aching back comes with it. And of course I can't take that medication that worked so well. Doc took that away from me after my ER scare.... just days before it was decided no one should take that drug. Ah well. I won't be the only one suffering.

Tis late.... spent 6 hours at hospital waiting for baby to be discharged. I'm off to bed.

Baby Ilyssa

Chris and Michelle are the proud new parents of our second beautiful grandchild. Here is Ilyssa, born today at 2:22... 7 lbs 10 oz... 21 inches

A Novel Idea

Hey, I don't have to write that novel at Nanowrimo because ... I discovered I belong in.....

'Tis a great mystery, but somehow you have come to
belong in Jane Eyre; a random world of love,
kindness, madness, bad luck and lunatic
ex-wives. There really isn't much to say about
the place you belong in. It's your place, and
though it seems far from reality largly due to
how random the events are, you seem to enjoy
it. You belong in a world where not too many
people understand you, and where you can be
somewhat of a recluse.

Which Classic Novel do You Belong In?
brought to you byQuizilla

On another note, it seems my inner critique is getting in the way of my writing. Been told to write about that. Will see.

Nanowrimo Again Etc

It's almost Nanowrimo time again. I signed up. Will I finish???? Who knows. I'm probably going to do what some call cheating... since I am working on my memoir, I will write 50,000 words of memoir. Oh well, my life is a soap opera so it will read like fiction anyway.

Other stuff... back to weight watchers again. Must take off that 10 pounds that creeped back on once again. Weighed in this morning... 1.4 pounds less than last month. It's a start.

FEAR: heard today... it's the reaction to an apprehension. Beats the pre-12 step F*ck Everything And Run process.

Achoo

Sneezin, sniffin and coughin. That's where I've been. For a week now. But, it hasn't stopped me from workin and babysittin. Nothing seems to get in the way of that. Anyway, at last I can breathe this morning.

I did have some fun this week. Went to see Dame Edna with some red hat friends. Interesting but will never compete with the original Finnocio's.

Had some sadness this week too. Dear friend died of breast cancer after a long grueling struggle. She was a young 64.

Yesterday I take sneezin, sniffin, coughin (yes I gave it to him) Little J to Target in search of a new sleeping arrangement. We looked at the blow up sleeping bags with Scooby Doo first of all. Decided against it for two reasons... it is made for kids 3 and over and the cats would pop it within a day. We were just about to give up when I spotted Tigger sofabeds on sale. It seemed a perfect solution.

Got back to apartment, struggled from the car with Little J under one arm and the sofabed under the other. Put the sofabed down in the middle of the living room floor. Put Little J down. First thing he does is go for the phone, plops down on the sofabed and starts a intense conversation with someone's answering machine. Now I wonder where he got that from? (Hint: not me... I rarely talk on the phone).

By this time it is way past nap time so we begin the drill. I show Little J how to unfold the sofa. He bounces up and down a couple of times and folds it back up. I get his blanket and unfold the sofa. Little J tosses the blanket aside and folds up the sofa. I get his Barney doll, unfold the sofa and place Barney in bed with blanket. Little J tosses the blanket aside, folds up the sofa and sits down with Barney by his side. He's rubbing his eyes, snot is running down his nose, and he gives me the stubborn-I'm-not-going-to-take-a-nap-now look. I give in and put him on my bed. He's asleep within two minutes. I sneak out of the bedroom to find Minnie Kitty curled up in Little J's new bed. Well, at least someone knows what it's for.

Off to baby shower now.... gonna be a grandma again.... soon.