Time Just Flies...

I totally forgot to blog last week.

My bad.

Almost forgot today, but that switch in my brain finally kicked in and blinked at me repeatedly until I acknowledged it's significance.

Life has a funny way of getting in my way. I always have the best of intentions, but then things happen and days pass and the next thing I know, the list of things to do has piled up and rearranged, and I want to pull my hair out.

One good thing - my sister drove up from Texas to visit my folks in Ohio, so I will be going to see her this weekend. Haven't seen her since May, so I am excited.

I am also excited to announce that I will be having a short story coming out soon from Sapphire Blue Publishing. I'll pass along the info as soon as I know more, like cover art and release dates.

Fall starts my busiest time - at home AND at work. I'll do my best to not forget you guys again.

I just get a bit frazzled this time of year.

Rainy Day Musings

Fall is here in Kentucky.

And unlike Buffy's glorious weather in the AZ, here it has come in with a soggy whimper.

There's typically a transition of cooler temperatures and brisker days, but lately it's just been a whole lot of rain, making a whole lot of cold. Which, in turn, makes me a whole lot of...blah.

I did manage to drag my fall decorations out of the garage last weekend and put them outside, thinking that might get me more into the spirit.

But alas, no such luck.

It's sad, too, because Fall has always been my favorite season, and Halloween my favorite holiday. I love dressing up, and have a closet full of various costumes and accessories that I pull from. This year, I will be working on Halloween, and need to think of a costume I can wear that will also be comfortable to work in all day.

If it weren't for all the dreary rain, I think I would be more into things this season. But Mother Nature has dumped a ton of water on us here this year, and doesn't seem to be finished yet.

I think I may have mentioned this before, but I'm REALLY tired of rain.

But I guess it's better than snow.

Holiday Retail Pessimism

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday.

Time for me to blog and be creative, entetaining, and witty.

Riiiigghhht.

I just finished a six day stretch at the day job. I'm pooped. Retail isn't for sissies, mind you, and I've been doing it for over ten years. And our peak season is just beginning, so it only gets worse from here.

And with the economy the way that it is, corporations are tightening the reins more than ever to make a profit. One way they do that is with cutting payroll. Buffy is feeling the vise of that with her daycare facility, and retail entities are cinching up too. That means that seasonal employment will be cut, and the regular employees will be required to do even more. Unfortunately, that also means less people in the store to run a cash register, so lines will be longer. Customers will not be happy with this, but it WILL be a factor this holiday season, so be prepared.

Myself, I try to stay out of the stores as much as possible the closer the holidays get. I make alot of gifts. Or take advantage of free shipping offers online. Fighting crowds and standing in line just isn't my bag, baby.

All of this pessimism too much for you? Here's the silver lining. Books make excellent gifts. And e-books are even better, since you don't even have to leave your house to buy them. They are predicting that e-readers will be this season's hottest gift, anyway.

So what are you waiting for? Go stock up on some great books at Sapphire Blue Publishing!

To Blog or Not To Blog...

It's Wednesday, which means it's my day to spout some sort of exceptionally witty banter in a blog.

Trouble is, I'm just not feeling "blog worthy" lately.

I'm not depressed. There's nothing wrong. I just don't seem to have anything important to say.

I'm busy working. And writing. Reading a bit - print books AND e-books. And helping my hubby deal with the myriad health problems that have come up recently.

Fall is finally here. The leaves are turning, the weather is cooler. I usually get a little nostalgic in the fall. I'm going through old poems and stories and seeing if I can turn them into anything viable. Ideas are swirling around in my brain, and I tend to get a bit introverted when this happens, so I can sort them all out.

So in the meantime, have a great day. And pick up a Sapphire Blue E-book!

Sexy Guys of Sci Fi - Jamie Bamber

I decided to get back into the swing of things with a new dose of science fiction hotness!

Today we celebrate hunky actor Jamie Bamber, aka Lee "Apollo" Adama on the re-imagined series of Battlestar Galactica from the SyFy network.

Bamber was born in Hammersmith, London, to Northern Irish mother Elizabeth (Liz) and an American father Ralph. He was educated at the independent St Paul's School in Barnes, London, and received a first class honours degree in Modern Languages (Italian and French) at St John's College, Cambridge, before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).



The complexity of the characters on this series never failed to impress me, and Lee Adama was no exception. At the start of the series, Lee is a Captain in the Colonial Fleet Reserve, his father William Adama on the verge of retirement from the fleet. Their relationship is touchy, the loss of Lee's younger brother Zak in a piloting accident at the heart of all the drama. Not to mention the sexual tension between lee and Zak/s former fiance Kara "Starbuck" Thrace.



Due to the Cylons - robots created by man that now look human - waging war and attempting to wipe out the human race, Lee is forced to assume command of the pilots and keep them ready to defend what's left of the humans on various ships. Humanity has been divided up into 12 tribes/planets that reflect the signs of the zodiac. To keep everyone's hope alive, William Adama proposes that they search for a new home, a legendary 13th tribe called Earth.

This journey will not be an easy one. There will be much death, sadness, and despair. But there's also love. And hope. Lee, in particular, is on his own personal rollercoaster. He leads the pilots, gets promoted to Commander of his own ship, finally tells Kara he loves her, and then sees her marry another man. He even gives up his military calling to practice law like his grandfather for awhile, which leads to a short political career. But in the end, he comes back to the role of supporting his father and finally learns to make peace with life and love.

Battlestar Galactica was one of the best science fiction shows in a long while, in my opinion. The story was at the base, one of survival. But it also explored faith, religion, loyalty, and the warning that we need to take care with our technological developments - less they "take care" of us. And Jamie Bamber was a huge part of that. Not only was his portayal of Lee raw and honest - but what's not to like about a hunk with a bod like this?



Because in the end, it's all about great abs...LOL!

My Bad Boy Fantasy

My taste in men is a little...different. I usually go for the quirky guy, the funny guy, the sweet guy. Smart and nerdy turn me on as well. (I said I was different.)

I kind of march to my own beat when it comes to what I like. Even as a teenager, I never really fit in with the cliques. The things (and boys) that my friends liked hardly ever interested me.

I was a fan of the show 21 Jumpstreet back in the day. (I know, I just severely dated myself) But while everyone mooned over Johnny Depp, I fell for Peter Delouise.

That is, until I was introduced to Richard Grieco as Dennis Booker.


Black leather, motorcycle, chip on his shoulder the size of a small continent - I fell HARD. All those stereotypes about the bad boy completely sucked me in with one look into those sultry dark eyes. All my standards and reasoning skills were chucked right out the window with a good case of teenage hormones gone wild.








Of course, my Mother was scared silly. She could handle my crushes on the sweet nerdy guys. Suddenly, her little girl wanted a boyfriend with a motorcycle and a propensity for danger.

And Richard fit the bill to a T. I did the fan girl thing and wallpapered my room with his photos. I even sent him fan mail. (but I got a personally autographed photo back! SQUEE!)








Like all teenage girls, I moved on, but Richard remains my one and only bad boy crush. And even as an adult, he makes me weak in the knees - just a little.

Since I get to deal in fantasies as a writer, I believe my next hero might just have some bad boy qualities.

Who is your bad boy fantasy?

This Is My Life...Really?

Alas, it's blogging day for me today. I'm not in a very good mood, unfortunately. Perhaps I should fill you in on why...

Yesterday, my hubby had his first appointment at the rheumatologist for his arthritis. We had to be there at 8:30 am. There was about a 45 minute drive, so we had to be out of the house around 7:30.

One consultation, x-rays, bloodwork, and 3 hours later, we were finally free of the dimly lit interior to be greeted by an ominous looking sky. Deciding to get gas, I pulled into the station to do so. As soon as I pressed the trigger, the hose to the pump cracked and started spewing gasoline all over the ground - and my feet. Me and the other customers started screaming at the attendant to turn off the pump, which he finally did, just as the rain began it's torrential downpour.

So, I'm slipping and sliding all over the place, smelling like gasoline, water dripping off my nose, and I still need gas in my car. Wonderful.

I have to be at work at 2, so there's no time for a trip home to change, since that will take another hour at least round trip, and we need to eat lunch at some point.

I finally get the gas and we go the nearest Wal-Mart to buy me a new pair of shoes. I have a dress code at work, a very particular dress code, so I can't just get any pair of shoes, so it takes a little while. After the unplanned shoe shopping trip, we finally grab some lunch before I drop the hubby off at work, then get to my own job.

It was a hell night, so I didn't get out of work until about 10:20. After snatching the hubby, we made it home around 11:15. We were pooped.

So today, I slept late, since I'm off, but had to run a few errands. One was going to the post office to pick up registered mail that we were not home to receive. Curious, I opened the envelope to see what it was.

It was a summons. Me and the hubby are being sued by a horse farm in Tennessee for back payment on boarding fees for a horse.

We don't own a horse. We have NEVER owned a horse.

We called the courthouse to get more info. If we do not settle or appear at the hearing, a judgment can be entered for the amount (a little over $18,000.00).

So it seems we will be possibly having to retain the services of a lawyer to prove that we don't own the horse in question. We are waiting to hear back from one.

I don't even know what to think at this point.

I think I need a vacation from reality for awhile...