I’ve got no song for you, I’m tapped! LOL Yesterday, Monday, June 26, we left MD only 1 hr late (that’s pretty good for me!). We headed north to what looked to be pretty bad weather. It looked as if we were going to get rain all day. This weekend the weather channel had shown rain all along the East Coast. My in-laws (who are already in Maine) said that they’ve had nothing but rain.

Anyhow, we were just inside PA on 15 when the little guy said that he had to pee. We stopped one place and their bathrooms were for paying customers. So we went across the street to a gas station. This turned out better for us because we (kind of) got to see our first mountains. Kind of because it was still really cloudy and grey. We continued onward until we found Hershey Chocolate Factory.

The first thing we did there was to take the “Factory Tour”. This isn’t a real tour of the factory (which I had been looking forward to), instead it was a mock factory. It showed each section of the process included heat (for when they roast the bean) to the smells (when they pour the finished product). The kids applied for a job in the interactive factory thingy. LOL They got a cog (like a gear cog) and pushed a button to fill it with kisses, then they shook it all up, and sent it on it’s way down the conveyor belt with a kiss. They had fun but Wyatt pushed his button twice and then didn’t want to let his go!

We got a work badge with their picture on it and they got a cog full of candy out of it. Then we decided to break our “not buying food on the road” promise and had lunch at the café there. Two “lunch boxes” for the kids (included a sandwich, jello, and a tiny white chocolate Kit Kat bar), chocolate milk (split between the two kids), two sandwiches (for Mommy and Daddy), two chips, and two cokes cost us $30!!!!!! The thing is Erik and I could have split a sandwich we both ended up with half a sandwich left (I ate mine for dinner last night). Then we REALLY got bad and got desert from the bakery. Each of us got a desert and that came to about $6. Then we each got a candy bar. Did you know that they now have a Reeses with marshmallow fluff! Wyatt and I got that, it was ok. I’ll stick with the original Reeses though, thank you.

When we got out of Hershey it was actually sunny! We had a pretty good driving day. When we were in the mountains (OMG I had forgotten what mountains looked like since we live in Florida) going down hills and around curves at the same time is a tad freaky! However, since we didn’t have any rain at the time I was ok and it was a rather beautiful drive. I did get a bit freaked out when I looked out my window to a valley WAY below us! We hit some rain and some traffic but arrived at our hotel around 6:50 pm. This allowed us to relax and eat dinner in our room. They have a spa/whirlpool which we went to and spend 15 luxurious minutes in with the jets hitting my poor sore neck. Did I mention that I was a control freak and wont allow anyone else to drive me? My right hand was so cramped I couldn’t use it anymore. I would have to drive with my left hand and being a righty makes that a bit difficult.

Today we are of to Maine to Erik’s uncle’s house, where his parents are waiting for us. I’m really hoping they are having the sunny day we are right now since they are only 4 hours away from where we are right now.

I don’t think I’ll able to post for a few days. I don’t know about the next few places we are staying and if they have internet access. However, I’ll still keep a journal and post when I can. TTFN (and my Mommy likes to say).

Rain, rain go away, my kids are killing me today! LOL Ok so this was suppose to be for yesterday but it rained all day and we were busy keeping the kids busy. Poor things, they had spent all day Saturday in the van and couldn’t run around like they need to, then we wake up and it is pouring rain. In fact, when we returned home from dinner last night my dad emptied the rain gauge. This was about 6:30 pm. Before going to bed there were 3 inches at I believe that was around 10pm. This morning there was a total of 4 inches.

So, mom and Erik took the kids to the mall where they have a play area. Of course it was PACKED. I stayed home to edit (no really!) and got one and a half submissions read (no editing). The group came home with a Lightening McQueen car with buttons and lots of noise and a mountain race track thing that makes (yep you guessed it) lots of noise! LOL

However, they have kept the kids busy. Right now we were suppose to be have been on the road about a half hour ago. Our plans are to go north, hit the Hershey chocolate plant and then drive on up to Auburn, MA where our next hotel is located. I wanted to take a detour to Deerfield, MA where they have the main Yankee Candle store but I’m not feeling that right now. LOL We’ll have to see later.

On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again. So yesterday, after working all day, we finally left for our huge two week vacation. We left Daytona Beach area around 8pm (only 1 hour later than I had planned!) and arrived at our hotel in Savannah, GA at midnight.

Let me explain a big thing about me, I am a HUGE control freak! I can't stand to let others drive me, even poor hubby. This means that I drove four hours last night and then the 10 hours (the last 2 through rain) today to Rockville, MD. We're here for a day then Monday we head towards Auburn, MA.

In South Carolina, I saw a bill board for a country store, Carolina Cider Company, selling cherry and peach cider. I pointed it out to Erik and we decided what the heck we are on vacation. We stopped and found this little open air-like store. They gave us samples of their cherry, peach and grape ciders. They also had a table with hot sauces, jams, and a sweet potato butter spread. We ended up with Cherry Cider and Sweet Potato Butter. I asked my dad to make his (world famous) biscuits in the morning. I can’t wait to have my butter on that!

We had planned to stop at South of the Border for a picnic and play on the play ground. You know what? They don’t have picnic tables or a play ground! Erik said it, those don’t make any money for South of the Border. So we headed to the North Carolina visitor center. You know of the four states we went through today, North Carolina was the most beautiful!! They have these BEAUTIFUL yellow flowers all over the median on 95. Their Welcome Center is beautiful as well. We had a lovely picnic there and then tossed the Frisbee for a while. This is actually not as fun as it sounds. The kiddies are just learning how to toss the Frisbee. Then we went to their lake to toss bread to the duckies… they don’t have any. Then the kiddies rolled down the hills until my eyes started to sweat! Then headed out to Virginia.

The interchange of 95/395/495 in Springfield, VA has always been my freakiest driving moment. It’s a fight to get off onto 495 because you have to slow down to get off the road when others are speeding off to get onto395/495. However, now it’s nice and easy piesie. The worst part was the rain and accidents.

We are here now and I hope to do nothing but sleep tomorrow. The kids are asleep and I’m hoping they will stay that way for 12 hours. Doubt it. LOL Will post more later.

It's been a while since I've posted, busy, busy, busy! Last Saturday, we took the little monsters to see Over the Hedge. Of course we all loved it. Raine will tell you that Hammy was the best character, Wyatt liked RJ and Mommy and Daddy were a bit partial toward Ozzie (we’re Trekies). It’s a funny movie with a lot of jokes just for Mom and Dad and action for the babies.

We went on Sunday to see X3 and weren’t so excited. I didn’t exactly enjoy the movie. I like it because I like X-Men, but there was something missing. People died who shouldn’t die and the relationships seemed fake. I don’t know, I just would have preferred something … else.

Yesterday, we watched Cars. OMG - LOVED IT!!! Raine liked Mater, Wyatt liked Lightening McQueen, Erik liked Luigi and I liked Doc. I have to say that I am a NASCAR fan and enjoyed all the nuances added to this movie. Darrell Waltrip’s “Boogidy, boogidy, boogidy” was in there as well as the infield and even on awesome flipping wreck. The funniest like (by far) was when Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) said “I’m happier than a tornado in a trailer park.” I know it’s not right but that was funny as heck! We all enjoyed the movie and already have plans to buy the movie when it comes out.

From the previews that we’ve seen, this summer looks to be a GREAT summer for family movies and movies just for Mommy and Daddy. Hopefully, we can afford to go. The theater we went to last night charged $9 for adults!! We didn’t even try for popcorn, we’d’ve had to taken out a second mortgage just to pay for popcorn and soda!

One would think that I have nothing to whine about. I mean really, you take a day off of work and meet with people who have been the best in your life for the past four years! You get to meet authors for the first time face to face and they actually remember your name AND your Yahoo! ID. You realize that the funniest person you've ever met on line is actually the funniest person you ever met in real life. This is important since the person you once felt was the best friend you have ever had turned out to be a psyco-paranoid lying bitch!

So really! What the hell do I have to be a whinner about.

Well... today is my birthday. A day to sleep in and do only what you want to do.

BUT (nod to Connie... yes I started a sentence with But!) today was not to be that day. Instead, it started with the cutest boy in the world sneaking into the queen sized bed. This bed isn't made for two adults (way) over 200 lbs. So, birthday girl wakes up with a knee in her over full bladder. She gets Darling Boy and Darling Husband out of bed... only to have Darling Girl arrives singing Happy Birthday in a strange voice. Mommy says, "Darling, do you feel ok?" Darling says "Well my froat feels sore." Mommy feels DGs forehead and WOW are you feeling a bit hot DG? Yep. Get temp. Yucky, electronic thermometer and get 97.4. Ok, Mommy takes own temp and gets 97.4 too. Send Daddy out for thermometer from store.

An hour later, Mommy has hours of Urgent Care and is waiting for Daddy (not patiently) to get back home to get DG to UC. Daddy shows up and the family leaves for UC. Three hours later, DG has strep throat and UC refuses to give shot because DG refuses to take shot.

Ok, I still have time for RT book signing. NOT

Now, DH's family wants to see movie that Vikky doesn't have any desire to see. What to do with three children?? VIKKY can watch them! Sure, she already had plans today, but what the fuck? Why can't she watch children, she's only going off to see people she works in the (get this) porn business with.

Hubby folds under family pressure and suddenly, Vikky's birthday is taking a downturn into hell. She starts blowing gaskets and has a complete and absolute melt down in the middle of the MALL for crap's sake!!!

Ends up being the worse day ever, everyone is concerned about movie times and my lake of flexibility to watch children when I'm needed. To top it all off... my brother is the ONLY person to call me on my birthday from MY side of the family.

In fact the only people who have made my birthday feel special is my new family, Changeling Press. With Sheri at the head of birthday wishes, I got “All Wrapped Up”. It was signed by three of the four authors (Angela (who’s husband is GORGEOUS), Ann, and Dakota… Kate wasn’t at RT) as well as any other CP author I could find at the time. It was beautiful… made me cry in a good way… as opposite of what my family has made me cry.

So there you have it. My complete mental break down and the me me me day blown to shit.

I’m such a baby!

Update time! Wow, I've been so bad lately. Haven't read one book for review but I have finished editing the two books I had (Immortal Blossom and I'm Falling for the Vampire) and they are into their respective publishers. I've proofed Dakota's newest masterpiece (Blunder Woman) and am almost finished with the next in Cat Marster's her Sundown series (Never Leave Me). If you haven't read this series yet, you need to. They are loosely linked by a company named Sundown but each really stands on their own and they are fast paced (good for me) and active! I also haven't touched a craft in so long I probably wont remember how to!

Let's see I've also signed Lorraine up for Karate... God help me! Here she is in her uniform (TOO big as you can see). She the smallest in her class but actually does listen to the teacher when he gives direction. This is a HUGE change from her every day listening activities! Her Mother's Day present made me cry like a big baby!!

The saying at the bottom is: Mommy has red, orange, and white hair. It's pretty! She doesn't cook, but Daddy does. We go to the park together to play. I love her so much, all the way up to the moon!

Wyatt's picture was a picture of him in a frame he decorated at school:

Well, I better get back to work so the boss doesn't get mad! Plus the IT people will hunt me down for accessing my blog and destroy it. Their mean people... even though I sleep with one of them, they don't give me special access to the internet. Can you believe it?

PS: I'm going to meet with ARR people for breakfast on Friday and CP people (including Dakota, Isy, and Michelle) for lunch on Friday. Jealous? LOL

NNNNOOOOOOOO! I would have BET money that Chris Daughtry was going to be the next American Idol. I have no money, but dammit, I would have bet it on him. So imagin my complete and udder shock tonight when, not only was Chris on the bottom two, but he was the one voted off.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love Taylor's showmanship and voice, Elliot can belt out a song, and Katharine is beautiful and can sing like an angle, but Chris rocked. I mean he ROCKED. I would text vote for that man so many times and then throw in a few texts votes for one or two of the other contestants. For every 1 vote I threw at someone else, I voted for Chris at least 4 times.

So tonight I'm sad, cause I couldn't wait to see what else he had in store for us. This has been a most difficult, I really enjoyed most of the singers and feel that the last couple of weeks have been the hardest to decide who not to vote for.

I'm going to hide now.

Me blogging, who would have thought it. This’ll be mostly ramblings and nothing important. I have a lot of interests and hobbies, but nothing I’m extremely serious about… except for reading!

I’m 36 (will be 37 this month), married for 13 (going on 14) years, 2 children (Lorraine 6 and Wyatt 4), 1 dog, 1 inherited 20 yr old bird, 1 hamster, 1 Beta fish, and tons of debt! We live in Deltona Florida (home of the mass murder and 3 hurricanes in 2004, and multiple sinkholes in 2005). However, we live 30 minutes from the beach and I hate being cold! Both Erik and I work for the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in the same building. I work for the Career Criminal Unit. We deal with registering felons and sex offenders. Since the start of the Jessica Lungsford Act, we have been extremely busy at work. We have to re-register sex offenders twice a year now.

I also work for Ocean’s Mist Press and Liquid Silver Books as an editor, proof for Changeling Press, and review for A Romance Review. In my spare time I read, knit, crochet, and cross stitch. However, as you can tell I don’t have much spare time. Since I can’t edit, proof, review, or read a sequel until I read the first book(s), spend a lot of time reading!

Currently I’m working on:

Editing: Immortal Blossom by Taige Crenshaw at OMP and Help I’m Falling for the Vampire Next Door by Celine Chatillon at LSB.

Proofing: Blunder Woman by Dakota Cassidy at CP… Dakota has an awesome blog.

Reviewing: The Mad Knight’s Bride by Kate Hill, Celestial Passions: Sheala by Judy Mays (which means I finally get to read Brianna first-refer to note about sequels), Flame of Shadows by Sahara Kelly, Ice Queen by Joey W. Hill, and Carolina Isle by Jude Deveraux.

Knitting, crocheting, and cross stitch: a blue ducky baby blanket, a synthetic felt square blanket, and a dragon (respectively).

Ok, well it’s nap time and I can’t sleep with out Wyatt… or is that the other way around. Have a nice nap and a great day!