Spring Break Day 1 - The Hell Drive

Ever hear about someone's vacation going badly and then it kept getting worse? Well, that's how I feel right now. How bad has the first day been?

I just got home from the ER. My niece, who we thought had been car sick (she forgot that she takes Dramamine when going on long rides), was still throwing up when hubby took me to the hospital.

Can we have a do-over please?

I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I'm not sure I want to know.

Hope all is well where you are!

I did it!

Smiling cause it's downhill!

Yesterday, in San Diego, I ran my first 5K, the Joggin' for Frogmen run!

I began training 5 or 6 weeks ago using an iPhone app called c25K. I stuck with it until last Saturday. I wasn't going to get all eight weeks in so instead of cramming trying to do weeks 7 and 8 in one week, I ran mock 5Ks on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each time I jogged more and faster.

Even though I trained on hills, the course at San Diego State University was still tough. My legs didn't burn on the hills, but I felt it in my breathing and was really tired.

I was there with a bunch of people I knew from the Internet who became real-life friends after attending a fundraising gala on Friday night at the Air and Space Museum. All I can say is really great people.

I'm slow so was just going to place myself somewhere toward the back of runners and go from there. But three of my friends, Scott, Chris and Christy, joined me so we could all start together. Christy dropped back first (she's totally kickass but as of the night before hadn't even registered so not sure she had trained). I lasted with them a little longer then realized I needed to slow my pace if I was going to make the entire race.

I'd heard the course was hilly so I trained on hills, easy to do where I live. But there's hilly and then there's hilly. This was the latter. My legs didn't burn the way they'd done a week ago, but boy was I  feeling it all over and especially with my breathing. My goal was to run the entire 5K. I'd say I ran, well, jogged, all but a couple minutes of it, in particular the last portion of each uphill slog.

My friend and roommate for the weekend, Mary, took the above pic of me. She was walk-running the race with another person and behind me. At two points in the course you can see people going up while your going down. That's where she took this pic of me. I had to laugh when I showed hubby the picture. The first thing hubby he said was "Where'd you get that headband?" I'd purchased other headbands to run in, but they were narrow. I bought a wider one when I picked up my race packet at a running store on Friday afternoon. I can't believe he noticed that!

After the race

Around the last third or so, I met up with Chris who I'd started the race with. He'd told Scott to go ahead without him. We stuck together for a while, then he dropped back. I kept going because according to my timing app I was doing pretty well even though I was feeling it. But then I came to a big hill. I slowed down. Next thing I know Chris was back. He'd caught his breath and was good to go. I told him to go ahead. He said he wanted to run with me.

Sweet guy!

As we headed toward the end, Chris kept encouraging me. I was really tired at this point. I still couldn't see the finish line. Then I saw Scott who was wearing his finisher's medal. I waved. Next thing I knew he was right next to me, running. He wanted to finish the race us. He pushed me to kick it up a notch and finish strong. So I did.

My initial goal was to jog half, then run half. I changed that to run the entire thing in 45 minutes. Yesterday my time was 39:07, faster than any of my mock 5Ks! I did walk a little but only on the hills so I'm okay with that.

I love my finisher's medal. I wore it all day yesterday, except for when I walked through airport security. I'm not bitten by the running bug yet, but I have to admit it's really good exercise. Today is a rest day, but I plan to go for a jog tomorrow!

And I'd love to do Joggin' for Frogmen. A great cause for real life heroes who provide much inspiration for romance writers like me. And a great event. We hung around after the race, visiting with people and then watching a parachute team drop in. Very cool!

San Diego

I'll be in San Diego until Sunday. This is a break from family and writing, too! My MacBook Pro is staying home! This is going to be a total vacation. Sightseeing, meeting folks from a website I belong to, spending time with someone I've known a long time who was a big help with Miss Mousie's fundraising, attending a fundraiser for SOF and their families and running in the Joggin' For Frogmen 5K.

There's another reason I wanted to go San Diego. My trips there in 2012 were all about my friend Elizabeth who was dying of breast cancer. I cherish each moment I spent with her, especially that last trip when I was there for eight days. I know she would want me to remember the better times we shared. So it's time to make some new memories in he town she loved so much.

Not sure I'll blog. I am bringing my iPad, but that's mainly so I can read and watch videos of my son's swims this weekend!

Have a great weekend and I'll post a trip report when I'm home!

Take care!

Home

I gave up blogging during vacation. That was the closest thing to writing I was doing and I decided I wanted a complete break from "work."

Of course, Mackenna going over the handle bars of her bike and ending up injured changed up our vacation a little. Out was whitewater rafting. In was mani-pedis. Though we probably would have had our nails done anyway! But she couldn't go down the water slides or play tennis or do a lot of the things we had planned. A good thing we plan on going back next year! We see a specialist tomorrow. Fingers crossed this won't impact her swimming too much!

Outside of the bike accident, the vacation was exactly what I needed. Relaxing rather than running around. Hanging out as a family. We met up a couple of times with friends that were there. Watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. Fun times.

On the drive home, we stopped by my parents' house. The three kidlets decided they wanted to spend the weekend there so we were kidless until Sunday. That meant going out to brunch on Saturday after our jog and just spending time together (and with the furbabies)

Now it's back to the same old same. Hubby is back to his traveling. I'm back to my writing and driving the kids all over the place! But now we're not so tired! A little R&R can make such a difference!

Hope you had a great Fourth and week!

Sun and H2O

SHARC at Sunriver

Yesterday was all about water! We spent the morning at SHARC. Fun times. The picture is my son making his way across the pool using ropes and floaty log thingys. It was a little too easy for him so hubby decided to tip the logs to make it harder for him.

Not sure if you can see all the blue sky in the pic, but it was a gorgeous, clear day. Another hot one, too. High nineties.

On the food front, we discovered a great place in the village. The Sunriver Brewhouse. It was being built when we were here last year. We ate lunch there. Great atmosphere and food and customer service. Our meals took a really long time to arrive so the manager gave us our drinks for free as well as 10% off the check.

In the evening we went to the Juniper Swim and Fitness in Bend so the kids could get in a swim practice with Current, a local USA swimming team. The pool is 50m long so it was a great opportunity for them to train given the long course state championships coming up later this month! The coach and team were very welcoming and friendly. Finn met them at another pool this morning at 5:15 am to get in more practice and had in spite of the early hour.

Hope you're having a great day!

Vacation!

Dinner in Sunriver Village

The family and I (dogs included) are taking a much needed vacation this week. The cats are at home with our housesitter extraordinaire, my dear friend Jenny, who takes such good care of them I don't have to worry one bit.

We arrived in Sunriver, Oregon yesterday afternoon. It's our same time, next year vacation. We're staying at the same house we stayed this time last year. The kids already had sleeping arrangements planned and didn't need any help getting settled.

The weather is gorgeous, but hot. So glad the house we rented has a/c.

 My kids are big on traditions so we ended up eating dinner at the same place we did last year our first night here, El Caporal. Something new this year was the kids having to take pics of their drinks and food. We've been invaded by Instagram!

This morning hubby and I went for a jog before the kids woke up. We'll be spending the morning at the pool before it gets too hot. Of course, with state swim meets coming up, the kiddos will be doing a few swim practices with a local USA Swim team in the area. But I think they're looking forward to that. At least Finn!

Hope you have a great day!

Joggin' For Frogmen

My new shoes

I'm not a runner. I ran a little when I was in college. I ran when required in a Crossfit WOD just because I wasn't going to give up. But I didn't like it much. Well...

I just bought a pair of running shoes.

Why?

In less than a month, I'm going to San Diego. The last day of my visit happens to coincide with a a 5K called Joggin' For Frogmen that benefits The Navy SEAL Foundation and The 31Heroes Project. So a friend (a fellow Soldiers' Angel) and I registered for the race.

I've never run that far.

But I'm going to give it my best shot!

I have a fundraising page if you care to help me support our fallen heroes and their families. Click here.

I can always run/walk if need be, but I'd really like to jog as much of it as I can. For the past week I've been training using an iPhone app. So far so good. I think the swimming I've been doing since April is helping the training. My swim clinic coach, who is a triathlete, has been very supportive and helpful. Just wish I had decided to do this 8 weeks before the race (that's how long the training app is for). I've got a little over 5 so am going to have to kick things up a notch soon.

My jogging amuses my family to no end. But this is the least I can do for those who did so much for our country. Wish me luck!

Spring Break

This week is Spring Break where we live. All I've heard for the past couple of weeks are all the fun places my oldest's friends are traveling to: Mexico, Disneyland, Palm Springs, Hawaii and Indonesia. Yesterday on Easter Sunday, she was texting a friend who was at Disneyland.

She told us, "The line for the Matterhorn is 50 minutes right now."

Not bad for Spring Break, I told her. It was often longer when I was there in July for the RWA conference. She wasn't amused.

My oldest is so distraught over being stuck at home this week. I know a lot of this comes from her spending last spring break on an Eastern Seaboard tour with her 8th grade teacher and classmates. Of course, she's not even at home for the next few days. We spent Easter at my parents' house and she stayed there last night.

And when she gets home I'll try to figure out something for us to do around here. Maybe not overnight due to the animals, but a few staycation activities so her spring break won't totally suck after all.

Hope you are enjoying your first day of April!

Fit

This is how my cats think. That includes my lap. It's theirs. And the dogs.

I've been trying to make things fit myself. I managed to get three days worth of clothes into my computer bag! I'm off to a dog show with my two daughters. We get a girls weekend while the boys will have theirs. This will be the first time Rose shows at an AKC dog show!

I'm planning to get lots of writing done while away! I've got my Alphasmart and my MacBook Pro. Friday will be a full day, but we should finish around lunchtime on Saturday. Plenty of time for the girls to swim while I work! Sunday's an early day, too, so we should be home with lots of free time in the afternoon and early evening.

What plans do you have for the weekend?

Home Sweet Home!

Yesterday I was sitting under a pop-up tent on the side of a hill with a perfect view of the Big Kahuna Swim Meet in Coos Bay. There was one problem, however. A spider had decided to crawl on our blanket.

The two girls, my daughter who is nine and another swimmer who is a year or two older, were not happy. I was asked to "get rid" of the spider. I got it off the blanket and far enough away that I hoped the little spider was smart enough not to return. But I tried to explain that when you're camping (we were) and/or spending lots of time outside (like we were) bugs were part of the deal.

The bugs were easy to deal with for me. But I must admit I was so happy to sleep in my own bed. I didn't wake up once in the middle of the night. I was also nice and warm and comfy!

Even with a blow up mattress in the tent I just couldn't quite get comfortable. And it was so cold. The final night I slept in sweats with a fleece jacket on. I tightened the hood as well as the sleeping bag around my face. Better, but still a little chilly. I might have to rethink my dream of alpine climbing unless I can toughen up a bit!

Camping was fun. I missed out on S'mores due to Whole 30, but I didn't mind so much. The best part of the weekend was the swim team beach party on Saturday evening. It was overcast and misty, but a great time. I laughed so hard watching all the kids (young and old) play this game of tag with partners on the sand.

The swim meet was also good. The temperatures were a lot warmer than anyone expected (the weather forecast proved totally wrong once again) but knowing the Oregon coast, I told my kids to bring two outfits for each day—one for if it's sunny and another if it were cold. Some people didn't even pack shorts and they were definitely needed.

By Saturday night I was campfired and socialed out so retreated into our tent, crawled into my sleeping bag and used my headlamp to write. I've changed the working title for my new story from Best in Show to Bachelor of the Year. I just think it fits better!

What did you do this weekend?

Gone Camping!

I rarely go dark on the blog unless I'm sick or on deadline, but I won't be posting again until Monday. The two younger kidlets have a swim meet on the Oregon Coast so we're going to camp in the park next to the pool and make a mini-vacation out of it.

Our oldest wants nothing to do with camping (or maybe she wants nothing to do with me since we've reached that stage of adolescence) so she's not going. The animals aren't going either, not even Chaos. We have housesitter staying here to make sure all our babies are okay while we're away.

Even though this is a vacation, I plan on writing. I'm bringing my Alphasmart since I doubt they'll be a place to recharge my MacBook Pro. But if I have Internet access, I will put my Alphie aside so I can use this app I found last week on Twitter. Written? Kitten! is totally awesome! Perfect inspiration to get me writing more words and faster.

I did want to share this story from the New York Times about outdoor cats wearing Kitty Cams and what they do when you're not watching. My cats stay indoors all the time, but it's worth a read. I had to smile when I read about cats cheating on their owners. I'd wondered about that!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. I intend to. See you on Monday!

RWA Conference Days 5 & 6

see more

Saturday at the RWA conference in Anaheim was a working sort of day. First up in the morning was a meeting with my agents to discuss career planning. Then it was off to the Harlequin author forum to hear about the new lines, reintroduction of older lines, new covers, a new digital only publishing program and a new way for authors to follow sales, releases and other info.

From there, I headed to Disneyland to do pick up gifts for the kids. Outside the entrance were lots of protestors. Inside were lots of police, police cars and K9 dogs. The park was the most crowded I'd seen it all week. I wasn't planning on riding anything. That turned out to be a good thing. I couldn't believe the lines. After checking a few stores, I found the perfect items in the Star Trader store in Tomorrowland.

Back at the hotel, I dropped off the souvenirs at my room then met up some Harlequin Romance authors. After a nice discussion, I was off with my roommate Shirley Marks and her daughter Kim to The Catch for a yummy dinner. Love their Fixe Prix dinner menu! We hurried back to the hotel, changed for the awards banquet and met my friend Sarita Leone in the Grand Ballroom. Sarita had graciously saved us seats.

I remember how nervous being a RITA® Finalist made me last year. I enjoyed Saturday night's ceremony a lot more. I was happy to have Harlequin Mills & Boon authors Sarah Morgan (Presents) and Fiona Lowe (Medical). Sarah won Best Contemporary Series Romance and Fiona won Best Single Title Romance!

The most exciting moment for me of the night was when my friend Barbara O'Neal won the RITA for Best Novel with Romantic Elements. Not only did she win that RITA, but her win qualified her for the RWA Hall of Fame. During her speech, Barbara said she wasn't going to enter the contest. (She's won seven RITA's) which made me a bit misty-eyed. She's such a talented writer with a big, loving heart!

After the ceremony, I attended a champagne toast hosted by the Mills & Boon office then went to a party for a yahoogroup I belong to. Barbara and her two gold ladies were in attendance. I rubbed their heads for luck!

My agents stopped by to congratulate Barbara. (We're both represented by Jane Rotrosen Agency.) I enjoyed seeing how the conference had gone for all my friends and hearing what workshops they'd attended, who'd they'd spoken or pitched to and what they planned on doing writing wise when they arrived home.

This conference seemed so much more positive compared to last year in New York. The industry is in transition, but the word "possibilities" seemed to resonate through everything at least for me. Authors have options, and it's up to us to figure out what's best for our careers. And bottom line, Stephanie Laurens really nailed it during her speech on Thursday when she said (paraphrasing here) that it's really a author's book and the reader that really matter.

Sunday morning, I forced myself up. Another writer friend, Laura Hayden, wanted to go with us and offered the use of her room for our luggage. We were at the park at 8:30. Our first stop was Cars Land and Radiator Springs Racer. That line was long, but the park wasn't that crowded. We rode lots of rides then headed to Disneyland to ride a few more. Then it was off to the airport where we just missed being in a car accident on the freeway and then I left my purse in the bathroom. Thankfully the pixie dust was still in effect and someone turned it in to the police.

Now I'm home! I was so happy last night to see my family waiting for me at the airport. And my pets seem relieved I'm back. I also enjoyed sleeping in my own bed. But I must admit I miss my Pixie Dusters! That's what Jenna Bayley-Burke, Terri Reed and I decided to call ourselves after six days of Disney fun and magic.

RWA Conference Day 3

see more

Thursday at the RWA conference in Anaheim was a pixie dust kind of day. Lots of things just went my way!

I slept in an extra hour. I decided to skip the opening speaker at the PAN retreat and do a little work instead. I went to the connect/network room where you can access free Wi-Fi and also pick up goodies (aka author promotion items.) While I was there, I met Barbara Vey. She has a great romance novel/industry blog through Publisher's Weekly if you haven't checked it out yet. I also met Sheila Clover English from Circle Seven Productions (great book trailers) and a new-to-me venture called Reader's Entertainment. Our topic of conversation—movies!

I went from there to the PAN Retreat. Brilliance Audio provided refreshments and a free audio book. I got a J.D. Robb one! So look for that to be a prize on the blog one of these days! Then Mark Coker of Smashwords spoke. I learned some interesting things about epublishing. I particularly liked his slide on pricing. $2.99 seems to be the most effective price point for an eBook. I appreciated his not saying ePublishing is the only way. As many authors are learning, you can do both. That is Traditional publishing (as I do with Harlequin) and self-publishing.

 I met up with a friend, Alice Burton, who I knew when we both lived in the Bay Area at the luncheon. We had fun catching up and meeting a conference first timer CM Doporto at our table. She happened to be from Dallas where Alice lived so was filled in on all the writing stuff down there.

The keynote speaker was Stephanie Laurens. She gave a very brave talk about publishing and authors in this time of change and transition. Lots of quotes from her talk were posted via twitter. Just search on #RWA12 or #SL if you'd like to see them. You don't have to belong to twitter to search. I loved her tying it into the movie Flashdance at the end.

During lunch, I realized I'd lost an earring. I was bummed. I'd had these earrings forever. I'd forgotten the back so had taken ones from another pair. They must not have fit as well as I thought they did. I figured they were gone, but decided to check Lost and Found anyway. Tinkerbell had definitely been at the Marriott because one person had turned in my earring and another had turned in the back! I was so happy.

As my friend Mary Strand and I headed back to my room to exchange the earring backs I heard my name. I turned and saw someone I didn't recognize. I looked at the name tag and I'm sure my mouth gaped. It was Sarita Leone who comments on this blog! More pixie dust! We've been blog friends for years, but had never met. I had no idea she was coming to the conference! We exchanged numbers and made plans to meet on Friday!

I hung out with Mary until it was time for the Mills & Boon Meet & Greet (aka open house) for their authors. After an hour of schmoozing with authors and Harlequin people, the editors took the Romance line authors to Cheesecake Factory for the Harlequin Romance author's tea.
We ordered eight different cheesecakes and all took a bit from each. The authors in attendance were Donna Alward, Theresa Carpenter, Fiona Harper, me, Patricia Thayer and Barb Wallace. The Harlequin folks included Lucy Gilmour, Bryony Green, Dianne Moggy and Tessa Shapcott. It was a lovely afternoon filled with conversation and cheesecake!

From there, it was back to the room. I was ready to head to the theme parks again. My roommate's daughter decided to stay at the hotel so I was going off on my own until the others could meet up with me. I decided to text Sarita to see if she wanted to go. She texted back that she had just entered the gate at California Adventure. I told her I'd be right there.

The one ride I hadn't been on at DCA was the Radiator Springs Racer. Sarita was game even though she'd never been on a roller coaster before. We hopped in the Single Rider Line. We ended up in two different cars, but we cut the wait time significantly and was worth it. It was so much fun! Love the ride!

Sarita only had a ticket for DCA so we went on the Monster's INC ride, then I gave her a plan for the rest of her evening there. My Disney crew was on their way so I needed to get over to the Magic Kingdom.

We had two goals for the evening—to watch the fireworks from Main Street and to ride the Matterhorn. We'd been in line two or three times, but either the ride broke or we needed to be somewhere so would have to leave.

While others got snacks, I asked a cast member where would be the best spot to watch from if we wanted to get to the Matterhorn fast. She asked another cast member if the Front Row seats were open then had him escort me to a spot right behind a rope. He told me this would be the best spot to watch. Just then two more of the crew arrived. I sent them into get the others.

As we waited, another cast member came up to see how we were doing. I asked him if our plan to get the Matterhorn ASAP was right. He said yes. He asked if there were any other rides we wanted to go on. I told him we'd tried to get Fast Passes for Indiana Jones when we arrived, but they were all out. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and gave us what is known as a Golden Fast Pass, a coupon all six of us could use to skip the line. More pixie dust.

One of the crew had never been on any of the big rides like Indiana Jones, so this was huge. I asked if I could hug him. He said yes! I told him we were romance writers and he'd be the inspiration for our new heroes! Needless to say, we ended up with a couple more passes! Lots of Pixie Dust.

The fireworks were amazing! Choreographed to music and spectacular. None of my iPhone photos came out well unfortunately.

Then it was off to the Matterhorn! In two hours we managed to ride that, Indiana Jones, Star Tours (one of our group Lynda Aicher was pictured as the Rebel Spy), Space Mountain, Peter Pan and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. It was so much fun!

Half the group left before Peter Pan, but Jenna Bayley-Burke, Lynda and I closed Disneyland again. Third night in a row for Jenna and I. We were dragging a bit, but it was so worth the magical time!

RWA Conference Day 2

see more

Wednesday was the official start of the Romance Writers of America conference in Anaheim.  I had breakfast with a good friend, Mary Strand, then headed to Disney California Adventure with Jenna Bayley-Burke, Terri Reed, Kim S. (my roommate's daughter) and Leah Vale.

Our first stop was Soarin' Over California. I love that ride, especially the scents as you fly over the river in the forest and the orange grove. We picked up a Fast Pass for the Color of Wonder show at 10:15 pm and Grizzly River Run, then headed to Tower of Terror. I was so excited to step in line even though it was a thirty minute wait!

A little backstory on Tower of Terror....

Each time one of the kidlets turned five, we took them to Disneyland to celebrate. That's three trips between 2003 and 2008. We haven't been back since. But each time something (usually youngest kidlet) kept me from riding Tower of Terror. The last time in 2008, I even had a Fast Pass that I never managed to use. I was really excited to ride it. But then I got nervous since I have a fear of heights.

Surprisingly, I was fine until the window opens and you see the view of California Adventure park. I didn't want to see that view while I fell so I kept my eyes shut. The falling ride part didn't bother me. Just that and my fear of heights, but it turns out you don't look at that as you drop. I might have to try it again with my eyes wide open!

We checked out Cars Land. So cute. It's like being in the movie. But by then all the Fast Passes were gone for the Radiator Springs Races and the wait was 140 minutes. We decided to pass. We hopped on Ariel's ride (very sweet.) We headed back to Soaring to use the Fast Pass we'd picked up. Then Grizzly River Run was next. We got wet, but it was hot so dried quickly. While Leah and Kim used a Fast Pass to ride the big roller coaster, we got a spot for lunch.

My post-Whole 30 treat for today was a Ghirardelli Hot Fudge Sundae. I used to live in San Francisco and this was my fave thing in Fisherman's Wharf.  So very yummy and worth the splurge food-wise.

We headed back to the hotel. I took off my shorts and put on a skirt. It was time for the conference to really start for me. I met Bryony Green, the Senior Editor for the Harlequin Romance line at Starbuck's. We had a nice chat about the line. Then it was off to the Literacy Signing.

Four hundred authors were signing. I must admit I loved not participating this year. I supported literacy by be a buyer instead. My mom will be receiving an autographed copy of Barbara Freethy's latest release! Usually I sell a couple of books (less than five) and have to sit there for two hours (three this year). This year I got to walk around and talk to all the authors, bump into people and buy books. It was so much more fun!

I dropped off my things at the room, changed from the skirt into a pair of jean capris, grabbed my jacket then headed off to the annual ROMEX party (ROMEX is a loop I've belonged to since 1995.) I couldn't stay long because we had to get back to California Adventure to see Color of Wonder.

Wow! That's all I can say about the show. It was water, lights, other special effects and clips from Pixar and Disney movies over the years. So awesome! I didn't take any pictures because I just didn't think my iPhone 3GS was up to the task!

We had fifteen minutes until the park closed at that point so hopped on Goofy's roller coaster. I thought it would be a silly little ride, but it was actually pretty fun. We then went to Disneyland. The Matterhorn line was too long so we rode Snow White and Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters again.

By then we needed to get back on the shuttle bus to return to the hotel. Even though the conference started, it was still very much a vacation day. But today I have to buckle down and get to work. Though I will be hitting the parks around six! I want to see the fireworks from inside tonight!

Hope all is well where you are!

RWA Conference Day 1

Romance Writers of America conference starts tonight in Anaheim! So here's my recap of my first day here. 

It felt like I'd just gone to bed when my alarm rang at 3:15 am yesterday! I was the first of the group of four to arrive at the airport so I used the time to input cell numbers into my iPhone and check email. Jenna Bayley-Burke arrived next. Terri Reed and Lissa Manley were next. Before I knew it we were on our way.

First, I have to say that Virgin America is an awesome airline. Granted the planes are new, but they are so nice and comfy. Each seat has a monitor where you can watch movies, follow the flight on the map, play games! There is a handhold remote to use with the games or you can even chat with others on the plane! Flirting at 35,000 feet!

We arrived in LAX, hopped on the Karmel Shuttle we'd reserved and were in Anaheim faster than we expected. No traffic at all!

Even though we were at the Anaheim Hilton early, we were allowed to check into our rooms. We took a few minutes to freshen up and unpack, met up with Leah Vale then were off to Disneyland. The hotel gift shop sells ART passes, which is the transportation to the resort area so we're set for a few days.

The entrance to Disneyland has changed a little, but there was the same anticipation mixed with excitement in the air. Our first stop was Thunder Mountain to get a Fast Pass, then we headed over to the French Market for lunch. We were starving!

During lunch a jazz band played. Leah was dancing in her seat. She caught the eye of the sax player who was really funny. He made the "I'm watching you sign" then fanned himself with his hat. After lunch, we'd made a bathroom stop. Leah was putting on her lipstick when he walked by. The sax player gave her a strand of gold Mardi Gras beads for being his "inspiration." Leah was blushing every shade of read imaginable. Of course, Jenna and I were giggling so hard we totally forgot to take a picture of the moment!

Disneyland was packed, but we had lots of fun catching up while we waited in line. I had my splurge from my healthy eating/post-Whole-30 by having a frozen banana. I used to eat those there when I was a kid. So yummy!

I really like the new additions to It's a Small World. I remember it closing right after we left the last time we were there (back in '08 to celebrate Rose's 5th birthday.) I don't know if that's when they added in the specific Disney characters but it was so fun to see new stuff in there.

We managed to hit a lot of the big rides in spite of the crowds. We headed back to the hotel to meet Harlequin Romance authors Donna Alward, Fiona Harper and Barb Wallace for dinner. After that we were back on the shuttle bus to the Magic Kingdom. We caught the tail end of the fireworks then after an attempt to ride the Matterhorn which ended up breaking, rode Space Mountain and Star Tours.

I love, absolutely love the new Star Tours! So cool. And you get to wear stylish glasses.

We headed back to the hotel around midnight. I was crashed in bed by 12:17 am! A long, but very fun day.

Today I'm off to California Adventure! I can't wait! What are you doing?

Final Day

see more

The kittens above are saying hello. We'll be saying goodbye to Sunriver. It's been such a great vacation. Exactly the break that we all needed. Now I have to get everything packed up, the beds stripped and the dishes in the dishwasher!

Our 4th was very nice. A bike ride, sledding hill, geo-caching and a trip to the Sunriver Village to see the 4th of July festivities. They had games for the kids, a dunk tank, a BBQ and a very cool exhibit with local first responders, National Guard, SAR and the Forestry Service. Of course I went into writer mode and asked lots of questions! How could I not with so much right there at my fingertips! We capped off Independence Day with dinner out then driving to Bend to watch the fireworks being shot off on Pilot Butte.

What did you do yesterday?

Relaxing

see more

This LOLcat has the right idea! I'd settle for a glass of iced tea, some avocado and turkey slices! (Whole 30 is definitely changing the way I see food!)

I am enjoying vacation so much. Relaxing, sleeping, playing. I can't tell you how much we all needed this time away.

Not much to say except I hope those of you affected by the heat are finding some relief and special prayers to one of my blog readers, Quilt Lady, who is having back surgery. I hope everything goes well, your recovery is quick and we hear from you soon!

Enjoy your Tuesday! I plan on enjoying mine!

Happy Birthday Chaos!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Today, our beloved Chaos turns seven! She's now considered a veteran and can go back into the breed ring at dog shows even though she's been spayed. Mackenna can't wait to show her there, even though they've been doing Junior Showmanship. (They placed 2nd yesterday at a show in Redmond!)

While the cats are at home with a housesitter (and doing well, yay!), Chaos is here with us in Sunriver having a blast. She's been going for lots of walks. We went geo-caching yesterday and she came face-to-face (well, within twenty feet) of four deer. The hunter instinct in her (Norwegian Elkhounds are used to hunt moose) went into overdrive. I've never seen her ears stand so straight or such a perfect stack. It was really cute.

Right now she's on a nice long walk with hubby while the three kidlets do a two-hour trail ride. They've been wanting to go horseback riding for a while now. After an early morning at a dog show, bike riding, geo-caching, walking and tennis, they let me sleep in so I have a nice quiet house all to myself! I'll head over to the stable when they're coming back in, but hubby's been sending me pics of them heading out!

Here are some pics of Chaos from the time we adopted her when she was 2 1/2 years old. She's such a great dog. We really lucked out when I called the PSNEA Rescue Coordinator looking to adopt a Norwegian Elkhound who needed rescueing and we ended up with one of her dogs. But she felt we would be a good fit and it's been a perfect match.

Fresh from grooming

Go find your own to play with!

Not feeling well.

Hiking Mount Hood with daddy

Chaos and Yoda - the early years

It's not staying, right?

I hope you enjoy your Monday! We'll be spoiling our birthday dog with lots of love, treats and walks. Maybe we can find her some more deer to look at, too!

June Contest Winner!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

We are on vacation! Of course our first morning in Sunriver started much too early due to a dog show, but we're back out the house we're renting and kicking back!

I realized it's the first of the month and need to announce the winner of my monthly contest. And because I'm on vacation, I won't be sending the winner their prize until I'm home so you'll have to be a little patient.

The winner of my monthly $10 Amazon/BN.com gift card is...

Brandy! She won with a comment on Monday Blues. Brandy please use the contact button on the menu bar above to send me your email and let me know if you want an Amazon or BN gift card! Thanks! You have seven days to contact me or I'll select another winner. Thanks!

A new contest starts today. It's easy to enter. Each comment on the blog gets you and entry. Prize is a $10 gift card to Amazon or BN. Check back on August 1st to see if you won.

Hope you enjoy your Sunday!

Soon...

see more

Like the LOLcat above, I keep telling myself soon, very soon. I'm not after a white light, but trying to put a dent into my ever growing To Do list.

The most important item on it is my May 28th deadline for my current manuscript. Saying I'm behind right now doesn't even come close to where I am, but soon I'll be finished and can move on to the other things on the list. Some which really need to be done. I still haven't sent out my New Year's Cards (which I'd tasked the rest of the family to do!) Or mailed autographed books to people who've helped me with my last two stories. Soon, very soon.

I did accomplish something yesteday! I finally got all my pictures and videos downloaded. I thought I'd share a few of them with you today:

Dolphins at Sea World's Blue Horizon Show

Mackenna and Shay at the NEASC Specialty Best of Breed Class

Awards for the NEAA National show 

Mackenna and Astra before NEAA Best Jr. Handler Class