PPPP- Spring cleaning

A couple of weeks ago, Fisher and the girls and I went to his mom's to clean up the leaves and get rid of some bushes and such. I wish I would have done before and after photos because, let me tell you, there is a big different. Both of Fisher's brothers were there, and our SIL and nephew. Here's a few photos of the process.

This is actually Jazz and The Cousin...they bagged up all the leaves like champs!

Lyric and Bear, he looks scary, right??


The Fisher Brothers...everybody had a different idea about how to pull out the roots

This is me. I raked for nearly an hour straight. Then I had to rest my poor,aching, arthritic back. Lyric took this photo. :-)

St Louis

Blog disclaimer- I had to repost this because somebody left a bunch of crap comments. Sorry!

Lyric is on her way to St Louis for the 2009 Band Trip/Competition. She's very excited about this trip. (Well, actually, any trip) and I'm nervous. Last year I wasn't as bad. I know that she will be fine and she'll be taken care of, but maybe it's because she's about to be a high schooler and I know that she's growing up and I'll have less and less control over what she does. yikes!I'm looking at our New York Itinerary again. Man, are we going to be busy! But so many cool things to see. click here to see some of the places we will go. But we also get to see things like: the Dakota Building, Columbia University, Grant's Tomb, shopping at the Time Warner Center!, and the Strawberry Fields Memorial.
Busy, Busy, Busy! Our family vacation is going to be all about relaxing: except for the little fishing competition that we have going on. I always say that I'm going to catch the biggest fish, but don't usually fish. This year, I think we'll have one day that everybody fishes, and then there will be prized for *most fish, *biggest fish, *smallest fish, etc.
With all these wonderful photo ops, I might need to get a bigger memory card for my camera.

Fishful Thinking

I got home last night at 8pm after running all over the place, and found a package from Mr. Youth. There were no other clues, so I was a little nervous about opening it. I didn't need to be. It was a super cool package from The Fishful Thinking People! There was a nice canvas bag that Lyric promptly "borrow", a couple of pens, a note pad, a few mini brochures to hand out to other people, a folder with the fish on it and some goldfish samples. It also included information on the program, activities to do, and how to help promote the program.

Super cool! My favorite thing was the pens. The girls laughed at me when I said "Look, I got PENS!" Come on, a writer can never have enough pens. It's just the way the world is.

I did talk to the girls a bit about what the program was, the activites that we could do, and why it was important. I'm not sure they totally got it, but at least it's a start.

Don't forget, you can click on the fish to the right ----> and see what all the "thinking" is about!

The Good, The Bad, The New

I usually try to keep things light(er) and fun around here, and I still want to do that, but I want to say, if I'm not around for a few days, it's just because things at my house are a little crazy. Here's a quick rundown (and then I'll get to the good stuff). Stubborn, independant, a teeny bit selfish teenage girl. super sensitive,emotional, started her "monthly" too early, pre teen. Middle aged, doesn't always know how to deal with girls dad. Super organized, and a little high maintance mom. Sufice it to say, we've got some stress. Add in that Lyric is getting ready for high school and thinks she knows everything. Jazz is the baby, and always will be. I'm trying to figure out how to pay for school, and keep working to hold onto health insurance and tuition reimbursement. And Fisher is just overwhelmed with the whole thing. Anyway, if you could just send a prayer or two up for us, I would appreciate it. I'm sure things will even out, but I don't know when. we've got a couple of things in the works to help us all get on the same page.

Good news- Fisher won some money in a school fundraiser/raffle this weekend. It's enough to pay for my part of the New York Trip, plus Lyric's last payment, plus our spending money for the trip. We were super excited about that! BONUS!

Bad news- We're not going to be able to see Rick while we are in NYC. The concert is actually (from what I can find) the night that we are heading back. (Remember the driving through the night story??)

New- see begininng of post. The girls are also going to be responsible for more help around the house. They aren't really happy, but it's a necessity with school coming for me. And it's a good thing for them to learn. Not only will they have specific chores, they will have a timeline and consequences- all mapped out. So, everybody will be on the same page, etc.

I'm looking forward to some positive changes around our house, for everybody's mental health. Again, pray for us!

Oh, and one more thing. I signed up today to be a product tester. it's a specific item, but I don't want to say what yet, because if I get picked, I want to SURPRISE you with my fantastic review. I hope I get picked, I hope I get picked. "P" people, if you are reading this- I'm so in!

Twilight-aholic

I just made that up...but at my house it's pretty fitting. Lyric and Jazz both love the movie. And Jazz is having a birthday soon, which necessitates the "birthday party". This year's theme? Twilight. Now, how does one go about making a Twilight party?? Well, creatively of course.

The invitations are "written" by Edward. There's a super cool website: www.bellaandedward.com that has fonts that you can download. Initially the invite said "Jasper and Alice invite you to Jazz's party", but if people don't follow Twilight, they'd be thinking "Who the heck is that??" So, I added "And the whole Cullen family" and after the date/time, I put "With a Twilight theme". it seemed a little weird yet necessary. At the top is a super cool photo of the Cullen Clan and on the bottom there are apples.

I'm going to do all red and black decorations. A chocolate cake with red frosting. Forks all over. An apple centerpiece. There will be a sign on the door that says "Welcome to Forks, WA". Quotes on the walls. Twilight bingo. Sunglasses in the goody bags (like Edward wears) And I don't know what else. it should be a fun time.

If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

PPPP...Cutest Baby Ever

getting ready for the egg hunt

Sidewalk chalk - a family Easter tradition

It's PHRIDAY! Here's a few pix I took last weekend of the "cutest baby ever". Okay, he's not a baby anymore and he can cuss like a sailor. But he's still my favorite (only) nephew!

Favorite things swap

Last time I debated and missed out, so this time, I'm playing along.
mamarazzi is having a swap. I already have a few things in mind for what will go in my basket. I have a few friends who played last time and they got really cool stuff! I can't wait.

Great American Bake Sale

Have you ever been hungry? I mean really hungry?? Well, everyday lots of kids are hungry, especially during the summer. This year I'm participating in the Great American Bake Sale (GABS) and I'm hoping you can help. I don't have a date set, but I'm going to enlist the help of my girl scouts. We are going to try to raise $300. We are doing a bake sale- bake sale and a no bake - bake sale. The no bake is monetary donations.

Click Here if you can donate $. Or, if you would like to do your own GABS, click Here .

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date...or school

This morning, like every other school morning, Lyric could barely open her eyes. She always struggles to get up, as do the rest of us. One day, not too long ago, I actually came to work, but had to turn right around and go back home. Fisher was out and about but not close to home and she wasn't answering the phone. I raced in, and found her sleeping. I pounded on her bedroom door. She woke up. I said "School starts in 30 minutes, don't be late." and then left. She wasn't late.

Wait, maybe a little background is needed. Jazz gets on the bus at 7:25. I have to be to work by 8am. Fisher's days vary, but usually he's gone about the same time as me. Lyric doesn't start school until 8:50 and we live 2 blocks away from the school. So, typically, I make her get up before we all leave and she's on her own as far as getting dressed, eating, etc. Most days,a friend of hers comes over and they walk to school together.

Apparently today, no friend. So, Fisher calls me at 8:30 to see if I've talked with her. Nope. Haven't. So, I start calling the house over and over. After about 5 times, she answers the phone. She just got up. Yup, she's gonna be late because at this point, school starts in 10 mintues. She's good, not that good. She was actually out the door in 15, so she only ended up being about 10 minutes late. I was the good mom and called the school to let them know.

I don't think she'll do it again, but you never know. But now she will understand why I make her get out of bed before I leave.

Terrific Tuesday

Good morning, my fellow readers. I don't have any wonderfully insightful thoughts today. Sorry! But I do have a lot going on. Lyric has her Mulan performance this week, followed by a visit to Dairy Queen for the "after party" on Friday. This is her last performance in middle school. Yes, that's right. Lyric will be in High School in the fall. I'm trying not to completely lose my mommy mind, but it just doesn't seem right somehow. Most days I still feel like I'm too young to have a teenager. Let alone a high schooler.

We got word over the weekend that Jazz did not get into the Fine Arts Program for next year. She is on a waiting list, which is how she got into Academics. I don't know what her chances are of somebody leaving, but for now, she's staying at her school. She said she's okay with it. I'm not so sure, but way to be a trooper, Jazz!

I'm crusing right along in my quest for nursing school. I've been looking up scholarships, applying for financial aid and collecting tons of information in general. I need to get through Chemsitry this fall. Seriously, any suggestions?? Anyway, that's where my focus is right now. Getting through the next 5 classes.

Have a terrific Tuesday! I'll see you on Wonderful Wednesday.

New digs

I'm so totally irritated right now. I wanted to update the template...found a really cute one...it deleted everything. And Blogger has some crazy update/change your blog/my my life miserable thing going on today. I'll try to keep working on it, but it's not as easy as I thought.

Phriday Photo Phinish Phiesta...and more

Hello, to all! I'd like to first say thank you for sticking with me this week while my blog is a work in progress. I'm be working on a new template over the weekend, and if all goes well, the blog will have a snazzy spring makeover. *fingers crossed*

Tonight, Fisher is taking Jazz and one of her friends to see the Hannah Montana movie. That's right, I said Fisher is taking them. Not me. Nope. I'll be doing something else. Not sure what. Well, I know that I will be picking up Lyric from play practice, but other than that....it's open for discussion.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to take part in a fun walk to help raise organ donor awareness. Except for the fact that it's so dang early in the morning, it should be fun. Here's the link. Red Shoe Run The beautiful Carrie Jane Smith is my boss' daughter.

And one last thing, today is PPPP. Here's my photo. This is Lyric and E after his first communion. This is the only little brother my girls will ever get. I have to thank Kelley for giving birth to him!

Where scrapbooking and self publishing meet

In my every constant searching of the internet and adding to my following list (via a group I'm in at Mom Bloggers Club), I found out about Cherish Bound. What a great idea. Basically (and this is not a technical description at all) it's scrapbooking meets self publishing.

My friend, Kari is an new consultant. Click on her name to go to her blog. She's even hinting at a give away. Tell her I sent you if you stop by.

Otherwise, you can go to www.cherishbound.com for more information. My favorite thing about this is the versatility. You can do more pictures, less words or vs versa. you can also get multiply copies of your book and they are permanently archived, so you can get a copy down the road. Very cool concept.

New Blogs

I just realized that I never linked to my new blogs. You should be able to see it over there to the right. My templates are all pretty basic right now, but I'll be doing some redocorating soon. If anybody knows where I can get a three column template for this blog, let me know. I want to be able to put my "awards" along one side, but keep the information that is currently on the right.

Kid Interview...Jazz

I did the interview questionnaire with Jazz over the weekend. Here's what she knows (or think she knows) about her mom. her answers are in italics. And there's a bit of comentary from me. :-)

* What is something your mom always says to you? Hurry Up
*What makes mom happy? sleeping in
*What makes mom sad? Not getting enough vacation
*How does your mom make you laugh? When she plays the Wii. (I have to say that I've only played the Wii with her once...she loved the way I did the boxing...and by loved I mean laughed so hard she almost peed her pants.)
*What was your mom like as a child? I don't know.
*How old is your mom? 38 or is it 39??
*How tall is your mom? 5'1" ( I do look short compared to Lyric, but I'm really 5'5")
*What is her favorite thing to do? read or write a story
*What does your mom do when you are not around? sleep in
*If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?? A famous writer (from her mouth to God's ears!)
*What is your mom really good at?? helping
*what is your mom not very good at? math (math and chemistry apparently...LOL)
*What does your mom do for her job? secretary
*What's your mom's favorite food? I don't know
*What makes you proud of your mom? I don't know
*if your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Minnie Mouse (I have no idea why!)
*What do you and your mom do together? Watch DWTS or AI
*How are you and your mom the same? we both like writing stories
*How are you and your mom different? mom doesn't dance
*how do you know your mom loves you? She always hugs me
*Where is your mom's favorite place to go? In bed with a book (got that right!)

Don't Keep The Sandman Waiting....

Rick Springfield was out and about promoting the new CD this weekend. Here's a link for you to check out.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4919474n

And even better than that, I'm going to the meet and greet in Milwaukee again! That's right, me and Rick. Another year, another photo. And Lynn will be there with her super duper camerea to capture it all. I just hope that we can get a good one of her as well!

More Changes

Due to the whirlwindy, roller coaster my life has been on lately, I'm all swirly inside. I made my decision to focus on other things besides school, and signed up with 31 gifts. I was super excited about this opportunity, even though it was a plan B. Now that school has come through, 31 is going to the "parking lot". I'm going to opt out and focus on school for right now.

I've got my classes scheduled for the next two semesters, and I'm planning ahead for January. I know that time is going to be flying by. There are a couple of projects that I need to complete in my current job, as well as looking for a new job (by December) that will better work with school.

Oh, my! There's so much to think about and plan and gear up for. I can't do much right now besides think, so I'll still be around, but once school kicks in....well, we'll wait and see.

Thanks to all my regular and new readers. I plan to continue to entertain you on a regular basis.

Can You Believe It....

So, I totally bombed chem. I made some decisions based on "everything happens for a reason" and I obviously wasn't supposed to be a nurse. Even though I've wanted to be a nurse since I was 10 years old. I had come to terms with everything. I knew that I was okay. My family was okay. Hubby was supportive. I even decided to start a little side business just for fun (thirty one).

I was caught up in the frustration of trying to get into a nursing program and every program being a little bit different in what it required. I talked to a couple of the coordinators (at different schools) and finally just was done.

I had said that if I got a letter that they wanted me, I would take the opprotunity, of course. But as things were right now, it didn't look like that was going to happen.

Until today. Today when I got home there was a letter from St Anthony's College of Nursing. This is a BSN program here in town. The letter says "Dear Amy, CONGRATULATIONS! You have been awarded provisional acceptance into Saint Anthony College of Nursing for FALL 2009." This is a little bit of a WTF moment, because last I had talked with them, I wouldn't be ready for fall. I still have a few classes to take (that I wasn't going to take without some sort of guarantee that I would get in), so I can't start until Jan 2010. But an acceptance letter is an acceptance letter, damn it and I'm going to nursing school!

Can you even believe it?!? I'm totally in shock. There's a few things to consider. One is my job. I can't work this job while I'm in school. Another is how many hours can I work while in school. and finally, can I really push myself over the next 8 months to get done what I need to get done?!? I need a lot of support, from family and friends, and I need to believe in myself.

So, with that said, I'm super excited about this. I'm looking forward to it. I just need to get through chemistry...one more time. :-)

Thirty One Gifts...

Due to an unexpected, yet wonderful, turn of events...this post has been removed.

Are You a Fishful Thinker??

I've seen the Goldfish thingy on more than one blog, but never really paid a lot of attention. Then today I got my weekly dose of Mommy Track'd and there it was again. So, I decided to check it out in my free time. :-)

I am now an Ambassador or Fishful Thinking through Repnation. There are incentives that can be earned by helping to drive up the web traffic (so please feel free to clink on the link to the right)

But also, I like the message that they are trying to spread "...to raise confident children who have the tools to successfully overcome obstacles, thrive in the face of adversity and reach their goals."

There are five ingredients of Fishful Thinking: optimism, Emotional Awareness, Goal Setting/Hope, Resilience and Empowerment. As I learn more about this program I will be sure to share my knowledge with you.

Tonight I'm going to start by doing a "Happiness Scavenger Hunt" with my kids. This is done by creating a list of simple, pleasureable items or exeperiences and then devoting 30-60 minutes daily to doing things on the list. I can't wait. Both for them and for me.

And tomorrow, I will be starting something else new and wonderful. I can't wait to share it with you all!

New Blogs

I've started two new blogs lately. One is purely fun/funny. The other is a place for me to flex my creative photography muscles. Please stop by and check them out.

This Blog is following the adventures of Springfield Bunny.



This blog is a photo blog.

I'm also looking for a new template for this blog because there are a few things I want to include, but I don't want you to have to scroll down for a mile to see everything. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Mom Select and a Sneak Peek

Here's a fun opportunity. The target audience is limited, but if you are in the areas they are looking for, please feel free to participate.

MomSelect is looking for moms and kids to test out an awesome online experience for kids. By taking part in this program, your kids will be given free access to a new kids' website, not yet available to the public. Focused on the animal kingdom, this online game is not only entertaining but teaches positive lessons about nature and cooperation. Moms will feel comfortable with the safe and secure nature of the online world and the educational aspect of the activities, while kids will love rescuing and caring for the baby animals they encounter during their gameplay.

If your child would be interested in being part of the first group of kids to experience this exciting website, we'll send you a unique access code. The code will be valid during the entire site sneak peek testing period (approximately 4 weeks) and your child will be given special benefits and access within the site. After testing out the site, we ask that you fill out a brief online survey with your thoughts regarding the site. Your feedback, along with the thoughts of your children, will directly impact the final product launch.

And as a thank you for your insights, we'll be holding a drawing among survey respondents - 3 lucky moms and their kids will each win a $50 Target gift card! By participating in the sneak peek testing program, we ask that you: • Visit the site with your child to get a sense of the website • Encourage your child to play as much as possible during the sneak peek testing period • Fill out the online survey within the requested time period*

To be eligible for this program, you must have at least one child in the 7-12 age range and live in or near one of the following geographic locations:
IL
MN
Greater NY Area (NJ, PA, CT)
Southern CA
Washington DC
MD
GA
TX
NC

If you are interested in participating in this sneak peek testing program, please click on the link below to register.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=1lX5_2b8pnexu7wGZv_2bq2SLA_3d_3d
The sneak peek codes will be sent out the week of April 6th. If you have any questions, please send an email to Amy at amy@bsmmedia.com with the subject line "Sneak Peek Testing".

I will say that I have emailed Amy a couple of times and she has gotten back to me almost immediately every time.

neurologist, allergist, cardiologist...Oh, my!

Lyric had her 9th grade physical today. I also brought in the medical forms needed for the New York trip. As the doctor is talking to her, asking her the normal/random questions, she is slightly concerned because Lyric says she always gets dizzy when she runs (like in gym class). Dizzy then it's hard to breath. Dr. R says that if it was hard to breath then dizzy, we would chalk it up to "exercise induced asthma", which Lyric was diagnosed with years ago. Since the dizziness comes first, she's referring us to a cardiologist. She also won't sign off on the medical forms until the cardiologist says it's okay.

So, in the past 6 months we've been to see the neurologist (who says migraines), the allergist (who says the test came back normal but to avoid fish since Lyric has had reactions to that in the past) and now the cardiologist. She has basically had a headache since last June. Some days are better than others, but she says she does hurt everyday. If the cardiologist says that her heart has somehow been causing this headaches, I would be so glad to finally have an answer, but also upset that it has taken us this long. If he says everything is okay, then we still have to deal with the headaches (or trying to get rid of them).

If it ain't one kid, it's another!

It's All Good....

You might think that "it's all good" means that I got a good grade on my test and will be continuing with Chemistry and still looking for the end result of that RN program. Sorry, readers, you would be wrong.

"It's all good" means that I got a crap grade, and there is no way to pull the overall grade to a C. I will be dropping the class and changing my plan. But it's okay. Really. I'm okay with it. I fell a little bit relieved. While I was sitting in class last night I actually had a mini panic attack that I would actually pass the test. Is that awful!?? I had pretty much come to terms with the need to drop.

Good news: Lyric got into Starlight. She's part of the female emsemble in "David, the King" which is an original musical written by the same people who wrote "Jonah, A New Testament Yarn". If you are in the Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin area, you should check it out. Me being in school means I can help Fisher with getting her back and forth to practices. (IE- doing all the driving! LOL)

And I still have a couple of other options for continuing school. So this doesn't mean that I'm out completely and forever. It just means that I've taken a detour. I'm going to take a few days to adjust and then focus on what I really want to do. And make a plan towards that goal.

P.S. Don't forget about the CD swap. I'd love to see all of my followers participate.

Tonight Is The Night...

We get our chem tests back. If I didn't get a good grade (ie- pass) I will be dropping the class. Not only that, I think I've decided to quit school. When Fisher and I made the decision three years ago, I didn't know it was going to be so hard or take so long or be so many hoops to jump through to get to the final result.

Lyric is going to be in high school next year, she's going to be busy. Jazz is getting busier all the time too. And there is nothing worse than "mommy, why do you have to go to school?" everytime I leave for class.

There are a couple of other certificate type things I'm interested in: phlebotomy (Lyric would die if she knew I wanted to poke people) and EKG tech. I'm going to keep my eye out for the continuing education class schedule. It should be out in August and that gives me time to figure things out.

Fisher is okay with whatever. He said as long as we have each other, nothing else matters. Yup, that's right. That's why I married him. He knows the right thing to say when I'm about at my wits end.

And I'm not saying that if I got an acceptance letter, I would turn it down, but two out of the three programs require this chem class. So, we'll see how it goes. I'd say pray for me, but really, I believe it will be as it is intended. Good things will happen.

I'll also give you the info on my new blogs. If you can find them, and leave a comment, before I actually post the link, there may be a prize involved!

Mixed CD Swap

I was doing my daily blog troll and found this . Okay, actually I was checking all my friends blogs. Anyway, it made me decide to do a CD swap. and the good news is- you can play along!

Here's what you have to do:

1) leave a comment that you want to play (easy enough!) between now and Friday
2)On Saturday I will put all names into some sort of randomnator and you will be assigned somebody to send a mixed CD to.
3)the CD should contain at least 10 and no more than 14 songs. You can do a theme CD (ex: love songs, friend songs, songs that make you smile, etc) or they can be truly random (This is Random Thoughts after all). I can see my CD having AC/DC and Allison Kraus and Rick Springfield. :-)
4) Here's the hardest part of the whole thing- The CD needs to be sent to it's recipient by April 17. That gives you three weeks people! You can do it. (and I'm only saying this because I just sent a CD to somebody that I was supposed to send in December, so I mostly had to make myself accountable.)
5) after you recieve your CD, blog about it and link back.

I will let everybody know on or before Monday, March 30 who they will send their CD to. I hope everybody will play along. I expect it will be fun!

I've Been Thinking....

those of you that know me well, know that that can be a very scary thing :-) I"ve been thinking about a couple of new things for the blog.

One is a weekly guest. Other blogs do it, and I did have a very nice guest this week, so I thought I could start it as a semi-regular feature. But I don't want it to be a typical "Why did you start your blog/what advice would you give new bloggers" guest spot, so I have to think on that one a little bit more. Maybe I need a Thinking Chair Like this .

The other thing I've been throwing around is a photo blog. I know that my photos wouldn't be as good as some of these but it would still be fun. Everything always seems to be themed and sometimes the randomness of the world is fun. Of course, it would be called Random Photos or something like that.

and the last thing I've been thinking about is school. Do I want to continue?! The hoops you have to jump through to maybe get into a nursing program are crazy. and in the mean time, I'm losing out on things with the family. I missed Lyric's performance at school this week because of school. it's just one performance, but next year she will be in high school and I want to watch her enjoy those year and really get to see her bloom into a wonderful young woman. So, I think instead of pushing so hard and trying to get into "ANY" program, I'm going to focus on the closest one and see what happens. There are other options and maybe it's okay that I'm just a wife, mother, girl scout leader, First aid instructor, secretary and friend.

Don't Be AFRAID

Today is the day that I have my guest. If you didn't figure out who it was, the above photo is your clue. The interview below is the answer. Jack Kilborn is also known as JA Konrath (author of Whiskey Sour, Rusty Nail, Cherry Bomb and more) AFRAID is coming out this month and JA (Joe) is doing a blog tour to help promote it. I want to send out a huge thank you to Joe for agreeing to stop by. I wonder if it has anything to do with the beers I promised him after the interview?!?

Amy: Joe, welcome to Random Thoughts! Obviously this isn't a typical writer's blog. I'm glad that you could make time to stop by during your busy blog tour. You must be exhausted.

Joe: Happy St. Patty's Day! Thanks for having me. I'm far from exhausted. I am, however, pretty relaxed. On March 17th, the bars all open at 9am, and it's a tradition to have beer and eggs with my buddies. Not beer+eggs together; the beer and eggs stay separated, but they
are consumed at the same time. More beer than eggs. Green beer, of course. There's a Dr. Seuss book in there somewhere.

Amy: Being that you are my first ever guest, I wanted to come up with some deeply thought provoking questions. What is your favorite Rick Springfield song?

Joe: Jessie's Girl. I mean, where can I find a woman like that?

Amy: I'm just kidding. I know that you are way too busy writing books to entertain me and don't have time for music. Speaking of your books, what made you decide to do this blog tour (besides promoting AFRAID?)

Joe: I did it to promote Afraid. :)

Also, I love experiments, and have done many as an author. It's hard to judge what works, as far as self-promotion goes. This is a chance to watch my stats, hear feedback, and figure out if this blog touring thing really helps to sell books. Or not.

So far, my blog traffic has gone up, my backlist sales on Amazon have gone up, and I'm getting a lot of email and meeting a lot of new people.

So it seems to be, at this point, a smart thing to have done.

The sites I visit are also reporting increased traffic and comments, so this is a mutually beneficial experiment.

Amy: Why do you feel that it's important for writers to help each other out like this? Isn't writing and publishing a little "dog eat dog"?

Joe: Not at all. My fans can be your fans. It's never an either/or choice. If someone enjoys books, chances are their favorite authors don't write them quick enough, so they're always on the lookout for new material to read. No authors are in competition with each other.

This is an extremely difficult business to break into, and it's even harder to stay published than it is to get published in the first place. There is nothing but benefits in helping each other. Trading links, sharing advice, networking to find out who is editing anthologies, which agents are good or bad--it all makes this biz a little bit easier.

Amy: Do you find that you are doing more, less, or about the same amount of self promotion now that you did with your first book?

Joe: I'm always promoting. It's part of the business. Name recognition and brand awareness require ongoing attention to maintain, and extra attention to grow.

For each book, I work with my publisher on various campaigns, and we've tried many things. Conventional and unconventional book tours. Mass mailings. Contests and events. This blog tour is just the latest idea in a never-ending cycle of ideas.

So, to answer your question, I'm pretty much always working my butt off, no matter the book.
The question always arises: Can an author make a difference in their own sales? After all, if you look at just about every bestselling author in the history of books, very few have done as much promotion as I have, yet they sell in much bigger numbers.

The publisher is the one that decides on the advertising and marketing budget, on how big the print run is, on how hard they're going to push a book. Publishers can always do more than writers. But books still sell one at a time. Every time you, as an author, do something that leads to a sale, it helps. Maybe your efforts can't compete with a publishing sales rep who manages to get your books into Wal-Mart, but an author's efforts, both tangible and intangible, do help.

It comes down to whether or not you think your efforts are worth the time and money you spend on them. That depends on your goals.

My goal is to sell as many books as possible. That means taking some control over the situation, not leaving my fate completely up to my publisher.

Luck plays a huge part in success. But persistent people seem to get luckier.

Amy: I have to comment on Sheila( tequila-for-sheila). Has her replacement been paid for yet? How's that working out?

Joe:I did finally buy Leela, her replacement. She's not quite paid for, but the donations are still trickling in. BTW, my wife isn't allowed to touch Leela.

All authors need a GPS. We should all be visiting bookstores, meeting booksellers, signing stock and/or suggesting orders. A GPS makes finding these bookstores easier.

Booksellers consider a signed book a sold book. Signed books can still be returned, but they have a better chance of selling. Not only is a signature added value for the buyer, but signed books areusually displayed face out, which brings more attention to them.

Amy: Well, I'd like to thank Joe for stopping by but we have to go now because I promised him a beer!

Joe: Thanks! I'm about ready for another round of eggs as well. While I'm indulging in dairy foods and alcohol, I encourage all of your readers to buy my very scary horror novel, Afraid, written under my pen name, Jack Kilborn. If you like scary, you'll like Afraid. I promise. :)

Awards and winners speeches....

I'd like to thank Swoozie and Annie for the awards they nicely bestowed on me. It happened over the weekend and I tend to be away from the 'net on Saturday and Sunday, so what nice surprise to find them today.


First, Swoozie gave me the Kreativ Blogger award.

The rules as it were for this are to list 7 things you love and 7 bloggers you love. Don't forget to tag them and let them know they received an award.

7 Things I Love:

*sitting by the lake with a good book
*not having to get up in the morning
*when my family is smiling

*time alone with hubby
*spending time with good friends
*a really good chai tea
*hearing my kids laugh

7 Bloggers I Love:

Candid carrie


Amy


Lynn


Paula


Helene


Tess


Momma Mia

The other award I received was the lemonade Award from Annie.

Here are the rules for the award:

1) Put the logo on your blog or post.
2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude.

3) Link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5) Share the love and link to the person from who you received your award.

I'm bestowing this upon the seven bloggers listed above. If you aren't listed and are reading this (duh) then you are invited to take an "extra copy" for your blog because I am gratful that you stopped by! Just comment and let me know that you did so I can come check it out.

Don't forget, tomorrow I'm having a guest. I had a great time doing the interview. I hope you enjoy what my guest has to say.

Winners and more....

Happy Friday, everybody! I'm super excited to announce the winners of my spring fling giveaways. It was a crazy busy day, but so much fun with so many wonderful things given away around the blogosphere.

#1- "A Woman's Place" by Barbara Delinsky goes to Lynn (the link to her life is over there to the right)
#2 - "The Carpenter's Lady" By Barbara Delinksy goes to Capperson .
#3- The pack of my favorite pens goes to Hollie

#4- the two pack of lotion goes to Tamara B (I can't find a blog link for her, just email)

Congrats to all the winners! I'll be packaging everything up this weekend and getting it out to you.

Last night we had the opportunity (Had, took same difference) to go to an indoor waterpark. Yes, it was a school night, yes the kids stayed up late, but my sister in law and her kiddos are in town from Texas and hubby is trying to plan as many get togethers as possible. Why do I tell you this?? No, it's not to make you jealous (even though I know you are). it's because since we were gone, I had to tape my shows. Thursday night is my must see TV.

7pm Bones

8pm Gray's Anatomy

9pm ER

When we got home (at 10:15) I watched Gray's. I'll have to watch it again to catch a few things I missed, but I must say, Derek Shepherd is not on my list of favorite people right now. Okay, I get it- people died. You're a doctor. You wanted to save them. Get over it. I'm sure I've posted here before that I love Shonda Rhimes and I trust her. I just don't always like what she's doing. So, right now I'm in the "I trust her" phase, but that could change quickly.

This morning while I'm trying to get the kids to drag their tired behinds out of bed, I'm watching ER. I have one word for it "YES!" They did it and did it well. I won't say much more because there are a few things I could give away for those that haven't watched it yet. But I will say I'm glad to call myself a fan from the start. I think I'll be tracking down an seasons on DVD that I can get.

Haven't watched Bones yet. That will have to be for this weekend. But from what I read, that is heating up in more ways than one!

Swollen Lymph Nodes...

usually this just means your a little sick, but three years ago, Lyric was nearly hospitalized because her neck was swollen, she couldn't move it, and she was in severe pain. basically what they said was she had an infection and her lymph node was doing it's job, however, instead of flushing it, the lymph node was holding the infection and her neck got bigger and bigger. She missed a week of school, the high school musical that she was supposed to perform it, kept her head tilted to the side and basically was feeling like crap for 2-3 weeks.

So you can imagine the terror in her voice when I get this call.

Lyric: mom, it's me. I'm in the nurses office. I came because my neck hurts and she said I have a swollen lymph node.
Me: how bad is it? Do you want me to come get you? what did she say to do?
Lyric: she gave me a heat pack. I'm going back to class. I just thought that you would want to know. (translation- I want you to know because I'm really scared that this is going to mess up the next month of my life and I have a performance this weekend for band and next month is the musical and I don't want to miss it)
Me: okay. I'll call the doctor.

Yesterday, amidst a mess of crazy (my car door wouldn't shut, Fisher had to go to Chicago to get his sister and her kids) I did get her to the doctor. She ordered a strep screen and some blood work. Yup, blood work, needles, Lyric's worst nightmare. Dr did the strep swab and sent us to the lab for the other.

We went to the lab, dropped of the paperwork and the swab and waited. And waited. And waited. About a half an hour later, I say to my friend who drove us (hi, Kelley!) "This is what I hate. We always have to wait so long for lab stuff."

Apparently I was a bit louder than I thought because the receptionist popped up and said "ma'am they have the results in the office."

Oh, really?!? They have the results? Pretty funny because they didn't draw the blood.
Sarcastic me didn't say all that, but I wanted too. What I really said was- "She's supposed to be having blood work."

Suddenly there is a scramble. Did they miss it? Did the doctor really order it? Am I losing my mind? (all possible yeses) We get sent back to the office. I grumble at the receptionist there about the fact that she was supposed to have lab work done, I thought, but lab says they didn't have the order.

The nurse pops out and says the strep screen is negative. And then she's ready to send us on our way. Seriously!?? I ask about the lab work. She catches the doctor coming out of a room. I don't know if she didn't mark it on the order or if the lab girls really did miss it, but we were out of there about 5 mintues later. blood drawn and everything. (Which is pretty amazing because Lyric HATES needles.)

Those results came back within normal limits. The diagnosis: viral. But keep an eye on the swelling and watch for fevers, rest, fluids, and tylenol.

So, when sleeping beauty didn't want to get up today she says "Can't I just stay home? the doctor said I should rest." Nice. The doctor did not mean rest because you are not a morning person!

And the Winner is...

Thanks to everybody who stopped by yesterday to play! I received some great suggestions for future posts. and some people are going to receive some great prizes. I think I said the winners would be announced on Friday, so I won't give away names yet. But I did go to random.org and picked the winners. I'll be getting in touch with them so I can send out the fun stuff!

Don't forget to stop by next week. It looks like my guest will be here 3/17. Don't be afraid, it will be like a cherry bomb. But if you need to relax, you might want to try a shot ofJack Daniels. (*note to readers- there are subtle hints about the guest in this post)

if you think you know who the guest is, email me at akrueger@rhsnet.org before 3/16. I will draw a name from everybody who gets it right and you will get a special prize, but don't ask me what it is because it's so special even I don't know what it is yet)

SITS Spring Fling and Giveaway Day (books, pens & lotion)

Hello, to all my faithful readers. Today is Spring Fling day! That means good news for you. First, go here to find out what the hoopla is all about. Then follow the directions to win something from me.

I have 4 prizes for today. 1) a paperback copy of "A Woman's Place" by Barbara Delinsky, 2) a hard cover book of "The Carpenter's Lady" by Barbara Delinsky, 3) a pack of my favorite pens (see previous post about all the crap that is in my purse!) , 4) a two pack of hand/body lotion from bath & body works.

How do you win these wonderful prizes, you ask?!? it's easy. Each prize has it's own contest, so you must post appropriately for each. What do you post? If you want to win #1- tell me what is your favorite place. #2- who is your favorite author and why? #3- what is your can't live without item? and #4 - give me an idea for an upcoming blog post.

See, it's easy. Remember each entry needs it's own post. This contest runs throughout the day today. So all posts between now and 11:59 CST will be considered. I will contact winners on Friday, March 13th!

Thanks for playing along!

Candid Carrie: Friday Foto Finish Fiesta Fallon Style 2009.03.06#links

Candid Carrie: Friday Foto Finish Fiesta Fallon Style 2009.03.06#links

PPPP- He was this close

anybody who's been around me for more than say, 5 mintues, would know that I'm a huge fan of this guy. I took this a few years ago. He was this close, people. This close to me! I don't usually have that kind of luck, so I snapped a few pix.

head on over to Candid Carrie and see who else is playing along today.

Looking forward....

Remembe awhile back I was going to play good thing/bad thing?? Well, that didn't pan out as a regular feature, but I have some good and bad stuff today.

BAD-We got our second chem tests back last night. Let's just say, chemistry is not my forte and I may need to look into other options for when I grow up. Since two nursing program entries are contingent on my passing chem, they may no longer be options. I will keep you posted.

GOOD - I'll be having a guest this month. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not telling who, just yet, but if you are a good detective, you should be able to figure it out. I believe this will be happening around 3/17 but the contract isn't signed yet.

GOOD - After the depressing news in chem, I was super excited to check out
Candid Carrie this morning. If this stuff doesn't make coffee come out of your nose, I don't know what will. Carrie has a special brand of craziness that makes me love her more everyday. Hopefully we will meet one day and laugh over all the craziness that makes up our lives.

GOOD - Lyric is getting all A's & B's. (for her this is a bad, she'd like straight A's) But I'm so thankful. We have friends who are having terrible times with their teenagers grades, and my niece is not doing so well either. Lyric makes me proud.

GOOD - Fisher and I are both still gainfully employed. I have three brothers-in-law that are not. It's a tough time all over right now.

I had to throw a couple more good's in there because that chem thing is depressing.

What's in your wallet...um, I mean purse

I saw this at Amy at escape to thought and thought I'd give it a try.

Take a picture of your purse and then pull out all of the junk, I mean stuff, from your purse and show it all. So here goes!

Here's my current purse, I actually changed recently, so this was a fun thing to do and see how much junk was in it already.

Here you go, clockwise: purse (duh), name badge for work, cell phone and charger, pens, girl scout checkbook, change, pile of receipts and misc paper and cookie money envelope, pencil sharpener (notice no pencils), 3 chapsticks, cough drops, sun glasses, wallet, and the other black square is a photo keychain with extra car key.

You don't think I have a pen issue, do you?!? I also have pens in my bag that I carry back and forth to work, and pens and pencils and highlighters in my school bag. This style is my current favorite- I buy them whenever I can find them.

PPPP- Cookies

I didn't think I had any photos for this week, but I do! This has been my life for the past couple of weeks....

I really should have taken a photo after we unloaded all the cases, but I was in a different mind set then. Oh, well, maybe next year.

Check out Candid carrie and see who else is playing this week.

Enchanted Scents Designs

I signed up today as an affiliate with this company. There's a link below. What I like about them is that they have a wide product line and a varied scent list. Go ahead, check them out!

http://www.enchantingscentsdesigns.com/store/affiliate.asp?aff=8961

What Girl scout cookie are you?

Apparently I am a Peanut Butter Pattie...take the test(The link is below) and let me know which cookie you are in the comments. One lucky commenter will win a box of "their" cookie. Cookie contest runs today through 2/27/09 at 12pm CST.

You Are Peanut Butter Patties / Tagalongs

You are creative and artistic. When you think, you tend to think big. You go for the drama. You love excitement and passion... even if it gets you in trouble. You are intense and a little self centered. You can be quite full of yourself (but not without reason). You tend to be very indulgent. If you feel like having something, you go ahead and treat yourself.

What Girl Scout Cookie Are You?

Barbara Delinsky...PPPP

Last night was wonderful! Kelley and I headed up to Oconomowoc. We followed Fisher's directions and it worked out great, except for the bypass/shortcut to Lynn's house that we missed and drove all the way around the town. Anyway, we picked up Lynn, grabbed some food (which I'm sure was way over my points limit for dinner!) and went to the Arts Center.

Barabara did a mini meet and greet thing, then we went into an auditorium and she did a reading from the new book, and talked about her career, and answered questions. Then we went back out the lobby so she could sign the books.

It was so cool to be there, talking to her like we were old friends. Lynn and Kelley both took photos for me. It's like I was almost famous for 5 minutes. There was another lady in line who was even taking pix while I was talking to her. And Barbara even asked somebody to take a photo of us together on HER camera! Seriously, how cool is that?!?

Anyway, here's the photos. My desire to write is rekindled....watch for my next book....coming soon.

Now head on over to CandidCarrie and see what else is going on.


3pm update: went over to Barbara's site and saw that there were blog entries from her, from the road. Well, wasn't I giggling when I saw my name in print here . How super cool is that!?!? And after reading a couple of notes, I'm glad I didn't bring her a copy of my book.

Google Game

I found this while I was floating around the blogosphere. Thought I'd try it out. What you do is go to Google, and type in your name & a word (see list below) and see what comes up. There's no tagging allowed, but if you do try this, let me know.

Amy Needs: some help drinking (not usually!)
Amy Looks: like she's about to sneeze (with the cold I've had this week, this is fitting)
Amy Likes: mountains (not so much)
Amy Says: Discover music (YES! I love to discover new bands)
Amy Wants: to record in Jamaica (This was actually about Amy Winehouse
Amy Does: design (um, huh?)
Amy Hates: to work out (ain't that the truth!)
Amy Can: fish (pretty fitting considering hubby's blog name is Fisher)
Amy Goes: back onstage (Sure- if it's with Rick Springfield)
Amy Loves: Books (Absolutely! I'm going to get the new Barbara Delinsky tonight!)

I wonder if I'd get the same answers in Yahoo?! that will have to be a post for another day.

New York City is a GO!

Some of you may know that Lyric's girl scout troop (or most of them) are planning to go to New York this fall (August). Some of you may also know that the trip has been a maybe-go for months. Because of the economy many people who wanted to go backed out. Well, I got the official word today that the trip, at this point is a GO!



Lryic worked her butt off babysitting to pay for this and gave up a lot of spending money because NY is some place she's always wanted to go. I'm ambivilent, but since it means so much to her, I'm going. Thank goodness for tax refunds, so I can pay for my part of the trip. We are going to be super busy because we get to see...

CBS Studios/CBS Morning Show

central park

apollo theater

Times Square

Ellis Island

United Nations Headquarters

NBC Studio/Today Show (I'll let you know what day to watch for us!)

United Nations Headquarters Tour

We also get to see a Broadway show, however which one is yet to be decided. There's a few other things we get to see as well:

Radio City Music Hall Grand Tour
Rockefeller center Tour
Ellen’s Stardust Diner
Upper Manhattan Sightseeing Tour
Top of The Rock Observation Deck
Ground zero Memorial
St Paul’s Chapel
South Street Seaport
Broadway Show
John’s Pizzaria

(Okay, so this post just took about 30 minutes- I gotta get going, but I'll be sure to take lots of photos on on trip!)

I have a new favorite Band...

Last night I got to go out with my sister in law for a girl's night. This was not a typical girl's night though. We went to a concert. A rock concert. A really, really loud rock concert.

We missed the opening band, The Last Vegas, and I really wanted to check them out because they are a local band working their way to the big time.

Then we saw these guys:

I wish I could have taken photos, but no cameras were aloud, so we gotta work with what I could find on yahoo images.

Anyway, these guys rocked it and I would definitely go see them again. We missed the first couple of songs, but what we did see and hear was ROCKING!

Then we saw these guys:

HINDER

This is my new favorite band! I could have listened to them for four hours and never got tired. (okay, a few less F bombs would have been okay, but overall...LOVED IT!)

Then we saw these guys:

That's right. Motley Crue. Tommy Lee is my favorite bad boy. He rocks the drums, is a good dad, and wasn't afraid to go back to school....LOL. Motley Crue's light/stage show was phenomenal! Unless you are prone to migraines or have epilepsy. The lights were flashing and flashing and flashing. The whole venue was pounding and jumping. The music was great, but the "entertainment" on the screens was less than entertaining. I'm sure they thought it would be a bunch of guys coming to the show, but the audience was pretty mixed. The poor mom in front of us probably has to buy her son a new video game to make him forget all the inappropriateness that he saw last night.

Rick was there,too. Rick Nielsen (of Cheap Trick) that is. He came out and did "Jailhouse Rock" with the Crue.

Oh, and we saw:

Kat Von D

She was there supporting her boyfriend, Nikki Sixx.

Except for having to wait out in the cold for 30 minutes, it was a great night. We're ready to do it again...

Nine Words

This has been going around for awhile, but I recently received it from my friend, Jill, and I decide to share it with you!

NINE WORDS WOMEN USE
(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are
right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an
hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given
five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something,
and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing
usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement
often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an
idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and
arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of
'nothing'.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman
can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard
before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just
say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true,
unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not
thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome'. That will bring
on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying F-- YOU!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement,
meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several
times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man
asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

hope this made you laugh, or at least let out a little chuckle!

Weight Update...and more

That's right my fellow readers...you saw that ticker over there ---> move from 6 to 8.6.
8.6 is the three week total. If I can keep on the 2 lbs per week pace, I'l be at my goal weight well before Milwaukee. I should have do a before an after photo, but I forgot. I do have some from Christmas but they aren't really head on shots. We'll see what happens.


First Chemistry test is tonight. I feel like I know stuff, because it all makes sense when he's talking about it, but I'm not sure I can pull it back out of my head. Wish me luck.


A few months ago I had this GREAT idea for a blog/story/love triangle thingy. I've been mulling it around in my brain the last few days, and i think I'm going to start working on it again. I have lots of short(er) stories that I'm planning to publish as a compliation. I'll let you know when I make that happen.

25 Random Things

I was tagged more than once on Facebook for this, but decided to put it here for you all to view! (If I can figure out a way to link it-I will) And with a name of "25 Random Things" I figured I had to do it, because everything I do is random....LOL

1. I recently joined Weight Watchers
2. I've lost 6 lbs so far
3. I was a quiet,shy kid
4. I would fight to the death to protect my kids
5. I wish I still lived in a small town
6. I'm glad I have a grocery store around the corner
7. When I was 12 I wanted to marry Rick Springfield
8. I've always wanted to be a writer
9. I wish I would have tried out for the Spring Musical when I was in high school
10. I love to watch Lyric perform
11. I always knew I would be pregnant 4 times
12. I didn't know I would only get 2 kids out of the above
13. I sing in the car...LOUDLY
14. I love hard rock
15. I wish I would have never quit college when I was 20
16. I'm not sure what I want to be when I grow up
17. I have two sisters and a brother that I've never met
18. Some of my closest friends I met due to a common love of Rick Springfield
19. I love my job...how many people can really say that!?!?
20. I've been writing stories since I was 12 years old
21. I've always wanted to go to Australia
22. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 18 and graduated from HS (I had a college class that started on Monday and I needed to get there, so Saturday I went and got my license)
23. My first car was a stick shift, and so was my third
24. Once upon a time I wanted to be a teacher
25. My dream job would be "playing" on the computer all day

I don't think I have 25 people to tag so if you are reading this, you are tagged. Link back so I know you did this and I'll be sure to leave you a comment!

Color Me DUH

I recently realized that there is soo much more to Blogger than I ever thought. When you log in and go to settings/layout and can change/add gadgets....I always thought the only ones available were the ones shown. But now I see that there are categories and all kinds of fun things you can add. Go figure. I'm very much a jump in and go type of girl, and ask questions later.

On a little side note (and what kind of started all this in the first place), I recently joing Weight Watcher At Work. In the past 2 weeks, I have lost 6 lbs. Nice, huh. 19 more to my goal weight.

And on another end note- had some stress and chaos at our house this weekend. You may or may not know that I am anti MySpace, especially for children. Well, Lyric had previously had a myspace account (without permission) and we made her shut it down. Low and behold, she opened it up again a few months ago. Yes, i knew about it, but I also told her to delete it. Well, due to some sort of craziness, she can't log into her email account to get the email from Myspace, to confirm that yes, she does in fact want it cancelled. And, since I hadn't mentioned it again, she thought it was okay to go ahead and keep using it. We found out because she was messing with her ipod touch instead of doing homework and Fisher found that she was logged into myspace. So now I'm furious. Everytime I'm close to giving in and setting up an account for her that I can easily manage, she does something like this. I understand her need/want to have it, but I also want her to be safe. She thinks I'm just stupid.

Any parental thoughts on that one???

PPPP- finally

A few weeks ago, I went to Door County with my mom. It's where we were both born and where we still have family. This photo was taken at my mom's favorite place, anytime of the year.

Looks like a typical county park sign, right?? now look at the whole sign.

We called these the golf clubs. I hope that you can see how the icicles are hanging. I have lots more photos from this trip, but I wanted to get these up here for Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta!

now head on over to candid carrie and see what else is going on.

A sign of the times

I wish I had a photo to go along with this post because the visual on it is pretty powerful.

This morning I was running late for work, due to Jazz missing the bus. (She was in the bathroom, but when you gotta go, you gotta go) Anyway, took Jazz to school and was heading in. I drive the same route 99.9 % of the time, albeit usually a few mintues eariler. Today I saw something that at first glance was very sweet, and then very sad.

Three dads standing at the bus stop with their kids. "Aww" I thought. How cool that those dads are so involved, yada yada yada. Then, after a moment of thought, I realize that there is a good chance that each of them are layed off.

In this economy it can happen to anybody. It happened to my brother in law a few weeks ago. He's still not sure what the next step is for him. We have a friend who works for a car manufacturer who's not sure how long he will be back at work. Another friend who's in construction has worked less than 3 months out of the past 15.

So, I hope that...well, I don't really know what I hope. I hope that those that are looking are able to find a job. I hope that Obama can help turn things around.

Happy Sunday

hey, all. How was your weekend??
We went to a hotel Friday night for a quick overnight and let the kids swim. It was a great mini getaway and much needed. The rest of the weekend has been pretty layed back.

I've done all my homework, and studied for the potential pop quiz. The kids are done with homework as well and I think we are going to cuddle up on the couch after dinner and watch a movie. Fisher is out of town for work but will be back tomorrow night.

I didn't sleep well last night, (and ended up with a headache this morning) so hopefully tonight will go better.

I hope everybody is doing well, staying warm and feeling okay!

Fender Bender Follow Up

So, this is the story I got from Jazz. Somebody, in a car, pulled out in front of the bus. The bus hit said car. Everybody rocked. One girl fell out of her seat (she was in front, closest to the drive), two others hit their heads on the seats in front of them. Jazz bumped her head on the backswing and her knees hit the seat in front of her. I'm sure that everybody got bumped a bit. Nobody had to go to the hospital, but there were "police cars, and ambulances, and fire trucks there, Mom!". So it was kind of a big deal.

The bus driver looked a little hesitant/shy/scared/reserved when Jazz got on this morning. I felt bad for her.

The call you don't want...

Babysitter: hey, is Jazz coming here today?
Me: yes. Why, is she not there?
Babysitter: Nope.
Me: What time does she usually get there?
Babysitter: 15 minutes ago.

So, as my heart is pounding out of my chest, I call the school bus garage.

Me: yeah, I'm just have a question about my daughter's bus.
Lady: What school?
Me. (*********)
Lady: Bus ABC?
Me: yup.
Lady: I was just getting ready to call people. There was a little fender bender and we are dispatching another bus to pick up the kids and finish the route.

Yup, that's right. the bus got into an accident. Nobody was hurt (thank goodness) but the almost funny thing is when Lyric was in kindergarten this happened like 3 times within a month. It was crazy. I think that bus driver finally got let go. let's hope that this is not a sign of things to come.

Anyway, Jazz made it to the sitter about a half hour late and was laughing so I guess she's not bothered by the whole thing.

Sowing a Seed

AKA help Amy win a call from Barbara Delinsky. You may remember that I won a phone call last year for being a blabbermouth?!? Well, this year's contest is the "sow the seed contest".

go to www.barbaradelinksy.com , click on the contact page and leave a note telling Barbara that I (Amy Krueger) sowed a seed for While My Sister Sleeps. that's it. Whoever gets the most people to head over there will win a phone call, a green basket (for a gardener) and a copy of a backlist book.

I'm okay with not winning, but it would be super cool if I did. I'm also looking at going to the book signing 2/19 in Oconomowoc. Is that close enough for me to drive?!? I think it is. I'm going to mapquest it right now!

Strong, Independent Woman

here's my most recent dilemma. I have two daughters. (okay, really that's not it, that's just the beginning!) I want them to be Strong, Independent Woman. But I want them to know that it's okay to get married and be happy. Strong, independent woman don't need a man. They can take care of things themselves. But it's nice to have a man around (I've been married for 15 years, so I should know LOL).

How do I balance the lessons of marriage, family, career, independence?!? What do you think?

Chemistry...Girl Scouts and more

About five minutes ago I had a really cool title for this entry. Then the phone rang and I got distracted....can't quite remember what it was.

Anyway, went to Chem last night. I think it's going to be okay, now. I had a teeny tiny panic moment. I thought that maybe I was registered for the wrong class (there's a one semester and a two semester). So I called over to the school I'm trying to get into and got the word- I'm good.

It's girl scout cookie time (I'm sure that I mentioned this already.) Lyric is doing great, thanks to my mom. She might actually get a full NY payment out of them. I just hope that the NY trip is still a go. A lot of people that signed up initially are having to back out due to the economic crisis. If we don't get to go, Lyric will be heartbroke. But I do believe they do these trips every other year. So she can jsut put her money into savings and pull it out when it gets rescheduled.

We're getting snow and cold weather and I HATE cold weather. I'm sure in a previous life I lived someplace very warm- I don't know where, but somewhere. We'll see if the cars start the next couple of mornings when the high temps for the day will be below zero. Sounds fun, doesn't it?!? Who wants to move to the Midwest? Come on, raise your hand. LOL