Sick Day

The boys were home sick from school today--nothing major, just the sniffles. But the daughter and I have them too, so we were a house full of bored, sniffling people. I played way too many games of Bejeweled and checked e-mail like 1,000 times. The kids have played so much Mario Kart, they're better drivers than I am. I could probably send them out in the van to run errands and they'd make it home without a scratch (and in record time).

Psych is back tonight with new episodes, and I am a happy camper. (Though I can't watch it 'til the hubby gets back in town, since watching it together is kind of our thing.) Is it sad that I'm this excited about a TV show? It's just so silly and fun, with its 80s guest stars and Scooby Doo plots. Just watching the commercials for it makes me smile.

Smiling is good. Sniffling, not as good.

Ah, Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

It's hilarious to see what I wrote a few weeks ago, something about everything changing and promising job opportunities and resolution to this endless waiting. Plus actually being excited about the query process when I had forgotten how brutal and agonizing and soul-crushing it is, and how it actually involves MORE WAITING.

We (Bryce) didn't get the job in Seattle. I had such high hopes. His company is still dragging its feet on the Naperville move/housing situation. And only one showing on our house this month.

Ugh.

But. I was reminded yesterday why daughters are completely awesome. When I was having a poor-me, despair filled day yesterday, she brought me a plastic tiara and a sparkly magic wand and let me tell you, wearing a tiara makes everything better. I swear.

I may have to wear one every day. Or at least until life decides to be a little more kind.

Holy Life Changes, Batman!

Killer Earthlings is finished! Hooray and hallelujah! Finally finished the first draft Christmas weekend and I'm SO eager to start querying. I've been out of the game too long.
Must. Resist. Premature. Queries. Must. Edit. Instead. Arrggh. (Although I feel like the first half of the book has been tinkered with so much it doesn't need too much work. It's the second half I'm worried about.)

Big things are also happening on the husband's job front. The house has been up for sale for four months in preparation for our move to Chicago/Naperville. This is the month we demand that they move us to an apartment or something (and of course, PAY for it) so Bryce doesn't have to do the back and forth thing anymore.

However, there is another job possibility in the works on the other side of the country. A very, very tempting possibility. One way or the other, this is the week when everything changes.

I also have to take a moment to gripe that 2009 was the year we fixed practically everything in this lovely house of ours (plus a ruined transmission in the van), so we were relieved to see New Year's Day, 2010. A fresh start. Lots of optimism to go around.

Naturally that's the day our furnace went kablooey.

The heat is fixed now, so we're warm and grateful about the $700 price tag, which could have so easily been $4000. And as far as we're concerned, 2010 started on January 2.

Sleepy Sunday

I was 20 minutes late for church today because I drove right past the exit because I was daydreaming, and the next exit is 10 miles down the road. This is not the first time I've done this. *shakes head at self and sighs*

Also I wanted to share a cool quote I read on Harold Underdown's site, The Purple Crayon:

"The children know. They have always known. But we choose to think otherwise: it hurts to know the children know. If we obfuscate, they will not see. Thus we conspire to keep them from knowing and seeing. And if we insist, then the children, to please us, will make believe they do not know, they do not see. They are remarkable--patient, loving, and all-forgiving. It is a sad comedy: the children knowing and pretending they don't know to protect us from knowing they know."

-- Maurice Sendak, preface to I Dream of Peace (UNICEF, HarperCollins l994). With thanks to Sara Jane Boyer.

Yeah, Sure, You Betcha

We're thinking of going to Minneapolis over spring break. The kids and I have never been (unless you count the airport). It's about a seven-hour drive, and seems like a cool city. We might even meet Aunt Niesja there and make it an all-out party. After all, nothing screams SPRING BREAK!!! like Minnesota. :)

In Which Christine Attempts to Join the 21st Century and Also Make Some Money

I finally caved and joined Facebook. Just what I needed--another way to waste time on the Internet! The hubby raves about it though, so we'll give it a shot.

Have also been doing some freelance writing. The pay is pretty abysmal, but at least it's pay.

Hee

This has to be the funniest (and saddest) email spam subject line I've ever seen:

"BUY a degree--the new way of earning a degree!"

There's a sad commentary in there somewhere about the world's definition of "earning."