Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...

I don't have a lot of regrets in my life, but there are a few....

I wish I hadn't....
-Desired to 'fit in' so much in HS:  All my friends had boyfriends, and instead of being happy with my non-attached status, I took the first one offered.  (Can we say co-dependant???)

-(wished I HAD) seen the writing on the wall and gone after my Soul Mate instead of thinking my date was 'mine' (he wasn't; I should have told him where to go that night and maybe my SM and I would be together??)

-Given up on said Soul Mate when I DID tell my supposed boyfriend to take a hike.

-Lost patience when a 'surprise' was 'coming soon'.  Essentially gave up the chance to visit Hawaii....

-Spent all that money self-publishing.  If I'd been a little patient, maybe things would have been better?  (Although it DID show me how to promote myself, so it wasn't entirely all bad.  Chalk it up to learning experience...)

-(wished I HAD) chosen another major in college, one which gave me the skills to find a GOOD PAYING JOB?  (But then again, if I'd married my SM, I'd be fairly comfortable, instead of watching the pennies...or maybe even divorced, so maybe Life with him wouldn't have been so merry?  Who knows?)

-Been so anxious to move out of the city after storage unit being broken into and made a better choice of buying a house...(But then again, everything happens for a reason....)

Yes, I am not in control of my life.  Everything which has happened to me has made me the person I am today. And a little wiser, and more cautious.  And most importantly, I'm finally comfortable being ME.  I'm not seeking approval from the opposite sex; I know my SM is waiting for me.

I have readers who enjoy my work.

I have good friends who like to hang out with me.

And, I've raised three good kids. (Okay; the jury's still out on #3, but he has his good moments!)

What about you?  Any big regrets you'd like to share?  I'd love for Q to be able to show me what my life would have been like, if I'd changed a few decisions....with the option to return to my current lifetime, of course!  (Star Tren TNG, if you're unfamiliar with that character!)

I Got Nothin'....

Once upon a time, Alan Rickman went to the mall and was mobbed by women with sparkers, yelling 'Snape!  Sheriff of Nottingham!'....yeah....I don't know where else to go with that.....come back next week.

Since I missed last week's topic, who am I?  I'm Kenzie Michaels; mother of three (or four....or seven....hell, I adopt the entire neighborhood!), author with two pen names (are you just now figuring that out?) and a quirky sense of humor.  I've also known to accidentally offend people with jokes, song lyrics, and the odd one-liner which may pop out of my mouth unchecked.  More recently, my patriotism has gotten me into trouble on Face Book.  I also love my Colts football; my March Madness college basketball, and used to be a die-hard Cubs fan (okay; still a Cubs fan.  But don't watch all the games now, due to marrying a non-sports watcher!).  I have an extensive music collection and am fiercely loyal to my friends.  I don't pass along gossip; if you tell me something, you won't hear it from someone else (I slipped up once, after carrying a secret for twenty years; I thought SURELY she'd have come clean by now!  Oops...)

I am also college educated; have a personal print library of over 2000 books and an e-library of probably 300.  And due to the recent incident on FB, I've discovered my skin has REALLY gotten thick!

Meet me in person; you'll find I'm easy going and fun loving.  Pour a few drinks in me and I'll even get up and sing karaoke.  Want to talk religion?  I'm a Christian with an open mind.  I don't judge; you have your right to your views and I have my right to mine.  I will in no way try to convince you that I'm 'right'.

Okay; I'm heading into dangerous territory.  Time to change the subject.

I'm getting ready to edit Ch 5 of Teacher's Pet.  Hopefully, this means I'll have another release soon, since I LOVE this cover!

'It's The End of the World As We Know It..."

Sorry; I couldn't resist.  Seriously, for a 9/11 tribute, go see Molly; she's pretty much said everything I wanted to say.

Not that I'm making light of our nation or complaining...oh wait; yes, I'm going to complain.  Because a lot of what is happening is either Too Little Too Late; Over Kill; and proof our country's leaders have lost their minds.

TLTL:  Yeah, we thought we were invincible.  But didn't the Oklahoma City bomb teach us ANYTHING?  Or about the 1st attack on WTC?  You'd think the US would have gotten a clue something BIG was coming.  (And yeah, blame Clinton and the media....maybe if we hadn't have been sooooo concerned with his sexual exploits, we would have paid more attention to what was ALSO going on in the world???)  I know I was THRILLED that gas prices were less than a dollar.  I was THRILLED I could buy meat for under a dollar a pound.  And my milk was $1.19.  And no one cared that CEO's everywhere were making money and handing out bonuses equal to lottery payments.  Hell, my bonus in 1990 was $150.  Would it actually hit $200 the next year?  No; I didn't get one because I was on 'maternity leave'.  My 'bonus' that year was the extra tips I'd received after telling my favorite customers I was getting married.  But I digress...

In 2001, I could safely walk down the halls of the high school I worked for.  A year later, even though everyone knew me, I still had to stop at the office, sign in, and wear a badge saying I was authorized past the office doors.  WTH?  Oh....a new teacher might freak out and think I was there to kidnap someone/pull a gun/plant a bomb in a locker.  Get real....there's only 300 students in the WHOLE BUILDING, K-12!  EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYONE!

But that's a moot point now; I've moved and in the HS, I can move around undetected if I choose (I've gone upstairs to the guidance counselor many times!), but in the elementary, I need to check in at the office, and they lock the doors to the actual education wing.  Go figure; I guess elementary kids are the baddies....(Actually, I think this is due to the high population of child molesters in the area.)

Over Kill:  I understand taking precautions in the airports, thanks to those idiots who caused this attack.  I've actually only flown twice in the last ten years, but let me tell you, it was a pain in the ass.  First of all, our trip in 2004 to Ottowa.  1)  At first, it was funny.  I'm getting patted down while my 12- and 10 y/o are having to handle the diaper bag, stroller, their own carry on luggage, AND their baby brother.  I told the attendant, 'Take your time; my kids are doing all the work'.  LOL!

2)  The last leg of the trip was horrible.  Because my father could not come to the luggage carousel, he had no idea I was dealing with 10-month-old who'd exploded his diaper and was out of wipes, PLUS, there was NO BATHROOM FACILITY in that area, not to mention I was filling out the forms for our missing luggage.  Thank GOD I'd had the foresight to pack the child an extra set of clothing in his diaper bag.  I ended up throwing away a onezie and wrapping his pants in paper towels until we could get to the motel, plus go shopping the next day for baby wipes and more clothing!  (And thanks to the motel, which had guest laundry facilities!)

Our trip to Disney six months earlier had been better.   We'd sent our luggage with my father and oldest son, who drove, so we didn't have to worry about pesky details such as checking our luggage.

And the reason I've not flown lately?  Prices; the fact my ear has been acting up (if I don't load up on the Sudaphed, I'm in agony until we level off, and don't get me started about the descent!); and the restrictions...OMG....might as well leave your toiletries at home and buy the travel-size once you get there.  No, flying is now a pain, so we're rediscovering the beauty of our country as we travel.  And since portable DVD players exist, my kids are happy when we travel.  And I'm enjoying seeing the countryside I missed as a kid, because my nose was buried in a book.

POCLHLTM:  I'm probably going to piss off some people, but hey, this is my blog and I get to say what I want.  So if you don't want to hear about me complaining about our current leaders, STOP READING RIGHT NOW!

Okay, Obama got himself elected because 1) He was a better choice than Hilary (I admit, I voted Democratic in the primary to keep HER from winning in our state!); 2) McCain sealed his fate when he chose Sarah Palin (imho!), but now she's actually starting to sound intelligent; 3) Obama promised 'change' and 'less spending' and 'no special treatment for lobbyists'.  Hmmm.....'change' has been for the worse (unemployment; gas prices, Big Businesses failing...); 'less spending'...he's spent money like a kid who's suddenly won the lottery and turned loose in a candy store; 'no special treatment'...from what I've seen, he's reneged on every single one of his campaign promises!  I would not be surprised if his own damn party refused to nominate him again!

On the republican side (and let me state, I in no way vote a straight ticket!), things are heating up all over the place.  Ron Paul.  Michelle Bachman (I think that's how she spells her name??).  Mitt Romney.  And all anyone can talk about is 'create jobs'....'lower spending'.....'blame everyone else for our credit rating'.....I want a definite plan of action.  Not just vague topic sentences; I want to see a cohesive plan to get our country back on track.  And if that means (gasp!) stop sending money overseas to bail out countries who don't do anything but drain our economy, then so be it.  Where was Japan when the towers fell?  Katrina?  Irene?  What about Libya?  We helped oust Gadaffi; are they sending any relief money our way?

Remember the Cheers episode when Woody got elected to public office, all because Frazier wanted to prove a point about voter mentality?  People, stop voting with your hearts and use your intellect!  I'm beginning to agree; the recent earthquake was actually our founding fathers rolling over in their collective graves.  Time to get these career politicians out of Washington and get someone in there with a solid plan and the backing to get it done.  And one who's NOT a dictator, but rather one who motivates the country to pull together and WORK together.

Apologies if I've angered anyone; I warned you to stop reading!

Back To Basics....

I've come to believe I need to go back to school. Why? I'll tell you.

Everything I thought I knew about writing dialogue has turned out to be WRONG!

I had one editor who didn't mind the use of the word 'said', 'protested'. 'admitted'.

Editor #2 told me to take them out and replace with gestures. Okay; now I have my characters 'smiling'; 'running hands through their hair'; 'taking sips of their drinks'.

Editor #3 didn't object to my use of action tags and the occasional dialogue tag when I couldn't find a way to eliminate it.

Editor #4: Honestly, the edits went so fast, I'm not sure what she thought of my issue.

Editor #5: I've only received one set of edits, on the wrong story; however, my publisher has created an 'inside the editor's mind' blog and I've discovered the last set of self-edits I used the wrong tags. The good side is, my editor will correct them. The bad side? My 'clean' draft is now not so 'clean'.

So maybe I should either do my daughter's English homework with her or take up the 'Back to school' offers and go take another Grammar course at my local college?

Grrrrrr.......

Can You Guess My Favorite Scent?

She stretched out on the couch, remote control in hand. The scent of her cucumber-melon votive candles made the living room smell like a fruit basket, even as she munched the red Twizzler candy licorice ropes.

The channel she selected showed mouthwatering yeast rolls dripping with honey butter. She bit off another chunk of the cinnamon-flavored licorice and clicked the next channel. A Jeopardy question. Awesome! She leaned forward.

“200 for Game Show Hosts, Alex,” the student with the cowboy hat said.

“POV, HOH, and CBS….Rachel.”

“Who is Julie Chen? Game show hosts for 400.”

“Answers, not questions….Rachel again.”

(laughs) “Who is Alex Trebeck?”

“Right again..Who knew I’d be in my own game show? Rachel, select again.”

“Same category, 600.”

“This show will leave you stranded, unless you have a strong alliance in the game….Justin.”

“Who is Jeff Probst? Game show contestants for 800.”

(Whooshing sound) “You’ve located the Daily Double. Justin, you can risk up to 1000.”

“I’ll bet 1000.”

“Okay. Here’s your answer: He didn’t know his sister would be on the same show with him.”

“Ummm……”

The bag of Twizzlers slipped from her lap. “I know that one!” She leaned forward as time ran out.

“I need an answer Justin…”

“Ummm. Russell Hantz?”

(Groans) “Oh, so sorry Justin; the answer is Cowboy.”

Her companion laughed as she reached down for the red ropes of candy. “Maybe you should audition for the show. As much as you're obsessed with some of the male contestants..."

“I’m much better at Wheel of Fortune. I used to win all the spelling competitions at school, but got beat in the Statewide Spelling Bee. Maybe I should apply.” She stretched out again to watch the rest of the show. "And I am not obsessed with men!"

"You cried when Jeff was voted off of Big Brother; you cheered when Russell was voted off Survivor; you screamed when Brendan was brought back; and oh yes, you voted for Dr. Will on everyone's email addresses, plus your other two. And anyone else who would let you vote on their computer." He ticked them off on his fingers. "And let's not forget the name of the cologne you buy me all the time!"

So how did you do? My favorite scents are:

Fresh bread

Vanilla

Cinnamon

Cucumber-melon

And Obsession For Men:)

Beating The Heat and Needing 'Me' Time

Yes, I've been a baaad blogger lately. The past two weekends have been extremely busy, plus our heat wave BROKE finally! Which is weird...usually once the temps hit late 70's and early 80's, on go my shorts and T shirts, and maybe even a tank top. And since the spouse tends to open the windows and doors, I'm even happier.

Enter the 90 degree temp. Spouse closes up the house and the a/c is engaged. Suddenly, I'm wearing sweats in the house and stripping off a layer to go outdoors. And yes, carry a sweater with me to restaurants, in case of freeze-out. I admit it; I'm a split-personality in the summer.

But with kids running in and out, the house has been hot even WITH the a/c! I sleep in my 'granny gown' to stay cool at night. Tank tops and shorts rule, even in restaurants. Maybe I'm having hot flashes due to menapause?

Younglings #2 and 3 leave...and the 98+ temps and 105 degree heat index left last week....and suddenly Kenzie is back in her fleece jammies at night. Yes, you read that right; Kenzie sleeps in FLEECE all year round (with the exception of when she's having hot flashes...and with the addition of her thyroid meds, that has been cured, somewhat...).

I attended a mini-HS reunion last week, and the family laughed at me, because I didn't know what to pack. Tank top and capris, yes. But to wear the pink one with a shrug over it, or my dressy black one? I packed both. And ended up wearing the black one:)

And since the next day was a birthday party, wear a T-shirt with capris or a white tank and shorts? Went outside at 11am and it was nearly too humid to breathe. Tank top and shorts, coming up!

I also drink massive amounts of iced tea; we took the kids to the movies one day, since a friend reported the water at the public pool was near bathwater temps; and in 'normal' situations, cook inside as little as possible. I love my grill! ('Normal'=paragraph #2)

I Loves The Quiet!

I'll admit it; people think I'm strange. Most moms can't wait to spend time with their kids. Maybe I've spent too much time? I look forward to fall, when they all go back to school. I get 'my life' back! In the summer, unless I'm 'in the zone' or editing, I'm at their mercy. Running them here and there, be it ball games (1998-2002), playdates, the library, or whatever. I can't even watch TV anymore, or play my music (unless I'm downstairs in the shower or doing laundry, lol! I've also been known to pop a CD into the laptop while I'm cooking or doing the dishes!)

And the spouse reaaallly needs to get a hobby. I'm tired of him hanging around the house all the time. I need the house filled with MUSIC, not the sounds of Syfy channel, Food Network, History, DIY, or Discovery.

A neighbor absolutely baffled me twelve years ago. Her baby entered kindergarten, and she called me an hour later, sobbing: "I'm sooooo lonely! What am I going to do all day without her?"

Within two weeks, she'd volunteered to be a room mother, and was babysitting two other kids in the class after school (this was when kdgn was half day).

When my then-baby entered kdgn, I spent the mornings doing errands or on the computer! And when she started 1st grade, I literally threw myself a 3-day party: Lunch with a friend and a massage on day #1; dragged my spouse to the State Fair on day #2; and grocery-shopped and gave the house a thorough cleaning on day #3. Finished up on day #4, and settled down to write the following Monday. Did I miss the kids? Hell no!

So what do I need in order to write?

-Everyone out of the house

-Loud Music (when I get 'in the zone', I actually tune it out; go figure!)

-Plenty of iced tea in the kitchen (it means I'll get up every once in a while!)

-Cookies, preferably chocolate chip or Fig Newtons:)

And no spouse threatening me to get of the computer! Go away and leave me alone!! (Case in point: He's gone to church and I'm sitting at home, writing this post, lol! Tired and in too much pain to attend this morning.)

I Haz The Rage...

What makes me see red? Injustice, stupidity, and just plain stubbornness.

In Life:

I vented my rage here. I don't feel like copy/pasting; it's rather long and not pretty. If you're up for it, feel free to tell me if I'm just suffering from a massive case of PMS or if my family needs a cast-iron skillet upside the head. Or if I need to just go away and calm down for several weeks. Maybe it's just stress.

What makes me mad in books?

When the H/h don't talk to each other! A classic case can be found in Barbara Huffert's Deal of a Lifetime. The H/h spend most of the book making assumptions about the other, despite their inability to keep their hands off each other. I wanted to jump into the book and lock them in a room until they TALKED to each other, expressing feelings/emotions/misconceptions and kissed and made up. Yeah, I know; that would be a boring book. And I admit, it kept me reading. And since Barb is a friend, and I've read that book several times since, I don't think she'd mind a little free publicity for it:) (Love you Barb, if this shows up on a Google Alert, lol!!)

I just finished reading Jean M Aul's Land of Painted Caves. And I'm in agreement with the one review I saw: Enough of the damned cave paintings already! I skipped over much of the description and went straight to the dialogue. There were places where the story could have been more exciting, but instead, she went for the 'safe' approach. Several times I thought I knew how certain sub-plots would end, only to have them fizzle out. But still, this made me want to go back and reread Shelters of Stone, since it's been eight years between books. And even book #3, Mammoth Hunters, made me want to lock Jondalar and Ayla in a room until they admitted they loved each other. I sincerely hope A does get to reunite with her Clan and son before this series ends. And in case you're wondering, yes, I will buy LOPC when it arrives in paperback. I borrowed the hardback from the library.

So what gets YOUR dander up? What makes you so mad you want to punch something?