*bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt*

That sound you’re hearing is the sound of my brain shorting out.

TOO. MUCH. GOOD. STUFF.

Okay– random order.  Totally random.  Let’s see if I can remember any of it.

*  Chicken is designing characters for my Christmas short, Going UP!  This is Sean, a figurative Knight-in-Shining-Armor 😉  He’s awesomeness, even in rough draft form.

*  I was on Z.A.M.’s Sunday Brunch this weekend.  Josh Lanyon, ZAM, and a lot of readers had a blast talking about our deepest, darkest desire.

*  Mary is HERE on Amber Kell’s Blog, writing a fun Birthday Bash story!  I was there earlier, visiting  Ian and Joel, (in case I forgot to put that here.)

*  Making Promises, the Italian Translation (Promisse Fatte) made it into Dreamspinner Press’s top ten.  Dayum.  I am impressed with international appeal. Of course I shouldn’t be.  I’m still trying to figure out how to launch the translation of Vulnerable that Mariachiara Cabrini and her friends have gifted me with– but this only gives me more incentive to get on that.  It’s too rich a gift not to share.

*  I added two more designs to my Cafe Press store.  Check in and see!

*  Someone posted this on Facebook Last Night.  I could watch it forever.  Because I am a little stoned on sleep deprivation and stress, yes, but watch it forever, still:

Go K-Mart.  Seriously.  That’s all I’ve got to say.  Way to launch an ad campaign.  Brava!

*  Someone also showed me THIS.

Tom Hiddleston.  My hero.  And I’ve seen the end of Thor, so I know he’s still a treacherous sonuvabitch, but, dudes.  A sexy bastard is still sexy.

That’s my boy– wearing a Turtle’s shirt to a King’s game!

*  As a family the last few days have looked like this:

— Friday night: Zoomboy’s birthday dinner, followed by a King’s game for Zoomboy and Mate.

–Saturday: Squish and Zoomboy had their last soccer game.  Squish and I attended a baby shower– I finished two hat/sock sets, and am proud.  (Okay.  I admit it.  I finished the second set of socks on Sunday– but I did get them to Mom, so I’m calling it a win.)

(Steve can feel the love.)

— Sunday night: Squish’s soccer party at the roller rink.  Both kids fell down and hurt themselves and spent an hour crying.  I love soccer parties and skating.  So much.  I do. Can you FEEL THE LOVE???

Racing slot cars. One of these things is not like the others– guess which one!

— Monday night: Zoomboy’s soccer party at the slot car hobby place.  This was a big deal for Mate, because he’s the coach, and he had to stand up and talk.  This year, Mate has a couple of AWESOME team moms (not. me.) who figured out how to fundraise and who provided a spectacular party– pizza, cake, decorations, trophies, and all.  I’ve been to a bunch of these things, and this was maybe the best.  The slot car races went on a tad too long, but that’s because they’re geared to up to 12 people and we had 16.  But each kid got to race for 8 turns, and they gave out ribbons and everything.  Mate was proud– it all came out amazingly.  He takes credit for none of it, but honestly?  Listening to parents?  They love the way he coaches, and that he’s kind to their children. We’ve even started winning or tying a few games, and he couldn’t be prouder of the kids.  So it was really his night, and I’m damned proud of him, and of Zoomboy, the team’s space cadet.  (Coach’s words!)

In this picture here?  If you look closely?  You can see Zoomboy having a staring contest with a bloodthirsty squirrel, who, in ZB’s words, is threatening to rip his face off.  I think it’s clear that the boy needs some down time, don’t you?  It’s a good thing that the kids have a week of minimum days and then a week off while I’m in the middle of NANOWRIMO and trying to write, isn’t it?  THEY get LOTS of downtime!

So, erm, if you were wondering why no blog yesterday, well, there it is.  As for me?

I’ve edited four manuscripts this month, and am waiting for a fifth that has been pre-ordered, pre-publicized, and pre-bought.  I’ve been stressed over kids’ health and my own health, and that was worse.  My old school district threatened to bring criminal charges against me when they pulled me out of my classroom– and that was worse.  I’ve worked full time, outside the home, with four kids, two of them under four, when every part of my job gave me an ulcer, and that was worse.  But I have to remind myself of these times to calm myself down, and that’s not a great place to be.

So today, when the skies were threatening rain, which we haven’t seen in too long a time?

I celebrated by taking a nap.  Yeah, I didn’t get any work done, but I feel a little less like killing people. And the inside of my head has stopped making that annoying sound!