I cannot tell you how excited I am that some of my friends are participating in this challenge with me! We have grown from 2 definite members to 7, with 3 more potentials! No, it isn’t a huge number of people. That’s okay. My mission was to get ONE person to join in with me and my initial supporter. I’ve surpassed that, and my other friends are excited about the Challenge as well!

My sleep schedule is WAY off, as you all may have noticed. I went to bed about 5 am, woke up at noon, exercised at 2:30-ish. Tomorrow I will have to try to wake up earlier, because I have a standing appointment with BFF (Story time at the library with the Daycare, lunch, and Wal*Mart). I am fairly certain I’ll end up exercising later in the night, but I am hoping I can motivate myself to get it out of the way first thing, instead.

Anyone who wants to join can still take a peek here for the basic information, and send me an email! It doesn’t matter when your 30 days begins, all that matters is that you make the choice and stick to it!

So, I am going to drink some more water, take an Advil so I don’t wake up incredibly sore, curl up on the couch for some TV time, and try to be in bed by about midnight.

Happy Shredding, everyone!

xoxoxo

(Please note, the links below will lead you to 3 different places where you can follow/track/admire the progress of Layers of Love. Check all three out, and follow the one most convenient to you!)

Our Girl Scouts have been active in community service this year, more than previous years. They have “adopted” a local retirement home, and go once a month to do arts and crafts activities with the residents. We love that the girls really enjoy this service, and look forward to it every month.

A few months ago, a friend of mine developed a foundation - Layers of Love - that donates fleece blankets to the Cooper Cancer Institute, where her father is receiving chemotherapy treatments. I knew, immediately, that this is something our girls would be excited about. I cannot think of anyone who hasn’t been close to someone who has been affected by cancer, at the very least. Most of the people I know have been affected directly, if not afflicted themselves.

In 2005, both my (step)Mother and Aunt died of cancer, just months apart.

In 2008, my best friends NEW BORN BABY was diagnosed with cancer.

In each of their fights, I agonized over not being able to do enough, ever, for the person fighting. Nor could I do enough for the family and friends, who were also affected by the pain.

I always wanted to do more, be more, give more … but I did not know how, or where to start, or what to give. I admire people like Adele, who not only WANT to do more, but also put that want into action. She’s incredibly proactive, and I admire her spirit, strength, and capacity to give everyone in her life exactly what they need. I don’t know how she does it, but she is the epitome of ROLE MODEL.

When Adele (my nickname for her) began spreading the word about her foundation, I brought it immediately to my daughter’s GS Troop Leader (who also happens to be my BFF). She was as excited as I, and we immediately began making plans to make blankets with the girls when she officially became Leader (and I, co-Leader).

I began go get a little worried about whether we would be able to make it happen or not, because we kept having to cancel GS meetings due to illnesses, scheduling conflicts, and interference with holidays (mainly, spring break). We became slightly frustrated, but kept the blanket idea at the top of our list. We were determined to not only make blankets for Layers of Love, but also to eventually make MORE blankets to donate to Sacred Heart in Pensacola, where Seralyn (Baby S) received her chemotherapy treatments (and spent the majority of her first year of life).

FINALLY, last week things all fell into place. We had a meeting set up, we needed a craft to complete during said meeting, and the no-sew fleece blanket kits were on sale at the fabric store! We excited made a short day trip down to the next town over, and purchased EIGHT kits. We walked down the aisles, seeing one pattern after another that caught our eye (cheerful, cheerful, cheerful!), picking up one blanket, replacing another, and picking up three more. We finally had to stop ourselves when we hit eight, because we knew we’d also have to budget in shipping, plus we wanted the girls to be able to complete the blankets in one meeting.

Friday, I spent the afternoon doing the prep work for the blankets - matching the two pieces of fabric up back-to-back, cutting the 7″ squares out of the corners, drawing lines for the girls to cut the strips (which they would then tie). I recruited my daughter (who is one of the Girl Scouts) and BFF’s teenage daycare charge to help me, and we managed to get the blanket kits prepped, folded, and packed for the meeting right on time!

The Girl Scouts were then in charge of cutting the strips and tying them together, being careful not to cut any of the strips off, and to match them up properly so the blankets didn’t end up twisted and short!

They all had such a blast with this project, it was a real joy for everyone involved. We were pleased the girls were able to complete all eight blankets, and the girls were pleased that the blankets were going to such a wonderful cause!

Thank you Adele and Layers of Love for providing a way that we can all help, one blanket at a time!

I found this sometime last year, but saved it for a “future” post. So today is that day in the future. Play along, if you so desire!

This is apparently a Facebook quiz that is going around. I, however, was not tagged for said quiz.

Instead, I totally stole this from one of my favorite bloggers, Miss Riss over at Wild Hair. Check her blog out … Riss is emotional and hilarious, and I haven’t read a trite post there yet. She’s far more interesting than me, but you have to come back to me anyway - you are NOT allowed to break up with me and start dating her exclusively. You may, however, date both of us for as long as you wish.
1. What time did you get up this morning?
Morning? Wassat?

2. How do you like your steak?
Well done. And no, that doesn’t mean dry-as-cardboard or tough-as-nails!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
I honestly don’t remember.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
I have many. Please don’t make me list them. Sons of Anarchy is one, though.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Anywhere that my heart is full.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Uhm … a shake, I believe.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Things that remind me of home, hearth, family, and love.

8. What foods do you dislike?
Bitter greens, green olives, heart/liver/tongue/brain/ear/hoof/etc parts of animals, too-sweet desserts, and various other cuisine to which I am not accustomed.

9.Favorite Place to Eat?
With my friends and loved ones.

10. Favorite dressing?
Ranch or Tomato-bacon red stuffs.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
I *did* drive a Jetta. It died.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Pajamas. Tank tops & shorts.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Anywhere I know at least one person, anywhere that has anything fun or interesting to see/experience.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
My cup runneth over.

15. Where would you want to retire?
What a dirty word!

16. Favorite time of day?
Any time I am laughing.

17. Where were you born?
Port Charlotte, FL

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Basketball or baseball are the only ones I can mention in public.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
Ignore this question.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first:
Again, ignore this question.

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Once again, ignore this question.

22. Bird watcher?
They’re cute, they make fun the mornings annoying or beautiful, depending on my temperament …but I do not search them out, no.

23. Are you a morning person or Night Person ?
I am generally happier in the late afternoons, early evenings … even late nights. Mornings are *not* my forte.
(You get a bonus if you did *not* pronounce the “e” at the end.)

24. Do you have any pets?
Two furrballs claim space in my home & heart: Rascal Lee Kitten and Willow D. Kitten.

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?
A new day will dawn.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
Teacher and mother.

27. What is one of your best childhood memories?
Driving the boat out on Poquito Bayou.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
I am just a person.

29. Are you married?
No longer.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.

31. Been in a car accident?
Yes.

32. Any pet peeves?
Many. I don’t generally remember them until they happen, though.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, chicken.

34. Favorite Flower?
Orchids.

35. Favorite ice cream?
Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Wendy’s.

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
I don’t think I did, at all.

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Sammy boy.

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
At the moment, the Toyota Dealership.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Nothing grand.

41. Like your job?
Sure. It requires me to spend time with my BFF.

42. Broccoli?
… is delicious steamed, baked, broiled, fresh, blanched, covered in cheese, in spaghetti or lasagna, as a substitute for beef in several dishes, and on pizza. I’m sure I didn’t cover everything, but you get the gist.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Jamaica, hands down.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with ?
My daughter. Other than her … no idea.

45. What are you listening to right now?
Tim McGraw on the 45th Academy of Country Music awards show.

46. What is your favorite color?
Green.

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None.

48. Who are you tagging for this quiz?
Nobunny.

49. What time did you finish this quiz?
1:14 a.m.

50. Coffee Drinker?
No, I don’t like the taste. Chai tea is my jolt poison!

So often in my life, I am surprised by the love and kindness displayed around me, towards me, and even by me. I grew up in a world where I was taught to believe everyone had a motive, and I should too. I dislike the negative things that make people human, but I choose to believe that there are more good than bad people in the world.

I have been touched by so many people in my life, it is overwhelming. Whether it be a kind word from a stranger in a post I make on a social network, or a bear hug by an old friend, or even a phone call or text message from someone who is thinking of me but with whom I have not spoken in a while, I have found the “good” in thousands of people in my life.

Today is a day that commercially is about who gets the most candy or biggest diamond. It is a day that most people view as being for lovers to profess their emotions.

I am choosing to make it a day to focus on telling people what they mean to me, or how happy they make me. This is not all-inclusive. I could not possibly include everyone who has filled my heart.

For my best friend: I am *not* an easy person to be around. Even when I am not upset, most people think I am snapping or barking orders. She knows me, and (usually) knows the difference between my being upset and my just being me. She’s also the one person who truly knows the lengths I will go for the people I love. She herself has gone beyond most people’s greatest length to support and love me. I think we make a great team, and I love her more than she’ll ever know.

Luckily, her husband is tolerant of our friendship. Over the years, he and I have also developed a friendship outside of “my wife’s best friend” or “my best friend’s husband.” He knows I’ll be there for him, too, and that I do not choose sides when they differ in opinion. He has come to me from time to time, knowing I’ll tell him what I think and not just what I think Christy wants him to hear. I’m glad we were able to come to this place, and I love him dearly. Not only for what he is to my best friend, their children, and my daughter. But also for the person he is, and the friendship we have.

My sister is an incredible woman. I remember when she was young, how ornery and demanding she was. I remember people asking me if I was jealous of her because not only was she beautiful, but she had a great relationship with our parents (unlike me). I also remember that while jealous might have flared up from time to time, it never lasted more than a minute. I loved her too much to be spiteful over anything she had or achieved - I always knew she deserved every bit of it. I was in my 20’s before I realized how much she looked up to me. We were separated a few years by family strife, and when I was welcomed back into my parents’ home, we began to talk again. She would ask my advice and talk to me about what she was thinking, feeling, and doing. I loved those late nights, snuggled up in her big bed, laying awake way past when our parents would approve, whispering so as not to get caught. I was already a mother, and we had lost our brother. We are so completely different, and yet fundamentally the same. I love when I find a similarity, because it renews my knowledge that we are sisters, despite my feeling so removed from her. I may be *much* older than her, but I will forever look up to her. She is the woman I know our parents intended both of us to be, but she accepts me for who I am even though she may not approve of the choices I make.

Friends who stick around. I made a friend when I was stationed in Jacksonville who has taught me a lot about myself, about life, and about how much I truly enjoy life. He and his family brought things out in me that I didn’t know existed. I love that even when I can only show up at midnight and stay until morning, they welcome me home. We stay up and talk, and then I wake in the morning to continue on my way and stop in the next time I’m in town. If I had traveling money, they’d be first on my list for a weekend trip with Lil Lady. We love visiting with them, and we love that they are just as much family as my BFF & her family.

My daughter, who I love with every fiber of my being, brings out the best and worst in me. She challenges me and forces me to rise to the occasion, all without realizing she’s even doing so. She brings sunshine into my life and reminds me why I choose a life of struggle over one of financial ease. I was always told, “One day you’ll have a child and you’ll understand.” I *do* have a child, but I *do not* understand. I am thrilled to know that I had the where-with-all to “break the cycle” and do things differently. Mostly, I am grateful to be her mother.

My “social network” friends, who are as friends as friends can be. They may not be physically close, but they are just as much a part of my life and my heart as they would be if they lived next door. They challenge me, inspire me, support me, and love me. They are kind, loving, generous, opinionated, funny, sarcastic, open-minded, accepting, and beautiful. I have had the great pleasure of meeting a few of them in person, and have not once been disappointed in what I find once we’re face-to-face. I can be myself with them, and not worry about being judged. I know that if they did not *want* to be on the other side of that window/page/timeline, all they have to do is click “remove” or “delete.” I know we are connected not by accident, but by choice. I love them for the quality they bring to my life, quirks and quills alike.

I was blessed with more than two parents. I have not always viewed it as a blessing, but even as a child, I usually knew I was lucky. I love each of my parents for who they are and what they bring to my life. They are all unique, and have different methods of communication and parenting. Each of them formed me into the person I am today, and I am grateful for their love and guidance. They are all beautiful people - complete with faults. What I consider my greatest gift is being able to see the intent behind their actions and love them even more.

I have been reconnecting with a few friends from my past lately. I’m really enjoying this, especially the few fun night’s I’ve had with one in particular. One of those nights, we went through old photos from high school and relived those memories. The laughter was beautiful, and the stories we each remembered were touching. I love that someone I chose to love way back when is someone I can still love today. Time holds no barriers: this is the test of true friendship, IMO.

The last person I will specify doesn’t read this blog. He barely knows I exist anymore. However, I love him with my whole heart and I wish things could have been different. I needed something from him … and he needed something from me … and both of us needed it before we could make the move we wanted to make. It is much more complex than that, but the fact is: I love him, and would have given the world for him, if he could have only told me he loved me. We still talk now and then, via text. I love those short conversations. Maybe there will be another chance in the future. If not, anyone else in my life has a lot to measure up to …

Thank you all for helping to make my life one that I love!!

xoxox

All of my Girl Scout gyrlies know the rest of the song, and will likely belt it out regardless of whether they like it or not, just out of habit.

I have a big mouth, and a hot temper. They get me into trouble more often than naught, and I spend a lot of time apologizing for running that big mouth when my hot temper gets the best of me. I have one saving grace: when I love someone, I truly love them, and I will go to the ends of the earth to do what needs to be done for them.

I might bitch, complain, and mouth off about it when I get tired, frustrated, or sick of other people’s attitudes … but I’ll still be working my ass off.

I have a very close-knit group of people that I talk to regularly and seek out when I want company. I have a wider circle of friends that I keep in touch with for holidays and birthdays. I have an even bigger circle of friends that I speak with daily, although I have not met  most of them in person.

That bigger circle of friends is made up of all of the people I have met on various message boards and social networks. I may not get to sit and kick back with them on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons, I may not speak to them on the phone, and I may not even know exactly where they live.

What I do know is that they have proven themselves time and time again, whether it be a card out of the blue, an offer to help obtain a certain goal, a present sent in the mail, or a phone call when they know I am down. This circle of friends is not any less important to me than my BFF, who they all hear about regularly. They are, in fact, more important to me than some of the people I have known for years.

For all of you who have done for me what I cannot do for myself, or who have offered to do things for me because you know I am struggling, or have reached out to smack me out of depression or cheer me up when I am down … thank you. I love you, and if there comes a day that I can do for you what you have done for me, please please please let me know.

Sometimes, a gift can be so simple and easily given, but so PERFECT for a given moment. This is the case with the gift that Tara R (who many of you know from social networking of blogging) bestowed upon me and a few others recently.

Check out Tara’s “Keepsake” story about her old friend, George. Of course, with this little present come a couple of rules.

1. Post a funny or sweet keepsake that tells something about myself.
2. Pass the award on to 10 other bloggers that I think are keepers.

The reason this gift was so perfectly timed is because as soon as I saw “keepsake,” I knew exactly which one to tell you about today.

I know this is not a very clear picture, but I am using a cameraphone and it is not cooperating. This charm is a 14k gold unicorn charm that my brother picked out for me when he was very very young. All he knew was that it was my birthday coming up, and I loved unicorns. I have always loved this little charm, and held onto it even when I had to stop wearing the chain it came with originally. I wore it for years - far longer than I have worn most necklaces/rings/random jewelry that is given to me.

The charm is even more important now, since we no longer have Stevie with us. I keep it tucked away safely in my jewelry box, and when I think of him, I take it out to hold for a while. Today is the 9th anniversary of Stevie’s death … so it seemed appropriate that the gift Tara gave me was tied to something so important in my life.

I am tagging Not A Mean Girl.

Most of my other friends prefer *not* to be called out, so I won’t. However, I hope that a few of you choose to take part in this game, and link back to me so I can read about your keepsakes too!

Much like March, June is *not* a good month for me, for my family. I try to make the best of the month, because it is my daughter’s birthday month. But all month long, I see the 29th looming down on me. Despite the fact it is also my niece’s birthday, the 29th is the hardest day of the year for me … the anniversary of my brother’s death. (More on that here and here.) It is also my (Step)Mother’s birthday month - just a couple of days prior to Lil Lady’s. While I do get sad on her birthday, it is not nearly as sad for me as Steven’s days.

Funny, how I never see the sadness sneaking up on my until it is full-on depression. Funny how I spend weeks fretting, feeling disturbed, and unable to properly function before I realize what the problem stems down to, *really.*

You would think that in the last 9 years, I would get better at this, or it would get easier. For some reason, I do not think it has. This year, the sadness about my brother is coupled with stress from other things, and anger at not being able to do something I had carefully planned for myself & my health.

I may or may not be mostly absent until after the 4th of July (the anniversary of when we spread his ashes). I am not burying my head in the sand, but I am attempting to minimalize anymore damage I may do to online friendships with people I love and respect. I have already damaged a couple, and it is far easier for me to disappear for a few weeks, and send ping’d photos/messages, than to create anymore drama or damage.

We all know my moods change quickly, and I could be feeling better tomorrow or in a few days. If so, I’ll be back to my social networking. If not, I *will* be back soon.

Those of you who have alternate avenues of communication, feel free to use them. Those of you who wish to contact me, may do so by email: angeleyesw@gmail.com. This is an “alternate” email address, so please do not “correct” it in my comments.

I hope ALL of you are having a great summer, and enjoying some down-time. It is hotter than hell around here, but we are enjoying it nonetheless.

xoxox

Yes, I have bragged about loving The Fey before. This is not the same story on a different day though. This is a NEW story! In fact, this is an exclusive interview with the multi-talented Claudia, as part of The Fey’s Blog Tour!

I am, again, encouraging you to do buy & read the book … but now, I am offering you two fun opportunities:
1) Comment and I’ll toss your name into a hat (or, more likely, a mason jar). A winner will be drawn to receive their very own SIGNED copy, free! (Mine isn’t even signed, you lucky devylite you!!)
2) A 10% discount, if you order from The Fey’s Store and apply the coupon code: 5GJG6Y8X

I am so excited to be a part of this! Read on to learn a little about Claudia H. Christian, as well as a little about Alex the Fey. And, once you’ve met Claudia and Alex, read the excerpt from the book - go on, I dare ya!

THE INTERVIEW:

Claudia, when we first met, you were a constant source of strength and warmth for me. I have since learned a little more about you, from reading your blog (On a Limb with Claudia) and speaking with you on various social networks. I must say, you have accomplished a LOT in your life, all on your own.

When did becoming an author enter your mind? Was it a conscious thought, or was it something you stumbled into blindly?

I had always, always, always planned to be a writer. In high school, I never had an edit on my work. I received A’s in English classes and literature. AP English was the only class I always attended. I graduated with a real arrogance that I was going to take the world by storm. Then life intervened. My parents reneged on paying for my fancy pants liberal arts degree (that, in my mind, guaranteed my writing success) and I met a professor named Jonathon Swift.

Professor Swift and I met in a Basic English class. Now, Professor Swift did not like me. He did not like my writing. And more than anything, he did not like the breeze way I could churn out a short story in the matter of minutes. He battered me for a semester then almost didn’t pass me. I took a Shakespeare class the next semester. When it came time to write a paper, I locked up. Now, I grew up on Shakespeare. But I could not get a word out.

Between working fifty plus hours a week and Professor Swift, I made the easy decision to transfer to UC Berkeley where I studied Biochemistry. I took a couple literature classes – Joyce’s Ulysses and a women in literature class. But never wrote another paper.

Until I went to graduate school. My teachers marveled at my capacity to bring them into the therapy sessions. And still I refused to write fiction.

I started writing again when we moved to Denver. For three and a half years, I wrote a self help column called “Claudia’s Corner” in a local throw away. I wrote self help, inspirational articles and newsletters for over six years.

Then…

One of the things I love about Alex, in The Fey, is that she is incredibly strong and powerful, but does not lose any of the warm and loving characteristics that romance-story lovers look for in a novel.

How did Alex come to you, and how did you know what her story was going to be?

One night, Rebecca Hargreaves came to sit on the side of my bed and tell me about her family. I’ll never know if it was a ghost or a dream or….? But there she was. She wouldn’t leave me alone or ‘let me off the hook’ until I started writing.

I didn’t know what Alex’s story would be. In fact, in The Fey, you can see how complicated her relationships is with her mother, Rebecca Hargreaves. Trying to get it right, I wrote three complete versions of her story.

Was it difficult maintaining the “female” aspects of such a strong and deliberate character?

Like a lot of women my age, I grew up in the time of women fighting for equal rights. I saw women discard their femininity to, in my judgment, become the men they hated. I worked for a number of these women in science. The “masculine” woman is common in thriller fiction because so many of these characters are written by women of that generation.

When I meet strong and capable women, Navy SEALs for example, they start with the brusque ‘I can kill you’ attitude. Then, in a moment, dissolve to talk about children, their mothers, their broken hearts, and their friends. They are women first.

Alex Hargreaves is written as a reflection of these strong, capable, relational, warm, loving, and kind women.

One of the more appealing aspects of The Fey is that the book is not all action, nor is it just a drama … it also has romance intertwined throughout the story. A wide range of people can read and enjoy The Fey without having to endure constant killing or drawn-out romance scenes at any point.

Did Alex’s story lend itself to such a well-balanced novel, or did you have to work hard to maintain the balance?

I was lucky to have a dedicated group of early readers. They gave me the readers perspective. As a writer, I knew what I was saying. I knew what I meant. The early readers helped me understand the pieces that were missing, where details were missing, and what was just too much. They also held a very high bar for me. ‘What are we three?’ ‘Get this right!’ ‘What the hell?’ One woman wrote on the first draft, ‘I’d never buy a book that had this kind of language. Never.’

The Fey, and the series, are a direct result of the unyielding standards of some very dedicated readers.

Were you consciously trying to appeal to any one group of readers, or did you hope to rope us all in with a single book and get us hooked?

I wanted to tell the story of this amazing person. While I didn’t consciously try to appeal to a market or group of readers, I had a sense that telling a story is quite different from reading it. I remain dedicated to telling stories in a way that they can be understood by women and men.

We get to meet and fall in love with many people in Alex’s story. Some of these characters, despite knowing what we know from reading The Fey, are characters we would want to know more about.

Going forward, do you think there will be any sequels or prequels to Alex’s story?

The original plan included eight Alex The Fey books. The second book, Learning to Stand, is in it’s final revisions. The third book, Who I Am, is in first draft form. As long as any of these characters have something to say, I’m dedicated to writing their story.

[Devyl here, injecting some information I was reminded of while reading Popping Bubbles, the first stop on the Blog Tour: The Fey is serialized at AlextheFey.com. The novel will run through the end of the year, then will be removed. Learning to Stand will take it’s place in February, 2010.]

If so, will we get to see inside the minds and hearts of some of her team members and loved ones?

The easy answer is ‘yes’. There’s a lot to learn from each of these characters. As the books continue, the characters evolve, change, grow and learn. In The Fey, a group of friends come together with a common objective. In Learning to Stand, they must become a team. In Who I Am, that team begins to grow and evolve.

As any of my dedicated readers know, I read The Fey in one sitting. I simply could not put the novel down. Once I delved into the story of Alex the Fey, I had to know everything about her, and I needed to know how things turned out. At one point, I had to get up and clean and cook dinner … so I did everything one-handed, without watching what I was doing, because I was reading the entire time!

Gosh, thank you so much for giving The Fey your time and effort!

Please provide us with an excerpt, because I would love for my friends to get excited about readingThe Fey too! [Edited by Devyl to add: You can listen to the excerpt, if you prefer. Click the link (http://alexthefey.com/audio/chpt34.mp3) to download the file or right-click and save the link as an mp3 file.]

THE EXCERPT FROM THE FEY

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Thirteen years earlier

Intelligence officer in training, Sergeant Alexandra Hargreaves, walked down a dim hall in the bowels of Fort Bragg. After shaking her awake at two in the morning, the two Military Police officers, one on either side of her, kept a clipped pace through the halls. She had no idea what was going on. She only knew that they wanted her to come with them.

They reached a door at the end of the hall. Unlocking the door, they held the door open and instructed Alex to enter the room. Alex stepped inside the small room and turned just in time to see the MPs close the door. She was locked in this room.

There was a battered table in the middle of the room with a chair on either side of it. Alex dropped into a chair at the table while she looked around the room. A white board filled one wall and the other walls were bare cinder block. The room was more like an austere closet than an actual meeting or training room.

Hearing a sound, she turned to see the door open.

“I was lying in my hospital bed,” Ben said. He leaned against the closed door. “They told me that some Sergeant aced the intelligence exam. What should they do? I said, ’Give the Sergeant the test again’. How stupid can they be?”

Using a cane, he moved with obvious pain. Alex rushed to his side.

“What did you expect? They gave me situations I could have solved when I was a child,” she said.

Tucking an arm under his shoulder, she helped him to the table. He dropped into the chair she vacated.

“That may be true, but you have now tested out of Special Forces Intelligence training. Alexandra, they test you at the beginning of training so that they have something to compare to at the end of training.”

“Oh, I was supposed to blow the test? Why didn’t you tell me that? I’ll take it again. Can I take it again?”

Ben laughed.

“Are you here to take me home?” Alex asked.

“Not a chance. The CIA has dibs on anyone that does well on those exams. The Director himself is salivating over your scores.”

“I want to be a Green Beret not a CIA agent.”

“You sure you want to do this? You are moving into a world of elite intelligence. They will call you from your hospital bed and make you work.”

“I’m sorry, Ben. You know I’d never….”

“Sit down,” Ben said. He tapped a cigarette against the table. “I can’t smoke in the hospital.”

While Alex made faces at him and his habit, he bowed forward to light the cigarette.

“Tonight, you and I are going to run scenarios to make certain that you didn’t cheat on that exam. We are monitored – video and sound. If it is determined that you did cheat, you go home. If you didn’t cheat, you will join three seasoned Special Forces Intelligence officers in a class taught by me.”

“I get to take a class from you? Well…. That’s great!”

“There’s a condition.”

“What?” Alex crossed her arms over her racing heart. She hadn’t been this excited since she received her acceptance letter to Special Forces training.

“You will be attached to the CIA. If we need you, and you’re available, you will work for us.”

“Work?”

“I will arrange for you to work under me. The work will be anything from strategy to actual field work.”

“But I still get to be a Green Beret?”

“Yes, Alexandra. You will still be a Green Beret. That is, if you can prove that you didn’t cheat on the test.”

“I didn’t so that’s easy….”

“You have to prove it. We’ll run scenarios tonight. Depending on how well you do….”

“We get to run scenarios all night?” Alex cut him off. She was positively bursting with excitement. “Then I get to take a class with you! That’s wonderful! Ok, go ahead.”

“You are a sick, sick girl. You will join your group tomorrow morning on no sleep.”

“That’s all right. I can go at least ninety hours without sleep, easy. Can you make the situations really hard?”

Ben laughed.

Now, get out there and buy your copy of The Fey today!

xoxo

1) I am finally getting around to re-entering names/addresses/birthdays/phone numbers in my new phone. If you have been in my phone before and want to ensure you are again, or if you would like to be in text/phone contact with me … text me, IM me, send me a private message via Twitter/Plurk/Facebook/Whatever, or email me and give me your mobile or home phone numbers (specify which one you are giving me). Alternatively, leave me a comment asking me to email you, and I can send my number to you. Thanks!

3) May is a big birthday month for my family too: My BIL’s birthday was the 4th. One of my Uncles has a birthday on the 4th, as well. Two of my Uncles were born on the 5th, several years apart. Crazy!

4) Tween is doing fantastic with softball, improving every game. I am kind of impressed with her. I am absolutely thrilled for her!

5) Several of my friends are having a rough time at work, for various reasons. I wish you all a happier, healthier, more productive work environment. Having to work in a place that makes you unhappy every single day is an awful way to spend nearly 40% of your life. xoxo

6) One of my friends recently had to fix her car AGAIN - marking the second time this year she has had to spend over $1500 on her vehicle. Without the vehicle she cannot get to work, so for her I hope the mechanics have completed the job properly & that the car gods do not pick on her anymore. I <3 you, sweetheart.

7) Love, relationships, and marriages across the nation are suffering from the financial crises brought on by the economic downturns we have been experiencing for the last several months. Otherwise strong relationships are put to the test because the participating parties are dealing with undue stress. All of you, please, remember what truly matters in life and try to focus on the good more than the bad. I understand it is ugly out there … just think about where you want to be, and who you want to be with, when things start improving.

For all of my friends who I have not been in proper contact with over the last year … please forgive me. I am trying to do things right and reach out to each of you individually … I am finding it hard, since I am not in a good place and it is incredibly hard having to tell you all separately how rough life is at the moment. I prefer to touch base when I have happy news.

9) Thank you to those of you who have been offering me a few hours’ worth of work researching, typing, and proofreading. I have enjoyed it, and it is helping me get by now that my unemployment has run out. I am still looking for work, but I am also allowing myself to work from home as long as it continues to benefit, because I am enjoying being able to go to Tween’s games and practices and choral performances. This time with her is priceless!

10) Thank you my darling Twitterhubby for introducing me to the singer Shannon Curtis. I was browsing some of her songs, and ran across one that was especially meaningful today. The song is called “Rainy Day” (click to listen) and the lyrics are below. P has been on my mind lately, in and out of my dreams … but we’re not really in touch properly. A gyrl can dream … even when she knows the dream is not likely to come true, and is probably not even plausible. (And he sent me a text the other day with this picture of orchids - and nothing else. Orchids, as all of my friends know, are my favorites.)

So far, we have managed to do the cut-in on the house we’re working on in Miramar. The house is small compared to some of the houses we’ve worked on, but it IS four bedrooms. Large enough. It does not help that I did not work Monday and Tuesday. My boss/coworker M didn’t get to work a full day out there either day, since he had other things to attend to for the business. This is good news: it means I did not really lose out on any time that I **could** have been working. WOOT!

Today, another contractor came in to repair water damage to the ceiling. He handed me his card and told me if I am ever looking for work, to call him up. He often needs painters. I will definitely be giving him a call when M runs out of things for me to do. Hopefully, this will pan out into enough work to last me through the summer between the two contractors. In the fall, I am hoping construction will be picking up because of the new base that is opening up next year. If that is the case, I should be able to get a job with a construction company doing permitting and scheduling, which I loved doing before. That, or perhaps some of the GS jobs will open up on the base, and I can get in there. I do have the advantage of being a Veteran, so hopefully something will pan out for me.

Funny that I often think I do not like manual labor, but for some reason … I love painting.

I had a point to this story, but I have lost it. I guess I’ll post this for now, and come back to it later.

D’oh!

xoxo

Oh! Now I remember … I went to work on time today (I tend to start later than M, because I am SO NOT A MORNING PERSON), and knew I would be alone for the morning. I figured M would show up around lunchtime, and we’d go grab something together. I totally lost track of time because I was constantly up and down the ladder, doing the ceiling and floor cut-ins.

Suddenly, when I was up on the ladder trying to reach behind me for a closet ceiling cut-in, I almost fell over. I got dizzy, the floor looked like it was rushing me, and I SWEAR the ladder tilted sideways. I immediately got down, went to get a glass of water. Happened to look at the clock … it was 4 pm, and I hadn’t stopped to eat or drink anything all day. Oops!

You just cannot leave me alone to work. I am a danger to myself. I do NOT remember to eat unless someone else is eating, and then suddenly I am extremely hungry when I smell their food. Luckily, BFF’s hubby was making me Tha Chicken Curry (have I mentioned how much I love that man?) cuz I stayed home from work yesterday to watch their middle child while BFF went on the field trip & her hubby was working. So, I texted them that I would be there within the hour, and cleaned up my equipment. By the time I got to their house (a 45-minute drive from where I was working), the food was ready. Purrrrrrr…

I love, love, love when B makes curry for me!

Ok, that is all.

xoxox

I have done a few others, here (interviewed by Nancy), here (Interviewed by Ruprecht), and here (interviewed by my sweet Adelle, aka TopSurf to all you uninitiated). Now, one of my dearest friends has stepped up to the plate to interview me. You can read where he was interviewed by me, here: Is This Like 5th Degree.

Here goes nuttin, folk!

1. What job can you least imagine yourself doing?
Anything that requires me to be the center of attention/focus of an audience: model/actress/singer … although I COULD be a spokesperson for something I believe in, because that puts the object of my belief in focus, not me specifically.

2. What is your biggest life-goal/dream?
I always wanted to be a mother, to live happily. I have achieved those goals. Now, I would like to travel, I would like to do missionary work, and I would like to see parts of the world that others only dream about.

3. If you could switch places with someone for a day, who would it be?
This is difficult. There are so many great and wonderful people to choose from, and there are so many dreams to fulfill in this manner. I think, though, I would switch places with a coma patient. It would allow us to determine if they can see, hear, feel, and understand what is going on around them. I know we have suppositions, and tales that people tell us after they wake up … but we do not have actual knowledge. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to KNOW?

4. What piece of writing has most affected your life?
Many years ago, my grandparents moved from their long-time home in Small Town By The Water, FL to live in Maryland near my Uncle. My parents and siblings and I headed south once we returned from living in England. Our goal was to clean up my grandparents’ home and get it ready to be sold, so they could then move to New Mexico (where it would be easier to make their twice-a-year pilgrimage to Aguascalientes, Mexico to see their families). I stumbled across legal pads full of my grandfather’s writings. He had learned to speak English while working for a construction company in Small Town By The Water. The workers had taught them words as they went along in the job, and he learned even more by taking classes the company provided. The first few pads were full of stilted English, but they progressively became more clear and fluent. I read about his thoughts and feelings upon coming to the US, his anxiety about how they had to live (in a converted chicken coop) when they first arrived, and his love for his family (which he rarely displayed openly). I read about my grandfather, and learned more than I could have ever learned by him telling me verbally. It was amazing, and beautiful. Only a couple of hours into my reading, my stepfather discovered what I was doing threw me across the room onto the floor. He called me a nosy bitch and other rather rude things, then tossed the notebooks I had been obsessively absorbing. I later confessed to my grandfather, because I thought I had done something awful. He hugged me and told me he was glad I had read what I did, and he wished I had been able to read the rest of his notebooks. They were not diaries, he told me, they were the story of his love. He had written it for us to read when he was gone. I will never have those pads of writings back, but I have the memories of reading a few of my grandfather’s thoughts.

5. Which one place you’ve never been would you most like to visit? What about to live?
I have always dreamed of visiting New Zealand. I dreamed of it long ago, when I was a child, and that dream was renewed when I first began talking to my friend Ian via IRC, ICQ, & Yahoo IM. (He could better tell you where, and when, we started talking. He helped m navigate my way around the net the first few years I was online!) He and his wife were incredibly sweet, and I loved getting to know them. I planned on visiting two years ago (in 1997, I said in “10 years”), but that still has not been feasible. Hopefully, though, I will get there in the near future! If I could live anywhere, it would be on a huge plantation with all of my friends and family surrounding me … and with plenty of green land and streams and ponds and lakes to keep everyone happy and healthy. Yes, a completely fictional place … but then again, I always live in a dream world.

Do you want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will answer the questions on your blog, and include the original post and your interviewer’s post.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Have you met Jack and Jill Online? (Tagline: “What do you get when two opinionated bloggers start dating each other? Jack and Jill Online, baby.”)

I know I shared a couple of these stories through my reader the other day. I just cannot stop laughing at these two characters. I have NO CLUE how I originally stumbled upon this blog - maybe one of you hooligans pointed me towards a post. I only just (as in, Saturday) started following them on Twitter so I am fairly certain it was not through a Tweet-up of any sort.

All I know right now is that I spent part of my Saturday evening reading their blog posts, and some of them had me cracking up so much, I had to run for the lady’s room!

He-larry-us! (I have to admit, I had it spelled hee-freakin-lari-us, til I read THIS post.)

Go, read their blog. Especially this post. And this one. And this one.

This post gave me the giggles because of the “women’s lingerie” portion of the post, and also because Jack has an issue with SPRAY ON deodorant commercials … but not any other kind. (Or so it seems.)

The “Take Two” posts are awesome … they are “his & hers” opinions, and never fail to give me a giggle. Check this one out.

And, as with EVERY blog, it is imperative you read the “Getting to Know Us” section … and please, someone tell me there is not really such thing as “peanut butter sushi” (@cajunvegan? @perpstu?)! I am a fan of all things peanut butter, but combining my favorite and least favorite foods makes me question my favorites! (Oh, one more link - you have to read this post to understand the comedy in Jill’s “metrosexual” comment.)

If those do not reel you in, you may be a lost cause. Or, mebbe I am the lost cause. Either way, you are missing out if you do not find them worthy of a belly laugh or two!

I certainly hope they do not mind me pimping them out, because I did not ask. I do not even know if I have ever commented on their blog before. I just could NOT keep this gem of a blog to myself!

Around Christmastime, several things happened to throw my life into an upheaval. I scrambled and scraped and rearranged and reassembled to help make the transitions as easy as possible for Tween and I to deal with as they happened. No matter what I did, I felt like I was just barely treading water, and the water was slowly creeping up higher and higher over my shoulders and neck.

Several friends from my favorite social networks banded together and sent the most amazing Christmas present to Tween: a Wii. More specifically, gift certificates that would allow me to purchase the Wii for her, after her father failed to do so despite his previous promises. Our area had a serious Wii shortage around Christmastime, and it was not until February that I was able to get to a store at the same time as they had the Wii in stock.

I purchased the Wii, and with the help of a yet another friend, the Wii fit (for when we have our own space and can use it without having kids running over us). I brought it home and broke the packaging down, placed everything in the storage container I had purchased specifically for this purpose, then put it in Tween’s room for her to discover.

It was a few hours later, after she had finished homework, taken a shower, fed the cat, cleaned her room … and was putting something away. Suddenly, I heard, “Oh my GOSH! OH MY GOSH! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! OH MY GOSH! MOOOOMMMMM! MOOOMMMMM! It is FINALLY HERE! Look! My WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” She was standing in one spot, dancing a jig, squealing, screaming, and crying.

Since then, she has played the Wii with anyone she can rope into playing. For the first few days, she kept telling me how much her arms hurt from using them. **giggles** After that, she seemed to grow accustomed to the use of those muscles. Now, all I hear is, “This is so fun!”

So thank you, once again, to my favorite Christmas Elves.  You have no idea how much delight you have brought to our home.

xoxo

Once again, I have been interviewed (yes, I begged for it dammit - I love these things!).

First, there was Nancy, and then Ruprecht interviewed me here, and now my sweet Adelle (;)) got in on the action (her Interview was here: Thank You Barbara Walters ) (you probably know her by another name … like, TopSurf).

Now it is my turn (yes, again!) to be interviewed by Adelle:

1. You are so giving of yourself more so than anyone I have ever met, give me some insight as to how you manage to balance everything from day to day.
Balance? I do not know this word, or the meaning of said word! I have tried in the past to achieve balance (or what I could guess was balance). I do not succeed well in this endeavor. Instead, I tend to just go with my whims and go where I want, when I want, how I want. Luckily for me (and those who love me), I may be “flighty,” but it is always with good intention, and I do not leave a destructive path behind me. I love freely and fiercely, and I follow my heart wherever it may lead. For some this means from lover to lover … for me, it means that I spend time with family and friends when they need me most.

2. I have had conversations with you about food and healthy eating habits, I get the impression that you are a very good cook.  What is your favorite dish to make and why?
Spaghetti! I love spaghetti, because it is so versatile. I used to use only regular spaghetti noodles, but now I am an Angel hair pasta gyrl (thanks, Daddy!!). I make spaghetti differently every time I cook it. Sometimes I start with a jar of sauce, sometimes with a can of tomato sauce, and sometimes I boil the tomatoes down myself. I always add tons of garlic (yum!), a tad bit of brown sugar or chocolate, and tons of flavor. I personally like to plump up my sauce with Italian sausage (grilled & then sauteed with butter), ground chuck, lots of onions, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, and green pepper. Delicious!

3. If anyone deserves a perfect day at least one perfect day it’s you.  Describe your perfect day to me.
Every day I wake up is a perfect day. If I could choose how a day would be executed, I would have to say that it would include a morning beach party with all of my friends, complete with lots of fun foods and snacks. The afternoon would be spent cuddled up to someone special while reading a delicious book and listening to the kids play on the trampoline. The evening would include dueling pianos and cocktails, a walk on the beach (and skinny dipping for those who weren’t wimps!), and then a bonfire with my family. I am in my element when surrounded by those I love, although not when I am the center of attention. I prefer to mingle quietly with one group, then another. Once people start focusing on me, I get agitated and hide away!

4. We both have daughters that are at the “tween” age, what do you find is the biggest challenge and what is the most rewarding aspect in raising your daughter?
Every single day is a reward when it comes to my Tween. I am not one of those mothers that says, “Oh I wish she was still a baby,” because I revel in the process of becoming a “person.” The changes a baby goes through in order to sit up, crawl, walk, run, count, read, write, add, discover … these changes are what I look forward to as a mother. I do not wish for her to return to any stage of her life, though they have all been beautiful (except for those 8 months she displayed her Terrible Two’s). She is my sun, moon, stars, and earth. She brings light to my life, joy to my heart, song to my soul. My Tween may not be an angel, she may not be the most brilliant child ever conceived, and she may not be anyone else’s idea of perfect … but she is MY idea of perfect. Do not get me wrong: she misbehaves, she does stupid things, she can be greedy and whiny and moody at her worst … but she is kindhearted and loving and generous and sweet and cuddly and beautiful and talented and intelligent at her best. What she lacks in “smarts” she makes up for with hard work and dedication. She has been told she is “average” by several of her previous teachers, but she maintains a mostly A-B honor roll while enrolled in advanced classes. She  constantly surprises me with her generosity of spirit and heart, and she reminds me of my sister with her simple elegance and artistic flair. She is the best of all the people I love, and reminds me that while my parents may find me a disappointment, I must be doing something right somewhere along the way … because she is beautiful. Not physically, really (though she is pretty). Her beauty is mentally, emotionally, and spiritually displayed.

5. When talking with you both through texts and online you always seem to say the most profound things, that really make me stop and think and better understand the situation at hand.  Tell me what is the best advice you have ever been given?
One simple word, “Live.” So many people spend their lives fighting to get from one place to another … they forget to simply enjoy the life with which they have been blessed. I spent a few very unhappy years worrying I would never live up to my parents expectations. Once I was given the advice to live, I focused instead on enjoying the things I was choosing to do with my life. I will not ever be rich, I will not ever achieve greatness … but I will enjoy every day I wake up, and I will bring joy to the people around me.

Thank you for the fantastic interview, Adelle! I love you muchly. **hugs tight**

If you want in on the good stuff, just follow the yellow brick road:

You have to link back to the original post (http://immoralmatriarch.com/questionsagain) and my post The Interrogation, Part Tres.

The bricks are laid out before you:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions: I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

A friend of mine, Miss Riss (who is fabulously snarky and silly and sassy and sexy!), recently blogged about her son’s involvement with raising money for the Easter Seals Campaign. Spenser had originally set a personal goal to raise $200, which was quickly met and exceeded within a few days.

Congratulations, Spenser!

Spenser has since raised his goal amount, and the telethon is happening tomorrow, March 8, 2009. If you have the means and the inclination, please stop by Spenser’s Easter Seals Campaign page, and donate. Even a single dollar can help a great deal when added to the funds that have already been raised for this great cause!

I found myself lucky enough to be able to donate (a small amount, but enough to feed Tween and I for three days, at least!), so please do not think I am asking you to do something I have not yet done myself!

Thanks for listening, and thank you in advance for those of you who are able to participate!

Good luck, Spenser - I hope you raise far more than you originally anticipated!

xoxo