Twelve Things I Love About Nate

On Nate’s 12th birthday today, I thought I’d list 12 things I love about that kid:

1. He’s really funny. Always.

2. His eyes actually light up when he tells stories — they’re so expressive, and they tell half the story before his words jump in.

3. He’s in that sometimes-awkward-but-always-kind-of-cute “tween” stage of life, where he still goofs off and wrestles and plays with his buddies, but sometimes flashes of maturity take hold. The flashes of maturity always seem to surprise him.

4. He is a youngest child, but sometimes he gets to play “big brother” to a couple of neighborhood kids, and he’s awesome in the role — he always knows when to be silly, how to be fun, but also when to be gentle.

5. He’s super smart.

6. He makes a mean sunny-side-up egg. He stands on a step-stool to do this.

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Technical Difficulties at Bay

We’re still having a few technical difficulties with our computer, although we did go visit Staples and grilled a young employee there who looked to be about 17 but rolled off a lot of technical lingo and told us about Staples’ diagnostics program. We might try that. We’ve had hit-or-miss luck hiring people off of Craig’s List.

In the meantime, Superman at least got it to where I could get back in to the computer (albeit sloooooowly), and the first thing I did was back up all my fiction!!!! I didn’t want another of these tragedies. I was long overdue for a backup anyway, and now I’m thinking I should back it up in a couple of different places.

Then, of course, I had to get on Facebook! Homecoming, people! I had to look at everyone’s Homecoming pictures! I still wasn’t able to see them all well (couldn’t use my arrow button), but I got a glimpse, and I’ll get back and look more thoroughly when we finally take our computer in.

Then I had to make sure I sent a few more FB messages to Montana son, since that’s his only mode of communication these days.

Then I made sure my fiction files were backed up … again …

Then I wrote a few blog posts, so I’ll have something up all this week — homecoming, fall decor, other fun things and pics.

Next is backing up photos!

In comments on the post, Debi asked wasn’t it amazing how much we rely on our technology and how lost we feel when it’s down? And all I have to say to that is — yes, sister!

What do you do to back up all your computer files? Do you do the same with your phone? What would you feel worse losing?

Whatcha Reading?

In addition to letting my writing go by the wayside these last several months, I’ve also let my reading go. I haven’t read anything in eons.

But in the last week, I picked up my Kindle, recharged it, and downloaded a couple of Eloisa James stories! Whoo-hoo! — I bought her new novel, a novella, and a short story. Started on the novel first, and really enjoying the (very Dr. House-like!) Piers and heroine Linnet. Eloisa James always does a great job.

What are you reading these days?

What’s Up in the Writing Department

So one of the things that happened in this last year — as I got sucked into the vortex of my teenagers’ complicated lives — was that my writing clunked to the ground and has been left there, in the dust, for nearly a year. No edits. No rewrites. No new books. No new stories. I haven’t even continued to send the one finished manuscript out to a single agent. It’s just sitting there, in my hard drive. (Next to the one I haven’t finished yet. Next to the seven other books that I’ve started with ideas.)

And they’re all very, very dusty. …

My critique partner – who usually keeps me on my toes about these things – was also having a very stressful year, filled with long to-do lists and late nights, so we were mostly encouraging each other to “hang in there” since 2010. No edits. No rewrites. No new books. Just get from Sunday to Sunday with your family intact and your laundry done and your bills paid and your kids/inlaws/etc healthy. That was our primary focus.

So, come July or so, both of us suddenly looked up and realized we hadn’t written a thing in much too long. Continue reading

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