Category: Home Life

Fiendish Friday: People Suck

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

All the things that have happened lately have just deflated my Pollyanna bubble. Call me ridiculous or naive but I honestly believed people did the best they could. That people were, for the most part, good and decent. But my Pollyanna glasses have been shattered. They weren’t quite rose colored, I wasn’t that full of the faith of mankind, but they had a faint pink tint until lately.

Yes, I know bad things happen all the time on a global scale. But I guess I always felt like you and me, in our day to day life, we weren’t out to get anyone. We – I was trying to make my immediate world a good place, just a little at a time.

But in the last few months, I see so much hypocrisy. People ignoring whatever doesn’t align with their world view. Attacking what they don’t understand. Pointing fingers and throwing barbs when they could just accept their own portion of responsibility in a situation. Selfishness taken to the extreme. And I feel like…people just suck. Grasping for themselves. Cheering for their side as though it isn’t real humans who are losing, sometimes their lives. Lying, Stealing, throwing temper tantrums when they don’t get their own way.

What happened to humanity? Please just tell me one beautiful, heart warming thing you have witnessed in the last, I don’t care how long….

 

Fiendish Friday: When I’m sick

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 5 Comments

I’m a mom so there’s no real sick days. Sure, if I was in the hospital my hubs would take a day off work to watch our son but short of that…

So there are two kinds of sick days in my house. The ones where I pop some day-quill and suck on a hot tea all day while handling everything I normally would, although with less of a smile.

And then there are the other days. The ones where I am so miserably sick that medication doesn’t even get me out of the house. These are the days where I eat all sorts of things I wouldn’t normally consider consuming because they go immediately to my gut. The days where I move from the bed to the couch and back again. Where my son gets to watch TV, usually with me. And if I’m really sick, I don’t even home school him.

Most moms are probably nodding vigorously, we’ve all been there.

But here’s where I make a sharp right. When I am this sick all I watch is HGTV. LOL. Property Brothers, Fixer Upper, Flip or Flip, Design on a Dime, heck I’ll even watch old reruns of the original Love it or List it. (No love it or list it too, that chick’s voice grates.)

My son loves to watch these shows with me and guess what the people might do, talk about what the people should do or should have done, talk about what we should do to our house. LOL. It almost makes being miserably sick bearable. Soft cuddly puppy, warm wiggly kiddo, and Joanna Gaines not killing her husband when he brings home two new kittens and a puppy. Cause four kids, 6 goats, and a dozen chickens aren’t enough?

What’s your sick day balm for the soul?

 

Fiendish Friday: It’s all about the quality

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 6 Comments

Last winter our roof started leaking, in a couple of places actually. We had it replaced. But there was still a leak, a big ass, water pouring out a wall switch leak. Turned out both our sky lights in the living room were leaking too. I flippin’ hate sky lights but the hubs loves them so our current house has like seven of them.

Fast forward, we get the skylights replaced, contact the insurance company to repair the leak damage and start down a hellish path of delays, delays, and more delays. Oh sure they come out and open up my wall and use some heinous machine to dry out the extra hard wood my house is constructed from. That’s March.

It’s July before the repairs start to happen. There’s just holes in my wall for months on end. But finally the work starts. This chick comes out and insulates, puts up new dry wall, tapes, and applies the first coat of mud. Ok cool. It’s moving forward. And it’s a woman, who actually talks to me.  My experience with contractors has been ridiculously sexist.

They come back to finish mud, texture, and paint. Ok it’s on a crazy busy day because originally I was told they would be here different days and I cleared those days but now I have to take care of things that got pushed off on the days they actually show up. hrm. Ok, ok, maybe there was just miscommunication between the contractor and the insurance guy. I still have faith. In fact, I ask them for a quote to do the exterior and the rest of the interior as that needs to be done this year.

I have to talk to the chick’s partner and he’s a bit condescending but I smile and nod. He gives this long speech the whole time we’re going though the house about how quality is what really matters and the over all quality is the most important thing. How if he does a great job on the walls but I skip the trim it won’t look as good overall. I can see that arguement. I can also see he’s padding his billing. LOL. I’m not actually dumb, despite what male contractors seem to think. He gives me a casual quote and says he’ll work up the formal quote and get it to me next week.

At 530 he asks if they can work on as they’re almost done. I say sure and text the hubs to meet us for dinner in town since I’m not going to try to cook in the mess. We go, have nice dinner, and come home to find them gone. And the work….um….well the mud looks like it’s rippling down the wall and bubbled in other places. You can still clearly see the replaced dry wall areas. And the paint is spotty, pitted, and all over my hardwood floors.

Quality, it’s all about quality.

Fiendish Friday: The Place Where You Live

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

After last week’s surprise at my black bear comment I thought maybe I should talk a little about where I live. I’ve mentioned before – Pacific Northwest. Slightly more specific, about an hour outside Seattle without traffic.

I live on a mountain that is 2/3 to maybe 3/4 state park, I’m bad at that spacial estimation thing. What do I mean by mountain, the summit is around 3K on the highest peak. There are a number of homes up here, carved into the hills and valley, embracing the very NON city living.

But there are other inhabitants….

I had been in the state of Washington maybe 3 weeks and in our new home maybe 2, I was still unpacking the last boxes, when my hubs flew back to Cali for the weekend. The kiddo was in bed, I was watching netflix on the TV downstairs when the security lights went on in the driveway outside the room I was in. I look and there is this thing in my driveway. I blink once or twice, is that someone’s dog? The worlds biggest raccoon? God, if I didn’t know better I’d swear that was a bear. It ambled off. Now I’m a rural/city girl. What I know of animals are farm animals and frat boys. So I grab my laptop and google, and what do you know…it was a bear. Huh.

Flash forward a few months, the dog won’t go outside. This is very unusual for him, he always pees at 11 before bed, like clockwork. But he won’t go. I step out onto the deck coaxing him that everything is ok and then I hear this low growl. I look to my right and twelve feet away are gleaming eyes and – no flipping way. I stepped backwards into the house, lock the door, run around shutting all the windows, praising the dog. Grab my laptop and sure enough, a cougar.

Flash forward a few more months. The dog is outside for his morning pee. He doesn’t come back right away. Odd for him. Then I hear him barking like mad. I ask the hubs to check it out, since he has shoes on. He goes out and comes back a few minutes later laughing. Dog treed a bob cat.

Deer are such a routine sight that I don’t even have a funny story for them, except to say my dog is desperate to catch one and can’t quite manage it.

Rabbits less common now that we have a dog because he is able to catch them and they seem to have moved onto someone else’s property. LOL

Keep in mind these aren’t one offs. Someone posted a picture of a cougar walking down the road up here last summer. The summer before that a cougar went into a neighbor’s yard during a BBQ and stole a small dog. I see bear at least once a month in the months when they aren’t hibernating.

Tell me about the place where you live….

Wednesday Writer’s Update 6/29

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

I decided to stop calling this Writer’s Cafe since my chances of making it regularly this summer are slim. The work around for the no Wednesday sitter issue will be to go after my husband gets home from work I think. But since some weeks he’s home by 640, which would make me an hour late-not too bad, and some weeks he’s home at 815-LOL. Yeah. It’s hard for me to have things be so up in the air. I am a planner. That’s how I handle all that I do, by having a plan.

Which now that I write that, makes me laugh as I am a huge panster when it comes to my writing. LOL. Maybe that’s all the spontaneity my life can accept. hrm…file that under things to mull over when I have the spare time. cough. right….moving on…

I usually tell a funny story that happened at Cafe but since I don’t have any of those right now….Monday morning my hubs shaved his goatee off. My son told him it was weird. Then later in the car I was explaining an idea to my son and he says, “That’s weird mom. Not like dad without his goatee weird, but weird.” bwahahahahha

I’ve decided to report on my stated 2016 goals each Wednesday for a little prod of accountability.

– Participate in one flash fiction challenge per month.

√ Negatory. And June is almost over. Sigh. Well, no one is perfect. And Friday is another month. LOL

– Prepare and teach “Nano to Publish”.

√ Yup. I’m super proud of this little group that’s ripped the band-aid off and are moving forward. It takes guts to put your work out there to be critiqued, then beta’d, then to publish or seek a publisher, but they’re doing it.

– Any time I am not actively working on my 2015 Nano Novel, write 2500 words per week on my spy novel until it is done. (After four years, it’s time to put this mess to bed.)

√ So first draft is done and out to Beta. I have four readers this first go round and a couple of people already asking to be in the second one. I’m breaking it down, first go round is for other writers who want to give me writerly feedback instead of reader feedback. Second go round is for the reader experience. If you want in, let me know.

Non writing goals

– Prepare and teach two classes at the coop for the 2016-2017 school year.

√ Actually working on this, reading a non fiction book which may or may not be applicable. Have to wait til I’m done. LOL

– Take better care of my body, ie. stop compulsively painting, crocheting, and writing until my back or shoulder is so tore I can barely use either.

√ Sadly I have had almost no time to compulsively do anything this week. The Club. Oh, the Club. LOL

– yoga daily.

√ No way, not even close. Right now I’m at some sort of three times a week 2 1/2 hour work out situation, which is so not ideal but what I can get on the schedule right now. I keep thinking another couple of weeks and the club will be all reasonable and manageable again. Another couple of weeks and I can spend 30 minutes a day on club business instead of what I’m averaging now which is four hours. Yes, FOUR A DAY. Bleh.

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 14 Comments
seals.jpg
Me when I discover my child has been lying

Yesterday I discovered my son’s hamster had been stuck in it’s ball since I cleaned the cage last Sunday. Apparently my husband forgot to open the ball door when he and my son got done playing with the hamster and put him back. Ok, he oopsed. It happens. And it should have been caught by my son when he checked on his hamster right? Which I ask him to do every morning and he verifies he has done.

Nope. I found the poor hamster yesterday, 5 days no food or water. The poor thing was visibly distressed.

Picture long, calm conversation about this. Parenting at it’s kindest. But apparently not it’s most effective.

Today I go upstairs to vacuum, cat allergic friend coming over this afternoon and I like to have the allergens at a minimum for her.

My son’s cat has NO water. I ask him every day, did you check on your cat’s food and water? Yes, mom. She has plenty.

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

He lied to me. All week. To my face. My sweet little boy. Lied to me.

Please, please share your stories before I decide I am the worst parent on the planet. Tell me about the last time your kiddo lied to you? Or the worst time?

Fiendish Friday: Broken Give a F***

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

Yes I just swore really big. Note the day. I don’t whip that one out very often.

I’m sure if you pop by my blog at all you’ve seen there’s been lots of club drama. Lots of missed write ins because of meetings etc. And each week my stress level has gone up. And up. And up.

And then I missed a deadline on my book. Because of the incredible time suck that is the club. And definitely due to the emotional drain that the club has become.

And then Tuesday morning my kiddo burst into tears for like the 20th time in the last week and when I asked him what was happening he said “Your stress is making me anxious.”

Pop. It was like someone through a switch.

There went my ability to give a f*** about the club.

Bad enough it’s messing with my mental health but mess with my kid and it gets ugly.

So I am now a paper processing machine. I do what work needs to be done and then I shelve it and move on. No emotional energy for the club.

And I can’t even give credit to my dear friend who coined “break my give a f***” right now because her husband has viral meningitis. Slaps forehead. Some things are so much more important than a club.

Holy guacamole, in the vein of more important, I just came face to face with a black bear having breakfast. Luckily my dog convinced him I would not be a tasty second breakfast.

Fiendish Friday: Turn of Phrase

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

Have you ever noticed your mood really affects word choice? Mine do.

My word choice got up close and personal this week and that made me start thinking about how I phrase things.

For Example:

-Sunday at the close of Maple Valley Days. I was tired, frustrated, ready to be just done with people. A fellow author asked what I thought about next year and my response was “I’m not doing this shit again.” LOL

But by Wednesday, I was refreshed and back to my normal. So when I wrote about it, I was making jokes and chalking it all up to a learning experience.

-Or the ever common. I hate my job by Thursday night and it’s not so bad by Sunday night. LOL

-Monday was my birthday and someone I asked to leave my life a few years back, decided it was a good time to rear up and send a manipulative email. On Monday, she was bat shit fucking crazy and always does this, ruins every damn holiday with her crap.

But most of the year, I just smile and say she’s no longer in my life.

Sometimes that’s the hardest part, editing your words before you say them so you remember what’s really true and not what your emotions want you to believe is true, because emotional responses pass. But you have to live with the repercussions.

 

Happy Birthday Me

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 17 Comments

So no book review today.

Today I turned 40. It’s kind of a large milestone but in so many ways it feels like a total non event. And then I get all introspective and it feels momentous.

gulp

Half my life is over and I wanted to take stock.

Childhood: Wanted to be a fighter pilot. er, not a success.

College: Degree in field I really like. Not actually using said degree, but I have one. Let’s call that more or less successful.

Marr2016-05-08 14.03.56 (2)iage: Damn good husband. Most days. LOL. Definite success.

Family: Had one child. He’s still alive and by all accounts thriving after seven years. miraculous success.

Travel: Moderate. My bucket list is still fairly long but my imagination is quite fertile so I am always adding to it. Let’s call that a success.

 

Books: Published one that went entirely unnoticed by the world IMG_2441 (2)at large. But  I published it none the less. So not quite a dismal failure?

Health: I still have all my original parts and they mostly work, so reasonable success?

Friends: Put up with me. Total Success.

Dog: Worships the ground I walk on, unless the neighbor boy is outside, then I’m chopped liver.

Laugh. But really, I’m quite happy.

 

Fiendish Friday: Cards Against Humanity

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

I’m traveling with the kiddo. Every year around this time we make the rounds, visiting family for our niece’s birthday, then seeing friends from when we used to live in California. Sometimes we tie it all up with a trip to Park City, Utah (more friends) before we head home. We’re skipping Park City this year for a couple of reasons, but largely because I need to be back home in time to get my cruddle together for Maple Valley Days. FreeValley Publishing, the author cooperative I joined this year, has a booth at the festival, and I’m working it.

So first stop on our trip was at my friend Missy’s. She lives by Sac and I can make it to her place in one shot, twelve hours, driving. Yes the kiddo can car trip that long, it’s amazing what unlimited DVD, video game time, and snacks will make possible. LOL. Missy has slightly older kids. They’re pretty self sufficient and they absorb mine into the fold when we get there. It’s as close as it comes for me, to two days without a kiddo. Generally we drink too much and hang out in the pool. We play Phase Ten when the sun goes down and drink some more. We cook. We eat. We usually end up clothes shopping, such a cliché, but I really like a store by her house and we don’t have one where I live.

This year Missy and co introduced me to Cards Against Humanity. You thought I forgot didn’t you? LOL. I have no idea how I managed not to play this game before. I’d heard of it’s existence. It just never happened. Well now it did. We laughed our asses off. And I have to say being a writer really helps in that game. So does a number of Moscow Mules. I love the fact that the game encourages you to be dirty. I am always at my funniest just on the verge of being inappropriate. Or maybe I’m deluded and I’m way over the edge.

So back to how being a writer helps: The card read out loud was….I got referred to HR for a situation involving (blank), (Blank), and allegedly (Blank).

I had a number of options in my hand and ultimately chose the following cards. The Care Bear Stare, Sean Penn, and 3 penises at once.

Now how would you fill in those blanks?

Uh huh. Think about it.carebear

I chose: I got referred to HR for a situation involving Sean Penn, 3 penises at once, and allegedly the Care Bear Stare.

Seriously, I almost made someone pee their pants laughing with that. You can’t prove the Care Bear Stare. You can’t. Some things are too much to admit.

What’s your fave Cards Against Humanity win?