Did You Ever?

The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

-Walter Bagehot

Doing what people say you can't. Hmmm. Did you ever do something just because someone told you you can't?

I have. For sure. As soon as I turned 18 and I knew I had a say about myself and I didn't just have to do what my father said, I definitely did the opposite.

For example. My dad said I couldn't join the Marines. I think his exact words were something along the line of "I won't let you." or "You're not allowed." So, what did I do?

I joined the Marines.

I think it was a good decision. I learned a lot about life and myself. I didn't stay in long. Only a few years. But those years as a Marine gave me confidence I didn't know I had and taught me that I could do things on my own.

What was the next thing my dad told me I couldn't do? Oh yeah. Get married. So, what did I do?

You guessed it!

I got married. To another Marine. Yep. Did I do it just because my dad said I couldn't?

Oh, that's a good question. Looking back, I think I did. My dad said the marriage wouldn't last six months. Well, I showed him.

The marriage didn't last, but it lasted a lot longer than six months. And I had three great kids from it so it couldn't have been all that bad in the beginning.

Did I learn my lesson about arbitrarily doing the thing someone told me I couldn't? Not really. I guess it's in my nature. I hear those words "you can't" and they grate on me. Why can't I? I'll show you!

I'm like that with my health too. In 2002 and 2003 I was using a cane and in a wheelchair. People telling me I can't do this or can't do that. That life as it exists at that point was as good as it was going to get. It wasn't good enough. I wanted more. I wanted to be out of that wheelchair, walking and not with the cane. So, I did it. I refused to give up, so my doctor refused to give up as well.

Where's my wheelchair? Gathering dust in the garage for the last three of four years.

Do I recommend this kind of attitude for others? Not for someone to do blindly. No, I've definitely learned my lesson on that regard. I think about my decisions now. Weigh the consequences. Then make up my mind. I do use some common sense. If my husband says I can't lift that 200 pound table top, I agree with him. I'm not an idiot. I know my back will never be the same again, and I'm going to be careful about how I take care of it. Lifting 200 pound stone tabletops is not on the "can do" list.

So, my advice to you is this: Be your own person. Be smart. Give yourself some credit for knowing what's good for you. Take other people's suggestions on advisement, weigh your options. Then make up your own mind. Live your life. Don't let others live it for you.

Blog Guest - Christine Norris, Children's Author

Christine's latest book, Return to Zandria, sequel to Talisman of Zandria, will be released July 28, 2007 so we have an exclusive here, folks.

Here's the blurb: Ivy Peterson was not ordinary. Ivy was More-Than-Ordinary because once she found herself in a very special place and had a very special adventure.

But Ivy was far too old for fairy tales...wasn’t she?

It has been three years since Ivy recovered the Talisman of Zandria, and her life is very different. She is no longer the shy young girl who chased a fairy through a magic gate, but a teenager, concerned with clothes, friends and school. She has nearly forgotten about the special world that exists on the other side of a thin magical veil.

But they have not forgotten her.

Now a crisis is brewing in Zandria, and only Ivy can help. They implore her to come to their aid, and Ivy’s memories of adventure pull her once again into the enchanted world of mermaids, dragons and wizards. Reunited with old friends, and bringing a new one along for the ride, Ivy must now lead them into the wilds of her own world, and not only keep them safe but stop an empire from falling into the clutches of evil.

Would you like to read an excerpt? Click here

I had an opportunity to ask Christine a couple of questions.

How has writing affected your life?

It really hasn't affected my life...it's sort of taken over! I spend most of my free time now writing, and other things have been pushed aside - home projects, my son's scrapbook, cleaning...LOL. I would much rather write than clean my house.

I've also developed a good freelance career as a re-writer. I take books that have been translated from other languages and clean them up so they read properly for an American audience. I get to work from home, so that's been a blessing.

What are your writing goals?

Oh, to be able to write books for a living and not have to do anything else. I love substitute teaching, and I love the freelancing work - I've been incredibly fortunate to have both in my life, and they allow me time to write my own books, but being able to concentrate solely on my books would be wonderful. I want to have a large readership, too, which is what I think most writers want. I would, well, I wouldn't kill, but you know what I mean, to have the amount of readers that J.K. Rowling has, or Jane Yolen, or Tamora Pierce. That's really the goal.

What's one thing you'd wish people would ask you and don't?

Oh, my, let me think about that one a minute. I guess I would have to say that no one asks me about my school visits. Everyone asks about what I like to read and where I get my ideas and all that, but no one really asks me about the author visits. I do have a program that is geared toward about grades 4-7, and I talk about being a writer - what kinds of things writers write, and where I do get inspiration from, and all the stuff everyone asks me about all the time. But it's really one of my favorite things to do, because I find that children are really interested in talking about writing, even if they don't like to actually do it.

That, and my favorite food. No one ever asks about that. Cheesecake. I love cheesecake.

Thank you, Vicki, for allowing me space on your blog and hosting me for this part of the tour. The rest of the stops on my month long Virtual Book Tour for RETURN TO ZANDRIA can be found on my website and at my blog.


And, thank you, Christine for visiting us today and sharing your new release with us. The paperback version is available from her publisher, LBF Books and from Amazon.com. Look for the electronic version from LBF Books and Fictionwise.

If you'd like to read more about Christine and her books here are some links

Christine's Website
Christine's Myspace Page
Christine's Live Journal
Christine's Blog
LBF Books

Pamela K. Kinney's Haunted Virginia

I have a guest on my blog today. Pamela K. Kinney will tell us about her book Haunted Richmond, Virginia.

The back of the book reads as follows: Richmond, Virginia is chock-full of ghosts and haunted places. This city names Edgar Allan Poe as its native son, and it is rich in ghostly lore, legends, and tales. Join this tour to:
• Learn why Virginia's governor shares his mansion with ghosts;
• Dine with ghosts at Ruth's Chris Steak House and Crab Louie's Seafood Tavern;
• Discover that the Byrd Theatre has more than movies to offer customers;
• Visit the prison in Powhatan (it might not be safe, even for those working there);
• Call on the Lady in Red who roams the corridors at Wrexham Hall.
These and other interesting and scary stories will transport you beyond, to a Richmond that most mortals never see!

Pamela is on a Virtual Book Tour and we were lucky to be one of her stops this month. So, sit back, relax and prepare for a peek into the supernatural.

Take it away, Pamela!

Hi, I’m Pamela K. Kinney. I’m here to talk about the supernatural, especially as I have a nonfiction book out on the subject, Haunted Richmond, Virginia.

The supernatural and paranormal pertains to entities, forces or powers regarded as beyond nature, in that they cannot be explained from the laws of the natural world. Religious miracles are typical of such “supernatural” manifestations, as are spells, curses, divination, the notion that there is an afterlife for the dead, vampires, werewolves, spirits, and innumerable others. Supernatural themes are often associated with magical and occult ideas.

Let’s talk about one of those themes: ghosts or spirits. A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person's former belongings. The word "ghost" may also refer to the spirit or soul of a deceased person, or to any spirit or demon. Ghosts are often associated with haunting, "the more or less regular occurrence of paranormal phenomena associated with a particular locality (especially a building) and usually attributed to the activities of a discarnate entity; the phenomena may include apparitions, poltergeist disturbances, cold drafts, sounds of steps and voices, and various odors."

Ghosts are controversial phenomena. According to a poll conducted in 2005 by the Gallup Organization, about 32% of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts. The term ghost has been replaced by apparition in parapsychology, because the word ghost is deemed insufficiently precise. Another word used a lot these days with apparitions is paranormal, which means: beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation.

In historical accounts, ghosts were thought to be deceased persons looking for vengeance, or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life. Most cultures have ghost stories in their mythologies. Many stories from the Middle Ages and the Romantic Era rely on the macabre and the fantastic—ghosts are a major theme in literature from those periods. But even though real ghost phenomena were still discussed by mid-twentieth century doubters would try to bring up reasons why this happened, by natural means.

Today, interest in the paranormal and supernatural is back in “vogue”. People want to know that there is more to death than just a big, black nothingness. Television shows like X-Files and Ghost Hunters have spiked this interest, along with many, many paranormal films on the movie screen. And so do books like my Haunted Richmond, Virginia. Especially those that are regional—like cities or states. Even if there are some stories that can be explained away, like the Richmond Vampire, still there are many more that can not. Like the Lady in Red at Wrexham Hall. Or the last chapter of my book, that happened to my husband and me—with proof being a cell phone number of mine on the caller ID the next morning.

Do I believe in ghosts? I’m not ashamed to say, yes, I do. My question is: do you believe in spirits? Have you any stories of your own to tell, of phenomena that happened to you? If you do, I hope you leave comments here about it—share those stories. And please do check out my book. You can get it directly from Schiffer Books at http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=9780764327124 or up at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Richmond-Virginia-Pamela-Kinney/dp/0764327127/ref=sr_1_1/103-0687312-5804636?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181040113&sr=1-1 . Soon it’ll be available through Barnes and Noble, Borders, and independent bookstores too. In it are stories of ghostly phenomena that happened at the Governor of Virginia’s Mansion, the Capitol, historical homes and museums in Richmond and surrounding counties, restaurants, prisons, Civil War batteries, and even Richmond’s beautiful and unusual cemetery, Hollywood Cemetery. Edgar Allan Poe is Richmond’s native son literally, and with a town rich in its own lore, one can see where Poe’s beginnings could have given fruit to his storytelling.

Pamela K. Kinney has always loved making up stories since she was a child. At age 17, she submitted three poems to Hyacinths and Biscuits Magazine. She was surprised as all three were accepted and published, but she got paid for them too. Since then, over the years, she had poetry, an article in True Story Magazine and stories published in both print and electronic form. Besides writing as Pamela K. Kinney (horror, fantasy and sci-fi), she has published erotic and non-erotic paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi romances as Sapphire Phelan.

Works include Beyond the Four Walls, Crimson Promise, Wedded Magic, Iridescent Invasion, "Azathoth is Here" in Cthulhu Express Anthology, "Werewolf for Hire" online at ScienceFictionFantasyHorror.com, "Cold Blood, Warm Flesh" in Dark Gothic: Resurrected, "Dangerous City" in Werewolf Magazine, and "Soul Seduction" in Forbidden Love: Bad Boys, “Being a Predator is a Bitch” in Forbidden Love: Wicked Women, both published by Under the Moon, His Girl and The Curse published by Twilight Fantasies Publications, an super hero romance Amazon Short called To Save the Day, and her first nonfiction book on the paranormal occurrences of Richmond, Virginia, Haunted Richmond, Virginia, from Schiffer Books.

She is happily married and is owned by a cat.

She admits she can always be found at her desk and on her computer, writing. And yes, the house and the husband sometimes suffers for it!

Find out more about her at her website: http://FantasticDreams.50megs.com . Also check out her MySpaces at http://www.myspace.com/PamelaKKinney

http://www.myspace.com/SapphirePhelan and her blogs: http://pamelaKKinney.blogspot.com and http://SapphirePhelansPassionCorner.blogspot.com

Thank you, Pamela. You've definitely got me spooked. If anyone has any questions or comments, leave them here and Pamela will get back to you as soon as she can.

The Month is Winding Down

The month is nearly over and that means my Virtual Book Tour is winding down. Only a few more days left to follow me around the Internet checking out great interviews.

Today I'm at The Writer's Mind.

Did you miss me the last couple of days? Hubby and I took a long weekend and drove down to the Florida Keys. We took the dog and bird with us. It was a great weekend for hubby. He got to dive every day and took some amazing pictures. As for me, it was rewarding in another way. I wrote a speculative fiction short story. All from a prompt from one of my writing groups.

We had to come up with a way to make the start of a story with waking up be interesting. I think I've accomplished that. I need to polish it and put it through a few edits, but I'll let you know when and where it appears.

The Internet is a great thing. It's given us so many more opportunities than we could ever imagine. One of them is the friendships we make. Hubby has made friends with a lot of people on the saltwater aquarium forum he manages and owns. One of the friends loves the Keys too. So, he planned a trip down from Indiana and we planned our trip to coincide.

Sometimes, meeting people in person that you know from the Internet can be a good thing. But, always be cautious. Especially those who have developed a romantic interest in an online friend. Always meet in a public place and maintain a sense of reality.

There, my wisdom for the day.

Two Blogs for the Price of One

Today I'm at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion chatting with Dorothy Thompson. She's the one who started all this Virtual Book Tour stuff and she's the lady to go to if you're interested in a book tour for yourself.

Tomorrow I'm at the fabulous Romantic Fanatic. Guess what she made me reveal about my husband!??! I can't tell you here, you have to go to her site and see for yourself.

Shh, I haven't even told my hubby yet what's on the blog. I wonder if he'll be embarrassed?

June 19th, Do you know where your author is?

Hi, and welcome to the continuation of my Virtual Blog Tour.

Today I'm at The Adventures of a Wife, Mother, and Writer. Cheryl asked some really insightful questions. Check them out and see what my answers were.

Tomorrow I'll be at Marilyn Meredith's blog.

If you've been following my schedule, there'll be an added interview for the 22nd. I won't tell you what it is yet. You'll have to wait until we get closer to the date. But, it's a good one!

See you around the blogs!

Guess Where I am Today?

Hi, it's another day on the Virtual Book Tour. I'm at Boomer Chick

We're about mid way through the tour and all is going well. The schedule looks pretty full and I'm still raring to go.

Come follow me around the Internet as I guest from one blog to another.

Tag, I'm It!

Peggy Tibbetts tagged me. So now I’m coming for you.

Here’s the scoop: I write 8 random facts/habits about myself, and then tag 8 people. If I tag you, you have to play or I will pester you for the rest of your life.

1 – I'm addicted to Chocolate. Any kind. Any percent cocoa. The more the better.

2 – I have a swim suit I bought two years ago and still haven't worn it. Why? Because I'm a sissy about getting in the water. I can swim. I just don't want to. But, I'll have to when we go to Hawaii next year.

3 – I joined the U.S. Marine Corps right after high school. Like two weeks after I graduated.

4 – I'm a compulsive obsessive -ist. I can obsess on anything, just give me a topic. If you don't, I'll just make something up and obsess about that.

5 – I was and still am a Friends fanatic. I have all the episodes on DVD. I even watch them.

6 – When I was a kid I dreamed of meeting Donny Osmond. I even painted my bedroom purple in honor of his favorite color.

7 – I'm scared to death of snakes. Heart attack inducing, out of my wits, run like the wind, scared of snakes.

8 – I collect teddy bears. I have hundreds of them. So many that some are packed away because I just don't have the space for them. I plan on donating them to a Teddy Bear Museum (yes, there is such a thing) when I die.

Ok, now it’s my turn. I tag Jamieson, Sandy, Nikki, Linda, Cheryl, Kim, Kathy, and Michael.

Another Day, Another Tour Stop, Another Day Without Chocolate

If you're keeping up, today I'm at The Book Pedler. There you'll find my answers to an interesting set of questions, some you may have never heard before today.

If anyone is counting, this is Day 9 of no sweets.

No chocolate.

At all.

I had to. I was getting out of control. It reminded me of the time I had to quit coffee cold turkey. I found myself at 4:30 in the afternoon making a pot of coffee for myself and realized I needed to get off the stuff fast. My hands were even shaking while I poured the water for goodness sake! Way too much caffeine.

So, I'm taking a break from chocolate and decided to lump in all sweets while I was at it. The sweetest I've gone is Splenda sprinkled on my strawberries for breakfast.

I'm past the cravings. They were horrible to get through. I used Ice Breakers Sours to get me through the tough times. They're sugar-free and if you read the nutritional facts on the back, they have less than 5 calories per piece.

Uh, 5 calories?

Oh great. Now I read the back of the dispenser. At 5 calories a piece, I could be hitting some serious calorie consuming in a day.

I'll also tell you right now, don't eat too many of them in a row, they're made with Sorbitol.

Yikes.

So, I have to remember, sugar-free doesn't mean calorie-free.

Got it.

Okay, time to get back to work.

See you all tomorrow when I visit Women on Writing.

Where am I today?

Pauline Jones at All The World's a Page is hosting me today.

This Virtual Book Tour stuff is kinda fun.

Hectic, but fun. There's the various interviews and information to give. Different blogs and websites to keep track of and the right dates of each tour stop. But, it's all about expanding my Internet network.

Being more visible. That's what it's all about.

And, look at all the new friends I'm making!

Guest - Kim Robinson

Today, I have a guest on my blog. Kim Robinson, the author of The Roux in the Gumbo. She's on a Virtual Book Tour and we were lucky enough to get her to stop here. Here is the rest of Kim's Virtual Book Tour schedule.

Kim Robinson was born in raised in Compton, California. She has survived everything that life threw at her and now lives in Allen,Texas, with her husband and three kids. When she's not sewing, writing, cooking and watching movies, Kim is a motivational speaker, sometimes bringing the crowd to tears with her moving personal accounts of the background of her life.

The Roux in the Gumbo is an emotional and inspirational look into the lives of a family that opens their door and hearts on every page. Spanning the years between 1800 to 1997, The Roux in the Gumbo’s story is told through one of the main characters before her passing; the remainder is accompanied by the memories of family members and friends. Based in Louisiana, with all its flair and Southern culture, it describes the experiences throughout history, contributing to the shaping of generations. In spite of the obstacles and struggles that life brought their way, these characters persevered with unity, love and laughter, due to a strong familial support system that carries universal appeal.

For more information on Kim, please visit www.kim-robinson.com. You can pick up your copy of The Roux in the Gumbo at Amazon. I had an opportunity to ask Kim some questions.

VICKI: How has writing affected your life? 

KIM: Ha Ha good question. Compared to my old life I think writing has been very therapeutic for me. In writing The Roux in the Gumbo I found out so many things that happened in my life had happened to my ancestors. It all stops with me, now that I have the information that I need to inform my children of what not to do, the abuse stops with me. I guess that leaves the question of what abuse?  I was raped by a preacher at the age of five and for thirty years I would not go to church or say the word God. He stayed out of my house and I stayed out of his. With no religion I went the other way, I was a madam, callgirl, drug dealer and drug addict for over a decade, until I met a man that made me feel like I was better than that. My grandmother had a vision and told me I should write, she said, "One day this is going to feed your family." I didn't pay enough attention to my grandmother's vision. But now I remember all of them in the book about her life, and I have my own visions now.


VICKI: What are your writing goals?


KIM: To write things to educate people on history, abuse, drugs, religion, and spirituality through my own negative experiences. In my books I tell it like it T.I. is and don't hold any punches no matter how painful the experiences are.


VICKI: What's the one question (and answer) you wish people would ask and don't?

KIM: One question that a lot of people ask me is, "How can you tell people that you were a prostitute." God doesn't have any secrets and he wants me to do things to help and inspire others. I feel obligated to share my past because that is just what it is, "My past." The questions that people don't ask is "How can I help people who are still living in pain, and abusing themselves."

I think that if most people had to go to the street to survive they wouldn't, they would starve to death, or get killed. If you see a homeless person, a prostitute, a drug addict ask them what you can do to help them.  The twenty dollars you give to that hooker may be the same twenty dollars that stops her from getting her throat cut or going home to an abusive pimp, or put the food in her babies mouth that she is trying to get.

VICKI: Thank you, Kim, for being so forward and honest in your answers to my questions. I wish you much success with your Virtual Book Tour and good luck with your writing.

Virtual Book Tour - Day 1

Well, we're off and running with my first ever Virtual Book Tour. We're featuring Trust in the Wind, as it's my latest book.

Over at Plug Your Book, you can find an excerpt of Trust in the Wind and ordering information.

You can even see the book trailer.

I guess the way it's supposed to work is each blog host has either an interview of me, a feature article, or they'll post an excerpt from the book. Then, I visit each blog on the day of it's tour stop and answer any questions that may come through on the comments that day.

Easy enough, right?

Good. Should be a piece of cake then.

Oh, wait. I've sworn off sweets. Hmm. Piece of pie? Nope, that won't work either. Well, you're just going to have to trust me. It'll be easy. LOL

Finally, It's Done!!

Hurrah! Our patio is finished.

Well, it's screened. The screeners arrived today and had the screens up in a few hours. See?

Oh, and you can see how hubby painted the stucco. We used the same color paint that's on the house. Looks like it was all meant to be there.

Now, we're still in the "remodeling" mood, so we're going to put in some French doors where the sliding glass door is that goes out into the patio. And, we're going to replace our double front doors with new doors. Too cool! Oh, and how could I forget? We're getting new patio furniture. Real comfy ones so I can go out there with my computer and work.

Of course, the whole thing had to be approved by our dog, Jack. He went out on the patio, put his paws on the wall, looked out through the screen and gave it two paws up.

Don't know what we're going to do after that. Maybe I can talk hubby into new kitchen cabinets and countertops?

Virtual Book Tour Starts June 1st

Exciting news. I'm taking a Virtual Book Tour in June, 2007. This is brand new stuff and I'm going to be blogging about my experience. Come visit me on any or all of my tour stops.

My current schedule is as follows:

June 1 - Plug Your Book!
June 4 - The Wolf Never Sleeps
June 5 - Pauline Jones' All the World's a Page
June 6 - The Dana Files
June 7 - The Book Pedler
June 8 - Women on Writing
June 11 - Boomer Chick
June 12 - The Writer's Life
June 14 - Kim Robinson's The Roux in the Gumbo
June 16 - Author Alley
June 19 - Cheryl Malandrinos' The Adventures of a Wife, Mother, and Aspiring Author
June 20 - Marilyn Meredith
June 21 - Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion
June 25 - Peggy Tibbetts’ From the Styx
June 26 - Christine Norris' The Writer’s Mind
June 27 - Mary Emma
June 29 - Be My Guest!
If you are interested in having your own Virtual Book Tour, you can go to Virtual Book Tours.

It's all coming together

I gotta hand it to my husband. He's surpassed every milestone he set for himself. Well, okay... no really, he did. I'm quite proud of him. He finished the stucco. You can see the design of the stucco in the picture. We even stamped some sea shells into the stucco to give it more of a beach feel.

At this moment, he's outside priming the wall preparing it for painting. He even got one of those spray paint thingies that you connect to the can o'paint and it sprays evenly in a horizontal direction.

Ah, the reason I know it sprays horizontally, is because hubby tried to spray the top of the wall by holding the spray thingie vertically. Wouldn't work.

So, it was my job to find a paint brush (any brush will do, just find one) so that hubby could paint the top of the wall.

Of course, I wanted the wall to match the color on the house. Funny, no argument from hubby. We agreed on something. Yay! Now, the only container left with paint from when the house was painted more than ten years ago was in a large bucket with its label nearly worn off. Good thing Home Depot can read their own labels. They had the right color and mixed up what we needed. Couldn't get easier than that.

We're so close to finishing I can't wait. I've already called the screening company and they're putting us on their schedule for next week. Hopefully. If not, the week after that. Then when the screening is done, we get new patio furniture and new French doors to replace the sliding glass doors. It's going to be so awesome.

I can't wait to take my laptop out there and work. Bug free. Leaf free. In cool comfort with my bird and my dog playing while I work.

Ah, I'm almost there...

Claiming my Blog

I've signed up with a new program called Technorati. I think what they do is help optimize your blog posts on the Internet for easier searching. Anyway something like that.

Technorati Profile

That's a link to my profile.

We finally have Pictures!

For those of you who have been following along with our home remodeling project. Here's a picture of its current status.

The wall is capped and dear hubby will start the stucco this weekend.

I asked him, "Do you know how to stucco?"

"No. But, I'm reading a book about it."

Do you see where we're going from here? But, I have to admit, he didn't do badly with the wall at all. It's straight (mostly), level (sort of), and meets his specifications. There's even the required 40 inch gaps for the screen doors.

Speaking of screens, we finally agreed on who will do the work. Now we have to determine the "when". You see, the screeners can't start until the wall is finished. That means stucco. And paint. Now, who is going to paint?

Don't look at me!

Change

For more than five years I’ve had the greatest hair stylist in the world. She got me. She got my hair. She’d been through the long spiral perms and suffered with me during my Grave’s Disease and the temporary loss of my hair. Once I was in remission, we worked together to make my hair healthy again.

I was there during her pregnancy and helped celebrate the birth of her first baby. She was there when I got my puppy. Our “babies” grew up together. We shared pictures. We shared stories. We shared life. Every five weeks.

She moved last week.

I’m devastated. I have four weeks to find a new hair stylist. I really don’t like looking for new people to provide me a service. I get attached. I like consistency. I don’t do well with change. Not in service providers anyway. Okay, I don’t do well with change in general.

I’ve been with the same doctor for over ten years. I followed him when he moved his office twice. He has my entire medical history. When I thought I was having a heart attack, I went straight to my doctor instead of the emergency room. That’s how much I don’t like having to deal with someone new. I couldn’t possibly go through my entire medical history again with a new doctor. I have too many diseases, disorders, and dysfunctions to count.

Did I tell you I don’t like change?

We bought our new Town & Country minivan from a Chrysler dealership on Kennedy Boulevard. I had a routine set up for maintenance. I planned the route in my mind and managed to work through my anxiety by getting familiar with the service department. They knew me. They knew my car. It worked.

They closed.

Panic attack. We received a letter from the old dealership telling us that we’d now be serviced by the new dealership on Florida Avenue. A whole new route to learn. A new service provider. They didn’t know me. They didn’t know my car. I’ve been there twice now. I’m learning the route. It’s almost familiar. The anxiety is still there. I’m working through it.

I’ve had the same vet all my dog’s life. Almost four years. They know Jack. They know how he’s wary of strangers and how he needs to be muzzled if they’re going to give him a shot. They know how protective he is of me and how they have to take him to the back area if they want to examine him. They even know all about my quirky boarding instructions and have them on file.

Then we got a parrot. Well, actually the parrot got us. But, that’s a different story. So I had to find an avian vet. Jack’s vet didn’t take care of birds (at the time), so I took Bailey to an avian vet close to home. I really liked Bailey’s vet and we’ve boarded him there a few times and he’s enjoyed it. So, my husband says, if you like Bailey’s vet, why don’t you take Jack there too. (They also care for dogs and cats.) But, I couldn’t. It would be like starting over for Jack and I wouldn’t want to put him through the stress of having to get used to new people.

Plus, my anxiety level skyrocketed when I considered my husband’s proposal. Now, Jack’s vet has expanded to birds. My husband suggests we move Bailey to Jack’s vet.

Right.

Did I mention I don’t like change?

Home Remodel Part Two

I helped my husband build a two foot concrete wall around our patio this weekend, leaving two 40 inch spaces for new screen doors. We're getting our patio screened in. But, dear hubby wants to do the concrete work himself. Like I mentioned in my previous post, he doesn't know what he's doing.

But he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh huh. Well, he did. Sort of.

I can honestly say, it's the best wall I've ever seen built. Then again, I've never seen a wall built before.

To be truthful, it turned out a whole heck of a lot better than my wild imagination had doomed. The wall is straight. Pretty much. It's level. I'm taking hubby's word for that. And, it's the same height all the way around. That was the last thing I asked him to check before he called it done.

I did help too. Although, he wouldn't let me carry concrete blocks. He wouldn't let me slop mortar. But, I was in charge of the cement mixer we rented from Home Depot.

Did you know Home Depot rents portable cement mixers? I didn't.

I do now.

I never mixed a bag of mortar in my life, but I sure learned out this weekend. Just add the water a little at a time. Best tip I can give you.

Hubby's woes started early. He almost called it quits after laying the first few blocks. Nothing cooperated. The straight line. The block. The mortar. The lifting. Those darn blocks weigh something like 40 pounds each. I guess that's why hubby didn't want me lifting them. And the fact that if I dropped one it would crack our pool deck.

Oh, did I mention that this wall borders our pool's cool deck? And, guess who was in charge of making sure all the mortar didn't stick to the cool deck? Me, of course. Hubby didn't make it easy either. He slopped a lot of mortar around, not caring much where it went. Cool deck. Patio tile. Wherever.

I put myself in charge of cleaning tools after we were through for the day. Trowel. Shovel. Levels. Little pointy thing. The little pointy thing helped make sure the distance between the blocks remained constant. Don't know what it's called. Just called it the little pointy thing. And, it didn't work very well.

Or, I should say, hubby didn't use it very often. He said he could "eyeball" it and knew how far to put the blocks.

Uh huh.

That's why at the end we had to put in nearly an inch or so of mortar between blocks because we ended up with more space than blocks. But, who's pointing fingers? Not me. But, hey, we're done. The wall is up. No more concrete.

Ri-ight.

Our patio roof used to be held up by four by four cedar posts. Well, hubby cut those down and put up these post shorer things that hold the roof up. Yep. I learned what they were because I had to order them. Didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but I managed to order 4 of them.

Silly me, I thought we were going to replace those cedar posts with new four by four posts. Boy was I wrong. Hubby enlightened me today. "We're going to have to rent the cement mixer again," he tells me.

Guess why?

The posts are going to be replaced with concrete blocks. All the way up to the roof. Hmmm. The roof is higher than my hubby is tall. I can see ladders in the future, or would he stand on the new wall he created? Hmmm. Only time will tell.

But, I must admit. If this new screened in patio turns out like I'm imagining now, it could really be something. I'm getting excited about it.

Uh, maybe I should go back to thinking doom and gloom so I'm not disappointed?

The remodeling continues.

A Lesson in Home Improvement

My husband and I are making changes to our house. We bought it in an "At is" state, and have slowly made changes over the years. This year, we're screening in the back patio. Our goal is to have it done before Hurrican Season.

I wanted to hire a contractor and pay to have them do all the work. My husband said, "No, don't do that. I can do it for a lot less."

Now, has my husband ever screened in a patio before?

No.

But, he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh, huh.

His plan is to build a block wall about 2 - 3 feet high all around the patio with concrete.

Has he ever done masonry work before?

Nope.

But, he said he'll learn as he goes.

Uh, huh.

Do you think we'll be done by Hurricane Season?

Well, we have two months. That should give hubby plenty of time to get the block wall finished so I can bring in professional screeners to finish it up.

You didn't think I was going to let him do everything by himself, did you? We compromised. And, he agreed, when it comes to screens, let the pros handle it.

After the screening is finished it get to replace my sliding glass doors with French double doors. One double pane of glass, with the blinds in between the glass. I can't wait.

Who's going to put in the double doors? We haven't agreed on that yet.

But, we will. I'll keep you informed.