Scarlet Letters

Boy is famous for making me pause shows all the time  so he can get a snack, run to the bathroom, split the atom, whatever. The joys of ADHD. Watching anything with the both of them is an exercise in patience. BUFFY: *begins* BOY: Pause. I need more food. ME: And we are thirty seconds past the previouslys. BOY: We took too long starting the episode. ME: Whatever. BOY: *goes for food* ME: Bring me a milk. BOY: No, because you didn't say please. ME: Pretty please, with sugar on top, child of my loins, bring me milk. BOY: Okay, I'll take that, but just this once. ME: Smartass. ME: *grabs single-serve bag of Doritos* ME: *nibbles* ME: *chokes* Aaah! I got the spicy nacho ones. BOY: *snickers* ME: Shut up! You have the regular. Trade? BOY: *snickers more, passes me the bag* You know, they're not that spicy. ME: Shush. I acknowledge my wussiness. ... ME: *bites Doritos* Blech. BOY: What? ME: They're stale. BOY: Yeah, they go stale sometimes. ME: They...

Today's blog post is brought to you by Georgia L. Jones, an amazing writer with Seventh Star Press, courtesy of Tomorrow Comes Media! Georgia is doing her blog tour this week sharing snippets from her terrific new releases, Legends of Darkness  and Witches . Guest Post from Kyan (Character in Legends of Darkness by Georgia L. Jones)   I allowed my mind to wonder back to a time that was so much like today.   My hatred for the humans around me was founded deep in my soul.   They deserve no more compassion than you would show a snake, slithering through the grass.   They all should die. It was June 10, 1692, a day that will haunt me for as long as my soul exists.   That was the day that they hanged me for being a witch.   If they only knew, I thought.   Now I am much stronger than any witch I have ever known, and I have known a few.   I owned a couple of bars, and didn’t want to act and dress according to their standards. I dra...

Living in a haunted house means there's never a dull moment. Okay, in all seriousness, we don't really believe Isabel is real. Mostly. Probably. We know there was a woman named Isabel who lived in this house and was murdered here by her husband in 1911. Isabel suffered domestic violence of the physical and emotional varieties, and had made a friend of an independently wealthy, single woman who encouraged her to leave her husband, unlike the other oh-so-helpful ladies of the era who simply believed taking a smack to the face was part of a wife's duty. As often happens even today, a woman trying to leave an abuser is most in danger on the day she leaves. He killed her, confessed, tried an insanity plea and it didn't work even back then. He was sentenced to 45 years, but his sentence was commuted after fewer than 10 years. He remarried and lived happily ever after. No wonder she's pissed. It was neat for two horror writers to move into a potentially haunted hou...

Upon seeing a really cool Superman figurine... BOY: Gawd, $90! I've got bigger action figures than that. ME: It's not an action figure, it's a figurine. It's for decoration. BOY: Whatever. I'm not paying $90 for an action figure I can't play with. ---- Other updates: Jim had surgery. A lump had developed in the center of his back the size of a baseball, and the doctor's in-office attempt to remove it was only partially successful. He got it down the size of a golf ball, but he needed an OR to get the rest. So Jim's surgery was about 11 days ago, and he was hurting pretty badly. He also had to be off work for nearly two weeks, so yay paperwork. But he is doing much better, stitches were removed Tuesday and I get to finally pack away the first-aid kit. And I have made many jokes about a Cone of Shame, since he has a tendency to rub his back along the wall like a bear when the healing itches. MAN: I am not a dog! ME: We-ell... MAN: Woof. ...

PROM. Don't ask me how that happened. He was seven years old just the other day, and the only great wish he had was to meet Mickey Mouse (spelled Miky Maws.) Prom is a much bigger deal than it was when I was a young lass. Tickets are much more expensive, and it's like this giant all-day thing. Ian's girlfriend, Caroline, is a charming and sweet girl (plus theater geek and sf nerd, so we like her). Poor girl spent half the day at the salon! I think I went to a hairdresser or something... Exploring the costs of tux rental left both me and Ian in palpitations - poor boy earns about $55 a month from his various "employments," so a $175 rental plus $40 in flowers plus $50 for the prom ticket plus $15 for after-prom was a tad daunting. But since Mom is a super genius, I found that tux rental places sell their unwanted tuxes on eBay, usually when they get some minor problem. I found a tux in his exact size for $35. Perfect condition except for a slight tear at the ...