The Wildly Eclectic Me

Remember I said we went to see the guards at the queen's castle? I had this picture in my mind of Nicky standing up next to the guard all cute while I took a lovely snap shot. His daddy was one of the Queen's Guard, and yes, he did wear the nutcracker outfit. No, unfortunately, I don't have pictures. :-( His Mom said she did though. We shall see if I can procure one. Well the adorable picture in my mind wasn't quite the way it went down. We parked and walked to Amalienborg. Nicky seemed happy enough until his Daddy took him over to stand near the guard. Note the look of pure terror and the clinging to his father's hand. He did NOT want to be put down near the strange man with the grumpy look on his face and the giant furry head. After three attempts to make him sit down on the ground (I dunno why hubby thought that was a good idea), this is what took place. You might notice that Nicky seems blurry... That would be because he was sprinting away from the guard a...

I was hoping that when I got back from vacation I'd be able to plunge back in to Blood and Violets, but something just doesn't feel right about it. I'm not sure what it is... I guess most of the stuff I write is far more paranormal than romance, and this is feeling more romance than paranormal. I'm also suffering from some serious rejection induced lack of confidence. Should I just keep trudging forward and hope I can make it right in the rewrites? Or scrap it for the moment and work on one of my other W'sIP? The good thing about Blood and Violets is that though it does vaguely reference some of the characters in the Women of Sithein books, it isn't enhanced by having already read them. So it is truly a stand alone. A lot of my other W'sIP would be much more fun if you knew the back story for the characters which is provided in the WoS books. However, if I'm never going to get anything but rejections for them, should I really waste my time working o...

It wasn't bad at all! *looks to the heavens* Thanks for that!!! First we went to check in and the guy at the check-in desk told us that "someone" (I'm guessing the woman in Atlanta) made Bryon's a paper ticket and attached an infant in lap to him, but didn't give us a paper ticket... I was like ohhhhh great this is gonna SUCK again! But Alan, who is absolutely wonderful and deserves a raise, fixed it all for us and got us our paper tickets for Bryon and walked them to the gate so we didn't have to stand in line at the information desk. Nicky slept the first five hours of the nine hour flight. Then was pretty good after that. He did get darn antsy in the last two hours or so, but ,jeez, who wouldn't! Then we got close to Atlanta and, ye gods, they said there was bad weather in the area. I saw a replay of last time running through my mind, but the pilot landed wonderfully despite some ridiculous turbulence. I have to say there is something BEAUTIFU...

We are heading back to the great state of Arkansas tommorrow. I'm too tried now to write much, but I must remember to tell the story of what happened when we went to Amalienborg today! It was terribly amusing! Well I'm off to bed! Wish me luck!

Today we went into the city. Bryon's parents had to go to Fyn to a funeral so we took Nicky on the Metro. He of course thought it was terribly amusing. We'd already been on it with him once, but this time was just as fun. We got off at one station and walked through Kongens Have (the King's Gardens) and took pictures in front of Rosenborg Slot . It's the castle where Bryon lived when he was in the Queen's Guard. Well he didn't actually live in it, but in another castle right beside it. If you've ever seen the Prince and I, that's the castle that the royal family supposedly lives in. In truth it's not, Amalienborg is where the family lives, but this castle is much more fairytale-princess-like. The royal jewels are housed there, but we didn't go inside. I've already seen them, Bryon has guarded them, and really I just don't think Nicky would care. :-) He was terribly impressed by the ducks outside in the moat though. After that...

There are several involved here so let me start with the most recent. We were just up having tea and rum balls. Nicky was sleeping downstairs, and I was listening carefully for him to start crying. Well I heard something, but it wasn't crying. It was a tiny munchkin talking, and I thought, hmm that's odd. So I ran to the stairs, and I see my little boy half asleep crawling up the last step. Now these aren't your usual steps. They are evil, scary steps. I'll have to take a picture and add it later. These steps scare me and I'm 28 years old! Apparently they don't phase my two year old, however. At least he didn't fall, and he went right back to sleep. That brings me to my next story of toddler angst. We went to Tivoli Gardens today. It's an amusement park in the middle of Copenhagen. He had a blast riding in the miniature cars and miniature planes with his grandmother. Well, we decided to eat at Valhal which is a viking restaurant. Hmm .....

Wow, that's a self-absorbed title. hehe But it is my birthday so :p I got a great present from my best friend! Today we're going to eat lasagna and friends are coming over for dinner, and I'm having an ice cream cake. Other than that, I dunno what we're up to. Yesterday we went to the zoo and to an adorable little town not far away called Dragoer. All the buildings were OLD and had thatched roofs, and the roads were barely wide enough for one carriage. It was adorable. Nicky's favorite part of the zoo was the petting zoo where he got to cuddle a goat. That just made his day. Well, I'm off!

We went to a place called Fjord og Baelte yesterday on the island of Fyn. It was a lovely drive. The old farms on Fyn with their adorable thatched roofs were lots of fun to see. The weather was great. It did rain just a bit on the way home, but if it had to rain that was a good time for it. The temparture has been hoovering around 60 degrees most days and getting colder at night. It was fun. They had porpoises and seals there, and apparently they have the first porpoise of that kind ever born in captivity. It was an itty bitty guy. Pretty darn cute. Today we had to go to the bank, because apparently the Danes don't want Americans money. No, I don't mean I tried to pay with dollars. I tried to buy things with my visa card, and unless you have a chip and a pin code then they want nothing to do with you. Such a pain! I hadn't brought much cash because I was afraid of losing it. So I was kinda worried, but I just wrote my mother-in-law a check, and she got the cash out for me ...

Our last flight from Dublin to Copenhagen was with SAS. Apparently the day we took the flights from hell a SAS plane (not the first one this has happened to) crash landed. There is something about the landing gear that is made wrong, and they collapse on landing... So now all SAS planes are grounded. Yeahh... I could have been stuck. Which might not have been that bad except that given the previous trip circumstances probably would have meant I was trapped in the airport staring out the windows like a puppy with its nose to the glass at Ireland for like a day or something and never actually getting to go out into Dublin. Anyway it's been lovely since we got here. We got our bags the day I wrote my last blog. So despite the fact that they all had to be washed because some dog peed on mine and Bryon's was soaking wet, we do now have clean clothes. I don't know how the heck a dog peed on my bag! I am SURE it didnt happen before we left the house, but knowing my connivi...

A. The plane trip could have been much better than I thought it would be, and I would have been ecstatic and relieved. B. It could have been just the same I thought it would be, and I wouldn't have been surprised. C. It could have been worse than anything I imagined... The answer, my friends, to how our trip went was a big whooping C!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I wouldn't survive! Honestly! First we got on the plane in Fayetteville on the way to Atlanta. The take off was somewhat difficult, because you can't have electronic devices turned on, and the only thing that really distracted him was the iPod! Thanks, Mommy! It was a HUGE help at all other times. Once we got in the air it wasn't so bad. We played games had snacks, and he was relatively happy. Then right before we were supposed to land, the captain came on and said that there was a bad storm over Atlanta, and we were in a holding pattern until it blew over. Okay not so bad. We should still have had time to make...

Okay, I actually could have done a Thursday 13, and I in fact had one written out. It was 13 Things Lesley Hopes She Doesn't Say on Her Trip to Denmark. It was witty, darn it! You guys would have laughed your booties off, but alas I have somehow managed to lose it, and I'm feeling far from witty this evening. I'm feeling downright frazzled! I just have one suggestion for all of y'all out there who are married to people with serious control freak tendencies. Don't make fun of them about their obsessive compulsive list making! Or fuss at them because they are stressed!!! Cause guess what? That makes them even more stressed and causes breakdowns!!! Okay, that is two, but they are two very good suggestions! They may just save your marriage one day. Say things like.... It's all right, honey. I've got everything packed. Yes, let's be sure to be there two hours early for the flight, so we don't have to get stressed about going through security. Don...

It is a breezy 72 degrees, and I'm sitting under the canopy of my swing in the backyard watching the munchkins play. It's just lovely! This morning was sooooo coooooold! Okay, it was 58 but that seems freeeeeeeeeezing after the hot weather we've been having. My hummingbirds are angry with me cause their feeder is empty. They keep buzzing me and looking at the feeder. Now because the I am trying to watch the tots, it is inevitable that they are going to go to the opposite side of the shed from where I am sitting, thus obscuring my view of them. When I then move to the canopy on the other side and sit down, they will immediately run back to the other side by the swing. It's physics, folks! You can't fight physics.

Lishy took these lovely pictures of my hair this afternoon. :-D Nicky was very helpful during the photo shoot. :-D Suuuuch a cutie!!! Okay, he wasn't requested but now can anyone say no to that face. And here is my purse! I should have done a before picture. Just think stained khaki and you've got a very good idea of what it looked like. hehe

Okay, the purse wasn't actually that old. It was khaki canvas and the week I bought it a drink mix packet exploded in my purse and dyed the whole bottom of it pink! I really liked it though! It's a lovely purse. Its got the right number of pockets and best of all a strap that isn't obnoxiously short as seems to be the fashion today. In case you haven't noticed, I don't give a flip about fashion. ;) So I bought a bottle of rit dye in wine and boiled my purse. hehe That was pretty weird actually. I kept waiting for my hubby to come in and accuse me of concocting some evil brew. :-D I boiled it for thirty minutes. Rinsed it and washed in the washing machine. When I took it out it was a touch splotchy so I boiled it one more time and washed it and dried it. It's lovely! I'm so pleased!

Well my sweetie pie, Lishy, helped me chunk my hair fuchsia today! It looks absolutely fabulous. I think she must have missed her calling as a beautician. I can't seem to get a good picture of it. It almost glows in the light! Not in a neon way but like in a crystalline way, if that makes any sense. So I'm going to try to get Lishy to take a good picture of it. She is somewhat of a queen of photography. So despite the fact that I can't even seem to write a decent sentence, I can at least look cute while I'm sitting here staring at the blinking cursor. :-D

Does anyone know anything about this company? I haven't heard anything about them from anyone who has had dealings with them, so I thought I'd pose the question in case anyone who happens across my blog has. Their covers are HEAVENLY! I know I shouldn't judge a publisher by its covers, but click on the link! They are beautiful.

Oh well, I guess I won't be getting a three book deal for my birthday. Just got a rejection from Samhain. I'm off to sulk now. :-( I am getting pink hair though! I just bought a kit that is guaranteed on even the darkest hair. It's fuchsia. I'm very excited.

13 Things I would Happily Take as Birthday Presents My Birthday is September 20th, but I'll be gone to Denmark. Holy cow, I'll be gone before next week's Thursday 13, so I doubt very seriously since I'll be in a plane all night that I'll be blogging. That means I'm going to be MIA for about two Thursday 13's! Aww, I'll miss you guys! Wish me luck, 8 hours in a plane with a two year old, *shudders* I and the other passengers are going to need it! So here we go! Stuff I'd happily accept as birthday gifts upon my return. A 3 book contract for my Women of Sithein series. They are all written and wrapped up, now I just need someone to love them as much as I do! This Beautiful Bag from eBags! In pink of course!!! To win the lottery! I guess that means I'll have to buy a ticket when I'm in Denmark. hehe A print of A Little Prince Likely in Time to Bless a Royal Throne. I'd take the original, but I don't want to be greedy. ;) A Well Beha...

What the heck is she talking about? I hear you say. Well, the word "that" of course. I use it too darn much! Every evening I start my writing by reading what I wrote the night before, and inevitably I have to delete at least five that's . Why then, Lesley, don't you just not write them? That's a very good question, my friends. I wish I knew. I try to hold back, but those sneaky little that's just make their way into my writing, where they are absolutely unnecessary. ...she doubted THAT she was dreaming. Now wouldn't "she doubted she was dreaming" be much more eloquent. Of course, it would! *slaps hand* Be good you naughty fingers! Only use that's where they are actually necessary!

Okay, maybe locksmith is a slight exaggeration. Here's how it went down... So we've been fighting with that stopped up drain and finally realized there was no way were were going to get it unstopped. So today I called Rotorooter. The guy was here fast! He got it unstopped in like two minutes, and I walked out onto the porch to ask him how much. He was back in his car filling out paperwork so I turned around to go back inside because I was barefoot. But SOMEONE had locked the door. Someone being my little bear! So I ran down the stairs and asked the nice rotorooter man to let me use his cellphone. Called both hubby's cellphones and his office phone and no luck. He must have been in a meeting. I called the Help Desk to ask them if they could get ahold of him for me, but I must have gotten a bad connection cause all they said was "Hello? Hello?" Then hung up... Oy... So I ran around the house and peeked in, Nicky is sitting there chilling with a box of graha...

I've never been big on horoscopes, but a friend at work pointed this site out to me. The astrologer there does monthly horoscopes. So I read mine with some skepticism, and it was eerily spot on ALL month! So I've been patiently waiting for this months new one, hoping for a better month than last. We're traveling. I've got a submission and a couple of contest entries out. It's my birthday the 20th. And dang it after last month, I deserve a little freakin' respite! So this morning I logged on to check this months horoscope and amongst the many gems which include lots of angst with someone close to me, lots of change (from the eclipse), and perhaps some money at the end of the month (Heck yeah!), I found this... "There are lots of possibilities. You may publish a book or launch an artistic creative project. You may be offered an important new career position or change residences, perhaps by buying or selling a house / condo." Now, I'm telling yo...