Random Stuff Friday

1) yesterday I thought it was Friday. Then someone was so kind (mean!) as to tell me that it was only Thursday. So that whole mix-up is probably why I just realized now, at lunchtime on actual-Friday, I hadn't written this week's blogpost yet.

2) the pitfalls of semi-routine traveling is that when you end up coming home a day early (huzzah!), you forget it's a day early and then you think you're a day ahead only to realize the actual day is one day behind what you thought. confused yet? see #1

3) so remember how last week I was telling you the excitement around Maczilla? Oh, did I forget to tell you that is what I named him? Well, silly me. Well, now I'm sitting around suffering from severe buyer's remorse. Is the buying-nice-things-for-yourself just a me or does anyone else constantly deal with this? Probably not, right?

4) in celebration of NOT getting on an airplane for the entire month of July, instead, the Aphayrath family is getting ready for another #APirateTrip! This time we're headed up to see some dear friends, Husband will get to do some salmon fishing (hopefully!), and I will get to finish up my revisions and get them to L'Agent by August!

5) but before vacation, we've got our big huge family 4th of July shindig going on tomorrow night. The kids get to parade on festively decorated scooters and bikes, AND there will be tons of fireworks, food, and family. All you need for a summer night, right? Oh, and we've been told there's a 2-shot penalty (for those of age) if you're not appropriately patriotically dressed.

All right, I'm off to take the bubs shopping for some red, white, and blue and hopefully be up to dress code!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Quote of the Week

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions."

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr

Random Stuff Friday

1) Advanced apologies for the possible ramblings and incoherency of this post. In the last 3 days I think I might've gotten about 6 hours of sleep. Ahhh, how it is with a sick baby...

2) I have my first deadline. Well, one that's not self-imposed anyway. I've got revisions due back to Agent by August 1. It seems like a long ways away still, but then I start thinking about things like, oh, how I have a day job, all the kiddie and RL stuff, like sick kids and family vacations, and how June's already more than half over and wow. August 1st is coming fast. Wish me luck!

3) Yesterday was the 2 older bubs' reading group (Thursday nights) at The King's English. Do you know how difficult it is to hang out in a bookstore of awesome and NOT buy anything? It totally sucks.  But since I bought 5 new books last week, I promised Husband no books this week. Why would I make such a commitment you ask? Well....

4) I have succumbed. And anti-Apple Husband has relented. I am now the proud owner of a MacBook Pro! My very first computer, ever, was an Apple Mac. Desktop. Mid-90s. Oh, how ahead of my time I was! Now to work on retraining myself from the PC stuff back to Mac. Any tricks and tips are welcome!

5) One good thing about a sick baby is that it limits the plans you can commit to, especially over the weekend. All I've got on the books for now is a long overdue hair appointment. Hoping for a long quiet and restful weekend of recovery for the little bug and hangout time with the older bubs.

Have a fab weekend everyone!

Quote of the Week

"A fear of heights is illogical. A fear of falling, on the other hand, is prudent and evolutionary."

Dr. Sheldon Cooper

The Big Bang Theory, The Friendship Algorithm

Random Stuff Friday

1) A big fat happy 7th birthday to our oldest bubs today. She's helped plan the day and there will be zoo fun, froyo, shopping, and lots and lots of treats!

2) Thank you to everyone for the kind words after I announced my signing with The Gernert Company! You all are amazing and I am blessed to have such wonderful people in my life, both RL and virtual! It's been a long road, filled with success and failure, celebration and tragedy, and I am so thankful to have you to share it with!

3) Last night was the first session of this summer's Kids' Reading Groups at the indie bookstore in Salt Lake City: The King's English. The girls had so much fun! The teachers running the groups are wonderful. And even 4yo who has been having severe separation anxiety issues didn't even notice when I walked away to do some bookshop browsing! Looking forward to the coming weeks at TKE! (P.S. To you locals - they are having their semi-annual sale right now and HOLY WOW, the deals are fab! Go if you have a chance!)

4) Speaking of books ... my to read pile is HUGE. And I just picked up some Gayle Forman, Emily Wing Smith, and Kristen Chandler last night. Plus, Agent is sending me some Alyssa Sheinmel ... and I'm so excited to get back into my writerly and readerly groove! Still taking Need To Read suggestions, though, so if you've got one, toss them this way! I'm open to anything, right now!

5) Lastly, I'm having one of those laundry weeks where I just want to throw out all the clothes in the house and start over. The piles are taking over!! Gah! So instead of doing the laundry, I think I'm just gonna head out to play with the bubs today. It is a birthday afterall.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I Have NEWS!!!!

So yesterday I tweeted this:

But then I heard from some sweet friends who were so kind as to let me know you do still care!! So for that, I apologize for leading you on with no news yesterday, but that's because I thought waiting for today would make things even more exciting!

What's the news you ask???

Well... Last weekend was my birthday!!!

Just kidding. But, it was my birthday.

That's just not the news. The news is what I got just before my birthday - one of the best presents ever (ranks right up there with cupcake presents!) ...

I have an agent!

*happy dances*

I can now officially announce that I am represented by (the uber-awesome)

Logan Garrison of The Gernert Company!!

Hoorah! Huzzah! Woohoo!

And now ... I get to dive into revisions and revisions and revisions. And maybe some new words too, yanno, since I have so much free time and all.

So thanks for coming by, leaving notes, reading pages, putting up with my randomness, and most of all, for caring. I would never have been able to make it this far without any of you! I know there's still a long road to publication ahead, but I appreciate you guys for coming on this journey with me!

*raises glass*

To more times of writerly stuff, readerly stuff, and general randomness!

Let's have a dance party to celebrate, yeah? Yeah!!!

Quote of the Week

"Opportunity is often missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

Thomas A. Edison