Oh no ... it's started!

I saw the festive red envelope in my mailbox yesterday and carefully avoided opening it until today. Ugh. It's started. The annual fill-your-calendar-every-night parade of holiday parties.

I wanted to pop it back in the mail return to sender with a scribbled note on the back that said, Look, I'm sorry but there's a law against inviting people to holiday events and making them feel like they should be out shopping when they really should be book writing and absolutely NOT shopping.

You may have guessed that I stress quite a bit about the Holiday Season. Most of that stress has to do with shopping. It is my least favorite thing to do. Scratch that. My least favorite thing is RETURNING things which also seems to happen a LOT during/around that time of year.

So I'm choosing not to think of shopping or parties that make me feel guilty for not shopping. Instead, I'm going to think how much fun it will be to draw someone's name on in my contest to win Ghost Dusters books and a $100 Amazon card hee hee. I get excited knowing I can maybe help someone with their shopping :)

How about you? What are you thinking of instead of worrying about shopping? Or *gasp* do you actually LIKE shopping??? I'll forgive you. Really.

New Trailer Up On Site

My web gal has the new flash intro up on my site for DEAD AND KICKING. If you get a chance, pop over to wendyroberts.com and tell me what you think :)

It is still blowing a big wind in my neck of the woods. Mother Nature has a big thorn in her butt and decided just to topple trees and small children for fun. And today's garbage day so the big debate this morning was do I put the garbage and recycling out in the morning before I head to Starbucks for the morning to write, or do it later.

Doing it in the morning means by the time I'm home I'll be joining other neighbors in the great garbage can chase down the street. Not exactly a graceful or pleasant experience. But if I take the chance and wait, I could miss the elusive garbage pick up dudes. If I miss them that'll be twice the trash next week and I'll be over my garbage limit. I decided to live dangerously and put the trash out this morning.

You know who has fun in the wind? Seagulls. Seriously. All the other (perhaps smarter birds) are tucked into their trees from protection from the big bad wind but not the gulls. Those suckers are dipping and soaring in the gusts. I'm thinking seagulls are the bad boy risk takers of birds. Probably I could be a little more seagull like in my every day dealings with the world.


Do you tend to hide and tuck yourself in when it's blustery outside or are you more of a reckless woooo hoooo kind of seagull?

Don't forget to keep all the great comments coming and your name will go into the Big Draw on December 2nd. You could win signed Ghost Dusters books AND a $100 Amazon gift card!

Sometimes things just take care of themselves

I hate raking leaves. Really. My kids did it once this year. Only once and only because they wanted to jump in the pile.

Then again give me a break. I mean what's the point of raking leaves when the tree is still half covered, right? My neighbor does not get this reasoning. My leaves upset him because they blow in his yard. So yesterday I raked and raked until the lawn was pristine. Perfect I tell you! All those beautiful red leaves are bagged and in my garage.

My neighbor's yard was also pristine. Except he left his bags curbside and they were torn apart by either coyotes, dogs or those crazy raccoons. So now all this wind is creating a leafy tornado in his driveway and then gusting them onto MY lawn . I don't mind. It made me laugh. It made me laugh harder when I saw my neighbor's face.

What's making you laugh today?

Don't forget my blog contest. Enter a comment on my blog between now and release day (Dec. 1st) and your name will go into the hat to win a signed set of the Ghost Dusters books AND $100 gift certificate to spend on Amazon!