Grumpy?

We all know people who are a little grumpy but we love them anyway. Or maybe we just put up with them?

Right now I'm struggling with a character. He's in his seventies and quite a curmudgeon but I don't want him to come off as a stereotypical cantankerous old geezer. I want him to have some redeeming qualities or at least a real good reason for being so bad-tempered. Otherwise why would my heroine hang out with him, right?

So if you know someone who's a miserable old fart, why do you still stay in touch? Or have you cut off communications and given up?

World Water Day

Yesterday was World Water Day. I talked to my kids about what they can do to conserve water. I confess I love a long hot bath or a really hot shower but I read a 5 minute shower with a regular shower head can use 25 gallons of water. We've got a reduced flow shower head so that helps.

When you consider that contaminated water and poor sanitation are a factor in 88% of all diseases in the developing world and that thousands of people die daily because of water-related diseases and parasites, it really makes you think twice about wasting a single drop. Also makes me wonder about the water slide we enjoyed on my birthday. A new level of guilt.

Talking about water I had someone give me one of those really nice desk top waterfalls as a gift a few years back. I really enjoyed it and thought it would be great in my bedroom so that I could feel like I fell asleep next to a babbling brook. As it happened I began waking up in the middle of the night needing to use the bathroom LOL so I moved it to the kitchen.

What do you do to conserve water? Any water related stories?

It's my party ...

And I'll drink coffee and be lazy if I want to lol!

Yup. It's my birthday. And my birthday falls on the kidlets spring break this year so they're all here to celebrate. Well not HERE exactly because they're all still asleep and I'm at the computer.

This afternoon we're going to stay at a local hotel for one night. It has one of those fabulously scary water slides. Of course I'll be the one sitting poolside with my nose in a book. I hope to not even get wet. It's my birthday and I'll do it my way :)

Truthfully, as long as there is no cooking or cleaning involved in today's activities I'm a happy camper. I try to abandon any housekeeping one day a year. I'd avoid it all year if I could but once is about all I get away with lol.

How about you? What do you abandon when it's your special day?