Having just dropped youngest son off at college, I’ve been being all nostalgic (and weepy) this week.  And in this state, one of the things I’ve been considering are all the family sayings that have grown up over the years–a kind of family shorthand for items and people and feelings.

For instance–around here we call the recycling bin “the green thing.”  As in “Why hasn’t anyone brought the green thing in from the curb yet?”

The remote is called “the TV changer.”  As in “Why is the TV changer missing again?”

IV, who is in construction, will shake his head at certain jobs he sees on TV and mutter “That ain’t workin’” a line from the Dire Straights song.  When he does this we all know he’s had a particularly tough day.

We will also say to each other “don’t poke the bear.”  This means leave whoever “the bear” is at that particular moment alone.  They’ve had a bad day, week, year etc.  Poke (or speak) at your own peril.

Share some of your family shorthand memories.

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Remember how, when you were a kid, everyone would ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up?  Depending on your age, the answer changed.

First I wanted to be a clerk at Treasure Island (an all purpose store near my house–kind of a like Super Wal-Mart before there was Super Wal-Mart).  I thought pushing all those buttons so fast looked like fun.  (This was also in the days before scanners.)

Then I wanted to be a jockey, until I got too tall.  So I decided to be a veterinarian.  Until I saw my cat’s surgery incision and got grossed out.

When I was around 10 I thought writer would be a great job, and I stuck with it until I figured out that eating and writing rarely mix.

So I moved on to lawyer, then teacher, where I settled but not for long.  I decided if I had to teach for long, I probably wouldn’t be able to eat, or sleep, or–  Well you get the idea.

After several years and a lot of work, I was lucky enough to become a writer–and I get to eat.  Probably too much.

But the other day I was thinking about the first answers kids give to this question, and how sweet and funny and innocent they are.  Things like Princess and Fireman and Truck Driver and Fairy.  Then I reached deep down and asked myself:  If you could be ANYTHING for a day, with no restrictions on talent, money, reality, what would it be?

And you know what?  I wanna be a rock star.  I wanna be able to sing ( I can’t), dance ( I can), and perform in front of thousands of screaming fans (shudder).  Just for a day.

How about you?

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Or, in other words, what the Internet made me do.

It started when I was looking for themed gifts for promo baskets.  You wouldn’t believe all the Shakespeare novelties out there.  Who wouldn’t need one of these?

Or maybe one of these?

Then I found this:

And I decided it would be a perfect gift to go with my Gypsy Werewolf book, Hidden Moon.  Who could resist?

But then (insert creepy music here) I discovered freaky Barbies.  I bought those just for me.  My most recent acquisition is this:

I keep them right over my computer.  They  make me smile.

Yesterday though, I found this:

Which would go so well with this:

Where does it end?

Do you shop on the Internet?  What’s the strangest thing you found yourself buying with the click of a mouse?

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I’ve been hearing that song for two weeks now.  Yes, the time has come for my annual get away to RWA.

In the past I’ve talked about how much I love RWA.  But today I want to talk about how much time it takes to get ready to go there.  At least a week, maybe closer to two depending on how good I’ve been about stockpiling outfits all year long.

Once I have my schedule set, I match clothes.  If Im short, I must shop.

Next I need to match shoes and jewelry to each outfit.  If I’m short . . .  see above.

Then there’s the coloring of the hair, which I’ve been putting off in order to get the ultimate benefit out of the touch up and highlights.  I need to look horrific by the time I sit in that chair.  Since my mom took one look at me Friday and said “oh, witchy,” I think I made it.

Following the hair we have the nails–hand and foot–the waxing–use your imagination–or don’t.  (I wouldn’t.)

Two days before, I check to make sure everything fits in the bag and weighs under 50 pounds.  I make sure I have all my electronics up to date, all my cords confiscated from various rooms where they have wandered off to.  My current WIP loaded onto the laptop.  All my notes in the computer case.  A book for the plane.

In the past, I needed to make sure the kids were parceled out and accounted for.  The dog dealt with.  The refrigerator stocked.  Now I just leave.  They’re 18, 21, 48 and 77 in dog years.  Deal with it.  Because I’m leaving them to “deal with it” I also don’t have to stop the mail, lock the house, make sure the neighbors know we’re gone, get someone to water the plants.

Though the trip takes forever to get ready for, it’s still easier than when we all pile in the car, or on a plane and fly away.

What do you do to make sure your house, family, significant furry other is taken care of when you get away?  And who’s going to RWA?

Woot!  It’s almost here!

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We all talk about how huge our TBR piles are, and since mine really, really is I believe you.  Mine’s gotten so out of hand, I’m not sure where the beginning is.  I’ve got shelves with two rows, piles on top, piles on top of the rows.  It’s sad.

Every year, when I get home from RWA where many more books are given away, I go through my TBR and weed out books I know I’ll never read.  Then I put in all the new ones.  So I’m really not helping anything, am I?

I say I’ll stop buying books until I make a dent in the piles.  I say I’ll only buy my absolute “must haves.”  But I don’t.  But there are worse things than having too many books, right?  I’m only harming my pocketbook and my bookshelf with this habit.

I thought it would be fun to hear what’s on your TBR piles.

Tell us the top five books and the bottom five.  Whatcha got?

Here’s mine-

Top 5-The Passage, Sizzling Sixteen, Daring a Duke, The Neighbor, Barely a Lady

Bottom 5-Christ the Lord, Unshapely Things, Nightlife, Kiss of Midnight, The Ruins

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I don’t know why, but I do.  I’d go to every parade in the area if some of them weren’t so huge you have to go a day early and camp out.  I draw the line there.  But the smaller, local, easy to show up a half an hour early and get a seat parades?  That’s where you’ll find me.

In the village where I live we have our 4th of July parade the weekend before the 4th, which is SO great, because that means I can go to a different parade on the actual 4th.  I don’t care if it’s 90 degrees (and yesterday it was!).  I’ll sit in the sun in my lawn chair and cheer.

I love the flags, the bands, the baton twirlers, the dancers, the cars, the Little League kids, the fire trucks, the horses.  Everything is just so fun.

Except for the clowns.  While I don’t have nightmares about clowns, nor do I run from them, I am not a fan.  I mean, really.  Clowns are weird.

When my boys were little they loved parades too, mostly because of the candy that was thrown out.  We used to bring a bag for each of them, and they hauled it in.  It was like Halloween, but the candy came to you.  I can still remember their faces the first time candy landed right at their feet.  That was priceless.

Do you love a parade?  What’s your favorite part?

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Summer’s finally arrived and people keep asking me:  So what are you doing this summer?  Going anywhere?  Vacation?  Work?  What’s up?

We rarely vacation as a family in the summer since IV is in construction, the boys work for him, and summer is insane.  My only trip will be to Orlando for RWA, and I can’t wait.  As we’ve discussed before, I LOVE RWA.

For me, the summer will be spent getting youngest son ready for college.  I just spent the past week on graduation madness, but we made it!  He graduated!  (Not that there was any doubt, but it’s always good to have that diploma, with his name on it, in your hands.)

Can you believe he went from this:

to this:And at last, to this:

He finally decided on the college at the very last minute.  His decision was based on eliminating possibilities until there was only one left.  And the winner was . . .

The University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.  So there will be 2 trips north for us–one in a few weeks to register and orient, and another at the end of August to drop off.

Then there is the usual round of doctor’s visits, dentist, wisdom teeth out, shopping for a computer, dorm “stuff,” clothes.

In between there, I do need to start another book.

What are YOUR plans for the summer?

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