It's Official

My senior babies are gone . . . I'm going to miss them sooooo much!

I Realize . . .

. . . I must be the world's most boring blogger. The most interesting thing I'm involved in at the moment, I can't talk about. School is school -- I'm stressing the EOCT next week like I never have before. I'm already making plans for next year, which will surprise no one who actually knows me. Monster #2 and I are both jonesing for a beach trip, but have agreed that once we actually have the pool installed, that might work as a substitute.

There are only twelve more days of school!

Stuff

There are frogs everywhere! Little hoppy mini-frogs. A miniature plague. I'm hoping they grow up to eat mosquitos.

School is sooo close to being over. I'm ready. Next week is EOCT testing -- I'm not confident about it at all.

Turned in assignment one for my last grad course. Connie is laughing at me because now my portfolio has shown up to bite me.

No writing tonight. Grand jury committee meeting, then . . . oh, yeah. I read the new Lorelei James novella.

What's new with you?

Miscellaneous Ramblings

Print galleys on Fall Into Me finally done -- this is why I am NOT a procrastinator.

Only 15 more days of school. I am soooo thankful. I need summer.

Still in a reading slump. Of course, I've been reading my own work the last week, so that might be why. I don't want to read much of anything. Except Better Homes & Gardens and Southern Living.

Starting week one of my final master's level course. Scheduled to graduate in June or July. Still haven't made a decision about post-master's work. The idea of being further in student loan debt when Monster #1 is going to college in a few years scares me.

What are you up to on this Sunday evening?

Popping In

Working on print galleys for Fall Into Me.

Booksigning for Memories of Us went relatively well -- my mother and sisters always come to hang out and I did sell several copies as well as copies from my backlist. One lady bought my entire backlist -- that was really cool.

Need to be working on Gone as well as my anthology novella. See print galley note above. ;-)

Came home with three books today. Had the hardest time picking them out. Leigh and I talked about both of us being in a reading slump. Not sure what's going on with me, but nothing seems to appeal. Maybe once school is out . . .

Congrats!

Dr. Partridge, I presume?

Finally!

Monday was a teacher in-service day. Some of those, I get tons accomplished. Some of those, not so much. Monday was so-so, as I did get plans ready for the week and all junior poetry folders checked off. I did spend an hour simply gabbing with Connie and Wayne and Joey (who eloped over spring break!).

So Connie, the big tease, leans back in her chair and says, "I read this book on the way back from Disney . . ."

She grins and I just knew. I knew. She'd finally read Fall Into Me, which has been loaded on her Sony reader since she bought one just to torture me. I pounced. "What did you think?"

Wayne and Joey are clueless, of course, but Connie grins and says, "I loved it."

High praise, I'm telling you. Connie reads a lot and her praise is sparing. As she told me, she's read all my books except Memories of Us, Hearts Awakened and Facing It, but FIM was the first one to stay with her after it was over. She loved Troy Lee, loved his background, etc. and she liked that Angel was an independent woman.

I've been dying for Connie to read this book because I wanted to ask her what she thought of the resolution. So for the past six weeks or so, she's kept me waiting while she worked on her doctoral portfolio. (BTW, I'm not even allowed to mention said portfolio in her presence -- she is NOT making me want to work on my doctorate!)

At that point, we proceeded to confuse Joey and Wayne even further as we talked about the ending, her opinion of it, the options I had, the Georgia law that could have been my easy way out but which would have been all wrong for the characters, reader feedback I've received, etc. I'm pretty sure Joey and Wayne were happy when we finally shut up (we continued the conversation over lunch, at least until we got into the unique ways Connie solves power struggles . . . I'm going to steal her life for a book one day.).

Finally being able to discuss the book with her was worth it, though, because I can always count on totally honest feedback and a depth of discussion with her. I can talk and even argue with her and it's okay, because at the end of it all, we're still friends (although we're still arguing her reader response to What Mattered Most two years later . . .).

I wonder what would happen if I texted her the word "porfolio" . . .? :-D