Want to Know What the Glamorous Life of

Melinda Curtis is Like?

(I'm joking.  Our house is just as filled with love, wrinkled T-shirts and everyday chaos as yours is...as you'll see.)

September 2, 2008.  Well, we knew this day would come...we drove Mason off to college.  A friend of mine told me it would be both the easiest and the hardest thing I've ever done.  She was right.  When I came back home without my oldest, I went immediately into his room.  It looked like he'd packed for a weekend, not potentially a lifetime - dirty clothes on the floor, bed unmade, an old algebra binder on the floor.  I'm sure there's a story in here somewhere.  I'll just have to sift through the layers to find it.

August 3, 2008.  The romance writer's annual conference is over!  Amidst the dancing, plotting discussions in the bar, rushing to meet editors and agents, there was time to attend a session or two.  I listened to the wisdom of the screenwriter who wrote the Save the Cat books (and was paid $1 million by Disney for his screenplay "Blank Check") and heard Eric Maisel talk about creativity.  On the last day of conference my husband came out and we held a session about writing and staying married.  He's a real trooper (or should I say hero?).

July 2, 2008.  The four-book proposal was sent.  The three book single title proposal is being written.  I love creating new characters, diving into new places and just being someone else for a little while.  Plus it's been 105 outside and the air quality from all the California fires makes playing hooky by the pool not so tempting.  But I need to finish this proposal so the family can paint the interior walls before school starts in August.  Why is it they won't paint without me?

June 2, 2008.  Our oldest graduated high school.  He's down to the final two in terms of college selection.  Soon we'll be trundling him off to college and the house will seem a little quieter.  Which is probably what I need since I'm revising a four-book proposal for Harlequin.  I don't revise easily.  I tear things apart and start over.  I think it makes my husband a little crazy ("why are you writing so much?") but it helps me get to a good place.  But I wouldn't wish the habit on another writer!  LOL!

May 2, 2008.  It's May!  How did it get to be May?  My oldest graduates high school this month and we still haven't settled on a college.  How time does fly.  Last month my oldest brother turned the BIG 50!  It seems like only yesterday he was giving me airplane rides and annoying the heck out of me.  Why is it that when you're younger you want to be older and when you're older, you'd like to stay 25?

April 1, 2008.  While Harlequin gets through its backlog of proposals (yes, even authors who've sold have to wait on approval), I've been writing a really fun story that I've yet to sell.  It's about a bad boy of the NBA who loses his touch and the woman who can give him back his game won't take any of his BS - very humbling, very fun!  We'll see if it gets slid into the filing cabinet or finds life elsewhere.  It's fun to write about basketball seeing as how March madness nearly made me crazy - all those upsets.

March 1, 2008.  I went to a writer's meeting this month where we talked about quirks.  I suppose in a way these are kind of like tells in poker.  Quirks, according to the speaker, give away to another character in a book what isn't being said.  Immediately, I put this to the test in my household.

   Me to son:  "What are you doing on Saturday night?"

   Son smiling to me:  "I'm taking my girlfriend to the movies and then ice cream."

   Me to son:  "Good, make sure your chores are done before you go."

   Son, smile fades, he slouches, grunts, presumably to me.

Hey, this quirk stuff is easy!

February 1, 2008.  Today I'm sending off four - four - book proposals.  I've never plotted four books at a time with this intensity.  Usually, it's plot the first one, write an overview of the second one and a sentence or two about any subsequent stories.  FOUR.  I'm a bit proud - as if you can't tell.  Since it usually takes 3-4 weeks to hear back from Harlequin I'm going to be bold and try to plot three more.  (That's seven in case you weren't counting - seven!)  Let's see, seven books times two (one hero, one heroine) means I'd have 14 people living in my head along with me.  Put that way, it's a little scary.

January 1, 2008.  I've got book revisions on my desk and new proposals to write.  So what did I do today?  I packed up the tree and ornaments.  Can you say, "procrastination"?  LOL!  But the kids are still home from school and December was a hectic month.  My best gift?  A toss up between the Roomba (robotic vacuum cleaner) and a book of the meaning of names.  My name roughly translates to "good provider".  Would I have preferred "sexy, superwoman"?  Or "NYT best seller"?  Hard to say.  The dh is still laughing at the good provider.  He thought it should be good shopper!

December 1, 2007.  I'm hunkered down for a hard month.  Basketball tournaments to coordinate, book revisions due, basketball games to go to.  I know I'm forgetting something.  Oh, yeah.  Shopping.  Enter my contest this month to tell me what's on your wish list.

November 1, 2007.  Someone recently asked me where I get my story ideas and since I'm currently trying to decide which of 7 story ideas I'm going to submit this is as good a topic as any this month.  Ideas are all around, just waiting to be plucked and molded into an interesting story with a happy ending (I know my mom says mournfully she always knows how my stories will end, but there's some sense of confirmation that all is right with the world when things end happily).  The trick is to be open to the ideas and then combine them into something new and intriguing.  I am a Today show junkie, a Bob & Sheri talk show addict and a headline scanner.  A look at my recent notepad:

  - Hot Survivor calendar girls (as heard on Bob & Sheri).  These cancer surviving women flaunt scars in bikinis as they fight to regain their sense of attractiveness.  Strong.  Determined.  Sounds like a romance heroine to me!

  - Tasered protester classy & apologetic (as seen on the Today Show).  When was the last time you heard anyone say they got out of line?  Very intriguing as a character.  What made him lose control?  What made him apologize (rather than sue)?

  - High school coach accused of recruiting football players from American Samoa (local news).  Was he right or wrong?  Are people passionate about both sides of the issue?

  - Elvis catches a wave (recent USA Today picture caption of an Elvis impersonator surfing).  Appeals to my sense of the silly, which is a theme in my supporting cast of characters.

Recipe for a story:  Take two intriguing characters, plop them in the middle of an interesting story and use a supporting cast to surprise and delight!  Sound easy?  Go for it!

September 30, 2007.  This month was full of successes, challenges and surprises.  The reviews for my October book - Count on Love - have been great and Amazon picked up the additional prologue (12 years prior to the start of the story) for their Amazon Short program.  It should be available in mid-October on their site.  My oldest is a high school senior and I'm constantly amazed at what has to happen so soon in the school year (we ordered caps & gowns this week; they wanted me to order graduation announcements but the rebel in me said NO).  And, of course, it's the weekend and our washer has broken, the vet informs me our dog needs surgery and my husband triple books us for weekend activities...again.  With 4 weeks left on my deadline for the sequel to Count on Love, I'm reminding myself that these are the days of my life - just avoid looking at the date, glue my butt to the chair and paste on that smile when another surprise comes.

August 31, 2007.  August is a funny month because it seems to lack holidays.  Everything is so laid back...HA!  Just as I wrote this and looked at the date I realized tomorrow is my 23rd wedding anniversary and I have prepared nothing.  Nothing!  The one consolation is I bet my dh hasn't thought of it either.  I know he doesn't like to hear me say it seems like we've been married forever, but when I say it it's because I can't seem to picture life without him or recall clearly what life was like before we met...in a good way of course.  We're taking off for a weekend with the kids and relatives in South Lake Tahoe, which means lots of mini golf, playing cards, swimming and junk food!  Lucky for me the dh will be happy with a night at the movies rather than a card or tie.  Ain't love grand?

August 2, 2007.  Speaking of moms, mine says I don't post enough about me here.  So this post is all about ME.  I attended the Romance Writers of America conference in Dallas where my cell phone died an unexpected death in a region where Verizon stores are few and far between (there was no guy with a crowd of hard-hats ready to hand me a new phone).  $75 in un-air-conditioned cab fare later...I had a phone again (if ever there was an occasion for a drink, this was IT).  Later in the month we...I...took a well deserved vacation in Hawaii where my husband and...where I...spent a lot of time snorkeling.  Once we...I...went kayaking to get to a remote snorkeling spot where we...I...swam with many turtles, all of which would have been lovely if we...I...didn't have to paddle four miles there and back.  Once home, I spent two days doing laundry, unpacking and applying hot packs to the sore muscles in my back (from kayaking).  Truly, it was all lovely, despite the unexpected (I'm not allowed to go into the lost wallets/gameboys/teenage girls per Mom).  Thanks to Anna Stewart, Brenda Novak and my husband for making the month more enjoyable.  And to my mom for making sure I think about ME.

July 1, 2007.  Moms, you know how it goes.  You tell them, you tell them and then they go out and experience the world and POW! - reality strikes.  Case in point:  I travel a lot and recently members of my family traveled without me to Kentucky.  From unexpected parking fees to trying to smuggle toothpaste through airport security to lost luggage to rental car surprises and getting lost - everything was drama, drama, drama.  Sounds like an adventure to me and it must have been for one of my boys (who text-messaged me at every stage almost like a plea for sanity in a world filled with crazed dads).  Can't wait to go to Hawaii with this bunch!

June 3, 2007.  May and June are my big volunteer months - High School Sober Graduation night (somebody's got to stay up all night with them) and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  You'd think it's just two events, but it's two BIG events plus we had our middle child graduate from junior high.  The weeds outside taunt me as does my computer chair, who misses my butt.  On a brighter note - my coffee consumption is down and my eighth grader graduated with honors!  Overall, I'd rather be a part of something than a hermit.  But I've got a lot of work ahead of me before July when I attend the national conference of Romance Writers and spend a week in Hawaii.

Two brothers.  Next year the robes will be on Mason.	Why are we smiling? Next year we'll have 2 in high school!

May 1, 2007.  We did make it to a family reunion in Redding, but April is prom month and we certainly participated - tuxedo and shoe rental (5 days prior to the big day as my son seemed to think this would miraculously appear in his closet and I had no clue when the dance was), dinner reservations (of course, they chose a place I'd never heard of), the after party (thank heavens it was at the home of one of MY friends) and then gathering everything up to return it.  I won't even go into the fact that my son went with his ex-girl friend who was dating someone else at the time (do you ever feel as if your life is a soap opera?)...

My brother, son, daughter, niece & I at Redding, CA Sundial Bridge	My oldest and his friends put on the Ritz for prom

April 1, 2007.  My two daily companions, Calvin & Hobbs, are each 85+ pounds of Labrador retriever.  A few times during March I had to send the furry boys outside to play so I didn't have to apologize for their booming barking when the Fed Ex man, pool guy or gardener showed up.  Although it is beautiful outside now (75-85 degrees) and they can take a swim in the pool or romp thru 1/3 acre, Calvin decided I needed to be punished for banishing him outside (how dare I?).  On two separate occasions he pulled off fence boards, dragged them to the back patio and chewed them to bits (not surprisingly, this upset his tummy sending waves of gas upon us throughout the night and furthering his attempt to put us in our place).  I'm thinking the next round of pets will be cats.  Do you think we qualify for the dog whisperer?

March 1, 2007.  We are a basketball family first and our teams played their hearts out at the end of February.  My husband coaches our oldest's varsity team.  They were ranked 7th in the sweet 16 and made it to the second round.  We're so proud of everyone on the team.  It's a long bus ride home and the excitement of the season followed by the drama of the game and the subsequent let down are a roller coaster ride not to be missed...but not so good for my daily page production.  Here's hoping that March gets me back on track.

February 1, 2007.  Count on Love, my October Superromance, is on my editor's desk.  For months, I've been living in Vegas writing the book...well, I've been tucked away in my office huddled in fleece track pants, slipper socks and sweat shirts while writing about life in the warm desert which is many, many miles away from here.  It's time to start pitching new books and I'm convinced I don't want to write about snow, nippy temps or slipper socks.  I long for pedicures and shorts and warm weather, and a trip to do some research.  If only there was more interest in books set in Hawaii...

January 1, 2007.  The holidays are over and all that's left is to take down the tree and cajole the dh to get out the ladder and pack up the Christmas lights outside.  There was barely a lull in the kid's activities over the holidays but it still seems as if we still managed to eat too much chocolate (especially yesterday) and sat around too much.  However, we did rediscover the joy of card games, such as Hearts and Pounce, enjoy the company of family and hear from our friends around the globe.  May your new year be full of wonder and joy!

December 1, 2006.  We've come full circle.  Basketball season arrived at the same time as the Thanksgiving holiday, which leads into pre-season tournaments, snack bar duty and Christmas preparations.  At this point, I have a book deadline looming, three kids in basketball, the holiday closing in and I couldn't even tell you what I want for Christmas, much less thinking about what to get for other people.  You know how people in Europe get August off?  I think we should get December off. 

November 1, 2006.  This is the first year in the last fifteen that someone in the household hasn't dressed up and wanted an escort to go Trick or Treating.  There was no mad rush to change costumes at the last minute or safety pin something together.  I kind of miss that (well, not trudging for hours in the cold).  There is only a large bowl filled with candy to mark the holiday and an even larger bag from Costco in the cupboard.  Yes, someone in the house who is signed up for Weight Watchers bought 215 pieces of candy.  Isn't that always the way?

October 1, 2006.  My husband said the dreaded words to me last week:  "It's time to get a new car."  I've been driving my sedan for nine years and little things are starting to worry him.  Well, perhaps it's that the driver side window won't roll down anymore and that's just one less reason to go through a fast food drive thru.  You see, the dh is trying to lose those extra pounds that crept up on him over the past three years and as he's just beginning to pursue these lifestyle changes, it's the little things that get under his skin.  I think I'd rather cook/eat healthy than haggle over a new car, wouldn't you?  (Just hold together, baby)

September 1, 2006.  The kids and dh are back in school and most days are pretty quiet here for my labbies and I.  I've been taking a break from Hot Shots and working on a strange new book idea.  It's almost like trying a new diet for a few weeks.  Some days I'm exhilarated and other days I wonder what in the heck I've gotten myself into.  Change is never easy (but why does it have to be so hard?).

August 1, 2006.  Just a few more weeks until the kids are back in school and my days are once more quiet from 7:30-3:30.  The kids are glad to be home from their vacation trips and summer sports camps, but oddly, when asked what was the most exciting thing about their trips they claim it was the airplane rides.  So, as they age, I suppose they outgrow the appeal of the box the toy came in and move to the mode of transportation.  Am I any different?  I will probably most remember the heavenly beds, no wake up call and room service.

July 1, 2006.  I just got back from a trip to find my husband had put away all the clean laundry except mine.  He also had the kids vacuum and straighten up the house (they missed the dirty socks beneath the coffee table and the dirty clothes behind the bathroom door) before I arrived, but that didn't include dusting or wiping down the kitchen and bathrooms.  Oh, and the sink was full of dirty dishes.  He was a bit hurt when I wasn't overjoyed at his efforts (clearly, he's not much for quality control).  What was it that Henry Higgins said in My Fair Lady?  Oh, yeah:  "Why can't a woman be more like a man?"  Plu-eeeze.  Can't live with them...

June 1, 2006.  Have you ever heard the phrases adding insult to injury?  It's become my motto.  Recently, as part of my daughter's dance recital several moms were asked to participate in a 50s Broadway show number - enter me, who doesn't stretched and hasn't danced before anybody in eons.  During the course of rehearsals, I came up lame with a stress fracture in my foot (the injury).  Costumes arrived.  I had pictured a button-down white blouse with a poodle skirt.  Was I surprised when I discovered I'm to wear a white leotard with hot pink trim (think circus performer), a black poodle skirt - see-through (remember the white leotard?) - and a hot pink Minnie Mouse bow on top of my head (insult).  Thankfully, I don't think anyone I know will be coming to see me limp along and show my knickers.  And no, I don't think I'll be posting pictures.

May 1, 2006.  Why is it that sports seasons don't end for kids anymore?  Basketball is year round (especially when you're married to a coach).  I'm sure baseball would be too if they could play in the rain (indoor baseball anyone?).  I have friends whose kids play soccer year round (one even played in snow up in Redding this spring).  My daughter played on an under 11 basketball team and her little team got trounced by a group of 3rd-5th graders who practice twice a week and do conditioning for a third day!!!  Am I nuts or does this seem wrong?  I suppose it could be worse.  The video game championship was held in Asia this week.  Now there is a "sport" that is truly played 24/7.  At least traditional sports require movement of more than your thumbs.

April 1, 2006.  I'm a bit melancholy waiting for spring and wrestling with the fact that my kids are getting older.  My youngest has demanded to do her own laundry (the evidence of which has been sitting in the washer for three days now - eeww, stinky), the boys have discovered the special joy of girlfriends (EEEK!), and my oldest is taking his driver's test on Monday.  Soon I'll be posting that my kids have left for college and that it's just me, the dh and the dogs.  Of course, that will mean no more discoveries of cheetos wrappers behind the couch, cups with day old milk growing mold in their rooms or stinky sports socks mixed in with my dh's "especially dirty" laundry loads...maybe not such a bad thing after all.

March 1, 2006.  Can you believe the weather?  I was in New York this week and it was 18 degrees (big change when I'd been wearing flip flops in California's 70 degree weather).  The kids are transitioning from indoor sports (basketball) to outdoor sports (baseball), and, of course, the dance recital comes up at the end of spring.  It hardly seems we're able to be home to cook vegetables (French Fries don't count).  Many deadlines are coming up (too soon, too soon), and Mason will be driving soon (grades permitting, of course).

January 31, 2006.  Why is it that children always throw you a curve ball?  On Sunday night, my daughter informed me that she needed a toga for her Tuesday role as Persephone in a class play?  "And not a sheet, Mom," she added.  Geez.  Somehow we managed, but is it Friday yet?  Mason was nominated for homecoming court and didn't tell me ("It's no big deal."...until he needs something to wear in a week!)  What will Colby surprise me with this week, I wonder?  LOL!  I wouldn't trade them for the world, but I wouldn't mind a bit more advance warning either.

January 1, 2006.  Where did the year go?  Where did my two week vacation disappear to?  And why is Mother Nature acting so weird this holiday season?  We went up to the mountains for New Year's and had torrential downpours instead of snow.  The kids played poker and we caught up on movies, but rain???  We could have gotten that at home and spent a lot less money!  Best Christmas Gift:  the one cup Espresso machine!  Best Birthday Gift (2 days after Christmas - no pressure on the dh):  leather jacket.  Now if I can only survive a six boy sleepover, the holiday season will be complete!

Why are there no pictures of me at the holidays?  Because I took pictures of everyone else! Here's one from Kelly's wedding.	Mason and his date

December 1, 2005.  The timing of the holidays seems odd - Thanksgiving so early and Christmas/New Year's so late.  The kids will be in school until December 23!  That won't leave my school teacher hubby much time to shop for me (the only person on his list, as I do all the shopping for everyone else, including the in-laws - LOL!).  My dad fell during a visit mid-month and stayed an additional two weeks recovering from a pelvic fracture.  Everyone was great help!  Even the dogs only almost knocked him over once.  My oldest went on his first official date - ACK! - and my youngest still hates to comb her hair - GRRR!  How can we live at such extremes?  With love, of course!  Special thanks go out this month to my friend, Jeanna, who helped with Dad, and my new sister-in-law, Angela, who hosted our clan for Thanksgiving, and my assistant, Kelly, who is irreplaceable.  We have much to be thankful for this year.

November 1, 2005.  Happy Halloween!!!  The year has flown by.  Basketball is officially starting (in our house it's year round), preparations for the holidays should be done (but can be postponed a bit longer), and the open-toed shoes will have to be put away until next April (at least in Northern California).  Having just discovered I gave away our winter comforter to Goodwill last spring, I must find another - on sale, I hope - before it gets too cold, although the nights are already chilly here.  And look what I found on my camera (it was supposed to be Halloween pictures, but they didn't turn out).

October 2, 2005.  I love the fall weather - not too hot, not too cold.  The dogs seem to like it as well, as they seem a bit friskier when we go outside to play ball.  The first few weeks of October are busy for me - a writer's conference and book signing in Seattle, revisions on my April book due, and a birthday party to plan.  Expectant Father's run is almost over.  New proposals are due at the end of the month.  And I still haven't read the new Janet Evanovich!  What's a girl to do?

September 1, 2005.  Our 21st anniversary!  Celebrations will have to wait until the weekend.  There are book reports due, math homework, practices to car pool to and from, and the family is wondering what to donate to Hurricane Katrina victims.  Only two more weeks until my next book comes out - today that seems a small worry.

August 8, 2005.  Hawaii was wonderful!  With temps in the 80s, we were in hog heaven.  And now it's back to the grind.  I've got a book due in a week, but I'm on it.  Piles of laundry to do, bills to pay and a stack of books that still didn't get read.  School starts in two weeks, but my large print copies of Expectant Father arrived while we were gone.  My mom will be pleased!

August 1, 2005.  Whew!  I survived the pace of the Romance Writers of America conference at the end of the month.  Now it's time for some much needed R&R before the kids go back to school.  Today we jet off to Hawaii which we all hope will be cooler than the 100+ temps here.  I'll try to post pictures (and some of our adventures) here later in the month.

July 1, 2005.  Well, summer basketball is winding down, post season play for Little League is done, dance recital is over, we walked in Relay for Life again and OUR HOUSE IS DONE!!!  Well, we don't have a kitchen floor, but we passed the city inspection and moved into the new area.  It's time to prep for the Romance Writers of America conference (July 27-30 in Reno), plan a vacation (or two!!) and just breath. 

June 1, 2005.  We've been crossing our fingers that the remodel we've been working on will be finished in the next few weeks.  Our contractor, who now feels like our best friend, promised it would be done at the end of February...2005.  Yep, it's gone on a bit longer than planned.  But the extra bathroom, larger kitchen and office/ guest room are only waiting the final inspection before we start moving furniture in.  I did spend the Memorial weekend painting instead of writing.  I may spend most of my creative energy writing, but I come from a family of artists, and all those white walls in the kitchen...I just couldn't face them.  So, three days later, the room is awash with color and I've got paint under my fingernails.  Did I mention my husband doesn't like color on the walls?  I can tell it's growing on him because he no longer shakes his head as he gets a glass of water.  LOL!  That's what true love is all about, isn't it? 

May 1, 2005.  After weeks of pouring rain on the weekends, we've finally been teased with the promise of spring.  I switched to open-toed shoes a few weeks ago and stubbornly refuse to go back.  I mean, why bother with a pedicure if you have to hide your toes?  This doesn't seem odd to me.  My kids wear shorts almost every day of the year because, as my daughter put it, "We live in California, Mom, it's supposed to be warm."  But now when they don their shorts, they laugh and say, "See, we're from California.  We wear shorts."  Yeah, where was that bravado when it was 50 degrees in London?  I didn't see their gams on display then!  And speaking of London, why did we end up with twenty pictures of Big Ben?

A view of (what else but) Big Ben from the London Eye.	Yes, the boys wore shorts on the plane ride home!

April 3, 2005.  Was it just last month I was asking for a vacation?  Holy smokes!  I need a vacation to recover from my vacation!  We received an offer we couldn't refuse and took off for London for the Easter holidays.  If you have a family larger than a family of four, you know what a challenge it is to find transportation and hotels large enough to accept the brood without breaking the bank.  We ended up at a lovely hotel built in 1865 with a bathroom within our room (international travel can be shocking for Americans).  The one drawback?  When I requested a room with double beds and a rollaway, I wasn't expecting two single beds and a rollaway.  (Ahh, to be young and willing to sleep on the floor.)  Check back in the next few weeks for some pictures of our trip.  I'm still wading through mountains of laundry.

March 2, 2005.  The revisions to Expectant Father are done.  The new book is starting to take shape.  Big news around here is our room addition.  The front of the house is a construction zone, the dogs regularly escape past workmen, and it is, of course, 30 days overdue.  In the past six months we've gone through four babysitters (we're normal, I swear, they keep going POCO on me - pursuing other career opportunities).  Basketball season is over (except for the college ball viewing that seems to be a prerequisite for the males in the house).  Baseball season has started (no cleats in the house!).  Dance recital week looms just a few months away.  I need a vacation!

January 1, 2005.  Christmas is over.  The tree is down (but the lights outside still up - LOL), the wrapping paper stowed until next year, and tree needles may still be found in the carpet.  My youngest still can be relied upon to tell me she's bored at least once a day.  My oldest requires you to wave your hands in front of him, as he's got his stereo earphones on 24/7.  And we can't pry the middle angel's fingers off the controls of his Xbox.  We still make a daily run to the stores to return things that have broken (I thought this ritual was supposed to end when they turned 10).  In two days, the holidays will be officially behind us.  We'll all struggle to get out of bed at our regular hour, charging about as we prepare for work and school.  If 2004 was the best year ever - as I heard on many radio stations - then we're only in for more blessings, wonders and challenges in 2005.  Just let me prop my feet up just a little bit longer...

November 24, 2004.  Where did the year go?  How am I going to hand in a book to my editor, juggle the kids' basketball schedule and coordinate Christmas in four weeks?  I'm a great planner, but the rest of the family is not.  Case in point:  "Mom, I need to bring 2 dozen rolls today for our Thanksgiving party?"  Really.  And you couldn't tell me this two days ago instead of the morning of?  Tomorrow, on Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks to my brother for wanting to "own" a holiday.  That means I don't have to clean, cook or shop.  For that, I'm willing to do the dishes!  Happy Thanksgiving! 

November 1, 2004.  Just last week I was flying to London (okay, that's a bit glamorous).  Upon arrival - at 7 am - my hotel room wasn't ready.  As I'm wilting on the check-in counter because I've been awake for more than 24 hours and now am just a wee bit cranky, the desk clerk asks me what I'd like to do.  She wasn't amused that I re-iterated that I wanted my room - non-smoking, king size bed with heavenly pillows.  I ended up on one of those double-decker bus tours driving around London with a tour guide excitedly pointing out where they filmed Mary Poppins.  It was awfully sweet, but my eyes felt like little worn marbles and my sunglasses were checked into the baggage room at the hotel.  When I finally called home, my little girl asked me if I'd seen the Eiffel Tower.  Hhhmmm.  Well, I did meet someone in London who thought Chile was near Singapore, so perhaps I can't criticize the American education system.

October 23, 2004.  So, I take my kids to a company picnic and during a softball game, my son falls and hurts his wrist - which immediately swells up.  As he's trying to be brave, he says, "I can't move my hand."  Perhaps this will have more context - and drama - if I admit that my son plays on my husband's high school basketball team.  Wouldn't you know, within five minutes of the accident, my husband calls from a conference in Las Vegas.  I think the accusation about how I could hurt my son just a week before basketball season starts will live on in the family journal as one of the not so bright statements by my dear husband.  Kids are kids, and they all believe they're invincible.  But lucky for me, nothing was broken.

October 2, 2004.  Where did the time go?  I've been writing and working and playing taxi to the kids.  The air has cooled off and the nights are chilly.  My daughter, who has been in dance for six years, suddenly announced - after I spent $70 on new ballet slippers, leotard and tights - that she hated dance and wanted to quit.  I think she pouts in dance class just to spite me.  Where did this come from?  She's not even a pre-teen!  Boys are so much easier...until grades come out.

September 8, 2004.  The heat wave is almost over and our air conditioner is almost fixed!  All the kids are back in school.  Fall basketball and baseball and dance have started again, which leaves only three nights a week when we are all at home at dinner time together.  Time to return to writing full-time, full-speed.  Now, if those characters of mine would just cooperate.

September 1, 2004.  Today is our 20th anniversary.  Any actual celebrations will be postponed until Friday when sports practices are over, a violin has been rented (where did the desire to learn violin come from?) and the air conditioner has been fixed.  My fingers have become perpetually wrinkled from living in the swimming pool - not good for scribbling or typing up stories.  Cooking is not an option.  Writing progress has stalled, particularly when I think about writing another 110 degree fire scene in my 80 degree office.  I'll admit, "Hi, my name is Melinda, and I'm a heat wimp."

August 28, 2004.  Two of the kids' friends are staying the weekend.  Three neighborhood kids are over.  My husband is preparing his classroom for the 1st day of school.  It feels really hot in here.  I write a scene where my characters are dripping from the heat.  I'm inspired.  But it's really hot in here.  Are those kids closing the door?  Yes.  It appears there's a different problem.  The air conditioner isn't working.  Don't have to put in a call to my husband to know what he'll say..."How can this happen?"  Leave a really stern message for the repairman.  Feel like writing him into a scene and making him suffer until I realize it's 98 degrees and he'll be up on our roof again tomorrow.

August 23, 2004.  Air conditioning is repaired, although no one told us what was wrong.  We're still as happy as polar bears.  Writing life continues.

August 22, 2004.  Maybe taking the dogs wasn't the best of ideas.  Hobbs is happy to run up and down the beach in 2-5 inches of water.  It's hard to imagine this water dog won't even get his feet wet in our pool at home.  Calvin, on the other hand, sees a gaggle of geese (I've always wanted to use that in a sentence) and takes off...down the beach...across the boat channel...down the next beach...out of sight.  Who knew geese were so lazy they just wouldn't fly up and away?  The husband yells and whistles, mutters, "How could this happen?"  The younger kids cry.  Number One son (born 1st) plunges into the boat channel and swims after him.  Having never had to rescue anything before, he goes in fully clothed.  Yup, $90 basketball shoes and all.  Sigh.

August 20, 2004.  Three visits by the air-conditioner repairman later and things seem hopeless.  My husband isn't even talking to the repairman anymore.  They communicate through me - the Switzerland of mechanical repair.  Like I know what a compressor does?  Is that like a girdle for the dreaded machine?  We decide to escape to Lake Tahoe.  We take pity on the dogs - our two labs - and drag them with us.

August 16, 2004.  The air-conditioning/heating unit that we just purchased in February has fainted in the 95 degree Central California summer heat.  My husband's mantra - the one he uses whenever anything goes wrong - "How could this happen?" is started to wear on my nerves.  Escape to the air conditioned haven of my car and Wal-Mart, where they have a huge display of portable fans.  Writing today?  You must be joking.

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