Carolyn

Okay so I know I am highly partial to Nick's writing - no surprise there - but I especially love this story, so must rec it. Here is the link: http://cyus.livejournal.com/30316.html

Threadbare is canon-era Merlin, something Nick needs to keep writing as I love his voice when he writes the brutal stuff and canon-era readily lends itself to that kind of scenario. No fluff here, nope, reminiscent of the best battle scenes in Lord of the Rings, and that to me is good. There is a warning on it, so do take heed, but I hope you will read it, and encourage him to write more medieval-times fic. (pretty please?)

Just saw the daughter off to Minnesota--she, her friends Erin and Chase have taken off with a car packed to the rim with stuff. I don't envy them that drive but Tiff loves road trips and has done this drive several times. They'll be fine.

The son and I will leave tomorrow--then it is a crazy whirlwind of activity. Rangers v. Twins tomorrow night (got our Rangers t-shirts ready--hope we aren't mobbed!), a visit to the Mall of The Americas (my daughter can't wait to go shopping...in H&M. LOL). Then a rehearsal dinner, then The Wedding Day, dinner after, Sunday is opening presents--sweet, that'll be fun--and back home again. Dogs are dropped off first thing tomorrow morning, picked up again on Monday morning. They'll be enjoying a nice stay at the vet's pup hotel (and will get spoiled rotten--one of the vet techs there has six huskies of her own).

So today is a flurry of things to do--laundry, packing, getting the dogs' food ready, picking up prescriptions later, etc. Son has to go buy shoes--his dress shoes are totally worn out. Holes in the bottom! Thanks for telling me now Son!

Never been to Minnesota before so this should be fun. Exhausting, but fun. Yay for having a Blackberry now--I can at least stay in touch that way.

Okay so call me goofy but I have a new screensaver, one of those aquarium ones. It is nice to have beside me on the laptop with music playing while I write. It is so realistic I am almost disturbed...especially as I have a favorite fish, the Clown Trigger fish. his movements are so sensible and realistic as to be...well, let's just say I caught myself smiling at him and his antics? Yeah. Uh, yeah.

Nonsense post, this, also known as 'oh man do I really need to get this day going already?'. Yeah, I do.

Okay...time to get the laundry started! :)

We got just a little bit of the big wintry storm early this morning here in North Texas, but it was enough to shut down the city. Both kids' universities were closed, though my daughter spent the night at a friend's. She called this morning, upset and freaked out--she was trying to get home, and got the car stuck in ice. *sigh* Fortunately lotsa boys came to her rescue and they got her out--she should've been home in 15 minutes, but with all the road closings and general mess it took her almost two hours. No sanding, no salting, the city's solution was to just close roads. Oh, Texas!

OH LOL all the universities around are closed again. TCU, TCC, UTA, North Texas...which means all the regular schools will be too. WE CANNOT COPE! WE JUST CANNOT COPE! I am laughing. Oh man. Oh, Texas!

So, the job hunt continues. Not much to report there, not at all. We're doing okay though...bills for Feb are paid in full, and there's still enough in the bank not to panic yet. I really rather not spend that on bills and general living--I kinda want to go see cruentum, you know? I miss him terrible-fierce, and we're about to hit the one-year mark since we saw each other last. This is the longest stretch we've gone, and we don't like it. Not at all. Today was his first day at his new job and it was okay but rough too, yeah, new job blues, the new kid on the block, etc. -- the joys of starting any new job, but compounded with it being in a different country makes it tougher, I think. He really has done amazing, though. You bet I am proud of my baby. :)

I signed up to beta for paperlegends. I'll be tending to a couple of others already, but I do love beta'ing, and so many are asking for help. It makes me happy and feel positive to do things for others, especially after a terrible January of blueness. I need it. I got really, really depressed--almost 15 years associated with the railroad, poof. Gone. Yes it does help tremendously that everyone I cared about is also gone, but you bet I am in mourning. It is so damn sad. Sigh. I hope I can find another job I care about as much, but I don't know if I will. For about 8 years there, things were beautiful, and the thought of leaving? Oh hell no. And then.... *throws hands up* And then.

Still waiting to hear from my publisher, argh. I WANT WORD! Like, NOW. That would be nice. LOL. My editor promised to get to the ms as soon as possible but I do have to wait my turn. OMG I nearly spelled that 'tern'. LOL. January, was too frozen brain-wise and heart-wise to start anything new, but everyone keeps telling me I *am* allowed to have some fun, so I'm working on a couple of new stories. One is for Loose-Id, and the other is my first serious stab at the not-urban (but rustic!) fantasy genre. My writing group is hugely supportive (and whip-crackery!) so I'm optimistic about it going well. The new fic for my publisher is SPLASH PAGE (title via the marvelous amand_r and yes Mander I swiped it from Blue!), and boy do I have alot to learn about the comics world. FUN research though! Very fun. :)

Got my computer back from the shop, it works great, stays way cool and comfy but the fan! It is louder! My computer would be terrible at hide and seek! The CPU is staying quite cool so I guess I should not complain, but anyone have any thoughts about fans, holler.

And now to go figure out two guys' names for my new story. Maybe if I start working on this, I'll stop angsting over hearing re: my other ms. *bites nails*

I leave you with PUPPIES! Happy huskies in the 'snow.' Yes, that is all we got. Oh, Texas!

( snowsnowwhee )

Remember how I posted a couple of posts ago about how Doran, the boss boss from Topeka who fired everyone I cared about at B&W, including my dear boss, was in town? Well guess what! Today, using the most lame, ridiculous and stupidest reasons I've ever heard, he fired me. Yup. Gone. Toast. Christmas week. That is it. 9.5 years with the company mean nothing to him--he wanted me out and he came up with the way. He didn't give a damn about my rock-solid history with the company (he has been with B&W since April). In fact he pretty much told me he didn't believe Chris ever evaluated me honestly. Too good to be true? Nope. I am that good. LOLOL. Word was flying around BNSF, all the people I helped hearing about it (and on the heels of Chris), already and Chris has heard from one who wants to talk to me. It is no secret (he tells me) that after all the work we did in our office was shipped up to Topeka that the quality plummeted. I believe it, as I had super-high standards and wasn't doing it anymore. Rawr. He hears complaints, which I knew, but yeah. Wow.

Soon as I got home I contacted BNSF corporate support, and there are two positions opening early January, both in contracts--lol where I hailed from. Same group. Steve, my former boss there, is happy for me to come back. Chris is there too, and all my old coworkers--I'm going to be welcomed back with open arms.

Insane, huh?

I have to say that though there is shock racing through my system, there are no regrets, there is mostly relief. I did nothing wrong, and I stand by that. I have watched that company go from incredible, awesome, caring and a really fantastic place to work, to a place that now has five people left, and Kevin was interviewing today--he called me on his way, having heard from Juan what happened. Juan too has been polishing his resume with the intent to start hunting after the first of a year.

It has been a fascinating experience, coming into a company--asked to come work there by Chris all those years ago--and doing fantastic work, learning so many new things, and watching it grow and change and catch the excitement of new technologies... And then to see it fall hard as all the best and brightest were systematically pushed out. Splat. And it isn't done yet, I am sure of it. Five people left, one actively looking--what ARE they doing? A year ago we had 14 people there. Now five.

So, here I am! Sitting in my daughter's Starbucks while she works and plies me with coffee. Looks like a couple of weeks off unexpectedly, but with a position after the first of the year. Thank you, Steve! Looking forward to working with that crew again, AND Chris again. :) I'll be cleaning the house and putting the tree up tomorrow with the kids, and we're planning on Tron for Christmas Day and dinner at my friend Leigh Ann's house. It's going to be a good, if very simple Christmas. Next week my sister Leslie and her daughter Lexie are coming, so that will be fun. And then hopefully the following week I can get back to BNSF.

In the meantime, I've got a lot of rewriting to get done, a book to polish, and another to finish. Will try to make the most of these two unexpected weeks off, and make 2011 a different, but awesome year. :)

Don't you love my new user pic? That is from my Grimmas Card from amand_r. I just HAD to make him into an icon. I ADORE HIM SO! I ADORE HER SO! He makes me laugh! Poor guy, no one will kiss him. Awww...

Not made by blue_fjords but instead by the big honcho at BNSF's wife who makes cupcakes for fun, this is what greeted me today when I got to work:



OMG they are amazing. I am SURE Blue's are better though! And these aren't vegan. But damn, wow, whoa.

Tonight, we get the tree. Finally.

At work, about to dive into my project--today I get to go back to the beginning of all my research and using ArcGIS, my new toy, figure out a bunch of stuff I couldn't before. I ended up figuring out how to utilize it for my project by cornering four different people. Honestly guys, that was annoying. I start formal training in January. This is good.

I got a very small raise, but a nice Christmas bonus last week.

Not done with reel_torchwood yet, but I finally told Alba IT WILL BE WEDNESDAY AT THE LATEST! And that should work out great. Of course, this means I still haven't started my yuletide fic, but I have it planned out in my head. There will be a Big Writing Frenzy over the next few days. misswinterhill I hope you remember that you said you'd love to beta! I have it in email! It is true! LOL.

Got my twsecretsanta assignment. LOL. I am very pleased with who I have. It'll be awesome, and that's what I will work on AFTER yuletide is done. I'm home for the four-day holiday, with no plans except the 25th, so I'll be having a blast with that then. Whee! I kinda know what I am doing too. This will be my 2nd Torchwood fic. Anyone remember how I said I wouldn't write another after reel_torchwood was done? I lied.

But then, January 1, I turn back to my ms for Loose-Id. I started it exactly a year ago from then, and only have 45k on it. That is sad, and unacceptable. It needs to get done, turned in, and then on to the next one for Loose-Id, the horrorish one, Wolfhunter. Am honestly not sure it is completely right for Loose-Id. Will talk about premise with my editor, as the main character is female, and though there is a m/m thread to it, it is not the main thread. Yes, that means, HETEROFIC! OMG! ME? LOL. I realize that m/m sells better, but I love this book (literally been with me, this idea, for 8 years or so) and it is time to write it. Maybe it won't be right for Loose-Id, maybe it falls more into (gasp, eek) Urban Fantasy, I don't know. I just know I want to write it, now. It is time.

Guess I better get to work, huh.