Terri's Here! Squeeeee!

I'm very thrilled to be able to bring you a guest poster today! Not just any guest poster, but a newly published author, great writer, funny lady, and all around fantastic person. If you haven't read over at Terri's Little Corner over at terrisonoda.net, you need to do it!

WAIT! Not yet - read this first! THEN go check her out...

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Hello everyone!  First of all, thank you very much, Ally, for allowing me to invade your bloggy space with my writerly aspirations.  Er…I mean, to pimp my book.  Ally and I have been blog friends for a long time now and, although our blogs and lives are very different, somehow we connected and continue to support each other’s blogging endeavors.  Maybe it’s because we both have sons. It can’t be because we are both in stellar shape and can run for miles.  Because, for one thing, she’s the only one who can fit that description. (I am neither stellar nor shapely and the thought of running makes me sleepy)  Maybe it’s because we both like coffee. Or maybe it’s simply because we both have a sense of humor and an affinity for nice people.

Whatever the reasons, I’m sure glad Ally’s my friend.  She rocks!  But you already knew that. That’s why you’re here.

So, I’ll get on with my riveting sales pitch, then.

Just in case you haven’t heard, I am now a published author.  Wow, I really like writing that!  And when I say it out loud, it sounds even better.  But I won’t bore you with a video of me saying, “I am now a published author,” so don’t be frightened away. I am not fond of cameras.

I am fond, however, of writing fiction.  It’s just been the last couple of years since I was laid off from a cushy job and become a professional job-seeker (translation: seeking, never finding) that I began to get serious about writing fiction.  My first novella is called Sara’s Sleep.  It was actually born from a weekly soap opera I was writing on my blog to entertain the masses.  And by masses, I mean my five or ten loyal readers.  My readers seemed to really enjoy the soap opera, so once it finally ended, I was a bit depressed.  When the offer came from Karla at Adoro Books to publish Sara’s Sleep, I got all kinds of excited and almost hurt myself doing the happy dance. But not to worry, there’s no video for that either.

My new book is available on Amazon for Kindle for just 99 cents, which is a great price.  It’s also sold as a paperback for $7.45. If you would like to grab a copy, just head on over to the following link:

Sara's Sleep at Amazon! Click Here!

After you’ve had a chance to read Sara’s Sleep, please feel free to leave a review on Amazon at the same link.  Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

And if you like parties, the official Launch Party for Sara’s Sleep will be online July 1st from 2 to 4 pm Pacific Standard Time.  Just go to www.facebook.com/TerriSonoda for the fun and festivities!

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Thank you, Ally, for being my host and my friend.  Let me know if I’ve scared any of your readers away.  I will hunt them down.

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Terri's the best. I've read Sara's Sleep, so I can tell you it's good. It's an easy read, but keeps your attention while you try to figure out what's around each twisty turn.  I was so happy when she told me it was going to be in paperback, too, because I'm sort of e-reader challenged. As in, I don't have one. No fancy Kindle or iPad for me. I like me a paper page turner. Just don't call me a dinosaur please... 

***Ally

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Lazy Gun Fights - Are You Serious?

There's been a lot of local media attention given to an increase in gun violence in Seattle.

In one of the most recent, two men were shot, one in the leg and one in the side, after a "dispute" of some sort that one of them had with two other men.

They apparently got into a fight "over something stupid" in the parking lot of a 99-cent store.

Really, I'm refraining from commentary here. The story sort of speaks for itself, no?

A friend of one of the victims said this:

"People have gotten lazy. They want to just fire a gun when they should fight."

*I've got nothing but a blank stare, here*

Am I the only one that sees a problem with this kind of logic?

These folks are out there in our society. Lord help us all.

Here's the original article, complete with more quotes about how they should have settled the dispute with their fists.

*shaking my head*

***Ally
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That Moment When...

... the curling iron flies out of your hand (completely unexplained - it's not like I'm clumsy or anything *clears throat*) and bounces off your bare shoulder.

Ouch.

***Ally
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It's A Cake?

I volunteered to make a cake for my cousin's graduation party.

She went back to school, and graduated with her bachelor's degree in Nutrition just shortly after her 40th birthday. I'm so proud of her!

But back to that cake. Hmmmm, what to do. She also happens to have Celiac Disease, so it had to be gluten free.

Well, a gluten free, chocolate cake, with cream cheese filling that happens to look like a CSA box full of vegetables, of course!

The cake was gluten free, as I mentioned. I highly recommend Bob's Red Mill chocolate cake mix. It is amazing. None of that gritty texture often found in gluten free baked products. It's moist and chocolatey and delicious and this is absolutely a free plug for them. I just like the product.

I made up cream cheese filling (heavenly) and frosted the whole thing in homemade buttercream.
The "box" was made from fondant, which I colored first, and then "painted" once assembled. The veggies on top are real, obv. There's a carrot in there you can't see in this pic. The pepper and the bok choy were cut in half so that they didn't sit so high and appeared to be sticking out the top. She requested kale be involved, so there the kale leaves are, sticking out the back.

The cupcakes were traditional cake made with wheat, and the "veggie topper" were made from fondant.

I'm thinking the cake went over well. There was exactly one piece left by the end of the night and not a cupcake to be seen.

This was take part way through the night. It continued to get smaller.

***Ally

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Got Milk?

I'm not doing Monday Listicles this week. You should still go there and check it out though. Lots of good things to read with the link ups. Besides, Stasha is awesome.

Today, instead, I'm going to share with you this really great news out of China. Ready?

They've genetically modified cows to produce human breast milk.

Don't read the line again - you read it right the first time. Human breast milk, from cows. A worker there said it's better for you because it's genetically modified. *blink, blink* They hope to sell it in stores within three years.

Go. Here. Look.

Me? I'm, well, speechless. Oh, I can think of lots to say, but I might never stop if I start.

*Oh, and you might want to notice the *cleanliness* of the cow in the opening shot of the video - that shot frozen right there on the article page. Ahem.

***Ally
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Five For Friday x2

Five things I'm looking forward to this weekend:

1) Taking over the tv to watch the track and field Olympic trials. I sit through all kinds of sports I could care less about with my son and husband. It's MY turn.

2) Finally picking up the bags of bark and wood chips I need to refresh a few areas of the yard.

3) Last graduation party of the season - for my son's best friend. They've grown up right down the street from each other. They make me smile and make me proud.

4) Having some house cleaning finally done.

5) Dog sitting for our friends. Their dog is such a sweetheart and she becomes my shadow while she's here.



Five things I'm not looking forward to this weekend:

1) Rain. Summer starts July 5th in these parts.

2) Spreading the bark I buy to refresh a few areas of the yard. In the rain.

3) Rain. Oh wait, did I already say that? Too bad. I'm doubl-y not looking forward to it.

4) Doing the house cleaning. Yes it made both lists. I like having it done. I don't like doing it.

5) Waking up early because that dog we're watching wakes and the crack of dawn. Ugh.


And if you are ever having one of those days where you need to restore your faith in humanity, click HERE.


Have a fantastic weekend, even if you have to clean the house or spread bark!

***Ally
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Counting Money

I grew up in the days when during basic math class, they taught us to make change. In other words, if someone had to pay $7.75, and handed you a $10 bill, when giving them change you would start with what they paid and count it back to them. Out loud to prove you were doing it right. Like this:

Start with "$7.75" (say it out loud), add a quarter and say "$8.00" (because 7.75 + .25 = 8), add a dollar and say "$9.00", and another dollar and say "$10.00". There. Change given and everyone knew it was correct.

My first job was at JCPenney. Back then, a lot of people still paid cash for things, so I used that method a lot. On those occasions where someone paid with a credit card, we would have to make an imprint of the card with that little slidey machine, then we would have to pick up the phone and call the credit department to get an authorization number for the transaction. It took anywhere from 3-10 minutes to check someone out! And it was the norm. And if they paid by check? We had to make sure their phone number was on the check AND we had to write their driver's license number on it. Seriously, when was the last time you even had to show your ID to use your credit or debit card? (Okay, that did happen to me the other day, but it's not very often.)

If you can relate to the old way of counting change, you might appreciate this experience:

I was at the cash register at a fast food joint. I don't eat fast food. But I do occasionally enjoy a milkshake. *clearing my throat*

"That'll be $12.23."

I hand him a $20 bill and a quarter. Because I already have a wallet full of change and don't need any more.

"Okay here's $7.99, your order will be right up." He handed me a pile of change.

*blink, blink* "Um, I gave you a quarter, right? $20 and a quarter."

"Yes, I punched that into the register and it told me $7.99 change." He was pleased with himself.

*blink, blink* "It was $12.23, right? And I gave you 25 cents to cover that 23. So why do I have so much change?"

"Hmmm, that's a good question." Face turning red while he studies the receipt.

When I can stand it no longer I reach over the counter and point. "See here? You entered $20.22, not $20.25. The change should have been $8.02."

Panic ensues as his brain cannot keep up with my math. "Oh, right. It's been a long day." Nervous laugh as he has the manager open the till again.

"Okay, $8.03, right?"

Silence.

"Oh, I mean $8.02. Here you go, those shakes will be right up."


Now to be clear, I don't blame the kid. He's never been taught any other way. It's just one of those moments where I get scared at our dependence on computers to do our thinking for us!

***Ally
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$1,000 For Me - Monday Listicles

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along and join in. And look at her beautiful pictures while you are checking out her site.

So Stasha's giving us a $1,000 and wants a listicle of what we would buy. Sounds easy, right? I thought so until I started making that mental list and realized just how fast I could go through $1,000. Thing is, I'm so darn practical... well, you'll see...

1) New running shoes.
2) New short sleeved shirts. I'm completely desperate in this department. I have to be able to work in them.
3) New jeans.
4) New pants for work.
5) New casual shoes.

 Is there a theme going on here? Okay, a few things that are a little more fun:

6) A massage.
7) A mani/pedi.
8) Cell phone upgrade.
9) New throw pillows for the sofa.
10) A beautiful bouquet of flowers for Stasha for the $1,000! *wink*

***Ally
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Puppy Fix

Because I can't get enough of watching these guys sleep...

Click HERE
(It's just puppies, I promise)

I know, it's the animal lover in me. Nothing cuter than puppies. I'm sure they also get active, but so far I've only seen them sleep...

Happy Weekend!

***Ally
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I Hate To Go

Not where... what.

No, I mean, I'm not going anywhere. What I'm saying is I hate to take the time to go.

You know, #1. Tinkle. Pee.

If pee makes you squeamish, now would be a good time to click on a different post. Just sayin'. Hey, we all do it and it doesn't embarrass me, but I thought I'd warn you.

I cannot tell you how many times a day I find myself in the middle of doing something and that feeling creeps in. Instead of getting up or stopping what I'm doing, I hold it. I try to wait just a little bit longer. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. I put it off and put it off. Then all of a sudden I REALLY have to go. Then I'm doing the pee dance. Yeah, the same one your four year old does. I'm just more mature about it. Ahem.

Why? Because it's a time interruption and it's annoying. Ridiculous, I know. But there it is.

I have to stop what I'm doing, go to the nearest bathroom, deal with belts, pants, or whatever clothes, (God forbid I'm out somewhere and have to use the public ones, then add in seat liners and squat & hovers), hand washing and then hand lotion. Yes, hand lotion. It's a major minor addiction of mine. Washing my hands and then not having it is akin to other people and their fingernails on a chalk board. Don't laugh. And you know we always seem to be getting just *that close* to the end of the TP roll, so then I have to go get another to stock the bathroom with. Yes, I'm ocd about having an extra roll of TP in the bathroom. Add it to my list of issues. I know, if you're still reading, you're just shaking your head right now.

And no, I'm not diabetic and I don't have a bladder infection. But I do pee. A lot. Keep reading...

See, I believe in hydration. Which is to say that I believe too many of us run around dehydrated. I do not. I drink water. Lots and lots of water. All day long. I go nowhere without my water bottle. Water, water, everywhere water. And coffee. But only in the morning. And only a cup. Or two.

I also work out a lot, which makes me drink more water. And that makes me pee more. More annoying interruptions in my day.

I've also given birth. One time is all it takes to wreck your bladder for life. I remember being a teenager. I'd pee when I got up and then I'd be lucky to go again before 5pm. I had a bladder of steel. And I was proud of it. Have a baby sit on it for a few months and it turns to mush. Permanently. Hey, at least it doesn't leak. It just seems to have... shrunk. And weakened.

Needless to say, most of what goes in must come out = trips to the bathroom. But not until after I've put it off and done the pee dance, of course. Sigh.

See, it's not just me!

All pictures courtesy of Pinterest. With no link backs. Sorry.

Happy Weekend!

***Ally
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Mom Fail... Or Not

Four weeks ago during a baseball practice at school, The Boy slid into 2nd base. He got up feeling like he did something funky to his wrist. He shook it off. He went in the dugout and picked up a bat. OUCH. He tried to throw. OUCH. He told the coach, got some ice and iced the rest of practice.

At home he told me about it. It was a little swollen, but nothing dramatic and no bruising. The swelling was down the next day. He could move it all directions, though a few were a little uncomfortable. I taped him up (I'm certified in Kinesio Taping). We kept it taped, he was able to resume playing. Some days it would be sore when he got home, some days he would say, "It's a little better." Then it would be sore again. We figured it was a sprain, and the continued use was just slowing down the healing.

You see where this is going, right?

But they were in the run for the championship, which they ultimately won. Then he joined his summer ball team. He came home and said, "Mom, it's still bugging me. I think we should get it x-rayed." I'd offered before to take him in.

I took him to the local Urgent Care center after school on a Friday to rule out any fractures. But the doctor said the radiologist said (he said that she said...) there was an "abnormality" on the scaphoid bone. They told us to follow up with a specialist and put him in a splint. Which he took off the next day to go play with his team. And the day after that. And two days after that.

The hand specialist appointment was last Thursday - after school, but before his next game that night. The doctor took one look at the x-ray and announced that it was indeed fractured, and in fact a bone cyst was starting to form. This particular bone has a poor blood supply, and in general heals poorly without complete immobilization. Without treatment, they often form non-unions and require surgery.

YIKES!

So four weeks of this:

I call it the Green Monster. Yes, all that cast for a bone that's just about an inch long. But he can't have any movement, including turning his lower arm back and forth (hence the elbow being included). Then when this comes off, four MORE weeks of a shorter cast. Sigh.

No baseball, no guitar, no drums, no video games. (Okay, I'm not too torn up about that last one...)

But you know what? He got to participate all the way through the championship game. It could have been worse.

We found out it was broken when we did instead of waiting it out thinking it would get better only to find out he would have needed surgery. It could have been worse.

So I've decided not to beat myself up about letting my son play with a broken wrist for the last few weeks.... *clears throat*

***Ally
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Royal Observations

I watched a very cool show called All The Queen's Horses. It was during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and showed all kinds of things about the Queen's horses. There was a section on Prince Phillip, where he talked about how he gave up polo at a certain age and took up competitive driving (that's horse and carriage for you non-horsey people). But all I could think while he was talking was that if I was married to the Queen of England, I think somewhere along the line I would have had my teeth straightened. I don't mean to be shallow, but just a thought.


The Royals live in castles and palaces.

 Buckingham Palace

Did you know that the diamond has been widely associated with the 75th anniversary? (Just like gold is to the 50th) However, it changed to the 60th when Queen Victoria's 60th year as queen was celebrated as her Diamond Jubilee. That was 1896. Apparently when you are royalty, you can celebrate it with any damn stone you want. Anyway, she set a precedence and hence, this year is Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. I looked it up, and apparently the diamond is associated with 60, 65 and 75 (depending on what site you look at, of course). Seriously, if any one person, or any one nation, puts up with the same person for 60 or more years, they should get diamonds every year, right?


They live in castles and palaces. That's plural.

 Windsor Castle

Some British residents find the Royals to be a huge bit of a pain when they consider how much they cost the taxpayers. This is not information I gather from reading articles on the internet, but rather straight from the mouths of my husband's British relatives.


Though I probably don't need a castle to live in, I hope my brain is as sharp and active as The Queen's when I am her age. She's 86. She stays on top of everything going on in the nation, reading daily reports from all sorts of sources. She still rides, for crying out loud. Yes, on a horse. She rocks. Look, proof:

Source: Huffington Post

Queen Elizabeth doesn't do press interviews. Ever. She dresses brightly in solid colors so she can be seen, she attends many events, she meets with the Prime Minster every week. She does-not-do press interviews. I really kind of like that about her.


Did I mention they live in castles and palaces?


She was never expected to be Queen, as her father was never expected to be King. But when her grandfather died, and the eldest son became King, he later decided to give up the throne to be able to marry the woman he loved. (Hats off to you, my man. People just didn't do that back then. Heck, some don't do it now.) So Elizabeth's father became King and she became first in line to the throne.


That's your royal trivia for today. Probably for the year, because despite how much this stuff affects your daily life *clears throat*, I'm sure you have other things to wonder about.


*Did you notice I didn't even mention the Royal Wedding, Kate Middleton, or her personal responsibility for everyone running around in orange tangerine jeans these days?

Cheers!

***Ally
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Busy

Oh so busy.

Ran the Survivor Mud Run - Washington. So freaking fun. Muddy, yes, but fun.

Crazy summer ball baseball schedule for The Boy. Three games last weekend, three games this week and they just keep coming.

Did a slide show/video for the high school baseball awards banquet - that I was exporting in useable format just hours before the actual event. Nothing like working under pressure.

Spasm up the left side of my neck that made me want to cry, but instead I had to work on the spasms of all my patients instead.

A cold that roared in and made my throat so sore for 24 hours that speaking without a lozenge was near impossible. It then slammed into my sinuses swelling my nasal passages to such an extreme that pressing on my nose hurt, my teeth hurt and I could hear the tissues squeak against each other when I talked. It topped off by coming home from the above mentioned banquet with a fever that left me chilled under a pile of blankets, only to break in the middle of the night soaking me and my side of the bed in sweat. But hey, I woke up feeling MUCH better. I've never had a cold quite like it.

But I'm still here. Working on pulling something blog worthy out of all that. I'll try to leave my sinuses out of it. Your welcome.

***Ally
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Summer Memories - Monday Listicles

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along and join in. And look at her beautiful pictures while you are checking out her site.

This week's topic: 10 Summer Memories. Let's see if you notice a theme emerging...


1) My first year at week long summer camp. Horse camp. Little girl in heaven. I was a little freaked when it turned out I wouldn't be in the same cabin as the girls I went with, but quickly settled right in.

2) Second year at summer camp. I took my best friend, Lela, who is allergic to both grass and horses. She had allergies the whole week. But OMG, so much fun. And then there was that pesky car accident we got into on the way home when something broke on the steering and we ended up over a bank and in an apple orchard!

3) Third year at summer camp. Different friends, same awesome fun. Horses, horses, horses. This girl was hooked.

4) First year as a junior staffer at summer camp! I skinned a rattle snake!

5) Second year as a junior staffer at summer camp! I stayed for a month!

6) Third year as a junior staffer at summer camp! I got to ride in the grand entrance to the rodeo! (I'm pretty sure I stayed AT LEAST a month!)

7) First year as a counselor at summer camp! I think I even got paid - though it wasn't much. We did a Japanese exchange week - SO much fun!

8) ANOTHER year working at summer camp! I got to be the Horsemanship Instructor. I even got to lead a few trail rides! If it still existed, I'd still be trying to figure out how to go work there in the summers, I swear!

9) One time at summer camp... JUST KIDDING! Just so you know I DID do other things - somewhere in all those years, we took Lela with us on summer vacation - my mom dropped us at my dad's in Reno and she went on an awesome river rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Lela and I did July 4th at Lake Tahoe with my dad and family - SO cool. And a whole lot less allergies for Lela. Then we met back up with my mom in San Francisco. More coolness!

10) My first trip to Maui was the summer between 7th and 8th grade, with my mom, grandparents and a cousin that had just graduated from high school. THAT is a great summer memory!

Ahhhh, summer. Warm, sunny, carefree (hey, I can pretend), these are the days memories are made from!

Note: Yes, there are a lot of these in this post: !!!!  Can you tell I get animated when I talk about summer camp? :)

***Ally
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Five Question Friday - Late Again

It's been forever since I've done one, and with my head still not in the game this week, I thought I'd go for it.


Join the fun and link up for Five Question Friday over at My Little Life.

1. What were you scared of as a kid?
The monster that lived behind the furnace in the basement. What?! I know it was real!

2. Do you sleep well in a hotel?
I sleep well anywhere 95.9% of the time. Don't hate.

3. If you could meet any celebrity, dead or alive, who and why?
Okay, I hate celebrity questions because I can never think of one, end up pulling someone random, then later smack myself and thing, "Oh, I should have said that OTHER person!" 
So my random pick of the moment is Redford, because I think he's amazing. I'm sure there is someone else I'd rather meet. I'll let you know in a day or two when it randomly pops into my head.

4. It's a hot summer day. Do you prefer to be pool side or at the beach?
Beach, without question. I used to say pool, because of all the sand that gets everywhere, but screw it  I love the waves on the shore, the sounds, the smells, the big ocean. And with that simple, confident answer, I will confide that locale really does matter. I picture Maui beaches when I answer this question. I've also been at a hotel pool with a friend during the week when it was quiet and we basically had the place to ourselves - it was heavenly.  

5. What is your favorite summer dish?
Copper River salmon & grilled veggies on the bbq, and fresh nectarines, sliced and grilled afterward for dessert.


***Ally

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