But things have been going on around here that have gotten in the way of a normal posting schedule...
Hubby and I took some vacations. We went to Florida and the Bahamas for 9 days. We went to Universal Studios, for the Harry Potter experience, and on a cruise to Grand Bahama Island with 2 nights on the island, too. Here are some photos...
There was never a moment in Harry Potter World - not at Hogwarts or in Diagon Alley - that you weren't touching a complete stranger who was either sticky with sweat or suntan lotion or both. It was hot and muggy and SO crowded...
We took an overnight cruise to Grand Bahama Island and this is a photo of us on the cruise ship, waiting to depart, with yet ANOTHER storm rolling in - it rained on us 7 of the 9 days. A friend who lives in Florida said it was the worst rainy season they've had in 5 years - this after I posted a photo of a storm on Instagram with the comment: "We've eliminated FL and the Bahamas as a retirement option: I'll be moldy for the rest of my life!"
I asked a stranger to take a photo of us; in return, I took a photo of her and her daughter.
This is the hotel we stayed at in Port Lucaya, the Grand Lucayan Lighthouse Point. The room was HUGE and the grounds were lovely. We didn't face the ocean, but we spent all day either at one of the three pools or on the beach. We had a great time!
I took quite a few lovely sunset photos, each of which is completely UNfiltered!
After the first rainy visit to Universal, the one where we left at around 6:30, soaked literally through to our underwear, we bought ponchos. Obviously we're always concerned about making the wrong fashion statement when we're out in public...
We came home and almost immediately we had a birthday party for my mom.
These photos hurt.
The other BIG thing that has kept me off the blog is my sister and my nephew are moving.
To Arizona.
Arizona. That state on the other side of the country.
I already have a sister there, living in Tucson, who I miss every day. Now my OTHER sister AND my nephew are moving there, and I'm sure it's just a matter of time before my niece moves there.
Which means my mom will most likely be spending more time there than she does now.
Which means I'm going to miss them all SO DAMN MUCH!!!
But I do have to say, she bought a house - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully wired for cable and internet, all appliances, a 2 car garage, central air and a fenced in backyard.
For somewhere in the neighborhood of $137,000.
Her taxes are about $1200 (barring the usual increase they'll put into place for the new owner).
Per YEAR.
Her development has a gym and 3 pools and a lake.
If it wasn't for that damn weather, I'd think about moving there for our retirement, but I couldn't handle the heat. No way. No how.
And I'm married to an absolute angel who assured me that he'd make sure I/we (?) got a chance to visit "a couple of times a year..." Sounds good, but even once a year would be great, and I hope he'll come with me...
They're leaving to drive cross-country on Friday morning. I'm sick. And I'm working from home so that I can be there when they drive away... I'm already planning not to wear my contacts that morning, because I know I'm going to be crying...
I'll try to get back onto a regular posting schedule - with no family here (Mom will for SURE be going out there this year, I know), I'll have nothing else to do...
Thank God my in-laws aren't out-laws: they are family, my family, too, and they're going to be really sick of me...
"I guess our feeling is that there are going to
be disputes between Amazon and publishers forever. There are going to be
negotiations... these are two large corporations. Is this going to be
Amazon's MO [mode of operation] from now on?--to hurt authors and
inconvenience their own customers every time they run into a rough patch
negotiating with a publisher? I guess our feeling is that that's not
acceptable."