Random ramblings

So, the imp decided to be a knucklehead last night, and dance around like an idjit right next to the open toilet while I was giving him his dose of Zyrtec.  Guess what happened?  Yep.  He stumbled, tripped, and fell backwards right into the toilet.  He'd just put on his pajamas, too--a pair of gray sweats and a gray tee shirt with Captain America's shield on it.  He cried, more about being startled and having to change out of his tee shirt than anything else.  Poor kid.

He played outside for a good long time yesterday.  The day before, too.  Wednesday was in the low fifties, and spitting rain every little bit.  The imp is a much, much happier boy when he can go out and play in the dirt.  Wish I saw others letting their boys get dirty--I don't know what this obsession with "You must stay clean!" is; they're kids, they wash up just fine.

Although, when he was ready to come in, I did make him change his clothes.  Remember Pigpen from Charlie Brown?  The kid that walked around in a cloud of dust?  That's the imp after he's been outside.

And yesterday, our strategy paid off, and we were able to bring home a new couch (which was why I made the imp change his clothes when he came in).  Our old one, which we got (at least) second hand for $40, and had had for two years plus, had one end broken, and had become infested with rodents.   The skirt was also coming loose, exposing staples, making it unsafe around the kids.  We've been setting Odysseus's tips from delivering pizza aside in a separate account, and pretending that we didn't have them to spend.  We actually accumulated more than we needed to buy the couch, so the next goal is to get the deck either fixed, or torn down and replaced.

The pixie has had a rough week.  She's got allergies, too, but hers manifest as twitchiness, an inability to sleep, and irritability.  She's also unable to follow rules and behave.  Zyrtec helps her, too, but I can't always get her to take it.  So far, I've had to move the shampoo away from the bathtub (next to her potty chair) to keep her from putting shampoo in her hair while she's on the potty chair, had to spank her for doing things that could seriously hurt her, despite repeated warnings, and she emptied her clean clothes basket into her bed and hid them under her covers.  I am...less than happy with her, at present.

She didn't like the new couch at first, yesterday: "I don't like it.  It's too high."

Cricket, our rather dumb black and white cat, has decided that she loves the new couch: it's pillowed on the back, and Cricket slept sprawled on the back all afternoon.  Every so often, she'd take a deep breath and release that single deep breath in a loud purr  All in her sleep.

Shadow is okay with it, but is very disappointed that her mouse dispenser is gone.  She only likes the couch if there's someone to snuggle with sitting on it.

The dog doesn't really give a damn one way or the other.  She's not allowed on the furniture, so it's more of a "Huh, new smells," response.

I have blogs to grade and a revision.  As soon as I get that done, I'm done for the semester.  Well, I will be once I've turned grades in, and turned in a copy of my grade book. After that, I'm done until August 12.

I've been given a link to a short story contest for fantasy fiction by one of my friends.  I've got some ideas that I'm thinking I'll try to write.  If they don't come out, then I'm gonna have to give it a miss this year, because I still need to get Pendragon Resurgent finished and published.  Well, that, Lizzy's Tail, and "Bar Tabs."  I also have Fire and Forge to get written this summer.

Yes, I know I don't have deadlines, as such.  I know I'm not making any real money off of this, and it's not my real career.  However, that said, I am treating it like one so that I'm in the mindset already if it ever manages to replace my current income to the point where it can become my career.  And, as such, I do set myself goals and deadlines (even if I completely fell flat in getting Pendragon Resurgent out by my deadline). 

Any case...Survivors is still on the free download list today and tomorrow.  If you have it and have read it, feel free to download it and send it to a friend that you think would like it, or should read it.