Kitt

Well if you are expecting me to leave, PHHHT. If you want to get rid of me you have to chase me away!

I learn something with every blog entry you write Mike. Please continue to enlighten those of us unlearned in your lifestyle choices. Although I am learning with every entry it is less a choice for either you or tim, and more ...fate? karma? destiny?

Just stay focused on the end result. You will get through this and we will be arguing about names in no time!

My sister in law used to bitch morning sickness was not named properly. She said it should be called all the f***ing time sickness!

My family is very supersticious when it comes to this stuff, so I will not congratulate you yet, but I WILL say that's great, take it easy and if you need someone to vent at you know where to find me. Not feeling so great could just be morning sickness, and hopefully will pass. I used to get it around 8 pm, around 2 hours after dinner, every damned night! Once that passed, pregnant time was the healthiest I ever felt! Enjoy it as much as you can!

Don't sign me up for the critique thing, but if you would like editing help I am here Renee!

Don't forget to take time for yourself! Have a happy and peaceful holiday sir!

I lost my mom 12 years ago at the beginning of the holiday prep season. She was my shopping partner, my cooking partner, and overall partner in crime. I miss her every single day but mostly in the month before Christmas. Keep your mom in your heart and she'll never be gone. May you and Mike, and your extended family have a loving and peaceful holiday.

Now THAT is cool!

You mean I am not the most tech challenged of the bunch any more? Yipee!

You guys may find it helpful to know you need to put your own member number in the address bar. If you don't know it, click your profile. It comes up in the address bar there!

Thanks Tim! Would be interesting to have one running list of what I have done!

Come on dude! Carlos has been working hard! Give him the holidays off! I will tell you I have a chapter of Rainbow in my possession, and man has the next in line as we speak. Let us get ahead so there are no posting delays if real life gets crazy!

I think this is the key here. First off, Billy's story is on my reading list but I have not yet had the pleasure. That being said, no matter how good a story is, how well written, superbly and professionally edited, and loved by many, there will always be one or two you cannot please. Even were you to make all the changes this commenter listed, s/he would just find other things to change. There is only one person you need to please religiously. Go look in the mirror and introduce yourself!

Ok, just what does an entire vegan family eat at Red Robin??? I can understand making the choice to go vegan. I can even understand trying to have her son maintain a vegan diet. I don't understand where she gets off trying to push her choices on you, nor do I understand a grown woman dumping ketchup over an ice cream cake in public! While I agree a smaller cake would probably have been better, it sounds like there are much bigger issues between mom and sister than vegan vs omnivore. Dealing with family can be tough. Next year plan a day that will please you! It's your day, you should enjoy it. Do you and the neice enjoy each other's company? Go out together, just the two of you! Leave the combative ones at home!

Yep, Carlos is right. The universe is playing with you!

If hiring a limo on a night driving home would probably be poor judgement at best and dangerous to boot is spoiling himself, I'll take it! There are lots worse things rich kids spend their money on!

The story is currently at a place where the crew is heading off to universities around the country. They can't get together every Friday to play pool and get the reader up to speed on the weeks hijinks. It is natural for them to drift apart at this stage of their lives. The real test will be if they can maintain the ties long term and long distance. High school romances are not the only relationships that suffer and sometimes end when colleges on opposite ends of the country are involved.

It is amazing how a little bit of civility seems to shock so many people! I was raised to be polite, and grateful for the little things, but that seems rare lately. I said thank you to a clerk at a store the other day and she was so shocked you would think I had said something horrid!

That is no secret Mike, and not specific to your lifestyle. Any good relationship has ties that bind both ways!

You make it more difficult with every chapter Carlos!

The authors I work with send me one chapter at a time, usually as they feel happy with the content. Some prefer email, others PM's. I work in word and track all changes, a feature found under the review tab. As for the mechanics, I start by reading the chapter, not really editing, just noting anything that jumps out. I then go through the list I keep by my computer using the find feature located under the home tab, look at all the that, then etc. and evaluate if they are needed. ( My authors call me the THAT NAZI. LOL) The list is some 70 words long, and only list one of the homophones of a set. Next I look at all apostrophes to make sure someone's hands are not owning something, and then every comma. Once that is all complete, I read the chapter again one last time. I am sure you can see this all takes quite a bit of time. My authors understand a couple days turn around at least. If my "real" job gets busy it takes longer. I refuse to take shortcuts. That would be a disservice to the authors.

Arrrrrrg! Are you trying to give the editor's a collective stroke????

I have always had to change it annually.

Lost weight? A cookie jar? Really Gary. Loved it