A Fresh Blogging Voice and A Silent Auction

There is a new blogging voice in the world. J.A. Konrath, author of the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Series, now has his own blog. I'm familiar with Joe primarily from the writers' forum Backspace and his take on the publishing industry cuts through the bullshit and adds some much needed humor to the whole process.

There is also a silent auction at the website of Brenda Novak, Romance Author, to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Her youngest son has this terrible illness and I admire her courage (as well as Martha O'Connor's) to take on this dreaded childhood disease and make a difference. Please take a moment, peruse the site and make a bid. I did and I hope 1) I win and 2) hubby doesn't find out.

As I rushed everyone out the door this morning, B3 came running out of her bedroom saying,"I forgot to do my homework!" and little tears beaded in her lashes. Of course we were at the ballfield until almost 8 pm and I had to rush home to get the older two in bed because of the dreaded NC EOG's (North Carolina End of Grade exams). She is usually a good student and I never worry about her and her homework. So I did what any loving mother would do - devise a plan where B2 would do her math homework (it was only one word problem) and B3 would write her spelling words 3 times in cursive.

The math question was - there are 20 students going on a field trip. There are 8 cars to be used and each can hold 2, 3, or 4 students. Find two ways to fill the cars. Well, it sounds easy enough but with the time crunch it becomes a bit difficult.

"I got math EOG test today, I have to save my brain," B1 said.

"Do I really have to draw a car?" B2 asked.

"Mom, quit hitting so many bumps. I can't write," B3 whined.

B4 had nothing to add, but did find the whole situation funny.

So as I drove, I calculated the answers and yes I did use my fingers. Unfortunately, B2 is a sloooow writer and had to do it at least 3 times so she could get it and draw the cars. But by the time we got to the drop off lane at school, the math was done.

I let B1, B2 and B4 off at the curb and pulled on around with B3 writing furiously in the back seat. 2 minutes later she's off to school with completed homework and a happy face.

There would have been a time where I'd have said, "go on to school and take your lumps." But, I vividly remember my own nightmares of forgetting to to homework. The terror ripped through my body to my extremites, causing my fingers and toes to curl uncontrollably. I don't want any of my kids to experience this fear if I can do something to avoid it.

I was late for my day-job though.

Last night I managed to write ~1,500 words of issue 87. I'll finish it up today. Tonight, B4 has a game, B2 has practice at another field and B3 has practice at a field even farther away. I have secured rides for B2 and B3 so I can watch B4's game. B1 is off until Saturday.

My day-job is slowing down and I don't think it will last much longer. I'm not that concered about it though as I have to cut my hours back when school lets out anyway. I'll just ride the wave until it crashes on the beach.

BK