T - 24 hours

In almost exactly twenty-four hours I will be boarding the plane to Ireland (via Chicago & Manchester). 
And, no, none of my damn bags are packed!  I've been busy people! 
Getting things in order today and cooking a bit. Drinks with the girls later and watching Sons with the rents. Last family dinner for a while tonight. Should prove to be interesting! 
Can't stay long. Off to races!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Will post from airport tomorrow! 

New Day - new hair - newness!

Hello again, bloggerverse, 
I got my hair done. It's rather drastically different, but I quite like it. I spent almost three hours at the hairdresser with my mom because she got hers done at the same time. Lots of change today. Mom went darker than she's been in years and I went lighter than I think I've ever been. And it's SHORT. 
Then I went to AAA to get my international driving permit!!!!!!!!!! Because we're crazy and we're going to drive in Ireland. Something I read said that Ireland was the second worst country for driving - as in they have the second most accidents of any country in the world. Portugal was listed as the worst. Should be very interesting. Mom's worried about hitting sheep. I'm just worried about getting ridiculously lost. We don't have too many places to be at certain times, but we are driving across the majority of the southern part of Ireland. 
Still haven't packed yet! Yes, that's right. Leaving in less than forty-eight hours and I haven't even brought my suitcases up from the closet downstairs! 
Still have to finish plotting a book, organize trip itinerary, print things out, pack, pay bills, check bank accounts and all kinds of other stuff. Hair picture coming soon. Insanity impending. Mass craziness to ensue! 
So pull up a chair, strap in and get ready for the ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Last full day in the states begins in four hours... 

GRRR.

So I woke up today to the Blue Screen of Death on my laptop - NOT GOOD. And for no apparent reason! I have since gotten the damn thing to turn on properly, backed up the files I've been working on this week (since I backed up everything else about a week ago), and threatened to throw the damn thing out the window. This is SO not a good time to be having computer problems. I still have 20ish pages of revisions to do and another write up for school. I also need to get to some other things in the next few days and have a computer when I travel. I'm hoping it was just a little hiccup and that we're all better now... because if not, this little baby is gonna learn to fly!
I've drawn up a Travel Contract for my mother and I to keep us both in line when we go on our little adventure (no school or work talk is allowed, we're going to live in the moment and enjoy!) I've cleaned out my car (for those of you who have seen my car... this is a BIG DEAL). I didn't do almost anything trip related yesterday. Mostly it was a homework day. Today - Lunch with Grandpa maybe some cards/scrabble with Grandma, finishing revisions and reviewing the plotting board.
AND I need some help! I'm going to get my hair done tomorrow and I have NO idea what to do with it now. These are some of the options I've come up with. Voting shall commence... now!

1 - LOVE this look, but I also know it's done with mostly a curling iron, so IDK if that's something I can achieve or not

2 - I LOVE this edgy kind of chopped bob/lob, but I'd want it a little longer than chin length, because my face is too round for chin-length cuts. 

3 - Am also TOTALLY in love with this - I really like the heavy bang and wispy sides, and I even like the color, though I'll probably go a little darker or redder than this one. 

4 - and finally... I really like the longer cut of this one, but I'm definitely NOT going that blond and I don't know if my bangs have grown out enough yet..


















I'm hoping that I can chop enough to donate to Locks of Love, but I'm not sure if it's long enough or not.
SOOOOO - What do you think?

Hurricane Jo Strikes Again

Yesterday, after my humdrum post, things got very interesting. I tore apart my bedroom. I brought up the clothes rack from the basement and proceeded to try on pretty much the entirety of my wardrobe, littered the floor with the discard pile, dozens of shoes (which I then proceeded to trip over repeatedly as I continued on my quest to DECIDE. I'm convinced now that I have too much stuff (not that I was any illusion otherwise before) and I cannot possibly bring all of this crap across several thousand miles. After going through all the clothes and shoes, I enlisted my mother's help to clean up after Hurricane Jo. My father walked by shaking his head... "eh, I've seen it worse" 

And the trouble is.. he really has. I've gotten into cleaning mode so bad sometimes that there is literally not a single square foot of space to walk in my bedroom. But I no longer have time for such nonsense this week! I was exhausted by 10 o'clock and still had work to do. But I postponed it til this AM. Got up earlyish, finished Stephen King's On Writing (excellent read, btw), did the write-up for class on it, did some stuff for my online class, updated my address book, read through some Troublemaker Posts, read a little Christine Feehan, and started on re-re-revising the ending to Jaded Hope. Four episodes of Sex and the City later and I feel as if I've accomplished nothing in three hours! TV's going off, Internet browser is closing and I'm going back to work! 

Dinner later with my girls and lunch tomorrow with Grandpa and still so much to do. 

The aftermath of Hurricane Jo has been mitigated for the time being but as we close in on the final three days in the states, I fear there may be more than hurricane on the horizon. 

BUMBUMBUM...

stay tuned for the next overly dramatic installment as the FINAL THREE continue...

As the week continues...

And as the world turns... because, well it doesn't ever stop, I continue in preparations for Europe. 
Today started out halfway decent. I've begun the organizing process. Bought some new stuff - makeup bag, socks, and a few other things. Caught the last few minutes of Leap Year and had an OMG moment when I saw all of the countryside of Ireland. I will be there in SIX days. 


Now it's time for some homework and some more cleaning and organizing. :-) 
Overall a pretty humdrum day, with lots of ducks to get into order. Back to work I go. 

In the midst of the last weekend in the states

This morning was the last Sunday breakfast I'll be having with the family in a while. It was kind of sad, but mostly business as usual. And of course, it's September 11, so things were a bit somber this morning. 


I'm limping along with the To Do List - mostly yesterday it was supposed to be cleaning and organizing, but I spent the bulk of the day writing, sending e-mails, talking on the phone and plotting a new book. Can't believe I'm only six days away from Europe! :-) Still working on my MUST SEE list while I'm there... any ideas?


I've spent the bulk of today plotting as well. Should be leaving soon to go to dinner with the rents. All in all not a bad weekend. Maybe going to late show with mom later. Trying to fit in as much friend and family time as we can in the next six days. 
The Final Five coming your way tomorrow...

One Week Left

Oooh. That sounds ominous, doesn't it... like maybe the title of a horror flick? Well, if my life were a horror flick, I would have gotten two flat tires off in some deserted no-mans-land backwoods kind of area, instead of in the Village of L'pool where I got them last night. And instead of having two offers of help (because of course, I have breasts and a vagina and MUST be helpless with a flat tire) from two very nice gentlemen, I would have been stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, no AAA, and it would have been storming and pitch black.... but since my life isn't a horror movie (just a horror show) I called Mommy, then AAA, then Mike (my mechanic who hasn't seen my flat tires is almost FOUR whole months), then Daddy to come and get my sorry ass after the tow truck took it down to Mike's, because I only had one spare in the trunk. Who get's two flat tires at once??? Yeah, that'd be me.  
So as we come to exactly one week before take-off, my To Do List has already been practically shot to hell because I only did about half (or less) of what was on it for yesterday... So today it's double time! Wish me luck! 
:-) 
The final week continues tomorrow...

8 Days away

So I am very happy to report that I got absolutely everything done from my TO DO LIST yesterday, and I only had to stay up till 4 am, which of course was technically today, but since it was before I went to sleep, I like to consider it yesterday. So as day 8 begins, a little tardy, but not late... it is with less of a freak out than day 9, knowing that the bulk of homework for the semester is FINISHED. So as I sit here eating the Cocoa Krispies I've wanted since before going to bed at 4, I think about all there is left to do and how I shall accomplish it all. I also wonder how in the hell I'm supposed to feel comfortable in France, in a classroom as a teacher, in jeans and a t-shirt which is what this one girl keeps telling me we're supposed to wear. 
Luckily, though, I've never been one to follow the rules, so I'll probably end up packing my entire wardrobe.... okay not the ENTIRE wardrobe, because I'd need six suitcases. But definitely a good portion of it :-) 


Today's agenda - Go to library, take back all of the annoying Children's books I've forced myself to read and analyze at breakneck speed, scan a copy of my birth certificate, send it in to have it translated, revise 20 pages of my Thesis novel for my mentor, send some important e-mails, and write a few pages of a new erotic romance I was supposed to start in July. Also, read On Writing, plot the sequel to Jaded Hope (thesis novel) and meet some friends for dinner. OOh and... write a new blog (CHECK!) Thanks for helping that one happen, Blogger! 


Day seven begins tomorrow...

The Countdown Begins: 9 days before take-off

My mom and I will leave New York on Saturday, September 17 at approximately 1:00 p.m. So the countdown has officially begun. We have just over nine full days left in the states! I'm currently writing a To-Do list that would put any multi-tasker to SHAME. It includes such things as eating (yes, that needs to go on the List or I'll forget to do such trivial things), finishing a semester's worth of work in the next 9 days (yes, I do happen to be insane), Making a calendar/packing list (yup, definitely neurotic), eating (since I'll have to do that at least twice in the next few days), plotting another book (because writing books in France is awesome), setting up this blog (CHECK!) and many many other things. 


So here's the general sense of my freak out - I don't know where I'm teaching. I'm not positive when Orientation is or what my first day of work will be. I have no place to live, no money to live on until I get a check in November, and I've already spent an insane amount of money! :-) 
As the countdown continues, readers should expect the following: Screaming/ranting/raving and general Bitchiness; non-sensical posts about random things like Buffy the Musical, dishwashers, cats who fly and dogs who are ninnies; crazy ramblings on shoe and dress choices, how the hell I'm going to pack it all, and where I'm going to fit my life-sized model of Vin Diesel (oh wait, the store was all out... scratch that). You should also prepare for another hurricane, a tornado, earthquake, and fire, because life is actually a cheesy Sci-Fi Disaster movie and you're all going to perish with overly-dramatic close-ups and terrible one-liners. 
Day 8 begins tomorrow!