The day is over. Got a few pages written on my novel. This weekend we will be cleaning on the new place and getting it in shape for us to move in later next month.

We are very excited, especially since it will be in both mine and Trish's names. It will be the beginning of the rest of our lives. It's also in a decent location and I can see us there for a very long time as well. We will be buying the land along with the trailer.

Of course, as with any place, there will be ups and downs, but we will get through them all. I am very excited about it.

The weekend is almost upon us. Have plans to go over and start cleaning our new place. That in itself is going to be a long day and quite possibly going to take several days.

Ashley is back in Arkansas already. Trish took her there last night after she got off of work. Too many issues put here and quite frankly not my story to share.

Needless to say, I just hope for the best with her no matter where she lives. Being a teen is hard enough without all the pressures put on them by their "so called friends." I have read on some of her friends sites and 90% of them think that the entire world is going to "let them have their way" anytime they want it or they are going to kick and scream till they give in. Well, I really hope they find that Utopia out there, cause I want to move there too. Life isn't what they think it is and each of them need to get their asses off Facebook and take a look around and see it for what it really is.

They think that their parents are rough on them. Trying to "cage" them in and prevent them from "having fun." Well, news to you guys, life IS a box of Chocolates. You just never know what the gooey center really is until you get it between your teeth.

I can guarantee, you will not like the entire box. You WILL spit one or two, more like five or six out on the concrete, gagging and spitting cause it had a nasty taste and it WILL stick with you for years. That's life. It's brutal out there. There is peace and quiet, but you have to make it for YOURSELF. Others will not GIVE it to you. You have to EARN it and once you have it, you have to CHERISH it or someone like YOU are going to come along and try and tear it down.

OH, one last rant for today......There is an old saying that goes like this. "Your children will be three times WORSE than you were as a child." Well, GOD protect us because that means we are in for a whole mess of troubles with the next generation.

Had a nice weekend. I am still shocked I did the 24 hour contest in only 6 hours. I guess writing every day actually has its advantages. It keeps you motivated and your mind flowing with thoughts.

Small upset in the house though, Ashley is going to move back to Arkansas with her dad. It's her choice. She feels that it would better for her there than here. It's hard on Trish, but I know she will pull through and survive and so will Ashley. I will miss her.

Katie seems to be settling in nicely. She seems like a good kid. I know its hard on here right now with everything going on, but all of the issues going on have been here long before she even started packing to move.

Have to wait on stuff from Katie's mom to complete her enrollment into Noble High School. The items that are needed are already on the way. At least the process has been started. Went and picked up some basic supplies while I went and got the new Clash of the Titans. We probably wont be able to watch it till tomorrow because Hell's Kitchen and the new one is on tonight and Trish has to be at work by 6am.

New experience today. School Clothes shopping for girls. Never in my life do I want to do that by myself cause nothing would get done.

I left it all up to Trish, cause when I was growing up, it was clothes for the entire year. Get practical items that you can wear all year long. Don't worry about "fashion" or what the latest trends are. Get stuff that fits and covers yourself and you don't have to worry about being sent to the principals office for wearing.

Things of course has changed since I was in school. I know that may sound like I'm an ol'fogie, but its the way I was raised and it will take awhile for me to get out of that. I caught myself biting my tongue many times today and just let it all go.

Like I said, if it wasn't for Trish, the girls would have had 5 dress shirts and 5 pair of jeans for the entire school year. I might have thrown in a couple of T's for cooler days, but that's just me. God, I really do love the family life next year, they get the comments, but Trish still has to take them shopping LOL.

Well, the Summer 24 Hour Writing Contest was today. Here was this seasons topic:

The young girl pulled another pair of pants from the pile of laundry. Between the hot black iron and the fireplace, it was stifling in the small kitchen. The only relief she could hope for was a small breeze coming from the window overlooking the distant waves. Her arm started moving methodically once again and, just as she started to fantasize about a forbidden swim, the iron stopped at a bump in the pocket...

The word count for the short story could not exceed 950 words.

I am amazed that I actually got the story done in roughly 6 hours. I usually am rushing to get everything submitted and am unable to proofread and really think about it prior to submitting it. You can read the actual story on the page titled "Awakening."

I am actually happy with the way the story went this season and will sleep on it and reread it in the morning before submitting it.

I am going to go on and put the story here on my blog. Last time I waited until it was judged and the winners announced, but I doubt that anyone who is part of the contest, or anyone else that's entered the contest actually reads my blog.

Fixing to head to BestBuy and get a external hard drive and do some major back ups. Don't want to loose all my music and it will take forever to back it up on CD's plus the sheer amount of CD's would be crazy.

My life has gotten a little more complicated. My ex-wife contacted my cousin and one thing led to another and now my fiancee is talking with my ex. That is OK with me. There's nothing to be ashamed of or to hide from my past, but I am afraid of the emotions about my son.

After numerous court battles, the federal bombing, my dad passing away, my mother having her first stroke, and me working at 911 I took the advice of my lawyer and signed my rights over. It was either that or end up in the hospital myself.

It was one of the hardest and most painful decisions I made in my entire life. I did it for him and his sanity. I knew that all the "drama" and "accusations" that were flying around were affecting him. He even told me things that broke my heart just knowing that he was being put through.

Some people probably think I took the easy way out, but what I went through before and afterwards was not easy. It literally almost killed me.

Now, by soon to be step daughter is talking to my son, my soon to be wife is talking to my ex wife. I have no problems with any of it. I just don't want to have the rug pulled out from under me again. Now that he's 18 of course there's really nothing that my ex can do or say, but I just don't know where he stands.

I will not force a relationship. It's all in his court. I'm here whenever he is ready...

We got approved for the new place. Should be moving in by September 1st. It will take a lot of work on their part and some of ours to get that place in shape, but once its done, it will be fantastic.

It's going to take a lot of adjustments and scraping and saving, but we will do it. Had a talk with the girls to let them know that they will not be able to nickle and dime us to death and they agreed, so it looks like we are in for a move.

Going to have lunch with Trish and her dad. Catfish!!! Then going to take a break from writing and redo my computer. All my old work files are conflicting with personal ones and devices. As much crap as I had on here for work I really needed to do this months ago.

The only draw back is all my music. I need to get a large external hard drive and move it all to that prior to wiping everything out. Thank God for BestBuy points!!

Yesterday we applied for a new mobile home. Sure hope we get it since its a lot bigger and you are buying the land with it, so you're not actually part of the trailer park. Its also nice and quiet over there.

Just changed the exhaust fan in the bathroom. Hopefully it will stop the leak we had in there. I think the valve was faulty on the old one.

Fixing to head into town and get me a local library card and then hit the storage building and get a couple of books that I'm going to need if I'm going to do freelance work. Need to brush up on article writing as well as my short stories.

We are finally home and unpacked. We actually made it home around 2:30 PM and took our time unpacking and putting things away.

I have re-organized my desk, got it started, to get some quality writing done. Even hooked up my good keyboard to my laptop. Since I no longer have a job that requires me to take my computer with me to work every day, I can keep it set up nice and neat here at home.

Sitting here in the dark at the hotel. Everyone still asleep. I know the girls were still up playing on Facebook at 3ish this morning. I know Katie is still on California time and Ashley just has her day's and nights mixed up. I know there will be an issue soon about trying to get them on a regular schedule. Been trying with Ashley all summer and she's fighting it all the way so far. Maybe with Katie here we might be able to accomplish it.

It will be a chore to wake them up this morning and get moving. A six hour car ride is ahead of us and I know nobody is looking forward to that. At least it will be to HOME not a midway point or anything.

Think I will write for an hour and then do the dirty deed and start waking them up.

We are in Guymon, OK. There is NOTHING, I mean NOTHING here. All we saw past Woodward was flatland, oh and the curvature of the earth. Yea we saw that cause there are NO tree's in this area.

Fixing to head to Boise City to pick up Katie in just a bit, then back here to Guymon for another night in NOTHING.

Oh, at least the hot tub is working and the MINI pool is cold.

Yesterday I went and purchased the 2011 Writers Market. Have to keep up on that information in order to get paid for writing. Have to know where to send stuff and which markets have closed from last year.

This year's is still good, but in order to get in on some of the contests you have to know about them at least six months in advance. Lots of the closing dates are in first couple of months in the new year.

This afternoon we will be heading out of town for the weekend to pick up Katie. We have been looking forward to the "get away" part for awhile. We even got a hotel room for at least Saturday night. Katie suppose to be in sometime Sunday. It's still up in the air if we are going to stay Sunday and come back on Monday or just head back when Katie gets in. Trish is finding out from work today if she truly is off Monday or what.

Today was a sad day. My position at work was cut. I was laid off. After almost six years, I'm now looking for work.

As they say, when one door shuts, another one opens. I am sure that is true, but it is hard sometimes to stay positive, especially when people that you love are worried about you and everything going on.

I look at it this way. I will find a job. I do not have any doubts about that. Hopefully, something close to home. In the meantime, I will be able to draw some unemployment benefits and get caught up on some writing.

I am going to take my severance pay and of course put bill money away, but I'm also going to get some writing supplies (the 2011 writers market is already out and some ink cartridges for the printer.)

I plan on doing a lot of writing while looking for work and of course afterwards. I know I won't find a job that pays what I was making right off the bat. I will have to start at the bottom of the totem pole, but that's OK. I will enter a lot of contests and submit stores for some extra cash and such, not to mention getting my novel finished and off to my agent.

Yes, I am now calling her my agent even thought I have not signed with her yet. I have to stay positive and high in my spirits and visions.

So, for those who read this, do not worry. I am fine. It was nothing personal at work, it was a good business decision on their point.

Heat is upon us. The entire state is under an extreme heat advisory. The air outside feels thick as your breathing it. Crazy for asthmatics.

Going to be heading to Amarillo, TX this weekend to pick up Katie. She will be staying with us for awhile and finishing school here in Noble. Actually looking forward to it. Will be fun.

The weekend is over. Back to the old grind. Had a WONDERFUL weekend. Was just me and Trish. (wink wink)

Hope everyone else's weekend was just as great.

Had a wonderful birthday. Received some nifty gifts, love, and laughs.

Now that I'm 42, it's time to concentrate on my writing. I know I have said that in the past, but I actually feel that I mean it this time.

I know that is where my future is at and I don't want to have to struggle all my life with a "day" job. In order to meet this goal, I will need to write a LOT more than I have been. This also includes sending my work to contests and magazines. That's the scary part. One of these day's someone will actually publish my stuff and that is scary.

I mean, yea, they liked that one, but what about my other stuff. What if I am unable to compose anything else. There are so many "what ifs" that in itself is scary. That's what being a writer is all about. You take the "what if" and make a story out of it.

So, from here on out, it's write, write, write. No excuse. I know that I need to write and I am going to do it. One of the things that I will be writing is my blog. I have made a note to remind myself to blog every day, even if it's "Oh nothing to report" and move on.

Today is my birthday. I thought I would drop a few lines here since I haven't blogged in a couple of days.

The weekend was great. I had a slight asthma attack from all the sulfur and smoke from the fireworks. Now I know why we stopped setting them off when I was a kid. Next year, I will take precautions to make sure I don't sit where the smoke will get to me.

Had a blast with the family. There was lots of good food and company. It was great. Can't wait till next year. May have to make it a longer weekend.

After we got home, of course I had to go to Tulsa for Settlement. Sometime over the weekend or while in Tulsa, I got something in my ear that set off one of my dizzy spells. Spent all day yesterday in bed sleeping it off. Gotta love those pills.

Which brings us to today. Now I get to play catch up here at work and when I get home enjoy my birthday. I might actually find an hour or so to write while waiting for Trish to get off work.

It's strange how teenagers think these days. They think their lives are so rough and that nobody understands the emotions they are going through and that it's ONLY happening to them.

This is for the teens out there. You are NOT alone. It is happening to EVERYONE. We ourselves went through it when we were your age.

I mean, today, I thought I was helping Ashley by finishing cleaning the kitchen. I didn't want Trish to come on to it half done and start arguing with her. I wanted a nice peaceful weekend, but instead it started a fight between them both.

Ashley is upset that I helped because Trish asked why I did it. It's a strange world we live in, Oh and did I forget...it's that time of month for both of them.

Happy 4th people. You teenagers need to start thinking about your future because if you think it's rough now...you have some serious adjustments that will be made after schools out.

Gotta love em, but you don't have to like them ALL the time. Just remember that we all learn by our mistakes and us parents (adults) have done the things we are telling you NO about. We learned the hard way and want to protect you, not hinder your "Growth" or "Individuality."

We will be there, even though you think we won't be. Oh and it's because of things we did that there are now parental controls on EVERYTHING!!! Just remember that.

The weekend is finally here. I have been looking forward to this weekend for awhile. Good food, Good Company, Good day's off. Hopefully some Good Writing time ahead as well.

So far on my first day off, I have gathered things up for the long weekend since we are going out of town. Grabbed a few reference books I may need as well as some of my work I can re-read and go through as well.

Went on and purchased the movie: "Percy Jackson - Lightning Thief." I heard the books were good and was wanting to see it when it came out at the theater, but never had time to go. I figured since there were going to be kids there this weekend, it would also serve to keep them busy for a couple of hours.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and gets lots of food. I'm trying to ignore the fact that it is soon my birthday.

Gearing up for the long weekend. I took an extra day off to make it 4 days. I am will have to do some work this weekend at home for next week, but shouldn't take too long.

I am hoping to get some writing done this weekend, even though we are going to Trish's Mom's this weekend. I feel like I'm gaining momentum and don't want to pause too long and slow it down.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and stays safe. Enjoy!!