77 hours in a 40 hour work week! *faints*

Snagged from velvetcherri

Step One
- Make a post (public, friends locked, filtered…whatever you’re comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related (”I’d love a Snape/Hermione icon that’s just for me”) to medium (”I wish for _____ on DVD”) to really big (”All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.”) The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.
- If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it’s your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.
- Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post (it’ll be public) so that the holiday joy will spread.

Step Two
- Surf around your friends list (or friends friends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here’s the important part:
- If you see a wish you can grant, and it’s in your heart to do so, make someone’s wish come true. Sometimes someone’s trash is another’s treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don’t want or a gift certificate you won’t use–or even know where you could get someone’s dream purebred Basset Hound for free–do it.

You needn’t spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn’t to put people out, it’s to provide everyone a chance to be someone else’s holiday elf–to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not–it’s your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just…wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you’ll have the joy of knowing you made someone’s holiday special.

Wish 1 ~ A new laptop (a 17 inch one with a ten key pad)

Wish 2 ~ A new job that makes me happy

Wish 3 ~ Snail mail/Christmas cards

Wish 4 ~ Being out of debt - completely

Wish 5 ~ Word Press themes and web sets - I love to change layouts!

Wish 6 ~ More comments on what I write

Wish 7 ~ Photoshop

Wish 8 ~ A new non-apple MP3 player

Wish 9 ~ A new car - with Anti-Lock brakes and good fuel mileage!

Wish 10 ~ To see more of my friends and family

What are your wishes?

100 houses. It feels like the show just started last year. However, Extreme Makeover Home Edition is doing their 100th house episode. Its good to see that helping people is so popular with so many people.

I just applied for a editor/writer position. They have a long interview process, according to their website. This would be an exciting turn of events. This would return me to my first love - English and writing. I don’t know what to do! I guess I just have to wait. Why does waiting have to be so hard???

I speak, but it seems no one listens. I write, but it seems no one cares. I watch and wait and there’s never any payoff. I believe what people tell me and all I get are lies. Why should I keep talking? Why should I keep writing? Why should I keep watching? No one cares. Well, I’ll amend that. My mother cares. I try and I fail. Some days I feel like giving up. This would be one of them. Some days I feel like shutting off the computer and never turning it back on. If I can’t get people I know to care, why should people I don’t know care. I put myself on the edge again and again, and I keep getting knocked off. I get my hopes up, and they are dashed. I want to go to bed and not get up tomorrow. I’m losing faith in my job search. I’m losing faith in a lot of things. *shakes head* Maybe its just a bad day. I don’t know. Some days I think I’m losing it. Some days I just don’t know. Who cares?

Make note - this is a multiple post day (as they often are)!

Okay, so there wasn’t any glamor, but there was a Sunday morning. Mom and I went to church - btw, I didn’t see you there, Barbi! It was good, but Mom wasn’t thrilled. Mom’s not too fond of contemporary churches. She would like a more formal church - one with an organ, a choir, and hymns. That would be interesting. I haven’t been to a church like that in years. Maybe I could go and join the choir. That’s one thing I miss about church - singing in the choir. I wasn’t old enough to join the adult choir before I left, but I loved being a part of the children’s choir and the youth choir. I also missed Seeds. Its hard to go for two reasons - one of them is Terry, of course, but he was in the hospital and wasn’t going to be at Seeds. The second reason is that I don’t like to leave Mom alone. I’m extremely worried about her. Its better now that she has Jack, but Friday was scary. She wouldn’t talk to me at all. Other than the fact that I parked too far over for her to get the car in. *sigh* I thought she was horribly mad at me because she didn’t respond to me at all. She was just very unhappy and close to suicide. *sigh* I don’t know if I should tell her to find another counselor. I don’t like what this one is doing to her. *sigh* Maybe its for the best. I don’t know.

The past week has been rather interesting. Two Fridays ago Mom went to the therapist and she told her to find something she could get her heart into. So two days later, we bought a puppy. A Maltese boy we name Jack. He’s a riot. He’s got Mom laughing and he’s good about snuggling as well. Now to get him house trained…. He’s already crate trained, so we don’t have to worry about him wrecking the house when we’re not there. He’s got this cute little plastic cup that we place his food in and a little glass custard bowl that we fill with water. They both fit in his crate with him. We have a towel down and we put him in with his teddy bear and one of his toys. He’s so small! He’s only has one puppy toy - his purple teddy bear. The rest of his toys are all cat toys. Balls and this octopus-like thing that’s got fluff on top. He loves paper. When we’re trying to clean up his accidents, he grabs the paper towels and runs off with them. He can be a fast little thing. We were going to try to paper train him, but he started tearing up the paper. He was more interested in eating it than peeing on it. *sigh* We got some of those puppy pads and I think we’re going to try those.

He doesn’t like clothing. Well, that’s not quite true. He loves to run off with socks from Mom’s running. He grabs them and goes running down the hall all proud of himself. *insert chuckle here* However, we bought him some puppy dog clothes and he wasn’t too please with him. We got him a little green snow jacket with a fur trimmed hood (for when there’s snow outside), a little blue sweatshirt with snow flakes on it(because we keep the house fairly cool), a blue and white sweater (for when its not snowing), and this adorable yellow rain jacket with ducky buttons and a removable hood (for when its raining, of course). He was absolutely adorable in the rain jacket! However, he didn’t like having them on. He must be a strange shape - he’s small through the chest, but also so long - everything was too short on him. So we took it all back today. *sigh* We’re going to look into getting some bigger things for him, but we really didn’t find anything we liked today. We’ll find something else. Just not today.

So times are exciting with us. We haven’t told Debbie and I haven’t told Dad. They don’t need to know. *shrug* But he’s adorable!

I actually wrote this on the tenth. So far I’ve only had one person’s opinion but I’d love to hear yours! Its a little long, but I think its worth the effort.

So here’s my writing for the night 1,030 words - two hours work. It needs some work - I need to actually describe Karen, but here’s what I have so far:

At the right time and in the right place love can happen. With the right people and the right atmosphere love can grow. This is a story of love and of life.
When it snows, ice crystals dance on the wind. The warmth of a fire and a cup of double hot chocolate with marshmallows, the smell of a fire burning in the fire place, and of course the snow falling outside all make for a cozy night. She was going to be snowed in. She knew it and didn’t care. Four wheel drive made no difference in the mountains. Karen Walker smiled as she remembered the reaction of her sister when Miranda had first seen the purple Saturn Vue. The color was called silver plum, but it was all purple. The shock and dismay on Miranda’s face was worth the extra money she put down to get the classic color. The popular young pilot didn’t agree with a lot of her sister’s choices. The two girls definitely had a sister connection, but it was not a close one. Miranda always had this air of superiority about her. It rubbed Karen the wrong way. There was a loud crack and Karen jumped, sloshing the sugary drink. Shaking her head she set the mug down and grabbed another log. The fire needed her attention, not her snobby sister.

As she poked and prodded the fire, her cell phone rang. She chuckled, hearing Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” playing as the ringer. Karen really loved that song. Not that she ever had a cheating boyfriend – she just liked the mood the song set. She reached across the wooden arm of the sofa to grab it off the end table. Checking the number, she answered it.

“Well, hello handsome. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Paul Everett laughed at the irreverent greeting. “Nothing, gorgeous. Just checking on you. You know I don’t like having you out there in this type of weather.”

Leaning back against the Penn State blanket she said, “Don’t worry so much Paul – I’m not out there. I’m in here, with the fire blazing.” The fire popped again and Karen smiled. She really did love to have a fire.

“You’re such a fire bug! I’m glad to hear I don’t have to come dig you out again.” She frowned, hating the reminder. “You know as well as I do that the storm came up too quickly for me to get back from my Mom’s place.”

He laughed, imagining the frown furrow her brow. He loved to watch her face change. He sat back in the leather seat of his Lincoln Navigator. He wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t like having her out in a storm. The Appalachians could be treacherous in November. Karen was his best friend, and he hated the thought of her alone and stranded. The little shovel she packed in the back of her SUV wouldn’t be of much help in this ice and snow mix. He sighed. She could be so independent!

“Is your big brother protectiveness satisfied now? Can I go back to my fire and my hot chocolate? “

“Is your furnace working alright now?” Now Paul frowned. He knew it had broken down only the week before. “Are you warm enough?”

“Yes I am and I have plenty of blankets around here to keep me warm if I do have problems. I’ve got my purple chenille blanket up on my bed and my Penn State blanket here on the couch. I also have the Pirates blanket, the All Star blanket, my down comforter, and my heated mattress pad. I’ll be fine.” She shifted in her seat as the conversation went on. She really wanted to get back to the fire, and maybe a book. “Are we still on for tomorrow?”

“As long as you can get out of the garage. You know it doesn’t snow as much down here. The roads look fine and the exhibit is closing this weekend. I know you love Lis’ work. Darn it!”

Karen sat up alarmed. “What? What’s wrong?”

“I spilled my coffee. Just what I need – a java smelling SUV.” Grabbing some napkins, he blotted the liquid on the passenger seat. “At least its leather and won’t soak in. We can’t have you smelling like coffee now, can we?”

“Ew. Maybe I should drive. If only I knew where the gallery was at! Oh well, as you said its leather and won’t soak in.” She laughed, twirling her hair around her finger. “Good night.” She closed the phone and closed her eyes. It was late. Karen grabbed the mug and moved towards the kitchenette.

She loved her cottage. The arches on the doorways were charming and the stone covered fire place was her favorite. Sure, it was small. There was room for her furniture, but not much more. She didn’t care. As she put out the fire, Lhasa, her tri-colored cat jumped off the chair and went to the kitchen. “I know, I know. You want your dinner.” She grabbed the container of cat food and emptied it into the bowl. After refilling the cat’s water, she shut off the light and headed for bed. She was lucky. Most cottages this size didn’t have a private bedroom, but Karen’s did. She loved her bed. Two layers of feather beds on top of a good mattress and 600 thread count sheets were one of her big splurges. It also reminded her of her mother, who had bought it years earlier. She checked her alarms to be sure that they were off, and then got in bed. She got in bed and prayed. Karen rolled right, just like her mom, and went to sleep. Another good day gone. Another good day coming. Or so she hoped.

Chapter 2

The glaring of the sun on the snow woke her up. Once again she had forgotten to close the room darkening blinds. She loved to watch the snow, but not at the early morning hours. She stumbled out of bed over to the blinds and lowered them. Shivering, she jumped back into her warm bed and went back to sleep.

Let me know what you think!