Hello, flist. I now have a separate journal specifically for my writings. I'm only putting stuff on there that I have no intention of publishing elsewhere, so unfortunately a few of my favorites have to remain off until their first publication rights have been exhausted, then I can use the second rights to publish online.

ANYWAY, the journal is jcox_stories. Comment if you'd like me to friend you so you can see stuff.

Yesterday was Cameron's third birthday party. Hee! It was so cute. He was such a good boy. He got a sandbox, a bike with training wheels, (with enough pads and such to constitute armor), a tanagram toy, some books and a renewed membership to the Ft. Worth Zoo. He was very excited about his "special birthday cake," which Curtiss made for him, and about seeing all of his family. Today we played a lot too - we played in his sandbox, which is strangely a whole lot of fun. Also played baseball, blew bubbles, he had a bubble bath and watched some shows. So overall an extremely entertaining couple of days for Cameron.

Two weeks to Disney World! Two weeks to buy a frickin' car for Curtiss! I think we're down to a Saturn Ion, Dodge Stratus or Chrysler Pt Cruiser.

I now have a gardening journal at dieweedsdie.

Got this one from _kyri. Go here and refresh until you find five quotes you like.

Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.
Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963)

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950), "Back to Methuselah" (1921), part 1, act 1

Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

Sometimes the facts in my head get bored and decide to take a walk in my mouth. Frequently this is a bad thing.
Scott Westerfeld, So Yesterday, 2004

An effective way to deal with predators is to taste terrible.
Unknown

Ok, so it's been forever since I posted on here. Quick life update ...

( Care for the old and young )

In happier news, I sold a short story recently - "Written in Stone," to Zahir magazine - and I really hope one of the others pans out as well. "Stable Ghosts" was shortlisted by both On the Premises and Thoroughbred Times, so I have high hopes that it will win a contest or get published somewhere. I just have to find it the right home. Same with "Being Present." I'm working on another based on a dream I had a long time ago about a girl who goes to rescue her country's Harvest God, who was stolen from them by a Big Evil Mean Country to the North. Kinda fantastic, but no elves or trolls or such things - just humans and gods.

Going to Disney World next month with the kids plus my brother and HIS family. That should be a real circus - four adults and six kids, four of whom are under 4 years of age. Actually I gripe - I'm sure it actually will be a real blast.

So I had the baby Sunday night. For those of you who knew, this was NOT the plan - I was supposed to be induced Monday morning. But hey, that's newborns for you.

( Short, polite birth story )

So James Alexander Cox, contrary to plan (HA!) was born at 10:07 on Sunday, February 10th. He is 7 pounds, 4 ounces, 20 inches long and is a precious little dear. He is henceforth to be called Xander; I have now put a picture below. More will follow. Thank you to everyone who's wished us luck! Talk to you all soon!

( Xander with his daddy, Curtiss, and Curtiss' mother Cindy )

( Xander moments after being born, a little stunned at this sudden change in the world )

Stolen from tygress

( Survey Meme! )

I haven't updated in forever ... >.>

I saw fadestory recently for the first time in, like, four years! It was really good to see her and I wish we didn't live half a world away from each other. But then, she's always wanted to live in Japan, and I have too many roots here now to move like that. It'd be about as effective as transplanting a foot-thick oak. Still, I miss her.

I also ran into an old friend named Kirsten; that was unexpected! She seems to be doing well, and I'm very glad for it.

I've been working on short stories; I think some of them are nearing readiness to make the rejection rounds at various magazines.

I'm eight months pregnant now, and I've been having contractions off and on. Not Braxton Hicks, and not real contractions either - my body can't decide what it wants to do with itself. But my midwife says he'd be ok to come a little early, so in my heart of hearts, I WANT to go into labor. Because I really hate being pregnant.

Pregnancy is so great. There's nothing like barfing up Pepto and thinking, now that I was getting a really close look at the toilet, "I should clean this today ... "

In other news, if Huckabee manages to win the presidency, I will seriously start looking at piracy as a viable career option. Because ... shit. And I generally vote Republican, for lack of a better option.

Cameron had the tubes put in his ears this morning, and his adnoids removed. We got up about 5:15, which was really painful. And then there was the waiting in the lobby for an hour, which was stressful. Once we got back there, they gave Cameron a mild tranquilizer to help with the separation anxiety. THAT sure worked; he was totally drunk, lolling about and laughing. Curtiss and I waited and tried to keep each other distracted with this card game called "Munchkin"; I was really worried about Cameron. It was just really stressful, knowing what they were doing.

When it was over, Cameron had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia. He was really out of it, upset and scared. By the time we got home he was ok, and I was on the verge of barfing. But now he's been on the couch for awhile, watching "Bob the Builder," and seems to be ok. Poor little guy.

Aside from the financial punch in the nuts, it actually went ok, and I think he'll be just fine. Hopefully this will help his hearing and his recurrent ear infections.

Cameron's having ear tubes put in on Wednesday. Got a call from the perky billing department rep at the surgery center today, who cheerfully informed me that this procedure will cost as $1200.

$1200.

I'm going to cry. Again.

I always wondered if I was a fast typer. I still have no idea. Damned relativity.

62 words

Learn Touchtyping

I love Christmas. I just wish it could be like it is in my idealized head, not how it actually turns out.

Not that Christmas was BAD, mind you. It was a lot of fun, much love all around, and glorious food. Not the least of which was my husband's toffee and pumpkin cheesecake. Have I ever mentioned how awesome my husband is? That he's absolutely the shit? That I want to have his babies - oh wait. Did and am.

But it can also be a very sobering time (for those of us that lay off the eggnog.) ( Read more... )

Without that particular stormcloud on the horizon, however, it was a fun Christmas. Despite all of us being sick. Why is it we all gotta be sick on Christmas? Eh. Fun anyway. And a lot more fun with little ones. Cameron got a new bed this year - he's in a twin sized bed now! He looks so tiny in it! He barely understood the concept of Santa, but he's really enjoyed all the presents.

I got a new comforter, bath hardware, drapes and some of my pictures framed. Don't laugh, it's what I wanted! I also got a copy of Writer's Market 2008, which will come in handy now that I have something to market.

This is almost entirely for my own reference. I'm putting together a fish tank for my dad and these are my thoughts on the project for now ...

( Fish Tank )

I am annoyed. Partly with myself, partly with the world.

Cameron goes to a Mothers' Day Out at a Baptist church. It's the cheapest and best place I can find, and believe me I've looked. They do little Bible things sometimes, like coloring pages with a Biblical figure on them, but nothing too down-your-throat. And he's two, so it's not like he gets it, anyway.

His Christmas Program was this past Tuesday. Since he'd been out all last week with ear infections-tonsillitis-weird rash, I didn't get the memo until that day that they were supposed to be in nice "Sunday best" clothes. And didn't READ said memo until Wednesday. So of course we get there, and everyone's all dressed up and so cute, and there's Cameron in his Bob the Builder shirt and Spiderman sneakers. And me with my hair under a bandana.

So I was embarrassed. But oh well. Not like I knew these people. Then the preacher gets up and gives a short sermon about coming to Jesus to be saved. I'm now embarrassed AND annoyed, because I'm just the sort of person they're supposed to "save." And all I can think is "SAVE THE PAGAN BABIES!" As in, MY pagan baby.

So sooner or later I'm going to need to find another child care solution for a couple of days a week. Because eventually Cameron's going to start noticing that Mama and Daddy aren't like everyone else.

How annoying. Can't the world get outta my business?

Stolen from jigsawdiva, whose name always gives me the urge to go work a jigsaw puzzle. Which I know from sad experience does not mix well with toddlers.

1. Go to the Wikipedia home page and click random article. That is your band's name.
2. Click random article again; that is your album name.
3. Click random article 12 more times; those are the tracks on your album.

( This must really be how musicians get names for stuff. )

10 Things I'm Loving This December [sarcasm follows]

1. Cameron's health, with his two ear infections and tonsilitis, all of which are viral.

2. My midwife announcing she was moving, so I have to develop a relationship with another midwife in ten weeks.

3. Sciatica.

4. Nightmares.

5. The writers' strike.

6. Christmas and paying the soon-to-be-absent midwife combining with a yet-to-materialize-but-promised Christmas bonus check to produce a checking account with $27. Guess whose mortgage is more than $27.

7. Christmas tree + toddler

8. Curtiss working tons of overtime for no more pay because he's salary.

9. My stupid bank closing at 4:00.

10. "Heroes" finale. ( spoilers )

I'm seriously about to suck a fuck. (C'mon, someone ask me how exactly does one suck a fuck.)

I am six and a half months pregnant. That means the baby's due in ten weeks. TEN. And today I get a letter from my midwife cheerfully announcing that SHE'S MOVING TO NEW MEXICO. NEXT MONTH. I'm going bat-shit-crazy. What the crap am I supposed to do?! I mean, she worked with a practice called Women's Health Alliance and they have another midwife, but I've met her ONCE, months ago. There's not time to develop the relationship with her I had with Susan! I don't know this girl at ALL! And we picked Susan because she had been rated Dallas' Best Midwife by the people who rank such things. Who's this other girl?!

I'm drowning in hormones! I don't change course very easily!