SARAHK: I hate doing taxes!
FRANK J.: That’s why you only do them about once every five years.

50K words on the novel, but now I’m rewriting the whole beginning, which will cause me to rewrite much of the rest of it.

We didn’t hear from the realtor on the house today. Today was the deadline for her to hear from the bank, but… we haven’t heard from her.

Zo’s latest video is here:

Frank gets a mention. :-)

We got pre-approved to buy the house. We put an offer on it yesterday. There’s a decent chance the bank will accept. We’ll know by Wednesday.

I have to do three years worth of taxes tonight after work, mortgage company says so. Can’t wait. It’s what I live for. In Opposite Land.

Have written 45,000 words or so in the novel. I’m enjoying it. Obsessing a little.

That’s all I have time for this morning. Mwah.

So I worked at home today, and I had iTunes going on random. I have almost all of my music on my computer now, because I finally started moving the rest over from my old machine, The Beasty VAIO. Notes:

*It’s a little hilarious and very disconcerting to hear the dunna-dun-duh-nun-da-dah! of the Les Mis scene at the barricades and then, instead of hearing, “You at the barricades listen to this!” you hear a different man singing something in French. Yes, I bought the Original French Concept album accidentally many years ago from one of those music clubs. And I always load it on my computer but never listen to it. I have no use for French.

*I don’t know how to make it play all of my music except Christmas music, but I don’t mind so much when it’s Harry Connick Jr.

*”Spit on a Stranger,” my least favorite Nickel Creek song–I still think they’re saying “Ooh, meow” when they say “pull me out” or whatever it is they say.

*I still love *NSYNC unconditionally. They are the Best Thing Ever: America, after all. And um… Tracey? I call Twilight for this year’s event! No one can pick it besides me, because I’ve got dibs! All-important dibs.

*Through the horror of a compilation CD, I have a Gloria Estefan song. But I have to admit she’s listenable when she doesn’t have that awful Cuban beat behind her (my apologies to my Cuban readers… but seriously, I hate your music).

*My Eminem CDs are all the “clean” versions. Frank doesn’t see the point, because you only hear every other word. But I do love his voice and the beats. I hate most other rap.

*What ever happened to Evan & Jaron? I liked those little teeny boppers. Same with BBMak. (What? It’s not like I was into Hanson.)

*My latest vocal crush is on Hailey Westenra. I adore her angelic voice. I was streaming Yahoo radio one day at work, and she came on. I’ve found several artists this way recently, including Bond and Patrick Park.

*I still like Edie Brickell.

So now the word is that my job will definitely last past January, for months and up to a year. This will, of course, change next week.

Over here.

So today I went downstairs to get a Coke (I know, I know) so I could down it with my Excedrin Migraine and get some relief (it worked insofar as it dulled the headache, but it didn’t take it away completely), and as I left the break room, I saw Big Boss walking up the sidewalk toward the front door. I did a double take, because he is moving out of state and was therefore laid off in Round Four. So I walked back through the break room so I could meet him when he came in. I’ve gotta tell you–it made my day. Made my week. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, so it was just really nice to have him back.

It turns out that he’s back part-time for a while to help us with some reports.

For the first time since he left, I was really happy to be at my job today.

My cousin Megan, who wholeheartedly shares my obsession, decided that my obsession needed to be fed.

And so today in the mail, I received this.

Yes, I did jump around and squeal like a good tweener. Why do you ask?

(Also, Megan is now my favorite relative. Sorry, bikermommy! But Megan gets me.)

In the mail today:

ALIAS Season 2 soundtrack
The Vampyre by John William Polidori
Pat Green: Wave on Wave
Scrubs Season 7

Harumph. Bram Stoker’s Dracula did not arrive.

It would seem that my mood was all over the place Thursday night when I placed my order. Techno score, country, comedy, and vampires. I don’t think my mind works the way others do.

Ok, y’all know I love the Twilight Saga, right? And I love Stephenie Meyer. And when you’re writing, you make mistakes and don’t catch them from time to time.

But there is no excuse for her editor’s lack of… editing! So many errors. An I/me error from a hundred-year-old man who knows everything is one thing, reign/rein errors are another… but the one I can’t forgive, EVER, is this: dependent spelled “dependant.” I don’t have a British version, and even if I did, the usage is as an adjective, in which case even the British spell it with all e’s.

I am beside myself with grief over this one and glad I didn’t catch it my first time through Breaking Dawn. It feels like a betrayal, really.

Over here.

BTW, it’s felt a little like the olden days recently. Remember the days when all I did was whine about the pain I was in? Yeah, well in the past two weeks, I have spent a total of two and a half days without headaches. I actually went all weekend without one but got another one today. It’s starting to tick me off just a little. RARR.

Well, we’ve gotten pre-approved by our bank for this house, so if we can get it from the bank for the price we want, then we’re all good to go. So here’s hoping we can get in touch with the right people at the bank.

I’m almost finished with Breaking Dawn for the second time… I want to start over at the beginning, but I’ve been plagued with a new obsession that is cutting down on my Twilight time. I’m writing a novel. I had the idea late last week, and I wrote all weekend (and yes, our Christmas decorations are still up, why do you ask?). I have over 20K words. I can’t stop writing. I know the story, I just have to get it down on paper. I hope it doesn’t suck. At least I’m enjoying the writing.

I had to buy a new purse. My purse was too packed. Now this one is too big, and I don’t want to add more stuff, because it’s heavier than I would prefer. Sometimes I hate being a girl.

I don’t know what’s going on at work. The job may end at the end of the month, and it may not. Same ol’, same ol’.

I saw the Twilight movie Saturday. I am seeing it again this weekend, and I’ll probably take notes. I have many thoughts on it. I liked it far more than I should have, considering that it’s not a great adaptation. Anyway, more on that later.

Gotta go. It’s time to blog 24.

So we just had a man come to the door and post foreclosure notices on our house. The one that we rent. We pay our rent every month, but the notice says that the mortgage payments are twice what we pay in rent each month. My first thought (after the initial shock) was that we could buy it for cheap if it was foreclosed. Then we saw the mortgage balance. Uhm. Maybe if we could buy it for half that. Judging from the interest rate and the discrepancy in payments, this was definitely a spec home that was intended for flipping. The owner hasn’t made payments in five months.

That was weird. Just weird. I actually thought of this a couple of weeks ago, wondering if our rented house would be foreclosed upon. I don’t know why I wondered. Just had a weird feeling. Of course, Frank was at the door, as I couldn’t be pulled away from my burnt BBQ chicken and non-burnt roasted potatoes. Rowdi was going nuts, barking like mad, and my dinner was interrupted, so I just yelled, “Get him, Rowdi!” and continued to snarfle. I could only hear bits and pieces, but as soon as I realized what was going on, I jumped up and ran to the door. I think the guy was relieved, because we weren’t as upset as we would have been if we were the owners. I asked how soon we need to move out, and he assured me that it would take a long time. Either way, I am most likely going to have to clean and/or pack. Crap.

It’s a nice house. Lots of upgrades. I’d like a bigger kitchen, bigger yard, a garage that could actually fit two cars, and another bedroom, but if we could get this baby for cheap and not have to move, I could live here for several years. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t accept our offer, though. So I see a move in our future. Argh. Not that big a thing for us, but still.

Oh well. I guess we call the property management company tomorrow.

When you have two soda cans sitting next to you, one for drinking and one for disposing of sunflower seed hulls, just remember which is which.

I blogged it, yo.

Well, the Edward v. Jacob post I’m working on is taking me longer than expected, so bear with. I know y’all (especially my Y-chromosomed readers) await with bated breath. Meanwhile, I still can’t get over Tracey’s poster, and I have this set as my desktop background (from here).

I must get ahold of myself.

That is, Twilight Saga Quote of the Day (you had to know this was coming).

“I know you think I that I have some kind of perfect, unyielding self-control, but that’s not actually the case.”

“I wish,” I sighed.

-Eclipse

I voted, but John didn’t give me a sticker.

Just so you know… ever since I started my tweener blog-fawning over Twilight, my blog spam has kicked up a few notches. I deserve it, and I willingly pay the price.

Clicky.

(I can’t believe I don’t have an “Obsessions” category. What is up with that?)

Have you heard this song? We heard it on the way to church this morning, and I laughed at several lines. I wish it were in a higher key, but as it is, I still may be learning that one for my next karaoke favorite. It’s funny. Here’s the video (it plays automatically)

I’ll get back on the Edward v. Jacob thing tomorrow. Until then, I blogged the 24 premiere at Snark Raving Mad. It’s not very funny due to my headache and also due to Jack’s not carrying a purse in the first two hours. I am actually having a hard time figuring out if this is a migraine or a tension headache. I think it’s both, and I’m baffled about the migraine part, because I’ve been really good about my diet. Anyway, due to said headache and previously unmentioned tiredness, I’m going to read Eclipse in bed until I fall asleep.

Nighty night.

I hope I’m able to put down The Saga after my second read-through (likelihood: negligible). I don’t need to mention *which* saga, of course. You know the one. Here’s how it goes:

I read when I get up in the morning. I read from 1:30-2:00 (I get home at 1:30 and have to start working again at 2:00) while eating my lunch. I read when I get off work. I read while I’m cooking dinner, between the doing of actual, you know, wifely things in the kitchen. I read when dinner is ready and I’m waiting on Frank. I read when Frank pauses the DVR to go to the bathroom. I read between episodes of Bones. I read at bedtime.

Rinse, repeat.

I got Stephenie Meyer’s other book today, The Host. Romance with aliens or something, and Megan promises it’s almost as good as The Saga. I’m trying to decide: read the new book or New Moon? New Moon is my least favorite, but I still love it (especially the end, my word, the END! Just inject the end of that book into my veins NOW! I need it! It’s my brand of heroin!). Totally torn. But leaning toward the KNOWN satisfaction, rather than the unknown.

I frown. The phone keeps ringing, and it’s always telemarketers, interrupting my thoughts about The Saga. Next time I’ll grimace. Or maybe hiss.

I think the only way to break the cycle is going to be my picking up that *other* all-consuming saga… but that may be too bleak for winter.

But anyway. Let’s proceed. I want to talk about Twilight. Specifically, Edward v. Jacob. This could go on for a few posts, so let me start with the basics.

SPOILER ALERT! TURN BACK NOW IF THERE’S ANY CHANCE YOU WILL READ THE SAGA!

*Edward=Vampire. Jacob=Werewolf/Shape-Shifter. Edward has no weaknesses outside of Bella, vampire teeth, werewolf teeth, and fire. Jacob’s weaknesses? Vampire teeth, werewolf teeth, jealousy, envy, fleas, ticks, and vampuman infants. Winner: Edward.

*Let’s stick with the species thing for a bit. Edward=Vampire. Jacob=Werewolf/SS. Edward’s plusses include superhuman speed, strength, beauty, grace, and senses, near indestructibility, ability to hear crickets whisper, mind reading, impossible self-control, world-class smoldering talents, a wicked snarl, topaz eyes, and a fierce sense of self- and Bella-preservation. Jacob’s plusses include the speed thing, strength, good hearing, motorcycle repairs, putting Bella in even worse danger than that in which she puts herself, sharp claws, intensified happiness, ability to embiggen himself, mind sharing (but only with his own pack), extreme obnoxiousness, and sitting on driftwood. Winner: Edward.

*Edward=Vampire. Jacob=Werewolf/SS. Edward needs to eat once every couple of weeks, sooner if he might be making out with Bella. If Jacob doesn’t devour an entire chicken coop full of eggs every hour, he dies. Edward devours live, active food (probiotics!), and Jacob usually waits for some chick to cook for him. I mean, he *can* eat the other way, but he clearly prefers the easier human food. Winner: Edward.

*Edward=Vampire. Jacob=Werewolf/SS. In this world, Edward is shiny. (Frank says, “That’s gay,” to which I respond, “YOU’RE gay!”) Jacob is furry. Winner: Edward.

*Edward=Vampire. Jacob=Werewolf/SS. Edward has had a century to become accomplished in music and well-studied in all subject matters, from science to language (I/me confusion in Breaking Dawn notwithstanding) to relationships to smoldering to seduction. Jacob has had fifteen to seventeen years (depending on where we are in the story) to learn how to fix cars and annoy the crap out of Edward and me. Bah! Edward can buy his own cars (and everyone else’s) and does not annoy me in the slightest. Winner: Edward.

*Edward=Vampire. Jacob=Werewolf/SS. Edward can singlehandedly break a fever, provide air conditioning in tropical climes, and solidify Jell-O in under a minute. Jacob can warm you up in a nasty snowstorm, boil water for your afternoon tea, and heat your jacuzzi quickly. Meh, that one’s a tie.

I don’t see why there is even a conflict here — I mean, Edward is the perfect man, and Jacob is a pipsqueak puppy. It’s not even a competition! However, in the interest of convincing any of you who may still think Jacob is the poo, I will continue to give you a big whiff of Edward’s superiority in upcoming posts.

You are welcome.

Out of control.

I received this email from Cadet Happy yesterday, and I am passing it along. I figure if y’all can solve my celiac thing, you can solve this:

There is a guy who wanders around the skyway here with a parrot on his shoulder. This morning, while walking back to my car to get something I had forgotten, he was standing in the skyway looking out at the cars passing on the street, while the bird was looking at the people passing in the skyway. The guy doesn’t look at me, but the parrot turns his head and says “Hello.” Is it rude to not respond in kind to the parrot? The guy wasn’t looking at me for a response, or speaking “through” the parrot–I know he can speak, because I’ve stood behind him before at the convenience store (where he also had the parrot, but it was quiet). It was a very awkward social situation. I just kind of smiled at the parrot, despite the fact that bearing one’s teeth in the wild can be taken as a form of aggression. To make matters worse, I snubbed the parrot AGAIN on the way back to work. I wonder if anyone has written to Miss Manners with this question? Perhaps your readers have advice on the issue.

I hadn’t heard anything of it, but then my head has been firmly ensconced inside four books for the last week and a half (except while I’m working). Anyway, we have a lot of snow this morning, and it continues to snow. I blame Laura, who is now back from her honeymoon. She must have brought something with her.

If it gets much thicker, I may work at home all day.

What do you know, I made it several hours without starting to reread Twilight. The way I see it, this has catapulted me back into obsessive reading, and I could move on and obsessively read something else, not knowing whether I will like it, or I can stick with what I know for sure I will like. I’m happy with option two. I was about six chapters into Anna Karenina when I began Twilight, not to mention all the non-fiction I was reading… but I just can’t stop. Can’t. Won’t.

I finished the series this morning while I lay in bed under my warm fleece blanket, suffering with a nasty headache that has blessed my presence since last night, surrounded by kitties while Frank was at church. I’m actually envious of him, getting to go to church, because today we started studying Revelation in Bible study. Not that I wouldn’t want to go anyway, but now even moreso. If I’d had any energy or way around the pain to sit in a pew and be surrounded by people with voices rather than the people and voices in my (and Edward’s) head, I would have been there. Instead, I struggled to read. And it was a struggle — not because of the material, are you mad? — because I have brain fog today so I read even slower than usual.

SPOILER ALERT

My head is so full of Edward, Bella, Alice, Carlisle… ok, basically everyone (even Jacob, whom I really didn’t like until Breaking Dawn).

My thoughts. I can’t get them wrangled. I may need a day or two to gather my thoughts. I’m seriously fighting the urge to start over from the beginning (it’s a difficult fight, one that I don’t expect to win). Thanks to my cousin Megan’s pointer, I have already read the partial draft of Midnight Sun, and though the author has put it the manuscript on indefinite hold, I really would like for her to change her mind and write all four books from Edward’s perspective (I don’t get the impression that she ever planned to write more than Twilight from his perspective, but a girl can dream, no?).

I fear this could become as bad as my Buffy/Angel obsession (once I’m unemployed, my first order of business on SRM besides the current season of AI, 24, and LOST will be blogging every episode of those two series, and I have a feeling that mm will be taken over by Twilight — it’s about time something interesting got posted here again!). I don’t see it getting as bad as my Harry Potter obsession, but if Stephenie Meyer ever picks Midnight Sun back up, all bets are off, peeps. All bets are off.

Anyway, my head is still raging and needs to not think, so I can’t do any thought-wrangling right now (it took me several hours to get this posted). Don’t think you’ve heard the last of this from me.