Saturday Night Serenade–Tender Is The Night

It’s been a pleasant, mostly lazy summer week here at Chez R.  Mr. R. again had the week off and we enjoyed the time, running a few errands and pulling off two major projects.

Yes, we’ve lived in this house for five years.  So maybe it took us five years to find drapes we liked.  No, actually, we finally just bit the bullet and decided that anything was better than the old vertical blinds that came with the house.

When we moved in, there were ancient used-to-be-white plastic vertical blinds that someone had painted RED on one side, matching the RED accent walls that we painted over a couple of years ago.

Introduce the crummy plastic slats to years of sun damage and one 85-lb land shark, from the street they looked like the grin of some deranged snaggle-toothed six-year old.

In addition to the drapes, we rearranged the living room/dining room, essentially swapping places.  That doesn’t sound like such a major project except that it was much like trying to work one of those little plastic tile puzzles, sliding this piece that way so you can slide the next piece…

The end result is that we have lovely drapes and the nasty verticals are currently sitting at the curb.  And, I am now writing at my awesome new roll-top writer’s desk rather than at the kitchen table.  I pretty much feel like I’ve arrived.

In celebration of this week’s accomplishments, Mr. R. and I found ourselves at Yardhouse for a little mid-week dinner date.

And that’s were I heard this song.  You were waiting for me to get around to the song, weren’t you?  I forgot how much I love Jackson Browne.  Here’s a live version of Tender is the Night.

Hopefully, you’re enjoying this hot (tender) summer night with the one(s) you love.  We’ll be here marveling at the difference in our humble abode.

Happy Saturday night!

Back On The Wagon

Mr. R. and I decided that today was the day we’d get back on the wagon.  After his little health episode last year, we made changes to the way we eat and we added exercise to our daily routine.  We started eating much healthier, adding lots of fresh veggies and subtracting lots of carbs.

He began taking Jack, our 85-lb land shark, for long walks around the neighborhood everyday.  I started working out four days a week.  There’s a Youtube channel called Hasfit where cutie-patootie Coach Kozak will kick your ass.

And that lasted.  For a while.

I would like to point out that I’ve only been on a two-week break from Coach Kozak, while someone else, who shall remain nameless, hasn’t taken Jack for a walk in several months.  Ahem.

Earlier in the spring, I bought new running shoes with the thought that occasionally I’d join the boys for a walk.  And today was the day.  We got up this morning and went for a two-mile circuit through our ‘equestrian community’ neighborhood.  And it was lovely.

After we returned, we enjoyed a healthy breakfast.  Mr. R.’s was eggs over easy with low-everything sausage links and fresh fruit.  Mine was low-fat cottage cheese with fresh strawberries and a sprinkling of ground flax seed.  It was delicious.

But I’d give a million dollars for an effing bagel.

Coming attractions…

Mr. R. is finally starting his own blog.  More details soon…   🙂

 

Saturday Night Serenade–Summer Fun

I’m loving summer!  Mr. R. has been on vacation this week as well, and we’ve enjoyed staying up late and sleeping in together.  We’ve done a bit of binge-watching, devouring Season 2 of Bloodline (highly recommended), and we’ve just gotten into Turn, both on Netflix.  And we’ve done a little yard work, making the front of the house look great.  Of course, by ‘we’ I mean Mr. R. mostly.  I usually sit in the shade and offer moral support.

While we had vague ideas about going to the beach and trying stand-up paddle boarding for the first time, that hasn’t materialized yet.  He’s off again next week, too, so we haven’t completely given up on the idea.

For tonight’s serenade, we’re going a little country with this oldie from Alan Jackson.  A little fun fact: The Chattahoochee River runs through Atlanta, not far from where I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  This song takes me back to long hot lazy summers in the South.  There were picnics at the lake, chasing ‘lightning bugs’ at night, playing outside all day until Mom called you in for supper…

I hope you’re enjoying your summer.  Make new memories and hug the ones you love.  Happy Saturday night!

No More Hate

No more hate in the name of God.

Saturday Night Serenade–I Love Summer!

Music and seasons have personalities, I think.  Summer is all about youth and innocence.  Those long hot days spent at the pool or the beach, cook-outs and picnics, sleepovers with lots of singing into a hairbrush in front of a mirror…

All these activities have soundtracks, and for me, the Go-Gos are all about summer.  Back in the day, we weren’t really used to seeing all-girl bands.  Along with The Bangles, Bananarama, and oh, don’t forget a demure little lass called Joan Jett, the Go-Gos showed us that girls can do anything.

This performance is from the 70s-80s television show Solid Gold.  The cherry on top of the clip is the introduction by Rex Smith.  If you had a subscription to Tiger Beat magazine in the late 70s, you know who he is.

The eighties were a great decade!  I hope tonight finds you relaxing and making memories with those you love.  Happy Saturday night!

When I Grow Up, I Want To Be…

The following is an actual conversation that happened in my house today.

Mr. R: I need a job where they pay me to stay away from people.

Me: A hermit.  You could be a hermit.

Mr. R: Nah.  Hermits are smelly.

We sit and ponder for a moment.

Mr. R: I wanna be an ogre.  Ogres are mean.  I don’t want people to stay away because I’m smelly.  I want them to stay away because they’re afraid I’ll eat them.

All of that to say, if you know of any ogre positions available, Mr. R might be looking to change careers.

Luke & Bella Anniversary Event

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year! I hope you can join me. 🙂

Pandora Spocks

My first erotic romance novel, Luke & Bella: Two Streets Over, was published a year ago on June 7, 2015.  Funny story, that–I didn’t actually intend to publish it at the time.  I thought I was merely uploading the draft and I’d have the opportunity to tweak with the formatting and make one last proof-reading run-through.  Instead, boom, I had a book that was live on Amazon.  One of the many lessons I’ve learned along the way.

On Tuesday, June 7, I’m hosting a First Anniversary Celebration on Facebook and you’re invited.  The event runs from 8:00 am-8:00 pm, EDT.  What can you expect?  There will be excerpts from Luke & Bella, reviews, fun facts, and maybe a couple of surprises.  Plus, I’ll be taking questions all day.

And, if you’re not following me already, I’d love for you to ‘Like’ my author page on Facebook.

Just to…

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Saturday Night Serenade–Summer’s Here…Hello, Vacay!

We did it, my friends.  We finally made it.  It’s June!  Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the streets.  It’s time for resting, for recharging the batteries that have drained perilously low.

I predict lazy days of sleeping late, trips to the beach, and possibly traveling to visit loved ones.  Mr. R. and I have some plans to spruce up the house a bit, but it won’t be all work and no play.  We hope to treat ourselves to bicycles, the better to do a little exploring.  And we might even work up the nerve to try the brave new world (to us) of stand-up paddle boarding.  That could make an interesting date night post.

I’ve pulled tonight’s serenade from the moldy-oldie vault.  And I know it’s a cover of the original.  But I love me some Van Halen.  The quality of the video sucks, but the song is just right.  And even though I know it’s not actually summer yet according to the calendar, it is summer for all intents and purposes.

So enjoy!  And happy Saturday night!