Fireworks and Mosquito Bites

Harry Potter Book Excerpt of the Week: A week after Fred and George's departure, Harry witnessed Professor McGonagall walking right past Peeves, who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier, and could have sworn he heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth, "It unscrews the other way."

We're in the single digits people! Nine days to go! All I can say (at risk of making my two readers roll their eyes) ACCIO JULY 16th!!!

Ahem. Got 2600 words out on the Kate novel yesterday--it's the first I've started where I'm actually making it up as I go. Usually I outline from start to finish, and have a pretty good idea what I'm doing and where I'm going. Not this time. I'm letting the novel write itself. But then I run into trouble when good ol' WRITER'S BLOCK strikes, and I'm stuck, twiddling my thumbs and staring into space wishing I had written an outline.

I am covered, positively covered in mosquito bites. The little buggers. Despite the torrential rain of July 4th we still went out and lit sparklers and modest fireworks, and then spent the rest of the time ogling the major shows that our "competing" neighbors were putting on. And after dousing my own children in repellent, I of course, forgot myself. I'm waiting for the effects of West Nile any day now...ugh.

There are two neighbors we have, who I swear, shell out thousands every 4th and compete with each other on who has the "biggest and best" fireworks. And they always let them off at the same time, so the neighbor on the left will do something spectacular, and then the neighbor on the right, a few seconds later, does something ELSE very spectacular, so we're stuck in the middle, turning back and forth like some twisted tennis match but it's highly entertaining. Let them spend thousands--we can enjoy it for free. Although I will say that the Neighbor on the left won this year (oh who said that!)

Thing Two is doing much better. In fact, he's downright obnoxious. I think it's cabin fever from being inside too long. I'm just glad he's out of the woods, feverwise. Hubby is leaving to go on a trip tomorrow, so it will be me and the kids for five days. Ah, joy.

It's cold here. It's high 50's and overcast. Brrrr. I think I'll hunker down today with some postum and get some writing done...