We’ve had TIVO for a long time. Maybe 7, 8 years now. It is an awesome invention. I rarely watch “live” television anymore. And if I do, I’m always pausing it for one thing or another. I love it, and my kids love it.

But, TIVO had messed up my head.

I’ve found myself, while not watching TV, wishing I had the black remote so I could rewind something I’ve heard on the radio or rewind something I’ve seen. It’s the strangest sensation. It’s kind of like, what did they just say? or did I really just see those two men in the beat up truck grab each other and start making out? – Note: guys in trucks can make out. I don’t care. Really. Go ahead. What was strange about that situation was it looked like they were doing to for shock value – they were all moving their heads and mouths around like they were going to eat each, really exaggerated. That’s when I thought to myself, Wow, did that just happen? If it were on TV, I could rewind and see if it did happen.

No, I’m not a voyeur, so get those yucky thoughts out of your head right now!

I think it’s because I’ve started not really paying attention to things. With TIVO, you blast through whichever parts you don’t want to watch (such as commercials or David Archuelleta on American Idol.) Your eyes kind of glaze over while the scenes scream by in slow, medium, or fast forward. Once you see the program start up again, you press the Play button and you’re back at it.

I’d love to blame TIVO on my lack of attention, but most likely it’s the millions of things going on in my head that is causing this little problem. So many things to do, so little brain space being used.

Peace,

Kris

Ok, and side note, Game 3 went to the Penguins. That’s ok. We’re still up by 1.

I’m sorry, Mr. Penguins, but you’ve been blown out of the water, or shall I say ice, yet again. 3-0, second shut-out for Mr. Osgood.

We LOVE our Red Wings!

Half way there…..Lord Stanley better watch out, the Wings are on the war path.

Peace,
Kris

Peace,

Kris

We here in Hockeytown (did you know that was trademarked? I didn’t until the hubby enlightened me!) are not at all surprised that the Wings won Game 1. They are here to win it all, baby!

HockeyBoy wants to see one of the games down at The Joe. Well, son, with the cheap seats being $250 a piece, we had to let him down easy and say, no. He was a little bit crushed. Why do the tickets have to be so darn expensive? Mike Ilitch really needs to assess what is important – filling the seats or making the seats affordable so that they can be filled!

So, HB will have to watch it on the boobtube with the rest of the family. That’s all right – with the big screen and TIVO, we’re all pretty much happy. We love rewinding to watch the plays again, especially when Zetterberg defies the physics of gravity and gets the puck in when he’s facing our goalie.

Speaking of Osgood, we love the man. Not just because HB scored three goals on him in Ozzie’s backyard – that’s another story – no, we just think he’s awesome. And we like the fact that the year-end Cub Scout’s party is next door from his house.

So, even though hockey will be over for the season in the next week or so, June 3rd will start HB’s summer clinics, so we’ll be back at the rink. We’ve been off for about a month, and I must say that I’m missing it. Never thought I’d say it, but I am. And even though we are teamless for the moment – well, not really, but travel is a whole different ballgame, and HB is not for sure a fall player yet – we still miss it. We were even shopping for new skates today!

I hope you have a great Memorial weekend if you’re here in the US. The Cub scouts aren’t walking in our town’s Memorial Day parade for some reason. I enjoyed that last year, and the boys were able to understand better why we celebrate Memorial Day. Perhaps we’ll go down and watch the parade anyway.

Peace,

Kris

In just a few weeks, my two boys will be a fourth-grader and a second-grader.

A month ago, the oldest celebrated his last single-digit birthday. He was the hit of the class yesterday when he did his oral report on Jacques Cousteau, answering about 10 questions to the other kids 3.

The youngest is doing so well that he’s spelling words like trapezoid and rhombus. I just looked over his “Proud Packet” for the month – this is a stack of papers that show some of his work – and when he had to write 14 four ways, he had some complicated 100-20-6.

My point here is not to brag about my kids – although we all do it to an extent – but to marvel in their growth. It is still difficult for me to believe that they are as old as they are, yet they’re still so little. Once their adults, will I still see them as little kids? Only time will tell.

So, I’m relishing the fact that my kids will be home with me soon. I’m sure after a few weeks, I’ll be tired of the fighting and wishing they were back in school. But secretly, deep down, I’ll be so happy to have them home with me.

Family is what is really important in these days of unexpectedness.

Peace,

Kris

Lord Stanley, here we come!

Above you’ll meet two fellow Book Cents authors as well as my agent. Kari, on the far left, is an author. Then Christine is my agent. Then moi in the third position. And finally, Barbie Jo, another fellow author. I met all of these wonderful women this past weekend in Cleveland where my husband and I traveled. He hung out around town while I chit chatted with these fine women.

It was the first time I met my agent face-to-face, and I’m so glad that I made the trip. Christine is wonderful, and we were able to pow wow for almost two hours to discuss career goals. I am feeling especially lucky in these times to have an agent. She’s given me a deadline (I asked for it) to get the edits back to her for A Life Unraveled, and she asked to read the other two manuscripts that I’ve written. I’m so happy to share with her Stolen Years, as I believe this is my best work yet. I love that story, and I hope she does as well. I was also able to meet Christine’s sister, Judith Ann who is a doll! I’m so happy to have two wonderful women to work with. Here she is with Christine, please forgive the red eye:

I was also able to meet a woman who I met on Romance Divas. Rhonda is just as hilarious in person as she is online. It’s also nice to know that yes, she really does exist!

We also chummed around with Holly Jacobs and Susan Gable, both Harlequin writers. They were very nice, and I bought one of Holly’s books. I’ll let you know what I think. Here they are:

Thanks for a great weekend, ladies, and for welcoming me into your world!

Peace,

Kris

I can’t tell you what a difference it makes to have a job that you love. Maybe some of you know this. But I, like many others, spent so many years working at a tiresome job before deciding to stay home with my children. Years at home spoiled me into having a life where I basically was in charge. Well, as much of being in charge as possible with two small boys! Over the years, I learned to love my job as a stay-at-home mom. It took me awhile to really appreciate this new stage in my life. But I did.

Now with both boys in school, I am loving my new job at Nelson Publishing & Marketing! I really am, and I feel so utterly grateful to be able to say this. At times my authors may be high maintenance, but overall I love working with them all.  They don’t realize it, but they make me a better writer. Having to speak to them about scene and sequel, scene structure, point of view, plot, and character development really reinforces these things in my mind, which in turn comes out in my writing.

I hope that you’re happy with life as much as I am. Even with gas prices close to 4 bucks a gallon and the price of food skyrocketing because of this, we still live in a wonderful place.

I’m loving life. Are you?

Peace,

Kris

I just started this wonderful memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, and I have to admit that I really want to reprise my study of the Italian language! If you aren’t aware, eat, pray and love chronicles her year spent in Italy, India and Indonesia after divorcing from her husband. It is a year that she has taken off from work as a writer/journalist to discover her true self.  She is funny and heartbreaking at the same time. I’m still just in the beginning of her travels, having only arrived in Rome a few weeks ago. I’m loving it like no other book.

Peace,

Kris

Here are my two presents from my two boys. How appropriate – flowers! Hopefully the one on the left will last all spring/summer, and I know for sure that I can plant the crocus bulbs on the right to enjoy next spring.

Hope your day is good. If you’re a mom, Happy Mom’s Day! If you’re not a mom, make sure you send some wishes to your mom today and every day. After all, she’s the one who brought you here!

Peace,

Kris