So a few months ago, Sis, myself and Dad spent just over $100 on Girl Scout cookies between the three of us. Then last Thursday I get a phone call from the local office of the Girl Scouts of America telling me we won the five-for-five raffle. I was like, “we didn’t enter a raffle” and they said “no you get entered automatically.” I couldn’t believe it, only the second time I’ve ever won anything in a raffle! They said we get five free boxes of cookies and we could pick them up on Monday. So we were very excited! But then I texted my Girl Scout’s mom and she said “Yay, 60 boxes of cookies!” I said, “calm down, girl, it’s five boxes of cookies.” She texted back, “No they said ‘boxes’ but they meant the big boxes. They meant ‘cases’. The raffle was for five *cases* and there are 12 boxes in a case which means 60 boxes of cookies.” Yes, guys, holy smoly, we won 60 boxes of cookies! Sis had to be in her office on Monday, but the cookie pick up was right by my niece’s school so my sister-in-law picked up the boxes for us and then their family took some of the boxes off our hands. And then we gave some to our dad, and we gave some to our neighbor, and we are giving some to our bestie. But we’re also eating a lot. I’ve already eaten my way through one and a half boxes and it’s only been four days. So much for watching my sugar, I’m gonna be pooping Girl Scout cookies for weeks and I don’t even care because this is the best thing I’ve ever won in my life!

It’s been 5 years!!! Seems like longer and shorter at the same time. This makes Diggle 8 years old. He still looks like a puppy — people ask all the time about his age, expecting us to say that he’s 6 months or something. He’s still a little anxious, like a rescue dog would be. And he’s super protective of me (he is of Sis too, but also recognizes her as a capable foe for any murderers, I guess 🤷🏼‍♀️). And he’s territorial about his house and yard. And the surrounding streets. And anything he can see out the window, basically. 😆😆. He’s affectionate, playful, cuddling, obsessed with his many many stuffed animals, and absolutely adoring of his mommies. We love you Diggle. Happy Gotcha Day!

Saw Moulin Rouge, the Broadway touring show, this weekend! Was an early bday present from Sis for me & my bestie, who I share a bday with (though she will remind me that hers is 1 year after mine & therefore she’ll always be the youngest in our friend group 😝) Was a spectacular spectacle of enormous entertainment! Was a lil different story wise from my beloved movie and had updated (& much more) music, but no changes that irked me. In fact, whoever did the musical “mashups” for this play is a gd genius. The weaving of different songs, bits & pieces, moving in & out, layering each other…phenomenal. I tried my best not to compare it to the movie but I still did not expect anyone to be as good as John Leguizimo in the role of Toulouse, but the guy playing him was amazing. Wish he’d had more of a limp to him, but was glad they kept him disabled anyway. The Argentinian & Toulouse were a fantastic team who played off each other so well. The guy playing Christian did not have Ewan McGregor’s chemistry but like, who does, amirite? But he had way more range than Ewan by far. The lady playing Satine had fantastic physicality in everything she did, not just dancing, but the way she held herself even. And Satine, in general, was a more interesting character in the stage version. The guy playing The Duke made me want to volunteer to be his mistress, but also he had depth that I did not expect. But for me, it was Harold, the owner of Moulin Rouge, who stole the show. He brought an empathy and understanding to that role, not to mention a real love for all his “chickies”. And in our performance he was played by the understudy! I’m so glad he got a chance to shine because he made me fall in love with Harold and want to take care of him the way Harold tried to take care of everyone else. I can’t say enough good things about him. Oh & I loved the sisterhood of the female (& cross dressing) dancers & performers! A stark contrast to the usual “tear each other down” you get in shows about performers. And a million rounds of applause for Lights & Effects. Just an utter blast. Thanks to Sis for giving me & The BFF a great afternoon!

#DND #DungeonsAndDragons players & #XFiles fans, if you were making a traveling PI, profiler, conspiracy theorist named Wolf Mudder based on Mulder, what class would you make him? #FoxMulder #DNDCharacterBuild #DNDCharacters #TheXFiles

Follow our Facebook page for more updates & info on our latest book! facebook.com/westword.books

It’s Release Day! Welcome to the world, The Roller Kids: First Flight! We’ve been waiting for you for ten years. Friends, Family, Followers — go buy your copies now! Available in Ebook, Paperback and Hardcover. And know that the first $300 in profit will go to a local foster care charity that supplies much needed items to foster kids and their foster parents. Thanks for all the support on this journey — and it’s not over yet! Go buy The Roller Kids: First Flight — a Middle Grade superhero book about family and flying through the sky! And follow Westword Books on Facebook or X for more info and updates.

https://www.amazon.com/Roller-Kids-First-Flight/dp/B0CVX4W7S7?ref_=ast_author_dp

Captain James T. Kirk

Boldly going where no kitty had gone before

Has gone on his last mission to the stars

“I have been and always shall be your friend.”

— Spock to Kirk

(& me to my Kirk)

Kirk has been sick with a cold off and on since October. And losing weight. He’s been to the vet, had all the labwork, found nothing. Then last night he suddenly couldn’t stand. We rushed him to the ER. He was mostly better by the time we got there. Today he went to our regular vet. They found a mass above his heart. He’s coming home on steroids & pain meds. A few days or a few weeks, we don’t know. Until he seems too uncomfortable. He’s 14, he’s had a good long spoiled life with us since he was 3 weeks old. But he’s Jessie’s baby & my little buddy. This sucks. Hopefully we can make him comfortable for a minute, to give ourselves the time we need, emotionally. Our lil Captain Kirk 🩶💚

Sis playing bank robbing video game with niblings: You’ve played before & I haven’t so I’m just gonna do what you tell me to. I’m the rookie on the heist team. But I’m a middle aged heavy set woman from the suburbs. “Ok I brought you all cookies! Now I need you to tell me where to point this gun!” 😆

Happy New Years, Friends!

Count Von Count saying, “When you realize the longest day of the year will be 123123, ah ah aahh!!” Get it? 12/31/23? Ha! It’s over now. Happy New Year!

I wasn’t the right age for the Magic School Bus but I know it’s got this nostalgic following and someone made this video and yeah, I laughed out loud.

I’m a 12 year old boy because I laughed when I opened my game & saw I’m on level 69. 69! Get it? 12 year old boy or 45 year old woman. Whatever, pfftt.

Throwing together Halloween playlist. Suggestions? Have Thriller, Ghostbusters, Monster Mash, Dont Fear the Feaper, Bad Moon Rising, Highway to Hell, Witchy Woman, Put a Spell on You, This is Halloween, Double Trouble from HP, few Hocus-Pocus songs

I was 16 when Friends premiered & i was a Chandler!girl from the jump. Watched all his romcoms & later Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, & Go On, + Whole 9 Yards franchise & Ron Clark Story. Recently rewatched Fools Rush In, just cuz. Do ya’ll remember his Beverly Hills 90210 ep? So I guess I wasn’t a Chandler!girl so much as a Matthew!girl. RIP Matthew. Thanks for the laughs.

Fuck. Just saw 1 of the kids I used to babysit for 25yrs ago was murdered. Fuck all. His bro was autistic so came to, I guess in year 2023 we’ll call it ‘extra care’ daycare I worked at, but I babysat all 3 kids regularly off clock. Seb was most empathetic kid. This is shitty.

Editing carries on! Apparently I am British. Why? Because I always, always, always write “towards” instead of “toward”. Which I learned, from my current editor, is a British thing. And the first pass-through editor changed all my “greys” to “grays”. I’m also in the habit of writing “blonde” instead of “blond”. 🤦🏻 Why do I do this?! 🤷🏼‍♀️ Maybe it’s from being raised on my first book love, The Chronicles of Narnia? Besides my British-ness, I have to learn that 99% of the time there will be a comma before the word “too” and often before the word “though”. But I am always surprised when my editor tells me to *add* commas, since I become notorious with past editors for having *too many* commas. 🤦🏻🤷🏼‍♀️. Maybe I’ve started to overcompensate? 😉😆. Either way, I’ve learned some things about commas. Carrying onward! - Me, author (find me @ Westword Books on Facebook)