Jess Riley's Blog, page 11

Hello, Baby

Are you there, blog? It's me, Jess. I have no excuses for being so neglectful. Things have happened that have certainly been blog-worthy. A few weekends ago J and I "rescued" a Monarch butterfly tangled in its chrysalis (we used tweezers and Q-Tips, in case you're wondering), and at 2 in the morning last week I woke to the sound of gunfire (which turned out to be the sound of my shave gel exploding in the shower. It was so rusty the integrity of the container was compromised ... had I gotten up for some midnight hygiene, I could have lost an eye!). We also caught a fantastic exhibit at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, stumbled across a fall festival on the riverwalk in Sheboygan, and had the best dinner we've had in years, at Stefano's. So good we briefly lost the power of speech and get misty-eyed just talking about it.


We're still trying to sell our house, I'm back to work, and I'm still plugging away on one of my novel proposals, which is giving me fits. BUT! Something really neat has happened! I have a new niece. Her name is Corinne. Isn't she beautiful?



Welcome to the world, wee one! She may need to wear a teeny leg brace for a few weeks to straighten out a minor hip issue, but it will be the cutest leg brace in the history of orthopedics, and all will be right with the world after the whole experience. (North Korea and Afghanistan not included.) Well, there's also the issue that it appears she was born with a giant thumb stuck to the right side of her head--nothing some minor cosmetic surgery can't help with.


Her older brother isn't as thrilled with having a new baby sister, but he'll come around.


It's the autumn of babies: Corinne is the first of three nieces for us this year, and I have several friends who have had or are expecting their first babies as well. So of course there is some self-reflection going on (to have or not to have, that is the question...ideally answered before my ovaries shrivel up). But in the meantime, we get to enjoy all of these bundles of pink (yes, all girls!) with their soft, baby shampoo-scented heads and hand them back to their parents when the crying begins.Subscribe with Feedburner

Lauren Wood has Some Tips for You

My pal Eileen Cook is brilliant. Apparently, she figured out how to bring one of her characters to life: Lauren Wood, from Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood , out in paperback THIS WEEK.

Lauren is offering popularity tips on YouTube:



I also have a tip for you: go buy this book! You will love it, because Eileen is a damn fine writer.

In other news, I am so tired of living in limbo I could projectile vomit. What limbo? First, waiting to get an offer on our house. We just dropped the price, and it's a ...

Manic Distractions

We had our first open house this past Sunday, and I'm still exhausted from the cleaning and decluttering. We hauled 5 bags to Goodwill and threw out another 5 jumbo contractor-sized bags worth of crap, and I feel like we're just getting started. The idea of packing and moving FOR REAL Y'ALL is kind of freaking me out.

The good news is we had about 10 families come through--and on one of the nicest, sunniest days this month, right before a Packer game. I made cookies, burned scented wax tarts (...

Scenes from a Wedding

We attended my cousin's wedding in Minneapolis this past weekend. It was wonderful spending time with family, and there were lots of laughs. But I have to say, the big surprise—to everyone, really—was how fantastic a dancer my brother is. The rest of us have one or two fallback moves and can demonstrate our coordination well enough not to attract unsolicited pointing and laughing from the crowd. (Well, most of us.) But my brother? It was like discovering your sibling had won the televised Pil...

You Say Goodbye

My Grandma Dorothy Martin died on Sunday morning. She was 91, vivacious, feisty, and giggling almost to the end. The last year was a rougher one for her, which seems to be the universe's way of alleviating the grief of those left behind. No more suffering.

It'll take a long time to get used to the idea that I'll never get to see her laugh again. For the last 30 years of my life, she's always been … there. So much love and support, such a wonderful sense of humor. I'm glad I have a dash of hoar...

For Sale and Stuff

It's been hectic lately...we officially listed our house for sale on Monday, had our first showing Tuesday, and the offer we made for the new house was accepted last night. I am a Property Virgin, so this has all been very new and gut-churning. My left eyelid has been twitching like mad, which is fun because it's a tic visible from the fourth ring of Saturn. Yay, twitch! Get on down with your funky, twitchy self!

Ours is a "starter home," and we've invested a lot into making it more appealing....

I Should Wear My Glasses More Often

Last night I saw the Beatles tribute band, "American English." Seriously people? They LOOKED and SOUNDED exactly like the Beatles. They even did two costume changes to trace the band's evolution from mop-tops through the drug years, ending with "Hey Jude" as an encore and the entire audience sang along. Goosebumps...I'm telling you.

Earlier in the evening, I thought I saw a couple we're friends with making their way through the crowd...I called out their first and last names, jumped in front o...

July is Almost Over Already?!?! Did I Blink?

I am writing this to the sound of two things: Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and hammering. So guess what that means? We are STILL working to get our house listed.
I am sad to say our bid for House #1 didn't work out (yeah, not going to carry two mortgages if I can avoid it...). However, we viewed two new prospects on Saturday, and we love things about each one. I believe we will go for a second showing at one very soon.
You know, you never realize what a dump you live in, and how much...

The House

We put an offer on The House last night. Which meant I was tossing and turning 'til 3 a.m. I love it, but would we have buyer's remorse because of x and y? What if we can't sell our house? What if we really and truly can't afford it after all? What if it's the worst decision we've ever made? What if it's the best?

We have about a week to whip our house into shape: finish sanding drywall mud, install beadboard wainscoting in the kitchen, paint at least three rooms, organize, and LIST. And then ...

Summer Grab-Bag

The Department of Education is trying to kill me. Thirty days notice before the biggest, most-popular-with-our-clients grant is due?! In the middle of summer? If I make it to August first with my sanity and blood vessels intact, it will be a small miracle. I have already been having eye twitches and heart palpitations (Which, if this is early menopause, kill me now...), and I really don't want or need any further stress-induced ailments.

The good news is I finished my new book proposal just be...