Monday Bunday: Graphic!

Last Friday, I became the proud owner of a Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet. What fun! I spent the weekend learning how to use it with the bundled software, which includes Corel Painter Essentials. This allows one to paint and sketch freehand:












Or take an existing photo:
















Convert it into a sketch:















And then paint it using different colors and effects:















Don't tell Cadbury, okay? He might be upset to learn he's on his way to becoming the new Blue Bunny mascot.

Have a fun and creative week, friends!

Monday Bunday: Shedding

I guess it's just a sign of summer, but Cadbury is going through another shedding phase.















I find bunny fur in the strangest places, although the study is always the worst. When I moved the computer desk to hook up a new printer two weekends ago, I found enough fur to make a whole warren of new rabbits.

Cadbury is better than Tidbit was about letting me pull the loose tufts off him, but he's not crazy about when I get out the tape. What can I say, except that the tape works?

Cadbury: Weird biped. Tape isn't for bunnies!

Have a great week, everybun!

Monday Bunday: Just Peachy

Things are just peachy here at the House of Cadbury!

Cadbury and Lola still haven't interacted, although sometimes Lola wanders up to the cage and looks at him. She seems to understand that the study is Bunny Territory and she rarely goes into that room. Of course, when Cadbury is out, the door is shut and the cat can't go in at all. I'm not sure when I'll let them get formally acquainted, but for now there seems to be no need.

This week, the nasal and sinus congestion I had last weekend settled into my lungs and I haven't been able to work out. It's been frustrating, but the last thing I wanted was to make things worse by pushing myself. I'm doing better now, though, so I think I'm ready to start carefully resuming my normal activities. The strange thing about all this has been that my energy level was never low and I never had a fever or other symptoms of a real illness - just coughing, sneezing, sinus pressure, and lots of thick, sticky mucus.

Yeah, I know. TMI.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Welcome!

Happy Monday, everyone! This is Lola:



























Cadbury: Au contraire. This is an outrage!

Yes, friends, little Cadbury has lost his status as "only critter". It's okay, though. We love him just as much and he's getting extra carrot tops and blueberries for being such a sport.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Store-Bought

When we were in Santa Fe, I saw some charming little bunnies in a shop at La Fonda. I intended to go back and buy them, but the shop's hours weren't a good match for my tourist activities and I wasn't able to make the time until it was too late and they were closed.

So imagine my surprise to find the same bunnies here, while taking a little break to have some water and window shop during Saturday's run! After I finished my run and cleaned up a bit, I went straight over and got them.

Sorry these are a little blurry. The bunnies are very shiny and don't photograph well:














Aren't they cute? And what's cool is that they come apart and inside is a necklace with a tiny exact replica of those same bunnies!














Cadbury wants to make one thing very clear: Those are not real bunnies!

Okay, Cadbury. We get it.

Monday Bunday: Ready for Takeoff!

I have no idea where Cadbury thinks he's zooming off to, but he's ready!












In other news, I've extended the giveaway at the Maelstrom site, so click on over and sign the guestbook. I've got nifty books and t-shirts to give away!

Book Giveaway Announcement!

Hey, peeps! I've got a little giveaway going on right now over at my Maelstrom site! Pop on over and sign the guest book before 8 pm Saturday to get in the drawing for a copy of the novel, a copy of the short story book, or a t-shirt!

Monday Bunday: Love the Bun You're With

Guess who went to the Pride Parade this weekend!














Cadbury wants to be sure no one misunderstands - he likes the does, and that's all there is to it. But he also understands just how hard it can be to find that special somebun to form a pair bond with, and who is he to quibble over some other bun's choice?

Have a great week, everyone, and remember to love the bun you're with!

Monday Bunday: Audrey Edition

Well, friends, Audrey has returned to Elvis, Pink, and Peaches, where her hosts will take her to see the Washington DC sights and on a special trip to Cape Cod. We're very excited for her, but we miss her. Here are a few recent Audrey pictures that didn't make it onto the vacation blog:

Audrey gazing pensively out the window at our stone cottage in Chisos Basin, Big Bend:












Audrey checking out my uncle's rental property - a mobile home he's fixing up to resemble a train car:











Audrey working on a puzzle at the Hotel Limpia in Fort Davis:












Audrey trying to use an old-fashioned phone:












Audrey enjoying the patio at Hotel Limpia:












Audrey playing telephone operator at the museum in Tucumcari:












Audrey almost becoming dinner!












Audrey and her new pal getting caught up on a little girl talk:










And here we have Audrey getting a little sleep - something I sure didn't do enough of when I was on vacation!











Have a great week, everybun, and check for more Audrey this week at Eye of the Needle.

Monday Bunday: Home!

Dan, Audrey and I got home late Friday afternoon and spent the weekend recuperating. Here we see Audrey and Cadbury catching up over a little snack, while she tells him of her adventures.















I hope all my friends have been having good adventures too. I've kept up with blog-reading, but my wi-fi access was often spotty and I used my limited service for updating the vacation blog. When time and service permitted, I read my blog feeds on my BlackBerry, but haven't figured out how to leave comments via the BlackBerry yet.

Anyway, we're home, and it's the start of a brand new week. I hope everyone has a good one! Audrey will soon be returning to Glenna, who has some exciting things planned for her, including a trip to Cape Cod. Lucky bunny!

Monday Bunday: Still on Vacation

Read more about Audrey's adventures at my Vacation Blog.

Monday Bunday: Audrey on Vacation

Check out Audrey's exciting adventures hiking!

Audrey on the Trail

On Vacation

I'll be updating here every night I have internet access: Vacation Blog

Return comments may be a little light for the next two weeks, but I'll still be reading your blogs and thinking about all of you.

Look Who's Here!

Audrey is back! And Cadbury was waiting to give her a great big kiss.














He'll have to get his snuggles in quick, because she's going on vacation with us. We're heading out bright and early Saturday morning. Cadbury will be staying home with his "Uncle" Wesley, who will be housesitting and giving lots of bunny treats.

In addition to bringing her knitted yellow scarf from her UK visit (which will come in handy in the chilly mountains of New Mexico and Colorado), Audrey brought this lovely cup:


















I just might have to make some tea in it tonight.

Thanks, Glenna!

Monday Bunday: Vacation Plans

Just one more week until vacation, peeps!



















Cadbury: I can't believe my bipeds are going on vacation without me. They say Uncle Wesley from a few blocks over is going to stay here with me, and I like him and all, but...

Bunnygirl: Don't worry, Cadbury. We'll be back. "Uncle" Wesley has two bunnies and knows what you need. Besides, we're doing him a favor. He's been out of work for awhile and is having some problems with his wife. He can make a little money by watching our house, and by staying here instead of with his parents in the Woodlands, he'll be close to his children. Isn't that nice?

Cadbury: When you put it that way...when are you going, again?

Bunnygirl: Next Saturday. But don't you worry. "Uncle" Wesley will be right here in the house with you, looking after you the whole time we're away. And if you're extra good, he'll share our vacation postings with you.

Friends, if you don't have my vacation blog bookmarked, go ahead and do it now and beat the rush: Bunnygirl's Vacation Blog

Good News!

It turns out there is a way to get around the comps issue, but it isn't the way everyone was telling me to do it. There is a particular real estate agent in our neighborhood who knows how to make these deals go through even when there haven't been sales of comparable nearby homes for the appraiser to use as a basis of value.

I don't know if I can still get the conventional loan in time, and I'm frustrated that I might lose out on my sweet 5% interest rate, but the home purchase will go forward, regardless. I've made inquiries to two lenders, and if neither can come through for me in the time remaining, I'll sign directly with the owner and refinance as soon as I have the money, enlisting the services of the savvy real estate agent on a contract basis. If no major expenses come up, I'll be ready to refinance by next year. If some big expense does come up, I can rent out my garage apartment (bye, workout studio!) and be ready to refinance in two years.

As an extra bonus of good news, we've secured a bunny-savvy house-sitter for while we're on vacation! Cadbury hasn't indicated whether or not he's disappointed that he won't be spending two weeks at the vet spa this year, but something tells me he's going to be much happier in his own home. As will Dan and I, once we've signed this deal.

Monday Bunday: Comparable

As you can see, these two share many similarities but aren't really comparable.

Just so, it looks like my home purchase may come to nothing for a silly reason. University Oaks is a very small neighborhood and has few houses the size we're trying to buy. We've consulted two lenders and two appraisers now, and neither can secure underwriting for the loan amount I need because there have been no sales of truly comparable homes.

Oh, there have been sales similar in square footage within an appropriate radius, but they're in the slummy neighborhood nearby, where one is likely to get shot while watering the garden. Here, where there has never been a crime more serious than someone getting their lawnmower stolen because they forgot to close the garage door? No home sales. People move here and stay for decades. They pass their houses on to their children.

Since we can't get an appropriate appraisal, we can't underwriting. Sad, because they were happy to lend me the amount I needed at 5% interest until the appraisal came back so low. The seller has offered to finance, but he wants me to pay off the note in five years and I've been unable so far to get him to include a proviso in our contract that will protect me if I still can't get an appropriate appraisal due to lack of comparable sales.

So things are at an impasse right now. It's frustrating to think we may have to move again over such a dumb reason as underwriting regulations, but life is full of dumb rules. One simply tries to maintain serenity in the face of all the insanity.

Have a safe and sane week, everyone!

Book Release Announcement!

Great news, peeps! The e-version of my novel, Maelstrom, is now available at Fictionwise. It will soon also be available on Amazon and B&N, and you'll be able to order old-fashioned print versions, too.

But for now, if you like reading fiction on your Kindle, iPhone, BlackBerry, or whatever, here's the link: Maelstrom

Monday Bunday: Sharing

This week's bunny advice: always share your toys.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Raccoons

We have new wildlife around here - a raccoon, or possibly more than one, living in our studio. We're working on finding someone to humanely remove them to a safe place, and we're getting quite an education about the critters in the meantime.

With his little mask, Cadbury looks kind of like a raccoon, don't you think?















Cadbury: Maybe. But I'm better-looking.