Don’t you just hate it when someone gushes all about how cute and romantic their relationship is?

Too !@#%ing bad because I’m about to do that right now, right here.

We’re as disgustingly cute as these sea horses she took me to see on our adventure.

Swoon, I’m in love. But you already knew that, didn’t you?

Snowstorm excursion.

Of course you did, because I wrote all about it, and you read everything I write, don’t you?

Wait, you don’t?!

Eh, that’s ok. I love you anyways.

I love you all as much as I love shoving cupcakes in my mouth, which is a lot.

But surely you’ve noticed my absence from social media and blogging.

NO?!

Dammit, you’re a horrible stalker.

Well, to sum it all up, it goes like this:

I took a month off of social media and blogging and consulting and all that stuff that I do that takes up time (except writing, I can never give that up) to focus on being with my family during the one-year anniversary of my brother’s death.

Poppo and Andrew with a painting Poppo did for him of his favorite place in Europe. I miss them both so much.

I promised I would be back online and full-force for my birthday on December 1.

But then I got kidnapped!

First, my partner, Alex, made me a choose your own adventure book for my birthday that took me all over San Diego (including to an aquarium!) and ended in a romantic cabin in the woods nearby.

I’m a rugged mountain dyke.

THEN she took me to Yosemite as an early Christmas present and we stayed in another romantic cabin in the woods, this time complete with a snowstorm that turned our stay from 2 nights to 6.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland. Well, more like trying to not get lost in a snowstorm.

The Internet was really spotty there and I didn’t get cell service, so I wasn’t able to return to the world wide interwebs until now.

Even the snail mail was snowed in.

Not that I was complaining.

Because s’mores.

Put it in my mouth.

It was just all too wonderful, to disconnect from the Internet and reconnect with the people I love. It wasn’t just Alex either, I spent so much quality time with friends and family. I walked (every day), kayaked (and only fell into the ocean twice!), celebrated the birthday of my brother (who I desperately miss), went to the funeral of my dear friend (who I also desperately miss), went to my hometown rodeo, and celebrated my birthday with friends by having a fancy dress-up high tea/afternoon tea party!

I’m fucking fancy.

And I didn’t tweet, Instagram, Facebook or blog about any of it!

Also, turns out, I’m really productive when I’m off social media.

I spent one whole day hiking with my dad looking for spots to spread my brother’s remains.

So productive, in fact, that I finished Queerie Bradshaw’s Guide to Choosing a Harness AND my Young Adult Fiction Novel about two young queer girls in a small farming town.

Yes, you read that right, in a month I was able to finish two publications, simply by turning off Twitter notifications.

How could I not be productive, surrounded by such amazing inspiration?

But ssshh, don’t tell Alex, or she’ll make me stay off Twitter forever. She really did like having a meal without me tweeting Mona Darling about what she’s currently shoving up her client’s butt (also, you should listen to our podcast about Steak and a Blowjob Day).

Blogging Life Partners

I’m launching my Guide to Choosing a Harness next week, so keep your eye out for it.

There will also be a big giveaway with it!

I’ve got a lot of stuff to giveaway. Like a lot. Of sexy stuff. Of really sexy, hot stuff.

As for my YA novel, well, it’s with an editor as we speak and I’m working on fixing some of the minor glitches in the storyline myself.

Picking up my first, very rough draft from the printers!

When it’s done, I expect you all to buy three copies each: one for you, one for your best friend and one for the most conservative person you know, because it has gay sex and conservative people need to read more about gay sex.

I enjoyed my time off, but it is good to be back. I missed you all.

Let’s all go get a hot toddy together and celebrate!

P.S. If you ever get a chance to go to Yosemite and stay at the Evergreen Lodge, I highly suggest you take it. The place is spectacular and the people who run it absolutely wonderful.

Evergreen Lodge General Store, even had lube! They thought of everything.