Life, Writing, and Other Things

Changes for the New Year

2008-01-01T06:37:00.000-06:00

LWAOT is moving over to Wordpress for a bit while I test out some features.

You can find it at http://tjwriter.wordpress.com

Happy New Year!

Five Weird Things

2007-12-29T20:51:00.000-06:00

How do you narrow down the five weirdest things about me?

1) When it gets dark, I put the house on lockdown. All the blinds and curtains are closed, and I can't stand for anyone outside to be able to see inside. It stems from childhood trauma, where I was playing in my room, heard a noise and looked up to see a man staring back at me through the window. I screamed bloody murder, and my dad and a guest went outside to investigate where they found fresh footprints in the mud under my window and my screen removed. Been that way about windows ever since.

2) I used to count how many bites of something I'd take, making sure the number came out even. Er, it's odd I know, but these are weird things about me. Thankfully, having a child cured me of this habit as I no longer have the time to worry about such little things.

3) I have the hardest time taking the last of something because I always worry that someone else wanted it. Applies to just about anything, but mostly food. You know, because we can't go to the store and buy more... I actually believe this has something to do with my dad. He has a hard time dealing with disappointed other people, and I think I am the same way.

4) My favorite breakfast food in the world is something we started making while camping when I was smaller. Butter a bagel and toast it in a skillet, fry an egg overhard, and top with bacon. Add cheese if you desire. Best. Breakfast. Sandwich. Ever. I fixed them this morning because it's been ages since I've had one. Delicious, but not so healthy. Eat sparingly.

5) I potentially have Ankylosing Spondylitis, which my father has. I've been experiencing some serious joint pain lately, and need to exercise more and visit my doctor to discuss. I'm at the typical age of onset. The above link is to Wikipedia, so take with appropriate amount of salt. Skimming it, I already found some information that conflicts with other sources, but the general idea is right.

Hope you enjoyed that! I don't know that I know anyone else to tag, so the buck stops here.

What Our Christmas Was Like

2007-12-29T06:59:00.000-06:00

Our Christmas holiday stretched for several days, making it an interesting and hectic experience. (BTW, if anyone wants a tired and whiny toddler, I have one to share this morning.)

It started on Sunday, the 23rd. We traveled down to Kentucky to my aunt's house. There we shared appetizers and finger foods, watching my daughter be a screaming heathen. My cousin has a little girl who is just a bit older than Piper, and both girls brought bags of toys to play with while visiting. Piper decided that my cousin's girl's toys were hers and that her toys were hers. When my mother and I were making Piper share, my aunt, my cousin, and his wife were all trying to tell us that it was okay for Piper to hog all the toys! Not so much in my book, so we had screaming battle of wills. Lessen learned: Piper needs more play dates with other kids.

On Christmas Eve, we loaded up and arrived at my parents' house for brunch. It was a good experience. My mom's parents live with my parents, so there were several of us. We filled ourselves with all sorts of wonderful breakfast foods, then opened presents. Since Mom keeps Piper during the week, she redid Piper's bedroom with all sorts of big girl stuff for her Christmas. There was a toddler bed, a kitchen, a table and chairs, and she got some bath toys. It was good for her.

I got a new MP3 player that I'd wanted. It has a radio, records voice, and records radio directly to the player. It also features a pedometer, stopwatch and some other nifty things. The ear buds on it are different than others, and quite comfortable, too. They also got me Barnes & Noble and Starbucks gift cards. My husband got a Visa gift card, as he is the hardest person in the world to shop for.

In the evening, we went to his mother's house for pizza and presents. Piper got a tent, sleeping bag, etc. combo thing, some clothes and his sister got her a Cabbage Patch doll named Piper. I got some fu-fu smelly stuff and some cash. My husband got some cash and I don't know what else. Not a bad evening.

Christmas Day, we learned that Santa had brought Piper a Dora kitchen and a Dora ATV. Even though Piper doesn't watch TV, I think it's Dora's friendly face that has attracted her to the character. She also got a some accessories to take care of her babies and some extra food items to use in her kitchen. Mommy and Daddy got her the Little People Sarah Lynn Camping Adventure.

The husband went out and bought his gift from me for himself. That's not that different or new. We do things oddly and backwards for the most part. It works for us, no matter what others may say. Seriously, I said something about wanting a new vacuum, and when he told the guys at work, they insisted that if that's all he got me, then I would be pissy about. Really? Last time I checked, I'm not really in to jewelry and other seriously girly stuff. Never have been, and it drives me crazy when others assume that I can't be different. One year, he got me a stove and a dishwasher for Christmas and anniversary (I don't remember which gift was which, as they run so close together.). I was happy as could be to have good, working appliances to make my life easier.

But back to the gifts. I haven't decided what I want my gift from him to be yet, so I don't have anything, and I'm not too worried about it right this second. Around noon, we went to his aunt's house to do his family's thing. Piper got some new clothes and a pink poodle purse for her name draw gift. His grandmother got her a stick pony, pink cowboy boots, and a Little People farm (which she's had for awhile at Mom's, but I was saying a thing). Christopher got some kind of cologne, and some other stuff I never got to see. I got some Victoria Secret smelly stuff that I like, a cute little picture frame, and a Barnes & Noble gift card.

In grand total, I have $75 in B&N gift cards, which makes me a very happy woman. The holidays have been grand. Tomorrow, we have to go and do stuff with my mom's family, which is just food, conversation, and white elephant gifts. It's usually a good time.

Now that I've written my huge narrative, and I know the answer for some, but did everyone have a good holiday?

Big Mommy...And Other Things

2007-12-18T18:52:00.000-06:00

The little one and I have both been sick with some kind of nasty crud. A sick toddler is a major handful, let me just say. It involves lots of crying and whining, and many other things I'd rather not mention. Thankfully, I can report that we both are feeling better.

Which brings me to this very funny story from last week. My mother, who watches Piper while I work, made a trip to the store one morning. In the car on the way home, she and Piper had the following conversation:

Piper: See Mommy.

Mom: We can't see Mommy right now. She's at work.

Piper: See Mommy.

Mom: Mommy's at work. We'll see her this evening.

Piper: *Claps her hands together.* SEE BIG MOMMY NOW!

Frankly, I have no idea if that turned out as funny as it was, but it was hilarious, and I am now known as Big Mommy in some circles.

****

Most of you who come here know that I was going to try to hire someone to come in on the weekends to help with things around here. In a bit of luck, my husband's cousin recently moved in next door with her husband. They are expecting a baby. Having just relocated from Illinois, they have yet to find jobs, and could use some extra cash. My husband mentioned something in passing about giving her $20 to watch Little Bit for a few while I did some things (to be discussed further down). It was a huge blessing, and a blazing success. Piper loves her, and so they bounced back and forth between both houses, while I got some serious work done.

Then, in one of those lovely twists of fate, we started discussing other cleaning. So, his cousin is going to come and do a set list of tasks during the week while we are gone, and I'll increase the pay accordingly. I can't tell you how nice it was coming home this evening to find Piper's room picked up and neat, one of the bathrooms all clean, the dishes done, and Piper's clean laundry folded and put away. It's great so far, and there's less stress for me. The hardest part for me is deciding how much to compensate her for the efforts.

****

This weekend, during the previously mentioned time that the husband's cousin was helping with Piper, I cleaned out eight large trash bags of clothes that I've accumulated for the last several years. There for the longest time, I kept everything. However, since I've become a mother, and had a million tasks added to my to do list, I just don't have the time to clean up or around all that stuff. So, I've been slightly ruthless in getting rid of stuff, and I made a ton of space in my house by clearing out this stuff.

I've also come to the conclusion that it is selfish as to hang on to all these perfectly good things when there are people out there that need them. So, I'm hauling loads of usable things to the Goodwill, where people who need things can use them. It's helping a bunch.

****

I'm finally feeling good again. There for a bit I was rather depressed and a real Downer Debbie. It felt like the relationship with the husband was strained. We've finally started to have some time together. Things are feeling a little bit better all around. I've gotten the kind of help I need.

****

I've not written anything recently. Not that I'm not thinking about my novel. It's on my mind a lot, and I have some things I need to work through, so I'm not upset because it's not dead in the water.

****

Friday is our fifth wedding anniversary. It is also the same day that marks 11 years of being together. It's amazing. We have a nice evening planned. We're going out for dinner, and doing a little Christmas shopping to finish up some of the things we need. It's hard to imagine the holidays are so close, but I'm feeling better than I have in a while. Now I just need to get a sleepy toddler ready for bed.

Disconnect

2007-12-07T20:09:00.000-06:00

On the way home from work today, I saw something that I am sure is common today, but made me think back about my experiences several years ago. As this car passed me on the highway, you could see the dad in the front seat, chatting on the phone. In the back, you could see the daughter chatting away on her phone.

Now back in the Stone Ages (or ten years ago), when you rode in the car, you either brought material to entertain yourself with or actually speak with the people in the car. It made me wonder how many families don't use the time as a good time for discussions and insights to one another. It makes me think back to all the family road trips we took when I was younger.

We almost always left at night. My brother and my mother would fall asleep in the back, and I'd ride shotgun next to my dad since I was always wide awake. Sleeping in the car was not a skill I acquired until I met my husband. I would read the map and keep track of when our next exit would be, and Dad and I could talk about all sorts of things. It was a real bonding experience, and one activity of many we've enjoyed over the years. (Other than my teenage years, but that's another story for another time.)

What I expect happens most often now, is that each person is involved in their own activities, that they miss out on easy time with each other to build relationships. I worry what that does to families. Most often, on our rides to and from my parent's, Piper and I talk, sing, and sometimes enjoy the silence. If I have to make a call, it's most often to my husband, for less than a minute, to give him an ETA. Those rides are an easy time for bonding and I don't want to miss them. I mean, we're stuck in a car together for cryin' out loud!

Cell phones are handy, but I think people have gotten so caught up in being connected all the time, that they don't take the opportunity to be disconnected. Not to mention the risks in using your cell phone on the road. The other morning some college-aged kid was so busy texting that he forgot to drive, nearly sideswiping my car. That kind of stuff scares the crap out of me.

But the point I am trying to make is that if you are connected all the time, take some time to disconnect and see what it feels like to have that freedom again. Use that time that comes so easily to build relationships with those around you. After all, relationships are what life is about.

Busy Week

2007-12-04T20:24:00.000-06:00

This week is a busy one at work. I've not even had the chance to open up the WIP. The husband has also been working longer hours. My daughter just dumped the dogs' water on the floor. It's fun. Time to hit the sack so I can get up early.

Blogging About Blogging

2007-11-29T19:45:00.000-06:00

Deb Ng from Freelance Writing Jobs wrote a little piece over at Performancing (great place, btw) on getting your blog ready for the new year. She mentioned several points, but I really took away these three to put to use over here at LWAOT.

1. Create specific activities to occur on certain days of the week. I've already been plotting this one out. From Mon. to Fri. each day will have a theme, topic, or what-have-you.

Monday - Book Reviews/Writing News
Tuesday - Random Thoughts
Wednesday - Whiny Wednesday
Thursday - Article on one of the topics for the month (See below)
Friday - Writing Wrap-up/Friday Snippet (maybe)

2. Create an editorial calendar for your blog. You know, like the magazines use to tell them what topic or area to focus on that month. So, I started jotting down ideas that sort of tie together for each month. For example, for January, I jotted down the following ideas: Resolutions, Weight Loss, Exercise, Quitting smoking. For my Thursday article, I can use these to build some writing samples.

3. Use your date/time stamp to let you work ahead on your material and have it appear on your blog when you want. I don't think blogger really supports this capability, as I've yet to find something on it. Wordpress, however, I believe has some code junkies out there that will let you do this. So, I'll see what I need to do.

I think these things could really up the content of my blog, which I've wanted to do. We'll see how it goes. Things don't always work the way I want them to.

Not Doing So Hot on This Posting Thing...Or Writing For That Matter

2007-11-27T04:46:00.000-06:00

Things have been a bit nutty. They always are this time of year. It's when I become a widow to the deer hunt. This holiday weekend was the longest ever. It just wouldn't go away. Normally I'm all for the paid time off from work, but Piper just wouldn't quit. No naps until an hour or two before bedtime. Stripping all her clothes off and peeing on the floor. Honestly, it felt good to go drop her off at my mom's for work yesterday. The whole plan for the weekend: Write when Piper's sleeping. It just never happened. I swear I have bad luck or bad karma. Bad something.

Then there's is this personal thing that I've been going through. I think it's a quarter life crisis. I don't know. It's just that I've realized that you only live one life, and, well, I want a job that makes a difference in someone's life. Even if it's just to make someone's day go by a little easier. Plus, I really want to run my own business. Have for long time.

This current job I'm now is supposed to be the big after college job. But I don't feel that great about it for a lot of reasons. Most of which I won't mention here because they are private. It's not the first time that I've felt that I'm not right for the corporate world, though.

So I've decided that I want to start an errand business. I think it's an unfilled niche to this area. I also think it won't take off right away, so I'd like to supplement with freelance writing. I suggested this to my dad and the response was less than overwhelming. I knew better than to mention it to my husband.

Then I pitched the idea to Miss Michele's Tarot, the lovely alter ego of Dawn Allcot. The reading? Basically, I will be successful, but it will take work and there will be obstacles. Story of my life. I've always been a fan of hard work to reach what you want. It builds character. But that reading also meant that in order for this to start happening, I'd have to talk about it to my husband. Which scared the crap out of me.

I walked around for many days with my stomach twisted in a knot, and tears leaking down my face. Finally, this weekend, I got the nerve to say something to him about what I wanted. His response, very typical for him, was something about how we couldn't afford it right now. Well, I don't mean right now. I'm thinking of a launch in a year or year and a half or so. Huge planner, right here folks.

So I'm going to put together a plan, get my foot in the door freelancing, and do this thing. I don't know how much time that will leave for fiction writing, but I want this. I really want this. So I'm going to try very hard to achieve it.

TGTD - Weekend One

2007-11-04T08:01:00.000-06:00

This is the first weekend in The Great Tea Debacle (it comes out in a great booming voice in my head, in case you were wondering). So far things have sucked. I wrote some during the week, and I thought to write some this weekend. I thought to write quite a lot this weekend.

Then my allergies flaired. I feel somewhat better today, but not great.

Then Piper started. Poor thing has been off the mark for the last few days, and yesterday she was a mess. I was so tired and frustrated by the time evening came, that I was near tears. The husband was gone all day (big surprise here ) and being alone with a million things I wanted to do was no fun.

Finally, yesterday evening, my husband and his buddy were talking, and I guess the buddy is bringing his new girl over tomorrow evening. Thank goodness I was already planning a big dinner, so there isn't much extra effort there. The big thing is that now I have to do housecleaning I wasn't planning on doing, and I was going to write today.

Today has already been interesting. Time changed last night. Piper woke up and when I checked the alarm clock, it said 5:30, so I thought, "That's okay. It's close enough to six that we'll just get up." Then I make it to the computer, and realize that we didn't set our clocks back before bed. It's really early.

Now, I'm going to try and write a few words since Piper is napping and the husband is still in bed. While I write, I am going to enjoy a pot pie for breakfast because it was the only thing that sounded good. Hopefully, I can have a decent number to email in tonight.

Sensory Overload

2007-10-27T08:42:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting around to this post about something I noticed the other day. Pete often rants (or discusses, whatever) about how technology is bad for writing in many cases. I don't disagree with that. There are times that a good pen and a 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 two subject notebook (They fit so neatly in the purse!) are just what I need.

But the other day during my commute home, I just wanted all the noise to stop. Which is odd because the main noise is my radio, which I select and often enjoy the sound from. It was all too much. So I did the sanest thing I could do at the moment and popped in a classical music CD I keep in the car. It seems Beethoven is on of my favorites. Especially Moonlight Sonata. I listened to that CD for two days straight.

Then it hit me that I don't get to listen to as much relaxing music as I used. Most workplaces block internet radio sites. In my temporary job, we'd found a way around it, and I often listened to a New Age radio station. At home I listen to AudioVisions on the TV, and I have tons of Celtic and Native American flute music. But I listen to many types of music in general. I'm dying to get a Tom Petty album because I don't have one, and I'd love to listen to some of that.

But as Pete has discussed, I find myself turning away from technology. There's nothing wrong with my favorite sites, it's just that I don't get as much out of them as before. I just want to tone it down. Everything in my life needs to be toned down.

So there you have, it I find myself relaxed and in the mood to write by listening to New Age and classical music. Who knew?

Ninety Second Story

2007-10-26T20:09:00.000-05:00

Pete started a ninety second story meme over at CarrPeeDiem. He then tagged Lori over at the Commune who decided it'd be real neat if she tagged me, so here I am.

A topic for a ninety second story…

I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'…

Come on, folks, give me a minute here….

AHA!!

Ready?

Set?

Go….(Highlight the text below to see the topic.)

TOPIC: By dancing naked in the moonlight, you are granted one wish, but be careful what you wish for.

Next up is Kristine over at My Midnight Muse.

The Great Tea Debacle

2007-10-24T20:03:00.000-05:00

Why in the world I signed up for The Great Tea Debacle is beyond me. Honestly, I know exactly why. There's now way I will win, but there's something to be said for the camaraderie gained from such an event.

Stemming from the fun jests in preparation from Nano, the Debacle is a competition between a few writers to see who can accomplish the most between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. Everyone has anted up some tea related item, and the winner takes all.

I'm really looking forward to having a blast losing. Who knew that was possible?

Whiny Wednesday

2007-10-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

I wanted to post more often, but I seem to be having trouble. Things are just too much for me right now, and I'm slacking. However, tonight is a night for me to rant, so that's what I'm going to do.

-To the people who don't realize that when it's cloudy and rainy, when the color of your car blends into the background, it makes it hard to see you. Damn near impossible to see you or safely change lanes or any of those other people like do while driving. If everyone else has their lights on, it's a good indication that you should have yours on also.

-To the people who are so busy talking on their damn phones to pay attention to driving, hang up the damn phone! Don't get me started on talking with your hands while driving...

This concludes my Whiny Wednesday post. Have a good rest of the week.

Finding Time for Me, or Incorporating Realistic Writing Goals

2007-09-20T05:24:00.000-05:00

I sat the other day reviewing the things I've wanted to do in terms of writing. It's been hellacious in this house lately, and I feel like I've put myself on the back burner. I'm past exhausted, and it's starting to show. But, what better way to energize myself than come up with some simple and completely achievable writing goals? Feeling the failure from not reaching other goals, I picked a slow, steady pace. So in no particular order, here are things I'd like to be doing.

Novel - Write 500 words or more every morning. Shouldn't be too hard for me so long as I'm not stuck on it. I can spit out words pretty quickly.
Short Stories - Reserve Tue & Thu evenings for working on shorts. Doesn't matter if I'm writing, editing, or submitting so long as it's shorts.
Blogging - Reserve Mon, Wed, & Fri evenings for blog entries. Also, I plan to take my posts to the next level and up the content a notch.
Saturdays - Planning, research, and similar tasks. All those little things I need to do wrapped into one day.
Sundays - Extra writing time and the Flash Fiction Challenge every Sunday.
Freelance - I'd like to dabble in freelance, building some writing credits and making a little extra money every month. Problem is that I'm waiting for clearance from work. They have to approve all for-profit work outside of the company.

I'm hoping that I'm not overloading myself here, but in theory, I'm thinking that each evening will have a half an hour or so devoted to writing. We'll see. It's worth a shot. I've been feeling like I'm neglecting myself, and it's making me unhappy. I need time for me.

Surprisingly Good Shrimp

2007-07-19T03:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, after getting off from work, I was hungry. I stopped at Dairy Queen for the popcorn shrimp basket. I just wanted the shrimp, but that's what you gotta order. For being a dessert, and sometimes good burger place, the popcorn shrimp is surprisingly good. Not that it really makes a good pre-dinner snack (I didn't even really eat at dinner), but it's good and it hit the spot.

Hump day I got some sleep. I had about as hard a time waking up yesterday as any other day. All warm and snuggled up in the bed. But, alas, this morning Piper thinks we need to wake up at 3:30. So, I fed her another snack, and put some cartoons on. I'm hoping she'll doze back off so I can take a shower.

And this week, of all weeks, the urge to write has returned. I've taken to packing my little notebook in my purse and jotting down notes. It feels good. I have discovered that I don't like to write far out into the future. This story started with a broad overview, and I just jot out the ideas for a few scenes beforehand. When I get too far ahead of myself, I get bored.

And, in book news, Harry Potter comes out Saturday! Right, I know. You've known for ages, but I'm getting all pysched up here, and I can't wait. I'm hoping Piper takes a long nap on Saturday. Fast reading is my specialty. When book six came out, I read the whole thing twice and the ending an extra time in the first 72 hours. After I read seven, I'm going to reread the whole series start to finish. Woohoo!

No Sleep in Sight...Or The Joys of Parenting

2007-07-17T04:31:00.001-05:00

Meet the walking dead. No, seriously, I am a zombie.

I don't do well with no sleep and Piper's decided not to sleep. And when I can get her to doze off in her reclined highchair after some Cheerios and juice, the dog has to go and wake her up. So now, she's running around getting into stuff at 4:30 in the morning and I need a shower that I can't take yet.

Today's not gonna be fun.

Long Time No Post

2007-07-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

So, things have changed. The change seems like a good thing, but it does take time. We're getting adjusted to the new schedule. It takes some time, of course, but it seems to be pretty good.

I think I'm going to really like the New Job once I get trained in. The people I work with are really nice.

Not so much news in the writing front. Everything seems to have stalled. Once the chaos of change has cleared, I'm hoping to define a very good schedule. I just need to get used to less sleep.

Brave New Adventures

2007-06-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

So, it’s my turn to participate in the AbsoluteWrite Blogchain #9. Following a wonderful post from Andrea on the pushing outside your comfort zone, it got me thinking to when I really started pushing outside of my comfort zone.

I’ve always been a tad bit stubborn. Only a little, I promise. I know that I gave my mom a run for her money when I was little. It’s just how I am. And I’ve always been a bit of a thinker. Not many children read from an encyclopedia just because, or to gather information. I’ve be hoarding information since I could grasp it.

So what makes me push boundaries? I’ve always had a knack for that, too. Question after question until I wear someone out. But, I like to know the intricacies of things. Is what your currently doing the best option? Are there better ways out there? If you’ve tried X before, what made it fail? Can you improve what you’re doing?

I’ve always liked to try new things within reason. Which means maximizing safety and minimizing stupidity. No, I’m not going to hang on to the hood of your car while you drive around the parking lot. Yes, I will learn to use a gun, even if they scare me, because it can be useful and I can go hunting with you.

Common sense is a wonderful spice to add to life, and I don’t like to make decisions lightly. But some things don’t affect us all equally. So, I tried to make a list of things that push my comfort boundaries. A couple of things that stuck out:

I start a new job a week from Monday. I just starting feeling like I was really comfortable in my current position, and now I get start from scratch again with people I am not sure will like me.

I’ve been encouraged to post more of my writing at AW. I don’t often like to attract attention to myself, and right now I don’t have anything polished enough to let others lay eyes on. I can’t bring myself to do it because I see so much weakness in what I have. I probably should polish up something to post for crit.

With that enlightening post, I shall leave you to how you feel about your comfort, and what activities factor those changes. Next up in the blogchain is Niteowl at http://www.periodically.org/.

AbsoluteWrite BlogChain #9

Virginia Lee: I Ain't Dead Yet!
http://blog.cathsmith.com/
hunt & peck
Life, Writing, and Other Things
periodically.org
Food History
A View From the Waterfront
Organized Chaos
Willibee
The Road Less Traveled
awchain

Ch-Ch-Changes

2007-06-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

I accepted the formal job offer, so I start June 18. My last day in my current role is June 13, so I did manage to arrange my four day weekend. Which is nice since I was so close to earning vacation in my current job. It worked out just the way I wanted it to.

Though, I will admit that I hate leaving where I’m at. I’ve gotten to know some fantastic people, and I was really hoping to get hired on here. However, I believe this new position will be good for me, and open up doors and provide experiences that match my education very well.

So it’s exciting, and I need to work on getting this new routine down. I’ll be getting home an hour later, and that means that we need to work out the kinks ahead of time so we won’t be eating at 8:00 PM.

I’m starting to think I need a slow cooker cookbook.

It’s been a long week, as the little one has not been sleeping well at night, which in turn, means we have not been sleeping well at night. It’s exhausting.

JOB OFFER!!

2007-05-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

I received a job offer, and I’m taking it. Once I get the background, reference, and other checks out of the way, I will receive my formal offer.

The salary is a great one. It exceeded my baseline range by $3,000. Can’t complain at all. I’m pretty darn excited. It looks like good deal.

But I’m really nervous, as I’ve stated other places. Change makes things crazy.

-------------

IN OTHER NEWS:

Latest data provides more evidence that gasoline prices are eroding consumer spending
http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2007/05/23/business/business/doc3b8814c083164c8e862572e300660015.txt

Ya think?

I mean, really, where do these reports come from? The first thing you hear is that gas prices, while going up, aren’t really stopping consumers from spending money.

Well, for the first the week or two, people have money stashed aside that they use to fill the tank, and it doesn’t really affect the budget. Once that money’s gone, the entertainment/frivolous budget goes, and people are buying less of the fun stuff to have money for gas.

And that’s what this article is about.

And I bet next we hear that consumers are cutting back on necessities and big purchases. Used stuff will be going quick. Blah. Blah. Blah.

What irritates me is that this stuff is common sense. I don’t need some bunch of experts doling it out. It’s logical. That’s my rant for today and I’m stickin’ to it.

At least until I have another rant.

The Waiting Game

2007-05-22T10:59:00.000-05:00

I completed my second interview for that position, and now I’m waiting. Considering the speed with which all other communications have come, it makes me a bit nervous that I haven’t heard anything yet. I’m crossing my fingers that I will hear something today.

In other job search news, a position came open where I work now in the department I interned in, so I applied for that. I don’t know how high to get my hopes up, but I applied, and that’s what counts.

In other unrelated news, I tried to buy a laptop on my Dell Preferred card. It seems my account is still locked down from when I had financial troubles a year ago. My dad keeps encouraging me to call them and ask about it, but I’m leaning towards just buying one outright. I can save enough money in about a month and a half, and it won’t increase the debt load.

Of course, it will decrease the debt payoff because that is where the extra funds will come from. Then there’s always the fact that one of us needs to get an economical car, and I’m thinking my husband will be first because he drives further than I do. But I did some quick pricing and it looks like we can get him something reasonable for about $5,000. Maybe not pretty or sporty or big like he likes, but reasonable for all his damn driving.

In other news, I get DVR on Friday. So the husband and I won’t be fighting over TV. And I haven’t been writing much lately. Considering that I can’t at home due to computer issues that I still have not had time to address, I don’t have a way to do so. So I sneak a bit in here or there and think about it all the time.

Job Search Success

2007-05-15T08:40:00.000-05:00

At least it seems to be headed in that direction. I got a call for a second interview with my potential boss's boss.

Good news.

And I will define irony as being six weeks away from having earned vacation in my current job. Just my luck. I so need some vacation. I've had more disappointment and frustration than I can handle lately.

Mother's Day was the worst letdown I have experienced all year. I was not revered or even acknowledged by the spousal unit. At all. And he knew what day it was. So much for my dreams of a happy family. I just don't see it in the cards.

Poked, Prodded & Pushed Around

2007-05-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

Now, Jenna Glatzer is giving me a hard time.

Okay, so not really a hard time, but she prodded me to keep posting. I've been thinking that I should, but nothing's really going on.

I'm putting all the finances in order a laptop from the Dell outlet. Good prices, but I watched my picture perfect computer get snatched up this morning. So, it's in the works, but nothing yet. As I get time to fix the desktop, I will. It's a nice computer really.

Job interview first thing in the morning. Ugh. I have to get up & leave super early if I don't want to miss any time this week in my current job. They will be having kittens if I leave, I think. But this job I'm interviewing for will use both of my majors and they seem excited to have me come in.

I don't know if it is stress or what, but I've not been writing as usual. I'll snap out of it. It just seems like there are times when I have great plans and disaster strikes. It gets a bit depressing. But, life goes and I'll get over it.

Falling Off the Face of the Planet

2007-04-25T12:07:00.000-05:00

So I've disappeared for a bit, given all the computer difficulties. I have to figure out a way around the problems I keep having, and I'm not sure how that's going to happen, but I'll get there. What I am debating right now is whether I want to order a cheap laptop, and whether I should tell the husband before or after it arrives.

I've wanted a laptop for a long time, and this a great time to get one. I can back up all the data from my desktop and wipe it, while enjoying the comforts of still having a computer to use. Not to mention I can write while sitting next to the husband on the couch while he watches some TV show that I can nothing about.

And a thanks to Frank Baron for posting a comment and here, which prompted a comment to myself along the lines of, "Hey Dummy! Yeah you. The blog is feeling neglected so get over there and write."

Crap Happens, Multiple Times

2007-04-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

This past weekend and the weekend before I was looking forward to a great many things.

The weekend before last I had silently planned this writing marathon. Five thousand words in the course of a weekend, which is a lot of words for me. I didn't have much else on the agenda, so I figured it would be a great thing to do. Friday night as I am cooking dinner, I have my email up so I can browse and clean out the stuff I'm not keeping. I get up to stir what's cookin' on the stove and come back to a blue screen of death. Unmountable Boot Volume. Joy, oh wondrous joy.

Then I can't find the recovery disk that came with the computer. I've had it out before. I took it to my Mother-in-law's to try to fix her computer one day. Sometime after that it vanished. Then I realize I have another XP Professional disk that I bought to upgrade the other computer I have which I probably never see again because my brother won't bring it back.

I pop that disk in and then I get to the part where I need a password. And for some odd reason I actually set a password. Now I'm trying to recall what the password I set in 2003 might be. In the meantime, I keep searching for my original disk because the kind people over at Absolute Write gave me some tips & tricks.

Finally, frustrated beyond belief, I load the other disk. It takes two tries, but I eventually get my computer to load up.

Positive side: My data is intact and I can access my email.
Negative side: It seems that every piece of Microsoft software that I tried to utilize in the two spare minutes I had before leaving for work will not work. No Word. No Internet Explorer. And I need to download SP2 again.

So now I'm thinking that I shall order an external hard drive, wipe my computer clean and start fresh. No point in fixing all the programs. I just hope I don't have to do registry stuff, as I have no experience what-so-ever with that. Ah well, it's about time for another computer anyway.

Changes to the Blog

2007-03-21T05:18:00.000-05:00

I've finally add some of the elements that I want to the blog. I think it looks pretty nice, but I'm not finished yet. I have more stuff to add, and the colors might change before I'm done. I haven't quite decided.

What I really love is the WIP bar. Over there. You see it? That thing is moving slowly but surely, and I'm back to working on my novel. At the same time that I'm working through the Create a Character Clinic by Holly Lisle. Great stuff that Holly has. I'm also reading Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer by Jenna Glatzer.

I'm also doing some other stuff, so it feel like everything is falling into place, and I'm starting to feel excited about all of it. It's good stuff.

Playing Hooky from My Blog

2007-03-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

Soooooo…

I have all these plans and then Poof! I disappear. Well, I still have plans, and I have been doing things, so it’s not a total wash.

Since my last post, I have been crazy busy. Our peeps next door moved out and we’re getting the place ready for new people. The daughter has been a royal handful as well. And I’ve decided to pull all the crap from the house that we don’t need that’s clogging up space or that needs to be in a garage sale. So basically, that means there’s stuff everywhere until I get it over to my dad’s.

In good news, I submitted a contest entry over at the AW Freelance Board, which means that I wrote an entire freelance article. In my book, it’s progress toward that my freelancing goals.

I opened up my WIP yesterday and added new words! Queen of Legends currently resides at 3,632 words so far. I’m putting up a mock finish goal of 100,000 words, but I have no clue how many words I’m headed towards, but considering there are six main people and two primary points of view, I have a feeling it will be huge. But I’m getting excited about it again.

I’m reading Holly Lisle’s Character Clinic as I’m getting back in , so I hope it helps a bunch. Actually I love all of Holly’s stuff because her writing is clear, clean and resonates with me. Ten people can explain it to me, but it always seems to click when Holly adds her voice.

I really want to get started on book reviews soon. *Glances over at stack of books awaiting reviews.* Okay, I really NEED to get start on book reviews soon. I’ll be adding them to the mix soon, but I figure I should stir the bowl as I slowly add ingredients. Then I be the writer I want to be.

Blog changes are still pending. I’m compiling ideas and such. When I get a bit of the housework caught up, I’ll work on the blog. Until the next time, take care.

Sleep Will Find Me Soon (I Hope)

2007-03-01T20:33:00.000-06:00

This has been one exciting and busy week. I interviewed on Tuesday for one position and received a call to interview next week for another.

But as a result I'm exhausted from Tuesday. Three in the morning is not the best time to get up. So I went to bed earlier last night, and had the weirdest night. I woke up at least 4 or 5 times and every time I woke up, I thought I had slept through the alarm and was late for work. Piper ended up in the bed with us, though I believe it's because the thunder and wind woke her up.

So, essentially I'm brain dead until I sleep in Saturday morning. And sometime this weekend I'll be doing some stuff with my blog.

Blog Layout and Changes

2007-02-20T12:37:00.000-06:00

So now there are some neat layout features to Blogger, and so I’m deciding what nifty things I want to put on my blog. So far, these are the ideas I have:

1. Sites that I Love
2. Blogs that I Visit
3. 5 books I’m reading or are in the TBR pile
4. WIP Bar to track progress on my novel.
5. And maybe something on current writing projects, once I get them organized and moving forward again.

It’s just so hard to decide what to put on there, and what might interest those people that bother to read my blog. So I guess if any of you have some ideas or suggestions, feel free to comment.

OF MY GOALS AND SUCH

2007-02-19T15:47:00.000-06:00

The craving to write is getting at me again. I’ve stepped away from my novel for the various illnesses that have struck my house since the new year, and I really want to get back into things. Then I did the Flash Fiction Challenge at AW. Loved it.

So I sat down and wrote out some small writerly goals for myself. These are things I want to do.

1. Write 500 words a day.
2. Write 4 blog entries a week.
3. Submit 2 freelancing queries a month.
4. Write and submit 1 short story a month.
5. Write reviews for all the books I read.

Obviously, if I plant my butt in a chair, numbers 1, 2, 3 & 4 shouldn’t be a problem. For number 3, Jenna’s book is on its way in the mail somewhere, so I’m hoping to take action after I’ve scoured it for every piece of information I can.

In addition to these writing-related goals, I have some other things I’d like to do, which may or may not relate to writing.

Post more crits on AW
1. Learn about freelancing (see above)
2. Buy Holly Lisle’s Clinics
3. Contact the local Ivy Tech about taking a couple of classes
4. Research Work at Home information
5. Work on grant funding for PCHS/Catnippers.

These are the things I want to work on. I figure one step at a time, and I'll get there. Just tortoise-style is all. Of course, I must also spend some time re-familiarizing myself with my novel. It's slipped away some, but I'm hoping I have enough notes. And, I think if I start spending some significant time with it, all the stuff will come back to me.

Computer Room Makeover

2007-02-17T22:27:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to get my home clean, organized, and clutter free. So, despite my husband's objections that other rooms are more important, I've started on the computer room. There is a method to my madness, regardless of other opinions. The reasoning being that the computer room is where all the papers, files, and miscellanous items of the house reside, and before I go stuffing other crap in here, I'd like to know how the systems are going to work.

Tonight was the first night in ages that Piper's slept in her own bed. So I've been here since then, going through stuff and making more organized stacks. I'm making real progress, and hopefully can finish it all tomorrow. After that it's on to Piper's room. Once these two rooms are done, I don't see the rest of the rooms in the house being difficult.

Which means I don't know if I'll get to any real writing this weekend, but after I get things organized, writing should be easier. But I may or may not be online the rest of the weekend. It's really up in the air.

I'm So Going to Crash

2007-02-15T12:32:00.000-06:00

So poor sweet Piper.

Piper. Piper. Piper.

At 2AM, she decides that it's not time to sleep anymore and we get up. And I never made it back to bed. Considering my lack of sleep this week already, Thursday is not the day for this kind of thing.

I'm going to crash hardcore when I get home. And someone will need to be there to pick up the pieces. The husband has been warned that tonight is leftover/whatever-you-can-fix-yourself for supper tonight. I'm just too tired. Thank goodness for Graduates Toddler Meals.

Of Illnesses and Such

2007-02-14T19:59:00.000-06:00

My daughter's sick. Tonsillitis. So this week has been full of exhaustion. She's not sleeping, so correspondingly, neither am I. It's turning into, "Floor met Face. Face meet floor." Productivity is trashed, and I long for a nice sleep in event. I'm having the craving to write, but lack the neurons to produce anything.

On a more positive note, I pulled apart the computer room and the only part that's put back together at this moment is the computer desk. Monday is a work holiday, and my mom has agreed to keep the baby for at least part of the day, so it's going to be a cleaning and de-cluttering day. I'm excited. I want to get this place straightened up!

Today's Random Rant

2007-02-09T12:18:00.000-06:00

"Brought to you in part by my neurotic behavior."

You can't have two projects that supersede all other projects. It just doesn't work that. You can't have me drop everything to work on this one important project with the utmost need only to have me drop that to work on another project that has the utmost need. I can't do both of them at once.

Thanks. Stay tuned for additional Random Ranting, brought to you in part by Pete's Iced Tea. "If it doesn't taste cold, that's because it's not."

First Post of 2007

2007-02-01T09:51:00.000-06:00

My first post of 2007, and I have lots to catch up on. Starting off with that understatement.

Way back in 2006, I was tagged twice for 5 Things Most People Don’t Know About Me thing. That makes 10 things and I wigged out for the following reasons:
A) I’m boring
B) I’m boring
C) I’m pretty open, so most people know me.
D) I’m boring.

That’s right. I’ve officially decided that I’m boring. However, I must because Zonk said so. And Lord knows, if I had hear, “Don’t make me leave this warm, cozy Caribbean to come up there…” Couldn’t you just imagine? Oh, the horror!

So, I’ll start with 5 things. Somehow 10 things just popped right out!

1) I’m really quiet when I first meet you, but watch out once we get to know each other!
2) I don’t like to be in the spotlight, rather more of the behind-the-scenes work, but if someone comes up and compliments me on my work, I love it.
3) I have a fear of uncovered windows at night. It stems from an incident in my early childhood where I discovered a man looking into the window of my bedroom.
4) My husband calls me Elly May because I’d adopt every homeless animal that crossed my path if I could.
5) I think baby cows are cute. My husband says otherwise.
6) I like to moo at cows in pastures!
7) When I was younger I wanted six kids. Then it was four. Now, since my husband doesn’t want a large family, I’ll settle for two.
8) I still think we are going to accidentally end up with three children though. Don’t ask why. It’s a gut feeling thing.
9) I firmly believe I have mild precognition abilities. It’s with that whole gut feeling thing. I’ve seen it happen too many times to discount it as dumb luck or a coincidence.
10) I’m a bit timid to posting my writing where others might see it, but I got some massive compliments on the FF I submitted to the Flash Fiction Challenge at AW. It really surprised me that people thought that well of something that I wrote in half the time allotted, with a slapped on ending, and very little touch-up. It has given me the confidence to try again, sometime soon.

There, I did it. I don’t think I have anyone to tag. I’m so boring that I don’t have too many friends.

Test Post

2006-09-16T17:52:00.000-05:00

My test post to sign up for Technorati

Technorati Profile

May I Have Some Salt for This Wound, Please?

2006-09-16T17:18:00.001-05:00

I am a temporary employee in my current job. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’d like to get hired on, even though there seems a remote chance it will happen in the next year. So it burned a tad bit when my group announced that one of the people had taken another position and they would be searching for a person to fill this role, but that I wouldn’t be able to apply because I am considered external, and they wanted to fill internally. However, they asked me to take a crash course in training so that I could fill the crucial aspects of this role until they found that new person.

I agreed, and for about the last month I’ve been performing the duties for this position. When they found a new person, the old person was supposed to come back and do the training. Now, I’ve been asked to train the new person because the old person can’t come back. There are two people that perform this job, and I will be training this new person on all the things I am comfortable, while the other person will be assisting with the things I am not comfortable doing.

Let me preface my rant by saying that I completely understand why I am not eligible for hire. That I get. But it just rubs me that I have been trained to do a job that I cannot keep, and now I am training the new person, too. I had a feeling that the cards would all fall this way, and look, I was right again. Oh, well, I’ll just tag something else to my resume and move on.

It would just be nice to have a secure job and benefits.

Bathroom Thought

2006-09-16T17:18:00.000-05:00

Does choosing to work from the dark to the light say something about my personality?

Yesterday afternoon at work, I needed to use the restroom, as does any good citizen who over-consumes the coffee. As I open the door to restroom, the cleaning lady is in there cleaning the toilets. Trying to be nice, I ask her which ones she has already cleaned. She tells me it doesn’t matter. Now, this bathroom has one side of the 5 stall line that is significantly darker than the other side of the room. I just assumed that she started at the darker end and worked her way up to the light-filled end. So I chose the stall on the darker side just next to the one she was cleaning. Lo and behold, her next stop is the darkest stall.
For some odd reason, it hit me as an aspect of my personality that it says something about my assumption. For me to think that one should work from darker side to lighter side struck me as a need to work hard to get from the darker side (evil) to the lighter side (good). Where did this come from? I have no clue, but it was an interesting insight into my mind. Overanalyzing? Probably. But I thought what I thought and I thought I should share.

Life’s a Drag

2006-09-16T17:13:00.000-05:00

I am so boring anymore. I don’t have time to keep on the latest news. I have a million and one things I need to doing, and no time to do them in. Let me just say that I have the utmost respect for all the single mom’s out there. That’s what I feel like most days. My husband is always at work or sleeping and I always am the one to take care of the baby. Not that I mind I her. She’s beyond amazing. Just some days, I would like some support. I don’t have anyone I can really talk to anymore. When I do see my husband, I desire to not blather on about my feelings. I don’t have any friends that I speak with regularly, and this is stuff I don’t feel comfortable sharing with my mom. Hell, most days I sit alone in my cubicle and eat lunch. Then I feel like having a pity party, and that makes me mad. I don’t wallow in self-pity. That’s not who I am. I think it’s because I feel alone. There’s never any time for me to do anything. A day in my life:

4:45 Alarm Starts Going Off
6:00 Must be out the door & on my way to drop the baby off
7:15 – 4:00 Work
5:00 Get to Mom’s to pick up the baby and find out about her day
6:00 Get home and start supper if it’s hubby’s day off
7:00 Get Baby ready for bed and give her a bottle
8:00 Baby may or may not be in bed – Might have time to do some stuff done.
10:00 Must be in bed to rinse & repeat

So, it’s no wonder that I feel alone & I hope that gets to change soon. However, cryptic that it may sound, I have a feeling it may get worse before it gets better.

Weighing In On Weight Loss

2006-09-09T12:33:00.000-05:00

If you look over at the links, you will see a new one entitled Weighing In On Weight Loss. It's mine and a daily log of my weight loss activities. Lately, I've been adding to it throughout the day in a Word file, and then pasting into the blog at night.

I'm hoping it helps. We'll see soon enough.

Updates

2006-09-09T12:29:00.000-05:00

I’ve spent some time today typing up with outline and story material I have for my WIP. Working title is Queen of Legends, which I like a lot, and I want to make the story live up to the title. Last night in the AW chat, I had a bit of a revelation of how my story sounds something like the Bush Administration:

A was with no end in sight & an insane king. (Substitute insane with dumbass if it works better for you)

I don’t know if that sounds familiar to anyone else, but it fits for me.

My daughter is 7 months old, has two teeth, and is so close to crawling that it’s kind of annoying that she hasn’t yet. It’s amazing how much she’s grown, and how much her personality has blossomed. It blows me away. Her personality is awesome, and not to brag, but I think she’s going to be one cool kid. She, in every way, makes me want to do this again some day. In a couple years, of course.

I’m still job hunting. My contract position is not going to lead into a permanent position any time soon, and I need that permanent position. There are several jobs I going to work on applying for this weekend, and there is the annual CareerFest coming up in a couple weeks. I’ve been working on my resume, and I think I have a pretty good one right now. At least I hope. We’ll see. They do free resume critiques at the fest as well. By the end of the year, I would like to be in a permanent position.

Oh, and for whatever reason, I’ve been on a housecleaning binge this week. I stayed up until almost 1 am the other day doing laundry. Don’t know what bug bit me, but my house could use the help.

More to come.

Piper's Teething

2006-07-08T16:20:00.000-05:00

The teething thing is really starting to get to Piper. I feel horrible because there is not much I can do for her. Other than dope her up. Then I just feel guilty. I give a half dose of Tylenol for later and a slight amount of Orajel for now. And, I know about the throat numbing danger from the Orajel, so I'm very careful with the amount I use.

It seems to relieve her discomfort after she gets fed up with chewing on things, so I can't feel too guilty. It helps her eat an entire meal, and lets her smile and be happy.

I just wish these stinking teeth would hurry up and get in already.

Character Motivation

2006-07-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I learned from all my adventures in learning to be a successful writer is that the primary concern of any one of your characters is whatever it is they want from this story. It doesn't matter what the author wants, it's all about "me".

So in this new story I'm outlining, there are six main characters. Six may sound like a lot, but I plan on using just a few POVs. However, I wanted to remember what was motivating each of my characters in this story. I suddenly thought of a great "tag" line for one of them, so it seemed only natural for me to do one set for each character. This way, I can keep their motivation in mind as I write each part of the story. Each main characters motivations:

What happens when six people band together to take out an insane, tyrant king? What if that guy is your dad?
What if you had uncovered a way to save the world? What if that way held the secret to bringing back your memory?
What if you believed you were the Queen of Legends? What if it were true and your unborn child was the heir to a kingdom?
What if by teaming up with and assisting a band of adventurers, you could discover where your daughter is and who killed your wife?
What if, by saving your country, you could redeem yourself of your past?
What if, by saving your country, you could free those who had not escaped & win back the love of your life?

The last two are similar because both of those characters are in the military, and I found it appropriate for them to be similar. I figure if I type these up and print them out, then it might help me to keep the focus of what each character is about.

It's just an idea, it didn't take me long, and it's worth a try.

My First Meme

2006-06-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

Your Meme assignment is:
1. What did you miss most about AW - JUST ONE THING (yes, I'm evil)
2. What did you do when you were missing your AW fix?
3. What new blogs or sites did you discover as a result of the shutdown?
3a. Did you add a new blog to your blogroll or site to your bookmarks? (share if you'd like to)
4. Where did you comment that you'd never commented before?
5. What was your first post here when you made it back?
6. Didja miss the Meme?

My Meme answers:
1. The people - which in a way includes everything about AW. I love those folks. They make my day.
2. I hung out in the chat. A lot. I visited Roger's forums. I hung out at Making Light and Miss Snark. I checked out blogs from other AWers.
3. I checked out a bunch of blogs from other AWers. Dawno Shwebb MacAllister Rich ChaosTitan
3a. I added all of the above people to my bookmarks and I am sure more AWers will come.
4. Roger's forums I guess. He was such a great guy to house us like that in our time of need
5. I don't remember. *Runs off to look.* I posted in the Really Time to Party thread first.
6. This is my first Meme attempt, and I'm late.

Random Meanderings

2006-06-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

Well today makes another day in the books. It's also my last week day with my daughter. On Monday, I start my new job. It's not a permanent position, but it looks promising, and I think the experience will look good elsewhere. Plus, I could get hired on at some point.

I am going to miss staying at home with my daughter. It's so much fun to see her smile all day long and to watch her make those developmental milestones. However, she's going to stay with my mom and that's cool too. My mom takes excellent care of her. In the same breath, I can say that I look forward to returning to work. I need something to stimulate my mind. I need challenges.

I'll probably be going to a funeral soon. It looks like my husband's great uncle is passing away. Today is also my husband's birthday, so it makes it a double whammy.

So much for the steak dinner I was planning for him. He might be driving to Kentucky instead.

Hey, Folks! Guess What?

2006-06-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

The Absolute Write plight has spread all over like fire does out West. Now we've been boing-boinged. I'm not much into this stuff, but from what I gather it's something that will make us noticed all over the place.

Three times now, JC-Hosting has refused to give Jenna her information back. It's like a hostage crisis now. However, AW must move forward, so new forums are being set up with all the recovered cached data. Way to go cache-ers! We are looking to have some new members when we return to our new home. I don't know how many place I have read the following phrase:

"I didn't even know about Absolute Write before, but I am definitely joining now."

Once that fabulous team called the Mod Squad finishes sprucing the place up for us, we will have a nice, new home with some brand new members to tortu...um welcome!

The down side of all of this is that Jenna Glatzer needs donations. Because of JC-Hosting, Absolute Write is not bringing in that key portion of revenue that helps it sustain itself. If you add in the fact that this is going to be one very legal battle to retrieve our poor information, that's sitting out there all alone in the cold, and Jenna's expenses will be through the roof.

Be sure to donate if you can. I am seriously debating sending the $15 I managed to squirrel away in my checking account. I may wait until tomorrow when I have a good idea as to whether I will be working soon or not.

Dawno has opened a store selling Absolute Write Gear, and I plan to purchase as soon as said job comes in hand. It's just too cool. All proceeds go to AW for the good fight.

Also, if you buy the Street Smart Writer from the little cute button on Dawno's blog, a portion of that sale will go to AW.

It's nice to see everyone band together to do so much good. I have a feeling that not only is Barabara Bauer toast, but so is JC-Hosting and the Top 20 Worst Agents. Speaking of which, I never did post my copy of the Top 20.

Other links of interest:
MacAllister
Tags:
Jenna Glatzer
JC Hosting
Top 20 Worst Agents
BarbaraBauer
Absolute Write
Dawno
JC-Hosting

Pics of Me After Giving Birth

2006-05-31T19:55:00.000-05:00

The first is right after they took Piper to the NICU and brought me a picture of her for me to see. The second is filling out Piper's paperwork. The third is in the NICU when I got to see Piper for the first time. I hadn't slept in two days so excuse the appearance.

Piper's So Funny

2006-05-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures I took this morning of Piper. She's learned to slide down in her bouncy seat when I don't strap her in, which for all those concerned is only when I need to set her down for a second and I can still watch her the whole time. However this was funny enough that I had to get pics.

Loads of Crap

2006-05-26T09:18:00.000-05:00

By now many of you know that Barbara Bauer, one of the 20 Worst Agents, called in and complained about Absolute Write to JC-Hosting, who hosted all Absolute Write sites. Reacting like a chicken with no head, JC-Hosting pulled the plug on AW with only an hour's notice to get all the stuff copied from the server. Needless to say, that all the information did not make it to us. Now that information is sitting like a hostage over there.

It's hard to decide who smacks themselves harder with the Stupid Stick on a daily basis.

Stephanie and JamesC over at JC-Hosting can't seem to get their stories straight, and Stephanie has even started (or restarted) a competing writing site of her own. I hope that they realize what they have done to their business(es). You just pissed off a very mouthy bunch. We're writers, and it's in our nature to sound off about anything we can.

Barbara Bauer can proudly wear the badge that says, "I screwed myself just like JC-Hosting." Besides being number 3 on the list of 20 Worst Agents, she is loud, but I think that's about it. Given this Barbara Bauer has a PhD, you'd think she could do legitimate things. You have to have something resembling a brain to be up there academically, but there does some to be a correlation between book smarts and street smarts, in my experience. Another case for my point I suppose.

You would think that people would have the sense not to piss where they sleep, but, alas, it's just not true.

What really pisses me off even more than losing the brilliance of AW on a temporary basis is that they ruined Jenna Glatzer's trip! She's AW's proud owner, and she works her butt off for us. I hope she understands how much she means to us, and we all know that if we can't AW back the way it was, we'll just make it better than ever. You can't bring us down, no matter what.

Just a message to all those who think messing with Absolute Write is a good idea, just remember what has happened to Barbara Bauer and JC-Hosting. It won't be pretty.

Barbara Baurer
JC-Hosting
Absolute Write
Jenna Glatzer

T

Story Creation In Progress - Exercise

2006-05-25T22:42:00.000-05:00

I am doing some writing again. Doing some fleshing and messing. My characters are trying to figure out what to do. See below.

Female: Wealthy psychic bard from royalty stock.
Female: Strong-willed motor mouth mage's assistant with no memories.
Male: Small-time thief searching for his wife's true killer.
Female: Pregnant renegade horse trainer with the soul of a mighty warrior.
Female: Cold-hearted paranoid bodyguard with only herself to blame.
Male: War-weary army leader fleeing from a secret government program.

~~

2: So why are we all here?
4: I don't know but I don't wanna be.
6: I can't stay. I have to get outta here.
5: I should turn you in. It's in my job description.
2: But who are we? I don't know who I am, but surely you people must know who you are.
3: I have a mission to complete. My wife is dead, and my daughter missing. I have things to do.
1: It will all work out in the end, though not in the way you anticipate. However, it will make a lovely story to go with my voice.
2: Can we at least go around and introduce ourselves?
4: Fine. Fine. I'm Leja and I'm having a baby. I rebelled against the king because he's a tyrant and I won't train his horses. I am to be brought in if found, but good luck with that.
2: Well, they tell me my name is Sola, but I have no idea if that's right or not. About two years ago, the mage's found me and I do research for them now.
3: Ryak.
2: Anything else you want to add to that?
3: No.
5: I'm Selea. Royal guard to her Majesty, the Queen. Is there something moving over there in those bushes?
1: My name is Erisa.

Life in the Neonatal Intensive Care

2006-05-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

Piper was carted off to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. While my doctor was tending to me, one of the NICU staff calls my husband over. Frankly, I would have preferred the man to come over where it would be easy for me to hear, but I have amazing eavesdropping powers. I quietly listened as he explained that they needed to take my daughter down to the NICU.

I had to wait before I could go down there, but after a few minutes, all the grandparents and my husband went down there. They took pictures of her for me, as did the NICU. They sent me a card with her picture and a nice little note about who her doctor was and stuff. I was waiting in my room for her doctor to come talk to me, which felt like eternity because he had a baby that was more critical than my little one.

While I waited, I got to eat, finally, and after I ate, the nurses gave me some pain meds. Then my nurses bring a wheelchair to cart me down to the NICU. When I got down there to her, they had already taken her off the CPAP, which pushed air into her lungs for her and got her on a cannula with almost room air. The respiratory therapist I spoke with indicated that he got a lot of fluid from her lungs. She seemed to be improving rapidly, but they had to keep her until all her tests came back.

When I spoke to her doctor, he described several potential issues. She has fluid in her lungs, a low blood volume, and acidic blood. They were taking care of all the issues, but she was hooked up to everything under the sun. It was sad to see my little pumpkin attached to all kinds of doohickies.

When I went for my last visit of that first evening, I had the opportunity to hold my baby. I watched as the nurse gave her the first bath, and watched as my little one desperately looked for some food. She was hungry, but lung-issue babies are not allowed to eat the first 24 hours. It made me feel like crap, and by the time the bath was done, she passed out. As much as I wanted to hold my baby, I felt rest was better for her and opted not to hold her then.

Knowing that my baby was already vastly improving, I went to finally take a shower. It felt sooo good. I hadn't realized how tired I was. The nurses said I was moving around very well for someone who just had a baby. I guess it was the adrenaline. I couldn't just stay put while my little one was in trouble. However, being up for two days did me in and when because I managed to convince everyone (husband included) to go home and get some decent rest, I was all alone to sleep. Some people might think poorly of my husband for leaving me by myself, but I insisted on him going home.

The next couple of days were a blur of pumping milk, breastfeeding the baby, and just waiting for news. On her second day of life, Piper was allowed to eat, but they would only give her 6 cc's of food at a time because of the lung thing. The only way to side-step that was to breast feed her. So I meandered down the hall every three hours to let my daughter eat as much as should. After that first day of eating, they let her eat as much as she wanted.

She went into the NICU on Tuesday morning, and she finally got to come home Sunday morning. Original problem-wise, it took three days for her blood cultures to come back, and about that same time, her doctor found the issue of a low resting heart rate, so low in fact, it was a concern. So from the time it was discovered until Sunday, this was monitored in case it was an issue. As it turned out, it was a non-issue and it seems her heart rate is just low when she's asleep.

The thing that really got me going was her doctor. One minute it would be, "This looks like a non-issue," and the next it was, "We need to keep an eye are her." He was back and forth that by Saturday, I was in tears. The first time I cried through this whole ordeal. I was just frustrated beyond belief and all I wanted was my baby at home where she belonged.

The bottom line is that Piper suffered a hard labor and delivery. That's all it was. Things are groovy now and she's as healthy as a horse.

Labor and Delivery Part II

2006-04-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

So, by 1:00 A.M. Tuesday morning I am finally dilated to 5cm and by 1:30, I hit 6cm. All I can think is, Woohoo, I am finally going to have this baby. By 3:00, I am dilated 7-8. Then comes another snag.

By about 5:00, I am dilated almost completely. The last part we are waiting for is that a small part of my cervix won't thin out. I think that it may have been related to scar tissue from a biopsy, but we will never know. As time goes on, the nurse says that a decision will have to be made soon if I don't finish dilating or at least progress enough for manipulation of the baby's head.

Then I realize that I am starting to feel my butt again, and my pain is getting bad. Looking back, I remember the anesthesiologist warning that having an epidural as long I had increased the risk of the tubing going out. However, it is shift change, and I call for my nurse to come help me with the pain. The nurse I had for the night shift was great, but I had to call more than once for this new nurse, and she really seemed to have an attitude. She turns up my epidural, says it will take about 10 minutes to take effect, and that I should expect more pressure. Thanks, for that clarification. During my internal exam, she seems very rough with me and it was quite painful.

When they tell me I can start pushing, I give it all I got. My mom said that pushing took a whole 25-30 minutes tops. I was ready to be done and it showed. The nurse was annoying though. Finally I decided to just ignore her and do it my way.

At 7:59 A.M., my beautiful little girl came into this world weighing 7lbs. 2.7oz. and at a length of 21 inches, which included her conehead. My ob/gyn laid her on my abdomen and I got to touch her head before she was taken to the warmer to be cleaned up and evaluated. She didn't make any sounds until she had been over there for some time. I was quite worried and I hope that I never again have to experience what happened next.

Going into Labor

2006-04-06T13:42:00.000-05:00

I actually went into labor the morning before my due date, which was Tuesday, January 31, 2006. That previous Sunday, my husband was scheduled to go into work that night as usual, but he decided to call off because I was having some some strong cramps, and he seemed to think that he would need to be at home.

Well, we decided to try to assist the onset of labor with some sex. It's supposed to work, and in our case, it did. The second time we had sex, very early Monday morning, I had some regular, light cramping. So at 5:30 A.M., I am lying in bed reading a book because I decided to take it easy. At about 6:45, the cramps become severe enough that I can no longer concentrate on the story. I decided to hop in the shower, because all the advice is to test for Braxton-Hicks by doing something different from what you were doing, i.e. from resting to active or vice versa.

I called my mom for her opinion about it being the real thing, and the doctor. It seems this guy does really well with high-risk, but I always felt kinda ignored. I know more than tell him that I think I am in labor, then he says go to the hospital. So we take care of the dogs and we load up my bag, the baby's bag, etc.

We get into observation... and we stay there from 8:45 until almost 2:00 P.M. They can't decide whether to admit me. The nurse doesn't seem inclined to because I am not dilating fast enough and my contractions aren't starting from the top of my belly, but she can IV me because I am dehydrated. She teased me by asking if I was ready to get up and walk, and the whole time, all I have been saying to my husband and my parents is that I want to walk.

Finally, I am admitted because my ob/gyn called for an ultrasound which showed an aged placenta. There's no way I am going home until I have this baby. By this time, not being able to walk around like I want to, I am in severe pain. I really wanted to go natural, but they call for an epidural as I am wheeled to my room. The funny thing is that they have to give me an injected pain killer just to get me to sit still long enough for the epidural.

After I am finally numbed to most of the pain, I learn from my nurse that my ob/gyn considers 2:00 P.M. too late to order Pitocin to assist my dilation. I was only dilated to 2cm when I got a room, and by 11:00 P.M., I finally hit 4cm. They ended turning down my epidural that evening because it slowed my labor so much. By about 11 or so, I asked for it to be turned back up.

My poor husband in all this, he was tired from being up all Sunday night, while I slept, and all day Monday, so I finally convinced him to go home and get some rest when I quit progressing. My mother-in-law stayed with me that night as I also told my parents to go home. Little did I know that excitement was just around the corner.

Playing Catch Up

2006-04-06T13:27:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I did the whole prepare for the baby thing and then I went and had her. What happened there was the most terrifying experience yet. I now understand many of the things mothers say. The next series of posts will cover the birth experience up until this point. Then we will move on to other things. Like writing, or lack thereof. I am trying but I am searching for a job and taking care of a newborn. Plus there is this other thing called housework that I need to do.

However, today I am devoting solely to telling the story of my daughter. More to come.

Yeah, What I Said Before

2005-10-05T09:45:00.000-05:00

So I make this huge proclamation about how I am going keep up with the blog and such. Then I disappear for a month. I have a good excuse this time, I promise. I was moving and had to wait for Internet and other things before I could hook back up with the online world. As it is, I am sitting on the floor with the keyboard in my lap. The hubby has to move his surround sound equipment before I can put my desk where it needs to go. Work has been hampering progress. We are short-staffed and I just don't have the energy or stamina to do anything besides eat and sleep when I get home. It's been horrible and the husband is giving me crap. I keep asking him if he knows what it is like to grow a baby.

I visited the doctor again yesterday and got some interesting news. I have gained a whole 2 pounds so far this pregnancy. My blood was lower than last month's reading and this is the second month this occurred. I see a pattern but the doctor didn't say anything about it. I did mention that I didn't always get to eat at work because sometimes I couldn't take a break to do it. He didn't seem too thrilled about that one and said I would start getting very dizzy if I didn't eat regularly. I got a note to take to work that says I need to take more breaks. He said all of this before I could even mention that I almost fell on my face Sunday at work because I couldn't stop to eat anything.

I have this unnerving urge to write, but a topic seems lost to my brain so I am going to go mull over something.

I Have Found a New Leaf and I Am Turning It Over

2005-09-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

So I haven't kept my promise to post things. At All. I have gone through some massive changes in my life, and I am trying to sort everything out.

Change #1: The husband and I are expecting our first child at the end of January. It's a very exciting time for us. However the first trimester took a lot out of me. I haven't found a day job yet, and working nights was draining against the exhaustion that I was feeling. I did good to make it work every day, much less do anything else. However, I am getting my energy back and that in turn is making things much easier.

Change #2: We are moving. It's not real far away. Next door, in fact. My husband's aunt lived there and she moved, so we get her place because it's bigger. Unfortunately, it needed a lot of work due to neglect and leaky plumbing. The plumbing thing was nothing new because the water here is atrocious and we have leaks all the time. However, in other parts of the house, the walls were damaged from kids and dogs, and the carpet was so worn you could see the underlayment. All that had to be repaired and we were wanting to move heavy furniture earlier this week, but all our help fizzled out on us. I'm not allowed to help with this part and it's driving me crazy because I usually do these type of things.

My mother also decided the place needed painting so she painted almost all the rooms. It looks very spiffy now, so I am happy. The only rooms left to work on are the laundry/utility room and the nursey. They didn't have high enough priority to make the first round.

So with this stuff going on, I haven't written much. I've had a couple of good story ideas, but I just don't know what to do with them. I gave up on the first one for the time being. The storyline is too trite and has been done too many times. If I can twist it into something more original that what I had previously thought of as original, then maybe it will become a WIP again.

I am making a vow before everyone that I am going to keep this thing up-to-date now with all sorts of goodies.

Well

2005-05-24T12:28:00.000-05:00

So I am finished with college. Forever. No more school work. Until I decide to go back and get another degree. At any rate, I have been taking the last two weeks to enjoy some time off and work on putting my house back together. So far it has been relaxing. No extra stress and NO HOMEWORK. That part is exciting.

However, I am getting stress on all sides about getting a job, not having kids yet. There's all kinds of weird stuff. My parents mostly. The husband doesn't say much. However it's really annoying. I am enjoying the restoration of my sanity with a great deal of pleasure. Between the multiple crises of April coupled with finals the first few days of May, I could use a little time to myself and to the things I have neglected. Jobs will always be there, and I need some time to evaluate what it is that I want to do. I have a job right now that pays the bills, so I can afford to do this, and I see nothing wrong with it.

The only down side with all this relaxing is that I haven't been doing much writing. I have been more worried about getting my house organized in some fashion again and fighting a war with the dust bunnies. I swear they are aliens or some evil, destruct force. They multiply in same fashion as their animal namesake and will use that ability to take over the world.

Okay, so maybe my brain has too much time on its hands now, but I have put it to some use. Though I haven't been putting the fingers to the keyboard, my brain has played with my story. I've been thinking about it and the direction its going almost constantly, and the best part is I don't even do it consciously. I catch myself thinking about it quite often. This is how I know it's a keeper. Even with the gaping holes and the terrible parts right now. It will work out one day.

So I am hoping that I can get the house cleaned this week, get the ceiling painted within the next week or two because that has to be done, and develop a plan to keep my house clean (in some sense). I wish to develop a routine and I am working in that direction.

A Long Pause

2005-04-17T23:03:00.000-05:00

So, I haven't written much lately here or on my novel. I was sick two weeks in a row with different ailments. That was not too much fun. Someone remind me to stay away from everyone. It's also the crunch time of the semester. So many things to do and sooooo little time. I am behind needless to say and more things happen.

I went to the AITP Collegiate Conference. I didn't place in anything, but had a good time, hanging with the guys. I was the only girl so I didn't have much of a choice. However, the laptop the school provided for us to compete with provided a good opportunity to transcribe the portions of the novel I'd written by hand.

So far this past week, my husband's grandfather had open heart surgery. My husband's grandparents pretty much raised him, so they are all close. It went well, and he's recovering extremely well. The doctor wanted to send him home two days after the surgery, but he opted for a third day to work on his mobility. He's home now and in great spirits. My mother said it best when she said, "Attitude is everything."

On a more depressing note, a guy my husband's age and schoolmate died when we were at the hospital for the surgery. It was a very sad incident. When I returned from the trip mentioned above, my mother informed that a guy I hung out with several years ago died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. That isn't the best article, but it gives the basic information. It all has me more than a little sad.

Hopefully I can begin working on my novel again soon.

Not Much Getting Done

2005-03-24T13:02:00.000-06:00

It's somewhat depressing that I have not been able to squeeze much writing time in. It's crunch time for the semester and my classes have me all tied up. Not to mention that my work schedule is inconsistent and that continues to make things difficult. However, I feel better about my story as a whole, and when I find the extra time (hopefully beginning next week) that I need, I can get into full swing.

Until then, wisps of story parts flow through my head, circulating and waiting for an opportunity to speak.

A Long Gap

2005-03-16T11:18:00.000-06:00

Well, I haven't posted anything in several days. A massive understatement. Spring Break was great. I took a couple days off and did nothing, and I needed that. I really wanted to get the house clean, but relaxing was top priority. I feel better, but this week is hectic school-wise, and I'm afraid I won't get much writing done. I am also working more, which I need the money, but it will leave me exhausted by the end of the week.

On another note, yesterday I forgot my notebook that I write in during breaks on campus. Rather than just take off writing the story, I decided it would be a good time to lay out some overall direction. It actually worked out well. There will be kidnapping, and battles. A few deaths and a little love. I just need to flesh out a few of the places where new ideas sprang forth and demand details. I really like what's going to happen, and some things I knew about found where they belong, as well as new things showed up that will demand I go back and add in towards the beginning. I am excited, and that's all that matters.

Why?

2005-03-02T09:46:00.000-06:00

Rereading my posts, I wonder why I have so many extra words in there. It seems lately that the connection between my brain and my mouth, as well as the one between my brain and my fingers has short-circuited.

Ah, well, perhaps after some rest next week, I can fix that issue. Until then please be forgiving, as I do not always have the time to go back and edit my posts.

Progress Today

2005-03-02T09:36:00.000-06:00

I have just finished the history of the magic and the abilities that make Pippa unique in her world. How and why the weapon she must wield is special to her and why it is there to begin with is all there. I typed out a 1200 word book report type thing, summarizing the critical points of that story. It would actually make a good prequel.

With all that squared away, I now understand why my story must happen this way. I can feel the natural flow coming back into my mind, and I look forward to working on it again. The hesitation is gone. Thank you everyone at Absolute Write and to Holly Lisle for the valuable input that sparked my idea for the backstory, and helped me decide that settling that now is the proper course of action. There is always so much to learn.

However, as much as I desire to write now, I have homework to do now. I have to study for my test tomorrow, as I do not yet know if I am working tonight or not. Also I have to do some things for the group I am leading in Sr. Project.

Good luck to all of my fellow writers in having a successful, productive day.

I'm Writing Again

2005-03-01T10:17:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted since Sunday, but bascially, I got some homework done. Yesterday, I played around on the computer some, did some homework, and then went to my classes for the day, my CIS Sr. Project and environmental Geology. The geology course is a night course, which means it is 3 hrs long. For a Spring Break present, he let us out at the halfway point. He's a really cool guy. Check him out here.

So in class last night, I decided to go ahead and write out the backstory. I started a book report looking thing and so far it is working out fine. This is what happens when you have a good idea.

Getting ready to go to class now. I missed Operations Management (boring!) and I still have Accounting Information Systems. I'll see how it goes.

A Little About My Story

2005-02-27T15:29:00.000-06:00

Here is a brief summary of my story in its current form. This thing is evolving regularly, and I am going to have to find a way to focus it. Anyway, here it goes.

My story is about a young woman named Pippa, 18-20ish, who has to wield a powerful weapon to defeat an evil man and the army he has created. With the proper tools, this man can use the weapon's magic to take over the world.

I created several classes for characters to belong to, and the people receive training based on their abilities, magical or not. It is similar to Druid, Ranger, Warrior, etc., but some of these abilities are different and I have created different names, but I believe it will be easy to recognize the similarities, and therefore, easy to relate.

The MC does not having any training from one of the formal academies because her class is so rare that the last time one of her class existed was a long time ago (I haven't decided how far back that should be yet), and it was an ancestor. As such, her mother and uncle have trained her for this class as best they could based on the history. She understands the responsibilities she must endure.

However, the evil man has already stolen the weapon from her house, and she has to get it back before he discovers how to use it. This man has also stolen the main tool he needs to be successful, and is also trying to figure out how to use that. In the process, she must discover how to use it herself, and she enlists the help of people from other parts of the world in her quest.

Bah!

2005-02-27T15:18:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to get much writing done today. I have homework instead. Two-count them-TWO semester-long projects this go round and they need my attention.

Here in a few weeks, I should be able to get more writing done as my commitment to one of the projects will finish with me participating in the last team that I am required to do. Then I will only have to meet during the times the entire class meets. Hooray!

So I am off to work on my Computer Information Systems Senior Project and my group project for Accounting Information Systems. And I have homework for my environmental geology class for tomorrow. And some homework due on Tuesday and a test on Thursday for my operations management class. Then it will be Spring Break after that, and I am so excited.

I have also been somewhat reluctant to write due to a self-imposed dilemma explained here. I am taking advice and hopefully by Tuesday, my regular writing day, I will make a decision and proceed with glee.

Welcome to My Blog!

2005-02-27T03:41:00.000-06:00

Hello and welcome! The main purpose of this blog is to share my progression in writing my first novel, providing you with an interesting read, and for me, the motivation to work harder to focus my writing.

Of course, by the title, I intend to include other aspects of my life where appropriate. Joys, frustrations, triumphs, and failures. Anything interesting actually.

More to come tomorrow. My spelling has become horrible, so I must be tired. Off to hit the sack!