I received a lovely gift from one of my editors and his staff today--a delicious box of Belgian chocolates.
This simple statement prompts me to confess another vice.
No, not my love of chocolate, that's common knowledge!
I write poetry.
In spite of Robert Heinlein's warning, "A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits," I'm going to share a short rhyme I just wrote.
I got chocolate, I got beer,
Christmastime is almost here.
My belly's full of holiday cheer,
Please hide the scale come New Year's!
I suppose I shouldn't quit my day job. Oh, wait... that involves writing, too!
By the way, for those of you who visit Miss Michele, I want to apologize for the delays in your readings. I received a writing opportunity requiring a super-fast turnaround and I've basically stopped doing, well, anything, to get it done, in the hopes this website will use me for ongoing work.
I hope to finish up tonight and start tomorrow back to normal.
Dawn
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Chained AND Tagged...
In much the same way a writer gets multiple assignments (and deadlines) all on the same day, Wordsmith tagged me with a meme late the other night. Before I could compile my five facts, I realized I was next in the AW Blog Chain #13.
When it rains, it pours, even in cyberspace.
With my blog chain post done, I figure I better play along with this tag before there is no one left on the World Wide Web for me to tag.
Here’s how it works:
Link to the tagger and post these rules on your blog. Share five facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Okay… I have got to “steal” Plaid Earthworm’s random fact #1.
1. Random fact: I am left-handed, too. So is my sister, my nephew and his mother (which would be my sister-in-law). I also seem to have many of the stereotypical traits of left-handers… I can be accident-prone (or at least clutzy, but lucky! No broken bones or major injuries so far!) I’m creative and intuitive. None of these have been proven, of course, but it sounds like a good excuse when I stub my toe on the coffee table or drop a glass when I’m washing dishes.
2. Weird fact: I have a tank. No, really. This won’t seem weird to anyone in the scenario paintball world, but my husband built a paintball tank out of plywood and fiberglass on the chassis of a 1992 Chevy Blazer. It was featured on a trading card in an issue of RECON Magazine. I have been known to shoot out opposing tanks with a Nerf rocket from the turret and then giggle maniacally.
3. Weirder Fact: My cat, Panzer, was born on the passenger seat of the tank. We raised Mama Cat and the kittens until they were weaned. The other three kittens were adopted (the girls, Jade and Jasmine, went to one home, and Panzer’s brother, Jeter, went to another.) Panzer joins Xena, Onyx and Ghost as our furry little roommates who don’t know how to clean up after themselves.
4. Wow. What more can I say after I talk about my tank? I used to own several iguanas, a Savannah Monitor and prairie dogs, Wendell and Emmett.
5. Factling: I am a huge sci-fi fan, especially Star Trek, and used to edit a fanzine back when that kind of thing was widely distributed on paper. Oh, wait, I revealed that on Absolute Write. Okay, okay. I also had a huge crush on Jonathan Frakes, aka Commander Will Riker.
And Deanna Troi.
In that girly-crush, purely platonic way, of course.
Okay, who do I want to tag now?
Moonslice over at Light Green Stairs
Lavinia aka Karen-Bob at Write Now
Rachel at That Which Deranges the Senses
My blog chain predecessor over at Twisted Fantasies.
And... Joanna at Life in the Middle (who may have been tagged before and, if so, I apologize.)
When it rains, it pours, even in cyberspace.
With my blog chain post done, I figure I better play along with this tag before there is no one left on the World Wide Web for me to tag.
Here’s how it works:
Link to the tagger and post these rules on your blog. Share five facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag five people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Okay… I have got to “steal” Plaid Earthworm’s random fact #1.
1. Random fact: I am left-handed, too. So is my sister, my nephew and his mother (which would be my sister-in-law). I also seem to have many of the stereotypical traits of left-handers… I can be accident-prone (or at least clutzy, but lucky! No broken bones or major injuries so far!) I’m creative and intuitive. None of these have been proven, of course, but it sounds like a good excuse when I stub my toe on the coffee table or drop a glass when I’m washing dishes.
2. Weird fact: I have a tank. No, really. This won’t seem weird to anyone in the scenario paintball world, but my husband built a paintball tank out of plywood and fiberglass on the chassis of a 1992 Chevy Blazer. It was featured on a trading card in an issue of RECON Magazine. I have been known to shoot out opposing tanks with a Nerf rocket from the turret and then giggle maniacally.
3. Weirder Fact: My cat, Panzer, was born on the passenger seat of the tank. We raised Mama Cat and the kittens until they were weaned. The other three kittens were adopted (the girls, Jade and Jasmine, went to one home, and Panzer’s brother, Jeter, went to another.) Panzer joins Xena, Onyx and Ghost as our furry little roommates who don’t know how to clean up after themselves.
4. Wow. What more can I say after I talk about my tank? I used to own several iguanas, a Savannah Monitor and prairie dogs, Wendell and Emmett.
5. Factling: I am a huge sci-fi fan, especially Star Trek, and used to edit a fanzine back when that kind of thing was widely distributed on paper. Oh, wait, I revealed that on Absolute Write. Okay, okay. I also had a huge crush on Jonathan Frakes, aka Commander Will Riker.
And Deanna Troi.
In that girly-crush, purely platonic way, of course.
Okay, who do I want to tag now?
Moonslice over at Light Green Stairs
Lavinia aka Karen-Bob at Write Now
Rachel at That Which Deranges the Senses
My blog chain predecessor over at Twisted Fantasies.
And... Joanna at Life in the Middle (who may have been tagged before and, if so, I apologize.)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Unchained Confessions
The famous (infamous?) AW Blog Chain began at A Thoughtful Life, where Kat posted about distractions. Gillian over at Food History then blogged about lists.
From there it continued, finding its way to sex toys (and, in fact, back to lists) with Williebee and then, again, back to distractions over at Twisted Fantasies. Michelle Rasey, blogger at Twisted Fantasies, also wrote, in that same post, about pregnancy and motherhood. While I'm no stranger to distraction, I blogged about that a few days ago.
While it's really tempting to pick up on the sex toy reference, I will refrain. I'm going to take this blog chain, #13 for those who are counting, into uncharted territory to talk about babies and children.
I worked an art auction the other day, a fundraiser for a traveling football league made up of boys age 8 - 12. When I attended this same fundraiser last year, I felt like my co-worker, Joanne and I, spent most of our time scolding the boys. "Please don't touch the artwork. Please don't lean on the table. Don't run! You're going to fall and get hurt."
This time, the auction company owner went with me. An older man with grown children, he gritted his teeth every time the young boys tried to write a fake name on the silent auction bid sheet, ran across the reception hall, or sprawled out on the floor to play their Nintendo DS.
After we left, I commented, "The kids seemed to be better this year than last."
"Really?" Rudy, the owner, grimaced. "I can't imagine what you girls went through last year."
I shrugged. "The same: don't lean on the table, don't run, put the pens down, yadda-yadda. They just seemed more manageable this year. Last year, I walked out swearing I was never, ever having kids."
But was it the kids who changed, or me?
I've noticed a shift in my way of thinking over the past few months. Maybe it's the proverbial biological clock or maybe it's boredom. When I see kids misbehaving in public places, my standard response is: "OUR kids will never act like THAT!" These wild children are not representative of their entire age group. Clearly, it's their upbringing.
Yeah, right.
In reality, I know better. But until the day comes that I am seeking out a spot in the "candy-free" line in order to keep a two-year old from having a temper tantrum, let me enjoy my delusions, would ya?
I cannot wait to see where Boddie goes with this, but I am sure it's going to be funny.
A Thoughtful Life
Gillian's Food History
Getting Confused and Coming All Undone
Life in the Middle
So You Want to be a Chic Chick
Williebee
Twisted Fantasies
It Had To Be Said
Finding Boddie
Virtual Wordsmith
Random Acts of Unkindness
Chocolate for Your Brain
Virginia Lee: I Ain't Dead Yet!
awchain
From there it continued, finding its way to sex toys (and, in fact, back to lists) with Williebee and then, again, back to distractions over at Twisted Fantasies. Michelle Rasey, blogger at Twisted Fantasies, also wrote, in that same post, about pregnancy and motherhood. While I'm no stranger to distraction, I blogged about that a few days ago.
While it's really tempting to pick up on the sex toy reference, I will refrain. I'm going to take this blog chain, #13 for those who are counting, into uncharted territory to talk about babies and children.
I worked an art auction the other day, a fundraiser for a traveling football league made up of boys age 8 - 12. When I attended this same fundraiser last year, I felt like my co-worker, Joanne and I, spent most of our time scolding the boys. "Please don't touch the artwork. Please don't lean on the table. Don't run! You're going to fall and get hurt."
This time, the auction company owner went with me. An older man with grown children, he gritted his teeth every time the young boys tried to write a fake name on the silent auction bid sheet, ran across the reception hall, or sprawled out on the floor to play their Nintendo DS.
After we left, I commented, "The kids seemed to be better this year than last."
"Really?" Rudy, the owner, grimaced. "I can't imagine what you girls went through last year."
I shrugged. "The same: don't lean on the table, don't run, put the pens down, yadda-yadda. They just seemed more manageable this year. Last year, I walked out swearing I was never, ever having kids."
But was it the kids who changed, or me?
I've noticed a shift in my way of thinking over the past few months. Maybe it's the proverbial biological clock or maybe it's boredom. When I see kids misbehaving in public places, my standard response is: "OUR kids will never act like THAT!" These wild children are not representative of their entire age group. Clearly, it's their upbringing.
Yeah, right.
In reality, I know better. But until the day comes that I am seeking out a spot in the "candy-free" line in order to keep a two-year old from having a temper tantrum, let me enjoy my delusions, would ya?
I cannot wait to see where Boddie goes with this, but I am sure it's going to be funny.
A Thoughtful Life
Gillian's Food History
Getting Confused and Coming All Undone
Life in the Middle
So You Want to be a Chic Chick
Williebee
Twisted Fantasies
It Had To Be Said
Finding Boddie
Virtual Wordsmith
Random Acts of Unkindness
Chocolate for Your Brain
Virginia Lee: I Ain't Dead Yet!
awchain
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Musings on Three Totally Unrelated Matters
New Forum
After my post yesterday about my Internet addiction, two things happened. My connection went down for two hours. I have never felt so lost. Instead of sitting down and *writing,* I made phone calls to close friends and did some housework.
When it came back up, I discovered that RECON Magazine's forum has launched!
I can't help but think it's neat to have a forum for the magazine I edit, sort of another step on this path to success.
New World Views
I had a conversation yesterday that caused me to re-think my views on charity. Someone I know (well) is turning to a charity organization to make Christmas a little better this year. As a Libertarian, I believe 100 percent that charity should be handled in the private sector, not by the government. People should have a choice of whether to contribute or not. So I support, in theory, these types of private charity organizations.
I like to think I am extremely charitable to people I *know*, but when it comes to organizations, etc., I consider very carefully. Do the recipients really *deserve* it. *Why* do they need help?
With inside information about one particular case, an old lesson hits home for me. You can't judge someone until you've walked in their shoes (or at least know their circumstances.) And if one person is truly deserving, probably countless others are as well. Who am I to judge without knowing?
I'd like to send you to Mysti's blog. Mysti is a kind, generous individual who doesn't have these misgivings (or maybe it's sheer selfishness?) about charity that I had. For every link back to her blog and every comment posted there, she will donate $.01 to Habitat for Humanity.
My Journey
Go there. Make a comment. I'll wait.
Back? If you have a blog, please link back to Mysti's site.
Thank you.
New Cat Story
To end this blog on a lighter note, I have to share a story about my 1 1/2 year old cat, Panzer. Panzer is completely fearless, 14 lbs. of pure muscle, and just about the largest housecat I've seen.
Well, he's not *completely* fearless. Panzer is afraid of the front door. Maybe it's because he was born outside, adopted by us at four days old, and used as bait to lure his mother into a Have-a-Heart trap so she could nurse Panzer and his three siblings. I guess that could have been traumatic.
All four of our cats are indoor cats. None of them try to get out. But whenever the door opens, Panzer runs away. Yesterday, he was perched on his cat tree near the closed front door, when my husband opened the door to take out the garbage. Panzer leaped off the platform and into the kitchen (going the long way to avoid getting any closer to the front door) ran down the steps and into the bedroom. Not only does he not want to be *near* the door when it's opened, he doesn't even want to *see* it. He wants to be in a completely different room. It's like he thinks the open door will suck him out into the great wild.
It was actually quite funny to watch.
After my post yesterday about my Internet addiction, two things happened. My connection went down for two hours. I have never felt so lost. Instead of sitting down and *writing,* I made phone calls to close friends and did some housework.
When it came back up, I discovered that RECON Magazine's forum has launched!
I can't help but think it's neat to have a forum for the magazine I edit, sort of another step on this path to success.
New World Views
I had a conversation yesterday that caused me to re-think my views on charity. Someone I know (well) is turning to a charity organization to make Christmas a little better this year. As a Libertarian, I believe 100 percent that charity should be handled in the private sector, not by the government. People should have a choice of whether to contribute or not. So I support, in theory, these types of private charity organizations.
I like to think I am extremely charitable to people I *know*, but when it comes to organizations, etc., I consider very carefully. Do the recipients really *deserve* it. *Why* do they need help?
With inside information about one particular case, an old lesson hits home for me. You can't judge someone until you've walked in their shoes (or at least know their circumstances.) And if one person is truly deserving, probably countless others are as well. Who am I to judge without knowing?
I'd like to send you to Mysti's blog. Mysti is a kind, generous individual who doesn't have these misgivings (or maybe it's sheer selfishness?) about charity that I had. For every link back to her blog and every comment posted there, she will donate $.01 to Habitat for Humanity.
My Journey
Go there. Make a comment. I'll wait.
Back? If you have a blog, please link back to Mysti's site.
Thank you.
New Cat Story
To end this blog on a lighter note, I have to share a story about my 1 1/2 year old cat, Panzer. Panzer is completely fearless, 14 lbs. of pure muscle, and just about the largest housecat I've seen.
Well, he's not *completely* fearless. Panzer is afraid of the front door. Maybe it's because he was born outside, adopted by us at four days old, and used as bait to lure his mother into a Have-a-Heart trap so she could nurse Panzer and his three siblings. I guess that could have been traumatic.
All four of our cats are indoor cats. None of them try to get out. But whenever the door opens, Panzer runs away. Yesterday, he was perched on his cat tree near the closed front door, when my husband opened the door to take out the garbage. Panzer leaped off the platform and into the kitchen (going the long way to avoid getting any closer to the front door) ran down the steps and into the bedroom. Not only does he not want to be *near* the door when it's opened, he doesn't even want to *see* it. He wants to be in a completely different room. It's like he thinks the open door will suck him out into the great wild.
It was actually quite funny to watch.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Whips and Chains... oh, Wait...
Because I don't spend nearly enough time on the Internet, I've joined the AW Blog Chain this month.
It's my first time doing something like this, but I know many of the Bloggers involved and visit their sites regularly. It should make for some good reading, so I urge you to check it out! (See the links to the left!)
Meanwhile, I'm continuing to battle my Internet addiction. I need to set some parameters for myself. I wind up checking AW, e-mail and a handful of blogs every time I stop one project and begin another. Since I am big on multitasking and tend to bounce back and forth from one article to another, this is a huge problem. I estimate I spend about 4 hours a day just checking forums, etc.
Sure, I've landed jobs from it, but I feel like it's getting to be a problem, when I'm putting in 10 - 12 hour days writing, but too much of it is spent NOT writing.
Now there's discussions on AW about Skype, LinkedIn and other social networks that threaten to suck up more of my day. Help? Suggestions??
It's my first time doing something like this, but I know many of the Bloggers involved and visit their sites regularly. It should make for some good reading, so I urge you to check it out! (See the links to the left!)
Meanwhile, I'm continuing to battle my Internet addiction. I need to set some parameters for myself. I wind up checking AW, e-mail and a handful of blogs every time I stop one project and begin another. Since I am big on multitasking and tend to bounce back and forth from one article to another, this is a huge problem. I estimate I spend about 4 hours a day just checking forums, etc.
Sure, I've landed jobs from it, but I feel like it's getting to be a problem, when I'm putting in 10 - 12 hour days writing, but too much of it is spent NOT writing.
Now there's discussions on AW about Skype, LinkedIn and other social networks that threaten to suck up more of my day. Help? Suggestions??
Sunday, December 2, 2007
The Power of Prayer
While mindlessly surfing the Web tonight, I followed one link to another and arrived at:
http://www.rosemaryaltea.com/power/weekly_lesson.cfm
I'm interested in picking up her book, now. And I think I will begin taking her online course on a weekly basis. Because, you know, I need to add another site to my Internet addiction...
But, seriously, I'm even more interested in her suggestion to start a prayer book for those who need healing.
I don't think it's coincidence that I found this site. I'm a big believer in synchronicity and I'm working on a marketing project with iprayerworks, which is essentially the high-tech, web-interfaced version of what Ms. Altea suggests. For churches, Toby Dagenhart's software is absolutely brilliant (IMHO).
But for individuals I believe a pretty notebook will work well. I plan on starting my own. And yes, it has to be a pretty notebook-- or at least one that feels "important" to the user. I'm big on special notebooks and am well-known in the paintball community for carrying around my little Moleskine books. But my prayer book has to be feminine and flowery, to promote life and healing and make me happy. Yours can be whatever you feel it needs to be.
The first name in my prayer book will be Monty Doom, my close friend in paintball whose MS recently took a turn for the worse. He has a legion right below his brain stem. It resulted in vertigo and loss of vision. His vision is back now, but it must have been terrifying. Monty lives almost 3,000 miles away from me, but I pray for him everyday.
The next name will be Bob Juengle of Bear Claw Paintball who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
And Bea Youngs' father. Bea, I'm always, always praying for your dad.
Thank God those are the only names I can come up with right now who need as many positive thoughts as we can send them. I'm sure I'll think of more when I get my notebook. Of course, there are those people who I just want to bless everyday because they are an important part of my life and I want them to be happy.
Ms. Altea's explanation of why prayer works for healing makes a lot of sense, and falls in line with my own beliefs on the topic. It can't hurt, right?
http://www.rosemaryaltea.com/power/weekly_lesson.cfm
I'm interested in picking up her book, now. And I think I will begin taking her online course on a weekly basis. Because, you know, I need to add another site to my Internet addiction...
But, seriously, I'm even more interested in her suggestion to start a prayer book for those who need healing.
I don't think it's coincidence that I found this site. I'm a big believer in synchronicity and I'm working on a marketing project with iprayerworks, which is essentially the high-tech, web-interfaced version of what Ms. Altea suggests. For churches, Toby Dagenhart's software is absolutely brilliant (IMHO).
But for individuals I believe a pretty notebook will work well. I plan on starting my own. And yes, it has to be a pretty notebook-- or at least one that feels "important" to the user. I'm big on special notebooks and am well-known in the paintball community for carrying around my little Moleskine books. But my prayer book has to be feminine and flowery, to promote life and healing and make me happy. Yours can be whatever you feel it needs to be.
The first name in my prayer book will be Monty Doom, my close friend in paintball whose MS recently took a turn for the worse. He has a legion right below his brain stem. It resulted in vertigo and loss of vision. His vision is back now, but it must have been terrifying. Monty lives almost 3,000 miles away from me, but I pray for him everyday.
The next name will be Bob Juengle of Bear Claw Paintball who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
And Bea Youngs' father. Bea, I'm always, always praying for your dad.
Thank God those are the only names I can come up with right now who need as many positive thoughts as we can send them. I'm sure I'll think of more when I get my notebook. Of course, there are those people who I just want to bless everyday because they are an important part of my life and I want them to be happy.
Ms. Altea's explanation of why prayer works for healing makes a lot of sense, and falls in line with my own beliefs on the topic. It can't hurt, right?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
A $170 Toothbrush?!
In my last post, I blogged about odd jobs.
While this isn’t exactly a job, last year I became a BzzAgent.
It doesn’t pay actual money, but I’ve gotten some great new products from it. And, theoretically, when you collect enough points, you can turn them in for prizes or donations to charities. It takes a while to accrue points, however, and I haven’t taken advantage of that, yet.
I have gotten to test out brand new Pledge wipes, Listerine Whitestrips (before the commercials were everywhere!) and Grey Poupon mustard.
Some of the products haven’t been so good. I signed up to Bzz about a software program but, honestly, I’ve been afraid to download it. They say it’s secure, but I don’t like the idea of uploading the entire contents of my hard drive to the Internet.
Yesterday, however, I got my best Bzz product ever! I received the new Sonicare Flexcare 940 Series toothbrush w/ UV Sanitizer. It retails for $169.
Now, would I have bought a $170 toothbrush under any circumstances? Probably not. But it was free! I immediately went out and spent $30 on additional heads, that way my husband can use it, too. After using it once, I was so impressed that if it ever breaks, I probably *will* purchase a replacement.
I’ll post more in the coming weeks. It’s supposed to make your teeth whiter, reduce tartar and plaque build-up, etc. etc. It will be interesting to see, when I go for a cleaning next month, if there’s a noticeable difference.
Okay, I just realized I’m blogging about toothbrushes. But it’s a $170 toothbrush! That counts for something, right? (What is this world coming to that people will spend $170 on a toothbrush? That’s a blog for another day.)
The thing is, I also received 3 coupons for $10 off a toothbrush. With it being the holidays and all, I’m feeling generous. I will send a $10 off coupon to the first three people to post a comment here. And I’ll throw in a few for $1 off TV Guide, too. Of course, you’ll also need to send me an e-mail at my gmail account with your address so I can send the coupon. (That's easy to find, but mention in your post if you can't track it down.) The coupons will go to the first three people to post here.
There’s nothing fishy here. I promise. If I could do this all virtually (without your having to give an address) I would. But I can’t think of another way. And I’d hate for these coupons to go to waste.
There is one small catch. Please promise to post back here in 2 to 4 weeks and let me know how you like the toothbrush, that way I can write a Bzz Report about it.
While this isn’t exactly a job, last year I became a BzzAgent.
It doesn’t pay actual money, but I’ve gotten some great new products from it. And, theoretically, when you collect enough points, you can turn them in for prizes or donations to charities. It takes a while to accrue points, however, and I haven’t taken advantage of that, yet.
I have gotten to test out brand new Pledge wipes, Listerine Whitestrips (before the commercials were everywhere!) and Grey Poupon mustard.
Some of the products haven’t been so good. I signed up to Bzz about a software program but, honestly, I’ve been afraid to download it. They say it’s secure, but I don’t like the idea of uploading the entire contents of my hard drive to the Internet.
Yesterday, however, I got my best Bzz product ever! I received the new Sonicare Flexcare 940 Series toothbrush w/ UV Sanitizer. It retails for $169.
Now, would I have bought a $170 toothbrush under any circumstances? Probably not. But it was free! I immediately went out and spent $30 on additional heads, that way my husband can use it, too. After using it once, I was so impressed that if it ever breaks, I probably *will* purchase a replacement.
I’ll post more in the coming weeks. It’s supposed to make your teeth whiter, reduce tartar and plaque build-up, etc. etc. It will be interesting to see, when I go for a cleaning next month, if there’s a noticeable difference.
Okay, I just realized I’m blogging about toothbrushes. But it’s a $170 toothbrush! That counts for something, right? (What is this world coming to that people will spend $170 on a toothbrush? That’s a blog for another day.)
The thing is, I also received 3 coupons for $10 off a toothbrush. With it being the holidays and all, I’m feeling generous. I will send a $10 off coupon to the first three people to post a comment here. And I’ll throw in a few for $1 off TV Guide, too. Of course, you’ll also need to send me an e-mail at my gmail account with your address so I can send the coupon. (That's easy to find, but mention in your post if you can't track it down.) The coupons will go to the first three people to post here.
There’s nothing fishy here. I promise. If I could do this all virtually (without your having to give an address) I would. But I can’t think of another way. And I’d hate for these coupons to go to waste.
There is one small catch. Please promise to post back here in 2 to 4 weeks and let me know how you like the toothbrush, that way I can write a Bzz Report about it.
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