Sunday, December 30, 2007

Vacation Log: Day 9

Yesterday was busy and fun. Well, sort of.

I went shopping. I was exchanging some clothes--1 piece didn't fit, 1 piece was the wrong color but otherwise I liked it, and two things were just not me.

I met Jeepy Girl for lunch, with my cutie. It was nice to visit with her.

I took cutie home, got the mail, brought in the soaping oils from the garage that had frozen solid, and then planned to go out again. I had gift cards to spend, dangit!

Spent the gift cards. Note to all: Colorado Mills is HUGE. Don't plan on going to they gym--you'll get in your workout.

Today I plan on making soap (finally!), and maybe start sewing. For the etsy shop. Remember?

Friday, December 28, 2007

Vacation Log: Day 7

I have accomplished nothing today, except making bread. It's rising right now.

Today will be full of laundry. I woke up with a breakout on my nose--inflamed, red, weird stuff. After a few hours, it spread to my right cheek. I decided it was due to the new sheets that I hadn't washed before using them.

Yes, I am a genius.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Vacation Log: Day 6

Whew!

Yesterday was a little bit busy. We went shopping in the morning, for batteries and paper products, mostly. And don't think the paper products were wrapping paper, as I am still overloaded with christmas stuff. I don't need to buy any more--I have extra. No, we were out of basic paper products--toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues.Batteries were essential as well, as the cutie received several toys that needed them.

We came home and had lunch together, which was a bit surreal. We normally sit around the dinner table for the evening meal. It was nice. After lunch, Jeepy Girl came over with my last gift for dh. She stayed for about an hour, visiting.

After that, I went to the bank.

When I got home, we packed up and went across town to nephew J's birthday party. It was held at one of those indoor amusement places. My favorite thing was the go-karts. Too, too fun.

Today, I packed and mailed soap orders, went to the grocery store, cooked brunch for my family, baked apple dumplings, and now I'm blogging. I am going to work on my new book that I've been writing, and see if I can't put a dent in it. I also plan on taking a bath at some point, and shoveling snow. Again. It's snowing again, and has been since before the sun came up. It's a stay-at-home day today.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Vacation Log: Day 4

Happy Christmas! Denver got a white Christmas this year! I am up at 6:50am, and was greeted with such a lovely sight: a blanket of 2-3 inches of snow! It's still dark outside, so I'm sitting here in the kitchen, the tree lights are on, I'm going to light the oil lamps, make some coffee, and then sit on the couch and continue reading Harry Potter year 7.

It is already a great day. I wish the same for all of you.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Vacation Log: Day 3

Did you know that Clorox wipes are good for cleaning the bathroom floor? On your hands and knees?


I'm just sayin'.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Vacation Log: Day 2

Today is cleaning day. So was yesterday. I only got one section of the kitchen clean, though. It's the counter where we pile all the crap. I said to my husband, "Maybe if we keep it completely empty, then it'll stay that way."

He also thought that was a good idea. I don't know where we will put our piles and piles of mail, though. And our holiday cards from last year. And old birthday cards from two years ago. Oh, and how about 4 decks of cards, lids to bottles that don't exist, a pile of receipts, paper bags, and old birthday cake candles?

WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT THAT STUFF? I ask you.

Today we will continue with the cleaning. Today is "big cleaning" day. Although, yesterday was quite cathartic--I obviously filled a trash bag full of stuff. I am tired of all of the stupid crap we own. We own stupid crap! And sometimes can't throw it away! I hate that! We aren't "hoarders" as such. I've seen photos on the internet of people like that, and let me tell you, they have a problem. A big problem. Our hoarding goes in cycles of , "But we could use this!" to, "Get this shit out of my house!"

I think I just need to have people over more often. The house would be cleaner, more often, and I wouldn't have so much stinkin' crap!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Vacation log: day 1

Hooray!

No snow days to start the vacation this year, but I'll take it anyway. I haven't accomplished much yet today, except getting a banner and business card made for my new etsy shop! No! It doesn't have anything in it! You're right!

But it will.

"Oh, why, Amy, WHY are you doing something else? Why must you take on yet another business responsibility?"

Um...because it's fun? Yes, people, I have found some fun. I was sewing away, sewing all sorts of gifts for the holidays, when I stopped and realized: I'm having fun. Another fun thing for me is purchasing fabric. I don't necessarily have anything to make with it--I just want to look at it and feel it and have it.

And now I've discovered things to make with it, and I'm so excited! This will be another way to make a little bit of money, and to have some FUN.

WHAT A CONCEPT.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Sensible and Decent--lost from our vocabulary

I support the WGA strike. I suppose many might think that their opinions don't have much to do with the outcome of this strike, but I beg to differ. And as a blogger, you know you'll hear about my differ. And my begging. Oh, you'll hear it.

The Internet is a big part of the reason for the strike. The clever writers have taken to the Internet to prove their point, and I think it is a brilliant move. The corporations that run most of the media (television, radio, news) are saying one thing to their shareholders, and another thing to the writers. Their lie is obvious, and we know this because of the wonders of the Internet.

Writers should be paid a fair wage for their work. The residuals off of Internet downloads and streaming video should be shared with the people who wrote them. Just as a writer receives a royalty of some sort on every book sold, when an episode of a television show is shown in streaming video, the writer should receive some of the money that comes in from advertising that show. I suppose the book example isn't as germane as a music industry example: every time a song is played on the radio, the writer of that song is paid a royalty. WGA writers should be paid for their work being displayed on the Internet.

"If they get paid, we get paid," is a slogan I saw on one or more of the picketer's signs. This is sensible and decent. There is no reason they should not be paid for work that is, essentially, published again and again when it is viewed on the Internet.

I chuckled to myself when I thought of a media outlet that regularly pays this way--erotic ebooks. The most popular site, last time I checked, offered 38.5% of the list price of each book as an author royalty. I don't know how much they pay up front, if anything, but I do know that this site sells about 90,000 books per month. At an average price of around $4 per ebook. These are electronic sales, which incur no printing, warehousing, or shipping costs. They are selling ideas, just like the WGA writers, and the profit margins are much higher than for print books. This is the exact reason the media corporations want to get into the digital media arena. These are the very reasons they give for wanting to do it--lowest overhead costs possible. Highest profit possible. Why not share, if your overhead is so low?

On a personal note, and on a much smaller scale, I pay royalties every month. I am an independent author and publisher, and each month I tally the sales and send off the royalties. I worked out an agreement with my photographer and my web guy, and I stick to it. I will continue to uphold our agreeement, because I am a decent human being.

If an independent publisher like the erotica site can see clear to pay writers a residual on electronic sales, and still make a fine living, then why can't the huge corporations? They are talking about their Internet sales being in the billions of dollars.

They simply don't want to pay the writers. They just don't want to. It is indecent.

Furthermore, it's not sensible. Because of this Internet campaign, the members of the public who might use the Internet for their entertainment are being given all the information they need to make their decisions about whom to support. The clever, clever writers are using the medium in question to show the public the truth. I cannot imagine how difficult their lives are right now, since they don't have income for their families during this time.

They might start writing some erotica, as freelancers, to pay the bills. I hear the royalties are sensible. And decent.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Seen on a bumper sticker

HONK
if you slay monsters.

Day 23

It's just getting worse. At least I have prescription cough suppressant, but if I miss taking it every three hours, the cough overtakes me all of a sudden, ruining my life.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Day 18

I am on the 18th day of being ill. I still cough so hard I see stars, have shooting pains in my muscles, and often pee my pants.

So I went to the doctor at the behest of my husband and good friend. "Go to the doctor! What if it's serious? This shouldn't be hanging on this long!" Etc. Etc.

My reply, for the past week, has been, "What is the doctor going to tell me? Nothing! 'It's a virus, it will work itself out, there's nothing to be done." But I made an appointment anyway.

Can you guess what the doctor said?