What I’m reading: Inishfallen, Fare Thee Well by Sean O’Casey
What’s on the iPod: Sweet Sophia by Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers
Yesterday was gorgeous. Sun was out, birds chirping, flowers in bloom…. too bad I was stuck inside working. I did manage to get to the park at lunchtime and put in a mile or so. Then I grabbed the daughter and forced her to join me on flower alert. This trail along the river in the park is famous for its bluebells, which make a stunning blue-purple carpet once a year. They’re not quite in full bloom, but in the next few days it should be glorious.
The buttercups, however, are a yellow blanket. I can’t wait to see them both blooming simultaneously. The picture above is from 2007 – a sad representation of the bluebells, but all I have at the moment. Today’s a bit of work (a big bit of work), airline reservations, and some organizing for Vancouver. I need to get more companies lined up. I’m spending just two days at the conference, so I want to make the most of those two days.
So what else is new?
My daughter gave me my Mother’s Day present already. Let me just say the girl knows me. My gift – four tickets to the U2 concert. She’d slipped the card in my purse and I’d found it as we were driving to lunch. Thank God she was driving – I don’t even remember what I was yelling, but she said I kept saying, “Oh my God! Oh my GOD! OH! MY! GOD!” or something similar. I was almost as psyched as when I found out I was going to Ireland. Almost. It may even outshine the Santana tickets she gave me eight years ago for my birthday. Shouldn’t I be spoiling her?
The dude who was lifting content. Ah, you’ll love this one. Despite his caustic notes to me (and to another writer, who was told he didn’t have time to argue her “intellectual property ignorance”), his website is now devoid of ALL writers’ feeds. From nearly 50-60 listings to zero. My work here is done. I’m glad he saw the light. I doubt he’ll ever admit fault or accept the blame, but I don’t care. He’s no longer taking from others (at least, not writers).
I’m now familiar with the Gaussian copula formula. Not that I understand it at all, but in writing this current article, I wanted to find out why the financial meltdown was so widespread. Enter a mathematical equation that easily quantifies risks and potential losses. Seems a lot of financial institutions were lining up to use it. And when they did, they failed to realize it didn’t take into account a catastrophic meltdown of the housing industry. Ah, once again, the best laid plans…..
Five pm writing is sometimes pretty good. The writers’ group teases me for it, but I start my manuscript that I plan to read usually around 4:30-5 pm. Our meetings start at 6:30. Last night was no different. The poem was aptly named “Procrastination and the Writers Group.” They loved it. I was expecting a lot of edits, but instead they’ve adopted it as our theme. I’m not the only one who does things spur of the moment.
The weekend is expected to be rainy, so I’m planning some cleaning, a little decorating planning, and a lot of reading.
How was your week? What’s the weekend looking like?
10 responses to “Randomness on a Friday”
I'm in my second round of edits for the book releasing in July; hope to have that out to my editor tomorrow. Over the weekend, I'm reading the manuscript for a new, local writing buddy, and winding up this workshop. I'm ready for this one to be done — it's an "Advanced" class, but most of the participants are beginners, they don't keep up with the work, they ignore my suggestions, and they refuse to do the requested revisions, which means they've made the same mistakes the entire time. Why are they here again? Better yet, why am I there? Won't be teaching there again.
Wow-I can't believe the Dude removed all the authors from his site. You go, Girl!
I got a new client with multiple projects this week-yay! She stumbled across my site and after several weeks of emails, we connected and I'm in-another demonstration of the value of a website.
I am so glad to have taxes behind me (although the payments are painful). Estimating is difficult when you are in the early years of freelancing.
I put a post on my personal blog about getting people to nag me about an eBook I want to do on the 3-Day Walk. I want to put it out there 1) to raise money for my next walk AND 2) to finally get off my rear and complete an eBook. You are welcomed to join the nagging. I won't guarantee I won't whine, but there you go.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Today, I have a hoarse voice. Periodically, I go in and read to the kindergarten class at a local school. When I read, I do voices. The one they like the most is my pirate one. I guess it’s the main reason I get invited back. It takes a lot out of me, but a hoarse voice is more than acceptable, to me, as a price to giving them a laugh for a day.
There was a young lad, I’m guessing to be a high schooler, who said that he wasn’t impressed with the “horrible pirate voice”. I had no problem letting him know that it was for the children, who enjoyed it. I then added, that he should fire his secretary, because she failed to send me the memo letting me know that I was supposed to impress him.
I hope he got the message. He can hate it all he wants, but show some respect and keep your mouth closed.
I forgot to add that I think you're an inspiration for sticking to your guns and not backing down on the content-lifter dude. And you did it without losing a grain of professionalism. Good for you.
Now go buy yourself a pair of shoes to celebrate. LOL.
Wendy-wish we could hear your pirate voice. I am sure we would love it! 🙂
I am so jealous – U2! What an amazing {and probably difficult to purchase) gift! I'd be through the roof with excitement, too!
I got to see U2 once, in Chicago, just weeks after 9/11. It was a really emotional show. My brother happened to call me when he was en route to buy U2 tickets, so my sister and I told him to see if he could get two more for us. He wound up going to to locations to get six tickets – one pair of seats and four side-by-side seats a few rows away. Cheap seats, way up high and almost behind the stage, but we were there and it was amazing. (Garbage was the opening act, and I loved Garbage – until I heard them live.)
I never know when tours are coming until they're already sold out. Even then it's nearly impossible to get tickets without going to a broker, so good work by your daughter!
My week was fairly productive. I knocked out the 4th of four articles for my favorite editors, started on a new piece for another favorite editor, churned out a column, two small projects and then my sister asked me to do a quick editing job for a big client of hers. It's Friday and I'm totally caught up. I'll probably knock out another column today and work on some queries, LOIs, and if no check for than one late payer isn't today mail, I will set my sights on them. Again. (I need those funds to be able to pay my 1st quarterly tax payment…somehow I doubt Uncle Sam will count my refund as a quarterly payment.)
What a great daughter you have! You done raised her right.
I wrote a check today for quarterly taxes that just about made my eyeballs bleed. I may have to take the afternoon off and read in my lawn chair with a glass of ice tea at hand just to recover.
Good for you guys for getting that guy to take down your content.
Devon, it's weird that beginners would join an advanced class – a case of delusions of grandeur?
Cathy, the dude's got a new tack. He's now publishing entire websites with a "wrap-around" of his site. I can go to say Copyblogger, but I'm still in his site. I can click link upon link – never takes me to Copyblogger. There's something seriously wrong with that.
Way to go, Wendy! LOVE your comeback!
Paula, yes. U2. I'm still in disbelief. Sounds like you've had quite a productive week yourself!
Eileen, she is good. 🙂 And I hope you took that remedy. I jumped in the car and drove. Just drove. Mind you I had to come back and finish an article, which meant I wrote until after 6….
Kim, mine is down, but he's doing something probably just as heinous to other writers' content. How do people like this sleep at night?
Eileen and Lori – Upset that the delinquent publisher didn't even get a partial payment to me in time to put it toward my taxes, I decompressed by walking the dog, pulling weeds and planting some early crops – lettuce, spinach and snow peas in my tiny kitchen garden. The latter was quite appropriate considering it snowed last night.
Hey, if the doofus publisher doesn't pay up soon, at least my grocery bill will be lower when the veggies are ready to be picked!