Authur Thursdays: Maple Valley Farmer’s Market

by in Author Thursdays, Maple Valley Writers
See you Saturday (and Sunday and Tuesday)


As you dear readers know I started a local writer’s group a couple months ago and have been getting it off the ground ever since. I created a facebook page (facebook.com/maplevalley.writers), an e-mail address (maplevalleywriters@outlook.com) business cards, flyers, and am working on a website. I wrote a short blurb in the Voice of the Valley to gather interest for the first meeting and posted all over the web for the event. I even made flyers and put them up around town. 
I have learned that it is not the amount of effort you put into the endeavor that counts but the timing and type of effort. Maple Valley Writers needs more members and I know there are writers/authors out there in the area who could use a writing group. I just have to find them. 
So get ready Maple Valley! The Maple Valley Writers are coming to you! Three Saturdays in July, August, and September respectively I will host a booth at the Maple Valley Farmer’s Market. There will be information, books to read, and a raffle to win several informative books on writing and publishing. 
At this point I have spent more money on this writer’s group than on myself as an author! Please don’t let me down Maple Valley, I know it takes time to build up a relationship and find the closet-writers but I am determined and have faith in the project. 

Toiling Tuesdays: New Job Woes

by in Toiling Tuesdays and tagged , | 1 Comment
What I have noticed since getting a new job

To clarify: I have never had a full-time job, have never had a desk job, have never had this type of job before.

I thought it would be a struggle to change my sleep-wake habits to get up before 9:30 AM but I have found that I am so tired after working eight hours at the one job and doing other necessary things afterwards that I am so tired by 10:30 PM that I go to bed before midnight.

My body must sense something I do not because I hardly ever wake to my alarm but instead wake up 30 minutes – one hour before it goes off. Perhaps I don’t need as much sleep as I used to or I’m getting better, deeper sleep. Or I am so paranoid of being late that my body senses this anxiety and wakes me up in rather plenty of time to get ready.

I have already known this but I am less groggy in the morning when I have a purpose (such as getting to work by 8:30).

My eating habits are starting to suffer. Don’t tell my parents, but I ate a bagel and ice cream for dinner last night…. This should be easy to get a handle on because all I have to do is be prepared for making food, such as curbing myself from snacking right before eating and ruining my appetite.

Ego Depletion. Staying focused at work takes almost all of my concentration and depletes my ego entirely so that when I get home all I want to do is garden and watch movies. Unless I have something important pending, like taking care of business, phone calls, or job #2 I don’t have the heart to do anything for the rest of the night. The real loser in this situation is my writing. I don’t feel like it. Perhaps it is because writing is a never-ending project and I prefer to work on something I can complete, like a lesson in my web development class, a poster for farmer’s market, or that engineering project I can do.

Am I an adult now?

When can I retire?

Miscellaneous Mondays: SoCNoC wrapup

by in Miscellaneous Mondays and tagged ,
Southern Cross Novel Challenge
 
 
Invariably life intercedes and I chose to de-hectify my life and not worry about meeting the challenge. I resolved, about one week in, to write as much as possible, whenever possible and to make opportunities for myself to write. Those opportunities banked off sharply when I added on a 40-hour work week to my usual schedule. Overall I think I accomplished quite a bit with my novel and it stands at almost 50k words total, a complete first draft. Now on to edits. I also have yet to finish sending out my children’s picture book to all possible publishers from the list I have been working on.
 
Week one tally?
    3 queries sent
    10,998  words written
Week two tally?
    5 queries sent
    6, 889 words written
Week three tally?
    1 query sent
    4,628  words written
Week four tally?
    2 queries sent
    5,300 words written
 

Final tally:
   11 Queries sent
   27,815 words written
 
 
Till NaNoWriMo!

Foodie Fridays: A Few of My Favorite Things

by in Foodie Fridays
Safeway Pizza Sticks

The nostalgia accompanies the crispy croissant-esque deliciousness. These were popular before those itsy bitsy pizza rolls. I am very disappointed if they are out of them or are done cooking them for the day. Pizza sticks and half-size shopping carts fill my memories, along with airport quality Chinese food and fruit leather. Relive your childhood (or mine) with these wonderful $0.99 treats.

Wildlife Wednesdays: GeoTourism

by in Geocaching, Wildlife Wednesdays

Geocaching.com is such a big phenomenon that advertising with the website and company could be quite beneficial. They have another way of advertising for you that is a bit more creative, geotourism. You can utilize your town as a destination and make a special “tour” for participants of your place. What a great tool for tourism!

Check this link out for more information:

http://www.geocaching.com/travel/

Miscellaneous Mondays: A Topical Poem

by in Miscellaneous Mondays and tagged ,
Dreams of A Hero with a Handgun
 
The screams came on sudden
like flames of a fire
engulfing the air as
a tortured mad choir.
 
I turned to look round
my skin yelped in surprise
the scene a horror
my panic, their cries.
 
I waved my arms wildly
stepped forward, now back
two men upon one
their blades used to hack.
 
The other people stood staring
some took out their phones
oh terror, say cheese
resolve spread through my bones.
 
Whip out my handgun
bang, bang, both dead.
If only I’d been there
instead of in bed.

Foodie Fridays: Costco Dilemma

by in Foodie Fridays and tagged

 

Big Box Dilemma
 
As some of you readers may know I am a Costco fanatic. However, after reading about Big Box Business and their evil plans to take over the world, I feel torn for my love of Costco and my desire to promote independent local businesses. 

Here are some others who are addicted to Costco….

http://costcocuisine.blogspot.com/

http://addictedtocostco.com/

I think I have found a compromise, prepper foods from Costco and all other foods from the local Maple Valley Market and Foley’s. Not sure about my hygiene products…. Does the Market have the shampoo I like? To be continued….

Wildlife Wednesday: The Very First Geocache!

by in Geocaching, Wildlife Wednesdays

The APE is found in the rugged, snow-capped Cascade Mountains, just a short drive from Seattle, where you can walk through the spooky 2-mile-long Tunnel of Light, find one of the oldest caches in Washington, and visit the APE tribute cache. Plus, we hear that Sasquatch and Fen Dweller have been sighted in the area – so watch out!

For more information:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=7d120ae2-855c-430d-9c14-3d7427de4bdd

The very first geocache brought to you in a convenient day trip package by Groundspeak’s mega event block party super-fun-time-to-be-had-by-all-even-the-muggles-among-us-but-not-really-don’t-let-them-know-wink-wink