And now for something completely different...

I had the opportunity to attend a student convention on campus last year. It was one the geekiest events I've ever attended and one of the best things was the pop-up shops all over campus. I had so much fun browsing and adding games to lists and buying stuff, but one game in particular stood out.

Dino Dude Ranch: https://www.letimangames.com/dino-dude-ranch.html 

It's a kid's game for learning how to manage resources and start to learn how to prep for more complicated games. The store only had one copy for ordering and I forgot to put my name down. Tagging here so I remember to go shop for it again! 

Memories

Had a pipe burst in my basement.

Didn't realize it was dripping for a few weeks/months ?!? before it went completely.  When we stopped the water and moved stuff out of the space, everything on the top shelf was moldy. Things got better the farther down the damage went, but  I lost two garbage cans full of stuff right off the bat. Luckily really dear items were in plastic totes and are totally fine, but I had some files and archives in cardboard boxes that got damp. 

I'm now sorting through all of those boxes to see if I can salvage things and if I really need to keep them. 

It's been a wild memory trip. 

I've forgotten so many things I did as a student and professional. I worked for many companies who have closed (Ampersand Graphics, BANCO, Metro Community News, Oncology News International, Advance (Radiology News), and Sibley's). I've left some places (JWU, RPCI, Cambridge Proofreading, WordVice, and JCPenney) but I'm still connected to many people from them. 

I wrote a lot. 

I worked a lot.

I am still working hard, but I really did not remember just how much hustling I was doing when my kids were small. So many clippings that I have to throw away. It's OK, my kids were really never going to read all of that and I don't need that kind of portfolio anymore, but I HAVE A LOT OF CLIPS. 

The scary thing is that I know I've gone through these boxes in the past. So, while these items bring back memories it makes me wonder what else am I forgetting? What will I never remember again because I've lost these? Is this why the elderly hoard things?  

I had a horrendous time cleaning out my parent's home. So, I really do know that this experience is for the best. It's better for me to spend some this time remembering and paying homage to my past. I can probably save a few triggers for myself that my kids will love to find someday. And they are more likely to see them if I can clear away the excess junk that made me feel productive. 

Writing this post as a nod to my future self for when I'm no longer capable of moving the boxes around.

Lulu Publishing

My aunt wrote a sequel to her first book The Christmas Tree. It is called The Paperboy's Dream and talks about how my Uncle Steve first learned about paratroopers and how he decided he wanted to jump out of planes.  And how he managed to make that happen. 

It turns out that his awareness was triggered by a stunt by Bernarr Macfadden. That was an interesting internet hole to dive into. You never know what experiences will impact others. 

Posting these links to her author's page and books so that people can find them. I'm not sure why her friends struggle with the Lulu Bookstore so much, but they do.   

• Constance Gessner's Author Page
• The Christmas Tree
• The Paperboy's Dream

Memories

 I found a really interesting project online and wanted to share (and save it).  I am working on a project to make pillow cases out of tees and the few that I have done in the past are either sewn closed (so hard to clean) or the cat climbs into them. Seriously. She loves to hide in open pillows. 

So, this DIY trick for an envelope pillow cover, using existing seams, seems like a great idea. Saving it to try and will update if they work! 

Evolution

Recently I think I started a transition and now that I'm in the thick of things, I'm not quite sure when it started.  When people talk about time flying, it usually means that milestones stack up with very few unique markers breaking them up.  If you have children your signposts are probably the start of school, the winter holidays, spring break, and the last day of school.  Then a short summer and do it again.  Rinse, repeat.

Now that my kids are grown, I'm finding different markers in my life.  Some of these are sad (co-workers get new jobs, friends move away, death comes too soon) but many offer the potential for happiness. I am overwhelmed with the possibilities and find myself trying to decide where I go next.  My client shifting has opened up a ton of free time for me.  My kids moving out means I have lots of extra space to spread out for new projects. My bookshelf is full.  It's almost too much freedom after being so structured for so long.

While I hem and haw about the next "big thing" I've decided to help my aunt get her book published, to help my Dad sort through his house and to clear out the project pile in my workroom.  Each one of those activities will teach me a new skill that might open up more freelancing and will help me come to peace with my middle age.  My mom's passing showed me how a lack of planning impacts the next generation, I'm not doing that to my kids if I can help it. 

Purging old content

In the new age of changing tools and more privacy needed, I've made the decision to purge another blog I started.

I've always loved the idea of writing, but finding the time to just write for fun doesn't always happen. There is always another chore or task to be done. So, I just deleted something I started in 2011 when my oldest was looking at colleges.  Seven years later I posted a whopping 13 times as the meanestmother.

Real life is just way more interesting than a virtual one.

PS: When I deleted the blog, I realized that I had created a Twitter account in tandem with it.  Will be purging that too.  But I did love this little avatar I made for that.  I have three kids and while they are similar in many ways, they are also doing different things all of the time.

PPS: I also appeared to have created a new email account for that Twitter feed that I completely forgot about (and hadn't used for three years).  Now I'm wondering what else I started and never used again.  Does anyone else have this as an issue? 

Freelance Growth

So, 2015 was my best freelance year since 1998.

1998 is when I went back to work full-time so that I could stop working night/weekends and spend time with my family.  Most of the work from 1998-2014 were special projects that I did when tuition was due or when there was a conference in Buffalo etc.  Then last year my family got so busy that I had a lot of free nights and weekends to work at home again.

So, now I balance my full-time job with a lot of really interesting freelance projects.  The internet has created opportunities for me that I never could have imagined when I started to phase away from doing that freelance stuff full-time. Now I can see huge potential in the future and I'm really excited about where it is going. 

Third blog post for my class

Well, with the second blog post I've officially passed the class, but I'm planning to keep on doing the homework. It's actually pretty interesting to see how they collect content and have peer grading. I got dinged last time for writing only 300 words, but since the assignment said "write a 300 word blog post" I'm not sure I get that. Oh well.

Here's my third and final post for the class:

One of my fondest grammar memories, and yes those exist, occurred on the first day I was in fifth grade.  My teacher drew an upside down “e” on the board and asked for a show of hands for people who knew what it was.

I raised my hand.

Now, I’ve never been a popular kid but that pretty much sealed the deal that I was one of the biggest nerds and possible teacher’s pets ever in the history of the world.

You see my dad, who taught English for several years, had just explained what that symbol meant the previous night at dinner. Less than 24 hours previous to her asking the question.  How could I not raise my hand?

For those of you who don’t know, the upside down e (and I can’t get that symbol to work right now) is called a schwa. According to Merriam-Webster the schwa is “a vowel that has the sound of the first and last vowels of the English word America.

That moment saved me tons of time for the rest of the year. She assumed I knew what was going on most of the time and so I got to do lots of fun things in the room. She had a box of starter sentences. If you needed to write an essay but didn’t have any ideas, you could go pull out a card and finish the topic. I loved that. It was a great idea generator.

Someday I hope that I can write a novel or a series of short stories. When I try to get my thoughts on paper I often catch myself creating first sentences, just like that box, as a way to get started. Helping my own kids get through school limits my time right now, but someday I think I’ll get it done. But, I did manage to do one thing for my kids, just like my dad did for me. They all knew what a schwa was on the day their English teachers asked. 

May was a whirlwind

So hello June. In fact I'm late on the hello part since today is June 3.

No books read since my last post. Grateful I got ahead on the year-long goal when I had the chance. Between the family funeral, getting Peter home from college, Maggie's end of SHA activities, Pete's birthday and a weekend in Richmond, VA with Matthew for the East Coast Volleyball playoffs, I lost the month. Totally.

Update on the projects... um, the dress is still not done. Have totally reworked it. I begin to understand why couture costs so much. I am literally hand stitching part of it now to fit her properly. I hope it is wearable when done but I now afraid that it will be a tortured piece of fabric when finished. I'm not sure I'm a candidate for Project Runway anytime soon.

On the plus side of that not being finished, I will have a legitimate excuse to sit in the cooler basement while working on it.

Starting to read Rebuilt and planning to read "12 Years a Slave." Looking for history recommendations. I find those easier to read in spurts and that appears to be my life for the next few weeks as we prep for two graduations this month.

May flowers

Had fun visting Mischler's Florist at the end of April to get flowers for the front yard and the diaconate luncheon. Primroses were on sale and they were gorgeous.  The rabbits have enjoyed all of the ones I planted in the front yard, so I hope they rebound OK. Daffodils are blooming so we have some color all around.

I was able to share the daffodils with my Uncle Steve before he passed last weekend. They really did brighten up the room. We lost him on May 4, which was odd considering the Big Bang Theory episode last week about Sheldon coping with a death on Star Wars Day. I'm not really sure I want to start finding clues to my destiny in random tv episodes, but that hit awfully close to home.

With his illness and the diaconate needs, I really have had no time to read or do any other activities around the house. I really need to finish Maggie's dress too. Time is slipping away.

Three more books under the bridge though. The most fun was Red Shirts by John Scalzi. I love that concept from Star Trek and it was a brilliant take on the idea. Also read The Alloy of Law from Brandon Sanderson (a mistborn book) which was OK and the Druggist of Auschiwitz by Dieter Schelsak. It was a sad take on the "medical" side of the concentration camp.

Books and Work and NCAA

Update on the reading (three more done). Am tracking all of them on this Pinterest board cause I'm lousy at the running count ! It says 21 so far, so I'm well ahead of the goal. I am sure real life will stop me at some point LOL.

• 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal
• The Blessing by John Trent
• League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth by ESPN reporters

I tried to read a Rex Stout mystery but just could not bring myself to sort through the old-fashioned language and sexist attitudes. I know that noir literature is like that but I just was not in the mood.

So, next I'm going to read the Divergent series. We have a rule in my house that you are not supposed to see a movie until you have read the book. As Maggie points out regularly, I have not held Matthew to that standard all the time. But he was a baby when we started reading Harry Potter and I wasn't going to stop him from enjoying those movies. However, I am enforcing that rule with the Hunger Games, Enders Game and Divergent. So, now I have to read those books!

************

Off Peak Update
I am in the process of launching some new initiatives for the Tri-State Consortium including surveys to help with their research, an experts roster and expanded LinkedIn options. I'm excited to work on their materials because it is such a great way for me to connect all of my marketing and highered experience.  Plus, it helps me to start new projects because it keeps me current. I find sometimes that we just let things ride until we are forced to change. By continuing to expand my skills, I can bring new ideas to work and vice versa. Grateful for these opportunities. 

*************

Just a note about the NCAA.  Boy, the brackets are broken. I don't recall any other tourney where there have been so many upsets. But the basketball has been amazing to watch. I love March Madness !

Another snow storm

Buffalo had another snow storm yesterday. As my friend Arlene said on facebook "You know you are from Buffalo when everyone is complaining that ONLY 14 inches of snow and 30-40 mph winds and 1/4 mile visibility is hardly a blizzard and doesn't measure up to our standards."

I have to agree that it was never a blizzard yesterday, but thundersnow was a new experience. 

Got to finish reading The Monuments Men while home and had a mini movie marathon with the kids. Watched Red 2 and Despicable Me 2. Both were Christmas gifts we have not had any time to watch. Also did a bunch of computer work and got organized to try to make a spring dress, while Pete worked on the kitchen some more. I think we need more days off like that. Totally random where you are up and moving (both Pete and I went to work) but as the city shut down we both came home at noon and were energized to get some things done. Quite a gift actually.

Have two mysteries to read and two more kindle possibilities. We'll see how I do this weekend. 

18 books finished so far in 2014.

A blur of a month

So, after the excitement of the hospital visits, I had the pleasure of sharing the flu with my kids. Well, they probably shared it with me. So, I'm a bit concerned that today is March 11 and I feel like I've missed all of March to date.

On the plus side, the weather is still super cold so I don't think I'm missing much LOL.

Book update. I've started a Pinterest Board to help me track my books and I did manage to read a few while under the weather.

I read The Sports Gene by David Epstein. He quoted Outliers quite a bit so that was interesting. Peter brought it home over break and I swiped it for a few days.

I also skimmed Hunters of Dune and all of Sandworms of Dune so I'm calling that one book to be honest. Very repetitive at the start but I did like the ending a lot.

Read through the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. World War Z was much more interesting, but his ideas are creative.

Total count for year is 17 complete in week 11. Doing pretty well so far!

On deck are: The Monuments Men, 700 Sundays and League of Denial. I also have a few mysteries to read but I'm not sure I'm interested in those right now. We'll see.

Reading update

So at least I'm going to blog about the books :)

Managed to read around/during the volleyball tournament this weekend. The last time I blogged I was reading Kenobi by John Miller and Necromancer by William Gibson. Yesterday I finished Tipping Point and started David and Goliath.

Total count for the year is 7 completed (still on track for a book a week)

As I only skimmed The River of Doubt, I'm not including it in my count for the year.  I was disappointed with that book. I ended up reading the beginning, part of the middle and the end. Nothing made me want to read every page.

On deck is Altered Carbon (recommended by co-worker Mike Conroy, I will fear no evil by Heinlein and Blink by Malcom Gladwell (totally working my way through his books on my kindle!


Of course, the Olympics are going on in Sochi, I have to do the taxes, I have a lot of work to do for Off Peak and the kids have winter breaks coming up. But I can always find time to read :)

PS: Watched World War Z. Disappointing after the book although I did see some pieces that were similar. I just don't understand why they had to change it SO MUCH! 

End of 2013

I love odd years and feel a sense of dread as an even year approaches. I'm not sure when I made that connection... but some how odd years are less bumpy. I mean bad things happen and good things happen all the time... but some how in the odd years those negative situations are never as bad. I have a very good friend who has synesthesia and she tells me that odd years are more calm when she views those dates. I believe her.

So, as 2014 approaches... I prepare myself for a roller coaster of a year. I hope this one isn't going to be hectic but I know in my heart that there are sick relatives and broken cars and lost dogs ahead and I hope for happy endings. Perhaps this will be the year that changes my mind about even ones.

Happy New Year!

Connecting Pinterest

So, I'm slowing connecting all my social media channels together. Today I'm focused on Pinterest. I enjoy spending time on the site, so I'm going to start adding new content there. I have some creative moments (when I have time) and I've gotten fun ideas from the site that I've used.

If you're on Pinterest, let's connect. http://www.pinterest.com/cpd623/  My most recent board features my birthday cakes. I will slowly upload all my photos from over the years.

Books

I've noticed people commenting about how many  books they've read or how many books people read in a year. I'm not sure I could ever count how many I've read. If left alone I could probably read a book a day. With three kids, work and a new puppy I am lucky to finish one book a week. My kindle got me back to this average... it is easier to carry that around with me and I can read a few pages when picking up from sports etc. I remember summers reading a book a day and spending every allowance to buy new books. Conservatively I have probably read over 1200 books, assuming an average of 30 books a year times 40 years (been reading since before Kindergarten but only counting since then). If you think that number is high, I'd like to point out that I won the reading contest in 4th grade for the month of October (how many mysteries can you read?) with 31 accepted books. I read more but the teacher would only credit me with one a day and my mother had to write a note that yes I really did come home from school everyday and sit down and read. Plus more than half of those books came from the school library and the librarian had to attest that I did check out a different book everyday and could answer questions about each one.

My kids don't read nearly as much. Aside from their overall increase in homework, they have activities I never could do (my Mom didn't drive) and they have multi-media entertainment to consume. They all do read, but not nearly as voraciously as me. The sad part is that they watch a movie and think they understand a book... and yet Hollywood uses book titles and themes with no regard for the real material. Even when they are motivated to stay true to the material, ie, Harry Potter, they still change things just because (the 7th movie with Snape, Harry and then Harry with the elder wand). No reason to change it but they did.

I have a new rule with my kids that they cannot see a movie without reading the book first. That way they have their own vision in their minds eye and can compare as opposed to a two hour synopsis that may or may not be right and then to get frustrated when the book is different. This helped our family enjoy the Hunger Games and I hope the future ones as well.

Day One HeWeb12

WOW, Day one of HeWeb12 is over. I had a blast. Not being a newbie anymore makes a huge difference. I've kind of figured out how to navigate the sessions, find the plugs and locate the people I've followed online. The only negative spot was the loss of wifi for a few hours, but that might have been good cause it got me to focus on the presenters more. I also got published today!

Check out the link at LINK: Cloud Computing Blog on Link 

And I was in the same room as Adam Savage from Mythbusters. His talk was unexpected and thought provoking. He answered every question I had and I managed to capture some thoughts on my camera. Hoping his thoughts about art and engineering actually got captured because I think my daughter would love to hear that word for word.

Deadlines and Vacations

Yesterday I notified my freelance client that I'll be taking a few days this month to move my son back to college and to see some family members. Just a few days when I couldn't guarantee to check email or make edits to their draft site. We've been working on this project for two months but telling them I'd be gone for a few days has encouraged them to send all the materials for which I've been waiting (for weeks). Which means I can finish Phase I before my holiday. That makes me really happy. It should make the client happy too.

But I'm not sure why my absence for two days prompted this outpouring of response.

I guess I really shouldn't be surprised, after all in my whole career (Marketing, Writing, Editing and Web Content) I have consistently suffered from the Friday at 4pm curse.

So many work orders are generated Friday afternoon. It must the one day of the week with fewer meetings and so everyone goes back and cleans off their desks and sends the ideas around for new work. And just as I'm getting ready to log out for the weekend the emails start coming in. Most can wait til Monday, but it is still hard to leave work knowing there are needs to be met.

What day of the week generates the most work for you?

.

Outside the House

My daughter said she "didn't know we'd have a nature preserve at this house" yesterday when we were discussing how to stop upsetting a mama bird living by our front door. Now that the dog is getting older (see previous post) it seems we have multiple critters moving onto the property. Here are just some:

Baby rabbits (on side of the house)



The eggs in the nest (where we keep upsetting mama)



Why we keep upsetting her, she's is my hanging basket by the door above the mailbox! You can see her if you look closely.



Toady



Butterflies (from last year, my neighbor collects, hatches and releases back in the yard, we babysat)








We caught one of the caterpillars going into the pupa stage. Check this video out!