The Inmates Run the Asylum

-Had a lovely Thanksgiving with family. I ate too much, as is the custom. Played cards with Carrie and Aunt Jo. Carrie said I was too competitive and I should let other people win. So I tried. I still kept winning hands. I guess I'm going to have to work harder on losing. I do so well in the rest of my life, you'd think I'd be able to do it easily at cards. Not so much.

-Worked the calmest Black Friday I've ever worked. Having an evening shift might have had something to do with it, but still, I wasn't once insulted or otherwise bitched at. It was an odd experience.

-I may be seeing some more time on the floor during the holidays. I don't mind it. I could use a little extra cash.

-Dad and Mom went half and half for my Christmas/birthday present so I can go to Cubs Con. I am so looking forward to this drinking binge. And seeing baseball players, too.

-25% off at the Jewelry Box if you're into that sort of thing.

-If you missed it, I've got a novella called Gone Missing on Smashwords. It should be compatible with most e-readers.

-November was really kind of boring.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you're all wearing green and drinking responsibly if you choose to imbibe. I'm rocking my team-signed CornBelters away jersey and later I'll be drinking hard lemonade out of my souvenir Kansas City Royals cup because I'm not Irish and I'm not going to pretend to be.

I realize this is my first post of the month, but really, nothing worth mentioning has been going on. I continue on the writing grind, working on a few different projects that I hope will one day get published. I'm looking for a part-time job since I'm hard up for cash once again and the need for a steady income is real. Not surprisingly, REJECTED isn't selling and I've only made three jewelry sales. The most money I've made is off of eBay and even then I didn't sell anything there last month.

If anyone would like to help with some word of mouth, I'd appreciate it.

I've got a bad case of spring fever. I've been going outside every day and I'm feeling the urge to do stuff. It's the nice weather. It makes me want to accomplish things.

Laziness tends to win out, as per usual, but still, I have the strong urge.

Happy Halloween!

( Patient Zero. Because every deadly epidemic has to start somewhere. )

I was originally going to be Hetty Lange from NCIS: LA, but the wig didn't work out. I'm glad it didn't. I'm sick and didn't want to get out of my pajamas anyway. With this costume, I don't have to.

Yes, even rockin' a bummer of a cold, I will still find a way to dress up for Halloween. It's my holiday and I own it.

I hope the Great Pumpkin brings everyone a spooky good time tonight.

And, if you're looking for a different kind of treat, there's some new stuff in the jewelry box. I'm starting to do custom designs now. More stuff will be coming this week (provided I get the wire I'm looking for).

Mind the goblins!

Apple and Pork was kind of a bust for me. I made a quick trip yesterday to the grounds to get a new wire ring from the same lady I've gottne them from the past couple of years, only she wasn't selling them this year. I got two other rings instead. A steal for five bucks for both and they're quite fetching.

Then I walked back, grabbed my last lemon shake-up of the year and then hit the Black Kettle stand for some bbq porkchop sandwiches and bbq sauce.

I was going to go up today (mostly for bbq ribs), but getting sick for a couple of hours in the very early morning hours and not getting much sleep, plus feeling craptastic and cranky all day put the stop on that.

Still, I didn't miss it and I got everything I'd wanted (or a reasonable second to what I wanted).

Pigs and apples are safe again for another year.

My etsy shop is finally up and running.

Buy something or pass it on.

My last day of work was Friday. I made sure to say goodbye to all of the drivers in town (including doubling back to catch Stephen), got a hug from Albert, Kent, and Shilo, and, I admit, shed a few tears on the drive home. I say again, I won't miss the work, but I will miss the people. I was told before I left to come back and visit. I'll be doing that.

Hit the family reunion yesterday. I just stayed long enough to eat and visit with the people I wanted to see before I left. It was kind of weird without Papa there, though they did have a big picture of him over the dessert table, which I found kind of creepy. I don't need a bad picture of my dead grandpa lording over me while I get my piece of cherry pie. I mean it was well meaning, but I still wasn't comfortable with it.

After the reunion, I took the girls to the last Cornbelters game of the season. They got to spend some time in the bouncy houses and get their faces painted before mean Aunt Kiki made them sit in their seats and watch the game. Hammie was actually pretty into the game from the get-go. Hobbit and Howlin' Mad Smurf, not so much. It took a few innings before they caught on to the concept of cheering for the Belters. By the end, they were chanting "Let's Go Corn!" right on cue.

I was disappointed that they wouldn't dance during the dancing inning. How do they not know how to do the YMCA? That's just ridiculous that they're so uneducated in the ways of community dance. However, they redeemed themselves by singing the 7th inning stretch.

I won a signed a jersey and they got their freebie t-shirts signed by the whole team and Corny. They got to run the bases afterwards. In the end, they had a blast and they want to go again next season. Aunt Kiki will only be too happy to take them.

Tomorrow I go back to work for myself. It's going to be weird not waking up at 5:30 to head to the cube. It'll be a few weeks before I start working with DaLette, so I really need to get the book done and the jewelry site rolling as quickly as possible.

I'm back to working for myself and I'm one bitch of a boss.