The Inmates Run the Asylum

Here's the lazy, bullet-pointed catch up of my world.

-Still working three jobs. I've got about a month until school is out and then I'll lose the morning child-minding gig. I'll also be taking off June when it comes to teaching Spanish. So, I need to figure out something else to do to make some money this summer. Sugar daddy applications are available.

-Speaking of other things I do to make money, I published another novella on Smashwords. Night of the Nothing Man is all yours for the low, low price of $1.99 and is available for most devices including Nook, Kindle, and iPad.

-I was supposed to go to a Cubs game with Dad earlier this month, but it got weathered out (Chicago by the lake, 40 degrees, 20 MPH winds, and rain...I'll take the postponement). So we'll be going in June. At least we know we won't be freezing.

-Speaking of Dad, he had another check-up last week and I'm happy to say won't be needing treatments this round. He'll go back for another check in three months. We're all very happy about this.

-I've started to do my old yoga routine, which I had to stop doing in October of 2011 when I hurt my knee. A year and a half later I finally trust that my knee has healed enough to take my weight in warrior and chair pose. This is a huge boost for me. I've been pretty disappointed with my commitment to exercise because I didn't feel like I was accomplishing anything, but this is a huge gain. The old yoga routine, stretching, and weights in the morning along with belly dance in the afternoon is really making me feel less sloth-like. I'm also making an effort to do something physical every day. So even though I'm not doing a full on workout on the weekends, I still make sure I get in a little yoga or some squats or something. Again, all in the name of battling the slug feeling.

-I'm thinking about starting a tumblr related to my rerun junkie activities, except I'm not still not exactly sure how tumblr works. I keep thinking I'll figure it out and so far, I really haven't.

-I'd love to say that there's more that went on during the month, but there's not. I pretty much work, worry about money, and try to get my little talent together to establish some kind of career and that's it. I haven't been able to justify having much fun lately. When you have to save up to afford a hair cut (which you do instead of getting an eye exam to get new contacts), lunch out with a friend makes you feel guilty for days, no matter how much you needed the break.

I'm starting to look and apply for part-time jobs. I need a little more money coming in since I'm not making much. Pretty much everything I've done thus far, aside from doing the rummage sale on eBay, has been a bust.

So far, most of the possible gigs I'm finding are out of town, but if I work at least 15 hours a week making minimum wage, I can cover my bills and gas. I won't get rich, but I won't be scrambling to pay bills while I'm trying to get more short stories published either. And if my car would be up to making the out of town drives a few days a week, that would help even more in terms of gas.

I didn't get hardly any writing done working full-time and I was miserable for it. Part-time is the compromise that should work for me. I started to do it towards the end of my last stint at Wal-Mart. It's my best bet right now.

If I'm going to make this work, I've got to do whatever it takes. I'm hell bent on it now. No going back.

The first few days of 2012 can be summed up thusly:

-I had to go to five different places to find the right sized boxes that I needed to mail some stuff I sold on eBay.

-I got one of the items packed up and ready to go, only to run out of packing tape for the second one, which now results in two trips to the post office.

-THEY HAVE TAKEN THE OLD HAWAII FIVE-0 FROM MY LIFE AND I AM NOT HANDLING DANNO WITHDRAWL WELL.

-I've taken up watching Murder, She Wrote (thank you, TV Land for bringing it back) and Bonanza (THERE IS NO DANNO NOW) and I admit to watching Little House on the Prairie.

-Matlock and Perry Mason never leave me!

-I'm doing more than watching TV, I swear. Like stressing about all of the events and deadlines I have this month, including Hammie's birthday, my birthday, Cubs Con (all in the same week!), and this crazy notion of rewriting/revising a novel by the end of the month.

-Also I've been rewriting/revising a novel.

-And I'm sore from the new workout routine.

-But my new protective case for my phone came today and it's super cute, so there is that.

If you just look at the list and don't actually read it, it looks like I've actually been a lot more productive than I really have. Pretty cool, huh?

Zombidays: Festivities of the Flesheaters (containing my story "Land of the Voting Dead") is now available!

I just got my contributer's copy (and my check) in the mail today. I can't think of a better way to pep up an ordinary Wednesday.

I'm looking forward to reading it. With titles like "Zombie's First Christmas" and "Kill Phil", it's gotta be good.

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.

I got the job. I go tomorrow to fill out some paperwork and I officially start the gig on Monday. It's a full-time gig, working 7:30 to 4. I hope I can get back into that groove quickly. It's been almost three years since my last real job.

This job brings me a regular paycheck and health insurance. However, now I'm going to have to rearrange my world to accommodate it. I'm going to have to figure out how to work in my exercise routine and my writing and my blogging. Not to mention I'll now be blessed with the job of making dinner after putting in a full shift and spending part of my weekend doing laundry.

It's a good thing I don't have a social life. I wouldn't know where to put it.

I'm also going to go through a certain amount of withdrawl from the Internet, particularly Twitter. And my reruns. I'm really going to miss Hawaii 5-0.

The ability to pay my bills my ease the pain a little bit, though.

I know I said I was going to answer the questions for this entry yesterday, but I'll be honest, I didn't feel like it. And I only had one question anyway.

luchalibrarian: What is your great love in life?

I've had several loves in my life and a more than a few cruel mistresses, but I'd have to say that writing is my great love. It lets me be everything I want to be and everything I can't be and it's the one thing that I keep coming back to.

I'm getting another story published.

"Land of the Voting Dead" will be included in the anthology Zombidays: Festivities of the Flesheaters.

I'll be sure to update with details as soon as I get them.

In the meantime, my week has been made.

I only half-assed it watching SGU and Sanctuary tonight, so no in depth thoughts, just a couple of brief comments.

I'm kind of over SGU. I didn't miss it last week and wasn't really looking forward to it this week. But I will say, Rush killed the ending. When I like the guy that everyone on the ship distrusts and dislikes the most, that should say something about your show. Just saying.

Sanctuary was just bizarre and I don't know why an apocolypse made Will grow a mullet. I feel that is going to be one of the mysteries that this show just won't answer. Also, I failed at catching the repeat of last week's episode, so I guess I'll just keep an eye out for it during the marathons SyFy likes to run.

In completely unrelated news (it took me four tries to spell "completely" and I'm still not convinced I got it right), I posted the very rough first chapter of my NaNo novel, if anyone is interested. Chapter 1 of A Tale of Two Lady Killers.

I think I'm going to bed early tonight. Or I'm going to try to go to bed early tonight.

Because it's Friday night.

And I know how to party.

When I read the subject title, I hear the professor from Futurama saying it.

Anyway, yes, there is good news. I sold two short stories in the past three days. The details are over here in my writing journal. So go check it out and share my squee.

If you've got me friended on Facebook and/or are following me on Twitter, sorry for spamming you with this, but it's bound to happen when I get all excitable like this. I don't sell short stories every day.

In conclusion, happy birthday, doyoulikestuff! I hope it was a good one for you and the creatures in the bushes didn't eat you.