The Life of a Freelance Writer

Associated Content

2011-01-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

I got started writing for the web in May 2007, and Associated Content is where I cut my civilian writing teeth. I stumbled on it quite by accident. I was a member of a frugal living/Dave Ramsey forum, and someone posted a link, saying we could use AC to earn extra cash. I thought it was a scam! But, I'll try almost anything once, so I moseyed on over and threw up an article. I made up a separate Paypal account, just in case. The next day, I almost fell out of my chair to see that my article was accepted and paid for, and the money was already in my Paypal account! I was sold! I ended up writing tons for them over that summer and fall while I was deployed and TDY at an Air Force school.

Things have been SO busy then, that I got out of writing for AC. I'd throw up a piece every once in a while, and managed to make it into the Top 1,000 of 2008 and 2009, but I wasn't able to do anything serious with it. Then when Yahoo! took over this year, I heard rumors of not-so-good things, so I was in no hurry to get back to it.

I ended up going back to AC out of boredom and need for $$$ for my debt snowball in October or November. I threw up a couple pieces, and the upfront offers they made me were astronomical compared to 2008 and 2009 rates. They were comparable to the high offers that AC was still giving in 2007 when I signed on. I was astonished! I applied to be a Featured Contributor in 3 areas, and was approved for all three! Featured Contributors are guaranteed three paid pieces on a topic of their choice in their FC area each month. Each article pays $10. So, being an FC in 3 areas guarantees me at least $90 per month. Plus, I keep getting targeted for Finance articles, and articles on several other topics. These articles pay $10-20 each. . I am bringing in almost $1,000 per month between upfront pay and page view bonuses. AC is one of my two main sources of income, and I LOVE it! And the best part - I only spend about a few hours a week writing for AC. The pay is great and the work is enjoyable. That's what it's all about, right?

If you are looking for a place to write, consider AssociatedContent. There is no application process; you simply sign up and begin to write. No writing sample or test needed. Just write! I'm all about helping my friends and readers get out of debt, and AC is a nice little side-gig or even full-time gig for those looking to earn money by writing. Enjoy! :)

Please help Leia!!!

2011-01-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Please Help Leia! We are about $90 short - every penny helps. If you have even $0.01, $0.05, $1, $2, $5 - everything helps. Thank you!

Busy, busy, busy...

2011-01-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't forgotten about my blog, honestly! Many of you know that I do a LOT of work for some animal rescue groups. I have spent my "free" time over the last few weeks doing transports for homeless dogs. We take abused and homeless dogs, rehabilitate them and show them LOVE, then adopt them to good homes. And I get the happy job of transporting those dogs to other states in my hot-rod Mazda MPV to their foster or furever homes. And sometimes I get the bittersweet job of rescuing those babies in need from bad situations and getting them out of there. (Those are the times I leave my pistol and my CCH permit at home - I'd go nuts on these abusers if I didn't). So, I have been super-busy with that.

In addition, last week a friend of mine went home to be with Jesus. She fought pancreatic cancer for almost two years, and in the end, she beat it by leaving it behind and going home to our Heavenly Father. She passed away on Elvis's birthday. She was just a couple weeks shy of her 40th birthday, and left behind a husband and three children. I KNOW she is in a better place, and she's not hurting anymore, but it's hard.

So, due to all this, my writing has been slacking off. However, I got together a writing plan the other night, and have been working it hard for the last two days. I am also back on the Dave Ramsey program, as I might have mentioned. I want to get this stupid debt paid off this year!

I am working on a post about a writing site that I'll have up this weekend. Blogging is on my writing plan, and I have it scheduled in on a regular basis, so I won't be such a stranger. Hope all my readers are doing well! :)

Whew! What a holiday!

2010-12-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

This year, even though I was excited about Christmas coming, it never really felt like Christmas - I'm surprised that it's over. It never snowed or iced. My husband and I are both so stressed, with both of us working full-time AND going to school full-time. I just never really got into the holiday spirit. It came and went in the blink of an eye, and I worked every day. I just can't sit still, I guess.

The puppies LOVED Christmas! They each got a couple of Plush Puppies (cows and allie-gators), and Big Girl got a Plush Puppy stuffed tree with 3 squeaky stuffed squirrels. Little girl got a Plush Puppies stuffed Gingerbread House with a stuffed, squeaky bone, gingerbread man and gingerbread block. Too cute! They were running around barking and doing Wild Husky Freakout for days! They each also got a "grown-up Husky gift" - Mommy is a HUGE Coachie, so the girls each got Coach mini-Ergo keyfobs to wear on their collars - now they have Coach purses like Mama!

The kids also had a great Christmas! They each got NETBOOKS! Plus a few other things, but those were the biggies. They feel so grown-up and are so thrilled.

Daddy Claus also hooked Mommy up. I got two GORGEOUS, rare Coach Bleecker keychains, the Limited Edition Coach/Estee Lauder set from Dillard's, AND a WIRELESS KEYBOARD AND MOUSE!!!! Plus the kiddoes got me a $25 gift card to Starbucks. I can write like a fiend now. I got my keyboard and mouse the week before Christmas, the night that I had a little mishap with a sweet tea destroying my old keyboard. I was IRATE at myself, til hubby brought out my gift, and I melted into a puddle of tears! LOL And my parents sent me cash, so I bought a pair of Coach eyeglass frames with that. And I bought a pair of Coach sunglasses. PLUS, I got a digital picture frame from hubby and the kids, so I can keep pics of all of them with me on my desk! I am SO blessed!

And not to forget Daddy Claus - I got him a Blackberry (phone), a set of magnetic gloves from Summit (he's a mechanic), and the kiddies got him a $40 gift card so he could snag some software he wants.

So, all in all, it was a great Christmas, even though it didn't SEEM like Christmas. Just really subdued and low-key, without the holiday excitement, I guess. I will get pictures of my gifts later - now I have to get some articles submitted so I can pay some bills. hehehe

Hope everyone had a FABULOUS holiday season, and looking forward to a great NEW YEAR!~

maggie mae

A picture - more pictures to come later:

Matching Ergo Keyfobs for Mommy and her girls!~

How I Got Into Writing, Part Three

2010-12-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I wasn't able to post part 3 of my little adventure yesterday. I got involved in a couple of work projects, and was just too wiped out at the end of the day. So, where were we? Ah, yes - I was a budding little content mill writer when we left off. Okay, so....

In the fall of this year, I made the decision to write full-time. Scary, but freeing and empowering at the same time. I started seeking out more sites to write for, and found several private clients. Thanks to my 3 legal degrees (2 AAS, 1 BS), I also do freelance paralegal work and am a notary. My little business is coming along - I am making enough to cover the bills, put money aside for taxes, and put some in savings. Dave Ramsey would be proud. I have a definite plan to get debt-free by the end of 2011. :) I've already paid off my business debt - there was none to begin with! I started a viable business with what I had on hand here at the house already. I bought a couple packages of nice pens with one of my paychecks, but I had everything else on hand. I am SO very blessed.

So, that's my exciting story. I have about 20 eggs in my little basket, and my business is still growing. I'm still going to college full-time as well, so it's busy around here, but I am happier now than I have ever been in my life.

Tomorrow's post: Some Resources for Freelance Writers

How I Got Into Writing, Part Two

2010-12-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

So, we have the story of my military writing career. Let's move on to how I got started as a civilian freelancer. :)

In May 2007, I was really working the Dave Ramsey plan, and was a member of a forum that concentrated on ways to become debt-free. Someone posted a link to AssociatedContent.com. I was skeptical, but set up a separate Paypal account and submitted my first piece to AC. I was amazed when it was published, AND they deposit payment into my Paypal account for it! I began writing more pieces for them, to include a 3-piece series on books for military wives. My page views went nuts, and really boosted my confidence in myself as a civilian writer. Right after that, I deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While I was gone, I was contacted by a newspaper at Fort Lewis, who purchased my series for military wives for a couple hundred dollars. I was flying!

When I got home, I kind of played at the writing thing while I continued my active-duty military career. I signed up with Helium, DemandStudios and others, and wrote during my lunch breaks at work, or on the weekends. I didn't start freelancing full-time until October 2008. That's where we'll pick up the story again tomorrow. :)

How I got started writing.

2010-12-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

We'll break this up into a couple posts, from day to day. I'd like to talk about how I got started writing.

I've always kept journals, and have loved writing, ever since I can remember. And my family enjoys reading what I write. But, I thought they were just saying that because they are my parents & siblings. So, when I had been in the military for about four years and transferred to a new unit and my Colonel started pushing me to write an article for him, I tried to get out of it. He was much smarter than I, though, and kept pushing me. Finally, I wrote the article for the base newspaper. I got so much great feedback on it, I began volunteering for more and more writing assignments. Soon, I had gone from "office helper" to full-blown military journalist, and began attending military journalism courses and teaching them to other airmen and soldiers from our sister unit. Sadly, a few years later, I accepted a position as a military paralegal and my writing was turned in a different direction. I did still manage to get a few journalistic and even legal pieces published in the newspaper about once a month, and I continue to do so today.

Tomorrow's post: How I got started as a freelance writer in the civilian sector!

My Part-time endeavor

2010-12-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

In addition to my full-time writing career, I also sell Scentsy. I have been a consultant since August 2009, but went active for a few months and just re-signed on. I lost my rank and downline, but it's okay - I built it up once, it's just a bigger challenge to do it again. I just love Scentsy and am proud to be part of such an awesome company. They really care about their consultants and are constantly providing programs to help us. The products are fabulous. I have two large Husky mixes, and 2 kids, so I cannot have flames around the house. Scentsy is all wickless, and heated with a small light bulb. The wax gets warm enough to emit lots of scent, but won't burn your skin.

This month, I am doing a promotion to jump-start my business. Anyone who places an order of ANY size on my website between now and Christmas Eve is automatically entered to win one of several "virtual door prizes" to include a full-size warmer, a plug-in warmer, and 3 bars of wax. If anyone is interested, you can email me or visit my site at http://illinoispeach.scentsy.us Thanks! :)

Resources for Writers - Accentuate Writers Forum

2010-12-16T22:46:00.000-08:00

Since I am now writing full-time for a living, I would like to help other writers find the freedom to quit their 'day jobs.' At least once a week, I will profile a helpful resource for writers, or a great site to write for. Hopefully this will help someone. Today's post is on a great resource for writers. If you are looking to talk to other writers, find LEGITIMATE paying job leads, and join a family of writers, you need to visit my friend Michy's Accentuate Writers Forum. Michy has tons of experience writing, and checks out all the job leads she posts BEFORE she passes them on to us. In addition, we help and support each other online and offline, and help each other with critiques of resumes, articles, short stories and books. Every type of writer is welcomed there with open arms. I would not have been able to make it as far as I have without AWF, and I hope it helps you, too! :)

Big things happening!

2010-12-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

So, a LOT of huge things have been happening lately. I have decided to jump-start my freelancing career, and have lined up a ton of new clients and sites to write for. This is now a full-time gig. My husband even respects what I do, now that it's working for our family!

DH retired from the military last month. Scary. He has a RETIRED ID card, and my ID card says that I am a retiree's family member. He's still looking for a good job, but is working at a local auto place for now.

The kids and dogs are great. We adopted a Golden Husky mix in July to keep her older GSD/Husky sister company. They are inseparable, and people mistake them for litter-mates all the time.

Other than that, not much to report. Since I'm writing full-time now, I'll be updating this blog several times per week. It's good to be back! :)

A Harrowing Day!

2010-09-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

We almost lost one of our doggies today. We have a 19-month old GSD/Husky mix, and an 8-month old GSD/Husky/Golden Retriever mix. Both girls are spayed, obviously, and their energy levels know NO bounds. They are constantly playing and wrestling, and play-fighting, complete with barking and Husky-howling. We generally keep an eye on them, and break them up if it gets too intense (ie, when one of them yips or screeches in pain).

Today, I was down in the basement hanging up laundry on the clothesline, my kids were in the basement playroom and my husband was upstairs in the family room watching TV. All of the windows were open since the weather is sunny and breezy and 70*.

I heard my husband yelling, "HEY! HEY! HEY!" in a panicked voice, and then I heard the sliding glass door to the backyard slam open, and my husband kept yelling. We all ran up out of the basement, and my husband screamed for me to come help him. Apparently, the girls were doing their usual Wild Husky Freakout wrestling match, and LittleGirl got her bottom jaw stuck in BigGirl's collar. She couldn't get unstuck, so she was choking BigGirl, and both girls panicked. Natural instinct kicked in, and they were fighting like wild wolves.

My husband and I got BigGirl's collar off, and got the girls into the house. I was crying. We cleaned the blood off their faces, inspected the wounds, and we all sat on the kitchen floor for about half an hour to calm down and regroup. It was another two hours before the girls stopped being scared of each other. I had to take them up to my bed and we all cuddled - BigGirl at the foot of the bed, LittleGirl on the pillows, and me in between.

The only good thing that came out of this was all the hugs. BigGirl does NOT like HuskyHugs, but LittleGirl is a cuddle-bug. While we were up resting on my bed, BigGirl got right up in my arms, and let me hug her the WHOLE time. After we got up, she barked play-barks at LittleGirl, and they slowly began to get re-acquainted. It was like the first day they met - they were very tentative, and LittleGirl kept bowing to BigGirl. I cried again.

Both dogs are well now, and are back to being best friends and playing like normal, but Mommy is STILL freaked out. I'm just SO thankful that my husband is between jobs right now (he's on terminal leave from the military, awaiting retirement in December), and was home to hear the fracas and save both girls' lives.

I will be out of town for work this weekend, but I am working on both girls' adoption stories, and hope to post them here soon. :)

My Entry for the Pedigree Dog Food's "Write a Post, Help a Dog" promotion!

2010-09-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

I'm back, and what better way to return to the blogging scene, than with a post to help pets? :) I have been very involved in rescuing pets over the last year or so. I am a volunteer at two local Humane Societies, I work with three local dog rescues, and I run transports for these rescues to help get dogs to their furever homes. All this has led to me abandoning blogging for the time being. However, when I heard that Pedigree is donating a TWENTY POUND BAG of their new Healthy Longevity dog food to an animal shelter for every blogger who blogs about the Pedigree foundation's adoption programs, I knew I had to come back from my hiatus and blog about it!

All of my pets have been rescues, and I've had a lot of pets over my 33 years. Currently, I have two rescued German Shepherd/Husky mixes lounging at my feet chewing on Pedigree treats while I tell you about their friends that are still in need of homes. Estimates are that FOUR to EIGHT MILLION pets wind up in shelters every year, and over HALF of that number NEVER make it out to a loving furever home. Pedigree has set up a Foundation to try to solve this problem.

You may have seen Pedigree's commercials about shelter pets, with the tagline “Don't pity a shelter dog, adopt one.” Pedigree is heavily involved in spreading the word about animals in shelters who need forever homes. They are more than talk, though. They donate food and other resources to shelters and rescues, and they assist people with finding and adopting the perfect shelter pet!

The Pedigree Foundation has created a website with resources for adopting a shelter dog. Included in the website's information are links to area shelters, articles on responsible dog ownership, and information about how to get a free month of dog food for newly adopted shelter dogs. You can click here to see the site.

If you are on Facebook, you can also help Pedigree help pets. Just click "Like" on Pedigree's Fan Page, and they will donate one bowl of food to a shelter. So far, over 1 MILLION Facebook users have done this - that's over 1 MILLION bowls of good, nutritious Pedigree food going to homeless, hungry fur babies.

Many people turn a blind eye to the plight of shelter animals. The stories and statistics are very painful, and with the current economy, many people don't have time or funds to help animals in shelters. But with a few clicks and a little effort, EVERYONE can help shelter animals from the comfort of their home. So click on over to Pedigree's website or their Facebook page, and do a little bit to help a homeless dog! And make sure to say a huge "thank you!" to Pedigree for all that they do to help rescue homeless dogs!

And don't forget to check out ALL of the entries in this promotion at "I Love Rescue Animals!"

Don't Breed or Buy, While Shelter Pets Die!

National Blog Posting Month

2009-04-30T12:07:00.001-07:00

National Blog Posting Month is the epicenter of daily blogging! People who want to set the habit of blogging by doing it every day for a month, including weekends, can come here for moral support, inspiration, and the camaraderie that only marathon blogging can provide.

Click here to participate:

http://nablopomo.ning.com/

Articles for Military Servicemembers and Spouses

2009-04-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd do a post that showcases the articles that I have done that are geared toward the military. Enjoy!

This article is a memoir of my deployment overseas:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/375590/we_are_winning_the_war_in_iraq_my_participation.html

Along the same lines, another article about how my family and I coped with my deployment overseas:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/666327/my_familys_deployment_and_thoughts.html

Powers of Attorney Basics for American Servicemembers - this article is a great resource for military members and dependents, and those individuals who help out during deployments and TDYs:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/363810/powers_of_attorney_basics_for_american.html

What is Memorial Day and Why Should You Observe It (the title speaks for itself):
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/256559/what_is_memorial_day_and_why_should.html

This article is about Worldwide EchoTaps, and how military members are involved in such a wonderful endeavor to honor military veterans:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/252878/echotaps_worldwide_honors_veterans.html

This is a series of book reviews that I did for military spouses and girlfriends. In addition to AC, this series was picked up by the Fort Lewis Ranger (the official print newspaper of the Fort Lewis Army post in Washington State).

Information for new military spouses, and those who are soon to marry a military member:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/245863/helpful_books_for_the_military_wife.html

General Information about the military and being married to a military member:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/249617/more_helpful_books_for_the_military.html

Books about how to cope with deployments and issues that surround them:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/249633/more_helpful_books_for_the_military.html

Memorial Day - It's Meaning and Observation (another piece I did on Memorial Day - so many Americans are clueless about this holiday, and you can never talk about it too much):
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/722143/memorial_day_its_meaning_and_observation.html

Prom Articles Need Some Google Love

2009-04-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of my most recent prom articles did not get indexed by Google, so I am posting the new ones (and the old ones, even though the PV average on the old prom articles is about 2,000) here to remedy that:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1533487/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_thousand.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1533131/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_cleveland.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1559415/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_detroit.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1533489/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_philadelphia.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1533113/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_washington.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1533015/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_omaha.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1498206/shopping_for_affordable_prom_dresses.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/555391/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_evansville.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/555379/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_terre.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/550807/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_manhattan.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/550641/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_wichita.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/550245/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_jacksonville.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/550137/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_indianapolis.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/549891/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_queens.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/549615/where_to_buy_cheap_prom_dresses.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/549433/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_oklahoma.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/549355/shopping_for_a_prom_dress_in_memphis.html

Wednesday.

2009-03-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't felt well mentally since my cousin passed away. That, combined with a lot of other craptastic happenings have killed my motivation. I don't want to write, don't want to go to class, don't want to study. Going to the gym is about the only thing I am motivated to do right now. I managed to get three more articles in today for the cutoff. Payday is Friday. I plan to get a couple articles written for another site this evening after I go to the gym, so they will pay Friday as well. This weekend, I have drill, so it will be a wash. Tomorrow I have a doctor appointment in the morning, but should be able to write all day after that, until I pick up the kids to go workout. And I'll have some time Friday afternoon after I get back from the gym.

I just hate this down, depressed time. I want to do so much, but can't get myself to do it.

No Examiner for me. :(

2009-03-03T05:06:00.001-08:00

Well, I was very excited to begin working as an Examiner at Examiner.com. So much so that I was running around the house singing for an hour after I got the "Welcome to the team email." As much as I hated to, I had to turn down their offer, due to a couple personal reasons. I was so excited about it, and very grateful to them for selecting me and giving me a chance to work with them. There are just a couple reasons that I can't do it. I'm kind of sad about it, but I guess everything happens for a reason. Just have to press on in other areas.

Death Surrounds Me...

2009-03-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

And I'm really so tired of it. First my cousin, my sister's employee, and a fellow blogger. Tonight, my dear husband is making a notification to a family of a deceased sailor. They just made the notification about 30 minutes ago, and are about 5 hours from home, so I doubt he'll be home tonight. I can't go into details, but it is a bad deal. I don't know how much more I can take. I feel sad for the sailor's family, but I am not worried to be home alone without the DH. My home is protected by Smith & Wesson, and not only have I been in the military for 12 years, I was raised with firearms, and learned to shoot and clean one when I was 8. Yes, I am from Southern Illinois, we do that there.

I was sick today, and couldn't make it to class. My writing suffered, and so did my diet. I ate more than I wanted to (I have set impossible goals for myself I think), and I wrote less than I wanted to. My paycheck for this week is going to suck. Next week I have to study for mid-terms, and the following week I am going home to visit with family in Indiana and Illinois, and they only have crappy dial-up, so I won't be able to work. I'm not hurting for money, but it's hard to continue to work on my debt snowball if my income isn't also snowballing.

I did make a doctor appointment for me for Thursday to get a medical issue looked into. I plan to go to the gym to work out tomorrow. I will salvage the week somehow. I hope my next blog post is happier.

February's Goals - Wrap Up.

2009-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I did pretty good for February's goals:

40 / 50 - Site
20 / 25 - AC
19 / 10 - Helium
19 / 15 - Blog Posts
1 / 1 - eHow
1 / 1 - Examiner
1 / 2 - Textbroker

I set up three blogs, got started on Facebook, applied to Examiner and got selected, and did quite a bit of article promotion, so I think it's been a good month. And I lost about a week of work time due to my cousin's funeral and orthodontist appointments and other stuff. March will bring Spring Break, so I'll lose a week this month, too. My goals for March, however, will be:

50 - Site
25 - AC
10 - Helium
50- Blog Posts in my 3 blogs
20 - eHow
20 - Examiner
5 - Textbroker

I'd like to post a few articles on another site I'm thinking of writing for, but haven't decided to take the plunge yet. And I'm starting a new fitness plan, so we'll see how it goes. :)

How to Help Feed Animals For Free

2009-02-28T21:13:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine wrote this article, and it touched me so much, I had to share. You can help for FREE, from your computer!

How to Help Feed Animals for Free
There are many animals in animal shelters around the country that need healthy meals. Here is how anyone can help donate food to animal shelters for free.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1505402/how_to_help_feed_animals_for_free.html

Freelancing & Fiction with Michelle L Devon: Associated Content Month-long Challenge: Can you make a living on AC?

2009-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

Michy just completed her month-long Helium challenge, and is now doing a month-long challenge with AC. If you have ever considered writing for either of these sites, or just want the low-down, check out her blog!

Freelancing & Fiction with Michelle L Devon: Associated Content Month-long Challenge: Can you make a living on AC?

A slow day...

2009-02-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

I have only written five articles today. Slow day. As you can tell from my previous entry, a fellow blogger passed away, and with all the death this week, I don't feel like writing much. I took the weekly exam in my online Theater class (oh, how I hate that class - I am a writer, don't care about plays or acting). I aced it. Out of 6 exams, I've gotten 100% on ALL but one of them.

I want to get another article or two done, then I plan to study for the quiz in my Mil History class on Monday. Tomorrow is my day off. I've been working 7 days a week for months now (that's one of the downsides of working at home - this computer sits and taunts me). So, I am imposing a day off on myself.

The neighbor kid is here with mine again tonight (I wish the neighbors would just let us adopt their child), so it will be another rowdy, noisy night like last night. I haven't really slept worth a damn since my cousin was admitted to the hospital last Saturday, so it doesn't matter. I made mac and cheese this afternoon, but no one can make it like he did.

Off to have dinner. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

RIP Lisa Clusterfook

2009-02-28T16:22:00.001-08:00

RIP Lisa Clusterfook

Posted using ShareThis

I'm home from the funeral.

2009-02-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

After much discussion with my family, I was able to get things caught up enough that I could go home. I left here at 2pm on Tuesday, and drove 5 hours to central Missouri. I stayed in a Fairfield Inn, and got up early Wednesday and drove the rest of the way to my parents' house in Indiana. I stopped there long enough to put on funeral attire, and we all drove to Illinois for the visitation. For three hours we sat at the funeral home and visited with people. I was very happy to see the huge turnout of family, friends and co-workers. The visitation was hard - I kept looking at my cousin, and either bursting into tears, or trying to hold back laughter. My cousin was THE funniest person I know. My sister and I sat in a pew at the funeral home, and we'd be crying, and then we'd look at each other, and one of us would say a funny quote from my cousin and we'd laugh. So, if you ever meet me in real life, all you have to do to get me to smile is say something like, "brown-out," "wire coat hangar," or "Foilfield."

We got back to the house at 10:30 that night, and I was beat. I had just enough energy to do my teeth (I have braces, so no skipping brushings!), and crawl into bed. My sister woke me up a few hours later to tell me that one of her employees had a heart attack and died that night.

I was back up at 6:00 on Thursday morning. We got 5 adults (me, mom, Dad, sister and brother) through the showers (thank goodness for a house with 3 bathrooms!) and left at 8:00 to head over to the funeral home.

We got to my aunt's house and met everyone. I picked up my cousin's little boy, and another cousin's little boy - they wanted to ride in my rental car (a 2007 Mustang - it was a V6, though, but little kids don't know the difference). We all went to the funeral home, for the service that started at 10:00. My brother gave a surprise eulogy - we had no idea he was going to speak. He got up to the podium, and broke down in tears. He wrote a poem while driving around in his truck, about how our cousin always told it like it was, and was the most real person around. At the end, he said, "I love you, Bubba, and I'll miss you." I cried the whole way through the service.

After the service, we all filed past my cousin one more time. I didn't handle it very well. I put a note in with him, and cried, and patted his shoulder. I can't believe he's gone - he was 43, and his life was FINALLY on the right track. I thought he'd be the last one of us standing. He did look very good, though - he looked to be smiling. His new wife is not handling this well at all - I hadn't met her yet, as they'd only been married a year, but I am praying for her so much.

After the funeral, we had dinner at the church, and then I headed back home. 9 hours later, my hubby and kids met me at the rental place to turn in the Stang, and I went home and collapsed. Now I am just catching up on some odds and ends, putting up a few articles, and planning to get back in the swing of things tomorrow.

Well, that's all for now - I'm tired so my thoughts are rambly.

Weekend recap.

2009-02-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been an up and down weekend. I got a call on Saturday when we were at the Science Center - my Mom wanted to let me know that my 43-year old cousin had a heart attack and was not expected to make it. They did several tests over the weekend - he was without oxygen for about 30 minutes before his wife found him, and an EEG showed no brain activity. He passed away late last night, with his wife by his side. Still waiting to hear about funeral arrangements. Home is 10 hours away, so I don't know if I'll be able to go.

I spent the weekend working on homework, and writing. I'm getting closer to my goals.

I spent about 20 minutes on article promotion. I usually make about $1/day in page views on one site that I write for (I recycle the articles I use on another site, so it's basically free money). I submitted one of my articles from that site to Digg and Reddit on Saturday night, and went to bed. I woke up the next morning, and had accumulated $7.81 in page views! So, when they tell you to write quality SEO articles, and promote them to up your page views, they aren't lying.

I wrote eight articles over the weekend, for three sites. My goal for the weekend was higher, but I obviously wasn't in the mood to write. Today, I have to finish up a 3-7 page paper before 3:30, for class at 4:30. After I get home from class, I need to get a few more articles submitted. The only negative side about being your own boss is the lack of paid leave if you need to go home for a funeral. Tomorrow will determine if I can go home or not - if I don't get a lot of work done, I'll be staying here.

Back to the grindstone.