Writing My Life Away

Get Out There - And Write About It!

2009-11-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

So I've decided to do more than write about my own freelance journey ... because I know you guys get tired of reading daily happenings, random home-improvement projects and bebe stories. At least a little bit!

So, each week I'm going to add in a few more posts with specific freelance possibilities. This post - all about the great outdoors and some markets which will let you write about those experiences.. Do your research, write it up - and send out those queries!!

WINE ENTHUSIAST, USA
Wine Enthusiast Magazine has grown to become one of the world's
most respected and quoted publications in the field of wine and
spirits. Welcomes proposals from freelance writers on subjects
that pertain to wine, fine food and travel. Guidelines:
http://www.winemag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?gid=560859A17E8648FBB58820BD08CB1864

WEND, USA
Adventure. Inspiration. Travel. Activism. A forum for real people,
writing real stories about real adventures and real environmental
issues. Pays $0.25 per word.
Guidelines: http://www.wendmag.com/writersguide

WESTERN LIVING, CANADA
Covering what intrigues, surprises and thrills us about people,
places, homes, gardens, food, travel and adventure from Winnipeg to
Victoria and everywhere in-between. Paying market.
Guidelines: http://www.westernlivingmagazine.com/ABOUT/faq.html

WESTERN SPORTSMAN, CANADA
A bi-monthly all-Canadian publication that focuses on hunting,
fishing and conservation. Seeks feature articles from Western
Canadian writers. Guidelines:
http://www.westernsportsman.com/index.php/content/view/92/134/

WILD, AUSTRALIA
Australia's wilderness adventure magazine. Pays up to $120 for each
published page of articles and images, except for cover ($190) and
gear surveys ($320).
Guidelines: http://www.wild.com.au/magazine/Wild_Guidelines.pdf

NETWORK AFRICA, NIGERIA
Published monthly in Nigeria with circulation currently reaching
South Africa, Ghana and Liberia. Covering Business, Arts, Politics,
Economy, Health, Entertainment, Environment, Culture, Travel,
Sports, Science and Research.
Guidelines: http://www.networkafricaonline.com/write.htm

Opinions Wanted...

2009-10-27T21:59:00.000-04:00

The bathroom reno is moving forward but now the hubster and I have another possibility to ponder and it's making us crazy. Because we like both options.

Option one: twin bowl type copper sinks that sit 'on' the cabinet rather than 'in' the cabinet

Option two: more traditional twin copper sinks which are laid into the cabinet, much like the sinks from...oh, the last 200 years.

I like both. Really and truly. But, I think the bowl sinks are a bit more modern and add a little flash to the room. On the other hand, I'm afraid that in two years (or two months - you know how picky I am!) I'll be tired of cleaning the bowls constantly and want to switch up the countertop for in-cabinet type sinks.

So, anyone have these bowl-type sinks? Do you like or dislike? And does anything bug you about them?

There's a Hole in the Bucket...

2009-10-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

Remember that song? It's been running through my head for a few days now, which means I need to write about our recent experience.

A couple of weeks ago I was finishing up some laundry, looked up and saw a dark line on the ceiling. Asked the hubster if he'd seen it. Nope. Figured we'd just somehow missed it. And then, as our movie ended a couple hours later I hear this drip, drip. Yep, we had a leak and it was bursting through our ceiling. Called the contractor - isn't is sad when your contractor friends are on speed-dial - and he came over the next morning.

Turns out when the new A/C and furnace units were put in, the workers missed an old line, which was run wrong to begin with, and it began leaking. All the way through our ceiling.

Blech!

On the plus side? Our contractor is also a good friend, pushed a couple other projects back and within two days we had a fully new ceiling in, complete with a great new lighting fixture. All in all, not a bad couple of days...cost of the ceiling not included!

Get A Clue!

2009-10-27T20:58:00.002-04:00

Oh. My. God.

So we're back from the baby-less Vacation - and I'm so glad! I missed the baby-bean!! Hit the grocery a few minutes ago and, I have to say, checkers need an education on how to operate those barcode scanner units. Seriously. Our checker tried for 3 minutes - I'm not kidding...I watched the clock after the first 30 seconds - to get the barcode on a package of whole wheat noodles to scan. Nada. It wasn't working. I very nicely suggested she type in the barcode. Got a dirty look while she kept trying to scan the unscannable code. I sighed. Loudly. Okay, not necessarily nice, but come on! Got another dirty look. Baby started to get antsy. Got another dirty look. Line behind us deepened - I think at one point there were 12 carts behind us! - and finally a manager came over, grabbed the package and typed in the code just as I'd suggested. It worked. Got another dirty look from the cashier.

Seriously. Note to checkers - if it doesn't scan the first 30 times you try, type in the code. You'll have a much more productive day.

Need A Little Motivation?

2009-10-27T17:23:00.000-04:00

Dieting over the holidays is a recipe for madness - especially if you try to go it alone. All of the holiday parties, office gatherings, family get-togethers...there are just too many treats - from delicious wines and cheeses to yummy deserts - to contemplate going it alone. Which is why dieting with a friend is such a great idea.

Friends keep you honest: you can set goals together, you can motivate one another, you can even act as the Food Police for one another - just don't take it to extremes. If you don't have a friend to diet with, free sites like My-Calorie-Counter.com are great finds.

Another idea? Talk to your doctor about best weight loss pill for your health, body type and age. As references go, doctors are the best option because they can look at your medical history, your present state and help you figure out the best option.

Aren't Article Ideas Great?

2009-10-26T21:51:00.004-04:00

Isn't it funny where the article ideas come from? As we're driving home from the baby-less vacation and stop at a rest area. Where a woman has gotten her oxygen tank stuck in the door of one of the bathroom stalls. Seriously. Stuck. She apparently kicked it and it lodged, giving the cleaning staff a huge hassle and issue to deal with. But it got me thinking: what are the best transportable oxygen tanks? are there any out there that won't get stuck/be a nuisance at some point? Which brought me to the big article idea: the top medical equipment for people who don't want to be pinned down by their illness. So far the research is hard but going well and I'm sending the query out later this week!

Babyless Vacation Day 3

2009-10-25T21:05:00.000-04:00

I'm so relaxed I don't even want to blog. Seriously. Three nights of uninterrupted sleep. Six uninterrupted meals. Being able to eat at a restaurant without first gauging the parking lot to figure out how long we'll have to wait with the Unwilling To Wait Baby Monster.

Heaven on earth.

and yet I miss the little maniac. I wondered all day if she was having fun, what she had for lunch, if she was napping. And I played my mini-movie on the new ipods touch a magillion times. Okay, probably only three. But I missed her! I know. Silly mommy. Give me 48 hours of constant baby time and I'll be ready for the next babyless vacation!

A Note About Night #2

2009-10-25T09:00:00.002-04:00

So we checked into the hotel last night (we stayed in two different hotels) after the Very Cold Game (more about that in a second) and the deskclerk warned us that a wedding party was checking in a little later. We were so tired we didn't care, but the more we thought about it the more we thought maybe we should change hotels.

And then we fell asleep - I guess a Very Cold Game will do that to you.

So we wake up this morning completely confused about the wedding party. There were no loud noises. No slamming doors. No loud music from the reception party. Nothing.

Was this the most curteous wedding party ever?

Maybe not.

On our way to breakfast we peeked into the pool area to see eight tuxedo shirts. In the water. Yeah. Not sure which groomsmen they belonged to, but that rental place isn't going to be happy with the chlorine in their shirts...Ha!!

Baby-less Vacation Day #2

2009-10-24T20:52:00.004-04:00

Day number two of the babyless vacation is in the books...and I'm ready for bed. Froze our .... off at the game, but it was so much fun! And, seriously, not nearly as cold as some games. Temperatures held out at about 45 degrees. The bad part? Lots of wind and intermittent sprinkles, so it did feel really cold.

And the two hour drive back to the hotel wasn't the best. Which got the hubster thinking about our next big purchase - he wants an RV. Yeah, a Robin Williams-movie, big-flippin' RV. I'm not opposed to it - at least I'll know for sure the linens are clean, et cetera, et cetera. He's even gotten the low-down on rv financing so we know what kind of payment we're looking at - can anyone afford to buy these mosters straight out? We're looking at a new model but not top-of-the-line and it's still going to cost as much as our house. Okay, not quite. But almost!

Still, we'll be able to hit the road for weeks at a time - and isn't that part of the joy of being self-employed? I can imagine writing from the road. Getting paid for a vacation. That is something to look forward to.

When The Parents Are Away...

2009-10-23T20:46:00.004-04:00

So for the first time in several weeks, we have a Parent's Weekend. Meaning we get to be the kid and the kid gets to be spoiled by The Grandparents. So far, so good. We didn't go far - it's a football weekend so we're only about 4 hours from home. But it's lovely. Slept all night. Had no 'waaaaaaah' wake-up call. Got to eat breakfast on my schedule, not wolfing down two bites of toast between baby attending. Did I mention lovely?

The bad part?

Okay, this is a totally I'm Spoiled thing. But our hotel hasn't upgraded their television, which means we're watching sports tonight (tomorrow is the Big Game) on a box television rather than plasma tvs or even hi-def TV. I know. At least the hubster can watch in peace, right? But there really is a biiiiig difference between those old box sets - and why a $200/night hotel hasn't upgraded is beyond me...they've upgraded everything else! - and our units at home. At least it's a flat-screen and not a rounded-face one...

I Wanna Get Paid

2009-10-21T14:12:00.000-04:00

...and I wanna make it simple. Payroll is one of the hassles of owning your own business - payroll. I started doing payroll when I worked for an environmental non-profit organization and I can tell you, getting the taxes right, getting everything in to the government on time and getting everyone paid in a timely manner is no easy thing. I tried to get the organization to invest in Time and Attendance Software, but it was a no-go. Since the financial officer before me did it by hand they wanted me to as well. Luckily I was very conscientious and didn't make any mistakes...but boy would my job have been easier with that software. I actually use a similar software now in my own business, even though I'm my only employee...just makes me feel good!

Here is a press release about the software:
New Open-source Time and Attendance Web-based Package Launched

Westbank, BC, Canada, - TimeTrex, unique new open-source software moves web-based time and attendance and payroll into the 21st century.

It's time to toss those punch cards out. TimeTrex's unique, open-source time and attendance and payroll system integrates a number of crucial features into one easy-to-use, web-based package.

"Organizations can often cut significant costs by making their time and attendance and payroll systems more efficient and cost-effective," says Mike Benoit of TimeTrex. "TimeTrex does just that, and best of all, its standard edition, in the true spirit of the open source movement, is absolutely free to download."

TimeTrex features integrated employee scheduling, attendance, job costing, and payroll functions. It has hardware support for iButtons, biometrics, proximity cards, barcodes, and mobile devices. Apart from time management, TimeTrex comes fully integrated with a powerful payroll processing system, available at the click of a button.

Being essentially web-based, TimeTrex allows secure and easy access to its interface from anywhere in the world. By streamlining employee time and attendance functions, the software allows companies to concentrate on their revenue-generating core competencies. TimeTrex has been designed to suit small and large businesses, with one or more locations.

TimeTrex's standard edition is free to download for an unlimited number of employees. Quotes for its professional edition are available on its website.

"Its many flexible features, combined with its open-source nature, make TimeTrex a one-of-its-kind software," says Benoit. "TimeTrex frees up labor and capital, so you can devote your resources to the challenges of growing your business."

This is a sponsored post.

No More Zits...

2009-10-21T13:27:00.002-04:00

Well, every now and then when I get really stressed out I get a pimple or two but I'm happy to say that at the ripe old age of 32, I seem to have finally outgrown the full-blown acne stage. Unfortunately, bad skin runs in the family so my nieces and nephews will likely have to do their own rounds of acne treatment just like I did.

You know what I learned during those long days of putting one cream on in the morning and another at night? Nothing works better than simply keeping your hands off of your face.

Seriously, hands are greasy things. When I stopped resting my chin in my palm, the acne along my jawline cleared up; it was a hard habit to break (and didn't effect the acne on my nose or at my hairline) but at least that one area began to clear up. Just a thought as you're researching...try to break those wacky habits.

Have Dogs, Need Cleaner

2009-10-21T12:37:00.001-04:00

So the hubster and I have been dog owners since...well, since we first met. I 'adopted' his two rescue mutts and have loved 'em ever since. We lost Sam-the-Dog last year (she was 16. Seriously. 16, that is 112 in human years). Now we just have the Jess-Monster, who is going to be 17 in January. One thing we noticed about the dogs, once they past the age of 10 is that the had to go much more often. And sometimes accidents do happen. That is when we bought our first deep carpet cleaner. One of those huge steam cleaners that weigh 200 pounds and are very unweildy. We kept that for three years before we decided to get something a little more usable. Enter a smaller unit very similar to this Lady Bug steam cleaner.

This is why I like it: Cleanup- simple. Fill with the cleaning fluid and water and go. Very lightweight - I can push this across the carpet without pulling a muscle. Versatile - I can go from carpet to tile with a single click.

We still take Jess-Monster out at least once each hour and when we're gone for a long time - like Christmas shopping or something - there are sometimes accidents. But having the right cleaning supplies makes all the difference for me.

Reservations 'R Us

2009-10-16T12:53:00.002-04:00

We have our first trip of the New Year all planned out - and it has nothing to do with work, conventions or family. Well, our family, but not extended family. Yay! We're headed to Breckenridge for a little skiing in late January. Hopefully lots of powder and, if not, I'll be happily reading by the fire with some hot cocoa at my side. I love Breckenridge and this will be the first trip that bebe can actually do most of the outdoor activities with us. Can wait to see her all dolled up in ski-gear..she'll be like the kid in A Christmas Story - the one who fell and couldn't get up!!

More On Health Insurance...

2009-10-16T12:45:00.004-04:00

I've been looking around for better - meaning lower cost - health insurance for my family. When it was just the hubster and I, our rates weren't horrendous. But he's getting ready to hit 40 and we've not got dependents, so our rates are getting ready to skyrocket. Unfortunately finding the right health insurance leads isn't easy. In fact, it's a job in and of itself. I've checked with the big competitors, I've checked out our house/car/life insurance company and so far the insurer we're with right now has the best rates, but I'm still not satisfied that I'm getting the right coverage for what we're paying. Bleh.

Guess I'll just keep looking.

Just Annoyed!!

2009-10-16T12:42:00.002-04:00

So I broke down and listed my business with our local directories and two online directories - which shall remain nameless - this week. Signing up was simply, took about ten minutes out of my day and hopefully the return will be huge. Although I do keep quite busy with articles, I have some time available to do copywriting or even some newsletter/desktop publishing. So I figured a local listing was the way to go.

Until this morning.

No, I'm not getting random, ignorant calls. I'm getting calls from the directory services trying to upsell me to a bigger platform. I don't want that. I told them, in no uncertain terms, that I wanted the small package because my time was limited and I wanted to be very choosy about what work I do/do not accept. And they kept trying to upsell me. I hate that! Eventually, I hung up on them, but when my listings come due, I'm not sure I'll sign up again.

No More Black Friday?

2009-10-16T12:38:00.003-04:00

As I was getting some copy ready this morning for a publication, I found some new research that shows, because of the Internet and online shopping, there really isn't a Black Friday anymore. Really? Actually, yeah. This particular study shows that, even though a ton of consumers are out and shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving (in the US), most aren't buying. Instead, they are comparison shopping and looking for deals.

So, is there a new start to the holiday season? Sort of. This report shows that holiday shopping starts as early as October 15 - hey, that was YESTERDAY!! - and goes as long as December 20, one of the last days you can buy online and still have the gifts ready Christmas Morning.

Interesting, hmmm??

Playroom, Schmayroom...

2009-10-15T12:56:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite features of the new house is the room. Seriously, I knew we were missing out on space in the condo but until bebe came along, it was easy to ignore the lack of space. Now that she's walking, running and carrying things around it's not so easy. Which is why we have a bedroom and playroom for her, in addition to the little areas she has in both the living and family rooms. The bedroom is for sleeping and I try to keep it that way, although she does play from time to time in there. The playroom is where everything happens. I converted an old wooden filing cabinet into a really cool 'tool' chest - it has all of her papers, coloring books, crayons. You name it. Added a small table from an antique shop that was used in a classroom in the 1800s and a chalkboard. Toyboxes, book shelves. And it's all in her reach. I hit the goldmine at one of our local antique stores because the family who had owned an old one room schoolhouse had sold the land and decided to sell the classroom furniture, too. I'll post a few pictures in a day or two - need to get some stuff off the wall first!

Just Silliness

2009-10-14T12:49:00.002-04:00

As I was putting some laundry away this morning, I realized that Jess-the-Dog was laying on the floor. Not a really big deal except normally she lays on our bed or on the chair beside the bed. So I called her up, ready to put her blanket down so she could snuggle. And she sadly came over to the bed, but didn't jump up. And my heart broke a little because our almost-17-year-old dog really is starting to act her age! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's not jumping around like a puppy, which she did until her 15th birthday, but it's just sad that she's beginning to be Old Dog. So I'm running out this afternoon to buy dog ramps for the bedroom and the family room, so she can easily get up on the bed or sofa - her favorite places to nap - to be comfortable.

Nicely Played, Nicely Played...

2009-10-12T14:37:00.003-04:00

A few weeks back we were approached by a national security chain to be one of the first homes to test their new touch-screen security keypad. Along with volunteering to be their guinea pigs, we received free equipment and only have to pay the monthly fee - not bad. So far I love the system. When the hubster is gone, I set the system and all those creepy bumps-in-the-night don't bother me. And I've only forgotten to turn it off before opening doors/windows a few times - and the security people were very nice when they called to make sure I wasn't dying.

The best part, though, is the additional savings. We have all of our insurance - home, life/term and car through the same company. By upgrading our security system, we're getting a huge break - seriously, just over 20% - on our insurance. Now, technically it's coming off the house portion but since it's all together, I like to think our security system is saving us a little bit on car insurance, life/term insurance and home-owners insurance as well.

Where Could They Be?

2009-10-12T14:33:00.004-04:00

I've been racking my brain - and searching my garage since late this morning and I'm flummoxed. Last spring we replaced the old furnace and A/C units with new models because the 20+ year old units that came with the house were sooooo not working right. High heating bills and very little air flow. Blech! So we got the new units in and the installers showed the hubster how to replace filters and they left.

Well, not it's time to replace the air conditioner filters and furnace filters (you're supposed to do that twice each year for optimal usage, didja know that?) - and they are nowhere to be found. I've searched the furnace room, the attic crawlspace, the pantry. Nada. Can't find them anywhere and I know I bought a total of six - so there should be five more floating around here somewhere. Any ideas where to look?

A Hug and A Handshake

2009-10-11T02:25:00.002-04:00

Funny story. The past two weeks, hubster and I have been traveling. Too freelance conferences for me and he's been meeting with a few web development clients, working on some upgrades and additions to their existing sites. On the last day of the conference I'd left him at the hotel to deal with email and phone calls while I attended the last seminar by a speaker I'd really, really wanted to hear.

Well, I didn't hear the speaker.

Why?

Because as the seminar was getting started the woman sitting to my left elbowed me and asked if I was...well, me. Yes, I'm me - but I didn't recognize her until she introduced herself - as one of my clients from the time we lived Out West. Boy, had she changed! This woman has done a 180 degree flip thanks to a regime of diet and exercise along with a lap-banding system, which helps control her caloric intake. Her biggest change, though was changing how she thought about the food that fed her body. Rather than focusing on eating as much lettuce as she could, she researched and started looking into hcG weight loss programs like the ones offered at austin weight loss.

I was shocked and excited and - okay - just a little bit jealous! This woman looks amazing and could pass for being 15 years younger than she really is! Plus, she is obviously so happy with her life and she is getting married in the spring. Wow! Life is filled with surprises.

More On The Bathroom Reno...

2009-10-02T16:50:00.003-04:00

Forgot to mention in my earlier post, but I found that best outlet for faucet pieces. Seriously! They have great prices and a huge selection! When we start the bathroom reno, part of the deal is new hardware...from the faucets to the cabinet hardware. I like the look for polished copper and it would fit in well with the country style of our house. Plus, unlike stainless I won't have to be in the bathroom cleaning up every ten minutes. The in-laws just put stainless faucets in their bath and just visiting makes me crazy because there are fingerprints everywhere. Yech!!! Add in the skylight, the glass bricks and the stand-up shower and I can't wait to get started!

I Figured It Out!

2009-10-02T16:45:00.003-04:00

So along with the rec room remodel - which is now thankfully done - and the upcoming kitchen reno ... we've decided to overhaul the bath. Why? Because the last time it was updated - several years before we bought the house last spring - the renovators used cabinetry, sinks and a tub that were way toooo big for the room. So you have all these corners poking into you and it's just not cool. We've decided, since it's a small bath anyhow, to forgo the tub and put in a shower-only area...and to put the new sink/cabinetry nearby ... but that leave the toilet open to the door and, I don't know about you, but we like a little privacy for that area.

Went to The Warehouse to get some ideas today and came up with one solution - glass tiles. Seriously, glass bricked tiles. Just a half-wall, kind of like people used to put in entryways or what have you. It won't darken the room, it won't stick out and be ugly and yet the toilet area won't be 'out there' for all and sundry to see. Yay! Now to convince the hubster and the contractor that I'm not crazy!

Whoa, Baby!

2009-10-01T16:39:00.001-04:00

So I'm listening to the hubster and the contractor ramble on about the new kitchen cabinets, floor and countertops and somehow they get off the subject and start talking about tool-and-die stuff. I'm totally lost until Contractor Guy mentions spring plungers. I immediately think of a bathroom plunger that, rather than pushing and pulls, automatically springs to unclog. Why? Because lately bebe has taken to putting all sorts of things down the toilet - like her diapers. Her clean diapers. So, bathroom door remains closed. At. All. Times. Anyway, imagine my surprise when I learn that a spring plunger is actually a simple tool that gives positive spring tension for more accurate spring pressure. Yeah, I'm still a little confused about what exactly it does...which is why I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the conversation.