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Brightdreamer

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Sunday, and the day's already off to an iffy start despite the nice weather.

We were supposed to be meeting a relative for lunch, and he was supposed to call over an hour ago. Three tries later, finally got hold of him... and it sounds like he has some "plan." His "plans" are notoriously ill-thought-out, like "going to the beach on the first sunny weekend in six months and expecting there to be parking and a picnic table" or "spend three hours driving around aimlessly because fifty years ago there used to be something kinda in that area" ill thought out. And my gut's already not particularly happy with me today for reasons unknown.

Ergh...

Away I wander.
 

RLGreenleaf

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Brightdreamer:

What are these logos that you keep working on?

Are you a graphics designer?

Just wondering...
 

Brightdreamer

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Brightdreamer:

What are these logos that you keep working on?

Are you a graphics designer?

Just wondering...

I'm not really a graphic designer, nor do I play one on TV, but I kind of inherited an annual "thing." Mom silk-screens annual shirt logos for one or two local day camps, and has as long as I can recall. Round about 1993, I took over drawing the designs, though she still runs the screens (for now - her arthritis is getting to the point where she may have to hand that off, too.) It's not pro quality by any means, but it's something I do, and it's kinda fun seeing the pillow cases and shirts come back year after year.

Monday, and some clouds have moved in. Got myself a loose schedule of things I want to get done for today, as I try to get myself a little more organized on how I budget my time. We'll see how that goes, especially as relatives decide to take chunks out of my day...
 

Keithy

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Lovely day out.

Thinking about the front lawn. It's so weed infested that if I got rid of them all, there would be only five blades of grass left. Wondering whether to rip it up and get new turf. Hmm.
 

Brightdreamer

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Lovely day out.

Thinking about the front lawn. It's so weed infested that if I got rid of them all, there would be only five blades of grass left. Wondering whether to rip it up and get new turf. Hmm.

Our front yard's so shady and damp that it long ago gave up the pretense of being grass and is now a mix of moss and little dark blue weed/wildflowers. We leave them until they're done blooming because the local bees like them, and bees need all the help they can get. (Our back yard has grass still, but it's been so wet and muddy this year I still haven't gotten the mower out. Maybe today or by the weekend...)

Sunday, and it's springy out there - enough to remind me I forgot to take my allergy pill last night. Will take some before I head out today.

I got the logo out for approval, so I'm done with that for now. Plans today are unspecified, though I expect to be riding along or driving on a generic get-out-of-the-house excursion.

Away I meander. Relatives are snarking at each other. Always fun... not.
 

Keithy

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I've been rereading a book I bought about 2-3 years ago and have come across many faults that I didn't know were faults until recently. Filtering and a surfeit of adverbs, in particular, but also some terrible prose.

It makes my book look brilliant by comparison in terms of quality of writing. At least it was cheap.
 

Brightdreamer

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I've been rereading a book I bought about 2-3 years ago and have come across many faults that I didn't know were faults until recently. Filtering and a surfeit of adverbs, in particular, but also some terrible prose.

It makes my book look brilliant by comparison in terms of quality of writing. At least it was cheap.

One downside of writing is that one starts looking at books a little differently. Some favorites lose their luster, while others glow all the brighter. (It's also a bit sad to go back and see the sexism and racism one was totally oblivious to as a child... notice that a lot in some older TV shows, too. Macgyver had a real problem with writing competent women, for instance.)

I'm back from the day's excursion. Got lunch, plus a dessert at DQ (their food isn't worth it, but every so often their desserts are Must Haves), and I picked up a few books I need like a hole in the head. Didn't find the ones I was looking for, though, especially the one I most wanted to find. (I recently got a used book that was supposed to be in Good condition, but is so full of blue ballpoint underlines and circles and margin notes that parts are literally unreadable. Very disappointed, though I still can't justify full price for a new replacement.)

Can't start any new books until I finish the ones I'm reading. The paperback shouldn't be a problem, but the other one... So far, the moment anything is mentioned or occurs, I can think of the most obvious consequence, and so far I have yet to be proven wrong. It'd be funny if the story was remotely as amusing as it seems to think it is; I'm honestly torn between thinking they're simply slapdash pump-out-the-books choices by an author who didn't care or deliberate winks to the reader by consistently and blatantly choosing the easiest story and shallowest characterizations as part of the "joke."

Away I meander. I've declared it nuke-your-own-dinner night for this household. And yours, too. Fight the culinary conglomerate!
 

DragonHeart

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Man, I've been so busy lately. New job is going pretty well. It's not without problems and challenges, but I feel like I'm starting to settle in somewhat.

I'm eating breakfast, feeling pretty pleased with myself today. I realize Mother's Day is coming up very soon. Now that I have a decentish paycheck (twice what I made at my old job) I fully intend to spoil my mom. So I'm buying her a new tablet, I know she's wanted one with a color screen. The one I got her before is just a basic eReader with the eInk screen, so it'll be a nice upgrade, getting her a Samsung Galaxy 8". She has an S5 phone and I know they generally have similar OSes between devices, so I'm sticking with what she's familiar with.

Also bought some reusable K cups for the office, we have a Keurig but no one uses it, well I need my afternoon caffeine before I start falling asleep at my desk. I hate the concept of regular K cups so reusable only, plus I can bring my own good coffee with me. Bought a 4-pack so I can give the extras out to the other pharmacy dispatcher, the pharmacy ops manager and the GM.

Also bought myself a little toy, 2 more RAM sticks. A couple weeks ago I upgraded from 8GB to 16GB, but I think I can stand to max out at 32. Now that I have an income again I can upgrade my 3 year old mid tier gaming system.

And while I was at it I finally went and redid my budgets and set up automatic transfers to make sure my moolah is going where it needs to be. I never dipped into my emergency fund even with nearly 2 years of unemployment. Now with my higher pay I want to stock it up for my current income level, not necessarily my current expenditures. I'm also putting aside money for a new car fund. I love my car but reality is, it's a 2003 and my mileage increased dramatically with my new commute. I've already had to bring it in for wear and tear after one of my front bearings failed, and I've been catching up on the maintenance I haven't had the ability to do while out of work.

On top of all that I'm calculating how much extra I can put into paying off my student loans early. It's not a huge payment but I don't really want to be paying these stupid things off for the next however many years, especially when I wasn't even able to finish my degree or certificates due to circumstances.

Not bad for it being barely past 7 a.m. I don't even have to leave for work until 9:15 but it's like a switch flipped and I just wake up at 5 a.m. every day when my alarm is set for 6:45.
 

Brightdreamer

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Thursday, and the clouds have returned. Heading off to work soon. I keep hoping it's Friday when I wake up - probably a sign I should start considering another job, but I have no qualifications beyond taking things out of boxes, so it'd be a lateral move at best. (Besides, they may finally get some manner of pay differential for our division, as we work harder than other pages. Not holding my breath on that, though.) Also trying not to let Recent Events depress and discourage me overmuch, but largely failing.

After work, I have a book review to write. (Finished the less-impressive book. I remain less than impressed.) But that's later. For now, gotta get the shoes on and head out the door.
 

WriterDude

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Not sure if it was the slap in the face or the kick in the balls that did it, but make no mistake, I am proper pissed off. But at least I'm not alone, and there is consensus among the damned that staying isn't necessarily better than going. The inevitable shitstorm will have to be weathered by the survivors, and if I find myself among them, I'm afraid I just can't be arsed.

Have been taking action to side step all that nonsense though, and after two more nights and I can have wine. Right now though, while my mad subsides, I am making bangers and chips, with Worcester sauce. Fantastic.
 

Brightdreamer

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Wanderin' through after work, trying to decide if I need more than an apple for lunch. (Laundry's going, so I can't do anything requiring the microwave.) Outside, hummingbirds are skirmishing in the rain.

Work was light, so we got out early. If it happens again tomorrow, I may treat myself to lunch at the Safeway deli (unless I get stuck shopping elsewhere.)

And now I need to write that review. Still debating the exact rating - if it was simply bland, for a 3-star Okay, or if it actively irked me enough to dip to a 2 1/2... leanin' toward the latter with the inconclusive "where the frell did this drop in from?" ending and over-reliance on low-hanging fruit ideas, not to mention the ol' chestnut of attempted rape as the go-to "thing" for the baddies to try on the lady MC... more than once. I'll decide as I write it up; the act of writing helps me sort my thoughts out.
 

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Workinf on chapter 2 of Drifters: Origins and weeding out extra words and information best left for the work of lore Drifters: Compendium.

Oh, and posting in this topic, of course.
 

WriterDude

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Its Friday night, I got river cobbler for four, a soda batter, a deep fat fryer, some spuds, and some beers chilling for later. I got independence day 2 ready to stream, back ache, and a bunch of jobs to apply for.

There was something else too, but basically, I'm cooking dinner.
 

Keithy

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oh man just got the electricity back after everything went pop yesterday. arrgh!
 

Brightdreamer

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oh man just got the electricity back after everything went pop yesterday. arrgh!

Always a great feeling when the power comes back - and stays back.

'Tis Friday, and another weird weather day. The weather elves need to keep their cats away from the control board...

Work was exceptionally light. We got out an hour early, so I technically got paid to shop my way home. Hit Big Lots and Safeway and Barnes & Noble. (I didn't want to go to the bookstore, but they sent me a coupon, so I had to. You understand, don't you, budget? You, too, groaning shelf that's already overloaded with books next to my bed? Please stop crying...)

I have Things I probably should do before it's time for dinner. (Went the lazy route, 'cause they had their cheese-and-bacon burger patties on sale at Safeway: burger and potato chip night. Yes, the potato chips were on sale, too.)
 

Taylor Harbin

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Not too far from finishing my science fiction novel, but at this late in the game I want to be done with it so I can relax and go back to fantasy. Was having a good day until a friend of mine told me they face eviction and I can't do anything to help them.
 

Keithy

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Just been backing everything up just in case of viruses...
 

Brightdreamer

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Thanks for the reminder, Keithy - I'm overdue for a files-I'd-miss-if-the-computer-imploded backup. Doing that now, actually.

Saturday, and the weather looks unpromising for mowing the lawn today. Just as well - I have a reasonably full to-do list without it. (I'm trying to establish something approaching good time management habits. I've had mixed results so far, but I've seen what not trying has gotten me, so I figure it's gotta worth the effort...)

Away I go.
 

WriterDude

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I spent the day making a toy engine with my youngest child. It needs more detailing and painting, but really pleased with it, and he loves it. Now he's asked for track for it. Doh!

But now its late, I got a glass of white and we're about to watch borne.
 

Brightdreamer

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Poking about a bit while my laptop updates - been a bit since I fired it up - in preparation for (theoretically) writing. Fewer games loaded = fewer distractions.... again, in theory.

Stop laughing... it could happen...

Let's see. So far, I've tidied my room, charged half of the things I wanted to charge today (still have to charge the Kindle), backed up files I'd missed (and remembered to grab copies of my Titan Quest and Dragon Age saves, just in case), got my laptop updated, and posted a quick picture book review (Teacup, by Rebecca Young, beautiful little book.) By my standards, that's productive.

And I still hear some snickers in the back...

I still need to renew the cell phone this weekend and write. Got an idea for the latter - may just be a flash piece, but it'd be something. If all else fails, I'm going back to one of my unfinished novels and seeing what I can do to make it presentable. Think I've got too many ideas too poorly developed, for starters... if I can get a rough summary or something as a spine to build around, I think I may be able to salvage something out of it.

And away I go. Gotta remember how to kill internet on this one while I'm trying to write - my old laptop had a handy switch in front, but I've forgotten how on Toothless, here.
 

Brightdreamer

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And it's Mother's Day Sunday here in the USA. Took my mother out to Denny's, because she had a coupon for a free Mother's Day sundae (with meal purchase.) She also got a hanging flower basket and a book. We might be going out for dinner later, but traffic's really messed up on the road below us so I haven't heard if that's a go or not.

Yesterday, I actually finished everything on my little to-do list, which may be a first. Yes, I even got some writing in, with a cruddy first draft of a short story. I look forward to finding the shape of this one as I work with it some more.

Away I dawdle. Will probably boot up Titan Quest while waiting to hear dinner plans. (If I don't hear anything in an hour, I'll default to chicken strips and fries.)
 

Keithy

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Just cleared 2GB(!) of memory from the wife's tablet simply by deleting unwanted apps and data.