Top 10 Signs I Am a Workaholic

10. I neglect my blog for more than a week despite two half done blog postings and several ideas for postings running around in my head.

john-adcock@blogspot.com

Really. I have a couple that I just haven't finished.

9.  I realize at 3pm that I haven't had anything but coffee...and I want more coffee.

pilateslogic.com

If only it was like that.

8. My cats follow me around the house and Poof gets nominated to give the Big Eyes of Guilt until I stop what I am doing and play for a while.

condenaststore.com

I just thought this cartoon was clever. That is all.

7. I stay in my robe all day long on Sunday because I work from my sofa and what's the point in getting dressed if I am not going out.

everydaypeoplecartoons.com

Dude. What's the point? Seriously?

6.  Instead of going to see how my friends are doing, I email.

christian-maurer@blogspot.com

Really. Live in the same town, have a mode of transportation, but then there's email which saves that whole finding a bra thing.

5. It took me almost two weeks to finish a book...and it wasn't even 350 pages.

hartlandhighschool.us

I got this. I can totally own this novel with one more pass.

4.  I've stayed inside on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in spring.

thepoliticalcarnival.net

It's spring and there's no snow. Why am I not digging in the dirt?

3. I know I have a dance performance for class and I am just too stinking tired to prepare.

blackunigryphon.deviantart.com

I don't even have a song chosen. Oy!

2. I have an old tube sock full of rice around my neck or on my lower back at all times in the house.

saturnphoenix.deviantart.com

It wards off Zorak. "I am the Lone Locust of the apocalypse. Think of me when you look to the night sky.."~Zorak

1. I look forward to the weekend because of all that free time I can spend working my side jobs.

readwrite.com

At least one of the jobs is at an end for a few weeks. *Whew

onlinedatingmagazine.com

Love you, Babe!

I'm Not Ashamed to Admit This

I want the John Denver tribute album.
If you don't know, John Denver is awesome. I grew up in the late 70's early 80's and John Denver was popular. Some people apparently think he's too vanilla, but guess what? Vanilla is still the most popular ice cream flavor. So...

abcs-of-art.blogspot.com

Anyway, when I think of John Denver I remember being a kid. My sister and I would ride in the camper on back of the old black and white Ford when the family went camping. We'd be back there with our beagle, Pumpkin, and we'd crank the portable 8 track player. That's right. 8 track baby. We'd pop in John Denver's Greatest Hits and we'd sing at the top of our lungs. We loved that 8 track. How could you not? This song was one we'd take turns and then we'd harmonize. It was wonderful.

Neither of us had ever been to West Virginia, but we could see it when we sang.

I think John Denver captured what I always felt about being in the woods and away from the city. This song in particular just sends me to my happy place:

The serenity of this song still makes me immediately at peace.

Why John Denver? Well this weekend I heard a story on NPR. Dave Matthews, another of my favorites, participated in the tribute album project and NPR interviewed him. You can listen here. As I listened to the interview, I kept smiling and thinking back to all those memories. It's been years since I intentionally listened to a song of his, but I can still sing along-or cry along as is the case with this one:

Seriously, it makes me weep. It is so beautiful

He could also just make you happy. I can't tell you the number of times I danced around the living room to this song:

This just wants you to swing your partner round and round while you stomp your feet in rhythm to the beat.

How can you not respect a man who appears on The Muppets?

I can not even tell you how my little kindegarten self sqealed in delight when John Denver hosted.

I have so many fond memories of John Denver and his music. He and his music are part of my childhood and its happy innocence.  I love that even today I can sway to the lyrical melody or hoedown to the fiddle. At this point I really don't care if it's "cool" to like John Denver. Listen to the NPR interview to get that reference. I like him. I always have. His music matched the inspiration and joy I felt as a young person running through the forest and the wildflowers of Montana.  This song is about Colorado, but we have Rockies here, too.

How can you not just smile?

May the Geek be with You

Sorry for my absence, gentle readers.  I have no excuse other than I have been very busy writing essay reviews and articles.  I’ve been writing so much that frankly, once I am done writing those two items, the last thing I want to do is write more.  My eyes can take only so much textual gandering a day and eventually I just need a break.  On the upside, the two bonus jobs have been going well. 

wildliferanger.co.uk

Yup.  That about sums it up right there.

They changed the rules on me with the essay reviews and now I have some work to do to get back on track with my compliance there.  Luckily, the new critique style will not go in my permanent file, but it was enlightening to see the new rules.  I also continue to get minimal revisions back from my editor.  My revisions were itty-bitty for most of them.  Minute details like change smart quotations to straight quotations or change italics to quotations and the like.  I did have a wee bit more overhaul action for my article on Windows Live.  Honestly, I can’t stand writing about troubleshooting computer problems.  It’s terrible boring.  This past week I got to write about weight loss and calorie counting, which was less mind-numbing and faster to create the articles. Much easier.  I could get those babies done in 30-45 minutes.

toonzone.net

I think he found the droids he was looking for.

Yesterday, after crunching through the last of my articles, I finally had some much needed free time.  I sat and reread a Stephanie Plum novel.  I really enjoy Janet Evanovich’s Plum series. My sister introduced me to them and if you have not read her stuff, you should check it out.  Fast reads.  I can plow through one of her books in an afternoon.  The repetition of how Stephanie comes to be a bond enforcement agent can get tedious for someone who reads all of the series, but it is needed in case you read Ten Big Ones and then read the rest of the novels I suppose.  It was fun to go back to the beginning and reread the very first novel. 

condenaststore.com

It was inevitable.

After that, I had some time to release my Geek.  The new computer that my husband built is phenomenal.  I love it.  It flies at record speed to download from the net.  Its best use though is for geeking.  I finally get to play Diablo III.  My hubby got it for my birthday last year and I just now get to play.  My monk toon rocks.  I kind of flew through normal mode without much difficulty.  I think I died three times maybe.  I’ve died way more than that in nightmare mode and I’m not even through act 2 of the game.  It’s difficult to explain to people why I love playing Diablo or World of Warcraft if they don’t play.  There is something deeply satisfying about annihilating demons and zombies and sorceresses in the quest for achievements and rewards.  Pavlov would love to watch people geek to these games. Who needs a bell and kibble when you can get a two socketed pair of rare pants that adds over a thousand life to your toon just by slaying a mid-level boss?  So yes, I have spent a lot of free time rolling through New Tristram with my monk, Tigerlilly.  She’s hardcore.

She's hot right? Hardcore hot!

 

Once I get her through nightmare mode, it’s on to hell mode.  After that, I think it’ll be closer to summer, so I can go back into WoW and see how Lupie, my frost mage, is doing.  I think WoW will need to wait for summer.  I have so much to catch up on in that game that it’ll take awhile to get back on track.  Besides, I like to run with my hubby’s toon and we can’t both game just yet.  We need to do something about the laptop in order to do that.  Maybe we could just replace the motherboard in the old desktop and get a new monitor for it…Maybe I should ask for Amazon cards to do that.  I swear I won’t disappear from the blogosphere.  I may just get shorter or less frequent with my postings…seriously.  Laying out a host of demons with one ring of my bell of doom feels really good some days.  Seriously.  Really good.

toonpool.com
I can still play Diablo III without thumbs.

An Appreciation for the Pun

I've never been one for puns unless they were Shakespearean or some other literary witticism.  However, I must say that I have developed a new found use for them...two actually.
I start each session at work with a pun.  The session's agenda is posted, and at the top I place a pun.  They are frequently groaners, but I enjoy them anyway and they get the people I work with to think.  Some of them even laugh at them.  For example, today I had "A horse is a very stable animal."  Go ahead.  Groan.  I'll wait.

weknowmemes.com

It's a great way to break the ice and the monotony and it makes people snicker.  It's one of the few bright spots in my day to watch and see who giggles and who rolls their eyes.
I also have developed a terrible habit of exchanging puns with a friend of mine.  She's not on the book of face anymore, but we still email or text each other awful puns like this one:

themetapicture.com

I believe this was my first retaliation for her pun offensive.

It slid from there.

Now it's not really a weekend until I send her a pun and vice versa.  We send them randomly during the week as well.  

meme-pictures.feedio.net

It's just one of those things friends do to keep one another entertained.

Science Cat is one of my favorites.

George Takei is a wonderful source for all things punny.  I love ones that make people look up things, too.

Thanks George Takei!

I have a deep and abiding crush on James Spader, so I must include a Spader pun:

weknowmemes.com

I guess the point is this: sometimes embracing the thing that makes you cringe can lead to something entertaining.  Other times you just flop around on the floor and hope to recover without wetting yourself.  I love our little Pun War.  It's one of those things that I look forward to.  Especially when she sends me this:

fodrizzle.com

I hope some of these made you smile.

I Love Spring!

I want to shout it from the rooftops!
I.
Love.
Spring!
I rode my bike to work and it was glorious.  It was warm and blue skies.  The sun over the eastern mountains this morning was an electric tangerine and it caught my breath.  Riding home I was almost too warm in my lightweight windbreaker.  I loved it!
I have seen bunnies in the yard.  I have seen the robins.  I opened my window at work and listened to the sparrows chittering in the nearby tree.
My husband started the sprouts for the garden and they are already awakening and bursting through soil.  I cannot wait. We still have monster spaghetti squash from last harvest and I cannot wait to see what our garden provides this year.
A jade plant that a friend gave into my care when she moved has taken over its new pot and started fresh sprouts.  It is an amazing plant to behold.
I have several new ventures to nurture and cultivate into thriving life.  I am blessed.
Happy Ostara everyone.  May the revitalized season find you, warm you, and foster you into life.
Blessed be.

Geek Time: The Goat Demands

I placed an order on Amazon.  It was for the video card and operating system.  My hubby's been buying bits of a computer rebuild over the last few months. Ever since I bought Diablo III and it didn't play nicely with our current computer, we've been planning for a rebuild.  We had minimum specs and yet, we had really bad stalls and graphic problems.  Yuck!  That is when you should upgrade right?  When your gamer crush demands a new set-up?  Besides, I keep getting "Come Back to WoW" notices. Not that I have time for gaming right now what with articles, essays, 9-5 (ok 730-340) and now a homebound tutor five nights a week (when and if she shows up).  I am swamped and as my husband said, "Are you sure you're not spreading yourself too thin?"

clipartguide.com

Maybe.
The end is in sight though and now I feel that compulsory kick to make it happen as soon as humanly possible, so I am going to work my ass off for it.  Curse you type A residual tendencies*shakes fist The Goat demands it for security.

witchfinder-stock.deviantart.com

"You will work your ass off to make sure there is sufficient safety net to please me."

This means Hubby has more household chores to maintain, so it's a trade off.
Anyway--computer parts are on their way to us.  This means I can play WoW, Diablo III, and get some voiceover recordings going.  Once we rebuild the desktop, it will be time for a new laptop.  It's a vicious cycle of technology.  However, my jobs are relying heavily on my ability to navigate the web, so maybe I can find a way to incorporate at home office expenses on our taxes somehow.  I have no idea.  I will have to investigate at home office rules and regulations.  As long as the end is in sight, I can't say no.  When every fiber of your being says so, how do you argue?

naakamaruddin.com

Let's Play What If

I just sent my last article for this cycle to the editor.  I think she's a little behind because three of last week's are still in the "ready for editor" folder.  Too late to request revisions, but it also means I do not get paid until they get passed on.  I can wait.
I'm feeling slightly optimistic. It's odd, I know.  You see, things keep happening.  Opportunities keep presenting themselves.  I now have a chance to be a mentor full-time this summer.  I feel like kicking up my heals and saying:

introspectivenarwhal.com

You see, if this job takes off the way the company wants it to, it has benefits.  It is more money than the essay tutoring and it is more hours.  I have to apply; that's not up for debate.  I wanted to get that taken care of this weekend, but between essays, articles, and corned beef with cabbage, I didn't get there.  It's on the top of the list for tomorrow though.  I've been writing a gazillion articles about resume writing, so no worries there right?  Anyway, what an unexpected opportunity!  This is why I took the essay job anyway--opportunity and advancement.  

I've also got a kind and generous friend who is going to give me lessons on getting my voiceover work kicked off.  I have a plan for that as well, but we need our computer upgrade completed if I am really going to make a go of it.  Although, my friend has offered to let me record at his place.  Like I said, he's kind and generous.  

It's going to be a busy summer.

I still feel a bit of a nervous flutter when I think about this transition, but it seems like the Universe is saying, "It's ok.  You have all these other ways to earn a living AND be happy again."  It makes the grieving easier.  It's giving me more courage to take the leap.  My goat is reassured, but not quite completely convinced.  It's at least willing to walk that rocky cliff.  

vetlemakt.com

C'mon goat.  Gemini is waiting for you.