9/30/10 Book Query- Agent

I'm proud and happy to say that after working on this the last month, the first batch of my query letters  for the Lap Band Book went out yesterday (if you know anyone in the business I can send this to, I'm sure you'll let me know)!

This has been a ton more work  than I ever imagined...ignorance is certainly bliss...I knew it would be hard, but I had no idea it would take as much time to work on researching/doing all the publishing side of it, as the book writing.

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Published or not, I'm glad I'm doing this and I want you all to know, I'm giving it my best! Game on!

9/21/10 I've got BOOB's TOO?!!

9/20/10 Courage BOOBsters!

I have the worst head cold ever...since last week (I'm calling it the 'back to school bug' since DS2 was sneezing first...and promptly got better)...not complaining, but it may explain the foul mood I've been talking about. So as I sit here surrounded by piles of used kleenex, with said kleenex also stuffed up my nose (yes, I've been taking every kind of OTC med available...OK, if the following blog seems drug induced...), I've been reading some blogs.

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So, COURAGE BOOBsters! Remember we're all here to support you! Have a blast and make wonderful memories! Shine on!

9/16/10 Letters From The Dark Side

Dear Tar-gét,

Haven't I been a loyal customer? Wasn't I the one who stood by you and noticed the small changes when all others saw you fading away like Gold Circle and K-Mart? Haven't I single-handedly kept you in business with my college kids, home redecorating, and my many, many, 10% off coupon days cartloads?

Why then, when I needed you most, was in my time of need, and even got DH to come home early to help me, did you let me down?! Didn't you hear me earlier when I said I've been through four days of hell trying to print these d*mn photos at home and now I was finally coming to you to save me?! Did you see my face when I walked in to find ALL THREE of your photo machines were OUT OF ORDER...and the entire photo shop?!

Tar-gét, I'm not sure I'll ever feel the same way about you again...your loss.

Love, Regards,
-BG

P.S. Please apologize to the Manager for me...when he came over to explain that the whole photo shop would be down for at least three days with major problems, I think we scared him a little with my 'stink eye' and DH looking at us like one of us was going to die (I wasn't really going to kill him).

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Dear Walgreens,

I hate you. What the h*ll are you doing training your employees so well! After stopping at four (more) stores we finally found a photo scanner at your store with a cheerful employee ready to help me.

That is, until he saw that I was scanning professionally done photos at which point he spewed out the entire employee handbook on photo copyright laws. Apparently even though the 25 photos that I wanted to scan and change to black and white were taken 10-20 or more years ago I have to go back to every photographer and ask for written permission to scan them...unless the photographer is dead...and he could give me the copyright law sheet that covers how many years they must be dead and how to get permission...blah, blah, blah.

Um...25 photos...each with my screaming babies taken in the back of some drugstore or dept. store that's now been out of business for 20 years?! I'm not sorry for what I said to your well trained employee...actually, I was way too nice...and I'll let you know where you can put that flier on photo copyright laws.

I hate you,
-BG

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Dear Technology,

This is to notify you that I'm officially filing for divorce...irreconcilable differences.

-BG

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DH,

I'm sorry I made you go buy photo paper and ink cartridges this weekend and then after screaming at you and the computer for 4 days (and making your life a living hell), I gave up and made you return them.

I'm sorry I almost gave you a heart attack driving around to stores tonight like a crazy woman on a death mission...oh, and for scarring you looking like a potential terrorist when the employees tried to 'help' me.

BTW the ball is in your court to hook up the other scanner upstairs, download new drivers and photo programs, scan and print...good luck. Sorry I can't help, my divorce from technology will be final soon. Oh, and you'll need to go and re-buy that photo paper and the ink cartridges...yes, again.

Love,
-BG

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Dear Box-O-Wine,

I love you.

-BG

9/16/10 Coloring Outside The Lines

• The painting spree has continued...uggh. I got all the external doors painted (harder than it sounds as several are glass...front door; all panes...it's a pain!). Yes, I still have hours of scraping the excess paint off every pane left today (inside done, just the outside)...I've always said that 'I never color inside the lines'...guess that's biting me in the butt. I called my parents to thank them for my Art Ed degree.
  
• The quote went up on the hall wall (look how cute Diane, thanks!) and I spray-painted 25 of my old picture frames black (wow, I haven't had these up since house #3 where I had the obligitory kids photos going up the stairs...DS1 wasn't even born then LOL), I just need the photos...
  Yes, I make patterns of my pics and nail through those to hang them perfectly (no, they're not lined up yet)...I'm anal, remember?!
  
• I officially hate technology...and I don't care anymore that saying that makes me sound old...technology can get me in a four day super mean mood (DH can't even do that)...my DH's been taking the brunt of it as he's tried to help me. Trying to print black & white photos for those frames...new computer downstairs where the scanner is...bought several large sizes of photo paper and then new ink cartridges...downloaded new photo programs...three different ones...then the scanner won't do anything but jam paper or 'pretend' that it's printing (making all those lovely sounds back and forth) just to taunt me while it's not printing...yes, I called my IST Sophmore at college who tried to help me over the phone, but I swear he was speaking a foreign language...four days later and I'm taking my photos to Target today for them to print...d*mn I'm stubborn...I need a TAM class (Technology Anger Management).
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• Fall has decided to arrive here...cold and rainy...OK you Aussie's, I'm sending you Spring d*mnit! 
• Oh, and DD's new job is going well...I packed her lunch the first day and had deja vu of her first days of school. I got a call the first morning 'It is Monday, isn't it Mom?'...she was 15 min. early and no one was there yet LOL. She's been going to a lot of meetings with clients...went to a 'walk through' meeting at the new hockey stadium where they're doing the signage. It sounds like they're swamped and need to get her up and running as quickly as possible...yay job!

It's just another week in BG-land!

9/9/10 Updates and Luck

Busy, busy, busy...and our luck is turning...it's all good.

• WOOT! DD got the job! She starts Monday with a Environmental Graphics Design company as an Account Manager. The 'Environmental' isn't a green thing, it's that they plan/complete signage for 'environments'; major buildings, parks, etc. (they take the blueprints and figure out how to number rooms and what signage will be needed for the whole place, including the big signage outside, and take it through completion). They do some things in town (ie. they did PNC Park- our baseball stadium) and a lot outside the state (ie. they've done some jobs for Disneyworld and they're doing some big parks out west now). It's the perfect fit for her as she got the creative gene from me so she'll love being in a creative environment, there's some travel involved, which she loves, and she'll be busy managing up to 30 jobs at a time so the job will change daily...a great fit for her. Thanks for all the good vibes!

• Hell has finally frozen over. DH finally bought a snowblower! It only took him being snowed in last winter with snow up to our hips and the neighbor rescuing us with his snowblower for him to get one. I'm just glad it has a push button start as he's usually out of town when it snows. He also lucked out as we received a great coupon for the store this weekend and when he went to order it, it was on a major sale...ended up being over $300 less than the original price and he couldn't believe his luck.

• We had a 'laboring' long Labor Day weekend. DH decided that 'we' should do some touch-up painting around the house. I must have lost my mind as I know 'we' and 'painting' really means 'me'...d*mn that Art Ed. degree (OK, it really needed to be done...I've been putting it off)! I'm still painting (I've punished him with making him wash down all the trim and doors). The 1st floor walls and upstairs hall walls are done and I'm still working my way through touching up the trim and doors. Here's the good news...that new painters tape with 'edge lock' you've seen on the commercials...it actually works! The stuff costs a fortune, but try it...I've painted a lot and I'm super picky about straight edges and I swear it works. My Dr. Suess quote from Diane may go up today if I get the doors done first. I know, I must be the only person who gets excited that the handprints and scrapes have now disappeared from my stair walls and trim.
  
• We took a break and had an evening out with neighbors this weekend and had a blast.
  

• The company DH works for just got officially turned over to the Saudi company that bought them. He called me to fill out insurance questions...weight and waist/hip measurements...good thing I'm back to being a pear!

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I'm off to paint!

9/2/10 Too Cool For School

New white tennies....$50.


New backpack....$35.


Being totally pissed off that your mom still makes you take the 'first day of school' photo even when you're now in High School...priceless.

P.S. DD got a second interview for the job tomorrow...keep those good vibes coming.