Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Miscellaneous
Wed, Dec 30 2009
The day before the day before the first day of the year
The final Wednesday of 2009 is here. I suppose that makes it the hump day that trumps all other hump days of 2009. I write that tongue-in-cheek, but it's true. If we had anything we had to get done by the last Wednesday in 2009 we would be in big trouble right now. Fortunately, for anything that needs to be done by the absolute end of 2009, there's always tomorrow. I write that also somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but if we have a lot of things we're always scrambling to get done on the very last day of any given calendar year...well, we might want to think of starting earlier on at least one or two of those things.
That all brings me to the oft-dreaded New Year's Resolutions. I have a few that are mostly umbrella issues that cover a multitude of smaller issues. But the one specific I can tell you about for 2010 is the plan to write more fiction, more often. It's also a plan to finish more fiction, more often.
I'll leave you to your own devices that last day of 2009. Maybe you can mull over your own set of tasks that are either chasing you at the last minute or are ready to be set into motion for next year. I'll see you back here next year. Meanwhile, Happy New Year. May your endings from this year propel you to new beginnings for 2010.
posted at: 18:15 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
The final Wednesday of 2009 is here. I suppose that makes it the hump day that trumps all other hump days of 2009. I write that tongue-in-cheek, but it's true. If we had anything we had to get done by the last Wednesday in 2009 we would be in big trouble right now. Fortunately, for anything that needs to be done by the absolute end of 2009, there's always tomorrow. I write that also somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but if we have a lot of things we're always scrambling to get done on the very last day of any given calendar year...well, we might want to think of starting earlier on at least one or two of those things.
That all brings me to the oft-dreaded New Year's Resolutions. I have a few that are mostly umbrella issues that cover a multitude of smaller issues. But the one specific I can tell you about for 2010 is the plan to write more fiction, more often. It's also a plan to finish more fiction, more often.
I'll leave you to your own devices that last day of 2009. Maybe you can mull over your own set of tasks that are either chasing you at the last minute or are ready to be set into motion for next year. I'll see you back here next year. Meanwhile, Happy New Year. May your endings from this year propel you to new beginnings for 2010.
posted at: 18:15 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Tue, Dec 15 2009
Ka-ching, if they can keep the goods coming
I didn't skip blogging yesterday. I intended to post something in the late afternoon. Then My spouse came home and told me about a failed attempt to find some flameless candles for his work. He told everyone about a set we had found at Costco that included a timer feature. Everybody must have really wanted them because they made a special group trip to Costco at lunchtime. Sad to say, the candles have been selling out and they found none. So we traveled to another Costco location last night to see if we could find any. We found none. (You can apparently still order them online, for about twice the price we originally paid.) While we were roaming around the Costco neighborhood we stopped and got a bite at Arby's and took a quick look in Target, Kohl's, Walmart and even Bed, Bath and Beyond. We even made a stop at Pier 1 Imports, which I'm happy to report has returned to its roots with friendlier merchandise. One of the women who worked at that store told us that sales this holiday season are the best they've been in over three years. The down side is that stores could have sold a lot more holiday merchandise if manufacturers had made more. Demand has been too high for the lower inventories of this season. Shortages create hype (and vice versa), but if the bottom line is sales volume, they also create lower profits. This has been a tough transition year for manufacturers, distributors and retail stores. But people are out there, spending. If this mood holds, next holiday season is going to be a good one. As far as this year is concerned, if you don't have what you want in your hands right now you'd better hustle. Things are flying off the shelves in a hurry.
posted at: 08:30 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
I didn't skip blogging yesterday. I intended to post something in the late afternoon. Then My spouse came home and told me about a failed attempt to find some flameless candles for his work. He told everyone about a set we had found at Costco that included a timer feature. Everybody must have really wanted them because they made a special group trip to Costco at lunchtime. Sad to say, the candles have been selling out and they found none. So we traveled to another Costco location last night to see if we could find any. We found none. (You can apparently still order them online, for about twice the price we originally paid.) While we were roaming around the Costco neighborhood we stopped and got a bite at Arby's and took a quick look in Target, Kohl's, Walmart and even Bed, Bath and Beyond. We even made a stop at Pier 1 Imports, which I'm happy to report has returned to its roots with friendlier merchandise. One of the women who worked at that store told us that sales this holiday season are the best they've been in over three years. The down side is that stores could have sold a lot more holiday merchandise if manufacturers had made more. Demand has been too high for the lower inventories of this season. Shortages create hype (and vice versa), but if the bottom line is sales volume, they also create lower profits. This has been a tough transition year for manufacturers, distributors and retail stores. But people are out there, spending. If this mood holds, next holiday season is going to be a good one. As far as this year is concerned, if you don't have what you want in your hands right now you'd better hustle. Things are flying off the shelves in a hurry.
posted at: 08:30 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Thu, Nov 05 2009
Fort Hood
I'm working on some organization material today and have not had much time to type. As I write this we have all just heard about the violence at Fort Hood in Texas. There are too many early rumors to comment further, but my heart goes out to anyone's family and friends who are suffering because of this. This incident is also a big reminder that our military families need support and prayer every day.
posted at: 14:59 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
I'm working on some organization material today and have not had much time to type. As I write this we have all just heard about the violence at Fort Hood in Texas. There are too many early rumors to comment further, but my heart goes out to anyone's family and friends who are suffering because of this. This incident is also a big reminder that our military families need support and prayer every day.
posted at: 14:59 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Fri, Oct 30 2009
Sun-hogging priorities and priorities that never take hold
Every week has its challenges. I'm reminded of those roll-out carpets of flower seeds we used to see sold in magazines. You could unroll the carpet of seeds out and have a long patch of all kinds of wildflowers. The only problem is that some seeds make short flowers and some make taller flowers, with no way to know which plant is going to grow tall and get in the way of some other flower. And some seeds never germinate at all. In spite of one's attempt to make a nice flower bed with some degree of planning, it's still going to be a surprise as to what grows up and takes priority over other items. With a smile, I can say that this week life has been a seed carpet.
posted at: 14:14 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Every week has its challenges. I'm reminded of those roll-out carpets of flower seeds we used to see sold in magazines. You could unroll the carpet of seeds out and have a long patch of all kinds of wildflowers. The only problem is that some seeds make short flowers and some make taller flowers, with no way to know which plant is going to grow tall and get in the way of some other flower. And some seeds never germinate at all. In spite of one's attempt to make a nice flower bed with some degree of planning, it's still going to be a surprise as to what grows up and takes priority over other items. With a smile, I can say that this week life has been a seed carpet.
posted at: 14:14 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Wed, Oct 21 2009
Someone may be scamming Mybillingservices.com--and also the rest of us
Folks, read your phone bills carefully. A charge from a third-party company was appearing on our monthly AT&T bill. When my spouse checked on the whole thing, it turned out that the transaction traced back to something at www.mybillingservices.com. In fact, there appear to be so many angry customers that there is a separate domain, www.cancelmyvm.com to use to cancel. The email given by whoever did the dirty deed was not my spouse's email, nor was it mine. All the person needs to set up the account is your address and phone number and then they provide whatever email address they wish. So you don't even get the confirmation.
My spouse is working with AT&T to prevent future issues, but AT&T personnal are having a hard time themselves with this scam. The customer service representative says that there have been millions of complaints. Most all these bogus services seem to have to do with an internet voice mail charge. If you see a similar charge on your phone bill, call the folks at the charging company and call your phone service provider.
posted at: 16:33 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Folks, read your phone bills carefully. A charge from a third-party company was appearing on our monthly AT&T bill. When my spouse checked on the whole thing, it turned out that the transaction traced back to something at www.mybillingservices.com. In fact, there appear to be so many angry customers that there is a separate domain, www.cancelmyvm.com to use to cancel. The email given by whoever did the dirty deed was not my spouse's email, nor was it mine. All the person needs to set up the account is your address and phone number and then they provide whatever email address they wish. So you don't even get the confirmation.
My spouse is working with AT&T to prevent future issues, but AT&T personnal are having a hard time themselves with this scam. The customer service representative says that there have been millions of complaints. Most all these bogus services seem to have to do with an internet voice mail charge. If you see a similar charge on your phone bill, call the folks at the charging company and call your phone service provider.
posted at: 16:33 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Wed, Oct 14 2009
Boos and cheers as group definition
The Dow crossing 10,000 made me giggle, mostly because the folks on the exchange floor were hooting and hollering and booing and carrying on with more enthusiasm than I've seen about such things in quite awhile. Booing and cheering seem to be large part of the human experience for anyone who has a voice. People often cry quietly and they often express anger in silence, but when people have something to deride or something to celebrate they rarely do it without some noise, including vocalizations of one kind or another. It happens at graduations, in congressional sessions, at sporting events, in business meetings, in churches, at fireworks displays, concerts and at many other gatherings.
I realize now how much I have missed that lately. People have seemed somewhat subdued during the recent economic turndown. I heard a glimpse of something a tiny bit nostalgic when the traders on the floor began to yell and howl and boo and express themselves with abandon. We humans probably should engage in that sort of group noise more often. There's something familiar about it, either a sort of collective cry of dismay or a remembered praise for something bigger than we are. It's our way of injecting our individuality into the moment and coming together to agree on something, or someone, affecting us deeply at a particular moment in time.
posted at: 11:01 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
The Dow crossing 10,000 made me giggle, mostly because the folks on the exchange floor were hooting and hollering and booing and carrying on with more enthusiasm than I've seen about such things in quite awhile. Booing and cheering seem to be large part of the human experience for anyone who has a voice. People often cry quietly and they often express anger in silence, but when people have something to deride or something to celebrate they rarely do it without some noise, including vocalizations of one kind or another. It happens at graduations, in congressional sessions, at sporting events, in business meetings, in churches, at fireworks displays, concerts and at many other gatherings.
I realize now how much I have missed that lately. People have seemed somewhat subdued during the recent economic turndown. I heard a glimpse of something a tiny bit nostalgic when the traders on the floor began to yell and howl and boo and express themselves with abandon. We humans probably should engage in that sort of group noise more often. There's something familiar about it, either a sort of collective cry of dismay or a remembered praise for something bigger than we are. It's our way of injecting our individuality into the moment and coming together to agree on something, or someone, affecting us deeply at a particular moment in time.
posted at: 11:01 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Thu, Oct 08 2009
Some days are meant to change
Have you ever had one of those days when you start with a short list of things to do, begin innocently to do those things and end up taking so much time on one thing that the rest of the day changes into a day full of a whole other set of tasks? And then, when you get to the end of the day you know that things went just as they should have gone? To-do lists are important, but sometimes it's best to look at them as a guidebook and not a bible.
posted at: 22:16 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
Have you ever had one of those days when you start with a short list of things to do, begin innocently to do those things and end up taking so much time on one thing that the rest of the day changes into a day full of a whole other set of tasks? And then, when you get to the end of the day you know that things went just as they should have gone? To-do lists are important, but sometimes it's best to look at them as a guidebook and not a bible.
posted at: 22:16 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
