It's The Day After the Time Change - Did You Remember to Reset Your Clocks, Etc?

DH and I had a LONG day at the shop yesterday, finishing up the things we needed to send to Travis before today's deadline. But, despite losing things, measuring and remeasuring again, and raised voices, we persevered, and I had everything uploaded to Travis last night with permissions granted for him to see the photographs. Now, if the permissions actually work, I'm finished with that. The store has never looked cleaner, but we're all packrats and I'm quite sure it will accumulate junk quite quickly once again. *sigh*

We're not hoarders, although we do have WAY too much 
stuff. We can still park the car and truck in the garage, 
and we have places to put our stuff. But we have too much 
stuff, and a good clean wouldn't be out of the question. 

Yesterday was also when Daylight Savings Time kicked in again for our area of the nation. DST is rather odd - it's not universal. There are places that never change their clocks, so when DST is in effect, and you cross the border, your watch is one hour off and you need to remember that. One state that doesn't do DST is the State of Arizona, but the Navajo Reservation, also mainly located in Arizona, DOES do Daylight Savings Time. It can make for some unexpected delays sometimes to find places that are open in the mornings. Since I used to do a lot of traveling through those areas, finding and purchasing stock for the store, every once in a while I'd get tripped up, having to wait an hour in the car for a place to open because I was an hour earlier than the time zone they were in. 

The state of Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Savings 
Time, but the Navajo Reservation does, and they take up 
a good deal of the Eastern part of the state. So, I could 
go to a Trading Post and it would be open at 9 am, but go
to a small town and the businesses would be closed for
another hour. 

But, I live in a state that has (at least for now) the practice of Daylight Savings Time, so my clocks, etc were changed over the weekend to be appropriate time for my zone. My watch is always a bit of a PITA, but if I get it close enough to my computer or laptop with the correct program running on it, it will recognize the program and automatically change the time for me. It's easy, but I always feel a bit out of synch on days when we change the time by an hour - forward or back, makes no difference. 

Resetting the time on my digital watch is actually quite 
automatic - the watch does all the work - but I have to be 
within a certain distance of my laptop, which also must 
be turned on, for the watch to automatically reset itself 
to the correct time. 

So, because I'm a bit off from the time switch, I'm calling today's blog post finished. Time for me to get moving and head to my shop to start making messes once again (and recapture the stuff from my desk that was simply piled into a box for the photographs. Have a great day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

 

Wasting Time and the End of Daylight Savings Time

For those of you in the USA, who have had Daylight Savings Time for the last six months or so, get ready. Daylight Savings Time ends at 12:01 am Sunday morning, so don't forget to set your clocks BACK. You benefit from an extra hour of sleep, but to me, it means that Winter is finally here, howling at the door. I'm definitely NOT ready for it. 

I'll welcome the extra hour of sleep, but I'm not fond of 
driving home from work in the darkness. It just seems wrong 
to have full dark at 6:00 pm. 

We still have a bunch of leaves that still have to fall, so we aren't going to be doing much raking yet, but I hope they hurry and get on track before we get caught by the snow. Already we're getting touches of frost that are freezing the downed leaves to the ground below. Ever tried to rake up leaves frozen to the ground? It's not easy, it's rather frustrating, and it means I'm too cold. I'm sure I'll be wearing my snowmobile suit again when I help DH with leaves in a week or two. 

There's a habit - a food habit - that revolves around the 
Thanksgiving Day meal in the USA. Turkey or Ham (or 
both) for the main dish, with a variety of side dishes, 
and pies (pumpkin and sometimes a fruit pie) for 
dessert. We do usually roast a turkey - I enjoy making 
the bird, it practically cooks itself. The sides and dessert 
are up to each individual person. It works best for us 
that way. 

It's also time to start thinking about Thanksgiving meals (if you're in the USA). Now ... of course that's not saying those of you in other nations of the world can't think about Thanksgiving meals too - and even celebrate our holiday if you so choose - but "Turkey Day" will become our focus for the next few weeks. I'll have to get my annual Black Friday/Small Business Saturday sale e-flyer pounded back into shape and add names to my mailing list, and I still have to finish the interior of this year's holiday cards. 

Why am I wasting time? I have a TON of things to 
get done this month, and here it is, the 4th of 
November, and I've done nothing of substance! *sigh*

So, with so much to do, why am I wasting time? I suppose because I really don't want to dive into much of anything right now. So ... I'm going to let the clocks change on Sunday, and I'm going to move onward from there. Things will be done when they're done, and deadlines aren't set in stone. I'll just keep moving forward, paddling madly and hoping I keep up. Have an excellent weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Electronics - The Joy and Bane of My Existence

Yesterday was the beginning of Daylight Savings Time again, so we "Spring Forward" in the Spring and "Fall Backward" in the Autumn. We basically lost an hour of sleep between Saturday night and awakening on Sunday. Normally this wouldn't be a huge deal - there are several clocks that need to be reset, but it's minimal and quickly done (I leave the clock radios to DH since I seem incapable of setting them accurately without messing up the alarms and causing the darned things to blast out at full volume at extremely early hours of the morning). 

We've had matching clock radios in the bedroom since we 
were college students. They're quite old fashioned, but DH is 
that way too - a bit old fashioned. I never have to deal with 
the darned things, so have no idea how to set anything on 
them properly. It's better taken care of by DH - LOL. 

I, however, have a new digital watch that I have had for less than a week. To change the time on this, it needs to communicate with my phone since it sets itself via Bluetooth to the settings on my cell phone. It decided, however, it wasn't going to communicate, and sat in a funk for the entire day. I took it off my wrist in frustration and cast it upon my computer desk, leaving it there until this morning. 

I love the watch, but getting it reset for the 
correct time for Daylight Savings Time was 
an exercise in frustration. 

This morning I decided I would try once again. I downloaded the appropriate app one more time onto my cellphone and told the watch, in no uncertain terms, to start talking or I would sent it back to Amazon and buy something else (I really like the watch, so that's something I didn't want to do). But, to my amazement, although I was doing nothing differently than yesterday, it worked! I now have my watch functioning once again. I don't have the watch face that I want on it, but I can figure that part out later. At least I'm back up and running. 

I'll get that watchface changed to one I like better 
later today. Right now, I'm just grateful to have a 
functional watch once again, with the proper 
time displayed on it. 

Electronics - they are a joy and a royal PITA and sometimes the bane of my existence. I'm sure it's similar for many of my readers as well. On that note, I'm out of here. DH has to be awakened early so that he can get some blood work done at the clinic before an appointment later this week, so I'd better get going. Have an excellent Monday and Slava Ukraini. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Daylight Saving Time Returns and Another Amazon Purchase *sigh*

Sunday was the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, and I didn't realize it. But, I did realize that my microwave and oven digital clocks were off by an hour, so I went around the house, resetting the clocks. The one problem I had was my digital watch. Normally, in the past, it had automatically updated whenever the clocks changed. It didn't this time, and I was confused by that. Looking through the apps on my phone, I realized the watch's app hadn't transferred over to the new phone. So I downloaded the app, but the app didn't work properly. 

I ordered this - a Fitpolo SmartWatch on sale 
for under $40. If it lasts as long as my last 
smart watch, it'll be well worth the expense. 
It's a bit bigger than my last one, but that's 
OK too. I might be able to read it easier. 

Eventually, I decided that my watch, which is several years old, simply didn't work with my new phone's Android program, so I went on to Amazon and bought a new digital watch which should be here on Friday. I think I got my $40 worth from the first watch, and suspect I'll get my $40 worth from the replacement. The only thing that irks me a bit is that I had just purchased new bands for my watch, which will now go to waste. I'm wondering if it might be worth joining Amazon Prime - I seem to be using them more and more over the past 1-1/2 years. Are you a Prime member? Do you think it's worth the expense? 

Verizon put DH on notice that his phone must 
be replaced, something I've been telling him for 
a couple of months. He'll have to get his butt 
into gear and check out what's available, then 
we can get one for him and get his stuff moved 
over before 3G disappears. 

DH got an official letter from Verizon, telling him that he has to get a new phone SOON. I'll be pushing him harder. He hates change. Where I welcome the new experiences, he tunnels into his log and prefers to live in a limited world. The world always catches up with us, though. I know the pain of learning a new operating system, and there is a possibility that some of his stuff won't transfer over properly because that's always a chance, but we'll have to deal with that when we have to. 

I'm looking forward to my corned beef. I picked up a 
lovely piece of American Wagyu corned beef, and it 
should roast up beautifully. 

I picked up a lovely corned beef to make on Wednesday for Thursday's St Patrick's Day dinner. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not doing potatoes, and I doubt I'll do any cabbage (except as usual, in my nightly salad), but the meat will be very nice to have for a few meals. I might pick up more salmon for dinner on Friday when I'm at the store on Wednesday. That was a lovely meal, and very easy to make. DH is enjoying his Fillet of Fish sandwiches with fries from McDonald's, and will probably ask for that again. No problem - that's an easy one. 

DH loves his McDonald's fish fillet sandwiches 
with a large fry for Lent. I used to also love 
these as a special treat, but I don't eat stuff like 
that any more, and I'm finding that I'm just 
fine with that. I'll buy them for him, but I'm 
not even tempted to have a single French fry. 

Oh, and we didn't get to the only chore we had on the agenda for yesterday. We didn't clean out the light fixtures in his bathroom. But ... the dirt isn't going anywhere, so I'm sure we'll get to it eventually. We watched the war, and watched golf, and generally had a nice, relaxed day. Have an excellent Monday, I'll be back tomorrow. 

Chickie's Birthday and the End of This Year's Daylight Savings Time

Today is Chickie's birthday, and since she's actually missing a few of her "days off" this year, (circumstances got in the way), we gave in when she asked and let her take a Saturday in November for her final vacation day of the year. She's taking the day to be with her brother and a friend and play mini-golf at Mall of America. Happy Birthday, Chickie. 

Chickie, her friend Ann, and her brother 
Clarke, are going to Moose Mountain 
Adventure Mini-Golf in Mall of America 
today to celebrate Chickie's birthday. She 
wanted to go golfing, and Clarke will 
really enjoy it too. Ann is a long-time friend 
and I think her hubby Bill will also be coming 
along. 

Mall of America was where Chickie and I first met. I opened a branch of my shop at MOA when they first opened - I was one of the original tenants and had a three-year lease. My store, "Painted Tipi" was located on the 3rd floor of the West side with a candle shop to the North of me and a shell shop to the South. Chickie worked at the shell shop, but came in during her lunch hours to browse and chat. Like many of my employees, I stole her from another vendor. I convinced her to come and work for me. I needed another manager and she wanted to work with the items that we carried. We were both anthropologists - she specialized in the Maya, I was a Southwestern specialist. It was a good mix. She worked for me until I closed that location at the end of January, 1996. 

Mall of America is huge. I'm not sure if people really 
understand how vast it is without having actually 
been there. I was happy to leave it behind me - I 
got too lost between other stores, and I preferred 
the more laid-back attitude we had at our original 
location. Still, it was an experience I can't totally 
regret, and it might be fun to visit once again - for 
a short time ... maybe. 

She worked for me until she left to attend Grad School in Florida when we fell out of touch. A few years later she was back in the Cities and we were back in contact. She worked for Honeywell and then at a few odd short-term positions with other companies. 

Stormcloud Trading opened in this location in 1993 and 
has been here ever since. The large pane of glass to the 
right of the door now has cardboard and a temporary 
piece of glass until the new pane arrives and replaces 
the broken glass from a few weeks ago. *sigh* I've 
enjoyed having the shop, but I want the ability to take 
vacations with Hubby, and do some more serious 
travelling - impossible to do when working at a 
storefront. 

I was doing really well with an on-the-street location, and beading was starting to become a very hot hobby. I needed more help and she was between jobs, so I offered her a manager's position, which she accepted. She's been working for me and with me ever since, as my Manager, but actually more as a friend. Chickie is a lot of fun - snippy and sarcastic at times, but great with people and with a fantastic eye for color. We have a lot of fun at the shop, but also outside the shop when we see the occasional film or attend the State Fair and Ren Fest together. 

It's time to set the clocks back. It'll be dark 
when I leave the shop now, but I might have 
a little light (for a few days) in the morning 
when I drive to the gym for my swimming. 

So today I celebrate Chickie and hope that she has a wonderful birthday celebration. I'll see her on Tuesday and find out all about it (if she doesn't post on Facebook first). Then it'll be time for us to sweep into our "Holiday Season". No more vacations allowed until after the New Year. It's time to plan our annual sales events for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons and get those emails ready to send out. 

Have a wonderful day, enjoy yourself, and if you're in the USA (in most states), don't forget to move your clocks back late tonight for the end of Daylight Savings Time. I'll be back on Monday. 

Holidays and Halloween - Costumes and Cards

Holiday cards are progressing. I'm trying something I've never tried before with a product that probably hasn't been made for 20+ years, but that I still had on hand. Today's segment will include the use of a rolling pin. I hope DH didn't have intentions of baking anything that would require it, since it's heading to the shop to spend the day with me - LOL. 

I'm going through some Halloween costumes for the 
ages, with five photos to share today. Here are some 
witches decked out for the holiday from approx 1910. 

Here's a really excellent mummy 
costume from the 1930's. Money was 
tight, jobs were hard to find, and 
people had to make-do. But they 
still celebrated Halloween. 

I love using things that have been in my craft materials for ages. The material I'm using for the cards this year is a foil that used to be used to transfer text and images onto fabric through the use of heat. I checked a few sources to see if I could get any more if I didn't have enough, but it's been out of production for a very long time. Fortunately, I think I'll have enough on hand, and I'll get a chance to eliminate one more piece of crafting material from my overcrowded studio. A win-win in all respects. Now to progress onward to finish Stage 1 and begin Stage 2. 

Here's a group of kids from the 1950's going 
door-to-door for candy treats. The masks 
are the thing for this era, the clothing ... not 
so much. 

In the 1970's, "Star Wars" hit the 
theatres and a generation was caught 
up in the story and characters. Here 
we have an early C3PO and Darth 
Vadar from a 1970's Halloween. 

It seems ridiculous to be running late when it's only 5:40 am, but that's where I'm at. So, I'm going to make this post short and sweet. 

By the 1980's, all that was needed for a costume was a 
pull-on printed costume from a box at the local discount 
store. It's pretty obviously cold in the area where these 
kids are going door-to-door. Maybe the mummy on 
the right has the right idea - bundle up easily under 
those bandages. 

Have a Wonderful Halloween and a Safe All Saints Day on Sunday. If you're in the USA with an area that was under Daylight Savings Time, don't forget to set your clocks back by an hour before you go to sleep tonight. (I'll have to remember to change the wall clock at the shop before I leave tonight. I rarely check it, but DH relies on it.) Please, be kind and stay safe, and please, please, PLEASE wear your mask. I'll be back on Monday. 

A Lazy Sunday and Sunrise Pictures

It was a lazy day yesterday, even though the temperatures creeped up and actually touched 60F (15.5C). It's early March, so a bit early for Spring, I fully expect at least one more serious snowstorm before we can call the winter finished. However, the birds are quite happy, the trees and bushes are starting to look "fuzzy" with buds starting to appear along bare branches, and the massive piles of snow are diminishing. They're not gone yet, oh no. But they are shrinking at a rapid rate as we experience our own mini-version of global warming. 

Because of Daylight Saving Time, I'm going to give you photos
of sunrise because I love the dawn. Enjoy! 

It was the return of Daylight Saving Time early on Sunday morning. The "Spring Ahead" never gets to me as much as the "Fall Back", even though I lose an hour of sleep with the Spring rotation. Still, it's nice to have more light in the evening, and I'm quite used to standing at the door for the gym in the dark, so no real changes here. 

I love a misty sunrise on a rural road. So pretty! 

I didn't get any beading done yesterday, and DH is making noises about the fact that we haven't worked on the house for the past two weekends. I'm waiting for one more package of charms to arrive at the shop today. Those should be all I need to step into the next section on my owl project. I know what I need to do and how it will all work, but I need the charms first. I could have made charms of my own with metal clay and my kiln, but cast ones will be fine for this project. There's a limit to how much expense I want to put into this piece. 

Here in the Frozen Northlands, our sunrise will often have a lot
of mist on the ground because of our high humidity. This picture
is a lovely mix of sun and mist. 

So, after a lazy Sunday I'm getting ready for a busy week; chiropractor this morning, accountant for our personal taxes tomorrow night, and work - always - just to keep me occupied. I hope you all have a wonderful Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

It's Boys High School Hockey Tournament Time

It's early March, the temps and weather are saying we're having an early Spring this year, but I know how that can go. In fashion, it's "One day you're in, the next day you're out." In weather up here in the Frozen Northlands, it's one day it's Spring and the next day it's a massive blizzard that will bring Winter back for another two weeks or more. That's reality, but we're at the tail end of what has (so far) turned into a somewhat mild winter, all things taken into consideration. 

The Xcel Center is packed for the High School Hockey
Tournament. Even the upper decks are full. We've been
pulling in 18,000+ attendance at each game for this year's
tournament. It's a surreal experience for the kids. 

It's also Boy's High School Hockey Tournament time, meaning I've had the store TV turned to the hockey games during the day and we're watching the games at night. It's been a great tournament. They take over the Xcel Center, (where our professional ice hockey team plays), and attendance has been averaging 18,000+ for each game. Yeah, 18,000+ attendance for a High School sporting event. But these boys are good! Really good. A lot of them are already committed to various college hockey programs, and I can guarantee some of them will be on ice as a member of one of the pro teams within a decade, probably sooner. It's exciting, well played hockey with no holds barred. 

The MN State High School League does a great job with the
major tournaments, both hockey and basketball. Tickets
are affordable, and people come from all over the state to
attend the games and cheer on their teams. The games
pull in fans, but also scouts. Playing well in one of the
State Tournaments can be career changing. 

I was too tired to watch the final semi-final match last night, but the final match-ups for today are Mahtomedi v Hermantown in Class 1 at noon, and Hill-Murray v Eden Prairie in Class 2 tonight at 7:00 pm. Those are going to be great games, and I'll have the TV on for the Class 1 game so that I can at least listen while I cheer Hermantown onward - hopefully to victory. I'm not an Eden Prairie fan, so I'll cheer Hill-Murray for the night game, although I think Eden Prairie might take it all. 

Hermantown prevailed in this game (Hermantown is in the black). It
was a well-fought and fast-paced game. The kids aren't as fast as
the pro teams (pro teams are wicked fast!), but they're pretty
darned good to watch on the ice. 

It's already been too warm to allow any more outdoor skating on the many municipal outdoor seasonal rinks, which is too bad for easy practice and wonderful for the gardeners whose thoughts are already in planning stages for this year's gardens. The State High School Boy's Basketball Tournament begins on March 18th, and goes for four days at the Target Center. It's the second major tournament of the year and again has massive attendance numbers. It's also often the final snowstorm of the year. I won't (almost) count on probable snow-free days until after that weekend. 

I really wanted Blake (in the blue) to win against Eden Prairie (in the red)
in last night's game, but Eden Prairie is the larger school and has a much
deeper roster from which to pull. They were able to field four lines
against Blake's three, and that made the difference. 

So enjoy your weekend upcoming. Don't forget that Daylight Savings Time switches and you need to Spring Ahead early Sunday morning - that's tomorrow, y'all. I'm going to head over and get a swim in before starting my day. I have a busy week ahead and really need the pick-me-up that the pool will give to me. Have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday. 

Dia De Los Muertos, Samhain and NaNoWriMo

I hope everyone had a good Samhain and that today will be an excellent Dia De Los Muertos for each of you. These two days open the doorway to Autumn in my mind, and we're now on the slippery slope towards Winter Solstice in December. My Samhain was quite low-key, just the way I prefer it to be. My Dia De Los Muertos is a chance for a bit of retrospection and remembrance. Today I'll be remembering those who have passed the veil before me - my parents and in-laws, my Unci, and this past month, my brother Floyd. 

Sugar skulls and colorful altars are often a characteristic for
the celebration of Dia De Los Muertos. Remembering those
who have gone before is always a good thing. 

Memory can be a filter of your choosing. You can remember the good times or the bad. You can focus on one irritating thing about a person who has gone beyond, or remember the good things. To be honest, it's probably better to take off the rose-colored and the violet-colored glasses and just view memories as what they are - compounded, often only accurate in part, and not a good place in which to spend a lot of time. Memories can be faulty, incorrect, and slanted. If you build your future based only upon your memories of the past, it won't have a very solid foundation. 

I love this quotation by J.K. Rowling. So many times we
hit rock bottom and are looking up, trying to climb up
sheer sides. If you just look at that bottom as the lowest
point you'll ever go, it's only up from there. 

But as we step out into the latter portion of the year, it isn't a bad thing to remember and to celebrate. Those who have passed ahead of us still shared and influenced our lives in many ways. There is no person who will affect everyone in a positive fashion at all times. That's sainthood far beyond sainthood, and Godhood that really doesn't exist. Give me a more balanced view, please. Give me the mother who loved me and supported me, but who often didn't really understand me. Give me the brother who was demanding and sometimes toxic, yet who opened up more doors to me than I would ever have believed. Give me life - because that's what life is. Life is both good and bad, sometimes within the same moment or stream of life. Pain is balanced by joy, laughter is balanced by tears. 

Writing for NaNoWriMo? I'm here on the sidelines,
cheering you on. "Go! Go! Go! I know you'll do it!" 

So I wish all of you a wonderful Dia De Los Muertos, and for those of you doing NaNoWriMo, I wish you a successful day at your keyboard - only 28 days to go after today's writing session. I'm standing at the sidelines cheering once again. But I'm totally in your corner - my voice is calling out encouragement for you along with a large crowd of other voices. Have an excellent Saturday, remember to turn your clocks back tonight, if appropriate for your area of the nation, and I'll be back on Monday. Blessed Be! 

Holiday Cards Are Progressing - Second CALL-OUT Is NOW!

I finally got my copper delivered yesterday, so I'm hoping to get started on phase two of the ornament for this year's holiday cards. Ideally I'll be working on two different aspects of the cards for a bit now - the actual card itself and the included ornament that I'm giving everyone. I'm hoping to get some serious work done over the next week, the clock is ticking and my mailing deadlines are moving ever closer. 

My BigKick machine is getting a workout for this year's
card and ornament. It's cutting out fancy cardstock, standard
cardstock and copper sheeting. I'm developing some good
muscles in my right arm, and am thankful my rotator
cuff issues seem to be behind me. 

DH and I are busy getting more and more jewelry out onto the sales floor. We're fixing the broken, assembling the unassembled, and searching through every nook, crevasse and corner we can to find overlooked or forgotten inventory. We're also re-establishing some old business contacts to get some new low- to mid-range priced items into the store because not everyone wants to pay top dollar for the named artists or the antique jewelry. The store should look very full for the holiday season this year. 

Just a reminder that I'm looking at getting something similar
to this for my tattoo. I'm super stoked to get this and the
artist I want to interview seems equally interested. It should
be pretty amazing. 

I sent another email off to the tattoo artist I might hire for my scalp tattoo. We had emailed back and forth in August/September, but I wanted to make sure he knew that I was still interested in getting the work done. Even though the holiday season is hectic, I don't want to let this fall off my radar. We're only one week away from the fall Daylight Savings Time fall-back, and that means November is almost here! ACK! 

Don't assume that since you got a holiday card in prior years, you're
automatically on my list. The only absolute carryovers I have are
family. Friends change and shift, so I need you to send me
your current address to get onto this year's list. (Obviously if you
responded to the first call-out, you're OK.) 

So ... I think I'll make this post my SECOND CALL-OUT FOR HOLIDAY CARDS. I would love to send you a card, but that won't happen if you don't message me with your mailing address. I remind you that I only make 50 total cards, one of which I archive in my personal records and many of which are already committed for family members. BUT, my list wouldn't be complete without friends on it. So if you didn't respond to the first call-out, please reconsider. Email or private message me your address and let me add you to my list and send you one of my holiday cards. It brightens my day to brighten yours. 

Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Be good (but not TOO good - LOL). 

It's Tournament Time, So We Must Have Snow

We're going to get dumped on today - anywhere from 6"-13" of heavy, wet snow with winds up to 50 mph and blizzard conditions. It makes sense - it's Boys State High School Hockey Tournament time, and that's one of the two times in March when we will often have a bad storm. The other time will come in two more weeks, just in time for the Boys State High School Basketball Tournament. I've been watching the hockey games whenever I could. It's tradition, and some great hockey. It's our 75th year of the Tournament, and over the three days, almost 200,000 people will pack the Xcel Center with sell-out crowds. 

Since this year is the 75th of the Tournament, they've been
showing all kinds of facts, as well as reviewing each decades
winner lists. It's been great fun. 

This storm might be really bad, though, so I'm going to keep a very close eye out at the shop. If it looks anything like last April's blizzard, I'm shutting down the store and heading home. It's more important to me that Chickie and I and our customers are safe than getting another dollar or two into the cash register. The storm will last until noon on Sunday when we'll start the dig-out process. Twenty-four hours - a lot of bad can happen in 24 hours. 

The Xcel Center is sold out for every game - not a seat is empty. This
is the scene from two days ago in the quarter-finals. Pretty
impressive. It's also broadcast on TV and watched throughout the
state and nation. It's a big deal for the kids and the sport. 

I've been having a lot of fun writing in this year's B2MeM event. I've written a lot of darkness, a bit of BDSM, and some more general things with a dark twist, but today's prompts just screamed "Hobbit" to me, and darkness just doesn't mesh with hobbits. Today's story is light-hearted and a bit of fun. The first draft has been written and stored, I'll take a second edit when I get to the shop, then plug in the tags and get it posted. I'm finding myself reassured a bit - not everything is the Dark Side - LOL. 

Minnesota is known as the "State of Hockey" and we're proud of 
that. With our indoor and outdoor rinks, hockey can be played
year-round. My nephew, Flynn, has been playing goalie for
several years now and is one of the best at his age division. Who
knows? He might be playing in the Tournament in a few more
years. 

Since we'll have a white weekend from hell, as well as springing ahead for Daylight Saving Time (far too early in the year, if you ask me), I'm going to call this done, plug in photos, and head to the pool. Have a great weekend, be safe, and I'll be back on Monday. 

Sleep, NaNoWriMo and Get Ready To Vote Tomorrow

Did all of my US friends enjoy their extra hour of sleep on Saturday/Sunday? I managed to indulge in about 30 minutes of the additional 60, which for me is pretty good. Then I settled into resetting all of the clocks that don't auto-set and started a long day of football, LOTRO, working on my holiday cards and more football. All in all, it was a really nice day - even when I temporarily broke the downstairs television by pushing some unknown button or combination of buttons. It took DH about 20 minutes to get it working properly again. I guess I can work with computers, but TVs mystify me. 

I wish I was doing NaNoWriMo this year. I've had a story perched in
my brain for a few months now and NaNo would help me flesh it
out and see if it could go anywhere. But November is way too
hectic to indulge in writing. At least it is this year. 

I know several of you are doing NaNoWriMo this year and I wish I was joining you, but no. I'm not that much of a fool. My time in November is always so constricted and I have too many things on my plate to indulge in writing 50,000+ words during the month. I enjoyed it during the years I was a participant, though, and I still enjoy the daily NaNoWriMo comic which arrives in my in-box every morning. I hope all of you participating succeed in your personal goals. 

Sales of e-books have been increasing annually while those of
print books have been decreasing. In 2017, the sales of e-books
surpassed that of print and audio formats for the first time. 

Writing usually requires some imagination and the ability to put characters, scenes and occurrences into a coherent form for an end reader you've never met. Not so easy, really. I think most authors write because they have to - there's a bug under their skin that becomes unbearable if they don't write. But the audiences they target with their words are different. Not everyone is interested in every genre and not every author's words will resonate with everyone. That's OK. With e-book formatting and self-publishing working alongside the more traditional publishers and hard-copy with the additional format of audio available for all, there's a book out there for everyone and an audience for every author. 

The ads are obnoxious and non-stop. At this point, I think over 90% of
the ads on TV are political. SO ANNOYING! 

So, I hope you all have a wonderful Monday. Don't forget to build voting into your schedule tomorrow if you live in the US. My morning will be totally messed up because of voting, but DH and I want to be at the polls when they open tomorrow morning and just get it out of the way ASAP. I'm hoping we get some time away from political advertising on the television. It's been non-stop and I hate them all! I'm going to swim out some of my election ad frustration and then try to have a good day at work. I'll be back tomorrow.