My LJ Idol Story is Up and a Bit of This and That

I succeeded in writing, editing (always the most time-consuming part) and posting my first entry into the newest LJ Idol competition. I don't quite know how I was able to steal the time to write it, and I can only hope that I can continue stealing time as needed to continue in the competition. I do love writing to a theme, and I'm always challenged, which is what makes it so much fun. When voting opens I'll give all of you a link, whether it's just to read or (if allowable) also to vote. 

I love the challenge of writing to an arbitrary theme, and 
our Dungeon Master chooses some really good ones. The 
theme this time was "Quality". If you're interested in reading 
what I wrote, check out
https://erulissedances.dreamwidth.org/1118554.html

I made a mash-up of two recipes yesterday, totally by mistake. I needed to add two pounds of ground beef to my cabbage recipe and I knew I had cooked that in advance. I thought it was in two containers, but it was actually in a plastic bag set off to the side in the refrigerator. So, I made my second recipe with the first one (a multi-bean chili) that I had made on Wednesday. No matter, it actually tastes pretty good. I added some of my powdered chili peppers from last year's crop, and it has just the right amount of *zing*. 

I've always been against paying dues to a lobbying 
organization, but getting it for free ... well, that's another 
thing entirely. I went ahead and joined, and I'll see if 
it was worth the $0 after my first year - LOL. 

My friend Claire (Chickie Mama) is always telling me that I should become a member of AARP. I'm not fond of paying dues to them, but AOL, )my old and dependable AOL which I still use after more than 30 years), offered me that benefit at no charge for two people. So, JTAP and I are now members of AARP - LOL.  I'll have to read through the paperwork and find out exactly what they will do for me besides lobby Congress (a hopeless task for any organization these days).   

It took a ridiculously long amount of time to get the 
"smaller" watermelon cut up and ready to eat, but at 
least I've got that mess out of the way and can enjoy the 
fruit. I do love watermelon, but it takes a lot of time to 
get it prepped for eating (unless you are eating slices, 
and we rarely do that). 

DH had brought home a "smaller" whole watermelon on Wednesday and it was taking up valuable countertop space. So I also took the time yesterday to get that cut up and into the refrigerator. I'm relieved to have my counters empty once again - I only have two very small ones and having a huge green fruit taking up one of them wasn't making me super happy - LOL. 

I'm totally relieved that the large shipment of crystal 
beads arrived in good condition into the hands of my 
customer. Now I can breathe for a bit - until she decides 
she wants some more colors, that is! LOL

Oh, and the large Swarovski Crystals shipment I was sending to California? It arrived earlier this week and all is well. Dana's got her crystals to play with, and I can breathe a little easier. We learned a lot with that order, and I'll be much better prepared if I get another customer who wants large quantities and a lot of subtotals. Life is a learning experience, after all - LOL. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Too Much On My Mind, But It's a "Day Off" (Finally)

I was up at 2:15 am, and decided to just stay up since I usually awaken at 3:00 am on swimming days. So I actually have a little bit of time to spend on my blog this morning instead of rushing it through. That's a nice change, but I don't want it to be a regular outing. I actually do need my sleep too. 

I generally don't mind waking early on swimming days, 
it saves a lot of rush on my part. Wednesdays are very 
busy days for me, so having a little extra time is welcome. 

It's a "day off" today, the first one in more than a week (not counting Sunday). My refrigerator is bare. I have no food for my dinners, and I'm also out of Ogre Juice. I still have enough cooked fruit to get me through this week, so I'll probably skip doing a batch of this for a few more days. Maybe I'll even have a chance to write for Idol. I've got something started, but it's rough and needs a lot of work. 

I love the challenge of LJ Idol, but this time I really won't have 
a lot of time to devote. I'll have to take things one challenge at 
a time, and see where it leads. My current story still needs a 
LOT of work. 

But I'm looking forward to just losing myself in the water and the rhythm of swimming. I find that when I'm swimming outdoors, I have no problem doing 45+ minutes in the water. Indoors, I'm a bit more of a clock watcher. It's really a whole different experience, swimming in the Olympic-length pool versus our smaller, indoor pool. It's not good, it's not bad, just different. I guess I like different, because it's a real treat to be in that water every week with my friends. 

It's such a treat to swim outdoors in the Olympic-length pool. And 
having it as my home YMCA is even better. People come and 
swim with us from all over the Twin Cities, but this is my normal 
place to be - my home, in essence. It's fun seeing old friends again, 
though. There are friends whom I only see when they're here for 
the swimming pool in the summers. 

I'm working on my LJ Idol story. I have the bones down, but it needs a lot of work before it's ready to post. I'm hoping I get a bit of time today to continue working on it. I'm grabbing my early morning time at the shop to write, and that's really not enough time to do a polished job. But right now, that's all I've got. I want to write and participate in Idol because I love the challenge. But maybe I've got enough challenges on my plate right now. Still, I'm going to give it a shot for as long as I can manage juggling things in my life. At least Chickie is back in town, so I won't be working today or Friday. I'm grateful for the small things these days - LOL. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

My Clock is Ticking and LJ Idol is Pressing Onward

First of all and of primary importance, I must send a big "Thank You" out to all of you who voted for my story of Katy's birthday celebration. I garnered votes and lots of positive comments, BUT ... I'm in a write-off with one of the other very talented authors. We tied in vote count, and it was almost a three-way tie, but for a single vote. Yes ... that's how VERY important every vote can be. So, I have a day to cobble together something I'm not ashamed of putting out there, and it's a Monday - a day when I'm working the sales floor almost 100% solo, while DH is in the back room doing the financial books for the week. Will I have an entry worth posting? Maybe. 

But I'm in a quandry (and how often do you really have the need to use such a cool word as quandry?). It's the busiest season of the year for my business, I don't get a Sunday off until after Christmas Day, I'm getting my Wednesdays off because I need one day to cook and do laundry, but Wednesdays are my ONLY days off until Christmas. After Christmas we dive right into our Inventory Reduction Sale to bring us to the end of the year. I really can't breathe until New Year's Day. It's called "Retail Hell" and anyone who either works retail or owns a business that relies on those holiday dollars will totally understand what I'm talking about. 

So in the midst of all of this, is LJ Idol. I love the challenge of LJ Idol. I love the time frames, I love the act of sitting at my keyboard and making something click. I write every day (well ... six days a week) for my daily blog, so the mental gears are greased and moving - albeit slowly. The LJ Idol challenges come out of the blue - always making me think. When I sit at the keyboard to write something for Idol, I truly never know what will come through. Many stories have hit the cyber-garbage pile. Editing can be brutal and the stories left might be so changed as to barely appear as I had planned. I suspect it's like that for many of my fellow competitors. 

But I do write in my daily blog - six days a week, every week of the year. I've been writing this blog since the early 2000's and I have dear cyber friends throughout the world who read it every day and who have told me that those rare times when I don't post (if I haven't warned them in advance that I'd be out of town or unable to get to a computer), they worry. It brightens my heart that I have so many cyber friends out there who care about my personal well being. And this time, my blog will do double-duty. I'm going to put this out there for my LJ Idol write-off entry because I simply don't have the time to compose two original word groupings today. I have to leave for work by 7:15-7:30 am, and since it's a Monday, it's all on me to deal with the customers. No time to sit at the laptop keyboard. So, LJ Idol, this is what you get. Me - straightforward, unadulterated, and unapologetic. Voila and Slava Ukraini. For those who read my blog, I'll be back tomorrow. 

I'm Running - Late and Out of Time

I'm running a bit late today because I had a lovely run this morning, and I'm still trying to build the treadmill into my schedule. I'm also troubled about the current LJ Idol challenge, due tonight. I've been trying various things without any success. This topic may have me defeated. It's just DH and I at the shop for the next two weeks (unless they don't need Chickie for Jury Duty that day, and that's a day-to-day thing). So far they don't need her today, but that's not really any help. It's her usual day off anyway. *sigh*

Omakase can be used in many ways, but the most 
familiar to people is with sushi when you rely on 
the chef to make a series for you from start to finish. 

So, this may be the end of my run through LJ Idol unless I have a miracle, or one of the other few things I can try pans out at something that doesn't deserve to be put on the virtual trash pile immediately. It's a PITA when time is short, but I suspect that's going to be my life for the next couple of weeks. 

This newest prompt may have caused me to fall short 
of the finish line. There are still a couple of things I can 
try, but I really don't have time to write while at work, 
and I leave for work in 30 minutes. *sigh*

One thing is certain, however. I'm totally out of time for today's blog post. So it's very short and semi-sweet, and that's how it will have to be. We did have a lovely Sunday, however, watching football. We even treated ourselves to Chipotle for dinner, so I didn't need to cook or reheat anything. That's a rare treat, but a welcome one. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. I should have a bit more time since tomorrow is a swimming day - LOL. Slava Ukraini. 

Life Is a Bowl of Cherries — Right?

Not everything went wrong yesterday, but not everything went right, either. It was a day that started out with a slight (OK, maybe a bit more than slight) disaster, but by the time I went to sleep, things seemed resolved and I learned how much I can do in my almost-sleep. At this time of the week, I'm sleep deprived, and decisions and actions can be more "challenging".

I made this beef stew yesterday, and added my 
non-gluten pasta to it for serving. It's a lovely 
recipe. If you're interested, you can find it at: 
https://sugarfreelondoner.com/hearty-low-carb-keto-beef-stew/

I managed the grocery shopping pretty easily, however, and actually got everything I needed for the two soups I was going to make, so that was a win. I did have to drop by the shop really quickly to write Chickie's paycheck which I had forgotten to type up on Monday. But that too was an easy in/out. And I almost got the security system upgrade nailed — had a long conversation with my sales rep yesterday and hopefully, I have the information DH requested in my in-box this morning. I'll check at the shop and print it out there, if I do.

I've made this vegetable soup recipe before, and it's a 
total win in my book. Interested in this recipe? Find it at 
https://cookieandkate.com/vegetable-soup-recipe/print/34805/

What went wrong you might be wondering? Well, crazy things can happen in my life at 2:00 am, and that's what went wrong yesterday. When I get up at that time of the VERY early morning, it's usually just for a quick trip to the bathroom, followed by a return to bed. For the past six months or so, I've also fallen into the habit of putting the stepstool near the lights that I have to "massage" every morning to get lit properly, and I often carry my 1/2 gallon of distilled water to my small fountain to be topped off when the lights are on and I'm awake to see the water levels.

It's not the brand I purchase, but it's 
the right type of water. I use distilled 
water in my fountain to keep it running 
clearly without mold issues. It works 
great and has for years. I just need to 
feed it every morning. 

Yesterday I did that, had the stepstool in my right hand, the water in my left. I reached out with the bottle (an almost full one), placed it onto the display case where the fountain lives, wandered two steps farther and heard a noise nobody wants to hear — a bottle falling onto the floor. DAMN It was a disaster. The top flew from the bottle and I had a MASSIVE amount of distilled water on my living room carpeting. It took almost a full roll of paper toweling and a lot of pressure work to get the carpet almost dry. Fortunately, it seems to have come through the process without damage, but if the mat below develops mold issues, this could continue to be a problem — and not an easy one to fix. I'm hoping I nipped it in the bud, but how clumsy! Today I was extra careful and all is well — LOL. Stupidity and lack of sleep — I blame both aspects.

I wish you a life of no errors in judgment. My 
own life, however, has been peppered with 
them now and again. Dropping the distilled 
water jug onto the carpeting was certainly 
one of those times. *sigh*

Have a brilliant day — no errors in judgement for you! I need to re-read my current writing and get it up and posted. I fear this will be my final week on LJ Idol, I'm not inspired by the theme this week, but as always, I wrote from the heart. So, we'll see. I've never made it this far before (to my memory), and anything is possible. Have an excellent Thursday, I'm off to swim and then on to work. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.

Yesterday Was a Day Spent On Hold - Sigh

Chickie is in New York, disappointed that she's not allowed to wear her new hat to the taping of :"The View". (I'm sure she'll survive the disappointment - LOL.) I, on the other hand, had the "lovely" opportunity of staying "On Hold" on my cell phone for over SIX HOURS yesterday to finally reach customer service and get a functional credit card terminal. OY! What a mishpocha! 

Normally, it's pretty darned simple to handle a credit card 
transaction. But there was a software update - a major one - and 
a LOT of us were unable to do CC transactions after the 
update. It was NOT a good thing! 

Apparently there had been a major upload of new software on Monday. I had some problem with the machine on Monday, had to ask people to go to the local ATM machines for cash. On Tuesday, I made sure I got to the shop early after my swim, and the machine still wasn't working. So I gathered all of my paperwork. They were doing a software download and I followed their instructions to get that done, Still no terminal. 

Even though I ended up on hold with Customer Service 
for almost sic-and-one-half hours, I really had to feel 
sorry for the Customer Service reps who, I'm sure, were 
getting yelled at, cursed at, and screamed at. I've worked 
Customer Service in my time and it's NOT easy. I had 
a lovely young lady when I finally got to speak to a human 
being. She ended by wishing that all of her customers 
were as kind as I was. I didn't feel especially kind, but 
why take a software glitch out on her? She was very 
helpful, and we seem to be up and operational once 
again. Maybe ... today will be the text for that - LOL. 

I tried and tried and tried. I was on hold on the land line for more than an hour, still no go. I had to get the store open, so I determined that I couldn't stay on the landline any longer. I left my place in the digital line, hung up, and phoned again on my cell phone. I got the store open, helped a few customers (holding my cellphone at ALL times and apologizing for how rude it was), but finally it worked. After more than SIX AND ONE-HALF HOURS, I was finally connected with a live person at Customer Service. 

You would think a large company like Chase would 
have their act together after a major sofrware upgrade. 
But no, they most certainly did NOT. 

Now, I've worked customer service in my time. You can get good ones, you can get bad ones. I had a rather delightful, frazzled young pregnant woman (yes, you can find out all sorts of things if you're just friendly on a long day of frustrated customers). By the end of our session, in which I went through the process of a test sale TWICE to make sure I would NEVER have to stay on hold for six-and-a-half hours again. But it finally worked. Poor people at Chase Payment Tech. Big company, big problem. If everything continues to work properly today, I'll breathe a big sigh of relief. 

It is my hope to live to write another day, and I'm probably, 
possibly, going to survive the vote this week. The poll 
closes on Thursday, so really, EVERY VOTE COUNTS. 
If you haven't voted for my tale (and you liked it), I'm 
asking for your vote. A single vote can make a big 
difference with this talented group of writers. 

It's looking like I'll survive to write again, but voting is still open until Thursday late afternoon, and a lot can happen in that time. If you haven't voted for my story, I'd really appreciate it if you did. It's getting tighter and tighter, and EVERY vote counts. I think this is the right link - https://www.dreamwidth.org/poll/?id=31921 - and I'm straddling the fence for being able to stay and write again, or being homebound and doomed to just read and vote from this point onward. Every vote counts and is appreciated. I'm off to the pool. I need to work out some of yesterday's stressful day. LOL Have an excellent Wednesday while I work (and Chickie plays in NYC ). I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Voting Time With a Twist - PLEASE Read and Vote For My Story This Week

Gary is making things VERY interesting this week for votes. Instead of just checking a box, you actually have to email him about the story(ies) you're voting for. So here's the link to all of the stories. Each person has their individual link in their comment. Then, you read and vote. Now here's the killer - whoever wins this week has IMMUNITY. Now that's HUGE. So, I'd very much appreciate your taking that extra step and emailing him at clauderainsrm@gmail.com before Friday (today) at 7:00 pm. If you're voting for more than one, please make it alphabetical by author, it's a bit easier for him. He will email you in return, acknowledging your vote. 

Once again votes are open, but there's a different 
twist this time, and a VERY short timeline. Please 
send your email as stated above, and I hope you 
enjoyed reading my tale in six drabbles. 

That's it. Votes need to be in by 7:00 pm Eastern Time Zone TODAY, and I'd VERY much appreciate your votes. I decided to dive back into a format that I've loved for years, and made my story a series of six drabbles. The theme was "bycatch" - a term I'd never heard before, but apparently a lot of people were familiar with it. 

Bycatch - it was a term I wasn't familiar with, and I 
suspect I did a different take on it with my entry this 
week, but I like what I did, and I hope you enjoy reading 
it and voting for it. Voting is a bit different this week, 
but it's really not horrid, just different. 

I only get two more weeks of working with Chickie before she heads to the East Coast for a two-week vacation. I may be in prison for killing DH by the time she returns - LOL. But ... we've done it before and we'll do it again. It's not easy, but far from impossible, to work two six-day weeks in a row. I'll be cranky and a bit out of sorts, but at least I'll have my swimming and that will help. Still, that's two weeks in the future. I don't have to deal with that this week. 

DH finally read my story and really enjoyed it. Asking 
him to vote would be an exercise in futility, however. *sigh* 
At least he read it, that's a start. 

So, I do hope you read my story and vote for it, and read some of the others too. There are some really excellent authors out here in this group, and I'm always honored that I seem to be able to keep my head above water with them. Have an excellent Friday. I'm off to the pool for a rare Friday swim (since I missed my Tuesday this week). Slava Ukraini, I'll be back tomorrow to wrap this week up. 

Just A Few Days Until the Fair - Please VOTE for My Story This Week!

I'm going to start by asking for your votes for this week's writing contest. We're losing THREE people this week, and will probably be switching our format a bit starting next week when we're down to a certain number of people. I wrote a Haiku this week (https://erulissedances.dreamwidth.org/1053043.html) and the voting is here: https://www.dreamwidth.org/poll/?id=31785. Your vote would be VERY appreciated. 

LJ Idol - we're getting less and less in numbers, we had two 
writers drop out this week before the writing even started. 
We're losing THREE authors this week - the three lowest 
in votes. Votes are SO important, but this group is so very 
talented, it's tough to stand out. We'll see where I stand when 
voting is closed and counted. 

As for reading ... I highly recommend Rayaso's entry. He's been outstanding this season and the character(s) he's developed through this season are wonderful. We all want to read the next installment of his tale, and I suspect he'll end up winning this season. 

Plans and timelines., I have a lot of these for 
various goals and aspirations, many of which 
run right into dead ends. *sigh* The timelines 
for Sharon's visit, however, allow us to have maximum 
time at the Fair, lots of time to chat and catch up, 
and some down time too. We/re not getting younger, 
after all - LOL. 

I'm caught up in plans and timelines. Sharon arrives on Thursday night, we'll go eat at my local Red Lobster which is still open, despite a major shut-down elsewhere in the Twin Cities. Friday morning we'll be ready and waiting for our bus to the Fair, with dinner at Lindy's Steakhouse (a favorite of mine, although DH was VERY disappointed with his meat the last time we went there). Saturday we'll be at the Fair and DH will join us after work, so we'll be grabbing food from there, and Sunday will be at the Fair with DH and Chickie. Monday is the Renaissance Festival for Labor Day. We usually have Olive Garden for dinner on Monday night, and I drop Sharon at the airport early on Tuesday. She gets a few days to recover at home, and I jump right back into my life as a shop owner. I'm VERY much looking forward to NOT seeing my shop for a few days. LOL

It's a crazy schedule for two old ladies to have, but I thrive 
on it, and we get exercise that we probably both really 
need. We're not averse to sitting down here and there at the 
Fair - we know all the good places to sit, and are perfectly 
comfortable people watching - LOL. 

I usually don't post while I'm at the Fair, however. So you'll get today, Wednesday and Thursday's post, but then I'm on radio silence until after Sharon has returned home. Doing my blog while doing the State Fair is quite difficult - not impossible, I've done short posts in the past - just difficult. So, I'm wrapping this up and heading to the pool. It's the final week outdoors, and I an taking full advantage of it. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Life Goes On - But I'm Tight on Time/I Live to Write Another Day!

I live to write another week, so thanks all. I was a solid 10 votes behind the leader, which isn't good. It puts me into the bottom half, but still, I survived. Today, however, I actually slept until my alarm went off, so I have a firm 15 minutes to get this up, find appropriate illustrations, and post it before I have to leave for my final swim of the week. ACK! 

There's just something magical about swimming in the 
twilight. That's what we do these days, since the sun 
doesn't really rise until after I'm out of the pool. Autumn 
is knocking at the door. 

I didn't get as much done in the household cleaning department yesterday as I had wanted. I did,  however, get a lovely soup put together and into the crock put, where it cooked until after dinner. It's in three containers in the refrigerator now, dinners for the next few days. Yummy! 

We need a new treadmill - ours, from the year 2000, is 
now officially broken. It served us well, but we need 
a replacement. *sigh*

I had sent a message to my doctor wanting to know if the water resistance from my swimming would be considered a resistance exercise. Unfortunately, no. *sigh* I need to have walking (boring) or something else that's a weight-bearing activity. We've got a phone conference scheduled (I think? - I'll have to double-check that later today) with an Endocrinologist, and I'll know more after that. But, it's looking like a replacement treadmill is essential, because I really don't want to have to be at the gym five days a week, and their Saturday hours won't work for my schedule at all. 

This is my YMCA, looking at the building from the 
South. The outdoor pool would be off photo to the left, 
the main entrance is at the back right under the 
awning. There's a lot of gym equipment, a walking 
track, two different ball courts (no handball at this 
location, though). It's well attended throughout 
the day, and five minutes - 10 on a really bad 
weather day - from my house. I love it! 

So ... life goes on - LOL. I'll see what the next writing challenge is later today and get my brain into thinking about something other than my health, my unclean house, and Sharon's Visit (that final item, of course, being a positive thought - LOL). I'm super late on time today, so I'm cutting this short right here. Thanks to ALL of you if you voted for my story this past week. Every vote mattered! I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Not Happy With My Writing, Although (Thanks To Your Votes) I'm Holding My Own

I'm going to have to work at writing on a more entertaining level. Not that I'm writing poorly, I think I'll survive the vote to write another week. But I'm writing in a lecture/preach manner which I don't like in myself. The points I'm stating are valid and well-expressed, but it's not a "gripping" storyline or a wonderful new world. It's our world - solidly planted in reality - and sometimes that reality isn't really what people reach for on a library shelf. 

We keep trying to reach for a reality that we 
want to live in. Is that book really the right 
one for everyone? 

But I'm not a fantastical writer either. I don't have different world views or entirely different dimensions crowding my head, begging for release. Even in tales I've imagined on Earth 2 or Earth 12, my stories are still planted in the reality gripped by the circumstances of that alternative earth. But isn't that also important? Doesn't that new world also have physical boundaries and natures that will cause the inhabitants to make adjustments for the sake of staying alive? 

I've always enjoyed fiction, fantasy and science 
fiction. But I tend to write from a basis of reality. 
Maybe I should put more fantasy into my stories, 
and veer away from the firm earth below our feet. 

If the new world is like Rappaccini's garden, wouldn't we all have to develop a genetic modification that would allow us to wander among the poisonous plants without harm to ourselves? That's reality - a poison world would leave immense death behind it, but there would be survivors, or those who didn't immediately succumb. Those, then, would be the foundations of the new population - one that could tolerate, and even in some cases celebrate, their environment. 

I seem to be very earthbound in my writings so far this 
time for LJ Idol. I'm sounding "preachy" to my own ears 
this time. I'll have to start to crack out of that. I've never 
been a speculative fiction author, but it would be fun to 
go off on a wider tangent. 

There are times when I feel that our own world is rather like this. When wars happen, when people look at the differences instead of the similarities. When political viewpoints, false leaders and warped viewpoints begin to take center stage, we've then created our own poisons. What do we do then? If we're lucky, we can wait for the next wave to come and knock the old society down, or shift its' direction. If we're unlucky we move from Stalin to Putin - not much of an improvement there. 

People who get their props by pulling others down and 
climbing over the bodies aren't people I want to know or 
encourage. Right now this world has far too many people 
like this in positions of political power. It makes for an 
extremely dangerous world. I want a kinder, more 
understanding leadership. No steamrolling, please. 

So, here I am being preachy once again. But I don't filter my thoughts for my blog - it is always off the top of my head, written in the early hours of the morning, and presented, fresh from the keyboard, into the greater world. I'm curious about what you think. Can this world manage to make it back from the poison it's becoming? Will people look for the good in others instead of focusing on the differences and intensifying the hatred? I'd like to think so. Tell me what you think - share something good with me today. I think we all need some good in our lives on this Wednesday in this world. Slava Ukraini. 

Oubaitori - My Story Is Up and I'd LOVE Your Vote

After some serious panic when my post/story wasn't showing up on DreamWidth the way it was supposed to, I had to shut everything down and actually work for a few hours. I did have a chance to check again late in the day, as the deadline for submission was quickly approaching, and saw a comment about my story, so I knew somehow it had flown through cyberspace and appeared where I wanted it to. There are a couple of typos that I didn't catch (GRRRR), but given that I was doing all of this in little bits and pieces as time allowed, I'm grateful it all came together. 

As a reminder, the theme for this week was Oubaitori. The 
stories that have been posted are all over the place in 
concept. It's so much fun to read them and see where 
everyone came down on this broad topic. 

As always, after the stories have all been submitted, there's a vote. You've come through for me in the past, and the competition is getting harder and harder (as it's supposed to - LOL). I'd appreciate your votes. Here's a link to my story: 

https://erulissedances.dreamwidth.org/1048945.html

and here's a link to the voting page: 

https://www.dreamwidth.org/poll/?id=31714

As always, thanks in advance if you both read and vote (hopefully for my story). Your votes have kept me in the pack here, and there are some VERY talented writers in the group. Anytime I can survive a vote and go on to the next challenge is a good time, indeed! 

I've been sticking to a WildFit lifestyle for five years now, and 
have no regrets at all. For me, it works and works well. Having 
my alkagizers is a big part of that - and Fridays are the day 
when I make what I need for the next week. 

In other news, it's a "day off" for me today, and I need to make Ogre Juice and continue working on picking up around the house, getting ready for Sharon's annual visit in a few short weeks. There's so much to do. You know how it is. You keep a clean house - pick up, wipe down, vacuum and dust, but when a visitor is due, you look at everything with a more critical eye. So today I'm thinking about actually conditioning the wood paneling because it's looking really scuzzy. I need to clean DH's bathroom because we'll have to share when Sharon is using the bathroom that I usually use, etc, etc. Never ending. And rather silly. 

I was raised right - I do know what housecleaning should 
be and how a house should look/smell afterward. Our 
house is improving somewhat, but I have too much to do 
and too few hours in each day in which to do those 
"things that must be done". 

Sharon isn't coming to visit the house, she's coming to visit the Fair (and incidentally to visit me and DH - LOL). She'll get a chance to show photos of her two adorable kittens - very much cats by this time, and fill me in on her plans for retirement - which are a lot closer to fulfillment than my own are. The house, although I do want to make sure it's realistically clean and tidy, doesn't need to be impeccable. Far from. I'm not sure I've EVER actually attained THAT goal - LOL. Even my Mom would have difficulty with that one and she kept an almost immaculate house. Well, Mom. You trained me, but I fail miserably because I want to live my life, not spend it cleaning - LOL. 

If you have a chance to read my story and you like 
it, I'd very much appreciate your vote. So far I'm 
holding my own thanks to all of your votes. I can't 
do this without you. So, THANK YOU in advance. 

Have an excellent Friday. Please read my latest tale and if you like it, I'd very much appreciate your votes. Enjoy your day, Slava Ukraini. I'll be listening to the Olympics while working in the house today. Closing ceremonies tomorrow, if I recall the schedule. Wow - time flies! 

Thank Goodness It's Tuesday - I Need My Swimming Time

It was a typical Monday, DH was in a grumpy mood and interrupted my own work several times for ridiculous things. However, as the saying goes, "I persevered" and got through the day. Today should be a little less "busy". I'll still have a ton to do, but I'm one step closer. I have the sheets for the Swarovski sale completed, and I'm looking at the calendar to figure out when we can hold it. It requires all of us to be available, especially on the Friday/Saturday days, and we're coming up on Ren Faire and State Fair times. Chickie will be taking some vacation time, and Sharon will be coming out for the Fair and her annual visit of food and fun. I have to envelope what might be one of the largest sales in our history, into an already crowded schedule. *sigh* Still, I'm almost completely ready to go. 

My weekly mental schedule looks something like 
this - always changing, color coordinated, and 
there are a few instances of squeezing something 
into a day unexpectedly. *sigh* Organized disorder, 
that's my schedule. 

I put some thought into my current writing topic, but wasn't happy with anything I managed to get into the computer. I'll take another look at what I wrote today and start some serious editing. My imaginary red pens sometimes leave very little black to build changes upon, but it's a necessary evil. I can wait for banking and check paying until tomorrow, so one less thing on my "To Do" list for today. I'll have plenty to do, however. 

I'm not fond of driving out and back to my eye doctor's 
clinic. It's actually not bad in terms of time spent getting 
there, but it's all freeway, usually during rush hour, and  
people drive like IDIOTS on the roads these days. It's 
like taking my life into my hands just to get my eyes 
checked out. *sigh* 

I keep thinking I've got an eye doctor appointment coming up, but I can't find evidence of it in my electronic schedule or on my calendar. I'll have to try and remember to contact the office and get them to look me up on their master computer. It's possible that I forgot to write it down (unlikely, but it could happen), but I suspect the appointment I thought was for August is actually much later in the year. The problem is I'm seeing a new doctor now that my cataract surgery is done and dusted, and I simply don't recall what his name is. Shame on me! People deserve better than an aging memory! LOL

The Olympics are coming to an end. It's lots of track and 
field this week, which I enjoy, but I'm not locked into 
watching. I'm going to try and to back on Peacock and watch 
a few events that I couldn't catch earlier. Peacock makes 
it so easy to watch what I want. 

I'm struggling with the prompt for the current LJ Idol challenge. I pounded something together yesterday for the current topic, but if 10% of it survives into the final draft, I'll be surprised. I should have a bit more time to deal with it today, but I have to get my head in the game. These are some REALLY talented writers in this group, and I always have to bring my best efforts to the challenge to survive for the next prompt. It's fun being a part of LJ Idol again, though. I like the challenge it presents - the topics are NEVER what I would have chosen, and ALWAYS make me think. That's what I like in a challenge. 

Does Gary use a program like this to decide on the 
writing topic for LJ Idol for the week? It's entirely 
possible, although I suspect he's actually putting in a lot 
more thought into the choices he makes. Still, it 
sometimes feels as though this is what he does - LOL. 

A quick and heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who voted for my last story. I ended up in the upper bracket, not close to winning, but far from being cast off the island. LOL I know it's all thanks to you and others reading my offerings that's keeping me in the competition. So, I'm off to the pool. The rain and thunder of yesterday has left us behind, so I have a beautiful, clear (somewhat cold) morning for my outdoor swim. It'll be a cold walk out and a colder walk back into the building, but it will be well worth it. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini!