Exhaustion Has Struck

I'm exhausted. I allowed myself to sleep an additional twenty minutes this morning and didn't hit the treadmill (bad girl) but I really needed that little bit of additional sleep. I'm really looking forward to tonight - for the first time in two months I will be able to sleep in on Sunday morning. This is the ultimate luxury! So I'm writing a celebration to sleep today because, quite honestly, that candle I hold that burns from both ends does singe my hand now and again.

My story for Teitho is finally working after being slapped into its fourth revision. I'm almost through the umpteenth edit and things are starting to jell. I need to finish this story and then I can start my LOTR Community piece. Thank goodness they extended the deadline for that one because the elements were sent out quite late, but at least one idea hit when I read through my elements, so I think I'll have something I can do.

And Thank You to all who voted for my artwork "And Maedhros Stood Aside" for the Tree and Flower Awards. I won Overall Winner for the artwork and am very, very happy. I also won three 3rd Place awards and three Honorable Mention awards for stories, so I'm absolutely thrilled. Call me happy today (as well as sleepy).

Working Hard, Revisions, Project Runway and James Bond

So Chickie is taking the last of her vacation today (and yesterday afternoon) so I have to work hard. It's not that I don't work hard when she is on the sales floor, it is more that I know I have someone who covers my back without a specific request. At least most of the time. But when she's out of the shop (or when I'm out of the shop to be totally fair) we have to work harder. Although Jim can be a tremendous help and resource, his hearing loss is acute and interacting with customers is often an afterthought. If the store is crowded or if I'm really busy helping someone, it is annoying to have to specifically direct him to help a customer (two customers is one too many) when normally I would never have to ask. We're a retail store. We help customers. It's our JOB! Really? REALLY?

Old time mercantile stores were all about customer service.

Normally when I am revising stories I just overwrite and save the new version over the old. The story I am currently writing on was started on Tuesday, revised on Wednesday, and then I started keeping versions saved instead of overwriting. I am now onto Version Four and actually much happier with the story. Eventually I'll dump the versions I don't want, but I may combine some things too, or revisit a sentence that may have been changed to bear no resemblance to the original. It's interesting to have a history available.

After a tumultuous season we're down to the Final Four.

I'm not going to mention specific names just in case someone is reading who follows Project Runway, but I am very happy with the four chosen as the finalists. All four of them will now produce collections to be possibly shown at New York Fashion Week, but of those four collections, only three will actually make it to the catwalk. We're getting to the end of this season and the next All-Stars will start in a few weeks. Project Runway and Face Off are my favorite 'reality' shows. Although I have been a Survivor addict for years, this season's cast is boring me to tears, so I'm not watching it. I don't care who wins or not so there is no point to watching the train wreck. I'd rather watch Ghost Hunters.

Happy Birthday James Bond!

And speaking of watching, happy birthday to James Bond in cinema. Fifty years ago on this very day, Doctor No was released to the theatres, beginning a franchise that is still going strong today. Long life to you, James Bond, I lift my martini to you.

Changing Times, Changing Seasons

My egrets left their pond almost a month ago, and my grey heron left a bit more than a week ago. Now the warm temperatures are following them and fall/winter is arriving. Today is the first day when our high temperature will be in the mid-50's Fahrenheit (12.5 Celsius, approx). A cold front will be coming across the northern part of the state, and we will see our first snow today. Not here in the Twin Cities (thank goodness) but across the northern part of the state.

Yesterday was such a gorgeous day, warm and slightly breezy with our bold scarlet, bright gold, deep brown and brilliant green leaves all vying with one another for a "best dressed tree" award. I took a break from sitting at the computer while having a wonderful, long conversation with Aearwen, and sat outside on my patio nursing a glass of wine while talking. Thank goodness I have a chance to talk with her weekly. I can bounce things off her and even though we rarely speak specifically about stories or WIPs, we still manage to focus on problem areas and clarify them. The story I was stuck on which was on Version 2 got a serious revision again when I returned to my desk and Version 3 seems like it will do what I needed. I'll read it over one more time to be sure before finalizing it for submission.

I did the official thing yesterday and signed up for NaNoWriMo. For those who may be unfamiliar with this, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and takes place in November. I've known I was going to make the attempt to do this for most of this year and didn't need to officially sign up, but I also know that there are various events, writers boards and get-togethers, and different motivational things that occur during November to help keep all of the authors on track to succeed in their goal of producing 50,000 words by the end of the month. I have a feeling I will need that support, so I did the official sign-up thing :-) I can't start writing until November 1st, but I'm looking forward to letting the words out and I just hope it turns into a true novel, not just a longer story.

Have a fabulous day!

Thoughts on the Eve of the First Presidential Debate

It is the season for vindictive word slinging. I look at where politics and political advertising and publicity focuses now compared to twenty years ago and I feel disgust. The hate commercials, the pointing fingers and pointed jabs, and the honeyed words that drip with poison, all work not only to get one candidate voted into office and another one to fail, but separates the nation into opposing camps of belief. That separation continues into the cities and towns and spreads into individual families and I am speaking out about it now!

The basis of any campaign is to unify a group of people behind a banner - political, faith-driven, or just following the good-looking woman or man to the local laundromat - the goal is getting people to follow not only in belief but with their votes. To do this, candidates spew hatred and polarizing platforms of beliefs and ideas at their constituency. They seem to do this with the mistaken belief that the day after the election people will awaken fresh and clean and be ready to once more join together and make their city, state or nation great. Well, I've got news for you. The hatred that is fostered in the previous weeks or months cannot and does not end overnight. Instead it spills over into the sewers and gutters, onto the playgrounds and campuses, and oozes into the homes and the halls of government. Do you want to know why Congress accomplishes nothing outside of party divides? Here's one answer - not the only one to be sure, but one answer.

I live in a house divided and have for many years. I am a liberal, hippie from the 60's married to a man who is a conservative. There are issues that we just agree to not discuss because we just don't, and won't, agree. But when I hear him express "I wish I could vote for B.O. but I just can't. I'm too afraid of what he'll do to this country with another four years of power." then the hate ads and general mistrust that they seed have come to root. He doesn't want to vote FOR a candidate, he wants to vote AGAINST a candidate. In my book, that's a poor option, but it may be the only option available for many this election season.

Maybe a change of governmental type? But democracy, as

stumbling as it may be sometimes, still allows for individual

expression so I have to support it.

Whatever happened to deeds making the person? Whatever happened to less words and more action? All I hear from both of the Presidential candidates is words and they are words that probably can't be backed by action because Congress won't walk across the aisle to accomplish the government of this country. This party-focused political stance echoes down into the state legislatures and municipal governmental structures as well. It is the bane of a democratic system.

On the eve of the first Presidential Debate, keep in mind that there will be a lot of hot air on that stage tonight. Just remember that it's not the two people on that stage who will be able to effect change, it is a whole governmental system that needs to change. Will it? If commercials that spew hatred continue, I doubt it.

This has been a non-paid political endorsement of nobody. :-b

The Eowyn Challenge Update

I tabulate my walking miles at the end of each month, unlike Miz Mik who totals her miles weekly. I like the feeling that I have some miles behind me. My pedometer broke in early September and was replaced within a week by a new one and I've been wearing that every day (except on Sundays out at the Renaissance Faire). I've been averaging two to four miles a day if I treadmill first thing in the morning, 1.5 to 2.5 miles if I don't.

I really enjoyed the strength of Eowyn. She wasn't willing

to sit in the background and let the men do all of the

dirty work.

August totals found me past my meeting with Gildor and hiding from a Black Rider near the Stock-brook. By the end of September I am already in the Old Forest, just about to meet up with Old Man Willow and Tom Bombadil. I feel like I am actually starting to get somewhere now that I'm out of the Shire and truly having "An Adventure". Once more my thanks go out to Surgical Steel who directed me to the Eowyn Challenge more than a year ago. I love the fact that I'm walking to Rivendell while trying to get my weight under control.

I adored this view of Edoras with the mountains in the background.

The open plains were perfect for horses, the mountains gave

strength. I wanted to live there from the first sight.

DH and I are having discussions about what we will do if we ever retire. I want to play - travel, work on my art and my writing, generally have a wonderful time not having to go in to the shop every day. He will probably die from inactivity because he needs structure in his life. I can self-schedule more than effectively. So - given our discussions and arguments - if we ever retire he'll be bored and I'll still be busy. I wonder if retirement will be worth it....

My Weekends Will Now Return

It's been a long Renaissance Festival season. For seven weeks in a row I awakened at 6am every Sunday morning and we were at the gates of the Realm for opening. Usually we didn't stay for the entire day, but we were always there until at least mid-afternoon. Yesterday was final day or "Pink Slip Sunday" as it is known among the players. Many of the acts have already signed contracts for the next several years, but individual cast members are never guaranteed.

The court gathers at the top of the Entry Gate wall to make their

final speeches, watch the performers, and we close by listening

to "William Shakespeare" quote from a Midsummer's Night Dream.

Our King has been part of the court in a variety of capacities for the past 32 years. My DH and I have been attending as a couple since 1979, so for 33 years, and my DH was involved in the founding of the festival in the early 1970's. We are Festies, we have Ren Fest in our blood and I can't imagine not attending. We've already purchased our season tickets for next year.

Oh, those crazy Tortuga Twins. There are actually six twins that play

the circuit, but these are our boys and they are delightful and so funny!

On last day we always stay for the entire day. We are there to open the gates in the morning and we are there to sing and hug our friends at night. It's a long day and a wonderful one. We have done many different activities throughout the years for final day, but what we enjoy the most are the "R" and "R"-"xXx" rated shows for Johnny Phoenix and The Tortuga Twins. There is nothing like a serious laugh amidst a rollicking half-drunk crowd to send us on our way. The humor, sexual innuendo, and serious drinking both in joke and reality are unique to Fest and We laugh so hard.

As usual we perched and moved as needed to get close to a speaker so that DH could hear well. He actually did pretty good, although he was really tired and found himself drifting off a couple of times during The Tortuga Twins show. I don't know how he could do that, but he managed. We had a great time, though, and exited the grounds in time to catch the court's final thank-you's from atop the Fest gate-wall and had a great time watching the fire performers. I took some video and if I get it edited tonight I'll post the link for it tomorrow, but this is one pic just in case my editing skills and posting skills fall short. The second night of the full Harvest Moon lit our road home. Yes - it was a totally magical day!

Those performers who deal with fire in their acts all

perform in front of the gates in a mass of flame,

motion and drumming. It's magic.

So we're now ready to start a new month, running into the last three months of the quarter and the year. This is when retail gears up - and like any other retail location, we count on these three months to bring in a lot of our income for the next year. So if you're in our area, come in and spend money - LOL. Actually, to be a bit more serious, if you are someone who likes to make gifts for Solstice, you should probably get into gear just about....NOW!