Carolyn

2012 was not the easiest of years, but it was definitely better than 2011. Last March, after 15 months of unemployment, I found a new job. It has been a challenging, interesting nine months. I love my job. It stresses the hell out of me, keeps me enormously busy, more often than not I am tired tired TIRED when I get home, but it is worth it.

My boss actually is great to work for. Very appreciative, complimentary, and flat-out tells me how happy he is we found each other. LOL. I think I'm doing okay, and it is getting easier to deal with the stress, channel it away from me, and not let the job rule my life, but it takes work. And thinking about it, and stopping to take deep breaths, etc. It isn't always easy still but then again I rather thrive on the crazy, too. I just have to remind myself not to let it own me, or else that is all I will do. Work, go home, go to bed, get up, start again.

Monetarily, though I make a good salary, it has been an expensive year - getting the daughter moved, getting caught up on bills, vacation (which was awesome and wonderful and too short, and dammit I had a cold the entire time, which sucked, but still, wonderful) and car ailments all added up. But everything along that line is going well now. I hope, hope I can stay balanced in that area of life. Living a basic, frugal life is not a bad thing - since I'm used to it, just going to keep doing it. Build up the bank account again as it was totally smashed by losing my job.

I've made some new friends who actually live within thirty minutes of me. They all came to me via Nano - a group that meets at The Gingerman on Monday nights, and Writer's Without Borders (so named because the Border's they met at closed) on Friday nights. LOL that gives me three writing groups though there is crossover between the two new ones. That gets me out of the house twice a week, which is a good thing.

I also sold a book. Yay! It comes out Feb. 3. It Might Be Magic, through Amber Quill Press. Woo!

Am about to send another one in, a sci fi. New publisher I'm targeting, so hopefully they will want it. Woo! It would be the first in a trilogy.

And now here it is 2013. I've made goals but primarily because my writing group aka Team Awesome has made goals. So I had to make goals too, because they made me. But, I like them. So here you go, C's goals for 2013!!


Carolyn
• Writing Goals:
o Finish rewrite of sci fi and send to LSB by end of January
o Jack Frost book – first draft end of April
o Fantasy – first draft summer’s end
o Drake’s Island – first draft end of year

• Promotion Plans:
o Set up blog tour for IMBM
o Blog regularly

• Website Plans:
o Revamp carolyngraybooks
o Create Fantasy website

• Other Goals:
o Glide through each day in a zen state
o Get knee well, get strong
o www.twohundredsitups.com
o Knock this last 15 lbs. off for good
o Read 2 books a month from different genres
o Create square foot garden and get back to nature

And that's all, folks!

The laptop can be fixed! Took it to JWJ Computers, pulled it out of the backpack, computer dude with bad toupee said, "I know exactly what is wrong with it." Seems this model of HP was well-known for being very very bad--bad circuit boards. There was a recall at some point that I never knew about--maybe because the store we bought this from went belly-up within a week or two after we got them? (Nick had one too but his died a different death lol um yeah).

So, happily, my baby should be back in a couple of days, and cost only $125 to fix. I can deal with that.

Had Tuesday night writer's group last night, just me and Suz and Cid, which was lovely. I got my OneNote organized for the three ms's I have to work on, though I am going to work on only one right now. I seem to do better like that. OneNote is pretty damn nifty. Suz and Cid have theirs so darn organized! Very shipshape, but not so over-organized as to make one think "Wow, that is all you do re: writing, isn't it?" Actually, nope. Suz has already sold her first (YAY!) and Cid sent off an entry last night to Samhain for a novella call. She let me read a little of another of hers, and I know, I just know in me bones, that 2011 is her year.

It is so nice to have peoples around here to do writerly things. Well worth the bit of drive I have to make to meet them.

Job hunting continues. Am currently in a good state--am okay $-wise, my dad and sis both have my back, which helps, especially Dear Old Dad (as we call him). I did great with the temp agency tests, and the agent person I am working with loves my skills and is convinced she can help me find something permanent along the lines of what I was doing, except in the oil and gas industry. I am all for that, as two of my buds, Cody and Jeremy, went that direction. Would be awesome to be downtown near them! We're having lunch next week. I miss those guys.

So my optimism is up for the moment. I think talking to Dad a long time about it all has made me feel better. Much better. Surely, surely, SURELY I will find something, anything, by the end of February?

In any case, I can't fight it anymore. I am about to fall asleep on my keyboard. Too much thinking last night. Bah. Plotting, mostly. I hope my mind can stay at ease now where I can do something besides stare at the walls and freak out. That's getting old! Very old. And does no one any good, not me, the kids, or Nick who is about to move to the UK! Like...FRIDAY! OMG! I am so happy for him. :) I just better get to go see him, soon. VERY SOON. Or else I shall keel over. Sigh.

Naptime now!

C (oh look I signed it like an email)

Take that, Nanostats, and your 'at this rate you will finish Dec. 5'!

I HAVE CROSSED 50k!!!!

That is all.

The little Yorkie's owners have been found! A very tearful and excited woman called me just a bit ago, and described the pup's collar perfectly. Her name is Chloe. The pup's, that is, not the woman's. Her name is Norma.

The family had just come home from a holiday-weekend (which is why Chloe smelled so good--they'd given her a bath just before going). The granddaughter had Chloe and was supposed to bring her inside while everyone else unpacked the car.

An hour or so later, grandmother asked her grandaughter, "Honey, where is Chloe?"

"She was heavy, I put her down."

Oops. Given the dog weighs 4 lbs. tops, the granddaughter must be pretty small herself.

Two days now they've been going nuts--they put up flyers but not, apparently, where we did. Whoops! She hadn't travelled far, but Tiff thought she was trotting down McCart...she was, but apparently had come to some point and turned back.

I'll call the family when I get home, and they can come and get their pupster. And yes, I told her, "My daughter took her to the vet's to look for a microchip but there wasn't one. Or tags." (Said pointedly, but kindly).

Maybe they will at least get her tags. Poor pup! Poor granddaughter who has been crying and beside herself for two days.

A happy ending to this tail tale for all.

(And my daughter is enormously relieved the little yapper will be gone when she gets home. LOL.)