Blog Archives

Ways I'm Still Low-Tech

5/30/2015

I must confess that despite my love for technology, there are some areas where I still go low-tech. Yes, I touted the benefits of upgrading as much as possible, but there are some areas where it doesn’t pay (or rather, I prefer not to pay) to upgrade. For example:

Radio. Don’t get me wrong – I love satellite radio. I know people who have it and adore it. The thing is; I have a short daily commute. I life 15 minutes from my office, and rarely travel by car like I used to. It’s not worth it for me to pay for upgraded radio service, especially when I have options to stream radio through iTunes or other free apps at home. And as for work, my FM/AM radio is sufficient to keep me happy.

Gaming Systems. We have an XBX360 that Rick played for a while, but haven’t kept up with it. Rick likes the role playing games, mainly Star Wars, and the gaming systems don’t really do these anymore. Most of them are online or can be done on the computer easier. I don’t play many games, but occasionally I enjoy board games like Monopoly, or card games like UNO or Solitaire, which are usually available as free or inexpensive apps. Neither of us do much gaming, so it’s not worth it to upgrade.

Kitchen Equipment and Appliances. Basic is fine for us because frankly, neither of us enjoys cooking. Why invest in top of the line appliances when all you want is to get the meal on and off the table as quickly and easily as possible?

Exercise Equipment. We did recently invest in the T25 system, which appealed to us because it’s an intensive workout that doesn’t require a lot of time or equipment. We wore out our last treadmill and got a stationary bike last summer to replace it, but we got both of those from family members that upgraded their own equipment.

Paperback books. While I prefer ebooks, I also love bookstores, so I occasionally do get paperbacks. Plus, paperbacks are good for reading on airplanes, because you can keep reading when the electronics are supposed to be shut down. I also don’t count out an occasional magazine, although my one and only magazine to Writer’s Digest is through the digital edition.

Midland NOAA Weather Radio. Yes, I know there are apps that give you the weather, and I use them. I just love my weather radio! I grew up with one in our home, and I listen to it every morning while I get dressed for work. Plus, I usually find that when The Weather Channel and NOAA differ, NOAA is closer to what actually happens. I really wish that the official NOAA app would service Columbia, SC, because I’d spend $5 on that app. But at least I have my trusty friend, the radio! Zack and Chloe even expect to hear their “friend” give them the forecast every day, and they’ll squawk at me if I’m too slow turning it on when the time comes to get ready for the day.

Newspaper. Ok, we don’t read it. My parents give me their newspapers, and I use them to clean Zack and Chloe’s cages. Now that’s efficient recycling!

So see, I don’t blindly follow the trends. I do consider what works and what doesn’t, and I’m not afraid to mix old and new every now and then.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great weekend.

Bye!

How Did Things Happen Before Technology?

5/28/2015

Not quickly or gracefully, that's for sure! I don’t know how we did some things before computers and smartphones. Oh sure, we managed, but in retrospect it was painfully slow to get things done. In many ways, computers make life so much easier that I don’t know why there are people that resist them. In fact, there have been times when I didn’t know how we got things done before technology made it possible.

One good example: real estate. I don’t know how my parents built their home before cell phones, because mine rang all the time while we built ours in 2007. Ditto for refinancing. I get calls at the oddest times, where people probably wouldn’t have been able to reach me if I didn’t have a cell phone with me. That’s the power of time zones and alternate work schedules! Seriously, how did anybody build, buy, sell, or refinance a home before cell phones, because you’re on call all the time – and, of course, a delay in taking the call results in a delay in getting it done.

Another example: writing novels. There’s no way I’d be a novelist if I had to peck it out on a clunky typewriter. I’m sure our garbage cans/recycle bins also appreciate not having the countless wads of crinkled up paper littering them, thanks to the handy “delete” key, back and forward keys, and save buttons. I hear there are some people that actually write their first drafts longhand and then type them. No way! My laptop is my best friend, and I type everything in there from rough draft to final draft. I can type faster than I can handwrite, and frankly, it’s faster and easier. I have nothing but respect for writers that came before computers and were patient enough to deal with the old ways, but as for me, I’m all about tech.

Administrative work falls along these same lines. Nothing made me happier than that day nearly five years ago when I moved to a department that digitizes all files. I’ve established the benefits of the speed of computers, but they’re also great for file storage. And folks, paper sucks. It cuts your fingers, takes up space, and holds dust and all kinds of other microbes that aggravate the sinuses. Plus, it’s slow, inefficient, and the least secure method of file management. Seriously, the only thing paper is good for with me is cage cleaning. Mail seems to run slower and slower, while electronic payments, email and text messages come in just fine in fractions of seconds. Goodbye, file cabinets and stamps. Hello, digital revolution.

How did we entertain ourselves before streaming video services made it possible to binge watch entire seasons of television shows, or movie marathons? Come on, folks. Don’t tell me you actually miss Blockbuster. You know having to return it by the deadline gave you headaches.

And finally – hey kids, do you have any idea how heavy our bookbags got before we could carry those lean tablets or laptops with all of our books and work loaded on them? I had to carry books and notebooks in mine. It was a workout, especially if you’re classes were across campus from one another and you didn’t have time to go to your locker. Oh yea, there were no lockers in college, so you just had to carry everything you needed for the day with you everywhere, all day. Ouch. Even now, I still love ebooks. I rarely buy hardbacks. Why bother, when I can store whatever I want to read on my phone, and read it anytime and anyplace I have the opportunity? Save the trees. Save the earth. And save yourself from carrying an unnecessary load!

Yes, we managed before technology, but you have to admit that the digital revolution has made life easier, more convenient, faster moving, and even a bit more graceful than it was before. Who needs the headaches (and backaches) of the old ways? I can’t imagine why anybody is resisting this stuff.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

Indie Author Summer!

5/25/2015

Ah, summer! The perfect time to dive into some good, fun reading. This summer, I'm embarking on a journey to discover the hidden gems of the publishing world: indie authors. I'll be reading scifi and mystery ebooks from indie authors from now through Labor Day (at least).

Indie authors get a bad rap, and part of it is well deserved. After all, anybody can self publish a book for free now, and they there isn't as much editing, proofreading, or formatting work done on self published works as there is from the books coming from the big publishers. Unfortunately, this has led to a stereotype that all ebooks or self published books are low quality or poorly written.

By and large, this isn't true. Yes, some lemons do seep into the mix, but the truth is that this can happen as well in the traditional publishing world. There's no way to anticipate what readers want, or when the trends will shift. As such, people with fresh, new ideas and approaches are often passed over not because of lack of quality or merit, but because of lack of confidence in the big decision makers, forcing them to give up or self publish. Thankfully, more are going the second route, and giving readers a golden opportunity to discover new voices and ideas that they would have never had a chance to know even 5 or 10 years ago.

I can testify to this. Move, my paranormal mystery novel, was passed over by one of my epublishers. They weren't comfortable with mixing paranormal with mystery, because their beta readers didn't know what to make of it - it simply wasn't as clear as mixing paranormal with romance, which is very popular right now. They asked me to rewrite the novel without the paranormal element. I thought about it, but it didn't take me long to realize that there was no way to remove the djinn from the book and keep it as the same novel that I wanted it to be. I elected to self publish it as it was - and Move has been my best selling title since I released in in February 2013! I actually wrote and self published a sequel, Obsidian, in October.

My mission this summer is to find more of these novels. The ones that take new directions. The ones that take chances. The ones with vision that they know belongs on your digital shelf whether the "big time" publishers and agents agree or not. I'm bringing these to you this summer. Keep an eye here and on social media through Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook for my reviews of these treasures. Who knows? You and I might open our eyes to magic that we didn't know existed!

Up now: Exodus, Book 1 of The Exodus Trilogy, by Andrea Christensen. I've read the first three chapters, and I'm hooked. The only reason I haven't read more is because my time has been more limited than I anticipated this weekend.

Get Sassy!

5/21/2015

I've been getting sassy today. It started with dragging this morning. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't get going. When I finally pulled myself together, I noticed one more thing: it's trash pick up day, and boy did it need to be put out. I sighed, and then it hit me:

I'm not going to be defeated by trash! No way! And I mean that in both the literal and figurative way!

It was a much needed breakthrough, and a turning point. I not only got the garbage put out, but I decided that my toppling "to do" list wasn't going to bury me, either. Oh yes, it's overwhelming. Memorial Day is coming, and you know what a holiday means: what I refer to as "invisible deadlines" where everybody is suddenly in a hustle to do things they've been loitering over for weeks. Vacation time! Time to clear off the desk and to do list!

For you, maybe. For me, well, the reaper isn't standing in the corner threatening to take the scythe after me, so I got time. And if it's been sitting this long, what's one more hour, day, or week. I haven't been mean about it. I'm trying very hard not to do that anymore - but I'm not afraid to get stern and tell people that hey, I was prodding you three weeks ago for a reason. Now, we're at it. I could hurry then; I can't hurry now. Inconvenient reality.

Another inconvenience is diets. Diets. Hmm. Good God, ya'll. What are they good for? Something, I hope, even though the feral cats don't agree and meowed at me loudly for throwing out more lean portions today. "Hey, it's food," I told the cat, "and when my writing hits big, I need to look better for my interviews at ComicCon!" Look at that; I'm proclaiming my destiny to a cat.

Round 2 starts next week. My doctor cleared me to start the exercise program Rick and I chose next week, so that'll be really interesting. Funny thing, though, is that I do better with exercise than with diets. Even though it's a beating, I do usually feel better when I exercise, and I also tend to write more and better when I exercise (and sleep better, too). The thing about diets is that I don't like thinking about everything I eat. There are too many other things you have to think about, and even more things I'd rather think about, like home, writing, reading, birds, and rouge planets smashing into Mars. That's what the book I'm planning to start reading soon is about. And the concept is more interesting than fish and broccoli.

It's alright. Actually, I'm here to tell you that it's fine to get sassy and a little selfish every now and then. You have to take care of yourself and stand up for what's realistically possible for you. There are only 24 hours in a day, and by golly, if you're working and paying bills and your taxes, then you have a right to order those hours right. So do it, and don't forget to take care of yourself. You have to. Nobody else will, it's ultimately your responsibility anyway, and you're no good to people if you break down anyway. Doing yourself a favor every now and then is doing others a favor, whether they realize and appreciate it or not.

So there you have it.

That's all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Bye!

Advice for Graduates

5/18/2015

Ah, it's graduation season, where we turn legions of young new graduates out of the school doors and into the world. It's an exciting time of open doors and a life filled with opportunity. Whether you're heading for college, work, military, or elsewhere in life, here's some advice you totally didn't ask for, but I'm giving it to you anyway. And frankly, some of us veterans of reality could probably use a reminder on these things too!

1. Decide right here and right now that you're going to be yourself, no matter who has a problem with it. Sad but true, people will take advantage of the fact that you're young and trying to find your place in the world. Specifically, they'll tell you that you're idealistic and try to squeeze you into a mold that fits their purpose for life, but holds absolutely no benefit for you. Stand firm, and be yourself. When the end comes and we stand in judgement, we won't be asked why we weren't this or that to win the approval of this person or that person. We'll be asked why we weren't ourself. Avoid the question, and decide to be yourself, ideals and all, right now, and forever more.

2. Learn discernment. Or rather, sharpen your intuition. It's telling you things for a reason, and you'd be well advised to heed it. The good, old fashioned common sense that will help you to learn from your experiences is what we older folks refer to as "the school of hard knocks," because this is the kind of skills and knowledge that you don't find in books or classrooms. You aren't done learning - rather, you've evolved to a new kind of learning. Now you learn from experience - both your own, and other peoples'. Mine it for all it's worth. There's no substitute for being able to assess a situation quickly and move based on being able to trust your gut - and the older you get, the more important this is.

3. Pick your battles strategically. You could spend your whole life in battle. People are always going to challenge you. That's part of being an adult with a mind and a will of your own - people will try to sway it to their own good instead of what's best.

4 Things You Must Stop Doing to Improve Your Life

5/14/2015

How often are you sabotaging yourself without realizing it? Never, you probably say. You go about your day to day business. Every morning, you trust that your breakthrough will come if you persevere, and every night, you wonder why you’re still in the same old rut and aren’t seeing any progress. While it’s true that there are dry seasons in life, sometimes we bring them on ourselves by accepting less than the best that life has to offer.

One truth that my granddaddy always told me (and I mean ALWAYS) is that what goes around, comes around. You reap what you sow, and what you allow really does continue. Perhaps the reason why progress eludes you is because you keep throwing wrenches in the machine. We have to do our part to create positive energy that uplifts us. The problem is that we, as a society, are addicted to the negative – and this is what’s keeping us in ruts.

If you truly want to rise to your full potential, then there are four sneaky things that you MUST stop allowing in your life. It won’t be easy, and you won’t win any popularity contests, but that’s ok. You are, after all, striving for a higher goal. If you open yourself to blessings by rejecting these snares, then you may find that you aren’t in that same old place much longer.

Are you ready to break free? Then get bold, and start saying “no” to:

Putting up with being put down. Being friends with people that constantly deride you and put you down is one of the top items on my list of things that make me go “hmm.” Why would you want to be friends with a person that finds fault with everything you do? And yet, I see this so often that it’s making my brain blow up. People take the insults with a laugh and “oh, you’re so funny” and “that’s just how they are.” Stop making excuses and stand up for your worth. You do yourself no justice by keeping this crap close, and you do them no favors by protecting their bad attitude (because they never learn to correct it so they can rise to better things). It may seem like a small thing, but it adds up to big defeat.

Playing politics. You may think the way to rise is to yoke yourself to people at the top, but you’re wrong. I’m not afraid to get rude on this one: you can’t really see what’s truly going on around you if your head is up the butt of the person above you. Not only that, but these aren’t relationships built on trust, and they can lead to some of the worst betrayals. I’ve seen peoples’ job tracks and reputations fall to ruin because they compromised their morals to make somebody “up there” happy, and then wound out taking the blame. Or the higher up protecting them left. Or their protector found somebody they liked better. It might not make you popular, but trust me: it’s easier to do the hard work of building yourself up than propping up against others.

Gossip and Bad Mouthing. Again, you reap what you sow. It may be fun to be in the know, but this sends out some seriously bad energy. Sure, it feels powerful to put others down and talk bad about them , but remember this: if they talk about others, they’ll talk about you. That is one constant amongst the hens chattering with the latest, hottest gossip – they don’t discriminate because a juicy tidbit trumps whether they like you or not. Likewise, people know when you’re talking about them, because they aren’t as stupid as you think. It’s a shame when you find that you need something from the person today that you were whispering about yesterday. This is the #1 way to burn bridges, so you may want to trade that gasoline can for a water bucket, and clean up your talk. Don’t invite this negativity in your life. It has a tendency to come back bigger, and uglier than you thought possible. And let’s face it: it hurts like hell when somebody rises above you because they could keep their mouth under control, and you couldn’t.

Conforming/Copying. You may think you’re winning serious “cool points” by dressing, acting, eating, and talking like the cool kids. After all, you’re proving that you can do things as good as they can, right? Wrong. All it proves is that you don’t know yourself well enough to be anything except what others tell you, and people will take advantage of your insecurity. Too many people have been led into disaster by following people who really wanted them to be their personal sucker. Folks, we go through enough suffering for other peoples’ decisions without adding to the burden by following idiots! That stuff between your ears isn’t just to hold your head up – it performs some amazing functions when used correctly, so kick start it by thinking for yourself. Don’t let anybody or anything scare you out of being authentic. You won’t rise for being like somebody else. You rise by standing and being yourself.

It isn’t rocket science, even though it seems that way. And truthfully, it’s so easy to spot this once you notice it, that you wonder how others are missing it. So be bold. Stop falling for these tricks and receive the blessings that can be yours. All you have to do is open your eyes, and rise.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

Non Negotiables

5/13/2015

Sorry to go MIA for a while. I came down with a sinus infection a week ago, and it was a doozy. I'm still recovering, but at least I've felt well enough the past few days to get back on top of things before they got on me. You can tell when the lady of the home has been ill - and you can tell quickly.

One thing about this is that I've gained more of a realization of what's non-negotiable in my life. We all have certain things or ways that we're accustomed to, and we won't bend (at least too much). I think this is actually good. You need some things that bring you joy in your life, and you shouldn't compromise on them. For example, my writing is non-negotiable. People have found this out over the years when they suggested I lay it aside during stressful or busy times. I'm pretty bold about telling people that my writing is the one thing in my life that nobody has a right to put their hands on, and they're free to keep their opinion on whether or not I should be doing it to themselves. In fact, my writing usually winds out being the one thing that keeps me grounded and helps me work through those life knots. Actually, I must be pretty bold about it, because I notice that nobody's questioned my decision to be a writer in about 4 or 5 years.

It doesn't have to be something big. My Bible reading and prayer time in the mornings is completely non-negotiable. I figure that I can't live by faith without it - and frankly, if I can't make 15-20 minutes a day to focus on it then how can I expect to stay grounded?

Maybe it's the way you keep your house. One thing that's kept me busy these past couple of days is tidying up the house. I don't have time to deep clean it as often as I like, but I've learned plenty of shortcuts to keep it clean and tidy.

Maybe it's your exercise time, meditation time, wearing your favorite color on Fridays, the one TV show you insist on watching every week at the time it originally airs, reading on your lunch hour, going to a particular restaurant on a regular basis, or attending an event or social function. Whatever it is, we all have a few things in our lives that bring us joy, and don't hurt anybody. Why not enjoy them? As long as it isn't a destructive or dangerous habit that's undermining your life, then you're ok. The purpose is that it's supposed to lift you up by giving you joy and strength so you can face the other non-negotiable in our life that we can't control - you know, those things like jobs, bills, managing our health, cooking or cleaning, car maintenance, you get the picture. The point is that we all need some things in our life that are ours and ours alone.

So, what are the non-negotiables in your life? Be thankful for the blessings they bring, and don't give away that joy. Why should you?

That's all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Bye!

6 Things You Should Never Tell Anybody

5/6/2015

There are some things you just shouldn’t say. Many of them are good, old fashioned common sense, but sometimes there are less obvious things we should keep under our hat for our own good. People make some strange assumptions about things, and sadly too much feeds into stereotypes that don’t apply to us at all. There are some things you shouldn’t trust to people outside of your inner circle, such as:

1.       How intelligent you are (or aren't). Believe me, this will show through your behavior and interactions with others, and it’s best to let them figure it out themselves. Proclaim to be intelligent, and people will challenge. Admit that you aren’t very smart, and they’ll make it a hobby to take advantage of you. Let people figure out how active your grey matter is on their own.

2.       That you have an emotional or mental disorder. I’m happy that the stigma that kept people from discussing and treating emotional and mental problems are falling away so they’re more willing to get help, but some people take it too far the other way and wear their diagnosis as a badge of honor. “I have depression, so don’t upset me!” is not a good thing to advertise because you just told them that you’re easily shaken. I’m not saying you have to be secretive, but there’s no need to tell the world. And besides, your goal is to successfully handle the problem so it’s no longer a hindrance in your life – not to use it as an excuse to stay the same old way or to threaten people. Trust me, this can and will be held against you outside of the medical community. Keep this knowledge confined to a small support group, and as far as the rest of the world goes, it’s none of their business.

3.       How much money you have. People will make assumptions here anyway, but you don’t need to feed the beast. Besides, this is very open to misinterpretation and people will call you on it. One thing I’ve learned through the years is that “broke” is a relative term. Some people mean zero dollars in the bank. Others mean less than a hundred thousand. Be honest enough to admit that you make decisions regarding money based on personal priorities and leave it at that – because your priorities are none of their business.

4.       Any more about personal problems than you absolutely must disclose. This is one that too many of us learn the hard way. We confide in someone that we’re struggling with something or somebody, and then later, once it’s resolved, they break that confidence to gain “cool points” with other people they’re trying to get in good with. People will use your problems against you, especially if they stand to gain from it – and you never know when those allegiances will shift. So don’t spill the digestive problems, they dying in-law, the back-stabbing friend, or the relative that’s having an affair to anybody outside of the people directly involved with the situation unless you absolutely must. And if you must, keep details sparse. Don’t give people an opportunity to undermine you over things you can’t help or control.

5.       That you have your Concealed Weapons Permit, and you use it. People have very strong feelings about firearms, and they’ll let you know. Remember, the whole point is that it’s supposed to be concealed. So if you have an instance like we did once in a store where the clerk catches sight of your permit and screams “OH MY GOD THEY HAVE A GUN!!!” then the whole point is moot.

6.       Who’s in your inner circle. I’m going to be honest and say one of those things that we never say openly (because I’m good at that): we all have some people that we like better than others. It’s inevitable; it’s human nature; and it’s going to happen. The key is that we shouldn’t play favorites as obviously as some do with their cliques and flaunting around who’s in their “in crowd.” Remember, these people are in your “inner circle” because they’ve earned more trust from you than anybody else, and they’ve proven to be loyal and that they will help and protect you. It’s your duty to return that trust by being loyal and protective to them, and one way to do that is to keep this particular realm of relationships on the “down low.” Don’t open them or others to unintended problems or issues because you can’t be discrete about who’s on the top of your “friend list.”

The truth is that we should use discernment in all of our dealings with people. The truth is that this is a very basic list and I could probably add more, but I believe these items are imperative. It’s fine to talk to people, and I’m all for open and honest communication. It is, after all, the only way to expand our networks and function properly in society. Just remember that trust is earned, and it’s often wise to err on the site of caution before granting too much, too fast. Plus, not everything is everybody’s business. Be honest: do you think other people are being a completely open book with you? The answer in 100% of the time is no.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Bye!