Full circle

Big deep breath. Life has been a whirlwind the last few weeks. Sometimes you have to go with the current instead of fighting it, and that's what I did. An opportunity presented itself in Texas, so I applied and here I am. I officially live in Dallas, though I still have a house in Florida.

It's strange. I'm from Texas. I grew up here and the thing I like the most about being in Texas is that it's close to our friends in OKC. And, I'm heartbroken to leave Florida. Though, I'm slowly accepting that this is a temporary, needed move that I'll enjoy before heading back to plop my feet into the sand.

More about the job next time.

This brain was made for writing

I blogged twice in January - sweet. I'm ahead of the game. Okay, maybe not.

I do feel like I write all the time. My job - I write (not all the time, but a whole heck of lot of the time) news releases, web articles, blog posts, speeches, talking points, fact sheets, media plans, tweets and on and on. My life - I write blogs (obviously not this one) and work on my book and work on my screenplay and tweet and etc. etc.

But that's all good. I'm lucky that I get to do what I love for a living.

Only sometimes is there a glitche. Take this morning for example. I'm in the middle of getting ready for work. When something catches my eye that reminds me of a scene I'm working on. I stop and evidently stare into space for sometime because my husband shakes me out of my reverie -- "Are you ok?"

"Oops, sorry, I was writing in my brain."

"You need some paper."

The truth about YoVille

I'm addicted to Facebook games. There, I said it. That's the first step to recovery right?

What I'm really trying to do is manage the time I spend on such applications. They are fun, and they are stress relieving. But like with any other electronic toy or activity you can spend too much time on it.

So "they" say.

Maybe I'm just bowing to the pressure from the pious folks who claim they've never ever succumbed to a Facebook request to send a drink or poke someone, much less play a game. On FB, they grouse about such folks as I. Some columnists in the paper even call the millions of people playing FB games "losers."

Really?

Hmmm. A recent study showed that playing games like Bejeweled, which apparently requires the use of both sides of your brain relieves stress. Considering our current economic state, two wars and the ever-growing concerns about climate change, I'd say relieving stress is a pretty darn good idea.

And, I have another theory on some of the games like Farmville and Yoville. Farmville and Farmtown allow us to escape to a simplier time. We plant, we grow, we harvest and all is well. Ever notice there are no droughts or hail storms to wipe out your crops in Farmville?

This past year when I was first kicking off the freelance gigs and was making only enough to pay the basic bills, it was a tough adjustment from the substantial salary from the year before. Savings were dwindling, so there was no "shopping" or money for Starbucks even. We went from a gorgeous pool house to house sitting other folks' gorgeous homes while our stuff sat in storage.

It was hard. Then, I discovered Yoville. In this virtual world, I could spend as much money as I wanted. I lived in a nice loft, so I spent time decorating. I learned to increase my fortunes. Then I bought a beach house, and then a nice house in the suburbs. It was only later in the year that I realized that this virtual game had helped me survive a year with little shopping and not having my own home.

I still occasionally play the game. I never let it consume me, but I think it was an important piece to my emotional well-being this past year.

The truth about Yoville and all games is that if it helps you cope, then play. The only "losers" in my book are the people who think they are superior to the rest of humanity.

For the rest of us humans, I'll see you in Yoville...

Dear Santa

I realize my list is a bit early this year. I'm usually a procrastinator and wait until the last minute. But I need to get a head start on the gift requests this year because I don't know where I might be come Christmas. So you might have to plan for early delivery. Thank you.

This year I want:

To quit wasting my time growing virtual fruits and vegetables and more time growing the real thing.

A full-time job for my husband who desperately needs one for his own mental well-being.

A permanent abode filled with my furniture and stuff, preferably with a large workshop/studio area (see below.)

For 60 pounds to magically drop off my body and 10 years off my face -- you can do that right? You having that Christmas magic and all?

To spend more time on my writing. There's so many books in my head, now just need to get them to paper.

More time with friends.

More time alone with my hubby.

And now the greedy list:

Tickets to MLB GAMES

A Table Saw

A jig saw

A router

An easel

A great video camera.


Of course, if you could give me the winning numbers for the next maga-jackpot lottery, then I'd take care of the rest of the list.

Thanks Santa, I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon.

New blog -- like I don't have enough to do

Just thought I'd share this other project. I'm getting emails from folks submitting their stories, so it should be fun.

In the meantime, this will continue to be my writing palette.

But check this out, share your own story:

http://jobhuntersdiary.blogspot.com/

Employment!

I swear finding time to blog is just nuts around here. Besides the beach -- I have picked up several freelance projects and have been writing like a fiend. AND...the big news...I'm employed. I'll start the first week in August for the Florida portion of a nation-wide "noncandidate" campaign. It's exciting and a worthy cause -- getting two issues: affordable health care and retirement issues -- in front of candidates this election cycle.
Yes, that's the job I really really wanted. I was shocked when I received the call that I got it. The interview went ok, but then I had the "writing test." It was storming when I started the timed test and I was absolutely sure that the electrical surges were going to fry my computer, so I was nervous. Add to that, two little girls walking into the office every few minutes to ask what I was doing. Aagh. But apparently, the stress worked because the folks liked what I wrote. Whew.

Gainfully employed, at least for a few months. I'm gonna miss the beach bum stuff, but it was starting to get old. (It's hard to shed my workaholic ways.) And, I'll still be able to peel off the shoes and sink them into the sand right after work each day. I love the beach.

So since I'm going to be so busy, that likely means I'll be blogging more. Go figure.

This and that

Wow. I'm still not "working" and I still don't have time to blog. Blame it on the beach.

It beckons -- every day – as does the sunset here on the island. We noticed this phenomenon shortly after our arrival. The beach will be almost empty of people around 6:30 p.m., and then around 7:30, the crowds arrive: people line the beach -- eerily reminiscent of the Nicolas Cage movie about angels – and wait. Off in the distance, we can usually hear some bad lounge singer wailing out Kenny Chesney’s “When the sun goes down” or some Jimmy Buffett tune. It’s part of the charm of this place. I’m beginning to love it.

And, we’ve been busy doing other things like attending Devil Ray’s games. They actually won a game against the Yankees Friday night. Shocker. Hope they win today, we’re headed to the game.

I’m counting the days until the first pre-season game for the Bucs. Yes, Virginia, there’s such a thing as too much fun.

My daughter and grandson (and son-in-law) came down for a visit. We trekked over to the “happiest place on earth.” Orlando is a great place to people watch. Visitors from around the world crowd into the outlet malls that hawk designer items for shockingly (high) “bargain” prices. Americans don’t shop there.

I have been doing other things, like looking for a job and freelancing. Light on both, due to the too much fun thing.

I’m interviewing for one job that I really really want. More on that later. Wish me luck.

And, then again, there’s a part of me that’s enjoying living up to the sign that hangs on the front door of the cottage: Beach Bums.