Wild Blue Yonder

HOORAY, freelance work!

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:05:47 PST

Just got some email from one of my oldest and best freelance contacts. He asked me if I'd be able to write a monthly real estate blog for him...just one post a month, on an ongoing basis.

Yes, yes! I said. Can't wait to hear the details.

I picked some lettuce in the garden this...

The world of temping and family dirt

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:37:13 PST

I had my interview yesterday in Hartford at the agency that finds temp jobs for writers, designers and other creative types. But before seeing "Rich" to discuss things, I had to complete a gauntlet of forms, paperwork, and a little computer quiz to satisfy all their requirements. (Hate...

Finally sold my gold necklace

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:04:49 PST

I finally got around to selling my gold necklace. Let's make this fun. Here's the picture below. It's a Cleopatra style necklace, 14K and 11.6 pennyweight, tri-colored gold. Can you guess how much I got?

Let's put it this way: I got a LOT less than I was hoping for, but then...

One of those days when you feel like you're getting nothing done

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:48:42 PST

And already it's 12:30 pm and i feel like it's time for a nap.

I did spend a good part of the morning painstakingly putting together my "top 10" writing samples for my Wednesday interview with the creative temp/perm hiring agency. I felt that I needed to write a few sentences of...

It's Soup Weather

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:50:02 PST

I made a very good pumpkin black bean soup the other day.

Ingredients: sauteed onion and garlic, broth, pumpkin puree, tomatoes, black beans and, believe it or not, balsamic vinegar.Pretty easy to make cus much of it comes from a can. Psst. That's not wine in the glass. I've...

Got a leak, great

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:46:45 PST

I freaked out 2 days ago when we got all that heavy rain becus as i sat here at my computer, water dripped down from between the window and frame. It's an old leak that's been repaired/caulked (on the outside, where wood trim meets the house siding) at least 3 times, every other year...

wednesday...

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:54:02 PST

Not a terribly exciting title, I know. that's an accurate reflection of my day.

It rained hard, all day long, so I was cooped up all day. I applied online for 2 interesting freelance writing jobs.

I finished reading the book club choice, World of Wonders. (Didn't really like...

I won an award....it's oh so ironic

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:00:28 PST

Shortly before I was laid off by my employer, I suggested to my managers that I submit several of my stories and blog posts for the 2009 MarCom Awards, an international competition sponsored by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals. They agreed, and I took care...

No Heat Contest update

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:47:27 PST

Here's who has already turned on the heat (boo hoo):

Canoineag (Denver): Oct. 1
Dido: First week of October
creditcardfree (Iowa): Oct. 3
wowitsawonderfullife (Toronto) Oct. 8
AnnLink (Buckeye)Ohio): Oct. 8
Boomeyer: Oct. 10
Fern (CT): Oct. 12
JoanoftheArch: Oct. 12
NorthGeorgiaGal...

Cat food analysis, job networking group, selling gold jewelry

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:30:14 PST

So the story continues with my search for healthy but not insanely expensive canned cat food.

For me, healthy means no meat by-products and preferably no preservatives.

I used to feed my old cat an all dry food diet, which is inferior quality nutrition and which i do believe...

One last kayak trip

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:19:06 PST

With temperatures expected to reach into the low 70s yesterday, I knew it could be one of my final chances to take Little Minnow out for a fall foliage cruise. So I set out yesterday and put in on the lake at one of my hometown's boat launches.

I've learned from experience...

MS conference

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:09:51 PST

As an MS person, I've gotten invitations to MS conferences for many years. They're sponsored by the various drug makers and include an evening talk given by an area physician, with free dinner thrown in.

I've always wanted to attend (as much for the free meal as anything else),...

Spending $'s still easy with no income

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:03:38 PST

Umm, yeah, not doing so well not spending money while being jobless.

Last night, a powerful spending urge came over me and I blew $80 I probably shouldn't have spent. Oh well, it was just $80. I decided on a whim that this was the time to replace a perfectly good, albeit outdated...

If you ever wondered what a colonoscopy was like

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:59:34 PST

I figured that fasting for 24 hours would be the hardest part. Wrong. Sure, I was hungry, but by watching a movie and running a few errands, I kept myself occupied with other things. Although I did eat 8 servings of Jell-O.

I picked up some groceries at Shop Rite so I'd have some...

The interview

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:32:23 PST

It wasn't one of my best, in fact, it was fairly unpleasant. It was supposed to be a lunch interview with 3 people, but when i arrived, the lunch was off becus V. had to pick someone up from the airport. Fine with me. Having to worry about slurping soup or getting lettuce stuck between...

Oct. 12: I turned on the heat...and i got a job interview

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:36:40 PST

I caved this morning and have the heat now set at 62. It was 55 in the house this a.m. and that's just too darn cold.

Over the weekend I was contacted out of the blue by someone i didn't know, who said he owned a mortgage company and wanted to talk to me. We set up an interview...

About Last Night

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:26:58 PST

So my sister picked me up for the wedding reception around 4 pm. Then we drove to next town over to pick up her boyfriend.

We hung around there for a while. I admired their now fully grown Rottweiler female, CJ. I saw her when my sister first got her as a puppy; she had been abused...

Chinese wedding recepton tonight

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:08:40 PST

I started reading November's book discussion club choice; i think the title is Dixie Land Jam. For some reason, i thought it was about the Revolutionary War, but it's not at all.

I was reading all day, and I'm nearly halfway through the novel.

In a little while, I'll be getting...

Don't forget to tell me if you turn the heat on....

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:25:22 PST

Just a reminder for those participating in the No Heat Challenge...you have to tell me when you do turn it on, and in what state you live, so we can all compare.

Next week looks chilly here in CT with daytime highs just in the 50s, so I hope I can still squeak by. I need to get...

The weather guy always exaggerates

dawn303030@yahoo.com (Fern) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:43:33 PST

I had planned to do some job-related work today, attempting to apply what I learned in the resume development webinar to my resume, but the warm and blustery day beckoned.

As often happens, the forecast was full of warnings of power outages and tree branches down after a night of...