It's been a good month

It's been good. It's been long (long and cold), but it's been good - and it keeps improving.

Two paying jobs...not whopper paychecks, but hey, work is work. Credit builds reputation. Reputation brings more work. More work = more pay.

Cannot argue with it, no matter how arduous the road travelled. I am blooming where I am planted!

Brian started that part time seasonal job at Michaels less than 5 working days ago, and then last night came home with wonderful news - at least as wonderful as can be for him for the time being. They are asking him to consider becoming full time after the holidays, working as a "front end supervisor" and at the framing center!

I know!

Remember, he was not thrilled with the job after the first couple of days, but he perservered in spite of how he felt and did his usual bang up work...being helpful and quick and trying to improve things where he could without making waves. It's amazing what one can do when they need to earn a dollar.

Bloom where you are planted, Bud, and God will do the rest.

Had dinner with a small extended unit of the family at Grandma's for Thanksgiving. Mom cooked quite a spread, and Andy even dropped in for dinner. Haven't seen him since his surgery, and a post-visit last year at this time. He has lost so much weight, and looks gaunt and very tired. Even the boys thought he looked remarkably like Grandpa Schaffer in his condition.

As we were preparing to leave, the phone rang and we had a chat with brother Aaron! So the family was complete - or as much as could be with (long) distance between us.

And now, I am trying to ready last bits in order to head out on the road in a very short while, leaving my sons prepared, taking along necessary items, being ready for the first day of filming, tying up loose ends (or dragging them along to work on in free minutes found here and there). I am trying to not worry over things I have no control over, and trying like mad to take care of everything at once that needs doing. I am only succeeding at making myself crazy with worry.

I am in need of exercising my faith in myself and in God, and I need to continue believing He will guide me and events around me, as He has thus far.

Blooming, blooming, blooming. [deep breath]

Yes, it's been a good month.

The strangest thing just happened

I was sitting in the living room, working on the script breakdown and notes, when up roared a garbage truck.

Not a big whoop ordinarily, but due to the holiday everybody's pick-up is pushed back one day - so here we are with garbage trucks rushing through the neighborhoods early on a Saturday.

At any rate, up roared the truck, and I looked down at the door to see something I had intended to add to the pile to be taken away.

Darn!

I jumped up and headed to the door to yell out to them, but when I looked, there was the refuse man swinging my two bags into his truck and hopping onto the bumper for the bumpy ride down the street....and it wasn't even my trash hauling company! ? ! ?

I am now imagining them driving back to my driveway after sundown and gingerly extricating two fairly well-shredded bags, leaving them on their marks from where they were first plucked, and tearing off down the street before anyone is the wiser.

Glad I have the job, but...

....I wish it could begin 2 weeks later than is scheduled. [sigh] It really couldn't come at a worse time.

Karl is so close to the end of each of his classes, I am having a hard time with separation anxiety already. It's hard enough to keep him motivated and active with his work even being here, in the house, within arms reach! Letting go of sheparding him...pushing him, urging him, making him work to finish his projects.....this is going to be my undoing.

And now that I am not going to be here for the final weeks to get stuff done and turned in - I am terrified at the idea that all of the time and energy (and the tuition) will be for naught if he doesn't see it through to the end, as I know he can.

Please send some encouraging thoughts our way, and throw a prayer in, too. Karl really needs the positive energy to cross that finish line.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you took time to give thanks for all that you have, and for all that He wants to send your way.

Need to get to bed, but before I go....

...I broke through the wall! The Eastern MI v Western MI film production wall! I'm through it...I'm in.

I've been home for the better part of an hour now, and I really should tell you all the good news.

I got the scripty position in GR on "The House of the Rising Sun."

OK, honestly, it's more like: I GOT THE SCRIPTY GIG! I GOT IT...I HAVE A THREE WEEK - AND IT'S ALL PAID!!!! This makes the fifth legit job this year, and the forth actual paying gig (would've been five had the rip-off artist in Flint not gyped me).

Haven't read the script, yet, obviously, since I've just spent the last 4.75 of the last 5 hours on the road, and then talking to my sons about the month to come, but I have to turn around and head back for an all day read and dept head meeting in two days - so I will have to stumble through it in short order just to be familiar with it for the meeting. So forgive me tonight if I just limp away to bed nod off until tomorrow morning. Once I am fresh I can regale you with a little of the tale and a few of the pertinents.

Thank You, Lord, for your blessings - which are many.

Phone call today.....

....a drive to Grand Rapids and an interview tomorrow.

Please Lord, I would very much like to work on this production. Thank You for the opportunities You are arranging for my future.

P.S. Call me Mrs. Mario

I did perform a tub-ectomy on the plumbing today, and the blockage is clear. The water is flowing and draining! A good thing. :)

To clean, or not to clean

Sit down and finish the scripty notes!

Well, that's over

I am officially awake, and almost refreshed.

There are a bazillion things to accomplish today...this week...in the next three days.

Yeah, I know "the next three days" is a portion of this week, but they are the critical three, so they get a special mention.

Yesterday was a strange mix of complete contrasts. It began with cold temps (but not as bone-chilling as the two days/nights before...thank you, Lord), overcast skies - which broke for brighter lighting conditions three times (inconvenient and ill-timed for continuity purposes), and became completely temperate (for late November), climbing to 60*F by the time we wrapped at midnight...or thereafter.

I know!!!! Sixty freaking degrees! What the &%$#@!?? Why could we not have had that three days ago? (Really, inside, I'm smiling and shaking my head at the irony.)

We also started the day in a dump. I'm sorry, make that a 'recycling facility.' Some people would call it a scrap or salvage yard, because they do something with the metal to make money, and the metal doesn't rot or decay like garbage per se', but it was a dumping ground. Fine line.

Poh-TAY-toh / po-TAH-to.

So, anyway, back to the comparison. Here we are, in this dump for hours (HOURS...again!), then we pull up stakes and hi-tail it to the northern reaches of Bloomfield Hills, where people with money build impossibly grand homes for no good reason. I mean, really....???? Two spiral staircases (one of them marble and guilded metal), three ballrooms and an illuminated onyx bathroom floor? Not to mention the dozen bathrooms (or more - I lost count), the smoking room on the third floor, an elevator, a walkway over a moat to the main front door...and a secondary front door (yes, there were two front doors), and on and on. There's more, but I am not trying to sell the place (but it is for sale).

Quite a contrast to say the least.

The two things I must concentrate on now, are getting the continuity notes transcribed and turned in by Wednesday, and fixing our bathroom plumbing situation. The drain problem comes first, so I am leaving the keyboard now to become a DIY plumber. More about the production in another post, and yes, there are some photos to share, but let me get my drain fixed so we can take decadent showers without all the wading in my non-illuminated bathroom.

Nuh-uuuh

I would be hard-pressed to believe anyone if they tried to tell me the temp yesterday was above the 40 degree mark at any time yesterday. Between the biting wind and the clouds it was darned cold!

Mean cold.

NASTY cold.

I've no real time to fill you in just now, as I just checked my email to find two conflicting call times for crew - and they are in complete disagreement with the revised time given last night (this morning) as we left the set in the weeee small hours. Oh, yeah, and they are pushed up (of course), meaning they are earlier than they were.

You may ask yourself "How can they work until 1:30 in the morning, and then be expected to turn around and get back to set less than 12 hours later?"

Well, in all honesty, you aren't supposed to force (expect) a crew to show up the next day in under 12 hours.....but do you really think many above the line folks give a rip about what is right and fair, blah, blah, blah? They are working on a time and money budget, and that is what they see. They figure since they are tired, too, and cold, and hungry....'we're all in the same boat, so rah rah rah.' Yeah, that works, except for the fact you (director/producer/person who hired a bunch of eager film beavers) are getting far more out of it than the folks busting their asses for you hoping it will lead to much bigger things.

You almost have to expect this is what is going to happen (the changing tide of call times and overruns) - most especially on indies, low/no budget, and so on. If it isn't SAG or union, or run by industry professionals, you are going to get shafted on the turn-around time (without fail, without exception). You will be running on adrenaline and very little to no crafty, or decent conditions period (read that as adequate shelter to work in - and I don't mean shooting conditions), so you have to love the job.

More later, I need to move away from the keyboard in order to re-pack my stuff and get out of here, and I still have pages of work to do, transcribing my notes from the 15+ hour-day yesterday, but I am going to have to finish it on set today. Ideally, Scripty can get the report in to the AD/Editor in a few hours or less following wrap on a day....I began last night, but fell asleep on the sofa, surrounded by papers.

Will I get it done before I roll out of here? Nuh-uh.

PS - I will have photos to view after this is all said and done - stay tuned.

Wondering about these particular production wannabes

I know we all have to start somewhere, but do 'we' have to be so ignorant and lackluster in accepting help, pointers, corrections? When somebody throws you a bone (writes out very specific corrections or inconsistencies that affect the story/timeline) and the decision is made to ignore all but a few of the changes/corrections, ummm....don't be surprised when your (already poorly written brand of mayhem) script gets longer and more demanding of the art, props, wardrobe and casting departments, and doesn't show any improvements.

Here's a suggestion - after you've set your genius to paper, try reading it over a couple of times for content, then hand it to another party (or two) who can spell and read and comprehend, and then take notes (criticisms - constructive and otherwise) and do what is necessary to make the best work possible.

Argh!

Now, if you will excuse me, I must go breakdown the newest version and line it all again, trying to ignore the remaining issues (or, at least, keep them to myself until we are on set).

Example: Their call sheet states filming 1-2/8 pages for scenes 1, 3, 5.....and that is not right. The only way you get 1 and 2/8 pages is if you cover 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Typos like that by a 2nd AD are unacceptable and can make for a LOT of confusion for several departments. Now, I can point this out and look like a squawk-box (helping 'drobe and all in the process), or I can say nothing, look like I don't know what I am doing and plain just don't care. Do you see my conundrum?

Triple argh!

Dreary

The day began sunny and delightful. Low-forties for temps, climbing to maybe 51*F, if we deserved it. But, it was beautiful. Perfect for me.

By the time Karl and I walked out of his class and began the outdoor portion of the hike to the car, we were noticing raindrops on the ground. Very quickly we began to feel them, and by the time we hustled into the car it had begun to rain.

The clouds were light and high, so it wasn't a tremendous rain, really, and it lasted just a short while. In fact, we drove in and out of the giant lumbering rain cloud area a couple of times on the way home . We stopped at an art store on the way home so Karl could collect some items for class, necessary to complete his final project. By the time we exited the store, the clouds had thickened and were now hanging lower and more ominously in the sky. It was all too gloomy and winter-esque in appearance. What had happened to our beautiful, late fall day?

As I sit here typing I am amazed at just how grey and almost depressing it's become out there.

38 days to Christmas, and roughly 30 weeks until spring - and all its glorious shiny days and lingering daylight hours!

I am off to make dinner and concentrate on something less dreary.

Simple post

Yesterday was Bud's first day at that part time job that runs through the holidays. He didn't like it. In fact, he hates the place -- sad, but true. I told him to keep his eyes on the monetary aspect and keep plugging away at finding something else.

Incentive, I guess.

Karl's class at CCS is coming to a quick end...just a couple more weeks and it will be over. I'll reserve my critique of [everything] until that time. We will have to see if he wants to continue with more instruction, and what/if they offer anything that will build on his knowledge base and improve his Maya skill sets.

Went to the bank to deposit the money and checks from the sale on Saturday. So hoping and praying that the four checks I accepted are legit and are not of the bouncing sort. By the end of the week I should be able to call the bank and ask if all four cleared.

Bathtub drain won't....drain, that is. The stopper is inexplicably stuck in the trap area (in the down position), which means I must become a plumber and crawl into Karl's closet (where the access panel is) and perform a 'Mario.'

Life was so much simpler when I was five. Can I have a 'do-over'?

A report about the craft show

Yesterday was a relative success, and even though the sales were far less than I had hoped for, we still did pretty well.

Jean was absolutely the best person I could have had there for the entire day, and even though I know she is going through a rough time right now, and there were probably one hundred thoughts going through her head, and a dozen other places she would rather have been......

The boys helped to load 'the General' when she arrived Friday night (she kindly brought her Suburban to ferry the books to the sale), and that chore was accomplished in short order. It was a good thing we went that route instead of the alternative idea we toyed with (which was for each of us to take a load of the stock in our two tinier cars). Everything went into the vehicle beautifully, traveled well, was easy to unload (and reload afterwards) - I think getting it all into smaller vehicles would have been like stuffing clowns into a Mini Cooper.

Her SUV tank was a blessing - THANK YOU, JEAN!!!!!

We had an hour to get set up - that was the time allotment from the church committee where the sale was held. No, an hour was hardly enough to get the boxes (and boxes and boxes) out of the Suburban, down the stairs and to the tables, let alone set it all out (which never happened), but somehow we made it work. I had commissioned two tables, which was a good and bad thing, but that was paid for within three purchases. Made up the rest of the costs for being there ($10), and more than made up for the pay lost not going to the sound gig I could have had this weekend.

The tables were in a great location, at the end of an aisle and nearest the doors to get back up and out. There was an elevator, but it was quirky, s-l-o-w and small, making the movement of the books darned near more work than it was worth, so needless to say, we got our aerobic workout - and then some - yesterday. Holy smokes!

Last night, after the ride home from Flint, we found it nearly impossible to make ourselves move from the SUV to the house. But this morning, there wasn't a moment when we weren't moaning or creaking or groaning with every movement! Too funny. As a thank you treat I took her to breakfast at a Greek diner in Blfd Hills - a favorite place to get a good meal for not a lot of cash. After all, we deserved it.

As we sold books all day Saturday, we chatted with neighboring vendors, some of the folks who glanced at the merchandise as they drifted by, and kidded around between ourselves. Somewhere mid-afternoon we were approached by a couple of other ladies drumming up vendors to come to their own church holiday bazaars to sell wares. One of these invitations was to the School for the Deaf on December 4th. Did we want to participate?

We talked about it for a couple of minutes then decided "why not?" Once the books were packed back into their boxes and loaded once more into the Suburban (which took over an hour to do), they could stay that way - safely packed and ready for the next show - and all we would have to do is travel (and then unload and schlepp them, of course). "Why not" indeed.

If I can double my sales at this final holiday bazaar, take home fewer boxes of book (and perhaps open an online account with Amazon or Half.com or some other such venue), I could potentially finish the kitchen work entirely (and perhaps get the stairs completed)! It's all good.

Anyhow, it was a pretty good day - fun and monetarily-wise.

Oh, and a lot of people went home with great books and Christmas gifts for very lucky recipients!

Good news

Re: Brian's car.

It turns out the trouble is/was the battery!

Even though we tried to jump it to get the car started, the poor battery was "fried." According to the mechanic, the battery wasn't going to give power nor receive it, ever again...and "it just happens sometimes."

I am hoping that the battery they sold Bud (and installed) is absolutely new (for the cost of the repair, it had better be!), and that it has a good long life in Brian's car.

The good thing about this whole episode (and yes, I can find a good aspect in all of this) is that while looking for the trouble with the vehicle, the mechanics ran electronic/electric diagnostics on Bud's vehicle to ascertain the issue, and before replacing the battery could absolutely assure Brian that there were no other issues they could see with the vehicle beyond the dead battery. Yea!

More news

"It never rains...but it pours."

Whenever I hear that phrase I can never help but think of that little girl figure drawn on the Morton's Salt container. You know the one; she's walking in the rain, carrying an umbrella and holding an inverted (and open) box of salt under her arm, which is pouring on the ground as she walks.

I put out several interest letters and credit pages (a production version of a resume) over the last week, but there isn't much going on, so pickings are slim. On Sunday/Monday I sent out three in particular, which oddly garnered me two swift response calls! Yeah, I know!

It never rains, but it pours!

Sadly, I can't accept either of them because they are two day gigs that fall over this weekend...and if you will remember, I have that craft show/sale all day Saturday. Since I paid for the space, I would lose out on the cash and all of the work I put into getting ready.

YES, I know it is production work, and it would put something more on my credits, but the pay is either nil or exactly what I paid for the spot at the sale, but I stand to make more at the sale....and quite frankly, it all comes down to the 'scratch' at this point in time.

Yes, I would have loved to be on set, and working, plying my trade and out in the fresh air booming and getting more face time with a crew, but I have to make choices - and this one was a toughy, but a no-brainer. Besides, I do have a three day gig next weekend on a thesis film, so it isn't all bad.

As for Brian's car - it was towed to the mechanic late yesterday afternoon, and we have yet to hear what the diagnosis is. Will keep you updated.

More later. Tomorrow is a big day, and I need to get ready to move it all out of here. Plus, it's garbage day, and I have boys to wrangle into duty. :)

It's eleven after eleven on eleven-eleven

I just thought that was sort of neat.

In other news: The day began early for me (good). Cleo let me know my breathing had changed - and that her tummy was grumbly - somewhere around the 7AM hour....but because of the dense fog blanketing the area, it was hard to tell what time it was (really).

She kept repeating, "breakfast, breakfast, breakfast" in her slobbery sweet purr, as she groomed my arm diligently. Moments later Hobbes noisily perched on the stairs and watched (with disdain) Cleo's efforts to get me up and out of bed. Hobbes is an instigator and a drill Sgt; a conversationalist and an ever-ready, appetite-fulfilling opportunist. A cunning conniver of the kitty persuasion.

She is cat.

She spoke to the dog and reminded her of the duty 'at paw.'

"Get herz outs of the beds! Feedz us!" she meowled at Cleo in her low, patient-but-stern reminder voice.

Cleo prutted, grabbed my forearm and held it to her sandpaper tongue for the last few slurps. Seems there must have been a freckle she was after.

Hobbes shifted on her perch and then Flop appeared just above her. Timidly she mewed a very typical Flop request noise, and Cleo rolled over to stare at (or challenge) her.

All at once Cleo was off the bed and lumbering up the stairs in an effort to get to Flop. Flop retreated quickly (more quickly than Clee could mount the stairs), but she gave Cleo enough time to get to a point where the activity quickly became a chase - one of their random games. A little bit of growling, some hissing for effect, a few swats here and there, culminating in the famous Cleo What?-I'm-just-lying-here-all-cute-n-stuff roll. For as much as she protests and snarls and growls, Flop loves the game (and truth be told, she also starts the sh*t most of the time).

Girls were fed, chores were done, dense fog lifted, calls have been made and the day continues.

In still other news: Lists are checked and I am dressed and off.

By the end of class yesterday, Karl had managed to get his project scanned and saved to a thumb drive...but not without error. In frustration (his with everything, mine with him), we left campus and headed home. Brian's car was still not starting (from two nights ago), and he still needed to get his tires swapped out. Now, "on the clock" in a serious way, I was making an attempt to get home with jumper cables (hoping against all hope the issue is as simple as battery trouble), and then get to the place where the tire thing was to happen. Stopped at one of the little hardware places in town (trying to keep my dollars local) to get the cables - and guess what they had a spot for on a shelf but none of? That's right! I could have stopped at Home Depot, but I didn't. [forehead smacking]

The next little local hardware may have just had them, but they are SO outrageously priced, I try not to go there if I have a choice. So, today I am back on the road to purchase more paper (for class), jumper cables, milk crates (more on that later), and to meet up with the instructor of Karl's animation class to hopefully save the project on another external source (so that it will hopefully open at home) for editing. Yes, yes, he needs sound added before he can turn it in (of course). Yea sound! [lots more grumbling from Karl]

While Karl remains at home to work on his assignment for Maya class tonight, I will get the running done, and then get home to help Bud start his car so that he can get to the garage where they will change his tires.

Why isn't Brian doing that himself? Oh, good question. A: The jack in the trunk does not fit the configuration of the nuts on the wheels. Go figure! Why would it? Sheesh!

Since it turns out that he isn't on the schedule for the part time job he has at the craft store until Monday, this is great timing to get this auto work done. And, if he has issues beyond the battery, it will be good to know now instead of in frigid weather and inches of snow. Besides, there is another place nearby hiring one extra person in their store through the holidays, so if he can get there and turn in an application, he may have two part time jobs for just that much more cash to bankroll.

Anyhow, I need to get rolling, things need to get done and it's not going to happen if I sit here and chat with you all. More another time - thanks for stopping by.

Poor kid

Managed to get Karl to commit to seeing his latest project in Animation class through to the end (and it hasn't been easy or pleasant). Some days he would compliantly work on new cells and churn out 10 or more...but so many more days he would simply do nothing. On top of that, there is a consistent component in his cells that has a large area of black (representing a hole in the side of a mountain). Somewhere around frame 40, he rationalized that he could get more actual new cells drawn if he opted out of filing in that dark area for the time being. Good theory.

Trouble was he never gave thought to the time when he would actually have to fill that black hole in in order to shoot the project (image it) for editing.

A-ha....you see where I am going with this, don't you?

The day of reckoning arrived two days ago, when he let it 'click' that Tuesday was the day he would have to image the work in order to make Wednesday a turn in day.

Ummmmm, no....the filling in of the large, ever-present hole still was not complete. It was all he could do to complete the "punchline" of the story. Drawing the outcome, and then, make himself go back to another gag he planned for the middle of the story (and actually had begun to draw), and complete that. Those last two pieces had the pessimist inside doing cartwheels and handstands. Karl didn't/couldn't allow for thoughts of success and completion to work in his head, only that he couldn't make it look the way he wanted, therefore if "I don't draw it, I can't fail at it."

[heavy sigh]

Brian and I filled in a good number of the open holes, but there were still SO many to do that not every cell was completely filled in by the time he/we left the lab last night. However, he did finish the cataclysmic events in the middle and end - his two important gags!!

However, however....when the computer rendered (or, was rendering) the imaged work for saving, he received multiple error messages until the final one popped up. That's when he blew his cork. The final message told him there was no room on the PC (Mac) to save the work - no memory! That meant all of his 2-stepping and last minute work was going to have to be repeated today! Argh and @&#$@!!&#@!

I don't really think he took anything more away from the experience other than "what's the point," "Macs are useless tools and the devil's playthings," "I'm never taking two classes at the same time ever again," and "this school sucks," among others. But you get the idea, right?

No, he is not going to see reason regarding doing his work in a timely fashion, that he chose his story and how to execute it and just how detailed he made it, and on and on....and that the choices were all on him - nope, that stuff is not registering. Or, it is and he is just covering with all the rest to assuage his 'guilt' in knowing he blew things (blows things) off, and puts things off, and generally ignores deadlines and responsibilities. It doesn't matter how many reminders, how much cajoling, pleading, threats, warnings, bribes I throw in there.

Couple this whole set of circumstances with an earlier meeting that afternoon with his MRS representative, and the day was wonderful from beginning to end. More on that another time (maybe, if I've had enough to drink first).

For now, for this morning (in the time remaining before heading back to the lab/classroom), I have a huge load of shading to do so those unfinished cells are camera ready. I know, I hear you. Get him up and make him finish his own work. Well, I'd rather stick my keester over a hornets nest than have that argument before class. I want him functioning and engaged today, not fuming and unreceptive, biting and rude....and if we begin something explosive now, nothing will be gained from the experience. NOTHING, but thanks for the back-up.

More later.

Another dozen and a half down

By my count (in the dark garage) I have about twelve boxes to go before I have literally gone over everything trying to get together material for the sale.

Oh, and for the record, I tackled 26 boxes that first day. 26! I......am a monster!!!

With any luck I will be coming home with far fewer boxes of books to put away. Even if I only manage to sell half of the stock I am taking, I would be satisfied...but I KNOW I am going to sell a lot more. It's in the Master plan.

Made Brian come out to the garage and move his tires from the middle of the floor to right next to the door, so tomorrow (or Wednesday) he can get them loaded into his car and up to the mechanic, to swap with the wretched old (bald) tires he's been riding around on for easily the last year. One more thing checked off the list - yea!

The rest of the week is pretty full, and I am going to need all of the daylight hours I can get my hands on to fit it all in. So, if you will excuse me, I am off to bed because I am bushed. I barely kept my eyes open for the last part of Castle - sheesh.

But that's OK, because I got a lot accomplished, and I worked hard for these sleepy eyes.

Back to the grindstone

In all honesty, it was just way too cold to keep going back out to the garage yesterday, so I bagged that activity early in the afternoon. However, I did get a bunch of squares cut for the quilt I am working on (I know, I know...."why didn't you paint the walls instead?"). Well, :^P to you! ;)

The weatherweenies are predicting a warmer day today, with a trend of warming throughout the entire week, so I have ample enough time to get my sorting done - and in relative comfort, so there. After this craft show is over I can re-focus and re-channel my efforts back into the kitchen and the quilting, where they belong (that, and job searching - my three major 'food groups' of late). Although, the job searching is neverending; I am forever combing, sifting, sending cover letters and resumes or my credit sheet somewhere.

For now...today, I am heading back out to the mountain of books, trying to make the best selection of stock to take with me to Flint for that sale.

No matter what, though, there are going to be glaring holes in what it is I have to offer, and that means lost potential sales. Choosing one title over another is not how I like to do it, but with limited space, limited time to set up, the possibility of making no sales in this economy, the prospect of moving a giant amount of reading material 40 miles north - only to have to repack it and schlepp it all back home again is crazy.

Please, Lord, let [these] people buy the books and toys. My faith is stronger than my doubts...but I am still afraid. Make me strong and confident, and bring out those people who are going to help clear my tables. I know this was Your plan and the reason You had this sale brought to my attention. Thank You for the opportunity and success You have laid out ahead of me. Amen.

Where's that grindstone?

Here is a photo of (some of) the Madeline stock

Hey there, Bets...here is that photo I told you I would post.

The little pose-able doll is roughly 8" tall, and the taller M (in the red holiday coat, dress, muff and hat) is about 19" in length. I also have Madelines the same (large size) in the original blue coat/yellow hat combo.

Seems like I have a Madeline doll somewhere in the middle of those two sizes, and outfits to change her in to (2 or three changes), but I haven't located those just yet.

Went through 20 boxes yesterday...at least

That isn't saying very much, when I compare it to the thirty-plus boxes still waiting to be gone through.

Aaarrrgh! ah-iiii-eeeeeee!!

Oh, yeah, if you haven't read up in a while, I will simply say I am selling books at a sale next Saturday - in Flint. Back to the entry.

This is crazy, and all in such short order. Ah well, it really needs to happen, so I suppose it doesn't matter what forces the change (but, if it means ending up with some badly needed capital at the end of the day and making room in the garage, then who am I to stand in the way of progress, fate, karma....the soul train?).

[sorry, ran off on a bad tangent, there -- I'm back]

In sorting through and selecting the merchandise to take to this "ladies day out" sale, I have located a small number of items that aren't price marked, either by the manufacturer or myself. I've looked these things up online, and in some instances found they aren't even referenced by their own manufacturer or publishing company any longer, or have been phased out by newer items.

Collectables!!!!

Of course, if I want to get rid of this stuff (and I do), I need to keep the prices low enough to make buying piles of books (or, more than one item, anyway) by anyone a good ($) idea, and not an 'oh-I-don't-know-I-guess-I'll-think-about-it-maybe-I'll-be-back' sort of coin-toss decision.

Yes! America!!!! Buying books is worthwhile. Noble! Exhilarating! Intelligent! A way to send a message to the youth of the world who learn by example! Buy a book and read it with your children...your grandchildren! Give a book to your favorite teacher, for crying out loud. Gift the classroom for decades of kids to come! I even have upper L reading material. :)

[hairpulling, teeth gnashing, saliva flowing]

I guess I am a little crazed on the subject, but not purely as a purveyor of literature. My deeply twisted feelings on the subject are what got me into selling children's books in the first place.

Do a girl a favor, please. Buy some books (from me, preferably) next weekend.

Thanks.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to toddle back out to the garage and sort some more merchandise to sell to the masses. It's not easy needing 'green'.

Brian got the job!

Yes, it may be just a seasonal position, but sometimes it can lead to more. From his reaction when he returned home, I would almost swear he was disappointed to have the work...he was (is) hard to read.

Perhaps he was hoping the job was permanent, but I am fairly certain he knew he was applying for seasonal help to begin with. At any rate.......it will be several days a week, for approximately 4-7 (maybe 8) hours each day (no telling until the schedule comes out), so that's something.

He's just going to have to keep digging, but for now, he has a job. Thank you, Lord, for answering that prayer.

Today is a sunny day, and perhaps a smidge warmer than yesterday, so I am going back out to the garage to clean out more, move things around and get boxes of books ready to go to that craft show I wrote of earlier in the week. If the parochial school is indeed filled with voracious readers, and parented (and taught) by book-loving people, I should have no trouble selling a portion of my stock.

I am choosing to remain very positive and thinking only huge thoughts as far as what (and how much) to take, but because everything is boxed up (in not as much order as there once was), it is a process to get the stuff sorted through and decided over. Definitely the Christmas books are going, and American Girl series (if I can locate them), Madeline (books and the plush dolls), and anything else PBS-oriented (Magic School Bus, Arthur, etc), dinosaurs....

Oh my gosh! I need to get out there or this is never getting done.

The sale is a week from tomorrow, so if you find yourself in the Flint area, come shopping! I know a great book dealer with fabulous new children's books at really crazy low prices (deals and freebies included).

And Brian got a job!!!!

Today is the day

Brian has his interview at 1:30 this afternoon, and Karl's class at CCS will have him presenting another project (this class finally became really interesting for him over the last two sessions). Animating his Maya creation is making him happy (kind of offsets the reaction he is having to the three week long animation thing in the other class - although, the fact that this has taken 3 weeks is all on his shoulders). Here is a link to the last class project #2 on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cVy06IeOTo

Just click on the link and let the video load completely before playing. An explanation of the project is posted with the video, so you can read that while the video loads.

The whole thing is less than 2 minutes, and really neat. Karl's bit is the robot (well, from the witch reaching for, and dropping her wand, to more than midway through the dancing robot), and yes, a good bit of the soundtrack is me. What can I say, it was fun to do; I filled in the holes and put a music bed under it, but Karl's robot is a show-stealer!

My only complaint is that the skeezer student who said he/she would put together end credits really shafted a bunch of kids by not illustrating their names as prominently readable as the first bunch (their own and a few friends). The last dozen or so kids really got screwed (and yes, Karl was one of those). But, on the positive side, this project is over and there soon will be something new and fun to view! Karl's short (the next class assignment) is close to being finished. So far, so good. He has over 170 cells drawn so far, and he's not done, yet.

:)

Two months 'til the end

2010 is quickly coming to a close, and even though I had my eyes open for the entire thing, it hardly seems possible we are now in November!

Can I get an "amen" from the choir?

November!! It's November. Yikes!

Karl is doing well in his classes, and Brian is successfully getting through his Comp class (to hear his answers to my questions), so I am relaxing a bit. Thursday afternoon he will have an interview in Auburn Hills for seasonal work (i.e. holiday shopping period) at an art supply house, so I will be saying a prayer that it goes well. I had to "urge" him to go online and apply (a lot) because their overhead announcement said they were hiring, and when I asked the check out person about the process she said they might not have that many positions open (if any), so the application work had to be done immediately!

Let's hear it for nagging, er....I meant "urging."

I am still looking daily for work on top of keeping Karl moving forward (more "urging"). Trying to get the kitchen to a place where the carpenter can come in and do next steps. Cleaning out the garage...oh, and now I have added a craft show to the fray. On top of all that, I am currently trying to complete a quilt for a competition which closes mid-December - first prize is $2500.

Now you understand the fact that it is November already is such a 'gulp' realization for me.

It's funny, but this year has seemed to be such a race to the finish in almost all aspects. Nearly every single month everything has always seemed so rushed - and not just for me personally. I am in no hurry to see 2010 evaporate, but here we are, standing on the ledge looking down at 2011, and everyone is yelling "jump"!

Well, I have two more months before I have to switch calendars, and no one is going to make me live it in fast forward.