Monday, March 30, 2009

March's End

March is ebbing and April is about to dawn. It's a trying time for me as I'm getting down to my last means in terms of survival. I'm trying not to think about it too much, but I don't know if that's smart or not. It's just scary. There's only so much I can do anymore, and asking for help is tearing at me, too. To top it off, folks have their own problems, and they've already helped me out beyond my wildest expectations. The well is about to dry up and I'm honestly not sure what will happen by month's end.

I'd rather be worrying about the judges scoring on Dancing with the Stars or dissing on the powers that be who ruined my favorite TV show, and I'm trying to do that as much as possible. At some point, though, a person has to face reality.

My entire future seems to hang on whether or not the disability will come through. The odds aren't on my side, but without it, I'm totally lost. Enough of my sad reality.

I thought Jeff Gordon might finally win a race on Sunday. He had the lead for a long time in the first third of the race, but couldn't quite pull it off. He finished fourth and actually gained some points as he continued to be the leader in points.

I'm on season five of MacGyver as I try to work my way through the DVD problems. It seems that the set was definitely put together by taking individual sets and putting them into the complete set. From what I've read, Paramount has had a ton of problems with DVDs from those thin pack cases. I wasn't that worried about the first two seasons because I have those already, and the third and fourth seasons weren't all that bad. There were just a couple of places where there problems. Season 5 seems to have some problems though. One disc that has one of my very favorite MacGyvers (The Log Jam) will barely play. I've tried rubbing alcohol and have switched over to Windex, which is helping but not enough. I want to try the toothpaste thing, but mine has whitening formula in it and everything I've read says to use a regular toothpaste. I can't afford to buy toothpaste just for my dvds so this is going to have to wait. In the meantime, I keep applying Windex, but I'm worried about overdoing it.

I'm going to stop with the daily articles and reviews; didn't really look like it was having any effect. If you want to vote for my reviews, many are listed on the right hand side of this blog (you can't miss it - right under the big smiley face), and the link to my articles at Helium is also on the right. Thanks for those who spend time doing both for me.

Onward to a new day!


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

It's Wednesday Night!

Hump Day! Well, actually it's almost Thursday. I've spent most of the last couple of days just trying to write reviews. Sounds repetitive, but when you're out of a job, you have to do what you can to get by, and that's what I'm desperately trying to do. At least I can have MacGyver on in the background as I'm reviewing. He makes a nice backdrop.

My racing favorite, Jeff Gordon, was honored by the Boy Scouts on Tuesday night for all that he's done for the Scouts. He's raised a ton of money (over a million dollars) for them, has attended events, and the like. The Silver Buffalo is the same honor that's been given to past US presidents for their contributions, so it's quite the big deal. Way to go, Jeff!

Just saw a clip on ET with Julianne Hough, Derek Hough, and Mark Ballas. They're three of the fun ones on Dancing with the Stars. Apparently, the three have a band that performs every Tuesday evening at The Grove in Los Angeles. Julianne is quite good. I didn't know Derek sang, so that was interesting. Sounds like he plays a mean guitar, too.

For my fan-fic readers, I might have a new ficlet soon. I have an idea that I've wanted to do for a long time, just a silly little Munchkin thing from when they were babies. We'll see if I can get it together. It's a time thing right now since I'm having to do so many reviews to bring in income. The muse is still swaying back and forth with exactly how this little ficlet plays out. It involves Jack, Daniel, the babies, and, hmmm, candy.

Today's article at Helium is located here (poor thing is last right now; not my best apparently), and today's Review Stream review is located here.

Onward to Thursday!


Monday, March 23, 2009

Sunny Monday Afternoon

First off, a quick thanks to Adrienne, one of my fan fic readers who caught some goofs in my story published early this morning. I've already made the corrections and updated them. I only had a couple of folks beta this story, so I really appreciate her taking the time to point out the mistakes. I love my stories to be as correct as they can. I don't know what the next story will be. My chivalry story stalled after a few paragraphs, and the muse is being silent. If anyone wants to try and spur my muse onward, please feel free to do so!

Just received another payment today from Review Stream. This is really a great way to earn some extra morning, especially for folks who like to critique things and/or are fast writers. I highly recommend it. Use this link to sign up and that way, you help me as I get a teeny percentage on referrals. Review Stream is very reputable. I've never seen anyone pay out so quick so consistently.

I'm still watching my set of MacGyver. I'm towards the end of season two. The problem is the blotches has continued, though it hasn't been as bad on subsequent DVDs as it was in the season one set. They're there, but not causing as much havoc. Had a couple of disks with no problems and a couple with just one or two shows affected. I haven't tried the toothpaste bit yet, but I plan to. I've sort of decided to watch the entire set first and then see what I can do.

Today's article of the day is located here. Please surf on over and read. Today's review of the day is right here. Re
member to vote that the review has been helpful; that's what counts here. This one has 28 votes, so is over halfway to where I need it in order to pay out.

My doggies could use a doggie care package -- Frontline for dogs in that 40-50lb range, Priority or Salix rawhide bones, and Milk Bone dog biscuits. Finances are strapped right now, so they're having to go without, and that's hard on Mom here.

Back to my writing and trying to earn some of that much-needed money. Times are getting tougher and tougher.
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Earrrrrrley Monday Morning!

Didn't manage to get to the blog over the weekend, but I'll update the blog later today. Right now just wanted to make sure the fan fic folks know I did just post a new story. Happy reading!

Friday, March 20, 2009

It's Friday!

It's Friday, and I'm still here, kickin'! I survived my root canal, obviously. It's probably the smoothest root canal I've ever had, and I"m hoping it stays that way. I'm feeling okay at the moment, and I want that to continue. I have a great dentist. It's so nice to be reminded that there are caring people in this world. This guy skipped his lunch hour to make sure I was taken care of before my insurance ran out today. That's pretty cool.

I'm still stunned at the death of Natasha Richardson. It sure does impress upon folks the importance of wearing helmets on the slopes, even when just learning, like she was. It also points out how any fall should be looked at. I'm sure there are going to be many painful days of second guessing going on from the people around her on that fateful day. What if they had insisted Natasha be checked out? No one can say for sure what might have been, but it's a horrible thing to have to live with. There's no guilt to be assigned here, and from all the reports about this kind of injury since the accident, maybe some good can come from this.

The lessons to be learned here are simple. Wear a helmet and if you fall, get checked out. Natasha had that lucid period doctors talk about and after that, it was too late. Hopefully, someone will learn from that and not lose their life.

I'm very excited! When I got home from the dentist on Thursday, I had an email from Helium. One of my articles on NASCAR won a contest. That's some desperately needed cash, so I was and am thrilled. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to surf over to my articles.

For my fan fic folks, I'll try to get the next story published this weekend, Monday at the latest. I do hope everyone enjoyed the story published late Wednesday night. It was just a short ficlet. This next one is a bit longer, and it's a beyond the series fic that has a potential new revelation for some of the brood. It could be interesting for the future. Then again, maybe it's nothing at all! Only the muse knows for sure.

I do have two longer stories that are in process. I actually was in the middle of incorporating the Ori story into the universe. However, it's a major undertaking because I'm writing the real story, not what we saw in canon. :} Also, the entire two years is being condensed into less than two months, so it's a fast paced series of events that have our heroes in crisis. I was about halfway through it when my disability claim was denied and I went into a panicked downward spiral. I am still having to focus on trying to earn money, somehow, in order to pay the bills. Right now I'm okay through March, but at mid-April, I'll have big, big, big problems. Until things settle, which hopefully will mean having my disability appeal approved (I hope and pray), I just don't have the time to work on any lengthy story. I hate that because I need my universe, but it's just how it is. The stress is tremendous.

Anywho, the other story is also beyond the series. Alex gets to work more magic in it, something required after a lot of toe-bumping in the middle of the night. It'll make sense when you read it. Of course, I have to finish writing it first. One of these days, and hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later.

Today's Helium article is located here, and today's featured Review Stream review is right here. Once again, just going to the article helps me, but you need to vote for the review as being 'helpful' to make it count with the review. Feel free to pass these links on to your family and friends! :} By the way, a reminder. If you'd like to write reviews or write articles for Helium, please let me know so I can refer you; that way, we both win!

It's a NASCAR weekend. The racers are in Bristol. I sure hope my favorite, Jeff Gordon, has a good race. He didn't qualify as great as I was hoping he'd do, but qualifying isn't nearly as important as taking that checkered flag. Go Jeffy go!

MacGyver Complete Set DVD Problem

Has anyone had this problem with the complete MacGyver DVD set that I'm about to explain. A very nice person gifted me with this collection recently. The problem is that she's had it about a year and purchased it from a seller off of eBay so I can't do anything simple like return it. This set was new, though, and still had the cellophane on it. Many of the disks have these white blotches on them. The make the dvd pause. Sometimes it stops and goes back to the first scene; sometimes it stops and skips forward to the next segment; sometimes it pauses, freezes, then goes forward, or pauses, jumps forward a tad, or goes in slow motion until it resumes normally.

I've never seen anything like this before. Has anyone else with the MacGyver set had this problem, or does anyone else know what this problem is, period? I'm looking for suggestions on how to fix it and make the affected shows more watchable.

Here are four photos of the blotches, or at least, the best I could get of them.







Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What a Wednesday!

First of all, I was so saddened to hear that Natasha Richardson died today. What a tremendous shock. I enjoyed her work so much, and both she and her husband, Liam Neeson, worked with my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze. It's just shocking the way their day must have started, so calm and innocent, to have ended up so tragically. I don't even know what to say. It's just so very sad.

My dentist called today. He really wants me to have that root canal, so even though he's stacked up with appointments, he's going to squeeze me in tomorrow (Thursday). He's really a nice guy, and he knows my insurance runs out on Friday and I'm just extremely hesitant to go to anyone new at this point. So, think positively for me that it goes well. I've had smooth root canals and tortuous ones. I'd like this one to be smooth.

Today's Helium article is found here, and today's Review Stream review can be found here. I know this voting thing is a hassle, but 50 votes for an item is $5, and right now, I really need those $5. Please vote, folks. For the articles, just surfing there helps.

I read today that the AIG CEO is asking some of the executives to return "some" of their bonuses. That whole thing just irks me big time. We bail them out and they give each other bonuses? I really don't care about the legalities angle. Had we not saved their butts, they'd have squat because they wouldn't even exist. Where's the justice for all of us here?

American Idol had a bit of a shocker with Alexis Grace being voted off. She just didn't sing up to her potential, and that was the real problem. I loved Carrie Underwood's appearance and that she continues to acknowledge the place that Idol had in her career.


Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Better News for a Tuesday

This was on The View this morning, and it's definitely a much better and more reliable report on Patrick Swayze than anything you'll find in a nasty tabloid rag.




A Shocking Start to Tuesday

Just read about Natasha Richardson's skiing accident. I'm stunned. My prayers go out to her family. I've always liked Natasha. I first noticed her in Parent Trap, in which I thought she was absolutely charming, and then in Waking Up in Reno, in which she co-starred with Patrick Swayze. She played a disheartened ex-southern belle in that one, and was wonderful. I just had to post about it here. I sure hope it's not as grim as the reports sound. Read about it here.

After Midnight

I watched Dancing with the Stars tonight. The stars are dropping like flies on that show. They really don't have a stellar cast this season anyway, so it's a little dull. I do like Shawn Johnson. She's just 17, but she has a shot at winning. She's got competition, though, so it won't be an easy battle for any of them.

The article of the day is right here, and the review of the day is right here. For the articles, just going there works. For the reviews, you need to vote.

I'm still so unsure about the dentist thing. I feel very stressed about it, and believe me, stress is something I don't need any more of. Time to stop thinking about it again. I need to go write some more reviews to try and get some money to pay these pesky bills.

And shouldn't the AIG big wigs just be drawn and quartered for their latest antics? We bail them out and they give themselves bonuses? And then they dare to say they have to legally? Without the bailout, they wouldn't be employed! I want to see Obama get some action here. Stop blaming the old administration (not that they aren't guilty) and do what you promised, Mister President.


Monday, March 16, 2009

Monday Odds and Ends

It's Monday, and that's mean the dentist has come and gone. On the good news front, the gunk from the right side of my mouth has all healed just fine. On the bad news, he thinks there is another problem on the other side. He wanted to do a root canal, but he's just jammed with appointments, and there's no room. My insurance runs out on Friday, and honestly, I don't want another dentist. I'm just so private and finicky with anything medical, including the dentist. I trust this guy. I'm probably an idiot, but I'm just gonna wait it out and pray for the best. I don't wanna go to someone new right now. It's too hard to get around, and I'm so sensitive to pain. Stress -- it's stressful just thinking about it.

Had a surprise in the mail -- a coupon for a free jar of Skippy Peanut Butter. I must have registered at their website or something. It was just a nice letter, assuring me (and I assume a bunch of others) that they aren't involved in the recall mess with peanut butter. I'm sure they've had a drop in sales.

For the fan fic group, found out yesterday that one of my stories was nominated this year for the annual fan fic words. That's always a cool honor, to know someone likes a fic enough to nominate it, so thank you, whoever you are.

I'm still aiming for Wednesday to publish one of the stories. Not sure as yet which one it will be, though.

More later this evening!


Sunday, March 15, 2009

Sunday Ebbs Away

Just a few more minutes left in this Sunday day. I started my day by writing a few more reviews, which was enough to get another pay out over at Review Stream. Right now, it's the easiest way for me to get a few bucks. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a fast writer. You can use this link to start writing.

For my fan fic folks, I'm going to try and get one of the stories published in the next couple of days. I've been hoping to get a few more people to beta, but haven't had any luck. It must be a busy time of year for some of them. My betas spoil me; I really believe in what they do, but I think I need to go back to just publishing the best I can make it and just let it go at that. I'm not a perfectionist; like I said, just spoiled by what a good alpha beta can do to a story, even a ficlet.

Let's make a goal -- we'll shoot for a Wednesday story. Don't let me forget! ;}

Calm day in the news around here. The most exciting thing has been Celebrity Apprentice, and frankly, that wasn't exciting. Why Dennis Rodman is even on this show, I'll never know.

The Amazing Race was entertaining to a point. I do like Luke and his mom. I don't know that I'm rooting for anyone at this point, but I 'hope' for them. Mel and his dad are fun, too. I did like Victor and his sister, but they played a little dirty today, and I like to root for the good guys.

The Helium article of the day is right here. Remember, just surfing there to read helps me.

The Review of the day is right here. Remember, here you have to vote for it to be helpful.

It's back to the dentist tomorrow for that nasty problem I had. I'm so glad the antibiotic worked, and hopefully, I won't need any more.

Have a great day!


Saturday, March 14, 2009

News and Notes

Not a lot going on today. I've been sorting through magazines and going through papers, getting rid of a lot of stuff that is just taking up space. However, I've had fun while I've been doing it. A very nice person just gifted me with copies of the Legend TV series with Richard Dean Anderson, so I've had gorgeous RDA during the afternoon to help me with my projects.

Friends and I have also been debating the big scene at the end of the Burn Notice finale when Victor (Michael Shanks) was killed. Who pulled the trigger -- Michael or Victor? It's a huge debate, and there's evidence on both sides.

Today's featured article on Helium is right here. Remember, just surfing there helps me out. This is my thoughts on the whole Paul McCartney and Heather Mills divorce thing. In a nutshell, I think Mills is nuts.

Today's featured review is right here. Remember, in order to help me, you have to vote on that page that the review was 'helpful' to you. The page is timed; it's usually best to let the page stay open a couple of minutes before voting. This was my take on The Ark of Truth, which is scheduled to finally air on TV later this month. There are 27 votes so far. 50 is the magic number for all reviews.



Friday, March 13, 2009

Leap of Faith

Well, I had stopped watching Ghost Whisperer many episodes back. I was livid when they killed off Jim and had his soul do the 'Heaven Can Wait' thing and leap into another body. David Conrad, who plays Jim, did an interview this week and talked about how pivotal tonight's show would be. There was so much talk about fans not being disappointed that I decided to take my own leap of faith and watch.

Bravo! My leap of faith was rewarded with a much more satisfying end than that which came to Warren Beatty in HCW. I'm happy with it. In fact, I shall return to the Ghost Whisperer fold, as long as they don't botch it up in forthcoming episodes.

Finally, a happy ending, although there are about a thousand questions that still need to be answered!

And now it's back to watching Celtic Woman. They are magical to listen to.

I'm Back!

It's really hard sometimes to keep a blog going when life looks gloomy. That's been my experience, anyway. As I continue to struggle to get by, it's get tougher to write about silly little things, even if they make me smile. Still, I think it's important to try. As I continue to try and figure out how to survive, now as a displaced, laid off worker, it's more important to try and keep a healthy mental attitude. As such, I'm going to try a bit of a new approach here. Maybe just share one tidbit I've learned or read about, or something that's made me laugh. Maybe then I can post more frequently and give this blog some meaning. I'm also going to highlight some of the things I do that bring in money for me in which you can help, just for surfing or voting, or whatever.

My beautiful dogs are doing great. They continue to make me smile just by being themselves and playing. They are joy, pure joy. I totally believe in the love and power of pets. They are amazing.

Helium article of the day! Just surfing over to this link helps me earn money. You don't have to vote or anything -- just go there and read! This article concerns the safety features in NASCAR. I am a big NASCAR fan, and this short piece details some of the reasons why it's a much safer sport than it used to be. Click here to read!

Review Stream item of the day! Now here, you need to go to the site and then vote that the article is helpful to you. This is a little box, currently shown below the article, over on the right hand side. It says 'has this article been helpful'. You have to click the circle with 'yes' and then hit 'submit'. Then you'll see the page refresh and the number of votes will increase. If you get a message that says to read the article, it means you need to just let the page sit for a minute or two. It is timed. Then vote. Today's review is for Wendy's Restaurant. It currently has 17 votes, and to pay off, I need to get it to 50, as I do all of my reviews. You can only vote once per ISP. Click here to read and vote!

I must admit that I was thrilled to see that California is going after Howard K. Smith and the doctor who gave Anna Nicole Smith all those pills. I don't see how he can say he loved her when he abetted her by giving drug after drug after drug to her. It'll probably plea out or something, but Smith and the doctor deserve to be held accountable for their part in keeping Anna Nicole drugged to the core.

I was reading an article over at Helium about chivalry. It was a debate on whether or not it was dead. That got me thinking about a possible story for my fan fic universe. I'm thinking of doing something with Aislinn and Jenny, and some of the boys on the block. Aislinn is a boy magnet, and Jenny doesn't really care. It might make for interesting contrast, if I can do it right. Is chivalry really dead? Maybe the girls and boys of the neighborhood will answer that question for us.

Fan fic wise, I do have two stories that are about to be published. One is beyond the series and one is from season two. The latter is just a short ficlet that takes place the day after the One False Step episode, but it popped into my head the other night, so I wrote it. The first one is a short story about a couple of the brood who have an unexpected adventure. I'm wondering if my beyond the series stories focus too much on the brood and not enough on Jack and Daniel. Shrug -- don't know, but sometimes it feels that way, but I do love those kiddies.

A final note. The tabloid trash is just that -- trash. Please do not patronize junk like the National Enquirer, publications that thrive on the bad times of others. Their latest attack on Patrick Swayze is just shameful. It's full of lies and untruths. Patrick is fighting and doing just fine, all things considered. He told People Magazine that he even has a new dog, another Rhodesian Ridgeback. People's time, energy, and money would be much better spent sending up prayers for Patrick and donating the money they'd spend on the trash to StandUP2Cancer or some other reputable organization.

 
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