Store
My STORE is officially OPEN for business.
I still have more to add, but there’s lots there to look at already!
Gifts and more for the rebel in all of us.
I hope you’ll pop over and take a look around.
I’d love to hear what you think.
T13
Thirteen Most Bizarre Jobs
I love being a published author, I really do. Last night I had a dream where I am told I can’t write anymore (shudders) It got me to thinking, what would I do?
1- Ant Catcher
Digs up live ants for use in plastic ant farms.
2- Brain Picker
Places animal head on a table or on hooks in a slaughterhouse, splits the skull and picks out the brains.
3- Odor Judgers
Odor Judgers get to smell armpits all day to help make deodorants that will work well.
4- Pet Food Taster
Few people have ever sniffed a can of wet dog or cat food and thought, ‘yum’. But Simon Allison tastes pet food for a living – and likes it. The senior food technologist for Marks & Spencer in the UK won’t allow anything that doesn’t pass his taste-test to go on store shelves.
“You have to chew it a bit. I have trained my palate to look for materials that we will not allow in the recipe, such as tripe – pet owners react badly to the smell of tripe.I’m looking for a paté texture, almost to the point where you could spread it on crusty bread. It has a very slightly gritty texture but overall it should be smooth – and studded with peas and carrots.”
His favorite? Organic luxury dinner with vegetables for cats
5- Professional Sleeper
The New Museum of Contemporary Art put out want ads in January 2009 seeking women willing to come in, take a sleeping pill and zonk out during the museum’s opening hours. The women who got the jobs then became living museum exhibitions titled after their own names.
6- Worm Picker
They come out at night, wearing miner’s hats with headlamps and cans strapped around their ankles. Seeking out wet spots with lots of worms coming up to surface, they grab the slimy little creatures and put them in the cans. Good-quality worms fetch up to $18 per can.
Snake milkers stretch a thin membrane over a glass or plastic receptacle, induce the snake to bite through the membrane and apply pressure to the snake’s venom glands to collect the venom.
8- Chicken Sexer
Sorts through baby chicks to determine if they are male or female, and then segregate them. The chicken sexer puts the chicken hatchlings on the appropriate track early, enabling those chickens to receive optimal nourishment for their likely commercial role from an early age.
9- Janitor at a Porno Theatre
Main job is to take a mop or rag and wipe up after each show is finished. It is safe to assume the sticky substance under the chairs is NOT soda.
10- Animal Masturbator
Researchers who want animal sperm to study fertility or for artificial insemination have only three options- ram an electric probe up the animal’s rectum, shove an artificial vagina over the animal’s penis or simply do it the old fashioned way – manual stimulation.
11- Flatus Odor Judge
Sixteen healthy subjects volunteered to eat pinto beans and insert small plastic collection tubes into their anuses. After each ‘episode of flatulence’ the gas is syringed into a discrete container, rigorously maintaining fart integrity. The odor judges then sat down with 100 samples, opened the caps one at a time, and inhaled robustly. They then noted just how noxious the smell was. The samples were also chemically analyzed and it was determined infinitely the most malodorous component of human flatus is-hydrogen sulfide.
12- Portable Toilet Cleaner
Using a tank and a vacuum wand, cleaners must suck up the waste in a portable toilet. After picking up any stray toilet paper, they also wash down any surfaces that might be soiled, including the walls. Usually cleaning a public toilet only takes a few minutes, and most cleaners clean about 10 to 60 a day. But it’s not always easy—portable toilets that tip over require more damage control. Nevertheless, most cleaners grin and bear it—and take home $50,000 a yr.
13- I leave you with the BEST JOB I found while searching the net.
Think you’ve got the best job in the world? Think again.According to the Queensland tourism board in Australia, there is no job in the world that can compare to the one they’re offering – a six-month contract on a tropical Grand Barrier Reef Island where the person’s only responsibility is exploring the majestic land and then bragging about it.More than 200,000 people logged on to the website (www.islandreefjob.com) to find out what they have to do to win a six-month contract worth $150,000 AUD ($122,000 Cdn.) that comes complete with a rent-free multi-million-dollar oceanfront villa.
.He or she will be required to live in an oceanfront villa, undertake a range of activities such as swimming, snorkelling, bushwalking and exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef,They’ll need to make friends with the locals and really get to know the destination and then report back on their experiences via blogs, video diaries and media interviews.
Where do I sign up?
I JUST HAD TO ADD MY NEW COVER!
In Your Eyes will be available in PRINT & Ebook
February 12th Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
February 3rd,2010 Uncategorized |
32 Comments
Busy
I’m sorry I don’t have a Thursday Thirteen for you
all today. I am deep into the last stages of Iron Horse Rider 3
being finished and then Books 1 2 & 3 will be coming out
at the same time. I’m tired beyond words, but it’s all good.
I promise to make it up to you next week.
January 27th,2010 Uncategorized |
3 Comments
Iron Horse Rider Series
I am thrilled to be able to show you my new cover for my Iron Horse Rider Series.
All three books will soon be available in EBook and Print. Stay tuned for dates & details.
What do you think of these awesome covers? Woot!!! I’m so stoked about finally seeing
this series available to you again, and to have it in PRINT! I’ll keep ya posted!
Healthy Snacks
Thirteen Healthy Snacks
Apples
Apples are a low calorie snack packed with fiber antioxidants. Add a few almonds will help fill you up with healthy fats
Oranges
Oranges are a handy snack-on-the-go, rich in vitamin C.
Blueberries
Blueberries are not one of my favs, but are full of vitamins and has the most antioxidants of any fruit or veggy. Toss some in yoghurt for an afternoon snack.
Carrots
Try dipping carrots in you fav low cal dressing.
Edamame
Edamame is a great source of protein
**Edamame: Fresh green soybeans, typically prepared by boiling in salted water.
Popcorn
It may be loaded with butter and fat at the movies, but you can make it at home for a healthy snack. Add seasonings instead of butter.
Fudgesicles
Fudgesicles are a low-cal way to get your chocolate fix.
Yogurt
If you want a creamy snack, buy yoghurt and add a few nuts for a high-protein snack.
Hazelnuts.
Hazelnuts are rich in flavour, low in saturated fats and high in heart-healthy fats.
Iced Tea
Sometimes when you feel hungry you’re actually dehydrated. A nice alternative to water is iced tea with lemon for a zero-calorie alternative to soda.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a great way to warm up and fill up. It is a fiber-rich snack and makes for a healthy heart.
Whole Wheat Wrap
Spread peanut butter on a whole wheat wrap and roll it up with some banana slices inside for a mini meal-on-the-go. It’s not only a serving of fruit and whole grains, but protein for extra energy.
Frozen Yoghurt
Frozen yoghurt is a healthy alternative to ice cream. It’s a good source of calcium and protein. It’s also a healthy bacteria which helps boost the immune system, and is believed to lower cholesterol and help with digestion.
Yoghurt Pops
1 pint of plain frozen Yoghurt
1/8 cup chopped strawberry pieces
1/8 cup chopped kiwi pieces
Directions:
Place frozen yoghurt fruit in a bowl. Stir mixture for suspended pieces of fruit in your popsicle, or blend in a food processor for a smoother popsicle. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, insert popsicle sticks and freeze for several hours.
Note: If you don’t have popsicle molds you can use small paper cups for molds and wood coffee stirrers for sticks.
To Do List
1- Send my middle grade novel out for editor to look over before submission.
2- Clean up the rough copy of Iron Horse Rider 3
3- Begin preparations for Friday 13th in August. I am lucky enough to have vendor space for a book signing.
4- Finalize details to have Iron Horse Rider 1- 3 available in print.
5- Figure out how to make my daughters’ Sweet Sixteen a memorable time.
6- Begin procedures to put braces on both of my girls’ teeth.
7- Create a meal plan to encourage healthy eating for my family.
8- Find a groomer for our latest addition, Chachi
9- Sand and stain end tables and coffee table.
10- Hopefully jump up and down after hearing back from publisher who has Heart of Steel
11- Buy bday presents for my granddaughter Alexxis’s 2nd birthday at the end of January.
12- Finish outline for next novel.
13- Persuade my Thursday 13 th readers to vote for me at the annual Editor and Preditor Poll.
I just happen to have the links for your convenience lol Today is the last day for voting. My stories are all hovering around the top ten. Help me push them up.
Thanks in Advance.
Triad of Hope http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novel.shtml
Crucified http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstory.shtml
Christmas Magic http://www.critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryr.shtml
Romance Divas http://www.critters.org/predpoll/writerforum.shtml
SMILE
Thirteen Things that Make Me Smile
1- My Grandbaby Alexxis
2- A kitten or/and a puppy
3- Good Music
4- A good movie
5- Getting caught in a light rain
6- The beauty in nature
7- Winning at Scrabble
8- My girls (teenagers are strange creatures)
9- Riding a motorcycle down a country road, under a canopy of trees in the fall
10- Hearing the words I love you
11- A warm hug
12- A random act of kindness
13- People laughing
I hope I’ve made you smile today!
Holiday Blues
This is the first time I can remember ever having a case of the Holiday Blues. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. Or, maybe it’s because I was home alone from Boxing Day ‘til New Years Day. I have noticed I’m not the only one who feels this way, and while some seem to be able to grin and bear it, others are left feeling sad, overwhelmed, and cheerless.
I’ve found a few things in my search to justify my emotions. These are only a few of the reasons some people suffer the blues this time of year.
***Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is one diagnosis that has more to do with decreased exposure to sunlight than the holidays. People who suffer from SAD have symptoms similar to depression; fatigue, irritability, changes in appetite, and anxiety and despair.
***Gloomy moods match the gloomy skies, and some people feel like staying under the covers until Spring.
***Blues specifically linked to the holidays are quite often tied to stress. Some have high expectations of themselves’; finding the perfect gift within a budget, preparing for parties and family get-togethers, travel to spend the holidays with friends and family (some must deal with all of the issues that go along with that).
***Sometimes the blues are connected to loss or grief – death of loved ones, living too far from family to be together, a divorce or major life changes can sometimes make the holiday season that much harder.
***Others feel disconnected from the holidays completely. Some hold different religious beliefs. Being left out of the holidays because of this can make only feel sad or lonely. The commercialism of the holidays can put a major damper on ones holiday spirit, and there are those who have had a bad childhood experience during this time of year.
The solutions to these feelings are as varied as he reasons for feeling the way some do. Here are only a select few ways to find a little joy in spite of the holiday blues.
***Some people will be tempted to combat sadness with unhealthy comfort foods or alcohol. It is during these times of stress your body especially needs healthy foods and eating habits. Even if you don’t feel like it, eating regular, healthy meals needs to be a top priority. Drink lots of water, and maybe find a multivitamin to enhance your diet.
***Feelings of anxiety and sadness take a real toll on the mind and on ones overall health. Each day set aside a little ‘you time’. This doesn’t mean sitting at the computer or watching TV. Set aside time for relaxation, whether be a long soak in the tub, meditation, or deep breathing exercises. Give your mind and body this time to rejuvenate.
***Exercise is a proven way to fight the blues. Gear it to fit your physical needs. Some people can handle a good work out at the gym, where others have limitations due to their health. A long (or short) walk gets you out of the house; fresh air and sunshine is always a good thing.
***If you feel down because your religion excludes you from all the festivities, why not start your own annual tradition during this time of year. Set up a dinner party with friends, go on a trip, or take the focus off of you and donate your time to a charitable organization.
I’m sure there are many, many other ways to combat the blues. Please note, if the ‘blues’ become extreme; seek the help of a professional. If you notice someone is feeling down or depressed, take the time to talk to them.
I think as we grow older, there is more chance of the holidays being bittersweet. The best way I’ve found to combat the blues, is to Live in the Now. Look to the future instead of dwelling on days gone by. Don’t set yourself up to be unhappy by comparing this holidays season to the ‘good ol’ days’.
Take each day as it comes, and live in the moment.
January 6th,2010 Uncategorized |
3 Comments
