Last Week Was Crazy

And this week doesn’t look any less crazy.  I think I must have had something going on every day last week.  In fact, one of both of us were so busy, that we only had one meal together at home (not cool).  I actually canceled my Saturday seminar so I could spend a little time at home with the husband.  Now this week isn’t looking all that much better since he leaves on Wedsnesday morning to head out to Chicago for the rest of the week and I leave on Thursday.

I’m doing another LWL workshop tonight on blogging.  But before the workshop, I’ve got a session with a client and dinner with a friend.  At least it should be a short workshop since a good quarter or third of my original attendees probably won’t be there.  I think I’ve had at least 5 cancel already.  Add to that the natural flake-factor of about a third and yep, not expecting much.

I think I’m doing it too soon on the heels of the last blogging workshop.  Which is fine.  It’s just the sort of motivation I need to get out, find a location, opening things up to the general public and start making some money at it.  I’ve been giving it away since January and I feel totally comfortable with my giving back-ness.

And of course, I’ve got BlogHer this weekend!!!  I’m really starting to get excited.  There’s been tons of talk on the BlogHer network about what to wear, what to bring, how to survive that I just can’t help but get excited.  I’m just waiting on a cute dress I ordered for Thursday’s newbie mixer and my postcards so I can promote my website.  I expect both any day now.

If you’ll be at BlogHer and would like to meet up or at least say Hi, feel free to drop me a line.  My goal is to meet people and make some connections, so don’t be shy.

Decisions Decisions

I’ll admit it, I’m domestic diva (of sorts).  I’ve settled in quite nicely to my work from home situation and have embraced domestication with little fight.  And as the work from home wife, I’ve also embraced Bunco.  Once a month, I get together with other ladies and over a good meal and a nice glass of wine, we roll a little dice for fun.  And honestly, it is a good time.

My dilema…this month’s Bunco get together needed to be held on a different date than normal.  As such, I’m not conflicted on whether to get together with the gals or to head on out to the LA Chamber of Commerce Mixer. It’s a tough one because I don’t want to let my friends down. But on the otherhand it’s a great (and laid back) opportunity to socialize and network.  And well, I’d still like to set up those paid workshops/trainings and this could be a good opportunity to to get the word out.  I just don’t want to appear as a flake to my friends.

What would you suggest?  I have a feeling I know which one I’m going to do, but I’m curious as to what you would do in my shoes?

I Love When Things Start to Click

I set the intention just the other day that I was ready to make more money and get into a new place.  It’s amazing how you start to get signs from the Universe that things are moving along just as planned.

Yesterday I had a great meeting with a client (which reminds me, I need to invoice her!).  Then it just casually came up that I have some experience with podcasting (not the same client).  So now, it’s still in the air, but it looks as though I’ll be doing to recording/podcasting for our next LWL meeting tonight.  And if all goes well, it could lead to something bigger still.

I also had a gal that recently took one of my workshops send a message directly to her friends suggesting that they take my upcoming (free) workshop.  It was totally unexpected and very rewarding. I’ve met so many amazing people through LWL. So many great opportunities and so much to be grateful for.  It really makes me feel better about wanting to reach out to leading paid workshops.

At this rate, I’ll be half way to the minimum income I’ve set for myself. In just two days!  So yeah, I do believe the Universe and I are on some good terms.  I can see our new home now!  I’m so grateful for all that comes our way and the amazing folks we’ve met.  Time to clean up and declutter this office (again *sigh*) to clear up the energy and make room for the new stuff coming my way.  That house needs to fit someplace, right?

Time To Look For a New Home (I Think)

Our landlords seem to have officially crossed over into the you’ve got to be kidding me stage.

For the most part, we love our apartment.  It’s in a great part of town, somewhat quiet but super easy access to everything including freeways.  Our only major complaint was that it’s lacking central heating and air and as such, we can’t use our (crappy) kitchen from April - October or the inside temps will rise to 90+.  Even with our AC unit on, our living room (and only the living room) cools off to a whopping 84 inside (which is chilly compared to the 100+ outside temps we get).  But well, let’s face it, that’s pretty damn miserable.

I’ve not talked about this much since well, things have improved, but for our first 3 or so years, our life here was just a tad hellish.  You see, our landlord’s 90+ year old mother lives nextdoor and well, she insisted that 1) we weren’t allowed to many ANY noise past 9:00PM or she’d rant and RAGE to her daughter and 2) she swore she could hear us at all hours of the night (while were were sound asleep, mind you) typing, yes, I said TYPING on our computers and would bang on the common wall with a 2×4 at all hours of the day and night.  Thanks to much tolerance and a willingness to make things work on our part (you’ve no idea the concessions we’ve made here), lots of prayer & affirmations, and well, the old lady finally getting on some decent drugs, things have improved.  Though the woman still hates us the heat of seven burning suns.

After six summers of dealing with the heat, we figured it was about time to ask the landlord for some AC in the bedroom.  We were more than willing to install a window unit, even though we would then be boarding up our one and only window in that room.  I had also planned to finally go ahead (or as the Jersey girl in me says “g’head”) and plant a few herbs and a tomato plant in a container or two outside to get ready for some yummy, fresh summer salads.

So with our rent payment, we included a note asking if they  wouldn’t mind moving the potted plant on our side of the complex, next to our grill so we could put a couple of pots there and if they could give us a call so we could discuss the AC thing for the bedroom. It took them a week to finally call us (did I mention that they live upstairs??), but they said no on both counts.

Turns out the wife is vehemently opposed to any plants outside - well, any plants other than her plants. She’s afraid they’d die and look unsightly.  Mind you, you can’t even see that side of the house from the road.  I mean it’s not she can’t see all my indoor plants thriving just fine, but whatever.

As for the AC, we’re not allowed to put in a window unit (again, you won’t even be able to see if from the street) and they won’t cut a hole in the wall to install one that way.  But of course, they’re more than willing to let us use a portable AC unit.  You know, one that will cost us $500 vs. $150.  They also won’t allow us to hand any sort of shade on that side of the house to cut down on the sun exposure or allow us to apply any tint to the windows to help keep things a bit cooler.

And while I get that no hole in the wall, or no screens hanging down from the roof - both could be unsightly - really, no window unit?  You’ve got to be kidding me! Basically, enough is enough.

We’re thinking that it’s about time for some changes.  We’ve been more than tolerant in dealing with their crazy mother for 3+ years - including moving completely out of our second bedroom/office (though no cut in rent for any of this - we’ve since moved back into the office and could care less when the woman complains since we know it’s nothing we’re doing) and not complaining when she yells into our windows at 10:00PM in Spanish.  It seems that they just aren’t willing to work with us.  So as much as we love this place and would love to buy it once the old lady dies (what they’re waiting on so they can sell), we need something better and less restrictive.

Okay, it’s time to shake off that negativity and focus baby.  It’s time to attract our next home.  Question is…condo, townhome or house?  I mean if we’re going to manifest, we might as well go for the big guns, right? Even though I know we’d be perfectly happy with a townhome.

We’re in for a very exciting time here…I love putting things out there into the Universe and then seeing what comes our way.  Very, very exciting times and I’m really looking forward to this.  Please wish us well on our journey to our new home (more power behind the intention!)

I’ve Got a Secret & I Can’t Explain

Do you check your blog stats?  You know, who found you through what search words, who links to you, which posts are read, what links are followed, whatever.  I try not to do this too often as it can lead to a little craziness.  I mean, it’s just a little blog, not my company’s website or anything.

Though pretty regularly I pop on over and check my stats.  Twice now (that I’ve seen) this one private, locked blog has sent folks directly to me.  Having gone through the whole being stalked thing, there’s a part of me that’s dying to know.  I mean, I don’t care who they are, just what did they link to that’s sending people to me directly?  I obviously didn’t leave a comment, you know, since it’s private and secret and all that.

But I wonder…do they know me? Am I listed on their blog roll?  Are they linking to a photo or a post that I made?  Did they find it witty or useful?  Are they laughing over my typos?  Will they ever leave a comment in one of my posts?  What could it be???

Does anyone else wonder about this sort of shit?  Is this just par for the course of having a public blog? Or am I they only one seemingly, slightly paranoid since I’ve had some crazy shit come down in the not so distant past?

Hmmm…I just can’t help but wonder.  Well either way, hello to those secret, private, anonymous readers and visitors to my blog.  Hope this finds you well

I Hate When That Happens

I was going to write this super thrilling, super exciting, totally fascinating (ha!) post about this strange dream I had where someone stole my cell phone while I was on vacation.  But um…by the time I putzed around, fed the boys, read & responded to some email, caught up on some blogs, contemplated finding some breakfast, well, it’s gone now.  I’ve got nothing.  So yeah, hate when that happens.

And now, I have nothing really to say.  Maybe I’ll blog later.  It could happen.

I Smell Smoke!

Yes, it’s nearly 1:30 in the morning and I’ve just sent my husband outside to see if he can find any fires.  I walked around the building with him, but nothing going on.  You can definitely smell the smoke from the street though.  Thing is, you can’t really tell if it’s haze/fog/smog/whatever around the streetlights or smoke.

So he thought that you know, since he’s wide awake after drinking a diet Coke after 8:00PM, that he’d take the pupster and walk up to the corner to make sure all is well.  You see, we have a park kind of behind our street and then over the freeway, we have the massive Griffith Park.  In fact, last May, we had some major fires in Griffith Park that got a little close to home. So it can be some pretty scary shit.

Okay, he just now got home…all is well in the ‘hood.  Whew.

And Now a Yay! Moment

One of my good friends from Spain just called!!!  We used to teach together back in Atlanta.  The year before I moved away, she got into the teaching abroad program.  Since then, I’ve moved twice and she’s lived and taught in three countries - Turkey, Peru and now Spain.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit her a time or two when she’s come back stateside for visits, but she’s never been able to visit me.  Now that I’m in CA and her sister is in northern CA I think we’ll finally be able to visit!!!  I’m so excited.  Especially since I’ll be going to Ireland in November and we wouldn’t be able to meet up that visit.

So we need to decide if she’ll come here to LA and the hubs and I will show her and her boyfriend around.  Or…if we want to meet mid-way-ish and head out to the Santa Ynez or Paso Robles wine country.  Not so sure.  Either way, I’m just so happy!!

On that note, I hope that everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Stupid Citibank

I’m so worked up right now.  I’ve been a Citibank credit card holder since ‘88.  I have perfect credit. No, really, last I checked my Fico was through the roof good.  I’ve also noticed that each month that I’ve gone to pay my Citibank card my due date has changed.  And not by just a day or two.  We’re talking, over the past year or so, it’s changed by weeks!

I used to be due mid-month, by the 13th.  Then suddenly I’m due by the 7th.  Then the 5th.  Then the 3rd. I’m sure you see where this is going.  Today, the 3rd, I go to pay my bill and it was due by the 2nd!!!!  What.the.fuck?!?!  Basically, I’ve been paying late fees for the past however many months because they keep changing my damn due date and I keep missing it by one day.

So today I called up and asked WTF.  Of course, I get the run around that the dates will always change because of Leap Year and how many days are in each month.  To which I reply, yeah, sure, it will change one or two days each month, but not by TWO WEEKS!  I pointed out that I’ve been with them since ‘88 and that they’ve gotten a small fortune from me due to these damn changes.  Not to mention that they’re charging me 18.99% (lucky for me I rarely carry a balance on this card).  And come on, even my rent has a grace period of a couple of days and isn’t considered late on the 2nd.

Of course once I mentioned how long I’ve been with them, she was suddenly and quite magically able to assign me a specific due date and drop my rate down to 9%.  Funny how that works.  I mean she didn’t even need to think about it or check into anything, she was just able to slice it in half just like that. What a scam!

I’d read that credit card companies were doing this date changing thing now hoping to earn some money in late fees.  It just pisses me off.  I guess I’ll just go back to only using the Amex and making sure that we only use the Citibank card as a last resort.  If it wasn’t for the fact that I like having one credit card in my name only (you never know) and that I’ve been with them for 20 years, I’d just dump them all together.

The lesson here, go with the assumption that anything that’s due to a credit card company nowadays needs to be in their hands BY the first of the month.  Regardless of what the due date actually is.

I Sometimes Wish I Was Stylish

Like many women in the blogosphere, I’m starting to worry stress think about what to wear to BlogHer in a couple of weeks.  And like many of other bloggers, I tend to spend most of my day (and night) in total loungewear - yoga pants, sweats, tanks & tees.  I’m not the most stylish, so I can use all the help I can get.

Susan Wagner to the rescue.  I read her fashion posts on a regular basis.  She’s got some great advice for the “regular” gal.  Nothing fancy and better still, nothing crazy expensive.  And today, she’s got a great post aimed right at us BlogHer gals.

Now I just have to convince myself to trust her advice.  I will not go crazy shopping (like I tend to do before a trip of any sort). I will wear what’s comfortable.  And yikes! I will leave my flip flops at home.  Yeah, it could happen.