From my 18 year-old self to you. Enjoy the day (I’m sure I did!)
Thanks to Fran (my old college roomie) for sending this to me!
Happy Halloween!!
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Author Archives: LA Blogger Gal
NaBloPoMo: Yes or No?
I can’t even believe I’m considering this, but I think I’m going to do NaBloPoMo again this year. I really enjoyed the daily posting last year and well, I think I’m up for it. I’m not crazy, right? I mean it’s fun. And a great way to meet new bloggers.
Mind you, I’ll be on vacation for essentially 12 or so days (10 days + recovery time), but since I have to log in anyway to check on the ConstantChatter contest event (over 50 days of giving) I may as well take a moment or five and post an Irish photo or two or something, right? I mean, two birds, one stone, kinda sorta like, right?
Actually, the hubs broke it to me gently that I’ll need to log on to the contest site daily to officially “launch” each day’s new contest. He seems to think that I’ll want to check stats, but to be honest, I’ve never really been that kind of stats girl. But yeah, should make for a fun vacation either way.
Bet you’ll never guess what I’ll be doing every day during lunchtime – LOL.
Anyone else jumping on the NaBloPoMo board this year? Care to join me in the challenge? Don’t worry, you can make up your own rules. In theory, it’s just 30 posts in 3o days. I guess if you were dealing with insomnia and a creative streak you could write all 30 posts in one day. In my case, I’ll be taking advantage of pre-publishing some posts and posting photos while I’m on vacation (I had to do that a time or two last year as well). Then again, without the pre-pub, the air travel itself will cause me to lose a day.
And don’t worry, if you miss a day or so, no one will come after you, chastise you or make you feel bad. It’s all just for the helluva it. Make it up as you go along.
30 posts in 30 days…you can do it.
Come on…it’ll be FUN!!!
They Stole It!!
A while back I ordered a two pairs of Obama car magnets (one set for me, one set for the hubby). One magnet was the simple “Obama” and the other was a round, “Vote for Change”. The hubs and I were coming back from dinner and passed me car and dammit, my Obama magnet is gone!! They stole it!
Of course, I have no idea who they might be. But either way, that’s just rude. I paid good money for my magnet, and we can’t have any signs on our windows or in our yard (or the landlords would probably freak) so it’s the least I could do. Seems they no longer carry the magnets – maybe that’s why someone took mine.
Luckily, I still have one more “Vote for Change” magnet since it didn’t fit on the hub’s car. Guess I’ll just have two of those then. It still works considering the election is in mere days now.
Oh and great news…while checking my winter coat pockets looking for my winter gloves I found my Shure ear buds. Woohoo!!! I lost those babies, um…back in February or so I’d guess. Glad to have them back in time for the Ireland trip. They’re so much more comfortable than the standard iPod buds.
Catching Up with Old Friends
Just over 20 years ago I went to college right after high school when I was still back in Jersey. I only went for two years because my family moved to GA and I lost in-state residency. During those two years, I met one of the coolest people, my roommate, Fran.
After she got married 15 years ago we pretty much lost touch. For a year or so, we tried to keep in touch, but eventually, due to changing emails (back in my Prodigy and AOL days) the ineveitalbe happened. Needless to say, I’ve spent the past 10 or so years trying to track her down to no avail.
A week or so ago I got lucky. Real lucky. On a total fluke, I checked my old Hotmail account (typically spam-riddled). On yet another fluke, I saw a message from Classmates.com and decided to read it. Turns out, my old college roommate managed to find me. A little further internet poking around and I found her Facebook page (she only just signed about a week before).
Catching up has been great. I’ve been too crazy busy to call her (plus the east/west time difference and her work schedule), but we’ve been catching up through email. I think my favorite part of the catching up process is the questions that bounce back and forth between us. Well, that and the fact that even her mom was thrilled to hear from me and sent me an email as well.
Guess I won’t be bashing classmates.com any more. I used to laugh at everyone that would rave on and on about how much they love catching up with old high school and college friends through Facebook. I guess I get it now. And I’ll admit it, it is pretty darn cool.
Have you caught up with anyone from your past through either one of those reunion/classmate sites or even Facebook?
Sending Out My Very First Press Release
Okay, we’re in the final stages now. The giveaway schedule is set. The first 21 days worth of are personalized for each giveawy. The weekly blog posts are written up for those first 21 days. First thing tomorrow I send out the press release. My very first.
Thankfully, I have a friend that’s quite good at writing them up, so she took all the info and put it in the right format. Now I just have to send it out. I read on HARO about an agency called PR for $25 where you can put your press release in front of a folks for $25. Sounds like it might be just the thing.
All that leaves now if for me to upload all the contest info so it’s ready to go live. And from there, c’est fine! I might actually have a few days to chill out before the trip. Which will be great for my jaw considering just how much I’ve been clenching lately.
Let me just say *whew*
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Press Release: Constant Chatter announces their biggest contest ever: 50 Days of Giving
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UPDATE 11/4/08: I decided to stick with the list of 20+ Free Press Release sites from Mashable.com. It’s an old list and not completely up to date, some are defunct, others are no longer free. But it works.
Photos from the Monk Institute’s BB King Tribute @ the Kodak
I’m too lazy to write up a post. Just know that it was a great show. I loved Bono, Edge & BB rocking out to When Love Comes to Town. Check it out here on YouTube (wow, those kids in the rafters sure sang along a lot more up than we did on the floor).
And now, some photos – all photos are clickable to get to larger sizes. And there are more in my flickr. Just remember, this is the first time we’ve taken the new camera out to play so a couple of pictures aren’t that great…
Sorry, Wrong Number
We have a blocked phone number. Not that we need a blocked number, but when we first moved in we used to get phone calls from computers in the middle of the night (probably polling the register or something) and short of changing our number, all we could do was block our number & block any unlisted number calling in (same service). Which of course means that when I want to call out, I need to remember to unblock the number so people will recognize the number and actually answer the phone.
Needless to say, imputing all those numbers often leads to mis-dials. No biggie, I either hang up when the voice mail kicks in and I’ve realized I made a mistake or if someone should answer I give a quick “sorry, wrong number.” It happens. We all do it. Nothing to be ashamed of.
My question to you though, is do you call back the missed call or hang up that you might get? Me, if I see a number I don’t recognize and there’s no voice mail, I just assume it was a wrong number and carry on with my day. Again, it happens.
Today though, while lying on the couch trying to deflect rest off a migraine that hadn’t yet fully developed (was avoiding meds since I’m not a fan of how they tend to wipe me out) a guy that I’d accidently called and hung up at his voicemail called me back.
It went something like this…
Me: Hello?
Him: Who is this?
Me: Um, it’s Kat, who is this?
Him: I show that someone called me from this number.
Me: Yes, I misdialed.
Him: Oh.
Me: Bye.
Was he really that important that he’d think that anyone that calls him obviously wants to speak with him so badly that they don’t leave a message or call back, so that he must call them back to find out what they wanted? Why? Really, who does this? And what’s with the attitude? If you’re in the type of business where you need to call back those missed calls how about “this is So&So, I had a missed call from this number” NOT “who is this?”
The only time I’ll call someone back when they don’t leave a message is with my friends or family since they probably felt that it wasn’t worth leaving a message. Not with unknown numbers or strangers. Though I did call the financing department of a dealership once to let them know that they called the wrong number. And another time I called back an old lady that was trying to get a company to stop charging her. In both cases, I figured they’d want to know that they’d left messages that wouldn’t be received by the party they wanted to reach.
I remember during my pre-wedding days in Vegas with my friends before the actual wedding day. I was trying to call my friend’s cell, but I apparently had the number wrong (and might have accidentally, if not drunkenly, called a couple of times during my 5-day stay)….
Me: Hi, is Matt there?
Her: Who is this? (in a rude tone)
Me: It’s Kat, may I speak to Matt?
Her: Who are you?
Me: Um, is this 555-5555?
Her: Who are you?
Me: Is Matt there?
Her: Tell me who you are.
Me: Um, I’m looking for my friend Matt, is this 555-5555?
No: Who are you and how did you get this number?
Me: Sorry, this must be the wrong number *click*
Not that I’d know if it was the right or wrong number since she wouldn’t answer the simple question of 1) if there was indeed a Matt there and 2) if I had actually dialed the right number (turns out I forgot the area code…did I mention this was mere days before my wedding and alcohol might have been involved?!?!). But really, what was with the attitude? I couldn’t be calling for her man if his name wasn’t Matt (and I’m assuming it wasn’t since she didn’t react to the name itself). And honestly, do you need to know who I am and how I got your number if 1) I’m not calling for you or anyone at your number, 2) I was obviously a wrong number and 3) if she had caller ID she could see that it was an out of area call? People are just weird with their phones.
So how do you handle wrong numbers? Do you just hang up on them (as the caller or the receiver)? Do you apologize? Do you try to track down any missed calls that didn’t leave a message? What’s the scoop?
Let the Countdown Begin!
Holy cow, where have these past two weeks gone?!? I can’t believe that we’re leaving for Ireland in less than two weeks!!! I totally don’t feel ready yet. I mean here we are going to a different country and outside of booking our lodging, I have no idea what we’ll actually be doing (um…besides drinking and taking pictures, that is!)
Let me just say, it was awfully ambitious of me to think that I could 1) run a month’s worth of breast cancer survivor stories over at ConstantChatter, 2) run a two-month long, giveaway-a-day extravaganza again over at ConstantChatter, and 3) shop, plan and pack for a 10-day international trip. What the hell was I smoking?!?!?! And of course, every other day the hubs thinks of yet another thing I need to take care of before we leave.
I haven’t read a blog in about three weeks now. I’ve yet to post anything in my biz blog for over a week now (so bad, so bad). I haven’t written a biz newsletter (I blame the hubs for this one since he has to finish my “design” using the new HTML-based provider). I haven’t washed clothes for two (going on three) weeks. I haven’t vaccumed in probably just as long. Luckily, I have cooked some pretty good meals and done the dishes.
But lordy, even our weekends have been busy with plans. This Sunday we’ll be at the Kodak for BB King’s Monk Institute thing (rumor has it Edge & Bono will be hanging with BB and doing “When Love Comes to Town” – can’t wait!). I’m really looking forward to the party afterwards, even if I probably won’t get to meet or even see BB, Bono or Edge. I never saw Sting at Herbie’s Monk Institute thing last year. I’ll be sure to bring my camera along though just in case.
Okay enough time wasting here. I still have to get the first 21 days worth of contests pre-published and launched by Wednesday of next week. If I take on 5 a day, I’ll be done by Monday…here’s hoping. That will leave me a couple more days to pre-publish some blog posts (for my biz and the ConstantChatter blog) and to pack. It could happen.
Abraham Hicks Weighs in On Election & Economy
It’s better.
It’s getting better.
And it’s going to be alright.
Really alright.
I tend to not get sucked into the recession or negative news stories much. To me, I’m just exciting at what this seeming mess will no doubt bring about the most amazing worldwide changes in who knows how long. The World will have no choice but to work together to create some amazing opportunities and new ways of thinking from this mess and I for one, can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
Ahhh…Apartment Living
Living in Southern California, and in Los Angeles in particular, like many folks, we live in an apartment. For the most part, we love our apartment (except in the heat of the summer when we don’t have AC). We’re in a nice, quiet location. The apartment itself is a good size and a decent floor plan.
But…
(and you knew there had to be a “but”)
Sometimes our landlords can drive us crazy. You see, they live upstairs, and her crazy (yes, truly and honestly) 95+ year old mother lives nextdoor. The weekly calls to remind me to clean up after my dog when I already do clean up after my dog (mind you, I don’t clean up after the other 20 or so dogs that come through our yard) are really getting old – almost as old as the old calls about how our computers used to make so much noise they were waking the crazy lady nextdoor. Uh, yeah, okay.
Basically, we’re the only ones in the unit that rent. Subsequently, we’re also the only one that pays the mortgage, since we’re the only one that generates some income. But that’s neither here nor there. Sadly, we’re also the only ones in the unit that aren’t allowed to do ANYTHING.
We can’t install an AC unit in the bedroom or hang shades to help block the western sun that effects half our apartment and brings our indoor temps to 90 degrees even with the shitty AC. We can’t get a new stove/oven that actually works the way it should. We can’t grow a few potted herbs or a tomato plant outside. We can’t paint the walls (tough shit on that one…after three years of living here they’d have to repaint anyway – so I told him I was doing it and did it). We can’t use our second bedroom after 9:00pm as the crazy old lady complains. We can’t watch TV too loud, or play music too loud. We can’t have a washer and dryer – nor will they allow us to use their unit in the garage.
Needless to say, after six years, it’s getting old. But because of the crazy old lady and all the crap they put us through in the early years, our rent is quite cheap for the market. So we stay. We stay and hope that the crazy lady finally passes (as I’m sure her daughter and son-in-law, our landlords do as well), so we can maybe look into buying the place, having been told that they want to sell once she’s gone. We stay knowing that we’re saving money each month and can save more to buy a home. We stay hoping the current housing crisis continues (as do many, many Los Angelinos who hope to someday buy a home).
We stay because I hate moving with a passion.
But basically, apartment living kind of sucks. No matter how nice the area is and how affordable the rent can be.