Did It!

Woot! Woot! I am now a registered domain name owner! I have a business name! YAY! Now for a website...Babysteps & Money, that's all I need. All in time. After all, I've only been thinking about doing this for over a year. Bad Me!

In other news, I introduced the SO to Pinterest the other day. For about an hour after that all I heard was 'OMG! That is SO Cool! They are so smart!'
It was actually pretty funny. And I got a bunch more stuff on my decorating & baking boards.

Other news: "Hi" out there! Sorry this is so me-centric...and I don't expect you to come back (although you're more than welcome if you do!) I've been the clicker-through on other people's blogs. I completely get it.

There's a story tickling around in my brain somewhere...there's a man named Kimlet, or something close to that. See what happens!

I don't dare say "I'm going to try to update this more often", that seems to be the death of many blogs...so, maybe once or twice a month would be nice. Although I seem to be an overachiever, so it may end up being more.

I can both point and curl my tongue, although pointing it takes a lot of effort. How about you?

Spiders and Spiders and Spiders, Oh My!

It all started the night that the electrical transformer box turned into a giant spider. I'd been seeing shadows of things flicker across my side vision for days. I guess it made me paranoid. Our kitchen window looks over the side yard - I'd be doing dishes, and a flash of something would ghost across the yard. I'd look up, but nothing would be there. Go outside to check. Just spiderwebs across the bushes. Nothing unusual. There have been more spiders out this year though.

Anyway. Giant spider. It really did happen, you know. I was driving home at dusk last week. The street I go down has a nice neighborhood on one side of it. The other side is just weeds and fence. You can't see behind the fence. The transformer box is on that side. As my car lights hit the box, I noticed it move. Yes, the entire box. I couldn't decide what it was – just my ghosting, or if it really was something, so I slowed down, maybe down to 20 miles an hour. Then I saw the legs. There's nothing quite so horrifying as the dance of a spider leg – that segmented, creeping wave in the air as it takes a step forward. I couldn't decide whether I should speed back up or slow down even further. I thought for sure my eyes were playing tricks on me – one of the weeds had gotten really tall; the wind was blowing it around. As I came closer yet, I saw the body. Now I knew I wasn't imagining it. I sped up and flew out of there – didn't think anything about that nice neighborhood.

A small girl went missing from there this week. The police are out in force; the neighborhood watch is on high alert. The news is saying that she's the youngest person to be reported missing this year – she's four.

That could be my little niece. I feel responsible, but who's going to believe a girl who's known for her imagination? It's not like I'm a trouble maker; I just tend to live in my head a lot. My parents are proud of me for joining a couple of clubs this year – they call it “coming out of my shell”. Yay for me. 

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And the editor (me, in my other hat) says:

Our story so far: Our not-intrepid heroine sees things. Spiders (giant ones) in particular. A little girl went missing. She feels responsible, but who's going to believe in a giant spider?

What we need: A story. A name. Wherever is this going? We have a young, naïve sounding girl who sees stuff. So? Where's the hook? Why does she see stuff? What's with the giant spider? Well, we can see where the giant spider is going – back over that high fence!!! Ooooh. Scary stuff. We can see where the little girl is – back over that fence! Or with her mother – who ran away from her husband & is divorcing him. Nobody ever thinks of the easy solutions when there could be drastic ones instead!

Virtual Assisting. Or, What to Offer?

Not entirely sure how to go about becoming a virtual assistant. There's a lot of information out there - if I'm to succeed, I really want to do it right! It's definitely not a get-money-in-quickly sort of thing. Of course, I don't think there is anything out there that is. Maybe if you're a scammer. Or a Nigerian Prince. Yes, that was sarcasm. Sorry, but that font is missing from my font list. That was sarcasm too.

My largest issue is what to offer. If someone needs an office assistant, well, that's what I do. I'm good at it. But doing it remotely is what's throwing me off. I don't know how to offer basic office skills remotely. I guess filing could be done via a scanner - make the files search-able. Typing and answering email? Don't most people do that themselves? Hmmm, what about going through email & deleting the junk mail? Setting up parameters so that mail gets filed into folders. Don't people do that themselves though? Especially if they are at all technical? Maybe not. Well, see? There's like three things that I can do!

Let's see. Typing reports, general proof-reading (boy is THAT one needed). NOT answering phones. Sorry, no. Ok, not sorry. It's my business, and if I don't want to, I don't have to! Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable. Neither are my favorite, but both are definitely doable. Maybe especially remotely. Travel arrangements? Don't know much about them. Transcription? I think it's harder than I think it is! I'm a pretty decent listener, so maybe not.

How about minor tech support for Mom & Dad. Grandma? Things that drive you crazy because they always ask. This is what you do when you move the start bar from the bottom of the screen. (Yes, it happens). Lessons on basic email. How to attach a picture. Hmmm, I think I'm seeing future blog posts here.... What else do non-computer people need? Locking down their wi-fi? Hmm, that one is a bit more advanced. So, how to forward an email. How to forward an attachment. Shortcuts. How to set a home page. How to listen to the radio/music on the internet. Basics. How to make sure a website is secure. Using a credit card on a web page. Basic internet security - free is always good. Security updates and maybe even remote log-ins to do them. How to send a basic email that says "I'm thinking of you" instead of being forwarded everything that comes over their email. Oh, wouldn't that be wonderful! How to not click on banners and spam sites.

Brainstorming is fun! Makes me feel better about the whole thing. Some things are feasible, some not. And, actually, I really like brainstorming. I wonder if that's something that could translate...

Phones and Judging People

They (the very mysterious and elusive they) say that we make a decision about people in the first 30 seconds of seeing them. (Ok, so they really probably are experts, and have the studies to say so. (Cue dramatic voice) This time). But what about on the phone? I've spoken to people where I'm pretty sure they were lucky to graduate high school - they just weren't very smart sounding. Snap judgement? Oh yeah. Accurate? Usually. Once in a while it's a new person who's just learning their job, but usually? Yeah.
I spend a lot of time on hold for tech support with our cell phones at work. I make snap judgements about the people I talk to all the time. On the other hand, I'm sure they make judgements about me too! I can tell the minute they think I'm going to be a bitch - which sometimes I am - their voices get harder, and they get less co-operative. But if I'm nice - polite, keep my voice pleasant, and be encouraging (not encouraging, but show my willingness to do what they need done (tech support remember) and tell them thank you for their help, and I appreciate their hard work) - they will do their best to get my problem solved. Somehow, I think the not-so-nice people tend to be the predominate calls. And, after all, what does it hurt to tell someone that they've done a great job & thank you for helping?
The moral of the story is, I guess, to just be nice. And at least try to use your brain.

A Short Story. Or, What to Write About When You Can't Think of Anything

Long ago, I used to tell the best little kid stories. They'd be mash-ups of whatever I could think of. 101 Dalmations and Goldilocks? I could spin it! Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast? Ok, give me a minute to think.
Somewhere, I lost the child-like wonder that I had and replaced it with cynicism. And while it serves me well, and I'm rarely surprised, I miss that innocence and imagination. That not knowing where the story was going to turn back on itself, loop around, and careen off into the distance.
As an adult I rarely get to tell stories. I don't often use my imagination. I'm not sure if I could tell a little kid story at all anymore. I miss that. I remember telling my younger brother stories on the way home from long trips - and my parents turning down the radio so they could listen too. I wrote a story in 6th grade that my teacher read aloud, and then asked if he could keep it.
I love to read stories that take me unexpected places, and can't always find them. There's a lovely mix of fantasy and romance, and fairy tale, in Robin McKinley's books. Jim Hines writes interesting twists. Mercedes Lackey has some beautiful elements in her Elementals and 500 Kingdom series. I've read lots of others, and there's a few that are on my must-read-author list. But there aren't enough.
Maybe I should try again. Beware!

Thought for the Day...or Life

You are responsible for your happiness. You are the only one responsible for your happiness. You are not responsible for someone else's happiness.

Because living my life is hard enough without taking on someone else's as well.

Ramblings of an Irritated Mind

DB and I got into an argument the other day. I've been grumpy since, so he asked me if it was related to that. Nope! Welcome to the week-before-my-period. I may be depressed, exceedingly irritable, have absolutely no energy and have a feeling of doom headed my way...but it has nothing to do with him! Now, I keep track of my cycle, and after so many years would think that he would have at least a little idea of it, but no.
I give others too much credit in reading my mind. I try to speak "man" for him, but being a female for much longer than I've been trying to do that, it's not an easy thing to do! Of course, that follows into getting help around the house, taking care of the animals, and all the myriad other things that you have to take care of with a family. Sometimes you just have to give in and ask for help. Even if you think it should just happen! It doesn't.
 I remember from when I was growing up - my mom used to tell my younger brother to "use your words". We'd try to interpret his "uh" and point. Usually it would work! Then we all grew up and got complicated.

Yep! Rambling!