Archive for February, 2006



Tuesday, February 28th, 2006
Day Job Update

I had my (supposedly) final interview today at work for the new test job I’ve been jonesing and angsting over. It went really well – I like the Product Unit Manager (PUM) I interviewed with and he made noises like it was a done deal after he talked to one of the managers and HR. He did say I should hear back this week and if I didn’t, that I should send him an email on Friday morning so he could check on what was going on.

I’m pretty happy (and tired) but I won’t be totally at ease until I have the formal offer. Of course it also means moving my office and taking a bunch of stuff home because it’s possible that I will have to share an office again – BLEH.

Sunday, February 26th, 2006
It’s D-Day

Okay, I start the weekly checkins today. Sorry if I bore some folks but a centralized location will be better than being individually quizzed by people since Sunday is check in day for the diet challenge.

238 lbs
baseline
75 lbs to go

We’ll have to see how this all goes since tomorrow I have an interview (supposedly final) for the new test job I’m jonesing for. Did I mention I tend to stress eat? LOL

Ah well, hopefully I’ll be so nervous I don’t WANT to eat.

Sunday, February 26th, 2006
How to Gain Spousal Support….

Hook them TOO!

C has been listening to me wax poetic (well, at least excitedly) about the various authors I really like and Morgan Hawke in particular. She and JaynieR have taught me SO much. I keep expecting him to start rolling his eyes but so far he’s been very polite :)

Today I needed a little while by myself and decided to go to the store – well, there might be a littel bit of procrastination in there too, but what else is new. So before I escaped and stranded him with the Morganator (our pre-schooler), I brought up my copy of Morgan Hawke’s Victorious Star on the laptop.

He only made it through the first sections but I think he may be hooked, or at least well on his way.

Muhahhaahhahahah :)

Saturday, February 25th, 2006
Premature Submission-itis

Maybe this is some offshoot of suckitis, I’m not sure. I’m not quite sure why I’m doing this to myself but I am a bit stuck on the WIP – not because I don’t know what comes next but rather I seem to have some fixation on selling the danged thing. Mind you, I KNOW as an unpublished writer I really do NEED to finish the blasted thing and then sell it, but I keep getting the urge to try to pitch it anyway.

How weird is that?

At the same time I’m sorta dreading the currently unknown realm of synopsis and query letter. (How come I hear from some folks that I need a 2-3 page synopsis and some folks I need a paragraph or two? That’s a rather large disparity, no?) Just what the heck is the synposis supposed to contain? Only the information I’ve actually revealed in the story or the backstory/world info that underlies the information? I have no clue!

Then I get hung up on what publisher…. In this, at least, I’ve had a little bit of success by listening to what a few pubbed authors have to say about the ones they have or are working with.

Ah well, I guess I’ll start collecting data now so when I finish Raven’s White Hart, I can get cracking on the other things required to sell it. And, in case you’re wondering, I do NOT expect that having the data will stop me from fussing at that point either.

So – if anyone has advice on the synposis questions, lay it on me! If you have publisher advice and don’t want to post in public, feel free to PM me (Private Message/Mail for those acronym challenged folks)…

Friday, February 24th, 2006
RT 2007 Challenge

After discovering that RT 2007 is in Houston and several people I really really want to meet will be there, I’m determined to go. It’s too late for me to go to RT this year, so RWA Nationals will be it.

However, I’ve been trying to think of some incentive for a while that might make me lose the extra person I’m carrying around. Every since Baby #2, I’ve had two people’s worth of weight. I can’t seem to get up any real motivation to get rid of it “just because” but I know I want to – boy, I sound very weird, huh?

But I came up with a challenge. My first “goal” weight before I reassess is 140 lbs. My guess at my current weight was about 210-220 so I figured I had about 70-75 lbs or so to lose. RT 2007 is in about 65 weeks. A tiny bit more than a pound a week. That sounds doable.

So I set a goal, if I get to 140 lbs by RT2007, I get Dakota Cassidy to try to help me find a new look. If I do not, I take all the loop babes out for drinks.

Now, as long as I never admit to C that I’m trying to lose weight, things should be good. He has an unfailing ability to get me to eat things out of spite! The Food Police have nothing on that man – he thinks he’s encouraging me but it sounds a whole LOT like nagging to me.

I think this is a good plan and head home. When I get home I get brave and step on the scale – YIKESSSS 241. That’s more like 101 lbs to lose! Hmmm – that doesn’t sound so doable in 65 weeks.

So now I’m going to try to stick to the original estimate of 75 lbs so 175 or so by RT 2007. I’m only going to weigh myself once per week – more makes me NUTS and we’ll see how I do. Either way, I win – hanging with the babes! But dang, if I’m pubbed by then AND lost the weight… I’ll need a whole new wardrobe!

Once my partner in crime/evil twin Jaynie and I determine what day of the week weigh ins will be, I’ll post a baseline weight on that day and then start posting weekly updates.