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Category Archives: Other Thoughts


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10,380 Words

That’s how far behind I am in NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month – is kicking my butt this year. No, that’s not true. I’m kicking my own butt this year.

I was doing great, hitting my word targets until day 13, but then, on day 14 I didn’t. I haven’t gotten back up to the target number since, falling further and further behind.

What I haven’t done, though, is give up. Every single day I’ve written SOMETHING, and every single day I’ve updated my word count. It may be going up a little more slowly than I’d like, but I’m happy with the knowledge that: 1. it’s still going up, and 2. it’s going up at a rate that is far faster than if I weren’t doing NaNoWriMo.

I have a long weekend coming up. I’m hopeful that somehow I’ll be able to crank out several thousand words, and maybe, if I’m lucky, catch up.

Whether I do or not, I’m still pleased with what I’ve accomplished so far. I’m nearly 30,000 words into a new Young Adult murder mystery set in both the present and old time New Orleans. It’s a far different story than I set out to write, but it’s the story that must be written.

Now, off to my day job, then onward toward victory!


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I Just Don’t Get It

6iy544o5tI’ve written about this before, so I apologize if you’re surfing around and you’ve just read something similar, but it’s bugging me, so I have to let it out.

It’s this… why is it that stuff that I slap together and throw on the blog frequently outperforms blogposts that I’ve struggled over and tweaked endlessly? It’s like choosing a selfie over the Mona Lisa. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but why?

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This is pretend. Clicking it will take you nowhere. Please use the real buttons.

Is it that the “quickie” posts are off the cuff and not too dry?

Are they more “relatable” than my epic masterpieces?

Are they shorter, and therefore quicker to read?

Or are people just fickle, and like what they like, regardless of how much thought and effort goes into something?

Maybe I shouldn’t be so uptight about it. After all, Kraft makes a mean mac and cheese that can be on your plate in less than fifteen minutes, and even though I know how to make homemade, there are still times (more than I’d like to admit to) that their version is the one I’d prefer.

I just wonder if other bloggers find this to be true? Do you find that “quickie” posts often generate more interest than well thought out pieces?

And readers, what do you think? Is it just that we prefer some light reading to more dense material, or is something else at play here?you_like_this_on_facebook-1920x1080

I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.

Oh, and by the way, this was a quickie, so you’ll probably want to “like” and “share” it.


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My Fascination With the Dollar Store

I have a weird kind of love/hate relationship with the dollar store. Ask me on any given day my opinion of these institutions and my response could be anything from cheerful enthusiasm to snide derision. I guess it all depends on my mood and what I’m currently in the market for.

debb5a3976c45208fada843a04f27c7dThe dollar store isn’t an entirely new concept, although I do recall being totally blown away by the idea the first time I stepped into one, decades ago. I remember being awed by the fact that every singe item in  the entire store cost exactly one dollar. I came away with a badminton set that day.

Now, the dollar store is my go-to for storage items for the classroom, cheap holiday decorations (my car looked properly spooky for Halloween Trunk-or-Treat), and random stuff that my son wants (a measuring cup, for example). I also get my cheaters there (reading glasses, for the uninitiated), and for a dollar, they’re pretty great. I can see, and they have tons of cute designs. And as a bonus, I don’t get too upset if I break them.

Now the downside to the dollar store. Well, frankly a lot of dollar stores are a complete mess. The merchandise may be in a jumble, and there may be thick layers of dust on the shelves. Items purchased there have to be debated carefully. Do I really want to take my chances with this dollar store shampoo, or should I pay a few cents more for the brand I know? And these pickled meats, are they really still good? I think I’ll pass. Also, sometimes you run into some unsavory characters at the dollar store, but it comes with the territory.

Overall, the dollar store is a great deal. Where else can you pick up a carload full of good stuff for next to nothing