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Time to be thankful...
 Every year during the Jewish High Holidays, I think about the year before and think about how I can be a better person in the upcoming year. Not that I'm fabulous as I am, but more that I know I can do better in some areas. I used to be more active with community service, and this is something I miss. But I also know realistically my time is short these days, and growing shorter. Still it's no excuse not to help out. The Jewish tradition of Tzadekah (literally: charity, but it means so much more), is certainly an area I can improve upon. In that vein, I have a story to share.Most of you who read regularly know I work for Weight Watchers. Some of you may even be members. Recently they launched a nation-wide campaign to help fight a growing problem in the world - hunger. Specifically, the fact that at this point in time, most of our food banks are dangerously low, if not empty, regarding donations. People simply aren't giving as much because they aren't getting as much. To that effect WW ran the Lose for Good Campaign. The basic premise was that for every pound lost over a 6 week period, you would donate a pound of food. If a certain level was reached, the organization would donate up to $1 million to two hunger-relief organizations. Impressive, I know. But not as impressive as some of these numbers: - Members and staff lost a combined total of 4 million pounds
- A local food bank, donated to by the center I worked with received more than 2,000 pounds of food just in the nick of time.
- over 2,060 local food drives were held, many collecting up to 3,000 pounds each.
- 1.5 million pounds of food were donated to local food banks around the country
I'll be honest, when I heard numbers like this, I cried. It's amazing to me how much can be done when we just set our minds to it, and look how many benefit from it. This is what I'm thankful for this season: the human spirit. Sometimes I worry we've forgotten how to care for one another, in a world where all we seem to do is rush around. But then there are days when I'm reminded how blessed we really are. So here's to a wonderful Thanksgiving. May your tables be bountiful and your day filled with joy. Labels: food drives, thank you
What I'm reading...
Since I have a short week (and report cards are drawing near), I thought an update was in order. What I've read: -Fearless Fourteen, Janet Evanovich - the latest Stephanie Plum. Enjoyable, lived up to expectations.-Mistress of Pleasure, Delilah Marvelle - new historical voice, fabulous debut. I can't wait for her next one.-One Silent Night, Sherrilyn Kenyon - loved it! This one reveals some very important information about some of our favorite characters. What I'm reading: -Playing Dead, Allison Brennan - the latest in her Prison Break series. What's up next: -Karma Girl, Jennifer Estep-Wish You Were Here, Lani Diane RichSo how about you? What are you reading? Share!Labels: books
Why vitamins can be dangerous...
 In the last couple of years, I've noticed a new phenomenon in the vitamin aisle...gummy vitamins. Apparently if we take the Flintstone vitamins of my childhood, and merge them with a gummy bear, you get a whole new world of fun. I lamented because the gummies were made for kids, so the dosages didn't match up with adults. In hindsight this was a good thing. See, I have a little problem. My name is Erin and I love gummies. But then I went to Whole Foods last night and found Vitamin D...in gummy form! Us here in the Northwest don't see a lot of the sun these days, so Vitamin D is kind of a must have. One gummy is 1000 IU. This is good. They taste fantastic. This is bad. How am I supposed to only have one a day? They taste too yummy! They are sour lemon...but not really sour. This is wrong. It's not fair. On the upside, I don't think I'll have a deficiency this year... Labels: random musings
Synopsis hell...
Some of you may remember the memory key fiasco of last spring. Thanks to it, I spent the better part of two weeks not working on my new book. Instead I was re-reading my 4th manuscript (the one I finished almost a year ago), and trying to recreate my original synopsis. I was bitter through the whole thing. Writing a synopsis is hard enough. Revising and editing it? Painful, but doable. But rewriting completely from scratch? There's not much in life I dread more. But I got to work and I did it. I finished the synopsis. I sent in the requested manuscript partials, and I got back to work on my new book. That is, until I sat down to write last night. On a fluke, I checked something on my Alphasmart. It has 8 "files", but it also has an additional limited amount of space. So if I were to open a new file over the old, it would push it out of the "file" but not off the system. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I peaked into the directory what do you think was there smiling at me? Mocking me with it's one word file name?The synopsis. Yup, I found the original. Just in time to finish printing (another story in and of itself) up copies for my Golden Heart entry. Now I have to sit down and re-read both to figure out which is better. But you know it'll be the original.Labels: writers aren't crazy, writing
Some nights
Some nights are all about: - chatting with the girls
- eating good food
- sharing a cupcake
- laughing a lot
- commisserating when necessary
- enjoying good times
This is what good friends are for, and they do it so well. Labels: girls' night in, random musings
Best job in the world...
I never claim to have the best job in the world. I wake up before the sun comes out. If I'm lucky, I remembered to go to the grocery store the night before, so I'll have food for lunch. If I'm really lucky, all the little personalities will mesh for the day and I won't feel the need to crawl back into bed at 11 a.m.There are some definite perks to my job. Technically my hours are 7:30-3:00. I get almost all bank holidays off of work. I have fabulous coworkers. But best of all is that I can wear jeans most days (and almost always on Friday), and occasionally we have days like today. Pajama day. Yes ladies and gents, I'm wearing sweatpants to work. This quite possibly may be the most comfortable day I will ever have. So here's to wearing comfy clothes, and only having a few more hours left of the work week. Labels: random musings
So this is what it's like...
I bet you're all tired of hearing about my computer. You're tired of me whining about how badly I want to throw it off the balcony. About how it takes too long to save anything, making writing fairly difficult when it wants to be ornery. Well no more. Yesterday, after the second Fry's trip of the weekend, I have a larger memory card. And it's even been installed. What does this mean? More working memory for my computer to run off of, which means it can actually...run! Wahoo!I'm still in a little bit of shock. Turning it on took less than 5 minutes. Checking email? Mere seconds. Even opening up my writing file took less time than I'm used to. I swear I jumped the first time something opened without me waiting for 10 minutes. Imagine the possibilities...Labels: computers, random musings
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Every year during the Jewish High Holidays, I think about the year before and think about how I can be a better person in the upcoming year. Not that I'm fabulous as I am, but more that I know I can do better in some areas. I used to be more active with community service, and this is something I miss. But I also know realistically my time is short these days, and growing shorter. 
