Sandra Cox's Blog, page 202

Unions. Pro or con?

Thinking about becoming an educator? You may want to think again, at least if you live in North Carolina.
Over the past five years community college instructors in NC have averaged two.five percent in  raises. That's not per year, that's over a five-year period. This year there was excess money in the state coffers.So it would make sense that the faculty, and staff, would at least get a raise to offset cost of living, right? The faculty and staff at the cc I worked at are getting a one percent raise and a seven hundred and fifty dollar one-time bonus, while the chancellors at the four-year institutes who are already in the six figures are getting nine to eighteen percent pay increases.
WalletHub ranked North Carolina fiftieth on the best and worst states for teachers chart.
I never expected to be saying this in my lifetime but I think its time for the schools to unionize. At one point in America's history unions were necessary for the middle class and the poor to survive, and then they weren't (necessary). But I believe the pendulum has swung.I think if the middle class is going to survive, it's time to bring them back.
What's your take on unions? Pro or con? And are you in a job where your raises keep up with the cost of living?

Wacky Wednesday

Friends

They come in all shapes and sizes.

Love is blind. Friendship closes its eyes.  ~*~ Friedrich Nietzsche

The Land Mine

How was your weekend, blogster buds?
We spent ours playing with the grands Friday night and Saturday then Sunday I did what I've been putting off forever--all because I didn't want to move my shoes out of the closet--started shampooing the carpet. Woo hoo. Note I say started. I might have to call a halt to the wild excitement for a day or two. Yup, the fun never stops at our house. What about you? I trust you've got something more titillating to share than carpet cleaning.

Friday

Fireman Saves Kitten

Thanks, Rye.

IWSG Wednesday

It's that time again. When we as writers express our doubts and concerns, share our experiences and encourage others.
Besides our awesome IW support group, I'd like to talk briefly about family support. My family is great and completely support my writing, of course, most of them don't support it enough to actually read it. Grin.  I periodically collar the hh, who is an English Instructor and writes poetry. When he does make a suggestion on a manuscript I've written it's usually spot on and something I've totally overlooked. My sister picks up nearly everything that comes out on Kindle and shoots for being the first purchaser and is tied for first place with the hh in leading the rah rah support section. I couldn't do without them. But the family member whose support blows me away is my eighty-seven year old uncle who reads everything that comes out in paper. Romance, fantasy, historical, it doesn't matter, he reads it. Is that not the coolest thing?
And speaking of come outs, i.e. releases, Vampire Island has been re-released.
http://tinyurl.com/nkjfqmc I really like my cover. I purchased it from The Cover Collection.  The price was fair, but my math skills have never been my strong suit and you know those math questions about buying two dozen loaves of bread for twenty some people, etc, etc? Well, I obviously failed because when I had to factor in the pounds versus dollars, I thought I was saving thirty dollars when I was actually paying an extra thirty. grin.


Blurb:
My name is Zoe Tempest. Just let me say, I had no intention of becoming a vampire hunter. My world revolved around the trendiest clothes, the boy of the week, shopping, and texting.
I always tried to play down the fact that I’m really quite intelligent. I’d much rather be considered blonde and clueless. It’s so much easier to get dates.
My parents were well-off and indulgent. I was the center of their universe. I’m afraid I took that for granted.
One odd thing, my mother insisted I take self-defense training. I just figured she wanted to keep her little princess safe. But looking back, perhaps she had a premonition. To my surprise, I took to it like a kid to Pop Tarts and ended up with a black belt in karate.
My life was as close to perfect as a seventeen year old can get. I had everything. Then my parents were murdered and my world came crashing down.
After their funeral, I went to live with my uncle Julian Kilmer. That’s when everything changed. In a manner more terrifying than anything I could have imagined.
~*~Free Download Through Nov 6 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016RFAIPS 

Weekend at the Movies...Even Though It's Tuesday

Wow. Didn't we just mention a few posts back it was the first of October? And  now its November? Yikes! At  least we got an extra hour's sleep.
How was your weekend, blogger buds?  Any trick or treaters? We had  about seven.
We did the movie thing this weekend.  Something new and different.  Our weekends seem to revolve around grocery shopping at Walmart and movies. Friday we re-watched San Andreas. And even though I'd seen it before by the end of the movie I was on the edge of my seat.



Saturday we went to see Bridge of Spies.  It was an interesting look at history. Tom Hanks is superb in the role of James Donovan, the American lawyer who negotiated the exchange of an American pilot  and an American student for a Russian spy.  (Later Donovan was beneficial in obtaining the release of 9700 prisoners in Cuba.) This isn't a fast paced, nail-biting movie, but its certainly worth a look see, especially if you're interested in history. A friend of ours liked it so well. She watched it twice in the theater.

Monday

Wow. Didn't we just mention a few posts back it was the first of October? And  now its November? Yikes! I'm not even going to mention that next month is December. grin. At  least we got an extra hour's sleep.
Any trick or treaters? We had  about a dozen. Which means we had this leftover:
And this:
Oops. The calorie side is showing.

~*~And the winner of the Amazon Gift Card and copy of Vampire Bay 
(from the Spooktacular Blog Hop Giveaway) is.....Drumroll........Ashley M.Congrats, Ashley. 
Thanks to all who liked and added me to twitter.

Happy Halloween

The Jack-o-Lantern at the other Cox Household Err, borrowed from CJ's Blog
A repeat that screams Halloween  I'm still trying to figure out if this is Christmas or Halloween.