Jude Stringfellow's Blog, page 26

Author Issues (Some of Them are Not Fun)

 I'm really on the fence about how I feel about Ingram Spark as a publisher, but because they don't charge me to publish my books it's hard to argue all the little details. However, some of those little details are not all that small.

    The book "Bay Sorrel Ranch" has 358 pages and I set up the cover with that in mind. They, Ingram, ran the book and basically cut off the words I had written on the back cover. Of course, when they sent it to me for approval, it didn't look that way. It was only after I approved it, ordered it, and received it, that I noticed.  I complained, but they kept writing back to me saying it was approved. HELLO...it was approved, but the image I received in the approval did not match the actual cover!

    Because Ingram Spark doesn't charge, they also don't give good customer service; not really.  They email, and they send vague answers. You have to write to them several times to get someone who will actually work with you. I've found a way to somewhat "assert" myself, but I always feel like a bully when I do it. They really should just do their job and then we authors wouldn't have to strong-arm anyone. 

    I have to say things like, "You know, I've published 13 books with you now, Do you think you want to work with me on this issue or should I escalate this to your supervisor?" When I say that, someone usually comes through for me. The sad thing is, I have to say that. I shouldn't have to. They should DO THEIR JOB!!

    One of the issues I've had over and over again with Ingram Spark is that they accept my manuscript interior or exterior file and then they reject it saying there is corruption, but they don't tell me, and they won't tell me, what that corruption is. Thankfully, a man at Adobe told me that 100% of the time he has seen that, it is usually a font that hasn't been "embedded" or "flattened".  He explained that to me as well, and how I need to literally check a box before I save the file. Geez.

    Anyway, after I've done that, and send it back to Ingram Spark to publish, I've had them reject it again as if there was still corruption. What I do at that point is send the same damn file back to them but I change the name and date, and Viola! They accept it. That proves to me that there was NEVER corruption in the first place. It was just some worker over there in the Philippines who didn't want to go through the motions to do his or her job. Maybe it was too close to the time they went home; I don't know. But they LIED and they constantly lie, and I'm just about done with them.

    With "Bay Sorrel Ranch", they cut off my cover and I had to redo it.  Since they accepted it and told me it was the right size, I argued with them saying I would not pay the revision fee. They sent me a code to use so I didn't have to pay for it. That made me happy.  I sent the revision up today and hopefully in a couple of days it will be fine and I'll be able to put it back on the market.  It's not as if hundreds or thousands of copies were being sold, but the fact is if only ONE was sold to someone who paid $18 for a good book and that person had the same experience I did, they would think it was ME that cheated them. 

    Believe me, no one blames the publisher for something like that. They put the blame on the author! Why? I have no idea, but they will say my books were miscut, I didn't have the withal to find a better publisher, or whatever. It was literally a few pages too fat for the cover, but they didn't tell me that. The book cover generator I used said it was OK. I hope this one is. I don't like doing things over three or four times.

    I think in the future I'll make the book cover a good 10 pages bigger than the actual book and see if that works. I'd hate for it to be too big and be rejected...this is an art form, people. It really is. You have to have a subscription to something like CANVA and then use a generated book cover template from KDP or someone, and you have to superimpose it onto your Canva project and work through the prompts. 

    I am super excited that Canva, Adobe, and KDP as well as Ingram Spark exist. I can literally write my books, edit my books, create the interior formatting, and design the cover for next to nothing. I can upload them for free, and they pay me the same as Amazon or any other platform would pay me for a copy of a book. An author gets about $1.40 per $18.00 book. It's not glamorous. I'm excited about putting the books on EPUB or E-book platforms because I can charge $3.99 for the book and earn $2.80. That's the ticket.  That begins in June. Woot!

Meet Norman Macleod. (1975 Aria acoustic guitar made in Japan)

 Aria is the name of the main female character in the first novel I wrote.  Her name is Aria Campbell, and yes, she was named for the guitars that I prefer. I love Fender, Gibson, Aria, and then Yamaha. I wish I could say that I've been able to play them, but I can't. I don't know how, but I do play at it - - and sooner or later I'll get the hang of it. Eternity is a very long time, so I figure I can make something happen there if I can't make it happen here.

    There will be guitars in Heaven. We know this. I don't have to worry about it; hopefully, I'll be in a beginner's class as soon as I land on solid ground.  That's one of my hopes anyway. Edgar Cruz was supposed to teach me how to play in 1982, but he sort of dropped that ball -- something about being in love or something, I don't know. All I know is I still can't pick up a guitar and just play it. I pick them up and talk to them, play with them, and just pretend I'm doing what I should be doing.

    That being said, I have owned a few really cool guitars in my life. I had a really nice vintage Spanish guitar once, I named her Stella. She was stolen, and I have been very sad about that for over twenty years now.  I own a Yamaha; one I bought from a drummer who thought he'd learn to play guitar, and it never happened. "Wally", my Yamaha, is about 10 years old, and he hangs on my wall and reminds me that I need to do more than just think about learning, so I pull him off the wall and play about 3 times a week.

    Now, and only just today, I own an Aria!! I was too excited when I found it online through Facebook Marketplace. The ad said they wanted $75 but that the price was negotiable. Seriously? I wrote to them and said I was on my way. I asked if they wanted cash or Venmo. They said cash, and I said I'd be there within the hour. It was a 30-mile trek, but yes...worth it. They actually told me that they'd take $60 so I was even more excited.

    Driving down to Norman (which is why I call him "Norman") to pick him up, I decided to stop by OnQue and pick up a lottery ticket too; so if I win tonight you'll hear about that too I'm sure. (Or maybe you won't, I probably shouldn't tell anyone since it's $935M although, come on, the payout is ONLY $452M..LOL).  I pulled out the money from the ATM and I drove to the apartment where he was; maybe 10 minutes away from the pit stop.

    I talked to the owner, she was the girlfriend of the man who pulled Norman out of the trash bin where an apartment renter had put him. He may have been on the outside rather than the inside, as he's not damaged. He had a scuff on his face, but that was there a while back. The lady said her boyfriend is the maintenance guy at the complex, and people throw out good things all the time. He'll collect them, clean them, and sell them if he can.  He had no idea what the guitar was worth.

    The serial number on my guitar is in the 5000s. I'm not saying exactly what the number is, I don't need someone claiming it was stolen so they can sell it themselves.  Nope, Norman is mine!  I am not going to sell him, even though his serial number places him as being made in the year 1975. Even though he is in perfect shape, and has no injuries, he will remain with me.

    There is another person online with an Aria made in 1978 and they're asking $500 for it. Wow. I feel pretty good about my little investment. The scuff on his face tells me he's been around. He's been in a situation or two. Maybe he was played in bars and was used to defend his owner at some point? Who knows. He's an amazing instrument, and I'm about to have him professionally cleaned, restrung, and tuned. He'll come home and be played at least 3x a week.

    What I did notice is that though he is the same size as Wally, he's lighter. It's much easier to hold him, and I think his neck may be thinner, as my fingers seem to fit better. I may actually be able to learn on Norman!! This will make me a very happy girl indeed.

    Oh...so yeah, his name is Norman Macleod, and before you ask, I'll go ahead and admit it. His last name is Macleod because my favorite guitarist (sorry Edgar) is Steph Macleod, and he plays an Aria too. I do that, I name things after people and places and things I admire. Wally is Sir Wally Stirling. He was named for William Wallace and the city of Stirling.  I do that.

Photo Credit: Me.

MESA (On HOLD) Not Happening Right Now.

 I sort of knew this would happen. The only reason I could write all six novels in 2023 was that I wasn't working full-time. I am now working, so I can't get the energy, the creativity, or the time to sit down and write the books like I want to. It's just going to have to take a backseat. 

    What I am doing, and what I can do, is research the stuffings out of the book, so that when I do sit down to write it, I will have notes out the wahzoo about it and I can get it written rather quickly. I'm just not motivated after working all day, to sit down and write. I'm still working on myself right now, and trying to get a few things underway.

    I've been really ill the past few weeks with what was probably another bout of Covid, but I didn't want to give that any credence. I'm absolutely sure it was a bad allergy-induced cold, but with the lung thing attached, I have to say it was or is probably Covid and I'm not the least bit happy about it. I managed to get over the cold part, the sick part, in just about a week's time, but the coughing and stuff is still lingering. 

    On top of all that, I decided to over-extend myself, and take Ivermectin to assist with the lung thing, and it did work. I can certainly feel them clearing up but in the process the dang stuff set off a chain-reaction of killing off parasites in my body, which is what Ivermectin does in the first place. This drug is good, let me just say that. I am now, three days in, and have had some side effects that I would not wish on anyone.

    The Ivermectin takes hold of you on the third day like an all-inclusive progress. I know the parasites are leaving me because they're fighting tooth and nail to cling to life. My head hurt right on the top, but not really very painful, it's just that I couldn't stand up. I couldn't really open my eyes and I couldn't do anything about it for literally 15 hours. I was down! The good news is, after it was over and I slept all day and then all night after that, I woke up with 50% of myself and I was able to work. 

    I did have a good release and/or movement, and yes, I did look, and yes, there were quite a few parasites which have been "flushed" from me and down the toilet. I do feel better. I thought it was going to be easier I think, but it was not. I'm told that about 20% of the people who take it have these symptoms. It may or may not happen so don't think I'm telling you that it will happen to you if you take it.  MANY people take the paste/gel and are fine. Many others take the pill form and they are fine. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR before you attempt it.

    Anyway, that all being said, my body and my mind are just not in sync right now, so I'll read and I'll study, and I'll think. This gives me the freedom to come up with really good lines for my characters to use. I may even have one or the other of them take a dose of Ivermectin to cure them of something - - it may happen. I like to add my personal experiences in my novels. It helps me to deal with my life in an entirely differently way. Sharing is caring!!

    I hope you have a GREAT Resurrection weekend. This is the weekend I feel closest to Jesus because He did lay down His own life for mine - - if I were the only one to do it for, He would still have done it. That fact makes me so very grateful. I was laying in my bed with the worst head-spinning and I closed my eyes and remembered that it was on Thursday that they crucified my Lord. It was Thursday when I was an invalid myself. I can see the bright and beautiful promise of Sunday!

    I will get "Mesa" written. It will happen, just not today.

Photo Credit:  istock.com

I DId a Thing. (I took Ivermectin paste by mouth)

 For years we had horses and every 3 or 4 months or so we'd have to give them a really good dose of worming meds to get all the parasites they were storing in their intestines. Animals, like people, walk around all day and all night all year long with parasites. I know, that when I was about to give birth to my son, I was given an enema and let me say this - - I learned a great deal about what we humans have inside of us at any given time.

    So, when the world was fighting Covid and those of us who had horses were hearing about other people who had horses who were taking Ivermectin paste or gel right out of the tube, I have to be honest, I wasn't 100% sold that doing so would be the best solution. Part of me was thinking it was safe for animals, but not necessarily for humans, but no one I knew who had taken it had died. No one I knew who had taken it had been sick either!

    Well, I just got over what could have been another bout with Covid. It was like a cold in many ways, but had that nagging stupid lung thing to go with it. I was out for three months in 2020 with the lung thing. The cold part of it was over and done with the first week, but there I was hacking and barely able to breathe all through Winter.  This time, this year, actually just about an hour ago, I took a small dose of Ivermectin (the paste or gel type that you see in Tractor Supply).  I bought my tube online and it cost $7.49 I think.

    I took right at 1.5 cc as I weigh over 150 and not 200.  I called my veterinarian to be sure I was doing it correctly. I have to laugh when I say that; both my vets are fantastic. The father is my small animal vet, and his son is my large animal vet. Both were in the office and both conferred that an "animal" (as opposed to plant or mineral) could take 100cc of the stuff per 100 pounds of their body weight and be safe.  Good. I was right.

    The thing I was not right about was taking it with food. I don't even know why I didn't ask. I should have. After I took it with my dinner I decided to look it up, and yeah, I was supposed to take it on an empty stomach! OOPS!  It's been an hour and I'm still breathing, so we'll go with that.

    What am I hoping for? Oh, I have so many expectations!! I want to have every worm, parasite, virus, and thingamabob living inside my body to make its exit. I want to be 28-40 pounds lighter tomorrow but I don't think that's going to happen. I want to get rid of this cough and hack thing. I want to feel good, feel clean, feel energized, and be healthy. It has been 16 days and I'm still waking up with a bit of a head thing. I hate it. I mean, I'm much better than I was, but not good yet.

    Google and all the others want you to think that taking alternative meds are really bad for you. They not only discourage doctors and vets from sharing their information with you, they protest, sue, discredit and take licenses away in some cases. It's amazing how this one thing could have and probably does either cure or curb the effects of the nasty virus, but they don't want you to know about it because it doesn't fit their narrative. It doesn't make them money. It gives us control and they can't have that.

    Well, I did that. I took it. I have to wait to see if I feel like eating a bucket of oats and maybe some grass a little later on, but I think if that's the worst side effect I should be OK. I will tell you that for over 40 years I've loved McDonald's unsweetened tea because it does actually taste like hay...yes, it really really does, and I love it; with our without Ivermectin in my system. 

    I'll let you know if I die. (Well, Laura will let you know if I die)  According to the research I've done both online and asking my vet, about 78% of the parasites in me should be gone in 24 hours, and over 98% of them should be gone after 2 weeks.  You don't take more than one dose every 3 months. It's not something you over take or use often. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR before you do this!!

Pretending!! (I'm Thinking of my new Apartment)

 Unless and until my books take off, I'll not be moving to Scotland anytime soon. I mean, I may go again to visit, but I won't be able to move there on a permanent basis until such time that I can afford the visas, the travel, the space, the rents, the deposits, and all the rest. It is a sad thing, but not something I can't live without. I do know that if I moved to Scotland I would literally be giving up so much more space and more money than I need to. Some of these types of facts make me happy to know I'll be OK here in Oklahoma. (sigh)

    Scotland has 135 days of sunshine each year, while Oklahoma has 235 days. That's literally 3 months more of sunshine.  We have air conditioning, but the sad thing is, we need it. It's so much better in Scotland when it comes to heat. They hover between 30-75 degrees all year.  In Oklahoma, we get that in a day....often.  We hit -5 this winter and 113 last summer. I'm not a fan. 

    Anyway, so what I do, and what I often do, is fantasy and pretend I already have the new apartment. I go to Home Depot and Lowes to find things like paint, fixtures, carpets, and all that. I also go to @Home, Living Spaces, Big Lots, and other stores to find furniture, throws, pillows, candles, and any art I think I need. It's fun. I thoroughly enjoy every single minute of the prep time.

    My new apartment will most likely be a one bedroom one bathroom unit here where my daughter and I live now. We have a two bed with 1.5 baths now, and we pay $680.00 a month. That seems to send some folks into the sky when I tell them that, but it's true.  The new apartment is 750 sf, vs. the 1100 sf two bedroom.  It will rent for $640 since the complex has actually made some improvements and is raising the rent on us this year.

    I've lived here about eight years this time around. I've lived in this complex about five times in my life. It was the first place for my kids to have their own place to live; that's always cool. Actually, I say that, it's the first place for my daughters. My son did have his own place when I kicked him out at 16 3/4 and let him live directly across the street from his high school. I paid the rent, but he had to pay the utilities. He worked. It was good.

    The new place will have a large living where I'll put both the living room furniture and my office set up.  The room is about 20' x 16' or so.  There is a dining room, but I may not use it as such since it's just me. I may just use it for my boxing bag so I can have a good place to box, we'll have to see what happens.

    The kitchen is virtually the same size, and I'm hoping when I do move that the complex will go all out and give me new appliances and a new countertop. I will have to insist on it if they try to get away with it - - I've lived for 8 years with really old countertops and I'm not doing that again.  The carpet will be new, and if they don't do it, I'll rip it out myself and they can get over it. Again, I've put up with their nonsense too long.

    I'll have three full closets in the new unit, and will only need one for my clothes. The others will be for coats and storage. I have two 4-tier storage shelves that I'll put into one closet to store all that I need to in a very organized manner. My place (unlike my place now) will be so very very clean and so very very organized. My old place was too -- that's when I lived alone. That's when I had NO KIDS living with me. Did I say that out loud? I think I did.

    Instead of several bottles in the bathroom there will be only a few. It never ceases to amaze me  how two people can't choose to use the same shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, and all the rest. We don't need to make the place look crazy! I want it to be neat, tidy, arranged and pristine. It doesn't have to be perfect, but yeah, the baseboards should be free of cat hair. Can we at least agree on that?

    Though I have to take my own trash out, it will be taken out on time. My dishwasher will work, but then again, I've lived so long without one I'll likely do my own dishes since it will just be me. I won't have all the food and/or things out on the counter either. I will have them IN THE PANTRY...you know, WHERE THEY BELONG!!  There I go again, shouting. I'll try to keep it down.

    When I walk into my new place I will not be greeted by a big dog trying to knock me over. My dog is small, and she knows not to get under my feet. I will only have ONE CAT to clean up after, and yes, I do a really good job cleaning him out every day, not every third day.  There will be less clothes and shoes strung around. There will be quiet, peacefulness, tranquility, rather than a loud mouthed gamer who can't seem to realize she doesn't live alone. I love her, I do...but yeah, time to get out!!

    I've tried to make my escape about 11 times in the past 8 years, but this time I've put my foot down. If she loses her job or otherwise can't make it on her own, I'm simply going to throw money at her and shut my door! She is not moving back in with me. I'll move back in with her when I'm too old to move about by myself; then maybe I'll be too senile to know I'm in the monkey-cages at the zoo!!  I'd love to mask some of these a animal smells with candles but she gets pissy - - she can take musk from a dog, but not sandalwood!  GEEZ!

    No, it's so past time. It is so so very very past time. We have needed to be separated for years but timing was bad, then the pandemic, then more sickness, then we both lost our jobs, and it just went on and on for too long. It's TIME!!  Finally, it is time. We are hoping that in June (This is March) we can do that. That's the plan...and even though I'll be in the same complex so I can take her places (she doesn't have a car), I will not see much of her other than when we walk our dogs and cross paths at the laundry room.

    I walk, she walks, so we'll see each other then. If I do live across from her she won't see me because she'll pull all the curtains closed. I want them all open. She's a vampire! She lives in the dark and on the computer. She has finally learned to cook a few things so she's not going to be darkening my door too often to eat with me, but I bet she still does. I think she'll take it to go if I'm honest. She'll think it's good to save a buck or two and just rid me of my leftovers. 

    My new place will have really pretty paint. I may take off the 2" baseboard and replace it with 4" adhesive type baseboard. I'll line the door jambs as well and the top of the doors. I will have a "classic" look and buy only those things I really want to buy so that my place is both comfortable and cozy. I want it to shine and be a place I am proud of. I think it will be. I just have to get to the point where I can afford to move out, get what I need, and start fresh - - what do you want to bet she pulls the carpet out of this unit and turns the place into a cave with black out curtains? I'll give her 2 days before she does just exactly that.

    She'll have my room to put her computer in, and she'll have all the space she'll ever need. I hope she finds a place for all the clutter she has now. I know my mother would have pounded me if I lived this way in her house. I should be more assertive about it, but she's really really a good roommate. I love her, and she knows it. We are just two different people.

    I made a list of things I won't miss about this place. I do that too.  Here it is, but it's not complete.

The door that is too thin and makes noise when you open it.The dishwasher not working.Bad carpet, bad tile, bad counters, bad appliances.The stairs!! I will be in a downstairs unit.Air ducts not working properly because I will call every day until they are working correctly. We don't here because her job won't allow interior noise and they have to come into the unit to fix it.cat hair everywhere.  (This is funny because he's my cat, but I keep him groomed most of the time, but he sheds and she's supposed to clean it up but she doesn't. I end up doing it.)Clothes and shoes thrown everywhere.Puppy pads. (Yes, her one-year old dog still goes on pads)Terrible furniture. We don't have good furniture because her dog and her cat destroy it. My cat is declawed. (don't judge me)Loud and obnoxious gaming from the other room!I won't need to wait to take a shower and that room will be spotlessly clean at all times.I will have a patio to use and actually USE!! This one has a balcony and we never go out on it; we could, but we just don't. I will use mine.Food will be put away. The fridge will be organized. I will not run out of something without KNOWING IT. (smile)Lastly, I won't miss the parking spot because I'll use the other one we have which will be closer to my unit if I'm on this side and if I'm on the other side of the complex I'll have a new parking space. The one we use now is next to the dumpster and the big truck has almost hit my car 100x!!    Well, that's it. My new place will be pristine, pretty, and uniquely me. I'll paint the walls in muted greys with plum, azure, and green tones. The towels and dish clothes will all be new, the toaster will be new. I'm even leaving her the electric kettle and will get my own! It will be a glass one so I can see the water boiling. I may get one with LED lights! I'm just that cool.
Here's praying it can all happen...soon. Photo Credit: Wayfair.com 

 

    

Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust

 Before we get too far into it, I'll write out the recipe. I got it from Pinterest and followed it but not exactly, and therefore any complaints I have will be  with myself, and not with the author of the recipe. Mine turned out good, I'd give it a 8/10 but they could have and should have been better. I'll need to figure out what I did.

RECIPE:

Crust: Shortbread (and this is for a 9" x 13" pan.)

2 cups of flour, 1 cup of room temperature butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.

After blending the butter and sugar, you add the dry, and use a spatula to mix. It will be crumbly. You pour it into a pan that you have pre-sprayed, and you pat it down tightly.  You take a fork and pierce the top several times and bake it for 15-20 minutes until it is a very light golden brown color.

For the lemon filling:  6 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of flour, 2/3 cup of lemon juice and 2 tsp. of lemon zest.  I used a juicer to strain the lemons and collected the zest easily from the discard.

Mix the eggs, sugar, zest, lemon juice, and flour together, blend and pour over the cookie crust.  Bake for 20 minutes. Set out to cool for a hour before putting it into the fridge for 2 hours to cool.  

OK, that's the recipe. Here's the thing I ran into while making the bars and afterward.  I should have noticed that the recipe called for a 9" x 13" pan, and I used the full recipe for a smaller pan. I used a 9" x 9" glass pan. It's not that big of a difference, but the crust would have been a little less thick if I had paid attention like I should have.

    The shortbread still tasted really good, but if I was making cookie bars it would have crumbled on me, so I'll need to figure out a way to overcome that. I want to be able to just make the cookies next time without the lemon top. It was super simple and anyone can do it. 

    I don't use sugar when I cook so I will state that I used monk fruit.  You can use a blender or food processor to make the monk fruit into powdered monk fruit so that it has the fluffy consistency as powdered sugar. I just don't want all the calories. The same bar that would have over 350 calories has less than 40 when I make it. Like I said, I give it an 8 out of 10. I could improve it.

    When you juice the lemons there is air in the mix and you don't get that clear transparent yellow look like you see in the professional photos. I think they use (probably use) lemon juice rather than juiced lemons. There is a difference. I juiced mine and took the zest right from the juicer's discard bin. It was extremely fine, but could have added to the cloudy coloring.

    I popped mine in the oven (first the crust at 375 for 15 minutes) at 375 for 20 minutes, and I pulled it out to cool. I set it on a rack and decided after about an hour to dig into it. You're supposed to let it cool several hours - - sue me.

    It's thick, it's good, it's lemony.  I like it. I just think I can improve on it. I'll keep thinking of ways to make that happen. With time and effort this too will be a family favorite, even if I'm only sharing the first few batches with the kid that lives with me.  I'm sure my grands would eat two of them without complaining. I'd bet the farm on that. 

    It's been at least 30 years since I've made shortbread I think, so I was hoping this batch would be really good. It's good. It's not spectacular. I want to figure out what I need to do to make it really stand out. I hate to have to sacrifice this way, but yeah, I guess I'll just have to keep making it over and over again until I can say I've perfected it. Daunting, I know.

    Well, here's to cooking with recipes. I've never been a fan of that. I want to just put things together. After a few times I'll ditch the piece of paper that tells me exactly what to do, and I'll venture out on my very own - - which typically goes my way, but there have been times when I end up scrapping it all and just washing up the mess.  

Photo Credit:  Me.

    

I Gave up Coffee.

 Two weeks ago I was so sick, and now, looking back at it, it could have been Covid, but I don't like to give that belief much thought. I know the virus is real. I just think it could have been prevented and that it was created, not an act of nature.  That's not what this blog is about; this blog is about one of the things to come out of the illness.  I gave coffee while I was sick because it upset my stomach so badly. I finally just said no to it, and though I'm on the mend, and almost over the dang thing, I still don't want to drink coffee.

    I'm not going to be dramatic, or say that I was an addict. I will say that I drank it every day, and that I looked forward to doing so. I drank coffee regularly since about my early 20s, even though I began drinking it at the age of two. I wasn't a full-cup drinker until about the age of 21. 

    When I was in my younger years I'd find a place like Starbucks to make me a strong cappuccino, usually a wet cappuccino, and usually with three or even four shots of espresso. I didn't do this all the time, but I did it enough so that when Starbucks came to my hometown, I knew what to order. I drank a grande four-shot wet cappuccino.  That was my go to. 

    Over time I started lowering the shots down to just two, and then finally going to a tall with just one shot. Time continued to pass and I would just make mine a flat white, asking for more cream. It's been gradual. I owned my own espresso machine, but they never turned out as good as the ones you could get at a shop.  My coffee pot was good though. I kept it stocked with good darker roasts and I drank one to three cups a day usually. I saved myself a tremendous amount of money doing that.

    Working from home, I don't get out to buy coffee on the go. I just make it at home. I decided two weeks ago to stop and I just didn't make it. I wasn't an addict apparently, because I didn't have any qualms about putting the pot away. I just stashed the machine in the pantry and haven't used it since. It didn't take a lot of heartwrenching to do it; I just wrapped up the cord, rinsed out the machine and stuffed it into the pantry where it sits today.

    One thing I thought would happen was that I would have intense withdrawals from choosing to go without any stimulant. That never happened. I mean, maybe it did and I was just too sick from the cold-covid thing to know I was having caffeine withdrawals. I didn't have a head ache that I remember. I didn't feel weird or empty. I just stopped drinking it. I substituted green tea, Macha tea, and I love it. I only drank one cup, not two or three.  This morning was the first time in about 12 days that I had regular green tea. I'm not going to substitute one caffeine for another. I just liked Macha and I'll drink it when I want to.

    I'm not kidding, I thought if I ever had to give up my coffee I would fall apart. That didn't happen. It was like letting go of someone who just sort of hangs out and doesn't do anything for me. It was as if I was keeping coffee around for my own reasoning, but there was no actual reason. I don't feel badly. I don't feel anything different. I'm not happy about it. I'm not sad about it. I'm not even sure I even notice any differences yet, but I'm told I'll have a clearer mind to think through issues. That makes me happy.

    I'm filling my life and body with good things. I meditate, eat correctly, sleep well, stretch, do exercises, walk, and pray. I take the right supplements and drink plenty of lemon or lime water throughout the day. Maybe...just maybe....giving up the coffee will be the one thing that triggers my hormones to finally release this stupid belly fat! Wouldn't that be nice? I'll pray about it. I don't want to put any false hope out there.

    That's it. No more coffee for me, not unless I have an occasional drink with friends or something, but for right now it feels as if it's history. I'll keep you posted.

Photo Credit:  OverHere.EU

Going Beyond the Label.

 I watch these videos online and I think long and hard about them. These videos I'm talking about are those would be Hollywood type doctors who swear by all things they believe to be holy, that they've discovered a new pill, a drug, or supplement that will change the way we live and the way we eat. Inevitably they claim a person (usually a woman over 50 years of age) can and will shed weight if they only join the many thousands who have already shed 10, 15, 20 pounds in just a short amount of time. Just pay $$$ for their pills...come on, you can do it...right?

    It makes me laugh really. I think, "Why are people so dumb that they would fall for this?" It has to be a lie otherwise it would have been out there with your own doctor's signature on the Rx pad, telling you to have your insurance pick up the tab for their miracle drug. It's not true. It's not real. It's not safe usually.

    What I did was go online and see one such "miracle pill" from a guy who really did have the credentials he claimed he had, but all that means is that the people behind the supplement paid him to agree to say he developed the pill and that he stands by it. You know he's raking in the money; and he had zero or very little to do with the actual supplement. It's just a scham. I hate it, because too many folks believe it.

    OK, so the pill I found was supposed to "reactivate" a person. I say that loosely so no one feels they need to sue me anytime soon.  I looked up the ingredients and they are (for the most part) zinc, selenium, cooper, magnesium, vitamins C, B6, and B12.  Tell me you can't pick those up on your own for so much less than what they are charging with these pills they push.  You can go on Amazon, Swanson, so many other places and pick up a bottle of each or in combinations of these supplements. I personally prefer liquid drops; it's so much easier.

    I do a daily poo-cleanser that was put together by me in a big container using the same exact ingredients as another famous celebrity doctor. I think I have something like 180 days supply rather than 30, and it cost me 1/2 of what he was charging for his 30 day supply.  It works fine. I'm OK...over here pooping like I should.  I'm going to give this new weight loss and skin firming "pill" a go by buying the liquid drops and taking them in the same amount of dosages suggested by the good doctor.

    Soon, I too, can look 20 years younger and have radiant skin, nails, and hair....my face will become firmer, and my belly fat will instantly melt away! That's his claim, not mine. I'll be happy with being healthy and hopefully it will help my immune system since it has all the same ingredients that others prescribed and have prescribed for years. It's just amazing how these doctors think we need to buy zinc in the pharmacy and pay $$$ for it when it's literally $3 at Wal-Mart or online with Amazon.  You only need 10-12mg a day, so if you get the 25mg pill you may consider cutting it in half. READ and talk to your doctor about it before you go off and experiment!!

    This time tomorrow I will have the liquid miracle in my hands!! Maybe by this time next month I'll be radiant...who knows? Worth a shot, right? I bought a bottle of berberine as well since another famous doctor claimed his new pill helped to reduce a woman's waist and literally 90% of the pill is berberine....go figure. Again, just look it up, talk to your doctor, be sure you can take these supplements and save yourself the $$$ you need to put into your gas tank!!

UPDATE:  I literally bought four bottles of liquid drops that contain the EXACT supplements (and a few others like folic acid and other mood supplements) and the four bottles will last 60-90 days depending on the bottle.  This means at least 60 days. They all have 60 days at least in them.  I paid $42 for it, and it will last at least 60 days. The cheapest bottle online for the good doctor's pills was $49.95 but you had to buy two to get the price. Each of his bottles are a month's supply, or 30 days. See the difference?

Photo credit:  TraceMinerals.com  (Not the one I bought)

Driver's License Rant.

 I'm 100% over the rant-stage at this point; and I have to add that a trip to Arby's helped in that situation. My driver's license was up for renewal and had to be done by 3/31/24.  Today is 3/22/24, and I happened to be off from work at noon today; yay team!  So, I decided to drive to the tag agency, which is where we get our licenses in the state of Oklahoma.  I rolled up to the place and walked right in. There were only two people in front of me.

    As I walked up to the counter I could clearly see a big orange sign stating that they had reached their capacity for doing driver's licenses for the day. It was barely after the noon hour and they're open until 5:00 p.m.  There were literally TWO people in front of me. I wondered if they were even allowed to take off at noon; they aren't. It's a government-run facility, and they don't get half-day off-with-pay type benefits. 

    When I got to the front of the line I was asked if I wanted to make an appointment to have my license renewed. No, I don't want to make an appointment, I'm here! I wanted to renew my license. Apparently, they don't do it that way anymore. I don't know when that started as my last license was renewed in 2020. It was confirmed in the "Pandemic" and I walked into the place without a mask and got the darn thing. Today, I have to set an appointment! 

    There was a young man sitting by the driver's license photo thing and he said he had been there 3 hours waiting for his appointment because he couldn't make it, leave, and come back. He lived too far away. That's crazy! There were people in the office right there who could have helped him. They were moving so slowly, and intentionally not looking at him. I thought "Wow, these people are both lazy and rude."  I know I'm correct on that one. 

    Anyway, they only had appointments for times in the month of April. They were booked solid unless you walk in at 8:01 a.m. and they have someone who decides to help. No thank you. I'm complaining to the Governor and I hope others do as well. This method is highly unproductive and it causes anger and unnecessary hardship on people.  I left the office and drove four miles to a tag agency in my smaller township of Bethany, where I grew up. Luckily, there was only one person in the entire office! Woo Hoo!

    They still wanted me to set an appointment, but I managed to talk them into doing mine between the three appointments they had scheduled for after 1:00 p.m. today. It was about 12:45 and she said she'd do it. YEA!!  I was really happy about that.  She asked for my driver's license of course, my passport and another form of proof to show where I live. Are you kidding me?  I mean, I keep my passport on me, but I don't keep mail on me.  I asked her to look up my car registration and she did, and used that. Geez Louise!

    The four-year renewal was only $21.50 and because I'm 62 it was only $17.50.  That's cool - - but you know what really hit me is that we have to prove so much to get a dang license, but they'll let illegal undocumented people into our country and allow them to have I.D. cards without any I.D.   They can literally say their name and address and get the I.D. card without proof! That's not acceptable. 

    I am an American citizen and I had to prove my address three different ways. I had to show proof of my insurance for my car tag, and I had to prove my identity through a valid passport as well.  The 2024 election will likely see millions of voters who have no right to vote, but because they have an I.D. they will claim to be an American. I am not sure if their cards are different from ours. I would hope they would be.  I can't shout it loudly enough - - we need reform!

    There should be a way to go online and renew the licenses as well. If they accept my passport they should be able to look it up online and see that it's valid.  If they accept my car's registration they should be able to link that information as well. I should not have had to drive around and beg someone to take my photo for my license. We have the means of doing that through an app as well.  That's how I did the passport photos.

    It's only a little rant, but one that needed to be done. I'm just so tired of people (usually the government) making things too hard on all of us - - just don't.  Remember to vote those into office who you feel will actually do something for us; not harm us. I think there is a way to do this all online, but I didn't know that until today - - which wouldn't have helped me. You need to do it about a month in advance. I thought I was doing well doing it a full week beforehand. 

Photo Credit:  Zutobi.com

Lean Six Sigma - - and Me.

 I was somewhere around the age of twelve when I first learned about Bloom's Taxonomy. I guess I just thought everyone knew about it, and you can only imagine my astonishment when I realized that no, no they didn't.  I was called out for my love of the philosophy even before I knew I had adopted one. I was a Bloom's friend and there was nobody in this world that could stop me from asking pertinent and/or meaningful questions about literally everything I came in contact with. 

    Today, some fifty years later, I'm still asking questions. I want to know just about everything there is to know about everything I see, hear, know, or think about. I don't see a piece of art and think it's pretty. I first wonder about the artist, and why they were compelled to make that particular piece of art. I see something at work or at school and wonder who engineered it. I think someone had an idea, they had to get it approved, and then they hired someone to make it happened. I never just look at something and think, "Oh, that's really cool" without asking myself what it is, why it's what it is, how it is constructed, what makes it work exactly, and can it be improved. I asked myself what applications does it have in my life, and then I start building out my own thoughts of why I didn't think of it myself!

    Lean Six Sigma, or just Six Sigma really, since all of these concepts include the "lean" portion of it now; trying to be the best and using the most effective means possible; it only makes sense to just combine the two and call them what they are. They are the components to a philosophy that asks us to be more effective, more logical in our means and ways, and to find better and more efficients means of being productive or in some cases, being more effective. 

    Six Sigma courses train a person in several disciplines but not all disciplines; not yet. They are coming out with more courses for more diverse learning and I love that. It's literally  the very core of what Six Sigma is all about. We can't stop at 8 or 10 disciplines if all disciplines can benefit from the way of thinking which is Six Sigma. I think for the time being, I will learn the processes through a free online course and do so in the discipline of supply chain or logistics. It has always been a fascination of mine; how the food ended up on my plate.

    Everything has a start. Everything as a beginning, a middle, and an end. As a writer I fully understand the concept. In my training and my research I welcome the fact that there are stages and degrees of learning within the courses. If you think of the frog that becomes unaware of how hot the water becomes because he/she has become so accustom to the temperature as it slowly rises, that is the same concept of Six Sigma. You can't take it all in at one time; it's overpowering. You learn as you go, and you build on what you have learned.

    The company I am currently working at doesn't offer the paid training in Six Sigma for Claims Adjusters at this time; they are only paying for the courses for their managers. I think that's unfortunate, because the learning concepts are not just for one set of people; the entire company will benefit when any and all decide to think openly, willfully with a desire to streamline and make the process easier, better, more efficient. It's OK, I'm not going to wait on them - - I don't wait on anyone and I never have. If I want to learn this philosophy, and I do, I'll simply find a way - - it's who I am.

    I'm now enrolled in a free online White Belt course for Six Sigma, and after I take the White Belt certification, I'll pay for the other levels. There are various places to go online to learn; you don't have to enroll in college these days to learn. Since it's not a degree program, online certifications are available. There are places you can go and take official tests so you get your certifications; this way you can add these needed and valuable skillsets to your resume. You appreciate in value - - professionally speaking. It can help you with your own personal self love and awareness as well.

    Six Sigma is a great practice to engage in at so many levels. Like Bloom's Taxonomy, it's not just for the limited disciplines being offered, but a technique to use in literally every decision you make from this point forward. It gives you a way to think through your decisions and to come up with the best and more keenly thought out resolution.  You start to think about things in so many varied ways; it gives you a spectrum of choice that you may never have realized before.

    If you're interested I would suggest that you Google "Online free Six Sigma courses" and find the one that best suits you. I'm going with www.sixsigmaonline.org for the first round, and if I like it, I will continue using them for the various levels or belts before taking the final step to become a Black Belt. They have Master Black Belts as well, but I think I'll stick with the top tier of Black Belt. I'm not necessarily going to try to train others. This is for me. This is my time. 

Photo Credit:  Vanderbilt Center for Teaching