I am fatigued today and I’m not sure why. I much prefer feeling energetic. The good news is that I got some stuff done despite the fatigue. All of it was necessary and some of it I really didn’t want to do, but did it anyway.
The day started with an attempted bloodletting. Every year my physician holds my synthyroid prescription hostage pending lab tests. I understand why he does it, but I don’t like the annoyance of getting my blood drawn. Sometimes blood draws are quick and painless, today was not one of those days. The nurse spent a full 8 minutes checking both arms, both hands, and both wrists trying to determine where a puncturable vein might be hiding. She attempted an elbow puncture. Then she fetched another nurse. Nurse #2 spent several minutes looking for a puncturable vein. She attempted a back-of-the-hand puncture. Then she sent me home to drink lots of water, eat some food, warm up, and come back when all of that was done. The return trip later in the afternoon was much more productive. Now the lab has a vial full of my blood to test. Whee.
Gleek is sick with a fever today. She has spent most of the day lying on couches. Anytime Gleek just lays around all day I know she really doesn’t feel well. So today has been a day of snuggles. I even rented a movie for her. Barbie Mermaidia. I’m not a big fan of Barbie. I don’t like the body image promoted or the importance placed on fashion. The point of a barbie doll is to change her clothes. Lots. If my girls need an action figure to play with, I much prefer my girls to be playing with polly pockets. Polly has the same emphasis on fashion, but not the body image issues. Also Polly is much smaller and easier to store. However those clever matel people have figured out a way to sneak barbie into my home. They have been releasing fairytale videos starring barbie. I love fairytales. I could pretend that my love of fairytales is based on an academic study of folkloric themes, but actually my interest in folklore was a result of my love of fairytales. I love fairytales enough that I’m willing to watch versions that feature barbie. Some of them I don’t care for, but Rapunzel I enjoyed a lot. The barbie fairytopia series does nothing for me, but Gleek’s eyes light up for them and since she’s the sick one, I let her preferrences choose the rental.
Perhaps someday soon I’ll borrow copies of Fairytale Theater from our local library and show them to my kids. I loved watching those when I was Kiki’s age. Those are good fairytale retellings with no barbie and no comedic-relief sidekick characters added. Unfortunately there is a high probability that they’ll completely fail to enjoy the shows. They were bored stiff by Back to the Future which for them was not a delightful clash of old and new, but rather a confusing mix of old and older. Maybe I’ll just read some fairytales aloud instead.
Howard swapped email with our printer this morning. We’re now expecting the press match for Schlock Book 1 to arrive on Monday morning. It’s nice to have a fixed date for that. We’ve been watching hopefully for the Fed Ex truck for two days. Now I can relax over this weekend and pick up the stress on Monday. Then I can resume wavering between the fear that we won’t sell enough books and the fear that we’ll sell so many books that I’ll be buried under mailing lists and packaging materials.
This weekend I intend to sew. I have mending that needs to be done and I’ve promised Kiki that I’ll sew her a new dress. We even made a special trip out last Saturday to buy fabric for it. I don’t usually buy fabric new, I usually find it at garage sales or thrift stores and then base my plans on what I find, but I just haven’t been able to find anything that suited Kiki. It has been several years since Kiki had a really nice new dress, so we went shopping and let her pick what she wanted. Then I applied coupons to bring the cost to a reasonable level. Now I just need to get it cut out and sewn.
I seem to have typed myself into a more energetic mood. I should probably use it to go make dinner.
I once spent 2 hours in an emergeny room being punctured no less than 17 times as they tried to find a vein.
Eventually, then went through my wrists. I was told they don’t like to do that b/c it hurts, and lemme tell you, it does. Especially considering the amount of blood they took: 4 vials.
But from that day on, whenever bloodwork is needed, I tell them to take it from my wrists. The pain goes away once the bloodwork is done. Being saved from the annoyance and anxiety of a thousand pin pricks is worth it.
I once spent 2 hours in an emergeny room being punctured no less than 17 times as they tried to find a vein.
Eventually, then went through my wrists. I was told they don’t like to do that b/c it hurts, and lemme tell you, it does. Especially considering the amount of blood they took: 4 vials.
But from that day on, whenever bloodwork is needed, I tell them to take it from my wrists. The pain goes away once the bloodwork is done. Being saved from the annoyance and anxiety of a thousand pin pricks is worth it.
Is Kiki still interested in learning to sew?
Gah, I hate blood-letting. Chugging down lots of water beforehand is a requirement, given my bashful veins. I envy my husband, who always seems to have veins that stand up nicely and they’re done with him in less than a minute.
Maybe what you could do is pick out one of the FairyTale theatres, and if the kids don’t like it, see if you can address what they didn’t like and work on making that more enjoyable for them with the next one.
If you sell so many books you are buried under lists and materials, just keep reciting the mantra “This is a GOOD problem to have! This is a GOOD problem to have!” And if it comes to that … is there someone you could barter time with? They help you with the mailing for a few hours, and then when the crunch dies down, you babysit their kid in exchange?
Or maybe there is some task that Kiki and/or Link could do, perhaps earn a bit more allowance money? Putting a book into an envelope, for example … then you grab it from the pile, insert the receipt, slap a label on, finish out whatever needs to be done … just freewheeling here.
Is Kiki still interested in learning to sew?
Gah, I hate blood-letting. Chugging down lots of water beforehand is a requirement, given my bashful veins. I envy my husband, who always seems to have veins that stand up nicely and they’re done with him in less than a minute.
Maybe what you could do is pick out one of the FairyTale theatres, and if the kids don’t like it, see if you can address what they didn’t like and work on making that more enjoyable for them with the next one.
If you sell so many books you are buried under lists and materials, just keep reciting the mantra “This is a GOOD problem to have! This is a GOOD problem to have!” And if it comes to that … is there someone you could barter time with? They help you with the mailing for a few hours, and then when the crunch dies down, you babysit their kid in exchange?
Or maybe there is some task that Kiki and/or Link could do, perhaps earn a bit more allowance money? Putting a book into an envelope, for example … then you grab it from the pile, insert the receipt, slap a label on, finish out whatever needs to be done … just freewheeling here.
Trust me, if we end up with the “buried under mailing” problem, we’ll also end up with plenty of shipping and handling funds to help us solve it. That’s why when postage+envelope is $2.00 the S&H charge is still $3.00. If we sell 5,000 books, I’ll be able to throw money at the labor problem.
–Howard
Trust me, if we end up with the “buried under mailing” problem, we’ll also end up with plenty of shipping and handling funds to help us solve it. That’s why when postage+envelope is $2.00 the S&H charge is still $3.00. If we sell 5,000 books, I’ll be able to throw money at the labor problem.
–Howard
*snicker* I was hoping you’d have a comeback comment like that 🙂
Too bad you’re not in driving distance. I’d offer my labor in exchange for floor space to crash on for a few days.
Let us fervently hope that you have so many orders you have to hire labor!
*snicker* I was hoping you’d have a comeback comment like that 🙂
Too bad you’re not in driving distance. I’d offer my labor in exchange for floor space to crash on for a few days.
Let us fervently hope that you have so many orders you have to hire labor!
Hey, I DO live in driving distance (BYU student), and I’d be willing to barter my labor for payment in kind… say an autographed copy of The Book. 😀
Hey, I DO live in driving distance (BYU student), and I’d be willing to barter my labor for payment in kind… say an autographed copy of The Book. 😀
Fabric and Fairytales
Sandra,
try walmart for fabric. The 1 dollar a yard stuff is annoying to poke through the stacks, but a LOT of the time, they have some amazing stuff in there.
As for fairytales, do some fairytales from another culture. I used to read african, russian, and chinese fairytales to the kids. They loved hearing stories with a format they understood, but plots they’d never heard.
Google them, print them with pictures (clip art, google images, whatever) and 3 ring binder them. Instant new storybooks.
Hope this helps.
Joshua
Fabric and Fairytales
Sandra,
try walmart for fabric. The 1 dollar a yard stuff is annoying to poke through the stacks, but a LOT of the time, they have some amazing stuff in there.
As for fairytales, do some fairytales from another culture. I used to read african, russian, and chinese fairytales to the kids. They loved hearing stories with a format they understood, but plots they’d never heard.
Google them, print them with pictures (clip art, google images, whatever) and 3 ring binder them. Instant new storybooks.
Hope this helps.
Joshua
If ever there was a book with a built-in high-sales audience, it’s “Schlock.”
If ever there was a book with a built-in high-sales audience, it’s “Schlock.”
I’ve only gotten my blood drawn in one stick TWICE in my whole life. I thanked those two people profusely while on the verge of tears.
Although, the second to last time I had blood drawn somebody FINALLY told me that it is okay to drink water when you’re fasting…
My daughter owns Fairytopia and Barbie and the Pegasus, or whatever. She really loves the mermaids and wants Mermaidia, how was it? (does she meet up with the Merman Prince guy from Fairytopia?)
By the way, the best Barbie ever was the Rosie O’Donell doll. She was shaped like a REAL person. Too bad her hair is short, that makes her less likeable to play with… according to my daughter with her legion of naked Barbies it’s all about the hair. 🙂 What is it with girls and naked Barbies?
Okay no more stalling, must… clean… kitchen….
I’ve only gotten my blood drawn in one stick TWICE in my whole life. I thanked those two people profusely while on the verge of tears.
Although, the second to last time I had blood drawn somebody FINALLY told me that it is okay to drink water when you’re fasting…
My daughter owns Fairytopia and Barbie and the Pegasus, or whatever. She really loves the mermaids and wants Mermaidia, how was it? (does she meet up with the Merman Prince guy from Fairytopia?)
By the way, the best Barbie ever was the Rosie O’Donell doll. She was shaped like a REAL person. Too bad her hair is short, that makes her less likeable to play with… according to my daughter with her legion of naked Barbies it’s all about the hair. 🙂 What is it with girls and naked Barbies?
Okay no more stalling, must… clean… kitchen….