Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thursday Thirteen

Random 13 today.

1. Yesterday I met Lenora at A Journal of Days. This very striking and handsome woman introduced herself to me in the library after overhearing my conversation with the staff genealogist. I was looking for information about a small diary that came into my possession this week and she had read my blog entry about it and guessed my identity. I was thrilled to meet her. Her blog is a fun and thought-provoking read. There is now only one other person on my Botetourt bloggers' list whom I have yet to meet.

2. Whitening strips make my teeth ache. I bought a box to try and daresay I wasted my money. I couldn't stand them on for more than 10 minutes. Apparently I have very sensitive teeth.

3. Last night was the first night for running the heat in the house; the temperature dropped below 40. I was hoping to go to October 15 before turning it on; I missed it by one day.

4. I am offering a course on "The Business of Freelancing" through the county Parks & Rec Department on October 24. It is at the Fincastle Library from 9 - 12:30 and costs $50. I already have about 20 pages of handouts and am working on more. I want to be sure participants get their money's worth.

5. I love my husband so much it hurts sometimes.

6. No fiction reading for me since September 10. I am hoping that if I empty my brain of other people's stories, my own story will find its way in and I will begin writing it. I don't know how much longer I can hold out on not reading a story, though. Not reading is hard work when you're an avid reader.

7. Nonfiction books on tape in the car and reading magazines and other nonfiction instead of fiction are now filling this strange period of my life. Maybe it will make me smarter.

8. I have struggled with exercise in recent weeks.

9. My blood pressure has become an issue again. Nobody told me blood pressure meds could work for a while and then ... not.

10. My car will be in the repair shop for several days next week, thanks to my October 4 accident wherein I backed into my husband's motorcycle. The damage estimates for both vehicles came to over $1,500. The motorcycle has yet to be fixed. What a lot of money to pay out for one careless mistake.

11. Good news on the work front; I picked up a new client yesterday.

12. I despise MS Office 2007. I have spent much of my time since July trying to learn this new interface. MS Office 2003 worked fine; why does Microsoft have to keep changing things? (Answer: so you'll have to spend money to buy the new product, that's why.) Not only have I found it difficult and less than intuitive, the changes I make to the normal template, particularly in paragraph spacing, simply will not hold. I have to change this every frickin time I open a new document. It is really irritating. Who designated a space between every paragraph and after every hard return should be the default, anyway?

13. Photo editing software that I actually like is hard to find. I've downloaded several of the free ones; so far I like Picasso the best of those but it has its limitations. I bought The Print Shop Deluxe a few weeks ago because it was on sale for next to nothing but it seems unwieldy to use.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here. This is number 111!

16 comments:

  1. #5 how long have you been married? I love to hear that particular sentence an d don't hear it enough,,sk

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  2. Sounds like you DO have sensitive teeth...but y'know? What I think...those strips are not really 'tested' long enough. I bet someday soon, the FDA will recall 'em.



    My Thursday 13 is Halloween Themed jokes...come on over for some laughs. [You'll find it below my Thursday Thunks...scroll down a bit.]

    Click HERE

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  3. I always enjoy your Thursday 13. Regarding #6: It is so interesting to observe other writers' habits and proclivities. I'm just the opposite---I find my fiction-writing muse by reading other fiction. Same with non-fiction (my blog). Reading other blogs so often sparks my creative fire. Good luck with writing your novel!

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  4. Ibeati (SK) I've been married for 26 years.

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  5. Those strips hurt my teeth, too. Never use them anymore.

    Darn, sorry about the vehicle damage. That burns.

    I definitely want a mixture of nonfiction and fiction. Would be like torture to have to go a long time without a good story. I guess some nonfiction books are even stranger than fiction. I just read Running with Scissors and that was quite a story...

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  6. Hi there!

    Thanks for commenting on my first 13 List! Much appreciated.

    Congratulations on picking up a new client yesterday!

    Awww! I love your #5 - that' love for you!

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  7. I love how much can be packed into a random 13 and it's what the founder of it had in mind. I hadn't realized you have been playing so long.

    My teeth hurt too with the whiteners but only after a couple of applications so I can get some whitening in before I have to quit.

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  8. We had to put the heating on too, sudddenly it became very cold and we even had some frost.
    I can assure you after 40 years of marriage loving your husband doesn't hurt anymore, lol !

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  9. It's freezing here! We've had the heat on for a week now.

    Number 5 is so sweet!

    I didn't know about the blood pressure meds. Darn! I just found one that works for me too.

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  10. On #12, I totally agree!! Of course I think I was the only one on the planet who wanted to go back to Windows 3.1 after '95 came out!

    Whitening strips hurt my teeth too....scary!

    Happy TT!

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  11. I don't think I could live without reading fiction! When I was young & my mother was homeschooling me she insisted I read at least 1 non-fiction book a week & I'd always pick it up Monday & read right through it as fast as possible in order to go back to reading fiction. (even on subjects I was interested in, I just didn't like non-fiction!)

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  12. I'd love to whiten my teeth, but the part that needs it most is between, and I don't know how the strips would get there.

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  13. Wow, I can't imagine not reading fiction. As an author, for me, is like putting gas in car. It can't run on empty,
    Best of luck to you.
    Happy T13!

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  14. Your teeth are pretty just as they are.

    As for Microsoft... yeah. You got THAT one right!

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  15. Great list, and love love love that after 26 year you still have the love!

    As for the fiction reading, I found that an interesting tactic. Can understand why you would do that; I have a friend who makes jewellry and doesn't look at other artists' work (or catalogs) when she's in process since she wants her own style to come forward...

    Happy TT. Mine's up now:
    http://sweetteasunshine.blogspot.com/2009/10/thursday-13-13-random-items-of.html

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  16. I am so with you on #12. I spend more time here at the library trying to help folks with this program. Grrrr.

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