This has been a strange couple of weeks. So many things…

We had a hail storm that damaged the roof causing water to literally pour in at the top of the windows, which in turn ran down the walls and into the basement. The carpet was wet in the basement, but it wasn’t too bad. I almost had a panic attack thinking about everything that could have been damaged. Thankfully, everything was fine.

So, I put off buying my podcasting gear again. I think I’m going to get started without it though. I need to figure out how to fit podcasting into my schedule and get used to actually doing it anyway. I know I’m gonna suck at this for quite awhile and I need practice. I might as well start now. I’m shooting for tomorrow night, if I ever get to sleep.

Orders have picked up considerably. It’s exciting to watch the business grow. Seeing and participating in every aspect in some capacity is amazing. When I have time to take a breather, it makes me feel so accomplished.

Lots of outside influences have been messing with my family recently. We’re used to two major outside influences causing turmoil, but this is just getting ridiculous. They’re like bees that keep stinging and quickly dart away before we can smash them against the wall. I have a feeling that analogy is going to make me cringe tomorrow after I’ve slept. Could someone pass the bug spray? Please?

I haven’t had a chance to do much writing recently, but I’m going to be posting meters soon to help push me to find the time. I’ve had so many ideas that I told myself I would write down later only to completely forget what they were by the time I have the chance. I need to start carrying paper around with me everywhere. I still have a character screaming at me to start on her story though… it’s the story I’d really like to podcast when it’s done. I don’t have the skill to pull a Mur Lafferty and podcast while writing it.

In my last actual blog entry I said next time I was going to tell the tale behind Tater Brain and Tater Tot, but it’s going to have to wait one more post. I need to get to sleep before I fall asleep right here. Goodnight and sweet dreams…

Help JC with the mystery of the rabbit hole!

VIDEO/PDF: Down The Rabbit Hole

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I’ve been sick for the past few days. I’m starting to feel a bit more human instead of a slobbering zombie, so I figured I’d do a little catching up on the tons of things piling up around here.

Sunday we went out the rents for Mother’s Day. My mom liked the mauve and purple african daisies I got for her. We also found out more about what happened to the kittens. After talking to the humane society, they found out that it wasn’t a kidney infection that the mother got, it was distemper. With the help of antibiotics, the mother was able to survive it. However, as soon as she started feeling better, she started feeding her kittens again and gave it to her kittens. The kittens didn’t survive.

The mother was dropped off at my parents farm not long before she got pregnant.  My parents had decided to keep her and were planning on getting her shots and getting her spayed, then she wound up pregnant.  The whole thing is just sad, but I’m glad they were able to save the mother.

We’re still working on the website for the business, which has brought everything else to a halt.  Hitting a few brick walls that we have to scale and it’s going to take a long time to get everything up and running, but we’re getting there.  It will be a huge load off both my shoulders and my time constraints once it’s all up and running. 

I haven’t ordered my podcasting gear yet.  Soon!  I know there are a couple of people out there anxious for me to get all this started and I’m working on it… I promise!    I have a lot of behind the stuff to do as well before I’m ready to podcast… lots of editting that I’ve had to put off until the business website is done. 

This has been a crazy week already and it’s only half over.  Tomorrow… the kiddo gets her braces off!  Woohoo!  She can’t wait to eat a bagel, chew gum, and eat peanuts again.  I even bought bagels for the occasion.

Next time… Tater Brain and Tater Tot!  The story behind the names.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tee Morris gave me some advice on podcasting gear today, so I should be ordering my mic and headphones in the next few days.  Thanks again, Tee for taking the time to talk to me. 

Plug:  Don’t forget to check out Tee Morris.  He’s an incredible podcaster and an all around great guy.  His two podcast audiobooks, MOREVI and Billibub Baddings, which can also be found at Podiobooks, are not only amazing works, but beautifully produced.  As I told him earlier today, “Tee Morris gives me ear-gasms!”

I’ve been working on cleaning up some short stories I haven’t seen in years.  I’m going to use them to figure out what I’m doing and how I want to do it.  I know things aren’t going to start off sounding wonderful, so I’m saving my first book.

My daughter really wants me to finish the YA fantasy I started years ago and podcast it first.  Although it isn’t my normal genre, I just might have to do that.  I think it would be a fun project to start with before getting to the darker stuff.

Chasing the Bard is a podcast audiobook by Philippa Ballantine that has, simply put, blown me away.  From the brilliant writing, vivid imagery, superb voice talent, and magical feel (aided by perfectly placed music), Chasing the Bard is one of my favorite podcast audiobooks to date. 

From the About on Chasing the Bard’s website:

Chasing the Bard was born in the imagination of New Zealand author Philippa Ballantine, ignited by her love of both history and Shakespeare which she had studied in university.  Twining these two works with magic and bringing to life the world of the Fey, she was able to explore her own thoughts on what William Shakespeare would have been like as a person and not just as a near mythical figure.  In 2005 DragonMoon Press bought these imagings to the page, and it was nominated the following year for the Sir Julius Vogel Award for fiction. With the imminent release of the sequel Digital Magic in 2008, Philippa decided to assemble a cast of some of the best and brightest in the podosphere to give voice to her characters.  

I don’t want to give away anything with this one.  Discovering the magic for yourself as it unfolds is worth it.  Chasing the Bard is simply amazing.  For anyone that loves or even likes fantasy, William Shakespeare, the fae, magic, or any combination of the above, check it out!

You can find Chasing the Bard at http://www.chasingthebard.com or by searching for Chasing the Bard on iTunes.

My parents woke up this morning and found another kitten in the same condition as the first.  It cried and cried until my mother held it on its back against her chest.  Both were blind where they hadn’t been before.  The vet thinks it’s possibly something hereditary, so the first kitten probably wasn’t injured in the storm.  I’ve never seen anything like it unless it was an injury. 

I first suspected the mother after the problems we had last year with one of our cats trying to kill one of her kittens, but I really don’t think it could be her.  They’re awfully big for her mouth.  For her to do that kind of damage, I would imagine there would have been marks on the kittens neck.

There are two kittens left now.  It’s possible they will all have to be put to sleep.

sigh…

They were so cute. 

This cute little kitten was hurt in last nights storm.  The storm was so bad at my parents that stuff was blown all over the place.  The trash can was blown in front of the door, a heavy wooden board was picked up by the wind and flung across the yard, among countless other things.  We live about 30 miles north of my parents.  While it was windy here and the rain was coming down so hard and fast it was coming in our back door, I don’t think it was quite as bad here.

It’s impossible to guess what actually happened, but the kitten was fine yesterday, then today she just laid there.  She had extensive head and neck damage and the Vet gave her a very low chance to live, so they had her put to sleep.

Poor girl.    She had a cute personality and was one of four kittens my parents have been taken care of.  Their mother got a kidney infection not long after she had them, so she wasn’t up to mothering for quite awhile.  Her infection was so bad that they had to take her back to the vet twice.  The first round of antibiotics just wasn’t doing it for her.  She finally started eating again just a couple of days ago.

Seems like it’s one thing after another in kitty world.  Last year, it was our cats and this year it’s theirs.

Have you ever been listening to or reading a conversation and decided to throw in your two cents only to have everyone immediately shut up?  I feel like a conversation killer.  I’m just sitting there listening or reading,  amused or interested in the topic at hand then, boom… I say something and the conversation completely stops.  And people wonder why I’m so quiet. 

Is it surprise that I finally spoke?  Did I say something completely stupid?  Did everyone just notice I have a huge pimple in the middle of my forehead I didn’t know I had?  I dunno…

It almost makes me wonder if podcasting is something I should be doing.  I mean… if people are just going to go, “Damn!  What an idiot!” and turn a deaf ear, should I really invest the time and effort?

Screw it.  If I’m the only one that listens to my babble… so be it.

Brought to you by Common Craft, a great explanation of this often misunderstood podcasting thing.