The Honors Page & The Bishop is Back!

The good news is, my Android was recovered.  The bad news is, there are more pits and scratches on the screen than there were before.

I'm not complaining.  I'm just happy that this time it only fell on the ground, and not in a toilet.

The other good news is, the Honors page for veterans on my weblog is coming along nicely.  I've sent out loads of email requests, and have been receiving photos from here and there of veterans to post on the page.  It's one of the best projects I've ever gotten to work on, and I'm thrilled that it's getting a good response.

If you've got a photo of a military veteran special to you, you're welcome to send it to me and I'll be happy to add them to the page.  You can reach me at keepitzipped@hotmail.com.  I prefer the photos to be of those in uniform, however, it's not an absolute.  You can send what you wish, and it will get posted.

I've also been building a new photo-blog site for Alicia (Nee), which is looking really good as well.  At least, it does to me, but I've shown it to a few others who like it too.  (See?  I actually DO get other peoples' opinions on things when I need to, lol.)  Nee's site has taken up several weeks worth of time at the keyboard, but it's been worth it.  She really does have some stunning photography, and I'm truthfully not saying that because she's my sister.  I'm saying it because her work is beautiful, moving and unique.  When grown men have gotten teary-eyed and emotional while perusing her portfolio, she's doing something right.  Once her blogsite with the online gallery is up and running, her work will be available for the first time for online purchase via associated websites.

Working on her project, as well as a couple of my own, and one other editing project I'm in the middle of, has kept me away from the Hub, other than one article I wrote last week.  And, until I get situated with a hotspot for my laptop, I can't keep up with the other writers' works on the Hub very well either. Guessing I'll have to resolve that ASAP, but I haven't had the time to attend to it yet.  It used to be easier when I could access it during the night shift, when things were slow, and BMW owners were mostly asleep and not riding around needing help.  However, they've done an update with our programs, even from my own laptop, and now I'm unable to access the Hub, or my blog during my down time on the shift.

I've also decided to move forward with literary reviews, whether I can post purchase links for Barnes & Noble or not.  Hopefully, the decline remains temporary, and my monthly read numbers will come up high enough for me to allow me to be an affiliate for them.  In the meantime, I'll simply post the authors' websites, and readers can navigate from there to purchase their work.

I'm not a sales-person,  however, I can't NOT promote good stuff when I come across it.  I usually feel privileged that I found it in the first place, and I'm inclined to share and spread the word.

Another good bit of news is, the Bishop is back!  Bishop Spencer K. McCool Sr., had some of us concerned with his recent absence from facebook following a death in his family.  His absence was much longer than expected and he was missed  by many.  I even had people who read his posts via my page, (I always share what he writes), emailing me, worried, asking where he was, if he was coming back, and if there was anything they could do to help.

You see, Bishop?  You making an impact. :)

All of us who read his posts are relieved and happy to have him back at his keyboard with the sunrise, doing one of those things he does so well, and that so many readers appreciate that he takes the time to do.

That's all for this one.  I've got to get back to Mr. Peretti's latest, and get a workout in before my shift starts tonight.  I hope to finish it up in time to have a review posted on the Hub for it tomorrow.

God bless, take care, and don't forget to thank a vet while you're out and about!

femmeflashpoint

Benched

A blog, or so, ago, I let you know that I'd no longer include Amazon links for book purchases in my literary reviews.

So, I played the waiting game with Barnes and Noble book store.  But, I received a "Sorry, but not now" response from them earlier today before I finally made it to bed.  (Sigh)

Hopefully, that was due to lack of reads rather than a lack of quality in the content with book reviews.  Of course, examiner.com turned me down as a review writer last year too, so ... who knows.  It's obvious that not everyone's gonna love what I tap out on my keyboard.

Imagine that! (Grin!)

And no, I'm not discouraged.  Annoyed, but not discouraged.  Maybe when I'm getting around 2,000 reads per month, they'll reconsider.  I'm thinking positive here, lol.


In an update on Amazon and their advocating of whale and dolphin slaughter, I received information a few days ago stating that even though they'd removed the products from their Amazon-Japan site, they refused to ban the products from their site permanantly until they'd received loads of emails from livid Amazon customers and affiliates.

My decision to disassociate with them was solid before reading the update, however, if it had not been, that would have cemented it.

I'm all for making a profit, but not at the cost of cruelty and integrity.  If it takes that to make profit, I'd advise another line of work.

And so, here I sit, in the dugout, waiting for my affiliate acceptance to come through so I can finally get some book reviews posted and share the work of some magnificient writers who will rock your world, all in good ways, if you'll bother to sit and read for a bit.

Honestly, unless you can't read, there's really little excuse for not doing it these days.  Even with my schedule, I manage to fit in a somewhat decent amount of read time.  If I don't have an actual book with me, I have my Android Smart Phone, which has a brand new Nook reader application on it.  It still has the Amazon reader on it as well, but I'm only keeping it so I can finish reading what I'd purchased from them before the whaling and dolphin issue.  Past that, I won't be downloading any more items to Kindle, either on my phone or my laptop.

Torres and I, and whatever others of the Double L. possee that want to join us, have a luncheon coming up soon at Molina's near the Fort Worth Stockyards.  For THAT review, I won't need Barnes & Noble.  So, if I spend too much time on the bench, it's not like I'll be lacking for interesting things to promote.  I'm still shocked that restaurants actually let the Double L. bunch back in their doors after our first visit.  We laugh and talk so much, even to other patrons, that I'm always surprised they actually smile at us when we come back again, sometimes even dragging new peeps in the group along with us.

Once an elderly couple in a restaurant on southside of Fort Worth were sitting at a table near ours.  The wife spoke up and told us, "We're gonna order whatever it is your table is having!"  The food was good, but our smiles and laughter were simply from each other's company. 

Molina's has been around for years and the place nearly always has a wait line of patrons, who don't mind waiting to get to have their meals there.

As for the Hub-work, I've got work nearly ready for posting, but it's not quite there yet.  I'll keep you posted. :)

God bless, thanks for your patience, thanks for the read and please don't forget to say "thanks" to a vet next time you see one!

femmeflashpoint

Christmas at the Navigation Station

Since I started my shift, earlier tonight, I haven't had a single call all evening from a BMW driver wanting to know the status and location of Santa's sleigh.  I'm truly disappointed!

It's one of those services the response agents provide.  Since this is my first Christmas spent with BMW Assist, I was HOPING I'd get to tell one of the clients where the Jolly Elf is is.

My Christmas surprise!

The shift was busier earlier, but it's settled down a great deal.  I'm guessing people are finally settling in into bed in their kerchiefs and caps and waiting for the morning Christmas rush to start in a few hours.  I managed to get a good workout in before heading to work, and when I got here, and was passing around smiles and greets to my friends, I discovered a package sitting in the chair at the desk Kimy-Jo always reserves for me (when possible).  And, my-oh-my, I was so surprised!

Not only did I have a bag, S.Elf has been cooking.  By 0200, I was wondering if I would need to be on insulin by 0300.  S.Elf is an exceptional baker and candy-maker, and I told her I miss Lady Sizemore's Buck Eyes at Christmas.  I have the recipe for these but, since I rarely cook when it involves more than punching buttons on the microwave, I don't make them.

Dr. Darla, S.Elf and Kimy-Jo
Santa's helpers for Christmas 2011

S.Elf actually knew what I meant when I made the referral to Buck Eyes.  She made an entire platter of Christmas goodies tonight that Kimy-Jo, Amy and I have been indulging in and I feel like I've been let loose to overdose myself in Willy Wonka's factory.  But, wow ... what  way to go!

Dr. Darla's out tonight, spending the holiday with her family, but before I left town last week, I was able to get a photo of S.Elf, Dr. Darla and Kimy-Jo.  Remember, we have to keep S.Elf incognito due to the stalker, but so far, I think I'm maintaining her anonymity very well!  And so, though we're missing our Aussie compadra, I'm in hopes she's spending time with her kiddos tonight (which are both in the military, by the way), and having some quality time with her family.

Dr. Darla and S.Elf
Christmas 2011

S.Elf is the resident teacher of all things crafty.  Just in case you're wondering, I'm not one of her students.  I don't do "crafty", I just watch and say if I think their latest ventures look impressive or not.  I also step to their desks and feel things.  I can't help it.  They always have this neat textured stuff that I can't resist touching.

So far, none of the craft-class has made anything that didn't impress me.

Kimy-Jo and I pressed S.Elf this evening in regards to starting her own business.  In that, we were meaning a business aside from the one she's already working at with Kimy-Jo. 

S.Elf's Christmas Goodies prepared by
S.Elf herself (I STILL love typing that, lol) and
Junior-Elves-in-Training: Charles and Savannah.

Back to my surprise ... Woohooo!!! At first I didn't want to mess up the paper, but I got over it. Kimy-Jo pays attention. I got two gifts that I LOVE!  There's a story behind both of them. Flourescent green is a favorite color for me, and I'm forever whining that I have a hard time finding it in sports clothing.  Kimy-Jo found me a moisture-wicking tee in exactly the color I'm always on the hunt for.  She also gave me a new leather back pack to replace my current one, which is nearly brand new but didn't hold up as well as it was advertised that it should.  I ordered leather, got "pleather", and have been disappointed with the thing since I first started using it.

I use a backpack because I always carry a camera, a notebook (never know who I might run into that has a story, yes?) an electronics cord pouch, my mobile, a put-on-a-face bag, a medicine bag (headaches, muscle sprains and strains, inhaler, etc.), a manicure pouch (yes, it's a necessary pouch packed with various and sundry filing instruments), my wallet, a spare bottle of perfume, gum, my silver business card holder and another pouch with refills because I keep giving them away (and no, I'm not complaining about it), and ... I think that mostly covers it.  The back pack is easier to carry when I'm also shouldering my laptop case, so ... taaaahhhh-daaaah!!!!  I'm all set!  Wasn't that just the longest run-on sentence you've ever mucked your way through???  I'm out of breath just writing it!

Christmas from Kimy-Jo

S.Elf shared a dream with us tonight.  She'd like to put her exceptional talents to work for a greater good.  Her dream is to build and operate a vision called "The Rainbow Ranch."

S.Elf loves kids.  For that matter, she loves people in general.  But, especially kids who've had a hard go of things.  If she can find a way to make it happen, she'd like to build a place where troubled kids can live without fear, and be educated in a positive environment.

S.Elf can cook.  She can sew.  She can draw, paint, weave, as well as all sorts of other things.  I was telling her tonight that I've been doing some research on building with cob (which basically translantes to mud-pie in British), and that cob construction is beautiful, eco-friendly, incredibly versatile and durable as well as almost cost-free.  Sand, clay and straw are pretty easy to come by.  S.Elf has the design for "The Rainbow Ranch" in her head, but hasn't drawn up the plans for it yet.  If she does, I'll post them here.  If it gets off the planning paper and onto the ground, I'd not mind playing in the mud for a good cause.  As long as I don't have to smear it in my hair, I'm game.  Therefore, I'm volunteering to help ahead of time.

Sunrise in Clute, TX outside our hotel before the trip
home earlier this week. 

In truth, I hope "The Rainbow Ranch" comes about.  I can't fathom any kid not loving to grow up in the sort of place S.Elf is dreaming to build.  If you've got any ideas to help make the project happen, you're welcome to leave a comment.  S.Elf and Company will be reading this and will appreciate any insight and input you might have.

After all ... it's Christmas.  And, on Christmas, miracles are known to happen.  We celebrate it in honor of the greatest miracle of all, yes?  :)

That's all for now gang!  My thanks to you for stopping by and reading.  If you'd like to leave a note below, have at it!  It's not only me that loves to hear from you, but the regular readers are interested in what you might have to say as well.

Once again, I encourage you to keep our U.S. Veterans and their loved ones in your prayers, as well as a whole lot of other folks.  Holidays are especially difficult for people when they're missing someone.

From me to you, I hope you have a very Happy Christmas from femme's desk!