Goals: Here is looking at ya 2010!

Hi all! Happy New Year! This is my last blog post until 2010. I have some goals that I am hoping to see bear fruit.

1. I am hoping to get my first short story published. I have given the first draft out to several friends, but only one has read it so far and given me thumbs up on the short story. I want them to hurry, but I am saying that because it is my baby.

2. I will start online dating. Why? Because I need a plus 1. You know when invitations go out and it has your name and a spot for a plus 1? Well I am planning on a cruise in June or July and I need a plus 1 to share a room, because frankly singles are punished on trips such as these. So I am hopeful for some fun, though I have tried the online thing before but I feel that I am in a different frame of mind, so we shall see.

3. Getting healthy. I could say lose weight or go on a diet, but that would happen with getting healthy. I have tried diets in the past and I have lost weight, but getting healthy I feel is long term and not a quick fix. I am ready.

4. I was thinking of running a marathon, but then I think that would be pushing it, though I would like to try, so I will keep this goal on the back burner and revisit again in a year.

5. And last but not least, I am planning a Europe trip for 2011 and I am bound and determined to save money for this trip. I have been thinking about it for the past 4 years, and I am ready.

6. Oh wait, this is the last goal! Writing! Writing! Writing! My goal is to write more on this blog, my book reviews which are sorely lacking and crafting more stories to publish in general! Ok that is it! See ya next year!

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If you had access to a time machine, where and when would be the first place you travel to?

Wow, hmm. I could say the past, but there is no way in hell I would want to go back in time and deal with the smells (people not bathing and like trash out in the open yuck)and no tv. Hell to the naw! And I love History, just do not want to see it. Like I do not want to go to Africa. Everybody wanna go, but see I have this insane fear, that I'll be out in the effin tundra and like some damn tribe will claim as their long lost whatever. No thank you!
But if I had the chance I would go to the future. I want to know if racism is dead, if gay marriage is now acceptable and to know if we as a species actually travel to planets and colonized. Just seems more acceptable to me especially as I would assume there would be some kind of tv?

Ask me anything

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What TV show makes you laugh the loudest?

My god, this is a good question! I will just say that it will have to be Glee. I laugh at every single episode and no lie it is loud. There are other tv shows out there but not every single episode, so I guess that must mean something right?

Ask me anything

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Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?

I actually saw an episode of the deadliest warrior on spike tv and they actually pit the ninjas against I believe roman soldiers. Guess who won?
Not the ninjas who are stealthy and sneaky so it boggles the effin mind!!
But I digress! HA!
Ok in this case the Ninjas would beat the pirates. Why? Because Pirates are loud, brash, and well they are not the smartest people out there. While they use brute strength, ninjas would sneak upon their boat on ninja like feet and get 'em while their sleep.

Ask me anything

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How to Tell if You Need to Pray At Work! Funny Email!

This is sad but oh so true! So enjoy your day and remember, you may be a candidate that needs to pray at work!

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I need a swift kick in the patootie!

I miss writing. I am reading but not writing. I miss it and I do not know why as I kicked major butt las month for nanowrimo! Maybe I burned out? But I don't think so because I have many stories to tell I am just not writing or putting pen to paper.

I think my problem is I have a fear that my stuff is no good, which is just wrong on my part. I am even slacking on the blogging which is my second love. I think I need to just write like I am doing now and stop sweating the small stuff.

I also moved my laptop to a different location and I think this is another reason for the slacking. It is in my room versus my living room at my computer desk.

The long and short of it is I need to get back on the saddle and write. I am most happy when I am putting my thoughts out there for the world to see and keeping them bottled up only gives me a headache.

So some short term goals for the rest of 2009? Start the writing again everyday whether it is the blog or my story in progress. I have the ideas now it is time to start cooking with them. No more excuses. I am ready to see my writing published. Seriously. I've got one short story done and I am in the middle of editing, and as I stated earlier another in progress. I can do this.

And since I apparently am not the only one who feels this way I saw this post after I wrote the above and had to seriously smile! I follow "A Newbie's Guide to Publishing" and this list is why:

Newbie Writer Resolutions

• I will start/finish the damn book
  
• I will always have at least three stories on submission, while working on a fourth
  
• I will attend at least one writer's conference, and introduce myself to agents, editors, and other writers
  
• I will subscribe to the magazines I submit to
  
• I will join a critique group. If one doesn't exist, I will start one at the local bookstore or library
  
• I will finish every story I start
  
• I will listen to criticism
  
• I will create/update my website
  
• I will master the query process and search for an agent
  
• I'll quit procrastinating in the form of research, outlines, synopses, taking classes, reading how-to books, talking about writing, and actually write something
  
• I will refuse to get discouraged, because I know JA Konrath wrote 9 novels, received almost 500 rejections, and penned over 1 million words before he sold a thing--and I'm a lot more talented than that guy

It seriously tickled me because most of the others are ones I do struggle with! This list was compiled in 2006 and as 2010 approaches I see that these things apparently never change! So to say I am inspired is not a small thing! This blog post and list is just what I needed to get that swift kick in the butt! =D

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Darius: Continuing my Inspiration into 2010

Hi all. It has been awhile since I've blogged and I miss it. I have had some financial troubles and this month, which is usually all about good will and all, is now about simple survival. I've had to let things go (i.e. Cable/Phone) and have been lucky enough to exist on free wi-fi internet.

Though my boys will not have a "Christmas" this year, there is one thing keeping me going, even when I feel it is my darkest time. It is my middle son Darius DeVante Chaney.

I was 21 years of age when I had him. He was born in 1992, and was born with a heart condition that later turned fatal. As I write this I am choked up again at the little amount of time I had with him. I only have about 5 or 6 pictures of him, because I thought I would have more time.

He was born with a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, had no full esophagus, and his muscles had atrophied. He had his very first surgery hours after being born to be able to feed, and his second and last surgery to help his heart when he was a month old. He had physical and occupational therapists working on him to get his muscles at least in a normal state. He stayed in the hospital for the first three months of his life, and when I took him home he had a heart monitor and several sets of instructions. Throughout his short life he had doctor appointments upon doctor appointments to last a lifetime. When he took his last breath, I was beyond devastated. I was only 22 with an almost 2 year old and I just had a baby that passed.

It was hard, very hard, but I got over that death and went on to have another boy, who was the spitting image of Darius for the first month of his life.

Even with all that Darius endured for nine months, that little boy had the most beautiful smile in the world, and I am sad to say I do not have a picture of it. No matter how much he hated the doctors, he always smiled at me and his older brother and made me appreciate him. He was a happy baby up until that last day. And I truly believe that for awhile there my youngest son had Darius with him to let me know it would all be ok.

So no matter how hard things are for me financially, I think about Darius and his awesome little smiles for me and the stress of this month lessens that much more. As I think of things this past year that have gone wrong, I think of Darius and I have to remember that no matter what he had a smile for me.

Thank you.

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Winner for 18 x 24 Giveawy!

First off, I want to thank everyone for particpating and sorry for not posting more. I am sadly without internet and can only post so much. So without much adieu:

So Here is the winner chosen randomly for the 18 x 24 poster print from Online Poster Printing using Random.Org is:

The Redhead Riter


Please help me in congratulating them on this auspicious win! Stay tuned for the next giveaway to be listed soon!

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