Silly Haters

Yikes. I just don't understand the haters out there.

I think it was yesterday.

I got a comment on one of my YouTube videos.

I had been playin' around with YouTube and vlogging a while back. I'm sure some of my vids were better than others. They were low quality, sure. I didn't look my best, sure. But, mostly, I was just having fun and chronicling our lives on my other blog. I was talking about my weight loss.

So, the comment I received on one of my videos of myself talking about something about my weight loss goals(I was too embarrassed to go back and watch it again), said this:

"One pound a week? You suck. And do something with your eyebrows."

Uhhhh...I'm pretty sure I mentioned that I knew my eyebrows needed grooming. But thanks.

And, honestly, I WISH I'd been losing at one pound per week since whenever I made that video. I'd probably be close to my goal. That's a great, doable, reasonable goal that will get a person somewhere.

But...

"You suck."

?????

I'm pretty sure I even fixed the person's grammar in my translation. I don't believe they used any capitalization or proper punctuation in their slam. Let me assure you that I do NOT suck. How RUDE!

I deleted it right away. I didn't block the person. It made me feel bad. Not super bad, just a little bit irked. And I have a pretty decent amount of self-knowledge and self esteem. Ok, I put myself out there, but sheesh. And it made me feel a little bad for that person who had nothing to do but watch random low quality videos and come up with nasty comments and actually POST them to someone's videos. What's next? Are they going to go to my pictures posted online and tell me my kid is ugly? (He so is NOT.) Is this a generational thing? Do I just not get it because I'm too old? Is this what the kids are doin' these days?

Ok, honestly, I might go through the first few steps. Watch random, low quality videos. Come up with my own slams on the contents. But I would not POST those slams.

When I really think about it, it's so silly. This person did not even critique me for the low quality of the video or the contents, which was probably some boring, mundane facts about my life and weight loss. They critiqued my totally reasonable goal of 1 lb a week and my ungroomed eyebrows. How ridiculous! And yet, it made me feel bad. Bad enough to write paragraph after paragraph about it here.

Bad enough to post that person's youtube account and ask you all to go write slams on HER videos.

Just kidding. I won't do that. It's just not me.

I'm not a hater. I'm sure you're not either.

I hope you all have a good day! Even you, silly haters.

~t

Easter Photos: ok, it's only been 2 weeks

It's been almost 2 weeks since Easter, but Easter photos I said I'd have, and Easter photos I'm producing. Not only that, but I am producing them in the form of this sweet little slide show. I hope you like it. I had fun making it.

~t

A fellow ZB lover

Man, I gotta stay on top of my friend, Zach Braff. This dude actually GOT to his #1 MySpace space. (Is that how you say it? Is that like saying "a.m. in the morning"? Or "ATM Machine?") Anyway, Zach's always got something funny and or cool going down at his space. But check out this ode.

We are an exceptional lot, we ZB lovers.



~t

Working is hard work 2

Wow, this is funny. I decided to title this post "Working is hard word". When I started typing, it came up in my drop down box as something I've used before. I guess working really IS hard work. Or I'm just a dork. Or both.

Man, I keep trying to get back into my groove and find more time for writing, but it is difficult. My job is challenging, fun, and rewarding, but pretty draining. And it seems I'm forever doing something extra like training or homework for training or filling in for someone. Yikes. So, I just keep on trucking along.

Meanwhile, my bloglife languishes. (Think "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" when you read that.) I still haven't finished organizing my freakin' Easter photos. I gotta get with the program, but sheesh, I also have to be at work at 7:00 a.m. in the morning again tomorrow. (Did you note the "a.m in the morning"? That's one of mine and Kevin's favorite silly phrases. People actually say that.)

I guess the photos will be forthcoming when they are forthcoming. We've been working on manifesting more money, and apparently the way that comes about is working me like crazy! Gotta rethink that one...

~t

Stone Hawk Rehab

Although I have personally never gone through a drug detoxification, I have certainly witnessed friends and family having to work through different addictions at numerous times in my life. It's not an easy thing to do, but definitely an admirable and often life-saving step to take.

I believe in doing things as naturally as possible. When I read about the program at Stone Hawk, it sounded like a positive way to work through a very difficult time. Their program focuses on removing toxins from the body through "long periods of time in a dry sauna, literally sweating the toxins out". They also stress the importance of proper diet, exercise, and supplementation.

Again, I have not experienced this program personally, but if you are looking for a natural way to get drug free, I would say it's at least worth looking into and learning more.

~t

Easter Fun

Trying to get back to updating. We had a great Easter here. Of course, there was the requisite lecture from Kevin about how the holidays suck, but other than that, it was fun. The kids searched for baskets and ate candy and got too many things. Then we had an egg hunt outside, luckily before the weather turned gloomy. In the evening, we enjoyed a fabulous meal with friends and neighbors. Kevin took numerous pictures with our less-than-stellar camera (all bearing the date of January 2005), so once I get them sorted out, I'll get some posted.

~t

New Theme, New Hair

It's a major makeover in progress going on right now. AND, the scale is finally going in the right direction, too. Yowza. I'm getting ready to start my new job tomorrow, so I thought I'd step up the style a notch. Here's me, today:

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It's a bit Mary Tyler Moore, but I think that's just because she round-brushed me, and I'm more partial to a flatiron. We'll see how it goes.

~t

New Theme! YAYYYY!

Look at the cool theme Retta made for me! Isn't she rad? I'm so happy to be less generic. I LOVE IT! I hope y'all like it, too. Of course, now I have to re-tweak everything and re-add a lot of stuff, but it is SO WORTH IT! See, I may not have been blogging regularly, but I'm still thinking about it. (And avoiding my training homework at 9:49 pm. Ooops. MUST STOP PLAYING WITH BLOG THEME.)

~t

A Bit of a Bloggy Holiday

As you can see, I sure haven't been blogging much. I've been trying to get the rest of my life in balance and then I'll be working on fitting blogging back into that.

I started my new weight loss program, which is taking up some time, and ironically, not working yet. (Just made some alterations, so fingers crossed, next week!)

I finally had everything together and got our taxes done. Yahoooooo to that!

I'll be going to training for a week starting next Wednesday to finally be in the right job at work. Yahooooooo to that. I'm really looking forward to it.

After that, I hope to have a regular schedule (and a regular income to go along with it.) Then I'll be able to get my bloglife a little more in order. I am a bit concerned that my schedule may still be up in the air. Grrrrr. Not a fan of that one, but we'll see what happens. I've got a couple more weeks to float through anyway.

So, stay tuned, and I'll pop in when I can. Or see you more in April, I hope.

It's all about balance. Balance is good.

~t

"Some Other One Guy"

Zane greeted me this morning by saying, "Some other one guy, kissin' you, Mommy."

"Wow, really? Was this in your dream?"

"Yets."

"Did you like him?"

"Yets."

"Was he cute?"

"Yets."

Kevin wakes up.

"DON'T tell your dad about your dream." (Joking.)

"Some other one guy kissin' Mommy, Daddy."

~t

Dating and the Single Mom

Being a mom can be a tough job. I cannot imagine doing it solo. Hopefully, I won't have to worry about that, but I know a lot of people who are parenting solo. Add a career to that, and how does one find a potential mate? And, of course, as a parent, you want to be sure to find a person who is supportive of that role.

You know I've been a proponent of online dating in the past. Now there's a special dating site especially for Single Moms to try to meet someone who is interested in all they have to offer.

Of course, it's great for single parents to be able to check people out from home. And, the site is free. Check it out! As always, be safe!

~t

What's Been Goin' On?

Well, let's see.

Mercury has been retrograde. So, a lot of crazy communication blips have been going on. Some with spouses, some with machines. Some with pirates in restaurant offices. Huh? Well, we had to go pick up some of Caspian's clothes today since he missed the last day of theatre camp. We were supposed to go to this restaurant office, which we did, and it was full of pirates, but no clothes. Odd, that. The one non-pirate who was supposed to have the clothes said they were in his car at home. Go figure. We'll have to go back.

Kevin is supposed to be having a contract sent to him for his first story being published. Still waiting on that.

I'm supposed to be training for my real job at work. Still waiting on that.

Luke is supposed to be housetrained. Still waiting on that.

But, I have decided to make a cool slideshow of some ultra-cute pictures Kevin took of Luke in the past couple of days. Are you ready? Well, I have to go make it. Just a sec. Ok, here it is:

Cute, huh?

~t

I'm on the front page of Helium.com!

I had heard about moneymaking opportunities at Helium for a while before I actually took the plunge in the end of October. I wrote three articles, but nothing happened for a while. Then I started making money, slowly. Very slowly. But here's the magic thing about Helium: it's residual income. You can make money on your articles there forEVER.

And TODAY, I'm on the front page with the very first article I wrote there, on going back to work after having a baby. Check it out! Page down...I'm writing under the name Terri Valerian. (If it's no longer March 2, 2007, you can find the article here.)

This is what it looks like on the front page:



If you want to see all of my Helium articles, go here. But beware, I have been writing on a weird mix of topics because I go there and write on whatever whim strikes me. You can also write your own article, but it can take a couple weeks to get original topic articles approved. I like going there and seeing all the different things people have written. It inspires me to come up with something myself.

If you are a writer and are interested in writing for Helium, I can send you an invitation. Please only request one if you are serious, as I have a limited number to give out. Email me at terri@shamelesscreations.com. As I said, the money is slow to build, but I have faith it will grow.

~t

Constant Gamble

I'm so happy to be writing again. I'm so happy to be a mom. But the two don't go together real well. Blogging may be the only kind of writing I can really do right now. Short bursts while the child sleeps or is momentarily happy entertaining himself. But while he sleeps, he could wake at any moment (and he often does).

I take different assignments on my blog. Some from myself for my own well-being. Some from others because I am interested and I get monetary reimbursement. I sit here considering assignments, and in the back of my mind, I always think, "Will this assignment, like many, many others, be interrupted or aborted or finished too quickly because of the call of 'Mommy'?"

It's a tough balance. Do I take this assignment and take that risk? Do I let it go? Do I wish away my child's younger years? So far, I have not. But until recently I was content to just be mom. Now I have the writing bug again. I cannot just be mom for the rest of my life. I will now always be mom. I need to be more again. But can I? Or perhaps the question is, "How can I?" How do I create the balance? How do I win the gamble? Will I get this done? Should I try? If I do, will it be good enough? Will it matter to anyone but me? If it matters to only me, does it still matter?

Ahhhh...Mercury Retrograde.

~t

Thoughts on Credit

Credit cards can be a life saver, when used wisely. Conversely, they can chain you to debt when used unwisely. The best credit cards, obviously, are the ones with the lowest interest rates, so you'll want to shop around and compare credit cards if you're in the market for one.

It's easy to be sucked in by cash back credit cards, but be careful. The cash back is only a reward if it is not actually costing you more money in the long run. (i.e., Are you paying more in interest than you're getting back?) If you can pay off your credit card each month, I'd say go for it. Otherwise, remember, you're not really gaining anything.

I have not always had a lot of extra money in savings for an emergency or last minute opportunity. Credit cards have helped me immensely in these situations. The best thing I have done is to use a credit card and then switch it on a 0% balance transfer, thus saving myself a lot of money in the long run. If you pay your bills and maintain good credit, these types of opportunities can really be helpful. Just remember to try to pay them off as soon as possible!

Good luck!

~t

ZV Turns 2!

Allright, apparently after I say, "I don't feel like blogging," then I really start to blog. Well, I didn't want to wait too long to report on Zane's second birthday.

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He is such a sweetheart. I know, he's my kid and all, so of course I think he's a sweetheart. But he really is. He recently has been telling all of us how much he loves us all the time. "I love you, Mommy." But it's the emphasis he places on the words that is priceless. So sweet. And somehow, he's also come out with "I appreciate you, Mommy (or Daddy)." That's a big one, so I definitely had to document it.


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Zane's birthday fell during Mercury retrograde this year, which meant that nothing went off as I would have liked it. First of all, I had to work on his actual birthday. Ugh. Even though I tried really hard to get off for it. Nothing doing. Then both Zane and I got sick. So, even though I planned to really celebrate the day before his birthday, I really just kinda sat around on the couch and watched him play with his new toys. Wooo hooo.


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So, Monday morning, we let him open most of his presents. Then we did the sitting around thing. Then we had special toddler dinner: A few kinds of macaroni and cheese.


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We were supposed to do the cake that night, but it fell through. Caspian was misbehaving and Zane was tired and the neighbors who were supposed to come over just plain forgot. Zane actually said he didn't want to do the cake, which was huge, because that was his favorite birthday thing to talk about. So, we waited.

On Tuesday, the 27th, his actual birthday, we just hung out and gave him some more gifts. I went to work, of course. Then we had Kevin's cool Poor Man's Lasagne Casserole that he and the kids made together. Then the neighbors did come over, and that was really fun. We sang and he blew out candles and there was cake and it was all good. It was very nice. He had chocolate volcano cake, "same size" as Caspian's. (For some reason, the word "same" is "same size" to Zane.)


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Gifts included his Little People Garage set, bongo drums, potty books and videos :) starring Elmo and Bear in the Big Blue House, Dora and Diego books, other assorted books and some DVDs, a new blanket, and more mac and cheese! (Probably other things, too, but I can't remember everything.)

Happy Birthday Zane! May the next you bring you much joy. We love you. (And appreciate you.)

~t

Rainbow Sandals

The crazy, cold, snowy weather we've been having that is signaling winter's last hurrah (I hope) has me dreaming of the summer to come. Also, I talked to a woman today who is about to leave for Hawaii.

If you fall into either the "dreaming and planning" category or the "lucky to be going on a tropical vacation" category, you should check out these rainbow sandals. These things look amazing. They are attractive sandals, yes, but also so much more. These puppies are made to last, with life support parachute stitching and 2,000 lb test military spec strap. They also mold to fit the wearer, so they become very comfortable with time. Very nice.



~t

TPTP

The acronym in the title of this post is for a little phrase my family used when I was growing up. It stands for, "too pooped to participate". That's how I feel, unfortunately. I was going to just write an entry that said, "I don't feel like blogging." But then, I decide to throw that little bit of family history in there. Wiz bang. I need to write an entry about my little main man Zane's 2nd birthday. He is so sweet. I need to get professional photos of him taken, too, methinks. There is a lot I need to do. Good lord, I only work 20 hrs/week right now. WHAT will I do when that is 30 hours minimum? How do people live? It's crazy. I'm sure I'll get it together. Eventually.

~t

Why do I blog?

Dear Sweet Retta tagged me about a million years ago on this one. I'm supposed to come up with 5 reasons. I'll tell ya right now, I'm not tagging anyone. I'm such a rebel.

1. Heather talked me into it. She pressured me.
2. I stopped putting things in Zane's baby book earlier than most. This is my excuse.
3. It's fun and creative without being overly stressful.
4. It's the above and I still am making some money at it.
5. I've met some cool people this way.

Those are the reasons. Who am I tagging?

YOU! If you are reading this, go do this meme. Link back. Go on. Do it. Ha ha ha. Maybe #6 is that I get to be bossy and no one seems to care. (or no one reads it.)

~t

Rockstartup Still Rocks

Ok, I have to be honest. I haven't been watching RockStartup lately. What? Don't know what RockStartup is? It's PayPerPost's reality tv show. I was a huge fan in the beginning and then it got away from me. I hadn't watched it in a while until this paid opportunity became available. (By the way, don't think I didn't notice that as a smart way to get people watching again! Clever, PPP!)

Now, they're asking us to post about our favorite episode, what we love, and what they can do to make it better. So, I dutifully sat down and watched the episodes I hadn't seen, and even re-watched some of the older ones I had seen. The truth is, I still love the show. It's hard to pick a favorite, but since I have to, I choose the PayPerPost wedding episode. Here it is:



Why do I love this episode the most? It's the human element. I think that is what is so different about PayPerPost vs. their competition. They put their faces and their names on everything and encourage us to know them and each other. I've gotten to know some great people since being involved with PayPerPost, and the bride in the episode, Julie, is one of those great people. So, it's personal.

Why do I love the show in general? Again, it's the human element. I love to see the antics of the group. Ted, Britt, and Veronique are, in particular, fun to watch. We get to see the behind-the-scenes goings on. People love that. I am no exception. I love that they have 12 episodes and have been in a number of locations already. I think it's shot and edited well. We get fun little glimpses into the life of the staff, but also the real business of working at a startup. I worked at a startup for over 8 years, so this feels very familiar to me. It's hard and it's draining, but it's also fun and you become like a family. It's a very real creative experience. It's an amazing thing to live, or to just watch. I have to admit that RockStartup makes me a bit homesick for my startup family.

If I love this freakin' show so much, why hadn't I been watching? Mostly because life has been so hectic, and I haven't been keeping up with everything online. What could they do better? Well, I'm signed up to get an email newsletter, and I'm not sure I've ever gotten one. Sure, I can find out about it on the PayPerPost blog, but I don't always visit. (gasp!) Hey, I've got a toddler and a new job. So, I'm not sure if it's just me who's not getting alerted, but it might be something for the gang to check out. I tried to resub, but they said I already was subscribed.

How else could they make it better? This may be a little bit of a pipe dream, but it would be great if the episodes could be closer to real time. I'm watching the reality unfold and learning the PayPerPost news and then watching the shows a while later. By then, what's happening feels a little bit like old news. Part of the fun of reality tv is the shock value. When we already know the news, some of that value is lost. It would be fun to see it unfold as we are learning about what's going on with the business. For example, I'd love to see the behind-the-scenes news on the hot postie topic of segmentation right now. I don't know if that's possible, however. I like to be realistic.

Thanks for a great show and a great opportunity, PayPerPost. We've expressed ourselves, had fun, made money, gotten to know each other, and experienced change and controversy. It's been a great ride so far, and I look forward to continuing it.

~t