Raven’s Range
Blather around a virtual range

Sunday, 17 February 2008 21:13

17 February 2008

Filed in Blog

It’s been an odd kind of a week, really. Last Sunday I followed a strong hint from my inner voice–the one I listen to carefully–and checked out the Unitarian Universal church in Stockton. I’ve never before gone to a church alone, of my own accord, without accompanying family or a friend or for some other reason like Ranger Guides (senior branch of the British Girl Scouts).

And yet, the “personal path” spirituality of the church had intrigued me, and I felt like it was about the right time, so I went, and it was good and peaceful with meditation incorporated, which is what I needed, really.

I tried to button up all the outstanding paperwork I needed to do this week, but failed. It wasn’t for lack of trying. So I’ve still got some of that hanging over my head, and keep chipping away at it. I wish my tax preparer would hurry up and answer my questions though, as the lack of an answer is preventing my progress. I absolutely hate the feeling of so much unfinished business.

It looks like the March/April copy of Nevada Magazine is out, so if you happen to see one in your local bookstore, flip through it and you’ll find yours truly published within.

This week I’ve done a lot of blogging, not nearly enough playing, but for the most part have felt like I was accomplishing something. Since it appears that my copy of QuickBooks has conked out and on the laptop I have for Windows it will take hours to reinstall, I started to do my 2008 accounting on a spreadsheet instead and am now, miraculously, up to date. I’ll just keep Windows for the astrology stuff and will carry on with the simple solution. Should I ever feel a need for QB again I can always work from the spreadsheet. I doubt I shall need to.

The Markeroni financial challenge ended on Valentine’s Day and we got to 30% of the goal, which is pretty awesome really. There’s a good chance we’ll manage 100% this year and then can start tithing the profits over that to historical societies. It’ll get a lot easier as more members come.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, we had a “date” by riding downtown and having a picnic outside the first ever A&W restaurant. I got a heart-shaped box of Ferrero Rocher. :)

Looks like Book Crossing has plunged headfirst into the vanity publishing business along with a bunch of misleading hype about “self publishing” and “you can have your own ISBN.” I guess at some point I’m going to have to write down a mild diatribe about the difference between self publishing and vanity publishing with a POD printer. I’ve done both, so I guess I’m qualified to talk about it.

What with IZEA reducing their standards further and now Book Crossing doing this I think it safe to say that this is “be disappointed in companies you liked” week for me. What got my goat was the statement that there are a million Book Crossers just waiting to read and assess your book. Really? If that were the case, I’d have sold my entire print run to Book Crossers by now.

It’s just. Not. True. It’s not nice to give false expectations to people. By all means offer the service, but don’t mislead.

Other things I have been working on have been the raven blog hub and some maps stuff to show which places I get to. I also rode to Tracy and on my return successfully installed my own rear brake pads. They’re a pain in the patootie, but I think I get the idea now.

And that was my week. How was yours?