November 8th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Good Morning! It is a gorgeous day. Beautiful bright sunshine, almost no clouds, no wind at all, but baby it’s cold outside. It is going to be another long day at Canterbury Tales. Last week it was the wind that made it brutal, so at least we won’t have to contend with that today.

These are my last two days doing book signings at Canterbury Tales Forever Bookstore in Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, PA until the spring. Unless, by some miracle, we have a mild weekend in December, January, February, or March, I won’t be back there until April or May. It’s just too dang cold to be standing outside all day. Then again, perhaps if I go, it will garner the pity purchase. LOL. Just kidding. I want people to buy my books because they want to read them, not because they feel bad for me.

I wish I could tell you who will be joining me at Canterbury Tales today, but I just don’t know. I can pretty much guarantee Samuel Knight with his Monty a Christmas Tale will be there, because ‘tis the season for his book; and I think Karen Scheuer with a Bug and a Wish may be there as well, but I really don’t know. Wayne is on vacation this weekend, and the girl covering the shop has not posted anything to their Facebook page.

So I ordered more copies of Taking Chances this morning. Sunday I noticed my inventory was getting really low, and darn it, I should have ordered them right when I got home, but I forgot. Now I’m kicking myself. I have that big author event at the Hillsborough Public Library next Saturday, and the books aren’t scheduled to get here until the following Monday. UGH. Historically speaking, the books usually get here way ahead of when they say they’ll get here, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Watch, this time, they will get here exactly when they say they will. It would be just my luck.

Well, we are still on Verizon. We went to the Sprint store first, and the guy pulled up our address and told us he wouldn’t feel comfortable selling us the service because reception at our house was only in the “fair” category. So then, we trekked up to the mall (yuck) and hit the T-Mobile store. They were all for switching us over, even though we showed up in the same “fair” zone with them. Hmmm…

We didn't even get the phones we
wanted because the 5C is being
phased out. We got the 5S instead

My mom wanted to go into Verizon – thankfully, they were also at the mall – just to see if it would be better for her just to get a plan on her own. With the amount she uses her cell phone, $30+ a month for her – which would have been her portion of the bill –was silly. They offered her a pre-paid $100 for the year deal, which makes much more sense, and we will be switching her over to that on Monday. They guy at the store crunched a bunch of numbers, and rearranged some things, and long story short, we are still on Verizon for the next two years, we have iPhones (Lys will be getting hers next week), and I saved about $25 a month from what I had before.

It’s not great, but it is the same price every other carrier was giving us. So basically, all those ads you are seeing on TV, are a load of hooey. No one is giving you unlimited anything with mega data to share for the low price. The price you see advertised is for just the data service. Then there is a phone charge, and a service charge, and in my case a $10 per line insurance charge, plus taxes, regulatory fees, and God only knows what else. Which all adds up to $70 per phone, per month. Whatever, it is what it is. They’ve got you by the nose, and they know it.

Enough, I am going to put it out of my mind because it is useless to get aggravated when I can’t change it. It’s time for me to go get ready for my book signing anyway, so I’ve got to boogie.

I hope you have a great day, and happy writing!

Your Next Challenge:

Tick…Tock, Tick…Tock…

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

November 7th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Good Morning! I attended a presentation at our library last night. My friend Keith was there to talk about a new project he is in involved with called Writers 2 Writers. This was the TV show I did an interview for over the summer and he is one of their hosts. The show is only playing on a local cable station, but if you want to see it, the episodes will be on YouTube shortly after they air. If you click on the link I provided above, you’ll get to see the teaser, and there’s a place for you to subscribe to the show so you can get notifications of when a new episode posts.

Not me, but she's got the right idea

For some reason, I did not get the email reminder that the program was going on last night, so I sent Keith a text asking if it was last night or next Thursday – because if it wasn’t last night, I was getting into my jammies, pouring myself a vat of cocoa, and settling in for the night. It was cold and raining last night, and I really didn’t feel like going out. (Keith thought that was funny.)

After only a little grumbling, I dragged myself out of my nice, warm, dry house, and drove the three minutes over to the library. I’ll admit it, I’m glad I went. He did a great job, but he always does. There were at least a dozen or so writers who weathered the dreary night to come out and see him, including a fifteen year old writer. I don’t think I got her name, but she is a sophomore just like Dani, and she is hoping to go to college and get her degree in Creative Writing. I think that’s awesome!

Keith’s presentation went on for an hour, and then we were able to get into a lively conversation. I heard about an app for authors that I’m going to check out. It’s called Scrivener, and it is an organizational tool, which may be very helpful, especially for my historicals. There are so many characters, with so many different homes, and so many support staff, that it is extremely difficult to keep everyone straight. This may be the answer I have been looking for; and at only $40, I think it’s definitely worth a try.

I reached my breaking point yesterday with Verizon, a point of no return. So today, Dani, my mother and I are going cell phone plan shopping. I currently have three smart phones with only 2 gig of data and one dinosaur phone with no data on my current plan, and Verizon is charging me $225 a month plus taxes and fees. That is nearly double the going rate, and even though they are offering a better plan, the plan is only for new customers, and I’m not eligible.

What a load of bunk.

Basically, I got a “screw you” for the 20+ year customer, we are only interested in new customers. Can someone please explain to me how this makes good business sense? At one time, Verizon was the only one out there who had the services and the coverage, but that is not the case anymore. They are no longer the only game in town, and I don’t have to deal with them any longer. YEAH!! I know you can’t see me, but trust me, I’m doing a happy dance over here.

Pink for Lys, Blue for Dani
Yellow for Mom, and I guess
I'll get Green for me.

The only thing that is going to be a royal pain is I don’t think the new company is going to be able to download my contacts into my new phone. Oh yeah, a new phone, I should probably warn you about that. I have often said I was not smart enough for my smart phone, and by the end of today, I’ll probably have an iPhone. It’s not going to be pretty. I can guarantee I will mess something up. So it you happen to be one of my almost 500 phone contacts, and you call me or send me a text, and I ask, “Who is this?”, please don’t be offended. I probably lost your contact information when converting to my new phone (OR, if you haven’t heard from me in a while, give me a call).

The challenge is going to be getting a phone to Lys. I’m pretty sure, in order to get the deal, she needs to turn in her old phone. I wonder if they will allow us to send her the new phone and then have her mail her old phone back to them. I can’t be the only one in this situation. I’m sure other folks, with kids away at college, have switch their plans. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

I had Lys ask her friends on campus which carrier they used, and if they we happy with the reception they had at school, because, let’s face it, coverage here, in the “New York Area”, is the same across all carriers, but when you get to the little towns out in the middle of nowhere, that’s where things get dicey. The overwhelming front runner for High Point, NC was Sprint, even over Verizon, so Sprint is where we’re going.

I am almost positive we will be able to keep our old phone numbers, and that Sprint will get us out of the last seven months of our contract (our upgrade is scheduled for June) – that’s even if we have a contract. I’m not really sure at this point. As I said, I have had Verizon for twenty years, I think I have served my time. What I’m not thrilled about is having to pay this last over-priced bill, but whatchya gunna do?

I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Next Challenge:

I’ve taken all I can stand, I can’t stands no more…

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

June 6th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! Okay folks, I need your advice. I am about to my eyeballs with Verizon and I’m looking to change to another carrier. AT&T? Sprint? Virgin Mobil? I want to know what plans you have and what you think of them. With Lys’ school still up in the air, I need make sure the plan has coverage in VT, NC, TN, and, of course, NJ.

I only believe the reviews on line so much, and I’d like to hear the opinions of people I actually know. Please tell me the good, the bad, the ugly as well as the positives. For once, I want to make an educated decision and not just go with what’s easy (the devil you know). Thank you.

I got most of the chocolates done yesterday before I had to leave for work. Lys finished up the batch of chocolate that was already melted, but she didn’t melt any more; so I need to go and check the inventory to see if I have enough.

As soon as I finish this post, I am running to the store to get the stuff I need to make baked beans and sausage & peppers. Then it’s off to Costco to pick up the cakes, burgers, dogs and rolls. I have to find new tubs to chill the adult beverages because ours didn’t survive the winter, and then I need to get the items to fill the tubs. I keep vacillating between getting a keg or bottles of beer. Bottles will be more expensive, but there would be a variety. I’m the worst person to do this chore, because I don’t drink. I am limiting it to beer and wine coolers though. As far as I’m concerned, there is no need for hard liquor at a picnic.

Ooo, take a look at this. We had our first harvest from our garden last night. Aren’t they beautiful? I brought them in, cleaned and sliced them, and the whole time Colby sat there and begged, so I threw him a slice. The crazy mutt gobbled it up and begged for more. I swear, he’s part goat! LOL!

Okay, let me boogie so I can get a start on my endless “To Do” list. Oh, just so you know, I won’t have time for writing prompts over the next two days, so you’ll have until Monday to think about this one.

I hope you have a great day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

Use the following: Strangle, Turtle, Soup (it can’t be turtle soup)

“Dear God Trevor, will you hurry up and finish your soup already. We were supposed to leave five minutes ago!”

“I’m going as fast as I can, Dear.”

“Oh, don’t you play the turtle card on me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it Dear.”

“Humpf. I know damn better.”

“Yes, Dear.”

“You certainly aren’t slow when it comes to the bedroom. There it’s wham bam and you even leave off the thank you ma’am.”

“I’m sorry Dear.”

“Have you finished yet?”

“Almost Dear.”

“Oooo, will you hurry up! Oh, and for the record, I’m driving tonight.”

“If you say so, Dear.”

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”

“Let me just run up to the bathroom, and I’ll be ready to go, Dear.”

“The bathroom? Are you kidding me? Argh! Sometimes I could just strangle you!”

Your Next Challenge is:

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

October 19th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Lord, I’m tired! Yesterday started at 4:00 am and I didn’t get to sleep until midnight. During that time, I did a lot of solo driving, had car issues, had phone issues, got the run around from Toyota, then was saved by Advanced Auto Parts.

I had my van on cruise control and, when going up a hill, it made some funny noise, felt like it was having problems finding a gear, the lights on the dashboard flashed, then a series of warning lights appeared on the dash. At that point I was hundreds of miles from home and in a bad cell area. In spite of the warning lights, the car seemed to be ok, so I continued toward my destination because, what alternative did I have? I finally managed to get a hold of my husband and he told me to try to find a place that would run a free diagnostic so I could determine the seriousness of the problem.

Considering I was out in the middle of nowhere, I had no I idea how I was going to accomplish what my husband asked me to do, but I agreed and told him I would call him back. I continue on my route and then, low and behold, when I reach a major town, there is a Toyota dealership, so I pull in. They tell me it will be $90 for them to run the diagnostic and I tell them I have the extended warranty. They said, if it turned out not being a covered item, they would still charge me the $90. I asked if I could call the warranty place first before I would authorize the work, and they told me “sure”.

This is where I started having the phone issues. I try to call and I get an error message on my phone saying “emergency calls only”. I assume it is a service area issue, so I change my location in the parking lot and try again. I manage to get a hold of someone in the roadside assistance area (the only phone number offered in the pack of warranty papers provided) and the lady was nice enough to find me the number I really needed to call. I attempt to call them and I get a voice recording from Verizon saying there was a fraud prevention block on my phone and I was not allowed to dial. Are you kidding me?

I text my husband with the phone number and information he needs to check and see if we are covered. The text goes through with no problem, so I try dialing again. The call goes through. I tell the man on the phone my problem and he tells me my plan only covers free tire rotations and oil changes. Seriously? Thank you very much, have a good day. ARGH!

I try calling my husband again, it doesn’t go through. I send him a text, he calls me back. I elect to continue with the car as is and he said he will get our local Toyota dealer in the horn and try to figure out what’s going on. (Incidentally, when my husband checked with our local Toyota dealer, he verified we have the platinum coverage, so basically other than body damage and light bulbs being replaced if they burn out, everything on my van is covered, bumper to bumper.)

I get a couple hundred yards down the road when I spot an Advanced Auto Parts store, so I pull in to see if they do the free diagnostic. They do. A sweet man named Paul comes out of the store, plugs the machine into my car, reads the report and resets the warning. He told me the timing must have slipped momentarily when the van tried to maintain cruise control speed while going up the hill. If the light comes on again, then I should take it to the dealer and have it checked, but it was probably just a computer glitch and I should be fine. It took him less than ten minutes and he did for free what Toyota wanted to charge me $90 for; yeah, Toyota is not high on my list of favorites at this point.

I thank Paul and continue on my way, one problem solved, one left to address. When I arrive at my destination (I’ll tell you where I went tomorrow), I attempt to handle my phone situation. After half an hour of automated hell and the ill-advised automated message from Verizon that I needed to call from a phone which wasn’t having the problem, I get a living, breathing human, a lovely lady named Elizabeth who initially hailed from Kenya and had one of the most beautiful voices I had ever heard. She looks over my account, tells me to turn my phone completely off, wait a minute and restart it. The problem was a computer glitch with the LG phones and it just needed to be reset.

Two computer glitches which turned what should have been a lovely trip, into a stressful mess. Have I mentioned how much I just love computers?

On a more positive note, I did accomplish what I had set out to do, and I also managed to capture a photo I had not been able to get on previous trips. On my first trip, I did a “I could not have possibly seen what I think I just saw.” Then on my second trip, I did a “OMG, I did see it.” Third trip, I forgot my camera. Fourth trip either it was not visible or I simply drove passed it. Well, I have proof this time. Take a look at what I found…not exactly indigenous to the area to say the least!

 

We have named her “Sally” like in the children’s song. Can you see why I did not initially believe my eyes? Sheep, goats, cows, horses, pigs and even alpacas are common sites on a farm, but a camel??? You have to admit though, she is kinda cute.

Today is going to be a LONG day. In a few hours we will be attending my nephew’s going away party. On Monday, he leaves for boot camp and won’t be home again until after the first of the year. It is going to be a day filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, I am incredibly proud of Kyle for wanting to serve our country. On the other hand, I am petrified he will be serving our country as a Marine when there is so much turmoil in the world. I guess all I can say is Semper Fi and God’s speed.

Oh well, off to make brownies for the party. I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy this beautiful fall day, and as always, happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

 You have a job interview, but you do not recognize the address they give you, so you plug it into your GPS. The directions the GPS give you, lead you to a strange area you never knew existed.

 

I sat in the car, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, staring up at the building and debating whether or not I should proceed. My need for a paying job outweighed my trepidation, so I took a deep breath, grabbed my briefcase and exited the car.

My eyes danced furtively about trying to take in my surroundings, attempting to commit the scene to memory in case I needed to call upon my recollection in the future. The parking lot was occupied by four vehicles other than my own, two SUVs, two sedans, all newer models, all black with tinted windows; one with local plates, on with Maryland plates, two with Virginia plates. In my mind I made up anagrams so I could at least be able to provide partial plates if not the complete plate numbers.

 

I didn’t get as far as I wanted to. I guess it is going to take more than two cups of coffee to get me going today…

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

It was so good to see him/her/them again…

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.