Hobkin came thiiiis close to being turned into a stew this morning. Been staying up late both because I’m doing the frantic-circus-juggler-with-too-many-hamsters dance, and because my time sense is still wonked out from last week. Got to sleep last night near 2AM, and at 6, the little fuzzwit decided it was time for breakfast.
Y’know, it’s well-nigh impossible to sleep through being walked on by a skunk. And if a person can somehow manage that feat, a snuffling nose in the ear is really the final nail in the “just five more minutes” coffin.
So yeah, four hours of sleep and I get up to launch into my day o’ work. Ugh. Thank God for Adderall.
In other, less sleep-deprived news, britzkrieg swung by yesterday so we could exchange refrigerator magnets for purposes related to The Town Drunk (I think klingonguy will be pleased). We go live in six days on the 20th with our first “issue.” Woot!
And Patrick and Christie have been popping over to help fosteronfilm with Dragon*Con film festival screenings these last two nights, which means I’ve been watching film slush, an activity I’ve been actively striving to avoid this year. At least it’s 2nd tier film slush. But the fabu company makes it worth it.
Writing Stuff
Spent some time hunting around online for an Internet fax program. There’s now been a couple freelance clients that have wanted me to fax contracts/confidentiality documents to them (although I think the fax machine is a relic of antiquated business practices, much like the ticker tape machine, and should in all properness be laid to rest) and I wanted to see what my “I’m not buying a fax machine, dammit” options were.
There’s a bunch of online pay services where I could email them a document, they fax it over for me, and then they scan in and email me any incoming faxes, but I wanting software that would allow me to send faxes directly from my own computer over my modem since I don’t foresee having enough fax needs to want to keep paying a regular fee. Plus the confidentiality and privacy issues made me a bit leery. I was contemplating a trial version of Fax Wizard, and then it occurred to me that since I’m on broadband using a Wi-Fi hookup, I don’t have any way to access a standard fax protocol like a dial-up modem could. While I might be able to theoretically convert documents and send them as faxes from my cable Internet connection, I sure as heck wouldn’t be able to receive them. So I gave up and emailed the client asking if they’d rather I snail-mailed the signed document to them or scanned it into a secured PDF and emailed it.
Faxes. Feh, I sez.
Also sent out a Daily Dragon “please confirm, yo!” staff email yesterday, and good thing too. I lost one of my reporters (*grumble* he had to wait until I contacted him before telling me he couldn’t make it?), but I’m hopeful that yukinooruoni will be able to help me out in finding a replacement.
New Words:
– 1200 for a freelance gig.
– 300 on my column article for Writing-World.com.
I wanna get back to fiction *whine*. Maybe after this next batch of articles gets out the door I can return to writing stories.
Received:
– A note from Shawna at Realms of Fantasy that the taped-shut-but-empty SASE I’d received was just a mix-up and hadn’t at any time contained my contract for “The Devil and Mrs. Comstock’s Snickerdoodles.” Whew.
– Shiny check from a freelance gig. $$$
Well, you know -I’m- in. Kinda have to be after you threatened to send the Ninja Skunks after me.
And have I met this yukinooruoni person?
There would be much ninja skunk wrath if you ducked out on me! (And much wailing, hair tearing, and hysterical sobbing.)
“And have I met this yukinooruoni person?“
I don’t think so. He took Ann Crispin’s writing workshop at D*C, and Ann hooked us up to network.
Ah hah… well, as long as he staffs us with attractive female gamers who are able to be sweet talked by charming badgers, I see no problem here.
Um . . . lemme get back to you on that.
Someone set us up the bomb!
What you say?!
Skunk stew? Gee, I dunno. Heh.
The other option was a nice, warm pair of mittens . . . but it’s not exactly mitten season.
*points at the picture* THAT is who stuck a nose in my ear this morning. Evil children…
What is it about wet noses and warm ears?? Naughty, naughty fuzz beasts.
*comparing their pictures* They really are twins, separated at birth and sent to torment us. *L*
And I have to ask… does Hobkin sleep on the bed? Because I can’t see his being able to get up there on his own!
Actually, because of our disparate sleeping schedules, I usually end up crashing on the couch while works into the wee hours, and most nights, Hobkin sleeps cuddled up on the couch with me. We actually got him a little step stool so he could clamber on and off the couch with ease. He’s capable of climbing up and flumping down it unassisted, but he realized that if he put his front paws up and looked plaintively at me when he wanted up, I’d give him a boost. I was beginning to have back pains from constantly hauling him up. Plus I was worried that the frequent plummets off the couch would end up hurting him. So we got him his own personal ladder.
Yes, Hobkin is spoiled.
No, not spoiled. Pampered! Or indulged… 😉
[initiate whining mode]
Where’s my refrigerator magnet? Huh? Huh?
Hmm. I think there’s still an “is” and an “absorbed” adhered to our ‘fridge, but has most of the metal-sticky magwords at her place now 
.
We should start giving out Town Drunk refrigerator magnets as soon as we finalize the logo. ;-P I wonder if Cafe Press does magnets…
I really hope CheddarCat will cooperate with the photo shoot. He’s most likely, I think, to 1) sniff the camera or 2) run away from the flash, unfortunately. We’ll see.
Ooo, I like the idea of The Town Drunk refrigerator magnets.
“I really hope CheddarCat will cooperate with the photo shoot.“
Hee! Matthew raised an eyebrow, having difficulties envisioning a cat posing for the camera, when I told him what your intention was with our ‘fridge magnets. I, however, am confident that your photography skills paired with CheddarCat’s photogenic nature will result in A-1 results.
That reminds me, I’ve been meaning to mention that Patrick is a skilled and experienced photographer, and if you feel the need to conscript a professional-type shutterbug, I’m thinking his know-how could be wheedled into service.
CafePress does do magnets…we have them for The Sword Review and Dragons, Knights, and Angels.
VistaPrint has really cheap refrigerator magnets on sale half price right now. I bought some for my company, and I think they cost $9.99 for 50. You can upload your own pictures and designs for them, too.
:hugs: I wish there was some way I could suspend a hamster or two for you….
Becky is like that. When she’s ready for you to get up, you get up. Or else. 😛
Hee! Fuzzy beasties really don’t have any patience nor comprehension of “just a minute, K?”
Just the Fax
Most people don’t relize that Windows has fax software included – it’s not installed by default but can be set up from “Add Remove Programs” So, you can use that to receive and send if you have a modem card in your laptop (and can scan-n-send from Adobe I think). If you need a desktop card, let me know (yes, I have a drawer full of those that I’ll never use too).
I get PO’d too when people insist on a hard-copy fax. It’s “either I can send you a crappy looking, unreadable piece of paper or a certified, verified and unalterable .PDF file”. My HR department insisted on the crappy piece of paper for my Ethics Acknoledgement this year – they probably don’t know how to print a .PDF.
A suggestion for Cheddar – Velcro his feet to the floor!
Re: Just the Fax
Yep, yep, I discovered the MS fax software just after I realized that faxing without a phone line hookup wasn’t going to work. Thanks for the offer of the card, but I think I’m going to stick to snail mail or email as means of conveying paper documents. Two means of transporting paperwork from point A to point B really ought to be sufficient.
Hey, Eugie, you busy right now? I finished a first draft of my short story ‘Fallen’. You still interested in reading/critiquing it? 🙂
I’m always busy, these days, Maggie
. But send it along anyway. It’ll be a welcome respite from some of this freelance stuff I’m having to churn out.
Did you find the reporter replacement? Bryan’s brother is confirmed for DragonCon to help him which frees me up again. Only thing is I would want to do Ann’s advanced class on pacing. Let me know if you want me back on staff and the “terms.”