Welcome! I’m Linda: web mistress, author, motorcyclist, full-time RVer, blogger, freelance writer, history huntress, and petter of cats.
Annwn is my home page, and has been for a very long time. This is its latest incarnation.
I have several different blogs and projects. I’ve always been a fingers-in-pies kind of gal.
This site brings together posts and news from all my various blogs and projects. This will work for you if you’re interested in reading (or skimming) everything I write. If you have something to say or want to read more, just click the title of the entry and you can do so. (I’d love it if you did!)
Conversely, if you’re only interested in some of the topics I write about, just add that individual blog to your feed reader.
27 August 2010 20:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
Before this blog fails to have any posts in August, I thought I’d better pen a few lines. Behold a postcard from New Zealand, as sent by Discoverylover, who rocks. I’m woefully behind in my posting of postcards, but I’ll try to make up for that later.
Two days ago, I completed goal 49, which was to see a movie at the Trinity Theater. This is a small movie theater in Weaverville, hosted in a historic building, and it resembled a regular, albeit large, house indoors.
It was a very impromptu thing and worked out very well. The movie was Toy Story 3 and it rocked. It was the usual Disney-Pixar mix of adult humor and kid humor, keeping it entertaining and poignant to the end. I hope they don’t make any more; this seemed like an absolutely perfect place to leave off the story.
I’ve completed other goals since I last wrote, but I figure I’ll just plod away at the updates. I’m not a sprinter, I’ve discovered. I’ve got maybe half a dozen goals that I just don’t want to do any more, so I’m trying to think what I might do to replace them. There are also others that are firming up in different ways, so I’ll think about those too. Thinking good!
101 in 1001 Progress Report Week 6»
20 April 2010 11:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
Last Friday, the 16th, marked the end of week six of doing the 101 in 1001 challenge. However, Friday was a mega-work-day in the new, experimental way of handling my work (#21), so it took a wee while to get round to writing the update.
I’m finding it hard to track the minutiae: How many users, how many subscribers. So those details may not be entirely accurate. Last week was mostly used up on work and tax, so it’s not like I’ve been having many jollies. But I did make some progress on the 101 in 1001 goal and I even finished goal 57, to register to vote. I also made it to the first milestone in the President’s Challenge, i.e. I completed the Active Lifestyle Award and am now onto bronze. The bronze challenge sets you a points value to reach and I’m at 38%, since they carry over points from Active Lifestyle.
Numbers, first: I dropped five more Where’s George dollars into the change machine at the laundromat (#8), bringing me up to 17 out of the 42. I had 64 Examiner subscribers (#78) and 103 Examiner articles (#78). I reached those in a mad push last weekend that restarted the clock on my contract: You have to publish ten articles every three months, and I did all three on the deadline with the last one an hour before midnight. ;) Markeroni has 748 members and I had to throw out a couple more spammers (#35). I’ve been looking into adding a captcha of some variety.
Don is working on fixing the transmission (#2, quest to become full-time on the road). The pump is assembled and back in, but the more complex valve body is next. We need a run of dry weather, of which there has been little lately. This winter is hanging on for a very long time.
Post tax day, which had me filling out my third tax return that very morning (yes, lucky me, I get to do three tax returns), I did a little programming on Markeroni 5.0 (#43) and how wonderful that shift of gears felt. I also got down to the post office to mail out orders, including books (#46).
I made a bit of time to read a Very Short Introduction (#83). My desk continues to be clear (#90) and my complaint bracelet continues to switch wrists (#30) though, it must be said, much less often. Sometimes I even remember to breathe before getting all bent out of shape.
And last but definitely not least, I got my second postcard! A beautiful card with historic sites arrived from Discoverylover in New Zealand. I will try to find the time to scan and post it this week. :) I also have several more promises, mostly due to the efforts of Kristin and a craft group she’s in but also because of some previous promises touching base and saying they hadn’t forgotten.
So, I worked on 14 goals this week, all told (some, of course, are entirely passive). I have 22 goals in progress, and this week I finished one, which means I have now finished three.
18 April 2010»
19 April 2010 00:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
As I sit and write, I note that I’m at the end of a three-day weekend in which I wrote, on an off, for about twelve hours each day. I did that the weekend before, as well, trying to make my taxes. (I did. Barely.) And I note that while I am sore, I’m not as sore as last week; and while I’m a bit frazzled, I’m not entirely fried, like I was last week.
In short, so far so good. There is something incredibly freeing about knowing that I only have to write for two hours today, and for the next three days. This three-days-on, four-days-marginally-on may do what I need it to: Generate enough income to live on, and leave enough energy to work on residual income, non-writing ventures, and above all Markeroni. I miss working on Markeroni.
It’s been an insane week. I filled out three tax returns. I got the two main ones in and submitted on the 13th, which is one day earlier than last year and a whole two days than the year before, when, as I recall, I rode 100 miles to find a post office that opened until midnight. I could’ve done it sooner, but I needed every last minute to generate the extra money it required to not have to borrow, and I’m happy to say that I didn’t. Borrow, that is. Big relief.
Gavin-down-the-hill came up for the weekend so we all hung out last night and devoured pizza. We’ve had beautiful weather all weekend, but the next few days it is set to rain and maybe snow. This winter is not dying easily.
Don got the pump reassembled and reinserted, and the valve body is next. We need a long stretch of clear days for that. It’s very fiddly and involves springs that can ping off into the next county over. I ripped out the contents of a couple of closets and cleaned them out. Yeah, spring cleaning.
I’ve been reading about the Book Crossing convention. I’m very sad to see that many weren’t able to attend due to the ash cloud from Iceland. I can just imagine the disappointment.
I guess that’s about it.
Goals #70 and #57: Presidentially Challenged»
14 April 2010 12:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
I just attained my President’s Challenge Active Lifestyle Award, which means I’ve walked or exercised in some capacity at least five days a week for the last six weeks. I tried this challenge before and didn’t make it through, but I’m finding that as a freelance writer, doing it has been a bit of a sanity-saver.
Sometimes, my mind gets in the way of a can-do attitude. The can-do attitude is a requirement for getting through our current challenges and “exciting finances.” If I can’t sit down and focus on my writing, I go for a walk. Usually I’m in a better frame of mind by the time I get back.
Today was a double whammy because I walked down to the mailbox and mailed in my voter registration. This means I have now completed my third goal, #57: Register to vote.
From a visual point of view, finishing the challenge was a bit disappointing. Each day as I completed my exercise the log filled in the points on a star. I was looking forward to seeing my six stars all lined up but instead it whisked me off to a new screen and a new six-week challenge. I guess I wanted some kind of fanfare, like when you win at Solitaire on Windows and all the cards start bouncing across the screen. ;)
I can order a patch but it’s $1.50 for the patch and certificate and $5.50 for the shipping…the shipping charge is ridiculous so what I’ll do is wait until I have a couple or more patches and order them together.
So there you go. My goal as stated in 101 in 1001 is to continue through to do Bronze. Then from a point of view of 101 in 1001, goal #70 will be complete, though I intend to continue through to gold. I find that I am 35% of the way to Bronze, so I suppose that means I will finish sometime this summer.
101 in 1001 Progress Report Week 5»
09 April 2010 17:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
If you find typos in here please forgive me but I’m very tired. It’s a good kind of tired though and one that bears hope for future sanity. But I’ll probably get to talking about that in the Sunday update.
The week has zoomed by. It’s mostly been about work and getting the taxes done, with a little help from some Markeroons. You know who you are. As of today I have 63 subscribers at Examiner (#78) and 747 members at Markeroni (#35).
The observant will note that this latter number is less than last week’s number. This is because when I sent out the latest newsletter, ten of them bounced back to the same address. Given that I’d already had my suspicions about these usernames I deleted them as invalid users.
I am through week five of the President’s Challenge (#70) which means that next week I will have finished the qualifying stage and can move on to bronze. I’ve been going out between the raindrops and enjoying a few nice days mid-week.
I reached 100 articles at Suite101 so only 150 to go (#74). That was kind of a fun milestone to meet. I wish I had more time to give Suite because it’s really cool to write for them, but I need to stick with the sure-things for the time being and let the residuals build up in their own sweet time. And they will, if I keep hacking at it.
I have had some more offers of postcards (#25) but none have come. It seems like the post is very slow the last week or so, and we’re not getting into town much thanks to the rain. On Thursday I went to Historic Helena with a neighbor-turned-friend, Sam, and she indulged me by stopping at every historical marker on the way back. One was at Junction City right next to the post office. So I got H is for Helena in my A-Z challenge (#41) and must write that up sometime, and 96,048 more points for my zipcode challenge (#20) and later in the evening went to a local gather and tried Young’s Double Chocolate Stout…yum yum good! So that’s my second new beer in goal #26.
Don has been working on the transmission (#2) and has the pump back together. I continue to switch my wrist band (#30) and to clear my desk as best I can (#90).
Never give up, never surrender»
07 April 2010 12:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
We’ve been watching a bunch of Charley Boorman and Ewan MacGregor documentaries lately…The Long Way Round, The Long Way Down and, now, Race to Dakar. While I can honestly say that I have no desire to see roughly 60% of the world’s countries, which appear to be dusty, rocky and outright difficult, I have really been enjoying the armchair travel. The Dakar Rally looks terribly exciting, but I don’t think I’ll ever be at that level of fitness, have enough money or craziness.
One thing I did notice about the shows is a commonality between Raven’s Roads and their trips. They came across issues that seemed overwhelming, complained about them, then fixed them. I’ve been trying to work my way through the complaint-free challenge and it’s very hard. Perhaps I’m being too strict, but I’m wanting to train myself from getting bent out of shape at technology, so every huff and puff at a slow application merits a switch of my reminder bracelet.
Basically, technology is slower than I am, especially when dealing with commercial “publishing tools.” My efficiency and bottom line relies on speed so that I don’t spend two hours trying to post a $15 article. When I hit the button to save a draft and it takes forever my eyes literally glaze over in frustration and the Long Sigh begins.
Nevertheless, my getting bent out of shape won’t help anything other than giving me more of a bad taste in my mouth. (The irony of my growling at WordPress for its excruciatingly slow auto-save just now strikes me keenly.)
I admire the guys for their tenacity and ability to ride in harsh places. I don’t begrudge them their money and support team; it allows them to go to places I will never see for myself. I understand, entirely, that you have to get the emotion off your chest before you can get to the solution. But I don’t know that complaining and huffing and puffing is really the way to do that.
But I noticed that in those movies the guys never gave up, they attained what they had to do, and in the end so did I. I hope that with the complaint-free challenge, I will one day get to a whole day without switching wrists, and then a week, and then the full three weeks. I’m just going to have to learn how to breathe.
04 April 2010»
04 April 2010 21:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
This Sunday has come around very quickly, all told, but for the most part it’s been a good week. Hard work and tiring, but productive. I’m still having the mood swings but I suspect that much of that has to do with a complete lack of fresh food and the insane weather. I now have some bananas and grapefruit, so life is seeming more manageable.
I’m hacking through my tax return, one schedule at a time. I almost got the most complicated one done today but have to track down a discrepancy. Once that’s done the rest should be plain sailing. I’ve also been troubleshooting strategies to regain financial stability and move forward from the whole financial mess. Going to live off nuts and berries in the forest is looking better every day. ;)
On Friday it snowed, great big glomps of snowflakes that ended up with four inches on the ground. On Saturday it melted, and today it snowed yet again, a light dusting that looked like the world was sugar-coated. We’ve had some serious rain as well. The RV parts are here so the next step will be to reassemble those indoors and then reinsert them into the RV when spring once again reasserts itself.
I saw a bald eagle saunter down the valley the other day. That was pretty cool. :)
I don’t have too much to report. I did go off photographing with Kerry on the snow day because after a while I got tired of dusting snow off the satellite dish every 20 minutes. The pictures weren’t too good because of a lack of sunlight, but it was not boring. Other than that recreation seems to be more or less a thing of the past. I am getting better and faster at the writing though so I hope to be efficient enough to move away from full hookups soon.
Time will tell. We can do a dry run when Harvey’s heart is reassembled.
101 in 1001 Progress Report Week 4»
02 April 2010 20:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
Huh? What? Four weeks already? Eep!
But that’s okay. I have figured I need to finish seven to eight goals every 11 weeks, so there’s time. I neither started nor finished any goals this week, but I worked on 13 and, just like last week, have 23 up in the air.
I’ve completed four weeks of my President’s Challenge, taking walks most days. Markeroni has 750 members, I put up an extra Suite article to hit 97, and I have 62 Examiner subscribers. I completed June, July and October 2004 Markeroni cataloging (not that there was much of any of them). I’m really looking forward to 2005, which is when I did Raven’s Roads and I know I have a lot of outstanding logging from that trip.
We’ve made some progress on the Escape From California plan, especially prompted by the arrival of snow on April 2nd, carefully planned so that it couldn’t be mistaken for April Fool’s joke. The transmission parts came, for a start, and I’ve been doing some Scary Math to figure out the financial ramifications and what I need to aim for. The prognosis is not particularly cheery, I have to say, but it’s information that I can work with.
I stuck two more Where’s George dollars in the laundromat quarter machine for a total of 12. I also hit a minimum subsistence level goal in the Make a Living quest after being flattened by the realization of impending taxes, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Oh, and I applied to three more writing gigs for a total of 5/42. Only one replied, but I wasn’t as qualified as I thought, so I passed.
Then I got my first postcard! Melydia sent me one from Japan. That really made my day. :)
As you can probably tell I continue to complain. As you probably can’t tell my desk continues to become more or less clear every night. This week I also did work on my old astrology site to get that modernized and streamlined. With all the writing I am doing to claw out of the pit, it’s going slowly.
This has definitely been a work-oriented week with not much room for play. It’s the reality of my life right now. I hope that post-April-15, the anniversary of my becoming an American citizen, there will be a bit more time to let my hair down!
First postcard»
01 April 2010 21:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
I have received my first postcard! Melydia has been in Japan and sent me a postcard from the Ghibli Museum. I really loved the Ghibli anime films I have seen, especially the dreamlike Spirited Away with its cute little soot-ball critters. So it was a perfect choice. And my goal #25 is now 1/65th complete. :)
A bit more living, a bit less dying»
31 March 2010 19:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
In last week’s update I mentioned that there would be an announcement soon regarding goal #21, Make a Living and Not a Dying. Well, I hit my first milestone so now I need to blog about it.
I have reached the point where I can reliably make a certain private-to-me level of bacons a month. I’m not going to quote the figure because it will make some of you choke with envy and others wonder how the heck she lives like that and the fact is, I do. ;)
This figure is significant because it is the lowest point at which I can:
1. Pay for food
2. Pay rent
3. Pay credit obligations
4. Pay bills
5. Pay for our monthly sanity-extras like Internet and Netflix
This does not solve our cash flow problem. Nor does it solve the tax problem. And I’m a long way from being able to afford health insurance. But it is the first time I have been able to do what I need to do on the first of the month without a desperate scramble.
Firstly, I got more determined. Secondly, I got quicker and better at my work. And thirdly, I got a little more focused.
Next month I have another goal and if I can meet that I will be well on my way. The climbing has begun!
28 March 2010»
28 March 2010 16:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
To some extent it’s been an angsty week, mostly because of money. Sometime earlier in the week I realized that in a fortnight I will, in fact, become liable for $800 or so in taxes that I can’t pay, that help I had hoped for didn’t come, and that thus the only way I can pay it is by putting a big chunk on my credit card. This left me feeling depressed and a little frozen.
Let me just say, though, that this makes me incredibly happy.
The week has been a process of sifting through this and pushing away the why-me thoughts which serve nothing. The situation is what it is. I must deal. And I deal quite well, all told. I’ve had to put some dreams on hold; Markeroni isn’t going to get rewritten while I try to dig out of this hole.
The tax forms still give me a sense of distaste and concern, but I have sat down and gotten up to date on accounting, know what numbers to plug into which holes, and will take the rest in stride. It just got me down because, having made significant progress this month, I still feel like I’m skidding my wheels.
It’s like dieting, I guess. You don’t get fat overnight; thus, you don’t get skinny overnight. You don’t get into financial difficulties overnight; you don’t claw your way out of them overnight (still haven’t bought that lottery ticket). Sometimes I have to wade through the despondency to get to the wider view.
I’ve been doing some work on finding new clients and reviving my old astrology reports business. Even just twenty or so charts a month would make a huge difference to my sanity levels.
Meanwhile, kudos to President Obama. Shame on the nay-sayers to whom losing is more important than the bigger picture, and shame on the violent lunatics. It’s a flawed law, but it’s there, it can be worked on, and he kept his promise.
Other than that, it’s not been a particularly exciting week; it’s involved a lot of work, sore wrists, a bit of rain and a lot of sunshine. Transmission parts are en route and then we will see what we see. I can’t help looking at maps and imagining road trips. ;)
Yesterday we stopped by the roadside on the way to laundry to rescue a student and her brother who were stuck. Don got them going again. I suppose one might call that an adventure. I’ve been having fun with my little video camera. And we had a wonderful thunderstorm. Other than that, it’s been all about the angst. ;)
101 in 1001 Progress Report #3»
26 March 2010 12:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
I just hit week three on 101 in 1001 and the project’s in a bit of a holding pattern due to external pressures. I’ve been having a bit of trouble keeping up a positive attitude this week but I do what I can.
The Escape from California plan continues (#2). Don dismantled the transmission pump, the easy fix, and discovered that while it did have flaws, they didn’t seem major enough to have caused the issues that grounded us last October. Ruh-roh.
So then he dug into the complicated valve body, where the decisions that change gears on an automatic occur, and while there are flaws there, too, again they do not seem bad enough. Frustratingly, it seems as if there is nothing obviously wrong. So he had me order parts on Friday and they will be here next week; then he will reassemble the parts and we will see if it’s soup.
Meanwhile, with beautiful timing that makes me smile, the lovely weather has been replaced by rain and maybe more snow, all of which occurs while we are waiting for the parts, and should clear up around the time they arrive. How sweet is that?
Complaint-free (#30) is still a non-starter. My computer has an issue with its power supply that results in it making a periodic high-pitched, whining noise that drives me batty. I find it as viscerally horrible as nails on a blackboard. Thus, no progress there unless you count me not losing it every time progress. ;)
I also clear my desk each night (#90), though sharing it as I am with transmission parts, perhaps “clear” isn’t really the operative word. ;) Either way, I got so irritated with the piles of paperwork on my bench that I did a declutter and that made me feel better.
What with one thing or another, walks, errands, whatever, goal #70, the President’s Challenge, still continues well. My third star is complete so I’m halfway there. I like a change they’ve made since my first attempt, years ago, whereby your activity is also logged as points. This means that when I’ve finished the basic qualification round, I already have points to count to my bronze award and it encourages me to do more than just the minimum.
I like this goal because it gets me out of the house daily and is mood-lifting.
I didn’t get any more Examiner subscribers this week and I admit to having continued mixed feelings about even continuing there, but I’ll go into that some other time. I have committed to follow the Royals for a full year. Markeroni got a few newbies though, with 748 members now (#35).
I clawed out a little time this week to catalog a few more of my own snarfs (#1). I completed July 2004 but still have a few left over from June 2004 (I don’t do as well when the transcriptions are long).
I started goal #98, “consolidate my Websites,” on Wednesday. I’m bringing back my astrology reports service from its holding pattern. Those who haven’t known me for a long time won’t know that I still have this little sideline to my other creative pursuits, the result of a decades-old interest.
I’m working on incorporating a blog into the site and writing a better shopping function to streamline it, as well as a more modern look and updated methods. I’ll announce it when it’s ready. This is also part of #21, make a living, since it is not as time-consuming as writing and I believe firmly in the wisdom of having multiple income streams. I’ve been doing some soul-searching and experimentation regarding #21 this week, too and am about to hit a milestone that I’ll tell you about next week.
I sold a couple of books (#46). I approached another client, the second of 42, and there may be something there (#66). A couple of weeks ago it occurred to me that I’d gladly blog for a living because it’s quick, fun and aligns with my preferred writing style. So if you happen to know anyone who needs a blogger, please have them contact me. ;)
I weighed myself again (#5) but no change in either direction. It’s not something I’m consciously working on, but I thought I’d check.
I did a re-count on the goals I am counting as “working on” and make it 23, of which I worked on eight this week. Why is it down from last week? Because I have decided it’s silly to count asking for recommendations on, for example, etiquette books as actually starting a goal. I mean, this week I looked at the cost of Markeroni bookmarks and Unbusinesscards, but I don’t consider that starting those goals. So I have backpedaled a bit.
Will someone (just one) arrange to send me a postcard from the USA? :: grin ::
21 March 2010»
21 March 2010 23:13
Syndicated from The Markeroni blog
As I sit and write I feel like I’ve been to Thanksgiving dinner. There was a potluck tonight in honor of my birthday, so I feel like the Queen who has both a real and an official birthday. ;) The extended family of our neighborhood sent ten people, which meant more than ten very good things to try. And that included hand-made chocolate. Oh….my. ;)
The weather has been beautiful this week. Cold in the mornings, warm in the afternoon. Don got under the RV and pulled out the transmission. I worked on bacon-earning and stepped up the pace. I have to, if we are going to pay for new parts and even the basics. The only thing that bothers me is that there’s even less time for programming now, and I wish it were otherwise.
The pump in the transmission may not be the problem after all. There are some issues with it but nothing that could explain the nasty sounds our RV was making by the time we grounded it last year. That means it might be the valve body which is complex and has parts that might ping off into the stratosphere. Don is studying his technical book and the disassembly will begin next week. I know he will figure it out. For my part, I’m figuring out the continued difficult finances. We’re both stubborn enough to make it work. ;)
Nicer weather has meant a few rides here and there into town. They are errand runs but I am starting to feel the sap run through my veins, i.e. the desire to do some runs just for fun. Kerry has started a new job and we haven’t seen each other much between the flu and the work, so we took time out for coffee and pizza one day. It was nice to catch up.
Beyond that I have absolutely nothing to report other than life, in its strange and twisted fashion, continues to feel good. I think the sunshine really helps. :)
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