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The Weekend is Here!

I'm so glad it's Saturday. And today is absolutely gorgeous. That's what I love about living in Sunny California. The sun is out, it's nice and warm, and, yes, it's still the beginning of March. I just went outside in flipflops. I know my family back East can't do that this time of the year. This week has been fun, but stressful all the same. It seems like every week has been stressful for a while now. Of course, I blame that on myself. Trying to get my book done and going back to school, on top of everything else I already did, can add up to a lot. But that's better than just sitting at home, doing nothing. Trust me. I tried it. Not for me. Last night, my friend Kristy and I went to an archery class at Bass Pro Shop. Since I went the week before, using a compound bow then--and hitting three balloons, which was better than the girls, and I have to say, half of the guys--I was able to sign up for a private class and bring a friend. Naturally, my first choice was Kristy, but I had a lot of backups if she couldn't go. And if no one could, I would have gone by myself. It was a free class. What's not to love about that? Kristy, being her, wanted a picture of the two of us actually inside the store. Me, being me, tried to fight it, but in vain. As we stood in front of a canoe that was propped up, of course people were looking at us funny. Kristy said they weren't, but I saw them. I mean, who takes a selfie in Bass Pro Shop??? Us, apparently. And we weren't even sitting on one of the quads or anything. When we got upstairs, she saw the fake turkeys and wanted to take a picture with them. NO! Put my foot down on that one. I said we can take all the ridiculous pictures on our trip this summer. She still tried to convince me as she actually kissed the turkey, and then got scared when it moved. HA! Now, that deserves a picture. It actually reminded me of one time I was out running errands with my dad when I was in my early teens and we were in a store that sold tools and air compressors and an odd assortment of other stuff. In the back, that's where they kept what I like to call the garden decorations. Benches, wishing wells, and archways. There was a weathervane with a rooster on top, so I stopped in front of it and broke one of my store rules. Never touch anything because somehow, something will happen. I started spinning the fan-blade, making it go pretty fast. Then, I wanted to spin the base, so I grabbed the tail and gave it a good shove. The only problem was, the blade was not properly screwed in, so when I spun the base, the blade flew off and rolled down the aisle. Clang, clang, clang!!! (Did I mention this was a small tool store, so EVERYONE could hear the clangs.) I took off after it, chasing it down the aisle until I caught up to it. I quickly put the blade back and went to find my dad. As soon as I turned the corner, he looked up at me, and immediately asked, "Was that you?" I said, "Yeah...." He just continued shopping. But that's nothing. One time, when I was about seven or so, we were in Florida visiting family and I somehow managed to collapse an entire circular rack of clothes, just by touching it! So, needless to say, I've always been klutzy, and looking back, I probably will always be. And since I've always been like that, I have to admit it's nice when stuff like that happens to other people, so I can laugh at them. Anyway, back to archery. Our instructor was pretty impressed with us since we have very little experience with bows, and he called us naturals. Well, duh. We could have told you that. Our first shots were terrible, and I told him my bow felt a little short--it didn't feel the same as the bow he set for me that I held before we went into the range. And Kristy also said something seemed off. He said we just had to get used to it, so we continued. After a couple shots, he noticed we were holding the wrong bows. See, she is left-handed and left-eye dominant, and I'm right-handed, and right-eye dominant. So, she was supposed to have a left bow, and me a right. But instead, he accidentally gave me the left bow and her the right. Laughing, we switched, and were much, much better.--This is when he said we were naturals. I then asked him, "Okay, be honest. How much interest has gone up in archery since The Hunger Games came out?" He said seventy percent. I guess that's one way to promote a product. (After Finding Nemo came out, the fish store my dad always goes to said their sales for clown fish almost quadrupled.) I'm proud to say I got Kristy interested in buying a bow. I think, at first, she wasn't too sure about going, but once we were in there, it was great. We're going to totally go buy a bow now, as soon as we get paid. Ha, ha. My book editing is going...slow. And it is my fault. Since my time is so limited, I don't have as much time as I'd like to work on it. Plus, it doesn't help that I read each paragraph a minimal of five times. Literally. I guess I just want it to be perfect, I read it over and over, until finally I force myself to move on, assuring myself that it's good. But then, even if I change one word, I have to read it another four or five times. This was supposed to be quick and easy. I've had a couple people read it and edit it and offer their suggestions and I made those fixes a while ago, so I was just going to go over it one more time before I put it up on the eBooks. Just real quick, shouldn't take me long. Wrong! It feels like it's taking me longer than actually writing the first draft. But, again, I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to certain things. I seriously think that's one of my flaws. It baffles me sometimes since there are very few things I want to be perfect. I mean, if you saw the messy state of my room, you'd wonder why I'm so picky about two things. Then again, chaos or not, there is a specific spot for everything in my room. Even if it includes piles of notebooks. Each pile is different, I assure you. I am excited about the book all the same. I work at a school, and some of the students know I write. I've even asked their opinion on scenes when I get stuck. I am, after all, writing to their crowd, so who better to ask? And they have helped me out a lot. The ones who know are excited and can't wait until I put my book up. I told them they don't have to buy it, but they insist they want to. Makes me feel so loved. I showed some of them my (unfinished) website to get their views on some stuff. One of them being, the picture of me. My oh-so-intelligent friend, Kelly, pointed out how I did not have a picture of myself, and that I needed a picture of myself on the page. At least one. Even though I hate taking pictures, there are a few of me, and I narrowed it down to two. Kelly pointed out her favorite, and when I asked the students, they picked the same one and said, "I like that one better. You look more professional--because, you know, you're not wearing a boy shirt." Well, can't argue with you on that one, can I? I guess I better get my homework done, so I can tackle my editing. Happy Saturday!


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