Stay on Target… May 27, 2010
Posted by Hydy in alkaline, life, writing.Tags: B&N, barium, bills, blog, Bookup, colon, family, flash fiction, friends, health, integration, investing, journal, life, Mount Carmel, options, registration, spring rolls, St. Ann's, stocks, summer, surgery, webisite, writing
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Things are progressing as normal. Currently sitting in a waiting room at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s while Rich gets a Barium test to see if they need to remove any extra colon when he gets his second surgery. The lamp next to me does not appear to be plugged in. Odd… not that it’s needed, just… odd. Surgery in 12 days and counting.
Shoring up our member site, and shopping cart at Bookup. Still waiting on an integration solution. But the removal of copy protection and return to registration has gone smoothly and sales are up. Next up, website modernization. It is far too difficult for customers to find what they want, and that includes the product catalog.
I’ve hit a stall with writing, and starting my own money-creating blog/website, but I’m still chipping away at the How. I’m doing far more journal writing than fiction these days. About to run out of flash fiction again for my website, will have to do something about that at least.
My health is good, almost back up to previous weight, just a few pounds shy, so feel better about that. No drugs in a few months now. Little aches here and there. Elbow continues to be my bane. But all in all, I’m doing quite well, and can do all the things I want to do.
My B&N Store has added some new sections and rearranged (almost) everything. I think I can find all the sections, but it’s going to take some getting used to. I picked up a few extra shifts over the next couple weeks, so that’ll help.
If my options go well, I’ll have some extra money for bills in June. Knock down a couple remaining medical bills without having to take money out of the investing account yet. I imagine we may end up having to do that, but for the moment, I’m hoping to just take out the profit. We shall see.
Summer is here, life is good, friends and family abound.
Food of the week: (it’s been a while, hasn’t it?): Spring Rolls (not exactly alkaline, but they’re veggie, right? 😉 )
Doing Well May 13, 2010
Posted by Hydy in alkaline, life.Tags: alkaline, blood work, Bookup, Bookup.com, cake, Cedar Point, chocolate, cookies, copy protection, doctor, elbow, forums, help desk, integration, MarCon, MarCon.org, membership, RA, registration, Rheumatoid Arthritis, salad, Spelt, swelling, vegetables, zag
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My Health – I missed my doctor’s appointment this week. Thought I’d set a reminder, but I must have put it on my old phone. I didn’t realize until dinner the next evening. I called today and they graciously waived the missed appointment fee. I haven’t taken any meds in… I’m not sure, two months, maybe? I haven’t done my blood work either. Once we get our current medical bills under control, I’ll get that done and probably talk to her, but that’s on hold for now. My joints are doing really well these days, elbow’s still a little swollen, but it’s not painful or problematic. As far as the diet, I stay fairly well on course, eating lots of salads and veggies and spelt products. I do eat desserts on a fairly regular basis, a cookie here, a bit of chocolate cake there. With MarCon coming up at the end of the month I’ve been pretty good, saving up my cheating this month for that, though I’ll still try to have some salad when it’s available.
MarCon – Multiple Alternative Realities Convention – is in two weeks. It’s a horror theme this year, not my favorite, but it should still be a fun time. The committee is working to pull together the programming, guests and gaming. I’m looking forward to seeing the costumes, art show and dealers room. Not that I have money to spend there, but I do enjoy ogling the pretties.
Cedar Point – In celebration of Bookup returning to non-copy protected, registration-only software, and the headaches that will relieve, Mike and I are taking Monday off to go to Cedar Point.
Bookup – The Express update without copy protection (returning to the registration system he used to use) was released last week, the trial version yesterday and hopefully the Professional version tomorrow. We have two very skilled gentlemen working on our Forum integration and are debating two help desk solutions. One works as is, though I’m not sold on how it works, the other has integration issues I would love to get solved. The membership site itself is up and ready, once we get the forum and help desk finished, we will just have to convince 44K people to create passwords and start using it. I’ve been reading a lot about generating free internet traffic, and am preparing to put some of that to work for Bookup. Everything is coming together.
Life Keeps Moving April 29, 2010
Posted by Hydy in life.Tags: Alkaseltzer, B&N, Barnes & Noble, Bookup, Bookup.com, car insurance, Cedar Point, cider, dentist, flexibility, forum, Gentle Dentist, GP, health insurance, help desk, hernia, IBD, integration, MarCon, MarCon.org, medication, Newark, OB/GYN, OJ, options, RA, sore throat, Traffic Ultimatum, Yoga
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B&N is alternating between 4 and 8 hours a week for me now. Bookup stays fairly steady at one full day and two half days. We have two people working on our forum integration. I got the help desk set up yesterday, but there are two problems to overcome there as well. I am moving forward in learning the Traffic Ultimatum system. I have not had much luck finding good options to play lately. I will check IBD again soon.
My health continues to be good, though I’ve been fighting the beginnings of a sore throat with fresh OJ, hot cider and Alkaselzter Cold and Cough. Yoga has been a great addition to my life, increased flexibility is already present, though I don’t get to go to the full class very often. This morning I didn’t groan at a single “take a vinyasa” as was my habit previously.
I am currently off all medications, though I do now have health insurance cards for the newest policy Rich’s company has adopted. I’m not sure I mentioned this, but I have a new GP-OB/GYN here in town, instead of having to run to Newark, and a clean bill of health from her as well. I see my RA doc soon, and need to make a Dentist appointment as well, they’ve been calling again.
Rich had a couple setbacks this week. Some trouble with possible hernias that he is getting checked out today. And a slight mishap in a parking lot between his car and an SUV. All is well and being taken care of, insurance is a wonderful thing.
Coming soon: Cedar Point and MarCon
Where did the warmth go? April 22, 2010
Posted by Hydy in life.Tags: 4-Hour Workweek, anniversary, author, B&N, blogging, book, Bookup, dreamlining, family friends, financial freedom, goals, income, integration, internet marketing, published, RA, tablet pc, travel, writing
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Wrote this last Saturday, not sure why it didn’t get published…
A low of 35 tonight? Really? Come on, spring, we liked you, come back…
Reading the revised and updated edition of 4-Hour Workweek. I got through the first section this week. Did the dreamlining exercise and my four most important goals for the next six months, I’m already moving on, just have to get to the next steps. Also learning about internet marketing for fun and profit. Still waiting to see if our man in India can pull off a miracle for the Bookup site’s integration. B&N hours are still steadily dropping, a couple more things in place and I’ll be done there. All signs say I should not wait, but my need for security is just too high. If I get desperate for money, I’m sure I can open up my availability and have a heart to heart with Lee Anne. Things are staying balanced for the moment, though.
On the first topic of this post, dreamlining, I thought I’d say a little more about that. The object of the exercise was to make two lists, one for six months and one for twelve months, of what you wanted to have, be and do. My six month list of have was mostly new clothes, my list of be involved blogger, paid published author and being more fit, and my do list included two trips, concrete work on a book, making income outside traditional “job” structures, as well as a lovely anniversary celebration with Rich. My twelve month goals included a bigger home/apt, a tablet pc and a published book; financial freedom from the rat race, freedom from RA flares (I haven’t taken any meds in a couple weeks), freedom to travel, and more time with my family and friends.
Busy Month March 18, 2010
Posted by Hydy in life.Tags: appointments, bills, Bookup, Bookup.com, charts, Connor's covered call strategy, coverage, covered calls, deductibles, forum, health, helpdesk, IBD, insurance, integration, internet marketing, limit, membership, Multiplle Streams of Income, options, order, stock, systems, trading, website, work
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Rich home from the hospital. Another friend had outpatient nasal surgery. I’ve been trying to get things organized, reprioritized and scheduled. Rich just started a new work schedule. We got health insurance, but next month they are switching companies. Yay for two deductibles… I had already made a yearly check up appointment before I knew we were switching, so that will go against the current deductible, and then I will get to start all over when we switch. We are not even clear on when that is, though enrollment is April, and they say we will not be without coverage at all. We will see. I have an ever growing stack of bills from Rich’s stay. I need to start calling people, it is just a little overwhelming.
To take my mind off it, I made a few stock trades today. Following Connor’s covered call strategy from Multiple Streams of Income, I chose three stocks from IBD, checked their charts and open options interest. I put one order straight in, the other two I have some limit orders in on so I get the profit I want out of them.
Things at Bookup are moving along, we are trying to get a new forum and helpdesk up, running and properly integrated with our new membership system. We have hit a few snags, but we will figure them out eventually. In the mean time, the systems we have running are getting better all the time. And I have a good bunch of ideas for the website and internet marketing.
Ideas spinning, time running, everything moving forward.
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