Starting a business can test your patience and Acorn squash stabbing . . . October 28, 2009

Wrote this hours ago:
Today I am edgy, irritable, frustrated. I want simple with a capital S. I want someone to come sit down in my computer chair and walk me through E V E R Y T H I N G that has to do with the net in relation to social media and what I need to learn. Everywhere I go there is something new. I find myself saying, “What? What are you talking about?” all the time. What is this, what is that, is this the same as that or is it different. So do I need both or not? Why are you not defining everything? When I go to a “beginning” anything page, I expect it to start at the beginning. Not just a niggle ahead leaving me to surf elsewhere in search of that stray piece of info. the author thought I was born with. Maybe it’s just me. I don’t know. Have I told you this before, am I repeating myself? It’s likely, since I talk to you, and to John 1&2, my friend Cathy and some to Heather about all things internet. It was Cathy btw that said, “I want things simple.” I lifted that from our IMing on FB and slapped it at the top of that previous post bearing that title BECAUSE I too want it simple. Ha! Funny, very funny. That’s like asking for child rearing to be a snap. There is a learning curve. A price one pays in order to be fluent in this language and that’s where I am. Or is, really, because I barely pause from the learning, which keeps me in the now, so possibly I should say, “That’s where I is.” LOL Grammar Nazi’s step aside. I’m recreating the language. And why not? Some unknown somebody created it in the first place, why can’t I do that same?! Throwing my head back here and howling half crazed laughter. Daring anyone to tell me I can’t. Don’t even go there today!

I’m hitting scream level and totally up to my ears in it. John2 was here and he said, “Yeah, I understand what you’re saying, but that was the only way I’ve learned and still learn anything that has to do with computers or the internet.” Well, that annoyed me. I wanted him to join me, to complain, kick the internet, and tell it to just go to hell in a hand basket, take a long walk off a short pier. To disappear off the face of the planet. It was all I could do to suppress snapping at him. So I walked away. Went to see what food was in the refrigerator. Discovery: Stabbing my chef’s knife into an acorn squash and then retching it down to slice it in half not only allowed me to cut that blasted thing in half much easier then the way I’ve been doing it, it also helped me released some steam. I’m now recommending this. And while your at it follow up with vigorously peeling potatoes and roughly cutting them in pieces also adds to the effect.

Added this tonight:
Well that was earlier, now I’m “serene.” All together. Nice and peaceful–just ignore the clinched jaw, it’s nothing. Really. Focus on the placid smile on my face. Just wish I hadn’t totally burned an entire tray of Pillsbury Halloween shape cookies to the delicate shade of black, setting off the fire alarm and alerting the entire world, before “serene” washed over me. Those cookies were supposed to be for a special treat for the kids. Okay and yeah, a few were going to be for me.

So now that I’m all calm I can say I know this is the better way ultimately. Anything you have to work at to learn and understand makes it your own. Allows you to really and truly learn it, every aspect. But really, earlier. Phish. Like who really cared? Me? Nope. I waded it all up and dumped it in the trash! Now I’m smoothing out the wrinkles and leaving it next to the computer and going to bed. That will seriously help!

Love ya, Night,
Theresa Jane
-who knows her tweets today sounded like I was all sweet and happy, but that was me making an effort to find my happy spot. Once I got to my blog I had to reveal the truth to my friends!

Feeling like one of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs: Droopy . . . October 22, 2009

It’s 1:14 am and I’m droopy. Droopy is one of the names of those seven dwarfs that hung out with Snow White right? If there isn’t one, then there should be. And I’m so droopy I don’t care to do a search to find out. Someone leave a comment with their names, then I’ll know for sure. LOL.

It’s been a full day. John2 and I had two phone meetings today, one with that guy I mentioned before that’s been in film for over 20 years and helped us before. Then we had one with just us. Among other meeting results we, well he more than me, came up with the perfect logo idea for our company: Free The Mind Productions. Completely different then the direction we were going in. But that’s the way creativity moves. John1 grabbed the idea and ran. In no time flat he was emailing me his creation and the stationary! He even free drew the picture on the computer. It’s not super detailed mind you, but if I were to go about doing it I wouldn’t have had all that done in under an hour and half, tweaks included. But then he did see it clearly in his mind, so that totally helps. Being an artist totally helps. Working with a publishing program for years also helps. Well, I get some of the credit pie, because WE had the meeting. I mean without me where would we have been We’re letting the logo sit for a few days then we’ll come back and look at it again and finalize. Once done I’ll share it!

We lost our graphic artist that’s worked with us for a year. So I’ve been scrambling to find a new one. We have a client that wants a book printed. EEEkkkk. Been emailing and calling people for a couple days. Besides talking with a few, I viewed a boat load of portfolios today. They’ve all merged into one sticky blob up there in my brain.

Worked a teeny bit more on understanding optimizing. I went to Google AdWords and used the Keyword tool to see what were keywords for my blog and Red Book and Cotton’s web site. Took awhile to figure out where the heck the page was to actually put the web sites in, then it was sticky and didn’t want to work, but then, it generated a list. I also tried to see where the rankings were on our sites. Don’t worry I’m not suffering from grandiose thoughts. I didn’t think we’d be soaring to the top of the charts or anything. I was just curious. Took it a long time for it to do it’s thing and when it was done I had no earthly idea what it was telling me. Couldn’t find a “translator” anywhere. Blah!

Saw my kids for awhile. Zach true to form said, “I don’t have any homework.” Got ornery when I pressed the matter. Zach’s teachers seem to have been on a “no homework streak” for a couple months now. I smell failure in the wind. SIGH. Helped Dan learn his spelling list. Test tomorrow. Had it been today, wellllllll, let’s just say it’s a good thing it wasn’t. When we were done he asked, “Want to go to McDonald’s? I’m stressed. I’ll pay.” He whipped out his wallet and produced a 5 spot, proof of his creditability.” Bless his little heart. He used the last of his b-day money to go out with me. What was he stressed about? I asked and he said, a touch forlorn, “Oh I don’t want to talk about that. Anything but that.” And that’s what we did.

Love ya,
Theresa Jane
-whose putting her backside in bed, it’s now 2:30 am. Hope it’s not too late I feel my second wind kicking in. . .