MIA for a few...

I will most like be "M.I.A" for a few days...

and I decided I am just too swamped under, to

schedule anything to auto post on those

days.

Just letting everyone know!

Jaime will be monitoring my Shop

during that time...

answering any questions and handling

any sales that need attending to.

I'm hoping I'll be back by the week-end..

we'll just have to see!

I feel the need...

I get so many folks trying to reach me

during the hours that I am still in bed, that

I feel the need to let folks know what my

really 'whacked out' schedule is.

Since I have my fingers in far tooo many pots,

I have found that the schedule that works best for me is...

work until about 6 or 7 every morning...

go to bed..

get about around 2 or 3 every afternoon...

and then get on with my day.

I sometimes get two or three emails in a row...with times like

9:30 am...11:00 am...and so on.

I'm really not ignoring or avoiding anyone...I'm just not up yet!

The 'graveyard shift' just works best for me.

I can work...pretty much non-stop during that time

without a lot of interruption.

I don't necessarily like those hours...for sure...they just

seem to be my best hours for productivity taking

all things into consideration.

Hopefully, this clears up any questions people have

as to my hours of availability.

Once I can sift through the things that work

and those that don't...I'm really hoping to kick those hours

back.

I'd rather go to bed about 3 or 4 and get up around 11. I really

do miss the sunshine!

It's Been A Couple of Days...

It's been a couple of days since my last post and

during that time I've managed to 'bury myself' with

a lot of new things that need my attention.

I've now written several articles that I'm waiting

to see if they'll be published. Hopefully they will.

I've applied to six writing jobs and one illustrator position, that I'm waiting

to hear back on. Actually, I heard back on 2..one was the 'employer'

seeing if I was interested...I didn't respond to that one. I hadn't

yet found my way around the site and wasn't quite sure

what I was supposed to do. Besides, I still hadn't taken

the online tests to qualify me for the position. Seemed a bit

premature for anyone to contact me.

The other, I had my reservations about even applying,

as I noticed that that the average hourly wage for those applying

for that position was less than half of what I was asking...and when you

can get workers who go as low as $.44 a hour...YES...forty four cents an hour...

are you kidding me????

Anyway, I still have my Etsy Shops...of course...and as soon as

I start making enough to pay my bills, they will once again get my full attention...

but, until then...a 'girl' has to survive!!!

I've been tagged...

I don't exactly know how to play the

'tag' game...but, I've been 'tagged' by Jerry,

who is simply delightful and whose blog

I thoroughly enjoy reading,

and decided to give it a go.

The point is...to list 8 things that

few, if any, people know about me..

wow...that's a tough one..I'm a pretty open person

to the people I am closest to..

and those are the people who mostly read this blog..

but...in case any of them don't already know..

here goes..

(Ooops! I hadn't finished my blog before it published

sorry 'bout that)

1. I watch the LOGO program...'Sordid Lives'

I get a little 'uncomfortable' with some of the scenes...but the show makes me laugh.

I didn't know they even had a gay channel...but, I'm not here to judge.

2. I have never...for as long as I can remember...been able to sleep

on the right side of the bed.

3. I pile up the pillows on the right side of the bed, every night,

so that it feels like my husband is still there beside me.

4. I sometimes like to eat...candy cigarettes.

Ummmm...give me that sugar!

5. I believe that 'one day' I really will "hit the lottery"

6. I have just begun writing articles...I'll have

to write more about that, as soon as I am published.

7. I still want to write and illustrate children's books.

8. I still want to write and illustration a comic strip.

No...nothing too revealing here...but, it's all I could think of!

As for tagging....well...whoever wants to

write a post about their

8 things nobody knows....take it from here!

I'm better today.

At my age, you would think that I would know

better than to have any expectations about anything

as 'iffy' as online art sales.

If I were selling Wiis..iPods..or any one of a number

of 'hot selling' items online...I might have reason to

complain...

But, I'm better today. I've decided

that I'm going to have to take on some other kind

of work...to supplement my art business.

I haven't had to worry about this for the past four

years...but, I guess...we're in a recession

and hopes and wishes don't pay the bills.

With that said...yes, the amount of new artwork that I

am able to list in my CMZ Art Etsy Shop

and in Rustic Goth and

Pendants Plus

will all be affected.

I've decided to run the current sales...in all three shops...until after

Christmas.

Then, between Christmas and the first of next year...

I'll put everything in all three shops back to their regular prices.

I won't be spending as much time, the rest of this year, working

on new projects for any of the shops..as I will need to spend that time, instead,

on new employment endeavors.

I will keep completely current on correspondence..

through the Etsy Shops conversations (I only check my email--since

I have several--about once a week.)

and I'll remain current on all packing and shipping.

I'm going to take on a couple part-time positions...which will leave

plenty of time for everything I would have to do

that is shop(s) related.

Cyber Monday???

Here it is...the end of Tuesday...and I'm still waiting

for Cyber Monday sales....what???

Ain't gonna happen....!!!!

Wow...why did I work so hard the last couple of weeks???

Oh well...I didn't want to pay my rent anyway!

I really do wished the media would stop with the

'we're in a recession...the sky is falling...hold on to your money'

mania they have going on.

I do think that some folks are definitely affected by what's going

on..on Wall Street...and I'm talking 'working folks'...like us.

Folks have lost homes...due to the mortgage fiasco...others have lost their

jobs..due to cutbacks..bad for the working guy (but almost always good for the CEOs)

but, most of the people I have talked to were affected more by

the high gasoline prices than they have been by

the stock market roller coaster.

I noticed the media didn't say much right before 'Black Friday'...

oh well...it is what it is.

I really...really...really need to STOP counting on

good sales on Cyber Monday. I'm not really sure who benefits

on those days...but, it's never been me...in 5 years I have YET to see good

sales on that day!

And...I'm doing all of this ranting for ME.

You see...it's my way of keeping my books...sort of.

If I write it in my blog

I just check back...next year at this time...have a look

and say...

'Oh yeah...Cyber Monday...I've never had even

average sales on those days...no need to work any harder

than usual'

And..then...I won't be upset when the sales aren't there.

I haven't done this in the past...someone said I should

never write about slow sales...it makes me look..

well...less successful.

What the heck...I'm not trying to impress anyone...

I'm just trying to pay my bills!

And...that's not looking very promising this month!

But...life goes on...and so do I.

It Isn't Over Yet...

This is a print of a painting I did in 2005

titled...

"It Isn't Over Yet"

An abstract of the red AIDS ribbon.

Since 1997 I have contributed

in one way or another

to the eradication of this horrible virus.

In 1996

my youngest brother

passed away..from AIDS.

Today is World AIDS Day

and

I decided that

I will offer 12" x 16" prints of this painting

for sale...here

with proceeds going to benefit

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.