As of the end of July, the Yahoo! Contributor Network is no longer accepting new submissions for publishable content and on August 15th, the copyright of any articles published there will revert to the author. I am a little sad about this as I enjoyed writing for Yahoo! I have decided that once I have the copyright to my work again, I will begin posting the articles here so they can still be read when searched. (Well, that is if they are even being searched.) I am very proud of some of them and hope that everyone can get some enjoyment out of them.
Author Archives: amberbatdorf
Free Books
I usually never win anything, so when I do, I am super excited. A few weeks ago, I won a mystery book giveaway on Twitter from one of my favorite authors. When the package arrived, I was able to tell there was more than one book in it. I was stoked because this particular author had recently released a trilogy I had not read yet. I thought I would not have to go out and buy it. Yay!
When I opened the package, I will admit I was more than a little disappointed. This really had been a mystery book giveaway. The books were not even by the author who hosted the contest; it was a trilogy by someone else. I read the books anyway – and even put reviews on Goodreads – because who does not love free books? I still would have preferred books by the author I already knew and liked though.
These are the books I won. A trilogy about werewolves whose change is dictated by the temperature. It was an interesting take on a popular subject. The female protagonist was very hard to like at times because she was rude and disrespectful. The final ending (of the last book in the trilogy) was too neat and tidy. For the story to make sense and have a chance of being “realistic,” someone needed to die. And I knew just who I wanted to die by then…
Thanks for the free books, but next time you are giving away books you did not write yourself, a little heads up would be nice. Maybe I would not have played…Well, that is a lie. Any free book is a good book. And then if you do not like it, and it is in good condition, you can always re-gift it. But SHH…you did not hear that from me. 🙂
When I found out a few years ago that they were turning “21 Jumpstreet” into a movie, I was pretty excited. I love the show and own all five seasons on DVD. After I saw the first preview, I was angry and offended and vowed to never watch the movie. Now that its sequel is out in theaters and people are raving about it as well, I feel that I have to defend my stance to avoid this series.
Why I will never watch 21 or 22 Jumpstreet:
1. Most importantly – even though the characters on the show were often put into compromising positions, they never actually BROKE THE LAW. They were police officers after all. Even the preview for the first movie showcased the officers riding out a drug-induced high. Drugs ruin lives. THEY ARE NOT FUNNY.
2. When Tommy and Doug were partnered up as the McQuaid brothers and acting like badasses, they were still people you could look up to. (TV show) Tatum and Hill and their asinine antics are nothing you would want to emulate. (Movie)
3. The characters on the show looked like they could actually be in high school and when they could not pull it off anymore, they were cycled out. There is no way you could ever expect me to believe that Channing Tatum is a high school student. Just does not fly.
Today I started email addresses for MJ and Q. I read that it is a great way to share moments and media with your children as you give them the password once they are older.
As so much of what we do today is digital and easy, we cannot possibly print out all the pictures we take. My parents house was full of photo albums, but most of my pictures are lost in an electronic wasteland. If I send the picture to the kids while it is fresh in my head, I will not forget about its existence and be able to share these wonderful things with MJ and Q. They are supposed to have lots of pictures of their childhood; and embarrassing ones too! 🙂
I hope they appreciate everything I will be putting in to this project. I am pretty excited about it.
This weekend, I was humiliated by my sister. In our church parking lot, she cussed me out, loudly, in front of a lot of people. I was mortified and had to walk away.
What, pray tell, could have possibly caused her to do such a thing at such a time and place? Because my husband was talking to my cousin about taking his SAT and my sister decided this was none of our business. This was all over our worry about his being able to take a test and her believing we should butt out. (I would like to add that she frequently butts in where our female cousins are concerned.)
I have since tried a few times to be the “bigger man,” but to no avail. When my sister is upset, she stays upset until she is good and ready. She will not talk to me.
Tonight, CJ told me that it is supposed to rain tomorrow morning. I am supposed to attend my niece’s preschool graduation and since I live about two blocks away from the school, I was going to walk. Obviously, I do not wish to take my children out to walk in the rain.
I gave my sister a head’s up about the weather and she is convinced I am using it as an excuse not to go because I “have a car.” Well, my front brakes are rusted through and short drive or not, rain or not, I do not think I should drive it until CJ and I have a chance to get it fixed.
If I do not go tomorrow, the backlash will be unbelievable. Her rationale is completely skewed sometimes and it is hard to keep up with. In order to keep her happy, I would have to walk, rain or shine. If I end up walking in the rain, I will not only have two sick babies and possibly sick me, I will have to deal with the wrath of CJ. I definitely do not want either…
I remember a time before my sister used to act this way. Whoever stole that side of her, can I have it back now, please?
Have you ever had one of those days where everything feels utterly out of control? Little things that don’t normally bother you, drive you nuts. Anxiety is at a high. Stress levels are up. That’s how I feel right now and I can’t seem to get myself back down.
Started this morning. I was told some things that shouldn’t have been told. Houseguest usurped my washing machine. It’s hot and I HATE being hot. MJ was being a “normal” two year old instead of his usual, well behaved self. Q is teething.
When we went outside, Q spit up all over her pak-n-play. MJ decided to put dirt all in his underwear.
At lunch, Q decided to start blowing raspberries, got me covered in green beans, and then refused to finish eating. MJ decided to do his new favorite thing, which is climbing up behind you (which I CAN’T STAND), while I was trying to work with Q and wiped his lunch covered face on my back.
Sitting and typing this has helped a bit. Sometimes venting is good for the soul. Q is sitting on my lap and MJ is playing “Godzilla” with his train set.
Today is one of the rare says where I hope they take an extra long nap. I hate these days. They make me feel like a bad mom…
Junefest
Ever since I can remember, the local Catholic church has had a chicken BBQ on the first Saturday in June. This eventually expanded to include a craft and yard sale as well. It has now blossomed into a wonderful thing called Junefest.
Junefest features a parade, village wide yard sales, a book sale at the library (my favorite stop), bounce house and pony rides at the park, and much more including the church’s BBQ and sale. Then in the evening, there is a great fireworks show that can be seen from our front sidewalk. Today we all got very sunburned and very tired, but we had so much fun. 🙂
Q is old enough now to have baby food (which I make myself). Over the past few days of feeding her, I have noticed something. Every time I hold the spoon out to Q’s mouth, I am opening mine as well. Even when I am aware that I have done it once or twice, I still catch myself doing it again multiple times during each feeding. I wonder if I ever did this with MJ. Lol
Thank You
Over the holiday weekend, we went to PA to visit with CJ’s family. I received a pleasant surprise while there. Turns out his aunt from OH reads my stuff! She asked me all kinds of questions about the articles I write for Yahoo!, about how I got into writing and if I was working on anything else. She was excited to learn about my current WIP and even offered to beta read it for me. It was really great to get such positive feedback about my work. It gave me an extra jolt to work hard to accomplish my goals.
Sure Don’t!
My sister asked if she could come over and pick up some clothes for her son. I told her to warn me when she was on the way and I would come out to meet her so my kids would not be woken up from their naps. She let me know when she was a few minutes away and I went outside to meet her.
As soon as I went out onto the porch, I immediately regretted it. It was in perfect timing to be accosted by a door-to-door salesman peddling $30 car washes. $30! No thanks. That is what the hose in the backyard is for (besides watering the garden that is). He would not take the hint and went through his whole monologue anyway. I used CJ as my excuse for why I would not be making the purchase. The man then asked what time CJ gets home and if he should come back! I told him no. A few times. He finally left.
After he left, my sister pulled into the driveway and I told her how much I hated her for making me deal with the salesman. She just laughed and we talked for a bit, while semi-eavesdropping on the salesman talking to my neighbor. As he was leaving the neighbor’s, unsuccessful in a sale there as well, he saw my sister. He yelled over, “Do you think she’d want one?”
My sister’s reply? “Sure don’t!”
I do not think I have ever seen a salesperson look more offended. He muttered, “Oh, god,” while my sister shot back, “That’s right, oh, god!” and laughed.
I am still shaking my head about it. She sure is something else.
Amber Batdorf's Blog 