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About This Author
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La Bene Vita
I am a professional musician  , worship leader , small business owner , songwriter , aspiring author and freelance nonfiction writer with a chemical engineering degree .
But that's just my resume.
My profile of qualifications is only one of the ways in which I am unique. Here I chronicle my personal and professional goals and my efforts to achieve them. Occasionally I fail. Mostly, I take daily baby steps toward all my long-term goals. Much like the stories I pen, the songs I compose, and the businesses I run, I am always a work in progress.
August 29, 2010 at 5:49pm August 29, 2010 at 5:49pm
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I led worship, balanced a few accounts, and lay around on the couch watching movies.  I should knit or something.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: Dunno
Meals:
7:00 Coffee (1)
8:00 Coffee (1)
12:00 Fiber cereal (6)
4:00 Pretzel bites (1)
5:30 Pretzel (1), pears (3), and almonds (1)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 14 (Goal: 25) |
August 28, 2010 at 7:36pm August 28, 2010 at 7:36pm August 28, 2010 at 6:32pm August 28, 2010 at 6:32pm August 27, 2010 at 7:48am August 27, 2010 at 7:48am
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TBIF.
On the other hand, you might see me more starting tomorrow.
I've been doing some reading, knitting, and playing, but no writing to speak of. It crossed my mind once or twice to work on a song or flash fiction piece, but it turns out my Muse has nothing to say. I have no buried stories dying to get out. Apparently, my own story brings enough satisfaction to my life at the moment.
Someday, that may change. So this article about traditional and electronic book sales caught my attention, and as writers seeking publication, it might interest you, too. It's just one consumer's comments about the value of e-readers, but the underlying arguments point to some interesting trends in the publication market.
Peace. |
August 24, 2010 at 7:34pm August 24, 2010 at 7:34pm
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So I'm pigging out. I'm getting next to nothing done. It's bliss.
I may NaNo this year. I may not. I may write a new song or two in the next couple months. I may not. *shrug* I've had out the guitar, a camera, a book, a new copy of Super Smash Brothers "Brawl" for Wii, a couple fishing rods, a bikini, rope, a blow-up turtle, a variety of noodles, both laptops, and my old crashed hard drive mounted in a shiny new enclosure. I'm taking each minute at a leisurely crawl.
For the curious, I've recovered all my files, but none of my software. All in all, it's not so bad.
Right now, I'm tethered to a tree in a Kentucky forest, and I'm hoping the wildlife doesn't find me. Make of that what you will. If you're good, I may consider posting photos later. Because, yes, there are photos. So many photos. |
August 23, 2010 at 5:21am August 23, 2010 at 5:21am
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Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
 Pending.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
 Columbus Radio Group ads: IN PROGRESS.
 Gahanna and New Albany local papers: PENDING.
Band boosters: Need the info.
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Waiting for samples.
Get with Gahanna schools admin office about sending fliers home: PENDING.
SEO: Alexa is at 480k.
 Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Launched.
High school athletic calendar: Paid, with ad ready to be published.
Town Moneysaver: Ad ready to be published.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Database: Waiting for replacement laptop.
Payroll: Ready to run on 9/1.
Hiring: Look into background checks, write employee handbook, plan employee orientation agenda.
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer. - Progress check!
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Goal met with "Better Man" and "Kissing You" (two last week, and I'm not playing this week.)
Perform one household chore per day.
Keith is an angel. He has busted his butt all weekend to get us ready for vacation, while I've been galavanting around singing, writing church bulletins, printing recital programs, leading worship, and running a recital. Meanwhile, he also helped me haul instruments to and from the recital. 
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
 This week.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: ?
Meals:
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 0 (Goal: 25)
Keith is going to start asking. Which is good. |
August 19, 2010 at 8:00am August 19, 2010 at 8:00am
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Next week, our family is headed to Cumberland Lake in Kentucky, where we've rented a houseboat for the week. Should be a blast, and very relaxing, once I get over my Internet withdrawal. Unless, of course, I manage to find a broadband signal, in which case, I'll be shelling out the $20 or whatever it costs for one month of service. 
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Pending.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: The station proposed "Invalid Item" . I'm asking for reviews, pretty please. I also need to fill out a credit app for them today.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Guitar and Voice launched and getting clicks. Must add others.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: I seriously need to get ahold of them. Not sure lead time.
Band boosters: Need the info.
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Talking to a local firm.
Get with Gahanna schools admin office about sending fliers home: Pending
SEO: Alexa is at 464k, no PageRank on the music school home or lessons pages yet.
High school athletic calendar: Paid, with ad ready to be published.
Town Moneysaver: Ad ready to be published.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Database: Well, I no longer have Access on my computer, until I get my replacement laptop.
Payroll: Ready to run on 9/1, and I'll pay everyone since Orientation is 8/31.
Hiring: Look into background checks, write employee handbook, plan employee orientation agenda.
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer. - Progress check!
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
"Better Man" (Pearl Jam) by request, except the dude didn't show up like he said he would. 
Perform one household chore per day.
Dishes, laundry.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Next week. On the boat.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: ?
Meals:
7:00 Coffee (1) a couple slices of apple with caramel sauce (0.5)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 1.5 (Goal: 25)
Slacking on points reporting again. |
August 18, 2010 at 8:08am August 18, 2010 at 8:08am
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After three failed motherboards and two failed hard drives, the most recent of which has now failed again, Dell has agreed to replace my laptop. I expect to receive my replacement in 3-4 weeks. They could not provide me with a loaner (I'm sorry, we don't offer that service), so I have replaced the hard drive on my own to get by in the meantime. Risky, because obviously something the the design, configuration, or the parts specific to my laptop are hazardous to the health of hard drives, but we shall see.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Pending.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: I'm meeting with my account rep this morning.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Launched guitar and voice ads. Some clicks. No leads.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: Ditto.
Band boosters: Need the info.
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Negotiating, consulting.
Get with Gahanna schools admin office about sending fliers home
Plan neighborhood flier distribution network
SEO: Alexa is at 468k.
High school athletic calendar: Paid.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Database: I found an Access template (free!) at Microsoft.com, which we may be able to adapt.
Payroll: Tomorrow.
Hiring: Look into background checks, finish employee handbook*, plan employee orientation.
Reconcile cash flow discrepancies so we don't run out of money. This one is moderately important.
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer.
*which actually means, start employee handbook again from scratch, since it was on my crashed hard drive.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
I have plans to learn a new song this morning before Potbelly, because I promised a dude yesterday that I would play him some Pearl Jam if he came back today.
Perform one household chore per day.
I made a kick-ass dinner yesterday, and I also emptied the dishwasher. The hamper is full again. Why does it keep doing that???
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
No. I have plenty of time to catch up on this goal while traveling and relaxing on vacation next week.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 162.0
Meals:
7:00 Coffee (1) and bagel with ham and cheese (2)
8:00 Coffee (1)
11:00 A bunch of Chili Cheese Fritos, OMG those are my weakness, even more than ice cream
1:45 Skinny roast beef sandwich (7), plus more Fritos
3:00 More Fritos
7:00 Two and a half fish sticks, about a cup of local fresh sweet corn
8:00 Low fat ice cream in a waffle cone
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: XXX (Goal: 25) |
August 17, 2010 at 10:52am August 17, 2010 at 10:52am
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I have once again lost my blog template to the black hole that is my sometimes-operational Dell laptop computer. How many warranty service calls before an item is declared a lemon? It certainly leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I need to order desktop computers for my business, and I stupidly intend to order them from Dell.
Meanwhile, I may invest in a netbook. It's on my business plan startup list anyway. The only problem is that while my laptop has both WiFi *and* broadband capability, a netbook would only be WiFi-capable, rendering it mostly useless on my vacation to Lake Cumberland next week. But Dell is notoriously slow at delivering its "next business day including nights and weekends" service, with actual service techs appearing between three and eleven days after my initial call to warranty support. With this in mind, I almost hate to call Dell right now, because it's unlikely that they could come and repair my laptop before I leave for vacation. Plus, my first two attempts to contact warranty support landed me in ten-minute-minimum queues.
God is telling me to take a damn break for a week. Sometimes, in my case, it takes a brick to the head.
Speaking of breaks, Storm Machine  and I have let Dabbling in Domesticity lapse. I am okay with this, and in fact, proposed a hiatus a month or two ago. I may be burned out on it. Thankfully, daily blogging is not my primary source of income.
Top of the list to-do items:
(1) Notify employees of the planned employee orientation on 8/31, and what to bring.
(2) Obtain a security system permit from the Gahanna Police Department.
(3) Buy flippin' computers and software.
(4) Design class curricula.
(5) Figure out how to mic all the singers at church this fall.
(6) Plan Grand Opening in detail and advertise the event (scheduled for 9/18.)
(7) Research background checks (hard to do with no laptop.)
'kk, I think those are the biggies.
Meals:
7:00 Fiber granola bar (2) and coffee (1)
10:00 Bagel with butter (5) and coffee (1)
TOTAL POINTS: 9
Peace! |
August 16, 2010 at 10:46am August 16, 2010 at 10:46am
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I missed Saturday and Sunday. You might think I'm slipping into banker's hours, now that I own my own business and all. Not so much. We (Office Manager Chris, mom/accountant, and I) spent the entire weekend setting up Quickbooks, payroll, and state filings. I think I can officially pay people now. Which is good, because Chris has earned it, and then some!
I have all kinds of employer stuff to do. Yay, Quickbooks! You're keeping me out of trouble. 
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Pending.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Behind, and it's not my priority.
SEO: Alexa rankings MT.com 478k, MN.com 547k. They finally moved! And when they moved, MT.com jumped a bunch, which means it's been improving all along, but Alexa wasn't updating. That's good to know.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Meeting scheduled Wednesday.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: I might just go ahead and launch a "now enrolling" campaign.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: Ditto.
Band boosters: Need the info.
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
High school athletic calendar: Paid... but the site has been down, and I haven't heard back from my contact on the artwork. If I hadn't gotten the referral through a good friend and manager of a huge multi-location Chevy dealership, I might suspect they took my money and ran.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Database: To review.
Payroll: Ready to go!
Hiring: Background checks, finish employee handbook, plan employee orientation.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
No. How long can I get away with this? I know I won't be launching anything today, because I am exhausted. However, the assistant manager at my Monday Potbelly wants to hear "Sour Girl" by Stone Temple Pilots.
Perform one household chore per day.
No, and in fact, I need to move the laundry over. I gotta stop washing loads that I don't have time to dry. 
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
No, but my mom brought the book about Henrietta Lacks (of the immortal HeLa human research cells) when she visited this weekend. Nerdy science and gushy human interest meet between two covers! 
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 161.4
8:00 Coffee (1) and fiber granola bar (2)
Meals:
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 0 (Goal: 25) |
August 13, 2010 at 7:09am August 13, 2010 at 7:09am
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I finally heard back from the City on the permit paperwork I've been waiting on. He should finish the review this week and issue my letter next week. He must have been on vacation last week because that took way longer than I expected.  I'm very unlikely to hit my Grand Opening target of Labor Day weekend, Saturday, 9/4. A customer pointed out that the next Saturday is 9/11, so that might be a bad weekend to plan an Opening. So I'm thinking 9/18. I'll open my doors for customers as soon as I get occupancy, but the big event might be a week or two later.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Fail, pending.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Behind, and it's not my priority.
SEO: Maybe they're just done improving. Right now, I'm more concerned about MT.com.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Meeting scheduled Wednesday.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: I might just go ahead and launch a "now enrolling" campaign.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: Ditto.
Band boosters: Need the info.
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
High school athletic calendar: Paid.
I also bought a three-month commitment in a monthly magazine-style advertising publication and sent a bunch of artwork. Consultation and design is part of the price. (Ah, that explains the price.)
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Database: I found an Access template (free!) at Microsoft.com, which we may be able to adapt.
Payroll: Tomorrow.
Hiring: Look into background checks, finish employee handbook, plan employee orientation.
Reconcile cash flow discrepancies so we don't run out of money. This one is moderately important.
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
No. How long can I get away with this?
Perform one household chore per day.
No.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
No.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: ?
Meals:
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 0 (Goal: 25)
Late last night, I had pizza. After a cheeseburger for dinner.  |
August 12, 2010 at 10:42am August 12, 2010 at 10:42am
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They say copying is the sincerest form of flattery. I'll go with that. My former employer, with whom my business now theoretically competes, created a sparkly new business Facebook page within a month of the creation of mine, adopted a motto that sounds suspiciously similar to one of mine, and booked performance at an event hosted by the same radio station who hosted the event I played at a month ago. Sweet! Obviously, my promotional choices are good ones. Fortunately for business, our competition is only theoretical (or, perhaps, personal), because we are geographically too far apart to compete practically.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Fail for last week. Pending for this week.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Caught up, but could pre-write tomorrow's post.
SEO: Weirdness, here.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Pending Grand Opening date.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar and Band Boosters: I think we negotiated a deal.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: I need to line this up. Need GO date?
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Reconcile cash flow discrepancies so we don't run out of money. This one is moderately important.
Database: Renewed interest in this project, especially for scheduling.
Payroll: This weekend. I may need another Quickbooks upgrade. And the $ kept rolling out.
Hiring: Interview two guitar teacher candidates (scheduled today.)
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Pending.
Perform one household chore per day.
Nope, and, in fact, the boy folded the laundry.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Still no.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: ?
Meals:
7:30 Coffee (1) and a Fiber granola bar (2)
9:00 Coffee (1)
10:00 Beef jerky (4)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 8 (Goal: 25)
I have not been keeping track again for the last few days, and I'm quite sure I've exceeded my goal regularly. *tries again* |
August 11, 2010 at 10:31am August 11, 2010 at 10:31am August 10, 2010 at 7:30am August 10, 2010 at 7:30am
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Apparently it's been three years since I met all y'all wdc-ers. (Which, in Alabama, is the plural of "y'all.") Here's to three more.
AT&T is stupid. Like, even more kick-worthy-than-Storm Machine 's-Dilbert, who is the epitome of kickability, -stupid. AT&T's systems and processes are cumbersome to the point of being (in my opinion, deliberately) vague, confusing, and conveniently non-committal. Reel 'em in with a promise of a rebate on that wireless router, but conveniently forget to provide instructions on how to redeem said rebate, which, incidentally, has a 90-day expiration, so if you don't ask questions and figure it out for yourself within 90 days, sorry, Charlie, you're SOL. Offer a business bundle that includes "popular calling features" on your local phone service - except, apparently, voice mail, which must not be all that popular, which makes sense, because hardly anyone I call anymore ever has voice mail. Provide a direct "contact us" link that says: email, which, when clicked, takes you to a screen loaded with information that almost surely answers your question, doesn't it? Oh, it doesn't? Well, here's a phone number instead, which will take you to a technologically impressive and highly convenient voice-activated phone menu system, so that when you're shouting, "AT&T is just a bunch of a$$holes!" to your housemate, you can receive a pleasantly-delivered reply of, "I'm sorry. I didn't understand that. Can you repeat your request?" And then - this is the best one - smooth your customer's ruffled feathers with a newly-activated voice mail account, complete with a temporary username and password combination that doesn't work.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Fail for last week. Pending for this week.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Caught up, but could pre-write tomorrow's post.
SEO: Alexa ranking for MT.com = 510k, MochaNotes.com = 555k - these haven't moved in days. Alexa must be on vacation.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Pending Grand Opening date.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar and Band Boosters: I think we negotiated a deal.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: I need to line this up. Need GO date?
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Reconcile cash flow discrepancies so we don't run out of money. This one is moderately important.
Database: Renewed interest in this project, especially for scheduling.
Payroll: This weekend. I may need another Quickbooks upgrade. And the $ kept rolling out.
Hiring: Interview two guitar teacher candidates (scheduled today.)
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Pending.
Perform one household chore per day.
Nope, and, in fact, the boy folded the laundry.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Still no.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: ?
Meals:
7:30 Coffee (1)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: ? (Goal: 25)
Yesterday, I ate out for three out of three meals, including my Potbelly sammich.
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August 9, 2010 at 10:34am August 9, 2010 at 10:34am
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Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Fail for last week. Pending for this week. I did make website updates, though, so Alexa and Google have seen evidence of content editing. I will blog this week, though. I have so many topics pending, and I was really just lazy about this.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Caught up, but could pre-write tomorrow's post.
SEO: Alexa ranking for MT.com = 510k, MochaNotes.com = 555k - still no budgy.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Pending Grand Opening date.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar and Band Boosters: I think we negotiated a deal.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: I need to line this up. Need GO date?
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Payroll by Aug. 1st: Will do this weekend. Saturday is QuickBooks day.
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer.
Schedule: Chris, Allie, Kay, Angela, Michelle Delegated to Chris.
Forward phones. Delegated to Chris.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Goal met: My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow.
Perform one household chore per day.
Nope.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Still no.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 162.2
Meals:
I already went to Bob Evans this morning. The day is shot.
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August 8, 2010 at 11:30am August 8, 2010 at 11:30am
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Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Hm. I have quite a bit of free time today. On the other hand, I could play. Or nap. Or both.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Caught up, but could pre-write tomorrow's post.
SEO: Alexa ranking for MT.com = 510k, MochaNotes.com = 555k - no budgy in a couple days.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: He keeps calling. I keep saying, "Nope. Not yet."
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar and Band Boosters: Working a deal.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: I think we negotiated a deal.
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Google "Now Hiring" campaign: Funded and running.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Payroll by Aug. 1st: Waiting on paperwork.
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted; waiting on manufacturer.
Schedule: Chris, Allie, Kay, Angela, Michelle Delegated to Chris.
Forward phones. Delegated to Chris.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Goal met: My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow.
Perform one household chore per day.
Nope.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Still no.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 159.4
Meals:
7:30 Coffee (1) and fiber granola bar (2)
11:00 Fiber MiniWheats with skim milk (4)
12:00 Ham (1) and coffee (1)
12:30 Ham and cheese bagel (5)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 14 (Goal: 25) |
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And support for "October Novel Prep Challenge" [13+] continues! We received a very generous donation from The StoryMaster  , who stumbled across the Challenge (probably thanks to the Facebook plug by Crys-not really here  ) and wants to ensure its success. We are in great shape for funds. That means lots of prizes! Is it too early to start getting NaNo-stoked?
Nah.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Pending, and it's Saturday. I should do this today.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Caught up.
SEO: Alexa ranking for MT.com = 510k, MochaNotes.com = 555k.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: He keeps calling me. I keep saying, "Nope. Not yet."
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar and Band Boosters: Working a deal.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: Pending
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Google "Now Hiring" campaign: Funded and running.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Payroll by Aug. 1st: Waiting on paperwork.
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted.
Schedule: Chris, Allie, Kay, Angela, Michelle Delegated to Chris.
Forward phones. Delegated to Chris.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Goal met: My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow.
Perform one household chore per day.
Nope.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Nope. I have lots of time this weekend. Maybe I'll catch up on missed reading from this past week.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 159.4
Meals:
7:00 Coffee (1)
9:30 Coffee (1) and half bagel with ham/cheese (4)
11:00 Half bagel with butter (3) and coffee (1)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 10 (Goal: 25)
I actually hit 25 yesterday! Oh, wait. Shit. I forgot about the margarita... how easy it is to forget about the margarita... |
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So I posted a plea for "October Novel Prep Challenge" [13+] donations, because in the past two years I've had to contribute *hundreds of dollars* out of my own pocket (no exaggeration), and I simply don't have the funds this year with my business start-up. OMG, this contest has some seriously generous benefactors. Within a couple hours of posting the plea, the contest bank went from 2,300 GPs to 722,000 GPs, which is enough to pay for 72 Merit Badges. Thank you so much to our awesome donors! I am awed by your generosity. The Prep Challenge is ON! We launch on October 1st.
I may implement a minor change in the formatting of the daily scoreboard. The table may be hosted on MichelleTuesday.com instead of on a WDC webpage, because I'm considering not renewing my premium upgrade. I'm sure all the contestants will adapt to the change without a hitch. For my part, it's not much to change, since my scorekeeping spreadsheet outputs HTML code anyway, which will translate with zero effort to the new host site. The best part? I'll be driving traffic to MT.com, which can't hurt the Alexa and Google ratings.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Pending.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Caught up.
SEO: Alexa ranking for MT.com = 510k, MochaNotes.com = 555k.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Waiting for Grand Opening date.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar and Band Boosters: In progress.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: Pending
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Google "Now Hiring" campaign: Funded and running.
It turns out my "Now Hiring" Google campaign is a waste of time. My inkjet-printed fliers hanging in my windows and my *free* postings at local universities have been much more lucrative. So... I turned off my Google campaign. I'll save the pre-paid budget dollars for my Grand Opening campaign or ongoing music lessons advertising.
Meanwhile, I received an email from a lady who drove by and saw my sign, and wants to sign her daughter up for piano lessons in the fall.
My location is going to pay for itself.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Order exterior signage: Artwork submitted!
Payroll by Aug. 1st: Waiting on paperwork. Really this is September 1st.
Schedule: Chris, Allie, Kay, Angela, Michelle Delegated to Chris.
Forward phones. Delegated to Chris.
I have an interview with a guitar teacher (Steve) next Tuesday morning, and another with a guitar teacher (Cody) Wednesday morning. A voice teacher (Amy) from Cleveland looking to relo submitted a resume, as well. I need a drum instructor.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Goal met: My Favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow.
Perform one household chore per day.
Goal met.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Nope, nope, nope.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 159.4
Meals:
7:00 Coffee (1) and a fiber granola bar (2)
9:30 Coffee (1)
1:45 Skinny roast beef sandwich (7)
7:00 McDouble (11) and ice cream cone (3)
10:00 Margarita (5)
TOTAL POINTS: 30 (Goal: 25) |
August 5, 2010 at 10:23am August 5, 2010 at 10:23am
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I added a "LIKE" button to my website and would greatly appreciate your LIKEs. It's at the top of the Michelle Tuesday Music School page.
I interviewed another teacher, Angela, a flutist who can also teach beginning piano, and I hired her. So I'm doing pretty good on piano and voice instructors. Angela's fiance Joe is also a music instructor and will be contacting me; he's a cellist, so I'm hoping he can teach bass and maybe guitar, since cello is not a high-demand instrument. I also have an interview scheduled with guitar instructor Steve, whose wife referred him. I still need percussion. Incidentally, both Angela and Steve's wife "heard about MTMS" by driving past the store, where they saw my "now hiring music instructors" signs (LOCATION! ). I've had one hit via Google, as well, from someone relocating to Columbus. She teaches voice, piano, and drama, which is a good fit, but I need to fill Allie's schedule first, since she's stuck with me all summer with next-to-no students.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Pending.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : I have one to write.
SEO: Alexa ranking for MT.com = 513k, MochaNotes.com = 557k.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Waiting for Grand Opening date.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar and Band Boosters: In progress.
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: Pending
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Google "Now Hiring" campaign: Funded and running.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Order exterior signage: Approved by me. Waiting for finalized art.
Payroll by Aug. 1st: Waiting on paperwork.
Schedule: Chris, Allie, Kay, Angela Delegated to Chris.
Forward phones. Delegated to Chris.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Pending.
Perform one household chore per day.
Pending.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Still no.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 161.
Meals:
7:00 Coffee (1)
8:30 Coffee (1) and a half bagel with ham and cheese (4)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 6 (Goal: 25) |
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I am so excited. I've been in contact with Capital University, and we're putting together an internship program for marketing majors. Every semester, a marketing major can come analyze my business marketing strategy and make recommendations. How great an idea is that??? It's free for me, and the student gets college credit and a line item on their resume. All I had to do was contact the university and make it happen. I'm trying to figure out what other internships I can devise. This business stuff is so freaking fun.
Post at MichelleTuesday.com at least once per week.
Pending.
Grow MochaNotes.com blogs.
Dabbling in Domesticity : Caught up.
SEO: Alexa ranking for MT.com = 513k, MochaNotes.com = 557k.
Advertising
PRIORITIES:
Columbus Radio Group ads: Waiting for Grand Opening date.
Google "Grand Opening" campaign: Pending GO date.
High school athletic calendar: Pending
Lincoln High Band Boosters: Pending
Gahanna and New Albany local papers: Pending
T-shirts (?), drum sticks (?), guitar picks, shaker eggs, tote bags: Pending
Miscellaneous banners, signs, and fliers
Google "Now Hiring" campaign: Funded and running.
Business start-up activities.
PRIORITIES:
Order exterior signage: Pinning down the art. Tony has great ideas.
Payroll by Aug. 1st: Waiting on paperwork.
Schedule: Chris, Allie, Kay Delegated to Chris.
Forward phones. Delegated to Chris.
Launch one new performance repertoire song per week.
Pending.
Perform one household chore per day.
Pending.
Read a book in print 15 minutes every day.
Still no.
Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 9/1/10.
Weight: 161.
Meals:
7:00 Coffee (1)
8:30 Coffee (1) and a half bagel with ham and cheese (4)
11:00 Half oatmeal bar (2)
1:45 Skinny roast beef sandwich (7)
6:30 Tuna Helper (7)
7:30 Ice cream cone (5)
TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 27 (Goal: 25) |
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Even better if she can whistle to the tune of Mozart or something. 
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, also known as Michelle Tuesday, is a musician, educator and writer hailing from Columbus, Ohio.![Merit Badge in Music
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To a dear friend whose talent for writing music is sensational. May you have a fabulous New Year, (((Brandi)))!!! *^*Kiss*^*
Big hugs,
Sherri *^*Heart*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Music-1050.gif)
![Merit Badge in Organization
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I don't know how you do it, but I assume there's magic involved *^*Bigsmile*^* I have really enjoyed this month of planning and preparation for NaNoWriMo and I love how organized it all is. Thank you for hosting a great challenge and for your dedication to helping so many of us prepare with confidence and trepidation for National Novel Writing Month (known to sane folks as 'November' *^*Laugh*^*) at your [Link To Item #1474311]](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Organization-1150.gif)
![Merit Badge in Leadership
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For your hard work, commitment, talent and innovation in running the October NaNoWriMo Preparation each year, which helps many of us get our scattered thoughts together for November's novel-writing. And also because this badge has ducks on it.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Leadership.gif)
