Last year I half-heartedly set a few writing goals: write one or two marketable short stories, complete my YA novel for the June writer's conference in Austin, and get three (I think it was three) more humor essays published.
Half-hearted goals inspire half-hearted effort and no matter how low the setting they remain ever unattainable.
I did write some short stories - still in very rough draft format, certainly not publishable.
As for humor essays...I wrote a couple but the one that was published - and not really an essay as much as a short manifesto - was my Miranda Rights for Writers which I wrote on a whim in answer to a forum thread. It was picked up by Writer's Digest (bless them) and published in their October issue.
Finally, except for one scene where The Kid is picking broccoli out of his teeth with a pocket knife after dinner, I didn't even crack my YA novel. I have a general idea of the plot line, but I lack a clear view of my main character. There's a veil between us through which I can make out his basic form and see how, what, when and why he moves, but cannot bring his face into focus or call his name. This is my block.
Last year I was ready to give up on writing. Throw in the towel. Email and Christmas cards; that's it.
I've been miserable. Like when I first quit work to be a SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mom) and found it hard to define who I am...what I do...what makes me tick. I dunno. I dunno. I dunno.
So, this year I made a new resolution: just write and read a lot.
I've been writing a little every day. I've been reading a lot every day. My novel is going to take awhile. Maybe years. As The Kid takes shape in my mind's eye, he might even grow up, mature, add enough flesh that he no longer fits the kids' clothes I'd picked out for him. Maybe he'll want me to let him try on a Big People book. Perhaps, Through Midas' Door (my working title) will be a story for any age. I'll cross that threshold when I come to it.
I have this quirk. Okay, I have many quirks, but this one is my uncanny ability to bust our household budget by implementing money-saving ideas. For example, there's that time I decided to make my own baby wipes and ended up spending more money on premium weight paper towels, baby wash and baby soap - and produced a batch of baby fresh pulp. Then, there's the time I bought the $5 hair clippers so that I could cut our family's hair for "free," but wound up spending more money to have their hair fixed by a professional. Oh, and the laundry soap. Yep, homemade laundry soap that seemed to work great until I noticed our freshly laundered clothes were beginning to smell like my boys' gym socks.
But you know, as Thomas Edison put it, after many failed attempts at thelight bulb, I haven't failed 1000 times, I've succeeded in finding 1000 ways it doesn't work.
Last summer I saw a program on the Planet Green network about how to save on your electric bill. Many of the ideas required spending money on energy saving equipment, but one idea spoke to me: wash the laundry in cold water, rather than warm or hot.
So, I decided to conduct an experiment and for a whole month washed everything in cold water. I couldn't wait for the next month's electric bill and looked forward to it like a payday.
Only, there was no change. So much for that idea.
A few months later my husband announced that we all need to take more care to turn lights out behind us. I looked at him and said, "Oh, yeah, don't expect much." Then, I explained my scientific study, relaying the data before and after as proof that little changes don't add up when it comes to electricity bills.
He smiled that smile of his. "You're so cute."
"What?" Of course, when he tells me I'm cute, I know I've done something stupid.
"Cindy, we have a gas water heater."
Yep, I'm a frugal Savant, all right. And that's Savant with a capital "I."
I'm so mad that even spitting wouldn't make me feel better.
I just tried to cancel our DirecTV which I've had suspended for the past three weeks, only to find that we're locked into a contract until June, 2010!
"Contract?" I asked, "when did this happen?"
"Last June you ordered HD/DVR service and initiated a 2 year lease," she said.
"Yes, but that HD/DVR was defective - with a known software issue - and we sent it back, remember? We never got the HD/DVR service."
"I can cancel your contract, but you will be responsible for an early termination fee which will be charged to the credit card we have on file."
"I guess I wasn't clear. There is no contract. You, that is, DirecTV breached the contract by not providing a working DVR."
"The lease was effective in June, I will cancel your contract and charge the card on file."
"NO! You are not authorized to make any charges against any card on file. There is no contract."
"You will be assessed an early termination fee..."
At which point I asked to speak with a supervisor, Joe, who was just as helpful as his subordinate. We've been DirecTV customers for nearly ten years, and this is how they thank us for our business?
This is fraud. And I have a lawyer.
*** Update 12/17 - We are going to have the attorney write a letter and she thinks we have a great case. There's something called the "Statute of Frauds" which holds that a company has to submit a written copy of the contract - which DirecTV did not AND that the contract period can't be greater than one year. Add to this the fact that both DVRs were defective and returned to DTV within 30 days...it should be a no-brainer. I'm feeling better, but still not happy about the hassle.
I'm so mad that even spitting wouldn't make me feel better.
I just tried to cancel our DirecTV which I've had suspended for the past three weeks, only to find that we're locked into a contract until June, 2010!
"Contract?" I asked, "when did this happen?"
"Last June you ordered HD/DVR service and initiated a 2 year lease," she said.
"Yes, but that HD/DVR was defective - with a known software issue - and we sent it back, remember? We never got the HD/DVR service."
"I can cancel your contract, but you will be responsible for an early termination fee which will be charged to the credit card we have on file."
"I guess I wasn't clear. There is no contract. You, that is, DirecTV breached the contract by not providing a working DVR."
"The lease was effective in June, I will cancel your contract and charge the card on file."
"NO! You are not authorized to make any charges against any card on file. There is no contract."
"You will be assessed an early termination fee..."
At which point I asked to speak with a supervisor, Joe, who was just as helpful as his subordinate. We've been DirecTV customers for nearly ten years, and this is how they thank us for our business?
This is fraud. And I have a lawyer.
*** Update 12/17 - We are going to have the attorney write a letter and she thinks we have a great case. There's something called the "Statute of Frauds" which holds that a company has to submit a written copy of the contract - which DirecTV did not AND that the contract period can't be greater than one year. Add to this the fact that both DVRs were defective and returned to DTV within 30 days...it should be a no-brainer. I'm feeling better, but still not happy about the hassle.
I'm so mad that even spitting wouldn't make me feel better.
I just tried to cancel our DirecTV which I've had suspended for the past three weeks, only to find that we're locked into a contract until June, 2010!
"Contract?" I asked, "when did this happen?"
"Last June you ordered HD/DVR service and initiated a 2 year lease," she said.
"Yes, but that HD/DVR was defective - with a known software issue - and we sent it back, remember? We never got the HD/DVR service."
"I can cancel your contract, but you will be responsible for an early termination fee which will be charged to the credit card we have on file."
"I guess I wasn't clear. There is no contract. You, that is, DirecTV breached the contract by not providing a working DVR."
"The lease was effective in June, I will cancel your contract and charge the card on file."
"NO! You are not authorized to make any charges against any card on file. There is no contract."
"You will be assessed an early termination fee..."
At which point I asked to speak with a supervisor, Joe, who was just as helpful as his subordinate. We've been DirecTV customers for nearly ten years, and this is how they thank us for our business?
This is fraud. And I have a lawyer.
*** Update 12/17 - We are going to have the attorney write a letter and she thinks we have a great case. There's something called the "Statute of Frauds" which holds that a company has to submit a written copy of the contract - which DirecTV did not AND that the contract period can't be greater than one year. Add to this the fact that both DVRs were defective and returned to DTV within 30 days...it should be a no-brainer. I'm feeling better, but still not happy about the hassle.
Copyright 2005, 2006 Cynthia T. Adams and Gooblink.com
