2007 Update of Dooom!

Holy cow!
Okay, bad, bad blogger doesn't quite cut it now, does it?

It is now Februrary 28th, 2007. It's been over a year since I last blogged.

I didn't really feel too bad about it, despite the ridicule from my old writing group (Polly and Ariel) and my family (my Dad blogs on a regular basis!!!), but when I started communicating with Anita Daher, children's author extraordinaire, I found out that she posted my blog on her blog links of her own blog! Eep!

Well, I better not disappoint my new legion of fans who will be redirected this way from her site.

Well, maybe not legion. Phalanx maybe. Or squad? Group? Duo?

In any case, I will now attempt to summarize the last year in 100 words or less:

[Begin Summary Now]
Februrary 2006 and onwards, I continued to work for a not bad shipping company called..well, I shouldn't name it. Let's just say it rymes with LAX and the first letter is a B. That's a good hint. Warehouse agent was my handle, and warehousing was my job. As it had been for the last 12 years of me wittle life. Ugh. Steady employment, but a "survival job" it surely was. No eternal happiness there.

Writing was on the sidelines again. Did it every now and then, but my heart wasn't in it anymore.
In May 2006 I was asked by Mary Lou McGurran, Executive Director of the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, to take on another contract with them (as I had in 2005) for about six months as their Advertising Coordinator (i.e. sell advertising) and Program Assistant. I joined, and it was GREAT! Another fantastic festival had by all in September 2006.
Although it was a very busy time for me (two jobs for six months) and so writing REALLY got put off again.

Then, Mary Lou left the organization, and I was asked to join them as General Manger.
Moi?!?! Little ol' ME?! Well, hell yeah!

Bye-bye crappy warehouse job with the horrible supervisor, and HELLO new job of DEElight!

And that's been my new handle since October 2006 - General Manager of the WIWF. It's been great. A little stressful in parts, but it's been fantastic. Great people to work with, great experiences. I handle all the business stuff of the organization. Not "business" as in mob hits and money laundering. I mean the financial stuff. Without the money laundering.

I'm currently taking two courses through the UofWpg's continuing education division (Fundraising in the Not-for-Profit Sector, and Financial Management for Non-Financial Mangers). Interesting stuff. Sounds boring, but interesting, trust me. Much better than slinging boxes under the nose of a stupid warehouse supervisor whose name rhymes with Day (no first letter hints this time..).

As for writing...well, a little at a time. Slowly getting back on the horse. I've taken a bunch of writing seminars over the past four months (two of them run by the awesome children's writer Anita Daher!) and I've applied for a WAC grant to finish up one of my manuscripts.

Also, I'll be reading work at Aqua Books on March 21 in a Young Adult tribute, along with Anita Daher and Martha Brooks. I'm a wee bit nervous, but it'll be exciting. Talk about getting back on the horse! I wanted to start out by riding the donkey, not the stallion!!

Oh, and in kitty related news, one of our 14-year old kitties had to be put down last December. A very sad day (and a few weeks before and after) for both Tanya and myself. You don't really realize how much you love those little buggers until they're gone, and they're not sleeping on your feet anymore, or greeting you at the door when you get home, or bugging the shit out of you when you're trying to do some work but they want to play with this piece of string with you RIGHT NOW and five minutes just is NOT enough time!
Yeah. It hit me pretty hard, I must say.

Here's a pic of my Cassie. She had lots of love for everyone.
(click the pic for a larger, uber-cute view!)



[End Summary]

Okay, a little more than 100 words, but it was great to get that all off my chest. Feels good to put something on this space again. I'll have to keep up with it a little more regularly. That's a promise.