Jean Marie Bauhaus

I have a job interview! Plus, long ramblings about why this is a really good thing.

I haven’t done quite as well as I hoped at sticking to my 30-minutes-a-day editing routine. It’s more like 20 to 30 minutes every couple of days or so. But at least I’ve got some forward momentum again, however sluggish the pace.

Part of the problem here is that, when I turned down that full-time data entry job in favor of the contract web developer job, what I failed to take into consideration is that with a contract freelance job, you don’t get paid just for showing up to work like you do with an office job. You instead only get paid for the actual billable work that you do, and when you’re as prone to distraction as I am, and working at home where your husband is also home all day and he and the pets and the house all need attention throughout the day, it’s really, really difficult (I just typed “fiddicult” and had to redo it) to rack up eight solid hours of billable work each day. The best I’ve been able to do so far is five or six (and really, averaging more like four or five), which leaves me having to work weekends to make up my hours. Also, when projects get stuck waiting for client feedback or for the programmer to do whatever he needs to do before I can continue, I don’t get paid for that, either. So the contract job is keeping me full-time busy but only amounting to part-time pay, which just isn’t cutting it in the “paying the bills and stopping the hemorrhage of money and getting us back on top of our finances” department. And projects from my other freelance clients have all dried up. Basically, it’s a stressful situation all the way around, and not having time to edit is really the least of my worries right now. Le sigh.
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By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

More Survival On a Budget

PrepperGirl.com’s unexpectedly enforced hiatus must continue as the day job and other responsibilities continue to put me through the ringer, but don’t miss these great budget survival tips provided by commenter Grimm. Here’s a sample: A cheap protein source is TVP (textured vegetable protein). It is dehydrated so it has Read more…

By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

Back In the Saddle

It might not have escaped your notice that I failed to finish editing Dominion of the Damned in time to take advantage of those Create Space coupons I worked so hard to win in last year’s NaNoWriMo before they expired. Between working the new contract job, working for my own Read more…

By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

Cabin In the Woods

This will be short, because there’s not really a whole lot you can say about this movie without spoiling it. But Husband and I celebrated Independence Day by finally catching this movie at the second-run theater before we missed our chance to see it on the big screen, and I’m glad we did. It’s gotten a lot of hype, both from Whedon fans and non, and it did not disappoint. Y’all, this movie is awesome.

Is it scary? Yes. Well, if you’re like me and you grew up on a steady diet of slasher flicks and are pretty much inured to the genre, then it’s more fun than scary. But if scary movies actually scare you, then there’s a good bet that this one will, because it plays the horror parts straight. I went in expecting over the top jokey horror a la Evil Dead 2, and although there is some of that, I was delightfully surprised at the parts of it that were straight up horror movie. If you are the sort who is bothered by that type of gorey slasher horror, then I’m hesitant to recommend this movie to you — although I’m also tempted to say that if you can at all stand it, then it’s completely worth it, because the last act takes a turn that is purely Whedonesque and fifty shades of awesome.

Of course, I can’t tell you what that is without ruining the whole premise of the movie. And so, naturally, I will do it behind a cut.

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By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

Ehrrrmagrrrrd, you guys, Marble Hornets

I’ve got a new obsession, folks, and it’s taken me by surprise — if you had described this little Youtube series to me a few weeks ago and told me that I shouldn’t watch it because I would spend my days obsessively refreshing all of the relevant sites for updates and reading fan blogs and Tumblrs and what have you (and spending my nights being terrified of every dark corner…) I would have scoffed. And then I probably would have watched it anyway and been right where I am now.
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By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

The Dresden Files: Ghost Story

Dresden Files Ghost Story

I FINALLY read this book (seriously, y’all, sometimes I almost want to quit writing just so I’ll have more time in my life for reading, which is not easy to come by as it is). It was an enjoyable read, as always, with lots of tugging at the heart strings and wanting to give Harry a big ol’ hug. The ending was pretty much exactly what I expected, although I kept wondering throughout the book how it was going to end up there, and although unsurprising it definitely set up some interesting dynamics for the continuation of the series. I don’t really have anything to add by way of review, just some fan-girl babble that I will place behind a cut because it is somewhat spoilery and also, fan-girl babble.

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By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

Our Tornado Closet

Tornado season is here, and if you live in Tornado Alley like I do, that means it’s time to make sure your storm preps are ready.

We haven’t had any majorly severe storms in our area yet this year, thank goodness, but I haven’t let that keep me from getting our storm closet ready. Unfortunately, our house lacks a basement or cellar, and as much as I’d love to, we can’t afford to install a tornado shelter or safe room, so we have to make do with our bedroom closet and a lot of prayer. (more…)

By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago