January 2017 Daily Stepping

[inspiresuccess]

RE: Office Max. I got coupons. I don't remember if I had to have a rewards card but I do remember getting a coupon for $18 to use in the store.

[Lynx]

Hi folks,

Part 2, warm up.

I got a lot of my endnotes roughed in this morning. Aim to finish the last several and then do a slow double check (even editors I've paid refused to proof footnotes and my bibliographies).

Then I have maybe three sections to tighten up. Then look at the calendar for tomorrow and see about a two more co-proofing sessions. Also, I can send my draft to my S.O. for her hawk-eye (or is it hawkeye?) review.

The catch is I'm tired, so have maybe 90 minutes of umphf tonight. If I trim to 75 or 60, I'll get up in the morning for more work.

To the page,
Lynx

[inspiresuccess]

Lynx and Elaine,

A quote for you once your projects are finished.

"Take rest; a field that has rested produces a beautiful crop." Ovid

[Lyndon]

Lynx, -- what is your copy editing sheet?

I misread one sentence as "Sitting in a treehouse ..." rather than "teahouse."

[Lynx]

Hi Lyndon,

A copyedit sheet is a table where I place how to spell & punctuate things. For example, I write first person sensemaking. Is that first-person, or as I first wrote it. I look it up and when I'm satisfied with the solution I make a note on the sheet. It's first-person, with the hyphen.

I also found a handy question for deciding when its which or that. If the sentence can do without it, use which, otherwise use that. This is sort of long, so I have which/that* in the table and explain it in a line underneath.

See more here: http://condimentmarketing.com/consisten ... le-sheets/

It's a really handy make it as you go tool that prevents a lot of repeat research.
Lx

[Lynx]

Hi folks,

Looking into last couple of days before I send essay. Re-reading a blog on how novelists use the first 10 pages and again, it's amazing the extra details that somehow snuck in after I read it last time.

My learning yearning wants to have text with live links. I think I found the page here.

The thing to do is make sure BBCode is On (under the emoticons). Highlight the text you are making the link for, Hit URL on the coding bar. Now it gets tricky. Inside the bracket you'll see url insert an equal sign, and then copy the url address for the link. That's it.

Oh, this is very cool to know! Another learn yearn™ is I've never used the side by side comparison feature in word, but may want to when my last round to asks for help with proofing come back. I'm asking people to work alone this time and send back what they find.

I also need to draft my cover letter today. I still feel tired, though I took it fairly easy last night.

I really don't want to do anything. Discipline requires I go ...

to the page,
Lx

[inspiresuccess]

Lynx,

I did a quick skim of the "first 10 pages" article. It looks fascinating. I'm not a writer, but as a reader I'd love to read this. Thanks for sharing.

[Elaine Glimme]

Had a great day with my writers group. Otherwise I'm slogging. Just got a package from the retirement board informing me that they want to reduce my pension by $1300 per month because they say I owe them $100,000. No I didn't add any extra zeroes. Right now, if I'm not too extravagant, more money comes in than goes out. But it's not $1300 more per month. Yikes!

[Lynx]

Elaine, don't let them do this. There's a clerical problem, I hope, and with a little attention & a sharp pencil, all can be worked out.

Midnite. Had yet another thorough read-through with a friend today. Amazing what fresh eyes can see! I work in the file as we go, so the changes made on the spot. Tomorrow a couple of final read-out louds or something to get those last typos hiding out.

Now,

to the bed,
Lx

[Lynx]

Down to the due time and ....

1. The power goes out at my house, which means no lights and no wifi.

2. Hike to the nearest university (9 blocks) where there's no power either, but wifi. Finish my edits and start to upload.

3. After uploading I need to submit £20 via VISA. I can't find my password information (very unusual) and so I re-register. Sweat beads forming.

4. Re-submit everything with newest registration and get to payment page. The last step.

5. Enter VISA info and my card is rejected. Double check everything, rejected again. And again. Hell! I only have one card on me at a time. Meanwhile the power's back, so I guess it's back at home as well.

6. Truck home in a rain. Hollywood would eat this up. Try my other card. Rejected. Try my partner's card. Rejected. Two hours to go.

7. Write an email to the contact person detailing my multiple rejections and attaching my essay and cover letter. Tell her I will contact them to figure out how to pay next week.

8. Need a break but want to keep at getting my payment to go thru.

My motto — Keep Calm and Write the Damn Essay — is being tested!!!

Well, it's written, now they need to take my £20.

I will be very disappointed in them if they keep me out due to their technical problems.

Lynx

[inspiresuccess]

RE: Yikes!

The Universe is really testing you on this one!

[Lynx]

HI,

Their offices will be open around 1 AM local time. I plan to get up if not already up, to see if they send an email. My bank's open around 9:30, local time.

Called VISA and got a runaround. Not sure why my local bank has to move the switch when VISA is always happy to see my $, or £, as the case may be, to get their 3%. VISA certainly identified I was the owner of the card.

Not much appetite. A low sense of suspenseful waiting. Think I'll stay as clear of sharps and heat as I can. Maybe sort the plastic and paper bags.

Well, at least I have no worries about mania flaring up.

Lynx

[Elaine Glimme]

Lynx, I'm hoping that somewhere out there there's a happy God, Universe, Good Fairy, who'll make it all come out all right. You so deserve it.

[Lynx]

Up till 3:15 (after a longish nap. Can't change things for a while might as well sleep.)

Can't sleep much more. No msg from the contest, dang!

Bank opens in half an hour. Can't seem to find a # for the publisher, plus with time difference they are closing just as my bank opens.

Alright,
Lx

[Elaine Glimme]

Me - it's not a calculation error. The County calculates our retirement pay based on our last year of service. I was on-call (carrying a pager and available to respond to emergencies) for some months during my last year, but I'd quit working on-call about fifteen years ago. I was harassed, but that's another story. And yes, I went back on call to maximize my retirement. It gave me an extra $500 plus something per month. I figured I deserved it since I'd been on call before.

Anyway, the response crew switches out their on-call schedule the way they want. If you're going on vacation or your kid has a birthday when you're on-call, you can switch with someone who doesn't have anything going on then.

A lot of people take up all the on-call time they can get during the last year to maximize their retirement checks.

so the retirement board is claiming that we don't deserve to have any extra on-call pay count toward our retirement checks, and they're saying that I shouldn't get any on-call time on my retirement check since I hadn't worked on call the years previous to retiring.

In the lawsuit booklet that they sent me, they said that they'll look at extra on-call time accrued by switching schedules and by being on call during a holiday comp day. I didn't do any of that.

They don't seem to be looking at the statute of limitations, as they're going back more than seven years, and of course they're adding interest. Probably as a gesture of how kind they are, they'll forgive the interest.

The County pays low salaries, and to make up for that, they give you great perks such as a generous retirement.

If they do cut my paycheck, I'll still be okay. I don't have outstanding debts, and my lifestyle is pretty simple.

Apparently San Francisco tried a similar thing to their retired police force, and failed.

Anyway, we'll see.