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Jun 26, 2009

Haiku Friday: Busy Weekend

June 26, 2009 By
This weekend, two big
events: one for geeks, and one
for all the hippies

Origins Game Fair
and Comfest in C-bus on
this hot, hot weekend

I’ll confess: I’ll be
at both, for Aaron is both
geek and hippie child

One features sci-fi
costumes, lots of games to play
and people watching.

The other features
handmade goods, yummy food and
people watching.

The end of June is always busy around here. Origins is an event that Aaron has gone to for years, and while I’m not as interested as he is, I still like to tag along to look at the new games, see all of the unique costumes people come up with, and look for cute plushies from the anime vendors.

Comfest, short for Community Festival, is an annual tradition around here, partially started by Aaron’s parents and their friends. I love all of the unique shopping (Little Alouette will be there this year!), and I love the relaxed atmosphere. And I do mean relaxed – it’s legal for women to be topless in public in Columbus, and you will see topless women walking around Comfest. All I’ll say is the boobage on display is generally far better to look at than sweaty, pudgy man boobs.

So what’s everyone else doing this weekend?

To play along for Haiku Friday, follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. What’s a haiku, you ask? Click here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON’T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week! I will delete any links without haiku!

Filed Under: Haiku Fridays


Jun 25, 2009

Mid-Blog Crisis

June 25, 2009 By

Last weekend I attended PodCampOhio, a free conference for bloggers, vloggers, podcasting, and other types of social media. Overall, it was a great experience, and I feel like I learned a lot, while also meeting some new local bloggers, including those I already knew in name if not in person.

But one unexpected side effect of the event was an enhanced feeling of uneasiness with my blog. I’ve already been feeling as if I’m adrift lately, either due to a lack of focus or the possibility that my life has become so boring that I can’t find anything interesting to blog about. Don’t worry, I’m not pulling one of those I’m shutting down my blog 4-ever c-ya!!! dramatic moments, because that’s not what I want at all. I’m simply trying to refine and make this a better place for me and for everyone who stops by and cares for what I write.

One session I attended at PodCampOhio had me convinced I needed to “rebrand” my blog. I mean, after all, just look at my blog name: A Mommy Story. What in the world does that tell the reader about me? It says I’m a mom, and this is likely a mom blog. Well, that wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t 163,946,037 OTHER mom blogs out there.

A Mommy Story is a somewhat dull name, created after the first three tries were already taken on Blogger back in 2005. Instead of taking the time to ponder and wait for inspiration to gift me with a creative name, I kept typing out new names desperately, because I had to have my blog now! now! now!

This session talked about setting yourself apart from your “competition” – offering unique value, being specific and remarkable, finding something to stand for, etc. Honestly, it was a lot of good information, even if it did send this blogger into a panic. I’ve screwed it all up from the beginning! I thought.

And then another session discussed good storytelling, and I realized I couldn’t tell you all about my blog in one sentence. Hmmm…maybe I’m not focused enough?

Finally, Dawn advised me that what I really needed to do was keep my blog name, but get my lazy butt off of Blogger and make the jump to WordPress, since Blogger isn’t always playing nice with some computers/browsers of late, which could be affecting my traffic.

So…yeah. I’m more confused than ever. Do I try to focus my scope more? Do I try to find an angle that works? Do I find a new blog name and rebrand? Do I switch to my own domain and WordPress? (OK, that last one really does need to happen. I am lazy, and I like the look of WordPress.)

Or do I just say to hell with all of that branding and narrative advice and keep on doing what I’m doing? I know some people will tell me that I shouldn’t worry about all of the superficial stuff like branding and contrived storyline focus. Writing should be organic, right? But I’m not one of those bloggers who can weave words with ease into artful essays, or come up with a story that is outrageously funny and over-the-top.

I’ll also admit: I do care about my stats, and I know I’m not supposed to care. I don’t like seeing that I’ve lost 1/4 of my traffic in the past year. Comments are down, making me wonder if I’m actually connecting with readers in a meaningful way or if my posts are still interesting. I still love every one of my readers like I love my chocolate cake – maybe even more so now that there are fewer of you.

(Side note: Wow, talk about rambling. This post counts as everything that might be wrong with my blog. All over the place without an editor. All I need for a truly dreadful post would be several different fonts, font sizes and colors throughout. Bear with me – I’m working through this as I type.)

So after writing all of this out, where does it leave me? Neurotic and in desperate need of a Xanax? Probably.

I’m not making any decision at the moment. I’m going to think on the topic at least until after BlogHer, then decide if I want to make any changes. Well, aside from the move to WordPress – I’m pretty certain on that one, once I learn CSS or save up for a good theme design. Maybe I’m just thinking too hard about this – after all, my birthday was also this weekend, and birthdays always make me susceptible to overthinking about what I’m doing with my life.

Feel free to add your thoughts to my one-person argument. I’d love to know what you want to see from me. Or how you solved a blogging crisis you’ve had. I know I’m really opening myself up to criticism here, and my flame-proof jacket is standing by. Just know that any comment of UR CRAZY = not helpful.

(Oh, I’m going to regret hitting publish on this one…)

Filed Under: me me me Tagged With:


Jun 24, 2009

Waiting…Waiting…

June 24, 2009 By

I’m finding myself currently stuck in a registered nurse limbo right now. I’ve graduated from nursing school, my clinicals are complete, and yet I still can’t add those two little initials – RN – to the end of my name yet.

After finishing school, nurses are required to pass an exam before they can officially have their license to practice nursing. Makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean, I’d prefer the nurses caring for me were tested independent of their school to make sure they really know what they’re doing.

Right now, somewhere in a stack of papers in the Ohio Board of Nursing office is my application for licensure. I’m not sure where it is in that stack, but I’m hoping it’s somewhere near the top of the stack, waiting to be entered into a computer. Considering I dropped it off in person in early May, I’m really hoping it’s near the top.

As soon as that application is processed, green lights will flash and I’ll be eligible to register for my license exam. I’ve already paid for the exam and entered all of my personal information. The password for the test location selection screen is all I need. Don’t ask how many times I’ve been tempted to enter guesses at the password, hoping that youcantestnow or sexynurse1 or even password might be my key to gaining access.

I’ll admit patience is not a virtue of mine. Each day I visit the database, input my name, and am greeted with “No results found for specified input.” And then I growl, clicking away with a mental note to check again tomorrow.

I need a job. I want a job. I want to start putting the knowledge gained from three (long) years of school to use. But first I need that approval to take the exam. Oh, and I have to pass the exam, too, although strangely I’m not worried about that.

I’m sure the Board of Nursing is busy. There are also several new pop-up nursing schools all over Ohio, churning out new nurses at record numbers. I’m only one of many, many names in that pile of applications. Patience…sigh.

Anyone know how to be patient? And can you tell me quickly?

Filed Under: daily life, the J-O-B


Jun 22, 2009

Summer Camp, Week 2

June 22, 2009 By

After last week’s introduction to camp, I’m happy to say that no one has been ejected from camp. Yet.

On Wednesday morning, I saw Cordy’s after-care teacher and told her that I thought Cordy would do well now that she understood the routine. The teacher, however, was unconvinced and again tried to talk me out of leaving her in after-care. She yet again mentioned that Cordy needed other kids to play with because she was lonely. I assured her that Cordy loves to play by herself.

And then she said, “It’s not right for a child to be that upset. You didn’t see how she was on Monday. I’ve never seen anyone that upset before. I’m amazed they were able to carry her to the room.”

I was unimpressed. “Was she bleeding?” I asked.

“Uh, no.”

“Then she wasn’t that upset,” I explained. “When she’s so out of control that she hits her head on things until she bleeds, then call me. THAT is her ‘really upset’.”

“Well, you’ll be home today, right? I’ll call you to come get her if she has any problems.”

I rolled my eyes. “I hope you’ll try to work out the problems BEFORE calling me.” And with that, I left.

As I expected on Wednesday, after I had a long chat with Cordy about what to expect from the after-care routine, and after the teachers decided they would take her directly inside instead of to the pick-up area, Cordy had a fabulous time. When we went to pick her up, she was sitting quietly in the room with a teacher beside her, drawing picture after picture and describing what she was drawing.

They reported that she had no issues at all that day, and really enjoyed the afternoon. See? I know my kid.

The next morning, I saw the after-care teacher again, smiled sweetly and said, “I hear she had a great day yesterday! I told you it would all work out!”

No smile in return. Instead, she frowned and said, “Well, she didn’t have a fit, but she was clearly bored with no one else to play with.”

Whatever, lady. It must suck to be someone who can never be happy.

I spoke with a friend who works there, and she told me that this particular woman teaches kindergarten and is used to working with kids who have been in the daycare system since they were little. These kids know how the system works and give her few problems. Someone like Cordy doesn’t fit in with her idea of how children work.

On Friday, we had thunderstorms moving through Columbus at drop-off, and so all of the kids had to start the morning inside. Cordy was not happy with the group circle time inside, and Aaron had to stay with her for awhile while she cried from the change in routine and all of the noise caused by the echo in the room. She eventually calmed down and had a good day.

The humorous end to the week? On Friday, there were two children with Cordy in after-care.

And what was she doing?

Sitting quietly by herself, looking at a book.

My warrior princess is going to do just fine at camp, in spite of those who would rather she not be there because she’s different.

Filed Under: Autism, Cordy


Jun 21, 2009

Dueling Special Occasions

June 21, 2009 By

So when your birthday falls on the same day as Father’s Day, which one gets the day off? Or do they cancel themselves out entirely? I’m not really sure.

Of course, birthdays aren’t nearly as cool as an adult as they were when we were younger. I no longer wait with excited anticipation for the big day. Now I just hope to sleep in and get through the day without a meltdown from a child. And maybe an adult beverage in the evening.

Happy Father’s Day, Aaron. And happy 33rd to me. Hopefully double 3’s works out better than 32, with fewer new wrinkles and grey hairs.

Filed Under: me me me