Copyblogger

I received an e-mail this morning from a wonderful client with a link to this:

http://www.copyblogger.com/

I am going to spend more time this week reading through the site but at first glance it gives a nice amount of information for a copywriter who provides writing for many online and offline companies. This is especially important when it comes to writing for marketing and branding purposes.

Happy 1 Year in AZ or Not

Today, Feb. 22, 2007 is our one year anniversary in Arizona. The year has flown by and how life has changed for everyone.

With celebration of this gorgeous 80 degree day, my body has decided to not be happy. I usually don't like to write about personal issues on this blog but feel the need to. Over 12 years, out of nowhere, I became sick with the Epstein-Barr Virus and had jauntus. Not knowing what this was, it was scary to go through. It is the adult form of Mono and NO I didn't catch it from kissing anyone. ( I may have given it to an ex-bf as revenge...)

For those who understand what an immune disorder can to do your body, you understand without me having to explain. Basically I went from being a very active athlete and dancer to bedridden for 2 months straight and not being able to eat. The blood tests (easily 50) did not show what was happening and the doctor thought I had Liver Disease. Sure enough 6 weeks later the test finally showed EBV.

I slowly began to get better but after a few months, I would be sick again. Then it became a cycle. Some times I would feel "normal" and then at a drop of a hat, I would just "crash." I was told I have CFS and Fibromyalgia which honestly, I laugh at. I am not saying these aren't real diagnosis but have you looked at the symptoms of these illnesses? Everything is included and the way doctors treat it is with anti-depressants which I refuse to take. I am NOT DEPRESSED; I am angry for not knowing how come this occurs in my body.

On a side note, I take vitamins and supplements and am on a Gluten-Free diet and have been for years.

Well, Happy 1 year in AZ, I crashed today and can barely walk.

ThisNext.com

I received an e-mail this morning that I was mentioned in a blog on ThisNext.com.

http://blog.thisnext.com/blog/snow-day-sweatin.html

Thanks for the quote!

The Office

Many freelancers have a home office since they are the only employee. Setting up your home office takes vision and imagination if your home office is really suppose to be a bedroom. The size of my office is quite large and I am very happy with it and I EVEN get a large window to look out of!

So what happens when you are working and your neighbors and their kids are constantly outside playing with everything imaginable! From their 20 feet off the ground pick-up trucks exhaust to their car sound system as the bass is vibrating everything in my office to the ever popular let's fly a kite in the middle of the street!

What do you do? Do you go outside and tell them to try and be a little considerate? If I was still in Jersey, I would go outside and use a few choice words but I am finding in my new life in Arizona, they don't get it! Only once did I have to go to my neighbor who lived above us in Jersey and ask if he could keep the stampede of elephants running above my head down a bit. I wasn't even going to do it but my husband even looked at me and was like, "Is he having a fight or something up there?"

So yes, I can go to the local coffee shop or book store and do my work there BUT why should I? I live in a single family home on a nice block which is mostly quiet minus the neighbors who live next door to us. I guess we got the luck of the draw...

Inquiries, Inquiries and More Inquiries

The month of February has started off with many inquiries from all different types of companies and projects. From marketing companies and graphic artists to SMB's and individual businesses, I have been sending quotes out everyday.

The challenge is to receive a response back from these inquiries after I give my copywriting rates. The time to receive a response or an estimated time when the project needs to be complete has posed a difficulty. Until they need your services, a response to an e-mail or phone call does not occur.

As I always say, "All the promises are nice to hear but till a contract is signed and money is exchanged, it doesn't mean S***."

80 degrees in Feb!

This weekend and today was a reminder of why we moved to Central Arizona; 80 degrees in Feb! I came home from work, threw off my clothes and changed into shorts and a tank top. Played with the dogs in the backyard for a while, did some work outside on my laptop and just enjoyed the gorgeous warmth of the sun.

How can anyone have SAD when living in the Valley of the Sun?