Thursday, August 14, 2008

A Grumpy Post

My daughter, yes, that one, the one who is doing well if she updates her xanga once a month, told me I should update my blog.

Humph.

I have been putting off posting because I am in a bad mood and we all know how much we enjoy posts when people, especially females, are all moody and hormonal.

So. This evening we went to the VBS program, and this is all good, but I am feeling guilty for not being more involved this year, never mind that my right-hand-woman, Amy, was involved all week and I had a commitment to be at the fair all day yesterday (11 hours) and I took Emily in for her blood draw the day before and I was still catching up from being gone for a week.

Yes, the blood draw. Once again they sucked vial after vial of blood from her arm and sent it off. And I have not yet heard if the lymphocytes are viable this time, meaning last time was just a fluke, or if they are dying off and we have a long road of tests and stuff ahead of us.

And the fair. I sold 43 books and was all discouraged because last year I sold 80. Paul said I set my expectations too high. Joe Blakely who sat next to me as always said Eugene has 150,000 people so he feels the market will never be saturated with his books, and his historical books on the Tall Firs* and Lifting Oregon Out of the Mud--Building the Coast Highway will keep selling indefinitely. I said this is how I look at it: Eugene has 150,000 people, true. But men almost never buy my books, so there go 75,000 of those people. And people under 30 don't buy them either, so there go another 25,000. And another 10,000 can't afford them. And another 20,000 or so don't read books, so there you are with 20,000 potential customers, and the ones who buy them pass them around to their friends, so the market is about soaked.

*Ok, the Tall Firs were a famous basketball team one year at the U of O, many years ago. So I was very amused when this gushy woman looked at Joe's display and said, "OOOoooooh, the Tall Firs! Oooh, that's one thing I luuuv about Oregon! All those big tall trees! But they've logged a lot of them off, haven't they?"

By the time I had sat at my table for going on 11 hours I was so tired I could hardly remember my own birthday, and then the nice young lady beside me, who was in many ways almost Mennonite, with a long skirt and such, and who was selling pamphlets she had written about evolution and the pagan roots of Christmas and Halloween, gave my mind a twist by saying that she and her family, who incidentally also make up her church, don't believe in the Trinity. What?? No. They believe Jesus was the Son of God but not part of the Godhead. Or something. "It's a lot clearer in the Greek." Well, of course my brain turned to mush and all the wonderful scriptures I should have quoted never showed up in my mouth, and then of course when I related this at the dinner table today, the whole family popped like popcorn with relevant verses. This is how my life goes.

Another late-night Oregon Author at our table was the infamous Frog, who showed up with his wild head of hair, a new nose ring, a huge wild beard, four rubber chickens, and a big bag of photocopied joke books. Frog seldom bathes, he is sometimes on the wrong side of the law and decent citizens, and when he bent down to get more books from his bag he, um, "passed gas" extravagantly. But you know what, I just love Frog. He is just himself, he is kind, he remembered me and Emily from last year, and what you see is exactly what you get. I like that. Sometimes I understand a little why Jesus liked to hang out with sinners more than Pharisees.

Ok, Amy, I posted.

Quote of the Day:
"I hope my daughter grows up to be that poised and capable."
--one of the VBS moms, when I told her Amy was my daughter
(I shouldn't be grumpy after that, should I?)

14 comments:

  1. No, you shouldn't be grumpy. Hoping for a grown up daughter like that is what keeps most of us plugging away. And now I'm depressed. I thought by that time everything in a family should be like a clockwork. Not.
    I will forever admire your transparency.

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  2. Did you know there is an acronym for "what you see is what you get"? WYSIWYG (pronounced "wizzywig"). Of course with Frog perhaps also WYHIWYG!

    Your books are not going to be read only by people in the Eugene area, they are going to be read and loved by women and mothers everywhere. The advantage of being a local author is that those of us who know about you, work hard for you telling others about your books and giving them for gifts because we want to see you succeed!

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  3. Well, I plan to be one of the people who buy your books (you will sign it for me won't you, even in a grumpy penmanship?). So I'm hoping to get to meet you tomorrow, if I can fit it around my son's horse show.

    Hey, go to my blog and read "Inside and Out" (about 3 down)... I can tell you are a kindred spirit.

    Jodie (aka KaraBeagle)
    www.reflectionsofgodslight.blogspot.com

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  4. Here's a little secret to increase you book sales---write another one! I have learned that every time a new book is published, sales of my older ones pick up again. You're not old enough to retire!

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  5. The title of this post popping up was too funny!! You see some of my cousins and I have this little e-mail thing going.. Nita from AR, Morty from MO, Judi from OH, & Julie & I from MN... and all of us with the exception of Julie,(she said she feeling left out!) were exchanging "grumpy feeling" e-mails! It got to the point when I saw a reply from one of them pop up, I got a smile.. and then your post, well that did it, it made me laugh and my "grumpies" are gone!

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  6. well, this will not likely make your grumpy feeling go away, but sales are down on the product we make a living selling(try) actually worse than your last year comparison. Does that make you feel any better?
    Not? How about "i like your books, yes, write another one! "
    Keep up the great writing! You do good even when your "moody and hormonal!"

    Kris

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  7. Tell Miss "mom you need to update" that SHE promised new pictures on her blog DAYS ago and we are anxiously waiting.

    I am, however, glad that you did update! I love your posts, even grumpy ones! (which I don't see in this one-I think that you are too hard on yourself!)

    As for the no Trinity lady, I doubt that even a perfect three point sermon with all the scripture references in the world would change her mind! But how wonderful that your kids are so well grounded that they could come up with all those relevant verses!

    I remember your talking about Frog last year and the pic you posted of him. I guess his WYSIWYG is refreshing, even if his presence sometimes isn't.

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  8. Why is it I read and re-read my comments and don't see changes I'd like to make until AFTER I hit "publish" Oh well. This time I'd ad a "Please" as teh first word of my comment as in "Please tell Miss 'mom you need to updaet'" because the smile in my voice woould be better heard that way. Ok it's past 1:30 in the morning, I'm off for some sleep!

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  9. When I was a teenager, one of the ladies I babysat for said she hoped her daughter grew up to be just like me. I suppose I smiled politely and said thank you, but inside I was just thinking, "Oh, if only you knew what I was REALLY like,you would never be wishing that on your precious girl!!"

    I know she meant it as a compliment. I had probably folded clothes for her, or gone that extra mile in some area, and that is what she was talking about. But I hope her daughter grew up to be just the person God created her to be....nothing more, nothing less.

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  10. Thank you for being real - life is so full of pain and joy, disappointment and hope, sorrow and laughter, questions and answers. As usual you put skin on that very vividly.

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  11. Well, Dorcas, my hubby was 23 when he bought both of your books to give to me at Christmas, so people under 30 DO enjoy your books! At least in our house! =]

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  12. My 10-year old daughter just re-read your books in the last couple of days. I don't know how many times she burst out laughing and had to read a story aloud to me.

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  13. You should write most posts when you are grumpy. This one made me laugh even more then usual. :-)

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  14. hi i don't know you but i know John & Laura Smucker & their family, and quite enjoy reading your blog. One thing jumped out at me, and I thought I'd comment on it. My parents don't believe in the Trinity, and neither does the fellowship they used to belong to before moving away. They now believe some things differently from that fellowship, but my dad is still very strong on the fact that there is no Trinity... I know quite a few people who believe that - it's not an un-known-of thing! Blessings, Asia [ah-sh-ah]

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