Tools, Toys and Favorite Things

     Wow!  I've been gone longer than I anticipated.  Did you forget that the 4th of July weekend was coming up when I said I would tell you my secret?  I forgot.  I fully expected to be back after a day or two.  The good news is that I have been having the greatest fun with my new toy.  The bad news is that I made you all wait far too long to play with me.  I'm sorry.

     Now that you're here, though, there's nuthin' to stop us from havin' loads of fun.  So, come on; gather 'round and I'll show you what I got.  I hafta' tell a story on my good hubby-buddy, though.  He's such a stinker, at times.  When the package came in from CSN, he carried it upstairs for me.  Then he casually said, "I'm not putting it together."    

     Humph!  Does your hubby-buddy balk at putting things together?  Well, for just an instant, I had a sinking feeling that I had been abandoned.  It didn't take me long to decide that I could do it myself, though.  Jus' wantcha' ta' know, this was waaaaaaay outta' character for him.

     So, timing myself and determining to do whatever it took, I set to work.  Patience, I decided, was my best friend, especially when I opened the box and discovered all those little pieces.  Interestingly, by stopping and starting and always checking the clock, I found that it only took me one hour and 59 minutes (yeah, I know I coulda' said two hours, but its more fun, this way).

     When I went to share my handiwork with my good hubby-buddy, I started out by saying that I had messed up.  Imagine my shock when he, with a gesture of exhilaration(?), exclaimed, "Yes!  I knew you wouldn't be able to do it.  Women can't put things together."

     Naturally, his reaction made me very happy that I had not asked for help.  Of course, when he saw my new toy, he changed his tone and was quite proud of what I had done.  Then, he asked how I thought it was messed up.  I told him that actually, that had been part of a joke to get him to come and see what I had done.  We had a good chuckle before I went on to share with him.

     I thought about using my 4D Concepts Storage Tower for my sewing supplies or crafting tools; it would be great for either.  In fact, there are so many good uses for this handy tool.  In the end, I decided that I would be best served in using my tower  as an interim filing system.

     By putting my papers in the different drawers, then transferring those to the large filing system at the end of the week, I've saved a lot of stress and time. Filing is not my favorite thing. Soon, I'll have my review up on CSN and you'll be able to see even more about it.

     There are many small pieces and the task was slightly annoying at times, but the end result, for me, was well worth the effort.  I would gladly put another one or even ten together for the joy of having these useful units available.

     Although I was given the 4D Concepts Storage Tower in exchange for a review, I have been honest in telling you about it.  I was not compensated in any other way.  My life has been greatly improved by this, my new favorite toy.  And I won't benefit from it, but my next question is how will you use yours?

     Until the next time, keep a hug on.

 ~ Yaya

Scribbling In The Middle Of The Night

I've heard it said that a writer should keep a tablet nearby at all times. At night, there should be a tablet next to the bed for writing those wonderful ideas that sleep brings on. So, I very dutifully placed a pen and tablet next to my bed, then went to sleep. Probably because my subconscious mind knew the tablet was there and that same subconscious mind was in the mood for a good joke, I woke in the middle of the night with a story to write and I wrote. And wrote and wrote and wrote. It was a great story. Naturally, the pen I was using had a built-in light so I wouldn't wake my hubby while I wrote. Then, I went back to sleep.

In the morning, when I woke, I was so excited to rework the story and send it in. Of course, I couldn't recall anything about the actual story. It had been the result of an incredible dream. I did remember that there was lots of adventure and my inner cheerleader told me that it would be a best-seller practically before it hit the shelves. I was excited to get started.

My little tablet and I skipped merrily to my office to unveil the mystery of my best-seller. I couldn't have been more excited if it had been Christmas morning and I was looking at ten thousand gifts, all with my name on them. Finally, after preparing all that was necessary, I opened the magical tablet and my jaw dropped open at the words that I saw; if they could be called words. Personally, I was only able to recognize one or two places where letters came together to create actual words. And even those were questionable.

I guess the moral of my story is that it would be wise to know what you are doing before you do it. And if you are going to write in the middle of the night, it might just be a good idea to get out of bed and go someplace where light is not a problem. Would I have produced a best-selling novel if I hadn't been writing in the dark? Well, now, that remains to be seen. Would I have been able to read what I had written? Quite possibly, yes, because my best guess tells me that I would never have attempted writing with a pen if I had gone anywhere NEAR the computer.

I've often wondered what that great story was about and pined for the ability to read it. But maybe Mother Nature has a kind streak and protected me by not letting me read the results of "Midnight Writings." Since that incident, my sleep has been continuous, when I do sleep, but I am much more aware of the words I write. I'm still working on publishing that best-seller, but at least I know when words come together as legible.