How to Marry For Money

So we started a new book for a client called "How to Marry for Money". It is very much a smart ass how to manual for the lovelorn and finacially destitute - and its a lot of fun. Also on the menu is a sassy real estate book, a new solution for back pain, and the details of the worlds best money seminar. As busy as things are, they are really quite fun and entertaining as we don't get to do creative books very often.

Also working on the next couple of installments of my leadership series for CU Business. Hard to believe its been almost a year since it started. Its been a lot of fun and I've met some great business gurus like John Maxwell and Tom Feltenstien.

Also on the agenda is the final push for the ebook site. I talked to the developers today about how many people can download at once and he started in about bandwidth and mega giga bites....kind of like when Charlie Brown's teacher talks...wha wha wha.....that's all I heard. I just wanted to know if twenty thousand people downloaded at once would it work...he answered me but I still don't know. The correct answer is "of course it will" even if it won't, I wouldn't know the difference and I'd feel much better about the whole thing.

We also got three more fish - I know i KNOW...its eleven now and if they keep shitting in the pond, we'll have mud soon but oh well...we also now have lights on the fountain at night so its like a miniature Caesar's Palace...if you're around, come by and take a peek... Harley (my niece) was over this weekend and named the big fat one Nimo...I forgot what she named the other one...anyway when I have pictures, we finish the official naming....

Since several people know that we're writing a book about marrying for money, the question has come up....What would you do for a million dollars? So I ask - how low would you go?

Pond drama....

So...today was the day to go and pick out the lucky little goldfish that will get to inhabit our pond. I had thought we'd get six decent sized (4 or 5 inch) ones and that would be enough. Wellllll......there were two black ones (Esmeralda and Elvis) and one large calico(Spot just doesn't sound right for a fish). There there were two orange and white ones with these weird bubbles below their eyes....but they were smaller....THEN.....there were two yellow/black ones with pompadours....THEN there were two smaller gold ones with pompadours......sooo

You guessed it, they are all ours....NINE gold fish (plus one large and two small algae eaters to suck up all the fish crap).....so it will be a full pond....but most of them aren't that big. Of course they will all grow. Gina said if they get too big, we can swap them out for smaller ones so they don't overwhelm the pond. What a concept...too bad you can't do that with dogs, where every time your puppy outgrows the 'cute' phase you swap it out for another puppy! Dog lovers - don't email me, I'm not a dog person and don't care. I'm all about pets you can flush if they croak.

I have been working a lot, but that's normal for this time of year. We got a video camera to film some short clips for clients for video blogs and websites and of course as soon as I figure it out I will post video of the pond participants....

More tales from around the castle....

I know I know....this is a writing blog...BUT several of you have asked for an update on the pond and photos of Elvis and Esmeralda. Well, there was a delay of game (that's for you Britta!). The pond peeps couldn't come give it a look until last Sunday so E & E (as they are now being referred to) are on order and set to arrive Thursday!! So excited!! Tom and/or Gina will be coming by next Sunday to get the pond ready. We have also ordered blue gravel for the bottom cause I don't want to have to look at cement at the bottom of the pond.

They said it would take about 150-200 pounds of gravel ...which seems like a lot, but I guess they know their stuff. They are also ordering us a center fountain so we'll see how it looks....they said we could have about 6 or 8 decent sized fish so it will be E & E, Ed & Betty, and another couple as yet to be named. If you have any ideas, send them along.

I also found some new cleaning ladies and they are fabulous! Don't speak a word of English, but I say if someone wants to work they should get to work! God knows we run across numerous writer wanna bes who have no clue how to work!! The castle now sparkles and I feel a little bit guilty that they didn't ask for more money.

Business on the writing front has picked up a bit as more publishers are seeking us out!! Yea TAG! And that is only because the writers we do have want to work...go figure....work ethic speaks volumes no matter the country you are in or what language you speak.

The ghost was silent for a few days but the other night I heard him (or her) knocking..I 'd hate to think we'd run it off!!!

there is life in Baton Rouge!!!

I finally heard from one of our writers in Baton Rouge. Andrea. She told me it was really devastated....estimates of electricity back on in four to six WEEKS!! I can't even imagine. so of course i gave her the update on the Palin situation.....and what else was going on in the country. I can't imagine stopping life for weeks and hearing no news, no nothing...good to hear she and hubby Jeffrey are doing fine...still wondering about Camille and Heather though. Andrea and Jeffrey are helping man the radio station...sunny 103.3 go to the station website for live broadcasts....anyway she is going to try and get in touch with Heather and Camille tomorrow so we'll know that they are okay.

In other news, the castle has a ghost! there is this weird tapping in the pantry on occasion that we can't figure out... it almost sounds like a kid in the pantry knocking to see if you will come and check it out....and of course nothing is there. Its not scary, just interesting I think....cause its loud enough to make anyone in the kitchen or den go check it out. My husband is a HUGH disbeliever but then he never thought we'd have a castle either - JOKES ON HIM!! of course he was whining tonight because the 'man cave' doesn't have the balcony view....he keeps saying he has the 'projects' view - I mean really!!!! He used to have newspapers on the windows at the old house so you'd think this would be great.

I also found a guy to get the pond ready for Esmeralda and Elvis. His name is Tom and he's from Exotic Aquatics. He's coming to clean everything and get it ready to be a good home for our future goldfish clan. He'll even order Esmeralda and Elvis to our specs......so I wonder what one of those fish with a pompadour is called?