I don't mind getting pitches asking for a review and was really excited to be asked to host a giveaway last week.
Until... the company wanted me to post BEFORE I received a product to "ensure that I would follow through". Well how can I be sure they'll follow through? Sounds like they just wanted some free advertising.
To be honest, it's kind of new territory for me, this concept of pitch, review, maybe hold giveaway (my only other reviews have been two books), but my blog has a steady readership each week (although it's a fairly low number, it's grown a bit lately), and has for five years! So those people would read this post and suddenly think I supported a company I'd never interacted with except for five emails? That doesn't work for me!
Today I got an email from a website that I'd never visited saying that I was the "featured blog" on their site and would I please link back to them? Again, something I might do, if approached in a more respectful manner. I went to the page and discovered I may be "featured" but I am featured with the fewest stars they "awarded" anyone (with NO explanation for how they decided this!) and that the blog they link to is the photo one I started a year ago. And haven't posted on in a while.
Hoping someday I'll get a legitimate pitch from a copy that shows they can respect me as a person and not as some invisible creature writing this from behind a computer.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
25 February 2010
20 February 2010
This week was more than a bit disheveled.
Tuesday- my phone was on vibrate and I missed three school calls, missing out on jobs, but that's not so bad, really.
Wednesday- I agreed to go help a teacher in the same town as my long term position last year. She sometimes asks me to come "subcontract" for her and help get all those little things done. I offered to grab Starbucks before I headed in. I got to the school and opened my planner to write what I was doing for the day. I had penciled in another job! Normally I put everything in my planner and my phone, not this time. I go to the school (after a frantic phone call to the secretary to check if I was supposed to be there!). I arrive at about 8:13am, only 13 minutes later than they would prefer but still more than a half hour before students, so it was okay. Until I look at the lesson plans and see that I'm supposed to have duty at 8:15. Run outside, realizing I've not read lesson plans. This should be good. It all worked out and was actually a pretty good day in first grade.
Thursday- I spend the morning goofing off waiting around until 11:30 because I had a job in second grade. Get to the school and discover that I am not scheduled to be there. At this point, I'm thinking, can this week be anymore screwed up? I offer to go into the classroom of the teacher I had to leave the day before and spend the afternoon there before taking her son to violin, daughter to jazz, pick up son, drop off at home, go back for daughter.
Friday- I have job scheduled in second grade at a different school. I'm trying to figure out what's going to happen to make this day as awkward as the previous two. I get to the school and the secretary has a rambling message about watercolors and where they're located and some other stuff I would have figured out. I walk into the classroom and there's a note saying that the printer wouldn't work so the lesson plans are on the computer but if it's locked, we'll have to call to get the password. The computer automatically times out after something like 30-45 minutes. So we had to call. Get password, print lesson plans, have a great day. And it's pay day. I offer to take mom to dinner. Unfortunately aunt and her son tag along. Mom asks if I'm still paying. I only had my debit card so I had to pay for everyone's dinner instead of just mom and I. Not the plan.
After this crazy mixed up week, I'm just hoping the next one is much calmer.
*Oh - I have to add this comment from the little girl I took to jazz on Thursday. We were in the car and I asked if we could go to the park and take pictures one afternoon because I have a new book and want to practice. She says "like you used to do with K?" I told her yes, and she says "maybe we can even get your car washed, since you said that probably won't happen anymore now that K's gone". I didn't realize we had that conversation, but it's true. I pretty much only ever went through the car wash with K. She told me "you can pretend I'm K" which broke my heart and I ensured her that we could have fun and she could be "L". I think we're all missing those kids a ton right now.
Tuesday- my phone was on vibrate and I missed three school calls, missing out on jobs, but that's not so bad, really.
Wednesday- I agreed to go help a teacher in the same town as my long term position last year. She sometimes asks me to come "subcontract" for her and help get all those little things done. I offered to grab Starbucks before I headed in. I got to the school and opened my planner to write what I was doing for the day. I had penciled in another job! Normally I put everything in my planner and my phone, not this time. I go to the school (after a frantic phone call to the secretary to check if I was supposed to be there!). I arrive at about 8:13am, only 13 minutes later than they would prefer but still more than a half hour before students, so it was okay. Until I look at the lesson plans and see that I'm supposed to have duty at 8:15. Run outside, realizing I've not read lesson plans. This should be good. It all worked out and was actually a pretty good day in first grade.
Thursday- I spend the morning goofing off waiting around until 11:30 because I had a job in second grade. Get to the school and discover that I am not scheduled to be there. At this point, I'm thinking, can this week be anymore screwed up? I offer to go into the classroom of the teacher I had to leave the day before and spend the afternoon there before taking her son to violin, daughter to jazz, pick up son, drop off at home, go back for daughter.
Friday- I have job scheduled in second grade at a different school. I'm trying to figure out what's going to happen to make this day as awkward as the previous two. I get to the school and the secretary has a rambling message about watercolors and where they're located and some other stuff I would have figured out. I walk into the classroom and there's a note saying that the printer wouldn't work so the lesson plans are on the computer but if it's locked, we'll have to call to get the password. The computer automatically times out after something like 30-45 minutes. So we had to call. Get password, print lesson plans, have a great day. And it's pay day. I offer to take mom to dinner. Unfortunately aunt and her son tag along. Mom asks if I'm still paying. I only had my debit card so I had to pay for everyone's dinner instead of just mom and I. Not the plan.
After this crazy mixed up week, I'm just hoping the next one is much calmer.
*Oh - I have to add this comment from the little girl I took to jazz on Thursday. We were in the car and I asked if we could go to the park and take pictures one afternoon because I have a new book and want to practice. She says "like you used to do with K?" I told her yes, and she says "maybe we can even get your car washed, since you said that probably won't happen anymore now that K's gone". I didn't realize we had that conversation, but it's true. I pretty much only ever went through the car wash with K. She told me "you can pretend I'm K" which broke my heart and I ensured her that we could have fun and she could be "L". I think we're all missing those kids a ton right now.
15 February 2010
Who said this was a three day weekend?
This weekend I-
- Booked my hotel for San Francisco in March!
- Saw our local community theater's presentation of a bunch of Broadway songs packed into one performance. It was a lot of fun and all but one of the sets was incredibly well done. They put on quite a show and it's exciting to watch.
- Bought a ticket to Wicked in San Francisco in March!
- Watched the Olympic's Opening Ceremony. It was bittersweet. My aunt and I talked about going together. They happened seven months to the day after her death.
- Ordered Olympic paraphernalia - a t-shirt and mittens. They cost more to ship than the mittens cost on their own! But, they are Canadian and will go nicely with my Canadian sweatshirt, BabyLegs, socks, etc (I might go order the Crocs that I've wanted for a while too...)
- Went to see 'the friend' - the one that's mentioned a few posts back? Yeah - it was good. We had a picnic lunch by the river, took some pictures, did some shopping and went out to fondue for dinner. It was nice to see the girls and catch up a bit, although things will never be the same, that's for sure.
- Got my computer fixed. It'd been cracked on one side for quite some time, but I didn't want to take it in and be told that I had to send it away for 2-3 weeks. And then it cracked on the other side. And it was sharp, making it painful to type. So, while we were shopping, I ran in and asked how long it would take to get my computer back. They said that if I made an appointment it would likely be fixed that same day. I did - and then I went early. In less than 20 minutes I had a new piece for my computer! Very impressed with AppleCare and the Genius Bar!
- Completed three weeks worth of PowerPoints that I'd been putting off since the beginning of January. Completed vocabulary sheets for all three weeks, along with tests. Completed zero of the daily sheets, but that'll come, hopefully tomorrow.
- Ate the last of my Smarties from Christmas. (No, no the American ones). It made me upset. I cried about chocolate. Because? I can't call my aunt and ask her to send me some. Or know that she will for my birthday/easter/random other days of the year. As well as I'm doing a lot of days? Little things like this make me realize how far I have to go.
- Was informed that a friend from high school is now working for a travel agency. And probably could have gotten me a great deal for SF. Of course, this comes AFTER I have a good 2-3 anxiety attacks while trying to figure it all out on my own.
- Sadly, made no progress on my to read pile. It's grown to nine books. I'm about 1/3 of the way through one. Must get on that.
10 February 2010
Alice's adventures
I have loved Alice in Wonderland for as long as I can remember. In fact, I have a copy from a library that was yellow tagged after the Northrisge earthquake in 1994. I was 8.
I'm aprehensive of the new movie because some things should not be changed. However, I will go watch. Because how could I not?
For Christmas, K and B's family gave me a gift card to Borders and I was clueless as to what to buy. I found this book and could not resist. Historical fiction, check. Alice, check.
It was amazing. I could not put it down. It also made me desperate to read Through the Looking Glass, as I never had and it was mentioned a lot through the book.
I went to the library today and couldn't find a copy of just Through the Looking Glass, however, I found this.
Awesome! It has both Alice stories and notes about Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson). I have decided that I absolutely must own this book. Which sends me off to Amazon or Half.com.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I'm aprehensive of the new movie because some things should not be changed. However, I will go watch. Because how could I not?
For Christmas, K and B's family gave me a gift card to Borders and I was clueless as to what to buy. I found this book and could not resist. Historical fiction, check. Alice, check.
It was amazing. I could not put it down. It also made me desperate to read Through the Looking Glass, as I never had and it was mentioned a lot through the book.
I went to the library today and couldn't find a copy of just Through the Looking Glass, however, I found this.
Awesome! It has both Alice stories and notes about Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson). I have decided that I absolutely must own this book. Which sends me off to Amazon or Half.com.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
02 February 2010
Random ramblings to fill white space
I've got nothing. I have opened this page a million times in the past few days, and I don't know what to type.
I don't remember ever thinking "I have nothing to write about" before. Or at least not for a long time. I've stopped writing sure, but never because I was out of ideas. This is an awkward feeling.
My life has revolved around creating PowerPoints with custom animations and worksheets to go along with the books that the kids at the school I worked at last year read through their literacy program. It's fun but time consuming. And tedious at times.
Tomorrow is the 100th day of school. I'm subbing and the kids are sad that their teacher won't see the items they are bringing. I told them I'd take pictures and we could give them to the teacher (I was there today, will be there tomorrow, Thursday, Monday, Tuesday and I think the 25th). I figure I'll spend tomorrow afternoon figuring out how to make a collage in iPhoto or Photoshop Elements. Neither of which I've used for this before. Should be good times.
I'm so glad to be working steadily again, but will likely not take a job on Friday or next Wednesday to keep some semblance of sanity around here.
I don't remember ever thinking "I have nothing to write about" before. Or at least not for a long time. I've stopped writing sure, but never because I was out of ideas. This is an awkward feeling.
My life has revolved around creating PowerPoints with custom animations and worksheets to go along with the books that the kids at the school I worked at last year read through their literacy program. It's fun but time consuming. And tedious at times.
Tomorrow is the 100th day of school. I'm subbing and the kids are sad that their teacher won't see the items they are bringing. I told them I'd take pictures and we could give them to the teacher (I was there today, will be there tomorrow, Thursday, Monday, Tuesday and I think the 25th). I figure I'll spend tomorrow afternoon figuring out how to make a collage in iPhoto or Photoshop Elements. Neither of which I've used for this before. Should be good times.
I'm so glad to be working steadily again, but will likely not take a job on Friday or next Wednesday to keep some semblance of sanity around here.
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