Need A Thumb Transplant...

So the nephew is in town for a few days, which is all fun and games. Literally. Since he's been in town we've hit the lake, gone shopping for a new Nintendo DSi (don't ask) and played about five hours on the XBox. Yeah, all fun and games until the arthritis sets in! Ha! No, I don't have arthritis, but after playing video games for many, many days in the row I feel like it. I need knew thumbs! Right now he's busy with Rock Band and I'm taking a little no-kid time for a minutes...and then we're gonna go head to head.

Is Anything Better Than A Vegas Conference?

Seriously? I like Vegas most times, but during a conference Vegas just seems to shine, doesn't it? I think it's all of the away-from-home conference goers who get a little wild. The hubster and I just returned from Vegas (vacation, not a conference) but the hotel was hosting a conference and Wow. Just Wow. I got more people watching done over the past four days than I've done in probably a year! There was the man arguing with his...wife??...in the middle of the casino floor, the older woman who had an entire block of $1 slots blocked off, a rabble of kids (why were they there?)with no parental supervision. The list goes on. Anyway, we tried out a new discounter as we were planning for the trip and got some great deals. I found this ad for Sahara hotel a little too late, though, and the hubster had our reservations already in. Bummer! We are definitely staying there on the next people-watching-conference trip!

Good News For Authors?

2008 numbers are in from Bowker, which reports that although production of news and revised titles fell 3%, on-demand and shorter run books grew by 132%, which is good news for writers in the e-realm. Along with the news from Bowker are earnings reports for the first quarter of 2009 from Barnes & Noble (4% decrease is sales), Books-A-Million (2% sales increase) and Borders (12% decrease in sales). Although this isn't great news, it's interesting to note that Barnes & Noble had originally predicted that sales would be down as much as 10%.

And that got me thinking - are things really looking up? Or are books one non-necessity that consumers aren't willing to live without? What are you thoughts?

Hungry, Hungry, Hungry!

It's been a week now and I think I can share with all of you - that I love my new exercise program. Seriously. Now that the winter doldrums are gone, I'm able to get out and walk or jog nearly every day and I've started interval training 4-5 days each week, too, thanks to the new EA Sports Active program. Forget that 'it's a video game' stuff, this is a real workout. Seriously! I get done and my legs feel like rubber, my arms are tired and I'm sweating. Seriously sweating. I love it! The problem? I'm hungry all the time because of the calories I'm expending and I have to eat or my body will shut down. So, I'm eating a lot of low and no calorie food like pickles, yogurts, drinking tons of water..you know the drill. If you're not on an exercise program, though, and you need to cut down on calories, try an appetite suppressant to feel full longer. After, of course, you talk to your doctor about it!