Life of A Writer

Last night I managed to get the work I had to get done, done. I finished all my work at 5:00 this morning and went to bed (normal for me -- I'm a night owl). Anyway, when I woke at 12:30 p.m. I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would, but I still felt puny. Even though I felt puny, I had things to do this afternoon. I had to go grocery shopping (I had grocery stores), and then, after school let out, I had to pick my kids up at their dad's house. I wasn't looking forward to the day at all, but I thought I would do fine since I didn't feel as bad as I had expected I would.

As the day went on I started feeling worse. My eyes watered so much it looked like I was crying. My nose stayed stuffy, but didn't run (thank God). My Asthma continued to act up, I walked around the stores constantly covering my mouth because I was coughing, and to top it all off, I stayed sleepy the whole day. Still, as I write this, it's difficult to keep my eyes open and focused -- got any tooth picks...lol... But I have to stay awake just a little longer, because I have to write and research one 1700 word article, and then I can snuggle up to my hubby under the covers. I am thankful that I only have one article to do tonight, and the research is just Googling for events in Indiana. It should only take a few hours to get this done, and you can bet as soon as I finish it and send it to the client I will be visiting dreamland!

Well, I'd better get to work because it's getting harder and harder to force my eyelids to stay open.

Never give up on your dreams -- work toward them,
Misti Sandefur, freelance writer/editor

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All day today I have struggled to breath, and on top of that all I can do is cough. This ALWAYS happens to me the day before I get really bad. So I'm definitely NOT looking forward to tomorrow. You see, I have Asthma, and this is how my Asthma reacts before I get sick. It will act up like today, then the next day I can hardly get out of bed. Of course, all this and more is the downfall to having Asthma, and it's no fun at all. I've had Asthma since I was a child, so I have learned to live with it.

Asthma causes you to have a low immune system, and because my immune system is low I can't tolerate illnesses like most healthier adults. The worst part, however, is when I get the common cold or flu it seems like it lasts forever. I'm usually pretty sick for a whole week, and it takes my body a month or more to completely get over it.

My husband is very helpful when I'm sick, but he gets scared. Many times he'll beg me to go to the ER, because he thinks I have pneumonia by the way I sound. I tell him I don't have pneumonia, and that it's just my Asthma. Yes, I know I can -- and have had -- pneumonia, but I can usually tell the difference.

My husband will never admit that he's scared, but I can tell he is, and to ease his worries and make him happy, I will usually make an appointment to see the doctor the next day. You can probably tell I'm one of those folks who doesn't got to the doctor much, but I do go if I need to.

I need to try and get as much writing done as I can tonight, because I'm almost 100 percent certain I won't feel like doing a whole lot of anything for the next few days. With that said, I'll let you go for now. Best wishes for a great weekend!

Never give up on your dreams -- work toward them,
Misti Sandefur, freelance writer/editor

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Horray! I have another writing job, and not only am I going to enjoy this job, but I'm so excited about it. Starting next week (Monday) I will be writing recaps and news for Soaps.com. The recaps and news will be for "As the World Turns," CBS's soap opera. Soaps.com also gives the recaps and news for many other soap operas too, so drop by and keep up-to-date with your favorite soaps; we'd love to have you!

There is a message board at Soaps.com as well, and if you register (free) you can participate. As a matter of fact, drop by the board for "As the World Turns" and say hi to me :)

So far I've really enjoyed working with the editor at Soaps.com (Chrissi). Before I got the job as writer we exchanged e-mails a few times, and she expressed how much she enjoyed reading other articles and recaps I had written, but at that time she didn't have an opening, and she said she would keep me in mind. Well, last week I received an e-mail from her asking me if I would be the writer for "As the World Turns," and I gladly accepted the position.

Again, please, if you're one of those many addicted to soap operas, drop by soaps.com and visit me at the boards.

Until next time, never give up on your dreams -- work toward them!

Misti Sandefur
Freelance Writer & Editor

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Well, looks like I'm back online. I've been offline since Friday afternoon due to some bad storms that moved through my area. See, to be on the safe side I ALWAYS shut my computer down and unplug it during storms and it seems I've been shut down since Friday. Some mean storms just keep moving through the area. One tornado warning after another last night.

I was thankful to be inside my basement home last night, but when the really bad storm started yesterday afternoon, my husband and I were on our way home from town. While driving my cell phone rang, it was my Mom asking where we were. I told her we were just leaving town and on our way home. She told me she was at my aunt's house because they were tornado warnings all around us. (Mom lives in a trailer, that's why she went to my aunt's house.) Of course, there wasn't much I could say but we were on our way home. She also told me a funnel cloud was spotted in Glendale, and that scared me since our home was not far from there, and at that point I didn't know if we were better off where we were, but we continued to head for home.

We did make it home, but no more than two minutes after entering our house the storm hit -- high winds and dangerous lightning. I immediately turned to NBC for the weather reports (I always watch News Channel 6, because I think they give the best weather and news), and it wasn't long we were under a tornado warning. We got lucky though, no tornados hit us, but just about 30 to 35 miles down the road a tornado did touch down. Some homes were destroyed and there were a few injuries, but thank God there were no deaths.

I'm thankful the storms have passed over, and now all that's left is some flooding around the area, and of course, clean up efforts from tornados that did pass through around me. However, I did turn the news on this afternoon to find out there was one death related to the flooding. A man was killed when his vehicle was caught in the flood waters. If I remember right, I believe it was a man from Western Kentucky--my thoughts and prayers are with his family tonight; may God bless and comfort you all!

Until next time, take care of yourself and your family,
Misti Sandefur
www.mistisandefur.com

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Lately, I've been writing a lot of articles and Web content for clients, but today I decided to share a short piece of my work with you. Normally, I don't write a lot of travel pieces, but I thought I'd give it a shot with this one. This will be short, but hopefully it will be helpful for those of you who may be considering a vacation to Cape Cod Massachusetts. Or maybe you're doing more than considering a vacation to Cape Code Massachusetts, maybe you're thinking about or planning to move there. Either way, this article will tell you a little bit about what Cape Cod Massachusetts has to offer.

The annual population in Cape Code Massachusetts is usually over 200,000. The best time to visit the area is during the summer months, because the summers at Cape Code Massachusetts are not too hot. Upon your visit to Cape Code Massachusetts, you can enjoy some of the things that the area is popular for: beaches, bicycle paths, unique shopping, go-karts, candy, boating, seafood and more. If you do plan to visit Cape Code Massachusetts in the summer, then here's a short list of some of their annual summer events:

• The Cape Cod Celtic Festival.
• Cape Cod Dog Show (February and September).
• Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks.
• Hat Parade and Tea Party.
• Heritage Week (June).
• Spirit of America Band Field Show.
• Taste of Mashpee.

Taking a vacation or moving to Cape Cod Massachusetts? It doesn't matter what your plans, because you should enjoy your stay. But before you go, visit Cape Links, Cape Links will provide you with a vast of information. Cape Links gives tourist information, places to eat, hotels, real estate, maps, rentals and much more!

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Writers not only write, but there are times when we have to research what we write too. My favorite part about research is learning new things. While I researched an article I just finished today, I not only learned some more new things, but I also discovered truth and saved myself money too!

The article I wrote had to do with as seen on TV products. It was a buyers guide to as seen on TV products. Not only did my article show readers how to do their homework on these products before they invest in them, but it also covered some as seen on TV products that don't live-up to the promises, and it gives some as seen on TV products that do live-up to some of the promises.

In order for me to write this article, I had to find out what as seen on TV products consumers were happy with, and what products they were unhappy with. Well, to my surprise, I found consumers were not happy with the Space Bags. After seeing the infomercial on Space Bags I knew it was something I could use, and I had planned to go out and buy a few to give them a try myself. That is until I researched for my article. I'm glad I didn't waste my money on Space Bags, but I'm a bit diappointed, because these were something I could have used. Maybe they'll fix the flaws later, and then I'll buy them.

If you would like to find out what consumers -- and even testers -- had to say about the Space Bags and other as seen on TV products, read my article titled "Buyers Guide to as Seen on TV Products." And, as always, post your comments. In addition, let me know about any as seen on TV products you liked or disliked. I can't wait to hear about the other products I didn't cover!

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First, let me start off by saying if you're thinking about becoming a freelance writer, or if you're just starting out, don't, and I repeat, "don't" let this scare you away! Freelance writing can be profitable with enough studying and will power, and it, in my opinion, is fun. Oh yes, the writing part can relieve stress at times. But yes, there is a downfall to freelancing... you are your own employer, and this means "you" are responsible for your own insurance -- health, life, dental, etc. However, if you have a spouse who works whose employer offers insurance then you may be okay.

My husband gets health insurance for us, but that's all. Because health insurance is his only benefit I am on the look out for dental and life insurance right now. These types of insurance are important, especially life insurance. Now, my husband does have a life insurance plan through the union, but his life insurance plan can only be for him. This being the case, I need to consider a plan for me. Yes, at 31 years-of-age I don't want to think about something happening to me, but we never know, and I want to make sure my family doesn't have a huge financial burden if something was to happen to me.

Are you like me, do you need to shop for life insurance too? Advantage One Term Life Insurance is a great place to start. At Advantage One all you have to do is answer a few simple questions, hit "compare rates now," and then you will be able to compare quotes from over 140 companies.

I visited Advantage One Term Life Insurance last night for quotes, and I plan to go back after I learn a little more about what I want my plan to have. But during my visit I did answer the questions, and I was given a quote -- based on my answers -- from several different companies. I liked this because it allowed me to weed out the companies I could not afford, or companies that didn't offer everything I wanted.

In addition to giving you quotes from many companies, Advantage One Term Life Insurance also has many helpful articles on their Web site. If you're unsure about something then view the articles before requesting your quotes. Viewing the articles can help you decide on the plan that's right for you.

Again, don't let this stop you from becoming a freelance writer and living your dream. Insurance of any kind is something all self-employed individuals will have to consider, but as long as you're bringing in a good enough income you can do it. Go ahead and surf over to Advantage One Term Life Insurance today and see the quotes, there's no obligation at all, and seeing will help you decide what you can plan into your budget later.

Until next time, take care & God bless!

Never give up on your dreams -- work toward them,
Misti Sandefur, freelance writer & editor
www.mistisandefur.com

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It looks like the weather has cooled off now and the hottest part of the year is gone (August). Because the weather is cooler, I'm excited again about shopping for my new home. Other than shopping for my new home, I've also thought about the new things I can add once we decide on a home and get it set up. One of the things I know I'll add is blinds. I love the look of blinds, plus they have other benefits too: in the summer, closed blinds can help keep your home cool from the summer heat, blinds add privacy so peeping toms can't see in, and there's no need for curtains unless you want to add to the look more. Living in a basement home made it difficult to put up blinds, and since I won't have brick walls this time I will be able to add blinds. So, not only am I house shopping, but I'm also shopping on the Internet for accessories for my new home.

While on the Internet, I discovered Guaranteed Blinds. Guaranteed Blinds offers a variety of blinds with many different shades. What I liked best about Guaranteed Blinds was, from their homepage, you can choose the type of blinds you're looking for and then enter the size of blinds you're looking for, hit "get quote" and there you have it... a free quote! I love knowing about how much I'll be spending so I can write it in the budget I have for my new home's accessories.

Another thing I liked about Guarantee Blinds is the fact that the blinds I looked at have a lifetime warranty! In addition, Guarantee Blinds "guarantees" satisfaction. These two things put Guarantee Blinds at the top of my list for places to re-visit once I'm ready to purchase blinds for my new home.

Whether you're shopping for your new home, or just shopping to upgrade your current home, make Guarantee Blinds your next stop!

Never give up on your dreams -- work toward them,
Misti Sandefur, freelance writer/editor
www.mistisandefur.com

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