Wanna Get Away?

I’m being lazy this week. Well, not lazy so much as strapped for time. It’s been a busy week and in my “spare” time I’ve been relaxing because I’m exhausted by the time I have “spare” time. And, by relaxing, I mean, I clean out the dishwasher, fold the laundry, set the table for breakfast, and make dinner for my family. Those are my “relaxing” chores. I don’t actually have time to fully relax by definition of the word.

A Trip To the Oligocene Epoch Right Down the Road

A few weeks ago, I time traveled. I wasn’t gone very long and I didn’t travel very far, but I definitely went back in time. Back about 36-38 million years ago in fact, if scientists are right. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it might be but it was interesting none-the-less.

It’s Not the Wattage, It’s the Whitage

Let’s talk lightbulbs. We use a lot of them here at the inn, especially those little specialty ones for the chandeliers. Those fancy ones that come in individual little boxes and cost a fortune. Yeah, those. I have 14 chandeliers and each one has at least 10 bulbs. We spend a LOT of money on lightbulbs.

I Still Wanna Believe

There are so many dishonest people in the world today. So many people with harmful agendas. So many people out to make a buck. I think you’d be somewhat foolish if you weren’t always a little leery of people selling stuff. There are thieves who will take your money and disappear. But I also choose to believe that there are still good people out there too. People who are just trying to make a living. People who come by their money honestly. People who aren’t trying to trick you into buying something they have no intention of delivering.

Generational Sounds

Every generation has its unique sound. Music is the first thing that comes to mind. Who doesn’t remember the Big Band sounds of the ‘40’s, the beatnik rock and roll era of the ‘50’s, the mellow ‘60’s,  the groovy ‘70’s, or the always popular bitchin’ tunes of the ‘80’s? I’m not sure if you noticed what I did there, but it’s not just the music that represents the sounds of a particular generation. It’s the language, the slang, the terms the popular kids used at school. There’s a distinct sound for every generation.

Life Lessons In Unexpected Places

I’m not sure if you’ve seen this graphic (below) or not. I first saw it on Facebook, read it – twice – and thought: “Wow, there’s so much truth in this.” It’s so often the little things in life that determine the kind of person you really are. How we perform certain tasks, if at all, says a lot about how we may or may not treat people or perform other tasks. Or just approach life in general. Little hidden meanings surround all the little things we do.

To Change Or Not To Change

In the past, I’ve stressed the importance of having a manuscript professionally edited before publishing it. In my opinion, that is the single-most important thing an author can do (and spend money on). Many a good story has been ruined because it was poorly edited. It doesn’t matter how well you can self-edit, you should never skip this step.

The Shiny Is Wearing Off

I’m a Disney fan. Have been since my first trip to Disneyland in early 1970. As a kid, my brother and I would always choose Disneyland as our destination of choice when asked where we wanted to travel during the summer break from school. Sadly, we seldom went. As an adult, I can go, pretty much, whenever I want to. That’s the beauty of being an adult.

Innkeeping Rule #1

It’s been almost 7 years since we set up shop here in Vicksburg. Hard to believe right? We’ve had lots of ups and down, highs and lows, expected and unexpected things happen over the past 80 months, not the least of which has been a 2-year pandemic that almost bankrupted us (it actually still might if things don’t pick up pretty soon). But, that’s not the point of this post. The point is, I’ve learned a few things since I started being an innkeeper.

If You Need To Go North, Head East

I’m not a math person, but I am able to do basic math. Most of the time. I’m not all into the X + Y = the square root of pi stuff, but adding and subtracting and multiplying, you know the basic everyday stuff, I can handle. Most of the time the use of math is just automatic and I don’t even think about it, I just make the calculation and off I go. Most of the time I don’t even question my result. But sometimes, once in a while . . . .