Michielle DJ Beck

It's Official: I'm Done with Forums

2010-07-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ok. That's it. I'm done. Really. And no, I'm not 'just saying that.' In addition to private clients, I write for several sites - some where my name goes on the article and some where it does not. Many of these sites have forums where people can ask questions, talk about frustrations, and generally be human. Lately, I've noticed a real increase in a "well, I'm right and you're obviously wrong"

Good Grief, I've Been Busy!

2010-07-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

I just realized I haven't posted since July 1st! Wow. Things have been just this side of crazy around here, so you might not see me blogging as much for a while. I'm still around - I'm just working. I'll be in my new home in about 2 or 3 weeks, which is great news, and I've also taken on more clients and more work. I'm very grateful to have these things, and the opportunities that are coming my

Brand New Month - Happy First of July

2010-07-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it's another brand new month already. The first 1/2 of my year has been a whirlwind of selling, packing, moving, and settling back down. I didn't think it would take so long. I'm still not in my own house yet, but that should happen later this month. In the meantime, I continue to try to work from my parents' kitchen table. Oh, the distractions! It's not their fault, though. I'm easily

How Michi Got Her Mojo Back

2010-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I also have a 15-pound black cat named Mojo, who looks tough but is afraid of his own shadow - and most other things on the planet. This post is not about him. This post is about me - and yet it isn't. Let's be honest, shall we? I've been dragging my ass lately - mostly just getting by. I haven't had much enthusiasm for writing, which is odd, because I generally love to write. It's

Ok, So Maybe It's Me...

2010-06-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I posted on Facebook that I was planning on leaving a couple of the revenue-share sites I write for, because I wasn't making any money on them. I said it was after a lot of careful consideration, but I really didn't think about it that long before making that choice. After I posted that (I've since removed the post), I talked with my family about it and gave it more thought. I

Friday!

2010-05-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

In the past I worked 7 days a week. Sometimes, I still do. However, I've embarked upon a quest to actually have weekends (at least somewhat) off. Now that I'm trying to do that, Fridays have a lot more meaning than they used to. Hooray for Friday! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Final Approval!

2010-05-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Just got final approval for my house financing! Yay! So glad to know that's one thing I don't have to worry about. And yes, the pic is of my actual kitchen - well, the kitchen in the model home, anyway. Love the skylights in the ceiling - and the electric fireplace in the bathroom, too! Now all I have to do is wait for my property to close so I can get the house people started out there. I'm

New Clients, New Opportunities

2010-05-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Working with a big client - so excited, because it means more $ and more time to work on getting more books to my agent. I'd love to stay and chat about it, but duty calls! :o) Hope everyone else is seeing success and joy, as well.

Another Day, Another Meeting

2010-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today it's time for another meeting on the property. This one, though, actually takes place on the property, whereas the other one was a meeting in the office, talking about the property. It's not so windy today, so it's much nicer to be outside walking around a two-acre parcel. Where to put the house? Which way should it face? It's a corner lot, so I have the choice of two different street

Back to Reality

2010-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Moving was fun - and I actually mean that. I enjoyed the drive, and even the unpacking hasn't been too painful. Here in my little corner of the world it's overcast and the winds are blowing like crazy and it's about 20 degrees cooler than it's supposed to be for this time of year. In other words, it's awesome. Love it. Today I have to meet with the man who's going to be preparing the property

Plans, They Always Change

2010-05-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

I was so thrilled to be headed to Washington State! I was ready to go and have a big adventure up there - and then I got as far as Arizona, where I grew up and where I was supposed to get my parents settled in before I left. And I'm staying. Oh, it's not because I have to - it's because I forgot how beautiful the desert was. I forgot the way the mountains on the horizon turn pink and pale

Two Weeks From Today

2010-04-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from today I'll be on the road behind the wheel of my dad's Ford Expedition. I'll have mom riding shotgun, my daughter in the seat behind me, and six (yes, six!) cats in cages in the back - three are mine, three belong to my parents. My little Ford Escape will be towed behind the moving truck. Dad's driving that big old beast. I'm not interested in manhandling that much metal at 60mph.

Moving Day is Coming and Life is Crazy

2010-04-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's been busy and crazy around here the last few days, but I did manage to post an AC article on safe driving and car insurance. Please give me some love. :o) Other than that, I've picked up two new private clients, which is wonderful, and I've been packing boxes and helping my parents get things in order. Seventeen more days, and I'll be leaving Florida behind. I'm excited and terrified and

Wow, That's Much Better!

2010-04-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

I just went through my list of bookmarked content sites that I write for, and purged a bunch of them. Some are sites I've worked for sporadically. Some are sites I've signed up for but never written for. Others are sites I just plain don't like. They all have one thing in common, though - terribly low pay for what I'm asked to do. I realize I have to make money and all so I can pay the bills,

The Best Laid Plans...

2010-04-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well, you know the saying. Why is it that things always go wonky, just when you think you've gotten everything all figured out? Is it some kind of requirement for life? Murphy's Law, or some such nonsense? I'm sure things will be okay - they generally work themselves out - but it's interesting how things always seem to force me to grow and change, even (especially?) when I'm quite comfortable

Flowers, Anyone?

2010-04-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

My daughter made these flowers. Out of duct tape. Really. I had to share them with you, because they're just so beautiful. Enjoy! :o)

Letting Go

2010-03-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those times in your life when you just know it's time to let something go? I reached one of those times this week, and I'm saying goodbye to a client that I've been working with for 10 years. It's hard to do, but it's time. I need to move on. It might seem like bad timing with the move coming up and all, but things happen for a reason. It'll be ok. It's not like I don't have

On Being True to Yourself...Even If That Means Being Different

2010-03-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged as much the last couple of weeks. I've been busy with clients, moving preparations, and all the little incidentals that just seem to get in the way. Plus, I've been thinking. A lot. About life, the universe, and everything. My original, planned moving day was June 1st. Through some odd and extraordinary circumstances, it's been moved up to May 10th. I am both thrilled and

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

For all of you who're celebrating your Irish ancestry, or for those who're just looking for a reason to drink a lot of green beer, I hope you have a wonderful day! If it's just another Wednesday to you, I still hope you have a great day. Watch out for the leprechauns. :o)

Moving Closer to Moving

2010-03-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

ETA: My mom and dad just signed a contract on their house, and it's a done deal. We'll be moving three weeks earlier than planned. Augh!!! and also Yay!!! ---- Wow. My parents may have a buyer for their house. My fingers are crossed for them, but it would put us leaving three weeks earlier than planned. Ugh. Stress. Not fun. But, it's a part of life. I have to learn to handle it, and this is a

My Daily Dose of Destiny

2010-03-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'm really superstitious about a lot of things...but I don't actually believe that newspaper horoscopes are 'real' in the sense that I have to follow what they say. I do find it fun, though, when they 'sync up' with the rest of my life. My horoscope today told me I had what it takes and I'll figure out how to work smarter and not harder - thus drastically improving my financial future. This

I Gotta Stop Readin' This Stuff!

2010-03-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

Ugh. Every time I turn around I'm finding blog posts and articles and forum posts where people are talking about: (a) A company that I write for, (b) A company that I'm thinking about writing for, (c) Some particular type of writing being good or bad, or (d) What level of pay is good or bad for a 'good' writer. Oh, and don't forget the people who chastise and belittle and talk about how only

Finally Paid By a Lagging Client

2010-03-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Whew! I can't tell you how nice it is to see that check! Just about the time I'd completely written it off and gotten beyond tired of 'the check's in the mail,' here comes the check. In the mail. I sent the client an email and apologized for the email I'd sent him the other day, because it was the right thing to do. I hope, in the future, that clients pay me on time. It's very annoying to be

The End of an Era

2010-03-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

Today, my father took his favorite chair out into the backyard and methodically destroyed it. No, he wasn't drunk. Or crazy. Or anything like that. He doesn't drink, and he's probably the sanest person I know. He'd had the chair about 20 years, and it was already well into its 30s before he purchased it. It was one of those old-fashioned chairs - square and boxy with wide, flat arms that were

Do You Need Social Media?

2010-03-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Not long ago, I joined up on all - and I do mean all manner of social media sites. If it was possible to network on it, I joined it. I had fun with it, but that was really the problem. It was fun, and it did help things like pageviews a little bit, but it also started to take a lot of time. So, the other day I made a serious decision. I got rid of most of it. I hated to, because there were some