Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

May 17, 2019May 18, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

The front yard deer — “But Mama. Those folks are having a TGIF celebration.”
“You don’t want to get near that house, sweetheart. An author lives there.”

Here it is Friday again. This week has been the week of notables. The fence guys arrived and finished the fence in three days. The pups can now cavort in safety with no sightline to deer. Twiggy’s bark-a-thons at the deer are now confined to only brief sightings from the house.

Our bed arrived after three months. So nice to be up off the floor. We need to accomodate Lucy’s arthritic hips with a bench. (Yes she needs to be on the bed) Twiggy’s life is unchanged. She could not get up when the bed was on the floor so she still gets a lift.

My desk arrived just yesterday. The office is pretty much done except for a bench. The dreaded futon is in there now but has an appointment with Goodwill.

The outdoor furnature arrived in eleven different packages on four different days. I mentioned to the FedEx guy, “I bet you hate us.” He responded with “Sometimes.” I had to laugh out loud and agree. He was stuggling with a box weighing 132 pounds (60Kilos)at the time. The fence guys had blocked the driveway so he was forced to go through gravel to get to the porch.

The call is out to two landscapers. More on that later.

Today’s JohnKu talks about after all the projects are done. I hope you have a great weekend.

The rush is over,

The termoil at last is done . . .

What do we do now?

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

May 10, 2019May 9, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

Twiggy and Lucy — “Hey, you guys. It’s Friday. Let’s boogie.”
“They are ignoring us Little One.”

FRIDAY IS HERE. Goodness, that was my outside voice. It is good to see Friday again.

Not too much new to report. I am still experimenting with Amazon on My GRL and lost money. My keywords were right. The Ad message was right. The bids were right if slightly too high. I got an unprecedented number of clickthroughs, but the actual sales were below expectations. I redid the blurb and continued. The only thing that has not been tweaked is the cover. I may have to consider a new cover but will do further testing to see for sure.

My office bookcases and credenza has arrived and only lacks a desk. I guess soon there will be no more excuses for not jumping into the WIP with both feet. Not sure on the desk arrival but it should be soon, so I have some procrastination room left.

Our bed is supposed to arrive on Monday. Now maybe we can get the box springs off the floor and the rug properly placed. Since this has been a two month deal thee are no breaths being held.

The fence guys put us off for a few days. We have had tons of rain, so it’s not a surprise. The landscape plan is done, and now we need some bids. The patio furniture is due for delivery within the next two weeks. We have a patio already in so we don’t need landscaping. Once the fence is in it will be nice to go onto the patio knowing the dogs won’t be able to get away.

Todays JohnKu talks about working your plan through to completion. (which is an objective we are getting near.) I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

You put plans in place,

To reach the desired goal. . .

Do not stop till done.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

May 3, 2019May 2, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

“Lucy come quick. There’s a big dog out front.”
“That is a deer Little One.”
“It’s Friday can she come in and play?”

Another Friday comes upon us like the wind. It has been a good week for me. I hope it was for you. I attended a library event on Saturday, and it was part of a vast SpringFest. I will do a Views of the Neighborhood on Sunday to give you an idea of the scope.

Worked a little on my WIP. I’m not very happy how it started out. There is a critical piece of the story that has a clunker in it which needs fixing. Once fixed it will justify the motivation of the bad guys.

I have also been toying around with Amazon Marketing Service. I swear I will understand what is going on there one of these days. Well, I am determined to take it one step at a time and learn (and pay) as I go. It bugs me a lot not to be able to maximize the potential that exists there.

Today’s JohnKu talks about trying your best to maximize your potential. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

You see it lying,

Almost within easy reach . . .

The hard work begins.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

April 26, 2019April 25, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

“Is that Friday coming up the drive?”
“It sure is Little One. Not a moment too soon.”

Another quick week. I think that life speeds up as one gets older. Yeah, we have all heard that. I guess that statement is my cliché for the week.

We had some notable arrivals. Two twin headboards for the guest room came in and look great. I pictured the rug for the master bedroom yesterday. Speaking of the master bedroom, we were notified that our bed would not be available until July. It was ordered in early March, and this is the second delay. So sayonara to the bed. The producer made another choice which should be here mid-may.

The producer also made a design decision on my office which I totally love. The bookcases and cabinets will be black and positioned on the back wall. A freestanding desk will be in the center of the room. I think it’s going to look great. I know I will feel good having a dedicated space.

I was invited to an event at the Bee Cave (one town over) library this weekend. It is in conjunction with Spring Fest (A Bee Cave event) and features seven local authors. I have a two-hour slot and look forward to visiting with potential new readers. I’ll take some photos and if okay used them on a Views post.

Today’s JohnKu talks about pleasant surprises. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Some come as a shock,

Others are like a given . . .

But all are welcome.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

April 19, 2019April 18, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

“Mom. it’s Friday and Lucy won’t play with me.”
“I’m sure she will. Won’t you Lucy?”
“Man. Close my eyes for one second…”

Another week has flown by. At least for me, it has. I guess if I were hanging upside down tied by the ankles, above an alligator pit, I would have a different view of time. As it is the week seemed short. We were happy to have the dining room chairs arrive. Unique fabric (resistant to the man of the house and napalm.) had to be ordered. Hence the delay. The fence measuring person came out and took all the measurements. We are on the schedule for mid-May, but since we already have the permit and survey, we were told there might be an opportunity for earlier. We are not holding our breath.

We’ve had some beautiful rain, so the drought-like conditions are gone. Since we have very little grass, the rain also produces paw prints unless the pooches get a foot wipe each time out. I am the designated foot-wiper.

I managed to get some words written on my WIP, so I am a happy camper.

Today’s JohnKu talks about what makes us happy. I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

It’s usually small,

A tiny step improvement. . .

But means everything.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

April 12, 2019April 11, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

“Okay, Little One it’s Friday. Time to ruckus.”
“You make the first move, Lucy. Then I’ll pulverize ya.”

Another fast Friday for me. Seems these weeks are flying. It becomes hard to remember just what went on for the week. I do know we received two area rugs which were welcome additions to the house.

We were pleased to get a permit and final approval for the fence. The company will start building about the 15th of May. They were totally booked by the time the details were worked out.

We had about one and a half inches of rain last weekend which pointed out the need for gutters at key points of the house. The rain came off the roof in torrents, and it was hard to get out the door without being drenched. We need to find a gutter and downspout contractor.

Our landscaping plan includes a deck which will require a permit. So we are also in the hunt for a deck builder.

Like most things connected with a move there becomes a seemingly endless list of items.

Today’s JohnKu talks about how lists seem to grow on their own. I hope you all have a glorious weekend.

To Do Lists by John W. Howell

It starts with one thing,

Then just a small addition . . .

Soon too long to do.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 66 Comments

Another Friday and the week has not slowed down at all. We did have a visit from the lot clearing service. We had a bunch of what we call in Texas, cedars ( The rest of the world calls them junipers) on our lot. They were in sorry shape, and we had them removed. We also need to trim the neighbors and bushes to make room for the fence that we are going to put in. The fence has been approved, and permits paid, so we are just waiting for the contractors to submit their bids. Of course, the contractors are all worth a billion dollars and could care less about new work, so we wait.

Once the fence is in, we will proceed with the landscaping plan. The yard is about three times the size of Port Aransas, so some planning will be necessary.

Our dining room table arrived (big surprise), and the chairs are two to three weeks away. We are looking forward to having a meal there.

Since I don’t have the skill to build a fence, I am at the mercy of those who do. Today’s JohnKu talks about wishing. I hope you have a great weekend.

Is it wrong to wish?

To be skilled in everything. . .

So as not to wait.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

March 29, 2019March 28, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 83 Comments

“It is a beautiful Friday morning, Little One.”
“What should we do today, Lucy?”
“The sky’s the limit, Little Potato. The absolute limit.”

Another Friday and just have to say time flies. This seems to be the big lament. I’m happy to report the washer, dryer, and refrigerator arrived and are installed. I’m pleased to say we will not have to eat salted game and fish anymore. Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little. We do have a fridge in the garage that has met our needs quite well. It just seems that everything you need is out there and everything you don’t need is in here. I think you get the picture. Also stumbling over two cars to get to a quart of milk is a little inconvenient.

We seem to be getting closer to more of the things we need. Once you have clean clothes and ice, there isn’t much else. Well, we still need a dining room table. Ours arrived with two broken legs. That meant going back and getting a new one. We are still not sure when it will come. The dining room chairs are a way off as well. We are fortunate to have a kitchen island where we can sit and eat. The island stools were some of the first things to arrive so we lucked out.

All in all, things are coming along. This week’s JohnKu talks about patience which is one thing we have learned to embrace. I hope you have a rewarding weekend.

The harder we try,

The behinder we all get . . .

At least, so it seems.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

March 22, 2019March 21, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

“Friday Little Potato. Put down the stick and live a little.”

Friday already? Someone needs to slow this spaceship down. We have had a busy week in the non-writing department. The fence guy checked in. The remove the brush from the lot guy checked in. The sofas were delivered. The refrigerator, washer, and dryer are scheduled for delivery next week. The utilities are going to mark their underground lines before the fence guy arrives. All in all a productive week.

A little later today, I will be hosting D. L. Finn who is introducing a new book. Today’s JohnKu talks about how we authors need to help one another. I hope your weekend is the best.

Who will help you first?

The ones you offered a hand . . .

Or those you ignored.

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF

March 15, 2019March 14, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 50 Comments

Another Friday and a very busy week. After several days of concerted activity, all the boxes have been unpacked and homes found for the contents. Maybe the homes won’t be permanent but at least the stuff is stashed somewhere. I am very happy to have both cars in the garage. Now, don’t ask me where to find something?

Moving is up there with the big life changes that are stressful. We seem to be over the worst part. There’s still the refrigerator, Washer, dryer, living room, dining room, office, and three bedrooms to be delivered. The good news is we are no longer on an air mattress. The box springs and mattress are on the floor. The actual bed looks about six weeks off.

Still and all it feels like home. Today’s JohnKu talks about what makes a home. I hope you have a beautiful weekend

It is not the place,

Nor is it the good weather. . .

Home is where love lives.