Julie Barrett is a freelance writer and photographer based in Plano, TX.

More Organizing!

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Monday, March 18, 2024

I've decided that this week is perfect for digging into my desk area to reorganize and declutter.

We've been sharing a home office for four years now, and I really hate to dig into doing noisy stuff while he's working, especially since he's been on a deadline. As a result, I'm seeing less and less of the surface of my desk. He's away on business for a few days, so it's time for me to dig in!

I have my playlist on shuffle and my external speaker going. Usually I have my headphones on, but who will I disturb other than the cats?

Speaking of whom, I'm surprised they weren't all over me at some ungodly hour this morning to complain that they hadn't had any food in days! They never get treats! There are no cat toys in the house, nor are there comfortable cat beds! No one ever pets them! (Fact check: None of these are true.) I was sort of counting on the feline alarm this morning, meaning I overslept. They don't know
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Filed under: Life            

3/18/2024 1:17:55 PM

      

   

Crafty Business

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Friday, March 15, 2024

Yes, I'm doing better, thank you. So much so in fact, that I spent a lot of time in the craft room today. The main job was getting my standing work table clear and reorganzing some of the storage.

The work table is a few feet away from my sewing table. Of course, I keep most of my tools over there, and it's a pain because I keep misplacing scissors. Which is why the new pegboard. I have two pairs of fabric and not fabric scissors (sewists know what I mean) and it's silly not to keep one pair of each on the wall next to the work table. I've also added a few other often-used items.

It's late so this is short. Have a good weekend!

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Filed under: Life            

3/15/2024 9:37:26 PM

      

   

Busy Day

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Thursday, March 14, 2024

Today's big job was to add more updates and content to the Steam Cat site.

I'm feeling a bit better, but not 100%. However, I did get out to the store and I also hit Dollar Tree for a few things. I'm not ashamed to go there for pegboard supplies and certain crafting supplies. I also picked up a doormat that I'm going to experiment with in an out-of-the-way spot where I'm having trouble protecting the carpet. We've only had that carpet for a year, and I'd like to keep it nice. If it doesn't work, I'll only be out $1.25. 

Got what may be the last bit of post-FenCon stuff taken care of - at least on the personal front. One of my purchases was some new plastic cutlery for the party box. Then I cleaned out the box and washed all of the permanent items - bowls, knives, etc. Now it's ready for the next con where we might throw a party! I also put the box away, meaning I have a clear coffee table! Hey, I'll take any win I can these days.

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Filed under: Life            

3/14/2024 9:23:52 PM

      

   

Rough couple of days

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Spoiler alert: I'm okay, and should be back to whatever passes for normal tomorrow.

After lunch I got busy on the new pegboard. I got the first piece up and came all over faint and sick. I stopped, had more water (why yes, I was staying hydrated and the water was within reach), then got a little Sprite to help calm everything else. That helped. I was able to finish the job last night. Okay, there's still cleanup to do, but I have a pegboard and I have stuff on it!

Woke up feeling a bit out of sorts today, so decided that it would be better to tackle the Steam Cat website. It needs a major redo, and it's definitely something that doesn't take a lot of physical labor. A win on both fronts.

I suspect I ate something that disagreed with me. Not outright food poisoning, but just something that didn't sit well. Hey, it happens sometimes. Leftover stress from FenCon can also be playing into it. 


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Filed under: Life            

3/13/2024 8:27:01 PM

      

   

Life Continues Apace

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

My current project is updating the craft room. Sorry, no pictures. At this point it's a cluttered mess. I have some new pegboard and shelves on order. Imagine my surprise when I got a notification saying the delivery was five stops away! Keep in mind that it's 10:00 AM as I write this, and Amazon deliveries at this time of day are rare. Of course, when I opened the app the status showed that it's not even out for delivery. Thank you, Amazon, for getting up my hopes for a productive afternoon! Oh, well. There is still plenty to do in there.

Anxiety dreams continue. I don't know if I've written much about those here. Last night's involved being hired as a PA for a woman running a PR agency. She was a huge diva. Her PAs all follwed her to the coffee shop to pick up an order, and I was standing there wondering if I should buy something to take in or if I'd look like a fool. We stood and watched as she grabbed her order, added other items from displays, and waltzed out th
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Filed under: Life            

3/12/2024 10:05:35 AM

      

   

Back in the Saddle?

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Monday, March 11, 2024

Maybe yes, maybe no.

I do miss the daily entries, and I should get back on the horse and start with them.

You do know they'll be awful. At first, at least.

These last few years have been ... a challenge. I'm not going to go into it all, for it will just depress me. So many things have happened. So much water under the proverbial bridge. It's easy to blame partisan politics, but I'm not taking that easy road. Frankly, it's just been  a combination of things that have overwhelmed me these past few years. And you know what? I'm not sure that even now I have esacaped the void, though I'm trying. And that's at least something.

I've been posting off and on, but I do miss the M-F postings. I'd like to try to get back into that. 

Frankly, I'm tired. I'm overworked, underpaid, and definitely feel underappreciated for all of the things that I do. I've taken some steps
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Filed under:             

3/11/2024 2:18:01 PM

      

   

No Resolutions? No Problem!

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Saturday, December 30, 2023

Streamers to see in the start of a new year, 2012.
Streamers to see in the start of a new year, 2012.

The one thing I hate about this time of the year is the pressure to make resolutions for the new year. I have learned not to cave into that pressure. Why? Because I always (metaphorically speaking) bite off more than I can chew. I've also reached the conclusion that self-improvement is a process not dictated by the calendar. 

Those of you who have seen me in person know that I could probably stand to lose a few pounds. For years I made that resolution. Then I would get thrown off track by illness. So why bother? Over the years I've come to realize that the January/February virus in most years is almost an inevitability for me. Okay, so how do I deal? This year I tried to lose some weight ahead of our vacation. The vacation was not a c
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Filed under: Life            

12/30/2023 1:45:35 PM

      

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This post is brought to you by the letter "R"

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Friday, December 22, 2023

Why yes, it is the year-end round-up post! There is much to ruminate on, and I'll rest when this is done. I promise!

First up is year-end business revenue. Well, I'm at a loss for words here, as well as dollars. Steam Cat is not precisely in financial ruin, but it will go there if I don't do something.

Which brings us to responsibility. I have taken on too much, and life has only been more complicated in the last three years. it was already headed that way in 2016 when my mother passed away and I was tasked with managing the estate along with more family duties. Then I may as well address the pachyderm in the room, my volunteer job. For it has become almost a full-time job, and between it and my other obligations, my creative life has been put on hold. Regrets? You bet. There are many times I should have said no to taking on additional tasks and I should have delegated more. But the fact
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Filed under: Life            

12/22/2023 10:38:18 AM

      

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A Two-Week Vacation With NO DSLR

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Thursday, December 14, 2023

I know I'm late on this. It's been a fall.

We finally got a vacation in September - two weeks in the UK! Then we brought home an unwanted souvenir. Of course, work really backed up, and so, here we are in mid-December.

I did spend my illness - brain fog and all - putting together a journal of our vacation. You can see it here

Normally I lug along a DSLR and a couple of lenses. Of course, I always spend my time seeing everything through a viewfinder. I may never make it back to England again, so this time I wanted to take in the sights - and take pictures. Also, we were trying to minimize our baggage. One free checked bag along with the carry on and a personal item, not to mention leaving room to bring things home. Hey, cell phone cameras have really improved over the years, and with both of us carrying a Samsung Galaxy S23, it was the perfect time for bot
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Filed under: Pictures            

12/14/2023 10:54:27 AM

      

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Meowy Catmas and Happy Mew Year!

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Thursday, December 14, 2023

Why yes, it's the time of year when we put together one of our silly Catmas cards.


Hope you all have a great holiday season!

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Filed under: Cats            

12/14/2023 10:51:53 AM

      

   

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