Off Balance

Hello all! The last week has been a crazy one here at the homestead. A stomach flu that has affected all of Marysville crept into our house and caused much unrest and other unmentionable and uncomfortable moments followed by the furnace dying at 8:00pm on a Friday. Apparently this same problem was plaguing many of our fine citizens as the furnace repairman couldn't make it to our house until 1:30 pm on Tuesday. Much firewood was used, we all huddled under blankets, and space heaters arrived from any of our friends that could spare one. Nevertheless, it was too cold in most of our house to do much of anything, so laundry, dishes, cooking, and all manner of housework was abandoned in favor of a spot in front of the fire, preferably under a blanket cuddling with someone warmer.

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All of it has left me feeling a little off balance. All has passed, but my practice of everyday photography has stopped as I just can't figure out what to take pictures of in a barren winter, my blogging has suffered with my inability to come up with something interesting to relate, and I am feeling inert and sluggish. I am not depressed, which is a blessing, but I think that anyone looking at me from the outside would wonder if I was. Oh, and after heaving with the stomach flu for four days, my diet went completely out the window, though I have lost 8 pounds even with the gaining I've done over the last few days.

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On the positive, I scored a free ticket to SheCon '11, which is about the most thrilling thing in the world to me. So I've got to get the old tookus in gear with my etsy store so that I can afford the trip, lodging, and food for the conference While I'd love to stay at the conference resort, I don't think that will be within my budget (I'd need around $1000), as it is, finding a decent hotel in Fort Lauderdale for a business traveler in May will be tricky.

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So, here are the questions of the day:

What motivates you when you've reached a totally un-motivatable state?

What photography skills should I be working on this winter?

How do I get to SheCon? You should know that the only card we own is a debit card. Also, getting a job at Family Dollar isn't totally out of the question. Oh, and how long does it take to drive from Ohio to Fort Lauderdale?

So that's the news from the Homestead. Hope it reaches you stomach flu free and toasty warm.