Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2016 – a Month Where a Lot Happened That Was Not Blogging

I can’t believe it’s April. (I mean, you’d think I would, because I’ve said something similar every month for, I don’t know, a year?)

But yeah, March. Over. *looks vaguely bewildered*

Monthly Wrap Up is hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction, and instructions on how to join are here.

I’m getting around to the Monthly Wrap Up late as usual.

A legitimate representation of me

The biggest thing on the blog in March was THAT I MOVED IT. I have this shiny new site and I couldn’t be happier with it. Everyone has had such lovely comments about the new look, so thanks guys!

In March, I also:

  • Introduced Sull, the MC of my newest WIP, Red as Blood, for this month’s Beautiful People.

I decided that I wanted to write as an angsty teenage guy, and listen to all of the same music I did as an angsty teen (with the addition of copious amounts of G-Dragon <3). It also reminded me that Castle of Glass (Linkin Park) never got enough love.

I’ve already finished one (The Wise Man’s Fear), which I read as a buddy read with fellow blogger/fantasy author Sara Letourneau (it was a ton of fun, and motivating – thanks Sara!!)

SO EXCITED.

I added pertinent quotes, and let myself gush a bit about why these gems need other people to appreciate them 🙂

  • -And then I stole a tag (mainly as an excuse to use all the gifs I’d been hoarding) – and wrote a bit about my “writing process”- Behold, the #WritersLife tag!

  • -Just when I thought you’d never get another sensible, non-gif filled post out of me ever again, I decided to write an extremely sensible (for me) post on Writing What You Know.

All told, that’s 6 posts, which I’ll take with a smile. Between work, work, work, and moving the blog, I was surprised that I got anything up at all!

On Other People’s Blogs:

I always read quite a few posts (as it’s much faster than writing a post!), but I don’t always comment. I skipped around the blogosphere a lot this month, and I discovered some great posts. Here are a few highlights –

Off the Blog:

Well, I was rather down in the dumps in February (despite my general tendency to laugh at everything) – and I probably should have had my debit card confiscated. What does that have to do with March? Err – all the random stuff I purchased from overseas showed up this month. If you don’t know how exciting it is to get a package from Japan (or anywhere that isn’t in the US), I’ll give you a hint –

Kirito (L) = Everyone else. Asuna (r) = Me
It feels like this
So, thanks to the buying-binge of February, I have A LOT of Cds . . .

20160401_225816

And this – I’m still baffled by it, tbh.

Screenshot 2016-04-04 17.20.25

Errr – it’s this intense random thing with a dvd, a calendar, a poster, weird card things that confuse me, and a photo book with 2 billion photos. What am I even supposed to do with it? (And I can hear you all saying, “don’t look at me, you’re the one who bought it!”) I did find one use for the photo book though – my sister and I used it as a makeup guide! Nifty.*

20160401_230057

*Who’d have thought?

I also have a cute dress from the UK . . . but I digress.
So March was Music Madness. And of course, work madness. Two jobs take a lot out of my energy levels AND time, but it’s been nice to bump my savings back up a bit (despite the buying binge of February).

Other than working (and reading The Wise Man’s Fear), I started a whole pile of other books, including H is for Hawk. It’s very well-written and it’s a fascinating subject, but I’m only about halfway through so far.

On the writing front, I continued to add details to my plotting/scraps for Red as Blood, and I look forward to working on it in April.

For whatever reason, my sister and I ate out more during March. We discovered Sakura in Grandville – a Japanese restaurant with excellent sushi. However – the night started off with awkward hilarity after the waiter asked for my ID. He squinted at it, and then told me that I didn’t look like the same person – because (and he actually said this) – I wasn’t as pretty as the person in the picture, and we looked different . . . And while I had on my glasses and work bandana, and had no makeup on – I don’t think I looked that different??

What-Excuse-me-Say-what-GIF

 

Anyhow, my sister and I were a little startled, but then we had to focus just so we didn’t explode with laughter in his face. And our waiter – well, he quickly backtracked, and then we could hardly keep straight faces the rest of the time.

WHO SAYS THAT TO A PERSON’S FACE???

Still, on the bright side, I looked young enough to be trying to use someone’s ID. ;P And I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time!

And then – at the very end of March – I came down with a dreadful cold. I did not pull a Howl-esque diva fit over it – I just bought some medicine and slept every free hour. And when I felt too bad, I just watched a bunch of really old BIGBANG videos on Youtube. While the latter part didn’t help much (with the cold), it did help my flagging spirits. So. Funny.

Bigbang in the early days . . . (from Dirty Cash MV)

Ah, the awkwardness of youth . . .

Seriously, they’re still hilarious. (And it helps that I really love their music)

Times change

Okay, maybe not everything has changed, 😛

From “Running Man “- BIGBANG + JongKook as “The Gladiators”
Stay awesome, guys.

Coming in April:

Starting Edit #1 for The Last Coffee Shop. In a departure from my normal haphazard ways, I decided to download Sara’s super helpful editing sheets. We will see if I can stick to this more orderly route.

Oh, and I’m going to go see B.A.P in Concert!!!!

You may remember this band from my songs that should be books post that I did back in February. No? Here’s a video to give you an idea:

So we have to drive to Chicago. That’s closer than most of the bands I want to see will venture!! (On that note, I found that one of my favorite US bands, Fitz and the Tantrums, is actually coming to Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. Just not until June)

On the blog – we will see! I’ll do Beautiful People, but I’ll probably post as often as my work schedule and erratic internet availability allow me. And hopefully, that will include some book reviews!

I’ve considered doing a few Last Coffee Shop editing posts, but I’m still undecided.

And of course, there’s the general randomness that I produce from time to time 🙂

So how did your March go? Is it still snowing where you are (it is in Michigan!)? Do you have any big plans for April? What was the last book you read?

 

Author: Beck

A writer who has been doing a lot of other things along the way Currently working on my Korean fluency and editing/writing/refining dozens of novels I love music almost more than I love food #BTSARMY

24 thoughts on “Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2016 – a Month Where a Lot Happened That Was Not Blogging”

  1. Wow, seriously who says that to a person’s face? Lol, I can’t believe he said that to you. Does he expect every girl to look picture-perfect every moment of their lives? XD Haha, anywho, it snowed the entire day here *ugh* so it’s definitely not just Michigan. 😛 “Spring, where have you flew to?”

    My April plan is the AtoZchallenge on myths and legendary creatures, and to continue revising/editing the V.Chronicles WIP. It’s going to be tough keeping up with blogging this month, what with the AtoZ challenge going on, so cheer me on and send any mental energy over that you can spare, will you? 🙂

    1. The really bad thing – my ID photo really isn’t that nice 😛 I just don’t have my glasses, and I didn’t have a bandana on my head, and I was probably wearing makeup. But it’s not a great picture or anything!! Still, my sister and I have gotten a lot of laughter out of the whole thing. so there.

      Cool – the A-Z challenge sounds like a bunch of fun! I’ll be revising too, so if I have any mental energy left, it’s yours . . . but . . . *falls asleep* In all seriousness, April sounds like it will be a pretty busy month for everyone.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      1. The ID wasn’t that nice? Oh no, that makes it even worse! XD The next girl he says that to might slap him. Rebekah is too cool and awesome for that, but the next girl might strangle him.

        A-Z challenge is keeping me so busy! I don’t have blogging time for anything else…sigh…I need…more mental energy…….

  2. You’re welcome for the The Wise Man’s Fear buddy read – and thanks again for the idea in the first place. 😉 Also, thanks for sharing a link to the Revelation post! And the self-editing worksheets, too. I hope you find them helpful.

    So… didja start editing TLCS yet? 😉

    And I agree, that waiter in Sakura… Um, OK. Yeah. Weird. That’s not something I would say to someone’s face.

    My plans for April… Mostly editing TKC and then helping my parents move to the Cape at the end of the month. I’m also taking next week off from work for a long-needed Reiki session, my own day trip to the Cape, and some fun stuff – along with editing, of course. Can Friday come soon enough??

    Hope you have a lovely April, Rebekah. Enjoy your concert and the Chicago trip, btw!

    1. YES – I did start editing. I haven’t made much progress (thanks to deciding to watch CA – Winter Soldier, and then doing an XBox connect dancing game for a couple hours . . .) But the most important thing is – I started it!

      You’re welcome – I think those worksheets are lovely, and I’ve already filled out a couple for TLCS.

      I know, right? Bad waiter/people skills there bro. But just when I was saying funny things didn’t happen to me . . . think again.

      Have fun at the Cape! What other fun stuff? Hopefully it’s relaxing/recharging fun stuff.
      I am so excited about that concert. Two of my sisters are coming too, and we’re getting all geared up and ready to have fun 🙂

      1. Good! Starting it is what counts right now. And before I forget: How’s the tea email that you promised coming along? 😉

        Oh, great! I’m glad to hear the worksheets have been helpful already!

        What other fun stuff? I know that one afternoon, I’m going tea-shopping with a friend and visiting one of our favorite new-age stores. Haven’t figured out the rest yet. *lol* It’s mostly for editing and relaxing. I still have the NYC trip in August as well as the “bachelorette party” for my friend’s wedding a couple weeks later. (I’m assuming we bridesmaids will be splitting the costs for that…?) So I don’t want to spend a lot of money right now.

        Btw, we were visiting each other’s blogs at the same time again today. XD

        1. The tea email would have been last week – if I hadn’t had a cold! Seriously – I couldn’t taste anything for a week. I only just got my tastebuds back in shape, and I was planning on re-tasting the teas before I sent it. The Aurek tea might be my favorite though. I think you nailed your “tea-representation” of him, and it’s a lovely one for cold, rainy days.

          TEASHOPPING, wish I could join you, lol. I haven’t done it in a while. Have fun! (But really, if you don’t want to spend too much money, why are you going tea shopping? I know that while I’m safe in shoe and clothing stores, tea and music shops = my bane)

          I am in the “oh yikes, I need to start saving” mode too. Friend’s wedding shower/party stuff too, Chicago (I’m actuallly going to be in Chicago again in May, for work), plus I’m still not sure about my dress/shoes situation . . .

          -Noticed, 😉 Have a good day!!

          1. That’s OK! And totally understandable, since you were sick recently. Feel free to send me the email when you’re ready.

            About the tea-shopping: Ha ha, I know, right? But we’re going to Teavana, which recently changed how it organizes its “tea shelf.” Now, instead of organizing by type of tea (herbal, black, oolong, etc.), it’s by flavor – which… confuses the marshmallow fluff out of me, so now I can’t find anything I’m looking for when I go there?! So I’m basically going to refill on a tea I ran out of (White Ayurvedic Chai, which is a godsend for stomach aches), then get out. It’ll probably be my least expensive tea shopping trip ever. (*lol*)

  3. No snow here, but I do hear it might flurry on Sunday. It’s definitely getting cold. Yay for a concert, but sorry you have to drive far to get there! These days, I don’t tend to go farther than two hours away, but even that is a bit annoying depending on when the concert falls. I hope you have a productive and lovely April!

    -Lauren

    1. I rarely drive that far for something like a concert either! But considering that I love the band and they’re coming all the way from Korea . . . I think it’s a fair trade 🙂

      It is still cold and sleeting in MI :(.

      Thanks for reading/stopping by! Have a lovely April (and hopefully the reports of flurries are highly exaggerated)

      Rebekah

  4. Looks like you had a crazy month, that waiter was so rude! I went on a book buying binge last month, as if I needed more. 😀

    1. Rebekah’s tips for waiters – “Don’t insult the customer . . .” 😛 Sheesh!
      Oooh, a book-binge? Get anything good and/or exciting?? I always feel that way with books. I buy so many of them, and then they accumulate in piles all over my floor. Cds are much easier, since you can listen to them while doing other things.

      Thanks for stopping by, and happy April!

  5. I’m glad you had a pretty good March. It seems like it was a funky month for most everyone this year. Best wishes editing the Last Coffee shop! It seems like a fun story. And concerts and music! Yaaaaay! Yes the new blog looks great. ^ ^

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

    1. Thanks!
      March is always a little off, in my opinion. Whether it’s the weather, or just things picking up after the winter is “over,” I’m not sure.
      I’ve already made some headway into TLCS, so that’s something! I just need to keep talking about it so I feel like I HAVE to do it, you know.
      Concertsssss – since Fitz and the Tantrums AND Of Monsters and Men are both coming to the Meijer Gardens this summer (about 70 minutes from me), and they haven’t even released the full roster of performers . . . *gulps* . . . I’ve started saving up the tip money now!

      Thanks for stopping by, and Happy April!

  6. It sounds like you had a very interesting month… 🙂 Bookish related things- lots happening and sounds all very fun also I’m loving the new site!

    Other stuff- Really the waiter actually said that? To your face, no less?? What a d***!
    I’m glad the hard work of 2 jobs is paying off though and you’re getting those extra savings!
    The cold is no good 🙁 I had one that lasted weeks and it was horrible but what can you do? I’m just glad they only come once or twice a year!

    1. Thanks a bunch Alicia!

      The whole waiter thing was so awkward and funny that I had to share it (and just when I said that nothing ever happened to me . . . lol)

      Two jobs – aish – it’s a lot of work and time, but yes, you do see the benefits pretty quick.

      Don’t you hate colds? They’re the worst!! But yes, fortunately, they’re brief.

      Thanks for stopping by/reading/commenting!!

      <3 R

  7. Loving the new site (hope it’s here to stay at least for a while!) and I lovedall of your March posts! Sounds like your life is pretty hectic but it’s good to hear you happy with saving it brings. Also hoping that the cold had passed – they’re the worst! The waiter guy sound like a complete jerk btw, so not cool to say that to you face.

    1. Yes, the new site isn’t changing any time soon! (It was too much trouble to redesign in the first place, and I like it). Thanks a bunch Debbie.

      Oh yes my life is hectic – but I get easily bored/distracted, so it works out okay in the end.

      I feel a lot better now, thank you. It’s just so lame to get a cold in the spring, you know?

      Thanks for reading/stopping by!!

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