Here’s to hoping that 2018 brings positive change in the world.
Happy Holidays
Mercy watches over the holiday festivities! (get it? Because she’s from the video game Overwatch?)
2017 Resolution Report Card
Hello My Imaginary Friends,
I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season filled with warmth and joy.
Last year, I set forth some lofty goals. Let’s see how I did.
1. Write 3000 words a week. (Fail)
This year has been terrible for productivity in writing; unfortunately I haven’t fallen back into the groove. I did manage a Novella of 30,000 words, the serial story, regular posts, and roughly 3000 words into Mystery of the Dancing Lights. I’ll have to alter this goal for next year.
2. Complete The Copper Tarnish by March. (Fail)
I decided mid-year to put this one away and come back to it someday. It’s only at 15,000 words and I’m not happy with it. I think I’ll try and re-work it at a later time.
3. Start the next Elizabeth Investigates. (Pass)
The Hounds of Baker Ville: I realized it wouldn’t have enough emotional weight if we weren’t more invested in certain characters. I’ve moved the concept to book 6.
I started book 4, called The Mystery of the Dancing Lights. I wrote the intro and the first chapter and then I stalled. Recently I sat down and plotted out the book and now I can’t wait to write it.
4. Read 30 books. (Pass)
I had to read a few graphic novels near the end, but I made my goal. It’s a great way to motivate myself to read and read more than that one series I’m obsessed with. Or worse, just scrolling through Facebook endlessly.
5. Write a Monthly Serial Story.(Pass)
Story is all finished as of December 21st.
You can start reading at Part 1 of Database of the Ageless Kings here.
6. Test, Produce, and Develop 2 new coffee flavours. (Pass)
Both Green Apple and Marshmallow have been great successes. I’ve even got plans for next year.
7. Playtest the new content for FADDS and get it ready for submission in 2018. (Fail)
I got overly ambitious and added too much to the rules. Now I’m scrambling to finish them. Hopefully I can submit by end of 2019.
8. Continue to ensure there’s content 5 days a week on JenEric Designs. (Pass)
Despite the baby, going back to work, multiple colds and flus, not to mention life in general, we were able to continue producing content, and quality I think, every weekday of 2017.
10. Prepare A Case of Synchronicity submission to my publisher and Everdome for pitches at Can-Con. (Pass and Fail)
I haven’t even looked at A Case of Synchronicity this year. It’ll have to wait… unfortunately.
I did pitch Everdome to an agent and queried a big publisher. It was rejected both times but I will find this book a home.
Final Score
So I accomplished 5.5 out of 10. That’s 55% and technically a pass.
Looking at past years I seem to be slipping by 5% each year. Considering that the goals are getting more intense, I suppose that’s normal.
Next year hopefully I won’t get below 50% but in the end it doesn’t matter if I have a goal of writing 150,000 words and I write 100,000, I still did better than if I hadn’t tried.
How did your resolutions go?
Éric
Blush: Consent from kids
The last time I talked about consent and kids, I focused on how to teach kids how to ask for consent. This time around, with the holidays here, I want to remind the adults that read this that the children in their lives are not obligated to give hugs or kisses to anyone.
For example, our daughter is terrified of men with white hair. This includes her great-grandfather, friends of the family, and, of course, Santa Claus.
Although her great-grandfather is getting older, we managed to get a picture of them by having her sit beside him on her father’s knee. It’s not the snuggly picture that we ideally wanted, but it’s a good compromise that lets her know that she has been understood, but still lets us get a picture of them together.
So remember, at holiday parties this year, that just because there is a child involved, does not mean that they are automatically obligated to give you a hug. It doesn’t matter if you’re a super close friend, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or stranger; if the child does not give you a clear indication of consent, don’t touch them!
Our daughter’s consent is uplifted arms, or pro-active climbing onto your lap, in case you come across her this season.
Happy Holidays!
If you’re enjoying the Blush blogs, consider learning more with Blush: The Card Game from Renaissance Press.
JenEric Coffee Boxing Week Sale
Hello Coffee lovers,
We have some left over 2017 coffee left over.
All leftover coffee is 50% off.
- Large = $7.50
- Medium = $4
- Small = $2
Sale ends December 30th at 11:59pm.
Shipping is $15.
Fill in the form on the bottom of this page to order your coffee. First come, first served!
The following is a list of coffee that we have available:
Maple
3 medium
1 small
Apple
1 medium
2 small
Cinnamon
1 large decaf
2 medium
Pumpkin
1 medium
Unflavoured
2 large
5 medium
4 small
Strawberry
9 medium
Chocolate
3 medium
6 small
1 small decaf
Mint chocolate chip
1 large
5 medium
Merry Christmas
Wow! I originally wanted to say that this is Mrs Claus and a reindeer, but now that I look more closely at the costumes, I’m not sure that I’m right! Look at the intricacies of that staff!? Any ideas?
Database of the Ageless Kings (Serial Story) Part 12 Conclusion
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 3.5 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
Have your say on the 2018 Serial Story
You Vote, I Write 2018
Part 12: An Emu is literally beside himself.
“No seriously. I had to alter the course of evolution in the galaxy, and then I had to alter the history so that this mammal,” The talking emu gestured at Prince Phillip with a disgusted look, “was the rightful Prince of the Galaxy.” The talking emu, who called himself Hagrid, looked at their Hagrid like he was waiting for some sort of reply.
“Wark?”
“Yes, of course we’re the same person. Don’t let the top hat confuse you.”
“I’m not sure about confusing but it’s really adorable,” Sophia tried not to giggle. It hadn’t been that long that her greatest wish was to go to a good university to become an engineer. Since she woke the Prince and headed out on this adventure, people had been trying to blow her up, a lot, she’d been attacked by a shapeshifter and negotiated with a sentient moon. A talking emu was just the last straw; the tiny bowtie and top hat combined with the deep BBC voice was too much. She burst into giggles.
“Hagrid, who is this wretched mammal you dragged with you?”
“Wark, Wark WAARRRK!” Hagrid, the regular one, screeched.
“Fine Fine. Keep your pet, if you like. As long as they don’t get in my way.”
The regular Hagrid looked like he was going to dive at the new one, but Phil put his hand to block him. Saying, “Sir. You can insult me all you like, but Sophia is the best of us. She’s kind, gentle, strong, resourceful, beautiful, and implausibly intelligent.”
A shudder passed through the speaking Hagrid and somehow the tiny top hat didn’t fall off. “Disgusting. I’ll never get used to seeing your kind speaking. Thankfully it won’t be long… Come along me.”
The emu turned around and walked out of the small hanger. Hagrid followed him and the others followed Hagrid.
Walking out of the hanger was a huge shock. The place had looked massive from the outside, but inside it was vertigo inducing. The entire database was shaped like the inside of an egg; a large oblong sphere with nothing but massive structures on its surface. Each looked vaguely like a circuit board or other computer insides. In the center of the galaxy-sized egg was a small yellow dwarf sun.
The buildings were connected by a lattice of steel rope bridges that must have worked as both circuits and a way for the creators to move around.
“This wasn’t built by humans,” Sophia observed, and the top hat wearing emu snorted derisively. She didn’t wait for Phil to say anything and explained, “The door controls are at foot level and all the control panels I can see are made to be operated with a head or beak.”
“You’re not as dumb as you look. This is the Database of Ageless Kings, built by my ancestors as a way of making sure Emus would always rule the universe.”
“How?” Phil asked with a smirk and furrow that Sophia knew was his confused expression.
“How was it built? Or how does it work?” The emu asked but didn’t let anyone answer before he continued, “It took a hundred generations and the brightest minds. It works by quantum entanglement, manipulating the atoms in the core of our galaxy.
“You see, the matter in the centre of our galaxy is under such a strong gravitational field that they work almost completely out of time. That means their entanglement is with the atoms that created the universe and by subtly altering those bonds you can re-write the universe and reality as we know it.
“Unfortunately, the calculations are such that even an emu can’t make the changes without the help of the greatest supercomputer in all of existence.” He finished his monologue as they entered what was obviously a giant control room.
“Wark?” Hagrid said, and Sophia was seriously starting to wonder how smart he really was and who had been taking care of whom.
“Yes. I do need you. You see, when the Ageless Kings built the Database, they added a safeguard to prevent the royal family from destroying the universe with their greed. In order to make any minor changes, you need to sacrifice a part of yourself. If you want to make a large change you must sacrifice yourself.
“At first, I used clones of myself, but turns out they cause the calculations to be slightly off and I haven’t been able to get the universe quite right. That’s when I came to the conclusion that I needed myself.” He sat in an emu-sized chair and reclined. A keyboard appeared at his feet and he started to type something. “You see I needed a version of myself that wasn’t intelligent, that wouldn’t challenge me. It really wasn’t easy getting you here.”
Sophia watched him type and smiled. “Is Phil still considered of royal blood for the Database? Can he make the changes?” She could read the screen and the keyboard. It might have been designed by emus, but it was written in the royal language. The same one she’d been learning since she found the ship. She assumed it was a way of making sure that every royal, no matter the alterations to the universe, could use the Database.
“Absolutely, but he’d have the same cost as I would and I can’t just sacrifice him. It must be me.” He wasn’t concentrating on her, he was concentrating on his typing.
Making a sign to Phil and hoping he understood that she wanted a distraction, she walked to the front of the chair and sat down. She put her arms at the same level as the keyboard.
Phil remembered he had the stun gun and shot the wall. The explosion was flashy and loud but didn’t do any damage.
“Fool! What are you doing?” The fake Hagrid demanded. The real Hagrid took the cue somehow and started running around like a panicked emu.
While he was distracted, Sophia used the keyboard, upside down, and altered his code. She hoped he would be too arrogant to double check his work.
“What are you going to do with us?” She asked loudly and the other two stopped flouncing around like fools.
“You’re so unimportant that I don’t care. Goodbye me and thank you.” He hit a few more keys and then hit the enter key hard.
The lights flickered and a voice said, “Major galactic calibration in progress. Please stand by. Sacrifice accepted. Are you sure about your decision?”
The top hat wearing emu smirked, creepy on an emu, and said, “YES!” and then started to cackle.
“Sacrifice accepted. May the Ageless Kings look after your soul.”
The fake Hagrid disappeared in the middle of his evil laugh.
“What did you do?” Phil asked in awe.
“I switched the target of the sacrifice and nullified all his code. I also made the universe a tiny bit less obsessed with blowing things up.” She said it without looking at Phil. Looking at him would make the next part of what she had to do much more painful.
The disembodied voice of the Database counted down, “Calibration in five, four, three, two, one.” The calibration would have no effect on them so she ignored it and continued to work.
She played with the constants of the universe to make tiny changes. The first was making sure his family hadn’t died and that his sister hadn’t been trying to kill everyone. Second she made sure that Little Sister got her wish; an upgrade and a manual. Last, she made sure that emus wouldn’t be stuck in Northern Ontario.
The changes might result in her never existing and would certainly result in them never meeting. They weren’t big enough to hurt Phil. It would cost him a little blood and that’s it.
“I’m sorry,” she said standing and hugging Phil.
“Minor recalibration accepted. Calibration in Five.”
“Ouch,” Phil said as the sacrifice was taken, “What did you do?” His eyes were wide in panic.
“Four.”
“I’m sorry. You deserve to be happy with your family and your world.”
“Three.”
“But what about you?”
“Two.”
“I love you, Phil.”
“I love you, too!” he replied and kissed her. Their kiss caused every part of her body to tingle with pleasure and she both forgot about the timer and her sadness. If she had to fade out of existence, it might as well be kissing the man she loved.
The kiss continued and nothing happened. Eventually they came up for air and looked around. “Did it work?” she asked herself aloud. A few moments with the keyboard told her that everything had changed the way she wanted it.
“Sophia. The Database is shielded. You’re not going to change if you’re in here. How else would that emu still exist?”
He was right and she couldn’t help but smile. “Your family is alive and so am I.”
Tears streamed down his face and he said, “Since you just wrote yourself out of existence and we’ve sort of got a thing going, how do you feel about moving in together?”
“The ship would fall apart without me.” She replied and kissed him again.
“Wark!” Hagrid bobbed up and down excitedly.
“You okay with my pet emu?” she asked.
“Absolutely. He’s the most important bird in the universe.”
If you enjoyed this year’s serial story why not check out those from past years?
Having a theft-free vacation
Telling people you’re planning on travelling comes with all sorts of advice and warnings. One of the most persistent and scary is the threat of theft. Being away from home and having your ID, money, clothes, and/or belongings stolen is the opposite of fun.
The best way to avoid armed robbery or other extremely traumatic experiences is to talk to your travel agent and check advisories.
For smaller thefts, it seems that Pickpockets have gotten a near mystical reputation. Hollywood would have you believe that one bump and the thief will have your underwear. Thankfully they’re not quite that good.
Pickpockets are still a big issue, especially in big cities.
What can you do?
There are a few tips and tricks for you to keep your valuables safe.
1. Don’t carry everything.
A thief can’t pickpocket something you don’t have with you.
2. Don’t flaunt it.
Try to avoid traveling with unnecessary valuables. Try not to have too much cash.
If you have to have the valuables try not to flash them around like you’re a bigshot. Try to only take out a little bit of cash and not a whole wad.
3. Hide your stuff
Wear a money belt or some other form of hidden pocket. And don’t put everything at the same place. That way, if they do get one hiding spot, you still have something.
4. Zippers!
A zippered bag or purse is much more secure than one that has just an opening. One that has a lockable zipper is even better.
5. Watch your stuff
This seems obvious, but the easiest target is one that isn’t paying attention. If your bag isn’t attached to you or something solid, it’s an easy target. Same with one shouldered bags. Wear them crossbody to avoid a quick snatchings.
Don’t put your cell or laptop on the table after you’re done with it. It should stay in your hand, your secure bag, or your pocket.
6. Avoid distractions
The number one way to lose your stuff is to be distracted. This is the oldest trick in the book. Someone gets your attention and someone else frees your stuff. Still enjoy the busker, but make sure you keep an eye on your things.
Also don’t accept things from random strangers. I mean if it’s Mardi Gras or you’re landing in Hawaii then expect something, but otherwise be wary of gifts. They could be distractions or they could come with a hidden cost.
7. Don’t go anywhere with a stranger
At the risk of sounding like your parents; don’t get into a vehicle with a random stranger or follow them to less crowded areas.
If someone needs help, call the authorities or wave down someone who works in the area.
8. Don’t risk your life
If someone is robbing you and they have a weapon, it’s best to just give them what they want. Your things are not worth your life. Be safe.
9. Wear your bag on your front
If you are worried about people slashing or getting into your bag, wear it on your front and hug it. That way you’ll know if someone comes for it.
If you carry a cell or wallet, consider wearing in the front pocket of your pants. It’s a harder target.
10. Buy an antitheft bag
If after all this you’re still worried, go ahead and buy yourself an anti-theft bag.
There are all kinds out there from $30 on Amazon to $500. They all have different features and ways of preventing theft. You can also buy a mesh cage for your current travel bag.
The most important features are a slash proof bag, locked or hidden zippers, and hidden pockets.
The three best companies that I’ve found for bags are:
Great features of both the Nomatic and Bobby are that they are also crush-proof, meaning your laptop or tablet won’t get destroyed by over-zealous baggage handlers or if you sit on them.
What about RFID blocking?
RFID means Radio-frequency identification. You may know it as Tap or Interact Flash. Your credit cards, phones, bus passes, work passes, passports, and a ton of other things work with this technology.
A lot of people have been worried about RFID theft or cloning. There’s been demonstrations and hackers have shown that it is possible.
But according to The Identity Theft Centre: “There are far better behaviors you could adopt if you want to keep your information and your funds safe[.]”
There have been no known thefts from this method and it shouldn’t be on the top of your list of worries. It’s easier to steal the card than it is the RFID information and then use it. Even if they get your RFID data that doesn’t include your three digit security code on the back or your PIN.
As for your passport, all they can get from the RFID is your name and basic information. So unless you’re pretending to be someone else, you should be fine.
If it makes you feel better, however, there is no harm.
Any other safety precautions we missed?
References
Rick Steve’s Europe: Outsmarting Pickpockets and Thieves
USA Today: Lessons from the Louvre: How to avoid pickpockets
The Savvy Backpaker: How to avoid pickpockets in Europe — Tips for outsmarting the thieves
Wirecutter: Dear Wirecutter: Are RFID-Blocking Wallets Necessary?
Global News: Reality check: You don’t need RFID protection in your wallet
Are you interested in travelling? Jen has retired from working as a travel agent. Hope you’ve enjoyed Fandom Travel.
The Guardian
What is Christmas without a ghost story?
“Honey, she’s doing it again!” I called out to my husband.
Our five day old daughter had opened her eyes and stopped her vigorous nursing to stare up at seemingly nothing. Milk slowly dripped from me, spreading a wet patch on the pillow underneath her.
She didn’t blink, but abruptly turned her head to stare at another patch of nothing.
A shiver raced down my spine and the hair on my arms stood up in response.
I thought that if a person was standing next to my chair, she would be looking directly into their face.
Just as suddenly, she re-latched and started her hmm-ing of appreciation.
Hmmmmmmm – gulp. Hmmmmmmm – gulp.
She sounded like an old dot-matrix printer, the kind that took four passes to print a single line and had the tear-away sides. I doubted she’d ever get to hear one of those. The next generation of parents wouldn’t associate their child with a printer – that’s probably a good thing, I giggled to myself.
Her eyes opened at the sound, and she stared up at me for a second before focussing on her task again.
My husband appeared in the doorway. She ignored him in favour of eating.
My neck prickled.
What could have distracted her, when a physical human didn’t?
I don’t believe in ghosts, I thought. I knew I was lying to myself. But I know someone who does.
I contacted them the next morning.
“Of course I’ll come visit and snuggle the baby!” they exclaimed.
I didn’t mention my suspicions.
They came over that afternoon, sinking into the well-used couch with a sigh. I passed them the sleeping baby, and she cooed before snuggling into their chest, still asleep.
“Is she always this cuddly?” they whispered, afraid to wake her.
We talked about anything and everything, and as the time for them to leave drew nearer, I got anxious. The baby hadn’t woken, even though we were laughing.
“I think we have a ghost,” I whispered.
Their eyebrows went up. “I haven’t seen any,” they replied.
“She sees them, I think.” I indicated the softly snoring baby.
“If she isn’t afraid, they’re not malicious.” They seemed certain of this. “Keep an eye on her, and I’ll come back another time.”
Every day for the next month, the baby took the time to stare off into space a couple times a day. Most often, it was in her room, next to the nursing chair. Sometimes it was in the living room, behind the couch. Once in our room, at the foot of the bed.
She learned how to smile voluntarily. I watched her smile at empty spaces, and tried to keep the panic at a minimum.
And then it stopped.
She slept less, paid attention to her surroundings more, and I thought that maybe she had been staring at specs of dust. Babies don’t have the greatest vision.
But around Christmas, she let out a tiny squeak and stared into space again, this time for quite a while. I tried to distract her with my breast, but she ignored it completely for at least five minutes, glancing from one spot to another and back.
I contacted my friend immediately. They came over. The baby was awake. They asked to see her room, but there was nothing unusual.
We sat in the living room and played with the baby, until she whipped around and stared beside the couch.
My friend followed her gaze, and gasped, “I see them. Two women.”
My heart in my throat, I looked over at the empty space, seeing nothing. “What do they look like?”
“One is older. Curly grey hair. Rosy red cheeks and a big smile. She’s fairly short, and a bit stout. I think I’ve seen you wear the necklace she’s wearing…thick silver chain? She has a red sweater, and a long kilt in red and green.”
I swallowed hard, tears in my eyes. I tried to speak around the lump in my throat. “That’s my Grannie,” I croaked. I started crying. “She came to meet her great-granddaughter? I miss her so much. Can you tell her that? Does she understand me?”
“She hears you. She put her hand over her heart and is looking right at you.” My friend was crying too. “The other woman is a little younger. Thinning wispy grey hair, small cheeks that pop when she smiles. She’s a bit taller than your Grannie, and much…umm…bigger. She’s wearing a navy blue dress. Her eyes twinkle.”
“My mother-in-law,” I sobbed. “She would have loved her granddaughter. She always wanted a daughter. I miss her too, but not as much as her son does. She’d be so proud of him.”
“She’s nodding and smiling at you. She knows. They’re talking to the baby again. I can’t hear them, only see them, I’m so sorry,” they apologized.
I took a moment, trying to work the words out around the lump in my throat. “Is it normal, not being able to hear them?”
“Quite. I’ve never heard or felt one.”
I got up to get a tissue from the other side of the room. “You need one?” I offered. At the affirmative, I brought the box back over as I sat beside them again. “You’ve never touched a ghost?” I asked, curious. I sniffed and wiped my cheeks.
“No, I haven’t. I’ve never seen a ghost touch a person.” They copied my motions with a tissue of their own, then paused. “Wait. I have, just once. It was a long time ago. A girl was crossing the street, and a car ran a red light. I saw the ghost yank her back out of the way. It was bright daylight, so I wasn’t a hundred percent sure of what I saw, but I think the ghost vanished after saving her life.”
“It’s not exactly like you can conduct an experiment to see for sure.” I gave them a watery smile.
“No, I guess not!” They laughed weakly.
I thanked my friend for both confirming that we were being visited by ghosts, and that they were not only benevolent, but family. “Merry Christmas!” I waved from the doorway as they left the house.
“And Happy New Year!” they called back.
The months flew by. My daughter learned how to crawl, stand, and walk. She babbled at anyone who smiled at her, which made her a joy to bring places.
All too soon, we were getting ready to celebrate another Christmas. We went shopping for presents at a local holiday bazaar, and my husband was carrying her on his shoulders.
What happened next happened faster than your eyes will be able to read this paragraph; my husband bumped into a display of ornaments at the same time as my daughter twisted around to wave at me. He jerked to catch the ornaments, and, her balance thrown off, she launched herself backwards off his shoulders.
I was too far away.
My heart in my mouth, a scream caught in my throat, I watched her tumble headfirst towards the ground. Ghostly hands steadied her fall, tipped her onto her front, and she landed on her stomach, head bouncing a bit on the concrete at the force of impact. My Grannie looked up at me from beside my baby and smiled sadly, blowing me a kiss and waving goodbye before she vanished.
My daughter let out a wild scream, and my legs unfroze, taking me to her side before I had registered the movement.
She was already pulling herself onto her feet, a nasty purple bump swelling on her temple, and buried her face in my neck, sobs shaking her small frame.
My husband, ashen, helped me stand up and led me back to the car to go to the hospital. I knew before we saw the doctor that she would be alright.
Her guardian angel had seen to that, and would visit no longer.
“Thank you for our Christmas miracle,” I whispered.
This story is part of the Renaissance holiday blog roll! Find out what it’s all about here!