Suffering from PCS

Currently listening to Spotify.  Playing Norah Jones' Come Away With Me.

For those of you who aren't aware of this terrible sickness, PCS stands for Perfect Confluence of Suckage.  The original post with definition can be found on the amazingly talented J.B. Lynn's blog.

She first introduced me to the signs and symptoms of PCS, and I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't something everyone faces at some point or another.

Today is my day.  One of those days where you trip, catch yourself, fall anyway, get up bruised only to trip and fall again.  But all of the falling is emotional and metaphorical - luckily I have yet to actually trip and fall today.

The thing about PCS is it's the enemy trying to get you down.  It tries to wheedle into your brain and tell you how awful and incapable you are.  It uses your friends, family, coworkers, and even random strangers to make you feel like you don't count, that your passion is irrelevant, and that you aren't good at what you  do.

But just like J.B., I intend to defeat PCS (twitter hashtag #downwithPCS).

When you're feeling low, beaten, under appreciated  and even unworthy, you have to remember these things aren't true.  You aren't that person.  You have value no matter WHAT a close friend said to make you feel like you were next to nothing.

Hopefully, that friend didn't mean it how it sounded - and even if he did, he probably didn't realize how it would affect you.  You can't beat PCS by waiting for that friend to apologize...

You have to beat PCS by remembering that bad days happen.  Sometimes life sucks.  Buck up and move on!
The enemy can't take you down if you're picking yourself up by your boot straps and taking PCS head on.

Some laugh in the face of danger, but maybe on a day when you're suffering, it's best to laugh in the face of this sickness.  You are stronger than the Perfect Confluence of Suckage.  You are stronger than the negative comments that may or may not be sincere.

And when you are having trouble picking yourself up, call the friend or family member who will understand and help you stand.  You don't have to do everything alone.  I have a group of writer friends who remind me that I am a writer and I do serve a purpose, even if most of my non-writer friends don't care to acknowledge how passionate I am about it.

So put on your armor and face the days filled with PCS.  Mine is over...and it truly was suckage (this genius got herself disqualified from a contest for not paying close enough attention)...but tomorrow is a new day, and it WILL be better.

It can only go up from here.  There's always hope.

Join us.  Write your story.  Down with PCS!

If you're curious, you can find me on twitter @KelseyRaeK.  Let me know if you've been here.  Just tweet me and hashtag #downwithPCS.

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Don't forget! For every five new followers we'll be giving away one of these fun monkeys to random selected commentors. Join in the fun - and tell your friends!

Glitter Globe Guest Blog

Today it is my pleasure to have the amazing-insane-awesome-wonderful-bluemonkeymother Stephanie  Pazicni Karfelt guest blogging in the Asylum.

Stephanie is an amazing story teller, and some of her best are from her every day life.  Please enjoy her hilarity (especially when it comes to Juan) and maybe pop on over to take a gander at her blog at the Glitter Globe.  She gives away candy filled slinky dogs.  Everybody likes her.

The first time Juan asked me out he stood me up. He was immediately written off. The Glitter Globe offered no second chances for this type of violation. So later that night when he knocked on the door, I took a moment to prepare myself mentally for the scathing reception he was about to receive. Opening the door, there he stood in the porch light covered in blood, his hand in a cast of some sort and his arm in a sling. Cheater. I totally caved. Completely fell for his excuse. You know, the old “My car caught on fire in an under-ground garage. I thought the gas tank was going to explode and it was parked next to dozens of other cars. I tried to pull the fire alarm, but that thing you break the glass with was missing. I had to use my hand. By the time the fire department came, my car was completely engulfed in flames – the tires even melted. I would have called you then, except they took me to the hospital. I had to have surgery on my right hand, and the left was burned so I couldn’t use the phone even afterwards. Can I borrow your car?” Yeah, I know. I was so naïve. But, hey, the next time was a pity date!


Juan enjoyed hiking and wanted to take me. He asked if I liked nature. I absolutely love flowers, and that’s part of nature, right? And I’d hiked around a castle in a nearby park at least twice! We had so much in common! “Sure,” I said, “I’m very outdoorsy.”

In order to reach the bottom of the mountain, we had to cross a railroad trestle. Halfway over I was told to hurry, just in case a train came.

Then we had to crawl over the face of a little cliff under a bit of a waterfall. It totally wrecked my hair.

After that it got hard, climbing up a mountain. Grabbing onto a skinny sapling to haul myself upward, it came out of the ground and I slid downhill a ways. Lost a shoe too, well, it fell off when that happened. Then I lost it throwing it at my date. It started to rain then, and despite the exertion from the climb, it was cold. We took refuge beneath an overhang in the rock. I scooted deeper inside the nook to avoid the blowing rain, but was told not to, due to the rattlesnakes that tended to inhabit that spot. This was so our last date. At that very moment my BFF was enjoying Mackinac Island – or someplace equally as civilized that involved fudge – with her boyfriend. I thought about that a lot as I climbed.

We crested the top of the mountain, me flat on my stomach, scrabbling over the ledge. It occurred to me at that point that we had to now get down. I’d almost decided to push my date off the mountain, to test that exit strategy, when I heard rustling in the bushes. It was getting dark at this point, but I could see men hiding there. They were dressed in military fatigues. Juan nodded sagely. “That’s just the National Guard. They practice up here on weekends.” Dang. Witnesses.

The National Guard hadn’t climbed up the way we had. They took the road. Yep. There was a road, and I started marching down it, arms crossed, in that cold silence that most men of dating age are quite familiar with. A truck pulled up alongside us within minutes, offering a ride back to town. There was heat in it. I huddled over that heater and Juan said, “Have you ever been skiing?” Skiing? I hadn’t, but I’d seen people do it in movies. “Because I was wondering if you’d like to go skiing with me sometime? This winter?” He smiled his terrific smile. “Sure, I’ll go skiing with you,” I promised. I had always wanted to try skiing. People were always smiling when they did it in the movies. I wondered if ski lodges had fudge. Pictures of roaring fires, ski lifts and fun filled my head. How hard could it be?

***

My Biography & Picture

Stephanie Pazicni Karfelt loves laughter, writing Urban Fantasy, being a wife and mother, and dabbling in the high-tech industry for story-fodder.  Find her humorous take on writing at:  www.TheGlitterGlobe.com.

Speaking of The Glitter Globe, I’m having an Epic Slinky Dog giveaway.  Just follow my blog and be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win.  They make awesome pets. 

The Music of Mumford Mixed with Mayhem

Babel is here.  Yes, Babel.

I've listened through a few times already...and by a few I mean I have it on repeat at my desk today...all day.

With the exception of having to buy it twice because iTunes is being a big fat jerk (which hopefully will be remedied by my email conversation with Apple support people), I could not be more pleased with my choice.

Any who participated in last Friday's final day of the Asylum Party will know that Mumford & Sons are my favorite band - beyond favorite.  I love them with everything in me.  They are one of the few bands I can sit and listen to a whole CD all the way through and love every song.

Most bands I love tend to have that song (or two) I just don't like that much.  But not Mumford.  Those guys have magic in their fingers and vocal cords.  Cords.  Not chords...chords would be a funny pun.

I'm writing this blog because I want to avoid what's coming....

It's a busy time over here in the Asylum, or rather right outside of it.  I'm excited for a pair of my closest friends to be getting married, but we all know it's going to be work to get to the actual ceremony.  On top of that, a Murder Mystery night I wrote will be going on this weekend for a youth event.  Can you catch the killer?  Because the name of the game is murder...

The Bride and Me last November goofing off

A lot of prep work is going into both events, and both piggy back through the weekend.  Do you ever reach those times when you have so much going on that your brain shuts down and you stop functioning?  You have plenty to do, but no longer have the motivation to do it?  That's where I am.

Ah, Marcus Mumford.  He soothes my soul.  I highly suggest listening to the album.  These boys are fantastic.

When you have beautiful music and an overloaded schedule, I think the best thing to do is stop and appreciate the music.  Eventually you have to take a deep breath, pick yourself up, and move forward with your to-do list.  But for the time being, I'm going to mellow out to Mumford and focus solely on my day job. The rest of insanity can wait until the night.

Tell me about your busy schedules.  Or tell me about the music you mellow out to.  Either way, I'm here to listen :)

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Don't forget! For every five new followers we'll be giving away one of these fun monkeys to random selected commentors.  Join in the fun - and tell your friends! 

Before the Party Ends - Music Giveaway

The thing about music – it’s hard to find someone who hates it. It’s so varied. There are too many genres, artists, and one hit wonders to count. Music is as unique as we are. My favorite is Mumford & Sons (super excited for their new CD release).







Which is why the last day of this Crazy Party is devoted to the giveaway of THREE iTUNES $10 Gift Cards!

You’re excited, right?

I know you are! Everyone loves a gift card devoted to bringing you whatever musical joy you prefer. Now, I’m no music snob (though I do know my fair share), so I won’t hold it against you if you use the gift card for something I don’t like.




That being said, it’s time for a confession…all the best parties have them.


I’m not dedicated enough to be devoted to musical knowledge. I know what I like and I listen to it. If I don’t like it, I turn it off – if I like it, I keep it on. Do I know much about the band or even really know who is singing at all times?

If it isn’t on my iPhone…I probably don’t know who it is by, but I will like it the same. Music snobs have an issue with this (well, the snotty music snobs; they’re rude). They find my lack of focused attention insulting.

I’d like them to tell me detailed facts about the person who wrote the last book they read, or detail me the trivia on the making of the last film they saw. Those details to me would be much more interesting than music trivia.

But alas, to each his or her own.


Now tell me something interesting about YOUR favorite band (or if you’re like me…actor…writer…or movie).


Comment for your chance to win one of the $10 gift cards going HOT to three new homes after 12am PST.


Remember:

You need to be a follower of this blog (righthand side) to be eligible.

You must comment on this post to be eligible to win.

You should check back (or keep an eye on my facebook page) to see if you’re the winner!

Bookworms - This one is for you

I would call it a given, but that might be presumptuous.

I…Love…Books.

If I could give up eating or sleeping in order to have more time reading (and writing), I would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the body requires both nutritional sustenance and sleep in order to function.

But if it didn’t…oh how I would spend my time.

In honor of my love for books, I am giving away a $15 Barnes and Noble gift card. This can be used for Nook, in store, OR (for those of you who don’t have one near you) for online shopping.

Now books. Books I could discuss forever. I can say I have favorites, but they are per category. Favorite series: Harry Potter (duh), but I can’t pick which book is my favorite because I argue with myself. That is really the only area I can be definitive. Everything else is just loved. Favorite unpublished book? BLANK. Don’t ask. Don’t tell…just buy when you see it hit shelves (I’ll let you know. It’s amazing. Love S. Karfelt).

I’m currently reading Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson (great read) while simultaneously listening to Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen, which was lent to me by my lovely coworker Owen (who should be called lovely more often).  

 

I feel if I start I could go too long. So maybe I had better just stop now. Remember, I’m on a business trip, and there are other things begging for my time. That being said, I think YOU should tell me something about YOUR favorite book…author…series…

You know what, just tell me about your current or latest read. I think that will suffice for your comment. Put your name into the hat for your $15 Barnes and Noble gift card!


Remember:
You must be a follower to be eligible.
You must comment to be eligible.
Check back to see if you won!

Strangest Purchase to Date

Say what you will about online shopping - it's my fantasy land.  I have places for everything.  ShoeDazzle for shoes, Delia's for clothes...and for everything else I could possibly need...

There's Amazon.

It's like the MasterCard commercials.  "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else..."  You know the saying.  Amazon is like that.

To honor my love for Amazon, today's giveaway is a $15 Amazon Gift Card.

I discovered Amazon Prime in 2011 while searching for pieces to go with my Halloween costume.  The place I work does an event every year where we are open to the public with Top-To-Bottom decorations for several different sections.  My section was the Enchanted Forest, and I was Robin Hood.

We wanted to go all out, and I wanted to be true to my character.  I searched through Amazon and discovered with Prime (a free trial) I could get free 2 day shipping.  Shortly after signing up, I found a Bow and Arrows set...and my strangest purchase from Amazon to date.

My Robin of Loxley Dagger.

Suffice it to say, it was the crown jewel of my outfit. The hilt even says "Robin of Loxley" and has the fabled coat of arms.  The blade was dull, though it could be sharpened to be dangerous.  It hooked onto my belt and I fell in love with it.  Before I strapped it to my side, I had several people ask me if I was "Katniss Everdeen" because of my Bow.  I showed them my dagger, and there was no longer doubt.

The whole night I FELT like Robin Hood (or Robyn Hood, as I was referenced).  I even had several little boys come running up to have their picture taken with me - "because Robin Hood is cool and so is she!"  They exclaimed.

I love Halloween. I love dressing up. And I love my strange little dagger.  It's a novelty piece that I keep with my always.  Unfortunately, I can't wear it this year when I dress as American Dream for our Marvel Comics Theme.  But I do plan to have a real Captain America shield...so that should suffice.

What about you?  What's the strangest thing you've ever bought online?  Can you even mention it, or is it far to embarassing to ellude to?

Don't worry - here in the Asylum you're safe.  We won't tell.

Comment below (and follow my blog if you don't already) to be up for the chance to win big to Amazon!  Who wouldn't want $15 free to spend on that online playground?  Comment away!  You have until 12:00am PST to leave your comment and be entered!


Rules for entry:

• Become a follower of my blog
• Comment on the blog of the day in order to be in the drawing to win that day's prize (only Followers' comments will qualify)
• Check back to see if you're the winner (winners will be posted on Facebook on my author page as well) 
• If you did win, email me your address so I can send you your spoils!
• Anyone winner who does not reply within 48 hours will forfeit their prize - so keep checking back!
• Enjoy the party - it's about having fun!

Coffee in the Blood - The Party Continues

There are those of you out there who love your coffee.  It's addictive, tasty*, and energizing.  To honor humanity's love for coffee, today the giveaway starts with a $10 Gift Card to Starbucks.

I recall a recent moment when I showed up for work and made my way towards the large staircase leading to our offices.  Up above me, one of my more favored coworkers was already shuffling along on the second level.  I called out to Bill† and bid him good morning.

--And here I must stop in my narrative to tell you an awful truth about myself: I....am a morning person.  Don't get my wrong, I love my sleep and would stay up late if I didn't work at 8:00am on the dot...but I can't help but be more on the awake and chipper side first thing in the morning, much to the chagrin of my mother.--

Back to Bill. Bill is one of my favorites for a reason.  He's funny, nice, and new enough to not make me feel like I'm behind the times on the whole integrated staff thing.  Bill's got the type of humor that works in my circle - sarcasm, cynicism, and complete silliness.  (Example. In our last meeting, Bill had Hulk Hands from another coworker Owen† and proceeded to *smash* the wall to make the sounds go off).

I greeted him cheerily and received a well-meaning grunt in return - not the usual from one of the friendliest.  With a smile, I propelled up the staircase and struck up a conversation with the now frozen Bill.
"Wow, that was quite the greeting!" I said, laughing as Bill smirked and shrugged his shoulders.
"I haven't had my coffee yet.  I'm pretty much a zombie."

Now this is something I've heard more than once from coffee drinkers. No functioning until coffee is in the blood.

I could hear it in his voice.  That morning fatigue.  Non-Morning-People/Coffee-Drinkers tend to have gravely and deeper voices when I first speak to them, and it only improves as they pep up with Caffeine.  I gave Bill his ground and remarked that this was something I'd found pretty common.

"Well, it's the only form of an acceptable drug.  Society loves it, and I am an addict."

Are you like Bill?  Do you find that little coffee bean's juice to be the most addictive substance in your life?  Tell me about a time you've either BEEN or INTERACTED with a coffeeless zombie in the morning.  Any fun stories?

All who comment (and are following my blog) will be entered into a random drawing for the $10 Starbucks Gift Card.  Comment away!  You have until 12:00am PST to leave your comment and be entered!


* - This is based of popular opinion.
† - Names have been changed to protect the amused.


Rules for entry:

• Become a follower of my blog
• Comment on the blog of the day in order to be in the drawing to win that day's prize (only Followers' comments will qualify)
• Check back to see if you're the winner (winners will be posted on Facebook on my author page as well) 
• If you did win, email me your address so I can send you your spoils!
• Anyone winner who does not reply within 48 hours will forfeit their prize - so keep checking back!
• Enjoy the party - it's about having fun!