LOST Editors Win Emmy!

Congratulations to Stephen Semel, Mark J. Goldman, Christopher Nelson, and Henk Van Eeghan for winning the Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series award!!!

I was so happy when I saw their names on the Creative Arts Emmy Awards winner sheet. On LOST Auction weekend, no less.

It sucks, though, that Elizabeth Mitchell lost in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category. Also that Michael Giacchino lost in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) category. And that LOST, well, lost in the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series, and Outstanding Special Class Programs categories.

FlashForward's stunt specialist Danny Weselis also won the Outstanding Stunt Coordination award for his work on the pilot. Take that, ABC! Also, Neil Patrick Harris won the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series award. Betty White won the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series award. Heck, even the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony won two awards: Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic, Multi-Camera) For a Variety, Music, or Comedy Programming and Outstanding Musical Direction.

Congratulations to all the winners at the Creative Arts Emmy! I hope LOST wins more at the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on August 29th.

Vacation!!!

It's time again for my annual week off from my day job. Yay!

I timed my vacation with the week of my Basic Copy Editing classes at SFU Vancouver. I actually didn't expect my boss to approve my leave, because the August billings are due on Wednesday, August 25th. But she did, and I'm so thankful for that. I am in dire need of time off from work!

For four days, I'll be in class in the mornings and studying in the afternoons. I guess I'm kinda thankful that my freelance business is kinda slow. I can still bid on a project that I like, if I find one, but no work and deadlines this week.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do on Friday. I can either go to Victoria with my mom - because I haven't been there in my eight years in Canada! - or book a spa appointment at Spa Utopia. What do y'all think I should do?

Still, I wish I could take a month-long vacation. I've been so exhausted!

Anyhow, I'll try my darnedest to enjoy this week off. I think I'm gonna need the rest for my return to work on August 30th.

Three Stories. Yeah.

I did it: I submitted three stories for the 2010 FMC Fiction Prize.

Thank God.

I decided to add another story to the mix, because submitting three stories is a little bit cheaper than submitting just one. Well, USD $2 is still two bucks. So, in addition to Before I Let You Go and Frogs & Princes, I quickly edited Under The Autumn Rain, a story I wrote seven years ago. Then I went on the Flatmancrooked website and paid USD $40 for the three stories via PayPal. Then I copied and pasted the three stories on the submission form under my pen name. I was so relieved to see the "Success!" message after I hit send.

Again, thank You, Lord!

If you've read Before I Let You Go on my Writing.com profile - coughgotomyprofilecough - you'd know what it's about. Frogs & Princes is about a Christian girl torn between a Christian guy with whom she's in love and a non-Christian guy who's into her. It's semi-autobiographical. 'Nuff said. Anyway, Under The Autumn Rain is about a new Canadian immigrant who's had a bad day and who wants to give up.

Phew!

Even if I don't win anything, at least I got to write a new story. And I was able to write and edit with a deadline. See? It's a win-win situation.

But I do hope I win something. It'd be cool to win even a runner-up prize or consolation prize on the first fiction-writing contest I entered. That'd be really cool.

Ciao for now!

Twenty-seven Is Clearly Better Than 26

The best gift I could get on my 27th B'Day?

A day off!

I had a great B'Day on my Work Share Day. I woke up at around 2 PM (I slept at around 3 AM, so don't judge me! Hehe...) and saw a B'Day card from my mom. Then when my sister came home from work and from picking up her kids, she handed me a red envelope containing a gift card from Spa Utopia!!! Hehehe... I've been giving my family hints like, "I need a freaking spa day," or the like. Well, after all the crap I've gone through - and probably will go through in the next few months - I do need a spa day. Heck, I need a spa year! I haven't looked at the service directory, but I will definitely schedule a spa appointment soon.

Then we had an Italian dinner - i.e. spaghetti that my mom cooked and meat lover's and Hawaiian pizzas from Pizza Hut - at home at 4 PM, because the Cs needed to leave at 5 PM for Miss KC's awards assembly. My nephew/godson prayed before we ate and we all had a great chat over dinner. Then we took out a small chocolate cake with small Oreos on top (that my mom bought) and a medium-sized cheese cake from Costco. Everyone under 30 years old loved the chocolate cake and everyone above 21 years old loved the cheese cake.

After dinner, I settled in front of the living room TV to watch three of the four Glee episodes I had missed. My niece convinced me to open the pink gift-wrapped box that the Cs gave me during the "Laryngitis" episode. The Cs gave me the Pretty as a Picture Fragrance Value set from Elizabeth Arden!!! The box contains a Pretty Eau de Parfum Spray, a Pretty Body Lotion, and a Limited Edition Elizabeth Arden Charm Bracelet. It's sooooooooo pretty! There was also a letter from Miss KC. Very sweet and sincere.

I ate some more pizza and went back to my room after the "Dream On" episode to watch the FlashForward series finale. It was amazing, explosive, and mind-blowing. It's a shame that ABC cancelled the show. And that the finale had to air on my B'Day.

Thanks to everyone who sent B'Day greetings on Facebook and Twitter. I felt the love because a lot of people I haven't talked to actually greeted me.

The other best thing about my 27th B'Day? I wasn't sick! I got sick two weeks ago and I did my best to get better before the LOST series finale. I got better, but all the crying I did during "The End" made me cough again. But I wasn't coughing yesterday so it's all good.

Thank You, Lord, for the past 27 years. I raise a glass of Canada Dry ginger ale for the next 27 or 54 years (at least).

Kelly Clarkson: Top American Idol Of All-Time

Y'all know I hate American Idol, but it brought Kelly Clarkson into my life. Since becoming the first Idol, Kelly has become my favourite singer ever. I have her records and my second-favourite song ever (after Mariah Carey's "Butterfly") is "Maybe," from her My December album.

I also love Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, and Kris Allen. But Kelly Clarkson remains my favourite American Idol.

Boy, am I glad that Billboard agrees with me!

As of April 17th, Kelly Clarkson leads the Top 24 American Idols of All-Time with 10.6 million albums sold, 15.9 million singles sold, and 4.26 million radio plays (total = 30.76 million).

Boo-yah.

Carrie Underwood is at number two with 11.5 million albums sold, 13.9 million singles sold, and 2.426 million radio plays (total = 27.826 million). Jordin Sparks is at number four with 1.3 million albums sold, 9 million singles sold, and 1.146 million radio plays (total = 11.446 million). Lastly, Kris Allen is at number 11 with 0.31 million albums sold, 2.6 million singles sold, and 0.165 radio plays (total = 3.075 million).

Yay, Kelly! I can't wait for her next album! I also hope I can see her perform at Lilith Fair either in Toronto on July 24th or in Montreal on July 23rd.

BlackBerry Curve 8900

Do y'all remember my original Christmas wish list? Do y'all remember me saying that I want the BlackBerry Curve 8520, specifically the lavender one?

Well, I just changed my mind. Now I want the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone!

(Image taken from BlackBerry.com)

I didn't feel like working on the freelance writing rates yet, so I went on the Rogers Wireless website to look for the best BlackBerry phone to replace my Red Pearl when my contract expires in December. I've had my heart set on the Curve 8520 for a while now, but I wasn't sure if you could read Word, Excel, and PDF documents on the smartphone. As a freelance editor, I'd like to skim through the prospective client's document before submitting or sending a quote. Unfortunately, the reviews for the Curve 8520 on the Rogers Wireless website don't mention anything about its attachment-reading capabilities. The Red Pearl's small screen doesn't really go well with zooming on a document; more often than not, especially if it's a PDF, it becomes blurry and unreadable. A reviewer did say that the Curve 8520 is not for users who use smartphones for business purposes.

Then I decided to check out the Curve 8900's features. Lo and behold! You can view and revise Word and Excel documents right on the Curve 8900! Hopefully, PDF documents too!

Attachments
For the times when you cant [sic] be at your desk, view and revise popular attachments such as Word and Excel documents right on your phone 

Unfortunately, I still have to wait eight (it's the Numbers, man!) months for my contract to expire. Well, let's hope the current offer of $49.99 for select 3-year plans (hmmm, I wonder what those are...) drops, it becomes available in other colours (only black for now), or both, by December.

Writer's Digest Subscription: To Renew Or Not To Renew?

Last Wednesday, I received a subscription renewal notice from Writer's Digest.

A few months ago, because of the recession and my two Work Share Days, I decided not to renew my subscription. I had to cut some costs and I decided this should be it. I also checked out Quill & Quire, a magazine about the book industry in Canada. But its one-year subscription for 10 issues costs CAD $59.95 before GST - twice WD's costs for a one-year subscription of eight issues! Plus, I'm actually behind three issues, because I have so many things to read and to write (among other tasks).

So, when I got the renewal notice last Wednesday - and saw that the USD $29.95 offer ends on April 14th, a week after I received the notice - I decided not to bother and renew my subscription. But when I went to the Writer's Digest website, I found out that I could renew my subscription online! So I did, for the same price, and without any worries that the completed renewal form arrived in Florida by next Wednesday. *Sigh*

Which means I've gotta cut costs elsewhere. Maybe non-LOST- and non-Fringe-related Amazon purchases? Hehehehe...

Deja Vu: GOLD CANADA GOLD!!!

There ya have it! Sidney Crosby kicked major butt at the last possible moment. With an overtime goal, Sidney Crosby - with an amazing assist from Jarome Iginla - gave Canada the gold medal that matters the most.

The Men's Hockey Team wins gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, Roberto Luongo, and the rest of the Canadian Men's Hockey Team. I'd also like to thank Team USA for making everyone hold their breaths. Y'all played great. Canadians just played better.

Why a deja vu? Because the women and men's hockey teams also won gold eight years ago at the Salt Lake City Winter Games. I saw the men's hockey team win gold on my first official morning here in Canada - I had arrived the day before. We then went to White Rock and celebrated with the rest of Canada.

I barely have a voice at the moment. But it's all worth it!

 

GOLD CANADA GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let the Vancouver Winter Games Begin!

CTV and NBC led the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics coverage last night as the Opening Ceremony unfolded at BC Place.

I watched the CTV coverage, with Brian Williams and Lloyd Robertson as commentators. I also tweeted and followed the tweets from my Canadian and American friends alike. Follow @LadySolitaire83 to see my tweets last night.

I'm sure you've seen most of last night's opening ceremony, or you're watching it right now on your DVRs or whatever, so I'm not going to recap the whole thing. I'm just going to write about the highs and the lows of last night's ceremony.

The highs:

• k.d. lang's performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - She sang the song with so much emotion and barefoot to boot! It was the first - and only? - moving musical performance of the night.
• Yellowknife's Shane Koyczan's poem "We Are More" - The officials saved the best for last. My now-favourite slam poet listed the things that make Canada the amazing country that it is, such as hockey, our politeness, and our cultural diversity. In his words: "We are the true North / Strong and free / And what's more / Is that we didn't just say it / We made it be". You can view the full transcript here.
• The visual and special effects - The orcas! The salmon! The Spirit Bear! The prairies' golden fields! The pretty colours as the seasons progress! Oh, my gosh! The visual effects were so freaking awesome! It was so breathtaking. Wow.
• The BC Place crowd's standing ovation for Team Georgia - As most of you know by now, the 21-year-old luger from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili died yesterday after a tragic accident in Whistler, BC. So when the republic's athletes entered the main stage during the Parade of Nations with black armbands, the spectators in BC Place gave them a standing ovation. Very classy.
• The Four Host First Nations' welcome - It is refreshing to see the First Nations in the spotlight. First, the First Nations chiefs were given the head-of-state status. If y'all remember, the seats behind Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Governor-General Michaelle Jean, IOC President Jacques Rogge, and the other important people were empty and kinda confused. The commentators said that the confusion was due to the First Nations chiefs not having arrived yet. Second, the Four Host First Nations - the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh - welcomed the world in their respective native languages and in English & French. Third, the other Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, including the Metis, Inuit, and First Nations, danced their ways into the floor and during the Parade of Nations.
• Newfoundland's punk tap dancers and fiddlers - OMG, they were entertaining. I enjoyed the fiddling and the tap dancing. I was wondering whether we'd see Ashley MacIsaac, as he was the only Canadian fiddler I've actually heard of. Then, lo and behold, he was there! That was a fun performance.

The lows:

• The apparent lip-syncing of the musical performers - Everyone was a-Twitter about Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, and even Sarah McLachlan and Measha Brueggergosman, appearing to lip-sync. I guess it's because they didn't "sound" live, as opposed to k.d. lang and the francophone singer Garou's performances. It's kinda hard to tell with Measha because she's a soprano and with Sarah because it would also follow that the piano and the strings also wouldn't be live. But Nelly and Bryan did seem like they were lip-syncing. It doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of last night's ceremony, but the lip-synced performances definitely pale in comparison to k.d. lang and Garou's performances. Not to mention, kinda embarrassing for these world-renowned artists.
• The massive mechanical epic failure at the end - During the final leg of the Olympic torch relay, five of the greatest Canadian names in sports - Rick Hansen, Catriona LeMay-Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, and Wayne Gretzky, in this order - lit each other's torches, until they were standing around the stage. There was an extended pause as each of them - especially Nash and Gretzky - looked worried and confused. Then a commentator (can't remember which one) said that five pieces of the indoor cauldron were supposed to emerge from the floor, but there was some sort of mechanical difficulty getting them up. Eventually, the middle piece and three legs emerged, leaving one leg on the ground. When the five lit the indoor cauldron, it was still beautiful, but the mechanical epic failure was seen all over the world. It was so embarrassing. Thank God Gretzky's ride from BC Place to the external cauldron at Waterfront - with the spectators gleefully following the vehicle and taking pictures - saved us all from this massive embarrassment. The poor hydraulic engineer must be hiding under a bunker right now.

Overall, the Opening Ceremony was amazing and breathtaking. Despite the aforementioned low points, it was a beautiful introduction - or re-introduction - of Vancouver, and Canada, to the world.

Go Canada go!!!

All I Want for Christmas Is...

November has begun and there are only 48 days before Christmas!

Aside from $25,000, I would like to get any of the following:

BlackBerry Curve 8520, Black or Lavender

(Both pics downloaded from Rogers Wireless website.)

If I can't get a BlackBerry Storm from Rogers Wireless, this is the next best thing. Right? Spending $49.99 for a three-year plan shouldn't be so bad. The hardware upgrade cost almost two years ago was huge, though. That was only for a BlackBerry Pearl, which was popular back then (i.e. in 2007). The hardware upgrade fees must be crazy-high for this one. Hope not!

Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan (Art by Pia Guerra and Jose Marza, Jr.)

(Volume 1 cover image downloaded from Vertigo website.)

Brian K. Vaughan wrote for LOST from Seasons 3 to 5, as well as two Lost: Missing Pieces mobisodes. Four of the episodes he co-wrote ("Catch-22," "Confirmed Dead," "The Shape of Things to Come," and "Dead Is Dead") are some of my favourite LOST episodes of all time. "King of the Castle" is one of the strongest Lost: Missing Pieces mobisodes. Obviously, he's a great writer.

After it was referenced on LOST 5x06 ("316"), Nikki Stafford included a synopsis of the series in her Finding Lost - Season 5: The Unofficial Guide (page 116-120). In it, she declares,

Suffice it to say: if you are a fan of Lost, you will love Y: The Last Man. It has the same sensibilities, the same cliffhangers, the same mystery. (page 118)

Another LOST fan, Stephen King also loved the series. He says,

The best graphic novel I've ever read.

What more do I need to know about this award-winning series? Now, all I need is the location of a comic book store that has all - I repeat, ALL - 10 volumes.

Sony BDPS360 Blu-Ray Disc Player

(Item image downloaded from Sony Style Canada.)

Dang that LOST University ARG. Why does it cater to those who have Blu-Ray players? So, I want one. Heck, as a LOST fan, I need one.

I've been looking for the cheapest Sony Blu-Ray player online. I lost an eBay bidding for an earlier model of a Sony Blu-Ray player (BDPS350, I believe). It costs CDN$228 at Wal-Mart, where my sister works. She will probably buy this for me during the store's customer appreciation two-week event, when her discount rate increases to 20% and her kids and I can buy our electronics. I will, of course, reimburse her for the total cost (approximately CDN$205, including GST and PST).

Wonder if I'm gonna get any of these? Hehehe...

Advanced Merry Christmas!

There's a Reason I Don't Like Baseball...

... And that is baseball's interruption of Fringe.

Grrrr!

For at least two weeks, there will be no new Fringe episode due to post-season baseball. According to FringeTelevision's calendar, Fox will re-air the Season 2 premiere, "A New Day In The Old Town," on October 22nd IF there's no ALCS Game 5. The next week, October 29th, there will be no episode at all due to World Series Game 2. The following week, November 5th, episode 2x06 ("Earthling") may be aired IF there's no World Series Game 7. If so, episode 2x06 will be aired on November 12th. That's four weeks after the last new episode. FOUR WEEKS!

My Geek Thursday (FlashForward at 8pm and Fringe at 9pm) will be incomplete for at least one week. Three, if I discount the rerun of the Season 2 premiere and if there's World Series Game 7.

It would have been better if Fringe Season 2 episodes were available on Canadian iTunes Store...

God could possibly have arranged this so I can focus on Assignment 4 (the last one!). Possible, right?

*Sigh* Oh well...

Glee Jam Sessions

This is one of my favourite moments in Glee episode 1x07 ("Throwdown"). It's a shame the audio isn't available on iTunes. Also a shame that the following clip is the most decent one I could find: video quality isn't so good, but the audio is fine.



Thanks to YouTube user snottlebie7 for the clip!

Has Finn (played by Canadian hottie Cory Monteith) ever played the drums on the show? I can't remember. Has Puck (played by Mark Salling) ever played the guitar? I can't remember either.

Oh, well. I might have to get the episode from iTunes to be able to watch this episode - a strong one, thanks to Jane Lynch's awesomeness - and the jam session anytime I want.

Gone Camping...

I've been very busy.

In addition to work, church, business planning, and LOST Rewatch, I received my course materials from SFU Writing and Publishing Program, and I've gotta get started on Assignment 1 that is due on July 31st. Also, I've been preparing for my trip to Washington, Oregon, and California. You know, writing a packing list (thanks, Google Docs!), actually packing my clothes and other essentials, and making sure my electronics are fully charged.

Yep. I'm going on vacation. Woot woot!

So there might not be another blog post until I come back on July 20th. I know, I know: I haven't blogged since Canada Day. Like I said, I've been very busy. Unfortunately, Blogger Mobile doesn't work with Canadian cell phones, so can't do that either. Maybe I'll try to find a Wi-Fi hotspot and blog from my iPod Touch?

Anyhoo, have a great summer and please pray for our protection.

Ciao for now!

Happy 142nd Birthday, Canada!!!

I am spending my Canada Day working on my freelance editorial services website. But I have to do something in honour of my country's B'Day!

Check out this YouTube video message from Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper:



Hey, wait a minute... Canada is now 142 years old. It's the Numbers, man! Hehehe...

Happy Canada Day!!!



Time to sip some Molson Canadian...

Fringe Season 2 Filming Begins Today!!!

FringeTelevision.com reports that filming for Season 2 began today in Vancouver.

*Squeals*

Excuse me while I finish jumping up and down, and doing my happy dance...

Ahem. OK, I'm done.

As EW.com and I reported in February, filming for Fringe moved from New York to Vancouver, a.k.a. Hollywood North, because the State of New York's film/television production tax incentive program had dried up. So many of the on-location crew are newbies to the show. Get this: JJ Abrams wrote a letter to the cast and crew to kick off the filming season. I'll post the image later, but the following words excite me so much:

"I cannot wait to get up there soon and say hi in person!"

*Squeals again*

By the way, here's the image. Thanks to Fringe Television for letting me post it here.



So, now I've gotta keep an eye out for filming locations around the Lower Mainland. I hope I can bump into any one and I can take a pic or something.

Lemme know if you bump into one, a'ight?

Showbiz Woes

So, it's official: Jon & Kate Gosselin, stars of TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8, are divorcing.

Frankly, I saw it coming. The way their lives and marital issues were portrayed in the media, particularly the tabloids and gossip blogs, can take a toll on anyone's marriage. Although I don't watch the show, I've seen enough to make me think that this divorce is probably the best way to end the couple's suffering. I guess it was difficult for Jon to have a wife that is more strong-willed than he is, and I guess taking care of eight children has also taken a toll on Kate and it has affected her relationship with her husband. Jon did not help things when he was seen with another woman when it's, I think, "improper" for a father of eight to be out, especially when the woman is not his wife. I do not condone divorce, but if it is the best thing that could happen to everyone involved, then so be it. I only hope TLC ends the show too. Sure, the Gosselins have given the network its highest rating ever, but it was at their family's expense. The parents were obviously suffering (in the season premiere, I think), but TLC was so happy that a lot of people tuned in. They are cashing in while the family is breaking up.

Come to think of it: this is not the first reality show that ruined - or contributed, at the very least, to the ruin of - its stars' relationship. Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's marriage crumbled within its first two years. About the same thing happened to Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro, as well as Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker. Their marriages may have been doomed from the start, but having cameras around them all the time may have made their respective situations worse for them. This has happened to many other reality show "relationships" and, judging from history, Jon & Kate won't be the last either.

It's just one of the many reasons I do not watch a lot of reality shows. HGTV shows do not count as they are fun and helpful, as are select TLC shows (like What Not To Wear). Gene Simmons Family Jewels is my guilty pleasure, though; I enjoy this show because they are all freaking hilarious. Gene Simmons may be arrogant and may have a God-complex, but he's funny. I also enjoy The Amazing Race, because I like the travelling part of the show. I especially like it when my favourites win at the end (hehe).

In other showbiz news, Perez Hilton claims that Black Eyed Peas' manager, a man named Liborio Molina, assaulted him after this year's MuchMusic Video Awards. Apparently, Perez started the fight when he called will.i.am a derogatory term when the latter confronted the former about the blogger's posts about Fergie. He then claimed that will.i.am hit him. Then his story changed and the manager was revealed to be the one who hit him.

I find two curious things about this event. One, why didn't Perez go directly to the police? Rather, he posted his allegations on Twitter. He also posted a vlog on his site as an answer to will.i.am's video where the Peas member denied he hit Perez. Sure, his tweets alerted the Toronto police. But I don't see why he had to tweet them, instead of reporting what happened to the police. It doesn't make sense to me. Two, why did he call will.i.am a f****t when Perez himself, as a gay man, should be insulted by the term? Now, even GLAAD is upset with him. As of this writing, Perez has not responded to GLAAD.

A question remains: did Perez Hilton instigate this fight for publicity? Hmm... If I were a betting woman, I'd say yes.

Eh. Whatever. I don't pay much attention to them anyway.

Fringe Returns September 17th

EW.com's Michael Ausiello reports that FOX has released its Fall 2009, premiere schedule. Looks like Fringe will return on September 17th, Thursday, at 9pm.

Yay!

Let's hope ABC won't put LOST in the same time slot as Fringe, when it returns in the winter. It's probably unlikely, but weirder things have happened.

I wonder if filming has started. Hmmm... Maybe I should visit Vancouver soon. Hehehe...

Leap, Dude, Leap

I just started an editorial and typing service business. Yeah. I did an outline for a business plan, researched my market, carefully read statistics and business start-up info, and created a web site.

Well, I need extra money so I can save enough for a down payment and closing costs. A little moonlight business can help. A former co-worker is moonlighting as a bookkeeper for at least one small company. I figured, I could moonlight too - not as an accountant, but as an editor. I've been writing prose and blogs for years now - specifically, 15 years all told - and I have been editing my nephew and niece's school papers for almost half of that. Plus, I always edit stuff - like news articles, feature articles, company and road signs, other people's blog posts, etc. - in my head.

I thought I could make it as a freelance editor after I worked on Miss KC's essay for her high school IB program. I needed to whittle it down from 600 words to 200. I only managed to reduce it to 400 words, but I tried to rearrange sentences and change the wording so that I could unite her ideas into one decent application essay. Apparently, after I gave it back to Miss KC, they sent it to their editor-friend in New York (yes, the mecca of publishing in the US) for further polishing. I don't know what the final essay looked like, but it probably helped her get in the program. According to Mrs C, their friend said it looked professional - as if a pro editor worked on it. From there, the freelance editorial services business idea was born.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of my research, but it took me two or three weeks before I finished the rough draft of the business plan outline. I still have not finished writing the business plan itself, but I can work from the outline. I even figured out a fair pricing plan: I will be billing based on either word count or page count (depends on the document), rather than on the number of hours I worked on it. Since I have a day job, LOST obsession, and a hint of a social life, the usual pricing basis will not be fair. Anyway, I added document or manuscript typing to widen my market. I would probably do a bit of editing as I type anyway.

So I created a website on Google Sites, because it is free and it is convenient (I am using my other GMail account for the business). It's a decent site - frankly, Microsoft Publisher can do better - but it works. The site is almost complete; I only need to complete my bio and to figure out how to make the file upload page work and secure for my customers. Check it out, if you'd like.

Also, a thought came to me last Saturday: Why don't I actually study editing? Simon Fraser University has a Writing and Publishing Program, which is based in the City of Vancouver. There is a Certificate in Editing program, but all applicants need to complete Editors and Editing: An Introduction. So I registered for the online course, which starts on July 1st (a.k.a. Canada Day) and should be completed after four months. I hope I get to finish all the requirements so I can apply to the Certificate program. And for $420, I'd better!

Now, I need customers. So, if you need someone to polish your work, then let me know. Pricing is on the website, and you'll find it cheap and reasonable.

And, oh, this feels so much like Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother's Season 4 finale ("The Leap"). Although the field is still architecture, teaching is an entirely different career. With the help of his friends, he took the metaphorical leap and left the architectural practice to teach. My situation is different, but the action is the same: I also took the metaphorical leap by moonlighting as a freelance editor and by studying editing. I actually remember telling my old boss (from the one that laid off the entire Burnaby finance department) that I want to go into the literary/publishing field. Ten months after, I finally made good on that statement. Let's hope I become successful enough so I only have to work part-time as an accountant. Hehehe...

iTunes Hates LOST and Fringe

Of course, I'm exaggerating. (The title is also a parody of the way some publications sensationalize news items.)

But downloading LOST Season 5 and Fringe Season 1 from the Canadian iTunes Store has been very frustrating!

It's been more than a week since I bought LOST S5 and Fringe S1, but I still haven't been able to download both the HD and Standard Definition versions. I keep getting this error message:

Unable to check for available downloads. The network connection timed out.

Make sure your network settings are correct and your connection is active, then try again.

So, I did. Still doesn't work. I tried every kind of troubleshooting I know and the ones that iTunes Support suggested, but nothing has worked so far. I even tried buying and downloading songs and applications, and then attempting to download the episodes, but it has not worked.

Most recently, I tried buying How I Met Your Mother's Season 4 finale ("The Leap," because I relate to it) to see if it works. As of 8:15am, both the HD and SD versions are downloading nicely and steadily.

Crap.

I just thought of this: It could be the amount of time it will take to download the HD and SD versions of LOST S5 and Fringe S1. HIMYM's Season 4 finale will take approximately three hours to download; that's just the HD version of one episode. Think of how long 78 episodes (one SD for each HD episode) will take. Nonetheless, I should have been able to download the episodes, even if it takes forever.

*Sigh* I wish iTunes Store would just refund the amount I paid for the order, so I can retry it.

HGTV is Reinforcing My Choice

While waiting for the Robitussin to work in my system, I went on the HGTV Canada website and I decided to do some quizzes for fun.

Check out the result for the What Type of Home Should I Buy quiz...

Choose a Condo

Location, luxe décor, and low maintenance are important to you, which is why a condo is an ideal home base. Don't think that means it'll have to be closet-sized: look to buy in an older building. The building will have a solid reserve fund, meaning maintenance fees will be steady and units will be larger than they're made now.

See? See? It fits where I am right now in my life.

Oh, and one more: What type of a condo buyer am I?

Condo Guru

You want to own your own home, but don't need the stairs, driveway or lawn. A condo is your best bet. Not willing to give up outdoor space? Look for a penthouse unit with a private terrace, or a newer building with a deluxe rooftop patio. Remember, the more amenities (party or movie room, pool, whirlpool or barbeques), the higher the maintenance fees may be.

Thank you, HGTV Canada and whoever created the aforementioned quizzes!