First off, "my boys" played Barcelona, their biggest rivals, on Saturday and won!!! My throat was actually sore from all the screaming that happened. And, yeah, everyone thought Ronaldo was man of the match but my vote goes to Arbeloa, yes, the vampire. ;)
They're playing an important game today as well against a dang German team. Don't even get me started on my hate for German soccer teams. You'll get plenty of that this summer during the Euro Cup. ;)
Secondly, I'm pondering some post ideas and changes and wondering if anyone actually reads or cares about my Sunday Salon posts? I don't mind writing them up but I feel like for you, the reader, they're horribly boring and I'm thinking about dumping them all together. Anyone care?Thirdly, I'm about two inches from going to the book store and spending a ridiculous amount of money on books I want! I'm trying to be better at budgeting my money since I don't have a job at the moment and am starting to feel like I'll NEVER get one. :( Anywho, I could use some sage advice about now or I'm going to lose it!
And forthly, awhile ago I whined about blogs I read and comment on all the time but who never return the favor. And it occurs to me I may be inadvertently doing this myself. do any of you lovely bloggers visit me all the time and never hear a peep from me on your blog? I'd feel awful if this is so. Let me know and I'll rectify the situation. We're all friends here. :)
Thanks for listening to my rambling. Bear with my while I sludge through this slump. Happy reading!
I enjoy reading your blog and have been a lurker for quite a while. I do not have my own blog but am a teen librarian. I like the Sunday Salons. And about dumping a bunch of money for new books - stick with the budget and just get them from a library. You can only read one at a time anyway. I understand your slump - am in a bit of one myself at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThanks for lurking! I do need to just go to the library more often than I do. Good idea!
DeleteFirst off *hugs* the slump will end at some point. I do rather enjoy your Sunday Salon, it feels a little more personal to me (similar to why I added Meet me on Monday - to share a little about me).
ReplyDeleteAnd for budget and books, while my brother has been saving for a house I challenged him to spend no more than $25 a week on frivolous things. It was up to him what he did with it, he could spend it on anything that week or he could save it up and buy something big. I also stuck to the challenge with him to motivate him. We would chat once a week to discuss what we did with our money each week. I do the same with the hubby, only its $50, he usually saves it up to buy lead and powder for reloading his shotgun shells. You can do something like that based on your budget, but you do need to reward yourself every once in a while. I read a financial article once that said even on a tight budget, it was better to give yourself a small reward instead of none at all because it often led to a large spending splurge out of frustration.
And lastly, I am the culprit, you visit my blog so often and comment. I on the other hand do read yours regularly but fail to comment, mostly because I get distracted so easily LOL!
Well, I'm glad you enjoy my SS posts. I've been trying to just buy one book once and awhile to keep me from buying tons all at once.
DeleteYou know that the Sunday Salons are my favorite. Don't stop doing those, that's the only time I hear how you are doing. Well kinda. So no luck on the job hunt huh? Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you read them. There not uber informative but, hey. Nope, no job yet. :(
DeleteI like reading your Sunday Salon, and I don't ever find it boring (although to be honest, I don't book blog for the excitement!). Sorry you're in a bookish slump, for some reason that hasn't happened to me since I started blogging, but that's mostly because I read several books at once and I'm doing ARC tours.
ReplyDeleteBut I'll play the bad angel and tell you to go buy some books! Or, even better, just go to the book store, get a pile of books, sit down with a cup of coffee and start reading the first chapter of every book. You should know pretty easily what books are immediate fits, and which ones you don't need to bring home.
And I love how much you love soccer! So nice to see someone else that enjoys the best sport on earth!
Oh, you're lucky you haven't had a slump. It's awful! I love your book buying idea. I always mean to at least flip through a book and see how I like the writing before I actually buy it but I forget. I need to take your suggestion.
DeleteI love that you love soccer AND Odd. Makes me smile!
Keep the Sunday salon. Start checking your books out to other people for a minimal fee and use that money to buy you new books. ;)
ReplyDeleteSo how much do you back owe me??? ;)
DeleteSorry you're still in your slump. :( It's hard to get out of one. I'm still kind of there too.
ReplyDeleteAs far as your questions:
1. I read the Sunday Salons, but I don't really comment unless something really catches my attention.
2. Go to the library instead! Save your pennies! You can get books you want, but you don't have to pay for them. :)
3. You're always good about commenting on my blog. :)
Stupid slumps. I'm going to go to the library for sure!
DeleteOh, I hate the blogging slump :( It tends to strike me quite often. I actually enjoy your Sunday Salon posts, cause they are usually quite funny. I better make an effort to comment on them more often. I think you need to make a visit to the library and that might help you curb your bookstore binge desires (sometimes it helps me, sometimes it makes me want to buy more :)
ReplyDeleteOh good! I try to be funny but I feel like it comes off so boring. :( I'm going to the library! Promise.
DeleteI like your Sunday Salon posts, I know I don't always comment on them but I do like reading them.
ReplyDeleteI am the LAST person that should give you advice on budgeting. I am excellent at setting up a budget, but I struggle severely in the budget execution department.
I will ask the job fairy to send one your way!
Well, I hope you have an in with the job fairy. ;)
DeleteWhen it comes to Sunday Salon, I think it's a fun post that you do. It's up to you whether you want to discontinue it, or change it into something slightly different. I'll read whatever you post!
ReplyDeleteAh, budgeting money... I just dropped another day of work to lighten my stress load, and I realized that this meant I would have to be better about my spending. When I look back on things I've bought in recent months, I can definitely see a pattern of either buying something just to buy something AND filling up a cart to $25 on Amazon for free shipping to just get one item I really want. So, I had to come to the decision that I am not going to buy any random book just to fill a cart or walk out of a store with something in my hand. I am only going to buy books I *really* want and *will* actually read. It's going to be hard, but I like the idea of not wasting money and regretting it later.
I know I'm guilty of not visiting more blogs. When I used to do memes, I would always visit every visitors site and comment on their post. Now that I don't do too many of them, I'm not sure if I'm missing anyone. Some days I just don't have too much time with other stuff going on IRL, but other days I try to make up for it. Since I have three days off in a row at the moment, I'm playing catch up on everything!
Hang in there and don't worry too much. I think you do a great job keeping up with everything and visiting other blogs. :)
Thanks for the kind words, Jessica. I ALWAYS do that same thing on Amazon! And then feel stupid for falling for it. :( Glad to know I'm not alone.
Delete1. Sorry about your slump. I'm a little slumpy, right now, myself.
ReplyDelete2. Love your Sunday Salon posts but you should do what you like. Blog happy. :)
3. I just bought two ridiculously expensive books for NO REASON WHATSOEVER, although I'm telling myself they're references in case I decide to write that book I'm considering (silly topic, since I know next to nothing about it, but it would be fun). Same reason. I'm kind of losing it. I am so sick of being alone in my house with no job. If the job fairy finds you, send her my way.
4. You often visit me. I appreciate that. :)
Isn't it funny how bored we can get without a job? And yet when I have one I HATE it. Tsk, tsk.
DeleteLove the boys!
ReplyDeleteKeep the Sunday Salon!
Sound like a library trip needs to happen. Come by and we'll go together!
And I'm thinking item four doesn't apply to me! :)
Good my love for "my boys" is spreading!
DeleteWe definitely need to go to the library. Let me finish my obligatory books and we'll do it!
Take your list of books and check them out from the library. From there, choose the ones you really want to purchase and forever keep. You might be amazed at how few books you do actually want to purchase now during you out-of-work season.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I need to remember that!
DeleteOh yeah... Keep the Sunday Salon. I do like reading them even though I don't comment much.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll keep it up.
DeleteSorry to hear you're still in a slump. It will pass....eventually. Know that's hard to hear, but everyone needs a break every now and again.
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for the library! I love my local library, as they can get hold of almost everything on my wishlist for me! I'm on a book buying ban, yet my stacks continue to mysteriously grow. Pretty sure magic is involved....;)
Yeah, magic, that's it. ;)
DeleteYeah, get to your local library so you won't have to buy books, or request ARCs/review copies. There's tons of free books in the Kindle. You could honestly never pay for a book and have loads to read.
ReplyDeleteBut, I say read the stuff you really want to because something might be so good, it gets you out of your blogging slump. You may love something so much you'll want nothing more than to review it.
I hope your slump goes away soon, though. Hang in there! :)
I SO wish I could read what I wanted to at the moment. I know it would help with the slump. I just need to finish the two books I'm reading and then it's all good!
DeleteHi, Jenny! You've received so much sage advice already, that I'll only chime in here to say that you should buy a book or two. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I love visiting your blog, whatever the topic. And I've definitely had blogging slumps - just go with how you feel.
Oops. I'm giving advice. I'd better go.
Yay! I like the advice to buy a book or two. :)
DeleteAh fellow slump buddy. I know how you're feeling. I'm thinking about writing a post about why I think I'm in a slump. Hopefully our run of boredom will end soon. I like the Sunday Salons so will be sad if they go. It's great to get to know you on a more personal level. <--that's the stalker in me talking :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think book buying is to book bloggers as food is to emotional eaters. Whenever I'm feeling a bit down I end up buying a bunch of books I never end up reading. Alas I have no cure. Maybe take up soccer??
Write it! I'm dying to know if you have a reason that I hadn't thought of. Buying books is definitely a comfort thing for me.
DeleteI had forgotten that this summer was Euro Cup again. If you don't like German teams you can watch the final match of the last Euro Cup: Spain won :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the books I would suggest the same thing people have already said: libraries.
Depending on what books you want you could wait until there is a paperback edition (if there isn't one already). I usually don't buy harbacks because for the prize of one I can buy two or three paperbacks.
Also, you could suggest your friends / relatives what you want for your birthday or Christmas.
Not buying online might be a good idea, too. That way you don't need to reach a specific prize to avoid shipping costs and you can buy just one book at a time. And second hand book shops are great. Friends who read are also great. They may have the books you want to read.
And there are lots of small ways of saving a bit of money. That won't make you rich but if what you want is a book you can save enough money in a few weeks. For example walking to shops instead of driving (I know that's not possible everywhere). Cooking instead of buying take-out and microwave meals is usually cheaper (and healthier). It's probably obvious that I'm a student.
This gave me an idea. I could write a post with small ways of saving money for books. After talking with some friends a couple of days ago I realized they didn't know all the things they could do with a student card (and other similar cards).
I really should comment more on posts I read. I read many posts and then I don't know what to say that doesn't sound like a standard comment.
I know! They won the world cup too. Here's hoping they can keep the title. I love your comments especially on my soccer posts!
DeleteI love the Sunday Salon! It's fun to catch a glimpse of life as it is happening to you! It doesn't have to be exciting, just be you. Besides, you have a great sense of humor, it makes me laugh! I used to worry about if people liked my blog, but then I realized, it's my life, they can live their life the way they want to , and I will live mine like there is no tomorrow :) good luck in the job hunting...You could look down here to FL- it is paradise ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I still make you laugh. :D
Delete