Each Day Already is a Challenge

Okay, I'm awake again

...I think.

I have to about it, otherwise I might . It drives me nuts that I have to take naps. Sometimes I can go for days without needing to do that. Then Tiff will be here for the weekend and I'll have to nap while she's here. That really makes me mad. At least this past weekend, I was able to nap while she and hubby were out having daddy time.

********
My son came looking for me and asked if he woke me. He didn't. He was finally using the bongo drums his dad sent for his birthday. I don't think he had used them much before today.

For Christmas 2005, I gave Derek a Djembe (an African drum), and he has used that. Now he has both the Djembe and the bongos. I'm glad he's using them today. Sometimes it helps him relieve stress.

In case you don't know what they look like, here's a Djembe:

Nope. He didn't wake me. I was already awake when he started drumming. But I really don't think it would have mattered that he was drumming and I was sleeping. It seems, once I am asleep, that nothing much wakes me up.

*********

You know what bugs me? I'm signed up with a few different (real!) mystery shopping companies. But I have not gone out of my way to do any mystery shopping since I've been in Cincinnati. You know why? Many of the companies have not raised their payments in years. Grrr.

I did my first mystery shopping before there were mystery shopping companies, I think. Back then, I worked for a private investigator. I had to pretend to need an apartment and report on the leasing office. That was in Houston, way back in about...1979 or 1980. I was paid $25 for about an hour of my time, and back then that was excellent.

The company that I'm signed up with to spy on (okay they wouldn't like that phrase) apartment leasing offices now pays $40. That's okay.

But the pay for some other kinds of shops stinks. Like...there's one company that pays $5 to shop a restaurant. Granted you don't have to buy much to be able to report. But still. They're not reimbursing for the meal or snack. And it could take 3 or 4 weeks to get the $5. With gas prices, I'm not sure about that one.

Today I got an email about doing shops for a hotel. This could be worth something. They reimburse for the cost of the hotel (plus meals if you're required to report on them) plus $20. They expect you to do these shops in your own area, so there's not a big travel expense. (Or you can schedule a shop somewhere else while you're traveling. That could be interesting - getting your hotel reimbursed plus getting paid.)

Anyway, in case you're interested in trying this, here's the link: http://shopper.application.freemangroupsolutions.com/

**********
Speaking of not increasing pay...

That has become a hot topic about some of the writing magazines and e-zines. They have not increased pay at some of them. Funny, isn't it? They will criticize other magazines and e-zines for taking advantage of writers and not paying enough. Then they will pay very little for articles about how little the other magazines pay.

*********

Okay. I'm not sure that last paragraph made much sense. I wonder if I'm getting sick or something. I'm shutting down, as I tell hubby. That means that I need to be in bed in the next ten minutes or so. Wonder why I'm so sleepy today??????

Bye again.