This is a new Chapter

Chapter Three
The New Trainee

Maria stared out of the window in her room into the courtyard below, smiling with excitement. Far below she could see the people going about their business.
Why was she excited and not freaking out about what was going on. The truth was she always believed in fantasy worlds. When she was a child, Maria had told one of the matrons at the orphanage that she believed in things like dragons, leprechauns, magic and anything relating to fantasy. While all things may not be real, she believed that there was possibly a world that did exist.
“Maria,” she was reprimanded, “places like those are only in the mind of imagination. It is best to keep these ideas to yourself. People will never believe that you are normal. That is one of the reasons why you never get adopted. Prospective parents believe that you are a strange and odd girl.”
From then on, Maria did not talk to others about fantasy world. However, she still was strong in her belief that they did exist.
Why was she not afraid of getting trained to be a warrior? What was the difference between this world and the United States Army? Maria had already decided to sign up for the R.O.T.C. program at college. In fact, she was to meet with the staff and start the paperwork. However, it looks like she was not going to make that meeting. They would probably assume that she was no longer interested. She had been excited about the thought of doing anything to protect her country. Now she had the prospect to save a world. Even though she had only been in Utofamia for less than twenty-four hours, she felt like this world was her home.
What about all the things that she was leaving behind; would she miss them? Maria thought about what would not exist in this world.
First there were cell phones. She though about several students in her classes who, even though they sat next to each other, would send text messages back and forth. “Ridiculous,” Maria had thought to herself more than once. She never had a need or a use for a cell phone. She only made a couple phone calls a month. All she would do is just walk to the corner store near her apartment and use the pay phone. The only time she thought about getting a cell phone was if she ever found out about her parents and needed to make a long distance phone call.
Computers were something else that she did not need to have. If she needed to do research or to find information, she would just go the library and use their computers. While people talked about using IM and email, as well as going on Facebook and MySpace, Maria was not interested. She did not care about what was popular on YouTube or what hot products were being sold on EBay.
Another thing Maria did not miss was television. She did not even have a TV set in the apartment. Growing up in the orphanage, the children were restricted to what shows they could watch. Most shows that were allowed were boring. Ever since she had started reading, Maria always had a book in her hand. While she read most genres as she expanded her book collection, fantasy was her favorite. Maybe that was why she always believed in worlds of centaurs, knights, magic and unicorns.
Books would be the only thing she would miss. However, there was an entire library in the castle. This had more books than she could possibly read in a lifetime.
The only thing she had wondered about was personal hygiene. If this was like the middle ages of her world, it was said that people smelled from the day that they were born. There was no such thing as deodorants, shower gels and Avon. However, when she went to the private bath house, the rose water made her smell much better than any perfume that she had used. “Thankfully, I did not have to bathe in the moat,” she thought to herself. “It might take me a while to get used to bathing with other people. At least, I am not one of the unlucky ones who have to sleep outdoors.” She looked around the room. It was smaller than the apartment that she was living in. However, it was far more comfortable. She sat on the bed and noticed how comfortable it was. “This room suits me just fine.”
As soon as these thought this, there was a knock on the door. She opened it and Osandria was standing there. Two other females were behind her holding a bedroll and a small tent.
“King Alexander,” Osandria began, “forgot the protocol when it comes to new trainees. You are on probation for six months while you are training.”
“I see,” said Maria.
“After the six months, we decide whether to keep you on as a fighter or relieve you of your duties. Don’t worry, dear,” Osandria continued, seeing Maria’s puzzled expression, “most trainees make it all the way through. Once in a while we get somebody who can’t hold a sword if his life depended on it. I get a feeling that you will make it through training and maybe far exceed other warriors.”
“Thank you,” said Maria. “I should be getting some sleep if I am to get up early.”
“I know,” said Osandria. “We just have to show you how to set your tent up and you will be set for the night.”
“I don’t understand, I thought that I had a room.”
“The protocol for trainees that are on probation must stay in a tent for the first six months of training. Don’t fret, dear, the ground is not hard once you get used to it.”
******************************
"Maria."
There was a grunt from the person sleeping in the tent.
"Wake up now, Maria. It is a fresh new day."
Maria grunted louder, “Leeme alone.” Maria had spent a long sleepless night tossing and turning on the hard ground. Even using her bedroll as a mattress did not help; she just could not get comfortable. After what seemed like hours, she finally fell asleep to be awakened in too short of a time.
Osandria shook her harder. “Maria, you are no different from anybody else here. You have to get up with the others.” The fighter, knowing Maria was new, talked to her gently. She was always like this with the new trainees. Thankfully, there was somebody next to here when the new people gave her a hard time. She turned to the man standing next to her.
Geoffrey grinned, “I love doing the dirty work.” He reached into the tent and grabbed Maria’s shirt. “Time to get up,” he said. He roughly pulled her up and threw her out of the tent.”
Maria fell on the ground scraping here exposed skin on the loose rocks. “The sun is not even up,” she said to herself as she noticed the darkness around her.
Geoffrey leaned over Maria until his face was inches from hers. “WHEN YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT!” he yelled.
Using her hands to support her weight, Maria pushed up from the ground and sprung up towards Geoffrey. Angry, she pushed against his chest. Surprised, he fell to the ground.
“THERE, HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?” she yelled back into his face.
Geoffrey threw back his head and laughed.
“We will make a fighter out of you that is for sure.”
Maria glared at Geoffrey. Here was a man who seemed to show a sensitive side. But now he was acting like the jerk he was when she first met him.
“Play time is over,” Osandria said. “Now it is time for some fun.” She handed Maria a bundle of tunics, leggings and shoes. “We always start out day with a little run before we eat breakfast. These will be better than what you are wearing.”
Maria looked at the shoes that she was handed. They were just pieces of leather that were stitched together. They looked similar to the ones that people from the Middle Ages wore. There was a string where she tied the show around her ankles.
“Now you will look like a native of Utofamia.”
Maria went back into her tent to change, glaring at Geoffrey. While she was changing she was trying not to laugh aloud; it was worth that look of surprise on the King bane’s face when she pushed him over. Within a few minutes she was changed in the new clothes. Even though, they clothes looked worn, they were comfortable. Maria was expecting that they would be causing her to itch as soon as she put them on. She walked out of the tent and looked for Osandria. She was gone. She glanced at Geoffrey. She was dressed in a similar fashion as the Kingsbane. Their clothes were almost identical except for the fact that he was wearing chain mail.
“Osandria has gone to get the other females lined up for the run. She wants me to run with you. The formation is this way.”
Maria followed Geoffrey away from the bivouac and walked over the drawbridge. On the other side of the moat the warriors were lining up in platoons. Maria walked to the female section.
One by one, the platoons went off in different directions.
“We are going to the east,” Osandria yelled. “You will run to the edge of the hunting grounds, turn around and come back. Go!”
Geoffrey held out his hand and held Maria’s arm. “Not yet,” he said. He waited until the others were already on their way. “Now!” The two began running.
Maria and Geoffrey started out at an easy pace. “Osandria wants you to take it easy for the first few days.” As he talked, he breathed in his nose and out his mouth. Maria also did the same. “You catch on quickly,” he said. “Many people do not realize how the way they breathe affects the way they run and fight.”
Maria did not say anything. Yet, she was laughing to herself. She ran cross country track when she was in high school and her first semester at college. She had even won the Nationals last October.
They ran in silence for a few minutes and then he spoke. “I know I was rough on you this morning. You will never know if there is going to be a fight. We have to be awake and ready in an instant when the call comes. At least I know you are a fighter,” he added laughing.
Maria laughed. “You should have seen the look on your face when I knocked you over. At least this run is waking me up.”
“After breakfast I have to take you to the armorer to get you fitted,” Geoffrey laughed.
“What’s so funny?” she asked suspiciously.
“Oh, nothing,” said Geoffrey, mischievously.
They continued running. The area around her looked familiar. “Hey, isn’t this the place where you found me?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Geoffrey pointing to the left. “That is where we had the campfire. Maybe I can talk to Osandria and let you pull guard duty with us. Then you will have an idea of how little sleep some of us get.”
“You pulled guard duty last night?”
“Yes,” answered the Kingsbane. “I got relieved early so I can help you get situated.”
“When are you going to get some sleep? You must be tired?” Maria felt sorry for the Kingsbane. Here she was, mad that she had been awakened before dawn even broken. Yet, here was a man who stayed up during the night and not getting any sleep during the day.
“I usually rest after lunch. A few hours of sleep are all I need.”
They continued running. Eventually the warriors who had been in the lead had turned around and were running to Maria and Geoffrey.
“Looking good,” one yelled out as they passed.
“How much further do we go?” Maria asked.
“It is about three hundred yards,” Geoffrey replied.
“Let’s pick up the pace a bit,” Maria said. “I think we can catch up to the leaders.”
“Are you sure?” Geoffrey asked. Maria thought that she heard a bit of concern in his voice.
“I’m sure,” Maria said and she opened up her stride.
Stride by stride, they raced to a dirt road that marked the edge of the hunting grounds. Turning they headed back. They began to overtake many of the runners and left them behind. By the time they reached the castle, only Osandria and a few others were waiting for them.
“Good job,” said Osandria. “I think she will be ready to do the run wearing armor in a few days.”
“Wearing armor?” Maria whispered to Geoffrey. For the first time she noticed that Geoffrey, Osandria and most of the other females were wearing chainmail. That extra weight would make it difficult to run in.
***********************
“Can’t we just walk?” Maria asked desperately, as she stared at the horse. She never had ridden one and, even though this was one of the smaller ones, it still intimidated her.
“The village is fifteen miles away.”
“Don’t you have armor at the castle?”
“All our armor is special made. Thomas needs to take your measurements and see which armor suits you.”
“Why doesn’t he have a shop at the castle?”
“Thomas cannot stay at the castle. He also makes armor for the Black Knights.”
“Is it wise for us to get armor from an individual who also serve the enemy? What if he does something to the armor so the other side gains an advantage?”
“Thomas is an honorable man. He makes the armor equally and fairly. He refuses to sabotage any of the equipment. The only thing he asks is not to fight while you are in his shop or on his property. There is a possibility that we might run into a black night or two while we are in the village. The only rule is to treat them with respect while we are in the village.”
“How often do you see a Black Knight?”
“I only ran into one while in the village. He was at Thomas’s shop. I waited until he was done, before I went in. The Black Knights don’t up here often. They usually get their armor and weapons and just come up here once or twice a year to get replacements. No it is no use stalling asking me questions,” Geoffrey said. “I will help you up.”
Maria was soon sitting in the saddle, her knees pressed tightly against the sides of the horse, her hands in a death grip around the reins. “I think I am going to fall!” she yelled as the horse started walking forward.
“This is going to take us all day,” Geoffrey said to himself.
**********************
Three hours later, they finally reached the village. It had been slow going at first, and then Maria had finally eased up and was riding comfortably. The place was not more than twenty wooden shacks that lined the forest road. More shacks sat deeper into the forest. Each place had a small garden growing with different fruits and vegetables. The sounds of cows, pigs, chickens and ducks filled the air. A delicious smell of apple pies reached Maria’s nostrils.
“This is one of the villages where we buy meat, fruit and vegetables. There is a small market just around the bend.”
They continued riding until they rounded the curve. In a field were tables loaded full of various items. People stood around them, haggling over the prices.
“Pretty necklaces, for the ladies!” a voice yelled.
“Fresh apple pies!”came another voice.
“Fortunes read!”
“Do a lot of people come here?” Maria asked.
“That is how they make their living,” Geoffrey replied. “Sometimes they barter between themselves.”
“They trade for something they don’t have?” asked Maria.
“Yes,” said Geoffrey. “Most of the business they do is among themselves. However, people travel this way and stop to buy something. Thomas’ shop is this way,” he said riding past the field to a large building. There was a hitching post in front of the armorer and they tethered the horses to it. A black horse was already there. It was hooked up to a cart.
“Stay right there,” he told Maria. He looked into the shop and came back.
“There is a Black Knight in there.” He handed Maria some coins. “Look around the market place and if you like something, buy it. Do me a favor and do not tell any one that you are a trainee.”
“Why is that?”
“I am responsible for you. It’s possible that the Black Knight is just here for business and nothing else. Yet, it wouldn’t surprise me if he set up an ambush as soon as we left the village.”
Maria went to several stalls and looked through the different varieties of merchandise. She glanced occasionally at the shop. Eventually, a knight in black plate armor came out with his arms full of different weapons. Even though Geoffrey and all the warriors she knew wore armor and she was no longer intimidated, the man in black seemed ominous. Maybe it was because she always associated the color black with evil.
Geoffrey stood by his horse and silently acknowledged the knight. Maria watched as the knight went into the armor shop several times and returned with more equipment. He eventually filled up the cart. Not to draw his attention, she turned her back to him and looked through several necklaces. “This one is beautiful,” she said to herself as she held up a coral necklace.
“A pretty lady needs to buy something pretty,” a voice from behind her spoke.
Startled, Maria jumped and bumped into the person. She looked at the man in shock. It was the black knight. She looked into his blue eyes and thought that he looked familiar. Yet, this was the first Black Knight that she had seen.
The knight seemed embarrassed. “I am sorry; I did not mean to scare you.”
“No,” Maria said. “I just did not expect somebody to be behind me.” She quickly turned her attention to the other necklaces.
“I believe the necklace you were just holding is the best one of the lot,” the knight spoke.
“Excuse me?” said Maria, hoping that he would just leave.
“The coral necklace is the nicest one, in my opinion. If I was buying something for a lady, this would be my first choice.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I think that is the one I will buy.”
You are not from around here?” the knight asked.
“No,” said Maria. “I am just passing through. I am on the way to the west to visit friends.” She hoping that he would not ask her which village she was going to. She did not even know the name of this one.
“It was my pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady,” the knight said. He bowed to her and walked back toward his horse. Even though he was considered to be an enemy by the White Knights, Maria had no contempt for him. He sounded sincere when he spoke to her and was very polite. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he got on his horse. He rode down the southerly forest rode and was soon out of site.
Geoffrey came over to her. “No, I didn’t say anything,” she said before he had a chance to ask.
The Kingsbane looked down the road the knight had taken. “I don’t think there would have been a problem with that knight. He is very honorable and chivalrous towards women. If he knew, he would not have harmed you in any way.”
Tom was waiting for them when they entered the shop. The floor was littered with pieces of equipment and weapons.
“Let’s see,” said the Armorer, taking a measuring tape out of his pouch. “We have to measure you,” he said to Maria. He proceeded to measure he chest, thighs and arms.
“Why do you need to measure me?”
“I custom-make the armor to fit you. You do not want to go into battle with something that is going to slide to the side. That will leave you vulnerable. That way I can tell what type of armor will suit you the best.” The man laughed at his pun.
Soon he put his tape away, “I can have the armor ready within a week or two. Do you still use the practice armor?”
“Yes,” said Geoffrey. “I would like to see her in plate armor.”
“But, that would be too hea…” Thomas began. Then he saw Geoffrey’s wink. “Oh yes, plate armor would be excellent.”
“Put this on over your clothes.” he said, handing her a padded leather vest. “This is a gambeson. It will prevent the different pieces of armor from rubbing against your skin.”
Thomas picked through the pieces of armor that were scattered on the floor and showed Maria how to put each on.
“The Sabatons,” he said referring to a set of riveted iron plates, “are the first to go on.” He attached them to her boots.
“The Greaves protect your calf and ankles. The Poleyns protect your knee caps. The Cuisses protect your thighs.” When he was done fitting Maria’s legs, each metal piece was connected to the other. “You do have strong leg muscles,” Thomas said, admiring his work. “How do they feel?”
“Good,” Maria said lifting her leg. It actually felt that she did not have anything on her leg.
“Good,” he said. “Now we are going to protect your hands and arms.”
“The Rerebrace protects your upper arm and the Vambrace, your lower. Now you can’t forget your lovely hands. These are gauntlets,” he said, sliding gloves of ringed metal plates over her hands. The underside was made of leather. “That is so you can hold a weapon. Let’s see how you hold a sword.” He went to the wall and chose a long sword and handed it to Maria. Maria held it unsteadily, the extra weight on her arms making it hard for her to hold it steady.
“I see you have to work on your upper body strength,” Thomas said, chuckling. Geoffrey, turning his head, hid his grin. “Well, we have to protect your upper body. We have to protect both your chest and back.” He attached two large pieces of plate armor to her chest and back. On the lower end of both pieces were rings of armor.
“I hope there is nothing else,” Maria thought to herself. “This is way too heavy.” Her knees were starting to buckle from the extra weight. “It feels like a thousand pounds!”
Thomas continues unaware of Maria’s discomfort. “The Breast Plate protects wore chest. The Back Plate protects your back. Those rings are called Faulds. They protect your hips, abdomen and lower back.” He reached down and picked up two small round shields. “These are Besagues. They protect your armpits and shoulders.” He attached them to the Breast and Back Plates.”
He stood back and looked at Maria. “I think we have covered everything.”
“We still have to protect he head and neck,” Geoffrey said.
“Oh no!” said Maria to herself.
“You are so right, Geoffrey. We can’t forget about her pretty face and eyes.” He picked up a helmet and put it over her head. “Where is that visor?” Thomas asked looking around the floor. “Oh there it is,” he exclaimed. He bent down and picked up a separate piece of armor and attached it to the helmet.
Now Maria was becoming claustrophobic. She could only see in front of her; she had no peripheral vision.
“One more thing,” Thomas said, and we are done. He attached a skirt of chain mail to the helmet. “This is a Bascinet. The aventail protects your neck.”
Geoffrey stood in front of Maria. She could barely see him.
“How does it feel?” he asked.
“Fine,” she muttered through clenched teeth. She was not about to tell him how uncomfortable she felt at the moment.
“We have to test your reaction time,” he said. The Kingsbane stepped backward to the far corner of the room. “Pretend that you are mad at me and want to kill me. Run towards me.”
Maria went to go towards Geoffrey, but she could only shuffle forward.
“I can’t move!” she exclaimed.
Geoffrey and Thomas burst out laughing. “I think plate armor is too heavy for her. Maybe we should fit her with chain mail.”

 

Chapter Two
Utofamia

Maria lay in darkness. She could no longer feel Luke's fingers crushing her windpipe. She lay there suspended in numbness. “Am I dead?” she asked herself. Then the pain returned. However, it was not the pain that she expected. Her body was cramped with cold. It felt like she had walked barefoot in the snow. She opened her eyes and could not see anything. Maria felt panic and then quickly calmed down when she realized that it was naturally dark. She must have been unconscious for some time. It was too dark to notice if Luke was near by.
The temperature had dropped since when Luke had attacked her. "Maybe he left, thinking he had killed me," she thought to herself. She slowly reached out her hand and felt her throat. There was no pain there. "I have to get to the police. He must get arrested before he hurts somebody else." Reaching out her hand, she slowly pushed herself to a sitting position. Then she froze. Her hand was in something wet and sticky. "Did he stab me also? Is this blood?" She quickly examined her body. However, she could not find any stab wounds.
Then what was the dampness her hand had touched? Maria searched the ground and found out that she was lying in mud. Slowly Maria's eyes adjusted to the dark. She was still outside, yet this was not the place where Luke had attacked her. "Where did he bring me?" She was in some type of woods. She glanced at the trees. They were tall pines where their lowest branches were way above her head. Maria glanced upwards to see if she could see the tree tops. However, they were too tall. The trees were close together, but she was still able to see the star-speckled sky way above. Yet there was no Big Dipper. In fact, the constellations seemed different from the ones she knew.
Maria shivered with cold. She still had her backpack slung across her back. She looked for her sweatshirt, but it was gone. "I left that back at the apartment. I thought it was too warm outside."
She examined her body again. There were no injuries; she decided what she must do next. She had to find out where she was and get a place to warm up. She also had to call the police and tell them what Luke had done. The sooner he was behind bars, the better.
Maria could hear sounds of people laughing and joking to her right. "They might help me. But what if they are involved with all this? What if Luke and they are planning other things? No, I do not think Luke had any friends. Well, it is better to be safe. She reached down with her hand and picked up a large rock.
By the sound of the voices, it sounded like four to five people, mostly men's voices. Moving slowly, she headed through the trees towards the sound. Within a few minutes she was able to see a campfire, with several men sitting and eating. Maria was hungry, since she had not eaten anything since early afternoon.
She was almost to the clearing, when a man's voice to her left startled her.
"Do not move!"
Maria froze and started to turn slowly towards the voice.
Even though she only moved slightly, the person owning the voice saw her. "I said do not move! Drop that stone!"
A person cautiously moved into her sight. She only could see him in the corner of her eye. The men sitting around the campfire had started to rise. There was only one thing she could do, run.
The man came completely into Maria's view. "Do not think of running. We are the Kingsbane. We never fail in shooting. I said drop that rock!" Maria dropped the rock in surprise. The man standing in front of Maria was clothed completely in white, all the way from his boots to the chain mail covering his chest. “That can’t be,” Maria shook her head in confusion. However he was still standing there wearing his white boots, tight chain main and a cape. An arrow was notched on a bowstring, drawing back on the string; he was aiming for her heart. The other men approaching Maria were all wearing the same type of armor.
"Please, I have done nothing wrong! I was just looking for help!"
"SILENCE!” the bowman yelled at Maria. "Are you a spy for King Christophe? How did you get so close to King Alexander's hunting grounds? You are a spy! You will be dealt with harshly!"
"Please! I do not understand!"
"SILENCE! James, check her for weapons. If you make one move," he told Maria, "you are dead!"
"Geoffrey, take it easy on her. Can't you tell that she is scared?"
"We will wait until morning and let Sir Peter decide. He is a harsh man," he said to Maria. "You better be telling the truth. Throw me her bag," he said, after he lowered his bow. Searching through it, he found only a book. Too dark to look through it now, he would check it out to see if she had been writing notes to King Christophe.
"Bring her to the fire," Geoffrey said. "She looks cold and I guess we can get her something to eat."
Sitting down by the fire Maria was grateful for the warmth and the chicken that was offered her.
"You should wear warmer clothes for this time of year," Geoffrey said. "Here drink some of this. It is Ydnarb. It will warm you up." Maria sniffed the bottle that he gave her. A pungent odor reached her nostrils. Since she had seen Geoffrey drink from it just before he handed her the bottle, she knew that it did not contain poison. Tilting a head back she drank. A burning liquid went down her throat. Sputtering, she said, “What is this? Are you trying to kill me?”
“Drink some more,” said Geoffrey. “The first is always the hardest.” She drank some more and did find that the liquid was smoother than before. Instantly warmth came back to her body, chasing the chills away. “I can get to like this stuff,” she thought to herself as she started to relax around the men. She looked closely at the person who was called a Kingsbane. Even though he had been harsh to her, now he appeared to be kind.
"I know I am not dreaming," she spoke to Geoffrey. "Maybe I am losing my mind. But can you tell me one thing. Where am I?"
"Maybe you are just lost and not a spy. These are the Hunting Grounds of King Alexander."
"I mean what is the name of this world?"
Geoffrey laughed, not un-kindly. "The Ydnarb must be getting to your head. This world is Utofamia."
"I am not of this world," Maria said.
Before Geoffrey could say anything else, Maria fell asleep.

The dawn was just breaking through the skies. Geoffrey looked upwards at the red sky. "Beautiful," he said to himself. He preferred to pull his guard duty at night for the purpose of seeing the sun rise. This would remind him that he survived another day. With the rising tension between his knights and the Knights of King Christophe, he was not sure how long his life would be in Utofamia. He glanced down at the still sleeping female next to him.
"Who is she?" he asked himself. He gently reached down with his hand and brushed off some leaves that had fallen on her face. He felt bad that he had yelled at her the way he did. When he first spotted her, he had no idea she was a female. The ones he knew wore dresses with the exception of the ones who were warriors; they wore armor like he had. Still, she was a stranger and not to be trusted. Well, maybe this book might give a clue to what she was doing within the Hunting Grounds.
He had pulled out a book from her backpack. That was the only thing the bag contained along with some tools that looked was similar to the quills he used when he wrote. The book had hand written notes in it. It looked like a journal, similar to something he kept. Looking through it, he could not make any sense out of them. The female was starting to wake up.
Maria sat up and looked around. The strange men were starting to clean up around the camp site. The one called Geoffrey was sitting near her. "If he had not been so mean to me, I probably would like him. He is very handsome." It had been took dark during the night to get a good look at him. Plus, she was also so angry at him for the way he treated her that she would have struck him if he had not had his arrow aiming at her. His chain mail barely covered his chest; his tan arms were clearly visible to her. She could not help but admire the large biceps and triceps. His windblown dark hair hung down covering his eyes and fell to his shoulders. She had the feeling that she had seen this man somewhere before; he looked familiar. He was stroking his goatee while he looked through her notebook.
"What are you doing with that?" she asked angrily.
He looked at her with his dark eyes and said, "I am looking for clues that can prove your guilt or innocence."
"Why do you think I am even a spy? Why can't people just believe me? That is personal things you are reading. They are not intended for anybody else to read."
"Forgive me," he said putting the book back in her bag. "I only read a few things. I can see now, there is nothing for me to be concerned about. If I am wrong about you being a spy, forgive me. However, you must understand, you never can know."
Maria was ready to retort back to Geoffrey. Then she suddenly knew where Geoffrey was coming from. She never would guess that Luke "The Can Man" had it in him to be a violent person.
"You are forgiven. Yet I don't understand how I got here."
"You mentioned something about being from a different world."
"Yes. This place is like my how world was centuries ago. We had knights fighting to protect lands. Rather than using swords and arrows today in our wars, we use more complicated and dangerous weapons."
"Sir Peter will be here shortly. You can talk to him."
"Who is Sir Peter?"
"He is the leader of the Knights of King Alexander, or the White Knights."
"What about this world? What is the name of it again?"
"This world is Utofamia. Bellerophon is the creator."
"He is a God?"
"No Rem is the Supreme leader. He created many different worlds."
"Maybe my world is part of one of Rem's worlds."
"What is the name of your world?"
"Earth."
Geoffrey thought for a few minutes. "No I have never heard of it."
At that moment, James yelled, "Sir Peter rides this way!"
Within a minute, a knight appeared, riding on a large chestnut brown horse. Maria almost gasped aloud when he saw him. While it was strange to be accosted by men in chain mail, it was unreal standing in front of a real knight. He looked like a powerful man in his white plate armor. He took off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow. Even though his blond hair was longer than how most men in her world wore hair, it looked like it fit in this world. Even Geoffrey's dark brown hair was shoulder length.
Sir Peter looked upon Maria with kindness. He turned to Geoffrey. "I received your message. Is this the stranger?"
"Yes, Sir Peter." Geoffrey told the knight about finding her within the Hunting Grounds. "She says that she is from a different world."
Sir Peter looked startled. "Can this be the person after all these years?" he asked himself. "Bring her up to the castle. Meet with King Alexander in the Corner Stone Room." He rode off quickly.
"The Corner Stone Room," Geoffrey said, amazed. "The last time that room was used was over a hundred years ago when I had spotted some Red Knights."
"That is impossible!" Maria said. "You cannot be that old! You only look a few years older than me!"
"We will talk as we walk. The castle is just over the hill. I guess things are different in your world. We only age as we are children. When we live for thirty years, we stop aging."
"Are you immortal?"
"Goodness no," Geoffrey said laughing. "We can still die, usually from sickness or from being killed in battle. However, Bellerophon chooses to bring people back to life if they die bravely in battle. Other times he brings them to the Realm of Bellerophon, where they live forever safely. The people in this world may only look thirty to you, but some have been on this world for many years. There is a group of men who live in the Great Desert of Utofamia. They are the only one who I know to age. They are known as the "Wise Ones." They are known to have many secrets of Utofamia, some of which Bellerophon has no knowledge. As they collect information they get older. However, when they share secrets with people, they tend to get younger."
"I see," Maria said. "I guess that would be good. Except with most people living for a long time, perhaps forever, and babies being born, wouldn't Utofamia get overcrowded?"
"Bellerophon makes Utofamia bigger as more people populate the world."
"I heard you refer to yourself as a Kingsbane. Are you a knight?"
"There are two groups of warriors with both our knights and the Knights of King Christophe. They are also known as the Black Knights. They are the knights and the Kingsbane. I am a Kingsbane. I am better at archery that at fighting. So I am used to send out patrols around King Alexander's borders. I do fight with a sword, but that is as a last resort where we have to use every man possible in a battle. Our battles with the Black Knights are minor compared to the last battle with the Red Knights."
"The Red Knights?"
"They are an evil group of warriors that have terrorized many worlds. When they attack Utofamia, the White and Black Knights become allies."
They were just cresting a hill and Maria stopped in surprise. A massive white castle, with many towers and turrets loomed in front of her. It was as if she was viewing an entire city. A moat surrounded the entire castle, with the drawbridge down. There was a tall tower at each corner of the courtyard. High walls connected each of these towers. From the ones Maria could see, there were sentries watching through the windows. “This would be impossible to impenetrate,” Maria thought to herself. Beyond the walls, the castle was made up of many more towers; some of them were so high that the clouds concealed the tops.
A large moat surrounded the castle. Crossing the drawbridge, she looked over into the water to see if there were the typical alligators and crocodiles she usually read about in her books. Some men and women were bathing in the water. Blushing, Maria looked quickly away.
Maria looked around the courtyard. It was littered with bedrolls and tents. The smells of cooking meat and smoke hung in the air. Unfortunately, she could not enjoy the smell of it because body odor and horses mixed with it.
“Do you stay in these tents?” Maria asked indicating the bivouac.
“Yes, our army of warriors is large. We do not have enough rooms to keep everybody. We rotate the warriors each month. However, when it is my turn to get a room, I usually let somebody else have mine. I prefer staying outdoors. The castle is too big for my taste.
“I must say that it is impressive,” Maria said, looking up into the sky.
"Follow me," Geoffrey said as they came to the castle door.
The door was opened by two sentries. They greeted Geoffrey with salutations. They looked at Maria with interest.
"We are to meet King Alexander in the Cornerstone Room."
The sentries' eyes widened in surprise; they did not believe what they had heard.
"Do you remember the way, Geoffrey?"
"Yes, even though it has been over one hundred years, I remember. This way," he told Maria. He led Maria to a large room and they entered.
"This must be the library," she told Geoffrey as she noticed the shelves of books.
"Yes. In addition to fighting, we are required to read about the history of past battles. We learn about mistakes that were made and discuss ways not to repeat them again. A mistake can cost the lives of many individuals. He walked over to one wall of shelves and pulled out "The History of Utofamia, Volume 900." The shelf swung outwards, revealing a long tunnel. Geoffrey took a torch from the wall and lit it. The flames lit up the dark passageway. He held the torch in one hand and grabbed Maria's hand with the other.
"Nothing to worry about," he said, as she tried to jerk her hand away. "I just want to make sure you don't get too far behind. Nothing will hurt you in this tunnel. Yet, it is dark and you can accidently go do the wrong passageway and get lost."
"Fine," Maria said and let Geoffrey hold his hand. Actually it felt nice; he was holding her hand gently. Even though his hand was rough from years of hard work, he held her hand in a way that she did not want him to let go." He led her down several passages and eventually came to a large door. It opened and a sentry allowed them to enter.
"The others are here. The King will be coming soon."
Maria found herself in another large room. Sunlight was pouring in the windows overhead. "This is the only way to get into the Cornerstone Room," Geoffrey told her. "It is only reserved for top-secret information."
Several people were sitting around a large table. Sir Peter got up and walked over to them. "Sit over there, King Alexander is on his way." He led them to a few empty chairs. A large woman sitting across from Maria looked at her in interest and smirked.
"I highly doubt if she is the one. She is so small. Yet, I might be wrong."
"Osandria," Geoffrey said, "you have been wrong many times."
Maria kept her eyes on the floor, intimidated by the woman. "Do not worry dear," the woman said. "I am like this to everybody. I will not bite you."
Maria looked at her and smiled shyly.
The guard opened the door and spoke, "King Alexander is coming!"
"Rise!" commanded Sir Peter.
Everybody stood up. The doors opened outwards and the King was the first to enter. Maria glanced at him as he walked to the head of the table. She was expecting a man in the velvet robes and jeweled crown she was used to reading about in her world. Yet he was wearing the same white armor as Sir Peter. While he wore a crown, it was a simple one. It reminded Maria of the ones kids got at Burger King. She compressed her lips together so she would not laugh out loud; she was face-to-face with a real king and had to show him every last ounce of respect.
The queen entered the room next. She, like King Alexander was dressed in a similar fashion. "That is Queen Marjorie, they have been ruling for almost one hundred years." Geoffrey whispered to her. As Geoffrey had told her earlier, she looked no older than thirty years of age.
Maria almost gasped when the princess entered the room. She wore a simple dress, yet she was still very beautiful. "That is Princess Astaire." Maria looked closely at her. She looked younger than her.
"How old is she?"
"Eighteen."
"Everybody, please sit down," the King said.
Everybody sat. The King looked down at notes he had written down on a paper.
"Even though we have a stranger here, I believe that we should proceed with our meeting as previous ones. Then we will attend to the matter at hand. Marjorie, you can begin."
The queen spoke, "In the last meeting we discussed issues regarding shortages in weapons and horses. Sir Peter how is the inventory of armor?"
"We have a good supply of plate armor. Geoffrey said the chain mail was in good condition. However, we did order several of each from the blacksmith. We also did an inventory of the swords, shields, spears and should be getting new ones within a week. Geoffrey said the biggest concern is the arrows. They get used up too quickly to meet the supply and demand. While some can be recovered, many get broken once they hit the target. We also have purchased horses from local farmers. They have been worked with and are ready for battle."
"It is a good thing the Kingsbane are expert archers," the King said. "Osandria, I know it is frustrating with the training situation."
"I will say it is," the large woman said. "We teach the new trainees the different techniques. Then when we try to use what we learn in battles, it is as if they forget everything they learned. I am not sure if they do not listen or what. Then we get fewer and fewer people in the female echelon. I sometimes wonder why I even bother."
"Do not fret, dear. You are doing a good job. Astaire, we must improve our recruitment efforts. Go to several of the leaders and make a recruiting and retention plan. I think if we offer better benefits, it will draw more individuals' attentions."
"Yes father," the Princess said, writing down some notes.
The King looked over towards Geoffrey and Maria. "This brings us to the matter at hand. Geoffrey, will you and the stranger please stand up?"
They rose. "Geoffrey, will you tell us what had happened last night.”
"I found this female wandering in the Hunting Grounds."
"You think she is a spy?"
"At first I thought she was. However, she just was lost, confused and scared. No, I doubt she is a spy."
"What you said to Sir Peter, about her being from a different world, is that true?"
"Before she fell asleep last night, she mentioned this. If you remember the prophecy..."
"I have read the History of Utofamia." King Alexander turned to Maria. "How did you get so close to my castle?"
Maria had a lot to say, but she found herself tongue tied. She felt awed to be actually standing in front of a real king.
Geoffrey laid a hand on her arm. "It is all right. I was nervous the first time I was in his presence."
Maria took a few breaths and began. "I really do not know how I happened to get in this world. I should just tell myself I am dreaming. Yet, I know I when I am awake and when I am sleeping."
"Still," the King said, "you must tell us as much as you can remember. You see, many people have claimed that they were visitors from a strange world. The prophecy states that only a visitor from a world not created by Rem will help Utofamia. As far as I am concerned, you just may be a spy for Melisande."
"Who?"
"I can see by your expression on you face, that you do not know who Melisande is. Just try your best to remember."
"From what I see already from this world, Utofamia is similar to our world centuries ago. We had Kings-and still even have them and knights. However, our technology today is so far advanced that it will take too long to talk about in a short time."
"I understand," said the King gently. "Please go on."
Maria told the King and the others in the room about what had happened to her just before she found herself in Utofamia. When she described how she was attacked by Luke "The Can Man," several people gasped. Even Geoffrey had a look of shock on his face. Still shaken by the attack, Maria slumped down in her chair and started crying. The Kingsbane gently put his arm over her shoulder. "Nobody will hurt you here," he whispered to her.
Osandria, red in the face, exclaimed, "That Pig! If I was there, I would have taught him a thing or two!"
"Silence, Osandria," spoke the King. "Whether she is the one the prophecy talks about, we are not sure. However, I am very positive she is telling the truth."
After a minute, Maria calmed down. Geoffrey's arm around her shoulder comforted her and, even though she would not admit it, pleased her.
"The question remains," said the King "is how we know if she is the one?"
"We can train her to be a warrior," suggested Sir Peter.
Maria laughed. "Please, Sir, do not think I am disrespectful for laughing. I do not think I would be a good knight."
"We can not force you to be a knight or a Kingsbane. That has to be your decision. However, do not think less of yourself until you try it. I have seen many people who did not feel confident at first when they began training. However, some formed into excellent warriors. Am I not correct, Sir Peter?"
"Yes, Sir." He unsheathed his sword. "Maria please hold my sword."
Maria stood up and took the knight's sword. Grasping it in her hand, she was amazed. While it was heavy and she was afraid she would drop it when she first held the weapon, Maria felt comfortable with it in her grasp.
"Look at her stance!" Osandria exclaimed. "She stands like a true knight! She is a natural!"
"That is true," said King Alexander. "Maria, I mentioned that we can not force you to join our order of knights. However, can you please consider training with us for a few weeks? We will allow you to leave if you do not want to continue with the training. You would be training with Osandria. She trains the female knights. We will also have Geoffrey train you in the Kingsbane skills. You will have a room to stay at the castle."
Maria thought about the King’s offer. She would have a place to stay. If she left, where would she stay? It might even be exciting; she always loved the stories of King Arthur. Plus, she seemed thrilled at the idea of Geoffrey training her.
"I accept your offer. I want to be trained to be a warrior. I hope I do not let you down."
 

 

I edited this chapter and have an additional 500 Words

Chapter One
Nightmares and Reality
Fear filled the young woman’s heart. She ran through the woods. Something was chasing after her. Because the fog was too thick, she could not see what this thing was. She continued to run and collided with something she thought was a tree. However, the something moved. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came. A large creature loomed in front of her. It leered at her for a few seconds and opened its mouth, revealing long fangs with venom dripping from each. It moved towards her. She did not get a chance to see what the rest of the creature looked like, because she was not going to stick around. She turned to run in the opposite direction. However, her feet became like lead. She was running in slow motion. The creature drew closer. The ground under her feet shook and cracked. She fell into a crevice. Clutching in vain with her hands, she pulled herself onto steady ground. The creature was in front of her, reaching out its claws to tear her apart...

Her head snapped up and she found herself sitting in a classroom, with the teacher's voice droning on. "It was a dream," she thought to herself, "just like the others I have been having."
The teacher stopped his lecture and looked at the woman. "Ms. Fancher, I see that you are enjoying my class very much."
"I am sorry Mr. Jeffries. It is just..."
"Do not give me any of your excuses, Maria. If you spend less time partying and more time studying, maybe your grades will get better. Need I remind you about the "D" you got on the paper?"
A few of the students laughed at this. Angry Maria stood up. "I have had enough of your comments." Grabbing her purple leather backpack, she stormed out of the classroom, slamming the door on the way out. The glass rattled in the panes but did not break. The teacher looked puzzled at her departing figure then continued on with his lecture.

Maria walked angrily down the street.
"I cannot believe how rude he is! He has been this way ever since the first day of school."
This was Maria's first year in college. While, most of the people she graduated with from high school had started college the year before, she had decided to wait. They had their parents to pay their tuition for them; she had to pay her own way. They wanted to go to college to party; she wanted to go to learn. Mr. Jeffries had it wrong; she was doing excellent in every class she was taking, except for his.
Maria knew that when many of her classmates from high school graduated college, they still would not know what type of career they would chose; some of them would not even get a job in the field they studied for. Maria had decided what she was going to do. She was going to get a Psychology Degree and minor in Social Services. Having lived in foster homes most of her life, she felt with her experience she could reach out to children and teens.
"Why did I even sign up for his class?" she asked herself. "Of course; every girl on campus had a major crush on him!"
Maria had signed up for her classes before the semester started. She had room for one more class and needed an English Elective. Being an avid reader of fantasy novels, she thought that Fantasy: Fact or Fiction sounded like an interesting class. She also had heard that the teacher, Mr. Jeffries, resembled a modern-day Robin Hood. She caught a glimpse of him as he was sitting at a desk and making final changes on his lesson plan. "He is georgous!" Maria exclaimed to herself.
Mr. Jeffries had dark brown hair, so dark that it almost looked black. His dark eyebrows and eyes made him appear to be mysterious. While he had the classic five o’clock shadow from not shaving, Maria still though he was hot.
“I can see why most of the females dream of having him for a teacher. I bet if he smiled, he would even be more handsome. I think my heart would just melt!” The teacher seemed to have a sulky look on his face.
Mr. Jeffries got up from the desk and walked away without looking at Maria. He was over six feet tall and the large muscles in his arms could be seen visibly through his shirt.
"This class should be fun," she thought to herself, as she signed up for the class.
"I was very wrong about that class," she fumed as she headed down the street towards her apartment.
On the first day of class, Mr. Jeffries did not have a class roster. Therefore, he passed around a sheet of paper and had the students write their names on it. When he got the paper back, he called out each name and asked each student what they were studying in college. When he got to Maria's name, he paused. He looked up at the students.
"All right, who is the person with the fancy handwriting?"
"It must be me,” Maria said. "Maria Fancher."
"Maria Fancher," said the teacher to himself as he wrote next to her name. He looked at Maria and said, “So tell me, what you did with the money?"
"What money?"
"The money your mother gave to you for handwriting lessons?"
Maria laughed, knowing her handwriting was not the neatest-she preferred to write in print instead of script. So she jokingly said, “Right now I am paying tuition with it." The class laughed at this and Maria thought everything would be fine after this. Then the teacher asked her what her major was.
"Psychology,” Maria said.
"Oh no, we have a Psychiatrist analyzing us."
"Well, for one thing,” Maria began, "Psychology and Psychiatry are two different fields of study. Also..."
"I have to time for your lectures," Mr. Jeffries interrupted.
After this, Maria developed a dislike for the teacher. She made attempts to show that she had an interest in the class by asking questions and making comments. However, the teacher seemed to treat her as if she did not know anything or know what she was talking about. Then when the first test came around, she had problems and did not do very well--she barely passed. Maria went to Mr. Jeffries to try to explain why she did not do very well. However, he would not listen to her about her problems. He did not care, or so Maria thought.
Maria could see her apartment a half a block away. As she approached it, her breath quickened, as did her pulse, and she noticed that her palms began to sweat. "There is that feeling again," she said to herself. "It always seems that somebody is watching me." She looked and saw nobody, except for a lone man, dressed in ragged jeans and a torn sweat-shirt, looking through garbage bins for cans.
She waved to Luke, the Can Man-as everybody on campus called him. He must make his living on returning bottles and cans. "I wonder if he has a place to live," Maria thought as she passed him. The man looked up at Maria as she passed; not saying a word, he went back to his searching.
Maria looked around the apartment when she entered. It was small with only a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and a room for sitting and studying. It was not much, but at least it was home. After being in foster homes, she finally had left when she had turned eighteen. She was able to get a job at a diner and was able to save up her money. With her hard work, she had been able to afford the rent and pay her college tuition.
Maria sat down on her couch. "Mr. Jeffries is going to pay," she thought to herself, still angry. "It is not just me; he has belittled other people in the class too. I have a week to drop his class. I will do it! And it will be tomorrow! I will also file a formal complaint to the school board. People like Mr. Jeffries do not deserve to teach!"
Maria stood up and walked over to her desk. She picked up the picture and looked at it. The picture showed two girls with long brown hair, approximately three years old. A man and a woman were hugging the girls. They all looked happy. Maria knew that the two girls were her and her twin sister. However, she did not remember her since, shortly after the picture was taken, they were left at separate orphanages. This picture was the only clue to her past. She wanted to know who her parents were, why they had left her and what happened to her sister. By looking at the picture, she knew there had to be a good reason why they were no longer in her life.
Maria looked in her mirror. Her long brown hair was still neatly done in the French braid that she loved to wear. There was no need to redo it. The thing that she liked about wearing her hair that way was that she could see different shades of brown and an occasional blond here and there. A natural beauty people called her all the time; she had no need to wear makeup. Still, she was puzzled why no guys asked her out.
“There is no time to think about the dating scene,” Maria shrugged. She picked up her purple backpack and left the apartment.

Sitting in the library's media lab, Maria sat staring at the computer screen. She did not have to work at the diner tonight, so she was going to check up on some leads from different orphanages. Even though she had known about her sister for a long time, she just recently became obsessed in finding her. At least, if she could not find any information about her parents, then she could try to find her.
She stretched her arms and yawned. "I wish Mr. Jeffries would understand why I fell asleep in class today. Maybe he would respect me more if he knew that I was working nights at the diner. Plus these nightmares I have been having are not helping." This was not the first time she had dreamt about a fanged creature chasing her. In the past two weeks, she had this dream four times. She should be used to it, however, she still felt disturbed by the dreams.
"I better get back to my place," she thought to herself.
Maria had been working at the computer for three hours. She thought she had a lead on an orphanage in New York. Like all the countless times before, it ended up being a dead end. "I might as well give up. I probably will not find any information on my sister or my parents. Why am I doing this anyway? If I find either of them, we will not be able to catch up on the good old days. What would I be able to tell my sister? I never got the chance to know her. Even if I do find my parents, I may feel a lot of bitterness for being abandoned."
Walking back to her apartment was relaxing. It had been a beautiful spring day; warm with a cool breeze. Even now, with darkness already fallen, the night was just as beautiful. She paused and looked up a cloudless sky. The stars were out and she could see the Big Dipper clearly. She continued walking. As she neared her apartment, Luke the "Can Man" was still across the street on his mission in finding all the cans and bottles. She waved to him as she passed.
Luke as usual looked at her and said nothing. He pulled his hood from the sweatshirt over his head. "The poor guy must be cold," she thought. "On my next payday, I should give his some extra money. He could use it..."
Luke, all of a sudden, leapt to his feet and ran across the street towards Maria.
She had no time to scream out as he clamped his hand around her mouth and dragged her into an alley between two apartment houses.
"There is no sense in fighting!" he whispered harshly in her ear.
He threw her to the ground, keeping a firm grip on her. How could such a thin man like this have such strength?
Luke's hand slipped from Maria's mouth as she fell. She tried to get up, but he sent her a powerful kick that sent her sprawling to the ground once again.
"Somebody, please help me!" she screamed as Luke slowly approached her.
"I will make sure you will not make another sound," he said. He sat on top of her so she could not move. The weight on her chest was so great that she was struggling to breathe.
His searching hands found her throat. The fingers closed around her windpipe and tightened, squeezing the life out of her.
Deeper and deeper Maria drifted into blackness. The last thing she remembered was sounds of shouting. The final thoughts going through her mind were of her parents and sister. "I will never find them now," she thought. Then she remembered nothing.

 

Do you all of a sudden have problems hearing somebody speak? Do their words sound muffles? Do you hear crackling or popping noises in you ear and does your ear seem to be stuffed up? Chances are you are suffering from ear congestion. There are many reasons why you have this. You may be in a higher altitude than you normally are in. The changes in air pressure cause you ears to be congestion. You also may have extra wax build-up or have an ear infection. Even the common cold can cause you to get ear congestion. While you may want to call a doctor, check out several home remedies first.

If the air pressure changes, such as when you are driving through mountainous areas, all you have to do is swallow and the pressure will go away. By doing this and also chewing gum, swallowing helps open up your Eustachian tubes.

If you think the cause of your ear congestion is due to earwax build-up, put three to four drops of hydrogen peroxide into your ear canal. Let this stay in your ear for a few minutes. Then fill an ear dropper full of warm water and rinse you ear out. The hydrogen peroxide softens the earwax and the warm water dislodges it. You can also use olive oil to get the same results. Even if your ear congestion is because of an ear infection, hydrogen peroxide is very useful for treating your ear.

White vinegar and rubbing alcohol are excellent if you have an ear infection. Mix two to three drops of each and put in your ear canal. The alcohol will help if you have extra fluid in you tubes. The vinegar will fight any infection.

If your ear congestion is because of a cold or flu, since these are both a virus, you will have to let it run its course. However, if you want to suffer from cold and flu symptoms for a shorter period of time, drink Echinacea tea three times a day. This tea has many capabilities that help the immune system become more active. With white blood cells fighting germs, you will cover from a cold or flu faster.

Ear congestion can be annoying and even painful. Just by practicing these simple remedies, you can alleviate the discomfort without having to go to your doctor. However, if the ear congestion does not go away within a few days, see your doctor. He may have to prescribe something that is a bit stronger.

 

Many people suffer a dry nose once in a while. Even though it is not life threatening, this can cause great discomfort. It is not like chickenpox, where when you get the disease you will not get it again. However, when you get a dry nose and it goes away, it can come back again. The next time you get a dry nose, try these home remedies.

Make sure that you are drinking enough fluids. When you drink eight glasses of water each day, you are helping your nasal passages by hydrating your tissues. Even the tissues in your nasal passages will be hydrated.

Fill a dropper with warm water and fill each nostril. This will help relieve your dry nose. This is better than having to go to the drug store to purchase a saline solution. While this is as effective as warm water, you end up paying more.

Put Vaseline on a Q-tip and apply to the inside of your nose. This provides instant relief to your dry nose and helps keep your nasal passages moister for a longer period of time.

While you can spend money at a store for a humidifier, you can bring moisture to your house without spending the extra money. Fill cans of water and place them around your house. Place them near your heating sources. For example, if you have radiators, put a can on top of them. The moister the air in your home, the better it will be for your nose.

If you are taking medications on a regular basis, check to see if there are any side effects from them. Since some medicines contain atropine, ask your doctor if there is a substitute. These types of medicines are notorious for causing a dry nose.

 

Approximately ten percent of adults get fingernail fungus. It is more common in damp, humid and moist environments. Since the feet are not exposed to air as much as the hands, toenails get this condition more than fingernails. It may start out as a small spot under the nail. Over time, the spot starts to grow and the entire nail is affected. The nail turns becomes a discolored shade of yellow, gets thicker and begins to crumble away. Sometimes, you may get an ingrown toenail or the nail begins to separate from the nail bed. This can be a problem if you are on your feet all day. While your doctor can give you a prescription for fingernail fungus or you can purchase it over-the-counter, there is an excellent home remedy that is in your kitchen.

Soak your nails in apple cider vinegar three times a day for five minutes. The acidic properties will prevent further fungus growth. However, you will have to wait until the infected nail grows out far enough for you to safely cut it. Therefore, you will need to keep up with the vinegar bath until you have a new nail. This may take a while.

While vinegar is an excellent home remedy for fingernail fungus, it will take a while to eventually eliminate the organism that is residing in your nails. By the time you realize that you have this condition, your unwanted guest will be embedded deep in the nail bed. Therefore, the best home remedy is prevention.

Keep your feet clean and dry. If you have to, change your socks several times a day. By doing this, the microorganism will not be able to survive. Also if you wear slippers around the house, wash them after you use them.

Keep your nails cut short. This prevents the microorganism from getting under them.

Soak your nails in vinegar one to two times a week. While this is an excellent home remedy if you have fingernail fungus, it also prevents it. The acidic content of this will kill off any fungus that is starting to invade your nails.

Even though your hands are exposed to the air more than your tows, your fingernails can get infected also. Do you ever notice the dirt and grime that builds up in them? Make sure you wash your hands often and use a fingernail brush to thoroughly clean them.

Do not panic if you have fingernail fungus; you will not die from this. However, it can cause discomfort, is contagious and an eyesore. Vinegar is an excellent home remedy to prevent you from getting fingernail fungus and treating it if you do get it.

 

So are you one of the unlucky many who has an outbreak of acne? Do you wonder why you are finding pimples all over your face? It could be any reason. However, the most popular ones are stress, depression, sweets such as chocolate, greasy foods and dirt. Not only do you feel like the world is ending when you see your beautiful face is getting marred by pimples, the aftermath is just as bad. Acne can damage your face and leave scars behind.

You may be one of the people who have an outbreak of acne. This is where a section of your face, such as your cheek or chin is covered with pimples. Even if you are careful by not touching your face, you may notice there is a discoloration when your pimples are gone. When you have runaway acne, it causes a trauma to your face. More melanin is produced when you have an outbreak. The good news is this is your body protecting your skin. However, with good news there is the bad. It takes a while for the skin color to return to normal. However, these are some home remedies to help the discoloration to go away quicker:

* Dampen a paper towel with lemon juice. Apply the towel to the discolored area for five minutes. Keep doing this every day until the discoloration disappears.

* Put vitamin E oil on the discolored area.

* Apply crushed garlic to the discolored area.

* Apply apple cider vinegar to the discolored area.

* Put egg white on the discolored area. Leave it on for fifteen minutes. Wash it off.

* Apply hydrogen peroxide to the darkened areas. This has a bleaching agent that will help the dark colors fade.

* Apply a paste of honey and nutmeg to the area. Leave it on for fifteen minutes and wash it off. Repeat this process two to three times a week.

The most effective home remedy is to prevent acne from knocking at you door in the first place. The following are some excellent prevention tips:

* Prevent acne by drinking eight cups of water each day. This will flush and impurities from your body.

* Avoid touching your face.

* A good sweat is also good for your skin. When you work out, the sweat will eject the impurities from your skin.

* Avoid junk food. This is a major culprit of acne. It is better to include fruits, vegetables and nuts in your diet.

* Purchase Lemon Grass soap from a health food store. Not only will this clean your clogged pores, it also has antibacterial properties.

There are many ways to keep acne from leaving behind and discoloration or scars. The above remedies are just a few of the many that are known.

 

Oh the joys of summer. There are so many to list. There are the smells of barbecues. There are the bright colors of country fairs. There is your child hitting a home run at the baseball game. There are the sounds of children screaming with joy as school is finished. The night sky is lit up with the bright display of fire works. Wait a minute! What is that sound? It sounds like a small humming sound, an annoying buzz that is next to your ear. You duck to get away from it. Oh good, you do not hear the buzzing anymore. Oh no, you just realize something. The buzzing stopped because a little blood sucking female has found its target. You feel itching on your arm and realize that it is too late. A vampire has just bitten your arm. Yes, a vampire of the insect world, a female blood-sucking mosquito is making a meal of you. Soon you will have a bump on your arm and it will itch. There is nothing to worry about. There are many home remedies that will take care of the bite and the itch that comes with it.

The first thing you want to do when you get bitten is to clean your wound. You do not want that bite to get infected. Soap and water will be effective. However, rubbing alcohol will lessen the itch and clean the area at the same time.

Honey has many antibacterial properties. Take a dab of honey and put it on the bite. The itch will go away almost immediately.

Clay will work wonders on mosquito bites. If you cannot find clay from your own back yard, you can use pottery clay.

Make a paste out of baking soda and water. If your body is full of mosquito bites, fill your bathtub with warm water. Add a cup of baking soda to it and soak for fifteen minutes. You can also make a paste out of oatmeal and baking soda.

Garlic works wonders two ways. It has excellent antibacterial properties. Rob garlic oil on your bite and the itch will go away. You can do this by rubbing a clove on the bite. You can also buy garlic oil in the gel capsule form at the drug store. Break the capsule apart and rub the oil on the bite. Your itch will go away. Maybe there is something in the myth of fighting vampires with garlic. Mosquitoes hate garlic. Eating a clove of garlic a day keeps the mosquitoes away.

If you are scratching at the mosquito bite, you may accidentally scratch too hard and make it bleed. There may be the possibility of getting an infection where the bite is. Salt is an excellent way to fight infection. Get a paper towel and wet it with water. Sprinkle some table salt on it and put the towel on the bite.

If you are at a picnic and get bitten, reach into the cooler and pull out an ice cube. Put the ice on the bite to prevent the bite from swelling.

Mosquitoes may be tiny. However, when it comes to bites, they are a very big nuisance. All the above home remedies will work wonders to relieve you of your mosquito bite itch. However, since mosquitoes have a reputation for spreading diseases, the best remedy is prevention. While some of the remedies also work as excellent repellents, if you are still being dive-bombed by the little vampires, you may have to go to the drug store to set something stronger.

 

I fell behind before in my challenge. Then I had to do countless makeups just to get caught up. Then I did awesome in Nano. Then I just petered out. Well, not really peter out but had to get back to my freelance writing and make some real money. I wish I did not have to worry about money but I do. Writing gives me some extra money. But I actually prefer writing my fiction.
 

Bridging the Communication Gap between the Manager and the Employee
Constructive criticism is also known as constructive feedback. It is not used to hurt or put an employee down. It is used to help him. For example if an employee is new on the job and he is learning skills that he has not learned before, this type of feedback will help him to master the skills more effectively.

Constructive criticism gives your employee a chance to understand what mistakes he makes and will help in prevent making the same mistakes in future. This type of feedback also allows your employee to improve on current skills he may already have. For example, somebody takes karate and he learns the techniques to earn his orange belt, he can still improve on the movements. In other words, constructive criticism basically gives the opportunity for an individual to learn and grow.

While constructive criticism is effective in helping your employee to grow and learn, it is not useful if you tell an employee that you do not like something that he does and do not tell him why or offer tips for improvement. This is almost as bad a destructive criticism, which is intended to put an employee down and make him look bad. Constructive criticism is intended for you to give ways, ideas, hints and tips to help the employee improve so he develop his skills in a better way.

As a manager, you must give constructive criticism at the appropriate time. You also must deliver this feedback in the proper tone of voice. In other words, you must not give the employee the impression that you are talking down to him. You also have to be aware of how the employee is emotionally at the time when you want to give him the feedback. If he is having a bad day or is in a bad mood, he may see the constructive criticism as something negative, even though the feedback is given to the employee for his own good. It is also best to give the feedback alone, not in front of his peers so he is not embarrassed. The best place to deliver the constructive criticism would be in an office with the door closed.
Constructive criticism gives both the employees and the manager to communicate with each other. It first shows the employee that the manager, or whoever is giving the feedback, is willing to help him. It also gives the chance for either of them to share knowledge. Remember that even though you are a manager, you are not perfect yourself. After you give the employee your feedback, always ask him for any ideas of how you can improve. For example, if there is a work issue, ask him for ideas of how you can solve it.

Finally, always follow up. Check with the employee occasionally and see if he is using your suggestions. This allows him to know that you are interested in his success and growth.

By taking these steps, you will be helping you employees grow.

Reference:

Former Military Experience

 

So you have started college, and you are in your second week of classes, and you are finding that a twenty-four hour day is not long enough. You feel that you do not have the time to study, write papers, go to class, sleep, eat and socialize. So what do you do? You must learn time management skills. These are essential for you to be successful in college.

First you have to work out a plan. This is a schedule of your daily activities. It has to be realistic, because you have to get enough sleep. The plan includes your college classes, times you study, times you eat and sleep. As stated before, the plan must be realistic. For example, you can not plan to study to three in the morning and then just get three hours of sleep.

Be sure you make the schedule for what is the highest priority. For example, use the weekdays to schedule school-related activities and the weekends for socializing, relaxing and having fun. Also, include a certain time several days a week for exercise, because you need a healthy mind and body to be successful.

Always write down what you plan to do each week. Do not just think it through your mind and think that you will remember everything. Take note of any dues dates and write them down. The most effective thing to use when you are making a schedule is a planner. These are organized into weekly and daily pages. You can plan on the dates to make sure you get the assignments turned in on time. When you complete a goal, you can check it off as being finished. Only remember time management schedules are not perfect. Things can happen, such as a family emergency, which can disrupt you from your schedule. Leave enough time in your weekly schedule to cover from these interruptions.

Set a time for when you go to bed and when you wake up. This must be set at a regular time so you body gets used to going to sleep at a certain time. Make sure the sleep is uninterrupted. Also include times when you eat and exercise. Schedule your meal and snack times before your study times. This way you will not get the munchies when you are trying to prepare yourself for that exam.
On every Sunday set goals for the week of what you want to accomplish during the week. Divide them into Primary and Secondary goals. The Primary goals will relate to studying, class work, papers and other assignments. Secondary goals are things that go on in your college life such as laundry, exercising, parties and having fun.

Once you have listed all your primary and secondary goals, spread them out equally throughout the week. This might be something like doing laundry and studying for a test on Monday. Whatever you schedule for that week, make sure that follow through with your scheduled tasks. If your schedule seems to be overwhelming, break them down where you do an easy task first before doing a difficult one. When you do it this way, you do not do all the easy ones first and then save the harder ones for later on in the week. This prevents you from being overwhelmed when you have just the difficult ones to face.

The best way to manage you time is to combine two things together. For example, if you are washing clothes, you can study for a test.

At the end of each week, go over your weekly schedule and evaluate it. See if you had too much time on your hands after you met each goal or if you were overwhelmed by trying to meet all the objectives. If you find out that you did too little, revise your schedule and add some more objectives to your schedule. For example, you can schedule the extra time to go back over notes for a class. If you are overwhelmed, see how you can make your schedule more workable. For example, you may be taking too many classes. You may have to rework the schedule so you concentrate on a few goals over the weekend.

If you are the type of person who likes to go out on weekends, then use an reward system. If you meet all your primary goals that you set by Friday, treat yourself by going out on Friday and Saturday night. If you do not meet all the primary goals by Friday, then work on the on Saturday morning. Then go out that night.

As a college student, it is important that you learn time management skills. This not only will prepare you to be a successful college student, it will also carry over in your adult world. When you have graduated from college and are in the job of your dreams, time management skills are a must.

 

Book Review: Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis by Kenneth O. Gangel and Stephen J. Bramer. Edited by Max Anders.

Hardback: pages 384

Target Readers: Adults 18 years of age and older

Publisher: Holman Reference Nashville, TN

Published: 2002

ISBN: 0-8054-9461-8

Available: Local Christian Book Stores,
http://amazon.com,
http://www.christianbook.com,

Price: $14.99-19.99.

The Holman Old Testament Commentary Series is a set of twenty books discussing the individual books of the Old Testament. The series not only is suitable for church bible study groups, it is a must have for any Christian who wants to get a better understanding of the Bible and are hungry for God's word.

This book is broken down into twenty-five chapters, each focusing on biblical events during the beginning of time. For example, one chapter gives a full analysis of the creation while another discusses Noah and the Flood.

Each chapter opens with a quotation that draws the individual to read both this book and the Bible further. The authors provide an in depth commentary that helps individuals answer questions that arise when they are reading the Bible.

The authors further discuss how to use the Bible principles and apply them towards present life. For example, there were people in the Bible, such as Abraham and Joseph, who went through hard times. They learned to trust God and call upon him during their times of need. A modern day illustration shows how a man, suffering from cancer, used the Book of Psalms for comfort.

Each chapter closes with a prayer. This gives the reader the motivation and commitment to what he or she learns through this book and applies these in today's society.

Finally, anybody who is a leader in a Bible study group will find this book a must have. Each chapter includes a teaching outline and discussion questions.

I had the pleasure of purchasing this book at a local Christian Bookstore-Arrowhead Christian Bookstore, located in Johnson City, New York. The $19.99 I spent is the best investment I have ever made in my life.

Book Review: Bad Bad Bunny Trouble by Hans Wilhelm

Paperback: pages 27

Target Readers: Children ages 4-8

Publisher: Scholastic Incorporated

Published: 1994

ISBN: 0-590-47916-4

Available:http://www.amazon.com

Price: $.01-12.00 depending on condition (new and used)

Ralph is a bunny who likes to play soccer. He gets mad because he does not want to stop playing when his mother asks him to get ready for a birthday party.

He gets in trouble by throwing a temper tantrum when the mother does not allow him to have a piece of coffee cake, which is made for the adults. The last straw, when he is sent to the attic for punishment, is when he spits on the coffee cake.

Ralph may seem to be the bunny that nobody wants. However, he turns out to be the hero of the day. Just shortly after he is punished, three foxes show up to make rabbit stew. From an excerpt from the book, they love to quote:

"Tasty bunnies, hop, hop, hop,
Are delicious in the pot.
Simmered, boiled, or as a stew!
Watch out! Here we come for you!"

Through a series of hilarious events, Ralph foils the foxes' scheme by throwing eggs and paint on them In the end, it is his great soccer skills that save the day.

The moral of this book is that Ralph was a misunderstood bunny. Nobody understood why he loved to play soccer. The bunny family included Ralph in the birthday party by playing soccer.

This book shows us that kids are kids. They are bound to get into some sort of trouble. As parents, we must accept the children for who they are. We must focus on the good they do, not just the naughty things.

 

While your resume lists your skills and qualifications, how you conduct yourself in the interview is the deciding factor whether you get the job or not. Like an individual in the sales profession, you are selling yourself to people you have just met. To make the interview as effective as possible, you must prepare yourself by using the following tips.

Prepare.

Learn as much as you can about the company. Understand the job description and skills and qualifications needed for the job. By knowing these you can compare the skills of your current job with this new position and demonstrate how they tie in together.

Practice

Think of possible questions your interviewer may ask. Write down answers to each question. Talk in front of a mirror and watch your facial expressions. This way you can watch for signs of doubt and adjust your actions.

Evaluate Past Interviews.

If you recently had an interview for another job, this can help you get this position. First of all, list what went good during that interview. Then evaluate what could have been better. Maybe there were some questions that were hard to answer. Think about those questions and practice answering them.

Dress Appropriately.

Pretend that you have the job already and know what the dress code is. Wear similar attire to the interview. For example, if the job requires a suit and tie, wear these and not jeans and a T-shirt.

Be On Time.

When you find out where the interview is going to take place, see how long it will take you to get there. Add an additional fifteen minutes to the commute. It is better to be early. Your future employer will see that as a commitment to you career.

Show Confidence.

By practicing and planning ahead of time for the interview, you will feel more comfortable during the interview. However, it is natural to feel nervous. Practice little tricks to help you stay calm. One trick is taking deep breaths to help you relax. Another trick is to visualize kicking yourself when you feel nervous. Always remember to keep eye contact with the interviewer.

If Unsure, Ask.
If the interviewer asks a complicated question, do not be afraid to ask for clarification. By trying to second guess what the interviewer is asking, you may waste time giving him unnecessary information. By having him restate a question, shows the interviewer that you are a careful listener.

Keep Things Positive.

It is best not to show any negative feelings about past job experiences. For example, if you are looking for a job because of personality conflicts in your current place of employment, do not express this. The interviewer may see this as a negative attitude. It is better to state that you are looking for a change.

Show Interest of the Company

Ask questions and have the interviewer share information about the company. Ask about long-term objectives, problems and issues the company is facing, and changes the organization may face in the future. The interviewer, as long as the information is not confidential, will be willing to share this.

For further consideration, go to: http://jobsearch.about.com/ad/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interview.quest.html

This website lists the most popular questions asked during interviews and appropriate responses to each questions.

Good luck during your interview.

 

Who inspired you most and why?"

In my 43 years on this earth, many people influenced me. But I think the ones who influenced me the most were the bullies I had to deal with in Catholic School. They picked on me and teased me. I remember one girl telling me that I would never get married, never go to college and be either a waitress or a nun. Well a few years ago I found out that she had been married, but got a divorce, never went to college and is a waitress. And here I am with a Masters Degree, served in the ARMY, work for a Fortune 500 company, married with two girls. Well because of her influence and others I grew up with, I am a stronger person today.
********************************
Prompt: YOU are creating a writing contest. WHAT IS YOUR THEME?

I have no idea. I like the idea of contests because they help get people exposure for their ports. But I am not sure what type of theme I would set. I like many styles of writing.

Well, I think I might know what to do. I would set up one for non-fiction items. It seems that the writers who do fiction and poetry get more exposure that those who write essays and other non-fiction items. I would set no word limit at first, but if it is hard to go through all the items, then I might change it. Plus, I would set up a poll where the contestants can vote on the submissions.
****************
We do need a major overhaul with this country. Even though I am a regristered republican, and normally vote that way, I voted for Obama this election. This country needs a change and I think this new president will do this. We need to see changes in the economic crisis we are facing in the country plus changes in health care, retirement and social security.
******************
Prompt: Enumerate your top 5 excuses for work.

Reasons why I work:

1. I have to work to pay the bills

2. I need something to do so I don't get bored

3. I have a couple good friends at work

4. I want to get a promotion

5. I am one day closer to retirement

Top 5 for when I call off work

1. I am sick

2. My husband/child is sick

3. My car broke down

4. The roads are bad because of snow

5. State of Emergency
*********************
When life gets out of hand, what do you do to relax and regain your composure?

I usually take a step away from what I am doing and do something else. For example, if I spend too much time on the computer, I step away and read a book, go for a walk or some other activity. Sometimes I feel that I am being crushed on all sides and I am not motivated to do anything at all. Sometimes taking a nap helps or talking with somebody.

 

Christmas is around the corner and I could not be more prepared. A week to go and my shopping is done and I only have three presents left to wrap. I am sure I will have some more to wrap if I have to get a last minute gift or something, but I can sit back and relax. Well, I have to work nights up to Christmas morning, so I cannot relax too much.
K-mart is probably the own store that still has a lay-away. I started doing my shopping in August, putting an item or two at a time on it. Some of the presents were for the Wii and I knew if I put everything all at once on it, the amount I would be paying would be larger.
The good thing about the lay-away is that this store does not have a rule where you must have everything paid for by a certain date. The only thing is that anything that had a Christmas theme, such as tree decorations, must be paid for before the beginning of December. Lay away does not close down a week before Christmas. You can keep putting items on before the new year begins. This is good because one item I got my husband will not be paid for until after Christmas. He will just get an empty box with a little card, telling him to expect something during January.
I did cheat too. Some of the presents I bought are expensive. For example, I got Guitar Hero for the Wii. I am giving it to my husband and two daughters for Christmas. A couple of the games, I split it up between the three. That way they still get presents and be happy with what they get.

 

I learned more on my voice recorder. I first found out that each time I start reecording and need to stop to gather my thoughts, I have to hit the pause button. If I hit stop and then start recording again, it starts out as a new message. This is great if I want to record in small bursts, it will be easier to listen to each recording.

While I can purchase the Dragon Naturally Speaking software that converts oral words into text, I can not afford it yet because of Christmas. I have a bid on one on EBay. However, it is so low and the auction has several days left, I expect that I will be outbid. I did type one of my messages last night. I felt I did okay. I had to keep hitting the pause button, until I finished typing. I am not a fast typer, maybe thirty words a minute.

I did find out that this recorder can be played back in several different speeds. I can play it back in the slower speed and it can stretch out the words. However, I played it back in the faster speed and had no problems.

This voice recorder also camee with Digital Voice Editor Software. It is installed to my computer and I have already transferred all of my recordings, 10 so far, to my hard drive. It also has instructions on how to use the voice recorder to the Dragon software. It does sound easy enough.
 

"Should a person interpret a work of art or attempt to appreciate it for what it is?"

Personally I think that we should appreciate things for what they are. I remember days in school when we had to read a poem and then explain what the poem was actually saying. Oh how much I hated doing this. Plus our interpretations were probably far off on what the poet was actually trying to say. I look at a painting at a museum and I say "Cool. That is a nice painting"
**********************
1. Jesus Christ-died on the cross for our sins our only hope for salvation

2. This happened years ago and don't remember the name. A woman had fallen on the tracks at a subway station in New York. A boy about 13 jumped in and pushed her out of the way. He was hit by the train and was killed. Anybody who sacrifices their lives that way is one of the best people.

3. The people who served in the Armed Forces

4. Ronald Reagan-in my life he was the best president (in my opinion)

5. John F Kennedy

6. Barak Obama-I have confidence in him to lead our country

7. Policemen who sacrifice themselves to make out cities safe

8. My brother-in-law who is a NYC fire fighter and all firemen

9. Billy Graham

10. Norman Vincent Peale-Christian Writer "The Power of Positive Thinking" and all Christian writers who touch somebody.
*****************************
10 most hated

Satan-destroyer of good, hater of God, Lover of evil

Bin Laden-planned and carried out the 9/1/1 attacks

Adolf Hitler-German dictator-caused the murder of millions of Jewish people

Saddam Hussein-Iraqi dictator with multiple war crimes. Possible WMD-Weapons of Mass Destruction

Jim Jones-religious cult leader caused a mass suicide-almost a thousand people died

Charles Manson-Cult leader conspired to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders-which his "Family" carried out. Helter Skelter

Benito Mussolini-Italion Dictator

Lee Harvey Oswald-killed President John F Kennedy

Pretty Boy Floyd-Bank Robber

Bonnie and Clyde-murdering bank robbing team
******************
What does freedom mean to you? How do you express your freedom? Do you consider yourself 'free'?

Freedom means being able to do anything you feel that you should be able to do as long as you are not breaking the law?

Living in the United States I feel I am free, I have a job-in some countries females are forbidden to work, I can express my religion without fear of persecution, I have the freedom to speak my mind and the freedom to pick who I want for president and to wear what I like and to live where I want as long as my income allows it.

I do feel that I am free. However, I am still not free from debt. My husband and I are slowing climbing out of that hole. But we are not always free to do what we want. It would be nice to go on a vacation somewhere. But we have to get bills paid first. Sometimes we are not free to make a decision. We may be faced with two difficult choices and may not know if the decision is always the right one. For example, if somebody is on life support, it is not an easy decision to take the person off life support.

 

I needed to get a handy gadget that would make my writing quicker. There are two things that I normally do when I write. The first thing, I will write in a notebook. Then I will sit at the computer and type what I write into my Microsoft Word program. The other thing I do is sit in front of the computer and type what comes to my mind. Then I go back and edit what I wrote and make sure I have a good flow from start to end.

I drive an hour and a half each way to work and sometimes things come to my mind. Sometimes it may be a story idea for a short story and other times, it is something that I am working on. It could be a description or a dialogue. Then when I get home, I try to write it down before I forget about it. Sometimes, I forget some things that have come to my mind and it does not seem, after I get it written, what was going through my mind. So this new gadget will come in handy.

It is a voice recorder made by Sony. IC Recorder ICD-P32. I won this on EBay Auctions and it is brand new.

Here are some of the features:

I can record up to 32 hours

I can transfer what I speak into my computer-this came with software so I can link to the computer

I can use three different speeds when I am recording. That way I can play it in a slow mode so I can type while I listen-I do not type fast.

Even though it did not come with the software, this is compatible with Dragon Software. This transfers what I speak into a text document. Imagine how much I can do once I get this software. However, I might have to wait until after Christmas.

So today, I am learning about the basic functions of this recorder. It is basically simple because it is like a tape recorder, but much smaller.

One of the things this has four message folders. If I am doing a lot of recordings, I can move my messages into one of the folders. This way, if I am working on several different plots and stories, I can assign each recording to a specific folder. I can also have up to 99 recording in one folder. However, since this handy device holds up to 32 hours of recordings, my folders probably will not hold that many.

This is also handy if I am recording a communications meeting at work.
I can also divide my messages. If I have a long recording, I can split it in half so I can find where I left off more easily.

Now imagine if I do get the Dragon Software. We speak a lot faster than when we write. I think the average rate is 200 words a minute. Just talking nonstop for an hour will be 12000 words. It may take some understanding of the software to convert to text. However, this makes the job quicker, especially if you are working on several novels. I wonder if it would be cheating to do this on my next Nano.

 

There are so many resolutions I can make for the 2010 New Year. With my husband's and my financial situation, I believe that building up a savings is the most important. While working two jobs, we have not been able to save money. One of the reasons why this is the case is because of our debt-we are paying a monthly mortgage, car payments, utillity bills, medical bills and other debt. Another reason is because of the rises in living costs. For example, when the gas prices rose to over $4.00 a gallon, this put a hole in our pockets. A third reason is due to unwise spending. For example, when I get gas, I tend to buy other things such as scratch-off lottery tickets. My goal for 2009 is to take $50 a week out of my paycheck and put it into my savings. I have listed five methods help me keep this goal throughout the year.

Tip # 1 Canceling Club Memberships.

The first method, I have already started. I was paying $59 a month for a family YMCA membership. My younger daughter and I were using this membership. However, we stopped going because my work schedule became hectic and I was not motivated to lift weights after getting homw from work. Since my husband and my older daughter were not going, I was not getting my money's worth with the membership. I decided to cancel my membership. We have enough exercise equipment at home that my younger daughter and I can use to work out at home.

Tip #2 Brown Bag It

For the convenience, I tend to use the vending machines at work to buy my lunch. However, a sub can cost up to $3.00 and a 20 ounce bottle of Diet Pepsi costs $1.50. I can save money by making my own lunch and bringing it to work. While I may not have the time to make my lunch every day, I can plan ahead. For example, I can get a family sized macaroni and cheese for less than $10.00. I can cook it up and divide it into small containers and freeze them. This can last me for the entire work week. In addition, I can save money buy buying a six pack of soda at the grocery store and also purchase snacks to keep me going.
Tip #3 Take advantage of lowering gas prices.
I have a long commute every day. With gas prices lower than $2.00 a gallon, I am paying less in gas each week. My method is to take the money I would have spent in gas when it was over $4.00 a gallon and put that money in the savings.

Tip #4 Look for bargains whenever possible.

If there is something I absoluletly must have, I can save money by comparison shopping. If I am patient, I can find something at the lowest cost possible. I usually save money by looking for a product on www.ebay.com?>http://www.ebay.com. The only thing I have to remember is to take into consideration are the shipping costs.

Tip #5 Make more money

By being a content producer for Associated Content, I have the potential to make more money. By doing several calls a week, I can make enough money to keep my savings going.

Why do I want to save $50 a week? It will come in handy if I need to get something fixed on the car, for example. However, the real goal is to build up the savings so I have enough money to cover three months living expenses. This way if something happens, such as my husband or I losing a job, we have an emergency savings to see us through.

 

Today, I started reading a book called Major League Dad: The Moving Story of an All-Star Pitcher Who Gave up Baseball for His Family, (1994) written by Tim and Christine Burke. The story is about Tim Burke, a major league pitcher, who gave up baseball after almost eight years of playing
to be a dedicated husband and father.

I learned that Tim Burke played in the Major League from 1985 to 1992. He pitched 498 Major League games with 49 wins, 53 losses, 102 saves, 444 strikeouts and an Earned Run Average of 2.72.

I also found out that he played six-and-a-half years for the Montreal Expos, two years for the New York Mets and part of the 1992 season for the New York Yankees. He had signed as a free agent for the Cincinnati Reds. Then a few months later, he announced his retirement from baseball.

I am a New York Mets fan and Tim Burke's name sounds very familiar. However, I cannot recall seeing him play. My memory is not the greatest.

This decision he made was probably the hardest one in his life. Baseball was his dream. However, he felt that family togetherness meant more. In a way I feel that way too. I work on swing shift at my job, as I mentioned in an earlier entry. This is a hard strain on the family. I am constantly looking for positions at my job that would place me on a steady shift. However, such positions are few and far between. Therefore, I am constantly praying to God in either helping me find a position that would benefit my family better or find a new job.

Whatever happens, God will see me through. Maybe it is his will that I work at my job for the time being.