CVS Pharmacy: Doesn't print black & white

This is a warning to all those whom are like  me and love to take pictures with a 35 film camera. I went up to Auburn with my fiance, girlfriend at the time, and proposed to her up there on a nature trail. I had my Minolta camera with us, and took plenty of pictures of our trek. After my film ran out right after I proposed to her, I put in some black and white film to take a few pictures for memories. Instead of 24 exposure they are 36 exposure and so we took plenty of pictures of the two of us. However, when I dropped them off at CVS Pharmacy, explaining to them that they were black & white, something terrible happened.

I went back to pick them up a little over an hour, and had the manager come and speak to me. They ran the black and white photos through a color processor and ruined every picture. Apparently there is some kind of black and white film that can be ran through a color processor. I've never heard of such a thing. In fact, the black and white film I had in the camera is the same brand of black and white I used 10 years ago when I took black and white pictures before my first Minolta stopped working.

So all of my engagement pictures... gone. All she has to offer me is a free four pack of "CVS" brand 400 speed 35 film. How exciting... goodbye memories of my engagement in the wilderness, and here a few free rolls of film, now that I'm no longer in Auburn. So word of advice, if you like taking black and white pictures.

Don't go anywhere except a professional camera/photo place.

Yes, my fiance and me pretty much won't shop at CVS anymore.

Vinyl Records

I've always enjoyed music. I love everything from Oldies (60s-70s), Classic Rock (80s), Rock, Alternative, Country, Jazz, pretty much anything. Especially if it has great lyrics. What can I say? I'm a writer. I love lyrics. I also love Classical and jazz without the lyrics. The soothing music relaxes me and is great to write to.

Long ago my mom had a record player, it stood about four feet tall and she used it as a shelf. The needle had broke, but she had one that worked as a 5 piece separate unit  that had hooked up on the entertainment center. I wish she still had her records and 45s to this day. One day I decided to buy her a record player and a few records. There is a guy that sells records at the flea market. I also remember several years back when I worked at Fred Meyer's that records were coming back. I ordered one online to her and found some old records to send to her, and sent them all to her for her birthday. After doing so, my intrigue for old things caught me looking back online wanting to order one myself.

The one I found was expensive. Just like hers it was a combo player with radio, CD player, cassette, and USB player. Though unlike hers the one I found had a trumpet horn on the top of it. As soon as I saw it I fell in love with it. When I ordered it my girlfriend at the time wasn't too happy with the amount I paid for it. (Fiance now), but realized how much cheaper records were than CDs at the flea market. Our money would be back in no time if we got records instead. Here's the great thing about records, they last. While most of the time CDs have a hard time lasting more than a few years if you take excellent care of them, records will last generations. I have records from the 1940s that still work great. I love using the record player, and we have music that will last. The sound quality is great, and I love starting them and setting the needle. What can I say, I love old things.

Who else still buys records?

The Crimson Claymore

I have completed my first novel in my series. I started this journey over 8 years ago when I wrote 4 chapters with a 13 chapter outline and hated it. It was only 3 years ago when I started writing it again for NaNoWriMo. At the time I completed it at just over 50,000 words. I then went back for revisions and rewrites the next year and brought it to 80,000 words and closer to where a fantasy novel is supposed to be. I went for another 4-5 edits, before deciding it was garbage and a few rejections from literary agents before rewriting the entire thing from start to finish. It is now 129,000 words, and I've cut what I can, but I've added so much to it that I find it as close as I can by myself.

It has been posted on a website called "Wattpad" where they enjoyed it so much that they featured it, and has gotten over 2 Million reads, 7,000 votes, and 700 comments. I'm putting together a list of literary agents to begin sending my manuscript over to. I already have over 2,000 fans on wattpad, and hundreds of them say they're ready to by my work as soon as it comes out. I'm hoping to spice up my query letter and synopsis so I can send off my work in the next few weeks. I have my own website where I put details of my work online, including Character bios, Glossary, and many other things you may want to know. My sequel 'The Obsidian Arrow' is one chapter shy of the rough draft being completed. Then I still have revisions, rewrites, and chapters to add.

I hope all of you check out my work and my website. Thanks for listening.