Jeez! Life gets busy and I drop out for a while and **!!!Bam!!!** my inbox fills with guilt-inducing "your friends sure have been busy on OnePostWonder" messages - the implication? Where the Hades have you been, eh?

So I'm still  hustling to make my writing/ editing/ marketing business self-sustaining. I've been writing lots of resumes (and am on here procrastinating about a Federal style resume I must tackle next - in.tim.i.da.ting!)

I've concluded, based on conversations with several friends/ colleagues who are fellow freelancers, that my next best move is to create an LLC. But to do so, I need a business name. "J.Ireland Writer" is, well, less than inspirational.

And thus I'm reaching out to y'all, as I toss around potential business names. Suggestions/ comments/ feedback/ other ideas welcome! 

Cornucopia Creative Solutions, LLC; Carousel Creative Solutions, LLC; Renaissance Creative Solutions, LLC; Infinite Creative Solutions, LLC; Lyrica (or Lyrical?) Creative Solutions, LLC.

In a nutshell, I've been writing/editing web copy, resumes, marketing "supplies," press releases, press packets, ghost blogs & educational materials. If we're not going to end up living in my parents' basement, I need to kick it up a level, hence the LLC. Any of the ideas above catch your eye?

Thanks for reading! And now... back to resumes. 

I'm reading FB posts and chatting with teacher friends all of whom have bid (or are about to bid) a fond farewell to a brief summer. Yesterday, I saw approximately half-a-gazillion "First day of school" pics, and I'm sure next week's feed will feature the other half-a-gazillion pics. Interesting how many districts return pre-Labor vs. post-Labor Day...

This is my first year in 14 years where I'm not standing in front of a classroom every day. Feels weird. Freeing, a bit, but also mildly nerve-wracking. I'm only teaching one night class at Cedar Crest College each semester this year, and striking out as a freelance writer. Fortunately, I've a good, long 5-month contract that starts the end of September, but oy - what to do until then... or after?!

I've hooked up with a resume-writing company. The pay's not bad when the workload's decent - they're still "easing me in," and I'm hoping to get hit with more orders soon. 

Yesterday, a good friend told me that her husband - a jewelry designer by trade-turned-construction-worker - was just offered a position designing a line of 25+ engagement rings for the Astor diamond clan. Epic. Another friend started her dream job as director of multimedia/ content at Whole Foods. A former student landed a great position at an elementary school a few months after moving to Arizona.

Hearing these great stories gives me hope that, as I continue my search for writing gigs, I'll find one (or several) that brings me joy, intellectual challenge, financial stability, and satisfaction knowing it's something I can do - and do well!

I'm watching "Monster Hammerheads" on Shark Week. The narrator hasn't clarified whether hammerheads occasionally dine on humans, but these divers are seeking sharks in excess of 12 feet. At the moment, they're seeking one nicknamed Old Hitler - a gigantic shark who, according to legend, has terrorized the fish in Florida's waters since WWII.

How, you ask, do these divers attract sharks? Silly me - I thought the way to invite sharks to one's location involves dumping chum into the water. Nope. Passé and very 2013. These divers make chumsickles. I suppose they're like McDonalds' chicken mcnuggets - comprised of ground up bits that have no other food use. Yum. 

While these amazing, graceful creatures attract and fascinate me (hence my losing hours of my life one week each summer to the Discovery Channel), I remain quite grateful that my 4 1/2 yo's not a strong enough swimmer, yet, to request venturing out beyond the ocean's breakers!