One of Those Days
February 26, 2009
Have you ever had one of those days that makes you wish you’d stayed in bed? Well, this is one of them for me. In the last 24 hours:
- My cat came in heat and is now climbing the curtains, biting my ankles and calling for a mate every 10 seconds.
- My five year old discovered that girls have boobs and thinks it’s his mission in life to inform everyone, including complete strangers in the grocery store.
- I dropped my hairdryer, and it landed in the toilet.
- The basement flooded.
- The desktop computer froze and crashed while I was installing a new back-up drive, taking with it the last four databases I spent all night creating.
- We had a kitchen fire. (A small one, and no one was hurt.)
- Hubby cut his finger partly off and refuses to go the the hospital for stitches. “Can’t you just clean it and tape it back together? You’re a nurse!” he says.
- My laptop (the one with the backup copies of those databases) now says “Operating System Not Found.”
- The man who never gets sick came home from work with the flu, and thinks he’s dying.
- I tripped on the steps, broke a toe, and bled on my white coat.
But, you know what? It could be worse.
My father in law stopped today, and I told him one of the neighbor’s cattle looks like it has mange. Mange in cattle is a lot like mange in dogs. It’s highly contagious and can be deadly. (This poor cow looked like she was on death’s doorstep.) We were talking about a plan to keep our cattle away from that side of the pasture and he asked if I remembered a little calf of the neighbor’s we found this time last year.
This little calf belonged to the nearest neighbor. His mama had jumped the fence and given birth in our field. The calf was adorable. He was running and jumping and liked to chase his tail with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. He was all black, with a perfect little Angus face. I was instantly in love.
We called the neighbor and told him about the little guy. He asked if we could keep him overnight. “Sure thing,” I said, without thinking about it. You see, it was about 20 degrees outside, and raining ice. The little guy had to get in where it was warm to survive. So, I donned my boots, bundled up, and headed out with my father in law to gather up the little newborn.
Well, the calf had other plans. He wanted to stay with his mama. He bawled, and we ran around on the icy hills, trying to coax him into the truck. Several bruises and a couple of hours later, my father in law snagged a hoof. He picked up the little bawling moo-er and headed for the truck. But it was too cold to put him in the back, so he shoved the wet calf in the front seat with him. It would be a short half mile ride to the barn, where he would be warm and safe. I followed behind them in the car.
We pulled out onto the main road and not 10 seconds later, my father in law hit the breaks and swerved off the road. I pulled to a stop, and they eased back out before I got out of the car. A few more feet, and the truck swerved again. Concerned, I turned on my four-ways and kept an eye open for oncoming traffic. They kept crawling along, and eventually we reached the barn. My father in law jumped out of the truck and slammed the door shut. He was dripping wet from the chest down.
Evidently, the little guy had to pee while in the truck. You see, cows don’t really “tinkle”, they let loose a stream of urine that can fill a five gallon bucket.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I opened the truck door and there was the little guy, looking as innocent as can be, with both front feet through the steering wheel. “He also decided he wanted to drive,” my father in law said with a smirk. “About ran us off the road. Now he won’t get outta the truck.”
Sure enough, we pushed, we pulled, we coaxed, but the calf wouldn’t budge. And to make matters worse, he peed again, soaking the other half of the truck seat.
Eventually we got him to the barn, got a bottle of milk replacer in him, and he was warm, dry and very happy with his new home.
But there was still the truck seat to deal with. I brought out carpet cleaner, stacks of towels, Febreeze, and baking soda. We soaked up what we could, and put stacks of towels followed by stacks of cement blocks on the seat to soak up the remaining cow urine.
We headed to the house for some dry socks and hot coffee and you know what, it really was a good day in spite of the bruises, the cold, and cow pee. The calf was alive, we helped out a neighbor, and had a great story to tell the other old farmers who gather at the top of the hill to gab. The truck still smells like cow urine, but it’s not so bad anymore.
If you don’t loose sight of the big picture in the midst of all those little annoying things in life, most days turn out to be good, productive days in the end.
Why SEO Is Worth Your Time
February 23, 2009
photo credit: Dan4th
SEO, Search Engine Optimization, is one of the most important aspects of online business. You can create the best product since sliced bread, offer the best service on the planet, and put up a beautifully designed website, but if no one can find it, it’s all a waste of time. The Internet is a B-I-G place, folks, it’s easier to get lost than it is to get found. SEO is the key to putting your website on the Internet road map.
SEO: Varying by Degrees
SEO can be very simple yet complex at the same time. For the average website owner, all the SEO you need to know can be learned in a couple of days. However, if you are serious about promoting your website or making the most money from a PPC campaign, SEO can quickly become a monster.
Overall, SEO is not that difficult to understand, the complexity comes from the sheer volume of information you need to absorb to institute full-scale search engine optimization. Algorithms are constantly changing, trends emerge and die off, and the Internet continually evolves to meet the needs of the never-ending stream of information seekers flooding the world’s servers with requests.
SEO Writing Services
Blue Duck Copy is first and foremost an SEO writing service. We started out as a one-woman show, freelancing for some of the best companies on the Net. We did our marketing the old-fashioned way (so to speak). We sent out individual emails offering our writing services at reasonable fees to SEO companies as we came across them. More than a few took us up on the offer, and took that writer under their wing to learn the ins and outs of SEO practices in exchange for keyword articles, website content, and blog posts that were original, affordable, and search engine optimized for maximum profit. It was a cozy deal and everyone was happy.
Then, a freelance writer here and a hopeful writer there came to Blue Duck, asking for a piece of the pie. So, they got an assignment with a drawn-out email with a very condensed version of how to write for the SEO client they were assigned. The fresh influx of ideas and words was good for business. Now, Blue Duck is even more valuable, because when times get tough, competition gets fierce. That’s where SEO can make the difference between making money and going back to your day job (or filing for government assistance). Online businesses need SEO to thrive, now more than ever.
Changing Times
People are getting laid off, they sit at home and perhaps they try filling out online surveys for a few bucks, or they post to online job boards, trying to find work. More than a few will stumble upon a website telling them how online business is the key to making all their dreams come true. So, they plunk down $50 for a domain name and hosting, and set out to make a living in their pajamas.
The Net is seeing an influx of new online businesses. That means more competition for your website, no matter what your product or service is. Do you have a plan to stay afloat in these troubled financial times? Are you one of those newbie website owners looking for a path to success?
SEO may be the answer you are looking for (even if you didn’t know you were looking for it). Over the next few months, Blue Duck will be providing a sneak peak into the world of SEO. We’ll give you basic SEO instructions, free SEO tips, and SEO advice for the small business owner looking for an edge.
Ask an SEO Writer
In preparation for our SEO lessons, we’ll be taking questions from people just like you about SEO and SEO writing. So drop us an email, a comment, or visit our contact page to toss your inquiry into the hat. (We’ll also be holding a few contests along the way.)
It’s going to be an interesting journey, make sure you subscribe by email or RSS, or bookmark Blue Duck to join in the fun as we journey toward SEO success.
Burn While I Laugh, Ryan
February 20, 2009
photo credit: AlexDixon
Ok, so the title seems a little sadistic, I know, but after you read this post, you’ll get the point. I’m not being cruel or sadistic, or even demented, I promise.
This post is a shameless promotion for Ryan D. Scott’s latest foray into the online community, because I think Ryan is awesome and he tapped me on the shoulder for a little link love. MakeComedy is the brainchild of Ryan, formerly known as Oktober5 and sometimes seen hanging out with that bad boy, Matthew Dryden.
Ryan’s new niche site gives readers tips on how to “create better comedy.” Okay, so SEO isn’t very funny, and most of my posts about Christianity and business ethics lean more toward practical. I’m just a practical kinda girl, but I’ll admit, I could use more funny. We could all use more funny, more smiles.
People like to laugh, and no matter what your reasons for hanging out on the Net, a little funny can help. And Ryan knows comedy.
Take for example his description of Matthew for the About Page of TheCompletists:
Matthew is the kind of man that you usually hear referred to as “a quiet guy” by neighbors being interviewed in front of a yellow police tape festooned house, buzzing with police, and several authorities removing numerous large, bulky bags while a backhoe operator jumps from his vehicle yelling, “I think we found even MORE in the back yard!”
Actually, Matthew is an up-and-coming writer and spoken-word poet, who loves to violate the dictionary in many different ways.
Okay, so that one is mostly funny because it is true. 
The website is fairly new, but I’ve already bookmarked it so I don’t miss out on any of the great posts that are sure to come in the following weeks. One of my favorite thus far is Ryan’s feature post about comedian Damon Scott. If you only click through on one link today, make it this one. You’ve got to see Damon’s act. (I just LOVE that monkey!) It will make you smile, guaranteed.
A New Perspective
February 18, 2009
photo credit: relapsed nun
Hard times are staring most of us in the face. Heck, some of us are sharing the covers with Hard Times- he’s moved in and refuses to leave. He’s eating your lunch and stealing your joy. So what’s a guy or gal to do?
Chartrand mentioned a post by Dave Rhodes that I needed to read tonight. (I’ve been buried under database management projects lately and my feed reader has gone neglected, but this is one I’m glad I took time to read.) It was a real eyeopener.
You see, here I’ve been whining because someone stole several thousand dollars from my bank account. My hairdresser screwed up my last haircut and my husband now says I could qualify as a butch lesbian. I’m considering changing my major in college and have been whining because I don’t know what to do. My extended family is driving me nuts, and the roof is leaking- again. I’ve got more complaints than a mutt has fleas.
But the truth is, the bank is going to cover my losses, my hair grows fast, and I haven’t been hit on by any pretty girls lately. I’m a year and a half away from getting my next degree, my family loves me, and I’m warm, mostly dry, and have food in the cupboard. My kids are happy and healthy, my husband still has a job. I have it pretty good compared to many.
It’s all about perspective.
You see, Dave and Dorian are struggling, maybe more so than the rest of us. And they helped me put things back into perspective. I needed that today.
We’ve gotten used to a fairly cushy life and now circumstances are pushing us out of our comfort zones. We have to scrape together bus fare for a job interview, stand in line for hours to earn $6.50 from recycling that we would normally stuff into the garbage can for someone else to dig through. We eat macaroni and cheese. We walk to work. We feed the cat leftovers instead of tuna. The cable TV gets shut off, we learn to tell each each other stories and play Monopoly for cheap entertainment. We remember to cling tightly to what matters most in life.
Stop by and give Dave and Dorian your support if you have time. Pray for them and take the time to thank God for all He provides. If we hold each other up, we just might make it through.
It’s all about perspective.
By Your Side
February 16, 2009
“To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.
All man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighted by the Lord.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
The Lord works out everything for His own ends-”
~Proverbs 16:1-4
To: You, With Love
February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I suffer from an extra-large portion of ambivalence when it comes to these “Greeting Card Holidays”. Add to that my disdain for sappy romance and expressions of love, and you can see why Valentine’s Day poses a problem around here. However, my eight-year-old is a hopeless die-hard romantic and spent the morning learning an “I love you” song on his guitar. It was so adorable, I decided this might not be a worthless holiday after all. So in the traditional mushy, touchy-feely theme for the day, I’d like to present a special “I love you” gift to each of you.
The Quote Effect
My lovely gift to you is an ebook called The Quote Effect. This complitation of inspiration was written by bloggers, for bloggers. It contains 90 quotes written by some names you might recognize, like Lance Ekum, Sean Platt, Dave Fowler, and myself. 31 bloggers contributed to this project and life coach Davina Haisell sponsored the project and crafted the pdf.
Use this ebook to find a word of encouragement, humor, or inspiration the next time the Net takes a bite out of your hide. Use it to remember that someone out there cares. Or, just flip through the pages for the pretty pictures if you like. 
Happy Valentine’s Day to you. I’m hoping and praying that today is filled with love, friendship, laughter, and good coffee. And if you still want a little mush to go with that coffee, visit Writer Dad’s place today for a touching post about when Sean and Cindy fell in love, with each other and with their kids. Awwww.
Get your own copy of The Quote Effect for free.
