A great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. ~ Albert Schweitzer

I’m blogging today over at the Blaze Authors blog about birthday cakes – Stop on by and share your fave cake recipe, story or flavor   http://blazeauthors.com

I got an iTouch for my birthday. The birthday that isn’t until this Sunday. But that’s not the point. I got one!!!! OMG I love it. My oldest daughter got one last summer, but while I found it cute, I didn’t see any major point in having one. I mean, my 8 gig iPod Nano was rockin’ just fine. Sure, I had to delete one episode of Castle to upload the next, but how many did I need at once? And yeah, I was swapping out RWA workshop recordings and making hand written notes of the ones I liked enough to want to listen to again sometime in the future instead of just leaving them on the device. But hey, that no big deal. I like writing notes

Then my brother got one for Christmas. He spent most of the holiday sitting on my couch, apping his heart out. He had my dad playing race car games, my husband playing fake shooting games, my kids playing who knows what. Now, I definitely didn’t need a game player. I’m a little uptight about my devices, wanting them to do work- not play (I don’t have any games loaded on my laptop or PC. And yes, in case you were wondering, the uptightness comes from the fact that I know if I had them, I’d play them. Instead of writing. And I screw off too much already, so don’t need any more writing distractions).

But then my brother handed me his iTouch. And I got to touch the screen. Oooooh, the power of that little touch. The ease at which it obeyed my commands. The fun it made me feel as it swept through not only his music library, but his calendar (complete with driving instructions for any appt) and his many varied forms of entertainment. But what really hooked me were the podcasts. I hate listening to podcasts on my PC because then I hear the dinging of emails arriving, the varied and sundry sounds websites make when I click on them, etc. And yes, I realize I could turn those sounds off, but… well, again, I admit it, its one more thing I’d rather I didn’t do at my computer since I want it to believe its a purely writing tool.

So I started jonesing for a bigger iPod. One that would hold everything I currently had, PLUS podcasts. Or maybe, just maybe, would give me a few more storage options so I didn’t have to swap things out. And hey, if I was going to get a new one, it should be a cool one, right? One that obeyed my touch (power trip much, Tawny?)

So I started the birthday campaign. Hints here and there. The random heartfelt sigh of longing. Snipping the Sunday ads. You know the game, right? Then I received a bonus, some cash I hadn’t been expecting. Oooh, I was off to buy my OWN iTouch, To hell with waiting for my birthday. Ooops, hubster objected. He knew what he was getting me for once and he’d be damned if I’d screw it up. So we compromised. I got the iTouch in January instead of waiting till my Birthday, and he got to get me the size he’d planned, instead of me getting the smaller one *g* I think I really won all the way around. And I’ve used it every single day since I got it. Oh man, I adore this device. Seriously, majorly adore!!!  I credit it for making my getting in shape goal possible.  I can listen to motivational podcasts.  I can watch and use it for workout strategies.  I even tried using it for a yoga workout the other night (um, yeah, not a winner, but I’m still trying).  I take it with me on my jogs,  I use it when I do my Bosu workout.  I listen to it when I am falling asleep.  Its… well, fab.  And yes, I’ll admit I do play games on it.  I’ve even made it to the medium level on the Sudoku puzzles!!!

How about you? Are you an iPod fan? An iTouch fan? Do you listen to podcasts or watch shows on your device? And did you know that Shape has some killer fitness apps for the Touch? Hey, they rock!!

Night time is really the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep. ~Catherine O’Hara

Yep. And this is why I write at night

We have a lot of winners today

The winner of Eva’s ebook, Werewolf Sanctuary is:  Julie Robinson!!!

And the Valentine Winners from my newsletter, who win both a copy of any book in my backlist and a box of yummy See’s Truffles!
Joanne Hicks, Suzy Roy and Charles Volstad!

Congratulations Everyone!!!!