July 9, 2024

📚A Most Unreliable Narrator 👩🏻‍💻 Issue #193 Scoop there it is

This week: anthology release, new tattoos, and things I’ve designed

Welcome to A Most Unreliable Narrator, the slice-of-life newsletter of GenXer around town, Lisa Rabey. I talk about anything and everything with a bit of swears. I’m glad you’re here.

Dear Internet,

Yes, it’s Tuesday and not Sunday. I’ve been lackadaisical about things in the last week or thereabouts. This doc has been opened on my laptop since past Thursday and is mostly finished. Now I finish it!

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Today the anthology I’m in, Love on the Lakefront: Romantic Tales from the Great Lakes is out! My story is Love in the Time of Cherry Season. Here is the blurb:

"Forty-something Zoe has had it with dating but when she meets Ollie at Scoop There It Is, she thinks maybe Ollie could be the person she's been waiting for all along." (Warning: fat phobia.)

It’s available in eBook and print! 👉🏻 https://books2read.com/loveonthelakefront. If you’re a bookseller or librarian, it’s on Ingram and Baker & Taylor. I’m also available for author readings!

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Last weekend I was in downtown K-zoo getting tattooed by Ally.

Tattoo #1 is the Jane Austen quote, “obstinate headstrong girl” which is on my right wrist. I wanted it to form like a bracelet and hooboy. It took Ally over an hour to get it on straight because the wrist is one of the most difficult places to align. (Not going to lie, it’s also a bit spicy pain wise.)

Tattoo #2 Is more work on my “sleeve.”  It’s in quotes because it’s a hodge podge of work that Ally is pulling together. Still not done yet but getting close!

Ally and her wife will be traveling for some time, so I don’t know when I’ll see her again but hopefully soon!

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There is lots to report:

• I applied many moons ago to do blogging for International Bipolar Foundation and forgot about it. They emailed me last week to see if I was still interested and I said, of course! I filled out the consent form, gave them a range of topics I have experience in, and voila! I’ll be writing for them once a month. My first piece will be on rage. 

• A state-wide magazine reached out to interview me as a creative/entrepreneur.  That should be coming out soon.

• I’m officially working at my local library as a sub.

• I’ve applied to another library to be a sub for them so hopefully that’ll pan out.

• I’ve dropped therapy from every other week to once a month as I’m in a pretty good place and I need more of a check-in then a session.

• We got the crawl space conditioned earlier this week. This means they went in, cleaned it the fuck out, insulated the damn thing, installed a dehumidifier (it was 77% humidity down there!), and some other shit. The purpose for this is to prep for living here in the winter. It’ll keep the local fauna out, pipes won’t burst, and control the temperature of the cabin.

• We’re getting quotes to have blinds installed this week.

• I’m researching local photographers for head shots.

• I’m going to be giving at least two author readings this fall!

• I’m now the secretary for my library’s Friends group!

So yeah, busy times here at Throbbing Cabin.

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It’s now early July and I’ve got three jobs: the business, working at the library, and writing. My ADHD is all over the place so when I get ahead of one thing, I fall with the other. It’s driving me fucking mad.

Here is this week’s schedule so far:

• Fiber internet getting installed on Tuesday

• Gym on Friday

• Bind companies coming out to measure and quote

• Two writers’ groups (one virtual, the other in-person)

• Donate blood on Tuesday after work

• Seeing Lake Street Drive Wednesday night

• Video date with Erika (2x) and Kristin (2x)

• A business related video meetings (Sloth)

• Work at the library

• Work the library’s book sale

• At least one OA meeting

• Love on the Lakefront: Romantic Tales of the Great Lakes releases July 9! (Paperback, ebook) Buy a copy so I can earn my 8.333% royalty!

• Book launch party on FB Friday July 12 (I’ll be answering questions from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 or 11:45, I forget which.)

• Friend in town!

As you can see, there is not a wee thing about the business or doing actual writing. And this isn’t stuff that is happening all day but rather something is going on from the time I wake up (biz meetings) to the time I go to bed (video dates with the gals). Business and writing stuff needs to work its way in there. For example, I’m not needed for fiber internet to be installed on Tuesday but I am the one who coordinated it so I need to be present for questions.

(Every time I’m not working for the man, I marvel at all the non-work shit I need to do or accomplish. How did I handle this shit and daily life while working 9-5??)

I said on FB, and probably said it here at some point, but the relief of not working for the man is so palpable. I recently told a former co-worker you don’t realise just how toxic the work environment is until you leave. I’m making shit for all for money but it’s a stark realization I don’t need ½ the shit (or even ¾ of the shit) I used to buy. It’s not like Mr. Lisa ever denied me of anything (which he hasn’t) but making my own money, no matter how minute, feels amazing. (Taxes will be a bitch next year but c’est la vie.)

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When I started this week’s issue, I had a small list of things I needed to get done which I cranked out on Friday. One of the things was to design the EDDM mailer.

EDDM is Every Day Direct Mail better known as those rando postcards you get from businesses in the area in your mailbox. A local gardening center used them and that’s how I found out about their business so I thought, why the hell not? The print and web ads worked for a bit but I need other avenues to get clients.

It took me all day to design these fuckers and I’m pretty pleased if I do say so myself. Having Thursday as my hype dog was cherry on top.

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Wonderful Things

Adobe Express and Environprint

Adobe Express is Adobe’s product going after Canva users and you know what? AE rocks my socks off. Everything I’ve designed from the EDDM mailers above to business cards to social media posts has been done in AE. I haven’t even gotten into using it for TikTok or Insta Reels yet.

I’ve used Canva in the past but AE, to me, is much more institutive and as a premium member ($9.99 / mo), the templates, branding, fonts, and everything available is sometimes overwhelming but great for designing. (Premium accounts allows you to post three accounts across the following channels: FB, IG, Linkedin, Pinterest, TikTok, and X (Twitter). Free accounts allow you to schedule/post one account per channel.)

Here’s an author bookmark I made:

You’re probably wondering, “Bookmarks? In 2024?” Turns out they are a fast and cheap advert when doing author signings and all the rage. The QR code goes to https://linktr.ee/heroineinabook which has links to all the places I am online.

I also created personal business cards because all I have is my biz cards with me and bookstores like for you to leave contact information and I cannot speak for you but typing for over 30 years has led to shit handwriting.

I’m double dipping this weeks Wonderful Things with Environprint, the printer I used for the bookmarks and business cards. They are ethically sustainable, environmentally friendly, and plant trees. Plus, the prices were great compared to other green printers. Highly recommend!

lisa x

(Fuck fascists and Nazis!)

You've just finished reading A Most Unreliable Narrator: the slice of life newsletter from the GenXer about town, Lisa Rabey. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky if you're so inclined. I am everywhere. Copyright © 1996 - 2025 by Lisa Rabey