Julie's Web Journal

Human-generated content. Honest!
Est. 2002

Julie Barrett is a freelance writer and photographer based in Plano, TX.

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Catching Up
For an old sorta retired lady, I've been busy!

I have a couple of convention appearances coming up, and we'll be taking K-9 to Fan Expo Dallas again this year. Stop by the British Emporium booth.

I'm working on a new electronics prop project that I hope to debut at SoonerCon. It's been a real challenge! 

(Warning: Geek Speak ahead!) I'm working on a presentation on wireless control for props and costumes. The current project...
5/9/2025 9:17:39 AM
An "Old People" Day

Today we went to do something "old people" do. In other words, we took off for a day trip!

Our destination was Canton, TX for First Monday Trade Days.

First Monday is a giant flea market that takes place the weekend before the first Monday of the month. We hadn't been in years, and thought it might be fun to go out when the crowds were, in theory, thinner. They were today because it rained. It was mostly light rain, so our wind...
4/3/2025 4:49:31 PM
Easing Into A Different Life
Well, here I am, easing into semi-retirement. The good news is that my creative brain is starting to work again. I spent a chunk of yesterday working on some research for a novel. So when do I start writing? I think I'm getting close. There are still a few things I need to sort out. 

My biggest issue was that I didn't like my main character a lot. It's okay to have an unlikeable main character, but she wasn't even unlikeable. She was just "meh." I need to flesh her backst...
4/2/2025 2:02:24 PM
Time For A Bit Of Catch-Up
Oh, good. I just lost an enormous post. Let's see if I can re-create it.

So, we're (mostly) retired now. Paul fully retired in February, and I retired from almost everything except creative work (does one ever retire from that?) at the end of February.

I joked that I wanted to walk out of FenCon and onto a cruise ship. Hey, I came close! I walked out of FenCon on a Monday, and then the following Saturday we boarded a plane to Ft. Lauderdale, spent the ...
3/25/2025 4:46:08 PM
About That Small Vacation...
Hey, it's been a while. I'll work on a catch-up post, but I did mention a small vacation.



How small? Oh, only a seven day cruise to the Western Caribbean. So yes, we did get a good deal on the cruise, and yes, we sprung for the deluxe drink package, along with several excursions.
...
3/25/2025 3:50:34 PM
The Year-End Wrap Up!
It's been quite the year at the Manor. I wish I could say it was all good, but then life isn't all good all the time.

I guess the biggest news this year is impending retirement! Paul is set to retire in early February, and I've made the decision to semi-retire starting January 1. It's not as though I can stop creating. I am going to shift a few gears, though. I'll still be doing art shows at conventions, and I plan to keep the YouTube channel, but I've shut down subscriptions ...
12/30/2024 10:55:55 AM
Monday Mumblings Looks Forward to the Holidays
Hey, there's nothing like writing a long journal entry and having it vanish into the ether. Let's try again!

Well, it's a Monday, and that's the best I can say. I kind of did my back in over the weekend. It'll be okay if I can manage to take care of myself. I just overdid it. Friday and Saturday I did a lot of cleaning in the kitchen, including a much needed cleaning cycle on the oven. When I had it all done on Saturday I made a couple of batches of scones. Unfortunately, I ma...
12/16/2024 12:59:48 PM
Monday Mumblings Re-Centers

So, yeah. Last week was brutal. The election results on top of the burnout was just too much. As angry as I was, I at least had the presence of mind to realize that I shouldn't be posting something I would regret later. Hence the social media silence.

For now, at least, I need to step back from the constant fi...
11/11/2024 11:44:40 AM
Burning Out
I guess I owe y'all an explanation. Or an excuse. Or something.

Frankly, it's been hard. I've alluded to some of my struggles, but haven't really been forthcoming, and I still won't be entirely so. Some of this isn't my story to tell.

A lot of this is my own fault. I took on too much, and then when the things outside of my control hit ... It wasn't a breakdown in the classical sense of the word, and I'm (mostly) okay. This is the result of years of pus...
10/22/2024 11:13:18 AM
Hearing Loss and Technology
I haven't talked about this a lot on the journal, but I wear hearing aids, which is both a blessing and a frustration. Here's a video I watched this afternoon: