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MeetAbacus

Introducing… Abacus!

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Guys- this is my best friend, Abacus. We go everywhere together. My mom says he’s my “Emotional Support Rabbit.” Then she laughs.

Abacus doesn’t think it’s funny. Right Ab?

WHAT’S A RABBIT TO DO TO GET SOME *RESPECT* AROUND HERE? I’m a very busy rabbit, you know.

I don’t go to sleep until THE BOY goes to sleep because he’s usually squeezing me so tight my little lungs cannot inflate.

When he falls asleep, “Tada!,” he relaxes his grip and I can finally drift off… that us, until he rolls over and smashes my fur. It’s like he does gymnastics in his bed!

So there. I’m automatically getting less sleep. Sheesh. It’s like I’m a parent, or something.

Then, after I get up first and have my morning coffee, Zeke shows up around 6:30 and we must get started on our busy day. Some days are a variation on a theme, but this is the general schedule:

6:30 AM- See what we can pull out of the pantry in the kitchen before mother wakes up. We definitely leave the wrappers on the floor so she doesn’t have to think too hard about what it was we ate.

7:00 AM- Protest loudly about whatever mother has decided to fix us for breakfast. Then switch gears midstream and complain about something entirely different.

7:30 AM- Claim we don’t know how to put on our own socks, but we actually do. This is my favorite because it makes mother mad and that makes us laugh.

8:00 AM- Wander around in circles looking for our shoes that are usually sitting right at our feet.

8:30 AM- Hop in the car to take brothers to school, but when we get in the car, we don’t get in our seatbelts like we’re supposed to and we fight with our brothers or sit on our sister. Or both.

9:00 AM- Come back home and ask for multiple unhealthy snacks even though we never finished our breakfast. I think Zeke goes overboard, but my FAVORITE thing is carrot cake and I always hope Zeke asks for one. But he never does.

9:30 AM- We play outside for about a half hour. Then Zeke wanders inside. Then mother yells in the door, “Hey Zeke, what are you up to?” It’s usually something naughty and I have to hide my smirk of him getting in trouble. Again. And rabbit smirks are not easy to hide.

10AM-12PM– We work VERY hard at wearing mother down so that by the time the baby’s nap rolls around, mother will let us watch TV during her nap and mother will have to take a nap also. 

3:30 PM- We pick up brothers from school and then ALL FOUR of us get in trouble until daddy comes home. Then we’re perfect. Getting in trouble all day is hard work. We’re tired by then.

So you see? This schedule is jam-packed and I HAVE to make sure Zeke makes every appointment on time. Sometimes he likes to daydream… like that time he was sitting on the toilet and pretended to surf around the rim.

THAT is why my fur is looking a little dingy. If mother had half a brain, she’d do a quick fur sniff and do us all a huge favor and let me go for a swim in the washing machine instead.


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US_Patent

Mood: Writing a Story About Writing A Story

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Oh, you know… kind of freaking out because I just got THIS

👆 in the mail.
What is that, you ask? Oh, it’s only the patent to the 6 texts to the whole Book Series!!

Just getting a little “Meta” over here and thought I’d give an update in the form of “Writing a Story About Writing a Story.”

Our little idea for “Mom’s Not” is getting some legs. Shortly after finishing the texts in February, I applied for a copyright patent for THE TEXT ONLY. This is kind of an extra step in book production because the text is considered intellectual property and is de fact copyrighted once you put your pen on that paper…. er…. fingers on your keyboard.
I applied for the text itself, which is considered “the intellectual property.”
So basically, I have copyrighted air. And it smells delicious.

So, if it’s an extra step, why do it?

If someone tries to copy your book, you cannot sue somebody (take legal action) for copyright infringement until you have registered your book with the Copyright Office. No one wants to do that. But no one wants to be a doormat either and have someone take your hard-earned ideas and make money from them.
“Also, No award for statutory damages or attorneys fees will be made for any infringement of a copyright in an unpublished book which occurs prior to registration of the copyright. The same holds true for published books, unless the registration is made within three months after the first publication.”
I searched for a good article about copyrighting, if you’re interested and came up with this on GO PUBLISH YOURSELF

I thought it was kind of brilliant, hilarious and entertaining way to explain how this whole thing works.

When the electronic copy is finished and is ready to go to print, we will ship that off for a printed copyright. Again… Absolutely necessary? No. Is it still considered “Yours” because you made it? Yes. But it is necessary if you want to win a court case and keep your hard-earned $$.
Now, when we have the electronic copy completely ready and going to print, we’ll ship that off again to the Patent Office and copyright the entire kit-and-caboodle because it will actually be a product and not just intellectual property.

What if I don’t want to copyright my stuff? Is that OK too?

Sure is. But don’t expect to win any court cases. You’re presuming on two things:
  1. People are awesome and never try and steal stuff
  2. Your idea/product is hardly worth stealing

By spending a little extra $$ up front for our idea, I am believing it is important and valuable enough to wrap it in barbed wire in case a bear tries to steal it in the night.

That poor bear is going to have some “ouchy” paws.

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