Otterocity!

Recently I received a package with two Otterocitty books I ordered.  One I used as a free giveaway on a blog post by fewllow writer Dean K. Miller.  The other book I am going to set free.  By this I mean I am going to register the book with BookCrossing, put a tracking sticker inside and leave it somewhere public for someone to pick up.

The idea of BookCrossing is that when a person finds your book they log your tracking code and record the place where your book is.  You get to see where your book travels.  It will be interesting to see where it goes.  It is like releasing an animal into the wild and tracking it with a microchip transponder and watching its migratory patterns.

Cool, I can't wait to see where it goes!

Name:  Pat Walker AKA:  “Baja Rock” Pat

What do you do?  “I am an author, wife, mom, and grandma.  I write new age, spirituality (non-conventional or non-religious) novel combined with a rock music theme.”

How did you come about it?  “I had an out of body experience in Mexico in 2003 that was so incredible and unbelievable that changed my entire life. I couldn’t believe it.  I had to write it down.  I struggled with how to balance things I saw and everyday life, being a wife and taking care of kids.  I started exploring my experience and wrote it down.”

How do you bring joy to others?  “I try to pay attention to what makes others happy and try to do that for them.  As far as my book goes, I try to inspire people and show that if something amazing can happen. Just keep your eyes open and look for the little things in your life to bring you joy.  I doesn’t have to be anything that costs money, maybe all they need is a hug or something.”

What are the happiest days of your life?  “Being with my family and grand kids.  They make me happy.  I love going to live concerts.  Live music brings me so much joy.  Writing too, that is a lot of days.”

First impression . . . Otterocity what does it mean to you?  “Joy.  When you think about otters, they are cute playful happy creatures and very intelligent. I think of an animal that doesn’t worry about stuff and goes with the flow.”

P.S.  “I love the cover of your book Otterocity.  I really love the boat.”

Me:  Thanks.  The boat on the cover has meaning to the story.

Thanks Pat for this great OtterView.  You have a joyful spirit!

Otterocity is all about having fun and bringing a joyful spirit to your life.  One such place to see that happening is Fremont Street in Las Vegas.

A few months ago I went to Las Vegas for a conference.  One night I went down to Fremont Street to watch the light show and walk around.  There are some pretty interesting characters there.  You can sense the fun people have dressing up as various celebrities and outlandish characters.  One person was dressed as a copper cowboy.

We started talking and I found out that he has fun dressing up as the Copper cowboy and really enjoys meeting people.

He truly has the sense of Otterocity.

Keep having fun and brining joy to others!

It was time for our annual capret cleaning.  I called around for some special deals and called the usuall "Big Chain" carpet cleaning companies.  Then, I Googled carpet cleaning in Fort Collins and Rapid Rasponse Carpet Cleaning came up.  They are a local company and their website was neat and organized.  They had tons of information about their company and their processes, as well as mutiple testimonials.

Rapid Response Website

After surfing their site I decided to give them a call.  Heather answered and was very pleasant to talk to.  She asked several questions and proceeded to give me a quote that was reasonable.  As a new customer I received $35 off.  I decided to give my business to them, being a locally owned business.

The day of my carpet cleaning I recieved a prompt call before my appointment time. John, the owner, said they were a few minutes out and would be there shortly.  John and his son Daniel showed up and explained their process, measured and gave me the final bid that was close to Heather's estimate.

So far impressed . . .

THE EQUIPMENT

I got a chance to go out and look into their truck. I noticed that their equipment was clean, in good shape and well organized. This showed me that they really cared about what they were doing.  If they took that good of care of their equipment, they would take care of people's carpets.

THE MACHINE

The RX-20 is an amazing machine.  Instead of the standard cleaning wand, that most carpet cleaning companies use, Rapid Response uses this neat machine to clean your carpets.  It has three steam nozels that spray 220 degree steam while five suction ports extract the water.  The whole thing rotates like a giant buffer for your carpets.  The RX-20 instantly cleans, agitates, sucks, and fluffs up your carpets.

THE COMPANY

In talking with John, his philosophy is to take his time and get the job done right.  His processes leaves little residue, and your carpets dry quickly.  Other carpet cleaning companies rush in and rush out leaving your carpets soaking and can have a crunchy soapy feel to them the next day.

Our carpets were fluffy, soft, and dry within several hours.  Rapid Response exhibits several otter traits.  They work smart, adapt (to different stains) and communicate well.

I was impressed with their service and quality.  I would use them again!

Rapid Response has Otterocity!

The other day I got a fortune cookie with my food, cracked it open, and read the tiny blue words on thin piece of paper. Like other fortunes found in cookies it was really vague.

Here is what it said:

"An old wish will come true."

Instantly my mind started racing.

What wish will that be?

. . . world peace.

. . . win the powerball jackpot.

. . . get a million dollar movie deal for my fantasy novel.

. . . get a promotion at work.

. . . go to Greece and travel Europe.

. . . become an olympic champion.

. . . win the Tour de France 8 times.

There were thousands of grand wishes that I had hoped for in the past. There are thousands of small wishes I hoped for in the past too. Then I thought a moment longer.

What are wishes anyway?

Wishes are hopes for change. They are a want for something more in our lives. They are the beginnins of goals and things to work for in your life so that the wish will come true. Wishes are a catalysit for getting what you want out of life.

Here are some wishes I just thought of to increase otterocity in my life.

OTTER WISHES:

. . . I wish I can work smarter, not harder.

. . . I wish I can have a more creative mind.

. . . I wish I can adapt to new things in my life.

. . . I wish I can have a more playful disposition and enjoy life more.

. . . I wish I can communicate with others better.

. . . I wish I can improve my teamwork and work with others better.

. . . I wish I can focuse on my own individual uniqueness.

. . . I wish I can persevere through challenges that are thrown my way.

. . . I wish I can love unconditionally.

. . . .I wish I can have a joyful spirit at all times.

These are all good wishes to bring change, and a positive outlook on things.

Maybe one of these will come true for me.

(Or, maybe I can blow the biggest bubble gum bubble in the world)

Step into happiness and a world of pastry fun that is whimsical and yummy!  Jean-Philippe Maury displays his chocolates, cookies, cakes, crepes, an more at the Jean Philippe Patisserie in the Belagio Las Vegas.

When you walk up to the European-style pastry shop you are greeted with the world's largest chocolate fountain.

Then, as you enter the shop the center case greets you with all kinds of chocolates, cookies, and pastries.  Overhead, you are greeted by strange cakes.

Along the wall are all different kinds of cakes, in any theme you can imagine.

Jean-Philippe has Otterocity!

He uses his imagination and brings fun to the wonderful world of pastries!

Bringing joy and fun to others is what Otterocity is all about.  My good friend Brett Miller brings joy and fun to kids through a kid-friendly, bright and cheerful hair salon.

Pigtails & Crewcuts Westminster,CO

Brett and his wife Rachel own a Pigtails & Crewcuts franchise in Westminster, Colorado located in The Orchard Town Center shops on 144th and I-25.  Pigtails & Crewcuts is a kid-centric hair salon for girls and boys to come and have a fun, enjoyable experience while getting their hair cut or styled.

Not only do they offer haircuts and styles but they also offer kids manicures, pedicures, ear piercing, and birthday parties. Parties Include:  A dedicated Stylist and Party Hostess to makesure you have a great party in their fantastic party room! Each theme party includes hair up-do style, nail polish, dress up, make-up if requested, theme activity/craft, balloons, cupcakes, juice boxes, plastic/paper goods, group photo with signable frame, and they take care of all the setup and clean-up! Sit back and relax and enjoy the party!

Looking for the latest kids accessories, organic shampoos and conditioners, Pigtails & Crewcuts have it at an affordable price.  They even carry the popular Knot Genie Detangling Brush.

Brett and Rachel, keep brining fun to children through your fun salon, Pigtails & Crewcuts.

You definitely share Otterocity with kids!

Many people who go to Las Vegas never venture far from the strip.  However, there is a lot to see outside of the bright lights and big casinos.  Last month I went to Las Vegas for a business trip and went a day early to visit my mom who lives there.  She took me to the neatest place in Vegas.

If you get the chance, take a morning or afternoon out of your day, rent a car and head to the western mountains.  Take Charleston Blvd west until you reach the edge of town.  A few miles further and you will find a beautiful desert oasis on your right.

Just outside of town you will find beautiful Red Spring which is in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

There are hiking trails, rock climbing and for those who just want to look at nature there is a nice oasis boardwalk at the Red Spring: Desert Oasis.

Red Spring definitely has Otterocity. 

It is a fun, neat, and interesting place to visit and is not your ordinary Vegas tourist attraction.

In light of the new move Lincoln, I wanted to post this inspirational and motivational quote I have posted near my phone at work.

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

--Abraham Lincoln

So, moving foreward today . . .

Whoever you are.

Whatever you do.

Aspire to be a good one!

I saw this video on Yahoo and thought it was cool.  It demonstrates several of the qualities I write about in my book Otterocity.  Otters are very smart creatures.  They are one of the very few animals that can problem solve and use tools.  It is no surprise that the otter in this video actually thinks to jump up on the boat to escape the killer whales hunting it.

Another trait that otters possess is perseverance.  They live their whole lives in the water and are constantly hunted by killer whales, sharks, and eagles.  They must endure hardships, like bad weather, losing a pup to a predator, and foraging for food.

Otters are truly amazing creatures.

This is me Ottering on Fremont Street in Las Vegas. I was having a fun time at the October Fright Fest 2012 and wanted to show it.

If you don't know what Ottering is, then read my blog post:
Tebowing Vs. Ottering

Please send me your photos of you or others having a fun time somewhere, or doing something fun.

Submit Photo Here

Thanks,

Tim Northburg

I am always on the lookout for people who have passion and enthusiasm for what they do.  Tuesday I visited the Ft Collins Coffehouse at 3701 S. Mason Street in Fort Collins,Colorado.  It was the second time I visited as our writing group meets there once a month for our morning coffee networking time.

I met Andrea Sebald who is the owner/operator along with her husband Mike.  I got to talking with her after our writer’s group was over and found out that running her small businessis her passion.   A year ago she was looking for a small business to purchase and was presented with the opportunity to take over the coffee shop.  They bought the business in March of 2012 and changed the name to Ft Collins Coffehouse.

Now, it is a little tucked out of the way, but well worth the visit.  The coffee shop is light and  airy with wonderful smells of coffee and tea floating in the air.  It is located one block West of College Avenue across form Midtown Arts Center and IBMC above Boomer’s music.  They have a full menu of coffee, tea,espresso, and other hot and cold beverages as well as seasonal drinks like the Pumpkin Pie Latte.

They have a large open seating area with a small stage that they use for open stage night on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. where random people can get up on the stage with their instruments and jam.  I am thinking of going just to listen one Wednesday. Thursday nights is Cruise Night. Cruise on in for a warm or hot drink and camaraderie. They also have a conference room in the front of the building you can rent by the hour for your group or meeting.

If nothing else, you have to go there to play Ms. Pac-Man.

So, share in their enthusiasm for coffee, enjoy the good atmosphere,and contribute to the success of a small business.

Ft Collins Coffehouse, keep up the Otteroicty!

Otterocity! Field Guide by Tim Northburg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wrote this book as a follow up to Otterocity! I wanted it to be a guidebook for inspiring you and to help motivate you into action to bring a joyful spirit to your life. We all face challenges. It is how you meet those challenges and it is the attitude you choose to take when facing those challenges head on that makes the difference in your life. I hope you enjoy.

--Tim Northburg

View all my reviews

Otterocity! by Tim Northburg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wrote this book to help people, who are going through tough times in their lives, find joy and happiness again. If you are touched by the economic downturn, in financial distress, experienced the death of a loved one, or are having a tough time in general, this book was meant to inspire you to bring a joyful spirit back to your life. If Otters can be hunted by predators, constantly forage for food, deal with harsh conditions living in the sea, and possess a joyful spirit . . . so can we. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

--Tim Northburg

View all my reviews

Respite Care shares joy and happiness with families and children in Northern Colorado.

Respite Care, Inc. of Fort Collins, Colorado is is a nonprofit organization in Larimer County that provides short-term care for children with developmental disabilities, giving respite to parents and enhancing the quality of life for the entire family. Respite Care believes that a child with a disability is a child first and his or her challenges are secondary.

Today, Respite Care provides programs and services for over 130 families in Larimer County and delivers more than 49,000 hours of care annually. We provide before and after school care, enhancement programs, overnight, vacation and crisis care up to 14-days for families in need.

Each year respite care has an annual fundraiser in November.  This year is their 30th annual Respite Care Holiday Ball.  Come support this great organization.

WIN A FREE CAR!

Purchase your raffle tickets to win a 2012 Honda Civic LX provided by Markley Motors.  Car Raffle will be held at nine o’clock in the evening

To purchase raffle tickets visit:
https://respite.webconnex.com/12raffle

Please Join Us!

Saturday the seventeenth of November two thousand twelve

at six o’clock in the evening

Embassy Suites Loveland | Grand Ballroom

4705 Clydesdale Parkway

Loveland, Colorado 80538

Reservations

Individual: $150 | Couple: $300 |

For tickets please register at:
www.respitecareinc.org
or call 970.207.9435

Respite care shows Otterocity in bringing joy to others. Keep up the great work!