They're not all millionaires

I just discovered that the average actor in the United States makes an annual salary of between $41,700 and $61,880.

That helps explain an interesting little bit of trivia I came upon about actor Leonard Stone. You know him. He's been on every TV show from Perry Mason in the 1950s to M*A*S*H in the 1970s through LA Law in the 1990s. For me, he will always be Sam Beauregard, father of the Blueberry Girl, Violet Beauregard in the original Willy Wonka movie.

Anyway, in 2000 Leonard Stone was a (non-celebrity) contestant on Wheel of Fortune. He placed second, winning $4,250 in cash and a trip to Bermuda valued at $5,310. To a working actor (not a star) making about $50,000/year, cash and a trip to Bermuda was probably very nice, indeed.

Oh, boy she's mad

Took Miss Charlotte to the vet this afternoon. That lump on her tongue, the physical manifestation of her allergies, is back. He treated her the same way he did last year, with a cortisone shot. The whole ordeal took less than hour. But she's pissed all the same. She doesn't understand this was for her own good.

Trifecta

With this week's challenge, I learned a new word: incipit. It's Latin for "it begins," and is the first few words of a book, poem, etc.


This weekend's challenge: give us a 33-word opening line to your book. 

She propped herself up on an elbow, looked down and marveled at his sweet, sleeping face, and yet still she asked herself, “Who is he, really? And why am I in this relationship?”

Join Me on the Swings!

This Wednesday is August 1, and the beginning of another August Happiness Challenge! The idea is very simple: "Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world."

I have found that doing this lifts and my spirits and helps me focus. So here's a heads-up: August will soon be with us, and you're welcome to share your happiness with me and the blogosphere.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net