All The Things I Have to Do

Blog No. 321

Over the last few weeks, or just over a month or so (time gets muddled with the holidays involved) I was reading over the latest manuscript of a friend and fellow local author. I’m not sure if it was an edit, a beta read, a review, or what. I just read it over, giving my opinion and made a few suggestions, and she seemed to think they were helpful. I hope so, because the book is good and I can’t wait for it to come out now. Also, it was brought to my attention (from a kind and anonymous commenters) that last week’s post had quite a few sloppy errors. I think I caught some of the more egregious typos, but to be honest, I don’t spend much time rereading these posts after I’ve written them. Maybe I should, but I think the nature of the writing is more important. Not to say I am happy with spelling errors or typos. So, thank you mysterious reader.

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Year Six Recap (Because I’ve been doing this for Six Years)

Blog No. 320

There is only one blemish on my record (in six years) but I will never let myself live it down. I have posted on this blog every Thursday since 2013, except for April 13th 2013 when I posted on a Saturday. I had a good(ish) reason. I was substitute teaching at the time and I had to go in on the Thursday. Realistically, If I have planned better or used my time more effectively, I still would have been able to get the post out on time, but I didn’t. It stand as the one flub in an otherwise pretty good record. It makes me feel like this achievement (such as it is) has an asterisk next to it. But enough dwelling on the bad. I’ve been doing this for six years. I’m sure I can come up with some good stuff to talk about. Like books and statistics and other oh-so-exciting things! Buckle up, it’s a long one.

2019

Blog No. 318

So, this is the blog post where I look towards the next year and pretend that all my plans and hopes are within reach and not just the fever dream of a regretful writer who not only fell off the goals he set for himself this time last year, but is constantly and consistently slipping farther behind every week (for the last six or so years). If you’ve been reading this weekly blog post since the beginning (thanks mom and dad) you’ll know that I do my recap post in January as I started weekly writing on January 10th, 2013. (That’s a long time). But the future holds big possibilities. All I have to do is reach out and grab them (and finish a novel for fun’s sake).

BookFest 2018 (and FAHF)

Blog No. 309

Last weekend was BookFest 2018. While I didn’t have time to be on the committee this year, they were nice enough to invite me to be a host for one of the panels. It’s not a glamorous job, but it can be an important one. Mostly you are just there to give pertinent information and pull the plug if they go over time. Since they are sometimes back to back, they had me clear the room too. Once the panel was over, I hung around and tried to help out where I could (but other than move some boxes, I mostly just got in the way). It’s a very stressful and exciting time for the organizers. For me, it was interesting and fun. I think I lucked out and got the best panel too. Everyone involved in the festival is welcoming and excited about the event. They mostly want people to come and enjoy it and take part in everything. Even with just my small part, I was invited to everything.

The Power of Imagination

Blog No. 304

I’m not sure where to start this week. I don’t think there is anything new to tell you, but, maybe some things have new information (or deserve to be said again). I’m a little hesitant since I’m not sure if I’m just boring people with the same stuff over an over again, or if I somehow (with my magic powers of creativity) make the mundane aspects of my life remotely interesting. Or I could just be screaming into a vacuum like so many others. Either way, my first audience for everything I do is me, and I like to do this every week because sometimes just writing about what’s going on (even if it’s the same things all the time or just reminders about upcoming events) helps me get my head around stuff. That’s a pretty valuable tool. I suppose I’ll just do what I always do and meander on for a while until I get sick of reading my own words and come to some stagnate conclusion. At least on Tuesday evening I went writing after work.

Three Hundred and One

Blog No. 301

My 300th post got less fanfare than I thought it would. I know I don’t have a ton of readers, but even the people who like the facebook posts where I share this blog every week didn’t show up. It was a dud. But I have no time to linger on that too much. (Just enough to possibly figure out where I missed the mark). I have way too much to do (as always). I’m way behind in writing, again. Flags and High Fives (also behind) is slowly lurching forward. Construction at my brother’s place (where I live, in the basement like a mole person, shunning the light) is ongoing, but my room should be done soon. (P.S. it looks amazing!). The next ChiSeries is coming at the end of the month (mostly planned, but there is still much to do). Also, I’m overdue for a social media / profile overhaul thing. I need to take a closer look at where I’m dropping the ball and pick up that ball, driving it passed some kind of goal line. To top it all off, I haven’t worked out in somewhere around a month, and I’m feeling like a lump of lethargic lard for it.

Summer Writing

Blog No. 292

Boxing with my Brother

I’m feeling much better now, to the point where I finally got back to boxing (though being off for three weeks is rough) and my days have just about gone back to normal. The one thing keeping me from a regular routine (my desired pinnacle of achievement) is the deal I made to take time off from work (spent sick) to then cover for a coworker who had some serious life stuff to take care of. I’m at the day job a lot, but I’ve managed to squeeze in some work that I enjoy in the mean time. Not as much as hoped (a constant refrain) but something is better than nothing. Also, while the day job can be a drag, to be honest, the last week or so has been fine. Not great, but not nearly as terrible as it can be.