I am getting closer to my vacation with every day – but oh, my – are the days long. Today is Tuesday, and yesterday was a little bit of a madhouse for a Monday. Tuesdays tend to be a little hairier, but the end of the month tends to be a little quieter since merchant services won’t have as many calls to dump to us. No – I’m not bitter or anything. Not at all. But those three days are going to be so nice – especially since I will have these little friends with me during the day. I am ready for this little break. After this, it’s a couple of weeks and then Borderlands 2 break!

The novel is creeping towards being finished. I’m trying to get the small points done and make sure that everything is linked together well. I am going to have all of this done by the end of the vacation next Thursday. After that, it’s on to the next one and trying to get that finished before the end of March. I don’t know what to do after I/O Error, but I’m sure I will find something to occupy my time.

I also have to start on my Halloween costume soon. I am going to go as Robert Baratheon, so I need to put together the costume. Thankfully, I have the body for him; I just need to whip of a bunch of fabric, boots and a shiny sword. Shouldn’t be too hard – I mean; I took a semester of Home Ec, so I should be able to stitch together a shirt and leggings from a picture… or something along those lines. The sword will be the most expensive part, so if the deadline is looming, it will be the first to go – but I need to get a stein with a stag motif on it. This might be the best costume ever.

I am still feeling tired. At first, I was considering waking up at the same time I do on the weekdays during my vacation, but… you know… I would like to try to get enough sleep… meaning I want to sleep in a lot. So, I figure that as long as I work very hard when I am awake, I should be able to sleep in a little. Lord knows I could use the extra sleep. Might even be more productive for these three days… or dead on my feet – either way, I am not going to be at work and that’s all that matters in the end. Tee-Hee.

Well, speaking of work. I need to get ready to get this day over with. Wish me luck as I cut this blog a wee bit short.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I am getting three days off next Monday. I can’t be any happier. My vacations break down like this: 3 days off next week, then Sept. 17^th and 18^th (to celebrate the release of Borderlands 2), after that I’m off for October 15^th and 16^th (for what would have been Bioshock: Infinite) then another work week and then my birthday week / Halo 4 release for a week and a half and that’s it. I’ll still have a day off for illness, but I’ll try to use it before the end of December. I will be productive during these vacations, working on with this novel or the next (hopefully the next one by October’s vacation) with an eye on starting the New Year with a finished work under my belt. This coming the year will be the year I gain traction on this whole writing thing.

Speaking of the writing thing: I am going to work to finish everything off before my vacation this month. Since I have to go nowhere this weekend, I should be able to finish the rough draft and start the fill-in work (there is are a couple of scenes that need to be written and inserted) and I want to have the editor look at the work and see whether or not I should keep the ‘spoken dialog’ that the main character signs. I’m not sure if I should keep it – the other character does understand it, but I am trying to stay away from various sign language tropes. So – I will let the editor make the call. All I need to do is finish the thing. Which I will do this week – seriously, just need to settle down and get stuff from my Nook Color over to one of the laptops and link everything together.

Did I mention that I am anxious to get my vacation started? Yes, I am ready to go. Gonna back my car into the parking spot Friday afternoon and tear out at Midnight to have five days of fun and relaxation. I might even try to catch a movie (maybe on On Demand). I might even try to finish a couple of Olympic Games I have recorded – yeah, I am going to be watching a lot of Olympics for a while, I still have a 16 hour chunk to go through and that’s going to be broken up Saturday and Sunday to make room for the upcoming football season. The season that I might also listen to on the NFL audio so that I can finally monitor the whole season of my favorite team for a change rather than blindly hope to find a broadcast channel. Which is so frustrating for me – since I follow a team that gets hardly any TV coverage, even if they play a more popular team. I can’t win to lose.

Oh, well. At least I have the Olympics.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I don’t know if anyone here has been so tired that they fell asleep as soon as they sat down, but that’s what happened to me today. Got up early on today to make sure that I was able to get to the hotel where the meeting is being held, and actually relax for a second before I have to get stuff printed. I stayed up a little later than I wanted to do get the assignment ready. So, I went to bed at 2:30 AM and got up at 8:30 AM – six hours of sleep, not a problem. Woke up, had a breakfast of a glass of milk and went to the meeting. Got there at around 9:00 – got a Pepsi and an apple pie. That was the last of the good things before the meeting. I went to Office Max and they were having problems with their copier system linking to their network. I’m sure that you’re just as confused as I am – apparently the person getting something printed had to get it pulled off the Internet, with me and my primitive flash-drive waiting. Apparently I was more tired than I had considered, because I just said “I’ll come back later” – code for: “not doing this again”. I’m kinda disappointed because I wanted to get this done and read because I am doing it in first person which is something that I am not really comfortable with writing. OK – I went back to the hotel, less than enthused. Rather than hang out in the lobby, I thought I would jump ahead and go to the back, maybe work on something else and see if I could get into the local network to print something.

Which would have been a great idea had the printer there been working. So – no dice on my piece. Oh, well – there is next month when I should have the whole novel finished by the net meeting and just get some feedback on some of the shakier parts… like all of them. So – I got there and apparently, there is drama. Someone quit or something, or dumped people. I don’t know, because I am not in the main e-mail group. One of the members made a comment that I hadn’t made any sort of RSVP in a rather accusatory tone. I reminded him that no one bothers to e-mail me anything and that I assume that there is going to be a meeting unless someone bothers to tell me otherwise (please see prior point). This is one of the things that made me reconsider using a group in the first place. While I understand there is going to be politics, but… really? I’m not here to wade through bullshit; I am there to improve my craft. I’m going to see how everything shakes out in the next couple of months. Seriously, if I have to put up with a lot of this sort of crap, I will leave. I have no time for this grade school crap.

Speaking of the novel – I am getting the last ice cream scene finished tonight and will work on the bridges during the week. Oh – and I have a vacation coming up, so there are going to be three days in which I can really pour it on and maybe even finish early to have a genuine day off or two to play some games. After that, I am going to go on to the next novel and get that going to have that one finished by the end of the year and have the first one out there in the wilds by Christmas. I am hoping that I can do a novel (50K-60K) every three months. If I can’t have quality, I’ll take quantity.

Well – all of this day was rather exhausting for me. I’m going to sign off and get some sleep.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Where I live, we have loud people. Normally, this doesn’t concern me, but it becomes an issue when I’m only getting five hours of sleep. Which means I have to double up on the caffeine to try to wake up for writing and the morning (yaaa… second shift!) so I can be ready for work in the afternoon. Bleh. I’m still a little sleepy, so I got the caffeine here and trying to get going. Tomorrow is the writer’s group, so I am going to write 2K in first person when I get home – and I sincerely hope to get out early. I have movies to watch, words to write and maybe some ice cream to eat. I have priorities after all.

I’ve finished the first ice cream scene in the final part of the novel, and now proudly moving on to the second scene.

I can’t get going this morning. I apologize. Saturday will be better, I swear.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

While I like getting my paycheck automatically deposited into my account, I don’t like that it’s not a consistent affair as far as time goes. Sometimes, it comes in during the pre-dawn hours and I get to wake up with it. Other times, I check my bank statement online like I have OCD (these times are usually predicated by my gas tank hovering a micrometer above ‘E’) to know when I can head out and get my errands run before the work day begins for me. Today, I have to get a new cyan cartridge for my printer as well as get gas for the beast and I might get myself a Barnes and Noble gift card for the Nook. Also the bills need to be paid and I have yet to terrorize my favorite restaurant. Ahh… payday Thursday – it’s like Friday, but you have money to spend (at least after the bills are paid – I’m looking at you cable company).

I’m still working on the ice cream scenes on my Color. Tomorrow evening, I am going to work on a short first person piece for the writing group from an idea I had called “Image: Maker”. I’ve never written that much in first-person, and I have been asked to stretch myself in the group (well, it was a request made for the group, but I am taking it seriously). Oh – I’ve also found some really neat software for writing! Well, two websites and software: here, here and here. I’ve tried them and they’re basic as far as editing goes: adverbs, repeated phrases, grammar – still no substitute for a flesh-and-blood editor (like mine), but for someone just starting out this is an invaluable resource.

Well, the summer is winding down here. It just seems like only yesterday I was complaining about the heat and nudging the AC closer to zero centigrade. Now, the temperature are on the warmer side of pleasant and the dogs are going crazy over the kids walking to school – unlike them going crazy because the kids are heading to a friend’s house, or just going crazy. Of course, the end of summer means my birthday is creeping closer. It also means I am going to have a short vacation coming up, followed by a nice long one. For both of these vacations, I intend on not being completely sober for several of those days. Which also reminds me: I need to preorder this game, since my long vacation is going to fall on the release date. Between that and Borderlands 2 – the last quarter of the year, I don’t think I am going to be very productive. Which means I should get to work now, or close to now – I do have to go to Penn Station and make sure they haven’t forgotten their fear of me (just kidding – I love that place).

Since I have to go, I will wish all of you a good Thursday and hope your weeks are good.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

This is my secret shame… I love this show .  Sure, it may be faked but it’s an entertaining fake.  I’ve always been interested in the paranormal.  When I went to the library as a child, I would always go to the paranormal section (which I can find in any library) and read all the books there.  Shortly after that, I started my long love affair with horror.  I even told my mom that I wanted to study the paranormal… and got a rebuff for it — apparently being a paranormal investigator doesn’t pull in the big bucks (or at least it didn’t in 1976).  So with that nugget of wisdom in my mind, I tried to find other things to make money rather than follow dream.  Which is why I am trying to publish my work a lot later in life than other people.  Oh, well — the upside is that with today’s technology, I can publish without having to go through the gauntlet of agents, publishers and more rejection slips than trees.  So, maybe everything has worked out in the end.

I am working on the ice cream scene in the novel on my Nook Color.  I slept in a little today and won’t really have the time to work on the novel here.  I’ll try to finish the first ice cream scene and then go right to the second scene and possibly the third scene (also called the end), then load everything into the work processor and fill in the gaps.  Probably not the best way to do it, but it is the most efficient.  I also need to work on something for the writer’s group.  I might do 2,000 words from Image: Maker.  It’s first person — something I am not really comfortable with, but I should learn to stretch myself as far as writing goes.  I also need to grab $20.00 for the inevitable lunch.  I just hope we don’t have to go back to the Indian Buffet.  There was very little that was good.  I’d just as soon go to Chili’s and get some more of that bean dip.  Mmmm-mmm.

I am going to grumble about one more thing: Amazon.  I took advantage of the “Supersaver” and ordered three things: Empowered, vol 7, Rule 34 and Babylon Confidential.  The first two are already released, but the third one is not due to be released in November… and since I did the “Supersaver” and I had to pick the “ship items in as few packages as possible” I have to wait until November.  November!  I’m not really concerned about the other two books — I’m getting Babylon Confidential out of curiosity, and Rule 34 because I want to read some cyberpunk — but I’ve been waiting for Empowered for five months.  Really Amazon?  Really?  You’re not helping.  But, I will recommend Empowered — it’s got a manga look to it, but don’t let it fool you.  It’s a great read and a satire on a lot of comic book themes… and the main character is really hot.  Ok — that shouldn’t be one of the criterion for a comic book, but it’s true.  Emp is good looking.  There are mature themes, so you have been warned.

Well, I need to microwave my lunch and shower.  I hope you all have a great day.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

I even slept in an extra half hour to try to get ready for today.  Waking up is being a little problematic as sualy, so I am going to do my best to get something down and get my brain working.  My job wasn’t the hassle is has been for the past few days — I’m hoping the worst of Statement Week is over and I can go back to my unhurried anguish.  I will admit that I like my new hours just because everything slows down after 8:00 and I can read.  Did I mention that I love my Nook Color?  I really do.

I am going to charge back to the novel and finish the poisoner’s scene here and work some more on the pappa scene at work (did I mention that I love my Nook Color?  I can write on it!).  Things are just slow today.  I might have to try something else as far as a writing schedule.  I might do more at work when I am a little more awake.  Right now, I need to get things together.  Sorry for the short post, all.  I am still a little sleepy.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Well, like I said earlier – the Olympics are done with and I should be heading back to work on the novel. I am going to work like a madman in order to try to make up for some of the lost time. With the vacation coming up in a couple of weeks, I should be able to get a lot more done and might even finish since a couple of other plans may fall through – depends on funding issues. Bleh, I feel so tired right now and I only blame myself since I got caught in the web that is this site. I had an idea for a Japanese-ish horror comic (just needed someone to draw it) and I was looking up stories about the onryou (this movie is a great Western example) and the next thing I know, it’s 2:30 and I have to get up in about five hours. The Internet is going to be the death of me at some point. So, I got myself a few hours of sleep and will depend on caffeine to keep me going for the rest of the day. So – after the Olympics, everything is back to normal. 😉

The novel is going to get worked on really hard this week. I need to send that art package to Bindi so she can get started on the art work… which also reminds me that I’ll need to get the specifications to her as far as what CreateSpace wants so I can get the book printed and sold in the still popular dead tree version. Everything is coming together quite nicely… that is when I am focusing on it, when I am looking at something else… not so much. Well, there will be no further distractions in the morning for me until 2014 and I will hopefully be in a better position to deal with it – by staying home those two weeks and just glutting myself on coverage. I might even go on ahead and get another DVR to use to get even more coverage. Thankfully, these are every four years. I should be able to get some work done in that intervening period… I might even finish something! The mind reels!

There is little to say right now. I am still trying to wake up and get going. I can hear the rest of the house stirring, but no dogs. I guess that’s something to be thankful for. I hope that they will maintain this quiet stance for a while. I could use a nap. I’m not going to sleep, but rather I am going to try for my usual minimum word count and then maybe I’ll close my eyes for a while. With no road construction happening, I can cut it a little closer to when I am supposed to be turning on the work PC and complaining that no one’s fixed my desktop interface.

So, with that – I bid you a fond adieu.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy

Well, the Olympics are done on Sunday and with that I should see an uptick in my productivity.  Obviously, since when you’ve hit bottom there is no where else to go but up.  When the Winter Games start, I intend to take those two weeks off (one way or the other) and not miss anything.  Now I get to look forward to the coming football season and try to get into a winter sport.  Hockey, mayhaps?

Well, I am writing this on Nook Color, so this will be a little shorter than my usual ones.  Also, there is nothing else really going on.  I am still working on the Poisoner’s School idea in my head and pushing along I/O Error in my head… and trying to get used to typing on this tiny keyboard.  I am still thinking about the disease.  I am tryig to think of something that would linger in the body for a while.  Given that the main character is a spy, I would think that something that would work on the mind would more dangerous.  I think that might be the route.  I’ll just ldt it turn around in my head.

All in all, while I am sad to see the Games end, I am happy to have my mornings back with the novel.

Sincerely,
Seething Apathy

The Olympics are winding down, which means I’ll let other people record things on the DVR. I still have a lot of Olympic coverage to go through, but now it won’t be ‘fast forward to the fifteen minutes I have to see so I can delete this to make room for the next four hours of coverage’. I’ll be able to sit back and watch the other stuff with some interest. At least I got to see some of my favorite Olympic sports (weightlifting, cycling, basketball and team handball). Now, there is a two year gap until the Winter Games and the better of the Olympics if you ask me. So after all is said and done, there should be a pleasant uptick in my productivity… and by uptick, I mean actually working.

I have been working on the ‘sick man’ idea, and I thought I would combine that with the idea of a positive Poisoner’s School story (taking an idea from Silence So Sharp). I like the idea that someone has to be trained to do something monumental, but there is a very hard deadline – death – to everything. Right now, I am just trying to figure out what sort of disease our main character has and whether or not it’s a lingering disease or something caught in the course of training. While I like the idea that this prospective poisoner making the ultimate sacrifice, I also like the idea of someone being passed over by all the other schools, but the least liked school takes this person and turns them into something far better than the others could have foreseen, if they knew that this school did something good. Now, I just to figure out the timeline and a decent enough set of crises – shouldn’t be too hard.

As far as the novel goes, I need to get a package together for the artist. Poor thing – she thinks I have an outline on paper for the novel. She thinks I’m prepared.

Anyway – there is something else I must discuss. Something near and dear to my heart: pens.

We are witness to the passing of an era, ladies and gentlemen

The pen you see above is no longer being made by Pentel. I looked. No longer in .5 mm (my favorite) and not even in .7 (which will do in a pinch), they no longer exist beyond the ones I have horded. I even ordered a package online once, but they’re not there. I can’t be the only one somewhat put out by this, but I might be the only one who is complaining about it. I would call on others to go to their website and protest the loss of this fine tool. No, I am being serious. All one of you. Hop to it.

Well, there is nothing else to report – the Olympics are winding down and my miffitude (that’s your new word, by the way) about my favorite pen being discontinued and a new novel eagerly awaits production. I hope your day is far more level than mine has been so far.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy