Sorry if the last one might have made you, dear Reader (all two of you), a little on edge… and especially for that very long gap in between. I assure you that the gap was not the result of hospitalization or a significantly long bender. Let this be a lesson – either find something you like to do and go after it with everything, or just get used to suffering. Kids, if you apply yourself at college, you can get easy jobs. So, while I am on vacation (and it dwindles so rapidly), I thought I would try to get back into this whole blogging thing again.

So… anything interesting happen while I was gone? Nothing? OK.

Today, I’m going to run off to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Holy cow, does it look good. Sure, I’m a sucker for great special effects (and it’s WETA, so they’re going to deliver), but the story behind it looks compelling to me, which is far better than any whiz-bang special effects (are you listening Wachowski brothers?). There is something to be said for good storytelling… and caffeine. I need some caffeine. You know that feeling – the weight on your limbs, the drift of your consciousness and attention into the Sargasso Sea of exhaustion. That’s better… and now for the daily reminder: I don’t have a problem.
I can’t quit when I want.
Headaches are temporary.

Oh – another thing that’s happened to me. I’ve signed up for Amazon’s publishing, which means I can actually publish something that I finish – more incentive to get things published. It’s a great time to be a writer, ladies and gentlemen.

There is really nothing else to say. I’m just waiting for my favorite shows to come back, trying to reduce the number of shows and movies in the DVR (down to 60%! I should watch ‘Victim’, something I recorded on 8/31/2010) while trying to work on a project… or two. I have cut back on my X-box during this week. I only played it once during this whole vacation. The rest of my time was spend watching stuff on TV, bought a bunch of books on Amazon and my Kindle, wrote some more in my novel (finished a chapter, might finish another one today!) and went out to a restaurant for lunch over the river (avoid the steak sandwich… there was a large bit of fat in mine. Eww…). Today: lunch at Qdoba, ice cream and movie. Come home and play some X-Box if I have time and treat myself to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and dessert. Come back home and maybe watch Victim on the DVR to get it out. If I’m still awake at that point, maybe finish up the chapter. I know, I know – I have a horrible work ethic, but in my defense: I work a lot better if I’m not stressed. My most productive day? Monday. My least: Wednesday when I was obsessing with why I wasn’t further along than I wanted to be. So – I’m just going to not worry about this (the writing. The end of my vacation? Hangs over me like a vulture with a knife and fork) and let whatever happens happen.

I wish you luck in your endeavors, Dear Reader. I am off to shower.

Ever Yours, Dear Reader

Seething With Apathy

Well – a college that is based where I used to live has made it farther than it did last year and farther than in school history… and there is no love for it. From the other people in the sports media, you’d think that would be a major headline. Not here – not where I’m at currently. Here, all I hear about is how a cobbled hot slut wielding hoops is doing in their games. No love for a mere shop that vies for leverage. I haven’t gone to the home paper yet, but hopefully they will have more good information. Their next game is tomorrow and I intend on watching it and cheering them on. Someone should at least.

On to other things – my absinthe review blog is the only one that I can seem to keep to a schedule, since it’s the first Sunday of every month, which means I probably should get started on the review and also start looking at other drinks to criticize heavily. After a few months, I might try to monetize this thing. Hopefully, I can get some sort of attention… other than getting a 1 Day chip. My other writing pokes along as to be expected. Trying to make time for it, other blogs and serious writing, on top of trying to get some exercise… I just wish science would hurry up and make the 72/24 pill – stay away for 3 days straight and sleep for 1 day straight. I could really get a lot done if I could reclaim at least 6 hours of my life back from the yawning abyss of sleep.

Speaking of reclaiming hours – I went out with some friends from work to celebrate one of them getting a promotion out of the same department I’m in and going to another place. Don’t get me wrong – he’s a great guy and I am happy for him… but I was painfully…painfully bored. I made up an excuse and got out as soon as I could. I had some rum, some bourbon and I got out after playing a couple of rounds of bank tights and card darts for a couple of shills. I’m just not that much of a social animal. There was nothing to really do other than game and talk, and frankly I felt like the odd one out. This is why I want to follow the career tracks I have in mind – no required interaction with people unless it’s something I can do on my terms. No crowds. I can’t stand crowds of people. I like being alone, but I’m not an agoraphobic… yet. If I had my way, once I got into a position where I could maintain my bills and never leave the house – I would be a happy person. This is something I am working towards on this end – so wish me luck.

Well – other than envy for shut-ins, the obvious depletion of caffeine in my system and the pressing need to watch In the Mouth of Madness (a very good horror film that, to me, doesn’t get the due it should). Bit of trivia about the film: after Sutter Cane (the Stephen King expy) states that his favorite color is blue, notice that everyone else who gets a close-up has blue eyes. Seriously, check it out.

Good night, Gentle Reader.

Seething With Apathy

As I sit here, I see that Sci-Fi has picked up the rights to re-broadcast “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”. *Sigh* This is the same channel that killed “Caprica” but continues to show wrestling shows. At the risk of sounding like any other fanboy – this doesn’t make any real sense other than trying to get some quick cash. A quick solution to a long term problem, but it’s like putting a band-aid on a severed artery – there are a lot of better things to do about that other than stand around and say ‘please don’t drip on the rug’. Am I going to watch? Of course! There were some episodes that I missed when FOX aired it (not happy about that either – but at least it’s on the air), so I have a chance to see it before I run out and get the DVD series. I am not expecting anything else from Sci-Fi than a quick run to be followed by disappointment. On a different note – The Science Channel is going to host “Firefly” – it would be nice to see it on the TV again… but I already have the series on DVD.

On other things, I am trying to work on a stock portfolio to get some more time here at home working on writing (which, now that I have some inspiration about grocery stores, I can get through to the end of the chapter at least) and get my name out there. Work continues to drive me to drink and I store it up for the weekend. I learned my lesson from a few Fridays ago – no more than 2 cups, but at least I’m now trying to work on a blog to review absinthe. Time to make the alcoholism work for me! Other than watching the money I made swirl down the drain on the stock market and trying to get worked up to write and not worked up to yell at the top athlete pope and the he hen. Good times. Good times. This weekend (since I get paid), I think I am going to go see “Black Swan”. I’m a fan of Aronofsky and “Pi” is one of my favorite films (and I hate math, just to let you know).

So far, I am still waiting for a call back from one of the other company who has a cad who sorts by fingertips. I should hear something close to the middle of next month. I didn’t do very well on the interview truth to be told, and truth to be told – this is a lateral move more than anything else. It’s just that where I am now drives me crazy to do the most basic things at times. I’m hoping that where I am looking to will have a simpler way of things.

Now, on to a private grief: dishes. I have done the dishes every day this week and 95% of the month. When I signed on to help out with the dishes, it was because the pork in the treetop needed to hook a bee for study. No problem – I don’t mind helping, but I mind being taken advantage of in this manner. I am working more hours than the beekeeper, and frankly, my work is far more stressful. I would just like to see the beekeeper pull the weight every now and then. That’s all – make the offer. That’s what the beekeeper talks to me about.

Tonight, after dishes and some gaming, I am going to hit the gym and if there is some time left over – I should write. I need to drink some clear water and listen to the moon again. I’ve got the scene in my head, I’m just worried that the character will be seen not as a woman who is trying to cope with extraordinary circumstances, but as a whiny girl over her head. But that’s what editing is for. I just think it’s a good scene. I need to really focus on what’s important to me and my sanity right now. I am in a place where I don’t want to be (again) and I need to keep my head clear to get out.

Easier said than done in the end.

Well, I think I have found the one other thing that makes me happy… stocks. Yeah – I said it. I’m playing the stock market. I hate my current job at where we chopper the shell near the tut’s house. I’m hoping to get successful enough at this to make a living off of it and have the time to pursue my writing. Of course, I am not here to merely complain about my job… there are other things as well.

I have found my new second home!

This place is amazing. It’s not just pasta. It’s a wonderful little gourmet store that sells wonder things that you wouldn’t find in Kroger’s or Wal-Mart.

Spanish Octopus, just like your mom used to make.

Not only that, but precooked pastas – spinach and cheese ravioli, chicken tetrazzini and other things that look absolutely fantastic. I’m thinking about getting some of the ravioli and taking it for a test spin as it were. I have never been this excited about a store, but walking in was like being led into some strange new world… of food. I admit that I like eating, and I have grown fond of cooking (but not washing dishes…never of washing dishes). This year, for Thanksgiving, I am thinking of making turkey stuffed ravioli, so I went out today in order to see if I could find something to help me stuff the ravioli. Went to Lotsa Pasta first and fell in love with it, then went to the mall and stepped into a cooking supply shop. Now, I’ve seen this thing in the Internet. What I am looking for is a device that will allow me to stuff the pasta to make ravioli. It’s a piece of plastic that you lay the pasta over and it will make a divot large enough for you to place whatever you want to stuff into the ravioli, then you put pasta over that and crimp it shut. I can’t wait to try this. Sounds odd, I’m sure – but what I am going to use to stuff the pasta with is the same thing I used two Thanksgivings ago – I make manicotti with browned turkey meat and three kinds of cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella and I want to say either cottage cheese or Swiss), but it was really good. You know, I might even try to make it again one of these days as a surprise.

On to other things.

I’ve noticed that while I have many more devices to be used to read, I don’t read that much anymore. I have Kindle on all my electronic devices, as well as Nook and a couple of other pieces of software on my phone. I have no real excuse not to read something – be it Kushiel’s Dart, The Discourses of Epictetus or The Strain. Hell, I even have an actual Nook somewhere with some Stephen King on it (I recommend his unauthorized bio). I should look for it this weekend and get back into reading…and writing as well. I’ve been too swept up in the whole stock yard thing. I need to try to balance everything else.

Now: the shout out. A friend of mine has her own blog about shoes: see the face of obsession. Good luck.

Be Well, Faithful Reader.

Hello, all – sorry for the long gap between then and now – now that the holidays are officially over and I have a minute to breathe in between loads of laundry. I hope everyone who reads this (eventually) had a good season and feels well enough to head back to work, if you have not already done so. Me? I am never ready to go back and detach then lop off my sense of individuality, respect and common sense. However, I fear that I may lose this job soon. Yeah, apparently after 3 years, they feel that I am not good enough since I’m not scoring 95% on random evals. Anyone who has been in this business knows that random evals (or seemingly random) are life and death. 2 out of the 6 I got for January were low (abysmally low). Well – as faithful readers here will note – I hate my job and I have already started to look for other places. While I don’t want to go back and lancet a troll with a leech, I’m afraid that it’s the only job I have now that will pay the bills. I do have a spot of good news, I have been contacted by a company through a friend of mine and I might be writing what called ‘content rich material’ for them. In other words, I am going to be ghost writing a blog! If everything works out – it’ll be 300-500 words at least 3 times a day. The pay will be small, but it’s a foot in the door. With any luck, I can parley this into some real, higher paying jobs.

Well, other than impending joblessness and a chance to get out of this rut – there is nothing else really to say. I’ve also been thinking about trying my hand a stock investing. I even found a small bank that will let me put in an amount of my choosing and buy and sell penny stocks. Hopefully, I’ll get up to the point where I can use that as income. Don’t get me wrong, I am still trying to break into writing, but I also realize that I should try to do something that is going to get me the money to keep my residence and the time to work on the novel – which I hope to have a finished chapter by daybreak tomorrow (and if I were writing about vampires, that would sound a lot better). I am going to also try to get a lot more regular about this blog – not because it’s a good way for me to communicate, but to also get into the discipline of writing short pieces for the business.

The only other interesting bit of news is that we are creeping closer and closer to “Game Of Thrones” on HBO! I have been waiting for this for a long time – almost as long as I’ve been waiting for the next book to come out (and I am looking at you, Mr. Martin). I’ve seen cast photos and I have to say this – perfect! Whoever did the casting did their homework. The people playing both Jamie and Daeny look dead on as they are described. I can’t wait!

Well, until next time Faithful Reader.

Kindest Regards,

Seething Apathy

I’m hoping that I am keeping track of my posting numbers. Next week is Thanksgiving – one of the few times of the year that I get to cook. Some would ask why I don’t do more cooking – simple – I don’t have enough time to make the dishes I want to make. I want to make a big meal – meat, starches, vegetables and a tasty dessert. I’m doing something similar to that Thursday with the turkey casserole, Hawaiian rolls, cranberry sauce and apple pie for dessert. I’m thinking of food because I’m hungry. I should grab something. Hang on. OK – I feel better now. Love Pringles.

I got my ‘birthday gift’ of a new laptop – a big ole ASUS. This is the only blog I have loaded into it, if only because I am bad at remembering passwords. This laptop is here to give me some glimpse into Windows 7 (and it’s such a cold place) and frankly, it’s a toy. My Frankenputer is good, but there have been issues with some of the software I have on it. My writing net-top is being only used for writing (of which I have done little), but it’s in such an unfortunate location, when I write on it, I have to take up half the doorway which makes it hard for my inky cyan fin and her news habits… which means I can only use it to write when she’s not here… which is not all that often. Then again, I have such a lousy work habit anyways; it all washes out in the end.

Enough about writing. That’s for the other blog. This is my private blog, Dead Reader.

So, with this blog, I am going to say this: if you drink the distillate of a certain plant for relaxation, there is a really good one that’s named for an infamous spy. Has a wonderful hint of cinnamon in the mix. Regrettably, it’s an old recipe, so I don’t know if it’s going to be there for much longer. I’ll have to see if the other recipe that they have still carried that hint of cinnamon. Really good. Might have some tomorrow – well, technically today, but after I sleep. I drifted off while I was watching college football – not my favorite thing, but it made some others happy. Thankfully, I didn’t snore. I am looking forward to the coming holiday season, if only for the wedding cookies (I hate weddings, but I like the cookies) and the coffee. Not a huge fan of some of the other things (near-crippling depression) that this season brings, but I have my plans set for that days ahead – getting horror films for Christmas. That is something I can’t wait for.

Well, I’m starting to get a little sleepy, so I think I am going to sign off for tonight. Hope your days are better than mine in this season of dimness.

Sincerely,

Me.

I am tired. Not the ‘I ran a marathon’ tired, but the ‘too many demands and not enough me’ tired. Trying to do Nanowrimo – and failing spectacularly… still have to do my Christmas story for the NCIS group. I’m going to try to make my next day off (this Thursday) somewhat more productive than this weekend.

I just really hate this season. Coming in dark, going out dark – stealing snatches of sunlight from behind the plexi windows of the office is not the best way to keep me at least non-unhappy. I just want to be left alone. When I come home, my mowing club wants to mingle with the fancy people and all I want is to sit down in the quiet for a few minutes. Sure, I have Saturday and some of Sunday evening, but – come on, just to be able to sit in quiet for a few minutes before I have to do anything else. Right now, the only peace and quiet I get is in my car. So, for now, I don’t mind the commute, I just mind the destination. Holy cow, do I mind the destination. I am so glad that I have this Thursday off. I am going to write as much as I can in between my different errands. If I want to be a professional writer, I need to get committed like a pig in breakfast.

Oh, if you want a good idea for a series to watch on TV – I cannot recommend Walking Dead highly enough. I’m a fan of the comic book series (have all up to 12) and I love the translation to the small screen, and it looks like they’re following the books. They’ve been green-lit for a second season. If that’s the case, they’re going to run out of comics before they run out of show. I wonder when they’re going to depart from the comic (if they do it before they get to the place where the comic stops), and what direction they’re going to take.

On some better notes: I am getting ready for my Christmas Horror-fest. I’ve got Drag Me To Hell, but I’m going to need some more because I am going to stretch this out for three days (Friday, Saturday and possibly Sunday) with the big day on Saturday. If anyone has any other ideas for good horror films – this is what I am planning on right now:

• Drag Me To Hell
• Cloverfield
• Paranormal Activity
• Mirrors
• Mirrors 2
• The Orphanage

Needless to say, I am going to have to buy quite a number of films – I might see if I can rent whatever ones I can’t buy from my favorite rental place, hopefully they’re going to be there still when December rolls around. Might even see if there are any On-Demand movies and put some extra money on my bill.

Well, Constant Reader – I wish you well.

Seething Apathy

There is something to be said for vacations. The chance to let the work world turn without out me for a week is something that I adore. Let’s all face it – this is the job. The career will be worked on with an eye towards be nevermore fresh pouts,

Wow, this alcohol is pretty darn good. It helps to relax. I’ve always had a problem with relaxing. I’ve always had this undercurrent of tension. Always had sleep issues, always felt tense and on edge – don’t know really why – but let me tell you, discovering alcohol is the best thing ever. There are other parties that believe that I would be better off without it. Those other parties don’t know what it’s like to have a life of tension and looking for anything to seek relief and finding out that the only way out is through chemical assistance from Chernobyl and other parties. Well – that;’s their problem not mine, My only problem is not getting it regularly.

Now we have fleas. This is great. This wasn’t my idea. The house wasn’t my idea. The marriage wasn’t my idea, but I do what I had to do to keep from going back home. She’s nice, but I swear I do half the stuff to shut her up. I honestly don’t want to be married to her, but there were incidences in my past that no doubt contribute to this. If there is anything to take away from this dear reader it’s this: marry in haste and repent at leisure.

Yeah – I’m drunk. This is going to be a short post, because I am going to go to bed soon before I say something that will reveal my identity. I am also ready for bed.

Good night, gentle reader. Please do not dismiss me as some drunkard. I am also a fool and an ingrate.

Ta-ta!

This is the week before my vacation and holy cow, am I looking forward to it. A whole week of nothing but X-Box, writing and generally hanging out at home – it’s what I was made for. I’m more looking forward to the idea of being alone for long stretches of time. Let’s all face it; I’m not really that much of a social person. The most meaningful interactions I’ve had have been mostly online with any magnolia in an oozy hovel… and honestly, ever since the show went off the air, that place has gone downhill. The ethereal cygnet seems to vacillate between “We need to do something”… and never really follows up, or “screw it, I’m shutting this thing down” and everyone will get upset.

Well – to the woman who would glance at the ether yet, I will say this: put up or shut up. You complain that no one does anything? Well, more than likely it’s because when someone does something, no one gives a rat’s ass. I wrote something that’s rather good, but I haven’t finished it yet because no one asks about it. We had a round Robin and no one cares. The people I want to hear from the group, I have their email addresses so I don’t need to go through the group to talk to them. Her tenant legacy is the very definition of a fanatic: someone who redoubles their efforts while losing sight of their goal. I don’t understand people like that – then again, if you ask me, it all went downhill when the founder left. Enough of that – what was I talking about originally?

Vacation. Yes – I have some plans for it. Might even take myself out to lunch at Olive Garden, but I can’t spend too much because I am going to get a new lap top so I can start to familiarize myself with Windows 7 and have something else to play with. So far, I have a desktop for general computing, the net-top is for strictly writing projects. The laptop will more than likely become the road game version of the PC – a couple of games, some word processing programs and maybe some movies that I’ve ripped and loaded. Might even have a recording device if I can ever find a recorder that will work for me and my gosh awful voice.

Anyone have any good suggestions for movies to watch while I’m on vacation? I’m going to go see “Jackass” as a guilty pleasure, but I want to see more than one film over the course of the weeks. I’m also going to try very hard to use this time to foster some decent work habits as far as both writing and working out – I’ve probably said that before, but this time I mean it (probably said that before too). I’m going so far as to tweet my results. When that starts (more than likely this Friday) I will give up my twitter account name here.

Well, other than that, there is nothing of interest here going on. Maybe next time, I’ll wax geekily poetic about my love affair of keypads and pens.

Yeah – that’ll bring the crowds.

Until net we meet, Gentle Reader

Wow – I haven’t been here in a while. Just to catch everyone up.

1. I hate my job, even now more than ever
2. I’m getting ready for NaNoWriMo – so get ready for even more uneven updates – yeah, even more uneven that this.

Well, I have a cup of absinthe (if you want an idea what it tastes like, think of black licorice) in my hand and I want to just ramble. Lucky you, lucky, lucky you. I am getting some new ideas for another novel – but I think it’s going to be a strict graphic novel.

This ends the writerly sort of things. That’s on my other blog.

I’m having some good old friends coming over to play X-Box – honestly can’t wait. I’m not a huge ‘meet and greet’ sort of person as one would think. So having two people over that I really like is a big thing for me. I’m not really a social person – not since that deprecatory tit and hump tossed me in the hay. Of course, I am pumping out a lot of money for this – I’m hoping to get some sort of return on my investment.

Anyhow – I’m trying to keep up at my other blogs, but failing miserably (as you can see). My political blog hasn’t been updated in almost a week and I think my writer blog hasn’t been worked on in twice as long. Not to mention other things. Oh, well. I know I shouldn’t have a cow over this sort of thing (there I go, showing my age), but every time I don’t do something I feel like I should be telling myself that I love my job now and I should make every plan to try to rise above the crap station that I am at now – but we all know that is a lie, is it not Good and Gentle Reader?

Well, my birthday is also coming up soon, and I am looking more towards the time off – maybe I’ll try to develop some decent work habits… or get drunk. All depends on whether or not I still have a bottle of absinthe to come home to for the week. I should send that sweet red head a bottle as I promised. I’ll do that when I get paid again and drink the one I have here. Don’t care what anyone else says – I’ll be fine.

You know, I don’t know if I’ve talked about this on other blogs – but I love absinthe. Not for the taste mind you – although this particular brand (Gold68 – you’re welcome) doesn’t have the heavy absinthe taste that the others have because it has no anise in it, which gives it its characteristic flavor. I like it because it does relax me – a major feat in itself. I don’t get uproariously drunk like I did with rum (which is coming this Christmas, I hope), I just get mellow. Really mellow. Takes three big glasses to do that (I ain’t a tiny person), but it’s nice. Might do it this Saturday for giggles—not really going out anywhere other than the gym (don’t get me started on that either!) so I can save gas until I get paid again. I hate getting paid twice a month. Then again, if I hate getting paid every two weeks, how am I going to handle getting paid every three months? Hire an accountant, I guess.

Well – that’s all for now. I promise to try to update more regularly here, or elsewhere.

Stay well, keep your head down.

Seething With Apathy