It's a question for the ages, isn't it? I remember a character in Catch 22 by Joseph Heller who was obsessed with being as bored as possible. That way, he'd be able to wring the most out of every second life gave him.
Today, I've already had a bit of both. The new mattress was scheduled to be delivered between 7 and 10 AM. Who does deliveries that early? The people at Mattress Discounters! They actually arrived at 8:00, but the damage was already done. Carrie was up around 6:30 and started cleaning. At around 7, she ripped the sheets out from under me to make sure the mattress was ready to be moved. I was stubborn and dozed on and off until about 7:30. I must say, it was nice waking up to a house cleaned to Carrie standards.
The plan was for Kathleen and Stu to come pick up our old mattress for their apartment. They didn't have a bed, and ours kept hurting my pregnant wife's hips so it's not like we wanted it to stick around. However, while we kept going back and forth about the time, Carrie took a nap. A long one (3 hours!). Kathleen and Stu would just have to wait.
While Carrie slept, I suddenly had more time than I knew what to do with myself. I worked on rewriting my second Janod story, played League of Legends, starting reading some Tozer, and tried to kill time. Normally, you'd think time would fly while I got to sit on my bum with Avatar: The Last Airbender on in the background. It felt longer than it really was though, in part because I was constantly expecting Carrie to wake up and didn't really want to start anything. I enjoyed myself, but I think I would've been more productive if I realized how much time I was going to have.
Kathleen and Stu eventually got to come over. They bought Carrie and I Panera as a 'thank you', we hitched up the mattress and bedsprings on top of his jeep, and wished them well. The weatherman wasn't predicting rain, so Stu was proclaiming "we're screwed!" Nothing fell off as they rolled out of the neighborhood, so all's well that doesn't end where the neighbors can blame you.
Hopefully, the rest of the day will be as relaxing as the beginning. I hope to get some writing done, and play some games with whoever is on tonight.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
ESY, SCA, and many more acronyms, oh my!
---ESY----
As a special education teacher, my life is inundated with acronyms. At the moment, I'm an IA in an ESY program. That's Instructional Assistant in an Extended School Year program. Long story short, it was a very very busy school year workload-wise and I wanted to work this summer, but take it relatively easy at the same time. I'm not going to launch into my "according to the school system being a SPED Teacher is more about dealing with legal paperwork than actually teaching" rant since it's the summer, but being an IA means I get to focus on helping kids and let the teachers deal with all of the legal documents.
It's great. The teachers I work with are all stressed, but I get to put in a good day's work and then head home with no baggage. Sure, the pay is half of what I could be making, but I don't want to burn out before the school year starts. Last I heard, there's still a 50% burnout rate within the first three years in my profession (though I wonder if the recession had dropped that a bit).
Today was interesting, because I got pulled to be an emergency teacher. One of the Cat B teachers called in and couldn't get a substitute, so the principal re-tasked me when I was signing in. He knew I was normally a teacher, and he needed someone certified to run a class. I had a great day of teaching kids how to tell the difference between a dime and a nickel. Admittedly, it's not something I'd prefer to do over the long haul, but it was a refreshing change of pace.
---SCA---
I dropped by a weapon's practice again yesterday. The Pennsic Wars start this weekend, so most of the regulars were absent (probably scrubbing armor and getting ready). Basically, the Wars are the equivalent of the playoffs and championships for the SCA on this side of the Mississippi. Thousands gather for over a week of battling for territory and revelry in rural Pennsylvania. The loser gets Pittsburgh.
There were only two people practicing when I arrived: the Baron and Ragnar. I talked with the Baroness and another member while the combatants bludgeoned each other, and when they were done Ragnar gave me a run down of the basics of sword and shield combat. He told me that if I showed up next week (when everyone else was out of town) he'd bring some loaner armor for me to clank around in. I just have to bring my own nut-cup (sharing is not caring when it comes to those).
While we talked, the Baroness and a new arrival started fencing. There's not as much running around and loud, potentially bruising thwacks involved (which lowers my interest level), but it can be neat to watch. There's much less movement than one would expect from a lifetime of movies and television, and when the fencers have an open hand they have an interesting habit of trying to grab their opponent's blade.
---Writing---
Currently, I have my flash-fiction piece submitted, and my first BTech story is still awaiting a response. I haven't submitted my flash-BTech story as I'm not sure it's ready to my standards yet. It's really not likely to get picked up (I've never seen them publish any flash-fiction), but I still want to feel like I combed over it before I drop it in their queue. I'd hate for them to start rolling their eyes whenever they see my name in their inbox.
As for my 'novel.' I'm 18k words in. I combined all of the 'acts' into one big word document and put in a few 'intermissions' between the acts. I feel like Act 1 flows well, but I'm worried about things bogging down in Act 2. I leave a lot of gaps in the first act to make the action flow, and I'm trying to fill some of them in so it's slower by nature. I've thrown some comedy in, but when you re-read a joke multiple times it doesn't seem very funny to you anymore. Hopefully, my readers will find some of the jokes funny even if they've been demoted from 'laugh out loud' to 'mild grin' status in my opinion. I could montage and skip more, but I'm trying to build mystery and characters while supplying some answers and setting up the main plot line.
---Keeping up with People---
Between Carrie's pregnancy, chores, fixing things around the house, and work, I feel like I've been having trouble keeping up with people. I've managed to maintain communications with some, but nowhere near as many as I used to. Being married takes up a fair amount of time, and go figure that being married and having a baby on the way takes up even more time. When the little tyke is born in December, time is going to become an even rarer commodity. Please have patience with me if I seem to drop off the face of the planet from time to time. Thanks!
As a special education teacher, my life is inundated with acronyms. At the moment, I'm an IA in an ESY program. That's Instructional Assistant in an Extended School Year program. Long story short, it was a very very busy school year workload-wise and I wanted to work this summer, but take it relatively easy at the same time. I'm not going to launch into my "according to the school system being a SPED Teacher is more about dealing with legal paperwork than actually teaching" rant since it's the summer, but being an IA means I get to focus on helping kids and let the teachers deal with all of the legal documents.
It's great. The teachers I work with are all stressed, but I get to put in a good day's work and then head home with no baggage. Sure, the pay is half of what I could be making, but I don't want to burn out before the school year starts. Last I heard, there's still a 50% burnout rate within the first three years in my profession (though I wonder if the recession had dropped that a bit).
Today was interesting, because I got pulled to be an emergency teacher. One of the Cat B teachers called in and couldn't get a substitute, so the principal re-tasked me when I was signing in. He knew I was normally a teacher, and he needed someone certified to run a class. I had a great day of teaching kids how to tell the difference between a dime and a nickel. Admittedly, it's not something I'd prefer to do over the long haul, but it was a refreshing change of pace.
---SCA---
I dropped by a weapon's practice again yesterday. The Pennsic Wars start this weekend, so most of the regulars were absent (probably scrubbing armor and getting ready). Basically, the Wars are the equivalent of the playoffs and championships for the SCA on this side of the Mississippi. Thousands gather for over a week of battling for territory and revelry in rural Pennsylvania. The loser gets Pittsburgh.
There were only two people practicing when I arrived: the Baron and Ragnar. I talked with the Baroness and another member while the combatants bludgeoned each other, and when they were done Ragnar gave me a run down of the basics of sword and shield combat. He told me that if I showed up next week (when everyone else was out of town) he'd bring some loaner armor for me to clank around in. I just have to bring my own nut-cup (sharing is not caring when it comes to those).
While we talked, the Baroness and a new arrival started fencing. There's not as much running around and loud, potentially bruising thwacks involved (which lowers my interest level), but it can be neat to watch. There's much less movement than one would expect from a lifetime of movies and television, and when the fencers have an open hand they have an interesting habit of trying to grab their opponent's blade.
---Writing---
Currently, I have my flash-fiction piece submitted, and my first BTech story is still awaiting a response. I haven't submitted my flash-BTech story as I'm not sure it's ready to my standards yet. It's really not likely to get picked up (I've never seen them publish any flash-fiction), but I still want to feel like I combed over it before I drop it in their queue. I'd hate for them to start rolling their eyes whenever they see my name in their inbox.
As for my 'novel.' I'm 18k words in. I combined all of the 'acts' into one big word document and put in a few 'intermissions' between the acts. I feel like Act 1 flows well, but I'm worried about things bogging down in Act 2. I leave a lot of gaps in the first act to make the action flow, and I'm trying to fill some of them in so it's slower by nature. I've thrown some comedy in, but when you re-read a joke multiple times it doesn't seem very funny to you anymore. Hopefully, my readers will find some of the jokes funny even if they've been demoted from 'laugh out loud' to 'mild grin' status in my opinion. I could montage and skip more, but I'm trying to build mystery and characters while supplying some answers and setting up the main plot line.
---Keeping up with People---
Between Carrie's pregnancy, chores, fixing things around the house, and work, I feel like I've been having trouble keeping up with people. I've managed to maintain communications with some, but nowhere near as many as I used to. Being married takes up a fair amount of time, and go figure that being married and having a baby on the way takes up even more time. When the little tyke is born in December, time is going to become an even rarer commodity. Please have patience with me if I seem to drop off the face of the planet from time to time. Thanks!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
SCA in the rain
Let it be known, I'm a huge nerd. However, I'm also a competitive nerd who likes competitive sports. I quit Brazilian Jiu Jitsu due to time and money, and I've been sorely missing both BJJ and wrestling ever since.
That's where the SCA comes in. Remember when you used to run around as a kid and hit things with sticks or pool noodles? (No? That's okay, too.) Eventually, you got large enough that swinging a stick at someone would cause some damage and you were too old for that stuff anyway. The SCA looks like a good excuse to run around and go medieval. I'm 100% in favor of fun and violent exercise. Besides, if I want to learn how to write about fight scenes including swords, I should probably learn a little bit about them.
I showed up at a weapons practice a couple of weeks ago, and then I showed up again today. Sadly, a storm front was moving through, so I only got to watch some historical fencing - a longsword versus a rapier-dagger combination. Then the rain came through, and ended the practice before I could strap on some loaner gear.
It looks like a great amount of fun, but I want to try before I buy. I used to pay $130 a month for BJJ, so even if I have to pay a couple of hundred dollars for equipment, the SCA should be much cheaper in the long run. Yes, BJJ was that expensive, but I really missed wrestling, and (believe it or not) that was fairly cheap for what many of those programs go for around here.
More on the SCA next Tuesday!
Writing -
I had an idea for a quick piece of flash fiction this morning. I sketched it out on a clipboard, and then when it was silent reading/journal writing time at work, I started to type it out. I went ahead and submitted it, because the worst that can happen is I get a rejection note. I enjoyed writing, and it only took a day. At the best, I could be published.
No risk, no gain.
That's where the SCA comes in. Remember when you used to run around as a kid and hit things with sticks or pool noodles? (No? That's okay, too.) Eventually, you got large enough that swinging a stick at someone would cause some damage and you were too old for that stuff anyway. The SCA looks like a good excuse to run around and go medieval. I'm 100% in favor of fun and violent exercise. Besides, if I want to learn how to write about fight scenes including swords, I should probably learn a little bit about them.
I showed up at a weapons practice a couple of weeks ago, and then I showed up again today. Sadly, a storm front was moving through, so I only got to watch some historical fencing - a longsword versus a rapier-dagger combination. Then the rain came through, and ended the practice before I could strap on some loaner gear.
It looks like a great amount of fun, but I want to try before I buy. I used to pay $130 a month for BJJ, so even if I have to pay a couple of hundred dollars for equipment, the SCA should be much cheaper in the long run. Yes, BJJ was that expensive, but I really missed wrestling, and (believe it or not) that was fairly cheap for what many of those programs go for around here.
More on the SCA next Tuesday!
Writing -
I had an idea for a quick piece of flash fiction this morning. I sketched it out on a clipboard, and then when it was silent reading/journal writing time at work, I started to type it out. I went ahead and submitted it, because the worst that can happen is I get a rejection note. I enjoyed writing, and it only took a day. At the best, I could be published.
No risk, no gain.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Current Projects
Since this is a writing blog, I plan on keep a running list of my current projects. There will be other posts as well, but this is going to be my accountability tool.
Current Short Stories -
BattleTech-Life Choices (Submitted June 2nd -- No reply as of yet)
A tale of Janod.
Rejection count: 1
Form-Letter Count: 0
Average response time of inquiries: 20 days
BattleTech-PBI
A second tale of Janod.
Still being written. Current word count: 2.7k
BattleTech-The Water Tower
A flash fiction piece inspired by The Watch Tower by Lord Dunsany
Completed. Re-reading and editing. Will submit soon, but is unlikey to be published. This was more of a quick try at writing in a new style.
Current Novels -
Swords and Science (Not the real title)
I'm about 15,000 words in. This is something of a "Science Fantasy" piece. I noticed that many of the most beloved Science Fiction series aren't hard science fiction. Star Trek and Star Wars (both series I enjoy) are not realistic science fiction, but they're damn good fun. Deathstalker is another example of a 'Science Fantasy' I enjoyed. This is my attempt at creating a thrilling, yet maybe not completely scientific future.
Ending Notes -
Once I figure out how, I plan on putting up some samples of old drafts and the first act of my novel. A disclaimer: everything I put up is rough. Very rough. Some of the names may be placeholders from when I looked around the room or stole the first name I thought of. I also won't post complete stories, but if you're one of my 'first readers' and I forgot to send you a file, let me know. I don't think any publishers would be very interested in a story that people can already nab form the net.
Current Short Stories -
BattleTech-Life Choices (Submitted June 2nd -- No reply as of yet)
A tale of Janod.
Rejection count: 1
Form-Letter Count: 0
Average response time of inquiries: 20 days
BattleTech-PBI
A second tale of Janod.
Still being written. Current word count: 2.7k
BattleTech-The Water Tower
A flash fiction piece inspired by The Watch Tower by Lord Dunsany
Completed. Re-reading and editing. Will submit soon, but is unlikey to be published. This was more of a quick try at writing in a new style.
Current Novels -
Swords and Science (Not the real title)
I'm about 15,000 words in. This is something of a "Science Fantasy" piece. I noticed that many of the most beloved Science Fiction series aren't hard science fiction. Star Trek and Star Wars (both series I enjoy) are not realistic science fiction, but they're damn good fun. Deathstalker is another example of a 'Science Fantasy' I enjoyed. This is my attempt at creating a thrilling, yet maybe not completely scientific future.
Ending Notes -
Once I figure out how, I plan on putting up some samples of old drafts and the first act of my novel. A disclaimer: everything I put up is rough. Very rough. Some of the names may be placeholders from when I looked around the room or stole the first name I thought of. I also won't post complete stories, but if you're one of my 'first readers' and I forgot to send you a file, let me know. I don't think any publishers would be very interested in a story that people can already nab form the net.
cout<<"Hello, World.";
It seems like everyone, their kid brother, and their hamster have a blog nowadays. There are blogs dedicated to drunken texts and captioned cats, so I figured I needed one too if I was going to be serious about "writing." No, the quotes are not a mistake. Anyone can write (as I'm doing now), but I want to "write" as in write something that someone somewhere finds worthwhile to publish.
And thus, I join the ranks of countless other aspiring writers.
And thus, I join the ranks of countless other aspiring writers.
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