Blog Archives
Something Brief While I Take A Noveling Break
So far, so good. I’ve hit (or ever-so-slightly exceeded) the 1,667 word daily quota each day. I haven’t been able to build a buffer yet, which isn’t great, but I’ll still take it. The site this year adds some interesting stats, like how many days in a row you’ve made quota, how many words you need each day based on your current output, things like that. It’s funny, because if I write 5,000 words today and 500 tomorrow, that would be well above a two-day quota, but since the site would call that 1 Successful Day and 1 Unsuccessful Day, it makes me want to hit the minimum at least every time. Ahh, the incentives that stats bring.
A couple of things I’ve had on my mind the last few days: Read the rest of this entry
Goals
Goals are funny things. On the one hand, they provide motivation, an end to shape and target your means, the light at the end of the tunnel. They help you keep your eyes on the prize, to remember that it’s a marathon not a sprint, and every incremental step towards that goal becomes fuel for taking the next, harder step.
On the other hand, what happens when you reach your goal? There’s that feeling of exaltation – I did it! The feeling of pride, of joy, it’s amazing, and makes all that hard work worthwhile. Then you get up the next day. What then? Celebrate with an ice cream sundae? (Note: DO NOT celebrate with an ice cream sundae) Take the day off and bask in your own awesomeness? (See previous note) Read the rest of this entry
Feelings, and Why Men Don’t Know What To Do With Them
It’s often extremely difficult for a male to express their feelings, which isn’t exactly a news flash by any stretch. Much has been made over the last few decades about the reticence of men to discuss how they feel about anything or to express their emotions. Women’s magazines lament about it; men’s magazines glorify it; TV and movies mock it while propping up the practice. A lot of women will profess that they wish their man, or their prospective one, would be more open about their feelings. Unfortunately, society conspires against men and prevents them from doing just that.
The Second Coming
I have a friend that I used to work with. Unlike me, he was a very religious person in the best meaning of the word (in my own opinion). His faith was strong, but he wasn’t a preacher or evangelist or pusher. Whenever I had a question or observation about the Christian faith, I’d sit down and talk to him. He was always open and patient and never took offense to the blasphemous questions or arguments I posed to him, and would always answer me honestly, expressing his beliefs as just that, never judging or condemning. He is a good man, who just happens to be quite religious. I wish I still worked with him, so I could ask him about something I started thinking about last night.
Five Things for Thursday, March 4th
1. I noticed today how rare it is to make eye contact with a cashier, other than initial approach, and even then both parties are usually distracted. I tried to make an effort to keep eye contact unless it was necessary to break it, since I thought the cashier lady would appreciate being acknowledged as a human being. Instead, she looked back at me with increasingly odd expressions. I don’t think cashiers are used to having their customers look at them much, so when they do, the cashier thinks it odd. I’ll have to try it a few more times.
Five Things for Thursday, Feb 25th
1. I hate talking on the phone so much. I used to have a job where I did nothing but, doing software support. I’ll never be able to go back to it. Just hearing stories from Lady Aravan about the people she needs to deal with on a given day is enough to reassure me that, yes, I am incapable of dealing with people over the phone. I don’t even like calling a place for a take-out or delivery order.
Art is Crap
The other day, Lady Aravan asked me if I thought people who came to our house thought our art choices were weird. I responded that I didn’t think so, and essentially that I didn’t care too much if they did think that way, since we liked them. The more I’ve thought about it, though, the more I have come to realize that art, of pretty much every sort, is total crap.
The Supernatural
I’ve always wanted to believe in the supernatural. As a kid, I loved ghost stories and other supernatural horror stuff (well, I guess I still do, with, you know, writing a zombie novel and all), and I always hoped to discover a ghost or see something like that. I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, but stopped going at 7, but even then I’m not sure how much BELIEF there was in me. I went to Kingdom Hall, but I’m not sure I ever really bought into the actual existence of a god. Maybe it’s just my futuristic atheist self projecting back on the past, but I really don’t remember thinking of it any different than any other stories.
Five Things for Tuesday, February 16th
1. It took over an hour to get to work today. It was snowing. but there wasn’t any snow on the road. People were just driving incredibly badly, either WAY too slow or ridiculously recklessly, like the tool douchebag driving the wrong way down a one-way street and looking pissed that he couldn’t get by. I should have just driven into him.
Winter in Derenemyn 