Throwback Thursday: The Bedroom At My Mother’s House

 

    I know I'm late again, but I was hanging out with friends and that was more important today. Tonight we'll be throwing back to my bedroom at my mother's house when I was a teenager. And I'll try to have Story Time Friday up earlier tomorrow.

    When I was a teenager I lived in a duplex of sorts and my bedroom was on the second floor. I had a weight bench in my room and my mom had her desk in there as well and I had a table of sorts for my word processor. I also had an awesome stereo and a twin size futon along with a television in an entertainment center with what at the time was known as a PlayStation, but would now be called a PlayStation One. I shared a small bookshelf with my mom on her desk as well. I was also allowed to use the desk but my mom had her computer on it so I couldn't put my word processor on it.

    When I wasn't with my friends I would either be working on writing on the word processor or reading while listening to music. Or more times than none I would be watching television. But even more often I would be playing video games. Then there were the times I would have the girl I was dating at the time over and we would be making out or having sex under my mom's nose until the one time I was caght and couldn't have a lock on my door anymore.

    I use to sit up late at night on weekends and watch Tales From The Crypt Keeper and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Both shows were amazing to be as a teenager and after they were over I would get told to go to bed. Which I would respond with going to bed, but leaving the television on low and falling asleep to it. I've found some of the same thrill as then in the Nightmare Magazine Podcast. It has creepy stories like Tales From The Crypt Keeper with a spooky host as well.

    I thought my room back then was awesome, and in some ways it was. In others it was too distracting possibly. Looking forward I know I need a more productive room if I'm going to get ahead in what I plan to do with my life. And that goes into how I'm designing my office/bedroom in present day. I'm still debating having a television in here, though the decision might be made for me on whether or not I have room for it or not in the end. That's really fine by me. As long as I have music I can function in my writing and reading world. I didn't really get a story down this time for the memoir, but I did get some inspiration for next week ironically. *Tips hat and walks out the door searching for writing prompt."

Wednesday In The Library: Let’s Talk About Women Destroy Science Fiction

    As the White Rabbit in Alice In Wonderland would say, "I'm late I'm late." It's been one of those days folks where I got up really late and I'm running behind on my work load for the day so bear with me today please. I would have been here sooner but I had a school assignment that I had to do.
    So tonight we are going to talk about Women Destroy Science Fiction from Lightspeed. I've been reading the anthology for a couple of months now here and there where I can find time, and I've been enjoying it a lot. This anthology came about as the result of all the complaints about women writers of Science Fiction, with people saying they were destroying it hence the title. So the owner of Lightspeed Magazine started a Kickstarter to produce this special issue. Along with bonuses if they reached stretch goals of Women Destroy Fantasy and Women Destroy Horror. I haven't read either of those issues yet, but I will talk about them when I do start reading them. And when I finish each of these three special issues I will review them.
    One of my favorites so far has people has plants and other genetic mutations looking for life out in space, and seemingly finding it. It is emotional and yet interesting all at the same time. As I think about it I like the addition of the more naturally feeling emotion in the stories I read in this anthology so far versus some other Science Fiction I've read. The only male author who has come close to doing that in the genre as well as the women writers in this anthology have is John Scalzi in his Old Man's War Series. With his love affair between John Perry and Jane Sagan.
    That speaks volumes to the quality of these women's talent as writers, and that they should be better known in the mainstream media. It is ridiculous that the only reason they are being kept down as Science Fiction Writers is because they are women. In this day and age we should be past sexual discrimination, but apparently we are that petty still as a species. I encourage everyone to pick up a Science Fiction novel by a female author and give it a shot. I've found a few titles I'm going to be trying to give a shot to in the coming months. Possibly in a book club and possibly just on my own.
    On a side note there is another Kickstarter going on for Queers Destroy Science Fiction at www.destroysf/queers,  and it is not a derogatory term in this case having been mostly reclaimed by the LGBT Community. Plus in the context it is being used to promote LGBT Writers of Science Fiction and if they reach there stretch goals also Horror and Fantasy. Hopefully you've enjoyed your time in the library today I know I enjoyed it. Maybe next time we'll talk about John Scalzi or Jim Butcher. *Tips hat and walks out the door heading for the kitchen*

Tuesday Insights: Dealing With The Past

    It's been an interesting week so far. It has left me perplexed on some women, well more like two who happen to be my exs. Each says I cheated on them with the other. Now the problem with that is before being with either of them at any time I was broken up with the other one. But they act like it doesn't matter like they still owned me somehow. It's enough to drive a man crazy after hearing it for so many years. And whenever I argue back they say it is something to do with feelings or to never mind they don't want to fight.

    And honestly I'm trying not to rant but it just happened again last night. Which leaves me stuck wondering when they will realize they are wrong or drop it at the very least. It's only been going on for about 15 years now. You'd think they'd have moved past this argument by now. And I keep getting cast as the bad guy when I did nothing wrong. Well I mean breaking up with a girl sucks but I had my reasons. At least I think it was me who did the breaking up, it could have been her that time.

    But still I hate those arguments of I didn't mean it or I was just mad. We all do a lot of stupid shit when we are mad and we can't take it back after. We can apologize for it and ask to be forgiven and try to go back to how things were but we can't take it back. And sometimes things have changed as a result of our actions. But somehow I'm supposed to be a mind reader or fortune teller and know what is going to happen for sure in the future.

    That is like me for one killing someone and going before a judge and going sorry your Honor I didn't mean it I was just mad. The Judge would throw the fucking book at me. Or two me going before the judge and saying sorry your Honor but he was on his way to murder someone I saw it in a vision. The Judge would throw me in a Mental Hospital and throw away the key most likely.

    Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one with crazy people in my life that argue with me like this. Tell me in the comments if you have ever had people argue with you in a similar manner. This rant brought to your courtesy of my exs. *Tips hat and walks out the door still fuming and ranting.*

Monday Review: The Undead Pool

    I know, I know it's the dreaded Monday already returned, but fear not I have a Monday Review for you. Today I'll be reviewing The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison for you. It is the second to last book in her series The Hollows but don't let that discourage you. It is still a wonderful read and for fans of the series even more so as we finally get some of the results we've wanted from the series lately. Kim Harrison does a great job of bringing the series to the edge of completion here without actually finishing it off in this book.

    The characters evolve wonderfully here growing in leaps and bounds. Some in ways you wouldn't have imagined at the beginning of the series. It gives one a warm feeling to see them like this. It is like seeing kids grow into adults almost and seeing them just before they become adults.

    The plot is suspenseful as well with twists and turns. Kim Harrison always leaves her readers wondering how she is going to top the last book. And she does not disappoint here either. I still have no clue how she will top this one. OK so I told a white lie, I do know how the next one starts out, but that will have to wait till I review that one. This one is surrounded with the Elves deity The Goddess seemingly letting loose with her mystics through Rachel's tear in the Ever After. But all is not as it appears to be.

    This novel changes some of Cincinnati's environment thanks to the mystics though we will have to see if that carries over into the next book. In some of the chapters it was apocalyptical. But the setting didn't overshadow the plot or characters, which is a tricky balancing act to pull off for any novel. Especially one trying to wrap up a series without concluding it all together.

    Kim Harrison once again presents us with a masterpiece, even going beyond her normal standards to presents us with something that leaves us wondering how she will conclude the series. She brings us to the edge of our seats and lets us sit back at the end, but leaves us asking what the last chapter is in this epic tale. I give The Undead Pool five stars out of five stars. *Tips hat and walks out the door holding a book under his arm."

Sunday Reflections: It’s Been An Alright Week

    So this will be a here and there column on the blog, since Sundays are optionally off for the blog. But I was feeling chatty about the week today so I figured why not write something for the blog. It hasn't been a bad week, just an alright week for me overall. I'm still perfecting my work habits and so far not making much progress but hopefully that will start to change soon.

    Just a matter of implementing the changes slowly is all, and planning to start that on Monday. Hopefully I will be fully feeling better by then. Don't get me wrong I'm feeling better now just not 100%. I'm glad I was able to get so much writing done on the blog this week. Though I did get little else done for writing. But that should change next week as well. I'm starting to fall into a sort of routine of my own as I go, but it still has to develop consistency.

    But like any work in progress it takes time. I got to hang out with friends online which was fun this week. Even getting to talk to friends I hadn't talked to in a while. Some longer than others, but it was still good. I even did a little karaoke on Saturday night, which was fun even as I was coming down from trying to be peppy that day.

    But looking forward as I look back I have some goals for next week. One of which is to do more of my writing at the desk. I also want to do more of my reading in the reading chair. Plus I want to try and find more of a balance between working on the blog and my other writings. I'd also like to try and do more newspaper and magazine reading in the morning when I'm drinking my coffee first thing. As well as continue working on my cleaning skills while working on all of these things. I have gotten a little better at checking the mail, with checking it every day around the same time for the most part.

    Things are changing and I'm adapting to change and meeting new people and making new connections. Things are in the works still but those things are going to take time. So bear with me all will be revealed in due time. As things develop you'll know about them as soon as I can reveal them. As always I'm grateful to all of you for sticking with me. Tune in tomorrow at an earlier time for Monday Review. *Tips hat and walks out the door thinking to himself.*

Saturday Thoughts: My Dream House

    So it's Valentine's Day and I'm not doing anything special for most of the day. Though getting together with friends later tonight. I did allude to talking about my dream house in a future blog post, and here it is. With some ramblings as well as with any Saturday Thoughts Column. Also note there will be a Monday Review on Monday. I'm trying to make the blog run all week with an optional break on Sundays. I have a few ideas for next week, but we'll see how those pan out.
    Today we are talking about what I would do with my first dream house. I plan to have a few over my lifetime depending on how big I can get in the publishing world, so there will be other discussions on this I'm sure. But with the first one it would have a finished basement as well as an elevator through the whole house since I hate stairs. And I'd be sharing it with at least my friend, Tim, who I consider a brother. It would be a three storied house counting the basement as a story. Not sure on the spelling there but bear with me on it. I'd have solar panels for electricity and hot water on it as well. Along with maybe a small windmill outside that looked nice. Plus siding if they made it in a color me and Tim could agree on. And I'd make sure it was insulated as well, since it gets really cold in winter up here in Maine. Plus I would look into Geothermal heating and cooling for the house. If you hadn't guessed by now I want the house to be as environmentally friendly as possible but I would also have a wood stove in the house as well. It would probably be in a section of the basement since I want the basement to be really large.
    The reason for the wood stove is back up in case of total power failure which is doubtful, but it pays to be prepared. That would take up a third of the basement, and Tim is not sure what he would do with his third of the basement yet. In my third of the basement would be my office. And all three would intersect at an elevator going through the whole house as I mentioned earlier. In my office would be wall to wall bookshelves looking like they were built into the walls. With various decorations on them in front of the books and pictures above them. As well as my desk over in one corner snug as a bug in a rug. Definitely more organized than it is currently. But still with decorations on it. Ready for use as always. I'd bring my laptop down to it every morning after coffee. As well as my kindle. My reading chair would be in a corner near one of the windows for plenty of light with the foot rest. Unless I got a recliner instead for the office. There would be a fold out table and fold out cushioned chairs for when friends came over on game night. It would be a nice big table with plenty of chairs for however many people came over. Though never more than could fit in the elevator with me.
    The elevator would ideally come out between the kitchen and living room. In the kitchen it would be all stainless steel with a wood breakfast bar attached. The kitchen would be all stainless steel for easy cleaning and a show of professionalism with our cooking. We'd use the latest in cooking technology that fit us. The stove would be one of those smooth top cooking surfaces that you can wipe down easily. No sense having something that can have food get dropped down into it. All the dishes would also be dishwasher safe since we would have a dishwasher since I absolutely hate doing dishes, and I doubt Tim would want to do them all the time. There would be plenty of counter space and a built in slot for a microwave up above. On the counter would go a coffee maker first and foremost. Followed by a toaster, deep fryer, and crockpot.
    Then straight across from the kitchen would be the dining room with an oak table able to fold out bigger when company was over for meals. Plus wooden chairs with rigid backs for back support. The floors here would be hardwood unlike the tiled kitchen floors. There would be candles on the table and a chandelier above it would be lights for lighting at night. There would be paintings and photos on the walls and maybe a nick knack cabinet as well.
    From the dining room you could head towards the kitchen and take a left and head down the hall finding on the right the bathroom with a shower and toilet nothing really fancy. On the left would be the guest room with a Queen Bed and large dresser along with nightstand on either side of the bed and a desk to work at, all made from wood.
    Heading straight back past the dining room and kitchen you would find yourself in the living room next to the door to the garage. There would be a fireplace in the living room right next to the garage and a leather couch facing it that wrapped around to under the window. With a leather recliner next to the door. Next to the fireplace in the corner would be a television with various video game systems hooked up to it.
    Then heading back on to the elevator would bring you up to the top floor where Tim's office and bedroom are as well as my bedroom and another guest bedroom. The guest bedroom would be laid out like the one downstairs primarily. And Tim is still making decisions on his bedroom and office. My room would have a dresser in the walk in closet with clothes hanging on the other side of it. A Queen Bed facing the window so I could watch the stars at night and be woken up by the sun in the morning. Hanging on the walls would be the most personal pictures to me. There would be a nightstand next to the bed as well as a stand next to the bed for the laptop. And an empty nightstand on the other side of the bed for when that special someone comes into my life. Plus room for wherever she wanted to put her dresser.
    Well that is my house ideally as I picture it, and hopefully I will get most of it when I make enough money to buy a house someday. It's a long way of it seems but working on it. I'll get there I know I will. *Tips hat and walks out the door humming to himself.*

Story Time Friday: Johnny’s Everyday Adult Life

    This week's Story Time Friday Prompt is again a request from my counselor. She wants to know what Johnny's daily adult life would be like since he had the ideal parents. So for the first time ever on Story Time Friday we will have a sequel to a story. This should prove interesting in my eyes. So without further ado on with the show.

Prompt: What would Johnny's daily adult life be like after having the ideal parents growing up?

The Ideal Adult Life For A Writer Hopefully

    Johnny had been privileged growing up in that sense that he had had the ideal parents that any kid could have wished for. Now he was a college graduate and his parents expected him to go out on his own. Johnny was admittedly nervous, but his parents were there to guide him through it all. They helped him find a good paying job as an editor that allowed him time to write as well, so that he could pursue his dream of being an author while making a living for himself.

    Then after he had saved up enough they helped him get an apartment showing him what he needed to do. Which made it less intimidating for him. He got a nice but affordable place that let him have one separate space for working and one for sleeping. His parents also supplied him with some additional furniture to help fill out the place. Johnny liked it as a good start but knew it would morph over time as he personalized it. As well as made it the perfect work and company space and the same thought went through his head about the sleeping space.

    Johnny's routine changed a bit but not much with the new place. He got up early for work and got dressed though instead of school clothes it was now always in a suit. Then he would hop in the car his parents had helped him get when he was younger and drive to work, stopping along the way for a cup of coffee. Johnny was always right on time or a little early to work, and he would chat with coworkers as he came into work.

    Since it was still early in the morning he would look through the incoming manuscripts and see if there was anything that should be passed on up to his superiors to look at. Then as it got later into the morning he would check in with authors he had manuscripts out with and see if they had any questions or concerns. After that it was down to working on making edits to manuscripts he had on his desk that needed editing. He'd field calls and emails as they came in on his laptop and phone as the day went on. But overall he just worked on editing throughout the day, which ended around 5 PM.

    Usually there was nothing going on after work so he just packed up his laptop and headed home from work. Johnny would get home around 5:30 or 6 PM depending on traffic and flip on the news as he set his laptop up at his desk. Johnny would then grab a cup of juice as he looked at the empty spot on the counter where he was planning to put the coffee maker soon.

    Johnny then went back to his laptop that was booting up and got everything opened up that he needed for the night. Opening an email from the boss that said he had done a great job and could work from home tomorrow. Which was great for Johnny since it had been pay day that day. It would allow him to get some extra time for errands though he would still put in the time for work as always. Next Johnny went through his recipe notebook on his laptop to see what he wanted to make for dinner that night.

    Knowing he had a little extra time to sleep in the next day Johnny decided on a stew in the crockpot he had gotten from his mother. He pulled out the stew meat from the freezer and put it in some warm water. Then went to work chopping up the vegetables and herbs for the stew. He set them aside and went back to the computer to check his personal email while he waited for the stew meat to thaw out.

    He combed through the emails and deleted the junk keeping only those emails that were good or interested him and weren't in the junk mail folder. Before doing anything further Johnny checked on the stew meat, noting that it only needed a little longer before it was thawed enough for cooking. So he decided to read his email and then start cooking. The email gave Johnny some laughs and smiles as well as some news on favorite authors of his. Plus it let him get some free books for the kindle he had from his senior year in college.

    After email had been taken care of Johnny put the stew meat and vegetables as well as some water and the herbs into the crockpot and set it on high since he was hungry. Normally he would be willing to wait six hours for a stew to slow cook, but tonight he was in a bit of a rush to eat. Then he turned his attention back to the laptop and signed into Facebook. He took care of his notification on his page and his author page. Then started chatting with friends near and far seeing how their day had been.

    He chatted for a couple of hours pausing now and then to stir the stew. Working on his writing in between messages as he did so after the first half hour. He got a good thousand words or so in on one project that night. As the second hour came to a head he checked on the stew and could tell that it was done. So he used a gravy master packed and some corn starch to thicken it up before serving it up. He sat at a card table that served as his dining room table of sorts to eat dinner. Johnny was indeed hungry that need eating half the crockpot of stew before being full.

    He set the stew on a very low setting to keep it warm but not dry it out. Then put the dishes in the sink to soak for a half hour while he went back to working on the laptop. He checked his work email for anything urgent before going back to his writing. He checked his to do list and saw he was right on target for the day. Then made a note in his schedule to visit the local gaming store on Saturday, which was his day off.

    As he finished a paragraph he check on the soaking dishes, and seeing that they had soaked enough washed them. Since there were only a few he dried them as well and put them away. Until around 9 PM he works on his writing and chatting with friends then saves his work and closes it. Next up is his Wii time so that he gets a little exercise in. Tonight he is in an RPG mood, so goes for one of those games. Within a half hour he is starting to feel the burn from all the hacking and slashing.

    Finally at 10 PM he has no more left to give to the game and has to save and quit. He checks over Facebook one more time and then says goodnight to his friends before heading to the bathroom and drawing a nice hot bath. He soaks for most of an hour before cleaning up. After a nice long bath he heads for his bedroom changing into clean clothes for night time. Then he pulls out his Kindle and makes the updates he has to before choosing a book to read that night. Before he starts reading he takes his night time meds and then starts reading.

    As his eyes get heavy as he is reading he knows it is time for sleep. So he puts the Kindle on the charger, and turns the light off. And after a long day Johnny closes his eyes drifting off to sleep.