Monday Beginnings: Some Things Accomplished And Some Things Having To Wait

    Well I haven't finished the book I was hoping to finish by this morning, but it will get finished in due time. And I think this is the earliest I have ever started a blog post in a long time if not ever. I got my workspaces switched around yesterday, though as far as moving furniture around that will have to wait till sometime in June. Just because I have tom replace my bedframe before I can move it. But it will be happening once I map it out and replace the bedframe.

    I've also got my exercise schedule set up for the week and looking forward to it. Especially since I have found a routine that works for me and is motivating for me to do. Now if I could just do something about this insomnia. It keeps rearing its ugly head and keeping me up. I might not get any sleep today, but if not that's ok. I'll just wait till tonight. Just means more coffee drinking for the rest of the day possibly.

    I've also got plans to work on breaking through my writer's block today. Part of it has to do with reorganizing my desk this morning to get me better in the mindset of being constructive. Plus I'll be doing some reading in my writing books today as well. And I've got some prompts to work on as well. I'm feeling confident that today I'll break through the writer's block.

    I've also got school work to work on besides reading. I've got a short discussion to write into. Plus I have revisions on a story to work on as well. Plus I have some reading to catch up on that I have gotten behind on, but I'm sure I can catch up on it before term is out.

    On top of all that I have a book club meeting to prepare for by going through the book, and highlighting passages in the book. Plus I have to finish off the last shelf of my bookshelf as far as reorganizing goes. Plus I'll be folding laundry this morning at some point. And at the same time I'm doing this I will be catching up on my podcasts that I have fallen behind in over the past week.

    And as dawn approaches I find myself needing coffee as you probably are drinking some yourself. Feel free to leave comments on how you are starting off your week below. On to homework and coffee. *Tips his hat and walks out the door headed for the kitchen and the coffee maker.*

Sunday Reflections: Taking Stock On Life

    So it's Sunday and I figured this would be a good day to take stock on my life since I'm making big changes to my life. As well as possibly my office soon. And yes I know I'm still young at only 33, but it's good to take stock on life from time to time. Especially since I'm getting ready to get back in the game more than I have been in a while. Though I have done some things in the past year or so to be part of life.

    The only question is where to start in my act of taking stock. I suppose with the fact that I got my GED to graduate high school early since they were giving me the short end of the stick making it so I just didn't want to be there. Unlike the school I had been at before where I wanted to be there more than at home. Of course I also wasn't in the best place mentally either. Then I got hit with epilepsy.

    So I was stuck in a limbo on disability for years. Then I got married (Still have to get the divorce papers done.) and had a son. Unfortunately his mom messed up and the state took him using my disability against me. Though not without a fight. And fight like hell I did. I still miss him to this day, but I only have 9 more years to wait till I get to see him again and I count down to that day in the back of my mind.

    I've finally gotten well enough to go back to school, and I'm in the process of pursuing a BA in Creative Writing. And that is going pretty well since I'm still on the path to graduating with honors. And all along my journey in life I've made a lot of friends that support me. I've even been published in an anthology making me a published author. Plus me and my dad have started working on repairing our relationship. And me and my mom are working on getting along better as she is entering a new phase of her life. And I'm trying to get a relationship started though that might not happen.

    So you'd think I would be happy and content for now, right? Truth be told, I want more. I want a relationship. I want a book with just my name on it. I want to be successful in everything I'm aiming to have happen. I want fame and money and power. I want it all. And I'm still aiming to get it. It just takes time and I'm patient. As well as driven.

    And for now I'm happy with what I have. But I have my eye on the future as well. I'll keep going till the day they put me in the ground as a tree. Yes I plan to be buried as a tree with a headstone in front of it. Have to give back to Mother Earth what she gives to you after all. And seeing the major plot points of my life laid out like this makes me feel like I'm missing something like there should be more. Maybe it is just me being over ambitious.

    But before I wrap this up let me tell you what we have on tap for next week. Monday will be more of me rambling unless I happen to finish a book tonight. Tuesday we have an essay, which as usual I have not settled on the prompt yet. Wednesday we are taking a break from authors and talking about books that impacted me along my reading voyage. Thursday will be memories of routine this week. I'm still working on the prompt but Friday will have a story as usual. And Saturday will be thoughts from the week so it could be anything.

    Hopefully you enjoyed examining my life in the macro with me. Feel free to leave comments if you think of anything I missed or just things you want me to think about in general. My library is calling to be reorganized so I better get going to do that. *Tips his hat and walks out the door headed for the library.*

Saturday Thoughts: Just Random Thoughts This Week

    So we've come to the end of the week once more. Not sure what to be thinking at the end of this week really nothing has really set me off. So there should be no ranting with this blog entry. No guarantees though. It's been a pretty good week though. With some changes and new practices happening that might shock some people.

    For instances I actually worked out a couple times this week. Shocker I know, and a bigger shocker is I'm planning to work out more next week. I'm using Tae Bo through YouTube. Haven't been able to get through a whole workout yet but working on it slowly but surely. I feel better after the workouts but also a little down, because it shows me how out of shape I've gotten. But I know I will get back there eventually. It's just going to take some time to get there. Since it took me time to get to where I am now.

    I've been working more at the desk lately and even as I take a break from it today I kind of miss it. I think I will start back tomorrow and that I might be rearranging my work space to better facilitate it. Still mulling it over as I write this though, but it is definitely in my thought process. I still want to be mobile though so that has to be a factor into it as well. But I think I can make it work.

    I think as I adjust to my new studying and working environment my writing will pick up since it has been ailing recently. Not sure why it just has been. Hopefully I will get some writing in tonight. Been mainly on a reading kick lately, not sure why that is though. Not a bad thing just how I've been feeling, and it does help me towards my goal of 52 books in a year.

    On top of all that might be rearranging the office completely in the near future still waiting for some options to be drawn out by a friend of mine so I can see if it is possible. Either way I have to get on top of reordering my bookshelves this week since I have new books needing placing on the shelves. Have to do that before I rearrange my work area. But before that have to file some papers.

    Sorry thinking out loud a bit, and at the same time rambling. I think I might take stock on life tomorrow in the blog if I can get started early enough. So stay tuned for that. Leave comments below on what you think of some of the changes going on and being considered. For now I need to plan out dinner. *Tips his hat and walks out the door headed for the kitchen.*

Story Time Friday: The Vacancy

    So I'm starting in the morning for the first time in a long time. It's a miracle some might say lol. More like I had an appointment and it got cancelled but I couldn't go back to bed. For some weird reason I was wide awake after just five hours of sleep. I know weird for me, and I'll probably end up taking a nap later because of it. But for right now I'm feeling pretty good even as I'm waiting on coffee. And on tap today we have a tale about a vacancy in a weird location of sorts. So without further ado on with the show.
Prompt:

The Vacancy

    Bruno had been walking through the hills for what seemed like forever when he saw what appeared to be a giant treehouse with a vacancy sign over it on the other side of a long wooden bridge. He thought he had to be hallucinating from walking so long, but he figured what did he have to lose he needed rest badly. And this seemed as good a chance as he was going to find with rain starting to fall as any.
    So Bruno started across the wooden bridge hesitantly at first and then more boldly once he was sure it was real. Finally he came to start before the ladder to the tree house. He figured since the bridge was real this must be as well, so he started climbing without hesitation. It was a fairly tall and sturdy tree as was needed for such a big tree house, so the climb was a long one for Bruno.
    At the top Bruno took a few minutes to catch his breath before knocking on the front door of the treehouse, which creaked open in response. This unnerved Bruno a bit, but he was not about to be scared off by a door obviously in need of repair. So he walked in being cautious just in case.
    "Hello?" he called out as he walked further into the treehouse.
    He got no response other than a breeze blowing through the open door behind him. He closed the door after jumping a bit before realizing where the breeze had come from. Then admonished himself for being so jumpy. Though he was so busy admonishing himself that he never heard the front door lock click, locking him inside.
    Bruno searched the downstairs for signs of anyone but found nothing not even any signs of supplies at all. He even kept stepping in piles of white goo that he wasn't sure what was other than something not too pleasant. So without thinking Bruno started searching higher and higher into the treehouse. All he kept finding were giant bats it seemed to him hanging in the ceiling. He figured they must be some sort of fruit bat or something so he paid them no mind. After searching endlessly and finding no one it was getting dark so Bruno dragged a mattress to the entrance way and decided to sleep there in cases someone showed up.
    It was then he heard the loud screech that told him those bats were not fruit bats but vampire bats. He knew then that he was in trouble. He ran for the front door and tried it only to find it locked shut tight. He tried the windows only to discover that they had bars on them that blended in with the treehouse. It was then that he realized the vacancy sign was bait to lure in victims to this kill box trap for the bats. If they were in fact bats. The last thing Bruno saw before everything went black was a huge swarm as if it was one living breathing thing coming towards him from up above. He let out a shriek and then everything went black and that was the last that was ever heard of Bruno.

The End

    Hopefully you enjoyed my little tale tonight. Please leave comments below letting me know what you thought. In the meantime I'm headed off to dinner as usual and maybe a little rum tonight. *Tips his hat and walks out the door wondering where the rum is.*

Throwback Thursday: Easter Growing Up

    I keep trying to get up in the morning and do these, but that is not happening lately. Though I'm getting them out fairly early in the evening still or at least starting on them at that time. It will get out earlier eventually it just takes time. So bear with me folks as I try to fix this mess of a sleeping pattern I have. As for today, it's Thursday which means a walk down memory lane with me. Today it will be about Easter over the years. I meant to get this out closer to Easter itself but it got messed up a bit. But then again no holiday is ever perfect now is it.

    As a kid growing up I had already learned my lesson about waiting for everyone to be up before opening anything at my grandparents' house from Christmas the previous year as early as I can remember. It was always a duck or chicken basket not sure which, but it was filled with chocolate treats and toys. Then it would be time to go hunting throughout the house for plastic colored eggs filled with candy since I didn't like hard boiled eggs. I was usually pretty good at finding the eggs though now and then I needed a little prodding in the right direction. Afterwards I was allowed to pig out a bit on my candy, which was a rare thing around my grandparents' house. Plus I would play around with the toys I had gotten in my Easter Basket and the basket itself.

    While I was playing my grandmother would be in the kitchen working on Easter Dinner, which was always more than we could all eat. She always has cooked for an army. We always had turkey around the holidays though I think we had ham once or twice. And making a big meal on a Sunday was nothing new for my grandmother since she did it every Sunday for around lunchtime, though on Easter there were sometimes more people than normal.

    It was a bit different when I was at my mother's house for Easter. I could open everything when I got up without waiting for everyone to wake up without getting yelled at. Though there weren't any eggs to find normally just an Easter Basket of goodies. Which always included a chocolate bunny.

    Plus with every holiday wherever I was I usually got a book. And even when I got back to my grandparents' house from my mom's house I still got an Easter Basket and vice versa. Dinner at mom's house for Easter though usually consisted of what is more thought of as the tradition ham dinner for Easter.

    With either place I was at I never did go to church for Easter though I did see parades and church services on the television. Though I've been to church on other Sundays as a little kid. So the television was never quite the same, but I knew what all the celebration in the ministries was about.

    But tell me about your Easter Celebrations in the comments below. I'd like to see how similar or different they are from my experiences. For now I'm late to dinner and hopefully it's not getting cold. Plus I have to round up the rest of my dinner guests who I've kept waiting. *Tips his hat and walks out the door to go tend to his dinner guests.*

Wednesday In The Library: John Scalzi

So I'm in between early and late today not sure if that makes me on time or not but it makes me something. Insomnia has been kicking my butt this week, but I've been working with it sort of. Still haven't gotten any writing outside of school work and the blog done yet this week, but hopefully that might change today since I almost have one school assignment done for the week. And early at that, now that is a shocker for some people. And this might be a short blog since I'm exercising in an hour or so. So I have to rush a bit.
    Today in the library we are talking about author John Scalzi. He is famous for his Old Man's War Series. Which is how I discovered him myself and he has written several other books including The Red Shirt Diaries. I haven't read that one yet but keep meaning to get around to it. I'm right now hooked on his Old Man's War Series as it keeps progressing and getting more and more intense.
    It's like a galactic soap opera in some ways to me, but on a much larger scale. There is always some new threat to humanity or the universe. And it keeps you gripped at the edge of your seats as it unfolds. You empathize with some of the characters and others you just want to smack upside the head. Some even appear comical in some senses. But it is a great read.
    And his interviews are great too. He is friendly and at the same time a smart ass and tells it like it is. He never ducks a question or tries to avoid it at all. He tackles them all head on. He was a blog writer before he even started writing novels. He even has a novel of all his blogs as well I believe.
    As always I welcome you to check out John Scalzi especially his Old Man's War Series. I'm sure you will enjoy it especially if you like Science Fiction. For now I have to get ready for Zumba so enjoy the library feel free to browse around at your leisure. And leave comments below if you want. *Tips his hat and walks out the door to get ready for Zumba.*

Tuesday Insights: Soundtrack Of My Life

    So for the first time in a long time I'm on time sort of. Or at least starting the blog on time. Despite insomnia last night where I was reading for a good few hours and listening to music for a while after that. I was even dancing in my bed at one point. At some point I need to make some coffee while writing this as well. But today we are talking about music and my life. The prompt asks for the theme song of my life, but I'm amending it to be the soundtrack of my life since I feel like it is too much to ask one song to sum up a life. So without further ado on with the show.
Prompt:

The Soundtrack Of My Life

    When you look back over life there are a multitude of songs that can fit into your life at any given time. Mine is no exception to that rule either. There have been ups and downs in my life and each of them can be captured in a song. From when I tried to drink myself to death, which could best be summed up in my opinion by Gun' N' Roses song Knocking On Heaven's Door. To my mid-teens which are best summed up by two songs. During the happy time it would be Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer and when heartbreak hit it would be Poison's Every Rose Has It's Thorns.

    In my twenties it was ACDC's Back In Black and Hell's Bells as well as Highway To Hell. I was just out of control for the most part. And towards the middle to the end of my twenties it settled down to Guns 'N' Roses' Sweet Child 'O Mine. As well as their song November Rain. As love and responsibility leveled onto my shoulders and I felt it. At the end of my twenties which were filled with heartbreak and lost it would be the song Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton.
    Coming into my thirties I would be filled with renewed hope and energy as well as might have partied a little to shake away the sadness. Which changed the tune to One Wild Night by Bon Jovi. Then it went to It's My Life by Bon Jovi. As for what the next song will be in my life's soundtrack that is still being decided as we speak. But whatever it is will probably be a rock song though there is a rap song that is edging its way into the mix as we speak. What songs make up the soundtrack to your life?
    Hopefully you are rocking you to your own soundtrack to life as we speak. Me I'm getting ready to eat dinner. So I better head for the kitchen soon. *Tips hat and walks out the door headed for the kitchen.*