I don't know if this is going to work or not but I'm going to give it a shot. I am trying this new app by dragon dictation for the iPod touch, and I have to enuciate my words more than I usually do. I am also saying the exclamation marks and punctuation marks in order to make sure that it's formatted correctly, otherwise I will have to go back and edit it manually.
Well, I guess that is working pretty well. I just had to go back and change a few words, and I suppose that's not too bad of a way to go.
So work has been going pretty well, despite the fact that I have to learn quite a few new things that rattle my brain quite a bit. My new job has to do with databases and queries and Microsoft Access, a lot of new concepts that I'm not familiar with. But over all, I think it's going quite well.
I'm getting quite psyched about Disneyland, especially after my coworker at work loaned me a Disney vacation planning DVD. There's really not so much new information on there, but it was the first time that my kids have seen anything about Disneyland. I think I'm the most excited about just taking some time off, and having some nice weather for change. Not that the weather in Washington has been so bad, since we had a pretty light winter.
One of the things I have been enjoying lately is the new This American Life App, that's put out by the WBEX. I enjoyed the weekly podcast quite a bit, although if you missed one of two weeks and it doesn't archive on the RSS feed. It only features the latest week's installment so this app allows me to access the archive for free basically, except it has to stream. This App also has a bunch of bonus episodes from the TV show that isn't readily available, so it's quite a bonus. If you never heard about this American life, be sure to check it out.
Well I suppose this app has to have some kind of threshold, because after a while it stops recording in order to keep the messages short. I suppose that in the grand scheme of things, It's not a bad thing.
I'm just a test that out right now and see if it records my conversation in the normal speed instead of having to talk a lot slower than I usually do.
I have a strong suspicion that my dog is actually a Brazilian Terrier, which is quite a departure from the previous assessment that it is a rat terrier. This is quite a revelation considering that we were never quite sure what breed Daisy really was.
I think this will be a good time to stop, since I'm not quite sure how much editing I will have to do with this entry. I did think about starting a podcast, maybe a voice podcasts for my blog entry. However, I don't think anyone would ever listen to it so it might be a complete waste my time. So I'm a try this for now , and see how it goes.
----—
I guess when I dictate my blogs, the stories seem more random than usual. Maybe I'll learn to relax more in time.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Hmm
I wouldn't call it my new job per se, I'm simply working in a different position in the company but still paid the same. In a lot of ways, I'm like an intern of sorts that's training to know all these things but there's a chance that it's all for naught. But so far, it's been a steep learning curve comprising of new programs, new concepts, just new everything. On one hand, my old boss is loaning me out on a week by week basis, while meanwhile my new boss is having my own computer installed in my own cubicle. Weird. The biggest plus in this whole adventure is that the hours are awesome. No more 10 hours days of waking up at 4:30am and going to bed by 9:30pm, instead it's a 6:00am wakeup time and a almost 11pm bedtime, which makes me very happy. Granted I did lose my Fridays off, but I do feel more like a regular human being with normal operating hours. Instead of feeling like a human am/pm. It's difficult to say much about the job since nobody has really solidified any decisions, but it's a nice progression. I could get used to this. Another upside is that I get to see the kids in the morning, which is kinda nice even if I'm not terribly talkative at the table. It at least is an attempt in normalcy.
Well, the gauntlet is thrown and the plans are made and hotels are booked. We are going to Disneyland in the spring. After some frustration and
money crunching, I decided that flying wasn't really a great option since it would've bumped up the bottom line quite a bit. About a grand, actually. So we are driving to Anaheim, with a stopover at Redding, CA, whose only distinction is being the middle of our driving route. But we are taking it fairly easy, with four full days set aside for commuting and five full days at Disneyland. The last time we were there was when Jael was 12 or so, so it was about ten years ago. California Adventure was still under construction and not even open yet. We are looking forward to it all even if we are likely to skip many of the crazier rides.
This afternoon I was shown my cubicle and I got pretty pysched. I don't know how long I'll be there, but now I have my own computer, my own extension, and a voice mail which says my name. Special!
Well, gotta get up. Elaine is making me motionsick with her shaking on the couch.
Well, the gauntlet is thrown and the plans are made and hotels are booked. We are going to Disneyland in the spring. After some frustration and
money crunching, I decided that flying wasn't really a great option since it would've bumped up the bottom line quite a bit. About a grand, actually. So we are driving to Anaheim, with a stopover at Redding, CA, whose only distinction is being the middle of our driving route. But we are taking it fairly easy, with four full days set aside for commuting and five full days at Disneyland. The last time we were there was when Jael was 12 or so, so it was about ten years ago. California Adventure was still under construction and not even open yet. We are looking forward to it all even if we are likely to skip many of the crazier rides.
This afternoon I was shown my cubicle and I got pretty pysched. I don't know how long I'll be there, but now I have my own computer, my own extension, and a voice mail which says my name. Special!
Well, gotta get up. Elaine is making me motionsick with her shaking on the couch.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Write On
I haven't sat down and cranked out any script since college - talk about quitting at the prime of my young career. Ever since there has been some writing activity here and there, but nothing overly ambitous or noteworthy. Well, after discovering the Creative Screenwriting podcast with Jeff Goldsmith, I've kinda fallen in love with the idea of writing screenplays again. Listening to their process, struggles, and their journeys have inspired me to maybe start putting something back on paper. Or in this case, thumb some words into the iPod. I purchased a screenwriting app for the iPod and it syncs with Final Draft, so now I have no excuse to not do it. Just to find the time and the inspiration to commit something to a draft. I actually have a couple solid ideas, like a kidnapping drama and also a lighter comedy with loose thematic ties to the afterlife. There's also the matter or revamping Cells, a three act play I wrote in college but most likely not. Anyway, I'm prepping my brain to take on screenwriting, so that may very well be my half assed new years resolution.
Also been catching up with movies, having just finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night. I have to say, I'm a semi casual fan of the series, but having watched the first film with the kids and then the latest one puts things into perspective. Seeing how a lot of the story links up, the characters grow up, and how one film ties in with the other is pretty amazing. I was even seeing things in the first film that foreshadows the later ones. That Rowling is a pretty smart one. I wouldn't venture so far as to reading the books per se, since I'm a illterate monkey with a short attention span.
Been working a whole bunch lately, but not even as much as my coworkers. I clocked in about 23 hours overtime last week but I believe my coworkers came closer to thirty. This coming week though, I might get quite a bit. That said, it's bedtime for me.
Also been catching up with movies, having just finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night. I have to say, I'm a semi casual fan of the series, but having watched the first film with the kids and then the latest one puts things into perspective. Seeing how a lot of the story links up, the characters grow up, and how one film ties in with the other is pretty amazing. I was even seeing things in the first film that foreshadows the later ones. That Rowling is a pretty smart one. I wouldn't venture so far as to reading the books per se, since I'm a illterate monkey with a short attention span.
Been working a whole bunch lately, but not even as much as my coworkers. I clocked in about 23 hours overtime last week but I believe my coworkers came closer to thirty. This coming week though, I might get quite a bit. That said, it's bedtime for me.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Travelogue
People pack their best when they're on vacation, and for some reason I decided that Oregon should see me as a human potato. Or a really confused Desert Storm deserter. I was rocking the beige top and pants. No one really commented on it, I just caught a reflection and was instantly appalled. Then I danced around like a hot potato for effect.
---
Travelling with a dog is somewhat challenging, especially when the hotel doesn't allow you to crate the dog by itself. She spent most of the vacation in the car, so I felt a little bad for her, but at least she got to see Oregon. Wilbur is crazy jealous, from what I gathered from his expressionless face. Daisy spent all the commuting times on Elaine's lap, kneading her thighs and shedding all over my poor wife. If she had any more fur on her, PETA would've picketed my wife. Daisy also got herself riled up over other dogs, cats, and bold red Oregon squirrels, and decided to take it out on her leash. Her retractable fifteen dollar leash. Damn dog.
---
We never visit friends and relatives in other states because we usually don't have any, but in this rare case we had an opportunity to visit Bev, who is my wife's ex mother in law. It's not as awkward as it sounds, since she's a pretty nice lady. Easy to chat with, very warm, very grandmotherly even though my kids have no blood relation to her at all. I'm glad we got to see her, even if it meant an hour of driving through hellish, rainy traffic.
I also got to see my cousin in Oregon, and meet her husband Patrick. I haven't seen her since Alex was less than a year, so yeah, it's been a while. We had dim sum and I ordered like a maniac with the full intention of picking up the bill, so when they did I felt a little bad because their palate was on par with Elaine's, which is to say they were willing to try new things, but they usually stuck with what they liked. I wished to spend more time with them since it's not often I get to spend time with peers who are related to me, but they had jobs and we had a timeline to adhere to in order to get home in time for kids bedtime. But still, it was a good visit.
---
A milestone I hoped to never reach was realized when I innocently went to the bathroom at the motel. What was to be a routine drop slowly unravelled into a horror show when my deposit failed to swirl into obilvion, instead swirling upward in a rising pool of unusual undigested byproduct. In a panick, I started bailing filth into the bathtub with Daisy's dog dish but it kept overflowing, because the stopper in the toilet bowl was also not working. I reached for the valve to shut off the water but instead cranked up the pressure, flooding the bathroom floor with some really bad soup. Finally I shut it off, and yelled for my wife to get a plunger from the front desk. The manager, who did not seem to understand that I had a reputation to uphold, sent in a housekeeper.
I avoided eye contact as she undoubtedly was emotionally scarred by cleaning up after me. We left the room promptly soon after with a tip to cover the cost of hand sanitizer.
---
The ironic thing about Science Centers are that the kids love to tinker with the physical props and ignore the actual Science. They don't care what propelled the empty soda bottle, they just want to make it go. Meanwhile, I'm trying to learn something I should already know, but because of the kids and their desire to hope from exhibit to exhibit, I find it easier to just ignore the words and play with the toys.
Perhaps the most eye catching exhibit aside of the giant submarine docked outside te Science Center is the pre-natal section, basically about childbirth and all that. In the middle of the floor is a section with an almost full circle enclosure which is black. And at eye level, there are glass displays of fetuses from early conception all the way to near full term. Surprising to me at least, was that all the fetuses, maybe thirty or more, were actual fetuses.
I suppose some people might raise a fuss about it, but i think I was rather glad that it exists. It's not like it caters to any morbid curiousity, it was done rather well.
---
The highlight of the Oregon zoo had to be one of these three things: The Zoolights, seeing the Bat exhibit, or watching a monkey pick anothers' posterior, insert residue in his mouth, and then spit it out. That was a lesson for many of us that day. The baby elephant was pretty cute too.
---
It was a claim that didn't seem true, more so when we were seeing it in person. The second tallest waterfall in the US. Didn't seem that tall. Reexamining the photo I took, it was actually the second tallest continuously running waterfall in the US. Tricky.
We tried hiking to the top of the waterfall, but it was quite a trek. Pretty cool though, even if I'm usually not the kind to enjoy nature much.
---
Irony is when your windshield wipers don't work and it's pouring down rain, and when you finally switch the left and right wipers, it stops raining for the rest of the vacation. The first Two days were like trying to wipe down windows during a downpour with a wet towel. I depended mostly on large shapes to drive.
---
When a large man approaches you at a gas stop in Oregon, he's not trying to rob you I found out. To cover my embarassment, I went inside and tried to pay for a full tank. That's when the attendant told me that he had to fill the tank first. I'm so cool.
---
It was a much needed trip really, it should hold till Disneyland in the spring.
---
Travelling with a dog is somewhat challenging, especially when the hotel doesn't allow you to crate the dog by itself. She spent most of the vacation in the car, so I felt a little bad for her, but at least she got to see Oregon. Wilbur is crazy jealous, from what I gathered from his expressionless face. Daisy spent all the commuting times on Elaine's lap, kneading her thighs and shedding all over my poor wife. If she had any more fur on her, PETA would've picketed my wife. Daisy also got herself riled up over other dogs, cats, and bold red Oregon squirrels, and decided to take it out on her leash. Her retractable fifteen dollar leash. Damn dog.
---
We never visit friends and relatives in other states because we usually don't have any, but in this rare case we had an opportunity to visit Bev, who is my wife's ex mother in law. It's not as awkward as it sounds, since she's a pretty nice lady. Easy to chat with, very warm, very grandmotherly even though my kids have no blood relation to her at all. I'm glad we got to see her, even if it meant an hour of driving through hellish, rainy traffic.
I also got to see my cousin in Oregon, and meet her husband Patrick. I haven't seen her since Alex was less than a year, so yeah, it's been a while. We had dim sum and I ordered like a maniac with the full intention of picking up the bill, so when they did I felt a little bad because their palate was on par with Elaine's, which is to say they were willing to try new things, but they usually stuck with what they liked. I wished to spend more time with them since it's not often I get to spend time with peers who are related to me, but they had jobs and we had a timeline to adhere to in order to get home in time for kids bedtime. But still, it was a good visit.
---
A milestone I hoped to never reach was realized when I innocently went to the bathroom at the motel. What was to be a routine drop slowly unravelled into a horror show when my deposit failed to swirl into obilvion, instead swirling upward in a rising pool of unusual undigested byproduct. In a panick, I started bailing filth into the bathtub with Daisy's dog dish but it kept overflowing, because the stopper in the toilet bowl was also not working. I reached for the valve to shut off the water but instead cranked up the pressure, flooding the bathroom floor with some really bad soup. Finally I shut it off, and yelled for my wife to get a plunger from the front desk. The manager, who did not seem to understand that I had a reputation to uphold, sent in a housekeeper.
I avoided eye contact as she undoubtedly was emotionally scarred by cleaning up after me. We left the room promptly soon after with a tip to cover the cost of hand sanitizer.
---
The ironic thing about Science Centers are that the kids love to tinker with the physical props and ignore the actual Science. They don't care what propelled the empty soda bottle, they just want to make it go. Meanwhile, I'm trying to learn something I should already know, but because of the kids and their desire to hope from exhibit to exhibit, I find it easier to just ignore the words and play with the toys.
Perhaps the most eye catching exhibit aside of the giant submarine docked outside te Science Center is the pre-natal section, basically about childbirth and all that. In the middle of the floor is a section with an almost full circle enclosure which is black. And at eye level, there are glass displays of fetuses from early conception all the way to near full term. Surprising to me at least, was that all the fetuses, maybe thirty or more, were actual fetuses.
I suppose some people might raise a fuss about it, but i think I was rather glad that it exists. It's not like it caters to any morbid curiousity, it was done rather well.
---
The highlight of the Oregon zoo had to be one of these three things: The Zoolights, seeing the Bat exhibit, or watching a monkey pick anothers' posterior, insert residue in his mouth, and then spit it out. That was a lesson for many of us that day. The baby elephant was pretty cute too.
---
It was a claim that didn't seem true, more so when we were seeing it in person. The second tallest waterfall in the US. Didn't seem that tall. Reexamining the photo I took, it was actually the second tallest continuously running waterfall in the US. Tricky.
We tried hiking to the top of the waterfall, but it was quite a trek. Pretty cool though, even if I'm usually not the kind to enjoy nature much.
---
Irony is when your windshield wipers don't work and it's pouring down rain, and when you finally switch the left and right wipers, it stops raining for the rest of the vacation. The first Two days were like trying to wipe down windows during a downpour with a wet towel. I depended mostly on large shapes to drive.
---
When a large man approaches you at a gas stop in Oregon, he's not trying to rob you I found out. To cover my embarassment, I went inside and tried to pay for a full tank. That's when the attendant told me that he had to fill the tank first. I'm so cool.
---
It was a much needed trip really, it should hold till Disneyland in the spring.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Post Xmas Fatigue
Yes, there is such a thing because I have it. After all the spending and visiting, I'm eager to get back to my boring ass life. The one filled with chilling out and being a complete dullard suits me just fine. I don't know, Christmas hath crossed the treshold from being a joyous holiday to being a chore of tolerance and wallet gutting. I enjoy spending my money on some people more than others - I guess that's a good way of putting that. Grinchy as it may be, I am happy that Christmas is one whole year ahead. Gives me more time to avoid it. Funny though, since my wife really enjoyed it this year round.
My glasses decided to self destruct last night, snapping on the top of the rim again. This is the third and final snap, having been welded back into place by a shop the last two times. Yes, the whole "spectacle" probably cost me about five hundred bucks, between the initial cost of the glasses and the two weld jobs. So I'm certainly sticking with contact lenses.
Because of some misinformation, I ended up keeping Metal Gear Solid for the PS3 and with a gift card and a sale, also ended up picking Ninja Gaiden and Fallout 3, which I gave up after renting it because it was becoming too much work. We will see if this time I develop more of a fondness for it. Anyway, all those should be keeping me busy for quite some time.
Well, I'm literally falling asleep in the midst of the kids bickering and yelling over Little Big Planet. Stopping here.
My glasses decided to self destruct last night, snapping on the top of the rim again. This is the third and final snap, having been welded back into place by a shop the last two times. Yes, the whole "spectacle" probably cost me about five hundred bucks, between the initial cost of the glasses and the two weld jobs. So I'm certainly sticking with contact lenses.
Because of some misinformation, I ended up keeping Metal Gear Solid for the PS3 and with a gift card and a sale, also ended up picking Ninja Gaiden and Fallout 3, which I gave up after renting it because it was becoming too much work. We will see if this time I develop more of a fondness for it. Anyway, all those should be keeping me busy for quite some time.
Well, I'm literally falling asleep in the midst of the kids bickering and yelling over Little Big Planet. Stopping here.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Waiting for Brown
As I wait for the UPS truck to arrive, I'm realizing that I haven't blogged in a while. And despite my total lack of interesting tidbits to share, I'm going to write anyway. Because I owe it to you.
Anyway, I am waiting for Hdmi cables, component cables and a HD indoor antenna to arrive from Monoprice.com. I've heard about them strictly from podcasts but they have been known chiefly for good prices and decent quality. Which pretty much sums me up, I'm decent quality. Nothing really impressive that will knock your pants off, but likely someone you wouldn't mind pointing to and refering to as "my acquaintance".
Work has been a little interesting lately, I've been requested and also assigned to help in other parts of the company, and it's been interesting. It's a mix between gratitude that I'm doing something different and slight boredom. Mostly because I'm taught enough to color by numbers, but not really knowing what picture I'm coloring or why I'm choosing those colors.
Bad analogies aside, I actually had to tell one side that I had a previous commitment with the other, and they could have me for half the day. The punchline to all of this, of course, is that I don't know what I'm doing. I'm way underqualified for the new position, but they're doing a grand thing and taking the time to explain everything to me. I wasn't offended that he mentioned that it would be two weeks before I could do anything productive - rather I saw that as a good thing. But we'll see how that goes.
I haven't had much time to enjoy the new tv, although it is noticeably more awesome than the last. Widescreen is my friend. Gaming on it is a ton of fun, though playing Burnout on it close to blew my brain apart. High speed and big screen equals mind blown. And hooking up my meager computer speakers to it just enhances the squishiness of mass chaos while playing Prototype.
Was slogging through the damp grass when I realized that this was Daisy's first winter. She was born in April, so she's still a puppy by definition.
Ok, I'm yawning from all this blogging. I'm out.
Anyway, I am waiting for Hdmi cables, component cables and a HD indoor antenna to arrive from Monoprice.com. I've heard about them strictly from podcasts but they have been known chiefly for good prices and decent quality. Which pretty much sums me up, I'm decent quality. Nothing really impressive that will knock your pants off, but likely someone you wouldn't mind pointing to and refering to as "my acquaintance".
Work has been a little interesting lately, I've been requested and also assigned to help in other parts of the company, and it's been interesting. It's a mix between gratitude that I'm doing something different and slight boredom. Mostly because I'm taught enough to color by numbers, but not really knowing what picture I'm coloring or why I'm choosing those colors.
Bad analogies aside, I actually had to tell one side that I had a previous commitment with the other, and they could have me for half the day. The punchline to all of this, of course, is that I don't know what I'm doing. I'm way underqualified for the new position, but they're doing a grand thing and taking the time to explain everything to me. I wasn't offended that he mentioned that it would be two weeks before I could do anything productive - rather I saw that as a good thing. But we'll see how that goes.
I haven't had much time to enjoy the new tv, although it is noticeably more awesome than the last. Widescreen is my friend. Gaming on it is a ton of fun, though playing Burnout on it close to blew my brain apart. High speed and big screen equals mind blown. And hooking up my meager computer speakers to it just enhances the squishiness of mass chaos while playing Prototype.
Was slogging through the damp grass when I realized that this was Daisy's first winter. She was born in April, so she's still a puppy by definition.
Ok, I'm yawning from all this blogging. I'm out.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Cloudy and cold
There isn't anything terribly important to note, just spending my day off listening to intermittent Christmas songs that plays between my regular songs on the iPod. We are watching our budget so staying home seems to be a pretty good solution, although it does drive Elaine up the wall. It doesn't bother me quite as much, because from Mon to Fri all I ever do is to work, and then linger with exhaustion until bedtime so I could do it all over again. Elaine took Zoe to World Market to window shop a bit, and I'm just hanging out at home with the boy. While he's playing Legos, I'm on the iPod tapping out a blog entry.
November came and went, and now it's weeks before Christmas and it's hard to fanthom. We are maybe seventy percent complete on our shopping, and for me only one more paycheck to go. Elaine and I are both exempt from gifts, since we both got our gifts early with the TV and the couch. We are cutting down on kids presents this year, being how their toys have such a short life cycle, we decided to instead save that money for a trip to Disneyland instead. Of course, none of that money is there anymore, but I suppose sometime in March or April we will go.
It is a little tough to think of myself as a college graduate, and everyday I go to work I get reminded of that everyday. I have to swallow chunks of my pride everyday, when people with less schooling running the show. I dunno, I'm having this mid-life crisis whereby I don't know what I want in life anymore. My ambitions got smaller and now it seems that my short term goal is to make it to the weekend, and my long term goal is to look forward to the next holiday. My imagination is stifled by stress, fatigue, and constant refereeing. In a lot of ways, I am content with the life I have, with a wife who loves me and sticks by me, two good kids, and a pretty good dog whose worse moments comes when she's bored. Hey, if I could chew on walls, there's no guarantee I wouldn't do it either. But in a lot of ways, I'm sad as well. I don't know what I'm contributing to my legacy. Even my wit and smartassery isn't documented, so it's not even like I could coast off that. I don't write anymore because I'm making excuses, and indepent filmmaking slips further from me. My equipment is old and falling apart, and my willingness to work with actors was lessened with the last project. I just don't know what I'm doing most of the time.
November came and went, and now it's weeks before Christmas and it's hard to fanthom. We are maybe seventy percent complete on our shopping, and for me only one more paycheck to go. Elaine and I are both exempt from gifts, since we both got our gifts early with the TV and the couch. We are cutting down on kids presents this year, being how their toys have such a short life cycle, we decided to instead save that money for a trip to Disneyland instead. Of course, none of that money is there anymore, but I suppose sometime in March or April we will go.
It is a little tough to think of myself as a college graduate, and everyday I go to work I get reminded of that everyday. I have to swallow chunks of my pride everyday, when people with less schooling running the show. I dunno, I'm having this mid-life crisis whereby I don't know what I want in life anymore. My ambitions got smaller and now it seems that my short term goal is to make it to the weekend, and my long term goal is to look forward to the next holiday. My imagination is stifled by stress, fatigue, and constant refereeing. In a lot of ways, I am content with the life I have, with a wife who loves me and sticks by me, two good kids, and a pretty good dog whose worse moments comes when she's bored. Hey, if I could chew on walls, there's no guarantee I wouldn't do it either. But in a lot of ways, I'm sad as well. I don't know what I'm contributing to my legacy. Even my wit and smartassery isn't documented, so it's not even like I could coast off that. I don't write anymore because I'm making excuses, and indepent filmmaking slips further from me. My equipment is old and falling apart, and my willingness to work with actors was lessened with the last project. I just don't know what I'm doing most of the time.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
McD reflections
Making it through this week is a bit of an accomplishment, since there's still a fair amount of modeling clay in my respiratory system. Sometimes I would exercise my child like fascination, looking at my expectorate and marvelling at its structural integrity, wondering to myself how something like that managed to come out of me. I've also been avoiding speaking in general, everytime I try to utter something resembling a sentence, my throat would itch and I'd end up coughing. I imagine most people do not find coughing appealing, especially since the flu scare has probably got everyone ingesting Purell just to keep themselves sterilized. So I just figured I wouldn't talk much, so that I couldn't cough. Somehow being anti-social sat better with me than being diseased.
So my National Novel Writing Month has bombed so far, kicking off with a week long flu and then just wallowing in general fatigue. I've been going to bed so early this week that I've qualified myself for dreams again. Usually my brain doesn't get to go into REM state, it just naps before it snaps to conciousness again like an angry bulldog, looking for something to do for the whole day.
After some thought today, I'm thinking of switching my novel to a play format, because I've been having a little trouble making my book effortlessly funny. Also, I think it'll work slightly better as a play anyway, since novel writing isn't my strength. We shall see, since we are talking about rewriting a whole two pages or something. Bah. What a terrible writing schedule. I used to write so easily and now it's a chore and an experiment on my ability to doubt myself.
Have a few hours of work tomorrow, going to a training class that someone enrolled me into. Not quite sure who decided that I should take a class called "Value stream mapping", even joked to my supe that maybe they needed a gnome to fetch coffee so they decided to sign me up. But glasses have to be half full for me, I have to look at it as an opportunity of sorts. I'm sure having taken this class is sure to bump me up somehow.
Been listening to the Creative Screenwriting podcast and it's just amazing. Listening to their work process and knowing that it's a lot of writing and rewriting, a lot of patience, and a while lotta luck that gets people where they are. But it's just work. Breaking down the story to see what works and what doesn't, and tearing away scenes that you love because they simply don't serve the story. Probably the best ones so far are from the writers of Watchmen and Walle. These guys have spent years and years, rewriting and writing. It's just humbling to know that they have to work as hard as anyone else to make the story work.
Well, fatigue and the antics of the McDonalds playground are distracting me, so that's it for me. I've counted five kids crying so far. It's like a brutal gladiatorial ring of sticky-fingered midgets trying to trounce each other.
So my National Novel Writing Month has bombed so far, kicking off with a week long flu and then just wallowing in general fatigue. I've been going to bed so early this week that I've qualified myself for dreams again. Usually my brain doesn't get to go into REM state, it just naps before it snaps to conciousness again like an angry bulldog, looking for something to do for the whole day.
After some thought today, I'm thinking of switching my novel to a play format, because I've been having a little trouble making my book effortlessly funny. Also, I think it'll work slightly better as a play anyway, since novel writing isn't my strength. We shall see, since we are talking about rewriting a whole two pages or something. Bah. What a terrible writing schedule. I used to write so easily and now it's a chore and an experiment on my ability to doubt myself.
Have a few hours of work tomorrow, going to a training class that someone enrolled me into. Not quite sure who decided that I should take a class called "Value stream mapping", even joked to my supe that maybe they needed a gnome to fetch coffee so they decided to sign me up. But glasses have to be half full for me, I have to look at it as an opportunity of sorts. I'm sure having taken this class is sure to bump me up somehow.
Been listening to the Creative Screenwriting podcast and it's just amazing. Listening to their work process and knowing that it's a lot of writing and rewriting, a lot of patience, and a while lotta luck that gets people where they are. But it's just work. Breaking down the story to see what works and what doesn't, and tearing away scenes that you love because they simply don't serve the story. Probably the best ones so far are from the writers of Watchmen and Walle. These guys have spent years and years, rewriting and writing. It's just humbling to know that they have to work as hard as anyone else to make the story work.
Well, fatigue and the antics of the McDonalds playground are distracting me, so that's it for me. I've counted five kids crying so far. It's like a brutal gladiatorial ring of sticky-fingered midgets trying to trounce each other.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Weak week
Well, last week was a complete travesty. Between high fever, bad headaches that would conjure up nightmares of brain damage and dark places of my soul, and my insides feeling ravaged and destroyed, I think I'm finally getting better. Went back to work on Wednesday thinking that, but when I woke up Thursday morning feeling like I was sledgehammered in the head, I called in and had to lose a day's pay. Such is the consequences of being stricken with the flu. I don't know if I wanna be all dramatic and call it H1N1, but I've never been so sick for so long. Usually it's a three day affair the most. It wouldn't surprise me though, if I did get H1N1, since this strain of flu had floored me so badly.
Other than the lost hours of work, I also lost about a week to write, which really sucks. I couldn't concentrate long enough to write, couldn't even look at the screen for long. And now that I know I'm behind, the incentive is even less to keep up with their schedule. But I'll get back onto it. Just have to keep my own schedule.
There's also a constant hunger I have in my stomach, this weird feeling that I'm hungry although I'm pretty sure I'm not. I can taste any food right now anyway, my palate has been reduced to very basic sensations, like salty, sweet, and poop.
And I used to be so witty.
Other than the lost hours of work, I also lost about a week to write, which really sucks. I couldn't concentrate long enough to write, couldn't even look at the screen for long. And now that I know I'm behind, the incentive is even less to keep up with their schedule. But I'll get back onto it. Just have to keep my own schedule.
There's also a constant hunger I have in my stomach, this weird feeling that I'm hungry although I'm pretty sure I'm not. I can taste any food right now anyway, my palate has been reduced to very basic sensations, like salty, sweet, and poop.
And I used to be so witty.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Firsts!
Today was the first for many things, although it isn't as exciting as it sounds. It was mostly comical and sad, if anything.
The first day of my illness marked the day, after bein surrounded by sick kids and sick wife, it was plainly inevitable. I haven't quite had it bad, just an irritable throat that makes me cough here and there. Not like my wife, who's bound to cough up a major lung sometime soon. But I fear the impending misery that comes with the illness. Still not sure if I'm still going to work, but most likely I will. It's the only way I can get better it feels like.
The second first is the the first day of National Novel Writing Month. I have to report that I'm really nowhere close to the minimum amount of output, mostly because it's so damn hard to find a quiet moment to myself, and after having found it, to not indulge in the awesomeness that is Uncharted 2. That game is quite fun, although I've spoilt a bit of it from watching way too many reviews. I've got the beginning of the story started at least, and it reads like a scattered first draft. It has a small fraction of the comedy I'd like in it, and it seems like all the characters have seemingly the same voice. But I'm forging ahead, and I can fix the bulk of it later. Still can't decide if I want to adopt the traditonal third person narrative or adopt a journal like retelling of the story.
The last dubious first is Daisy's first day of dog training school, which I shall now refer to Embarassment school. While I didn't expect Daisy to be the perfect little princess, I didn't think we'd be stuck in the corner with a barrier draped with blankets. We had to bring the dog in the car a few tomes because she was barking and frantic so damn much that it was distracting the other dogs. She would spazzing while in class, whining and barking and lunging herself into the air trying to sniff all the other canine ass in class. She acted like a dog on crack cocaine and speed, and I couldn't look anyone in the eye. Yes, that's my dog trying to dominate or intimidate your dog. I dunno, I was embarassed and couldn't take too much of it. What a grueling experience.
Gonna get some uncharted on. I have some semblence of control over that.
The first day of my illness marked the day, after bein surrounded by sick kids and sick wife, it was plainly inevitable. I haven't quite had it bad, just an irritable throat that makes me cough here and there. Not like my wife, who's bound to cough up a major lung sometime soon. But I fear the impending misery that comes with the illness. Still not sure if I'm still going to work, but most likely I will. It's the only way I can get better it feels like.
The second first is the the first day of National Novel Writing Month. I have to report that I'm really nowhere close to the minimum amount of output, mostly because it's so damn hard to find a quiet moment to myself, and after having found it, to not indulge in the awesomeness that is Uncharted 2. That game is quite fun, although I've spoilt a bit of it from watching way too many reviews. I've got the beginning of the story started at least, and it reads like a scattered first draft. It has a small fraction of the comedy I'd like in it, and it seems like all the characters have seemingly the same voice. But I'm forging ahead, and I can fix the bulk of it later. Still can't decide if I want to adopt the traditonal third person narrative or adopt a journal like retelling of the story.
The last dubious first is Daisy's first day of dog training school, which I shall now refer to Embarassment school. While I didn't expect Daisy to be the perfect little princess, I didn't think we'd be stuck in the corner with a barrier draped with blankets. We had to bring the dog in the car a few tomes because she was barking and frantic so damn much that it was distracting the other dogs. She would spazzing while in class, whining and barking and lunging herself into the air trying to sniff all the other canine ass in class. She acted like a dog on crack cocaine and speed, and I couldn't look anyone in the eye. Yes, that's my dog trying to dominate or intimidate your dog. I dunno, I was embarassed and couldn't take too much of it. What a grueling experience.
Gonna get some uncharted on. I have some semblence of control over that.
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