Once, there was a writer who’d completed his first novel. It was decent. It was ready to go out, or at least as good as he could make it. And then his computer’s hard disk died. Completely. And it took the novel with it. “That’s okay,” he said. “We have a backup.” No, he didn’t.Continue reading “Why Backups are Important”
Category Archives: Random Life Stuff
A Different Kind of Brain Weasel
I hate when someone’s mad at me because I did something wrong. I mean, we probably all do, right? But you know what I hate even more? When someone thinks I did something underhanded, but I didn’t. I’m going through that situation right now–someone believes we did something underhanded, which we did not. But the wayContinue reading “A Different Kind of Brain Weasel”
The Ups and Downs of my “Stage Presence”
On Fridays, I allow a few minutes for students to ask me any kind of question they wish. Sometimes they ask about real world things they don’t understand, like the current Korean negotiations, Trump’s actions, etc. Sometimes they’re random questions about the world (many of which could be answered with a fifteen-second Google search), andContinue reading “The Ups and Downs of my “Stage Presence””
Reclaiming My Self
Shortly before I moved to Sacramento, my dad gave me brand-new cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, which I wore often at home while working in the pasture or when riding my horse. When I moved to Sacramento, I kept wearing them, because they were a part of me, and I liked them. But IContinue reading “Reclaiming My Self”
How’s Michael Doing? Some Good, Some Bad.
I had kind of a meltdown last night. More on that later, but first, let’s do the categories… Work Work is work. I just came back from two weeks off for the Winter Holiday Break, and yet I feel like I didn’t get any time off. Kids are both delightful and irritating; some of themContinue reading “How’s Michael Doing? Some Good, Some Bad.”
Rewrite, Work, Home
Rewrite Work proceeds. I was done with chapter one’s rewrite, but then something occurred to me and I had to add a scene or two, so I’m doing that. It’s going to radically change the end of this chapter and the beginning of the new one, but I think it will go a long wayContinue reading “Rewrite, Work, Home”
Fiction is Taking a Back Seat. Dammit.
I’m still working on things, but not as a primary activity. I just have too much going on right now: Just sold my house, so I have to pack it up. We’re putting an offer on a new house. And also looking for other leads in case that one doesn’t work out. I’m taking anContinue reading “Fiction is Taking a Back Seat. Dammit.”
Stressed Out and Hating It
I’m stressed out. Others notice it, too. Some think it’s because of my job. They’re not entirely wrong, but they’re also not entirely correct. The truth is, I’m like the stress version of the Hulk–I’m always stressed. Everything stresses me out. I feel like I’m always on the verge of a breakdown, always ready to rageContinue reading “Stressed Out and Hating It”
ER Visit and Attendant Life Changes
Or, How Doctors Like to Scare the Shit Out of You. So last Saturday, I had a pleasant enough day. I drove to Napa, had lunch, drove the 1.5 hours up to Clearlake, CA, where my mother is buried, and left flowers on her grave, and then came home. All in all I drove about 200Continue reading “ER Visit and Attendant Life Changes”
The Dark Tower Movie: Not as Bad as I Feared
So I saw The Dark Tower, and… I guess I’m not sure why so many people seem to hate it. Caveat: I haven’t read the books, which I’m working on rectifying now, but I’m familiar with the basic plot and some of the events of the series. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t amazing, but the story wasn’tContinue reading “The Dark Tower Movie: Not as Bad as I Feared”