Random for the Day

Ah, to be young again. Now I remember why I don't like remembering those days...

CSMike25's "Blog"...

Random for the Day

There's a difference between calling oneself a 'writer' and actually 'writing' (Forward Motion folks know what I'm talking about.)

A Writer's Salvation

More on Friday...

Words
Outline continues to expand. I'm amazed and how much earlier material incorporates with the new stuff. I'm nearly finished with all the build up stuff: now sh*#! going hit the fan (and the main characters.) BWAHAHAHA!

Weights
Part of my depression's been caused by my diet. Solution: eat. Figures.

Whatever
For the first time I actually started looking for a new job.

Random for the day...sorta

Nothing really interesting popped up on Random Blog (unless you like angsty poetry. Bad angsty poetry). Thus I did search on Blogwise (see sidebar) for writing and chose one of the more...interesting ones.

Girl Detective

What a week...

Words
Continued progress on my outline. I've never gone into such depth in previous attempts. I
can see why some author can generate twenty page ones. But threadlines are becoming more
clear. I do see a couple of weakpoints, though: the main character gets out of certain
situations too easily due to his magic. I may revisit those sections in the outline later
this week. That, or note when writing the scenes to consider other ways to still meet the
scene's intent but make it rough for the character. Heheheh...


Weights
Tonight was the last night for the regular instructor at the Fullerton gym. Her work
schedule just made it impossible to continue working regularly up there. Many of us will
miss her; when her class was good, it was fantastic.

I have some trepidation about her replacement who starts next week. I'll attend the class
and see how he works out.

Oh! Looks like I've lost nearly six pounds. Unfortunately, I know I lost the weight through
depression over the last couple of weeks. It's kinda ironic. I used to gain weight
when I was depressed; like the rest of my family, I tended to eat for comfort. Huh. Talk
about a total turnaround in behavior.


Whatever
Mom's still doing well as she recovers from her hospital stay. My sister is adjusting to her new baby. And the weather continues to stay bright longer out here in SoCal. Oh! Refi'd our mortgage. Though we'll be paying far greater on a monthly basis, it's a 15 year loan: our house will be fully paid off when R. retires.

Humor

Ugh. It's been a bad day for both of us. Need a little humor...

Words, Whatever

NEW WORDS FOR 2004: Essential additions for the workplace vocabulary

BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline wasmissed or a project failed, and who was responsible.

SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps oneverything, and then leaves.

ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.

SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstreamonly to get screwed and die in the end.

CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles.

PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cubefarm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.

MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couchpotato.

SITCOMs: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. Whatyuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stayhome with the kids.

STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiney.

SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless becausethe magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.

XEROX SUBSIDY: Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one'sworkplace copy machine.

IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The J-Lo and Ben wedding (or not) was a prime example.

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

ADMINISPHERE: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.

404: Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message"404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located.

GENERICA: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, and subdivisions.

OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake.

WOOF'S: Well-Off Older Folks.

CROP DUSTING: Surreptitiously farting while passing through a Cube Farm.

Tuesday

Words
Productive yesterday. One of the major subplots literally came together between watching VH1 100 Hotties (again) and CNN. Mute button is your friend!


Weights
Weighed myself on Monday after cardio. The "one massive meal" each weekend day had an effect: I lost a pound. That or I lost more than the usual amount of water. I have the depressing feeling it's the latter.


Whatever
Hmmm. Interesting. I'm fighting feelings of anxiety and depression. I know the source and am giving seriously thought to job-hunting again.

Mom's doing fine though still weak. The physicians discovered she's actually fighting pneumonia; her heart's fine.

Sib's back at home with brand new baby. And up all night, of course, as the baby protested its new home (the crib).

Humor

Subject: 25 Lessons my mother taught me

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just
finished cleaning"
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the
middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're
not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't
exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
There are millions of less fortunate children in this world
who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
If you don't stop crossing your eyes, They are going to freeze that
way."
19. My mother taught me ESP.
Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to
me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
25. And my favorite: my mother taught me about JUSTICE.
One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you

ConDor 2003

Whatever
We attended ConDor all three days: February 27th through the 29th.

Our biggest concern on Friday would be to receive out three day passes. Instructions stated we needed to pick them up certain times during the convention. Our fears were unfounded; once we directed to the right personnel, we received them.

I met an old friend of mine, Jeff-Jeff. I had hoped to find him: I lost contact months ago when his e-mail messages bounced and his phone numbers all disconnected. The meeting went warmly and he gave me his new e-mail address.

We attended the first of what would be many presentations. There we saw Robert Silverberg at what be one of many presentations. We checked out the art auction and I received instruction of how the role-playing (RPG) sessions worked. By the by, the latter were always busy.

We had dinner that night in San Diego. Tried out a new restaurant.

Latest and greatest...

Been gone a while for reasons that will be articulated in the next few entries.


Words
Progress on my current work-in-progress (WIP), Pyrrhic Price. Trying something a little different here. At ConDor, author and this year's Grandmaster of SF/F Robert Silverberg answered a question on his writing habits. I decided to try his habit and formulated the beginning and endings of my WIP. Not difficult since I pretty much figured them out already. For the midle, though, I'm trying something a little different. Instead of breaking down the WIP into chapters, I'm just writing out scenes. While most follow the previous, some don't and I'm working on linking them together. Got thirty so far. Very pleased.

Just finished the book, Forbidden Magic, by Angus Wells. It's the first of this trilogy, the God Wars. Review to follow.


Weights
Cardio only. Diet's been fluctuating betweening eathing healthy and nothing but junk. My bad and my responsibility.