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My blog, where I store those thoughts rattling around my brain |
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Welcome to the insanity of my mind! Please excuse the cobwebs and clutter, I've been meaning to clean the place up a bit... Stop in and read some of my nonsense whenever the mood strikes you :) |
| 30 Day Blogging Challenge Day 18: What did you do during the 'Great Shutdown For The Upgrade' of WDC today? Tell us all the 'gory' details! Oh, yay! An easy prompt. I didn't really do much, honestly. Sent some emails, picked away at my current serial, wrote most of a new story, made food, watched a movie and went to bed. Kinda boring. But I've been in this melancholy funk all this week and it's been driving my writing haywire. Either I have no willpower to type, or I doubt each paragraph, or I feel like nobody would want to read it. What can be more crippling to a writer than a poor mental state? When you have to fight yourself, is it any wonder that no work gets done? At least I'm nearing the end of it. Well, I hope that I am. Damn brain cost me the better part of a week. |
| 30 Day Blogging Challenge Day 16: Do you follow a certain regimen/diet when it comes to eating? Other than something you might be allergic to, are there any foods you avoid or limit yourself to? What's your favorite meal to prepare. Share your recipe if you like. I don't really follow a diet plan. While I try to eat as healthy as I can, time and resources are the biggest problems holding back my nutritional standards. Lately I've been making a marked effort to eat as less meat as I can, opting for bigger portions of veggies and grains and limiting the fatty and sugary treats. So far, it's been working well. I feel better and happier but still get cravings for the junk... Such yummy, tasty junk. Favorite meal? That's a hard one. Variety is the spice of my life, I try to keep things unique and fresh instead of eating the same dang thing all the time. Probably something like a soup or a chili. Maybe even a stew. I love to make a lot of something scrumptious and enjoy the leftovers for a day or two. I'll think on my favorite cuisines and get back to ya'll. |
PROMPT November 15th You and your two best friends are going on a month-long road trip. Where are you going? What three items must be in your luggage for this trip to abe a great experience for you. If two of my best friends are coming on a road trip with me, there's only one direction we'll be driving in. And that's west, baby. I've never been to California but from what I hear it's pretty much amazing all around. Aside from the obvious problems, that is. I think both of 'em would be down for an adventure, if I asked them. So what would we need on this cross country trek? First off, we would need some money. Secondly, we would need one sweet RV. And thirdly we would need tons of tobacco leaves for... reasons. So yeah, that's my road trip list. Not very imaginative, but then again I'm not feeling especially whimsical after that wild weekend. |
| Took a personality test and ended up with this! A bit scary how accurate it is... But at least I know more about myself. The Mediator  Here's the link if you want to try it out yourself! Let me know what you get :) Sixteen Personalities |
| Last night, I dreamed I was a dragon. My roars shook the forest mountains, sending flocks of indigo birds scattering from perches, darkening the skies as those feathery clouds chased my echoes over the misty valley. I rumbled in amusement, satisfied with my declaration of strength. These lands were my kingdom. This cave was my den. When I hungered, my powerful wings thundered in the air as I prowled in search of wild boar or shaggy bears. No creature could withstand these mighty claws. I swooped down and snatched my prey, bringing it to a grassy knoll large enough for me to feast. When my belly was full, I slept contently among the weeds. On rainy nights, I soared above the thunder as lighting crackled in the fog below me, hazy flashes glinting off my emerald hide. Lizard irises turned to the heavens, delighting in the radiance of the diamond carpet blanketing my celestial vault. Fire rumbled in my belly. I closed scaly eyes as magma erupted from my snout, flames billowing into the chilly atmosphere. I had want for nothing. And yet, a strange compulsion itched at me. A desire to have diamonds of my own, jewels to admire within the comforts of this den. Why should I wait till nightfall to bask in that glittering display? Dragons should not have to bide their time. I was proud and strong. Fall changed the forest colors on my mountain, transforming the broken jade peak into a flaming tower. Flapping my powerful wings, I rustled the burning trees as I swept towards the valley, scattering orange and yellow sparks in my wake. The castle lay in the center, shrouded by fog. I roared, jaws blazing. An inferno ruptured the misty curtain, veil parting before me as I neared the stony fortress. Beside the gates, two armored guards drew swords and shouted at me in a tinny language. I answered with my scorching breath. A boulder flew over the walls and smacked my snout. Pain blossoming over my eyes, I shook my wings and rose into the sky. My belly rumbled in fury. I dove down and unleashed another torrent of dragon-fire. The catapult exploded, metal and wood flying around the castle square as soldiers fled in panic. I roared again and swiped my tail across the battlements, crushing men with savage delight as I exacted revenge. Claws scarred the foundations, shattering granite, powdering mortar as I reached the golden storeroom beneath. Grasping the treasure, I raised my head to declare victory and- I woke up. My head was killing me, throat raspy, tongue dry... "Water," I gasped as I crawled out of bed in search of crystal nectar. Staggering to the kitchen, I poured myself a glass and downed the life-saving liquid almost instantly. "Ah," I sighed and wiped my mouth. My nose wrinkled. "Good god," I wheezed. "That's some terrible dragon breath." 30 Day Blog Challenge Day 9: You are having a very realistic dream. In this dream, you are approaching a castle. What unusual reason do you have to be at this castle? What do you say to the two guards standing outside it to gain entrance? |
 Hey you, hey you, finally you get itThe world ain't fair, eat you if you let it  |
| 30 Day Blog Challenge Day 8: What would you have to start doing now so that in 10 years you feel like you just had the best decade of your life? It's not a matter of what I have to start doing in so much as what I should KEEP doing: Stay on task, keep writing and don't ever stop. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. I will strive to keep my daily goals and not to get discouraged. The hardest part is fighting against the curve balls that life throws at me, but if I refuse to let them divert me from the course I think I will look back ten years from now and agree that this was the best decade of my life. Not really much else to say on this subject. |
| 30 Day Blog Challenge Day 7: "The trouble with most of us, is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." Do you feel this is a valid statement? Tell us why you feel the way you do. Name a single person who doesn't like praise. Sure, there are those of us that cannot seem to accept compliments and awkwardly avoid them whenever they arrive. I myself do not know how to react when I get one in person. It's so much easier to collect your thoughts on a screen than it is to voice them in real-time. So I'll shuffle my feet, look away and try not to blush as I stammer my thanks. Somehow, the kind praise has made me feel more uncomfortable than straight up criticism would. I guess it's because I expect criticism. With every story, I want to know what's wrong and why it didn't work and where I could improve. That's not to say I don't want to hear good things. Everybody loves validation. It lets us know we're on the right track, that our instincts haven't led us astray. The problem herein lies with TOO much of a good thing. A person who constantly hears people saying that so-and-so is the greatest thing since sliced bread will walk around thinking the sun shines outta their ass. Humility comes with failure. Hubris comes with success. If you meet a self-made man/woman who is humble and grounded, chances are they bled and sweat and worked that butt off to get to that level. But it's not always the case. You will always come across the ones that feel they deserved it. Pride is a slippery slope, isn't it? There's a reason that it's considered the deadliest of all sins. The ancient Greeks believed this. The word 'hubris' was synonymous with sin, for in their eyes it was terrible thing to be arrogant and overconfident. Only the gods were allowed such luxury. And even those immortals were prone to making fatal errors because of it! We can all feel accomplishment in our achievements. Nobody is refuting that. To look over at your hard earned trophies and bask in their glory isn't a sin, it's a right. But never let those victories go to your head. I think the prompt statement is a true one, it's a human predisposition and one the entire population struggles with each day. I have my own demons to wrestle, especially when I lose a writing contest.  We should never be afraid to fail. Failure teaches better life lessons than victory ever could. |
30 Day Blog Challenge Day 6: You work alone from home, logged on to your work PC. One day you log on, and start your routine. You look at the clock on your desktop and eight hours have passed, but you have no memory of getting any tasks done. Tell us what might have happened to you during those eight hours. I have never in my life felt so personally attacked. Eight hours with no tasks done? Ha, that's child's play. I can do ten hours with no productivity and not even break a sweat. Twelve if I'm feeling ambitious. Wait, how many hours passed...? Does it count if I spent a full day on this post? Is... is that being productive? Honestly before this whole blog challenge it was a struggle to get anything done, wrestling with my sluggish senses and unsure where to begin as a cursor flashes on the screen. If there's one thing this place has taught me, it's not to doubt yourself. Take that step forward. A leap of faith, trusting that your abilities will catch you should prose falter and grammar fail. I'm the type to write out a sentence, squint at it for a few minutes, erase it and write it again until it sounds good enough to move on. Don't do this, folks. It's a terrible habit and only makes things harder when deadlines come creeping by. For the first time, I managed to bust out 4k words in a single day. Not even counting blog posts, emails and comments on silly newsfeed pictures. That's a mammoth achievement for me. In the past I would pick up steam and then lose all momentum, crashing to a painful halt. Now I'm pumping along as this steam engine races on tracks that have never felt so squeaky clean and rust free. Thanks for keeping me motivated WdC. That goes for everyone on here, I couldn't have asked for a better gang of wordsmiths to joke around and share insight with. It's so fascinating to me that we are all just faceless voices in the machine, electronic specters that share backlit thoughts and digital dreams, hiding behind masks of colorful avatars yet unafraid to be ourselves. How ironic, that some of my closest friends are people I'll never meet. Do you ever think about those usernames who've logged off for the last time, never to return? I wonder if their thoughts turn back to this place, if they look fondly back on these webpages, if they remember me. We're all just atoms, colliding together in the endless expanse. I try to make each impact a positive one, hoping that I can spread that tiny spark of energy across the stratosphere, one interaction at a time. Will it work, I wonder? Is there someone sharing that warmth with a stranger, passing it on to the next molecule in this infinite universe? I like to think so. I don't want to imagine any other outcome. |
| I try to be a gracious host. Try being the operative word there, for even the most patient and accommodating person wishes to wring a few necks when their good nature is strained. I'm sure you know where this story is going. Let's get some perspective on this, shall we? After a classmate and good friend wanted some tutelage on Humanities, I put forth the concept of an informal study session on the weekend. Several weeks later, the group spontaneously doubled. Fine with me, I thought. Now we can pair off into groups and I'll hang back, oversee things and quiz everyone afterwards. Perhaps I was a bit too successful in this venture. Once grades began trending upwards, word of mouth spread that I was an excellent translator for the dense and incomprehensible Russian literature we were currently assigned. I rolled my eyes at this, amazed that people thought the Brothers Karamazov was a tough read. Just wait until Ulysses made the rounds. Before I left my dorm, I sent a group text out asking if anyone wanted coffee and donuts. I was feeling especially generous after receiving a paycheck from my job at the cafe, where I was picking up said refreshments. It wasn't because I got an employee discount or anything. Perish the thought. You'd think I used to be a waiter if you saw me enter the study hall with those loaded arms. Carefully balancing a tray of hot coffee and a box of donuts, I kicked open the door as my proteges watched, seated around the table closest to the entrance. Not even one of them offered to help. But I managed, nonetheless. Once I finally placed the steaming beverages and pastries down, I did a head count and came up one too many. "Who's this?" I inquired with a frown. "Oh that's Cody! He heard you were a godly tutor so he's here to soak up some knowledge." Ian waved a hand at him, as if it was no big deal. It was a very big deal to me. I only brought enough for five people, including myself. Sighing, I gestured to the sugary offerings. "Well, nobody warned me we had a plus one so I'm a bit short on snacks. It's fine. Help yourselves, I'll just grab an orange juice from the vending machine." Derek put a hand over the box, glancing around solemnly. "There is only one answer for this problem." I covered my eyes and groaned inwardly. Here he goes again. "We must settle this like men," Derek continued gravely. "I propose a death match. First one eliminated receives all of the shame and none of the caffeinated glory." "Look," I protested. "There's no need for dramatics. I'll just get a drink upstairs and call it a day. We'll just be more mindful next time, okay?" But my words were lost on that group. They nodded in agreement with Derek, the idea of testosterone fueled combat was far more appealing than rational compromise. "We shall fight like demons!" Sherod crowed and jumped on top of the table behind us. I threw my arms up in defeat. There was no talking sense into them when they got like this. Beating his chest, Sherod scowled as his head swiveled around the group. "Who dares challenge me?" "Hol' up," Matt interrupted. "If it's the first one out, then why do we all have to fight? Shouldn't we just draw out of a hat to pick?" Nodding, the dudes agreed there had to be some guidelines for this tournament. They weren't barbarians, after all. Trying not to pull my hair out, I calmly proposed that we just move on to the textbooks and forget the whole thing. "I'm actually going to go upstairs and get my drink right now. Hell, I might even get a honey bun with it. So we can all just settle down, right guys? Right...?" I glanced around as they ignored me and began arguing over the rules to the Great Donut Death Match. Walking away, I struggled not to unleash a scream of frustration. It was going to be a long day. 30 Day Blog Challenge Day 5: You arrive at work today with five donuts and five coffees for the people who are scheduled to be there. But you have a problem. Counting you, six people are there, and all of you love coffee and donuts! How do you and your friends resolve this? |
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