A Roller Coaster Year - 200th Post

I've been told recently that I haven't been blogging enough.  Perhaps.  But the reason is I haven't had a great deal to say.  Other things have occupied my mind.  Things over which I am still a bit froggered.

However, in the interest of keeping my fanbase, here are ten random thoughts to close the year.

• Blogging is a wonderful way to meet new friends.  It is a great place to make yourself known.  And, it seems, there are at least a few people who like me.  However, I think I like the real world better.  Perhaps that's why I haven't been around as much of late.

• Writing, it turns out, is easy.  Everything after is hard.  And discouraging.  I may not get an agent next year.  I very likely won't get published.  So be it.  Bigger things are coming.

• No matter how bad things seem, lots of folks have it much worse.

• Reading is fun.  iPad makes it funner.  My kids will read.  A lot.

• One of my favorite words is rather.  I rather enjoy rather.  Others include, flummoxed, untoward, and quite.

• I can no longer abide my neighbors and finally planted privacy hedges.  I haven't written about them recently because it is quite tempting to post pictures of the inside of their hoarding hole of a home.  That would be untoward. 

• Lest (another favorite) you ever wondered what I look like, I am one of these guys.

• I rather like my job.  It's full of kooks.  Great research material for a writer.

• I will turn 38 in a few days.  All my hair is still the original color.  

• I am going to be somebody's dad.  That's pretty cool.

2010 has been one roller coaster of a year.  It's had some highs, quite a few lows and one extreme WTF element.  As we pull into the station something new is about to open in another part of the park.  It looks like a good one.   I can't wait to ride it.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

My friend Prissy Bower, having forgotten he lived in South Florida for a number of years, asked if people down here put up inflatable (and dare I say lazy) Christmas decorations.

Yes.  Yes they do.

Merry Christmas everyone!

So Now What Do I Do?

I've been reading some of the books a certain agent I want to query represents.  One I liked.  The other, I've just started, but so far...meh!

Assuming I get through it, and find that this agent is, in fact, a good fit, then what?  What are we supposed to say in our queries to let these agents know we've actually done our homework, without coming right out and saying it, and at the same time, not taking away precious words about our own books?

Work That Kills

Generally speaking, most airline pilots are, by nature, a lazy lot.  This is not to say they won't go out of their way to avoid working hard work.  While this may sound contradictory, it should be noted that any self-respecting pilot will do as much as possible to ensure they work as little as they can.

It is simply in the biology that these souls are unable to maintain monotony for great lengths.  And by great lengths, any thing longer than three hours counts.
This is why it is so darned hard for these people who, once a year, for three days, are forced to endure exhaustive and seemingly endless slide presentations and lectures on topics they have secreted to the recesses of their brain during the preceding twelve months.

Alas, annual recurrent training rears it's ugly head.  How people who work real jobs do this on a daily basis is a mystery.  After ten hours of sheer boredom, followed by rush hour traffic, barely time to eat dinner, and maybe a few minutes to relax in front of the Telly, there is no time for anything more than sleep.  Life must wait.  At least until all the paperwork is filled out.

For those whose lives resemble this, you have my pity.  Good God, it's only three days.  Anything more and you would have me at the end of a rope.  

No Blog Love

Notice the lack of activity here lately?  I've been utterly unmotivated.  To write, to blog, to pretty much anything.  Ideas still come.  It's just usually while I'm working.  I'll jot down notes, but I guess it's frowned upon to pull out the laptop and whip off a chapter while cruising along at 39,000 feet.  So what good is an autopilot?

The truth is I'm much more distracted by something else lately, which I will explain at some point, shedding light on why I was so froggered a few weeks back.

The good news, however, is another rejection over the weekend.  How is that good, you ask?  It's been so long since I got any kind of response to a query, I was once again reminded I am supposed to be a writer.

When It Keeps Getting Better

Question for the day:

What does it mean when your critique partners say your latest bit is your best writing yet?

A compliment, for sure, but it leaves me wondering just how godawful everything that came before surely must be.

Does anyone else have this problem accepting praise?

Let It Be. Please. Please Let It Be.

If you haven't been to Awkward Family Photos, do stop by.  It's good for a daily laugh at, well, awkward family photos.  Today, however, they posted this video.  It's a bit different and left me with a few questions.

1. How can Lou Ferigno, who is deaf, keep better time than speed skater Dan Jansen?
2. When did Kelly McGillis become a woman again?
3.  Why?  Oh, why?