Books!

I’m all caught up on the Wheel of Time again.  Now I’m craving a good gritty fantasy novel to read.  Think “The Blade Itself”(and series) or Game of Thrones esque novels.  The next book in my stack to read is not in this vein.  “The Forging” by M.S. Verish.  I’m three (admittedly short) chapters in and it has yet to really interest me.  I hope it picks up soon or I may abandon it.  It would be one of only three books I’ve abandoned after a few chapters.  The other two being OtherWorld by Tad Williams and Magic of Recluse by L. E. Modesitt, Jr..  Otherworld is particularly surprising for me seeing as Tad Williams Dragonbone Chair (and series) is the only series I’ve ever taken the time to reread (Definitely on my all time favorite list).  I gave otherworld a good long time to interest me, after all Dragonbone Chair starts off really slow, but then becomes amazing.  Then I got distracted by something else and couldn’t bring myself to go back.  As amazing as Tad Williams is, he really needs to learn to take less time to get to the good stuff!

I’m feeling an intense need to write.  Not like write a blog post, but write a story.  I haven’t in some time and I’ve had several things around me recently that have driven the urge.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a story at the moment.  It’s driving me nuts.  I’ve tried to just start writing and that doesn’t work without having some idea what I’m writing.  oy vay.  wonder if I can find a random story idea generator online somewhere… I’ll probably try to get myself a good character idea and go from there.  For some reason characters come easier to me than stories.

Post Holiday Cheer

I love my family, but I’m glad the holidays are over.  Time to destress for a couple of weeks before school starts.  I’m feeling quite chipper today.  It’s a nice change from the norm.  Whether that’s because we finally got my meds right or due to changes at home, I don’t know.  Either way, I like it.

Christmas went well.  Everyone had a very good time.  Dinner was a success (even if the creme for my strawberries refused to thicken).  Got some fun stuff and my wife was happy with what I got her so I’m happy with it.  The son had a blast playing with boxes and wrapping paper, as expected.  His favorite gift, though, is a little stuffed bear (maybe 3 inches tall) which sings when you squeeze it’s belly.  It’s only got one song (though I can’t remember what it is now) and is rather high pitched, but the look on his face as it goes and he swings it around is worth it.

As usual, we didn’t get a white Christmas.  Though we did have some snow two days later.  Not much, just enough to make the grass white and cause dozens of accidents.  It’s a sign, though, that #winteriscoming.    Surprisingly, this morning was beautiful.  I mean, it was far from warm, but it was so much warmer than it has been that it felt wonderful, and a light bit of rain (which I always love).

I’m a bad student and a lazy writer

It’s been hectic lately.  I managed to get a promotion at work (yay!!), which while it doesn’t really change what I do, it begins recognizing me for all that I’ve already been doing with a decent pay increase.  My poor son has been horribly sick, but is now better.  Been making repairs around the house, built a ginormous bookshelf as the beginning of our “library” and getting our wood-stove in working order for the oncoming winter.  (#Winter is Coming)!

I realized, while walking to class yesterday, how different school is for more than it is for others, and just how much I respect people like my wife and sister for their school experience.  I was a straight A student in elementary school.  As and Bs in jr high and high-school.  That’s not all that unusual, but what was is that I did it all without trying.  My school mates spent hours of their life studying.  Alone, getting together in study groups, staying up late, waking up early, whatever.  I didn’t do that.  I don’t think I ever really studied at all.  I also barely bothered with homework.  when it was handed out, I worked on it in class until class was over, and then when I got to class the next day, I’d get done what I could before it was turned in.  I did not do homework at home.  This was most personified, I think, in my Sr. Paper.  I waited till the day it was due and went in to school a little early and drew up my 5 page report on an obscure playwright.  I had read 1 of his plays and a couple reviews of his work a few weeks earlier.  It took me 30 minutes and I got an A.  School was just that way for me.

On the other hand, I remember watching my little sister study diligently and work hard to get grades that were almost as good as mine.  Now I’ve been watching my wife for the past few years busting her ass in college, and I do my bet to help and be supportive, but I don’t have the skill set to study, so I have very little advice to give her in that regard.  It all makes me feel kind of guilty.

 

Also, NaNoWriMo has begun.  I have not.  Hopefully I can get on the ball with this thing.  I know it’s my first try and all, but I still want to succeed!