Hello 2012!

So, it’s 2012. Supposedly the end of the world is less than a year away. But, I’m pretty sure it ain’t gonna happen. So, let’s get on with life. After all, even if the end is nigh, worrying about it and trying to prepare for it won’t do any good anyways.


2011 was an interesting year. Started with some heartbreak, went through various ups and downs, and ended on a relatively high note for me, personally. My life is pretty good. I have a beautiful wife, and wonderful kids who, despite being pains in my ass, mean more to me than anything. I have a steady job that may not be exciting, but it is by far not the worst job I have had.

I managed to sell two stories last year. My very first professional fiction sales, to be published later this year. Very much looking forward to that! Also got invited to contribute to a couple of anthologies (thanks, Scott!). I’m a little more confident in my writing, and now I only need to work on the motivation/discipline necessary to do more of it.

School is rough. My two current classes are probably the hardest ones I will have in my Masters program. And I was a dumbass and took them together. During my first term back in school in a long while. Nothing like jumping in the deep end! Hopefully I can pull passing grades out of these two, and move on to a more comfortable academic pace next month.

Had Faith for a week over the holidays. I was able to take the entire week off. And even though we didn’t get to do a whole lot together, it was still a great week. Pretty relaxing, for the most part. And I just enjoyed knowing my baby girl was around. I will miss her dearly until Summer. Then it’s one more year, and, if she stays with her plan, she’ll be here in Wisconsin for the foreseeable future.

Also managed to play a lot of Star Wars last week. Very fun game. In fact, now that I am back to work, I am jonesing for it again. Funny thing is, Michele has decided that, if she makes enough in tips this week, she will be buying it for herself soon.

Resolutions? Nah. I never follow through with them, so I don’t bother. However, there are a couple of things I would like to try to do this year, and hopefully for every year thereafter. I’d like to make myself stick to a schedule for certain things. Setting aside specific amounts of time on a daily and weekly basis for things like writing, playing games, doing homework, and exercising. I think if I have a schedule in front of me, I might be more inclined to do things I should do. And, as I get more accustomed to following that schedule, they will become habits, and I won’t need the schedule anymore.

In 2012 I am hoping to find more happiness, more fulfillment, more success, and generally more in life. As the saying goes, I’m not getting any younger. And while I have friends who will read that and roll their eyes, I know that I sometimes feel older than my 41 years. I don’t like that feeling. I want to feel 18 again. But, that’s not a goal. It’s an ongoing process that will only end when I do.

Happy New Year to all my faithful minions out there. May this year, and every year, be better than the last, but not as good as the next!

Last day of “work” in 2011

John L. Sullivan
This post needed some random manliness.

I’m sitting at my desk on a Friday afternoon. But not just any Friday; it’s the one before Christmas. And I literally have nothing to do. Most of the people here are taking an extended weekend for the Holiday. I’m taking all of next week off, so I am here today. My boss is here too. But, since he has no meetings scheduled, he is spending his day getting caught up on a lot of stuff. Stuff that I can’t help with, really.

So, what do I do with myself as I watch the clock slowly tick towards quitting time? Well, a lot of Facebook, some emails, internet researching, etc. I even started some homework. In fact, homework is probably what I should be doing. But I just can’t bring myself to concentrate on that.

On a related note, I am pondering the idea of changing the focus of my major from Ancient and Classical Cultures to American History. I’m not really sure why. I love ancient cultures, but there is so much about them that I don’t know. Now, conventional wisdom says that that is precisely why I am in school, right? To learn more? But sometimes I feel like I don’t even know as much as I should. I blame that on the circumstances surrounding me getting my degree (as in taking 14 years to do it), but there you have it. I have not retained nearly enough historical knowledge.

So, why American History? Well, whenever I read about it, I am drawn in. From the Native Americans (a slightly misleading term, by the way), to the Revolutionary War, to the Civil War and the subsequent “Wild West” period. I like reading about it all. It’s more personal. I love Sparta and Athens, but I can’t personally relate to any of those cultures. Yet, I can relate to the plight of the Irish immigrants in Boston in the 1880’s. To the founding fathers, who, despite their relative faults compared to modern sensibilities, were brilliant men with vision that dwarfs anything any of our own political leadership can conjure.

In short, American History is my history. It’s the history of who I am as an American. Fortunately, I’m in my first term, and I’m pretty sure that the two classes I am currently in will carry over to the new focus. So, it won’t be such a leap. But it will be into an area that I am already more familiar with, will probably be more comfortable studying, and will be able to garner at lease some passion about.

In the meantime, I’m still writing. I have decided to write two more sequels to the Orc Space Pirate story I wrote, Blackskull’s Captive! My goal is to flesh out Captive to about 15k words (right now it’s a trim 9k), and then write two more stories of about 15-20k each. Then I will package them all together as a book. Whether I try to go with a traditional publisher, or self-publish an e-book, I don’t know. But, with a final length of around 45-50k, I’m thinking an e-book would be better. Too short for today’s publishers. Anyways, the second story got a full plot outline, and some thumbnails of the main characters, so that’s moving along nicely. And I know where and how the whole saga ends, so it shouldn’t be but a matter of writing from here on out.

And then here comes Christmas. My daughter comes to visit all next week, and I am very excited to see her again. I miss her when she is gone. But, thanks to the internet and texting, I dare say we have a closer father-daughter relationship these days than most men who live with their daughters have. Certainly it’s better now than it has been for us. But, a large part of that is the fact that she is 16, and can see through the screens of BS her mother puts up to the real truths. In the end she knows I love her, and I only want what’s good for her. And she appreciates that. As a dad, that means a lot.

So, there you go. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, etc. Happy New Year to all, and I hope 2012 is a better year for everyone involved. I may post something during my vacation, but don’t hold your breath. Between spending time with my kids and family, doing some homework, and playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, I’ll most likely be swamped.

A New Year

Well, it's 2009, and things have drastically changed for me since this time last year. I am now married, have a newborn son, and I have a job with an actual steady future. But, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Every year for the past...I dunno, bazillion it seems...I have resolved "I'm going to write a novel this year!" And yet, I have never finished one. So, this year, I'm going to start small. This year I resolve to TRY MORE. To actually work on writing a novel. If I finish, awesome. If not, I 'll know that I have tried. I'm also going to get back into shape. These last few months have played hell with my fitness. I find that I do better with someone else to help motivate me. And now that my wife is able to exercise, and is motivated to do so, we'll be able to keep each other going long enough to actually achieve our goals.

Other than that, I think things are pretty set. My interest in MMOs is starting to wain a bit now, so I'm sure I'll be able to work my writing in better. I'm also trying to get registered for classes at an online college starting next week. If it happens, I'll be taking another step closer to actually getting my degree. The only thing is, now I have to actually decide what to major in. But, that's another long and boring story.

Hey, and maybe I'll actually get some people to read this blog, and maybe leave a comment or two. That would make me feel really good... ;)