Welcome To Thanksgiving

There's a lot to be thankful for...

I spent Thanksgiving this year with extended family in San Diego. It was awesome. There was plenty of food, lots of sun, and good times all around. I even got to go to Disneyland while everything was decorated for Christmas (only do this if you are okay being surrounded with more people than a Black Friday stampede) and go to my first NFL game (Chargers beat the Rams). All around a wonderful vacation with my uncle, aunt and cousins.

If there was only one thing that really stressed me out, it was getting on the planes. I was so sure I was going to get stuck somewhere over night, miss a flight or have a problem with security. Things everyone about to fly worry about. I am eternally thankful that I wasn't on the East Coast when the first snow fall of the year hit (this did not hurt my return flights). However, it looked like a lot of people had flights canceled or severely delayed due to the weather. I hope all of the people were able to get to where they wanted to go for the holiday.

There is already so much advice about traveling during the holidays that I won't go over too much about it. However, if you can, spring for first class (this was a first time for me). You get food and are garenteed to get your roller bag onto the plane if the flight is completely full. If you can't go first class (because flying is already way too expensive) see if you can get priority boarding. Flights were full and they were making people check their carry on bags.

I know, after that last paragraph I probably sound like a spoiled brat. However, it was a lot less stressful than my seven hour flight in the center row of a center row in the middle of the night back in May. And I am thankful I got to experience it once in my life. 

Actually I'm thankful for a lot of things this year. I'm thankful I have friends and family who helped me take some awesome vacations. I'm thankful I have a job and a place to live. I'm thankful I have food on the table everyday. I'm thankful for my large (and extremely crazy) family. I'm thankful for all of my friends.

Heck I have a lot to be thankful for.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, enjoyed the chaos of Black Friday, and stuffed themselves until Christmas. It's the start of the holiday season and I'm planning on making the most of it.

If you enjoyed this post please like, or leave a comment. I enjoy hearing from my readers and I hope you guys enjoy hearing from me. Maybe leave what you guys are thankful for in the comments. Until next week.

Welcome To Accomplishment

I did it!

New Year's Eve 2013 I made the goal that for 2014 I would complete the the writing for the first draft of a novel by the end of this year. This week I am pleased to announce that I accomplished this goal. I did it! I freakin' did it.

I spent over six months writing 63,000 (give or take a few hundred) words. I feel proud of myself.

However I can't just stop there. It's still only the first draft. I have to do one or two or maybe even a hundred rewrites before it's prefect. It won't be finished until it's in physical book form. Ergo, I might never be finished with writing it.

I believe it was Stephen King who said that you have to "kill your darlings" while writing the next few drafts. It's hard not to look at all my hard work with rose colored glass. However, that's what you got to do. You have to give yourself a critical eye. You have to identify your mistakes and be able to correct them.

You also can't get bogged down by all of the mistakes. It's sometimes also hard to stop yourself from saying everything sucks and ripping it all up.

I'm going to bask in finishing my first draft. At least until 2015. My new goal, rewrit it until I feel I can send it to an agent. 

And that's what I need to do. I need to keep setting goals that are challenging, push me just a little further and that I'm able to accomplish. It just takes a few more steps to get to that final (almost) unreachable goal.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you enjoy hearing from me. Until next week.

Welcome To Crystal Balls

The future is always cloudy...

I am aware of the fact that today is Monday, not Sunday. I completely forgot yesterday was Sunday yesterday. If I had realized I was going to forget it was Sunday, I would have written this on Saturday and timed it to go out today. One of the many whoes of not being psychic. 

It would make life easier if I could see into the future (or at least the bad stuff that could/might/is likely to happen) that way I could be prepared. I like being prepared, it makes me feel more secure and in control in a time I couldn't possible feel less secure or in control. Its like the universe wants me to loose my mind or something. 

Oh I can make plans and then completely forget the plans. That's when I make it up as I go.

Or I make plans and something else happens to change those plans. That's when I curse out any plan making I had done and swear to never make any plans again. 

Then there are the days that I don't have plans and a floating ball of annoying light tells me to go somewhere, I get completely lost on my way there, countinuously fall into a river until I realize I need a chicken to help me fly over the river, accidently hit the chicken with my sword and finally death by angry chicken (this last one might be from Zelda: Ocarina of Time).

True the chickens aren't called chickens in Zelda, but they look like chickens, they act like chickens, therefore they are chickens. Really annoying chickens.

Of course, if I did know what the future had in store all of life's little wonders would be spoiled. As much as I want to know everything will eventually be alright, I don't want any spoilers. Yeah this coming from someone who loves to know how everything ends before it even begins. Fine I admit that I'm incredibly impatient and have a burning desire for "Happily Ever After", but my gut tells me things will be okay. The little details are still a mystery.

I will plan to post next week, but no promises. They are way too easy to break.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share or comment. I enjoy hearing from my readers. Until next week.

Welcome To Kids Stuff

Otherwise known as Peter Pan Syndrome 

I have made it my life's mission to never grow up. Why you might ask. Because having the mindset of a kid is awesome. As a kid anything is possible. As an adult you realize your dream of being a wizard isn't exactly possible (unless you've learned a secret of the universe that the rest of us haven't discovered yet in which case I'm not talking to you). 

Yesterday I played laser tag in years. It was a huge amount of fun. I even managed to get second place both games (see proud image of score cards below).

It was a ton of fun and I want to go out an play again (sooner rather than later). There are even leagues for people my age to play competitively (no I'm unlikely to join any of those).

My parents constantly nag me about watching cartoons and reading comic books. Honestly if it's a good story why should it matter? Not everything made for kids is stupid. Some of it is very entertaining (and not mindlessly so).

I also still believe in Santa Claus (there I admit it!), even if deep down I know he's more of a spiritual being than an actual one. There's just something magical about the time between Halloween and Christmas. I always feel like I'm still 12 years old.

Reality of course sets in around January.

Oh, well, maybe I will become a superhero someday. A person can still dream, even if they can't go back in time. Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, like comment or share with friends, family or your worst enemy. Now it's almost time for the Futurama and Simpsons cross over.

Welcome To The Crazy Times

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween, All Saint's Day, All Souls Day and El Dia de los Muertos. I enjoyed watching old horror movies (and one funny horror movie). I managed to catch the original Dracula, House on Haunted Hill and the hilarious 1960s remake of The Old Dark House. We had exactly three Trick or Treaters and plenty of candy left over. It was also the one year anniversary of my grandfather's passing. May he rest in peace.

I haven't had down time in a while. It feels like at every turn I'm doing something. Even things at work have been hectic. These are the times when if even one things goes wrong it feels like the whole world is ending (something I also managed to do this week).

How do I handle the crazy?

Usually I spend an entire weekend hibernating from the world. Well the weekend I had set aside for that unexpectedly changed (though not for the bad) into a fun weekend with a friend and my mom. Seeing my friend was awesome and we had a great time catching up.

This weekend I was all over Norther Virginia and DC. One of my friends was in the Color Run in DC yesterday. I honestly had no idea what to expect. I actually didn't run, but I did get to see the party afterwards. They threw these color packets into the air and got different colors everywhere. Here's a picture:

I did need to rinse off my cloths to get some of the additional colors off.

I spent most today in Winchester with my mom. We took a back road and saw all the beautiful leaves in the mountains. I miss the years we used to do Skyline Drive or go up to Gettysburg around this time. I love the drive when I'm a passenger, not when I have to drive. I can sit and stare out the window and day dream. It's wonderful.

If you enjoyed this post, or if really pissed you off, please like, share, and/or leave a message. I love hearing from my readers. Until next week!