Welcome to Alone at the Holidays

This year will be a quiet year for me during the holidays. Normally I would be traveling to one of my many relatives’ homes for Christmas and/or New Years, but not this year. There won’t be any parties to attend, no Japanese New Years feasts, and certainly no surprise Christmas trips (I managed to get my mom to jump about a foot in the air when I surprised her last year).

It’ll be just me and my dad...and my cat.

This isn’t the first time I’ll be spending at least part of the holidays alone. I’ve woken up on Christmas morning without any presents to open - granted I flew a few hundred miles and opened presents a few days later - but I still felt a little depressed because there was no one with me. That year, I didn’t even bother putting up a tree.

But as I stated before, it wasn’t the first time celebrating a holiday all by myself. And I technically won’t be alone this year - unlike a lot of people who will be separated from their friends and family.

How celebrations have changed have been all over social media. This one guy posted about celebrating his first Christmas ever (he said he’s Muslim) and how his roommates were including him in every “mandatory” activity - I feel a little bad for this guy because his roommates seem positively Christmas crazy. While one of my friends posted about celebrating Kwanza. My friend mentioned feeling a little odd celebrating by herself, which I totally understand.

A few years ago, I began celebrating the witch/Wiccan sabbats (basically holidays). Since I wasn’t part of a coven and was a little self conscious about my practices, I didn’t have anyone to celebrate these holidays with. And these holidays are meant to be shared with friends with all the food I end up making.

I’m a solo witch. And a lot of people who I talked to regarding my shift in spiritual practices had a lot of misconceptions about my beliefs. (A side note: I’ve mentioned how I’m a Christian in previous blog posts. I’m still a Christian, but also a practicing witch. Believe it or not the two don’t have to conflict with each other. I am not a Wiccan, but there is some crossover with how witches practice.)

To understand how best to celebrate the witch/Wiccan holidays, I had to do a lot of research. Once I had more information than I knew what to do with, I began to figure out which parts of the celebrations made sense for me. There were a lot of little things I could do to celebrate like taking a walk in nature, baking or cooking food with herbs and spices symbolic of the season, and meditating.

I’m still adjusting my celebrating and practices. This year was the first time I made soul cakes for Samhain as an offering to the dead who were visiting and shared some with my dad (who absolutely loved them and was disappointed when I said I wouldn’t make more until the next year.). My dad sort of rolls his eyes at my witch practices, but he seems to like the food I make for the sabbats.

Tomorrow is Yule. 

I plan on building a fire in the fireplace. I’ll toss in some holly to burn up my woes from 2020 and burn bay leaves with wishes for 2021. I’ll have a feast of root veggies and heavy meat stew in honor of the food that’s readily available at this time of year. Hot wassail will warm my insides. Pine and Frankincense incense will purify my home. Green, white, and gold candles will be lit since it’s the longest night. Oranges will be stuck with cloves to welcome back the sun. And I might try to do some star gazing.

Oh and I’ll make cookies.

Each activity I plan to do has been researched and has meaning. A couple of things were borrowed from my Christian roots (the oranges and the cloves for example), but flow well with my intentions for the celebration. 

Because what matters most in how I practice witchcraft is the intension.  It’s a practice of mindfulness and living in harmony with nature.

I walked a little with my friend about how she plans on celebrating Kwanza. She plans on doing some research and doing a few of the holiday’s rituals. It might not be a lot, but she’s excited to explore this side of her heritage.

A lot of people will probably be celebrating a holiday or five alone this year. Some might be putting in all their free time into it and have a “magazine ready apartment” to post on Instagram. Others might be planning on marathoning Star Wars and that’s it.

However you plan on celebrating the last two weeks of the year, I hope it’s wonderful.

And if you have the opportunity, toss a sprig of holly into a roaring fire to burn the woes of 2020 away.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Ghost Sightings

Ghosts are real. 

They exist at the edges of our minds to help us deal with the reality that one day we will die and no longer exist as we do right now. We might go our whole lives without ever seeing a ghost, but that doesn't mean we aren't followed by them.

I've never seen a ghost. I probably never will. But I know they're there to keep histories and memories alive for just a little longer.

About a month ago, I wrote a blog post about how ghost stories (at least the best ones) are rarely about the ghosts. You can read that blog post by clicking this link. 

That post primarily focuses on fictional stories and the ones that get passed down from generation to generation as a way to preserve culture or history. It wasn’t my first post on ghosts, nor was it the first time I brought up the fact that ghost stories are a good measure to discover what a culture values. This post will likely not be the last either.

Today I was feeling under the weather. Thankfully nothing COVID related (at least I haven’t heard of a crumbly stomach being associated with the virus). I ended up spending most of the morning under a pile of blankets with a cat curled up next to me and Unsolved Mysteries on in the background. I came back to full awareness when the episode playing was entirely in Japanese.

The episode in question was on the aftermath of the 3.11.2011 earthquake and tsunami. At first I was a bit confused as to why this was on Unsolved Mysteries as I hadn’t heard of anything unusual happening after the tragedy. Then ghosts were mentioned and things began to fall into place.

The episode wasn’t about a murder or disappearance that occurred in conjunction to the day, but about the trauma that happened to the people after over 15,000 were swept away by a wall of water. People began to see ghosts.

I don’t think this is all that unusual after such a horrific disaster. Though the episode does mention that ghost sightings are a rare occurrence in Japan after incidents of mass death (natural or man made), there is a cultural explanation for why this region of Japan had a high number of ghost sightings in the months and years after 3.11 (as the day has become known as).

Mass death isn’t normal. Sudden mass death is traumatic and leaves a gaping impression like a bullet hole.

The amount of death going on right now because of the pandemic feels so much worse. It's like a stab wound that hasn't closed properly and became infected. It'll likely leave a massive scar, if the wound ever heals.

I’ve been lucky. I haven’t seen the mobile morgues. My family has managed to avoid the worst of COVID. I’m still incredibly stressed by the situation.

We’ve seen how humans of the past dealt with pandemics and it was filled with images of death. The great plague that ravaged Asia and Europe in the Middle Ages left us with tons of paintings which featured dancing skeletons and iconography we still closely associate with death. The Dance of the Macabre is familiar enough to most modern people - even if they aren’t aware of its exact origin.

That particular disease really did look like something out of a zombie movie. COVID doesn’t have the tell tale disfiguration or gross puss filled boils like Bubonic or one of its similar plague buddies has. It’s not flashy and easily hidden away from the public eye. 

But the stress and trauma is all around us. I do wonder how our modern world will deal with it.

In the mid-2000s there was a huge uptick in paranormal investigative shows. I won’t deny that I enjoyed them back then. Although, now I much prefer seeing the story unfold rather than watch 40 of people wander around in the dark and then spend 10 minutes trying to tell me that there was a “ghost” on a recording. I like to think I’ve matured in taste since then, but it’s unlikely.

I’m not saying that the trauma of 9/11 was the reason for this sudden splash of TV shlock, but the timing is there. Kind of like how it wasn’t necessarily the counter culture of the 60s and 70s that led to the satanic panic of the 80s and 90s. 

But after traumatic events, we as humans seem to be drawn to what comes after life. Many times the trauma takes the form of ghosts.

I think there’s a reason Gettysburg is known for its battlefields and ghosts more than any other US city. The town and surrounding area was bombarded for three hot days in July. It’s the bloodiest battle to take place on US soil. And the town is filled with ghost stories about those three horrific days.

Will COVID correlate to another surge in live action ghost shows? Will we get more shows or movies like The Haunting of Hill House or Bly Manor? 

If anything, I do hope that the pandemic brings the end of the zombie. For years zombies were equated to disease and that we could fight our way out of it. Nothing remotely like the zombie apocalypse has happened. Please creative types, make zombies go away.

I’m still feeling a little queasy. The only other time I’ve felt like this and didn’t actually get sick was when I had a horribly stressful month at work while I was still new to my career. I couldn’t eat for a couple weeks. COVID has wrecked my nerves in a similar way - don’t know why this was the week for my body to freak out.

I have never seen a ghost - though I wouldn’t mind the experience. I think it’s important to understand that ghosts are very real. Whether or not seeing them is a response to trauma or a suggestion of the mind to rationalize the unknown or they are in fact real is up to you the individual. Right now my body is physically responding to the stress of the pandemic. Years from now, my mind might process the trauma differently.

And boy has my generation lived through a lot of traumatic events. 

If you enjoyed this post or it really (pissed you off), please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Stay safe everyone.

Welcome to Mindful Writing

How easy is it to take out your phone or tablet, pull up your social media of choice, word vomit 250 characters (if there's a limit), hit enter, and then promptly regret whatever it was you wrote?

Thank goodness I'm not famous or a few thousand people would have screen shot me misspelling the word six.

Though I find that the ability to type on a keyboard is a skill unto itself, I don't find myself worrying all that much when writing on my phone or tablet. Heck I rely so much on autocorrect when I fat-finger a word that I don't always notice when it corrects to something ridiculous. 

If there wasn't a standardization for submitting fiction and poetry to different journals, I probably wouldn't even notice that there were font options. (Granted I use comic sans for my webcomic - but that's a joke unto itself.) 

I don't notice the individual letters on the screen I'm reading from, just the words. And the words are important, but someone had to create the template that the program pulls together the letter images to form those words.

Last Christmas, my sister and brother-in-law gave me a beautiful glass pen which requires ink from an inkwell to use and a calligraphy book. I've only recently started trying them out.

And I love it!

An example of my work... it's not perfect, but I'm getting there.

There is something so satisfying gracefully crafting each letter into existence. I have to think before and during each stroke I make. The calligraphy book I'm working in describes the act as drawing instead of writing. I'm inclined to agree.

This isn't my first time trying out calligraphy. I grew up seeing the beautiful work from Japanese and Chinese writers and artists in my relatives homes and in museums. In middle school, we had a calligraphy section in my art classes where I epically failed at trying to draw Japanese kanji (my Japanese cousins had fun pointing out how I kept poorly writing the days of the week).

Eventually my interests drifted elsewhere, but I held on to some of my art work from that period in my life (until I left home and then it was lost - most likely - to the trash bin). However, that didn't lessen my appreciation of the artform when I came across it.

I have a few friends who have absolutely beautiful handwriting. It's almost enviable. One of my friends sends me letters and I almost want to frame them because her penmanship is unbelievable. Another of my friends actively wrote with a pen and inkwell during writing critique sessions. Though his critiques could be a blow to my ego, they always looked amazing.

As someone who struggled with writing for a long time, I never thought of my handwriting as "pretty". I remember my aunt once saw my penmanship while I was working on my travel journal to Japan. She was appalled and had me practice each letter every day at the kitchen table. My 11 year old self spent 6 weeks in Japan and for 6 weeks my aunt made certain I'd be able to read that journal nearly twenty years later. 

(I still have that journal. That handwriting is still awful. I was obsessed with food. I can see the improvement over the weeks.)

I would argue that my current journey into calligraphy is more meditative than anything. Unlike when I write a letter to a friend or type up my latest blog post, I'm completely focused on each movement I make with the pen. Each stroke must be carefully made or the ink might stain or the letter might look deformed. I relax and block out the outside world.

I do something similar when doing yoga, shooting a gun (at a designated target range), or actually meditating (there I'm usually focused on breathing). My problems melt away and I am in the moment - enjoying the moment.

If you're struggling to find something new to do or want to develop mindfulness, why not try calligraphy. It will be tough at first, but don't worry about what your work looks like at the beginning. The beauty will come with time. What you might find (or at least I hope you do) is the peaceful feeling that comes when focused on one task while the rest of the world doesn't matter.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week...maybe.

Welcome to the Holiday Season with COVID

 Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. Despite my stubborn vow to never travel during Thanksgiving after a disastrous incident with my flights in 2014, I often find myself scrambling to make travel arrangements for the winter holidays. 

I hate am not very fond of it.

Maybe I'll find some flying reindeer to help me out.

Don't get me wrong. I love traveling and have no problem getting on a plane, train, or bus any other time of year. It's just the period between mid-November and the first weekend in January that sets my teeth on edge. 

And if I am going to travel, I'm going to do my best to make sure its by car. I have a lot more freedom that way.

This year has really thrown a wrench in my usual holiday plans. COVID is no joke and there has been a serious uptick in cases in recent weeks. Though I understand that my risk of having complications - if I catch the disease - are minimal, that doesn't mean I don't worry. Especially because I do check in on people who could be devastated by COVID.

Though I have really wanted to, I haven't gotten on a plane since February (for a work trip) and I don't plan on getting on a plane any time soon (unless there's an unavoidable work trip). There are so many places (mainly Maine and Arizona to visit my cousins) that I have wanted to go to. I'm going crazy being stuck in Northern Virginia, even if there are a lot of things to do. I'm a wanderer. I need to wander.

Already airlines are starting to see an uptick in travel plans, though not nearly to the point they would be any other year. People have been away from home and their families for a long time. The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is a major family gathering time in the United States. There's even a Christmas Song dedicated to this annual migration ("Oh There's No Place Like Home For the Holidays").

If you can, stay home this year. Plan a small(er) celebration. Create some new traditions. Maybe have a celebration on Zoom or Skype. 

If you can't...please stay as safe as you can. Most hotels are doing a fantastic job social distancing and cleaning. Restaurants in my area are fanatical about cleanliness and mask wearing. 

And I'm not saying that you shouldn't visit or welcome family who want to see you. Two of my aunts just came down from Michigan to visit me and we had a lovely time. Before they came, they made sure they didn't have COVID and took a lot of precautions while driving down. They didn't fly.

Telling you guys not to travel would be hypocritical of me (especially since I've already mentioned that I was in a wedding about a month ago).

COVID is serious. The unrest in some major cities over the results of the election are serious. Your mental health and wellbeing are serious.

Any travel you plan, plan it carefully and safely. Wear masks, carry hand sanitizer, travel by car instead of plane or train, and pack lots of snacks. Your family will want to see you next year and the year after that too.

Happy Start of the Holidays everyone!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to a Dancing in the Streets

 When I hear the phrase "dancing in the streets" my mind typically jumps to the David Bowie and Mick Jagger version of the song from 1993. However, the song is much older. Originally sung in 1965 by Martha & The Vandellas. 

The top comment right now on the video I linked is about dancing in the streets once the pandemic is declared over. I kind of hope it happens - especially after the past few days. 

I'm not gonna lie. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the US election was called. Things have been tense since 2016 and the past 10 months have only exacerbated the cracks that had formed in our country's foundation. There's a part of me that still can't relax despite the election being called because there are still three months before there's a transition of power. 

I wasn't dancing in the street, but I saw a lot of people out there. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the epic saga that was the battle between the "Trump House" and the rest of the wealthy residents of Lewinsville Road. Well yesterday, I can report that the saga somewhat ended when the residents of the Pride House took to the streets to dance and let everyone passing by know who won.

I didn't see many others in my area taking to the streets - at least not in person. 

Part of me did want to drive into DC to see the celebrations at Black Lives Matter Plaza. The sane part of me also remembered that there is pandemic and parking is a pain in the butt (especially with the new wall around the White House). 

But I haven't wanted to dance. 

Or maybe I don't want to dance yet. 

There's so much going on in the world right now and I've been feeling exhausted - even when I don't feel like I've been doing anything. The stress of the pandemic, making sure my family stays safe, and the monotony of spending everyday at home has started to get to me. I'd like to go out and meet new people (I did just move back to NoVa in March), maybe try dating again, take a trip overseas, or at least spend time with my old friends I haven't seen in years. 

So much has happened to me in a year. So much has changed. I like to believe that I'm doing alright, but there's always a slight worry that everything's going to fall apart if I let my guard drop too much.

The videos out of Philly, Detroit, DC, and LA have been amazing to see. So many people - particularly young people - outside celebrating. It's inspiring.

I'm not ready to dance yet, but I hope to someday soon.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the Tragedy in Horror

 This past week, I watched the Netflix original The Haunting of Bly Manor. Based on the classic gothic horror novel, The Turn of the Screw, and a spiritual successor to the fabulous The Haunting of Hill House, I was excited to see how this mini series was going to do. 

I wasn't disappointed. 

Though I don't think The Haunting of Bly Manor is nearly as good as The Haunting of Hill House, I did enjoy watching it. And like the first miniseries, it left me crying my eyes out by the end.

Ghost Stories are Never Just About the Ghosts

At least good ghost stories are never just about the ghosts. 

At their heart ghost stories are about people. Their actions, their emotions, and what they leave behind. My favorite ghost stories not only scare me, but also leave me in tears. The tragedy is part of the horror. 

One of the first ghost stories I remember watching as a kid was The Others (2001). I'd seen other horror movies as a kid (Arachnophobia might have hindered my interest in spiders for a few years), but not many serious ghost stories.

And boy did I have an interest in ghosts and haunted houses as a kid.

One of my favorite shows as a kid was the History Channel's Haunted History series. They'd go to cities, visit some haunted locations and explain the history with some ghost stories thrown in. It wasn't like the ghost hunting shows that are on now. You can find a lot of them on Amazon Prime (though it takes some digging to find them) and a few channels on YouTube.

So, when I watched The Others, my kid self was expecting a haunted house story. I was not ready for the twist ending or how much I was going to cry (and I was one of those kids that cried at the drop of a hat). 

I freaking loved it.

The Others is a ghost story about ghosts not knowing they're dead and their need to come to terms with that. Their feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and guilt permeate the film. The horror isn't that there are ghosts haunting a house, but how they handle the stressful situations they are in. 

Going back to The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, much of the horror is realizing who was fated to die, how they were unable to prevent it, and the response to those deaths. Nell's death in particular ticks all of these boxes. 

We learn that Nell is dead in the first episode of The Haunting of Hill House. Her spirit is waiting in her brother Steve's apartment when he gets home. He grumbles to her for a bit, then he gets a phone call from his dad stating she's dead, and finally we get that awesome jump scare. Much of the rest of the series that takes place in the present focuses on how her death brought her family back together.

However, we do get a full episode dedicated to Nell's life. We see her falling in love, getting married, and then losing her husband to an unforeseeable health problem. We see her pain and deepening depression as she struggles with her husband's death. I wanted to see her get better. I wanted her to be happy.

Throughout the episode, we also see the bent neck lady haunting Nell. She shows up at some of the worst moments of Nell's life - including the death of her husband. Right before going back to Hill House, Nell sees her again. I don't know if this vision was the final straw for Nell to go to the house or if she would have gone regardless of seeing her, but she goes back to the house. And she relives some of her happiest moments with her family. She even dances with her husband again like she did on her wedding day.

She seems so happy, even though we, the audience, know it's not real. We want Nell to be happy. But she's destined to die. We've known this from episode one. When she does die (and we find out who the bent neck woman is) we're horrified. I was so upset that I burst into tears. 

Same thing happened at the end of the series, when Steven is learning the whole truth of his mother's death. The ending of Bly Manor also left me in tears between the lady of the lake (though I honestly didn't need an entire episode dedicated to her), Hannah, Rebecca, and the inevitable death of Dannie.

I was horrified and full of sorrow.

I seem to like these types of horror stories a lot.

A couple of nights ago, despite knowing that I was going to cry again anyway, I decided to put on the movie Paranorman (2012) after finishing Bly Manor. Paranorman is one of Laika studio's best all around animated films. It's got horror, humor, and one of the biggest tear-jerk moments in a movie about witches and zombies. 

If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend going and watching (because I might spoil a couple of key plot points) it. Norman is a little different - mainly because he can talk to dead people like the kid in the Sixth Sense. He's given the responsibility of reading the spirit of a witch a bed time story to keep her asleep for another year. He fails, zombies rise from their graves, and the town descends into chaos.

The resolution and ending is so sad.

(Spoilers - next paragraph)

Nothing bad happens to Norman. It's the witch's story that's depressing. Because of course the witch wasn't actually a witch. She was a little girl like Norman - a little different. She was killed because they were afraid of her.

(Spoilers - ended)

No matter how much I'm enjoying the movie, I know that I'm going to be in tears by the end. That doesn't stop me from watching, but I do have to prepare myself for it.

Go watch Paranorman, it's great. Plus there is this hilarious scene where you find out one of the characters is gay and it's one of the best reveals I've ever watched. 

But this is my opinion on horror stories. I can't just be terrified or in a state of anxiety the whole time. Tragedy rounds out the story and adds depth to characters' back stories...especially if they're ghosts. 

Why are some of my favorite horror movies also ones that make me cry?

Probably because I like ghost stories, where the ghosts aren't what's really doing the haunting.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Weddings in the Time of COVID

 This past month, I participated in two weddings. For one I attended in person as a bridesmaid. For the other, I was able to watch the ceremony via a Zoom video link. 

I was equally thrilled to attend both. 

I've seen a number of my friends celebrate major mile stones on Facebook recently. I've seen posts about engagements, marriages, baby showers, major birthdays, graduations, and, unfortunately, even a few funerals. Some of these events are in-person, some are only over the internet, others are a mix.

The wedding I attended in person was outside and everyone (except the bride, groom, and officiant) wore masks the entire time. We were able to dance, but, again, masks were always on and we kept our distances. The favors included hand sanitizer and another mask. 

No flowers were thrown. Sparklers couldn't be lit. But the wedding planner provided everyone a stick with colored ribbon to wave as the bride and groom left the ceremony. It still felt like a normal wedding, just with a lot less people and a few minor changes that Instagram or Pinterest might list as a new wedding trend.

Which a lot of this might become. 

Weddings (well any event really) can be expensive and a lot of personalities can cause unnecessary drama. Only allowing a limited number of people at the actual event would likely help the happy couple out a lot. 

Attending a wedding ceremony via Zoom is also really nice. 

I felt included and honored to be a part of my friend's big day. I'll admit that the lack of stress trying to get to the wedding on time was really nice (I've been late to many weddings, coming in just as the bride walks down the isle). Certainly, I'll miss seeing them in person, but I can call them later and mail them a present.

I did something similar for a baby shower I was invited to (though there I was having some technical difficulties and missed most of it).

We as a society want things to go back to "normal" - whatever that means to you - but the reality is, "normal" isn't coming back any time soon. We likely adopt some of these new practices for future events (especially the Zoom stream option).

It's good for us to have these celebrations, even if there are a number of limitations. 

Many years into the future, we'll be sitting down with the next generation or the one after that and looking at our old Facebook timelines when a memory will annoyingly pop up. The kids will see the pictures and they might ask us why everyone at the wedding was wearing fancy masks that covered their mouth and nose. And we'll tell them about the virus that stopped the world in it's tracks and likely changed the course of history.

These pictures are going to end up in history books. They'll be right next to the ones showing the doctors and nurses working hard to save lives. Adjacent to the protestors in masks marching in the streets demanding justice and change. Below the ones of long lines at the polling stations. 

COVID-19 isn't the end of our way of life, but a new beginning that allows new adaptations when we are faced with the toughest of times.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Lawn Signs

Lawns have long been a place for self expression in the areas I grew up in. Holidays like Halloween and Christmas always had people out doing each other to see who could have the best decorations. Year round, I knew plenty of Catholics who had a statue of the mother virgin in their front yard. People hang flags, do amazing landscaping, and will put up political signs near election time. 

This year, political signs are everywhere. And no wonder, it's a controversial time in the USA. Which brings me to the reason I write this post.

This is a story about two neighbors - well, maybe three or more - and their epic battle of political rivalry using lawn signs.

Sorry guys, for safety sake, no actual pictures of the houses will be shown.

The Saga Begins in Mid-September...

Since moving back to Virginia, I have been driving Lewinsville Road quite a bit to visit my dad. It is on this suburban street - used to avoid Tysons Corner - that we have the prime example of political rivalry and epic pettiness. 

While driving, I would check out the neighborhood and fantasize about owning a home there (something I am extremely unlikely to achieve, even with a more modest house). 

I noticed these two houses early in my travels. Trump flags in Northern Virginia are a rare sight and this one was next to a house with a peace gay pride flag. 

My first thought was: they must get along swell. (Please note the sarcasm)

And for months after, that's all I thought about the two houses.

The September rolled around and political signs for our upcoming election begin popping up everywhere. The house with the Trump flag invests in one of those giant Trump/Pence signs that takes up half their tiny front yard. 

I was unsurprised by this, however my interest became piqued when the next week, the next door neighbors had moved their peace gay pride flag from the pole by the front door to hang from one of their trees right by the road, lit up with fairy lights.

An update on my thoughts: this might get interesting. 

Another week goes by and the giant Trump/Pence sign is vandalized (it's not the only one in this area). The Trump House - as I've taken to mentally calling it - puts up a dozen or so smaller lawn signs. Some say Trump/Pence, others are for one of the other Republican candidates on the ballot, and two handmade signs with arrows pointing at the giant sign saying: "is this law and order?"

The neighbors, at this point, seem to have had enough. They buy a dozen or so small signs for Biden/Harris to stick all over their front lawn. They also add more fairy lights.

As Halloween Draws Near...

It's now getting to be that point in October where most houses have Halloween decorations up. I must admit, the people in Mclean are fantastic decorators (can't wait to see what they do for Christmas). But between the humongous spiders and blowup ghouls are a few lawn signs thrown in for flavor.

Except at these two houses, who have now completely covered their lawns with political signs. The Trump House continues to have problems with vandals - though I notice that the smaller signs get replaced after awhile. The giant one continues to stand, spray paint addition et all.

This past week, I noticed two hilarious additions to the displays. The first isn't all that glamourous, but it did cause me to start giggling. The other next door neighbor to the Trump House put up their own handmade sign reading: "Republicans for Biden". It's got little blue and red stars dancing around the border. 

However, the truly magnificent addition to all this is a newly erected giant Biden/Harris sign that towers over the tagged Trump/Pence one. It's up on stilts and at the top of each is a pink flamingo looking right over the Trump House's.

It's amazing. Truly a chef's kiss.

Three Weeks Until...

We are three weeks from the election and I have no idea if things will continue to happen around these two houses. However, once the flamingos went up, I knew I had to tell this tale to you my readers. 

For this isn't just a tale of the political landscape in America (though it totally is), but the lengths people will go to out do each other in the most petty of ways.

If there are any developments in this on going saga, I will try to provide an update. 

In the mean time...stay safe, stay sane, and laugh as much as you can.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Reoccurring Dreams

We all know about the most common dreams people have. The ones buzzfeed and other clickbait sites like to use for their top ten lists. They usually include flying, teeth falling out, or being late to an exam for a class I’ve never taken a day of. Sometimes you’ll be somewhere having fun and suddenly realize that you have no clothes on.

I have my own set of reoccurring dreams...and one that has only recently started.

Like in the top tens list, I get the ones where my teeth fall out (with the added bonus of my braces stilling being in and wire jutting out from my mouth). I’ve had the ones where I have no clothes in a public place (those aren’t that traumatic for me). I’ve even been late for an exam or two for classes I’ve never attended a day of. 

The more common ones aren’t too worrisome. Even my dream self is typically more confused than scared or anxious. There’s always one or two details just off enough that, even asleep, I know aren’t really happening. Take for example the teeth dream. I’ll start losing my teeth, while I have my braces and still attending university. The wrong detail - I didn’t wear braces in university, only high school.

However, it’s the dreams that I don’t hear about other people having that I find most distressing. Maybe I’m the only one who has dreams like these or maybe they’ll start to become more common as time keeps moving forward.

My most common reoccurring dream is probably having weird things happen while I’m driving my car. For example, I might be driving and suddenly the light changes to red, but the breaks won’t work and I’ll slide right through the intersection no matter how much I want to stop. My dream self will cringe away, ready to be hit by another car. Nothing bad ever happens.

A similar dream involving cars has me either in a passenger seat or driving two cars at the same time - one behind the other with me in the second car. I hate this one because my body might float away and I’ll still be in control of the car and have to drive it without crashing. Sometimes I can’t see where the car is, but I know it’s general location and do my best to steer it from wherever my body was left.

I hate these dreams.

I feel like I’ve lost control of the situation and terrible things are about to happen - which is probably why I’m having these dreams in the first place.

I’m curious if other people have dreams like this - especially where they get to drive a car Mario Kart style while in a separate car. 

Or if more people will have weird dreams about driving their cars if/when self driving cars become more common.

My latest reoccurring dream is directly related to these trying times and has only recently started. I’ll be out and about, sometimes on a tour, other times in a store and suddenly everyone but me will have a mask on. I’ll freak out and start looking for my mask. Or the people around me will start telling me off because I’m inconsiderate of the others (especially elderly) around me.

I wonder if our generation will start having this dream more and more until it becomes one of the top reoccurring dreams. How long will the pandemic last and how many generations might have this or a similar dream?

Have you, my reader, have had this dream? What about any of the others I mentioned. Let me know in the comments.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Welcome to the October Surprise

 Are y'all as exhausted as I am from this past week. The nomination for the new supreme court justice was announced, taxes were released, a debate happened, I got endless joy from the phrase "just shut up man", key people in the current presidential administration came down with coronavirus, and that's just what's been written in the headlines. This week has been insane...and I'm just plain exhausted. 

We are less than a month away from the election.

Are you registered to vote?

Yes, I am. Please stop asking me Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and all the other social media platforms that don't have an "off switch" button for these pop-ups. I feel for the users under the age of 18 (and lied about their age) and the non-citizens who can't opt out of them. No one needs to be reminded a million times about an election they can't participate in. 

The polls all say this, that, and another thing.

None of it matters. Four years ago we were all being told that Hillary Clinton was going to win the election - that didn't happen. 

To be fair, the October Surprise for that election was the report from the FBI. A report that kind of went no where and hasn't stopped anyone else from doing the same thing. 

If you haven't ever heard of the October Surprise, it refers to a last minute event that throws a huge curveball into the US election season (seeing as we vote the first Tuesday of November). It began as a conspiracy theory during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979 that ended with the hostages' release the same day Regan was inaugurated. The majority of the events that enabled the safe return of the hostages occurred in October 1980 - right before the election. 

I think we've had almost a full week of October Surprises...more than most elections anyway (even 2016). 

Me. It was me.

I'm not surprised, though, that the president caught The Rona. I'm not happy, sad, feeling schadenfreude, or any other emotion that's been shared the past few days. If anything, I am indifferent to the situation. He's been acting so reckless that it was inevitable that the president and those who surround him would catch the virus. 

I still feel nothing.

I don't even feel like this is an "I told you so" type of situation. 

I think I'm too exhausted. 

Life is kicking my butt right now. It's kicking a lot of people's butts right now. I won't go into details. I'm uninterested in putting my whole life on the Internet. Needless to say, that when I do read the latest headlines and watch the most buzz worthy clips, it's with the intention of keeping myself informed while I have a blank expression on my face. 

Fires are still raging in the west. Corona virus has killed more than 200,000 Americans (over a million deaths world wide). Climate change is still happening. My cat bit me this morning because she didn't have any water in her water bowl.

"It's the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine."

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until the next surprise next week.

Welcome to Knowing Where You Are..

… And How to Get Where You Are Going

For people outside of the DC area, they might not be familiar with a somewhat hidden parkway that stretches from Mclean in the North to Mt. Vernon in the South. This is the George Washington Parkway - known as the GW by nearly all locals. It's part of the national park service, and it's the only access point to see Teddy Roosevelt's memorial on Roosevelt Island. There are dozens of places to turn off and see Washington DC from across the river (nearly all of which require you to be driving north to access). And the Potomac Heritage Trail hugs one side of the parkway - with plenty of pedestrian crosswalks to further annoy the local drivers. 

If GPSs didn't exist, I doubt anyone but locals would drive the GW. Or at least any sane tourist would try to stay clear of it. 

See the GW has very few street lights, and even few signs to tell you where you are or where you're going. Road markers are pretty much non-existent. The signs that are on there, aren't well lit and are only useful if you already know where they are located - otherwise, you're doomed to miss your exit.

Basically, people should only drive the GW if they know where they are and where they are going. 

There have been dozens of times were it was pure luck that I got to my exit. There have been just as many times where I have zoomed right passed where I needed to go and been known the wiser until I hit 495 (it meets up the GW in the north and south). 

And remember how I mentioned that you'd need a GPS to navigate it. Well, that's only have true. See there are a couple of exits so bat s%!t insane, that I've made it a habit of ignoring my GPS in favor of taking one of the other "hidden" roads that circle the Pentagon to my destination. This particularly awful bit of directions happens most often when you want to go from the GW to Rout 1, but have to jump on 395 and cross 5 lanes of traffic in under a quarter of a mile to pull this off. My dad likes to curse the Penn State traffic engineers who were hired to create this monstrosity. I've learned to take the Memorial Bridge Exit (which, again, only exists if you know about it because the sign is hidden behind the bridge), hop on 101, and then hope to merge onto Rout 1 instead of ending up on 395 North.

The GPS won't tell you to do any of this. 

This analogy is relevant, I promise. 

I've thought I was at this life stage before. The one where I think I know where I am and where I might be going. However, life loves to throw me some mean curve balls and I sometimes pass an exit without known I have. I've also come up to an exit without knowing it and have had to cross four lanes of traffic, hoping against all hope that the skills I learned driving in New Jersey will get me safely off the highway.

Because life isn't exactly like a highway (no matter what Meatloaf might sign). You, me, and the guy next door whom you've maybe seen twice probably don't know where they are. We think we do, but the mile marker we were hoping for, disappeared from the side of the road. There's no GPS and the map is at least ten years out of date. 

There are very few lights on the GW. It's overgrown with trees and vines that look beautiful when it's full bloom in spring, but creepy as all get out on a foggy night in November. The roads haven't been paved in forever and there have been a couple of times I've been worried about going over the bridges. And don't forget the pedestrians. 

Anyone new to the area, should stick away from the GW unless they have a lot of time on their hands. 

However, that doesn't mean it's not a beautiful road to travel. It's a little slice of nature in an otherwise built up area. I always feel a little disconnected from the real world as I'm traversing under the thick trees. There are amazing views of Georgetown, the monuments, and the capital that seem almost unreal. 

Which again, is a lot like the many stages of life. Its intimidating, confusing, but also beautiful. 

One day, I hope the parkway is repaved where I hop on at the Chain Bridge. Right now, I keep worrying that a pot hole might finally take out one of my tires (or a bumper). Or maybe they'll build a few more pedestrian friendly bridges. I'm always worried a pedestrian will step out into the parkway crosswalk at the wrong time (like at twilight or dawn).

The George Washington Parkway is a lot of fun to drive, but caution must be taken and it's best to know what you are doing. Don't take the 395 South exit if you want to go down Route 1. Most exits are on the right hand side, unless you want to take 66 from the north, then be in the left most lane before Memorial Bridge.

And stop at one of the scenic pull offs or parks. They're worth visiting.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Fall of 2020

 Fall starts on Tuesday. That's the equinox. 

In my area, the weather is already cooling down and the air has that rich smoked meat and wood sent that I closely associate with home.

Last week, I was a little ticked off when I wrote my blog post. I still am. Thankfully, things are getting better in the Northwestern United States and my family is out of danger. As fire season dies down, we'll have to start preparing for 2021, though it's probably already too late for that. 

We're also at Tropical Storm Beta in the north Atlantic. It's also going to hit Louisiana - along with Texas. Teddy and Wilfred are also still hanging out in the ocean. Two more storms are likely to form. Peak hurricane season continues until mid-October.

Fall can represent the later years of a person's life. Some people might associate that with dying (they're not wrong). Trees loose their leaves. A lot of animals go into hibernation or die because it gets too cold. The days are short and the nights turn long. These patterns are eerie and foreboding.

But there's another side of fall. 

Fall is the time of the harvest. Where all the hard work of Spring and Summer pay off and there is an abundance of food to share. People want to celebrate with their communities in the Fall with festivities like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Bond fires are frequent and who doesn't love to snuggle up to someone on a cool night with a hot drink to share. 

However, to have a good harvest, the right conditions and hard work need to be done. Luck plays a part of it too. Crops can fail even for the best farmers. But even with bad weather, the community can still prosper if they plan right and are willing to make some hard choices to benefit everyone.

This harvest season hasn't started off the most positive. 

On Friday, the world lost one of the most iconic women of this age. The loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is tough. I feel both saddened and fearful for a future without her. She was one of those people who seemed invincible. 

RBG may be gone, but she won't be forgotten. She continues to inspire those who wish to take action. 

The season has only just begun and I find myself dreading it's end. A lot can happen in three short months. A lot can change. 

What we do this fall with have consequences for many more falls to come. Like a farmer who needs to prepare for the next Spring's planting, we have to be ready for what nature has in store for us. If we don't have politicians and leadership that can prepare for more violent storms and wild fires, then more people will be in harms way. If we don't address the social hurts of society, we will grow further divided. 

The harvest has begun, but it is not the time to rest. The future is within reach and our actions now will mold it for better or worse. 

I hope you, my readers are staying safe. 

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to Nature's Fury

 So if you guys haven't noticed, the western coast of America is on fire. 

Right now, my family out there is relatively safe. Though one of the major evacuation routes has been cut off by the fires, air quality is beyond poor, and every picture I see looks apocalyptic. Things, of course, could be worse. There could be a major Earthquake or storm to also hit that coast and really mess things up for the people living there. 

I mean it's not like the pandemic is making things any easier. 

To add insult to injury, it has been confirmed that at least one of these fires was started because someone needed explosives to announce their child's genitalia. I honestly feel that the judge for this case needs to throw the book at them. Though it probably won't do much to help stop this stupidity.

I get that climate change and protecting the environment are touchy subjects for some people. Sure, climate change is a natural occurrence that has been recorded throughout history. However, humans are definitely not helping the situation (see my earlier note about the fire). One could argue that since humans are a part of nature that this is still a natural thing to happen to the Earth.

Heck, this isn't even really the end of the world, just everything living on it.

Am I sounding bitter or annoyed? 

That's because I am. Since the I've been around, environmentalism and taking care of the Earth have been major messages in the media. I grew up watching shows like Captain Planet and Bill Neigh the Science Guy. Movies like Buffy: The Vampire Slayer even reference the issue un-ironically. 

We're just now starting to really see the consequences of not doing enough. I mean there are four major storm systems currently hanging out in the North Atlantic with another three on deck. Oh and the west coast of the United States is on FIRE.

Wait...wasn't Australia also on fire earlier this year?

The pandemic's cause my sense of time to warp so badly, it feels like the past nine months have actually been a full decade. Yes, Australia was also on FIRE at the beginning of 2020 and might go up in flames again in 2021.

To quote one of my favorite Broadway musicals: "it ain't right and it ain't natural."*

It's great that we're teaching kids about climate change because the kids really are the ones leading the charge for change. Greta Thunberg might be the most well known climate rights activist child, but also Jamie Margolin, Mari Copeny (also known as Little Miss Flint), and Xiye Bastida (to name a very few). 

We'll listen to these kids, maybe give them a high-five for a job well done, but are the adults in the room doing anything productive?

Not really.

Because it's all about the money y'all and a lot of very wealthy people have their money tied to how things are right now. 

Again, I'm a little annoyed that there is still a debate about what to do about the environment. I mean it's not like we're facing crisis after crisis that has ties to climate change. 

Oh wait we are.

Fires, flooding, massive storms, A PANDEMIC, crop failures, murder hornets (whatever happened to that plot point anyway), and messed up seasons all have ties to environmental factors. We're seeing what happens when you ignore scientists for 50 years.

And for the people who think that God will keep the Earth as it is for another couple of millennia, I would like to point you back to the book of Genesis where it clearly states that the big guy told Adam and Eve to take care of the Earth.

But what do I know?

It's not like I've been on social media and seen pictures of a post-apocalyptic sky hanging over California, Oregon, and Washington. It's not like every couple of days another 1000 people pass away from a disease we barely understand. It's not like Louisiana isn't partially destroyed or anything with another hurricane on the way.

Also, there was an Earthquake in Jersey recently...weird right?

We only have 3 and a half more months to get through this year. Things can still get worse and the only thing we can do is prepare the best we can. Have a "go" bag ready with essential items like bottled water and a first aide kit. Make sure you have an emergency route planned out. Don't forget your pets!

2020 ain't over yet.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me. 

*The musical in question is: Hadestown. I can't recommend it enough.

Welcome to the Perks of Pen Pals

The post office and it’s services are important guys.

Not only does it send you bills, junk mail, and coupons, but it is a reliable way for the government to communicate with people (the won’t call or email you), have your medication delivered, and send Christmas cards to all the people you forget about the rest of the year.

The post office was even used in a movie to prove that Santa Clause exists (see the 1947 Miricle on 34th Street - not the 1994 version).

My favorite thing about the post office is that it has allowed me to keep in tough with friends and family I might not otherwise have similar conversations with. I currently have three pen pals whom I regularly send and receive letters. I have one pen pal in particular who loves getting creative with her letter writing. She’s sent me letters in the form of puzzles, on envelops stuffed into one another (something she created), and on beautiful calligraphy paper.

Other things my pen pals have sent me included: short stories, art, poems, Christmas ornaments, a mini journal, and art kits.

It’s a fun hobby I’ve been actively doing since I was in college.

A very small sample of the letters I’ve received over the years

I started writing letters to a high school friend. Well, my friend started sending me letters and I adored the cards she sent and wanted to send her something in return. I haven’t written to that friend as much since leaving school, but I’ve found other friends and family members to share letters with.

Why do I prefer to send letters than email or  text or instant messaging (insert favorite social media app here)?

The answer is a little silly, but I feel really good getting a letter versus the other (faster) forms of communication. It’s almost like getting a present on my birthday. I’ll open up my mailbox and see a small, usually brightly colored envelope and a smile will spread across my face...even if it’s been a terrible day. Getting a letter in the mail makes me feel special.

It takes time to write a letter. A lot of thought goes into the limited amount of space I have to share with my pen pal. Sometimes I’m answering questions, other times I’m curious about something that was written. Often I include the latest book I’m reading and whether or not I like. Occasionally, I’ll go into ideas about future plans.

Picking out which card to send can be just as exciting as the letter writing part. If I’ve been traveling, I’ll pick up a card or two to use and mention some highlights from the trip. Sometimes I find a fun stationary set that I use for months on end. Lately, I’ve been using blank brightly colored cards and drawing on the front. The drawings don’t typically mean anything - though sometimes I’ll include a reason or source of inspiration.

It’s rare that I include anything additional (like the mini journal or other presents I’ve been sent), though other people have sent me things. However, I’ve started doing these mini Polaroid paintings and have started mailing them to my pen pals. Many of these paintings symbolize where I wish I had traveled during the time of COVID-19.

I also hold onto the letters I receive. Sometimes, when I’ve hard a rough day, I go through my collection of letters and start to feel a little better. They’re an uplifting remind that I am connected to other people.

This type of communication just isn’t the same as any other. Sure I might get sent a link to art or receive a lovely note in Facebook’s Messenger, but sometimes I want to have the physical feeling of holding something someone else had. Without letters, I miss out on the little quirks people have developed in their hand writing or the cool stamps (as well as the art) people pick out.

No sharing personal info or messages on a public blog guys.

I know it’s out of fashion and can cost money, but why not try letter writing for your next hobby? You might find that it’s a Major mood lifter.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

I may or may not update next week...since it’s a holiday.

Welcome to Becoming a Cat Parent

It's finally happened everyone. I am no longer responsible for my own well-being. I now get to look after the well-being of a furiously fluffy fur baby who hisses every time I get a little too close.

I've taken in my cat Karma.

Karma is my 12 year old cat. She'd been living with my mom until circumstances changed and it was decided that Karma would come to live with me - no I don't feel like elaborating. She has spent most of the past week hiding under my bed.

When I was younger I missed her a lot when I was away at school and after I moved away from my mom. I loved visiting her when I was at my mom's house - even if she constantly hissed at me or sat on my suitcase when it was time to pack up.

I'll be honest, I very much enjoyed not having the responsibility of looking after a pet (or another human, but let's not jinx me), but I was happy to have Karma in my life again full time. When she's in a good mood, she's the cuddliest fluff ball in existence. I love curling up with me on the couch or on my bed - though my allergies aren't the most cooperative.

A watercolor painting of Karma near my couch

I also wouldn't really call myself a cat person (allergies are a big deterrent). I actually prefer big fluffy dogs and their crazy energy (I will never pass up an opportunity to pet a dog) to the much more temperamental and regal cat. However, due to those earlier circumstances I mentioned, I had to beg my mom to bring Karma to me.

One day I might get a dog, but not for a long while yet.

When mom brought her down, it was clear that Karma loved my apartment. She was out and about most of the day, playing with a ball and bird watching. She didn't mind me picking her up to take her out onto the balcony. I can tell that she really misses my mom. Hopefully she'll except me as a good substitute soon.

Cause the thing is, cat's don't like change.

Period.

I can only imagine what might happen if/when I move again (let's be real - I will move again at some point). Chasing her around the apartment to give her medicine is beyond stressful. I don't fancy trying to put her in a carrier again anytime soon.

Though it's taking time for her to adjust, I've already noticed myself re-prioritizing my life. I know she's a cat and can take care of herself for the most part, but I hate the idea of leaving her alone for too long. I worry what will happen when I start traveling again - will she be okay at a kitty hotel? or by herself? will I find someone who will check in on her?

I also worry what might happen if she were to ever escape my home. Yes, she has a micro chip implant, but any number of things could happen to her. There are foxes and busy roads!

Though I'm not super interested in taking in any more pets at this time (or finding a relationship, let alone raising kids), I have noticed how much I love having Karma around. It's expensive and time consuming, but she is the best thing to wake up to first thing in the morning. She loves having her head scratched.

I might hate cleaning up her litter box and constantly freak out when she coughs up a fur-ball, but I'm glad she's here. There's a bit of a learning curve when it comes to looking after her.

Having a pet is a big responsibility. It's not just me I have to think about anymore. Karma is my kitty and she will be treated royally.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Trans-Media Writing

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine convinced me to take a free online class with her on trans-media writing. It doesn't have anything to do with LGBTQ+  narratives or writing transgender characters. It's actually a writing process that allows for a story to be told on multiple platforms.

An example might be how Pokemon was an anime, video game, card game, and manga. You didn't have participate in the card games to enjoy the anime, but some people did. Each platform was tied to a single world built on the idea that kids could battle their "pocket" monsters that could do cool moves depending on the monster's "type" (grass, flying, fire, water, etc.).

Pokemon has since built a huge empire and is still producing stories and merchandise.

One of  my favorite Pokemon

The idea of trans-media writing isn't new. In fact a lot of the examples from this course went back to the 70s and 80s. However, specifically developing stories around the idea that they will jump from one media consumption to another is becoming more common.

I'm not going to summarize the course or give you guys a point by point retelling of why trans-media writing is cool or the future of story telling (I don't know if it is). The course is free on Coursera with an option to purchase a completion certificate for $50 (I did not select this option) and runs on a monthly basis (there are assignments which are peer graded).

Though I came into the course blind, I found myself having a lot of fun developing how I'd tell a story across multiple media platforms and make it interactive for my readers. Having an interactive portion of the story is apparently very important in trans-media writing.

Eventually, I developed the idea of having an interactive or digital story (like the digital novels you might find on Steam) for kids to chose their own adventures (remember those books). It would have some game elements such as having multiple story endings, allowing the player to see how their choices play out, and allowing for multiple play-thrus. There would be a tie-in novel with the "true" ending of the story and a website for social interaction from me and the audience.

Though I have a general outline of the story, I have no way to execute my ambitious idea of making it digital - not without a lot of computer programming and art classes.

However, developing the story for the class was fun and challenged me to think outside of the box when it came to story telling.

There's no denying that I prefer the traditional narrative (and holding a physical book), but I think that trans-media story telling is going to continue to grow. Advertisers love it and big movies often come with an app or game that ties into the story.

Sometimes trans-media writing can even resurrect a canceled show like how Firefly finished its narrative as a comic book or Star Trek's many, many novels.

There are a lot of possibilities when it comes to telling a story. Which method will you chose?

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Stories Retold

There are some stories that are told over and over again. A new version for a new generation to shape and reflect their world view. One of my favorite stories retold with a modern spin is the Odyssey in the form of Oh Brother Where Art Thou. I was also impressed with the 2019 Nancy Drew movie that was an excellent update to the retelling of the first novel.

Here are five stories lines that I'd like to see redone for this generation.

1) Robin Hood

One of the best versions right here.

I know that we've had dozens of Robin Hood movies, TV shows, books, etc (there seems to be a new movie every decade), but here me out on this. I want a modern Robin Hood story that takes place in New York City, or L.A., or maybe London that features Robin and his "merry" men in the concrete forest of the city. Drop the King Richard plot and restore a better elected official to run the country. There's a lot of great possibilities. 

There are a lot of possibilities of having Robin show up in modern times. I'd particularly be interested in a version where Robin Hood comes from a minority background - rather than an upper middle class white boy.

2) The Story of Psyche and Cupid

Yes we have Beauty and the Beast and Twilight which have a lot of similar plot threads to the classic myth, but I want a modern tale that includes the gods and goddesses. Have Cupid once again run home to his mother Venus after Psyche screws up and let him be locked in a tower. Then Psyche have show her love and commitment to Cupid by trying to win over his mother. Update the tale for a modern audience and put it in a science fiction setting to keep some of the fantastical elements.

I'd include the myth of Hades and Persephone as well, but there are several writers already making amazing updates to this story (such as Nikita Gill).

3) Sleeping Beauty

I love Disney's animated classic Sleeping Beauty, but I do acknowledge that it has a lot of flaws. An updated version of this story might have the "beauty" fall in to a comma after an accident. The "prince" character might read to them everyday and only wake up after the story is over. I'd especially love to see a version with a same sex couple.

4) Treasure Island

How many of you guys remember Disney's Treasure Planet? I wasn't the only one right? I enjoyed it and also love the book. I think that a modern retelling would be a lot of fun and could incorporate more destinations. It could be a mix of Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and Tintin. The setting can still be in the Caribbean or it could be off the coast of India or in the South East Pacific. Incorporate the history of the setting and focus on reclaiming the treasures that were stolen during colonial periods.

5) Carmilla

Technically, there are modern interpretations of Carmilla out there, but nothing super big budget or main stream. At most I've seen a play or two as well as a webseries that she's in. She also pops up in popular culture from time to time like Netflix's Castlevania. However this story needs some love and updates (especially with the potential for positive LGBTQ+ representation - the original story is kind of anti-LGBTQ+). If they can redo Dracula over and over again, why not show some love for Carmilla?

This is list is incomplete and leans heavily on Western European tales - which is what I'm most familiar with. I do think that all of these stories can be updated to include non-white characters, LGBTQ+ representation, and be placed in a modern or science fiction setting. 

What are some stories that you guys would like to see updated? 

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome to...2020 Sucks

I've heard it said that there are some decades where nothing happens and no history is made, and sometimes the history of a decade occurs in a single year. I'm convinced that I am living through one of those times.

I think this street art from Iceland somewhat reflects what I'm feeling.

I mean, I've lived through a number of major historical events, but the year of our existence 2020 seems to take the cake. I think the tone of the year (and maybe the whole decade) was set when I woke up on the first day of the year to #worldwar3 trending on Twitter. Also Australia was on fire.

Come March, everything is on lock down, followed quickly by mass layoffs and demands to "reopen the country". Stress and anxiety have been at an all time high since. I know it's been affecting me because I've been struggling to write and paint. When I do finally sit down to focus on creating something, my mind gets stuck. I either can't finish what I start or am completely dissipated with the end result.

I still try.

In the middle of all the stupidity around people breaking quarantine and lock down procedures, a video of a woman in Central Park asserting her dominance over a black man by threatening to call the police on him...when she was the person in the wrong. She faced a lot of backlash - rightfully deserved, but some of the follow up to her actions have been disheartening (the dog rescue that took her dog after she strangled the poor boy, eventually gave the dog back).

A few days later, a video of George Floyd being murdered by police went viral. Part of me can't help noticing the timing of the two videos. The woman Central Park wasn't just threatening a black man with arrest, but possible violence from the police.

Protests have continued since and we've learned the names Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain who'd both been killed by police prior to George Floyd. Now there is a federal police presence in Portland, and more coming to cities across the country.

I've watched a lot of videos and seen pictures from the protests and the damage caused by rubber bullets and tear gas. I watched on live TV while protesters were cleared from Lafayette Square so the president could hold up a bible (upside down) in front of St. Johns Church.

Part of me feels that November can't come soon enough, part of me is worried that it won't matter.

At least the president finally said that people should wear masks. The reports of people catching COVID-19 after his rallies was worrisome. A few people have talked about being yelled at by strangers for wearing masks and being "sheep" or perpetuating a hoax.

COVID-19 is not a hoax. Wear a mask.

At least the murder hornet plot point that popped up in May has since vanished. Though I put nothing past what could happen in 2020.

When I started out this year, I was hopeful and optimistic. I wasn't in the best place in my life and thankfully some things have gotten a lot better. However the same can't be said for a lot of other people.

In the coming weeks, without a viable plan, mass evictions are likely to start. People (especially minorities and women) would end up on the streets without anywhere safe to go. This isn't just the usual amount of bad. This is the type of bad that could drastically increase their odds of catching COVID-19. More people are going to die if our government doesn't create a stimulus plan that includes renters, people who are food insecure, and anyone out of work.

There are a lot of terrible things happening in the world right now. It's tempting to delete my social media, turn off the news, and bury my head in the sand and pretend everything will be alright. I'll probably be alright, but the world doesn't revolve around me.

It's tough to know what to do when faced with everything going on. I often feel helpless in the face of so many problems. I feel I can't do a lot to help due to the virus, but I have been writing to my elected officials and donating money when I can. I try to stay informed with what is going on and educating others. These are small things, but maybe these small things will pile up until they have enough momentum to create real change.

2020 sucks.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to the Summer Garden Heat

2020 has been an incredibly stressful year, full of change and one unfortunate incident after another for the world at large and my personal life. It’s been tough to find time to relax and allow myself time to mentally decompress.

One of my few great distractions is looking after my little balcony garden.

It’s been a few months since I first mentioned my garden in this blog (click here for details), but I’m still working on it and there have been a lot of ups and downs. Some days it feels like there are more downs than ups.

Here are a few highlights of the things I learned:

During the first few weeks of my gardening, I lost the lemon balm I planted. It took patients and a few more seeds, but eventually the lemon balm grew nicely to the point I made a pesto with some of the leaves-basil was in there too). However, I eventually had to go away a few days during a heat wave and the lack of water did a number on the herb. Thankfully it’s slowly coming back. It’s my favorite to use for water infusions with some lemons or strawberries.

My two lettuce plants were taken out in May. One from over watering and the other from aphids. The overwatering was totally my fault. The aphids...well, let’s just say that aphids have become the bane of my garden.

My fight against aphids was at its peak with my pea plants. Peas are stubborn, yet delicate in general, which makes caring for them hilarious at best and an exasperation at worst. The June aphid attacks took out several of my pea vines. The July heat was the final death stroke for my first crop. Thankfully, I did managed to harvest several pea pods before their inevitable demise - they were quite tasty. I’ve planted an autumn crop which should show up mid August. Hopefully this time I’ll have more ladybugs around to help me with the evil aphids.

Speaking of unwanted insects, I think a small colony of ants have taken up residence in my camomile. They don’t seem to be hurting the little flowers, but occasionally see them dragging around an aphid or two. No ants have infiltrated the apartment. Cayenne helps keep them out.

Cilantro seems to do really well during the spring. By the end of June, it had started to bloom and I lost the leafy green part that is eaten. I’m hoping to get some seeds out of this travesty.

I’m not sure if my lavender is dead or very slowly coming back. Every day I check and there are little green growths on some of the stems. Only time will tell. My cousin also struggles with her lavender plant. It definitely needs more water than it lets on...and a lot less heat.

I was utterly convinced that I had killed one of my tomato plants until a few days ago I went out and found two new stems growing out of it. Though neither are tall, flowers have started to bloom and I have a small green tomato growing on the healthier plant.

Bachelor buttons are some of my favorite flowers and I am happy they are doing relatively well. I’m not sure why they lean (probably to get more sunlight), but they are lovely. I remove the deadheads once the flowers have begun to dull.

I know I didn’t really talk about the King Tut Papyrus plant. I’ve had him a few years now. He’s doing alright outside, but will again be brought in for winter.

The sage is doing just fine, while the basil seems to be thriving and is by far the easiest herb to work with at the moment. The rosemary is just kind of there. No carrots have yet to shoulder their way through the soil yet. The jalapeño plant is new.

Nothing kills mint...and even when you think it’s dead, it’s not. It will come back. It’ll even find new ways to spread, even when confined to a pot.

It’s not just plants that are a part of my garden, but also bees and other insects come to visit (along with one very stupid wasp). Spiders have found their way around the pots and shelves. They don’t bother me except when they make a giant web on the furniture and I have to evict them. There’s even a beautiful goldfinch who likes to perch on my yellow camomile pot. One day I might get a picture of him.

Gardening, even on a balcony, is a time consuming process that involves a lot of delicate balance. I have to make sure each plant has enough water, but not too much water as I learned with one of my lettuce plants. They need plenty of sunlight, but too much heat is also bad. Some plants might look dead, but are really just figuring things out. Other plants just hate being told what to do. And mint is nearly impossible to kill.

You’ll see a wide variety of wildlife in you plant a garden...some of it will not be welcome. Bees and spiders are your friends, while aphids are the devil’s spawn. Occasionally, you’ll see a creature you weren’t expecting at all.

If you are interested in planting a garden, it’s not too late to start. There are a number of plants that are best planted in the summer for a fall harvest like pumpkins and winter squash. It’s tough and you will likely lose a plant or two (unless it’s mint), but it’s wonderful munching on peas I grew myself or sprinkling Freshly cut basil onto pasta.

Gardening requires a delicate balance of nature and nurture. There’s only so much a person can do if luck isn’t on their side. But it’s a worthwhile hobby.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.