I think I may have IMAX-ed too soon

It is the wee hours of Christmas, so first let me start off by wishing everyone a Happy Christmas. Since I almost certainly won't get around to updating again later, due mainly to family events and sleep, I figure this is the best time to spread my Christmas cheer, which is a mixture of many delightful, and some disturbing, things.
I not too long ago got done wrapping the gifts I bought, save the ones for my roommates, since I won't be back to Kalamazoo until Tuesday anyway. I am continuing a tradition I started no later than last year by wrapping each different person's gifts in different wrapping paper. This year with the addition of Benjamin I had 7 people to wrap for, and thankfully we have a supply of paper to allow me to wrap all of them in different paper. Truth be told, since the stores didn't have what I really wanted to get my mom (shows me for finishing my shopping on Christmas Eve), the only people who have more than one present from me are Lily, Kevin and my dad. It seems kind of silly, but it's something I like to do. I also like to not use the same kind of bow twice, and again, I was very nicely obliged by our bow reserves.
I also had the honor this evening, around 2, to decorate our tree. I know, it sounds really odd that we would not have any decorations on our tree so late in the holiday game. But this is the way things worked out, and since my mom and I went out to a movie tonight (more on that later) she was too tired to finish wrapping for the children, let alone put on ornaments and lights. So we have a nice string of green lights (the colored ones didn't work, and thank goodness I checked that out first) and an assortment of ornaments that I picked out of the bag and hung before I felt it was decorated enough and when it became boring.
While I was out tonight I DVR-ed a bunch of South Park Christmas episodes and watched them as I decorated and wrapped. And now I am watching what is surely to be my only real chance for a full viewing during 24 hours of A Christmas Story. I really don't know that I have gotten a chance to see the movie all the way through, even though I have seen all of the movie at some point. It has always been during this merriest of traditions, highlighting the best Christmas movie ever. Sure, there are those who will say that It's a Wonderful Life is better, or something like that, but I tell you this: I have never seen It's a Wonderful Life, I don't have any desire to see It's a Wonderful Life, and even if I did, and had seen it, it wouldn't hold a candle to this movie. It's not like they air It's a Wonderful Life for 24 hours, right? Do they air any other movie for 24 hours? Nope! Not a single one! That alone is evidence that this is the best one. That and the fact that it is just so totally random and wonderful and features a boy's desire for a BB gun. What could be better than that? Besides, he has to dress up in pink bunny pajamas at one point. I wish I had pink bunny pajamas.
Anyway, after working the night of the 23rd and finishing my shopping, arriving home around noon yesterday I decided to call Jim, to wish him a Merry Christmas (even though it was only Christmas Eve, I was aware of that, thank you very much). After that, I got the idea to call a bunch of other people in my phone list, and I ended up calling 16 people. Half of them I actually talked to (some at great length, like Jim, but most notably my roommate-to-be Jon with whom I spoke for over 36 minutes, but I haven't seen him in a while and it was a good chat, so I'm not complaining in the least), the others I left messages. It ended up lasting me until 3, when I intended to go to bed by 1 at the latest. It kept feeding itself. I would call a few people, get to talk to someone for a while, and then I'd be excited from the conversation and want to call more people. But I'm glad I called as many as I did, because it was really nice to spread some holiday cheer, plus it was actually a good thing to deprive myself of some sleep so I can sleep a bit before we open presents and I go to church and everything. I'm going to need it since I have to work tonight. Yes, that's right, tonight, Christmas night. It's going to be quite a hoot, too. With any luck we'll get to straighten. And if you couldn't tell, that is said with the highest degree of sarcasm. I hate straightening with such a passion that I do all that I can to avoid doing it if I can.
Anyway, why don't I talk about the movie, since it is actually because of it that this entry has its title. My mom and I had plans, since this was going to be a night I was in town and not working, to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was finally going to be her first viewing, and my second. Well, yesterday when I checked the listings on Friday, they had a 9:30 showing at the IMAX theater, which we both assumed also meant they would have on Saturday. Not so (although they are going to have that same showing tonight, on Christmas). By the time we found out, close to 7 last night, and only because I got up to go to the bathroom and my Spider sense was tingling so I checked the listings again, it was too late to do much, except there was a showing at 10:30 at the Woodland Cinemark, one of 2 new theaters the Grand Rapids area has seen open in the last 2 months. We have a very saturated market. I wonder if we'll see ticket prices come down. (Okay, I know it's a pipe dream, but it's worth a try.) This showing was pretty late, but by then, since there weren't any, and I mean any, other showings that night, and since we probably wouldn't have any other chance, we went and had a good time.
Allow me to digress on the movie for a little bit. Back when I saw it for the first time, at a midnight showing the day it came out (as I've seen all of the Harry Potter films), I reserved my judgment of what I thought until I saw it the second time, which I figured would be shortly thereafter. I was wrong (obviously). So seeing it again made me realize why even though I hadn't voiced it why I liked the movie as much as I did, even though it ventured a bit from the novel. As much as I love the series, I realize there are some things that JK Rowling just hasn't thought to put in her books because they are books, and when you add the visual element, you have to compensate and add some window dressing, so the fact that there is a school band to add music, or the fact that the boys would stay up late and joke around and stuff, this is fine with me, even if it isn't in the books. Goblet of Fire is still at this point my favorite of the books, and I still don't know why. Maybe it was because of the fact that I started reading the series after it came out and thus had it as the last book to contemplate before Order of the Phoenix came out. I do admit that I have only read Half-Blood Prince twice so far, so who knows what may happen once I have read it more, and certainly, book 7 may rise to the occasion and become my favorite, but I really doubt it.
Anyway, this viewing reminded me of one of the greatest elements of the movie series, that of the music. Okay, so John Williams stepped aside. I don't care. This movie had a lot of fun music, and come Monday I am going to own that soundtrack (I already know I am not getting it for Christmas, but didn't have the heart to buy it today once I found it because the stores didn't have what I wanted to get for my mom, so I decided to wait for now). I think what really does it for me is the song "Magic Works." I have sat through the credits twice now, and it plays at the end, and I love it to death. I felt the same thing this time as I did the last time: I feel held back by society in expressing my feelings, especially crying. Oddly enough, I am actually quite the sap, and am moved to tears a lot, but I hold them back almost every time because I am around people and don't feel comfortable shedding tears. It sucks, and I know I shouldn't let it get to me, but it happens nonetheless. I want to get the soundtrack so I can cry to that song in the safety and comfort of my own room or car or wherever. (I'm planning on listening to it for the first time on my way back to Kalamazoo on Tuesday, so there will probably be tears running down my cheeks by the end of my drive.)
The last couple of days has helped me to realize something that is not really important but still is not a surprise: I am probably the biggest Harry Potter fan I know. I'm not saying I'm the biggest one in the world. At the very least, that honor probably falls with one of the people at the Harry Potter Lexicon, but maybe not even them. No, what I am saying is, I have seen all the movies at midnight the day they have come out, I have bought the DVDs on the day they came out. Ever since I started reading the books, I have gotten the new ones the day they came out (which counts even when I was in Japan, since I had a copy delivered to my house the day it came out, but more notably, being halfway around the world and being on a mission trip couldn't keep me from giving in and buying a copy over there to read). I insist on reading each book the same number of times, which is why I must read Half-Blood Prince 4 more times before I am going to read the series through again (which I really want to do, especially books 4 and 5, since they have been playing on my mind a lot lately). Of course, a new Star Wars book series just had to come out, and I am reading that right now. Otherwise I probably would be through Book 6 at least one more time again like I figured would happen over Christmas break.
Anyway, there's really only one more thing to write in this really long entry, and that's to say that on the way home my mom hit a deer. Well, barely, really, but we did catch the tail end of it, literally. There is no apparent damage to the car, and we turned around and didn't see the deer at all, so hopefully she wasn't hurt much or at all, and at least she wasn't killed.
Well, it's getting late, I want to send some Christmas emails to some people, and hopefully get some sleep in before getting up for church. And then there are presents. But I know in my heart what I really want this year, and I think it's already started happening. I want to get closer to God this year. I've been slipping away lately, and I think I may have gotten a nice little gift to help things along. I tried my radio at random today (it hadn't been working) and it came on, so I got to listen to WAY-FM, and it was awesome. Music really is one of my greatest loves. Getting to rock out for Jesus is one of the best things I know, and getting it for Christmas was the best gift since Jesus. Happy Christmas everyone. Sorry this was so long.
No I'm not.

Happy Festivus!

If I am to take the date mentioned in the "Festivus" episode of Seinfeld, today is Festivus. Of course, this is a fake holiday, but it's nice to remind ourselves of why, in the show, it was created: because Christmas was too commercial for Mr. Costanza. Sure, maybe airing grievances you have with your family, or trying to pin your son, might be a bit of an extreme way to deal with the overcommercialization of Christmas, but the idea is kind of cool, if a little odd. Of course, all we really need do if we want to take a break from shopping is remember that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because Jesus was born for us on that day. Well, maybe not exactly December 25th, but still.
Anyway, I did want to mention for anyone out there that might actually want to do so, I believe I have it set up now that anyone should be able to leave a comment for a post I have made. This may or may not be a good thing, but it does mean I know if people are actually reading this thing. Now it's time for some cereal and cheese and a little Saved by the Bell. And they're in college right now to boot.

A Time to Remember, a Time to be Sick

This post is actually a day late for both things mentioned in the title, but nevertheless, here it is. Yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of my grandfather's passing. I think one of the reasons it is even more memorable for me is the fact that I was in the company that witnessed him dying. Hearing that final breath escape him was rattling and eerie and odd, and I can still hear it when I think of that night. Such a wonderful man, he is truly missed.
As for being sick, that hasn't totally passed, but it has enough that I am going in to work again. I repeated what happened close to two weeks ago, in that I left work early the day before I ended up calling in sick. This time it was mainly a sore throat and some stuffiness, as well as headaches and a little dizziness. I couldn't get much food down, and naturally a lot of things made my stomach want to eject its contents. Eventually things settled down enough when I got too hungry, and my throat felt better, so I could actually eat something and not retch. After sleeping it has for the most part pushed on to a bit of a fever, but it's not bad enough that I am going to miss work again, especially since my boss is a bit annoyed at me for missing last night. I really want to get another job. I did look online last night and posted my resume at a few places and everything. I really need to learn how to write a cover letter, then I should be okay, at least when it comes to applying places. When I let my creativity take hold, I think an interview is sure to follow. At least I hope it does. Though hope and 50 cents won't buy me a cup of coffee nowadays.
It's probably a good thing I don't like coffee.

The President's approval rating just dipped even more for me

I've been waiting to update when I actually had something to say, and although I have, I've been trying to get more sleep lately, so that has led to this dry spell. But anyway, right now I should be watching Family Guy, but instead I have an address from Bush about the war in Iraq. This couldn't wait until tomorrow at 9 when I wouldn't be watching television anyway? I want my show! There is no good news to come out of this event, because either this speech or commentary to follow will take up the half hour of the show's time slot, or else it will end and they will likely just join the show, "already in progress." I suppose they could push back the start time of Family Guy or else put off the episode of American Dad that was to air, but that is to be seen. I think one of the main reasons I am upset is that if I had known I could have driven home at 8:30 after The Simpsons was over. I could be almost home right now! Of course, I could have done that this afternoon after church, since I was up for an hour afterward, or I could have gotten myself up earlier than I did and driven home before all of my shows, but alas, twas not to be.
At least I can be happy with the fact, albeit a few days later, that both Ray and Shelia (pronounced like "Sheila" but due to a birth certificate misspelling it is forever in written error) said that things went really well when I was in charge on Wednesday night at work, which was very good considering the fact that we were down about 4 or 5 people and one of the 8 people we did have was new that night. And we were only there until just after 8. Not bad at all.
One more thing I might as well comment on: I have most of my shopping done, with only my parents to worry about, and I'm not sure what to get them. And now I'm having a bit of a debate with my mom about the merits of Bush and the war in Iraq and how I apparently am basing my views on opinion but because she's a Republican she's on the side of fact. (Well, that's not entirely true, but because I said that I could have driven home already had I known that this jackass, and I say that with all due respect towards the Presidency, was talking tonight, and how he's just talking about how the war is a good thing and we should support it that I am somehow speaking from information gained from the opinions offered in the media and somehow not something I feel or that could be in fact. Is it not fact that the President's approval rating is really low, if not the lowest it has ever been, at this time? Doesn't that say something about the nature of things?)
My show is on now, and it indeed is starting from the beginning, although about 19 minutes late. And I've already been offended in at least 2 ways. Make it 3. Nope, 4. Alas, it's pushing like 10. I should just end this before I go offensive on your buttocks.

Boy am I in for it

For the second time in as many days that I was supposed to work I am not there. Granted, the first time was for sickness, so you can't really fault me there. But after some thought and the events of the evening have played out, I cannot help but wonder what might have happened had I done some things differently tonight.
The plan was to go see Narnia tonight, at 6:40 at M-89. All of us seemed to be running late, but my companions and I were running all the later. I had just gotten on the highway when I noticed a sound I could only imagine was coming from my front left tire. By the time I was able to pull over, sure enough, it was flat, and shredded a bit no less. As I remembered from my previous tire fiasco, there was no spare to be had (though I did have one for my other van back at the house). By some stroke of luck, Jim, er, well, Darcy called to let us know they were running late, too, but when our predicament came to light, they headed back to the house to get the spare tire. After frantic attempts to loosen the lugnuts, as well as some police assistance in giving us flares to keep traffic off our backs, it was finally time to give it up as a bad job. It wasn't going to work.
I called my dad for help on the morrow and he informed me (as I should have guessed, and kind of figured) that the spare tire I had would not fit the current van. He also told me that he would be long in getting here in the morning, having to take care of some things himself beforehand. I called work to let them know that I wasn't coming in. By this point we were at IHOP. My mom called me to look for my AAA card, which I have not put back in my wallet since my return from Japan. She was under the impression that I should get the van towed back to the house in Kentwood tonight and possibly even make it to work or something. I instead decided it best to just wait until the morning to do that, and get to see the movie with my friends. Although I am glad I got to see it, especially enjoying an extra bit of company with my friends, who I won't get to see much of in the next few weeks, I have to admit that I realize how irresponsible it was. I could have, in theory, made it to work had I called AAA and gotten a tow, although it probably would have meant getting there late. I don't think they would have minded too much. I also have probably let my mother down quite a bit. I put my phone on silence while in the movie, and she called more than 20 times. I can only assume that when the calls stopped she was on her way to bed (or else got fed up with trying to reach me).
So here I sit, it's after 1 in the morning, and I have a long night in front of me before I set out back to the van on the highway, where I will wait for AAA to pick me up and tow me back to Kentwood. Sure, it's not when it should have been, and granted, I have messed things up probably more than I even realize right now. But it's what I can do. I'm walking because I know I need some time with God on that walk. It's kind of going to be like a retreat of silence in a way. I can also get some thinking in, and probably will be thankful for the exercise, which is also in a way a punishment. With any luck, I'll make it home just fine. Even if I have to walk.

A world of pure imagination

It would seem my sickness is not going to leave anytime soon. I keep getting headaches, and it is hard for me to eat anything because not a whole lot sounds good. Blast.

But in other news, a bunch of us just got done watching most of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Keep in mind, this is the one with Gene Wilder, from the 70's, not the more recent Depp/Burton production. I think it's hard to be able to like both movies for their own merits; you either like one or the other (or neither, I guess). I think there is only one other person in the assembled company who has seen both, and he likes the earlier version more than the current one. Although I enjoy both, and can enjoy both for each of their particular moments, but I think I do like the Burton-directed one more, probably because it was more fun to me, and more visually enthralling (of course, it goes with what we can do in movies now, too).

I think I will get to see Narnia tomorrow, and another round of Goblet of Fire the day after that, if all goes as planned. I'll be movied out, and there will be work involved as well! How am I ever going to get my 10 hours of sleep a night? Er, day, I guess. I mean, I am on third shift.

No post on Saturdays?

Alas, for the first time since I started this blog, not even a week ago, I did not post yesterday. This makes me sad. This probably makes you sad as well, but that presupposes anyone is reading this.

Anyway, the main reason for me not posting yesterday was due to me being sick. I was sick to the point where I left work early on Saturday morning, and did not go in again last night. I had a massive headache, hot flashes and fluctuations of my temperature, and felt nauseous and dizzy at times. All in all, not a fun day.

But today has been nice. I did quite a lot of shoveling to get my parking space clear, plus did some shoveling for my roommates so they could have better access to their cars without getting too much snow on their shoes. I just got a nice early Christmas present from the Valley I crew, and it was the seasons 13 & 14 guide to The Simpsons! I have been somewhat of an honorary member of that witnessing community to some degree, since I have been invited to partake of game and movie nights and such. I just wish I had known so I could have done something special for them. But would that really honor them? Isn't part of the joy of gifts being able to accept a gift without worrying about giving something back? I am really happy about this gift. I have done things for members of Valley I, like give rides to church and such. In a way, it could be like this is their way of repaying me for my kindness.

To add to my happiness, I received word from two of my friends today that they have read my story more or less to completion and both of them enjoyed it very much. It is good to hear whatever people think, but it's especially exciting to hear that some people liked it. I made people laugh! I'm so happy!

So now I relax, wait for the oven to heat and enjoy some staple. It's going to be a good a good night to top off this good day.

I am not having a good day

This has not been my day. In fact, it reaches back into yesterday, both in the temporal sense and the conscious sense (since I am on third shift and things blend together a lot). It is a combination of idiocy and annoyance and made for a string of tedious hours.
You see, on my way to work last night I came up on a light going too fast. (I should point out that last night we got hit by a big snow storm.) Well, I started sliding through it, and didn't want to hit anyone, so I went up on the curb. When I pulled back off it the van was acting up, so I pulled off the road again. I thought maybe one of the tires was flat, but when I got out to look, I didn't notice anything wrong, and I was late for work as it was. However, it was not an easy go of things, but when I did finally get there and checked out things again, sure enough, the left rear tire was flat. I trundled into work and called my dad, arranging to get a spare in the next morning.
Now, I originally had planned to head back to Kalamazoo today, and the last two days of work we had gotten out at a decent time, but this morning we got out after 9. Then I had to call dad, wait for him to show up, tried in vain to get the bad tire off, resulting in us driving home to get an actual tire and a sledge hammer. When we got back, I kicked and hit and pried and tried to get that blasted wheel off, but it wouldn't budge. Finally, after many an effort, it was getting loose, so I pulled from the front. When it seemed like it wasn't going to budge ever BAM! I got hit in the face and cut my lip. My glasses had gone flying. I was bleeding pretty badly. Fortunately, we got the new tire on by that point and I was on my way home (but not before picking up my check, which I was able to get more or less on time for once).
Well, my joy continued on my way home. I got nearly home when the van started acting a little strangely again, but I didn't know why. By the time I did figure it out, however, it was too late to do anything about it on my own. You see, to add insult to my injury (almost quite literally), I had run out of gas.
My dad came and pushed the van to a gas station down the street, where I got some fuel and got home with ease by that point. By now it was very, very obvious that not only was I not going back to Kalamazoo (no party for me) but I wasn't going to get a good amount of sleep, either. And I didn't.
Of course, that wasn't the end. Tonight when I got dinner and set down my milk, I didn't see some candy that for some reason had been placed on the coaster, so my milk took a spill. That was fun to wipe up.
Let's just see if this all continues into tonight at work. With any luck I'll get out at a decent time so I can maybe take a nap before play practice (and I think I forgot my script in Kalamazoo, yeeha). And with any luck, if I get a little low on energy I'll do my Carol Channing and get into laughing fits.

They don't like me. They really, really don't like me.

Part of the process of writing is hearing back from the people who are your test audience. So far that has reached 8 persons, and it will probably grow over the course of the next couple of weeks, but for now I have received some feedback from two individuals, though one with more intensity. My mom has been the first. Now, she has been the most exposed of the people who have received the story to the genre it ended up being written in: the weird and wacky and ranting style that has dominated "Writer's Company" stories for almost 13 years. My mom has mostly just told me where she has read and some of the minor things she has liked, with highlights in the text to tell me of spelling errors and such (something I have already been working on while reading it myself, but it always helps for a second opinion as I am likely to miss some things in the heat of my reading, and the fact that I am distracted by work).
However, my biggest critic so far has been my roommate Jim, and I am actually rather thankful for his open and honest and lengthy commentary so far. He hasn't really cared for the shift to the silly, and it seems he especially does not care for the rants I went on when it came to what I was going to do in the plot instead of actually doing it, as well as glossing over parts of the story like the Bible study portion (which, he informs me, is in the wrong chapter of Acts for the third week of school, and I have to admit, I totally agree, I just didn't know how I should divide the second chapter to make it feasible for the story, not to mention that at that point I only had about 25 hours until the story was due and I wanted to get to the end with something to show for it). It's good to have this coming to me from the start, since in all honesty the story really was supposed to be a lot more serious than it turned out to be for the most part. I am thankful for the silliness because some aspects of the plot that I hadn't considered have come out of this process. Plus, maybe since I have been writing like this for so long, I really like writing in this way. But I do know that I am going to have to bear down and work this out with these characters (who are used to the silly) and the situation (which deals with more serious themes). Maybe I could string it all together when a lovely musical number. No, wait, that was one of the endings I already wrote, and it ended up depressing. Besides, is there anyone else out there who wishes random people would break out into song and dance in a perfectly choreographed way?

Lessons learned through work

Here I am watching the second half of A Charlie Brown Christmas (namely, the little vignette part that was made years after the original, but is still fun to enjoy), and I felt the need to update the blog again. I mean, I wasn't able to write as much as I had wanted last night because I had to get to work (and I was 4 minutes late, big surprise). We actually got out at a decent time, before 7 for goodness sake. As much as I may have wanted to get to overtime, I do admit I like the fact that I'm easing into things this week, since it has been a while since I worked 5 days in a row. Although I probably worked more hours in the four days I worked around Thanksgiving than what I will probably end up working this week, and I didn't have too many problems then (although I was very tired by the end of it all). Sleep is important, as you all know.
Anyway, I have been thinking more and more lately about what kind of lessons I can learn from my time working at TRU. There was a guy who only worked 2 says including last night, and is not coming back (he made a point to tell me himself, as I guess I was one of the people he kind of liked). During the time I worked with him I got rather frustrated, because he didn't really listen too well. He would wander away and not follow directions and such. It was obvious that I was getting another lesson in patience (which I can always use, even though I do believe I have improved a great deal in that area). I think there were other lessons that I saw at the time, but lack of sleep and time have drained them from my memory.
The other main lesson I think I am learning at work is not judging people. There is one guy in particular who is always running his mouth, talking and joking and swearing and putting either specific people down, or people groups. (He in particular has an affinity for slamming the homosexual community, which irks me to no end.) I have thought about saying something to the effect of "Psychologists say that males who make jokes against gay people are likely to be doing so to hide their own desires." But I just haven't gotten the courage, even though I feel spiritually convicted to do something. He has made mention of how on his night off he is going to get drunk and apparently enjoy the company of a young woman in some way (which is probably supposed to be sex), and I wonder if that is really true, but also if his life is really that full. It seems to me that all the stuff he talks about makes for a hollow existence. I have known a good deal of what he says in my own life, both in past and to some degree present. I have often wondered if I was meant to be a witness to the people at work when it should be obvious that I should always be a witness to people, especially those with whom I have a closer relationship. I think I saw one of my co-workers putting a Bible in his coat, but I didn't say anything. What is wrong with me? It's going to be an interesting Christmas break since I won't have nearly as much outward involvement in things like leading a Bible study or IV on Thursdays. Only 5 more weeks until the next one, by the way.
Anyway, I should get to bed if I want to be able to get up at a decent time, but before I do, apparently there is yet another Charlie Brown Christmas special that will air tomorrow night that I am going to make a point to see. Why we need another one, I don't know, and I wonder if it will cheapen one of my favorite Christmas specials (the original, anyway).
Also, I want to note that my first entry updated its timestamp, so all is well there. I don't know why I care so much, but I have to care about something.
And heck, one more note. I know this blog is new and maybe not a whole lot of people know about it yet, but if you happen to read this, whether or not you know me, would you mind leaving a comment? It'd really help me out. (Okay, I really just want to know if anyone is actually reading this thing. I want my literary ego stroked, okay?)

Considering my audience

Gotta make this quick before I have to jet off to work in the snow. I'm ever so excited.
Anyway, I've been having some brief discussion with some of the people who have received my story and had some interesting insight into some of the things I should have done for my readers. Since I was writing for the contest focusing more on quantity than quality, because that was the nature of the process, I forgot to take care of some things, even though I did attempt to have somewhat of a plot construct and everything. Since in my writing I was doing this for what I thought was mostly me, I didn't think to put a title on the thing, so when I simply, for my own purposes (and the purposes of putting something on the "Winner" certificate I now have framed on my wall) entitled it "Writer's Company: The College Years, Part 1A" (since the main characters are from a series of stories under the umbrella title of "The Writer's Company"), I didn't consider that my audience might want a title. I also, since as even I read the story for myself, didn't think that someone might print out the story (let alone bind it into a more true book-like form), so I didn't think that it was necessary to put page numbers on the thing. Alas. I have to admit as I read the story I see things that I meant to build upon and feel sad that I didn't pursue in the plot, but that happens when you write the huge majority of it in three days.
Anyway, I have to get ready for work now. I don't want to be a half hour late tonight like I was last night (though that was to make sure I both finished and handed in my application to Video Hits Plus). At least I'll have my story to read during the breaks.

I wish I could take a snow day

I must be compulsive about posting right now. This is my third post today, though I did sleep for almost 5 hours and watched the entire epic of Wayne's World between now and my last post. I don't think I am posting out of actually having something vital to say, nor out of any feelings of obligation to anyone who might be reading this (which by now might include the one person so far that has received an email from me since I added this blog address to my email signature). And it's not like I shouldn't be doing something more important right now, like sleeping, or going to pick up a cooking pan from Laurie while she is at work, especially when I am not sure if she is expecting me to pick it up right away or not. I am going to have some cereal before I leave, at any rate. Or maybe not, maybe I'll just go and get the pan after this and maybe pick up that application from Video Hits so I can fill it out and turn it in later today before I leave for work and suffer the horror of the roads. I am really lamenting the fact that I am working more days now. I really need to get a job in town that pays well enough for me to pay my bills. Will that be in the wonderful video halls of VHP?
So Kiva the wonder cat is sleeping on my bed. It took her all of about a minute after I opened my door from sleeping for her to scamper in here and make herself comfortable. I after wonder why she finds it so good to sleep here, not that it is her exclusive domain when she has a choice of the house. But she is rather fond of my bed. Of course, since I sleep better on this bed than I do on just about any at home (and this weekend I tried my dad's and my mom's for a little while, so I know), I am rather fond of it, too. Have I mentioned how I don't want to go to work tonight?
Oh, before I go, I wanted to say that, even over a decade later and despite the fact that I don't watch the two movies that often, it is pretty amazing how many lines from Wayne's World and its sequel are memorable and great, and how many I still to some degree use regularly in conversations. But then again, if e'er there were a movie star who came from Saturday Night Live who captured my attention and after whom I somewhat modeled myself (a scary thought) it would be Mike Myers. I'm a pretty big fan, yeah.
The mailman just announced the arrival of mail.
Here's the mail. It never fails. It makes me wanna wag my tail. When it comes I wanna wail: Mail!
I miss Steve on Blue's Clues. It just isn't the same with Joe. Or with Blue having the ability to speak.
I have been back from Japan for 4 months and I still have gifts to give to people (some of them are on the shelf in front of me). And I realize there are about half a dozen people that I have not written emails to since shortly after returning. Somehow I found time on the trip to write billion page emails, and now that I am back, I would rather write in my blog than to them. Well, that's not true, but here I am nonetheless. I need to get out of here. With any luck I won't slide too much.
No witty ending this time. I just can't think of anything. Blame it on the snow.

I don't want to do the dishes

So here I am, posting for the second time, and it's been like 2 hours or so, but you wouldn't know that from the time stamp, because I didn't realize it was set to Pacific time, and despite what I try, it doesn't seem to want to reset for my last post. Of course, that's presupposing that it has changed for this entry, but we'll see, I guess.
So I'm sitting here watching South Park now, avoiding doing the dishes, which I have to do by 10 this morning. It's not like there are many to do, as far as I can tell. It probably won't take me longer than half an hour, really. But I think doing the dishes will just remind me of the fact that I have to go to work tomorrow, and I really, I mean really don't want to. I dare say I am crossing over into the realm of truly hating my job. Blast.
I was thinking about watching both Wayne's World movies tonight, because I have had them on DVD for about 3 1/2 years and for some reason have yet to even open the packaging, and out of respect for my anal ways that I get to watch my copy first, my roommate Jim and his girlfriend Darcy have been kind enough not to watch it yet, even though they really want to. It doesn't help that a while ago Jim and I watched most of Wayne's World 2 on Comedy Central, or that not too long after that they were showing Wayne's World in Video Hits Plus, but I think I'm finally to the point when I might want to watch them. I guess the main reason I have yet to watch them is because of the fact that I insist on watching them back to back, much as I have when watching the Back to the Future trilogy on DVD, the Indiana Jones trilogy, and the original Star Wars trilogy. I have yet to watch my extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy together, though I have viewed them separately, and I look forward to doing so at some point, when I have the entire day, since it will take, what, 11 hours or something?
I think once this episode of South Park is over I'll wash the dishes and see if I want to watch the double shot of Wayne and Garth. Odds are whatever I do will be excellent.

And so it begins in a notorious way

I have to wonder why I am even here. Could I not be doing something more productive with my time? I mean, I just wrote a novella for the National Novel Writing Month (or "Nanowrimo" as it will pretty much forever be referred to from here on in, and that's nano-rye-mo, not nano-ree-mo, thank you very much), which ended up as 50,144 words, so you'd think I'd be through with writing. Or that I would rather be working on editing, expanding, and improving that lovely piece of literary gold.

Of course, I also wonder if I am merely joining the throng of people who want to have a voice in a more worldly venue than their own spheres of geographic influence. Do I have anything better to contribute to this planet in terms of opinion or advice? Probably not. But I'm going to do it anyway, because it sure beats paying attention to the Kim Possible rerun that is on right now (which, as I haven't seen it, is new to me, but I don't really care, no matter how much I might enjoy the show in a "watch it if it's on" kind of way, or how much one of my roommates loves it to the extent that I got him a Kim Possible doll for his birthday and he displays it proudly on his shelf).

So that leaves me with the task to hopefully entertain you. Which maybe I already am. I can only hope. Anyway, I could make empty promises to update this on a regular basis, or make sure that I am witty to the extreme at all moments, or not whine about my life, etc. I am not going to do that. That is not me. Because I don't always think to update all the time, or have the time to do so. I can't guarantee that I am being witty now, let alone that I could be at some future moment when I cannot verify my mental state. And the fact of the matter is I like to whine about my life, no matter how much complaining gets me no where.

That being said, I would like to whine about the fact that I am an idiot. I have a job, but it is not in the town I reside, Kalamazoo. It is in Grand Rapids, which on a good day is only about 45 minutes away. However, given the price of gas, and the value of my time, and my desire to optimize sleep, I end up staying at home, with my parents, when I work, which starting tomorrow is about to expand to 5 days a week. This means I will be away from my house, my roommates, my friends and my sanity, no matter how much more money I will make and be able to afford Christmas presents and rent for the next couple of months. This bloody sucks. And yet, no matter how many times people remind me to look for a job, or I am prompted by God Himself I seem to end up just dragging my feet and getting no where. Though I did see yet another place that is accepting applications, Video Hits Plus, and tomorrow I will be picking up and then turning in an application. Of course, the first question that popped into my head that they might ask is if I am over-qualified, but of course, since I have a degree in creative writing, I'm going to have to say no to that one. Working in a video store will be just fine, until I can find a bookstore that will hire me. Or I publish my books, but that'll be a while. Though hopefully by the next Nanowrimo.

Okay, that's enough rambling for tonight, especially since it's my first post and I really feel I should do my best not to scare people away. Although I am curious what people found this by accident, because I am thinking I might just put this in my signature file in my email so anyone I send a message to will be able to visit here. Which may be a bad idea, but then again, I'm notorious for that. Or am I? Am I even notorious for anything? The only thing I can think of that actually is "notorious" is a song by Duran Duran.