Not sure what else to say with how they basically F’d with most of the characters.

Being a 44(?) year (double checking…let’s see 2015-1971=44) old man I was around for the Buffy the Vampire days but honestly didn’t think it was a show I wanted to watch. I was also “alive” during both the Firefly and Dollhouse debacles. Either way I didn’t catch onto those either and so remained basically a Joss virgin.

I did watch the Avengers and got to see the whole Phil Coulson nap time trick but didn’t think it was that big of a deal as I don’t tend to get that attached to characters.

What I wasn’t expecting was the whole 180 that has happened to most of the characters on the show. Now they all didn’t go from white to black, okay Ward did, but you know what I mean. They all seem to have changed and endured in rather interesting ways.

It is giving some things to think about in my own works…bravo.

The day of Frying…uh… yeah?

Speaking of “Frying” I just finished my quasi draft outline of book 2 of my latest story idea. The outline of book 2 comes in at 8,000 words. Yes I got ambitious and started writing out parts of it in the middle of “supposedly” just outlining but what are you doing to do? Deny the muse? NEVER!

Now to start working on my “outline” for book 3

🙂

A few weeks(months?) back I bought a book from Amazon and through life events kind of forgot about reading it. Bad book? No… Boring book? A little…. Too much crap going on in my life? Bingo.

So I started reading it again and not to toot my own horn too much but so far (28%) it isn’t speaking volumes to me. I mean I can hear what it has to say but most of it is just rehash of what I’ve heard before and what I’ve picked up on my own.

That being said I’ve also succumbed to the glittering squirrel effect once more. You see she referenced another book within hers, and me being the fool I am, I just went out and bought it.

I swear I have almost 50 books now stashed away that I have yet to finish on my kindle.

*Shakes fists at Amazon gods in the sky*

As an employee of the State of California I have to on occasion drive our old beat-up 1998 Chevy Astro Van to our various offices. Today was one such day.

I had finished dropping off some parts for one of our units and was feeling a bit thirsty, and with my bladder voicing an opinion of its own, I pulled into the parking lot of a McDonald’s on my way back from my errands and went inside.

Five minutes later, with both my input and output handled, I climbed back into the cab of old pita (Pain In The Ass) and turned the key…to nothing. It appeared as if the battery was dead. To test this I turned on the radio and saw some trickle of life but not enough to even hear a song. This told me it was a juice issue. I then pulled out my cell phone and called into our office to get the whole process of having it fixed or towed.

That was around 10:45. It is now 2:21 and I’m still sipping on my same $1 large coke, with a refill or two thrown in.

Life is fun.

It is Tuesday morning and my draft idea from a few days ago is currently sitting at 4,666 words and it’s still growing. I am maybe a quarter of the way in.

So… 5,000 x4 is 20,000 word outline? WTF?!?!?! 😛

I know in truth is just an outline that took more of a life of its own but when I was trying to plot out the reasoning of the logic in the characters heads it needed further explanation which is exactly what I did. It’s turning into something of a He-Said/She-Said POV changeroo.

I had to google “changeroo” as I wasn’t sure how best to spell it. Damn me and my slangcabulary.

I just bought a single Saturday ticket to the Sacramento Comic Con on June 20th.

Originally Bruce Campbell was supposed to be there but due to a filming issue isn’t anymore.

invisible sad face even though I am still excited 🙂

I got a slight headache and a bit of an upset stomach. It’s making me just want to go home and plop my ass on the couch.

In writing news I got 300 words of an outline done today :/. It’s my “Ash” story line that I’ve had the inkling to write out for a good long while but have been focusing on my other works. Overall I finished plotting out all the major scenes for book 1 of it. It has an ending that could be a stand alone but could also play into book 2 if it ever gets that far. I got only a few chapters plotted out of book 2, which was my 300 words today. You would be surprised just how much real estate a mere 300+ words can cover. For instance….

Chapter:

Both in cells as the two are talking to each other from cages not in sight of other. Explaining world and characters and events of last book. They also have magical slave tattoos on them which allow tracking.

Chapter:

Prisoners enter kings thrown chamber in shackles

Ordered to kneel which they do not. Guard snaps at they best do it or lose their lives.

King orders all men out save the one that spoke up.

King explains that he is going to send the two prisoners to neighboring city to infiltrate until said time.

They say why

After watching you two in the slave pits I know you can do it. If you should succeed I will give you full pardons and make you both wealthy.

What is to stop us from just escaping?

I can’t stop you but know that you will forever be looking over your shoulders as my men will never stop hunting you either. You will also have access to my library and vaults to continue your studies should you wish. The finest armor and the secrets of magic for you to use as you wish.

The two start to think about it as king orders only vocal guard to walk over. How will it play off, the whole city knows you pulled our asses out of the arena and news travels fast.

The king grins “exactly” as he orders the guard to draw weapon and swing at gladiator. Gladiator dodges and king tells guard to kill gladiator again. This time lands kick against guard and kills him and then picks up weapon.

The two prisoners consider attacking king but his maniacal laughter tells them they really don’t stand a chance and instead turn to flee which is exactly what the king wanted them to do in the first place as it is now their cover story. As they scramble out of room he loudly speaks a “code word” and then shouts for more guards to enter in as the prisoners are trying to escape.

The two dodge their way through the complex but make their way onto two conviently placed mounts with provisions and flee out the wide open front gate.

They exit out into the desert arguing with each other of how they were setup and doubting if the king will honor his part of the bargain. They discuss tattoos and know that only by finding a powerful caster will they be able to free themselves of these markings but that would require them to travel the city they were ordered to infiltrate.

Chapter:

Events along the way….
=============

Thats what I got done today.

Its not much but its the skeleton. The small stuff in the middle I pants but at least I have an idea of where things are starting out. I need to force myself to get back to my Mr K cleanup and will come tomorrow. Just not today.

Last night I watch episode 12 of “DareDevil” on Netflix. I will undoubtedly find time to catch the last episode sometime this weekend :). I must say I am impressed with what they have done with it.

Saturday morning, if I’m feeling more mojo-ish, I will try and get out early and work on my front yard some. With luck I hope to be a bit late if I can catch the wife in a different kind of mojo before heading out.

Sometimes I skip out of work a bit early and catch the earlier train out to where I live. Today is one such day. It is April 30th and it is a warm California day outside. Did I mention the air conditioning in my car is on the fritz?

So here I sit in a local McDonald’s pondering what I am going to do for the next half hour before I have to go and pickup my kids.

This is the point where some of you guilty types would but in and say “why don’t you just go and pickup your kids early?”

F-that. This is defuse time. I love my kids but I also love my sanity and unless they want me to become unbalanced and eat them I need this time… of reasonable silence.

I got done reviewing a story for one of my peers as part of my in person writing group and just emailed it to her for our get together on Saturday.

Sitting here I can feel the air conditioning is on and it feels rather nice. I am afraid of what it is going to cost me to get my air conditioning fixed in my car.

I have 20 minutes…

I haven’t been cleaning up my Mr K story over the past two weeks as I have been spending my time commenting on a total of seven stories. Five for my in person group and two, late of course, for my online group. I did manage to get about a thousand words down for a new story outline so that’s something, right? Right now Mr K is hanging out at around chapter 14 if memory serves. I will pick it up again in the next few days but right now I just want to feel the cool air on my face. I’m trying to not let the fart I’ve been squeaking from my half tilted butt cheek get noticed by those around me.

What else… I love my wife. I love my kids. I got the fart out and nobody seemed to notice.

I am excited to see the Avengers II after it comes out tomorrow.

I hate spam. So I have a number of email addresses that I use and those I don’t use. What I mean to say is I have a “decoy” address which I use when someplace is asking for an email address for this or that and then I have addresses which I don’t share with the general public but only give out to select family/friends/employers. For instance FirstLast_@_service.com is one I don’t share where as StupidName_@_Decoy.com is one I do share when needed. Well for some reason one of my FirstLast ones has been getting slammed as of recently and it is one that I don’t use hardly ever. In fact the only reason I have it is because I managed to score it.

I have 10 minutes….

My phone contract expires in about a month and I need to start doing my homework as to what I want to select as my next phone. I am thinking I want a phablet but the Note4 costs around $300 right now and with my AC on the fritz that is money I can’t be throwing around. Now $50, that’s something I can swing.

Well that’s enough for now. Going to submit this and head out to get the kids.

Yes I work for the government. Yes I am a slacker.
Now let me explain.

I recently went to a training seminar to introduce and familiarize a number of state personal to the use and functionality of our new tracking and accountability software. Upon arriving at the training session we were required to sign in at the door by checking off our names on a twenty or so page long list of containing about thirty names per page. The listing contained personal from a number of agencies with a number of columns containing information about the attendees. The first column had our last names and was sorted alphabetically, followed by first, agency, email, blood type, and ring number for lair of hell. Now that this is covered…

I stood there in the line waiting for the people before me to find their names on the list and sign themselves in. I was maybe six or seven people back and wasn’t thinking I needed to know my exact place in line. The line was slowly moving forward. After nearly a minute the first person found their name and then the next in line moved up. Some time later this person found their name and the line moved one step closer again. The next person moved rather quickly and the one following them took their time yet again. Finally I reached the sign-in table and after GLANCING at the sign-in log document identified that our names where sorted by our last names in alphabetical order. My last name, being towards the end of the alphabet, required that I jump towards the back. I did but had to backtrack one page as I went just a bit too far. I found my name and signed in quickly. I then stepped aside and with morbid curiosity waited for the next person to sign in and they too had trouble identifying the sorting order. I then spoke up and explained that it was alphabetical and she smiled at me and was able to navigate through it a bit quicker. The person following her had just as much trouble sorting through the list as she had and had apparently hadn’t heard me give the explanation to the woman proceeding him. I informed him as well and he too found his name a bit quicker. The gentleman following him apparently didn’t hear my second explanation either and it was at this point that I just gave up and went to find a seat.

Now if you recall I mentioned that I was a bit of a slacker at the beginning of this diatribe? When your peers are of this caliber one can afford suck luxuries as getting things done half ass and at the last moment often seems exemplary in comparison.