Thursday, March 08, 2012—Orange, California
The warm weather is back. But unfortunately I’m trapped inside today; I’m stuck at school, waiting for my afternoon Physical Anthropology class to begin. After today Irvine Valley College goes on Spring Break. The following week Santiago Canyon College goes on Break. So I’ve got two pretty cushy half weeks in a row coming my way. I’ve got some catch up to do for school, but not a lot. So I’m hoping to relax a bit, do some work for Burning Shore Press, and get a fair bit of writing done.
On that subject, I finished “Off Lombok.” It’s a fun little story. It’s also inspired a second story in the same location whose working title is “Off Lombok #2” (I’m such a clever boy). I hope to break ground on that one today. I’ve also got at least three more stories swirling around in my head that are ready or near ready to come out, plus a few more that could coalesce soon. I’m amazed at how much fun I’m having with these pieces, and how satisfying they are to write. So far Sunshine Seas is by far the most enjoyable writing project I’ve ever attempted. It’s also starting to get exciting because I can start to see how it’s going to work together as a whole, that it will work together as a whole--and this is only two tales into things! Yep, there are certain times when it’s definitely good to be Rob …
Attempted to continue my Hemingway study by picking up Islands in the Stream, one of his few novels I’ve never read. It was unfinished when he died and I can see why: I read the first thirty pages or so and I found it a to be a boring mess. I grabbed The Sun Also Rises from the IVC library today. I tried to reread it a few months back, but couldn’t get into it. Like I said earlier, I think I’m in a better place for Hemingway than I was then and this time I’m looking forward to tackling it. It will also go well with The Paris Years, which is the second volume of Reynolds' four-volume Hemingway biography, which I picked up when I checked out Islands in the Stream.
So … great times writing and great reading. Feeling a little bored physically, the need to sweat and push myself a bit in that area. I’ve been wanting to get a serious bike, a really good mountain/road bike hybrid. I was hoping to do that when I got back from Greece. Maybe I’ll try and find a used one before I go (if I go: Greece’s economy is in free-fall at the moment, so I’ve put everything on hold for the time being). I’ve been trying to get healthier in general lately. I haven’t had any alcohol since Superbowl, which was nearly a month ago, and I’m starting to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet. I also pulled out my juicer and have resumed a program of juicing every day. My losing the alcohol is what I’m finding really interesting. I had a few years there several years back when I was definitely drinking more that I should have. Before that, though, I hadn’t been much of a drinker for quite some time. I seem to be naturally returning to my tea-totaller ways. Alcohol has been slowly fading from my life in recent years and it seems to have stopped on its own: I didn’t make any conscience decision quit, it just sort of happened. I haven’t missed it all either. Not once have I felt the urge to drink and the way I’m feeling now it wouldn’t surprise me if I never drink again. Like I said, very interesting …
Another goal during my cushy month of March: to settle on a cover for Edgewater and to get and get the files ready for printing. Shooting now for an April printing date.
The warm weather is back. But unfortunately I’m trapped inside today; I’m stuck at school, waiting for my afternoon Physical Anthropology class to begin. After today Irvine Valley College goes on Spring Break. The following week Santiago Canyon College goes on Break. So I’ve got two pretty cushy half weeks in a row coming my way. I’ve got some catch up to do for school, but not a lot. So I’m hoping to relax a bit, do some work for Burning Shore Press, and get a fair bit of writing done.
On that subject, I finished “Off Lombok.” It’s a fun little story. It’s also inspired a second story in the same location whose working title is “Off Lombok #2” (I’m such a clever boy). I hope to break ground on that one today. I’ve also got at least three more stories swirling around in my head that are ready or near ready to come out, plus a few more that could coalesce soon. I’m amazed at how much fun I’m having with these pieces, and how satisfying they are to write. So far Sunshine Seas is by far the most enjoyable writing project I’ve ever attempted. It’s also starting to get exciting because I can start to see how it’s going to work together as a whole, that it will work together as a whole--and this is only two tales into things! Yep, there are certain times when it’s definitely good to be Rob …
Attempted to continue my Hemingway study by picking up Islands in the Stream, one of his few novels I’ve never read. It was unfinished when he died and I can see why: I read the first thirty pages or so and I found it a to be a boring mess. I grabbed The Sun Also Rises from the IVC library today. I tried to reread it a few months back, but couldn’t get into it. Like I said earlier, I think I’m in a better place for Hemingway than I was then and this time I’m looking forward to tackling it. It will also go well with The Paris Years, which is the second volume of Reynolds' four-volume Hemingway biography, which I picked up when I checked out Islands in the Stream.
So … great times writing and great reading. Feeling a little bored physically, the need to sweat and push myself a bit in that area. I’ve been wanting to get a serious bike, a really good mountain/road bike hybrid. I was hoping to do that when I got back from Greece. Maybe I’ll try and find a used one before I go (if I go: Greece’s economy is in free-fall at the moment, so I’ve put everything on hold for the time being). I’ve been trying to get healthier in general lately. I haven’t had any alcohol since Superbowl, which was nearly a month ago, and I’m starting to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet. I also pulled out my juicer and have resumed a program of juicing every day. My losing the alcohol is what I’m finding really interesting. I had a few years there several years back when I was definitely drinking more that I should have. Before that, though, I hadn’t been much of a drinker for quite some time. I seem to be naturally returning to my tea-totaller ways. Alcohol has been slowly fading from my life in recent years and it seems to have stopped on its own: I didn’t make any conscience decision quit, it just sort of happened. I haven’t missed it all either. Not once have I felt the urge to drink and the way I’m feeling now it wouldn’t surprise me if I never drink again. Like I said, very interesting …
Another goal during my cushy month of March: to settle on a cover for Edgewater and to get and get the files ready for printing. Shooting now for an April printing date.
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