Author: admin

day off

Posted on by admin

I’m taking the day tomorrow. Mostly, because we’ve been asked to take care of our granddaughter for the day/weekend (yes, sir! No problem, sir!), but because I am spiralling. I’m really not in a good place for work.

I feel like I’m behind, overworked, disorganized, putting way too much personal pressure on myself to meet standards and targets, and that’s not just work.

It’s me, fucking myself up.

Self-destructing, as always, and wanting to scrap it all and start again.

But I’ve done that too often.

I’ve come too far and I’m out of time.

After all, Donald Trump’s fascist state may invade or bomb us at any time. The psycho’s capable of anything, if it feeds his sad, little ego.

So, yeah.

Taking the day tomorrow.

Fuck Donald Trump.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 1106 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Comics: Fathom v6 8, Aspen Universe: Decimation 1-3
Music: The Essential (1955-1983), Johnny Fuckin' Cash

brian wilson

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And now, Brian Wilson?

Goddamnit.

Sly Stone I could take because I don’t have a lot of connection there, but I’ve been listening to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys as long as I can remember (fuck Mike Love). We even saw them in concert when they (meaning Mike Love and a bunch of randoms) came to play at the bandstand in Tecumseh Park.

It was nice.

The innocence of it all hiding the troubled mind in behind… wouldn’t it be better if Brian had sang what he wanted? If he’d sang about his pain.

Wouldn’t it be nice?

For Brian Wilson to be still alive.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 798 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Comics: Aspen Universe: Decimation 0, Fathom v6 5-7
Music: The Essential, Bruce Springsteen (fuck you, you probably don't know what Born In The USA is even about, you nationalistic prick)

happy birthday, sis

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Sly Stone dies and my sister lives another year. Good for her.

Not that she shouldn’t live another year. Like all the people I love, I hope she lives until I die, at least. After that, well, I hope for her sake she lives a long time, but hell, I’ll be dead. What would it matter to me?

Then again, there’s always reincarnation. Maybe I’ll come back as a vibrator.

Assuming I’m bought by a Hollywood starlet, that’d be cool, I guess.

Or a carrier of the Republican virus, in that it only targets individuals who voted Republican, and rewires their brains to be permanently set on Mr. Rogers.

Now, wouldn’t that be a nice cleanse?

Sometimes, I think the stars aligned and decided: there is something truly, profoundly wrong with this guy.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 1715 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
Comics: Fathom v6 1-4
Music: Equal Strain On All Parts, Jimmy Buffett (fuck you, it's better than you think)

sly stone’s dead

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I’m not really sure what that means other than a continued reaffirmation of the cycle of life and death, or the misconception that I had that he was already dead.

Not that I’m the biggest fan of the Family Stone, but there was some good stuff.

Death in obscurity; life in obscurity.

Death in Cheers; everyone knows your name; in life, as well.

Which end of the scale? Do we all forget Angela Cartwright and her sister? Do you know her sister’s name?

Who ran IBM in the Seventies? Who stood in front of the tanks?

Whatever happened to P.J. Soles?

There’s a strong chance I’m losing it; obscurity within the family unit has me lost.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 1510 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Blackbirds, Chuck Wendig
Comics: Aspen Universe: Revelations 2-5
Music: Eponymous, R.E.M.

what a nice day

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Sunday’s a shitshow, but beyond being caught in the midst of a quartet of bachelorette parties (which would normally be awesome, but I’m not twenty and single anymore, so it’s just annoying), it was a wonderful day.

Paglione’s was terrific, if expensive. Great pizza, great wine.

The dogs loved it.

and then, of course, Sunday.

We are forever at war, especially with ourselves.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 864 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Blackbirds, Chuck Wendig (this is so my style)
Comics: The Four Points 5, Fathom: Blue 5-6, Aspen Universe: Revelations 1
Music: Enter The Vaselines, The Vaselines

pagliones

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It’s winery tour day in Essex, Kingsville and Harrow and the stretch between, to be fair, and I can’t wait.

I love fancy shit like that, as long as it’s not too fancy and formal.

I wanted to go to Paglione’s on my birthday last year and we ran out of time, so I’m excited.

This area is up-and-coming in wine, a historically good growing area and with climate change, one poised to make waves. French wine is still higher quality, sure, but there are some wineries doing truly inspired work around here (and up in Prince Edward County and Niagara – and out west in the Okanagan Valley).

Canadians never get credit for anything but maple syrup, poutine, curling and hockey, but damned if we aren’t among the best in the world at a whole bunch of other things, up to and including being goddamned nice.

We’re the Rodney Dangerfield of the Western world, if Rodney were actually just a really super nice guy who actually didn’t care whether he had that much respect.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 1172 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Blackbirds, Chuck Wendig
Comics: Fathom: Blue 3-4, The Four Points 3-4
Music: Energy, Operation Ivy (amazing)

back to work

Posted on by admin

Well, I guess that’s it.

I’ve been torn in a thousand different directions, feel like I’m way behind on everything, and now, I have to go into the office three days out of every week, thus losing an hour of my day to prep and commute (not to mention the little moments I sneak on breaks and lunch to write, read, etc.)

This is going to hurt.

Fuck my life.

And fuck Donald Trump.

Just because.

Fuck him.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 2408 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Blackbirds, Chuck Wendig
Comics: Fathom: Kiani v4 4, The Four Points 2, Fathom: Blue 1-2
Music: Endtroducing, DJ Shadow

what the hell

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It’s been two days and I can’t get this song out of my head.

That, and Pink Pony Club.

Make it stop. Make it stop.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 1837 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Pilgrim's Regress, C.S. Lewis (more like The Pilgrim's Snorefest, am I right?)
Comics: Fathom: Kiani v4 1-3, The Four Points 1
Music: Endless Wire, The Who

avril

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I forgot how much I enjoy a good concert.

The shared experience, even if the music isn’t necessarily your style; it’s special. As much of an introvert who hates crowds as I am, I appreciated the experience.

The girls loved it.

And good for Avril; she put on a good show, if a bit low energy.

Anyway, it’s fun to get lost in a wall of sound.

I should like to do it more often.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 825 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Pilgrim's Regress, C.S. Lewis
Comics: Fathom: Kiani v3 2-4, Fathom: Annual 1
Music: Endgame, Rise Against (palate cleanser after Don Henley)

live music

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It’s been a long time since I went to a concert, and Avril Lavigne wouldn’t exactly be my first choice, but I’m looking forward to it.

Not only is it huge good dad/husband/uncle points, it should still be pretty fun. I’m not a huge fan or anything, but as far as bubblegum pop goes, she’s hardly the worst thing out there.

You couldn’t drag me to a Lady Gaga show, and if the word boy band has ever been used to describe it, I’d rather exfoliate with hydrochloric acid.

(The first is dramatically overrated and the second is the apotheosis of everything wrong with the corporatization of music.)

Still. Could be cool, and the girls should love it.

What’s the word for when it makes you happy to see the people you love happy?

Oh, right.

Compersion.

I’m hoping to be fully compersed.

Target: 1200 words
Written: 765 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Pilgrim's Regress, C.S. Lewis (what the fuck am I reading?  World's greatest strawman arguments?)
Comics: Fathom v5 6-8, Fathom: Kiani v3 1
Music: The End Of The Innocence, Don Henley (he says, revealing how uncool he truly is)