The word of the week is numinous.
Dec 2 - Timeliness
This month is all about managing my time - giving to myself,
in a way.
Between work and writing, there's not a lot of time left
over for me in December. As it stands, I'm not going out much at all - save for
the occasional trip to Moka House for a solitary tea - as my remaining time not
spent sleeping, feeding myself or generally keeping the place livable has been
spent in front of my computer putting words to the screen. Not to paper; my
handwriting is lousy and I can barely read it myself… not to mention it's
really, really slow going that way.
All that's fine; this time of year, people are extremely
busy and stressed, so just letting everyone be about what they need to be and
keeping my own hands busy seems to be working. Not being a social butterfly I
once was, this doesn't really bother me and I actually feel better in that I'm
devoting as much time as possible to writing, which is why I want to be doing
anyway.
That thought really helps to keep me focused as the days
grow shorter.
Dec 3 - L33tspeak in reality?
Today had a very surreal segment to it.
Working, as I do most days, I am exposed to the general
public. Who, by and large, are normal and inhabit the same reality I do. Some
are ruder about it, but in the main we all agree that the world we share is not
the Matrix, or indeed inside a computer program ala TRON.
Well, little did I know that this isn't a 100% thing.
Approaching a young man looking at keyboards, I opened the
dialogue in the usual way - and from there things got… strange.
I wish I could describe the exact phrases he used, but I was
so stunned that he was communicating ONLY in online jargon that I missed a few
mental steps during our thankfully brief conversation. I do recall that he
didn't look me in the eye the entire time( as though I wasn't real? )and did
his level best to project an air of total cool, overlaid with a slight disdain
in the computer hardware being discussed. As though he was used to better and
couldn't be bothered to really take an interest in anything around him.
It was really weird.
After he'd wandered off towards the front door, I gave
myself a shake and poked a few shelves… just in case they distorted with a
silicon flash. There was no sign of lurking Agents, so I just chalked it up to
the guy spending way, WAY too much time online and went on with my day.
Still, I looked really hard at anyone wearing sunglasses for
the rest of the week.
Dec 4 - Dark Crystal Director's Cut!
What a discovery I made today!
The wonderful Nerdist.com posted an article about a project
that's been a labour of love for one man for over two years: creating a
Director's Cut of The Dark Crystal - which he's just completed!
Better yet, it's available online now! Have a look:
I'll be watching it in the entire this week, to see how its
vibe is different from that of the original film. To be honest, for my own
writing project I had a more serious tone in mind, as light and fluffy doesn't
really work for me overall. Not that I'll be going all dark n'such in my submission,
but I always felt that the uneven feel of the original film was due to factors
beyond my understanding; I know now that it was because Jim Henson's original
vision had been adjusted by the studio to 'lighten up' a potentially darker
film.
I'm quite grateful for the find today, as it will really help
to inform my own work.
Dec 5 - Prospectus!
Money came up today, in a good way.
I know I've said it before, but today I felt for the first
time in a long time that my financial future is on the upswing instead of
circling the drain as it has been for what seems like forever.
Without getting into details, I can simply state that with
my sister's recent job promotion and some discussion with my family have
combined to make me worry less about dollar signs in 2014.
Which goes hand-in-hand with reducing stress, naturally.
Feeling like I'm gaining control of my life, however it's
working out right now, is vitally important to my well-being and essential to
freeing the creative process to flower without restriction. I liken it to
having gained a sponsor, in a way, much as some artists dream of and have done
many times in the past.
It's just the start of many more good things to come.
Dec 6 - Powerless!
The lights went out today.
While I was at work today in the evening, the power failed -
not once, but three times - and was out for almost 2 hours in total.
There had been two other major power outages since I arrived
here in Victoria, in 2008 and 2009, both during the holidays. Neither one was
directly due to extreme cold weather or snow, just increased demand on a grid
that couldn't supply enough juice to those who wanted it.
It was fun in some ways, but it also illustrated how
unprepared most people are in general when the world we take for granted goes
away for a while. I had several spare flashlights with me as well as warm
clothing, but most people use their cell phones for light and don't carry spare
batteries for those. So once they're gone, they're without a vital form of
contact.
I know that I was wondering how I'd be able to heat my place
once I got home if the power was still out. I have lots of spare batteries and
some other supplies, but I don't have anything near three days of complete
self-sufficiency that anyone needs to having case of a disaster. I've become a
little lax in the last few years since moving my parents off into their own
place and today I realized that I have to once again get back to being prepared
for life's little hiccups, which don't really care whether or not I'm having a
good day or dealing with various troubles.
A little money spent wisely the next few months will make
for a vast improvement in dealing with those hiccups when they come around
again - whenever that is.
Dec 7 - Kincade and Empire
Mashups are a favorite thing of mine, especially g33ky ones.
While there's a preponderance of bad art out there, I can't
say that anything by Thomas Kincade is bad, really. Especially coming from
someone like myself, the room drawing a straight line is a challenge even with
the ruler.
Which is why I was so tickled to see the art pictured above;
anything to do with putting Star Wars into juxtaposition with classic art has
my full approval. Go take a look at more of the pictures and marvel at the ease with which the Empire invades the serene
settings of Kincade.
Dec 8 - Christmas Party!
A busy day that didn't drag, with a party at the end!
Most of today was spent at work, starting a little earlier
than usual as I took the bus for the first time in a long while - it was too
icy to cycle, as I'm not a fan of skidding on pavement.
Work itself was busy but not crazy… still enough to keep me
hopping all day, though most everyone was in a good mood so the hours flew by.
Soon enough it was dinnertime and I was off to wait an hour for a ride - where
to? Why, the company Christmas party, out in Langford at Bin4!
I have to say, it was quite a change from the parties of
previous years at MMart, where everyone would make small talk and try to sneak
glances at their watches to see if it was time to leave yet. This party was
markedly different: everyone there was GLAD to be there and to chat up their
friends all evening over some great food. I kept my puns in check, dishing them
out judiciously to a mostly appreciative crew and really, really enjoyed
myself, though I was finding myself very tired by the time most everyone left
at the end.
The best part? Not the Subway gift card, or the cocoa/marshmellow/polka-dot
mug kit, or even the tasty pack of mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! No, the
BEST part was the Christmas card I was given, signed by almost everyone with
personal messages. All of them uplifting and grateful to have me working with
them every day...
Which is the best gift I could have wished for!
I'm just rolling along this past week, looking forward to
every minute I can spend writing this coming week. Sure, Christmas is coming,
but then so is my Dark Crystal deadline… so back to it!
