There was a definite intention to get back to writing this week. For those of you who actually take an interest in my work, you should know that after six solid weeks of nonstop writing, I promised myself a week off to recharge the old creative batteries. It’s important to any writing process that you be at your best when writing, and as I read and reread Dallas, I can see the signs of my creativity in decline. I’m not overly happy with the story, but for now I’ll leave it as it is. Until it’s printed within a book, all softcopy, to me at least, forever remains in a malleable state. In the week off, I’ve been thinking about how to approach Excelsior, and in doing so, I managed to bang out story ideas for Fearless, Gallant, and the H-ship story.
This week is also the week of the World Series, where my San Francisco Giants are appearing for the third time in forty years to try and take the world championship title from the Anaheim Angels. My baseball fandom extends to my childhood, where my father and I would go to Giants games at old Candlestick Park. My dad an I didn’t have a whole lot of good memories when I was growing up, but I can always look back at the times when we jumped in with both feet into a shared interest and bonded with one another as we had never done before. This is the reason why every April, I take him to a Giants game for his birthday, as a reminder of the times we shared in the past. With him now living up near Lake Tahoe, it’s really difficult to get out to see him or for him to come down and see me, so it makes that game even more special for me. Baseball never fails to bring us together, even if it’s to debate over a topic within the sport. Football was a sport I shared with my grandfather, a man who I spent the first decade of my life with and looked up to him like a father… but baseball is for me and my dad. So let’s go Giants, and here’s to another great season next year. I’m looking forward to April ’03 already.
Also this week, the rest of the major yard work for one of my friends. Todd and I spent most of the day in his backyard, pulling weeds and also cutting the roots that were sticking up out of the ground. I’ve roto-tilled before, and let me tell you that when a till gets a hold of an unseen root, it doesn’t feel very good to be at the controls as the vibration shakes the hell out of you. Todd surprised me, though, using his tenacity toward a project and really working hard. I had to pull him away and so did my friend. He wanted this really stubborn tree root, but he looked as though he were about to collapse. This was after almost nine hours of working with a lunch break in between. His shirt was drenched in sweat. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to finish. Also tomorrow, Todd has a job interview at a credit union locally, so I’m sending him the good luck vibe in the hopes that he will ace the interview and get the job that he so desperately needs.
Later on this week, I will be called back to cover the five hour spread between day and night shift, as my co-worker’s dad had a heart attack, and he’ll have to drive up to Salem to be with his family as his dad goes under the knife for bypass surgery. Instead of enjoying my week off, I’ll be working Wednesday and Thursday (missing Enterprise and Friends, bleh) from seven to midnight. Sucks because I have my regular shift at nine in the morning on Friday, and I won’t be getting home until after midnight Friday morning. Load of suck.
To a friend of mine who’s having some concerns about her actions: Fortune favors the bold. I’ve said it time and time again… if you’re going to be damned, then be damned for who you really are. You cannot go wrong by being yourself.
