Greetings: An update on the previous month. December 2023 brought about some big changes. The new website is up and running, and more than 50% complete. The art section and writing section are both fully in place, and that leaves the legacy site (Ancient Pathway) and the photography site. They are slated for January of this year. I changed positions within my job, and in the second week of January, I get to spend 2 weeks in Eastern Tennessee, learning my new postition. I ended the year with one hell of a cold, but I am mostly over that.

Here you will find "The Watcher". I had to test the repaired computer, and it works fine. This new work is a composite based on the theme "one who watches." I think it came out well.

The daily draw

Three of Staffs: Creating and entering a realm of fortune, optimism, and trade. The beginning of a venture

The Devil: The dark side of the self. Inner battle and turmoil are trying to hold me back.

Three of Pentacles (inverse): This card indicates potential friction with teammates. This is not wholly unexpected as I head into the new chapter of my life. I am sure there will be some friction with myself and the other driver leader candidates.

Check it out

A quick note: : One of most important communications that I get is about my writing. People want to know what is up with it. I have gotten enough questions about it, that it is now, all online. You can check out the Writing Section to view all my writing projects. As an added bonus, you can also see all the artwork that I created over a two year Photoshop and digital art course on the Art projects site. But beware, some of it is not for the faint of heart.

Roll, baby roll!

Physically, I was still feeling terrible today, but I did not let it hinder me this time. I did pretty well yesterday getting things done even though I was still feeling poorly, and I did the same thing today. Yesterday, I did a lot of physical labor; today, I did a lot of mental labor. I looked over my 2023 list of things I wanted to get done before the end of the year, and only one thing remained on it. That was to complete the writing section of the new website. That is a monumental undertaking, and I had barely started, or so I had thought. The biggest thing is that I have to write a synopsis for each story and get them onto the site so people can see what is out there. If that is done, they can bid me to finish them off. There is nothing on the list that I could not finish within seven days. And most of them would take less than 48 hours. I've been a busy little bee. But it still comes down to writing the synopsis for each of them. Except that, I forgot that I already did that. OK, even with that done, I still have to write the framework for the writing part of the site. Oh wait, I did that as well. So it comes down to reading the data into the web pages and then uploading them. And that is done. And I did it all while binge-watching the Netflix series about Jack Reacher. I love the books by Lee Child, and the storyline follows the books quite closely. By the end of the day, I was still feeling a little off, but I was feeling so much better than I was. Perhaps tomorrow will be even better.

I am trying to slowly slip back into my artwork, now that I have the computer back that can handle the hardware and software. At the same time, I have been spending a lot of time on my writing. So Today, I have a combination of the two. I am working on my inner thoughts about the image of Ospiria. I do not think this is it, but it is where my mind led me today.

The daily draw

Nine of Pentacles (inverse): I can see the warning signs here. The NOP, on the other hand, gives a strong indicator that I am overlooking my self-worth. It warns of the potential for depression hanging just around the corner. But the best way to avoid a trap is to know it is there. I see this one coming and will not let it affect me.

The Hanged Man: Another warning card. Being suspended in time fits the situation. I am in a holding pattern until things pick up in a few days; I have to stay the course. I must submit to the ultimate surrender, which, of course, is to the self. I have become patient over the years, but that patience is a thin thread. I have no purpose and no focus. I have tossed myself into art and writing, but it is not enough. But on the optimistic side of the hanged man, there is an indication of breaking old patterns and metamorphosis through letting go and circumspection. I will concentrate on those areas.

Three of Pentacles (inverse): This card indicates potential friction with teammates. This is not wholly unexpected as I head into the new chapter of my life. I am sure there will be some friction with myself and the other driver leader candidates. This is the second day that this card fell in this position. Okay, Lilith, I am paying attention. I will watch it myself.

Mended, but pensive

I spent most of the day working on artwork and writing, but a man cannot live on lobster every day, and I need to find something to divert my attention tomorrow. I do not want to get stuck in an artistic rut because I could see that happening. And this is not the time for such a failure. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the time, gotten through the entire novel a second time, and done some serious editing, but it is time to give it a break. I believe I have one more pass, and then I will be ready to go to press. Of course, that is another ball of wax I must deal with down the line. But it is time to let the ladies lie and move on to something else for a few days. I'm just not sure what.

I did a small artwork that came out pretty well, but I don't think it is what I intended. It will go into the archives but not become part of the novel. I watched some random videos on sand casting, and now I know how to melt and smelt silver. Just a few small tools and some fire and I can be casting my own rings and pendants in a jiffy. Am I going to do that tomorrow? This week? Or even this year? Probably not. But I'm going to look at a lot more videos about it. It is a fascinating subject.

I am working on my archives and getting everything up to date. In theory, I should have everything ready to go with me this weekend, so at least I will not be bored in my downtime. Ironically, that is one of my greatest fears. I lived in a small box in solitude for a very long time, but being in Chattanooga for two weeks has me on edge. I find that ironic. I'm sure I could explore that feeling and figure out where it's coming from, but I don't want to, so I'm not going to.

I ended the day by eating a Baconator and watching Buffy. But I picked an episode with the gentleman because I was in the mood for that. It really did not satisfy what I was looking for, but it wasted time, and that was the purpose. With a little bit of luck, I'm going to wake up feeling much better than I have been, and I will figure out how to handle the day from there.

My wife likes the landscapes, and I like the portraitures and active scenes. So today, I will throw in an alien landscape just for fun. Of course, that's because Daz3D just gave me some alien landscape materials, so I figured I would try them out. It works all around.

The daily draw

Eight of Pentacles (inverse): Okay, I can see this warning, and I knew that it was coming. I am repressing my spiritual side and disobeying or ignoring my inner guidance. This is something that I know that I am doing, but I have not actively avoided the action.

Five of Cups: Dammit, I hate this. Dejection, disappointment, or sorrow over past events. The age-old "regret" card. Teamed together with negative physical and mental aspects of all this sitting around. Not a good thing. Time to pay attention!

The Emperor: This is a bit better. The Emperor is the masculine of the mother or queen. A card that shows new opportunity and incoming abundance connected with authority, power, or promotion. These things are all in my grasp, I just need to pay attention.

The edge

Am I a donkey on the edge? Am I some jersey boy called the edge? Am I dancing on the edge of a knife? I don't believe any of these are true. I just needed the title for the paragraph, and it was what was there, so I used it. I think that I'm doing pretty well. I'm feeling a lot better. I have finished most of the stuff I wanted, and I am just a few days away from traveling to Chattanooga to start my new career. It will be fine, but I am at that stagnant point. And I wouldn't say I like the point in between.

I have added Photoshop back into my daily routine now that I have a good computer operational again, and each day, I am doing a new lesson. The lesson for today is concentrating on accessories. In this case, the necklace and brooch and the hairpiece. The model is a standard composite drawing, but I added the dress, the hairpiece, and the neck accompaniments. Not a bad job, if I do say so myself. It was originally in color, but I think it looks better in grayscale.

The daily draw

Seven of Swords (inverse): A puzzling draw because the Seven of Swords indicates an end to deception or untruth, or interaction with a serial cheater or pathological liar. Since I am not due to meet anyone new today, that points to an end to deception. I have meditated on the self, and I am not deceiving myself or those around me. I don't believe that anyone in my direct circle is either, so that is a mystery.

Four of Cups: The four of cups makes a lot more sense. Blah, lack of motivation, everything forced. A feeling as if there is no way out of the rut. As an intelligent and driven being, I know there is always a way out, but it seems there is not. I may be looking at remorse or self-absorption over missed opportunities. But I know this trap well, so I am prepared for it.

King of Cups (inverse): A strong warning indicator with a two-fold meaning. I am concentrating too much on my inner self and coming face to face with a tyrant or bully, especially in business. This does not bode well, considering what occurs over the next few days. I will have to keep my eyes open. Granted, it could easily be a "social climber" in the ranks, which is highly possible, but if it is a person in control, that could be a different story. As far as I know, only one person knows my background going into this new position, and we have discussed that I will keep myself "hidden" for right now. I do no know why, but I think there may be a game afoot. We shall see.

Into the groove, be it a slow one.

For a Thursday, this was a rather mundane day. But then again, when isn't Thursday mundane? I'm finally feeling a lot better, and all that remains is a little bit of a cough. But I don't think that has anything to do with the cold, and I must deal with it. It will go away eventually.

I spent the morning reviewing information from the new job starting Monday and ensured I had all my ducks in a row. Tomorrow, I will pull everything I need for the trip and get it into a pile to load it into the car on Sunday morning. I made it up to Walmart and got my medication, which was handled. And I picked up a few things for lunch. I did not do a bag or two of shopping for the trip like I thought I would because I had no idea what to get. I'm not looking forward to being away from home for two weeks. The significant irony is that I was away for eight weeks at a time for years. It's incredible how little things change.

I spent the afternoon doing some virtual reality and working on my novel. It is exhilarating to be on the final edit, and I'm pretty sure that I have decided that this one is going to be self-published as well. We shall see. If I keep up on the track I am on right now, I may get three books out this year. Because two of them are done and ready to edit, and the third is right behind it. I need to overcome this fear of failure.

As the afternoon rolled around, I started to cook chicken. It took about 90 minutes in the oven. I was going to use the air fryer, but I would have had to do 4 batches, which would have taken hours. But it came out good, and everybody else agreed. Once that was done, I disappeared into my cubbyhole, and I worked on my novel, did my French and Photoshop course, and then watched Lost Girl. I completely forgot how good that show was. Then it was time for an early bedtime, and tomorrow is another day.

I love the beginning of the year. The programs I use regularly have annual giveaways in the year's first quarter. They take this stuff nobody buys anymore and hand it to their loyal fans. In this case, my Photoshop instructor put together about 100 new filters I did not have in my repository. This is one of them, labeled simply "comic book." It took a regular picture of my wife and turned her into a comic book hero. It was pretty interesting.

The daily draw

Six of Swords (inverse): The universe can stop it with the hints; I get the picture. Change is coming, and there is nothing that I can do about it. It is time to sit down, suck it up, and deal with what is around the next corner.

Queen of Staffs: Though the Queen is a positive card, I see this draw with a sense of trepidation. Normally, I would see initiative, ambition, drive, and desire, which would be highly positive in the current situation. But falling with the third card, Death, it makes me take pause. It is just time to pay attention and take nothing for granted.

Death: Facing the 13th Trump card of the Tarot is never a happy time. But unlike what many think when they see this, it has nothing to do with physical death. It is a card of change that fits the moment. On Monday, I embark on a new adventure, for good or for ill, requiring an enhanced sense of self-awareness. The Death card makes me aware of this necessity.

Another Project down

Another project came to an unexpected close today. It is something that I have been working on for the past month while I have been home. As you will recall, over a year ago, I lost a computer. That loss cascaded into a loss of photographs, movies, written work, and my entire library, which has taken more than 20 years to collect. But what I did have was the hard drive that had failed. When I was in school for computer forensics analysis, one of the instructors gave me a program that would slowly, over time, rebuild a broken hard drive block by block. The only problem is you have to restart the program two or three times a day and let it return and do its thing. When he gave us the program, he told us it had a 10% chance of working on most damaged drives. At least for a partial recovery. I was impressed that the program could retrieve a significant portion of the photographs. However, I never dreamed that it would be able to restore the library. As of this morning, I have a 98% recovery. That's pretty damn impressive, even though it has taken more than 30 days and probably close to 300 hours worth of computing time. Of course, that means I have to go back through and sort the entire library again, but that is a project for another day, possibly while I am in Chattanooga.

I have finally gotten antsy, and I am very much ready to get back to work. Sitting around the house constantly is finally starting to get to me, and it is not an enjoyable experience. I like the time that I've been able to spend with my artwork and with my writing, but they have become chores instead of something enjoyable. I know that will change in a few days, but I am burning out on them for now.

I am feeling much better than I have, even though I am still slightly congested. But it is getting better every day. I spent the morning doing my daily thing and even squeezed in extra exercise and yoga. I grabbed my stack of stuff from the truck and found everything I needed for the next two weeks except the Echo Auto. I have no idea what happened to that thing and have searched everywhere. But other than that, I have everything together, and I should be able to put it into the car in about 15 minutes on Sunday morning. When I went to reset the program that is rebuilding the hard drive, I found that it was done, which was a pleasant surprise. I moved those files to an external device to have two copies and not lose them again. But I still have to go through and sort everything, and that will be one hell of a project. I spent some time with my fictional ladies and continued to work through chapter one. If things hold, that chapter will be ready for print tomorrow. There is a small amount of irony in that the young lady from New Spring Publishing contacted me today to see how things were going. I have not responded to her yet, and I'm unsure if I will. I am still stuck on what to do once I complete this book. I ended the day with virtual reality and relaxation techniques from the programs. Just one more full day, and it will be time to get down the road and start the next adventure.

Part of the 2024 project list is to get all of my novel ideas together in one place and give them a face. To do that, I am incorporating the art and Photoshop classes and trying to create a single image for each story. Ironically, I am not starting with "Awakening." I am starting with my second novel, Gaia's Judgment. You can read the synopsis in the writing section of the site if you are interested. But here is the image for the novel.

The daily draw

The Tower (Inverse): Not the greatest draw, but not fully unexpected. Pulling the 16th trump of the tarot in reverse shows a reluctance to embrace change. That is fitting right now because I must be humble for the next two weeks instead of my usual wildcard attitude. I cannot be a cowboy right now, and I must acknowledge that.

Six of Staffs (Inverse): Another draw that was not fully unexpected. The Six of Staffs in reverse shows a lack of confidence. I understand this and recognize that it will be an issue as I adjust to the immediate situation. But much like a roller coaster, there is nothing that I can do to stop it now, and I have to grit my teeth and bear it.

Knight of Swords: The only positive card for today, but still, it holds a warning. The Knight indicates acting on impulse and plunging in. But instead of a course of action, I believe it is a warning when we look at the other two cards for today. I am the type of person who will charge in, take control, and (try to be) victorious. But I think that would be the wrong course of action right now. It would help me right now but harm me in the long run. I have to sit back and watch, something I am not accustomed to doing.

The final day

A final day of rest before I hit the road and head to Chattanooga. But I was able to take advantage of it and get a few things knocked out before I hit the road. I took advantage of the downtime and did some more writing and some artwork, including beginning to create the characters for my novels. They are coming to life. As of today, you can find them on my Facebook feed, but they do not appear in this blog just yet. Maybe once I get the main characters created, I will dedicate a day to them, but not right now.

Speaking of the novel, I am building my resources, and people are starting to get interested. I need to figure out where to go once I have the entire novel edited. In theory, I should have the first chapter completed tomorrow morning. That is a significant milestone. And who knows what kind of time I will have over the next two weeks. Maybe I will jump in with both feet, get it done, and then go from there.

I had some family time, personal time, and relaxation time today-an excellent way to end what has become a sabbatical. I did not accomplish much, but I think I am in a good place right now and ready to move on to whatever the next adventure will be. I was able to get on the virtual reality twice today, and I killed a big fish and a big ugly thing, and of course, I rescued Ashley. In case you haven't been following along, it is part of the storyline from Resident Evil 4. And, of course, Ashley has something in her neck, so before I get her to the helicopter, I'm sure I'm going to have to shoot her. But that will wait until I get home.

I got the new library, which has just been rebuilt onto a storage device I can take. So I have redundant copies of the database, and now I only have to go through it and get it all sorted out, remove the stuff that's not in English that I cannot understand, and go from there. I finished one massive undertaking, and another one took its place.

My biggest worry for the next two weeks is not the training but what I will do with the downtime. For ten days, I'm going to be in the office, and I'm sure that time will pass quickly even though I'm positive that most of it will be brushing up for me. I will have to learn the technology, but multitasking is one of the biggest hurdles in this type of position. Since I already do that, both naturally and trained, I don't think that's going to be an issue. From what I have seen in the office, most people run three screens simultaneously, with about eight programs running. I'm doing that right now on a single machine. I don't think it's going to be an issue. I do want to keep detailed notes in the future about potential changes for the better. One of the big things that bothers me is that our systems are not integrated. They do not work well together, which needs to change. But orientation and training is not the place to bring that up. Instead, I will do a focus study over time and submit my results. Look at me being all professional. Of course, if I happen to hand in that report at the same time as I'm going for a higher position, I'm sure that would be a coincidence.

Tomorrow begins a new adventure, so my final day was a day of rest. I checked out Laura's car today and cannot fix the radio. Between that and the other things that are wrong, we need to get that in for service. I will make that a priority when I get back from Chattanooga. In theory, I will return from Chattanooga, take two days off, and then be at my desk bright and early Monday morning. We shall see what happens.

The daily draw

The Tower: Funny one Universe, funny. Now, I deal with the tower in the upright position. Danger, crisis, destruction, liberation. Unforeseen change and dealing with such. It should make for an interesting day.

Knight of Swords (Inverse): I am going to come face to face with Ego, someone who will stop at nothing to get ahead. That is interesting. Since I have chosen a quiet and non-reactive path, it will be fun to see what I do with that. I even think I know who it is, but we will keep that to ourselves now.

Ten of Pentacles: Wealth and financial abundance waiting in the wings. Perhaps the fight will be worth it. Time will tell.

Made it to the East

I had a very frustrating start to the morning, and I forgot many things I wanted to bring with me, but by the end of the day, I had made it into Chattanooga and settled into the hotel. It is a lovely hotel, and I have a suite. There are plenty of amenities, including a gym and a pool. Every evening there is an open bar for two hours, and that is amusing. But I think it will be a positive experience over the next two weeks. I was able to meet some of my fellow classmates and we got along pretty well. I did not have time to finish the piece of art I am working on, so I will have to wait until tomorrow, depending on how today goes. The biggest issue for the day was the drive. It was a little over 300 miles and I had a panic attack about halfway along the way. It is possible that I might just have to adjust to the size of the car after driving a big rig for so long, but I'm not sure. I had to pull off into a rest area and calm down. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the size of the car because when I had the panic attack, I was surrounded on three sides by tractor-trailers. It created a bit of claustrophobia. But other than that, it was a calm day. I sat down in the lounge and talked to three of my classmates, and they had a rum and coke for the first time in ages. It was pretty watered down, but that's to be expected. I got some excellent insight from Sydney, the bartender, for this weekend. Because I have my cameras, she suggested a few places to take some good pictures. I will consider it.

This one may seem a bit mundane, but I love line drawings for some reason. And this one is just a doodle that I have been working on.

The daily draw

Ten of Pentacles (inverse): A minor setback or challenge with job or finance, nothing to worry about, but something to keep an eye open about.

Three of Staffs (Inverse): Pay attention. Growth and expansion are within my grasp, but I am playing close to the chest. It may be time to go out of my comfort zone and take a risk or two.

Two of cups: An unusual draw right now. This is the minor arcane equivalent of the major arcane "Lovers" card. It is a drawing together of two (people) and does not make any sense here. But the best way to avoid a trap is to know that it is there, so I will pay attention.

First day, out of the way

The focus for today was on work. I was up and about a little later than I intended so I didn't have time for a full morning routine, but I got into the swing of things quickly. Work went well and they were very few surprises, and for the most part it was a very mundane day.

We got out of work about 15 minutes early and I headed over to the Mexican restaurant in the Plaza across the street. It is called Dos Bros, And the food is pretty good. It was a little bit pricey for a burrito but it was quite filling and have a good taste and texture. I did a little extra exercise and yoga in the evening and then I called it an early night so that I could get a minimum of eight hours sleep. In the morning I intend to set up my workstation it says that I don't have to mess with it each time I want to get some stuff done.

I've been working on this one for a few days; it is a simple seascape with some nondescript characters in the foreground. My biggest lesson here was how to do the waves.

The daily draw

The Hierophant (inverse): The Hierophant in reverse is a very dangerous card for me right now. This is a sign of the need for rebellion. It is time to break the rules, break the system, and bring about change, regardless of how people want it. I must consider this and pay attention to the world around me right now.

The Star: A positive sign with hope, renewed power, and inner strength to move forward and receive my blessings from the universe. With the reversed Hierophant, it may be time to flex my muscles.

Five of Swords (Inverse): I sense a theme here. A period of conflict followed by the ability to move on and create positive change. I think that the universe may be trying to tell me something. The question is, will I listen?

I am ready to go home

Regardless of the positive tarot in the progression of my artwork, not to mention the writing that I have been doing and the other projects that I have been working on, I am ready to go home. Too bad that is still about 8 or 9 days away. I want to sleep in my bed and have a nice home-cooked meal. This evening, I spent $35 on a pizza from the magic mushroom, and it was good, but I'm not sure it was that good. I have a little bit of fruit and vegetables left in the refrigerator from when I first got here, but I have a feeling that there is going to be dinner tomorrow, but we shall see.

The powers that be could not arrange payment for a hotel for the weekend, so I am on my own. I have to figure out what to do about that before Friday. And then I can come back to the embassy suites on Sunday. Hopefully, next week, we will get into a little more intricacies about the actual job. This week's work is a primer to get people up to speed on the trucking industry. So far, I'm handling it well.

When I got off work, it had stopped raining. That is very significant because it rained all day and was dropping in temperature. That is never a good mixture. But it cleared up, and I stopped by magic mushroom, got my pizza, and got back to the room to do a little writing, finish up my little artwork above, and then get some sleep. I have a lot of projects going on right now, and most of them have to do with data. But I am taking little nibbles, and it will be fine.

I continue working through my Photoshop lessons and just hit the Victorian age. The model comes straight from Daz3D as usual, and the dress is a stock image from the Adobe system. There is little creativity in this one other than putting the parts together. Everything in this image is stock and requires little creativity. But sometimes that's what it takes.

The daily draw

Death (Inverse): The Death higher arcan is always about change. In this case, in the reversed position, it is a warning that change is in the wings, but I resist it. There are many things that this could be, but it is a warning that I must pay attention.

Queen of Staffs (Inverse): It is time to rebuild the inner sense of self and learn to stand on my own. I should consider carefully any choices that are put before me today. I will take this to heart.

The Moon (Inverse): I have been dealing with illusion, fear, anxiety, and many different negative aspects of the human condition. The Moon, in reverse, is an indicator that these influences are subsiding, and my limits should be removed shortly.

Resolutions

One of the biggest things that I've been fighting all week is what to do with the weekend. Thankfully, my wonderful wife has a clearer head than I do and was able to put things in perspective. I will be staying through the weekend at the embassy suite so that I do not have to move hotels and then move back. It is a little more expensive than the surrounding area, but I am set up here, it is comfortable, and I will not have to move twice. It will all be good.

It was not raining all day today like yesterday, but it was bitter cold. There are also indications of a severe snowstorm coming in from the West, so we shall see if that comes into this area. In two more days, I will be shut down for the weekend and can stare out the window if needed. I don't think that will be the case, but it is always an option.

I was able to get my morning routine in place finally, and my evening routine worked out pretty well as well. I spent a little time on the phone at home, then went down to the gym after eating my dinner. Dinner consisted of everything leftover from the rest of the week, and now the cupboards are bare. I will swing by Fresh Market tomorrow after work and get some stuff. I ended the evening by doing my art and writing for about two hours to the sounds of Celtic music. It was not a bad evening.

The lesson for today was details and I chose to use an eye. There's a little bit of mechanical involvement here. Can you see it? I love the detail on this one.

The daily draw

Seven of staff (Inverse): A new position may be heavy in responsibility and make me feel overwhelmed. Go figure! But I am aware of this, and I think that I have it under control.

Six of swords (Inverse): Change is coming, and there is nothing that I can do about it. It is better to relax and go with the flow than to fight the current.

Four of staffs (Inverse):A serious warning card. Watch communication, especially with those close to me, because misunderstandings are sitting in the wings, waiting to pounce. Clarify everything.

Headed into the weekend soon.

The biggest consideration right now is the oncoming storm. However, I feel that people are doing what they usually do and panicking ahead of time. I do not doubt that milk, bread, and water will fly off the shelves in the next few days. However, if you look at the radar and the weather forecasts, we find that there are only about 6 hours where this is going to be a big problem, and it doesn't look like that big of a problem at all except that it's going to be extremely cold. We shall see what happens. The company is preparing us not to return to Chattanooga next week, but that decision isn't going to be made until we have a better idea of what the weather is going to do. And anybody who follows this blog knows exactly how much I love uncertainty.

Work was pretty intense today, and I learned quite a bit, so there is that. When I got out of work, I tried Newk’s eatery for the first time and it was OK, but not great. I got their version of an Italian sandwich, and they go too heavy on the pepper Jelly. It overpowers the entire sandwich.

I found out that Halestorm will be signing bottles of their self-branded three-chord whiskey in Nashville on the day after I leave Chattanooga next week, assuming we are here next week. I found that interesting, but not interesting enough to spend $80.00 on a bottle of whiskey and stand in line to get it signed. But it's still interesting.

I am working my round Robin both morning and night and I'm doing a pretty good job at making a dent in it. But it's going to be very good to get home and back into a regular routine. I still do not have the hours that I will be working, but I know it's going to be an 8-hour day plus an hour for lunch. We received pictures of the new terminal in Memphis, and it looks like a decent work area. They have all of the furniture in place but they don't have the technology in place. In some ways, I hope we get the extra week here in Chattanooga, and then, in other ways, I hope we are working from Memphis. But that's not something in my control.

My lesson for today was slightly different because now we are delving into cartoons, comic books, and other artwork. The biggest difference is the limited color palette and the need to extend the characters' physical characteristics. It's quite a shift in gears from what I have been doing. Now that I have the recovery drive, I have about 900 more lessons than the 300 I have already done. So that is quite interesting.

The daily draw

Queen of staffs (Inverse): The universe and her warning signs are starting to get on my nerves. I tend to suppress my true nature; I know this. I keep myself in check, and there is a long-time purpose in this because I am too arrogant, and I know it. But I keep that below the surface for the most part. All indications are that I must let a bit of this out, making me seriously uncomfortable. Mostly because it is a slippery slope.

Ace of staffs (Inverse): I am heading into new waters (I knew that), and I am facing emerging ideas, a lack of direction, and distraction. None of this is a surprise, but it is something that I am going to have to deal with.

Page of pentacles: There is no big surprise here. I am exploring a new project or business idea and need to hold the course. There is little insight here, just verification of the world around me.

Headed into the weekend soon.

Most of the day was spent in training, and that is OK because I learned quite a bit. I do not doubt that I will be ready to take my place in Memphis when the time comes. So there is that. Before I left for training, I checked out of the hotel and checked back in, so I am set for the weekend. But when I returned to the hotel in the evening, I discovered that housekeeping had not touched the room. Dirty towels on the floor, they did not replenish the coffee supplies or even take the trash. I let the front desk know, and they said they would send the missing stuff, but it never arrived. I was not impressed.

I stopped at Panda Express on returning to the hotel and got a meal. I did not eat lunch today, so I was starving, and it hit the spot. I spent the evening working on my lessons and listening to some of my calming music. I ended the day in a very negative mood, hoping that will not carry into tomorrow.

I will not keep this one; I have already deleted the core document, but I will save the low-resolution copy here for posterity. This was along the lines of automatic writing. I just started with the base image and went from there, and this is what came up. I have no idea where my mind was, but I won't go looking for it.

The daily draw

The Lovers (Inverse): This is actually no surprise. Being in the inverse, the sixth trump of the tarot shows that I am out of sync with those around me. And this is not a surprise to me. I will get back into sync, but with things up in the air the way that they are, it has been a bit of a fight.

Ace of Pentacles (Inverse): Ah, the underlying fear of failure in a work environment. I know that this is not a problem, but it is still waiting there, the fear, to pounce on me.

Queen of Staffs:The Queen appears to be ever-present lately. In this context, it is a representation of the need to embrace my core instincts and not second guess myself. That is difficult for me, but I will get there.

Spoiler alert

I had not been feeling well for quite a bit of today, but by the end of the day, I was feeling better. I am pretty sure that it has something to do with my diet recently because I've been eating a lot of food from restaurants. And even when I was on the road, I never did that. But that's OK because that adventure is ending, and I will head home in the morning. And there is the spoiler.

I spent the day working on the projects I brought with me, putting a pretty good dent in them. Granted, I still have quite a ways to go, but I will get there. I finished some artwork, and I did some writing and reading. It was a very calm day, and by the end of the day, I knew that I was headed back to Memphis in the morning, so I got some early sleep.

The ongoing lesson for today was creating something from nothing. The only thing that I used,, to begin with, was wireframes of the face, and it was duplicated top and bottom. Then it was just adding stuff willy-nilly. I honestly don't know if I like it or not.

The daily draw

Three of Staffs (Inverse): Here we go with overlooking the potential of potential again. I am within the realm of advancement but playing it too safe.

Four of Swords:It is time to sit back, gather strength, and prepare for new challenges. That makes perfect sense when we consider the work situation.

Four of Pentacles (Inverse):A warning draw about the possibility of job loss or insecurity in the workplace. Time to keep an eye out and see where things fall.

Let it snow

I intended to be on the road by 5:30 this morning, but that did not happen because I had my first adventure in Chattanooga. It wasn't an adventure, but it was one of those things that I could not ignore. Long story short, there were seven models and their chaperone who were in Chattanooga for some runway event along with a bunch of other groups, and their chaperone became very ill and had to be taken to the hospital. And the problem was not one of them spoke English. They all spoke French. And they did not have access to their wardrobes because the chaperone locked them with a combination system. The front desk had no idea what to do because they could not communicate. I got to act as a translator, which was amusing. But one thing that I did find out, that I was not aware of, at least not consciously, is that young ladies in this position are not treated like human beings. I spent about 90 minutes just watching them until they got a new handler, and they were very nice ladies. But once the new chaperone showed up, they put on blank stare faces and clammed up. I would never want to be part of that world.

I finally got into motion and made the drive back to Memphis, which was uneventful. According to the Loves app, Jackson was out of gas, but it had nothing to do with the weather. It had something to do with one of their trucks being delayed. But I made it home without further delay and ate some Little Caesars pizza before taking a nap. Once that was out of the way, I unpacked all my stuff and was home.

The snow finally hit about 3:00 in the afternoon, and it was not an apocalyptic event, but there was quite a bit of it. I can see why people would panic. The family and I played board games and then entered virtual reality for a while. I continued the rescue of Ashley, but in the end, she got her head bitten off by a big, ugly dude. I did not have the concentration to beat him.

The purpose of today is to show off new clothing. It's a basic background and a basic model, but the halter top, leather pants, and cape are new. I kind of like them.

The daily draw

The Chariot (Inverse): The fight right now will be with me as I face scattered energy, lack of direction, and self-doubt. The seventh trump of the Tarot takes me to a place where it is difficult to be myself and face the gathering hordes.

Two of Swords (Inverse): Caught between a rock and a hard place, indecision rules. There is no trump or bridge to break the choice, and I have to forge onward as things progress.

Queen of Pentacles: Feminine energy that helps to keep the focus on home and hearth as I face the tasks to come.

Not that much snow! Geez.

They got it right this time. Plenty of snow to go around and it pretty much closed down the city. There were a lot of videos of cars being stranded or stuck, and the snow on the road was untouched because people weren't going anywhere. The public works was out but they were barely making a dent in the situation. Thankfully we had electricity and we were able to stay home.

I set my Home Office up so that I can go to work from home tomorrow morning, and I spent a little time on Resident Evil 4. I got past the big nasty guy, I got past the gathering hordes, but I got tripped up when I hit the church. I just could not get past it. Tomorrow is another day.

We shall see what tomorrow brings, but today was a relaxing day even though I was fighting a bit of a headache. We shall see.

I really enjoy these Photoshop lessons, even though they are getting repetitive and somewhat mundane. The lesson for today was props and mood. In this case, the props are anything not shrouded in darkness, and the mood is gentle surrender to the darkness within.

The daily draw

Knight of Pentacles (Inverse): It is time to take heed and recognize the danger around me. I am at a point where I could lose my connection with my spiritual side due to an obsession with money, possessions, or appearance. This is a foreshadowing because my connection with Lilith is growing stronger. But there is always room to watch for traps.

Ten of Cups (Inverse): Very strange. A misalignment of personal values. I don't see anything pointing toward a value misalignment, and I don't feel that I am letting others choose what will and will not make me happy. But I will keep an eye out.

Queen of Cups (Inverse): I am wondering if I am channeling another person today. The Queen of Cups points toward a clingy and irritable or sulky person who is immature or emotionally unstable. I cut all these people out of my life years ago, and it is unlikely that I would let them back in. So, I have no idea what the Tarot is talking about today.

Bitter bitter, it's not better bitter.

For all purposes, we are snowed in. The snow is not as bad as it could be, but it is enough to shut down everything in the area, for the most part. The wife and daughter went for a 2 1/2-mile walk to check out the neighborhood, and it took them a couple of hours because they had to stop and rest. But it got them out of the house, and that is always a good thing in situations like this. It helps to wrestle off cabin fever.

I spent the day at work while never leaving the house. I worked remotely in the Home Office that the girls set up for me. It worked out pretty well. And if things do not break, we may do this for the rest of the week. It is supposed to warm up on Thursday, but only to a point where there will be freezing rain to go on top of the snowpack. Doesn't that sound like a lovely time?

In the evening, I watched some old television shows while working on my artwork and writing. I have checked, and they have about 400 Photoshop lessons from the recent download. I think the lessons are coming out well. So, regarding education, I am studying Photoshop, french, and project management - so much fun. The funny thing is I am unsure if that is sarcasm.

The daily draw

King of Swords:A warning, but only a small one. The vistage of a strong-willed, intellectually oriented person, me, comes into play. But the warning is that this person, me, is ruthless and excessively judgmental. While I know this to be true about myself, it is usually kept well in check. I will pay attention to that aspect of the self today.

King of Pentacles:The Money card. There is financial stability, power, and abundance within reach. It is time to use my ambition and create wealth.

Six of Cups: When I face puzzles or uncertainty, there is nothing wrong with looking to the past for answers. A trip down memory lane may be just what I need to face the future.

The last day at home

8 hours at work in a virtual environment stressed me out a little bit. But that was mostly because we were sitting in meetings all day and not doing anything or learning anything. That can be not very pleasant.

When the day was over, the girls had cleared the driveway in the cars, and I set out on my adventure to check the streets. I rolled up to the neighborhood Walmart, and it was not too bad. There were even things on the shelves. I did mess up and get the wrong milk, but I think Laura will forgive me.

I cooked fish sticks and chicken wings when I returned from my traveling adventure. It's not the most sumptuous dinner, but it is food. I was not feeling very well, so I did not jump into virtual reality and did not finish my Photoshop class for the day. I had one hell of a headache. And that is the reason there is no new artwork today. Maybe there will be one tomorrow; we shall see. I set a reminder to myself that I have many pictures on my cameras and I need to get those off of there this weekend. But we shall see if that happens because there is much to do. I can't remember exactly what needs to be done right now, but I'm sure it will come to me later.

A couple of people have asked me about my hobbies. And now that I am at home instead of on the road, I am jumping in with both feet. And I will make sure that you get updates, and possibly a few pictures, as things progress. For Christmas this year, Laura got me an AeroGarden. If you are unfamiliar with these, rudimentary hydroponics that can sit on your desk. As soon as I got back from Chattanooga, I set up my garden, and now I am growing six different types of herbs. I'm curious to see how it works out. And that is my hobby for the week.

I'm trying to do one Photoshop lesson daily, but I got behind. The lesson, which took two days, was on eyes, nose, mouth, and other facial expressions. The lesson was very dry and had you putting a mannequin-type head in place with realistic expressions. I used a wire frame based a little bit on Winona Ryder and a little bit on Christy McNichol, and I went from there. The frame of the portrait it's just random woodwork from the Pagan library. I think it was originally supposed to be a crown, but I turned it on its side and turned it into a frame.

The daily draw

Two of Swords: Finally a positive start to the day. The Two of Swords is a card of meditation, not action. I have built up power, and it is ready to be unleashed, but that power protects me until I find a direction to apply it. A time of rest.

The Hermit : The ninth card of the higher Arcane points to a time for inner reflection or seeking answers within myself, even with the current demands of the world. The answers are there, but they are within, not without.

Six of Staffs (Inverse): Self-doubt and a lack of confidence. Normal in my current work struggle. I forge onward, facing the unknown, but I don't feel ready. I have little doubt that, in time, I will rise to the occasion. But that time is ahead of me, not behind.

Let's go ice skating

Driving them to the office was stressful. Driving home from the office was more stressful. But I made it in both directions without incident, which is always helpful. I had a little trouble with connectivity in the afternoon, but that was generated by Jacksonville, FL, not my home system. I did get to see a termination from safety and that was an interesting experience. Once I got off work, I was not feeling well, so I burrowed in for the evening watched some old TV shows, and ate dinner.

On the hobby front, my garden is doing well and the timer seems to be working, but I will have to build some kind of shelter for it if I'm going to keep it in my cubbyhole. That thing is just way too bright, especially while we are sleeping. When it comes to projects, I have been putting a big list together, and I got to knock two things off that list this morning and this afternoon. I have not been able to find my Echo Auto, and that subscription to SiriusXM is about to run out, but I have a backup plan with a USB key that contains just short of 700 songs on it. Since these are songs I like, they will be a good stand-in for live radio. Anyway, I finished sorting, filing, and validating all 690 songs, and it says the USB key is ready for use. I also finished my sleep disk which contains about 300 hours of music that I used on the truck while I was sleeping. It really helped while I was on the truck, and I had to find a way to use it without bothering the wife. Right now, I am sleeping OK, so it is not a big deal. It is more of a summer thing when it gets very hot, so I have plenty of time.

As of this evening, I will be working at home for one more day and then I will be back in the office on Monday. They have an entire team coming from both the East and the West to help us ramp up. So we shall see how that goes. Tomorrow is mostly PowerPoint presentations and viewing and drive Cam incidents. So it should be interesting.

I was going for oblivion and desire, left to right, respectively. This is a concept piece that I doubt I will ever develop.

The daily draw

After some serious soul-searching and a lot of feedback from those who respond to the things in this blog, I have decided to remove my daily tarot readings from inclusion here. I thought it would be a bit of a kick to see how my life aligns with different forms of divination, but all I have received on the daily draw is negative feedback. It is something that I have done for years and I will continue to do, but I will not include it here. Thank you all for the feedback.

Still Icy, but that is life.

This last day of the work week and the weekend means something now that I am off. My weekend break could come at any time when I was on the truck. But now I can schedule it. I just wish I could remember what I have to do this weekend. Oh, well, I'm sure it will come to me.

Work was mostly sitting around and watching videos and doing a little role-playing. It was a pretty easy day, and we will be back in the office on Monday. We will have the Dallas group and the Chattanooga group there to help us. It should be interesting.

I did not do much personally today because I was exhausted after work. I do no know why that is, but I sat down, watched a movie, and then went to bed. I am such a party animal.

I've hit a series of black-and-white lessons in the classes that I am taking, and I am OK with that. I was supposed to do a picture of an angry woman, and I think I got the anger down, but I am not sure this qualifies as a woman. I think she looks a little too young. I may try this lesson again. The funny thing is that I started with a wire wrap that included Milla Jovovich. And she is far from a little girl. I am unsure how the transforms software took so many years off her life. I will have to play with it. But it is an incredible filter.

This ice and snow can GO.

I spent most of my brainpower working on the Microsoft Word document and PowerPoint for work this morning, so I just puttered around the other projects after I finished up. I took a nap in the afternoon, then got up and got a few things done. But for the most part, this was a day of rest. I went through my Photoshop lesson and my French lessons, but I let the rest of the day drift away. Toward the end of the evening, I was going to jump on virtual reality, but I got stuck in an area of the game. I cannot get past it because I keep running out of ammunition. So I did something I thought I would never do: I jumped on YouTube and grabbed a walkthrough. I have made several errors, and with my current armaments, there is no way that I can get through the area I am in. So, I either need to backtrack or restart. When I looked at the person's inventory doing the walkthrough, I thought I had made several errors. Just because I don't do anything half-assed, I looked at a few others and found the same thing. So we shall see what tomorrow brings. The game is Resident Evil 4, which is pretty good on the quest 2. If you have one, you should check it out.

One of my more interesting followers pointed out that I am very heavy on drawing the ladies. In an attempt to bully me into doing a masculine portrait by insinuating that I am afraid of them. Of course, that is not the case. I prefer to draw women. But to satiate any curiosity about my skill or preferences, I would like to point out that art is art. So, submitted for your approval is an image of masculinity. I combined two lessons here; the first one is the human form in Photoshop, and the second one is the basic anatomy for the artist. I hope you enjoy it. I may do a couple of these because I enjoyed it.

Reset and ready.

I'm to a point where weekends mean something again. This weekend, I did not take full advantage of that because I am still adjusting to not being in motion constantly. Right now, I am dealing quite well with it by the use of yoga and meditation; it is not nearly as easy as I thought it was going to be. You know what they say about old dogs. And I think it is time that I admit that I am an old dog and having trouble learning these new tricks. Don't get me wrong, I am not ready to head back out over the open road. But I wish this adjustment phase would come into alignment. Too often, I sit and stare off into space, and that has to stop.

The morning was spent on meditation, relaxation, and resetting my brain. I wasted the time until about noon, when I got into motion and got out into the world. To take a little pressure off the wife, I went food shopping now that the shelves were partially restocked. I did pretty well, but only time will judge that. I was able to pick up most of our staple goods and at least a week's worth of protein. The Pickens were slim, but I think I made it work.

When I got back to the house, it took about an hour to put the groceries away, and then it was time for some virtual reality. That was a 2 hour time suck that I did not expect. I have been playing Resident Evil 4, and I made a few mistakes, so I had to start over. My intention was to restart the game and get through the village, but instead, I got through the 1st chapter and found at least 10 things that I had missed the first time. When I took off the headset, the room was pitch black because the sun had gone down, and I did not turn on the lights. What was supposed to be 1/2 an hour turned into two hours, and I did not even realize it. Is that healthy? I do not know, but I felt better mentally afterward, so I will take it. And that was the end of the day - a quick meal and then into bed for the evening.

Special attention to the hair, muscular and bone structures, and the dresses. That was the emphasis of the lesson for today and it is supposed to bring all the other lessons together.

A new week.

It was a bit rushed in the morning, but I made it to work in plenty of time. I got my entire morning routine out of the way and even ate a decent breakfast. Work was exactly what I expected, and the teams are here from Chattanooga and Dallas. They are all nice enough.

I decided it would be a good idea to shift gears for a while. I looked over many lessons that I have done over the past year and a half, and they have been primarily human beings. So I jumped ahead a little on the lessons and I grabbed the flowers section. I am still dealing in black and white because I think that is my world. And I am going to embrace it. This lesson is multi-day because I had to build this rose from the ground up without using any generic models. I was tempted to pull in some photographs, but instead of using them as models, I just used them as a reference. I am pretty impressed with the detail of this one. And I think I will stick in the world of flora and fauna for a little while. My next lessons on the human form are based on anatomy, and a lot of them are nudes. I think I might be turning into a prude. Because I am not ready to let you see those. We shall see what the future brings.

The Grind

It is going to take a little while to adjust to the new work schedule because it does not leave a lot of personal time. I get about two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening to do my thing. That does not leave a lot of time for personal development, but I'm going to try to maximize it. This weekend, I intend to work on the garage and get the gym set up so I have a better routine in the morning. I genuinely believe that will help. But there is one significant thing that I have noticed. During the last few months on the truck, I was getting into a very negative mood, and it was getting on my nerves. Two or three times a week, I would just be blue. I did not like that, and now that I am back to work, that is not intruding on my mental capacity. I'm wondering if there is a psychological link between driving and depression. Or maybe I was just getting tired.

Anyway, I did my morning routine, including my yoga and exercise, and a small meditation because I was short on time. It was a very rainy day, and that is usually terrible for my mood, but it did not bother me today. The work went well, and when I got home, the girls had gotten me Subway for dinner. It was not bad and it took away my need to choose what to eat. Then I spent about 45 minutes on virtual reality and I got all the way to the lake. Tomorrow, I will face the big fish when I get home, but not until after I meet with superior fence to find out about replacing the back fence. Darning lunch, I'm going to call travelers and find out if the damage may be covered by our homeowners' insurance. That would be nice.

The lesson for today was negative space. But I am sure you realize that from the lovely carnations here. I do not like these carnations nearly as much as I like my rose from yesterday or the one that I'm working on for tomorrow. But it shows negative space use, and that was the lesson to be learned.

The Grumpy Cat

Not gotten to play with the grumpy cat in a very long time. I think the last time that it reared its ugly head was right before I got out of the truck. But it's tickling me today, but at least I know the reason that it is coming into play. It has something to do with time and the lack thereof. I was up a little late this morning, and I was feeling rushed. I ate my breakfast too quickly and I tossed together my lunch with whatever I could find. Granted, that lunch turned out well, but that's not the point. All through work, I felt that I was behind the clock, and then it took me over an hour to get home to meet Jake from superior fencing to get a quote on the fence replacement. By the time I ended the day and it was time to sleep, I had no time for anything personal at all. And that big ugly fish is waiting for me in Resident Evil 4. I will get him tomorrow.

Today's lesson was something that makes you uncomfortable. During meditation, I actually looked into this, and what makes me uncomfortable is the future or the potential for the future. So when I fired up Photoshop and started my manipulations for the day, I pulled in broken buildings, broken streets, and broken children. This image disturbs me but is also a part of me, so I will let it stay.

One more day

Just one more day, and the weekend is here. And I am very much looking forward to it this week. Things have just been non-stop hectic, especially with the new job. But I think I'm getting settled into it at this point. The morning went well with the regular routine, and I had a little extra time for my Photoshop lesson, which was helpful since I needed it. Then, I worked for the rest of the day till I got home. I ate some unusual dumplings that Laura got at Walmart Because they were on sale. And they were pretty good, at least as dumplings go. And then I even had the time to jump on Resident Evil and kill my big fish. For some reason, it was a lot harder this time when I knew what to expect than it was last time when it was a surprise. I am positive that there is some lesson there, but for the life of me, I don't know what it is.

I started with a picture of my hand and then I ran it through about 40 different filters. And this is the result. There was no foundation behind this other than that the class was about using multiple filters, and we were given no instruction on what topic to use. So I used my hand. I think it doesn't look comforting. But since I enjoy disturbing at certain times in my life, I'm going to keep it.

I can see the weekend

Once again, work took up the lion's share of the day, which seems to be the new routine. I barely had time to work through my morning routine in the morning, and when I got home in the evening, I was exhausted. But I had an excellent set of sandwiches for dinner and got through the next stage of Resident Evil. So that is something.

This morning I finished my novel's latest edit, which takes me down to a single path left before it is ready to publish. I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that this will not be mainstream unless I am willing to drop $5000 into it, which I am not ready to do now. So I'm going to self-publish through Amazon as I did before and hope that somebody important sees it and likes it, and maybe I can get pulled in for an after-publishing republication. Then, I will start working on the next one. Stephen King got rejected more than 40 times before he published his first work, so I'm not going to worry about it.

The Photoshop lesson for today was fascinating. We had to select a psychological trait and attempt to create an image relaying that state of mind. The examples that were given were depression, exuberance, or other such psychological events. In my case, I chose adolescent psychopathy. A young lady, boiling underneath but looks normal on the surface. I'm unsure if I pulled it off because even after I finished this, which I admit rolled into tomorrow, she gave me the heebie-jeebies. In case you were wondering, the foundation of the model is young Drew Barrymore and a young Kristy McNichol. I morphed them together before I wrapped them around the wireframe.

Update time. Hold on to your shoelaces.

Let's go ahead and get the updates out of the way. I am studying Photoshop, French, and programming from an educational standpoint. I continue to read up on project management and a few other subjects. But I am learning something new every day. My little desk garden is coming along nicely, and the plants have sprouted and are growing. My primary projects are continuing to putter around the house, working on my file system, which is a massive undertaking, and tightening down my daily routines. I am almost there, but not quite. Other than that, everything is status quo. I want to get my painting area set up in my cubby hole, but I don't think that will happen this weekend. There is only so much time available.

I have finished my first week of work, and I survived. We lost one driver leader but are gaining two on Monday and looking to hire four more. But when it comes down to it, this job is not made for anybody without a significant drive. Sometimes it can be calm, but those times are few and far between. Usually, it is very hectic and requires a significant amount of attention.

I was looking forward to getting out in the yard this weekend, but that did not happen because of the excessive rain. We are to a point where the yard is saturated, and everything is just running off. It will take a very long time for things to dry out. So, I am stuck doing things inside, which is fine because there are plenty of things to do.

On the virtual reality front, I got stuck on a level. But that was because I was not paying attention and forgot I had a shotgun. With some luck, I can rectify this tomorrow and get on with the game. I have looked at several of the complete walkthroughs of this game, and to get through Resident Evil 4, completing all the goals takes about 9 hours for an experienced player who has played it before. I do not fall into that category, so it will probably take me closer to 15 or 20. And since I am doing it in 15-minute to 30-minute blocks, I should finish the game by the end of the year. Of course, that was sarcasm, but not by much.

Regarding Awakening, I have finished the 2nd to last edit, and now I am working on the final editing. I anticipate that that project will be completed before the end of February. Then, I have to figure out what I will do about publishing. I have spoken to a couple of companies, and they all went about $5000 for me to help them make money. I know that that comment sounds a little snarky and pessimistic, but you cannot praise a work and say that it is the greatest thing ever, and then turn around and tell somebody that you want $5000 to make it work. That is psychological manipulation, and they will not put a guarantee on their statements. That pisses me off. I wouldn't say I like it when somebody rubs my rhubarb. Getting an agent as an unpublished author is like digging for emeralds on a city street. You can try it, but the efforts are a waste of time. I think I will have to go this alone and then do what I can to promote it. If I can get enough people talking about it, an agent or a publishing company may approach me. It is an unorthodox practice, but it is something many authors do nowadays. That is a problem for next month.

I'm working on setting up the garage as a multi-use space on the health front, but it is taking some time to get the planning down in my head. I hoped to get that done this weekend, mostly because putting out the yoga mat every morning is annoying. I would also like to be able to use my resistance bands and my exercise equipment, but all of it needs to be cleaned and serviced for proper operation. And I just did not get to it yet. But I still have tomorrow. We shall see what happens.

I think that will be all for now. Anything that I missed will turn up in the future. Tomorrow morning is going to be a catch-up day and a day to get things into writing. And that reminded me that I have removed my requirement that if something is in writing, it must be done. That was childish and insane. I'm going to adopt Laura's way of doing things and put them in writing, and if I don't get to them, move them down the line. It is just a smarter way to do things.

In 2019, Halsey did the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. It was a pretty powerful display. This is my artistic take on her interaction with the dancer and now singer Kelsey Ballerina. I think it came out pretty well.

Relax boy, just relax.

I spent the day in an ad hoc round Robin that included getting my stuff together and organized, watching one of this series that I have not seen ultimately, trying to advance in Resident Evil, and trying to relax. I was able to advance well in the game, and I was able to get a little more organized, but that was the end of it. I was not feeling well for about half of the day, and that did not help. I finished one of the digital drawings I've been working on for a while, and you can see that above. I also started my final edit of the novel, and that took quite a bit of time. I got the pictures taken for the insurance company, which have been sent over. It's just a lazy Sunday where I don't get to be lazy.

Yesterday, I had to put the Halsey image in place because I've been working on it since the beginning of the year. But as you can see, I am back on lesson with my landscapes. The beginning of a fire. I like it.

Already Tired.

As the title says, I am already tired this week. It is never a good thing when you are tired on Monday. But I will push onward and see where the weak takes me. I fully admit that things are challenging right now, but they are coming into routine. And that is always a good thing. At least, unless you are looking for a surprise, and that is not on my priority list right now.

Work took up the majority of the day. But I did do a full round Robin before I went to work, and I got to play Resident Evil when I got off work. So things are coming together. I did a little extra meditation this morning because I may be doing a psychological substitution, but it's going to require more exploration. I may or may not include it in the blog. I have not decided yet.

The entries for weekdays may become short because there's not going to be a lot to say. Work is quite demanding, and even when I get into a routine, it's going to be very tiring. Most of my time will take place in the morning, which is routine and mundane. At least until I make a few changes. We shall see.

I continued my regular routine of watching Picard and finishing up the daily lesson. Today was ambient mood and I chose horror. I don't think I quite captured the desolation of a graveyard. But I think this would make a nice print.

Trudging

I was extremely exhausted through most of the day and I was not feeling well. I blew through the morning and barely remember it because I was tired. The day at work was frantic and hectic at the same time, and when I got home, I did not want to do anything. The girls got Taco Bell, and I sat, did my artwork, and watched my series. I could not even get up the energy to do the virtual reality today. I have no doubt that this is a transitional period and will get better with time, but it will take time to adjust. I know I will get there eventually, but sometimes the journey can be annoying.

On a lighter note, I am working up the courage to get my podcast in order. That is going to be my next adventure and I have been toying with the idea for almost three years. I'm going to schedule a block of time, probably three times a week to start, in which I will master the art of podcasting and try and create a following. I already have quite a few people who followed this blog, and quite a few people who follow me on social media. And that will just be another aspect of my life. We shall see how that works out. The biggest hurdle is my trying to get myself to spend money. I am such a fussbudget. But I recognize that about myself. The second part of the problem is what topic to write on and produce this wondrous thing. I asked my peers for ideas. And even my daughter came back with the same idea that everybody else did. Randomness. A broadcast that has a theme that is not a theme. Just whatever nonsense is running through this ragged old brain of mine. I am considering it. I think it might be able to work. But then again, they said that about the Edsel, which did not turn out well. For now, we shall leave the anxieties in the closet and the pipe dreams under the bed. See? Randomness. I like it.

I finished my final free lesson for Photoshop, and I'm not sure where I will go from there. The final lesson was the path away. And this is it. I do not know what February will bring, but we will find out.

Trudge, trip, trudge.

I am just kidding with the title, I did that trip. I was up in plenty of time to get my morning routine out of the way, but once I got to work things started to drag. And that is never fun. I have a feeling I'm going to have days that go in both directions, so I have to learn to accept that.

Essence work was very much typical, the excitement was when I got home to meatloaf. I know it does not sound like a very big deal, but it does tell you exactly how In Sync I am with my wife. For a little over a week I have been craving meatloaf, but because of the new job I do not have time to cook during the week. I had put in my head and never discussed with a wife that I would make meatloaf this weekend. It is something that we have not had in a very long time and she just made it out of the blue. Everybody will say it's just a coincidence, and that is fine. I'm not so sure.

This morning before I went to work, I ordered my podcasting gear. They say that it should be here tomorrow, but I am thinking more like Friday or over the weekend. I have already started working on a broadcast model, but I am going to keep that surprise until I am ready to go live. As it stands right now, it should be a 20 or 30 minute broadcast every seven to 10 days. I'm working on the first show as we speak.

I finished out the day by continuing to watch Picard and then jumping on virtual reality. I just wanted to get past the guy in the cage, but there was no save point right after him. That means I had to go into the hall of worship. And that is where I got stuck before because I did not have the appropriate weapon. This time I did and I blew right through the hall of worship in the following section until I hit the save point. However, right after I hit save, i noticed a mysterious door. It is a shooting gallery where I can win fabulous prizes and it costs me nothing. So I went down the rabbit hole there and lost a lot of time. I am going to clear out that shooting gallery and all the prizes before I move on with the game. Then it was time for bed. The middle of the week is gone and we are moving toward the weekend.