Procrastinating Pleasure

I read an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday on procrastinating pleasure. (I'd link to it for you, but they're stingy over there--you have to subscribe to read it, although you can likely see it if you go in via your local library's online database.) Anyway--the point of the article was that a lot of people don't just procrastinate work, they procrastinate having fun. You have a bit of money saved aside for a special occasion, and you never end up having that special occasion. The article said the problem is that people look to the future and assume that money will be tight, but time will be plentiful, so they hold off spending the money until there's more time. The problem is, we never have more time. We always have something to do, and that "later" never shows up.

I know I'm guilty of this. (I'm guilty of procrastination in general, so why now this one, too?) I'll put off having a vacation or getting something I want, or going on a trip--and I'll keep putting it off for far too long. Classic, simple example: I'll buy a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, thinking I'll drink it on a special occasion. Years go by, it gathers dust, and I never drink it, because an occasion special enough never seems to come along. I don't think that's because the occasion never comes, but rather because I'm never willing to acknowledge it. There always seems like they'll be something better, later on.

I need to enjoy the moment more. Stop procrastinating pleasure. I decided this a few weeks ago, but this article really put it into perspective for me. Call it a resolution (although I have a slew of goals for the new year, as well--this is one of them.)

In any case . . . Happy New Year, everybody!

Grateful

You know, with all my complaining about the work on the house we did over the last year, I just wanted to pause for a moment and say how grateful I am that we did it. Last night the windchill outside got down past 20 below, and a lot of houses in the area lost their power due to high winds. While our house didn't lose power (thankfully), I wasn't dreading a loss if it did occur. Our wood stove was cranking out the BTUs, and I knew we would have been fine, no matter what. It all sort of hit me at once--how all the work we did on the house was to be prepared for situations just like last night.

I think that's one of the reasons I really like living in Maine, if that makes sense. I can put in all sorts of work to something that I can see very tangible benefits to later on. I'm not a big gardener, but getting my house ready for winter is probably a close feeling to that. You put in all the hard work, and then you can enjoy that hard work for months after.

Next year, I just need to make sure I stack the wood earlier. I had it--just didn't stack it. It didn't season as much as would have been good. Silly Bryce.

Movie Review: Avatar

Sorry to be getting to this one so late. I mean, if you wanted to see Avatar, you've likely already seen it. If you didn't want to see it, then nothing I say will likely persuade you. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience--especially since it cost me $3.50 to watch it in 3D. (3D in my little town?!? How cool is that?) No, the story isn't the most original piece of work you've ever seen, and yes, it's fairly predictable. But you know what? Sometimes, a bit of predictable is okay. I like routine. And in this instance, I'd actually say that predictable worked in the film's favor. It wasn't trying to be the Best Picture of the Century (well, maybe it was)--its strength was in the visuals and the 3D. Complaining that the story wasn't riveting would be sort of like going to see the latest French foreign drama and complaining that there weren't enough explosions. Avatar blew me away with the 3D. I completely forgot what parts were digital, and what parts weren't. After I had seen it, it felt like I had actually experienced it, if that makes sense. Immersive. For that alone, it's worth checking out.

That said, it is very much a sci-fi film, with lots of different characters, lots of different settings, lots of different everything. If sci-fi isn't your bag, you might not like it. Although again, I'd recommend seeing it just for the 3D.

Three and a half stars, for me.

PS--Netflix, I'm resubscribing to you. Please send me a blu-ray ASAP.

Annual Newsletter

Yes, I realize that I've been a total slacker when it comes to posting for the past bit. I'm on vacation--cut me some slack. To make it up to you all, here's a link to the family newsletter I write each year. See? That makes up for like four weeks of low posting, right? :-)

Dentists and Children

It appears my wife's super strong teeth have been passed down to the next generation. TRC went to the dentist two days ago. The verdict? Eight cavities. Count 'em: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. They're supposedly small, but eight? EIGHT? And guess who the genius was who thought he could wait another year before putting the tikes on the dental insurance.

Guilty as charged.

So, my fine readers, here's my question to you: do you think waiting a year on these is a terrible idea? My current plan is to wait until I can enroll him in the dental insurance, which will take effect a year from now. In the meantime, if any of them started hurting him, we'd get them taken care of right away, of course. It's just that to get them all filled right now, with no insurance . . . $1400 is a little steep for us.

Sigh.

Any and all advice would be welcome.

Rquest for a Full Manuscript

I had other things to blog about today, but they just got superseded by another request for the full manuscript of Pawn of the Dead. Don't really want to share more than that with you all at this point, and I realize it's not a book deal or anything, but when you're a WWA (Writer With Aspirations), any news of that sort is good news. A bit of positive reinforcement never hurt anyone.

Oh--and GO BYU!!!

The Real Meaning of Christmas

I had a thought the other day, and it's still nattering away at the back of my head, so . . . why not share it? Basically, I was just wondering why people insist on making such a big deal about what Christmas is "really" about. Yes, I realize that by saying this, I might come across as an anti-religious Grinch, but hopefully you regular readers realize that's not the case. What I mean is that there seems to be a big conflict between the secular part of the holiday and the religious part. It's as if the two camps look at each other as in permanent opposition.

Can't we all just get along?

In one corner, we have Santa, his reindeer, elves, Frosty and Jack Frost--the whole gang, armed with presents by the millions. In the other corner, we have the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, some shepherds and a few kings, plus miscellaneous sheep and angels, armed with peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

Do they have to duke it out each year? I mean, anyone who wants to start arguing that history is on their side is bound to lose pretty fast. The old Christians picked their holidays around then-current pagan traditions, sort of like me saying that from now on December 25th is Bryce Day, and all people celebrating that day are actually celebrating me. (Not a bad idea, now that I think about it.) So because Christians decided to piggy back a holiday celebrating the birth of Christ on to one celebrating food, drinking and partying, we all have to pay for it now by being forced to constantly remember the "real" meaning of Christmas. Heck, December 25th isn't even when Christ was born. It's just when we celebrate it. (Real date, according to Mormon theology? April 6th. Just FYI.)

What gets me is that you have all these people turn out in droves to rally about the "real" meaning of Christmas, when to me, being religious isn't about not believing in flying reindeer for a single week or month--it's about living the religion year round. Really believing it. I believe in Mormonism 365 days a year, including Christmas. Yes, I celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas time, and I tell my kids about it. It's a good excuse to get them at their best behaved (when they're trying to impress Santa). But in the end, better to have a blast at Christmas with the Santa folks and then live your religion . . . religiously . . . the rest of the year.

I think things would be much simpler if people just decided to let the two celebrations coexist. Open up Christmas to everybody--the Santa part of it, at least. Christians can keep the Christ part going on their own. I celebrate both halves successfully. If people want to celebrate one more than the other, more power to 'em.

Just don't tell me I'm doing Christmas wrong.

Temperatures

Busy day today, but can I just mention it's 3 degrees outside right now, with a windchill of -14? Yeah. Of course, the record low here in December is -31, so I suppose I should just be enjoying the balmy weather. (December, January and February are the coldest months here--the record is -39 in January.)

So all that talk about my wood stove over the summer and fall? Definitely enjoying it these days. It was worth the hassle.

Christmas Memories: My First Video Game System

I forget which Christmas it was exactly, but I certainly remember opening that Package of Awesome: the Atari 2600. So sleek. So shiny. So new. Joystick controllers--two of them! And you could swap out games to play different ones. And it was in color! Sure, it was no NES, but it was still great. I spent many happy hours on that machine, playing Pitfall, Joust, Ms. Pac Man, Kung Fu, Yars Revenge, Asteroid--many hours. Before my Atari, I'd played some handheld game & watch games, as well as a few games on an old Heathkit computer (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons--still one of my favorite all time games). But this--this was my first encounter with technology I could use as I saw fit. I loved it. It's no doubt what sent me down the path where I am now, with multiple laptops, a desktop, PS3, Wii, DS, iTouch, iPod . . . I'm a gadget freak.

Thanks, Santa.

To share some of my geekery with you, I give you the Atari Arcade. Atari's made java versions of some of its most famous games, and you can play them online now. Free. Isn't technology grand?

Had to Share

So I just got back from the local department store, where I was buying a hat. For a long time, I've been wanting to get a Mad Bomber hat, but I've never been able to find one big enough to fit my head. (Go ahead--make fun of me. Get it out of your system. All better? Can I continue? Thanks.) Today I found an XXL one, and it fits perfectly. (Really? You're still making jokes about my big head? I thought we were over this.) Anyway, I was standing there in the store, considering which style to choose, and a woman edged up behind me. Not in a "just browsing" sort of way--in a sneaky, clandestine sort of way.

She looks around to make sure no one's near, then says softly, "You know where those are made, don't you?"

I stare at her blankly, not used to having random strangers come up to me in department stores to ask me questions.

She waits for me to answer. When I don't, she says, "China."

How enlightening. I'm still wondering why she's telling me this, since the majority of the merchandise in that store likely comes from China. She continues.

"You know what they're made from, don't you?"

I look back at the hat. I've already checked. This one has a nylon shell, rayon lining and rabbit trim. I realize she must be talking about the rabbit, but what is she trying to get at? Outrage that bunnies were killed in the making of the hat? That it's not really rabbit, but [insert other fluffy critter here]? She just nods at me and then sidles off.

I'm about to dismiss this all as Today's Random Encounter, but she must have been able to tell I wasn't quite clear what she was talking about, because she reappears farther away, poking her head out from an aisle.

"Cats," she said. "They make them out of cats."

Right. Like this is supposed to make me drop the hat in horror and run from the store, as if she'd just told me they were made from human scalps or something. Poor woman. Anyone who knows me would know that if I found out the hats really were made from puhtty tats, I'd be *more* likely to buy one, not less.

I bought the hat, and I got a great story out of it for free.

Thanks, crazy cat lady. This hat's for you.

Christmas Shopping Complete

I managed to successfully buy everything I needed this year online. For me, that's the very definition of a good holiday season. No stepping in to stores. No talking with pushy salespeople. A wealth of customer reviews at my fingertips. Free shipping. Bryce bliss.

Of course, part of me realizes that by doing all of this, I isolate myself from other people, and I contribute to the death of small, independent stores--especially local ones. I feel bad about this. I like going to these small stores from time to time. I like seeing a thriving downtown in a small city. I love the downtown we have here in Maine. But at the same time, I know I can get better deals, with wider selection, online--no driving or walking involved. I try to spend money in the small stores throughout the year, but when it comes to mass shopping . . . I can't do that.

Maybe that makes me a bad person.

Oh well. Christmas shopping is still taken care of, and I'm still happy about that!

Book Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a book that came in under the radar with me. I picked it up mainly because it's in my library's Discoveries collection. It didn't disappoint--especially for a first time author. The book takes place in a standard medieval fantasy world, with the exception of a select number of people called Gracelings. Basically, they each have been born with an enhanced talent, whether it's swimming or climbing or--in Katsa's case--killing. She's a royal who becomes the assassin to the king, more or less. The only trouble is, she doesn't like the jobs the king's sending her to do.

It's more complicated than that, of course, but that's the basic set up. Where Cashore really excels is in bringing her world to life. I felt like the people's reaction to Gracelings was very well done--the implications of the magic system were well thought out. It's much more of a "girl's fantasy" than I usually read, however--by which I mean romance plays a large part in the plot. That said, I still had a great time reading. I just wouldn't recommend it to a reluctant teen boy reader. :-)

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Book Review: The Last Olympian

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book--it was a good end to a series I've liked since discovering it when it first appeared five years ago or so. (Less? I can't remember now . . .) The Lightning Thief (book one) is actually about to be released as a film, and I'm anxious to see how it's treated. I feel like the start to this series was just as good as the start to Harry Potter--if not better. However, the later books felt a bit off to me, if that makes sense. For those of you who don't know, they're essentially Harry Potter but with Greek gods instead of magic. They're also decidedly American and much more snarky than Rowling ever got. I liked that in many ways, although again--it began to wear thin by the end, almost as if Riordan just didn't have it in him anymore, if that makes sense. For those of you who haven't read the series, I heartily recommend the first book. If you like it, keep going--they're all quick reads, and a lot of fun.

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Book Review: World War Z

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What would the world be like if a zombie plague actually broke out on a global scale? Brooks answers this question in a novel that's essentially a collection of first hand accounts--a style that reminded me of Bram Stoker's Dracula in many ways. It's not for the faint of heart--very much an R-rated book, so to speak, but I for one would love to see it turned into a film. It had a District 9 sort of a flair to it that I haven't seen done in zombie-lit before. So often, zombie stories focus on the individual--how does one person or a small group of people cope with the chaos? Brooks went the other way, showing how the world could and would cope with it. If you're at all a horror or zombie fan, you should check this one out. Really fantastic.

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Book Review: The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Really a fantastic book. I'd heard a lot about this one during my Wheel of Time reread, and I'd wanted to get to it for some time. Rothfuss does a great job creating an engrossing, complex character and placing that character into a full realized world. The conflicts are superb, the supporting cast memorable, and you get the feeling that something really grim is just over the horizon. The one was worth the hype. The only downer is that it isn't a standalone novel, and it ends very much in the middle of things. Still, I eagerly await the next one.

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Hiring Committees

I'm on a couple of hiring committees right now at work, and I have to say--I wish I had been on some hiring committees before I was applying for jobs back in the day. This isn't to say that I'm unhappy with my job. Far from it. Rather, I think I would have been much more successful as an applicant if I'd had the chance to look at a bunch of other applications. Go figure. As it is, I consider myself lucky to have had everything work out as it has.

You see things differently when you're one of the people making the hiring decisions. You process the information differently, analyze it differently . . . I'm not sure how else to put it. Whereas an applicant might look at a job and see a single way to apply, when you have a big pile of applications for the same job, you start to see that there are, in fact, many ways to apply. You can include a cover letter or not--have it lengthy or brief. You can add letters of recommendation, fill things out in pen or electronically. Spell check or not. When everything's reduced to pure information--all the committee has in front of them are the documents you sent them--then everything gets processed and compared. People who would be hard to compare in real life suddenly become faceless whoevers, and it's a lot easier to compare them.

This isn't making sense. Sorry. All I mean to say is that, as a word of advice to anyone out there applying for jobs, take time on your application. Individualize it. Provide as much information as possible. It really does make a difference. These are all things I knew mentally before, but now I've seen them at work, and they make oh so much more sense.

That is all.

Writing Update

Not a whole lot of time today (too busy trying to dig out from the pile of Work Still to be Done), but I figured I'd give you all an update on what I'm working on right now, writing-wise. Over my vacation, I had the chance to have a long talk with an agent about my writing. (Yes, the agent I've been waiting to hear back from for so long.) It was a no on Pawn of the Dead, alas--for a variety of reasons. His critique of the book was, like his others, fairly deep--meaning that the problems he identified were much more than surface level fixes. He concluded that it wasn't really fair of him to ask for a rewrite of the book, since that might not be the best use of my time. I already have a new book plotted out and ready to write, and I was tempted to just dive into that and see how things looked after I finished it.

I'm not going to do that.

This is the third or fourth time I've gotten suggestions from this agent on such a deep level. Each other time, I've just written a new book. This time, I'm actually going to try to rewrite the old book. At the same time, I'm sticking to my guns and continuing to shop the old book around (as well as two other of my books). I no longer have the desire to pin all my hopes on one "yes," but I also want to be listening to the critiques I'm getting. The rewrite to this book will be extensive enough that I don't think it'll look much like its current form once I'm done rewriting, which makes me feel confident that I could shop both around at the same time, if I decide to.

Plus, I've got some really good ideas that were spawned by his critiques--ideas that I think could make the book much stronger. In a lot of my works, I've tried to fuse a humorous tone with a macabre tone--and I don't think I ever pull it off as well as I need to. In this rewrite, I'm going to try to embrace the humor. Go for wacky zany fun and see what happens. I've already worked out a new magic system for the book, as well as a new villain. The setting and most of the characters will stay the same, as will the voice. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. It will be something different, at any rate--and I want to keep trying different things so that I keep getting better as a writer.

Anyway--that's what I'll be up to for the next while. I'll try to keep you updated as I go. Right now, I'm working on hammering out the new plot.

Wish me luck.

Snow Day

One of my favorite parts of my job has got to be the snow days. It's like a free vacation day, plopped into your lap at random times. And I don't have to make it up. Very nice. How can people not love Maine? :-)

What will I do with my snow day?

Well, I have to get some writing in on my yearly Newsletter, which needs to be going to print soon. Since I have yet to start it, I'd really better get in gear. Other than that, I plan to take it easy. Decorate the house some, take a nap--that sort of thing.
The best part is that I was scheduled to work this evening until midnight. That means, technically, my snow day hasn't even started yet. I'll be able to feel pleased about not working all the way up until when I go to bed.

Mwa ha ha ha!

Mikulas and Santa Claus

Yesterday, Mikulas came to visit our house. For those of you who aren't Slovak, that means TRC and DC spiffied up their shoes two nights ago, then left them out. In the morning, voila! The shoes were filled with candy and some small presents. TRC got a WALL-E spinning toothbrush,and DC got a little puppy stuffed animal. They went over very well. Of course, this is also the first year that TRC has gone to school, which means it's the first year he could tell other kids all about how excited he was that Mikulas had come, only to have those kids have no clue what he was talking about. We had prepared him for this, however. You see, Mikulas only comes to Slovaks. Since TRC is the only Slovak in his class, none of the other kids would have gotten a visit.

This only makes Mikulas that much cooler, of course.

TRC also spent some time writing his list to Santa over the holiday. It took quite a bit of narrowing, but this is what he's down to:

Bakugan
Castle
Erector Set
Nerf Gun
Legos (Pirates or Power Miners)
Transformers (Animated version)
Scooter (with 2 wheels--he was very specific)
Interactive WALL-E Robot
Telescope

He wrote most of the list on his own--and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. Now it's off in the mail, and it's up to Santa just what he gets. TRC thinks he should get a fair bit, especially since he's "usually good when he sleeps," as he phrased it in his letter the the Jolly Old Elf.

Did I mention I love Christmas?

Back from the Amish

I'm back in Maine, buried under a sea of Things That Came Up at Work While I was on Vacation. I'm sure you're familiar with it. So instead of a nice detailed blog post summing up everything I did while on vacation (executive summary: got the flu, got better, ate Amish food, slept, lolled about), I'll leave you with a short snippet from TRC. He woke up yesterday morning, sad that the vacation was over. He was about to start crying, then sighed and said, "Oh well. At least we have donuts." Which we did.

Donuts make most things in life better.