Spring is here

Spring is here, spring is here. Life is skittles, life is beer. Or so the song goes. The day after the first day of spring  we had a snow storm. It was so bad that it closed school and work. Since the snow didn't start until late that night, the real snow day should have been the day after. Happy spring.
I can remember the last time I posted and right now I am doing it from my phone prior to the annual Passover trip south. I am torn by how I feel about this class. It is pulling out my poetry chops but I feel I am not working hard enough  and there are no real marker for success. I think that it is stretching me as a writer. I just have to write more. So here I am writing more. I cannot remember the last time I posted, but I know it has been awhile. there are a lot of things worth talking about, my daughter has found a good therapist to help her move forward with whatever issues she feels she has. so that is a good thing. I talked to my mom today. Another thing I have to do more of. she is doing well. 

I am in the state of Maryland for our annual Passover pilgrimage. this years so far the cats have not been that big an issue. but I miss my bed. Lot of stuff to do in the house. tear down drywall, get the electricians in then put up the drywall. Lots of things to do around the house, I would not mind the work but I feel I am alone in doing it. no one else wants to. one of the benefits of home ownership I guess.

So back to writing. I plan on writing and submitting a story told from to different points of view. the arresting officer and the arrestee. should be interesting  and worth while. I also have to find time to work on my poetry. there are bits in my note book that would be cool to finish and challenge  my self with. story writing should be simple, I come up with ideas all the time. I am just never in a position to write it down. I also do not people watch as much a used to. getting older and not getting around as much. maybe that is it. 

 I think I will skip the points  and what I learned this time until I get back on track. 

Let it Snow... Let it GO

Here we are again. I was coming into work today after a snow day. It didn't really hit until 12-14 hours after they said it would. Anyway I was noticing how surreal everything looks coated in white. It is hard to pick out even familiar land marks. so if everything was white what would you use for points of reference? shapes, they would be hard to pick out against a lighter colored sky. just a passing thought.

I have had a few story ideas bouncing around. like 'The mission' and the story told from two different perspectives. I need to get down to the writing. even though it has been awhile I don't have much to say here. maybe I will add more later. 

Two good people have broken up. he came to talk to me after falling of the face of the planet. he was devastated. He was blaming himself for all of it. a sentiment i can totally understand, but I fell that both parties are to blame. I am trying to find a way to talk to her without being biased one way or the other will try some time today after class.

Low point since last post: realizing that I have wasted days instead of doing my work
High point since last post: Things are finally coming together in our lives.
What I learned:  history does repeat itself

Heh ... Who Knew

I Am A: Lawful Good Human Ranger (7th Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength-18
Dexterity-19
Constitution-18
Intelligence-18
Wisdom-17
Charisma-17

Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

The girl can't help it

    I am sure that every father loves his daughter, and believes his little girl to be exceptional. I really think mine is. I have said before my daughter will let fear grip her to a point where she can't think. This is not to say she isn't  brave, just that she doesn't react well. I digress. MY daughter is awesome. She has a strong sense of justice. She has called her own grandmother out for saying something racist. She has defended people from bullies and hatemongers. She has marched on Washington, not because she was dragged there but because she knew and wanted to defend the issues. Did I mention how proud I am. Yesterday she was part of the school walk out, to support the students in Parkland Florida. She did well and took part in something bigger than herself. That is what I want for her, to always be bigger than herself. I know she has it in her, the hard part is to pull it out and have her do. She did miss an opportunity to march for march for our lives. She wasn't proactive. She expected Lori and I to take her to whatever march we were going to. I was disappointed, The idea was for her to lead the charge and find the place we were going to march. It may have been a miscommunications we will see. I know she can make change. I know that the world needs her and kids like her. It is just hard to wait for her to realize it herself.

No points
What I learned: my daughter needs to find her path and I can't take her there

Lemme 'Splain... No that would take to long. Lemme sum up

    It has been about a week since my last post, and I should be getting better at this than worse. I have been so distracted lately, just been Mr. procrastination. so I have to work on that. I will try to recap. a bit. My daughter has passed her driver’s test and is now licensed. I trust her more now but I still think she needs more time to be comfortable behind the wheel. She is cautious, and careful, so she will not try to exceed her limitations. She plays it safe. I guess that is good for most things in her life but she will be in college soon and the on to real life. She needs to be more adventurous. what is there to say. I am very proud of her. I have a cool daughter.

 My wife has made her decision to return to the classroom. The work maybe harder but she belongs there. She is a teacher, even when she is an administrator, she is a teacher and finds such joy in working with kids. Goal is for her to get to Thomas Edison High School. They have the resources and facilities that she wants. A maker space and a principal that she sees has the vision to bring making into the classroom. I have always trusted her vision. 

I think I know what it was that was distracting me all week, gaming. that evil monkey on my back. the need to escape into running a tabletop game. I swear my endorphin level must shoot through the roof every time I get the urge to play. I had bumped into Ryan and we had a long lunch. where we talked about gaming. I let him pick the genre, and he chose Sci-Fi. I had been thinking about a story in Spacemaster. but it sounded so much better as a campaign. that take all the pressure out of writing it because I am not doing it alone. and there is no actual writing, and yet I would have my story.

    The story I wanted to write and still may was Tara Velez an exceptional student was given the research of her favorite teacher and mentor Col. Daniel Dardanelle. he had a number of good leads to find the homeworld of the Sianetic Harbingers. The race that seeded the galaxy with life. she would hire a ship with an eclectic crew and over the course of their adventures beside finding evidence to the Harbinger homeworld they would also find clues to an imminent extra dimensional invasion or incursion (have to learn the difference) of the Vlathacna an ancient and powerful force that is going to conquer the known universe and make it their own. Lots of good stuff there. The framework is perfect for a campaign. I have the patron NPC if someone did not want the job. So I think I will do both. I will write it and steal Ideas from the campaign it may work. Time is up so it ends.

High point since last post: Ari got her license.

Low point since last post: Procrastinating my ass off

What I learned: My daughter knows some wonderfully useless trivia.

Back in the saddle ...

     It has been nearly a week since I have made an entry to this journal. I have to be the worst. My life is so busy being lived that I forget to document it. This is why I am so lazy with social media.

     So what thoughts have been rattling around in my mind?  This is the week I have to submit something for my creative writing class. The urge is to submit something original. However, if I can give them anything I wrote then I will give them a journal entry, as they are so unique and rare. The good thing that in my floundering and mental stress over the subject, I may have resolved some story issues as to what to do with certain characters and beginning a new story. Why not? I have not finished anything else. There is also the issue of the new poetry challenge. What to write about there. Later maybe. I do have one thing that has been bouncing around my head, the phrase "When Asked". It comes upas a catalyst for the response to the shootings in Parkland FL. It always starts

When asked. 

Will you continue to take money from people that defend the right for this type of weapon to be sold?

The answer was "Of course, I don't take money to promote someone else's message, donors buy into my agenda."

     It would most likely go on and on and I will probably submit it for my final group of work but unlike a lot of my work, it is not coming as freely as I want it to. Not sure what to do about that. I also want to work on a sci-fi story and a fantasy story. I have not thought about dominion in such a long time. I have an outline and I have some Idea of what I want the goals of the story. I think it is going to be the Originals questing up to, and defeating Queen Galacestrel Elysium. That would make a very good Fantasy story. The sci-fi story would be the incursion of the Vlathacna  during the fall of the Terran empire. Not bad ideas.  Just need the good characters. I am also going to try Techknight's origin. Though that may be as boring as shit.

    Well the good thing about this class is that it makes me write more often than not but have to keep up. Time to put on the adult pants and be serious about this. No procrastinating. Yeah that will teach me. 

Low point since last post: Recognizing I am procrastinating my life away.

High point since last post: Inspiration for new stories.

What I learned since last post: the older you get, the more maintenance you need