Today...

Feeling…Lonely. For those who don’t know, most of my contact with friends is via e-mail, and right now I’m in one of those ‘between’ stages where I’ve emailed most of them, but haven’t started getting any replies. Meanwhile, my best friend has been stuck working for the past few weekends, my own job happily sucks the life out of me like a gourmet vampire, my favorite blogs haven’t had any major updates lately, and I’m experiencing a slight crash from gorging on romantic fiction (okay, mostly Teen Titans and Monster Hunter International, but those are the kinds of romances that really get to me: the kind with super-powers, monsters, and lots of explosions. Not to mention brainy-brunettes and super-sweet redheads. Sigh…).

Seeing…My cluttered work desk. At least I’m supposed to get rid of that stupid nameless package that’s been sitting there for over a week waiting for someone to claim it today.

Smelling…My own coffee-breath. One of the reasons I got hooked on coffee was because I like the scent of it on my breath. Of course, this is really bad work coffee, but still.

Tasting…The aforementioned really-bad work coffee.

Listening…To the lawn guy working the weed-whacker.

Grateful…For a very nice weekend during which I got more of a handle on where I want my life to go and started hashing out some specific goals. Not too specific, but I’ll work on that. Plus I got to see my parents experience The Lego Movie for the first time. Enjoying people’s discovery of things I already love is one of my favorite things.

Hopeful…That I’ll continue to get a handle on my life. And, of course, that I’ll start getting some emails soon. And that I’ll find another job soon.

Reading…The Crusades by Hillaire Belloc, Le Mort d’Arthur by Thomas Mallory, and Monster Hunter Legion by Larry Correia (not sure why I’ve suddenly decided to re-read the first couple Monster Hunter books: I just kind of started doing it after finishing the latest entry in the series).

Working on…The Order of the Rattlesnake: about a teenager who discovers that orders of knights work in secret against clans of evil witches in the modern world, battling monsters and sorcery with nothing but sword, shield, and prayer (sort of a reverse-Harry Potter kind of deal, where the young hero is inducted into a secret world dedicated to fighting magic). I’m not sure how happy I am with it at the moment: I love some of the characters (the heroine is a cheerfully politically-incorrect Sioux and one of the hero’s mentors is a sociopathic priest), but the story isn’t quite grabbing me (though that might be the aforementioned loneliness and soul-sucking talking). Anyway, I’ll probably keep working on it for a while, then I might switch to something else.  Oh, and starting to blog again, obviously.

Vivat Christus Rex!

Today

Today:

First time joining in on this.

Feeling: Excitedly overwhelmed by the fact that I actually have an actual paid writing gig with deadlines and everything! And that I have to respond about another potential one (with some guy in Prague). And resentful that I have this job eating up so much time and energy every day.

Smelling: The lobby and my own coffee-breath. Sorry, not much to smell here.

Tasting: Coffee! Coffee coffee coffee. Made a perfect sized batch this morning: none went down the drain! I have a tendency to over-do things, and my instinct is to make eight-twelve cups of coffee and use it for the next couple days. I’ve been trying to improve on that lately, and it’s satisfying to have just enough. Anyway, at least I can drink my coffee instead of work coffee (which is repulsive, but necessary).

Listening: To the screaming of the wind (Country Music fans: Blown Away has been a staple of my listening diet lately, mostly because the lyrics put me in mind of the upcoming Godzilla movie). We’ve got quite the storm going on at the moment, and the building is creaking ominously. Of course, I can’t quite enjoy it as much at work, but at least I’m in the lobby with a huge window to watch. Also listening to that stupid video-advertisement that plays continuously in the lobby.

Grateful: You read the first bit about the writing gigs, right?

Reading: Lord of the Rings. Missed last year, for the first time in forever. Also perusing The Temperament God Gave You repeatedly for Melancholic life tips and slowly making my way through Introduction to the Devout Life again. Oh, and also listening to On Stranger Tides.

Loving: The photo Masha posted of my adorable niece and her dog united against her (Masha). That, and the fact that I now remember what ‘warm weather’ feels like.

Hoping: To find that new job I’m looking for in Texas.

Working on: Writing gigs. Specifically, forging better work habits, since mine are currently, to put it bluntly, atrocious. Also, being better about not letting little annoyances (like my slow and jerky work computer) get to me.

Vivat Christus Rex!