Yesterday I was going through all my storage tubs and discovered a ton of sketchbooks, notes, and drawings I’ve done over the years. I was going through them and I rediscovered some story and character ideas I’d been brewing and simmering for some time. I also found the manuscript for a long story I had dreamed of finishing someday – and I FOUND IT! YES! Now I just need to spend some time re-reading it, and then figuring out ways of fleshing out the main story to make it longer – at least 175-200 pages….if I can make it longer, I most certainly will! Not too long though…I’m no L. Ron Hubbard or David Eddings, but I’m sure I can make a decent enough storyline. I have another story online that I love telling people about. It’s not really finished yet, and I might change it some eventually, but it’s called “The Opposite Effect”, and you can read it HERE.
I also found a number of old letters from my friends Slash, Mikiko, and Devoya (God bless every single one of you!), and it was so wonderful re-reading their words of wisdom and fun once again. I hope they’re all doing well wherever they are. I used to be such a paper mail fiend (DARN YOU INTERNET!) and would cobble up 20-25 page letters, liberally sprinkled with drawings and clever little bits on the edges, and of course, my friends would reciprocate this (especially Slash!), and so every time I got a letter, it was like Christmas all over again (or insert your favourite holiday here)! I also located some old stationery that I created a number of years ago, and surprisingly….it’s still in excellent condition! Maybe I should craft a new letter on this fine stuff and mail it off. That might actually be fun!
It’s pretty sad when the only letters we send nowadays are by e-mail. I think it loses some of it’s charm in that way. I’ve seen programs now that allow you to create your own anime and manga by computer! Does anyone actually draw anymore? They must in some sense, because you can still see beautiful expressions every once in a while. I just hope those who practice the real arts outside the electronic realm continue to do so.
I also had a nice buzz about me last night, as I was nearing a good stage in my quest for “the perfect sleeping room”. It’s amazing what wonders a good set of shelves will do for you. Now I’m not too picky about my surroundings, so when it comes to nice, easy shelves, I just go down to the Big Box store and pick up those metal storage shelves with the particle-board planks for the shelves themselves. They hold a lot (heck, they even hold my heavy-ass old-school speakers!) Maybe it’s a Feng Shui thing, cuz the room just feels “right” when I got done with that bit of it. Now if we can just make sense out of the rest of the house in such a charming way, we’ll be doing awesome! I think just about the point when we get everything tucked, stored, presented, and displayed JUST RIGHT……we’ll find a house to buy, and it’ll be time to move again. It’ll be all good though…keeps me in practice. I still remember a time when I could pack all my worldly goods in the back of my car or van – hah….those days are gone. U-haul, here I come again!
Another hidden treasure I re-discovered again was thrift stores. OMG, the deals you can find in those places. I usually just check furniture since most of the comfy clothes, or the plus-size clothes are all pretty much picked over. I saw some nice dining room tables and a really nice sectional couch for not much money at all, so when it comes time to get the nice house we’re going to buy, I know where I’m going to go shopping. It doesn’t have to be NEW – just NICE.
I’ve increased my “platform mountain” by a few pairs this year due to the beauty of online shopping (and lack of finding anything locally). That’s the ONE thing I’m grateful to the internet for….being able to shop for stuff they just don’t sell here (which is a lot). I still don’t two-step or swill beer, but at least I can find some things that fit my style, which is not such a bad thing.
I can’t blame my friends who are out of town for not liking it here – it is very limited on what is available to do, and there are no nice clubs to go to unless you’re pals with your hunting and fishing clans, or part of some pseudo-ghetto group that things theys all that and a bag of chips too. To quote someone I read online “It’s so cute when they try and act all grown up!”. I cannot stand wannabee gangsta types. I don’t deny the fact that people should be able to live life as they please, but the second part of my belief is “as long as you harm no other”. I guess it’s just some people will be that way, and every segment of society here (such as it is) has their own little group.
I’m glad I found one here myself.
I’m slowly making some new good friends here, so I think things are looking up. Here’s to 2007! May it be good!