Future Dreaming

I've always wanted to write Science Fiction. Maybe that sounds a little strange, but it's true. I guess the first time I read "Stranger From a Strange Land" I got hooked on sci-fi.

I was told early on, that if I wrote sci-fi, I would never be taken seriously as a writer - as a way to deter me from genre fiction. I guess that person thought the "Great American Novel" was the way to go. But you know, people who write the GAN never make a penny. I want the cash and the fans.

Later, I tried my hand at writing a fictional story, but the lead character took off with the story and wouldn't give it back. Only other writers will know what I mean. I need to learn character development a little better, I guess.

There are only so many plots to fiction. Something in the 200-area, I'm not sure how many exactly. There are colorations, minor plots, major plots, under plots, plots that turn back on themselves, and many manipulations of these plots... But there are only so many original plots, so many Universal Stories.

I picked a couple of these as a fan, until I got tired of them. You know, you read the same story over and over again, and you need something new. I read Robert Ludlum's books until I could just about tell the story for him. Robert Jordan and David Eddings use the same universal plot.

So, I know a little about writing, because I read a lot. And now, life has changed for me once again. The God of my limited understanding has moved me to a new place and time, and given me the opportunity to write stories of my own.

I'm in school. To keep the grants and not have to pay them back, I need to finish the semester, and get at least a "C" in all my classes. So, I plan to do that. Come next semester, I plan on taking my first serious writing class.

Hang the degrees I've been pursuing! I have a new plan. English major? I'm not planning on it. More like the "Interdepartmental Studies" degree that lets you pick the courses and concentration. I need anthropology, biology, chemistry, more sociology, and LOTS of writing classes. I need classes in character development (psychology for writers?), some cultural understanding and maybe more history. I've got some plot structure books coming from Amazon, so that I can actually get started.

Back in 1993, I got this hairbrained idea about Goddess Archetypes, and used them in some work I submitted for school. Then, I did some historical and archeological research (in papers, not the actual dirt) and got some facts laid out about early civilizations. Then, I took some words used in everyday speech and looked into their origin. I studied Latin, Greek, and Sumarian - all on my own. I studied global mythology using Joseph Campbell's works, since all myths and legends have some grains of truth in them. The Bible is another great source for myths and legends!

So, this is a labor of love, and has taken me many years. I have all the results of my research on a disk, one that my current computers can read. I plan to take all this research and use bits and pieces in several stories. Maybe even a multi-generational epic. We'll see what comes out.

So, if I don't post about writing again, it's because I'm busy doing it.

Banking Frustration....

I don't know how I did it, but I got my accounts hopelessly messed up. It comes down to partial charges by Amazon for shipments that I record when I place the order for the full amount, which they charge for only the amount that is shipped. Then, I compounded the error by transferring money several times in the wrong direction, or multiple times, (on my bookkeeping only) and then reconciling the accounts, which cleared out the detail.

I still have money in the bank, and the bank is basically right - I have an Amazon order outstanding, that was partially billed today. I have auto deposits coming in, and those will have to be recorded, as well. I'll just have to watch it carefully and make sure I don't go overdraft...

This happened because a portion of the first Amazon order didn't get shipped till after the second order started shipping, so I got the orders and figures mixed up. Then there was a transfer that was recorded to the wrong account, (at the bank and in my books) and is irreversible in my bookkeeping program.

I'm going to have to wait for the dust to settle, then do some journal entries to fix everything. Basically, no more debit card transactions or checks - only cash for a good 30-40 days. It will be tough, but I can do it. Dave Ramsey taught me how to live on cash. He's the best!

It's sure a good thing my debts are all paid up to date! I don't have to write any checks for a month!

Groundhog Day All Over Again....

I've had to Re-Do everything at least once for over a week now. It is really annoying to have everything backfire on you day after day. I'm trying to do homework, attend to my health and get enough sleep.

Instead, I'm wasting gas, money and time, having to re-do everything...

I went to the store. When I got home, there was a bag of canned goods missing. I looked everywhere in my car - no go. And I had to leave for class, so no time to go back for them... And not just canned goods at $0.75 a can, either, this was nuts at $4.79 or more a can. I got nuts to lower my cholesterol.... Yeah, Right!

I got ink at the office supply store. To save a little money, I got the refurb cartridges. One worked, but seemed low on yellow, so I tried the other one. No go - my printer can't even recognize the cartridge. I still haven't had time to get back there to have it replaced. I'm afraid they won't give me a replacement now, since it's been over a week, and I've lost the receipt in my bedlam...

My car got new back brakes on Weds. On Thursday night, I noticed a noise at the right front, not related. I got it to the shop on Friday afternoon, after a hellatious day trying to get stuff done, scared that the car would fall apart in the process. Well, driving off the lot, I've got metal-to-metal and now the car has to go back a third time to have that taken care of. It might just be a brake adjustment, or it could be he wheel bearing. I have a tow truck coming.

The tow truck? Another mess. I can't find the insurance card for my current insurance company. I found 3 years of cards for the old company, but nothing for my new insurance company. My agent hasn't returned my call, since he's not in the office yet, and I need to get cards.

Meanwhile, I'm still doing homework that I did wrong and have to re-do. At least it's not due till tomorrow!

I'm just so fed up! I hate to have this kind of stuff going on. I haven't seen it for years and I forgot how horrible it is when this happens. We laugh at Bill Murray in the movie, but when you are living this time in your life, it isn't funny. It just sucks!

Self-Care and Car Stuff....

I got to order some books again today. I received 3 of the books I ordered last week, with one still on it's way. Today, I got to order 5 more. I'm chipping away at my list of holistic health books for my library. I saw one I still really want to get, but it will have to wait.

I also got some gardening and crochet, of course! And there was a really cool book about leadership that intrigued me a while ago, so I got that one, too. It's called "Tribe" by Seth Godin.

Amazon lists are really cool, if you haven't played with them, yet. Not only can folks order stuff for you that you really want, but you can order stuff you really want. It keeps the "wish list" of my life organized. And the size of clothes is always right because I chose the items myself.

Meanwhile, the poor car needs a wheel bearing tomorrow, so I'm not driving a whole lot right now. I had the back brakes done last week, and within 24 hours something happened at the right front. They took 2.5 hours to figure out what it was, and in the process, I think the wheel bearing finally gave out with all their messing around. It sounds really bad with metal-to-metal contact, so I don't want to drive much. I have one errand I MUST do later today, but that will be it. There is no way I would keep driving the car for even a week, as bad as it sounds. I thank God that there is money enough to fix the wheel bearing right now.

Just to be clear - they didn't cause anything to go wrong. I've been watching the wheel bearing, expecting something for about 6 months, and I'm just really grateful that the OTHER thing wrong with the front end can wait until January, when I get my new tires, and can be done with the alignment that will also be done at that time. It will be an expensive car repair, but with a Toyota, it's worth it. This car should last another 5-10 years, at least.

I got my handicapped placard on Friday, so I don't have to park in BFEgypt at school anymore. Thank Goodness!!!! That was getting pretty tough.

I hope you get to fulfill some of your dreams today or one day in the next week. It's always a good thing to take care of yourself.

Job (Lack of) Market

I was just checking the local job market. There is NOTHING unless you want to get paid minimum wage. Even the stuff I've done for years at $10/hr is now paying only minimum wage. For somebody with over 30 years experience, that's really sad.

The only real solution is to make your own job - become entrepreneurial and make a business of your own. Maybe you will make it, and maybe you won't, but you have to try. That's the only way to make it anymore.

You can't count on an employer, that's for sure! They only want to pay the stockholders and line their own pockets with enormous salaries at the top. The "little guy" who is actually doing the work only gets a penny for their effort.

Now, I've been entrepreneurial for years, so I already have the mindset. But folks who are expecting to get an education, and then get a job, are really going to have a hard time of it. College doesn't teach you how to be the boss and make your own business decisions. It doesn't teach you how to take a risk, and what risks are OK to take, or how to evaluate a risk in the first place.

Some risks are just not worth it, while others are almost a sure bet. Each situation is different, and each person brings a different set of tools and skills to bear on each situation, so there is no rule about it.

You have to really know yourself, your abilities, your strengths and weaknesses. You have to know what you can tolerate, and how well you budget. You have to know if you can live on ramen or if you need meat every day. If you have kids, the stakes go up.

If you have a partner who is willing to make the same sacrifices as you, who is as dedicated to the business as you, then you have a leg-up on the competition.

And you have to know your abilities with technology, too! So much is done on the internet that you need to know and apply that to your business plan.

Well, good luck, is all I can say. Get out there and try it. You won't know if you are the next Edison or Ford unless you get out there and try it.

And don't take failure personally. Each failure is just a way that didn't work. Keep trying, change stuff around, try different things. Just don't give up. You have the perfect set of tools for something. It's just finding that something.