Tuesday Morning

Greetings and salutations, dearest blog readers!

I slept in a tiny bit this morning to get six hours of sleep and now I’m awake and working on getting ready for work. My goal is to get there by 9:30, and work some of the trickier issues my boss has handed me.

My boss, who honestly seems confused when holidays make places shut down. It feels like he waits until the biggest holidays of the year to try have me do something with someone in an admin office at a school or working for the state government. Like it isn’t the winter holidays and no one is at their office…and the people who are aren’t there for what we are calling about.

So, I have to try and work these problems as far as I can work them before offices being closed stops us all. I know some businesses are open today, closed tomorrow, like we are, and while some are closed today, some only have a half day- so I’m hoping to catch some of those people.

But, because of the holidays, everyone is on a much more chilled schedule- so I don’t feel bad about going in at 9:30. Besides- my office hours aren’t officially until 9:30 and office staff has flexible time.

So, I need to get ready for work. I managed to drink a cup of coffee and do my skin care routine, and then I also got dressed- but my hair and make up still need much attention so I need to brush my hair and straighten it a bit and then at least throw on some eyeliner and mascara.

And I have about 20 minutes to do that and pack my lunch so really I should be working on that and not blogging but I wanted to start this blog post and try to think of what all I will be blogging about today.

My bosses work hustle is respectful, but I wish he were more human and realized that we can’t make people be at their jobs, doubly so on holiday time, he can only make his employees be at theirs, and even then, we are closed tomorrow so Eric please don’t come in.

Haha. Anyways. I need to make myself look a bit more put together before heading into work so, until later!

Later

Well, now I am at work, and I have put in some phone calls with people, now I am waiting for calls back while sipping coffee.

I realized yesterday that I did not discuss my goals for content and enrichment in my life in the new year, although I did mean to.

So, I guess we can continue that conversation on this blog, today, and look at me, having something thematically appropriate to write about.

I did mention that I plan on upgrading the blog and providing more audio and video content, as well as original photos, but, to expand on that, and some other stuff, like the publishing I will be doing next year…how about we talk about the content related goals for 2020.

I have talked about it several times, and, I know for a fact there is no way I am the only blogger, person, or content creator to say the following: I want to travel more.

Bret and I got to do a little bit of travel last year, and I want to do even more. I want to film that content, photograph it, and of course, blog all about it. We went to New Orleans last year, which is a good template for how I would like to attack places we go: food, walking around looking at all the cool stuff, getting drunk/partying/doing the local thing, doing a historical thing or two, or taking in something educational or artistic like a museum, and do this while staying in a niceish spot that allows dogs and enables us to smoke a bit. (Hello balconies.)

Approaching trips this way, I think, allows us to get a good sampling of the place, while still keeping the fun and spontaneity of travel. I am not saying “One nice restaurant, one street level restaurant, one bar food” I am saying “Yo, ya girl loves food lets eat!”. I am not saying “I must go to the biggest, most popular historical spot or museum in this city” I am saying “Hey, I would really like to see this spot, so I am going to go there and learn something.”

It allows you to take in any lessons or reflections you were meant to have, too.

I loved blogging while traveling, and I have only gotten better at it, due to my blogging every day, so, I am looking forward to doing more travel with more experienced blogs.

I want more travel content on the blogs, which will of course include photos, video, and audio files on the blog.

Other content goals include more publishing and of course some supplemental materials for that.

And, since this is the blog where I will be elaborating on what I mean by supplemental, please allow me to elaborate. haha.

So, my goal for the universe is to have a very immersive multi media world you can access through whichever medium you prefer, and much of the “big picture” of my universe is being shown through the small microcosm of Flake City, and the multi media of it is absolutely being shown using Flake City as a hub for that.

For example, part of the story in Flake City has to do with a radio DJ, Samantha, and a journalist who was recently given clearance to report on Flake City. Radio versus TV.

I plan on having Samantha’s radio show segments on M.E.T.A Radio, which broadcasts out of Flake City, on a podcast.

In the Flake City Hospital, two nurses, George and Lissa, are barricaded into the morgue. George, a popular YouTuber, begins trying to find a way to broadcast all the sweet, sweet zombie content he is getting, and Lissa finds a way to bill it as fictional YouTube TV, to get the information outside of the government informational block. I have considered a few options for this content, but yes, I plan on having several vlog type content pieces “from” Flake City.

In addition to the longer form stories that will be published from Flake, likely in volumes, I will be posting smaller stories and segments on the blog as well. I may also combine all of these little stories and make an eBook for anyone who wants it.

I have also considered publishing some of the blogs, in one book. (Or, for my Bob’s Burgers fans, a “Blook” a blog turned into a book). If I do, I don’t think I will charge much for it, and of course, all blogs will be published for free, and available for reading for free, on my web-page.

I think this compromise may be the best way to ensure anyone who WANTS to read, can, but anyone who can’t afford to buy eBooks or regular books, can still read the content.

In addition to the podcasting and video files, I am planning on taking lots of photos to help illustrate stories inside and outside of Flake City.

Flake City is also not the only thing that will be getting published this year, as I also plan on releasing more short stories and segments that involve not only Amy, but Kiblah, Kent, Adare, Elizabeth, Aubrey…Basically the whole “main cast” and then a few side stories too.

But…#dontforgetflakecity

Some of this is written and ready to go, minus illustrations, some are in note or draft form, and others are still being worked on in my head, to make sure all the many moving parts fit together.

Having several characters trying to unwind a mystery of the giant magical world they live in, of which many people, magic and otherwise, have worked tirelessly to hide, is a lot of research, stories, and, of course, very tedious workings and reworkings to make sure everything is laid out just right for people to read and appreciate the stuff.

So, as you can see, all that writing and the blog, plus all the behind the scenes stuff that helps all of that crap come together…I won’t be having a bunch of time in the new year, so just know if I fuck with you in any way, make time for you, DM/Text/Hang with you…You really mean a lot to me, and you have made the final cut of people I actually want in my life.

If I don’t…Well… You probably know why, amiright?

Because I am far from coy. If I am thinking of cutting you out, you will hear me say some shit like “Alright remember that when I’m gone” which people think is a joke.

No. I am not kidding. I am going for it all in 2020, and if you even try to get the fuck in my way I will go total Slytherin on your ass.

With literally 0 fucks given.

Zero. Fucks. Given.

Because like I mentioned yesterday…I am leaving frustrations and annoying shit in 2019, and moving forward, it’s all about fully embracing the person I have been becoming. I want to build, not just for myself, but for the artists around me. I want to make characters and opportunities for my friends, my family, the people who matter. Robin, Amber, Sam (Both Sams, because I am lucky enough to have two Sam’s in my life) Damon, Katie, Kaynell, Biggs, Tina, Amanda, Sean, Tricia, and really, any of the truly good people in my life.

I don’t want anyone thinking that I am trying to make my circle smaller, or that I am trying to cut people out…I did my big cut of people already this year. I want to make sure i am making myself into a better person, and I want good people around me. I want to help create opportunities for my friends, and have all of us make awesome art.

Thankfully, I have a massive universe that requires tons of talent so, away we go into 2020!

So, in 2020, I plan on publishing lots of creative content on the blog, and also for purchase, as well as more travel based content. The travel based content may lead to more fun reviews, or just information about stuff. The educational stops may encourage more article type writings, and my creative writing may lead to me writing all about weird places in the world that inspire me in my writing.

I want a mixed media world, sure, but I also want it to be meta, and not just meta, but meta as hell.

So, that is the writing plan for the new year. Do you have any plans for upping your creative game? “LeT mE KnOw iN tHe CoMmEnTs!”

It is now Tuesday Afternoon, and I am wrapping up things at work, trying to get sorted before a day off in the middle of the week, and the end of the fiscal year. Tonight, I am hoping we can have a mildly decent dinner, but we are running a bit low on funds, and maybe a bottle of champagne. We will probably spend the night writing, and not worrying about having to get up early in the morning.

After all, I have a TON of writing I will be publishing in the new year, which means I have tons more writing to do. Even with the well over 400,000 words I have written this year (That’s what is traceable and I am pleased with, not counting the deleted stuff or stuff I don’t like and will be deleted) I have lots of writing, editing, formatting, and illustration work to do.

I am fairly excited for the new year, although this morning I realized that changing my attitude and not being frustrated with things would take more effort than I thought. I was putting the bed away (read yesterday’s blog for details on this bit) and I realized I didn’t want to wait the two months or so that it would take to afford the bed frame and mattress we need to buy to get out of the cycle of sleeping in the living room.

Fuck.

So, I am looking at the budget again and making any and all cuts I can, even contemplating doing hard core meal prep to make food easy to grab and cheap as fuck. Bean and cheese burritos make a great breakfast. I can add rice for lunch and a salad for dinner.

Sounds extreme, I know, and I probably won’t do it, but, it was a sharp slap in the face that it isn’t enough to just make the plans, and to make them sustainable, no, I also have to take the steps that make the sustainable change, and that part is a bit tricky for me.

Changing your habits and mannerisms is tricky. While removing the things that are frustrating is possible, it isn’t the only thing to do.

In my case, with the bed, for example, it isn’t enough to make a plan for the new bed, and to use the money coming in for it, I have to accept that it won’t happen over night, and if I want it sooner, I have to spend less.

So, I have to get better at managing the frustrations that will exist for the next couple of weeks, even with intense savings, or months, without, that come from not having a proper bed.

It isn’t enough to make goals and resolutions, and it isn’t enough to have sustainable changes…you have to make the changes and still DO the work. Sure, it may be sustainable change, but it isn’t if YOU don’t do the work to make the change, no matter how sustainable it may be.

If you want change, then the change has gotta come from you.

I hope you all have had a nice year, and if not, that’s okay, the year is over, and we are all onto a new one. We can make THIS year the best one yet, and keep building on the good year we all have.

I hope you have all had a very wonderful Blogmas and have enjoyed this trip with me. Please be sure to check back tomorrow afternoon or evening, depending on how tonight goes, to see my blog all about my NYE and my experience doing, and completing, my very first Blogmas.

Happy Blogmas day 31, Happy New Year’s Eve, and, as always…

Thank you for reading!

❤️

Abbi