thoughts & things

Attended Josh and Bri's wedding on Friday. It was gorgeous and so much fun. They were a darling couple and are so in love it's infectious. I sat there, watching them laugh, cry, and promise their lives to each other -- and I was taken back to five years ago when Kelly and I were doing the same thing. It absolutely astonishes me that I've been married five years (well, on December 18th I will be). It's such a grand thing. I wouldn't be half the man or half the artist that I am if it wasn't for her. I have so much farther to go, but I wouldn't be even a fraction of what I am if it wasn't for her. I know that. I only hope I'm giving back to her an equal share.

There is no easy transition to the next paragraph so I'll just shout ALBUQUERQUE and move on.

When I'm not reflecting on the marvelousness of love (oh, that's the transition I was looking for. Dang. If only I could find a way to edit out that last sentence -- and this one), I've recently found myself contemplating human nature.

We are so toxic. I don't even think we can help it. We spew our thoughts and beliefs on people and then quickly add, "in my humble opinion" and think that gives us some kind of free pass. We really don't take into consideration other people's feelings, we just want to make sure everyone knows how we feel. We think things like, "if I just mind my own business and people mind theirs, then we'll all get along fine." But that's not the earth we live on.

Was it John Donne or Jon Bon Jovi who said "no man is an island?"* We cannot live in a bubble. Even hermits effect the world they live in. There is no life free of consequence. In fact, the world reacts to everything you say and do. People remember the things you said, the look on your face, or how you reacted to situations. They'll treat you differently because of those things. And those same things challenge people even on a microscopic level to reexamine their life and their beliefs -- sometimes it reinforces what they believe and sometimes it challenges it.

And it's from these thoughts that The Ruffians will be born. It'll be dark. It'll be funny. It'll be something completely different than anything I've ever done before. But it'll clearly be me.

*It was Jon Bon Jovi in the opening lyrics to his song "Sante Fe" on the Young Guns II soundtrack.

coming soon!

David Hume

Began reading David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature tonight and came to the conclusion that I have never had an idea. Not truly and not ever.

It's humbling to the be in the presence of giants, to be sure. But the strangest thing about the humility that comes from recognizing a giant's shadow is how terribly exciting it is.

gout has its advantages

Gout is an awful, horrible, terrible thing that I would only wish on the worst human being. Actually, that's not true. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I might like to contact the worst human beings and let them know that as terrible as they are, I would never wish gout on them. That would have to mess with their heads a little bit.

But it has its advantages. It makes you stop absolutely everything you're doing and sit down. I'm on allopurinal, which largely stops the gout from flaring up, but every once in a while, the uric acid sneaks by it, builds up and I'll have a random flare up. It's exciting and unpredictable like that.

Exciting, unpredictable, and mind-cleavingly painful.

I wrote a lot today, though. I wonder how many writers have (or had) gout? I got a lot of writing done today. I've been working on this little love story over at Happy Valley and I'm really excited to see where it's going. I have the next three chapters of their story written and I really can't wait to unleash them. Not the next chapter, but the one after that, I wrote and re-wrote four times today. Every draft was better than the last, but it just wasn't getting there. It took time. I would break between the drafts, listen to some music, watch some Community, and then go back to it.

The next chapter comes out tomorrow. Actually, now that I see the time, it comes out today. In about ten hours. It's a short, quiet chapter called A Quiet Drive. But I quite like it. Here's hoping other people like it, too.

Who am I kidding? Here's hoping other people read it.

a good night writing

Had a productive night writing tonight. Felt good. Real good. The night started with Derek Webb's lovely new album Feedback (which will probably become my writing soundtrack on many nights to come) and finished with the soundtrack to seasons 3 and 4 of Battlestar Galactica. It's so thrilling to write something that matches the music you're writing to.

I've got a book idea that combines several ideas/stories that I've been working on for the past couple of years. It's something strange and exciting and unlike anything I've ever seen or read before -- and that makes it worthwhile in my book.

I'm a bit paranoid, so I don't want to give away too much (online, at any rate), but I am willing to say that the main protagonist in the book is a guardian angel. It's not Touched By An Angel and it's not Highway to Heaven. If anything, it's a season of Doctor Who infused with all that I believe. There. I think I can say that without giving too much away. I don't know why I'm paranoid. I don't even know if anyone's out there reading this (even you faithful five followers). And of those of you who are probably not reading this, how many of you would try to steal this idea of mine?

Probably not one.

And I think I read somewhere that if I commit an idea to a blog, I can use that blog entry to support my claim that I'm the author of my idea, should you try to steal it. I need to go find that and make sure I'm reading that right . . .

I should also try to get some sleep at some point.

Meh. At some point. I think I'm going to go save Albion now. Ta!

when the cup is half full

Writing a Samson story.

Writing a Delilah story.

Writing a teacher's story.

Writing the tale of two young lovers.

Writing a story about the angel Death.

Life is full when the brain is!