Author: admin

This is not the Novell either. No, this is a late night Saturday blog following a big energy draining day and practically no sleep from the night before. It’s what you call one of those free thought and waning state of mind blogs. I’ve had a day full of sports practices, driving around, dealing with my oft obnoxious and privileged kids and launching the final dragon ball hunt.

The last one is worth conversation we launched the hunt successfully after a series of website and creative process driven false starts. Some of it was me just being an ass but some of it was tech and some of it was uncertainty about the direction of this last hunt. We persevered and launched the challenge which ended a little bit ago. They earned multiple dragon balls—theee of the seven!

it only gets harder from here. The next challenge is very Canadian, and I’ll explain more about after they solve the clues to get there. I’m thinking a cipher clue…

all in all it’s been a physical day and I’m drained. Thankfully these ten minutes blogging on this phone are up. I can finally rest.

“It is impossible to be successful if you spend all your time looking for instant gratification.” says Author Mawi Asgedom. I think he’s hit the problem of the modern generation. We have very short attention spans and a high expectation of instant gratification that is attached to all of these short form versions of entertainment that get us quick-hit joy moments that don’t last and, beyond that, are not entirely fulfilling. Lasting gratification is a thing that must be earned and as a result we have fewer and fewer people who seem capable of sustaining what is required to reach that joy. As a result we have reconfigured success to being good at these moments–to being a good gamer overnight, to being an overnight sensation, to being someone who gets all the glory but doesn’t put in any of the work.

The idea of working hard for ten years and reaching success is, well, crazy. Who does that? I don’t even think I have that left in myself. It takes a lot more energy to get to the point where you are willing to sustain that output long enough for delayed gratification. That’s the argument I am making here: It is harder to get up for something that is going to take a while to do. It takes less to do what is easy. It takes more to do what is hard. Now, this simple aphorism isn’t new, but I think it bears considering. What message does it send? Does that realization make you feel like, yes I need to work hard or does it leave you feeling for the easier path? I truly believe that is a reflection on the self.

Which brings me back to writing. Putting together a story is not easy work. It is hard and grueling and often results in abject failure. However, the reward is worth the energy. The understanding that you’ve created a lasting piece of work is worth the work you put in to make that a reality.

I spent the past two days on the beach enjoying the last gasps of vacation before the school year kicks in for my partner and I. This was a much needed vacation–not in the sense that we needed to get away again after already having a wonderful almost three weeks in Seattle, but in the sense that we needed a really good cali run and I feel like we got exactly that out of this trip.

So, what does that mean? Well, we were looking forward to spending quality time together as a couple–a pair–a partnership and enjoying what it felt like to be out in the sand and under the sun and not having to worry about the other aspects of our lives that hold such time and attention. Mission accomplished. Love needs that. Love needs time between two people because the rest of the world actively works against love. I know this because my first marriage failed because we weren’t together and purely about each other for any real time and after a while we weren’t about each other hardly at all. The thing that binds a couple together has to be the couple and not the circumstance or the kids or any of that stuff. I’m grateful to be in a partnership where I am in it purely because I’m about her and she is in it purely because she is about me.

Some Thoughts:

1. To begin: I’m super happy to be coaching this year. I feel like I’m going out on top and getting to a place where I understand the people responsible for the activity where my kids spend all their time and these are the right people to help them grow. That makes me happy.
2. That being said, I am equally happy to go through the experience knowing the end is in sight. Already there is talk of a spring team and all that blah blah. Yeah, I am out. Kid is gonna focus on training up outside of the organized sport and come back in the spring of 23 ready to build his own path to high school success.
3. This is the final Dragon Ball hunt! the hunt begins this weekend. It is time for it to be over as well. I worry at least one of the two is too old for it, and it isn’t the older one…

Welcome to the two part pre-draft edition of the Waiver Wire. The goal for these next two Wednesday’s is to figure out who is worth drafting and who is not in light of the upcoming NFL season. This is a positional look, but also a look at what order to grab your players, so here we go:

The Strategy

I play PPR leagues. While the point rules vary within each, one thing is certain: The number of balls you catch directly translate into points. In one league the QB points far supersedes this number, so in that league a QB is gold. In the other two it is about them hands, so my suggestion is to pick a RB or WR that has a high catch volume first. So, I’m going to start there

Running Backs

Christian McCaffery a.k.a Run CMC ought to be the first pick in all draft formats this year. Though injured last season, he has been a consistent point horse for his entire career and serves as the backbone of the Panthers offense. Are there legitimate questions about what that offense is going to look like under new leadership? Yes, but we saw the answer last year pre-injury: More of the CMC show.

Somewhere nearby Alvin Kamera is screaming ‘Cap!’ with all the truth and ferocity of a multi-time pro-bowler. The man is not wrong, and while both he and McCaffery are dealing with new QBs, he is dealing with a crowded backfield as well. CMC doesn’t have a reliable back to do what he does. He does have a change of pace guy who will steal some goal line work, but that isn’t enough to change the vote.

But what about Saquon or Henry or Cook? Henry should be your 3rd choice. Then Cook and then Chubb…. yeah. I’m a lifelong Giants fan and a Barkley fan since before he put on the blue. Still, he isn’t a sure thing early on. He gains value as the season progresses to be sure and is far from a sleeper, but if the others are available you have to take them first.

Quarterbacks

Honestly, there are no surefire QB standouts this year beyond Prescott. He’s that dude to be sure. Behind him I can pick 10 other guys who will put up tremendous numbers, but they don’t have the kind of offense he does. He carried so hard last year that folks began to question what Zeke could even do without him. He’s the standout. Rodgers, Mahomes, Wilson, Allen, Jackson, Murray will all give you SOLID numbers that are similar to each other in terms of total points but in different ways. If Dak comes back right then he will be the top guy.

The news informed me that Cuomo resigned under the weight of the sexual harassment charges. It seems that sometimes a person in office will realize that the people who elected him don’t want to put up with bullcrap like that. Matt Gaetz ought to take notice and follow suit. He won’t. He is part of that new crop of people who are reminiscent of a much older crop who have decided that it is okay to talk about right and wrong and persecute the heck out of people, but when you are the one in the wrong you don’t have to worry about what you yourself did. That got me thinking about cancel culture and what problems are inherent in a culture that believes something you did in the past should not ever be forgiven–even if you are repentant over the situation. I’ve been looking into the recent Matt Damon cancel call and it reads like everything that is wrong with America. This man admitted to being an idiot who used hateful language in a private setting, got called out by family, learned from the experience and leaned into changing his behavior. He was open and honest about it. That was apparently his mistake.

I’m guessing the people who want to cancel him fast forward to the fact that he used the slur and skip the learning and change that accompanied his admission. He didn’t need to admit this. He didn’t do this in a public forum or in any space where others outside his private circle have access. No, that doesn’t make the slur right, but he chose to reveal this in a moment of reflection about change. That change is ignored. That change is often ignored by cancel culture, because the expectation is that change should’ve happened long before now. We should be beyond the point where people need to think or be told to change.

except we are not.

No Bloganovella today. I actually have an idea where it might be going. I keep seeing a bridge in my mind–likely it was on the list of things I needed to put into the story. It might be wrapping up soon as well. So, I want to enjoy the finish and write it on the days I feel it the most. Today is not that day. Only have I written once in the last three, which is not a good look for me. I’ve locked in Saturdays as the day off and Tuesdays may also be non-writing days because of schedule, but I know Monday or Wednesday or both will be big days–8-2 or so. I’ll grind extra hard on those to make up for lost time.

No, I didn’t do that today. I did find a wonderful worldbuilding app/site that I will be exploring this upcoming week as I return to the fantasy realm (as the 2nd project). The program is called World Anvil and is free to start though there are subscription levels and I don’t have any real sense of how private what I create will be on there… So, it is in need of deeper exploration. A la next week. That alongside the other program of interest will be my focus outside of the sci fi novel and building up these classes I’ll be teaching come later this August.

I usually wait till Wednesdays for these types of conversations, but it’s been on my mind as of late. I’m back at coaching for officially the last go at it. I’m coaching a 14u squad where my 12 yr old is playing. I know some people think this is foolishness, given the age gap between players but to me it is the equivalent of playing middle school football where 7th and 8th graders play together and, occasionally, a 6th grader touches turf. Age is a curious construct in sports. Most parents I’ve encountered this go round have stories of holding their kids back a year in order to better prepare them for sports. I did entirely the opposite. This 12 yr old is the only one that is learning ‘on age’. I find it interesting that nobody in these circles considers that a kid who learns faster or is advanced mentally should be skipped up but a player who is physically advanced should be held back. This dynamic defines youth sports in many ways, because the goal is to gain that feeling of power and success–both as a coach and a parent–and often this comes at the expense of the child.

For a long time I was actively confused about a coach who played his kids up a year. He did it from as early as possible and while the kid and his friends struggled at first, they got stronger through the competition. To go one step further, my mid kid, who was younger than this group and my eldest were both playing with the group. Now my mid kid is very successful playing and learning way above his age class–taking Jr. level and college level classes after turning 14 a few months ago. Meanwhile, the little one is playing with 14 year olds who have yet to clear middle school. Consider that: You can have success playing and learning up so long as you put in the work and have the physical gifts to succeed. The only reason to keep the little one at 12 would be to physically dominate at his own level. Where is the value in that outside of that feeling of power and success? Who is that power and success for/going to? Now he gets to prepare himself for the next level and, at the same time, push himself to get better and push himself beyond what other kids his age are doing. That is how it has been with all my boys in their own ways–especially academically. I may not be the greatest dad, but I feel like I got this one right. Up until two years ago that kid always played up. I stopped the practice as a way to watch him dominate. That was about me and about building this confidence in him that was entirely undeserved. Lesson learned. It made him a weaker player and a weaker individual. Now we are back to him fighting for his right to be at the table. It is uncomfortable and it is challenging. That is what it ought to be. No more super teams. Maybe he gets to play one fun game as an all star, but overall, this thing is about gauging growth.

I’m feeling good about gamifying my physical activity. For starters, I know what a base movement score looks like and how far away from it I generally am. I found myself running through parking lots in an attempt to up my numbers. I wonder how good they will look when it isn’t so damn hot. Still, while it is, I need to take advantage and melt off some of these pounds. I’m maybe halfway through this life I’ve been given if I’m lucky, and that means I have to fix all the damage I have done to this body before that damage starts to pile up in a really negative way. Time is short to put those later life and quality of life years back on and I am learning that for me, Gamification is the way.

This is not the review blog–I’m going to need to use this device a few more days to get there, but I can say I do feel healthier already and I am to get even better as the weeks progress. Also helps to be coaching because it is a built in reason to move and try to be active. If I’m running then the kids are and that makes them better and makes me healthier. win/win.

All this is to say I am happy and I feel like I am in a good place with all of the things in my life, though I worry that my balance is less than optimum especially when it comes to time with the partner and time on the novel. I need to get those in balance and stop doing some of the time wasting I do in order to give the lady the time and attention she deserves. I also need to get it right temporaly and mentally before the school year rolls in. I’d love to be in a position to start school on top of my game.

This really was turning into an old flatvid.

I sat on an old crate looking up at a ceiling of stalactites and glowing moss that served to remind me of how far from my everyday reality I’d come by venturing back into Manhattan. The sound of water flowing from the river above and down into this small forgotten space was a metronomic sigh of relief and all that kept me from freaking out about the situation. The deep only had one way in or out and while that path connected to the vast NY subway system it didn’t guarantee safety. Once we were out in the world anyone who was looking for Peter Choi would be able to track him down–if not by the army of facial recognition cameras and drones monitoring the city than by the absence of a digital footprint as he moved without a commlink or any relevant credentials through the Island. Like the sound of water, this momentary safety filled me with a calmness that spoke of future dread.

Choi was being dressed and outfitted by some of the dwellers down here who treated him like an old friend or at least an old soul. He fit in with them, and from what I’d been able to gather what he actually was gave him the kind of cred you couldn’t buy. I’d given up on asking him what he was. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know anymore, though I had my suspicions given my employer. As I watched him put on an old jacket and secure a scarf around his neck I found myself asking a different question. “How’d you find this place anyhow?”

“I came here years ago with family–not long before the SURGE hit. This cave and the two dozen or so like it across the planet are special. Each is filled with castaway people such as these–people who don’t necessarily belong to the surface world anymore, and find a type of happiness in the communities they create in these spaces.

“So, you want to tell me what this place is then?”

He grinned and said, “I think its time we got moving, don’t you?”

Some Thoughts:

1. I am not a pantser and this has been a seat of my pants novella thus far. Seriously. I don’t know what is going to happen until I write it and there is not a draft process. Things happen and continue to happen. Such an odd process. In truth, I don’t think about the story unless I’m right here writing it down.
2. Also figured out how to fix the font sizes. I will not go back and fix all the past writing. Just no…

The beer in the deep was the best I'd had since St. Louis. It was colder than it should be, considering the limited level of electrics in this place. The lights, the running water, all of it was powered by means I didn't yet understand or even comprehend. I had to keep my mind focused on what was in front of me. In this case it was a young man with strangely tinted blue skin and features that looked near alien. He was drinking a beer and looking around the surprisingly large cavern with an expression that wavered between wonder and curiosity. He hardly seemed to notice me as he studied the ceilings and looked at the people of the deep. They were all a collection of unusual misfits as well. A few looked, well, normal, but the rest reminded me of the early days of SURGE when Genetic expressions suddenly materialized within people giving them strange mutations. 

"You're a SURGE victim." I said.
He stopped mid sip. He said, "No. The SURGE liberated me. It allowed me to become who I am supposed to be."
"What is that exactly?"
"I'm a human, like you."
"You're awakened?" I suggested, remembering his aversion to the needles and considering who'd hired me.
"No."
"Then you're a liar."
He grinned. "What I am isn't important. What is important is that I'm safe now. Largely thanks to your distraction." 
I nodded, waiting to see if he would say more. When he didn't I said, "My job was to protect you from that situation up there. I did that. I suppose I ought to be on my way then."
"But I'm not safe." He said.
"What do you mean?" I grew tense. I knew this place from the old days, but not well enough and not recently enough that the people here knew me or even trusted me. If he wasn't safe, neither was I.
"The men who wanted to implant that device in me won't stop. They brought me there under false pretense, and once I realized what they were trying to accomplish I ran, but it doesn't mean they won't try again."
"What does it do?"
"Turns me back into who I was."
I didn't ask the obvious question. Instead I said, "So how to we stop them."
Peter Choi said, "You need to get me out of Manhattan."

Some Thoughts:

1. New update is entirely wonky in terms of text formatting. Not sure what to do to fix it just yet. More research required… The font ought not to be that small as a basic starting format. Had to use preformatting… Feels like it impacted all of the previous work as well. Bad update indeed…