Birthday

39 Things

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this lovely Wednesday? My birthday was on Sunday and Dad was feeling yucky again (thinking it’s his new medicine), so instead of a shower, we had a lazy day. Chinese food was involved. And we finished off Star Trek DS9 and started Voyager. We’ll go out for a proper celebration (dinner) eventually, but I’m in no rush. For now, this is my annual list of things you never wanted to know about me. I didn’t bother going over the old lists, so sorry if there’s overlap.

1. I went out in the snow for a few minutes on Thursday. It was basically gone a couple of hours later, but it existed and I was in it. And I even have proof! As you can see.

2. I’ve been craving peppermint tea and jasmine tea which is weird because I rarely drink tea. I haven’t had peppermint tea since Maine, like 10 years ago. And I haven’t had jasmine tea since my SMU days (graduated 2012) when we would go to Bangkok City (I don’t think it’s called that anymore).

3. I’ve been hermitting hard. I don’t post often on my personal social media accounts. I’m just avoiding the world, I guess.

4. Mountain Cedar/Juniper season sucks and it’s like 6 months long. Yes, I’m currently high on Benadryl.

5. I got a new toothbrush. It’s basically the same thing I had, but black.

6. I’m super tired of feeling like I have to be the adult and annoy people into doing their jobs in a timely manner. But I’m really just tired of people in general.

7. I’m also tired of having to beg for stuff I need and having some faceless government entity tell me I don’t need those things that professionals and doctors say I do need. And that shit is just going to get worse over the next 4+ years.

8. I still don’t like to rant, but it’s all I feel like doing lately, which is probably why I’m hermitting so hard.

9. I’m making Dad watch all the Star Treks with me. In order of release. Not the movies. Or original animated series. Or the shorts. Yet. We just started Voyager.

10. I’ve been doing the NYT Sudoku. I don’t know why. It’s not particularly enjoyable. I can do the easy and medium, but not the hard yet. Mostly because I get bored and do other things instead.

11. I’m drinking a cherry cola. It’s yummy.

12. I just found out Peacock has FernGully, so I might make Dad watch that with me soon.

13. Still can’t find Once Upon a Forest unless we rent it from Amazon. Boo.

14. I don’t like audiobooks, but if I’m not really enjoying a book and just want to get through it, I’ll have Alexa read to me at night. This doesn’t work with all Kindle books, but she can read most of them.

15. The dogs all have ID and rabies shot tags, so they jingle when they move and it’s super cute.

16. I like crackers (especially Ritz or Club) by themselves, but feel weird asking for them without cheese or something.

17. Dad made pinto beans and cornbread recently. Be jealous.

18. For some reason, I’ve been listening to Sum 41’s Chuck album a lot recently.

19. Pieces is my favorite Sum 41 song.

20. Going through a Rogue and Gambit phase where I steal most pictures I see of them.

21. I haven’t worn my ring in a couple of weeks. I’m just too lazy to put it on. But it still feels like I’m wearing it. It’s weird.

22. Our Roomba is named Oscar, because Oscar the Grouch is my favorite Sesame Street muppet.

23. My pinky nail broke about a week ago, so my finger feels really short and it’s annoying.

24. My favorite smell is cut wood.

25. My allergies are making my head thrum and I hate it.

26. Sophia doesn’t really bark. She banshee screams and it’s kind of terrifying when you’re not expecting it.

27. My favorite color is still purple, but teal is becoming more and more appealing.

28. I’d rather be doing the crossword puzzle right now.

29. Had leftover fried dumplings and lo mein for dinner. I’m full.

30. But I also kind of want some chocolate now.

31. I have Hell is Forever from Hazbin Hotel stuck in my head.

32. Alastor is my favorite, followed closely by Husk and Angel.

33. Sadly, Lucifer was just meh and they could have just left him out completely.

34. I still call my pulmonologist Dr. Lucifer. She’s great, though.

35. I have a televisit with her around 4 this afternoon.

36. I hate that my appointment is at 4, but I have to sign in at 3:30. It’s especially annoying with in-person visits. I guess people are prone to being late, but it just means my wait time is even longer than usual because I’m always early anyway.

37. At least I can play stupid games or read while I wait since I’ll be at my computer.

38. I’m going to do the crossword puzzle now!

39. I really need to remember to start this post early next year and just jot down a couple of interesting things a day instead of doing it all at once. I won’t, but I should.

I’m Old… 38 Things…

~ shawnaborman ~ 7 Comments

Howdy, howdy! How’s everyone doing this wonderful Wednesday? It’s that time of year again. That time where I get older and everyone seems to notice for a few days, then I just go back to quietly aging every second until next year when everyone notices again. Yay! Actually, my birthday isn’t until Friday, so I seriously considered skipping this post this year. I’m lazy and coming up with 38 random things about myself is… well… it’s a lot. But I’ll try. Let’s see how far I can get.

1. Let’s just jump right in with an unpopular opinion. I don’t like fudge. If I wanted to eat a cube of sugar, I’d eat a sugar cube.

2. I’m currently obsessed with the song Afraid of the Dark by Chef’Special and have no idea way. It’s not even a very good song.

3. I’m not a big tea drinker, but I like looking at fancy tea sets.

4. It’s currently January 9th and I’ve written four days this year, not including blog posts. I’m not writing a lot, but at least it’s something.

5. In those four days, I’ve almost completed a short story. One more day should do it, plus a day to read through and flesh it out. Should be done before my birthday. It might not be good, but at least it will exist.

6. I find myself actually wanting to write the past few days. It’s weird.

7. My favorite colors are purple (heavier on the blue than red), teal, and silver.

8. I’m reading The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec for fun.

9. I’m also reading Clover Hendry’s Day Off by Beth Morrey to review at the end of the month.

10. I’m getting shepherd’s pie for my birthday dinner. Be jealous.

11. I’d rather be watching TV than doing this. Actually, I’d rather be doing just about anything else.

12. Enza sent me some stuff from MarieBelle chocolates and the brownies came in a lovely blue tin. I think I was more excited about that than the goodies. I love tins and I don’t know why.

13. I still don’t like pumpkin spice. I try it every year thinking maybe I’ll magically love it, but it’s always just meh.

14. I bought a nice sweater in November and still haven’t worn it. No reason to. But I bought it anyway.

15. I cry when I’m angry, but not really when I’m sad. It’s annoying and that just makes me cry more.

16. It has taken me over an hour just to get this far on this list. Needless to say, finding things to say about myself is not my forte.

17. I’m craving hot chocolate. I have hot chocolate. I just keep forgetting to ask Dad to make it.

18. It’s weird when people ask for my opinion like I’m supposed to know what I’m doing. I assure you, I have no idea. I’m just faking it.

19. I randomly think of the drunk chick who belted out happy birthday at me in a club bathroom then promised to slit the throat of anyone who said I was anything less than beautiful.

20. So many random drunk people stories. I don’t miss going to clubs and being surrounded by them.

21. I do miss going to anime conventions though.

22. I love pupusas.

23. My minion made me a skull and she’s sitting on my desk and her name is Hel.

24. Candy Corn is just wax with sugar in it.

25. I’m tired. All the time. Until it’s time to sleep, then I’m wide awake for the next three hours reliving something stupid I said or did five years ago.

26. I never kept a journal for more than a few days and I don’t understand how people do it. Nothing interesting enough ever happens to me on a daily basis to keep a list.

27. Sometimes, I want to pull down the tequila and sip on a shot, but then I wonder why and decide it’s not worth the trouble.

28. I sit and listen to the dogs bark then tell them I don’t believe their stories when they’re done or ask them to tell me more.

29. I haven’t watched anime or read any manga in a long time.

30. My favorite non-food smell is that smell after you cut a piece of wood.

31. My favorite food smell is probably roasting garlic.

32. I like grape soda. There’s nothing quite like that fake grape taste. Certainly not real grapes.

33. I’m thinking about rereading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings this year. The past few years, I’ve randomly reread series, so maybe it’s time for those books again.

34. In lieu of new TV, Dad and I have watched a bunch of the old Perry Mason (can’t find all of them), all of Columbo, and the original Star Trek. We’re currently working through Star Trek: TNG, Murder She Wrote, and Monk. Plus stuff on BritBox and Acorn TV.

35. I can’t decide if I want to read The Midnight Library or Mexican Gothic as my next fun book.

36. I’m making Dad watch the new Percy Jackson show. I like it so far.

37. I also like orange soda.

38. I randomly want some flan, but it will pass.

Imaginary Surprise Parties

~ shawnaborman ~ 5 Comments

Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing? I’m tired despite sipping on a Pepsi. Lazy. Zero motivation to do anything. All I have the energy for is stupid games and reading. Shame on me. Apparently, the 22nd is National Goof Off day, because of course that’s a thing, so I thought about flaking and not writing a blog post this week, but no. I won’t be that lazy. At least not this month. However, I’m still out of ideas to ramble about, so I’m just going to pick another random question suggested last week by Jen. The question: “If someone threw you a surprise birthday party, what would the theme be?” And now for the answer…

I have no idea. Is bbq a theme? Is food a theme? Themed surprise parties sound weird to me. How is the guest of honor supposed to know what to wear? Not giving me a chance to plan an outfit? Rude. So, hopefully something with a theme where jeans and a Henley are appropriate. Or shorts and a t-shirt if you decide to throw this party in summer. But really, please don’t throw me a surprise party.

As far as actual themes go, the first thing that comes to mind is Sailor Moon, but Jen would have to plan that party. Or X-Men. Maybe DC villains. Howl’s Moving Castle! I don’t know. How about a gender bent Disney theme? Yes. I think that would be super fun. And creative. Could be as simple as wearing a character’s outfit or adapting the outfit into something that fits the desired gender. The possibilities… Why not?

I’m trying to think of less childish party themes. No Gatsby parties. I know it’s just a “roaring ’20s” party, but I hate the book and anything named after it. Maybe a fancy tea party, but with a steampunk theme. Or some kind of fae party. Decadent feast and dance for days (it’s imaginary, so I can be as fancy as I want). The outfits. Oh. Yes, please. But you’d have to mix up the music a bit. It could be fun.

Something mythology related. A Hades and Persephone party? Don’t forget to get me a Cerberus plushie. Something Norse, maybe. A feast in the halls of Valhalla. How should I know? It’s surprisingly difficult to think of party themes for myself. I guess that’s why these things are best left to other people. So, what theme would you pick for my surprise party? What theme would you pick for yourself? As always, feel free to leave your comments and questions here or on my social media pages!

Birthday Bragging

~ shawnaborman ~ Leave a comment

Hello, hello! How’s everyone doing this week? I can’t believe we’re already in the down swing of January. Next week is my end of the month book review. Time just isn’t going to slow down anymore. But I’ve been writing. Still only a quarter of what I used to write, but it’s been steady and it’s getting easier to start each time, so hopefully I can work my way back up soon. Aside from that, I have nothing writerly to talk about. So, I thought I’d share my birthday swag with you.

Food and sharp things, you perverts.

For my birthday meal, Dad made a pastrami and smoked mac-n-cheese! Yum… And when I say he made a pastrami, it started out as a brisket. He corned the beef, then did the magic that makes it into a pastrami. I don’t know the technical details. It’s magic! And it includes smoking it for around 20 hours. With his new smoker, he should’ve been able to set it and mostly forget it, but the fan/billows thing decided it didn’t want to work properly, so he didn’t get much sleep that night since he had to check on it periodically. I don’t have any pictures, but there are five more bags worth of meat in the freezer (a couple of meals each). The mac-n-cheese had four different cheeses, totaling about two pounds. A panko breadcrumb topping. Some beer. Such cheesy. Much yum. You can be jealous. It’s okay.

Then, a couple of days ago, I got a box from Enza in the mail. It was the New Years in Kamakura box from Sakuraco! There’s a lovely set of chopsticks and a bunch of snacks and some tea. It’s from Japan, so of course all the labels are in Japanese. I know a little of the language, but not that much. I didn’t keep up with my studies (ごめんなさい, 先生). Luckily, a booklet is included that tells you what everything is, tells you a bit about the region everything comes from, and is very specific about how to make the tea. As of the time I’m writing this, I haven’t had a chance to try anything, but I’m looking forward to it!

Borrowed from the website.

Yesterday, a package arrived from the Ukraine. Dad got me my first axe! See, at least one person reads my posts. He started looking after he read this one. It’s beautiful and heavy and sharp. He bought it from ValhallaWorld on Etsy. Don’t be fooled by the cheaper versions. If you look closely at those shops, you’ll see the telltale signs of imposters. All of the descriptions are the same and slightly wonky. It’s weird. But my new axe is excellent. Now, I just have to figure out where I want Dad to hang it!

So, I had a lovely birthday week. Thank you again to Dad and Enza and everyone who sent me birthday love! I’m old. I know. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and comments here or on my social media pages!

The Year Of Persistence, Revision, And Submissions

~ shawnaborman ~ 2 Comments

Hello, hello!  Welcome to 2018.  I hope everyone has a wonderful year.  May the year be filled with everything you need and something you want!  A few weeks ago, I talked about my goals for the new year (here).  So, I thought I would go ahead and share my January goals this week.  Even though it’s only been two days, I’ve been doing pretty well so far.  Let’s hope the rest of the month is just as productive!

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Definitely not the view here in Texas.

So, here are my January goals in no particular order.

1. Get DS1’s (the current novel attempt’s code name) shitty first draft to at least 60,000 words.  It’s currently 44,000 and I’m aiming for a complete draft of 70-75,000ish words.  For a month, 16,000 words is a pretty reasonable goal.  Hopefully, I’ll get further, but it’s always a good idea to stick with tough but reasonable goals.

2. Submit stuff 10 times (2 every Monday).  This refers only to short stories, flash fiction, and poetry.  Not agent searching.  Last year, I focused primarily on my novel and neglected my other work.  I don’t want to do that this year.  Sure, it means more rejections, but I can’t get any acceptances if I don’t submit, right?  (More positive thinking is also something I’m working on this year.)

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Sounds like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, but I’ll try it.

3. Write 1 flash piece OR short story.  I should probably include poems in this, but it’s been so long since I’ve written any poetry that I probably suck at it now.  That’s not negative thinking, it’s just the truth.  I’ll probably set aside some time for writing poetry when I start focusing on my revisions.  For now, I’ll stick with short stories and flash fiction.

4. Read 2 books.  I recently joined GoodReads to try to keep better track of what I’ve read throughout the year.  I’m a slow reader, so my goal is to read 24 books in 2018.  I’m currently halfway through a book I started a week ago, so I guess technically my January goal is only 1.5 books.  Is that cheating?

5. Stop dwelling on rejections and sucking and just do the damn work.  This is where the positive thinking really comes in.  I’ve been down about all the agent rejections I received last year.  After 100 rejections (or just flat out being ignored), it’s hard not to think it’s me and my suckiness.  But!  I just need to suck it up and move on.  I’ve got other projects that might interest people.  It’s time to focus on those!

6. Make time for people.  I always say that I need to talk to more people and I always fail.  But I will keep adding it to my goals until it actually happens!  I used to be so good at keeping in touch with people back when Yahoo chatrooms were a thing.  I don’t know what happened to that me.

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This is not wrong.

7. Turn 32.  Yup, I’m a January baby.  In about 9 days, I’ll be turning 32.  I’m old.  But I’m okay with that.

That’s my plan for January.  What about you?  Do you have any goals for this month?  What about goals for the new year?  Feel free to share them here or on my social media pages!