THE YEAR OF 35: ONE MONTH

My 35th birthday was one month ago today, so I thought I'd assess where I am with my year-long project...

The biggest change has been on the music front, obviously. I have sustained my guitar playing for the longest stretch of my life and it has paid off. I play it better than I ever used to (bar chords are getting easier) and I am learning more chords than I ever knew. I have also starting learning how to play the bass and feel I have a basic knowledge of what note is where. This has all culminated in me actually writing a song (I used to write lyrics when I was in high school but never got around to putting any real music with them) and actually getting up and playing at an open mic. This coming Thursday, May 4, will bring my second open mic appearance and my Valpo debut. I am also working on my second song, "Tell Me."

I haven't done much writing of any kind. I've been focused on the music, for one thing, and I'm busy with work and family and so forth. I'm not terribly worried about it, as I am starting to get new ideas for stories, and once the current session at the Y ends I will have a lot more time to myself (only 5 weeks left). Perhaps my book idea for The Year of 35 will also start taking shape then.

My reading is down a bit and I haven't been watching as much baseball or keeping track of as many TV shows or watching as much on DVD and so on. I've been busy doing more things, which is a definite change for me. Sure, I'd like to do more of all those things but I'm happy with the balance that has been struck on the whole.

I've also allowed myself to buy single issues of comics again. Look - no guilt! Sure, I'm going slowly but there's nothing wrong with that. I only have so much money (and space). But 6 issues in a month's time is pretty good for me and I have plans to buy more.

Anyway, that's the quick overview. More on most of the things mentioned in the coming weeks, I hope. I do plan on getting back to a bit more regularity of posts starting Monday (May 1). Get to some reviews I've been meaning to do for a while and try to stay a bit more current. Until then...