HOW I'M LIKE MY DAD

We got some snow overnight and into this morning; in fact, it just stopped snowing recently and I'm writing this around 2:00 PM. It wasn't a major snow, just a couple inches, though after all the bad weather we've already had this winter it is a bit annoying. Anyway, after a couple hours of procrastination I finally went out to shovel. The snow was light and fluffy, so it wasn't a big chore. I don't just take care of our driveway and sidewalk, though, I also do my neighbor's. She has a bad knee and had a heart attack just over a year ago, so it's best that she doesn't get out there and do it herself.

I had finished our house and was working on hers when she opened up the front door. She said hi and asked why I wasn't using the snowblower. It's actually her snowblower but we took it last year when we started shoveling both houses. I wasn't using the snowblower because I haven't used it at all. I leave it for my wife to use when we both get out and take care of things, which is usually when there's a lot of snow. I figure I'm perfectly capable of shoveling by hand, even if it takes me longer to do things that way. Plus, it's exercise.

After she thanked me and went back inside, I started thinking about the exchange and realized that I was doing what my dad would do. I'm okay with that.

SOME THOUGHTS

I spent most of my day reading Prince of Stories, a book covering the work of Neil Gaiman by Hank Wagner, Christopher Golden, and Stephen R. Bissette. It features synopses of his comics, novels, short stories, and so forth along with details of his legal battles with Todd McFarlane and interviews and so forth. It's not a perfect book. For instance, the section on his Sandman series summarizes each issue and then includes a "People, Places, and Things" section that pretty much restates the summaries. Still, I enjoyed reading about his work and I chose this book to be my first of the year for a reason, which I will get to shortly. In the end, though, the book makes me want to reread Gaiman's work and pick up the stuff I haven't read yet. Guess the book did its job.

I learned yesterday that F&SF is going to be changing its publishing schedule to every other month starting with the Apr./May issue this year (I just received the Feb. issue in the mail yesterday). The issues will be bigger (longer than the usual double issues are) but they will be losing about 10% of their annual content. It's not surprising with the way things are in publishing these days and I don't fault Gordon Van Gelder for it in the least. I am also glad that the best SF magazine will still be published.

I chose the book about Gaiman because he is one of my favorite writers and I've felt he is an example of the sort of writing career I would like to have. I thought reading about him would help to inspire me. It's no secret that I've wanted to be a writer for a long time...really, ever since I was a kid. College was when I actively made the decision and then spent a long time putting a ton of pressure on myself and becoming depressed over the whole thing. It's a dream I've put on the backburner over the last five years or more as I found something I liked doing and found some self-worth for the first time since I was a teenager.

My "Year of 35" project back in 2006-2007 was a way of reconnecting with all of those old creative dreams. It was always my plan to include writing as part of the project but I was having so much fun with the music and it was on such a smaller scale that I was content.

I start this year realizing that I do still want to write and I think I'm in a better place to do so now. I've made changes in my life that have me heading in a direction for the first time ever and I am content with that direction. Looking back, I think part of my problem with writing is that I had pinned all of my hopes on it...I couldn't conceive of myself doing anything but being a writer. So much pressure. I don't have that pressure now.

I want to see what I can do. I'd love to eventually be published in a place like F&SF, because I respect the magazine so much and greatly enjoy many of the writers published therein. I know that's getting ahead of myself. I'm going to start by trying to get something down, to finish something I start, and see where it goes from there. It's a modest proposition and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm looking forward to the journey.

MID-SEMESTER REPORT

It's a little bit past the middle of my semester at Purdue North Central and it's past time for some real content around here. In October, I only managed to post Sunday Shuffles and I haven't posted anything that wasn't a Shuffle or a roundup or a post about my eMusic downloads since Aug. 24. That's right, Aug. 24! Shameful.

Things have been going well but it's been very busy. I've been partaking of pop culture but it's been at a slower pace. I'm not following TV shows I normally would and I've not tried some new ones that I normally would have. I spent over two weeks reading Sideways in Crime (I actually finished yesterday). I don't have as much time to listen to music. I still have 3 issues each of Asimov's and F&SF piled up. And while I did read a number of trades last month, I have 3 more that I haven't read yet. I haven't been to the library in about a month, which was a big part of my life the last year. Heck, Grant and I watched Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back weeks ago and still haven't gotten around to Return of the Jedi. There are 4 Jeffrey Ford books I still haven't read yet!

I'm not complaining (well, I am but not as much as it seems). Life has been good - I continue to enjoy working at the school, my classes are going well, and I had great successes with kids in the pool last session (and I'm not working Saturdays this time around). Things around the house are crazy but going well.

I do want to start posting about what pop culture I do get around to...it won't be on a daily basis but I don't want it to be on a bi-monthly basis either. So check back in or stick me in your blog reader and I promise to talk about what my blog promises to talk about.

2008

Happy New Year.

It's been an interesting day around here. We got about 4 or 5 inches of snow overnight so the first thing I did when I got up was go out to shovel snow. I was out for about an hour and got all of our house done, plus brushing off 3 cars (our two and our neighbor's). Jill came out when I was close to done and she used the snowblower to do our neighbor's (she had a heart attack a few weeks back, so we're helping out). I must have locked myself in pretty good because after I'd been in a for a few minutes I realized my back hurt. A lot. I spent the day trying to stretch out, using the heating pad, taking ibuprofen, and mostly being miserable. I have been able to stretch it out over the course of the day, enough that I shouldn't be too bad getting up tomorrow and a trip to the chiropractor should help to solve the rest.

It's been an annual tradition in my family that we have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day for as long as I can remember. My dad makes the sauerkraut and it's full of bacon and carrots and alcohol (which cooks off) and tastes absolutely wonderful. So we set off this afternoon to go have dinner...only to have to turn around not even halfway down. The main road down south was awful, covered with both ice and snow, and it would only get worse the further we went. It was disappointing to have to turn around but we are promised some leftovers.

What did we do instead? We ordered a nice greasy pizza and breadsticks and ate some pan cookie for dessert. Jill and I watched The Bourne Identity, which was one of her Christmas gifts. I liked it. A lot. Can't wait to watch the next two (she got the big boxed set). Oh, we did finish out It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia last night (except for 2 commentaries, which I'll get to as Jill isn't interested) as well as watched Superbad (fun movie). I also started on the 2008 preview issue of Wizard and my first book of the year.

Speaking of books, I wanted to mention a few goals I have for myself in 2008...

My books goal for 2008 is 48, which averages out to 4 a month. That's achievable with the pace I've been on since August, though I do have some other things that will eat into reading time.

This is the year I am going to start writing something other than this blog and see what I can do. I've had the dream of writing for so long and I might as well get to it. If "The Year of 35" was my spur to start living the way I wanted to, why not use 2008 (which is the first year I could have run for president, as I wanted to when I was a kid) to step things up to another level? My Presidential Year maybe.

So, writing. Getting out more often to play music. Continuing to write songs and improve on the guitar and keyboard. Maybe finding some people to jam with or another band to mess around with.

I also want to get serious about getting fit. I've lost weight over the past couple months but I'm not really in shape. I would like to be. Lose some more weight but also put on some muscle, just be healthier.

As for the blog, I don't know what the year will bring. I have ideas for new features and thoughts about trying to grow this into a place where more people come. However, if I implement all the other goals I won't have as much time. So, it remains to be seen what this blog will look like. I will keep it going, even if it's only Sunday Shuffles and the occasional post. So check in with me in 2008 and let me know what's going on with you. I'm looking forward to a good year.

OPTIMISTIC

Tomorrow brings a bunch of change to the Steiner household. I've mentioned bits and pieces of what's been going on but I thought I'd cover things a little more clearly.

I received a promotion a few weeks ago and am now the supervisor of all swimming lessons at the YMCA. I will still be teaching all the classes I have been during the daytime and then will come back at around 4:00 Monday through Thursday evenings for a few hours to make sure things are running smoothly, as well as Saturday mornings. If people don't show up, I'll jump in and teach. If a teacher needs some guidance or extra help, I'll jump in. The idea is for me to not only make sure our lesson quality is high overall but to have a sense of where all the kids in the program are and communicate with they and their parents. I will be doing some administrative duties. I have also just been recertified as a lifeguard after about 18 years; that's not a position I'd ever thought I'd be in again but I am commited to doing the job and feel comfortable that I could rescue someone from the water. I will be on call certain nights of the week and on some weekends and it's necessary that I can fill in when the need arises (we also have a new supervisor for all lifeguards); additionally, we are short-staffed at certain times and I have a lifeguard shift to cover for an hour or so before I teach on Tuesday and Thursdays. Of course, it all means more money and more hours and more responsibilities. I'm not saying it will be easy but I am looking forward to the challenge and plan on doing the best job I can.

Jill is currently in rehearsals after school; they are doing a murder mystery this fall. This means Grant will have to come to the Y many evenings, a definite change for him. He also starts Spell Bowl practice this week and has to be at school at 7:45 on Mondays and Fridays and stay after school on Wednesdays. We're also planning on getting him back into guitar lessons with Graham.

Another change is in how we are spending money. We are in a period where we are trying to reign in our spending, especially in the entertainment and food areas. To that end, I got a library card a few weeks ago and am currently reading the third book I've checked out of the library in about 15 years, maybe more. It's weird going back to reading books other people have handled, an anal retentive quality I've developed over that same time period. On the other hand, it's freeing to think that I can read as much of the new stuff as I can since I was never able to afford all the books I wanted anyway (and don't have space to keep them either).

I'm still not sure how I'm going to handle comics. I want to stay current but with most books at $3 a pop, it's going to be really hard. My way of dealing with it so far has been to stay away from the comics shop for three weeks but I know that's not an option. I love comics and I have to keep my hand in somehow. I'll get it worked out. For now, though, "Catching Up With Countdown" is no longer active. Someday, perhaps.

So, time and money are going to be factors in my consumption of pop culture but I know I need to keep myself involved. It's what I love and is a good stress relief. I'm going to intake as much as I can. I still want to work on my music and get out to play open mics and shows. I still need to follow through on goals I set out for myself last year, in regards to creative writing. And I still need to do this blog. I don't know how often I'll post but I'm commited to it. Maybe the tighter schedule will help me all around.

It's an exciting time right now and I'm optimistic that these will be good days for the Steiner family.