April 2022 Wrap Up

Wow, is April really over? What a wild ride this month has been, and it went by so fast, too! I didn’t manage to read nearly as many books as I should have, and I feel guilty because I work at a bookstore, I really need to up my game! But, I’ve been writing like crazy (over 70,000 words), got back into the groove with photography, and found a ton of new music I really like.

So overall, I’d say April was a good and productive month, and I hope I can keep the momentum going come May!

March 20221 Wrap Up

Oh, hello there.

Somehow we are a quarter of the way through the year already, how these things happen is anyone’s guess. March was a weird, busy, and stressful time for me, but things seemed to have sorted themselves out *knocks on wood* and with luck and skill April should be a much happier and smoother month.

I’m still in a bit of a reading slump, but I managed to get through a handful of books in March and so far I’m keeping on top of my reading goals for the year. I’m hoping now that the weather is a bit nicer and the sun is out more, I’ll be able to leave the winter doldrums behind and tackle some major reading and writing projects soon.

February 2022 Wrap Up

Last month sort of slipped by me, lost to the post-holiday haze that inevitably takes over once the constant madness has dissipated. Now this month is at an end, the hardier fruit trees are starting to bloom and every now and then it stops freezing just long enough to remind us that spring will eventually arrive. Not today though, I’m looking out the window and the world is dusted with last nights snow and a thick layer of frost that colors everything in a light shade of grey.

How was your February? So far I’ve managed to stay on top of my reading goals, with a little help from some shorter titles because I don’t have as much time to read as I’d like. George Ezra dropped a new single and my pretend!wife Florence Welch (of Florence + the Machine) is teasing us with a new single after being on hiatus for what felt like eternity. I read what might be my favorite book of the year, watched too many videos about food, and am finally getting back into the swing of things here on the ol’ blog.

November 2021 Wrap Up

And so November ends, in a flurry of food and work and not getting enough sleep. I’m pleased to say that the novel is officially in the hands of my beta reader, and so far the feedback has been positive. December looks to be as crazy as usual, but at least there’s presents at the end and a five day vacation starting Christmas Day that I think I’m going to really need once everything is said and done.

A great deal of November was spend fine-tuning the last quarter of the novel, and while there’s a couple scenes I want to rework (fight scenes are hard to write), I’m pretty pleased with it overall. It’s weird being “done” with it, even if there’s some things I still want to touch up… it’s all there, beginning, middle, and end… over a years worth of struggle and angst and hitting my head on my desk in quiet desperation and now I’ve got this thing that I’m going to have to show to people. It’s terrifying.

October 2021 Wrap Up

Oops! I forgot to post this! I blame it on the fact that October was only one and a half weeks long this year, or at least that’s what it felt like. That and the fact that BTS is wild and the end of the month was absolutely crazy (Excuse me 2022 Season’s Greetings, can you let me BREATHE). All in all it was a pretty good month, though I constantly feel behind on everything- I got some good photography work done, have comfortably surpassed my reading goals for the year, and while the progress is slow, I’m chipping away at edits for my novel. It’s not going to be finished on time (at least based on the schedule I gave myself), but progress is progress, and I’ll take what I can get.

September 2021 Wrap Up

And lo, October looms…

Hello everybody! How was your September? Mine was a mixed bag of good and not-so-great, but overall I guess I can’t complain. I spent a lot of the month doing things I’d rather not do, and I’m a bit behind on some personal projects as a result. It’s frustrating, especially because it’s out of my control and I really don’t like it when things don’t go as planned, but alas, it is what it is. At least the weather has been a bit milder, and I actually had a chance to head up into the mountains and hike, which was lovely. October promises to be a bit crazier, but with hope and luck I can pull through and get things done!

August 2021 Wrap Up

Once again I am asking you to tell me where the month has gone. Like… it was just July a second ago, and now it’s nearly September? How? When? Also can I just skip right over the remainder of fire season and get to cooler weather? We’ve been close to having to evacuate once already, and I have to imagine the threat will continue to loom for the next two or three months at least. I want to move to Pennsylvania and have things like rain and fireflies, both of which don’t exist in California.

This month has been crazy productive at least; I’m deep into editing my novel, which has actually proven to be really enjoyable. I love refining and focusing the story, while adding lovely character moments that have made me fall in love with my leads and the supporting cast even more then I already did. Work at the bookstore has been largely enjoyable (if we ignore a few high maintenance/annoying customers), and it’s given me a chance to learn more about photography and Photoshop.

In the wake of this however, reading has taken a bit of a back seat. I have gotten through a handful of graphic novels and little else… as long as you don’t count the long term relationship I’m developing with a particular fanfic author and her pitch perfect stories.

In other news my cat is high maintenance and I could use some more sleep! Woo!

July 2021 Wrap Up

The year is half over, and what a year it’s been. Highs, lows, lefts, rights, I’m tired and haven’t slept well in days. Hopefully July treated you well! Once again I didn’t read as much as I would have liked, but I’m still well ahead my reading goal, so it’s okay. I wish I had managed to keep the momentum I had from earlier this year, but with how much my life is changed, I guess I should be surprised

June 2021 Wrap Up

Sorry for the earlier miss-post! I canceled the scheduling but WordPress decided to ignore that and went ahead and posted it (while I was still working on it!) So this is the updated and complete version, not the half-finished one that was up a little while ago.

June is at an end, and the year is now over half way through. I’ve mentioned it a few times by now, but today is going to be my final day at a very stressful and frustrating job, followed by a week off, before I start at my local indie bookstore! I’ve wanted to work there for years, so this is sort of a dream come true…

May 2021 Wrap Up

Wow, another month here and gone- this whole time moving faster as you get older thing is ridiculous. May was pretty good to me on a personal level, I managed to hit a good stride with my photography and actually feel like I somewhat back to the level I used to be at, and I completed the first draft of my novel! As I write this I’m nearing the end of a three week break from working on it before I dive back in for edits, so June is going to be a very busy month along those lines! How did May treat you guys? Did you accomplish everything you set out to do, or did you catch spring fever and found yourself distracted?