I believe that ‘catching up’ is nigh impossible for me at this point. I think I have gone too far down the path I am on and will never be able to get ‘back’ to whatever it is I had a couple years ago. That leads me to examining if I really want to. Life is a learning experience and not all learning is fun and games.

I had some family come visit me for a couple days recently and it was oddly satisfying. One visitor was a young man, ten years old, another was a mature lady of seventy eight. I write from the perspective of kids and old people a lot, but mostly I write what I know or remember. Obviously I can’t write about being eighty (yet), I still feel, deep in my heart, that I remember what being ten is like. I am sure I get it wrong and my great nephew was a refreshing surprise to me. Very passionate about what he liked and, frankly didn’t give a shit about anything else. That clarity is nice, but hey, I don’t have to live with him or, well, anyone. I was a bit taken back by the oldsters reining in the kid, like, he didn’t irritate me, but them harping on him, did, after a while. Meh, I love them all and with only a moment of thought gave them grace, but I still may have come across as a grumpy old man, for all the wrong reasons too! Hah! I can’t win for losing.

I did get out and have some time at ‘El Patio’ with them, the drinks were bar none excellent; if you like rum I know a place…hit me up! There is also something to be said for talking to people who have literally known you your entire life. That’s a turn of phrase isn’t it? Say you’re forty five, and visiting your parents. Nominally you’ve been on your own for 20-27 years, sure they had years of domesticating you, but you’ve lived more time out from under the parental umbrella, enough that, hopefully you can laugh at the foibles that are inevitably brought up when discussing the past. So the people who have known you forever, really only know half of you, at best. We are all private and no one, no one, sees the complete picture. I remind myself of that when I talk to people. Who knows what brought them before me, the journey they took just to get in that same place at the same time. It makes me think and focus on them a little more when they do open their cake holes.

The writing goes on. I still need a name for this book I am writing. Hell, I could easily say, ‘wrote’, as the damn thing is in throwing distance of being done. Aside from all that pesky re-reading and editing. Maybe I’ll hit AI up for suggestions. Along with the book I have this stuff on my ‘to do’ list:

• Motivate myself to get a business off of the ground
• Learn enough AWS to get a basic certification (more like learn the proper terms for what I already know and can do)
• Create 3d models for my vastly underused printer, which involves again, learning software
• Apply for every job that I am qualified for
• Brush up on CSS, ’cause it is just so damned awesome
• Fix the plumbing in my house (which may be off the list as of this morning)
• Not die

Hm, probably I am trying too hard.

Today, fifty seven years ago, I was born. Huzzah! Or Boo! Depends on who you ask. I opted to go buy a lottery ticket, because, hey, why not? I hit the store to use an automated machine because who has time to tell the clerk you need 3 Colorado Lotto+ tickets, a power ball with power play, three pick 5’s a pick three and a ‘cash for life, also with power play. Nah, give me a clean computer interface and I’ll be on my way, $22 later. But these machines require you to scan your ID to verify your age. Now, as I alluded to earlier, it’s my birthday, I scan my driver’s license, DENIED! It had expired, and the machine wouldn’t accept it. Gawd-damn it! I ordered my new license online 14 business days ago, it’s still MIA. So I had to belly up to the service line to get the ticket manually as no one who sees me believes I am under 18 and I wouldn’t be carded. I wussed out, cashed in one winning ticket, bought a scratcher and left, only humiliated on the inside, where it counts the most. I went home, ran a session of dungeons and dragons and around nine when that was over, headed out to get a stiff drink. I mean I have booze at home, but it’s nice to get out once in a while. I had the brilliant idea of hitting a liquor store I know to buy my b-day lottery tickets there from a friendly face. Mission accomplished! W00t! now I am $19 poorer and will surely hit it big. Or not, at least I get to fantasize about a life of leisure. I went to the bar, stayed too late, smoked too much (devil’s lettuce) and eventually left with a sincere hug, to go to the kava bar, where I am typing this when I should be working my next book, called….Damn, that didn’t work I though I could sneak up on a title there.