Like most holidays, the day afterward is sometimes a bit of a let-down. wishweaver and I went out for lunch only to find one of our favorite restaurants had gone out of business. *bleah* We went to another restaurant that had the same style of food, but it was, shall we say, disappointing. Apparently, now that their main competition isn't around, they're not as concerned with prices or with the quality of the steaks. Let's just say, I don't anticipate going there again anytime soon.

Spent some time today on the ol' PS2, playing Xenosaga again. Hey, it's no Final Fantasy, but I do like the combat system and the cut scenes are pretty good. They're probably the longest cut scenes I've ever run into in a video game. There was one section where they did three cut scenes from three different points of view that set up the next several hours of play. Yeah, they're long, but there are clues both for solving the immediate problems as well as hints of what's to come if you listen closely.

Got together with dzeytoun for dinner and spent a good portion of the evening discussing movies we've seen as well as the ones that are coming out. He'd caught 10,000 B.C. earlier today but didn't recommend it at all. However, he was impressed with The Bank Job, so I may have to put that on the list of things to see soon.

I did manage to get some writing in, even with all this. I added 1303 words to Chronicles, almost reaching the end of Chapter Eighteen. I really was hoping I could wrap this chapter up tonight, but I have a feeling 0645 is going to come awfully early this morning . . . an hour earlier than it did last week, come to think of it.

Did I mention, I hate Daylight Savings Time?"
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Words for today

1303 / 1000 words. 130%

Progress on CSD: Dragon Couchant

78463 / 100000 words. 78%

Words for 2008

79478 / 366000 words. 22%

Let's just say I didn't exactly get the writing done today that I had intended.

Still, it was a fun day. Spent some time with the family doing errands, did some work on a Writer Beware assignment (actually, put in about five pages of writing there, but I didn't count that in tonight's word count), and then got Xenosaga out and played for quite a while today. I finally figured out how to get past one of the parts that had stumped me and got off the doomed ship and onto another one.

One thing I've noticed about Xenosaga is the number of long cut scenes. It's almost been 1/2 movie, 1/2 game so far. I'm hoping the gaming will be a little more prominent now that we're finally going and the enemy has shown its face. I have Xenosaga II, but haven't picked up XSIII yet. I'm hoping the game will continue picking up speed from this point on.

I did get out Childhood's Tears tonight and I've hit 651 words tonight. However, I'm fading fast, so rather than staying up even later, I'm going to try and get some sleep before work tomorrow.
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Words for Today

651 / 1000 words. 65%

Progress on Childhood's Tears

19040 / 90000 words. 21%

Words for 2008

53928 / 366000 words. 15%

I'm not quite sure what's going on with me these days. Maybe I'm over-extending myself during the weekdays, but I really crashed this weekend.

Now, Friday night, I intentionally did not write. I took off from work early to enjoy the beautiful day, got wishweaver and went and did "stuff". Just "stuff", got the oil changed in my old truck, visited the bank, hit the local Costco and picked up some really good Teriyaki Chicken Fillets that we had for dinner and then threw on a new (to me) video game (Xenogenesis 1). Yes, I can tell it's a little older and the voices don't match up with the mouth movements very well, (sorta gave me an old Hong Kong movie vibe), but the story looks interesting and if I can get past this current section, I think the game may be pretty fun. (lots of back story and set-up to get through at first.)

Saturday was another thing all together. It was a day of nothing quite going right and for some reason, I was tired and cranky. We did stuff though. Went to the local mall so the daughter-unit could get some new clothes, looked at a few things for wishweaver and took in the local video store so I could get some ideas what I wanted to pick up with the next paycheck. However, while I was waiting for them on a bench, I started falling asleep. I hadn't been up that late Friday evening, so I couldn't explain it. But, by the time we got home, I was really tired. I walked in, sat down on the couch and fell asleep at 3:45. I didn't wake up until 11:45 and then went back to sleep at 1:30 and slept in until 10 this morning.

I don't know if I had a bug or what, but I certainly felt better this morning than I had all day Saturday. Sigh. So, today was spent folding laundry, watching Emergency with Wish or working on Chronicles of the Sea Dragon. It was a relaxing day but still pretty productive. I typed 3098 words today to make up for the lack of production on Friday and Saturday.

I need to finish working on my next blog entry for Writer Beware's blog. I'm working on doing something on tie-in writng/work for hire and discussing the pros and cons of this particular writing model. I'm going to try and bounce a few ideas off of some of my other tie-in writers to get their takes on the article before I post it.

Speaking of tie-in writing, I think I have a pretty good grasp on what I want to write now. It's just a matter of finishing up my research and trying to tie everything up into a neat little one-page proposal. Which of course, is my bane, being naturally long-winded. *grin*

But, I need to get a load out of the dryer and get it upstairs before I go to bed. Night, LJ.
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Words for Today

3098 / 1000 words. 310%

Progress on CSD: Dragon Couchant

69592 / 100000 words. 70%

Words for 2008

48439 / 366000 words. 13%

My order from Amazon came in last night.

No, not the latest novel from (insert name of megastar writer here).
No, not the latest DVD featuring (insert name of super cool action flick here).
No, not the latest CD featuring (insert name of power rock band from the 70s here).

But, it is a CD.

I snagged the Final Fantasy XII Limited Edition Original Soundtrack (4CD set).

People may or may not like video games, but this is one hell of a soundtrack and it's definitely going into my iTunes in my "Writing Music" category. I foresee many enjoyable hours writing to this music. Strong string sections, great low brass accompaniment, just enough woodwinds to keep things honest and a solid tympani going in the background (one of my old instruments).

So, not only did this game pull me in, (I'd love to find out who's got the publishing rights for any fiction based on this game), but the soundtrack is keeping me in love with the game.

Where's that controller? *grin*

For those not on my friends list, I apologize up front since some of the following will make no sense if you didn't read the earlier rant. . .


Got home from work today in a slightly better mood. There's something going down at work, can't talk about it right now, but I think the situation is coming to a head quickly and as someone suggested "keep a low profile and find high ground because a tsunami is heading that way". I think my source has a pretty good reading of the situation and am willing to set back and let the situation sort itself out without antagonizing the customer myself by letting myself get that upset in their spaces again.

Walked into the house and wishweaver was holding up a letter for me. The final payment for a story I wrote last year and was published this year finally arrived at the place. Five days before Christmas . . . what serendipitous timing! I have designated some of it to take a bite out of my credit card and the remainder will be divied up between me/wife/daughter-unit's presents I'd been eying but wondering how to afford. Huzzah!

Then, because wishweaver is the wonderful person she is, she suggested us going out for dinner tonight to let me unwind. When I suggested Japanese, which ain't cheap, she didn't even blink an eye. I had a nice small bottle of sake, the sushi and sashimi platter and a nice soup and salad to go along with the meal, while Wish and mollymorrison had the hibachi meals. Daughter unit had gyoza and Shrimp Hoso maki. A very enjoyable meal was had by all.

Came home, killed some things on Neverwinter Nights to work off any remaining stress and now I'm going to call it a night. I'm taking this Friday off (and the Tuesday after NYD) and I plan on writing, playing a little NWN and finishing up my Christmas shopping/wrapping while Wish is at work.

Laters!