2009 Resolution

The holidays are winding down, and it's only a few hours before 2010 is upon us. Wait, isn't it time for a Space Odyssey?

Every year I make my own resolutions. I think about them the week after Christmas, and ponder what it is I want to accomplish in the coming year. I keep those, private, though; you know, like the hidden Tiger Woods videos soon to be released?

So my resolution, to the social-networking galaxy, is to have no more boring blogs about how little time I have and how hard it is to write books.

There.

Until next time...

"So this is Christmas..."

So Christmas is already over, and march toward a blazing hot summer and a Spring purgatory of bland Sunday sports viewing is on. The build-up toward the 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is epic, almost mind-blowing. Now that it's over, it's almost, "Now what?"

Christmas, however, was pretty special. I didn't spend it with my Mom, Dad and sister as is the typical tradition, but instead with my wife and her family. It was year two of the 'alternating' format, where we spend the 'big ones' (Thanksgiving, Christmas) with different families. This year, Christmas was with my wife's family, and I've got to admit that it's a lot more fun to crash than to host. But my wife and I hosted two Christmases (one with my family last weekend) to some critical acclaim, and we notched a few bars of hosting-experience that will undoubtedly aid us in future excursions.


Christmas Eve was special. It was just the two of us, with plates of food and sweets in our gameroom running the gamut of holiday film favorites.

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
3. Simpson's Christmas (five episodes)
4. A Christmas Story
5. The Santa Clause
6. The Santa Clause 2
7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
8. It's a Wonderful Life (Spectacular on Blu-Ray)

Of course, don't forget the egg-nog and seasonal beer. Christmas was wonderful.



Christmas and its break allowed me to rest now that all of the holiday work is done. For the first time since I can remember, we just sat around the house yesterday. There was no baby-registering, buying stuff for the house or shopping for groceries. It was sheer relaxation. I got at least seven hours of sleep two nights in a row for the first time in months. But work comes back tomorrow, and work sucks. The commute blows, and I'm reaching my wit's end with it. I did some rough calculations; on this track, I'll have spent 28 days of 2009 in a car driving to and from work.

The Christmas holiday did allow me some much needed time to get back to work on the books. My peak time for writing is first thing in the morning with a fresh pot of coffee. With the buzz coursing through my veins, I'm able to pound at the keyboard for hours. Any other time I'm spotty, especially with this 're-writing' garbage. Once football season ends (my addiction), there will be a lot more time on the weekends.

So honestly, who gives a damn about the Girl Next Door and resident skank, Kendra Wilkenson or whatever the hell her name is? What's she famous for? Being a skank? The same goes for Kardashian, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton; you are famous for what? You are famous for being rich/skanky. And you know what? America eats it up, I mean absolutely eats it up. Every time I see a reality show focusing on a celebrity's life, I want to vomit blood. And as stupid as American Idol and Dancing with the Stars and Sing Off are, at least those shows are chronicling the every day minutia of celebrites' lives. At least there's some competition between everyday people (sorry America, Joey Lawerence is no longer better than me. Actually, that ship sailed right after his guest-starring run on the WB classic, "Half & Half) doing something that I can't do.

Who wants to watch Kate Gosselin and her ugly as sin ex-husband squabble over who siphoned $80 grand out of the 'reality tv' account? Who wants to watch Tori Spelling's emaciated skeleton plan a $100 thousand party for a one-year-old? Who does? Apparently everybody, because for crying out loud we've got a show about the offspring of the guy who played, 'Renegade'!

Until next time...

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

It's the most wonderful week of the year, because I only have to work two days before two days of feasting and present-opening. And the two days of work? No problem, because the legion of soccer moms that typically clog the highways will be at home making gingerbread houses and buying Legos for snotty-nosed kids. So all-in-all, the week's shaping-up to be extremely positive.

I love Christmas. No, love isn't the right word; maybe it's more of an addiction. I'll line-up the Christmas movies on DVD, fetch some seasonal beverages (fully-loaded egg nog) and bask in the crisp winter air to my heart's content. This Christmas is going to be awesome. I haven't settled on the exact Christmas movie line-up, but I'll narrow it down the day before. One thing that's for certain? Charlie Brown and The Grinch will be slotted in their traditional positions. A Christmas Story will be enjoyed to begin and to end the day's festivities.

The downside of the Christmas, though, is the mall. The mall sucks anyway, with long lines, grumpy people and miles of convoulted parking. My wife has succeeded and in dragging me to the mall for three weekends in a row; it's Dante's third stage of hell. Thankfully, that part is over, for me at least. She'll be braving the crowds on the 23rd to pick-up a few items (including my gift, which is supposedly awesome according to my wife). Then it's off to baby-registry land, and trust me, it's a total cakewalk compared to wedding-registry land. I can't hear the phrase, "charger plate" without gritting my teeth and punching the wall.

My writing hasn't been going too well. Actually it's trickling. At least it hasn't stopped. When I sit down to write at night, I suddenly become exhausted. Like, all-night-missle-watch-at-NORAD-exhausted. The days are really long, and I just want to go to sleep. But then I try to summon my Rocky Balboa-inspired determination and work through the bags under my eyes, which gets a line of incoherent babble that streams forever after falling asleep with my finger on the trigger. But all is not lost. I mean, I haven't given-up. I guess I'm just moreso disappointed that I haven't gotten further along. In the past I've been critical of myself for watching TV or playing a game instead of working on the books, but now I just need to 'veg out'.

I've been on Facebook for a few weeks now, and it's by no means crack or anything. It is fun to get on and make fun of people, though. The iPhone makes it possible.

My parents came into town over the weekend to celebrate Christmas with Amanda and me. Check out a bit of my haul below. Until next time...

THE Top 10

I've been playing videogames on a consistent basis since 1986, when like 98 percent of the rest of American kids got a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas. For over 20 years, some of my greatest triumphs, disappointments and late night adventures (pretty sad, huh?) have occurred with a videogame controller in my hands.

Recently, Game Informer Magazine published their 200th issue, which chronicled their 200 top videogames of all time. Since my gaming 'career' has covered the history of modern gaming, I've decided to publish my personal top 10 of all time.

Criteria are as follows:

1. Amount of time spent playing the game

2. Games that revolutionzed gaming/a specific genre

3. Games that stand the test of time (Still Damned Fun)

One thing I struggled with in compiling this list was the 'sequel' factor. For example: Grand Theft Auto III is one of the most influential games ever made. However, it was a PS2 game that looks like crap on today's high definition displays. Grand Theft Auto IV, released last year for PS3 and XBOX 360 is gorgeous with improved controls, visuals, sound and gameplay over the venerable Grand Theft Auto III. Should GTA III be penalized because it was released nine years ago? For me, each game is ranked taking into consideration it's merits when it was released.




10. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves-Playstation 3



Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the most cinematic, visceral, well-acted, enthralling, exciting; well, you get the picture. Uncharted 2 was released in November 2009 as a PS3 exclusive to tremendous critical acclaim. This game nails the cinematic-feel unlike any franchise in gaming history. The progtagonist, Nathan Drake, is a cool, likeable guy you'd like to have a beer with and pick-up a chick or two. And he's damned funny. For every second of the games 12-hour main story you're on the edge of your seat, with twists and turns better than most Hollywood efforts. The voicecast nails the ensemble feel of a motion picture, and leaves everyone wanting Uncharted 3 to have come out yesterday. Toss in the best visuals in a game to date, along with a cinematic score and hilarious commercials, you've got THE reason to own a PS3.


9. Super Mario 64-Nintendo 64



Oh, good 'ole Nintendo. I still don't know if they've figured out how to launch a videogame console. When the long-delayed Nintendo 64 launched in 1996, the system launched with two, that's right, two titles. One of those was the neat but boring Pilotwings 64. The other title marked the much anticipated return of the most recognizable gaming mascot in the world, Mario. Thank God. Super Mario 64 revolutionized videogames as the first truly 3D platforming title to integrate a questing mechanic with the flavor of the beloved franchise in an exciting way. I played through the 40-hour main quest three times, and the final boss battle with Bowser remains one of the neatest moments in the history of videogames. Mario 64 made every other action/adventure/platforming game on the market today possible.


8. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic-XBOX, PC



I love Star Wars. It's one of the finest and most successful concepts ever imagined. But by God, George Lucas, what the hell? Jar Jar Binks single-handedly ruined the film franchise along with wooden dialogue and more plot holes than The Last Action Hero. KOTOR was a revival for RPGs, and it pulled Star Wars on television screens out of a steaming pile of Bantha poo doo.

Bioware created an immersive and expansive universe set thousands of years before the events of Star Wars (the good trilogy), and crafted an action-RPG experience that works still today (Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins). KOTOR gave the option of turning to the Dark Side, or walking the path of Yoda on the Light Side. And these decisions were truly difficult. Do I help the poor woman find the parts to fix her landspeeder, or do I cut her head off and steal her money? Tough call. There were two endings and a the greatest plot twist in the history of gaming. The Force is strong with KOTOR.


7. Halo: Combat Evolved-XBOX



When I picked-up my XBOX Launch Bundle at Kay Bee toys, I couldn't have been more disappointed. Afterall, XBOX exclusive Obi-Wan, a 3D action game set in the Star Wars prequel universe was delayed and the only three games that looked worth a damn were Dead or Alive 3, Oddworld and Halo. That morning before classes at Tomball College, I popped in Halo after a good review on IGN.com. Then I never looked back.

Bungie took Rare's Goldeneye formula and turned it up 1,000 degrees. A console split screen campaign? Networked multiplayer with up to 16 players? A cool sci-fi story with a hot digital escort? The rest is history. Halo's control scheme is mimicked by every shooting game that has been made since. Halo's multiplayer occupied hours upon hours of my life. We were all so obsessed with it that we all braved a Central Texas ice storm when the city was shut down to get a game together at my apartment. Halo is and will always be the standard for shooters, bottom line.

6. Super Mario Bros. 3-NES



When I saw the commericals for 'The Wizard' starring Fred Savage, I almost pooped in my Ninja Turtles Under Roos. In the commericial there was live footage of Super Mario Bros. 3. And what? What was that? Was Mario wearing a Raccoon Suit? Was Mario flying? Holy Crap Mario is flying!

That was my reaction. Super Mario Bros. 3 took platforming to new highs. Sure, there still wasn't a story, but there were mini-games like Memory and a fast-moving shape line-up thingy. With a variety of new suits and unique vertical level designs, Mario 3 is a classic that has legs even today. The Wii Virtual Console has sold over 1 million copies of Mario 3 alone. My wife and I still waste hours running through as both Mario and Luigi only to get owned in Level 5. Super Mario Bros. 3; still freaking awesome.

5. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion-XBOX 360, PS3, PC



Elder Scrolls IV was supposed to be one of the must have titles of the 20-odd-something games that hit with the launch of the XBOX 360. After it was delayed, we were all stuck with Perfect Dark Zero (ruined developer Rare forever), King Kong (crappy movie, crappier game) and Kameo (huh?). But after five months of additional development, Oblivion hit store shelves (prompting Dan Starr and I both to re-buy XBOX 360 consoles two months after selling them). It was well-worth the re-purchase. From the second I heard the silky stylings of Patrick Stewart, I knew we were in for a ride. I sunk over 140 hours into this game over two years of play time. Right now I could turn off the computer and fire-up the XBOX for another 20 hours. It's that good. Branching side-quests, a cool main quest and a sweet soundtrack (humming it right now, matter of fact) make this game stand out above the rest. My buddy Dan and I still relive our adventures in Tamriel through song and drink; hurry-up, Betheseda. Where in the hell is Elder Scrolls V?

4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time-Nintendo 64




When my mother allowed me to open Ocarina a month before Christmas, my friend (Zach Stinnett) and I played it for 8 consecutive hours. When all-time great developer Shigeru Miyamoto was allowed to expand into the third dimension, he re-invented the wheel. Hyrule burst to life in vivid color, with vast fields of classic monsters and beasts to the tune of past musical themes. A time-travel element accompanied by catchy tunes explored the grown-up themes of aging as Link glimpsed into the future to see his adult self. Winding quests, unique characters and the introduction of Link's horse, Epona, created a one-of-a-kind experience. Ocarina is a gaming masterpiece that still enjoys a fantastic shelf life today.

3. Grand Theft Auto: III-Playstation 2




Hard to believe it, but this game snuck-up on me. A week before its release I caught wind of it through a friend. Per his recommendation, I took advantage of Toys R Us' buy 2 get one free deal (a tradition to this day) by picking up NHL Hitz 2002, Batman: Vengeance and GTA III. What ensued was a twelve-hour play session and the missing of an important specch in Personal Communication. For the next two months, I lived GTA: III. I played it so much I dreamed about it every night. What GTA: III did was create a new genre of games, now called 'Sandbox' games. You were given a living, breathing world, complete with pedestrians, businessmen, housewives, hookers, skyscrapers, slums...you name it. You could go anywhere and do almost anything (except swim). Who didn't enjoy the services of a working woman, then shoot her in the face with a shotgun and get your money back? GTA's seedy underside, adult language and themes pushed the envelope and brought uptight soccer moms out of the woodwork to complain about something new. Every game since has borrowed from GTA in some form or fashion, and frankly the world is a better place for it.

2. Mike Tyson's Punchout-NES



Looking back on that Christmas season of 1986, I can't believe I still didn't get it. My Aunt Debbie gave me both Mike Tyson's Punchout and Bases Loaded for NES and I didn't even have an NES. And yet, I didn't get that I was getting an NES for Christmas. But when Santa did deliver on Christmas day, I dove right into the arcadey-goodness of Punchout. The creative character design and funny music quickly made it a fan favorite. Matter of fact, my Dad was the first 'kid' on the block to figure out Bald Bull's Bull Punch. Where the old man left off, I picked-up. A short while later I climed through Soda Popinksi, The Sandman and Super Macho Man to face Mike Tyson himself. At the age of five I defeated Mike Tyson over, and over and over. I love this game and it's catch soundtrack. Little Mac's pink jogging suit still rocks.

Someone hand me an NES paddle, and I'll enter 007-373-5963 at the title screen and lay a fat (probably TKO) knockdown on Iron Mike. It's my best drunken party feat.


1. Metal Gear: Solid-Playstation (PSX)



It was 1998. Solid Snake emerged from the frigid waters outside of Shadow Moses and overheard Liquid Snake as he ascended up a freight elevator into the Shadow Moses complex. I was given control of Snake. Two patrolmen walked about the exterior and I held my breath before moving Snake toward a corner. My buddy Martin and I began to talk as I crept closer to my prey. Then it hit me; we were whispering to each other. Our voices couldn't disturb the, uh....TV.

For the first time in my gaming life I had become so immersed in the suspense of a game's atmosphere. The cinematic cutscenes and voice acting (though cheesy, admittedly) made games like Uncharted possible. The unforgettable cast of villains and cool quirks (what's on your memory card) were icing on the cake. Plus when you died, Richard Cren...I mean, Col. Campbell yelled, "Snake? SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!"

In all honesty, the Metal Gear saga has struck a primordial chord that remains with me today. Last year when Solid Snake's story in the saga wrapped, I cried (yes, actual tears) as this ficticious hero made his way to his demise. That's the true measure of a game. What makes you feel the hero's pain, the hero's quest? Metal Gear: Solid: The greatest game of all time.

'Hey, It's Tiger..."

Whew, what a weekend.

Friday featured snow and me working until 9 p.m., which was absolutely terrible. Then Saturday I ran in and out of the mall and everywhere else. My wife and I did do a lot of our baby registering, which was not near as terrible as registering for our wedding.

To this day my wife and I still can't talk about the wedding without shuddering with a sickening feeling. It consumed everything, and transformed us all into surly jackasses hellbent on the search for misery. Those who I've let read pieces of, "The Plunge" either revel or quiver upon hearing what I went through. This past week I got to sit down a few evenings and work through some of the early chapters I hadn't visited in awhile. I'm pretty optimistic about getting through it in short order. After this week, work will slow down significantly and I'll get home earlier instead of at 7:45 p.m. Then it's a pot of coffee and a pocket full of dreams.

So, I've finally caved and created both Facebook and Twitter accounts. The iPhone just makes it too easy, and I decided I'd swallow my antisocial ways and self-promote some. If you haven't already, please look me up at:

www.twitter.com/tomcathey2

There's a link to my Facebook on the right side of the blog.

Most of my friends know that I'm a huge Tiger Woods fan, and I've been getting a lot of questions pertaining to Tiger's 'dalliances' and whether or not it affects my 'fan ship.' Well let me know say that no, it does not. I'm able to separate the preparation, skill and determination that he puts in to be the best in the world at what he does. I'm not so certain I'd work so hard as a uber-millionaire, but Tiger busts his tail (nice pun) to stay at the top of his game. Let me say though, that I emphatically disapprove of his infidelity. I'd never want my son to know that I was a cheater, and I'd never want the guilt. I know I'd never get over it. That said; c'mon Tiger. Voicemails? Steamy Text Messages? Illicit photos? NOT KEEPING A SEPARATE CELL PHONE? Dude, you're worth like, what, a billion dollars? Have one of your cronies, or Scott Van Pelt run out to Cricket and buy you a pay-as-you-go job for $39.95 per month. And please, if you're gonna cheat, go out in a blaze of glory. Don't put half of your financial worth on the table for a tribal-art-tattooed-tramp that looks like she walked out of 'Mel's Timeout Sports Bar' in Lindale, Texas.

Until Next Time...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Up until my 82nd minute of this morning's commute, I was feeling pretty damned good about myself.


So here we are, Thanksgiving is gone and already we're knee deep in the Christmas shopping season. Our Christmas trees are up, and we've already begun shopping for our family. I know if I have to make one more trip to the mall on a Saturday I'm going to have to choke someone. People come out of the woodwork at Christmas, man. Have you seen the classic, "Rudolph" claymation bit? Remember the Isle of the Misfit Toys? Well, that's the human equivalent of what crawls out of the woodwork during shopping season. It can get pretty scary.

December has roared in with a bang. It's pouring outside and about 42 degrees. I mean it's nasty. The dog won't even venture out to take a crap that's how bad it is. Now there's talk of snow on Friday. I've got to admit that I get a little giddy when I hear about snow, considering that I've seen it maybe 10 days of my entire adult life. Pathetic, I know.

I've been toying around with the idea of posting pics on the blog and using this venue as more of a facebook/myspace for myself until I get my books rolling. The new iPhone makes it possible for me to do a lot more with this sort of stuff.

The books are still coming along, albeit it really slowly. God willing there won't be any more rewrites.

Until next time...

Hangin' Tough...

Who really cares about the public option?

It's Monday night, but it feels more like a Thursday. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is going to be my last day of the work week. I've taken a precious day of vacation on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, to make our next baby appointment and drive to my parents' place in Tyler. It's going to be a big family Thanksgiving, which is just fine by me because I'd rather not do any work for the event.

I've been fighting off a mean sinus infection, and I'm on a course of antibiotics that will hopefully knock it out. I'm also back at the gym this week. I'd allowed myself some time off to heal-up and rest. I know these three days I'll spend in the gym are for naught with the glut of calories coming, but it'll be psychologically beneficial if nothing else.

We've been stocking up on Christmas gear this year, as it's going to be our first at home. I've got to tell you, I've get a lot of respect for my mother's massive Christmas paraphernalia collection. Sure it might consume every square inch of closet space, and sure my Dad complains about it every year as he's lugging boxes around; but it'll take us years to acquire that much crap.

So personally, I'm still tired (seems I've been writing that a lot). For two weeks my bed time has resembled that of a 70-year-old. By 9 p.m. I'm beat and nursing my wounds in the bed and dreading the 5 a.m. alarm clock. This Monday I feel rested, perhaps a positive effect of the antibiotics running their course. So, with me getting home at 7:30 p.m. and going to bed at 9 p.m., the books haven't been at the forefront. I've really wanted to go back to my novel, but have been fighting off the urge. The bachelor book needs to be put in the ground. At its core, it needs to be gutted. There are moments of really crisp, really vibrant and clever writing that is exciting. But just as often there's just boredom. For example, a story I tell in the book about going to register for gifts. There're some funny parts about all of the stupid stuff that people register for and don't use. Then I counter with a boring few paragraphs of step-by-step minutia. Right after that is a funny bit about Bed, Bath & Beyond and how stupid married men dress. Then it's more minutia. So all of the minutia needs to be taken out, but I just don't have the patience (or time) at this point.

But I know what needs to be done, and we'll have to see when I get to do it. I always preached about working on stuff at least thirty minutes a day, but now I just don't have it. And with Luke on the way, it's going to be even tougher to find the time.

That said, there's a pretty neat little writing possibility coming up that could be a huge foot in the door. It's a long shot (like making it to the NFL long shot), but it's a chance nonetheless. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Be safe.

Until next time...

Damn it Feels good to be a Gangster...

To this day I cannot read the phrase, "PC Load Letter" without laughing my ass off...



So, it's Monday night late, and all is quiet in the Cathey household. Our little dog, Simon, is sleeping close to me on the floor of our living room while the washing machine hums quietly in the darkness. It's a normal night, a typical night; laced with the tinge of hours long sacrificed at the feet of weekly paycheck.

My mind is quiet at the moment, but at the same time a storm is brewing within. A strange formation of concentrated thought and unchained freedom combined into one coherent stream of conscious. Whoa. That was deep. I better dial it down a bit...

Monday night means another night of NFL football and WWE wrestling in the books, along with the first day of a horrific work week pasted into the sticker book of the Book of Life. The sun's time is growing shorter in the sky each day, and causing me to forget what the hour is constantly.

Okay, okay; now I'm back. I don't know what got into me. I think I was trying some experimental writing that didn't turn out exactly as I had planned. Or then again, maybe it did. Who knows?

I checked my watch today and realized that it was November 9th, 2009. It was nearly one year ago that I pulled up the corporate email on cell phone while at my in-law's lake house in Coldspring to learn that the bank that I'd work for had closed. Needless to say it was quite a shock, and a jarring beginning to a marriage only one month in. I settled into an interesting state that saw me shrivel into a dark room and consume 10 hours of XBOX per day. I played Fallout 3 until my fingers fell off. Everyday after Amanda left for work I'd march upstairs and play until she made it home at 6 p.m. I was completely lost and nearly hopeless. For four years I'd built a career in an industry destroyed by the federal government (thanks Obama, you total douche.) Suddenly I found myself without direction.

Then I got the idea to write a novel, and in a few short few months I finished an original fiction tale. I couldn't have been more proud. Of course now I think the story sucks and needs 100 hours more work before it gets consideration to submit to publishers. But nevertheless, I wrote a novel in less than two months; that's got to count for something.

So tonight I sat down and resumed my final edit of 'The Plunge.' The story is good so far, but we'll see how it holds-up. This rewrite has got to be it. If I don't think it's worth making, then I'll release it on a blog somewhere. I've already got a sweet back story cooked-up to launch the franchise.

In a nutshell, the Cathey familly is still working toward the birth of Luke. I feel him kick his mother everynight, and it's quite a cool feeling. The books are coming along now, and I'm re-energized to get them finished. Remember; there's"

"Never a day without a line."

Until next time...

No; I am your father!

Time flies when you don't have any...









So apologies for the lack of posting action. It's been pretty busy around these parts, which you know; that's pretty much how life goes. The last few weeks have had their share of ups and downs, with most of the downs being work-related. Actually, all of the downs in my life are work related. On one hand that totally blows, but on the other I guess that means that my life is pretty good save for the office.



The big news around these parts is of course the expecting of mine and Amanda's first child. This past Tuesday we had our first ultrasound in two months, and it was the most exciting thus far as we'd more than likely be able to determine the gender.

The unscientific, gut-feel consensus was that we were going to have a girl. I didn't really have a feel. I guess you could say that I wanted a boy, but didn't lean too far to either side as long as the child comes out firmly in the 'healthy' column.

Well, the verdict is in. And....IT'S A BOY! Luke Isaac Cathey is extremely healthy and according to our doctor extremely large. At this point he's in the 90th percentile for size, and grades out at over 20 weeks even though he's a few days shy. Large babies run in the family. I was 9 lbs. 11 oz., our nephew was over 10 lbs. as was Amanda's brother. Hell, my sister was 9 lbs. 2 oz.! Needless to say, Luke is on track to be quite the large kid. Poor, poor Amanda and her tiny little self. It looks like it's going to be a rough ride for her.

In other news...

The books. Ah yes, those wonderfully frustrating books. Well, they've been pretty much untouched for the last week. To be honest I just don't really have the energy to sacrifice the sleep recently. I think if I ever got the time to just sit down and work uninterrupted I'd get through the thing in a weekend or two. But as life is presently constructed, I just don't see that happening any time soon. I'm trying to make it more friendly because apparently (according to Amanda) I was pretty harsh in the last rewrite. I think I'm still looking for an identity to the story. Hopefully it will come out this time around. I'm sorry to keep disappointing on this thing. The emails I got after the last go round expressing disappointment at the delay made me feel good and bad at the same time. One day it'll be done...one day.

It's 9:20 p.m., but I think I'm going to call it a day. It's always best to get that one good night's worth of sleep before a Monday. Monday's always blow.

Until next time...

So Seriously, WTF?

Ray Park is just as cool now as he was 10 years ago when I met him in Austin...

Production Delays Suck...

Damn. I was this close, too...

I spent all of last week meditating on my query letter. It's daunting, you know, trying to condense two years of my work into a one-page sales pitch. I kicked the idea around all week, putting it together in my head. When I finally sat down to write it this past weekend the words did not come easily. But I did make progress. I found it funny that I could write 90,000 page books, but a measily 400 words was like authoring the US Constitution. Just when I started to feel okay about my query progress, my wife emerged from her months-long editing slumber to inform me that, "The new draft is just way too harsh."

"What?!" I thought. What did she mean, "harsh"? I mean, sure, I bash women and weddings and everything having to do with tying the knot, but that's not harsh. After pondering her comments, though, I began to ask myself who my audience was.

During, "The Plunge," often times the audience was myself. After pasting a love-themed heart stamp on the two-hundreth engagement party invitation, I'd just about had it. That moment made me angry and I wrote about it. But what my wife said I lost during the multiple rewrites was the light-heartedness that tied the whole thing together. Instead it was replaced by a hard-edged cynicism. Most times cynicism doesn't sell.

So what does that mean? Well, it means that I'm going to rewrite, "The Plunge," one more time. No really, this time I really mean it. This whole rewrite thing is really a bummer because I want to start on my novel. The novel is where I want to be mentally right now.

Looks like I'm about to fall asleep so I'm going to get started on another rewrite.

Until next time...

It is finished...

By Job, I've done it! I've actually done it! Six or seven rewrites, two years and lots and lots of coffee; it's done. The final-by-God-finished version of 'The Plunge' is finished. I don't know if there's anything else I can do to it to make it any better. From what I've gathered, that's when you're supposed to submit it to an agent for help. It's grammatically correct, and it transitions and flows just like any narrative should. The question remains; who the hell wants to read it?

Well, that's the real trick. I don't know who would want to read this book. I'm assuming that my friends would want to check it out, as would most of my family. But who else? The book is an insight into my head and thought processes while transitioning from a bachelor into a married man. Of course it's slathered with my cynicism and commentary on American culture, which adds a bit of comedy (or irritation, depending on your gender). I don't know, I guess I just think the idea has got some legs. I mean come on, we have an entire channel dedicated to weddings (WE). And have there ever been any books written from a guy's point of view?

So this week will be 'query letter' week. A query letter is a pretty big deal, as it's basically your personal ad saying 'please market/buy my book.' Even though the letter itself is going to be one page, I'm going to write and rewrite it a few times to make sure that's it's right. Then I'll start working my way down my list of agents. There are hundreds. Surely someone will take a chance on it.

Two weeks from now I'll begin rewriting my novel. I think it may be in line for a massive rewrite. I've got a decent story arc in mind, but the first book might be too plodding to snag the audience. I'll make-up my mind over the next two months.

Personally, my wife and I spent the weekend in San Antonio. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed getting the hell of Houston for a bit. Houston can suck the life out of you sometimes. The commuting and all that; it blows, hard. We've already been married a year, and we'll have a baby on the ground by the end of March. That's when the REAL plunge begins!

Not much on the horizon for me this weekend outside of my nephew's birthday party on Saturday. Other than that, the Cathey's will be chilling at the house and putting the finishing touches on decor before we start on the nursery in January.

Until next time...

Nobody Likes You When You're.....28

It's the eve of my 28th birthday and honestly, I don't feel any different that I did 10 years ago.

It's been awhile, I know. I think I tried to post something on Wednesday of last week, but I fell asleep at the keyboard, a line of the letter 'j' the only work that I got through. My head was cocked against back of the couch in our sun room (now with furniture!), and my head hurt the entire next day from the enormous crick. That was the only earnest stab I took at writing on the blog. But here I am on October 3rd, watching college football. Amanda's sleeping on the couch next to me. Her tummy's getting pretty paunchy. If I didn't know any better I'd think she had a beer drinking habit.

This past week Amanda bought me an Iphone, which has been near the top of my 'wantlist' for months now. With my work schedule, I'm not able to keep up with my personal affairs. So when I finally do get home from work at 7:30 p.m., I have to spend an hour catching up on email and current events. Now I'll be able to communicate with everyone in a more timely fashion. I'm even kicking around the idea of creating a Facebook.com page. I always knew I'd put one up when the books were finished. If I can ever force myself to sit down and do it, I'll put myself out there. I've got to be honest, though, there're more than a few people that I don't want to be in contact with.

I'm still on a Beatles kick. Their stuff is just so damned good and influential. I'm looking to expand my musical interests a little bit. I'll start playing around a little more on Itunes to see if I can't pick anything out. Movie wise, I picked-up the new Wolverine film and I'm still working through season 2 of Dexter while keeping up with the new season of The Office.

So, back to my birthday. Tomorrow my in-laws are coming by to drop off a few things. I have to get a haircut, get the grocery shopping done and get back before kickoff of Week 4 of the NFL. I can't wait. Amanda's in a pick-em league (where she picks winners of games each week) and she's in second place. Both of my fantasy teams are in contention, and the Texans should right the ship this weekend. Plus it's going to rain. Rain makes me feel justified in my laziness.

My friend Martin and I caught the Blink-182 concert last week at the Woodlands Pavilion. For some reason, there are a lot of high school kids into Blink. I just don't get it. They were last truly relevant in 2002, and their 2003 album didn't do much commercially. So where's this cult Blink love coming from? If anyone knows, drop me a line at tomcathey2@gmail.com The concert was pretty damned fun, though. It was nice to spend some time with Martin, too.

So, an update on writing...

Well, it's going. I still try to write everyday, but I don't get very far. I fall asleep too easily. I do my best writing first thing in the morning after a few cups of coffee. But if I'm in the right mood, I can do good stuff with a shot of caffeine. But now I'm still on editing 'The Plunge." I'm nearly two-thirds finished with the final (and I really mean it this time) draft. I read a few paragraphs to my parents today (in town for a birthday lunch), and they thought it was hilarious. Amanda and I were talking today about just how bad planning that damned wedding sucked. And everything was a ball of contention. The good thing is, though, it makes for really interesting reading. So, I'm a little up on my writing right now. The book just feels good. I'll be sending out query letters pretty soon. I think I'll be ready by the end of November. There's a chance that if I meet that goal (I know, I said I wouldn't set goals), I can get my novel done by 2010. Then I'll start on my all-of-the-sudden project.

This coming Sunday Amanda and I are heading to San Antonio to celebrate our first anniversary. It's going to be so nice to get away. I can't believe I've already been married a year. Time flies...

Until next time...

Big Week

Greetings, True Believers!

I'm back with another delay and unanticipated blog concerning the life and times of one Tom Cathey. As I'm writing this, my wife and I are getting ready to watch the first hour of the Texas vs. Texas Tech game. We love football season here in the Cathey household. Then at 8:00 p.m. we'll begin watching the undercard to the huge Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Juan Manual Marquez bout on PPV. Amanda's a big Mayweather fan, and it's expected the be a hell of a bout. I don't care either way, as long it's fun to watch. So I've got Amanda into boxing, football and professional wrestling. I'm still working on Star Wars figures, but something tells me that's not going to stick. I'll keep trying, though.

Last week I was mired in a work training at hotel near the airport. It was relatively informative, but more importantly it was good that i didn't have to drive the full 45 miles to work this past week. It was tiring, though. Maybe it was because I was out of my routine. I managed to pick-up the recently released X-MEN ORIGINS film featuring Wolverine on my haul of media. I've also been on a big Beatles kick. Has anyone ever heard of these, Beatles? They made some pretty good music. Who'd have thought?

So, I got to write some this past week, but not as much as I'd have liked. If I could just manage to take a few more hours this week I'd get through a rewrite. But I will say that I began work on my third novel this week. Not too many details, but I'd been piecing it together for so long (5 years) that I'd put something down on notebook paper. It'll take at least through 2010 to finish (it's kind of epic), but I like the idea. "The Plunge" is what I'm currently on. My editor (wife) has fallen behind on editing, so I've pushed ahead. Speaking of my wife, she's getting really, really pregnant. Nausea is getting better, and we'll be finding out the sex of our baby at the end of the month.

So coming-up this week I have the Blink 182 concert on Thursday night, which I will be attending with my buddy Martin. On Saturday the 26th we're getting some furniture for our gameroom. Well, that's just about it. Getting ready for fight time!

Best to Ita....

I'll be back, soon! Best wishes to you and yours and good hunting!

Until next time...

Less than 24 Hours Away

We've been waiting all year and it's finally upon us. The kickoff to the 2009 NFL Season is here! Tomorrow night is just the appetizer, a Thursday night game (that I won't get to see until the second half because of work), but it's still football nonetheless. This Sunday my pregnant wife and I will pig out on tons of fast food, all while watching 12 hours of pro football. We can't wait.

As for Amanda, well, she's sick. She's sick a lot. Part of the problem is that she can't vomit, which blows when you're in the midst of any sort of baby sickness. But she's hanging in there. Hopefully at the end of the month we'll be able to determine the sick. Either way we have names picked-out, and in March we'll have the newest addition to the Cathey family.

Work has occupied a substantive amount of my time recently, which is frustrating, especially when you're putting in 11 hours per day. But I still write all of the time. Last night after getting home at 8:30 p.m. I fell asleep at the computer on the bedroom floor. I'd at least made it to page 50. But at least this is the LAST rewrite on 'Plunge.' We're getting close. And I'm done setting goals with rewrites. It's just pointless. This past weekend (at my parents) I planned on writing most of the time. What happened? I slept my ass off, that's what I did. And I think I deserved it. During the week I get on average 5.5 hours a night between writing, occasional gaming and waking-up to work out. There was a part of me awhile back that just wanted to work. I'd get home after a long work day and write. I'd fall asleep somewhere uncomfortable then get up and do it again. It's taxing. Now I'm taking a little more 'brainless' time. That 'brainless' time is consumed by movies, television and sometimes videogames. I'll go crazy if I don't take it.

Jesus...another vampire commercial. I'm so f'ing tired of vampires...


Until next time...

No One's Going to Do it For You; You've got to go for it and Take It...

It's Sunday Morning, and I'm feeling just fine despite the lack of sleep. Finally a quasi-cold front blew through, which makes it a hell of a lot more pleasant outside. It's a sleepy day here in the Cathey household. The freshly-shorn Simon (our dog), is laying beside my pregnant wife on the couch as she watches a random reality TV show and works on a Sudoku puzzle. I'm situated at the kitchen table with the remains of monthly bill statements and a bottle of 'Smart Water'.

We have our second appointment at the baby doctor this week. Amanda's tummy is getting pretty large. The fact that I'm going to be a father hasn't quite set-in. We do, however, have names for both sexes picked-out. There's nothing like the feeling of hearing the heartbeat of your baby. It's one of the few moments that I've ever really felt alive.

Last week was a good if not typical week aside for a small vehicular hiccup. I was really productive last week in regards to writing. Every night I worked for hours, and I'm two-thirds through with the second re-write of my novel. My wife is working through my final version of 'The Plunge,' basically to make sure there's nothing written that she doesn't know about. After all, it's a 313 page bashing of weddings, women and everything concerning tying the knot. She's really nauseated, so it's difficult for her to focus for two long on reading (oddly enough, Sudoku isn't an issue). Therefore, her progress has been delayed. She is through 50 pages, however, so I can take what she's gone through and re-write it for the final time. I've researched what agents are looking for, and unfortunately not many are looking for first-time fiction. Now, young adult literature is en vogue, which is good. But my plan has always been to get 'The Plunge' published and then use that as a segway to move into my novels. Humorous non-fiction is in high demand at the moment, so the sooner I can 'The Plunge' out the door, the better.

I'm ready for the rejection that comes with looking for an agent. I believe in my abilities and talents as a writer, but like anyone I have my doubts. Randomly I'll pick up one of my manuscripts and open it to just begin reading. More than often than not I like what I'm reading, but there are times when I'll get to something that just doesn't sound right. That's when I get depressed or upset. That's when I have to reassure myself and not get down on my writing, because I've read other people's stuff. Mine isn't that far off.

Aside from writing, Amanda and me have been knee-deep in football this year. Yesterday while I was out, she watched 10 hours of pre-season football and kept tabs on fantasy football possibilities. In a few short weeks we'll continue our annual tradition (it's only a year old, but we aren't stopping) of watching 12 hours of Sunday football and pigging out on fast food of our choice. It's our favorite time of year, especially when it gets cold out. This coming Saturday kicks off the college football season! We're heading to Tyler to see my parents for the weekend, and I'm looking forward to getting away. There are days when I absolutely hate Houston and it's commuter lifestyle. Getting some fresh air will do me good.

I suppose that's all. I'm more determined than ever to get these books out the door and start on my next project(s).

And where in the hell is our hurricane, El Nino?

Until next time...

Do you have time?

It's 11 p.m. on a Thursday night. My wife is in bed, and I am awake, sitting and the computer and wondering what to do. It was one of those days at work again; the days the just keep going with incessant interruption and general ignorance. Surely my time is better than that. Then again, maybe it's not.

My quandary arises from the never ending and nagging feeling that I should always be writing. I mean, should I be writing? Everyone always asks me, "Wow, how is that easy for you?" I don't really know. I started writing creative short stories (for fun, mind you) when I was in second grade. I think the first one I ever wrote was about a softball game played between a team led by Santa (from the claymation series of 'cartoons', no less) and a team led by the Grinch (yeah, the one that stole Christmas). Yes, that story is lame. But it illuminates the intrinsic desire to want to create.

For years I suppressed that desire beneath a shroud of alcohol and videogames before it made an unexpected appearance again in 2007. Now it almost consumes me. So should I write? Yes, yes I should. Should I re-write? Ughhh....that's not a process that's high on my wishlist right now. Re-writing is laborious, tedious and yet necessary all at the same time. On a night like this one, wehre I'm sitting at the computer at 11 p.m., and I'm debating on where a word goes within a line of dialogue, it's tedium. That's where I am right now. If you were to give me a pen and some paper, I could sit down and give you a story that's well-written and aesthetically appealing. You give me a manuscript, that I wrote, and ask me to pick it apart for continuity and grammar? You might as well jam a pencil through my temple.

So that's where I'll leave it. No, I won't be writing tonight. Instead I'll kill my mind with useless drivel.

Until next time....

My Wife=Pregnant

Yes, yes it's true. Actually, now that every one of you that reads this blog already knows that Amanda's pregnant it's not a surprise. It is, however, tremendously exciting. No, we weren't trying, but we weren't preventing, either. Amanda is nine weeks in and starting to develop a little bit of a baby bump. Cravings have started (DONUTS at 6 a.m. this morning), but we've yet to have our first irrational outbreak of emotional hogwash. Our due date is March 24th, and we'll go back it September to have another ultrasound done. The first week in August we heard the Baby's heartbeat. It was quite emotional. So it's actually happening; I'm going to be a father. Any guesses as to the baby's name? We're selling the rights, matter of fact.

It's 7:30 p.m. and my mind is already starting to think about work. It's like when I was in school and at the same time before the week of classes started I'd switch to school mode. Except this sucks even more. As we speak I'm suppressing the urge to continue thinking about work. Oh, a freecreditreport.com commercial.....okay I'm back. Work is out of the equation for a minute.

Yesterday was my fantasy football draft. I think I did well, and if things break right I have a chance to win it for the second time. yesterday also provided an opportunity for me to catch-up with my high school friends. We're all pretty much the same, except fatter and balder. It was a lot of fun.

Now that the fantasy football draft is gone and Madden 10 is out (which I've played for all of an hour), I'm eyeing the next piece of excitement on the horizon. This week it's a Saturday Night Boxing event on HBO. I know, not much, right?

The books are, well, they're coming along. My wife has yet to begin reading through my final rewrite of the 'The Plunge.' If she doesn't watch it, I'm going to submit it without her editorial eye. I'm ready to put that thing in the ground. I've been working on it for nearly two years, and every time I see it I want to throw up. It's gone through six rewrites, and I'm going to rewrite it again before I submit it to agents. (Mind you, I'm re-reading and re-writing 324 double-spaced, 12 font pages) Then when (if) it gets picked up by a publisher, I'll have to rewrite it six more times. So, my thoughts on 'The Plunge' for this week are that it's love/hate. There are parts of it that still make me laugh. Then there are others that are just plain tedious. Problem is that I don't know how to fix it. In the hands of a professional I'm hoping to find what I'm missing. There's a lot to work with there, though. The feedback from those who've read parts has been overwhelmingly positive, so the support is pushing me on.

And as stated in the last post, my novel is undergoing its third rewrite. I'd put it down for four months, and now that I've jumped back into it, I'm liking it more and more. I'm through about this go, and part of me is afraid that the writing is too simplistic. And by simplistic I mean not overly descriptive to the point of nausea. My wife, who began editing it, hated the writing because it was 'too wordy.' My friend, Dan, who began an edit really like the writing. So who to write to? Well, always write to your audience. My audience is the teenage bracket. That's simplistic. So, I've removed some of the description and made it a little easier on the eyes. I don't want to expose too much of the plot, but just remember that it's about zombies...and it's an awesome story arc!

By the way, we could get our tropical storm next week!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/204112.shtml?5-daynl?large#contents

Also, on the media horizon for me:

http://www.batmanarkhamasylum.com/start

Until next time...

Can You Feel This?

It only comes once per year, and no, I'm not talking about Christmas. I'm talking about the annual release of Madden NFL Football on your favorite videogame system. It's not the greatest football videogame franchise of all-time (reserved for 2K Sports' efforts), but it's all we get. As I sit here now, I'm watching the 4th quarter of a preseason NFL game. Yeah, that's right, the preseason. Who cares about preseason? I guess I do. So, Madden is releasing this coming Friday, and this years NCL fantasy football draft with my friends is this coming Saturday. So it's a pretty good weak, yet again. Two in a row!

Last night was Green Day. My goodness did they rock! They're such a phenomenal band, and the front man, Billie Joe Armstrong, kept the crowd engaged for the two-hour set. It'd been five years since I'd last seen them, and they might be even better than I remember. The stage and set was amazing, as was the music. So, next on the concert agenda will be Blink 182, Fallout Boy and the All-American Rejects in September.

I stopped by the book section this morning just to see what's selling. And do you know what's selling? Yep, you guessed it: Freaking Vampires! I might work a vampire into 'The Plunge' as an additional angle. I'm not saying that I need it, just saying that it might help.

So, I'm done with my most recent rewrite of 'The Plunge.' This week I'll be getting the newest version of the manuscript bound for my wife's perusal, and after she finishes I'll run through it one more time. This past weekend I identified five agents that would be ideal to represent 'The Plunge.' As I finish-up, I'll begin to write query letters and hopefully something will stick. The other day I was telling someone that they were just like messages in bottles. Maybe someone will ready them, maybe they won't. Nevertheless, I'll be trying.

My next writing project will be the rewrite of the novel I wrote over the holidays, 'Waterglade.' Anyone remember, 'Waterglade'? It's a neat little story that's got some legs and room for plenty of sequels. More details on 'Waterglade' as I'm working through it.

Until next time...

A Totally Sweet Week!

I'm sure you all have noticed the new layout, which isn't anything special, but at least it's change. In case it wasn't obvious, this week is the Green Day concert at the Toyota Center on August 8th! It'll be the first concert I've attended in quite awhile, and I'll be going with my friends Martin and Bobby (and our ladies, of course). I've seen Green Day once before, and I remember them putting on one hell of a show. It should be a blast.

Not only is Green Day this Saturday, but Sunday (right now as a matter of fact) through Saturday is Shark Week on Discovery. I've been watching Shark Week since I was a kid, and I still can't get enough of it. Programming tonight has been pretty good. I can't wait to see what's in store for the rest of the week.

Great progress has been made on my rewrite of 'The Plunge'. I'm likely only 50 or so pages away from being done. My goal is to have it finished by weekend, which would allow me to have it printed and bound for my wife to read through. Then it's back to me and off to publishers. By the end of the month I'll start sending letters out to prospective agents. We're getting pretty close now, and it's exciting. to get started on all of the possibility.

Look for a pretty big announcement soon on the Tom Cathey 2 blog. I'll likely be back with a mid-week update. I apologize for the short entry, but it's back to Shark Week!

Until next time...

As Promised

Hey Gang!

I know I've been teasing another sliver of the, "The Plunge" for awhile now, but haven't gotten around to doing it. This morning as I've been editing before the standard 6-hour weekend trip to buy things for our house, I thought I'd follow through. So without further adieu, please enjoy a small piece of two-years of hard work.

American Engagements

There hasn’t been a bigger scam perpetrated on modern society than the prevailing thought that engagement rings are a time-honored tradition, and that all men MUST buy their woman a diamond that stretches the boundary of reason and reality. Blame really belongs to every person who has raised their little girl to be a princess that would one day be carried off on a white stallion by an Armani-clad, Mercedez prince. Combine that with ‘gotta have it society,’ and you’ve got a woman expecting a diamond engagement ring that costs months of salary.
Every man who has to save every scrap of pocket change for months to buy his bride-to-be something that meets her approval can thank De Beers and their masterful job of duping the civilized world into obligatory engagement ring purchases. In the late 1910s, diamond sales were down thanks to the discovery of African mines that caused diamond prices to freefall. De Beers created a marketing campaign, and the now vomit-inducing slogan, “A Diamond is Forever,” and changed engagements into materialistic, cookie cutter occasions no longer reserved for the exclusively wealthy. Every holiday season our senses are bombarded with jewelry advertising, creating the formulaic equation that love equals gold and jewels.
“If you love her, you’ll buy her diamonds,” suggest commercials and magazine ads.
Marketing wizards at DeBeers enlisted movie stars as spokespeople who brandished diamond rings, and when coupled with that catchy slogan, men were bamboozled into buying diamonds for women for all sorts of occasions. Men all got hit in the wallets, because mass media and social pressure told their women that their man wasn’t a real man unless he bought big, nice diamonds. So much for being there through thick and thin, providing a shoulder to cry on and be a shelter from the storm; because if you really loved her you’d go into mountainous debt to buy her a diamond ring. And if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, is that conventional wisdom says love doesn’t mean anything without the bling.
Women get ridiculous rings and men get a pat on the back or the envy of other women who want their men to buy them similar or better jewelry than their friend has. And if you’re a dude that gets outdone by a friend on a diamond, then I feel sorry for you. You’re perpetually behind the 8-ball, because ‘his was bigger.’ As if we didn’t have to live THAT one down often enough.
The whole process just sucks, and I mean sucks. So let me get this straight, I’m a good guy because I bought out a huge diamond ring, which required me to sell a kidney and half of my liver for the down payment? Really? Perhaps it would be easier for me to swallow if women received engagement rings and men in return got engagement big-screen televisions, or engagement beer mini-refrigerators. Then we’re talking about a win-win for everyone, with equality to be had for all! Well, as long as women have to blow two months’ salary, too. Otherwise it wouldn’t be equal, right?

Amazing Happens

Sometimes life throws you small snippets of what's possible. And it's when you don't expect it, too. After week upon week of crap, there are rays of sunshine that peak through the clouds.

Tom Watson, a 59-year-old golfer, almost did the unthinkable. He almost won the British Open. Age is just a number, and it's never too late. It's never, never too late. Of course he fell short in playoff holes, perhaps a victim of old age and tired legs. He'd won the tournament before, but that was twenty years before. It was almost a miracle. It was a ray of sunshine, at least for me.

This weekend my wife and I went to see the Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Though it was short, it was truly amazing. The long, tenuous work on a megalomaniac's desire to live forever uncovered for a world to see. I don't recommend you pay full-price, though. It was really that short.

Last week was really, really long, and I don't feel like I got to rest-up for the week to come. Thank God for caffeine and its mystical charm of raised blood pressure and alertness.

So get this, I've started on the third rewrite of 'The Plunge', and I got through 40 pages today and didn't focus on it too much. That's really good news, because I think I'm going to be done with it fairly quickly. From there it goes to edit, then back to me for the final revision. We are really, really close to having a finished product. God only knows if it'll ever get published. That's my dream, though. And if not, I have a certain zombie novel and two other ideas I'm pretty high on!

This Tuesday marks the release of "The Watchmen" and "Coraline" on Blu-Ray. I'll be picking both up to watch this coming weekend. This Friday my wife and I are going to see "The Phantom of the Opera." I've never seen any iteration of the show, so I'm looking forward to it. Oh, and I bought a Michael Jackson CD. Please make fun of me. I deserve it, especially after my last blog entry.

You know what we need? A hurricane!

I'm not talking about Hurricane Ike-level destruction, more of a really strong tropical storm and maybe, just maybe a category one hurricane. Why you ask? Well, when there's a storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, the city of Houston shuts down for a few days. Plus it's straight drought-land around here. If we could get three days of no work and ten inches of rain, it'd be dreamy. I think we all can agree that work sucks. It sucks hard. A paid, rain-drenched vacation is better than no vacation at all.

I'm approximately 20 minutes away from watching the premiere of the new season of HBO's 'Entourage.' I remember in 2004 when my buddy and I got hooked on the series. It came on after Ali G. (Borat and Bruno) I became enamored with the show, and a daydreamed about living the sort of high-flying Hollywood lifestyle that a movie star and his posse lives. The closest I got was owning a Corvette that I couldn't afford. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to the new season, which begins in just a few minutes!

Today I couldn't help but become ensnared by one of the dozens of Michael Jackson specials that have riddled the television landscape for the past week. You know, I actually sat down and thought about the King of Pop and his legacy on our culture. Beyond the shadow of the doubt, he's one of the greatest performers of all time. His musical trail leaves a path of genius, but let's not get crazy. His death is not the low point of anyone's existence. Let's keep it in perspective. It's sad he's gone, but he's been irrelevant in America for a decade unless he's on CNN for a molestation trial. Rest in Peace, Michael. Now let's move on.

In my race to finish writing books and attempts keep up with my seemingly endless string of hobbies, it's come to my attention that I don't sleep anymore. On a good night, I get six hours. On a typical night, I get five or less. After dozing off at the keyboard at work and finally getting physically ill, I've decided to go to bed in a timely fashion, eat well and get back to a regular exercise routine. By doing these things I hope to be ultimately more productive. I'm bringing the old me back. Except that, you know, I'm not giving up beer. No way, not ever.

And there's good news. The second rewrite of 'The Plunge' is now complete! Tomorrow begins work on my third rewrite before I turn it over to my editor and complete the final draft. So, I'm shooting for a September completion date to have the final copy. Then it's on to 'Waterglade.' Speaking of my zombie-thriller, I read over a few chapters the other night. I'm getting a good feeling about it. But then again, we all know how that goes.

Have a great week. Until next time....

The Curious Case of Lemony Snickets

The July 4th holiday came, and the July 4th holiday went. Now it's time to put on my finely-creased twill dress pants and make the two hour round trip to walk amongst the rest of the living dead.

I finally caught-up on sleep for the first time in three weeks. I've been going hard at work, and it's left me sick with some sort of head congestion or something. My wife and I had a fine time with her family over the weekend. Now we're back home and hunkering down for yet another week in the fray.

I swear to God there's a show called, "Say Yes to the Dress," which chronicles the adventures of brides-to-be as they try to pick out a wedding dress. That saga hits a bit too close to home for me.

Did anyone know that we're about two months away from the kickoff of the NFL season? It's not long until it's beer and chicken wings every Sunday for 12 hours while my wife helps me keep track of my fantasy team.

Anyone notice that unemployment is at 9.5 percent?

My writing is well...it's on going. It hasn't stopped, really, but it's become harder than Tom Sizemore (might have used that joke in the blog, can't remember) to find the energy at the end of the day. Someone has mentioned using Vista's voice recognition software, which eases the process somewhat. Now it's all about finding the time to make that happen. I'm feeling okay about getting the first rough draft cranked out pretty quick. As I predicted, I've now begun to think that the whole book sucks and needs to be dumped in the trash. I know I've always said that no matter what I'd publish it, but if I'm not going to get published for airing out all of my dirty wedding laundry, then I don't know if I'll ever let anyone read it...ever. I'm just in one of those moods where I hate everything. It's sure to change any minute.

I finally saw the David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven) directed 'Curious Case of Benjamin Button.' I bought it three weeks ago and my wife and I sat down to watch it this afternoon. I must it was a stirring and artistic portrait of a 'curious' situation. One thing I took away from it was, that it is truly never too late to do something; it's never too late to start. I'm happy I saw that movie today. Thoughts like that help me get up every day. Well there's that thought and the Floyd Mayweather fight coming up.

Until next time...

The Song of the Century

Alas, it's only 8:35 a.m., but the mounting sadness that comes with the inevitability of Monday is wrapped around my back like a 200 pound gorilla. I usually don't start to feel this way until later on the evening, but today it has hit earlier. The one saving grace concerning the coming week is that it's a holiday week. I will be off on Friday in observance of July 4th. There's a break.

So, my life is relatively quiet these days. It's scorching outside, with temperatures regularly parking themselves at the 100 degree mark. It is so ridiculously hot that it's miserable. Just the walk to the car in the morning causes me to sweat through my button-up, resulting in salty, white stains. It's disgusting, and boy I can't wait for winter.

Sorry to sound be so depressing. It's just that these truly are the dog days of summer, and it's difficult to get excited about them anymore. There is hope, however. We are just months away from the kickoff of both college and professional football. That is the preoccupation that spawns dozens of daydreams throughout the week. They're games on at least four days a week, and the sports landscape is teeming with news of injuries, feuds and trades. And there's always fantasy football. I picked-up my fantasy football guide for the 2009 season last week, and I'm already studying for my 2009 campaign that hopefully results in a league championship.

This past week I finished 11 pages of the re-write. While that's not as much as I'd like to get done, it's still something. As long as I'm making progress everyday, as long as I continue the fight to get published, I'm doing something constructive. After my wife's Sunday Morning errands (I was told there would be none today), the rest of the day will be left to do whatever. Aside from typical house chores (clothes washing, possible lawn-mowing), I do plan to catch-up on a movie or two and get a couple of hours of writing done. Depending on what's finished today, there's a slight, and I do mean slight chance that this week I could complete the first re-write (It's really the second re-write, but I'm calling it the first).

And there is an excerpt coming. I don't know what it'll be, but I will be posting one soon. Keep a look out for it. Plus I'm trying to find someone to create a custom layout for my blog. Eventually I'll segway to Facebook and possibly Twitter, but for now the blog will be the main way I 'socially network.'

Until next time...

Red is the Color of Panic

Today was one of those 'Office Space' days. I can't count the number of times today that I stopped mid-sentence and wondered what in the hell transpired that led me to where I am today. Seriously, I stopped in the middle of conversation and pondered.

Today was also a sad, sad day. My wife learned that Jon and Kate of the ever-popular, "Jon and Kate Plus 8," (which exploits the fertility medication-bred of offspring of this dysfunctional couple), are getting a divorce. Wow. There you have it. Somehow, I think the world will keep turning tomorrow. Well....maybe.

By the way, did you know that there's a reality show about choosing wedding dresses? There's also a series (not a show, but a series) on MTV called "Pregnant and 16," which exploits 16-year-old high school gals that have unfortunately become knocked-up at a way too young age. Not only is it shameful that this show exists, but it's shocking to know that it's a series! Do you know what that means? It means that there's more than one 16-year-old 'misguided' young lady to create a whole slate of shows on the topic. Awesome.

Moving on...

I'm on the homestretch of the first re-write of "The Plunge." God it's taking a long time. It's almost taking too much time, and at times, it almost makes me want to take a long-term hiatus. When I first tried to make a schedule for submitting my work for representation, I anticipated being finished with BOTH manuscripts by the end of June. Obviously, that's not going to happen. I'll be lucky to get "The Plunge" done by the end of the month. But so far I'm hanging in there, not being deterred by the delays (because of life events). As of now, I'm on page 280 of the re-write, with about another 30 to go. You'd think it wouldn't take long, but as I'm trudging toward the end, I'm noticing that the writing got pretty bland on my first go round. I think it's because I was tired and just wanted to finish. I was to give a 'moving target' guess of when this draft will be done, it's by the 4th of July. From there I'll start the second re-write before moving to the third.

Okay gang, it's off to bed. I'm falling asleep at the keyboard.

Until next time...

Wake me up When September Ends

Funerals are typically the last place on Earth I'd rather be. There's something about them, perhaps the atmosphere, the tears and glum faces--the general ambiance isn't warm and cuddly.



Today was the funeral of my wife's grandmother, who'd been battling pancreatic cancer ever since I'd had to the pleasure to get to know her. Over a hundred people came to pay their last respects to a woman who by all accounts was one of this world's true gems. And it's not often one can say that these days, with all of the adversity and the evolution surrounding the modern American family.

Death causes me to ponder my own fate, my own life. When I was a little kid, I don't quite recall ever wanting to grow-up to be a Director of Finance at a business school. Admittedly, I gave-up wanting to play professional basketball in junior high when I realized 6-foot white guys who can't jump rarely make it to the NBA. Then I began to summize where I wanted to be forever. The depressing part is, is that I'm no closer to discovering that reality than I was 15 years ago.

Lots of people define their lives by how much money they make. Where are they on the good 'ole corporate ladder before they reach their ceiling. Days of slumming two hours a day in the car, followed by 9 hours of party-planning, reports and conference calls for thirty years isn't exactly what I call living. Unfortunately, that's the track I'm on now. I always swore that would never be me, but now, that's road I'm on right now. It's not too late for me to change course, but I'm now to the point where it might be all that's there for me. You know, that might just be okay.

I can be a husband and one day a father, and I can work twelve hour days, commute, sleep five hours a day and be a good person. I can raise my children to be good people, and provide for them everything in the world. Money is nice, but in the end, it's just you and your Maker. Maybe one day I'll have a family that loves me, and at my funeral everyone who's ever known me can attest that I was a good man. I suppose that's not a bad ending, either.

On a lighter note...The Ghostbusters Videogame came out this week, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to pass it up along with the Blu Ray release of the original film on its 25th anniversary. The game sports the prime cast members reprising their roles with a script written by Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd. Wait, I think I just talked myself into it.

Oh and by the way, I'm watching some show about a husband and wife that have sextuplets. Of course, my wife has this on as I sit writing on the floor. Now, tell me what's to fascinating about two people feeding kids, cleaning the house and going to the grocery store? Oh, that's right; there's SIX kids! That makes it so much better. And we just learned that the father is obese, and he's complaining about drinking protein shakes. Wow, I take protein shakes everyday, too! Why is this crap on television, and more importantly, why is my wife watching it?

Until Next Time...

My Friends Say I should Act my Age

The days are peeling back fast, and it doesn't even really feel like summer. Of course I know it's summer. There are no damned, long, ridiculous yellow buses preventing me from getting everywhere, and when I step into my car after work it's so hot I feel like I can peel my face off. But that's the only reason it feels like summer. When I get home, the sun is barely up. When I leave the house in the morning, the sun is barely up. Hell, I'm having a hard time convincing myself that I don't live in an Alaskan town where the sun never goes down for four months a pop.

So I'm taking the time to scan through my email a week or so back (that's about 75% of my free time for the day), and I come across an interesting email: 'BLINK 182 Pre-Sale.'

Upon doing some digging, I found out that one of my favorite bands of all-time, Blink 182 is reuniting for a summer tour and they're going to make a stop in Houston with both Fall Out Boy and the All American Rejects. Now for those of you who know me, that's just Bon Jovi away from being my personal greatest line-up of all-time. Let me clarify that Bon Jovi comment; non-country music Bon Jovi. I'm talking about, 'Livin' on a Prayer', Bon Jovi.

Blink 182 was the band that spontaneously pulled me from the depths of rap music fandom and into the 'Pop Punk' Alternative Emo movement. I still remember the day in the summer of 1998 when I road in a car with three of my best buddies (only one of which I'm still in contact with today) as the cranked, "What's My Age Again" from the album, "Enema of the State." The G-C-D chord pattern and the sophomoric humor had me at hello. I became a fan. That album, and the band for that matter, became synonymous with my high school and early college life. Songs from their first four albums still elicit vivid memories from that time and make me smile. And now they're back again.

Blink 182 isn't comprised of musical geniuses, and their music isn't going to write any political wrongs or save the children in Darfur. They used to be damned fun to watch, and within the span of a few months I'll get to catch both Green Day and Blink 182. For me, it can't get much better musically unless there's a New Kids on the Block reunion...wait a minute...

My wife is recovering, but it has been very slow and at times difficult. Luckily, my mother-in-law has been staying with us and caring for my wife during the day. It's still difficult for my wife to do things on her own, but hopefully by this time next week she'll be back at about 75%.

Unfortunately my writing has come to a screeching halt. Just when I could see the light at the end of the first-rewrite tunnel, work became hell on Earth and my wife had her surgery. I'm down to the last 50 pages to rewrite, plus I'll need to add a chapter that I conjured up while my wife was editing the rough draft. It will get there, though. I'm behind so many schedules that I've decided to stop making them. The damned final copy will be ready whenever it's ready.

Sorry for the delay in getting some content posted. It should flow more regularly now.

Until next time...

Do you Know What you're Fighting for?

I'm laid-up in the hospital with my wife this afternoon, off of work and watching her sleep silently. Oh...wait, she just woke-up.

With the day off from work, and a short day tomorrow to assist with Amanda's healing effort. I've got to be honest; I'm not not very sad about it. Work's been a grind lately, to the point where I want to cash it in. Now that you've heard me complain enough, I suppose we can get on to some meaningful stuff.

Amanda's surgery went well, and she should be released by Friday. She'll be off her feet for a few days to allow for healing, and it'll be week after next before she's eligible to return to work. This weekend it'll be 'Nurse Tom,' and 'Beer Friday' is going to be quite a bit different from typical iterations. I happy Amanda's had her issue permanently addressed (GERD), and that she can live her life without daily medication.

Due to work, the coat of polish I'm putting on 'The Plunge' has been delayed somewhat. I got to work for about an hour here in the hospital, and will likely get another done before I go. A friend of mine's daughter has a book going with Simon and Schuster, and her rewrite is taking at least six months. Of course that's a professional job with real editors and whatnot. I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe (Star Wars reference). We should see the first rewrite completed shortly, and then it's the biggest editing job ever!

Until Next time...

Do You Know Your Enemy?

Damn, yesterday was tough. Work went long for a Monday, so by the time I got home I had time to grab dinner, watch thirty minutes of television and go to sleep. It wasn't a 'red letter' day by any stretch. Matter of fact; yesterday sucked....hard.

However, it is Tuesday and another new beginning. Tomorrow my wife goes in for surgery for her acid reflux and a recently discovered hiatal hernia. She's out of work for a week and a half, at least, depending on well the surgery goes. So tomorrow I'll be taking the day off from work and sitting at the hospital with her. The bad news is, that my wife's having very painful surgery. The good news is, that I get to spend most of the day writing! At least there's something good to come out it.

So this weekend I was at Kroger, picking up some food wares for my wife and her very particular appetite. On the way out, I made it a point to stop by the surprisingly robust book/magazine section, which sported a wide variety of stuff. I like to stop by and pick up a random book here and there. I flip open the cover, read a few lines and nine times out of ten think, "Man, this stuff isn't any better than mine." It makes me feel good and reassures me that most authors aren't that great, anyway. I mean, don't get me wrong; they're good, but they're not 'from another planet' good.

After I stroked my ego a bit, I perused the book selection to see what stocked the shelves in the way of young adult fiction. And son of a gun, half the books were about vampires. I mean, haven't we just about had it with the vampires? I guess back in the early to mid 90s we had the Anne Rice craze and a slew of new vampire flicks to accompany the media onslaught of the undead. Now of course it's 'Twilight,' and about five other new series with werewolves and the like. And I picked-up, "New Moon," one of Stephanie Meyer's books, and I'll tell you what; Stephen King had it right. Stephanie Meyer does suck.

"Oh, he touched me, and the electricity shot through my body as my hands quivered against the unearthly cool embrace of his silken touch..."

See! Anybody can do it!

Until next time...