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...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
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...
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...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
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 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...
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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...
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...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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...
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...
Saturday, October 3, 2009
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...
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...
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