Category Archives: JUST SAYING

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Short Steampunk Subjects

Positively steamy!

I like things that are short.  Quite a few of my favorite types of media are short: theatrical cartoons, Three Stooges shorts, Aesop’s fables, and Isaac Asimov’s short stories, to name a few.  Curiously enough, my own writing consists mainly of short stories.

I initially kept my short stories to just one side of a page out of sheer habit, but as I write more I am finding myself becoming more comfortable with going beyond that self-imposed arbitrary limit.  Curiously enough, my very first short story came in at 12 pages, which I felt was way too long, so there’s that, too.

There’s just something about quickly getting to the point.  Sure, a one-page story doesn’t leave much room for character development, but it also means that a message can be delivered effectively without getting lost in the rest of the story.  It also leaves armchair psychologists with little room to to find deeper meaning in between the lines.

It may also explain why I enjoy comic books.  In addition to enjoying the exploits of Superman, the Green Lantern Corps and Mega Man each month, I have also taken a liking to the various Steampunk titles currently being printed by Antarctic Press.  In addition to artwork relating to the book’s theme featuring comely lasses, each one has also featured two or three short comic stories featuring the works of Rod Espinosa, Fred Perry, and other creators.

I really enjoy those short comics.  I read them, have a quick laugh or smile, and move on to other things.  But unlike the one-issue comic stories I discussed previously, which are ‘fire and forget,’ those short comics (especially Perry’s) have me wondering about just what happened before and after the story.  How did that Bad Guy end up as a pony?  Who ended up winning the Fairyland Steampocalypse? Just why did Dr. Frankensteam create her Monster?

I also wonder if I am being given glimpses of a bigger tale that has been untold, or are these the scattered pages of a work that is not yet done even in the creator’s mind?  Or perhaps, like myself, all they want to do is make a quick joke or point and move on without having to write a whole book.  I can certainly relate to that!

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CAMPING, JUST SAYING, RANDOMIZER9.COM, Uncategorized, WHISKEY-TANGO-FOXTROT, WORDS

Camping Journal #7 – …And Home Again

Suspect is fuzzy and likes bread and eggs

July 14, 2012, 816 am, at McDonald’s in Spring Branch

-a little sunburned-

What a night.

As if sleeping in the humidity wasn’t difficult enough, I had some visitors at about 2am.  A raccoon came to camp looking for a bite and got  into my food container.  I got up and shooed him away, but not before he got a loaf of bread.  I put the container in my vehicle and resumed trying to sleep.

Not even 15 minutes later, he was back for the cooler.  I didn’t have the presence of mind to get one with a latch, and sure enough, the next thing I know, I’m putting that away and thinking I could forget about breakfast; the fuzzy bastard had eaten the eggs I had packed.

I got up at 7, and started to break camp, a task made slightly easier because I had already put up half my stuff.

And so I here I sit, drinking a cup of coffee at Mickey D’s before heading back home.

It was a fun time, and I learned a few things for next time.  Hopefully my brother or one of my friends can join me next time.

I’ll just be sure to get a cooler with latches this time…and some flip flops.

-ES

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Camping Journal #6 – Lights Out

July 14, 2012, just past midnight, in the tent

-sleepy-

It’s time for bed now, and I think that my ‘beta test’ was a success.  Except for a slight sunburn, everything went well.

I don’t know how well the tent will be able to withstand Oklacon, but for South Texas, it seems to do just fine.

Mostly everything was able to fit into the Excelsior without dropping the back seats, and I can leave the table at home next time.

I might need to get a bigger ice chest, but other than that I think I’m ready to go for a 2-night stay.

I’ll just have to remember to get some flip-flops.

-ES

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Camping Journal #5 – Rain, Rain, Make Up Your Mind, Already!

July 13, 2012, 708pm, at camp

-perturbed-

About an hour and a half ago, the sky went grey, the wind picked up, the animals went silent…and nothing.

I had planned on going for another swim but instead, I battened down the hatches, put everything in my tent or in my vehicle, and waited for the skies to open up and unleash a torrent of water.

Nothing.

I’m not 100% certain that the threat is over, so I’m on a hair trigger, ready to dash into my tent and zip up the windows at the first sign of water.

Maybe going camping on Friday the 13th wasn’t the best idea in the world.

-ES

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Camping Journal #3: Base Camped

Just like the picture on the box!

July 13, 2012, 110pm, Guadalupe State Park, Site #34

-content-

I woke up at 8, showered, packed my food, bought ice and hit the road.  I stopped to gas up the Excelsior, grabbed some breakfast at Whataburger, and headed up 281 for Guadalupe State Park.

Going up 281, you really get to see a few hills, unlike I-35 to Austin.  It was an uneventful drive, the park was easy to find and only a half hour’s trip from San Antonio.  I paid the fee, got to my spot and set things up.

As a side note, the employees at the office were all women, as if I needed another reason to go camping.

The tent gave me a bit of trouble, mainly because I’ve never put up a ‘modern’ one, my experience was limited to the six-man Hillary tent my folks got from Sears many years ago.  Its made of canvas, held up with aluminum poles and held down with railroad spikes.

They sure as hell don’t make them like that anymore.

This is my first time here, and I have to say that it is pretty nice.  Each site has a table, a hook to hang your lantern from, a fire pit, and a designated spot for your tent.

The only downside I’ve found so far is that my spot would seem to be pretty far away from an easily accessible spot on the river for swimming.  I took a hike to see the river and found myself on a ledge about 15 feet up overlooking it.  Rats.  I figured I’d follow the river until I found an area where I could get to the river itself.

An hour later, I found myself back at camp with sore feet and no closer to finding water.  I had lunch and am about to hop into the Excelsior to see if I can find the ‘swimming hole.’

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Camping Journal #2: Just One More Thing?

I haven’t even gotten there yet!

Read Journal #1 here.

July 13, 2012, 937am, at Whataburger

-pensive-

As I eat breakfast before heading out, I keep wondering if I’ve forgotten anything.  Yeah, I made a list, I’ve done this before (though not by myself) and I’m stopping at HEB up the road to get one or two last things, but the thought of “I forgot something” keeps popping in my head.  I guess its only natural, and I’ll find out soon enough!

-ES

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Camping Journal #1: (Semi) Roughing It

Lined paper! WHEE!

I took a camping trip recently and while I admittedly spent way too much time on my phone updating my Facebook status, I also bought along some paper to keep a written journal.  As I’m pretty sure folks don’t want to decipher my awful handwriting, I’m transcribing them.  Enjoy!

July 12, 2012: 5:13 pm, at work

-enthusiastic-

I’ve made my list, checked it twice and I’m heading out camping tomorrow for the first time in years.  I used to love going to Lake Corpus Christi with my folks, family and friends Back In the Day, but this time I’m going alone.

I suppose that’s the downside of having a bunch of nerds for friends.  I’m looking forward to it, though, and maybe sometime in the near future I’ll bring some friends along.

-ES

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Obvious Title is Obvious

I am currently writing a short story that involves a large monster tearing up a city. Having read that sentence, the first thing that has probably popped into your head is “Godzilla.”  As it is a furry story, instead of being a giant dinosaur, the antagonist is a giant dog.  I have been referring to it as ‘Dogzilla’ for now, but I severely doubt that ‘Dogzilla’ will be the final name of the character.

It’s just too obvious.  Being ‘too obvious’ is something that I try to avoid in my stories.  It may be because I am afraid of dating them with pop culture references, but more than likely, I try to avoid the easy way out because I like to think that I’m clever enough to come up with something new and witty without figuratively elbowing my reader and going: “See what I did there?”  Of course, as is often the case, I may be overthinking it and end up run the risk of being too clever for my own good.  That’s a post for another time, though.

“King Dog?” Bleh.  I guess ‘Dogzilla’ he will stay until something better comes along.

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27 Things I Noticed About Camping

I camped out at Guadalupe River State Park last Friday.  It was the first time I had been out camping in years.  I used to go with my family to trips to Sunrise Beach at Lake Corpus Christi back in the day, and felt it was high time I rediscovered the Great Outdoors.  So I bought a tent, a lamp and a stove and headed off to adventure!  It was a fun trip, but I did notice a few things…

tent

Just like the picture on the box!

  1. I contemplated getting a dual-burner stove like the one my folks have, but remembered that I’m not a skilled enough cook to run 2 burners at once.
  2. Propane sucks.
  3. Its nice that Coleman stoves and lanterns can run off unleaded gas in a pinch, but did they have to stop making them green? 😦
  4. Always remember to subtract one ‘man’ from the number of people a tent can supposedly hold.
  5. I kept thinking: ‘should I get better stakes?’ ‘should I get better stakes?’ Yeah, I should have bought better stakes for the tent.
  6. I don’t know if its because of the heat, but I get powerful thirsty when camping, I should maybe pack some Gatorade next time.
  7. According to the map of the park, the river should have been nearby…it was, but the map didn’t mention the 15-foot drop to get to it.
  8. Thus, I had to drive to the part of the river that you could swim in…it didn’t feel right somehow.
  9. I purchased sunscreen, I took it with me, but did I use it?  Nooooo.
  10. I was both happy and sad to get a cell phone signal out there.
  11. They also had Wi-Fi.  Sign of the times, I guess.
  12. If you go walking around the Guadalupe River with bare feet, you’re going to have a bad time.
  13. So much for taking an afternoon nap. When there is no breeze, it’s actually hotter inside the tent
  14. Nature is pretty noisy, but when things get really quiet, it feels like you’re in a horror movie.
  15. Good to know I can still light a lantern and a camp stove.
  16. As night fell, I could hear generators starting as I sat under my lantern…geez, people, for a few bucks more you can stay at a site with electricity.
  17. I could have stayed ‘off the grid’ but no, I had to bring my laptop and use my smartphone as a hotspot. /shrug
  18. I just had to go Beavis for awhile when the flame from my camp stove shot up a foot in the air after I lit it.  FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!
  19. The humidity at night had me tossing and turning, I’m totally not used to it.
  20. The animals have not been very active at campsites I’ve been to before, so I was a bit surprised when that raccoon opened my food container at at 2 in the morning and swiped a loaf of bread.
  21. I was even MORE surprised when he opened the cooler.  Them’s smart critters.
  22. In an unrelated note, instead of scrambled eggs for breakfast at camp, I had McDonald’s on the way home.  Pbbbt.
  23. How is there condensation on the BOTTOM of the tent when there is no grass?
  24. The tent actually fit back inside of the case it came in -mind blown-
  25. Nothing like that ‘am I sunburned or not?’ feeling.
  26. Of course, the first time you step into a hot shower…you know for SURE.
  27. Can’t wait to do it again!
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10 Things I Noticed About Getting A New Car

Old car next to new car

Upgrade!

My 2005 Dodge Neon, lovingly referred to as the “Reliant,” has been a pretty dependable vehicle since I bought it back in 2006.  Recently, the only issue I’ve had with it is that well, its a Neon.  As I’ve been taking more trips to Dallas and Houston going to conventions and events, I’m finding that a Neon isn’t a very comfortable place to be for an extended period of time.

Thus, I began looking for a new vehicle in earnest. I didn’t need a “urban assault vehicle” as I like to call them, instead I wanted something just a bit bigger and more comfortable than a compact car.  I ended up buying a new 2012 Honda CR-V (pictured at right next to the Reliant and dubbed the “Excelsior”) and noticed just a few things during the process:

  1. As I mentioned previously, car shopping has changed just a bit since I bought the Reliant in 2006, and I think for the better.
  2. “Base model” doesn’t mean what it used to.  The base model CR-V includes Bluetooth, USB, rear-view camera, and automatic transmission.  Wow.
  3. The hardest part of getting a CR-V was well…getting one, as they are quite popular.
  4. Used cars are also popular; the Reliant was worth quite a bit more than I had expected.
  5. Of course, all I was going to get for it on the trade-in was some magic beans.
  6. Its good to have a man on the inside, hopefully my friend that sold me the CR-V stays at the dealership for at least a few years 😉
  7. Actual conversation with my friend: “Its not my car yet.” “Of course not, you haven’t paid for it.” “No, I haven’t farted in it yet.”
  8. I’ve barely had the Excelsior a month and its already been called ‘cute’ a few times. Here we go again.
  9. Having a camera in the back that turns on while I’m in reverse makes backing into parking spots like a videogame.  If I ‘lose’ its going to cost me more than a quarter, though!
  10. Hooray for modern engineering: despite being larger, the Excelsior gets at least as good gas mileage as the Reliant did and over 30mpg on long trips.
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