mannyneps

Massive thanks to my buddy for getting me moving on this.

I wonder if I'll make it to 30k words. My mind doesn't work the way it did when I was younger and able to think up coherent plots and interesting characters. Just last week, I spent a few hours making comments on a proposed workplace policy.

That's the caliber of work I'm used to putting out now.

On Saturday, I dropped my son off at a playground (with his yaya, of course) and, over a very good cup of coffee, I wrote the first part of the new story. 500+ words in 3 hours.

I rewrote it obsessively on Sunday. I'm now at 717 words and I'm still not happy.

Surprise, surprise. He messaged me the next day and he'd already written about 1700 words, the bastard.

I went into my archives and found the bones of a short story I'd plotted out a few years ago.

I took a couple of days to re-plot it, then I threw that out and started again.

We agreed that the important thing was to get something written, and it didn't matter if it was good or not. We also agreed on a lower target - 30k words - and I thought we'd both sink back into our regular messes and this would be another of those things we'd picked up once but never returned to.

One of the guys - let's call him Rand - replied, "Are you?" and then he messaged me directly and we talked about writing stuff again.

That led into a conversation about what's been going on with us. Like me, he's been facing a lot of challenges. Things I didn't know about.

Some time last week, I posted in our college buddies group chat: "Anyone doing NaNoWriMo this year?"

It was a bit of a joke. Only one of us writes at that caliber, and while we're all kind-of aspiring writers, we haven't put out any kind of new material in decades.

What's up, Blue Sky? It's been ages.

I barely use this platform, I have so few followers (not that I care too much about that, TBH), so I guess this is as good a place as any to write about... stuff.

Vote wisely and vote well, friends.

Take precautions against the heat and the discomfort.

It's official: my new favorite @jypetwicejapan.bsky.social song is Hare Hare.

I still love Perfect World, but Hare Hare just makes me so happy.

After wandering through Clark for the better part of a decade, I'm still finding places I haven't been to before.

After having misplaced my third pair of earbuds, I wonder if I can get them as some sort of subscription where a new pair is delivered every six months.

I just finished the last two books of Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police series.

I should really have been reading some books related to work, but I'm on holiday so screw that.

A lovely breakfast today with Twice.

Weekend fun: prep for OMCP certification.

My enjoyment of that seminal comic book series and the books that followed it was not worth the pain and anguish of those women.

I'd love to drop the other platform entirely, but my KPop communities haven't made the move to this platform yet.

It's nearly New Year's here, so let me wish you all a Happy New Year. May 2025 bring us all more joy, peace and prosperity.

Happy holidays, people of Bluesky. Wishing you all the best.

Over the past few weeks, I've had a few quite senior business leaders tell me that they're obsessed with Dilaw by Maki. What is going on???

Monday of Fight-For-Your-Holiday Week has begun. Hoo boy.

Nursing a cold today while trying to get stuff done. Not the best way to wrap up the year, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

Hoping for the best for South Korea.

Waiting for a new product announcement by the PSA: Certificate of No Record, or CENOREC.

After months of thinking about it, I finally picked up Stellar Blade on sale this Black Friday.

The thing is, I don't have the reflexes I did twenty years ago, and that's unlikely to change. I've been stuck at Abaddon (the first boss) for two days, unable to progress.

Story mode it'll have to be.

I like to imagine that a substantial amount of vampires' fortunes go to research and development and that the project to develop a garlic substitute has received a large amount of funding and intense attention.

As my recent bus trip to Naga has reminded me, I'm no longer a spry twenty year old who can afford to ignore these things. I turn fifty next year and it's well past time I act my age when it comes to my health.

My grandmother died of diabetes-related complications and it's clear my father will too.

Visiting my (estranged) father and seeing how badly his mental faculties have deteriorated have really hit me hard.

I've never been diagnosed with diabetes, but it's really more because I've avoided being diagnosed with anything, period. No checkups or tests in the last three years.

Naga is pretty nice, but it's too hot to wander around so I'm sat in the new Landers killing time till my bus ride home in 6 hours.

Back in Naga for the first time since 2022. Going to talk to my father for the first time since... 2018? Meeting my half-sister for the first time.

This week is starting out different.