Life on Pause and the Batteries are Dead

So I thought I would do a personal post as I've revived my writing website after some time away from it.

Check it out here: http://jrwoods.snappages.com

In about one week, it will have been one year since my college graduation and like many college graduates over the past few years, I'm exactly where I started before I graduated. Thankfully, I have a job that pays the bills.  While I know many out there are not as fortunate, it's still hard to sit idly by with no prospects of anything new. We go to school, study hard and make good grades to make it into college. From there we study some more and maybe party as well, all with the hope of graduating and getting a degree  that is believed to "open doors". We bounce around a bit from job to job and hopefully find that career that makes us feel pretty good. Something we can at least tolerate for 40 plus hours a week. For me (and my wife), that's something that is still being sought after.

Unfortunately, with our modern economy it seems like we're all stuck on pause. This not to say that I haven't tried to dig myself out of the mud. As in my last post, I made an attempt at fire fighting with no luck. I was just a bit too much "Batman" and not enough "Superman" on paper for their liking. The next attempt was a couple of applications with no call backs. And the most recent attempt at a change was a complete tease. The job was listed as paying in a range less than what I make to more than what I make. As any logical person would conclude, had I gotten an interview and done well, you'd expect I'd be offered either my current pay or better. Well, as it turned out, I did get an interview and made the top of the list, yet the pay changed and not for the better. The offer was for less than my current salary. I had no choice, but to turn it down. Still on pause.

Changing gears, my wife and I have also gotten antsy feet in wanting to move out of our neighborhood and our state. With 100 degree plus days nearly every day this summer, we are wanting something different. Maybe even another country. What has happened to the world of adventure? It almost seems like the world is boxing us in more and more. It almost feels like a modern day '1984' (the book) where any sense of adventure, change or uniqueness is all out of reach or dead.

I won't lie, it's been hard... and yes, I realize how blessed I am in many things, but I find it hard to believe that this is it. A job with steady pay is nice, a home with superficial things are nice, but I care more about a life of joy rather than being a machine. My wife brings me joy and my dog makes me smile. I'm blessed for sure, but I want us to live a life that is fulfilling and not just routine.

*****

So while I wait for life and the economy to get back in gear, I'm doing the one thing I know I can do that maybe, just maybe, can help get us out of this slump... writing! Yes, I know it's a long shot, but I've played most of the cards I have (which aren't many).

Doggy Drama and Writing

Last time I posted Molly was a puppy in training (and still is), but Amy and I hit a snag as "pack leaders" (been watching 'Dog Whisperer'). It turns out while Amy's allergies at first were slight in regard to Molly, the began to get worse. Long story short, Molly has turned from the time-share dog to full-time dog with my mother-in-law who lives around the corner. We're still like Aunt and Uncle to Molly, but she's not all ours anymore. Anyway, since we (mainly Amy, but I've warmed up to it) had caught dog fever the search was on for a dog that would not send Amy over the edge in allergies and be a little more chillaxed in relation to Amy and I's personas. Another long story short and an Austin-Houston dog transport we got to know Maggie (originally known as Valerie, but she's not a Valerie). After Amy spent significant time with Maggie, she realized her allergies would not go crazy and we both loved her discipline and demeanor. So next month, Maggie will be added to our "pack" where Molly once was and hopefully Molly will except  a new older cousin.

Now onto writing... or rather more delays. Now that school is over I can finally relax and take it easy, but I'm also realizing that my book(s) need more attention if I ever plan on writing them for real and maybe (in a hail-mary pass) get them published. So far I've been content with jotting down notes and story outlines here and there as they come, but honestly I know I need to buckle down and do some hard, disciplined writing. A few posts ago I talked about testing out my writing chops with a short story that would connect to my story and a few weeks I mapped most of it out, but still had a few gaps.  Realizing I needed to tackle it rather than retreating back to random notes and ideas here and there for my main story I am here... posting. Now, that this post is nearly done I'm doing my best to think of the next distraction. I need to buckle down.